What are you speaking into your life?

You have to be a radical kind of person...a little bit crazy...a little bit weird to call things that are not as though they were/are. People that speak abundance during a drought have to be a bit off in the world's way of thinking. People don't understand how we can speak things of prosperity and abundance during a time of famine. They will show us their "evidence" & we'll show them our vision. This is why it is very important to be careful about who you converse deeply with. You can't closely communicate with an individual that speaks fear while you're speaking faith. If you wanna know where a person's heart is, listen to the things that consistently comes out of their mouth. Where a person heart is, DIRECTLY relates to the conversation that they hold.  A person who thinks negatively will have a negative life. A person who thinks "downward" will have a life that manifests itself in a downward direction. Alot of people don't think in term of abundance during a period of lack. Many don't even think in terms of abundance during a time of abundance. Many ask me why I like to do things so big or "what's so special to do all of that"? I don't dwell on conversations with individuals like that because they dwell on "limitations". Don't ask me, "Why?" Ask me,"Why not?" Some people don't and won't like you celebrating or speaking things that are "too big" from their point of view. To that we will say, just because all you've experienced is mediocrity and inauthenticity doesn't mean everyone accepts the same as their reality. Upgrade yourself.

Proverbs 23:7 says that "As a man thinks, so is he".  This is why the adversary works so hard to contaminate our thoughts with life experiences,people, and emotions. He knows the power behind a thought/vision. He knows that if you can dwell on negative thoughts, they will eventually come to pass. We all have moments where these thoughts try to rule and scream out hopelessness but the living word tells us that we have the power to cast down every stronghold and dark thought. It's normal to have negative thoughts pass through but don't let it get comfortable and take residence. Get radical and crazy with it and SPEAK ALOUD God's word to fight it even when you don't feel up to it. Speak faith and abundance into your life on today. Dwell in the land of possibilities and leave the land of hopelessness and mediocrity. We are limited but God isn't. Let him work through you and trust him to mold you into the best person that you can possibly be. Let prosperity and abundance chase you down and OVERTAKE you. Blessings infinity.

Peace, Love, and Blessings,

Nata Bee
copyright © 2011 Renate' Bender

Destiny

I'm not here by accident. It wasn't a mistake. You're not here by chance. You're not here by accident. It wasn't a mistake. There is a destiny that awaits us. Do you have a destiny? I'm sure you have a clue to the answer to this question. I know that I know that I know that I REALLY know that I have one. Yes, I meant to repeat that. If you're reading this and you feel something in your spirit stir, you have a destiny. You know how I know that we have a destiny? It's because every time we get to a place that is not meant for us to stay, something is stirred. There's a nagging feeling. There's a feeling of unrest. He says you can't rest here. He picks at you. He says you can't stay here, you have something to do. There is a shaken foundation of sorts. He begins sending his angels to minister and push you forward in your desert. He basically says, "You can't stay here in this place. I know you're tired. I know you're out of breath but you can't die in this valley. Keep going. You have a great destiny to fulfill." The enemy tried to kill some of us since we began forming in our mother's womb. Tried to kill us with abuse. Tried to kill us with rape. Tried to kill us with molestation. Tried to kill us with rejection issues. Tried to kill us with abandonment. Tried to kill us with various temptations. Sometimes we fell down...sometimes we didn't. When we fell, we didn't stay down and it wasn't our permanent residence. You know why? Because even hell knows that we have a destiny. The adversary will never succeed because greater is he that is within us than he that is of the world. Everyday that we take a breath is a day to take a step closer into what he has set up for our lives. Just sit up on that bed or couch in my case:), stretch forth your hands and thank God for everything he is doing and about to do in your life even through the tears and pain.

Peace, Love, & Blessings,

Nata Bee
copyright © 2011 Renate' Bender

Who do you think you are?!

"You done got uppity"...."You think you're so suchy much"..."You're beside yourself"... "You've forgotten where you've came from". All of these statements are from people who are trying to convince you to keep things the way they are. They want you to abide by the "rule" of..."Stay right down here on this level right here". People love to define you by how they MET you but refuse to acknowledge or believe the person that you've evolved into. Don't define me by how you met me because that season is about to pass. Any time a person is finding out their purpose, different things within their spirit are awakened. They start to develop an "eagle eye". The issue comes into play when a eagle like spirit comes into contact with a buzzard or raven type spirit. It clashes. Eagles fly high and have the ability to see things that are ahead from a far distance. A eagle like spirit sees situations through the eyes of faith. They don't reach their conclusion from the physical presentation of things. They operate in the spirit realm of life and often speak on the spiritual side of things. This is a tough position to be in because you often stand alone in your environment. While we are never alone, those feelings threaten because we are often misunderstood and alot of the times disliked both secretly and openly by others. The world does not recognize or understand anything that is not of it. I hope that makes sense. Alot of times, we battle between the desire to fit in and the calling of standing out with God.  The hero in you which is Christ is often tied up by the human in you. We can't learn or begin to FLY as a butterfly if we are constantly limiting and changing ourselves to fit in with the caterpillars we're sometimes surrounded by. I find that some of the things that I used to say and do, once trying to do and say them now, it doesn't feel or sit the same way with me. There is something in me that says its not right to do. Honestly, I sometimes ignore it but later feel extremely guilty. I can't really explain it adequately so I'll just say that it's something that you have to experience for yourself.  I am not where I should be but I definitely am not where I was. For those of you reading this, once you make the decision to try to get on the right track in life, there will be situations and people that try convince you that you really haven't changed or you really aren't serious or you are a fraud. Pay no mind to that. Once you even glance in Christ's direction, he'll hold his arms out and come to you. He is everywhere. Never base your foundation of faith in who you are on PEOPLE'S interpretation of you. Half of the time they don't even know who they are let alone anyone else. Find out what Christ has to say about you. You can't surround yourself with people who have a limited & a carnal mindset and operate in a carnal mindset while you're of a spiritual mindset. They constantly speak fear and you constantly speak faith. There will eventually be a clash of the two. I sometimes find myself hesitating when I write these entries because I sometimes feel like "Who am I to write this stuff" & quite a few reading this know my history but I'm quickly corrected and brought into remembrance by him. There is qoute that he doesn't call the "qualified", he qualifies the called. Moses was a murderer & stuttered. David had an affair. Peter had a temper. Thomas was a doubter. Paul was a murderer. Martha was a worrier. My words to you on today is don't let people's perception and opinion of you stop you from doing what God puts on your heart. I can hold my head up high knowing that God can work through me and on me anytime and anywhere. He has spoken to me while in a club with a glass of hennessy in my hand as well as in the church pew with a bible in the same hand. Some may not be able to handle that thought and some may gain hope. I hope most go with the latter. I am not perfect and never proclaim to be but I do know that there is a giant purpose within me that is starting to awaken and while some may not be pleased or even understand my mindset and actions, he does and that's all that matters. Sometimes God places people in our lives to be "provokers". They are put there simply to push us towards him. He knows that if that friend had remained loyal or if that man/woman had not broken our heart or if that job had not worked our last nerve or if that illness had not come, we would not have humbled ourselves, fell on our face, and urgently seek him like we are doing now. May this find you in high spirits:)

Peace, Love, and Blessings,

Nata Bee
copyright © 2011 Renate' Bender  

Having an AFFAIR with WOULD'VE...COULD'VE...& SHOULD'VE....

I am sitting here contemplating the in's and out's of relationships and just had to share my thoughts. Have you ever saw a brand new shiny car and on the outside it looks GREAT?! It has the look of new possibilities and a smooth means of transportation to wherever you may fancy your heart to go! You go to open up the door and all kinds of McDonald's bags...Wendy's cups...Soda cans...etc..begin to fall out:) You ever see the show "Hoarders" & they call for help and want to get the help to come out of the clutter yet once the process begins...they begin to scream and cry? We tend to "hoard" things because of "possibilities". It is the issue of "would've"..."could've"...& "should've". This is how we work in relationships! OK so just in case someone tries to get caught up in their feelings thinking it's about someone or something in particular, I'm going to turn around to the wall because I'm actually talking about myself! :)
Isn't it amazing how we often would like to come out of the affair with our baggage but once someone comes into our "space" to sort of help us work through it, we SCREAM & CRY like a baby missing his/her teddy bear? Isn't it amazing how we can meet people and on the outside they look good and can really be a great person but once in front of that judge, to get the paperwork started on a life as one or once moved in together to try to create a long term relationship, all of the "soda cans"..."McDonald's bags"...& "Wendy's containers" begin to fall out & show itself? Just in case you are in denial about having baggage, I'll go ahead and let you know that we all do. Some more than others. It is inevitable to pick up things along the way in this life. The question is, are you willing to let it go and how do you go about letting it go? First, one must acknowledge that it's there. I am finding out quite a few things about myself that have always been there but I simply didn't see it or refused to see it. Don't get me wrong, there are some great people that have baggage. You can be educated. You can have the greatest fashion sense. You can have a good heart but still have baggage. This doesn't mean that WE are trashy. It simply means that we've  been to different places in this life. Just like a random trip on a Saturday morning, you can look in your backseat and passenger seat and see the results of where you've been for that day. The same works in our lives. It is VERY important not to rush into forcing a relationship when meeting someone. It takes time and patience to come to an understanding of who a person truly is. I know of people that have been married for years and still are surprised by some things that they find out about their spouse. It's just a personal opinion of mine that I'd like to slow and steadily learn my mate without the distraction of trying to live up to society's definition of me becoming more valuable because of instantly holding the title of "wife". I hope this make sense. This crossed my mind due to something I was watching & a discussion that I've had with several individuals. It is wise to slow down and take a closer look at the internal aspect of a person instead of focusing on the external. It is in my experience that while I've never been married, I've tried to "portray" a image during several toxic relationships to society while on the inside I was slowly dying. It is important that we take into consideration whether or not we can truly deal with the baggage that most of us bring to the table. Some have bigger trash cans than others! Which is more important to you....your sanity or appeasing what society thinks is "acceptable"? I used to think that pleasing society and living up to this "image" was the choice until I found myself physically and emotionally drained and wounded. Oftentimes when we meet people with baggage who DON'T want help, they dump onto us and we therefore become loaded down with ADDITIONAL junk! There's also the circumstance of being able to handle it and working through it together which is a blessing if found! It's not easy to find a STEADY & GENUINE love that embraces the concept of facing each trial together even when the EMOTIONS contradict it. Anyway, that's it:) Thanks for reading! Hope this finds each of you in high spirits:)

Peace,Love, & Blessings

Nata Bee

copyright © 2011 Renate' Bender

How do I get there?

Praise only fits right when it is plugged into purpose. It's not just saying things like "thank you" just to just say it. It releases power that changes your life. In the bible, David was considered a man after God's own heart. This was not saying that he didn't have issues or was perfect but what it means is that his thoughts were aligned with God's thoughts. He submitted to the will of God. When God moved, he moved. When God said do this, he did just that. God moved everything around David. David was out in the field because his father Jesse was out in the field. God had a bigger plan for his life. If any of you know the story of David, you know that his ending was not like his beginning. Alot of times, we start in a place that will in no way predict where God is taking us. How do you get from "out there" in "the field" to "in here" within "the palace"? When God calls you into a place, you don't have to kiss up, suck up, manipulate, or know anyone to get there because if it truly was left up to mankind, we would owe them for the rest of our life! God knows how to take us from the background to the forefront. There's no need to kiss up to the right person or constantly throw a abundance of business cards out there to manipulate yourself into the purpose that God has for you. You don't need to wear the right shoes or suit to be placed where God wants you to be. I don't need to wear a designer suit or heel to be where God wants me to be.The DESIGN is already in me placed there by the ultimate and supreme DESIGNER! You can have fifty degrees posted on the wall but if there is no God given purpose behind your life, they are null void. When God plants purpose within us, he will provide the means,money,people, etc..to get us there. So many are walking around in a suit with no purpose. Everybody looks like something they are not because we focus on the external instead of the internal. God is about to move some things around. There will begin to be a stir in our life. We won't have to do anything to make it happen either. There will be a movement and God is going to shake some things out. I can no longer worry about if I have the means to attain it. God will move what needs to be moved. I can no longer worry if I got the suit for it. I can no longer worry about where I'm  currently "seated". I can no longer worry about who likes me and who doesn't. Who cares! If God be for me, who can be against me? Romans 8:31 Through an attack, God brought David from obscurity to notoriety. A giant Philistine known as Goliath brought David to the forefront. When the God shines the light in our lives, it brings about the heat.  Don't pray for more light if you can't handle more heat. Through a battle with "Goliath", David was brought to the attention of Saul. This introduction to Saul led him to become King. The same applies in life, people notice how you deal with adversity and battles. How are you going to handle the anointing behind the position that God is trying to place you in, if you don't fight the battles that comes with this advancement? Each battle brings about new revelation which leads to growth. Every battle is a preparation that shoots you to the next level. He has to process us for the purpose. There is purpose in the process. God has many promises for our lives but he never said we'd receive them all today. We have to become mature enough to receive them. There is a difference between me getting married at 15 & getting married at 30. I'm the same person yet my mindset is different during those two stages. The same is to be said about walking into the plan he has for our lives. He has to mold us and shape us and put in some stuff and take out some stuff for us to be able to handle what he's called us to do. If he really showed us EVERYTHING that he has planned for our lives, it would blow our minds. We wouldn't be able to fathom it. With all that said, I thank God for the closed doors! I thank God for the people who spit on me. I thank God for the times I didn't have $2 in the bank. I thank God for the people who lied on me. I thank God for the heartache! I thank God for working with difficult people! I thank God for being knocked down on my back with no one reaching their hand out but him! I thank God for the illnesses that threatened. I thank God for it all because without it, I wouldn't know that he was and is my Jehovah-Rophe! I wouldn't know that he is my Jehovah-Jireh. I wouldn't know the he is my Jehovah-Shalom. I wouldn't know that he is my Jehovah Nissi! Lastly, I wouldn't know HE IS MY JEHOVAH-ROHI! If you are facing a battle whether it is in your mind, body, finances, home, or wherever, steady your eyes on him. Get into his word and stay there. Depend on those LIVING words and everlasting water to quench your thirst because without it, you are naked to the attacks. Ignore your EMOTIONS when it comes to placing your eyes on the creator because the adversary has access to this and can manipulate it. He want you to feel hopeless & useless because he knows that if he can get you to that point, he can get you AWAY from God's will for your life. He knows that if he pulls you down into that deep pit to lay with him, you will turn your eyes away from the light and truth. Become a pit bull in the spirit and say "in spite of this or that, I will praise and study the word of God". This is the only thing that I've found that LASTS when it comes to happiness and fulfillment in my spirit. A shot of liquor can't do it. A joint can't do it. A man can't do it. A woman can't do it. Only God can fill that place. I know from experience. It does not LAST. It is TEMPORARY and most of the time you come out feeling worse than before! The quicker some of us grasp that concept, the better off we will be. Let God fight your battles. You are significant and your life matters. You have purpose. You are the head and not the tail. You are above and not beneath. Don't believe the lies that your emotions & circumstances are trying to SCREAM into your ear. It is important that we continuously dwell and stay in his word & presence even when we don't FEEL up to it. Surround yourself with people that discuss his word & speak faith towards advancing in life. What you FEED your spirit, takes root in your heart, and eventually comes out of your mouth. Words are seeds. This works both ways. If you are around or constantly hear negativity and hopelessness, this is what will eventually come out of your mouth. I refuse to entertain or talk to individuals that CONSTANTLY speak on what the "world news" is saying about economic depression or who's sick....who's dying....who did them wrong....how broke they are. It's not that I don't care but it's simply that I can't afford to entertain or indulge in it because my eyes are on the prize. I can't afford to because it is enough work alone to constantly RENEW my own mindset which has some negativity from my past entertainment of foolishness. I find & surround myself with people that speak encouragement even when their circumstances aren't favorable. Please do the same! It is essential! If I can't find anyone around me, I encourage MYSELF. Learn to do that as well! Be encouraged, if you are going through some things and you trust & delight yourself in God, he will give you the desires of your heart and this includes bringing you up and out of every dark pit and stronghold that has invaded your space. Smile! It will be OK! God is working it out. Let him move! I love you & more importantly, so does he! More than I or anyone else can ever fathom or attempt to imagine;)


Peace, Love, and Blessings,

Nata Bee
copyright © 2011 Renate' Bender 

Fruit

You really can't know the lord unless you've been through the fire. Alot of folk try to know him through his Resurrection but you really can't know the power behind him unless you walked with him through his suffering. I can give you alot of info about him in a book...or on this blog...or through a conversation but it's something about going through the fire that gives one a personal experience that NO ONE can take away! Have any of you ever met the Lord in the fire? I used to think that fiery or spiritual folk where the people in church who hollered the most but that's not necessarily true. Some folks are hollering because the next one is hollering or they are standing because the next person is standing. They have no idea what the next one is hollering or standing about. But then you have some that are standing and shouting from a place because they know something. I stand and shout because I know and am learning God in a way that I wouldn't have if I had not been in the fire. I know how he can move. I know where I've been. If my friends stayed with me...or my family stayed with me...or my job stayed with me... I wouldn't KNOW him like I do right now. When they pulled out...he pulled in. If you've been in the fire or are in the fire, give God the praise. We have seasons where we are like the THREE Hebrew boys, they were in the fire but there was a FOURTH in there with them! There are some things about God that you can only learn while suffering for a while. The problem with some people is that they want the crown w/out the cross...they want the beauty w/out the ashes. God said if you suffer with me you will reign with me. He puts you in a place where you have no choice but to lean on him. Think about the true confidant in your life. Your real and true confidant is the individual that consistently walked with you and supported you through your time of suffering. You never have to look at this person and wonder what their motive is during your times of prosperity because they were with you during your times of lack. You don't mind providing everything in your power for that person because they were there and you know they were genuine. God is the same way. He says if you praise me during the agony...if you praise me during the pain...if you praise me through the tears...I will OPENLY and PUBLICLY reward you. He doesn't go back on his word. I KNOW that his word is NEVER null and void. As spiritual individuals walking this physical journey, we often depend on the "cares of the world" to provide UNLIMITED & perfect support and happiness. This is not available in anyone...not a husband...friend..confidant..mama..etc. A person can only do so much because they are not perfect and have shortcomings. We all do. You can't depend on mankind to fill you with unconditional love and happiness. They will fail you every time. God is sovereign. He will never leave you or forsake you. He loves you even when you are not the best person that you can be. He loves you even when you've done something that displeases him. Mankind sees what's on the outside. They often see you as a book...if the cover doesn't appeal, they assume the inside isn't appealing or if they see a "benefit" to being around you then they can deal with you. God sees our heart. God is not like mankind where they often befriend you or want a relationship due to something they feel they can get out of the deal. He doesn't love us or draw near to us to gain something from us because there is NOTHING we can give him. He is the owner of everything! He is waiting with open arms and covering for us even when we are RUNNING from him. Can you say that about ANYONE in your life? Can you say that a certain person or people have NEVER judged you or hurt you in some form or fashion? I can't. I depend on no one but my creator because he is all knowing and has everlasting love. I can lean on him because he has the shoulders for me to do that:) There's room for you too! I know that he will slowly but surely work on the things in me and about me that is displeasing in his sight. I no longer see myself through the eyes of other people. I pray to to see myself and other people through HIS eyes & he is providing me with that vision. This is very important to me because the carnal side of me sometimes would like to lash out,remove, and forget everyone that has ever taken me for granted or didn't give me the respect that I've given but then he quickly puts me in my place by saying, "concern yourself with dotting ALL of your "i's" and crossing your "t's". Let me do the rest. If they aren't meant to be there, I'll remove and replace them". I just sit still and wait.  I thank God for seeing me as a tree that's capable of bearing fruit. He often digs around and pulls out the "weeds" and "rocks" to allow the tree to grow. He puts fertilizer aka boo boo:) around the roots to allow it to grow. I no longer go through my "mess", I grow through it. I allow him to remove every weed...rock..insect...that prohibits my growth in him. A person is known by the fruit that they bear. Your fruit is your actions towards others particularly those that you can REAP NO BENEFITS FROM by doing for them. A person can SAY alot of things but their ACTIONS speak the loudest. I can sit here and quote scriptures, not eat every cow,pig, antelope,etc,wear dresses down to my ankles, and know every church in the southeast BUT if my everyday walk and actions towards my neighbor is all wrong, I have done nothing but PUT ON A SHOW for society. I am not a fan of religion. I am not a "fan" period. Fans are like the "constituents" in our lives...they jump on whatever ride gets them to their destination the fastest. They are not stable. They change up depending on the weather or circumstance.  How many constituents are you surrounded by? Careful...they can often be confused with a confidant. Moving on..I consider myself a follower of Christ and supporter of a strong spiritual relationship with Christ. "Religion" is a show for society. Religion states that as long as you are in church every Sunday and don't eat pork...at least in front of anyone..then you are saved & can go to heaven. Religion says that if you do a certain dance on Sunday's, then you are the holiest of holys. Religion caters to the world and society. When you cater to the world via religion, you only become a expert at deceiving yourself as well as others. Too many people that are "religious" smoke a blunt and drink liquor through the week yet point the finger at the crack attic that is in church on Sundays. How is the pot head going to talk about the heroin attic? How is the adulterer going to talk about the whore? How does the woman who fornicates talk about the woman who cheats on her husband? How does the man who's "shacking up" talk about the man who sleeps with prostitutes? How does the lesbian talk about the gay man? My point is...YOU CAN'T. We all are a work in progress. We all have places that need straightening out but how are we supposed to do this with this limited mentality of somehow thinking we are "better" due to committing only a certain sin? Too many of us get caught up in the "logistics" of how often, when, and where we go to church. Yes, we are to worship with other believers but never get so comfortable in your pew that you can't go out to bring other's in. God shows up in some of the most creative places. You'd be surprised. It's time that we at least try to get our "little church" together before we boast in the big church on Sunday's. No, I'm not perfect and neither are you but it's too many of us in various positions in life that can GIVE the advantage to other people instead of always taking advantage. I pray that God continues to surround me with people that speak faith mutually and that are loyal to him enough to know how to love on everyone around them. I pray that he removes those that are simply spectating and perpetrating. I pray that he removes anything about me or around me that is displeasing to him so I can become the woman that he has created me to be and bear the fruit that he'd like to see. What fruit are you bearing on today?


Peace,Love, and Blessings,


Nata Bee

copyright © 2011 Renate' Bender