Teardrops Inspiration: Letting Go

Sometimes, we have to let go of people, situations, a bad investment, bad habits, even our dreams if they’re not in alignment with our purpose. It’s not easy and it’s definitely a process that I’ve went through hundreds of times. However, it’s something we must learn to do in order to move forward in our lives. Also, in regards to people, it’s required that we forgive… so God can forgive us.

I wrote Teardrops when I realized I had let go of a dream. It’s a good dream, and I believe God-sent, but the timing just isn’t right. I knew I had let go, because I am able to do things for the people involved without any ill feelings or emotions. I am free to love and support with hopes for the best.

Teardrops captures the seasons and emotions we experience in the process of letting go. Realistically, there are some other phases, and we may bounce back and forth before obtaining a sense of freedom. The first two seasons (stanzas) are severe Sadness and Anger which are common, but unhealthy. I used to hate the emotional part, crying and carrying on, feeling gloomy with no motivation. Plus, I felt like a wimp. If and when you go through these stages, make them short-lived. Don’t get stuck in them. The final two stages are Healing and Freedom, finally… letting go! You can tell when you’ve let go when the person or thing doesn’t consume your mind and you can be happy for them.

Is there something or someone hindering your purpose? Perhaps, it's time to... let go. Face your fears and let God fill the empty space. If it's meant for you to have, it will come back to you... in His time.

In an effort to shorten the length of my posts, I’ve only posted a condensed version of this inspiration. The full writing goes into depth about the seasons, includes my personal testimonies, addresses letting go of relationships and answers questions like "Why you do I have to let go?", “Why is letting go so hard to do?” and “How do I let go?” If you’d like the full version, please befriend me on Google (lower right), FaceBook or Twitter and send me a message. I will add you to my mailing list and send it to you.

In the meantime, enjoy Teardrops!

Stood Up (poem)

KABOOMIN cabinet doors
Zoomin from room to room
Slidin across the floor
Tearin up the house
where's the other Jimmy Choo?
Guess these boots gon' have to do
cause he'll be here in a few
Let me slow my self down
get a grip…
and go check out my doo!

Soliloquizin lines
the clever words I’ll say tonight
gigglin n’ cheesin in the mirror
freckles ain't too pretty
but the makeup’s tight!
Dang, the bulb blew out
now there ain’t gon' be much light
It’s cool, I’ll lay it out like this
he’ll like this candlelight
Play some soft jazzmatic sounds
to set the m-o-o-d just right
Relax
breathe
just be…
I got a date tonight

15 minutes late…
     hmmm... this is kinda’ rude
20 minutes late…
     now, I’m gettin' an attitude
30 minutes…
     call… voicemail on the first ring
   Hey… just checkin’ to see where you’re at
   there’s somethin’ I want you to bring
45 minutes…
     kick off the boots, cause they’re w-a-y too tight
     pouting 'bout all I did to look cute
     blow out the candlelight

Vexed and perplexed, tryin to conceal
the rejection I really feel
Break out the Häagen Daz and DVD
as if it’s no big deal
I nod off
humbly
carefree…
Or so I seemed to be


BUT... God Knows and Sees EVERYTHING

[God]
Gazing upon my sweet child
submersed in tranquil sleep
She’s the apple of my eye
My darling beloved sheep
Hey, I’ll cheer her up
I know just what she will like
A morning bluebird serenade
a gentle breeze and bright sun light
Should I wake her now?
No, I think I’ll let her get some rest
Oh, I’m so excited
I crave her sweet incense
Oh, I was so delighted
from the past few mornings that we spent
All I want is to show her love
Her heart I want to mend
on Me can she depend
Me... and Me alone


Ok, just one gentle touch
a stroke upon her cheek
Awww, look at my baby girl yawn
she’s just about to speak
Flickering eyes adjust to the sun
I love their early morning glow
Though she hates her freckles
I created them just so
Always thinking she’s ugly
but she's gorgeous, made perfectly
That part she likes least about herself
I love… for she’s unique
Look! She’s dropping to her knees
Good morning daughter, I love you!
Oh… she’s just looking under the bed
for her other high heel shoe

15 minutes…
     bathroom prep to sweeten up her breath
20 minutes later
     a shower to make sure she’s clean and fresh
30 minutes
     See, that’s why I blew out the light
     The prayer book beside the pack of bulbs
     a little dusty, but in plain sight
45 minutes
     The Today show? Ask me! I know just how it’ll go
     What? she's putting her on coat
     Kaboom! She's out the door

I knew her commitment to “quiet time”
was a little too good to be true
This morning, I just wanted to tell her I love her…
and where to find... her favorite shoe

Candace Burts © 2009. All rights reserved

Inspiration from Quiet Quality Time

Quiet Quality Time

Quiet Time… that time when all presence around you is still. When silence is only accompanied by the soft chirping of morning birds, or a gentle hum of the warm heat flowing through the vents. That special time with you… and God.

I’ve never spent any quality quiet time with God that I didn’t enjoy. I always feel refreshed, renewed and more insightful about life. When I begin my day with Him, I’ve found that I’m more calm and serene throughout the day too. On the flip side, I’ve had some “dry seasons” in the past where I was so preoccupied with pursuing goals or taking care of people that I only gave God bits and pieces of left-over in-between time. I was one irritable, impatient and frustrated sista; going ziggidy-boom on auto-pilot all over the place and still not accomplishing anything. Sure, it was quiet in the car for those 3 minutes I would pray, but my attention wasn’t devoted to Him. The time we spent was lacking… quality.


Since God desires to have a relationship with us, He wants to communicate with us daily. Not just some surface chit-chat here and there that you call prayer. He wants quality time, when we show our love for each other and He gives us direction for our daily lives. There’s a difference between knowing of God, knowing about God and actually knowing Him. It’s not about how much scripture you can quote, but how much you trust Him. God has feelings too.

I wrote the poem Stood Up one night as I imagined how God feels when we don't spend time with Him. Yet, we can get all fixed up and anxious for a date, a business meeting or performance. We even spend hours writing. Have you ever made an empty promise to pray everyday or read a scripture, but only lasted for a short time? My hand is raised, because I sure have in the past. Often, we get so caught up in our affairs, that we’re off and running… leaving God behind… stood up.

Your daily mediation doesn't have to be a long time. I usually spend about 1-1/2 hours per day. I read my Bible, pray, maybe sing; then I quiet my mind and listen. You can start out slow with just 10 minutes a day and gradually increase. Consistency is most important.

The main thing is that you don’t stand up God. He wouldn't leave you hanging. Show Him some love and spend a portion of each day in quiet quality time. Then come back and share the difference it’s made in your life. I’m absolutely sure, it’s for the better.

If you haven't read the poem yet, check out Stood Up.

Love, My Dove (poem)

Loving good
it's good to pray
hating evil
evil haters prey
...on my dove
The Lord is my Shepherd
I feel no evil
filled with no evil
real to no evil
I love good
good comes from above
...on my dove
Love

by Candace and Slay
Candace Burts © 2009. All rights reserved

Deeper Restoration

I wrote the poem Mine Eyes Upon the Lord at the end of a season in my life what I termed as "Deeper Restoration." My partying and hanging days were behind me. I was a devoted Christian by this time and had become responsible with finances and managing my household. I had been recognized for many accomplishments, yet there was some deeper work to be done... within.

I discovered this after I met my Boaz. The brotha' was wise, witty, fine and on fire for the Lord! It was all good at first, but when I fell in love, insecurities from my past resurfaced. Caught off guard, I was astonished at how I felt about myself. Suddenly, I realized... I was aging. I didn't feel like that cute, young honey anymore. I'd gained a little weight, noticing a few not-so-cute dimples in places other than the one on my face. As a minster, I no longer dressed provocatively to emphasize the sexy parts of my body I had once been so proud to show off. No, it was the real deal, just me. How was I to appeal to this godly man in my life without strutting my stuff?

To my amazement, good ole' Christian Candace began behaving like many women dealing with low self-esteem who are in relationships... I started tripping. Comparing myself to other women, comparing my man to former boyfriends, getting an attitude and jealous for no reason. I was making assumptions on how he felt, thinking he was using or betraying me. Oh, it was crazy! I thought, "Where in the world is this coming from?" I knew I had to get it together... real quick!


At first, I tried to heal myself. A distorted self-image and deep insecurities had robbed my joy and hindered my purpose for far too long. After reading tons of books and spending a lot of unnecessary money on physical restoration, I still found myself reacting to my past… making hasty decisions, dishonoring my man and destroying our future. More so, I felt like I had failed and displeased God, who had blessed me with this incredible man in the first place. Finally, I separated from him to spend a season with God... a season of "Deeper Restoration." It lasted for a few months, but was the greatest thing I could have ever done for our relationship.

If you're in a similar state, take some time out for personal healing. Although exercise, good eating habits and taking care of your body is a good thing, only God can truly restore you to realize your true worth. God showed me that through His Word would I be delivered, because there one can find their identity, purpose and value. It is in the Bible that you'll be reminded that you are fearfully and wonderfully made, a royal priestess, daughter of the Most High. You may have heard and even quoted some of these scriptures I studied during the season of "Deeper Restoration," but take a few weeks to meditate on them:

• Read and re-read the scriptures daily
  
• memorize and repeat verses to yourself throughout the day
  
• pray for God to give you understanding
  
• look up cross-references
  
• post scriptures on your wall or as notes in your cell phone
  
• study words from original Hebrew or Greek language
  
• share with other women about what God is revealing to you
  
• listen to sermons on the topics
  
• journal your thoughts along the way
  

After spending much time focusing on self-love, prayer, and meditation, the result was a few simple words that changed my life forever. Keep my eyes on Jesus. Outside influences and deceptive thoughts can distort your reality. Just keep your eyes on Him. So, when you get discouraged… think about Jesus. If you get crazy thoughts about someone who loves you trying to betray you… think about the Lord. If you're feeling unattractive... what does God have to say about you, His most prized possession? When you want to beat yourself up for falling short… seek his mercy. It's yours, because you are His righteousness through Christ. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, including loved ones, children, the people at work, at church… not even your man. If you just keep your eyes on Him, He will heal, protect and lead you into your destiny.

Here are just a few Deeper Restoration scriptures to get you started, but you will be blessed as more are revealed to you personally during your season:
Genesis 2:18-24; Psalm 139:14; Proverbs 5:19, 31:10-31; Isaiah 61:3; Zechariah 2:8; 2 Corinthians 10:5; 1 Peter 2:9

Read Mine Eyes Upon the Lord

10 Minutes and a Burger (poem)

Photograph by SamPac

Poor man, hungry for something to eat
Beggar man, no where to sleep
needs two hands of offering
one for his soul
one for his body

If his body passes on and lays to rest
no more heart to believe
no lips left to confess
and all you did was say "Be blessed"

What good does it do to just say you'll pray
when you are the answer that God sent his way
a few dollars or a burger is a small price to pay
to spare a man's life for another day

10 minutes of your time
may help a blind man see
as with anyone blind, he needs someone to lead
just a few minutes to share your testimony
May spare a man's soul for eternity
Candace Burts © 2009 - 2014. All rights reserved

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink..."
~Matthew 25:34-35

MEDITATION: Read Matthew 25:31-40

Touched by God

Who knows what this man is going through?
but he is... passing through it
taking a minute in a dark hour to pray and reflect
tightly clenched fists and vein-strained hands
he is confronting something
his bowed head is not a symbol of defeat, but
humility and reverence
an understanding that some things in life are
beyond our power

~SLAY

Copyright 2008© Patrick Slay


Slay is a multi-talented artist and poet, an awesome man of God and my best friend. Though also gifted in painting and sculpting, most of his works are in pencil, with an urban and spiritual influence. He was the first to inspire me to listen to what art is saying. Hear the voice of the artist, and experience their joys, crys, screams, laughter and power. I'll be adding a series of posts to display his artwork in the future.

Uhuru Sassa (Freedom Now)

This dynamic piece is one of my favorite collages by SLAY. Uhuru Sassa (pronounced A'-huru sa-sa) means Freedom Now. When I first saw this drawing, I was blown away. There's so much depth to his art work, and every intricate detail has meaning. In this drawing, he uses a collection of unrelated images and techniques in contiguous relationships to tell a harmonious story of the reality of his incarceration.

The picture begins, as all things, with the African man in the Egyptian or Pharoaic headpiece, because all history is a current event. He stares at the woman of life with concern, because she is not alarmed at the direction we're headed toward as a people with no repentance toward God. The penitentiary is a modern day slave ship for the hues of man, in which men are displayed as wild animals in a zoo. The smoke is the endless visions of free-dominion. Freedom picks her afro as she waits to become... herself. The more we grow, mature and ascertain in life, the more she is uncovered before us.


Freedom's Clothing

kilabu - books • Miaka - years • Moyo - heart • Mlango - door... that we must open or close • Mto - river... that we must cross • Mungo - God... that must be foremost and first in our lives • Mume - husband... who we must become as men of honor • Mke - wife, Mwenzi - companions • Mwalimu - teacher... for we all have something to give • Mwanafunzi - learner • Mwivi - thief... that we must watch for • Mtume - prophet... that we must watch the times and signs • Mfame - king... of which we possess the regality • Mkristo - Christian... that are like and of Christ • NGuve - strength... that we've bore throughout the time.
The Times

The Hebrew date Abib (Nisan) is upon Freedom, because this is the month that God brought Noah out of the Ark • 1863... the year the Emancipation Proclamation was effective • Feb. 21, 1965.. the day Malcolm X was assassinated • April 4, 1968... Martin Luther King, Jr was assasinated • Nov 4, 2008 Barack Obama was elected into Presidential Office

Uhuru Sassa, Freedom Now...
that we must possess all levels and dimensions


The winds of change blow down into the solitary mind where a vulnerable state of change erupts. The little men represent "thoughts." The hour glass measure the time encasing our prayers that faith is trying to free with the sledge hammer, which is symbolic of the Word of God. The thought pulling the money is "the love of money," the root of all evil. One bound by the bars is desperately trying to maintain his peace but so much is hindering him. The lower left is our brokenness as the thought labors for wholeness, oneness and completeness.





Love...

Cupid holds the arrows of love in her quivers and she's taken her cool off. Divine-selections strapped to her thigh. The screaming face with tears and sewn eyes means that sometimes love hurts and he's screaming for our dreams to be free... but you can't tell everyone your dream. The woman with the sewn mouth is saying "even a fool is wise in silence." With torn paper saying... see deeper into this piece, because these are just the small things I've seen in silence. Lastly, the keyhole with the eye peeking in means...

Unlock the mysteries... Freedom NOW!
Uhuru Sassa by SLAY