Double Portion Inspiration

Thanksgiving is here and that means the 2017 holiday season is in full swing. The level of activity increases for most people. Holiday parties, gifts to buy, recipes to try, family dinners and cards to mail add to our level of stress this time of year. There is a way to change your mental health during this stressful time of year. Today my Pastor spoke from I Thessalonians 5:16-18 and it has the perfect prescription for success. Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens, always be thankful... Shifting our thoughts to gratitude helps us focus on what is here versus what is missing. It grounds us to truly understand the real reason for the holiday season. Although someone else might win that coveted parking spot at the mall, or skip you in line at the grocery store always be joyful, keep on praying and always be thankful. This Thanksgiving, can you find at least three reasons to be thankful?  Well here is my list: Family Friendship Protection...

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 ...

Isn't it easy in our world to ONLY be focused on ME - my plans, my agenda, my preferences, my reputation, my kids, etc. At this point you can have anything customized to your taste, from the food you eat in a restaurant, the temperature in your home, smartphone screen and even the firmness of your mattress. It's all designed to fit your taste. How can I NOT be focused on myself when everyone else is? Magazines, billboards, gyms, and commercials plead with you to take time for yourself. But it really will mean more revenue for them if you spend money on their products that they highly suggest you need in your life. It is easy for me to look around and associate with only those that look, talk and agree with my way of thinking. But is that helping the greater good of humanity? How can WE be positive and light in a dark world, if we didn't expand our own borders to include those that are different from us? There will always be those in the world that don't ag...

When was the last time you rested? Not just a few hours of sleep in the evening or even an afternoon nap. I mean, taking an entire day to REST. Our world is so full of  activities, work, sports, cleaning, cooking, caring for kids and so many other distractions that we often lose sight of the commandment that God gave us in the 20th chapter of Exodus. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10  but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11  For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. This is one of the longest commandments given as part of the Ten Commandments shar...

What a difference a week makes.  Radar of Hurricane Irma Last week I sat in the aftermath of the strongest storm in history, Hurricane Irma. Power loss, boil water ordinance, friends and family in distress, low water pressure, long gas lines, debris cleanup and grocery stores with empty shelves appeared as an apocalyptic movie scene. Local Grocery Store - Empty Shelves Grocery Store struggle to fill shelves I remember walking out of my home for the first time to see what Irma left behind. Thankfully, nothing but minor inconveniences compared to so many in Key West, Naples, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Caribbean islands. I think like many Floridians, I've been so humbled by the many comforts of home that I take for granted. The ability to make that hot cup of coffee, take a hot shower or turn on a light and have electricity in the home. Having it all taken away humbled me to realize every community is only one disaster away from total devastation. Floridians o...

Hurricane Irma At the time of this post, Roslyn and I both live in a state being pounded by Hurricane Irma. Millions of people are in the path of the storm causing it to be a historic event. Schools, churches, and even Walmart are closed for the next few days until the storm passes. All week it's been nearly impossible to purchase the basic hurricane necessities like gas, water, bread and batteries. I knew my area was in the path of the storm to some degree, but with the shift in Irma's track, the eyewall will come within miles of my home. Since it was nearly impossible to find plywood for our windows, we will hunker down in our safe room where there's no windows or exterior doors. The sobering reality that nearly 100 mph winds will soon change the atmosphere caused me to take years of memories off my walls.  This entire experience is humbling.  Matter of fact, downright frightening.  Hurricanes are common this time of year. I'v...

Summer is quickly evaporating. We all wait with baited breath to see the solar eclipse that happens on Monday, Aug. 21st. Children and parents are hurriedly returning to a new pace with the school year starting and for some school is already in full swing. Young adults are excited about their new college life. Before we blink, it will be Christmas. I am one of those parents with a teenager starting his senior year of high school and youngest son entering 7th grade. Where did the time go? That is the question that most of us are asking ourselves. I've been blessed to have a refreshing Summer that came with a ton of travel.  Puerto Rico, Dallas, River Ranch Florida, Palm Beach, Melbourne, Naples, Atlanta, Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, Valdosta Georgia it seems that I was away more than I was home. Country living, beaches and metropolis cities I've experience so much in three months with my boys. My suitcase is still packed by the foot of my bed. Roslyn at River Ranch,...