SALUTATIONS: What up yall? Hope yall had a wonderful February... man two months into the new year already. I can't believe I've been blessed with 40 years of life next month, and I've spent four of these wonderful years as a mother... The message tonight is piggyback from one my sister shared with me called, "Heart Rehab: It Started In Childhood" by Jerry Flowers (watch the 38-minute YouTube video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHFnW6Nvr9Y); man, did that message hit hard. So tonight, join me as we plan the great escape from generational cycles so that they are not transferred to the generations hereafter. Let's dive in. As always, take time to review ALL of the Announcements, Healthy Living Tips, and other information detailed below, following the Reflections and Power in Prayer, whenever time permits. Your continued support is always appreciated. Keep spreading God's Gospel and feel free to share the Scripture of the Week with the hashtag SOW. Enjoy! **Disclaimer: Production and distribution days of the SOW are subject to change without warning**
PRAISE REPORTS: I want to thank God for life, motherhood, growth, and healing. Oh Lord, we thank you through our struggles, we praise you for our past trials, our current obstacles, and our future triumphs. Help us in our unbelief. Hallelujah! If you have a specific praise report, please share, because we “overcame [the adversary] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of [our] testimony” (Revelation 12:11). **NOTE: All praise reports are shared with reference to your name unless anonymity is specified**
PRAYER REQUESTS: Let us pray this week for children and adults who have been or are being abused, whether sexually or other. Let's continue to pray for one another and thank Yahweh for the victory while refraining from confessing the problem caused by the enemy; ALWAYS pray for the desired result, NOT the unfavorable outcome (refer to the book The Tongue – A Creative Force, by Charles Capps; you can download your FREE copy here https://rb.gy/niy4go). If you or someone you know needs prayer, let me know, and your request will be added to the following SOW. **NOTE: All prayer requests are shared with reference to your name and need unless anonymity is specified**
BE ENCOURAGED: NEVER lose sight of God amidst adversity… Ponder this: "To escape fear, you have to go through it, not around it" (Richie Norton). I'm no theological scholar, and even if I were a pastor or an expert on God's word, I would still advise you NEVER to take someone else's word as solid truth; "Study to show thyself approved" (2 Timothy 2:15), and CHALLENGE EVERYTHING by comparing it to the Word of God. If what you see, hear, or read does NOT fall in line with the Word of God, then it is NOT true... The rest of this day isn't promised, let alone tomorrow, so why not strengthen your faith TODAY? Feed your body healthy nutrition, be cautious of what things you allow your eyes, ears, and spirit to be exposed to (e.g., media, books, TV, music, etc.) so that YOU can start anew and become a better you NOW, rather than later. If you need someone to help you get there, or you're looking for an accountability partner, you've come to the right place. Here I am.
FEATURED SONGS OF PRAISE: "Live Through It" by James Fortune & FIYA (you can listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThOGWMEGHM4) and "Cycles (feat. DOE)" by Jonathan McReynolds (you can listen to it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Eu2aYgWmVA). **Correction to last week's SOW Featured Songs of Praise: I had originally selected a song by a praise group from an SDA church but chose to change the selection to "You Will Win" by Jekalyn Carr, however, I inadvertently left "a group of singers" noted before her name, as if she was a place as opposed to the artist.** I would also like to recommend Classical for Studying Radio on Pandora to better facilitate your meditation on the Word as you study, you can listen to that station here https://rb.gy/wtbmva.
OPENING PRAYER: Yahweh, please let your presence set the tone for how this lesson will flow and how we will grow from it. Clear our mind and open our eyes, ears, and heart so that we may be decreased in self and increased in you. Fill us with your presence through the Holy Spirit to see as we look, to listen as we hear, to come into alignment with your word and your will, to receive, believe, and apply your truth, that we may be transformed by your intended message from this fellowship and become better as a result of it. In the name of Yeshua, Amen!
KEY PASSAGE(S) – MATTHEW 2:13-16 (NIV): "13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. 'Get up,' he said, 'take the child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.' 14 So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'Out of Egypt I called my Son.' 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."
**Unless otherwise indicated all Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible retrieved from https://www.biblegateway.com/passage**
REFLECTIONS: At the beginning of chapter 2, we see that the 3 wise men arrived in Jerusalem in search of the "King of the Jews" to "worship Him" (read Matthew 2:1-2 here https://rb.gy/xatcju) and Herod wasn't feeling that. So, yo boy put a hit out on Jesus in an effort to cease a potential threat. God had to secure His plan, so He sent an angel to warn Joseph to "take [Jesus] and His mother and escape to Egypt... where he stayed until the death of Herod" (Matthew 2:13, 15, NIV). So look, God being the Heavenly Father that He is, recognized that His child's life was in danger, put the earthly father up on game, and secured the great escape.
So many of us with a calling have experienced some form of childhood abuse and/or become products of generational cycles. I can attest to both. Sometimes we battle with our past and even question God because we don't understand how God could allow our innocence to be tainted. We grow up wondering, "Where was my protection?" We develop unhealthy distrust - we do not trust adults, we've given up trust in God, we lack trust in our relationships, even in ourselves, and so forth. Many of us turn to situationships looking to mend the abandonment, neglect, and loneliness we've grown accustomed to as we disassociate ourselves from healthy coping. Instead, we turn to reckless behavior, continuing the transference of generational cycles, on a dead-end journey to happiness rather than the wholeness we'd find if we only allowed God to transform and mature us.
Notice the parallels in the text. Herod sought to "kill" Jesus while He was still a baby. To prevent any potential threats this "King of the Jews" might stir up in his kingdom, Herod ordered EVERY child "two years old and under" to be executed. I mean, I don't know exactly how old Herod was, but why was he so concerned with a child? He wasn't concerned with the child, it was the risk he recognized; he aimed to stop the opposition before a threat could even be matured. Oh, how the devil works so similarly. What better way to stop a king from sitting on his throne, or a queen from sitting on hers, than to kill their spirit, steal their joy, and destroy their identity in Christ? The "adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8) and childhood trauma is an attack that oftentimes prevents our maturity in Christ.
The same way the adversary attacks the family unit because he knows togetherness and love conquers a multitude of sin (read 1 Peter 4:8, NIV, here https://rb.gy/muopth) - stopping the unification by establishing entanglements in situationships, or marriages that were never ordained so that they the family is broken before it ever even forms, he also seeks to attack the individual whom he knows has a calling on his or her life. Are you driven by the person at work or school who puts forth zero effort, or, are you motivated by the one who serves as competition for the promotion you've been waiting on? Some of you may think neither, or, perhaps both. But I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of us would say the latter. Just the same, if we can overcome our adversity and weaponize our stories - our testimonies - rather than allowing an internal untold story to fester into misery, then we can influence the masses as we live in love and harmony despite our misfortune and/or trauma.
Unfortunately, when the devil attacks us while we're still developing, and the adults before us fell victim to generational cycles themselves, then there is a failure to map out an efficient escape. As a parent, because of my childhood, one of my toughest fears is that my son is exposed to sexual abuse - any form of abuse, really. So, I'm constantly observing behaviors, and having discussions so that if he is exposed to some trash, I can protect him. The great escape doesn't have to be taken literally, escaping in this context is relative to protection and healing; we have to be mindful of the fact that perhaps the ones we feel that neglected us or failed to protect us, had failed to be protected themselves. Those who should've spearheaded our escape - our healing and protection, were abused themselves and victims of generational cycles that had not yet been broken.
Here's the thing, the devil doesn't have to create a new wound in your family line when the old one is still open. Jerry Flowers said it like this, "If it doesn't get transformed, it gets transferred"; for every individual in your family that has experienced the same or similar abuse, it was because Satan attacked them while there were still developing, silencing their internal stories, because he knew that they would be a threat to his reign over darkness. The devil probably knows the Word better than most of us, that's why he can manipulate the trials he presents us with so that it distorts our image of God so that we think of our anxiety, depression, addiction, substance abuse, situationships, and reckless behavior as embellishments to our character and personalities - as part of who we are. The reality is, accepting those negative traits and habits as who you are, means that you have no idea of whose you are. It's like choosing to wear dirty sneakers with a tux, or a jean jacket with an evening gown - terrible accessory choices.
We must deal with our internal story, be it via counseling, a support group, or a blog, our stories must be shared because someone somewhere is facing the same obstacles, and our testimony may be what frees them. The enemy wants to break us because he knows what we have to say will break some cycles; he knows that when we come into wholeness with God, and allow Him to mature our walk, our talk, our words, and our actions, our growth will plant seeds for others to grow as well. But the longer we allow our trauma to distort our discernment, the longer we'll feel that level of unsuccess, unfulfillment, unrest, loneliness, and void. Who we've become due to what someone did, does NOT define us. Our confidence is lacking because we haven't fully shared the authentic version of ourselves, which lies in our shame, our guilt, our past, and our trauma.
The goal is not to disband from ourselves, rather, we need to separate from our poor patterns. Your testimony serves as a form of deliverance for someone with a similar struggle; your silence gives Satan victory over your maturity, and with that stunted growth, someone's freedom is being denied. Anything that interrupts your growth and maturity should be identified as a distraction/pattern that you ought to break-up with. God is in the business of making us whole, not happy. Happiness is a choice; how you choose to react to your circumstances and/or empower or disempower your past, is totally up to you. Start by using your story to help others. Forgive yourself for the poor decisions you made along the way out of ignorance, but more importantly, forgive those who may have failed you, being sensitive to the fact that they most likely did the best they could with what they knew at the time; when someone fails you, 9 times out of 10, it's probably because someone failed them too - it may be the only way they knew how to respond because no one taught them the proper way. It is now our duty to "train up a child in the way he should go [so that] when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6), but the first child we must work on is the one we buried deep inside the pain of our trauma.
As we take heed to our maturity in Christ, it's also important to affirm His word in and over our lives, because "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Aside from our childhood trauma catalyzing how we choose to react to our circumstances, the adversary knows that as children, we are trusting, loving, and the most willing to learn Christ-like characteristics, so as he distorts our image of the Lord, therein he develops in us a blurred vision of self and a jacked-up perception of everything around us. In turn, those warped perceptions keep us from achieving full development in Christ; "the enemy knows that "unless [we] change and become like little children, [we] will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 8:3, NIV). Simply put, as long as the devil has leverage over our past through our silence, unforgiveness, unhealthy patterns, bad habits, and immaturity, we will never fully trust in the Lord the way a child trusts his or her parent. If we don't set out to transform, with intention, our hurt and fear into the power, love, and self-discipline that God equipped us with (read 2 Timothy 1:7 here https://rb.gy/d48lvw), then we create momentum for cycles to carry over into the generations after us.
Whose you are, is God's, not the mistakes you've made along the way. What you think and what you do matters. Your impact matters. Your story can inspire others and in turn, by sharing it, you step into healing and begin to break the generational cycles, and step into the position for which God called you. Adulthood is right around the corner, but first, you must become child-like in Christ and allow Him to help you make the great escape from who you were to where and who you are called to be, in Him. Step into your maturity, it's time to reclaim your throne kings and queens. #SOW
So many of us with a calling have experienced some form of childhood abuse and/or become products of generational cycles. I can attest to both. Sometimes we battle with our past and even question God because we don't understand how God could allow our innocence to be tainted. We grow up wondering, "Where was my protection?" We develop unhealthy distrust - we do not trust adults, we've given up trust in God, we lack trust in our relationships, even in ourselves, and so forth. Many of us turn to situationships looking to mend the abandonment, neglect, and loneliness we've grown accustomed to as we disassociate ourselves from healthy coping. Instead, we turn to reckless behavior, continuing the transference of generational cycles, on a dead-end journey to happiness rather than the wholeness we'd find if we only allowed God to transform and mature us.
Notice the parallels in the text. Herod sought to "kill" Jesus while He was still a baby. To prevent any potential threats this "King of the Jews" might stir up in his kingdom, Herod ordered EVERY child "two years old and under" to be executed. I mean, I don't know exactly how old Herod was, but why was he so concerned with a child? He wasn't concerned with the child, it was the risk he recognized; he aimed to stop the opposition before a threat could even be matured. Oh, how the devil works so similarly. What better way to stop a king from sitting on his throne, or a queen from sitting on hers, than to kill their spirit, steal their joy, and destroy their identity in Christ? The "adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8) and childhood trauma is an attack that oftentimes prevents our maturity in Christ.
The same way the adversary attacks the family unit because he knows togetherness and love conquers a multitude of sin (read 1 Peter 4:8, NIV, here https://rb.gy/muopth) - stopping the unification by establishing entanglements in situationships, or marriages that were never ordained so that they the family is broken before it ever even forms, he also seeks to attack the individual whom he knows has a calling on his or her life. Are you driven by the person at work or school who puts forth zero effort, or, are you motivated by the one who serves as competition for the promotion you've been waiting on? Some of you may think neither, or, perhaps both. But I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of us would say the latter. Just the same, if we can overcome our adversity and weaponize our stories - our testimonies - rather than allowing an internal untold story to fester into misery, then we can influence the masses as we live in love and harmony despite our misfortune and/or trauma.
Unfortunately, when the devil attacks us while we're still developing, and the adults before us fell victim to generational cycles themselves, then there is a failure to map out an efficient escape. As a parent, because of my childhood, one of my toughest fears is that my son is exposed to sexual abuse - any form of abuse, really. So, I'm constantly observing behaviors, and having discussions so that if he is exposed to some trash, I can protect him. The great escape doesn't have to be taken literally, escaping in this context is relative to protection and healing; we have to be mindful of the fact that perhaps the ones we feel that neglected us or failed to protect us, had failed to be protected themselves. Those who should've spearheaded our escape - our healing and protection, were abused themselves and victims of generational cycles that had not yet been broken.
Here's the thing, the devil doesn't have to create a new wound in your family line when the old one is still open. Jerry Flowers said it like this, "If it doesn't get transformed, it gets transferred"; for every individual in your family that has experienced the same or similar abuse, it was because Satan attacked them while there were still developing, silencing their internal stories, because he knew that they would be a threat to his reign over darkness. The devil probably knows the Word better than most of us, that's why he can manipulate the trials he presents us with so that it distorts our image of God so that we think of our anxiety, depression, addiction, substance abuse, situationships, and reckless behavior as embellishments to our character and personalities - as part of who we are. The reality is, accepting those negative traits and habits as who you are, means that you have no idea of whose you are. It's like choosing to wear dirty sneakers with a tux, or a jean jacket with an evening gown - terrible accessory choices.
We must deal with our internal story, be it via counseling, a support group, or a blog, our stories must be shared because someone somewhere is facing the same obstacles, and our testimony may be what frees them. The enemy wants to break us because he knows what we have to say will break some cycles; he knows that when we come into wholeness with God, and allow Him to mature our walk, our talk, our words, and our actions, our growth will plant seeds for others to grow as well. But the longer we allow our trauma to distort our discernment, the longer we'll feel that level of unsuccess, unfulfillment, unrest, loneliness, and void. Who we've become due to what someone did, does NOT define us. Our confidence is lacking because we haven't fully shared the authentic version of ourselves, which lies in our shame, our guilt, our past, and our trauma.
The goal is not to disband from ourselves, rather, we need to separate from our poor patterns. Your testimony serves as a form of deliverance for someone with a similar struggle; your silence gives Satan victory over your maturity, and with that stunted growth, someone's freedom is being denied. Anything that interrupts your growth and maturity should be identified as a distraction/pattern that you ought to break-up with. God is in the business of making us whole, not happy. Happiness is a choice; how you choose to react to your circumstances and/or empower or disempower your past, is totally up to you. Start by using your story to help others. Forgive yourself for the poor decisions you made along the way out of ignorance, but more importantly, forgive those who may have failed you, being sensitive to the fact that they most likely did the best they could with what they knew at the time; when someone fails you, 9 times out of 10, it's probably because someone failed them too - it may be the only way they knew how to respond because no one taught them the proper way. It is now our duty to "train up a child in the way he should go [so that] when he is old, he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6), but the first child we must work on is the one we buried deep inside the pain of our trauma.
As we take heed to our maturity in Christ, it's also important to affirm His word in and over our lives, because "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Aside from our childhood trauma catalyzing how we choose to react to our circumstances, the adversary knows that as children, we are trusting, loving, and the most willing to learn Christ-like characteristics, so as he distorts our image of the Lord, therein he develops in us a blurred vision of self and a jacked-up perception of everything around us. In turn, those warped perceptions keep us from achieving full development in Christ; "the enemy knows that "unless [we] change and become like little children, [we] will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 8:3, NIV). Simply put, as long as the devil has leverage over our past through our silence, unforgiveness, unhealthy patterns, bad habits, and immaturity, we will never fully trust in the Lord the way a child trusts his or her parent. If we don't set out to transform, with intention, our hurt and fear into the power, love, and self-discipline that God equipped us with (read 2 Timothy 1:7 here https://rb.gy/d48lvw), then we create momentum for cycles to carry over into the generations after us.
Whose you are, is God's, not the mistakes you've made along the way. What you think and what you do matters. Your impact matters. Your story can inspire others and in turn, by sharing it, you step into healing and begin to break the generational cycles, and step into the position for which God called you. Adulthood is right around the corner, but first, you must become child-like in Christ and allow Him to help you make the great escape from who you were to where and who you are called to be, in Him. Step into your maturity, it's time to reclaim your throne kings and queens. #SOW
POWER IN PRAYER: POWER IN PRAYER: Our Father, Our Friend, Our provider, our Healer, we thank you for the power, love, and self-discipline that you've equipped us with. In the name of your Son, Jesus, we activate those traits and ask that you accelerate them so that we trust you to bring us into full maturity in you. Father, for those of us reading this and those attached to us, or associated in any way, as well as those who are not, who have suffered childhood trauma and/or are still struggling with its remembrance, help us to weaponize our stories; help our testimony be the voice to those who may have lost theirs. As we tell our unsung stories, may our misery be transformed into peace and joy in knowing that you never left us, we just got lost along the way. Thank you for helping us to recognize that in you we have a potential that serves as a threat to the adversary, and therefore, our resilience and patience in your process and timing will send victory knocking on our doors. We thank you for releasing our authenticity to get a grip on our confidence. We thank you for reassuring us that we are not defined by our past nor our poor decisions as a result of, but that we are identified as your children when we earnestly seek you and allow you to work through us to carry out the kingdom agenda that you have placed on our lives. We can never match your grace and mercy with our praise, but we can try. Father, we're grateful for your support, acceptance, love, grace, and mercy. We thank you for helping us drop the ugly accessories and replace them with your full armor. We praise you for teaching us to break up with our patterns, not our person. We thank you for empowering us to step into our maturity by forgiving ourselves and forgiving those who we feel failed us, to dead generational cycles, and to accept the throne waiting for us in your Kingdom. Repair our unbelief, mend our distrust, and remove anything hindering us from using our trauma to empower ourselves and others. Your Word says where two or more are gathered, there you are. You said, ask and we shall receive, knock and the door shall be opened, seek and we shall find, well here we are, Father, show up and show out on behalf of your Truth. May your will be done in our lives, and may our trust in you be solid enough to render this request genuine in your sight. As your angels and Holy Spirit do your bidding on Earth and in Heaven, protect us and them with your recourse as you bind, loose, and cast out the demonic spirits of distraction, destruction, retaliation, revenge, and backlash. All these things we ask in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!
HEALTHY LIVING TIPS: Change begins within... If you're looking for a quick full-body workout, here's one that you can complete in under 35 minutes:
- 15-minute run or jog (for a lower impact you can do a brisk walk with ankle weights for some extra resistance, or without) - running, jogging, and walking can help the development of lean muscle, build strong bones, and improve cardiovascular health.
- 4 rounds of 30-rep crunches - crunches help to develop your core muscles
- 1 round of 30-rep situps with a Russian twist in the up position - situps also help to improve core strength, which contributes to improved posture and lessens your chance for back injuries in later years.
- 5 rounds of 10-rep pushups (standard and/or knee position) - pushups build upper body strength, strengthen your back, and can also improve core strength and posture.
Remember, it is important to stretch before and after exercise to reduce achy muscles and to prevent injuries. As always, be mindful of the things you feed your body, both physically and figuratively. Be safe, be blessed, and prioritize your health and wellbeing!
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- I've decided to host a neighborhood clean-up in the West Athens area on March 27th. If you're interested in physically joining this crusade, donating supplies, and/or know of resources or contacts that can assist in this venture, hit me up.
- If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, I invite you to join my virtual support group via Zoom; we meet every 3rd Sunday at 2:30 PST. Just text "heal" to (323) 800-8616 to be added to our text notifications/reminders.
- Help me get FMBS Inc. back active in the community yall! I'd like to start regular community beautification projects, homeless outreach, and live workshops that will provide guidance, mentorship, resources, and helpful information for at-risk youth. Here's the thing, I don't know how to do any of this, but I'm willing to learn; if you have any helpful information or affordable training opportunities please share.
- Please take a moment to register your Ralph's, Food 4 Less, and/or Kroger Rewards cards to enroll your member number/phone number for the Ralph's/Food 4 Less Community Contribution Program to help Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (aka FMBS Inc., serving communities throughout Southern Cali since 2012) raise funds to give back to the community; for every purchase you make, a small % is given as a donation to our non-profit organization - your rewards points are NOT affected by this enrollment. To enroll, you must go to their website here http://www.friendsindeedpas.org/get-involved/ralphs-community-contribution-program/ and link your rewards cards and/or telephone numbers (Alt ID) to our organization each year, and we will earn money for every purchase made under your rewards cards. Your continued support is always appreciated.
- Update on my 1st children's book, Color Isn't Who I AM © 2019: There was a minor setback on its suggested retail pricing but it's just the setup for my God to come through. When He does, my book will be on a bookshelf near you.
- Be on the lookout for the relaunch of my non-profit organization, Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.). Although I am willing to carry out my plans solo, I would be remiss if I didn't extend an invitation to ALL willing volunteers to help me serve our communities by accepting a significant role as a committed and trusted board member, or a contributor of time (physical volunteer work), monies, supplies, and/or resources. My appreciation is extended to anyone that can help facilitate making an impact in surrounding at-risk and underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. Part of our mission is to help supply the homeless as well as needy families with food and hygiene bags throughout the year and especially during the holidays and to serve as mentors and/or advocates for at-risk youth and victims of abuse. Reach out to me regarding your interest in service or to arrange another form of contribution; contact me via email at fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com, or leave a voicemail and/or text at (951) 790-2127.
For more information about our organization contact fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com.
Respectfully,
| Tylesha "Tye" Allen Behavioral Interventionist | Mobile Notary | CEO/Founder of FMBS Inc. · Mobile: (951) 790-2127 · Address: Los Angeles, CA · Website: http://www.ready411.weebly.com | http://sodbytye.blogspot.com · Email: professional1_99@hotmail.com · Change begins within; work on becoming a better You · "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8) |
