Past vs. Future

My future does not have to be a reflection of my past, unless of course, I want it to!

Dreams

Today I will follow my dreams!!!
Sometimes following your dreams is so hard to do. In the past I've talked myself out of following my dreams with excuses ranging from A to Z. But I asked God for direction on this one and today he answered. So when God speaks, I'm going to listen. It's by faith, I go. 

On top of your "A" game

Do you remember what you did or what you looked like when you attracted your husband?
I am sure most of us took a little extra time getting dressed and paid close attention to the details when we were in the dating and/or beginning phases of our relationships. You did things like, wore designer clothing and up to date fashions. Made sure your shoes and bag were coordinated to complete the outfit. Bought Victoria’s Secrets, “just in case”. Went to the nail and hair salon to put the final touches on the package. Walked with confidence, kept a smile on your face. You knew you were on top of your “A” game. I am sure we all agree that men are visual so once you get them looking, that is half the battle.

As I was thinking about this I instantly thought about one of my favorite tunes. “Cater to You” by Destiny Child. The lyrics go into detail about what they are willing to do for their man. I am sure most have heard this song. The verse that particularly stands out to me is:

“I promise ya I’ll keep myself up
Remain the same chick you fell in love with
I’ll keep it tight ,I’ll keep my figure right
I’ll keep my hair fixed, and keep rockin the hottest outfits”

Most relationships evolve over the years and we mature and grow within the relationship. However, I am sure we all can agree that the one thing that does not change is the fact that men are visual beings. I would agree that with changing priorities most may not be able to buy the latest trendy outfit or spend discretionary funds at hair and nail salons. But there are inexpensive, cute, eye catching alternatives sold at discount stores and your local beauty supply store has bargain deals on items for home care. I know that it is hard to duplicate Vicky Secrets but Target has some sexy items that are a close 2nd.

We have to stay on top of our “A” game. Remember what you looked like to get your man? There is someone out there that looks just like that.

Happy Mother's Day

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.        - Washington Irving

It'll be All Over In the Morning

Ain't No Need to Worry by BeBe and CeCe Winans is a song that plays through my head many of nights when I've had a challenging day. Some of the lyrics are...

Ain't no need in worrying what the night is gonna bring, it'll be all over in the morning. There's a fear of night fall, when darkness comes and covers all the day. Sometimes we feel pain, but there are things that we can change,  just pray.

I guess it's my mind's way of trying to soothe my soul. Well, it is morning and things don't seem as bad as they did yesterday. Even though my toddler refused to eat his breakfast, he's still just as cute as a button. It's a gorgeous sunny morning. The temps are supposed to reach the low 70s and I have a lot of work to keep me busy, and in business. So from my calculation, the outlook on today is not to shabby.

In Doubt....In Faith

Doubt - to be uncertain about something; be undecided in opinion or belief. To be apprehensive about. Fear; dread... 

When a little bit of doubt seeps in, a little bit of hope seeps out.~ Moni

Faith - Belief that is not based on proof. Confidence in a person or thing. Belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc. A system of religious belief.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)

"In faith" is defined as, in truth; indeed. 

In faith, In Truth, Indeed

Moments of Clarity

My most important moments of clarity occur in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun comes up and the hustle and bustle of the day begins. My former Bishop advised the congregation to use the time you can not sleep to talk to God. I think this is great advice because you never know, this might be the time God wants to talk to you too. In fact I thought it was such a great idea, I implemented this into my life and it has become a time of peace and clarity for me. Sometimes solutions to things I've been pondering are placed in my mind with such ease I can't believe I didn't think of it the week before. It's just amazing to see the paths cleared.

When I imagine this process, I visualize a traffic jam. During the course of a week, we are exposed to so much information from home, work, friends, the media, our minds shut down preventing anything helpful from flowing in and blocking anything that is useful from flowing out. We are at a mental standstill, yet our lives are still moving forward. In essence, we are in a mental traffic jam.

Have you really thought about when your moments of clarity occur? Maybe they come late at night, or while you are on a nature walk, or maybe walking beside the ocean as the rhythmic sound of the waves allow you to soak in the tranquillity. Whenever or where ever your moments occur, I pray that you really embrace them and listen to that inner voice. You might have been dismissing it as a fleeting thought but I say following it through. Have that conversation and take the time to live in that moment. It might be worth more than you know.

Chick Flicks

I love going to the movies, always have, probably always will. But as the mother of a toddler, I don't get to the theatre as much as I used to. As a result, I've embraced the benefits that come with watching a movie at home. No you don't get the energized atmosphere of all the people, the over-priced yet tasty popcorn, the sights, the sounds. But you do get to cuddle up under the covers, press pause to get a snack or restart the dryer, and you can rewind when you didn't understand what someone said.

My husband knows he'll get a reaction of pure delight when he brings home a movie I've been wanting to see or even something he thinks I might like. I get excited by just the anticipation of being thoroughly entertained. There are a couple of movies that just came out that I hope to get to the theatre to see, and they are true chick flicks. Not always at the top of the list for the guys, but every man knows, there are times in life when you have to take one for the team!