Starting Over With A Paint Job

Day 216: I've made the decision to stay in my condo until I can afford to purchase the home I want in Buckhead which is a fabulous part of Atlanta.Since I don't have to move I just desire to move I'm going to stay put for now. So, tomorrow the place new paint job for starters.

Then I'm going to give it a total make-over but I first have to unpack the boxes that are stacked up in my office....laughing. My daughter was not excited at first about the decision to stay here but she's gotten over it. I've got big dreams about my next house and I am even excited about what making this house a home. Which is something I have not done in the last four years'. I have treated it as a temporary space and so its always felt that way.

But we're shifting our mindset and being appreciative about he really lovely space we are graced to live in right now. I looked out the kitchen window earlier to see a homeless man sleeping on the park bench across the street. Please do not despise small beginnings ans don't ever look at other folks best and compare it to where you are now.

No house is ever a home until you chose to make it one

Decided to Stay Still

Day 217: Last night I had another one of those Aha moments. The previous week had not been a good one in my business and it left me numb. I struggled to attend my Zamzuu meeting because I feared if I didn't attend I may very well not go back again.

I knew that I needed to go on a fast to cut out all the noise so I could hear from the Father. Yesterday was my first day of a three day fast of turning my plate down and spending time in the word and in prayer. To my surprise, I would begin to hear at the meeting as my spirit was rejuvenated and my focus renewed.

I want to move and I can not figure out how to make that happen for myself right now. There are new challenges to getting financing when you're a start up entreprenuer. But more than that the home I want seems so out of reach. So what do I hear, go buy some new furniture an make this place your home. Wow!

Not only that but I was just telling a friend how much I wanted to have the financing for my magazine so I could really start working on what I love. Then our meeting outlined what is coming up the pipeline for my network marketing meeting and it blew me away.

So, I can see a little clearer now as I move and keep understanding that I need to lean not to my own understanding.It's almost 12:00 am and one of my goals this week was to get in bed earlier as I work on being healthier.I didn't accomplish it today but this day was very productive for me and I turn in feeling good. I'm standing still but by no means am I still.

Things may not come when I want them but I do know that God is never late and He is faithful to what He promises. Not for our name sake, but for His own name.

Figting For What I belive

Day 218:"Believe that with your feelings and your work you are taking part in the greatest; the more strongly you cultivate this belief, the more will reality and the world go forth from it."- Rainer Maria Rilke

We have to be careful how we allow distractions and noise to enter our lives as they are designed to get us off course and destiny. You can be walking along and minding your own business and all of a sudden the big bad wolf shows up ready to eat your lunch. How do we stay focused and keep the mission we say we're own ever present? Sometimes it will require that you turn off the television and the telephone. It might even mean that you have to let some people go.

What it really gets down to is how bad do you want it. If you really want it then are you willing to fight for it? Fight for the right to have a voice when you know you're right and you know you have the answer. Fight to save your children from people and things that don't fit. How about fighting just to live the best life you know God intended for you.

Of course, the biggest fight you may ever face is the one you'll have with yourself. There will be an hour somewhere in the midnight hour when doubt will creep in and get snugly as it tries to smother you with unbelief. Sound like, "maybe I'm not suppose to be an entrepreneur." "What if this doesn't work and I have to face all of the folks who didn't think I could do it anyway." What about all those who said,"if you ever need anything just let me know but aren't around when you need them?

When you know that you've been given a destiny that will touch other people's lives you have to be prepared to fight to continue on. Fight to see destiny and vision through. Fight when the contract doesn't come through and pick yourself back up and go on. You got to believe in the call on your life so much that no matter how many times you fall you will get back up, and you will dust yourself off, and you will start again.

There are to many people waiting for me to get my business and magazine launch. How many other people's lives are attached to yours. Every time I hear about someone committing suicide it saddens and grieves me that they quite on life. When you fall and don't get back up it does not only effect your life but all of those who love you and have to go through it with you.

One of my son's friend's told me once that he said one of the things he loves about his mom is no matter what happens she always gets back on top. That's because I never quit. I don't care how hard it looks or even gets. Not even when friends turn their back on you or if you lose the car and the house. After all if God is for you who and what can be against you.

You've got to make a decision to get up and get back in the fight of life. omone else is depending on what you do today..

I Can't Hear You

Day 218:

If you Lie Down with Dogs, You'll Get Fleas

Day 221-219:My Pastor Bishop Long actually used the title of this post in his sermon today and so I'm borrowing it from him.

Blessings in the small stuff today

Day 222: "Our life of poverty is as necessary as the work itself. Only in heaven will we see how much we owe to the poor for helping us to love God better because of them."-
Mother Teresa.

This quote absolutely summed up everything I was experiencing today.

Several times today, my thoughts were on the how I was not doing enough to get more business. I was concerned that I was spending more than I had budgeted and worried that God was thinking He still can't trust me with wealth....ahhhhhh. If you read this blog you know I constantly struggle with distractions all around me. They seem to come out of the woodwork on any given day. Today was no exception as I fought hard to get focused and back on task. We women are so use to multi-tasking that it's usually not until the end of a thing that we realize we totally missed what we were aiming for.

Being in a network marketing business will expose lots of things about yourself and those whom you call friends. This business for me is about adding new business partners weekly to achieve my financial goals an assist other' in reaching theirs.

I want to move as well I need a new car but I seem to be struggling on how to actually get these two things that I want.The banks are being impossible about lending anyone money and the down payment for a new home is enormous. I have a dealer looking for me a car but he is having a hard time working within my budget. Even though I have the funds to go higher I don't want to move on what I'm willing to spend.

All in all, I just don't want to compromise so I've chosen to stand still for now. I actually don't know how to move ahead and that is simply not like me. I believe God is shifting things for me right now and I need to just stand down until He shows me my next steps.

This evening I got text messages from relatives asking to borrow money and the first one caught me totally off guard. This person has never asked me for anything and I could not believe I was on their ask for money radar. At first I started to get offended and then when I asked what they needed it was so insignificant and I felt so small. I was then reminded how much I tell the Lord how I just want to live in the overflow so I can bless others. I immediately began to thank God for being in a position to bless my relative.

No sooner had I gone to Western Union than I would receive another text from another relative asking assistance. This time I did not hesitate and I could feel the joy and relief coming through the airways because of my response.Sometimes we ask God for things and when He shows up in a different than we expected we sometimes miss it.

I thank God I did not miss the opportunity to be a blessing to others this day.

Your Brand Identity

Day 225-223

School Increasingly Becoming More Challenging

Day 226:I just uploaded my assignment for this week which counts for 20% of my grade literally a few minutes ago. Now what is wrong with that picture? Just about everything on so many levels. It says, I waited until the last minute and while that was never the plan it is how it played out.I totally misjudged the degree of difficulty and the amount of research needed to complete the assignment.

I actually like this course on Branding and Storytelling but you could not tell by the mere fact that I was in the same place this time last week. So for all of you out there considering going back to school on-line be sure you have the time and discipline to pull this off. Yes, you can do it on your time schedule and the only problem with that is life. Life creeps up and when you know you can work on your time you will find Time starring you in the face. I have got to do better and get and A out of this class.

My family came back this evening and my granddaughter was so happy to see me it melted my heart. She is so potty trained and it's a beautiful thing because she is to smart to be in pull-ups any longer. I guess she is only one week past her second birthday and tomorrow we're going to test out the training panties.

I know I need to plan my day for tomorrow but my brain is so over tired and so are my eyes.I have been on this computer for over six hours and enough is enough. I know work is going to heat up tomorrow as my major client sent emails on today. There will be lots of motion as the other team members start scrambling and covering their butts.

Going to try to do cardio twice on tomorrow so I can step up my game as I need some quicker results. I know walking is good for me and I'm doing something but this weight has got to come off quicker than this. So I'm going to push myself a little harder on tomorrow.

Goodnight

It's Amazing What A New Bra Can Do

Day 227: Bra shopping is like going to a funeral for me. When you're very endowed like I am you already know the selection will be minimal. The whole going to the mall to be measured and praying for something that looks a little good is a confidence killer. And today was no exception from the word go.

I'm sure many women share the same experience as I watch women from all shapes and sizes with the wrong kind of bra on. When I see young girls in the wrong bra I imagine how different their self esteem could be with a small adjustment. It's really kind of hard to imagine that a bra holds so much power as to how a woman feels about herself.

I believe after my second child I started to seeing my breast getting larger and then as the weight came on so did the size of the breast. Having a mammogram when you have large breast is one of the most humiliating things a woman has to go through.I once has a technician make an unfaltering comment during my mammogram that stayed with me for years. This January I decided to slay that dragon by walking in with my head held high and posturing myself for a positive visit. In fact, the sensitivity in which every part of the visit was handled erased those past memories.

So today, I ventured out with the express intention of getting new bras because the one I owned are ready to be put to rest. But the whole thought of it was intimating as heck because of my past experiences. Believe me it did not start off good for me and I actually came back home and parked the car. All of this over a bra? Of course, you know this is so much deeper than a bra and the root lies in me not feeling good about my body as a whole.

My need to break bondage off of every area of my life required me to get back in the car and go back and purchase some bras. This story does have a happy ending. I found a wonderful woman in Dillard's who wore my exact same bra size. She knew where each bra was that was right and I could not be happier. Even though I'm losing inched and a little weight I need to step up my game and really chnage my eating habits.

Becoming the best me possible involves healing from the inside and out and facing anything that would hinder or hold me back. Are you in need of a new bra?

Successful People Don't Drift to The Top

Day 228: "It's so hard when contemplated in advance, and so easy when you do it."- Robert M. Pirsig. I'm reading the book "The Power of Focus" by Jack Canfield and two other authors and this quote was in chapter one. I read it over and over again until it's meaning became branded in my memory. So simple and yet so profound when you really ponder it's meaning.

Our habits really do determine our future and successful people have successful habits. Unsuccessful people don't- period. So what is a habit? A habit, is something you do so often it becomes easy. Simply put, it's a behavior that you keep repeating.If you are consistent a developing a new behavior it eventually becomes automatic.

For example, I challenged myself to blog everyday for the whole year. At first it was very difficult to post on time and other times my day was so crazy I didn't want to share it with anyone. Then as days turned to weeks and weeks to months it became a labor of love even if I missed posting and had to double up.

According to Canfield, if you want to distance yourself from the masses and enjoy a unique lifestyle, you must understand this-your habits will determine your future. Successful people don't drift to the top. It takes focused action, personal discipline and lots of energy everyday to make things happen.

This week I sent my daughter and granddaughter on vacation to Florida with her father. At first I had decided I was off to the Myian Riviera for three days as a last minute get away just for me. Then I thought a better use of my time would be to get focused and organized around my goals and dreams. I love my girls but it's hard for my daughter to understand that I work from a home office but I'm not just at home. Not to mention my granddaughter wants to be in my room or office 90% of the time.

I took these five days to change some negative habits that are spiraling out of control. I pushed back because my future is to bright to allow distractions that feel like I'm swatting at gnats to keep me off course. The good news is I'm having a blast getting my house in order and loving on myself.

Believe me I've not magically got it all together over the course of these few days. I'm making changes but it will take time to completely change my behavior. I have owned this behavior for a long time. Allowing my children's agenda as well as other folks to come first must be cut off at the root.

If you've drifted off your goals and dreams just make a decision to take them back and start living again. It may be hard at first to take control of your life and change your behavior for the first couple of weeks. But stay focused and give your self mental pep talks.

Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives.
Tony Robbins

After Four Years He invites Me to Dinner

Day 229: "Independence"... [is] middle-class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on earth. ~G.B. Shaw, Pygmalion, 1912

A Heart for Giving

Day 230:"When I chased after money, I never had enough. When I got my life on purpose and focused on giving of myself and everything that arrived into my life, then I was prosperous."-Wayne Dyer I realized today more than ever that God created me with a heart for giving. Not so I can boast about how much I gave or what I did for another person but because giving allows others to see the Christ within me.

The word says Christ went around doing good and healing all. Two women colleague friend's both lost their husbands recently and suddenly even with month's of each other. One only needed my worlds of encouragement while the other needed both my word's and my finances. Each lent itself to the occasion that I could let the light shine within me to give of myself.

I especially want to be a blessing to other women as we women sometimes find it hard to help each other. We sit back and judge each other and some don't want others to climb up any higher than us.I can't even begin to express how amazing it feels to see other women empowered to live their best life. Knowing you played even a small role in ushering in happiness and joy to another makes for a very humbling experience.

You can't be God's giving no matter how hard you try.

Let Your Yes Be Yes & Your No Be No

Day:231

Dancing at your blessings

Day 232: "Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.1 Chronicles 4:10

Skyy Julia's weekend

Day 235-233 I's hard to believe it's been two years since Skyy Julia came into the world. I can remember like yesterday how devastated I was when I learn of the news that I was to be a grandmother. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. I'm not sure where I mustered the strength to be supportive instead of lose my mind. The hurt and disappointment was so great I just wanted to run and never be found again.

And then my pastor told me I was blessed that my daughter had chosen to give birth to her daughter instead of abort her and I may never have known.

I don't Mind Waiting

day 236: To be contiuned

Developing A Mastermind Team

Day 237:“When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not
see the ones which open for us.” -Alexander Graham Bell.

No creature can look at a closed door longer or spend time trying to revive a dead thing like a woman. Which is why I've made a personal decision in Act 2 of my life where God's promises that my latter days would be better than my former to chose my team.

Tonight I was having a conversation with one of my brother’s who I affectionally call my father’s son. We have the same father and so that makes us half-brother and sister but neither of us has ever referred to each other as such. Well, I guess if I call him my father’s son then I’m calling him my half-brother without saying it…umm. If there was ever two unlike minded people it would describe the two of us.

I explained to him how I was being very deliberate about the people with whom I invited to join my business or be part of my inner circle. Even with this declaration I informed him that I had gone against my better judgment and the voice in my knower screaming, "don't do it" and allowed him on my team. I’ve come to learn of late that you can determine where you’re going in life by looking at your cell phone and analyzing the three people you spend the most time talking with. I was blown away when I heard this and knew at that moment I needed to reorder my day. This meant accessing exactly whom I’m allowing to occupy the majority of my time and my talents. What does your top three say about where you're going?

As I noodled what my mastermind team would look like in business it became very clear that I could no longer settle for who so ever will. I have to be strategic about how I chose partners as I run the most important race of my life. I'm in a race to build a legacy for my children’s, children, children, children. I mean to stamp out poverty in my bloodline by any means necessary. This go round I refuse to dumb down who I am so other folks can fit. That goes for my personal life as well as professional. I issue a challenge to the hundreds of women who read this blog everyday to take stock of your team.

There is to much at stake for us to just hang out with the familiar and mundane and then wonder why our tomorrow keeps looking like our today. You will have the life you create for yourself and what you do today determines what will be your tomorrow carrying to much baggage from yesterday.

If you’re still looking at closed doors then make up in you mind that you want to walk towards some new open doors and start walking. If you are holding on to a dead relationship, business partner or career purpose in your heart to get a plan and move on. Life is for the living and if it’s dead that mean’s you cannot bring it back to life even if you fake it.

What does your Mastermind Team look like?

Listen To Your Body & Rest

Day 228:"Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it, spend time with your families." -Colin Powell

I' must admit that I'm sleep deprived these past couple of days and maybe even weeks. My body has decided to shut down tonight and I have to listen because it has taken control. There is no magic number of how many hours of sleep me need each night as it varies from study to study. But I am sure it's more than 3 to 4 hours back to back. With that said, I promise to come back tomorrow refreshed and hopefully on a better schedule than the one I have been keeping.

Good night all and God bless.

You Can Have What You Speak...Really

Day 229: Ventured out today to look for a new home and was not sure if I was looking for a house again or another condo. So we just went in the direction I wanted to live which is Buckhead in Atlanta. Buckhead is full of million dollar homes and for years as I drove pass the neighborhoods on my way to the office, I decreed one of them to be mine.

Not sure why I didn't do my research on the Internet first but there was something about just driving through the many neighborhoods that set me to dreaming again. I find it so interesting how we as women don't believe we deserve the very best. We are always willing to give everyone else in our lives the best. We will even help others achieve the very best for their life but when it comes to having our desires met we tend to settle.

It was hard to actually believe the number of homes that are on the market and we only covered about a 10-mile radius from where I currently reside. We passed at least three -dozen magnificent homes in our quest to have the spirit lead us. I keep decreeing, "In all thy ways acknowledge thee and I will direct they path." I spoke the word to keep encouraging myself when in my heart of hearts I didn't believe I could have one of them.

So it got me to really thinking why the word doesn't work in most Christians lives. In my spirit I believe its because we speak the word but we don't really believe what it says. We don't really believe that the promises in the Bible belong to us in God's appointed time. Do we really believe that we can speak to our mountains and they will be removed? And because we have doubt it does not work for us. So, I set out to encourage myself this evening with the word because sometime you just have to encourage yourself.

This post is deliberately long because I trust that someone will read this that really needs to be encouraged an have their faith ignited. The lyrics of this song have blessed me and pushed my faith to new levels as I learned to put the word into the atmosphere.


"Let The Word Do the Work"
One word away! One word away!
The power of life and death is in what you say
Ooooh
One word away! One word away!
If you start confessing, you will start possessing
The key to your success is a word away!

Seek the work speak the word to life
its in the book LOOK
read the verses twice
You can posses the best of the best
And yes
If you could confess, it could be yours unless
you don’t believe’
but we got faith and we speak life
I wish that y'all could see y'all face
cause I see prosperity greatness all over you
Just speak and then God will start showing you
Your ministry is built on faith
Your talents about to be booked for 12 months straight
See -Certain levels was unreachable
But if you just speak it, who am I preaching to.
I’m not hear to rap I’m just teachn you
The word works but first you gotta speak it
to
Your life every goal is still achievable
So Believe it and receive it, release it right now!

One word away
Cause it’s only
One word away! One word away!
The power of life and death is in what you say
Ooooh
One word away! One word away!
If you start confessing, you will start possessing
The key to your success is a word away!

I speak
New homes affordable mortgages
Acres of Land Lord I want all of this
I speak
A new job that doubles my salary I believe God will make it reality
To sow seed and reap the harvest
It’s in the word I’mma bless you regardless
I speak
A new car whatever you send to me
But let the gas prices drop tremendously
Lord I speak,
That you bless me abundantly gimme the strength whenever the enemy comes for me

I will pass this test
This is God’s work at it’s best.
I-I-I I speak
Wealth in your life Health in your life
For all the pain you felt in your life
Break out let God break in
Just watch the places that God will take you
It is
One word away! One word away!
The power of life and death is in what you say
Ooooh
One word away! One word away!

If you start confessing,
you will start possessing
The key to your success is a word away!

Let the word do the work. Let the word Let the word do the work
Let the word do the work. Let the word,Let the word do the work
Let the word do the work. Let the word Let the word do the work
Let the word do the work. Let the word Let the word do the work

I speak
Healing Prayer is the answer The doctor said there’s not more cancer
I speak
Increase so you could live, set free forget how the economy is
I speak
Your family members locked in jail new trial second chance my God don’t fail
I speak
Blessing purchase possession, by faith just make your professions

If you start confessing you will start possessing
If you start confessing you will start possessing
If you start confessing you will start possessing
If you start confessing you will start possessing
If you start confessing you will start possessing
If you start confessing you will start possessing
The key to your success is a word away.

Making Some Changes to the Blog

Day 232-230:If you follow me everyday you know I had a root canal done a few day's ago. It has been a butt kicker and caused me pain even up until today. But I 'm happy to report the antibiotic is working to rid me of the infection and the face swelling is going down as well. Hopefully all the swelling subside by the morning and my face will be back to normal. So please forgive me for not blogging these past three day's but I simply was not feeling up to par.

Today is July 4th,it's Independence Day 2010 in America and marks 135 days of blogging for me. I've decided to change the direction of the blog to line up with my purpose and passion to speak to the hearts of women. So, instead of the post being just about what's going on in my day to day it will focus on messages and topics that speak to the heart of women.

We're working on a new look and design along with a national call for women. We will be sharing all kinds of business, relationship and spiritual nuggets designed to enhance and empower.

The good that came out of having this dental procedure is it forced me to get some rest and allowed for time of reflection and creativity. I'm so very excited about the great downloads the Lord has given me thee past few days.

Today, Bishop Long ministered from Proverbs 3:9-10 and talked about when God gives you wisdom to accomplish your purpose or goals don't then ignore God.

In other words, don't then start to ignore God when He allows life to go your way and and starts giving you what you have been praying and believing for. . As well, while God is schooling us we need to learn patience. As you walk out you destiny and go through the process it's extremely important to be patient. When god asked Solomon what he wanted he asked for wisdom and because that is what he asked for God made him the most wealthiest man to ever live.

Insight + Ability= Income

It's Never To Late To Start

Day 233: "We have two lives - the one we learn with and the life we live after that." ~Bernard Malamud, The Natural