| Teachable Moments

Silent Treatment

Posted on February 2, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

secret-379428__180 Truthfully, I am feeling a little bit overwhelmed this semester in college. Okay, really overwhelmed! I really like things to be clear; black and white. I don’t like grey areas. I don’t like confusion. I want the professors to tell me what to do and less difficult ways for me to figure out how to do it than what they are. I feel like some of those professors are sitting at home twirling their mustaches (or hair for the ladies) and maniacally laughing at me. I have been doing group assignments and I don’t know that we are helping each other much at all. We have one teacher that is completely unavailable and we don’t even know if she knows what is going on. Nobody has even heard from her more than three weeks into the class! This final semester is our test. Have we learned enough and can we use our knowledge to step into the business world?

My answer right now is, “What have I learned?” Are these teachers tricking me? Is this all a conspiracy? We all feel lost in my group assignments. We all feel frustrated and we all feel like the professors are working more against us than for us.

I am so thankful that God isn’t that way. He doesn’t try to trick us and He has clear guidelines for us to find our way. If that isn’t quite enough for that moment, He is always available for a chat. God is always speaking to us.

“God does not ignore us or try to give us the silent treatment. God is a good, caring, and loving God.”

He is a jealous God. This means that He wants our attention all the time. He wants our focus to be on Him. He wants to remind us in so many different ways of His love for us. He wants to bless us.

telephone-1055044__180 Spend time with God. When you spend time with somebody, you begin to recognize their voice more and more each time you talk with them. It’s the same way with God. The more time we spend with Him, the more we recognize His voice. He loves us and He loves us to talk with Him. We don’t need to be constantly making demands on Him. His word [Bible] tells us that He will take care of us. He wants us to get to know Him and converse with Him. He wants to hear us worship Him and tell Him how much we love Him. He is worthy of this.

Get to know Him. Thank Him for all He has blessed you with. Even when we feel like we are struggling through some difficult times, He is still worthy to be praised. Always be thankful. No matter what you may be going through, Jesus gave it all for us on that cross. Thank Him!

Prophetic Classes

Posted on February 1, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

For those people who are interested in hearing the Voice of God and Prophetic Ministry in the Charlotte, NC area, please check out http://www.gatewaypropheticschool.com for more information. This is free of charge and although you are asked to register, it isn’t mandatory. GPS

This Saturday, 2/6/2016, from 1-3 pm, the first class starts for introduction to the prophetic. This is an exciting time. For more information on this and more upcoming events, check out the website at http://www.gatewaypropheticschool.com

Not My Concert

Posted on January 21, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

piano-349928__180 I have many different passions in my life, but one of my greatest passions is worship. I love to worship God and throughout my life thus far, I have been blessed to either have been part of a worship team, or lead a worship team. I love it. I love singing and playing my keyboard and passionately pursuing God.

One struggle I have though, is when I feel like somebody is seeing me as a concert rather than a vessel to help carry them into the throne room of God. When I began to play and sing, I’m not looking for you to only listen to me, I’m looking for you to participate with me. Of course I want you to believe I sound good and see that I am gifted, but I would much rather you feel God’s anointing on me. When I am worshiping God with all that I have, I don’t want to look up and see you watching me. I want to see you enveloped in God’s presence and so focused on Him that you barely notice me. My job is not to perform for you, my job is to help you worship.

I don’t want you to think I’m being critical, because I am truly not trying to be. I am concerned that there are those out there leading worship to promote themselves and not solely God. This isn’t a platform to promote yourself. I love worship albums and I have my favorite worship leaders I like to listen to. There is nothing wrong with that, especially when we are looking to worship in our homes and don’t feel like we are ready to begin to sing out on our own. I know we worship God with our lives and in many different ways, but I am talking about this particular kind of worship.

I also love to hear feedback; good or bad. Well, maybe I don’t love to hear the bad feedback, but it helps me understand what you need to help you worship. I kind of dig it when you say you like my voice, or how I did a certain song, and that is fine to do. I love to encourage the teacher or preacher or the worship leader if I can. The greatest compliment I ever received was one person who told me that when he worships with me, he goes places [in worship] that he’s never been. That is so amazing to me. That is so humbling to think that God is allowing me to do this thing that I love. I love it and I want you to love it with me.

microphone-1128106__180 I also understand that not everybody worships the same way. I don’t expect everybody to be leaping and dancing in ways they can’t. I wish I could dance like I see some people dance. My way of dancing for Him is pretty much jumping up and down. Not joking! I want you to begin to tune out your flesh. I want you to imagine it is only you and Jesus and you want to worship Him in your own way. My voice is my worship. My fingers are my worship. Raising my hands is my worship. Sometimes shuffling my feet back and forth is my worship. Sometimes I cannot do anything but lay flat on the ground and worship Him.

My point is this, worship God and allow your worship leader to help you do it. Yes, you can enjoy what you are hearing, but allow yourself to let it take you to the place you have never been before.

“How you worship is truly between you and the Lord, but I pray that if you have ever worshiped with me, you stepped out of your comfort zone because you felt God’s presence so strong that you just had to worship like you never have before.”

Thanks for reading this and if I missed anything, or if you have anything to add, please just add it to the comments! Love you!

Prove It!

Posted on January 19, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

boat-962791__180 I am so fascinated by the story of Peter walking on the water. There are so many angles to look at this and so many lessons to be learned. Peter was the only one that stepped out of the boat. They all doubted that this was Jesus and Peter said if it was Jesus, to command him [Peter] to come out on the water. Jesus held so much authority to Peter, than when He commanded Peter to come, Peter got out of the boat and walked out to Jesus. When Peter realized that the wind was boisterous, he began to be afraid. He knew, however, that all he had to do was cry out to Jesus, and Jesus would save him from drowning.

Looking at my life up to this point, I look at all those times I asked, “If this is You, God, then do this.” But then, I ask in multiple other ways for God to truly prove this is Him. I have become so afraid to fail at something that I don’t always trust that is is really God asking me to do it. Peter asked for one confirmation that this was Jesus, and Jesus answered him. Immediately Peter got out of the boat. This wasn’t some little thing that Jesus asked of Peter. Peter could have died. I may feel the Holy Spirit leading me to talk to this person in the aisle of the grocery store and by the time I have asked God to confirm this is truly Him for the eighth time, that person is long gone.

historical-odtworstwo-904717__180 Peter gets so much flack. He cuts off the soldier’s ear. He publicly denounces knowing Jesus three times. Even knowing some of his big mistakes, Peter is the type of guy I would love to hang out with. Peter would be the first to do something every time! He must have been so much fun.

Peter had such a love and reverence for Jesus. Oh yes he made many mistakes, but Jesus saw so much in him. Jesus saw the gifts inside of Peter. Nobody else got out of the boat that night. I bet they were all thinking, “Let’s see what happens with Peter and then we’ll know if this is truly Jesus. Maybe then we will get out of this boat!” At least that is one of the things that I may have been thinking.

I want to have so much faith in my God that I am the first to get out of the boat. I want my focus to be so much on Jesus that I don’t even notice the winds and the waves around me. I want to have such faith in Jesus that if my foot stumbles and I take my eyes off of Him for a moment, and I cry out to Him to save me, that He will.

“It’s easy to say what we will do when we aren’t in the midst of a storm. It’s easy to criticize those who stumbled and fell when they were in the storm. I have to remember that at least they stepped out of the boat. They made the choice to trust God while I am challenging God over and over to prove Himself to me.”

I can’t say I’ve never stepped out of the boat. I have stepped out and been very successful in what God asked me to do. I have also stepped out and stumbled and cried out to God for help when I did. God is so good to me. He is always there even when I do stupid things thinking I know better. Jesus knew Peter would deny Him, yet He still loved him and saved him from drowning in the midst of the storm. Jesus loves us with that same love that He had for Peter. He has the same grace and mercy that He had for Peter.

I think the only thing that I can see from Peter’s life that I wonder about is the whole “cutting off of the ear.” Really? The ear? I’d like to think that my aim would have been much better. Just sayin’!!

Oh Naked Girl…

Posted on January 15, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

Empower: make (someone) stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.

Hey, I’m all about helping someone feel stronger and more confident. Don’t get me wrong. I’m only a little confused on how getting naked, or close to naked allows a woman to feel more confident. We have come to a place in society where confidence comes from showing our skin. Now, I’m not talking about going to the beach and covering up head to toe. I’m not even talking about modesty. Modesty is different for each of us depending on how we grew up and what culture we live in. I don’t really have a problem with a bikini. Heck, if my stomach didn’t look like I carried all five of my boys at once in it, I may actually wear one. I don’t have a problem with shorts or even tank tops, as long as you aren’t showing your lady parts, or your breasts. Moving from the coldest northern part of the country to the hot, humid, and did I say humid part of the south, I have learned to dress accordingly.

rest-44354__180 I sweat, a lot! I don’t glisten or perspire. I sweat like a trucker who chose that overly greasy, spicy meal at his last stop and there’s no rest stop for another hour. Yeah, I said it. Wow, this was not supposed to be where I was going with this, but I will still proceed and figure out where exactly I was. Oh, yes, empowerment. Man, I feel so much more confident being so open about my bodily perspiration! Oh, man, please stop Trista! Now I know what my husband feels like when I don’t know what to say in public so I let whatever words begin to fill my mouth come out.

stop multiple Moving on….why do women have to get naked to feel confident? Why do I need to show myself in my underwear to empower myself? Why would me showing my naked body help you feel more confident? What has happened to society?! How about instead of comparing ourselves to the sports illustrated model, or the girl who just bared her body on her Instagram, we learn to love ourselves as we are. Do we need to take care of our body?Absolutely! Do we need to watch what we eat and how much we eat? Absolutely! Do we need to get naked to prove how much we love ourselves? NO!!!

This is literally a spiritual battle we are in ladies. This has nothing to do with equality of women and men. Feminism has become all about bringing men down and stomping on them afterward. In my marriage, my husband and I are equal. We both bring good qualities to the table as well as our issues. I also submit to my husband. Submission has become a dirty word today. It has been twisted and turned into this terrible definition. In my personal opinion, Jezebel is one of the spiritual driving forces behind feminism and the women’s empowerment movements of today. Jezebel was always using her seducing powers to control and manipulate. Jezebel was the Old Testament version of women’s empowerment. She learned to control men and make them feel less of men. She made men her eunuchs. Isn’t that what feminism wants today?

I am all about women becoming more confident and feeling more beautiful. I love makeup and fashion. If I had the money today, I would be scheduling my surgery to fix my stomach, but it doesn’t mean that I am not confident. I am confident and I am submitted to my husband. I am the woman who understands that taking my clothes off doesn’t make me feel empowered. I am the woman who understands that the enemy is among us and this fight is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of darkness.

Men, don’t be afraid of today’s woman. A Godly woman will stand strong with you. A Godly woman will submit to you. A Godly woman will fight with you and fight for you. Men, be confident in who God made you to be. Godly women love a confident man. Godly women love a Godly man. Don’t allow society to change what God has intended for men and women to be.

Proverbs 9:10-12 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.
¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
And if you scoff, you will bear it alone.”

Liar Liar

Posted on January 14, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

desert-279862__180 Lies. They are all around us. I read about little lies and completely astounding lies that shock me.

I have a family member that lies in this way. She lies about everybody around her and needless to say, she doesn’t sleep well at night. Her lies were believed for many years, but thankfully, many around her are realizing that things just don’t add up. I have my moments of frustration and tears when I can’t handle the lies any more about me. I can’t handle the lies any more about my family and other loved ones. I want to put an end to it and I have tried. The only thing it got me was cut off from them and more lies topped with more lies.

“I don’t know how you keep things straight any more. Yes, there are those that believe you, and there are those that don’t know you, and therefore don’t know any better than to believe you lie. I get calls and emails and messages telling me how they feel sorry for you because your lies didn’t bring me down. They didn’t stop my living and they didn’t stop my moving on from you. Your lies don’t own me, Jesus does. You think you have taken people from me, but you have only brought me closer to them and my God.”

eye-609987__180 It can be a struggle, dealing with the never ending drama that comes with a person like this. I have my moments when I cry out to God wondering why this is happening and wondering how much longer it is going to happen. I believe I am an over comer and am praying for complete repentance for this person one day. I once asked my husband why it still hurts at times when I feel like I am totally over this betrayal. He told me that until this person either passes on, or repents, their behavior is a daily rejection of me. I have to fight lies and rejection!?

“I will continue to try to love like Jesus loves. I will pray for you and forgive you, but you have to change on your own. You have to be the person that God knows you can be. I can honestly say, I don’t really know who you are anymore. I’m not sure I ever knew you; the real you.”

Psalm 101:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁷He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house;
He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.

If you have a loved one that lies and manipulates, or does worse; they hurt people including you, don’t be like them. Fight through the hurts and fight through the lies. Fight through the pain. Fight for a life free of drama, even if it means that you have to let go of this person. With God, you can do this. I truly believe that God has allowed me to live this life with this family member, so that I can help others. I want to tell you to be strong and to understand that God loves you like you can’t even imagine. His love is unfailing. We try to put God in this little box so that we can understand Him better. When you cried over people and lies and those things that hurt you so deeply you could barely breathe, God was wiping every tear. He sees you. He knows you. He understands you. He made you.

You cannot lie and love at the same time. God is not a liar, the devil is. You cannot hate somebody and love God.

1 John 4:20-21 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁰If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can^[a] he love God whom he has not seen? ²¹And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

I want to be in Your Presence, God. I want to love like You love. Help us oh God!

$4.3 Million Baby!

Posted on January 12, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

Abe L 28284320 The internet tells us so many things. I can google pretty much anything and get information from one end of the spectrum to the other. I see so much stuff on Facebook and social media sites that gets my angst up, yet I need to do the smart thing and research it. It’s so easy to like something because we have an already formed opinion about it. When I see something bad about Hilary Clinton and her campaign, I automatically believe it must be true, because I believe she lies without thought, and is responsible for the death of American citizens. What I cannot do though, is automatically believe it. Politicians lie. They lie about each other as well as themselves. Republicans twist things, Democrats twist things. In their minds they believe it’s for the greater good. I think the best policy is to do your research on all candidates whether you read good or bad things. Why do so many people believe things at face value?

Power ball

I believe too many of us have become lazy. We want everybody else to do the work for us. We would rather believe something, good or bad, than to do a little bit of research. Take for instance this Power ball Lottery; there is the meme going around on how everybody gets $4.3 million dollars if somebody would just share it with all Americans. In fact, it may work out to $4.33 and that is before taxes! It’s so important to look into things and study it out.

It works the same way with our Christian walk. Maybe this blog is all for me, but I know I have had times where my main Bible reading is when the Pastor has me open up my Bible to a specific scripture during a church service. I can’t wonder why I have struggled throughout the week when I haven’t even opened up my Bible to study and do my research.

We need to turn to our Bibles more often than Google!

I’ll be honest, I love Google. Google has grown so immensely, that it has actually been added as an English language word. Google helps me cook. Google helps me with my education. Google helped let me know that I was truly in labor with one of my sons. Google even helps me find specific scriptures for some of my blogs. Google helps me with a lot of things, but it does not give me life.

Hebrews 4:12 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹²For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word of God is refreshing to my soul. It is powerful and strong. The Bible tells us the truth; always. There is no need for fact checking with the Word of God. As you read it, you grow in faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 New King James Version (NKJV)

⁷For we walk by faith, not by sight.

We walk by faith when it comes to the Word of God, but don’t be naive and believe that everything and anything is the truth outside of the Bible. Study your Bible. Understand when things line up with the Word of God and when things do not. Always be humble and always be in the Word of God. His Word will never let you down!

Sea of Testosterone

Posted on January 7, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

I love my boys and am so honored to be their mother, but seriously boys are hard to raise. I am one girl, in a sea of testosterone in my house. I have days where I think I may get more out of training the cat to be respectable than them. (Even while the cat is licking his rear end!) I can’t tell you how many times I have asked my husband if I truly have sound coming out of my mouth! Boys are seriously gross, like SERIOUSLY! I have actually banned myself from cleaning their bathroom. I refuse. I am pretty sure that if I ever have to spend more than a minute in their bathroom, some sort of wormhole will open up and swallow me whole and boy, won’t they feel silly then!

Boys may be gross, but at the end of the day, I realize that those gross beings are all mine. They embarrass me to no end, but imagine how boring my life would be without them. I can’t imagine a tolerable restaurant scene with five boys all behaving. At least, not anymore! I always promised myself that I would be real with my kids. I think at the time I envisioned my preppy son sitting there doing algebra by the age of 3 while I gently combed through my beautiful daughter’s long, luxurious hair as I hummed quietly to myself.

Seriously though, I do try to be real with my sons. I teach them that the world can be difficult and people aren’t always nice. I teach them that the Bible is the truth even when the world tries to tell them it’s just an old, out-of-date book. I teach them that not all girls will be nice girls to them. I try to teach them about love and respect and how to get back up when life knocks them down. I teach them that God is first in their lives no matter what.

Boys may be weird to me, but I know at the end of the day that God knew exactly what He was doing to give me five of these guys. I may get frustrated with them, but when I make them laugh hysterically at my bathroom jokes, I realize that I may be the weird one after all.

I love you boys.

PS~I seriously hope that is chocolate on your light switch!!!

My Husband is not Yours to Take

Posted on January 5, 2016 by fivesonsplusone

marriage meme

I have seen this meme a few times on Facebook and even shared it before. I am pretty sure I laughed the first time I read it and thought it was a little obvious, but the more I see it, the more it really sticks with me. This should not even be an issue, but sadly, it is.

It also goes both ways. God will not send you someone else’s wife either. I think instead of bringing God into the conversation, you should just say that no matter what anybody else says, you are going to get what you want. You want to marry that person and it doesn’t matter if they are currently married. Until that divorce decree is legal, that man or woman is still legally married. Quit bringing the Lord into your selfish desires. You may think you deserve this person as a gift, but do you realize that you are only saying their current spouse doesn’t deserve them and you do? God isn’t saying, “Boy, Trista sure has screwed up in her marriage, time to send another woman Chuck’s way!” Not my God!

Yes God wants to bless us. He loves us and wants the best for us, but He will not go against His word. The church needs to respect the marriage vows first. We can’t expect the world to take us seriously when we do stuff like this!

Even if a man or woman has recently become divorced, let them grieve the loss, because it is a loss. Let God work in their life and let them find healing. It takes two people to make a marriage work or not work. No one person is ever to take the total blame for the marriage coming apart.

Women, respect your husbands and do it unconditionally. Men, love your wives as Christ loves the church. As Christians, we need to honor our spouses and our vows. The world is not going to do it for us. We need to lead the way. We need to be the light for the world to see. Our lives need to be a witness to the world and this sort of behavior is selfish and ungodly. Forgive us Lord!