My Mom-Mom used to tell us that if you want to make God laugh, you should tell Him your plans. I did not fully understand that when she said it, but I absolutely do now. The last few weeks have been tumultuous for me to say the least. In the midst of my "going through" I have also experienced God in ways I don't think I could ever fully describe. What I am learning is that even in the midst of going through it's not hard to see God's hand at work in your life. I am also learning that even in the midst of our challenges God is with us and for that we can be thankful. I can tell you that this time for me has not been without tears or frustration, but here are a few things that I have learned along the way and hopefully it will help you. God is with you.

As I note in my book, Trusting God, God is really with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. “You alone know when I sit down and when I get up. You read my thoughts from far away. You watch me when I travel and when I rest. You are familiar with all my ways. Even before there is a ⌊single⌋ word on my tongue, you know all about it, Lord. You are all around me—in front of me and in back of me. You lay your hand on me. ~ Psalm 139:2-5 God’s Word Translation. David declares in this Psalm that God is with us all the time; He is familiar with our thoughts; He knows us. God has put in you everything you need for this test or trial. He put it in you before you even arrived at the station of your affliction. God gave you and equipped you with everything you would ever need to fight this battle and on top of that He has equipped you with His Grace. He gave you everything you needed to win the battle, to endure the fight and to come out victorious. "And God is able to make all grace (every favor and earthly blessing) come to you in abundance, so that you may always and under all circumstances and whatever the need be self-sufficient [possessing enough to require no aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation]." ~ II Corinthians 9:8 AMP

It is OK to have a moment. Please know this because it is really, really important. Transparent moment, until recently the enemy tried to make me believe that I could not win this current battle with tears and weeping. He tried to make me think that I had to be strong all the time and that having a moment meant that I did not trust God, but God in His infinite wisdom directed me right back to Jesus. Jesus, the son of God, had a moment right in the Garden of Gethsemane. "And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, 'Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.' Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." ~ Luke 22:41-44 NKJV. Jesus had a moment y'all! He had a moment right in the garden, even though He knew He had to do it, He asked if the cup could pass from Him, but Jesus did not stay there; He did not stay in the garden, He got up and He fulfilled God's plan for him. We must do the same - have your moment - cry, weep, be upset, but then get up and press through. It's OK to have a moment, it's OK to cry but you cannot stay there.

I will fully admit that being thankful in the midst of the trials is hard, but it is not impossible. I don't know what you may be going through at this time, but I do know that God is a good God and He will never leave you nor will He ever forsake you. If He told you something and it seems like it is not going to come to pass, don't let what you see deter you - trust Him. And while this may be a little off topic, I feel I need to say it don't always trust what your natural eyes see - looks can be deceiving. It may look like it is beyond repair, it may look like it is beyond help but if God said it, then He will do it. God will never embarrass you, He will never lead you on and He will never lie to you. So, no matter what it "looks" like, Trust God.
Looks can be deceiving, but God never is - He is always a straight shooter telling it to you and giving it to you like it is because God does not lie and He does not change His mind. What He told you will happen just don't give up in the garden.

Love, Peace & Blessings!
​Liela

Happy New Year! I entered 2016 at the best place on earth, church and it was amazing! A few weeks ago, Facebook provided a suggestion of the best of my year and when I looked at it I thought, Facebook has no idea how inaccurate this really is. *insert smile*

For me, 2015 was one of the most memorable years I have had in a very long time. I made some very critical moves and decisions this year, but I also had some of the most amazing things happen to me. Today I want to share with you something amazing that happened to me and it is my hope that in my sharing you will understand that God really does hear and answer prayers.

As I wrote previously, I asked the Lord to send me on vacation in 2014 and not just send me on vacation, but to finance the vacation as well or as my mentor in Prayer, Zari Banks says, I wanted God to Cinderella me! I wrote that prayer in my journal and thought no more of it really, then on July 30th I received an email from a very prominent company inviting me to come to an event. At the time, I worked in IT for a law firm so receiving invitations is not uncommon, but this one was very different. This invitation was for me specifically and the company was offering to pay for my hotel and meals. They even provided a link to the hotel and when I clicked on it I was sold! I didn’t know how I was going to get there, but I knew I was going. I responded that I would accept the invitation and I registered but then I had to request both the use of my banked training time and money for the flight from my boss. I emailed my manager that day and I heard nothing. I assumed that it was something they wanted others to participate in but the invitation was an exclusive one so no one else could participate. While I was waiting for the reply from my manager, a representative from the company called me and asked me if I would be attending the event. I said that I was waiting for my company to decide if they would pay for the flight. The representative said, “Well if it’s just the flight, we can take care of that I believe. Let me make sure and I will get back to you.” That evening I had a meeting with my Bishop and he came into agreement with me that this company would cover the flight and before I arrived home that night I had confirmation that my flight would be covered.

A couple of days later, my manager informed that I would need to use vacation time and not training time and so I requested the days off. The request was granted and at the end of August I went on an all-expense paid trip to Hollywood, Florida. I left and flew to Florida, where a car and driver were waiting for me at the airport and not just any car either a Mercedes SUV. I really tried not to act like I was geeked up but I was and when we arrived at the hotel, I think I nearly passed out. The website did the hotel no justice! It was utterly amazing! I went up to my room and it was even more amazing! The next day I went to the meeting with the company and they treated me like a star. I was literally overwhelmed with all of it. I literally could not believe that I was staying in a hotel room with views of both the intercostal and the ocean with a wraparound balcony and I was not paying one red cent! I could not believe that I was having all of my needs met by people who had never met me before, but any need I had that weekend they made it happen. I could not believe that I was on vacation and I paid for nothing! The company even covered all of my tips! And when I thought of it all I could think of was that prayer I wrote in my journal more than a year before asking the Lord to send me away on vacation and finance it. He answered every part of that prayer and honored my request better than I could have ever imagined. Taking that trip, let me know that God really does hear and answer prayer; it may not happen when I think it’s supposed to happen but it happens right on time.

As we have now crossed over into 2016, I wanted to share this testimony because I want you to know that God really does answer your prayers. He really does hear you. It may not happen when you think it should happen, but it is always right on time; that trip was the catalyst for major shifts in my life and in my walk with Him, but I know had I not gone I would have missed more than just a vacation. It is vital to know that God answers, but let me say this, if you are not writing down your prayers you will have nothing to look back on to tell you that he answered. Had I not written down that prayer in my journal I would have just thought this was random but it really wasn’t, it was God. I can look back at all of the prayers I have prayed and see God’s hand moving because He has answered. If you are not in the habit of writing down your prayers, you should get into the practice of it. My prayer journal, Don't Stop Knocking, Don't Stop Seeking, Don't Stop Praying, Don't Stop Believing, will help you to write down your prayers, the answers, and more. Prayer is such an important conversation, we should want to document it so we can show others just what I have shown you today, that God hears and answers prayers. In 2016, make a resolve to pray more and as you pray more, write down your prayers so you can see for yourself how God answers.

Blessings! Liela

As this year draws to a close, I have been reflecting on all that has occurred in my life and it has been an amazing year.  The year has not been without its challenges, but God has always shown up in a way that has exceeded every one of my expectations. 

When I began this year, I had major challenges and I felt like things were not clicking in every area even though I was giving it my best.  By April things had begun to shift for me, what happened?  I got closer to the source - the one who knows my beginning and my end so I chose to listen to Him, and once I did things started to take a turn.  Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t go from horrible to perfect because it was never horrible but there were definitely things I just did not understand about where my life was headed.  But the minute I decided to fully plug in, things began to make sense for me in ways that I am not sure I have the words to fully comprehend.  I began to see God in everything – how He provided, how He protected and how He loved.  I began to understand that He was a Father if I let Him be. 

This year God has taken me places I didn’t think I would get to this year and when I look back at it, there is no doubt that it was His hand on my life and in the situations, let me tell you what I mean.  In August of 2014, I wrote in my journal that I wanted a vacation and that I needed God to provide for every detail of it.  On April 2015, I attended a conference in Virginia Beach, VA and while I paid for the trip, the favor of God was evident.  When we arrived at the hotel, our rooms had been given away and there was only one room left – the penthouse! Obviously, the penthouse cost much more money than our rooms, but the hotel gave us the penthouse suite for the price of our rooms.  Can you say favor?  This year God has sent me on not one, but two exquisite vacations and I could not have been happier loving God, not for what He can give me but simply because He is God and I love Him.

This year has also been a tremendous year for my writing career; this year I released 3 books in record time.  I released Love Letters of a Worshipper in July and it flew to Amazon’s top 100 in a matter of days.  It was also the Number #1 new release in its category!  In October, I released Don’t Stop Knocking, Don’t Stop Seeking, Don’t Stop Praying, Don’t Stop Believing - A Prayer Journal and it became the first book I’ve written to make a splash in Europe and I was amazed.  God is so faithful!  The prayer journal is being used in families and by individuals; we have also received requests for this book to be used by groups.  Last, but certainly not least, I released Trusting God in November and I am excited about it, this book is a reminder of who God is and what He will do for us if we only choose to believe. 

I could not have imagined authoring 3 books this year but I did and I cannot tell you how liberating it feels to look at your finished product with joy! This has been a great year full of amazing happenings and happenings that have not been so good but in everything I trust God completely and I choose to see His best and not the devil’s worst.  I choose to see the truth and not the lies.  I know that God has me and He is never letting me go.  I have some more major things coming in this next year so I pray that we can include you in everything we do.

I hope that you had a phenomenal year and I pray that you are preparing yourselves for an amazing 2016.

May God Bless You and Keep you!
Liela
 

Being Thankful is something we should strive for every day, after all there is always something to be thankful for, but I understand that sometimes it can be hard to see what is often times right in front of us, so, today I want you to do something simple.  Take a minute (or a few) and write a letter to yourself from the perspective of an older version of you.  After having gone through whatever it is you have gone through, the older you will have some unique insights on how to handle this and what your position should be.  Essentially, what I am asking you to do is to speak life and cast vision.  Let your future self tell your now self what you will encounter and that you will overcome whatever challenges also, incorporate what God says about you, and while you may want to warn your now self now about the impending doom you think is coming – don’t do that.  This letter is encouragement only.  Yes, we know that bad things will happen, but today let’s focus on casting vision and encouraging ourselves.  Not sure, what to write let me give you an example from the letter I wrote to myself just about 2 weeks before my 40th birthday.
 
Welcome to 40! You are probably sitting there wondering, as you often do, about the future instead of enjoying the moment.  Look around you and take it all in and for tonight, don’t worry about what tomorrow will bring, tomorrow has enough in it already.  I know that the last few weeks have been challenging, but when you see what’s on the other side of this; you will understand the process better.
If I could paint a picture, it still would not give it justice. Know that you only win – even when it looks like you may be losing, you still win. 
 
That’s it – the letter can be as long or as short as you’d like it to be and once you’re done, print it out and hang it somewhere so that you can read it often.  Let it serve as a reminder to you that your future is bright.
 
I would love to hear about this process and your success in it so leave a comment or send me an email to thoughtsofathankfulheart@gmail.com.
 
Blessings!
Liela