We Made It --His Promises Never Fail or Disappoint!

 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go,  and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” 

Genesis 28:15(NIV)

THANK YOU, THANK YOU JESUS!!

 As we prayerfully move into 2017 I can't help but meditate on the lyrics of Lemmie Battle and the Chicago Mass Choir  "Thank You, Thank You Jesus"!! "My soul looks back and wonder how YOU brought me over I just want to say Thank You"(OMG)!

During my "E & Lissa" time with my daddy he would always say that each year held a certain amount of trials and tribulations regardless of the level or status of your Christian walk!! Those words ring true each year as I experience various trials and witness first hand the makeup of my family changing right before my very eyes!

I'm Thankful for parents who instilled the importance of a relationship with Christ and attending worship! Amidst the "yearly trials" experienced, as my daddy called them, I can see God's hand in every one of them!!  "You keep on making a way"!

In my Lemmie Battle voice "I GOTTA TELL HIM THANK YA!! He been so good to me!! Anybody owe Him one ?!!"

"Yes Lord" Lissa definitely does!! "When I didn't know what to do Lord I trusted you and YOU pulled me THROUGH”!!

Thank, You Thank You Jesus!! Definitely my testimony for 2016!! 

I dare not  leave 2016 without Thanking The Lord for His Abundant mercy!! And I encourage you to do the same!!

I just gotta tell you THANK YOU JESUS!!

His Presence is His Present!

The gift giving and receiving season is definitely upon us. The reason for the season often gets lost in the exchanging of gifts. As we grow older though, we begin to appreciate the presence of Christ in our life above what will be under the tree or in our personalized stocking. Now never let it be said that Lissa doesn't love presents. But as I've grown and matured in Christ I realize that tangible items break, wear out, or become obsolete very quickly while His presence in my life remains always and carries me through life even when I don't  realize He's there! I prefer His guidance and direction in life over flashy trinkets and even expensive jewels of which I've had! 

As I honestly dwell on the season and what it means I'm thankful that God sent us the ultimate present "His Special Gift" Jesus Christ!! Without Him I would be nothing!! His presence keeps  me, protects me, directs me and empowers me to be all He has called me to be!! I dread to think where I would be without the present of his presence!!

As we open gifts on Christmas Day let's not forget to bask in His presence remembering that it is the ultimate present and most importantly it costs us nothing to receive it!!

Merry Christmas and make sure you open the present of His presence first on Christmas Day!!

from

In The Thick Of Things

Church Flow!

National Pearls Day

#NationalWearYourPearlsDay

I love my Pearls!! What better day to celebrate!!

National Wear Your Pearls Day on December 15 reminds us that when life throws dirt our way, we all have value in the end.

Just as pearls come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, so do people and the kinds of trials thrown into our lives. We create our own beauty from the tragedies of our lives but often do not see it. We devalue ourselves and as a result, lose motivation to be a part of life. Like pearls, we develop a process to protect ourselves from further damage, layer by layer becoming stronger and more resourceful. Recognizing the collective value of our strengths is like wearing our pearls.

HOW TO OBSERVE

When life throws dirt your way, put on your pearls as a reminder that you have value regardless of your current circumstances.

Use #NationalWearYourPearlsDay to share on social media and on December 15 wear your pearls.

HISTORY

Best-selling author and motivational speaker, DeAnna Bookert, founded National Wear Your Pearls Day because pearls represented the story of her life and how she struggled with depression. “I wear pearls as a reminder that I have purpose and value.” The Registrar at National Day Calendar approved National Wear Your Pearls Day in 2015 and it is inaugural year is December, 2016!

A "Fashionable" Faith

Faith is a garment that must be worn 24 hours 7 days a week!! It can not be taken off and hung in the closet or placed in a shoe box, jewelry armoire or lane chest! It must become a part of your everyday attire! Many times when we're consulting God to meet a need or desire, we take faith out of the closet and wear it proudly. We are adorned with faith as we wait in expectation. But as time progresses we begin to slowly exchange out the garment of faith for the garment of doubt. Once adorned in doubt we begin to do things our way, expecting God to co-sign it as the blessing He sent!! That is definitely a "What Not To Wear" situation. Never exchange your faith garment for doubt, regardless of the time frame! That's a fashion faux pas for sure. God does all things well and in His time!! Give it to God and watch Him work! I promise you the longer you "werk" that faith garment the more "Girl you're wearing that" compliments you'll receive!! Make that faith garment work for you! Wear it well and watch God do what He does best!! Work in your favor!!

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Psalm 27:13(KJV

Tonight Is Light the Night Walk NIGHT!!

Tonight is Light the Night Walk Night!! I'm excited to be walking in honor of my mom and in support of so many still fighting !!
Thanks for your contribution to tonight's effort!!
Please take a minute to read the below tribute to my mom from the In The Thick of Things blog!!

Keeping Up Appearances (Be Beautiful: Wear Red Lipstick)

“On A Bad Day There’s Always Red Lipstick”

This month we celebrate survivors, provide encouragement to those in the midst of the breast cancer fight, and remember those that fought the good fight by encouraging you to Be Beautiful: Wear Red Lipstick as you “Fight Like A Girl". 

Breast Cancer and cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can cause tremendous changes to the physical body and produce real havoc on the emotions. 

Keeping Up Appearances is extremely important regardless the fight. The attitude towards the fight is what carries the patient from diagnosis to survivor!! 

As I reflect on the effects of breast cancer, I can personally share the testimonies of faith and "Keeping Up Appearances" of two women who had a tremendous impact on my spiritual walk--Mrs. Dorothy Branic and Ms. Sheila Alston! These ladies often shared their struggles with many in an effort to help someone else make it through the fight!! Their "Look and Feel Your Best Always" attitude, God's strength and their “On a Bad Day There’s always Red Lipstick” carried them during some of their roughest stages of their fight. I remember these ladies, beautifully adorned from head to toe, always topped off their ensemble with Red Lipstick "!! They always greeted you with a smile with that Red lipstick poppin!! I do declare there was healing power in that Red lipstick they wore giving those of us they came in contact with hope for what may lie ahead in our own struggles. Their testimony of faith, courage and strength coupled with their attitude towards the fight gave them the courage to fight on regardless of how they felt physically! 

To the ladies that are still fighting I encourage you to try some Red Lipstick compounded with your Faith in God! Cause “On a Bad Day There’s Always Red Lipstick” for Keeping up Appearances!

So ladies as you continue to “Fight Like A Girl", please check out the below article on cancer.org and don't forget your Red Lipstick! 

http://m.cancer.org/cancer/news/features/stacy-london-offers-style-tips-for-women-with-breast-cancer

“A Resilient Spirit”

As we approach this year’s “Light the Night Walk”, I find it only fitting to dedicate this portion of the blog in celebration of my mother and her couragous fight against the dreaded ‘C” word-cancer. At the age of 89 my mother was diagnosed with Leukemia with the prognosis of two-three months to live. My siblings and I decided to keep the diagnosis from her and let her “last days be her best days.” But being Momma, she knew more about what was happening than we did. Also, being Momma she didn’t let on until the end because she wanted her children to realize the teachings of she and my father—that this world is not our home and, therefore, everyday must be preparation day for “that day.”

And that’s the beauty of how she handled her diagnosis—knowing it was in God’s hands while also knowing that she was ready and knowing that she and her husband had well prepared their children to accept the inevitably of death. Momma was steadfast in her faith UNTIL THE END.

Carlissa

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Welcome!!!!

Welcome to In The Thick of Things Blog designed to inspire others through faith family and fashion. Faith in God which drives me, Family that supports me, and Fashion(My Style) that represents who I am. My faith walk requires me to ignore what I hear and even what I see and focus on what I know and find in the Word of God!! My prayer is that reading my blog will encourage you regardless of your current situation to strive to walk out your journey through faith in God, support of family and friends and a fashion sense that represents who you are and whose you are!!

Thanks for stopping by and remember "Your Style is the Style for You"!
Facebook: In The Thick Of Things
Twitter: @Carliss58375982

Be A Doer

Be a Doer
by Joyce Meyer

But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].
—James 1:22

Any time you see what the Word says and refuse to do it, reasoning has somehow gotten involved and deceived you into believing something other than the truth. There may be times when you don’t understand everything the Word says, but you should move ahead and do it. God wants you to obey him whether or not you feel like it, want to do it, or think it is a good idea. When God speaks, we are not to question His methods. His ways are not our own.

Proverbs 3:5 says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” In other words, don’t rely on reason or logic. When God speaks, we are to mobilize, not rationalize.

From the book Ending Your Day Right by Joyce Meyer. 

Steps of Faith

Faith requires complete trust in God regardless of what we see with our eyes and experience through our emotions. The natural eye will always lead us to think what we see is our reality, when it fact it's just the opposite to those who have a relationship with the Lord. We can not expect our faith to sustain us if we have not exercised that faith in serving God! This requires moment by moment "Steps of faith"!!

Sending A Message

The very clothes that you wear should send a message... We are living not unto ourselves, but we are living so that someone else can see Christ in the way we dress." 

- Bishop Jackie McCullough The Official Rev. Dr. Jacqueline McCullough

Fwd: My Current Situation

Situation In Your Life

I don't know who this post is DIRECTED to, but GOD said there's a situation in your life that's been weighing you down lately and it's been blocking your BLESSINGS. GOD said HE allowed you to go through that situation to show you that HE WILL BRING YOU OUT & PROVIDE YOUR EVERY NEED!!!!! That situation was just a TEST to give you a TESTIMONY. Now GOD is about to TURN some things around in your life. Everything is WORKING OUT FOR YOUR GOOD. I dare you to SHOUT AMEN!!!!!😇🙏🏾🙌🏿👼🏾 ‪#‎COPYANDPASTE‬
‪#‎AMEN‬

This Morning!!!

When I awoke this morning I asked myself, "What is life about?" I found the answer in my room. The fan said, "Be cool." The roof said, "Aim high." The window said, "See the world." The clock said, "Every minute is precious." The mirror said, "Reflect before you act." The calendar said, " Be up to date." The door said, "Push hard for your goals." The floor said, "Kneel down and pray." God whispered I will take you to it all. *Copy and paste if you believe 👊this is deep

God's Moving You!

Express Your Faith

Express Your Faith
by Joyce Meyer

Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation. —ROMANS 10:9,10.

This is a very important principle that we are in danger of missing. We are saved by faith, but James said that faith without works is dead. I can believe in my heart that God is worthy of worship; but if I don't take action to worship Him, it doesn't do much good. I can say I believe in tithing; but if I don't tithe, it won't help me financially. Be bold—take some action and be expressive in your praise and worship. A lot of people even refuse to talk about God. They say, "Religion is a private thing." I cannot find anyone in the Bible who met Jesus and kept it private.

When we are excited about praising and worshipping Him, it is difficult to have no outward expression. When He fills our hearts, the good news about Him comes out of our mouths.

From the book New Day, New You Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright ©2005 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.