What Fragrance Do You Possess?

Last year, I had the pleasure of visiting several homes for the Annual Rose Tour in Whitewright. I was awestruck by the diversity of each garden as we went from house to house.

I saw backyards filled with roses, irises, birdhouses, ponds, and many other gorgeous bouquets of plant life. The flowers generated an amazing ambiance that perfumed the air with pleasant aromas. I saw and smelled honey suckles for the first time and had the pleasure of tasting one too.

What struck me the most was the diversity of fragrances the floras produced. In one garden, there was an assemblage of multicolored roses displayed in a row, so I decided to smell each group individually. Every colored rose possessed an enjoyable but distinct aroma. I couldn’t believe how they could all be so alike, yet so different, but each was lovely in its own right.

Upon leaving, not far away, sat a cluster of red roses identical to the ones I had recently smelled. I couldn’t help myself, so I decided to take one last whiff. Ironically, they produced no scent. “But aren’t these roses the same as the others?” I thought to myself.

You life is your garden and what you produce will be obvious to others. The Scripture says in I Peter 2:9 that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people; that we should show forth the praises of him who has called us from outer darkness and into His marvelous light.

It is not enough to sit with others we think are like us and expect that this method alone will change us. Going to church doesn’t save you and make you a Christian anymore than sitting among rose bushes will make you a rose. Christianity is not a religion but a lifestyle; it is a daily walk with the Savior, which requires every individual to take personal liability for their own life by picking up their cross to follow Jesus.

We have been set apart for God, and in that separation, there is something we must do. We must continually fill our hearts with His Word so that we can produce good fruit. When we faithfully commit to abiding in the Vine, we become the branches that bring forth the fruit of God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ (St. John 15:5).

What fragrances do you possess and generate? Will you permit the power of God’s Word to cultivate in you the fruit of the Spirit or will you just sit among the roses?

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

Influence, Inspire, & Infiltrate! 

Official Website: Narda Goodson Ministries

Women's Network: Predestined by God

Teen Network: DIVA Drops©-Damsels in Virtuous Attire™

Government:: First Ladies of the Round Table

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Don't Put a Question Where God Has Placed a Period

There is no greater feeling than when I have genuinely cast my burden to the Lord. Ahhh . . . what a relief! It almost gives the appearance that I don't have a care in the world.

But why should I overwhelm myself with problems I know I cannot resolve on my own? If I’m going to worry, why pray?  Learning to cast my fears, troubles, anxieties, and anything that can be considered and packaged into a care to the Lord has been a learning process. Over the years, I have resolved to walk in the rest and peace of God instead of musing over the "what if's". As a result, I’ve experienced an inner peace; one that truly passes all understanding.

But this did not come without trial and error. I’ve had my share of insomnia, cried tears to fill up the bathtub, and experienced overwhelming fear and heartache, and the more I focused on the problem, the more it grew like yeast.

However, when I redirected my attention to the Word of God and His promises, although the problems did not vanish away, I found my fears did. Instead of subjecting myself to the oppression, suppression, and depression, which were grimly gazing down at me like a predator ready to pounce on its prey, I became empowered and repositioned by the anointed Word of God.

My shift came because my thinking changed, and as a result, I was able to face my opposition perfectly hearing the instructions, strategy, and plan of God instead of panicking, being afraid, and clueless. No more did I see myself as a victim but a victor armed and dangerous.

The repositioning of our mind can quickly overturn the outcome of the battle. If you know who you are, whose you are, and to whom you belong to, then there is no trial in life that can defeat you.

Think of all that the Lord has brought you through already. This should be enough to bullet you into your next level. He didn't let you drown in the mess nor did He give up on you. He simply open doors, granted favor, or made a way. Sometimes, we just need a gentle reminder - the Lord takes care of His own.

Don't put a question mark where God puts a period. Be encouraged knowing that he who kneels before the Lord can stand before anything.

Psalms 55:22-23

Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

But You, O god, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in you.

Tilt your hearts toward the Son!

Narda Goodson

Official Website: Narda Goodson Ministries

Women's Network: Predestined by God

The Journey

Life can bring with it discouraging winds that oftentimes can leave one drifting on the sea of despondency for extended periods. The rut of the dry places encountered in the course of one’s journey may lead one to a dead-end with feelings of hopelessness and a lost disposition. But not all dry places in life are the result of being lost. Sometimes God uses dry places as a forum for preparation.

In Exodus 3:8, when God met Moses at the burning bush, He told him that He was going to deliver His people from bondage and into a land flowing with "milk and honey”. Yet, Scripture discloses that when God delivered them, He led them directly into a "wilderness” where they spent the next 40 years.

Their wilderness experience had a purpose because the Bible tells us that there was a shorter route available that they could have taken and avoided the wilderness altogether (Exodus 13:17). But God told Moses, “I Am Who I Am”. This personal name of God means the God who is actively present with His people.

Trust and submission to God’s direction is the stepping stone that will bring you into your next level. Life is like a grindstone and whether it polishes you up or grinds you down depends on what you are made of.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future”. Whenever God leads you somewhere, He has a purpose and a predestined place for you, even if the route is a long dry one.

Tilt your hearts toward the Son!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

Influence, Inspire, & Infiltrate! 

Official Website: Narda Goodson Ministries

Women's Network: Predestined by God

Teen Network: DIVA Drops©-Damsels in Virtuous Attire™

Government:: First Ladies of the Round Table

Blog: http://nardagoodson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: @nardagoodson

Twitter: @nardagoodson

LinkedIn: @nardagoodson

Daily Pursuit

I would like to continue from last week’s thoughts on becoming the woman God wants me to be.

The pressure of everyday living can prove to be exhausting. If you are a woman, wife, or mother, you know the on-going demands that come with these responsibilities. The distractions that come as part of the package and the constant giving and pouring out to others but never enough time for “me” can all lead one to a place of weariness. At the end of the day, you are simply drained and the result is the thoughts of another day to try again.

Aspiring to become the Proverbs 31 woman is a daily pursuit of following God’s designed plan. But how can I fulfill my obligations with balance? How do I accomplish my daily goals with success while pursuing the plan of God for my personal growth? Where do I begin?

Everything has a beginning, so I have found that seeking God early in the morning, just before the break of day and before the house wakes up, is a good starting point. While I am still enough in His presence, the spontaneous flow of the Father’s thoughts begins to streamline into my heart showing and mapping out my success for the day.

It is like my spiritual tank is refueled and my corroded oil has been changed. My new wheels are spinning and ready to roll as my soul experiences a refreshing, restoring, and renewing. But missing these precious moments, I must admit, is like buttoning a shirt and realizing they were buttoned incorrectly, then undoing the whole thing and having to start all over . . . what a drag that can be.

It is when I prioritize and place God first that I find my days are a huge success and I am not emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained. God’s substance is enough to keep you. Allow Him to refuel you before the start of each new day, and as you are found in hot pursuit of God’s presence, may all your godly dreams and aspirations come true.

Tilt your hearts toward the Son!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

Influence, Inspire, & Infiltrate! 

Official Website: Narda Goodson Ministries

Women's Network: Predestined by God

Teen Network: DIVA Drops©-Damsels in Virtuous Attire™

Government:: First Ladies of the Round Table

Blog: http://nardagoodson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: @nardagoodson

Twitter: @nardagoodson

LinkedIn: @nardagoodson

Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be ~ Part 1

Becoming the woman God wants me to be is more than just wishful thinking. It is an endless pursuit with daily longings to be just like Him. But with all the opposition and distraction one can face on a daily basis, becoming this woman has proven to be a lot easier said than done.

It takes perseverance, determination, and a fixed mind regardless of the falls and bruises along the way. It takes a “getting up attitude” even if it is your hundredth time and starting all over. It is looking at a scoffing, ridiculing world in the eye and declaring, “I am not genetically disposed to”, naming whatever your struggle is, “because the Greater One that resides in me will not give up on me”. It is having faith to see and going beyond what your natural eyes can see. It is daily falling at the feet of Jesus and surrendering all to the One who holds the blueprints of life in His hands.

At the end, you will find that all your troubles, all your obstacles, all the trials and storms of life you faced were merely classroom tools the Father used to prepare, sharpen, and equip you for a greater cause. So when the storms of life surmount, remember that God is working everything out, the good, the bad, and the ugly, ultimately for your benefit.

Scripture Reading: Proverbs 31

Tilt your hearts toward the Son!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

Influence, Inspire, & Infiltrate! 

Official Website: Narda Goodson Ministries

Women's Network: Predestined by God

Teen Network: DIVA Drops©-Damsels in Virtuous Attire™

Government:: First Ladies of the Round Table

Blog: http://nardagoodson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: @nardagoodson

Twitter: @nardagoodson

LinkedIn: @nardagoodson

When Faced with Opposition, Take Your Position!

Discouragement and desperation are tools that the enemy uses to keep us from reaching our goal in Christ. From the beginning of time many have given up their dreams and hopes due to the incessant assaults from the enemy. This is why we are admonished in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to cast down every imagination and thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

There are times we will feel like we want to concede defeat. The pressures of life dig at you without mercy. The relentless stress, anxiety, and demands of your problems increase as you find your ability to cope decreasing. You begin to lose your grip in life and eventually, you breakdown in despair.

The word discourage in its verb form means oppose, hinder, inhibit, prevent, stop, and suppress. It also means dishearten, cast down, and depress. When you have been beat down by ‘discourage’, you fall into a state of discouragement.

Discouragement is a saddened and cast down feeling we experience when we disallow the Word of God to have absolute dominion over our thought life. It is a deterrent, whose ultimate goal is to lead you away from God. Once discouragement has settled and permeated your heart, its doppelganger, desperation kicks in.

Desperation is the state of extreme anxiety. At this stage, you encounter the brutal assaults of distraction, misery, harassment, and nervousness from “the thing” that initially came against you. The continual onslaughts of “the thing” that opposes and suppresses you have brought you to this gloomy place called desperation.

When we are desperate, we become forgetful and apprehensive. We do not function at our best because we focus more on “the thing” rather than staying committed and steadfast to what the Word of God has said about the situation. While it is the enemy’s assignment to pursue and hassle you to the point of taking you off course, your job is to keep your guard at all times. 2 Timothy 2:3 says that we are to endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

There are many who are being “opposed” by the enemy. This word is a reminder that you are to take your position in your opposition, for the battle belongs to the Lord. The Bible declares that He that has begun the good work in you will complete it (Phil. 1:6).

God’s grace is more than enough to get you through the storms of life. By refueling your spiritual gas tank with the Word of God, your enemy will not be able to wear you down. Determine that you will finish what God has started. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Destroy the spirit of a quitter!

Tilt your heart towards the SON!

Narda Goodson

First Lady of Whitewright, Texas

Influence, Inspire, & Infiltrate! 

Official Website: Narda Goodson Ministries

Women's Network: Predestined by God

Teen Network: DIVA Drops©-Damsels in Virtuous Attire™

Government:: First Ladies of the Round Table

Blog: http://nardagoodson.blogspot.com/

Facebook: @nardagoodson

Twitter: @nardagoodson

LinkedIn: @nardagoodson