So my husband and step daughter loves basketball. They literally watch it every day all day during basketball season. She has played basketball for about three years and her game is really improving. Because of my family’s love for basketball, I make it a priority to attend her basketball games as much as I can. Now starting out I didn’t know much more about basketball than the bare bone basics. As I attended more and more games, I began to notice the different types of players and teams. I noticed that some teams were fast and could ball. They would move quickly, attack the ball, and do all the things that wowed the crowd. These girls were putting in the work. The thing that amazed me the most was the teams that were not as fast or athletic, had mastered the fundamentals. When they had to go to the foul line they made all their free throws. When they did get the ball they could make a two-point or a three-point shot without being fancy. What was eye opening for me was the teams that were fundamentally sound, most of the times would defeat the teams that were very athletic and had fancy foot work. I quickly learned that the game of basketball wasn’t about being fancy or even being the pure athlete, but it was all about knowing the fundamentals of the game.

As I reflected on the game of basketball, the Lord quickly showed me how basketball and our walk with Christ have similarities. As a new believer we are taught that the fundamentals of Christianity are prayer, scripture and loving your neighbor. Along the way, the culture teaches us the fancy footwork of Christianity like when to stand up, when to shout, and the words that every Christian should say. Most of the things that the culture teaches us may not be biblical , however, it is the things that we do to “wow” people and let them know that we can speak the Christian speak. However, if we really go back to the basics of what we were taught at the beginning of our Christian journey, we will find that all God wants from us is the fundamental things like prayer, reading the scripture, loving your neighbor, helping those in need and walking in obedience. Those fundamentals and basic principles are what help us to “win” in our walk with Christ.

So just like basketball, return back to the fundamentals of being a Christian. Let’s love our neighbors. Let’s pray day and night and keep God on our mind. Lets read God’s instructional manual, the bible, to understand his plans for our lives. Let’s remember the why Jesus die on the cross and live as if we are a follower of him. If we never tell anyone that we are a Christian, they can see it by the life we live. Let us remember and live by all the basic fundamentals of being a Christian.

Going back to the fundamentals,

Felicia Smith

I must admit that one of my guilty pleasures is reality TV. Some how watching the drama unfold is more entertaining than I thought. I tried not to start watching any new reality shows but I always seem to get sucked in. One of my favorites is the Braxton Family Values. It reminds me of how crazy families really can be. Among all the sisters, the one that cracks me up the most is Tamar Braxton. Tamar has a saying for everything. From “Dot.com” to “Get your life”. One never knows what is going to come out of her mouth. One of the saying that has stuck to me is “Lies you tell.”  I have found myself blurting that out more than a little bit.

As I was sitting one day and reflecting on last year I thought about the times that I may not have walked in absolute truth and the times that I allowed others to feed me lies that I knew were not true. I realized that in my journey to become closer to Christ I have to not only walk in truth and be transparent but also not allow others in my space to lie or be dishonest. I can no longer excuse bad behavior of others and claim that we are in good relationship. This was huge for me because over the past year I have questioned the authenticity of relationships in my life. Whether solid or squishy I had to acknowledge the role I played and whether I needed to mend or release the relationship.

Four months into the new year I challenge you to think about the “Lies you tell.” Think of the lies you told to be perceived in a good light. Think of the lies others told you and you knew they were we not walking in absolute truth, but you accepted it. Think of the lies you tell yourself that prevent you from growing in areas that have left you scarred in broken but the lies help to keep the wound scab without healing. We have to become our authentic self and demand the same from others around us.

In my Women’s bible study reading with Babbie Mason she said something about truth that stuck with me. “Truth is firm, faithful, and factual. It is absolute and not obsolete. Is it not subjective or based on opinion. It is not biased, prejudiced, or outdated. Truth is objective, its impartial, fair, just and based on facts alone. God is truth, and truth is defined by character alone.”

My prayer is that you would seek and ask him to reveal to you the areas where you need to walk in truth.

Learning the truth walk,

Felicia Smith

I wonder sometimes how the world was before we had navigation systems and MapQuest. Did we all know how to read a map? When I moved to the District of Columbia I bought a navigation system. Because I didn’t know where I was going, I had to rely on whatever directions it gave me. After a year or two after being there, I could look at the route and immediately tell if that was the way I wanted to go. The GPS would say turn right and I would turn left because in my mind I  knew more that the GPS. That didn’t always work out in my favor because the thing that the GPS was trying to take me away from…. I would walk right into and spend more time in traffic. My navigation system even taught me some routes that I never would have thought about. However, over time, I would take in its ‘little’ knowledge and then I would to go back on my own until I got lost and had to listen again. This relationship with my navigation system became all too common for me. It reminded me of my relationship with Christ. As a new believer, I studied my bible and every word that God said; I tried to obey to the letter. However, as I got older I began to swerve away from the instructions a little. This was because, in my mind, I thought that I knew a better way. However, when I felt as though I had lost my way, I returned to my first love to find my directions. Whenever we ‘take control’ of our lives and rely on what we believe to be right, it leads us to ‘dead ends’ or longer travel routes. However, the more we learn to depend on the guidance of God, we will get to where we are going much quicker.

On the road with His directions,

Felicia Smith

It is so easy to be distracted. With social media, emails, and cell phones there is always something that could take you off course from your purpose and God’s plan. It happens to all of us. We were on the right path and God is using us mightily and all of a sudden, a distraction comes that takes us off course and causes us to do things that are not in the will of God.

 We all remembered the story of Whitney Houston. She was a beautiful woman with a voice that we knew was a blessing from God. When she sung it felt like doors opened up.  But Whitney struggled and sometimes distractions got the best of her. She struggled with drug abuse and it ultimately lead to her untimely death. But up until the day she passed away, her gift of singing was still present and she still could sing to the angels. Her voice was a gift from God and although she struggled with sins, God still allowed her to bless the lives of others through singing.

Sometimes, as human beings, when we sin or fall out of the will of God, we invalidate the gift god has given us. But when God has gifted us with a talent no matter what wrong turns we may take, he still allows us to operate in our gift. If someone is homeless and a mathematician, no matter what happens in their life to get them to the place of homelessness, they are still excellent at Math. God did not take the person’s ability to do math because of homelessness.

No matter what life brings or the sins you have committed, God has forgiven you and he still expects you to operate in your gift. Do not be deceived by the enemy in thinking that you shouldn’t do what God has called you to do because of the mistakes you have made. Repent. Turn around. And continue to do the work of God.

My family in Christ, my prayer for you today is that you operate in your gifts and do not be discouraged by those who try to invalidate your gift because of the mistakes you made. Then ask God to show you the times when you have invalidated others gift based on their sins and repent to God for that judgment. God knew before the foundation of the earth that you would sin but yet he continues to bless you and he expects you to use your gift to do the same. Operate in your gift today.

A man’s gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men.

Proverbs 18:16

India Arie is one of my favorite artists of all times. I am probably a dying breed of people who listen to the lyrics of a song and use that to decided if I will continue to listen. India Arie has the lyrical ability to reach into the core of who I am and make me examine myself. Her newest album Songversations had a song call Break the Shell. A portion of the song says

A life without pain is a wolf in sheep’s clothes

Cause if you listen to the lessons that it holds

You’ll find the gold

Child it’s time to break the shell

Life’s gonna hurt but it’s meant to be felt

You cannot touch the sky from inside yourself

You cannot fly until you break the shell

The lyrics continue to go into great depth about things in life that causes us to build a shell. Just as a caterpillar builds a shell to grow and be protected, so do we. Things happen in our life that causes us to shelter ourselves from pain and hurt from the past. Life quickly teaches us how to guard ourselves from the hurt and pain we once felt. However, sometimes we hold on to the shell and never let go. We become accustomed to not giving people and or goals our all for fear of feeling that pain or hurt again. Sure there is nothing wrong with protecting ourselves but at some point in time we have to break the shell.

The interesting thing about a caterpillar is that when it is ready to fully mature it goes into a cocoon. Going into a cocoon or a shell is the final step before becoming a beautiful butterfly that can soar and live the purpose it was made for. If a caterpillar never leaves its shell it can never fulfill its’ God given purpose. Shells make you a caterpillar. Caterpillars that break the shell fly into high heights. However, until it breaks the shell it is stuck on the ground. The messages that God gives you can’t be told until you break the shell. The friend that God put you in place to minister to cannot receive your ministry until you break the shell. The young lady who gets pregnant out-of-wedlock will not understand the gift that is growing inside of her womb until you break the shell.

Today is your day! Pray and ask God to help you to begin to break the shells of life that keep you from fulfilling the purpose of God. God loves you so much and he wants you to be a witness for him if only you can break the shell.

Becoming a butterfly,

Felicia Smith