A House is NOT a Home

So let’s address something about race, but first…

I love Luther Vandross songs.

I had aunts and uncles that lived in the house when I was younger so I had the opportunity to get a taste of a lot of different styles of music. Everything from Rock to R&B, to Jazz, Classical, Country and Heavy Metal. I don’t listen to Heavy Metal much anymore…lol.

But the mainstay was usually Jazz and R&B. Luther and Stevie, among a few others, generally stand out.

Anyways…

I was actually reading 2 Corinthians 5:1 because God likes to minister to me through body references. (Because I’m a Wellness Coach and teach people about their bodies)

It reads “For we know that if the earthly tent [our physical body] which is our house is torn down [through death], we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (AMP)

While reading this, I felt a bit of sadness come over me and a thought crossed my mind…”They are fighting because the house looks different.”

Ok, let’s put this in perspective now.

I have a preference for how I want my dream house to look. It’s a six bedroom with four bathrooms, and one half bath. There’s a fully furnished basement, a deck out back with more land that I truly know what to do with and a basketball court somewhere on the side. If I find two houses, built exactly the way I dreamed, it would just come down to me making a decision about which one to live in.

A brown brick house is not any different from a white brick house. They are both houses. Build for the same purpose: to shelter, protect, allow for gatherings, to be filled with laughter and other things you can think of.

There is no need to fight over one of the other.

I’m not surprised that ‘race’ is still an issue today because it was an issue in Bible times, but I believe that God is trying His hardest to get people to understand that our bodies are just houses. Filled with a spirit and soul. But simply just a house.

A house is just a structure. Everyone has bones and muscles and ligaments, blood vessels, arteries, a heart, etc. It’s just the structure. But it’s a structure designed to hold the very essence that is the image of God.

I can substitute a few words from Luther’s song and say This House is Not our Home.

God has prepared a house for us to live in once this ‘earthy’ house has been too bruised by the high winds and storms that comes with life. With the current house (body) we live in, we are to invite and share the love of Christ with others. We are to gather together in peace and joy and bring others in to, first, find shelter, but then help them understand who they truly are.

This is just a snippet of the thoughts I had about this subject, but please understand the color of the house doesn’t change the purpose for which it was built.

And we all have a purpose.

My prayer is that you choose to be kind and seek out truth, even if it goes against longstanding beliefs.

I love you with the love of Christ.

Crystal

Two Things…

I guess I should actually use this more often then I have been. Anyways…

Two things have stopped my progress this year:

Complacency
Feeling unworthy

I grew up in a household that did a lot of comparing and never really celebrated the unique qualities that make a person. After a while, I just learned to create a little bubble of security and settle there. As much as this year has taken from so many people, that bit of understanding was something that I gained.

I can talk about how both of those things play so well together, but I wasn’t trying to make this particular post super long. What I will say is that choosing to intentionally be of service to others has allowed me to discover a little more of who I am…and I’m ok with that.

Can I be weird sometimes? Yup. I mean, I poke my little sister in the boob to show affection!

That was just the first example to come to mind so I’ll digress.

Whether I choose to be unusual, emotional, quiet, chatty, or stoic I NOW understand that God loves all of that.

So as I quickly write out my thoughts at 1:38a EST on December 31, 2020, I am making a decision to live. Like…really live.

Like doing whatever ‘it’ is, even if I’m doing ‘it’ afraid.

But knowing how loved I am in the process.

Dear friend,

God loves everything about you and those things you don’t like about yourself didn’t change how Jesus felt about you when He took your sins. He saw you right where you are -right now- and He loves you ever more 🙂

Crystal

Balloon

If your thoughts were a balloon, where would they carry you?

I think I’d be stuck in limbo

It’s hard to get carried away in a dream when reality likes to throw darts

The moment the tips of my toes leave the ground my heels get jealous and weigh me back down

But it’s really the air coming out

Forcing me to consider the things I missed and reinforce my hope

To remember to cover my desires in the source of my salvation

I don’t have the lung capacity to breathe and carry my dreams

But the One who exhales stars can send a breeze

Enough to whisk me away to my destiny

Sometimes…

Sometimes there’s an eerie comfort in the lies we tell ourselves
Kinda like a pair of jeans that fit too tight
But still…We wrestle against truth, where peace resides, because conflict is appealing
It’s much safer to fit in
Safer for our light to be blocked in at all sides

Until night becomes the ‘reliable’ friend

Have we forgotten that light is always ‘It’?
Even while darkness makes a feeble attempt to avoid being tagged
Such childish games we play.
The freedom of a breeze is more calming than the chaos created in trying to tame it
Forcing air into a tight spots just creates a storm
It’s better to take the chance of finding life outside our comfort
By being committed to Christ who calmed storms with His words and loves the way we are made

Think Different, See Different

Hey Beautiful people!!!

It’s been a good little while since I made a post, but I am fixing that problem RIGHT NOW…by making a new one 🙂

Quick Background…

So I’m used to being in the background and in my own thoughts. I’m great with writing, and speaking, but I prefer the former and not the latter. It’s been that way most of my life. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Like I’m really ok with helping others with their success and watching them bask in the fruits of their labors

But God saw differently

Over the last year or so, I have been doing outreach at my church. (Totally God’s idea, not my own)

So now, not only do I do outreach (Again, not my idea‼) I am one of the LEADERS of Outreach.🤦🏾‍♀️ So I have to teach others.🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️

So now that you’re all caught up, I give you the reason for this little nugget that came to mind below:

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Yesterday, Jan 4th, was our very first outreach event of the year and it went great!!

17 people received prayer and 1 dedicated their life to God at a homeless shelter (Never thought I’d genuinely be excited about that! That’s for another post #YayJesus)

But I came across this one man who was ‘content’ with his homelessness. Somethings I just brush off, but this made me want to ask him questions.

Really and truly, he couldn’t give me a straight answer. He talked about Donald Trump, his education (HS and Community College graduate), he even boasted on the fact that the most money he’s ever had at one time was $2,000.

No 😐 he was legit happy about that.

But because of what I know about God, this was unsettling. Of course I had a rebuttal.

“That’s not what God said He wanted for you, though. You were meant for more”

Boom.

I felt good about myself for a hot second- I thought it was mic drop worthy…ish, until he came back with his own…

“If I don’t think that applies to me, you can’t make me think otherwise.”

Although I was ready to jump in with scripture, God spoke to me and said, “Now you see what I see.” I couldn’t even say anything any more.

This was the whole reason why I do outreach!!

How many times have you seen others happy (blessed, prospering, free, etc.) and even thought for a moment, ‘That can’t happen for me’?

I’ll never do…

I can’t do…

I don’t see [blank] happening for me

[Blank] is not possible

I made too many mistakes to experience…

I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer scripture, so Proverbs 23:7 says “for as he thinks in his heart, so is he”

James 3 talks about how what we say can set the course of our lives, but it starts with what we think about ourselves.

In the age of information I find that the most bothersome thing is that people genuinely don’t know how much God loves them.

To the person on the other side of this screen, God loves you soooooo very much!! Think of the greatest love you’ve ever felt,then take away the conditions, time restrictions, and other things you know can contaminate love, then TADAA!!!

God’s love.

Forever. Unconditional. Unmatched

When you know that God loves you…no, when you even THINK that God loves you, despite all you’ve done or may do, you begin to SEE yourself and things differently. When you see differently, you MOVE different.

I just pray that you begin to think of yourself in greater ways. You deserve it.

I love you, and I mean it

-Crys

(P.S. More to come…for real this time😊)

Back at it

I stopped too long

Admiring the accomplishments of others

Soon turned to watching with envy

I felt like prey

A boa had wrapped around me

Nothing but pressure

To perform

It was slow getting moving again

But each step encouraged the other

Momentum fueled by purpose

Im just getting started.

Testimony Pt. 2

tes-ti-mo-`ny:

evidence or proof provided by the existence or appearance of something; verification, confirmation, demonstration, manifestation

So in Testimony Pt. 1, I talked about why our testimonies are needed to advance God’s kingdom. Our testimonies help to build the faith of others.

Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10: 17)

More faith means more works of God being manifested!!

So I wanted to share a testimony that I was blessed to be a part of…

There was this homeless guy outside of my job who I would often see when I walked by on my slow times. Soon I began talking to him, just listening to his story. He was teary eyed when he said he just wanted to be seen as a person. He had a master’s degree and spoke well, but made some dumb mistakes and soon fell on hard times. I simply told him ‘I see you’ …and he broke down crying.

Months went on and I would encourage and pray for him when I saw him, even dealing with my own life happenings. I didn’t always want to but I couldn’t help but think how easy it can be to fall into his situation. Most of America lives check to check.

So anyway, one Tuesday he looked troubled as I walked by and asked if we could talk. We found a spot near an open fire and he told me his dad had passed away. He broke down because he couldn’t see him before he passed. I prayed for him. I hugged him. I know it looked weird to passers by- me walking around in a hoodie in 30 degree weather and hugging a homeless guy- but it didn’t matter. I literally held him up as his grief overtook him for a moment. I encouraged him, gave what I could, and made sure I left him better than I found him.

The following Sunday, he finally made good on my invite to church! He waited for me after service. I told him that I wouldn’t see him as often because I had lost my job [that’s for another post] but he said that he was leaving soon, also. Unbeknownst to him, his dad left him an inheritance!!! I gleefully punched him in his chest [I was gentle lol] as he told me he would be getting a CAR, a HOUSE, and whatever was left in his dad’s savings [It was significant!] !!!

I couldn’t help but give God glory!!!

By no means do I share this to gloat about what part I played. I was simply obedient.

I share this to say:
First, be kind to people. You really never know what they are going through.
Second, be lead. You may feel a tug in your heart to help someone: don’t ignore it.
Third, no matter what you are going through, God always has a plan to bring you out better than you were before.

So yeah, I lost my job but I needed that win, even if it wasn’t mine personally. It was a win for the kingdom of God and a reminded to me that God has the final say.

My testimony will be soon to come…

All Glory to God.

Crystal

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

post

This is a long time coming!!

I have walked briskly (…more like ran) from the idea that I was supposed to sit down and write!

I have been writing since I was a kid. I created and printed off a fake news letter in middle school detailing the latest mishaps and relationship woes. (I guess I should be credited for TMZ before it was TMZ).

Even now I write poetry and stories, thoughts and philosophies in my spare time; but somehow I never felt ‘qualified’ as a writer.

Well, here we are.

I’ve loved. I’ve lost. I found a little bit of myself in the process. Now, it’s time for me to encourage others as we go on our respective journeys of life.

I take this opportunity as an honor and my hope is for that feeling to translate in my writings.

I love you with the love of Christ❤

– Crys