What do you want to be when you grow up?

As children we were asked this question frequently? At the young age of 5 or 6 some of us declare what we want to be and hold fast to that dream until it is attained. We hear. “So you want to be a teacher, a fireman, a doctor? That’s awesome child, pursue your dreams.” Some of us grow up and go off to college, still not knowing what we want to be. We begin to take courses in one area and may find that is nothing like we thought it would be and change majors. On the other hand, once again some of us go off knowing exactly what we want to be, choose our majors, pursue them and live happily ever after. Then there are those that forget their dreams. Maybe we really did want to be a teacher but chose to go into business because we were told that there isn’t any money in that profession. (No money based on whose standards though… hmmmmm). Whatever we really wanted to be may have been pushed down inside of us due to life. Maybe we didn’t get to go to college like we planned. Maybe we chose a job because it was available and got stuck. Imprisoned; feeling as if there was nowhere else to go so we stayed.

One of my girl friends recently made the statement, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” She is in her early 40’s. She is at a crossroads. She is finding herself. Discovering who she is and exploring what she wants to do with the rest of her life. I applaud her. You see, we should not define ourselves simply by the jobs that have. We should be defined by who WE REALLY are. We should follow our passions and pursue our purpose. Don’t pass go. It’s never too late. My mother obtained her doctorate in her 50’s, while driving 2 hours one way, to attend classes, while working! Imagine the things you can accomplish with a made up mind, following God’s lead; following HIS purpose! You know what you are meant to be and so does HE! If it’s nagging at you, pursue it. I challenge you today!! Just do it and as ALWAYS PUSH FORWARD!!

Psalms 138:8 NIV
The LORD will fulfill [his purpose] for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever--

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize!

I made the decision to change my eating habits a few weeks ago. I need and want to lose weight. I listened to a tele-seminar given by a life coach by the name of Dr. Melissa McCreery. She said many things, but one significant thing changed my life. She said, "What are you hungry for?" For example, "Do you hunger for quiet time?" Whatever it is, think about why you you are eating and what you are hungry for before you eat! Hallelujah!! I have been coasting every since, thinking before I eat and losing weight! UNTIL........ I was coasting along so well that I forgot to focus. I took my eyes off of my goal. Not only did I fall off of the wagon, I got knocked off! Knocked off on Saturday by the best chocolate cake (C. Carr) Yum Yum!! It's okay to indulge, but NO, I had to have more than one. LOL Fortunately by Monday, I'd regrouped. I knew that I was not too far from the wagon, so I was able to climb back on without a problem.

Isn't that life though. We have a valley experience and we fast and pray and focus on HE who can deliver us. Then we have a mountain experience. We are at the top! We get promoted! We reach our goals. Then we get distracted and lose focus. Of course the enemy is watching and waiting. Here he comes. He realizes that we have taken our eyes off of the prize. So here he comes to try and knock us off of the wagon. Ah Hah!! Fortunately for us the battle has already been won. We are NEVER too far from the wagon to climb back on. All we have to do is call on HIM and we are right back on course. In fact, He has His hand out to help us! Isn't that good news! We don't have to do it alone.

We all fall at some point or another. Some of us land softly and some of us don't. The important thing is that we get up! It doesn't matter if you jump up, roll over and pull yourself up, or get up one knee, to foot at a time. Just get up!! Get up and push forward and remember that you are NEVER alone. He is always there, smiling and waiting for you to Push Forward!

Phil 3:14 "With my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus -"

Self Image... Do you wear a mask?

When I look in the mirror, what do I see?
I see a beautiful woman starring back at me.
My hair is long and my teeth are straight
My lips are full and my skin looks great.
I may not be the size that I would like to be
But I’m pleased with this woman for this woman is me! ~ Gigi

Self Image
We are our own worst critics. We struggle with who we are and who we’d like to be. What size we are, how much we weigh, the wrinkles that we have, the marks, the rolls, the imperfections, all of the things that make us what and who we are seem to be magnified under our own microscope. The world looking in has a totally different view. They can only see the surface unless we allow them into our inner thinking.

To protect ourselves, we put on mask. The mask that says everything is fine. The mask that says I have no problems, I’m together and I am handling my business. We feel safe behind our mask. It shields the world from us. It hides the hurt and the pain. It hides the struggle, the private struggle. It hides the fact that we really want to be free. It hides the truth. The truth being that we want to take the mask off and show the world who we really. Instead, we keep the mask on. Who can we trust? Who will accept us for who we really are?

I read a quote the other day that said, if you waste time trying to be someone else, you are wasting the person that you are? How many of us knowingly or unknowingly compare ourselves with others? "My sister is smaller than me; wish I was her size. Her hair is pretty; I wish mine was like that. She seems to have such a perfect life; I wish mine was like that. Etc. Etc. Etc. " All of this is a waste of energy and time. We have to strive to be comfortable with who we are. I’m not saying that if you need to lose weight for health reasons or need glasses to see although you don’t like glasses, you should ignore this and not take care of it. I am saying, love who you are now as you are taking the necessary steps to become a better you, if that is your choice.

My favorite quote says, “You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Psalm 139: 13-14!! That is awesome to me. He created us to be MARVELOUS! Let’s make a pack. Let’s not say ANOTHER NEGATIVE WORD about ourselves from this day forward!! NO NEGATIVITY!! NONE, NADA, NIX, NINE! Are you with me???

Look in the mirror and speak positive things! Affirmations! I am beautiful. I am smart. I am motivated. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!! When the enemy comes along and tries to get you to say otherwise.. STOP right then and say NO!!!!

I am ….. that I am ! There is only one me!
Created to be what God wants me to be
I am beautifully created in His image made
I am that I am ..none other portrayed.
As I go about my day with my head held high
I know that I am the gleam in His eye
The one that created me to be
A queen, victorious and alas I am she! ~Gigi

To Pass the Test!!

I didn't want to get up today. It was one of those days!

First of all, I knew that I had to attend a funeral today and I knew it was going to be tough. It was time to say goodbye to a gentleman that had touched the lives of so many people. He was the ultimate giver and servant. Although in his 80's he would continue to visit the sick and shut in until recently when he could no longer drive and get around on his own. He was a bright light in the middle of a sometimes darkened world. He was a father to many that he had not fathered and a friend to too many to count. Just an awesome individual.


Secondly, my husband hasn't been feeling well. He was bitten by a spider last week and it seems to have had a snowball effect. A trip to the Immediate Care facility revealed a problem with high blood pressure and now the discovery of a thyroid condition. I consider the bite as a blessing. The forced visit to the doctor, enabled him to find a silent killer. He now knows what and how to tackle his conditions head on so that they can be defeated. Oh, they will be defeated. It is only a matter of time.



These two things were weighing heavily on my mind this morning. I got up and then got back in the bed. I lay there for a few more moments knowing that I HAD to get up but I still didn't WANT to. "OK!" I said. "I must PUSH through this. I must face these matters head on. Lying here is not going to make anything go away." I told myself. "Waaaa!!" I got up.



First things first! I needed to prepare myself for the Home going Service of this gentleman! After all it was going to be a celebration. Although he will be missed, it is still a joyous occasion, for he has done what we ALL have to do. He lived his life! He fought the good fight! I gathered myself and said a prayer for the family. I said a prayer for my family and my church family!! I immediately felt better! Whew!! That was close. I was getting ready to slide down the slippery slope.

Next, my hubby!! He is struggling right now. He is going through. As his spouse, it is my duty to lift him up. I say duty, not as in obligation, but as in responsibility. The vows state, "in sickness and in health." The doctors and medication can handle the symptoms, but I must help him spiritually and emotionally. Help means to ease or relieve. It is essential to his well being that I relieve his stress, ease his mind, pray over him, speak positively toward him and let him know that I am beside him. I must remind him that he IS healed and he WILL push through this. I cannot allow him to get down on himself and that he is more than a conqueror.


A few days ago, I began looking in the my "Promise Bible" for scriptures http://tinyurl.com/nv7xve that apply to his situation and texting them to him at night so he will have them on his phone to read every morning and through out the day. That is just the beginning. I now know that I am going to have to pray harder and stronger. Push back from the table and be still and listen for what He would have for me to do for this situation. I heard someone say this morning that God only gives tests to those that HE knows will pass them. Thus I see this as yet another test to pass!

The service was incredible!! The church was full! A testament to the full life of the man that we were celebrating. We were even blessed with a video of him saying a poem that he would always recite called, "Myself" The sermon was phenomenal. It was entitled "God has your back" My pastor gave some -isms that the deceased used to say like "Merry Christmas" at Thanksgiving or Help me Holy Ghost! His granddaughter sang a song called God Is and our Congressman sent a DVD to send condolences to the family. It was a bittersweet service, but one that he would have pleased with!



I made it through the day. Here I sit at 10:00 pm blogging with a better outlook. An entirely different view of the world a mere 13 hours later. Praying that I will be an encouragement to someone else. Reminding us all that we are subject to our emotions but we can pray past them. Hoping that someone reading it will realize that although you may not feel like getting up, do it anyway. Pass the test!



And as Always....Push Forward!

Myself
by Edgar A. Guest
I have to live with myself and so

I want to be fit for myself to know,

I want to be able as days go by,

To look at myself straight in the eye.

I don't want to stand with the setting sun

And hate myself for the things I've done.

I don't want to hide on a closet shelf

A lot of secrets about myself,

And fool myself as I come and go

Into thinking that nobody else will know

What kind of man I really am;

I don't want to dress myself in sham.

I want to go with my head erect,

I want to deserve all men's respect

And in this struggle for fame and pelf
I want to be able to like myself.

I don't want to look at myself and know

That I am a bluster and empty show.
I cannot hide myself from me;

I can see what others can never see

I know what others can never know,

I cannot fool myself, and so

Whatever happens, I want to be

Self-respecting and conscience free.

Should've -Would've - Could've....Regrets!!

Regrets!

I’m sure we all have had them at some point in time. Wishing that’d we’d done something a different way or chosen a different path. Sometimes we beat ourselves up over and over for a choice that was made. Choices that could have been made due to unforeseen circumstances! We replay the events in our minds and keep pressing the rewind button. We constantly assault our spirits for the mistakes that were made by saying things such as, “I should’ve done this!” or, “I would’ve done that but..!”Or “If that hadn’t have happened, I could’ve done the other!” What is your should’ve, would’ve, could’ve? Does it even matter at this point?

Why beat yourself up about a choice that was made in the past? Is there someone that you need to forgive? Is there something that you need to let go of? If so, do it and move on. You are in the present. You can't click your heels three times, wrinkle your nose or cross your arms and nod to go back. It's time to move forward.

There are so many people hurting. It stills my heart when I think of the circumstances that people find themselves in. I say find because people don’t PLAN to get laid off. They don’t PLAN for their significant other to lose their insurance benefits, and sometimes self-esteem. They don’t PLAN for a loved one to suddenly pass away and change all of the PLANS that were made. They don’t PLAN to find themselves with a disease or for their child to be sick. They don’t PLAN to become so saddened or distracted that they find themselves unable to pray.

Yes, you can plan financially to cover some of these circumstances, but what about the emotional toll that it may take. Suppose you planned to be strong. You planned to be able to handle every situation that you are faced with but you forgot that you were human. You forgot that you were made of flesh and blood and that is not what we are fighting. We are warring against spirits and principalities.

A friend of mine’s husband passed away suddenly some months back. She was/is financially set but was not prepared emotionally for what she was to face. This had been her life partner. She was surrounded by friends and family and her faith was strong, but she found herself in a position of being unable to pray. Another wise woman who’d lost her spouse, very wisely told her, that when she is unable to pray, the Holy Spirit would pray for her. She just needed to be still and let Him do the work. All of the previous praying that she’d done was a foundation for what is to be done now. God was listening and would take care of her. She also told her that she would be interceding for her as well. That has stuck with me and found a special place in my heart!!

I am so grateful to know that the Holy Spirit is continually interceding for me as well as the other prayer warriors in my life. I’ve made many mistakes. There are things that I wished I’d done differently, but just as in the movies “Back to the Future” or especially “The Butterfly Effect” making changes in the past would most likely have a ripple effect and change the future. The changes could cause things to be worse than what was experienced in the first place.

As I celebrate another birthday, I am reminded to look onward, pray harder,study more faithfully and remind others to pray for each other. Fight/War for each other! No matter the Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda’s… Push Forward! There is a brighter day ahead. A reason for all things! Declare the victory for it is already won!

Ephesians 6:12 (King James Version)
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

When Will I See You Again

As I thought of the title of this blog, this song came to mind. It's called, "When Will I See You Again by the Three Degrees... http://blip.fm/~82q8l In it is says "Will I have to wait forever?"



The Last Day of School!!



It's bittersweet for most. I was reminded by my 12 year old that when she was in kindergarten she thought she would never see her friends again. In fact, as I recall, she was distraught. It took me quite a while to calm her down and get her to tell me what was wrong. She finally explained that she was going to miss her friends. She had been in daycare previously and was accustomed to going from one room to another with her friends in toe. This was a whole new animal. So to her, this was the very end. It felt like the end of world.


People have different opinions as to what happens when we die. As a born again Christian, I firmly believe that we will see our loved ones again. Those that accept Christ as their savior will see other believers on the other side of the Jordan. A New Beginning!

How terrible it will be for those to wake up and find out that they are in Hell. What would be better? To be in Hell with your friends or without. It appears to be a lose, lose situation. The END of the WORLD!!

As I Push Forward today, I am grateful. Grateful for another day of brand new mercies. Grateful that my family circle has not been broken! Grateful for the kitchen to clean because that means that I am healthy enough to handle the task and there was food to eat. Grateful for the laundry that has to be done because that means I am blessed with clothes. Even grateful for the house to clean for that means I have shelter. I am grateful for the Last Day of School for it means new beginnings. A new school year to come. As we face major budget cuts in our state, I pray for the the educators that take care of our future here and everywhere. May they have what they need and more to sustain and Push Forward!! Always... Pushing Forward!



Matthew 13:49


That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,

There's a Hole in My Sidewalk.....

My Pastor quotes this poem from time to time. It 's a reminder that things happen for a reason. As things happen, we should learn from them. We may not realize the lesson at the moment, but in time, when we come across a similiar situation, we realize that we've learned and we've grown. HE already knows how we are going to respond but HE wants us to learn how we will respond. It's a test of our faith.

Sometimes we may not be strong enough to pull ourselves out of the hole. We may need someone to reach down in that hole and give us a hand up. That hand up may be prayer. That hand up may be words of encouragement. That hand up may be someone looking down at us in the hole saying "Come on!! You can do it!! Pull yourself out of there!" They can say that because they've fallen down before and got out! They are there to encourage & lift us up!

I praise God for Holes in my Sidewalk! I have fallen but faith has now taught me that I WILL GET UP! I will GET OUT!! I will Survive and ALWAYS PUSH FORWARD!

There's a Hole in My Sidewalk

Autobiography in Five Short Chapters
by Portia Nelson

Chapter One

I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost .... I am helpless. It isn't my fault. It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two

I walk down the street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend that I don't see it. I fall in again. I can't believe I am in this same place. But, it isn't my fault. It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in ... it's a habit ... but, my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately.
Chapter Four

I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it.
Chapter Five

I walk down another street.

Press the Magic Button...Never Give Up On Your Dreams!

My 12 year old reminded me that when she was little, I would tell her that in order to turn on the computer, I would have to press the magic button. I would make her close her eyes while I pressed the power button on the CPU. (THAT IS SO FUNNY TO ME)! I had completely forgotten that. She said that for years she would sneak up to the monitor and search for the magic button.

Just think about it. Generally speaking "Magic" is a big part of being a child. In my household, the Easter Bunny magically brought an Easter basket on Easter Sunday. On Valentine's Day, Cupid brought the candy. On Christmas, Santa brought the presents. I remember going to school in the third grade and vehemently told my teacher that I heard Santa's sleigh on the roof and he was REAL!! Wow!! How blessed I was! How blessed my children are!

As children we really used our imaginations. We played Barbee's. That meant that the Barbee dolls were lined up, dressed and they talked to each other. That was so much fun. I was so sad when it wasn't as fun anymore. Someone had told me that I was too old to play with dolls. I don't remember how old I was, only that it made me sad. A friend told that there was no Santa. I was in the 4th grade. I guess it was time, but I was crushed. How could it not be so! When my children started to ask me that fated question, I told them that once they stopped believing, he stopped coming and I had to take over. I couldn't just throw it on them. I didn't want to ruin their magic.

So what happens? Why do we stop imagining? Imagination, fancy, fantasy are nouns that refer to the power of the mind to form images, especially of what is not present to the senses. Why do some people squash their dreams and visions? Is it because someone tells us to grow up? Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget devoted his life to cognitive development. In the article "Brain to Top" it states that "Piaget called the formal operations stage begins at age 11 or 12. The new capabilities developed in this stage, such as the abilities to reason hypothetically and deductively and to establish abstract relationships, are generally mastered around age 15." That's a mouthful! I am not a therapist, but my deductive reasoning tells me that possibly, as we age, we become consumed our newly developed reasoning skills and then life gets in the way.

Motivational speaker Brian Tracy quotes Napolean Hill in his book Goals, stating "Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprint of your ultimate achievement." Ahhh.. so fitting! Maybe that's what we need to get back to. The next time you are driving, exercising and maybe even sleeping and your mind starts to wander and you begin to daydream and all of those new and creative ideas start to push through===>>Pay attention. Write them down. Keep a pad by the bedside. Wake up and write those new ideas down before they escape you. Your soul, your childlike soul is speaking to you. Encouraging you to run toward the mark!! Go for your dreams and Never Give Up! Press the MAGIC BUTTON and turn on the your inner you!!

And as Always... PUSH FORWARD!

"Write the vision and make it plain" Habakkuk 2:2 King James

'Write a vision, and explain on the tables, That he may run who is reading it.
For yet the vision is for a season, And it breatheth for the end, and doth not lie, If it tarry, wait for it, For surely it cometh, it is not late. Habakkuk 2:2-3 Young's Literal Translation.

Skinny or Fat!!

What determines whether a person is skinny or fat? I know there used to be height and weight charts that were formulated by the CDC to tell us what was considered the norm. Even those charts have been changed in the last 10 years to adjust for ethnicity, body mass and other factors.

What does society say? Society primarily says that the model on TV that is a size 2 is perfect. They normally don't mention the actual sizes out loud until you watch some of the fashion programs and a model may mention that she is a zero. I was astonished to find out how much these women weighed versus their heights. Primarily, they were UNDER weight. To the teenage child watching TV and trying to emulate what they see, they think this is the ideal size. Thus we have children trying to starve themselves. Trying to make sure they don't have any rolls. Trying to make sure they have a six pack. Why would you need or desire a six pack at 12 years old? Because society says that's the cool thing to have.

Let's take two girls. One weighs 95 lbs at 4' 8" and the other weighs 85 lbs at 4'9". They have two complete different body structures. The weight is distributed in different proportions among the two. Looking at this scenario, how on God's green earth could one be called skinny and one be called fat? Yet this occurred. WHY?? I am so bothered by this. I guess it strikes a nerve because at 5'3 145 pounds as I was in the picture, ( see insert) I was still being told that I was too fat. Too fat for whom? Too fat based on the scale. I was perfectly happy at a size 8. I was doing a lot of theater and in their eyes I was too fat.

Please people. Our children don't need this. Watch what they see on TV. Be mindful of what is being fed to them by society so that you can counter act it and tell them the truth. The truth is that they should be healthy and fit. Teach them how to eat a balanced diet. By all means, please don't allow them to diet at age 12.

Encourage them! Tell them that they are beautiful. Tell them that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. God doesn't make any junk. Lift them up and don't allow anyone else to tear them down, no matter who it is. Keep their self esteem lifted. And as always, please Push them Forward!!!

Psalm 139:13-14 (Contemporary English Version)
You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body,and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me. Everything you do is marvelous! Of this I have no doubt.

Don't Cap IT!!!

I was listening to the Yolanda Adams show this morning and they were discussing His Will. This brought to my remembrance a blog that I'd written in February on another site. I had to remind myself that He can do anything. No matter what we are going through. No matter the storm that may be raging. It is temporary. We will pass through it if we push through it. Never give up!!

The entry is listed below:

Feb 12, 2009: We should never put a cap on what God can do. We sometimes forget how marvelous He is and limit ourselves in our thinking. We may say, "I would love a raise, if only I could make $XXXX a year. That is putting a limit on what He can do. He can do whatever He wants to because He is sovereign. I am not saying He is Santa Claus and we are to make a list of things that we want and expect all of them to be received or should we. We are told by the word to " ask and is shall be given". What we forget is the other part of the equation. Is it His will for our lives?

Hmmmmm..... something to ponder as a friend of mine mentioned at bible study. We may have wants and desires, but since He knew us before we were created and knows our end, maybe we need to leave it up to Him. What do you think?

I say, don't put a cap on it!! Pray on it and say "Thy will be done". The answer will be revealed, by and by.

O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 2 Samuel 28:7

Quality VS Quantity Time.....

I have been thinking about love lately and how it is expressed. Everybody has a different impression of what it means to receive, give and be loved. In Gary Chapman's book, Five Love Languages, he explains that love can be expressed in five ways. The languages are 1. Words of Affirmation 2. Quality Time 3. Receiving gifts 4. Acts of Service and 5. Physical Touch. For example sake, I may feel most loved when someone provides an act of service, whereas that may mean nothing to you. You may measure love by how often you are touched. We may need all of these expressions in varying degrees, but one expression may stand out more than another.

I read this book many years ago and I discovered that quality time is what is most important to me. In my case, quality time doesn't have to be face to face time. Notice, I said QUALITY of time not QUANTITY of time. You and I may spend hours together in one space, but if there is no interaction, as far as I'm concerned, there is no quality. I want communication, be it by email, text, phone, or face to face. If an individual takes the TIME to communicate with me, then I feel loved. No, I am not speaking of affirmations. The communication doesn't have to be words of praise and admiration. I just want some good ole "How are you?" , "Checking on you!" etc and mean it.

Gary explains quality time like this, "Quality time is more than mere proximity. It’s about focusing all your energy on your mate. A husband watching sports while talking to his wife is NOT quality time. Unless all of your attention is focused on your mate, even an intimate dinner for two can come and go without a minute of quality time being shared." BINGO... I'm with ya.

For example, My birthday is coming up. I LOVE the celebration of birthdays. My husband took the TIME to plan a surprise dinner for me with some of my closest friends. They took the TIME to come and spend quality time with me. On my actual birthday, I am going to spend some more QUALITY TIME with my mother, stepfather and family. I feel so loved.

When I am down, they lift me up. When I am sick they check on me and offer to go and get medicine or anything else that is needed. When I am hungry they feed me. When I excel, they cheer me on. When I need a boost, they are there to push me. And should I stumble, I know that they are there to help me up. All of this is incredible, but what is most important is the time that we spend together. It's the fellowship! It's the love!

In addition to my long time friends, I have met some awesome people on Twitter and rebuilt some wonderful relations on FB. We genuinely communicate which translates to me as TIME.....quality time!!

I am reminded of the scripture Matthew 25:31-40. It says:

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

The least of these. I am a child of God. I am a member of His family. I appreciate and truly love those that take the time for me and with me.

I say to you to day. Take the time. Take Quality TIME! Spend it with others. Express your love and as always...PUSH FORWARD!

Busy, Busy, Busy...Take a Minute..Eternity is in it!

Busy, Busy , Busy… rush, rush, rush!!! I gotta go here, I have to go there, I need to , I want to , I…..

What’s wrong with the above statement? I is the primary word. Now, it’s perfectly okay to have “me “time. That time that we set aside to re-connect with ourselves. To make sure we are taking care of ourselves. My question is, What about the time that we are NOT focusing on our loved ones because we are SO busy, busy, busy!!

I am guilty!! I am. I’ve gotten much better. I’ve learned to stop and not only take the time but make the time.

I used to own an insurance agency. I was SO BUSY!! I worked all the time. Literally!! I feel like I used to work in my sleep. I was always thinking about how to make that next sell. You self employed people understand. When the amount of money you make depends strictly on you, you have a tendency to focus ONLY on making the money. I would get up, get the kids off to daycare and school, work through lunch, get up grab a bite to eat around 5 pm, pick up the kids, feed them and go back to work and stay until 11 – 12, go home and do home duties and start over. When the weekend came, it was the same grind. If I had to choose between work and church, I chose work. I would even have my spouse drop me off at the office so my clients wouldn’t know I was at work on the Sabbath. Exercise! What was that? I stopped doing that too. I used to be an exercise fanatic. When I opened the agency, exercising fell by the wayside. I was working hard, but not working smart. I should have delegated more to my staff but I was so determined to make sure everything was done correctly. The sad part about it was I missing out on life!

What about the babies and my oldest baby. (She will always be my baby) She was 10 when I opened my office. My middle child was 10 months old and the youngest -not even born yet. As I think back on it, I realize how unfair it was to them. I should have spent more time nurturing them and in my oldest child’s case, showing her how to cook; my ex used to do the cooking. I stopped long enough to have my last child because my clock was ticking. I didn’t want to have a child past the age of 35. Why 35? Lord only knows. I was just busy being busy. All in all it was to my detriment. I didn’t focus on my marriage, my children or God like I should have. Don’t get me wrong, I love hard. I loved those babies with every fiber of my being. I even found time to breast feed. I am just saying, that I wished that I’d have slowed things down a little to make sure they were getting the time that they needed. That is why I work so fevershisly now to spend quality face to face-momma time with them now.

I watched my mom work hard and push through so I thought it was okay for me to push through what I needed to accomplish. I am so proud of her. She married right out of high school. Had my sister during her sophomore year of college and still graduated valedictorian. She has always pushed through no matter what; facing adversities that I will never understand. She lived and loved my dad who had a propensity to cheat among other things. (That’s another blog…God rest his soul…I love and miss him so). She even obtained her Ed.D while working and driving two hours one way to attend class. She did what she thought was the thing to do. She watched her mother work and push through, no matter the struggle. The ultimate goal was and has always been to succeed. What I didn’t realize is that my mother had a whole lot of help and she DID take the time. (As I type, my mother calls… she is on the phone. She is telling me about the poem that she wrote when she wrote her dissertation called reflections on reality….talk about connected) Anyway…I grew up right next door to my paternal grandparents and around the corner from my maternal grandmother. They seemed to be always home and available. My mother still took the time to sing to us and rock us. While she whisked around the house doing chores, I was right behind her, following and learning. She took the time. Always pushing me while teaching me. I still don’t know how she managed to do it all. It seems literally impossible to do it now. I can’t keep up. I don’t have the luxury of having someone come in and clean or do the laundry like I used to do, but I am SO content. I have TIME. The time given to us everyday to use wisely. I choose to spend it with my husband, my children, family and friends that I love so dearly.

So, when you find yourself scurrying around saying “I” a little too much. Slow down. Breathe, Re-focus and then PUSH Forward!

I leave with you this poem…

Only a Minute
I have only just a minute,Only sixty seconds in it,Didn’t seek it, didn’t choose it,But it’s up to me to use it, Give account if I abuse it,Answer for it if I lose it, Just a tiny little minute, But eternity is in it!

The poem “I have only just a minute” was written by an English teacher at Saugus High School, Saugus, MA. in the 40’s.The authors name was Welcome McCullough.