BAIT

1 Peter 5:8
New International Version (NIV)
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

2 Corinthians 2:11
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.

          I spent my summers as a young adult traveling to northern Michigan.   Our summer consisted of spending time with family and friends in woodsy log-like cabins which sat directly off of the beautiful glistening waters.  Our mornings began in the wee hours when even the birds had not awakened.  As the dawn began to break, birds now chirping and sea gulls in flight, we were already on our boats with our fishing poles in the still waters.  The cool crisp air brought chills, yet it was fun to breathe out and see it create a dissipating smoke.  We had already taken the time to purchase our bait at the local store.  Nothing high tech here though,  just plain old squirming worms sacrificed on a hook for the sheer purpose of catching our dinner.  On the water there would be very little talking, no harsh movements just sitting until our behinds became numb waiting for the fish to bite.   Fish were easily drawn by the worms that we had placed in the water on that sharp hook.  Once baited the fish were hooked and dragged to their demise.      

       I was reminded of my past fishing expeditions as I reacted to a post I read  some time ago on Facebook.  The bait was a topic I am passionate about in my life.  This small little question-posed paragraph would  be the dangling worm enticing me in.  Reading the comments would cause my heart to race, thoughts to run wild and leave me emotionally spent.  I was ready to fire a quick comment and let them know a thing or two!  A far cry of what I encourage others’ to do which is to respond in love. Yet, I had been baited and caught and no one knew this little worm had caused me all of this anguish as I sat in my car pondering upon what just happened.  It had dragged me to my demise of extreme anger lingering in my flesh.      

     We are not fish to be baited by the world or Satan as they sit and dangle worms in our faces waiting for us to bite.  The worms that cause anguish and despair which end in disruption of our day, more so our lives.   We run the risk of getting caught up in something which holds greater consequences than we may be able to handle.     

     There is nothing high-tech about the one who dangles money in our faces when we are in great need only to find ourselves in a vicious poverty cycle.  There is nothing high-tech about the one who dangles drugs in our faces when we are looking for ways to forget our problems.  There is nothing high-tech as one who dangles attention in our faces during times of loneliness, which ends in passing our moral compasses.  Nothing high-tech about the berating spouse‘s mouth which sends us out searching for niceties.  The bait of the pornographic video no one knows we watched which fuels ungodly desires.  The bait of our political or religious beliefs sent over the edge by differences of opinion.  The bait of  the television which consumes our time with reality that’s not real. No, none of these worms which are dangled in our face daily are high-tech at all.  Yet there are so many more disruptions to our lives which create distance in our relationship with God.  These worms keep us from all God has promised us in His Word.   

     On the other end of this spectrum -  what did Jesus say to his disciples? Go and be fishermen of men. So which bait do we want to take? The bait salvation which consists of hope, peace and love? The bait of abundant life? The bait of the Father? Yet, the bait of salvation is not bait at all - but a gift.  I believe sometimes we think we are being brain-washed or baited by something which is holding us captive.  Being captivated by God’s love is much different than being held captive (or in bondage) to sin.  God desires for us to live such a prosperous life and guides us in a manner to keep us from things that would harm us.  Yes, those worms eat our lives away.  It’s imperative we spend time alone in the presence of God to avoid being baited by the wrong things.  Beware of the next fishing expedition!   

John 8:12 
New International Version (NIV) 
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

2 Corinthians 11:14
Amplified Bible (AMP)
14 And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.

Joel 2:25
King James Version (KJV)
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

Romans 7: 21-25

 Message (MSG) 

21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

24 I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me?  Isn’t that the real question?

25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different. 

Ephesians 5:11

The Message (MSG)

11-16 Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

Wake up from your sleep,

Climb out of your coffins;

Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

Live Blessed,
Dee-Dee
   
     

THE VIEW OF MY TATTOO (TATTOOED 2)

Leviticus 19:28

King James Version (KJV)

28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20

New King James Version (NKJV)

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

      Sometime ago, one morning while at work, a young lady approached me to share her new tattoos. She was so excited she spent most of her morning showing them off to the entire staff. My initial reaction was one of disgust until I recalled the view of my own tattoo during the midst of our conversation. 

      I was in the mirror one morning cutting my hair when a glimpse of my tattoo was a blatant reminder of my past decisions. As I viewed my tattoo I felt a sense of regret. I had now come to know Christ and knew what the Word of God had to say on the matter. So I can be neither judge nor jury here, but want to again share a part of my testimony. 

      We continued our conversation as she shared with me her inspiration for the tattoo. She believed in witchcraft and the ideas of being a witch. She believed in worshiping the moon and the stars amounted to worshiping Mother Earth. She believed she could center herself and be at peace by howling at the moon (not sure if that’s applicable to witchcraft- but okay). The tattoo was a portion of her beliefs on witchcraft. Well, I instantaneously believed this was an opportunity for me to witness to her, so I started:

- Well, that is very interesting.
- Yea, I’m so pumped! Do you have tattoos Dee?
- Yep, but I won’t get anymore.
- Why?

- Well, I am saved. I am a Christian. I choose to follow the principles and teachings of Christ. I believe that my body is the temple of Christ and I should treat it as such. The Holy Spirit is the occupant of my temple and I don’t want to grieve or dishonor my occupant in anyway. I believe the Word of God teaches us that our bodies are not our own. So, I am very mindful of what I put into my body. I choose not to decorate my temple like a house which will deteriorate over time and you can see the visible results of such. I don’t believe in worshiping the moon and the stars by the way; I believe in worshiping the Maker of those things. I find my center in Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior and my peace comes from knowing God intimately. I've heard it put this way: Would you put a bumper sticker on a Bentley? In other words, it’s like saying, ‘God you did alright but here let me give you some decorating tips!’ Well, that may be a little over the top for some but it’s what I believe. Besides, tattooing is addictive and God has delivered me from many things and tattooing, for me, is one of them. While I understand the art of it and personal reasons for doing so which I can respect, I still have to remember for me - my body is not my own. 

- Well, I believe I occupy my house and it’s a canvas and I will put art all over it. 

She laughed and continued on her way.

      So many thoughts ran through my mind at that moment.  

What looks good to you may not be good for you –for instance, my mom’s butterfly tattoo from her teens looks like it returned to the caterpillar stage! 

Can I get the job I want with this tattoo?

What will I tell my children when they ask about why do I have a tattoo and God is supposedly telling them no? When others’ look at me and I’m trying to witness about Christ, will this make my witnessing opportunity more effective or less effective?

Was the feeling of condemnation worth it? When I’m convicted about never getting another one, will I obey or succumb to the temptation?

      I prayed as she walked away and hoped a portion of what I said stuck with her. She was eventually let go from the job so I never would have the opportunity to speak to her again on the subject. 

      More recently, I was reminded of my past decisions again when a friend asked me why I chose the gecko on my ankle. They continued by posing the question of all tattoos having meaning. Although I chose not to answer them at that time, it caused a lot of reflection to occur. I thought back to why I picked this particular one. It reminded me of a story my good friend told me about geckos growing up as a child in the Philippines. And so yes I am reminded of my friend whenever I look at it, yet I am also reminded I’ve put something permanent on my body because of temporary feelings. I found a permanent solution for a temporary problem. No honor of any kind—to anyone—because it dishonors God. I recalled my choice and recalled the day God would convict me to no longer defame my temple. 

      So here I am thinking about my tattoos again, realizing I’m back to reminiscing on the first blog I wrote. I hope those who read my testimony will not feel condemnation nor put any further markings on their bodies. I hope those who have none will choose to keep their temple sacred. I encourage you to know who you are in Christ, a magnificent, priceless being created by God. And yes, I still believe what I believe:

We don’t put bumper stickers on Bentleys'.
  

Live Blessed,

With the Love of Christ, my Lord and Savior
Dee-Dee

 Psalm 24:1New King James Version (NKJV)
The King of Glory and His Kingdom
A Psalm of David.24 The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell therein.

Romans 8

New International Version (NIV)
Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Philippians 4:8
New International Version (NIV) 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

THE MIRROR EFFECT

     She could spew venom like a snake from her lips to poison your very existence. She could argue a pointless point for hours on end at the top of her lungs. She spoke with such a vile vocabulary that one would wonder did she know any other form of communication. She would become the topic of many, few would say good of her. The one who….she did….she called….she left….. She….

She was never on the happy end of the meter of happiness; it was so brief, blinking would make the happiness dissipate.

     Yes, many would dare to tell her of her downfalls and shortcomings, yet to no avail did she change. She pointed the blameful finger towards others and her environment. Many would come to her aid to fix her, yet the vocal blows of her shortcomings would cause her to react from the pain inside and distance them. 

Who was she? She was me.

     I was once told a statement from long ago in which I was reminded of earlier today. “Look in the mirror, everybody can’t be wrong… maybe it’s something wrong with you!”

     I took this statement and threw it in the trash, so to speak. The source in which it came from was an abusive man, so who really had the issues? Well, we both did.

     As I look back, I don’t wonder how I got here in the sea of deliverance. I’m here because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me and God Himself used to deliver me. It’s that simple right? No.

     After salvation I was still “her”. It wasn’t like a magic wand was waived around and I magically became some super saint overnight. The process of shedding would just begin. A new me, but new to the refining processes of God.

     I faintly recall looking in the mirror one morning, full of tears, seeing myself for whom I had become. A…. a woman who….a mother who….. But when I wiped my tears and looked again, I could see something beyond me. I could see what my Father in Heaven seen in me before I entered this Earth. His magnificent work! Yet, I saw even more; the capability of my Father to change me into whom He wanted me to become. It was the mirror effect. The cause much greater than I could ever imagine.

     The mirror effect is one where we can look at ourselves in the mirror, not alone, but with the love of God to see all the negative, yet to also see all the power of God Himself to be able to change those negatives into positives. Yes, I admit, when we look at ourselves from God’s perspective we are not so cute, but because of His saving grace and mercy, we are now in right standing with Him regardless of our past. He has the ability to change the most foul sins and create a perfume of praise on our lips because of His glorious power!

     Over the years, I’ve learned to love correction from God because the Bible says that God loves those whom he corrects! So oh boy, he must love me! But in correction, we must accept correction, no longer make excuses and be accountable to that correction. It’s all good to say, “Girl, I need to learn to shut my mouth! Lawd knows I’m working on it”! But at some point and time deliverance must come! Can we honestly say that we have been struggling with foul language as a Christian for twenty-five years?

    We overcome, not succumb. Must we look to others around us, yet speak loudly to what they need to do, understand or get a revelation on and call it discernment, yet whisper to our own faults and shortcomings and have a scripture to back it up?

     Today, I was reminded of this statement as I had to look in the mirror once again. To remove myself from a situation that I hold close to my heart. For God to create in me a clean heart; to refine, refresh and renew a steadfast spirit within me. It wasn’t hard to make this decision, not at all, because I know my Father in Heaven will do as always and refine me to come out polished! Father I thank you that I am your magnificent work in progress! I pray today, as I submit to Your refining once again, as polished silver I will shine so bright before men that they may see my good works gloryifying my Father in Heaven! In Jesus mighty name!

It is my sincere prayer, that we as believers would learn to "love" the correction of our Father. No, our flesh won’t feel good about it; Satan will try and trick us out of it, but correction is always needed. Don’t come kicking and screaming- just come, the journey is more enjoyable.

Be Blessed,  

Dee-Dee (6/19 dlm)

ONCE BROKEN, NOW BENT

I look back over my life and think about the testimonies there in the depths. I compared my life to broken pottery, shattered into pieces as it hits the concrete floor. Some pieces of me disappeared into the crevices of the world never to be found again. I never knew how the pottery of my life would come back together and once upon a time I didn’t care. I didn’t view my life as broken. My life was just different than most, but the same as many.

     My life started from the formation of fornication. I was born into the sins my parents were in. I became the object of molestation from brothers’ whose lives resided in darkness. I grew as a child teased, abused and misunderstood. I tried to take my life, hopeless in my environment. I became a teen of anger, resentment and hurt turning these feelings outward to those around me. I grew into a woman who loved hard, yielding the strike of many hands to keep me in their perceived order. I became a woman who was broken. I went into marriage with luggage that was too heavy for us to carry together. He didn’t know how to unpack my past nor I his. The weight of the luggage brought the relationship to its close. The heat of life melted the glue that held us together.

     I’m not telling you this to bring tears to your eyes or for the sorrow that is given because underneath all of the dirt arose a new person. But how? Where did my brokenness stop and my wholeness begin that you now see? Not with self-help (tried, not true and failed; sorry big O and TR), not with some spiritual higher power that I connected with through astrology, palm-readers or the like. Not with “him” being my glue, not with just dealing with my issues or debts. Not through some great understanding of life. Barely through counseling, I was still broken.

     Did someone tell me I was broken? Maybe a time or two. The route I was on was a slippery slope; the bed I lied in had diseases. The depression was now obvious. Yet in my brokenness, I didn’t want to hear what others’ had to say regardless. My ears closed to their advice. I sat in my room shedding the tears of many years in darkness, still I remained broken.

     Yet, while in my brokenness, He helped me to remember Him. I knew of this One since my grandmother had spoken of Him. Was I ready to listen to whom He had now sent? A woman who knew I needed some help out of the darkness? I spent some time in His house, but who was He? Could He hurt me like those of my past? Yet He asked me to trust Him completely and I would be made whole. He said He knew where the lost pieces of my existence were, but He didn’t want to give those back to me. He wanted to give me a new hope, new dream and a new life which wasn’t new to Him. He had already had a plan for me, but somehow I got off course through misdirection. He made promises that I had never heard, but yet they brought comfort to me. He didn’t need to be my glue because I could be whole in Him.

     From the beginning, He didn’t promise that it would be easy. He promised He would be with me for an eternity. There was a life eternal waiting that would reap royal benefits beyond compare if I would hold on to the End. The road has a few weeds, thorns and rocks along the way, but because I would choose to follow Him, I would never be broken again, but now bent.

     I could withstand not doing what I used to do, or being who I used to be; I could be bent but not broken. No more shattered pieces, but I would bend under His mighty hand to shake loose those things that held me from a good life.

     Here I am before you once broken, now bent. You see it takes participation on our behalf when we decide to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Yes, we must work at living for Him through our jobs, children, marriages, ministries and so forth, but we will never be broken again with Him. We can be once broken but because of what Jesus has done on the cross and the power of God, we are now just bent. Bent because God requires some things of us; bent because we must participate without seeing the whole plan. Bent because forgiveness is a must and some hurt may still arise. Even when the being of Fire (Satan) would try and smother us, we can stand with God. Yet never to be broken again.

     The way to have a full life without brokenness is to be made whole by God. The way to find the seemingly perfect mate is to be put together by Him. The way to forgive the brothers’ and even the mothers’ is to bend under the mighty hand of the Most High God. Bending, but never broken.

     So here I stand, making the decision to share again. For me, it means to tell parts of my struggle, tear-drops and pain with all glory going to God. To tell you that I stopped doing ….is only half true. To tell you that I rose above….is only half the story. To tell you that I struggled with drugs and alcohol, yet in my car one morning asked GOD to take the taste out of my mouth is still a partial story. So yes, for you to really see the amazing power of God, I share. The existence that only rose from the depths of Hell, now riding on God’s glorious light because of what Jesus has done. To God be the glory! In Jesus’ mighty name!

     Father, I thank You that I will never forget that only You have caused the hurt to truly dissipate, not just shatter into the crevices of the world. I thank You for what the world calls rising above to some, I call deliverance from God. Unashamedly I’m grateful You don’t have to be glue because what others’ broke, You have made me whole. Father to say that I should not conform? I’m willing! To want to continue to live my own way and not be in the image and likeness of my Father shutters the very bones of my being. Never do I want to return there. I live for You through and through, once broken now bending underneath Your glory. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

Be blessed, Bend but don’t remain broken….

With the Love of Christ,
Dee-Dee McDuffie
dlm/dlm

A COUPLE of STEPS BACK FROM HEAVEN

As my co-workers and I were conversing one morning, I jokingly said, “Mark, we could have hung out together in a former life.” He chuckled and responded, “Oh we can still hang out but you would have to take a couple of steps back from Heaven (paraphrased). 

Immediately, I thought about going back to my old lifestyle to “hang” out again. It seemed as if for almost a split second, I missed the fun I used to have. The night clubs, the parties; the no-end drinking; the drugs, and smoking cigarettes. The secular music of rap, dance and r&b; the clothes that showed everything! Oh yea! The bounty of boyfriends and companionship (that’s what I’ll call it!)! Oh yea! Woo-hooo! Tattoos of whatever I wanted! Spending my paycheck as soon as I got it; buying the luxuries of life! YEA BABY! No-holds barred with my tongue, saying whatever I felt like when I felt like it! Come on! Lettin’ ‘em all no that I ain’t playin’ and I don’t take no stuff! The feeling of freedom to do whatever the heck I wanted to ‘cause I lived in the land of plenty- the USA baby! I’mma’ do me! That’s whatz’ up! The…..

Right as I was on “the roll of fun” the Holy Spirit stopped me dead in my thoughts. “Dolores, must I remind you of the consequences of your “fun”? Immediately my heart sank and it was as if for another split second I was in the movie “Scrooge” and an Angel was taking me back through my life. 

…..the night clubs and parties: in which drinks were spilled all over my new clothes and shoes…the music that put me in a certain mood (rap= fighting; r/b= sexing; dance=body pain) the feeling of someone groping me all over my body and the sleazy cheap feeling that I had afterwards…. The running from fights and/or shooting…

…..the no-end drinking…that started before I went to class, yet while in class the burning smell from the curling iron with hair wrapped around it…not on the clients’ head…. The vomiting in a car or on the side of the road; the dizzy spells that lasted for days and the missing work because of my hangovers. The “don’t remember how I got home days…” The drugs that made my heart beat so fast …..that made my heart beat so fast (sorry, I forgot what I was talking about)…..with damaging memory loss. The feeling that I was so high that I was going to die! The smoking cigarettes until I almost died from pneumonia more than once….the coughing and hacking so hard until I was sure the lining of my lungs was in the sink…. The blowing of second hand smoke into my daughter’s face who suffered from allergies and asthmatic bronchitis.

….The wearing of clothes that got the “bad-boy’s” attention as they called me out of my name….calling my body parts the vile names of the world….The friends that really weren’t friends at all…. Illegal activities with jail along for the ride…the run-on sentences and bad grammar and punctuation! Ahh, you’re paying attention! ….
The abusive boyfriends …. The tears, hurt and pain until I thought I didn’t need to live….. And do it all over again the next day, week, or whatever….Is this what I considered “fun”? And yes, at the end of a day, going to Hell in a hand basket because I knew not Jesus Christ. But yes, I called it “fun” and “freedom”!

The Holy Spirit spoke once again, “Is it worth taking a couple of steps back from “Heaven”? NEVER! - I shook my head vigorously! Within all but seconds, I realized that “Heaven” is right here, right now on Earth through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior! First through Salvation! No Hell for me! But there’s more to just not going to Hell, there's more to Salvation….No more shackles of demonic bondages of drugs, alcohol, or smoking! No more abusive relationships, no more anger or depression! Take a couple of steps back from: Deliverance, Restoration, Love, Joy, Hope, Peace, Wisdom, Favor, Insight, Revelation, Supernatural Blessings, Protection and His constant care and Guidance with kept Promise after Promise… along with answered prayer! I don’t think so! Let’s go bowling instead! Sunday after church football, what?! (Without gambling of course!)

….So wouldn’t you rather take a couple of steps TOWARDS Heaven? Are you headed in the wrong direction? Free is me, but it ain't cool if it comes with drama + despair!
I encourage you today to take the first step towards Heaven and receive salvation through JC! Whatever “fun” is to you right now, serving God is whatz’ up! Or whatever “slang” you decide you want to use, but taking steps backwards is never a good idea - in plain ‘ol English!
Scripture References: The Bible
With God’s Love, Dee-Dee McDuffie
**To my readers: - All jokes aside, it’s ok to have “fun” in life (as with the above passage with slang,, etc]…but have “fun” with Jesus. Everywhere. Everyday and Every way. Sincerely, Dee-Dee. Scripture References: John 3:16; See Mt/Mk/Lk for Jesus’ teachings; Ps 91; Ps 23; Ps 31; Pr 2, 3**

Look for my new book coming soon! I'm excited to share my testimony with you! It's not a secret, It's sharing! With Love, Transparency Shares (Dee-Dee McDuffie) .....To God Be the Glory!

A FUGITIVE

Fugitive (www.biblegateway.com) [partial]: Ezek. 17:21, one who has broken away in flight (Heb. mibrah); Isa. 15:5; 43:14, a breaker away, a fugitive (Heb. beriah), one who flees away. All rights reserved. Eastons 1897 Bible Dictionary

As I was conversing with co-workers one morning, one of them asked, “Dolores do you go to church?” As I pondered his question for a few seconds I responded. “Well, yes I go all the time, but if you are asking me am I a Christian, then yes I am.” Quickly he responded, “Well, I was just asking do you have a specific religion?” “No. I am non-denominational, I am a Christian- I follow Christ. I was raised Baptist, but now I’m non-denominational.” I replied. “That’s not easy to do…” my other co-worker chimed in. As I thought about it for a second in my mind, I told myself - “not really, it’s eas….” I caught myself mid-sentence and realized that it’s not easy to follow Christ to an unbeliever because they don’t believe. Some just don’t feel it’s necessary while others’ feel they should be able to do whatever they want, and yet others don't believe there is even a God.  But, as believers [one who follows Christ and his teachings and believes the Word of God as truth] grow and mature, it’s not easy for us either at times, but it is a choice that we make daily - to flee from all unrighteousness and pursue what is good. 

Later that evening, after I returned home from the course of the day, I pondered upon our conversation once again. As I began to write about my day, the show in the background caught my attention. “She’s a fugitive!” ….was blurted out of the television. I looked up from my laptop and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m a fugitive! I immediately thought about how there are two types of fugitives in our world figuratively speaking. People who are on the run or fleeing from God and people who are fleeing from Satan. 

So here I am a fugitive! I made a choice [with the “pulling” or “wooing” of the Holy Spirit] to run from Satan’s residence [Hell - eternal damnation], and accept in my heart Jesus as my Lord and Savior [Heaven- eternal life]. Daily, I decide to follow Christ [and His teachings] and “run” [fight the good fight of faith] from Satan’s lies, bondage, deceit, trickery and debauchery. I choose to allow God, not Satan to run my life! I once too was in darkness with drinking, smoking and drugs; destroying God’s temple. I too, succumbed to Satan’s bondages of abusive relationships and low self-esteem. I succumbed to anger, resentment and hatred in my heart toward others’. I also felt the shame and guilt of my youth and had very little hope for my future. A suicide attempt proved that I had very little hope for my future! I too succumbed to foul language as my primary language and gossip as my secondary one. I also succumbed to a poverty mentality and the other negative traits of my bloodline - discontentment, lying and deceit. I succumbed to the brutal treatment of the Enemy. Now, I submit to God’s way by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I receive His Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy; I receive an intimate relationship with the Most High and most of all receive His deliverance, restoration and refinement! I receive peace, joy, wisdom, favor, rest and much more! Praise be to the Most High!

I encourage you today to be a fugitive on the run from Satan and into the arms of the Most High! He’s able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that you could ask or think! There is peace with God - joy, love, healing, contentment, prosperity [financial peace] and much more! Decide today to do it God’s way! Live life abundantly through Jesus Christ - Lord and Savior. 

Praise Be to God and With God’s love,

Dee-Dee McDuffie

08/15/11

014

Scripture Meditations

Psalm 23, 68, 112, 118

James 4:7 New International Version (NIV)7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Timothy 6:11-16
Amplified Bible (AMP)

11But as for you, O man of God, flee from all these things; aim at and pursue righteousness (right standing with God and true goodness), godliness (which is the loving fear of God and being Christlike), faith, love, steadfastness (patience), and gentleness of heart. 12Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and [for which] you confessed the good confession [of faith] before many witnesses. 13In the presence of God, Who preserves alive all living things, and of Christ Jesus, Who in His testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I [solemnly] charge you 14To keep all His precepts unsullied and flawless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), 15Which [appearing] will be shown forth in His own proper time by the blessed, only Sovereign (Ruler), the King of kings and the Lord of lords, 16Who alone has immortality [in the sense of exemption from every kind of death] and lives in unapproachable light, Whom no man has ever seen or can see. Unto Him be honor and everlasting power and dominion. Amen (so be it).

DAUGHTERS' OF THE MOST HIGH

Oh, my daughters', why do you allow him to speak to you in that manner?
Do you not know to whom you belong? The Most High?
With those words that tear down, not build up
Remember that your ears are part of the body that belongs to the Most High
What you accept into your ears is the pathway to your heart. Guard your heart!  Don't allow him to speak to you in that manner with words that cut deeper than a knife.....

Oh, my daughters', why must you accept him cursing you?

Is this love… when you're worth more than rubies?
To address you with the language of those that go down into the pit?
Rise up! Are you not called by the Most High?
Show yourself strong in the Lord!
Your tears....oh...your tears! Will they not move God into action for you?

Oh, my daughters’, with the hurt and pain attached to each syllable, run!

With the tears that flow from your eyes with each vowel, run!
With words that do not minister His Grace, run!
You belong to the Most High! The Holy One!

Accept who you are in Christ my loves’

No need to heed to those words any longer
Through Him you have been redeemed
Strength and honor are your clothing

They disgust Me with the vile language of fools
To the left and to the right they come like blows to your Spirit
Do they not know? By words My Earth was created!
By their words they will be acquitted or condemned!
Do they think that I will just stand by and allow this?!

Oh My, daughters’, Rise up!

Show yourself strong in the Lord!
Your tears….oh….your tears, they move Me into action for you!

He comes like a thief in the night, to steal, kill and destroy
Do not listen! Do not heed!
My voice shall you follow only
To become all I have called you to be!

Oh, My daughters’, do you hear Me now?
Your Savior Your Father
The One who calls you. Rise up!
Show yourself strong in the Lord!

Oh the time has come,
My daughters’ of Virtue have heeded with gladness
You guard your hearts with vengeance
You have closed your ears to his destruction….
Your tears….Yes, I’ve bottled every one
They moved Me into action for you ….
Now your tears have become tears of joy!

Praise be to God and with God's Love,
Dee-Dee McDuffie
011
8/1/2011

RESIDUAL EFFECTS

I’m feeling the residual effects of you
Just when I thought I could start anew
You’ve yanked the cord of me back to you again
The pain returns once more to bend
My heart in places I don’t want to go anymore
Its as if I hadn’t closed that door

Crying is something I know to well
He’s bottled my tears so that I could tell
others’ of the hurt and pain to avoid
He’s the One who can fill the void
But you’ve yanked the cord of me back to you again
The pain returns once more to bend
My heart in places I don’t want to go anymore
Its as if I hadn’t closed that door

So here I am wondering what to do
Have I not severed the cord of you?
“No, not completely” I hear the Holy Spirit say
“Allow me to sever, you won’t go back in anyway”
So I call upon the name of the Most High
The one I recall that you choose to deny
So here I am ready to start anew
Yet I feel the residual effects of you

“Father, help me to completely depend on You!
I'm sitting here wanting to close that door
don't allow him to hurt me anymore... "
I cry in sheer joy at the sound of Your voice
I remember that I've made the choice
to allow You to help when I call upon the Most High
“Thank you Father,” as You draw nigh
“Now I have severed the cord of you
and I will wipe away the residue ….”

Praise Be to God and With God's Love
Dee-Dee McDuffie
010
07/22/11

ONE-WAY OR ROUND TRIP? (A Quick Share)

To my readers: Although I speak with divine revelation and direction, it is still very important that as you read this blog, you pray and seek God on how it applies to your own situation. There are various aspects of God’s Word and His will for your life. Please, I encourage you to seek even more Christian counsel (e.g. www.dwo.org) as it pertains to your specific situation. No matter what, know that God’s restoration and deliverance is available to all, even you! 

In my lifetime, I have traveled extensively whether by train, automobile or plane. I traveled for various reasons including business, family emergencies and vacations. Some trips were fun while others were physically and mentally exhausting. The question most asked it seemed when I traveled was “Is this one-way or a round trip?” Another question was “How much baggage do you have?” In my meditation time, I was reminded of how my past relationships were much like my travels. Most times, they were a round trip being physically and mentally exhausting, when they needed to be a one-way ticket out! The even more unfortunate thing was that I held onto baggage in which I should have left unclaimed (bitterness, resentment, hatred)!

I have spent what seems like a lifetime in bad relationships. I would return to a bad relationship only to be hurt and abused once again. My reasoning’s ranged from thinking “he” was the one to needing financial assistance or even just plain loneliness. God has a better plan for our lives and this (abundance of unhappiness) is not His desire for us! Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly! If his type of love is disrespectful, manipulating, physically abusive or verbally degrading, it’s time to find true love in God! God’s love is restoration, deliverance, peace and joy and it is available to you right now! God knows the heart of man (who “he” really is) and He knows whose best for you! Allow Him to choose the right man of valor (whom you are to marry) for you! In Jesus’ mighty name, Is this one-way or round trip?

Practical Applications/Meditations: (Prov. 31, 26:11; Ps 16, 21, 27, 28, 31, 68, 91; 1Cor 13:4-8)

Start at the Salvation Station:

If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I encourage you to do so now! Receive all that God has for you right now! Life won’t be perfect, but it’s more rewarding with Jesus!
Get on the Train of Understanding:  

(of who you are in Christ Jesus!): Find every scripture on what God says about you in His Word and meditate (think about and internalize) on them! When you internalize who you are in Christ, you won’t allow anyone to treat God’s temple with disrespect!

Listen to the Conductor’s Instructions:

Get in a Bible-based practicing church and be covered by whom God has called to oversee and teach you! Most of all learn to develop a personal relationship with the “Conductor” Himself and heed to His instructions!

Where are You going?

Map and plan out what you’ve hoped and dreamed for and begin working towards those goals! Pray and Ask God for Help and people will begin to surround you with solutions to your problems!

Who’s Talking on your PA System?

It is very imperative that you seek Godly counsel because not everyone will give you good advice! The church? A Christian co-worker? Someone who you can sincerely trust to help you achieve your new found goals and grow in your faith!

Don’t Give Up!

The Enemy (Satan) is very real! He does not want you to succeed and is very subtle in his scheme to block your destiny that God has available for you! We all have had our hearts played and broken by “him”, but God will never leave you nor forsake you! He will supply your every need from comfort to financial help! Trust and believe!

Not a round trip?

Don’t go back to the island of hopelessness when you could be in Hawaii! Unless God has done the changing in “him”, most likely it’s not a lasting one! Continue moving forward on the train of success with God and Jesus as your Lord and Savior!

Praise be to God and With God’s Love, Dee-Dee McDuffie 6/19/2011

A LOG TURNED INTO A CABIN

I used to love watching Home and Garden Television on cable. One show in particular, Log Cabins, portrayed how a beautiful lavish log cabin started out as one simple beam of wood. The show revealed the process of building the cabin which was relatively slow because of the interference of weather, materials, etc. Although each episode was only an hour, you could travel through the four seasons as you watched them fully complete one house, which began as a log. I was reminded of this show during a brief encounter with a woman.

As I was speaking with her, I realized how her speech was very negative. She looked for and found something negative in everything, especially people. When she did acknowledge that she had some issues, the blame went to someone else or had excuses attached. Later that evening, as I was thinking about how she irritated me, I thought of the scripture: Matthew 7:3-5 that says, “3Why do you stare from without at the very small particle that is in your brother's eye but do not become aware of and consider the beam of timber that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, Let me get the tiny particle out of your eye, when there is the beam of timber in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first get the beam of timber out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the tiny particle out of your brother's eye. (Amp)

A beam of timber…a log.

Still irritated, the Holy Spirit reminded me of how I was delivered from this same issue. He gently reminded me of how I used to blame everyone else too, had a tendency to find the negative in others’, but never accepted that I was a negative person. My mouth was negative, my thoughts were negative, my actions (or reactions) were negative. I spent most of my time, like her, being negative. I thought about (because of my own experience) how this type of behavior blocks the flow of God in our lives.

I recalled what brought my deliverance about and what God had done for me. One evening, as I was in deep meditation, the Holy Spirit spoke, saying that in order for me to grow and become all God has called me to be, there were some things that needed to be admitted and addressed. So, I began, “I am judgmental, a manipulator, a slanderer…” and it went on. I cried so hard that I thought my heart was going to pop out my chest! He revealed to me this type of behavior was displeasing in God’s sight no matter how I tried to previously justify it

(1). I heard the small still quiet voice say, “I’m here.” I cried uncontrollably as He continued, “I love you”. I knew then God loved me enough to help me and I needed His help! “Don’t leave me like this!” I yelled in tears. I had a desire to have permanent change because my actions didn’t line up with Truth. I was then reminded of His promises of deliverance (2). I immediately began regimens taught by my spiritual father including biblical fasting, prayer and just shutting up! Again, I admitted that I needed to change, so that my Father in Heaven could help me change. Next, I sought practical ways to implement those necessary changes including changing my thought pattern, speech, friends and surroundings.

When I finished pondering upon my own deliverance, I had an understanding of her current situation. It is difficult for her to be delivered because her log had turned into a cabin. She has been saved for many years but because she built her log cabin of slander, discord and judgment, one log at a time, it was now (not luxurious) a cabin full of negativity. Along the way, just like me, the weather of life aided in building her cabin, so much that she can no longer see what is within her, but only the “specks of sawdust” in others’.

My immediate prayer was, “Lord, how can we help her?”

The response: "Be transparent."

(3) So here today, I’m “write” [right] before you because I too had that same problem. I encourage you today to not allow each log of negativity through your speech or thought, turn into a cabin that blocks the flow of God in your life. Wake up! Arise! Become all God has called you to be! He can deliver you, just like He did for me! It may take time to crush the house that you’ve built around yourself, but God is a wrecking ball ready and willing to destroy that old cabin and give you a new luxurious one! Change is necessary to receive a consistent flow of God’s blessings in your life! I look forward to hearing your testimonies as I was just transparent with mine!

Praise be to God and With God’s Love,

Dee-Dee McDuffie
003
6/6/2011

Scripture Meditations:

(1)

Proverbs 10:18 (AMP)

18He who hides hatred is of lying lips, and he who utters slander is a [self-confident] fool.1 Corinthians 6:10 (AMP)
Nor cheats (swindlers and thieves), nor greedy graspers, nor drunkards, nor foulmouthed revilers and slanderers, nor extortioners and robbers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.
Colossians 3:8 (AMP)
But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!
(2) Psalm 32:7 (AMP)
You are a hiding place for me; You, Lord, preserve me from trouble, You surround me with songs and shouts of deliverance. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Psalm 35:9 (AMP)
Then I shall be joyful in the Lord; I shall rejoice in His deliverance.
 (3)
Revelation 12:11 (KJV) 11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death

In Honor of His Promise

To our daughter's.... My mother passed away when I was 9 1/2...I thank God for my spiritual mother...but I sincerely miss "My Mommy." ..... Don't take yours for granted, you never know when God may call her home.
  I heard the words you said to your mother today
It hurts me to hear the things that you say
Why are you angry and why are you mad?….
It hurt me to see your mother so sad
Tears rolled from her face as she didn’t know what to do
Matter of fact, she’s not sure what’s wrong with you

You treat her with disrespect and dishonor her name
But you claim you love her just the same
Did you forget how much she does for you in the day?
Why do you hurt her in the things that you say?
Tears rolled from her face as she didn’t know what to do
Matter of fact, she’s doesn’t know what’s wrong with you

You slam the door as if you were right
But I am here to say, no more going back the same way
God’s Word is all too clear
Honor thy mother and father…do not dishonor… what part did you not hear?

It’s all for you to live your life long
No need to cut it short
So I love you enough to say - don’t go back the same way
What good will all that anger do?
Maybe today, try a different way
And love her just like she loves you!

Praise be to God and with God's Love,
Dee-Dee McDuffie

Scripture Meditations:
Galatians 6:7-8 (NIV)
Ephesians 6:1-3 (NIV)
Galatians 5: 22 (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
Proverbs 15:20 (NIV)

Hell is a Curse Word

In my profession as a pastry chef, one thing I’ve noticed working in the “back of the house” is a profound amount of profane language. As a co-worker and I were talking one day, he stated, “It’s the nature of the business.” As I reviewed the thirteen plus years I have spent in this industry, it was then I realized it was commonplace to curse, drink and smoke amongst chefs due to the high level of stress. Well, at least that is the excuse most would give, including me. 

Even after I was saved, God had to address the stronghold of cursing the Enemy had on my life. Curse words rolled off my tongue with ease for many years and because of this, it would take extended times of prayer, fasting and constant repentance to break this stronghold. Initially, I tried to do this on my own without God's help and to no avail, began by spelling the word out so that I wouldn’t say it. Next, I would say words that rhymed with the curse word and finally I would say the first letter with ‘in’ on the end of it. God revealed to me that no matter how it came out of my mouth, it was still dishonoring to Him (1).

During the process of my deliverance, every curse word I would hear began to cause me to be extremely uncomfortable. As I reviewed what seemed to be a lifetime of cussin', many people that I encountered would tell me how “un-lady like” it was to speak profane language. It’s almost as if it brings the ugly out of us and the natural beauty (being created in the image of God (2)) disappears.

One of the most used words that I would hear whether in conversation or in the media was the word “hell”. During my meditation in the Word, I began to ponder upon these types of profane words. I contemplated whether they were actually profane because they were used in the Bible too. As the Holy Spirit spoke to me, He revealed to me it is in the context that we use these words that cause them to be profane. So, saying “__ naw!” is still displeasing in God’s sight. Have we become so complacent in our lives or Christian walk that we believe God is not concerned with how we use the words we speak as much as the words themselves?

One morning, I found myself using this word as I recalled an interaction with a co-worker. I immediately reminded myself (as I repented) that “hell” is a curse word. Then, like a ton of bricks - it hit me! Hell is a curse word! A curse is defined in the dictionary as follows: 1. swearword: a

swearword, obscenity, or blasphemous oath 2. evil prayer: a malevolent appeal to a supernatural being for harm to come to somebody or something, or the harm that is thought to result from this 3. source of harm: a cause of unhappiness or harm i.e. the curse of poverty. 
The latter definition is what hit me like a ton of bricks - Hell is the source of harm; a cause of unhappiness or harm… i.e. the curse of Hell.  Nothing good comes from a curse! I immediately thought of the place where Satan resides and the curse of spending eternal life there! Hell is a curse word! There are no blessings that come from using the word with our mouths and definitely not in residing there!

If on the other hand, Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly 

(3), why do we call to (speak it out (4)) “Hell” every chance we get? What if we decided today, not to allow any curse words that destroy and dim our beauty to roll off of our tongues and decide that Heaven is where we would rather reside and call to it? Heaven cometh! In Jesus Name! (5)

Praise Be To God and With God’s Love,

Dee-Dee McDuffie
5/24/2011
002

Scripture References:

(1) Ephesians 5
(2) Genesis 1:27
(3) John 10:10
(4) Proverbs 18:21
(5) James 3: 3-12

(1) Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Tattooed

When I was in my teenage years, I didn’t have ownership of anything. I didn’t own anything that belonged specifically to me. The house that I lived in belonged to my father, the car we drove belonged to my father and the money that I had belonged to my father. My father provided all that I needed and because of this, I was very content regardless of the fact that these things didn’t specifically belong to me.   My father never made it a big deal to remind me these "things" belonged to him unless I mistreated them.  He taught me to respect the things that he had freely given to me because of his love for me. 

As I grew into my adulthood, I still didn’t have ownership of anything. As I watched others’ buy homes and cars, these were not things I obtained for myself because of bad choices. Between abusive relationships that consistently reminded me that I was not in control, and bad choices that proved I had nothing of substance (in others’ opinion), I looked for ways to have something of my own.

One day as I was conversing with peers about tattoos, I asked each of them why they decided to get tattooed. I was given several reasons from “I just needed something for me” to “its tribute to God”. As I thought about why I would like to have a tattoo myself, I thought this could be the one thing that I owned - so to speak. The powerful women’s declaration came to my mind - “My body belongs to me!” In my mind, no one could take it away from me because it was permanent. I immediately went out and had a Gecko tattooed on my ankle. I was so excited about it; I told everyone how the pain was worth it! Years later I would get another tattoo and to be honest, for the same reason. As I contemplated the possibility of a third tattoo, I resisted because I watched how others’ had become addicted and I realized this could become a problem for me. 

After I received salvation through Jesus Christ, I came across some young ladies who asked me about tattoos and if it was a sin. As I pointed them to scripture (1), one young lady reminded me that I have two tattoos, so what was the big deal because - “God had forgiven you, right?” At that point, I realized that my actions could affect the decisions of others. As I remembered back of why I thought ownership was so important, I recalled the experiences that led to this action. I was never the same after this conversation. I constantly wanted to cover the shame of my youth, (2) my tattoos. Although I watched what type of clothes I wore so that my tattoos wouldn’t be seen, I lived in constant condemnation. One evening, while in prayer and repentance about my tattoos, the Holy Spirit gently reminded me that through Jesus Christ, I didn’t have to live in condemnation, but our bodies are not our own (3). Our bodies belong to God. God didn’t want me to have to constantly cover the shame, guilt and error that Jesus had taken care of, but it could make my witnessing for Christ more difficult. I was saddened deeply by the fact that my decision to get tattooed, could affect someone else in a negative manner where they might disobey God (4).

Like my father, our Heavenly Father will provide us with all that we need to be content. He loves and cares for us and promises that He will supply all that we need! He also gives us the blessings of obedience and the results of disobedience in His Word to keep us focused (5) on right living.   When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He was saying, “The pain was worth it!” for us all. He sacrificed His body, so that we could live and glorify God in ours. Why should we go through all the trouble of covering the shame of our youth or live in condemnation, when we could make the decision now to honor God through obedience to His Word? Although forgiveness is available, we should never test God’s grace and mercy.

It is my sincere prayer, as you read this, you will not mark what God created in His image.  I know for myself it has not been worthwhile looking for clothes to specifically cover my tattoos especially when it is a cute blouse! The Bible says in Leviticus (1) that we are not to tattoo our bodies or pierce them. When we mark the body (temple) that God allows us to move in freely, we dishonor Him, even if the tattoo was meant for Him! (6). It’s like saying, “God you’re work was just ok, but I have a better look for me so let me add a little something to it!” If like me, you unfortunately have made a mistake, I pray that you will come to realize there is no condemnation in Jesus Christ because He was “tattooed” enough for us all (7) !  Receive God’s forgiveness today in the name of Jesus!

You are beautiful the way God created you! Make the decision today to live in the body God gave you freely through Jesus Christ, tattoo free! Take care of the temple that God gave you and you will glorify the Most High!

Praise be to God and with God’s Love,

Dee-Dee McDuffie

5/12/2011

001

Scripture References:

1. Leviticus 19:28 (New King James Version)

2. Jeremiah 3:23-25 (New King James Version)

3. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (New King James Version)

4. Romans 14:21 (New King James Version)

5. Deuteronomy 28 (NIV)

6. Genesis 1:27 (New King James Version)

7. John 3:16 (NIV)