A Beautiful Mess

There is an answer on the way...

2009-09-22T05:31:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!!!

There's so much I want to share with you this morning.

Israel Houghton's latest CD "The Power of One" has many great songs on the album. There is one in particular that tugs at my heart. Its called "Every Prayer." The song speaks about how when we pray, God hears us.

If you're like me, you've said to yourself, "Is God really hearing me?"

The song is a great reminder that God DOES hear your prayer! Just think about it, if God created the oceans, mountains, birds, and created YOU: then He's definitely paying attention to you.

Remember in the first chapter of Joshua, God said "I will never leave nor forsake you." The best part of the song is when Mary Mary and Israel sings "There is an answer on the way, My God has done so many great things."

And that's so very true, God doesn't lie, He doesn't give out false promises or hope. As long as we have faith in what God can do, then we will see God work on our behalf (but our HEART has to be 100% committed to God).

I'm going to leave you with this scripture:

138:3 " As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength."

Have a blessed day! And remember to smile b/c God has written you a special part to play in Life!

So Beautiful!

2009-09-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Good Morning!
As we start this new day, I wanted to share with you a scripture that truly ministered to my spirit. This reaffirmed the inner beauty inside of me (and for you as well)

Let's take a look at
Ephesians 2:10
" For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

For those who are in "transition," ie- a young working professional, a soon to be college graduate, or whatever it may be in your life, I'm always thinking about my purpose in life.

Ephesians 2:10 speaks to who we truly are and what our purpose is in life. "We are God's Masterpieces." This means that God uniquely created each and every one of us to be "His Masterpiece." We are God's "mona lisa," and "Beethoven's Symphony."

To simply put it, you are so. Beautiful! A wonderous work that God has created "to do good works."

This is the second part of the scripture states "so we can do the good things God created for us long ago." God has AWESOME plans for our lives. We are created for a purpose and that is to do "good things" that God has planned for us.

So the bottom line of today's message is this: You are beautiful masterpiece created by God, to good things that He has planned for you.

God Bless & Keep You,

A Beautiful Mess!

PS-if you have a prayer request email me at shuler.ashley@gmail.com

THINK BIG, DREAM BIG!!!!

2009-08-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

I know what you are thinking, "this blog is on "chill" mode!" And you're right. In fact, i'm just trying to balance work and play (and struggling with the play part). But let's get down to the real topic at hand. Lately, there have been so many topics I want to write about but its sooo hard to choose. So, i'm going with my gut on this one.

Say it with: THINK BIG, DREAM BIG---there's no idea too small or too big for you to into reality!!!!

During work, I received an email from one of my co-workers who was on a business trip in downtown New Orleans. He and his other team members were a mission trip to investigate the ongoing homelessness crises from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Rita.

As I was watching the interviews of homeless persons, I began to think: How did we get here America? Five years after the Hurricane catastrophe, the state and local government is now stripping away the "right to housing" from these individuals. Why isn't anyone outraged (minus the homeless advocates groups) about this? Who is standing up for these people?

This got my blood boiling!

This is when I had my "ah-ha" moment. I thought to myself, I could be an activist/lawyer. Now, back to the title of the blog post: THING BIG, DREAM BIG. As a young working professionals (just shy of 2 years out of school), we are often trying to find our place in this world. I myself, have been praying left and right for God's direction over my life.

I used to think to myself, "I don't know if i'm equipped to do this or do that". I was crippling myself and missing out on opportunities that God had for me. I realized one thing: what right do I have to place limits on myself. God has already placed everything we need inside each and every one of us.

Later on that day, I prayed to God and I said, "There is nothing I can't do without you God." I often remind myself: With GOD all things are POSSIBLE. God takes what we see as an IMPOSSIBILITY and places it in our path for us to accomplish."

Check out these awesome links:

Israel Houghton---Your Latter Will Be Greater

New Orleans Forced Evictions Mission

http://hub.witness.org/en/NewOrleansForcedEvictionsMission

It's Been WAYYYY TOOO LONG

2009-07-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gents,

I've neglected you. Yes, its been too long and the summer has been a little crazy for me. But I promise to blog more inspirational words of wisdom your way. So let's get to it:

Today's Lesson is something that I really set the tone for the day. It comes from Phillipians 3:4-9. I am going to highlight a few key verses with my analysis of why this could radically impact your life.

^4-5Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

^6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

^8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

In verse 4, the Apostle Paul is encouraging us to "celebrate God everyday and wrap ourselves around him (in and out). After reading this twice, I said to myself, I have to do better than just praising God for 10 minutes of so. God requires that not only to celebrate who are God is, but we have to do it in more ways that one. Am I "reveling" in God in my assignments at work?" "While I'm volunteering?" or when a situation arises? How is my praise glorifying God?!

The next few sentences (v.6-7), "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life"

These verses put a smile on my face: Instead of worrying, "what is that going to do for you?" I need to just pray and let my Praise be the forefront of my prayers and then I will begin to see do a "new" thing inside of me.

The bottom line is: If we focus on the positive in life, the negative will never have a hold on you and your struggles will only seem like little mole hills. The Key is not believing in yourself, but believing what God can do through you!

Wednesday's Cause: Everybody Wins!!!!

2009-07-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hello Beautiful People,

Today's Cause is a DC Non-Profit called Everybody Wins! This organization is devoted to promoting children's literacy and a love of learning through shared reading experiences with caring individuals. These experiences enhance children's self-esteem, expand their possibilities for success in school and life and enable adult volunteers and communities to experience the rewards of enriching young lives.

One of their programs namely "Power Lunch Program," which operates in 14 Title I Public Elementary schools, links eager young minds with caring adults, who give an hour of their time each week to read and talk with children over lunch. Power Lunch is based on the belief that the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.

I love their mission and their investment of children (the future leaders of the next generation!)

Let's stay involved in our communities, We can make a difference together!

Check out the website below:

www.everybodywinsdc.org

Thought of the Week: God's Calling on Your Life!

2009-07-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Happy July! Was it just me who thought that June seemed a bit crazy and busy? This week's "Thought of The Week" comes straight from a mini-conference I went to at my church. The theme of Vacation Bible School was "Under Construction." The first thing that came to mind was "Bob The Builder, Can He Fix It? Bob The Builder YES HE CAN." The purpose of our 3 day journey was to go deep inside ourselves and discover what needed to be "fixed" up in order for God to move forward in our lives.

In the Young Adult Class, We talked about "our calling" in each of our lives, as it relates to what needed to "fixed" up in order to walk in God's Calling for each of our lives. We had many thought-provoking discussions, which we sometimes uncomfortable but yet necessary for me to face. I used to think that God's calling on your life meant you had to do something in the church. It was explained to me that God's Calling for your life is not restricted to the church, because people outside of the church need your talents and gifts.

One of the "projects" that God has placed on my heart is to open up a community center for youth. Where would I do this? When Would I do this ? I Have NO IDEA. In my head, I have a perfect set: a full court gym, classrooms, and even a few bedrooms (for those in emergency situations). I would have offices for nutrition, educational resources, teen pregnancy, and parental resources. This would be a safe plans for young people to discover their talents and make plans to attain their dreams. For those who are having those hard pressing issues, their will be on-site psychologists and therapists on staff. For the parents, we will have workshops for finances, education, and raising your child. I get so excited just thinking about it but I had to confront my worst fears and worries about "how is this going to happen? Will this happen?

I learned a few things from this mini-conference:

a) God has given you everything you need to walk into your destiny, God has placed those gifts inside of you. So don't doubt what talents you have. Just ask Him to teach you how to use it

b) You don't have to do it alone. Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. We can't make it in this world alone. That's why God stands with us in the good times and especially during the more pressing times. He drops people in our lives that are meant for us to learn something from them.

c) Jeremiah 29:11 "For I Know the Plans I have for you says the Lord, plans for good and not for harm, plans to give you a hope and a future." I love love love Jeremiah 29:11. Alot of people might think its redundant (i've thought so myself), but it truly captures the essences of what our lives are about. God has GREAT & AWESOME PLANS FOR YOUR LIFE. These are plans that will not harm you nor will it set you back. These are plans to give US a HOPE and a FUTURE.

d) TRUST ME! Proverbs 3:5 "Trust In the Lord with ALL your Heart, and Lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path." This is something I am learning about daily, How to Trust God with all of my life? If I only trust God with half of me I can't expect for God move radically in my life. I was awestruck by that statement (a future post about trusting God will come this week). So the bottom line is this, God has a calling in your life. You are probably thinking, "What the heck is it?" Start with writing down what are you passionate about, what are your gifts and talents, then start praying about it.

Once you align your thoughts with God's thoughts, you will be unstoppable!

Wednesday's Cause: The Colour Sisterhood

2009-06-30T16:27:00.000-07:00

Let's get right to it! I present to you this week's "cause": The Colour Sisterhood

The Vision:

The Colour Sisterhood is emerging as a powerful story of unity and alliance.

By definition sisterhood is "empathy that one woman (or one company of women) might feel for another". The Colour Sisterhood represents a company of down to earth, everyday women who desire to make a difference and make the world a better place - in essence it is a foundation seeking to "place value upon humanity".

The Sisterhood seeks to champion the cause of the orphan child and widow, to come alongside women (near and far) who are facing challenge, and it ultimately seeks to influence nations with the goodness and answers that are to be found in God.

The invitation is not exclusive and is open to any willing heart seeking to bring solution to today's many injustices.

What We Do

Here are a few initiatives that we apart of our program

1. Orphans & Children to the Rescue

A large part of our mandate as a Colour Sisterhood is to take care of the orphans and children.

2. Sisters to Come Alongside

As a global sisterhood we seek to stand alongside women in our communities and across the globe - telling them that there is a God in heaven who loves them and a company of women who believe in them.

3. Nations To Believe In

In being faithful with what is in our hand to do NOW, we believe that many doors of opportunity will open, where we as Sisterhood can influence nations and bring hope. There are countless lives just 'waiting' to be loved and believed in.

There is one very important lesson that I learned from The Colour Sisterhood, which is the drastic need to pour out compassionate to others. This is more than just a simple service project, this is a heart to heart connection. Its about reaching out to others and giving your time and talents in order to make a radical change in different communities.

Check out: The Colour Sisterhood Today!

http://www2.hillsong.com/sisterhood2/home.asp

This Week's Thought of the Week

2009-06-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

Recently, I downloaded a song called, "The Motions" by Matthew West. At first, I was said to myself, "What the heck is this guy talking about?" Then I began to dissect his lyrics:

Verse 1 speaks about needing to make a change if in your life, because mediocrity is not acceptable anymore. Matthew West sings, "okay, is not enough, help me through the nothingness of life."

So many times in life, we get complacent with the "stuff" of life that we don't even challenge ourselves to become better people; But there comes a time when "okay" is not enough. You gotta want something more for yourself than just the status quo.

The singer belts out the chorus with some much emotion, speaking about not going through "the motions" of life and missing out on God's love.

The last 3 lines of the chorus cuts deep for me:

"I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking

What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions."

For me, I look back at my past and their are times when I've admitted, "Gosh, you really didn't do your best or that just wasn't enough". I don't know about you, but I don't want to ask that question "What if I had given everything?"

The song goes even deeper as many christians just go through the "ritual" of christianity instead of truly living Christ daily: worshipping God through your lifestyle (your daily actions, thoughts, and habits).

Below are the Video & Lyrics

This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions

No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something

Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way

Wednesday's Cause!

2009-06-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone,

I'm very excited to bring you this week's cause! I recieved an email regarding this wonderful non profit called "Maggie's Place."

Here's the Mission:

Mission

Maggie’s Place is a community of homes that provide hospitality for pregnant women that are alone or on the streets. We have a two-fold strategy in assisting mothers to grow. First, Maggie’s Place provides for the immediate physical and emotional needs of our guests including shelter, food, clothing, and a supportive community. As such, we are a family and a community! In addition, Maggie’s Place connects the mothers to the appropriate agencies and resources including prenatal care, health insurance, low-cost housing, and education programs. In doing so, we are supporting the mother in both her short-term and long-term goals!

The Model: A Unique Approach

In the Maggie’s Place homes, we live a community life—moms and staff members sharing a home. Pregnancy, by design, is meant to be experienced in the context of family and in our own way, our homes offer a dynamic and vibrant family life. Each member of the community, regardless of their role, is changed profoundly by the experience. In this way, Maggie’s Place is not only providing for the needs of the pregnant women who are in need of support but also encouraging the growth of its staff members, donors, and volunteers.

I found this organization amazing! I love their unique approach to this situation. As previously stated, "Pregnancy by design, is meant to be experienced in the context of family." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement because how scary is it for first time mothers to experience their pregnancy alone, and with a caring staff helping you through this process, you grow stronger every day.

If you click through the website, you'll see that they are teaching mother pertinent life skills, helping them find employment, and developing interpersonal goals. This is service at its finest!

This is one of my favorite quotes from the website:

Maggie’s Place is a community that provides houses of hospitality for expectant women who wish to achieve their goals in a dignified atmosphere. Following Catholic social teaching, we recognize that we are responsible to and for one another. We challenge each other to strive toward personal growth, to welcome the gift of every person that enters our door, and to promote positive social change. In this way, we celebrate and provide for the next generation.

Check out the website below:

www.maggiesplace.org

Remember folks, it all starts with one person: BE THE CHANGE that God wants you to be!!!

Song of the Day: Israel & New Breed "The Power of One"

Thought of the Week: What's Your Foundation Built On?

2009-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

This past week, I've been studying and praying on this bible verse from Colossians 2:6-7:

⁶ And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. ⁷Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness (New Living Translation)

Before I get into the verse, Colossians is quite an interesting book, where Paul addresses the Church of Colosse. The theme of Colossians is "You have been made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10 http://www.christianinconnect.com/colossians.htm, that's a powerful verse as well, cause oftentimes we think that we are broken or aren't able to be fixed, but God has put everything inside of you that you are going to need in your WHOLE life. That kinda blows your mind right? Me TOO!)

Alright, so Colossians 2:6-7, is a great reminder about what are foundation should be all aboult. Often times, we are bogged down with the cares of this world that we find ourself sinking and then asking for help. So the question we ask ourselves is, "How did we get here?"

Verse 6 plainly states it, "just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him." To me this was an ahaha moment, just as I was drawn to Christ and followed Him, it should be my nature to continue and follow him. This is where it gets good in Verse 7 it says, "Let your roots grow down in into him, and let your lives be built on him." I love the second half of this phrase because it tell us what are foundation should be built on (which is the key to the title of this blog post).

Someone once told me that although you might want your dream job (a boomin' position on the Hill for example), plenty of money, job, partying, friends, and other pleasantries, but PUMP the BRAKES: those things can be easily taken away. Cause at the end of the day, the one thing that can't be taken away from you is Jesus Christ. So just when things were going smoothly, and all of sudden they are going down hill, just remember that your foundation is built on HIM, then you won't feel as if you are sinking!

Then the second half of the verse 7 states that your faith will grown strong (after you have let your roots grow in Christ and you've built your life on Him), and you will overflow with thankfulness; that verse really touched me cause it makes so much sense if you sit back and think about it. Your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and because of your faithfulness, you will see God work in your life; then you will overflow with thankfulness. DEEP!

Last thought to think about: "When Jesus is the focal point of your life, you will always find something to be thankful for." --Pastor Judah Smith (Generation Church)

Wednesday's Cause

2009-06-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Happy HUMP day everyone, usually on Wednesdays I'd bring you the freshest and dopest Slam Poets; but I'm changing the game once again. Every week, I'll be bringing you new social justice missions that are going on all over the world.

This weeks cause is: To Write Love On Her Arms.

What Is To Write Love On Her Arms?
It’s a movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.

Mission:

The vision is that we actually believe these things…

You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

Vision:

You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption. We're seeing it happen. We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need. People sitting across from a counselor for the first time. People stepping into treatment. In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline. We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take. We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.

What is so moving about this cause is the story behind it. A young woman named Jaime help out a stranger turned friend Renee who was a cocaine addict. She did something so simple but yet so amazing. For 5 days, Jaime and her friends loved on Renee. She helped Renee with assistance of others by spending time with her and showing her love, introduced her to Christ and what freedom of life is all about. Because of their courage and patience to show her love, Renee is recovering in Rehab with a hope that fills her life.

I encourage you to read the WHOLE story of about Jaime & Renee. It is truly amazing. This is one of my favorite quotes:

"We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive. I might be simple but more and more, I believe God works in love, speaks in love, is revealed in our love. I have seen that this week and honestly, it has been simple: Take a broken girl, treat her like a famous princess, give her the best seats in the house. Buy her coffee and cigarettes for the coming down, books and bathroom things for the days ahead. Tell her something true when all she's known are lies. Tell her God loves her. Tell her about forgiveness, the possibility of freedom, tell her she was made to dance in white dresses. All these things are true."

This story has cut deep in my heart because of the act of LOVE is so powerful. I am challenged to LOVE on people no matter there circumstance or where they are coming from. I feel strongly that every person needs to know that God loves you (despite how you feel about yourself or your circumstance) and that He didn't create you to suffer, but to fall deep in love with Him.

Check out the link below:

http://www.twloha.com/

Song of the Day:
"All Around Me" by Flyleaf

My Prayer of The Week

2009-06-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen,

Its been too long!! I hope last week was a great week of growth and I hope you learned something about yourself. Okay, so now we are back in business :) Today's Thought of the week is taken from a book I am reading right now: Ruthless Trust, by Brennan Manning.

This prayer has been speaking to my spirit right now!

"Abba, into your hands I entrust my body, mind, and spirit, and this entire day--morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Whatever you want of me, I want of me, falling into you and trusting you in the midst of my life. Into your heart I entrust my heart, feeble, distracted, insecure, and uncertain. Abba, unto you I abandon myself in Jesus our Lord, Amen."

Read this twice so that it can sink in! I know its deep right. This prayer is crucial for me right now, and I break down the meaning of the prayer as it applies to all of our lives

1) The theme of trust is big for me right now. This is why I love the author's approach to the prayer: "I entrust my body, mind and spirit". This is something to think about, How many of us just say I'm going to trust God and then worry about the "little" details of life (I'm raising my hand). The beginning of this prayer tells us, to trust God with ALL that is within you. Your whole mind, body, and spirit.

2) Your Entire Day: I love this part of the prayer b/c it reminds us to ask God to order our steps throughout the entire day; "morning, afternoon, evening, and night". This prepares us for the good and the bad.

3) You can have Whatever You Like: Okay, not necessarily in the T.I. way, but this particular phrase of the prayer challenges us to think, "Whatever God wants of me, I want of me". We should want what God wants for us. After all, He has created us and fashioned us to be like Him. So if God wants us to a) pray more b) read the bible more c) serve others d) cut ties with our friends who aren't looking out for our best interests e) etc...you get my drift; We should be willing to TRUST God in that sense, in the midst of everything in our lives

4) Lastly, I love this part because it strips the perfection complexity that I have of myself: "into your heart, I entrust my feeble, distracted, and insecure heart in You." I love love love love this part of the prayer, b/c isn't that all of us: We are distracted at times, we are insecure at times!

All God wants from us, is to abandon ourselves--everything that we find so secure and so obvious and just rest in His love.

So this week's challenge is to pray this prayer and to ask God to let Him inside of you!

Song of the Day: "Washed by The Water" by Needtobreathe

Revisiting Trust....

2009-06-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm reading this powerful book right now called, "Ruthless Trust" by Brennan Manning. The book talks about how to have radical trust in God that will transform you life. This book is deep. I came across a couple of concepts that really opened up my eyes.

"The Way of Trust" is about leaving what is secure, known, what is comfortable, and stepping into the unknown and grabbing trust with your hands and walking in faith." (Summarized by me)

I was blown by that because its soo true! Trust is about stepping into the unknown, even if you can't see the direction of where you are supposed to go. Its just as if you are walking with a blindfold and relying on guidance from God to direct you. Its scarcy, but its oh so necessary. We as people get some comfortable in our own skin that we just literally run away when we can't see every piece of the puzzle in front of us.

The next story was pretty awesome as well: A man went to speak to Mother Theresa, and asked her to pray for Clarity because he was seeking to trust God when facing a difficult situation. Mother Theresa responds with such conviction saying, "I am not going to pray for clarity, I am going to pray that you trust God." She goes on to say, that when you trust God it doesn't mean that your situation is going to become so much clearer (like an open sky).

That's deep isn't? Essentially, Mother Theresa was saying that we have to rely on God's guidance to show us the next step. We may not understand what God is doing and why He is doing it this way, but the Word of God says "My thoughts are not your thoughts". So I guess that settles that point.

That's all I have for you folks. Have a great day :)

Below is a funky new song: Press Play "Life is Beautiful"

Slam Poetry Wednesdays: Jill Scott & Bassey Ikpi

2009-06-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's HUMP day ladies and gentlemen and that means we might need a little pick me up to get us through the day!

Below are 2 FANTASIC poets:

Jill Scott, is an American R&B singer, poet, & actress. Here is an exclusive performance on Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam.

http://www.jillscott.com/

Bassey Ikpi is an accomplished writer, slam poet, and mother.
www.basseyworld.com

Give Me Your Eyes....

2009-05-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Sunday Everyone!!!

Last week, I was in the DC for an appointment, along the way I stopped in the CVS to grab drink before I head off to the metro. As I was rushing to get to the metro, a homeless man stopped me and said, "Can you spare some change so I can get a meal." I responded by saying, "I don't have any money to give you."

As I sat on the metro thinking to myself, "Why didn't I take the time to pull out my wallet and see what I could offer this man?" "Am I wrong for not helping him out?" "Was I selfish for not giving cause I was going to use it for metro fare?"

I came across this song called, "Give Me Your Eyes," by Brandon Heath. The lyrics provoked me to think, How many times have I ignored someone next to me that needed a "hello," smile, hug, or even a $1.00? The song talks about how we sometimes we don't take enough time to think about others in our daily activities.

The chorus says,"Give me your for just one second, Give your eyes so I can see, Everything that I keep missing, Give me your love for humanity." This rings so true, "Can I have your eyes, so that I may see and feel your circumstance?" This song is a perfect reminder to be more compassionate to people. For example, While we are running errands and someone cuts us off the road, our initial instinct is "pop off," but perhaps someone is rushing to see a loved one or maybe when that salesperson has a nasty attitude with us, let's not always rush to call the manager (although they do need an attitude check sometimes) but perhaps they have had a bad day (due to stress at home).

I don't know about you, but this particular incident on the metro convicted me in a way, that I didn't do my personal best to serve this money and give him money. Any advice? Comment Below!

Here is the linked and lyrics below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTsYAZvHsEQ&feature=related

Look down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touch down on the cold black top
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breathe in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared

Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken-hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide what’s underneath
There’s a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
Too ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work, he’s buying time
All those people going somewhere
Why have I never cared

I’ve been here a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just move and pass me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well, I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way You’ve seen the people all along

For Everyone Who is Waiting on Something....

2009-05-27T21:13:00.000-07:00

My Good People, I skipped over Slam Poetry Wednesdays, to bring you something special for Thursday. I came across this song from my good friend who has been encouraging me in my life. The song is called, "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller. The lyrics of this song encompass my mood and my mindset for this season in my life. The song talks about serving God, being obediently, and worshipping God through your "valley" aka while your waiting.

Half way through the song, with tears rolling down my eyes as I repeated this verse,

"I will move ahead, bold and confident

Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You"

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Takeing every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

The bottom line is that when you come into a cross roads in your life, know that its not going to last forever, there is a season for everything. So while you wait, don't be upset, keep having faith cause after all God has a plan for your life.

Thought of the Week: Sacrifice

2009-05-26T17:23:00.001-07:00

Greetings fellow readers! I hope your memorial day was fun and relaxing!

This week's thought of week is a little late, but its right on time. How many of us take time and really reflect on our veterans who sacrificed their lives for our freedom? I surely did not! It slips our mind as we think about our 3 day weekend and how lovely it will be to sleep in. However, yesterday was the first time I sat back and thought, "how courageous are these men and women who answered their call to protect our country." Then I started to think about everyday heroes who sacrifice their own needs in order to benefit others.

So this week's challenge, let's reflect on those who have sacrificed so that we can have more opportunities to so that we can be the BEST person we can be. There are endless amount of opportunities we have, but they didn't come for free. Someone sacrificed for you and for me. So this week, let's say thank you to thank you to those who have made sacrificed so that you can have more opportunities. And let's return the favor and become a blessing on someone else's life.

Life's most urgent question is: What are you doing for others? -Martin Luther King Jr.

Sweat plus sacrifice equals success-Charles O. Finley

The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.-William James

The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. -Charles DuBois

The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves: we do unto others as we do unto ourselves. We hate others when we hate ourselves. We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves. We forgive others when we forgive ourselves. We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves.-Eric Hoffer

Food for Thought

2009-05-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

As we close out the week, I want to share with you a quote that a good friend of mine gave me:

To pray is to change. This is great grace. How good of God to provide a path whereby, where our lives can be taken over by love and joy and peace and patience and kindness, and goodness, faithfulness and gentleness and self-control.

This quote really stuck with me, cause I need all of these things in my life RIGHT NOW! The first 2 sentences, To pray is to change. This is great grace, teaches us that prayer is about becoming who God wants us to be, not what we want for ourselves. The next sentence, THIS is great grace, is thought provoking because Grace is what propels us, motivates us to do what we couldn't do on our own (push through our storm,believe that things are going to get better, grown in character for the better). I didn't realize that growing in grace is very important in your life. It is from grace that we recieve: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I may not understand what God is doing in my life right now, but I'm okay with that. But what I do know is that I need some patience, some of this love and peace and faithfulness during this time of discernment.

Have a GREAT Memorial Day Weekend :)

Introducing: Joaquin Zihuatanejo & Taylor Mali

2009-05-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday Everyone!!!!

On this great day, I present to you 2 dyanmic poets! I hope you enjoy. Have a great :)

Taylor Mali, an American Slam Poet & Teacher from New York City. Taylor Mali is the former president of Poetry Slam Incorporated, and is an accomplished author and performer.

http://www.taylormali.com/

Joaquin Zihuatanjeo is a father, a husband, a poet,a spoken word artist, and an award-winning teacher. He was born and raised in the barrio of East Dallas where his grandfather, Silas C. Medina, first introduced him to poetry & art.

http://www.louderarts.com/poets/zihuatanejo/

Let's Start This Week Off RIGHT!!

2009-05-18T10:22:00.001-07:00

It's another beautiful day in the neighborhood! *sings in high pitched squeaky voice* Won't you be my neighbor ?!

So last week's challenge was to make someone's day: either by assisting someone in a project, babysitting your neighbor's kids, or sending a friendly smile with a co-worker.

This week, we are talking about Patience!!!! This is something that I struggle with often, and for the past couple of weeks I've been praying and putting into practice that Patience is necessary in all that you do.

How many of you get impatient when someone doesn't understand what you are trying to communicate? Or How about when you are trying to get something done that seems so urgent that you just rush rush rush and end up making a mistake?

I read an interesting article the other day about patience. Here is an excerpt for the article:

Patience is showing tolerance and fortitude toward others, even accepting difficult situations from them, and God, without making demands or conditions. Patience allows us to endure a less than desirable situation to make us better and more useful and even optimistic and prudent. Hence, its other name is longsuffering. It allows us to put up with others who get on our nerves, without losing other characteristics of grace.

The above excerpt has words and phrases highlighted for a specific reason. We need to show more tolerance of others especially when we realize there are personality differences (for those get on our nerves). Hold on to the golden rule: not everyone is going to get along, but we MUST respect one another. When we encounter difficult situations with our peers, family, or friends: we need patience to weather the storm. Even when we have our personal battles, we need patience to keep our sanity, so we will be more optmistic about the future.

A Link about Patience:

http://www.discipleshiptools.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=36688&columnid=4166

Slam Poetry Wednesdays: Introducing Sarah Kay!

2009-05-13T10:15:00.000-07:00

On this most auspicious (I Love Big Words) occasion, I have for you one talented sista named Sarah Kay. She is a student at Brown University (Class of 2010). Miss Kay has performed all over including Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam. Have a great day!!!!

5 Fierce Women You Should Know About

2009-05-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hello Ladies and Gents,

I hope everyone is having a GREAT week! Today I will be highlights 5 Fabulous Women you should know about. Don't worry guys, I have you in the next post.

1) Desiree Rogers: She is White House Official Social Secretary. This dynamic woman is a first African American Woman to serve in this capacity. This New Orleans native is a graduate of Wellesly College with a degree Political Science. Ms. Rogers did not stop at the undergraduate level, she earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. After graduate school, Ms. Rogers moved to Chicago Illinois and worked for various organizations such as AT&T, Illinois State Lottery, People Gas, and North Shore Gas. With her savvy business ambition, she joined Allstate Financial and is apart of numerous organizations.

Let's give a round of applause to Mrs. Desiree Rogers!

2) Gwendolyn Ifill: As a American Journalist, Author, Televison Newscaster, managing editor for Washington Week (PBS), and senior correspondent for the The NewsHour (PBS) Ms. Ifill has made herself a household name. She graduated with a Bachelor of Communications from Simmons College in Boston, MA in 1977. Some of Ms. Ifill's accomplishments include: working for the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, New York Times, and NBC. Ifill's first book: The Breakthrough: Politics and The Age of Obama" was released on Inauguration Day (January 20th, 2009).

Let's give it up for Ms. Gwendolyn Ifill

3) Susan Rice: Mrs. Susan Rice is an American Foreign Policy Advisor and UN Ambassador (Heavy STUFF). Her credentials include: serving on the staff of the National Security Council and as Assistant Secretary of State for African American Affairs during Clinton's 2nd term. Mrs. Rice is the 3 woman to hold the UN Ambassador position and 1st African American woman to do so. As a native of DC, she was tri-sport athlete and academic goddess. She graduated from Stanford University where she received the Truman Scholarship and was inducted to the Phi Beta Kappa. Not only is Ms. Rice a Truman Scholar, she was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship when she attended New College, Oxford. where she earned her Masters and Doctorate in Philosophy. Before working for the Obama Administration, Rice was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute.

Susan Rice is DYNAMIC! but so are all of these women.

4) Judge Leah Ward Sears: She is Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the US State of Georgia. In 2005, She became the 1st African American Female Justice to hold this position (HEAVY STUFF MAN)!!! She is a graduate of Cornell University and earned her J.D. from Emory University and a L.L.M. from the University of Virginia. Judge Sears is rumored to be on the short list for the next Supreme Court Justice.

Judge Sears gives me goose bumps! Simply Beautiful....

5) DJ Beverly Bond: This versatile and dynamic woman has rocked the stage with the best: Prince, Jay-Z, and Michael Jordan. But don't let the fame fool you, Ms. Bond is here to stay! She is making a huge impact with young black girls across the country. In 2006, she started the "Black Girls Rock" foundation: to empower young black females and honor those who encourage positive imager (THAT'S WHAT I'm TALKING ABOUT!!!! WooT WOOT)

This is her response when asked about her foundation (The Source Magazine: Sept. 8th, 2008 Article):

I started the organization as a reaction to women being degraded and humiliated. It’s a response to their not even portraying a balance of women of color; I can’t turn the channel and see something else. The problem isn’t with the video girl. The problem is [not] having other images available for black women in Hip-Hop. We need more diversity.

Well, that's it for me. I hope you enjoyed reading about these dynamic women for change! Keep achieving your goals people. No one can stop you but YOU!

Still Breeding Positivity and loving it!,

A Beautiful Mess

Where do our kids fit?

2009-05-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Dr. Connie Rice, co-founder of The Advancement Project was recently on the Tavis Smiley Radio Show (May 1st Episode). Tavis asks Dr. Rice,"Where do our children, the poorest of the poor fit into the stimulus package?" This provoking questions left me to closely listen to her answer. Dr. Rice responds,"Our children do not fit into any part of the stimulus package."

When she said that, I sat back and thought, "She is absolutely right." One of my church members has been a teacher in the Fairfax county school system for 30 years. I used to think that Northern Virginia didn't have any poverty issues. But, I was completely wrong, especially when I began hearing of the horror stories of the children who are homeless and going to school. While I attended college, I was involved with a program called "Rites of Passage". Its a program for middle school kids (most minorities) to learn about man hood and woman hood training for the next phase in their life. This program helped me to see the cracks in our educational school system. It also opened my eyes to the fact that we need to fight for our kids. They are leaders of the next generation. If don't stand up for them, no one will. Then, the "powers that be," will continue to make detrimental decisions that will adversely affect them.

How do we expect our children to achieve greatness, when they are worrying where they are going to sleep or night? or if they are going to have a meal?

Programs such as "The Advancement Project," are vital to our society, in which they dismantle the social and racial inequalities that exist in our society. I encourage you check out www.advancementproject.org . Dr. Connie Rice is an inspiration to me, I one day aspire to open up my own full service community service where any child can enroll and be trained for leadership and academic excellence.

So the question remains, "What can we do now? and Where do our kids fit?" (Please Comment!)

This Week's Thought of The Week

2009-05-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last Week, I had a couple of facebook status' about "making someone's' day. I want that to be this week's challenge. A lot of time, we go about our routine business of the day: sleep, work, lunch, work, dinner, meeting time, etc. I thought to myself, when is the last time I did a favor for someone else? I go about my day and make sure that I am doing what's on my daily agenda sheet, but what about my neighbor? So this week's challenge is to do a favor for your neighbor, co worker, or someone you don't know very well.

This could be something as easy as: 1) Hey, do you need help with that project you are working on? 2) Hey, I'm going to pick up some lunch, can I get you anything? 3) If you need a babysitter, I'm here! 4) you get my drift.

A helping hand will go a long way. Remember: You never know what someone is going through, so this week, let's make someones day!

Mother's Day!!!!

2009-05-07T16:26:00.001-07:00

Hello Good People!

Mother's Day is right around the corner, What are you every one's plans? I love the concept of Mother's Day. Its a special day set aside to tell you mom you love her. But, I believe we should challenge ourselves, and not just celebrate our moms on one day. Let's do it everyday, We gotta do it when they least expect it! In later years are teenager, I realized that Mother's Day does not mean to celebrate your "biological" mother, but those around you that have made an impact in your lives. Unfortunately, not everyone has mothers, so on this and every other day, honor those sisters, aunts, nieces, friends; whether they are family or like family.

PS-Even if you have beef in the streets with your mom or whomever chose to honor that day, pick up the phone or mail a card! Life is too short for us to hold grudges and not to acknowledge and recognize those who made a deep impact on our lives.