It's Not Over...

This year is quickly drawing to an end. All of the ups and downs of 2009 will be behind us and a new year will begin. Some will end the year on a good note and others holding on to the last thread of hope. Whether you have gone through or you are going through, hold your head up and be encouraged because it's not over. He has more in store for you. Maybe you can't see through the dark cloud, but that doesn't mean the sun isn't shining on the other side. Maybe life seems to be getting worse, but that doesn't mean he has stopped loving you. You may have been cast down, but you have not been destroyed.

What does this mean? You have to go through something to get what is waiting for you. Lets try not to focus on the problem, but rather how to go through it and how great the end will be. Every situation brings about a sense of relief when it has been resolved. Don't let your trials be your end, because it's not over.

Hold on to your faith, your hope and keep pressing forward. We are coming up on a new year filled with new beginnings.

Be blessed!

~Vee~

Happy Thanksgiving!

For so many of us, it's been a rough year filled with trials and tribulations that we never thought we would overcome. Some of us are still trying to overcome.

This is the one day that we have an excuse to think about all of the good in our lives. Before we put the fork to our mouths or start planning to catch today and tomorrow's sales, lets take a moment to give thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Father, My Friend

If you had to provide the names of 3 of your closest friends, what would your answer be? Take a moment and think about your response. For some of us, 3 wouldn't be enough. Now think about this, who is your closest friend?

Food for thought...

What is your definition of a friend? Someone you confide in, someone you get advice from, someone you hang out with, someone who is there for you and you trust them to never let you down?

Now look at your list of 3 people again. Is God or Jesus on the list? He wants you to confide in him, he wants you to trust him with all of your heart, he wants to give you advice, he wants to hangout with you in prayer, praise, and worship. What's the difference between having Jesus and having a human being as one of your closest friend? Jesus won't tell your secrets or gossip about you when you aren't looking. He can give you the desires of your heart. He can take away the feelings of pain and hurt. He can give you a miracle. He will watch over you every day, all day. He will speak to you and give you advice that you can trust. He's not a man, so he cannot lie. Can your human friend do these things?

Why not add him to your list. Talk to him. Allow him to be your closest friend and watch your life change.

Let him be your father and your friend!

Be blessed,
Vee

Celebrate the Legacy...

I would like to take a moment to celebrate the legacy of those that we have lost this week. Ed McMahn, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson.

While many will mourn the loss of these incredible people, let's not forget to celebrate their lives and accomplishments.

Rest In Peace!

A Father's Day Wish...

Today is a special day for majority of the men in the world. This father's day wish goes out to all the Fathers, Dads, Uncles (because in some way you were a dad to someone), Grand fathers, Brothers (for your advice and protection when we needed it), soon-to-be dads, future dads, spiritual dads, and all single mothers who have to play the role of a father.

Whew! That was a mouth full.

I would never close this without giving a Happy Father's Day to the father of every living creature. Without him none of the other fathers would exist. To my Heavenly Father up above, Happy Father's Day!

Love always,
Vee

You're Almost There...

Have you come to a point in your life where it seems like your world has turned upside down? Everything appears to be going wrong? Maybe you have thoughts of giving up.

Don't allow the pressures of life to get you down. When you are about to walk into your blessing or your breakthrough, these will be trying times. Your faith will be tested, will you pass the test? Don't doubt God, don't give up or give in. It's easy to say, I know. However, don't allow your sorrow to keep you down. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, send up a prayer, a praise, and encourage yourself. You can do it, you can get through this thing. You may have to shed a tear, but then wipe them and prove to yourself that this is one test you will not fail. Always remember, you can't receive a blessing that you aren't ready for. He has them waiting for us, but we must prove that we can be trusted with what he has.

Remind yourself that he won't put more on you than you can bear. Speak life, blessings, healings to yourself. When you feel like crying, remember that weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. He is only a prayer a way. Tell him what's going on, tell him how you feel, and trust me he will take the pain away.

Don't give up, you are almost there. Hold on and visualize reaching your break through. You can do it!

Be Blessed!
~Vee

I made his day!

I went to the grocery store this weekend and a man asked me to hand him a circular. I responded sure, but before I could turn to reach for the paper, he had begun telling me his story about why he needed it. I didn't pay his words much attention. Instead I begin to wonder why he wouldn't be quiet so that I could get the paper for him. It is rude to walk away from a person while they are talking, but I had to get this paper so he could go home. Eventually, I had to turn while he continued his story about getting a raincheck. When I handed him the paper, his face lit up as bright as the yellow shirt he was wearing. At that moment, it became clear. I had made his day.

It is easy to overlook the little things that could brighten someone's day or help someone when we have our own agendas on our minds. I believe that as we work toward accomplishing our tasks for the day, we should lend a helping hand.

Smiles are contagious and make you feel good on the inside. Try putting a smile on someone's face today and see how it makes you feel. If you feel good afterward, do it for another person. By the end of the day, your worries will seem so small and your kind acts won't go unnoticed in the eye site of God.

Be Blessed!
~Vee~

What is your testimony?

I thought it would be fun to take a day like today when life is throwing blows left and right, a day like today when it seems like everything is going wrong, to take an inventory of this past month and find a testimony.

In the midst of all the things that has happened this month, week, or maybe today, there is something that has gone right. It is common for one to overlook the good when there is so much to stress and worry about. Can you name one thing to be thankful for? Not the usual "I woke up this morning", but something out of the ordinary. Perhaps you found a dollar on the ground or you reconnected with a long lost friend. Although it's something small, it's a testimony. Think about how it made you feel for that short moment. Now think of more little testimonies. Let that joy, happiness, smile overtake you for a minute as you relive the feeling. Doesn't it feel great?

My testimony: I was able to reconnect with a friend. Although the stress of life had me feeling down, those few moments spent with my friend were filled with laughs, smiles, and giggles. What was my testimony? That I was able to experience a moment of happiness in the midst of my storm. It's small relief, but it's one I can treasure.

What's yours?

Be Blessed!
~Vee~

The Battle Is Not Yours!

When life comes at us with its fists balled and anger on its face, we tend to become defensive. We fight a battle that isn't ours. We allow our emotions to take over and often act out of character. Sometimes it can be hard to see through the storm and imagine what the end may be. It's ok to want to fight back, however its not always the best tactic. The greatest battles we can fight are the ones we turn over to our master. He loves us so much that he would rather we let him fight for us while we sit back and keep our clothes from getting dirty.

I know, we are human and our instincts say defend yourself, but he says to cast our cares on him. He promised to make our enemies our footstools. So why is it so hard for us to trust him? Ok, it's easy to trust for the first 5 minutes, but I am referring to the first 5 days or months. I challenge you to turn our problems over to him, put it in his hands and leave it there. Breath a sigh of relief and don't look back. Exercise your faith, dig deep and allow yourself to trust him.

Besides, what do you have to loose? He created someone as exquisite as you, what makes you think he would tarnish his masterpiece?

Be Blessed!
~Vee~

Dare to Dream!

As children, everyone has a dream. At school, the teacher will often ask, "what do you want to be when you grow up?". Can you remember what your dream was? Over the years, our dreams and goals change and develop. God has placed a dream in the hearts of each and every one of his children. He has created us with the talents and abilities that we will need to make our dreams a reality. Can we do it on our own? Sometimes we can, however to remain successful and sometimes to achieve the dream, we need help that only the father can provide.

Take a minute and think about the dream you have. Some of us will have to dig deep to uncover it. Now ask yourself why you gave up on that dream. Could it be out of fear, doubt, lack of knowledge, lack of connections, or maybe lack of motivation? You have a dream for a reason. God wants to restore the desire to fulfill the dream you were destined for. He has the right people, the money, all the means that you need to bring it to reality. However, you must have faith in him and in yourself. He wants you to succeed. He loves you so much that he mapped out the plan before you were created. The question is will you allow him to work in your life? Do you want to experience all that he has waiting for you? You must exercise your faith and trust him to bring it all together for your good.

This process is not an easy one and will come with trials. However, be careful not to allow your emotions get in the way and cause you to give up or make decisions that are out of his will. A drop of fear can turn into something that will hinder you. It will make you see and think things that do not exist and therefore miss your blessing. Seek him for guidance through prayer and have faith that he will answer them. The outcome will knock your socks off. He can turn your enemies into your footstool. He can cause the very person that said you would never make it to push someone valuable into your life.

Remember, someone is depending on your dream. If you want to own a store, your potential shoppers are depending on you. If you want to be a doctor, there is a patient that needs your care. Don't give up on your dream. He said he wouldn't put more on us than we can bare. If he gave you the dream, then the obstacles you will have to face to achieve it won't be more than you can handle.

With God all things are possible!


Be Blessed!
~Vee~

A Mother's Love; Happy Mother's Day!

Today is a very special day. It is one where we celebrate "Mothers".

What is so special about a mother? She comes in many different forms. She can be a spiritual mother, biological mother, adopted mother, a godmother, grand mother, or maybe someone you look up to. She is nurturing, compassionate, a disciplinarian, a friend, a confidant, a role model, and the list goes on. She is special in every way.

For those of you who are unable to spend this mother's day with your mother, don't be discouraged. She loves you and her spirit will always live in you, because you are a part of her. Take her good qualities and make them your own.

Let's celebrate the mother figures in our lives and for this one day let them know how much they are loved and appreciated. Sometimes all it takes is a hug.

Happy Mother's Day!

Be Blessed!
~Vee~

Never Give Up!

Today's post was submitted by my mother. Enjoy!

A lot of people fail to achieve their goals in life, because they don't push beyond the pain. When the doctors tell you that you need to exercise in order to maintain a healthy body, at first the task sounds so easy. Then the challenge comes. We see others doing it and we take on their attitude of achievement. However, we forget that the course gets lonely, so demanding and ultimately distracting. In order to achieve the goal, you have to look beyond the pain of feeling that you are alone, the pain that your physical strength and endurance is almost bleak. If you fail at achieving your goal due to a physical ailment, that is almost acceptable. If you fail to complete your goal, because you were hurting emotionally, how could you live with yourself afterward? You haven't lived up to your God given potential.

Remember, the race is not given to the swift, nor to the strong, but to him that endureth until the end.

God bless!

Let It Go!

"He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends." Proverbs 17:9 NKJV

While reading the scripture above, my mind drifted to the people that have passed through my life and caused me pain emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes we look for people to be perfect without realizing it. Our best friends are expected to always live up to our standards, our mates should never do wrong by us, our children must make us proud, our family members should never say hurtful things. Unfortunately, none of us are perfect. We will make mistakes, we will hurt one another in more ways than a million, we will bring each other down instead of building them up. It's called being human and we can't change it. However, we can make a conscious effort to be a better people.

In Proverbs, God has acknowledged the fact that we will either be the cause or the recipient of hurt. He has asked that we not only forgive one another, but once the forgiveness has taken place we cover it by not allowing the situation to be brought up again. How many people can truly say that when they are cheated on in a relationship, they can forgive their mate and never bring it back up? The scripture says that if we throw these issues back in the face of the giver, it will cause a separation . Just imagine what the world would be like if we truly forgave others. There would be no divorce, best friends would be friends forever, families would still be closely knit, your image would not be tarnished.

Can you let go today? Let's consider what God has told us to do. I challenge you today to forgive someone and let the situation go. Don't burn your bridges by throwing it up in their face later, but hold on to the fact that you have forgiven them.

Be Blessed!

Faith!

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
John 20:29 NKJV

Have you ever reached a point in your life where you felt like giving up? Maybe you have been going through trials that leave you feeling like there is no hope. You aren't alone.

Faith is a short word, yet it is extremely strong. It's so easy to tell someone to have faith or believe, yet it's so hard to maintain faith. After a while, as humans we want to give up. Life isn't easy. It comes with many ups and downs. Our life challenges are to make us better people. Some come along to prepare us for the level that we are heading toward. If we loose faith and give up, we can miss the opportunity to experience something greater, something better, a dream come true.

Lets practice the act of Faith. When times get rough, believe that there is still hope. Send up a prayer and I promise you it will be heard. Although every trial doesn't end quickly, they all must come to an end. So don't give up. Believe in the thing you cannot see, which is that your storm will pass. Have faith that your prayers will be heard and you will reap the blessing in the end.

Be Blessed!

The Inner You... Can You Hear It?

There is a still small voice that lives in each of us. It is there to guide us and help us not to make regrettable mistakes. It can improve our lives if we let it. What is this voice? Some call it a conscious, I call it the "inner me".

Often we are so engulfed with the different things we are experiencing throughout the day that we don't hear the voice or we don't take the time to acknowledge it when it speaks. How many times have we missed out on a blessing, because we didn't take heed to the voice? Ok, so some of us are in denial. How about this... how many times did you get locked out of your house or car, because "something told you to grab the keys" but you didn't? It happens more often than not.

Lets not confuse this small voice with the evil one that tells you to slap the lady that won't tell her child to stop screaming. This is not the voice that tells you to do to treat others badly. This is the quiet voice that calms you when you are mad, comforts you when you are sad, hugs you when you're all alone, that makes you feel like it can be trusted. This is the voice that always has something positive in store for you.

Remember, this voice would never ask you to hurt anyone or yourself. Always treat others the way you would like to be treated. I challenge you to pay attention when your inner you speaks, you just may experience something new.

Be blessed!

A New Beginning; Happy Easter!

We have overcome many obsticles in the last year, whether big or small. Each one is a reason to have faith and keep pressing forward.

This Easter, let us look at our lives as a new beginning. Jesus rose from the grave, giving us new life and forgiveness. We have to rise from our situations and embrace the new life we have been given.

This life is too short to let it slip away. Be grateful for your new life and embrace the idea of your new beginning. He gave it to you. Have faith and believe that it's yours.

Happy Easter!

Stop It!

The first time I heard my coworker sternly say "stop it" to another coworker, I cracked up laughing on the inside. Have you ever heard a mother or father say those words to a child that was acting out of character?

Today when you go through your day and someone cuts you off in traffic, before you yell at them (you know they can't hear you anyway) or cuss under your breath (you got caught, LOL) I want you to say these words to yourself... "Stop It!"

The next time you feel like acting out of character (because I know you are a loving person), tell yourself "Stop It!"

Why should you do this? Why not just release your feelings? Well, because you don't know what people are going through. Sometimes we do things without realizing the impact it will have on someone else. How would you feel if the person in the car you gave the finger to pulled over and began apologize. During the apology they began to cry while telling you they were on their way to visit a dying loved one who may not make it through the day, how would you feel?

It is true that some people do things with the wrong intentions, but until you know this is the case, lets give each other the benefit of the doubt. Lets have the forgiving heart of a small child.

It's the first step in having a better day. Tell yourself "Stop It!"

Be Blessed!

Inspired by Wyshawn. Love ya!

Welcome to my blog...

I have decided to create this blog after it was laid on my heart. It was an idea that I couldn't shake no matter how hard I tried. So many of us had problems before the economy went into distress and now things appear to have gotten out of control. Our lives get more complicated everyday.

This blog is to encourage you, to lift you up and to provide you with words of Love, Hope, Joy, or whatever you may need to help you push passed the obstacle life has thrown your way.

Be Blessed!