Our graduate student daughter is settled into her new career. Our first year graduated student is all moved in.  Our annual Women of Promise International Ministries Conference is over, and I am back home after nearly two weeks on the road.  So what is the plan for the rest of 2016?

Well, I will be working diligently on getting my manuscript, “The Heart of a Caregiver” ready for its final publishing.  This is a project that is near and dear to my heart.  As most of you know, I have been my husband’s caregiver since 2008.  I have learned so much along the way and I want to encourage others who may be caring for loved ones.

The caregiver’s journey is one of selflessness and perseverance. Watching a loved one suffer is never easy, and it takes great resolve to endure.  I salute anyone who is functioning in the role of caregiver.  In this book I share my personal struggle and how I have been able to continue this seemingly endless journey.

God has been faithful to sustain me, and it is my prayer that this book will encourage caregivers everywhere.

Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor

Women of Promise International Ministries Inc. Conference 2016 is now a memory.  We had an awesome time in the Lord.  The speakers were excellent, the enrichment sessions were informative and the praise, dancing and worship was powerful.  I want to thank God for everyone who attended and those who prayed for this conference.  We are already planning for 2017, and I am excited to announce that our conference will be held in the beautiful state of Maryland.  Save the date: September 7-9, 2017.  More information to follow.  Sign up for our newsletter at http://www.womenofpromise.net so you will not miss anything.  Visit our Facebook page to see live videos from the conference.

I trust you are all registered with hotel reservations to meet me in Raleigh, NC for our 2016 conference.  I am so excited about our line-up of speakers this year.  I am believing God for a supernatural outpouring like never before.

In addition to our conference speakers, we have seven Enrichment Sessions scheduled.  These sessions will provide an intimate setting for ministering to men, women, singles, couples, lay members, as well as leadership.  God has blessed us with powerful men and women of God who  will speak into your life.

If you have not registered by now, it is unfortunately too late to register for the conference.  However, you can attend on Friday night at 7:00 PM.  This general session is open to the public and no registration is required. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Thomas L.  Dozier, Sr. Pastor of The Word of Grace and Truth Ministries, Tampa FL. I believe God has given him a Word for all of us.  I am honored to have my pastor minster in our conference this year.  We will also be blessed by a local choir, Fountain of Living Waters Church Praise Ensemble.

To all of my blog, Facebook, and other social media followers, if you are any where near Raleigh, NC on September 9, make your way to the Hyatt Place Raleigh West for the General session on Friday night.  God will meet you there and my prayer is that everyone who attends this conference  will not leave the same way they came.

Be blessed in Jesus’ name

See you in a few days

Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor

Life is constantly moving, and if you are not moving you will be left behind.  Each day brings new victories and new challenges to each of us.  It is important that we learn from yesterday so that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past.  There are no do overs in this life, we only get one shot.

Making the best of the time we have been given is a wise thing to do.  Each of us have been given an assignment here on earth.  Whatever your assignment is, focus on bringing it to completion.  None of us know how much time we have so we should take advantage of every opportunity to focus on our assignment.

It has been said that the graveyard is one of the richest places on earth for there lies many dreams.  Unwritten books, songs never penned, tasks never completed and lives never fully lived.  One of my greatest fears in life has always been returning to my Heavenly Father having not done what He created me to do.  And because of this fear, I strive daily to make each day meaningful.

Join me today in making a decision to make your life count.  You may not be able to finish every assignment, but get started on one.  I believe if we are diligent to work toward completing our assignment, God will raise up someone to carry on and complete what we could not finish.

Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor

Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 8,  “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

As much as we would like to believe we control things, the truth is that all things are in God’s hands.  He makes everything happen in His time.  When I read this passage of Scripture, it makes me happy to know that that times and seasons of my life are in the hands of an all-knowing God.

When I look at where I am now in life, as it relates to what God has shown me, I have to be honest and say that I am at times discouraged.  But when I look at His Word and understand that my times are not His times I am encouraged to stay the course.

My encouragement to you today is to stay focused as you wait on God’s timing.  He created time. What may seem like a long time to us is not necessarily a long time to God.  Remember, He can do more in a second than we can do in a lifetime.  It only takes one word from God to totally change our circumstances.

Learning to trust God is vital to our development as believers.  I spent many years upset and sad about things that I had no power to change.  I regret all the wasted time spent worrying and stressing about the future.  Be assured that all that we perceive to be ugly and distasteful, God has a set time to bring you through.  We can know peace by knowing Him.   Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor

When you think about divine alignment, what is the first thing that comes to mind?  Many of us want to do our own thing but receive divine results.  If we are to be aligned with God’s plan for our lives, we must be obedient to what His Word says.

What God desires for His people is not always what one desires for his or herself.  Yes, we want to be happy and fulfilled in life, but where does submission to God fit in?  The Bible tells us to humble ourselves. James 4:10, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

When we submit to God, we allow Him to do what needs to be done in our lives.  He knows the plan He has for us.  Living life on God’s terms always leads to success in life. Remember, He has gone before us and He knows the outcome.  Nothing is hidden from Him.  2 Chronicles 16:9,  “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

Our conference this year will be filled with praise and worship.  Why is it important to have praise and worship during the conference?  Because God is worthy of praise and worship and whatever we do, we do to Him. Psalm 96:9 reads that we are to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”

We offer praise and worship to God because He is holy and almighty. When we think of the greatness of who He is our hearts flood in admiration to Him. Worship is an expression of our love for our amazing God. Even when we walk off the path He has set for us, God is merciful, offering us opportunity after opportunity to come back in line.  The desire to praise and worship our great God is not rooted in the things He has given us but simply in who He is.  He is worthy of praise and worship. If we lost all of our earthly possessions it does not diminish who God is.  He alone is to worshipped and adored.

As Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 He told her in verse 23 that “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.”  Before we can worship Him, we must know Him. Our hearts must be in tune with the heart of God in order to offer true worship to Him.

Worship is more than a song, but it is a condition of the heart.  As we come together for Women of Promise International Ministries Conference, it is my prayer that our hearts will be conditioned to exalt and yield to God.  You can express your worship in a song, playing an instrument, dancing before the Lord, or lifting of your hands. However you choose to worship remember God seeks a heart that is right toward Him.

2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

God has blessed us with some awesome worship leaders and musicians for our conference.  Plan to be in attendance.  Register early to receive all of the discounts.

Evelyn Johnson-Taylor Ph.D.

It’s conference time and this is one that you do not want to miss.  For the next few weeks, I will be highlighting our conference.  I will be introducing you to our awesome speakers and other presenters.  We will convene in Raleigh, NC on Thursday, September 8 – 10.  All attendees can begin picking up their conference packets at 4:00 PM.

This week I want to begin by sharing with you what God has called me to do and why I started Women of Promise International Ministries.  I started this ministry several years ago to meet the needs of so many of the women I met.  Many of them knew God had a plan for their lives but didn’t quite know how to tap into it.  I also found that many of them while seeking God’s plan were walking in disobedience.  In other words they were doing their own thing while asking God for His plan.  If we want to be and accomplish what God has for us, we must walk in obedience.

 Newsflash: The promises of God do come with conditions. 

We cannot expect to live a life of disobedience and reap the promises of God.  This ministry’s primary mission is to empower women to walk in their God-designed-destiny.  We do this by providing workshops, webinars, conferences, one-on-ones, and through our social media contacts: our Constant Contact newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram. We also have a weekly prayer call that takes place every Thursday  at 6:30 AM and 8:30 PM (EST).

Our goal is the reach one woman and empower her to reach others.  We each have been called by God to share with those who need to know Him.  For every woman that we reach, we want her to reach out to someone else.  If you do not know what to say, share with someone about this ministry and what we do.

To learn more about Women of Promise International Ministries Inc. click here

Evelyn Johnson-Taylor Ph.D

During the Summer months, many families will come together to catch up and have fun. The chatter will include new family members who are there for the first time. Some family members will be missing for one reason or another. Some will have passed on while others simply just could not make it.

Recently, I met for the first time one of my great nieces.  A delightful young woman, filled with energy and passion for life.  She inquired if I could tell her more about my father, her great-grandfather. As I began to share with her some details of his personality, his hope and dreams for his family, it occured to me that even though I have fond memories of him, I seldom share them. It started me thinking just how little my own children know about their grandfather.

Life gets busy and less important things sometimes fall by the wayside.  We have good intentions but our good intentions never amount to putting things into action.  At this season of my life, I really want to focus on building and maintaining relationships.  Connecting with others is so important, you never know how God will use you to be a blessing in someone else’s life.  Or how God will use someone else to be a blessing in your life.

Visiting and sharing with other members of your family is a good thing. It might surprise you to learn who you most resemble in looks and personality.  Perhaps you can offer stories of family members who are deceased, making them come alive in the hearts of those who never met them in person.

As believers we are a part of a larger family.  This family is called the Body of Christ. The Scripture admonishes us to not neglect meeting with this family.   Hebrews 10:25.  When we fellowship with our brothers and sisters we draw strength and encouragment from each other.  Spend time getting to know family and learning about each other.  The ties that connect us are stronger than the challenges that divide us.

Behold how good and pleasant it is for God’s people to dwell together in unity.. Psalm 133:1.

Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor

Our first born just finished her graduate degree, and is off to start her first professional job.  While she seems confident and poised I wonder what she is really thinking.  Is she a lot like me, hiding her fears knowing the best way to conquer fear is to face it?  Does she know that fear can block the blessings God has for us?

How is she really processing this new chapter in her life?  Is she nervous while excited at the same time?  Will she really enjoy being on her own as much as she thinks she will?  How will she know the right answers when asked questions?  Could it be that deep down she is afraid of the next chapter? Or perhaps she does not know enough about life to be concerned about what awaits her in adulthood?

Well, here is a thought, maybe she is the confident young woman that I prayed she would become.  Perhaps she understood when we told her that she could do all things through Christ who strengthens her. Just maybe she grasps the truth of God’s Word and understands that He has not given her the spirit of fear.

Parents: when we pray for our children, do not be surprised when God answers our prayers. While we want our children to grow, there is a part of us that wants them to stay dependent on us.  Well, we can’t have it both ways. Either we pray and trust God, or we live in fear and despair.  The same God that watches them in childhood will watch them in adulthood.  No matter how old they get, they are still His children.

So today, I am a thankful mother.  God has answered and continues to answer my prayers relating to my children. The  screaming infant we brought home years ago is a force to be reckoned with.  She is strong, independent, mature, and knows what she wants in life.  My prayer now is that she stays close to God and allows Him to direct her path. So I say to everyone reading this, do not be afraid to start the next chapter of you life.  And to parents everywhere, if you have raised your children according to God’s Word, rest in that.  Know that God is faithful to fulfill what He has promised.

Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him.  Psalm 127:3 (NLT)

Evelyn and her husband Scott have been married for twenty five years and are the parents of two daughters. My husband and I thank God for our gift, times two.

Dr. Evelyn Johnson-Taylor

To learn more about conquering fears read my book Seven Blessing Blockers: Discover How You Can Overcome Hindrances to the Abundant Life

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