Closing Reflections of 2020

The past two years I've ended my year with my journal open and a pen in hand to write out my reflections along with my dreams and visions for the upcoming year. That probably isn't too much of a surprise if you know me well or if you simply follow me.

Gibbs Gardens visit for my 30th birthday with my sister Katrina and friend Stephanie

My most recent reflections included these questions:

• What will you remember most about 2020?
• What do you hope to remember most about 2020?

For me, the response is the same for both questions. I'll remember lessons in loving without conditions and learning to wait. I'll remember that God speaks to me and the beauty of abiding in His presence. I'll remember dropping financial and physical weight. I'll remember the joy and smile on my mama's face as we celebrated her 60th birthday! I'll remember turning 30 and having my incredible friends and family celebrate me and the assurance of knowing I was loved. I'll remember being an auntie to my favorite little girl and boy another year! I'll remember working with great colleagues who were supportive and valued my contribution to our team. I'll remember being essential to God and His people through worship with my Tribe Church family. I'll remember how relationships were and will always be medicinal and I'll remember what it means to be whole.

That's what I will remember. That's what I hope to always remember.

If the world calls me optimistic in a year where there was a global pandemic, well I will take it. My heart is filled with tremendous gratitude. I'm grateful to be alive this day, this moment, this year. I am not ignorant nor will I forget all that has taken place in our world but what I'll MOST remember is the goodness of God.

I hope you will too.

My prayer is that God's hand cover each of you who read this. One of my favorite passages is found in Ephesians so I'll close with that.

I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:16-21 CSB

Officially,

Lena

#ReflectionsWithJesus 💛

Car Notes: Becoming

This morning I sent my sisters and friends a video chronicling the past 5 years leading this ministry, the Intensive Care Unit (check it out here!). Last night I nearly cried thinking about it all and I'm actually crying typing this right now. Ha!

Years ago, I prayed that God would send me more godly friendships--more sisters!

Well, He definitely did that!

OCC Lighthouse Gathering 2017

But He also has allowed me to pour into people in greater measure too. Watching the past 5 years filled with the ladies who have supported and attended ICU events, brought me so much joy! I was reminded of some words I shared recently for my new Instagram post series, "Car Notes." (keep reading and scrolling down for it!)

As I continue to become the woman God ordained me to be, I hope you'll also review your life and see just how much God has been with you. I hope you see how amazing you are! And I hope you keep becoming all He's called you to be!

I see you fully alive friends!

Officially,

Lena 💛

--

A few years ago, I remember having a moment of fear and anxiety. It didn’t last for too many days but I remember the feeling.

I remember telling friends I felt like I was trying to become this incredible woman “Carlena Prophet.” I clearly knew I was her, me, Lena... this woman I felt called to become was me.

Anyhow, it was like I was at the bottom of a mountain and I could see myself standing at the top. Imagine looking up at yourself and thinking “How in the world do I get up there? How do I become that person? I’m not that person. Well I am that person! But I’m not quite her God. She is greater than me. She is better than me.”

In the face of fear, my faith remained present. His response to me was always a consistent, “She is you.”

I looked to God and clung to the belief that if He brought me to this Earth, He would make sure I walk, climb, run do whatever must be done to fulfill my mission here and to keep becoming and discovering who I am.

His request was simply that I trust and believe that there was more to be revealed and activated inside of me.

My life holds purpose. Yours does too! We have so many ways that God wants to use us.

When you open your hands and when you open your heart to God’s will for you, what are the things your heart beats for? What needs to be activated inside of you?

When God breathed life into you, He did not neglect to create purpose and destiny. There’s so much He has packed into you as one person.

Circumstances do not dictate destiny. Believe in all He has for you my friends! 💛

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favor and honor; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts, How blessed and greatly favored is the man who trusts in You [believing in You, relying on You, and committing himself to You with confident hope and expectation].

Psalm 84:11-12 AMP

Reflections With Jesus: I remember when my favorite color was orange.

I remember when my favorite color was orange.

I also remember when my favorite color was red, purple, and yellow. At some point, I stopped picking colors so when folks asked which one was my favorite, you'd probably hear me say something like, "The Rainbow! I love them all! 🥰”

Here's the thing, my mama’s favorite color was red. My sister's favorite color was purple. Around the time I settled my heart on yellow or maybe at that time it was orange 🤔🤷🏾‍♀️. I remember a girl in school telling me that one of my beloved bright colors was actually HER favorite.

It belonged to her. 😒

Or at least that's how I recall that moment feeling.

Can you relate to this in some way? Have you ever felt like other folks had something that was unique and special to them?

I can raise my hand with you on that 🙋🏾‍♀️ BUT I also discovered some affirming truths that coincide with the things I love, my gifts, my calling and my purpose.

Truth #1: It’s possible for the things I value to also be valued in similar ways by others, but what's also true is our presentation will never be the same because God has uniquely created each of us.

Exhibit A

Take exhibit A aka me 😌. Another woman could wear that same dress in the same color and maybe we even choose the same size, but that dress won’t fit us the same. There will be differences in the curves and shapes of our bodies and likely our accessories too!

Truth #2: The value of a thing can change depending on the season, yet God reveals new things and beauty with time.

Let me tell you, you will not catch me wearing a big black coat in the heat of summer. It's too hot for that and I live in Georgia. But you will find me exploring my summertime fine wardrobe 💃🏽—including this orange dress! Why? Because it fits the season. Also, I received compliments from strangers the day this photo was taken (all while wearing my mask 😷) so I think it's fair to say God has His way of revealing beauty.

As I think about my childhood attempts to define my favorite color, I can visualize how my love for purple probably extended over to orange and yellow. While I'm sure I was no Picasso (at least back then 👩🏾‍🎨), if you gave me some paper, coloring pencils and some crayons, with a stroke of a big circle and some lines (maybe a few curvy ones), your girl could've given you a glorious Sun! ☀️

To put that in perspective with how I dress today, I see how God has used moments as simple as drawing the Sun more than 20 years ago to reveal things I value and love about life and about me. I love things that are bright and I love light! It all translates over to the woman I am today.

Discovery! God is drawing us to this place of discovery! I mean literally, as I'm typing this, I'm recognizing there's part of a compass right before my feet in this photo.

When thinking about your life, what things has God given you that you literally just need to discover in new ways? When you think about the colors of the rainbow, they never change. The same colors we see today are the same ones that existed when we were 5 years old and before we were even born. We just discover those rays in new ways and in different seasons, but the whole spectrum 🌈 was there.

So I believe, like the colorful clothes in my wardrobe, God is revealing what He's given me. And what He’s given can't belong to anyone else because it ultimately belongs to Him. And He'll use it all to reveal the beauty of His glory.


This will be the truth I remember.

Scriptures for reflection—

I Corinthians 12:4-7, 11 (HCSB) Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial... But one and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as He wills.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (AMP)
He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

Romans 11:36 (HCSB)
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

#ReflectionsWithJesus

Highlight Conversations: Homosexuality, pt. 3

It has taken me much longer than I initially intended to complete this series, but I am finally back! I am committing myself to consistency this year as a writer so you can anticipate the next post will be up within a shorter span of time! 😁

Let's jump back into our topics by reiterating the questions.

1. How do you address topics regarding sexuality with youth in a biblical way?
2. How do you approach others who are living a homosexual lifestyle or have feelings for the same sex? 

Today we'll tackle the second question but be sure to check out part 2, if you missed my response to question 1. One key point from that post was addressing how to present the word of God to anyone (believer or unbeliever). If this were a recipe I'd say you need a combination of prayer, love, truth, and a willingness to be stretched with conversations that may be uncomfortable. Remember those 4 ingredients...

1. Pray

2. Love

3. Share Truth

4. Stretch

Honestly, I could probably end this post right there! However, I will instead continue by sharing how I have personally approached these tough conversations. I will also share scriptures and close with some resources to help as you engage with others. 

A Talk with Lena

What I know is someone may read this post out of curiosity. What I know is someone may read this who lives a homosexual lifestyle or has same sex attractions. What I know is someone may read this who supports or advocates for the gay community. What I know is someone will not like this post. What I know is someone has been unsure, perhaps silent, as a believer on the tough topics facing our world.

What I know is this is one of those tough topics so today, I'm writing to the believer. I’m writing to the one who says, "I don't want to shy away from conversations that push me outside my comfort zone. I want to be an ambassador for the God who is Love and Truth." This is for you!

As you think about conversations surrounding love and relationships what has that looked like in your life? What comes to mind?

For me, the greatest love I've ever experienced is the love that flows from God. As often as you've perhaps heard it, the beauty of John 3:16 whispered truth into my heart as a little girl.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)

I never let that go. It was my desire to see others come into the same knowledge of this truth. I wanted my friends and peers to know that God was real and He loved them. The words of Jesus in Mark 16:15 grew deeper in my heart. I took on my responsibility as a Christian to share Him.

Then he said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (CSB)

As I grew older, I also grew in my understanding of what it meant to not just be a believer in Jesus but truly what it meant to follow Him. Every single day, He still offers me... you... us... an invitation to follow. We, just as the crowd He spoke to in Luke 9:23, are left to choose how we will respond to His call.

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. (NLT)

Surrender? What does it mean for you to live a life surrendered? What are you willing to sacrifice?

These questions represent the core of my conversations. While the initial word that may come to many people's minds for this topic might be deliverance, the word, surrender, sticks out so strongly for me. 

For those who believe in Jesus as Lord, how can we find ourselves unsubmitted to Him? How does one discover life without first dying to self. Do we know how much and how deeply He loves us? How do we respond to His love? Do we love Him beyond our words...beyond our desires?

Surrender...

I've learned that I must take moments to really meditate on what that means. Likewise, I allow room for the person I'm speaking with to also process that word and its correlations to his/her life.

Be quick to listen and be slow to speak, think through your thoughts, let love flow out of your mouth, and allow Holy Spirit to lead you!

Other questions you should ask yourself are, what are my intentions in having this conversation? Is this the right time or the appropriate environment?  In all things, your motives should come from a pure heart and because you believe in the necessity of sharing the gospel.

I have openly gay friends as well as those who have struggled or accepted their same sex attractions. I am really grateful that somehow they trusted me enough to share their stories and their lives with me. I recognize that's not always easy.

So I ask you, can you be trusted?

A part of what I like to call "responsible Christianity" is simply ensuring that the fruits of the Spirit live inside of me. That fruit will naturally flow out and people will respond to it.

Maybe there are some friends you've been careful not to ask about their sexuality. I get it! I've been that person who didn't want to "risk" bringing it up out of concerns that they'd disconnect from me or get upset. But let me tell you, those conversations can also be directly connected to someone's freedom.

Even if you feel like you hit a brick wall somewhere, keep praying and loving people well!

As I close out part 3 of our FIRST highlight conversation, I hope you feel more equipped to have talks with those who are dear to the heart of God! At the bottom of this post, I’ve included scriptures and resources that I recommend for additional study!

And just as we challenge others to live a life surrendered, may we also die to our flesh because I see you... us... alive!

Officially,

Lena 💛