I want to thank each of you for expressing your opinions. I praise God that over 585 of you have commented on the articles and 98% have been positive comments. The positive comments encourage me to keep going.
I told God this year that “I do not want You to look at me and be sad for creating me. I want You to smile and boast proudly “that I am your Daughter – your creation – made for your glory.” I want God to be proud of me as with any child who loves their parents.
I had made a choice to take care of my sick and disabled love ones for the past 12 years since the sudden death of my mother, Sylvia Izora Bogan, “Pat.” She was 57 years old whom died of cardiac failure. I am an unemployed 24/7 caregiver and my loves one reside with me. I know how it feels to cry and wonder if God will heal your sick love one who laid in ICU while knowing that your love one would not be suffering if it was not for someone else’s ignorance or pride. There were times, I could not pray, so I called the Righteous, “for the prayers of the Righteous avails much.”
I know about not having health care. I know what it is like to not have the monies to pay rent, electricity, gas, phone etc. I know what it is like to lose your home. I know what it is like to be “homeless.” We have had people who have stolen are precious memories to sell. We have had people to mistreat or take advantage of us. I know how it feels to be violated. I know how it feels to want to give up on life. I know how it feels to love others and they have walked away as if one never existed. Furthermore, I am persecuted more than you would know. Folks have lied on me too. Oh Yes, I have experience many of the trials and tribulations that each one of you may have gone through too.
So when I write, I write based upon my experiences and what the Holy Spirit taught me. It is not wrong or right. It is my experience that only I can attest. Even the sins that I have committed have taught me and made me grow closer to God. My sins taught me about God’s grace and God’s mercy. I am not all of that, but I am all of that through God. This is why my book is named “God, I Want to Sin.” Each of my sins drew me closer to God. My sins taught me how to become discipline, for I did not want to endure the negative consequences for those sins again.
Despite it all, I continued to press toward the mark of the high calling. There have been many times that I had given up on the ministry because of the lack of funds and hundreds of youth who need help. It has been discouraging. However, the Holy Spirit would convict me, so I have continued to minister to at-risk, high-risk youth, and their families without funding or contributions.
We meet at my home, and my youth are packed into one small bedroom. I cannot afford to rent a center or space. None of the “centers” are open at late hours when youth tend to get into trouble or are killed. I prepare a healthy meal for them each week while we have our weekly bible-rap session. Many of my youth never receive a healthy meal. Most will eat junk food forever. Always lacking, I make sacrifices to help others too. I do without to help others, for I see their needs being greater than mines. However, I do put my trust in God to always meet the need. It is my love for our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that I do it. I am commissioned to love, and so are you.
Those of you who have voice negative comments; I welcome them too, for your comments helps me to go back to God. When people voice their negative comments, I do not get offended as I once did. I have learned that it was not for him or her to understand the message, for he or she is not ready to receive the message given, or it is not meant for him or her. It is okay.
One can voice their opinions without being ugly or offensive. Those opinions, I would ask for people to keep to themselves because those offensive opinions only plants a seed of negativity into their own lives that he or she will reap the harvest (greater than).
In addition, offensive comments display one’s spiritual growth. When one has spiritually grown, he or she will not be offensive to others. He or she will have the wisdom to speak life (words) and not death into the lives of others. Just because a message does not make sense to you, it does not mean that it is wrong. For those of you who make mockery of what has been written, the same speaks to you too.
Proverbs 18:21 says that “Life and Death is in the power of the tongue, and one will eat its fruit.”
It is my prayer that each one of you will become encourage. It is my prayer that a seed is planted into your life to help you to grow and seek a closer walk with our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus. Most of all, I pray for each one of you and that you will have peace of mind in the midst of the storms of life and good health. These are the blessings that money just cannot buy.
Again, I welcome your good and bad comments.
Always feel free to email me at lybogan@netzero.com.
Be Encourage as Always
Ms. Lorraine