Monday, July 23, 2012

A 10year old's view, "Listen to God"


Carmen Ashley Taylor holding the green balloon. 
"Listen to God" was inspired by this young writer on a rainy 
day per her words as she sat in her room reading the Bible!!!

I can’t stop shaking my head in amazement still, So here it is as promised as typed by my  10year old niece. Unedited!  I hope that this will truly inspire you all.  You see sometimes it takes the wisdom of a child to teach us some things about Christ, creation and how we should live as believers.  She reminded me that it doesn’t matter who you are.  God can use anyone regardless of your age or geographical location.   I am reminded as I post this blog of the young king in the bible that God appointed as king over Judah.  Without further projection on the matter here is  “Listen to God By Carmen Ashley Taylor.


“Did you know that God is are savior?
He died on the cross just for us so all are sins could be washed away. He was the man who created Earth, Heavon, and hell. He was the man who separated male and female. He had chosen people to make a bible so it could explain his powerful message that can change peoples lives forever. Peter one of gods closest friend wrote some facts in the bible like for example above all. 
Many peoples lives have been changed since they have accepted Christ as the lord and savior. Being a Christian isent as simple as it seems. You have to act like a Christian ,Have a mind like a Christian ,and know from right to wrong. You have to worship no one else but god himself.

Do you belive in miracles? So do i. Lets go back in the text to see how many miracles have  hapend time to time. When God came down to earth he healed an old man who couldent walk,and healed a blind woman who couldent see. In Pauls own words he said I can do  all  things through Christ who strenthenghs me.

SIning is a bad thing . It dosent please god to see his creations do things they are not supposed to do. In fact sining is a very devilish thing to do and I wil hate it if I were yu.Forgiving one another is a very important thing to do.Infact if you don’tforgive one particular person then god wont forgive you. You have to let go all the things of  they have said or have done to hurt you.

THINGS THAT ARE FORBIDDEN IN  THE BIBLE ARE THINGS THAT YU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO. LIKE FOR EXAMPLE YOU SHALL NOT CHEAT, KILL OR STEAL.THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT RULES AND IF YOU DON’T FOLLOW THEM YOULL END UP IN JAIL. BOO HOO!
HELPING OTHERS IS A FINE THING TO DO AND BELIVE ME I WONT LIE TO YOU. MAYBE WHEN YOU GET OLDER YOU CAN ORGINIZE A PROGRAM TO HELP OTHERS WHO ARE IN NEED OF SHELTER. IT WILL HELP OTHERS.

BY CARMEN ASHLEY TAYLOR”



3 Teachings in One Weekend!



It has been a week or two since I came back from vacation on the "East Coast". It was 6 days of family fun time, reconnecting with peers and loved ones, a wedding ceremony, and a revival at the Victory Land International Ministries of South Philadelphia. Lastly,  a stop in jersey to see my sister/cousin concluded my trip. It was a vacation spread out in individual and unique beautiful moments. Amidst all of this fun and resting from my daily routines of life in Minnesota, I was still reminded of the power of God through the eyes of 3 individuals, my 2 nieces 10 and 13 and our famous Liberian Ambassador of music, Marron Cassel.

Sister Nao's bride maids...
I left on the 6th for a wedding of a dear friend that I call my sister. We have known each other since the 11th grade. My cousin Rue picked me up at the Philadelphia airport later that day. She was the wedding coordinator. I would for the next few days watch as she effectively performed her role.  The wedding was a grand success; sister Nao was as beautiful as princess Diane. Her hair was done in an up do and the makeup artist did a fabulous job of coating her face with dramatic hues of purples, grays, and pink  that matched the deco of her wedding as well as the brides maid’s beautifully clothed purple dresses.  The decoration was stunning and elegant, fresh flowers that grace the atmosphere with the fresh smell of spring and roses in bloom served as centerpieces and bouquets. It was well attended! The level of detail, thought, careful spending and planning all worked together for the wedding’s success . If I may add it was an occasion  fit to have had president Obama attend!

After visiting with my sister Nao and my cousin Rue, I would spend Monday the 9th with my aunts in Northeast Philadelphia; it had been such a long time since I visited. It was certainly a pleasure to see all of the nieces and nephews all grown and groomed. My aunts looked great and in good health too. I was happy to reconnect with them and have a moment of ministration with one of my nieces the 13year old.

Teaching # 1

My niece Tappy
Her mom, she and I had slept in the same room. Her mom must have gotten up while I slept to go to work early Tuesday morning. I woke up and it was at least 8 something. My niece was entering the room as I woke. At least an hour later, I was curling my hair when she sat across from me on the bed and watched.  We was having a conversation in which she was telling me that she is being given advanced courses in school because she is so smart. “ I can’t help that I am smart”, “They just keep giving you all this work and expect you to know it” “ It gets hard sometimes”. As I listened to her comments, the only thing that came to me was a prayer for strength! I asked her if she knew who God was and how he is the source of our strength? Did she know that God is someone whom we can talk to when we have difficulty and hard time understanding anything in life? In her own innocent way she knew who God was thankfully and was able to say, “ Yeah I know Him, He created the universe.” “ He made Adam, Eve and me.” Well, that was certainly a start for a 13year old. The next moments we would talk about God, peer pressure at school, dress code, and bullying… I assured her  we could depend on God to help us with all of these things and more. I would take out my little pocket book of prayers and we read day 333. I will only quote a fragment of this prayer.

“…Lord please help me realize that you promise to give me inner strength through the power of your own Holy Spirit when I depend on you and trust you to do what is best for me. Finally May I remember that your power works best through my weaknesses. Where I am weak and limited, you promise to supply the strength to help me overcome great obstacles… The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose heart are fully committed to Him. 2Chronicles 16:9” [Page286, 365 Pocket Prayers]

By the time  we where done with our shared time in the Lord, she  was crying and dedicating a personal prayer to the Lord! I encouraged her to read the Bible and use it as a tool and a source of teachings thru out her life. I told her  that through the Holy Spirit as she grows,  she will learn to understand the contents of the Bible and how it works as a tool for all believers in Christ.  Most importantly, I told her  to never cease praying.

The same day my sister/cousin from Jersey picked  me up to spend the remainder of the days, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of my vacation with her and her family.  We go back a long ways. My uncle, her dad reared me as a kid and that’s what makes her and I sisters. On that same day Tuesday, I asked her to accompany me to the revival at the Victory Land International Ministries of South Philadelphia. Fortunately, the church was at the least 15min to 20 min drive from where she lived in Jersey.  She seemed a bit reluctant about going.  She kept asking when would we come home etc.  But she and I both agreed that it was worth the trip after we went.  Here it is why.

Teaching # 2
Liberia's  Ambassador of Music, Marron Dweh Cassel
http://www.macami.org/

Okay you may or not agree with me but sometimes ministers of the gospel, preachers, praise and worshipers may be talented, gifted, anointed and blessed… These are some adjective that may describe these great artist or children of God that God is using in these end times. But, no matter how they minister, there comes a moment when we have our own personal connections with them, the ministration, and the song they are singing. To each his own day and time… all this to say, I connected with the Liberian Ambassador of music, Marron Cassel on Tuesday night 7/10/12. I only have a professional relationship with her in that I have made a couple of flyers for her and designed her new and upcoming CD titled “ I’m Still Here”. That said,  we’d come into the church and she was seated in a chair by the host  pastor and guest pastors. She was beautifully robed in organza green mixed matched African cloth attire that made her to stand out amongst her peers. She looked beautiful! She was announced as the praise and worship leader for the day, all singers, guest ministers and more where asked to accompany her on stage. I was fortunate  to be amongst those called. She would start with the familiar hymn, “How Great Though Are”, and continue to songs like “You Deserve The Glory” and more. She  ended with African praise songs.  For 30- 45mins she would  sing, dance and exalt in the presence of God. The atmosphere was charged as she ministered.  People where slain in the spirit and the move of God was strong in the house. She said before all this, “ If you came here to be a spectator or to watch Ambassador Marron perform because you heard she was in town, than you will miss God”. She lead praise and worship until as one of the backers I was dripped in sweat from the force of the ministration, the tempo, the music etc. The positive energy was certainly energizing, inspirational, moving and more. After the praise and worship, she would sit for a few other items on the program  before she came to deliver the message for the day.

When called upon to administer to word of God, she mounted the pulpit and  raised a worship song. As she sang, a mother came to the alter with her child who’s means of walking is with a walker. As the mother of  this child wrapped her arms around her child in am intense hug, knelt before alter and  cried presenting her child before God, the Ambassador for Music and the other members of the of pastoral group seated including the host pastor would surround the child and start praying simultaneously together. The congregation would also join in stretching their hands forth in prayer. The child will be rubbed with “Holy Oil” oil usually olive oil, that as been sanctified with prayer as believed by many Christian doctrines…as the “Holy Oil “was  rubbed on this child, Ambassador Marron Cassel held the child’s shoulder and also prayed in the microphone for the child’s deliverance and healing. All the pastors  joined in one accord to this prayer.

The mother of the child was asked to let go of the child, however she stubbornly held on! Okay with faith you come to Christ for healing and than somewhere in there you are still doubting holding on and not allowing God to be God. I am not judging this mother but it was an analogy the Holy Spirit give me to teach me what I will learn in the moments to follow. As the crying and reluctant mother was hauled away form the child, she fell to the floor as if fainting or perhaps slain in the spirit. The ushers aiding her from hurting herself covering her with garment used in churches that use this as a tool in their services as folks get slain in the spirit, mostly to cover them if they are wearing short clothes. 

One of the pastors took over and started walking with the child in the audience. As they took these steps and everyone continued praying, some crying, some standing in bewilderment, the pastor let the child’s hand go and she took steps on her own with out the help of a cane, a walker, a pastor, Amen!. She took steps as the power of God began to manifest itself! The light suddenly went off in my head… the defining moment of this experience was plain, the moment the mother of the Child let go and allowed the power of prayer  and God to work hand in hand. The moment she let God take charge. The moment her eyes where off her own strength… the powerful King of kings and Lord of lords our redeemer and friend Jesus, began to manifest HIS POWER of healing!

Letting go and letting God take charge is certainly something that we are not willing to do. I think you and I can well relate. We come with all of our petitions to God and yet we are hanging on to our own possible solutions. Letting go! Amazing is an ABC word to describe that moment. But as simple of a word it is the best I can describe the power of God working first hand.

I don’t know the Ambassador on a personal level but one thing I know through her testimonies  is that She has  endured a whole lot to come to this point in her ministration.  Situations that I am not authorized to speak of in this blog. Situations where I can conclude such… in order to process her God had to create situations that caused her to rethink and regain focus if not lost, rekindle her relationship with Christ who has created her for this purpose. Great things do not happen through women and men of God until they have a personal challenge or encounter with God that they and the world knows if it was not for the Lord they wouldn’t be existing today! I was certainly moved and I have continued to pray since for that little girl where ever she may be in this life. So this was my second to the last teaching.


Teaching # 3

My niece Carmen holding the green balloon
The last teaching was on 7/10/12 after we’d come from the meeting or revival my 10year old niece who’d come with us was saying, “Aunty Catherine, I really had a great time”. “ I was crying when the little girl came up” “ I pray too for God to help mommy too”… See her mom had battled post partum depression for the past 2 years. My niece has watched the up and down slopes of her mom’s health and believed innocently that God could heal her mom too. “The faith of this my 10year old niece"  can only prompt me to  conclude thus. I hope and my prayer is that the same principal of faith used by the blind man in Mark 10: 52 that made Jesus to say “Go” “your faith has healed you” will be the same faith that God will see in this 10 year old and heal her mom completely! At that moment I found myself thanking God silently in my heart. I was like  father thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to learn from and  teach the little nieces on this trip.  She would continue to say as we chatted further. “You know I wanted to be a musician but I think I am going to be an author now… You want me to read you  my first book that I wrote?” I responded sure!  What I would hear and read along with her left me speechless. It was not a story about ponies, dolls or you name it… it was a sermon written by a 10 year old.  A five-page sermon! This is a separate blog coming soon because I am not changing anything that she wrote. I want to figure out how to post it unedited. Matter of fact I instructed her to type it as is without any edits and e-mail it to me. Yes a 10 year old. She wrote about the creation, why we need to be obedient as believers, and how we should help others, and animals etc. My favorite of this moment as she continued  was “ it was a rainy day aunty CB and  I started reading the Bible and I was inspired to write this” Wow. Here I thought only preachers I believe say such… but a 10 year old! If this is not inspiring enough than you are not sitting in the right pew of the church or opening your eyes and heart to understand spiritual things, switch places so that the power of God can start to teach you some things  through the eyes of the preachers and ministers  and people you least expect teachings from about God. Yes I said that! She was inspired after she read the bible.  I can’t stop shaking my head in amazement even as I write.  You see sometimes it takes the wisdom of a child to teach us some things about Christ.  She reminded me that it doesn’t  matter who you are.  God can use anyone regardless of your age or geographical location.   I am reminded as I write of the story of the young king in the bible that God appointed as king over Judah. I was telling her parents not to underestimate their little one’s gift. I hope that you will be blessed as I was when I shall have posted her sermon in my next blog.

To end,  I had a great vacation bonding with family, learning more from God about, strength through the eyes of my 13year old niece, faith and the power of healing through the ministration of Ambassador Marron Cassel and  finding inspiration from a 10year old  niece. What can I say… I am really humbled by the teachings of the Holy Spirit. As I am gaining inspiration from others and their stories I hope that I will continue to cultivate the boldness to tell my own story about my journey to Christ that will inspire someone someday.

 Perhaps you  could  agree with me that this was  3 different blogs in one. However,  they are very  intertwined in that God in one trip allowed me to experience 3 teachings. God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit was working as His highest peak to ensure I got this message of strength, healing and inspiration  that I share with you today.  It is my prayer to you that the little moment of life will give you all the opportunity to acknowledge God for His infinite wisdom as He molds us all. My pen is up for now but do come back and read the blog about the sermon as written by my 10 year old niece.

Catherine K.