What is your disease? (6/2/2021)

SALUTATIONS: How's it going yall? My days are clearly off because I could've bet my life that although I'm late distributing this week's lesson, it had only been a week since our last fellowship. However, I see that I'm like 2 weeks off. Ugh! Apologies yall, no excuses. On Memorial Day I hope that yall were able to reflect on the beautiful memories of loved ones who have gone to rest before you, instead of focusing on the sorrow that followed their absence. Mine was nice. I was able to spend time with family this past weekend which is always a blessing. Then again, I choose not to dwell on sorrowful memories of the deceased. Although missing them never goes away, it does make the memory easier when I reflect throughout the year on who they were to me before they departed this earth, and who they remain eternally, rather than letting a day or two a year be a time spent cursing the day they had to leave. This is kind of the premise for tonight's lesson. Anxiety, depression, addiction, stress, etc. are as catastrophic as any terminal disease. If left untreated, they fester and eat at your mental health causing psychological, emotional, and even physical disorder. What is your disease? Let's discover how we can heal from the diseases that plague us. Let's get into it. 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 am grateful that God is stirring up a true boss mentality in me; look out for my advancement yall. Father God, we thank you. We believe but mend 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: I've been doing a lot of volunteering recently, and in one effort where we clean up areas heavily populated with homeless encampments, we've provided information for free resources such as rehab, and recently a couple agreed to accept those services. Their names are Elton and Monica, please pray for them to successfully complete rehab and be transformed as a result of it. Also, that there will be sufficient rehabilitation so that they can reacclimate into society without having a relapse later down the line. 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: "Stress is extremely harmful to the body. Even mainstream medicine is recognizing how many diseases stress causes." (Eckhart Tolle). 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: "No Body Greater" by Vashawn Mitchell (you can listen to it here https://rb.gy/hgno5l) and "Too Blessed to be Stressed" by Dorothy Norwood (you can listen to it here https://rb.gy/ms1gyj). 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 minds and open our eyes, ears, and hearts 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, and to come into alignment with your word and your will. Help us 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) – PROVERBS 12:25 & 17:22 (AMP): "12:25 Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a good (encouraging) word makes it glad... 17:22 A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." 

 

**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: If we take a look at the Book of John, chapter 5, we see that Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. Along His travels he passed Bethesda, the healing pool, where large numbers of disabled people ranging from blind to lame sat around waiting for their turn to enter the pool after an angel from God would occasionally stir the waters to activate its healing power. The catch? Only the first person who entered the pool after the disturbance would be cured. Jesus had spotted a man who'd been stricken with his ailment for 38 years. Honestly, I cannot imagine what was going through the Lord's mind, but when I read what He said to the man, I could only conclude that the Lord had to have been perplexed as to how the man could be so close to his cure yet choose to lay by the wayside still wishing on a dream. When the Lord noticed the man and had been made aware of his circumstance, He didn't ask "What is your disease?" Jesus simply asked the man "Do you want to get well?"  (read John 5:1-6, NIV, here https://rb.gy/krszba). 

The title of our message this evening is "What is your disease?" not to focus on its crippling effect on your psychological, emotional, physical, and social well-being. Rather, it is to have you sift through your limiting beliefs, negative mindset, and worries to determine which you have allowed to morph into your identity? Meaning, which one of your struggles have you become so attached to that it has now become part of your character - who you are? What LIE has the enemy engrained in you that you have accepted as truth, and now it has festered into anxiety, depression, addiction, cancer, or some other crippling disease that has so much control over your well-being, that you've become comfortable with its prognosis? Instead of dwelling on the disease, decide whether or not you're ready to be delivered from it.

I will be the first to admit that this isn't a walk in the park. It's a hard pill to swallow when you accept accountability for how YOU CHOOSE to respond to the lemons life throws at you. In our key passages, we see that the Word warns us that anxiety, worry, and brokenness tears us down, while happiness, which is a CHOICE, and an encouraging word boosts us up. If we're reading in-between the lines, then this is telling us that we MUST watch the stuff we're listening to AND the company we keep; EVERYTHING we listen to, read, watch, and participate in has some influence over our thoughts, words, and/or actions. That being said, don't you think that the individuals and environments you choose to immerse yourself in would play an even larger role in impacting your character?

I don't know the history of the crippled man that Jesus had encountered that day at Bethesda, but that man sat by the pool and blamed his lack of help for the reason he had not been healed. Oftentimes we've been conditioned to grow comfortable in misfortune, and in turn, develop a negative mindset. Thus, we choose to embrace things and individuals that do not serve us, rather, we engulf our energy into things and individuals that take from us instead of adding to us, further perpetuating the negativity that we've allowed to fester as we allow ailments such as anxiety and worry to morph into disease. First off, let's break that word up real quick. The word is DIS-ease. I mean from that breakdown alone, one can formulate a pretty valid definition - dis as in not at ease. However, for the sake of accuracy, here's how the Google  dictionary defines the term disease: "a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or plant, especially one that produces specific signs or symptoms or that affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of physical injury; a particular quality, habit, or disposition regarded as adversely affecting a person or group of people." Our mindset influences our thoughts, words, actions, and reactions, and those can have either a positive/healing effect or a negative/dis-ease effect.

When you consider where you are in life today and where you wish you were or where you feel that you should be at this stage in life, who or what do you blame for your current circumstance? Do you ever take responsibility for YOUR ACTIONS or lack thereof that have contributed to where you are today? Or, do you blame the naysayers and belittlers for decreasing YOUR confidence, or your peers for pressuring you into a poor DECISION? I have taken accountability and let me reiterate, it's no easy pill to swallow. But a better question is "Do you want to get well?" (John 5:6, NIV). Maybe you are hurt, angry, ashamed, or stressed. The key is NOT to allow those ailments to enslave you. YHWH isn't at the door, He is already INSIDE the room. When Jesus died for our sins, He sent us the Holy Spirit to be everywhere at ALL times - He is IN you. Therefore the ONLY thing standing in the way of you stepping into the healing waters to cure your disease is YOU. He's already stirred up the waters, He's just waiting on you to get in. Are you ready to get well? #SOW

 

POWER IN PRAYER: POWER IN PRAYER: Lord we thank you for your wisdom, clarity, understanding, alignment, and application. We're grateful for functioning organs, clean water, a sound mind, food, clothes, shoes, shelter, family, and friends. We thank you in advance for Elton and Monica's successful completion of rehab and their transformation as a result of it. We praise you for securing sufficient rehabilitation so that they can reacclimate into society afterward without having a relapse later down the line. As we wrestle with disease and ailments Father, develop our trust in you so that we may recognize the still small voice within, calling us into your healing waters. Help us to realize that the discord within is one choice away from happiness and joyfulness. May we be not hesitant in seeking your provision of correction transforming our dis-ease into ease as we choose to pick up our mats and walk with you. May we be wise in our dealings, knowledgeable in your Word, discerning in our decisions, and full of your understanding. May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts always be acceptable and pleasing 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 and thank you, in the matchless name of Yeshua, Amen!

 

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS: Change begins within... Let's take a look at the benefits of fenugreek. You're probably wondering why? Well, I've struggled with a progressive case of adult acne for over a decade now. The acne is cystic which typically means it's related to some sort of hormonal imbalance. On a quest to find ways to manage hormonal imbalance, I stumbled across some articles that recommended fenugreek. I used it to make tea for several weeks but wasn't consistent. However, a few days ago, YouTube recommended a video that mentioned fenugreek to treat skin problems. So I looked into it yet again. Here's what I've come to know about fenugreek after my research and personal use:

1. Fenugreek is a plant whose leaves and seeds have been widely used as both culinary and medicinal ingredients.
2. It smells like maple syrup yet has a slightly bitter aftertaste; if you drink too much your sweat and/or urine might be confused with a waffle house (I still haven't found what dose prevents the maple syrup smell from surfacing on the skin. When using topically when I was nursing, I smelled like syrup, however, I didn't when drinking 1-2 small mugs of fenugreek tea daily).
3. You can use the whole seeds or ground seeds to make tea and/or water; when consumed daily, this has helped many individuals diminish their hormonal acne and/or grow their hair (search fenugreek on YouTube and you'll find hella testimonial videos).
4. In my experience, fenugreek has acted as a diuretic and helped with milk production when nursing. Perhaps I'll update you later on its contribution to my blemish-free skin, and long luxurious locks. However, it's only been a few days since I've reintroduced it into my diet.
5. It may help to lower blood pressure in type 2 diabetics, induce labor in pregnant women, and balance hormones (https://www.everydayhealth.com/).

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:

1. Join the group Clean Up Parties on the Nextdoor App at https://nextdoor.com/g/ql2yptwee/ to find out when and where YOU can help to beautify the community by helping us clean these mean streets of LA, one neighborhood at a time. You can also find us on the BAND App at http://band.us/band/84236867. Our next beautification project takes place THIS Saturday, June 5th at 8:00 a.m. between Imperial and Figueroa in the alley behind the McDonald's. Spread the word. Hope to see you there. #catchingthevision  
2. If you're looking for a writing journal or two, check out the Resilient-R-Thee Brand that I created through Amazon. They're compact and can easily fit into a purse, messenger bag, or backpack. They're 110 pages to write about anything that tickles your fancy. Two of my designs are for regular journaling and two are for sermon/bible study note-taking, prayers, and journaling. Get your copy(ies) here https://rb.gy/fz6azc.
3. In these uncertain times, many of us are looking for ways to walk boldly in our faith. If you're anything like me, you love a good novelty t-shirt and/or other novelty accessories. Check out the Resilient-R-Thee merch available for purchase here https://rb.gy/ojt3av. Use PROMO CODE "RRT5" at checkout for a 5% discount.
4. If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, or in need of general support, I invite you to join my virtual support group, The Curse is Broken, via Zoom; we meet every 3rd Sunday at 2:30 pm PST. However, this month, in lieu of Father's Day, we'll be meeting on the 4th Sunday, the 27th at 2:30 p.m. PST. Just text "heal" to (323) 800-8616 to be added to our text notifications/reminders. This month we'll be discussing how to effectively support mental health. #thecurseisbroken
5. 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.
6. Update on my 1st children's book, Color Isn't Who I AM © 2019: it's one step closer to being on a bookshelf near you.
7. Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) helps to 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. But we've been on hiatus due to a lack of support from volunteers and board members. Help me get FMBS Inc. back active in the community yall! I have tons of ideas, yet, little know-how. However, I'm willing to learn; if you have any helpful information or affordable training opportunities please share, and reach out to me regarding your interest in service and/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.

JOIN OUR CAUSE: Fostering Mind, Body, and Soul Incorporated (FMBS Inc.) is on a never-ending quest to locate deserving individuals to extend our services to. Therefore, we are always in need of monetary donations and/or contributions of hygiene items, sealed snacks, bottled water, seasonal items (gloves, scarves, blankets, umbrellas, sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, etc.), mini bibles, reading books, and so forth; our YEAR-ROUND mission is to serve homeless and/or needy individuals and families in underprivileged communities throughout Southern California. We also need DEDICATED volunteers and members – is this your calling? Eventually, when we have met our need for volunteers and board members, we will extend our services to assist and address some of the needs of our veterans and their family members. We are successful because of YOUR continued support. Please continue to back us up through participation, and/or by encouraging others to join our cause!
 
For more information about our organization contact fmbsinc_2012@outlook.com. 

 

Respectfully,

Tylesha "Tye" Allen    Behavioral Interventionist | Mobile Notary | Author | Founder of FMBS Inc.   ·Mobile: (951) 790-2127   ·Address: Los Angeles, CA   ·Website: http://www.ready411.weebly.com | http://sodbytye.blogspot.com     ·Email: tyeallen99@yahoo.com    ·Change begins within; work on becoming a better You, now not later.   ·"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man." (Psalm 118:8)