As you clean out your closets exchanging the bulky sweaters of winter for the short sleeves of spring and summer, clean out your telephone. As you throw out old papers and spring clean through the house, throw out old numbers and clean out email addresses. Toxins are poisonous to your body. Whether from the food we eat, the pollutants we breathe, or the people we let speak over us; toxins kills. They are poisonous to the individual body which infects the overall body of Christ. We become deceased, disabled, and ineffective all because of toxins. When it comes to the people in our lives we tend to surrender our power behaving as though we have no control over whose words, whose actions, whose drama we let into our life and spirit. We do have power. We have choices. We can say when someone is allowed to dump on us and when we don’t. We can, in love, ask someone to only share positive thoughts and words with them. It is time to re-evaluate the time we share with that person who always complains. If you are not assigned to counsel them then pass them to who is. Please know, I am not advising you begin to turn your back on folks. Toxins are specifically designed to destroy. That is their make-up, their focus, and their purpose. There are times when a friend may have a bad day and need your encouragement. That is completely different than the friend who can only complain about your strides forward, never supports, and only tell you to not even try. That is a toxic person you may need a cleansing from. As the seasons change and you are in the cleaning mood, consider cleaning your relationships as well. Get rid of the toxins.

Every time I look at the coverage of the earthquake devastation in Haiti my heart drops. I don't just ache at the loss of life or the loss of material possessions or the broken bodies still waiting for enough medical supplies to treat their wounds. I also ache every time a broadcaster says, "to this already devastated country." Yes, Haiti had 80% unemployment before the earthquake. Almost 10% of the population tested HIV positive before the quake. Hunger and poverty was a reality before the quake. There was a degree of loss of life, loss of material possessions, and broken bodies waiting for enough medical supplies to treat their wounds before the earthquake. Before the quake the degree of pain was massive compared to what we consider pain and trials in this country. There are a few called to understand and attempt to meet the needs of those hurting in what we describe as Third World countries. We call them Missionaries. Perhaps you heard that term as the focus was to make sure all American missionaries were accounted for, treated, and returned to the states immediately following the earthquake. Missionaries gather whatever they can through different means to feed, clothe, medically treat, and spread the love and word of Christ to these impoverished communities and countries that don't receive attention and barely receive aid until it is a catastrophe such as we are seeing in Haiti. While we must do what we can to help our Haitian brothers and sisters, please remember to support the missions ministry at your church, in your community, or individual missionaries such as myself and my daughter in their efforts. There are still more that need us to be a blessing. Some live on the other side of the 10 foot concrete wall of the plush island resort you may have vacationed at recently. Support with donations. Help collect KJV bibles. Transfer your bonus frequent flier miles to someone going on a missions trip. Everything helps. Please support missions work throughout the world and throughout the year. To support my efforts feel free to go to the Products page at www.DeniseHill.com and click Donate. I also support and have worked with Glory Unlimited Ministries. Learn about and support them through http://www.gloryunlimitedministries.org/. Thank you and stay blessed.

I know the New Year began midnight January 1st but it just didn't feel like it until it was time to head back to work and school from the holiday break. Well...we are back. Happy New Year!! Perhaps some thing wanted to hold on to last year a little longer. My intellect says, "Why?" Last year was challenging to say the least. Right up until the ball dropped there were financial struggles, loss of loved ones, stress, and health problems. Why linger until January 4th? That is my intellect. My soul says, "convert all the challenges into energy to worship and show intimate appreciation for making it in spite of." As bad as it got, reality is it could have been worse. Never in my life has the protective and providing hand of God been so visible than in 2009. Yes, it could have been worse. Many people, family and friends, assumed it was worse...but to the glory of God it wasn't. 2009 was the best and safest place for me to be. I was in His perfect will. How about you?  

My daughter is 10 going on 21. She has been raised to have a relationship with God and to hold and display Godly values through her life. As each day passes it becomes harder and harder and even harder to release her to express what she has learned through positive choices without leaving her vulnerable to other doors that are not so positive. Case in point: television. What, oh what, can my daughter watch? Since she was young she has learned about witchcraft and magic and demons and usually comes to me when she stumbles on it in a movie, tv show or even a story book. But things have become both so hidden until she can't distinguish its witchcraft and overt until it seems normal that I hesitate letting her just go watch tv. I find myself checking in with her regularly to see what is on or even if she has caved to the pressure of watching what she knows she shouldn't. And I find its not just a kids thing. I can look up and find myself getting sucked in to Ghost Whisperer or the like. GREAT DAY!!! Disney magic, vampires everywhere, witches and on and on. What to do? The 7th Heavens, Touched by an Angel, and Dawson's Creek shows are gone. Please tell me, what can my daughter watch? Can you identify?

When we look on a paper and see the positive results of a hospital test, we believe we have whatever disease the tests proclaimed. Should we receive a financial statement from our bank stating we have or do not have a certain amount in our account, we believe that amount of money is available ours. Even if our children say they will do better in school or our spouse says they love us we believe because of their actions. We believe because we see...but that is not faith. The very basis of faith centers on what we can not see but accept as truth. Far too often our humanity takes over and what we see becomes what we believe rather than what we believe given legs and becoming what we see. We become even more challenged when what we see and what we believe do not line up. We know God's promises and His word but we see the hell tearing our lives apart. The instinct is to lean to what we see before we lean toward what we believe. Consider this a reminder that truly hit this messenger first. Remember what you believe. If you are seriously a visual person who needs to see it, then open your word. You will see the instant miracles, the everlasting grace and protection, the many promises, and more that if were performed once, can indeed be performed again for you. Ask enough saints to testify and you will see the present day results. You will see an unemployed person that should have been evicted by now but God has continually provided. If you take the time to look you will see someone leaving a doctor's office who once saw the positive test results themselves but stand completely and unexplainably healed. If you open your eyes and perhaps even look in the mirror, you will see the living testimony of the one who was tore up and whose life was hopeless but while knowing others who lost it, overdosed, and gave up, their mind is still intact, their strength renewed, and their hope restored. Believe again. Remember what you profess to believe under the banner of "Christian" and choose to speak, walk, and live that so others can see and believe too.

I am back. I feel like I have gone everywhere without going anywhere. I feel like I have seen everyone without seeing anyone. I feel completely exhausted while having renewed energy and a "ready to take on the world" spirit. Do you know what I mean. There is something about August. It is that whole "new beginnings" thing I guess. By the time we are on the other side of Labor Day it is just a matter of walking out whatever God has been setting up for you and setting you up for since the beginning of the year...or at least the beginning of the last bit of drama. How has your August been? Do you feel like God is working and soon to give you a big box covered in beautiful wrapping paper just for you to open? Are you focused and ready to press toward your purpose? Let a sista know if I can help. Stay blessed.

Since the passing of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009 everyone has taken stock in their personal connection to him. Those who were fans remembered the music that helped bind them. Those with a heart of a humanitarian admired him for what he so willingly gave to the hurting and impoverished. The artistic honored him for the paths he blazed in video, music, dance, and fashion. Even advocates for our most innocent, our children, weighed in on the injustice they believed his freedom from prosecution meant. With all the banter about how this larger than life figure affected the entire world and forever changed popular culture, the religious community was determined to find their place in the conversation. To say “the religious community” would be an over-statement. The church sought to find their place in the MJ dialogue. Blogs emerged, news items surfaced, and rumors swirled about the salvation of Michael Jackson. Christians wanted to say emphatically “God called him home” and claim the soul of the King of Pop for the King of Kings. In the end, Michael Jackson’s acceptance of Jesus as his Lord and Savior was never confirmed. While it has been public knowledge his mother raised the Jacksons as Jehovah Witnesses, recent facts point to his conversion to Islam. After his acquittal in 2005, Michael himself gave praise to Allah. Whatever was offered publicly by Michael or his family concerning his relationship with God, I am reminded of the numerous times I stood in acceptance of Jesus as my Savior, asking Him to wash me… AGAIN.  In the end we know it to be a heart matter that none of us are qualified to judge. My question is why do we, as the body of Christ desire to find an answer? He is gone and no amount of tracts, sermons, or witnessing will save his soul now. Is it that we are interested in securing the world’s top names for the promotion of the kingdom? Do we need a poster child for Christianity to appease our idol desires? Perhaps the extreme energy given towards this late fight for Michael’s soul can be re-directed toward compelling those who may die tomorrow never knowing Christ.

Many concerts I host I like to hand out CDs of Holy Hip Hop artists with the understanding by that youth that they are getting this music in exchange for one of their parental advisory secular rap CDs. I would like to think that I am not that far removed from young and I remember what I was really seeking when listening to secular music. That same rhythmic desire can be achieved through gospel rap but with words that can change lives rather than destroy them or reinforce negative worldly trends. However, there are many that do not agree with me and solely view gospel rap as rap and just as detrimental to our saved youth as any secular rap could be. What do you think? Should gospel rap be used as a tool to reach our youth or is it just an extension or secular rap?