My "Aha" Moment...

I just had an “aha” moment. I am writing and listening to music. It’s what I do. I find it’s easier to write when blocking out the rest of the world with music. It really helps my creative juices flow. I was writing when William McDowell’s song, “I Won’t Go Back,” flowed in to my headphones. I was unable to type the words that were in my head because my heart and mind were overwhelmed by the lyrics. The power behind them was amazing.

The part of the song that struck me was when they sing, “I can’t go back to the way I used to be before your presence came and changed me.” It’s that basic. It is that simple. A few years ago I had the deepest conversation with God I ever had in my life. On that day I begged Him to make things better. I begged Him for things in my life to change. I asked for Him to make me better. I lifted my hands, heart and mind up to Him. He changed my life. And He changed the way I look at situations and the world. Life is good.

I am not perfect. I am a work in progress. But... I am better. I haven’t arrived where I am longing to go yet. Thankfully, I am not even close to where I used to be. I barely recognize that person. So… it was the basic things that created the greatest moments in my life. The simple things that created the NOW in my life! I let go of the pain of my past and the way I dealt with it. There is nothing that will make me give that up. I came out of so many difficult circumstances standing taller than I went in. No one person or any situation will take me back to when I was unable to see the smallest light shining in the darkest moments…

“I can’t go back to the way I used to be…” I declare it. Pure joy. Nothing else tastes like it.

I Took A Big Writing Step!

My writing journey has taken a great turn. I mentioned previously that I might have found a copy editor. I am proud to announce that I have sent one of my young adult manuscripts off to a very talented editor. I am thankful that gifted author, Russell Brooks, introduced us. I am not sure how long the process will take to publish my book, but staying focused brings it closer to fruition. I am one step closer to publishing in 2012. Check.

A superstar doesn't become a star sitting around waiting for the right moment. A superstar ceases the moment. Be unprepared doesn't allow us to move quickly when the opportunity arises. I am not comparing myself to a superstar. I am just making an analogy. Am I a superstar? Ha! I just want to be published. Then I will embrace what comes after that even if it's superstardom. What's the point in dreaming small? I dream BIG. (Insert laughter here.)

I spend a great deal of my free time writing. I consistently say that I just want to be ready. I have planted the seed and each day that I type, I am watering those seeds.  Whether I am writing lyrics for Minister Steve's music ministry or completing manuscripts, I write every chance I get. I am focused on my dreams and know that I must remain diligent and faithful. If you're wondering what I'm doing when I don't call, I am watering my seeds.

Be on the lookout for my next post regarding my book. I am so excited to be moving in the right direction. I am filled with joy. Writing it my passion so hopefully my editor will think my projects are worth sharing. Keep your ear to the ground and I will keep you updated. Pray for me!

Make sure to go to www.russellparkway.com and check out Russell Brooks' thrillers.

Dealing with every day things...

During my life I have learned that my feelings are best expressed in writing. When I am at a loss for what to say, I just grab a piece of paper and a pen. It comes out better that way for me. I have been doing this since I was very young. Jen's Nana had a stroke in April 2011 and I have been amazed at how quickly her life has changed. It has affected us as a result and me more than I expected it to. I pray for her daily and  in every interaction I am reminded just how fragile life is. After visiting her one afternoon my heart was heavy and this is the result...

My Nana. My Friend...

My heart cries for you as I watch your memories fade away

Now confused by simple things like the time of day

You used to read books at the speed of light,

Now you’re sleep before the sun sets at night.

You’re able to recall the lyrics of your favorite songs

It helps us keep hope and it’s how we remain strong

To watch you shimmy as the melody hits the air,

It’s the sway of your shoulders that keeps us right there.

Hanging onto your every word

Looking for a sign that we’ve been heard

Making new memories while holding onto the old,

Enjoying the new connections with you that we hold.

The light in your eyes comes back now and again

Somewhere lost in there is my Nana, my friend.

The joys you’ve owned aren’t lost in the past,

We’ll cherish these days for as long as they last…

SLP~ 

(C) 2012 by Stacey Pierce

Are you ready for a refreshing?

   

I read someone’s FB status yesterday that said, “God might not come today. He may not bring what you need tomorrow. Remember that He is coming.” I paraphrased it but that was the basic yet profound idea. I know a lot of my friends are going through things. Some people in my family might be also. Remember… YOU are not alone. YOU aren’t the only one going through things. And YOU will get through even your darkest moments. Know that even your worse is better than the “worse” of some. Where you are may not be the best place for you but it is where you are supposed to be. You will prevail. You’ve done it before and I believe in you. 

I have been on journeys that I haven’t expected go through. Some came when I least expected. When I got there I didn’t think I would get through it. I survived even when I knew in my heart that I wouldn’t. When I got through it, I refused to look back.  I have lived long enough to know that things do and will get better. Life is one of the best teachers of strength. Whatever we are searching for will eventually come. It doesn’t always come when we feel that we need it most but it comes when we need it. You must endure pain in order to truly embrace the gain. As a result of everything you experience growth occurs.  It really does.

I believe in God. Some don’t. In order to get through both the good and bad times I hold on tight to His promises. I can only encourage those of you who don’t believe in God or something greater than you to hold on. It will come and good things will come to you. If you pray and believe, be fervent. Don’t every stop praying. Some folks say, “Pray until something happens.” I do and then I start praying again.

I saw Oprah talking to a minister a few days ago that said he started his day with prayer. I do too. He prays for 30-90 minutes in the morning. I don’t. I thought initially that it was a lot of time to sit without your mind wandering as mine definitely would. Then I realized that my mother does this daily. She sits in her chair every morning and becomes the prayer warrior that she is. I pray throughout my day but have never sat for 30-90 minutes praying. I can remember when I sat alone in the dark one day praying for about ten minutes. It was an amazing experience.  It was refreshing.

Would it be hard for me to do this? I don’t know. I know that it takes discipline combined with faith. I have the faith. I have to become more disciplined with the amount of quality time I spend praying. This is not a challenge. This will be something that I hope to do for the rest of my life. Prayer is easy, and I’m going to embrace the peace it brings. I’m ready for a refreshing. Are you?

I Salute You Dr. Martin Luther KIng, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did what God called him to do. He stood in the face of fear and fought for justice. He did this so I could go to school with my white counterparts, use the same entrance, sit in wherever I want on a bus or in a theater, and the same bathroom facilities. Separate but equal wasn’t enough for him. It definitely wouldn’t have been enough for me either. While we have made successful strides toward equality, inequality still remains. It’s evident in the workplace, in housing and other areas too. I stand on his shoulders and I refuse to be treated as a second-class citizen.

Unfortunately, I am reminded of the work he did when I interact with my peers. Sometimes it’s evident they think that the color of my skin makes me inferior to them. It doesn’t matter if I am standing next to them on graduation day at New York University. Some think that I stand alongside of them because of affirmative action solely. When in fact, I had to do the work to graduate. I know I had to work harder. It’s something I’ve done all of my life. Even our current president has to fight harder than any other president ever has as our country is judging him based on the color of his skin, and not on the content of his character. He is being blamed for things that he had nothing to do with. He’s being blamed for the welfare system that has been in place for many years. People are angry because he is a black man in the White House, plain and simple. Let me reiterate, we have made strides but we have a long way to go.

What I have come to realize as an adult, is that these issues don’t belong to me. I believe in the equality of all people despite our differences. I make every effort to see people for who they are not what they are. I am not perfect but I am diligent. I don’t own anyone else’s stuff. I can only pray that younger generations of minority children embrace what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for and deflect the self-hatred imposed upon them. I want them to rise up and know their worth. He fought alongside many people who I carry with me daily. It’s because of them that I strive to be the very best. It’s because of them that I stand where I do today. I refuse to let anyone convince me I am less than. I know I am worthy of everything offered to others. Dr. King’s light shines in my life today and it is my desire to do the same in the lives of others.  

I salute you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

My Warmest Winter Ever... 2012!!

This time last year we spent hours shoveling in a winter storm that hit us right after Christmas. It was horrendous. My neighbor somehow ended up putting some of his snow on our driveway, which made something as simple as pulling into the driveway a slippery situation. I worked in Monmouth County who decided not to plow the roads including the streets near the hospital where I worked. It did give me two paid days off because my journey on 195 came to a halt when I couldn’t drive on the snow and ice any longer. For the weeks that followed the trip to work was painful! Parking at the hospital was even worse because there were mountains of snow everywhere. It made turning the corner almost impossible. Once they decided to plow they managed to put snow on the corners of most of the streets in Long Branch and surrounding areas. There was snow everywhere for months. 

This year, my winter has been the exact opposite. I have worn t-shirts and have not put on anything heavier than a sweatshirt. My winter coat hasn’t been removed from the box it was packed in prior to us relocating to North Carolina. The temperature has been cold at times but nothing like what I’ve experienced living in the New York tri-state area. I grew up in upstate New York. I know cold. I know snow. I also know it snows in North Carolina but there won’t be 20 inches of snow in one storm. I like to throw on a sweater or sweatshirt without wearing a jacket. I can do that now. And it is amazing to me! It’s a small thing to some but when you’ve been through a few dark valleys it allows you to embrace even the smallest of things. Today when we go out I will be donning a sweatshirt in forty-five degree weather. And there will be no snow on the ground. That to me is priceless in the middle of January.

While basking in the amazing weather I have continued working on my goals that I have carried over from 2011. I have been writing as much as I can. I am working on a few projects that I am looking forward to publishing this year. I may have acquired a copyeditor that was referred by a friend. That is the biggest step for me right now. When I review or simply read books it bothers me when people don’t get their books properly edited. I initially judge a book by its cover but then it’s judge by its contents. I strongly feel if an author doesn’t feel that their project is important enough to be copyedited that I shouldn’t feel it’s important enough to read. My manuscripts are my prize possessions. Once I see finish projects of some authors, I don’t feel they see it the same way. I know its costly but it costs the author more in the end. The biggest cost is lack of readers. I don’t want that to happen to me.

I have narrowed it down to two book cover designers. I am hoping to go with a friend of mine. Through the guidance of another friend I will be bringing my books to life first through e-books, and then I will make them available in paperbacks. I enjoy reading on the iPad and my Kindle. To me, there is nothing like turning the pages of a book. Maybe it’s my age and the fact that owning a library card was important when I was growing up. In the age of digital everything I still love touching the spine of a book. I am so excited about sharing my fiction novels and my motivational books with everyone. I am taking my time to bring them together professionally. I don’t want to disappoint. I will keep you posted on my progress. Thank you so much for your continued support.

Stay warm…

Make 2012 a great year!!

As the bells toll ringing in every New Year, your dreams should get bigger not smaller. You may not have achieved your goals for 2011.  Don’t fret.  Jot them down and carry them into 2012 with a vengeance. Combining them with your current list of goals will help you maintain your focus.

                                                   

I’m continuing my publishing endeavors. I’m writing as much as I can so that when the moment arrives, I’ll be ready. I just paused from things to relocate in August and am taking care of things that currently take precedence over publishing my work. However… it will be coming to daylight soon.

My computer and flash drives refuse to continue housing my manuscripts unless I share them… LOL! I’m committed to do so and trust that 2012 will be a good year. I’m currently looking for the best copyeditor and book cover designer. I want all of my ducks in a row so to speak. It will come when it is supposed to and I know this is the year.

Along this writing journey I think I have found a voice in a genre that doesn’t get heard from too often. I have a young adult fiction story that I hope will reach LGBT teens. I also have a middle grade reader completed and one close to completion. I have one adult fiction book completed and am in the final stages of completing another. I’m working on two inspirational or spiritual books. They’re faith based or motivational filled books but wouldn’t necessarily be classified as religious.

I’m not trying to be boastful or arrogant. That’s not a part of my character. I share all of this to hold myself accountable and let you know that I really am working diligently to bring my dreams to life. I can’t encourage people without inspiring myself to remain focused.

As the year begins we can readily call out things that didn’t go right for us in 2011. It could’ve been unemployment, a breakup or divorce. However, we pause when it comes to things that went well. I look at it this way… if I hadn’t survive the things that I thought would be the end of my world, I couldn’t stand here today in a better place telling you different. Life happens to make us stronger. Every current moment/experience is connected to future moments. It’s imperative that we pay attention to the cues so that we make the right decisions.

So… if the year doesn’t end well for you make a promise to make 2012 even better. Embrace your dreams and remain mindful of how deserving you are. Don’t just watch others succeed. Create ways that you can as well. Think outside the box and you will find ideas inside of you that you didn’t know existed.  YOU are a winner and the same success awaits you… dream BIG and achieve!