3 Power Keys

I can be my own worst enemy.  Clinging onto past mistakes, missed opportunities, fear and doubt.  It’s almost as if I forget the God I serve has all power in heaven and earth in His hands. What would it mean to truly grasp the promises of the Lord in 2015, to forget about the past, overcome the fear and move past the pain?  That’s my heart’s desire.  I believe I’ve stopped myself, been my own worst enemy way to long.  I’ve been praying for clarity and asking for wisdom and these three things have come up in my searching for total freedom in God.  I like to call them my power keys!

Power Key One

Leave the past in the past.  We’re always focusing on worrying about tomorrow, but in truth isn’t our worry about tomorrow often based on what happened yesterday?  Let’s all sing a great Disney tune and simply, “Let It Go!”  If you fallen short, God forgives, if you are harboring guilt, you can’t change the past, if you’ve been hurt, more then likely the other party has already moved on.  If it didn’t happen quite the way you thought it would, trust that God has a bigger and better plan, after all, His ways are high above our own.

Power Key Two

Worship before work.  At this moment I have 8 things on my “To Do List” and that’s not counting all the things I have to do on a daily basis that are not on the list.  Important things like, the laundry, quality time with my husband, playing with the puppies, working on my booking schedule, writing, practice, ministry events… you get the drift.  It is easy for me to get overwhelmed and lost under a mound of paperwork, songs that need to be practiced or dinner that needs to be cooked.  And sadly I must admit that I have allowed the pressure to build that I skimp on the most important priority – my time with the Lord.  I justify it with – He’s always there or He understands or I’ll chat with Him as I lay down for bed.  Then I find myself weak, weary, and worn down.

I know from past experience that the Lord can accomplish more in ten minutes then I can accomplish in an entire day.  So I’ve adopted the attitude of putting Him first and what doesn’t get done, just doesn’t get done.  He knows what needs to get done and by when and He is so faithful to always make a way.  I choose this year to worship before I work!

Power Key Three

Victory is right around the corner, if only you believe.  We know faith without works is dead.  You have the faith, you’ve covered it all in prayer, now simply go for it and trust that the power, resources and support you need will be supplied by an all mighty God who has your best interest in heart.  Victory is the ability to overcome opposition – it is the small steps taken consistently that build up to produce breakthrough!  Be consistent, be a person of action, and cover it all with prayer, praise and worship.

What Power Keys or Faith Nuggets are you holding on to for 2015?  I’d love for you to share!  drop me a note either via email or leave me a comment on my blog page or my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ministryofnaima

Planning a women’s ministry event?  Interested in a house concert or special music for your church event?  Need a guest worship leader?  Please contact me, I’m now taking requests for bookings for 2015 and I would love to be of service to you.  Send me an email at naima@ministryofnaima.com. 

The Year of No Goals

2014… what a year of trials, valleys and rocky places, I am so thankful that I made it over with my faith and my strength in tact.  And it seems that I am not the only one who had a year that left them just a bit battered and bruised. But let’s not rehash it, let’s shake it off and move forward with our faces lifted towards the sky, standing on the promises of the Lord.

The New Year is a time to set your resolutions, personal, ministry and business goals, mapped out an in depth action plan.  Every year I toil over my personal goals, spend hours making a map, figuring out the plan, and every year I come up feeling like I fell short. I pass through the same places and feel like I’m making no difference.

But not this year… this year is the year of no goals.  I actually started talking to Jon about this several months ago sharing how depressed I felt when I hadn’t actually arrived where I thought I should arrive. 

The Bible tells us in Habakkuk 2: Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run."For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay.…

Well, I’ve written my vision for 2015 – To use music and education to lift up the name of Jesus so that all men may be drawn unto Him.  I’m not setting any goals, I’m not making any elaborate plans, I am simply going to wake up each morning and ask the Lord, what would you have me do today? 

Now I’m not suggesting everyone take this approach, I think goal setting is good. Goals give focus and direction.  When accomplished they bring great motivation and personal satisfaction.  So do set your goals.  But for me, after years of not seeming to meet my personal goals, I’ve come to realize that either something is wrong with the goals I’m setting, my approach is incorrect, or my goals are simply that – my goals, not the goals that the Lord has designed for me. 

There are still projects and plans in place, don’t get me wrong.  I plan to get back to the basics, spend more time singing and leading worship as the Lord opens doors.  The new CD is coming out and I want to share that with the world.  And the new book is done to, Lessons From The Back Seat or How I Learned to Become a Wife.  But I’ve not set any goals in regards to how many books I want to sell or where I’d like to sing this year.  I’m just going to knock on doors and go through them as the Lord opens them, I going to spend more time praying and seeking Him then promoting things and I’m only going to work on projects that He nudges me to work on.  A different way to approach building a ministry for sure, but I think that if I keep the vision central in my sight – To lift Him Up, I’ll achieve greater things then what I can put down on paper.

I’m off on the adventure of a lifetime, and there will be plenty of updates, so come share in the mayhem and let’s lift up the Name of Jesus.  No goals on paper, just a desire to follow where He leads and bless those He puts me in front of.

Would Love Your Feedback!

What do you think of me not setting goals this year?  I’d love your prayers and feedback, drop me a note either via email or leave me a comment on my blog page or my Facebook page – www.facebook.com/ministryofnaima  I’d love to hear from you and I’d love your prayers!

New Book! 

Don’t forget to pick up a copy of my new book – Lessons FromThe Back Seat (Or How I Learned To Be A Wife) from Amazon!

How Can I Serve You?

Planning a women’s ministry event?  Interested in a house concert or special music for your church event?  Need a guest worship leader?  Please contact me, I’m now taking requests for bookings for 2015 and I would love to be of service to you.  Send me an email at naima@ministryofnaima.com. 

Running In Circles

Every once in a while I come across a book that changes my entire mindset. There is of course the Bible – our living, breathing, guidebook to life. My favorite by Bruce Wilkerson’s, The Dream Giver, which inspired me to move out of the land of familiar, push past being ordinary and live the Big Dream that the Giver of Dreams gave me. Walking on Water by Madeline E’Lengle is another favorite, it inspired me to look for God in every place, in every moment, and in every person, and to capture these glimpses of glory in the songs I write. 

Currently, I’m reading, The Circle Maker by Pastor Mark Batterson.  Batterson has challenged me to draw circles around my prayers like the first century Jewish Sage, Honi.  During a devastating drought in Israel, Honi, drew a circle in the sand, stepped inside and made his intentions known, he would not leave the circle until the Lord answered his bold request for rain.  Now that must have taken some faith, to determine that you were not going to give up until you heard from God!  And as Honi prayed, the rain began to fall.

I don’t think you can get that kind of response from the Lord without being truly intimate with Him. I mean it hadn’t rained in over a year when Honi started to beseech the Father. He had to be praying before he stepped into the circle.

We need diligent prayer like that in our lives. You have to pray long and pray hard and never give up as Batterson tells us in his book.  Drawing a circle is about trusting that the God of the Universe will answer your prayers and your responsibility is to keep praying, keep believing, keep seeking, keep thanking, keep praising until the manifestation of the prayer stands before you.  .

I am now daily drawing prayer circles around my marriage, this ministry, my family, prayer requests others have given me, this nation, the world, Israel, salvation, healings, big dreams that are being birthed in my heart to serve the Lord and His people.  With Godly intention and faith filled purpose I am running in circles because I am determined to hear well done good and faithful servant! No more limp prayers that go over the same ground… nope, I want to stand in the circle and see the rain!

Called To Sing: The Book!

Are you called to sing? Here's a chapter from my book, Called To Sing, 13 Mistakes To Avoid When Starting In Music Ministry! If you'd like to purchase a copy visit Create Space at www.createspace.com/3374444!


Mistake Number Eight:
Hiring a Person/Business That Produces No Results
By Dr. Naima Johnston


I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My Eye
(Psalms 32 Verse 8)

I recently received a phone call from an individual offering his services to my music ministry based on a recent request I put out in my quarterly newsletter. The person expressed that they had expertise in a particular area in which I had been praying and seeking the Lord about an open door. The interesting aspect of this situation is that this same individual had worked with several other musicians that I knew and they were all unhappy with the lack of results this person had produced. In an effort to be Godly, yet wise, I shared with the individual if they felt that they had a viable proposal they should schedule a time to meet with members of my advisory board and I. Needless to say, I have yet to see said proposal or take a meeting…

In our desire to make great strides in ministry we can fall prey to organizations or individuals who either fail to produce results, lack the connections they espouse, or are just incompetent. And as much as we do not want to admit it, there are some individuals in the Gospel/Christian music arena who do not have your best interest at heart. We hate to think that in a profession where people tout that they are servants of the Most High God that there would be those who seek to only elevate themselves at the expense of others. But we should not be surprised, for even the Bible warns us to watch out for those who come as an “angel of light.”

When I first started in music ministry I was inundated with offers to join websites that would promote my music, organizations dedicated to the advancement of my ministry, contests that would put me in the lime light of major record companies and businesses who wanted to manage me yet required me to do all the foot work while demanding huge retainer fees. Some of these options excited me and I did in deed waste valuable time and money pursuing offers that produced no results, but I bless God for the wisdom that was garnered from such experiences. I am embarrassed to say that I paid a monthly retainer to a Christian artist development company of over $300.00 for over a year because I believed that they would help me move my music ministry to the next level – that is almost $3,000. What a shame that was – and I often think now how much outreach I could have done with that money, how many much needed items I could have purchased – how much music I could have recorded!

Before you run off and sign a contract, create a partnership or link up with a business or individual who promises great results make sure that they can really produce the results that you desire, failure to do so can lead you down a road of lost time and resources, all to the detriment of those you are ordained to reach and to your personal ministry and life.



Thoughts to Ponder:

If you are thinking about signing a contract that will charge you fees before you see results find out the following information:

 Are they a legitimate business? Are they registered with the state? Anyone can hang a shingle out and set up shop, make sure that they are recognized by the appropriate organizations in your area.

 Have you checked with the Better Business Bureau? Are there complaints lodged against them? How long have they been in business? The local BBB will have a record of any complaints lodged against this organization if individuals have filed them. Most people walk away from a bad situation in disgust, but once in a while a diligent person will fill out the proper paperwork, thus saving you a great deal of grief.

 Have you checked their doctrinal beliefs, and do they line up with your own? What church do they attend and who holds them accountable for the spiritual concerns of their business/ministry? Do they have the blessing of their Pastor? Although these may seem like personal questions, in a business that is also a ministry we cannot be ignorant of those who we are charging to help us grow and share the gift God has given us and the call on our lives. As the Bible teaches us, we should know those who labor amongst us – how can you link up with one who is unclear about their spiritual stance in relation to your own business/ministry?

 Ask for recommendations and referrals. If you shake a tree hard enough something will eventually fall, so you should expect to find one or two disgruntled folks from the past. Unless their horror stories kick your discernment into high gear take them for what they are worth. What you are looking for is a pattern or a red flag. Most people when asked will produce the names of satisfied clients for you to follow up with so make sure you ask probing questions that will get you the answers you want. Questions such as: “Can you tell me about a time when they did not meet your expectations, how was that handled and how did you feel about the situation?” or, “If I was your child would you recommend this organization to me?”

 If it is a contest, ask them who won last year and what are they currently doing in the music business? Find out if you can contact them and discuss with them how the contest has benefited or advanced their music ministry.





Finally before you take the deep plunge and link up with someone who promises big returns make sure you:

 Fully understand the contract you are signing and be aware of your options to terminate.
 Make sure that you clearly express your expectations, put them down in written form and share them with your employee.
 Remember that these people do in fact work for you, they may have expertise that you need and may in fact know better than you in many situations in which you have hired them to handle however, they should in fact be giving you a report of their accomplishments and work done on your behalf.
 Make sure that they fully explain and give to you in writing any expectations that they might have of you.
 Be sure to define how you will communicate, how often and by what method – always set a time to evaluate progress and share concerns. Always be honest, failure to do so may result in being caught in a situation that you have a difficult time getting out of.
 Make sure they understand your vision and are dedicated to helping you achieve it. Share your goals with them and jointly create goals and ways to measure the achievement of those goals so that you know you are on the right track.

And finally and most importantly, the Word says if any man lack wisdom let him ask and God will give it. Go before the Lord in prayer and make sure this is His will for your life. If you ask and expect an answer you will receive one, just be prepared to be obedient to what the Lord would have you to do.