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

Breathe…you got this! People may not know it, but I have always been a little shy and hesitant to put myself out there. Never wanted to sit in the front row in a classroom. I always sat in the last row at church. I never gave my opinion even if I had the correct answer. I feared if my answer was wrong I would be criticized. I did not like being noticed. For me, being noticed was scarier than life.

The thing about God is, He will throw you out there, whether you want to go or not. And He does it quite sneakily too. You get a job promotion, now you have to talk with employees. The employees are looking to you to lead them. You have to give training classes at work, presentations, confront people, accept awards, and defend people, whew! Now you’re a leader and pushed to the forefront. Well, at least that was one of my paths.

Even as I write this blog, God is pushing me out there. My thinking is, do I tell you, the reader, my greatest fears? Do I expose my inner thoughts to you? What will you readers think of me? Well, I have decided to trust God, be brave and believe in myself.

Sisters, in the bible it says for us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverb 3:5-6). What this means is, “If you want your life to be the very best it can be, you must put your faith in God, rejecting your own limited perspective and honoring Him in every area of your life. This is the heart of godly living, you submit to the Lord’s direction, knowing that He has the answer to your every need and is faithful to provide it (Stanley, C.).

So knowing Gods thoughts and that He has plans for you, how can you not believe in yourself.

Sister to Sister do you hear me? Take a deep breath and step on out there. Do what you were afraid to do; you got this!

References
New American Standard Bible. (2009). Proverbs 3:5-6. In C. Stanley, Life Principles Bible (p. 725). La Habra, Ca: Thomas Nelson.

 

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

Worry use to be my middle name; I worried about everything. You name it, I worried about it. But I thank God that He is working on me and that He knows my deepest desire is to trust Him explicitly and totally (for sure, I am a work in progress).

For me, metaphorically, trust is like a bee sting. When you first get stung it hurts, but once you put the pain relief ointment on the sting, the pain goes away. Such as the case with anxiety and stress; when you put on the God ointment (which is trust), everything is all better. God works all of your problems out.

What I am talking about sisters is, putting on faith and trusting that God will take care of whatever it is that you are worried about. Sort of like tumbling. It’s a knowing that you know, that without a shadow of a doubt, God is going to catch you.

The thing is this sisters, we have to get to a place where we don’t worry about anything. One of my favorite Pastors, Joel Osteen, describes worry and trust in a way that I think explains reasons why we shouldn’t worry. He says, “Worry is a thief. It will rob you of your sleep at night. It will rob you of your joy and your creativity. It’s hard to make good decisions when you’re worried. If you allow it, worry can keep you from your destiny. The scripture says we can’t add one inch to our life by worrying. If we could, some of us would be 23 feet tall!

What you see as the biggest thing in your life, in one sense, is your God. When we worry, we’re making our problem our God. If you worry about your health night and day, and you can’t sleep —that’s all you talk about, all you think about —you’re making that sickness your God. Do yourself a favor. Take the worry off of the throne. Take the sickness off of the throne. Take the financial difficulty off of the throne and put God back up on the throne. Use that same energy to thank God that He’s still in control. Every time you’re tempted to worry, turn it around and thank Him that He’s taking care of that situation. Let the worry be a reminder to switch over into praise. Don’t let worry rob you anymore of the blessings God has in store for your future!” (Osteen, 2016).

Sister to Sister do you hear me? Are you worried about something? Give it to God, He’ll take care of it!

References
Osteen, J. (2016, June 10). If I Could Do One Thing Over. Retrieved from https://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Blog.aspx?blogid=11056

 

Written by Kim Johnson, the author of I Am My Sister (Women helping Women) @ immysister.org

As I look in the mirror and examine the scars left behind from breast cancer surgery, I see a beautiful woman staring back at me. A woman that finally realizes her own self-worth, and a woman ready to live life on her own terms.

Self-acceptance hasn’t always been easy for me, I mean, I have always thought that I was pretty but there were certain aspects of me that I didn’t like. If only I could hide this area, or cover this up, and drape and conceal this or that, I would look perfect. But no matter how I fixed those areas of me, I still didn’t accept me.

One day I had ah ha moment and realized that the part of me that needed to be fixed was the inside of me. I needed to stop judging me and being so hard on me.
Too often in life, circumstances and situations change our view of ourselves and we become our own worst critics. We dwell on the negative aspects of ourselves, thinking we can never change or do better. The fact of the matter is, we need to change our mindset about ourselves and get rid of that negative thinking.

My favorite Pastor Joel Osteen, whom you may hear me quoting quite often, described it best, he said, “Our minds are like computers. We can have the fastest most powerful computer but it won’t function well without the right software. We know how PC viruses contaminate a computer. Not because the PC is bad; but that someone reprogrammed the software.

Fortunately for us, God created us as a masterpiece. With the right software. To be victorious, confident, strong, creative, and able to do all things thru Christ. We were programmed to live a victorious, abundant, faith-filled life. We just have to get rid of the viruses in our software and tell ourselves what our Creator says about us. I am blessed. I am valuable and soon we will be back to our original software.”

Sisters, we have to learn to hit the delete button when negative thoughts come, and remember what the bible tells us, we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).”

Sister to Sister do you hear me? Are you loving you?

References
Osteen, J. (2014, June 21). Reprogramming Your Mind. Retrieved from http://anointedmessagesnotes.blogspot.com/2014/06/reprogramming-your-mind-joel-osteen.html

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/

 

Written by, Kim Johnson, Author of “I Am My Sister”

I have always been able to control myself, even as a small child. Self-discipline was never really an issue for me, especially once I got it in my head that I had better do the right thing. However…there have been times when my flesh hasn’t always fallen in line with my thinking. I can remember a few times when the Holy Spirit has told me to do one thing, and I simply choose to do something else. I have to giggle when I think about it, because I rationalized my disobedience by telling myself that it was myself talking to me. Sisters, I have loads of stories that I could share with you where I have listened to myself. Some of my stories would make you laugh, and some, you would say, make me look pathetic.

The thing is this, we cannot do everything we feel like doing as Christians. We can’t tell people off because they hurt our feelings or offend us (even though we may want too). And when people treat us bad or poorly we can’t treat them the same way. Instead, we have to let things go and pray for those that hurt us.

I know you are probably saying it’s hard to do these things, but I’m telling you, you can do it; I’m telling myself as well, because God knows, I am a work in progress.
Joel Osteen (2014), my favorite Pastor, tells us that “we cannot be loose in our morals. We cannot let our flesh have its way. We have to exercise self-control and discipline, we cannot say things, and then regret what we said later. Had we been disciplined in what we said earlier, we wouldn’t feel bad later, and then wish we had never said it the first place. Self-control and self-discipline go hand and hand, we must stay in control in all things and ways.”

In any event, the apostle Paul tells us about his own hard time trying to do the right thing in life. He says, “What I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate (Romans 7:15-20).

“All of us can relate to the fierce internal struggle that Paul describes. We find ourselves succumbing to sin, even though we want to honor God. The thing is this, until we stand in Jesus’ presence, we will all experience this battle. The only way to win is by dying to ourselves so that Christ can live through us and by submitting to the Spirit’s overcoming wisdom and power” (Stanley).

So what does dying to the flesh mean? According to the bible, the spirit is ready but the flesh is weak. The flesh is a source of temptation. The desires of the flesh can be sinful only if we give into them…we must die to the flesh by listening to the voice of God, and not ourselves! Dying in the Flesh is to trade your will, for God’s will, for your life.

Sistah to Sistah, do you hear me? Are you exercising self-control and self-discipline over your life?

References
Osteen, J. (2014, May 24). Being Disciplined and Rule Over Your Feelings. Retrieved from https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=being+disciplined+and+rule+over+your+feelings+sermon&view=detail&mid=7E2EEA1ED9D8F15A855B7E2EEA1ED9D8F15A855B&FORM=VIRE
Stanley, C. (n.d.). Romans 7:15-20. In Life Principles Bible. Thomas Nelson.

 

 

 

Written by – Kim L. Johnson, author of, I Am My Sister

Sometimes you just have to walk away from people. Have you ever been around a person with an argumentative spirit? They are always angry. They’re easily stressed out about one thing or another; and they totally misunderstand everything that you say to them. These people take things the wrong way all the time. You could be in a great mood and say something to them with no malice in your heart, or no other meaning other than what you are saying, and yet, they take it the wrong way. I hate to say it, but, I know one or two people like this, and I find myself not wanting to have anything to do with them. Conversations with these people mess with my spirit and peace.

I have a name for the people I described above, I call them peace stealers. These peace stealers will suck the joy out of your life and make you physically sick if you let them. You can try to explain yourself to these people, you can even try to make them calm down. You can tell them that they are going to have high blood pressure if they don’t learn to relax and let things go. You can talk, talk, and talk, until you turn blue in the face.

The thing is Sisters, sometimes you got to let these folks go. Joel Osteen, one of my favorite pastors said it best. He said, “You don’t have to cut people off entirely or never speak to them again. But you should put up some healthy boundaries. You don’t have to make a big announcement. Just little by little, spend less and less time with that person. If you don’t remove the wrong people out of your life, you’ll never meet the right ones, especially in your inner circle, the people who are closest to you. The people that surround you should be stable, consistent, happy, Godly, and responsible people who move you toward your destiny. As they say, like iron sharpens iron, you make each other better.
Moreover, we see this principle with Jesus. After a long day of teaching and praying for people, the scripture says He left the crowds and went away to rest. There were still many needy people asking for prayer. I’m sure some of them thought, “Wow, we traveled all this way, and He didn’t even wait to pray for us. He let us down.” Jesus wasn’t being rude or overlooking their needs; He was taking care of Himself. He knew He needed to get away and get quiet so He could be refreshed to be more effective.

Likewise, with you, there will always be people who need you, someone who needs rescuing, needs encouraging, or needs your help. However, if you try to meet everyone’s needs, you’ll end up run down over time, even burned out. Your number one priority is to keep yourself healthy. If Jesus was willing to walk away from needs to protect His peace and stay at rest, then we need to be willing to walk away from things that we know are stealing our peace, too!” (Osteen, 2016).

References
Osteen, J. (2016, May 20). Walk Away from Peace Stealers. Retrieved from https://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Blog.aspx?blogid=11022

 

Written By Kim Johnson – immysister.org

One of the things I am learning in my middle age, is to follow peace. Trust me, I didn’t arrive at this epiphany overnight. It came from my constant struggles with not being able to control the things happening in my life and my being stressed out because of it.
Sisters, I use to be a mess. Racism, situations and disappointments constantly un-nerved me and threw me off balance. I let things get me so bent out of shape that I would internalize them. If someone said something to hurt my feelings I would get upset, and then later pissed off with myself because I didn’t tell them off. Looking back, I was like a tree whose limbs were constantly being blown back and forth by the wind. Any and everything took me out of peace and my comfort zone.

Today, my blood pressure is so much better. I got it. I understand that God is in control of all things. I don’t pay attention to my emotions; and I know now, that when things don’t seem right, don’t react, go immediately into prayer and wait on God to tell me what to do next. That feeling inside of my gut, or should I say the Holy Spirit, has never let me down. All I have to do is listen to my body and follow peace.

The Bible Dictionary tells us that, in order to have peace within our spirit, we need to have an “inner tranquility; and a combination of hope, trust, quiet in mind, and soul, brought about by reconciliation with God” (Youngblood, 1985, p. 960).
Basically what I am saying sisters is, if you want to follow peace (Hebrews 12:15), “you must rid yourself of un-forgiveness, let go of your feelings of resentment, lay down your “right” to get even, know that God got it and allow God to deal with the things that bother you” (Stanley, 2009, p. 1471).

Sistah to Sistah do you have inner tranquility? Are you quiet in your mind and spirit? Do you trust God and know that there is nothing He can’t resolve?
Are you following peace?

References
Stanley, C. F. (2009). Life Principles Bible. In C. Stanley (Ed.). Thomas Nelson.
Youngblood, R. F. (1985). Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, Tennesse: Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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

I feel so wonderful…fa la la la la…fa la la la la…I have to laugh as I write these lyrics, because it took me so long to get here. I finally got my joy back and it ONLY took eight years. How terrible is that. Gosh! How did I allow myself to fall into that rut anyway, and worst, how did I let someone steal my joy for so long. Sigh…If I had to do it all over again I would have a discussion with my younger self; I would say, “Kim, keep your eyes on God, don’t pay attention to your emotions, and definitely don’t pay attention to what you are feeling. Above all else, Trust God, He will work it out for you.”

Like it or not, so often we let things, people, or situations steal our joy. We could be with a group of people celebrating a joyous occasion or surrounded by sheer beauty, and yet, be miserable and sad. At least that’s how it was for me when my husband and I broke up. I cried everywhere I went, and nothing made me feel better. I even tried several techniques that were suggested as well, but nothing could snap me out of the sadness I felt. I journaled, I surrounded myself with loved ones and friends, but still I couldn’t get my joy back. And then, one day, I had an “Ah Ha” moment, and a light bulb went off in my head. As I recall, I was sitting in my car crying, when I thought of Jesus, nailed to the cross. I thought of the pain and suffering He went through and how He felt when He yelled out to His Father. And yet, no matter what He was going through, He would not have changed His situation for nothing in the world, because He loved us that much (John 3:16). And yet, there I sat, contemplating the worst, over a broken heart (in hindsight) how ungrateful was I.

At any rate, if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t have tried to handle the heartbreak without asking God for help. That was a hard lesson that I had to learn, but I know now, that there can be joy in the middle of pain.

In the bible it says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; and that Jesus came so that we may have life abundantly” (John 10:10).  As such, there are steps that we can use to regain our joy:

1. Ask God to help you (Psalm 51:12). God say’s we have not because we ask not. How can He help you if you don’t ask Him? (James 4:2).

2. Praise God while you are crying and feel sad.

3. And consider it all joy, when you go through things (James 1:2). In Charles Stanley Life Lessons, he writes, “there is nothing joyful about trials in and of themselves. The key to finding joy in adversity is where we place our focus. If we concentrate on our circumstances, we will become disheartened and discouraged. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we learn to rejoice in our difficulties, because God has promised to work through them to strengthen our faith, bring us into closer fellowship with Himself, and teach us endurance” (pg. 1475).

4. Also sister, know that “when darkness covers your heart, you may think you have no hope, but just as the sun disperses the nighttime at daybreak, your circumstances will change at the Lords command. So wait in hope and trust Him, because His joyous triumph is surely on its way” (Charles Stanley Life Lessons, pg. 645 & Psalm 30:5).

Basically, what I am telling you sisters is, “know that the joy of the Lord is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). You need to know that the Lords happiness is in showing love to all who believe in Him. Therefore, whenever [you] feel weak and helpless, [you] need to remember that God will step in and deliver you. Then His joy really will be your strength” (Charles Stanley Life Lessons, pg. 567).

Sisters to sister do you hear me? Joy is so very easy to lose; do you know how to keep it?

 

References
Stanley, C. F. (2009). Life Principles Bible. La Habra: Thomas Nelson.

 

 

Written By: Kim Johnson

Allow me to introduce myself to you world. Hi my name is Kim! I am a blogger, a mother, a grandmother, an aunt, a sister, a godmother, a niece, a cousin, a mentor, a friend and an ex-wife (LOL). I hold four distinguished college degrees and I am a retired postal employee. I have suffered great losses, and have experienced extreme sadness. On the other hand, I have experienced joys that were so great, they were almost euphoric. The most important information about me is, I am a child of God. Whew! Now that I have said all of that, what does it all mean? I’ll tell you what it means, it means that all of my life’s experiences happened for a reason and that God is going to use them for His good and His glory.

When I look at my life it seems so scattered to me, and it doesn’t make any sense. Why did I go to college and get all of those degrees which had nothing to do with the job that I held in the postal service? Why did I have to go through such deep hurt when I divorced? Why did I have to meet that person, and that person? Etc. it all makes no sense to me. One thing I have learned by studying God’s Word is, God will connect all of the dots and that both the good and bad stuff, will either be used, or has been used as an example for others, or to do work in me.

Sisters, nothing that has happened in your life is a waste. Those obstacles that were meant to destroy you, those failures you felt, and all those disappointments, those unpleasant experiences, the challenges, the sickness, that death, those promotions, yes! that success, the births, your friends, those telephone conversations, the setbacks, that gossip about you, your job, those blessings, your education, your marriage, that divorce, weight loss or weight gain, lay-offs, being bullied, harassment, and that rejection you felt, I could go on and on. All of those things are a part of you, and God is going to use them. “God uses everything to grow us in faith so that through us, others will come to know His mercy, grace and love” (Hiley, 2017).

In the bible it says, God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, and to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

I like the way Pastor Charles Stanley explains it, he says, “on this side of heaven we may never understand how all things can work together for good for God’s children. Though not all things we experience are in themselves pleasant or helpful, some of them are very painful, we are promised that God uses everything for our benefit. Therefore, we must have faith that He will turn our failures and hardships into opportunities for spiritual growth.

“God is for us. He is not against us. He often uses trials to position us for greater blessing, and even in times of great disappointment, we can trust that He has our best in mind and will work all things out for our good. He knows how He wants to use the disappointment or hardship for our benefit, and He desires that we see Him as our only source of salvation and blessing (Jeremiah 29:11)

Sister to sister do you hear me? There are no wasted years. God is going to connect all of the dots in your life, and everything is going to come together for you. Just keep your eyes focused on God and watch how He uses the things that have happened in your life.

 

References
Hiley, A. D. (2017, September 9). Nothing in Our Lives Is A Waste- God Uses Everything In Our Lives To Grow Us. Retrieved from https://soundfaith.com/sermons/206196-nothing-in-our-lives-is-a-waste-god-uses-everything-in-our-lives-to-grow-us.-sermon-170917
Stanley, C. F. (2009). Life Principles Bible. In C. Stanley (Ed.). Thomas Nelson.

 

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

I have always been the type of person that when my mind is set, that’s the direction I am headed. Full steam ahead is my motto; Lol, I’m about my business. Well, I can see, God is about His business too, and sometimes my business and His business don’t line up. I used to get so disappointed when I had plans and those plan didn’t work out the way I expected them to. I can remember as far back as when I was a child growing up, having feelings of disappointment when my mom told me we were going to do something, and then at the last minute, those plans changed. I don’t know, maybe those childhood disappointments had something to do with my behavior as an adult.

In any event, God is still working on me, and I thank God that my mindset is totally different now. Today, I am more conscious of God’s desire for my life, and I can see that those disappointments as a youth, were actually delays and detours which were meant to arrow the course of my life in a very different direction than I was headed. To God be the Glory!

As for you, Woman of God, you need to know, God may use a multitude of detours in your life to get you to where He wants you to be. Some detours could be, sorrow, loneliness, heartbreak, illness, affliction, disappointment, and the death of a loved one. Regardless of the method God uses, and no matter what happens in your life, never forget that God is in complete control of all things, including Satan. Nothing! And I mean NOTHING! Happens without the Fathers permission, and His knowing about it.
Likewise, “the Lord works through adversity; allowing it in our lives for a season to accomplish an important purpose in us. That adversity trains us to trust God, and it can be a bridge to a deeper relationship with Him” (Charles Stanley, Job: 1-12).

Sisters do you hear me, God has a plan for your life, and sometimes there is no direct path that leads to that plan; sometimes there are twist and turns. He knows every detail about your life, your situation, and your heart, including the painful stuff. But no matter what! Stay the course. Keep praying. Keep trusting, because God’s desire is to bless you.

Sister to sister, what are you going through? Do you trust God even though you may be delayed or have to take a detour?

References
Stanley, C. F. (2009). Life Principles Bible. In C. Stanley (Ed.). Thomas Nelson.

 

Written by: Kim Johnson – immysister.org

Sometimes, I just have to sit back and praise God for no reason at all. When I think of all the times God should have turned His back on me and He didn’t, I am just plain ole grateful. And even in my brokenness, when I went through Hurricane Katrina (figuratively speaking), and I thought I wouldn’t survive, God was right there extending me grace and mercy.

Humph…just thinking about life. Storms. God; and how they are all intertwined, I am awed. For instance, let’s look at Hurricane Katrina metaphorically. According to an article I read, the storm crept up on Louisiana early in the morning, causing catastrophic damage and death. Well, in my mind’s eye, I imagine everyone was sleeping, feeling warm, safe, secure, and not a care in the world. Then out of nowhere the category 3 storm hit with 100 -140 mile winds per hour. The storm was devastating, kind of like the storms that enter our lives; suddenly, swiftly and from out-of-nowhere.

When trouble (storms) enter our lives, it can almost be hard to catch your breath. The intensity almost knocks the wind out of you and you find yourself asking God how can you make it through? The thing is this sister’s, even in the middle of the most horrific storm, there is a calm region at the center called the Eye of the Storm. And during that time there CAN be sunshine, you can even see a rainbow, but you have to hold on tight to God’s hand and His promise.

In the bible, James writes that we should consider it all joy when we encounter various trials (James 1:2). Pastor Charles Stanley breaks it down even further, he say’s “there is nothing joyful about trials in and of themselves. The key to finding joy in adversity is where we place our focus. If we concentrate on our circumstances, we will become disheartened and discouraged. But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, we learn to rejoice in our difficulties, because God has promised to work through them to strengthen our faith, bring us into closer fellowship with Himself, and teach us endurance (pg. 1475).

Sister’s, what I am basically trying to say is this, you may not understand your storm, but know for sure, that even in the middle of your raging emotions, you can find peace. Call out to God, reach out to your sisters, read the bible, talk with someone and most importantly, know that God is working it out for you.

Sister to sister do you hear me? What are you going through?

References
FEMMA. (2017, August 28). Hurricaine Katrina Fast Facts. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/us/hurricane-katrina-statistics-fast-facts/index.html
Stanley, C. (2009). Life Principles. La Habra, CA: New American Standard Bible.

 

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

Sisters… Knowing who you are is as essential to living, as breathing is to your very existence. When we know who we are, we don’t allow the opinion of others to influence us or define who we are. In that matter, neither do we allow negative views from people to interfere with the dreams or visions that God lays on our heart.

One of the things I have had to learn the hard way is, keeping the visions and dreams that God gives me, to myself. I have also learned that, not everyone smiling at me is really happy for me. Shucks! I have shared things in my excitement (in the past), that I wish I hadn’t. I have had people tell me, “it won’t work,” or question if I have the time, or tell me that I should charge people, as well as, suggest that I simply shouldn’t waste my time; they have even gone as far as to ask me, if I were sure that I heard it from God.” I used to get downhearted and confused on what I should actually do. And even stupidly, sometimes changed my mind, and did what they suggested.

However, today, I march to the God beat. I realize now, that when God gives me a vision, that vision is for me alone, and that other people may not understand it, or see it. In the bible, Moses tells the story of Jacob’s son Joseph, who was a dreamer and how he was sold into slavery (out of jealousy) shortly after he shared his dream with his brothers (Genesis 37:1-35, pg. 46).

In one of my bibles, Pastors Charles Stanley breaks down that scripture into laymen terms, which I’m grateful for, because I was able to get his translation down into my gut. Stanley wrote, “When God reveals His will to you, others may not understand what He is doing and may criticize or oppose you because of it. However, obey Him anyway. The trials you go through may be difficult, but they are necessary to mold you into the person God wants you to be. And like Joseph, you will be able to say to those who are against you, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive (Gen. 50:20, pg. 50).

I guess, what I am trying to say sisters is this, God say’s you are a masterpiece. You are beautiful and wonderfully made by Him. When God lays a dream or vision in your heart, go for it and have no fear or worries! God got you.

Sister to Sister, do you hear me! Do you know who you are? Are you doing what God wants you to do?

Reference:
Stanley, C. (2009). Life Principles. La Habra, CA: New American Standard Bible.

Written by –  Kim Johnson – immysister.org

One of the hardest lessons that I have had to learn, is standing still and having faith. In fact, this lesson I am still working on. Prior to now, practically all of my adult life has been filled with, ups and downs, highs and lows. If a thought entered my mind, I went with it; Man o man, how crazy is that. Fortunately for me now, I can see that I have had a blessed life, in spite of myself. And I thank God for being the ultimate parent, because, no matter WHAT! He still loved and adored me…But God!

So, as I write this blog my sisters, I wonder about your thoughts on standing still and having faith. I find that standing still is so hard to do. Standing still when faced with adversity. Standing still when your heart hurts. Standing still when you are grieving. Standing still when you are financially broke. Standing still in the face of bills needing to be paid. Standing still when you are sick. Standing still when you don’t know what to do. How can I willing just stand still when my life depends on me moving, how do I do this?

The bible tells us that in order to stand still, all we have to do is, “be alert. Be firm in the Christian faith and be courageous and strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13); and that, we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13).

And that we also must have faith, say’s Jesus. In the Book of Matthew 17:20, He says, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you.” Faith is a gift from God, and to have Faith, you must have a connection with Jesus Christ. Just by believing that He truly is listening, you have Faith! It’s that easy! Faith is very important, as everything that was done in the Bible was by Faith. We must read the Bible day and night, as it is very important in our “Faith” (Wilki).

I tell you my sisters, when we stand still and have faith in God, we can hear when the Lord is talking to us. We also will understand that no matter what we are going through, or faced with, that our Father will guide us through it and that we will be alright.

Sisters do you hear me! What are you going through?

 

Bibliography
Chery, F. (2017). Standing Firm. Bible Reasons.
Stanley, C. (2009). Life Principles. La Habra, CA: New American Standard Bible.
Wilki. (n.d.). How to Have Faith in Jesus. Retrieved November 1, 2017, from https://www.wikihow.com/Have-Faith-in-Jesus

 

Written by –  Kim Johnson – immysister.org

Too often we women accept bad behavior from men. I’ve been thinking about this topic lately. Why do we do it? Why do we accept infidelity, disrespect, verbal abuse, disloyalty, lies, deceit and just plain old cheating? Why do we stay in relationships that are unhealthy for us, or where we are doing the chasing and pursuing of men, instead of the other way around? Could it be, that we don’t know our self-worth or value?

I tell you, since I have finally taken the time to stop doing me, and I am now listening to my Father in heaven; I have a better understanding of who I am in Christ and what He wants and desires for me and my life. Trust me, by no means that doesn’t include me being treated poorly. Shoot! I am no slouch. No vagabond without a home, and nobody’s trash to be discarded; I am a Princess, a child of the Greatest King of Kings. And as such, I MUST be treated like royalty.

Sisters, too often we forget what family we belong to, and whose we are in Christ. We stay in relationships that we were never meant to be in, in the first place. The thing is this, if we want a different result, we must wait on the Lord to send us the man of His choosing. I know without a shadow of a doubt that, that man will be the perfect mate for us and we will be treated like the queens we are meant to be treated like.
When I think of that perfect man, I think of the book of Ruth in the bible, and how Ruth met Boaz. Basically, the story of Ruth teaches us the value of trusting God with our circumstances and our future. And that obedience always brings blessings which in this particular case, was Boaz, who was the perfect man for Ruth (Ruth 3:10).

I find, my sisters, that when we keep our eyes on God and focus on Him, we tend to not end up with second best and the wrong mate. I guess what I have been trying to say throughout this blog is, we have to exercise discipline with matters of the heart and our bodies. We have to treat ourselves like royalty. And above all else, wait on the Lord to send us the man that He chooses for us.

Sistah do you hear me? How are you treating yourself?

 

Written by – Kim Johnson-  Author of I Am My Sister (Women helping Women) @ immysister.org

It seems that the older I get, the more I understand the difference between sex and intimacy. I think that intimacy is more valuable in a relationship then sex. Hold up! Before you start thinking I’m nuts; YES, sex is important in a relationship, but if you want to see that relationship go to another level, add intimacy in the mix.
I was reading this book called Soul Cravings the other day, and the author sort of put what I was thinking into words; he said, “sex can be the most intimate and beautiful expression of love, but we are only lying to ourselves when we act as if sex is proof of love. Too many men demand sex as proof of love; too many women have given sex in hopes of love. We live in a world of users where we abuse each other to dull the pain of aloneness.”
“Real intimacy is not found just by merging bodies in sex. When Jesus said, “and the two shall become one. . . “I can’t help but think that He meant more than just the physical. After all, how many couples go to bed at night, share their bodies, but not their hearts? Undoubtedly, many of these people would say they are very lonely. Why? Because just as a garden hose is not the source of water, but only an expression, or vehicle for it, so sex is not the source of intimacy, but an outlet (or expression of) it. No matter how hard you try, if real emotional and spiritual intimacy does not exist before sex, it most certainly won’t after.”
So then you say, Kim, what is intimacy? To me, intimacy is a simple touch, a gentle caress, looking into each other’s eyes, connecting mentally, passionately kissing, loving words and touch, etc.
“Granted, sharing who we are with others is often not easy. All love is a risk. I admit, it can be uncomfortable exposing the deepest parts of ourselves. Thankfully, you don’t have to do it all at once, because developing intimacy is like peeling an onion—it can happen just a little at a time while trust is developed” (McManus).

Sistah to Sistah do you hear me? What do you think?

References
McManus, E. R. (2006). Soul Cravings. Thomas Nelson.

 

Written by – Kim Johnson – immysister.org

I think…rejection is one of those emotions that can destroy you if you aren’t grounded in something. I’ve been thinking about this topic for a while now, especially since I have firsthand knowledge and experience on the subject; as well as, knowing quite a few people struggling just to hold it together themselves. I actually took the time to look up the meaning of rejection and rejected, just to see if the dictionary could explain why, we as people, feel so terrible when we go through these emotions. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary “rejected is to refuse to hear, receive, admit, rebuff or repel something; and rejection, is the spurning of a person’s affections”. After reading these two definitions, I came to the conclusion that rejection and being rejected all boil down to, heartache, pain, sorrow and long endless nights (well, at least in my mind).

For instance, when I went through the devastating break-up of my marriage, I thought the world had come to an end. I surely knew, I was going to die, and at worst, wanted to. I have to tell you, heartache is a real reality; the heart literally hurts. I felt so sad during that time, that I could hardly feel happiness, even when I was surrounded by happy people, places and things. And to compound the situation even further, I felt terribly rejected and unwanted. I remember, one day, screaming out to the Lord to help me; true to His Word, He did, and my breakthrough came.

The thing is this, rejection destroys lives, confidence and self-worth. The amount of people going through it is staggering. As for me, having God and my sister/friends in my life during that time, kept me grounded and brought me through my storm.
My sisters prayed with me, and for me when I couldn’t pray for myself. My sisters called me and even sat with me. They hugged me and loved me back to a good place.

Likewise, God’s Word helped me too, I read the bible over and over again. My spirit man became so comforted that I yearned to hear more and more of what God had to say to me. I read verses like, Romans 8:28 (and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose); and Isaiah 41:10 (Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand) to name a few.

The thing is this my sisters, you have to know that God is with you, and that you can get through rejection and being rejected. Don’t look at the feeling you are feeling, look at God’s Words, and trust Him, because He never lies. Call on the Lord for help and reach out for help.

Sistah to Sistah can you hear me!
What are you going through?

By Kim Johnson

 

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

Sometimes when the marriage ends, we are the last to know. There are signs, but sometimes we ignore them or don’t see them. At least that was the case with me.

The end of a marriage can be one of the most painful experiences any one can go through, but having God in your life, family and friends can help you get through it. When my marriage ended after 20 years, it took me six years to recover. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t have wasted that many years crying and in pain.

Any how, I thank God everyday that my sisters were there for me; praying when I was unable to pray for myself, encouraging me and supporting me.

So sisters, when  you find yourselves going through a bad experience, just know that you can make it. You will, and can survive. This is a storm that you are in, and at the end of the storm, God will give you double for your trouble. Storms are sent to make us stronger.

Pastor Joel Osteen, always say’s , “we learn more while we are in our storms then when we are in our sunny seasons. Storms come, but the sun always comes out at the end.”

Sistah to Sistah, do you  hear me! What are you going through?

Written by – Kim Johnson – immysister.org

Being a caregiver can be a very rewarding experience; it can also be very draining. As a child growing up, I  promised my parents and grandparents that I would take care of them when they grew old; little did I know, that promise would become my reality, sooner than later.  My grandfather came to live with me thirteen years ago and I felt it was an honor and a privilege.  Don’t get me wrong, the experience was not easy, in fact, at times, it was extremely rough, and sometimes I wondered if I had the way with all, to handle the task that God had given me at all.  But through it all, I can honestly say, I am both grateful and humbled.  I pray that as Grandpa looks down on me, he knows that I gave my all and that I did my best.

Which brings me to my next thought. I want to take my hat off to all the caregivers out there, I want them to know they are not alone.  Although the road can get rocky and rough, know that God is with you.  According to the bible, Hebrews 6:10, “God never forgets what you do in obedience to Him.  In fact, one day you will stand before Christ and be rewarded for all the things you have done out of love and obedience to Him” (Charles Stanley, p. 1459).

The wisdom that I would give to you my sisters, is don’t forget to support the caregivers that you know, because they may be going through a host of emotions and just being a listening ear, can really help.

Sistah to Sistah, what do you think?

Immysister.org

 

Written by – Kim Johnson – Author of – I Am My Sister @ immysister.org

For the majority of my life, I have lived life on my own terms, I guess you could say, living La Vida Loca (the crazy life); doing what I want, when I wanted. Then September 11^th happened and God got my attention. One of the things I can honestly say is, life is better than it was before.  When problems come, I talk with God about them.  Sometimes when I bring a problem to God He solves them immediately, it’s like, from my mouth, to His ears, that’s how fast He solves them.

Basically, what I am saying to you is, no matter what you are going through sisters, keep your eyes on God.  Talk to God when you are going through adversity, when you are happy, when you are sad, when you need direction, when you are lonely, when you are sick, having financial problems, when you are insecure, when you make a mistake, when you are confused, when you are angry, going through broken relationships, when you are treated unfairly, when you lose a loved one, when you are rejected, and above all, most importantly, talk to God in All situations, and He will make everything alright again.

“Praise the Lord often, regardless of your circumstances.  Many people exalt Him only when something good happens to them or when they receive an unexpected blessing, but the Lord is worthy of our adoration at all times, in all circumstances” (Charles Stanley bible, Is. 25:1, p.800).

Sistah to Sistah do you hear me! What are you going through?

Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock (Isaiah 26:4).

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

As a little girl growing up in an urban area during the sixties and seventies, I never thought much about my looks or my appearance. My girlfriends and I wore dungaree’s every day and black eyeliner.  We were carefree, and happy.  We focused our energy on dancing, singing and fantasizing about what our wedding day would be like when we grew up.

My first introduction into my appearance and what I looked like, came when I began dating.  My then, boyfriend, hated the way I dressed, especially my dungarees, so he took me shopping; he actually purchased my first girly outfit. Since then, I have been conscious of what I look like.  When I look back at that little girl, I wonder if that experience shaped my view of myself as an adult.

Recently, I spoke with a male friend of mine about looking good, and he told me that women have to fix themselves up to look the best that they can, because men are attracted to what a woman looks like initially.

I say, women need to look the way they want to look; and that it shouldn’t matter what we wear, or for that matter, not wear, for men to be attracted to us. I guess, what I actually mean is, as women, we need to be happy with ourselves.  We need to have that self confidence that comes from within us. That knowledge that, we are wonderfully made, and that God created us to look the way we look. We were made by God, and He did not make any mistakes. We shouldn’t have to dress a certain way or change our appearances in order to please the men in our lives.

Sistah to Sistah, do you hear me! What do you think?

 

 

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

I have often wondered if relationships last longer when the man loves the women more than the woman loves the man.  I have been told that women who treat their men like crap, are the women that seem to have forever relationships. I am not too sure which way is better.  As for me, I tend to give 100% of myself in a relationship.  I try to build my man up and help him to be the best that he can be, but in turn, I expect the same consideration. Has this always worked for me, no! but, I believe that when the right man finds me, it will.

Sistah to Sistah, what do you think, should we give less of ourselves in a relationship?

He who finds a women finds a good thing (Proverbs 18:22).