GOOD MORNING LADIES!!! I hope you all are having a great week so far but I wanted to talk to you ladies about stress and being worried. So I have been applying for a new job and I must say that the hiring process has been a bit stressful and very tedious. I felt a little uneasy all day yesterday and today because the lady had not contacted me at all yesterday to negiotiate my salary.  Last night around 10 I logged into my account to check the status of my application process just to see how far along I had gotten. BOOM--there it was,  A notice that read, " We need your W2 form for a previous company that I had worked for in 2009." So I tell Marcus I'll talk to him in a few but I needed to find some paper work. (Its a good thing that I keep up with my tax paper work because it came in handy.) I start pulling out my file bend that I keep all my finicial information in and at the bottom of the pile was all my income tax paper work over the years. I pull out my W2 form and hurry to scan and upload the file to the site. SCRRRRRRRRR!!!!! The devil just would not let me be GREAT!!!!I I load the file as a JPEG per the request of the site and attempted over and over again to upload the form to my application file. After giving up because I had no success uploading the document to the site, I finally see an email where I can email the file to them so I used that option.

    After I sucessfully sent the email out I just began to have this since of feeling over whelmed. I began to wonder why was my W2 form needed to verify my job. Needless to say I prayed last night and poured out my cares to God on the issue but I never left the situation in his hand. My result for being disobdient to his word was a restless night of sleep. Total bomber right?  

    In Philippians 4:6, we are commanded, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In God's word, Paul encourages us to not worry about ANYTHING in the natural rather we must pray to God and have a thankful heart.  Christians can be so hard-headed as children of God because we get so caught up into this "Microwave Society" and expect "right now" results. When we cast our cares onto God we should leave them at his feet. We must stop thinking we can be "grown" and handle the situatuion ourselves. It makes no sense to go to God asking him to handle a concern when we won't release the problem we are dealing with.  Holding on to troubled situations ONLY KEEPS US IN BONDAGE especially when we know we do not have the capability to resolve the matter ourselves.

    So fast forward to today. I wake up, contact customer service 7am this morning because I had filled my head with all the possibilites of what could have gone wrong and put myself into an anxicious and stressful mindset. After spending 20 minutes with the rep the issue was resolved. So later on that day I decide to check my progress again only to find another W2 request to verify yet another company who I had worked for and I had already notifyed in my application that the company was an internship and they were no longer in business. So my anxiety level went straight to 10 because I had not received wages from this company and therefore I had no W-2 form to present to the company. I immediately dive into the situation head fisrt with out consulting God and not getting the result I desired the first time. I explained to the rep that it was an internship yet again and  there was no W-2 form that I could manufacture because I had not recieved any wadges from the job. She goes on to tell me that she would make note of that on the account and that the investigator would disreguard the request. WHOMP WHOMP WHOMP, the request is still on my file ( mind you this request is delaying my progress which means I can't negotiate the offer with my recriuter.) So I contact another rep and she tells me the same thing. So I explain to her the circumstances and she tells me that they don't verify internship expierence. So I ask her is there any other discriptances that I can go ahead and resolve at this time.  Once again there goes the  2009 issue again.  So I explain that to her and we resolve my matter and end our conversation. At this point I'm frustrated because the request was still not removed from my file. So I contact customer service yet again to resolve the issue. I tell the lady my issue and what the previous reps stated that their company policy was. After about 30 mintutes of going back and forth with the lady the reguest was removed from my file.

   As a believer we should not be overtaken by stress. The starting point for dealing with stress is Jesus Christ. Jesus offers us great encouragement in John 14:1: "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” Ladies listen, we need God in EVERY aspect of our lives. The more we learn to depend on him instead of our own ability we would make our life more peaceful for ourselves. Had I casted my cares on God and actually left them there I would have rested well last night and saved myself a care free head ache today.  Secondly, when we actually give our cares over to God we show him that we trust him just as kids trust thier eartly parents to handle the situatuions. Sometimes we get so caught up in being naturally grown that we forget our spiritual childhood and hinder God from blessing us in our lives. Take a lesson from your kids and learn to have faith in God your father that he will fix your worries and problems. When David saught the Lord in Psalms 34:4, he waited patiently for the Lord to answer him to find favor on him to deliver him from his fear.  Our hearts and desires should be so wrapped up in God that  when problems arise we know to immediately go to the Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ. A song wirter said, "He's my rock in a weary land." No that when you put God first in a situation there is ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING that can penetrate the blessings he has in store for you. I have learned a very hard lesson today but a lesson well worth takeing heed to. I love you guys and I pray that you all have a great week. Spend the rest of this week trusting in God and leaning on him for ALL UNDERSTANDING.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZLHKGoHTGA

Rise from the Ashes

Introduction:

Hey y’all my name is Alex but known to my family by Daniell. I wanted to introduce myself and give you guys a little introduction into who I am as a woman and give insight into what started this blog and birthed a ministry.

 Who Am I?

Well my name is Alex but known to most by Daniell but you guys can refer to me as Alex.  I was born and raised down south in Birmingham, Alabama. I have a loving fiancé whose name is Marcus. I come from a loving family whose has its shares of up and downs but we still remain to love one another regardless of our differences of opinions. I am totally obsessed with Christ and his love for me. I am a daughter, sister, lover, aunt, faithful friend, and MOST IMPORTANTLY-ACHILD OF GOD!!!!!

Why did I start blogging?

 I started this blog because I fell totally in love with Christ. I felt the need to write about my struggles while walking a Christian walk and how I overcame some of my hardest battles with submitting to the will of God.  Becoming an adult has brought many seasons in my life; hardship, loneliness, self-doubt, addiction to sex, an abusive relationship, trust issues, anger, joy, happiness, confidence and finally UNCONDITIONAL "AGAPE" LOVE. As you can see I have dealt with highs and lows in my life but my struggles never allowed me to waiver my trust and faith in God.  Living a life of transparency is sooooo Powerful!!!! I had to struggle with coming to this point where I had to decide how much of my life would I share with the world. My family and friends know me to be a pretty private person but through constant prayer and dialect with God I am convinced that living in private can cause you to be in bondage and allow you to  continue to carry all that baggage. I had to come to the realization that God has allowed me to go through  seasons in my life and survive them because it would help others to begin to heal their past, make light of their present, and look forward to a brighter faith filled future.

Why I named my blog “Rise from the Ashes”?

I love the phoenix so much because it’s the only bird I know that can fall in ashes and arise a more powerful creature. It’s a metaphorically persona to how we should live our lives with Chirst in mine.  To arise indicates that there was something that took place where we had fallen, died to, but WE GOT BACK UP. Rise from the ashes rhetorically means that, WE MUST DIE TO OUR FLESH AND LIVE FOR CHRIST DAILY.

Rom 6:2-4(Phi)  We, who have died to sin--how could we live in sin a moment longer? Have you forgotten that all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were, by that very action, sharing in his death? We were dead and buried with him in baptism, so that just as he was raised from the dead by that splendid revelation of the Father's power, so we too might rise to life on a new plane altogether.

Walking a Christian walk is far easier when you die to yourself and realize that God loves you far too much to forsake you, and allow you to fall from his grace.

Allow all those issues to die in the ashes and arise a spiritually sound man/ woman who lives a life of transparency.

So who is this blog for?

This blog is geared mainly for women of all ages but I don’t mind men chiming in. I want to write and connect with women around the world. I want to share intimate insights of my life with you guys, I want to pray with you all, give Godly advice, discuss issues that we all struggle with, and most of all spread the GOSPEL OF JESUS.  I want this blog to be a space where we can freely express ourselves and outpour our love for Christ. This IS A TOTAL NON JUDGEMENT ZONE. Be free to release that baggage that has held you in captivity and bondage far too long.

My prayer:

Listen!!!!! God is so faithful to us. Even when we mess up, God is right there with his arms open wide ready to receive us, forgive us, and heal us. Eternal God I come to you on behalf of every woman; teen, adult, mother, daughter, grandmother, niece, aunt, friend and enemy first saying THANK YOU. Lord I thank you that you saw fit to allow us to commune together, to dwell in your presence. Lord I pray that every woman that see’s the blog is healed, is made whole, is coming out of bondage, and living a life of pure worship to you. God I pray that you utilize this space to minister words of encouragement, that caddie behavior is nonexistent, that we do not allow our emotions to dictate  our reactions to people, places, or things but rather we think things through with a level of clear and solace conscious. I pray for every woman and male struggling with issues and baggage. God give them rest. Instill in us your word. Forgive us of our sins, those knowingly and unknowingly God. I pray for every transgression that we have committed and every transgression committed against us. We love you and want more of you. We vow to live a life totally committed to serving you.

What’s the cost?

"Count the cost when you pick up your cross." 

The bible states in, Mark 8:34-35 (NIV) "Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."

Understand that when you allow worldly   things to die in those ashes and pick up your cross to follow Christ UNDERSTAND that there is a price you pay.  When you lay your whole life before God’s feet its GONE COST YOU. It may cost you your job, your finances, your planned feature, maybe even your family. Those things may cost you EVERYTHING that you have already built but UNDERSTAND THAT TO REMAIN IN BONDAGE WILL COST YOU YOUR VERY LIFE (Much more expensive sacrifice).

 If we knew where we would spend eternity I wonder would we continue to do the things we do or even continue to hold on to temporary relationships. If those things cause you to stubble and jeopardize your eternal life then FLEE FROM IT NOW!!!!

 I have come to a place in my life where I REALLY DON’T CARE about peoples’ judgment of me because my salvation is far too imperative to where I will spend eternity. We sing, “We are a friend of God” yet we don’t follow his commandments. Some of us don’t even stop to tell God “Thank You” for where he’s brought us from because we are too focus on how we’ll be perceived by our friends.  Some of us fear perception and not divine revelation. We open our bibles and read the word but how many of us are really living it. There is a difference between academically knowing what God’s word says and actually living it.

So what they talk about you, so what they tried to destroyed your image through lies. They talked about my Jesus yet he never said a mumbling word because he had you and me in mine. Every step God took, every lash he bearded, every drop of blood he shed was for you and me.  The price he paid for our sinful soul was too expensive for me to stop and entertain what some man or woman may have to say about me.  The bible says he’ll make your enemies your foot-step. Well how can he when you are constantly opening your mouth to defend your character. Place your cares and concerns at the feet of God and ask him to bridle their tongue and change their hearts.  He says “Be still and know that I am God”.

 Following Christ comes with a price but the return is far more rewarding. Listen, I love you ladies with all my heart and I pray that you all grow deeper in Christ. So what they talk about you, so what they build up evil plans to attack you and so what they judge you. You serve a God who says touch not my anointed. Don’t abort your purpose by prematurely opening your mouth to fight a battle that was never yours to fight or even entertain.  There’s a hymn that says “As long as I live I’ll see trouble rise” As long as you have the breath of life in your body the enemy will use evil and dark forces  to rise against the purpose and anointing God has on you.  Fight back on your knees in prayer, through your worship, praise, and adoration for God.

If you want to purchase salvation then pay the cost of dying to your flesh  and picking up your cross to follow Christ.