The Casualties of Idol Worship

Idol worship is rarely obvious at first. It happens gradually. We make money. Buy nice things. Spend time with amazing people. Dedicate ourselves to our work, gifts, crafts, and families. And in the midst of all those things, sometimes, we neglect God. This is a problem and totally unacceptable. However, God has a way of dethroning things He allows us to be blessed with. Some of us lose jobs, which impacts our income and lifestyles. He strips away different people and relationships we cherish – even ones we never imagined would end. He allows a child to get sick, a family member to pass away, breakups, a separation and/or divorce to be final, and other relationships to fade away because He's God and can do whatever He wants. He loves us too much to allow us to esteem ourselves, a position, income, relationships, or material things above Him. Exodus 20:3-5 reads, “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” Is there anything or anyone you’ve been idolizing in your life that needs to be dethroned? If so, do it before God does. I used to worship friendship. I love having valuable and meaningful friendships in my life, but I no longer worship them. In the past, I experienced the repercussions of doing so and it was painful. One by one, I watched God dismantle different friendships I had, leaving me with open wounds and a broken heart. Being handled by God changed my entire approach. He doesn’t mind us having nice things, positions, or people in our lives, but He doesn’t want any of those things to completely have us or come before Him. Never forget that.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...

Making Waves