Taking Inventory of Your Relationships

{REPOST} BY: KATRINA PINCKNEY LEWIS:

"Anything worth having is worth fighting for...but everything we have fought for wasn't worth having and wasn't ours to have/keep. If it feels good but doesn't fit the plan of God it can't stay. It's better to be alone on purpose then to be purposed and feel alone because we held on to something that left long before we did. Take inventory and take action!" ~K.P.L.

So many times we try to hold on to people that have passed their expiration date a long time ago. When we go to those people and try to partake of what they have to offer, we are somehow astonished when they cause us harm as a result. If you have been a person that has historically "settled" for the sake of having a relationship in your life when you know deep down inside that the relationship is causing you more harm than good, take heed to this posting and make the necessary adjustments to your life and relationship. I have heard it said that there are two kinds of people that enter into your life: Sowers and Suckers. The Suckers are the parasitic relationships that leave you drained. They receive all of the benefits while you are left bankrupt and void. These people rarely leave your life on their own, because they get all of the benefits with very little effort. On the other hand, the Sowers are those who pour into you. You are made better by their presence, not worse. These are what we call "symbiotic" relationships. The benefits flow in both directions. Your decision will determine which state you will be found in when you reach your point of Destiny. Choose Life!

The Kid In The King

As we approach Father's Day, we take time to honor the Men who hung in there, stayed in the fight and "manned-up" to the responsibilities of being the men to their families that they were created to be. I especially love Father's Day because since I've been married to God's Choice for me as a Husband, I am able to see a firsthand example of Godly Fatherhood. As a female who grew up in a home where my Father was the only male present, I didn't take advantage of the eyewitness opportunities to see what my Daddy truly went through to be the Man of the House. Since my husband came into my son's and my life, I am able to watch him pour wisdom and life lessons into my son and teach him what it really means to be a man of God. Watching their relationship grow and develop does my heart a world of good because their love shows me that there are no boundaries when a man truly loves. He Loves For Real! Althrough I've never met my husband's biological father, when I see the love in my Husband's eyes and hear the love in his voice when he calls my Father "Daddy", I treasure the blessing that God has sent to my life even the more. When my son runs down the stairs when he hears my husband's truck pull up in the driveway, or when they rough-house together on the floor and I hear the joy in my husband's and son's voice because "Dad's home", I celebrate the Kid in the King: The Man who is innocent enough to let the little boy in him peek through just enough to connect with the young man who is entering into manhood and meet him where he is. The King who has weathered the storms of life enough to lead his sons into their divine destinies in God. I thank God for allowing me to see the love of a father through my son's eyes; what a spectacular view!

Honor Thy Mother....

Honor = "To give great weight to; to hold as valuable." As we embark on this weekend of celebration of Mothers, this is one relationship that is in a class all by itself. From conception through adulthood and beyond, Mothers occupy the awesome position of protector, teacher, mentor, nurturer, provider, comforter.....the list can go on and on. It wasn't until I became a mother almost 12 years ago, that I realized the power of all of those roles and how they fortified my resolve to honor God for the gift of motherhood by the way I raise my son. Through this journey, I have learned the lessons that are helping families all over the nation raise healthy, happy children that are shaping the next generation and beyond. The role of Motherhood for me is one of the most rewarding, privileged and honorable positions that I hold. I am privileged to honor God through Motherhood. Without learning first from my mother, grandmother, Spiritual mothers and all of the women who have played a role in molding and shaping me into the woman I am today, I wouldn't be who and what I am today. Mothers have the privilege of being the first teacher, the first nurturer, the first mentor; the FIRST. So as we celebrate the joy of motherhood, whether your mother is with you in body or in Spirit, let's Honor God by Honoring His word which commands us to "Honor Thy Mother". Happy Mother's Day!

~ Scripture References: Exodus 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you."

~ Ephesians 6:2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise:"

Deuteronomy 5:16 "Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you".

Make Time for Love

One of my favorite sayings is: "Communication is to a relationship what Blood is to the body". Many have adopted the paradigm that communication is limited to words, but communication is so much more. We would be remiss if we thought that our nonverbal communication was of less importance than our verbal communication. In all honesty, and in may cases, our nonverbal communication speaks much louder!
Spring has sprung and with it, the hustle and bustle that accompany this season of change: projects that we have neglected during the cold of winter have somehow moved up on our list of priorities; that garden that was neglected over the course of winter is alive with the buzz of bees, the aroma of Miracle-gro and the touch of hands that provide the seeds that cause what was once barren to spring into life!
Many times, our relationships go through a similar process of events, but is this pattern one of necessity for every relationship? Or can we take time everyday to fertilize, nurture and cultivate a robust lovewalk with our spouses and significant others that perseveres regardless of seasons and time?
Fred Hammond says it best as he puts to music, what I have quoted as a proverb in my own marriage: Make Time for Love! The holding of hands, a greeting with a kiss, a gentle hand on the shoulder, a wink from across the room, a kiss blown and caught as tenderly as a butterfly lands on a flower...none of these gestures require an audible word, but speak volumes from a place within the heart in a language that your two hearts understand. Make Time for Love! True love is a gift that was given to us by a God who embodies love, who emanates love, who IS love!
Purpose in your heart today to make your loved one smile. Carve out some time to send a message of love that makes their heart skip a beat! Embrace them with arms that cause the cares of the day to evaporate like the morning dew. Make time to share! Make time to show you care! Make Time For Love!

Do not arouse or awaken love until its time....

As we transition from the season of Winter to Spring, what better time to refresh and renew our relationships in preparation of new things to come. One of the greatest admonishments in the Bible on how to temper love between a man and a woman is found in the Songs of Songs, or in the Hebrew text, "Song of Solomon". Chapter 2 verse 7 expressly cautions young women "not to arouse or awaken love until the proper time." Filled with literary wit and poetic prose, this book of the Bible highlights the power of the force of love as well as the intensity that comes along with obtaining it. Many have fallen short of the full measure of true love the way God intended for it to be because of the temptation that comes with seeing the fruit of love and partaking of it before it is fully mature; before its proper time. Years ago, I told a group of Women that "You can see the grape appear on the vine long before it's ready to eat. If you pick the fruit too soon, it's no good to you because its not ripe enough to eat. If you leave the fruit on the vine too long, it can rot and fall to the ground; still not fit for eating because it spoiled on the vine. There is a "due season" for all things. Seeing the grape, waiting until the appointed time and then picking it when it's ready allows one to enjoy the fruit of waiting until the time is "just right". God has an appointed time for you and the one you love to enjoy the fullness of true love the way He intended, so that you can reap the harvest of loving and being loved God's way. Waiting on God has incomparable benefits! As Winter turns to Spring and love blooms anew, my dear sisters, I charge you, by the gazelles and the wild deer of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until its time......

~Scripture Reference: Song of Solomon 2:7

Relationships 101: Straight Talk for Women Workshop

Greetings Ladies!

Relationship Coach and Consultant, Katina Anderson Brown will host a Relationship Workshop in Charleston, SC on Saturday February 19th, 2011 at 10:00am. Workshop topics will include:
Sex * The 10 Rules of Courtship * How to Know if you have Mr. Right
Making Marriage Work * Healing after Adultery * Untying the Knot AFTER Divorce * Keeping the Fire Lit after you say, "I Do" * Women in Waiting * Purity Under Pressure * And Much, Much More!

Be sure to Pre-Register by visiting www.KatinaRAndersonMinistries.blogspot.com.
Registration is only $10 for Advance Registration
$15 the day of the Workshop
Telephone Registration Call: 1-888-813-8481
E-Mail Registrants: Click on the following link: KatinaRAndersonMinistries@gmail.com
Onsite Registration: 9:45am. Session Begins at 10:00am Sharp!

Women from all over the nation have been impacted by these life changing workshops. Bring a girlfriend and enjoy a morning packed with Food, Fun and Wisdom that will change your life and your relationships forever!! Looking forward to seeing you there!

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