A Poem Of Thanks

As I arose this morning, I was inspired to write the following poem:

A Poem Of Thanks by Lequvia Ousley

Thank You Lord for what you've done.
Thank You Lord for Your precious Son.
Thank You Lord, it is You I adore.
Thank You Lord, for loving me evermore.
Thank You Lord for the sun, moon, stars, and earth.
Thank You Lord for Your Son's precious birth.
Yes, the rain brings the rainbow and darkness turns into light, but I thank You because You make things right.
Thank You for your presence, so strong and tough.
Thank You for carrying me through the days that are out of control and rough.
Thank You for Your love, so sweet and pure.
Thank You for Your embrace, because of You I can endure.
Thank You for breathing life into me.
Thank You for guiding me as I become what you created me to be.
It is not just today that I thank You, I strive daily to give You praise. Paper, pencil, and ink can't convey how much I'm thankful for Your grace.
Thank You Lord for seeing me as precious, a jewel, a Queen of destiny.
Thank You Lord because of You I have everything.
You give me love, joy, peace, the things I need.
You give me lyrics and harmony, a new song to sing.
So I close this poem with a pledge I made,
To continuously live for You and praise You always.

Thank You!

After writing the poem, I noticed the following quote and scripture in my journal:

"The place where God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."_Frederick Buechner

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6 NASB

Reading that confirmed a lot of why I should be thankful. Each of us on earth has a gift inside of us that needs to be shared with the world. God's greatest gift to the world was His son Jesus Christ. Our lives should be an example of His love towards us. So live and have a heart of gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Book Review: Seasons of Intentional Relationships: It's Not Good To Be Alone

On the 1st day of October, I was able to finish reading Seasons of Intentional Relationships: It's Not Good To Be Alone by my sis Kim Sharkey. By reading the book, I was able to learn more about relationships and the different seasons(changes) we go through in a more in depth, colorful way through scripture, poetry, and Kim's experiences. I love how Kim uses the various elements of the four seasons as analogies for what she's explaining with each season of relationships. For example, Winter deals with Family(Root System), Spring is Friendship (Catch the Fever), Summer is Platonic Relationships (Hot Pursuits), and Fall is Marriage (Fall Back). As I read each unit, my mind was captured by the transparency that Kim shared with each of the experiences from her life and relationships. I was able to relate to her insight with family, friendship, and platonic relationships, areas I had the most difficult experiences in. I have no experience in the area of marriage, but I do have a new understanding of what marriage means according to scripture and the many phases of marriage(growing individually and collectively). I'm surprised I didn't cry when Kim spoke of family. Some of the thoughts and questions she had as a child, I could relate to as well. Interestingly, the four seasons have different elements, colors, temperatures, and that is what Kim captures for each relationship. For instance, Winter is a cold season where we as people like to be warm and cozy. We tend to look at families like that, sometimes cold or warm and cozy. Next, we have Spring, a beautiful season where the trees change, flowers bloom, and there are lots of rain, hurricanes and tornadoes, kind of like the changes friendships go through. Then, there's summer, the season where the weather is scorching hot, the beaches are enticing, and everyone is in vacation mode (chilled and relaxed), similar to the pursuit of platonic relationships. Finally, we meet Autumn or Fall, where the weather becomes cooler, the leaves change back to the warm colors of the season, falling to the ground, similar to the different phases of marriages (each individual is changing, dying to oneself, and growing). I loved the imagery as I read. After reading, I have a new understanding of what each relationship means. I admit, I still struggle with understanding family relationships and I'm learning to open myself to friendship and platonic relationships. I've learned that the keys to having healthy relationships is knowing who one is in Christ, prayer, communication, understanding, boundaries, honesty, respect, and responsibility. Just like precious flowers in a garden, our relationships are precious. We have to tend to them and nurture them. I encourage you all to read Kim's book. It will challenge you and help you to evaluate where you are in your relationships. Happy reading! ‪#‎BN10tional‬ ‪#‎KIMunity‬ ‪#‎SeasonsOfIntentionalRelationships‬‪#‎KimberlySharkey‬

How I came to Christ

Tomorrow is my 30th birthday and I am so thankful that the Lord has graced me with another year on Earth. I'm even more thankful that He saved me. About 2 months ago, I came across a question via the Daughter Of A King ministry's Instagram page that asked, "How did you come to Christ?" For me, it was after 14 years of being in and out the church that I knew I wasn't saved (I accepted Christ at 10 at the decision of my father to join the church). When I was 24, my coworker asked me if I knew what salvation meant? I couldn't give her a straight answer and I was defensive. I was embarrassed because as a little girl, I was the spelling bee queen who knew every word she spelled but I didn't know what salvation meant and what being saved was all about. No one challenged me the way she did. Her discernment of various spirits on me scared me and made me want to learn more about Christ and have a deeper relationship with Him. It was through her prayers and conversations that I truly understood what Christ as the Lord over my life meant. Once I accepted Him and submitted to His will, things changed for me. I no longer had the desire to hang with certain people and do certain things. He spoke to me through others. I longed for Christ but it wasn't easy because there were times I fell short, but I got back up. I'm so thankful that someone took the time to challenge me beyond what I knew. I'm not saved because the church told me, my parents told me, or because I said the sinner's prayer. I'm saved because Christ showed up in my life and I accepted His will for me in my heart. I pray that anyone who is reading this right now who desires a relationship with Christ to prayerfully read the Bible, prayerfully seek a Bible based church that preaches sound doctrine, and  surround yourself with Godly counsel that will help you, pray with you, and speak truth in love. So today, I not only celebrate my birth, but I also rejoice in what God has done in my life. I pray the same for you all.

God bless,

Lequvia

DivineGift317: My writing journey 1 year later

On June 16, 2014, I ended one chapter in my life and embarked on a new chapter by revamping my personal blog I started in 2012. Today makes 1 year that I bravely unleashed my blog to the world. I must say from that time period, God has stretched me and challenged me in my writings. He has allowed me to bravely share my testimonies through my blog posts on social media and He opened doors for me professionally. As of Sept. 2014, I am currently the blogmaster for #JustWrite, a writer's group that meets monthly to brainstorm, offer feedback, and is a place of accountability for writers. The blog for #JustWrite is called The Write Moment(www.thewritemoment1.blogspot.com). Every month, we feature writing testimonies and feedback from authors on their process, as well as encouragement for aspiring writers.  I also stepped out on faith and with the help of an amazing business coach, birthed D.I.V.I.N.E. Blogger(www.divineblogger777.com), a business that serves to help entrepreneurs develop their business/ministry content through writing, blogging, and social media services. I received my 1st client in Nov., and in May 2015, I began working with my 2nd client which has been a blessing. Through everything, God has been miraculous; it has been a journey of tears, setbacks, fear, doubt, some happy days, some sad days, frustrations, and just constant days of wanting to give up but I allowed God to work through those emotions and push me to sharpen the gift that He has given me. Since the age of 13, writing has been my therapy. Everything that has transpired from that point was because of Him. I don't know what's next, but I do know that I trust God. I can't do anything without Him. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." In closing, I pray that the Lord continues to guide my steps as well as those who are reading and have supported me throughout my journey.

God bless

The Girl in The Picture

Today as I was scrolling through my Instagram feed, I noticed a post from my sis Erica Fitzpatrick who is over the ministry Daughter Of A King. It was a challenge for any woman to find a photo from her past and post it with a brief story of the picture with the hashtag #TheGirlInThePicture. When I read it, I instantly decided to find a picture and post the following:

#TheGirlInThePicture was 22 years old in her last year of college at Albany State University. It was Spring 2008 and she was on her way to church with some family. What most people don't know is this same girl was still dealing with pain and hurt from her past. She moved on campus to escape the bondage she was dealing with at home, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She numbed her pain Mon-Sat by clubbing, staying up late, and finding validation in friends while occasionally attending church on Sunday. She hated being by herself. Since 1998(8th grade), she battled anxiety after her parents separated and eventually divorced. Writing in her journal was her saving grace at the time. In 2005(sophomore year in college)her anxiety turned into social anxiety which caused her to not sleep at night(she purposely stayed up to avoid nightmares), bad eating habits(eating too less or overeating), depression, and just fearful of life and anything good happening for her. She believed every negative word spoken over her and all that she was seeing around her. Her relationship with her mother wasn't the best and her relationship with her father resurfaced in Jan. 2008. After graduating in Fall 2008, she moved away to Atlanta and was still carrying alot which affected her relationships with others, especially women. She thought dating would help, but that was another void filler which made things worse. It was in 2009 when she allowed Christ to be Lord over her life that things began to change for her from her friendships, family, to her whole outlook on life. She's failed a few times since then and fell off the path in some areas but she got back up. She's more wiser and has more insight on what it truly means to be a Christian and woman of God. Looking back, she knows that everything happens for a reason. She's determined to stay on this journey until the end. I pray that this blesses my beautiful sisters♡♡♡. #DaughterOfAKing#SpeakForTheSilenced #Unashamed#MyStoryForHisGlory




After writing it, I posted it via my Instagram as well as my facebook page. Within minutes, I received numerous comments about what I shared and how it blessed each individual. It was a testament to how bad things work out for our good to bless others. It was encouraging to know that others needed to read what I went through. It's freeing for them as well as the person who experienced it. I pray that anyone who reads this is equally blessed and encouraged by these words.




God bless,




Lequvia

Speak For The Silenced

For the month of February I decided to participate in Speak For the Silenced, a worldwide protest started by Unashamed Impact, a  ministry founded by Brittney Moses. This is the second year of the protest and I must say that I was shocked that I never knew how many Christians around the world were being persecuted for their faith. I guess that's easy to say when you live in a country where numerous freedoms are taken for granted: education, free speech, civil rights, etc. The one freedom that we do have that no one really seems to talk about is the freedom to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Proverbs 31: 8-9 reads, "Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy." Over the past few days, I've had some very fruitful conversations/fellowships about how we as a people need to share our testimonies and Christ so that others are saved and drawn to Him.  It is not about us but what Christ did for us at the cross. It is heartwrenching to know that people are dying around the world just because they boldly live for Christ, but yet in America, we vainly preoccupy ourselves with the latest gossip, trends, stress over personal situations, and things that don't matter at the end of the day. When it comes to standing for our faith, we become mum and tremble. Reading those two verses in Proverbs reminded me that we must not silence our voice. I say that because I was that person before. I would never speak up at an appointed time about what was right when others spoke on those things which were wrong or I would never have a sense of urgency when it came to sharing my story when God wanted me to. I was never cognizant of my responsibility for change. I have seen in these last few years on my spiritual journey, that it is imperative that I share my story and be bold in my walk with Christ. There are too many lives that depend on my obedience. So today I choose to be obedient and speak for those who are silenced. I choose today to pray for those countries that have been impacted by the recent persecutions: Syria, N. Korea, Nigeria, etc. I choose today to fight this daily spiritual fight and walk in my pursuit of Christ. Will you join me? For more information, check out www.unashamedimpact.com

God bless.