My Review: Preachers of Atlanta

So, out of boredom, the other night I turned on " Preachers of Atlanta.”

First off, I believe that we need to see REAL Christians on T.V. Christians that follow the word of God and who are unwavering.

Christians on TV are not the problem.
Christians who desire to look like the world, to fit into the world, are.

Now, let me state, I am not giving a "review" on the pastors themselves. I know very little about the ones that have appeared on the show.  What I do know is that they were not portrayed in a great light, at all.

1) Meeting People where they are at

One of the Pastors on the show talked about how her ministry handed out cigarettes and condoms.  That caused a huge debate. She stated that it brought members to the church and she was able to meet them where they were at, showing that she cared. So that made me wonder- how do we meet someone where they are at? How do we tell people to come as they are, and that we love and care about them without going against the bible?

We all know what the bible states about having sex outside of marriage, so wouldn’t handing out condoms be promoting the very thing we aren’t supposed to be doing…? Her response? "They are going to have sex regardless, at least this way they are protected." Hmmm... so what happens after they visit, does the church continue to provide condoms and cigarettes? Why is it that people who smoke or have sex can be reached only if we assist them in satiating their vice?

2) Ghetto Praise and Worship

Pastor Canton Jones shared about how he uses hip hop to reach people. He talked about why the traditional gospel isn’t reaching the youth today. Being someone who loves hip hop, when I got saved I did realize that 90 percent of the music I was listening to did not glorify God in the slightest. But that did not stop me from wanting a fast beat and great lyrics.  When I found Lecrae, I was so amazed that hip hop could bring glory to God. I do not disagree that christian hip hop is a great tool to reach others, but what does being "Ghetto" in praise and worship look like? The main line of the song was "I'm so ghetto with my praise and worship"....someone explain that to me please. lol

And also, Christian hip hop shouldn’t be us trying to mirror secular hip hop artists. I am tired of Christians feeling like we have to conform to the world instead of the other way around.

3) Gay Church Leaders

The same pastor who hands out cigarettes and condoms also believes that it is possible for church leaders (Pastors) to be gay. One of the other pastors then stated that his father is a Pastor of a church and is openly gay. My biggest confusion- when they are doing their sermons do they just skip all scriptures about being gay? Are they only preaching the part of the bible they agree with? The preachers were having a round table debate over say about these topics. One stated that if liars, cheaters, and abusers could lead a church then surely a gay person can. My thoughts... they can't! Liars, abusers, etc, should not be leading churches either. Though we know that no pastor is perfect because they are human, it is completely different to acknowledge the fall and repent, than to just live in the lifestyle as though it is pleasing to God.

So my question is, how is it that Jesus was able to walk the earth, lead people to Christ, and display the heart of God without wavering or conforming to the world’s standard.. and why do we feel that in order to lead people we need to forgo bible standards to get them there? I feel like we are minimizing the power of God, and the Holy Spirit by believing that by simply operating with the power of Christ in us that we can’t make a difference.  Jesus didn’t give weapons to the murders or women to the adulterers so that He could minister to them. Jesus was unashamedly different yet, loving and relatable at the same time. He met people where they were at all while being HIM.

Overall...its just seemed like one big MESS. Just another reality show that looked no different from a Love and Hip Hop. etc.  A room full of Pastors who seemed unsure of the power they hold by appearing on TV for millions of people a week. Instead of being a united force that glorifies God, they appear to be doing everything they can to fit into the world, including the drama that is needed to keep a TV show running.

I wont be watching this show again.

Because it is exactly that... A SHOW.

Journey to Baby: Part 1

Six months after I got married, I sat in front of a doctor confused with many questions.

“Am I pregnant?”

 “Why have I gained 20 pounds when I have been eating less?”

 Why haven’t I had a period in four months?”

Flashback: Prior to getting married, Josh and I agreed that we would wait a minimum of a year before trying to have a child. We said that we wanted to enjoy it being just us before our house filled with children. Both of us love kids, so there was never any talk about if we did or did not want them. The answer was ALWAYS yes.  We mutually agreed that birth control was the best way to go. I had never been on it before, and I had heard all kinds of horror stories as to why you shouldn’t, but other close friends and family- including my doctor - told me that if it was going to only be for a year, I would be fine.

Shortly after, I started noticing that things were a little weird, but I always contributed them to all the major changes in my life. The stress of being married, being on pills for the first time, etc.

My doctor began to read me what seemed to be a very long list of things that were wrong.

“You don’t ovulate, you have cysts, and your hormones are off.” 

She then told me that she believed I had Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. (Read more about it here). I had no idea what it was, all I heard was her telling me that I had a ten percent chance of natural conception and that I should get off the pill immediately because if I did conceive it could take years. I remember going home and telling Josh, and without hesitation he agreed I should get off the pill and said “It will be fine babe, we’re gonna have kids.”

I wish I walked in that much faith, but for the first couple of months I immersed myself in Google. I joined Facebook groups with people who had PCOS and it became all consuming. I was trying home remedies, taking supplements etc. To be honest, I was probably making matters worse. Looking back, I should have immersed myself in the Bible, and I should have prayed more.

This blog has been on my heart for months, but I didn’t want to share for many reasons. Mainly, because my story isn’t over yet, I haven’t conceived and I am still fighting against the symptoms of this issue. I told myself, once I got pregnant I would blog about how God did it despite what the doctors said. Eventually I will write that, but for now God is teaching me that the process is as important as the destination.

I already know what God has promised me- He has shown Joshua and I children in our separate and collective prayer times. I have had my pastors and others speak into my life. I can finally say that I am not afraid of my diagnosis. I am excited for the testimony to follow. Every day is not perfect and fear and doubts do rise up. I find it difficult to hear about abortions, or people conceiving children who don’t want them, and sometimes I am sad because I want it to be easy.

I don’t want to go to the doctor every two months, be on a strict diet, take 13 natural pills a day, or deal with the side effects of PCOS. (But oh how worth it, it will be.) I am sharing because I know that I am not the only one with this struggle. Truth is, I have had these issues for a long time but I never noticed them. (1 out of 10 women have PCOS and don’t know it, until they want to conceive)  The birth control did not cause the issue; it simply highlighted what was already there.

Because of the diagnosis I am healthier, I must eat well and stay active to keep my hormone levels normal and my body ovulating. My last doctor visit I went from 10 to 30 percent in my conception rate and it’s only the beginning. We don’t go through things because we are being punished- we go through things so that others can see that even through our struggle we still have faith, serve a perfect God, and hold on to the things He has promised us.

As I said before babies are on their way, and when it does happen I will blog about that…

But until then…

This is my Journey to Baby.

My life Behind bars

In prayer, i asked God how my life could help lead people to Christ. How my wrong doings and insecurities could change lives. He simply  told me "tell them how you were set free, better yet tell them how I set you free.

Most people don't know this about me,But I was locked up most of my life. On and off for almost 19 years. Shocking right ? Some would think,that there is a way you can spot an ex-prisoner. But honestly many of us are around them on a daily basis and don't even know it.
 In prison, you have a loss of freedom. A loss of choice. You are kind of just going thru the motions . Hopelessness ,depression,and fear are just a few of the feelings you experience every single day. Imagine,someone having the key to your freedom. Someone telling you that you are so far gone,that your choices have been so bad,that your sin is so great that you don't deserve to be free. Sometimes you are in prison until your time is served and then you get to return back into the world for another chance. But other times you will stay locked up until the day that you die. Never being able to reach your full potential  or destiny.

Each prison bar of my cell  resembled every negative thing in my life. The hurt,the labels the world tried to put on me,The years of feeling worthless. The fear of love. The feeling of never being good enough,pretty enough,strong enough, and smart enough.  They resembled every negative word spoken to me,over me,and about me. They resembled every thing that i spoke over myself. Over the years what was just one bar turned into 5, and before I knew it I was completely locked up. Every where I turned and everything I did, kept reminding me of how short I constantly fell. If you would have asked me to name one good thing about myself or my life..I would not have had an answer for you.

I knew something was missing. I knew there was a God, but didn't know the first clue as to how to have any type of relationship with him. One day i decided that I was going to try to pray, i told the lord that i needed to hear from him,in anyway possible. It was then that i realized that Until you completely make Jesus the lord of your life you will always be a prisoner of sin.  The mental bars that sin puts on your mind are way worse than anything that can happen in the physical. True freedom in Christ has nothing to do with your location. There are people in county jail who will be more free than some of us wondering the earth. True freedom is ONLY found in Christ. So although my body was never in a cell my mind was locked up and sending,Me straight to hell.

It took me, being in complete desperation, in a fight for my life to sit in the last row of my church (in his presence) to completely tell God that I could not do it without him. I told him that I trusted him. That was all he ever wanted. For us to choose him. God doesn't want us imprisoned or enslaved. He doesn't want us hurt and most importantly he doesn't want us spending eternity away from him. We are his children.

I have been completely free since 2010. That doesn't mean that I don't sin,or fall short. It is a daily battle,but one that I am winning since Jesus became the Lord of my life. I've learned the importance of sharing your testimony. That no matter what you have been delivered from there is someone who is going thru the same thing and needs to see that those prison bars do have a key and you won't always be locked up in sin. I wish I could tell you that it was easy,or quick... Can't do that. What I can say is that every tear is worth it.The struggle to stay in the word is worth it. GOD is worth it.

I AM AN EX-PRISONER, I HAVE BEEN SET FREE..and I will spend the rest of my life making sure that people behind bars (mental and physical) know that freedom is an option and with God,it is the only one.