#motivation

Keep Winning!

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

January of each year is the time I set aside to focus on my spiritual life. I begin the year with a spiritual fast. As I fasted and prayed this year, I asked God to help me be kinder, gentler, and more compassionate. It sounds corny, but a straightforward person like me can be seen as tough and challenging when I am those, but I am kind and understanding also. Anyway, my faith was tested during this particular time of the year.

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As I reflect on that time, my mind goes to a saying I would hear as a child—“don’t be surprised when you come under attack. There’s always some test right before your breakthrough.” Okay, but I did not expect that challenge from someone close to me.


As I faced the issue, I wanted to lash out. I was furious, and when I am mad, anything could happen. I remember thinking, “I have been there for him/her. There’s no way they will let anyone or anything overshadow how much I care for them and have been there for them.” When I thought the foolishness had settled, I learned later that it was not. I was furious again. However, somewhere along the way, God brought me peace. When conversations occurred regarding this issue, I noticed that I did not react anymore. I felt a sense of calm.


Today, I can confidently say that my calm came from that time of fasting, prayer, and Bible reading. Although the scriptures I read during the month had nothing to do with peace, today, I find myself thinking of the scripture in Isaiah 26:3 that says, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Yes, that’s it. God settled my mind.

Have you faced something challenging lately? Stop and evaluate your life. Are you succeeding at something that others are not? Are your wins secretly infuriating others? How do you know? We have all been at the point of exasperation when we encounter situations that we had no idea were simmering under the surface. If you don’t know that someone has deep resentment toward you, how do you handle it when it finally rises to the surface? It’s hard.


I know that attacks can be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. It’s unfortunate when we don’t see them coming, and it is even tougher to be confronted and not know how to respond. One underlying reason people attack is their insecurities; they may have secret jealousies you never knew existed. But when you win and continue to do so, you stir up their jealousy. Guess what? You have no control over their thoughts or their insecurities. People may smile in your face the entire time, hoping to see you fail. When you don’t, they find ways to get to you.


Today, let me encourage you to let God bring peace and calm when someone injects chaos. Pray for those who despitefully use you, and don’t regret trusting those who may betray you. Do not let those against you stop you from loving, living, and being all God has called you to be. If their attacks stop you, they win. Remember, you are blessed and highly favored. Don’t let anyone cause you to question that. Don’t put your head down. Don’t sulk, and do not stop what you are doing to make them happy. Head up, shoulders back, and keep winning.

Turn Worry into Worship

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

All my life, I have heard the phrase, “Be kind. You never know what someone might be going through.” I believe people think of a particular type when they use this statement. They do not think of people like me. They do not think that a confident, educated person, and what some see as successful, is going through anything; they don’t think someone like me needs others to be kind. But I do! I do because I, just like you, face attacks.

Confident people try hard to hold life together for themselves and others. Early in life, we are taught that we can handle anything. We have somehow bought into the narrative, “What does not kill you makes you stronger.” We are taught to stand up in the face of controversy and not allow others to get to us. The truth is, I think people like me get tired of standing and fighting our battles in quiet only to be attacked in public. That’s no fun at all.

Lately, I have had to face the cruel reality that sometimes, when people seem to be okay, they are not. I am not a naive person, and I have lived long enough to know that everything and everyone may not be what they present to others, but it is still shocking to the system when you come face-to-face with this reality. To go head-to-head with people you respect is no fun. I found myself in the middle of a war. The situation was so irrational that I honestly did not know how to navigate erratic behavior, disruption, and personal attacks. I wanted to lash out but had to think about professional comportment and spiritual responsibility. Aren’t I suppose to turn the other cheek, am I supposed to fight back?

Jesus told us to turn the other cheek. Matthew 5:38-42 says, “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” Oh wow, that’s pretty clear.

There are so many Bible passages that tell me not to worry because God’s got me covered. He has told me many times not to be a coward but to be courageous and not lose heart. However, when I have to face evil, my spirit faints. I shake at the core, and my anxiety level goes through the roof!
Yet, I have also noticed that those moments when I am scared only last a little while. As soon as I get my footing, I run to the Word for support. The Word of God fuels my faith, and I am ready for the next thing. I tell myself, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I remind myself of Joshua 1:9, which says, ” Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Or Deuteronomy 31:6,8, which says, “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them because the Lord your God goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

You see, there are many scriptures of support in the Word of God. The more I repeat them to myself, the more I can feel my strength rising. I can see my countenance change from anxiety, defeat, and cowardice to one of courage, confidence, and calm, trusting that He is with me whatever I face, and He will defend me.

What battles are you fighting today? What person or situation has you up at night wondering what you will do or how you will handle your next attack? Instead of worrying about the person or thing, turn your worry into worship. Join me as I stop worrying about what someone might say or do to try and hurt me, to thank God for protecting me where He placed me for the time He has called me.

Embrace Today…

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

If you are like me and can look back over the last two years and say you are still happy & peaceful, I do not think we should only say we are grateful, but we must live our lives like we are. I have always been a hopeful person, but more than ever, I feel the need to live today because God has blessed me with it.

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The older I get, the more aware I am of how much time I might have left on this earth. However, the last two years brought it home. Not only did we live in isolation the first year, thinking by the end of the year we would emerge happy and healthy, but we also entered a second year with the same challenges that kept us guarded and somewhat isolated as the year before. Then, just when we thought we were coming out of a pandemic, variations of a virus, we all came to know as COVID-19 began to show up in the form of Delta and Omicron. Our lives started to unravel again as we had to go back to measures that had already exhausted us.


In addition to the pandemic, we had to deal with other issues of life that could have quickly taken away our hope. For me, the last year brought about traumatic matters to my life. Friends who I loved and cared about deeply, without any warning, were no longer here. How could that be? Angel was only 28; Melanie was not even 50! Mike was still playing music and maybe 60! The loss of these precious friends and unique relationships caused the realness of how uncertain our time here is to set in. I still don’t think I have recovered yet. Anytime I experience a series of losses, I start to reflect on my mortality. I wonder if you also do. Mortality is hard to face, yet we all must meet it someday.

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As we enter this New Year, I do not want to do so with a sad and depressing message. Instead, I want to offer hope. I want to remind you that today is yours if you are blessed to see it. Tomorrow is not promised, and we never know when it may be our last. And no matter what tomorrow holds, just be assured that God has tomorrow. He also offers hope. Despite all that happened during the previous two years, what I remember most are the beautiful things that happened in my life. I got a new job, another degree, a new home, and new friends. See? Even when we go through stuff that makes us feel helpless, we have to look for the other things God sends along the way. I bet you will find that you experienced as many beautiful things as you did of the other.


Whenever you need to lift yourself out of a funk in the new year, turn to the one source that offers hope to the hopeless, peace to the unsettled, and joy amid sadness. Do not look to your surroundings to be joyful; you will be lost. Look to God. Psalm 42:5-6 reads, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” The Psalmist is saying, “I don’t care what state I find myself in, and right now it is in total despair; God is still my hope.”


For any challenges you face in the New Year, hold on to scripture that gives you hope. Tell yourself today is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad. Be intentional in the way you embrace the day. Someone may need you to lift them. May our God of peace fill your heart with love, joy, peace, and confidence that today is a day you choose to bless Him and others.

Why Gratitude?

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

It should come as no surprise that during this time of year, I would focus on Gratitude. So, before I sat down to write my column this month, I stopped and reflected on the word. I don’t want to go through the same old sentiments you hear year after year. Because quite frankly, Gratitude is something I believe we take for granted. Do you know what I mean

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What I mean is that it feels kind of superficial to say this is the season to be thankful, when to me, every single day that we are alive is a day to be grateful. I mean, look at the last several years, not only in the United States but throughout the world. Racial tensions, divisiveness, increased anger and violence, and a pandemic. If we survived getting some fatal disease, we should be grateful. If we could overcome the loud voices spewing violence and hatred without losing our true north, be thankful. If we still have our homes, jobs, family members, and even relationships with old friends, that’s reason to be grateful.

What is Gratitude, and why do we need to have it? I think there are two kinds of Gratitude —both important, but I want to focus on biblical Gratitude. One author wrote that biblical Gratitude means to give goodness and grace to others, as we have received from God. It means to extend the joy of receiving to others and God through gestures of kindness and goodness. It is what Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

I trust when we extend these gifts to others, we get them in return. I also believe that the only way we can genuinely exercise these fruits is to start by recognizing that all of these are extended to us by the grace of God. As such, we should be thankful that He thought enough of us to extend them. Some might ask, “How did He do that?” Through His Son, Jesus. John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son. Whoever will believe in Him will not perish but have life.” You might not be able to wrap your mind around these scriptures, and I can understand that. People have asked me how I can believe them. Well, I tell you how, through faith. Faith that when I give, I will receive. When I forgive, others will forgive me, and when I show grace to others, people will extend that same grace to me. For that, I am grateful.

I honestly believe that. Gratitude tends to eliminate cynicism, sarcasm, and mistrust. A thankful heart creates optimism rather than pessimism. And, it causes us to give others the benefit of the doubt. You know, the same we ask others to do for us.

Valuing Tradition

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

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Many days I sit back and consider my life. I am generally overwhelmed with emotion when I think about how blessed my life has been. I think about the woman I am today and how who I am was so heavily influenced by my maternal grandparents.


When I was very young, I used to be embarrassed by the religious practices of my grandparents. They were Pentecostals, and if you know anything about this tradition, they (We) are very expressive and somewhat emotional in our faith, especially in worship. I remember how my grandmother would worship unrestrainedly while my grandfather was calm, relaxed, and collective. They were the best people on the planet, and I did not know just how much they meant to me until they were gone. I could be anywhere in the world, and I would call my grandmother just to say hi. I can still hear their distinctive voices encouraging me to run on!


My grandfather would sometimes sit in his chair in the front yard, and you would hear him singing to himself, “I’m gonna trust in the Lord. I’m gonna trust in the Lord. I’m gonna trust in the Lord until I die….” I can still hear those words, and some days I find myself singing them to myself.


Today, many years after they have gone, I find myself sitting and reflecting on them and their influence on me. Longromans 1-16 before they left this earth, I was no longer embarrassed by them and the way they praised the Savior. Instead, I turned into them. My mind goes to the scripture today that reads, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. To all who believe…” Romans 1:16. They were never ashamed. They served and praised God with all they had. They demonstrated true, deep-hearted worship to their King, and that, I believe, kept them from falling for anything.


Maybe that’s what the world needs today; people of faith committed to praise and worship rather than buying into the importance of popularity and worldly accolades. We have come a long way, but that may not always be the best. It may be time to stop laughing at old practices and reconnect to them. Maybe we will find our true selves again. That’s what I find myself doing these days. It may be because I am older. Whatever the reason, I know how important faith has been in my life, and I am thankful my faith-filled, expressive grandparents modeled it before me. I continue to do the same. Anything less would dishonor them.

What are you pushing back, ignoring, and refusing to enter your life? Maybe it’s time to stop and ask yourself will those aged practices help you? Perhaps they will or maybe not, but don’t dismiss something because it is aged; it might be the one thing that can bring you encouragement in discouraging times and value in times when the world may be making you feel worthless.

~LaSharnda

Dreams Achieved…

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

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I was thinking about when I decided to retire from a company I had worked for more than 25 years. I then thought about when I first interviewed with them; how I waited excitedly to see if I would get a job offer, and the exhilaration I felt as I opened the mailbox years ago and found the anticipated offer letter. When I opened it, there it was! The letter offered me a position as a college management trainee starting at $18,000 annually. Boy, that was big money back then, and I felt like the luckiest person in the world to be selected. No one in my family that I knew of had worked for an international company. No one had held a white-collar management job. I had arrived!

Through the years, I was very fortunate. I worked hard and smart, tried to be a good team member, and made it my goal to please my bosses. I rose through the organization to levels I wanted but did not really know how to navigate. Thank God for those who helped me along the way.

There are so many life experiences that shaped how I view the world. The story I just shared was a positive one that I will treasure forever. However, there were other experiences throughout my life that could have derailed my dreams. There were people along the way, who criticized, subtly belittled me, and in some cases, ignored me altogether. There were challenges that could have caused me to lay down and not get up again; circumstances that would make others give up. I did not. It’s not that I did not because I was so strong; I did not give up because of my faith, people who encouraged me, and sheer determination and grit. I remember being embarrassed by a situation early on in my career, I went home on my lunch break, cried my eyes out, finally got the nerve to return to work, and my boss was standing at the back door. He looked at me, said, “you ok?” I said yes. He smiled and I knew he believed in me and the “you ok?” was all I needed to hear. I knew I would.

What does any of this have to do with you? Everything! I meet so many people who just cannot handle difficult situations. They cannot get over criticisms, and they get stuck questioning whether they are good enough or capable of doing the things they dream of. When they can, if they would stop and see the thing they are dealing with is only temporary.

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Many of the challenges we face are designed to help us grow. Yes, that’s how I see it now and if anyone had helped me see that sooner, I would have gotten over a lot of hurts early on. This is why I share these experiences with you. I want you to learn how to navigate challenges in a positive way. You can achieve the things you dream of but dreams don’t generally happen on a bed of roses. Long-term marriages do not succeed without both people having to deal with a lot of stuff from each other. Career success does not just happen (at least, not for most), it happens for those who can take the good with the bad and strive in both environments. Financial success doesn’t happen without sacrificing and being willing to stick with your process for the long-term. Think about it, if you invest, you go through downturns in the economy and you go through upturns in the economy.

If you want to have positive things happen in your life, look at every situation you face as temporary. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8,

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

The next time you are challenged, remind yourself that we go through seasons. Keep the faith. Tomorrow things will be different.

Reflect Christ & Love Wins…

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

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Can you believe that the year is almost over? I don’t know if the year has flown by for you or slowed down. It seems like it was just a month ago when we were told we would have to take precautions because of some virus that may soon impact our organization. At first, I remember thinking it was blown out of proportion due to other things going on in the organization. I think that may have been the end of February. Besides, I had plans. My wedding anniversary was coming up in March. I had decided to leave a job I loved in anticipation of what God had in store for me next. I had plans!


If only I had known that the world was about to change and there would be nothing I could do about it. Well, the world did change. A shift occurred almost a week after leaving my old organization to sit it out for a while. Not only did I go home, everybody ended up going home and staying there for months. During that time, people experienced trauma also. Companies had to shut down businesses, learn how to teach their kids at home, spend money to work from home, some lost jobs because of shutdowns, and the ultimate trauma happened when we found out that this virus was deadly.
If there was ever a time that we could complain, it was undoubtedly during this season. I don’t have to remind anyone of all the craziness of 2020. The virus, killing people of color, and the racial protests all happened this year. When I watched the news, I feared we were about to experience some of the same demonstrations and riots I saw on television from the 1960s. I don’t know about you, but I could not help but think what had our world come to?

Many times throughout the last months, I have prayed regularly for the USA. In fact, I don’t think I have ever prayed for a country so much than this year. The world, I have thought repeatedly, has gone wild. Why? What triggered the hate and fighting? What caused the absolute worst to come out in us? Are we really that divided? What grew even scarier to me as I watched myself evaluating the attitudes and actions of people I have cared for many years. People who worked together, worshipped together, played together, and cared for each other seemed to turn on each other. To my surprise, none of us stopped and said, this is enough. God did not make us like this. Stop the madness. No, instead, lines were drawn, and it became us versus them.


What I have asked myself is this: Would God be pleased with what He sees in you? Would He recognize His Son in your actions? When I stopped and carefully evaluated my thinking and, ultimately, my efforts, I have repented and asked for forgiveness on several occasions. During September and October, I believe God gave me Galatians 5:22-23 to focus my attention. Each week, I began to read about and consider scriptures that tied directly to one of the Fruits of the Spirit and discuss it with my staff. Also, during October, a full week was dedicated to a conference that focused on Luke 10.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, peace, Galatians+5_22-23forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.” I believe the reason this scripture has been one to stick to through dark days is so we remember God has called us out of that darkness and expects us to live as a shining example for others to see. We are supposed to live for Him. The Word of God tells us in Matthew 7:19-20, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, they will know us by our fruit.”


Amid the chaos, Christians, we are standard-bearers for Christ. Even when we want to scream and yell and insist on our way, we need to return to the scriptures and find the strength to do what Jesus would do and exercise self-control. In the end, I believe, Love wins. I think about Galatians and the very first fruit listed in Love. Why? I think it is because when we act in Love, God can transform hearts, including our own. Self-control is another fruit that can keep us out of many problems if we would quiet down, walk away, and simply pray.love-wins-cursive_u-l-f8ek710


There is too much I can write on this subject, but I will stop here and say, I believe, in the end, Love wins. I don’t have to fight with those I disagree with and don’t have to associate with them either. I have been charged to pray for them. That’s what I will do, and I hope they will pray for me

Wait on the Lord…

~ authorlasharnda ~ Leave a comment

In my early years, I did everything to achieve my goals. I always felt destined to be great, so I was going to do everything possible to attain that greatness. As the years pass, I find that I am not as aggressive as I was in earlier years, but I am still a go-getter. However, recently, I was wondering why, in this stage of my life, do I always go after goals I had dreamed of when I was younger.

I have concluded that what I have been saying for years about God calling me to something greater, is really what I believe. I have always said that I think God created me for something bigger, but I wondered, as the years passed and some things happened, and some didn’t, that maybe I “thought” I was destined for something bigger, but I was wrong. I thought God told me that I was going to achieve certain things, but He didn’t, and the things I thought came from Him were all my ideas.

This brings me to the topic I want to discuss this month, trust your instincts, keep striving and wait on the Lord. Just because God hasn’t done what you thought He would do in your timeframe, doesn’t mean that He won’t.

When we pray and ask God for something, believing that we are asking in faith, considering that He will answer our prayers, we expect that He will do it right away. When He doesn’t, year after year, we finally say to ourselves that He won’t. Or we say, it probably wasn’t His will for me. Or we question whether something we claimed as a promise was ever really a promise at all.

Recently, I listened to a sermon about David. The speaker took me back to 1 Samuel 16, when David was first called by God. I loved how he brought David’s calling into perspective for me. I have read my Bible many, many times. I know the stories of David, inside and out, but this time, I really reflected on how long it took for David to get what God had promised. If you remember, David was called and anointed by Samuel as the future King of Israel. Yet, once David was anointed, he didn’t go right to the throne. In fact, David went back to his sheep. Many things happened before David became King. Most of all, David continued serving; he served his father, his brothers, and his sheep. He continued playing and practicing with his slingshot (polishing his craft) and one day, as he took food to the “real” soldiers, he had the opportunity to meet a part of his destiny, Goliath! Where others were fearful and weary, David was perhaps a little naive, yet courageous. You know the story, David killed Goliath with that slingshot. Fast forward, 1 Samuel 24, the reigning King Saul, was getting worse mentally and trying to kill David, but David, who could have killed him, spared him. I won’t preach because the many things that happened to David along the way to the throne, are hills and valleys, frustrations and pain, ups and downs, but God still did what He had anointed David to do. Also, remember, how long David waited. Look at all the things he went through before he took the throne.

When I reflect on my life, I think about how I had to face the hills and valleys. I think about the jobs I have held, and how angry, sad, or disappointed, I became when someone did not give me what I felt I had earned. I recall the highs when someone would notice my value and reward it too. I know how let-downs feel. But let me share another perspective when you let go and trust. The farther you move away from the disappointment, you can look at it more objectively. What I found, looking back 10 or 15 years, is that what I wanted to be was much smaller than what God wanted for me. Going through the lows, prepared me for the highs. Waiting, also allowed me to develop and cultivate my skills, getting ready for something I never imagined years before.

I wanted what I wanted, which would have amounted to crumbs compared to what He finally gave me. I tell you this because if you are about to give up, don’t. Wait on the Lord. He will exalt you in due season if you remain faithful. He never reneges on His promises. They may be later than we want but trust His timing. It is perfect.