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!

Happy Holiday Season... Don't stop believing!

Any one who has been around me most of my life knows that I LOVE gifts. I usually celebrate my birthday the entire month and maybe even a few days after. The older I get the more excited I’ve become about Christmas. Any given year, I could be seen dancing when I opened my gifts on Christmas morning. This year has been entirely different.  

We moved in August from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. It was something I had always wanted to do. However, it wasn’t until God provided us an opportunity that we were able to cease the moment. Despite how corny it may sound, everyday since then has become more than I could ever receive on my birthday and under the tree on Christmas. What did I ask for this year on my birthday? Nothing. What did I ask for this year for Christmas? Nothing.

Does that mean I’m above accepting gifts? NO! I’m always ready for a gift but for the first time I feel like I have everything that I need. We haven’t been here for long but the change has been good for us. It’s been amazing for our spirit. We both are so happy to be here that we embrace each day more fully than the last.  Some of what we’ve been blessed with I haven’t shared publically. I don’t like when people brag so I don’t want to come off that way. What I will say is God has surely been smiling on us.

If you’re tired of me talking about this move, I guess you should stop reading my blog for a while. LOL! I can’t apologize for my happiness and this move is a great part of it. So, I can’t help but talk and write about it. I was happy before we moved here but this new chapter in our lives is something short of amazing!

I hope everyone has a blessed holiday season and is ready to have a wonderful 2012. Find something that keeps you motivated, and inspired. You can find it in small things as easily as you can in big things. You might not need a new address or career, but find whatever “it” is that will inspire your tomorrow to be even more fabulous than today! Love life and live fully.