recently, i photo-shopped some awesome pics… and i wanted to share them. Photoshop is not the easiest program to learn, but i love the quality it’s brought to my photos …  here’s me sharing…

My front yard in the fall of 2011

Daytona Beach Pier, Fla. 20

Denton, TX UNT campus

 

How’s your time? What do you do with it?

I was recently reading a book about marriage, quality time and how to cultivate it. It’s a book by: Dr. Steve Stephens called: “20 (Surprisingly Simple) Rules and Tools for a GREAT MARRIAGE.” Stephen has a chapter he writes about  watching less TV in order to salvage a marriage. It makes me think about what my husband and I currently do at home. Stephen has good reasons why it’s important to spend time away from the TV. He gives three excellent reasons. Music can be an excellent replacement. Here are the three benefits: a) it intensifies intimacy; b) it deepens connections; c) it builds priceless memories. My husband and I find music sets the mood for relaxation in the home after a very stressful day. We also take time most evenings to connect around ten p.m. to make sure we take care of our marriage.

I have one channel I really like to watch regularly. (HGTV) . I do really well without TV because I like quiet. So it’s not hard to figure out when to watch it or how much. I love a quiet evening between seven and nine o’clock, just exploring or researching titles and topics and trying to cultivate my craft. I also enjoy writing my book. I take up quite a bit of time in the evenings doing so. And since no children are around, I am able to do so quite well.  Everyone doesn’t have such a luxury, however.

So why write about REST & RELAXATION? Because rest and relaxation has everything to do with caring for your mind, and your best work comes from resting your mind and taking care of you. Pacing is so necessary for being able to  moderate your time. To pace means to find balance and preserve time. I do  tend to gravitate towards it when I  am beginning to become tense. I might have a cup of tea or take a quick nap, or simply read a newspaper or a blog to relax my mind. Oftentimes  your body will tell you where it needs to  be  more relaxed. If your feet hurt, you may need to soak them, if your back hurts, stretch it.

If you are a writer, there are three necessary things you need in order to take care of the lifestyle of writing:

You will need:
a) A good night’s sleep so your body and mind are rested and you think clearly. When you don’t get the proper rest, it can really affect your entire day.
b) You need to take care of your body, because rest and health go hand in hand. You can feel better if you eat foods that offer you better energy and a better mindset for writing;
c) And lastly, you need good order and structure time. You need a routine that has writing squeezed in it, even if it’s for an hour or thirty minutes a day. Writing once a day helps make you eager to write again, and looking forward to the next time. It also helps to have your day ordered in terms of a schedule so you can schedule in times to make sure the writing gets completed. I had to think about my pace and  ince I paced my day, I would then consider the best time of the day to write and had the most energy, then write!

The S. Africa team visiting Homes in Kuma, S. Africa

In 2003 I went to a shantytown visit in Kuma, South Africa. This day began speaking to youth about their dreams.

I remember writing in my journal I kept: ” I fell in love with the young people here! They are phenomenally bright and vigorous! I wish I could have stayed with them a an entire day! The youth taught me so much! I hated to leave the schools.”

I had mixed emotions. My ambivalence went deep. My reticence filled the car when I saw huge discrepancies in the community. On one side of the earth, just outside of Kuma, South Africa – were diamond fields. In yet the other end side ( ride across the road – in fact) were shanty towns… fields of them… several small huts of tin shacks with holes in them. This is what you shall see here in these videos – places people actually called: ‘home’. As I observed the fields that day, it seemed that there were maybe even more tin shacks than diamonds that were in the fields, that day. I was informed by my friend Karabo that the DeBeers family owned all the diamonds in South Africa. ( Read the highlighted link for the history.)

It left me speechless.

That was a long ride home that day. One thing we thought to do for this family, though not quite enough, was to encourage them. We had brought lunch that day, but we couldn’t dare eat in front of them. So we gave them our lunches. That ride back to Johannesburg was a quiet ride that day after hearing Make’s story. You will hear in the video how Make’s name means : Miracle. (How wonderful! ;0) )

Listen in on it, yourself…

This is how Make‘ survived: the community took care of her and her siblings. It’s called the Spirit of Ubuntu. How the S. Africans care for each other. Whether they are family or not, they make ends meet. Community is FAMILY. I was so inspired by this principle ofliving and being I wanted to bring pieces of it back to the United States. So I did. I helped youth at Dr. Martin Luther King School in Syracuse N.Y. build a virtual cultural museum during Black History month and taught the youth – my peer leaders at the time – about community, purpose and dreams. Something resonated deep within me to see such a spirit of community so very present between people who were neighbors. It’s like the neighbors were unctioned by this Spirit of Ubuntu to become families, in a sense. It took community and friendship and kinship bonds to an entirely different level.

We went to encourage Make’ that day… but I think she encouraged us, more than we could encourage her. Funny how when you reach out God’s hand to bless, you are blessed. Make’ says she believes and has faith “that everything will be fine.” Of course they will… as much as I tried to be angry about the diamonds on the other side of the field, only miles away from Make’…her spirit shined and stayed with me and I was encouraged by her resilience the rest of that day. I thought:” maybe it really doesn’t matter who has all the money, maybe true value and worth is found in the spirit of the community and principled living.”

Peace, in the midst of all this… Amazing, it is. A Miracle. 

It’s important we learn how to listen to ourselves, because sometimes our soul speaks.

Where there is unrest within, we  must learn how to be our own best friend and listen.

If your soul is speaking…  would you hear it?

What is your soul saying, to you now? I promise you if you stop, you intuition will begin to inform you.

What is your soul comprised of, anyway?

Your soul is comprised of your mind, your will and your emotions.

When I take time to listen to my mind, I listen to my thinking and I listen for negative thoughts. The negative I sweep out with  affirmations:

You are Beautiful.

You are Strong.

You are Worthy of More.

I listen for my  meaningful thoughts  and find my purpose.

I find purpose in the thoughts that give me direction  and speak to me about how valuable I am.

When I listen to my will, I listen to the part of me that desires to move forward, but yet the season I am in may speak differently. My will may be stronger than what I am capable of delivering, so I have to be sure it’s more of God’s will, than my own. I may be much safer, in the end.

When I listen to my emotions, I cannot be swayed by every whim and worry, so if unrest is present, then I am listening for the part of me that says:

“Be still.”

“Settle down.”

“Release.”

“It is well.”

I don’t pay attention to anxiety, frustration or distressful emotions. I listen for PEACE.

And then… I push playback and allow  my soul  time to find me and come back to me. Selah.

Do you have trouble balancing the  Balance Puzzle? Who doesn’t?

Just some very vivid reminders…

Self – Care Exercise/Sleep

• How’s my diet? * ‘
• Am I Noticing When I need to just : “Be”?
• How’s my sleep pattern? *
• Noticing My Pace & Life Rhythm
• Am I taking my meds?
•  What’s on my mind before bedtime?
• How’s my exercise?
• Do I have TIME for REST?

Spiritual Energy level

• Self – Awareness *Am I Emotionally, Physically & Spiritually Attuned?
• Meditation Time… Making Room for it…
• Do I have Peace in my Relationships?
• Practicing Self Acceptance  (Instead of resistance…)
•  Do I have ME –TIME – (Self Evaluation Time)?
• Am I Seeking Inner Peace/Self Soothing?

Stability & Responsibility

• How’s my Self-Acceptance barometer?
• Am I Being Responsible for my Thought Life?
• What & WHO are my supports?
•  What am I responsible for, REALLY?
• Am I choosing to RESPOND & not REACT?
•  Am I on overload?/ Is My Plate Too Full?
• Do I have STRUCTURE & Routine?
• Am I Acquiescing? ( Yielding Without Protesting)

Am I AWARE of my patterns of behavior, attitudes and feelings?

•  Am I daily re-evaluating my priorities?

Other Questions to Ask Yourself:

• What ‘season’ am I in? ( Is it time for the things I want or things I need?)
• What are my TOP 3 Priorities today?
• What are my NEEDS today? (Am I asking for what I want?)
• What’s lacking in my world & with my disposition (Are my moods, cravings and personal challenges in sync?)

Stay tuned for more on  Red Sea Courage ~ our upcoming magazine…

I had so much fun at my husbands’ alma mater tonight – Booker T. Washington High School and just attending the homecoming, I felt like a kid again! I wish sometimes we could never grow up! The games are just way too much fun! I had my phone and neglected to know how fun it would be or I would have had my camera, but I think these are still cool pics so I wanted to share! I even met up with some friends unexpectedly!

I had the awesome privlege of going to an HBCU ( Historically Black College & Univ) – Howard University   for my senior years, and  for some reason I NEVER took pics of all the fun at the  homecoming games!

Wow, do I regret this!

I used to love to sit right next to them so I could dance too! I have always loved the sounds of horns and trumpets and I  think  I know where my love has spawned from!

I really am starting to like the midwest quite a bit! Can’t you tell?? :0) Even met up with some friends unexpectedly!

So here are some pics of my fun tonight, but I will give you a taste of Howard before I sign off!

Challenge yourself to live wholeheartedly!

What makes you VULNERABLE makes you BEAUTIFUL.