So, last week my best friend and I were having a conversation about when my next blog was coming out and what it would be about… (Y’all bear with me, I’m a chronically working woman with a ridiculously reckless schedule!)… Anyway… During the conversation, I was sifting through my list of blog topics that I’ve compiled, reading some titles off to her and bouncing ideas… (We literally share a mind sometimes, so it’s kind of fun)…  As always, being so indecisive about what I wanted my next topic to be, she stops mid sentence and says, “Well Fred, the reason I love your blog is because every time you post one, I learn something new about you, AND I’M YOUR BEST FRIEND! It’s like you reveal something new about yourself in each one. I think your next blog should talk about something else that people may not really know about you… like your relationship with God and how much it means to you…”.

Initially, I thought “hmmm, that’s obvious though isn’t it?!” I mean, I end all of my blogs with scriptures; so far, each blog has taken me in a direction that sheds light on Christ and how He ties into my stories, and I’ve included gospel songs at the end of my blogs… That all spells out that I have a relationship with God right?! WRONG!!! IT ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT!!! It could just mean that I’m an impostor that saw a dope scripture and posted it… It could mean that I’m just trying to sound a lil’ deep in these blogs… It could mean that I want to give the illusion that I do have a relationship with Christ when I don’t… I have no idea of the assumptions that people draw after reading my blogs and noticing the scriptures and music that I’ve tagged at the end. Thus far, no one has actually commented on that portion of the postings, and quite frankly, most of everyone that has read my blogs, doesn’t know me on this intimate level to know what my relationship is or isn’t with God… Heck, for all I know, everyone could be skipping right on past that part altogether! Fair enough…

Secondly, my thoughts turned into doubt… “Well, if I start coming out speaking about my relationship with Christ, how many people will I lose?! How many people will turn away, stop reading, lose interest because I’ve mentioned God?! How many people will not tell other people about my blog because I talk of my relationship with Christ?!

Thirdly, my self-doubt quickly turned into a self reality check that went a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ like this…

1. You said in blog #1 “Who Are You Anyway?!” and I quote “My blog is kind of going to be my journal to the world… Whether anyone responds or not, so what! Writing is still and will forever be therapeutic to me anyway”… 
2. You never started this blog for the audience, you started this for you! So shut up and stop trippin! (Yes, I had to get a bit savage with myself).
3. “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed…” Mark 8:36 & 38
4. “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in Heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in Heaven…” Matthew 10:32 & 33
5. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16
6. You’re thinking about the people you could potentially LOSE by talking about Christ, but think of all the people who Christ could potentially GAIN because you talked about Him!!! If Christ would leave the 99 to save one, then I can withstand losing the masses if it means I could bring just one closer to Him with my story.

Needless to say, I ( my guilt), and God got myself right on together and I knew what my next topic had to be! Hence, the birth of “Christ Representers!” This isn’t a title that I’ve come up with originally myself. I’ve mentioned in previous blogs (almost all of them) that my favorite gospel artist is Jonathan McReynolds! On Jonathan’s second studio album Life Music: Stage Two, song #6 is called Christ Representers. In this song he sings about our generation of believers rising up and being bold about our love, relationship and following of Christ. He speaks about how we get so wrapped up in materialist and superficial things that are of this world, we’re so bold and proud about representing anything and everything else in the world, but we aren’t as loud and boisterous about our representation of Christ. As Christians, there’s a light within us all that is supposed to shine so bright and differentiate us from the masses. That light within us represents the Christ in us. Our lights have become so dimmed and barely visible due to the smog polluted air of the secular world that we have allowed to dominate and snuff out our flame for Christ. I’m not pointing fingers because there’s 3 fingers and a thumb pointed back at myself! I’m guilty of this! My favorite preacher that I love to watch on YouTube is Pastor Michael Todd. He is the pastor of Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK and their church motto is: “We Are Transformers, Re-presenting God to the lost and found for transformation in Christ”. It’s the job of every Christian (believer in and follower of Christ) to present themselves as such and present Christ to others that may or may not know of Him and His Kingdom.

YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS?!?! I’VE GOT ANSWERS!!!

Q: Have I read the bible cover to cover?!

A: Nope! Not even 1/4 of it, but I aspire to do so! I’m working on it!

Q: Can I quote scripture?! 

A: Not a lot of them! But when I come across ones I like, I highlight them in my bible so that I remember them.

Q: So how are you a Christian but listen to secular music?!

A: Because my taste in music doesn’t dictate my relationship with Christ. If you’ve read my last blog post, “Summertime Chi” you saw how ratchet my playlist can get, and that’s not even the worst of it (And as I also stated, I WON’T BE SHAMED FOR IT!) BUT, trust and believe my gospel playlist is 10 times more extensive and some of my hardest jam sessions is to gospel music! BOOP!

Q: Is Christianity something that was forced on me?!

A: By no means! I was born and raised in the church my entire life, yes, but as I came of age, I formed a relationship and began to know God for myself, and not solely based off what I was told by others.

Q: Am I perfect?!

A: ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Every day I sin and fall short of God’s glory! Everyday I’m faced with a reason to roll my eyes at someone or something! (Not literally everyday, but y’all get my point) BUT GOD & His wonderful Grace and Mercies are renewed everyday, so every day I have a new chance to be better than the day before. That’s my daily goal. That’s what I strive for.

Q: Where/How did my faith in God become what it is?!

A: When I was/am in my lowest of low moments, and I feel that there is absolutely nowhere else to turn, no one that will understand, no way out of a situation, no fall back plan, no support, feeling down with no explanation why, God is always the one and only person I can always and without a doubt turn to and depend on. I never have a wait for His free time, days off, call back, none of that. I can simply turn to Him and start talking in my time of need. Likewise, when I’m at my highest of highs, and I’m my happiest, I’m having my best days, living my best life, basking in good news, I know that it’s all God! I know that I’m just standing in the rain of His love!

Q: When did my faith in God become what it is?!

A: Fall 2010! Yes, I know exactly when! Why/How do I know exactly when it was?! Because that was the most stressful time of my entire life to date! It was my last semester of nursing school. Whenever anyone asks me how I got through, my answer is “I prayed and cried my way through”. That is in no way an understatement. Absolutely nobody knew what I was going through unless they were in that situation with me, and even my classmates didn’t know how bad I was stressing. I prayed and cried, prayed and cried, studied while praying and crying, the entire semester. I had to shut out the world and literally turn to God to get me through it. I suffered from migraine headaches literally for 4 months! Yet, the final day of class, our last chance at taking and passing our exit exam in order to graduate (The HESI test for all my nursing people), I walked into that class with a smile on my face singing Jonathan Nelson- My Name is Victory, I was smiling throughout the entire test as I was answering those questions and I JUST KNEW that God was coming through for your girl! I could feel His presence all over me. Up until that day, I had no idea whether I would graduate or not. That was literally a week before graduation! During that time is when I learned where all of my help comes from.

God is Alpha and Omega! God is my beginning and my ending!

I can go on and on with these questions and answers forever, but I’ll leave the rest up to my readers! If there is something else that you’d like to know about me or ask me, feel free to ask me in the comments below.

Disclaimer: As mentioned above, no I am not perfect in any way. It is my daily goal to treat people right, to speak to everyone kindly and respectfully, to be mindful of my speech, to speak  life into others and their situations, and above all, to spread love in all that I do. It is my daily quest to let the light within me shine so bright that it’s blinding to all that see! Die to self daily, so everyday Christ can resurrect and live through me. I strive to represent AND re-present Christ to others. Do I fall short of this?! All the time I do! But my prayer is that when I do fall short, people would recognize my shortcomings as my personal humanly flaws, and not see it as a reflection of who Christ is.

Finally…

I am a proud member of One Lord, One Faith Missionary Baptist Church on the West side of Chicago, where Rev. Joseph B. Kelley Sr. is Pastor! If you live or are ever in the area, I’d love for you to stop by and join me for service! We’re located at 312 N. Lavergne Ave. Chicago, IL 60644. Let me know you’re coming and I’ll save you a seat!

Sunday Services:

Bible Enrichment @ 9:15am- 10:15am

Morning Worship @ 10:15am

My Prayer…

Heavenly Father, I come humbly before you to first give you thanks and blessing for even presenting me with this platform, because I know that every good and perfect gift comes from you. Lord, I pray that as people continue to tune in to read my blog and learn about me, that they will also learn about you. I don’t care if anyone gets to know me! As long as everyone gets to know you! Lord let your light shine so brightly within me, that all that see it know that Your mighty hands are all over my life. Use me as a beacon to draw others closer to You and your Kingdom. Lord, no one but you is perfect, so every day as I strive to be more like you, my prayer is that all those that witness me, recognize that I am merely a flawed human being. I sin and fall short of your glory on a daily basis, but your grace upon grace renews and forgives with each rising sun. Your grace, Your unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor restores and covers all of my transgressions. Lord, help me to decrease, so that You may increase and continue to reign over my life. Let everything that I do, be for the edification and glorification of You! Father God, I pray that every person that this blog reaches will seek to know you for themselves. That they all will desire to one day inquire in your temple. Reveal to them all that You are always in their midst, even when they don’t know, realize, or ask for you to be there, waiting for them to accept You for who You are. These and all things I ask and pray in the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!

Stay Loyal, Stay Royal!
XOXO
Freddie J.

Songs of the Week:

• Jonathan McReynolds- Christ Representers
• William McDowell- I Give Myself Away

A WELCOME, HELLO, HEY-GIRL-HEYYYY FROM THE QUEEN!
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