3/31/2022
Are you burying your talent?A. Will | Talent, Blog "Don't bury your talent(s). God expects you to do something with them."
6/30/2021
Alone or isolated?
8/12/2020
No, anxiety....you LISTEN!As I laid in my bed trying to get out of it, I was hit with this bout of anxiousness. I know exactly the reason why I feel the way I do. See, I'll be returning back to teach. So for the last few weeks there has been so many questions swirling in my mind. What if we can't social distance, will we be provided barriers; what about my own children: virtual or in school; how can I best teach and remain safe? How can I keep students engaged when I haven't built a relationship with them, especially if I'm not able to physically meet them? Should I purchase scrubs and a hazmat suit?! What's a TEACHER COVID KIT? The more I thought, my questions would lead to even more questions leaving me uneasy and exhausted!
So what did I do? I prayed, of course! I asked God questions of what to do and didn't receive any answers. So I immediately thought "Ok, God I know that you hear me. Answer me." Look at me demanding an answer. The Holy Spirit immediately spoke to me and said, "No matter what choice you make concerning virtual or in person for yourself or your children, you all will be just fine. This is a faith walk." I almost shouted a hole in my bedroom floor. God is GOODT!! So why did I wake up to overwhelming feelings of anxiety again?! I truly believed & received that word from the Holy Spirit. The truth is you can simultaneously have feelings of fear, anxiety, depression, anger, irritation AND know what the Word has said about it. The part we fail to recognize is that we are triune beings made up of spirit, soul, and body. At the seat of our soul is our heart, thoughts and emotions. Thoughts and emotions are useful as they assist us in everyday living. Thinking is an important part of mental processing. We use thinking to plan, create, reflect, organize, and learn. Emotions can play a part in our behavior and how we think. If we are invoked with such an emotion, it can propel us to take action (good or bad). The struggle is when we allow what we know and believe in the Word of God says to be trumped by our thoughts and emotions. No one is saying we'll ever escape ALL negative thoughts and emotions from forming, afterall we do live in a fallen world, BUT when they rise up what do we do? Use your sword WOG! Doesn't every Christian have a sword named THE WOG (WORD OF GOD)? When was the last time you used it? I used mine today! As a matter of fact, I use mine several times a day. I don't want to gloss over the fact that someone will read this and feel as if the anxiety you are experiencing is being dismissed. I can 100% let you know with all sincerity that I am not at all... In fact, I speak from the experience of an individual who has dealt with anxiety. I've been in intense talk therapy, I pray and read/study the word of God but I still deal with anxiety. The reason I say deal instead of suffer is because it tries to take over my life so I deal with it with my sword WOG! NOT TODAY! PERIODT!
I'm encouraged by the Psalms. Our brother David wrote majority of the Psalms and in Psalms 139 verses 1-4 and it states, "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord , know it completely." God knows our thoughts, He knows our concerns, our ways, this is why we were instructed, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (ref. Philippians 4:6). Verse 7 is the BENEFIT: "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." God's Word helps me fight through anxiety, the what ifs, the many questions...then God's peace comes to guard my soul (heart and thoughts) through Jesus Christ. Listen, ya'll I am so encouraged by His WORD. Please get into it. Pray while your favorite praise & worship music is playing! Lay at His feet! Trust, Believe and Use His Word in every situation. What you're feeling is real but the power of THE WOG is greater. If you feel so helpless, please reach out to your Pastor or a trusted friend who will listen, lay hands, and pray for you! Experience his PEACE today!!! NO ANXIETY, YOU LISTEN! You are defeated by the power in the WORD of God and blood of the lamb! Prayer: Lord, we thank you for your Word! Thank you for being a God who knows our inner thoughts, and our ways! Help us to totally depend on your WORD when feelings of anxiety and depression try to overtake us. We surrender all to you! Let your peace rest, rule and abide in our hearts, minds, thoughts, and emotions today! In Jesus Name, Amen! OK, ya'll I gotta go! Whew Lord, I'm so encouraged! Hallelujah! ~ A. WILL
1/1/2019
just be - Ny resolution 2019Each year I make a resolution but this year I want to just - BE! To just be means, I have no need to control or manipulate situations in my life because God's got it. After so many years of trying to control (due to past trauma, not wanting to feel disappointed ever again), this left me - honestly - out of control, chronically depressed, stressed, sick, uptight, angry AND bitter.
I didn't fully let God BE in control. I tried to assist Him. Truthfully, he didn't need my help. AT ALL! So this year I just want to BE - LIVE knowing that I don't have to know it all, say it all, be all, fix all because GOD'S GOT IT ALL under His CONTROL. INHALE. EXHALE. INHALE. EXHALE. BREATHE! SURRENDER! ASHLEY, JUST BE! Prayer: Heavenly Father, we understand that you sit high and look low. You are the Beginning and the End! You know what's best for our lives. We trust you! Knowing that you are the Great I Am, brings us comfort and peace. May we continue to lean on you in 2019. In Jesus Name, Amen I pray this year you trust our Heavenly Father to be your all in all. There are 12 new chapters, 365 new chances. Lets make 2019 count! Happy New Year! -A. Will
10/30/2018
The Fortress of UnforgivenessRemember growing up and your parents telling you that you should ignore or avoid the kid(s) who were mean to you?! Or maybe you were told to knock the kid out; “That will teach him a lesson.” It may have been easier to simply fight, ignore the other kid or just avoid him/her all together. You probably fought the kid or completely isolated yourself, avoiding him/her to protect yourself from further taunting.
Our parents were right in advising us to do this (maybe not so much with the Mayweather treatment) because they wanted to protect us (their precious poopy-doos) from further harm. Ahhh…. PROTECTION. That is a such a powerful, reassuring word. Protection is defined as any measure taken to guard or defend against damage, harm, injury, attacks, loss, etc. We protect our homes with alarms and insurance, our investments, our family and friends. But as much as we try to protect, somehow, we still experience loss, pain, or betrayal. Something begins to brew within us after experiencing those things; we make vows that we will never feel that emotion again. We become angry, bitter, full of resentment and full of something we rarely admit: UNFORGIVENESS. Unforgiveness are the bricks that we use to build our fortress; the fortress that is to protect us from experiencing hurt again. It’s totally natural for us to do this because we are human, and our experiences hurt just that bad. What we don’t recognize is, unforgiveness fortifies us from the outside world. We don’t know how to deal with people. We say things like...“I just can’t today”….“Bye…Felicia”…“Human Beings Irk”. We’re irritable, bitter, angry and sometimes lonely. When unforgiveness has its way, you may not notice that you left Jesus standing on the outside of that fortress you have built. WOW! The Lord is concerned about us. The Bible says that He collects our tears (Psalms 56:4), He is near the brokenhearted (Psalms 34:18), and He will strengthen and hold us up (Isaiah 41:10). In today’s society, people believe forgiveness somehow excuses a person’s actions and is a sign of weakness. The truth is Forgiveness is Strength and every one of us will give an account of our lives…we will answer to God in the end, so no one’s getting away with anything. It’s very important that we forgive. If we want to be forgiven, we must forgive others. Also, there are several studies that suggest unforgiveness affects us naturally. Long periods of anger can lead to issues with our hearts, blood pressure, and our immune system. Unforgiveness can literally make you sick! Also, it increases our risks of becoming depressed or anxious and raises our stress levels. The good news is you have power to take down the fortress: Forgive! Forgiveness is a process! Just because you say you have forgiven someone, doesn’t mean your feelings (emotions) about the situation will change immediately (they’ll change eventually) or that you’ll forget what happened. Depending upon the severity of the offense(s), it may take additional counseling. But you can start healing today by making a choice to forgive. Jesus knows all and is very concerned about us! That’s why He is standing outside our fortresses, waiting for the opportunity to take us into his loving arms to give us peace, understanding, joy and strength. Don’t leave Him out there! Surrender! Forgive the person(s) who have hurt you. Also, forgive yourself! Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for life and for forgiving us. Lord, you saved us while we were yet sinners. Lord, you know the source of our anger, hurt, and pain. Search our hearts and shine it on the areas where we have tucked away unforgiveness. We are asking you help us to forgive (others and ourselves). Heal our hurt. Grant us joy and strength to get through this. Holy Spirit, show us how to be merciful, gracious, patient, kind, empathetic, and loving. Let us not make other folks pay for the pain others have caused us. Help us to get our emotions under control. May we not become bitter, mean-spirited, or resentful. May we always direct our attention to you in every aspect of our lives. We stand on your promises: that you will never leave us or forsake us. You hold our future in your hands; you hold the master plan so we know all things will work together for our good, because we are called. We are called by you, Lord! Hallelujah! In Jesus Name, Amen. Scriptures: Psalms 56:4; Psalms 34:18; Isaiah 41:10; Jeremiah 29:11; Romans 5:8; Matthew 6:14-15; John 16:33 Articles: Affects of Unforgiveness on the Body I will be writing a part 2 surrounding the topic of forgiveness: what it is, how to do it, etc Stay tuned! If you were encouraged, share this with a friend or two. GOD BLESS, A.Williams
6/3/2016
Families - It's Time to Heal!
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AuthorA. Will is a military wife, mother, teacher, entrepreneur. She has set out on a journey of helping women rediscover their worth & true identity. She loves to encourage others, discuss natural hair, travel, food, and anything to do with SINGING. She will break out in song at ANY GIVEN MOMENT! She escapes to the bathroom, which she now calls the "SPA", to enjoy quiet moments with the Lord. Archives
March 2022
CategoriesAll Anxiety COVID-19 Encouragement Family Forgiveness Holiday Isolation Lonely New Year Resolutions School Openings SY 2020-21 Talent Teacher Unforgiveness Follow us! |