Epiphani
Letโs address our first subscriber request:
'Letting go and accepting Godโs will.โ
Accepting Godโs will starts with a deep understanding that His desires towards you are goodโto prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope & a future (Jer. 29:11), Anything He is instructing you to do (or has said โyesโ or โnoโ to) is because He sees and knows all, from beginning to end, and like a parent, He wants the best for you. To be clear, Godโs ways are not our ways, so His version of "best" may not align with yours at first.
However, as you spend more time with Jesus and get to know God's character and His overall will for His children, His ways will become yours and He will give you the desires of your heart. In other words, as you continue to walk with Jesus daily and spend time with Him, if you make a commitment to submit to and be led by Him in all ways, you will begin to look, act, and think more like Himโafter all, we were made in His image. It is in intimacy with Jesus that we begin to gain insight into the Father's will for our lives, and from there, be led along the right path. It is from that place that our own desires begin to align with His.
This doesnโt necessarily mean that youโll never have to let go or accept something based on what God wants for you, because you will likely have many more of these moments. However, it simply means that making the choice to let go or accept will become easier, because youโve made the choice to submit your life to Jesus overall, knowing that His way truly is the best way. This is also something you can pray for and ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to do: "Lord, please help me to see things as You do, and help me to trust in You, Your will, and Your plans for my life."
Iโm sure there are or have been specific situations where you are trying to let go or accept Godโs will, and thereโs nothing wrong with that. However, instead of focusing on forcing yourself to let go or accept that 'thing' whatever it may be, I encourage you to set that aside for now and focus more on cultivating a deeper understanding of who God is, embracing the fact that He is good in every sense of the word, and building faith and trust in Him as your Father and Lord. This all starts and grows with spending time with Himโreading His Word, spending time in prayer (whether speaking, thinking, or writing them), and spending time in worship (singing, dancing, giving thanks, etc.). As you grow in submission and intimacy with Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you will likely find that this process flows a lot more smoothly because you are being led by the Spirit more than you are fighting your desires. You may have been looking for a more โconcreteโ step-by-step answer to your current situation, but I believe it starts here. I pray this helps you along your journey!
You know I want to hear from you!
Respond in the comments below & let me know:
What helps you to accept Godโs will and to let go of what/who is not a part of His plans?
What has been the biggest challenge for you in this area and how did you overcome it?
I look forward to reading your responses.
For now, have a healthy & wholesome week ๐
Love you bunches!
P.S. Check out this video for more insight on aligning with God's will for your life!
This is my version of what it looks like to trust God's plan for your life. It's an intentional (though not always easy) decision to rest in Him. ๐
Epiphani
High There! ๐๐พ
If you are reading this, I hope you are doing well! ๐ป
Itโs been a while since we last seshโd together, but I am super excited to be back with renewed energy and a refreshed outlook. Iโve missed you all and this space! I needed the time away to finish what I started (my degree), and to further clarify my vision on what I plan to build. Many wonderful things have come out of this quiet season, and I am truly grateful for the growth, achievements, lessons, and blessings! Before I jump back in, here's what I've been up to while I was away...
I graduated! ๐
Earlier this year, I earned a Master of Science degree in Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. I am honored to say that our class was the first to graduate from the first medical cannabis masters program in the country. I actually started this blog while in that program as a way to document my journey, so I appreciate you all riding with me to the end of that chapter. We did it, yโall!
If you want to know more about the program or even apply, you can check it out here.
I moved across the country! โ๏ธ
As you know, Iโm a Maryland girl. Iโve lived there all of my life except my time at Spelmanโand one [awful] year in high school in North Carolina. Well, this summer, I sold most of my things and packed up the rest, and said farewell to my home state! A little backstoryโฆ
Two years ago, I visited my childhood friend for her birthday. Sheโs in the military and was stationed here in Las Vegas at the time. I had never been, so I looked forward to exploring, and of course, having a girlsโ weekend! Who knew Iโd fall in love with the area?! The views and the vibes were captivating! ๐ My friend lived out in the suburbs, so we had a beautiful view of the mountains each morning. Needless to say, I was sold! Between the weather, the mountains, and the palm trees, I knew this would be my next place of residence. It was the first time somewhere felt like home outside of Maryland! Two years laterโฆ We live baby! I became a Nevada resident last month and couldnโt be happier that I finally made the move!
Hmu if youโre ever on the wessssst!
I took a break! ๐ง๐พโโ๏ธ
This summer, after completing my program, I took a much needed break! I had been going hard for two years straight, really more than that if you count my teaching days. Working full time and attending school full time was no joke, especially since I was really trying to learn and retain the information (and not just pass my classes). Anyway, I knew I needed to rest and recharge before the next season of my life if I wanted to be effective and avoid burnout. I also needed to spend some extra time with God, renew my mindset, and gain clarity on the vision for The Garden of Epiphani, and the impact I hope it will have in the cannabis industry and my community. Lastly, before I continued on doing the next thing, I needed moment just BE... to remind myself that though I can do great work, I am just as valuable when doing nothing as I am when I am producing. Everything from here will be built from that place of clarity and freedom. My quiet summer brought me so much joy; I danced... a lot! I took walks, I read, I vision boarded, I sat in silence and enjoyed nature... God taught me so many things in that time about who I am, who He is, and what things I need to do (& not do) to be successful. I donโt have all of the answers, but I feel so ready for whatโs to come and know a few things to be more true than ever:
Rest is valuable! - You are not failing or missing out when you are taking time to rest.
Wisdom is one of the most valuable things one can pray for; God will order your steps if you ask and believe that He will!
Asking questions creates space for finding, discovering, and receiving answers, so I should not fear the unknown, but rather embrace it!
With that being said, rest and recalibration is an important part of the process of preparing to achieve your goals, especially when attempting to go where youโve never gone and do what youโve never done. Make time to rest & recharges, sis!
In conclusion, thank you God for a wonderful year and a big shout out to my tribe who has supported me! Thank yโall for holding me down. You can expect new blogs, posts, and presentations to help us along our cannabis and health & wellness journeys, so stay tuned! In the meantime, sign up to get emails from The Garden.
2022, Iโm ready for you! โจ