Double Portion Inspiration

Have you ever averted danger? Have you ever been so close to being in a car accident your heart took a minute to fall back into place? There are many ways in which we avert danger. For me, it starts with listening to the Holy Spirit. Being open and sensitive to when God is speaking to me. Our world is noisy. Would you agree ? I spend the mornings waking up before the sun rises to sit in silence. I pray, read, journal and then ask God to cover us with His amazing protection.  After that I exercise. Exercise is my morning coffee. I get a bolt of energy. After my workout, I sit quiet again but this time I meditate . I turn my focus inward to see what my body needs to fully start the day. At my age, my body often needs ice on a sore muscle. 😁 I sit silent because I want to drown out the noise of distraction in my life. I want to protect my peace. Living as a human in 2022, we need a level of focus and intentionality. There is an over saturation of information and sounds throughout the...

This summer I spent time with my daughter and Goddaughter. They've both successfully made it through their freshman year of college. During our time together, I asked for their top pieces of advice for high school Juniors and Seniors. Here's what they shared: Continue to build relationships in your Junior year . They stressed the importance of building relationships with teachers, counselors, and coaches in your Junior year. They will be important in your Senior year when asking for letters of reference and recommendations.  Apply for as many scholarships as possible.  There are so many scholarships available. Provide yourself time to apply for as many as possible. Use a calendar system to help remind you of scholarship deadlines.  Apply for college early in your Senior year of high school. Most colleges will open up registration for college admissions the summer before the fall semester begins. Take time to apply early so that you're not stressed by any deadlines.  ...

Two years ago, cancer found me. I became a part of a club that I didn't want to join. It's a diagnosis I never wanted to hear. So many people I know have overcome cancer and so many others have succumb to it. It's taken me nearly two years to share my story on this blog. I'm still moving through the cancer process but I'm so thankful to still be here! After waking up in the worst pain of my life in November 2018, Alton rushed me to the emergency room. I was quickly discharged after the physicians told me that a mass on my ovary needed evaluation by my gynecologist. That visit with my doctor never came. After passing out later that evening, the following day I ended up in an ambulance going in and out of consciousness. My daughter was home when the ambulance arrived. I vaguely remember seeing her sobbing and as any mother would do, I gently whispered, "I'm going to be ok." She knew that my situation was dire yet somehow I didn't even ...

In these unprecedented times most people are feeling that life is out of control. In fact, 80% of voters feel this way. One person I spoke with said, "I wake up every morning with a sad heart." I've come to realize that some of the greatest progression in history comes during times of chaos and commotion. We have certainly entered a time that has an all new normal. Simple activities like grocery shopping and getting a haircut require a new process. In our quest to make sense of what's going on, imagine the conversations in homes with children, teenagers and young adults. In the midst of adversity, humanity collectively feels unsettled with all that is happening in our world and communities. Each day we wake up, we face a new set of fears and worries. Trouble seems to be pressing in and we are fighting to find the JOY of each day. How do we keep moving forward ? How do we stop the self defeating thoughts in our minds? When grieving and sadness become as common as...

The Lord’s Prayer is nestled in Matthew 6. It’s a model prayer that Jesus shared with His disciples. Even though the disciples walked with Jesus on a daily basis, they asked Him how they should pray. His response was a prayer that’s remained throughout time. I learned the prayer as a child and now as an adult, I've taught it to my children. The prayer begins with praise and adoration to our Heavenly Father. Before we escape into a prayer full of our wants and our needs, we enter into prayer time with a spirit of thanksgiving! Verse 11 shares 7 simple words: “ Give us this day our daily bread .” It’s a gentle reminder that our thoughts should only focus on TODAY . Tomorrow will take care of itself. Our Saviour that we worshipped and praised in the beginning of the prayer, is the same God that can take care of our DAILY needs. There are times when the cares of this world, take our minds into dark places. Thinking about what “could” happen can lead u...

We often pray for physical healing either for ourselves or someone we know. We all know someone that stands in need of physical healing. Whether its cancer, mental illness, dementia, lupus or diabetes, the list of areas where individuals need healing is overwhelming. The list of physical illnesses seem endless. We pray on behalf of our sick loved ones because being ill is difficult and takes its toll on everyone around. Praying for physical healing is powerful and a necessity but what about praying for your soul ? Have you prayed for your soul lately? Have you asked someone to pray for your soul? If you’re physically sick, I’m sure you ask them to pray for your healing, so why aren’t we just as quick to ask them to pray for your UNHEALED SOUL ? Your soul is the part of you that encompasses your mind, will and emotions. The soul is typically an area we refuse to address. It’s that part of you that can lash out in bitterness, anger and rage almost on a dail...

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. ...

Prayer is a conversation with God. It's an opportunity for us to talk to Him and for Him to talk to us. It's two-way communication and it should be continual as you move throughout each day. The God of the Universe, provides us the magnificent opportunity to have a conversation with Him! He wants to hear about our joys and victories and comfort us when life gets downright difficult. Here's the thing though, DON'T pray and then worry. It's like oil and water. They don't mix. They were never meant to exist together. If you're going through a difficult time, please pray about your situation and give it to God. He wants to take the cares of your world away but you must release it to Him. If you keeping worrying about the situation then you're doubting his ability to handle it. Philippians 4:6-7 shares the following: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to G...

Most Saturday's I wake up early and head to the trail for a 6 mile walk with my dear friend. We always seem to cry, pray and laugh together. We pray for each other, our families, and just life in general. A few Saturday's ago, my heart was heavy and I was overwhelmed by life. We were walking and talking but my mind kept drifting back to my worries. My mind was anxious and I couldn't even focus on what she was saying. Instead of holding it in, I was transparent and shared my concerns and situation. Even though she's walking through her own difficult situations, she immediately started to pray for me. Those few moments of prayer provided encouragement and a renewed strength. A weight was lifted off my shoulders. My perspective changed and I moved from anxious thoughts to grateful thoughts. I realized in a deeper way that: prayer always works prayer in partnership with others is a mighty weapon The results you're looking for aren't always i...

If you knew, in just a matter of hours a brutal beating of your body would take place, what would you do? If you knew that you would have one last meal with your friends before your horrific death, what would be your demeanor? If you knew, in only hours, your head would bleed profusely due to a crown of thorns being jammed into it, how would you react? If you knew your mom would have to witness your back being ripped open and your hands and feet nailed to a cross, could you even sleep? What about if you knew, your shed blood and broken body would redeem people who would never even say thank you. How would you respond? If you knew ...... I've wondered about the answer to those questions. Today in church our teaching Pastor taught about the excruciating pain Jesus endured before dying on the cross. Simply, it was difficult to hear. It birthed inside of me a spirit of gratitude for His supreme sacrifice. To know that His passion for us was so strong and deep...

U. S. Flag Everyday we are bombarded with images of division and evil in our country. Sometimes you walk away from the television wondering, are we really one nation under God? Why does it seem like we are moving further and further away from God? I now realize, from my own personal journey,  one important fact. To be healed from your past, you must confront the painful areas that are buried deep.  That's true in my life, your life and it's true for our country. The journey to uncover and deal with your past can be dark, often hurts and maybe full of tears. However, it's all necessary to adequately complete the healing process. Three years ago I found myself in a broken place. During a women's conference I attended, God brought me to my knees. It was sudden and unexpected. There was a broken area of my life that I never confronted. My way of coping was to bury my feelings and not deal. God had a different plan. In that moment during the conference, the ...

What a difference a few days make. A few weeks ago I shared a testimony about God's grace in a very difficult situation. No worries if you missed it.  Read it here. I'm overwhelmed by the number of calls, texts, emails, prayers and well wishes we've received. I fully realize why God never intended for us to do life alone. We needed a village around us and we got it. Almost everyday there's someone asking about Jordan which is wonderful. That means that he's still thought of and prayed for. I wanted to provide an update because I realize that not everyone is connected to our Facebook page. Walking in with bandages. We followed up with the burn center on Wednesday. Fortunately he was able to have all of his bandages removed! This is what we prayed for. Now that the bandages are gone, we can focus on his total and complete healing. Beyond the physical pain of the experience, the hardest part for Jordan is the limitations on his outdoor time. Since his d...

Parenting is probably one of the biggest challenges in my life. There are days that I win as a parent and days that I fail big time. Every day it's a different twist and turn. I have a teenage daughter and an 8 year old son. They have different personalities, likes and dislikes. Most days they don't agree but on the days that they do, it's a wonderful blessing to see them together. My kids when they were younger! Photo credit: Delana Brooks When I share with some people that I'm absolutely loving the teenage years, most look at me like I'm crazy. Especially raising a teenage girl that's full of emotion and attitude. It's not easy BUT I'm just resolved to enjoy every phase and stage of my children's lives . Those were words of wisdom given to me by a colleague years ago and I've never forgotten it.  Before I know it, she will be an adult and living on her own. If I CHOOSE not to enjoy these years, I WILL MISS OUT ! I recogni...

Thanksgiving is a few short days away and most of us are gearing up to eat more that we should while spending time with family. Everyday on my Facebook news feed, individuals are sharing why they are thankful. There's a consistent theme of family being the number one reason to be thankful. But, what about those that aren't thankful at all this year? As much as I'm thankful for the holidays, I realize that there are so many that aren't. They find themselves in a season of grief and pain. For some, it's their 1st major holiday without their loved one. How can they feel happiness and joy when their heart aches for the embrace of their loved one?    How do you make the move from pain to gladness when every single part of the holiday reminds you of them? After my father died, I remember how sharply the grief felt when you have to "move" through all of the "firsts". 1st Thanksgiving 1st Christmas 1st Birthday 1st Mother's...

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted.   If you let it, distractions can make you lose focus and disrupt destiny.   Writing my blog posts is a way to encourage others, t herefore, I need to make time for it.   I’m typing this post while returning home from my family reunion.   I’m blessed that both my mother’s and father’s side of the family have an annual reunion.   It’s such a great time to catch up and reconnect with family members.     This weekend we came together in Warrington, Florida (near Pensacola) where my father grew up.   The city holds precious memories of a time full of laughter, love, and wonderful fun. This would be our first family reunion without the last living matriarch of the family because my dad’s twin sister passed away last year and she was the last of his 7 siblings remaining on this side of Heaven.   Our reunion starts on Friday and lasts the entire weekend.   As a family we pray, fellowship...

I enjoy being a speaker.  I'm addicted to words and love to share words that inspire and uplift others.  The entire purpose of this blog is to "inspire the whole world" since life can just get crazy.  I rarely have writer's block because words seem to flow seamlessly when I'm in my creative mood. Recently, I unexpectedly lost a cousin.  Born the same year as me...I remember the phone call that changed everything.  It was early morning and I was on a treadmill exercising.  The words heard on the other end were shocking. "He's gone".... and just that quickly, life took a sharp turn. NOTHING prepares you for a day like this! As the funeral plans started to unfold, I was asked to speak at the funeral to give reflections.  I struggled to deal with my own hurt, loss and anger but to speak seemed TOUGH.  I didn't sleep much that night thinking this is truly one of the hardest speeches of my life.  What do I say, what if I break down, what...

It's hard to believe that in just a few short months, I will have a teenager in my house.  People always tell you to treasure every moment with your child because time flies.  I now realize....they were right.  It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms for the very first time.  Where does the time go? At a tender age of 13, she's only five years away from adulthood.  I only have a few short years to teach her all about life and the challenges it can bring.  We've surrounded her with positive friends, taught her God's word, taken her to church, and engaged her in extra-curricular activities.  Out of all the experiences we've provided her with, my sincerest desire is that at the end of it all, she has her OWN relationship with Christ . As parents, we must encourage our children to nurture their  OWN relationships with Christ.  Their faith can't only come through us.  They have to learn how to stan...

In recent months, so many loved ones have passed away.  Not only my friends and family but the loved ones of those I know.  It's heart breaking to hear of another friend that's lost someone near and dear to their hearts.  Until you've lost someone close (especially a parent), you can never understand the grief that one feels during that season of life.  Unfortunately I've lost a parent and it's a "club" I never wanted to join. I was always a daddy's girl.  My dad was my hero.  When he became ill, it rocked my world.  I had to move from believing God was a healer to knowing without a shadow of a doubt that He was my father's healer.   God showed His awesome power, time and time again during dad's health challenges.  That's why when he passed away, it was devastating. I was mad at God. We prayed, we believed, we fasted and he passed away.  Even though God  worked miracles in dad's body in the past, right now, ...