Jan 30th: You gotta go thru

My, my, my, my that was a trying week. Thru my church last week was the Daniel fast. A fast from entertainment, tv, facebook and other media, meat, fish, sweets, and all other forms of life. Yikes, with a capital Y-I. I was defiinitely tested during this time and tested again and broken down. My goodness.  You name it, anything that could of happened did. Not usually, how I like my life. I am the happy, forward, opptimistic type that is also realistic and naturally excited. My God, I reached a point last Sunday and Monday where happiness could of been a desolate island; I’ve never found. I was hungry, irritable, and short paitent. My car had issues, had a few other setbacks, evey biller in the world sent me a larger bill for some reasons, and other trying issues came up in my everyday relationships with the world. GIVE ME A BREAK. The final straw, a client yelling at me 36 mph. Im sorry, what? Sighing. No more.

Im not afraid to admit it, I was doubtful. Why am I fasting? Where is the closet steak house? Ugh, I could go for a good movie and popcorn? I could use a stiff one. I shut out all parties, didn’t answer  my phone and the clouds of doom and pestimism hung right over my head. I tried to pray.  But, the lines up to heaven were experiencing technical difficulties. I was firing on one cyclinder.

I managed to whimper  in a low voice a short audible prayer. It just said, “Lord help me now.” I repeated it several times. Until I felt the hungry and dark clouds parting. I opened my bible. Sighing. And just started reading for about 30 mins. I felt better. That next day, I called off work. My friend recommended I do so. I was hoping to sit around doing nothing but actually I prayed, went to see the sick, and offered as much as I could an encouraging word to another friend. That day. Literally, in two hours. Everything changed. Everything. The bills an error, received money in the mail 2x, the car fixed minor issue, the issues with people a mild misunderstanding, and the client called back that day much later to apologize. As for the food, hardly noticed anymore. I just ate more rabbit food more often and subscribed to the erin diet. LOL. The clouds were dispersing.

I had a visitor that arrived suddenly out of the blue, and that made me exceedingly happy. Provided a lift and encouragement. Temperance and virtue. Many thanks to you. I met up with my Coleman and he extended an ear, several laughs, and great conversation. Sighing, no matter where we are, I love you boy!

So all in all. A very trying week but I survived. After that storm, I realized I needed that. That I had to be tested to my faith to see just how much faith I had. I completed the fast. Lost 6lbs. Met some really cool ppl and other fashion designers. Got my website updated, came up with some super ideas, and got many other agenda items in order. Also, thru God’s grace, locked in some key dates, events, and networks that will power the G. Ingles company to the next level. You just wait and see.

Jan 16th: I have a dream

Today most of us have off to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Some 44 yrs later blacks are amongst the most recognized contributors to medicine, technology, fashion, science, music, and the arts.

King’s dream is today’s reality. The things your create are tomorrows Picaso’s. And the people you influence, are our nations next Ghandi, Dali Lama or Einsteins.

See we aren’t just living on this earth to just live. We are created on this earth for an experience. And, mostly an experience unto others. Meaning, what you do for the benefit of all, will excel you  and make your experience easier. I would encourage you to not sit back and partake of things you know are wrong, or remain silent when you have something worthwhile to say. Don’t be trapped in what happened. Be engaged in what you’d like to see happen. And when all else fails, lend on the Lord and not your understanding.

The dream of today is that all little children will have a better tomorrow is it not? And that we will continue moving forward.

Jan 3, 2012: stories we tell

Welcome, welcome to 2012! I am excited. How was your new years? And what did you do? I spent mine up in Michigan in Traverse City. Very nice. Very nice. I had amazingly great company, clear skies, rolling beaches and sand, and plenty of laughs.

You just cant beat that. Each year, I try to make the most of this one second that controls the pace of the rest of my year. I was always taught what you do and whom you do it with on new years sets the pace for the whole year. Do you believe that?

Smiling. Before this post turns into a dedication to the love of my life I’ll cut it short by saying that you and I deserve to be happy. You deserve to have the very best for yourself. I do too. Its not progressive when we decide that the person we are with will not be here long. Usually we know. You know closer to the beginning than the end.

So where am I going with all this? As we grow together, you the reader and I, we should expect more from ourselves. Year over year, we shouldn’t do what we did last year that produced no result for us. Aim higher, expect resistence, continue to accept that you must change.

My mentor told me, that if I wanted a different result, I’d have to select a different method. And so as we tell our stories about our lives, where we have been, and what we have experienced. There should be a shift, within each story where you are growing. Where you have failed and been hurt. Then where you were retested and succeeded. The stories we tell should reflect, in my opinion, where we have been but not always where we are now. So my reader, I’d like to encourage you that this is your year. The only one who can guarantee that you are in a better place financially, mentally, emotionally, physically, or creatively is you. Make the most of your year, ask questions, tell the truth, don’t be so pestimistic (no one wants to hear that), set higher goals for yourself and don’t be afraid to fail.

Step out on faith, make good choices, and trust that God knows your circumstances and has determined your destiny. So let go, forgo all that stress. If you can’t- then you can’t.