Dorsha Dawkins

29/10/2023

Many experts deem the 7th year of marriage one of the most difficult due to various reasons like financial stress, boredom, and diminished s*x life. The number 7 represents completion and for many marriages that means completion of the marriages. Accordingly, as I share my 7th year wedding anniversary milestone with you, I want you to know that in the 7th of my first marriage, that's exactly how I felt. That was one of the darkest valleys of my life. I thank God for His grace and mercy.

In this picture, we stand in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. We triumph over the 7th year. Seven years later, I stand mature, renewed, and hopeful. My love and commitment to God are paramount to my love and commitment to my husband. He reaps the benefits of my maturity and continuously
growing relationship with God. Marriage is work, and when I feel exhausted and feel like quitting, I turn to the "Lifter of my head." No human being can meet all of your needs incessantly. No human being is going to act or react appropriately all the time. No human being is above reproach because no
human being is God. However, marriage is an alter of service one to another to be lifted up and presented to God. I praise and thank my Heavenly Father for these 7 years of love and service.

18/07/2023

You can't have what Jesus has next for you if you keep holding onto old baggage (relationships, ideologies, mindsets, habits, lifestyles, idols). Release the baggage.
Renew your spaces.
Reprioritize Christ.
Receive your blessings.


“Do not remember the former things, Or ponder the things of the past. Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19 AMP

Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
2 Corinthians 5:17 AMP

03/07/2023

God reigns and has dominion over ALL powers, both seen and unseen. Whether it be good, bad, or evil, He will cause ALL things to work together for the good of then that love Him and are called according to His purpose.

There are no laws man can make or undo that will block or cancel:
God's love for you
His favor on your life
His promises of provision and protection
The gift His planted in you that will bring you before great people

People's finite power cannot compare to God's infinite power. Only God can open doors that no one can close and close doors that no one can open. His favor puts you places where others may feel like you don't belong (even you sometimes), but favor quite often seems unfair when it's not moving in the onlookers' direction. Be kind. Stay humble. Praise God.

13/06/2023

Making a mistake doesn't automatically count as failing. We fail when we choose not to learn from our mistakes. We can learn more from our mistakes than we can from our successes. Patience, humility, discernment, and wisdom are some of the fruit we gather when we learn from our mistakes. Remember, learning is empowering even when pain is the teacher.

The beginning of wisdom is: Get [skillful and godly] wisdom [it is preeminent]! And with all your acquiring, get understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation].
Proverbs 4:7 AMP

And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.
Romans 8:28 AMP

09/06/2023

Focus on healing. Don't allow trauma to be a scratched song on a record that has a continuous cadence of skipping and repeating. Repair as much as you can then, and move on to the next song. Let your life be a record that, although inherently flawed, has songs that bless others and glorify God.

I will sing to the Lord all my life; as long as I live I will sing praises to my God. May he be pleased with my song, for my gladness comes from him.
Psalm 104:33‭-‬34 GNT

Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing to the Lord, all the world! Sing to the Lord, and praise him! Proclaim every day the good news that he has saved us. Proclaim his glory to the nations, his mighty deeds to all peoples.
Psalm 96:1‭-‬3 GNT

07/06/2023

Don't make excuses, make adjustments. Pain is inevitable, but we can pick our pain. We can choose the pain of regret or the pain of discipline. Discipline requires substantial investments into today but pays endless dividends into our future. However, regret will bankrupt our future by overdrawing from the negative accounts from our past. Life doesn't get easier, we just get stronger.

Whoever loves instruction and discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof and correction is stupid.
Proverbs 12:1 AMP

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].
2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

06/06/2023

In special relativity, the speed of light is the ultimate speed limit to the universe. Nothing can travel faster than it. (Discover Magazine)

Jesus commanded us to reflect His light, not His sound. Light travels faster than sound. People should readily see your light before they hear your words. The way you live is your sermon. The way you shine should reflect Christ's love to everyone in spite of you or them, both friends or foes, because both are your neighbors.

“You are the light of [Christ to] the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good deeds and moral excellence, and [recognize and honor and] glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:14‭-‬16 AMP

This is the second: ‘You shall [unselfishly] love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31 AMP

05/06/2023

Some of the challenges you are going through weren't meant for you to persevere alone. Jesus prayed:

OUR Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give US today the food WE need, and forgive US OUR sins, as WE have forgiven those who sin against US. And don’t let US yield to temptation, but rescue US from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9‭-‬13 NLT

We must replace that "I" and embrace the "we" that God has strategically placed in our lives. God didn't create us to do life alone or independently but rather in community and interdependently. Ask God to reveal who those people are in your life. Similarly to our challenges, God has also assigned some people to play major parts in the next chapters and successes in our lives. Stop relying on "I" and be well and whole in all your "we" set forth to do.

02/06/2023

Focus on being kind. To be kind means being full of compassion. On various occasions, we can see in the Scriptures that Jesus was moved by compassion. In its etymology, the word "kind" derives from the word "kinde," which means with the feeling of relatives for each other. Yes, treat others like family because we who are in Christ share the same Father, God. We don't have to like people, but God requires us to love people. Love requires kindness, grace, mercy, humility, and sacrifice.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
I Corinthians 13:4 NKJV

31/05/2023

Imagine if someone could hear every thought or intention you have ever had. Well, someone has, God. We are all born in sin and shaped in inquity from our mothers' wombs.

Iniquity is evil intent that is planned in the heart.

Transgression is the manifestation of inquity.

We sin by thought, word, deed, and actions. However, once we receive Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, our minds can be renewed. Then, we no longer have to be slaves to sin, but with renewed minds, we can be soldiers equipped with the full armor of God. We can triumph over the hidden things that make us not so attractive on the inside.


Surely, I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Psalms 51:5‭-‬6 BSB

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right and steadfast spirit within me.
Psalms 51:10 AMP

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:5 NKJV

30/05/2023

There is a caveat to #1, care what some people think, but not all people. Care about what your pillars think; these are those who love and support you and hold you accountable.

Use the past as a place of reference, not a residence.

Embrace change like your life depended on it because it does. We can't grow without change, and if we're not growing, then we're dying. Where there's no growth, there's no God.

29/05/2023

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
John 15:13 NLT

We must ask ourselves this persistent question, for whom am I laying my life down or simply, who am intentionally sacrifcing for to show love? There is no love without sacrifice. We have the capacity to do a whole lot of loving because we are made in God's image. In turn, as we pour out, God will pour in us. As a matter of fact, there will be overflow.

26/05/2023

Focus on peace. You being right or wrong matters most to you. If a person has decided not to hear you, then there's nothing else worth saying. Keep your mouth close and retain your peace. If you are sharing a truth to a person who can't receive at this time, then trust and believe that God (the author of Truth) will awaken their eyes to the Truth and His appointed time.

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
1 John 3:18 NLT

Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31‭-‬32 NLT

25/05/2023

Thankful that this past weekend, I had opportunities to be "Mama Dorsha" to my surrogate sons (my youngest son's college friends). We bonded while I taught them how to cook.

Luil (on the right) spent the weekend with us, and I taught him how to make Spatchcock Chicken and Salmon Cakes. He's never had Salmon Cakes before, but he loved them.

Sudev (on the left) requested lasagna a couple of weeks ago, so on Monday, he came over. To my surprise, he came with roses 🌹 and in turn, he learned how to make Lasagna and Peach Dump Cake.

Whenever you have an opportunity to impart knowledge, lessons, and/or blessings to someone's child, you're sowing seeds into your child's life. God will send someone to sow that into your child(ren).

Remember, we reap what we sow, not what we want. I am thankful that my youngest son's friends call me Mama Dorsha and seek advice from me. In turn, I get to impart motherly love doused with Godly wisdom while teaching them life skills.

24/05/2023

Life is a cycle of peaks and valleys, and those experiences will reveal who we truly are and areas where we are strong and areas where we need to grow. Be neither arrogant nor self-pitying because both are a form of self-worship. Rather, embrace healthy esteem, not thinking more or less of yourself than you ought.

For by the grace [of God] given to me I say to everyone of you not to think more highly of himself [and of his importance and ability] than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has apportioned to each a degree of faith [and a purpose designed for service].
Romans 12:3 AMP

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
Psalms 8:4‭-‬6 AMP

22/05/2023

Be encouraged, trust God's plan.

For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call on Me and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear [your voice] and I will listen to you. Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11‭-‬13 AMP

19/05/2023

Focus on readjusting how you view failure. Remember, to F.A.I.L. is our First Attempt At Learning, and we learn more from our failures than our successes. Don't allow failures to go to your heart or successes to go to your head. Failure is an event and never a person. So when you fail, try again but with experience. Don't make excuses to quit, rather, be fueled by wisdom and faith so you can make adjustments to endure and finish!

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of disaster and collapse.
Proverbs 24:16 AMP

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run [their very best to win], but only one receives the prize? Run [your race] in such a way that you may seize the prize and make it yours! Now every athlete who [goes into training and] competes in the games is disciplined and exercises self-control in all things. They do it to win a crown that withers, but we [do it to receive] an imperishable [crown that cannot wither].
1 Corinthians 9:24‭-‬25 AMP

17/05/2023

We're entitled to our own opinions but not our own truths. The triune God holds the trademark on truth.

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:32 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
John 14:6 NKJV

Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:36 NKJV

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
John 16:13 NKJV

16/05/2023

Free your head space by activating great faith. Worrying won't change tomorrow, but it will rob you of today. However, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. A father's faith in Jesus resurrected his 12-year-old daughter from the dead, and a woman with a 12-year blood issue had faith in Jesus, and she received healing by touching his hem. (Both in the same day) So yes, parents, your faith can reach your children and bring new light and life to them in every area that is dark and dead. Yes, that same faith can heal what man can only treat. You don'thave to reach for a hem, rather reach for Him. Don't underestimate the power of faith.

And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.” But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her, He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
Matthew 9:20‭-‬22 NKJV

While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”
Matthew 9:18 NKJV

When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
Matthew 9:23‭-‬25 NKJV

16/05/2023

Great Saturday hike

15/05/2023

Repeat these 3 affirmations. And all of God's children said, amen! You have to know that you know God for yourself. God has no grandchildren. Accept his fatherhood through Jesus Christ and receive his promises, provision, and protection.

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 NLT

Give us help against the enemy, For the help of man is worthless (ineffectual, without purpose). Through God we will have victory, For He will trample down our enemies.
Psalms 60:11‭-‬12

12/05/2023

Focus on what matters most and things you can control. Ignore things that bring little to no value to your life and things that are out of your control. Two of the most important skills we can master are how to focus and ignore. Distractions are death to our dreams and goals in slow motion.

Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that’s where life starts. Don’t talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.
Proverbs 4:23‭-‬27 MSG

11/05/2023

Thankful I had the opportunity to bring remarks at UPS Volunteer Day sponsored by the UPS Foundation in partnership with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity. (Left: Alan Ferguson, CEO Atlanta Habitat for Humanity Right: Nikki Clifton, President UPS Foundation).

I shared the similarities between government and service-based companies like UPS. There are certain things that UPS and government are mandated to do by their stakeholders. Nonetheless, there are some services that go beyond the call of duty and are directed to those in need. Fulton County does it through its Community Service Program, Senior Services, and more. UPS does it through its employees' voluntary engagement in programs like Habitat For Humanity. Serving others is not just doing good for others, but it's doing good for our souls. Service is the rent we pay to live.

10/05/2023

Join me for this live as I share some mothering tips I have acquired over the past 22 years. I will also share my 19 and 22 year old sons' thoughts about my mothering.

Join me for this live as I share some mothering tips I have acquired over the past 22 years. I will also share my 19 and 22 year old sons' thoughts about my ...

10/05/2023

Life owes us nothing. God owes us nothing, yet He provides us with life, our gifts, power to acquire wealth, and faith. Life means nothing without purpose. Gifts mean nothing without platforms to share. Money means nothing without good health. Faith means nothing without works. There's God part, and there's our part.

A person’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great people.
Proverbs 18:16 NASB2020

“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth...
Deuteronomy 8:18 NKJV

So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].
James 2:17 AMP

09/05/2023

Sometimes, it may seem like you're stuck in a dark season and you keep spinning in circles. You may feel broken, but it's the old version of you dying. The new version is strengthening, and when you come out of this season, you will soar to new dimensions. God will never elevate you to where your character cannot sustain you. He's preparing you for greater, but you must become greater.

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/ecc.3.11.NLT

08/05/2023

What you're going through will change, but God doesn't. When life is uncertain be certain that God loves you and will provide for all of your needs. When you can't see His hand in your life, trust His heart toward you.

“I am the Lord, and I do not change."
Malachi 3:6 NLT

Let your character [your moral essence, your inner nature] be free from the love of money [shun greed—be financially ethical], being content with what you have; for He has said, “I will never [under any circumstances] desert you [nor give you up nor leave you without support, nor will I in any degree leave you helpless], nor will I forsake or let you down or relax My hold on you [assuredly not]!”
Hebrews 13:5 AMP

05/05/2023

Focus on being rooted/grounded in Christ, in His Word, truth, salvation, righteousness, faith, and peace. Storms are inevitable, but do not allow them to over take you. If you're dealing with internal storms, then Christ and counseling are your healing and help diaster recovery agents.

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:6‭-‬7 NIV

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Ephesians 6:13 NIV

04/05/2023

🙌🏾🙌🏾

👉🏾 ”When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable customs of those nations. No one among you is to sacrifice his s...

04/05/2023

Thankful and grateful for all who reached out to me to make sure I was safe yesterday. ❣️ My thoughts and prayers are the for the victims of yesterday's tragedy. Both mental and spiritual health are real. I pray a hedge of protection around each of you who read this. May your steps and stops be ordered by the Most High God. May He cover you, your families, workplaces, and everywhere you place your feet in Jesus' name.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4 NKJV

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.
Psalms 91:11 NKJV

03/05/2023

The world is full of opinionated voyageurs commentating about what others are doing. Because their lives are cemented by fear, they don't see others going beyond where they are. Well, the good news is... you, the person who is stepping out the box, walking by faith, and doing what others said you can't do, God is going to bless you in the presence of your enemies, frienemies, co-workers, and family.

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19 NLT

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Psalms 23:5 NKJV

02/05/2023

There is a difference between having a plan and thinking that your plan is the only way. Whatever plan we craft, we must learn to leave spaces and places for God's input, direction, and sovereignty.


There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.
Proverbs 14:12 NASB2020

01/05/2023

Go. Ask. Step. Remember, faith without works is incapable of producing. God will do He part, but you must do yours.

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.
James 2:26 NLT

28/04/2023

Focus on the present and allow the peace of the Lord to clothe your mind and heart.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then, you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6‭-‬7 NLT

27/04/2023

Thankful that some of my fellow content creators and supporters joined me live last night to celebrate my 2nd YouTube anniversary or YouTube-aversary. My husband, who is a content creator, talked me into starting a channel. On April 26, 2020, I launched my channel as Cooking With Dorsha, which morphed to JustDorsha | A Ray of SonShine.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV

I thank God for blessing me with another platform to reflect His light.

Check out last night, and if you haven't, please subscribe to the channel:

https://www.youtube.com/live/ugu9ktXtXvA?feature=share

26/04/2023

I remember asking God for patience, and He brought trying situations that caused me to work patience. Getting what you asked for from God may come in different wrapping than you expected. Nonetheless, remember every good and perfect gift comes from God.

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].
James 1:17 AMP

25/04/2023

Waiting isn't passive but active. While you wait:
1. Feed your faith
2. Improve yourself
3. Serve others
4. Avoid traps (vices, neglect influences)


So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.
Romans 10:17 AMP

For just as the [human] body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works [of obedience] is also dead.
James 2:26 AMP

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.
Isaiah 40:31 AMP

24/04/2023

There is a prevailing falsehood that diamonds are made from coal, but they're not. Although they both have a basic carbon foundation, a diamond is volcanic rock, and coal is sedimentary. However, they are both found in dark places and form under pressure. Nevertheless, light reflects through diamonds and gets trapped in coal.

Sometimes, it's hard for us to see our value because of the dark seasons in our lives. Likewise, sometimes, it's hard for others to see our value because they're married to outdated versions they encountered of us from those dark seasons. Neither our nor others' inability to see our value changes the value God has placed on us. You're a diamond, and God has created you to reflect the light of His glory.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 NKJV
..put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
Colossians 3:10 NKJV

21/04/2023

Focus on direction instead of the destination. We can arrive to destinations by various routes, but some routes are plagued with delays, accidents, hitchhikers, carjackers, potholes, sinkholes, and even death. Talk to God and allow the Holy Spirit be your GPS. Allow him to order your steps and stops. Trust that God will get you to your destination at the optimal time.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
John 16:13 NLT

20/04/2023

Thankful that this week I reached another milestone, I wrote my 1,800th entry into my gratitude journal. Yes, I chronicled what I was thankful for 1,800 days. Of course, not all of those days were good, but God was. I wrote regardless of the hues of happiness or pain that colored my days.

When life seems too dark, remember God has you in a womb of protection, and He will deliver you into the light at your appointed time. He doesn't waste pain but uses it for purpose.

I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].
Philippians 1:6 AMP

for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—
2 Corinthians 5:7 AMP

Inspiration | Vlogs | Cooking | GardeningOn April 26, 2021, I started this channel because my husband (SundayBackYardFarmer) wanted me to. It started as a co...