Double Portion Inspiration

  Happy NEW Year! 🥳 2023 is here and we are in the midst of starting this year with a fresh start ( maybe ). Is anything actually new aside from the date on the calendar?  Are we ( yes I said we ) stuck in old patterns, old mindsets or behaviors? I often chuckle at the beginning of a new year because I find that really NOT much has changed. It is just a new date on the calendar. Americans are still in debt, COVID remains, inflation still persists, safety and security feel illusive. Our world remains divided and dangerous. For this year to be different it will take YOU taking intentional actions. Personally or professionally you must make up your mind to MOVE forward. Take ONE step forward. I hear people often "talking" about what they want to change. They are fully aware of what they need to do. But unfortunately before January ends, many will slip back into old patterns and habits. It sounds impressive to say, "I want to be debt free, I want to lose weight, I will squa...

It's our birthday month! It's just one of the reasons why I love December. This month Roslyn and I will turn 49. What a blessing! I must say, my 40's is my best decade so far. I've learned so much about myself. There's just something about your 40's that's joyful, insightful and even challenging at times. As I reflect on the past 9 years, it's hard to believe, with God's grace, I've walked through some of the most amazing milestones in my entire life.  Became an Entrepreneur Saw my first born graduate high school Survived a pandemic Diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer Entered medical menopause Drew closer to God through some of the hardest challenges of my life! Celebrated 25 years of marriage Attended 30 year high school reunion So much more...... With all that's happened, here's 5 lessons learned: 1.  Do not worry. 70% of what we think and worry about, NEVER happens. Worry and stress can wreak havoc in your body.  2. Find your people . We wer...

October is a special month for many reasons. Normally, during this time of the year in Florida, temperatures are cooler and humidity drops. That makes for a pleasant change after a brutally hot Summer.  It is also my wedding anniversary. This year we celebrate 27 years of marriage. Time goes quickly. I married at a young age with many people thinking we were too young to be married. By God's grace, 27 years later we are still here. 27 Years Later 🥳 I think it is important to pause and reflect with gratitude. Not just for big moments like a wedding anniversary but also daily celebrations. Special moments come and go all the time. Just for context, I consider waking up a special moment. I love celebrating a new day with a strong cup of coffee and hearty breakfast 😁 (breakfast is my favorite meal). Why do we let special moments slip away?  Why do we forget to celebrate the small wins in life?  Why are we distracted with so many priorities? Why do we focus on bad moments mo...

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...

I've had an emotional week.  I spent time in Washington D.C. at a conference advocating for women owned businesses.  Washington D.C. is filled with many historic places to visit. I saw many students with eyes wide open as they visited sites they've only read about in textbooks.  I saw a memorial for gun violence victims on the National Mall that compelled me to pause, reflect and pray for the many families impacted by these tragedies.  I stood at the place where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous, "I Have A Dream" speech. I also stood on the steps of the Capitol Hill. Roslyn @ Capitol Hill I realize when you visit historic sites there's a collective energy that you connect with. You can feel the presence of those who've gone before you. There are multiple emotions like anger, determination, hopefulness, excitement or even sadness. It's important to create space for processing all those feelings.  Since many people are starting their Summer 2022 t...

CONGRATULATIONS to Roslyn Rice During the start of the pandemic in 2020, I made a decision to write in obscurity. I was in a hidden place. The road ahead was foggy. I'd lost my job after 13 years and there wasn't visibility on where to go next. Behind the scenes (unbeknownst to me) a book was being formed. God has a perfect plan.  The pandemic hit hard and raged in 2020. Grief was rampant, social unrest moved through the US swiftly, people were losing their jobs, societal norms were shattered, financial and emotional security waned. We saw the world unraveling and changing right before our eyes. A new era hit our shores. The negative impact was felt domestically and internationally. Silence was the first sound of Covid. There was a deafening quietness in our world. Leaders scrambled. Something we'd never experienced manifested in real time. During that uncertain time (2020)  I wrote.  Writing is therapeutic for me .  Journaling provides me a stream of consciousness. ...

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...

A new year brings about a reason to ruminate about our long term goals. For example, we choose goals to boost productivity, clean up financial debt or lose some weight. As I've aged I am intentionally choosing to focus on total wellness. My mind and body are not separate although in the past I've treated them that way. For me to be stronger physically, I need to be strong mentally. I've done some deep work to sit in spaces I normally would avoid. Maybe you understand the feeling of an emotion rushing in and instead of understanding it we get BUSY doing something else. We don't want to deal with that annoying emotion.  The only way to healing is allowing hurt, pain, grief to sit with you in stillness. OUCH! It is not easy. But the alternative is me holding onto it. That doesn't work. Those type of emotions (hurt, pain, & grief) come unexpected. They just show up. They never get an invitation but they arrive in our minds. They disrupt our day. I wanted to share so...

Happy New Year! 2022 is here and it has already started with a bang. Disruptions in our world are still happening due to the pandemic. Many Americans have been impacted. Our world continues to evolve. I've resolved within myself, normal isn't coming back and that is ok. I'm giving myself permission to remain anchored in God during these turbulent times.  I've had to unlearn and relearn how to navigate life this decade. I went through a major life transition in 2020 and haven't looked back. I remain optimistic. When a new year arrives we set a new direction. We look forward to discovering a new path forward. We define new goals to achieve in a new year. This year is not any different. Our goals might be financial, work, relationship, mental wellness or health goals. In my experience setting a long list of resolutions, I would break them before January ended. About 8 years ago I was introduced to the power of setting one word of focus. Instead of a list of resolutions...

This year has been filled with devastating news cycles. My heart is saddened. There is so much that can make us feel unsettled. Fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, political unrest, pandemic & division (just to name a few) can bring anyone to their knees searching for answers.  How much longer will this last? How do I find calm in the midst of disruption? Where do I find joy ? These type of questions are the reasons I wrote, " Power Of One: Finding Hope In The Midst Of Struggle ." I wanted to find a way to bring God's light into so much darkness. I wanted to reassure readers that God uses our painful moments. It develops our character and fortitude. No experience is wasted.  When my book launched earlier this year it was a dream come true. Honestly, it was a passion project for me. I didn't know or understand the impact it would have. I didn't care about how many sold. I wanted to do something to fill my cup. Writing and encouraging others fills my cup. I'v...

My son's senior year in 2018 was hectic (actually that's an understatement). I remember there were so many details to finalize, parties to plan and then get him prepared to head off to college. It was the year he picked his college (not an easy process) and started flying to pursue his aviation dream.  My life was moving fast as I juggled work and the mounting details of his senior year. I would be standing in the kitchen and constantly rattle off questions to him. Did you fill out the FAFSA form? Did you apply for that scholarship? Did you study for your test? Did you hear from the admissions office? Did you write that essay? Did you sign up to take the SAT? My son would look at me and say, "MOM, RELAX!" I look back now and think about how stressed I was ALL the time. I transferred that stress onto him with all my questions. Life was breathless and frazzled for me. I had so many to do list - my list had list. Have you ever felt like that? I didn't know where to s...

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.  ...

I am out of prison! Normalcy is returning in the U.S.  COVID restrictions have lifted.  For me that meant taking vacation with my girlfriends. We normally travel annually to meet up. Unfortunately, we hadn't taken a trip since 2017. Although we did the Zoom thing in 2020, we missed the physical interaction of being face to face. The girls trip this year felt different. In fact, it was extra special. The excitement before the trip was exhilarating. No one was really focusing on work, we wanted to start vacation early (wouldn't you?).  The thought of no plans, no housework, no cooking (unless we wanted) and no children asking, "What's for dinner?" We love our families but the opportunity to have solitude with friends is priceless. There was so much to celebrate .  Since 2017, four of the seven kids in our village graduated from high school and started college.  We celebrated one sister being healed from cancer.  We celebrated the completion of a 25 year ...

Did you know?  Our beloved father was a TWIN! I think that shatters the myth that being a twin, skips a generation. Our dad (Ernest) was also an avid golfer with a big personality. We spent many moments with him on a golf course during our childhood. There was great joy when dad would take us golfing with him on his days off.  This was usually on a Monday. We enjoyed the many tasks of being with Big E (his nickname) - cleaning his clubs, riding in the golf cart (our favorite) and even raking the sand dune. We knew all of this would eventually lead to a Cherry Coke when we arrived back to the clubhouse.  We didn't know it then but each encounter with a golf course and our dad was etching a precious memory we now cling too. Fast forward to 2021, our father now resides in heaven but we have incredible memories of being on that golf course with him. Not only do we have memories but also advice...LOTS of advice. Our father gave us plenty of wisdom during the Summer of 1991. Th...

It is almost Summer and many families have booked their 2021 vacation. I visited my mom for Mother's Day and I could tell by the traffic on the highways, people are already traveling. It was a beautiful moment to surprise my mom on Mother's Day weekend by bringing her sister to surprise her. They had not seen each other in 15 months. I sat on Mother's Day reflecting that a year ago this type of family reunion wasn't possible because of the pandemic. What a difference a year makes! In our home we've been celebrating many birthday milestones. I picked a perfect beach cottage for us to finally get away. We like to keep it simple, just have fun at the beach. Before vacation, I get so excited thinking about what I want to do each day. I'm cautious now not to make ANY plans. You can pack numerous activities into your vacation and come back needing a vacation from the vacation.  The only vacation plan we had was to visit the beach everyday. Well the first two days of...

Photo credit:  Highlight Studios My husband and I recently celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary so why not write a post about marriage? I don't claim to be an expert on the subject by any means but, I'm often asked about marriage and how we've made it together for so long. Here are 3 questions I'm asked the most: 1. How did you know he was the one ? Our dating/courtship was very short. After 5 months of dating exclusively, he asked me to marry him. We were both young and knew without any doubts that we wanted to share our lives together.  All I can say is that I knew. I know that's probably not what you expected to hear but it's the truth.  I just knew ! It was unlike any other relationship in my past.  I will often share with singles that if you have to many questions about whether it's the right person on the other end of your relationship, it might not be the right person.  One thing love is not is unsure.  2. What is the key to marriage ? Alton and I...

The days are ticking away to the official countdown for the launch of my new book, " Power Of One: Finding Hope In The Midst Of Struggle ." It launches on Tuesday, March 30th. Releases March 30, 2021 During tough moments hope for me is found in ONE word. ONE word from God can change the trajectory of your life. This book is written for those who are navigating a tough or as I like to call it, " spicy " season of life. It happens to all of us. Sometimes unannounced. A fog of darkness descends. Life becomes blurry. We can be disoriented by sadness, anxiety, or grief. It arises and lulls us into a funk.  Life has the ability to throw a curveball at any moment. ONE phone call, ONE text, ONE notification, ONE court document, ONE doctor's report can provide an incredible sting.  This book was written to remember the simplicity of ONE word. It can be overwhelming to digest numerous words of advice, negativity or even well wishes during times of struggle. ONE word from ...

One thing that I've done consistently during the pandemic is walk. I cancelled my gym membership out of an abundance of caution last year. Exercise is an integral part of my life. Since I wanted to stay active I walk, jog and run outside almost daily. In the morning, in the evening, in the cold and in the blazing hot sun you will find me outside. On average log 25+ miles a week. It just organically happens. Walking is a way for me to clear my head, stay sane, pray, chat with my hubby and exercise. Another added benefit, I get the opportunity to see my neighbors and really soak in the beauty of my community. One thing I've witnessed on my walks is the creativity of people discovering their own homes . During this pandemic we've learned how to LIVE in our homes and not just BE at home. We are creatively using large Roman bathtubs as a remote workspace to take a phone call when every crevice in the house is full.  While walking I see people grilling and toddlers in kiddie poo...

Have you LAUGHED lately? Any NEW experiences lately? When was the last time you had FUN?  The world has been incredibly serious the past year. There are restrictions everywhere. People wearing masks. Families are home more navigating school and work. New updates on the pandemic have some isolated and sheltered in place. Guess what - we are quickly becoming a nation that has forgot how to have FUN. Humor is needed. Stress is real and it manifests in our physical bodies in different ways. It is recommended that we laugh 15-20 minutes a day . Stress is a silent killer. One way to break up all that tension is laughter.  Laughter Matters! During Christmas I was provided the opportunity to be with my mom. Due to the pandemic it was months that I longed to feel her touch and give her a hug. We safely came together and the moments I cherished the most was hearing my mom laugh . Even during our times on Zoom, my mom will crack up laughing. She's a reminder to me - don't take life so s...

2020 was a crazy year.    How many times have we heard that? I've heard it so much that I'm tired of hearing it. Even with 2020 being a year like non other, our mother became a published author! During a pandemic and in the midst of chaos, she followed God's will.   For nearly 10 years Roslyn and I have both wanted to write a book. We've written in our private time, but we knew at some point, God would take our broken pieces and allow us to share it publicly. Never in our wildest imaginations did we think, mom would become published before us. We didn't even know she was working on a book. She's a very private person so it doesn't surprise us that she kept the project all to herself.   In the book, "Age-Old Wisdom Sayings", she joins three other writers, Marsha Deveaux Johnson, Iris Deveaux Anderson and David Johnson to share priceless words of wisdom. The power packed 55-page book records sayings of old that we've heard so many tim...