even if he doesn't...

One of my favorite songs right now is Intentional by Travis Greene.

He's intentional, never failing. 

God is intentional with us, so why can't we be intentional with him?

To be intentional means to be done with intention or on purpose. It means that you are purposely doing something. Our relationship with Christ should be intentional. We should be purposely and actively working to expand our relationship with Christ. We purposely pursue or relationships and or friendships, but what about with Christ? It seems like we become "intentional" about him when it's convenient to us. We love to acknowledge him when things are going great and we love to cry out when we need a breakthrough. But what about the season of obedience where God is asking you to do something that feels uncomfortable? Where's the intent then?

Our relationship with God is not about blessings. We don't praise God so that blessings come down, we praise him because he's God. He's GOD, he deserves our praise in any season. How intentional are you with Christ when things aren't going so good in your life? Are you still willing to praise him even when you don't understand him and your circumstances?  One of my favorite quotes is "even if he doesn't" Which came from the book of Daniel chapter 3.

King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to get Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to bow down and worship his King. As they were about to get thrown into the furnace, they said that the God the they serve is able to deliver them... but even if he doesn't, they were not going to worship their god. Their faith in God was so strong that they knew that even if God didn't save them and allowed them to go through this trial, that he was still their God and that he still deserved their worship.

I love that! God even if you don't.... even if you allow me to go through this situation, you are still good, and you are still worthy of my praise.

Lately, Christ has been pulling me closer to him. This season has been about trusting him releasing things to him and it's tough to release things that I've controlled for so long! It's causing me to move out of my comfort zone and into a place where he can use me. God cannot move when you're in your comfort zone. You have to brave enough and willing to move out of that place.

So often we just want to label of being a Christian and not want to do the work. Once saved, always saved, right? WRONG. Being a Christian is nothing more than a label. You can say you're a Christian, but how do others know you're a Christian? What sets you apart from the world?

Whenever I bring up Heaven and Hell or Christ coming back, people seem to get really uncomfortable. I hear a lot of people say that , Oh, I'm a good person,  I believe in God, I go to church, so I'll go to Heaven." Sadly, there a good people in Hell and even the devil believes there is a God. We cannot solely rely on the fact that we think we're a good person to be enough. Are we doing what God has told us to do? I challenge myself with this blog, because I have to make sure that I'm doing the very thing God has to told me to do.

We should get to a place where we are so confident with our relationship with Christ, that if we died that second, we know we would go to Heaven. Or if Christ where to come back right then, we would be raptured up with him.

Choosing to be intentional with God didn't happen over night. Personally, I got tired of the same ol stuff and feeling stagnant, on top of that I was experiencing spiritual warfare and I came to the conclusion that it was only God that could see me through this. I intentionally have to make time to pray and seek the face of God. And with the busy work and school schedule I have, I have to make sure I make time for God because I cannot make it without him.

Lately, I've been desperate for God and for more of him. I want more of him in everything that I do, I want him to involved. I wanna look like him in everything (which is tough). God promised that he would pour out his spirit in the last days and I feel like I'm crying out and seeking for more of him. I know that I cannot make it without him.

So my challenge is simple, join me in making a conscious effort to be intentional in our relationship with Christ. Be intentional about spending time with him, be intentional about praying daily and allowing him to speak to us, be intentional about being OBEDIENT in his word and things he asks us to do. We can do this! You never know what effect your obedience has on someone else.

Here are my tips that help me go deeper in Christ:
1. Watch your friends, they should be building you up to be closer to Christ. Have an accountability partner!
-Proverbs 27:17.

2. Make a scheduled time to spend with Christ.
God says if we draw near to him, he will draw near to us. How can he get closer us if we don't allow him space to do so.
- James 4:8

3. Worship Music playlist.
Worship music helps me get to a place of peace.

4. Think on things that are like Christ.
This is hard for me because it's so easy to assume the worst.
- Philippians 4:8

5. Trust the process. Things don't happen overnight, be patient, but be intentional.
- Philippians 1:6

Don't get caught slippin'

Hey y'all ! It's been a crazy 6 months and I have missed blogging ! Well, as an update, I finished my first semester of nursing school! WHAT A SEMESTER! God was so faithful in getting myself and classmates through it! Needless to say... I was so busy! There were some days where I didn't know if I was coming or going ! (seriously, lol) 

Last day clinicals with our instructor. (she was God sent)

I heard a sermon today that really stuck with me about living for Christ. Y'all know living for Christ AINT easy, but it's so necessary.  So lets discuss this thang...

See it's time out for the feel good messages. You know the ones we like about how our blessings are on the way and all that. Granted, there is NOTHING wrong with that, but it's time we've graduated from those feel good messages and to those uncomfortable, CONVICTING messages. If you look at the news or even glance at social media, you see all the horrible things taking place in America and all over the world. Earthquakes, floods, blood moons, murders, and the list goes on. If we take a look in the word, we see that God said these things would happen in the end times. (See Matthew 24)

Jesus is coming back, SOON and we can't afford to be caught slippin' in these last days, y'all. The word says he will come like a "thief in the night" (1 Thessalonians 5:2 ) . The words says that we are to be ALERT and of a SOBER MIND because the our ENEMY the DEVIL is prowling around like a LION seeking for SOMEONE to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)  Have y'all ever seen a lion that is hungry and strategic it is when it is hunting for food. It looks for the weakest or smallest animal in a heard, it looks for the one animal that is just out itself not aware of the evil that is lurking around it. That's how the enemy is looking for someone to get. He's looking for that one person that hasn't really been in the word like they're supposed to. He's looking for that one person who has their mind filled with worldly things. He's looking for a person that's ALMOST living right. But don't get distracted my brother or sister, don't get caught slippin. Your armor of God should be on in full gear the when the enemy sees you, he has to turn around because he knows he can't get you that way.

Being a child of God is more than just quoting scriptures, retweeting and liking "Godly" posts, and going to church on Sunday.  Being a child of God is confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We  cannot call ourselves children of God and live like this world. We CAN'T. The bible said that we are to be SET APART (Romans 12:2)! People should see something different in us ! It's time out for playing Christian. We love the Lord, but we still do what we want. We still get high, we still have sex, we still get drunk, we still lust, we still willingly sin, and then suddenly expect to be included in the will of God. Living for Christ is all or nothing. Either we let him rule all or nothing at all. We can't pick and choose when and what days we're gonna be Christian. 

Sin is so fatal (see my older post, the fatal root) and God didn't die for us to die in sin and live kinda right. Living almost right is living wrong. You don't almost fail a test, either you passed or you didn't. We have got to start living for Christ wholeheartedly. The sun is starting to set... time is winding down, we don't much time left to be running around here living almost right. 

So, I know this wasn't the pleasant blog you were expecting lol. But it was really on my heart to share this. Just know that you don't have to do this alone. 

xoxox,

Courtney Briana. 

P4CM - Almost Saved.

the fatal root.

Why can't I stop having sex? Why can't I stop cursing?! I don't know why can't stop lusting after that woman or man! Any of these sound familiar? 

When I was younger,  I spent my summers at my grandma's house. She stayed in a little house that had a lot of stray cats that loved to hang around the pouch and in her yard.Well every now and then we would we have a new cat that would come around. It would walk around the yard, scoping out the food that my grandma had thrown out,  but would get too close to the porch. It would hang on the side walk or in the drive way for a while because it wasn't comfortable enough to come to on the porch. But when we quit telling it to get away (or just being meddlesome and trying to scare it away), and the more my grandma starting feeding it, it felt more comfortable and before you know, BAM! It had made its way to the stoops on the porch. Just as comfortable as could be. It got to the point where we didn't even make note that it was there.

So, how comfortable is the sin in your life? Do you even recognize what it's doing to you? Y'all see how that cat just made its way to our front porch and stayed there. Do you see how easy it was? Sin is the same way. First it FASCINATES, then it ASSASSINATES.   All issues begin with small seeds. It takes a small seed of fornication to give birth to full blown lust. It takes a small seed of curiosity to give birth to full blown homosexuality. It takes one small seed y'all. ONE SEED is all it takes for a root to begin to form in your heart that will eventually start giving birth to full blown SIN.

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. - James 1:14-15

This verse is one of my favorite verses in describing how sin works. First there is a desire.Once entertained, it takes a fatal root deep in within our hearts and a tree of sin forms; which will lead to death. AND far too often we think that if we just sorta pray it away or just forget about it... that we won't have to struggle with that sin anymore. NO! It's time to stop feeding that tree of sin in your heart!! It's time to stop trying to cover it with a band-aid when you know God needs to operate on it. When a person has cancer, they can't just put on a band-aid and hope to feel better soon! Doctors have to go and remove the tumor before it spreads. Only a trained physician that specializes in cancer can go in and safely remove that damage areas so that healing can begin...

& only the GREAT physician that knows your heart can go in and yank out that cancerous sin so that you can begin to produce life.

Being from the Auburn area, I remember when the Toomer's Oak Trees were poisoned. For a while after it happened, they had specialist monitoring the trees to see if it could produce life. Unfortunately, it didn't and the tree was already dying. Trees that we over 80 years old were killed by just a little poison. 

toomer's oaks, before they were cut down.

It time for some of us to POISON the roots of sin in our hearts. Worship is poison to our sin. Yes, worship is toxic. It takes us to another place with God where we become totally undone and he begins to strip us what does not look like him. When you get to another place with God, your appetite changes and you no longer desire the same things you use to once crave. I've see full blown homosexuals, sex addicts, drug addicts, fornicators, etc. turn away from that lifestyle after experiencing the presence of God.  The presence of God is so overwhelming. It so power that you're never same once you leave is presence. You're not the same person. 

We're talking about eternity. Heaven and Hell. It's time to get serious about overcoming sin and truly living for Christ. Here are some tips that helped me:

1. Repent. Like realllly repent and mean it!!! Tell God how you want to change and turn away from sin.

2. Quit entertaining the sin. You know sex before marriage is wrong. You know it. So why do you continue to let your boyfriend/girlfriend spend the night? Quit opening the door to sin. Stop putting yourself in situations where you could sin. Yes, the bible says that God will provide a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13), but for some of y'all that way of escape is not answering the phone when he/she calls. 

3. Lose the flesh. Our flesh gets us in a lot of trouble. In fact the bible tells us that if we live by the flesh, we will die. (Romans 8:13)

Stop acting in the flesh, renew your mind and start thinking with your spirit. When you're in a spirit mindset, things are so much more clear.(Romans 12:2)

4. Listen to your convictions. If you're having second thoughts, chances are you just shouldn't be doing it at all. The little voice that's making you rethink it the Holy Spirit. Listen to him and save yourself from lot of trouble.

So I challenge you, wherever you are to die to your flesh, kill that root of sin, and start truly living for Christ. I'm always available if you need me. cfrance05@gmail.com <3.

Love youuuuu,

xoxoxo.

The Ocean Floor.

How could I be so stupid? Why did I do that? How could God still use me, look at what I've done? I'm just way too far from Christ to even get back right.

Any of these questions so familiar? Honestly, I've said them all. None of us have a squeaky clean past. We all have done things that we're not proud or ashamed of. After I got saved, asked for forgiveness of my sin, and truly started living for Christ, the enemy had a field day in my thoughts. "Remember when you did this? Remember when that was you acting like that? Remember when you dated them? Yeah, you're not really over that, you're still a sinner." He was reminding me of all this stuff that GOD has forgiven me from. It made NO sense. Why was I feeling guilty about stuff that I was forgiven from? I had not forgiven myself. 

This was me. A depressed mess. I mean, I thought I was saved. So, why was a struggling so hard to conquer certain sins? Maybe I really wasn't forgiven... 

A lot of my issues came from me not dealing with stuff. I would brush the embarrassing, shameful issues and problems to the back of my mind and just forget about them. I thought that not dealing with things was a way of healing. 

Boy was I WRONG. There was HOPE and there still is. Satan is the father of LIES, y'all. LIES. Nothing that come from his mouth produces life. He has come to DESTROY you, (John 10:10) and he will do so by any means necessary. First off, know that you are forgiven by Christ. The bible tells us in Psalms 103:12 that as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Still don't believe you're really forgiven? Isaiah 43:25 says that HE will blot our sins away for HIS OWN SAKE and will NEVER think of them AGAIN.

God forgives you, so why can't you forgive you? Maybe you're too ashamed that you had an abortion. or maybe embarrassed that you're no longer a virgin, or maybe you're gay and you think you always have to be that way. It's time to start dealing with these things so that can God carry you to the next level. In order for you to elevate, you have to separate! Separate yourself from your old life!! That life no longer defines you!! Cry out to Christ and then embrace his grace and forgiveness. Stop allowing your past sin affect you. The enemy no more control over your life. You belong to JESUS. and to my sister who feels like God just can't use her... Please know that God can have his way in your life when you surrender all to him. Your testimony is going to help and encourage others!!! God is waiting for you, stop running and rest in him. 

So sis, stop beating yourself up. No one is perfect. God is so faithful and can use you beyond all your slip ups and mess ups.

In the midst of living in sin, I ran across a quote that said, "I was loved in my darkest hour." God knew what he was doing when I ran across that quote because it was always on my mind. That even when I was rebelling again Christ, I was still loved! Christ STILL died for me knowing that I was gonna turn from him!! What love does that?! It was that same love that drew me closer to him and helped me learn to forgive myself. Christ will help you through it!!! My prayer through that entire season was that God would change my identity. I wanted God to transform me to look like him!! God take away anything that doesn't look like you!!! 

My prayer for you tonight is that you would see yourself the way that God sees you. Forgiven and Loved. I love the song lyric, "your sins are erased, they are no more, they're on the ocean floor." Stop beating yourself up sis. God is gonna use you in a mighty way. Leave your sins at that cross.

" and I'll look to the cross as my failure is lost, in the light of your glorious grace, so let the ruins come to life, in the beauty of your name. Rising up for the ashes, God forever you'll reign." - Hillsong United - Glorious Ruins.

I'm praying for y'all and I'm always here if you ever need anything.

xoxox

Court.<3.

The Girl Behind the Veil.

“Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” – 2 Corinthians 3:16-17.

My relationship with God is like a marriage. Just as wives should submit to their husband, I submit to Christ (boy, is that tough). I've been in the season that is like pruning and preparation. God is preparing me for this next season of my life, and just like in school, I have to go through test to make sure that I am prepared to move on. Well, we all know that tests are NOT easy. Some are, but it seems like the ones that I have been going through are TOUGH. None the less, God revealed something to me this morning about this season of my life and why I'm still the girl behind the veil.

So God kinda spoke to me in two ways today. For the past few days, I've been waking up and feeling DOWN. There are times were I don't even want to get out of bed. I could not figure out WHY I was feeling this way. I wasn't depressed, or unhappy.. so what was it?! This morning I was feeling super sick and couldn't make it to church. I laid in bed and just listened to my worship music. Trying to find peace for my uneasiness. God very quickly revealed that I was allowing the enemy access to into my mind. I have very bad anxiety. I just don't rest well when I have things on my mind. My anxiety lately has been through the rough with school, some little health problems, and just life. I just was weary. My spirit was tired. The enemy gains entry into our mind when we forget or fail to believe that God is able. GOD IS ABLE.  He's not an inconsistent God, he's not man that he should LIE. We sure a God that is able to more than we could ever ask or imagine. He is ABLE. I can recall those mornings where I woke up feeling down, I went to sleep worrying about the same things I had just prayed about. I had convinced myself that I gave it God, but I was still trying to handle it. How could I forget that God was able?

I've been listening to a group called WorshipMob and there was section of the a song where one of the members quoted that "thank you Jesus for removing the veil that separated us for God." Today, as I  was listening to that song, I realized that I was pulling the veil back over my eyes. My anxiety was trying separate me from Christ. I say trying because it did not and WILL not succeed.  God's peace hit me like a ton a bricks today and he reminded me that he is God.. he is ABLE.  So today, the veil was lifted again and never again will allow anxiety to anything else to steal my peace. I feel amazing now.

So why am I sharing this? I'm glad you asked!!! (: My question to you is, are you still the girl behind the veil? See, when we accepted Christ into our hearts, the spirit of the living God came on the inside of us; and where the spirit of the Lord is... there IS freedom. Freedom from everything. That veil is now TORN. You are free from worry, sin, anxiety, whatever it is!! Sis, RELEASE IT. It's not ours anymore. You don't have to worry anymore! We are truly free.

So, no matter what you're going through, no matter how big or how small... remember that God can do it. God WILL do it. To my sis who is worrying, give it over to God. Truly surrender it all to him and watch the peace that he will give you instead. 

Allow God to give you beauty for ashes. 

Jesus lovess youuu,

xoxoo.

Courtney.

Need prayer? To talk? I'm always here :)

email me at cfrance05@gmail.com

abnormal.

I have reached the conclusion that I am abnormal. 

I'm currently taking a class that is focused on making yourself better. We cover a variety of topics, some of which leave me looking real crazy. Our last topic helped me reach the conclusion, I am abnormal.

Our topic was sex. You can imagine how this conversation went being among college students. There were so many opinions shared, most of which I disagreed with. I felt SO uncomfortable. Not because people where talking about sex, but because of the lack of morals and standards of those who called themselves Christians. I sat there LOST and while my flesh was eager to speak, my attitude was not in check and it was not the time nor the place.


ab·nor·mal 

So, why do I think I'm abnormal? I'm a virgin by CHOICE. Not because I haven't found "Mr.Right" but because "Mr. Right" will NOT compromise my purity. Sex is for marriage.  Being a Christian and a follower of Christ, the word of God is very clear about sex and honoring your body. SO WHAT you're young and you want to experience life? The life you THINK you're experiencing is NOTHING like the life Christ can give you once you surrender it all to him. Not all college students are having sex. I have so many sisters in Christ who are celibate and choosing to honor God with their life and bodies in their college years. College is not the time for you to have sex and experience all  these things and then decide you're going to grow up. No sis, we're dealing with eternity. ETERNITY, like heaven or hell. Do you not realize that Jesus could come back at any moment? Or that you life could be over? Stop living for the moment. The excuse "I'm young and was trying to have fun" or "experience life before I settle down" will not work. God wants your YOUTH. Not only that, he wants your entire life . You can't live with one foot in the world and then acknowledge God every now and then. Let him use you in your college years!! You don't have to be like everyone else.  Be SET APART. 

I'm not embarrassed about being a virgin. I love being abnormal. When people find out that I am a virgin they always ask How have you made it this far?

Well, it was instilled in me that sex was for marriage at very young age. So I've always thought of it this way. I never veered from it. Was it tough? Absolutely! We live in sex craved world. You're relationship isn't thriving if you're not satisfying your boyfriend. No one thinks about the fact that sex ties two people together. Sex ties MARRIED couples together. I'm a firm believer in soul ties.When you sleep with person, your soul is know tied with them. You have deposited a piece of yourself into them and vice versa. What's the point of creating soul ties with man who you're not even legally tied to? Instant pleasure? Just because you can? No sis, please hear it from me if you hear from NO ONE ELSE, you are worth MARRIAGE. YES, BOO, MARRIAGE. Forget waiting 90 days and lets discuss that for a minute. Baby... you're worth so much more than 90 days. This rule says a man has to "prove himself worthy of the cookie" for 90 days before a woman should be sexual with him. Absolutely not, sis. Don't place a limit on yourself. You are worth marriage and your Adam will know that and will not compromise that.

Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. 

- 1 Corinthians 6:18

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

I heard Cornelius Lindsey say that "We believe we can do all things through Christ except stop sinning." We believe we can pass that test, or get through that situation, yet can't quit sinning. I think the truth is, we believe we can do it, we just chose not to. Because it feels good right now.  YOU CAN DO THIS.  Be bold, step out an honor God with your body and life. Be abnormal.

Now, don't think I'm judging or bashing you because you've had sex or having sex. But what am I challenging you to be the wholesome woman God has called you to be. Be holy. The TOTAL opposite of society's idea of normal. 

Wait, I'm not ready...

Can I be transparent? I don't like talking about stuff like this, but I definitely feel lead to share.

I go through these weird stages in life where I feel like I'm in a fog. Kinda like, I'm here, but I'm not here, if that makes sense. Just going through life... going through the motions. I don't like talking about it much because I use to feel like I can't let me people know that I struggle. I had to hold this mask up so that people thought that I had it all together. Well, let me be the first to say that I definitely don't have it all together. I'm a mess... a broken BEAUTIFUL mess. A mess that God took under his wing and loved back to life. Once the mask came off, it became clearer areas that needed work. That mask to hide temptation struggles, depressive thoughts, and lack of joy was the enemy was of trying to make me forget those things existed. Like if I covered those things up and smiled like everything was okay it would magically disappear. He is a DECEIVER, y'all. But when you realize that you have authority over the enemy and you USE it... things get better.

Starting Pinky Promise was the best thing I've ever done. I get to see God work in ways I've never dreamed of. I've see women restored in joy, peace, etc. I've see God tug at hearts and draw his daughters back close to him. I am truly and totally amazed at the times we sit and encounter God. It brings me so much to God work in the lives of his daughters. Women of all types...who don't have it all together, just seeking a better relationship with Christ.


As I said earlier, I don't have it all together. I use to think that if I shared the fact that I was struggling with a particular thing or feeling, I would get judged. Y'all know how folks talk, "Ooo, she gotta problem with ______". So I kept it all in hopes of maintaining my "good Christian girl image". But the truth is, masks come off and expose what's on the inside. Eventually, in a lot of tears and thoughts, it begin to come out. All those feelings of self doubt and fear were right there and I had a choice, capture it or let it capture me. Where in the bible does it tell me I have to be perfect or have it all together? So it was time to capture these things that were not of God. I had to remind myself of a few things:
1) Where God guides, he provides. I wouldn't have been lead to this place of my life if God would have equipped me to do his work.
2) God does not called the qualified, he qualifies the called.
3) Not feeling ready isn't an excuse to not do what I am called to do.

So, truth is, you don't have it all together for God to use you. In fact, we will never have it all together. Philippians 1:6 says that we are a work in progress until the return of Christ Jesus.

If I could encourage someone right now... Don't let the fact the you feel like you're not ready keep you from walking into the call God has on your life. If you know some of my testimony, you know that felt like I wasn't "saved" enough to start and lead a ministry. But, guess what, God saw what I didn't see!! He saw past all that negativity! God is going to be with you through the whole thing. All he wants is effort. Do what he is calling you to do. He's not gonna call you to do something and then leave you to do it alone. He's gonna help you!!! Believe me!! He will never leave you nor will forsake you. God wants to use your brokenness... your hurt...your insecurities. Let that draw you closer to Christ. He's waiting on you... run back into his arms.

So what am I saying? It's okay to be imperfect because it's impossible to be perfect. Take off the mask. We all struggle... but God is still good and perfect. Strive to be more like Jesus in everything you do. Draw near to him... not away. Get some accountability in your life. I have some amazing friends that are ready to pray whenever I need it. They are there to listen and give me some biblical advice and insight. Get you some praying girlfriends!! If you don't have someone to pray for you... I will be that friend!! I love to pray, lol. 

I love you ladies,
xoxo.
Court.