For years, I thought happiness was something I had to achieve.

I thought I'd be happier when I made more money. Happier when I got my degree. Happier when I reached the next goal. Happier when people recognized my hard work. Happier when life finally looked the way I imagined it should.

But every time I reached a milestone, something surprising happened.

The happiness didn't last.

There was always another goal to chase, another problem to solve, or another mountain to climb. I found myself riding an emotional roller coaster. If things were going well, I was happy. If they weren't, my mood went right down with them.

One day, I realized I had been giving other people, situations, and circumstances entirely too much of my power.

And that's when I discovered a life-changing truth:

Happiness is an inside job with God.

Nobody can hand it to you.

No amount of money can be that for you.

Not a promotion.  Not a relationship.

And not even applause from people who may or may not be cheering for you tomorrow.

True happiness starts within with God.

I learned that my joy had to be rooted in something greater than my circumstances. If my happiness depended on everything going right, I would spend most of my life disappointed. 

Life has a way of life-ing. Challenges come. Plans change. People let us down.

But God's love remains constant.

I think about the Apostle Paul. Here was a man who experienced hardship, rejection, and imprisonment, yet he still talked about joy.

Why? Because his peace wasn't attached to what was happening around him. It was attached to Who was walking with him through it.

He said, "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)

That lesson changed my perspective.

I stopped waiting for perfect conditions to be happy.

I started appreciating small blessings.

I've learned to be more grateful.

I learned to celebrate progress instead of obsessing over perfection.

And most importantly, I stopped expecting people to make me happy.

That's a heavy burden to place on anyone.

The truth is, what makes me happy may not make you happy. We all have different dreams, values, and desires. 

Some people find joy in building businesses. Others find joy in their family or serving others. 

Some love the spotlight. 

Others are happiest in quiet moments with their children.

God created us uniquely, and that's a beautiful thing.

Today, my happiness isn't based on whether everything goes my way. 

It comes from knowing who I am, whose I am, and trusting God with the rest.

Do I still have difficult days? Absolutely.

But I've learned that joy is deeper than a feeling. It's a choice. It's a perspective. It's a spiritual connection with God.

So if you're waiting for some future event to finally make you happy, let me save you some time.

Happiness isn't waiting for you on the other side of success.

It's cultivated from the inside out.

And once we learn that lesson, everything changes.

Because the happiest people aren't necessarily the ones with the most stuff.

They're the ones who have learned to find joy in what God has already placed in their hands.

When most people read the story of David and Bathsheba, it’s almost always through a male lens. David’s sin is highlighted, yes, but often with a tinge of sympathy. People talk about the child dying, the “tragedy of accountability,” or even make jokes about David’s lust. Rarely do we stop and ask: What about Bathsheba?

Think about it. Bathsheba was bathing in her own home, in a space she shared with her husband. She was living her life rightly—married, settled, secure, probably excited about the possibility of children, missing her husband, understanding her role as a military spouse, supporting him and their country. She was doing everything “right.”

And then a King’s lust shatters it all. He calls her, sleeps with her, gets her pregnant, and then—without her consent or say—kills her husband. Just like that, Bathsheba loses her dignity, her first child, and her husband.

The idea that Bathsheba was “tempting” David is not supported by the biblical text. In 2 Samuel 11, the story is very clear. Again, David saw her bathing from the roof of his palace. She was on her own roof, likely engaging in a normal, private act of washing herself. There’s no indication she was trying to get his attention.

David sent for her.

The text explicitly says that David “sent messengers and took her” (2 Samuel 11:4). He initiated the encounter.  Bathsheba had little choice. In that society, the king’s word was law, and refusing him could have been dangerous—or worse. The power imbalance was extreme.

So, let it also be known that the responsibility was fully on David. Bathsheba was a victim of circumstance and of David’s abuse of power. Any suggestion that she “tempted” him is a misreading that reflects cultural bias rather than the biblical narrative.

I find it ironic that men often weep for David in this situation, but almost never pause to consider what it must have felt like as a woman. Bathsheba didn’t choose this path, yet she bears the emotional and social weight of it. 

God was rightfully angry with David—but what about the woman he wronged? Did David ever apologize to Bathsheba? Did he ever make amends or bring her any sense of justice? What redemption, if any, was bestowed upon her?

Later Life and Influence
This story is not just about David’s lust, sin, or accountability. It’s also about the quiet suffering of women whose voices are often erased from the narrative.  

Bathsheba went on to give birth to Solomon, who became one of Israel’s greatest kings. She had significant influence in David’s court, especially in securing Solomon’s succession to the throne (1 Kings 1). 

This shows she was politically astute and respected, although her rise to prominence came out of a situation that was neither fair nor consensual.

Bathsheba’s experience deserves reflection, respect, and acknowledgment. She was never the temptress—she was the one wronged, and that truth matters. Yet out of her pain came transformation. She became a queen and the mother of a powerful king. What David intended as sin, God turned into destiny. Perhaps God knew all along that Bathsheba was a woman of greatness.

The Black church is not simply just in decline or in crisis—it is in conversation with itself. 

That’s even more concerning than anything.

Every generation inherits a living tradition and must decide how to carry it forward faithfully. So what is our responsibility. 

The feeling of the anointing has never been guaranteed by form alone.

 It has always depended on openness—on hearts willing to gather, listen, respond, and believe that something sacred can happen in ordinary space.

The scripture says, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 

Please read the full chapter in John 12:32

I am concerned about the generation coming after us and what they will have to stand on. 

The Black church has always evolved. It was never built on uniformity. It was built in survival, resistance, creativity, and deep faith.

Growing up I enjoyed a lived church experience, “the anointing” was not just emotional, but intense. It changed lives. And it was considered necessary.

If there is a path forward, it may not be “back,” but deeper. 

Deeper into a worship that is sincere, grounded, and spiritually awakening enough to recognize that the presence people long for is not gone. But is here. 

Maybe what we told our forefathers was unnecessary is in fact essential. 

And it is often sought, needed to be cultivated, and received in ways that require fresh attentiveness.

Sanctified living and felt anointing are not artifacts of the past. They are ongoing requirements.

There was a time when women in business were the exception.
Now? We are the economy.

According to Forbes, over 40% of all U.S. businesses are owned by women, generating a powerful $2.9 trillion in revenue. Let that settle for a moment. This isn’t a trend. This isn’t a moment. This is a movement.

And if you’re paying attention, you’ll realize something deeper:
Women are no longer asking for a seat at the table… we’re building our own tables.

This Isn’t Just Business—It’s a Shift in Power

What we’re witnessing is more than financial growth. It’s a redefinition of leadership.

Women are entering industries and transforming them:

There’s a dangerous assumption many of us carry: “At least I did something right.”

But in the Kingdom of God, almost isn’t obedience. Close doesn’t count when God has spoken clearly.

One of the clearest pictures of this truth is found in the life of Moses. God said: “Speak to the rock.”

Moses? He hit it. Twice.

Water still came. People were still blessed.

But God called it sin. Why? Because he didn't do it the way God told him to do it.

So What Is Sin? Sin is simple: Missing God’s mark.

Epistle to the Romans says we’ve all fallen short.

Epistle of James says if you know right and don’t do it—that’s sin too.

So yes… it’s in your actions, your thoughts, your motives—and even your silence.

“But wouldn’t I know?”

Not always.

You have a conscience—but it can be trained, ignored, and even silenced. That means you can be wrong… and feel completely right.

That’s why sin can look like:

But God isn’t measuring effort—He’s looking at alignment.

This is why Jesus Christ changes everything.

He didn’t just point out sin—He paid for it.

Because of Him:

So yes… examine your life.

But don’t live in fear.

Live in this truth:

“God, thank You for Jesus—because without Him, I’d miss it every time.”