November 12
2022
June 21
2022
Cultivate Joy!
Wow!
I cannot believe 2022 is halfway over! Generally, around this time of the year, I would reflect and look for opportunities to be more productive, but I am in a different place now. I am seeking opportunities for more ways to cultivate joy! For many of us, the past few years have been difficult.
I have come to realize that no matter what obstacles we face, life goes on – it has to. We all have responsibilities and commitments that we have to keep, but it is also imperative to have a healthy balance. If we put all our focus on work, we risk resenting the process and the life we created for ourselves; burnout will slowly creep up on us.
Burnout will rear its ugly head in our health, attitude, emotions, and spiritual life.
On the other hand, if we fool around and allow our responsibilities to fall by the wayside, we risk the sad reality of never reaching our goals and full potential. Yikes! So, what is the solution? I am still learning too. I am growing right along with you! I do not claim to have all the answers, but I am committed to having a balanced life. Creating downtime is just as important as working hard.
As I have said in many of my posts, we must care for ourselves holistically.
You know where you are on your journey. You know what adjustments need to be made. Nevertheless, you are in control of what choices you make to ensure a healthy and productive life. The Bible talks about a woman that laughed without fear of the future. She was married and a mother; she had a ton of demanding responsibilities, but she did not allow the demands of life to keep her from fully living and experiencing life in its entirety. (Please refer to Proverbs 31)
Ask yourself, are you out of balance? Do you take time to enjoy the beauty and joy that surrounds you? What small changes can you make today to take care of yourself holistically? Be honest with yourself. Please do not feel condemned; that would defeat the purpose of the exercise.
The time is now!
God loves you! Be blessed!
January 22
2022
We are His workmanship…
As a little girl, I was fascinated by watching my mom put chemical relaxers in her hair. She wanted straight and sleek hair. As I grew older, I outgrew ponytails and begged my mom to put a relaxer on my hair.
I wanted to be like her! She declined my requests for several months, saying things like:
“you don’t need a perm.”
“you are too young.”
“your hair is pretty already.”
Nevertheless, I would not let up. I guess she grew tired of my grumbling and pleading; she gave in. I was thirteen when I got my first chemical treatment. My hair was long and bone straight. I loved it! I could not stop looking in the mirror at my flowing tresses.
But then something happened. I grew tired of maintaining chemically treated hair.
I started to desire curly hair. It became an obsession. I put rollers in my hair and sat under the dryer for hours to have curly hair. I wore curly-haired wigs and would do anything to manipulate my hair to have a curl pattern.
And one day…
I stood in front of the mirror, examined my hair, and decided to cut out the perm. I had tons of new growth since I kept my hair in cornrows.
To my surprise, my natural hair started to curl up as I continued to allow the perm to grow out! I had naturally curly hair all along! My curls are free and flowing with grace and elegance. Each coil displayed its uniqueness.
This is a true story, lol.
In all seriousness. How often do we search outside ourselves, looking for something we already possess? We look for love in all the wrong places and often end up wounded. We look for the next big thing or event to help us feel good about who we are. In hindsight, if I had taken the time to get to know myself, examine my unique qualities, and embrace my God-given beauty, I would have saved myself years of trying to fulfill a desire God had already blessed me with.
I am not making light of your desires, but I suggest you get to know yourself. I’d like you to learn how to embrace what makes you peculiar.
Allow yourself to love who you are before you jump the gun searching for love, acceptance, and curly hair 🙂
You may realize that once you learn to accept yourself, you will no longer run the race looking for acceptance and affirmation from other people. Allow God to affirm you and be who you were created to be. You may be surprised by who you are!
Be blessed. God loves you!
January 3
2022
What are you thinking?
I know I have been missing in action, but life happens to us all. Nevertheless, if you are a believer, everything works together for our good!
And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. Romans 8:28 AMP
Many of us set New Year resolutions and goals this time of year. I am going to lose 30 pounds this year! New year new me! And a host of other well-meaning clichés.
My goal is not to discourage you; instead, I offer encouragement to make your goals a reality. I, too, used to write a laundry list of resolutions, and two weeks into the new year, my old habits would creep in.
I realized I needed to change my thinking to change my life and achieve my goals. The Bible says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2 NKJ
The best thing we can do is allow God to change our minds and behaviors; naturally, our life will begin to change.
For starters, spend time reading the Bible. Pray and ask God for direction. Read books that align with your goals and journal. Observe what you are thinking about. Frequently, our emotions affect our thinking, so paying attention and being honest with ourselves is necessary. All of this takes time, but most importantly, be consistent. Be kind to yourself; however, do not make excuses for lack of discipline.
Make changes one step at a time, and eventually, you will see progress. We got this!
Be blessed! God loves you.