What’s Next for the Blog?

So, today is my last Wednesday of posting on COAFW. Earlier this year I made a commitment to post every Wednesday, until the end of the year. I made the commitment because at one point I wasn’t being consistent with posting and I didn’t think that was fair to you, my readers. More so, I made the commitment for myself. Although I missed some Wednesdays and tried to make up for them at some point, the reward for me is that I continued posting no matter how I felt, whether I was tired, or anything else. 

I didn’t make any plans about whether or not I would continue to blog once I got to this point, but with end-of-the-year reflections that tend to come at this time of the year, I am going to think about it. What I do know is I love the gift of writing while using it to uplift others. I also know that if I choose to continue to blog, I want to be committed. 

So what does all of this mean? It means for now, this is my last Wednesday posting on this blog. It means that I’m going to take some time to think and pray about the next step for this blog (if there is a next step). 

Thank you to everyone who has been a reader and supporter of COAFW. I hope that my posts encouraged you, inspired you, gave you hope, or lifted you up in some way. You are always welcome to shoot me an email at coafw@yahoo.com any time, whether you want to just say hello or share something on your heart. 

I hope you had a very merry Christmas and wish you the happiest new year. 

Blessings,

Audrey

BLOGMAS: MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas that is filled with love, joy, and peace, as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I will be sharing another post later today or tomorrow. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎄

BLOGMAS: TAKE A MOMENT

Hello and Merry Christmas Eve ✨ Welcome to day two of “Three Days of Blogmas.” As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, I want to encourage you, if you haven’t done so, to take a moment and spend time with the Lord. I was reminded of this last night as I was wrapping gifts. I felt a little nudge in my spirit to take a little breather and spend some time with God. After wrapping the final gift that I was going to wrap for the evening, I did just that.

I took the moment to sit still and reflect on the beauty of this season, to remember what this season is all about, and what Christmas means, personally, for me. It was a beautiful moment and one that I’m glad I took. 

Take some time out of your day today to spend some time with God. He definitely wants to spend it with you (another thing I realized when I felt the nudge in my spirit that I mentioned above). The time spent will help to decompress from the holiday preparations, but most importantly you will be in the presence of the One who this season is all about and will experience the love, peace, and joy that the true spirit of CHRISTmas brings. 

BLOGMAS: Rejoicing in Rejection

Hello and Happy Christmas Week :-) I hope your week has gotten off to a great start.

This is not the usual Wednesday post. I thought it would be great, in the spirit of the holiday, to do my own version of "Blogmas." What is Blogmas? It is a series of blog posts, posted everyday from December 1 until December 25. Blog plus Christmas equals "Blogmas." :-) Obviously I'm not doing the series in its truest form, but I thought I'd do my own version in a very short form lol. With that said, I will be sending posts Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. 

Today, I want to share with you another inspiring message by Bishop T.D. Jakes. The title of the message is "Rejoicing in Rejection." He put a very relatable perspective on the story of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. If you've ever struggled with rejection or are struggling with rejection now, listen to this powerful message.

Have a wonderful Christmas Week. May you feel the spirit of Christ in some way as we celebrate his birth.

REJOICING IN REJECTION by Bishop T.D. Jakes
Scriptural reference: Luke 2:6-12

DEFINE YOUR HOLIDAY

So, Wednesday snuck up on me again last week and it got busier in the days following. Here is the post that I didn’t get a chance to post last week. It is another message that I shared on my personal Facebook account recently, and I thought it would be fitting to share with you as an encouragement this holiday season. 

DEFINE YOUR HOLIDAY 
I have been feeling a heaviness during this holiday season. I thought it was just me, but usually when this happens, it’s a signal from God that the heaviness is in the atmosphere, meaning people are walking around masking burdens, struggles, worry, etc...and the attempt to put on a smile on their face everyday to mask it all, is wearing on them. I just want to encourage you today that it’s ok not to be ok, even during the holidays. It’s ok that you want to stay home this year and not make your usual rounds, it’s ok if you’re struggling financially and can’t get the gifts that you would like to give, it’s ok if you think Christmas is overhyped and over commercialized, it’s ok if you feel that you can’t meet the expectations that the holidays bring. One of the best things you can do for yourself this holiday season is do some holiday confessionals to God and to yourself. Admitting that you are struggling is the first step. Letting go of the struggle (i.e. the need to keep up a facade, finances, etc...) is the second step. Making the holidays be what you want it to be is the third step. In it all, pray, confess, and ask God to guide you. Sometimes the pressure of the holidays can get in the way of its true meaning. Trying to keep up with holiday expectations can steal your joy. Define your holiday this year and every year going forward, release the burdens, don’t apologize for wanting to have a peaceful holiday, enjoy your holiday, and thank God for it all. Blessings everyone. I hope this helps. This is a note to self as well. P.S. “Peace” is the word that was placed on my heart as I was writing this. Protect your peace this holiday season. Wishing you blessings and so much joy. Oh, and if you’re on the receiving end of someone telling you that they can’t give or are struggling to give this year, if the usual plans for the holidays change, etc...be understanding. It’s not always easy sharing these types of things. The best thing to do is add to the joy and peace that they want for the holiday.

Don't Run with the Herd

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) This week I'm sharing a very powerful message by T.D. Jakes called "Don't Run with the Herd." I hope it encourages you as much as it encouraged me.

Have a great rest of the week,  

Give Thanks

Take a moment today to give thanks for all that God has done. Have a wonderful holiday and a very happy Thanksgiving.

Be Still

Just a simple word of encouragement and reminder for you today. Have a great rest of the week. 

GOD WANTS TO TALK TO YOU

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) This week I'm sharing another message that I recently posted on my personal Facebook account. It was during my night time, quiet time with the Lord that the message was laid on my heart. As always, I pray that the message encourages you.

GOD WANTS TO TALK TO YOU

Have you been praying to hear from God or to get a word from Him? Have you considered that social media may be blocking you from hearing God's voice? Have you noticed how tuned in you are when you're on social media, sometimes to the point of zoning out? God is trying to speak to you, but He can't and won't compete with the other "voices" that you're listening to, that are in the way (by voices I mean social media). Seriously, put the phone down and turn your attention to God (you won't miss anything on social media, I promise lol). I didn't realize this about myself until literally just now, so I'm passing it on to you. God has something to say to you. He wants to respond to your requests, questions, and prayers, but you have to remove what's blocking His voice so He can speak to you. Have a great night. Hope this helps someone. Helpful scripture-Matthew 6:33

Have a great rest of the week. :-)

End of the Year Goals

Just popping in to say I'm still here :-) I can't believe it's been four weeks since my last post. The first Wednesday, I totally forgot to post and the next two weeks were very busy. Nevertheless, I haven't forgotten about posting here.

Recently I've been reflecting on how I'm going to close out 2019 and prepare for 2020. Sometimes we may overlook closing out one year because we are so focused on the new year. The point here is, there are still things left for us to do in 2019. You can even set goals based on how you'd like to close out this year. We set new year goals, why not set end of the year goals? 

With that being said, I'm sharing a few questions to consider that may help set some end of the year goals, listed below:

END OF THE YEAR GOALS (QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER)

1.What goal did I set at the beginning of the year that I still have time to accomplish by the end of the year?

2. Are there any issues/concerns that I need to deal with before going into the new year? (The issues/concerns can be personal, professional, spiritual, etc...)

3. Have I set aside any "me" time before year's end? (This may not sound like goal, but with the business of our day-to-day lives, scheduling "me" time can be a fete) 

4. Have I allowed anything to hinder my belief in what I've been praying for? If so, can I renew my belief through prayer, confession, and a renewed declaration? (This is a renewal that you can take with you into the new year)

5. Have I shown gratitude for the lessons and experiences in 2019?

Have a great rest of the week :-)

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) This week I am sharing another message that I posted on Facebook yesterday. I pray that it helps in your walk with Christ. 

In my quiet time with the Lord this morning this thought came to me: Those of us who profess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior have allowed this world to influence us more than we realize. This may be why there's some confusion and unrest in our minds, why we feel that we can't hear from God or that He seems distant. If this is true for you, this may be an indication that it's time to get alone with God so that He can show you how you are allowing this world to influence you. It could be agreeing to something that is contrary to God's word or rationalizing that what is wrong is right and what is right is wrong. It could be following the advice of this world and applying it to your life instead of seeking God's counsel and hearing His voice. It could be fearing the backlash of standing on the word of God in the presence of those who don't believe. It could be the deception that what this world has to offer is better than what God has freely given to us. Some of us may not realize how much we've allowed this world to influence us and how we may be abiding by its system. God is calling you and me back to Him. If this resonates in your spirit, do what needs to be done to get yourself back into alignment with who you are in Christ: seek Him, remove any distractions, get alone with God, confess any known or unknown sin, make time to spend in the word of God, be willing to renounce any influences of this world in your life, be ready to align yourself back to walking in the way of Jesus Christ.

Helpful scriptures: James 4:4-10; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Romans 5; Romans 6; Matthew 16:24-26

Have a great Wednesday. :-)

WHAT DO WE TEACH OUR BOYS ABOUT FAITHFULNESS?

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) Today I'm sharing a post that I posted on Facebook recently. I started to notice more the relationship between our young men and women, but noticed something specifically about our young men: do we teach them about faithfulness? As I pondered it more, I decided to write out my thoughts. Take a moment and read my post below. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts.

#thoughtforthemoment What do we teach our boys about faithfulness? More than likely, we may tell our girls not to get pregnant or "don't bring home any babies" but what do we teach our boys about faithfulness? (And yes, boys need to be taught about sex as well). Do we really talk to them about the fragility of a girl's heart (not fragile as in weak, but precious), the sensitivity of it, how it needs to be protected? Do we teach them that girls are not objects and shouldn't be seen as such? Do we teach them the importance of not approaching a young lady when they know that she may not be the only one? Do we teach them to approach a young lady with real friendship first without any ulterior motives? Do we teach them that it's ok to get to know themselves first and deal with their own issues and growth so they can be ready for a relationship with someone else? Just as much as we are adamant with our girls about certain things, we have to be just as adamant with our boys. I believe that when we teach VALUE to both boys and girls, as they get older they can navigate relationships better, not just romantic, but friendships as well.

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) I'm playing a little catch up this week since there were no posts for the last two Wednesdays. I am posting today so that this will not be the third week of not having posts. I just simply want to wish you a happy Wednesday and the rest of the week.

What Makes You Happy?

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) Just a simple task to do today. Ask yourself, "What makes me happy?" Write them down, and DO them. I've listed five things below that make me happy:

1. Going to the park for a nice run.

2. Spending time with my family.

3.Being creative

4. Peace 

5. Solitude

Take a moment today and really consider what makes you happy. I listed five things. For you it may be less or more. In the hectic day-to-day life, responsibilities, work, etc...our lives can become overwhelming. Sometimes we need to reset and remember our own self care. So, what makes you happy? Discover it, then go do it.

He Knows Your Name; Pursue Your Purpose

Hello and Happy Wednesday :-) I hope that you are having a great week so far. I'm happy that I'm able to get back on track this week to share a post with you. One of the things I want to share with you today is a beautiful song by Tasha Cobbs ft. Jimi Cravity called You Know My Name. My niece and another choir member sang it recently at a church service. It was so moving that I wanted to hear the original. Since the song moved me so much, I thought I'd pass it on to you as a reminder that God knows your name. He knows every single thing about you and still loves you. He is your counselor, your comforter, your I Am. Never forget that He knows your name. He hears your cry and sees your struggle. He even sees your joy. He sees you in the good times and not so good times. No matter what, He knows your name.

The other thing I want to share with you today is continue to pursue your purpose. There may be some things that have come against you recently that may have tried to hinder you or cause you to question some things about your walk. The enemy may want to stop you, but nothing that comes against you can stop the purpose that God has for you. It just may mean you having to war in the spirit more than you ever have. It may mean you recognizing the fiery darts coming at you and pressing in to your faith more. Whatever it is, know that you are going to come out on the other side in the fullness of your purpose and all that God has for you.

Enjoy the rest of your week. Seek God for whatever you need. You have the victory.

Helpful scriptures: Ephesians 6:10-20; Romans 8

"If God be for us, who can be against us?"-Romans 8:31

YOU KNOW MY NAME by Tasha Cobbs ft. Jimi Cravity

Hello :-) I hope that you are having a great weekend. I just wanted to quickly share that I wasn't able to post on Thursday as I had planned. My week will be pretty busy coming up as well, but the plan is to have a post up as regularly scheduled on Wednesday.

I just wanted to wish you a wonderful weekend and wonderful week. For those of you who have children, my prayers are for a great school year. May the Lord cover them and protect them. For those of you who are teachers and are in the educational system, blessings to you for a great school year. May the Lord cover and protect you.

Have a wonderful Sunday and week.

Look out for this week's post tomorrow.

TAKE A MOMENT TODAY

Take a moment today to put down your phone and appreciate the beautiful things going on around you. Sometimes social media can be used as a way to escape, but sometimes what you're escaping to may not be beneficial. Perfectly posed pictures, a snap of what appears to be a perfect family, relationship, or life. Let's not forget about the comments which oftentimes lead to arguments, posturing, and puffed up opinions. All of this can be very draining, not to mention these things having an affect on our mental, emotional, and spiritual state.

So take a moment today and remove yourself from the overload of information that you may be consuming. Take a moment to decompress and just breathe. Instead of scrolling through your phone on your lunch break, be still and spend time with God, or not be still and enjoy a nice walk.

There are so many other things that you can do today to appreciate the beautiful things going on around you. Take a moment and do them.

Surrendering to God's "No"

This week's post is a short, but tough lesson. It's understanding that God does not always answer our prayers or requests with a "yes." That can be a painful, hard pill to swallow, but it's true. Sometimes we have postured ourselves to receive a favorable response from God (at least favorable according to our expectation), but "no" to what we are seeking from God can be favorable.

God may tell us no for several reasons: it's not in His time, it's not in His will, we are not ready, He has something better, or He has a greater lesson for us to learn.

If you are currently experiencing a "no" from God, I encourage you not to fight it, but surrender to it. God knows best. Not only that, but you will relieve yourself from any stress, struggle, or worry that you may be experiencing because you're fighting against the "no." Also, surrendering helps to remove any hindrances that may be preventing you from hearing God. When we want things to go our way and it doesn't, we may get frantic and fearful. Surrendering helps to give us a sound mind and peace so that if God wants to speak to us about our "no" we can receive it.

God is good. He knows what's best for us and what's best for us may come in the form of the answer "No." If you are experiencing God's "No" right now, don't fight it, surrender to it. 

(Helpful Scriptures: 2 Tim. 1:7, Philippians 4:6-7, Jeremiah 29:11)

FAITH OVER FEAR: A LESSON IN NEW ORLEANS

Hello and Happy Wednesday. My apologies for missing a post last week. It was very busy as I was preparing to go to New Orleans for my family reunion. The upside is that while I was away, the experience in New Orleans inspired the message for this post and I'm going to share it with you today.

For those of you who don't know, this past weekend New Orleans and surrounding areas were hit with very tumultuous weather and a Cat-1 hurricane (Barry) touched down on Saturday. With the news of the storm coming it caused some concern for family members who were attending the reunion, including my family. My cousins, who hosted the reunion, were keeping us informed about the status of the storm. We were also looking at the local news in our respective cities to be informed as well and the reports did not look good. It got to a point where some of us were considering not taking the trip because of the weather. My cousins were still keeping us updated on the status of the weather, letting us know that the area that they were in, the storm was predicted to not affect them as much (only rain and wind). So it was up to us, as a family, to make a decision on whether we were going or not.

We went.

Long story short, we (my family and other family members who were attending the reunion) all made it safely to Louisiana. Over the weekend, for safety precautions, a 9pm curfew was set for New Orleans which meant everyone had to be off of the road by that time. This also meant that we had to stay in the hotel for the weekend, rearranging the planned events that we'd made. Not only did we have an awesome time as a family, and I believe this experience brought us closer, but the major point to our weekend is that we chose faith over fear. Of course if it was not safe for us to go to New Orleans, we wouldn't have gone, but we decided that we weren't going to let what we were seeing or hearing to discourage us from going. We prayed about it and ended up attending one of the best reunions that our family has ever had. I dub it as, "The reunion that weathered the storm."

Are you experiencing something that, by the looks of things, it looks tumultuous? Are you getting reports of a bad "storm" and it's causing you to fear? Are others telling you why you should or should not do something based on their own fear? Well, I encourage you to go to the One who will see you through any storm, the One who controls the storm, the One whose storm prediction is accurate, and the One who can speak to the storm and say, "Peace, be still." Seek Him, get the answer from Him, and move forward with what you know your Lord and Savior has told you.

Lastly, although we did get heavy wind and rain on some days, it wasn't nearly as bad as it was in other areas. I'm so glad we chose faith over fear.

Helpful Scripture (Mark 4:39)

 A few photos from the weekend...