BlessedAssurance

Well, big brother, it's surreal as I type this message. You will always be with me in spirit. I thank God for allowing me to spend my whole life as your little sister. You fought a good fight, God was gracious to you and me as we embarked upon this journey of life.  I understand we are just pilgrims passing through on this side of Heaven. I know you are resting in God's arms now and singing with Moma and Daddy.  I will always love you from the depths of my heart. May your soul rest in peace forever! Love, Little Sis, LaKenya "Nannie", Cam, and Tony

And so shall it be, "In Jesus' Name"! Lord we thank you for connecting us with the right people, at the right place, at the right time. We welcome connections with people who have our best interest at heart. Even in trying times, You are our refuge and you send people who are there to lift the heavy weight that one person can not bear. We thank you for the angels you dispatch on our behalf to be in places we can not be at the same time. The prayers that have gone up, are worth more than rubies or gold. Your Holy Spirit comforts us all the time. We know all things work for our good even though we may not see it at the time. As Your ways and thoughts are indeed higher than ours, we yield and trust You! Lord we love You because You first loved us. And we say, "Amen". More grace to you!

 Jesus is the perfect example sent for us to read, pray, and imitate the way he behaved in order to pattern our behaviors. In John 14:6, Jesus articulates, "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me" (New Living Translation). Jesus was a nurturer, He was no respecter of persons. He treated everyone like the children we are. His warmth and healing was so strong that the woman with the issue of blood said, in paraphrase, I don't have to even touch Him, if I could just touch the hem of his garment, I know I will be made whole (Matthew 9:20).  Let us build that nurturing environment, but first we have to set the standard based on Jesus' example and stay close to Him and do what He did.  I pray blessings upon blessings for you because you deserve all that God has for you.  Thank you Jesus for setting the example for us all.  We are God's blessed assurance! ~ LaKenya 

  Thank You DFA and Family   This serves as a “Thank You” to all of you who are reading this right now. Today is my last day at DFA. Although some of you were here when I came to DFA back in June of 2000, many have retired or moved on to various other assignments. Some have come after I started with DFA. I have had the opportunity over the last few weeks to execute a brief version of a succession plan. What usually takes years, I had to condense in a few weeks. However, I feel assured that the work of DFA will continue with excellence. I did not want any of you to worry about how you were getting paid, so I preferred to work until my last day and think of it as a “see you soon” rather than a "good bye". Good byes are not my forte, because they seem so final. So, I will see you soon. I will be rooting for you and know that DFA will succeed. The years and seasons have gone by so quickly. Time surely waits for no one. As a nation and state, we find ourselves still in the m...

Rejection comes in many forms. People may reject you, your ideas, your personality, your money, your family, your joy and even your voice. Either form of rejection should not be taken personally. People who reject are more prone to have suffered rejection themselves. The objective response is to keep pressing despite the rejection. Jesus does not reject us. In fact, He accepts us just the way we are and for who we are. Psalms 94:14 reassures us that, “For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor, will He forsake His inheritance”. No matter how imperfect we are, God will not walk away from us . The world can be a cold place. Many people are out for themselves. They look out for their own well-being while overlooking the needs of others. The best way to keep joy and peace is to rest in knowing that God will stay right there with us through it all. His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses. When we relinquish our will and accept that His will holds us up and that He watch...

Resilience is the ability to fall and get back up. It is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. When obstacles, trials, tribulations, the unexpected occurs; there is a kindling on the inside that stirs and gives us the ability to get back up. Proverbs 24:16 articulates, “For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again” (NKJV). Thus, if a righteous man fell seven times, he had to also get back up seven times. Wow, that is resilience! In the chaos of uncertainty, there is reward in continuing to press through. Believing God at his Word and speaking God’s word has power. As stated in 1 Thessalonians 1:5 , “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake”. Lord, your Word is powerful . Let us speak with the authority and continue along the path You have designed for us. What things look like in the natural has nothing to do with what ...

We believe in many things. Some things we believe are conditional, based on something else happening. For example, we believe that some people are popular on Instagram because they have thousand or millions of followers. In essence, the World has taken a stance that popularity is good. Anyone who has a lot of followers sets the benchmark. People will mimic or try to duplicate postings based on the popularity of others to attract more followers, thus seeking and longing for acceptance.  What if we have millions of followers seeking the same acceptance by believing in Jesus Christ? We would have a whole new example or standard of acceptance and would undoubtedly lead to less confusion, turmoil, strife, disappointment and oppression. There are many accounts in the Bible where God employs our  attention to believe in Him - God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit . God wants us to take Him at face value, what you see is what you get. His word is our bond. It is wo...

All things are working today for your good. God wants the best for you and me. No matter what we go through, have gone through, or will go through, the end result is that  God will work it out for our good .  Everything that God created was good.  - Genesis 1:31 New International Version (NIV)   31   God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. When He created the earth, after each piece or day he made, he said it was "Good". So, that means that you are "Good" and He works everything out for your good.  All things are working for your good. - Romans 8:28 New International Version (NIV) 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose . So no matter the circumstance surrounding the day, we will  declare  that it is working for our good. ...

Forgiveness can be a touchy subject. It is one of those areas that I struggle with and am still learning to walk through the way God instructs. Although it is not an easy subject, it is a vital part of our walk with God and as we strive to increase our maturity in faith, we must learn this crucial concept. Conquering forgiveness is one of the many ways we mature in Christ. Affliction can cause an array of spinning emotions. Most of the time when we think of forgiveness, we tend to think why should we forgive if we were the one who was wronged? Well, the answer is clear in the Bible that we do not have an option. We are to forgive as we were forgiven .  Matthew 6:15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you". (New King James Version) So how do we work through the hurt and pain inflicted upon us by someone? Let us take a look at what the Bible says about forgiveness and hopefully by the time we finish reading, we will hav...

Have you ever been near or around water and felt a tranquility that compares to nothing else. The stillness and peace that water provides is so sweet. Whether beach side or looking over the pier at a reservoir, there is something that exudes a sense of peace that I feel when I am near water or hear running water. It can something as simple as walking past an aquarium filled with fish and water.  That same tranquility is what God wants us to have each day of our lives. I have come to a point in my life that I pursue peace and dismiss anything contrary. God does not want us to be in turmoil, distress, worried, or consumed with the cares of this World. I know it is not easy, but let us make a concentrated effort to pursue peace.  The word peace appears 429 times in the Bible.  J ohn 14:27,  27 " Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (New K...

Hi Everyone, I am updating my blog site and have added a subscription button so that you will be aware of any new posts or information from me.  Please click the subscribe button so that you do not miss out on upcoming blogs and latest information.  May you be blessed richly, ~ LaKenya

Have you ever wrestled with surrendering? I know it seems simple to surrender or throw in the towel, but what if you surrendered to God's will and it was not so easy? We see from various accounts in the Bible where people surrendered, but it was a tough road ahead.  Moses:  According to Exodus 4:10, Moses said to the Lord, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue".  While Moses gave God all the excuses he could think of not to be the one to approach Pharaoh and tell him to let God's people free from Egyptian bondage. God insisted on using him and giving him speech through his brother Aaron. So no matter what shortcomings you may think you have, God will equip you to accomplish the mission at hand.  It can be distracting and frustrating to first of all not feel secure in your abilities to do what you are called to do. But also, being faced with a murmuring people yo...

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. So we exercise faith before we ever see it. Thus, we should be able to  see it in the spirit before it evens manifests in the natural. So what is bold faith ? Bold faith is the ability to stand tall, with confidence and let anyone know what we believe in without waiver or compromise. It also includes bypassing certain situations, activities, or partaking in those things that contradict our faith. Well, what does that look like in the natural? It translates to our actions every day. It doesn't matter that everyone in the room is watching TV shows that don't line up with the Spirit of God. If you and I are to stand boldly in our faith, that means we leave the room, the party, the house, the gathering that does not line up with our faith. No matter what the circumstance, if it doesn't line up with the Spirit of God, it contradicts what we believe in and stand for. It takes boldness to do this. ...

We all have a sense of needing to be affirmed. Whether it stems from neglect, whether by one's own will or the will of others, we like to be told that we are appreciated, blessed, needed, or wanted. Often times, we seek this affirmation from the World. Social media is inundated with all kinds of affirmations. Whatever you want, you can find it there; good, bad, or indifferent. Where should we be seeking acceptance and affirmation? It should be from the Word of God . The Word of God is the basis for genuine authentic affirmation .   Deuteronomy 28:13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Number...

                                                             (art color by: C. Moore) S ometimes we tend to get stuck. Literally, stuck on where we are in life, relationships, with our studies, our drive for God, finances. Whatever the case may be, sometimes we get stuck. Well, the Lord revealed to me just five minutes ago, to pick that dream back up again. Yes, start where you are. Don't worry about the time lost or opportunities lost. Pick that dream back up, that book you started writing, make some relationships right, go back to school, teach the Word. As long as you are graced with "today", you can pick it back up again. You are still here for a reason. A reason to glorify God and live as a light onto this World.  Pick up the pieces and GO out and make a difference! Picking it up by God's grace, ~LaKenya

While life can throw some curve balls sometimes, I'm reminded of the scripture John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." As I ref lect over this scripture, I'm so engulfed with Jesus' instructions that peace lies within Him. Oftentimes, we tend to want to obtain peace in any and everything such as shopping, entertainment, pleasing people or so forth. But Jesus clearly instructs that if we want to acquire peace, it simply is in Him.   Also, with peace there comes a period or periods of tribulation. None of us really want to deal with trials and strife, but Jesus assures us in this passage that they are sure to come. My reaction would be to avoid the trials and run as fast from them as I can, but what I've learned that as I encounter them and go through them, it strengthens us, molds us and transforms us into a better person. Af...

Depression can hinder a person from fulfilling his/her full potential. It can bring detriment to family members who watch their loved ones fall into this pit of a depressed state. When one loses hope, it can easily be a doorway to depression-a mental decline, a loss of interest, withdrawal.  I know there is power in prayer and I want to pray against this spirit that not only has plagued people who are close to me, but I've had to cast it down, as well. I know that God sent his only Son so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. He wants us to be filled with love, joy, peace, faith, hope, and desire. So, let's stretch our hands to the screen today and pray against the spirit of depression and where two or three are gathered, He will be in the midst. Let's Pray... Dear Father God, We thank you for who You are. We adore You for being an all powerful and loving God. We praise you in the morning, noon, and evening. Wherever our foot thread, we ask that you be wit...

I was scrolling through my phone and my finger miraculously landed on this picture. I know I probably posted a few weeks ago on Thanksgiving a snippet of the things I was thankful for. Well, three of them are right here in this picture. You see my Daddy was my best friend (outside of Jesus) before I got married. He made sure my hair was done, took me to visit the college I attended, he visited me while I was in school. I remember crying the first time he and my baby brother pulled off campus the first day they moved me into my dorm room. Even when he would visit, I still shed tears at times, not because I didn't like school, but I missed my family, too. Once you get married, you and your spouse become one. So about 15 years ago, my husband became my best friend. Every since I was a little girl, Daddy just knew when something was wrong with me, he could sense it in my voice. When I was selected as star student, my senior year in high school, I chose my star teacher to be my Dadd...