JB.XO | LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE XONSULTANT

Second by Second
 

Java Barker
March 23, 2026 | Atlanta, Georgia

🌧️ A Sacred Start

It’s a slow Sunday morning — the kind I treasure. I open the curtains. I pour a cup of coffee. I let the sound of the rain soften the edges of the day.

It is Sunday — a sacred pause before the week ahead. A day for rest. Reflection. Realignment.

Today is a day to reset — to prepare for the responsibilities that lie ahead, but also to receive. To breathe. To recover.

As the rain falls, I find myself enjoying the stillness. Coffee in hand. Mind and body easing into the quiet rhythm of the morning.

And I cry.

Not tears of sadness, but tears of realization. Of reverence. Of surrender. Because in that moment, it hits me — fully:

There is no love greater than God’s love.

💡 A Halting Realization

I listen closely. The song plays on. And the lyrics begin to unearth something in me.

“Great is Your mercy toward me…”

And suddenly, I’m reflecting — not casually, but deeply. I think about the truth that I still draw breath today — not because I’m perfect, not because I’ve always been strong, but because God saw fit to give me the gift of life.

At my best, He loves me. At my worst, He still loves me.

And the more I sit with that, the more I feel the weight of His mercy:

• Day after day.
  
  

• Week after week.
  
  

• Month after month.
  
  

• Year after year.
  
  

• Second by second.
  
  

🎵 Mercy in the Music

I sit in the presence of a moment that transcends sound.

I enjoy the gift that is Donnie McClurkin — his voice, his testimony, his anointing.

I witness the vision that is CeCe Winans in digital — a spiritual presence, alive through the screen, as radiant and clear as if she were standing in the room.

I find it interesting — holy, even — to revel in the gift of voice being used as instruments of God:
Used to worship Him.
Used to carry His message.
Used to spread the word of His love and bounty.

These are not just artists. They are vessels — carriers of glory, singing the truths that break chains and open hearts.

And then… comes the anointing.

The moment Donnie and CeCe hover around young Anna —
surrounding her in sound, in Spirit, in purpose —
I feel the presence of God descend like a whisper and a wave.
I feel the oil without needing to see it.
I witness the transfer.
I recognize the weight of the moment.

It’s not just encouragement — it’s ordination.
It’s not just music — it’s ministry.

And as their voices lift and the room is filled with worship, I stop trying to hold back the tears.

Because this is God, reminding me that I am seen, loved, and still standing.

✨ Do Everything in God's Name

As I sit in the quiet — rain falling, coffee cooling, tears still fresh — I’m reminded of something simple but powerful:

Do everything in God’s name.

Not just the big, bold things. But the everyday things, too.
The resting. The reflecting. The rising. The choosing.

Because when I do, I’m not just moving through life — I’m living with intention, rooted in purpose, guided by love.

🙏🏽 Second by Second

This morning, I don’t rush it. I don’t resist it.
I just let myself be held — by the song, by the silence, by the Spirit.

And maybe, that’s what mercy is.
Not always dramatic. Not always loud.
Sometimes, it’s just the permission to pause.

To feel.
To remember.
To return.

If you’re reading this right now — whether it’s Sunday morning or some other kind of moment — I hope you know this:

You are here for a reason.
You are breathing on purpose.
And you are being carried… second by second.

With breath, gratitude, and tears that speak for themselves,
— JB.XO

You can watch it here: Great Is Thy Faithfulness / Great Is Your Mercy - Times Square Church

To learn more, listen deeper, or receive reflections like this directly, visit thexollective.org.