Written by Kim Johnson, Author of I Am My Sister (Women helping Women) at immysister.org

Have you ever sat back and paid attention to the times the enemy attacked you? Well I have. I have been on this journey with myself for the past two years, analyzing my life and the different things that have occurred in it. One of the things I noticed is, whenever I was close to a blessing the enemy attacked me first.

Sister, the enemy is very cunning, he has all sorts of shenanigans in his arsenal to attack you. It is nothing for him to make your life miserable; he loves strife. When I’m talking about attacks, I’m talking about in the form of arguments, on your finances, your home, your health, your children, your marriage, infidelity, fornication, on your mind and the things you love and value. The enemy never sleeps and he knows exactly what will make you feel uncomfortable or happy. He uses tricks to lull you into a false sense of security, then he attacks you. The thing is, whichever way he comes at you, it is often painful, stressful, hurtful, and causes damage in one way or another.

I was reading an article that was written by a young woman named Holly Hoechstenbach , which explains my thoughts exactly, she said, “you see, we may think the enemy is a spouse, friend, boyfriend/girlfriend, boss or colleague, or someone we know, but the enemy is none of those. He is invisible and he cannot be beaten with fleshy objects or weapons … he can only be fought with one weapon – Prayer. Prayer is the key weapon.
The enemy is good. Very good. The minute we stray away from prayer, he closes in ready to attack. He is good at leading us down the path of destruction. He strikes with deception, disguise, and lies. He twists, plots, and deceives. And if we are not careful, he can direct our energy towards him and turn our thoughts, heart, and life upside down.
Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, and we have to be careful because we don’t see him coming. He’s invisible, a master of disguise. Distraction is his game. He wants to distract us and play on our vulnerability, to cripple us in doubt, fear, and discouragement.

Ephesians 6:10-17 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

The good news is the enemy can not put out your light. It’s like walking through a dark tunnel. You can barely see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s there. It only makes sense for you to keep moving forward, not backwards further into the darkness.
It’s up to us to put on our armor, declare His promises, take out our sword, and fight. We are equipped. We are prepared. So the next time the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy you stand firm and say boldly, “Today is going to be a good day, because I’m declaring it in the name of Jesus!” (Hoechstenbach, 2017).

Sistah to Sistah! Do you hear me? Are you praying? Are you prepared for the battle?

References
Hoechstenbach, H. (2017, February 26). When the Enemy Attacks: What You Should Know and How to Fight Back. The Praying Woman. Retrieved from theprayingwoman.com/when-the-enemy-attacks-how-to-recognize-it-and-how-to-fight-back/

 

Written by, Kim Johnson –Author of I Am My Sister (Women Helping Women)
You can find me at – immysister.org

People always say “if that person walked away from you, they weren’t part of your destiny or meant to be in your life. Some even say, “You should just let them go, you’re better off without them anyway.” I’ve been thinking about these statements for some time now. I propose, what if the person who walked away, IS YOU. What if you walked away because it hurt too much to stay? What if the relationship was just one sided? Humph! Sisters, do you think you should stay in a relationship where you’re the only one that is committed to it? Or for that matter, the only one texting, calling, and reaching out? Or worst, do you think you should stay in a relationship when you don’t hear from the other person for days? Or should you stay simply, for the sake of having a mate?

Well…one thing I do know for sure, and that is, the Holy Spirit will always tell you what to do if you listen. As for me, I want what God promised. I want the whole enchilada. I want a God sent man. I know if God sent him, he will be in sync with every aspect of who I am (Elliot).

Sadly, too often we move ahead of God and His timing and end up in relationships that are not God ordained. As such, there is constant tension in the relationship and never any peace, causing even further damage to our self-esteem, along with insecurity and discouragement.

Undoubtedly, some of these relationships we shouldn’t have been in, in the first place. The bible tells us “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7).

Basically what I am saying sisters is, we should seek God first before we jump into any relationships. We also, “must trust God completely with the entirety of our lives. God knows what is best for us, and His purpose in allowing any delays is for our good. Waiting will prepare us for a greater blessing; as well as, strengthen our faith and reliance on Him, and consequently rid us of a desire to be self-sufficient” (Stanley, Life Principles Bible, 2009).

Sister to Sister, do you hear me?  Have you made your request be known to God in what you want in a relationship?

References
Elliot, B. (n.d.). Dating: God’s Best or All the Rest? Retrieved February 2018, from http://www1.cbn.com/dating-gods-best-or-all-rest
Stanley, C. F. (n.d.). Life Principles Bible. Philippians 4:6-7.

Written by, Kim Johnson – Author of – I Am My Sister (Women Helping Women)

Finally!!! I am finally living the life I have always dreamed. Sure there are still ups and downs, twists and turns and even storms, but I am at peace. Everything that I do nowadays is intentional and has a purpose. Could things get better, of course! But I wouldn’t trade my situation for anything in the world.

I take my hat off to anyone that ever caused me pain and sorrow; and I am thankful that they played apart in making me the woman that I am today, which has actually moved me toward my destiny. By the same token, I am especially thankful to the people that held my hand and lifted me up in prayer during those rough times. As such, I believe that the scales that were once over my eyes have been removed because now I can see that God used my enemies to bless me and motivate me, as well as my friends. To God be the Glory.

As a matter of fact, I contribute those rough times in my life to my burning desire to blog and to giving me plenty of topics to talk about, on top of having a clearer idea of what I want and don’t want in my life.

With that being said, today, everything that I do is on purpose and intentional. I choose to serve God, take care of myself and my family; accept myself and my flaws; make my dreams become a reality, laugh every day and live a life that really matters to me.
I was reading an article that I saw online some time ago that actually made me pause for a moment. The article described how I was feeling about my life and about living a life that makes you feel whole and complete. The author, Kathy Howell, cited that, “you know you are on the road to living an intentional life when, what you did yesterday no longer satisfies you today. She described it as no longer being satisfied with the mundane daily grind, and that once you make this realization, you know you are on a path to significance” (2016).

Howell (2016), also quotes John Maxwell’s speech from Breakaway from the Takeaway, the author of Make Today Count, who says, “Intentional living is making a positive difference in your life or the life of another. It is also valuing yourself and your opinion, as well as, encouraging others. Doing challenging things, not putting off what can be done today for tomorrow, along with making a conscious effort to take ACTION to live a life that matters to ourselves”

Basically, what I am saying sisters is, if we are to live an intentional life on purpose, we need to do the following:
• Make every day count.
• Look at life in a way, that when the storms enter, they don’t affect our inner peace.
• Understand that God is in charge of our lives and that He will take care of all our        situations and needs.
• Live our lives the way we want to, not the way other people would like us to.
• Make a conscience decision to do something we have always wanted to do.
• Rid our minds of the things that clutter our thinking, so that we can focus on what makes us come alive, concentrate on our purpose, our hopes, our dreams and the things that fulfil us.

Sister to Sister do you hear me? Are you living your life the way you want? Are you following your dreams? What do you want to do that you are not doing?

 

References
Howell, K. M. (2016). Breakaway For A Takeaway. In J. C. Maxwell, Make Today Count. Retrieved March 5, 2018, from https://onlinemlmcommunity.com/intentional-living-speech-by-john-c-maxwell-my-biggest-takeaways/