Good Morn-ting (in my Madea voice-lol).

There are 900 trillion+ reasons why God is Awesome but here is 1 for the record. God is so awesome as He often put's us in position to excercise the most recent lesson that he has taught us. So yesterday I blogged about the difference between being assertive and aggressive.....well today God must have said, "let's practice so we can see your progess". This morning I had to "deal" with a woman who attempted to be difficult to say the least and keep it rated G. Coincidentally (nothing is ever coincidence but it sounded good), the conversation did have to do with money and a situation similar to the example that I gave you all in yesterday's blog....(shaking my head and smiling because of how strategic God is). I had the pleasure of cleary and assertively letting her know what I needed, what I needed her to do, and when I needed it by. Everything in me wanted to say "Let me tell you something you rude, ignorant, hefer (and that's the nice version)". Instead, I firmly redirected her throughout the call, stated the facts with a lack of emotion, and advised her of the intended deadline. At the end of the day, there will always be circumstances presented in life that force us to "deal", even people who are considered passive get pushed to the point where "dealing" is necessary....usually by then they have already exploded and hurt somebody!. We have to learn how to have balance in ALL things in life. In my case, God had to work on me because I had no balance, when I went off somebody better run, hide, and call the proper authorities. Over the past 2 years He has taught me how to carry myself and address certain issues without going all the way to the left (insert caller dialing 911) or the right (passive & pushover mode)......but instead staying steadfast in the middle of the two. We are all a work in progress and when we don't get it right we can always tell the Lord we jacked it up, ask Him to help us get it right, and then keep it moving. Thankfully for us, He is forgiving, merciful, and loves to give second chances.  You know what I say Practice makes Polished....they may say "practice makes perfect" (whoever THEY are) but I have officially changed it and made it my own...sorry people-I have promised myself never to use the word perfect in relation to myself or other human beings. God...now that's another story-HE IS PERFECT!

This life we live is no movie, book, or fairytale therefore things are almost never scripted. In real life we have to interact with others as apart of our daily grind. Unfortunately, we will not always be able to control or predict what another person's reaction is going to be BUT the good news is we can control what our reaction is going to be. A dear friend once told me that learning "to deal" is one of the most important life lessons she has learned, I can say the same for myself as this is the art I am mastering as we speak. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a very upfront person, but I too had to learn BALANCE and the art of how to "deal". I define it as follows: To deal is to address, resolve, or redirect an issue without hesitation, procrastination, or getting arrested in the process. Scenario: Suzy tells Annie that she will repay the money she borrowed from her in the next 2 weeks instead of today as originally agreed. Annie could either A) Rip her head off B) Put Suzy in a choke hold (which would clearly be inappropriate) or C) Be assertive, redirect her friend in love, and state the expected solution. Being assertive can be effective in getting your point across in a direct way without displaying way too much, over the top, exploding emotion. Annie chooses C), She responds "Unfortunately that will not work for me as I have already allocated those funds in accordance with the date that we had originally set. I have no problem helping you when there is A NEED but I too have financial obligations so I NEED to meet up with you sometime before 8pm today to pick up the money. Okay-Great-Thanks...Love you!". When you go all the way to the left and start yelling, screaming, and throwing things or people, there is an automatic defense switch that the other party tends to turn on. With the assertive approach stating the facts is all that is necessary: The fact is YOU borrowed money, I helped YOU, and YOU gave your word I would have it back by XYZ date. People can always dispute "how you feel" or "how you react" but they can never dispute or deny what is a fact!. Any questions? : )

Since the beginning of 2010 the word Impact has been emphasized in ministry and beyond. In short, the word impact means to have a huge effect in a short amount of time. The other definition is the collision of 2 objects. Everyone that you come in contact with (whether it’s long term or just for a season) is left with an imprint but it is you who decides whether or not the impact will be negative or positive. If one begins to look at what that means it’s clear that every time people talk to or meet someone new they have the chance to impact them and leave them in a better state than when they met them. The power of one is a phenomenon in itself once people begin to process how their existence in this world can cause a chain reaction of change. Looking outside of one’s self and embracing a state of selflessness is one of the greatest gifts that a human being can give. At times people tend to underestimate just how powerful they truly are and neglect to tap into their true potential. You have the power to change lives all by yourself! Give someone an encouraging word, help someone over a hurdle, feed someone who is hungry, clothe someone who's naked, wipe someone’s tears, or send up a prayer on their behalf. If you can exhibit the love of God through your actions them you have changed a life. All of these things make a huge difference and the small things add up to have a huge impact! God is pleased when His people help others and the overall goal is to please Him...it’s a tiny task in exchange for what he has done, is doing, and will do. Purpose is waiting for you!

Hello Friends!...Welcome to my blog, my thoughts, and my ministry. *Clears throat loudly*....A little about me (or alot)..I am a bold Brooklyn girl (Hampton/Brooklyn....who's really paying any attention?!) who has no problem using her "boldness" to give glory to God. He has used my "real talk" method of delivery to reach those that need to hear the message in a way that they can receive and relate to. I have coined the phrase "I am chosen, not perfect: there's a difference" as I think it is extremely important to be transparent in ministry to help others realize that it is okay to make mistakes because GOD accepts us all. Perfection is unattainable because only God is perfect, however we were not created to be mediocre either. Therefore, we must strive to be EXCELLENT, walk the path that we are called to, and live our lives righteously in the meantime. Thank God for wisdom, mercy, and forgiveness as this is not an easy task BUT IT IS WORTH IT and HE IS SO VERY WORTHY. I could be dead, broke, busted, or lost but God said otherwise and I'm just glad to be here. Thanks Lord....gotta Love ya!