DON'T IGNORE THE PROGRESS IN THE PROCESS

 You hear this quote all the time, "I'm not where I want to be, but thank God I'm not where I used to be." You hear that from saints and 'aints alike. To quote my Pastor "In other words," I'm still in the process but I'm making progress. I feel like we've been living a society that wants to ignore the progress in the process. Our society has been impatient for a long time. We want the prize without running the race. We want to lose weight without the work. We want faith to work without work. It feels like people want the finish product with the process. Nine times out of ten, it doesn't work that way. 

2 Thessalonians 3:13 "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing."

It's not a comfortable feeling when you know you're working hard and making progress in life only to have your who situation shut down because you're still in the process. It's not a comfortable feeling you know you're heading in the right direction, and you still get told that you're not doing it right because it's not the way so and so want's you do it, or you're not doing it like they did it. I know what's it's like to have your progress completely ignored because you're not at the final destination yet. Be not weary. It gets depressing when you get that from anybody, especially when it comes from loved ones. Be not weary. Keep doing what you're doing. You're doing what's right. Your progress is not being ignored. If God sees your progress and is pleased who cares what anybody else thinks. Some of the naysayers wants that spot of God so bad that they try to take the position of God by condemning you. You know who else tried to take the position of God. Satan. Didn't work out for well for him did it? 

Most of the time, success doesn't happen over night, and we can't expect it too. I recently wrote down all my goals and dreams on a piece of paper. It's folded up on my dresser now. Before I go to bed I read that list out loud asking God for direction. God is our father. We treat God like some of us treated our parents growing up. Saying, "I promise I'll be good. I won't do that anymore," as a way to hopefully get what we want. That's how some of us treat the things we do behind closed doors. I'll stop Sunday and Wednesday. I'll stop on the days I know I'm going to seen, so God will be pleased with your performance. What does this have to do with the process? It goes right with trying to get the prize but not working for it. Trying to get the reward of being a Christian but doing none of the work. Kevin Hart has a phrase he uses, "Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to put the work in." In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul said in the last clause, "...that if any would not work, neither should he eat." I believe that more than about a job. If you don't put the work in don't expect to eat like everybody else that has been in the process. 

Now we can't always look and the people sitting on the bench as lazy because we don't know the work they are doing behind the scenes. Just because you don't see the man or woman directing the movie, doesn't mean they're not working. Matthew 6:4 in the Amplified Bible says, "So that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you." Be not weary. Galatians 6:9, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Don't give up during the process. Don't let what people see through natural eyes distract you from your progress. If you're doing what you're supposed to do, keep going. Just because you're not at the finish line yet, doesn't mean your race is over. Just because your due season hasn't come yet, doesn't mean it's not coming. Old song says, "Stay in the field, until the war is ended." Three words has been the subject of this whole pandemic. Don't. Give. Up.

I'm finished. I hope I said something that helps you stay in the process I hope something was said that helps you trust your progress in your process. If I said anything out of line please forgive me. I'm just another dude in the process. If you got this far, please share anyway you know how.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

A CHALLENGE DURING THIS THANKSGIVING TIME

"I will bless the LORD at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1, KJV

We quote the verse all the time. A lot of folks open up the worship service with that scripture. It's even a song. What does all mean though? What does the word all mean? It says "at all times" so what does all mean? Well I looked it up and one definition puts it, "the whole, entire, total amount, quantity, or extent of." That same verse in the Good News Bible says, "I will always thank the LORD; I will never stop praising him."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, KJV, "16 Rejoice evermore.

17 Pray without ceasing.

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Same verses in the GNB, "Be joyful always, pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus."

"In every thing give thanks..."

"I will bless the LORD at all times..."

"I will always thank the LORD..."

"...be thankful in all circumstances..."

During this Thanksgiving time, I dare everyone reading this to be thankful no matter what's going on. A song writer put it like this, "Praise now. It could be worse." Some of us are dealing with pain that feels like it's never going to go away. "Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've learned to trust in God. Through it all, though it all, I've learned to depend upon His Word." I know it's a process, but a process can't be a process unless it gets started. So if you're been slacking on your gratefulness, I dare you and I dare myself to be thankful in spite of everything that's going on. Let's all start the I'm thankful in spite of process. I'm sure when we do that, God, in His own way, will show his gratitude.

Another song writer penned, "I'm covered, I'm not worried. Rest. On His promise. I'm still singing. I'm still shouting. I'm still dancing. I'm still praising." I dare you to get your still back. As the old saints say, I dare you to make a devil out of a lie, and say, "I'm still singing. I'm still shouting. I'm still dancing. I'm still praising." Why? Because "I'm covered. I'm not worried."

Proverbs 18:21, KJV, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

in the GNB, "What you say can preserve life or destroy it; so you must accept the consequences of your words."

My prayer is that all who read this and don't read this have a blessed Thanksgiving, and use this time to be thankful in all things. Despite of what is going on, be thankful. So much false hope is going on today, but my hope is built...

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

HE CAN, HANDLE IT!

Ok I was going to post the lyrics to It's Been Awhile by Staind because you know it has been some weeks since I've done this and you know I figured it would fit...THEN I googled the lyrics....yeah, not even close to the situation here. Moving on...Cue--actually, right now I'm watching Think Like A Man. It's a great movie. Kevin Hart is who you would want him to be in this movie, Kevin Hart.

So just a little update, I'm finally doing some job searching after months of saying, "I hate this job," and doing nothing about it. Now here's the hard part, the heck am I searching for? Short term goals? What would I be willing to do? Where am I willing to go? Good questions. Very good questions....don't judge me, ok? All this just doesn't happen in an instant. Process people. Not the process you put in the hair, but the process that is also called steps. Taking steps. Steps...are what...I...am taking.

Now, another thing I've been thinking about. Personal stuff. Like when things don't go the way we want them to, whether it's a job or a relationship, do we really believe God knows what he's doing? Do we really believe that God has the best for us? That's what I'm learning. I've been in love, or thought I was in love with a couple of women in my lifetime, and nothing. Most of my former classmates, married and doing the dang thing. Being 25 now, I figured my life would be so much further ahead than it actually is. You know what? Maybe it should be. The reason I'm not there yet, is not God's fault. It's my fault. In a race, it's important to stay in your lane. Some of our problems is, we get try to take detours. We put in our own road blocks. We see other people thriving and we become spirtual rubber neckers slowing down our own personal traffic or walk. So back to the woman thing for just a sec. Maybe the one I think is the one, may be the one---for someone else. You know? Giving God control, literally means giving God control. I remember watching Steve Harvey on TBN one night and he was talking about a particular situation that happened in his life and then he said, "This was the first time I ever just let God handle it." Old song by Kirk Franklin says, "It really doesn't matter what you're going through. Just call on Jesus, He'll work it out for you. His yoke his easy, and his burden's light. Just give it to Jesus, He'll make it all right. He can handle it!" Just sayin...to you and to me. Let go. Let God.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson aka Big Dusty
@Big_Dusty on Twitter and Instagram
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