Looking Back

Nearing half a century makes you look back and wonder "will I still carry all those things I thought would happen but never did into the next fifty years of my life?" The answer for me is a resounding "No!"  I'm determined to let the past stay in the past and move forward to a future filled with Love, Peace and Prosperity. Even though I don't have everything I thought I wanted in life, I have the ability to still make my dreams come true.  I haven't given up hope that all things are possible for me and with the coming year and a renewed purpose, I won't stop until I'm satisfied.

What does a future filled with Love look like for me? That ones easy to answer seeing as how I'm now in love with me. I can honestly say that I am a joy and delight to be around. If I met me on the street, I would definitely want to be my friend. I've learned that the things that make me happy and move me with compassion are the very qualities that a true friend would admire most about me.  The call that's on my life mandates that I love others as I love myself and taking the time to get to know me has truly allowed me to fall in Love with Me.

What does a future filled with Peace look like for me? That ones simple too and made even more so due to time spent in counseling sessions. Plus the awesome sermons I receive every week from my Pastor.  Peace in the middle of -whatever is happening at the time, means taking the time to stop and pray. Seeking God's guidance and wisdom on the situation, reacting in love and walking in forgiveness. If there is no peace, it's because you didn't choose it.  When you choose to walk in the Peace of God, it will flow to you exactly when you need it to.

What does a future filled with Prosperity look like for me? Debt-free! To be able to give when and where I see a need, when and where God says to give and when and where I just want to. Not hindered by debt telling me that I can't afford to give because I already owe "them". Prosperity for me won't happen after all my debts are paid, prosperity is already mine by the fact that I'm able to give even though I still owe.  That I'm willing to give, even when I don't see what I can give. And that I can take God at His word that He will supply seed to me - a sower.

So as the new year approaches, or if you're like me, another birthday is coming, don't look back with regrets. Look back and find the solutions you need to go forward in life. The reason I'm confident that I will walk in Love, Peace and Prosperity is because I had to dig through the compartments of the pain from my past in order to better define the future I desire.  Now I'm armed and ready to take back and receive all that God has promised me.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and don't forget to Enjoy the Journey!

POE - PT

Losing Yourself/Making room for God

Life is full of various types of didactic relationships.  I am referring to all types of relationships whether it’s significant others, family, friends and associates.  We never forget the good relationships and the bad ones tend to teach lifelong lessons. The lessons of life help us to become closer to God.  

 I realize that in life you can lose yourself by seeking assurance and love from others. When people feel they have power over you they tend to use it to their advantage to distract your purpose in life.  Relationships can either increase or decrease your self-esteem.  When your self-esteem has been decreased you lose the confidence you once had in yourself. I am not saying you shouldn’t help others but, sometimes people can require so much of you to fulfill their insecurities that you lose yourself in the process. By focusing more on them and less on God.    

I have lost myself in many relationships in life.  You can find yourself wondering who am I and how did I get to this point in life.  When a relationship doesn’t turn out the way you portray it to be you can lose yourself. Giving too much power to the wrong focus in life can bring you to a place of uncertainty and acceptance to someone else’s purpose in life. When I started to pray and ask God “What is my problem?” He replied “Because you are not putting me FIRST”. Prioritizing different relationships in your life by putting God before anyone and everything makes a BIG difference in who we are and seeking to become. Once you put God first and believe in yourself you can make a difference in the relationships that you decide to be in. Make room for God no matter the circumstances relationships and life brings. God will help you find yourself and your purpose in life!

 Guest Writer- PT

Encouragement for Singles (continued)

Remember these words from my last blog post "Being around other people does not cure what singles call loneliness. What was needed was an adjustment in my thinking, my vision and my heart"? Wel, I thought I'd take the time to explain what each adjustment looked like in my life.

Adjustment in my thinking began with the renewal of my mind with God's word about being created in His image. Being bold enough to walk in my authority as a believer in Christ. To take the principles that I was learning and apply them to my everyday life. Don't get me wrong, this is not an overnight process.  This will take time and as much energy as you allow yourself to put into it.  Over the years, I've put more time into renewing my mind when I was trying to get something from God.  However, at a particular point in my life, the reason for mind renewal was far more personal.  I was plain tired of doing the same bare minimum expecting plentiful results.  When I got real with Me about how some of my thinking processes were limiting God's movement in my life, I buckled down and got into the Word believing for radical change.  

Adjustment in my vision began when I focused on what God had called me to do back in 1996. My focus on my vision developed because I took one step at a time over the years and at other times, I was pushed into action. Regardless of why I started, I kept moving. But ultimately I asked God to show me His purpose for my life so that I could align my plan with His and do what I felt He had called me to do.  As my thinking lined up with His Word, the vision He had given me for my life and ministry started to become clearer.  

Adjustment in my heart began when I was REAL with God about how I felt about people -His people. My Pastor has a sermon title that totally summed up how I felt and I told it to God everyday- "I love you God, it's people I can't stand!" I asked God to love me and show me how to love others. As I started to see people the way God saw them, the true test of my new found love came when a series of events took place in my life that totally had me disgusted with people.  To the point where I had to seek counseling because I knew if I didn't get help right away, I would loose my mind and possibly cause harm to others - and maybe even myself. 

Everyone's Journey may not look the same but the one factor that should be the same for everyone is a relationship You have built with the one who created you.  He knows each journey, path and direction of our lives and it only makes sense to follow His leadership while navigating through this life.

Enjoy the Journey!

Paths of Encouragement (POE)

Hi, it's me Tracy. Today I want to talk about "Paths of Encouragement" a new segment of my blog designed especially for you, the reader. Some of the  posts that you will read will be submitted by Guest Writers who want to Encourage you on your Journey in life.

#PathsofEncouragement  #POE

 Whether the Writer is family, friend or coworker, my desire is that you will be so Encouraged that you will one day submit your own Path of Encouragement post designed to Encourage someone else. When you're ready and have a submission you want posted, please DM me on Twitter @M924LIFE for further instructions. Update: You can now send submissions to POEsubmissions@gmail.com

Paths of Encouragement formed when my coworker asked me what was my plan to increase awareness of my blog.  It just so happened that my Pastor was teaching on Leadership and he stated that great leaders empowered others to reach their full potential and also asked for help because "your vision should be so big that you would need the help of others". So I immediately sent out an all-call to my contacts and "Paths of Encouragement" was born.  I am so excited about the lives that will be touched, changed and challenged as a result of you having received from  someone that's been where you've been; that's right where you are or just wants to Encourage you before you even get to where you're going.

So, let me start by Encouraging you in an area that is near and dear to my heart and part of the reason this blog exists: failed relationships. This letter is a closure letter that I never gave to the last man that ended a relationship with me but I needed to express my feelings whether he would listen or not.  
  
_______________, I truly get it.  You don't want me to be a part of your life in any way, shape or form.  You told me yourself that you didn't want more than a friendship with me.  I learned to be ok with that.  I started contacting you again after our argument because I still wanted to be your friend. However, your actions are saying loud and clear that that's not an option either.  I don't fully understand why you asked to "talk" to me and you would never contact me. I am writing so that I can release myself from this __________(you fill in the blank, I know what I wanted it to be) and be able to go forward with my life without you being a part of it.  I wish you much success in life. And I truly pray that you find the happiness you so desperately want. Try looking on the inside and you just may be surprised by what you see.  I can no longer give all of me while getting nothing in return from you. The longer I do that, the more I push away the man that truly wants in my life. Just know this decision wasn't easy for me to make. I had to pray and ask God for His help.  I pray you ask Him to help you too. Enjoy the Journey _____________: I'm glad we had the chance to cross paths. 

Encouragement for Singles

When asked to describe my single life in one word, the word I used was Prepared. Prepared for what, I hear you asking. Really and truly being Prepared for Life. Being single is just one part of my life - not the death sentence some singles may think it is.  It's an interesting part nonetheless, and I've come to the place where I can embrace all that it has to offer me.  I'll talk more about that later.  But right now, I want to talk to all the singles who would define their single life as Lonely.

I can tell you that loneliness is a spiritual matter that can only be dealt with when you go to God and accept His wisdom and guidance in leading your life as a single person. But I won't...not any more than I've already said.  I can tell you that loneliness is you trying to place the blame (because he/she has not come into your life yet so the "living" can begin) for your life not being what you want or how you thought it should be. But I won't...not any more than I've already said. I can tell you loneliness is a term used by singles to make married people empathize with us so that they would introduce us to someone wonderful who will transform us into the God-ordained sanctity of marriage. Ok, I think I got your attention now. Why? Because when many singles say they are lonely, what is truly being said is "I want to be married!"  I'm here to tell you that it's ok to say "I want to be married" when asked about your single life. But that shouldn't be the ONLY thing people take away when asking you about your single life. This leads me to the part that I want to talk about more: being Prepared. 

Being prepared as a single person to me means being Prepared for Life. I've "told God off" because He hadn't brought me a husband by the time I reached age 30 nor by the time I reached age 40.  I've blamed others because if "he" had only given our relationship a real chance, we could be married by now.  I've been angry with friends because it seems that they got the "last good man" when they married and there was no one left to introduce to me. Just because I didn't have a significant someone in my life didn't mean that I didn't have a life. I had a home to run, a job to work  and a ministry laying by the wayside waiting on me to GROW UP! Notice I didn't say anything about family or friends: I had those. Being around other people does not cure what singles call loneliness. What was needed was an adjustment in my thinking, my vision and my heart. 

Enjoy the Journey!

POE -Shauntell (continued)

It all started the summer of 2002. I was getting ready to start the 10th grade so I got all my needed vaccine shots to start school. I also got the flu shot and that started all my problems in health. At this point I started school and was doing good until my right arm went completely numb. No feeling at all. I'm thinking what's wrong. I went to the doctor and was told to rub my arm multiple times during the day and it was from the flu shot. A couple of weeks later my arm still numb and my left arm become numb as well. A few weeks later I lost my eyesight at school in both eyes. My eyesight was blurred, but that was my first year wearing contacts so I didn't think to much of it. I went to the optometrist and she did an examine on my eyes. She said I believe you have Multiple Sclerosis and referred me to a doctor. 

At this time it is now 2003 and my teachers noticed my grades slipping and me making simple mistakes. I go see the neurologist my optometrist refereed me to and she says she thinks I have Multiple Sclerosis and referred me to a neurologist that specialize in Multiple Sclerosis. I see the doctor and she ran a lot of test to see what was happening. Long story short in May of 2003 I was diagnosed with Remitting Relapse Multiple Sclerosis. Me being 15 years of age, I didn't know what it was. I really thought it was like the flu until it happened again. My doctor puts me on a medication which happens to be a shot I had to give myself everyday. I didn't take it like I was suppose to and the  MS kept getting worse. 

#PATHSOFENCOURAGEMENT #POE

I blamed God and was so angry that he put this on me. I tried to kill myself by walking in the middle of a busy street. One lady stopped her car and she asked me what was I doing. She told me that it's not my time to go. She also stated that I should take my problems to God and he's never to busy. I struggled for years with trying to get a relationship with God. One day in September 2014 another MS episode happens but this time the medicine or physical therapy didn't work. I went to God and prayed over and over again. Long story short I've ask God for forgiveness and I realized it wasn't him. It was me. Now my relationship with God is in a better place. He's my everything and best friend. I include him in my daily life. With all that being said God was there for me all along and he never left my side; although I did. All you have to do is receive him. John 6:35, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Which simply means to receive him as what he is — not what you think he is or what somebody told you he is or what you would like him to be. 

Contributing Guest Writer: Shauntell Walker

  

Encouragement for Christians

Where do I even begin? I wrote that statement for "effect" because I know many of you are wondering "what can she say to me to encourage me for where I am in my life right now?"  I know exactly where I want to begin and You are exactly who I want to talk to. I want to Encourage you in your Stewardship. That's right, that thing God has given you to help advance the kingdom and you're thinking that you own it and have to make it grow and become all that God wants it to be.

Don't laugh, deep down and on some level you feel (or have felt) that way too. I surely felt that way about this Blog. Until the day God reminded me that I'm just a steward of this Blog.  The gift of writing God gave to me allows me to be able to post and hopefully minister to you, but He is the rightful owner. I was racking my brain wondering why no one was submitting their Guest Writer post to Encourage you even though they'd committed to do so.  I even went so far as to "suggest" what they should write about when someone told me that they could not or would not do it. How bad had I gotten? I saw this segment changing lives, softening hearts and gaining ground for the kingdom and no one wanted to help me.  But that was the problem and it wasn't mine to fix: they wouldn't only be helping me, they'd be helping God. 

When God reminded me I was a steward and that the people who wrote a Guest post would be partnering with Him and thereby ultimately be agreeable to submitting a post, it changed my whole outlook. I made a conscious decision to stop badgering people and allow God to speak to them to partner with me on this Journey. The first person I asked after getting this revelation was so excited about being able to submit a post.  My jaw just dropped at how awesome God really is and how faithful He is to His word. So you Christian, don't forget that you are a steward and God is the rightful owner of that gift, talent and ability He has given you.  You do your part and know that God has done His part and it will all work out in the end for your good and His glory.

               

Enjoy the Journey!