Psalm 143:10 New King James Version (NKJV)
Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.

There are some that have a list of goals they want to accomplish before the year ends. I have only one goal this year and that is to do the will of the Lord. It's amazing how this one goal sounds so simple, but at times can be extremely difficult to achieve. One reason it can become difficult is because it requires patience. I will admit that is not one of my strong points.

Discerning the will of the Lord also requires that we set aside time to listen and pray. This too can prove to be difficult if your life is full of non-stop activities and you are constantly pressed for time. It's not that our activities are bad, but many times we over commit ourselves which leads to us missing what the Lord is really telling us to do for that season.  If we don't take the time to listen and pray, we may find ourselves circling the same mountains we saw in the past. I'm determined to slow down this year and spend more time seeking the Lord in prayer so I can avoid making that mistake. 

In order to embrace the will of the Lord, you must let go of your need to control things. Doing the will of the Lord ultimately means you are giving up your idea of who, what, when, where and how things will happen. I don't know about you, but for me that's a hard one! By submitting to the Lord's will, you are giving him permission to wreck your plans at any time. Although it may be hard, there is a peace in knowing God's way is always best.

When you give up control, you must have humility. Pride will convince you that Your way is the only  way. This too can lead you to walk around the same mountain for years out of stubbornness. There are many that would rather suffer than humble themselves and admit they are wrong. We must always be open to correction when it comes to doing the will of the Lord. 

Doing the will of the Lord can be very uncomfortable, but it's so worth it. You will have to trust that He loves you and wants nothing but the best for you. You must also release the fear of not knowing the details. He will not always share every detail, but you must believe that He has a plan for your life. This is a great example of walking by faith and not by sight. 

Are there any brave souls out there that will join me in committing to do the Lord's will in 2015 no matter how hard it gets? What things are you willing to release in order to position yourself to spend more time with the Lord and listen for His voice? Are there some people you need to remove from your life for a season to make sure you are doing the will of the Lord? Let's talk!

I cracked up when I saw this picture because this is exactly what many of us look like when we receive  a word from God about our future! It's such a wonderful feeling to know that God is thinking about you and loves you enough to send you a word that literally blows your mind. Initially, you and your supporters give God glory for what He is about to do in your life. You begin to daydream about how God is going to move and what your promise will look like. You even start to prepare yourself for what is to come, the best way you know how.

As time goes by, you begin to notice that you're still waiting for the promise. You're not as excited as you once were.  In fact, it seems like your life is moving away from the promise instead of toward it. Your eager acts of preparation now seem to all be in vain. Now you find yourself at a crossroads and you're afraid to make a move.

Does any of this sound familiar? Have you ever found yourself wondering if you really heard from the Lord? Let me be the first to tell you, you are not alone! I have had the privilege of talking to many brave men and women who have stepped out on faith all based on a word they believe they heard from the Lord. Let me tell you, it takes a person of great faith to even consider doing a thing like that.

A perfect example of someone who was in the same situation is Abraham. Hebrews 11: 8 tells us: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Many times when you hear a word from the Lord concerning your purpose, He will not give you specifics. Sometimes, He will just tell you to GO or LAUNCH OUT.

Many people fail to obey because we want a play by play before we ever make a move. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes God will purposely not give you that information to test your faith. As you begin to move, God will begin to send instructions little by little to direct you toward your purpose. This will require you to spend more time listening for the voice of God and avoiding all distractions. It will also require for you to spend more time praying and studying the word of God.

Let me warn you, the same ones that celebrated with you in the beginning may be the very ones the enemy will use to discourage you when things get tough on your journey. You have to understand that God didn't give your friends or family the vision. He gave you the vision, so they will not be as committed to it as you are. Know this, just because God gave you a promise doesn't mean it will come easy! Surrounding yourself with other faith walkers is guaranteed to make the journey less stressful and will help you to avoid aborting the promise.

In 2015, many of you will be called out of the familiar and into the unfamiliar. The only way you will receive what God has for you is to release what you are holding on to. No doubt, it will be uncomfortable. Yes, people may even call you crazy. The question is, how bad do you want God's purpose for your life?

I pray you will receive all that God has for you in 2015! May the new year bring Purpose, Peace, and Happiness. God Bless!

I recently had an opportunity to share more on my thoughts about modesty with Tanika Chambers the CEO and founder of Tanika Chambers Ministries. I wanted to share that interview with all of you. Please make sure you share your thoughts on the subject. To read the full interview click here. Enjoy and God bless!

One of my neighbors moved out and invited me to the house warming for their new home. We weren't close and had only known each other for a year, but I thought it was thoughtful of them to invite me. I was a little hesitant at first about going because I wasn't sure if I would know anyone else there, but I decided to go anyway. I went with the hopes of meeting some new people or at the least being able to say that I did something other than sitting on my couch during the weekend! LOL I bought a card and a gift certificate and was on my way!

When I first arrived, I was met by a few stares that seem to say "who is this and is she at the right location". I have seen this happen in the movies on many occasions, but I have only experienced it a few times in my young life. I was introduced and I started my rounds of hand shakes and friendly smiles to try to ease that uncomfortable feeling that was trying to take over my body. Afterwards I found myself standing alone by the food table and then quickly spotted a chair in the corner where I retreated for the rest of the night. Thankfully, I ended up by another food platter which comforted my soul as I waited for the right time to make my exit.

As I surveyed the room, it appeared I was the only single, childless, and for certain the only African American among the guests. Can you say triple whammy! Fortunately, a couple of the guests came over to make small talk with me. Rather it was out of pity or something else, I was grateful. I left that outing with so many thoughts running through my mind that I couldn't even sleep that night.

As singles, we can sometimes find ourselves in some very awkward situations. Society can make you feel like the "odd ball in the group" when it seems you are out numbered by those that are married with children. Continuous race issues in America can also make you feel there is a racial divide when you find yourself as the outsider and the only one of color in a group. I believe God is challenging all of us to change our perspective on racial issues as well as how we view our marital status. Could it be that our perspectives on these issues are perpetuating them?

So, the question is what can we do now to change things in the future? One thing I have decided to do is fellowship with those of a different race especially on Sundays. Our churches are still very much segregated. I do believe the Lord wants us to come together as one people worshiping and praising His name together. Maybe this will open the door to people taking the initiative to get to know one another and work on establishing better relationships.

Singles, let's also start wearing our status as a symbol of pride! There are many of us that could very well have chosen to get married by now, but instead decided to wait for a God ordained marriage that we believe He will bless and sustain. We can and have made huge contributions in our communities. Therefore, we should no longer allow others to exclude us from serving in positions in the church or elsewhere simply because of our marital status. In closing, we must realize that diversity is something to be embraced and not shunned, especially if we ever expect to see the changes our forefathers spoke of and marched for.

By: Crystal Harkless

When I started this blog, I had no clue how things would turn out or if anyone would even read it. I believed in my heart that I had something to share with the world that would encourage other single Christians. I told myself I would write even if I only had one reader and that one reader was me. LOL Here it is months later and in spite of everything that has hit me this year, I'm still determined to keep my promise to myself. Although I have no clue who is viewing this site, my stats have grown and continue to show activity on the site. For that I'm so grateful.

My prayer is someone is being encouraged, motivated, healed, delivered, and receiving insight as I continue to share what I believe God has given me. In this life, we must be determined to fulfill every God given purpose even when things get hard. You never know who is in need of what you have. You never know how your testimony may help someone else to keep going a little longer. It is a honor to be used in the Kingdom of God.

For those that are still trying to discover your purpose in life, Don't Give Up! You may not have a mega ministry. In fact, you may only have a handful of people that God sends your way. Regardless of the amount of people or money, do what God has given you to do to the best of your ability. As you walk in your calling, go knowing that God trust you enough to help His precious children. 

Remember that it is a privilege to be used for His Glory. Know that it is not in vain. I consider it a blessing to be able to encourage others because I know how it feels to need a word of encouragement. I want to thank all of you for your support. Know that I am praying for you and I pray that you continue to pray for me as well. God bless and Happy Reading!

By: Crystal Harkless

Isaiah 25:1-5 The Message (MSG)

God, you are my God. I celebrate you. I praise you. You’ve done your share of miracle-wonders, well-thought-out plans, solid and sure. Here you’ve reduced the city to rubble, the strong city to a pile of stones. The enemy Big City is a non-city, never to be a city again. Superpowers will see it and honor you, brutal oppressors bow in worshipful reverence. They’ll see that you take care of the poor, that you take care of poor people in trouble, Provide a warm, dry place in bad weather, provide a cool place when it’s hot. Brutal oppressors are like a winter blizzard and vicious foreigners like high noon in the desert. But you, shelter from the storm and shade from the sun, shut the mouths of the big-mouthed bullies.

This scripture really spoke to me this morning!  Not many of you know what I have been going through and I will not go through it on here, but I will say that I feel like I have been attacked in just about every area of my life these past few months. There have been days when all I wanted to do was cry. There have been days when all I wanted was to be alone with God. I needed him desperately and nothing or no one else could help. 

As I went through my storm, there were times that God didn't say a word. He was silent! I had no clue how long I would have to go through this or what the outcome would be. I had to walk by faith and not by sight. Now this is easy to do for a short period of time, but it becomes difficult as the months drag by and there seems to be no end in sight. It was especially hard for me since I had to be still and rest.

It's easy to take your eyes off of what you are going through when you can fill your calendar up with different activities and run from one event to the next. You don't have to focus on the elephant in the room. This time, I couldn't run from my issues. I had to face every last one of them and it was overwhelming to say the least. I knew there was no way I could fight this battle alone.

I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and I am so thankful!! As I look back, I can see how God has carried me through it all. I can see how He was using my trial to lead me to my purpose. He used what I was going through to bring about divine connections. He used what I was going through to build my faith and increase my prayer life.

It was through reading the Bible, praying, and just being quiet in His presence that He began to reveal more and more of himself to me. I learned that there are some battles we have to fight and there are some that only He can fight for us. I am learning to rest in Him and pay close attention to what I think and say. I am so thankful we serve a God that knows how to take care of all our problems whether they are people or situations! Those things I once thought I would never overcome are defeated! 

Those voices that taunted me and told me I would never make it are now silenced! God has protected me and proven to me that He is for me and not against me. He has been my shelter from the storm. He has caused the enemy of my soul to behave. Over the months, God has come through for me in a big way and the beautiful thing about it is the best is yet to come! 

Today I want to encourage someone to prove the doubters wrong! I want to encourage someone to trust in the name of the Lord! He is doing wonderful things and I challenge you to praise Him in spite of everything that may be going wrong in your life right now! I encourage you to stay focused on the promise God made to you! Everything you have been going through is serving a purpose! In the end you will see exactly why you had to go through what you went through! It was PREPARATION for a season of RESTORATION AND MANIFESTATION! Receive it!