The InLight

God will meet you: My First Fast

2010-02-03T05:00:00.001-06:00

I am currently embarking on a 40 day fasting journey to reconnect to God and see more of Him. This is something the lord had placed in my spirit to do on an annual basis since 2006 but I hadn't been as faithful the last year. This year, I felt to ask if others wanted to join me and I am excited to see those who responded but with that excitment came a heartfelt burden. Some of the individuals had never fasted before so I didn't want anything to turn them away from reconnecting to God and it is there that I remind them that GOD WILL MEET YOU ON ANY LEVEL YOU ARE ON!. As you draw near to him, He will draw near to you.

You see, the first time I ever fasted was more of a natural thing rather than spiritual but the Lord used it to get me closer on his path. I was dating a guy whose church was doing a 21 day fast. They were to give up meat and he asked me to join. I wanted to receive the spiritual benefit of a fast but I knew there was no way I would be able to give up meat so I stated I would just join with him in the aspect of giving up another slight addiction I had....sodas. For 21 days I gave up something of the flesh and it planted a seed that I could do it so when the next time the word fast came around me, I was more encouraged to do it and it came around.

I was wanting to get closer to God and felt in my spirit to do a 3 day fast. In this fast, I was to spend time away from my boyfriend and not talk to him at all. I told him this and he did not agree. Since he was the one more active in church and more familiar with fasting, I thought to myself that this was a wrong concept of fasting but the following weekend I went to his church and his pastor called a 3 day fast! I was so excited that I was hearing from God that I decided to do my 3 day fast and not see my boyfriend during that time but I had never fasted before.

I lay on the bed during that first day thinking I was suppose to feel something different or see some type of miracle only to realize I didn't know what to do. I spoke to God (myself), admitting I was clueless. I then fell asleep and awoke to Paula White on tv. I turned the volume up and she was talking about the acceptable fast. I was so energized by the "coincidence" that I got up and began to praise the Lord. I searched all the scriptures she gave about fasting and completed my 3 day fast. This laid the foundation to my fasting journey.

I tell this story to remind myself and to encourage others that God will meet you on whatever level you are on. If you are embarking on a journey He has asked you to do for the first time, be confident that He will guide you along the way. Just Begin the journey.

The Blessings of Being Faithful

2010-01-27T05:00:00.063-06:00

"a faithful man will abound with blessings"~ Proverbs 28:20

I mentioned that since I have been living in Dallas, I have been embarking on a journey of modeling. It has always been a desire but I never really pursued it because of other reasons. I am part of a modeling team in which we are trained in runway and photo posing as well as I get to train other models during workshops. I still am not at the level of "expertise" I would like to be but for someone who was not pursuing it, I am blessed by being a part. Let me explain more......

When I was first asked if I wanted to be part of this team I agreed without alot of expectations because it was a desire and the opportunity was right in my face. The person that is over everthing is very close in my life in which rather I wanted to or not, I would around the industry. Deep down inside, I loved everything about it but on another level, I was filled with insecurity and lack of confidence. I could pick up the technique very well but some reason it seemed as if I had no personality or "swagger" as some call it. I looked robotic :(. I didn't share with anyone but I would cry at night because I wanted to quit but I felt that God orders my steps and I should push past the feelings and finally one day......it just seemed like something kicked it. If I messed up, I didn't feel embarassed and others began to notice a little style to my walk. I was told I had good photo's from the beginning but others began to request me to help them in posing. But that is not the bulk of this blog entry.......

Since overcoming those feelings of wanting to quit, I have met some great people and taken part in opportunities that I would not have if I was not a part of the team and that reminded me of the above scripture that "a faithful man will abound in blessings" and the holy spirit is able to tie it in into my walk with God. You see, sometimes we (I) think that we aren't good at something or we can do better if we just leave but the truth of the matter is that God will bring you blessings and opportunities because you are connected to Him. Being part of the modeling team alone gives me the benefit of getting portfolio pictures taken at any time, know about key auditions, meet everyone the owner meets etc so being a part of God's family will put me in the same mix.

So I encourage myself today and I encourage you that sometimes you may not have it all together but simply because you have chosen to be a part of God's family, you will experience things that others will not. So continue to remain faithful to the family of God and you will abound in your blessings!

"I am the vine and you are the branches.

If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit;

apart from me you can do nothing.

~John 15:5

Mess into a Masterpiece

2010-01-18T00:35:00.000-06:00

Have you seen the abstract- contemporary type art that really doesn’t have any shape? Do you like it? Truth be told…not only do I like that type of art but I own a very large one; that I painted myself. It is orange, tan, brown, blue and it looks like…… A MESS. You see, a few years back, my mother took up landscape painting and using some of her paints that were laying around…I decided to paint. Maybe it was because I painted it but I liked it, however, when my uncle saw it, in his loving joking manner he asked, “Did Devan (my 9yr old at the time) paint that?” But then, I began to furnish my place with some really cute furniture. I found a tan contemporary type couch from IKEA…..and matching pieces to coordinate. This time, with my contemporary furniture in place and a frame added, I hung my painting up and it looked totally different. It was no longer a mess but now a masterpiece!

Friend, I want to encourage you by reminding you that often we make a mess out of our lives and think that we are one big mess but God is looking at you and He sees a masterpiece! Every “color” and every “non-shape” in your life is going to fit into a beautiful setting. The very thing that you think is a flaw is what God is going to use to bless others. You might be in a situation where you feel like a total blah…but be encouraged to know that you fit and God is perfecting you and your situation and at the right time….you’ll be hung on the wall in a living room that fits your design! NOTHING is too hard for God to work through….not even your mess.

There are diversities of gifts, but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities…

1 Corinthians 12:4-5

(The above painting is not the one that I painted)

Ordered Steps

2010-01-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite scripture is that "the steps of the righteous are ordered by the Lord" and a recent experience reminded me of that.

I had taken a temp job and it was my first day. I was instructed to meet at the temp agency in which I would then follow someone over to the job site. There were two other ladies taking the job and after introducing ourselves and conversing, one asked if I wanted to leave my car and ride over with her. Without really thinking,I accepted her offer but then changed my mind. I wanted to make sure that I went where I wanted to go on lunch etc. But again, for some reason, I accepted the offer.
At lunch time, we went to eat together and while in line, I felt compelled to say hi to the gentleman behind me. He asked where I worked and how I liked it. He then asked what type of permanent job I would like and I explained. The gentleman, then pulled out his business card and told me to send my resume to him and he would forward to his personnel. He just happen to work at a newspaper (and I love writing).

Nothing has come out of that yet, job wise, but I am still blessed by this moment because if I had not taken the ride, I would not have met him. He was also a christian who invited me to a lunch time bible study.

Be encouraged, as I am, that God orders your steps and knows how to get things to you. When I think of situations like this, I find rest that I will meet the right people to help me get to where I need to be.

Why Encourage Others

2010-01-12T09:11:00.002-06:00

Right now, our world is filled with broken hearts, shattered dreams and hopeless situations. On top of that....there are plans that God wants to accomplish in the earth but rather it's buried deep in the soul of someone who doesn't believe it could happen. When you take a moment to encourage them by sharing a word of hope, giving a gift that blesses them or simply being there, you have a power to push them into their destiny and make this world a better place.

So why encourage others?

Just Because! You don't need a reason to encourage someone. You do it Just Because. Just because you love them, you're proud, you appreciate them. You do it Just Because of who they are and who you are; members of the body of Christ. That alone says you're special. You may not think that your encouragement will mean anything but sometimes making a difference can make all the difference.

Take the time today and encourage someone!

God will make a way

2010-01-11T22:59:00.004-06:00

A friend and I were driving to a city north of Houston during the rush hour of 5 pm. We continued on our stop and go traffic but were ok until it was time for us to get over into another lane. My friend, who was driving, put on her signal and tried to get over into the next lane but no one would let us get over....so....we drove a little further (so that we could keep with the moving traffic). Again we tried to get over into the next lane and the cars would not let us get over so we had to drive a little further. We finally found someone that would allow us to get over into the next lane in which we realized that we were much further ahead than those who would not allow us to get over.

Friend, I encourage you by asking you....are you on the journey of life and it seems like no one will allow you to get over. Maybe you have been waiting for a promotion or a connection to someone that God has placed in your spirit yet it seems like those that could help you...won't help you. Keep moving along; keep going forward with what you know to do and God will make a way and you'll realize that you are further ahead than those who were trying to hold you back!

We're Back

2010-01-08T08:50:00.002-06:00

Thank you for joining me for the first week of the New Year for The InLight's Blog. We have many things in store to better us and you. Make sure you check out our book and social networks site. This day will be dedicated to sharing our updates with you so you too can see someone on a journey to be where God called them to.

Until next week, may God bless you by showing you more of Him.

Great Links

2010-01-07T08:22:00.004-06:00

Here are some links to resources from my recent past that have helped me in some way on my journey!

Lakewood Church: http://www.lakewood.cc/
Under Pastor Joel & Victoria Osteen, God instills messages of hope to His people. You can watch or listen to previous and live messages. This church also has other ministries that will equip you.

Stephen Ministry: http://www.stephenministries.org/
This is a good ministry to have in your church or ministry. It provides one on one ministry to anyone going through a crisis. Stephen Ministers receive 50 hrs of training. (this is the first ministry I became involved in)

Israel Houghton & New Breed: http://www.newbreedmusic.com/
Israel leads worship at Lakewood. Their music is always directly from the Lord and will inspire you to go deeper with God…entering you into his presence.

Bible Gateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/
Need help finding a scripture? You can look up scripture’s from various translations. I use this link often.

Innovative Impulses: http://www.innovativeimpulses.com/
This company created the design for the current The InLight website. Anna is great with helping you to create a website and marketing services. Her company really captures and recreates the vision that God has given you. She has a heart for God and is great to work with. (Truly a divine connection!)

Anointed Messages
Anointed Messenger is a friend of mine. The messenger is sensitive to God and what He is saying. Receive daily messages that are quick, simple and anointed for your situation.

www.anointedmessages.com

I Will......

2010-01-06T08:28:00.004-06:00

I can still remember the feeling of excitement and anticipation as I would sit below the stage to watch the models walk out on the runway. Or "self-timer camera" moments of taking my model shots steaming from a childhood dream of becoming a model. Why? I don't really know. I just had a desire. This desire carried over into adulthood but I never really pursued it. After going embarking on the journey into ministry, I really knew I would not pursue it because I just did not see the correlation. I knew God could bring you the desires of your heart but I didn't have the time to make it happen.

Fast forward to December 13, 2009, I now was one of those models strutting her stuff on the runway. I had an opportunity to walk on the runway with a company I am working with; Sebastian Fashion Model Management. It was not necessarily something I had to force to happen but rather the door opened to me when I relocated to Dallas. (In which I promise to share how it all happened at a later time)

As I look back over how this was/is a desire to me that I am not actively pursuing, I am reminded of the scripture "delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart". I am reminded that God is the one who puts desires in your heart and as you obey Him, He'll bring them to you. You don't have to force things to happen but rather walk through the doors He open. What I use to say I will....model.........I now can say I did. So let this serve as a encouragement to you, as it does to me, that if it's in your heart then one day......I Will.......

Check out some of my modeling pics on flickr

12 Ways to Encourage Someone

2010-01-05T05:00:00.000-06:00

1. Share your testimony with how God has worked in your life.

2. Pray for them. It’s a spiritual battle and God can do what you can’t do.

3. Take care of a need they have. You may be the answer to their prayer.

4. Listen to them.

5. Spend time with them- invite somewhere- laugh.

6. Write a letter of appreciation (or a list of 5 things) telling what you like about them.

7. Write out scripture that tells them what God says about their situation and give it to them.

8. Tell them the truth of the situation (sometimes people need to hear the truth so that they may begin to correct their situation)—(be prayerful about how and when to say this. If the wrong way, it could make people feel condemned. Try to tell them what God says about the situation as well).

9. Show them that you believe in them by supporting their dream by offering an opportunity for them to perform their gift/talent. If they are already doing it…go to one of their events.

10. Lead them into asking Jesus into their heart.

11. Introduce them as someone important in your life to another key person in your life (ie: your boss).

12. Forgive them for a mistake they have made against you.

Butterfly in a Glass Jar

2010-01-04T01:18:00.003-06:00

I remember a time when my son (Devan) and I found a caterpillar on my car tire. Devan was excited so immediately I thought to get a jar and allow him to see the transformation of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. We got a glass jar and placed the caterpillar in it. Gradually, we added tall sticks so that it could crawl up and leaves so that it could eat. We found a particular leaf that it liked and we watched in amazement to see it actually chomping on the leaves. Throughout the day(s) we would refresh its food supply with fresh leaves. Then one day, I knew the caterpillar needed some water but I didn’t want to give it any tap water. At that moment, I looked outside and noticed it was sprinkling. Anticipating seeing the caterpillar drink water, I picked a fresh leaf that had water droplets on it and placed it gently in the jar. The caterpillar was currently trying to get out of the jar but when we placed the leaf in the jar, he fell and landed in the water puddle…and began to drink! My mother, looking at our new found friend, “mentioned” that we needed to have the caterpillar outside. I told her that, “its ok this time. We know caterpillars are made to be outside but I want Devan to see the transformation.”

Friend, some of you may currently feel like a caterpillar in a glass jar. You can look out but you can’t get out. It feels like everyone around you is being blessed and that your dreams aren’t going to come to pass—but let me encourage you by saying God is still in control. You see, sometimes we are “captured” so that God can get the full glory. People are watching your transformation and God has also allowed you to be captured for your own good. (Remember that I found the caterpillar on my car tire). But while in this jar….God is faithful to provide fresh food and water for you….to take care of your needs….to look out for your best interest. Maybe you have even tried to climb out your jar….reaching a little bit of success only to fall back in. Relax!! You think you have fallen but the truth of the matter is that while climbing….you never really left the jar…you are still in the same place as from the beginning: in a glass jar…waiting till your transformation takes place so that your father may release you!

Be encouraged to know that God has chosen you….to keep you….to protect you….Continue to glorify and lift up His name! Continue to seek and trust him; waiting on Him! Even when things seem like they can’t get any worse….God is still in the picture as He was with Job (God told Satan he could do anything but kill Job) or when He was in the process of Jesus (He was buried for 3 days). Know that after God is finished “perfecting you”…..you’ll come out more beautiful than when you entered this period!!

“Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you
Will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” Philippians 1:6

2010 New Start Schedule

2010-01-03T17:28:00.001-06:00

As with everyone, a New Year is a time for new beginnings. It's a time to look back over the year and see where we missed it or could just plain do better. With that said, The InLight realizes that God encourages us on our journey and in return we share with you. Encouragement is a crucial tool in the life of anyone fulfilling a dream because it in some way pushes them closer to what they need to do.

For this year, we will be keeping up with the blog M-F sharing those things that make The InLight best.
The schedule is as follows:

Mondays: The InLight Encouragement (will share a InLight story from an everyday life situation which will enlighten, inspire and bring hope to your path while showing you more of God.

Tuesdays: Encourage Others (will share with you tips, ideas, importance of etc on encouraging others.

Wednesday's: Journal from Monica (this will share as more a personal note from the Founder Monica; one who herself is trying to be Encouraged in the Lord

Thursday's: Resources to help you (will connect you to resources, articles, interviews etc that will help you accomplish your task and live a more productive life in God

Friday's: Updates from The InLight (will let you know of events, promotions, highlights, information pertaining to The InLight organization

Keep us in prayer as we move towards all God wants to accomplish through us!

Until next time, May God bless you by showing you more of Him.

Happy New year

Join me on my journey

2010-01-02T15:29:00.000-06:00

I hope you had a wonderful New Year; knowing that each and everyday is a new opportunity to move towards your dreams.

For this year, I am starting it off with the right attitude. I am fueling myself with the encouragement needed to move towards becoming all God has called me to be so each day I will be reading from my new book 101 Days to Be Encouraged. These messages are reminders of God working in our everyday life and messages of hope, encouragement and Trusting God.

I'd like for you to join me on this journey.Everyday I will post a summary of the day on my Facebook book fan page for 101 Days to Be Encouraged. Check out each day as well as get a copy of the book to receive your full encouragement. I'm offering 15% discount to all those who want to join me.

Here is the link to my book fan page:

http://www.facebook.com/#/pages/101-Days-to-Be-Encouraged/163959253578?ref=sgm

To Get 15% off the book enter code KYGGN8QZ at checkout.

Get a copy now!

Let's be encouraged!

Follow Monica's New Blog

2009-11-29T00:55:00.000-06:00

Be encouraged and inspired with Monica's new blog Life.Purpose.Passion. And Trusting God at http://www.monicaajohnson.blogspot.com/

101 Days to Be Encouraged Book now available

2009-11-29T00:46:00.000-06:00

Get a copy now!

Proof copy of my book " 101 Days to Be Encouraged"

2009-08-11T15:09:00.000-05:00

I have received the proof copy of my book and am filled with excitement and anticipation. I read that success is defined by setting a goal and accomplishing it, in which I can say I am becoming more and more successful everyday! This book is a true accomplishement for me and a testimony of God.

I have to review it for any last changes and prayfully it will be ready to share with the world by the end of the month. To be updated when it is ready, make sure you join my email list on the website.

Trusting God and excited to share,

101 Days to Be Encouraged Book ready to be published

2009-06-24T14:46:00.000-05:00

To God be the glory! After 3 years, I have finally put together a book of encouragements. No it didn't take me 3 years to write it, it took me that long to get started. Yes it's true....procrastination is one of our greatest enemies. It has been in my spirit for awhile and one day it hit me that I was trying to do everything at one time and therefore I was getting overwhelmed. Listening to a friend who reminded me to take big task and accomplish by doing small steps, I broke the messages into 10 a day and allowed 4 extra days for the intro, closing, cover etc. In 2 weeks, I had completed a task that I knew I needed to do.

In this book, I have included 101 messages from my everyday life of how God encouraged me on my journey. The messages consist of enlightening analogies that will help you to see your situation in a new way in order to become enlightened, inspired and have hope. A call to action tip is also included with each message to help you fight agains the negative thoughts. After reading them everyday you will be encouraged and receive exactly what you need to receive the promise God has placed in your heart.

Book will be ready soon! (Join my email listing to be notified of status)

How to Use The InLight Encouragements

2009-04-19T03:34:00.000-05:00

The best way to use The InLight Encouragements is to have a goal, dream, vision in front of you that you are working towards. Then as you begin your journey of accomplishing it, read the encouragements as fuel to your fire. Think of marathon runners who get tired, hot and thirsty. Often you will see people along the road who will offer water. Well the encouragements are set up like that....water for your journey. It is not for you to stop and never progress but rather to be inspired to continue with your journey. If you are confused, the messages will bring direction and comfort so that you may continue to trust and go forward.

Welcome Back!

2009-03-31T19:59:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends. The InLight Encouragements are back! If you want to be encouraged M-F via email encouragements that share everyday life experiences with revealing truth to inspire, strengthen and encourage you then sign up at http://www.theinlight.com/.

I laid the encouragements down at the beginning of the year in order to get a "better grip" on things but realize that encouraging you is what God has called me to do. Saying yes to it is saying yes to God. There have been and are going to be some changes such as this blog. This blog will actually be used to share with you all that is going on with The InLight including messages from me of what I am doing, elaboration on certain encouragements, upcoming events, feedback from you etc...that way your email encouragements are just that: encouragements. So subscribe to this blog and I look forward to sharing with you all God is doing.

Until next time, may God bless you by showing you more of Him.