“Sex, Virginity & Faith”

“(Her wedding dress is dazzling, lined with gold by the weavers; All her dresses and robes are woven with gold. She is led to the king, followed by her virgin companions. A procession of joy and laughter! a grand entrance to the king’s palace!)” (Psalm 45:13-15 MSG)

There used to be a time in high school when it seemed like girls had to explain if they weren't a virgin. Now they have to explain if they are. Our culture sees virginity as sort of an oddity. Curious. Nice - sort of. Maybe slightly unnatural.

A cable news network once posed this question to their viewers: "Why are we so obsessed with virginity?"

One of the more recent forays into virgin territory was triggered by an HBO interview with Olympian Lolo Jones. She's won gold medals at the World Indoor Championship twice and has been regarded as one of the best hurdlers in the world. But it was a Twitter mention of being a virgin that started the buzz and made this interview news. After all, she's attractive...she's a star athlete...she's fit - and hasn't had sex? What?!

She said, "It's just something, a gift that I want to give to my husband." That's a young woman who understands making sacrifices and working hard to get to a prize. Oh, and she understands the hurdles between her and that finish line. "Please understand" she said, "this journey has been hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, harder than training for the Olympics, harder than graduating from college. I've been tempted. I've even had guys tell me 'if you have sex, it will help you run faster.'" Really?

One gutsy woman - with a seriously tested but uncompromised conviction - again, unintentionally, put virginity back in the national conversation. As did NFL quarterback Tim Tebow some time ago when he revealed he is saving sex for one person - his wife. A pro football quarterback? Come on! Lots of head-scratching; and a lot of snickers.

The good news for Lolo and Tim and every man or woman who guards their virginity as a treasure not to be violated is this: you've got God on your side! That's God, as in the Inventor of sex; the Designer of human sexuality, of man, of woman. Oh, yeah, the culture's changed. But you can't change the Creator's plan for His creation.

Jesus said this about sex: "But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female’. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate" (Mark 10:6-9 NKJV). One man with one woman in a lifetime covenant before God. That's how sex was designed to be. Anything else is settling for a twisted or discounted version of the beauty and the fulfillment God planned for us.  

The Amplified Bible says it like this: “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female.  For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother [to establish a home with his wife],  and the two shall become one flesh; so that they are no longer two, but [are united as] one flesh.  Therefore, what God has united and joined together, man must not separate [by divorce].” (AMP). This is the Ideal! And “Ideal” is defined as “the most suitable; perfect; a principle to be aimed for; a standard of perfection.” I reiterate, the culture has changed, but the Creator and His Concept of Sex and Marriage have not. However, this does pose the question, if we are in fact His followers, created in His image and likeness, are His ambassadors, representatives, and children, then why have we conformed to the world’s concept of sexuality, instead of remaining uncompromised because of conviction?

The Bible declares: “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. DON’T BECOME SO WELL-ADJUSTED TO YOUR CULTURE THAT YOU FIT INTO IT WITHOUT EVEN THINKING. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:1-2 MSG).  

Do Not Compromise Your Christian Conduct to Conform to This World’s Concepts and Culture!

Truth is, God really cares what we do with His incredible love gift called sex. Let’s take a look at what Hebrews 13:4 has to say to us, "Marriage is to be held in honor among all [that is, regarded as something of great value], and the marriage bed undefiled [by immorality or by any sexual sin]; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous." (AMP). However, the Message Bible says it like this, “Honor marriage, and guard the sacredness of sexual intimacy between wife and husband. God draws a firm line against casual and illicit sex.” (MSG). See, God puts a fence (or ring, if you will) around sex and it's called Marriage and He'll judge those who violate it. I didn't say that. God did.

Listen to this: My friend Adrienne has the most amazing vegetable garden I've ever seen and she's got a fence around it. You may ask, "Well, if it’s so amazing, why would she put a fence around it? Why wouldn’t she want to share it with others?" Here’s why, she wants to keep it a garden! The fence is there to keep out the things that would ruin it from being the amazing garden it is. She has to protect it from intruders. And they are always lurking around, why? Because her garden is amazing! However, she created her garden for her husband. You see, he had a heart-attack fairly young, and she wanted to change their way of eating so they would both be around for many years to come, and be in good health in those years as well. In other words, her garden isn’t for everyone! Only her husband. That’s who she created it for and that’s who gets to enjoy it. She's not being Selfish, she’s being Selective. And more of our youth (and many of our adults) need to know the importance of that!

So, you see, that's why God put a fence around sex and called it marriage. It's not there to deprive us or others of something good or fun. It's there to protect us from ruining something beautiful. After all, a garden is where beautiful things continue to grow…if it's kept safe.

The story of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 24 always amazes me (I pray you take time today to read it, or re-read it). What a great story of waiting and selecting appropriately. Although I love the whole story, let’s look at just a small portion, Genesis 24:15-17, “It so happened that the words were barely out of his mouth when Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel whose mother was Milcah the wife of Nahor, Abraham’s brother, came out with a water jug on her shoulder. The girl was stunningly beautiful, a pure virgin…” (MSG). Like Lolo in our earlier story, Rebekah is, in the words of Scripture, “…stunningly beautiful…” And Yet, “…a pure virgin…”And when you read the full chapter of ALL Rebekah received by the conclusion, you’ll understand why I press so hard for teens and young women to remain virgins and wait for God’s Best! You see, Rebekah didn’t just receive a husband and her family’s blessing, but she also received great riches and wealth, and so did her family. And all because a stunningly beautiful pure virgin waited and was selected! Don’t you think you’re just as worthy? If not, please be assured, GOD DOES!

Acts 21:7-9, “A short run from Tyre to Ptolemais completed the voyage. We greeted our Christian friends there and stayed with them a day. In the morning we went on to Caesarea and stayed with Philip the Evangelist, one of “the Seven.” Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.: (MSG). Philip had four adult daughters who were virgins and fulfilling ministry. Daughter, you can do the same. Is there pressure there too? Absolutely! It’s a harsh truth, but you have quite a few “clergy” who are nothing more than “2-legged dogs in collars”…literally! You’ll get all sorts of offers, and some will be tempting, however, don’t take it! Wait for God! You are valuable, and that means everything about you should be protected and treasured! And even though his daughters were adults, they were still virgins. Therefore, those that are in their 20’s and even 30’s, remember this, you are still worth the wait! Don’t let loneliness, comparisons, and coveting desires cause you to move out of the Will of God for your life. Don’t accept just any man for the sake of having one. Don’t settle no matter what the offer may be. Don’t get trapped by the “well when do you plan on getting married? Is there at least a man in the picture? Are you dating yet? Don’t you want children? Isn’t your biological clock ticking? How old are you again?”  

Furthermore, please don’t watch Lifetime, Hallmark and Romantic Movies that suggests that you’re perfect knight in shining armor is on the way in just 2 days! It’s 2018, there are no knights in shining armor galloping around on horses looking for a damsel that needs protecting! However, there is a perfectly imperfect man that God has for you and he’ll come to you in God’s perfect timing! Until then, like Philip’s daughter, do ministry! Sounds comical, but I’m telling you the truth! And don’t just get caught up in ministry either! Take yourself to the movies and dinner, or go out with friends! Travel, focus on your career, go to school, join the gym, take up cooking classes, learn a new art…are you getting this? There’s more to life than sex, marriage, and men! Value yourself enough to take care of yourself. Stop waiting to live with someone, and just LIVE! Stop buying the 5 principles, 7 keys, 10 steps manuals on how to get married to prince charming in 21 days or less! Respect yourself, your virginity and your life enough to value yourself! As my mother once said to me “Be careful, because not everything you do can be undone.” So, don’t marry him, don’t have sex with him, just wait on God and enjoy life in the meantime!

The "you're a virgin?" reactions Lolo Jones received as a public person? They're not unique to her. Every person who refuses to bow their knee to the culture's pressure to be "normal," as in sexually active, knows the drill. It's like you're weird or something. It makes me think of the valuable baseball card collection my god-brother built as a boy. The best ones - the ones worth investing in - were those that were hard to find. They were rare. Oh, you could buy a ton of what they called "commons" - the cards there are plenty of - you could get those for cheap. But the rare ones? Valuable! And so are you! Reminds me of the quote that says, “A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her.” (Max Lucado). And might I add an addendum? So should her body!

Daughter, it may seem strange, odd, weird and even abnormal to some, but isn’t that the way believers are supposed to be anyhow? “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, A PECULIAR PEOPLE; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;” (1 Peter 2:9) That word “Peculiar” means “Strange, Different or Odd”. But its Latin Origin “Peculiaris” from “Peculium” literally means “Of Private Property.” How Awesome is that?! You, with your Peculiar, Strange, Different and Odd Self are Still God’s Private Property!

In addition, the word “Strange” means “Unusual, Not Previously Visited, Seen, or Encountered, Unfamiliar”. It’s French Origin “Estrange”, from Latin “Extraneus” literally means “External Strange”. Sisters, Be glad you are NOT like anybody else, nor do you need to compete or compare yourself! Truth is, Yes, You are Strange! You are Unusual, No One Has Ever Seen YOU before because there has only been and will only be YOU! And with all the “External” stuff you don’t like about yourself, it’s actually what makes you Uniquely, Stunningly, Unusually Beautiful! You are like no one else, and no one else is like you! And That’s a Good Thing! So let them stop and stare and wonder what’s “wrong” with you, truth is you’re just living right!

To all the "Lolos" and "Tim’s" who still cherish their irreplaceable gift of purity, just know that the finish line - and God's gold medal - are worth the sacrifice and worth the wait!

And for another rare breed, those who I like to call “renewed” virgins, your “virginity” is just as valuable! The word “renew” simply means “to resume or re-establish after an interruption; to give fresh life or strength to; to replace or restore (something broken or worn out).” Maybe you’ve already given your virginity away, but you’ve decided to go back to God and receive forgiveness and refreshing. Let no one tell you it’s too late to begin again. All you have to do is decide that I’m worth the wait. And until God sends My Husband, I Will Wait! I love the meaning of “renewed” that says “to resume or re-establish after an interruption…” Yes, you messed up! But No, that doesn’t have to be the ending of your story! You interrupted your walk with God but you can always resume it! Look at it like this: One day I was on my treadmill, but it was going too fast and I tripped. I pressed the “pause” button, slowed down the speed to a safer one for me, then I pressed the “resume” button to continue. I didn’t quit exercising because I tripped. I made the wise decision to stop, make a better, healthier and safer adjustment and then resumed my workout. Sisters, you can too! No matter your age, or how many times you’ve messed up, just decide to stop, make better, healthier and safer adjustments and then resume living right and holy for God! And for those really “deep” church folks, No, you can’t undo the experience of sexual intercourse, but you can undo the mindset that says sexual intercourse took you too far off-course to get back on track! That is a lie! The laws of the land may dictate when, where, and if you can make a U-Turn, but with God, It Is Always Allowed!

Women of God, YOU, ALL OF YOU, is Valuable to God! Don’t Cheapen the King’s Royalty With a Joker!
  
1 Corinthians 6:16-20, "There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body." (MSG)

Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)

“I’m in the Process of Change!”

2 Corinthians 5:17, “So stop evaluating Christians by what the world thinks about them or by what they seem to be like on the OUTSIDE. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, merely as a human being like myself. How differently I feel now! When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person INSIDE. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!” (TLB)

As much as I love the animal kingdom, and as much as I’ve written about it, there is yet one little critter that makes my skin crawl every single time I see one. And which animal is that? Well, it’s the Caterpillar! Yuck! Now, maybe it’s just me, but I think they’re the most ugly little creatures ever! I hope none are listening. Honestly, I don't mean to be so critical, but let's face it; those hairy crawlers are not the beauty queens of the animal kingdom!  

But who could ever imagine that one of the uglier critters around could actually become one of the most beautiful animals in the world - a Butterfly!  

Think about it: You don't see many pictures of caterpillars on things, but you see pictures of butterflies everywhere! A critter covered with ugly black hair becomes a beautiful butterfly splashed with these amazing colors. An animal that lives off the leaves on the ground becomes the connoisseur of flower nectar. And a creature that once crawled everywhere becomes one that can fly everywhere. Funny thing is, the caterpillar doesn’t need anyone to give it a makeover, it gives one to itself, in the Process of Change.

The Creator who so miraculously transforms caterpillars, does something far more amazing. He does it for people like you and me as well. He did it for Victor!

Victor is an intelligent, hilarious, kind, handsome, successful guy with a fatal flaw - Alcohol. He'd been hooked since he was 12 years old, and no one could get him unhooked...including himself. His addiction eventually cost him his job, his relationship with his family, even his freedom, landing him in prison for a while. He was, in essence, crawling through life on a caterpillar level because of something inside him he could not change. 

So, one night Victor decided to die. He was on his way to a secluded area in the park to end his life…when he saw a man throwing bread crumbs on the ground. It seemed odd to Victor that this late at night an elderly man would be in a secluded area in the park alone leaving bread crumbs on the ground for birds that were obviously tucked away in their nests fast asleep (exactly where this old dude should be, Victor thought). With his curiosity getting the best of him, he slowly approached the man and asked him if we was okay. The man responded that he was better than okay, he was doing absolutely wonderful (since his doctor gave him a clean bill of health just that morning). Yet, Victor’s curiosity refused to let him walk away. He asked the man why would an otherwise healthy, elderly man be in a secluded park at night by himself feeding birds that weren’t even there? The man’s response literally saved Victor’s life. He said he’s been coming to that same spot, every year, for the past 20 years to celebrate his anniversary. Victor immediately assumed the man meant that he was married and obviously now a widow, and this spot must have meant something special to his wife. But as most old people do, he immediately read Victor’s thoughts and responded: 

“20 years ago, this very day, I sat on this bench with a loaded gun in my hand ready to die. My marriage was falling apart, I couldn’t find a job, money had dried up, I was drunk so regularly that I didn’t know when it was day or night. I was deeply depressed, but figured if nothing else, my wife could get money from my life insurance policy. So, in essence, I’m helping her the best way I can, so she can take better care of our kids. And as absent as I’d become to my children’s lives and as much as me and wife were fighting, I didn’t think anyone would miss me anyway.” 

Victor was rendered speechless. The old man continued: 

“When I looked to the right of me, there was an open loaf of bread and just a few birds around me. I put the gun down and picked up the loaf of bread. I dropped little crumbs and the more I dropped the more birds came. Some were on the ground, some on the bench. But there was one that sat right next me and no matter how many times I moved it never startled him, he didn’t budge. Right in that moment I remembered a Scripture my mother would always quote when I was growing up. You see it was me and my 3 brothers and only my mother. My father left us many years ago. But every single time we would get to the point of just a penny and a pea (as mother would say it), she would always tell us, ‘don’t worry and don’t cry, if God can take care of birds, and we’re more important to Him than they are, He will take care of us. As long as you still see birds, God is still providing and protecting. Birds are a sign of God’s promise to always take care of His own.” 

The man then told Victor he finished feeding the birds and went home. Then he added: 

“In case you’re wondering, I got a job, restored my relationship with my children, rebuilt my marriage from the ground up, and my best days are still ahead of me. And so are yours. Now, I’m old and tired, and my wife will call the cops (again) if I don’t hurry back to bed. Here, why don’t you take the rest of these bread crumbs and finish feeding my friends while you think twice about what you were going to do when you came here.” 

Victor responded, feed what birds?…but as soon as the words were off his lips and he turned around, a whole host of feathery friends were waiting for him to stop holding up the dinner line! From that night on, Victor never touched a drop of alcohol again. The very night he was planning to die, God sent him a buddy, a bird and some bread crumbs (now that’ll preach…lol!)

I’ll never forget the smile on his face in telling his story, and I think as he’s ministered all over the globe, he still tells his story today as though it happened just yesterday, and still he smiles as he tells it. 

I share Victor’s story because he was on a caterpillar’s level. He was on the ground, crawling through the filth, in danger of being stepped on at any moment, by any one. He was low, depressed, struggling, and at the point where he just wanted to throw in the towel and give up. He was battling something on the inside, that showed up on the outside. He was raised in church, knew God, knew His Word, sang on the choir, ushered, served food at the shelters, and still that did not allow him to be exempt from flesh and spirit battles from within. 

Victor reminds me a lot of the Apostle Paul: Romans 7:17-25, “But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.” (MSG)

That was Victor to the letter. Everything in him knew what to do, and even wanted to do it, but somehow, someway, his flesh kept winning the battle…until he stepped into the Process of Change.

Now, while your struggles with your own darkness may be different from Victor’s, the same kind of change can happen to you. It's described in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life]” (AMP)

Victor dedicates himself to telling as many people as possible about the life-changing miracle that only Jesus could accomplish. A spiritual transformation that has affected generations in his family, with his spouse, children, grandchildren, in-laws…and the list goes on. He transformed from that crawling caterpillar, but it didn’t happen overnight. Just as a caterpillar changes in stages, so did Victor, but he remained committed to the process of change. He believed wholeheartedly that he could be reborn and renewed, he believed that his old man had died, and there was now a brand new man standing before the world. Nothing from the past mattered, he didn’t hold it over his own head. He moved forward in his new transformation, staying focused on the book of Romans for months on end.

Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” (AMP)

Now, that’s what you call Transformation! That's what Jesus does. He transforms you, renews you, changes you, and matures you. He did it for Victor, he did it for me, and He is still willing and able to do it for you!

Listen, we all fight our own monsters inside us-the sinful, hurtful, even shameful urges, attitudes and actions that we've never been able to conquer. And even being religious or spiritual, even our best efforts at self-improvement have only turned out to be an unsuccessful makeover for a caterpillar.

See, Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sin that enslaves you, and now He offers to begin transforming you from the inside out if you'll invite Him to be your Savior. If you have never begun this life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ, today is the best day to start something new, so you can be transformed into someone new! And just in case you’re under the impression that you’re worse off than the rest of us, so it can’t be done for you, listen to this:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate [by perversion], nor those who participate in homosexuality,  nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers [whose words are used as weapons to abuse, insult, humiliate, intimidate, or slander], nor swindlers will inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God.  AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU [BEFORE YOU BELIEVED]. But you were washed [by the atoning sacrifice of Christ], you were sanctified [set apart for God, and made holy], you were justified [declared free of guilt] in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the [Holy] Spirit of our God [the source of the believer’s new life and changed behavior].” (AMP)

You see, none of us can point any sinless fingers at anyone’s sin, because we all have dirty hands! So, if you think you’re worse than the next person, I assure you, we’re all sitting on the same boat (just with different colored life jackets!) We all have a story about our creepy, crawling days and ways! None of us were born flapping our beautifully colored wings, and soaring high above it all! Nope! As much as I hate to admit it, we were all unattractive, creepy, crawling caterpillars! Which is why God’s transforming power of change is such a beautiful miracle! He didn’t kill us where He caught us; He didn’t leave us where He found us. No, He gave us the opportunity to change! And didn’t require that we do so overnight! Caterpillars change in time, and in stages, and so do we. 

We can reform ourselves, but only God can transform us. “Reform” is defined as “to make changes in something in order to improve; cause to abandon an immoral or criminal lifestyle; the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, or unsatisfactory; to correct faults, problems.” Its’ Latin Origin “reformare” literally means “to form or shape again.” But “Transform” is defined as “to change something completely; to change in composition, structure and nature; to transfigure; convert; redefine; redesign; metamorphose.” And that word “Metamorphose” is defined as “to change in an important and obvious way into something that is very different; to undergo metamorphosis; to change into a different physical form especially by supernatural means”.

That’s the wonderful thing about our God, He shares partnership with us in our lives. We do our part and He does His. We can reform, but only He can transform!

Sisters, truth is, no matter how beautiful we are, we all have some caterpillar ways about us. Today, God is giving all of us an opportunity to step into the process of change. Change in our behavior, habits, addictions, attitude, speech, thoughts, heart, actions, and the like. We’ve been crawling around in these dirty ways long enough. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for change. I’m ready to be and do better. I’m ready to get rid of the striped, spotted, puke green, black-haired caterpillar looks and ways! But know this, it takes time and stages to change. 

All butterflies have “complete metamorphosis.” To grow into an adult they go through 4 stages: Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult. Depending on the type of butterfly, the life cycle of a butterfly may take anywhere from one month to a whole year. In other words, you need to decide you’re ready to start your change today, and then commit to completing it, knowing that it will not be an overnight process. It takes time for the caterpillar, it took time for Victor and for myself, and it will take time for you. But it will be so worth it to earn those beautiful wings and soar!

Lastly, just as patient as you want others to be with you during your process, give to them what you would want to receive for yourself. Know that sometimes people you meet are in their caterpillar phase (they’re crawling, low, sometimes moody and depressed, they’re battling with addictions, heartbreak, mental, physical, emotional, financial, social and even spiritual struggles). Be patient! Be kind. Be understanding. Be supportive. Be there. And then you will also come into contact with those who are somewhere between the four stages of metamorphosis. Give them the same time and patience you desire for yourself. No one is beyond help, reach or the ability to change…not you…not them.

So today, start your process of change, knowing that as you change and save your life, you may also unknowingly change and save someone else’s life in the process! Be Encouraged!

Much Love, Dr. Shermaine

"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)

"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)