“Having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” — Ephesians 6:13–14 Today is a special day of reflection. My big sister is 54 years young, and I find myself deep in my feelings as I reflect on just how much she means to me. ❤️ She is the one person still in my life who was there when our mother first discovered she was pregnant with me. She has been planted in my life like a mountain—a constant presence through the seasons, the changes, and the journey of life. We have shared an incredible journey, from growing up in the '80s watching Good Times, Soul Train, and The Cosby Show to attending church multiple days a week. We have memories that time cannot erase and a bond that distance cannot diminish. There has been profound loss, trauma, and heartbreak. Yet, here we are still walking out our adventures of faith with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Today, I find myself reflecting on the beauty of endurance. There is something powerful about looking back over your life and realizing that what you endured did not have the final say. Life has tested us in ways our younger selves could never have imagined, but we are still standing! Clothed in the armor of God, we have emerged with something more valuable than simply making it through: wisdom, endurance, peace, forgiveness, and love. Our grey strands are reminders that we have lived, learned, and grown. The lines on our faces tell stories that only time and experience could write. We carry a wisdom that our younger selves could never have fully understood. And yet, there is still so much life ahead of us! I EXPECT our latter years to be filled with purpose. I EXPECT us to walk boldly into the destinies God has prepared for us. We have come too far to allow our past to limit what we believe God can do in our future. We are not merely survivors of what we have been through. We are women who are still becoming everything God has called us to be. Galatians 6:9 reminds us not to grow weary in doing good, because in due season we will reap if we do not give up. Our journey has taught us to keep believing, keep growing, and keep walking by faith.

Wussup SOZO fam!!! I am so looking forward to fellowshipping with you all tomorrow!! Thanks to @Patty M for offering some more insight on a need. That need is on the topic of Mastering our Emotions which @Jesse Dishner spent a lot of time focused on when we first starting attending church together in Chicago. There has been such a journey in this department that I'm asking the Lord where to even start. I've gone from suppressing my emotions to overly expressing them, to now learning how to navigate them the Kingdom Way. God did give them to us, there has to be a Kingdom way of their function! We are going to look at 1 Kings 19 as a basis but you already know we'll dive into more passages as the Holy Spirit leads us! I love ya'll!! See you tomorrow October 28th at 7pmEST 6CST 4PST

Today was an interesting day. My family and I visited a church I had been hopeful about, but the experience was nothing like I had anticipated. There was minimal prayer, no altar call, and no real message. Instead, the church building was filled with children in Halloween costumes, with the Wobble line-dancing song playing over the loudspeakers. I left reflecting on the difference between what I had hoped to encounter and what I actually experienced. It took me back to 2021, the last time I regularly attended church. Whenever I left feeling confused, sensing that something was missing, I would open my Bible, and time and time again, I would find myself in Acts 2. “And they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” — Acts 2:1–2 (KJV) The Holy Spirit filled the room. Tongues of fire appeared, the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost and began speaking in other tongues, and what followed was a powerful demonstration of God's presence. Miracles, signs, and wonders accompanied the birth of the Church, and about three thousand souls were added to the Kingdom that day (Acts 2:3–4, 41–43). The Lord would repeatedly bring me back to the same reminder: “Remember the book of Acts, Shaamya.” I began to understand that what I longed to experience was not simply a church service, a building, or a religious routine. My heart was longing to see the body of Christ walking in the fullness of what Jesus made available through His finished work. The book of Acts is not just a record of what happened then. It reveals the life of a Spirit-filled Church empowered to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. Today reminded me to remain anchored in what God has placed in my heart. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” — Acts 2:42 (KJV) Reflective Question When you gather with other believers, are you simply looking for a church experience, or are you hungry to see the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the power of His Kingdom demonstrated in the body of Christ?

Today, I came across an Instagram post that hit me right in my knower: “When the calling is high, the distractions are many.” And I immediately thought, AHHHHHH! THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON! I could recognize the delays, disruptions, and distractions, but I couldn’t seem to figure out how to rise above the booby traps of time-nuzzling. Each interruption caught me off guard, and before I knew it, the entire day was gone. I had been praying and declaring, “No more delays, distractions, or setbacks in Jesus’ name!” Yet I needed the wisdom to recognize the traps and the discipline to stop entertaining them. I have the mind of Christ! And Jesus was not moved off course by every demand, interruption, or attempt to divert Him from His purpose. He was intentional about His time, focused on His assignment, and unwavering in His obedience to the Father. “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.” — Ephesians 5:1 (KJV) Following God means more than believing His promises. It means learning to walk as He walked, developing the discipline to recognize distractions, and refusing to allow anything to pull us away from what He has called us to do. Sometimes, the breakthrough is not another declaration against the distraction. It is recognizing the distraction for what it is and responding with the authority, wisdom, and focus we already possess in Christ. Jesus knew when to rebuke the enemy, when to withdraw from the crowd, and when to keep moving toward His assignment. He was never controlled by the urgency of everything around Him. And that’s where I’m growing: not merely recognizing that my time is being consumed, but learning to govern my time with the mind of Christ. I can hear it now: “Get thee behind me, Satan!” And keep it moving! I once was blind, but now I see! What I couldn’t identify before, I can now recognize. And what I recognize, I can address with wisdom and intentionality. My calling deserves my attention. My obedience requires my focus. And I refuse to keep losing entire days to distractions I have been given the wisdom to overcome.

I'm excited to add a new resource of faith for you all!!! It is a growing library of my prayers that the Lord told me to upload on YouTube. So far I have added is a prayer of Thanksgiving, Finances, Healing, Forgiveness, Addiction, & Peace. If you all can think of a subject of prayer that you would like me to pray, please add it know in the comments, so that we can grow this library of prayers! Click this link for the prayer library ->https://www.skool.com/called-to-excellence-1700/classroom