Tag: Trust

Feature Story, Online edition!

Three Ways to Trust God When Things Are Falling Apart….

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3 Ways to Trust God When Things Are Falling Apart
(By: Alton Jamison)

It’s easy to trust God when things are going your way. But how do you keep your faith and trust in God when things are falling apart?

We all know life is a never-ending mosaic of both good and not-so-good.

From the incredible highs where you believe nothing can stand in your way and you can realize all your dreams; to the disheartening lows where it’s almost impossible to even find hope in the next hour, let alone the future.

But how do you continue to thrive despite the lows that life throws our way? How do you not get lost in the depths of sadness and heartbreak when the going gets tough?

Below are 3 ways to give you strength and hold on to hope and your faith in God no matter what is happening around you.

  1. Patience:
    While it may seem counterintuitive, patience is the best way to handle a challenging situation that appears, on the surface, to be making your life fall apart.

When things become challenging and uncomfortable, we tend to want to push through and past the pain and discomfort quickly and in any way possible; even if it’s not in our best interests.

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 straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5&6

Life is a journey and full of lessons. While trying life challenges and emotions are not easy, they are important. We learn the most during challenging times. So by practicing patience, we allow ourselves to slow down, reflect, understand and absorb the lesson being offered to us.

The willingness to stay the course, hold on tight to our faith and practice patience, allows us to remain open to what is in our best interest (which our heavenly Father knows) and adjust our path in life. Patience allows us to be in the moment and reconnect with our soul and our life purpose.  

  1. Prayer: Surrender yourself and your challenges to God through prayer. Prayer is our spiritual conversation with God who both hears and answers prayers.

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find.”
(Matthew 7:7)

Just as you would talk to your best friend during hard times, communicate and rely upon God who always knows what is best for you. Lean upon God’s strength through prayer and reflection and clear your mind of all the noise, confusion and sadness.

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8)

Trust in the power of prayer and know your heavenly Father is always listening regardless of how large or small your problems may seem. Prayer is also a form of meditation and will help relieve the overwhelming stress of whatever you’re facing. Prayer with deep faith will also open up your mind and heart to receiving guidance from above.

You are not expected to have all the answers; remember your life is a journey. But trusting in the connection to our higher source offers both peace and answers. Even Jesus prayed to God in his darkest moments in the Garden of Gethsemane for the strength to do God’s will.

Prayer enhances our most intimate relationship with our Creator and places our hope and trust in a power far greater than ourselves. In both good times and bad, prayers reach out for help and express gratitude for help received.

  1. Perseverance:
    It’s important to remember prayers are not always answered in our timeframe or in accordance with our expectations. But with perseverance and faith, answers and solutions will present themselves. As Joshua encouraged us:

“Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for
the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

When we persevere in our faith and trust in the Almighty, we avoid being intimidated into fear, hopelessness and inaction in the face of difficulties or obstacles. Instead, we hold our trust that God will provide the best for us in his infinite wisdom and at the right time.

Even if you feel your prayers are not being heard or answered fast enough, continue to practice patience, prayer and perseverance to find the strength to stay on course and remain faithful to God and his will and plan for us.


Alton and TaShawnda Jamison are the founders of The Empowerment Zone. This is a ministry designed to “empower people for everyday life”, through products, events, and messages. Alton and TaShawnda Jamison have been sharing the gospel together for over 20 years. They met in college on the campus of Old Dominion University and started teaching Bible Study together and the rest, they say, is history. God has gifted them in the areas of Families and Finances, and they have been blessed to be able to share their message around the country. They have recently completed their first book together: Purpose, Passion & Prosperity: 3 Keys To A Godly Marriage. Alton is the author of three additional books: Get Off The System: Moving From Lack To Abundance, No More Handcuffs: 5 Keys To Removing The Mental Handcuffs From Your Life, and Biblical Principles For Entrepreneurs. They have a genuine love for God and being transparent to others about their failures and successes. God has also blessed them with two beautiful children. For more information about Alton and TaShawnda or The Empowerment Zone, please visit: www.empowerlives.net

BRCLM Lagniappe, June 2018

A Little Laginappe, Melinda Stallings on the Infinite Power of Positive

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The infinite power of positive

a god powered life

By Melinda Stallings

“Behold the fowls of the air: they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

“I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

“For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

It’s a pleasant morning, temperatures in the high 60’s; my back door is open to catch the slight breeze, and I can hear the beautiful sounds of the bounty of birds who come daily to my feeders. As I sit down to breakfast, I look out into the backyard. There are sparrows and blue-jays, cardinals and mourning doves, bluebirds and brown thrushes, chickadees and hummingbirds, and a lone red-headed woodpecker who commands the feeder each time he descends. And as I set my breakfast down and settle in to say my blessing, I am completely overcome with the fullness of the love of Jesus Christ. In that moment, I look all around me – at my beautiful little home, at the bounty of nature in my backyard, at my full plate of healthy and delicious food, at my two pups (who were already stationed at either side of my chair), at the pictures of my daughters and friends, at the fullness of my life; and I keep saying thank you, thank you, thank you God.

Two years ago, it was a different utterance. It was why God, why God, why God?

I moved to Baton Rouge from the Houston area four years ago to be close to my brother. Two years after my arrival, my brother suffered a massive heart attack. The day I discovered him was the eve of Epiphany, literally and figuratively. He was coming to get my Christmas lights down from my house before twelfth night. When he didn’t show up his customary 30 minutes before an appointed time, and when he didn’t answer his phone, I knew something was wrong. The evening before, I told him I would have the coffee ready, and I thank God the last words we said to each other that evening before we hung up was our customary “I Love You.”

God has a way of using all events for our good though, and to bring us closer to Him – if we are willing. Although I was always a Christian and had stayed close to my church and God, this grief settled into my soul like a soaked woolen blanket. During that time, I felt so alone. There was so much to contend with, and I had always relied on my brother’s guidance. It is the steadfast love of God, who loved me even when I railed at Him, that got me through that trying time – where time stood still yet progressed at breakneck speed. And it was in that time, that I realized that God would never leave me.

For months on end, I tried to control everything. I was seeking my own counsel since I felt like that was all I had. And my counsel was not that great in that state of mind. Nothing seemed to be working – issues became more convoluted. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t act; my world was closing in on me. About a year in, I became so despondent that, in a cry of desperation, I hit my knees and sobbed into the side of my bed. My railing and my beseeching were as of a young child – and indeed that’s what I felt like. A lonely, scared, tired, confused, beat up child. I cried until I had no more strength. As I lay on the floor, exhausted, I asked God to take it all. Remove the fear, instill the faith that had wavered, draw me close and provide people in my life to help me. I promised to seek the counsel of God first moving forward – such a simple concept, yet I had lost it in my bewildered, grieving state. That night, I feel sure that God held me ever more closely in His loving embrace.

And as time and I progressed, I saw that God indeed had a plan for me; plans to prosper me and not to harm me and that with Him, I had hope for the future that HE had planned for me – even though it wasn’t the future I had planned.

Through small actions and release, I realized that God wanted me to have an abundant life. Even in the midst of losing my best friend, I learned how to live more fully though the Grace of God. The journey was trying but the more I opened to allowing God to lead me through, the less treacherous the path became. I began to make better decisions, I felt more powerful knowing that I had God with me in all my decisions, and indeed, God provided the right people at the right time in my life. I would pray for a blessing on every decision I made, conversation I had, business endeavor I undertook. Ask and ye shall receive.

Jesus came that we might have life – that we may walk in peace, that we may have the ability to overcome evil, to love, to be able to enrich the lives of others, yes; even in our own times of trouble. Love lifted me. But I had to remember to put love first, the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. When I sought His will and followed the guidance of my soul through asking in prayer, He provided everything that I needed. And He still does.

Life is fleeting. We know neither the time nor the hour. I’ve decided to make every day count – positively, powerfully, for God. And to remind me, I keep this little LIFE acronym handy. I hope it will bless you when you feel the world closing in around you – just remember GOD is always there, just invite Him in – oh, and let Him have control. He’s got the whole world in His hands!

L – Love: “…and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13) – God’s love is unfailing.

I – Integrity: What would Jesus do? Act in integrity and all else will fall into place.

F – Faith: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for.” (Hebrews 11:1); “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17)

E – Eternal: God’s love for us is eternal. He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).

Melinda Stallings is a keynote speaker, author, consultant, coach, and mother of two daughters. She guides people in discovering the power of positive within themselves to uncover their God-given purpose and passion in life and share it with others. She moves organizations from conflict and essential business skills “breakdown to breakthrough” through the POSITIVE Approach. She can be reached at Melinda@MelindaStallings.com, www.MelindaStallings.com and (713) 817 8199. For inspirational quotes, follow her on Facebook at Melinda Stallings International.