The Issue of Trust

You know, God never gives a vision without provision. There is never an instance where God will give you something and then say "oops...my bad" and take it back. The proverbial cliche "what God has for me is for me" is spoken often among the saints. Now with this knowledge in mind why is it that the minute things look a little odd, and may not work out exactly as our fallible expectations would have it to be, do we start panicking and flailing about trying to figure out what we're going to do, how we're going to do it, and why did God let this happen and when is He going to fix it? Well, I'm asking myself that question because I have TRUST ISSUES! I've been hurt, lied to, and used during this purpose filled journey to realize the "vision"...not that it has ALL been bad, but I am definitely a little jaded about this industry and my place within.

In the past, I have always trusted people without question until they gave me a reason not to; usually with disastrous results! Over the years, I've become a little more cautious although my heart says "give them another chance?" This is exactly what Jesus does when God is trusting us to walk circumspect and with righteousness and integrity. When we fail to say "thank you" for the things He's blessed us with...or even just thanking Him because of what He hasn't done. Jesus says, "I died so You could give them another chance" But when the blessing doesn't quite come in the big package with the pretty bow we tend to question what God is doing and if He's meeting our expectations...we lose our trust. Trust is the foundation that faith rests upon and it is so imperative that we do some strength training and, even a little cardio, in this area. As with most exercise regimens, I will start off strong then eventually I get discouraged (because I'm not getting instant results) and I start waning from my routine until eventually I'm back to junk food and being a couch potato addicted to FB...LOL! My trust is weak because I have not been feeding from my Word plan as I should and exercising my witness. Therefore, I'm off my plan and that's when the enemy will wander right in and cause self doubt. Without confidence in self, how can I effectively witness to others and encourage them?

With all of this in mind, I know what I have to do and I need to stop letting LIFE get in the way and do it because life is temporal. I am grateful for friends that keep me accountable because accountability, in it's own merit, is a "trust building" booster! I'd love to know your thoughts...please share!

My First Blog...

Time and time again people have told me I need to write a book, a sitcom, or even just a commercial. I've never considered myself a comedian, writer, or even a public speaker...but there are obviously some people out there that are REALLY interested in what I have to say?!?!! Sooooo...here goes!

This first insert is really about a journey...not a specific type of journey but maybe moreso the process of the journey. I've never considered myself a "deep wonder" and neither will I start now, but I will say that the entire meaning and justification of life tends to center around the process of the journey that we take through life. My journey has been a rather "over" eventful one and with hindsight always being 20/20, even though I made some really annoying (because I won't say wrong) choices, I wouldn't trade any of them for the world because they have made me the person I am today. So who am I?

I am a friend of knowledge, a thinker, a dreamer and dream builder, I am an artist of visions in my own right who is not afraid to take a blank canvas and put some color on it even if it is not the color the next person happens to be comfortable with...I am exactly who I am with no apologies or regrets, just a learner of life lessons however hard they may be. It may seem as if I am rambling, but I promise this is going somewhere so hang on for the rest of the ride...it's a process.

I read the headlines about Rihanna, Kanye, Chris Brown, and others out there who are still struggling with identifying who they are and their real place/purpose in this world and my heart goes out to them because they were thrown into this industry at such a young age, with no real direction or foundation. I wondered "where are the parents, who is their pastor, what are they thinking...ultimately...what happened?" What happened to make these young people so angry, insecure, hopeless, and full of rage? I would dare not blame the lack of parenting nor will I say the church should get involved...but what happened to the village that it takes to raise a child? Everything that I am and everything that I even hope to be I owe to my mom and the pastors that have had some part in my life over the past 20 years. When do we start holding our friends and family accountable for their actions/reactions? At what point do we just stand for what is right even if it makes us the "outsider?" It doesn't have to make us judgmental, nor should we want to be, but we should not tolerate anything less than the best for our lives and those around us. It's a part of the process...the journey involves choosing the paths we take and the terrain that comes with it. The process includes the choices and the consequences that come with them...do you give up because the road is a little narrow, dark, or lonely...or do you persevere because the passion is greater than the patience? I would love to know what you think...

Peace,
tov