A Brief Hiatus from Blogging

Hello everyone,

I come to you with some sad news but with good intention. I will be taking a brief hiatus from blogging due to furthering my journey of self and God. Although I seek to do this all the time, I want to take time from many things I focus on to truly focus in on this. I will be breaking from social media period. I will only be on to contact people regarding my church.

But I ask that you pray for me, because I am expecting to find renewal and deepening my relationship with God. Sometimes when you concern yourself with people it consumes you. I was on the brink of total consumption so I am going to do my best to do what's best for ME. I love you all and I truly appreciate your support throughout the years.

Pray that this hiatus be filled with everything that I need. I love you all, God Bless!

Relay For Life 2012

My Reason to Relay

This year I lost someone I grew up admiring, became close with and respected as another mother, Sis. Karen Allen. Along with her I have many friends, loved ones and family members that have fought, are fighting or passed away due to Cancer. 

I participated in many charity events while in my undergraduate studies to raise funds for Cancer research, but this year it means more. Now it hits home more than ever and there is NO reason lives should be lost to this disease. While I do not know how it feels, I do know it's effecting many lives, caregivers and families. So if this is a way I can do my part to help save at least 1 life, it's well worth my time.

All I ask is that you support not only me, but my team which is my church youth group in raising awareness about this cause and trying to make a difference. Cancer never stops, so why should we stop fighting and looking for a cure!

I relay because I value life and the right to a healthy, enjoyable one. Relay with me!

To make a donation to our Relay for Life Team simply click the badge below!

Thank you!

A Reminder of Real Love

Good morning everyone! I hope all is well, I know I skipped this month as far as blogging and I apologize, life picks up speed in the blink of an eye! However, in the midst of my busy morning, God reminded me of a word too good not to share. A reminder of what love is, looks like and feels like. He sums it up so perfectly in one scripture for us. It's so easy for us to place our own expectations, visualizations and assumptions on what love should be, but in reality love is something that transforms your heart, your thinking...your being! Love doesn't have a certain look, it does not meet our expectations...it exceeds them. But in order to experience that love we have to learn, understand it and share it first. SO this scripture below sums up what love as a father is, as a mother is, as a friend is, as a child is, as a human being is, and as a Child of God. Let's love each other and allow love to transform our hearts! Be Blessed

1 Corinthians 13:4-7  Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Lent 2012: Fight Until the End, Choosing Courage Over Your Fear

Hello everyone, I hope all is well! I've been meaning to share some stuff with you guys but I have been disobedient and for that I apologize. However, I wanted to get this to everyone as we approach the end of Lent season. It has been such an amazing, revealing and enduring journey but guess what....it's not over!

One of the things we tend to do is give out before we reach the finish line. We jump the first hurdle, maybe the 2nd and the 3rd if we're lucky and then stop. We stop because we feel as though we've done everything we could, but in reality we didn't run until the end.

So many times we never truly grasp the major picture or ultimate blessing out of a journey because we quit on God and ourselves before we finish. So today I want to encourage everyone to stop limiting ourselves to what's entitled to us at the end of our journeys!

A couple of Sundays ago, my Sunday School class spoke about limits, and how we tend to place limits on ourselves a lot of times out of fear and what's been taught to us by society. It was then that we discussed a parable about fish that states:

A fish is expected by society to simply have gills, fins and only be able to swim and survive underwater. They can do no more no less, however there are actually flying fish. Fish that can fly mind blowing distances out of the water due to powerful leaps. These fish have a testimony in reality. They exist in a world where limits are constantly placed on them and the courage to break out of those limits is not encouraged. 

How many of us are similar to the flying fish? Limiting yourself due to what you've told yourself and society has told you about what you can and cannot do? I know I have, and if it had not been for this journey of surrendering fear, I would continue to do so. For so long I was scared to see what existed past those limitations and if it was actually attainable. Too many times we start journeys to achieve great goals, but never finish because we stop due to limits. 

The only reason fish were limited to simply underwater creatures no more, no less was because none of them ever tried to be more than that. We are just like those fish. God has so much for us, so much for us to do, see and become, but many of us never reach that point of seeing the vision become reality because we drop out of the fight due to fear and limitations. 

It is up to us to take God up on his promises, choose to be courageous vs. fearful and fight until the end! Just like courage, success, blessings, God and love are all choices, so is FEAR. It's a feeling that we choose to engage in and sometimes never let go of. 

So I encourage everyone that is coming up on the end of your Lent season journeys to fight until the end. God has a reason, blessing and purpose for you making it this far but you have to push to the end to find out! Decide today whether you will choose courage over your fear, or fear over the finish line...

Do not allow your fear to enslave you and limit your true ability. The truth is, just like God made those fish able to do far more beyond their physical limits, it's the same with us. We have more beyond the "flesh" that we are capable of but we hide behind our fleshly limits afraid of what these abilities may be. So let's live with no limits, no boundaries and no fears! Let's be flying fish!!

Philippians 4:6

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus”

 

Lent 2012: Admitting you Have Fear

Hello everyone, just wanted to update you on my latest lesson while surrendering fear for Lent this year. I learned today, that a major part of freeing yourself from fear, starts by admitting you have it. It's just like the person who is addicted to drugs or alcohol, sex or anything else. There are many addictions and I believe fear is one of them.

I found myself last night asking God to teach how to let go of my hurt. Well I never saw that underneath my hurt was fear. I never admitted that I was scared to let go of my hurt because it could mean more hurt or no freedom at all. I just wanted it to go away. Well for me, today I had to admit to my fear. I felt the pressure, fear, nervousness and knot in my heart just like any addict would when I had to share that I was hurt but more so WHY I was hurt. Telling that story made me so scared, because it could change how people looked at me, treated me and so much more. I felt like I had enough hurt and I didn't need to trade it in for more.

But God felt differently. God told me that there is nothing that makes me any different than someone else who is hurting. And if I can speak life into existence or anything else good, then I could speak about my hurt in order to free myself from it. So today, I shared my fears and hurt with someone. I let it all out something I hadn't done in a very long time. I admitted to my fear and understood it was the very reason for my bondage. I admitted that I was scared to their reaction and that it may change things. I admitted to my feelings of pain, anger, bitterness, hate and depression. I let it all out, and guess what while I felt better afterwards, I have to be honest I immediately text my best friend and said WHAT DID I DO???? lol

I haven't heard back from anyone yet, I don't know if they're reading it now changing their whole perception of me. I don't know if they are telling anyone else outside about it.  I just don't know. But I do know that my heart is less heavy than it was yesterday. I do know now that in order to let go and overcome something, you have to admit to experiencing it. I do know that God made promises to me, and if I can decide to put myself to the side I will see every one come to pass.

This has been the hardest part to my journey so far, but I've learned so much from it. Admititng to having a problem is hard, especially when it consumes you, but the amount of freedom that comes from releasing it, is unmeasurable. Continue to pray for me because I have a feeling it will get more challenging, but I also see myself being a freer person at the end of this season. I see myself more transparent. I see myself more accepting of myself. I see myself living free from fear. So just continue to pray for me, and I will continue to pray for anyone who is on this journey too. It's hard, but the present hard times are only temporary. Love you all!

Alright let me back to work, before I fear getting fired! LOL

My Prayer of Humility

You know my imperfections and you know my struggles.
All I ask is that you continue to reveal to me all the good you have placed in me
So that I can use it to my best ability for your purpose.
Help me to dust myself off when I fall,
And help me to dust others off when they fall into that same ditch.
Only you see my in & out, and only you can save me from myself
So thank you for loving me through it all
And I am humbled that you chose me to do your work.
I love you, Amen

Laugh at Your Fear

So I just wanted to share another moment along my journey of giving up fear for lent.

Saturday I took the GRE, and this was important to me, I had to do well and I was stressed out about. Well when I decided to give up fear I had to change my mindset and perception of this test along with other things in my life. So Saturday came and I had a good attitude about everything, I finished the first 2 sections of the test which were the essays and reading comprehension. Then I came to math, math is a weakness. I just said a prayer before I started and I went for it! AND BOY WAS IT HARD! But afterwards I had a 10 minute break, and would you believe that instead of getting worried and scared about how I would do for the remainder of the test, I simply went to the restroom and broke into laughter about how that math section really made me think! LOL My apologies to any other woman in the restroom, but I couldn't help it because if you could see the faces I made at some of those problems you would understand.

 But I was amazed that instead of choosing to stress over something that was already done, God allowed me to laugh at my fear. I ended up doing well on the test, I was only about 20 points off from my goal, but I did my best! That day I learned that in everything not just that test, I need to rely on God's ability not my own, because relying on myself only earns me a mental breakdown. I'm sure some of you can understand and agree! So the next time you find yourself about to freak out about something that is out of your control, or that you can turn over to God just laugh. Laugh at your fear, because it really is funny, it's not worth it, especially if we believe in God as our higher power, there is no need for us to entertain those fears. Be Blessed!