You Are A Treasure

I found a treasure one day, it was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. When at first I saw it, wasn’t quite sure what material or substance it came from, but one thing is for certain, it's uniquely beautiful.

I could immediately tell by looking at the defined markings, that it has endured much. I guess that’s what really made me take a second glance of it. Not exactly sure how long it’s been here, but it’s obviously very valuable, even priceless.

That’s when I realized, I was meant to find it, and to appreciate it’s true beauty. Wow! the honor of experiencing such beauty was a gift for me to enjoy. I just had to thank God for creating such a beautiful treasure, and allowing me to find one.

Well, I know now it wasn’t just for me to enjoy all alone, but I’m grateful all the more that I had the chance to. And if you didn’t know it already, I was talking about you. Thank you for coming into my life and being such a blessing.

This is what you are to me, a beautiful treasure that only a very few get a chance to experience. You are priceless to me.

Much love and many blessings

Nicole
 
 
 
 

A Love That Says No....

I find myself in a wonderful place now. Why? Because I found the courage to say no.
Even though, the thing being offered to me was what I wanted more than anything else.
A struggle between what I want, what I need, how I feel, who I am, damn what about me.

Yet the love in me says no. Why can’t I let go and just be? Free from this pain inside of me. But oh what shall I do, when society says, you can’t, your not, go back. Hell you’re going through what you’re going through because you are a woman who is black.

Wanting to hate and kill somebody, anybody, because why me? I didn’t ask for this, No this can’t be. Although it’s the only reality I can see.

God is this all You have for me?

When upon asking, God reveals purpose is what I have for thee. The purpose or the reason why is the question you feel what you feel. For I’ve made you especially. Cut from the blackest of coal from a deep dark place...Hidden.

There was a process of pressure and cutting away that had to be. Oh, now I see. Now it all makes sense to me. A diamond in the rough is what I was. And at that moment I realized why I couldn’t love or be loved because the one I hated was me.

Nicole Payne

Fly Like An Eagle

How many of you have been in a place where you were dissatisfied? Well, that's a good place to start toward change. Anyway, let me tell you a little story about a farmer who raised an eagle in a turkey coop. 

One day, a turkey farmer found an unhatched egg amidst his turkey eggs, it was obvious this egg was larger, but the farmer just left the curious egg to be cared for along with the other eggs. As it turns out, the unknown egg hatched a baby eaglet, and while growing up with turkeys, the little eaglet tried to gobble and eat the same food, but it was obvious the eaglet was not satisfied and felt very out of place.

While one afternoon like any other day, the little eagle was out in the yard playing with the turkeys, and along comes another eagle who flies over the coop soaring through the air and lands high in a tree. Of course, the little eagle was fascinated by the older eagle's performance and wanted to do likewise.

Just then, the older eagle in the tree swoops down into the coop and asks the little eagle, "what on earth are you doing in here with these turkeys? You're an eagle!!!" The little eagle puzzled by the question, although very excited, began to cry out "teach me how to fly". Of course the older eagle felt honored. At that very moment, the older eagle said "stretch out your wings".   

Anyway, to make a long story short, after the little eagle learned how to fly, he flew away from the turkey coop.  Okay, now after reading this story, I'm sure you think you know where I'm about to go with the rest of this post right? Which brings me to my next question:

How many of you are eagles living in turkey coops, and have you found comfort in your dissatisfaction?

I believe the dissatisfaction in our lives is an indicator that something is out of order. Undeniably this is a cute little story, but what about the fact that there are many eagles living in turkey coops, and not because they don't know they're eagles, but somehow they have found solace in a place of dissatisfaction? 

That being so, the important thing is to not ignore that uncomfortable feeling. So many of us make the mistake of looking for ways to be comfortable in a place of dissatisfaction. That dissatisfaction is present for you to seek answers to move toward change. Just like the little eagle, once he saw the older eagle flying and soaring, something within himself knew he wanted to fly.

But we have to be willing to learn and change our circumstances?...   

There are some who were born into situations and others who have allowed themselves to become entangled with circumstances that have obstructed their true identity. It may take God connecting you with the right someone you can identify with to bring change into your life. It's through these powerful relationships where you will discover who you really are, and ultimately; where you are destined to soar.

Its Yours...How Bad Do You Want It?

How many of us have dream(s) in our hearts that we've been working toward?  I know pretty much everyone, but sometimes life knocks the wind out of you through circumstances and situations and bring you to a place of what next. Well, I not only arrived at this place called what next, but I also decided this was not the place I wanted to stay.

I have recently been faced with insurmountable pressures and circumstances that seemed hopeless.  But what I discovered was this place is no different than any other place. Every place in your life begins with a decision. I could either stay in a place of hurt and discouragement because of the injustices heaped upon me, keep crying my eyes out to God, or I could get up and look for answers on how to bring my dream to pass.

For a moment, all I wanted to do was just let go of everything. I felt as if maybe I've bitten off more than I could chew, maybe I'm not smart enough, or maybe I've waited too long to pursue what's in my heart. The list went on and on...but however, the tugging at my heart to get up and move was still there. Although faint, but still pulsating.

That's when it hit me, its almost as if I could hear God saying to me "practice what you preach. Do what you know to do". Okay, and what you need to know is we went back and forth. I even had the nerve to shake my fist at God and tell Him "You said You would take care of me and this sucks...where's the provision...I'm doing what You said to do...why are things happening like this...Where are You?"

As you can see, it was not pretty. The amazing part was all along God was telling me how much He loved me and how much He has blessed me. I finally said okay Lord I surrender All. That's when the lights came on. What I realized was there was some unfinished business in this place called what next and I could not move any further until I dealt with it. The Father loves us so much He does not want us taking old hindrances into our future because it will only destroy God's best. Which brings me to my next question:

Where are you? And what are you willing to do to go all the way to your destiny? 

I had to make a decision to keep moving. There are so many gifts inside of me and I just began to use them. Amazingly, as I began to use what I knew, God began to open doors for me one at a time.  Unexpected money, favor from old corporate connections, just so many blessings have been poured out.

What I discovered through this process is you can have your dream if you want it, but you have to keep moving. Life will happen and give you plenty of reasons and opportunity to stop, but will you dare to get up after you've been knocked down. God wanted me to be reminded of what's inside of me. Its the stuff that champions are made of.

If you want to fulfill God's purpose for your life, you've got to be willing to keep moving in spite of the circumstances. Remember, God is always with you no matter what it looks like.


     
   

Who Is The Greatest Among You?

When you think of leadership, what are some of the qualities that come to mind?

For some it may be strength and the ability to get things done, while for others, it may be the power and influence to push others to become their best.  Of course, both of these are excellent qualities to possess, I also believe these qualities are necessary in leadership.

However, there is a more excellent way...

The quality of preferring others above self surpasses them all.  There is something about letting go, or relinquishing the reigns that ushers in freedom.

Jesus was the perfect example of this very concept.  At the Last Supper, Jesus washed all the feet of His disciples. Of course Peter was the first to reject this idea because this is the lowest place one could possibly be. 

Uhhh...and you know they were walking in the dirt all day with sandals on...yuck!

Yet, I believe this is the best place and the heartbeat of a true leader.

Unfortunately, I have not always been under this impression, but in the Kingdom of God, its not about who's the smartest or the prettiest, its about your willingness to yield and having a humble spirit.  However, its easier said than done.

What I've discovered is whenever God elevates His people, one of the first things that must be checked at the door is PRIDE. The enemy is always looking for ways to gain access to your life. Which brings me to my next question:

Is God ruling on the throne of your life, and if not, are you willing to humble yourself?

 

  

The Graduate

When you think about graduation, what are some of the things that come to mind?

For some, it may be a since of accomplishment.  Yet for others it may represent the possibility of what is to come.  However, both of these examples are correct. Although before you graduate, you will have to pass a series of test that will determine your accuracy and knowledge of the subject at hand.

Sadly, there are those who eagerly cheat their way through, and boastfully fake for as long as they can. While others work hard at learning and become diligent achievers of their desires.  What I love about the Kingdom of God, no matter how a person fakes to convince the world, the true test is given by God. This is not a test that you can fake.  Your life will be proven.

Fortunately, the place I currently find myself in represents not just a test, but also, that I've graduated.  I am everything God says I am because the Father has proven my life to be so. The most powerful thing we have as Christians is our testimony.  Where God has brought me from is not something that's rehearsed, but a life of purpose that has been lived out loud for many years.

As with any course, both academically as well as in life, there is your ivy league, and your community education.  The difference between these two is simply the access which is made available to obtain the best that life has to offer.  The fact that you attend an ivy league school, in no way makes you better that a person who has a community education.  In the kingdom of God it works the same way, for those who diligently continue in God's way, experience access of kingdom living on the ivy league level.  Of course, to experience the ivy league will require a much greater cost.  Which brings me to my next question:

What cost are you willing to pay to access the best God has for you, or is cheating good enough?

Unfortunately, many individuals don't really have true revelation from the Father.  So many people have become what I call parakeets. They simply mimic and repeat what they've heard someone else say.  However, we have entered a time where you better KNOW CHRIST like never before.  Your cute Christianity will not keep you "in times" where we are headed as a church.

Paul said "that I may know Him in the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death."  In other words, the life I live is because God is in my DNA, not only because of something I read in the bible. God's word has become a part of who I am in Christ.

So I ask, do you truly know Him?  

 

            

I Surrender All

Have you ever been in a place that felt like a pressure cooker with the lid on it?  Well I have and let me just start by saying.....ouch!! 

I have recently been in one of those places and although it hurt, I better understand why God allowed me to go through this process.  When God is elevating you to a new place, sometimes there is a certain process that must take place in the Spirit that will not occur any other way but through the process of resistance and pressure.

When I tell you that scripture in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." 

Yeah....that one, that was me...... 

Everything in my life was being challenged and pressed.  Everywhere I turned, I was pressed.  I had nowhere to run to or go.  Things were falling apart from my friends, family, job, school, and finances.

This place put me on my knees like never before; is only the half of it.  As it turns out, this was exactly where God wanted me.  There was a place God was taking me, but I had to give birth to this place in the Spirit.  For God to give me what He wanted to give me, I had to get mad enough to push, but without the weight of resistance, I would have never gotten here.

Through this process, the ugly part was seeing some of the nastiness that was still inside of me that I didn't know existed.  This process allowed me to see those issues within me that are still being perfected.  If it had not been for the pressure on every side, I would have probably still been under the impression of believing I'm giving my very best. Oh, but God had a plan to show me otherwise.  To truly walk in the love of God, you've got to be willing to be patient with people, and recently, patience was not on my list of things to do.  Which brings me to my next question:


Where is God trying to take you, and furthermore, are you willing to go?

What I discovered through this process was the surrendering that was necessary for me to get to this next place.  God not only elevated me, but also, He anointed me to operate from a higher realm of the Spirit that is beyond anything I've ever known. This was a work that God had chose to do through me. 

In fulfilling God's purpose, you've got to be willing to let God have His way in your life. God wants every part of you surrendered to Him, not just the parts we polish for the world to see.  He wants all of you, even those ugly parts that we hide. To truly fulfill God's purpose we must be surrendered and obedient to God's will even if you don't understand it, surrender anyway.

Much Love