Heart Problems

 by Victoria Armstead

“Lord, what’s wrong with me? Where’s this coming from? What happened? Why me? How do I shake this feeling? “ 

Have you ever felt like there was something, beyond your intellect, standing in the way of you loving God with your WHOLE heart? Do you find yourself constantly “feeling some type of way”?  Are you unexplainably angry and bitter? Yea? Well sir/ma’am you have a CURABLE case of heart problems!

No, not those kind silly! I’m not prophesying a heart attack, stroke, or anything of that nature over your life. These heart problems, however, can cost you your life, if you’re not careful. These heart problems break down your spirit man and hold up your destiny. They give you a harsh disposition and strain your ability to love. Now, usually you’d have to make an appointment to talk to a doctor about your condition, but in this case, your answer is just one “Father in the name of Jesus” away. 

Typically, when you have an unusual ache or pain in your body, you want to know where it’s coming from so, you research your symptoms and causes of your affliction. After you get an idea of what the problem might me, you go to the doctor to gain more knowledge about what’s happening to you and to understand the seriousness of the situation, how it can be treated, and how it’ll impact your future. The doctor runs tests, gives you a diagnosis, explains preventative measures, and prescribes you medicine to cure your ailment. Now, you just have to do your part to get rid of it!

Well, as believers, we have to apply the same tenacity towards being better followers of Jesus Christ and that can’t be done if we carry around these heart problems. Some of us have experienced things that left us with hardened hearts. I know, for me, relationship blues and work drama alone took to me to that “forget everything and everyone” point. Some of you may have experienced abandonment, abuse (emotional/physical/verbal/sexual), rejection, church hurt, and many other unfortunate circumstances. Whatever it is, the burden of it ends after you read this blog in Jesus name!

I guess your next question is, “How do these things lead to heart problems?” See, the thing with heart problems is that you may never know of their existence until something triggers them. If you can, imagine an overly-filled garbage bag. You’re too lazy to take it out, so you just keep pilling stuff in and one day it just pops! It stinks up the whole place, you’re furious and there’s garbage everywhere! Imagine your heart as that garbage bag and your life as the place that gets the funky odor.  Not pretty, right? These problems creep by us for so long until something big happens and nearly destroys us. This is why the bible tells us to guard our hearts, for it determines the course of our lives (Proverbs 4:23). We’ve become a generation who deals with our problems by “sweeping them under the rug” and developing an “it is what it is “mentality. We only play ourselves by allowing something that Jesus took to the cross to eat away at us. We have to become masters at casting our cares on the Lord because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). If not those heart problems will continue to develop so, take out the garbage!

Here are some steps towards recovery:

1.    Pray! Ask God to reveal what’s going on with you (Jeremiah 33:3)

2.    Confess it all (1 John 1:19; Romans 10:10)

3.    Ask for forgiveness and you MUST forgive others (Matthew 6:14-15; Acts 3:19)

4.    Search His Word for answers, not people. (Proverbs 30:5)

5.    Ask God to cleanse your heart (Psalm 51:10; Ezekiel 36:26)

6.    Guard your heart …be careful what goes in and comes out of it. (Proverbs 4:23)

7.    LOVE (1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 4:7-8; Matthew 22:37-39)

Remember, you’ve been healed since the beginning of time! Bitterness and anger have no power or dominion over you! Bye, bye heart problems. We’re FREE!!!!!!! You’ve been cured and the curse is broken!!!

Dying to Fall In Love

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes

Falling in love is an amazing feeling; thinking about a certain someone and smiling uncontrollably, the flutter of butterfly wings in your stomach when you see that person, the way the stress of life just seems to fade into the background when you hear their voice…. whether we want to admit it or not, the adrenaline rush that consumes us as we fall deeper in love, is something that we all daydream about in a lonely hour. As a single woman I find my thoughts sometimes drifting off, wondering where I’ll be when my next love story begins or what my next Beau is doing at this very moment and I can’t help but daydream about how our relationship dynamic will be, but most of all, I get excited about the thrill of falling in love again.  

A lot of us are longing to fall in love, to be swept off our feet and experience the feeling of being head-over-hills in love with the man or woman of our dreams but how far are we really willing to go to find that love? Are we willing to die for it? If I’m honest with myself, I really haven’t gone far enough; I haven’t gone to far enough lengths for the magnitude of love that I’m searching for and while I’m being honest, there’s only one way to find it.

            In today’s society it’s easy to feel loveless and paranoid. The feeling of “no one loves me” crept into my spirit. I was yearning to fall in love with something whether it was myself, my career, my family and friends, or my man (wherever he may be lol), but I was so jaded, I felt like no one deserved my love in return. With so much love to give, being stingy with it was doing more harm to me then good. God began to deal with me and show me that my idea of love was so wrong. At this present time, I am unlearning everything I thought I knew about love and working towards Christ’s definition of love, which requires me to fall in love with Him all over again: God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. 1 John 4:17 [MSG] At times it feels like I’m dying…and I am: Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified. Galatians 5:24  [MSG]

            So I’m dying to fall in love with my Savior all over again and by faith, I know I’ll find a love like no other.

For A Reason...

I wrote an A Team Blog post a couple of weeks ago titled Fight The Good Fight, about Marylin Mosby,  Baltimore’s State’s Attorney who told a room full of people during a prayer breakfast in Baltimore, Maryland, “Whenever I had that self-doubt, whenever I said this is too much for me to handle…I've got to tell you that God got me through and I have to believe that He put me here for a reason," in the midst of one of the most public civil right’s cases of our time.  Along with Marylin Mosby,  Stephen (Steph) Curry, Golden State Warriors guard, joins the list with Megan Good and Tim Tebow. The list I’m referring to is the list of believers that have become mainstream cultural icons and have taken the message of Jesus to a celebrity platform. Steph Curry—or, as written in his Twitter bio, a fellow ‘Believer’ has been making headline after headline for his handles on the court, his accurate shooting and more recently for his daughter Riley who stole the show at a post game press conference, but what’s often overlooked is his desire to share his faith in Jesus Christ.  Well, someone sent me another Steph Curry headline that read a lot differently from the rest, "THE HOLY SPIRIT IS MOVING THROUGH OUR LOCKER ROOM" SAYS NBA MVP STEPHEN CURRY”

Celebrity status seems like a gift and a curse to many, which at times may appear true, but the gift for believers everywhere is the opportunity to carry the message of Christ as far as possible. Steph recently told FCAMagazine.com in Curry: In His Own Words,  “During our Cinderella run to the 2008 Elite Eight, I knew the Lord was preparing me for a bigger stage to represent and be a witness for Him on the basketball court. I remembered my mom telling me from day one at Davidson that God puts His people in different areas of life so that they can reach more people for Him. I tried to use that time for His glory.”

It’s equally important for believers to reach super stardom, celebrity status and attain fame and fortune to allow Godly influences to change society. We have been strategically placed to shape an entire culture: Matthew 5:13-16 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth…14-16“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. (MSG}

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes 

Fight The Good Fight

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes 

Raise your hand if you’re not really feeling what’s going on in our country right now [raises both hands…HIGH]. With all the tragedy and corruption that has bombarded us on what seems like a daily basis, it’s safe to say we are all fed up, frustrated with the fact that we can hardly trust our government officials and law enforces to serve AND protect us, our friends, and our families. Unfortunately, the mishandling of an entire population’s trust has resulted in social unrest – riots, protests, and demonstrations across the country have been organized as a pushback to a heartbreaking reality we face.

Even more frustrating is the question of what to do as Christians, believers in Jesus Christ still living and operating in this natural world. In our case, it seems the options for action live on two opposite sides of the spectrum. On one hand we have rioters, looters and protestors who are seemingly being counterproductive to the movement by reacting out of anger (which is an understood emotion), and on the other hand we have the more hands off approach that involves prayer and fasting on behalf of the movement, which is still necessary (1 Timothy 2:1-3) but, doesn’t seem to satisfy the urge to get up and do something. I found myself literally asking, What Would Jesus Do? Would Jesus be among the multitude of people flooding the streets to march and chant in protest? Would He be found passing out sandwiches to hungry demonstrators? Would we possibly see Jesus rioting? Channeling the same anger we saw when He overturned tables in the temples? Or would we find Jesus somewhere facilitating a citywide consecration?

Political action can become really confusing for believers because there is the desire to join movements, and fight the power but there is also the call to be a beacon of light and love, and to be Christ-like; above all else compelling others to follow Him as well. We’ve come to a place in our society where, whether protesting or praying, the fight has been against injustice by inaction in our legal system—elected officials have failed to sustain the expectations of their citizens and it leaves people feeling hopeless and helpless. Nonetheless, I believe as the body of Christ, we can begin to change the face of our government.

Deuteronomy 16:18-20 “You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. We have been blessed with cities and towns and also blessed with the opportunity to choose who we want to represent us.  It is our responsibility to act with discernment when electing officials, since their decisions will ultimately affect our lives.

  

 Meet Baltimore's State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby, the prosecuting attorney who criminally charged six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray Friday May 1, 2015.  Mosby is a practicing Christian who said at a recent prayer breakfast in Baltimore, MD that God "put me in this position for a reason." The new state's attorney lives blocks away from the poverty-stricken community in West Baltimore where riots broke out on Monday after Gray's funeral.  Mosby is the youngest top prosecutor of any major city in the United States and is experiencing what could become one of the biggest civil rights cases of her career.  

(Photo: Courtesy of Bilingual Christian Church)

Baltimore state's attorney Marilyn Mosby prays with church leaders, including Bishop Angel Nunez, during a prayer breakfast in Baltimore, Maryland, on April 28, 2014

"And I say this all the time 'Fear not for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.' And that is what kept me grounded whenever I had that self-doubt, whenever I said this is too much for me to handle as a wife, as a mother, as an attorney. I've got to tell you that God got me through and I have to believe that He put me here for a reason," – State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby

The obligation of a God fearing elected official is pure justice.  Deuteronomy 16:19-20 You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous. Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you. I can’t help but imagine what our world would be like if our government was led by more people like Marilyn Mosby. Pure justice? Impartiality? Yes, please!

As believers it is imperative to give our goals and dreams to God and allow him to use us and send us where we need to be. We have to go beyond being “church famous”, not rejecting the support of other believers but using them as a support system, understanding that the world needs our gifts and talents. We can’t be so opposed to pop culture that we alienate ourselves from society and become selfish with the treasure we’ve found in Jesus. The world needs law makers and officials, entertainers, chefs, designers etc. that are led by God to become the influencers of the world.

             

Life Of A Fatherless Child

Guest Blogger: Miyona Perry

IG: @23withnodegree & @missmiyona1019

Website: www.23withnodegree.com 

After examining my life and those around me – via social media and such, I’ve noticed a heartbreaking trend: the absence of a father.

Now while it’s very courageous of a woman to take on the role and responsibility of the both parents, it’s time we start to get real and raw about this.

A father is the first encounter for both a son and daughter, outside of the nurturing contact with the mother. The father is there to be the stronghold, a provider. He is the one who guides the family, leads the family. He is the one who gives his daughter the confidence & high self-esteem she will later value and carry within herself. He is the one who shows his son how to ride a bike, pray, play basketball, etc. The father is truly the pillar of the family, he sets the TONE – now if the lead of the house is absent, what are we left with? Follow me, if we are supposed to be following this mold of: Christ | Husband | Wife | Children in which Christ is supposed to be on the head of the Husband, the head of the Husband is now onto the Wife, etc & that mold is now broken, what are we left with?

We are now left with women who are now pissed and angry for allowing their self to deal with someone they thought wouldn’t leave; Sons who look towards the streets or outside influences (the media constantly feeding their minds with crap) and daughters who are looking for a void (please don’t lie and say this isn’t true).

This is my problem: somewhere along the lines we stop REQUIRING. We stop requiring our men to be fathers, we stop requiring on behalf of ourselves as women to uphold a standard. We start to get a little bit more laxed in how we approach relationships. As we tend to require less, the more men stop stepping up. It seems to me (just my opinion) that after the 70s era, things got a little shaky. We started to go into the drug era and all hell has broken loose. As a result of the crack / cocaine epidemic, families were truly destroyed and broken. Let’s not forget factoring in the aftermath of the mentality embedded in our black men thanks to Willie Lynch (shout out to you – you did a number on us), the term family really hasn’t hold any term of value since then. But, before I get into my “black panther moment” let me try to keep this as concise as possible…

Because of this shift & the man not being around, things are out of order. We are creating generational curses. When are we going to stop pointing the blame at others and look at our own lives. We can no longer force our children to reap the rotten fruit of our bad seeds that we’ve sown. Why must we continue to do this to ourselves?

I see no one out here getting being sick and tired of BEING sick and tired and getting the heart of the issue which is ourselves. We need to hold responsibility. Sis, so because YOU chose to not heal from past wounds and playing this “poker face” role, allowing yourself to keep repeating the same relationships (just with a different person), you now want your child to feel your pain? You now want your child to feel, see, & hold onto what your hurt is and allow them to go through the SAME thing? Bro, because you decided not to deal with your wounds of being a fatherless child and instead wanted to direct that energy into living and building into your ego, you’re going to let your son go out here into the world empty as you did? Instead of pouring into HIM the way you always wanted?

The hurt, the guilt of our parents mistakes we have to let go of. This is only making matters worse. We have young girls out here on Instagram and Vine twerkin & cussin’, YOUNG boys (toddlers) out here holding baby bottles as 40 ounces, pretending to be a “man” by yelling at someone… & the people who are videotaping it, are LAUGHING & we think this is OKAY?! All because WE chose NOT to heal? We sing our hearts out to K. Michelle’s, “Can’t Raise A Man” not knowing that it’s OUR fault why we have grown boys out here walking the streets and getting into relationships – all because the guy WE chose, chose not to be involved. This trend of hurt, this generational thing of absence is all pathological and it has to STOP somewhere.

There’s even fatherless children in “two-family” households. Just because we SEE that the father is there doesn’t mean he’s emotionally and spiritually there. So while we’re all rooting for marriage, or rather forcing ourselves to love the idea of a person, we’re creating and setting bad examples there as well.

This is all to say this: we need to 1) get back to the basics of true premise of family and this cannot be obtained until we 2) get our lives together and get it together through Christ. Here we are torturing ourselves, living in our hurt and misery, THINKING it’s not hurting anymore, when in fact, the same hurt we mask, shows up in EVERY area of our lives. We need to get real with ourselves because with every generation…it gets w o r s e. Men are AFRAID to cry, to be open, to love & love hard because of their past. Women are afraid of being their self because they think that someone will love on them more if they projected a different persona. Do y’all see this? Is this NOT frightening to know we are all walking around like dead zombies because we kill our spirit man, blow by blow because of unattended wounds? This boils down to a) not being open to discussing mental health & counseling and b) losing the Center of ourselves which should be a spiritual connection with our Father. We would rather go about our lives and consume our time with crap, “make-pretending” (got that from Mo’Nique in Precious) than to get in the core and start looking in the mirror.

I cry everyday because a lot of the pain I see in people’s eyes could have been prevented had they gotten the help they needed. Granted, it’s never too late to allow God to mend and heal those wounds the proper way but still, we let all this extra noise blind our eyes and ears to the real. Life has taught me that until you get right within yourself, NOTHING else can fall into place. We have to get OUT of our feelings and learn how to heal.

I encourage you guys to start a self-love journey & really shun away all of this extra stuff and get to the essence of who YOU are! How can you be a successful person if you’re broken inside? How can you handle mentally college or the real world if you are b r o k e n.






Sorry for the very lengthy post. If you made it this far through the post, thank you! Feel free to comment!

Blessings,
-Miyona ♥