Happy Wednesday! I’m not going to keep you long. Wanted to share a snippet of a Facebook memory from a few years ago.
Facebook Memory: January 18, 2019:
I came across a quote that read, “Stay the Course.” Y’all, we have to stay the course because so many blessings are awaiting us. Even if you’re barely hanging on by a thread, don’t let go. Hold on to that one pinch of hope. God is working and everything will work in your favor.Don’t Give Up
Listen, do not give up. God has a way of making everything fall into place. So, stop stressing. Stop trying to figure things out. Go on about your day doing what you do – minus the stressing – and allow God to do what He does.
Today is the first Wednesday of the year! Which means I have well over 100 (closer to 200) more Wednesdays of writing. I know it sounds like a lot, but I can do it. I will get it done. Smiling
Not really sure what I want to write about today. Yesterday, I realized I didn’t do an end of year review for 2022. So many people had posted wonderful videos recapping their 2022 and I didn’t post a thing. Even on New Year’s Eve, I only posted three things that really summed up my entire year – I conquered fears, found myself again and released control. And truthfully, that about sums up everything that happened last year.
This year has already started off differently than past new years. This year actually feels different. It’s like I’m seeing things differently. It’s as if my entire life is changing before my eyes and I actually feel it happening. Honestly, it’s the most present that I have ever been. Maybe it’s the awareness that I’ll be 50 this year. Maybe my entire being feels it. It’s so hard to describe. It’s such a wonderfully, strange feeling.
Short story—
At some point during my teenage years, I imagined myself living two drastically different lives – the first 50 years and the remaining 50+ years. As you can see, I have always seen myself living a very long life. Smile. The first half was for… Y’all, basically it was for doing what I have done – find myself and retire. Y’all, that was just an “Aha” moment. At the time that I declared I would live two lives, I didn’t refer to it as “finding myself.” I always thought of it as this exploratory phase. During my first 50 years, I would take chances and try different things until I discovered what I liked and didn’t like; what I wanted to do and didn’t want to do. Then I would take all of this information and experience and decide how I wanted to live the second half of my life. Listen!! You don’t have to believe me, but God will give you exactly what you ask for and most times you don’t even know He’s doing it. Sitting in awe right now! It wasn’t until late last year that I even realized I retired before I was 50. For some reason, I hadn’t really recognized my retirement from the military as the “retire before age 50” that I had asked for. When I tell you God forever amazes me!
So, Year 50 is loading. Although I still have several months to go, I can already feel the change taking place. I know most of you reading this probably think I’m crazy, but I am so serious. My life is changing.
I know how I imagined myself living the second half of my life. Not going to share. I don’t have to speak it into existence because I already spoke it decades ago. I’m just going to take it all in and let it happen.
Well, I guess you can also mark this as my first “random rambling” for the year. As always, thanks for reading. Remember to stay present and your day!♥️
I was just scrolling through my Facebook memories and came across a few pictures I had shared from one of my basketball card collections. Y’all, it’s so ironic that this post popped up today because I have been thinking about parting ways with my cards… with a lot of things.
For a little over two months now, I have been slowly packing up my mom’s house. I never knew how much stuff she had. How many sentimental things she had been holding on to. Listen, it was a lot.
Well, this got me to thinking about some of the things I’ve been holding on to. Things that are very dear to me. Although my sisters and I kept a lot of my moms things– even though we had no real connection with them– will my children do the same? Would I want them to? They already think I hold on to too much, and I think they might be right.
After going through Momma’s things and having to decide what’s worth keeping, selling or trashing, I believe it’s time to let a few things of my own go. My two have told me countless times that they do not want their baby items, preschool drawings or their baby teeth. Laughing. So why am I still holding on to them? Y’all, I have things like their first pair of shoes, the outfits they wore home from the hospital. I also have baby bottles, bows, and stuffed animals. And y’all, don’t get me started on all of the books and VHS tapes I kept. And that’s only their things. Sigh. I have over 30 years of my own things that I have kept. Y’all, I still have my laundry bag from basic training. Why?!! Shaking my head, laughing. It’s definitely too much. So, before this year ends.. which is soon.. I need to decide what’s continuing on with me and what has to go.
Questions: Have you ever had to part ways with sentimental items? If so, how did you do it; and how did you feel afterwards? Do you regret it?
Well, this is all I have for today. Next week we will be in a new year. How exciting!
Y’all, I had some kind of day yesterday. I’m not going to go into details, but it ended with me verbally declaring over and over, “I will not be defeated! I AM a child of God.” By the end of the night, the things I was stressing about had disappeared. Well.. they hadn’t actually disappeared, they were definitely still there; however, I no longer felt overwhelmed.
HA! That was yesterday…
Honestly, I have no idea why I check my emails at 3:00 AM, but I do. Ugh. It’s definitely a habit I need to break. Well, this morning I opened my email and the very first one hit me like a ton of bricks. Whew! Unlike yesterday when I allowed things to get me all worked up, I immediately began declaring – again, verbally – that I AM a child of God and I WILL NOT be defeated!
Y’all, I truly believe words have more power when they’re spoken, when they’re released into the universe. Now.. this goes for negative words too. So, be careful of what you release.
Today, at this very moment, I am declaring —
NOOOO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST ME WILL PROSPER! I AM A CHILD OF GOD AND HE’S GOT ME!!
Listen, if you’re also going through some things, please feel free to make the same declaration, verbally. Change it up however you like. Just make sure you get it out into the universe.
Well, there’s nothing I can do right now about that email so I’m going to publish this blog and go back to sleep. God’s got me.
Happy Wednesday! Today, I am celebrating wins. Not the big wins that everyone sees, but the small, teeny-tiny mental wins. You know, the ones that are small but have the greatest impact on our psyche. Yes, those are the wins I am referring to. And if you didn’t know, they are also the wins we need to move forward in this game called Life. Because y’all, life is definitely a game. Listen, if we are not careful, we will find ourselves stuck, repeating the same level for years. It’s a game.
So, even though my wins are small, I am celebrating them like I hit the jackpot because baby, I just entered another level. Yes, I have entered another level of life, which means another level of challenges.
HOWEVER…
This time I am entering prepared because I KNOW it’s a game.
AND…
I finally realize it’s a game that I cannot win without God’s presence, guidance or grace. Yes, the reason I was stuck on the same level for so long was because I tried to win on my own. HA! Silly me! Well, God is leading and I am listening. Okay.. so I would be lying if I said moving forward I will always listen —because some of the things He instructs me to do I just don’t want to do (yes, I can be stubborn – Repeat level–Lol!) —however, it’s my goal to do so. Looking forward to more wins and less repeats.
Guess what?! Today marks the 100th episode of Tyler Perry’s Sistas!! Yessss!! Three years. Five seasons. 100 episodes! Pretty awesome, right?!
Y’all, I’m so happy for the cast. They have worked their butts off over the past three years. Honestly, I have never seen a cast that has been more engaged than this one. Their enthusiasm and appreciation for everything they have gained over the past three years is so authentic. And y’all, their love for their fans is unmatched! They LOVE their fans!!
Listen, I don’t care what anyone says about Tyler Perry’s extremely rare work ethic – no other bears gifts– intangible gifts – like he does. Baby, not only does he create great shows that keep us talking for days, months and years, he also creates families. Yes, families! As past cast members have said, by the time they finish filming they are so much more than colleagues, they are family. Y’all, that’s why I can’t stop supporting this man. He gets it. He gets the bigger picture! He knows how to bring people together. That’s a gift – a beautiful gift – and I love it!♥️
Anyhoo… got to stay on point. Laughing
Y’all, last night I was having all kinds of proud momma moments for the ladies and they aren’t even my babies. I couldn’t stop looking at their Instagram stories. The 100th episode celebration that they were given was EPIC! I could not stop watching. I loved seeing their smiles. So genuine. So appreciative. Listen, I remember where they were three years ago, and I see where they are now. Y’all, God’s work is amazing!
So, last year I gave up tweeting during the shows. Yeah.. I felt old trying to hang with the younger tweeters. Now, I’m chatting in our We Are Sistas Facebook group, which is more my speed, and I love it! However, yesterday, after seeing all of the excitement, I thought about tweeting again, just one more time, to help them celebrate. We shall see what happens. Smiling
Well, that’s all I have for you this Wednesday! Hope you have a spectacular day!!
Shaun
Throwback from when it all began. So much has changed!
Another gift! Love this group. Oops: Not sure who to give photo credit to.
First thing yesterday morning, I downloaded a copy of Mrs. Michelle Obama’s newest book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times. I had been looking for a good book to read and when I heard hers was about to be released, I waited for it. I waited for it because I knew it would be good. I knew it would be one that I couldn’t put down, just like her last book, Becoming.
Sooo… many, many years ago, I made a list of people I wanted to meet. Well, she was number four on my list; and believe it or not, her husband was number ten. Crazy, huh? On my list, I added why I wanted to meet them and questions I would ask. Well, at that time, my question for Mrs. Obama was – How do you keep smiling?
Y’all, back then I was so intrigued by the way she carried herself when most people would have buckled. Her poise, her confidence, her strength and her smile were all so fascinating. As you can see, I’m definitely a fan. Y’all, it was like the more they hated her and her husband the more she smiled, showed kindness, love and compassion. It was like their hate was her fuel.
Side Note: Over my lifetime, I have asked God for things, or wanted things, and they have happened. Sadly, many of those times I didn’t realize He had answered my prayers until years later. It’s because His answers don’t always come in the form we are searching for. Life…
In 2019, I had the opportunity to see Mrs. Obama at Essence Festival in New Orleans. I remember my friends and I walking towards the Superdome and seeing police escorts and black SUVs zooming pass. We stopped and yelled, “That’s her!” We screamed her name not even knowing if it was her inside one of the vehicles. We still laugh about it to this day because we swear it was her and that she saw us and waved. Y’all, that could’ve been ANYBODY! Laughing. But in our hearts it was her. Later that evening, we got to hear her talk about everything I wanted know and more. The book only covered so much and she filled in the rest. For me, God had answered my prayers. It didn’t take me years to realize what had happened. I knew at that exact moment that I was sitting in my answer.
Now, I’m reading her latest book and so far she’s dropping gems that I need for where I am now, in life. Yeah.. so many tools – as she calls them – that I can use to get me through this next phase of my journey. Smiling.
Listen, if you’re looking for a good book to read, that’s not boring, pick up Mrs. Obama’s latest book The Light We Carry.
Can’t believe it’s Wednesday, already! It’s a little after midnight where I am so I have decided to go ahead and write.
Life is full of highs and lows. Seems like as soon as you experience a high you need to start preparing for the low– the unexpected low.
Yesterday was a pretty sad day. I woke up to the news that one of the artists from the rap group Migos had passed. I’m not sure if it was my daughter waking me up in tears that made the news seem more devastating or the fact that he was so young. All I kept thinking was that could’ve been my son. He was only 28.
Then, I visited my mom in the hospital and she wasn’t having a good day. She thought she was going to be discharged only to find out everything had been delayed. She cried and screamed and nothing I said or did consoled her. It was a lot. Yeah.. yesterday was a lot.
I’m going to attempt to go back to sleep now. I pray that the rest of the day goes well. I pray that those who are hurting mentally, emotionally and physically experience peace and comfort. Lord, please help us. Amen
I’m slowly learning that setbacks, or plot twists – as I call them because I definitely feel like I’m in a movie, a Tyler Perry movie – are designed to make me stronger. I know they are preparing me for something greater.
Yesterday, I experienced one of those “plot twists.” Not going to go into details. However, I will let you know I was on an all-time high where things just seemed to be falling in place, then.. BAM!, everything began to unravel as fast as they had happened. Although I was somewhat disappointed, I didn’t become upset. Instead, I remained calm as everything played out.
Y’all, I’m so thankful for my daughter (one of my gifts from God). I texted her while celebrating and she responded with, “Whatever you desire happens!” Because she’s witnessed God’s goodness over my life. Then, I texted her as things began to crumble. Her response, “It will work out how it needs to.” Y’all, it was the response I needed. Smiling. Proud mom moment.
So, yesterday, I decided not to be the problem solver that I always tend to be, and I allowed God to lead. I’m not going to lie, I wanted to make sense of everything that had happened and find a solution. But God asked me to release the reins and allow Him to lead. And I did.
My birthday theme for this year (Year 49) was Smooth Sailing. I said that I was going to sit back, relax and let the waves take me wherever they pleased. Guess what? I didn’t account for storms. As the storms roll in – and boy do they seem to be coming – out of habit, I want to sit up and take control of the ship. However, every time I get the urge do so, God reassures me that He’s got it all under control. All I have to do is sit back, relax and trust Him. As Bishop T. D. Jakes preached Sunday, I have to remain Steady in The Storm.
Thank you for reading today’s blog. I pray you’re also trusting God to guide you through your storms – because I know I can’t be the only one going through them. Smile.
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