Emotional Seeds : The Corona Edition

This virus called Corona has truly turned our world upside down. It has no target audience, no cultural difference, no area of focus, and no economic status. When I tell you that we were and are in this together we are. We have seen many die, however, we have also seen many recoveries from this virus as well. We currently live in the unknown as many states slowly begin to open back up and try to create a sense of normalcy. We live now in a world where we have distanced ourselves to save lives, however, this same distance is causing others to die internal with the results of external symptoms. With all that being said I want to challenge us to do something that was placed on my heart to do during this time of famine and uncertainties.

During my meditation time this past week, I found myself asking the question I feel all believers have been asking... GOD, how do we end this? What do we need to do to get back to a place of normalcy? I am sure like me and others you have struggled with the inability to gather at your local church and fellowship with fellow believers, or perhaps during this time you desire to have that fellowship because you want a better relationship with GOD. There are so many things that we need answers to and have questions about. Let's go back to what I was talking about... During my meditation time with GOD, He told me that so many people are sowing financial seeds (which is a good thing if you have it to sow. I truly encourage you to sow in this area, especially during a time of famine), however, one seed that we have yet to really address that is need during this time of famine... (Let me pause and tell you why it's a time of famine. It is a time of famine because we are lacking the natural resources and flow of those resources to meet the needs of the people... hence why states are trying to open up that the flow of some economic wealth can come into the state and country. This is the reason I am saying this is a time of famine. Things that were once easy to obtain. (tissue, paper towels, Clorox, Lysol, etc. are no longer easy to obtain) ) Ok, no more interruptions back to the reason behind this blog. (this is why I have to start blogging more...lol) GOD told me that in this season we have to sow emotional seeds. Now I know you are wonder....What are emotional seeds? Emotional seeds are: love, joy, and peace... A.K.A. some of the fruits of the spirit. These seeds are seeds that will not only produce great fruit in the lives of others but also produce great fruit in your life. The fruit of favor, blessings, wisdom, peace, and love. See during a time of famine, no one is looking for a harvest. They are looking for produce. They want the end results, not the seeds.  So, this means that no one will mess with the soil of your seeds. No one will uproot it or cause it to die before it produces your fruit. In summary... "This is the best time to plant seeds, no one will be able to taint it." 

My challenge to you today as we continue to find a new norm during and after this virus is to plant some emotional seeds. The need for their fruit will be in demand and is in demand as you read this. People need the connection of the human touch. However, due to the season that we are in, that same touch that use to heal now kills. Now we have to find a way to produce the same results in a new way and that's through sowing emotional seeds. Now I forgot to tell you how you sow these seeds. You sow them through text messages of encouragement, zoom video calls of listening, phone calls of support and love, letters of hope, and laughter of memories. Listening we have enough bad news to deal with, it's time that we pursue the heart of Daddy's joy in this season.

Prayer: Daddy, thank you for the opportunity to sow emotional seeds into people that I am connected to and even strangers. I understand that we are living in a time of famine and uncertainty and the best thing I can do is make myself available to you. Daddy, help me be the best seed sower during this time of famine. Let me be bold enough to love hard, become grateful in all things, and check on those I think are strong. Daddy, help me be open to accept emotional seeds as I sow them. Help me to maintain balance and never pour out on empty. In Jesus Name AMEN!

I really hope this blog blesses you during these uncertain times. Please know that your physical and your mental health is truly important. If you feel like you need help in the areas of your mental health. Please text the word Villiage to 205-660-0376, to be connected to a mental health expert. This is the perfect time to get everything you put off in order. #noexcuses #mentalhealthawarenessmonth

New Starts Here

Hey Readers!! I know... I know... It's been a minute! I know I promised to do better, but life!!! I know.. No excuses and honestly there aren't any. But, guess what?!? 2020 will soon be here and I will try this again. However, I am not waiting until 2020 to get here to start my new start. My new starts here today!!! Yes, today! Let me catch you all up on the great things that I have already started that will be incorporated into my 2020. I have started #squadgoals which is a group of women that I not only send encouraging messages to but also keep me accountable and consistent. Then, there is #dearfuturehusband365 with a brand new look and content. Last but not least DDC (Daddy Daughter Conversations). I figured out a way to share new content and be consistent. I am excited and it starts tomorrow. So get ready for great messages and an awesome year!

Prayer:  Daddy, as we continue to finish the things of this year, help us prepare for our next. Let us not get content in waiting on a new year to arrive before we put new year things into action. Let us put into action our new year things now. Remind us that our new starts here. Herewith, an open mind, heart, and faith to trust you more by losing control more often. In Jesus Name. Amen!

Holiday Grief

Wow what a year right? I never thought that in my years in the mental health profession that I would be experiencing so much holiday grief. I am always educating my clients on how to deal with their grief in a healthy way and ways to get through their grief without being in a place of isolation, depression, and most importantly silence. Today I have come to share some encouragement as I am able to identify with being a griever and  a person that helps with grief. It's amazing how all the things that you learned about the area of grief is hard to apply when you are in the process of grief. Now before I go into my encouragement let me just educate you on grief. Grief happens everyday in your life. If you lose your keys and they are not where you thought you put them when you are ready for them you go through the stages of grief which are: Denial, Barging, Anger,Depression, Acceptance. This is not a step by step process you can go from denial straight into acceptance skipping the others then back to barging.  But how does losing keys even come close to grief. Well let me explain... Say you were looking for your keys and they are not where you put them, because you are convince that they should be there you are in denial that they could be any where else. After you realize they are not where you put them you go searching in different places analyzing where they could be this is your barging stage. After looking and searching for what seems to be hours you start entering into your anger state.  Once you get over your anger you now start to be in a depression moment thinking you will never find your keys again, then it happens either you stumble upon them or someone finds them for you and when this happen you enter your acceptance stage. Get it?!? Good now let's apply that same concept to the lost of a love one or thing (i.e. job, relationship, self-confidence, etc.) Say you had a love one that was sick and you knew their was no bouncing back. Well it seems to you that they are getting better and show signs of improvement,  then they become sick again and this time worst,  because you have been here before and they have gotten better you become in Denial about them being too sick to come back. After this  the medical staff tells you that they only have a certain time to live you then start to bargain. Now this can be within yourself, family, or  Daddy. After this you go into the anger state because you see that Daddy is not healing the way you think he should and death is the result of their illness. After realizing the death of your love one you then become depressed from their absence. After time in depression you realize that there are things that you can do to preserve their legacy and life and you do those things, which pushes you into acceptance. But a year after their death you find yourself depressed on their death date, and you now feel the steps of grief beginning.  So here is my encouragement to you when you feel the steps of grief coming through:

1. Speak up... Silence will manifest itself physically if you do not deal with it. You find yourself sick with something the doctor can't cure or figure out what's wrong.
2. Laugh... This is easier said than done, but is necessary to your healing process, The Bible says that laughter does the heart good like medicine. So take you a dose
3. Connect with people that know your heart. Their are people in your circle that know that the holidays are hard for you and they are willing and ready to be their for you.
4. Be open. It goes with one, but this goes a little deeper, this means that you have to want the help that is being offered to you. You are not a burden, or even getting on their nerves they know what you need, they are just waiting on you to ask for it.
5. Have a memorial... This can be done with or without family. You can light a candle, decorate a tree or wreath, do a particular act that the person was known for, share pictures of great moments, or you can go celebrate that persons. But whatever you do, do not isolate yourself.
6. Ask for help... this can be the only time you don't have it together and that is fine, but know there are people willing to help you through this tough time, but they don't want to push the help, they just waiting on your cue to move.

I hope these things help and I hope you understand that holiday grief is ok, if you handle it in a healthy way.

Have I settled in My More?

As I was reading my friend's Latoya Tolbert's blog on wordpress (got check it out: latoyatolbert.wordpress.com)  I got a revelation... I really do want more. As I reflect on all the events that happen in the US I am convince and convicted of three things. As Christian we have become wavier in our faith as a representative of Christ. We have lost the aspect of GOD's love towards the people of this world. As I hear the nation glorify the actions that are clearly against GOD's will my heart weeps. I want to be in a place not of judgement, but of love. I want my reaction towards their actions to be of love and I want this desperately for the kingdom as well. I want to see the miracles of GOD manifest right before my eyes, and not be shaken by the things that I can't control or even the weapons formed against me. I want the more. I want more of his presence, I want more of his love, more of his power, I want more of his word, wisdom, and understanding of my position as daughter. I want more. And can I declare there is more. There is more to GOD and today with a heart of vulnerability, I am convince I can't settle I can't compromise, and I can't allow anything to stop me from getting to the MORE. I want to encourage someone that feels like they don't know how to get to more, or even those that feel that they are at more, but feel like the more they obtain has left or they don't know how they achieve it... There is more and there is no need to settle without pursing the more. As I have grown in my intimate relationship with GOD I  realize that the more I experienced at 16 is not the more I am experiencing at 30 something. I realize that 16 I was getting to know my identity in GOD at 30 I know my identity I am just trying to tap into the power, privilege, purpose, and potential of my identity. So today know there is more and don't settle for the more you have keep asking for more and more and more.

Prayer: Daddy thank you that in you there is always more. More love, more power, more purpose, more protection, more provision, more wisdom, more of what we need and all that we need. Today we give you a more praise. Not for what you can and have done for us, but a more praise to tell you thank for the more. Thank you for the more we didn't even ask for, for the more grace, the more mercy, thank you for the more of your presence, your face, your time with us. Thank you for the more of our healing, the more of your restoring, the more of your rebuilding, the more of your reviving. Daddy today we give you more. More of us, more of our life, more of our time, more of our heart, more of our love, more of worship, and more of our praise. We thank you that today we declare we will never settle for any more levels of what we think more is to us. We will pursue more of you until you come back for us or we leave this earth. In JESUS name! AMEN!