Laughter is good medicine

Day 347- You can turn painful situations around through laughter. If you can find humor in anything, even poverty, you can survive it.”- Bill Cosby

Several weeks ago my oldest girlfriend Linda invited me to a comedy show fundraiser for her agency. For over 24 years she has headed up Human Resources for West End Medical Center in Atlanta. She has been a wonderful trooper and comes to every event I've invited her to attend. So, I had to make sure I showed up even though my bed was calling my name.

I pushed through and had the most incredible evening. At which I laughed, laughed and laughed. I laughed until I cried and then laughed some more. Diane Jordan who Oprah Winfrey coined “one of the funniest people on the planet” mission is to heal the world one laugh at a time. This is exactly what she, John Gray, Michael Colyar and headliner George Wallace delivered on.

Earlier today, my pastor Bishop Long admonished us to stop worrying and having arguments where you don’t win anything. He said, "winning a argument for the sake of winning and not gaining anything tangible was not worth it."

So tonight, I gained laughter and it feels really good inside and out. I think I'll take it with me throughout the week. Did you know a child laughs 300 times a day while an adult laughs only 7? What the world needs now...Laughter.


Good Night.....

Guard your Heart

Day 348- Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life- Proverbs 4:23 In the book of Jeremiah, we are told that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it but God? The revelation around this is the heart is a faulty mechanism and God says we don't even know our own heart...only Him.

The realization that we don't know our own hearts has been very profound for me. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak into the life of a young woman and advised her to guard her heart. She really didn't understand and with much compassion I attempted to enlighten her on its meaning.

Today, I came face to face with the fact that “guard your heart” shows up even in some of our business relationships. Because we women are emotional creatures sometimes our feelings get in the way in business. Allowing emotions to overrule sound business judgment can leave you feeling like a victim. Yet, people can only do what you allow them to do to you.

We had a great strategic planning meeting today with the Board of Directors and staff of Positive Growth. It was the culmination of many weeks of thoughtful dialogue and vision for the next three years. I'm truly blessed to be able to serve along side the Founder, Joseph Arnold and his wonderful wife Rose.

When you are close to walking into your destiny everything imaginable will try to come against you. Most of the time you’ll find it comes from those closest to you. I choose to take authority and declare my season of frustration and failure is over. I now walk in a season of success and prosperity. Old things have passed away; all things have become new.

Anything or anyone assigned to undermine, frustrate, hinder, or hurt me, I command to be moved out of my sphere of influence in Jesus’ name.

I have a fresh excitement, a fresh mind, and a fresh anointing that is uncontaminated and uncompromised.

Women Friends

Day 349- “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln

My nights are getting longer as I can hardly sleep these days. That's what happens when you're pregnant with destiny. I'm on the campaign trail and today I had the most exhilarating meeting with three colleague friends from my Leadership Atlanta Class.

Being with these remarkable women each one magnanimous in their on right was the epitome of iron sharping iron. I was able to articulate to them very clearly my vision for the magazine. I shared my struggle with if my audience should solely be African American women. Their feedback and input was invaluable and their buy- in cancelled out the dozens of lukewarm responses in a flash.

We weighed the pros and con of the many questions that came up which brought us right back to where I began. I have no doubt that we are creating an authentic experience for all women. Having spent the last three years separated from the business arena just the scent of it flowing from them got my adrenaline pumping.

They served as a focus group for me today consisting of two powerful business owners and one highly successful corporate executive. Each shared their global perspective on business and all things women. We even kicked around if this magazine should be for men and women- laugh out loud.

I spent a couple of precious hours this evening loving on my granddaughter Skyy Julia who lights up when I walk through the door. Holding her in my arms makes me feel like everything is right in my world. I want to leave a legacy for her where she never knows lack and starts her journey from a wealthy place and not a place of survival. I want her to believe that anything is possible when you trust and lean on the maker of heaven and earth. I want her to have a record of some of the most remarkable women of this age to pull from.

I want her to know what it means to love what you do and feel that it matters- and that nothing could be more fun. This day that God made one that I have never seen before and will never see again was nothing short of extraordinary.

Back to working on the book……

What are you storing up for yourself?

Day 350- Remember what we possess in the world will be found at the day of our death to belong to another, but what we are will be ours forever.

"Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

Today was a good day for eating right while trying to eat smaller portions and remembering that snack in-between meals. I had an killer workout on the treadmill today as I listened to Michael Jackson "Essentials" and got in 3 miles. Totally taking the gym slow this time around and not going in like Superwoman. I must remember this is a marathon and not a sprint but the body sure does- hurt so good.

Each day as I read the comments left on my Facebook page I'm amazed at the things we talk about. The things that get our attention seem to have mostly nothing to do with frankly nothing. Do we actually care about the Atlanta Housewives where 3 out of the five don't even have a husband. Our true selves are usually revealed in our seemingly trivial acts...like Facebook and Twitter postings.

Many readers of my blog continue to comment that I'm being so transparent in the things that I share on this journey. This morning about 2:00 a.m. as I was preparing to turn in I realized this has become a labor of love. The word of God says that some plant, some water but God does the increase. My prayer is that these postings are good seed and will be watered with God adding His favor.

Going to get on the phones now and work my ZamZuu business tonight. I want to go to Coast Rica so I've got to get busy. In the book of Ecclesiastes we're instructed to have at least seven streams of income. I'm focused and I'm diversifying as well.

Blazing new Trails

Day 352- "Do not follow where the path lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

My meeting with the two angel investors was wonderful as we reminisced over the many shared moments from our past. The one shared moment was how they were thinking about doing a new thing and one of them said "Let's call Rita because I know she 's got some great ideas and see if its something we can get in on." That was very humbling for me to hear especially after three rocky starts at starting this business.

I went into the meeting with an open mind. I wanted to be open to what they wanted the relationship to look like. I knew one of the options that might come up was ownership in my business. I had to seriously ponder if this was an option that was comfortable for me. I must admit I can sometimes be a lone ranger and this isn't the season to go it alone.

They watched me intimately and afar blaze new trails for other people's businesses which solidifes us partering together. My potenital partners belive it's time I do it for myself and they want to assist in bringing the dream to reality. It is an amazing how when you don't have to sell yourself- all you have to do is just Be.

There will be several more meetings as we delve into the business plan. How great is our God? Victor Hugo said, "There is one thing stronger than all the world, and that is an idea whose time has come."

Big Plans

Day 353- "When two men in a business always agree, one of them is unnecessary."

The day is here! I meet with my two potential angel investors for Rita O magazine and I've been tweaking my documents and praising God all day. I haven't seen these gentlemen in about five years and I've changed tremendously in that time. I know they can hear it in my talk but most important is that they can see the Christ in me.

Make no little plans;
They have no magic to stir men's blood
And probably themselves will not be realized.
Make Big plans; am high in hope and work,
Remembering that a noble, logical diagram
Once recorded will not die.
- Daniel H. Burnhham

"Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," Ephesians 3:20

Stuff Happens

Day 354- "Adversity reveals genius, prosperity conceals it"-Horace. Another day without my laptop and it has made for a very, very challenging day. Best Buy and the Geek Squad are all about selling you a product you don't need. I'm so thankful to have techie friends who can answer the call when needed and diagnose a problem. What can I say about hackers who enjoy shutting down other people's systems...get a life!

Since I was not able to do any work via the computer I decided to tackle other projects. It has taken me two weeks to get someone in the registrars office at Clark Atlanta University to forward my transcript. Which means, I won't be able to start graduate school in March as planned. They say if you want to hear God laugh just tell Him your plans.

I have not worked on my book in days and I'm feeling very guilty. But the truth is so many of the curves in everyday life got in the way this whole week. Can't blame the devil because I am so not into giving him credit when he doesn't deserve it. Sometimes stuff happens and the best laid plans have to be revisited and reworked.

Tightening up plans for my angel investor meeting and getting really excited about seeing how God will move. As I start to gain momentum around the building of Rita O magazine I know "it is my set time for favor". I imagine this leaping in my belly (destiny) is liken to what President Obama felt when he started to taste victory in his heart.

Knowing that being President of the Unites States of America could only be possible through the manifestation of a miracle by God's hand. It's almost impossible to get start-up capital to launch a magazine. In fact,when I share with others my vision of launching Rita O almost always the response is lukewarm.

Barack Obama knew he was anointed and appointed for such a time as this for the role of President. God knew He could trust Barack Obama to be the first African American President of the free world. I keep asking God to make me over until I please Him . I want Him to know just like President Barack Obama He can trust me with the vision He gave me.

"Rita O magazine-Living Life on Purpose."

I am not in Control

Day 355- When I say nothing went the way I planned it today please believe me when I say nothing! They say if you want to hear God laugh just tell Him your plans. This is a short blog as I was most definitely not in control so I've accomplished only a few of my objectives.

I had two commitments and was not able to keep either. Which was a disappointment to me and those I had given my word? However, I am evolving and did not condemn myself as I would have in the past for not meeting these obligations.

I'm very excited about meeting with my potential investors on tomorrow night for dinner so your prayers are welcomed. Since I have no laptop tonight will be spent finishing up my Costa Rica vision board for my ZamZuu business contest "In it to win it." The vision board is designed to keep me motivated and to not lose sight of making this trip a reality for myself and hopefully many of my team members in the next 80 days. As well, I will be writing out the vision for my weight and fitness challenge which starts at 6:00 am tomorrow morning at LA Fitness.

I remain humbled by His grace.

Lord make me over

Day 356- I was not able to blog last night as my laptop crashed and uninstalled Windows. To my dismay I was not able to upload what I had written from my Blackberry as well. I can't wait until my new Mac comes sometimes next week...ahhh. Thanks to all of you who are faithfully following me even though you haven't signed on to signify that you are. Your messages really are an encouragement to me.

My Saturday started off with a 8:00 hair appointment that lasted four and a half hours. I was quite bothered and expressed this to my sister during her daily check in from Chicago as I lingered under the dryer. My hair stylist overheard me and instead of feeling compelled to apologize for the inconvenience she chose to be angry with. She felt that since it had never happened before in her mind I should just have been patience.

I told her I was sorry and to please charge it to my head and not my heart. While her mouth said “okay sure" her body language said I'm mad as hell at you. As I got ready to leave I asked her if she was going to talk about me when I left. She said, “you better believe it." I laughed and said “so be it and see you next week." At that moment, I was reminded I had changed my stylist and salon of more than 12 years in swanky Buckhead for Candler Road and the hood. I chuckled at the experience all the way home to my hood in Midtown.

If you want to get a drink with no chase of what the African American experience is like just visit your local hair salon or neighborhood barber shop on a Saturday. Since my laptop had crashed I had an inordinate amount of time to actually take in what was happening all around me. One of the glaring eye openers was how very diverse we as women are and how we come in all shapes and sizes. Yet, the overarching theme for me was that we as African American women are very overweight.

I know this challenge is quite daunting already but unless I change my relationship with food and exercise all this is for naught. As I looked at these beautiful sisters in all ages I knew part of falling in love with me meant the outside as well. The word says our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit as such we should treat it as royalty. A couple of weeks ago I got the pun Bishop Long shot out through his message about the diet we were always going to start on Monday. I was instantly reminded of just how many Monday diets I had started over the years.

My mother Sarah Taylor died almost three years ago of heart failure but her heart surgeon said 99% of her problems stemmed from obesity. She loved food and could never get away from eating slave food…all things pork and all things fating. She tried so many times to change but in the end settled into her desire to eat whatever she wanted.

My mother left this earth before her assignment was up. In the spirit of finishing strong I have decided it’s time to take personal control of my health and fitness. I want to be a living example to all the women in my bloodline who still love slave food. More important, my deepest desire is to love myself on the inside and out. I just added the Monday diet challenge to the transition to Rita Love. I am so totally out here now- I am releasing into the atmosphere my personal challenge to lose 50 pounds by September 2010.

The Thing about Dreams

Day 357- "Between the dream's inspiration and its manifestation there's going to be a lot of perspiration." - John Maxwell. I have always been in awe of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater but tonight's performance was truly exceptional. It's like all of a sudden I'm looking at everything around me with different eyes. I really do mean everything.

I saw an ensemble of young men and women who were living out their dreams. With every solo performance I was pulled into their passion and commitment to their craft. I saw the hours committed to the gym and rehearsals as evidenced by their bodies and precise execution in ever move. With every drop of perspiration came the realization of being on a stage in a major city dancing before a sold out audience. Love and skill were working together and produced a masterpiece of dreams.

My work today was very intentional as I have a renewed boldness about my dreams and worked on purpose. I can clearly see why God allowed me to go through so much in the last season. "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." Even when it hurts you just have to push yourself to give God thanks for His word says in all things give thanks-not some things.

It's almost midnight yet I won't be able to sleep until I have spent time working on my book. I'm tired of clapping at everyone else performance and being an observer of other folks dreams. I'm sure you have never felt this way but even when I watched my favorite show "Project Runway" this week I asked myself why. Why was I spending time in front of the television watching these people live out their dreams instead of working on my own?

"Rule #1 take one more step. Rule #2 When you can't take one more step, refer back to Rule #1."-H. Jackson Brown

Favor isn't Fair

Day 358- Each day when I pray I ask the Lord for His favor, uncommon favor, supernatural favor, favor that isn't fair ( I really say ain’t fair- just keeping it real). This is my fourth month being an entrepreneur and there's been very little income generated from my efforts. Yet, I can see the hand of favor on my life as I replaced fretting and anxiety for rest and trust.

Today, I sat with my account and we had a beautiful spiritual exchange. I told her, I blogged about her yesterday and she laughed and promised to do better. Everywhere the soles of my feet touched today I experienced favor. God has placed me on the minds of people who want to give me gifts and sow into my life. I have this feeling inside of me that there is a great breakthrough about to happen in my life.

The favor of God is “like dew on the grass” (Prov. 19:12). Favor means pleasure, desire, delight, to be pleased with or favorable toward something. When God is pleased with us, His favor rests on us. Favor is very similar to grace and to glory. When we respond to the sovereign hand of God, He begins to drop down on us His favor. His favor can cause us to accomplish things on the earth and give us access to places that we did not previously have access to.

I barely slept last night as I worked on my rewriting my mission and vision for the magazine. My godson sent me a Rita O magazine logo this morning about 5:00 am that he had worked on. It was creatively edgy and opened up my spiritual eyes to see the magazine in the hands and hearts of women around the world.

Yesterday, I read a quote from Steve Jobs of Apple who said, “when you find something that you love, you won’t have to be pushed. The vision will push you. Being a leading voice for women is truly a calling on my life and giving birth to this baby inside of me is an extraordinary journey. Dew is not permanent you know. It comes in the calm of the night and evaporates by morning. So, we must keep going from glory to glory.

Speak life into your situation today and know that Favor isn’t fair.

I'm Breaking off Amnesia

Day 359- When people show you who they are believe them the first time. Don’t let them have to remind you a second time. I’ve heard myself tell this to other people but admittedly my godson has reminded me of my own words of late. Today, I was trying hard to wrap my mind around why my account had not finished doing my taxes, nor returned repeated calls to her phones. In the midst of it all I could hear him saying “now Aunt Rita, you need to stop getting amnesia about people.”

As a budding entrepreneur part of my businesses acumen is a strong sense of customer service and working in excellence. Yet, I find myself making excuses and settling for less than should be expected with many I'm doing business with. The first half of my career was spent in a retail environment first as a fashion buyer for 13 years and then in public and community relations. I was fortunate to work for two organizations where the fabric of their existence was rooted in superior customer service. Making sure the customer had a pleasurable shopping experience be it in person or on-line were always the ultimate goals.

Yet, somewhere along the way we as Americans began to settle for less than excellence in most areas of our lives. With our shrinking economy people have so many choices as to where they can spend their money. There’s a church on every corner so I really don’t have to worship in a place where the people are mean spirited and religious. There’s a bank, cleaners, nail salon, restaurant, gas station, supermarket and an accountant so we as customers have choices.

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve started to purge myself of relationships that are not fruitful and certainly won’t yield a harvest in my life. I feel God’s favor today and was blessed when I called a friend who shared that he and another friend had been discussing how they could help me with my business. Yesterday, I was sent a message that said, “I pray God blows your mind with the way He blesses you in this season.” I can see those close to me getting blessed so I know it’s my set time for favor. I think I’m going to run all the way to the end to see what this race brings.

It has been a great day for writing and putting together a living document that allows others to invest in the Rita O brand. God is not a man that He should lie and He is faithful to His promises even when we are not faithful to ours.

Remembering, all the doors are open!

Becoming my own cheerleader

Day 360- I once read that while a person hesitates and feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior. It really got me to thinking about the courage it takes to quit a stable environment be it work, marriage, school or friendships. Whatever it is you have to be willing to take a chance and just go for it at some point in your life. If you simply sit on the sidelines of life at the end of it you would have been a bystander in your own play.

Today was a day of action as I made the follow up calls for business and actually talked to an old friend who has moved very high up the corporate ladder about opportunities. No promises were made expect to speak to each other in a couple of weeks as he got adjusted to his new position. Yet, it still felt great reconnecting and getting the word circulating in more diverse circles about my consulting business. The Lord knows I need a check soon and very soon.

Tonight was the first time in three months that I've been to a leadership/opportunity meeting for my ZamZuu business and it was amazing. I will have 3 new business partners before this week is out. I'm just so excited about using what's in my hands that I actually found myself cheering for me.

Got to work on my book tonight and it's almost midnight but I have to push through. Creativity is your soul yearning for expression of one's inner self. The expression of creativity is the becoming of who you really are...I'm coming out.

46 days of Lent- no sweets or bread...that's gonna hurt.

Giants do Fall Down

Day 361- And the good thing about the day was that I woke up clothed and in my right mind. I woke up to new mercies that are available to me as a believer. For the past 5 days, I have been going to bed around 3:00 and so sleep deprivation caught up with me and I overslept.

I must admit that I was totally off my game all day today and this posting is a reflection of it. Everyone seemed to be out of place today and the South doesn’t even really observe President’s Day. It was hard making the needed connections and hindered me from accomplishing several critical goals. I needed to get out of my house today—space seemed very small. The hardest thing about working from home for a people person like me is that it’s HARD. Going to a friend’s office tomorrow to work and I have two off site meetings - I’m looking forward to it.

This morning my studies focused on seeing Your Promise from God’s perspective. In this season we must not let FEAR win the battle. Fear is a spirit that attaches to our emotions and clouds our thinking process. When the people of Israel decided to move by sight and not faith, the Lord allowed their leaders to go over and view the Promised Land that He had made covenant to give to Abraham’s descendants. They saw the abundance, they saw the richness, but they also saw the warfare. The vision of the warfare in the form of giants caused one generation to reject the promise and postpone the manifestation of the blessings that had been offered.

Today, my giant’s looked more powerful than me. So, I got busy asking God to help me see out of His eyes and to help me with any unbelief. The Israelites actually believed God was capable, but they did not believe they were worthy. They rejected God’s promise and it was 40 years before the window would reopen for them to pass over. Please know that giants do fall down and sometimes you have to go, look and see again.

Didn’t work on my book today so I’m going to turn in early to get myself refreshed and spend a couple of hours writing tomorrow. The thing about holes-is that when you’re in one you have to stop digging.

Shovel down and lights out….until tomorrow.

Rest and mediate in I AM

Day 362- 1:00 am Sunday morning and I was about to study the word even though I have to get up at 5:00 to make it to 7:00 service. I spent 14 hours on yesterday immersed in working on my business. Minutes before I opened the word I was contemplating if I would work on my business today. Even though I had declared Sunday was the only day I would not. So, why was I wavering between two opinions? Below is part of a devotion I just read from Prophet Chuck Pierce sent seven days ago.

Our conscience is the key to seeing! When Jesus is defining the conscience, He admonishes us that the antagonist of our seeing is MAMMON.

The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light. But if your eye is unsound, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the very light in you [your conscience] is darkened, how dense is that darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will stand by and be devoted to the one and despise and be against the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon (deceitful riches, money, possessions, or whatever is trusted in).” (AMP)

There seems to be a key relationship between how we see, our heart’s desire, and whom we serve. God made us to serve Him and to set aside one day a week to rest and meditate on all that He is about in our lives. This is key to our seeing. “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Ex. 20:11, NIV)

By remembering the Sabbath we will see clearly? From the Mount, God told Israel to remember the Sabbath and sanctify that day. This meant to stop doing any creative work and break out of the cycle from the preceding week. God made all creation in six days and rested on the seventh. To be a true Son or Daughter, we are commanded to rest on the Sabbath. Until heaven and earth pass away, we must recognize Sabbath (Matt. 5:17-19). When we do, we acknowledge Him as Lord over creation and time. This is part of seeking Him first and seeing. There are blessings, vision, and rewards for those who seek Him first! Isaiah 58:13-14 says, “‘If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on My holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable, and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’ The mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (NIV)

Be intimate with Him today and seek Him. Break out of your old cycle of the week. See Him in a new way. Ask Him to cleanse your conscience from any infiltration of the world that invaded you the preceding week, and prepare yourself to see in the week ahead!

The conscience is a window between our soul and spirit. This window is easily dirtied. Sabbath is a major part of cleansing the window. Hanging out with the ultimate lover today!

You might have to walk alone

Well, its day 363 of the Rita to Rita Love project and I’m full of great expectations. This morning I opened up our weekly Team Success Saturday morning leadership call for my ZamZuu business. Getting back plugged in with my business partners was like being covered with my most favorite blanket. The energy was so amazing it jump started my day and kept me at full blast.

Last night, I committed myself to be laser focused on the goals I set forth in this challenge. I realized that part of the reason I had put my residual income business to the side was the fear of rejection. I simply did not like having my family, friends and colleagues telling me no about a business that just makes sense. If the truth be told I responded to their disinterest with my emotions.

Today, I am happy to report that I have taken the emotions out of sharing this business and its liberating. I know women are emotional creatures but its just exhausting when I think of the time we spend dispensing feelings on stuff that has nothing to do with feelings. So, back to happy thoughts!

My friend Janice Roberson Johnson asked me to look at a video she had posted on her Facebook page of her daughter Jasmine reciting her “I Am” statements about her dreams. She’s only 10 years old but I mean she is a big dreamer. Then I listened to Janice recite her “I AM” which has inspired me to write my “I Am” statement. If you’re reading this why don’t you think about doing the same?

I have a Dream Book that I’m constantly updating but decided the other day to do a Vision Board and hang it in my office so I can see it everyday. God is so faithful and I love how the potter is shaping the clay...me.

This journey is not for everyone. When you’ve told the Lord to make you over until you please Him you'd better count the cost. When you can say anywhere, anytime, any cost you may very well have to walk it alone. Note to self- everyone can’t go through the door that’s assigned to me in this season. I've been at it for 14 hours now and I think it's time to shut it down until tomorrow...amazed by His grace.

Seeing with new EYES- Day 364

Today is February 12th, and 12 biblical is the number of foundation which is very appropriate for Day 2 of my life project. I woke up this morning with a great spirit of expectation of what this day would bring. Thanks so much for the emails, text messages and calls to encourage me along the way. Several of you stated that I was very transparent in my first post for the Rita to Rita Love project. Many of you asked, “Are you really going to blog everyday?” and even wanted to give me an out. Thanks so much, and know that I’m in this to win and trust I will bless others with my transparency and commitment.

As I finished up my study of the word today I was overwhelmed by the words Moses spoke to God. It resonated in my spirit because on this journey I don’t want (can’t) to go it without God’s presence. Exodus 33:13-14 in the Amplified Bible says, “Now therefore I pray You, If I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You ( progressively, become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly) and that I may find favor in Your sight, And ( Lord do) consider that this nation ( I placed me for nation) is Your people.14 And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, (Rita Love) and I will give you rest. Yes, I have prayed this prayer a lot lately, but today I felt in my spirit that God was answering me through these scriptures. Amen, and so it is.

Last night I was up until almost 3:00 am as I could not sleep because I was writing on the chapter called “The Enabler… is that person assigned to you? I think this book will be somewhere around 175 pages- a Shorty so it can be published by summer. This chapter was so familiar to me because I learned to be an Enabler around the age of 14. Honestly, I just admitted I had this spirit and started to address it about two weeks ago and it is not easy for me. But God!

I met with my Power Team leader today for my ZamZuu business and I'm so energized because while I was chasing closed doors for my Rita O business this opportunity was taking off. Many lives will be changed in the next 90 days as others begin to see what I see. Not to mention, it will set me on the road towards financial freedom.

I quit my job (3x's-death burial and resurrection) because I knew deep down in my knower the season for working a job (just over broke) was done. How grateful am I that my eyes have been opened in a new way to see what I already have in my hands…ahhhh. It is amazing how we pray to God for answered prayers and when He delivers and it doesn’t come packaged the way we envisioned- we sometimes miss it. My eyes are wide open….Day 2.

*I will try to have my update posted everyday by 7:00 pm EST.

Come Walk with me- 365

Today is February 11, 2010 and it's the first day of the rest of my life. Over the weekend I watched Julia & Julia which was based on the true story of Julia Powell and Julia Childs. It was such a profound wake up call for me. Julia Powell was a temporary secretary who had never finished anything she started. What she did have was a deep love for cooking and so admired Julia Childs she set off to cook her 524 recipes in 365 days. And she made the commitment to blog about it everyday.

I wondered what it would be like to have that kind of passion, drive and commitment to do something that would literally change your life. I thought about how many projects I had started like my book, diet and even my blog only to put them aside.

On Sunday, before Super Bowl XLIV, I took a 2 hour drive out to the country and God began to download some extraordinary revelations to me. In that, two very distinct occurrences earlier in the week stood out in my mind. The first was of my dear friend being released from her job of many, many years. Amazingly, she was very excited because she was ready to move on to the next chapter of her life. I shared this with someone else who commented "it’s good she had a plan." "She had a plan" came back to me on the drive and I knew a concrete plan was the one thing I never had in my three attempts to start my business. This was one of the key factors in why I would always end up allowing someone to talk me into taking another job.

The second occurrence was a conversation between my son Reggie and I about one of his friend's who is my Facebook friend. I commented that she had uploaded some new pictures that were beautiful and it was the first time she had put one up without a drink in her hand. He asked “so what's wrong with her having a drink in her hand?" I of course replied "what's right with it, and that it is simply not ladylike." He asked me how she was supposed to know that and who was suppose to teach her that.

As these two occurrences played over in my head I suddenly knew like never before what I had to do. I had to finish what I started. I had to as my friend Jane Fonda says start living out Act 2 of my life. The thing that has been holding me back is my deep rooted need to help everyone else with their lives. Somewhere I lost my own way and on Sunday I began to find myself anew.

So, I decided like Julia to seal the deal and put my lofty goals out for all to see. And to make myself accountable I would blog about it for the next 365 days as I move to living the life I was predestined to live before I was formed in my mother’s womb. Today, I made calls to former colleagues to pursue some consulting opportunities and released myself from chasing closed doors. Today, I didn’t go out and buy diapers for my granddaughter Skyy even though there were only two in her basket. Today, I got back involved in my ZamZuu business because it just makes sense to have a residual income business that pays me while I sleep.

I believe if I step into the water and not look back to Egypt (old stuff, old ways, old methodologies,) God will part the Red Sea for me just like He did for the children of Israel.

Thanks for taking the walk with me, Day 365.