No Scrubs!

What have you done for me lately? I can do bad by myself. I ain't saying I'm a gold digger, but... Got your attention? Good. I want to share something that's been on my heart. Relationships should be mutually beneficial. Even when you give to someone who cannot give what you gave, you receive the blessing of giving. The reciprocal nature of relationships is especially true in courtship, engagement and marriage. Women, one of the things we should find "sexy" is a man's capacity to impart into our lives to upgrade us. Now hear me out. I'm not simply speaking about material things. I'm talking about being supported to fulfill one's potential. Dad demonstrated his love for my mother in this way. My parents will celebrate 50 years of marriage soon. When they married, mom was a CNA. Dad encouraged her to go to nursing school. He drove her to the community college (then known as the "vo-tech") to enroll. She told me that the program was really hard. She wanted to quit MANY times. More than half her class did. She says it was only because of my dad and the grace of God that she graduated. When she wanted to throw in the towel, he'd say "Ginia you can do it. Don't quit. I know it's hard but it'll pay off. Just hang in there a little longer." She listened to him, graduated among the top students, and was one of only two graduates to pass state boards at the first sitting. Not only did Dad speak life over mom, but he also took care of my older brothers (I had not made my grand arrival yet) during his off time and dropped them off and picked them up from the sitter at other times. He made sacrifices to support her and THEIR dream. Dad worked tirelessly and always had a side hustle so mom could focus on being a full time student and not have to work. In fact, even after she began working as a nurse our family continued to live very modestly because dad feels that the household financial responsibilities should be based almost exclusively on his income. He understood his role to provide for his family and "upgrade" his wife. Myles Munroe encouraged husbands to cultivate their wives by telling them "Brothers, let’s rise to the occasion to help our wives bloom and blossom into something much more than they are today that both their inner and outer beauty would continually increase." So sisters as we prayerfully evaluate suitors let's consider their capacity to improve our lives in meaningful ways. It may be spiritually, educationally, financially, physically ( I need to marry a fitness and clean eating fanatic- lol :-) ), etc. Read more about Cultivating Your Life With Your Wife at the following link: https://marriagemissions.com/cultivate-your-wife/

Why I am NOT a Feminist

Feminism does not address the needs and concerns of women of color.  Racism, sexism, and classism need to be dealt with together.  Many white women do not know the plight of black women. Some do not know the plight of poor people. Black women are dealing with three levels of oppression- racism, sexism, and classism.  Often white women's struggle is unidimensional.  Most feminists are fighting not to be seen as a damsel in distress. Women of color were never given an opportunity to be seen as a weak and pampered woman who can't do anything by herself.  Black women were brought here on slave ships and expected to work like men and mules.

In modern times, feminism is primarily a white middle class movement and is therefore irrelevant to most black women.  White women have been afforded opportunities to be openly and blatantly militant and rebellious in their views while vehemently speaking out about their beliefs without fear of reprisal.  This has not been the case for women of color. Historically black women who speak truth to power are demonized, criminalized and exiled.

Often the causes of white women are about thriving in the marketplace.  They have been the greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action.  Too often the causes of black women are a matter of  life and death.  The feminist is only concerned with injustices related to gender identity.  The womanist is concerned with multiple jeopardies.  The womanist is concerned with justice over-all. 

In many cases feminism has divided black people.  Feminists are not concerned with the needs of men, children and families of color.  Unity, cohesion and solidarity among people of color is critical for us to survive and thrive. 

Because feminism does not address the needs of men, children and families of color many women of color feel torn between their loyalty to feminist thought and the people they love. White feminist are not torn in their loyalties.  They are clear with their loyalties.  Feminists will quickly abandon their radicalism and militancy on gender issues to "stand by their man" on race issues when their white privilege is challenged.  This is why many white women voted for Donald Trump. 

Feminists are often seen as man haters.  Too often they are disrespectful of men and not concerned with the well-being of children and families.  As a woman of God, I refuse to follow any worldly feminist influences to  diminish the significance  of bringing together, advancing and uplifting  the entire family unit and community.

And finally I am not a feminist because I am not "one of the guys."  Many feminists have opted to morph into androgynous  beings who have distanced themselves from anything soft or feminine.  I embrace my womanhood and female sexuality.  I am thinking and feeling.  I am round, soft to  the touch and possess immeasurable strength.  I am comfortable with expressing my emotions but not controlled by them.  I like dresses, skirts and pretty frilly things and not just the Hillary Clinton pant suit.  I like to wear sweet perfumes, makeup, and brightly colored nail polish.  I am playful, coy, and a master strategist.  I am spontaneous and filled with the wisdom of God.  I am yielding at times  and yet relentless in pursuit of my God-ordained destiny . I am not a feminist. I'm a WOMANIST.  I am a woman.  Phenomenally.  Phenomenal woman, that's me.

There's So much in a Name!

So someone who learned that my middle name is Shunta called me up and said "Shunta?! Really?  Lol. I never would've imagined that." Yep,  that's me.

"Shunta" is  pronounced like the singer's name Chante Moore  and the rapper's name  Roxanne Shante'. Shunta is an alternate spelling for Shanté.  It is derived from “Ashanti”.  When used as a woman’s name Ashanti means strong, warlike, African woman.

A strong, warlike woman of God is a leader. She's decisive, prayerful,  discerning, and adept at spiritual warfare. She's loyal, fearless, tireless, and intelligent. She flows  in a Deborah-like anointing and is  resolutely determined  (i.e. stubbornly determined, relentless, obstinate) to fulfill her purpose, calling or mission. 

Judges 4 and 5 and Hebrews 11:32-34 provide insight about characteristics and traits of the biblical figure Deborah. There's so much in a name.  -Lynderia "Lyn" Shunta Cheevers

Got Grace?

I woke up May 27, 2016 thinking about the GRACE of God. The unmerited favor of God which is the grace of God brings multiple blessings, empowers and causes one to be immune or exempt from the rules or standards that apply to everyone else. Hence the saying "favor ain't fair."

God's grace attracts all kinds of good things even when we deserve less or nothing at all. Because of His grace and mercy toward us God doesn't treat us as we deserve to be treated. God's grace allows one to go further, get more, accomplish greater with SEEMINGLY less.

God's grace will allow others to favor you. His grace will cause them to say "I dont know why I'm doing this for you, but..." or "the policy states, but..." God's Grace=favor, power, immunity and MUCH MORE.

GRACE is free to us and available through Yeshua Who paid an unspeakable price for it.

Got grace?

Don't Call it a Comeback!

We've all experienced loss. It's painful and potentially devastating. I've tasted of its bitter fruit. I was married one day and divorced the next. I was celebrated as a "40 Under 40" rising star one day and fired for "failure to perform job duties" the next. I was a homeowner one day and surrendered the deed in lieu of foreclosure the next.

God's promise to me and any of His children who suffer loss is this- "[I will] set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes. Even though you’re not much right now, you’ll end up better than ever (Job 8:7 MSG)." We must let go of the past and let God blow our minds with restoration and promotion as He does immeasurably more than ALL we ask or imagine (Eph 3:20).

God is doing a new thing in us, through us and for us. Don't you see it? Can't you feel it? No? Oh wait, you're looking back at what used to be and the past "glory" and success or maybe you're looking down at the loss and present-day mess. Look up. Look to God in all things. He restores and even promotes His children after times of loss. It wasn't meant to kill us. It was simply a pruning process preparing us for greater.

Don’t call it a comeback because God  didn't allow you to go through that pain and loss to simply come back to that same place where you were before the divorce,  job loss, foreclosure, or whatever it is you experienced. God says I'm  giving you double for your trouble! You were temporarily set back in the slingshot of destiny to be launched  forth to go higher and further than ever before!

Proton: Every Seed Reproduces After Its Own Kind

Próton (Strong's Concordance 4412): first, before, at the beginning, in the first place.

In every generation of every family there are those of us given the grace (divine enablement and unmerited favor) to be "the first"- first generation college graduate, first homeowner, first ordained minister, first to maintain purity until marriage, first to be elected to public office, first born, first business owner etc.

We carry a breaker, trailblazer anointing that comes with responsibilities. We must remain focused on glorifying God and lifting others as we climb. We must co-labor with God to replicate and reproduce in others what God gave us the grace to produce.

We're "the first" and cannot be satisfied with being "the only" in our lineage to attain that goal. God created us as patterns to be modeled which facilitate success of others.

There's no success without successors. I encourage you to write down every major accomplishment God allowed you to achieve first within your family or spheres of influence. Then ask God to give you wisdom, knowledge and understanding to mentor and coach others to achieve and surpass you.

For example,  I'm the first to earn a doctorate. I'm charged with raising up other doctors within my family. My desire is that unlike me they earn their degrees debt -free.

Let's Not Get it Twisted!

He was extravagant, lived a lavish lifestyle, seduced married women and young boys. He had an affair with his friend's wife, had his mother and wife executed, and as the leader of the land embarrassed himself and fellow citizens by performing on "reality TV." He kicked one of his wives to death, persecuted minorities and burned them at night to provide lighting in his garden. Yet in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 Believers are instructed to pray for ALL leaders including  Nero (described above) who was the Emperor at the time and notorious for the maltreatment of Believers.

Many of us are outraged that Trump was elected as President. We should protest, march, organize, and exercise our civic duties and rights. And at the end of the day if we're Believers (this doesn't apply to you if you're not so stop reading now or you'll likely be VERY offended) we're commanded in scripture to pray for ALL leaders- whether we like them or not, whether they're "legitimate" or not, whether they're Believers or not, whether they're racist, bigoted, misogynistic, arrogant, egotistical or not, whether they were apparently dropped at birth and have the IQ of a rock or not. We are to Pray for them!

Let's not be such good feminists, good womanists, and  good Afri-Centric activists that we forget to be good Christians.