Remaining at Peace ☮☮☮

Hello July! How are you? I hope everyone is as happy to see the 7^th month of the year as me, I just decided after reading a blog post about eating more ice cream as a July goal, (its national ice cream month), that I needed to make some goals for this month!  This month is big for me because it’s the 7 month of the year, which means half of the year is behind us, and my website had been up and running for that long as well. It brings me so much joy to work on both my site and this blog regularly, and though sometimes it ca be a bit stressful collecting interviews, doing follow-ups, designing, promoting and just plain thinking about this brand that I call my business, in the end I know that it’s worth it, and it’s what God has given me the heart and mind to do.

 

Recently I decided to try to push my website into an upswing being that it’s the second half of the year, and these include various things; selling hookah, more blogging, video updates, and one thing I am very excited yet nervous about beginning and that is a modeling agency to accompany our hookah sales. I have been researching a lot on this matter, praying, mediating, and asking for advice from all angles, and at some points I felt like I should just scrap the whole idea because it would just be too much work.

 I mean how I could be getting so worked up about a simple idea, that hasn’t even yet come into form just imagine what it will be like if I actually start planning and spending! All of the various reasons to give up on my dream for right now seemed to make a lot of sense, but something in my head kept telling me, that I can do it. And once I meditating, prayed some more, and just relaxed a little, I realized that I don’t need to stress about the who, what, when where or why, but just remaining at peace about the whole situation and remember is that god gave me this mission “All girls are Pretty. All girls are worth it. All Girls should know it.” So with this truly being the mission, as long as I touch at least one young woman, I can never say I failed.

My future is something I plan for constantly, especially when it involves my business pursuits. It’s like the one thing I allow myself to worry about from time to time, but in the end worrying only seems to make me feel uneasy, and with or without this anxious ness, God makes a way for it all to happen. Remaining at peace has been a goal of mind for some time, and it takes me back t a quote I heard on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, “When you’re worrying about the past, you are suffering. When you are worrying about the future you are anxious. When you are living in today, you are at peace.” And isn’t that all we really ever want to be? It is for me at least.

My be at peace tattoo (upper fore arm) April 2014

So no, I don’t know how this modeling agency is going to begin, or how any of the future in this next 6 months of 2014 will go, but I have to say I know that if God is going to continue to be as good to me as he has been all my life, then nothing ca stop me from holding my head up and facing life every step of the way, and I hope you will to J #DontBiteTheAppleEve

Meditation Realizations: Dealing with an Ask hole

Hello everyone!

So I’ve decided to add a new category to the blog called “Meditation Realizations” I have begun mediating daily, today being only my 4th day, and the Holy Spirit has already reviled so much to me, that I could not just keep it to myself! So whenever I come to a revelation that I feel is big enough to put into word, I promise to share it here with you J

(Read: “Success through Stillness” The book thathelped me start meditation)

Dealing with Ask hole’s

 

I’ve come across this funny meme a number of times on Instagram and Facebook, and every time it gets an overwhelming amount of likes and amen’ s the reason most likely stemming from the fact that at some point or another we all encounter someone we spend a good amount of energy pouring out advice to, only to have them turn around and make the exact misguided decision that you warned of. This can be very frustrating especially when dealing with people you care about like friends or family but I’ve come up with a few things to consider to ease the stress of  dealing with a total ask hole.

      You’re just an advisor

The opposite of an advisor, would be a manger, and you don’t need to be trying to manage anyone else’s life but your own, unless it’s your child or employee. As an advisor your only job is to give this person just that “advice” this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will take it or not, but just the fact that you gave them the option should be enough to leave you satisfied.

Remember sometime people have to learn on their own

Sometimes the best way for people to figure something out is by trying it for themselves and either failing or succeeding. Advice can come from a million different places but in the end only one person can make the final decision, and once they do their only ones who will live with them so hopefully they chose what made them happiest.

 

Maybe…you’re wrong

As difficult as it might be to admit that you may not be right all the time (especially for someone like me) when your trying to help someone out really your just on the outside looking in, and though you may think you know all the details you still can’t actually feel that persons emotions or hear the thoughts in their head. Your ultimate goal in giving advice should be to lead the person to what’s best in the long run, but also what makes them happy, and no one can determine that happiness but them.

Don’t give up

While the definition of insanity maybe trying the same thing over and over and expecting new results, miracles happen every day and if you truly believe in the advice your giving, you can’ get tired of preaching it, who knows maybe this time they will listen. The important thing is to be supportive no matter what they choose and not to say I told you so if and when you are right J

A Message from American Baptist Church

Today I had a unique experience in the lovely city of Fort Collins, Colorado, where I am so blessed to be interning for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the chance to go the American Baptist Church and hear the lovely preaching of Mr. Bill Prather. As like most new Church homes I encounter, I stumbled upon this church in passing actually while taking a wrong turn past our Colorado State University dorm and decided to give it a try this Sunday since my Church home is also Baptist. While I will say there are many differences between a “Southern Baptist Church” and an “American Baptist Church” one being the short and dare I say sweet length of service which was almost exactly one hour, the word is the same wherever it is preached with a pure heart and open ears, and I was blessed to be in the house of such welcoming church members.  

Act 2: 1-21 (excerpt from verse 12-21)

12 Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?” 13Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”14-21  That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen: “In the Last Days,” God says, “I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of people: your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see visions, your old men dream dreams.When the time comes, I’ll pour out my Spirit On those who serve men, women and me both, and they’ll prophesy. I’ll set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, Blood and fire and billowing smoke, the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the Day of the Lord arrives, the Day tremendous and marvelous; And whoever calls out for help to me, God, will be saved.”

1.     The winds of change relieve us from the Sun.

·       For 40 days Jesus visited his disciples and told them of a comforter that would come.

·       This was the Haunting of the Holy Sprit, which is the power released by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

·       The Church came with the Holy Sprit, a community to witness and attest to the works of God.

2.           All people shall feel the sprit

·       You cannot control the power of the Holy Sprit; it is poured out onto you, not conformed by structure.

·       The Holy Sprit can shatter barriers, and reveal us all as children of God no matter the color of our skin or our denomination.

·       We must learn to hear the sprit as either a gentle wind or a strong wind like a ghost (a friendly ghost).

3.     Ask yourself what the Sprit is calling you to do

·       Let the Holy Sprit possess you and lead you to your divine purpose.

·       The winds of the Holy Sprit will cause you to dance amongst his glory.

·       Release the control of your own life into the hands of the lord and you shall be free.

What I received from this message was that the Holy Sprit is like Jesus lasting gift to us that will guide us all the days of our life until we can get to heaven. The Trinity of the Father Son and Holy Ghost are all something that as Christians we must engrain into our daily doctrine. As children of God we must learn on him for our understanding and want to be filled with the power of the Holy Ghost just as the people in the scripture, because it will never lead us in the wrong direction. God Bless you for reading and Happy Sunday! 

#DontBiteTheAppleEve 

Why I'm not excited to go to Colorado...

So I haven't been to church in two weeks. I know that's not good, but I also know my God understands. We do speak regularly and I have made it a daily habit to spend time in meditation reflecting and allowing him to guide me on my next path as well as work out some issues that could only be the result of my own mind trying to find solutions on it's own. I know how important it is to not forsake the assembly of the church, but if you've been like me lately and have not made it I'd just like to remind you that it's much more important to have a continual relationship with our father, rather than just the one on Sunday Mornings. So don't feel so bad, Daddy understands :) 

Anyhoo, my upcoming internship in Fort Collins, Colorado is swiftly approaching, I'll be working in the communications department of the USDA. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm excited, and of course I am happy and oh so blessed for this opportunity, but for some reason, I cannot identify with the specific word "excited." Usually for me excited mean, anxious, the feeling of "Oh I just can't wait",but now a days since I've been practicing being at peace, I also have a constant reminder in the form of a tattoo on my right forearm, I can't seem to feel excited anything more than the next.

Nowadays it seems like everything excites me. Th simple joys of life are what I draw my happiness from. Every breath I take is exciting, every smell I smell is exciting, every color I see, every texture I feel, and every move I make is exciting. The problem for me in the past has been that I was always waiting for the next big thing to make me feel happy. The issue with that is, once it comes and passes, I would just be left waiting for something new. 


The journey of being at peace for someone like me, who constantly has 1,000 thoughts and plans and to do list trapped in her brain, is to just be still. To be happy with nothing to do, to not be worried about the things I do have to do, and to not plan 21 more thing for myself to do before I can be happy. God has opened so many doors for me, that I never even knew I had the key to, so I figure if God is in control, maybe I should just sit back and enjoy not having to drive. 

When I am finally in Colorado I do believe that I'll feel excited, I've never seen this place before besides in pictures, I'll be staying at Colorado State University, working at a new job, making money, meeting people and doing all sorts of cool and "exciting" things. But until I get there, I'm just excited to be right here, in Orlando,Fl, smelling my mom cooking fried chicken in the kitchen, being surrounded by my crazy family, seeing palm trees that will soon be mountains, being at peace, and thanking God for blessing me with it.

#DontBiteTheAppleEve

A message from Mt. Siani…

Evidence of my Growth

2 Corinthians 8:1-5

“Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.”

The message today, was about appreciating the everlasting Grace of God, and maintaining your joy, even in times of despair, in order to grow in the word, and share the abundance of life with others.

1.Trusting through trials

-Be anxious (worry) about nothing, have ye no faith in the father above to take care of all your needs? If you hold on to faith, I promise you are prepared

-Problems and circumstances are temporary, pain is apart of life, and suffering is optional.

-As soon as you claim to be living Holy, people will try and bring up you past and the enemy will see if your REALLY about that life!

2.Sew seeds of good grace and God will give back in abundance

-Something about finances, causes Christians to hoard and claim malicious or manipulative intent, only 3% of Christians tithe properly

-God does not need a tip, he is no waitress! He is the chef, the manager, and the CEO it’s not about the money, it’s about the giving.

-If your heart if filled with twisted intent and goals of money and power please believe God can see all of that.

3. Grace will prepare you for life, everyday it is renewed.

 - Grace is the elegance of life, it is the light that shines through you. 

 - No one controls the amount of joy you receive, don’t let anyone turn off your happiness, God said it is overflowing.

-Receive Gods abundance by acknowledging his works and letting him guide your path lead not on your own understanding.

                                 

Nothing is more dangerous than trying to control your own life an expecting it to work. God has set up a plan for us, and with every sin and angry or malicious thought we delay our divine destiny. Believing in God gives power that you are looking for in abundance, but that abundance is to be shared with others. God offers us comfort and strength in our weakness moments so the least we can do is trust him. God Bless You! Happy Sunday :) 

#DontBiteTheAppleEve

A message from the Fountain...

So here's my new thing :)

I'm trying to keep my Sunday’s very grounded and clear, as it is a day of rest. Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday is one of the things that help keep that going, as well as the melodious tunes of Order my Steps station on Pandora. I think an important part of going to church, at least for me, is reflecting on the word so that I can find out how God wants me to apply it to my life. This lead me to start blogging about the message from whatever church I attend, currently Fountain Chapel A.M.E in Tallahassee, Fl under Pastor Marque D. Woodard. But I am a member of Mt. Siani Missionary Baptist Church in Orlando, Fl. 

A message from the Fountain…

The power to change the world            

Matthew 28: 18-20

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

The message today was about being a disciple for Christ and realizing that he gives us the power to create other disciples for God through HIS NAME.

Steps to become a disciple…

1.Operate under the authority of Jesus

- God has given us his son so that we may receive salvation.

- Jesus is a friend that you can call at 3am and he will comfort you with no hesitation.

-In the name of Jesus you can move, see, and create and marvelous things that you could have never even known without him.

2.Realize it is not about YOU.

- Say you name…now say Jesus name, there is POWER in the NAME of Jesus, not in you.

-Popularity, prosperity and recognition should all be in the glory of God and not personal gain.

-Who are you and I but sinners in the eyesight of the lord? Be at peace with all of Gods people he created us equally.

3. Teaching goes beyond church

-We must touch the people that do not come into the house of the lord with the message of the lord.

-We should have endless love pouring out of our hearts even for those who have done us wrong or who we do not know.

-Teaching and preaching reaffirm the things we have learned.

This Sunday’s message meant to me that I must always have my heart and mind focused on the mission of creating disciples and being a disciple of Jesus Christ, so that temptation, destruction, and adversity may not throw me off the path to my divine purpose. As the pastor would say, “Making Jesus look good everywhere I go.” God Bless You. Happy Sunday :)

#DontBiteTheAppleEve

How to Love.

First of all I would like to say praise God for this day, my life, and the direction he has given me. 

2014 has truly been the year "the revolutionary year of my come up" just as I predicted it, and we are only in our fourth month so I can only imagine what God has planned. 

This year has offered me many battles to face, and I won't say I've failed, because if that was the case, I'd be dead...

But as the old folks say, "It sho ain't been easy!" 

One of my hobbies is reading about astrology, my sign being Virgo, the 3 most important values to us are Family, True Love, and Sincerity, all three of which I have tattooed on my shoulder. 

In the past, my love life and that true love, has played a vital role in my happiness. Not to say that I wasn't happy otherwise, but as people old attest to, nothing beat being in love. 

And this is true; love can make you feel as if everything in life is illuminated. 

Like the world now makes sense, because you and this person are now united.

Nothing could EVER mess this up.

But the problem is...Things do go wrong. People do mess up, they get irritating, forgetful, distracted, lazy, and sometimes...even a little mean. This is life!

But God tells us that his love is unconditional, and that we should love everyone with that same notion. 

Many people profess to love someone with all their heart, but please believe it comes with some conditions... 

It may sound foolish to just give and give all this love especially to everyone, and I do mean everyone, but God loves every single person on this planet even as we continue to lie and sin every single day. 

You can't show me one person who can stand up and say they have NEVER been even a little; irritating, forgetful, distracted, lazy, and maybe even a little mean sometimes, themselves. 

But being in love, as I learned in Oprah's Life Class, means being vulnerable. 

Putting 100% of you trust in someone not knowing whether they'll keep there word, or if they even love you back. 

Because Love ask for nothing.

 It just gives and gives and gives. 

So ask yourself... Am I  giving that true love? The ultimate forgiveness understanding, and respect? 

Do you even REALLY love yourself?

But back to me...

I based all my happiness on whether my "conditions" we're being met in the exact way and time that I expected them to, and the moment they weren't I'd lose control over my emotions and act out of anger, sadness, or confusion, instead if thinking logically. 

I'd think it was my fault, or their fault or blah blah blah and inevitably we'd break up, my world was crushed, my heart was broken and at one point I didn't know how I'd make it through another day. 

No one can live with such unstable emotions and be truly happy. 

Spending all this energy hoping that something bad would happen to the people that had hurt me or criticizing  people in their life, wishing negatively, or feeling sad about what was no longer was normal.

I deserved to feel like this, because of what I had experienced.

But as you can imagine, its hard to go around feeling these things. It caused me to become emotionless, afraid to love anyone, because I was too scared that it would all come crashing down again. It's hard to see a way out of that type of pain.

 I was full of so much disdain that love could never exist...

The problem is I was putting too much LOVE in man, and not enough in God. 

God is Love. And Gods love is forever!

HE SHOULD BE THE ONE that makes you feel illuminated, like everything in the world makes sense, and nothing could EVER mess this up, because the funny thing about God is nothing ever will. God is perfect, pure and simple.

Nowadays my outlook is...

"If God can continue to love and guide me after every bad thing I've done, and continue to do, because I am human. Then I can love my brothers and sisters in Christ like that too."

Through the lies, through the cheating, through the hurt, through everything, on both ends I can still rise above and love all God's children with all my heart. 

Now that don't mean that I'm gonna be with you!

Figuring out whether or not to be in a relationship with another human begins with loving yourself enough to know what you deserve. Once you do that, you won;t be seeking love from other places, so when that man or women does come along, it'll just be icing on the cake.

But I have no enemies, or resentment in my heart toward anyone. I'm too thankful for Gods grace and mercy toward me. I've been lied to, cheated on, and betrayed. But so what! They did it to jesus, and he forgave EVERYBODY, so what makes me any better? 

We choose our reactions to the bad things that happen to us. And you can either choose to move on and be happy, or dwell on what wasn't and may never be.

I can now say I honestly feel like I'm in love at all times! Because I'm in love with Jesus, and he ain't never gon stop loving me! 


So I'm never going to stop loving YOU or ME. No conditions, No worries, No regrets. 

My love is overflowing because that's what God expects. It's as simple as that first decision.

And nothing feels better than this! 

#Don'tBiteTheAppleEve

Just a little Uplift.

Here are a few quotes and photos via the Tumblr page of a very smart young lady name Jordyn, who is young but has strong faith, and is using her blog to uplift the word of God.

http://embraceyourlovely.tumblr.com/

Feel every word. Stay Beautiful. Never say you are lucky, you are Blessed :) #DBTAE