Sowing & Reaping

Society has made us a want it "NOW" type of people. We don't want to work for nothin', wait for nothin'. We want what we want NOW. This goes beyond us being a "microwave society".

Even farmers, in an attempt to speed up/increase harvest/meat production, have been known to add steroids to animals & additives to crops...in turn, our food is not as healthy because of all the additives! I'd much rather have a healthy harvest than artificial abundance!

Not to mention children who are overgrown (physically) yet not matured, in turn, creating immature adults!

We can apply the same principles to our spiritual lives. We often plant seeds expecting an immediate return on what we've sown. When we don't see the expected harvest when WE think we should see it, we become discouraged and neglect what we've planted, allowing it to die...or worse, we try to make things happen on our own, showing the immaturity of our spiritual walk by not allowing the process of sowing, (including nurturing) and harvest run it's full course.

"It will all come to pass when God requires it...in the meanwhile, plant your seeds and water accordingly with praise!"

James 1:4

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 5:7-8

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Seeking Spirituality

I understand what you mean having been tired of "church as usual" and "religion" myself. There was a time in my early 20's that I found myself not only tired of church folk and religion but I had allowed the world to convince me that Jesus wasn't truly the Son of God and that there was only one God and so on and so forth.

Being an artist of sorts I found myself surrounded by wonderful, loving, "good" people who were educated with worldly knowledge of astrology, numerology, multiple languages and religions. I was impressed by their knowledge and eventually, I also found myself questioning who Christ was, who He is and questioning the relationship with God that comes from truly knowing Him.

A few years ago when I was working at Smokey Bones, there was a young man named Chris who worked as a busser and was kinda all over the place. He was about 19 years old and a total sweetheart but he was young and didn't know. We never disagreed on anything, unless he hadn't been bussin' my tables all night and asked for a tip out...boy please!? Lol

Anyway, Chris knew I was a follower of Christ and we would often have conversations based on my relationship with Christ and the difference between religion and relationship.  One day, Chris came to me proudly and let me know that he was looking into becoming a Buddhist. I was like, “Okay…why’s that?” I believe that regardless of what you’re into, you ought to be able to support your thinking and beliefs…not to argue with other people, but to make certain that YOU are into. So he responded that he liked Buddhism because of its’ principles based on peace, love and such. And I listened…and after he was done I said, “Okay, so basically, Buddhism has the same principles as Christianity but with Christianity, you have a Savior in Jesus.”  He sat there for a second and replied, “Well yeah, I guess you’re right…”

The problem with Christianity is that it was never meant to be a religion.  In the Bible, you never saw Jesus say ANYTHING to the disciples about starting a religion the way we’ve made it.  Yes we, along with the disciples, were commanded to "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” But that’s all we have been commanded to do besides loving one another as He loves us. MAN made the religion but GOD wants a relationship. 

I say all of this to just say, be careful in your quest for spiritual truth and peace with people.  People get sick of the same old stuff in church and then LEAVE the church!? But we NEED people who aren’t “religious” in the church! We need people who are truly seeking God and who truly love Him and are willing to be a light to not only the world, but to “the saints” who are also a part of the world.  We need people with a heart like yours that long to be reconciled with God and who are willing and able to share the Truth of the Gospel with them. 

Don’t allow yourself to get discouraged in your growing spiritually. As for all the other “religions” and spiritual practices that are out there and seem harmless, again I say, just be careful as you gain knowledge from man.  Continue to study but make certain you are also filling yourself with the Word to stay grounded while you’re learning more about the world that you were physically born into.

If you ever need anything or have questions, please don’t hesitate to holler at me. I’m not your normal “church folk” but I LOVE me some Jesus just the same and am trying with all my might to find a balance between my human me and my spiritual me!

"Work On Me Wednesdays"(c) Pastor Barber

We received an assignment last week from our Pastor, Jerome Barber. He directed his Wednesday night congregation to dedicate Wednesdays, if no other day, in 2008 to work on us. He told us to make a conscious effort on Wednesdays to pray for ourselves; to focus on those things that we would like to change by the end of 2008. He told us to make a list of the things that we would like to change by the last Wednesday of the year, (which happens to be New Year’s Eve) put it in an envelope and hold on to it until that last Wednesday night Bible study of 2008 at which point we would open our envelopes, to find what I’m sure would be some half remembered goals…out of sight out of mind right? But God is just so “God” that whether we forget about things or not, once we pray something, God is already in the business of making it happen…still in His own time.

So last Wednesday night when I got home, I sat down to do my homework I just knew I’d be able to come up with something!? And I did, the normal things like, “change my physical being”, “Help me to be more consistent…in general”, “Increased self-control”, you know, the norm. I was tired and frustrated with my little list and decided to pray and ask God what HE wanted to change…what needed to be changed in me in the next year. “I’ll have it by next Wednesday, Lord” I promised.

So here I am, in the second Wednesday of 2008 and yes, God is already doing what He does. I’ve already grown and matured in one week and…I didn’t even really ask for anything…not really. Or did I?

For January 9th, Oswald Chambers refers to Psalm 139 in his historic, “My Utmost for His Highest”, “Thou art the God of the early mornings…the late at nights…the mountain peaks…and the sea; but my God, my soul has further horizons than the early mornings, deeper darkness than the nights of the earth…higher peaks…greater depths than any sea in nature—Thou who art the God of all these, be my God. (emphasis mine) I cannot reach to the heights or to the depths [of my soul]; there are motives I cannot trace, dreams I cannot get at—my God, search me out.”

“Be my God.” “…search me out.” I realized that there is no way that I can possibly pray for the things that need to change in me until I ask God to search me out. There are areas in me that I have no idea about. There are things that are so deep in me; dreams, motives, sin...the good, the bad and the ugly…that unless God shows me daily, I may never know.

What 2008, every day in it and really every day our lives come down to is having more of God. Gaining greater understanding, learning to worship Him…oh yes, fall in love if you will. Love on Him the way we would love on a new lover…a good friend…a child. Fall in love. When we are in a relationship with someone, we always strive to be better for that person. As we grow closer to God, we will learn more about ourselves and in turn, He will work on us from the inside out.

In the beginning...

...there was God.

Here we are in 2008 and we’ve waited long enough! I invite you to share in what God is doing in my life and spread the word of what’s to come in 2008. I have launched a new Myspace page with the help of my good friend and business consultant, Carla Thorpe of Make It Happen Consulting (http://www.makeithappenc.net/ <---currently under construction or www.myspace.com/csconsulting)

Beginning Monday, January 7th, I will be at www.myspace.com/ninacinspires and here http://www.ninacinspires.blogspot.com/ Please tell a friend about my page to share my blogs, video blogs and information about future speaking engagements and my first book, all happening in 2008!!! It is my desire and purpose to inspire and I pray that I am able to touch your life as much as you’ve touched mine!!! I thank you in advance for your support and ask for your prayers as I step out…into God’s will for my life!

If you’re not about business of helping me succeed or helping yourself even, feel free to continue being my “friend” at ninanin79, ninacinspires is all about business!!! It may not seem like a lot... "a myspace page whoo-hoo!!!???" Big deal right? YES...This is only the beginning!!!

Also, I have been writing for a quarterly inspirational newsletter for the past year called "Persevere". If you would or anyone you know would be interested in subscribing to the newsletter, free of charge, please send request to persevere.1@hotmail.com If you'd like to see the other newsletters from last year, feel free to respond to this email.

Thank you for your time and support!!!

I thank God for every one of you and the way that you have touched my life!!!