1/5/2020 0 Comments New Year, Same You?By: Tamika Mahomes "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17 When the new year begins, it is common to find ourselves in a place of reflection. We look back on the last year, the ups, the downs, the expected, and the unexpected. When we begin to examine where we were and where we want to be, we open ourselves up to the opportunity of change. Change starts in our mind; it begins with knowing and understanding that our experience does not have to determine our future circumstances. God's word reflects this truth.
In looking at today's scripture 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Bible shows us that once we truly have an encounter with the Lord, we become new. The newness in Christ requires a change in us. We transform our thinking from allowing our past to define us, to letting God's word to guide us. God's word tells us the truth; God's word shows us wisdom; God's word gives us understanding. When God transforms our mind, he transforms our life. As you look back over 2019, I want to challenge you to reflect on the state of your heart. Have you allowed your old way of thinking to shape who you are and who you will be? Have you determined in your mind that your current situation is your forever reality? Or have you allowed God to speak to you? Have you let God show you that newness in him requires a change in you? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that in Christ, old things are passed away, and in HIM (yes, HIM, not YOU), all things are new. Without question, without requirement, without limit, God allows you to be made new in him. The truth is, life can change you, or Christ can change you. We ought not to get to a point where we allow life, people, or circumstances to attain our focus so much so that God can not lead us in a different direction. When we stop allowing life to guide us, and we start allowing Christ to guide us, we can rest in the truth that we can relinquish control and rest in him! As you look back on 2019, I know you may feel you have more questions than answers, I know people may have let you down, I know that you may have had more bad times than good. But I also know that God wants to move in your life, I know that God brings peace to any storm, he brings change to any willing heart, and he even makes the dirtiest, ugliest and messiest things new. If you start knowing him, he will begin changing you, Will you let him?
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12/30/2019 0 Comments Some Exciting News...Well, hey there long time no chat! I know you may be reading this and thinking your eyes are deceiving you, but yes, it's me, Tamika, and yes, I am back! I know it feels like I have been gone for a long time, but I promise I can explain. If you followed along from my previous blogs, you know that in February of 2019 I found out I was pregnant, and while I thought I could do everything as usual, I quickly learned I could not. I was tired; I was sick; I was emotional. And as much as I wanted to show up and blog in the midst of that, I realized that I needed to give myself grace and enjoy my pregnancy. So that is what I did, I showed up when I could, and I allowed myself an adequate amount of time away to focus on myself and my newborn daughter. And I have to say I do not regret it for one bit. Seeing my daughter grow these past three months has brought me so much joy and gratitude in more ways than I could have ever imagined. I am so grateful! With that, I want to thank those of you who have stuck around with me through the journey. Your patience and understanding is appreciated. If you are new here, Welcome, I am so glad you stopped by! So now that we have that out of the way I am so excited about the upcoming changes in 2020, so let's hop into it! Blog ChangesDuring my time away, I reflected on the purpose of the Flourish In Purpose blog. Since I began the blog in December of 2017, the vision has always been about God. The purpose of this blog is to encourage you to flourish in the purpose that God has for you. I've learned that to work in that mission fully; some changes need to occur. Beginning in Januaray 2020, the Flourish In Purpose Blog will be a devotional based blog. A new devotional will be published every 1st and 3rd Sunday at 10 am! My prayer is that when you reflect and meditate on the scripture and text, God's word to speak to you and that word can resonate throughout the day, week and year. I can share a lot of things, but it is God's word that should change and shape our hearts. The devotionals will be challenging, encouraging, and a reminder of who God is and who he calls us to be. Also new this year is a guest blogger feature, where you will get to see and connect with other faith-based content creators! I love that the blogging community provides a chance to meet new people all over, I've connected with some great writer friends, and my prayer is that with this new feature you will too! I am excited to introduce you to a variety of people from different backgrounds, with different stories but all sharing the same faith! So get ready. Podcast ChangesIn addition to the blog, the Flourish In Purpose podcast will be back up and running. While my goal was to do weekly podcasts, I've realized that my schedule will not allow me too, and that is okay (grace)! So starting in Jan., we will be releasing new podcasts on the last Wednesday of each month! We will be gearing up for our first episode of the new year on Jan. 29th! So, if you have not already make sure to check out, rate and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes and YouTube (linked below)! Book ReleaseFinally, a super exciting secret I have been keeping is that I will be releasing my very first book, YES you heard that right, my first book Closer to the King, a seven-day prayer devotional will release Spring of 2020. I have been working on this book over the last year, and it is almost ready to be released! The great news is that if you subscribe to my email list, you will get an inside look before it releases! So click here and subscribe so you get the first update!! My prayer is that this book will help encourage you in your prayer life, realizing not only the importance but the necessity of prayer as believers. I am so excited!!! Welp...thats all that I have for now, I genuinely hope you are just as excited as I am for where the brand is going in 2020, I know and believe God will be doing big things! I am so excited for this journey! Stay tuned and be on the lookout for the first 2020 blog dropping on Jan. 5th, friends. I will see you then! God bless!! -Tamika 8/20/2019 0 Comments #SelfAccountabilityThere is an old saying that, no one succeeds alone, and while many agree with that saying, I want to pose a follow-up question. What if there is no one to help fuel your success? While we live in a world centered around having others to hold us accountable, we must understand success requires self accountability. Accountability partners are great, but who will hold you responsible when no one is around? Who will help you strive to reach your goal when temptation is staring you in the face? The success that you achieve starts with you and you alone. According to Winston Churchill: "The price of greatness is responsibility." That responsibility that Churchill speaks of is a responsibility that starts with the individual. To be successful, it is essential to understand that you have a job to do. If no one else supports or helps you, you have to be able to have a focus that will remain the same. This type of attention and self-accountability is vital in your success, and here is why... 1.) No one cares about you like you care about you.Your life, your soul, your body, no one cares about it the way that you do. The most important thing to understand is that the only person that will make sure you fulfill your goals and your dreams is you. While your accountability partner may check in on you from time to time, who is going to check on you during the times no one is around? It is not to say that people do not care about you, but the truth is no one else will be as in tune with you and what you need to do except you! You are your biggest cheerleader, and you are the key to succeeding. 2.) Your vision may not appeal to everyoneThe truth is that not everyone will agree with you, not everyone will accept you, not everyone will support you, and that is okay! You must understand that if no one else believes in you, you will believe in yourself. Just because someone does not agree with your vision does not mean that it is in vain. Some of the most successful people had naysayers, but if they had given into the opinions of others, you would not see the results of their success today. Keep your vision first, and remember that no matter who supports it, you will fulfill what the Lord has placed on the inside of you. 3.) Your success starts and ends with youThe only one that can fulfill the vision that is inside of you is you. Whether, it is losing weight, starting a business, or even beginning a ministry, to succeed, you must put in the necessary work. No accountability partner or support person can finish the work for you; only you can do it. Distractions, procrastination, and obstacles are going to come, but when you have a purpose inside of you, you learn to push past those things and tap into what God has for you. Remember that if God brought you to it, he will bring you through it, but the one he is calling to do the work is YOU! In closing, I encourage you to reflect on this scripture, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" James 2:26. The things placed inside of us require us to work. We must stop depending on others to push us and remember that we must complete the work that God has put on the inside of us. Start with self-accountability and work, and I promise you the rest will follow.
6/13/2019 2 Comments It's A...It's a GIRL!!!! A baby girl!!! I am so very excited to meet this sweet lady in October!! My entire pregnancy, even up to the moment that they said it was a girl, we thought it was a boy. While we both simply wanted a healthy baby our instinct was telling us boy, and BOY were we wrong!! But after months of anticipation, and what seemed like forever for the ultrasound tech to announce the gender...she finally said, it's a little girl! I am so blessed and honored to be a mother to this beautiful girl, I look forward to raising her and teaching her to be a warrior for God. I know being a mom may come with challenges, but I am ready and excited to see what this new journey will bring. Check out the memories of me sharing our news with our family!!! It was so much fun. Asking for your prayers along this journey, I know that no matter what the future holds, God has got us! We can't wait to meet you baby girl!!! 6/4/2019 7 Comments Who Are You Doing It For?I remember week after week showing up to my blog, typing word after word, putting all my effort in only to see NOTHING! I got no comments, no feedback, no one acknowledging that they read it. And while I put on a brave face and showed up online week after week, discouragement soon began to come over me. The discouragement turned into doubt and fear, and so I stopped blogging. I gave up on the very thing I loved to do.
Well, that was a few years ago, and as you see, I am back here today. And while my audience has grown, my perspective has changed. When I started the Flourish In Purpose blog, it was all business; then it turned into a lifestyle blog, then it finally landed to what it is today, a Christian Lifestyle brand. Why? Because for me, it is about bringing glory to God and not to people. You see, I began to tweak what I was doing to line up with who I was doing it for! When I type these blogs, I hope that it will reach people, but that is not my expectation. I expect to do what God is calling me to do and share his word. If many people pick up, great, and if not, guess what? That is great too! Because the bottom line is that it is all about God! Each blog I type I want God to use me, each blog I type I want God to change me, and with each blog, I type I want him to shape me and make me more like him. You see, I have learned that when you focus on your WHY your what becomes more apparent. And although I am reflecting on my blogging journey, this truly applies to anything in life. I want to encourage you to stop looking for results and start looking at WHY. Why are you doing what you are doing? What is your bottom line? Would you still do what you are doing if no one followed or supported? Because your passion is not about who supports you, but what fuels you to do it! So today I leave you with this. What things are you passionate about, and why are you passionate about them? Is your focus people driven, or vision driven? Let's talk below!! 5/30/2019 0 Comments I Need Your Help!!Hey FRIENDS!!! I need your help!! So this Sunday my husband and I are doing a special Q&A all about marriage! And guess what? It will be recorded!!! I am so excited for this one! By no means do we think we are experts and know it all's we are just two people being used by God. We want to share our experience with you in hopes to encourage you in your singleness or even your marriage. So if you would please, drop your questions on marriage below, or if you choose please email me at flourishinpurpose@gmail.com. I can't wait to hear and answer some of your questions!! I truly appreciate it, and thank you in advanced!!! Thanks again!! -Tamika 5/8/2019 4 Comments My First Trimester UpdateHey Friends! In case you missed it, a few weeks ago, I announced I am expecting my first child in October of 2019! And as I transition into week 15, I wanted to share my very first update with you! How Far Along? Today, I am 15 weeks & 4 days! Almost halfway there!! Symptoms? During my first 8 weeks, I had on & off cramping, headaches and a lot of gagging & coughing. But up to this point no sickness. When I turned 8 weeks, everything began to change. I started having bad morning sickness, getting nauseous and throwing up. I also became extremely exhausted! A whole new level of tiredness, I was napping throughout the day, and sleeping early! I even missed my alarm a few times haha! Morning Sickness Relief? The morning sickness which became all day sickness, hit me bad, and while everyone had their own set of sickness remedies for me, I found that nothing worked. Thankfully I had my appointment with my doctor shortly after my sickness began. My doctor suggested Unisom + Vitamin B6 and boy does that medicine work like a charm! But the side effect is it makes you tired! So when I took it before bed, I spent the next day fighting falling asleep. I also found that Ginger/Peppermint Tea was extremely helpful! Eating habits? I wish I could say I have been eating healthy, but the truth is I have been eating everything bad for me! Well, not everything! The crazy thing is that salads made me sick! Weird I know! I try my best to eat healthy but thinking about anything healthy made me sick! As I have transitioned to my second trimester, I am not able to begin eating differently and get back to my healthy roots! Exercise? If you know anything about me, you know that pre-pregnancy I worked out a lot! Well, when I got pregnant I spent less time at the gym, actually I didn't go at all. But what I did do was go for walks every day. So that was great exercise. Over the last few weeks, I have gone back to the gym and added my weight training back into my workout regimen, and boy do I love it! If I'm honest, getting to the gym is sometimes hard, but once I finish my workout I feel so amazing! What I am looking forward to? I am looking forward to finding out the sex of the baby in the next few weeks! I have been so anxious to find out since I have found out I am pregnant! So I am looking forward to that! My gut tells me its a boy, but we will see. A lot of people ask what I want; I honestly do not have a preference I truly want a healthy baby! So I will be sure to keep you all posted! I'm curious to hear how your first trimester went? Let's chat below in the comments!
That's all for now friends, I'll be back soon with another pregnancy update! 4/30/2019 0 Comments The Impossible Made PossibleAs we continue to reflect and celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, there is one thing that we must keep forefront. We must remember that when Jesus rose from the dead, he made the IM-possible, POSSIBLE. While many people doubted, and many others questioned, Jesus came and showed not only who he was but who he would always be. I don't know about you, but there are times in my life where I have things happening that make me think, there is no possible way out of this. My mind quickly feels with doubt, fear, and concern. Why? Because it is easier to doubt and worry than it is to trust and wait. When you believe and wait on the Lord, you are leaning into the understanding of God, not the understanding of self. And if I can be honest, trusting and waiting is not always the easiest thing to do. But when we look at the life of Jesus, we see what trusting and waiting can produce and we see how even impossible situations can be made possible. So today, I want to say to you, do not fear when IMPOSSIBLE is looking you in the face. Do not fear when it seems as though nothing is going to move in your favor. Instead of worrying about the what if's, get your focus on the one who can make even the most dead issues in your life, rise again. If Jesus can get back up from the grave, he can rise your situation up and move in a mighty way. Do not allow fear to hold you, don't let naysayers distract you, don't allow self-doubt to take you off course. Instead get your focus on the WAY MAKER knowing that he did it before and he can do it again. Your situation, your problem, your current position is not over. God is still moving! He did it before, and he can do it again. He is making the impossible, possible! Don't give up & don't give in. God is with you! What areas in your life look impossible? Let's chat and pray for one another! 4/11/2019 4 Comments She's BACKKKKK!!!!!Ugh! Does this keyboard still work?? HAHAHA!
Hey guys!!! It's Tamika and I am so happy to once again be back here on the blog, I know I went missing but there is a really good reason. On February 21st, 2019 I found out that my husband and I are expecting a little bundle of joy!! And boy I could not be happier! I am just so blown away by God's goodness and faithfulness. In our journey there were times that I doubted and feared. I felt like God wasn't moving when I needed him too. But one thing that I learned is that God is faithful and his timing is so perfect! And that God truly makes no mistakes. So today, I celebrate with you my friends & family, thanking you for your patience, your support and your love. I look forward to walking this journey and sharing it here on the blog!! And I want to always end with a word of encouragement. I do not know what you are searching for, or what you are waiting for God to do in your life, but I encourage you to take you eyes off of what you are looking for and place your focus back on God. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. He is with you in and through all things in seasons. Be encourages! I'll talk with you friends soon, Tamika One of my favorite things to do is find resources as a Christian, and not just any resources, free resources. Since I have been able to find some faves, I wanted to share with you guys. I hope these resources will help equip and encourage you in living your life for Christ. Lets get started: #1 YouVersion The YouVersion app is an app that has the Bible in over 60 different versions. This allows you to find the Bible version that is most simple for you to understand. In addition having a copy of the Bible at your fingertips there are tons of Bible plans to help encourage you to spend time in the Bible every day. I love the reminder option that will allow you to be reminded to read your Bible daily, even for the plans. And finally one of my favorite features is the verse of the day, which gives you a word of encouragement from God's word each and everyday. Click here to check out YouVersion! #2 Memory Bible Okay, Memory Bible has been a great tool for me. My goal for 2019 has been to memorize scriptures and this app helps me to do just that. The app gives you different options for scripture memorization as well as a reminder daily to memorize your verses. If you are looking to increase your Bible verse memorization and need help doing so, this is the app for you! Click here for the Memory Bible app! #3 Strong Concordance (Online) Some time ago a friend of mine gave me a huge copy of Strongs Concordance, and while I held onto it as long as I could, I ended up letting it go once I realized there was a free version online! The Strongs Concordance helps you to understand the Greek and Hebrew words and meaning for words in the Bible. It is great to know the word of God, but it is also beneficial to understand those words that you do not understand. If you are looking to know the meaning of words in the Bible, this tool is for you! To check out Strongs Concordance click here! Well friends, that is it for Part 1, please be sure to come back next week for Part 2! Also list below any free resources that you love for growing in your relationship with Christ!!
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