red tube x videos you jizz God's Bespoke Tailoring - a blog by eliashib rafford

  • O P E N

    When the earth was void and without form, the One True God had you on His mind. He chose you like a fine piece of material before He formed you in the womb.

    You were spoken for.

    Hence, He tailored you individually with character, talents, personality, and spiritual gifts, to His specific personal requirements to be a prophet, a mouthpiece to the world around you. You were made for His glory and put on display like a finely patterned suit that hangs in the windows of Savile Row in London.

    You're welcome to come inside.

    Step beyond the showroom, past the mirrors and through the doors of the workroom. See Jehovah, the Master Craftsman, as He finishes His latest creation:
    eliashib rafford.
    Maybe you'll get a glimpse of what He has in store for you.

I Elude Me

By eliashib | Published: January 18, 2012

Exactly what I thought was going to happen is happening.  Exactly what I told God I was afraid of happening is happening.  It’s happening exactly the way I thought and it still caught me napping.  I knew an identity crisis was inevitable when I asked God to make me over.  I think I’m at the cusp of the crisis which frightens me even more because of the unknown.

These are just the tip of the iceberg.

Countless years of being a particular guy, well-developed defence mechanisms, rapid fire tongue, cold as ice delivery all wrapped in an innocent and jovial demeanor.  God is asking that I give all that up.

He wants to be my defense, my advocate, my deliverer, my innocence, my joy, and I am freaking out!

The consoling thing is knowing that He hasn’t made me to be the way that I am.  He’s shown me the gifts He’s given me and I am amazed.  I know most of my talents.  Every book or article I came across dealing with personalities I’ve read.  Even horoscopes I took an interest in just to know me. Yet, God is assuring me I still haven’t cracked the case.  I still don’t know me.

What’s the Deal

Vulnerable is the best word I can think of right now to even come close to how I feel.  As He’s teaching me how to use my spiritual gifts, coaxing me to turn over my life to Him – totally – and allow the Holy Spirit to balance my personality, I feel like I’m sitting out in an open field for anyone to get me.

I am the biggest thing I’ve ever trusted God with.  And as much as I don’t like many things about myself, I’m finding that I love the me that I’ve created.  But in lieu of being tailor made, all I’ve done is grab a suit off the rack and try to fit it to my measurements.  A snip here, a tuck there, a hem here, a snatch there.  I’m not the “suit” He wants to display.

Paul says,

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.*

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. **

I hear that verse often, quote it often, read it often, and yet I still missed the significance.  If He hasn’t given me a spirit of fear, and I’m fearful then the trust I thought I had in Him was based off of what I thought I could do on my own. In other words, I’ve trusted God because I’ve had a back-up plan in case He failed.

Rather than accept the perfectly tailored me that I don’t know at all, the one God had in mind before He formed me, I prefer to keep the patched work me, the one that I know doesn’t fit, the one that even others don’t like.

Jeremy Camp sings: “Letting go of the things I hold so dear!”  And as I listen to that I wonder if I let go will the crisis end, or will God just comfort me as I endure it?  The end results are going to be well-worth the process, I’m sure.  May God grant me that blessed hope.

You’ve heard that God has given us all a purpose and created us accordingly, so why do you think we have a problem accepting that?

*2 Timothy 1:7 AMP

**2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

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Perennial Conversations

By eliashib | Published: January 15, 2012

“Hello?”

“Wake up, boy! I know you’re trying to sleep in.”

“Hey, Grandma.”

“I figured if I was up then someone else needed to be up with me.”

I rolled onto my back . “Yeah, misery loves company,  huh, grandma?”  Grandma giggled like a school girl.  It was wonderful to wake up to her call that morning.

 

Beautiful Blooms

Last year was her Third Annual Summer Week Visit and I hadn’t spoken to her much since then.  The last time being late August and I was determined then to find out how she had stayed a Christian for over 70 years.

“What am I missing, Grandma?” I asked.  “You have it together. We come to you for advice and prayer.  You’re still hanging in there.”

She was quiet for a moment. “I wish I had it together,” she began, “But, I don’t.  It’s more God hanging on to me than me to Him, Ray-Ray.”

It was always humble answers like that that kept me asking questions.  For instance, the first year she came to visit me, we went walking because Grandma lives to walk.  I asked her about being Seventh-Day Adventist and why they are so screwed up in the head (that’s my humble opinion).  She gave me a lot but the one thing that stuck out was her statement: “When I was coming up, it was known that you go to the Sunday churches for the Holy Spirit, then you go to the Seventh-Day Adventist church to learn how to get to Heaven.”

That morning was no different.  She was just as honest and raw as ever: “Baby, I’m realizing that my mission field is my family.  I look around and I see so many of our family outside the ark of safety.  Some of them that used to be inside.  What am I doing for them?  That’s why I have been praying for your momma.  I told the pastor the other day that they need to get stepping with building our church.  I think if we had our church maybe your momma would start coming. At least that’s what I’m hoping and praying for.”

Over seventy years of being a Christian and she admitted that she’s just realizing that her mission field is her family!  I could hear that it was really troubling her.  I think, too, that she is feeling the closeness of her time.  She makes no qualms about it.

Grandma said, “I also told that preacher to hurry up with the church because where am I going to have my funeral.”

Bulbs & Seeds

I guess as she looks around at her brothers and sisters that have passed away and those that are slowly lying in the lap of Alzheihmer’s, she knows she better prepare.

“Your aunts and uncles asked me why I was at the funeral home making arrangements and buying my casket,” she said, “I told them because y’all ain’t gone know what I want so I better get it now.”

“You would think they’d be happy,” I said, “That’s less they’ll have to do.”

“I know,” she said, “Because I remember how I ran around stupid after your granddaddy died. Oh, it almost made me crazy.  I don’t want them to have to deal with that.”

And that’s just how she is.  She even commented about not caring what anyone thought of her.

She said, “Somebody told me one of your cousins was mad at me and didn’t like me anymore. I said, ‘she doesn’t take care of me.’ Ray-Ray, I don’t care.  I know it sounds bad and I told the Lord that I probably shouldn’t feel that way.  But I live to please Him not to please people.”

“Well, that’s good, because when you please God you begin to please others,” I interjected.

“Hmph,” she retorted. “I aim to please God.  I don’t care about pleasing these folks.”

The funny thing is, I know she does

 

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~natasha david-walker~

By eliashib | Published: January 3, 2012

I’m going beyond the veil in 2012!

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Honey and Blood

By eliashib | Published: December 31, 2011

Me: goodbye, 2011!
2011: well, don’t say it like that.
Me: yeah, i guess you are right. We had some good times didn’t we?
2011: yes. What was your favorite?
Me: come on! Don’t do me like that.
2011: your favorite?
Me: okay…I definitely liked how all my friendships strengthened. Oh and the new friends that I made that have proven to be great additions to my circle. I loved sitting back in the cut this year enjoying mulling over the revelations God gave me in 2010. I really liked being in RENT and The Nutcracker. I… Never mind.
2011: what?
Me: I’m happy that my sis and my nephews are living with me. I’m actually looking forward to 2012 and seeing how we all fare. And in some twisted way I have the Crush Debacle as a favorite. God taught me a lot about myself and how this whole celibate single thing is quite a piece of work.
2011: wow. That’s quite a bit.
Me: I know.
2011: gonna miss me?
Me: a little bit. I have the fond memories though.
2011: don’t lose them. Don’t hold on to them either, though. Embrace 2012, flow with it. Let it take you to the next level, okay?
Me: okay.
2011: and please stick with your writing. Give GBT the attention that you know it deserves. Keep your head up.
Me: thanks 2011. Really…thank you

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Pray that God reveals to me what He wants for my heart. -london

By eliashib | Published: December 31, 2011

Lord, London needs guidance and direction from you. Please answer that prayer. Reveal Your intentions and Your desires so that london will be in line with You. Don’t disappoint Lord. Oh and also grant the contentment to accept whatever is revealed. We love You!

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“What do you think of this one?” I asked holding the sleeve of a button-downed, black oxford with red stitching. “That’s gay,” Kenan said glancing over his shoulder and then fixing his eyes upon the C cups that had mysteriously found their way to the other side of the clothing rack we were browsing. “It is?  What’s wrong with it?” “It’s gay,” he said without losing his connection to the C cups.  I looked at the shirt.  I thought it was masculine, if a shirt could be that.  I would wear it. “You’ve seen a gay guy wear this?” Kenan turned to face me.  In just five seconds of non-verbal communication he’d found the owner of the C-cups was the short-haired, store-clerk beauty we noticed as we walked into Belk, and had convinced her to give him her digits. “Witnessing opportunity?” I quizzed, grinning. “It could be, but not quite.” “So, you’ve seen a gay guy wear this?” He raised his left eyebrow.  He was in challenge mode.  I knew he was either prepping for a battle of the minds or a duel of opinions.  He must have noticed my blank stare.  He smiled. “Q, you really don’t know what I mean do you?” “No.” “When I say something’s gay, I mean it’s not cool.  It’s wrong.  It shouldn’t be.  Leave it alone.  You know like being gay is not cool.  It’s wrong.  Yadda-yadda.” “Where’d you get that from?” “I’ve been saying that since ‘96.  Me and some of my army buddies came up with it.  But these days everybody says it.  I can’t believe you haven’t heard it.” I looked at him and rolled my eyes.  ”Why couldn’t you just say you don’t like the shirt? ‘It’s gay!’” “Well, excuse me, Mr. English, but…” “Excuse me.”  Ms. C-cups had brought the number for Kenan.  They talked for a minute as I sulked over the shirt.  I liked it, but now I was confused as to whether the shirt was ugly, just not cool, would make me look like a homosexual, or would molest me through the night trying to get my penis.

By eliashib | Published: December 31, 2011

solo… so beefy

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Why, yes, I’ll take one of those.  Okay…seriously…please look at this coat.  That

By eliashib | Published: December 29, 2011

Why, yes, I’ll take one of those.  Okay…seriously…please look at this coat.  That inside pocket is a nice addition.  Makes you want to grab some material and start sewing inside pockets in your favorite coat and jackets that just don’t seem to have enough inside storage. 

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  • BESPOKE TAILORING IS…

    -bespoke-
    custom or custom-made, made to order; a form of the verb bespeak which means to ask for in advance, to reserve beforehand, to foretell

    -tailoring-
    to fashion or adapt to a particular taste, purpose, need, etc.

    Bespoke Tailoring is simply having total control over the fabric of, the lining of, the fit of, the color of, the cut of, the pattern of, the details of a particular suit, or other article of men's clothing

  • Labels

    2 o 3 52 Sabbaths Bachelor Basics Bespoke Tailored books C.R.E.A.T.I.O.N c.r.e.a.t.i.o.n. Cufflinks elderly family fashion fave spiritual blogposts female influence fiction GBT Home GBT Living GBT News GBT voice GBT Writ health Home Huntsville...Just Enough i'm tailored interview movies music must haves Office Off the Cuff Patterns poetry Prayer Psalms & Hymns & Spiritual Songs quotes Raising Daddy reidklos reid klos scripture Season 1 Faves Swag & Style swag and style travel two or three Wailing Wall White Wednesdays

  • Get Email Updates to God’s Bespoke Tailoring

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  • THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

    -character-
    the real you!

    -temperament-
    the combination of inborn traits - from mom & dad, even grandparents - that subconsciously affect behavior

    -personality-
    the outward expression of an individual

    -talent-
    a special natural ability or aptitude

    -spiritual gift-
    gifts that are bestowed on Christians, individually, to strengthen the Church [body of believers locally & globally]

  • THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS

    SANGUINE

    CHOLERIC

    MELANCHOLY

    PHLEGMATIC

  • TAILORED QUOTES

    *Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations -The Lord God to Jeremiah-

    *Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade? -Benjamin Franklin-

    *All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He [God] does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” -King Nebuchadnezzar-

    *One of the things the children of God need most is to have their faith strengthened. -George Muller-

    *You CANNOT be anything you want to be - but you CAN be a lot more of who you already are. -Tom Rath-

    *Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. -The Lord God to Habakkuk-

    *And He [God] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers... -Paul the Apostle-

    *Everyone has it within his power to say, this I am today; that I will be tomorrow. -Louis L'Amour-

  • THE WORK AND THE LIFE

    -Many have excused themselves from rendering their gifts to the service of Christ because others were possessed of superior endowments and advantages. The opinion has prevailed that only those who are especially talented are required to consecrate their abilities to the service of God. It has come to be understood by many that talents are given to only a certain favored class to the exclusion of others who of course are not called upon to share in the toils or the rewards. But it is not so represented in the parable. When the master of the house called his servants, he gave to every man his work.

    -We need not go to heathen lands, or even leave the narrow circle of the home, if it is there that our duty lies, in order to work for Christ. We can do this in the home circle, in the church, among those with whom we associate, and with whom we do business.

    -You are not to wait for great occasions or to expect extraordinary abilities before you go to work for God. You need not have a thought of what the world will think of you. If your daily life is a testimony to the purity and sincerity of your faith, and others are convinced that you desire to benefit them, your efforts will not be wholly lost.

    -The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others. They may not realize that they are doing any special good, but by their unconscious influence they may start waves of blessing that will widen and deepen, and the blessed results they may never know until the day of final reward. They do not feel or know that they are doing anything great. They are not required to weary themselves with anxiety about success. They have only to go forward quietly, doing faithfully the work that God's providence assigns, and their life will not be in vain. Their own souls will be growing more and more into the likeness of Christ; they are workers together with God in this life and are thus fitting for the higher work and the unshadowed joy of the life to come.

    from the book:
    Steps To Christ
    by Ellen G White