Posted on Sunday, December 30, 2012

My Soul Looks Back in Wonder…Good-Bye 2012…(I’m Engaged!)

Hello World,

My ring atop my favorite Bible…

A man at one of the courthouses I go to for my job came up to me as 2011 came to a close and said, “As good as 2011 was for you, I hope that 2012 is even better.” As he said those optimistic words, my ears tingled because I believe that God was speaking prophetically through this man to me, and I was excited about what was to come. And indeed though 2011 was very good, 2012 was even better. Many of those reasons were highlighted in the post “12 Reasons I’m Thankful for 2012…,” which I wrote last month…

Who know that God would bless me with more in December? As December is the month that the world pauses to celebrate the birth of my Savior, it is one of my favorite times of the year, and I was content to celebrate it as I have for many years – pondering Emmanuel at church, scurrying around the malls of Atlanta hunting for the perfect gifts for family and friends and opening gifts around the tree…But on Christmas Eve, my boyfriend R. (now fiance’…Wow…) asked to marry me, and I said, “Yes.”

Stop the presses…

It’s funny how quickly life can change…In 2009, in one of my favorite posts “Hope. Wish.. Pray…” I wrote about two dreams that had been deferred no matter what I seemed to do, but I never revealed what those dreams were…Well, now I’m ready to reveal them…I wanted to be a published author, and I wanted to be in a relationship that led to marriage…And wonders of wonders…Here I am at the close of 2012 – engaged and published…

So what’s next…

Y’all pray for me, and pray for R. If you’ve read any of my relationship posts, y’all know that relationships have never been easy for me. Some women seem to be have been born knowing how to be coupled up…I am not one of them…In fact, if you want to get a better idea of the angst that I have felt around romantic relationships, these are just three of the blog posts that you have to read…

“Why Can’t a Successful Black Woman Can’t Find a Man? THE DEBATE”

“Alert: Black Men Are Officially on the Endangered Species List and other useless propaganda…” (Also, two of those women in the video are now married. 🙂 )

“So is the black church keeping black women single and lonely?”

We have not set a date…We’ve got a marriage and a wedding to plan…so that’s it and that’s all…

Any thoughts?

Posted on Sunday, July 1, 2012

Seven Scriptures To Ward Off Worry…

Hello World,

Last week, I posted about revisiting the goals that we made at the beginning of 2012…As we all know, it is easy to drift away from our goals if we don’t pay attention. And now that we officially have six months left in 2012, we must get back on track!

HOWEVER, with all of our planning, it is impossible to predict what the results of our actions will be. In essence, we plant the seeds, but only God gives the increase…If you are anything like me, I love to plan and then I worry about the results….But God has told us over and over again that worrying is wrong and not characteristic of believers…So to minister to me and you, let me share my favorite seven scriptures to ward off worry…

1. Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.   Psalm 55:22   In this scripture, God says turn over all of your troubles to me, and I will see you through. We are neglecting some of the benefits of being a believer if we don’t realize that He wants to bear our burdens!

2. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.   2 Timothy 1:7   I don’t know about you, but sometimes, I will be thinking of a situation and all of a sudden, I feel overwhelmed by fear and worry…That’s not God! God does not give us fear! Instead, He gives us power, love and a sound mind! When I feel overwhelmed by fear and worry, I see this as a sign that I need to pray and connect with God because the devil is trying to get at me…

3. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?   Luke 12:25   Can this scripture be any more direct? I don’t think so! This reminds me of a saying I recently heard…Worrying is like rocking in a rocking chair…It will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere…

4. 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:6-7   This verse has kept me from losing my mind for real! When I begin to worry, this verse reminds to talk to God about my present concerns AND thank Him for all that He has seen me through in the past…And supernaturally, my worrying is replaced by peace…Try it!

5. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid. Luke 12:7   I LOVE this verse…We are so important to God that He has even counted the hairs on our head! Wow! That’s why we can pray about anything – no matter how big or small! I even pray about what to wear sometimes…

6. So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33 In these times, it is tempting to worry about our finances and resources, but God says if we put Him first, then He will provide for our needs…Take Him at His word…

7. I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—He who watches over you will not slumber.   Psalm 121:1-3   I have claimed this whole Psalm for this year because I have embarked on a journey that I have never been on before….the journey of a published author…Although I am tempted to stay up nights planning marketing & promotion strategies, this verse reminds that I can sleep knowing my God in Heaven is always awake – and taking care of me on Earth below…

I hope these verses help you to realize that God simply does not want us to worry…We plan, but we must leave the results up to Him. Think about it. We cannot even control our next breath so why even worry about it…I know, it’s easier said than done 🙂 .

Below is a BEAUTIFUL song that I heard for the first time yesterday that reminded me not to worry and to turn over my concerns to God…Here is a sample of the lyrics…

WHEN WILL I EVER LEARN
ALL MY WORRY IS A WASTE OF TIME
WHEN WILL I EVER LEARN
LETTING GO BRINGS PEACE OF MIND

“When Will I” by Candi Staton…

Posted on Sunday, June 24, 2012

Halfway There…aka 7 Steps to Get Back on Track to Reach Your 2012 Goals…

(Editor’s Note: I originally wrote this post in 2011, but I decided to post this blog entry again as the message is still relevant.)

Hello World,

Guess what? In a week’s time, this year will be half over… So if at this point, you realized that some of your New Year’s resolutions and or goals have gotten lost in the shuffle of life, it time’s to renew your commitment to realizing your resolutions, goals and or dreams for 2012.

Thankfully, I have completed one big goal for 2012 (the publication of my book 🙂 ), but I still have plenty more that I’m trying to accomplish before the year is over. And I know, through Christ, all things are possible! So move, get out my way, because I’m coming…

If you are experiencing some inertia as you contemplate your resolutions, goals and or dreams for this year, I have swiped some helpful tips for achieving them from Dr. Phil’s website!

Seven Steps to Reaching Your Goals

Successfully executing any personal strategic plan for change requires that as you develop your plan,you effectively incorporate these seven steps for attaining each and every goal.

1. Express your goal in terms of specific events or behaviors.
For a dream to become a goal, it has to be specifically defined in terms of operations, meaning what will be done. When a goal is broken down into steps, it can be managed and pursued much more directly. “Being happy,” for example, is neither an event nor a behavior. When you set out to identify a goal, define what you want in clear and specific terms.

2. Express your goal in terms that can be measured.
How else will you be able to determine your level of progress, or even know when you have successfully arrived where you wanted to be? For instance, how much money do you aspire to make?

3. Assign a timeline to your goal.
Once you have determined precisely what it is you want, you must decide on a time frame for having it. The deadline you’ve created fosters a sense of urgency or purpose, which in turn will serve as an important motivator, and prevent inertia or procrastination.

4. Choose a goal you can control.
Unlike dreams, which allow you to fantasize about events over which you have no control, goals have to do with aspects of your existence that you control and can therefore manipulate. In identifying your goal, strive for what you can create, not for what you can’t.

5. Plan and program a strategy that will get you to your goal.

Pursuing a goal seriously requires that you realistically assess the obstacles and resources involved, and that you create a strategy for navigating that reality. Willpower is unreliable, fickle fuel because it is based on your emotions. Your environment, your schedule and your accountability must be programmed in such a way that all three support you — long after an emotional high is gone. Life is full of temptations and opportunities to fail. Those temptations and opportunities compete with your more constructive and task-oriented behavior. Without programming, you will find it much harder to stay the course.

6. Define your goal in terms of steps.
Major life changes don’t just happen; they happen one step at a time. Steady progress, through well-chosen, realistic, interval steps, produces results in the end. Know what those steps are before you set out.

7. Create accountability for your progress toward your goal.

Without accountability, people are apt to con themselves. If you know precisely what you want, when you want it — and there are real consequences for not doing the assigned work — you are much more likely to continue in your pursuit of your goal. Find someone in your circle of family or friends to whom you can be accountable. Make periodic reports on your progress.