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.  ...

In a recent blog post I shared about my menopause journey and 5 tips for the men in our lives. Here's the  link  in case you missed it. One of the side effects that I didn't mention is weight gain. It can be such a big part of the menopause journey that it needed its own post. If you're between the ages of 45-55 (average age range for menopause), you might have noticed weight gain in your mid-section. You may also find maintaining your weight is much harder than it used to be. I started looking into the correlation between menopause and weight gain after gaining 10 pounds in 3 months. At first I thought the weight gain was due to COVID. Late night eating, less active days and cooking new recipes can wreck anyone's weight loss plans. Couple that with menopause and it's a horrible duo in any woman's life. Just know that it's not just your body going through changes.  Women are more likely to gain excess belly weight, especially deep inside the belly, as they g...

We all have people in our life that are unlikable. Maybe they are annoying, unpleasant, mean, rude or just overall different than us. Ok, most people won't admit it but we all know people that are unlikable. We also encounter those that live with a different set of values. This unique world, allows our paths to cross with all types of people. We interact with those we like, love, and dislike. That's our reality. This pandemic shows how we are all interdependent on one another. I came face to face (through Zoom) with someone, and we don't share the same values. I was rubbed in all the wrong ways. Now, I naturally can deal with many different personalities but this person was just...I will save that comment to myself. How do you handle interactions with the unlikable? What if the one that's unlikable is in your own family? Again, NO one wants to admit it but it is our reality. We find many reasons and ways to distance ourselves from people, not just geographically but eve...

  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: ...

Kelly and I are different. She's Canadian and I'm American. We have worked together and we refuse to focus on our differences. Kelly is a #1 best selling international children's author. You can find her book on Amazon. I read her book OFTEN . I am honored to have her as our guest blogger today.  Kelly discusses strength she's discovered while raising a daughter with facial differences. You never know where inspiration will strike; for me, it was a train ride into the city of Toronto. I was sitting there drinking my morning tea when it came to me; all the situations that we've encountered had one thing in common. We taught her to introduce herself when someone was staring. When my daughter was born, we didn't know that she had Treacher-Collins Syndrome or had ever heard of it. The moment I met my little girl, it changed my life for the better. I took one look and said this little girl is going to change the world. I realized I wanted to be a part of changing it...

Humanity is experiencing a constant stream of loss during this pandemic. The toll on human life as well as the loss of control over our emotions during COVID19, is a reality.  There are many ways in which we could be grieving in 2020: Loss of normal routines Loss of feeling a hug Loss of being around others Loss of not being in the hospital with a sick family member Lost of not meeting a new grand baby Loss of not being able to travel internationally Loss of control Loss of a loved one Loss of employment Loss of attending a concert We can start to feel buried by all the loss and pain. As the days of the pandemic continue, we can feel blue vs feeling full of life. If we are honest, life can feel like too much effort to live.  WHO will rescue us from all this pain? WHO will rescue us from these losses? WHO can restore what has been taken away? Focusing only on the situations happening around us can give us a false sense of defeat. We are definitely navigating some troubled times...

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...

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 ...

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...

Our view this weekend! During the spring our evenings are filled with track and t-ball.  Each weekend Alton and I head different ways.  Normally I'm on the track and he's on the t-ball field.  If Hannah has a track meet, Alton quickly leaves the t-ball field and heads to her meet.  I'm so blessed to have a husband who desires to play a big part in our children's lives.  I wasn't sure if he would make it this weekend because unfortunately he hurt his back and traveling two hours would prove painful. Up until the last minute, we didn't know if he would make it.  Hannah didn't vocalize any disappointment in not having her dad there but I know she enjoys having him there.  Much to our surprise, he drove the distance to see her.  Unfortunately he missed her first event but arrived minutes before her 800 meter dash.  We are so thankful for his sacrifice . Tyson Gay-Olympic athlete visited the trac...

I've recently been spending time in airports traveling.  It can be one of the most stressful experiences, especially if your luggage doesn't fit.  Those overhead bins can become very tiny once all the bags start piling into them.  I just sit and wonder, what do they have in all those bags?  Backpacks, shoppers, totes, briefcases, laptop cases and handbags - we as travelers, are carrying around a ton of "stuff". I can't exclude myself from the equation because my handbag is heavy.  Anyone who picks it up says, "What is in here?"  I get so embarrassed because I literally have everything but the kitchen sink in my handbag. Two wallets, two cellphones, checkbook, coupons, mascara, mirror, makeup, lotion, hand sanitzer, pain medicines, tissue, comb, mints, gum, business cards, sunglasses and over 20 different lipstick/glosses - YIKES!!!  All the years that women carry around that stuff and we wonder why we suffer with low back pain and shoulder ...

I'm healed!  Thanks for your prayers. After being home for eight weeks, I am happy to share that I returned to work two weeks ago.  For eight weeks I focused on my recovery and total health.  Despite the difficult first few weeks, it was the most glorious party of one.  I can't remember having that length of time to reflect, restore, and refresh my mind, body, and soul.  Sure, you take time off after giving birth but there's a baby to pour your energy into.  This time, it was just me.  In God's perfect plan for my life, he carved out eight weeks for me to grow and focus.  As I prepared to return to work, my sister asked me to share my biggest lesson.  What did I learn from my time of stillness?  I can sum it up in a few short words..... The ability and power to hear and focus on my thoughts .  Yes!  A thought.  The simple ability to think.  Sound easy?  Unfortunately,...

1 day after surgery I'm writing this blog exactly one week after having major surgery.  Over the coming weeks I will have to give my body time to rest so that it can swiftly flow through the healing process.  I wanted to share a little of my experience and the lessons learned along the way. Heading into surgery I was nervous because I've only been in the hospital to give birth. The thought of iv sticks, having blood drawn and feeling pain was overwhelming.  When they allowed my mom and husband to finally say good bye from the pre-op area before surgery, I lost it.  Tears flowed.  I was so nervous and scared. In the weeks leading into surgery, my husband had only one request, please don't cry when they roll you away.  So much for that.  I blew it. I realized that even though I fully knew and trusted God's ability to heal me, my thoughts of the procedure over took my knowledge of His ability.   In the midst of my tears, my mom whispered...

 Just hatched baby sand crane  I absolutely love seeing sand cranes saunter around our neighborhood with such a commanding presence.  I've already blogged about them once in the past year.  Here's the link  if you missed it.  A recent sighting of a momma crane and her baby reminded me of the familiar phrase, "don't despise humble beginnings." When the baby crane is first born after an incubation period of only 29-32 days, it weighs only a few pounds.  Although it can walk on the day of it's birth, it won't take it's first flight for 67-75 days.  Over time the baby will grow by eating food provided by the parents and reach heights in excess of four feet.  Some cranes can get as tall as five feet high!  "Twin" cranes about 12 days old  During the crane's maturing process, it will stumble, need the help of it's parents, and face challenges.  Most importantly however, regardless of it's small stature...

My boys just had their six month visit to the dentist. The news after their examination wasn't fun.  Both boys had cavities.  I took them back to get their cavities filled.  Thankfully, it was easy and painless for them. Numbing medication is a life saver. We had to wait about 10 minutes for my son's mouth to become numb. During that period, he had to have a cotton roll inserted into the side of his mouth. I asked the doctor, "What is that for?" The dentist told me, while his mouth is going numb, kids have the tendency to bite their lip or cheek. It feels weird to them so they start nipping at it. Because there isn't any pain, they can literally chew through their lip. He told me a story about how it has happened in the past. Sure enough I saw my own son start to bite on his lip. It was at that moment it became clear, pain has purpose . Pain allows us to have a present awareness of danger that is around us . It alerts us to an impending injury. If we couldn...

I love to eat. Every Saturday night my family agrees on a restaurant (this can sometimes take hours). The sacred part about this family dinner is that we can't use technology-no Ipad, no Iphone, no Blackberry, no DS, nothing! It is not easy. In the end we silence our phones and toast our success from the previous week. On Saturday, my oldest son asked this question, "Mom, did God give every one a gift?" Without hesitation I said, " yes ". I believe each one of us have a gift. Many of us will spend a lifetime trying to figure out what our forte is. There is a wonderful scripture in the Bible that says, " He (God) alone decides which gift each person should have ." I Corinthians 12:11. Recently I had to submit my biography for a writer's conference. It took me weeks to develop it. Similar to most people I found it hard to talk about my strengths and accomplishments. Once I started to reflect on my professional success, it made me consider my own...