To have discernment is the ability to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently. Without the ability we leave ourselves open to make some detrimental decisions. Some of those decisions could have us making decisions that affect our health. Some decisions affect whether or not we are in the job we should have for whatever period. It can even come down to whether we eat something that is going to have some serious repercussions later. (ha ha!) Sometimes we do not want to disappoint others, so going against our better judgment we will push discernment about the situation aside in favor of not disappointing. That is a bad decision. Nevertheless, those are lessons for learning when the opportunity comes around again. Therefore, I am grateful for the gift of discernment, even when I miss it! In hindsight, it has been a great teacher!
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #86
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
To have discernment is the ability to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently. Without the ability we leave ourselves open to make some detrimental decisions. Some of those decisions could have us making decisions that affect our health. Some decisions affect whether or not we are in the job we should have for whatever period. It can even come down to whether we eat something that is going to have some serious repercussions later. (ha ha!) Sometimes we do not want to disappoint others, so going against our better judgment we will push discernment about the situation aside in favor of not disappointing. That is a bad decision. Nevertheless, those are lessons for learning when the opportunity comes around again. Therefore, I am grateful for the gift of discernment, even when I miss it! In hindsight, it has been a great teacher!
To have discernment is the ability to see and understand people, things, or situations clearly and intelligently. Without the ability we leave ourselves open to make some detrimental decisions. Some of those decisions could have us making decisions that affect our health. Some decisions affect whether or not we are in the job we should have for whatever period. It can even come down to whether we eat something that is going to have some serious repercussions later. (ha ha!) Sometimes we do not want to disappoint others, so going against our better judgment we will push discernment about the situation aside in favor of not disappointing. That is a bad decision. Nevertheless, those are lessons for learning when the opportunity comes around again. Therefore, I am grateful for the gift of discernment, even when I miss it! In hindsight, it has been a great teacher!
Saturday, October 17, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #85
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your…”
Oh sorry! Hello and good morning to you! I was feeling a little bit of the theme song from that old sitcom—Cheers. Ha ha! I am SO THANKFUL my weekend started yesterday. I had the day all to myself! Honestly, I did not want to be where ANYONE knew my name. Sometimes I do have those days where I feel like I invest too much of the best part of me in the things that matter least to me. Therefore, I am grateful I was able to turn on my lavender aromatherapy Thursday night before I got into bed without worrying about how sound I would sleep. I got 8 hours sleep, my prayer time, full workout, time to complete my online grant writing class for the day along with a quiz. I then hit the bank, went grocery shopping and back home. That leaves me free to visit the House of Raw Elegance this morning, hit the health food store before attending a Young Living Essential Oils party. A little later I will go facilitate a class on growing in prayer, attend an evening service and then I will stop by the fourth anniversary show for Hustle & Flow—The Experience. Full day? Yes, but none of it is work and it what I WANT TO do. J Now, I do not know how long I am going to last at the anniversary show. This woman cannot run all day and late night like most of these young ones (and some old ones out here pretending). It is as I was telling my sister-in-love last night, I do not even try to pretend anymore—I am at the stage in life where it is what it is. I surrender! J Nevertheless, I am thankful for my extra day on yesterday that has helped free up my today for what I want. Enjoy yours!
“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your…”
Oh sorry! Hello and good morning to you! I was feeling a little bit of the theme song from that old sitcom—Cheers. Ha ha! I am SO THANKFUL my weekend started yesterday. I had the day all to myself! Honestly, I did not want to be where ANYONE knew my name. Sometimes I do have those days where I feel like I invest too much of the best part of me in the things that matter least to me. Therefore, I am grateful I was able to turn on my lavender aromatherapy Thursday night before I got into bed without worrying about how sound I would sleep. I got 8 hours sleep, my prayer time, full workout, time to complete my online grant writing class for the day along with a quiz. I then hit the bank, went grocery shopping and back home. That leaves me free to visit the House of Raw Elegance this morning, hit the health food store before attending a Young Living Essential Oils party. A little later I will go facilitate a class on growing in prayer, attend an evening service and then I will stop by the fourth anniversary show for Hustle & Flow—The Experience. Full day? Yes, but none of it is work and it what I WANT TO do. J Now, I do not know how long I am going to last at the anniversary show. This woman cannot run all day and late night like most of these young ones (and some old ones out here pretending). It is as I was telling my sister-in-love last night, I do not even try to pretend anymore—I am at the stage in life where it is what it is. I surrender! J Nevertheless, I am thankful for my extra day on yesterday that has helped free up my today for what I want. Enjoy yours!
Friday, October 16, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #84
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
I am sure you have heard the saying, “Trust is earned.” Yesterday I heard someone say that his experience has been that you do not earn trust, it is given. I was not too sure I agreed until he broke it down in a number of ways. When we take a new job, we agree to work free until the next payday believing we will receive pay. We visit a doctor we have never seen and when asked to remove our clothes for an examination, we do it. We are given a prescription by people we do not know and dutifully pop those pills or whatever the medication. We get on a plane and buckle our seat belts trusting that someone is in the cockpit. “…Sit back and enjoy your flight ladies and gentlemen. This is a recording.” Haaaaa! Okay he added that last part of course but it was funny. He gave many examples that had me thinking. His point was that we “give” our trust to a number of things and people UNTIL we are given a reason NOT TO trust in that particular scenario again.
With that said, I am so thankful for those who give me their trust. I have been in many situations where I had not “earned” anyone’s trust, but someone just gave to me. I remember the first time I did the resume of a stranger for pay. Looking back on that first time, I have to admit I wondered if they would trust paying me upfront after our consultation session and getting their resume 1-2 weeks later. Nevertheless, they did trust me based on the referral of a friend. Then there was the first time I decided to start facilitating a class at my church. Would people be like, “who is she?” (It is a very large church) People made a choice to trust me with their time and their ears. In addition, one of my greatest prides—the first time I sold one of my books. Any writer who has not yet made a name for themselves will tell you it is a big deal for anyone to take a leap to buy their book. Well…I will speak for me. It is a big deal for me because it is humbling to me for anyone taking time to read what I have written.
So how are you thankful for the trust that you are given?
I am sure you have heard the saying, “Trust is earned.” Yesterday I heard someone say that his experience has been that you do not earn trust, it is given. I was not too sure I agreed until he broke it down in a number of ways. When we take a new job, we agree to work free until the next payday believing we will receive pay. We visit a doctor we have never seen and when asked to remove our clothes for an examination, we do it. We are given a prescription by people we do not know and dutifully pop those pills or whatever the medication. We get on a plane and buckle our seat belts trusting that someone is in the cockpit. “…Sit back and enjoy your flight ladies and gentlemen. This is a recording.” Haaaaa! Okay he added that last part of course but it was funny. He gave many examples that had me thinking. His point was that we “give” our trust to a number of things and people UNTIL we are given a reason NOT TO trust in that particular scenario again.
With that said, I am so thankful for those who give me their trust. I have been in many situations where I had not “earned” anyone’s trust, but someone just gave to me. I remember the first time I did the resume of a stranger for pay. Looking back on that first time, I have to admit I wondered if they would trust paying me upfront after our consultation session and getting their resume 1-2 weeks later. Nevertheless, they did trust me based on the referral of a friend. Then there was the first time I decided to start facilitating a class at my church. Would people be like, “who is she?” (It is a very large church) People made a choice to trust me with their time and their ears. In addition, one of my greatest prides—the first time I sold one of my books. Any writer who has not yet made a name for themselves will tell you it is a big deal for anyone to take a leap to buy their book. Well…I will speak for me. It is a big deal for me because it is humbling to me for anyone taking time to read what I have written.
So how are you thankful for the trust that you are given?
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #83
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
There is no doubt that without this, in due time you would begin to feel a great deal of dissatisfaction with life. I mean what would be the point in getting up going to work or doing whatever it is that you do on a daily basis? Life would just be mundane without a sense of “purpose.” I thank God that He gives “purpose” to all our lives. Keep in mind that there can be a fine line with defining purpose as it applies to us individually. Myles Monroe—a prominent figure once said that one of the most tragic things in life is to be successful in the wrong thing. I believe people can easily associate success with purpose but it is not the same. If I spill something on the floor, I might be quite successful with just taking off my jacket and successfully using it to wipe up the spill. However, I have just totally misused the “purpose” for which that jacket was made. Ahhh! See where I am going? So, just ponder that for a bit today. Thank God that you serve “a purpose” like my analogy about the jacket, but let us start purposely (no pun intended) seeking to move into the individual purpose for which we were made. Trust me—I am right there with you. I have been successful in the field of systems analysis but I am aiming to follow the writing path that started in my childhood and has chased me down through life.
There is no doubt that without this, in due time you would begin to feel a great deal of dissatisfaction with life. I mean what would be the point in getting up going to work or doing whatever it is that you do on a daily basis? Life would just be mundane without a sense of “purpose.” I thank God that He gives “purpose” to all our lives. Keep in mind that there can be a fine line with defining purpose as it applies to us individually. Myles Monroe—a prominent figure once said that one of the most tragic things in life is to be successful in the wrong thing. I believe people can easily associate success with purpose but it is not the same. If I spill something on the floor, I might be quite successful with just taking off my jacket and successfully using it to wipe up the spill. However, I have just totally misused the “purpose” for which that jacket was made. Ahhh! See where I am going? So, just ponder that for a bit today. Thank God that you serve “a purpose” like my analogy about the jacket, but let us start purposely (no pun intended) seeking to move into the individual purpose for which we were made. Trust me—I am right there with you. I have been successful in the field of systems analysis but I am aiming to follow the writing path that started in my childhood and has chased me down through life.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #82
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
It was after dark when I got home last night and opened the mailbox to retrieve my mail. Before I could scoop everything out of the box, my heart skipped with hopefulness and a slight smile caused my lips to part at the glimpse of what I thought I was seeing in the darkness. I had been waiting on this for almost six months! I quickly gathered all the mail with my eyes only looking for that envelope with a window. Yep! It was my long awaited federal tax return check! My mind quickly flooded with the thought of thankfulness not just because of the check, but also because of why I had to wait so long.
I will never forget the day I received that letter from the IRS telling me they had to verify my identity before they could process my tax return. It was as if someone had run full speed into me and knocked the wind out my back. I HAD NOT YET FILED MY TAX RETURN! I remember seeing a Lifetime movie that told a horrific story of a woman’s stolen identity. I remember just thinking I hope that never happens to me and slightly borderline that COULD NOT happen to me. Nevertheless, here I was holding a letter that indicated otherwise. I was getting ready to go to church with a flood of thoughts going through my head. While I was driving to church with the flood of thoughts, it was as if God ripped His way into my thoughts, “That social security number is not your identity. That is just a number…I hold your identity…” Honestly, I can tell you from that point until last night I was never flooded with thoughts about my identity or identity theft again, just that I WANTED MY MONEY. I kept thinking, “I bet if I owed money it would not take them this long to TAKE my money.” Nevertheless, I finally got it and I am grateful. So, I will not complain.
It was after dark when I got home last night and opened the mailbox to retrieve my mail. Before I could scoop everything out of the box, my heart skipped with hopefulness and a slight smile caused my lips to part at the glimpse of what I thought I was seeing in the darkness. I had been waiting on this for almost six months! I quickly gathered all the mail with my eyes only looking for that envelope with a window. Yep! It was my long awaited federal tax return check! My mind quickly flooded with the thought of thankfulness not just because of the check, but also because of why I had to wait so long.
I will never forget the day I received that letter from the IRS telling me they had to verify my identity before they could process my tax return. It was as if someone had run full speed into me and knocked the wind out my back. I HAD NOT YET FILED MY TAX RETURN! I remember seeing a Lifetime movie that told a horrific story of a woman’s stolen identity. I remember just thinking I hope that never happens to me and slightly borderline that COULD NOT happen to me. Nevertheless, here I was holding a letter that indicated otherwise. I was getting ready to go to church with a flood of thoughts going through my head. While I was driving to church with the flood of thoughts, it was as if God ripped His way into my thoughts, “That social security number is not your identity. That is just a number…I hold your identity…” Honestly, I can tell you from that point until last night I was never flooded with thoughts about my identity or identity theft again, just that I WANTED MY MONEY. I kept thinking, “I bet if I owed money it would not take them this long to TAKE my money.” Nevertheless, I finally got it and I am grateful. So, I will not complain.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #81
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
Sleep. That is all—this morning I just thank God for the ability to sleep. It refreshes and it causes you to have more mental clarity when you have exhausted your brain the previous day from trying to figure out something. It causes your body’s internal systems to reset themselves so that your body functions in a more healthy way. Having some health issues? This may not be that simple for every issue—but see if you are depleting your sleep time. I am trying my best to keep up with the amount I get during the workweek. Nevertheless, my homework and thirst to write tends to steal it. J
Sleep. That is all—this morning I just thank God for the ability to sleep. It refreshes and it causes you to have more mental clarity when you have exhausted your brain the previous day from trying to figure out something. It causes your body’s internal systems to reset themselves so that your body functions in a more healthy way. Having some health issues? This may not be that simple for every issue—but see if you are depleting your sleep time. I am trying my best to keep up with the amount I get during the workweek. Nevertheless, my homework and thirst to write tends to steal it. J
Monday, October 12, 2015
Days of PURPOSEFUL Thankfulness – Day #80
Note: Refer to day number 1 (July 25, 2015 post) if you do
not know what this is all about.
Don’t you just love it when people have known you for a very long time and they have a hard time believing anything anyone would ever say out of character about you because—THEY KNOW YOU? On the other hand, maybe they hold the belief that there is an explanation for why you did or said what you did. It is refreshing when you have those type people in your life who do not jump to the worst conclusions. However, I am more grateful for the ones who have been able to look past my shortcomings and watched my life enough to know the Source of what drives my life. I remember the ones in my youth who have almost like sheltered me from certain things; it was as I had an image that they wanted to protect. Looking back, I see that as so sweet because they were kids just like me. J
What is disheartening is when you meet people who barely know you but they know they like you as a person. Instantly, they find the need to “fix” something about you to make you fit into their world. It is like a person loving an undomesticated animal but they try to make it their personal pet by removing it from its natural habitat. They have absolutely no understanding that the fascination they hold for this animal is “directly tied” to its habitat. Should the person consider living in its habitat? That may seem outlandish when talking about animals, right? I mean seriously, when it comes to people you can accept the qualities you find appealing in that person’s life and find out if you want to commit to following their path. On the other hand, you can accept the realization that you do not want to change and you have to let that person be who they are. Like an animal, you could end up doing more harm than good to think you’re going to get the same qualities in that person if you try changing them to something that makes you more comfortable. Therefore, I am grateful for the people who cross my path and have a firm understanding about themselves without trying to remove me from my spiritual habitat. J After all, I know I would be a hellion if I did not live the life I live or I tried to walk life in sync with someone who was in opposition to who I am. I know WHO I am in Christ. Outside of that—I have had a glimpse into Charlotte and it ain’t pretty. I’m just saying.
Don’t you just love it when people have known you for a very long time and they have a hard time believing anything anyone would ever say out of character about you because—THEY KNOW YOU? On the other hand, maybe they hold the belief that there is an explanation for why you did or said what you did. It is refreshing when you have those type people in your life who do not jump to the worst conclusions. However, I am more grateful for the ones who have been able to look past my shortcomings and watched my life enough to know the Source of what drives my life. I remember the ones in my youth who have almost like sheltered me from certain things; it was as I had an image that they wanted to protect. Looking back, I see that as so sweet because they were kids just like me. J
What is disheartening is when you meet people who barely know you but they know they like you as a person. Instantly, they find the need to “fix” something about you to make you fit into their world. It is like a person loving an undomesticated animal but they try to make it their personal pet by removing it from its natural habitat. They have absolutely no understanding that the fascination they hold for this animal is “directly tied” to its habitat. Should the person consider living in its habitat? That may seem outlandish when talking about animals, right? I mean seriously, when it comes to people you can accept the qualities you find appealing in that person’s life and find out if you want to commit to following their path. On the other hand, you can accept the realization that you do not want to change and you have to let that person be who they are. Like an animal, you could end up doing more harm than good to think you’re going to get the same qualities in that person if you try changing them to something that makes you more comfortable. Therefore, I am grateful for the people who cross my path and have a firm understanding about themselves without trying to remove me from my spiritual habitat. J After all, I know I would be a hellion if I did not live the life I live or I tried to walk life in sync with someone who was in opposition to who I am. I know WHO I am in Christ. Outside of that—I have had a glimpse into Charlotte and it ain’t pretty. I’m just saying.
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