Celebrating with Friends

This past week been filled with celebrations, conversations with old friends and the beginning of new ones.

It's interesting to just really listen to people, especially the ones that you thought you knew. When your mind and heart are clear from foolishness, you are able to see and hear things a lot clearer. And the interesting part is that folks conversations have NOT changed, but my hearing them has. And I'm thinking to myself, "really"? People are who they are and my question of 'really?' is not about judging them, but it's more about me and is this what they have been saying all along but I DID NOT GET IT?

Friday night, I attended a birthday celebration with a group of ladies. The restaurant had a live band performing on the terrace and the whole atmosphere was electrifying. This was my first time at this place and I'm told that it is like this every Friday night. I mean, the crowd that was there to hear the band was huge. One of the reasons they moved it to the terrace was because the parking lot is big enough to hold the crowd. And it was a nice crowd of people around our age instead of the young folks. Everyone was just relaxing, dancing, chatting and just having a good time.

On Saturday, I went to a Baby Shower earlier in the day. It was coed and the couple got a lot a great gifts for their new bundle of joy that is scheduled to arrive within a couple of weeks.

That evening, I attended a birthday/Father's Day celebration. It was nice and the people were chatting, playing games, watching reruns of Scandal and just having a great time. Then one conversation turned to Scandal and the interracial relationship between Olivia and Fitz. Without going into all of the details, there were two guys who just thought it was appalling for those two characters to be together. They thought it was a slap in the face to black women and men. But in the same breath, these same two guys thought that it is perfectly okay for the black guy and white lady in the new series Mistresses to be together. Really? Let me just say this, I am not in any way prejudice and you should be free to love who you love, regardless of race and you're both available to pursue that love interest. But those guys way of thinking was total crap and a double standard at its best. Yeah, that was foolishness and of course I let them know it.

Then after they left the party, with their wives, with the exception of 2 ladies, everyone who was still there was single. The conversation turned to fornication and adultery. One of the ladies said that she had heard that it was a sin and she has asked several people to show it to her in the Bible but know one had. I politely asked her to go and get me her Bible (we were at her house). When she brought it to me, I showed her several scriptures regarding fornication. It was serious and funny at the same time because her brother, who is hilarious and is always cracking jokes was just messing with her about it and the the fact that I knew exactly where to take her in the Bible. He said to her, "I don't think you'll ever want to challenge her again about that Bible because she knew exactly where to take you to show you those scriptures without hesitation. So just sit down somewhere and keep your legs closed." Everyone was laughing and having a good time. You have to know him and his personality and you would understand what I'm talking about.

I told him that I was practicing abstinence and he said that it was something that he had been thinking of doing because he wants to get right with God. So, he asked for my phone number so that he could call me to talk about it and for me to share my journey with him. Of course I am happy to share my journey with anyone because God has been good to me and has kept me.

Yesterday, I received an unexpected text and phone call from someone who I dated a few years ago. I broke off the relationship with him because I was in a different place in my life and with God. And I have not seen this person since we ended things back then. He has texted me a couple of time over the years, but they were just small chit chat to say hi. Nothing more. I did think that it was very interesting that after having the conversation about abstinence and willingness to share my testimony about my journey, that this person would call me out of the blue the very next day. Let me just say this, I recognized the trick of the enemy right from the start and I kept that conversation very light and small talk as well. There was no talk about our relationship at all. It was small talk about how everyone was doing, both of our family and friends.

And listening to him, I realized that after not talking to him for several years, his conversation has not changed one bit. I still knew what he was going to say before he said it. And I'm saying to myself, 'really!' Nothing new after all this time, huh? Wow! And the thing is, I am not even the least bit interested in him like that again. Not At all.

Also, yesterday, I finally had the opportunity to visit this church that I had been wanting to visit for some time now. The worship and praise service was absolutely amazing. The atmosphere was so charged with the presence of the Holy Spirit and the people were so free and openly expressing their love for God. It was what I had been missing. I can't explain it, but I sure can recognize it when I experience it. I am definitely going back to visit again.

Overall, this past week has been good and God is the absolute best as always.

Through it all, I am PHinE (Praising Him in Everything)


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