CELEBRATE BEING DIFFERENT...

A dear friend of mine asked me to part take in celebrating black history month with her & some of our closest friends. OK it was a whole church full of friends. I have to say this was a first for me, I've never been given that opportunity let alone asked to be a part of any black history celebration. I was asked to write & deliver a speech on "United we stand; Divided we fall"
On my way home tonight it dawned on me as it does so many times that I am one very lucky & blessed woman. I have so many people that love me & want to help me succeed & all I have to do was just be me.
So family I would like to share with you a little part of what I read today in my small part of the black history celebration.

First off a quote by the late great Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?"

I believe that the best is when we share our heritage with others whether they are like us or different. When I get back to South Bend every other weekend I attend a wonderful church called "Faith Temple" & they have always made me feel very welcome. This is where I was able to be a part of the celebration. The church not only tries to do good for the sake of the community but they invest alot of time & energy on the youth who attend. They show the youth there is more to life then the streets & that not all people judge them. This is what they do for others. As the great Rev. once asked.

In the bible Ecc. 4:10 states this; "If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls & has no one to help him up." Notice it does not say anything about the color of ones skin, rather just being ones friend. The one thing that people compliment me on is the ability to be who I am & be it with a big heart. I don't look at people for what they have or don't have. Because we all have a story & one thing I have learned over the years is that things are not always what they appear; not necessarily in a bad way either.

Another quote by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. "I have a dream that my children will one day not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

My dear friend Pat that asked me to be a part of her celebration walks the talk! She does not get sucked into the every day gossip or chaos of the world; she stays focused on what it takes to live right. She does this with grace, dignity, leaning on God & her friends to get through bumps in life. Bumps that we all experience from time to time. This is a great display of character!

President Obama was quoted as saying; that we must push pass the racial division that has been simmering for centuries in this country. I agree!! There are some pretty wonderful people of all walks of life, nationality & of different races. God sees all of us as equal, he does not love one more because they are lighter or darker but because we are all his children & he loves all of us the same.
When we are pointing the finger & passing judgement on others we have to remember that there are 3 more pointing back at our self. So who are we really judging then?
So here is what I get out of all this. When we clasp hands & stand as one this is when barriers get broken, mountains get moved & 2 become 1. That my family is when harmonious solidarity happens!! It is when the chain of unity is broken that we then fall divided. Not a Healthy Freedom I'm willing to sacrifice are you?!
Please remember to keep our men & woman of the military in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones.
God bless you & keep you safe.

Gods Little Angel

It is with great sadness that I post this today family. On Friday Feb. 6,2009 we lost a dear friend, Mrs. Judy Mitchell. She went home to be with God & her family that has already passed including a dear friend of mine, her son Brian S. after a 13yr battle with ovarian cancer.

Let me tell you about my little angel.

She was so loved by so many people. Anyone that met Judy loved her. She was the face of hope. She was the face of determination. She was one of my inspirations. She was ALWAYS there for anyone that needed her. She helped alot of people over come a lot of hard times. My little Judy taught me a lot about being kind to another in need & how to get out of self to help another. We use to joke about the school of Judy when it came to putting on a function. She always gave 110% of herself and never anything less than that.

Someone recently sent me this read and it made me think of Judy right away. This is so very simple and wraps up Judy for many of us. You see I call her "my little angel" but truth of the matter is she is alot of peoples little angel.

Hope you enjoy this read called "When you thought I wasn't looking"

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in him.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take meal to a friend who was sick and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you give your time to help people who had nothings and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of everyone in your life and I learned that we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt but its all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

You fought a very courageous fight. May you rest in eternal peace now.

Thank you "our" little angel.

Good night and God bless.

"Be'fe Noir"

It has been brought to my attention just how much work I have ahead of me to repair something broken.
My spirit! Ok maybe just bruised for a moment and bruises heal just as I will. Lets face it there are people in the world that claim they stand for something different then what their actions display. We then are left holding the bag of; I should of or I could of maybe if... You see where I'm going with this?! Why is it that we allow people to steal our joy or rent space in our head, when the only one it ultimately hurts is our self and the ones directly around us.

That is my Be'fe Noir or Black Beast (meaning in French).

I'm not looking for any kind of pity out of this piece. What I'm trying to demonstrate is that we are ALL just human beings with a funny thing called feelings. And from time to time we all can relate to getting them stepped on or hurt. For me its hurts the worst when I know that I have done almost everything I could, yet still get accused of not doing enough. When in my heart, gut and conscious I know the truth. Life is full of things that will try to hold us down, but it is our responsibility to hold one another up when needed! To remind each other that what people say or do DOES NOT have to define who we are! To be reminded these trials will show our faith as being real. I know that God always rescues me, pulls me along and calms me down. When I let him! He is always by my side, I am never alone.

See folks I'm just a human being and just because I have a blog that I try to keep up beat, positive and inspiring does not mean that makes me exclusive to having bad days. While I try to inspire all of you it also keeps me grounded and better able to stay focused on what my passion is. Helping people with their Healthy Freedoms to be inspired to take the steps in getting what they desire. I am a person that is more inspired by some one who lets me see the real side of them; good or bad. Therefore; I'm not afraid to show you who I am and be open to receiving constructive criticism to become a person of my full potential.

Isn't it funny how we are more loving with our friends and family when they need us then we are with ourselves. Psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey say that we beat ourselves up over lack of willpower, laziness and weakness amongst other things for a good reason. It is a protection of something with an underlying problem caused by anxiety. One of the most important, least understood & very private emotions that some people suffer with. Lahey says "we all have anxiety, just by virtue of being human." Well that makes me feel better already. :) They both continue to add that this is a condition specific but not isolated to people who were traumatized as children or survived some harrowing event. Now don't read that and justify having a reason to be the way you are, instead look at it like this. We have 2 choices. You can greet each day afraid of all things we have no control over nor can control, or we can greet each day being open to whatever might be around the bend for us. I don't know about you but I want to be open to whatever it is that our higher power (I call God) has in store for me.
A change in perspective is often the most powerful and positive way to make a healthy change. Funny that when in times of difficulty, it is then we find our strengths and hidden talents. So open up to whatever undiscovered joys may be out there waiting to cross paths with you on your journey in life. I dare you!

Our best life's are waiting to unfold. If a dream dies, dream another dream and remember that God has a purpose for all of us--stay strong, keep hoping and keep believing in whatever keeps you going.

Please keep our service men and woman in your prayers so that they may be returned to us safely.

Good night family & God Bless.

"GET UP"

After you watch this short & powerfull clip ask yourself what exactly it is that has you feeling sorry for yourself. If this does not make you stop and think then I dont know what will.

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html

Keep on Keeping on family!!

Need I say more after this video?

Please keep the men,woman and families of the military in your prayers for safe returns.
God Bless you and keep you safe.

"LETS MAKE HISTORY TOGETHER"

I was watching television last night while trying to wind down from the craziness of the day & it hit me. WOW history is being made & good things are on the rise. Those of you that know me know that I'm a not a political person I don't take sides. It is my believe that it should be "For the people by the people" & not all this fighting & blaming that goes on. With that being said let me remind you this blog is of opinion and we all have our opinions. After all that is what makes us different. As I watch all the hoopla on TV about our new president & how history is being made I listen to all the hope that people are expressing in this changing of the guard if you will. I cant help but to be inspired with everyone else. We must push past our differences and all the negativity that is in this world. I for one believe that this world can be restored if everyone would just do their part.
Ponder this for a moment. If each of us just helped 5 people to find some thing to be positive about or took those 5 people and looked to see where you could be a blessing in their life's; then those 5 people will in turn help someone & then look what happens. The world starts to be reborn!! Change starts within ones being, negativity starts to dissipate and hope is recharged. You start to see things with freshness and a sense of newness to them. We heal ourselves while offering attention to another who is put on our path. Trust me I have been given that wonderful opportunity in life & there is no drug that can compare!
Remember that there are alot of people going through some extremely rough times right now. And at 1st people may not be receptive to the gesture so don't give up. Our emotions are controlled by our circumstances most of the time. So if we can control our emotions and how we react then God will be by our side to help us help others. After all; he is trying to help us fight our battles. When we let him. I also believe that God wants us to have an abundance of good. So why not help others the same way he wants to help us. Sounds like a win win to me!
We don't have to be an American president to make the world a better place or to make history or cause a wave of good change to happen. All we need is help to jump start the inspiration that is already in each of us. Don't be afraid to move forward with what feels good about doing for others rather let yourself be moved forward. Lets make history together and help one another to find the HEALTHY FREEDOMS that lay in each of us, so that they may come to the surface and be allowed to make a difference in someones life.
Now I could be way off on this one or maybe I am just so filled with hope for the future that maybe just maybe if we all try this theory of mine we may get to experience history from our doings not our watching from the sideline. I dare you to try it!!
As I close please remember to say a special prayer so that our men & woman of the military are kept safe so they can be reunited with their families one day soon.
God Bless and keep you all safe.

"WARMER/COLDER"

As we head into the new year with new ideas, new situations or just new circumstances in general no matter how big or small; and hopefully we are all going into it with a renewed spirit for nothing but good things ahead of us! Lets head into it with a positive attitude & throw away the set up for disappointment called a "resolution". Not to many of us stick to them anyhow. I believe if you go into the year with positive ideas and a goal list of things you would like to accomplish instead of a have to resolution list you are more likely to succeed. Let me explain. We are our own worst critics I know this from experience. We get so caught up in things that we forget to forgive ourselves for a mistake we may have made along the way. If you make a "Would like to accomplish list" instead of a "Have to list" then you wont be as upset if you can only scratch 7 out of 10 items off the list. Life happens & sometimes we cant help what happens around us or to us. Now I'm not saying that to allow you an excuse for not doing anything. I'm just giving you permission to not be so hard on yourself! God has lots of promises and opportunities in store for us. He wants to give you enough to bless other people that may come in your life.
A person can not expect to stay focused on the defeat and think they will be able to move forward. After all we are masters of our own fate! And isn't it funny how many times we have talked ourselves out of a good thing, because we are so afraid? Or how many times we have overwhelmed our self with things to do, so that we wont be forced to look at our fears. I read this profound statement in a magazine and I cant help but to share it because it is sooooooo true, it reads: "All the commotion that goes with reinventing myself might just be a distraction from my greatest fear: failure!" WOW That really stuck out to me because I am so afraid of failure that I never even thought about the possibility of success. I'm sure that comes from old behavior & old situations in the past that have knocked me down. But I can not and will not focus on that I must focus on moving forward in a positive mind frame.
Do you remember when you were little playing the game; "your getting warmer/colder"? I seen an article that spoke about using this game to guide ones intuition otherwise known as your gut instinct. We have all been through a situation I'm sure (if your being honest) where we have ignored that little voice that comes from our gut telling us not to do something. If you are a person that struggles with listening to your gut instinct try this instead. Make a list and break it down into components as to which feels warm or cold, good and bad will work as well. And remember to be 100% honest with your feelings on the matter while doing this. The paper wont justify if you wont either!!
Make a choice for your life based on what makes you feel freer and happier, rather than on how you think an ideal life should look. Try to live a life based on Healthy Freedoms for your life and only your life not someone elses. Things are not always what they appear and one may be very unhappy on the inside. Life is a process as well as a journey lets have fun along the way no regrets!!
As I close please keep our soldiers everywhere in your thoughts and your prayers for safe returns to their loved ones.
Good night and God Bless.

"The Come Back"

Well the new year has come whether we wanted it to or not. I personally am glad that 2008 is behind me. My belly is full of excitement with all that is about to come for me & my beautiful daughter in 2009. I just have to stay focused and not allow disappointment in or about people or situations to discourage me. I'm sure that for many of us that is easier said then done!
Life is full of things that are set in our way to try and hold us down. Disappointments and setbacks. It's so easy to get discouraged, lose your enthusiasm or even be tempted to just settle for where you are in life when this happens. It is especially hard in this day and age when people are losing their jobs, houses and even their relationships. We just can not allow ourselves to get sucked in to settling for any less then we deserve. I have an opinion about what some people deserve! However this is to be an upbeat post & lets face it I'm not God. :)
Know that every time adversity comes against us, its a setup for a comeback!!
Think back to a time when something hurt or scared you so badly that you did not feel you had it in you to keep going. But you found something drudged up in your inner being that said "you can and you will go through this and you will be better for it". I've personally gone through more than I care to but lets hope that is behind me. I'm tired of settling because I think I see potential in someone or a situation just to be the one holding onto a resentment. I want to and can be a better person. Today is another day to learn how to be more serene how to nurture our body and our spirit. After all folks we have the tools in our tool belt we just have to make a choice to take them out and use them for rebuilding.
Bottom line is that if it does not set well with your gut instinct then don't proceed. And that goes for anything in life! This should be a time to reflect back on the year and see our growth, an old habit we were able to break or maybe we are in the process of overcoming something that has happened to us. No matter what it is look and find something about last year that you can use for a positive direction in to the new year. Remember that as long as we are alive we will ALWAYS wrestle with questions, seek answers and try to solve problems. We CAN do this with grace and we MUST do this with gentleness towards ourselves and others around us.
Hold on to your higher power no matter what that may be. My higher power happens to be God. I understand that some people may call their higher power something else so please don't let my view offend you.
If you stay in faith, your higher power will turn what was meant to be a stumbling block into a stepping stone and you will move forward as a better person. And the reward will be so much better then you could ever expect. I know from my own personal experience that when I completely not partially but completely get out of Gods way to do his plan in my life I'm so much happier & more fulfilled then I could of ever imagined. So then why should I be so afraid of what is to come?!
Time is a circle just as the months in our calendar. As it is said in a Chinese Proverb: "Be not afraid of changing slowly; be afraid only of standing still". Let this year be your year for a Healthy Freedom COMEBACK. Don't beat yourself up for making baby steps, only be mad for making no steps.
As I close please remember to keep our men and woman of the service, in your prayers for a safe return to their loved ones soon.
Good night & God bless!