Happy, Happy Holidays

Fly into the new year feeling strong and wise,

and with love and peace.

Wishing you the very best, always!!! 

Happy New Year!

Walk leaving Peace. Abundance. Love.

Invite yourself to feel the gound under your feet for this is where you shall walk toward love and beauty.  Invite yourself to feel the gravel between your toes for this is where you shall take deep breaths in knowing that soft sand is near.

We keep walking because we don't want to sit down and feel the ground for there is no need to roll around on the rigid ground.  We continue to walk because our feet are made for walking; therefore, we can welcome the gravel and rocks.  Our destination is sheer joy, beauty, softness, and peace. 

Just like we know softer ground is coming, we shall know that abundance, peace and joy are near.  We shall keep walking until we see it.  The ground will help us to see with strength and confidence that we are carrying abundance, peace, and joy.

We are so powerful that with faith, we can create the sand under our feet as we walk.  Do you know what faith is?  Yes, it is the realization that all that there is and ever will be is Love!  More importantly, we carry love and we leave it as we walk on the gravel and rocks.  So, we turn gravel into beautiful sand with our footsteps.  So, the next person behind us will walk on soft sand.  Thoughts of love, beauty, peace and encourgement creates beauty for others. 

So, get behind me as I create beautiful soft white sand for you.  You look behind and see the sand you leave, too.  I know you are smiling as I am. 

I'm so grateful!

Let's Be the Village

It takes a village to raise a child. It takes God's love to spread joy to so many children simultaneously. The beauty of spreading love and joy is that it never has to stop.  Good is always flowing.  "We can only give away what we have and we only keep what we can give away."

Through Let's be the Village campaign, Se'Lah at Necessary Room has accepted the gift to love and cherish children by showering them with gifts.  The gifts are wonderful, but the act is Divine!!!  Will you join in?  I thought so...

Peace and Blessings!

Love

I love myself so much

That I can love you so much

That you can love you so much

That you can start loving me.

Rickie Byars Beckwith

Random Thoughts - Just strolling along with you...

First, I want to say thank you to Se'Lah and Anyes for hosting such a fabulous and beautiful Random Acts of Kindness for World Kindness Day!  Kindness is everyday, all day, and I'm so grateful these ladies brought it forth in my consciousness.  Thank you ladies!  I will continue to share my Random Acts of Kindness here in Operation You!

This is my second year of graduate school and I've had some ups and downs and all arounds!  But, I must say that I'm grateful for this challenge.

When I decided to go back to school, I didn't ponder on the idea.  Sure, the idea passed me like the wind a few times during my undergraduate years, but I thought,  It's just a fleeing thought. 

I believe it was a Tuesday, and this day, I had been buried in work.  Just like a baby who takes her first breath, the wind pushed through my lungs.  I gasped for air and said, "I'm going back to school," just like that.  I opened an internet browser on my computer, searched for my school, and applied.  I knew I would get accepted.  I knew that money wouldn't be an obstacle even though I didn't have any.  I accepted and it came to pass.  Thank God!

Now that I'm here, I'm glad I didn't take the time to ponder on the idea of attending graduate school or else I may have talked myself out of it.  It's a lot of work, but I know it's all for a purpose, and that purpose is to allow the Divine Presence to express through me.  It's all about lifting others. 

Today in meditation, I received this understanding:  Releasing and letting go years of a trained ego that fed on doubt, worry, lack and limitaiton, and fear allows me to see the complete opposite.  Now, I know what IS and has been since Creation. I must affirm the truth daily so I don't re-visit my old thought patterns.  Love, faith, peace, abundance, and truth allows me to close my eyes and walk toward the light just by knowing it and feeling it.  I'm walking with a smile on my face.  Sheer joy!

Bliss is at your heart.  Please accept it and smile with me.

Random Acts of Kindness - Recognizing Her

I am not sure why I drove through Zaxby's, a high-scaled fast food restaurant, on my way home from class.  I got out of class the usual time of 9:15 pm and proceeded on my standard route when I pulled into Zaxby's.  I thought, Vickie, you are not hungry and you don't eat this food so why are you pulling in here?  I scanned the bright menu and ordered a small fried pickles.  This should be interesting.

At first, nothing stood out about the young woman at the drive-through window.  I gave her my last $10.00 for my $2,00 bill, all the money I had.  She stepped away for a few seconds and an understanding began to brew inside of me; she is love and she needs to hear it.  She came back to the window and stretched her hand almost inside my car window.  I looked in her eyes.  She looked in her mid-thirties and her eyes were deep with heavy black eye shadow and eye liner.  The woman seemed to use the dark make up to hide the entrance to her soul.  Her eyes didn't look spooky, but almost unworthy. 

"May I ask you to keep the change?" I said.

 

She said, "Why?"

 

"Because I want you to have it."

She questioned my intent through her eyes and said, "We are not suppose to take tips."

I said, "This is not a tip."

Again she asked, "Why? Is it because I'm always here working?"

"I've never been here before," I said.

She said, "I don't understand."

I agreed, "Me either, but I want you to have this because I want you to remember that you are beautiful.  You are special.  You are here with a purpose - a great purpose.  And don't let anyone or yourself tell you any differently.  You deserve this [..money] and so much more.  You deserve Good.  So, don't be afraid to receive it.  Ok?"

"You are making me cry," she said in a soft voice as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Tears also filled my eyes and I became honored to be in her presence. 

She returned to the drive-through window with a much larger container than what I paid for.  The blackness around her eyes smeared a bit, but I did see the light of her soul perhaps because I looked for it.  It has always been there.

"Thank you," she said.

I said, "No, thank you.  You have a wonderful evening and beautiful life."

She nodded as tears fell down her cheeks.

I drove away thinking about what happened.  Immediately, my ego wanted to question my intent, but I wouldn't allow it.  The awareness within me recognized that I didn't have time for my ego to talk me out of the action I took.  That's the beauty of listening within.  When we are in constant communion with the Divine Presence, we are able to express the Divine Presence without a thought.  It just happens.

Something GOOD beyond me knew what she needed and I accepted that.  I recognized the beauty, the peace, the love and the joy that is in all of us, and in her and I'm thankful and grateful for the opportunity to have recognized it in her.

This is my Random Act of Kindness.

Sponsored by Se'Lah over at Necessary Room and Anyes over at Far away in the Sunshine.  They are hosting their version of A Random Act of Kindness day.

Always Climbing. Always Lifting.

Hello everyone!

Today is an extraordinary day.  There is no particular reason why.  It just is!

I'm smiling today even though I could frown.  I'm feeling love even though I could feel hate.  I'm seeing peace even though I could feel hostility.  Yes, I choose for this day to be extraoridnary!

Se'Lah over at Necessary Room and Anyes over at Far away in the Sunshine are hosting their version of A Random Act of Kindness day.  I can't tell you how excited I am to join them.  As usual, I'm late in joining but I've learned not to make excuses but to just embrace any and everything with such love, peace and humility.  This beauty always supersedes negativity.

So, from this point until November 13th (World Kindness Day), I will write about my experiences here in showing acts of kindness.  I have a couple situations that already stand out in my mind that are too wonderful to keep to myself.  What is the point of climbing if we are not lifting others along the way?  We are all connected.  We are all one.

Please share your random acts of kindness.  You may leave a link to wherever you post it.

Kindness is when you act on the beautiful thoughts you have of others.

Peace!

Things are going well!

Last week was such a busy week.  I kept thinking, I promised myself that I would no longer take weeks to post to Operation You, for me and for you.  But, with school work staring at me everytime I walk by my book bag, my daughter's birthday party that required me to deep clean and cook and crowning two titles of mother and wife on the top of my head, I really was thankful that I learned to take deep breaths and let things be as they are. 

If a thought came to me that made me question its nature,  I immediately released the negative thought and the emotion went right along with it.

So, now I'm taking a toe-dip in this fresh water that covers this post and I am grateful for learning and knowing the truth, which is there is nothing wrong  There is nothing bad.  All is well.  This is my power and yours.

Treading Water

I always share with you how powerful we are and that strength that lifts us is within all of us.  I share this with all that I am and know this to be the truth.  I simply know because it is the only way that I am able to be centered in peace.

My girlfriend asked me, "How are you since you are no longer working?"  Whenever anyone asks me this specific question or in general, I take the time to breathe and answer with such deep honesty and awareness.  I answered Gwen: 

"I feel like I'm walking on water, treading the waves but floating by faith.  Even though I sometimes see fog, I close my eyes and boldly tread through it.  When there is a wave that makes me feel like I'm drenched in heavy water; still, I tread the water.  But the excitement is that the waves die down and the water dries.  Then amazingly, I feel cleansed.  And if and when the next fog or wave comes, I know I will eventually walk through with my eyes open because of faith and knowing the truth that there's always been good, joy, peace and love forever flowing.  It's the law of God!  It will never end and it's always accessible to us because it is us.  Sinking is only in our minds.  We are created to float. 

I'm simply here to be the expresson of the Divine Presence and I so accept that!"

Gwen said, "Wonderful!"

I had a date.

I picked her up from school.

We played in the park for a couple hours.

She fed the ducks dinner.

We walked, talked and laughed.

Jannah and I carried our date well into the evening.

Together we held our make-believed  mics, sang and danced.

Now, we chat and comb Pink Poney's hair talking about the last weekend that we will spend together before she turns five years old.

What a date!

Let it shine...

Pure and simple

the light flows from within

I do have a choice

to shield the light

From my and your sight

But I choose to let it shine

Why?

Because you are you.

if you were here...

I could take you outside at dawn so you could see
the morning glories open up to reveal your favourite colour.



We could go on a walking meditation upon a mountaintop,
then jump as high as we can, and try to grab passing clouds by their tail.
oh yeah, i think i'd like that ;)

I could take you for a drive down long and windy, country roads.

I'm sure you won't mind if I turned up the bass and volume on the radio,

open all the windows, and let the wind blow through our dreads.

And since we're in no rush, we could head on over to the coast
to watch the sun play hide-no-seek behind the endless horizon.



And when night begins to fall, we could join the girls outside
and create shooting stars with sparklers.

*I'd love to hear what you would do, if you were here*

*My dearest Vickie, I sure wish you were here, but I'm thankful that you are sharing your thoughts more often these days.  Your dose of positive was most certainly missed.  Love you lots.  one love, Se'lah

Inspirational Monday - Live the Impossible

I absolutely love this photo!  It's pure. Bright. Light. Calmness. Beautiful.  These are just a few things that this photo demonstrates to me. Thank you Se'Lah!

Often during dawn meditation, my heart is opened and I become enriched with so many inspired thoughts of givingness, joy, love and wisdom. I usually write these thoughts down in my journal because they are evidence of the Divine Intelligence that operates through you and me, if we allow ourselves to operate in that place of stillness. 

During Saturday's meditation, I wrote this down in my journal:

I constantly have direct contact with the Infinite Intelligence.  It's all the time.  I didn't hear this.  I know this because I feel it.  That's the spiritual communication that is always flowing.  I have to stay spiritual to receive the communication and to give it.  It's a two-way communication, but it's one.  It is all one communication simultaneously. That means I am one with the Spirit.  It breathes me.  Yet, I have a choice through it.  I surrender to it.  I surrender my choice to it and I let it be.

There is nothing that we cannot achieve. If we just only realize how beautiful and powerful we are, we would see, know and expect greatness and the impossible ALL the time.   The GOODNESS is not just at our fiingertips.  It's greater than that because it is everywhere including right there where you are and in each of you.  There is nothing stopping us from living our lives fully, but us.  We are here to do so.  Let's do it!

Happy Inspirational Monday!

Joy is always flowing...

I missed "Inspirational Monday."  So, this will just be "Inspirational Today."

My daughter, two nieces and I were on our way home from the Olympic Centennial Park in Atlanta when we pulled into a Wendy's parking lot to take this photo of the sunset.  The girls had on bathing suits and were really tired.  We had driven about 45 minutes to Atlanta from the suburbs with no air conditioning in my car, but we were on our way to get it fixed. As a treat for dealing with the stifling heat in the car, they played in the park's water fountain to cool off.  They had a blast!

On the ride home, everyone in the car was silent until I saw the sun.  "Look everybody," I yelled.  The inside of the car became lively.  My daughter said, "Let's take a picture."  So, we did.

For the next few minutes, we were lost in time and space.  The sheer joy on all of our faces made me realize that recognizing the beauty is wonderful, but stopping to feel the beauty is a reward in itself.  Gratitude and appreciation stayed with us long after the sun finally set.  Joy is always flowing and is always available to us.  We just have to remember to stand in it!

Peace and Blessings!

Weekend Concept - Breathing in life!

It's the weekend and it's beautiful here in GA.  The high will be 91 degrees, but it's not the July 90's so it doesn't feel as hot...yet.  My family and I had breakfast on our front porch this morning and the breeze was wonderful!  I wanted to take a picture, but I decided not to delay this post.  Today is a good day.

As you can tell, I've been working on my blog some to reflect where I am on my journey.  I think I'm liking it but time will tell.  I need to do a few more things.  So, thank you for tolerating me as I go through this process.  It's definitely a work in progress.  In fact, if you have any suggestions or comments about my new look, please feel free to share them.  And don't be shy!

I accept this beautiful life that is given to me daily.  Every breath I take reminds me to be grateful for the next one.

Happy Weekending!

My "Gift of Jewels" is here!

Yeah! I've received my beautiful Gift of Jewels from Tracy over at Pink Purl. Aren't they just beautiful? Tracy sent me a handmade card that is adorable and this photo doesn't do my bracelet any justice. It is gorgeous and it feels so good on my wrist! I love it. I haven't had the opportunity to wear my bracelet yet, but I so look forward to wearing it soon. Thank you so much Tracy! And thank you Se'Lah for being the instrument to spread love around the world through the Gift of Jewels project!

It's been awhile since I've posted on Operation You and I miss it! My intention was to, at least, leave some inspiration here in between my busy schedule. But, I'm back...again. I plan to make my rounds and I thank you and appreciate all of you who continue to come and visit Operation You!

I'm grateful for all of you!

Because I AM...

please, say it with me.

I can think positive thoughts Because I AM positive

I can live in love Because I AM love

I can reach my dreams Because I AM created for them

I can feel healthy Because I AM born into perfection

I can see beauty Because I AM beautiful

I can feel peaceful Because I AM peace

I can feel joy Because I AM joyous

I can think goodness Because I AM good

I can enjoy you Because I AM enjoyable

I can practice Truth Because I AM Truth

Knowing the Truth has set me free

We know we are all of these wonderful things because we are Life.

We are real.

We are Truth.

We are powerful.

Negativity is an illusion that we think and perceive.

All of our spirits are connected and we are one with the GREAT Power and Love, God.

One Unity. One Love.

Secret Treasures

I had to display this photo again. It is perfect for this posting. Don't you agree?

Thank you Se'Lah!

Have you ever looked at one of your old storage bends or one of your old trunks where you got an urge to go in it because you didn't know what treasures you would find? Have you been excited to see something that you've forgotten was in there? This something allowed you to travel in time within and made you smile? And other times you have also asked, "Why did I ever keep this?" It brought memories to the surface you wished you never had retained.

That's how our memories work; some call it our subconsciousness. It is a storage bend or trunk. Every experience and idea are stored in our subconsiousness including the ones we perceive not so pleasant. We have to remember that even when we think we have gotten over something or got rid of something that we don't want to experience again; often, we have held on to it.

We have to totally release anything from our memories that could hinder us from growing and reaching our purpose for being here on this beautiful planet we call Earth. We have to bring "it" forward from our subconsciousness to our consciousness, our present awareness and then we can release it. We immediately replace it with something beautiful like a song or favorite inspirational poem or simply an affirmation. My body trembled as tears rolled down my face as I brought forth some unpleasant memories within my soul. But oh my, once I completed this work, I felt like a feather.

We need to detox from all of those negative things that we forgot we stored. Anytime a feeling comes up that is not pleasant, evaulate the thought behind that feeling and then release it. Practice letting go and replacing it repeatedly with knowledge of the truth until the new thought is imprinted in your soul. A thought of truth is to know that everything around us in Mother Nature continues to operate harmoniously whether our perceived day is bad or good. Mother Nature knows of nothing wrong, of nothing missing or of nothing bad. If something interferes with its harmony, such as man, She adjusts and keep on being Mother Nature.

Our thoughts and the stored thoughts and memories are there to remind us of our experiences but we have the power to change our experience by understanding that we are the power. We are the GOOD. We are born with it and it has always been. There is no convincing of ourselves. We must know simply because we exist.

We are simply here to experience ALL goodness and the Grace that is upon us is simply a deep love and a deep givingness by our Creator. This is called Life. Life grants us the key to ultimate wellness, peace, happiness, joy, beauty, abundance and of course an everflowing power of love! That's what Life is. There is no other. You are the secret treasure. Look within.

This is your destiny and I appreciate you.

Limitless Possibilities

I was afraid to have faith because I thought, "What if it really doesn't work out?" There was something in me that found it easier to believe the negative thoughts and situations. There was something in my mind that continued to fuel my doubt. It was fear.

Then I understood that to believe is just to believe but to know is true calmness. Knowing that all is well - that we were born into complete perfection - allowed me to see clearly. Knowing comes from acceptance that we are not just here. We are here for a purpose.

I see beauty. I see love. I see joy. I see limitless possibilities. I listen with my heart's ear and I listen quietly and confidently. All is well everywhere. It is such a blessing. I am grateful.

Grounded in Power!

Sometimes we feel like the weight of the world is making our bodies lean to either side and sometimes we even feel like we constantly lean forward with our backs arched and our heads hanging low. We feel like we can barely hold our bodies up. It's almost like fruit hanging on a thin branch of a tree. The branch almost touches the ground because it is so heavy with fruit.

We may be leaning, however, our base is strong. We have a foundation as strong as a tree and as solid as a tree's trunk which is deeply rooted in Mother Earth. So, take a deep breath and lift your shoulders with me and stand boldly rooted into life's foundation and that is God - Our foundation of truth.

This beautiful Presence that some call God is forever supporting us, lifting us, encouraging us to keep standing. We may have to release some perceived problems just like tree branches release fruit to gain posture. When we release (letting go) these problems, we unfold and we recognize how grounded we are in our foundation and we become true to ourselves. Our roots become stronger and we feel the lightness and bliss of joy!

We have the power. We are the power. Be grateful for the power and use the power to do extraordinary things because afterall, we have come to this life to indulge and share the greatest power of all and that is Love!

Say Yes!

I pray that all is well out there in blogland.

I want to leave this message for all of you. Say Yes!

Say Yes to change

Say Yes to transformation

Say Yes to love

Say Yes to giving

Say Yes to peace

Say Yes to happiness

Say Yes to joy

Say Yes to receive

Say Yes to creativity

Say Yes to believing

Say Yes to knowing

Say Yes to serving

Say Yes to surrendering

Say Yes from deep within to all that you have come to this Earth to experience because it is truly your journey to finding and loving yourself. You are a beautiful Being that has been created by a wonderful, loving and giving Presence.

Go with the flow and say Yes! And watch sheer joy and harmony master your life!

Sending peace and blessings, always!

Today!

Today is the day for whatever you imagine!

The Power of Turning Within

Just when I think that I have arrived at that "point of no return" is when I find myself revisitng old thoughts and negativity that elevated me to seek out truth in the first place - the truth that is within me - the truth that's within all of us.

I returned from my wonderful vacation where I visited six islands in the Carribean within eight days. I have to admit, after five days, I was ready to leave that cruise ship and get back to my life. I'm excited about my life and I'm so thankful that I can say that I am. It took awhile for me to arrive to this part of my journey where I can say that.

However; when I returned home, I felt a wave of negativity. I know where it came from but it was almost like my ego - my mind said, "I got cha." My Being was just as persisted as my ego. I know that all of the peace, love and joy comes from within my soul and I knew this and I know this now. I have the power and I am the one that deposits the gifts of peace, love and joy into this world. I am created with these gifts and so are you. We are to share them with the world.

So, for three hours earlier than dawn, I breathed deeply and allowed the awareness to come forth. I listened and listened and then I went to sleep free of worry, doubt and fear. Excercising meditation and affirmative prayer are gifts from our Creator. Always use them. That's our power.

Listen to your heart: I Feel Like Letting Go - Rickie Byars Beckwith

My Birthday in Pureto Rico!

Although this is not a picture of Puerto Rico, I have to say that I'm really in Puerto Rico for my birthday, today April 2nd!!! I'm on vacation. My schedule is so hectic at home that I didn't have time to talk about me going on vacation. But, I'm here.

I will be in Puerto Rico for two days before getting on the cruise ship. Yes, I will be crusing the Southern Carribean for seven days and let me tell you, what a great way to spend time looking within.

I want to say that I got up this morning for dawn meditation and prayer but I didn't. I wanted too, but there is always tomorrow. I got up to get online to handle a few things that I forgot to handle and I'm sitting by large double windows of my hotel room feeling and seeing the sun peek between the buildings. It's letting us know that it is a new day - new beginnings. How we are so magnificently blessed to get so many new beginnings!

If everyone in the world all took a long and deep breath at the same and exact time, we would still have enough air and sun to take a million more! Feel the joy in knowing the abundance that we live in!

Better Basket Blog Hop by Hershey

I'm so excited Dori From a Yellow House in England pulled my shirt tail to bring my attention to this sweet way of making an everlasting deposit into this world and I'm so happy to do so.

I love baskets and especially when they are full of love. I accept.

Just today, I helped plan and participated in my daughter's Easter Party and yep, she and her classmates ran crazy with their paper baskets looking for those colorful eggs. It's a joy to see, hear and be a part of innocent laughter.

I aim to hear the voices of other children through the Children's Miracle Network via their Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop. Hershey’s has pledged to donate up to $5,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network. How wonderful is that?

I'm going to pass the torch to others that can help in this effort. Join in to make your deposit into life! They are:

SeLah's Necessary Room

Cam's Journey Wildly

Thank you Dori and thank you ladies!

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES*

Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.

Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.

Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.

Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.

Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section.

You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.

Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).

Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

We See You

We see you.

We recognize you.

We respect you.

We adore you.

We honor you.

We understand you.

We feel you.

We pray you.

We see you.

We. love. you.

Listen to your heart: Yele Haiti delivers Over 400,000 Gallons of Water Throughout Port-au-Prince

Soak in Beauty

After returning home from a three-hour class thinking about what topic I will select for my school project and while my daughter sometimes sleep soundly in the back seat or listen to her dance music, I can't help but to feel sometimes the pressure on my shoulders to handle it ALL.

Taking deep breaths is equivalent to taking long hot bubble baths scented with lavender. Deep breaths are fast and easy to do and you want to talk about pleasure? It is sometimes so pleasurable for me that I am engulfed in sheer relaxation. Then I'm able to soak in the beauty of all the wonderful things around for us just to simply enjoy.

When I get out of the car and the weather is perfect for viewing the stars, my daughter and I gaze and listen to the stars speak to us in the same way the ocean demands our attention. We can soak in all of Creation. It is our gigantic bubble bath. All we have to do is recognize Creation, speak back to it by showing our gratitude and with our souls, love it!

We are blessed with the ability to soak in Creation's beauty. Take full advantage of it!

Do you truly want peace?

Sometimes we feel we are surrounded by walls of rigidness, lifelessness and yes, even doom. But understand these feelings come from one place and that's from our minds. Fortunately, our thoughts are not who we are. You've read this statement many times here on Operation You. Writing this statement with repetition reminds me that my Essence is the source that I want to feed my mind, allowing positive thoughts to flow through me. I write to remind you as well.

Peace doesn't come through our minds. It comes through our essence, our being, our souls, our hearts because we are peace. We were born with peace. We generate peace. We receive peace from one source and that is our Creator! Peace is breathed into us every minute of each day.

All we have to do is see peace everywhere we look and we will, without a doubt, feel it because it is within. We are able to see it in others and in any event. The beauty is that no matter what chatter is going on in our minds and what situation or event that is plastered on the television, we can still see and feel peace. Awesome!

I'm so thankful! I leave these words with you from Howard Thurman. Read them out loud because when you do this, you will understand that all there is for us to do is to be open to our purpose here on this Earth. We all have a purpose or else we wouldn't be here!

The Goal of Life is God!

The source of Life is God!

God is the goal of man's life, the end of all of his seeking,

the meaning of all of his striving.

Howard Thurman

(Taken from 40 Day Mind Fast Soul Feast - Michael Bernard Beckwith)

Leap of Life

Hey Everybody!

Well, it's been a long, long time since I last posted but I do have some exciting news. I've been diligently working on completing my first manuscript. This one is my baby. Sure, I have other incomplete works that are sitting around begging for my attention but the one I'm working on now is my first leap into writing novels. The title is called Stone Cold Secrets and I have an elated soul because I have the opportunity to be creative until my heart is content!

It's amazing how Life takes you on this wonderful and sometimes bumpy ride only to drop you off right where you started. It's the purity, peace and creativity that scurried you along when you were a child. It's the enthusiasm to see what is just around the corner that will thrust your soul forward. You have to make the leap and if you don't, the bumpy part of the journey of Life becomes the reminder of the smooth part. That smooth part of Life's journey is where and what you should be doing to make a meaningful deposit into Life.

I'm thankful for the bumpy part of the journey because it is the piece where guard rails are GENTLY and lovingly supporting us on both sides to keep us going on the path of Life. We will eventually end up right back where we started and that is to love Life, ourselves and others and to give of ourselves unconditionally. My friend, this love is a natural stepping stone to ultimate creativity and that's how our Creator expresses itself through us. We create beautiful masterpieces in this Life and our essence is a stamp on other people's lives along the journey!

Happy Inspirational Monday!

Lovin Ms. J!

She loves to sing

She loves to dance

Her eyes tell what she is feeling within

She is strong and yet meek as a lamb

She is silly and yet the pain of others she understands

She hides her face from violence but she goes boldly towards peace

Her name is Ms. Jannah

I'm soaking in all of her lovin!


She takes photos all day, everyday!

Love Conscious

I've missed yet another Conscious Friday over at Se'Lah's Necessary Room. I continue to think about Se'Lah and Conscious Friday so I consciously feel like giving a little consciousness in dedication to Se'Lah. Loving Se'Lah is so easy!

Everyday my sincere intent is to consciously check my love status. From minute to minute, I evaluate my words, my thought patterns and my actions to understand my behavior and what place my reactions or responses come from. I ask myself, " Is that ego or love talking?" I began doing more of this looking within after attending the meditation retreat.

During meditation, I'm so excited to understand the clarity that resonates within me. I understand why specific people are in my life and believe me, I write it all down in my journal to remind me over and over again. I discovered that every single person that is in my life is there for a reason and I am in their lives for a reason. When I wrote my chart identifying the names and the reasons why they are in my love, peace and understanding swirled around me like the winds of a tornado. I no longer needed to ask that question, why?

I consciously practice love. It can be so challenging sometimes especially when my mind/ego tells me that this person doesn't deserve my love for whatever reason. I am love. We are all love. To try and separate love from the essence of who we are is like our bodies trying to function without a heart. Love is breathed into us by our Creator. Isn't that just divine? The very breath that we take to keep us alive is love. Love heals us. It challenges us. It feeds us. It showers us with compassion. Love allows us to be thankful and grateful. Love is peace. It is simply our lifeline! It has to be or else we wouldn't be a part of this beautiful creation!

I'm consciously loving you and accepting love everyday. Every hour. Every minute! I know you are too.

"I Love You" Month - Ms. Kim

For a long time I wanted to write about his spectular woman but there weren't any words within me that could begin to measure the respect, love and admiration I have for her. When you are gifted with a person in your life that strives to see love and only love in everything and everybody, it's only a matter of time before you aspire to see the same love.

Kim has been my "bestest" friend for over twenty years. We have cried together, laughed together until we held our bladders and yes we have even disagreed, but we never once stopped being friends, "sistafriends." Neither of us won't let that happen. My sister Doris who has left this world coined the word, "sistafriend," or maybe she got it from somewhere, I'm not sure. But Doris used "sistafriend" to describe Kim simply because she was closer than our friend.

My sistafriend loves God with all her heart and has the strength and confidence to stand boldly in the love that heals all! I'm so grateful that her spirit chose me and and my spirit chose her to reflect on this gift called life together and we have a great time doing it!

My daughter calls Valentine 's Day, "I love you" day so I decided to call February, "I love you" month along with Black History Month. I wanted to reflect on the people that I love just because...

So, I'm sending love to all of you and all the joy that is within all of you wonderful Beings, I pray that it shines brightly!!

The Simple Things

I'm excited to join in, finally, with "The Simple Things" extravaganza from Christina's Soul Aperture! I'm elated to be part of recognizing the simple things that make each of our lives so rewarding and incredible! So, here I go...

Dawn meditation and prayer

Deep breaths

The first hug of the day from my daughter

Green Smoothie

A smile from anybody

Snuggling with my hubby

Love

Patience

Rain

My Blender

Forgiveness

Chocolate and Peppermint Teeccino

Dancing with my daughter

Fireplace

Laughter

Raw Food

Joy

Peace

and

Peace

Sending love, peace and joy everyday, all day to you!

Simply knowing...

I thank you so much for all of the warm hellos, positve energy and love that I'm currently feeling right now as I write this message. I've tried to write this particular post for over a week now and named it "Simply Knowing." However, I'm not sure what or where the beautiful Spirit was leading me when I gave this post the title. You know what's more intriguing about this idea? I have no desire to change this title. I'm not even sure why I chose this photo. I know that it's beautiful. It represents freedom to me.

What comes to my soul right now about this title is, "when you know that you know," no one or nothing will alter what you feel because if you listen with your heart and your soul and remain still in listening deep within, you simply know. You know that "This too shall pass." You know that nothing is greater than the love that is within you. It's your direct connection to an overflow of pure beauty. You know that regardless what your eyes see externally; internally, you understand the powerful winds of peace - love - joy that constantly swirl around you in abundance even when you are not paying attention. These winds are always there, everywhere.

You simply know so go ahead and smile in knowing. Be confident in knowing. Accept that you know and live in peace!

Bosom of love

She offered to pick me up from the airport on the day I arrived to Palm Springs Airport. I don't know why I was so amazed that she just simply wanted to give of herself without limitations. She greeted me with such a sweet smile and I immediately understood why she volunteered to pick us up from the airport at three different times. After speaking with her, I knew it was because of the road she had taken to get her to where she is in her life. For the first time, I had just met a kindred spirit that embraced life without hesitations. Our paths connected and suddenly we were traveling the same direction on the same road going to the same place. Awesome!

We were leaving the airport traveling this road in the above photo and I gasped for air as this view of the Creator rested in my heart. At this moment, I knew I was to be in her truck on this very road.

Have you ever had a feeling, instinct or vision where you absolutely knew without a doubt that you were to be doing exactly that thing or going that exact place or experiencing that very thing where so much excitement and joy covered you like a blanket and all you could do was leap inside? Well, I strongly felt it and I knew that the meditation retreat would change my life forever. I rest in the bosom of love now and I'm not going anywhere.

Happy New You!

After four days of bliss from looking within at the beautiful and powerful being that I am, I created my first purpose statement for my life for 2010 and I will share:

"I will live, love and celebrate life to my fullest potential being grateful for every step and in that I will surrender to my call to peace, giving and joy because I'm the light that God breathes!"

The meditation retreat was more than what I expected. Well, I didn't know what to expect really but it was everything plus more than I could imagine. I left the retreat knowing and feeling the power that we all have within. We are Beings with such abundance. We just need to understand our potential.

So, instead of saying Happy New Year to each other, we said Happy New You!! I left feeling more of myself and the best is yet to come. I will share more about my transformation here in this place. Stay tuned...

Happy New You!

P.S. The photo is of a set of mountains that lined the streets of Joshua Tree, CA.