Determination is the Key to Success

Some may argue that hard work is the key to success, and yet others may say that it's faith that helps people to succeed, and my answer would be that those people are absolutely right; however, you won't have either of these things without determination. You have to make up in your mind that you are going to succeed. You also have to be aware that there will be trails along the way, getting to the top is never an easy task; however, if you're determined, then you will get there. Just remember why you started on this road in the first place. For me, it was my family that gives me my drive each and every day. I'm determined to work hard so that my children will one day be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor. I shouldn't have to tell my kids no because of lack of funds. Which doesn't mean I'll never tell them no, but money won't be a factor. I also want my family and I to travel to new places and see new things. I know that I can do that if I continue on the path that I'm on. I've had doors shut in my face, and people turn me down left and right, but I'm still determined to keep going. No one or nothing will stir me off course. I know the future God has for me, and it's a future filled with abundance, happiness, and health. I challenge you to make up your mind today that you're determined to see your dreams become reality. It happens to people around the world every day, why not you?

When Things Go Wrong, As They Sometimes Will..

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Author unknown

Change Starts on the Inside

Do you know that even though a lot of big corporations are going out of business, the two that hasn't suffered at all are the weight loss business and the make-up business. That's because we still feel that the changes we need to make are on the outside; however, the first change needs to take place on the inside. No matter how much makeup is applied or how much weight is loss, if any, you'll still view yourself the same way. Have you ever heard people who've lost weight say they still see themselves as that big person they used to be. That's because they haven't programmed their mind to accept and love themselves for who they are. Once we do this, then we're truly able to go out and follow God's #1 Commandment which is to love others. How can you love someone else if you haven't learned how to love yourself? That's not possible. Learn to see yourself how God sees you. To do this you wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and affirm that you are a lovable person. That you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are one of God's most precious gifts to the world. Tell yourself how much you love yourself, and start to treat yourself the way you want others to treat you, with love and respect.

Everyday is Second Chance at Life!!

I've heard people who were near death, but survived say they feel that they have a second chance at life. Why do we have to wait for something tragic to happen to realize how precious life is, and why can't we see that each day God allows us to open our eyes is another chance He's giving us at life. God can decide at any moment to cut off our life supply; however, He still blesses us to see another day. I believe that same enthusiasm people have when they find out they're going to live is the same enthusiasm we should have each morning when we open our eyes. God sent His angles to watch over us and protect us at our most vulnerable time, isn't that something to be thankful for? We really should learn to see the beauty in every day.

One day it was raining really bad outside and my son said, "it's not a beautiful day mom." Well, my response to him was everyday God allows you to live and see is a beautiful day. The weather shouldn't determine if it's a beautiful day or not, life determines that. Appreciate your life, and don't wait for a tragedy to realize how precious it truly is. God Bless!!

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing

I've come to realize that it's not only important to be a blessing, but it's also important to allow others to bless you. Think about it, what's your purpose for blessing others? Isn't it because God says it's the right thing to do, and if you're honest with yourself you would also say that you bless others so that God can bless you. I know some people like to say that they're not worried about themselves, and they just want to be a blessing to others. I can tell you that most people, who bless others, have somewhere in the back of their mind the notion that what they just did will open to doors for them to be blessed. There's nothing wrong with that. God wants you to expect great things. He's promised in Luke 6:38 that you will be treated the same way you treat others. God knows that you do things hoping and praying that your deeds will please Him and cause Him to bless you abundantly. Don't feel bad about that.

Now, about the part where you should allow others to bless you. Just like you're hoping your blessing will come back and bless you, those people are hoping the same thing. If someone is trying to be a blessing in your life, don't turn them away. You never know who God will use to bless you. A lot of us are so proud and so stubborn that we won't allow anyone to help us, but what you should know is we all need help from time to time. Your help may not come in the form that you'd like, but it's help. So, the next time someone tries to bless you, accept it thankfully. Thank them for blessing you and thank God for using them to bless you.

Remember be blessed, and be a blessing!!!!

Do You Know the Purpose of Your Storms?

We go through so much in life, but have you ever stopped to truly ask why? Why did I have to go through this? Why is this happening to me? Why do I keep going to the same things over and over again? I've always heard that you're not suppose to question God, but now I realize that you are suppose to question God. You're questioning "why" because if you never know why, then how will you know the lesson that's supposed to come from it? As a teacher we were always told before each lesson to explain the objective to the students. This helps them to remember what they're supposed to learn from this particular lesson. God isn't going to just give you the information. You have to ask for it. Many times you keep going through trials and tribulations because you're not getting the lesson. Take some time to talk with God and find out what is it? What am I suppose to take from this? Listen to His words, and learn from them. It's at that point you'll find yourself moving again in the right direction, God's direction. Each pain, each hurdle, each tear serves a purpose in our life. Don't wish to take it away, just open yourself up to grow from it.

This song has always been one of my favorites. It's one of those songs that never gets old because of the message. Listen to the words.

Yes Jesus Loves Me

I posted this for all of us who needs to be reminded from time to time that Jesus really does love us! No matter how things may look in the natural, just know that He's already working on your behalf. Stop trying to fight this battle alone, it's not for you to fight. When things are too much, just stop! Stop and praise God because it's at that point that He's ready to step in a work it all out for you. Spend some time with God today in praise. Watch how things start to change for your good.

Your Thoughts Create Your Reality

These days I find myself really wanting to learn all I can about how my thoughts and my words effect my world. I've read numerous books and watched several videos on this very topic. I know that everything that's happening in my life isn't by accident or coincidence. I now know that once I aligned my thoughts of myself with the thoughts God has of me, things started to fall into place. The thought of writing books were always in the back of my head, but I never allowed it to surface until a few years ago. I believe that God gave me an idea, and from that idea came the books. God knew all along that I was going to be an author, and He allowed me to see it too, but I was too blinded by what I wanted to do. I honestly did not want to write. Now, that's all I want to do. I thank God that He opened my eyes to this gift, and that He's allowing me to use it daily. I know there's a lot more that He has for me, and I keep my mind on Him, and in doing that He allows me to think of the life He has for me. I must say, that when those thoughts enter my head, which is often, I can't help but smile. God has an awesome life planned for each of us, but we have to learn to think of ourselves as God thinks of us.

Listen as Oprah describes how her thoughts led her to The Color Purple.

Never Give Up!

You know there are many people who missed out on great opportunities in life all because they chose to give up. In life there will always be a reason why you should quit. Why you should just throw in the towel and give up, but there are also a million reasons why you shouldn't. If you believe in yourself, and God believes in you, then there's nothing you can't achieve. God designed us to be conquerors, not quitters. We're victors, not victims. We need to stop having the woe-is-me attitude and start seeing ourselves as God sees us. God sees nothing but potential in each and every one of us. He knows that we're equipped to do all that we set our minds to do. He made us and He knows all about us. So, who are you going to believe yourself or God? Before you answer that question think about this, do you know how many hairs are on your head? If the answer is no, then I should tell you that God does. If I were you, I'd believe my Creator. Don't ever doubt that you can't do something, and by all means don't ever give up!

Always Find Time to Laugh

When's the last time you had a really good laugh. I'm talking about the kind of laugh that makes your stomach hurt? If it's been a while, then you're wayyyyy overdue. You should always find time to laugh. Laughter is the best medicine for the soul. Every now and then you should put on a funny movie, or surround yourself with funny people. You'll be amazed how much better you feel after just a few minutes of laughing. So, the lesson for today is to laugh. Enjoy the video, and God Bless!!

Ready for The Starring Role

How long are we going to sit around allowing others to always get the starring roles in life, meanwhile we're happy and content being an extra. It's time that you step out and audition for the starring role. Who are you auditioning for? Well, God of course. The beauty about this audition is you don't have to be flawless or memorize all your lines first, God wants you just as you are. Once you prove to God that you're ready (faith), that's when He starts to trust you with bigger parts (promotion, dream job, family, finances, etc..) Today is the day that you decide you will no longer be an extra. It's time that you announce to the world that you are a star, and show them what God has done and is doing in your life. When others see you, they should automatically know that you are one of God's stars. You shouldn't even have to say a word. Your walk and your persona should say it for you. You are a star, one of God's most beautiful creations. Let your light shine bright before all those you meet. Shake off all the negativity and go get the position God wants you to have!!

Rejection is God's Protection

Throughout the whole process of writing my books, I've learned that rejection isn't a bad thing, it's actually God's way of protecting us from the wrong person or situation. One thing's for sure, if it's for you then there's nothing no one can do to stop it. I've written numerous letters trying to solicit an agent, and each one comes back as a rejection. I could've just said forget it, and completely stopped, but the God in me won't allow me to back down. I trust that the God in you won't allow you to either. In life there's going to be hurdles, curves, and valleys, but we have to learn how to endure and keep on going. I remember in one of Tyler Perry's newsletters he said that each no brings you one step closer to your yes. He also said that you can get a thousand no's from man, but all it takes is one yes from God. I'm waiting on my yes from God, and I know with everything in me that it's coming. That's why I'm thanking Him now.
I challenge you to keep pushing and don't stop. Man may say no, but God is saying yes!! Yes you can do this. Yes you are worthy. Yes you are good enough and smart enough to handle this position. All it takes is one yes from God. Don't stop until you get it!!!

Learn to See God in Everything

It's funny because now I'm learning to see God in every situation I go through. Even things that some may take for granted, I see God. Today I went to see my friend at work. She's a principal at a local elementary school. We chatted for a while, then I was off. While I was putting my daughter in the truck, a lady drove up. It was obvious that she worked with the school system by her I.D badge. She stopped and commented on my truck. We stood there for a minute and something made me tell her about my new book Things You Never Thought You'd Have to Teach Your Child. I guess the fact that she works with children was my motivation to discuss the book with her. Anyway, she went on to tell me about her nephew who's writing a book, and how she'd thought of writing a book of her own. I showed her my book Dirty Little Secrets and she flipped through and read and little, and immediately wanted to purchase the book. She said "It was obviously meant for me to meet you today because I wasn't even coming to this school today. For some reason I just decided to stop by."

It's situations like that that makes me know that God has a master plan. That's the way God operates. It's like our life is a puzzle, and he gives us a piece at a time. I have no idea the role this lady will play in my life. I have no idea the role I may play in her life, but I do know that there was a purpose behind our meeting. Have you ever been in a situation where you met someone briefly, and years or months later you meet again? I've had that to happen several times to me. It still amazes me how God works. I'm in awe at how He put things together for our good. So, the next time you're in a situation or you meet someone, just know that God is putting together the pieces of your life. Nothing happens by chance, everything and everyone serves a purpose.

How Much is Your Life Worth?

I know that sometimes life can become quite challenging. I've had the unpleasant experience of having to bury my mother and a child, but I can honestly say that there was never a moment that I wanted my life to end. I can say that I prayed and prayed that God would take the pain away. I didn't want to end my life in the process. With the recent episode of Fantasia Barrino, and trying to commit suicide, I was wondering what others felt about life. Is it that worthless that you can just give it up like that? It's as if you're saying "I don't want this gift that you gave me God, so I'm going to just end it." Can you imagine what a slap in the face that must be to our creator? Imagine if you gave someone a gift and they threw it back at you because they didn't like the color or the size, how would that make you feel? I believe we've all became selfish, thinking that the purpose of our life is for our own enjoyment. God created us for His purpose, not for our own selfish purposes. We need to remove ourselves and start thinking about others for a change. Fantasia had a daughter that she was willing to leave here without a mother. I know that pain of burying a mother, and mind died of cancer. I could not imagine what I would've felt had she died because she decided on her own to end her life. As a mother, I want my children to know that nothing or no one would ever make me want to leave them. We should all remember that no matter how bad things seem, they can always be a lot worse. Once we start focusing on helping and loving others, we won't have time to focus on ourselves. Fantasia thought things were so bad because of a lawsuit, perhaps she should've taken some time and visited some of inner cities in America and remember how life used to be. God has given her an incredible gift, with the opportunity to touch so many lives, but her vision is so clouded that she can't see that. Please, don't allow your vision to become that clouded. Always wake up with an attitude of thanksgiving. That's not to say that things won't get bad, but when they do, remember that they could be worse. When you find yourself in a situation and you don't know how to help yourself, stop trying to. Go out and find someone else to help, and I can promise you that in the process of helping them, your situation will become better as well. God Bless!!!

Time Waits for No one

Today I dressed my child and took him to school, where he anxiously started his second grade year. I remember a few short years ago when I taught second grade, it seemed like forever before he would be a second grader. Now that he's there, I'm sitting here wondering where did all the time go. What happened to that little baby I brought home from the hospital on October 3rd, while it was storming outside :). This actually brings me to my point. We feel that we have so much time, but in all actuality we really don't. Time is continuing to tick away, and we can sit and watch it go by or we can decide to get out and live life and enjoy time as it goes. Think about your life now, and how you dream of your life being five years from now. You may think you can put it off and start on those projects later, and the next thing you know you'll look up and five years would've gone by with you still stuck in the same place. Start taking small steps now to start living your dream life. If you wish to be an author, but the thought of writing a whole book is too overwhelming, then don't think about it. Think about writing a chapter, a page, a paragraph just write something. You know the saying "the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time?" That's what you're going to have to do. Don't think of the outcome, just start. I remember listening to Dr. Bridgette Hilliard and she said you don't need God to give you finishing grace until you start. So my challenge for you today is to just start. Do something that's going to bring you one step closer to living your dream life.

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Glamorous, High-Flying, Action-Packed Dream Jobs

This is the topic for Oprah's show today. The thought entered my head how happy these people must be. To be able to wake up every day and do something that you just absolutely love doing, what's better than that? I then wondered what did these people do to be able to obtain these jobs. One person is the man who dresses the first lady, Michelle Obama, every day. Another person is the star of the hit TLC show The Cake Boss. Are these people just lucky? What did they do to deserve such a life? Actually, the answer is quite simple. They're not lucky because there's no such thing as luck. They are extrememly blessed because they had the courage to go after what they wanted. These were the people who refused to settle for less. I believe this life is available to anyone who's willing to work hard, and exercise faith. Don't continue to sit in the background and allow others to always play the starring role. It's time that we all take a giant leap of faith, and truly go after what we want. This is the decision I made a few weeks ago when I left my job. I knew in my heart it was time. Once you know it's your time, you do what you have to do. The decision isn't always an easy one, but it is necessary. I'm not telling you to do as I did an leave your job, but I am telling you to do what you need to do to start living your dream life. Take a look at your life. If you feel something's missing, then figure out what it is, and make the change to fix it. Life's too short for would've, could've, should've, all you have is right now. Nothing else is promised, just NOW!!

God is really showing out!!

I wanted to tell everyone how God is showing out. I promised God whenever He did something for me that I would share my testimony with everyone who's willing to sit and listen or read them. My testimony for today is that I had 5 Abundant Life books left. For those of you who may not know, this is my daily devotional that I wrote and published last year. Anyway, I had 5 left and I said that I would sell them today. Well, in a matter of a few hours I'd sold 4 books, and I never left my house. I was talking to a young lady earlier and she was interested in purchasing one, then I get a call from my father who had an order for 3 books. Now, you may feel that that's just a coincidence, but as a child of the King, I know better. Nothing is life happens by chance. I asked God to show me how this faith thing really works, and He's showing me. If you say it, and you believe it, then it will happen. I've also learned not to get discouraged if it doesn't happen in my time frame because God always knows best. I can also tell you that if it never happens, that's worthy of praise too because for some reason God knew it wasn't for you. Continue to have a great day, and until next time.....God Bless!!

The Law at Work Again!!

So, today could've been a very difficult day, had I chosen to wake up with a negative spirit. Today all teachers reported back to work, and the reality hit that I really am doing my own thing now. I really don't have a secure job to go to anymore. The more I thought of it, the more I felt my nerves starting to rattle, but I did as my book suggested and thought of the freedom that I now get to experience. I'm truly able to do all the things I've been wanting to do for so long. I can devote more time to my books, work on opening the tutoring center, and be more available to my kids and husband. Those are the thoughts I decided to carry with me throughout the morning, and I could instantly tell that today would be a great day:)!

Now, this is how the law of attraction worked in my favor yet again. I've been saying for quite some time that I would love to speak. I would love to do a seminar on positive thinking and actions because I know the power behind your thoughts. I want to teach others how to overcome negativity and focus on all the positive aspects in life that they're missing because they're blinded by the negative. So, I receive a message on FB from this young lady who started an online magazine and she asked if I would like to present at her seminar. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! See, these are the kinds of things that happens if you keep thinking on something and saying it long enough. I can literally see me speaking before thousands of people, and I can see the expressions on their faces as they're taking in my every word. I can see me sitting and reading the testimony emails of people telling me how their life has changed from attending one of my seminars. I can see it, and I know it's coming. Stay tuned and see what happens next :-)!!!

A Lesson on Faith and Giving

So, a few months ago I was having a conversation with my business partner and we were discussing things we would need to get our tutoring center started. I told her that we were going to pray and have faith that we wouldn't have to come out of pocket for any of the materials that we needed. Our biggest expense was going to be computers because we want to work with our kids on computer skills as well. We didn't go looking for anything because we were still expecting God to answer our prayers. Well, on yesterday August 7th, I received a call from my partner and she informed me that one of her friends were donating 6, count them 1-2-3-4-5-6!!! Computers to us!! That's what happens when you truly have faith. We're still trusing God that others will come forth and assist us with office equipment, and those types of things. He's already shown us that He's listening :) Now, that's the lesson on faith.

This is the lesson on giving. Last night my aunt and I took the kids to see the hotair balloons. As we were leaving out the kids wanted snowcones, so we stopped. I only had $4 and I needed $6 so I asked her to borrow $2 until I made it to my car,and of course she had no problem with that. As I started to pay she told me that she'll just pay for them all, which I was totally against until she insisted that I just take the blessing and shut up, and I did. Not even a minute later a guy at the next booth asked her if she'd like a free hotdog because they were trying to get everything wrapped up at their booth. It's a small example, but it just shows you what happens when you give. I remember Dr. Bridgette Hilliard saying that "something supernatural always happens when you give." If you don't believe it, then try it. Start giving and watch what happens to you.

If you have examples of faith and giving I'd love to hear about them. Feel free to follow my blogs and post your comments.

Faith

I decided to start back with the blogs because too often we hear about people steppig out and faith and sharing what God has done for them. I wanted everyone to see what that process actually looks like. On July 14, 2010, I did something that I never thought I would do, I resigned from my job. For a couple years my eyes had been opened to other avenues I'd like to take in life. I really want to work on more novels, and start doing seminars for parents. The idea came to me and of course the more I thought about it, the more intense my desire became. Eventually, it became too much for me to handle, and I had to do what I knew was the right thing and that was to resign.

I must warn you that this isn't an easy process. There are days that I'm deliriously happy, and then there are other days where I question my own sanity. I mean really, I have a family to think about here. If it were just me, then I would be perfectly fine with my decision; however, when there are other people depending on you and your income, that makes a BIG difference!! I have to be honest and tell you that so far my faith is much greater than my doubt. I believe it's human nature to question ourselves, but once you're so grounded in God's word, not even your self doubt will allow you to turn back.

Today was a day where I was starting to get those butterflies, as I checked my account and noticed the money was slowly dwindling down. I've received my last check from the school board, so now it's all on me. Right now it's do or die, and I refuse to die. I'm a big believer of faith and the Law of Attraction. I believe that you can't go wrong with these two things.

I'll keep you updated on the ups and the downs of stepping out on faith :-)