Loved to Love.

Good morning!!! This has been heavy on my heart to share this morning. Our positivity truly expands with understanding that we are loved. Not temporarily, not superficially, but unconditionally loved. Many people know the Bible verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world…” however do you live by that knowledge that you are loved?

LOVED
DAY 5

When we truly grasp this concept that we are loved by God we do not hold mere humans to such a high standard to love us. This knowledge should push you to love others even more than you are worried about how they love you. I know this sounds complex to some and I want you to read 1 John 4:16-21 in depth. In verse 19, it tells us that “we love each other because He (God) loved us first.” What it does not say is only love your friends, family or select few, it tells us love each other. This may be hard as we know people do things at times that honestly make them EXTREMELY hard to love. Let’s remember that we don’t choose not love them, we just choose to not like their behaviors. You can love someone or show love to someone without approving their behaviors, choices or attitudes. Think about it, God still shows us love despite our sinful nature and although he does not approve of our behaviors, He still loves us. A parent loves their child even if they do not approve of their disobedience, but they still manage to love them. This proves we have the ability to love those even if we do not like their behaviors. So let’s begin to think about how we are or are not showing love to those around us and how we can show love more on purpose. Today let’s choose love! I know this can be tough, BUT GOD. If anyone needs additional prayer or encouragement on this please feel free to reach out via the email icon at the bottom of this post. Sending much love your way!!! God bless. - Monica

Designing a life you love.

 Hello loves! It's been a while since I've written a blog post. Life has been happening, and keeping me quite busy... All great things! I'm finally done with my academic studies (insert excessive cheering), I'm also working on a few HUGE projects (more details to come - I can't wait to share!). Overall I have to say that life is good.

Life is Good

I'm excited about this summer season, it's one of my favorite seasons (because I adore the beach), and I love warm weather. I'd say that this #Summer16 has had it's share of challenges, but it's also proven to be a season of fruit bearing; meaning seeds that I've sown in past years have began to come to fruition. One vital thing I've been embracing is to be p-a-t-i-e-n-t. Things don't grow (happen) over night, but they will grow in a healthy way with planning, discipline and proper pruning. I encourage you in this summer season to do the same, be patient and make sure you are disciplining yourself and only take on the things that are in line with your life purpose.

If you fail to plan, 

you plan to fail.

In addition to being patient, I'm also learning to appreciate the gift of "No". Purposefully making a conscious effort to not invest my time in things that are consistent with goals and plans during this season of my life. This gift of "No", will be the best thing that you've ever treated yourself to... Trust me! Everything may be a great idea, but if they're not God ideas... Meaning if they have no purpose in your life, you'll be wasting your time and ultimately be consumed with regret and feeling unaccomplished. Do yourself and others a favor, and only engage in projects, events etc. that you know are adding to the purpose of your life. There is a time to assist others in proper balance, however when we are busybodies, we can miss out on God's plan for our lives and cause others to miss their opportunities as well. We all have been blessed with gifts from God to use for ourselves and to help others - stay in your lane!(1 Corinthians 12-27)

Purpose

This weekend I had the privilege of tuning in to an insightful FREE webinar which was hosted by Chrystal Hurst entitled "Living A Life You Love". This event was AWESOME, no seriously, it was reallllly awesome. I took notes and wanted to share some of the nuggets with you, as the webinar has been taken down and you won't be able to view it (sad face). I pray that you're blessed by these practical points which almost anyone can implement, and that you decide today to design a life you love! XO.

Living a life you love 

• Purposefully surround yourself with people that are embracing and encouraging you to be the best you - Those who love and inspire you.
• It's okay to have desires, but don't allow desires to rule you. Be honest about what you want out of life and your means to achieve those desires.
• Give yourself margin to say no - and margin for you time
• Intentionally think about what your end goal is and what you need to do to accomplish it and make adjustments.
• Protect your time & prioritize your commitments 
• Just because you can do it, doesn't mean  you should - (In any area of life, financially, activities etc.) 
• Don't base your actions on your feelings - feelings change like the wind. Your actions should be based on your desired outcome,
• Figure out how to merge the life you want with the life you have. 
• Don't wait for the next day, month or season to do things you love - do them today! 
• SPEAK LIFE: write positive affirmation on sticky notes, write in a journal, mediate on God's word, choose to be optimistic. Don't just think it, speak it! Philippians 4:8
• Choose one thing a day that makes you happy, and do it! 

                              Remember the joy of the Lord is your strength

 Make time to be in His presence daily

Psalm  91

FYI - Chrystal is hosting another webinar "Living a Life you Love - Online Class" in a few weeks!

 Sign up by clicking here!!! 

Fearless

 

Are your fears causing you to miss out on the abundant life God has for you? This is a profound question that all of us should take time to ponder. Has God spoken to you about a concern that's been on your heart? Has He given you a directive to follow, but you're still sitting or twiddling your thumbs because you're afraid to take a leap of faith? Are you afraid or fearful about how things will turn out? Think about why you’re afraid, confront those fears.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.

             What has He told you to do? 

Has He told you to end an unhealthy relationship, quit a job, go back to school, to begin praying daily with purpose, to read and study your bible, to help someone, to give something away, or start a ministry or a community project? Or is it something seemingly more difficult, like apologizing to someone, or possibly forgiving someone who has hurt or wronged you. 

The longer it takes for us to obey what God has directed us to do, the longer it will take for the desires of our hearts according to Gods word to be manifested. God has equipped us with everything you need to walk in the power he has given you. In Christ we have the power to live a balanced life - We have the power to live a disciplined and self-controlled life.

              Walk in His power and strength! 

I admonish you today to step out of fear into faith, and be obedient to what God has called you to do. Your best life is ahead! xo.

Sweet Lips.

What we continually speak will eventually manifest itself into our lives. This happens because the things we speak whether good or bad, right or wrong, negative or positive we will begin to believe and receive. These words are like seeds that will settle within our hearts and eventually grow into large trees (be it healthy or unhealthy). 

It's extremely important for us to be conscious of the things we give voice to.  Have you ever heard the old adage "If  you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all"? That concept was right on point. Don't allow your words to create a prison for you by saying things like, "I'll never lose weight", "I'll never get a better job", "Nothing good ever happens to me", I'll never get pregnant (married couples)", "I'll never get married", "No one ever supports me", "I always get the short end of the stick", "I'm not smart enough", "I'm not pretty", "Everyone says I'm not good enough", "They said I'd never do anything with my life...", "I'll always be broke", "I'll never get out of debt", "I can't keep friends", "I'm always struggling"... and on and on and on... You get the picture. NEGATIVE WORDS are seeds of weeds. When we speak them they choke the life out of us, and if we continue to speak negative things over our lives, we will begin to own them, even if we don't want to. 

Practice sweet lips, speaking sweet positive things only, things that will edify your spirit. It will be difficult to get yourself out of the habit of complaining and putting yourself down; but it's not impossible. If you want to change the quality of your life you must begin with changing your words. Take the challenge! For the next week speak positive affirmations about yourself, write them down and post them where you can see them daily. When you're tempted to say something negative, replace it with a positive affirmation. Colossians 4:6 says, "Let your speech be seasoned with grace...", do just that. Season your speech with grace.

Here is a quote I read a few days ago:

"Your words have creative power. With your words, you can either bless your future or curse your future. If you want to know what your life is going to be like five years from now, just listen to what you’re saying about yourself today." - Joel Osteen

Think about it. 

Speak life, sweet lips.

A man I've never met

Thursday, August 1st, 2013

Today I spoke at the funeral of a man I've never met. He was a husband, father, brother uncle and friend to many. As I sat at the funeral home, unable to relate to the family in regards to losing someone that I knew and would miss, I could relate however to losing a loved one (I lost my grandfather last month).

 I felt a bit out of sorts, because I had no emotion for this man... No sadness, memories or stories... I felt numb almost... I felt like an intruder... But I was asked to read a special poem by a dear friend who is close to my heart, and so I obliged. 

[First and foremost I'd like to say that if you're reading this and you don't have life insurance... PLEASE GET SOME! Even if the policy is 5-10k. Each day that God allows us to grace this earth with our presence is a gift; the next day or the rest of the current day that we're in for that matter aren't promised to us. Don't leave your family and friends to be stressed financially to bury you. We see it all too often, a loved one dies suddenly, and families are forced to come up with thousands of dollars to meet an extensive budget to pay for a funeral.]

Funerals have a weird way of putting things into perspective. For the past week, I've been a bit out of it... There has been a lot going on in my life, and I haven't been managing my time properly which = being stressed out. When we don't manage our time properly, we are ineffective in our day to day dealings. We're unable to meet goals, accomplish simple tasks  and we're not focused or fulfilled. This can lead us to feel unaccomplished, and if we wallow in that feeling long enough it can push us into a rut. 

With that being said, many times we worry about things that really don't matter. We overwhelm ourselves with things that won't matter at the end of our lives. Just think about the things that you stress yourself with for a moment... Now think, if today was your last day on earth would those things matter? No, they wouldn't. Take time today to simplify. Take some time to refocus and reorganize your thoughts before you take on any external projects, write out your new goals, tasks, and breathe! Life is so precious. 

Enjoy the rest of your day! 

Delay is not Denial.

If God has made you a promise, believe it, it WILL come to pass! Delay does not mean denial! A prayer not answered yet, is not a denied prayer. God's promises are always fulfilled on time. Continue to have faith and trust in His word.

Be Encouraged :)

Happy New Year!

 

Happy New Year! I'm super excited about the things that will transpire this year; those known and unknown! ;) As many do during this time, I've taken introspection and made the decision to change a few things in my life, to ensure that I am living every moment this year to the fullest!

If you haven't done this I encourage you to do so. Take time to focus on what you could have done better, or maybe what you could have accomplished if not for procrastination. Then set goals and take the steps, and get "it" done this year! SIMPLE.

I pray that you will have a successful year filled with your dreams and passions manifesting right before your eyes. Be encouraged and stay focused. The BEST IS YET TO COME!!

Helpful tips

1. Think about your life and what about it you would like to be different. Be specific about what you want to change.

2. Write down exactly what you want to achieve. List short term goals and long term goals. (Again be very specific)

3. Record  your goals in positive terms. Instead of  saying " I want to stop sleeping in" try "My goal is to get up at 6am each morning."

4. Set realistic and achievable goals. Setting unrealistic goals will only discourage you and make you feel disappointed in yourself.

Be real with yourself. Consider your life, the time you have available, your financial situation and any other obligations or commitments that you have. Balance is key.  Don't compare yourself to others! Ex. If you have children, your goals and what you can accomplish will be different than that of your friend without children. 

The more realistic your goals are the more control you will have in achieving them!

Work it out!

Good morning Journey Mates!!

Happy Thursday! I had a late start this morning and was unable to head to the gym... (insert sad face).
However, I found a some great workouts from Pop Sugar to do at home! NO excuses!!!

Ain't nothing to it, but to do it! Enjoy! XO


Core Workout Blast The Belly Fat with Jeanette Jenkins Tone your Arms Resistance Band Workout for anywhere

Happy birthday to me!!!!!

November 13th 2012

"Love never Fails"

Happy Birthday to me!!! I am so blessed to celebrate another year of life. I am thankful to be doing what I love, and also be surrounded by people who love me. This has been an overall amazing year. I’ve grown and learned a whole lot (still growing & learning)! I do indeed feel like a princess! 

(Insert huge cheesy smile) 

I have some great things planned for today (Spa included!!), and will celebrate the evening by surrounding myself with people I love and adore. I couldn’t ask for anything more. God has indeed blessed me with true riches; friends, family, good health and overwhelming love.
 XOXOXO

Here’s to another year of greatness! (Toast wine glasses)