If you complain about the system,
do something about it, vote! Your vote does count. It
will make a difference!
Sometimes, we tend to find excuses for the things that don't work out for us. We tend to blame others instead of taking responsibility for our actions, which only elevates the excuses. This behavior also applies to standing up for what is right. We often remain silent and wait for someone else to take the initiative instead of holding ourselves accountable. "What's your excuse, now?" is about empowering ourselves to make choices that will help us feel comfortable and confident in our skin.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Women at Heart!
Valerie Burton, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, September 20, 2014 |
Valerie Burton was in Columbia this
weekend as the keynote speaker at the Women at Heart event. It was a free heart health forum and exhibition. Valorie is a life coach,
author, and motivational speaker. She is also the founder of the Coaching and
Positive Psychology Institute (CaPP). Even though we never met, our paths ran
parallel because of her family and mine. My mother spoke very highly of
Valerie. If Valerie is anything like her mom she is a beautiful person. I would
like for you when you have the time to read some of her books and follow her web
page. She is very encouraging and inspirational. Thanks 'DV' for the picture!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Joe Sample - Old Places, Old Faces!!
Legendary pianist Joe Sample, who
was known for pushing the boundaries of jazz music, passed away Friday night in
his hometown ofHouston
at the age of 75, his family announced on Facebook. The keyboardist, who
collaborated with artists like Miles Davis, B.B. King, Marvin Gaye and Steely
Dan, was best known as the founder of the Crusaders, a quartet that popularized
a soulful, funky sound in the 1960s and ’70s. Rest in Peace!
was known for pushing the boundaries of jazz music, passed away Friday night in
his hometown of
at the age of 75, his family announced on Facebook. The keyboardist, who
collaborated with artists like Miles Davis, B.B. King, Marvin Gaye and Steely
Dan, was best known as the founder of the Crusaders, a quartet that popularized
a soulful, funky sound in the 1960s and ’70s. Rest in Peace!
Friday, September 12, 2014
Thank you!
We see miracles happen everyday but we do not notice them until they affect us or someone close to us. I want to take the time to say thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Bates for being a miracle. To God be the glory! God bless you and be with you, always!
Prayers in Time of Sickness!
Prayer in Time of Sickness
O Jesus, You suffered and died
for us; You understand suffering; Teach _(Name)_ to
understand _(His/Her)_ suffering as You do; To bear it in union with
You; To offer it with You to atone for _(His/Her)_ sins and to bring
Your grace to souls in need. alm _(His/Her)_ fears; increase _(His/Her)_ trust.
May _(His/Her)_ gladly accept Your holy will and become more
like You in trial. If it be Your will, restore _(His/Her)_ to health so that
_(His/Her) may Work for Your honor and glory and the salvation of all men.
Amen.
Mary, help of the sick, pray for
me.
*** You may use this pray for
others. If praying for yourself; (Name) and (His/Her) can be substituted with
(Me).
Prayer for the Sick
Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and
Healer of the Sick, we turn to You in this time of illness. O dearest Comforter
of the Troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love, and
grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries
in Your hands. We place our sick under Your care and humbly ask that You
restore Your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to
acknowledge your holy will and know that whatsoever You do, You do for the love
of us. Amen
Source: A Collection of
Favorite Prayers
Friday, September 5, 2014
What Am I Supposed To Do Now, Lord?
What are we supposed to do when
we go through adversity? We seek God’s
answer through prayers and supplications but we still do not hear from Him. It
seems the more time we give, the longer we wait. I know that it is God’s timing not my own but
I can not help it since I think worldly.
I also know for a fact that God has not brought me this far to leave me
now. When we get too comfortable we do
not want to change. In fact, in our
comfort zones, we take things for granted and when you take things for granted
you do not miss them until they are gone.
When we face a crisis, we tend to look at the crisis instead of looking
at God who is bigger than our crisis. Sometimes we do not see the good in
things because we are concentrating on the bad. We lose sleep, weight, cry and
get depressed when something in our lives change from what we were used to.
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat realized that he was about to
face three armies and the odds were three against one. Jehoshaphat realized his helplessness in the
midst of this crisis. Fear gripped him because he knew that he could not stand
against this united force. This great multitude was more than he could handle.
He openly declares this to the Lord, "For we have no power against this
great multitude that is coming against us" 2 Chronicles 20:12. He recognized that he was helpless in this
midst of this crisis. He acknowledged that he could not deal with this crisis
on his own. Jehoshaphat accepted the
fact that he was helpless and nothing in his own power could change it.
This sense of helplessness
compelled him to pray, "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
the LORD and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah ." 2 Chronicles 20:3. He prayed because of his helplessness. And he
did not mouth a superficial prayer. He prayed with intensity in this crisis.
The text says that he "set himself to seek the Lord." He then
proclaimed a fast. This fasting would only intensify his praying. He poured his
heart out to God because He knew that only God could help. The root of this
intense praying is his helplessness. That is why it is crucial to realize our
helplessness in the midst of the crisis. The acknowledgment of our helplessness
will drive us to pray. It will motivate us to seek the Lord and depend on Him
for His strength, His solutions, and His direction. Helplessness is not a
hindrance to prayer. It is actually a help to seeking God. Let our helplessness
drive us to seek God. We cannot handle the crises of our lives and that we must
pray as we face them and grow through them.
Our response to a crisis is often
to find a solution. We try and work it out on our own to relieve the pain. Sometimes
our pride makes us think that we can handle the crisis. Yet, our first response
to a crisis should be to commit to seeking the Lord. The commitment of our heart
must be, "Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are fixed on
You." Our commitment must be to pray and wait on the Lord. There are times
that God will answer us immediately in the midst of a crisis. Then, there are
other times when God’s answer comes later. We live in an age of fast food,
drive-through banking, and instant communication. We are used to instant
gratification. As a child of God, we will be required to seek Him and wait on
Him and His timing. Sometimes we will have to seek Him intensely and wait for
Him. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew
7:7.
Jehoshaphat praised God in the
midst of his crisis. He put his confidence in the greatness of God not in the
power of man. We need to do the same,
concentrate on God’s character and love for us.
Remind him of the promises He made to us and accept His will. The real pain is leaving our comfort zone for
something better. In the end,
Jehoshaphat did not fight the battle, a loving and merciful God did. In fact, God told Jehoshaphat to stand back
and watch. God answered Jehoshaphat’s prayer for help. His command was clear,
"Listen, all you of Judah ,
and you inhabitants of Jerusalem ,
and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed
because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz,
and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord." 2
Chronicles 20:15-17. God promised victory if they would trust in Him and
stand firm. They experienced victory because they sought God, listened to Him,
and obeyed Him. Keep in mind that our
battles can be sickness, drug independence, financial, marital and other issues
that can cause crises.
When we are in the midst of a
crisis, we must remember whose crisis it is. We must understand that it is God’s
crisis. It is God’s opportunity to work in powerful and unique ways in our lives.
This is His occasion to reveal Himself in new and fresh ways to us. It is His
circumstance to show us how much He loves us and cares for us. I am not saying
that everything that happens to us is good. There are a lot of crappy things
that can happen to us. The crises that we face in life can be agonizing and
devastating. Yet, at the same time, they can be opportunities for God to work
in us, speak to us, and change us. They can be times for God to show us Himself
as never before in our lives. We do not have to drown in fear and
discouragement in the midst of crisis. Understand that this is God’s opportunity
to work in our lives. The crises may be bad, but God is good. No matter how
hard life gets, God is always good and merciful. He can take the crises of life
and use them for His own glory and our good.
Praise God for being the Potter
who shapes and molds our lives even through adversity. Praise God for being the generous
God who pours out His blessings on us in the midst of adversity. Praise God
for being the giving God who supplies our needs even in the midst of crisis.
I love you and appreciate you.
God bless!
“For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah
29:11.
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