Double Portion Inspiration

Turning forty was amazing.  We blogged about our excitement last year.  No worries if you missed the post, here it is.   There's something so powerful about entering a new season in your life.  The exhilaration of new beginnings and the closing of a chapter sprouts forth hope and expectations for the best being yet to come. I've learned quite a bit after being forty for only about six months.  Prepare yourself for the good, the bad, and the ugly. My eyes don't see everything they did before. My metabolism slowed down. I stay hungry. (Not sure if that's changed much from being 39 years old) Other people's opinion no longer matter as much. I love dancing like nobody's watching. My body aches more with less activity. I have to color my hair more often to cover the new gray hairs. I've found my purpose! Authenticity is a must. Running is a great workout and a wonderful therapy session. Sleeping with a fan next to my bed helps with the night swe...

This has become a popular saying - STAY CALM I'm turning 40, STAY CALM I'm fabulous, STAY CALM and stay strong, STAY CALM I'm a kindergartner, etc.  The list goes on and on... My boys and I spent last week together before they head off to school on Monday.  Each day we did an activity to get them organized and prepared for a successful year in 4th and 9th grade.  We now are parents of a high schooler and the rigor of his classes will be a transition in his freshman year. On last Thursday, I wanted us to spend time creating some personal goals.  The boys each came up with robust goals for themselves, and I know they have the creative and academic ability to reach those goals.  I was inspired by a dear friend to set a goal for myself - STAY CALM .  My kids are getting to the age where they are testing their own independence and I want to learn NOT to freak out about every decision. Interestingly enough when my friend told me to try and stay calm ...

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, ...

These words speak to me.  Lately, I have felt a bit depleted when it comes to my inspiration for others.  When you deal with your own twists and turns in your life, you don't always have an inspiring word to encourage someone else.  That's why I try not to live based on my emotions or feelings .  Those twins - emotions and feelings - can lead me down a wrong track. I encourage you this week to just keep calm and handle the ups and downs with grace.  You are not alone in this journey of life.  Changing your perspective and focusing on only what is helps keep you calm.  Don't overthink or overanalyze every situation, women do this easily.  Have a support system that listens and doesn't always try to judge and solve your problems. My stress has caused break outs on my face.  A recent dentist appointment revealed that I'm also grinding my teeth at night...not pretty.  Stress can evoke several harmful reactions within our body, so jus...

It's Monday!  The Summer is moving quickly and back to school supplies are already appearing in stores.  Before we know it, Christmas will be here and we will be ringing in a new year. As time moves and doesn't allow us to "get off" and catch up with it, we must remain focused on intentional actions.  Not just mundane but an intentional plan to have a greater impact in the world around us. When was the last time you told someone that you BELIEVE in them?  You believe in their dreams, abilities and have confidence in who they are as a person.  We've all heard negative words spoken over us.  Growing up, children at school called you names.  Employers dumb down your abilities to a performance score or rating.  You even start to agree with the negative label that might have been placed on you during childhood.  You wear that label, positive or negative, as a banner or badge of honor. Truth Moment:  It's never about what you ...

I have to blog twice this week.  Once for Double Portion Inspiration and again on Friday for GFC Beautiful Blog.   I thought having a similar theme for both blogs would make writing a little easier.  I thought about the title the other day while driving in the car.  A post that's fun and reflective.  There's no rhyme or reason to my confessions.  Just some "summer" fun. I've never shopped at Big Lots As much as I love a deal, I've never even been tempted to shop there.  The other day I wondered if I should go inside.  I don't even know if it's a grocery store vs. clothing store vs. Walmart wanna be.  If you think I should venture inside, let me know. I feel guilty giving my daughter chores   Not sure why??  I'm sure I'm not the only mother who feels this way.  I've come to realize that I need to have the kids help out around the house because it's through their responsibilities that they will le...

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.  ...