My Ebony Prince

Introduction…

My father, the late Elder William Burnett Page, Sr. was a very special man!! I like to think of him as the Renaissance Man, for he had the fortitude to wrangle a large truck, but could write and speak a message most eloquently! In my eyes there was nothing my father could not do and I always felt safe whether it was from a midnight thunderstorm or stranded with a flat tire on the side of the road!!

My father was quiet and patient, yet with a single snap of his finger, he could set a whole house in order! He showed up when it was most important and his ears always managed to grow back every time I would talk them off. I truly believed he could sense when we, his children, was up to something unbelievably stupid; for he would walk-in to stop danger in the nick of time!

My father went from his earthly work to his eternal destiny a few years ago and I miss him! I miss not being able to tell him about my latest triumphs and challenges. I miss sharing more of my dreams, but my heart is comforted because he is in the right place and is forever young. Even now, I can imagine that he has Jesus hemmed up in a corner in heaven debating the scripture in that distinct way he would point his index finger to make you hear him better! LOL!! That is a such a Bill Page move!! 

My father was not perfect, but to me HE WAS GREATER THAN SUPERMAN!! He was, is and forever will be my Kingdom Ebony Prince!! This for you, Daddy...

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My Ebony Prince

An Excerpt From "My Journey to Wholeness: The Sojourn Continues"

Dedicated To My Father: The Late Elder William Burnett Page, Sr.

Ebony man! Created and shaped of earth
Trusted with heaven’s authority
Partakers of God’s holy rebirth.

Equipped with mahogany eyes that gaze
upon our Futures--plain and bright.
Broad, round noses designed to inhale
the invisible Substance of life.

Vessels of honor--possessors of power
Speaking full truth and instruction for this detrimental hour!
Deep Adonis built for protection
In one hand there is comfort. In the other, the rod of correction!

In his belly run rivers of God’s spirit and holy word.
Yet his feet refuse to walk away from promises made firm.
Sable greatness passed through his blood into mine
God’s way, God’s law is my inheritance--how sublime!

Silent praying; quiet thinking, yes, I learned that from him.
Secretly seeking Jesus and have succeeded
in finding my precious gem.

In my earthly father’s house have I been placed
Eternally grateful and wonderfully graced.
Brought up in salvation and humble recompense
It has been my honor to be in the presence of
My Ebony Prince!

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Beautiful Woman

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Introduction…

For anyone that has ever worked side by side with my Mother know first hand that she can drive a sober person to hard liquor! Yet if you worked side by side with her for a few seconds more, you will also know that this Woman is a walking example of what it means to "Stand Therefore" according to Ephesians 6:10-18.

This Ole Girl is sweet as honey and hard as nails. She loves knowledge and consumes the Word of God like we consumed her signature cornbread as children! Her memory is sharper than any device and like an acrobat, she can scale the limbs of any family tree.

I have watched this Woman war on her knees; cook for kings; serve her meals on her best china and preach the most fiery sermons from her recliner lift chair. She has always strived towards perfection and willing to fight to defend that which she believes to the death.

I honor my Mother for the Warrior and Queen that she is!! I wrote this poem for her...Beautiful Woman

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Beautiful Woman

An Excerpt From "My Journey to Wholeness: The Sojourn Continues"

Dedicated To My Mother: Mrs. Sarah Mae David Page

Black Beautiful Queen, shout loud your name ’til your soul burst!
Why? Because, it’s melody to the ears of this universe.
Beautiful Woman--strong and proud--know your glory
Stand your ground!

Lovely and sweet
Sassy and complete
Look at you! You’re much too fierce to accept defeat!

Exotic black orchid
Unique, peculiar and carefully defined
For no man--dead or alive--your passions deny!

So full of purpose and obviously full of worth
The blood of Jesus says, “Subdue this earth”!

Thin or round, fair or deep
Hidden from all harms, your soul Jesus keeps!
You are made fearfully and wonderfully
In Him you are made complete!

Tell your soul to dry its tears
Instruct your heart to run and yet live!
Dazzle your world with fancy--cunningly and fine
Be comely in godliness--holy and divine!

Run fast to your first love never to stray again
Ebony eyes search for your treasure,
And quickly pursue God’s plan!

Beautiful Woman with all the falsehoods that remain
Persistent to mock you
Know that you are beautiful
Know that is the truth!

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I Am Worthless...

Introduction…

For anyone that has been bullied, the art of survival demands to cower, cover your head and count the seconds until the assault is over.

Ahhh, but what happens when one's intrinsic kingdom value becomes glaringly clear? We stand up; look our opponent in the eye; declare enough is enough and prepare for a warfare of divine vengeance! The way I see it, even if I lose, it is my duty to leave a mark so deep, my enemy will think twice before coming for me again!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you I Am Worthless...

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I Am Worthless…

AN EXCERPT FROM "MY JOURNEY TO WHOLENESS: THE SOJOURN CONTINUES"

All my life Satan has plagued me with thoughts of being worthless! Even as strong as I am today, I still have to do battle with my self-esteem from time to time! But glory unto the Lord Jesus Christ, I finally straightened my back and found the words to overcome!

I told Satan that he was absolutely correct! I am totally worthless--to him and the kingdom of darkness! You see, I was not created to assist him with his agenda in any shape or form. I am indeed an imposter in his camp and among his cohorts! I do not look like them; smell like them; talk like them; think like them; walk like them or behave like them. I am completely useless and unbelievably clumsy when it comes to replicating Satan’s dark nature! I am not capable and the skills on my resume do not fit his job description! I am not a prime candidate, because my proficiencies were never intended to oversee any of his projects. Pity? NOT!!

Truth? I hate I have lost years and mind space contending with lies that appeared factual, but I shall redeem the time! My clouded vision is clearing and what I see beyond the haze is a diamond in the rough! I may not be the flawless marquis sort of gem, but I am a work in progress! Let it be clear that I am all woman, but my life has depended upon me to be strong, industrious and capable! I am a rare cut whose intent is still hidden and being formed under intense heated conditions! Because my content is 1,000 times stronger than the average ruby and sapphire, I can resist scratching and endure adversarial eruptions aimed to blow me into unrecognizable fragments. Yet, to my adversaries’ surprise, life’s detonations were precisely designed to blast my divine purpose to the surface for a predestined end! Who knew? I thought it was just hot!! LOL!

If I may, let me encourage you diamonds out there that are late bloomers or think that life has stepped over you without a second look! Start believing--and I mean right away--that what appears to be isolation or rejection is really preservation and reservation!! Allow me to confirm those thoughts that you are worthless! Worthless to the kingdom of darkness, that is! They cannot use you, so stop trying to fit in! You are not weird or a misfit! You are purposely unusual and cannot be easily attained or duplicated! Your value is far above rubies and according to the riches of the grace of Jesus Christ; you are His purchased possession whereby we are overcomers able to do ALL things in Him!! For, He does not just love us, we are His beloved! 

Now you know!!

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The Real Fight for Dominion...

America!! Stop being surprised by the blatant racism that we are witnessing on our hallowed soil. Quit being so flabbergasted; for racism is just as deeply ingrained in our nation's founding make-up as the freedom we sell to the world. When we, as a human body, stop yielding ourselves as conduits for superiority and inferiority to thrive, the gulf between us would cease to exist and world peace would become our cultural norm!

For centuries, racism has been the thinly veiled guise that has persecuted nations! It has distorted our concept of rule and forced us to subject ourselves to low degrees of heinous acts that is against nature!! For once, let us be honest about what we are really after!! What man is fighting for, and has fought for through the ages, is the recovery of our God-given assignment of DOMINION!! Though we have poorly articulated our angst through a host of "isms", the loss of this dominion has been the object of our human struggle from the beginning!

Our drive to reign is innate! It is written in the very code of our DNA by the finger of an all mighty God!! We were made to have rule over the earth, the sea, the fields, the air and each of their inhabitants! My goodness, ladies and gentlemen, we are made to create worlds with our words, command the elements and demonstrate supernatural wonder in the universe! But, let it be clear--Man was NEVER designed nor commanded to have rule over another man! PERIOD!!

What a misplaced batch of royalty we are, for we have invested bounds of wealth and natural resources over millennia to create sciences, laws, treaties and sanctions of oppression in an effort to inflict our personal will upon our equals! We have elected to downgrade our divine power to impose small territorial defeats upon one another that are only skin deep; gender deep; religion deep, wealth deep, class deep and creed deep! We have given racism and its companions too much credit and bestowed upon them a General's status to blindly lead us by the nose of our own fear and ignorance without question!   

Stop tripping, America!! The displays of racism that we are so shocked to see in the 21st century can be halted right here in our life time! The power to shutdown or unleash its wrath is a two-edge sword totally wielded by our conscious decision as a people!! Hear that? It is the decision of "The People"!  So, if we would decide to shut the mouth of hatred's doctrine and if we decided to activate love's true force within our realm, then we could afford to respect more and fear less...discover more and destroy less...educate more and imprison less...feed more and bury less!

We talk about greatness, but if we are going to be truly great, let us subdue racism and its cohort's grip within our city gates; annihilate their influence to make mockery of our humanity and reject our consent to act out our base nature as their personal puppets in the streets! We are better than this--if we choose!

Provisions, Promises and Eagle's Wings

Wednesday of this week, something I never dreamed of has hit me where I live and I had to concede the possession of something very special. The intended detriment was for me to fall prey as a woman in distress, but that is not what I am and can never be!  Here's why...

During Thanksgiving, the Lord said that His provisions were going to stop so I may obtain His promises.  Since that time, all that sustained me for the sake of survival has fallen by the way side while the components and favors of promise are aligning themselves so the Lord can manifest His glory through me.

One of the components aligning is the rediscovery of my Life's Vision Plan in my files! I had honestly forgotten that I put this together about a year ago. I did not realize how perfectly it was crafted in detail, order and clarity! I barely remember constructing it; nonetheless, every venture I want to accomplish in this lifetime, to leave as a legacy to the world, has already been mapped in its hierarchy!

This is almost laughable, because how can I speak of a legacy, due to my current detriment? How can I speak of vision when it appears to be totally dark in my world? Well...MY VISION IS MY LIGHT!!! MY VISION IS MY LEGACY!! Though nothing feels promising, the stakes have been raised ever since I asked the Lord to accomplish His Plan in me!!

Because I finally admitted to my Heavenly Father I want this manifestation, the hour of revolutionary quickening has found me, thereby abruptly ending the term of a provision to inherit a 30 year promise! Therefore, this is where I get off the ledge of ordinary existence and jump into the unknown acquisition of a dream!!

As soon as my feet land in the next few days, I will be mounting up on eagle's wings to possess this assigned territory; experience God's wonders; ascend to heights of uncharted adventure, warm my soul by the fires of unbridled passion and let my wings rest upon the winds of genuine love.

So, just in case you are searching for me--look up!

My Dreams Have A Contract On My Head...

For the past year my attention has been fixed on the construction of a new corporate building. I have witnessed every stage and it is nearly finished. The structure is not the highest point erected in the sky, but from a distance it looks of pure glass and serves as a mirror reflecting the brilliance of the Lord's handiwork! I often admire the work of the superstructure from afar; however, just the other day, I came eye to eye with the behemoth and decided to count its girth of 21 floors. In all honesty, there is nothing overly spectacular about this project, yet I am forced to look upon its glimmering aspect every day; for it has captivated me and hauntingly ignited something within. What is my fascination? I will tell you...

As a little girl, my dream was to own a multi-complex corporation that would house every lucrative idea that crossed my mind! It was the dream that would set my entire family free! The vision was so clear and fearless! Then life happened and now I am 41 years old. Did you hear that? Now I am 41 years old!! I will just let that sit there for a second, for as I type, I can hear the same cinematic doom music in my own ears that you are hearing right now!

Truth is, I am afraid! Afraid I have broken a promise to my young self. Afraid because my former attempts to grasp this dream have all failed! Afraid that I will never come close to accomplish this thing! Afraid I will die and take this unfinished assignment back into eternity! What will I tell the Lord when He asks why I did not fulfill what He sent me to do? I do not want to have that conversation; for I am not altogether confident that my Salvation will protect me!

Since Thanksgiving 2016, all of my childhood dreams I unknowingly propelled into my future has put a contract out on my head and is now looking for me. They just killed the provisional blessings that have helped me "survive" thus far and now the footsteps of prophetic promises are gaining on me! I have run out of places to run or hide! I must make the decision to surrender to the will of that little girl's hopes or concede to die as a failure.

How am I going to do this? With all of my degrees, skills and experiences, I do not have the slightest idea which direction to put my foot down. That chubby little girl knew the answers! She knew this dream was already paid for--that is why she could speak of it with a resolved assurance. She knew that everything needed to make her life come true was enclosed inside of her and that she had direct access to the entire treasury of heaven. She knew that the combination of favorable conditions would form the perfect storms to bring me to this moment. She knew every purpose assassin I would encounter over the years were hired navigators to lead me to this place.

She knew that I would be strong enough to get up after every hard hit despite the injuries, bruises or damages. She knew I would submit to divine healing so I was finally in right mind, body and spirit to walk in this call! She knew that my age was the season of ripening where I would be the most rare, most sweet, most beautiful and most full of seed! She knew that every seeming delay has always been fixed right here in this era awaiting my arrival.

It is not too late! The fact that this dream has resurrected and positioned itself before my eyesight indicates that I am prophetically on time! This is the hour of the revelation of God's glory in my life! This is the hour where He will show off His mastery and unparalleled strength. This is the hour where invisible meets manifestation and where the impossible submits to absolutely! I was designed to enterprise, build, awaken and empower in true love; deep soul healing and discovery of original intent.

Therefore, the scattered visions and their resources have been commanded and are straightly aligning themselves for fulfillment!!

Thank you, young Teresa! For out of your mouth, babe, you spoke into existence an established destiny to shape my earthen vessel's finite time! Thank you for having the courage to believe everything heaven ever said concerning me! I am ready to take it from here!

Blessings and Tribulations: Why Do I Need Them Both?

I cannot believe it is August already! In these 8 months, I have experienced blessings and tribulations of epic magnitude all at once!! How is that possible? Could it be that they are contingent upon one another? If so, which is the friend and which is the foe? Or are they in cahoots, wherein the survival of the tribulation deems a reward of blessing or the reward of a blessing reaps the angst of the tribulation? ...I do not know the answer to any of this!

All I know is that I have seen the Lord bless me tremendously in such a short amount of time; however, in this same amount of time I feel like I am being broken in two! What hidden thing is He trying to uncover? What manner of oil does He want to flow from me that justifies this pressing? What treasure is He after and how deep does He plan to excavate? What is it that He wants my knees to buckle in surrender to? Why won't He just tell me so I can get over all of this? I say it again...I do not know the answer!

While I am wonderfully favored and even trained to endure hardness as a good solider, I am honestly wearied by the hardness of this season! Yes, I know that it is poetic to say that I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling, but do you want the real truth?! The real truth is that it is my choice to bypass my trouble or to walk right through it! I choose the latter, because the risk to forfeit the end blessing is too great! But, better still, deciding to look my test eye to eye brings me to a most holy place! The place where the Lord's strength is made perfect and where the power of Christ rises upon my weakness!

If I would just give in or would just stay down without resisting, this seeming madness would cease immediately! I am sure of it!! Nonetheless, to lose the Lord's eternal inheritance for the sake of relieving my temporal trials requires a surrender I cannot live with and provides a yellow-bellied comfort that I cannot eat nor sleep in! Therefore, I choose to stand in this heat, for the Lord is with me and His cool place is in the flames! I choose to triumph over my enemies, seen and unseen, for I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me!

My choices are easy, for I am manifesting in the divine dunamis power of my Heavenly Father! He is a Man of War and they say that He is terrible in all His ways! As the Ancient of Days, He has been conquering from way back and does not know how to lose! He never uses the same strategy twice, for He is a genius and bad like that! My confidence in Him is unmoved, for it is His great pleasure to show Himself strong to annihilate my adversaries without mercy!!

So yeah, I may be a little tired in this walk with Christ, but that comes with the territory! What I know to be true is they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength and they shall mount up their wings like eagles! And, if the Lord does things the way I think He will do things, He wilI uncommonly revive me beyond my age!

Ask Something Hard...

Sojourners! There was something that I truly desired today, but I loss the courage to ask and missed an opportunity! Now here I am sitting with that deep sinking feeling of regret in the pit of my stomach! I tell you this much...it will not go down like this again!!

Listen up! The scriptures indicate that we have not, because we ask not! The scriptures also reveal that we have what we say!! What have you said on today? What did you ask that it was given? What have you knocked upon that it was opened unto you? Hmmm...?

Think on this...how many specific blessings remain in our Heavenly Father's hands to date all because we have not boldly asked? Have we considered that if we were freely given Jesus Christ, the only begotten of the Father, as a sacrifice, then what could the Lord possibly withhold from our reach? Nothing! Not one thing!!! 

Now, I don't know if it was my fear, my sin complex or my self-righteousness at work that enabled me to punk out today, but I am clear on this one thing--it  was not of the Lord!!! From this moment forward I choose to ask the Lord for something hard...something beyond my reach...something that I know I could not perform in a million lifetimes!! Why? Because, I want the Lord to show Himself strong on my behalf!! I want Him to flex so hard that the earth trembles from its shockwave and the world will marvel at the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ!!!!   

Ok, so I have to take today's experience on the nose as an opportunity lost and lesson learned!! Take it from me...don't you sit there and waste another minute with your mouth closed! Apprehend opportunities vehemently when they present themselves; use the creative power of your tongue to speak a moment into existence or redeem the time if you must!! Whatever it takes, speak the John Brown up and let's shake some blessings loose!!! I dare you!!

Four Petitions...

Dear Sojourners,

At the beginning of 2016 I put 4 petitions before the Lord of things that I wanted 2016 and I to accomplish together! Now that the year is half spent, I am in awe as I observe the methods that the Lord is utilizing to perform my petitions. I think what is interesting is that when I first made my petitions known, I assume that He was going to use the materials and/or persons that were currently in my life! I WAS SO WRONG!!! 

So what did the Lord do? He chose to press my faith by moving me into arenas that I did not have the resources for; by placing a gulf between me and those that could not enter this new phase in my life; by introducing new individuals that actively demonstrates the Lord's divine care for me and by increasing my influence by shifting me from one territory into another! Every move that I have made this year was totally unexpected, illogical and not sought after!! All of this proves one thing to me!! It is none of my business how the Lord decides to perform a thing--I just need to know that He is well able to perform exceedingly above all that I asked or thought!  

My relationship with the Lord is years old and established, but I learn new aspects of His character in every season I walk in! He does nothing the same, yet my faith is built upon what He has done in the past!! What makes me laugh is that He doesn't even ask my input on the prayers I send up to Him!! LOL! All He cares about is if I am going to believe Him! Besides that, I need to get somewhere and sit down to let Him work!! I love and admittedly hate that about my Heavenly Father, but the end result is unarguably a masterpiece!

Now those of us that know the breaks of serving an Almighty God knows that the mastery of a piece is not easy! While we wait, it will get darker and depending on the method our Great Potter chooses, there will be some spinning, watering, shaping, firing and staining until the work is finished!! We must be confident that while the Lord is answering our call, He is making us ready to receive!! For He that has begun a good work in us, shall perform it until the day of Jesus Christ!!! 

With that in mind, I might as well keep asking!!