Double Portion Inspiration

My teenager! It’s hard to believe that in just a few short months, my oldest child will enter into her 20’s. When she was a toddler, I remembered hearing horror stories about raising teenagers. I’m thankful that I always rejected that notion. I never came into agreement with it. I do agree that parenting is never easy and raising teens is no different. Despite its challenges, I’m thankful for the experience of being a mother. Here’s a few things I’ve learned over the years: ·                      Surrender to the process . We have an obligation to raise our children in the training and instruction of the Lord. Even with that foundational training, parenting is full of ups and downs. Don’t have any expectations that you will be a perfect parent or that your kids will be perfect. There’s NO such thing. You will make mistakes and so will your teenagers. It’s all part of the process...

 As a young girl I remember being afraid to speak in public. I was an introvert. People would describe me as quiet and shy all during my childhood. My sister, Renee, on the other hand was always an extrovert. She is outgoing and can strike up a conversation with ANY stranger.  My mom would put us in oratorical contest where we would recite poems in front of hundreds of people (SCARY). She would also volunteer us to read scripture during youth Sunday church services (SCARY). I did NOT like it. I would have knots in my stomach thinking about speaking in front of all those people. I remember reading the story of Moses in the Bible. He was commanded to tell the big mean king Pharaoh, "let my people go." Imagine being the one given that assignment. Moses came up with many reasons and excuses on why he wasn't the person to go to the king. "But Moses pleaded with the Lord, "Oh Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been , and I'm not now, even though...

  For years, Roslyn and I have provided inspiration through our blog. It's been a way to bring calm to everyday chaos. Well, we've decided to join our years of business experience and form DPI,LLC ! DPI,LLC  is a high impact consulting firm focusing on leadership training, business strategy and talent management.  It's an opportunity for us to encourage through consulting services for small business owners, corporations and faith based organizations. In this chaotic time, DPI is here to: Take the fear out of starting over Assist organizations pivot during a pandemic Identify your value proposition in the NEW marketplace Equip Executive Leadership & their staff in the area of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Change is inevitable and we want to help you navigate it with innovative solutions! Ways to support us: Visit our website for more information:  https://www.dpi2.com/ Like our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/DPI2LLC Follow us on Instagram: ...

During a recent family meal, we each went around the table and shared one thing we loved about each other. Typically my 16 and 10 year old are on each other's nerves, so it warmed my heart to hear them being pleasant to each other. They were also surprised to hear each other's response. Do you ever ask similar questions around your dinner table? If not, try it. My youngest during vacation  As much as it was a blessing to hear them talk about each other, their answer to me was beyond words. My 10 year old started out first. I was pretty sure he was going to compliment my cooking. I've always felt like I take "rock star" status in his mind because I enjoy cooking his favorites on a regular basis. His world revolves around sports, video games, sleep, reading books, and eating. Typical kid stuff. Instead of him listing my participation in any of those activities, he quickly let me know that he loves how I teach him God's word. ...

I'm sure the title of my post offends some, however, it's the only word strong enough to share my level of disappointment and frustration over today's political environment. What happened to the days when we could sit down together and have a decent debate about our views? Sometimes we agreed and sometimes we didn't. So what! We would just agree to disagree and move on. Not today. This political environment is different. Way different. A difference of opinion today means that a person is judged for their beliefs. We're judged by how we vote, what we feel about the issues and where we choose to get our news from. If you believe in one Republican ideal you're labeled a Conservative. If you side with some of the Democratic ideals you're labeled a Socialist or Liberal. There's no middle ground or moderate voice in today's political dialogue. What happened? Whether you believe it or not, families are being torn apart. Friends are ...

Last month, Alton and I celebrated 20 years of marriage!   It was an exciting time in our house.   We pulled out our wedding album and the kids couldn’t believe how young we looked when we got married (we were also both a lot smaller).   Wedding Day In 1997 we both walked down the aisle having no clue what the future held.   Neither one of us fully understood two simple yet complex words, “I do”. I’m happy to say that I’m still madly in love with him. I don’t just tolerate him. We’re not just roommates staying together to raise kids. We are FRIENDS! We make each other smile and laugh at our corny “inside” jokes. Now, with that being said, we’re not a perfect couple by any means.   Does he get on my nerves? Yes!   Does he make me want to scream at times? Yes!   Do I get on his nerves?   No!   Just kidding.   Of course I do.   Despite those facts, he’s the one for me and I’m thankful to God...

Let's admit it. We all lead busy lives. We can often find it hard to spend quality time with family, especially our children. If we allow it, our community responsibilities, careers, and church activities can take away a large amount of our time. I thought it would be great to share some cool ideas to spend quality time with your children while navigating life. Games . Have them available close to your family room or kitchen area to make it quickly accessible. I keep Scrabble, Uno , and Puzzles in the family room because my youngest always wants to play a game right when I'm trying to cook. So that he feels momma's love, I play a quick game with him first and then return to cooking. Park . Being outdoors with your children is exhilarating. It also provides a great opportunity to get in some physical exercise so that you can skip the gym and make memories with your babies. Movies . There's nothing better than a great...

One of my favorite movies is "Why Did I Get Married?"  Even though it came out seven years ago, I still watch it every chance I get.  I can recite most of the lines in the movie so you know I was thrilled to see it playing numerous times this weekend on the BET network.    In the movie, there's friction between the couples and they are forced to think about, "Why did I get married?"  During one of the conversations between the husbands, they make reference to an "80/20" rule.  There's a thought that you will only receive 80% of what you need from your marriage.  When someone comes along offering the 20% you're not receiving, it's easy to think that the grass is greener on the other side.  Some will find it easy to leave the 80% even though they will only receive 20% of what they need in the new relationship.  Watching the movie's reruns this weekend sparked a conversation between me and my husband.  ...