The cost of Ambition

When I look back over the years of old family photos of me and my children,
We may have been poor but we were happy until I caught a virus called ambition.
Things seemed simpler back then, but today I seem to fail, no matter how hard I try.
While on the road to give them a better life, somehow they got left behind.
I was fueled by the deep desire to overcome the odds stacked against me,
and the hurtful words that maliciously attacked me,
with three small children in tow, a better life came with a sense of urgency.
I wanted so desperately to prove that I was a good mother, contributing to society other than a number for another sad statistic,
although I had nothing;
raised by the system,
no man,
no education,
still, I remained optimistic.
I had to leave others behind and never look back, I made many tough decisions.
I grew strong in my faith, maintained an attitude of gratitude; and in my kids, I planted seeds of wisdom.
I wanted nothing more than to give them a better life, than the hard life that I had been given.
But nothing in life is free, success comes at a cost, accomplishing my dreams turned into an obsession.
The gap between those I love seem to grow wider the closer I get to my destination,
They don’t understand that all of this is for them, to redeem us all from the curse of generational oppression.
They don't know how many risks I've taken, how much I have sacrificed,
how much I gave, how much I prayed, and how many countless times that I compromised.
But God knows my heart, my purpose is clear, and has promised that He will stay right by my side.
Everyone will benefit from the point of it all one day,
and my ambition will be justified.

© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Fall 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

Discipleship is priceless

I was writing my query to a literary agent last night and it asked about "my competition and credentials.”

That threw me off guard because anyone that spreads the gospel shouldn’t consider a fellow Christian writer as competition. Anyone that knows me knows that I’m not afraid to be transparent and speak what is on my heart. So of course I answered it honestly.

Yes, I know there are many other Christian authors and passionate ministries but I don't see it as competition, I see it as Discipleship. Partnerships are far more productive than rivalry. Discipleship unites, rivalry divides. There can never be too many Disciples of Christ. Why are all the largest banks in the world so massive and powerful? Why do they own much of the worlds wealth and have so many people working for them? They MERGE. What would happen if ministries would do the same? How many Disciples would we recruit?

As for my credentials?

I do not claim to be a pastor or the ideal Christian, whatsoever. I don't have a long blood-line of highly respected ancestors, in fact, quite the opposite. I am a sinner. I am a single mother of three and have many internal issues that I deal with. I still struggle with worrying, trust, balance and battling old scars. I catch myself being hypocritical at times and I quite often question my worthiness, especially when it comes to leading this ministry. I do not have a Masters in theology or divinity; in fact I am just now working on my Degree in Christian Ministry/Biblical Studies. I was not raised in the church; on the contrary, I fully committed my life to Christ just short of three years ago. I am not an ordained minister and have not been qualified by any church to minister to others. God is the only one that qualified me.

I do however; pray to God and ask for wisdom, guidance, discernment, patience, strength, endurance, perseverance and unwavering faith to see this through. I am also very transparent and let Him know that I know that I am not at the level that I should be, but I am so glad I'm not where I was. I beg Him to please help me with my areas of weakness and turn my issues into virtue. I do not want to fall short in His eyes but live each day to please him and to serve the purpose He has set for me.

It would be more comforting to know that I am out of the target of the enemy’s weapons, but God gave me a job to do and I will do it. I expect to run into challenges. It is a given, but I will not be shaken, I will not waver, I will not follow others.


I wish blessings to all fellow authors and ministry leaders! I pray for your success more than my own!

Discipleship priceless!

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:1-5

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces 4 perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3

“We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.” 2 Thessalonians 3:4-5



© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Fall 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

Transparent Relationships

Transparent - easy to see through, understand, or recognize; without concealment; open; frank; candid

Would you say that you have transparent relationships?

Transparency is letting your guard completely down, humbling yourself and getting honest with others, yourself and most importantly, God.

Living in a world full of pride, we like to point out others sins, short-comings, habits and quirks but when it comes to our own, we hide in our closets from those that we fear may condemn, judge or reject us for own. Judgment and pride are such nasty sins to have and when they work together they are even nastier. You may judge others but justify your own behavior or maybe you justify others behavior but judge yourself harshly. This can block you from having an authentic and healthy relationship.

Transparent relationships are the deepest and most gratifying relationships to have. It’s when you confess and admit your short-comings and ask for forgiveness, support and accountability. They are real and establish a foundation of humility, hope and trust. You admit you fall short to everyone’s expectations and quite often your own. We can be own worse critics, can’t we?

When committing your life to Christ and walking that path with Him with each passing day as you draw closer to your purpose, your pride will drift away. In walking that long journey, your vulnerabilities, weaknesses and fears will be revealed and you will be tested on your level of faith.

So what do you have to lose in revealing all of your flaws to those you love? Your false, surface-level relationships. They will crack under pressure, hide from the truth and wither away.

In losing the false relationships, you gain much more. Your authentic and transparent relationships will come to the forefront and will strengthen during hardships, hold tight to faith and rejoice in truth.

No matter how much you try, we all sin and fall short in the eyes of God. We are all tempted to do wrong because it is in our nature to sin. When you deny the cross; hide from truth and authenticity, you are simply wearing a cloak of a false witness.

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

“For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” Romans 7:23-25


© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

Sheild of Faith

While on your path to becoming holy, do you ever forget that you're human?

Not only do you forget, but others do too?

You think, I pray diligently, focus on God so much that there is no way I can get off track. Wrong!

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” James 1:22

While you are busy struggling carrying that cross and you stumble and fall, you beat yourself up over it and feel like maybe you’re too weak but then you remember God’s promise so you get back up, pick it back up, place it on your back and continue on. Then a spectator comes along, mocking you, ridiculing you, spitting on you and your purpose and knock you right back down. Then of course while carrying the cross, the devil starts whispering lies making you feel unworthy, insecure and fearful of the path ahead.

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” Matthew 16:24-25

That cross is so heavy isn’t it? And the road seems so very long, right?

You get so stuck on that “Deny yourself” part that you forget that you are just a simple man/woman and have feelings. Others who see that you are so busy working on moving closer to fulfilling your purpose, in their confusion as to why you are so set on what they consider a “pointless mission” they attempt to discourage you.

I know in the past few weeks I have been challenged with all of the above. It can be quite difficult to stay on that path. It is not for the weak-minded or the faint-hearted but for a noble heart with a fire in their belly and a love for God and his people.

When God calls you and gives you a purpose to fulfill, it will not be easy. In fact, when you answer that call and you start working on your purpose, you attract the enemy along with all of his bag of tricks. He will use the things closest to your heart against you to hurt you; the very thing he thinks will break you. He will reopen old wounds and pull out old fears. He will attempt to attack at every angle and when one weapon doesn’t work, he will upgrade to something stronger.

You have to remember, the more attacks that you receive, the closer you are to the purpose being fulfilled.

That’s when you have to pull out your faith and refer back to the truth. God’s word and His promise. God never breaks His promises to those who believe and trust in Him. He is the ultimate chess player and will line up everything in accordance to His perfect plan.

God is truth, the devil is a lie. God is light, the devil is darkness. God is love, the devil is hate.

“I am the way, the truth and the light.” John 14:6

As the enemy breaks out his weapons, break out your shield of faith!

“Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” Ephesians 6:16


Be blessed this week!


© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

The Attack on Families

As I reflect on today’s society, it appears to me that it just doesn’t seem as innocent as it was when I was a child. And I’m sure the generation before thought the same thing. So what does that mean then? I believe it means that with each passing generation, as my friend John would say, “a snowball is now becoming an avalanche.”

Although I grew up in turmoil, there still seemed to be some discretion in society. The marriages and families seemed to be more solid, the standard of beauty wasn’t as shallow as it was today, and there was more censorship in music, media and movies and the youth seemed to more inspired and respectful. Things were the same but it not as extreme.

I believe this may be occurring for many reasons. I think as we move closer to the second arrival of Christ, the enemy is planting seeds/parasites into as many people as he can because today’s generation are more vulnerable and have more to offer. We are the generation of awakening and change. We are a generation are called to spread the gospel planting seeds of hope, truth, wisdom and peace more than any other.

What is the best way that an enemy gains victory over his opponent? He gets in their mind. For the second wave of destruction? He takes all of his enemies that are allies and pit them against one another.

So what seeds/parasites is the enemy planting? I believe he has a weapon and strategy for each of the targeted victims. They are all different and have different vulnerabilities.

Allow me to elaborate:

Men

Pornography/Lust- The pornography business is the most profitable business in the world and the target audience is men and even some women. Pornography divides husbands from their wives and men start to lose their attraction to their spouse. It causes friction and makes them think women are objects for the purpose of fulfilling a lustful desire and it is an insatiable desire at that. It becomes worse and worse until everything they love has left and they almost find themselves in a false perverted reality. They quickly find out that due to their lustful appetite and submission to temptation, they are now all alone and they went from being the priest and leader of their household to a fool seduced by the devil himself.

Women

Beauty/Body Image- Women were created with a desire to be loved. They seek stability and security. They naturally seek to feel desirable to the opposite sex. The same holds true even in the animal kingdom. The standard of beauty today has become so distorted that it is impossible to uphold. Scripture clearly states that beauty is to flow from within but the world we live in, doesn’t follow that same standard. Instead of women focusing on their inner beauty, they have evolved into correcting their slightest flaws, so much that it has now grown to an obsession. We have almost turned ourselves into plastic dolls. Cosmetic surgery, fake hair, fake contact lenses, fake nails, fake eye-lashes, you name it. What God gave us wasn’t enough. What a perfect plan for the devil. To make women feel that they are never good enough in the eyes of man and to compete with our fellow sisters in Christ.

Children/Youth

Music/Mind Control- The devil was the “Minister of Music.” The best way to get in the mind of a child/teen is to get to them through music. Music has a way of molding and shaping our children. Be careful what you allow your children to listen to and the videos that they watch. Pay attention to the lyrics, the connotations, the symbolisms and the insinuations. Much of the music today that is very popular among the youth are very explicit and inappropriate for a young child mind that is in the midst of maturing. Believe it or not, your child’s brain and spirit is much like a computer. Every time your child watches a video or listens to a song or exposed to some experience, they are downloading information into their minds and spirits. And when it is consistent, it becomes part of who they are.

Families

Greed/Consumerism- Let’s face it. We live in a society of instant gratification. It’s is a consumer mind-set. Consume means to devour, spend and indulge. The main-stream media and technology tells us to upgrade when something better arrives. Dispose the old and welcome the new. It is the opposite of the fruits of the spirit which a few are patience, gratitude, contentment, self-control, humility. It encourages us to store up “stuff” that will rust instead of investing and giving to people. We serve God by serving others. We serve the enemy by becoming slaves of currency. I think we all know what God says about becoming slaves of money.

"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." Luke 16:13

On top of the consumerism mind-set, technology also divides families. They spend more time on their iPods, cell phones, video games and lap-tops than they do with their families.

Don’t get me wrong, God gave us each these gifts but the very things that we were blessed with, the enemy uses it to his advantage. God wanted us to have a lustful appetite but for the purpose of loyalty in a marriage covenant. Music can be used to heal wounds, dance and for praise and worship. Beauty is intended to shine from the inside out to attract a man for, again, the ultimate purpose of marriage. God wants us to have money to provide for our families but not at the expense of causing a financial strain on your family to to you lack of self-control. Technology is a huge benefit to people and businesses alike. Our desires aren't bad, it's when we take advantage of the gift. It’s just like giving your child a cell-phone for emergency purposes and next time you check the bill, they have totally abused the privilege by going way over their minutes.

In conclusion; God created the earth for one reason.

Family

It was the reason for it all. It is what He loves above all things so it is no wonder that it’s the family unit that is under attack. We were created to be allies, not enemies. How do you reverse it? Pray, love and surround yourself with good things.

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" John 14:13-14

"Love covers a multitude of sins" 1 Peter 4:8

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8


Be blessed this weekend!


© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25

The gift of Salvation

What is the best gift that you have ever received? A George Foreman Grill? A flat-screen T.V.? A diamond ring?

What if I told you that the best gift that you have ever received, you had before you were even born? The gift of Salvation.

Oh yes, of course with Good Friday/Resurrection Sunday/Easter weekend coming to an end, I have to post on my thoughts of our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

It makes me think about his thirty-three years on this earth. Thirty-three years of miracles, wisdom, Truth, care, understanding, compassion, purpose and above all, unconditional and sacrificial love. True love. AGAPE love.

He arrived as a miracle and left as a miracle.

He came to not only teach us but lead by example as how we should handle almost every situation every type of person we come in contact with. With love. He came to fulfill a law in a land that twisted the law into what they wanted it to be. He came for the sinners, the poor, the desolate and the sick to pave a path that there is hope and He has arrived. He told timeless parables that even as two millenniums have passed, the meaning still has the power as it had as if He spoke them today.

“Everyone who hears truth hears My voice." John 18:37

When He spoke, He spoke with pure truth and wisdom. Every time I read the gospels, each of His words jump out of the page and plant a seed in my spirit. Reading the words of Jesus makes me feel pure again, restored, sanctified, and builds me up to face anything. In a world full of lies, I download truth from His words. In a society full of hate, pride, greed and fear, by reading His words, I download love, humility, contentment, and courage. His words are powerful, meaningful and each time I read them, I am filled with His healing waters and His spirit. For that, I attempt to read them often.

Another significant part of Jesus and His words is when He did not speak. When He was brought and questioned among the Pharisees. They interrogated Him yet He remained silent. They hit him, but He said nothing. He knew that you cannot reason with the unreasonable. He also knew speaking could jeopardize the fulfillment of His purpose. To endure the suffering of the cross. So He let them beat him. And when they were tired and stopped, He stood up to endure more, so they beat Him again. Although it was agony, He wanted the brutality and His suffering to be witnessed and recorded so that all would know what true, unconditional and sacrificial love is.

There is a time to speak and a time to be silent. I know I still struggle in these areas, so for that reason I just keep reading the beautiful words of Jesus until I get it right. With so much harmful information that we download in this world every single day, reading the soothing, calming and peaceful words of Jesus creates within me contentment, peace and happiness.

While thinking of Jesus and His parables, every year I notice that on Easter/Resurrection Sunday, many people attend services that haven’t all year and I can’t help be reminded of Jesus parable of the sower.

"While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'
"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Luke 8:4-15

Just like the farmer’s seed, some never make it to service for some reason or another. Then there are those that do. Some walk down the alter and give their life to Christ but then they walk out of the church doors and life distracts them from the Lord so they fall behind. Some are too afraid to walk down that alter because they either are too shy to have their vulnerabilities on display or they feel unworthy and then there are those who walk down that alter and are forever changed. God called to them and they heard the calling. Yes, they may stumble, but they get up, pick up that cross again and keep on walking with that cross on their back following Christ.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26

Following Christ is a tough job and there are not many people who are willing to endure that walk with Jesus. Jesus already knew that. He said it takes a person with a "noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." but sadly, many will not follow.

So what kind of seed are you among the crop?

If you have a change of heart and you didn’t make it to service or if you did, you didn’t walk down to the alter, it’s not too late. Tonight when you go home, close the door and confess to Jesus that you are willing to pick up that cross and follow Him and please fill you with His spirit, please fill you with strength and perseverance to see it through. Jesus is waiting. If He gave His very life without you even having to ask, how much more will He give you if you do?

Be blessed!

© Copyrights, All rights reserved


Katrina Green
President
Butterfly Ministries, Inc.

Take a Stand. Spread the Word. Save the Butterflies ♥


"It is the mission of Butterfly Ministries, Inc. to empower and inspire positive transformation in girls and young women by encouraging them to take a stand against gender exploitation and to give rise to a historic revolution."

COMING SOON! Join the Butterfly Movement!

Launching Spring 2010!

"Strength and honor was her clothing" Proverbs 31:25