Transition-before reaching your 2nd chance

You intended it to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. Genesis 50:20

Greetings from my heart to yours,

Let me tell ya'll...all last week I battled with what to blog about this week. I had it all planned out and then WHAM!!! Everything I typed just disappeared! I said well, Lord what's next? The Holy Spirit had been dealing with me all through the night and even in my sleep on what to discuss this week with his people. I ignored it to be honest, because I was on my own agenda, but I'm not the Boss...lol...so here goes! :-)

I received several emails, many inboxes on Facebook and text messages about last week's incident with my vehicle. Some were prayer request, some just asking if I needed anything, some people even offered me their extra car and rides to get my kiddos to and from school! Amazing! Anyway, a few of the prayer request were a lot alike. One word that stood out amongst about 7 individuals was "transition" I know alot about the transition phase. #1. It's hard and #2. We have no idea how long we will be there. It's really more of a trusting phase than anything. You really have to believe in where you are going and also what the Lord has shown/told you. It takes faith to get through transition!

I come from a big family. The oldest of our clan is my big sister Cherreyl and she is by far one of the most self driven, strongest women I know. I adore her in so many ways. All my siblings are amazing, but she's the oldest and has always played her role well. A few years back she was sick and hospitalized. It was the scariest thing ever! The Doctor's had basically told us this was it for her. I remembered praying at that hospital and saying to God "NO, this is NOT what you showed me and this is NOT what I am taking." She shall live and not die (Psalm 118:17)! And yes she lived, even better now than what she had lived prior too. I ignited a level of faith that I would one day have to ignite for my life.


So, earlier this year (once again) I found myself at the mercy of God's feet hurt, begging for favor, betrayed, mad and every other emotion that fits here. Once again I had been betrayed by a person I loved and I'm not just talking about a lie, but an ultimate betrayal. I had to prepare to walk into a court room and fight against the person I took a vow with. I had no attorney when I received a notice to appear for trial. 3 months after my attorney had resigned because I could no longer afford her representation. That was the opportunity the enemy used to sneak in and rise up against me. I went out looking for another attorney and the cheapest attorney that would take my case was asking for a $7,500 retainer. YIKES! I couldn't afford that! I didn't have 1 person I could call and ask for that kind of money. I went home that night and I hit the floor balling and screaming, crying out with my big sister on the phone. Screaming at God "How am I supposed to get this money, Lord?" What am I supposed to do?"  I have less than 30 days and I don't even have half of that money for an attorney.  My sister in her soft voice said, Randa, we'll figure it out and something will happen. For some reason that gave me peace. I started a fast, see because my Granny taught me years ago that some things we can only get through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21). I needed an attorney. I kept hearing God say "Email your last attorney." I finally did. She didn't say a word to me for 2 weeks. Then, it wasn't much. I mean why should she? She had already quit, I couldn't afford to pay her. Why should she recommend anyone less expensive? And by less expensive I meant FREE! LOL I waited and waited for a plan. NOTHING came! I now have 5 days before I have to appear in court and fight for everything I have including the custody of my children. SO, I decided I'm going to the law library and I am going to defend myself. Yea, that didn't workout long because I kept falling asleep reading those big boring books. Then I contacted legal aid. I didn't qualify there because I had to prove that I only got a certain amount of money a month and I was waaaaay over. Finally, sitting in a parking lot crying, I got a call from my former attorney and she said Maranda, I've never done this before, but I want to help you. She said, I'm taking your case back and the same conditions apply. I needed $500. That same day the host of my website contacted me and told me they had over charged me by $173. The next morning the doctor's office said they owed me $250 for a referral program they were running and that same day my sister/friend called  me and said she had $75 she wanted to sow into my life. All within 24 hours! I didn't have to come up with $1! The next week we went to court and proved our case. The respondent sat on the stand and lied about everything! I knew that was OK, because God was going to vindicate me. The Judge told us he would notify us in 1 week or less with his final decision. My attorney forewarned me that we were asking for a lot. We may not get everything we asked for. She was actually pretty sure that we wouldn't get all the Alimony we asked for. Two weeks later the judge contacted us with his final decision. For these 2 weeks like many times before I was in "transition" I knew I was living according to the word, I knew I was chosen, but I also knew sometimes bad things happen to good people. Nevertheless, and I do mean NEVER THE LESS (when you serve the Almighty High Priest) I WON! EVERYTHING I ASKED FOR, I WON, plus some! It was in that transition that I remembered my greatest strength! My faith and my relationship with GOD! It was in that transition that I realized it doesn't matter what deceitful, hurtful trap the enemy sets for your life, GOD can and will turn it in your favor for the saving of many lives! (Genesis 50:20) Everything wrong done (it was so much more) to me couldn't prosper! Not because I'm so awesome or great, but because I serve/love the Lord with all my heart and with all my mind and with all my strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) no weapon shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17) and every tongue that rise up against me shall be condemned. These are the promises of the Lord and they can not return to him void (Isaiah 55:11).

 I've learned to be patient in the transition. I've learned what it means to truly be steadfast and unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord. I've learned that no matter what wicked scheme the enemy cooks up, God's will, will ALWAYS prevail. Take heart in the storm of life, Take heart in the transitions, Take heart in the bad times. God is going to raise you up so that those who spoke against you, who hated you, who mocked you would be able to see the glory. My enemy actually called me and told me "God favors you, you always get what you want." What I got is not what I wanted, but what God used to get me out of a situation that was harmful to my life and would stunt my growth in him. Did I mention that the Judge ordered that my attorney fees be taken care of by the one that was against me? #wontGoddoit If he has kept me in my many "transitions" please know that he will do the same for you. Peter said in Acts 10:34 a truth he has perceived is that God has no respect of persons. That simply means that if he did it for one, he'll do it for another. It doesn't matter how big of a sinner you once were or currently are. God wants you and he wants to bless you! The key to not only surviving the transition, but also thriving in it is to remain in the one who allowed you to go through it. I learned how to pray all over again, I learned what it meant to be still and know that he is God (Psalm 46:10). I never realized God what absolutely all I needed until he was absolutely all I had! And that my friends was a painful, but beautiful realization! Trust the process...the transition is only temporary, but the promise is forever! Amen!

 YET, another 2nd chance unveiled! Be Blessed God's people! XO

Another 2nd chance

Hello Again all my readers! Thanks once again for stopping by to read my blog. It is a great honor and privilege to write and share my thoughts, my story and hear such positive feedback from all of you! When I first started I said I would be posting a new blog every week. WELL!! Something happened to me yesterday that I feel lead to share with you all...

Yesterday, I rose at 2am and called a close friend and told her that I just wasn't feeling right and my mind was on some things that should have bothered me in the past and didn't, but it's bothering me now. She talked with me and prayed with me (thank God for those after hour praying friends by the way :)) like she always is so willing and ready to do and when our conversation was over I went back to bed till about 6am. I called my best friend and explained to her the dream I had between 2am and 6am and how I was feeling a bit discouraged. We talked about it, I shook it off, said a prayer and proceeded to get my day started. I woke my children up, but my spirit was still disturbed. I could not figure it out. Well, time goes by and I remember a bill that I needed to pay. I log into my bank account to see that my usual direct deposit isn't there. It's already 2 days late I thought to myself, plus I haven't received other payments I was expecting. I got a bit discouraged and thought to myself OK, now Lord what's up? I went on about my day and one small incident after another continued to occur. I felt a spirit of discouragement constantly tug at me. I refused to give it power. Instead, I hit the gym, pushed myself and actually dead lift my heaviest (yes, I'm proud lol). I was determined to have a great day in spite of all the mess that was going on around me.

I received a call from a client/cousin to meet her she wanted me to style her for some weekend events. I go to her house first, shop her closet then we head to the mall. Well, if you know me you know that I am a fast driver except when my kiddos are in the car. I love speed and power and everywhere I go I travel the freeway/highway. I despise stop lights and speed limits under 65mph! Well, this day something in my spirit told me do NOT get on the freeway like you usually do Maranda. I LISTENED! I rode the access rode which added about 10-13 minutes to my drive and I was already pressed for time since I had to be back in my area in 1 hour to get my daughter from school. I rode on s l o w l y having my daily convo with my sister in law, laughing and thinking nothing of all the mess I had encountered earlier that day. Then WHAM I turned into the parking garage and my tire literally rolled off my truck! Yes, you read right!!! IT CAME COMPLETELY OFF MY TRUCK! I screamed and hollered as my vehicle broke down and I heard a god-awful noise from the axle and the truck smashing and breaking ground underneath me. Scared, Confused, upset, trembling I jump out and look at my cousin who had been trailing me her mouth was literally wide open! It was like something out of a movie. It was crazy! It was terrible! My hands shaking I log into my insurance company website to get the info I need to file a claim, get a tow truck and a piece of mind. The claim they took, the tow truck, they sent, but the piece of mind they could not help me with. I cried out to God...Lord, really??? Like I really don't need this! Why now God? You know I can't handle nothing else right now...my plate is FULL! I began to focus on the situation instead of the God in the situation. So many people stopped to offer their assistance. It was nothing anyone can do. As I sat on the tire across the parking lot from my vehicle I felt the spirit of discouragement come on me again. I looked to my cousin and said I just took my deductible up yesterday, now this! She looked back at me and said so, ok the cost is only $500, is that worth more than your life? I dropped my head like a school kid and  shamefully mumbled well, no! It took over 3 hours for the tow truck to come pick up my vehicle! I was alone, hungry, hot, mad and having to call everyone I knew to pick up my kids from school. Knowing my vehicle was going to be towed I removed everything from it into my cousin's car before she headed back to work. My battery on my phone got low so I had to sit in this hot car to charge it and continue to wait. I sat there all in my feelings. Crying, but constantly whispering to myself God, I trust you!!! God, I trust you over and over and over again that rolled off my tongue, because by now the discouragement attack was working. I knew I had to keep fighting and I couldn't find anything else to say, but GOD, I TRUST YOU! I'm still sitting there waiting on the two truck I watch a man parked in the handicap spot get out of a white mini van. He held onto his truck as he walked around to the back to take out his mobile chair, I watched him struggle to put it together, to latch the base of the seat on and adjust the arm rest and breathe hard all while holding onto his van to make sure he wouldn't fall. He got into his chair rolled over to the drivers door and asked me what happened? I replied, my tire just popped off my truck! He looked in disbelief and asked me where do I live? I said just a few exits down off this highway and he immediately said Well, good thing you didn't take your usual route. I looked at him thinking "how you know?" He proceeded to talk and say good thing you wasn't on the highway and an even better thing you didn't have your children with you. Now, I'm really looking at him crazy. How does he know I have kids? Because, I know I don't look like it! lol Then he looked into my eyes and he said "Baby, YOU LIVING RIGHT and keep living right" He said, when you woke up this morning the enemy made a plan to take you out. He said that the enemy decided today would be my day. He said the enemy has been at you all day, BUT (Oh, I love a BUT because it cancels out everything said before it) the Lord raised up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19). He said you were supposed to die on that highway, your family was supposed to get a call that you didn't make it, he said your children were supposed to be motherless BUT!!!!!! Then he said the Lord said to tell you that the enemy is fighting you, BUT God is fighting for you. Romans 8:31 If God be for us, who can be against us? He reminded me of the purpose that God placed on my life. All the events of the past flashed before my eyes and I remembered how he kept me. How he raised me up. All the promises he told me. I broke out into tears. Had this of happened on the freeway traveling 85mph it could have cost me my life. It could have taken someone else life. What if it happened with my kids in the car? What would my kids do without me?

 I watched that man struggle to put his mobile chair up and to get back in his vehicle (he wouldn't accept my help) and I thought about how much he just went through to get a message to me. He could have stayed in his vehicle and said now, look God it's hot, I'm chilling I don't feel like getting out and putting this chair together just to say something to this stranger BUT!! Instead he was obedient to the voice of god. OH, how blessing will flow when you are obedient. The bible says it is better to be obedient than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Thank You God for obedience!!

 I thought about a story in the bible in numbers 22, that I recall my late Granny speaking of when I was a child. I never understood this story UNTIL NOW! It's the story of God opening the mouth of the donkey to get a message to Balaam (Go read the full story, it's amazing) and I thought about how awesome God is and how he loves us so much and is so dedicated to us that he sends his messengers to remind us that he's still there and he has not left nor forsaken us! I thought about Nahum 2 when the warning comes and that the enemy has advanced against you, Man the fort, watch the road, dress for battle and collect your strength. God never said that the weapon wouldn't form, but he did say that it wouldn't prosper (Isaish 54:17). God kept me! He delivered me out of the hand of the enemy like he has so many times before. I can only imagine that he was saying as he covered me, Touch NOT my anointed; and do my prophet NO HARM (1 Chronicles 16:22). I walked away from the incident untouched and unbothered and being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a great work in me will complete it (Philippians 1:6)!!! It's so easy to get discouraged when you are trying to live right. When you submit yourself to the will of god. The devil fights even harder because he sees the multitude of potential followers of Jesus that you can impact! Life is hard chasing after God, but it's worth it! I know that the purpose and the plan God has on my life is bigger than anything I can imagine and that's why the Devil can't stand me! lol I shake my head at his tricks and tactics because I know that the Lord has equipped me with all the tools necessary to defeat him! The past 3 years I've walked through hell and back. God promised me that although I walked through the fire just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego there will be NO SMELL OF SMOKE on me. I don't look like what I've been through and that's because I praise and worship the one who brought me through!!! What a blessing to know JESUS KEEPS FIGHTING FOR ME! He has given me yet, another 2nd chance at abundant life! May God add a special blessing to the hearers, readers and especially the doers of his word! AMEN!

Have a great weekend!

Intro to Abundant Life

Hello, Hello,

and thank you all for stopping by to read my blog. I hope that you will stay tuned as I give you the background of my life and proof of God's word and the promises he gave us. I use a lot of scripture, not because I'm so holy, but because it's the only thing I know to be 100% true. OK, here goes...

As you may already know my name is Maranda L. Hall. I am a 31 year old divorced Mother of 3. I am a Stay at Home Mom (for the most part) but I am also an Empowerment Speaker, Personal Trainer, Fashion Consultant and Suicide Prevention Advocate. I dip and dabble in all sorts of things. I am originally from Little Rock, AR. I currently reside in Mckinney, TX. I've always had a passion for writing. I guess it started in High School being co-editor of the Yearbook and Editor of the Newspaper it sparked something in me I didn't then understand. Over the past 5 years I've taken much more to writing to release and to see the things I pray for come to pass. Habakkuk 2:2 Write down the vision and make it plain on tables, so that he may run who reads it. I would write down what I wanted and read it over and over, run with it until I saw the manifestation of whatever it was. Example: After I had my twins I set out to lose 20 pounds before my 10 year high school reunion that was less than 3 months away. I read the plan I made for myself over and over and over and each day I got up and put the vision in motion. I did it!!! Actually , I lost 27 pounds! I said that to say, you have to believe in what you want and you have to get up, get out and get it.


My foundational scripture for this blog is John 10:10. The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy BUT I have come that you may have LIFE and have it more abundantly!!! Everything good that you want and that the Lord has for your life, the enemy is wanting so bad to get his hands on it! Sometimes, we lose and allow him to kill, steal and destroy and that brings me to my second foundation scripture of this blog which is 2nd chances. Joel 2:25 says I will restore unto you all the years that the locust hath eaten, the canker worm and the caterpillar and the Palmer worm, So, whatever you think God has placed in you...write it down and RUN with it and whatever you think the enemy has taken..it shall be restored!!! Sometimes, we have to lose to WIN and that's OK as long as we learned in the process!

Moving Forward I want to divulge all of my personal testimony and hopefully inspire 1 person to keep pushing, to keep pressing, to keep running on to see what the end will be!

As I previously stated I'm a country girl from Arkansas where I like my cornbread thick and my tea diabetic sweet. I married young. At the tender age of 17 I fell for a boy that was the sweetest most charming guy I had ever met. I thought he was the best thing that ever happened to me and actually at that time he was. Six months after I met him we were engaged (yep, we rushed) and less than a year after that we were married. So, at 19 I had a husband, we were both full-time students and so excited to get into ministry and work for God and we did just that! It was a perfect love story for a little while. I won't get into all 11 years of that marriage because I want to focus on me and what God has done with and for me. Earlier this year I divorced that man the father of my 3 kids, my at one point best friend. It was by far the most painful decision I've ever had to make, but knew I had to do what was best for me, my mind, my children, my destiny! Although I know that God hates a divorce. I also truly believe that he doesn't want us in situations that are NOT conducive to the building up of his kingdom.

After the birth of my twin babies I suffered from severe post-partum depression. I had 3 kids at home all the time, NO HELP, no sleep, no anything, but a raging war in my mind between what the Lord had said and what the enemy wanted me to believe. The thing about the Enemy is he's slick! Sometimes slicker than anything we can imagine. So, 8 months into parenting a set of pre mature twins I temporarily lost my mind. I attempted suicide. BUT GOD! said NO! I survived and came back too 5 days later. Still depressed, bitter and angry, but with a word. God had given me a word in the midst of the mess! He gave me Psalm 23:4 though I was through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil thy rod and thy staff comfort me. He simply said Maranda, this is only a walk through. He spoke loud and clear to me "I, never planned on you staying here, I never said forward your mail, I never said build a home, I said it's a walk through" and from that moment on I decided that with the word I was gonna defeat the depression and the contemplations of suicide would stop! Oh, but no they didn't stop at all. I had a really close friend call me (she was actually my mentor) and say "Maranda, God said this isn't it, it's only the beginning, but he promises to keep you". She told me to get on the good foot because I was about to experience a new dimension of demons. I laughed, oh silly me. Proverbs 16:18 says Warning comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a great fall. Needless, to say my situations got worst and the suicidal thoughts got even more crucial. My husband was cheating and then abandoned me and my 3 kids. Here I was alone, fat, miserable, suicidal and parenting 3 kids I couldn't handle! I spent the next year literally FIGHTING for my life. If you know anything about God, you know that he is a jealous God and he will not have any God before him. I now understand that like never before. I had made a human being my God and God had to remove that individual to get to me.

I love that I serve a by all means necessary God. No matter what God has to do to get to his chosen ones...HE WILL DO IT

He's not concerned about our comfort or our feelings!! HE'S ONLY CONCERNED WITH GETTING US WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN HIM! That's the goal I write down and run after today and everyday! Some days I fall, BUT I also get back up. Proverbs 24:16 A just man falls 7 times, but rise back up again. 

 Thank you for reading my 1st blog post and stay tuned for more behind the veil of Abundant Life and 2nd chances with Maranda!