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.

Just As I Am

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I was sitting at my job one day  when all of a sudden I heard the most beautiful voice I had ever heard of in my life.  The sound that I heard was so pure, as if it were coming from heaven.  When I looked up it was a young man who was disabled. By looking at him you would have never expected that to come out of him. There were no words, just this beautiful melody. It would go in and out of melody to a noise, but oh how beautiful it was.  I was sitting there trying to hold back the tears because I had never heard anything like that and it touched my heart so. His voice would carry through out the waiting room and people would come out of the back wondering what was all that noise, but they failed to hear the melody that was flowing from his heart.  I would see the looks and feeling people wanting him to shut up, but they had no clue.  This wasn’t some ordinary noise that you would normally hear and because they weren’t tuned in they could not hear what I could hear.  It was music to my ears and some how brought peace to my soul.  I asked  his case worker had he always been disabled and she said yes. Wow! I was even more blown away.  He most definitely has a unique gift.  In my stupidity I began to think how much more he could be if someone knew how to work with him, to cultivate what he has. The Lord immediately rebuked me by telling me he is fine just the way that he is and I understand exactly what he is saying to me. I found myself repenting almost to the point of tears because of my thoughts.  Psalm 139:14 “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well”  When God created us, he created us in his image.  He already knew when he created us that we would not be perfect, that we would have flaws, dysfunctions and make  A WHOLE LOT of mistakes, but yet he loved us enough to still create us. In that one moment I almost lost sight of that very thing. We were wonderfully, fearfully created made by the Master and we are all unique in our own way. This world can be very cruel and harsh, but when we can grab a hold of who God has created us to be and tap into the uniqueness within ourselves, what he has given us needs to be shared with the world.  when God created you he broke the mold. Just think if we were all created the same.  Yeah! I know BORING, but he didn’t because of who you are, what he has created you to be and what you have to offer is what we need in this world that has grown cold.  When you look in the mirror and think about who you want to be like, dare to be the best authentic you that God has created to you to be. I always get excited when he comes in. So now when he comes into my Doctors Office I say here comes my Hummingbird. I smile big and listen to him sing. Not everyone will hear you, listen to you,  understand you, respond or even notice you.  They may even reject you, make fun of you or even ignore you, but don’t you ever stop being you.  Someone see’s you and love’s you just the way you are.

You No Longer Have To Hide

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I have always been a major fan of super heroes. You know the Transformers, Avengers, Fantastic 4, X-Men, The Hulk, etc. I was always fascinated with how they could transform into something else and come to the rescue to defeat the villians. The movies would have you sitting on the edge of your seats and waiting for the next one to come out when the movie was over. When I was preparing to preach at a Women’s Conference God started dealing with me about my super heroes. I was like Lord if anything you had to deal with why did it have to be them.  Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world,  but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” I realize now why God was so specific when he talked about transforming the mind. When you transform your outerward apperance and you don’t deal with what’s going on in the inside of you, you are only covering up or masking who you really are. When you transform your mind through the word of God you change your life and the things around you. The battlefield begins in the mind. If we don’t kill those negative thoughts within our mind, they set root into our heart which then produces into our life. Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.   The thing about super heroes and villains is that their moment of fame and power is only temporary which still leaves them hiding who they really are. God never intended for you to live your life behind a mask. A mask represents low self esteem and the loss of identity while it keeps you hidden and locked down from who God truly intended you to be. When you renew your mind through the word of God you will find your identity, yourself worth and exactly you are in him. When you find your identity you no longer have hide behind a mask, but can bodly walk in who he has called you to be.

The Mind of Christ

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When I have been burned, cut or had an accident that has caused some sort of pain, my 1st instinct is to try to find the source of where the pain is coming from, do what is needed to stop the pain and go through the healing process so I can get better. Yet our1st instinct when someone has hurt us is to retaliate. What can I do to make them hurt the way they hurt me? Pulls us out of character to the point that we become foolish. Retaliate 1st and recover later. What we don’t realize is that when operating in that manner we not only afflict more pain on ourselves, but cause the recovery time to become longer. Although there are different sources of pain you would think the methods would be the same. Find the source, address it’s need, heal from it and avoid it from reaccuring. But how many times do we find ourselves right back in the same place that hurt us the 1st time. Becoming addicted to the pain is not only scary but a dangerous place to be in. God did not call us to live a life status of a “Victim” Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” Having the mind of Christ means there has to be a transformation which can only be done when we our minds are being renewed by the word of God. Just like we get up everyday and put on our clothes, we have to clothe ourselves with the word of God. The word of God has to become a life style. You have to put it into action in order for it to work.  Yes! We all have our moments, but it shouldn’t become our excuse. When we have the mind of Christ we no longer think and operate out of our flesh, but by his Spirit. So no matter the source of our pain our method changes from retaliate to trusting and allowing God to lead us in what we do and say.

T.G.I.F. Thank God I Am Forgiven

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Ephesians 4:32

“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”

I didn’t realize until I was going through my divorce that I had allowed the root of unforgiveness to settle within my heart. I never knew the extent that unforgiveness could cause until I became so sick of myself in desperate need and the want to change. I realized I could no longer go the direction that I was going and had to take back control over my life. As I sought God in where I had gone wrong with a sincere and humble heart in my moment of soul searching God started revealing to me not so much of others or the things that accured in my life, but about me. Change doesn’t begin with others, but with in ourselves. The biggest thing that I realized was the unforgiveness I had against my father that stemmed all the way down to my childhood and because a lot of the issues that were unresolved then resulted into dysfunctions as I became older. Daughters are always known to be “Daddy’s Little Girls” and from them we look for leadership, guiadance, applause, opinions, nurturing and their approval. There were a lot of things that I should have received from him growing up and my lack of those things resulted me looking for them in other people and things which in most cases unknowingly caused me to build unhealthy relationships and soul ties. Now don’t get me wrong my daddy loves his girls, he is a hard working man, is smart as a whip and he always provided for us , but when one is broken and you never got the things yourself as a child to prepare you to be a father or even a man it presents some of the same cycles that occurred in your childhood if not worse and not recognized. I looked for him to give me what he was incapable of giving me and rejected what he could. There are so many things that you should be taught growing up, but because of the dysfunctions of others you unfortunately learn them through your own mistakes in life. When God revealed to me of my unforgiveness and where it came from I had the option to either deal with it, let it go and grow from it or I could hold onto it and continue in the cycle that I was in. When I sincerely forgave my father it was a trickle effect in my life from not only him, but others. This was a major turning point and life changing experience for me. And when I chose to forgive him I had a feeling of freedom and peace that I had never experienced in my life before. It unlocked so many things not only about me, but it was an eye opener that changed my life forever. So now I’ll try to do whatever it takes to remain in that place of freedom and peace. Although there are still areas in my life that God is revealing and healing me from I refuse to allow myself to go back in that place of bondage. In order for me to do so I have to continue to trust and depend on God and continue to take those things to the cross. In my own strength I can’t, but through him I can do all things. And just as God has continually forgiven me of my wrong so do I have to do for others.

It’s Coming Back Thursday

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Isaiah 55:8

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord”

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that one of my Rose of Sharon had some buds on it to where I could even see the color that it would blossom.  I was surprised to not only see the buds, but the fact that it was doing so out  of it’s season.  Looking at it you wouldn’t think that it was ready as it was small in stature.  In most cases they would grow a little bit bigger before it would even began to blossom.  The other morning as I was leaving for church something said look, which I automatically knew what that meant.  When I looked over and I saw a flower on it that made me smile.  I began to laugh because it is September and my flowers and plants are still blooming which seems so out of it’s season.  I believe whole hardly in the direct timing and seasons of God.  Even when looking at the Rose of Sharon and judging by the season in which we are in you would think that it wasn’t ready and it that it was defentily out of it’s season,  but the fact that it is blooming was making a strong statement “It’s My Time” in spite of what it looks like around me. In life people will try to determine when you are ready or not and sometime’s it is the people who are the problem, but TRUTH God is the only one who can control your seasons and determine your time. Yes! God does use people to speak into your life and help you along the way, but not everyone is for you so you have to be careful who speaks into you and know if they are sent from God.  Your enviornment is everything.  If you aren’t planted in the right environment it can not only kill your seed, but hinder your growth.  Be careful where you are planted because every place is not fertile ground.

Pressing My Way Wednesday

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John 10:10

“The theif cometh not, but for to steal, kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and may have it abundantly”

When you look at the anatomy of an egg it has 8 layers.  The outer layer which is it’s shell protects you from getting to the inside of it.  In order to get to the inside you would have to literally break it open.  Though it’s outer shell can become cracked it can still stay in tack due to the layers that is underneath it’s shell. Even if the egg becomes broken it can still be used.  When an egg is boiled it increases the strength in the layers of the egg and makes it even harder for you to get into.  Even if you crack the egg you still have to peel back it’s shell and break into it’s other layers before you could ever get to the center of the egg.  The enemies job is to keep what’s on the inside of you from growing and being produced. In order for him to even destroy what’s on the inside of you he would have to breakthrough the many layers of you which is your mind, your heart and break your spirit. He knows if you ever produce what is on the inside of you his kingdom would be destroyed.  The more that you strengthen your inner man it becomes harder for him to break through in your life. A long this journey you may become cracked, but  it is from the cracks in life that we draw strength and builds up our resistance.  In time all wounds heal.  Though they may leave a scar it is an outward testimony that you survived and have overcome a fall.  The thing about the fall is that you may have become cracked, but your not easily broken.

Turn Around Tuesday

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Galatians 6:7
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”

2 years ago I had moved into my new home and I was given 12  Rose of Sharon to plant. I have never been much of a gardener, but I was now having to learn how. Being new at this I wasn’t really sure of what I was doing or how to even care for a plant let alone a garden. So I took the  instructions and the advice that I was given from others and decided to give it a try. I have found it to be very rewarding, fulling, and therapeutic even while  “In The Garden” as there has been so much that I have learned. It was a critical time in this season as spring was fastly approaching it’s end and waiting to see if they would even survive through the winter praying I would do right by them. When planting it has a lot to do with how you plant and where you plant them. Are they planted in good ground, planted in the right area, is it the right type of soil or environment for them?  Is there enough or too much sunlight, ext. These Rose of Sharon were partially grown with roots already so they were transitioning to a different location into a new source. I continued to follow the instructions that I was given which was to water them every other day unless we received a lot of rain and even if I didn’t see any evidence of life to not give up on them just yet. I continued this process until it was too cold for me to do so and I just prayed that they would survive through the winter season. Around spring as I was going around to check on them I noticed there were leaves growing on them, signs of new life. I was surprised that even though I planted all 12 of them at the same time that none of them looked the same in height nor in color. You can plant several of the same things  and they still not produce at the same time and what it produces can be different in size even when it’s of the same kind, but it doesn’t  cause it to loose it’s value in what it will produce. To everything there is direct timing and season. I was excited as one of them that I planted on the side of the house which was also the biggest of them all had started producing buds where I could even see the color that it would bloom. It made me wonder about the other one’s as some seemed to be slower than others. A couple of them I had accidentally cut while I was cutting my grass and I was devistated. They were having to some what start over and not knowing if they would even flourish again. Something in me said to keep watering them because they were only cut from the surface and the roots were still planted firmly in the ground. Just because you don’t see any evidence of life on the surface doesn’t mean that their isn’t anything growing under the ground. Some of the greatest things are produced in a dark place. Give it sometime to be produced. Eventually I began to see life again. Every seed sown will produce a harvest in it’s due season. It never produces what has been planted in the ground, but it increases in size. Good or bad you will reap a harvest of whatever seed has been sown. If you don’t want to see anything produced in the future be careful of the seeds that you plant into the ground.

Transformation Monday

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One of the things that I hate the most while “In the Garden” are the weeds. There are so many of them and they are so hard to get rid of. I could have just taken some out and no sooner then I turn around there would be more.   If you aren’t careful weeds can kill what you are trying to produce and creep up on you out of no where. Some weeds can appear to be a comaflouge as they can produce some beautiful flowers, but the nature of them is to destroy and take over whatever it comes in contact with.  Weeds are any undesireable or trouble some plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted.  It can almost be a daily process when trying to get rid of the weeds. There are some weeds that I have taken up that I couldn’t  believe how long and thick the roots were.  Some I ended up breaking because the roots were so deep that I couldn’t get to it all or I had to dig deep.  That meant that they had to have been growing underneath the ground for some time before it was produced on the surface.  The manifestation that you see in people’s lives has a lot to do with the things that were never taken care of before they set root and are now coming to the surface.  A lot of things happen or stem from our childhood. Things that should have been dealt with or given to us then and the lack there of resulted into us looking into and picking up unhealthy things.  Roots once set are hard to get rid of because roots run deep, but they aren’t impossible.  If you don’t destroy it from it’s root and get it at it’s early stages it will come up again and it will only increase in size.  Though the process can be long and painful it is necessary in order for you to grow healthy and remain free.  It’s not so much what you can see, but the thing’s which are not. If there are something’s in your life that you don’t like it’s root is underneath the surface.  Get to the root and kill it.

Pressing My Way Wednesday

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Philippians 3:13-14
” Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”

The woman with the issue of blood had been dealing with her issue for 12 years. As a woman it’s hard to deal with a week let alone 12 YEARS. In that day and time when a woman was bleeding it was as if she had a plague because no one would associate with her, touch her nor come in contact with anything that she had touched. She had spent the last of what she had and no one else would help her. She was abandoned, pushed to the side, talked about and isolated. ONE DAY she heard about a man named Jesus and became in the press. She didn’t care about the crowd and who was standing in her way. Through her struggles she found strength and through her determination it led her to being healed. It wasn’t the fact that she touched Jesus that she became made whole, but because of her faith to believe that he could that she was made well. Imagine if she never became in the press that day. You may not have an issue of blood, but what is the issue(s) that you have been carrying around with you for “WAY TOO LONG”. Today could be the day if you would just believe that you too can be free and be made whole. It’s never too late for you to press your way through the crowd, the noise, the disappointments, the betrayl, the hurt, the pain and be made whole. No matter your issue you can be set free, but you have to go to the right physician. Our bondage sometimes isn’t in the issues that we have, but who it is that we seek to made whole. The two options that you have is to stay bond to your issue(s) or press your way to Jesus and be made whole. The ball is in your court “Wilt thou be made whole”

Turn It Around Tuesday

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Romans 8:28

” And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are called according to His purpose”

God knows I love me some sweets. Sweets are my weakness. I will eat them all day, every day and even before my meal or as a substitute. Oh and don’t let me get a sweet tooth, it is OVER.  I’m not supposed to eat homemade cakes or any cakes for  that matter due to my gluten allergy, but when my sister makes a cake I just have to have a piece or two.  I used to love to make desserts and now I just let my sister make them. Depending on what you are making it may require a lot of ingredients and you will definitely need to know what you are doing. People that really know how to cook will add their little flavor to it, but there are certain main ingredients that you have to have in order for it to work together the way that you want it to. If one of the main ingredients is left out it is guaranteed not to work . It is easy to quote and
pull out our favorite parts of the scripture, but if we leave any of it off the scripture will not work no matter how many times we quote them. So in order for things to work for our good we have to #1 love God. How do we love God, by accepting his Son, keeping his commandments and by the life that we live. “Actions speak louder than words” # 2 to them who are called according to His purpose. HIS PURPOSE  which means that it has to line up with his will and not ours. Can God turn it around for you? Absolutely , but you have to meet the requirements (do your part) in order for it to all work together for your good. Just like making that cake, if any of the main ingredients are not added or if they are taken away you will not produce the cake that you want. If you are looking for God to turn something’s around in your life examine yourself today and make sure you’re not leaving anything out.