Behind The Scenes

The camera was on, meanwhile the computer was trippin', the phone was ringing, a relative came by for counseling, unannounced of course, the instant messenger was pinging. Oh and by the way, this was all during the time that I was doing a livestream recording. Anxiety was on the rise, bigtime.

Have you ever had seasons in your life when it seemed that nothing was going right? A time when you took one step forward and it felt as though life itself pushed two steps backwards? Were there circumsances, distractions, temptations and everything beyond your control that could have happened appearing to have been happening? I call these the 46:10 experiences.

Encounters like these are examples of the perfect times and opportunities to be still and know that God is God. (Psalms 46:10). Your thoughts are racing, your palms are sweaty, your heart is panting, your feet pacing the floor. STOP! TAKE CONTROL! RELAX! GOD IS AT WORK! Though you may not see him, though you may not feel him, though it may seem that he is not visible in your personal situation, just know that God is working things out behind the scenes. The eye may not yet see it nor the mind comprehend it but know he is working. Websters defines know as: to have a clear perception or understanding of; to be sure of or well informed about to know the facts.

You may wonder how can you know something that you can't see or comprehend, well it's very simple. We don't see gravity or electricity but we well know it is there working on our behalf. We know gravity and/or electricity by its nature and by the demonstration of its repetitive characteristics. Thru the test of time, we watch its patterns of behavior in order to understand the historical nature of these forces.

We've all experienced gravity within its natural force attracting or pulling one particle towards another. We've experienced electricity occuring when there is friction between two opposing forces (protons and electrons) with its transferring of charge taking place. Over and over it's true natural pattern has not changed nor deviated from what it is or what it was created to do.

As we be still and know God, we will witness him repeatedly in the same manner work out all the things we do not understand nor have the power to control. We will notice his repetitious ability to come thru in ways far beyond what we can imagine. He has not changed nor has his true nature changed. In the same manner, opposing forces may be at work in our personal, spiritual, business lives, but the transfer of charge is taking place and in the end God always win.

He will always pull what is rightfully ours toward us. It's his nature to want and do what's best for us according to his divine will and plan for our lives. The more we experience God, the more we will began to trust him to handle what we cannot see. Our focus will shift from worrying to knowing. It will become clear to us how we tend to look for him from the outside to the inside while he is at work from the inside to the outside.

Relax, breathe and allow God to handle all the technicalities behind the scenes in your life. In the longrun you will see and enjoy the big picture when the work is completed and find that it was well worth the wait.

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Can We Go Somewhere?

My nine-year old grandaughter and I are what I refer to as "road dawgs". Shalajah loves to follow her Nanny (me) during any given time or day. When she hears the jingle of my keys, it's as if a silent alarm is triggered in her head. "Nanny, I want to come over and hang out with you, Can we just get in your car and go somewhere?." she will say.

As I listen to those few words coming from her lips, and gaze into her long eyelashes, big brown eyes, I know exactly what she really wants. The majority of the time all Shalajah wants is a solitude moment away from the boys and escape to her favorite snacks that I keep just for her, her three brothers and other kids who come by. She loves for me to spoil her with girly girl, good-smelling things that we commonly love as well as visiting the dollar stores, thrift stores and her favorite eating places.

Shalady ( a name I call her) is never short of having a plan at any given moment and time.

This reminds me of another story that I liked to read when I was her age about the adventures of another little girl called Alice in Wonderland. Alice would venture off and have encounters with several other characters. One encounter in particular was her encounter with the Cat and a conversation she had with him.
Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat
Alice:I don't much care where--" said Alice
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat
Alice: --"so long as I get SOMEWHERE," Alice added as an explanation.
Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."

There's an old adage that goes like this " If you make one step, God will make two". Taking that first step is usally the most challenging part of any task. Many have never been able to surpass the fear of taking a step forward.

God has and places he wants you to take you and things that he wants you to accomplish. It is up to you to supply the faith to get you there. You may not fully understand just what it is you are doing or where it will lead you at first, but rest assured it will be for the good of yourself and everyone who is involved. One major clue to knowing where you are going lies in understanding where you came from. There will be visible signs along the way if you focus and pay attention to them. Move forward at all cost. You will gain much more insight from looking back and remembering than you will from walking back and reliving. Launch forward in faith fearing no one or nothing.

Occasionally, like Alice in Wonderland, you will have different experiences and encounters with people and need to stop and ask questions to get a sense of clarity. Sitting idle and trying to decide what to do will only open the door for frustration and depression often causing one to lose their focus. The simplest and practical solution, of course is to just occupy yourself by going somewhere and doing something. It is often true, that an idle mind is the Devil's workshop. Here are 5 tips that when applied will help in keeping your focus on your goals:


1. First things first


2. Other things second


3. Cut out the unimportant


4. Unify the vision


5. Stick with it



Decide to take action today by writing an action plan for your goals. Remember, if you fail to plan, plan to fail. Keep your eyes on completion of your goals until you are successful. Let nothing distract you, let nothing stop you.

Whatever you decide to do may not attract the multitude and perhaps maybe only a few may benefit from it. You may not even become famous by doing it, but at least you'll be accomplishing something with the precious life God has given you. You were designed uniquely from anyone else with a plan and a purpose for his service. Don't allow valuable time to waste by trying to please everyone. Focus on pleasing God, the designer of your life and doing what he purposed you for and one day you will not look back and greatly regret having wasted many years of your life doing nothing and going nowhere. His desires for us is to lead us along a path of his choosing. Our challenge is to watch,to listen... and be ready to follow.

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You Know You've Got The Goods

Back in the late 60's as many of you will recall, we had the greatest fighter of all times. Cassius Clay (Later know as Muhammad Ali,) did not hesitate to proclaim himself as the greatest. Often he would brag about his beauty and note that no one would be able to mess up his pretty face.

Commentators all over began to announce the skills of his upcoming opponent, Sonny Liston, who they collectively believed would take him out. Liston, with his mean, intimidating demeanor had a way of scaring the fear right into you, but Cassius Clay would not back down, nor did he fear. When the opportunity arose to prove his greatness, just as he previously said, he entered the ring and began to "float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee" He proved that Liston, along with others were no match for him. When given the opportunity to comment later, he proclaimed, "It's not bragging when you know you've got the goods."

As we discover our purpose, we unlock our goods for the benefit of ourselves and others. In fact, most of us never realize that we are carrying "the goods". We spend so much of our time focusing on the affairs of life to the point where we miss opportunities to share who we are and what we can get accomplished as these offers repeatedly present themselves to us.

Have we failed to realize that we are the solution to someone else's problem? The cheese for their macaroni, or the jelly for their peanut butter sandwich (putting it in a humorous way)? Every opportunity that is presented for us to connect with others in one small way or another is an opportunity for purpose to be manifested.

It's the core reason why you are here. When you find your talents and abliities and figure out a way to share them you've found a great clue to your "goods." Each one of us carry our own personal experiences, setbacks, pitfalls, accomplishments, etc. Most of the time it may seem insignificant to you but may be priceless to someone else. Everyone, knowingly or unknowingly has something to give. God did not fail to give you talent.

If you have not pinpointed a specific purpose in life, get busy doing something that you are capable of doing and chances are that you will find hidden talent you were never aware of.

During our encounter with this journey known as life we will perpetually remain in the process of becoming. Never fear the changes that has to take place revamping some or all of your plans, goals and intentions in one way or another. Circumstances beyond our control will happen. It is God's way of giving you the opportunity to have different purposes at different times and stages in life.

The best part of finding yourself temporarily without a purpose is that you get to create a new one.

Perhaps, you have had an encounter with sickness and it equips you to be a comfort for someone who is in pain. Or, you are very outgoing, articulate and outspoken and someone in your pathway needs an advocate. Seize that opportunity! Understand that it is a blessing in disguise and a chance to grow and develop new talents, abilities and relationships. You are richly blessed in life. You are you for a reason, time and a purpose.

Now that you know you've got the goods, unleash them and they will benefit others as well as yourself.

.

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Don't Forget To Remember

During the past few weeks as I was checking my facebook status and following-up on some notifications, one particular update caught my attention. It went on to say that "You just got hit by a memory pillow and you have 2 days to respond or you lose." As funny as it seemed at the moment, it demanded a response on my part. For starters, I really don't like losing, but worse than that I hate leaving things undone and up in the air. Not to say that I always respond to everything on every occasion, but truthfully I am a perfectionist and the smallest detail will sometimes linger in my head. The memory pillow fight began and we each set out to win.

So the game was on, my friends I and began to correspond back and forth thru emails, phone calls, etc. and share memories and whereabouts of individuals from our past. Each name had it's own memory attached to it. Some names and faces we did not recall right away, but with just a few slight memory prompts it all came back to us very quickly. It amazed us how much we collectively challenged each others memories and the amount of data we collected on old friends as a result. There were a few funny as well as embarrassing memories went back as early as age 5 and reminded us how we went thru the Tarzan phase and swung from the vines of trees, or robbing the neighbor's pear tree, sneaking to the blackberry patch to pick berries, you name it.

We were stunned as to how much the times of our society have changed and how we really valued the friendship and the families of each other as our own family even though we were neighbors. Their uncles and aunts were considered our uncles and aunts, or the neighbor's grandmother we called grandmother too. Just a few simple questions sent us on a treasure hunt down memory lane to seek indivuduals that made us smile,laugh,those we teased, or fought with, who did memorable things in school etc. or whatever they had done to make us remember them in one way or the other.

Whatever happened to_________? My response was "he died of an overdose, ___________ was shot to death, ____________ had a massive heart attack, ______________ was killed by a hit and run driver, suicide, etc. The list went on and on. To our surprise, the one's that we were certain would be around for a long time were the ones who were gone. In most cases it had happened in an instant.

Each one of us has been given the gift of life with no strings attached. It is up to us to decide how it will be lived. To live means to have a mission to fulfill. It is a sad thing to come to the end of your life only to find that you have not lived. Many will come to the point of leaving the space of the earth, and when they gaze back, they see the joy and the beauty that could not be theirs because of the fears they lived. We must make a decision to extract every moment of goodness and beauty and insight or-by default-you will simply use up your days going through the motions.

Let us remember to not just live our life, or just spend our life but to invest our life. To celebrate the fullest life possible, give yourself completely to the master of life. Trust your whole life, your whole being to him. Read his words in the Bible, follow his ways, talk to him daily in prayer. As you do, you will fill our life with "joy unspeakable and full of glory" 1Pet. 1:8.

Remember that...your presence is a present to the world.
Remember that...you're unique and one of a kind.
Remember that...your life can be whatever you want it to be.
Remember that...it's best to take each day as it comes.
Remember that...you should count your blessings and not your troubles.
Remember that...God will help you through whatever comes
Remember that...God has the answer to any question that you may have.
Remember that...you should never put limits on yourself.
Remember that...you must have courage to be strong.
Remember that...you have many dreams waiting to be realized.
Remember that...only you can fulfill your dreams.
Remember that...decisions are too important to leave to chance.
Remember that...it's up to you to reach for your peak, your goal, and your prize.
Remember that...nothing wastes more time than worrying.
Remember that...the longer you carry a problem, the heavier it gets.
Remember that...you should never take things too seriously.
Remember that...you should live in a way that leaves you with no regrets.
Remember that...a little love goes a long way.
Remember that...you should never ever give up.
Remember that...friendship is one of life's wisest investments.
Remember that...life's treasures are people.
Remember that...it's never too late.
Remember that...ordinary things can be done in extraordinary ways.
Remember that...health, hope, and happiness are worth striving for.

And never forget..how very special you are. You are the feathers in someone else's memory pillow. Walk with the Lord of joy and live in His spirit. Live life to the fullest. Life is filled with meaning as soon as Jesus Christ enters into it.

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How to Find the Passion to Begin Again

Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.

During the past week our nation was given some tragic news that shocked a large number of people. We mourned the deaths of three well known celebrities that have entertained our lives through music, laughter, action/drama, etc. As we sort through all the media and hype we were still left with an amount of uncertainty regarding the future of our entertainment industry and what is to come ahead. Who will be the next Michael Jackson? Ed McMahon? Farrah Fawcett?, etc.

At some point, each one of us will encounter tragic circumstances and mishaps that will challenge us to re-evaluate our current situation and start over in areas we may not want to face or areas that we may not be used to. Tragedies may come to us in the form of death, divorce, sickness, loss of home, job...and the list goes on.

Each time we are faced with two major decisions, one is to persevere and move forward and one is to just throw in the tile and give up. The deciding factor in each occasion is influenced by our attitude and perspective of the matter at hand. The world is a wonderful place and it is your time to step into it boldly. Don't ge stuck on idle- move out, make choices based on the best possible information you have. Often, we will never discover what we are passionate about until we are presented with a situation that has to be handled immediately. How we handle it is what makes us or breaks us. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, embrace the principles for right living contained in God's word. It is during the most adverse and inadequate times when Jesus shows us that his strength is made perfect in our weakness. Seek godly counsel and learn the principles of righteousness. Our ability to surrender allows him to manifest his greatness and expose our true passsions. When you choose in favor of godliness, you will never have a misstep.

Just what is my passion and how can I use it to begin again you may ask? Passion is defined as a powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger or a boundless enthusiasm.

Simply put, passion is the energy that comes from bringing more of you into what you love. It's being who you are and doing what comes naturally. Look for it, allow it to grow and thank God for it. You may find that you have the ability to be passionate in more than one area. The real tragedy of life is not being limited to having one passion, but the failure to use the one passion you have. The best preparation for a better life next year, is a full, complete, harmonious, joyous life this year. Consider applying these 15 tips to your daily routine as you find your passion to begin again:

1. Stretch yourself. You don't fully know your own capabilities
2. Make necessary adjustments, beneficial to your growth, stability and future.
3. Don't fear vulnerability, communicate with others about your shortcomings.
4. Ask questions, what you don't know can hurt you
5. Surround yourself with the support of friends,family,groups, etc.
6. Open your mind to new people and new ways of doing things.
7. Pray, meditate, rediscover yourself and your relationship with God.
8. Take one day at a time.
9. Put God first
10.Give and Serve, Serve and Give.
11.Focus more on what you have than what you lost.
12.Laugh as often as possible, cry when necessary.
13.Choose to be happy
14.Don't take life so serious. Enjoy it!
15.Share your talents, information, mind,expertise with others.

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Picked Out To Be Picked Up

As anyone who is busy and caught up in the things-to-do list of life can tell you, sometimes the most profound lessons that we may learn can come from the smallest objects.

Afterall, it was a busy day. My hands were full trying to juggle three bags of groceries in each hand while twirling my fingers to maneuver my door keys to open it upon arrival. Did I forget to mention the full bladder that was on the countdown awaiting my entry into the house? My mission was to calculatingly swing the groceries aside and race upstairs to the bathroom to give my bladder the relief it was crying for. During my "Thank you God for relief" moment, as I patiently sat and reflected, my mind flashed back to a penny that I intentionally passed up. Curiously I introspectively focused on why this penny had such a visual impact on me at this particular moment.

Suddenly the light went off in my head and it was apparent that "Everything that I needed to know about life coaching others could be learned from the penny". Now I admit this was not the ideal time for a life-changing revelation, but God has been known to humor me in the most serious times and situations.

Let's pause a moment, and allow me to personify the penny for a brief moment. I'll bring it to life in order to make a comparative analysis of our attitude towards the people we sometimes encounter. Here are four everyday examples of people and situations we encounter that can be used as practical coaching tools to anyone who wants to radically impact others in making personal life changes :

1. Penny, I see you but I am going to overlook the need to pick you up.

2. If you'll excuse me, I'm very busy with things of more importance. Right now I just can't allow you the benefit of occupying my time so please excuse me as I politely step over you.

3. You're a cast away, unvaluable and really unworthy of the pain that I'll encounter while I stoop down to pick you up.

4. To me you are small, insignificant, practically worthless, besides I
have bigger and better things of far more importance than to deal with you.

Get the picture? The penny then became my priceless teacher.

Everyday, we encounter people of all walks of life who cross our paths for different reasons. Each one has their own story and experiences that have landed them where they are. Are we overlooking them because of the situation that they are currently in or the appearance of their mental state or perhaps even the social class that we visibly associate them with? Is it possible that we step over them because of our own false sense of superiority?

If we truly want to exercise the benefit of coaching others towards purposeful living, we must realistically consider that there are those whom life has thrown away, devalued, labeling them too small, too insignificant, poor, worthless, etc. and be the outstretched hand that extends itself to reach into unfamiliar places to help them up. We must help them see themselves in a light contrary to their current circumstances.

Nevertheless, as we were picked out to be picked up like the rejected and countless penny, we too were alone, needed to be saved before we amounted to anything and could of ourselves do nothing. Our everlasting God, through his infinite compassion, raised us up, brushed off the debris of life and assigned us a new and valuable identity. Where we were once walked over we are now chosen. He transformed our worthlessness into a life of increase. What others previously saw as our valuelessness is now a visual example of small beginning to a fresh start.

I thank God for calling us to be a "Pennypicker" to the lives of those whom we encounter.

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How to Live a Life of Purpose

What do you want the epitaph on your tombstone to say when you die? Many would be satisfied, if not relieved, if their epitaph proclaimed, “I Survived.”

Others, perhaps you, want more out of life than just going through the motions, day after day, and simply surviving.

To live a life of purpose, and on purpose, empowers you to be whatever you want to be and to do whatever you want to do. When your life’s purpose is powered by passion, you are able to stay on course even when you experience obstacles and setbacks. Purpose is the engine that moves you forward in life; passion is the fuel for the engine.

There are five important fundamentals for living a life of purpose:

1. Purpose is a choice. In Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life , he states many people are often driven by resentment and anger, driven by fear, driven by materialism, and driven by the need for approval. These drivers are not nourishing, nor can they sustain a truly purpose driven life.

Instead, to live with purpose and passion is indeed a choice. You can choose if you want to succumb to the wants, needs and wishes of others, or choose, for yourself, what you want out of your life.

You get the choose what to do, who to do it with, and legacy you will leave when your time on this earth is over. In your quiet moments when you are alone with your thoughts and listen to what your inner wisdom is telling you, you will clearly hear your passion calling you to action. It’s your choice to respond.

2. Show your passion about your purpose. Enthusiasm and positive energy are contagious. Share your purpose and passion with others. Don’t be afraid you will be criticized for letting others know your hopes and dreams.

You never know when your optimism is just want someone else’s need to find hope for their life. Set the example; be the example – this is part of the responsibility of accepting a life of purpose and passion.

3. Be flexible. Keep an open mind as you live a life of passion. Life is not static; it changes every day as people and circumstances change around you. Learn to adapt and to adjust to the ebb and flow of life.

Don’t allow your commitment to purpose to be a set of blinders that keeps you from seeing what’s changing around you. It’s normal and reasonable to expect to make adjustments on your journey. These adjustments are not failures, but rather a tweaking to ensure you continue to grow and mature into your purpose.

4. Help others find their passion, too. The expression “the more we give, the more we get” is the guiding principle here. Put your needs aside and don’t be concerned with what others can do for you. If your focus is to help them discover their life’s purpose, your life will automatically be enriched. This is just how it works.

When you focus on what you can do for someone else, without considering what you will get out of it, you will be rewarded in ways you never expected. Be there for others; find ways to fill others up with encouragement.

5. Choose to live with purpose, powered by passion, each day. Just as resolving to have a specific purpose for your life is a choice, so is choosing to life with purpose each day. By doing so, you are better able to navigate through the potholes life sometimes puts in front of us.

In conclusion, allow your purpose to be your compass to help you navigate around these potholes. Be a person of choice and do not allow others to dictate conditions or limitations for you.

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