All posts by Treva Barnard

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About Treva Barnard

She is the mother of 3 beautiful girls, an author, a mentor, an inspirational writer and a minister in the gospel.

This Too Shall Pass

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It was in 2005 that I was boarding a plane for the very first time in my life.  I was starting a new job as an Office Coordinator at a Home Care Agency.  They were sending me to Philadelphia  for a weeks training.  I was excited about this new opportunity and going to see a place that I had never been before, but at the same time I was nervous because I had never been on a plane and  I had never gone that far away from my family.  As me taking this job it was mandatory for me to go to this training, so I had no choice.  I gave my family big hugs and kisses and I went through the process of checking in.  Everyday that we leave our homes we take the chance of something happening, but I trusted God to take care of me and my family while I was away.    People told me of some of the things that I need to expect while I was on the plane, but not to worry that it was only temporary and that I would be fine.  Before we were getting ready to take off the flight attendant came on the intercom and gave us our instructions and what we needed to do in case of an emergency.  As the plane started down the runway for clearance it began to pick up speed and then it took off.  It went so fast up into the air it felt like I was on a roller coaster ride as my stomach dropped.  I tried to appear as if I had it all together, but on the inside I was about to fall apart.  As we went higher into the air the plane started shacking. This must be that turbulence that they were talking about that I would experience and it didn’t feel good.  The first thing I thought was ok God I’m not ready to die yet, but then I remembered that they told me that this would only be temporary.   As we hit our climax the plane began to level out and the turbulence began to subside and it was smooth sailing from there on out.  I was sitting near the window and as I began to look out  I could see the wing of the plane, the sun trying to peep through the clouds that looked like snow.  There was this sudden since of peace that came over me that allowed me to lay back and enjoy the rest of my flight.  As we were coming close to our destination the flight attendant got back on the intercom to give us landing procedure and instructions. All of a sudden you could hear the wheels come out and then the plane began to go in a downward speed. You felt this bump as we landed on ground and the plane began to decrease in speed as it went down the speedway. The flight attendant came back on one last time and announced that we had reached our destination and gave us our final instructions. Crazy thing about this now is that I love to fly.  I was having dinner with a friend several days ago and in our conversation she asked me the question will we always have to go through.  I responded unfortunately yes, we will until the day we die, but we have this hope in Jesus Christ that no matter what we go through he will always be with us to help us through it.  1 Peter 1:7 “The trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried in the fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory  at the appearing of Jesus Christ”  The trials and tribulations that we experience in life are building something in us and through us that it maybe used for his glory and for the up building of his kingdom.  That was something she didn’t really want to hear.  I went on to encourage her that whatever God allows to happen in our life is for a reason and though we may not understand it at the moment he will reveal it in time. I got home that night and received an unexpected call and now I am having to walk out what I just encouraged to her.  The news was devastating, in fact heartbreaking.  So here I found myself going through a storm.  The pain was so great that I found it hard at times to even gather myself.  I tried to look from the beginning until now and I still couldn’t find the answers and understand in fullness of why this was happening.  All I knew is that my heart was attached and now it is breaking.  I did the only thing that I knew to do which was to get into the presence of God.  As I began to focus more on Jesus Christ he began to give me some peace and helped began the process in the healing of my heart. Though the tears still fall and the pain has not ceased as I start to refocus and began again the pain that I once felt is starting to subside. The turbulence that you are experiencing while riding through the storm is only temporary and God can still give you peace in the midst of it.  No matter how great the storms that you may find yourself in storms come not to stay, but they come to pass.

Sure Foundation

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As someone who has had a first hand experience in building a home I now know the importance of a sure foundation.  Before a house or any can be built the foundation has to first be established. The height and depth of the foundation is based upon the size of the building, the level of the land and the location so it will be able to hold it’s structure.  Also it has to be at a certain height in case of any weather emergencies within that area that it wouldn’t bring more damage to the home itself.  The foundation was laid and the cement was poured. Once it had dried they then placed anchors around the foundation to help secure the frame of the home.We first started by building the outside walls which were the lining the foundation of the home. Each wall had to be put up individually as their measurements were different and we also had to make sure that they were level before securing them into the cement.  In doing so this will insure that everything is  level and it doesn’t throw everything else off as we are building the rest of the home.  What an amazing feeling to put up that first wall of my home.  As we progressed on there were times that some where we were off in our measurements and our levels. Depending on how major it was either we had to take some of it down and replace it or we had to improvise to make it level out.   What really helped us along the way was the fact that we had a blue print to follow by which gave us the measurements. The some what disadvantage to us is that we don’t have access to the blue print of our lives.  The only one who has access to that is God, which is not always easy to follow.  Sometimes in life we want to go our on way, do our own thing that we loose our vision, stray away from God’s plan for our lives which then causes us to make a wrong turn or get lost within our travels. There are times when we may have to start over because of our wrong choices and decisions, but I found out right before the start of this New Year that we don’t always have to start over but we can take all of our hurt, pain and our life experiences good and bad to use as a foundation to build upon and start right where we are.  With every experience in our life it is teaching us something that will help us in our next season.  The good news for those that are God’s children is that even when we get off track  he has left us instructions which is his word and it he has left the Holy Spirit that will lead us along the way.  It is up to us to continue to follow his plan even when we can’t fully see our way or understand what he is doing.  Just like in building that home we had to trust and follow the blue print and even when we would get off track the contractors were there to steer us back into the right direction.  “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand”  Any relationship that we are building in life we have to make sure that our foundation is sure so that when the storms of life come, which they will that it isn’t easily moved or destroyed.  Even when everything around us seems to be falling apart we are still standing because our foundation is sure.

Push Past The Pain

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I was at the hospital getting ready to give birth to my first child. My plan was to try and have her natural with out any medication, but after 11 hours the pain began to increase and I could no longer stand it without some assistance. My sister had been begging for me to get some medicine for hours because she was afraid that I was going to go off on someone. Anyone who has given birth or witnessed someone giving birth knows that it is very intense. Although the medicine only helped subdue the pain and not alleviate
the pain it was better than nothing at all. It was getting closer to the time for me to get ready to deliver the baby. At this point in time I was ready to go, but I understood the reason why I had to wait. When it was time they said push. I had to quickly gather up every little ounce of strength that I had to help me push past the pain that I was experiencing at the moment. This didn’t feel good at all, but I kept my focus on the end result which was to deliver this baby. After the 1st push they told me not to push again until they told me to no matter how ready I thought that I was. They had to check and see where the baby was and didn’t want to put any extra stress on me or the baby. I found myself back in the waiting position again trying get through the pain. They said that they could see the baby’s head which meant that we were very closer to delivering a baby. The Doctor said on this next push we need you to give all that you have. When they said push I let out this tremendous scream because the pain was so great, but no matter how great the pain I had to push past it  in order for the baby to come out. I felt great relief as the pain was starting to subside and I heard her cry for the first time. Tears of joy came streaming down my face because of the end result of the pain that I had to push through was worth it. I have experienced and am experiencing something’s in my life that I am having to push through the pain. Some pain had been caused because I came out of my waiting position to soon thinking  that it was time or that I was ready. Although I was very close to what God had promised for me it wasn’t quiet time for me to proceed forward. A holding or waiting position is not a time where we are being punished, but where God is grooming us and preparing us for what is to come.  There are sometimes in life that we may not have caused the pain it may have been inflected upon us, but for everything that God allows there is a reason. It’s not meant to destroy us nor harm us although at the times it feels like it might. If you find yourself in the waiting position don’t move before it is time. If we go before our timing it can delay, abort or cause us to go through it again. Timing is everything. Maybe you are having to push past the pain. Not matter the intensity of your pain it is not the time to give up or give in. It is through the pain that God is producing great things through you and you want see the end result until you push past the pain.

You Can Begin Again

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A little over a year now the Lord allowed me to build my very first home.  The process began in 7/2012.  I had just finalized my divorce in Oct/2011 that left me as a single parent to raise 3 kids living in a 2 bedroom apartment with very little room.  When I was presented with this opportunity to build the first thing I did was go pray about it and the Lord said, yes.  As a single mother I still had reservations, “Can I really do this”, but God said that I could so I moved forward.  They explained the process that we would have to go through in order to build the home and even though they explained the process in detail nothing prepared me for the experience that I would have to endure.  It wasn’t the fact of me just building one home, but building 6 from the ground up. Though the process was long and very painful I would question my decision as I found myself wanting to give up because at time it was unbearable, but I kept thinking about why I was doing it.  It was to be able to provide something better for my girls and it made me continue in the process. When the process was over and I was handed the keys to move into my new home it made me appreciate my experience after going through the process not only because of what I learned, but the end result was more than I could have ever imagined. In life there are processes that we have to endure that don’t feel good at all, but it is necessary for our making. Think of what you have become after going through what you have gone through. Imagine had I quit in the middle of the process of me building the homes and then trying to start over again. It wouldn’t have been as easy the second time around and it probably would have been much harder for me to endure the process. As the New Year begins I have realized that I don’t need a New Beginning. Simply take everything that I have experienced and everything that I have learned up until this point and us it as a foundation to BEGIN AGAIN right where I am. No matter how hurtful, how painful or how harsh it maybe you can use it for your advantage and turn your negatives into positives that will launch you further into your destiny. So my New Years Resolution is not to start a new or to start over but to simply BEGAN AGAIN

Don’t Sale Yourself Short

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I was having a conversation with my daughter yesterday and she asked me the question, Mom if you could buy a tablet for $50 or $60 would you? I then replied, No. She then asked me, Why not? I said, Something’s aren’t worth getting at a cheaper price because they don’t last long. She said, Ok.
Don’t get me wrong I am a bargain shopper and love looking for a sale anyway that I can. You know the saying though, “You get what you pay for (invest in) it. If I am going to spend my money or invest my time into something I want it to be worth it. Will what I have invested in last me a long time or will it last forever. As I get older I am wiser at the things I invest in. I need something that has quality, it is durable, it is strong and stands for something. I guess when you have wasted most of your life investing in the wrong things you only invest in the things that will bring longevity to your life, it will add and not take away, it will build you up and not tear you down, it has meaning. Be careful what and who you invest yourself in and don’t sale yourself short. You deserve the very best. YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Don’t Worry I’ve Got You

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Severally weeks ago I had the opportunity to go on a hike. This was my 1st hike that I have taken since I was a teenager and I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to experience. It wasn’t anything that we had planned, but one of those seize the moment opportunities. In life we are presented with opportunities and if not recognized they will pass us by and once passed we may never get that opportunity again. Instead of seizing the moment we allow fear to keep and hold us in the place of “what if” and we miss the chance of experiencing new life. I decided to take a chance and seize the moment and experience new life and I am so glad that I did. The security guard let us know that they were about to do a hiking tour and if we wanted to join them he let us know where to go. When I went over to ask them about the tour he said that we would have to pay and sign up in advance, but that they were waiting for a few others and if they didn’t show up we could go if we wanted to wait. Long story short God favored us to be able to go. So the tour guide began explain to us about the tour and some of the things that we will be seeing. It was about 50 degrees outside and the sun was about to go down. The tour would take approximately an 1hr. The trail was 2 miles long and more than 1,000 ft deep. My first thought was I am going to freeze. I am a summer baby,so I get cold quick. I then remembered that I was already layered in clothing and that I also had on a jacket, so with us walking we should pick up some heat. We got to our first overlook and it was Amazing. As you looked in every angle you could see the height and depth as you looked upon the waterfalls it was just simply breathing taking. I love to be around water because it is so peaceful. Then I looked down. Let me just say it was a loooong way down. So I took my focus off of the way down and continued to enjoy the scenery. It was just breath-taking. The tour guide then said that we were getting ready to go down 310 steps and then in order for us to get to the bottom of the gorge we would have to go down 210 more steps. At that point it would up to us if we wanted to continue the hike. I realized that we were going to have to come back up those same 520 steps, but we had already paid our money so there was no turning back. As we continued our hike there were different overlook spots that you could stop at if needed or experience those “Awe” moments because of what you saw. At this moment I was feeling pretty good and the temperature wasn’t so bad because I picked up some heat as we walked. At each stopping point the tour guide would give us more insight on where we were and what we were looking at. I was thinking how cool this was and had we not seized the moment we would have missed out. We were coming close to our half way point before going down the 2nd flight of steps and though the tour guide had already told us what we would have to do to get there what I thought and what I saw before me threw me for a loop. We were at a suspension bridge that swayed back and forth which was about 800 ft above nothing but water and rocks. The closest I had ever come to a bridge like this was watching it on a movie and that is no comparison all to the real thing. I had never considered myself as being one to be afraid of heights. I have road on free falls, traveled on planes, literally helped build 6 homes from the ground up which all were 2 story homes accept one, but today I found myself afraid to go across. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. It felt like my stomach had dropped to the ground. I guess the fear showed on my face as someone grabbed my hand. He kept telling me your going to make it, you’re going to be ok, I got you. As we were going across the bridge I was asked was I ok or he would say just don’t look down, keep looking ahead. Why did he say that because what did I do,look down. We got half way across the bridge that swayed back and forth and we both gasped. He squeezed my hand and said you ok. Then he looked at me and said I got you. It was reassuring just to know that I wasn’t alone regardless how fearful I may have been. We finally made it across the bridge and we paused so that I could catch my breath. I looked back to see how far I had come. Then I was asked are you ready, as I took a deep breath I said, “Yes, let’s go” Sometimes in life we allow fear to keep us from making it across. The fear of I can’t do it, I can’t make it, what it looks like. I was reminded that no matter what the bridge or obstacle I have to cross, that I’m never alone. We were getting ready to go down 2nd flight of steps and the tour guide said that we could turn around and go back or we could move forward. At this point in life most people would turn around and go back or they become stagnated and unable to move forward. I heard that voice again as he grabbed my hand,let’s move forward. There were still areas where we could stop if needed, but this time there were less scenery parts so we decided to continue moving forward. When we finally got to the bottom of the gorge and OMG! You could look up and see how far down we were. In every direction you look it was breathing taking and the feeling I felt as I had exhaled because we had finally made it “there”. It was worth all that I had to go through to behold that on moment in time. I would have never experienced that moment had I gone back in the middle of the journey or never started at all. Through life’s journey we will experience many obstacles, trials and tribulations just to get to that one moment, but a lot of times we miss it because we are focused on what we are going through or experiencing at the time. Just like moments come, moments go and it was time to go back. I wasn’t ready to go, I want to stay in that moment forever. When I turn around and looked upward at all those steps that we now had to go back up I said, OMG in desperation as in “LORD HELP ME” As we started back up I could feel the weight, the pressure and the pain I my legs. I noticed that my breathing was a little heavy, I was having to take more stops this time going up and then when I came down. I was stumbling as I was struggling to make it up the next step. I was no longer worried about the scenery, I just wanted to get back to the top. I noticed that there were others who stopped along the way and we began to talk, share our experiences and encourage each other as we were going back up. I noticed the more that we kept going the harder it became, but at this point turning around would be pointless because there was no other way out than up. We got to the half way point “THE BRIDGE” that we now have to cross again. At the beginning we had an option to go back, but this time we only had the one option which was to move forward. This time I leaned more on the person that was with me and I felt more confident because I had already been this was before and I wasn’t alone. As we began the last flight of steps on the way up there were many times that I wanted to stop, but I keep getting pushed and coached to continue forward. We were at our last stopping point and as I looked at those steps and how I was feeling at the moment seemed impossible. The question was asked again, “are you ready to go?” I stood up, took a deep breath, grabbed his hand and we moved forward. We finally made it to the top. As I was breathing heavy, my heart beating fast I flopped down on the bench, lended back and in my mind I said, “I made it” I realized then there is a difference in going down the mountain than coming up the mountain. The tour guide was ready to take us to our final destination. As we walked around the corner to our to an over look and it was another breath-taking moment. We were at the very top when at one point we were only able to look up from it at a distance. I stood there in awe that I had finally made it and in spite of the challenges I had to encounter along the way I made it because I continued to move forward. In life you will come across paths that will seem uncertain, unstable and the way across seems long. While everything around you seems hopeless and the way down will kill you for sure and yet turning back has no promise of return. If you will just remember though at times you may feel lonely that you are never alone. God promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us, so continue to hold onto his unchanging hands.

LOST AND FOUND

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Your looking for someone to respect you, yet you don’t even respect yourself. Giving yourself out like your some cheap piece of clothing you find on a clearance rack that can be put back if they don’t want it. He doesn’t value who you are because you don’t even value your own self-worth. As you continue to put yourself on a lay away plan and give yourself to the next man who can buy you instead of treating yourself as someone who has to be earned and not bought. You keep crying out to God where is my Boaz, yet you haven’t even prepared yourself to be his Ruth. Do you even know who Ruth is? You learn all the tricks and the trades, you put yourself on a hook like your bait and though you maybe able to hook the fish, but at the end of the day the bait you offered was good to taste, but not enough to make him stay. Your looking for love in all the wrong places trying to fill avoid, but you go unfilled because you keep filling that void with the wrong thing. Do you even know who you are, do you know who you belong to, do you really even know what love is? Come a little closer can you lend me your ear. There is someone who is just the perfect match for you and this love he will give to you no one else can compare my dear. See I use to be that girl who was lost and didn’t know my worth. My daddy never validated who I was as a little girl so as I became older I was on a search. Thought I had to have a man to tell me who I am and that with his touch it would make me have some self-worth, but instead it made me feel much worse. It wasn’t until I came across the great I am, you know that man they call Jesus who showed me who I really am. It wasn’t until I got lost in him that I found who I was. It wasn’t until I got lost in his love that I truly then knew how to love and how to be loved. I found out just how special I really am. That I am worth it, I am worth the wait. I use to be that girl who was lost, but now I’m found. It took me sometime, but I finally know who I am and to whom I belong.

WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE

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When there are two individuals who happen to view something differently, in which most cases you will it doesn’t make one of you wrong or the other one right. It is just that you are two individuals that happen to see something differently. The true test of love is when you are able to work through your differences and not make the other person feel lesser than you because their process or way of thinking is different than yours. Don’t be so willing to pack up your bags and call it quits. I promise you it won’t be the last time that it will happen and even if you decide to move on there will be differences that you will have to work through there too. It’s not that your are loosing who you are, but your are gaining a greater in sight to who they are. It should be because of your differences that you find a greater love for each other. It’s not just about “Me or I”, but about “Us and We” and as you learn each other, the more that you will grow together. Instead of seeing through the eyes of two you will begin to see through the eyes of one while yet being an individual and staying true to who you are as a person. #truelovewaits

Don’t Count Out The Things You Can’t See

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About 1 1/2 months ago I was given some Rose of Sharon’s to plant. When I counted them there was a total of 15. I thought where am I going to put all of these. So I began to look where I might be able to plant them. They needed to get planted in the ground so its roots would settle and be firm enough to survive the winter. Once I planted them I made sure to water them every other day unless we had a good rain where I didn’t have to go water them. I would continue to look and see if there were any signs of new life. As long as I saw the evidence of new leaves growing, there was a good chance that they would survive. There were two of them that shriveled up and looked dead. No evidence or sign of life at all. I thought about uprooting them, then throwing them away and planting something else in it’s place, but I kept hearing the Lord say don’t give up on them just yet. In my mind I’m like God do you not see the condition of these plants? There would be times that I would be making my rounds to water my plants and wouldn’t even bother watering those two at all. My thoughts were what is the use. I was only looking at them in their present condition. It’s amazing where our frame of mind is at times and how we treat each other and are so ready to disregard and throw each other away because we can’t see past where someone is today. God told me to start watering them again and to not give up on them just yet. So I did as He had instructed. It had rained all day yesterday and when I came home I looked around at all of my plants and was amazed how they were growing. I saw signs of new life from things that I didn’t even plant and they were beautiful. God said go look at the plant. I had to bend down in order to see it because it was much smaller than the other ones. Sure enough there were some new leaves starting to grow on it. There were signs of new life and to think I almost go rid of them. A lot of times we will give up on our dreams, our visions, our desires and each other because we can’t see any evidence of life. We are only looking at them in their present condition. There are some things God has said don’t give up on IT just yet. Though you can’t see any evidence doesn’t mean that it isn’t working, that something isn’t growing underneath the ground, that He isn’t working in the back ground scenes of your life. Faith sees when there is no evidence, because it looks beyond what it sees now and believes. #CLEANTHISHOUSE

Shining Through

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I had a patient who came in yesterday and she complimented me on how pretty I looked and about my hair. She started asking me all these random questions like: Do you have a new boyfriend? No ma’am I wouldn’t really consider him new. I didn’t even 1st think to ask are you married? No ma’am I am not married. Are you getting ready to get married? No ma’am not at the moment. Well there has been something different about you lately. You’ve just been looking so pretty and very beautiful lately. I said did I not before? I’m thinking in my head I have on scrubs and my hair is in a pony tail. She said no I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just something about you. We just laughed and when she walked off my co-worker looked at me like what was that all about. Me with my hands in the air I DO NOT KNOW. I didn’t even feel that bubbly yesterday. I was tired, feeling some kinda way. By the end of the day that same patient had checked out and was inquiring again about me to another co-worker. You would have thought she was trying to find out this big secret that I was keeping. I have had several people say different things about noticing a difference and this glow about me. If they only knew what I was really feeling and am experiencing behind this smile. There are times I am struggling, battling, trying to keep my self from crying or having a nervous break down, I don’t feel like I have it all together or even feel like being strong. The only thing I can sum up is the fact that I am happy, free and at peace and in spite of what I might be experiencing and what’s inside me supersedes it all. “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world” 1 John 4:4 #CLEANTHISHOUSE