No Longer A Servent

John 15:13 NKJV No longer do I call you servants for a servant does not know what his Master is doing; but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for calling me friend. I am so grateful that you have chosen to share your life with me. It is because of your belief in me that I can walk in confidence knowing that you trust me with the will of your Father and that you have given me specific purpose into your plans for my life. I thank you that you have left nothing to chance but you have hand-crafted every situation that I will encounter. I thank you that all things concerning me are deliberate an intentional. I feel confident knowing that those things are working for good in my life. Even in trying times I trust you and as your word says, weapons will be formed but they will not prosper in my life. I am grateful that you love me enough not to leave me in my current state and that I am getting stronger and wiser in you with each passing day. Lord you have been so good to me and I love you. Thank you for giving me the gift of friendship and teaching me how to be a true friend.

With humility, open-mindedness and willingness, I will collaborate with you on this day.

In Jesus name.

SuGa

Act Like You Know!

Colossians 2:6-7 NKJ “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.”

This event did not catch you by surprise. You were made for this! Yes you oh child of God, you can handle it. I know for sure that you can handle it because as the scripture says, you were rooted  built up and then established in the faith! You’ve been taught how to survive extraordinary circumstances so go ahead and give God praise!

Are you asking yourself, what is the “this” that I was made for? If so, let’s define “this” as anything that sets itself up in your path to break your focus, hinder your purpose or delay your blessing.

Your prayers and frustrations have given you access to God’s delivering power in a whole new realm. Your prayers have  rooted you and your cries to God have built you up for this specific event at this particular moment. It is time to walk in confidence being assured that  your “this” will not take you out and it will work in your favor.

Circumstances come to test our faith but Jesus came to root us, build us and establish us in the faith.

I dare you to go ahead and thank God for the lesson and the blessing that your “this” sent your way!

Successful Moments thru Peaceful Empowerment,

SuGa Wellness Boutique

In the Right Hands

Psalm 139:10 NKJ ….“And your right hand shall hold me”

I prayed this prayer for you; please pray the same for me.

Dear God,

In the midst of all uncertainty, help me to know that I am safe in your Presence. Give me confidence in knowing that there is nothing to difficult for you to handle. Let my mind rest in the assurance that you are fully capable of sustaining me and well able to keep me from the hands of the enemy. However the enemy decides to show up, help me to acknowledge that he is already defeated, In Jesus Name!

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

He Sees Me

Genesis 16: 13-14 NKJV Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her. You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees ; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?

It’s an absolutely amazing feeling to see God and to be seen by God. If we allow ourselves to slow down from our hectic schedules and seek God, we will find him in everything. The sunrise and sunset, a child’s laugh or the simple beauty of nature, God can be seen in everything that is living and active.

How about those times in our lives when we realize that Good sees us too? For instance have you ever prayed a specific and deliberate prayer and your answer unfolds in the most unique way that leaves you saying, “only God could have done that.” What about when you ask the Lord to make his presence known to you and you feel a gentle rush of wind on your cheek or you smell a sweet aroma fill your room. How about when you’re up praying and crying about a situation and an instant calm comes over you and you start to rejoice. All of these things are proof that God sees you!

My prayer for you is that you will experience God in an entirely new capacity this week. I pray that he shows up for you and makes his presence known in the most unique way. I pray that you are blessed by seeing God in all things and knowing without a shadow of a doubt that he sees you too! Now do me a favor and pray the same for me!

May you walk in peace knowing that God has his eyes on you!

Peace and Wellness my friend,

SuGa

God’s Hand of Blessing

Psalm 18:35 NIV You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.

I’ve often referred to the Hand of God as my hand of protection. It wasn’t until reading a recent devotional from Pastor Joel Osteen that I began to meditate on the phrase “God’s Hand of Blessing.” I’ve witnessed countless interventions in which God has protected me from dangers seen and unseen but somehow my mind always connected those valiant acts of kindness as protection instead of blessings.

Several weeks ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and much to my delight, I was diagnosed in the very early stages of development (blessing). On April 8, 2015, I had planned to spend a fun-filled spring break day with my daughter but God had other plans for me (blessing). For several weeks I had experienced a constant nudging to have a mammogram performed (blessing). I’m so thankful that I obeyed the Lord’s instructions, which led me to the local mammogram mobile unit in my community and several follow-up appointments (blessing).

I’m ecstatic over these series of events because: 1. I didn’t have an authorized referral to get a mammogram, but God saw fit to give me favor with the nurses and they granted me access to what I needed. 2. Through numerous test and observations, it was concluded that the cancerous cells were confined to one location. 3. I was able to have genetics counseling which paved the way for my daughter and future grandchildren to be aware of any threats. and 4.I’ve learned the value of true friendship. I understand now more than ever why it is important to surround yourself with wise counsel. We all need friends to laugh with but we also need those friends that will cry with us, pray with us, encourage us and hold our hand as we take a walk of faith through a stormy season.

I’m so thankful for the many blessings that God has given me by simply waving his hand in my direction! To God be the Glory!

Peace and Blessings,

SuGa

Full of Grace

“From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

John 1:16

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this day. Thank you for life, strength and grace today.

I thank you Lord that you are all knowing and fully capable to handle all of our needs. From the fullness of your grace we are sustained and able to keep going.

Lord today is a day unlike any other. Help us to enjoy all the beauty that it holds and to seek your face in everything that we do.

We thank you for your hand of protection that guides us along our way and for your spirit of peace that passes all of our understanding.

We thank you for the people in our lives that you have sent to encourage us and for those whom you have given us responsibility over.

Lord we celebrate you in the good times and we praise you in those things that challenge us.

Lord most of all we thank you for allowing us to experience you. You are our focus and our eyes are fixed on you.

With sincere love, we give honor, glory and praise to you.

In Jesus Name,

SuGa

And Another Thing

Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV

My earlier post listed three declarations in the scriptures to help get us through tough times in our lives. Those three declarations are: “I don’t understand, I will not forget and I will press on. Without further examination those conclusions may be a little confusing since the scriptures blatantly tell us to forget those things which are behind us.

Admitting that we don’t understand places us in a spiritually prostrate position before the Lord. We acknowledge that his plan and purpose for our life is greater than any knowledge that we may think that we have about what he is doing in our lives.

Admitting that we will not forget doesn’t mean that we will dwell on the failed outcome, it means that we accept the mistake, forget the offense but take with us the lessons that need to be learned.

And finally, when we trust God enough to press on, we put our faith into action and begin to operate under his perfect grace. Grace such as this only comes with obedience to God’s word.

I pray this message finds you in peace.

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

Things Remembered

Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV- Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Oftentimes we can be hard on ourselves for bad decisions that we’ve made in our past. If we’re not careful we will allow our entire life to be defined by a few bad choices that we made during a weak season in our life. Maybe it was a bad breakup or a financial investment gone wrong, or maybe something as simple as a lapse in judgment on our part. Those choices can have a profound affect on us and how we conduct our everyday life.

We view some mistakes as being more difficult to bounce back from than others. Sometimes we’re embarrassed and think how could this have happened to me and then there are those other times when we worry about what others will think of us because of our misstep.

In those times I am comforted by verses 13 and 14 in Philippians Chapter 3 because they say so eloquently say the words that I often have trouble reciting. The word makes it clear that we will make mistakes, but it’s how we bounce back after the mistake that will determine our outcome. In those two versus I found three declarations to help get me through the tough times: I don’t understand, I will not forget and I will press on.

File those missteps in your “things remembered file” and press on toward the victory in Jesus Christ. He doesn’t want us to get stuck in our past, we’ve been purposed for greater things ahead.

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

Different on Purpose

John 15:13 KJV: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.

How would you spend your time if you knew someone purposely died for you? Would you live any differently? Would you make different choices? What if someone loved you so much that they willingly gave up their life so that you could live a victorious one. How would you remember them? Would you resolve to live your life by honoring them or would you chose to live on your own terms and disregard their honorable act of sacrifice.

For the millions who have accepted Christ and made the choice to devote their lives to him, let’s make it our business to live different on purpose. I know it can be easy to get caught up in the everyday messiness of the world and heaven knows that we are far from perfect people but effort goes a long way. When God created the Heavens and the Earth, he put forth the effort. When Adam and Eve found themselves unclothed in the Garden and God gave them covering, he put forth the effort. When God raised Lazarus from the dead and restored life to him, he put forth the effort. The same effort was exhibited when God gave us his only begotten son. All throughout the Bible we find God always putting forth effort on our behalf.

How are you repaying him?

When God created you, he put forth the effort so that you could fulfill a void that exists in this world. Without your time, talent and influence, there is a need that will forever be unfulfilled. What can you do to live different on purpose to ensure that God’s word is fulfilled in your life.

My different on purpose looks like this: Personally, I like to sprinkle a little SuGa into the lives of believers and seekers. Prayerfully I give myself away to be used by God. Purposely I share the message of Christ with others with the hope that they will share with someone else.

Make the effort to live different on purpose today.

Peace and Wellness,

SuGa

Peace Begins With You

Peace Begins With You

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18, NIV

Today’s scripture reminds us of our call to peace as declared by the Lord. With all the issues and trials that many of us face each day, it can become a tall order to live at peace with everyone.

Just thinking about this makes my stomach a bit nausea because Lord knows I’ve had my share of run-ins and bump-ups with others. At first sight this scripture can be overwhelming, but wait…. Did you notice the first four words of the scripture? “if it is possible”

Hmm, are those four words the get out of jail free card that excuses us from putting forth the effort to live in peace with everyone? Or maybe it’s an important component of a formula that we can use to help live out this declaration from God.

I believe the words if it is possible allow for a bit of self reflection for those who have been called and chosen to live the life of a peculiar people. The word does say that we’ve been set aside for a purpose.

First, we understand as a child of the Most High God, “all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us.

Second, the words If it is possible allow us to evaluate our personal belief system and to challenge the way that we handle and process information. We have the opportunity to align our thoughts and actions with how the word says we should reflect the image of Christ. We can then identify opportunities for improvement and make adjustments as necessary.

My personal belief is that peace begins within each of us. If we expect to begin the process of living at peace with everyone else, we first have to be at peace with ourselves.

Third, put the formula to work!

As Far as it depends on me / If it is possible = live at peace with __________________.

We all experience some type of conflict within our personal and professional lives. If you have a desire to move beyond the strife understand that you have the power within to live at peace because all things are possible in Christ!

Take your effort, divide it by the infinite possibilities in Christ and reap the rewards of peaceful relationships in all areas of you life!

My intuitive nature reveals to me that God wants me to do everything within my power to live at peace but he doesn’t expect me to accomplish this without his help.

Peace and Wellness,
Suga