Toni V. Lee

James 3:11 King James Version Doth a fountain send forth at the same place      sweet water and bitter? The Bible says no. It shouldn't be.  What did Jesus say about the matter? Luke 6:45  King James Version A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. I think that sums it up pretty well.  Regardless of how good we are at fronting, our tongue will eventually show a true reflection of what's in our hearts... God help us!  🙏🏽 ❤

Yes, I saw it.  I heard it.  I discerned it.  It pinched my heart, but I kept it moving and didn't say a word. Many can say the same.  Am I right? What kept us silent?  Love, seeking peace, wisdom, forgiveness, and grace. But dear one, here's a warning: Never ever mistake silence for weakness.  Many have learned that the hard way.  They crossed a line that let loose something they couldn't handle. Bottom line: Treat people right.  Treat them like you want to be treated.  Sound familiar? God help us!  🙏🏽 ❤

I admit I don't understand the angst about the vaccine.  I just don't get it...I really don't.  Shots have been mandated in this country longer than I can remember for the purpose of protecting the people of this nation.  It's written into Florida's statutes.    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=1000-1099/1003/Sections/1003.22.html  Sunday evening, I ended up channel surfing trying to find Christian radio programming that wasn't talking about the vaccine.  An advertisement for legal counsel used a scripture that supposedly—it doesn’t—supports the right to reject the vaccine.  A preacher railed against the vaccine during his message.  Me?  I surfed and frowned, asking the question, “Where is Christ in all of this?”  Microchips, demonic transmission, DNA alterations...what utter nonsense!  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:  The power of the pulpit should NOT be used to p...

 Here's a truth I learned the hard way.   "People don't change, they reveal who they really are."                                                - Not sure... They will wrap up their hurtful behavior in all kinds of beautiful bows--including religious ones.   For the religious ones, I shake my head and think, "Sweetie, God ain't nowhere in that. That's all YOU." Pay attention, clue in on what's really happening, and save yourself some heartache. Don't try to hold onto something that was never there in the first place.

  Wow! Wow! What a ride! Ever told a toddler not to do something and the minute your back is turned they proceed to do that very thing? I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had to pray some of my son’s friends out of his life.   You know…that kid that everything in you screamed was a bad influence? That contrary toddler and bad influencer were depicted in the rest of my listening sessions.   Countless times, the adults in the room told the “toddler” not to do certain things because the outcome would be bad. What did the toddler do? Exactly what they were told not to do.    The grownups tried to silence and stifle the bad influencer, but they eventually slipped the leash and wreaked havoc anyway. I Alone Can Fix It laid out the timeline for the birth of that “Just say you won” and “Stop the steal” thing. The part I found the most riveting was when the co-authors (Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker) stepped me through the events of January 6 th fr...

Some time ago, I shared I was interested in the audiobook I Alone Can Fix It , penned by co-authors Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker. I hoped to find out what was happening behind the scenes--from the point of view of those present at the time--that drove the emotions, spiritual responses, and happenings we witnessed in the media. Well…let me tell ya’, it’s been quite a ride so far! I had a few “Oh, so that’s why that happened,” moments. The book kicks off with the pandemic. It beautifully illustrates who knew what when, responses to the situation, and the underlying priority that drove those responses. Here’s a spoiler: The people of this nation were NOT the first priority. Every effort was made toward ensuring the desired poll and election results: withholding information from the public, promoting risky actions because it fed the voter base, pushing quick untested and potentially harmful solutions because the perception of some action was better than no action at all. It’s very...

Church organizations are behaving more like cults than the House of God—the House of Love. If a person isn’t a member of a church and doesn’t walk in step with them in all things—right OR wrong, they ostracize and treat them like they’re unlovable. Folk claim they love people, but more besides those who are a part of their organization…cult…should feel their love. It’s past time to STOP: S Seek Him T Turn from wickedness O Obey the Word of God P Pretend no more Some folk are as prickly as porcupines, but people love and support them ANYWAY in spite of their annoying and tiring stuff, yet they have the audacity to make declarations about who they deem worthy of THEIR love and support. Just…STOP! Promiscuity—heterosexual AND homosexual (yeah, folk know about it)—is going on throughout the church and those folk still stand over the people of God in places of leadership and ministry. Preachers are boldly setting up “harems” in their churches, treating multiple sisters like they’re...

I'll be the first to admit that I don't know what qualifications are required to hold public leadership positions, but looking at the current landscape, I'd say that whole thing needs to be revamped. Maybe some type of testing should be done to access levels of foolishness, intelligence and common sense. Folk who don't pass set thresholds should be barred from putting their names on any ballot. The current landscape indicates that putting power in the hands of foolish and unintelligent folk who also lack common sense can have disastrous consequences.

In the past, when my Christian friends posted something I'd found to be untrue, I shared that with them assuming they were like me and didn’t want to be responsible for spreading lies via posts. It wasn't because I was "policing" anyone. Some appreciated it, some didn't. Now, I no longer bother and keep it moving. Personally, I believe the source of a lie should be held accountable, especially when the lie contributes to horrific outcomes. Yes, we have a personal responsibility to use due diligence and seek the truth, but the defense that no reasonable person would have believed the lie just doesn't wash for many believe and there can be devastating consequences. Folk, we're living in scary times and we'd better be sure and very sure that our anchor holds and grips the solid rock--Christ. God help us!

Spiritual Chameleon: A person who pretends to be something they are not, changing their characteristics to present the image needed for a particular environment.   The chameleon lizard isn’t dangerous, but the spiritual chameleon can be very dangerous indeed.  The spiritual chameleon has a form of godliness, but no power.  (2 Timothy 2:5)   They can talk the walk, but they cannot walk the talk because they haven’t submitted to God.   Do you know any preachers who preach the church happy on Sunday, then live raggedy, ungodly lives the rest of the week?  This is a glaring example of a spiritual chameleon. Here’s another.  Do you know anyone who uses the scripture to support and promote ungodly principles? For instance, they may use the scripture to support a right to kill, break laws, commit adultery (physical or emotional), hate, or treat others like they are less than human? I’ve seen folk who were full of love for all humanity become si...

The senate has announced it’s verdict to acquit Donald Trump, but that’s not the end of the matter. Why?  Not only was Donald Trump on trial, but so was his party. This nation--and the world--watched to see how his party would address the horrific events that jeopardize the democracy of the United States of America.  The verdict may have been rendered, but the matter is not over.  The who, what, when, where, how, and whys of the events involving the 2021 Insurrection have been chronologically ordered and documented for history.  The atrocity will be sliced and diced by scholars, be the subject of investigative documentaries, and discussed/debated in places of learning for infinite years to come.  Because of this hearing, it has now deservedly attained infamy for we must not forget.     I applaud those Democratic and Republican leaders who —in a bipartisan vote— stood courageously today and chose integrity, morality, and true patriotism.  Why ...

I'm so glad it's God and not man--whose perception and capacity to love is restricted by self-righteousness and personal preferences--who determines our eternal destination. The Bible tells us our thoughts and ways are not His.  Please, let's hang our God hat up and work on genuinely loving people.  As our love grows, our perception changes.  Our perception changes because God--who is love--becomes magnified in us.  Not only will our view of each other change, but our own splinters will be revealed to us so we can pluck them out.

  I grew up in what was known in my small community as the sanctified church.  Churches today upgrade their praise and worship songs to keep up with the times. Back then, the same songs were song for generations. I remember how the old warriors would stand and belt out the lyrics with confidence and knowledge for they knew what they were singing about. Some time ago, one song in particular traveled up from the recesses of my memory and has been ringing ever since with urgency and longing. The lyrics of the song were taken from Isaiah 58:1.                      🎶 Cry loud, spare not! Oh, lift up your voice like a trumpet                            sound. Show my people their transgression and the house                             of Jacob their sins. 🎶 I have a recurring ni...

  We’ve made it about us and what we want, but it’s all about God and what He wants for us—His will. We’ve been taught to “name it & claim it” and “speak it into existence”. We exhaust ourselves to the point of depression or burnout faithfully doing so, but the desired answer never materializes.  Yes, I know the Bible speaks of the power of our words. Let me ask you this: In all the instances of your naming it & claiming it, have you ever asked/prayed amiss (with wrong motives)? Sometimes, I think we get arrogant and put on the “God” hat and decide we know best how to achieve desired outcomes and proceed to implement our agendas, relegating God to the “I’m doing this for Him” status. God doesn’t need us to provide justifications or excuses for Him when we feel our prayers go unanswered. He is God. Rather, we need to truly prioritize Him and seek to know Him more so we can personally recognize when He does answer us, then accept it. Sometimes, His answer is simply “No” ...