The month of August typically is the most memorable month for my family during the summer, and it has been since I was a child. The weather begins to cool off a bit, you know school is about to start, and those last few summer activities get crammed in. Well, August of 2018 has been memorable but not because of any of the events above. In fact, it’s been quite unpleasant. Travel with me for a second as I recount this eventful August. The first stop on this trip started with my mom looking disconnected to everything going on around her and me demanding that she allow my sister to escort her to the physician. My mom is eighty-five and disdains to go because she believes that the physician will always try to keep her. She agrees to go, and we find out after several tests and days of hospital stays that she had a mild heart attack. “Okay, deep breathes. She is still here, and all is well,” I tell myself. They give her pills that would control the dysfunctions that are going on in her beautiful body. She comes home strong as an ox and ready to return to her daily routine.

The second stop was in the kitchen of my home where my dad who is eighty-eight was standing and enjoying a Krispy Cream donut. He thought something had gotten into his eye, so he went to his room seeking for his eye drops. He found his eye drops and proceeded to put in his eye to get relief, but it didn’t seem to be working. So, my dad decides that he would just lie down and on tomorrow everything would be better. How many times have you decided just to lay down hoping and praying that everything will be better when you awake? You can’t always lie down and hope. You have to get up and do something about your situation. The devil loves when we lay down our authority and just hope for better. Stay with me through the whole blog I am going somewhere with this. Well, my dad went to sleep and woke up and could not see out of one eye. This is a Sunday morning when all of the saints go to worship service. My dad calls me in my room and shares that my mom who had a health challenge a couple of weeks ago is about to drive him to the hospital. “Excuse me, sir, I don’t think so.” Just wait for me, and I will take you and send the good pastor to service alone. So, after several tests and days of hospital stays, we find out that he had a mild stroke. They give him pills that would control the dysfunctions that are going on in his beautiful body. He comes home strong as an ox and ready to return to his daily routine. My family is rejoicing because we know that things could have been worst.

Have you ever traveled anywhere and did not make a pit stop? Those are usually restroom breaks. My stops on this trip were way away from rest stops. That’s why we have to live in the scriptures daily. The book of Hebrews tells us if we are going to labor to labor to enter into God’s rest. I live in a resting state. Oh God, that was good right there (lol). Say that to you, “I live in a resting state.” So regardless of how long and how bad the trip is you won’t have jet lag when you land. I thought we had reached our destination until we were scrambling yet again at another pit stop.

Lying in my bed trying to just escape into outer darkness to relieve all of the stressors from that day I heard a thump. “Mike!” I yelled to see if my husband dropped something and there was no answer. I immediately got up out of my bed to make my way upstairs to my parents’ room. When I went to the room, my dad was sleep, and I found my mom just sitting still on the floor wondering how did she get down there. I called out to her, and she responds, “Just help me get up. I’m okay.” My mom could assist me in helping her get up, so it wasn’t a big challenge. She convinced me that she was just a little dizzy and needed to lie down. No problem Celeste let’s do this, only until I get a call from my dad at 1:30 am who states that my mom is down again. After my dad came home, he had a scheduled appointment to have surgery to unclog his artery so he would not have another stroke on the other side. Way too much, right? He was not supposed to lift anything over a milk cartons weight. My momma weighs more than milk carton. This time I go up to help her to her feet, but she is too weak to assist me. Of course, this time we called the paramedics. After several tests and days of hospital stays, we find out that she was dehydrated and her kidneys were challenged. They give her pills that would control the dysfunctions that are going on in her beautiful body. She comes home, this time, not as strong as an ox and not ready to return to her daily routine.

Are you tired yet? If so pull over and come back because I am getting to where this will be about you.

Last Tuesday morning my mom was downstairs waiting for her ride and ready for work. I come out of the room to greet her, and I took a rest on the steps to just chat for a minute to make sure that all is well. My phone starts to ring, and it is my sister calling and telling me that my dad is upstairs in the restroom and he had fallen and wanted help getting up. “Wait I am home, and he calls you?” I run up the steps, and he is just sitting there. He begins to explain what happened in his weak, vulnerable voice that he just wanted to get back to his bed. No problem daddy I can help you because you can do some of the work.

I shared about my mom in one of our services, but my dad had not fallen then. When I shared about her in service, I told them how I saw not only my mom on the floor, but I saw a bunch of believers on the floor. The first time she could assist in her getting up off of the floor but the second time she could not help me. The same with my dad he could assist me in helping him get up. Okay, I am coming for you now. This blog was not just about my parents. They are both doing fine now, and remember I live in a rested state. So please hear what I have to say to you out of this.

In life, there will be some falls, falls that you didn’t plan for or expect or some that you on purpose fall into. I have no idea of what each of you is dealing with or will deal with. My concern is that you honor God with your spirit, soul, and body. Many Christians have rewritten the gospel according to themselves. Meaning that you make the word fit you and what you want to instead of what it is telling you. You may have fallen and have been able to assist in your getting up, but there is a day coming when you are going to fall so hard and won’t be able to help in your getting up IF you don’t put a stop to wrong decisions. We can’t live any kind of way and expect God to give us pills that control the dysfunctions that are going on in our beautiful bodies, come home strong as an ox and be ready to return to our daily routines. God desires that you live in a state of rest and take a shot of His word so you can stay strong as an ox and keep doing your daily routines.

Overdose on His word daily so you can stop falling into things that do not glorify the Father. You may say, “Oh I am not involved in any sexual sin” but your attitude is nasty, and you treat your husband or friends horrible. Maybe God has told you to do something, and you keep refusing. Well, those are falls. Stop and seek God before you speak and before you act to see if it all aligns with His word and purpose for your life. We are living in a desensitized world, and unfortunately, many believers are calling right wrong and wrong right. They have fallen so often that it doesn’t even hurt or bother them anymore. If you are reading this, I may not be speaking to you as it relates to a fall but tuck this in your pocket so when the enemy presents you with something you will stand the first time. Maybe this was for you, but I want you to know it’s okay because God loves you and He has sent me to assist you in getting up from the floor of your decisions and staying on top of your choices to be able to stay on your feet.

11Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:11,12

Life is full of trips with stops that are not always pleasant but stay alert, stay full of the word, and labor to enter into His rest.

Keep checking the site to see if the connect groups are up. I will also send you an email to let you know when it is done.