Sometimes you don't know how to put into words how you're feeling or what you're going through but every so often a song comes along that expresses exactly what you're going through. Music speaks to us in a way that speaks immeasurable volumes. It helps us get through, helps us move on or transform. It can make us happy, sad, vulnerable but is a gift, in my opinion, to our souls. A more special, unique way that GOD communicates to us. There is a song that communicates to all of our emotions ... we can all find one.
Sometimes you don't want to talk to a friend, a pastor, counselor or therapist. You want to just get through your battle with GOD by your side and a song in tow! Maybe you don't know how to best communicate to GOD. Maybe you think there is some special way you have to. You just say it. There is no script. No rehearsal. Just say it .... shout it ... maybe even sing it.
Without going through the few things I'm dealing with, I wanted to share this song that really spoke to my spirit. A calling out to want to be the person GOD intended me to be. Finding myself back to ME. The whole me. To being sure about myself and the decisions I make. Dealing with mistakes and regrets as a learning experience and not a reason to beat myself up.
I love this song by Jill Scott. A great interpretation of how I feel some days. But an indication that I am not alone. That we all need GODs help to get through. To deal. To heal.
Until Next Time ... Whatever you're going through, find your song back to YOU. Things do get better.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
In the FAST Lane
Last month, I decided to fast from watching television for an entire week. In light of things not going as I would like them to go, I figured I remove some distraction and just focus on hearing GOD. The television is so addictive and can put you so far off track that you lose so much time watching the same stuff that comes on all day every day.
The time encouraged me to start reading a book I'd started reading earlier this year and because something crazy was going on with my ibooks application on my Ipad, I hadn't quite re-visited it to figure out what the issue was. I thought about buying the hard copy in the store but never got around to it. So finally, I decided to download the Kindle application to my Ipad and buy the book again. I've yet to finish it but I'm much further along than I was from the first time I started reading it.
Not had I started reading one book but another that a friend had written. I was forced to answer questions about my life and my career. About friendships, activities and things that seem to be keeping me from living and loving wholeheartedly.
Practicing self control is important to me and important to receiving the full Blessings GOD has for me. Fasting seemed to help me stay the course. Focused. Determined. Sound. Open. So I'm making a commitment to GOD that I will fast at least once a month. Whether its for an hour, a day, a week, or the entire month. I believe the commitment to fasting will strengthen me in my trouble areas and avoiding distractions and bad habits won't become second nature.
I want to respect the person I am and continue to improve and mature into the woman GOD intended me to be. It's important to me that HE knows that I am trying. Not just saying that I'm trying but actually making a conscious effort, taking physical steps to show HIM that I am serious about our relationship.
Until Next Time ... When things are stagnant or slow and not moving the way YOU would like, get in the FAST lane. GOD will write you a ticket you can't refuse. ; )
The time encouraged me to start reading a book I'd started reading earlier this year and because something crazy was going on with my ibooks application on my Ipad, I hadn't quite re-visited it to figure out what the issue was. I thought about buying the hard copy in the store but never got around to it. So finally, I decided to download the Kindle application to my Ipad and buy the book again. I've yet to finish it but I'm much further along than I was from the first time I started reading it.
Not had I started reading one book but another that a friend had written. I was forced to answer questions about my life and my career. About friendships, activities and things that seem to be keeping me from living and loving wholeheartedly.
Practicing self control is important to me and important to receiving the full Blessings GOD has for me. Fasting seemed to help me stay the course. Focused. Determined. Sound. Open. So I'm making a commitment to GOD that I will fast at least once a month. Whether its for an hour, a day, a week, or the entire month. I believe the commitment to fasting will strengthen me in my trouble areas and avoiding distractions and bad habits won't become second nature.
I want to respect the person I am and continue to improve and mature into the woman GOD intended me to be. It's important to me that HE knows that I am trying. Not just saying that I'm trying but actually making a conscious effort, taking physical steps to show HIM that I am serious about our relationship.
Until Next Time ... When things are stagnant or slow and not moving the way YOU would like, get in the FAST lane. GOD will write you a ticket you can't refuse. ; )
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Social NOT-Working
OK. I am a guilty of doing this but it doesn't mean it's right!! LOL. But I have to say you're almost forced into it. Everyday I'm on the bus or train, even just walking down the block. Everyone is communicating with their friends Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and whoever else that offers a cellular service or data plan. Granted it is the way of the world, but lets face it, we have lost a GENUINE connection/contact with people because of it.
The times that I've been able to strike up a conversation with a stranger, offer a smile, a seat or help with a stroller or bag, there was a connection made. It not only makes you realize that there are still some nice people in the world who don't mind making your life a tad bit easier even if its just for 30 seconds, but boy it makes you realize that when it does happen, how much of this old-school way of connecting to one another is lacking on a such a huge level.
People are often surprised when a nice gesture is offered to them. They sometimes appear a little nervous or taken aback. Almost putting up a guard between them and the other person with their trusty piece of technology that "holds their entire life" in the palm of their hands.
I met an older guy who had traveled from Georgia, on the bus earlier this week. He was a bit confused as to whether he was on the right bus to an area he could best catch the sky line of New York. Our conversation started at the bus terminal but ended almost at the front of my building. We talked about quite a few things in our short meeting but we both were able to help each other. And I wasn't even looking for it. GOD works it out that way, ya know.
I helped him get to the right place and he offered me some good Life advice. Had he relied on his phone to map out the directions or if I was too involved in a game of words with friends or checking emails, this meeting, this conversation, this connection, the lesson would have been lost.
I realize some mornings, OK a lot of mornings, the first thing I do is pick up my phone and check for any missed calls, emails, etc. instead of thanking GOD that I was able to open my eyes this morning to even look at the darn phone. This madness has got to stop. I think its important that we dedicate time aside from our busy schedules to connect to GOD, to connect to his people and to connect to ourselves.
I know that the internet is the Information Super Highway, it offers an abundance of information at lightening speed. It has evolved in more ways than we could have ever possibly imagined,
but isn't it a different feeling to go down the road less traveled. To receive help, information, or a story from a REAL person. Isn't the lesson a bit more meaningful? Isn't it nice to have a nice dinner with your boo without him/her missing your subtle glances that scream "I love you" because he/she is answering emails after work hours or just on "your time."
Set some limitations.
If it is important, the voicemail, the missed call, or the email will still be there. Do you think GOD will allow you to miss an opportunity that He most likely put in in your path. Its highly likely he puts people on your path ... on your bus, train, plane, road, etc. for some reason or another. But we miss any any opportunity to connect to a LIVE person because we are head first into our technical vices.
Think about this: If you took a second to help a young lady trying to get a stroller up the stairs in the subway; to say hello to a person who looks a little down or even ask them if they are OK; to offer an elderly person your seat; to slow down for just a minute to give someone directions instead of blowing them off cause you're just too busy on your phone ... you have made a difference in someones life. Isn't that really what life is all about ... making a difference.
I remember when I was traveling back and forth from Maryland to New York City, I had to walk up and down stairs with my heavy suitcase, lugging it to auditions, on the train and through the streets. It did something good to my spirit when a young man would offer to help me. Man, that made such a difference in my day because on more days than some, no one offered. I was tired, hot, cold, near the brink of breaking down and that simple gesture, made me feel good ... for at least a minute.
SOCIAL means: seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious or living; disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation.
Until Next Time ... Remember PEOPLE are social beings ... not Cell Phones and Computers. Don't lose the connection with each other.
The times that I've been able to strike up a conversation with a stranger, offer a smile, a seat or help with a stroller or bag, there was a connection made. It not only makes you realize that there are still some nice people in the world who don't mind making your life a tad bit easier even if its just for 30 seconds, but boy it makes you realize that when it does happen, how much of this old-school way of connecting to one another is lacking on a such a huge level.
People are often surprised when a nice gesture is offered to them. They sometimes appear a little nervous or taken aback. Almost putting up a guard between them and the other person with their trusty piece of technology that "holds their entire life" in the palm of their hands.
I met an older guy who had traveled from Georgia, on the bus earlier this week. He was a bit confused as to whether he was on the right bus to an area he could best catch the sky line of New York. Our conversation started at the bus terminal but ended almost at the front of my building. We talked about quite a few things in our short meeting but we both were able to help each other. And I wasn't even looking for it. GOD works it out that way, ya know.
I helped him get to the right place and he offered me some good Life advice. Had he relied on his phone to map out the directions or if I was too involved in a game of words with friends or checking emails, this meeting, this conversation, this connection, the lesson would have been lost.
I realize some mornings, OK a lot of mornings, the first thing I do is pick up my phone and check for any missed calls, emails, etc. instead of thanking GOD that I was able to open my eyes this morning to even look at the darn phone. This madness has got to stop. I think its important that we dedicate time aside from our busy schedules to connect to GOD, to connect to his people and to connect to ourselves.
I know that the internet is the Information Super Highway, it offers an abundance of information at lightening speed. It has evolved in more ways than we could have ever possibly imagined,
but isn't it a different feeling to go down the road less traveled. To receive help, information, or a story from a REAL person. Isn't the lesson a bit more meaningful? Isn't it nice to have a nice dinner with your boo without him/her missing your subtle glances that scream "I love you" because he/she is answering emails after work hours or just on "your time."
Set some limitations.
If it is important, the voicemail, the missed call, or the email will still be there. Do you think GOD will allow you to miss an opportunity that He most likely put in in your path. Its highly likely he puts people on your path ... on your bus, train, plane, road, etc. for some reason or another. But we miss any any opportunity to connect to a LIVE person because we are head first into our technical vices.
Think about this: If you took a second to help a young lady trying to get a stroller up the stairs in the subway; to say hello to a person who looks a little down or even ask them if they are OK; to offer an elderly person your seat; to slow down for just a minute to give someone directions instead of blowing them off cause you're just too busy on your phone ... you have made a difference in someones life. Isn't that really what life is all about ... making a difference.
I remember when I was traveling back and forth from Maryland to New York City, I had to walk up and down stairs with my heavy suitcase, lugging it to auditions, on the train and through the streets. It did something good to my spirit when a young man would offer to help me. Man, that made such a difference in my day because on more days than some, no one offered. I was tired, hot, cold, near the brink of breaking down and that simple gesture, made me feel good ... for at least a minute.
SOCIAL means: seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious or living; disposed to live in companionship with others or in a community, rather than in isolation.
Until Next Time ... Remember PEOPLE are social beings ... not Cell Phones and Computers. Don't lose the connection with each other.
Don't Put A Question Mark Where God Put A Period
A lot of times I make my life so much more hectic and complicated then it has to be. I stress over things I simply have no control over. I focus on the minor details of things and second guess my decisions. When if I just continue to trust in GOD and that HE is in control, well, LIFE, would be, ahhhhh, so much more calming for me.
Life really is like a box chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. Sometimes we get what we didn't plan for and then a major meltdown occurs. We get negative ... discouraged, sad, frustrated. We become nut cases and GOD is like "Really? Haven't I always come through?" And you're like "Yes Lord, But..."
There are no IF's, AND's or BUT's about what GOD can do, has done and will continue to do. The Lord is Faithful and no matter how bad a situation has seemed in your life, you can always look back and say "Thank Ya Lord!!!" because look at where you are now. Professionally, I want to be further along. I wanna be booking every job I get placed on hold or called back for. But I had to realize that maybe GOD closed some of those doors (and its been consistent lately) because I'm believing to small.
Maybe GOD has something bigger in store for me. Maybe my career is past the jobs that require 12 hour days, takes a lot more energy and pays a lower rate. SIDEBAR: I'm not saying I'm too good to take a lower paying job, but hey if GOD is saying that, who I am to question the One who made/makes it all possible. I'm just saying. Maybe my life is moving to the next phase, the next chapter. Who knows? GOD knows. And I have to continue to TRUST that if I'm not booking certain jobs or any job, for that matter, that that is the way GOD has planned it.
Yes I got bills. Past due bills. Late bills. Too many bills. Can you pay my bills? LOL. There I go again, back to my old self, focusing on the money and not the love and passion that nurtured me and gave me the confidence to quit my 9 to 5 (almost 5 years ago) to pursue this full-time. The money will come. It always does. *smile* And when it comes, it's usually more than I ever expected because I stepped back and stopped making plans on my terms.
GOD'S results speak for themselves and will always prove that I will give birth to more in my future than I've lost in my past. If GOD puts a period in a relationship, a job, a thought, any chapter of your life, DO NOT question it. In the end he always causes you to triumph.
Until Next Time .... Don't sweat the small stuff!
Life really is like a box chocolates. You never know what you're going to get. Sometimes we get what we didn't plan for and then a major meltdown occurs. We get negative ... discouraged, sad, frustrated. We become nut cases and GOD is like "Really? Haven't I always come through?" And you're like "Yes Lord, But..."
There are no IF's, AND's or BUT's about what GOD can do, has done and will continue to do. The Lord is Faithful and no matter how bad a situation has seemed in your life, you can always look back and say "Thank Ya Lord!!!" because look at where you are now. Professionally, I want to be further along. I wanna be booking every job I get placed on hold or called back for. But I had to realize that maybe GOD closed some of those doors (and its been consistent lately) because I'm believing to small.
Maybe GOD has something bigger in store for me. Maybe my career is past the jobs that require 12 hour days, takes a lot more energy and pays a lower rate. SIDEBAR: I'm not saying I'm too good to take a lower paying job, but hey if GOD is saying that, who I am to question the One who made/makes it all possible. I'm just saying. Maybe my life is moving to the next phase, the next chapter. Who knows? GOD knows. And I have to continue to TRUST that if I'm not booking certain jobs or any job, for that matter, that that is the way GOD has planned it.
Yes I got bills. Past due bills. Late bills. Too many bills. Can you pay my bills? LOL. There I go again, back to my old self, focusing on the money and not the love and passion that nurtured me and gave me the confidence to quit my 9 to 5 (almost 5 years ago) to pursue this full-time. The money will come. It always does. *smile* And when it comes, it's usually more than I ever expected because I stepped back and stopped making plans on my terms.
GOD'S results speak for themselves and will always prove that I will give birth to more in my future than I've lost in my past. If GOD puts a period in a relationship, a job, a thought, any chapter of your life, DO NOT question it. In the end he always causes you to triumph.
Until Next Time .... Don't sweat the small stuff!
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