Promise Keeper

 

"Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said ...You are God and your words are true, and you have promised this goodness to your servant..." 2 Samuel 7:18, 28

There are many promises in the Bible; promises that belong to believers and can be an active part of our lives if we choose. If we choose? If we choose. That means we as believers can choose not to have God promises in our lives. As for me and my house, we live for the promises of God and have never been disappointed.

Proverbs 1:33 "But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm..."
I love this scripture because it's pretty straightforward and to the point. That's what I like about my relationship with Christ-it's pretty straightforward and to the point. There's no hidden agenda. He promises that if I would slow down, and take time to listen to what He has to say to me (since He knows my end from my beginning), that He would fulfill His promises for my life. Let's take a closer look at what one of those promises are.

Peace...
My personal definition of peace is a place of consistent serenity and tranquility. Some might wonder how anyone could have peace in a world filled with as much turmoil as ours is. As we speak there is all manner of pain happening all over the world. How can we have peace in these days? I admit, initially this was not an easy concept for me to grasp. Struggling, I had a conversation with the Lord some time ago. I was feeling helpless. Watching the news can do this even the strongest of us. As I watched my television one particular evening, my physical resolve to make the world a better place was zapped in a New York Minute. There were so many things going on. A feeling of hopelessness tried to crowd my mind. I asked God what an insignificant person such as myself could do when there was so much wrong in the world. I heard the words Live for Me in my spirit. Simple enough. And it was with that small bit of information that I set out to learn how to live for Christ. I've come to find that trusting in God to be who He is, allows me the freedom to live in peace. This trust gives me the power I need to be effective in my area of purpose. Knowing that God has made promises to us, that He sealed them with the blood of Jesus and ignites them through the power of the Holy Ghost, knowing that these promises are real and tailored to our life's journey, and knowing that they are for our benefit is excactly the kind of life-changing information that can set our true life, a life of goodness in motion.

I don't know about you but I have seen firsthand the promises of God at work in my life and have no desire to live any other way. My family and I have tapped into a place where our prayers are answered sometimes even before we can utter them. God has begun to show His goodness to us in ways we could never imagine. Do you want to effect change in your home, on your job, in your business, church, community? Then do as David did, and as I do-sit before the Lord. Listen to Him, read your bible so you'll know the character of your Creator. When you do, you'll surely be able to say as David did "You are God, and your words are true".

Build,

Nakeia

www.twfginc.com
www.twfginc.blogspot.com

Calling All Writers: Tip #1

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown"
1 Corinthians 9:24-25

My husband-and biggest supporter, has requested that I generate tips and helpful tidbits of information for writers and future writers alike. I felt I was inadequate to render such information since I am a writer/editor who is still in the midst of creating her first novel. However after much, much deliberation, I have concluded that I’ve made enough mistakes and celebrated enough triumphs to offer kind suggestions to anyone who will listen.

Writing Tip #1

Begin With the End in Mind. This phrase is not mine, nor is it specific to writers alone. Author Stephen Covey wrote this mantra in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. When I first started my book I didn’t actually know that I was starting it. That might sound strange but it’s true. I was probably high on some emotion or another and felt writing would be a great way to express what I was feeling. Either that or I had a dream and started writing about it. Either way, I had no idea that what I was doing then would morph into a desire to write a book. To be fair to myself, the only reason I got fired up (if you will) about writing a novel was because I had read one too many books in my favorite genre that were less than satisfying. I heard a quote by famous author Toni Morrison which says “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it”. That quote was life altering for me. Similar to Ms. Morrison, writing is not something I dreamed about doing. When I was a kid, I dreamed of being Claire Huxtable from The Cosby Show. No, writing was something that made me feel. Deeply. Differently than a dream because I see it in my minds-eye, but I also have the power to fine tune, shape and share my story.

How do we begin with the end in mind? Well, what are you writing about? Knowing your characters, their personal biography, family history, communities, aspirations, etc. is not the same as knowing what you are writing about. Another way to ask this question is: What is the Theme of your book? Is it unconditional love? Perhaps vengeance, forgiveness, finding joy in unexpected places, igniting your life’s purpose? Whatever your theme is, the sooner you become aware or choose it, the better. Having this weapon in your literary arsenal will assist you invaluably as you navigate through the murky waters of authorship (no pun intended [smile]).

Beginning with the end in mind is a valuable lesson I learned in the process of writing and am daily developing this nugget of wisdom into every aspect of my life. I hope that by sharing this tiny bit of information with you that I can help save you precious time, effort, and drafts!

Until next time…

Build,

Nakeia