2019 - Reflections of Grace

With the rapidly approaching and inevitable inauguration of 2020 among us, I sit reflecting on not only the end of 2019, but also over the conclusion of the last two decades.

Looking back, I remember the hysteria surrounding "Y2K" and the fear that blindly led the masses to prepare for the worse (black outs, computer failures, and even the possible misfiring or automatic launch of bombs, among other things).

Although I had not considered this as a possible "worse" outcome, the most devastating event leading into the 21st century involved my mother's sudden death. In fact, since my mother passed, me and my family (like many others) faced numerous tragedies, obstacles, hardships, and unplanned events. For instance, less than two years after my mother transitioned my aunt lost a short battle with cancer. Less than thirty days from my aunt's death one of my favorite cousins died unexpectedly. 

I could continue to list all the bad things that happened from the commencement of 2000 until this time, but that would not accurately show the outcome of my reflection or why I titled this post Reflections of Grace. 

Despite all the negatives that happened, God was present in and through it all. I know that some skeptic or person currently feeling the weight of life might read this and ask, "How do you know God was present?"

So, I will answer in this manner: I know that Psalm 46:1 tells us that God is "an ever-present help in trouble," but that is NOT why I stated that God was present. As I continue to reflect, I think about how God showed up through the small acts of kindness from others. 

• When I was sad, someone sacrificed their time to just sit with me while I cried.
• When I was depressed people showed up at my house to not only encourage me, but they cleaned my house, they tended to my children, and they showed up over and over again until my spirits were lifted.
• When I was homeless people took me and my children into their homes. 
• When I had a vision to start a business people gave gifts of their time, talent, and other resources to help me get started. 
• When I failed, people encouraged me to get back up and start again. 
• When I applied to law school (at the unction of the Holy Spirit, AND, after all deadlines had passed) more than 12 people wrote letters of recommendations (I only needed 3).
• When I moved to a new city, people took me in, fed me, provided job leads, treated me with dignity and respect and welcomed me as a member of their family.
• When I started my career after a traumatic brain injury, people wrapped around me with love and support. 

I could go on and on about all the ways God extended grace to me through the loving and selfless acts of others. Grace means favor in Hebrew. But, Grace is so much more than that. Grace, as a verb, bestows honor and dignity. Grace as a spiritual element strengthens during hard times. Grace encourages revival. Grace renews and inspires righteousness. 

God's grace has kept me through some of the most challenging seasons, and I endured because of that same grace!

As 2019 ends and 2020 begins, I encourage you to acknowledge and reflect on God's grace through the smallest of acts and/or gestures. And, if you happen to be full of joy, sitting happily on the top of the mountain instead of being in the valley with those struggling through life's challenges, please take a moment to BE God's vessel in the earth by extending GRACE! May the Lord bless and keep you on your journey, KNOWING that GOD is ever-present!

Happy New Year of Life!

Blessings of Love,

Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Strengthening Your Walk, Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris, Contributing Author
2. Designed for Dignity, Richard L. Pratt Jr. 
3. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, Peter Scazzero
4. Traveling Light, Max Lucado
5. The Cure: What if God isn't who you think He is and neither are you, Trueface, et al

Where God guides, He provides - Isaiah 58:11

Baggage & Boundaries (Part 1)

What I've learned regarding relationship is most people want partnership without commitment. However, relationship requires an investment that is more than finances, more than an emotional commitment - it's a true connection, it's spiritual. Relationship requires communication, honesty, respect and so much more. Relationships require a fortified foundation. However, far too many of us carry around baggage from relationship to relationship often stemming from a void at some point in our childhood experiences. Before engaging in relationship/partnership, one must Know thyself!
 

Marcell "The Voice" Russell's, album, "The Serenade & The Sermon" coming 2013, speaks to pure love and authentic relationship beginning with self. After an interview with Marcell regarding his album and relationship, here is what he had to say:

Honestly, in the beginning the scriptures inspired most of my music as well as wanting to address issues in my own walk with God. Then other peoples stories were a bit infused. Next were the ups & downs from a past relationship that had me question so much about my faith. Finally, Vanessa, my amazing wife inspired the last stage of writing and producing this album.

When asked to explain the components of a successful relationship Marcell stated the following:

Dating today means testing someone out sexually, emotional, etc… looking for all the guarantees before you commit. That’s a horrible way to “date” especially when sex is involved. I’m not a fan of dating without a purpose of marriage. In fact it’s no where in the bible that anyone dated, they courted only.

I think should you do two things: 

1. Work everyday to become what you would desire from someone else; it can help keep you reasonable, grounded, humble and clear in your desires 

2. Search the scriptures and grab four scriptures that define your philosophy around love, friendship and marriage. Why? So often I meet religious men and women that can’t give me or anyone one scripture that guides the way they love or befriend people. We can just often rely on our upbringing and think we learned love from the perspective of the one who created love, friendship and marriage in the first place.

Unsure of why people stay in confining, restrictive, abusive, non-beneficial relationships, Marcell says:

To be honest I cannot speak for everyone but from my minimal experience it seems we want what is most familiar more then what is best. It can take years for a person to go from being an employee to a boss or from a boss to an actual entrepreneur because we often do what was taught to us and what we are familiar with. 

It’s the same things in relationships if I was never allowed to share my true emotions in my family, if I saw very little apologizing, if I was defensive even if I was wrong, if I saw a lot of manipulation growing then I’m familiar with that. 

But, if I heard grown ups being humble, being honest about the need for affection, talking through hurts and pains, and openly expressing desires then I am familiar with that. 

It can take folks years to break out of what is familiar verses what is best, genuine and healthy.

When asked to describe what knows about himself that makes him better at being a husband he expresses the following:

Well, I think what gives me a shot at being better is I know how much I need the bible to even remotely love my wife the way I’m called to. My wife only benefits from my walk with God. Love is defined in the word so I would be a crazy man to “love” my own way when love is a God product. I have to pray a lot and read the bible, otherwise I have too many examples of conflicting views on how to love my wife…Disney movies, my parents, TV, friends, radio, r&b music, hip-hop. I work hard to stick with the one who created marriage in the first place.

Marcell shares this advice for people having a problem with boundaries in relationships:

Oh wow, discussing boundaries is very hard for me, very hard. 

I learned true love IS boundaries. Thank God I’m married because I would never date any woman with no boundaries. 

Men and women with no boundaries leave all their desires, happiness, direction etc… on someone elses shoulders and get angry when the other person hasn’t “guessed” their needs and desires correctly. People with no boundaries are reckless and abusive...that's just my perspective. 

I say all the time “expectations that are not agreed upon by the opposite party is the beginning of an abusive relationship”. If you like a woman to call you right after work but you never say it but it creates an issues in your heart at some point … that is abusive you didn’t even give her a chance to meet the need or reject it. If you like for a man to buy you flowers but you never shared that in hopes he would ask or guess without you saying “I love flowers as a gift” but you tell your girlfriends “He still hasn’t bought me flowers, you know how I feel about that” that is abusive, you never gave him the chance to accept or reject your desires. 

Now after you share the things you desire and things you don’t feel comfortable with and they still blow it off well, they are telling you what you have in my opinion. Boundaries are huge to me.

Marcell's new video "Baggage" as well as the entire album "The Serenade & The Sermon" conveys his deepest thoughts regarding baggage, boundaries and the blessings of love. 

Marcell "The Voice" Russell, thank you for your contributions to the music industry, to relationships, love, self-awareness and especially God! 

Click to learn more  Marcell Russell

Wednesday Morning Worship & Word

Greetings!

Welcome to a new beginning with Wednesday Morning Worship & Word

Charged to change and grow spiritually, a group of nine women came together for daily prayer commencing January 2011. After more than eighteen months of early morning prayer men from all over the country joined this group of praying women which grew from eight locals from Maryland to more than a hundred women from all over the country.  

December 5, 2012 concluded a two year prayer call that took place 7 days a week with participants from all over the USA such as; MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, NJ, NY, OR, WA, FL, AZ, LA, OK, CA, DE, WI as well as many other places. People even called in from Canada and Japan. These times of praying together, fellowship, worship, studying the word and reflecting on that word led to physical, emotional, mental healing, growth to the body of Christ as well as spiritual growth and increased faith.

 

God is not done and neither are we.  Feel free to join us weekly via conference call, every Wednesday morning for Worship & Word.

 

EVERY WEDNESDAY

TIME: 6AM EST

DIAL: 605.562.3000

CODE: 223212#

 

Email prayer request to: stacie.jwhitaker@gmail.com

Feel free to invite others to join the call

***This is an international call -- Eastern Standard Time

Hidden in the Secret Place

Each morning I rise with a spirit of gratitude and my heart is filled with the expectation that God shall keep me safe from all harm.  Even when all around me appears to be out of sync and in no particular order, I trust God beyond what I can see.  I lay before the God of my salvation seeking His face, acknowledging Him in all His glory and splendor.  The atmosphere of confusion and chaos has to come in order because of the God I serve and I am NOT afraid, nor am I utterly weary having been beaten to the ground but instead, I cry out to my God knowing He will deliver me.  He will lift me up above every circumstance and ALL will know the power, strength and might of my God!

PSALM 27:
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident.
One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek”
Do not hide Your face from me;
Do not turn Your servant away in anger;
You have been my help;
Do not leave me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation.
When my father and my mother forsake me,
Then the Lord will take care of me.
Teach me Your way, O Lord,
And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

PRAYER:
Creator of the Heavens and the earth, God of all, refiner of my soul, thank you for being my very present help in the time of trouble.  Thank you for allowing me to experience sheer joy, and peace in the presence of my enemies and my circumstances.  Thank you for shielding me from all harm.  Thank you for always standing strong when I am weak.  Thank you for building me and lifting me.  Thank you for your undying love. In Jesus Name, Amen



Hell & Heaven at 8 - Embracing Me Book I

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

"Embracing Me" Series Launches With
 "Hell & Heaven at 8"

"In order to know who you really are, In order to know the power which you possess, In order to grow, In order to live and be free, You must first be willing to embrace every moment…The days before your existence, The days when you came to be and the legacy that you will leave behind…Know thyself, Embrace who you are"    
~ Stacie J. Whitaker- Harris

(Baltimore, MD)— "Hell & Heaven at 8", one of four books in the Embracing Me series written by Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris, tells of her life’s journey from girlhood to womanhood while experiencing the disappointments of rape, molestation and other abuses that life serves. The story unfolds in eight-year increments, offering a glimpse into pivotal points in Harris’ life journey that have allowed her to heal, grow and embrace the woman she was created to be, using the waypoints as a platform for development.

According to Harris, this memoir is offered as a building block to encourage healing for women, men and families who have experienced life’s trauma and difficulties -- "Unfortunately, my story is a common one, often held inside, leaving young women wounded for generations. Although the book discloses true accounts of my life, it is not to bash or tear down but rather to build". As a turn from the norm, Harris’ book intersperses letters of apology from various men of varying backgrounds and experiences who speak to Harris’ experiences along the book’s journey.

"Hell & Heaven at 8," not only shares Harris’ own poignant, painful, and victorious story, but the letters of apology dispersed throughout the series from men, serve to inspire, encourage, motivate, and direct other women to embrace healing themselves. According to Dr. Allen C. Barham Sr., "I’m confident that not only will Stacie’s personal memoir touch your heart, and prod your instincts, but you will also find one, or many, letters in the series that will strike a powerful chord within your spirit that will provoke your emotions to react. Don’t be afraid of reacting, and of acting; it’s the non-action that has kept you stuck".

Harris believes healing broken women leads to healing and restoration of broken boys, men and eventually, families and uses a combination of reflection and restoration as evident through the letters distributed throughout the text as a catalyst to promote this healing process.

COMING JUNE 2015:

Embracing Me Memoir II: "16 Tears"

Embracing Me Memoir III: "Death At 24"

Embracing Me Memoir IV: "32 The Awakening"

Faith and Increase through works

Many of us say we desire God's blessing or that we aspire to live according to God’s plan and purpose for our lives but we are not willing to totally surrender.  Even when we do surrender to God we are standoffish in allowing God to use us completely and totally for His purpose.

As we enter into 2012, I encourage you to submit your will to the perfect will of God…Be available!

PRAYER: God of love, maker of all things, it is my desire to be the earthly vessel that you have designed to fulfill the purpose for which you have created me.  I pray for strength and courage as I walk with purpose.  Use me as a light and servant to draw others to your love, healing, deliverance and kindness.  Use me to be my brother and my sisters keeper as I encourage them to live a life pleasing and acceptable according to your word by living as your word says I ought.  Lord, use me to stand in the gap for those who are burdened, lost and of a low countenance.  Use me to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, assist the elderly and to teach the children.  Use the gifts you imparted in me to stir up gifts in others.  In the process of using me, Lord, I pray to be made better, to be made whole, to remain humble and faithful that you may do the increase in my life and in the lives of others. In Jesus name, Amen

2012 Declarations...

I decree and declare, this is the year of increased faith

I decree and declare, increased works due to increased faith

I decree and declare, this is the year of mended families

I decree and declare, this is the year of clarity

I decree and declare, this is the year of healing of the mind, body & spirit

I decree and declare, this is the year of peace

I decree and declare, this is the year of restoration of marriages

I decree and declare, this is the year of confidence

I decree and declare, this is the year of revival for communities

I decree and declare, this is the year of unity

I decree and declare, this is the year liberty from all forms of bondage

I decree and declare, this is the year we collectively serve the enemy notice

I decree and declare, this is the year we reclaim our children

I decree and declare, this is the year we TRULY walk by faith and NOT by sight

I decree and declare, this is the year of excellent stewardship

I decree and declare, this is the year of humility

I decree and declare, this is the year of intimate relationship with God

I decree and declare, churches recovered from persecution & poor leadership

I decree and declare, this is the year of Holy boldness

I decree and declare, an outpour of God’s spirit for a new era of Holy leadership

Decree and declare increase over everything in your life, BUT know this, YOU must be willing to do the work necessary for manifestation…so fast, pray, cry and then GET TO WORK!!!

PRAYER:  Most Holy & Loving God, now that mustard seed faith has developed, I seek your face for increase regarding my faith that I may be able to do those things which you have called, purposed, designed, ordained and created me to do according to your will.  Lord I pray for the courage and boldness to walk out my life with purpose and I release any and all unrest, uncertainty, fear and doubt into your hands.  Lord, speak to my heart and order our steps that I walk in faith living according to the mandates of your word.  In Jesus name, Amen

I am the tree

Jeremiah 17:8 – For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out its roots by the river, and shall not fear when heat cometh, but its leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall close from yielding fruit.

Psalm 1:3 reads it this way – And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, that bringeth forth its fruit in its season.  Whose leaf also doth not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Have you ever taken a moment, I mean a real opportunity to stare at, to study, to mull over the design, structure, stature, shape and size, colors and strength of tress.  If you studied them you will notice no matter the season they are always in the same upright position.  I believe we could stand to learn a lesson from the trees today and always.

No matter how hard the winds blow, some trees bend but they keep their branches (I like to call them arms), they keep their branches in one of the most vulnerable positions – raised, giving honor and reverence to the Creator of all.  They always provide the example of how we ought stand – in submission, humbled before God.  Jeremiah says the trees stand, unafraid of heat when it comes — the trees remain upright and resolute with no care for the season of drought.  And Psalms says it brings forth fruit in ITS season, its leaves do NOT wither and all that the tree does prospers. 

Here is how I see us as trees and I pray that every eye that reads this post also visualizes and sees themselves as trees:

No matter the season, winter, spring, summer or fall, the tree is fixed and unyielding.  The tree remains humble, faithful and submitted always giving God His just do—Reverence.  The wind blows, torrential rains pour, ice, sleet snow, the branches may even grow heavy and weak but it is assured that the season will change.  The tree is assured the sun will shine again.  Leaves blow off at one time of year but still the tree remains unmovable – it is grounded and does not fear its loss because of certainty that it will again prosper and grow.  Again it bends but it does not break and always stands again honoring God.

So I say to you today, be the tree.  Stay grounded and rooted in God, with the spirit of God, in the word of God with your arms raised in submission giving reverence to the Lord of the Heavens and earth remembering that in YOUR SEASON you shall prosper – you shall bear fruit.  You will shed and lose something’s but there is much to gain in being like the tree:

-         Grounded & Rooted

-         Raised arms Worshipping

-         Prosperous bearing fruit

Notice this; it’s rare to see a tree uprooted right?  When it is unearthed, that happens as a result of the roots getting weak – NOT being grounded/stable.  But for the trees that are rooted and are not afraid to bend (be flexible) with each change in seasons, they always rise again more vibrant than before, unwavering.

So again I say stay rooted in your faith.  Remain steadfast in your trust and hope in the miraculous wonders of God.  Stand your ground.  Don’t be afraid when the enemy comes knocking.  God always shields and protects His trees so yield to the move of God.  Be flexible, humble and submitted knowing that in YOUR season you will bear fruit again.  Say, “I am the tree”.