5 steps to tackling disappointment immediately

Let’s start off with a heart opening song today.

Disappointment is certain in this life. It has been my Achilles heel since childhood. Today, I’m going to blog about my struggle with this D-word.

I learned very early from adults to expect disappointment. I’ll get into the details in my upcoming book. Maybe I’m the only one, but every time an adult made a promise and broke it repeatedly, my immature pattern of coping was to erect a wall, slip inward and render the person dead who disappointed me. I remember thinking, “They’re dead to me!”

That statement resulted in me giving them the cold shoulder as if they did not exist! Some actions I took were completely ignoring them, passing by them and when they spoke I refuse to acknowledge their presence. As I grew up, it became very easy to just cut and go.

For me, this was my strategy to numb the pain that came from disappointment. I rationalized if that person is dead for me mentally, I don’t have to deal with the fact that someone I loved, who should have protected me, didn’t. Does this make sense? Can you relate?

I took that coping mechanism all the way to adulthood. Cutting off folks left and right. But that didn’t stop it from happening. In fact, it kept coming back until one day, “The Voice” said to me? “How long are you going to keep this up? Does everyone who disappoint you automatically get a death sentence? People will disappoint you personally and professionally. You cannot just bury them, they are still alive!”

As much as I was set in my ways. Those words penetrated my walls. I realized I needed a new strategy to process the pain of disappointment.

I’ll share an article that has helped me to get past disappointment and even use a positive approach to confront my troubles.

I’ve used it now in both professional and personal settings. Yesterday, I realized something very profound, that had I continued along the cut & go path, when my own kids disappoint me which they will and yes they do, they would collide with my deadly silent treatment. How horrible would it be for myself & my family, if I rendered my own children dead!

That’s why it’s important to deal with it, in a healthy way. Let’s be clear, I’m in no way suggesting that you open your heart to chronic heartbreakers. So friends here are my five steps to handling and processing intense disappointment.

If you’re facing something today, my prayer goes out to you. Go through each step as soon as it happens, ask the hard questions, and answer them. Open up to “The Voice” in your heart, He will instruct you how to proceed. Realize if you don’t learn the lesson, the test will keep coming back.

Drop me a comment with your own disappointment proof strategies, please like and share if this blog helped you in any way. Don’t forget to check out the article below.

We’re all in this together. Merry Christmas!

Continue reading “5 steps to tackling disappointment immediately”

Don’t let your head get in the way of your heart

I’d like to start off with this song to get your heart in the right place.

Have you ever heard your heart speak to you? Maybe it happened while you were in discussion with someone for the first time and you felt a connection like you’ve known this person all your life. Or for parents that instant love you feel for your newborn child. Or what about a moment in time where a whisper of an idea springs up from the recesses of your heart?

On the one hand, in those heart moments, you feel so alive. So unstoppable. Ready and empowered to create something birthed from inside of you. Or on the other hand, sometimes it’s scary because the task seems too big for you to accomplish.

For my own personal journey, I was raised in an open heart environment. You see my grandmother didn’t make decisions wrapped in logic or belabored discussion, she listened to her heart and made decisions from a deep place. For her, the answer to every problem, dilemma, and catastrophe would be found in the deep annals of her heart.

“Show me the way, Father.” She often prayed whenever she hit a dead end or roadblock. And she would separate herself in a quiet place, where she waited in silence for “The Voice,” to instruct her.

When she emerged from that place of solitude somewhere in the house, she would be fired up! Excitedly she announced to us, “The Voice” said to do this or “the Voice” said to do that!” She got her marching orders and excitedly sprung into action to get it done!

It did not matter how far out the decision seemed to others, she was listening to her heart and putting her faith in action, immediately. She needed no affirmation from humans, God spoke and that settled it!

If you need to hear your heart, all it takes sometimes is the right atmosphere. Like my grandma, you may need to seek a place of solitude. I’m not simply implying stop talking because as we all know, when the mouth goes silent, usually our thoughts are spinning in our mind like a tornado. The tornado of thoughts frequently rolls in, when it’s quiet, like during the middle of the night. It’s like someone hit play on the tape recorder of your mind, and suddenly you see all the things that are still outstanding; like thoughts of your to-do list, plans, problems, risk assessments, pros & cons. These are commonly known as surface thoughts.

On the contrary, the voice of the heart is deeper.

When you hear it, logic and analysis take a back seat. In fact, it erases logic. It is a deep knowing that may bring a tear to your eye but even more, it brings meaning to your life. Suddenly there is clarity. Like everything makes sense. For me, I recall my heart overriding my logic, when I experienced the love of God first hand.

It is like I connected with the heart of my creator. His heart was drawing mine close. Like being drenched in rain, my heart embraced his heart. I felt clean. I felt completely accepted. His love became my home.

There were multiple occurrences of us communicating heart to heart. When it happens, I find it really hard to explain. Is like the encounter leaves me speechless and reflective. Although it’s hard to explain, I will give it my best shot. I can remember a time recently when my logic battled with my heart.

I started by closing my eyes and pushing myself away from my surface worries. In that place I found a confident affirmation instructing me to do something in the future. When I heard and understood what seemed like a gentle command, I confirmed it by repeating it to myself.

Once I have accepted the challenge audibly, something interesting started happening. My mind began to race with questions, how will you do that? Are you even qualified? Where did that come from? Isn’t that too risky? You don’t know enough!

The supernatural heart download is immediately ambushed by my logical disposition. Where did that come from you may ask, since I grew up in an open heart environment? Well when I faced painful experiences in my adulthood, I decided to move away from living by the prompting of my heart to living in my head.

So until recently, if it didn’t make sense logically, or it was a pain point in the past, then I avoided it like a plague. The problem with that is the heart instructs us to live in faith, take leaps that are scary, and push past those things that can be uncomfortable.

To follow those promptings will always and forever lead us into a place of destiny, lasting connections and evolution of our next level God-ordained purpose.

That next level of purpose, you’ll find was always apart of God’s dream and plan for your life. These dreams & passions are birthed in the heart. I used to think dreams are birthed in the mind but that ideology has been interrupted.

My friends as smart as our logic are, it is not the place where lasting connections are formed. You see human connections are really heart connections. More importantly, the divine connection is all heart.

And heart takes faith, which usually makes no sense to the mind. The heart is the spirit.

IMG_0910

So do you remember the last time your heart spoke to you and you shut it down because it didn’t make sense? Have you chosen to live more in your head instead of being lead by your heart?

It is not too late to make a shift, here and now. If pain, disappointment, and heartbreak have stopped your heart from speaking or blocked you from listening, I pray for a shift that will awaken the voice of your heart. Let dreams of the heart rise to the surface of your consciousness. May you step into the impossible with boldness and move forward in faith. May the Lord help your mind to conceive that a risky idea with God, is a certainty.

Let there be a relocation from head to heart so you no longer will stand in the way of the opportunities to experience the amazing power of God inside of you. May you find the strength to follow your heart and your purpose. Let your heart be fueled from this day forward with love, passion, dreams, enthusiasm, drive, and determination. May your heart speak louder than your head.

ACTION CHALLENGE
This week make intentional opportunities for your heart to speak, so you can listen & act. You are powerful enough to shift the atmosphere around you and change your environment to a space conducive to allowing the heart to speak.Find a place of solitude. Listen for its voice.

The holidays have begun, instead of saying I love you, select a loved one and tell them 3 things you love about them. If you’re not there yet, tell them 3 things you appreciate about them. I realize that sometimes people have never heard what makes them matter.

Cheers Corner

Cheers to the lovely Joy-Ann Brown who celebrated her birthday last week!

FullSizeRender-3

YOUR SPECIAL INVITATION

One of the ladies that helped to shift my paradigm from head to heart is the lovely
Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell, CEO of Bold Favor Magazine. If you’re in Georgia, I’d like to invite you to her event this coming weekend.

The BOLD Favor Magazine proudly presents its third annual community leadership awards program, the 2017 BOLD Awards.  You can get your Tickets here

If this blog post spoke to your heart, please like it, leave a comment, share and join this family by following my blog.

May love fill you to the overflow!

When life demands a pivot

In my all-girls high school, I along with my classmates played netball during PE. It’s similar to basketball here in the US.

One key to moving the ball up & down the court was the technique of pivoting. If one of us caught the ball she had to land and plant one foot on the ground.

If she decided to shift the direction of the game, she would balance, and use the other leg to turn her body in another direction, without moving the planted leg.

Once her direction had been switched, she would keep her head up and pass the ball to the player of her choice. All this is done very quickly, any delays would open her up to having the ball stolen by an opposing team player.

The idea of pivoting has been heavily on my mind all week. There are moments in life when pivoting is absolutely necessary.

In the game of netball, a player could have caught the ball but might be facing the opposite direction of their team’s goal post. Like that player as we’re going through life we might re-evaluate our goals and find out that the direction we’re headed is not in alignment with the pathway to achieve those new goals.

In fact, goals are always shifting, especially with new information. That information calls us to take action and make a change.
Look at this video:

​

 

​

This chicken was headed towards a destination but refused to pivot, so he kept circling and got no where. Not until an external force was added, forcing the chicken to pivot, and in turn he found a way forward.
Growing, changing, pivoting are all essential for making transitions in life. I pray the Lord leads us to green pastures, although valley seasons are apart of finding the next level and the new season.

SEASON OF CHANGE

Like seasons change from winter to spring, and summer to fall.

Life can sometimes need a shift like netball.

Pivoting can throw the opponents off track.

Pivoting can help you clearly make the shot.

So if you need a desperate shift?

Pivoting could be your gift!

 

 

WHAT DO YOU NEED?  I CAN HELP!

 

 

 

  • Entrepreneurs, speakers & authors do you need a brand video or reel? Click here
  • Do you need a radical 21-day devotion? Click here
  • Love books for your kids and music for your spirit? Click here

 

When all hell breaks loose

I’m a little speechless, a little more reflective this morning. As mentioned in my previous blog, I’ve been on 21 days of prayer. Not just me but my whole church family.  There is a schedule, so every hour of the day someone is praying.
We’ve been going after the Lord, praying for everything from family to our nation to next level. In these days we need spiritual encounters with God now more than ever.  
Not sure if you notice, but life is getting harder, and we need God’s direction. Disasters back to back are no longer a surprise.  We need God’s protection. Darkness and evil are front and center.  We need God’s guidance and His hand leading us.
Things are changing fast and furious. Stress is rampant. People feel beat up by life! Depression keeps knocking at our doors. Fear is looming all around. Faith sometimes evade the faithful! Lost dreams have left people just running on empty in Zombie mode.
This week for me has been pretty interesting. All hell seemed to be breaking loose. After it got to the point where the very thing I was praying for started getting worst. I started laughing. I realize that the adversary was coming in like a flood.  

After laughing, I praised more, after praising I prayed more. Do you know why? For me evil attacks are the clue that God is up to something big in my life! The enemy has no new strategy, he’s predictable.  So I lifted my faith and continued praying daily. I stayed on my knees because my God is a WayMaker, Miracle worker, Promise Keeper and Light in the darkness.
Last night I went to church certain that there would be shift! The youth and adult choir combined forces in our night of praise and worship called Dwell.


Friends I am still tingling inside and crying but certain that God visited us last night face to face, heart to heart, and spirit to spirit. We were so raptured into His loving embrace.  
If you have never had an encounter with my Divine Heavenly Father, it’s a spiritual high filling the depths of your soul! It fills the empty spaces, refreshes the broken and dry areas and revives the forgotten dreams. It leaves you feeling more alive than you’ve ever been. Reality feels like one big dream. Yet your God given dreams are at the forefront of your focus. 
People experienced healing.  Others had their joy restored!  Power came back to many movers and shakers who were just laying low.  I am expecting to hear multiple mighty miracles in the next few days and I’ll bring you those stories.
Faith becomes more than a belief. God becomes a true and real experience.  
Prayer

If you haven’t had a one-on-one with God before, I pray He will visit you personally this week. I pray He fills every inch of your longing for love. I pray He will make Himself real to you. May you feel His warm embrace and the power of His presence. May freedom come to every area of your life in this very moment!
Poem

Lord, your presence is rich and warm,

Like steam in a sauna

It forces impurities out of my spirit

It heals me where I’m broken

It charges me where I’m dead

It enlightens the way before me.

You wake. You arise. With your glory in me.

Hold on to me and I’ll hold on to you.

My body now weak, my spirit now strong.

Fear is no match for your gifts

This week I have been praying pretty consistently.  I can tell you the feeling of setting an appointment with God and spending time with him has been so refreshing.    I learnt something about the spirit of fear this week.  So that is what this blog is about.  Listen to the words of this song.

This week in my prayer time, I read this well known scripture, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” I’ve read this and even memorized it, so many times before. This time I decided to read the verse directly above it in the passage. That verse states, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you.”‭‭

So I started wondering why are the verses in that order? Right after encouraging the reader to stir up their God given gifts, is an instruction to not be afraid. Why?

img_0719I realize people are often afraid to stand in their gifts. These are the same gifts that make us unique. These are the same gifts that no one else can do as good as us. These are the same gifts and talents that makes us a force of power in the hands of our God.

The question for you is do you know your gifts? Answer these others. What do people often compliment you for? Why do people see that you’re awesome in your talents and you don’t? Why is it so easy for you to flow in your gifts when helping others but when it comes to embracing your own power for you, you hold back?

Friends, I too am often guilty of holding back when it comes to giving to myself, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves of our extraordinary uniqueness. Friends your gifts and talents are designed to make room for you and according to the scriptures, they will bring YOU before kings.

So if you are afraid to move forward in your gifts, I share this quote from Joyce Meyer.
img_0814In other words just keep moving. With your heart pounding in your throat, do it afraid.  With wobbly knees go ahead deliver that manuscript for your book.   Take the lead and stir up those dreams you’ve placed on the back burner. Come on, record and release that album.  How about taking on that project that seems too big for you. My sister calls those massive projects #operationmindblown.  You my friends and family are gifted and with a spirit of power, God can use you and make you soar!

 

Be encouraged my friends to lean in, stand, keep climbing because your spirit of power is greater than your spirit of fear! (Tweet this)

 

Please read, like and share.

 

 

YOUR SPIRIT OF POWER 

I call forth your Divine Power,

To give me strength to live life in this hour.

So many dead ends, struggles, fears and lack.

With your divine power I can win this attack.

 

The spirit of fear, fills my mind with doubt.

At the idea of stepping out.

With a push from a friend, “You can do it!”

I take a step forward, but fear rises in my throat.

Boom, boom, boom my heart swells in my chest.

But I must move ahead, so I take a step.

On wobbly knees another step.

Because I have what it takes to soar in my next.

 

I am gifted, sparks of excellence on the inside.

Dreams, talents and stories that I hide.

I must fan the flames, so it spreads like wildfire.

I have what it takes to live in accelerated favor.

For God’s divine power is all I need.

To step into my destiny.

Lord let your power be activated in me.

And let fear depart from me.

 

Cheers Corner

img_0816

 

Happy 97th birthday to my Grandma!  Most people call her “Aunt Bee.”  To know her is the love her.  She has faith like no one I know.  My Grandma once stood up to a robber on a bus and chased him off, running behind him for two miles, like a Super Granny!  She has lived in her Spirit of Power!  Be on the lookout for my book about growing up with this tower of strength in the islands.

 

 IMG_0462Happy Eleventh Anniversary Sister and my Brother-in-law!

Today is her birthday.  Happy Birthday my sweet sister. Gifted, talented and real woman of action and love.

Here’s more music to celebrate life and love. It’s from my brother here, a saxophonist called the Musical Storyteller!  If you’re looking for live music for your event, he can serenade your soul.  Cheers! Here’s his new single Smooth Mood

Here’s a taste of his music:

Check out some people in my life who are standing in their gifts.  Click here. 

Do you want to see your future?

This has been my jam this week! Enjoy this song from Planetshakers!

 

Do you have visions? By definition vision means a vivid mental image. Let’s do an exercise. If you could do anything for employment or a business, visualize what you would enjoy doing. What does it look like? How does it feel? What part of your tasks bring a smile to your face? What are you saying in the moment? Who is with you? I’m asking you to conjure up vivid mental images of yourself in a place of tremendous success.

 

During moments of visualization a combination of images and emotions can send a signal to your mind, that what you have envisioned is a form of reality. That is why you feel so good as you are dreaming because everything is exactly where you want it to be. So why don’t you visualize more often? Are you too busy to engage your mind and awaken your buried dreams?  Maybe you’ve given up on them?

 

Now as I read the scriptures, I notice that God spoke to many people through visions. I did a quick search for the word vision and as I scrolled through the results in the Bible App, I saw different types of visions; heavenly visions, visions of the night and I even saw something called Visions of God.

 

Visions, whether they happen in the day or night, or whether an individual is awake or asleep, these experiences are critical to having direction in life. One scripture verse describes it this way, “Without a vision the people perish.” It’s that critical. I realized having visions were the vehicle through which God revealed himself and his plans to people. So why are we going through life, completely comfortable without regular doses of visions from God?

 

I stared out this blog with an exercise to imagine your own images of success. But when was the last time you received a Vision of God for your life? One where you vividly imagined how He wanted to navigate you through a storm, away from a disaster or into a place of tremendous blessing.

 

Today, I don’t know about you, but I’m desperate for God to reveal himself and his plans for my life. Life can be a mystery sometimes and with a dose of revelation, followed by a plan for a successful outcome, and someone behind you to move you to action, that vision can turn into reality. In fact, if it’s God’s plan, nothing can keep it from happening- no sickness, no lack of resources, no blockage, no glass ceiling, no evil…no matter the fight, the temporary delays are not bigger than the might of our God. Are you ready to see? I share a prayer below to activate your visions.

 

Get ready to see them and write them down when they are revealed and ultimately get an accountability partner who is all about taking action. Share the vision with that person and a deadline because that person can push you toward seeing that vision through. Not because it’s your vision means you need to try to make it happen on your own.

 

Prayers for Revelation

You are a God that reveals secrets. Lord, reveal Your secrets unto me (Dan. 2:28).

Reveal to me the secret and deep things (Dan. 2:22)”

“Let me understand things kept secret from the foundation of the world (Matt. 13:35).

Let the seals be broken from Your Word (Dan. 12:9).

Let me understand and have revelation of Your will and purpose for my life. Give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and let the eyes of my understanding be enlightened (Eph. 1:17).

Let me understand heavenly things (John 3:12).

Let the hidden things be made manifest (Mark 4:22).

Reveal the things that belong to me (Deut. 29:29).

Let Your glory be revealed in my life (Isa. 40:5).

Let Your righteousness be revealed in my life (Isa. 56:1).

Make known unto me the mystery of Your will (Eph. 1:9).

Make darkness light before me (Isa. 42:16).

Let me understand the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10).

Let my eyes be enlightened with Your Word (Ps. 19:8).

My eyes are blessed to see (Luke 10:23).

Let all spiritual cataracts and scales be removed from my eyes (Acts 9:18).

Give us 20/20 vision of God’s plan for this and the next season of our lives.

(Excerpt From: Eckhardt, John. “Prayers That Rout …..” Charisma Media, 2007-12-12. iBooks.)

 

Cheers Corner

Happy 12th birthday to my eldest son Timothy (Oct 6th)!  He’s a two-time published author! You can get his books for your kids below:

 

How to Get a Girl Friend – (For the kid who wants to learn to make friends)

The first time he wrote a book, he was 10 years old. The book had pictures and step by step instructions for how kids can wins friends. Ebook available here

 

The Cosmic Quest – (For the kid who loves to read fantasy)

He wrote a 10-chapter novel, with an imaginary world of two boys on an adventure to rescue their mother. I invite you to come along for the journey inside his creative imagination. Ebook available here

 

Birthday shout out to my baby sister Roxanne (Oct 7)!  Love you queen!

 

Here’s more music to celebrate life and love. It’s from my brother, the Musical Storyteller!

 

Cheers!  Here’s his new single Smooth Mood.

Get help… Rise up… Win!

WordPress Anniversary

I’m starting out this blog post with a party! Cheers to a year of writing stories for you!

Here is a little reggae for your soul this morning.

When my youngest son decided it was time to walk, no matter how many times he fell, he would bounce right back up. Sometimes standing on shaky legs, he fell down, over and over again. The seesaw of learning to walk, was sometimes frustrating but this little person charged back on his feet. His only focus was getting up and staying up. At times, he would fall hard, and I could see the shock on his face, but if I gave him my hand for support, he grabbed it and sprung right back on his feet.

There was no thinking about it. Something in him understood that he was made to walk. The little guy kept trying, until one day, with no help, he took one step, then another and soon my little happy feet started moving faster than he expected. Before long Jon Jon began running everywhere.

That memory reminded me, that we were born with an eagle mentality. No matter how much of an underdog we feel in one moment. No matter how stagnant or helpless. No matter how down and out we feel now, the next moment when our strength kicks in, we can soar. Sometimes our power is running low, but a hand from a mother, sibling, true friend, spouse can pull the one running on fumes back on their feet.

I’ve experienced running on fumes many times, even this week. But hard times, uncertainty, fear is no match to God’s purpose for our lives. In the scriptures, He sent a raven to feed people in a famine. Jesus called a corpse dead for days back to his feet. I’m getting excited because listen my friends no matter how ordinary you feel, low, and even dead…you are born to walk, run, and even fly.

Rise up my friends, I give you my hand, and the word of the Lord.

  • Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!
  • I declare his strength to help you get up.
  • Where you feel like an underdog, I declare you are an overcomer.
  • I declare success and progress where you feel spiritually, mentally, physically and financially stagnant.
  • I declare that God himself will be your help where you feel helpless. For all of your help comes from the Lord.
  • I declare you will arise and shine and the glory of the Lord is upon you.
  • I speak life over you, blessings, power and a sound mind.

Now get up and shine! What is that thing you’re putting off? Where do you feel blocked? Do you need help and don’t know how to ask? Feel like your dreams are just too big, out of reach? Maybe self doubt is swirling in your mind. I have been there my friend and it is not easy, but you and I are made to overcome difficult situations. You and I are born strong! So come on now, be bold and strong for the Lord your God is with you!

 

Action Challenge

Go ahead on those shaky feet, post in the comments a project you’re dreaming of accomplishing but it seems too big. Are you trying to figure out the next step, but feel overwhelmed? Maybe it is and maybe just one person reading this blog can help you take a step towards making one of your dreams into reality. The first step however is to write that vision down and make it plain. You are not an island we all need help. Trust me I am preaching to myself but with God’s strength, and someone’s help, your dreams can live. Who will be the first to put their private dreams in the public spotlight? Will it be you?

God's Plans

 

 

Cheers Corner

Happy Birthday to my brother Mike Tenn!

Happy Birthday my friend Stacy!

Cheers to life!  My mom turned 77 last week, yeah!!!!  Look at her out over six decades ago on her first day in the U.K.  I’ll tell you that story in another blog.

IMG_0515

Here’s more music to celebrate life. It’s from my brother, the Musical Storyteller! Cheers to his new single! Smooth Mood available here

Cheers to my son the little author! You can get his books here:

How to get a girl friend

The first time he wrote a book, he was 10 years old. The book had pictures and step by step instructions for how kids can wins friends. Ebook available here

The Cosmic Quest

He wrote a 10-chapter novel, with an imaginary world of two boys on an adventure. I invite you to come along for the journey inside his creative imagination.  Ebook available here

 

When life stinks

If you are reading this, it means you woke up this morning.  You my friend, opened your eyes. You can see the sky. You have breath and life.

Let’s listen this together.


Thanks for coming back to my blog.  The trials of life often takes front and center of our thoughts– everything that’s going wrong is easy to repeat and remember. But the routine things like breathing, waking up to see another day, and having another chance to hug our loved ones is so often overlooked or frankly not the center of our focus.

In fact, when things go wrong, they fight to consume our minds. For example when you find yourself awake in the middle of the night, is it usually happy thoughts? Things like being grateful that you’re still breathing.  Are you thinking about the good things happening in your life?

On the contrary, if we’re honest we can admit that many times the wheels of our minds are turning, fully consumed with a problem. But when someone dies, suddenly, things come into perspective.  As a result, we’re more aware that we can choose to fight or unite.  We can fret or count our blessings.  We realize that both taking a simple breath and opening our eyes daily, are indeed miracles. It means we have another opportunity to live, laugh, and love the ones in our lives.

Two weeks ago, I travelled to the island of Jamaica. The eldest member of my family departed this life. She was almost a century–99 years and 4 months. Our family was looking forward to her hitting triple digits. Even her Pastor had a big surprise celebration planned. Although, she lived so long and got so close to that monumental age, that birthday did not come.

Aunty Amanda in blue cutting her last birthday cake

As a family we could have been drowning in sorrow. But we didn’t because her life was long and full. Rich with faith and numerous possibilities. In fact, she was born poor, but never stayed that way.  Along with her sisters, they farmed, saved and helped each other out of poverty.

While growing up, the sisters Ruth, Amanda, Birdie (my grandma) and Jane, walked barefooted for miles, carried buckets of water on their heads and washed their clothes in the river because their home had no running water. Life was hard. Yet, they changed the course for the next generation. While their hearts pounded inside their chest, they made a mark on the future. Before the beat of their heart went silent, they gave life their all.

Today, I raise my glass and say, “Cheers to life.” For all the ups. For all the downs. For the lessons. For the bounce back. For my Grand Aunts who made life better for me. For each and every beat, of, my heart! Cheers!

Aunty Amanda, my brothers & my grandma

By the way, Tuesday was my 🎈 birthday 🎉…  Cheers to me! Hip hip Hurray! I’m happy to share this birthday with you.  It was also my birthday twin’s special day… Cheers to Leroy Plummer!

Can you think of something simple, that you have taken for granted. Give it a second thought, could it be blessing? Share it in the comments, so we can raise our glasses to you.


Ummmm
At the break of dawn,

Squinting eyes slowly crack open.

Close it again to keep too much light from flooding in.

Open wide, when you’re ready because you realize,

Through the window, you can catch a glimpse of the sky.

The miracle of another day is yours.
Fill your lungs, with a big deep breath.

Exhale, force the air out.

Hear your breath. That’s miracle #2.

Feel your fingers. That’s another miracle.

Sit up and smile.

For you are still alive, cheers to life!
Here’s more music to celebrate life. It’s from my brother, the Musical Storyteller! Cheers to his new single! Smooth Mood available here

Cheers to my son the little author! You can get his books here:

How to get a girl friend

The first time he wrote a book, he was 10 years old. The book had pictures and step by step instructions for how kids can wins friends. Ebook available here

 



The Cosmic Quest

He wrote a 10-chapter novel, with an imaginary world of two boys on an adventure. I invite you to come along for the journey inside his creative imagination.  Ebook available here

 

My Boss The Jerk!

It amazes me that adults resort to bullying their staff and have become so delusional in believing that the strategy will keep their staff loyal and productive. These same people I’ve noticed have two personalities. They’re the smartest and nicest people in front of their own bosses but they become a dragon to those under them. Except of course, those one or two people in their inner circle. The ones they chose to give the assignments to or help with their work, like they think the rest of the staff is blind. Seems Jerk/Bully Bosses are intentional about who they respect and who they don’t.

Then can we talk about that ever lasting, never ending “Other duties list?” Where they dump and dump on you forever. If it offers no advancement, doesn’t come with a raise, was someone else’s responsibility who was too lazy to do it, so they dumped it on the donkey–you, remember “No” is a complete sentence.

Sometimes labor today, looks like slavery of yesterday. The difference here however is you can say no. What about when the Bully Boss goes all passive aggressive on you. Like making your work environment so uncomfortable that you hate going to work. Turning up the volume on oppression because they know you need the job and won’t quit. Like they’ve launched an all out war against you!

Typically I war in my prayers. I’ve seen God take care of so many Bully Bosses myself. What do you do?

Read on for more on Jerk Bosses and if someone is bullying you at work, put it in the comments. We will start a prayer chain for this.

Bottomline, if you’re in leadership, don’t be a bully. (Tweet this)

 

On another note, the eclipse was an awesome experience this week.  But I gotta admit, I had a little eclipse blues the day after.  On eclipse day there was just a wonderful togetherness.  Kids in schools gathered to view it together, people went to the mountains, co-workers viewed from a deck, I loved it.

Well if just love science, simple love looking at the beauty of God’s creation or want to escape into the futuristic world of a little kid’s mind.  Check out my son’s book, the Cosmic Quest here.  It will bring your science high back.

%d