What’s the matter? Life giving you the blues? Are you long on questions but short on answers? Try these tasty bites of Biblical wisdom. Each one is a no-holds barred life lesson that is relevant to the world you live in. But beware, this is definitely not yo’ mama’s devotional. Some bites are hot and spicy, some cool and refreshing. Others are just plain hard to swallow. But every bite provides nourishment for your soul and is served with a little humor and a whole lot of heart. Samantha Dunn, best selling author of Failing Paris, proclaims: “T. Faye’s words fairly jump off the page, grab you by the throat and say, “Just listen up!” Authentic, ferocious, funny and oh-so-human. This is a writer who’s got a finely-tuned ear for language and who looks deeply into our shared humanity. Simply divine, and divinely inspired.”
Targeted Age Group:: 18+
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Okay, so this whole thing started with a Facebook status update. It was a bright but uncommonly chilly morn here in sunny Southern California. I’d spent a deliciously deep time conversing with the Lord in prayer before preparing for the workday. While making my bed, I decided to listen to a few songs that appeared on my Facebook timeline. One song in particular caught my ear. It was by one of my favorite R&B balladeers, Phil Perry. While not a household name of Bieber proportion, he’s one of those amazing unsung artists that have managed to develop a large and devoted following without creating mass hysteria in the media. Phil Perry does things with that honey-dipped tenor of his that can curl your toes and get a rise out of some other choice spots in the anatomy.
Hence my problem.
Between the fluffing of pillows and tucking of sheets I began to feel an…oh let’s just call it a little “spark of interest” in my nether regions. For most folks this is not a cause for concern. But as an unmarried person in a committed relationship with Jesus Christ every alarm in my body and spirit went off.
Now don’t get it twisted, the Lord is not against sex. He invented it. He created our bodies with all of its various components. He even included an owner’s manual to show us how to properly operate them. But you know how we do when we get that box of furniture home from Ikea; we toss the instructions aside and commence building shelves by our own wits. Inevitably, we end up with $200 worth of pressed wood leaning in a corner like the Tower of Pisa. Then we wonder why glue is everywhere and the books keep sliding off. I’ll tell you why. Because we didn’t read the manual! When it comes to sex and other important life issues Christians face, we often choose to ignore the instruction manual, and end up in a sticky mess with our lives falling apart all around us.
That’s my testimony in a nutshell. I’m a devout follower of Jesus Christ who strives to live kingdom principles in a very dark world. As such I experience the same joys and pains, temptations and trials as anyone, including wanting to feel a bit of thunder down under from time to time. How-in-so-ever, I have decided to remain celibate until I get married or until Jesus comes–whichever happens first. (Come quickly Lord Jesus!)
So that morning, as Phil Perry crooned and my hormones hit the fan, I had a choice to make: Either I would continue listening to the sensual lyrics and allow my mind to lose the battle with my body. Or I would shut it all down before it was too late. I elected the latter. I killed the audio (Sorry, Phil) and turned my focus to Facebook. I quickly jotted down this status update:
Note to Self: Refrain from listening to Phil Perry first thing in the morning until you get a husband. Frustration is not a good look.
The response to that tongue-in-cheek post was immediate and intense. People chimed in with a refreshing candor. Fellow singles, Christian and otherwise, (even a few married folks), openly shared how they deal with their personal power surges. Together we laughed, we vented, we related, and more importantly, we prayed.
It was an epiphanic moment. Suddenly, I realized that in the 30-plus years since my divorce my life as an unmarried Christian had inspired many “notes to self” on a great number of topics ranging from parenting to money to friendships. There were notes written in journals, in the margins of my Bible, on napkins, magazine covers, church bulletins and scores of other scraps of paper. Some were the result of some foolishness or nonsense I’d allowed myself to get into that required the grace of God to get me out of. Some were observations from the scriptures that prevented me from “going there.” Others were simply encouragements from the Father to let me know that I was on track. Each one was a practical life lesson that most anyone could apply whether single or married.
So I thought if this many people were motivated to relate to one another, encourage one another, or feel less alone in whatever struggle they had as a result of reading one simple truth from my life, then perhaps they may find value in an online devotional filled with them.
I began rising before dawn each weekday to pray, study, and write. God spoke loud and clear to my spirit in those morning sessions. Five days a week he provided a fresh word for me to share with readers. I likened it to the account found in Exodus 16 that tells of the wandering Israelites. They were starving and God, in his mercy, poured down fresh “bread from heaven” from the sky each morning to feed them. They called it “manna.” (Exodus 16:4,12,31)
And that’s how Morning Manna with T. Faye” was born!
Book Sample
WHAT’S THE SONG IN YOUR HEART?
This morning, while “In The Garden” alone, I entered into a “Sweet Hour of Prayer.” I said to the Lord, “Here I Am to Worship” and immediately His “Love Lifted Me.” I began to reflect back on when I first found myself “At the Cross.” It was there that that I discovered “There is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” and “The Blood” cleansed me and made me brand new. It was there that I began “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.” I discovered “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” and realized that He is, indeed, my “Rock of Ages.” And “As the Deer” that pants for water to quench its thirst, so I longed to be with Him. It was there that my heart cried, “Draw Me Nearer” “Precious Lord.”
Call me crazy for believing as I do. But “I Know My Redeemer Lives.” Call me fanatical if I “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” But I know firsthand “How Great is Our God.” And although “I’m a Soldier (In the Army of the Lord),” I would be nothing if not for His “Amazing Grace.” If you don’t know this Savior I speak of, please trust and believe me when I say “Because He Lives” you can face tomorrow. You can have the “Blessed Assurance” of an abundant and eternal life. “There is a Balm in Gilead” that will heal your hurts and give you hope. “Softly and Tenderly” Jesus is calling your name. Please answer: “Have Thine Own Way, Lord,” “Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated Unto Thee.” I promise you’ll find that “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.”
CHEW ON THIS: Psalm 96:1
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
YOUR TO-GO ORDER
What is the song in YOUR heart?
About the Author:
Two-time NAACP Image Award recipient and proud product of South Central Los Angeles, T. Faye Griffin has put words into the mouths of Academy Award winners, comedians, politicians and everyday folk alike. From A&E to BET to PBS, she has amassed an impressive list of television credits which include the Emmy Award-winning comedy series In Living Color, The Parent ‘Hood, Steve Harvey’s Big Time, The Grammy Gospel Celebration and NBC’s daily lifestyle magazine program, YourLA. A well-respected member of the comedy community, she created and served as Co-Executive Producer of BET’s highly rated comedy competition Coming to the Stage. Her work on the 2003 and 2004 Trumpet Awards each garnered a NAACP Image Award nomination, and in 2007 she scored a win as Producer of BET’s Celebration of Gospel. In 2006, she celebrated her first feature film credit with the release of the Steve Harvey concert film, Don’t Trip…He Ain’t Through With Me Yet. In 2007, Griffin was featured in the Cannes edition of “The Business of Film Magazine.” The year 2013 marked the return to her performance roots with a memorable win of the “Stand-up and Deliver Comedy Competition” held at the famed Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena. A much sought after writing instructor whose popular workshops have been presented by the Writers Guild of America, American Black Film Festival and Kids in the Spotlight, Griffin was scouted by the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center for Comedy to help develop their inaugural comedic arts education program. Additionally, she has been invited to be a guest instructor at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York during the 2012 summer sessions. The former stand-up comedian has found her place among the personal writing staff of superstar comedians Steve Harvey and Rickey Smiley. Her critically acclaimed stage production “Spook Night,” presented a behind-the-microphone look at the world of stand-up comedy. Equally adept at writing dramatic themes, she served as Writer-in Residence for the Oasis Christian Theater Company under the artistic direction of Penny Johnson Jerald. Currently she is developing a one-woman show for Tony Award-nominated actress, Starletta DuPois. Her work has also appeared in Woman’s World Magazine, Spirit Magazine, KCET Magazine, the Los Angeles Times and the USA Book News award-winning anthology, “Untangled.” Ms. Griffin resides in Los Angeles, California.
Links to Purchase Print Books
Link to Buy Morning Manna: Wisdom Served With Humor and Heart Print Edition at Amazon
Links to Purchase eBooks
Link To Buy Morning Manna: Wisdom Served With Humor and Heart On Amazon
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