Recommendations for creating sacred space in times of chaos:
1. Centering/ Grounding - take deep a breathe ( repeat) pray, meditate, drink water, walk in nature (foot to earth/grass)
2. Clearing- establish sacred space in your body temple, space temple by washing, purifying, decluttering. Sacred cleansing can include blessed oil (frankincense, myyrh, hyssop, etc), water purifying rituals, incense, candles, anointing oil, Sage or salt purification. Rebuke & dismiss negative energies.
3. Invocation- invite God into your space in a tangible way through dance, music, drumming, singing or speaking affirmations aloud. I usually begin with dancing and celebration and end with stillness.
4. Covering- guard your eyes and ears from contaminating influences. That means removing yourself from some environments that can be draining and compromise your strength, including FB.
5. Connecting- make connections with positive people who align with higher vibratory frequencies. Their energy, words, space uplifts !
Let me know if you implement any of these and how they work for you. Please feel free to share.
Agape,
Anika Wilson Brown

Freedom cost you something! It requires a constant committment to relinquish what you thought you knew. In other words, it requires a constant process of exchanging what you have for what's next! This means that freedom will look different a various stages of your life.

Often.... What we fail to realize is... FREEDOM shows up differently as we grow through life.

Thus, If you get stuck in what looks like freedom for you today, it just may become your place of bondage tomorrow. Be mindful so that you don't get attached to a stale idea of freedom or you may be in bondage without knowing it. ALWAYS Pursue the next level of FREEDOM ~Anika Wilson-Brown

Why is there a compartmentalization of ourselves as God made us. In my therapeutic work with others and in my work with myself, I notice this consistent theme of guilt and shame around sexuality. It is important for us to begin to reconcile the messages that we receive in the name of religion and the truth of ourselves as creations of God.

This cognitive dissonance has created great difficulties in the lives of individuals. Well let me be clear, it created much conflict in my life.  When the things that you are told begin to conflict with the God you have come to know, it is time for deeper exploration. In essence, it may be time to trade in the god you have been told about in exchange for the God you have experienced.  How could a God create me just as I am, with sexual desires and sensuality and yet I am required to disconnect from this part of myself as a requirement to living a righteous life? Ponder that for a moment.... How can that be so?

How can I be made and fashioned in the image of God, yet some parts of myself are sinful? This makes no sense. I have come to realize that this distortion has kept many people in bondage when it comes to sexuality. Consequently, there is an "acting out" in maladaptive ways or a "hiding" to maintain an image of righteousness. Sometimes, resulting in addictions and sexual dysfunction. 

I have decided that sexuality should be embraced as sacred. If I honor that part of myself as sacred, I honor God. This is what it means to be WHOLE! To accept myself as God made me. Perhaps this is the key living a disciplined life... not control or condemnation... but understanding and acceptance. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this? How have you viewed sexuality? How is that related to how you experience God? 

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What would you say if I told you that you were never meant to fit in?

God broke the mold when God made you! You are the result of a unique, specific intention that God created. Nobody can inhabit the space that God put you here to dwell in. Nobody can do what you can do. There is something very powerful and unique that comes out of what you consider to be strange. Yet, we spend most of our lives hiding... trying to be like everyone else. I have learned that the more I expand in the knowledge of myself, I discover how weird I really am... lol... I don't fit into any one place, group, environment. But guess what? I'm not supposed to! And neither are YOU.

1 Peter 2:9 says you are chosen for royalty. I also says that what you consider to be strange is the very thing that will bring glory to God. In fact the thing that makes you different is what will lead you to your destiny. So today, embrace the parts of you that you have been taught are unacceptable or undesirable. Fully embrace every inch of your divine greatness, quirks, mannerisms, etc and declare... What makes me PECULIAR is what makes me POWERFUL.  It's time to come out of the darkness of shame into the marvelous light.... Stand in authenticity and BE YOU without apology! 

I know that's what I am going to do!

Blessings upon you!

Pastor Anika