Tag: Believing God

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Black History Month Tribute to Steve Harvey)

A MAN OF MANY TALENTS
Steve Harvey, a man of many talents, is a comedian, actor, author, talk show host, game show host, radio personality…..just to name a few! Born Broderick Steven Harvey on January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, he is the youngest of five children to Jesse and Eloise Harvey. When Harvey was young, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1974, he graduated from Glenville High School and enrolled in college where he became a lifetime member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, a historically black fraternity founded in 1911 at Howard University.

HIS TRUE PASSION
After leaving college, Harvey worked a number of jobs, mainly as a salesman. As a matter of fact, he was selling insurance when he finally decided to pursue his true passion of being a stand up comedian after winning an amateur night contest at a local comedy club in 1985. For the next several years, Harvey performed in small clubs to hone his craft as a comedian. This time in his life was going to either make him or break him. Harvey told People Magazine, that after splitting from his wife and sending the majority of his paychecks home to his children, “one or two gigs fell through, and suddenly I was homeless.”

While working a gig, he had the luxury of staying in a hotel, but once that particular gig was over, he was back to sleeping in his 1976 Ford Tempo. He kept an Igloo cooler in the backseat to use as his refrigerator and washed up in hotel bathrooms, gas stations or swimming pool showers. This went on for three years! Some probably wondered, “Why would he go through all that for a dream?!” He was finally doing something he loved and believed he was created by God to do.

Because Harvey persevered, even when he sometimes felt like giving up, he received the break he had been waiting for. He was invited to perform at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Fortunately, that wasn’t the last time he was going to hit the Apollo stage. In 1993, he took over as host of Showtime at the Apollo.

That was the first time I remember laying eyes on Steve Harvey. My first thought was, “That man looks like Richard Pryor!” As a stand-up comic, Harvey also made television appearances on the Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search and on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam.

OTHER VENTURES
Harvey soon ventured into acting. He starred in his first sitcom entitled Me and the Boys, in which he played a widower and father of three sons. Though the show won high ratings, it only lasted one season. However, being the fighter and hustler he is, Harvey didn’t let that discourage him. In 1996, he was given another opportunity to star in a TV series The Steve Harvey Show which attracted a large audience.

When I discovered the show, I immediately fell in love with the characters. Even now I enjoy watching the reruns. On the show, Harvey portrayed a former professional musician who becomes a music teacher at a Chicago high school. The series also starred Cedric the Entertainer who is one of Harvey’s real life close friends.

Harvey has also performed on the big screen in movies like The Fighting Temptations, You Got Served, and Johnson Family Vacation. His most popular movie is Spike Lee’s documentary, The Original Kings of Comedy, which captured the highlights of a two-night comedy show in North Carolina. The documentary, which included Harvey as the emcee, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac, earned more than $38 million at the box office. In fact, The Kings of Comedy Tour, which inspired Lee’s documentary, became the highest-grossing comedy tour ever to date in the United States.

Today, Harvey is host of such shows as Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, Steve, which is his own TV talk-show based in Los Angeles, and The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which is his nationally syndicated daily talk radio show. Harvey is also a best-selling author of the books Act like a Lady, Think like a Man; Straight Talk, No Chaser; Act like a Success, Think like a Success and his most recent book entitled Jump.

THE FOUNDATION
In 2010, Harvey and his wife Marjorie founded the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation. Through the foundation, they have developed mentoring camps for boys and girls. The Steve Harvey Mentoring Camp for Young Men is “an interactive program that includes a host of workshops which focus on manhood, personal responsibility, dream building and the importance of nutrition and physical fitness.

In addition, the participants are introduced to positive male role models who are leaders in various areas, including business, their communities, entertainment and the military.”

The Girls Who Rule the World Mentoring Camp is “an interactive program that includes leadership comprised of trusted business women and community leaders who provide wisdom & resources that will help guide girls through the importance of financial literacy, balanced nutrition, proper etiquette, positive self-esteem and professional and educational development.”

A family man, as well, Harvery is married to Marjorie Bridges Harvey. Together they have a blended family of seven children: daughters, Brandi, Karli, Morgan and Lori and sons Broderick Jr., Jason and Wynton.

WHAT IS PERSEVERANCE?
I share the story of Steve Harvey because it speaks to the importance of perseverance. What is perseverance? Perseverance is “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” When God gives you a dream, you don’t stop and give up just because things look bleak. Understand that in the process, God is preparing you for success. Habakkuk 2:3 (The Living Bible) says:

“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient…..”

To learn more about Steve Harvey, you may go to:
biography.com
britannica.com
harveyfoundation.com.
people.com

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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I Still Believe

By Kimberly Joy

On November 14, 2016

In Faith

http://https://youtu.be/Y-lKMslZ3qg

“I still believe” are a few of the most important words I jotted down in my notebook. On that particular night several years ago, as I lay in bed attempting to sleep, my mind kept racing and I could feel myself becoming discouraged. I could feel a “woe is me” moment approaching and decided to be like King David and encourage myself in the Lord (I Samuel 30:6). Although it was bedtime and I had to get up early the next morning for work, I jumped out of bed and sat at my dining room table with a pen and notebook. I could sense depression circling my bedroom like an eagle on the brink of landing, and I wasn’t having it! So I did what I’ve done before; I began to write. In fact, I’ve come to realize that some of my best work are birthed during such moments. Bible study lessons, sermons, poems, blogs. On that sheet of notebook paper I reminded myself that no matter what my circumstances may try to tell me, I must still believe. Believe what, you ask? Believe GOD!

Like any human being, sometimes I may encounter a situation that leaves me feeling disappointed, discouraged, sad, angry or even scared. However, in those moments God will whisper in my ear, “Trust Me.” It can be hard to trust God, at times, when what I see and hear is the opposite of what He has promised me. Nevertheless, I have to yet abide by Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” I have to trust that the One Who created me, the One Who knows me better than anyone, has my best interests at heart and will not leave me in the dust.

Recently, I had an experience that has elevated my faith in God. It was a Thursday evening around 6:30, and I was driving home from the gym. As I drove, my car started acting strangely. The battery light came on, the interior lights dimmed and the radio, including the clock, went off. Then my car began making noises, and the power steering suddenly stopped working. Since it was difficult to steer the car, at that point, I thought about pulling over. However, once I drove into a nearby parking lot, I decided that it might be in my best interest to try to get the car home. As I continued up the road, the traffic slowed down due to rush hour. While sitting at a traffic light, my car completely shut down. To make matters worse, I couldn’t remove my key from the ignition. Feeling helpless and scared, tears began streaming down my face. Within a couple of minutes, a few people stopped to help me, but were unable to. I found myself becoming frantic and knew I had to calm down and THINK. That was when I remembered that my car insurance includes roadside assistance. Just as I was about to make the call, an older gentleman stopped to also help. Remember the old saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”? Well, I immediately judged the man based on his physical appearance and car. He claimed to know what was wrong with my car, and I thought to myself, “You don’t know anything!” Fortunately, I was wrong! The man, whose name is Jim, turned out to be a mechanic who also tows cars. Within twenty minutes, he had my car operating efficiently enough for me to get it home. Not only did he turn out to be a mechanic, but he also happens to live near me. So, he offered to follow me home just in case I had any more problems along the way. By the grace of God, I was able to pull into my driveway just before my car shut off again. Mr. Jim then agreed to repair my car, and two days later I was back in business!

I share this story because through that particular experience, God reassured me of His protection and provision for my life. Even as I lay down to sleep that night, with tears in my eyes, I continued thanking God for taking care of me. Reflecting on that evening’s happenings, I recognized how God was with me every step of the way. For one, God did not allow my car to shut off while I was on the interstate. Also, just as I was about to pull over in a parking lot, I quickly changed my mind and kept going. God would not allow me to stop in the parking lot because He knew that Mr. Jim was coming down the road. If I had pulled over, Mr. Jim would not have seen me. In addition, Mr. Jim just so happened to be a mechanic, who tows cars and lives in my neighborhood.

None of what I just described was a coincidence. God, the Father, the Almighty, sent the RIGHT person at the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time to help me at the RIGHT price! Oh yeah, did I mention that Mr. Jim also saved me a lot of money? If I had taken my car to an auto repair shop or the dealership (as I’ve been known to do), I would have paid more than what I could really afford. God reminded me that very night that, no matter what I may be going through or facing, He ALWAYS has my back! Even as my car began shutting down right before my very eyes, God was yet whispering in my ear, “Trust Me!” Soon after, He indeed proved, as He’s done so many times in the past, that I can trust Him, and that’s why I can truly declare, “Yes Lord! I STILL believe!!!!!!!”

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I Am Whom GOD Says I Am

By Kimberly Joy

On October 24, 2016

In Love Yourself

I am whom GOD says I am IF I believe what GOD says!
In order to believe what God says, we have to have knowledge of what He says, and that comes from learning His Word. The scripture says in II Timothy 2:15 to “Study to show thyself approved unto God…” Everything God wants us to know is in His Holy Word. However, God’s Word is no good to us if we don’t believe it. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Although the scripture seems pretty self-explanatory, I find that there are times when we as Christians fail to do what it says. Instead of leaning on the Lord, we lean on what WE understand. We lean on what we see with our natural eyes, what we hear with our natural ears, what we understand with our human minds.

What does OUR understanding look like?
OUR understanding may look something like this:

“I UNDERSTAND that I was mistreated as a child, abandoned, called names, ridiculed, belittled, rejected, abused, molested, raped…..

I UNDERSTAND my hurt was caused by family, friends, classmates, teachers, coaches, law enforcement, employers, missionaries, church mothers, ministers, deacons, pastors, church folk, and so…..

I UNDERSTAND myself to be ugly, poor, worthless, unloved, undeserving, stupid, and as a result…..

I UNDERSTAND that I am ashamed, confused, hurt, lost, angry, discouraged, sad, depressed, indifferent, lonely, bitter…..

That’s what I UNDERSTAND!”

What does GOD say?
My brothers and sisters, I hear your pain! But again, what does GOD say?

“Trust (rely on, depend on, have confidence in, believe) the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto (do not depend on) thine own understanding,” (Proverbs 3:5).

OUR understanding is knowledge outside of God, knowledge that doesn’t come from God. Instead, this knowledge may come from negative experiences involving jealous, bitter, ignorant, confused, hateful, wicked hearts. Consequently, we believe such experiences more than we believe God. You may not agree, and I don’t blame you. Once upon a time, I didn’t believe it either when God first pointed it out to me. I said to God, “Oh no! That’s not true! I’m saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost! I BELIEVE!” However, it wasn’t about my conduct during a Sunday morning service. When the service was over, I demonstrated my lack of trust in God by the choices I made, by my actions, by the words I spoke, by the thoughts I had about myself. I came to the realization that I was believing my circumstances–past and present–more than I was believing God’s Word, all because I was holding onto MY understanding.

God wants us to trust in Him with everything, to trust Him with our lives and His decisions for our lives. However, in order to do so, we have to relinquish OUR understanding.

How do we let go of OUR understanding?
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and MORE PRACTICE! We practice what we want to become, which should be what GOD wants us to become. We practice or exercise Biblical principles.

James 1:21-25:
“21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the Word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

22 But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

23 For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

25 But if you look carefully into the Perfect Law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

As the book of James states, it’s not enough for us to just read the Bible or even recite scriptures from memory. We must practice God’s Word until it becomes a part of us, much like athletes who practice before playing in a game. Having raw talent and knowledge of the game is not enough. They have to practice how they want to perform against the opposing team. As a ninth grade track runner, I was privileged to be on the varsity 400 meter relay team. Although I was excited, I was still nervous at the same time. Being a freshman, I didn’t want to let the older girls on the relay team down. The first time I ran with them I did a great job. Everyone, including the boys track team, congratulated me. So, when I ran the second time, there were high expectations for the four of us. We were only worried about beating one team in order to win first place.

Unfortunately, this particular race had a different outcome. When I passed the baton to my teammate, in a flash that same baton was on the ground. Quickly as possible, she swooped down to pick it up. This mishap took us from first place to sixth place! I was so ashamed and embarrassed that I refused to return to the stands with the rest of the team. My father eventually found me hiding underneath the stands with my face wet with tears. Later the coach said that the baton dropping wasn’t my fault but that of the other girl. However, now that I’m older and have more knowledge, the baton mishap was due to a lack of practice! We weren’t even taught the proper baton exchange until the day before the meet. But, anyone who is familiar with sprint relays understands that baton exchanges take practice. A successful relay team is not based on having the fastest runners, but having runners who have MASTERED the exchange!

When a person accepts Jesus as Savior and Lord, some ungodly habits are easy to give up, while other habits take a little more time and effort. I’m not just referring to the obvious like alcohol, drugs and fornication, but I’m talking about inward struggles. For instance, I possessed what many would describe as low self-esteem for years, even into adulthood. I was constantly comparing myself to others.

“I wish I was pretty like she is!”

“I hate my skinny legs!”

“I’m not as smart as they are! Why am I even in this honors class?!”

“If only I had her personality, maybe then I would have more friends!”

I had to allow God to build my confidence by learning to see myself through HIS eyes. I could no longer depend on people to make me feel beautiful, special, and important. I had to know that I was all those things whether or not anyone else believed it.

Speak God’s Word
In addition to practicing the Word of God, we must also speak His Word and words of LIFE that promote positivity, hope, and strength. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” We can choose to speak death or life. The classroom behavior and school performance of a child who is verbally abused at home is, more than likely, going to differ from a child who receives love and praise. The old adage says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” I have to disagree with this saying. With the right medical attention, a broken leg or arm heals. Whereas, hateful words can cause mental and emotional damage for years to come.

God knows the pain you’ve suffered, the lies you were told, the words of death that were spoken over you. You can be dead inside while still breathing and walking about the earth every day. That’s exactly why God has given us His Word, for us to speak it and live it. Speak the Word until you believe it and know it to be true, even if you have to stare at yourself in the mirror while doing so. The Bible tells us to profess the things we want to happen (Romans 4:17) and to encourage ourselves just as King David did (I Samuel 30:6). Encouraging myself was a skill I had to learn to master. Prior to that I was accustomed to throwing pity parties. But, who wants to be around a person who is always “pitiful”?

In 2001, I decided that it was time to become the woman God says I am. However, I understood that this transformation had to begin inwardly. So, I wrote a letter of affirmation filled with scriptures and words of life that I read aloud to myself daily. In order to become, I first had to believe. In order to believe, I had to hear. In order to hear, I had to speak. The following are some scriptures I professed and am still professing today:

“…I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalms 139:14)

“… [I am] more than a conqueror through [Christ] who loved [me].” (Romans 8:37)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17)

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9)

“I can do everything through Christ, Who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

In addition to professing scriptures, I have also learned to profess words of life:

“I am a child of God.”

“I am blessed.”

“I am intelligent.”

“I am successful.”

“I am healthy.”

“I am holy.”

“I am righteous.”

“I am………………..”

You will find that as you declare God’s Word and speak words of life, your beliefs, thoughts and actions will change, and you will become the person God has already said you are!

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Tag: Believing God

A Man of Many Talents: The Steve Harvey Story

I Still Believe

I Am Whom GOD Says I Am