Grace Cards Monday-March 29th

Grace Card Monday is upon us so lets see what three cards I pull:


Presence: Bring your mind into present-moment time. Now is the only place to be.

Illumination: Believe in the power of grace. When we least expect it, a new door will open and be the light of grace will illuminate our next step.

Release: Let go. When we release our attachment to the outcome, we allow the power of grace to work its magic.

Hmm..I'm not sure what the message of these three words are. Clearly it has to do with grace and staying in the present moment not the past or future. I'll ponder on this.

Do Over Weekend and Church Service last night

So I am so excited I have a do over weekend. That is, last week I was ill so I had several things planned: gym, becoming a women of purpose meeting and a meetup that is part cabaret, part variety and some other parts that I don't remember. lol. Any who last week the only thing that was accomplished was the gym. To my suprise there was another date added for becoming a women of purpose and the meetup event since the weather was terrible that Saturday. Yay!

Well today I woke up and was not feeling like the gym.. I think I had some leftover emotional rawness after leaving church.

At church last night I found out to my surprise our 3 day fast had come and gone which i was disappointed because I wanted to be apart of that and we were doing all night prayer. I was excited about the all night prayer because Ive never been apart of that. Then the pastor said everyone had to come up with two scriptures of something that wanted the church to pray about and pray using the scripture. I was panicked ..two scriptures..sure i have my foundational ones but someone is bound to use: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and "There is a season for every activity under heaven." But I needed more ..yes i had a bible in my hand..but it sound like this has to be done by memory. Who springs this up on somebody? Why wasn't this talked about before so I could be prepared. Me don't like surprises. How could he ask this ..this church is about comfort zones...no pressures do what works for you. All of a sudden i was feeling trapped and for once i was in the inner part of the aisle so I couldn't run out. Robin wasn't there cause she's in MD visiting so I felt so alone. I prayed for peace because I knew I was overreacting and of course God supplied it. So they provided dinner (wraps and soup) and said we would fellowship for a half hour and then get right too it. Fellowship...i love it on my own terms but I don't know anybody so I felt so out of place (sure i met people in the few gatherings I've been too before but they've all gotten into their group of friends). so i was like i should talk to the person that is behind me or sitting beside me because no one is talking to them too but Ive never been the friend to approach first. after 20 min the girl behind me tapped and we said a few words but I found it awkward..there wasn't this natural flow.

So its was time for things to get crackin. we did a few worship songs and pastor explained there was a basket of prayers for the church everyone pick one up and started praying for the church using scriptures. I was like Ive been praying to be a prayer warrior for years ...I'm scripture hungry..how come i only know a few scriptures. clearly this is something to be worked on. an answer to a prayer that I didn't even realize i needed. more bible studying for me. The first person went up there and prayed from the basket then pastor asked if anyone had personal needs so hands went up. This guy talked about strife in his home about being a christian and pastor said anyone have a prayer for him. a few hands shot up and he asked those people to come forth, lay hands on him and pray those scriptures for him and pray over him using scriptures. It was so powerful and so emotional and this went on for hours between worship. I'm like what kind of church is this. I was particular moved how one girl had a situation with her father that needed restoration and the pastor asked some women of the church to love on her and about 20 women came from their seats and it was so beautiful and moving to watch. This whole night was amazing! It was informal and he didnt ask everyone come up. It was volunteer basis so I was panicked for nothing and realized how much i can be touched by the love of church.

I think based on the guidelines for noise they had to stop worship at a certain time but prayer continued..at this point i had been at church for 5 hours which i didn't care about but I was emotional drained and done so i left. He left the service open where we could come and go as we pleased. So I went. When I arrived home there was no hanging anything up..just dropped stuff on the floor and crawled into bed.

As for this morning i woke up and was exhausted. i kept trying to pull myself up so i could get to church for my resistance class but finally gave up. I need to listen to my body. It needs to rest and be fed. (literally and spirtually). I may just take a walk before my womens group and get my exercise there and speak onto the Lord. It's nothing like talking to the Lord among nature. I need to listen to my body and my spirit and not what my mind purposed for this morning. We sometimes get in the habit of doing doing and not listening to our bodies.

Coach Carolyn messages that spoke to me this week-week of March 21st

This week there was no Friday's purposeful question but a weekend point to ponder which happened to be one of my favorite messages from Coach this week:

Weekend Point To Ponder

“Your close relationships are either a catalyst for manifesting what you really want, or they’re a hindrance to your manifestation. If you truly value the power of love in your life, you owe it to yourself to discover how to tap into the power of your relationship as a force for manifestation.” ~ Drs. Kathlyn and Gay Hendricks


Remember, you are the average of your five closest friends.
How does that make you feel?
Make it a manifesting weekend!Coach Carolyn

I love that quote! I thinks its 'interesting that I am the average of five of my closest friends..that means I'm beautiful, creative, encouraging, bold, sexy, intelligent, fun, goal-oriented, sensitive funny and a great mother (much later:) because that's what my five closest sisters represent. How I love them! Kia, Carey, Kym, Jackie, and Amanda rock!

How Confident Are You? “When you are unsure of yourself, remember that you can always borrow a self-confident attitude from your authentic self. If we act as if we’re confident, we become so.” ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

One of the stumbling blocks to being confident is fear. I have spoken quite a bit on this blog about fears and how they keep us from living a passionate and purposeful life. Fears block our confidence. Just imagine the things you would try if fear did not limit you.
A building block to living a confident life is gratitude, again an old friend of this blog. Living in an attitude of gratitude opens the door to abundance giving you the confidence to live a life free of negativity.
To be a confident woman, you must make the conscious choice to not attend every pity party, anger-fest, and offensive gathering that you are invited to. Just say, “Thank you for sharing; I choose not to receive that.” And move on. No need to give further explanation; which only leads to further confrontation.
We were given an awesome power – the power to choose. Yet, sometimes we do not exercise that power wisely. Stopping is a spiritual action. When we are in the midst of a major or even a not so major decision, stop, take a breath, and then choose. And remember, making no choice, is also a choice.
Make the choice to live an amazing and confident life.Coach Carolyn

All I can say here is truth and I need to start doing that more. Thank you for sharing; I choose not to receive that. It sure would make alot more sense of what I allow into my spirit and head.

Enthusiasm

It is a glorious day for the sacred Friday word because I don't think thus far Ive felt this word more at this present time.

I'm starting out with the definition and I feel this later half of the week applies to 2a.

Main Entry: en·thu·si·asm
Pronunciation: \in-ˈthü--ˌa-zəm, en-, also -ˈthyü-\
Function: noun
Etymology: Greek enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein to be inspired, irregular from entheos inspired, from en- + theos god
Date: 1603
1 a : belief in special revelations of the Holy Spirit b : religious fanaticism2 a : strong excitement of feeling : ardor energy and enthusiasm> b : something inspiring zeal or fervor
synonyms see passion

Why? You may ask or already know because I found my purpose! I feel knowing this makes me walk different and I'm more excited about life. I'm started to tell Kia about it and she loves the idea. I started to tell J about it too since he was the one that helped me find it but he was too entertained with his mistress to fully pay attention to what i was saying. he did happen to say authentic and then I'm sorry i was typing what were you saying. I told him I would tell him about it another time when he could listen. I told Robin about it and she was excited as well and totally painting the picture.

So here goes after talking to J that morning I got on the computer at the later half of the day at work and started to do a search for art therapy because at one time i did want to do that (I totally forgot that I did till that moment).

As i was looking into art therapy I was thinking I don't want to do therapy. I know it isn't about what skills you don't have but lets be realistic..I don't have analytical skills and something J said during the purpose convo that resonated with me is natural abilities I have and i thought. Natural abilities I have. what are they? My answer: the ability to create a peaceful cozy environment (anyone who seen my apt when I was in MD can see that..working on doing that at our place ), like nutritional conversations that encourage,inspire, and empower. Like to create an atmosphere of someone being able to lay everything down and know you wont be judged. You'll be comforted and love. If you need hugs that will be given, if you want to cry you will be supported. If you want to be prayed for that will happen. Also, allowing a time for feelings to be able to come out through art like a visual journal per se. I also think music is ministering to your soul. So music could be incorporated which made me think about paint dancing that Ive been wanting to try (it seems so fun, freeing, and unme (messy) but unfortunately there hasn't been a meetup since i joined. It would be welcoming to all faiths but they would know the holy spirit dwells here. I was so surprised how easily this picture of vision was starting to form. So as I'm searching I come across the term expressive art and i love it. One of the definitions i found was: practice of using imagery, storytelling, dance, music, drama, poetry, movement, dream work, and visual arts together, in an integrated way, to foster human growth, development, and healing. Yes! Healing There were pages of expressive art therapist but I'm like no therapy then i came across expressive arts facilitator and my heart jumped. This is it!

One website that had someone as an expressive arts facilitator I really liked: http://www.expressiveartsong.com/
Workshops aspects. i felt my heart singing. Yes this is it! I was wondering about her background and the requirements..certifications etc and she mentioned a school called saybrook in CA which unless they had e-courses it wouldn't work but at least i had a start. So I continued reading about her I loved her bio:


Using the Arts as tools for touching the spirit, accessing one’s inner knowing, and discovering and affirming one’s gifts, realizing and living the divergence of creativity-these are all very important concepts to me. The Expressive Arts is a discipline that combines different Arts together in sequential arrangements that amplify the wisdom of the body/mind/spirit, and opens doors to the unlimited creative possibilities. I have been very fortunate to have been involved in the Arts for most of my life. Through the faces of my students, clients, and workshop participants I have clearly viewed the “AH-HA” moments, and I have experienced them myself. This experience of the Expressive Arts is very valuable to everyone, and I am very grateful to be able to offer and share it with others. Creativity is everyone’s right, and need, in what ever one does in their life. Going through each moment of the day, thinking, feeling, and moving as creatively as possible brings more meaning and joy to each person and society. The Expressive Artsong experience should not be missed! The person-centered approach, as developed in part by Carl Rogers, added to the Expressive Arts experience, emphasizes that the experience have empathy, presence, and congruency. Respect, truth, caring, and a nonjudgmental atmosphere are all an integral part of this experience. Through the Arts you can discover your true song!”-Bonnie Slayton

Yes! Bonnie. So I did a search for an expressive arts certificate in NY. I found one! It's in Albany which I didn't know where that was..asked hubby and he said upstate and omg! I love the program and how it only requires 1 weekend a month (its a year program and the 2009 rates were reasonable 2400--clearly we can't afford that right now but when God makes a way to some financial opportunity there you go). The best part is a bachelor's and an interview was required so no pre-requisites or degree specifically in psychology or arts. I was joyous all of yesterday. Oh the name of the program is "Expressive Arts Certificate Program"Offered by NY Expressive Arts partnership with the College of saint Rose. (Scream).

I also figured this could be a side passion because I wouldn't need to leave my day job to do this. If the time came where I felt I did so be it. Space would be the issue. renting in NY is expensive period so i don't know where I would hold this..maybe connecting with a womens center. Idk Of course I'm still fleshing everything out and there still research to be done so I'm not making a jump to school right away but its great to be having all these ideas. What I did realize that I want to do now is join more women meetups to not only continue my journey but be able to see what some more things i want to incorporate that I may not have thought off. So I found/joined 4 w/ their about info:

Beautiful Sister Inside and Out:

Blessings Sisters,Our sacred healing sanctuary allows ALL women to feel safe & nurtured as we unite our positive& loving energies together in sacred dance & movement to honor, celebrate, & romance our Divine Goddess living inside each one of us.We will sing, dance, move freely & feel grounded and connected to our physical bodies, and lovingly support & hold sacred space for our soul sisters on our mission here.As we remember who we are & re-connect with those aspects of ourselves we have temporarily forgotten, we can recall our unique gifts and natural abilities we were born to use in this lifetime. We can then more effectively help others on their journeys of deep healing & enlightenment in an supportive, loving, & nurturing circle of love.I wish you all peace, joy, and the ecstasy of realizing, accepting, & celebrating your authentic self-your true essence & most importantly, being fully present and conscious of what you came here to do to complete your karmic mission in the here and now!LOVE, LIGHT, & POWER!Soulfully Yours,
Goddess JOY Workshops
There is nothing more fun than having like minded girlfriends to enjoy the journey of self-discovery! Our fun, interactive and experiential Goddess JOY Play shops bring together a cozy group of proactive women who are ready to give up their old, tired story to write and own their new and hopeful version of the life they desire to create. SEND IN THE CLOWN (Expand Your Perspectives)Learn how to explore the serious and humorous perspectives of any situation life throws at you! If you can laugh about your pain eventually, why not learn how you can laugh about it today?PAINT YOUR POSSIBILITIES! (Open Your Eyes to Possibilities)When you clear your emotional closet, your freed up energy allows you to see possibilities ahead so much better. Learn to heed your emotions as reliable guides in decision making that honor your truth. Express what you are feeling on paper & take home a powerful memento to inspire!GODDESS CELEBRATION! (Own Your Power to Choose!)Use your charm and move your body to express confidence and self-worth NOW! You are a Powerful Goddess with unique gifts to bestow upon this earth. While you’re at it, be an irresistible magnet of all the right opportunities and people--not just Mr. Right!

NY Art Spirit
which apparently they use art to transform ourselves. no real detail but i liked the description.

I cant remember the name but basically its about self discovery and they bring speaker in.

All very exciting as i continue on my journey i can def see me being able to help their on theirs and incorporate some new things. So enthusiasm is written all over me. When I'm ready i think starting my own meetup group would be a good way to get my feet wet with my passion. So right now its books, research, and enjoying my path through these groups.

Oh and I just realized I'm starting to use some tools already towards healing and encouragement. like for example sacred friday pulling words out of a bowl and see how they are used in the following week..if they haven't been encouraging and healing :) and my grace cards I use to focus on a word or as of late pulling three grace card and guess what the message is telling you about your life (scream). Next on the list will be a visual journal.

Purpose Found!

I talked to hubby last night until 2 am about what the presenter said and the overall seminar and can I say it was just a necessary, rewarding, emotional, heavy conversation. I felt like I was in a counseling session and wish i had a way to record it because I think its something I would like to revisit and listen to later:).

Can I say its amazing to be with someone who has the Godly wisdom and knack and love of helping others and knows me so well while I start to figure things out--he is a tremendous help.

In a nutshell, J said I know my purpose and I'm like I don't if I knew it I wouldn't be searching for it. He said had I ever thought that Ive been searching for years but in the wrong way. You don't need to keep working a thing for years that is not producing any result. I'm like but then i would be giving up...one day it will produce something. We talk about that and he gave an example of how I didn't recognize him as the love of my life and gave examples and asked the question of why was that. My answer was the risk what if I was wrong, what if it didn't last. That's not how i imagine the love of my life would come (in the form of my best friend). He said that I'm looking for my purpose in a particular way so I wouldn't recognize it when i see it. I wholeheartedly agree I'm looking for a beam of light to shine down and ahhh its my purpose. Its my that's it moment and he said I was already trying to pre define it.

He asked me some more questions and I said, "I don't know." He said do you know you have been telling me that since i know you. You do know. You just don't trust yourself. I said that's not true I don't say I don't know alot anymore. He said you've said it at least 5X since we've been talking and then say well its more this. You're better at recognizing and masking your I don't know but isn't that int resting your first response is I don't know. You go back to the comfort of I don't know you. Why don't you trust yourself? Because I'm most likely wrong. He says that attitude sets the tone.

He also said that my purpose is what has already been here since he knew me. Art & Psychology (it was a light bulb moment). He continued to say I love people fiercely, I'm nonjudgmental which is rare and I'm an encourager. The art is something that was with me since I was young and I laid it down for a time. In turn I laid myself down. So why isn't that my purpose. So I said because I'm not excellent in either of those two areas and i feel like your passion you have to be.

As we talked I realized and he told me my inadequacy was deeper than I thought . I don't feel deserving enough, worthy enough, capable enough to do this. I'm like why would you want me and "my brand" when someone else is better and most likely better suited. J said right there I sell myself short, right there it shows my self esteem is dismal. It's not about anyone else but its about being the best me I can be. This isn't about competition..there will always be different "brands" to choose from but if someone is coming to me they are coming because they want what I am offering. Now if the packaging needs to be different to reach out to people that something different (he gave an analogy of books on the shelf and the appeal to different people and if one isn't selling maybe its the cover art or something else).

He said God made me uniquely and beautifully and its about perfecting myself and not falling away because of someone else. He also made a good point about my art. My art inspired me.. i felt alive when it was in a vacuum (sure it was an escapism at first) but later became a love and I just didn't realize the extent but then I went to high school and i saw how the talent ranged with these other students. Some of them I wondered did they start drawing in their momma's womb. lol! So I said I'm not as good as them so I'm laying this down. Of course at this point I'm in tears well actually throughout this 3 to 4 hr convo I'm in tears..better crying..I'm a mess! There's so much truth to what he is saying. So he said I'm going to ask you again what is your purpose if you didn't have to think of skill level and I said to encourage, empower, and inspire people through art. It would be a blend of the women's group I have and journaling but with artistic materials instead of a pen. Something similar to a class i saw last year at the women's center that I wanted to try that spoke to me deeply. No artistic experience necessary. He said see you just told me your purpose. was that so hard. So I was crying and blowing my nose. No it actually isn't. It actually makes perfect sense. He reminded me of my beautiful qualities and reminded me that I'm still that little girl who doesn't think she's enough because that's what I grew up thinking. It makes sense now about the old story in the women's group and in this seminar. I am identifying with an old story of me for years (and hadn't realized it. It's taken me 11 years to realize whats been here all along. This also ties into the message of Joel I was listening too that I'm going to take notes on and post but God made us all in different models and they all are good. They fit a specific purpose.

With J's helping there was a realization that I'm leading a type of nightmarish existence in the way that I'm not truly being me...the full extent of me. Maybe three years ago I cant remember exactly the year right now but I felt exhilarated. I was on my way to my ideal size, I was spiritually sound, going to the church I love, in love, best friends a girl could have (distanced myself from my dead weight people) traveled for the first time (when I took my first cruise with Jackie and had one of the best time exploring,para sailing, meeting new people,) joined meetup and went horseback riding and going away for a weekend with people i didn't know, meeting new people and laughing (good hearty laughs), loved my rewarding job. Overall having a wonderful time in life.In essence, I need to let the full Steph live! I feel like the extent of who I am comes out in my friendships and at work in the type of service I give (someone said a compliment that stuck with me for years they said: i have a knack of giving this exemplary service and assistance in a way that makes someone feel special like they are the only one that gets this service and they realize I make everyone feel special. How awesome and rare that is), Ha! Maybe this compliment has stayed with me because that's my brand!

After this conversation I would think I felt freedom because the looming question of purpose was found .Instead of heavily laden. This was a heavy topic! There are things i need to work on internally so i guess the speaker was right in terms of repression. Also the wonderful thing about this line of convo is through our time together J and I always have these heart to heart and I walk away with stuff to think about or that's good but this is the first time I felt a convo (he was doing most of the talking and advising yes but when he hit a truth I expounded on). It was good and nourishing to my soul. I wish I could take a mental health day today because I need it. Welp, its 10: 17 am and I'm no where remotely ready for work. Let me get out of here.

Aide in Finding My Purpose

I declared this a year of reflecting among many other things so I decided to make more of a concentrated effort on tools to help me find my purpose.

In the past:


  • Ive wondered aloud to myself

  • Asked , Prayed and pleaded with God to reveal his purpose

  • Looked at the pages of books that have asked me if money was no object what would I do with my life and unable to write anything

So I decided this year I would make a more concentrated effort to find my purpose whether through webinars, seminars, books, or just plain trying things out. Of course praying as well.


A few moments ago I just attended a webinar put on by Savvy Ladies (one of my meetup groups) that was called "Finding Your Purpose" presented by Joe Nunziata.


What got me interested is the details of the webinar (orange). I decided the best way for me to look at my notes later is just to fill in the points discussed under each heading (green):


Now is the Perfect Time to Connect to Your True Mission and Purpose Here on Earth
Knowing Your True Purpose is only the Beginning of Your Journey. The Next Step (the step most people never make) is Taking the Inspired
Action Necessary to Move Your Dream Forward and Create the Life You Desire.


You will uncover your true mission and receive practical strategies to help you move forward.
Highlights include:


-How and Why You Were Conditioned Not to Seek Your True Purpose

A. Because we were Designed To Seek Safety


1. Our 1st instinct is to be safe and secure. We are born with a survival instinct.


B. Upbringing


The environment we grew up in has a dramatic effect on how we see the world. Some of us were taught some or all of the following:


1. Get a Job with a Good company


2. Get Benefits


3. Don't make trouble (just be happy don't cause a problem).


4. Be Happy What you have (don't desire more. be happy if you have food and can pay your bills). Joe says you should be happy but settling and gratitude or two different things.


5. Save your money.


Joe asked the question how fear based was the household that you grew up in? If it was extremely fear based you were told early you don't take risks.


-How Your Mission and Purpose are Coded to Your DNA


Most of us say we want to find our purpose but the better statement is you need to reconnect yourself with your purpose. We have to allow ourselves to go forward in the direction of my purpose. Your purpose is already in you. You're looking outside for it but you need to look inside.


A. My mission and my purpose is based on emotional work I've come on this earth to accomplish.


B. My journey Helps Me Achieve My Mission ( where i want to live everyday is joy, peace, and love).


Joe told the story of wizard of oz where he sees it as a spiritual journey. Dorthy lands in oz and wonders how she got there. Shes goes through adventures and looks for the wizard (looking for someone to tell her what to do). She gets to oz and finds there just a guy behind the curtain. She encounters a good witch who says she had the answer all the time within her but she didn't rust it.


C. My Feelings Are My Guide


Joe explained most of us have been conditioned not to trust feelings. Feelings are the things that are sending us to a better place but we are not allowing ourselves to trust these internal feelings. The more we do the more powerful the mission comes for us. Then I will be guided to where I need to go. Those are the keys to success.


-How and Why You Refuse to Give Up Your History and Block Your Success


We are stuck in our old beliefs so that's why we dont live. Let's break down the word history it's HIS STORY=Your Story You like to Tell. It's my journey and nothing wrong with telling background but the problem is when you begin to attach yourself to the story and you're unable to move forward.


Am I addicted to my old story & beliefs? Sometimes we try to justify where we are in life. We get trapped in our story. Desire to attach ourselves to old stories that is holding an old energy. maybe we are identifying with that weak child that cant follow their dreams. We always say my parents were X and that why I am X. Stop talking about this! If you keep telling the same story you wont want to give it up. The story is keeping you at a low state & energy. Your belief system becomes meshed with an old story. Stop giving it energy. When you focus all your energy on an old story you are trapped. Start telling the story of where you are going. Let it go! Write a new story!


-Why People Trade Safety for True Happiness


-Why Uncovering Your True Purpose Creates Fear


-How the Negative Ego Traps You in False Beliefs


Most people focus on what they don't want or their old story. Refocus on where you want to go.


Sometimes we never look in another direction. Start focusing on what you want. Most of us I don't want to focus on ourselves because thats considered selfish. We are conditioned to do for everyone else and not focus on ourselves. Going forward I need to focus on my desires. I need to focus on the life I want to creates. Retraining is necessary.
Look to a positive place you've never never looked before. if you always look left. Try looking right. If you have never focused on what you want its going to feel uncomfortable. Be in a state of preparation. It will feel strange but its ok. Start listening to your higher self. You at a higher level of consciousness. I am getting messages all the time but I'm not paying attention. Be still. Be connected. Sometimes we are bogged down with daily activities we don't realize we are flowing. We need to be open to the flow of energy. Are we standing in mud beating ourselves up or are we doing something positive. Trust higher self.


1. Write things down. Powerful especially in our own handwriting. Write ideas. Always carry a notebook because what you write down has power . its now before you which has a tremendous impact.
2.Act on your feelings. (If you get up and think about somebody. what do you so with that? Do you act on it? Our feelings guide us. We get in a habit asking the question is something productive. Follow the feeling. let it guide you you never know where it leads you.
3. Do Not Allow the Voices of The Negative Ego Stop You.
Two different ego voices:
+ ego=self awareness (peace, joy, and love)
-ego=negative association (it may chip away at you or call you weak)
We often allow the ego to rattle us. Ex. I'm not good at this. I'm not smart enough I'm not beautiful enough. Don't you know everyone goes through that --successful people in business and celebrities. you are not alone. We cant be 100% everyday.Its important to wk through this issue because you don't want to start self medicating yourself.
4. Take Only Inspired Action.If you don't feel like doing it...then don't. If you are unsure then wait don't do it...give it some breather.
5. Meditate. Get quiet everyday on a reg basis even if its 2-3 minutes. Just be consistent.


-How to Avoid the Biggest Trap of Them All


Making the distinction of having desire but not attachments. That is, desire moves us forward but we don't want it to attach to your ego. Ex. Get caught up how wonderful of an actor I am so if a critic says you're not you're crushed. You can desire whatever (enjoy it but don't attach yourself).


-Move Your Dream Forward.


Everyday many people cant move their dream forward. They are an accountant where they heart lies in art. It's time to move.


1. Be consistent with Action (Whatever most of your energy is going toward..do it consistently)


2. Do Your Homework. If you are going into a new business. Research. Find out as much info as you can


3.Surround Yourself with People who Are on A mission


4. Get Help (Ask friends/family if they know someone whose path is similar).


Bonus Tip:Stop Thinking!


The things that are getting in your way is what you're thinking about too much. Over thinking. Stop. Thinking will block energy every time. Everything thing good that has happened is when you were in the flow. You need to create a serendipity list (write down all good things in your life . Did they just happen or did you plan it out?) Thinking had its place but stop over thinking! It's blocking your flow of creativity! You're not flowing!


My comments:


I enjoyed the seminar very much..not necessarily new information but I heard things in a different way. I found it intresting that the idea of old stories came up (that's what Im learning about in Becoming A Women of Purpose). I feel alot of things were discussed that I need to think about further. The intresting thing about all this is I asked the presenter a question. "How do you find out what makes your heart sing? There's nothing in particular that sings to me but I know I am put on the earth for a purpose. Ive been reflective and still nothing has resulted. What is your advice? " The presenter said that I have a repression of feelings. Alot of people have done alot of work mentally & not emotionally. I know what is going on in my head but I'm not getting to my feelings. I need to get out of my mind. I I need to rebuild my inner myself . I'm not living in a place of peace, joy, and love.


At first I thought thats some crap. That may apply to some of your clients but not me but Im wondering if there is some truth to it. I do feel like i live in a place of peace, joy, and love but is it possible I may have repression. I actually feel its the opposite i live in my feelings and not in my head nearly enough as I should. Ponder! Ponder!

Introduction to Grace Cards

I've decided Monday will be Grace Card days. Again another item I got from Coach Carolyn during the first meetup. She has the card displayed in a glass bowl and told us to allow the card to pick us. At every meetup she uses the cards as a " centering, a prayer, and an ice-breaker." So I finally got my hands on my own deck thanks to my sister Robin for Christmas and I love them. I have not used them as much in recent weeks so I am now declaring Monday's Grace Card Days (violin please). I love the beautiful illustration of diverse women and the words on the back. They allow me to center in on a particular word for the week. Thanks to my inspirational life force Cheryl Richardson for creating this. Now i don't have a glass bowl to spread this out so I'm just shuffling and picking the first one. I was reading some of Coach Carolyn old blog and she picked three cards and tried to figure out the message. I like that:)

So my three cards are:

Faith: Have faith. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason.

Peace: When we balance silence with activity, we discover true peace of mind--the source of all joy and happiness.

Relax: Breathe. Everything is happening as exactly as it should be.

I think this is telling me not to worry about my purpose that God has it in control. Remember the peace I feel in him. Be still and know he's God.

This makes sense because lately Ive been feeling inadequate and like I'm not being the best person I can be. Joel (Osteen of course) reminded me in his podcast today that I am wonderfully and fearfully made (one of my foundational scriptures). He said some other good stuff that Ima have to listen to again and post (its late i don't remember:) It's time to reach out to all that God has for me. I feel that relates to me enlarging my vision. I need to do something creative. I need to take action. I need to feel true freedom. Ive always been a safe person and I want to be loose (not literally..my God i am married) but loose enough to experience things and not over think the consequences. Just be! Ive lived much of my life through many of my friends and their bold acts and I want to step out too. One of my best experiences in life was when I went parasailing..it was SOO unme and was so amazing to experience. I was soaring. That's the type of life I want to lead...one of adventure and excitement.

Outrageousness and Other

For the first time i didn't see the sacred friday word in my week. To be honest I'm glad I didn't see outrageousness played out. That is very anti me.

As I am taking a more closer look of who steph is...out there is not one of them or at least thats not what I imagining I want one of my traits to be. Ive always been very comfy blending in but maybe stepping out the box and stirring things up is exactly what i need.

Enlarging my my vision is about having a greater scope for my life. Scope is such a foreign concept for me so its no surprise that things have been mediocre except for my relationships. I think I'm realizing more & more that if I'm not motivated by passion... goals and life will be on autopilot instead of me leading the life I desire.

Why I love Friday's

I love Friday's for several reasons:

1. Two day break from work where i can sleep in and do some activities
2. Church with Robin (I almost feel like this should be numbered separately but I love church and I love that Robin attends with me). Going to places that you love with the ones you love is always awesome.
3. Kia's inspiration corner(At least thats what I call it). My other bff Kia who Ive known since 6th grade sends encouraging Happy Friday text messages. This week was about God giving us a life to be enjoyed.
4. Sacred Friday

Friday's Purposeful Question

Today's posting said:
“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke

“When was the last time you just let something go without taking it personally?”

“A prudent question is one half of wisdom.” ~ Francis Bacon

Sadly, I can't remember the last time I let something go without taking it personally. I have a spirit of offense that I really need to work on especially when it comes to my hubby. I take everything to heart and its not good to live in my emotions because they can lead me astray. For example, it doesn't matter what was said. It's the emotion that was felt when the words fell on my ears and heart that totally restructures the sentence in my mind. Not a good place to be, So thanks to Coach Carolyn about reminding me about a "flaw" I need to work on.

Coach Carolyn messages- that spoke to me wk of march 15th

Thus far this week I've found two messages from Coach Carolyn that spoke truth to my spirit:


Think You Can... Think You Can't
I want to share a great message from author and teacher Mary Manin Morrissey. Enjoy!
Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or you think you can't, you are right.” This is a very powerful statement but what's really powerful is when we practice remembering its power.
When we find ourselves thinking, "Oh I never have been able to" or "I can't" or "I used to be able to but now I can't", we are actually reinforcing a limitation. Our thinking is a gift from God and when we think in constriction we have cut ourselves off from God's power to give us ideas where the solutions can be found.
To tap into Universal power, we need to think into the solution. Just start by saying to yourself, “If I could do this, how might it work?” What ideas are there for how it could happen?
Let's remember what Henry Ford said and practice it today. If you think you can or you think you can't, you get to be right. So let's be right in thinking that it can be done. There is a solution and we can access it.
Just for today, think you CAN!
Coach Carolyn


This message is so true. We are the only ones putting limits on ourselves. What a point Coach Carolyn made when she said "Our thinking is a gift from God and when we think in constriction we have cut ourselves off from God's power to give us ideas where the solutions can be found. " Truth!!! The only limitations we have is what we put on ourselves. God didnt say let me tell you what is attainable. Anything is attaintable as long as its God's minded so why not reach out and up for the unexpeceted and the outrageous.

Everything Is Not About You!


In a recent class I am teaching, we were discussing our emotions and in particular, anger. One of the students mentioned that it is so hard not to get angry when someone says or does something to offend us. I quickly mentioned Don Miguel Ruiz’ The Four Agreements. Surprising, many of them had never heard of the book. Although, this should come as no surprise, considering how people show up in the world – totally offended, feeling betrayed, being hurt, getting slighted in some way.Now, I am not negating that these can all be very hurtful experiences, but you cannot allow that to rule your life.Don’t Take Anything PersonallyRemember, nothing anyone else does is about you; it is a reflection of their own drama. If you choose to make it about you, then on some level you are agreeing with their assumptions. And yes, that is a choice. We live in a very narcissistic society where we think everything is about us. Well, it’s not! The only things that are about us, are the things we sign up for. So, if we sign up for someone else’s drama and negative behavior, then it becomes our drama and negativity.I choose to write my own story and leave the drama on the cutting room floor! When I want drama, I am creative enough to come up with some drama that will serve me – like getting knocked to the ground by Richard Armitage! Hell, I have gotten knocked to the ground before, it wasn’t fun and I was sore for days after. I did laugh about it after. But had that been Richard Armitage, well! I can come up with a least a dozen different scenarios about how that would have ended up! He he!So, just for today, stop taking everything so personally – even if it has your name on it!Coach Carolyn

This was such a hard lesson for me to learn and I'm still trying to perfect not to be offended especially with my hubby. He has so many wonderful traits but one of them i love/hate is his brutal honestly. Its help me climb above many issues and refreshing but at other times its like could you have told me but sugarcoated it. I'm uber sensitive so i quickly get offended. But I cant remember where I heard this from but the person said you can be called by many names but its what you answer too. What you identity with. Truth!

Zen-Clutter Monster Cave-March 18th

Zen Thursday came again so quickly I know.....

Today, your Zen Your Life project is:
Make a basic drawing of your home. And I want you to scribble on it the places where clutter gathers. Like a clutter-monster-in-dark-cupboards.
Done it? Gooooood.
And now… you’re going to put on your finest clutter-monster-seducing-and-betwixing goddess wear.
And spend just five minutes patiently, tenderly, lovingly tending to the clutter-monster’s cave. Spruce it up. Make it nice. Make it just a little bit more spacious.
A little spring clean for the clutter monster’s cave. Only five minutes - nothing too overwhelming at all.
If you’re at work, do the same thing for your work space. We all have a clutter-monster’s cave… and all it needs is just a little bit of our goddess love and attention.

I'll be working on this today but i can already see my clutter-monster's cave (aka spare bedroom). I actually am proud to say I started cleaning it out last week so this will just keep me on track. I'll post a pic when I can.

E-Folder Zen-March 11th

So another inspiration force I'm subscribed too is Goddess Leonie from Goddess Guidebook.com

March 11th subject was Zen Your Life Thursday: e-folder-zen (yes I know I'm a week late but i found this msg while cleaning out my mailbox).

Her message:
Hey beautiful hearts!
Each Thursday, we hang out together as a gaggle of goddesses & make our gorgeous lives a little clearer, calmer and more zen. We do one Zen Your Life project together for the day… an easy, possible kind of project… just one small thing to make our lives more zen.
When we make space in our lives, we are making room for even more delight, comfort, magic and love to enter.
Sound like yummy delicious fun? Want some more zen goodness in your life?
Hurrah! Let’s start! We can doooo eeeeeeeet!
Today, your Zen Your Life project is:
Spend 10 minutes organising and clearing folders on your computer.


So I decided to tackle this with my personal email account because my work account is perfectly organized into necessary folders. oh what a job let me tell you my personal account has 15,000 messages in my inbox (some opened some unopened) and i have folders to put the emails in the appropriate folder but I got lazy so there mostly in my inbox. Ok so i couldn't find myself deleting all of the 15,000 so i first sorted by my family/friends name and put their email in the appropriate folder but then i didn't remember everyone who wasn't in my close circle so i went one-by-one after 6 hours i was down to 4000 so I just deleted the rest. Horrifying yet wonderful to see it at 0. Now it will be much easy to put things in their necessary folders. Ahh...i think I do have a little more zen in my life.

Infection

So i went to the doctor yesterday and found out I have a viral infection and have been ordered to return to work on Monday. I must admit I'm quite happy about this. Not the viral infection of course but being away from work for a couple of days. Lately I've just not felt motivated and i don't know why that is. I celebrated my 6 year anniversary at the beginning of the month and I have been feeling like i need a break a few weeks before this milestone happened. I wish i wasn't sick when i had said break but I think it is a blessing. Well with the rest I'm starting to have some type of voice back but my throat is so raw and sore. I feel bad that I missed my workout at the gym yesterday with Robin and with Julian. I don't want to build the dedication Ive started but at the same time I'm ill and need to listen to my body. I did ask my doctor if i should exercise and she advised mild exercise so we'll see i may still do Julian at home even though shes nothing mild. Maybe I'll pull out a Pilate's dvd. We'll see how I feel.

Riddle with Illness

I just woke up and feel AWFUL! My cold/flu has gotten worse. I have no voice and I feel like laying down on the floor and someone sweeping me up. I called out of work and to my sistergym partner Robin. I think I should take it easy. I'm going back to bed.

Killer Workout #1 and #2

I decided to try Julian 30 day Shred for 30 days to see if more results are yielded from this or Turbo Jam. My first day was yesterday with Julian and it was no joke. she does not give you a break for water and even though she has set minutes for cardio, strength, abs. You feel ever minute of it. Thank goodness its only 20 minutes.

Today I went to my 1st resistance class at Bally's. It kicked my butt. I wanted to crawl out of the gym. There wasn't a body part that didn't hurt. But it felt so good at the same time. I'll be returning next Tuesday. What's always so funny to me is typically the classes that kicked my butt are taught by women who look to be in their 60's with an amazing shape. I'm like how is it I'm half your age and struggling. lol! Clearly its important to start a regime now so when I get that age I'll be in great shape.

Wed is gym days with Robin....actually Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday are gym days with Robin where we hit the machines. I'll be trying pilates on Thursday and Saturday is yoga. Even though I'm clearly out of shape and there so much pain involved. It feels good being active again!

What Am i Doing To Lose the Weight

To change my physical appearance I decided to go with South Beach. I extended Phase 1 for a month with highs and lows and just decided to go to Phase 2 which i finally was able to maintain my nutrition as I should. Ahhh..fruit never tasted so good. I also reduced my calorie intake to 1200 calories which was easier than i thought especially since I started a food diary.My doctor advised me late last year to take alli but after hearing the negative effects i decide to just use the online feature to record my food intake which i think was one of my top reasons my nutrition become controlled because i became more aware of what i was eating and what foods i migrate too towards stressful time.So now in the middle of my third month I have lost 15 lbs (which you already know because I toldyou in my earlier posts so I'm 198 lbs) and depending on how my next two weeks go I'll meet my target or be shy by 5-7 lbs (I'm thinking I should at least lose 4 lbs).

I will reach my ideal size!

2010 would be a year that I would finally reach my physical goals!

My longest running goal was to be in the best shape of my life when I turn 30. Sadly I didn't reach that goal but I'm praying I reach that goal by the time I reach 31.

As with most women I had an issue with weight for several years...it started out growing up and hearing my father drill in my head not to be fat (so i had one fat year as a kid) but quickly got myself into shape. Teenage years came about and i started dating heavily and i was told i was perfect not to gain anything so I didn't even anything I started to lose some. My junior year I was at the best shape thus far..135 wearing a size 10 ahh..good times. Then college came the heaviest I've ever been (I don't know what my actual weight was since I never stepped onto a scale but I would guess mid 200's..and my size was an 18 but i thinking i was probably moving into a 20 but i outstretched my clothes. College was an awful time for me so its not surprising i gained so much weight..i never felt like i fit in anywhere and once i met my former best friend who loved food and always cooking. I quickly became addicted. For the many friends I didn't have i had food so i became an emotional eater. There was more food available to me at college than ever in my life. My parents ate on a poverty level by the time i left home (they could afford more but that's how they grew up and for some reason they went back there). I never talked about how depressed college life made me except with my hubby (then best friend) who was a lifesaver and called me practically everyday my first year (but after running up his moms phone bills that didn't last past the first year). Such a depressing time overall. Lets move my story along because I don't want to talk about this forever. Thankfully what came out of this time at college was my three best friends till this day (Carey, Amanda, and Jackie). I think a brief introduction to college is necessary since that was my heaviest.

After a year or two after I graduated I lost some lbs and its been an up and down period where I stayed around 14 then i finally saw a 12 and could fit into some 10 maybe 3 years ago and then i started raising again to a size 16. Preparing for my wedding I got down to a 14 and 30 lbs from my goal weight at 165. Yay! But then transition in moving to NY was yet again another depressing time so due to my horror I gained 40 lbs in 4 or 5 months. I didn't realize but then i started to have all these health problems and i was like i need to lose weight..a doctor has finally told me. I'm going to start running and lots of other things but that didn't happen. Even though I was no longer depressed by the time late Spring came I found a love for food in NY. NY has so much good food and ambiance so my best friend Kym and I went out to eat on a weekly basis which doesn't seem like much but then i always was eating out at lunch as well so to no surprise by the time i hit 30 i was no where close to my goal and i was depressed how i let myself go. At the top of this year I was at a whooping 213 lbs. Time to declare weight loss goals and i needed to ensure I had midpoints so I could ensure I stayed on target because things were getting out of hand. I also needed to find some spiritual words to stand on as well. Below is what I came out with and i found a prayer concerning food which was perfect.

2010 Weight Loss Goals

Starting Weight: 213
Goal Weight: 135 lbs
Net lbs to lose: 78

Check-In Points at 3, 6, 12 months

March 31st: goal weight is 187 lbs
June 31st: goal weight is 161 lbs
December 26th (my birthday) goal reached 135 lbs

Father God, I come to you in the precious name of Jesus that you will perform a miraculous healing in my life concerning my desire to lose weight. Thank you Lord nothing is impossible with you and that you can take away my desire to overeat and fill the voids within me to cause me to seek food as a replacement.

Lord, touch my mind right now, help me to see what causes me to overeat, give me a strong desire to want to take care of my body and see it as you do Lord. Help me to make the right food choices and touch my mind with creativity concerning food and what I eat. May i be restored to divine health again.

As I strive to do this Lord, please bless all within me-my cells, my metabolism-that they will function properly so I can lose the weight, And let me take it one day at a time and not worry about anything else but the cares of the day that i woke up to.

Thank you Father for loving me enough to help me through this.

Amen.

Having a Better Relationship with God

I declared several things in 2010 regarding my spiritual life: connection and time alone with God everyday and finding a church home.

Connection and Time Alone with God
My time with God would return to becoming a priority and necessity because everything else flows from it. Committing to reading my bible on a consistent basis along with a morning devotional . I also would be writing in my journal more often. I could see the differences these things made in my life within the 1st week I was without a doubt happier beginning and ending my day with the Lord. On my commute I would spend it in worship or reading the word and reading additional devotionals at work. It became a daily habit until I went to MD for work and I forget to bring my bible, devotional, and journal and i was so discouraged had my daily habit for 3 weeks was no longer so but then I realize some days are like that. As long as I take out the time to be with God it doesn't have to fit into the formula I want. You don't fit God into a box so devotion time can't be either.

Church Home
I needed to be planted in a church home. I’ve been frustrated about looking for a church because every time I went in the past two years. I never found one that spoke to me in terms of praise and worship (which is my fav part of service), relevant messages filled with scripture and humor and a man after God’s own heart. So I got used to sitting in the back so I could make an easy escape (sad I know but so true) or tv ministries. But this year was different this routine I had established no longer fed me…I needed to go out and seek what I am after.

I went to visit a new church on Jan. 3rd in Brooklyn and afterwards I was empty like did I attend church it was so quick. So a few days later as I was studying..i had a desire to stop what I was doing and go to my newest bff that I go to everything for ….Yelp.com. Ahhh..kisses I love me so yelp! So I did a search for Christian churches and there was about 173 that came up so I went through the website and started to build my list of churches to “try out” when Microsoft Word encountered an error and could not retrieve my document. I was pissed because it took a lot of time to pick out the ones that fit me and I did not remember what page I was on. So frustrated I started on page 1 but it was a different set of churches that showed up and the first one on there was called CityLight Church . What made an impact was what one of the reviewers out of 3 said below: “While I had visited many churches, CityLight church was the answer. I was actually surprised when I first went since I came in looking for a reason to stop going. Let's just say I'm STILL going after a few years and find CityLight the most legit, honest and life-changing church one could be a part of. The music at CityLight is phenomenal! I am also tough on church music and often times feel disappointed in what I hear. CityLight's music team changes you -- you come into the service with the weight of the world on your shoulders. Once the music hits, I feel this sudden peace and excitement. My situations don't change, but I do and so does my attitude. It straightens me out to tackle whatever is on the horizon for the following week. For CityLight's music team, as well as the Pastor Bojan's teachings, to do that to me EACH Sunday should show anyone that there is something really special and different here.” I was wowed like I could totally relate to what she was saying about looking for a reason to stop going.. What she said about the music gave me high hopes so I went to visit the website and I LOVED it and you got to listen to some of the pastor messages. They even had Friday services so I could go after work or Sunday services in the evening. What! Evening services I love it! So I ran to tell my hubby how I fell in love with a church and he was happy but I was trying to keep my hopes at bay in case I get disappointed. I told my sister Robin and she said she would go with me that Friday. I cant even explain what I felt at that first service but I will try….GENUINE WORSHIP and you could tell that was one of their top priorities. I was waiting for the message but there was a guest pastor (sigh) but when he spoke he brought forth the word with such power and revelation. I was indeed blessed. In summary this is what he said (pulled this from his church site -Winners Church:

What Will 2010 Be A Year Of

1. 2010 will be a Year of Prayer, Praise and Power. Since the inception of the Church, prayer, praise and power has been a part of our history. Prayer is the backbone of the Church and praise is the language of Heaven. Combine the two and you have heaven on earth. Where there is prayer and praise, there will always be a demonstration of power. This year we are going to re-dig these wells. We are going to see incredible breakthroughs and overwhelming victories because of this. (Acts 1:12-14; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 16:25-26; Acts 4:31)

2. 2010 will be a Year of Bible reading, study and meditation. The Bible is the written Word of God. It contains His thoughts, His laws, His love, and His mind on every matter that pertains to mankind. The Bible is God speaking to you. It will give you direction for your life. Therefore, the Word of God must be first place in your life. You must spend time reading, studying, and meditating on it and you will find yourself growing spiritually and dynamically in every area of life. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Timothy 2:15; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2-3)

3. 2010 will be a Year of "I Did It!" Someone once said, "The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do." This year will be a constant celebration of what you did. You are going to accomplish and achieve more than you ever dreamed possible. (Proverbs 13:9; Proverbs 12:14; Ecclesiastes 5:3)

4. 2010 will be a Year of Financial Turnaround and Triumph. Financial dominion is for every believer. There are those in the body of Christ who are doing well financially and then there are those who are not doing so well. Those who are doing well will do better this year. They will continue to triumph and make financial gains. Those who are not doing so well will have a financial turnaround. Jesus, our Great Shepherd, is going to lead you into the paths of prosperity and increase. Your only responsibility will be to follow His instructions. Do what He tells you to do. This year we are coming into divine alignment with God's laws of prosperity and financial increase (both natural and spiritual laws). This year we are going to have great testimonies of financial turnaround and triumph. (Luke 5:1-9; John 21:1-14)

5. 2010 will be a Year of Grace. More than ever before, as a body of believers, we are going to walk in the grace of God. Grace is God's favor and His divine empowerment. His favor and His empowerment are on you. As you and I walk in the light of this, we are going to see doors open that we never dreamed possible. We are going to see opportunities come our way that will literally astound us. This is the year when we will see a dramatic increase of favor with God and man. There will be an outburst of favor everywhere you go. This is the year when we walk in God's divine enablement to accomplish and establish things in His strength. (Romans 5:1-2; James 4:6; Acts 4:33)

6. 2010 will be a Year of Winning. We are the victorious. We are more than conquerors. We have gained a surpassing victory. This year we will live this out. We will win over sin, sickness, disease, poverty, lack, depression, and whatever else poses itself as our enemy. We will not know defeat this year. The victory is ours! (Romans 8:37; 1 Corinthians 15:57; 2 Corinthians 2:14)

7. 2010 will be a Year of Love and Romance. God created you to experience love and romance. He wants you to be touched, kissed and hugged. He wants you to express yourself sexually in the beautiful context of marriage. Some of you have been waiting patiently for a mate. This is your year. Do not doubt! Even if you've been waiting a long time, I declare that the wait is over! However, you have to cooperate with the Lord this year if you are to experience love and romance. It's not going to just happen. You have to prepare yourself spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially. Then some of you need wisdom to attract. Read and learn about how to have a godly and satisfying relationship. God has someone for you! This is your year to receive that someone in Jesus' name! Now to those of you who are already married, this will be the year when love and romance will escalate in your marriage. The passion will burn hot this year! Your marriage will be a true reflection of Christ and the Church this year. (Hebrews 13:4)

8. 2010 will be a Year of Miracles, Signs and Wonders. The Bible says that we are for signs and wonders. God wants to do miracles through you. He wants to display the supernatural through your hands. As you go out and tell people about Jesus, miracles, signs and wonders are going to follow you. Jesus said it would. This year, we are going to walk in the light of it. As you desire miracles, signs and wonders to flow through you, they are going to manifest in unprecedented ways. (Isaiah 8:18; Mark 16:14-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 5:12; Acts 6:8; 1 Corinthians 14:1)

9. 2010 will be a Year of Much Spiritual Activity. More of you will put your angels to work than ever before. More of you will exercise spiritual authority over Satan and demons. More of you will have dreams and visions. Some to warn you, some to show you things to come, some to help others. Some of you will birth ministries and lay the foundation of great ministries that will have global impact in years to come. (Hebrews 1:13-14; James 4:7; Acts 2:14-18)

10. 2010 will be a Year of Sovereign Surprises. How many of you like to be surprised? God is going to surprise you this year. There will be supernatural and natural surprises. If you believe it, you will see it. If you doubt, you'll not experience sovereign surprises. The Bible says that God is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think. So, ask God to surprise you this year. Our concept of surprise came from Him. He is the author of surprises. The Bible says in Job 5:8 (The Message Bible), "...after all, He's known for great and unexpected acts; there's no end to His surprises." You see that? There's no end to His surprises. This year I want you to have a journal of surprises, answered prayers, and extraordinary things that happen to you. (Job 5:8; Ephesians 3:20; James 1:17)These declarations I have declared over your life is not automatic. You must activate them with your words and actions. First, start by saying, "I believe this! Lord, let this come to pass in my life this year." Then you have to do the things that are necessary for these things to come to pass. The Word of God says, "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:25).

Such timely word I was indeed blessed (as well as my sister Robin) and I can see how these things are playing out! Between this and the 3:20 decade..can you tell I'm excited?

I finally heard the pastor after so many weeks and I was blessed and said Im going like coming here and I have. So pretty much every week Robin and I have been attending services and they have been amazing. It's so wonderful to have someone to go to service with. I'm used to going by myself.Between amazing worship, great word and fellowship. The only other thing I want is for my hubby to attend but I know he does things on his own timing.

I also joined CityLight on March 7th so I am indeed giddy about being planted!

So I've been to one Women's group thus far which is unlike any church women's group where its not heavily structured. Kind of a meet and greet when we first walk in; there's worship time where there are a few chairs on the side but otherwise the church space is open and you can sit and worship, lay down or sit and worship as christian musics is playing; there's hot seat prayer where a person sits in the seat and there are women around who lay hands on her and everyone on the outer extends a hand and women start praying for the women's needs. It's awesome. Also, I'm interested in Life Groups but those only happen every semester so I'm waiting for that time to come about. I cant wait to see what else is in story with this church.

Oh and the church slogan for lack of better word is Rediscover Life. Isn't that delightful! All of the churches I've been too played a significant part in my life: New Life (after being saved), Victory (learning that God has called us to be victorious in life and likes for us to praise him openly and without abandonment, and this church also taught me how to study the word). Finally City Light Rediscover life I believe will show how to rediscover life in NY City as the person God made me to be. I cant wait to see what else in store because I can tell this is a pivotal time in my life.

Wellness

This year is the year I would focus on wellness…spiritually, physically, emotionally, and financially (in that order). Because the one preceding the other is necessary before I can move onto the next area.

Nutritious People

I picked up nutritious people from Coach Carolyn at the 1st meetup and immediately knew that's what my friendship had to possess going forward and luckily for me everyone in my close network is nutritious.

This is the question Coach Carolyn asked:
Who is the most nutritious person in your life? Think about how that person makes you feel about yourself. Does he or she constantly challenge you; constantly encourage you; cause you to come up just a little higher than you would normally? If the answers are yes, then that person is totally nutritious and you should have them at least once a month for nourishment.

Of all people that are the most nutritious it's my husband J. I've known him since I was 15 years old and we started started dating at age 20 and got married when I was 28 and he was 29. He's constantly encouraged & challenged me than anyone in my life. His honesty, Godly wisdom, humor, love, and support can not even been measured. He wants greater thangs for me than I want for myself. We have literally grown up together and its been amazing to see how our relationship has grown through the years. We have had many valleys and peaks throughout this time but all thanks go to God for purifying and strengthening the relationship. A foundation with God is much sturdier than one without it. J is my soul and I thank God for him everyday in my life.


I was going to go on and on how each person in my life is nutritious but that could take awhile so I'll just say thank you to Kym, Kia, Robin, Jackie, Carey, Amanda, and Cory for being the nutritious people in my life! I am so grateful for all of you!

Release

The front of the grace card says "Release." The back says "Let go. When we release our attachment to the outcome, we allow the power of grace to work its magic."I look forward on focusing on this word for the week along with my Scared Friday word outrageousness.

Energizing Thoughts

Another blessing in terms of inspirational life force I found through Carey is Cheryl Richardson. Every Sunday Cheryl has a topic and this weeks is Energizing Thoughts.

This was her posting for this week's topic:

I've just finished teaching our San Francisco Movers and Shakers program and was inspired to send the following newsletter after witnessing a powerful moment between Louise Hay and a workshop participant.

One woman came up to the microphone for some coaching and started with the following: "I am a terrible procrastinator." No sooner were the words out of her mouth, when Louise stood up and said: "That's an affirmation!" In the spirit of that important message, please use the following story and message to change your life ☺.

Last week I was enjoying some time to myself at a local park when I overheard a conversation between two women who were talking about how frustrated they were with their jobs. They were sitting close by and, after a half hour of trying to mind my own business, I decided to head home. As I drove away, I thought about how much time and energy they were investing in the problem by repeating the details of their situations over and over again. And, I thought about how I've done the same thing in my own life -- energized the very thing I didn't want to continue by repeatedly complaining about it. When you consider the notion that our thoughts have creative power, complaining about something without doing anything to change it, takes on a whole new meaning. While talking about our problems is a normal (and important) way of working through the difficulties in life, fixating on them can end up magnetizing the very thing we most want to avoid. When we complain, ruminate, whine, moan or gossip about what isn't working in our lives, we may find that the problem persists or even shows up in a whole new form. That said, there's gold to be found in the act of complaining and worrying about our problems. Just think about the strategy behind what you do.

For example, if you're worried about money (and who isn't nowadays), you might:Continuously think about what you don't have, your debt, or upcoming bills.Talk with others about how bad the economy is or how it's going to get worse.Write about your fears in a journal. Go to sleep at night imagining worse-case scenarios in your mind.Pray about the problem. Again, these are all useful ways to process the challenges we face in life, but when we get stuck on these behaviors alone without adding positive actions, we contribute to the problem. Now, imagine what might happen if you used these same strategies to your advantage. To bring more abundance into your life, you could:Continuously think about what you do have by noticing the little things that make you happy right now.Start looking for and sharing the stories of abundance that show up in your life.Begin each day by writing down fifteen things you feel grateful for.Go to sleep at night imagining yourself living debt free or enjoying a new, higher-paying job.Pray for the discipline and strength to focus on the good in your life and the ability to receive the abundance that's coming your way.These examples represent the fundamental steps of attraction. You think about it, talk about it, write about it, meditate on it, pray about it, or imagine best-case scenarios. I've been practicing the idea of attraction in one form or another for the last twenty-five years and these are the things that I do (along with making treasure maps :).

As you begin to use these steps to turn things around, please keep in mind three important things I've learned over time:

1. Simply thinking about something you want to bring into your life isn't enough. You need to combine thought with action and be willing to do the work.

2. Making the shift from "me" to "we" is where the law of attraction really becomes powerful. My greatest joy (and success) comes in sharing my good fortune with others.

3. We must surrender to the reality that there is a power greater than our humanness at work in the world and we can't always get what we want. Some things just aren't meant to be.So, when you think about your life and what you're energizing every day, does it make you smile or is it time to make a shift?

Take Action Challenge
Choose one thing you've been worried about (or complaining about) and put those remarkable practical strategies to good use. Turn it around by focusing your energy on the possibilities of what could be instead of the reality of what is right now. Whether or not you believe it can work doesn't matter. Isn't that great? ☺


Cheryl is absolutely right and her example is one of the things I was worried about a month or two -Money. Since our household went from two income to single income to support my husband on his journey of acting. Money worries crept up early (ex. how I am going to pay $1650 rent when i barely have enough leftover after I pay bills) but I gave all my worries over to Jesus because it started to overwhelm . Jesus gave me so much peace and reminded me he is my source and from which everything else flows.