New Blog Site

Thank you for stopping by.  I've made the switch from Blogger to Wordpress, so please click HERE to read my latest post at SonyaLeeThompson.com.

New Direction

This blog is currently "Under Construction" and I will not be updating it with new posts for a few weeks.

I'm giving my website a makeover and will roll this blog into my new web page (also changing from Blogger to Wordpress).

After attending the 2011 She Speaks conference, I've found a new ministry and focus for my life.

Titus 2 ~ Mentoring Women ~ One Heart at a Time.

In the meantime, I'd love to keep up with you.  Please look for me on these social media sites:

Twitter @sonyalthompson
Facebook @Sonya Lee Thompson Speaker/Writer
Titus 2 In Action, where I have a bi-monthly column called, Daily Walk

Here are links to a few of my favorite posts:
On The Go Mom
Unconditional Faith
She Speaks 2011

Dreaming Part 2

If you haven't read part 1, Click Here.

After I attended She Speaks in 2008, I started submitting articles for publication - and some of them were accepted!!  I have to be honest and tell you I was shocked!  How could God use my words to help others? I wondered.

Next, He gave me a ministry vision.  It was based on Titus 2. The idea is to learn to live a holy life, then teach it to others. My tag line became: Titus 2: Live it, Walk it, Teach it.  Besides a new blog I started, Titus 2 In Action, God made it clear to me no more information would be given for a season.  So I waited patiently in faith. 

In June of this year, I attended She Speaks using the speaking track.  Again my BF, Kelly, encouraged me to attend with her.  But this time, I went fully expecting to receive all I could from God. And receive I did!

The entire weekend, I felt God's presence strongly on me.  He whispered things to me and I believe I gave birth to Titus 2 Ministry.  For three years, I was pregnant with the ministry, and now God allowed me to give birth. 

Just as a newborn baby has a name but as parents we don't know what he/she will look like or be like when they are full grown, Titus 2 Ministry is a baby and I don't yet know what this ministry will look like or how many people could be encouraged by it when it is fully grown. 

I do feel God leading me to start writing more in a focused way, and I believe He is about to release me into my speaking ministry.  I will walk in faith as He shows me the next phases for Titus 2 Ministry.  I'm excited and would covet your prayers for me as I wait patiently for each new baby step God directs me to take.

Has God shown you your ministry? 

Unconditional Faith

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

Have you ever heard the phrase "unconditional love"? As a married woman I'm quite familiar with it. I've learned to have unconditional love for my husband and children using God's example. I'm not always great at it, and I find conditions creeping up from time to time. But those are the times when God gently reminds me to show His love (which is always unconditional) to my family, and I quickly change my tune.

I remember the first time God told me my faith was conditional. It was in 2005 when the unthinkable happened...   To read the rest of this post, hop on over to Titus 2 In Action where I'm the featured blogger.

Dreaming

"I feel like I'm going to burst!" said my big sister. "God wants me to share something with you, but I've never done this before so here goes: You are about to move into the ministry you were created for." She said to me.

I'm a wife and homeschool mom to SIX children. I thought.  I'm sure I already know what my calling is.


She continued, "You are going to see many doors open to you and you'll think, 'this is weird' but walk through them." She finished.

"Okay then, thanks?" I said to my sister.

The year was 2008. My entire life was consumed with homeschooling six beautiful children, and loving on my husband.  But much of that was about to change.

When someone prophecies over you, it's hard to know what to think.  In the past, it has been a confirmation of something already in my heart, but this time was strange.  It was as if God was telling me to prepare for change - but with no clue what to look for.  I began to pray for wisdom.

Within a week, my close friend told me she started a blog.  I had never heard of a blog and asked her to explain it to me.  After checking hers out and realizing it didn't cost any money, I quickly started one. How fun!  I thought. A place to write my thoughts.  I began growing my blog and writing, writing, writing.

Next, my friend invited me to attend a writing conference with her called She Speaks.  After looking into the conference I found it to be full.  With nothing to lose, I put my name on the waiting list and prayed.  "Lord, if it's your will, please let the doors open."

The next day, I had an email sitting in my inbox saying I was in.  That was too fast!  I hadn't even mentioned it to my husband yet!  Prompted by my friend and the Holy Spirit, I called him at work and told him everything.  To my surprise he told me to sign up!!!

Suddenly, I remembered the prophecy given by my sister.  Writing doors were opening up and I kept thinking, "This is weird."  Now I wondered what was next...

To be continued...

She Speaks 2011

I'm participating in a Meme, thanks to Chatty Kelly!  If you went to She Speaks 2011, write a blog post answering these questions and link up over at her blog.

When I signed up to attend She Speaks 2011, I didn't know what to expect.  I had no real goals in attending, other than to have fun with my friend, Kelly Combs.  But God knew exactly what He was doing when he had me sign up!  He knew it was time to move my ministry into the next level.

As I packed for the conference, I had this analogy: 11 years ago, I was packing to go give birth to my son, and on the first day of the conference, I was wondering if I would be giving birth to a new ministry. God did exactly that!  He took a two year old dream of a ministry called Titus 2 and I believe birthed it in me!  Just as a newborn is frail and doesn't do much at first, my ministry is new and frail.  I know the next step to take but don't know what it will look like, or be like when it's full-grown, similar to a newborn baby.

Now here are some questions from the Meme:

1. Best Advice.  I learned a lesson over the course of the weekend.  Four different times, women told how they had to give up or say "no" to something they wanted because God told them to.  They had to fight the flesh but made the right choice.  All four times, God exponentially blessed them with a huge return at a later time.  I'm not going to give things up or say "no" to receive something, but rather it showed me that obedience is the most important thing, and that God does have our best interest in His mind.

2. Best lesson learned in a session.  Lysa Terkeurst taught about having a "sticky point" that you weave throughout your talk.  This is going to be the phrase they take away with them!  I LOVE THAT!  I will use this advice in my future talks.

3. What are you going to do with what you learned?  What's your next step?  I am going to do a few things.  First I will expand and polish two speeches I have in my heart.  Next I will work on my "brand" or ministry focus.  After that, I plan to look for opportunities to use my talks to encourage women!

4. Anything else you want to share?  I participated in a speaker evaluation group. The focus of my evaluations became my "melodic" voice and that I was fun to watch.  I was surprised about these two strengths, and realized when my six children were younger and I home schooled, I read to them a lot.  In order to make the books interesting, I learned how to vary my voice and really get into the characters.  At the time, I never dreamt this would be "training" for a future ministry!  God has shown me how everything that happens in my life is part of His plan for my future!  

Decisions, Decisions!

"I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude. It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what other people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position. Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress. It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope. When my attitudes are right, there is no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me." --Charles Swindoll (Bold Mine)

I love this quote - and I hate it!

Choice of attitude is simple, yet it requires action on my part.  My human instincts are to go with the circumstances, let my moods flow freely with my surroundings.  But I will lose every battle this way.

To choose to be satisfied in all circumstances is powerful, but in my own strength I am not capable of making this decision every time.  How about you?  Do you always choose the right attitude in every circumstance?

Is all hope lost?  Absolutely Not!  Lets look at what the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV) "And he said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Paul wrote this after receiving a thorn in his flesh.  While we don't know exactly what the thorn was, it certainly stood as a constant reminder of his need for Christ.  He had a decision.  Let the constant pain bring him down, or decide to lean on God and have a good attitude.  He, of course, chose the latter, but only with Christ's help.

We, too can choose the right attitude every time, if we learn to lean on Christ at all times.

How can we lean on God?  By reading and memorizing scriptures as well as daily communion with Him in prayer and praise.

Today, I choose to lean on Christ for the right attitude.  May my weaknesses bring Him glory as I give it all to Him!

Under-Qualified

The great commission:  Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV bold mine)

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

If you've been a Christian for any length of time, you've probably heard of the great commission.  I grew up hearing it preached from the pulpit.  "Go and tell everyone!" So why did I grow up confused about these orders from Jesus himself?

I felt under-qualified! 

I knew my life was a light to others (well I hoped it was), but actually leading someone to salvation - okay that's where the nerves kicked in (insert scrunched up face and fingernail biting!) What would I say to an unsaved person?  How would I pray for them?  What if I forgot something????? 

God showed me something amazing this year.  He used a new friend in my Bible study to teach me the simplicity of salvation.  You see, she had gone forward at a Baptist camp when she was 11 or 12 and accepted Christ as her Savior, but the years had allowed her to drift away.

Being part of our Bible study catapulted her back into the Lords arms.  But now she was asking me, (insert scrunched up face and nail biting!) "Am I really saved?"

SOS!!! HELP LORD! 

Immediately God had me quote (as best I could) Romans 10:9-10, 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. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

I realized for the first time how simple salvation really was.  No magic prayer, no right or wrong words.  Just a belief followed by a confession.

It was a precious time of conversation, and we concluded she was indeed saved, but a re-dedication was in order.  The very next Bible study, she stood up in front of 150 ladies and confessed that Jesus was Lord of her life!

We all applauded and I cried!  These were tears of joy and excitement, not only because my friend had declared her salvation, but because God showed me the simplicity of the great commission!

I've had an opportunity to share this knowledge with one other lady who also needed to confess with her mouth Jesus is Lord!  WOW, the sky is the limit now!

Here I am, Lord send me!!!!!

Think On This

My son wasn't his normal happy self as I brought him home from school the other day.  By the time we reached our driveway, a mere 15 minutes, he was about to explode with anger at his siblings - another out of character thing for him.

Instead of continuing with my planned activities, I chose to go for a short walk with my boy and let him vent about his day.  Immediately, the anger turned to hurt as he recounted some injustices at school.

I did the normal half listening and half praying thing as he unravelled.

We ended up on our swing set.  His venting ended and I had nothing to say.  The truth was, he had a rough day.  So now what? I thought.

God put this verse in my mind:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8 (KJV)


I shared it with him and suggested we take turns verbalizing something we were thankful for.  Not naming things from the past or future, but the here and now.  I said I was thankful for the blue sky.  He reluctantly followed my lead.  


Immediately his mood lifted.  I hadn't "solved" his problems, but we no longer focused on them, and they no longer held the same power over his mood.  


What an amazing lesson for me.  I will keep this illustration in mind as I encounter difficult days in my future.  God's word is Living and it works.


PS. I'm thankful that you took the time to read my post today! 

Armor of God

God's word tells us our battle is spiritual, not physical. How can we become spiritually strong? Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us to put on the armor of God so that we may be able to stand against the devil, our enemy.

We are told... To read the rest of this post, visit Titus 2 In Action where I am the featured blogger today.

Spiritually Fit - No Foolin!

It's April "fools" day today.  I've never liked April 1st because I don't want to make others out to be fools - or see myself made a fool. The devil wants to make fools of us, conversely, God wants to give us wisdom.

James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him."  (NIV, Bold mine.)

How does that pertain to becoming spiritually fit?

To find out, please come visit Titus 2 In Action, where I am the featured blogger today.

Longevity

A longtime neighbor and friend recently passed away.  He was in his late 80's and a Christian. 

How did he live that long?  I wondered.  Did he eat well, exercise? Surely he aspired to be healthy.

Being healthy is on everyone's minds these days.  Eating well, and exercising are key words in 2011.  With so many answers out there, the only question is: Are we willing to follow the guidelines to good health?  It will require sacrifice, dying to self and even some temporary pain as we pursue longevity.  

But like my neighbor, one day these bodies will give out, however, our spirit's will live on for eternity. Why isn't spiritual health a hot topic in mainstream media today? In light of eternity, shouldn't we be pursuing spiritual health?

To find out more about pursuing spiritual health, hop on over to Titus 2 In Action where I am the featured blogger today:

Why? or What?

Are you the type of person who likes to ask questions?  Do you analyze every trial in your life?  Then read on...

Do you think it's okay to ask God hard questions during a trial?

Since we are in a relationship with Him, the answer is YES!  We can, and should ask Him questions.  After all, we are told in James 4:2 that we don't have because we don't ask. God encourages us throughout the Bible to "ask" in order to receive.

But what if there are "right" and "wrong" ways to ask Him?

As a mom, there are definitely right and wrong ways for my children to ask me for things.  If they are rude or self centered in their request, I probably will not want to answer them.  On the other hand, if they  ask with a good attitude and are polite, I will gladly answer them. God must feel the same way.

Many of us are either currently in, or soon to be in a difficult trial in our lives.  Our first instinct is to ask a "why" question.  For example, "Why is this happening to me, Lord?"

Does the "why" question fall into a selfish category, or a pure heart category?

Let's try another approach using a "what" question.  "What can you teach me, Lord, from this circumstance I'm in?" or "What can I do to get through this trial, Lord?"

The "why" questions tend to be self centered.  Conversely, the "what" questions are of a pure heart, and God is delighted in us when we have pure hearts.

I encourage you to ask God questions - He desires that kind of closeness with us.  But be careful to stay clear of the "why" questions.

God As Author

If you are a blogger, then writing is not a new concept for you. Have you ever thought of God as an author?

God is the author of all words. He not only wrote the Bible, through man's hands, but He is writing a story using each one of us. Our very lives are stories being written by the God of the Universe.

If your life is in a good place right now, this concept will seem natural to you. But what happens when things go wrong in your life? Is God still the one writing your storyline? Absolutely!

Even when we fall into sin ourselves, God is there to use that "line" or event in His ultimate plan for our life. That's why He wrote:

Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

There are times, especially when others betray us, that we think we are all alone, and that our lives are a mistake. Be encouraged that every word of your life has been planned out by God. Even if you don't feel His presence, He is always there. So no matter what life has dealt you, press on toward finishing the race. Just as Paul wrote:

"Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14 (NRSV)

A Heart Like The Grinch

I know the true meaning of Christmas. It's about Christ's birth. We give gifts because God gave Jesus to us. But sometimes I still get caught up in the hustle and bustle and gift giving from a worldly perspective. At least, that's what happened to me this year. Thankfully, God saw my need and provided a heart-wrenching story to change me.

It all started the week before Christmas. My children and I were going Christmas shopping for a few friends, and I had planned to take them to the pet store to pick out a few fun things for our pets.

We decided to stop by Wendy's for lunch and noticed a middle-aged woman begging in the parking lot - with her TWO SONS! The worst part - it was rainy and 40 degrees. Brrrrrr! We all made judgmental comments about her ability to parent etc.. Not one of my proudest moments.

Next, we ordered our food and I let my kids choose the seat. They walked to the back of the restaurant and sat in front of the window with a clear view of the beggar. To my dismay, the boys came into Wendy's and ordered some food. We all watched them as they proceeded to walk to the back room and sit near us. Another woman went over and gave them a $5 bill. She spoke with them briefly. We watched as one boy scurried out to give the money to his mom. The boys were 10 and 11, my own son is 10 and I know how much he loves his mommy. My heart began to break.

My kids began asking me if we could please give them some money. I looked in my wallet and announced that we only had $6 in cash left. I told my kids how sad I was not to have more cash on me. Then the Lord reminded me of the two $50 bills I had in my secret section of my purse. My intention was to buy gifts for our pets with some of that money. OUCH!

In God's eyes, people are the most important commodity and pets don't really need a Christmas gift. I quietly reached into my pocket and pulled out the two bills. I placed them on the table and asked my kids what we should do? Their eyes were wide with thought and they discussed it amongst themselves. One thought a singe $50 would do, while the others decided we should give them all of the money. After all, we are in need of nothing.

I let my kids give the boys the money. The boys were blown away and ran to give it to their mom. As we got up to leave, one of the boys ran up to us and said, "I can't believe you gave us that much money, thank you so very much!" My kids proceeded to tell him about the Lord and how much we loved them.

My heart broke for those boys, and that mom. As we drove off, there were no more judgements coming out of our mouths. Instead we decided to pray for them.

Even though we blessed them with money on that day, they forever changed our hearts. What they did for us far outweighed what we did for them.

Me, Set Goals?

Another year has f-l-o-w-n by!  I said goodbye to 2010 and now I've welcomed in 2011.  I've heard lots of talk about setting goals for the new year, but why?  When I woke up on 2011 I didn't feel any different and my life circumstances hadn't changed, so why set new goals?

God showed me in Genesis that the years and seasons are important to Him:

Gen 1:14 "And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years."

Next He showed me the importance of having goals for my life:

Hab 2:2-3 "And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables (refers to tablets), that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." (KJV parenthesis mine)

So even though I don't have my goals set (or written down yet) for 2011, I am planning a weekend in January to get alone with God and work on my goals for this year. Then I need to put them in a prominent place in my home so I will see them daily - and run with them.

Have you set your goals for 2011?