Grow Where You're Planted | Day 4 | #BlogADay

Every day can't be the best day, but every day can be a great day! A great day is had when we find the strength to focus on being grateful for what we have and content with where we currently are. This is by no means a pass to become complacent but those moments will find that we are constantly and consistently growing and becoming.

There are going to be days when we feel like we're at a stand still or worse, spinning our wheels, digging ourselves deeper and deeper into  Those days where nothing seems to be leaning in your favor, everything appears to be going wrong or falling apart.

But do not fret!

In those moments in life when you don't know which way to go or when you feel like you're not hearing the voice of God, give thanks and take that time to prepare for the vision as you see it. Preparation based on your vision will find you prepared to make a move once the move is revealed.

Find peace where you are while allowing yourself to become all that you've been created to be. Even trees continue growing while their seeds mature, until they are carried away by the winds...

Ready? Set...GOALS! | Day 1 | #BlogADay

Happy New Year!!!

I've never been a fan of New Year's resolutions. I figure, I'm either on the horse or I'm not. I'm not going to waste time talking about what I plan to do beginning January 1st...(or second because who really wants to put forth any effort on New Year's Day?) I mean, I don't want to be a hypocrite, right?

This is what I've found to be my biggest hindrance when it comes to maintaining momentum after mid-February: 

PACE: In the past I've been terrible at pacing myself, often succumbing to burnout after weeks of working out, fasting and/or waking early in the morning for devotional/time of prayer. To be successful in anything, consistency is key and to be consistent, we must be disciplined and prepared to move forward steadily. Sometimes this means taking the smallest tasks and work to make them a consistent part of our routines.

In 2013 I learned two valuable lessons (I learned MANY but I'll share these two):

1) KNOW. YOUR. WORTH. (more on this in the next week)
2) Even SMALL steps can produce BIG results

P.A.C.E. = Productivity and Acceleration through Consistency and Excellence

                                                         

This year, I've taken a different approach. We've all heard the scripture encouraging us to "...write the vision and make it plain..." This is a guaranteed step in the process of progress so, I created an actual vision statement for myself:

Vision: Spread peace, love and light to the masses through the spoken and written word, music and divine relationships.

This vision statement is included at the top of a list of goals. This list includes everything that I would like to accomplish in my personal and professional life before the end of 2014. Some goals are weekly and others monthly, while many are quarterly. ALL will require daily improvements to my work habits, organization and disciplines.

So far this plan of action seems to be working!!! I am excited to say that even before the end of 2013, two of the goals on my list have already come to fruition!!!

I look forward to sharing with you all that God allows me to see, hear and experience with you this year! Please encourage your friends and family members to subscribe to my monthly email for more inspiration and to keep up with my schedule of events!!! ;-)  

Blessings to you, today and always!

*BEAM*

Empty Gestures

...fulfill no purpose.

In everything that I do, I strive to do with intention and with purpose. I am learning day by day that it is not enough to be driven by passion or my emotions. Until I add knowledge then wisdom to my passion, I am being moved by mere emotion -- and this is not enough!

In all of our protesting and "standing for justice" BE RESPONSIBLE in exercising our rights.

1.  KNOW THEM (your rights). Every RIGHT still has laws attached to it and they often vary from state to state. Make certain that while you're practicing you're "rights", you're not breaking the law.
2. Consider how you can BEST and MOST EFFECTIVELY create positive change. I can't stress this enough.

For example: 

• Not tipping a white waitress until justice is served...not really holding any weight in the judicial system.What THIS act DOES do is perpetuate the stereotype that Blacks don't tip well. 

Note: Based on my personal experience as a waitress, Black consumers are often the worst tippers (along with church folk and military service-members) so, yeah. It would appear to me that this young lady is using injustice as an excuse for not tipping when she likely wouldn't have anyway. #ImJustSayin

• Randomly wearing a hoodie and sign to a random mall in your town...not really holding any weight in the judicial system. This young man was arrested in my hometown of Wichita, KS. 

Do I, personally, feel that this young man should have been arrested for refusing to remove his hoodie and sign while in the mall? Of course not! Do I think this young man made the BEST decision in his attempt to "stand for something" so he won't "fall for anything"? NO.

Photo originally posted by Tyrice Lollis

• Boycotting local malls and businesses until justice is served...not really holding any weight in the judicial system. 

Our passion can be a powerful tool but I personally believe the fight is with our right to vote and voting locally AND nationally. The dollar DEFINITELY holds weight but only when it's IN the right hands and/or TAKEN FROM the wrong hands.

• Now, THIS...this is just downright STUPID. Along with rioting and looting. Generally, the very community where the persons you say you're working to bring justice to are the only communities that get destroyed during riots. Just don't...*smh*

So yes, be mindful of where you spend your money but most importantly, make sure to go make an EDUCATED VOTE in your next local election where the political shift BEGINS.

COMMUNICATE with your delegates and state representatives. Write letters, make the calls, LEARN THE LAWS. In this technological age, there is NO EXCUSE for ignorance so, DON'T BE IGNORANT.

*All photos taken from our beloved Facebook.

I Am Light

You ever experience a person who quietly enters the room but everyone seems to turn to look at them? That attraction isn't mere beauty...

Those who walk in a room and command attention do so with their presence first, which is a direct connection to their energy.

Contrary to popular belief, people are not attracted to our beauty, our clothes, etc. They are either attracted, or not attracted to our energy -- which we convey through our outward appearance.

You ever notice that person in the room who always seems to "try too hard" to get attention?

This is why it's important to understand that our bodies, our style, our money, none of it makes us who we are. WE make those things by WHO we are.

"There's just something about her..."
"He's just got IT..."

What is "it"?

It's energy.

If our energy is peaceful, others will feel peace when they're in our presence. If it is confident, loving, loyal, etc...do the math!
;-)

When we change our energy, we'll change our lives! Once we change our lives, we'll change the world, sometimes by simply confidently walking in a room.

Final thoughts:

Our sharing light and love does not automatically guarantee that everyone will like us. Some people are so used the darkness, they are irritated by the presence of light.

*BEAM*

Plucking Fruit - What Do You Bear?

"One's failure to love | Is a tree which yields no fruit | Leaving all hearts starved" 

  Heart of a Queen - Poetry and Prose from the Soul, 

© 2013 Write Right Publications

We've all heard it countless times. From our mother and auntie to girlfriends and co-workers and some of us, have even uttered the words ourselves.

"Oh my goodness! He is plucking my last nerve!?"

In those moments when we find ourselves utterly annoyed or aghast at someone's behavior, it is easy to give them control over our emotions, lending our last slice of peace.

Lord forbid we "wake up on the wrong side of the bed", then every little thing rubs us the wrong way as we project negative energy on any and everybody who crosses our path.

So, what are we to do about these nuances? Are we to give every person who plucks our nerves a piece of our mind or...

...maybe if we change what we make available for plucking.

Think of it like this: If we are the branches that were created to bear fruit, we have to be mindful of what fruit we're bearing.

If the Fruit of the Spirit are "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control" then, why is it that our nerves are so easily exposed?

If we learn to consistently take the time to consume those same wonderfully nutrient rich fruits daily, we will find that our FRUIT is being plucked instead of our nerves.

This is not to be unrealistic. It is only natural for life's dramas and all the players in it to potentially frustrate us to a certain level of aggravation. But what does being quick to speak and react do for a situation?

A change of perspective can make all the difference. Although our emotions are real, we must not be ruled by them. When those moments in life arise, stop and ask yourself, "what fruit am I bearing?"

A Wrinkle in Time

These lines aren't mere evidence of a woman and all her imperfections.

These lines tell the story of a life worth living and a smile worth giving. With age comes wisdom and with wisdom we find our true beauty.

Learn to give thanks for all the years that have made you and embrace the years to come!

The Mary and Martha Within

I have been stressed.

Like, so stressed that the details of what the stress has been doing to my physical body is TMI. Lol

I have cried. Cried some more...laughed hysterically until tears overwhelmed me yet again...lost sleep, all because of my stress when it comes to what I know to be the will of God.  My life as a first time author has been exciting and exhilarating yet more stressful than even planning my own wedding just four short years ago.

God has not only provided me with awesome words to share my story, with the world but He's also surrounded this whole project with a collective of individuals who are dedicated to make this experience a great one.  I have still had to do quite a bit on my own but the parts that were out of my hands made the process more stressful than I expected.

But if I have such an amazing team of people working with me to bring 'Dramas of a Bald Head Queen' to fruition, why the stress?  If I trust the connections to truly be divine, why not trust in the Divine One who established said connections to complete the work He began in me so long ago?

Just this morning, I awoke to more doubtful and wearied thoughts.  I found myself getting angry and frustrated again with...myself.

God immediately reminded me that, in order to truly rest in Him, I must place myself in the posture of worshiper.  Even as a servant seeking to do the "greater good", bringing glory to God in the things I do and in walking according to His will, I have failed to walk in that part of servitude where I consciously worship.

Often times when we think of the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), we are able to point the finger at other individuals who we see in church or in our respective ministries who are doing "too much" yet, not enough.  God showed me this morning that this conflict has risen within me, one individual torn between walking in God's will and sitting and taking time to worship.

THIS is where my stress has come from and today, I release it and seek to worship God wholly trusting that the things He's called me to do will be done according to His will and the purpose He's called me to.

So, there are two words for today 1) balance and 2) worship.

We worship God in many ways.  We worship by serving, the giving of our time, talents, ultimately and by walking in obedience.  In this world, we need to find a balance between doing {for God} and being {with God}.

Today Lord, I worship You with my heart, with my presence, with my communion with You. I love You and release the stresses that are present only in my mind and rest in You.  Amen. *BEAM*

Wednesday, September 28, 2005--Peace in the Kingdom

I have a sister who asked me to pray for her that she would get her mind off of "him". She said she's prayed and prayed about it herself and I realized that I had went through the same thing with my own "him" a few years back and as I was speaking this to her, it ministered to me as well:

If you're gonna pray for the Lord to take your mind off of a person or thing, pray it once, call it done and move it forward. It didn't make sense for me to keep going to God sayin, "oh Lord...blah, blah, blah, take my mind off him." By continuously doing that, my mind was still on HIM!? (the very person I was "praying" I'd get over...)

Instead...to truly find peace, take more time to worship God. Tell God how amazing He is, how wonderful, how merciful. Thank Him for the good times and the lessons learned.
When we get involved in relationships, we tend to give ALL of our energy, time and emotions to that individual and to making it WORK with that individual.  If God were truly our priority, we would take the time to worship and praise God, that way we won't even be thinking about worshipping and praising him/her.

Nothing and no one deserves all of my energy/emotions BUT God!
My favorite Scripture in life right now...Matt 6:33:
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you."

February 6, 2010--Additional thinking:
Although this original blog was in response to someone's failed relationship, these same principles must be applied to every single area of our lives.  It is a matter of us having our priorities in order.

We have a lot to deal with in the natural world going beyond mere relationships; Finances, education, work, material things, these are all things that can take a toll on our spiritual stability and maturity if we keep our sights on them and not on our life's purpose and on God.

Seek ye first...

How Do I See Me?

Peaceful, fragrant, in love with God, knowing Him more. In a clean home that smells good…clean air, no excess of dust….one cat, maybe two…with my husband, candles burning throughout the house regularly, not cheap candles but Febreeze…Yankee even…Home Interiors…J. Crew sweaters, book tours, sharp hair…bangin’ brows, healthy fit body…Ann Taylor skirts, shoes of many options. Clear skin, bright eyes, always smiling, even when I’m not…lovely voice, three children…at least…supporting my husband’s business. Live shows…jazz music, traveling to see Jon in L.A., supporting the Kappa House in Philly. Degree on wall…counseling young people…loving on them whenever they need love, which is always…long walks with my husband…closing our first home, furnishing our first home…closing our second, furnishing…warm colors in the living areas…blues and purples in the bedroom…candles…ceiling fans…book of poetry…writing daily…marathon…pain and pleasure…accomplishment…reading for enjoyment. Blue water…monthly facials…Inhale…exhale…breath deep…inhale exhale…yoga expert…Pilates warrior…I’m good…I’m toned…I’m in shape. Singing, painting…yard work…visiting girlfriends…feeding the homeless…private parties…VIP…wine connoisseur…wow, I correctly spelled connoisseur…lol laughing, loving, preaching…art on walls…fire burning…visiting family…sending them money. Giving money to strangers…taking them to eat. RL…in silver…Options…standing tall…confidence…sharing my energy…positivity. Sunday mornings…inhale exhale…fruits and veggies…healthy…bike rides in the park…FAMILY. Home in Riverside Park at home…enjoying snow in Upstate NY…healthy hands…strong hands…water fountain. Trickling water…weekends in Savannah…Charleston…NYC…Chicago…DC…LA…Some random town in the country…the will of God. Speaking at conferences…collaborating on research…in sociological journals…swimming…music makes me high…

"Giving Credit Where Credit is Due"

This note was originally in response to a note on Facebook by a young lady named Rochelle but after being "checked" by facebook and getting my looong reply shut down, I decided to just write a note myself. And then it turned into a blog!??!?!

This note is not dedicated to only Rochelle, but to anyone who is currently in any sort of "romantic" relationship and if you're not and you read this, I pray that the words will be useful to your life somewhere in your future…

Rochelle,

First of all, I'd like to commend you for giving credit where credit is due. Our men need to hear us admit that we are wrong (when we are wrong). It takes a strong person to humble themselves and admit when we have hurt someone else, regardless of the reason...I am SO very glad for one line that you said in this note...a lot of it was important, very important, but the number one thing for you to always remember is that you DESERVE to be loved!? No matter what you've done, what's been done to you or even who you give love to, you deserve to be loved, respected, cared for...all of those things that your heart desires and your life needs, you deserve.

Don't you dare ever settle for anything less...and just like you deserve all of these things, so do our men. Women often get caught up in wanting so much "respect" that we forget to give it. We are used to seeing our mothers, aunts, sisters, friends being the victims of "no good men" that being disrespected has become the expectation. Don't ever let this be your expectation...but in order to receive, you've gotta give.

I wish I could meet this young man...and hope that I can some day...in the meanwhile I pray that you two are walking in God's will and that you are learning to COMMUNICATE. Communication is the ultimate key to any relationship. People think the key is trust but if you are communicating, the trust will be established. Others think it's good sex...um...if you're communicating, the sex will BE. GOOD. (When it's time of course!!!!??? Ha!)

The only way armies can be effective in war is with open, clear lines of communication. Without communication, there is no unity, without unity, the battle will be lost...Understand that relationships, marriages in particular, are ordained by God and they represent His relationship with us. Anything that looks like God, the enemy wants to destroy. This is why relationships are always attacked. This is why the divorce rate is so high, in this country in particular…because we are at "war".

I don't mean to get all "spooky" or "religious" on you but for real, take a look at the relationships of those around you and even your own and ask what is it that causes any drama that we/they encounter? Most times, it will be miscommunication that leads to arguments, fights or whatever…I could go on and on, but I'm tired *looks at clock* so, I'll leave you with this...

Ephesians 4:2-3 (NLT) 2 "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace."

Humility+Patience+Communication=Peace=Unity