"He Is" by Paris A. I. Larkin

I'm so very excited to present my very first guest blogger...

my daughter, Paris A. I. Larkin

Presenting an original piece: "He Is"

He holds a fist,

That is put together by strong hands, made up of worked fingers and tired tips.

 

From plowing his generational field, being ever so careful to protect the fruit that it yields.

Remembering that only in due season will it be ripe enough to partake in.

He talks from a mouth

Made of a sharp tongue, embraced by timely lips.

Speaking in moderation and caution, he understands his sword holds life and death.

He only forms words of blessing. He tells Satan get behind him

He stands tall,

On legs that have marched for freedom and truth.

Carrying purpose and destiny in every step

That never lolly gagged, but stayed the path

He broadens his shoulders,

Knowing that it is signature for dignity and stability

Allowing him to keep his head held high.

So that he may only gain wisdom from the God in the sky

Leading with his proud chest, the seat to his heart.

He holds up eyes

To the hills where his help comes from.

Leaning not on chariots and horses but the rock of every age

With a posture of maturity and life battles, he teaches

With a fist of hard work he fights for the generation to come

With a mouth of power he speaks those things that weren't into are

 

With legs of strength he stands to lead those that have lost their way

With a chest made of iron and fire he guards truth and swallows pride

With an upright head he gains knowledge to endure the race

 

He Is strong, He Is wise, He Is.

I pray this song inspires you~

You Either Trust Me Or You Don't!

"You either trust me or you don't!" 

Trust is so much easier in the absence of  a circumstance! Trust is definitely easier when it is not your reality, but someone else's present situation! Trust is not quite as easy when it is a matter of letting go of your failing plight, in exchange for allowing God to intervene and take on what you can't handle! Trust allows you to move beyond the pit in your stomach in exchange for peace that passes all understanding!

Trust gives us the freedom to be like a child and take that leap of faith into our Daddy's arms! Why? Because we are able to rely on His integrity, strength, and ability to catch us! Trust is knowing that no matter how big the situation, there is nothing to hard for God!  We are admonished to trust in the Lord with all of our hearts and lean not to our own understanding. In all of our ways acknowledge Him and He will direct our path!  I know that is easier said than done at times, but when we allow our hearts to totally rely on the Father it takes the responsibility off of us to try and make happen what we can't do anyway.  

Our trust and confidence in God allows him to show himself strong in our lives, and allows us to do the miraculous, just as when Jesus bid Peter to come to him on the water.  In Peter's human ability he could not walk on water, but through His faith, trust, and confidence in God he was able to do what no man had ever done before.  It was only when Peter took his eyes (faith and trust) off of God that he began to sink.  So it is with us when we take our focus off of our Heavenly Father and begin to put our trust in people and things!  People and things will fail us, but God will never fail!  Today I take another opportunity right in the midst of my unpredictable situation to confidently place my whole heart in God's hand and trust Him beyond what I see!

My Prayer:  God I thank you that in the midst of the storms that are rising in my life, you are showing me how to keep my balance and ride the waves!  I trust you God to keep me in every season of my life! I choose to worship you even when I don't know how to trust you! I thank you that you are a faithful Father and that you are taking me from glory to glory as I walk in your image and likeness!

I pray this song blesses you~

Do You Know What Today Is? It's Our Anniversary!

Five (5) years ago my husband and I stood before our family and friends to join together as one.  It was on July 27, 2008 that Keith and I made a covenant commitment to love one another, to serve one another, and to serve God in our marriage.

My husband of 5yrs has proven to be the one that God has for me, and more than that he has proven to be my prince charming, my angel, my king, and my friend!  I am so very blessed to have him as my life partner, my covering, and my friend. 

He has brought so much peace, joy, and laughter to my life!  He has stood by me in sickness and in health!  His love for me has been more than I could have imagined, and the way that he looks at me.............there is no mistaking that he adores me!

  I know that God loves me because He sent the most amazing gift to me in the person of my husband, Mr. Keith "Diddy" Litmon! 

 Keith, I want you to know that I Love you and I thank you so much for teaching me how to Love and to be Loved! You have blessed my life in so many ways!  More than that, you have embraced everything that I cherish and hold dear! You are an amazing husband, father, and friend! You have supported me in every endeavor and have brought great stability to my life!

 I salute you and celebrate you for being man enough for me, man enough to stand up with me and for me, and man enough to stick and stay! I love what you said to me before we got married, "divorce is not an option, and I'm not going nowhere!" Litmon ILuvu2Life!

#TEAMLITMON In the Building!

 

My Daddy Daily Loads Me With Benefits

There is a familiar scripture that has been in my spirit and in my heart for the past couple of weeks!  I could be totally thinking about something else and from out of nowhere I would hear, Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits!  In my mind I would say, "ok, thank you Lord for daily loading me with benefits."  After which I would go on about my day. I would come to a difficult point where it seemed like I just couldn't make my ends meet, and I would hear, Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits! At that point I would begin to feel the stress roll off of me, and that reassuring voice of my Daddy that says, "I Got You!"  He reminded me that it gives Him pleasure to bless me, to bless His children and to load us with good things.  So after hearing this word in my spirit over the last couple of weeks I decided to go back and really look at the verse.

Psalm 68:19 says, "Blessed be the Lord,
Who daily loads us with benefits,
The God of our salvation! Selah............(pause, and calmly think of that)
That's exactly what I did. I began to pause and calmly think, and this passage blessed my socks off!  The more I thought about it the more excited I got! "My Daddy Daily Loads Me With Benefits!"

After looking at the verse a little more intently this is what I saw. 
Blisssfully happy and joyfully contented is our sovereign ruler and king, the one of importance, that constantly day after day, lavishly and abundantly supplies His people with good things, gifts, blessings, worth, and favor!  WOW! SELAH...... I'm like God that's what you're saying in that verse?!?!  That's what you desire to do for me? No! Better than that, that's what you do for us your children!
The more I read that, the more excited I got, just to think that it makes God joyful to weigh us down with good gifts and rewards every day!



There are so many blessings that God grants to us everyday, but we don't always see them because of focusing on the things that we don't have.  And if we are truthful, it's not that we don't have, it's more so that we're not happy with what we have, or we want more!  The older I get the more I am learning that the things I once made a big fuss over are things that don't really matter.  Now don't get me wrong, there are some promises that I am waiting on God to fulfill, and there are some desires that I have, but I won't allow any of that to get me off track and lose sight of all the wonderful things that God has done and is doing on a daily basis.  When I find myself slipping into that place of frustration about what I don't have, or doubting that He will come through, that is when I cause myself to remember that My Daddy Got Me, and that He is Daily loading and overflowing me with gifts and favor!  Then I remember that according to Psalm 103:2 I am required to Bless (bestow honor and praise) the Lord, O My Soul, and forget not His Benefits (good things, gits, worth, and favor)! What a great place for a praise break! God I bless you! I honor you! I love and adore You!!!!


God causes me to see that the benefits are life, health, strength, healing, family, friendships, peace, rest, love, grace, sunshine, rain, favor with God and men, provision, the activity of my limbs, food, clothes, shelter, protection for my family, mercy, salvation, true relationship with the Father, the gift of music and song, understanding of His word, the heart of worship, and so much more!!!!!
I don't know what you stand in need of today or even what you are believing God for, but my prayer for you today is that you would see the blessings that Daddy God has placed all around you today and everyday! 
 Please join me in this prayer:  
Father in the Name of Jesus, I want to take this time to Thank you for my life and for waking me today. God I thank you that you Love me so much and that you daily load me with good things. Please forgive me for not seeing the blessings all around me.  From this point I choose to to see my blessings and thank you daily. In Jesus Name Amen!

I pray this song blesses you today..............

  

Growing Into Destiny

I started to writing this blog last week, but I had to take a pause................................ There were other things that kept jumping in front of it, but now I'm back! ;-)

For the last 2 weeks my pastor, Apostle Bennie Fluellen, has been preaching a message, "Growing Into Destiny!"  This message has really been stirring in me and has had me thinking.  I think this word is so appropriate for this time and season because there are a lot of Christians who share some sense of confusion regarding Destiny!

Destiny is defined as a finished state of being.  From the time we are born until the time that we leave this earth we are walking through the process of fulfilling our destiny.  Not one of us came into this world without destiny. We're all children of destiny.

We live in a world that is Pro-God as long as we don't define who God is; however, at the same we are Antichrist, meaning we rebell against the plan of God - The God Idea!

Have you ever found yourself asking the question: Why am I here?  Why was I created? What is my purpose?

As believers we believe that Jehovah our God is God. He is an intelligent God, and we are created in His image and the likeness of Him.  

 Colossians 1:16-18 tells us that, for by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.  And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.  God's love and original plan for our lives is working, so fighting against it is pointless!

  There was a great people who came together on one accord, with one heart, and one language.  They joined together with Nimrod to build the Tower of Babel that would reach the heavens!  They were doing a great work, but it was not the plan of God, and because of that, He confused their language so that their plan was not fulfilled.  How many times have you found yourself doing what you thought was a Good work, but later realized it was not a God work?!?! (I think I have a to pause and Selah right there!!!)
Some of us are in the belly of the whale, because like Jonah we're trying to run from the plan of God; but, please know that God is so committed to His purpose and will being carried out in our lives, that even our disobedience doesn't alter the plan of God!  Now, there are consequences for our disobedience, but it doesn't stop the plan of God! 

I belive the problem that many of us have, is that we don't believe that God is in control, and that He is all powerful!  And when I say we don't believe God is in control, I mean, we don't trust that God's plan is the best plan; however, He is not going to relinquish His plan just because we don't know and don't trust what it is and what he's doing.  Again, Dady God is fully committed to seeing us reach our final destination of Destiny, which is our finished state of being!

Please remember, we don't want to confuse reaching a destination, our goals, another plateau, with reaching our destiny! All of those others things become vain works if we haven't fulfilled and served the purpose and plan of God in our generation, our lifetime!  Which brings me back to the message that Apostle began the New Year with, "Lord Teach Us To Number Our Days!"  We only have a span of time in which to complete our life assignment, so we must be intentional about becoming and doing all that God has placed in our hands to Be and then Do!

Here are a few more points that Apostle Bennie gave us that I want to share with you:
1. Your identify and is not waiting to be found, it's waiting for you to grow into it.
2. The only reason why you're here is to do you; the true you that God has created.
3. You haven't become successful until you have identified yourself in Christ.
4. YOUR DESTINY IS DONE!!!! It's a finished work!!! It's In Him.......... 

I pray this song blesses you~

Healing Conversations Through Artistry

The LIVE Team and I are so very excited about Life After the Diagnosis......Healing Conversations Through Artistry!!!  We are in Great Expectation to see the Manifestation of the God idea!  Each and everyday I am learning even more that "it's not about me, but what God wants to do through me."  What the enemy  meant for evil God has turned for my Good, and with that said we have declared that WE SHALL LIVE and NOT DIE!!! 

Tomorrow is the day and I am looking for all of your beautiful faces to come and join the Healing Conversation!  It is our desire and prayer that everything you're needing and believing for will be provided during the Healing Conversation!

Location:  Refuge Coffee Bar, 5010 Glenway Ave, 45238 (across from Burger King)

Please click on the link below as I share more about the event!

Life After The Diagnosis.....Healing Conversations~

Happy Wednesday!

Have you received a life changing diagnosis?

Have you asked the question, "God Why Me?"

Do you care for someone with an illness?

If so, I want you to know there is Life after the Diagnosis

Since I was diagnosed with Liver Cancer in January 2012, God has been so gracious and kind to take my hand and lead me through what seemed be the most difficult test of my life.  It has been through much prayer, Love and Support, that I have made it through the most challenging time of my life!  After embracing and walking through this challenge, God has placed on my heart to come together and connect with those who have been newly diagnosed with a life changing illness, and to remind you that there is Hope and Life after the Diagnosis.  I know that the most difficult time is when you hear the physician tell you that there is a life threatening illness plaguing your body.  I know that even in an effort to grab hold of your faith that you may still have so many questions.  I know that I would not have made it if I didn't have positive people in my life to share my heart with and to speak Life to me!  

I want to create a healing environment that allows those that are going through this challenging time in their lives, as well as those that are caregivers to receive and share out of our life experiences and join in the Healing Conversation!

JL Heart of Worship Ministries and the LIVE Team are so excited about "Healing Conversations through Artistry!"  Please join my sister friends, Symana She Speaks, Juanita Johnson, and others as we present an atmosphere of healing through artistic expression at the Refuge Coffee Bar. Please feel free to share this event, and invite someone that you feel may be in need of blessing!  

To register we ask that you go to: www.jlhealingconversations.eventbrite.com.  If you're unable to attend but want to sow a Seed of Life, please go to the website at:  www.jlheartofworship.com.

I pray this song blesses you~

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In The Rhythm of Life

Whew...................I have been trying to catch my breath!!! ..............and speaking of catching my breath I almost forgot the significance, the necessity, and the importance in timing each breath when you're giving birth!

"inhale the good and exhale the bad"

Inhaling on beat and exhaling on count. Resting in between the contractions, inhaling the good and exhaling the bad as we embrace each pain.  As the community of women stood around the bed inhaling and exhaling, holding our breath in anticipation of the next contraction, pushing and breathing right with the expectant mother I realized even more that day, no one should give birth alone! WoW! I feel a teaching preaching moment coming on, but I am going to try and remain focused!

It is the rhythm of life, the ebb and flow, the perfect connection of time signature and key signature that is so neccessary in the work it takes to bring forth life, purpose, and destiny into the earth realm. The conception, the nurturing of the promise inside of the womb, and the awesome responsibility of laboring and co-laboring to see the manifestation of a brand new life!  And labor is just what it is, labor; the physical exertion of the body, soul, and mind. Oh, and by the way, those things that God has caused to conceive in your heart can only be produced into the earth realm through the process of labor, but again let me stay on point!  There is an assignment to bring forth this new life into the world, and thus we must work until the job is completed!  Once the water breaks there is no turning back.  It is that release that now gives permission for the mother and child to work together with God in presenting the "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!"

From the baby in the womb, to the laboring mother, to the mid-wife, doula, nurses, and the cheering section, we were all working in concert to ensure that the task is successfully completed!  It is literally through blood, sweat, and tears that we transition into motherhood, as we bear down and give it our all in that final push!  It is in that push where we see the head crowning, and this little person connected to the cord of life coming forth.  It is in that push where the labor pains, the tears, contractions, and the hard work become so worth it! It is in that final push where all the anxiety evaporates as the life you once carried inside is now skin to skin!

It was in that moment that again I got the awesome privilege to see the hand of God in the most amazing way as my daughter Paris brought forth her precious seed, Josiah King!  Our God, the creator and giver of life starting with a seed that is planted in the womb, that in due season would bring forth such an amazing being with a head, eyes, ears, nose, 10 fingers and 10 toes, arms, legs, feet, and so much more.  What an amazing, magnificent, miraculous God we serve!

I pray this song blesses you~

 

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Live, Laugh, Love, & Laugh Again~

Today I woke up thinking..................................

Today I woke up thinking about what I would wear......................

Today I woke up thinking about what I would wear to a dear friends homegoing service.

Today I woke up thinking WOW he's gone! Just like that, he's gone!

There was no preparation, no time for good-byes, and no time for last laughs, kisses, hugs, and final embraces.

Today I woke up thinking...........................

What I would wear became such a small thing when I considered the loss and the lives that will be affected by the absence of his presence

Today I woke up Thanking God for LIFE and another day to get up and do it all over again.

I began to thank God for the brush of my husbands hand that so effortlessly reached over to touch me as I sat on the side of the bed preparing for work.
I wanted that touch to linger as I thought about the fact that forever can be ended without a moments notice never to return again.
I wanted to feel the compliments of his eyes that follows me as I get ready
I wanted that even more today when I began to think about the fact that tomorrow, No, the next moment is not promised
Today I woke up singing..............
It's another days journey and I'm glad, so glad about it. I'm so glad about it!
Well he woke me up this morning and I'm glad, so glad about it. I'm so glad about it!

Today I woke up thinking....................I'm going to LIVE!
I shall LIVE and not die!
Today I woke up thinking.....................I'm going to LAUGH!
God has filled my heart and mouth with laughter.
Today I woke up thinking.....................I'm going to LOVE!
Love covers a multitude of sin.
Today I woke up thinking.....................I'm going to LAUGH again!
A cheerful and merry heart is just like medicine and health to my bones.

Today I am thinking................you may have experienced a loss, or maybe you just received bad news.  Things may not be going quite the way you planned.  If that is you, you're not alone; however, I want to encourage you to find a place of praise and thanksgiving today! 

You get the chance to LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE, & LAUGH Again!

I pray this song blesses you today!

****If the Heart of Worship Blog has blessed you, please feel free to share it with others on Facebook, Twitter, or Email, by clicking on the tab below! I would love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to post your comments, as well as become a subscriber  down below!****