Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Our word for today comes from
Romans 6: 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him
Death is an interesting phenomenon because it can be both literal and metaphoric.
The death of Jesus on the cross was a very literal and public example for all to see. See his death much like many of the death we are seeing now, was senseless, in the fact that he had committed no crime. However, on the other hand it was very necessary for the remission of our sins. Only a blameless sacrifice would do. Only one that had been tried and proven worthy could sacrifice his like for our stead. None of us could have done it. Only Jesus.
He took his literal death so that we can live each and every day. Without his literal death you and I would not have the opportunity to have a figurative death each day. Yes each and every day you have the opportunity to die to self. You have the choice to put yourself on a figurative cross each day and die to everything that keeps you from being in the presence of God but will you do it?
It is easy for us to think about the sacrifice made by Christ and applaud but will you be a sacrificial lamb? No, you can not die for me, but you must die to and for yourself daily.
No he didn't have to die for us but he did and for that I am so greatful. Take the time this week/end to reflect on your blessings. Take time to thank God for all of the many blessings you have experienced. He has been just that good.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Transforming our minds takes work but it is necessary work. The power of life and death is in your tongue. What are you speaking into existence?
Say this. I walking in God's divine favor. I have supernatural increase. I have preferential treatment. I have petitions granted. I have providence. I have battles won that I do not have to fight. I walk in divine favor. Every morning when I rise I will speak and walk in divine favor. Favor will go before me and surround me as a shield. Doors are now open to me that no man can shut. No obstacles will stop me and no hindrances will delay me from reaching my goal. I walk in divine favor. I am a queen. My mind, body, and spirit will align to put my before open doors of blessings. I am whole and blessed.
This was influenced by Dr Bill Winston of Chicago, Illinois and also by what I heard as I began to write. Sistahs we can not continue to round and round these same mulberry bushes expecting to get different results. We have to change our habits, our hang outs and our hindrances. If they have been good for you up til now why are you holding on? Time for some spring cleaning. Be transformed today.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Our focus for today is on multiple sclerosis.
MS is a chronic neurological condition that affects the central nervous system, which is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. In the CNS, nerve fibers (called axons) are protected by a fatty layer of insulation called myelin. Myelin allows nerve signals to travel properly.
In MS, overactive immune cells cause inflammation, which damages the myelin. This results in a loss of myelin – called demyelination – and some degree of axonal damage. Wherever the myelin is destroyed, a damaged area of white matter known as a lesion (or plaque) will occur. Over time, hardened scar tissue develops at the lesion site. This hardened scar tissue, or sclerosis, may develop at multiple sites throughout the CNS, hence the name multiple sclerosis. This scarring disrupts the transmission of nerve signals that communicate a desired action from the brain, through the spinal cord, to various parts of the body.
A simple illustration
Imagine this: you disconnect your cell phone from its charger as you get ready for a busy day. But even though it has been connected all night, you notice the battery is only partially charged. You look at the cord and notice a spot where the insulation has been stripped away and the wires inside are exposed. Because the path by which the current travels is damaged, not all of the electricity sent from the outlet reached its target, your phone.
This analogy is helpful in understanding MS. When signals from the brain travel along nerves where the insulation has been damaged or lost, those signals may be interrupted or distorted, producing the many symptoms associated with MS.
Check out www.msfocus.org for more information
Until Monday
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Monday we talked about strength, yesterday we looked at a picture of courage, today we will examine wisdom.
Proverbs 4:6-9 says,
Don’t turn away from wisdom, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will keep you safe.“The first step to becoming wise is to look for wisdom, so use everything you have to get understanding.Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Hold on to wisdom, and she will bring you honor.Wisdom will reward you with a crown of honor and glory.”
Wisdom is the principle thing. However, as I look around finding wisdom can be difficult. Age does not equate to wisdom. I have spoken with very wise children and very foolish old people. How do you know when what you are hearing is wisdom?
In this particular passage it encourages us to get wisdom and use that wisdom to bring us to a place of understanding. If what you are hearing is bringing chaos and confusion it's probably not wisdom.
One thing that is essential in gaining and using wisdom and that is your ear. You have to train your ear to hear the wisdom or sage advise in any situation. A drunk on the street might be the person that shares the words that will ignite your trait to understanding if you are willing to hear. Yes, you are right we don't always live on the wisdom side of the street. We don't always listen to that little voice that is leading and guiding us. This idea of walking in wisdom is easy conceptually but it is much harder in practice. How much better off would we be if we loved wisdom?
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Yesterday we talked about strength. Today we will look at a picture of courage.
Political activist and educator Anna Arnold Hedgeman was the first African American woman to serve on the cabinet of a New York mayor when she worked during the term of New York City Mayor Robert Wagner from 1957-1958. Her career spanned more than six decades as an advocate for civil rights. In 1963 she helped A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin plan the March on Washington and was the only woman among the key event organizers.
After graduating from high school in 1918, Arnold was accepted into Hamline University, a Methodist college in St. Paul, Minnesota. She graduated four years later with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, the first African American to earn a degree at that institution. While at Hamline, Arnold heard Dr. W.E.B. DuBois give an address and was inspired to become an educator. Immediately after graduation, Arnold accepted a teaching position at Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, the oldest of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She taught English and history there for two years. While in Mississippi she experienced racial segregation and discrimination for the first time, leading to her later involvement in the civil rights movement.
By the 1970s Hedgeman was a frequent lecturer at African and U.S. universities. She also wrote two books about her life's work: The Trumpet Sounds (1964), and The Gift of Chaos (1977). Both Howard University and Hamline University have awarded Hedgeman honorary doctor degrees. Anna Arnold Hedgeman died in Harlem on January 17, 1990.
Go to www.blackpast.com for more information.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
So where has the time gone? We are over half way through March. Wow.
Let's talk for a bit this morning. Strength, courage and wisdom are the keys that unlock success in your life, but you have not tapped into them. Are you the little cat? There my be a bit of spunk but not the shear tenacity to tear into new ideas and new passions. Not the boldness to tread where others have not. Why?
Tap into what is inside of you. That jungle cat is waiting to spring forth. Will you allow that roar to come from your mouth or will you meow forever? Don't just sit on the ledge and watch time, opportunity, and people go by that you know are destined for you. It's time to make power moved. Pounce on your future. Get a real good grip and attack it. Everything is in you, but when will you believe it?
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Our Friday Focus is on colorectal cancer.
I share this with you today because my grandfather had colorectal cancer that he ignored for a long time which resulted in him loosing a large portion of his intestine. If found early your quality of life need not be changed. Without early detection you will be tied to a colostomy bag.
Colorectal cancer is cancer of the colon or rectum. This year, more than 135,000 people will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,200 will die of the disease.
With certain types of screening, this cancer can be prevented by removing polyps (grape-like growths on the wall of the intestine) before they become cancerous. Several screening tests detect colorectal cancer early, when it can be easily and successfully treated.
You might be at an increased risk for colorectal cancer if you:
*Are age 50 or older
*Smoke or use tobacco
*Are overweight or obese, especially if you carry fat around your waist
*Are not physically active
*Drink alcohol in excess (especially if you are a man)
*Eat a lot of red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb, or a lot of processed meat, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs or cold cuts
*Have a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or benign (not cancerous) colorectal polyps
*Have a personal or family history of inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
Symptoms
Early stages of colorectal cancer don’t usually have symptoms. Later on, people may have these symptoms:
*Bleeding from the rectum or blood in or on the stool
*Change in bowel habits
*Stools that are more narrow than usual
*General problems in the abdomen, such as bloating, fullness or cramps
*Diarrhea, constipation or a feeling in the rectum that the bowel movement isn’t quite complete
*Weight loss for no apparent reason
*Being tired all the time
*Vomiting
If you have any of these symptoms go see your doctor. It is better to safe than sorry.
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
https://www.facebook.com/daryl.collins.589/posts/10160124719410173
Who is in your village? There is an African Proverbs that says, it takes a village to raise a child. So again, I ask who is in your village?
Does your village contain any of the following? Encouragers, seers, correctioners, lovers, helpers, uplifters, financiers, huggers, storytellers, leaders, and vision casters. Who is in your village?
If it takes a village to raise a child then it takes an extended village to maintain that child through adulthood. See once we raise them we must cultivate them and encourage them to raise up the next generation. See this is an ever flowing river of love and kindness that must flow through the generations to wash out hate, wash out mistreatment and wash out generational curses. It will ultimately lead us to more cohesive an functional village.
See we all require the touches of the village to shape us and make us in this thing we call life. Our village will not only consist of people that look like, sound like, and think like us, but also of those that rub us the wrong way to show us our imperfections. It takes a village.
Finally, I ask who is in your village?
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Our word for today comes from:
Proverbs 3:13-14
Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom, And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences], For wisdom’s profit is better than the profit of silver, And her gain is better than fine gold.
If you don't obtain anything else in this life, get wisdom. It seems like a hard thing but the word says to just ask for it. Everyday seek the wisdom and direction of God.
If you look at these verses it says wisdom is more profitable than silver or gold. GET WISDOM!
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
One day, the caterpillar stops eating, hangs upside down from a twig or leaf and spins itself a silky cocoon or molts into a shiny chrysalis. Within its protective casing, the caterpillar radically transforms its body, eventually emerging as a butterfly or moth.
As we transform our lives sometimes we just have stop and turn upside down. Okay, maybe not literally but figuratively, so that we get a new perspective. It is so easy to be caught up in our daily grind that we loose perspective.
It could be that the time of solitude is not to make you crazy but to give you enough energy to metamorph into the beautiful butterfly you were always designed to be.
Don't hate on the process. Fly and soar. Smell the beautiful flowers and enjoy the sun.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
I just wanted to share this thought with you today. Inspite of what other may have said, you have everything inside of you to be great. It only takes you to ignite the match that you have been given.
Too often we look for others to motivate us when in reality true motivation comes from you. Others might excite you to get going but they can not maintain your fire only you can.
Makes me think back to the movie The Wiz, when Dorothy said, They've had what they've been searching for in them all along. I don't know what's in you. You'll have to find that out for yourself. But I do know one thing: you'll never find it in the safety of this room. I tried that all my life. It doesn't work. There's a whole world out there. And you'll have to begin by letting people see who you really are.
Ladies it's time catch on fire, because people will come to see you burn.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Our focus today is on endometriosis.
Endometriosis occurs when tissue that acts a lot like the lining of your uterus—called endometrium—starts growing outside of your uterus, where it doesn't belong.
These out-of-place growths, called lesions or implants, can cause severe pain and inflammation throughout the month.
The most common symptoms of endo are:
*Pain before and during periods (usually worse than “normal” menstrual cramps)
*Pain during or after sexual activity
*Painful urination/bowel movements during periods
*Fatigue
*Infertility
*Heavy bleeding
Other gastrointestinal upsets such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea
In addition, many women with endometriosis suffer from:
*Allergies
*Chemical sensitivities
*Frequent yeast infections
Many women with endo also experience a range of immune disorders, including asthma, eczema, and certain autoimmune diseases. Infertility affects about 30-40% of women with endo and is a common result with the progression of the disease.
Diagnosis is considered uncertain until proven by laparoscopy, a surgical procedure done under anesthesia. A laparoscopy usually shows the location, size, and extent of the growths. This helps the doctor and patient make better treatment choices.
If this sounds like you or you want more information www.speakendo.com
Until Monday
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Happy International Womens Day
The U.S. ranks behind 98 countrieswhen it comes to women’s representation. With issues like economic security, international relations, gun violence, healthcare, and civil rights at the forefront of our national dialogue, we’re facing an urgent need for more women at the table. But we can only succeed if we work together, putting aside our political beliefs to achieve this shared goal. We can’t call ourselves a representative democracy until our democracy is representative.
For more from this article go to
https://www.refinery29.com/2018/03/192817/women-running-for-office-2018-reflectus-coalition
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
Our word for today comes from 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Today take the time to reflect on your past, take an honest look at your present state, and seek guidance for your future.
See, too often we are so busy being in the race that we are not aware of what is going on around us. It is only when we take time to reflect that we realize how far we have come.
We then have to take an honest evaluation of where we are today. Honest because we get cheated out of blessing because we lie to yourself. Every time you make promises to yourself about what you are going to do or change and you don't, you're lying to yourself. I know you had good intentions but a lie is a lie no matter what color you make it.
Finally look to the future. This can only be done when you have been honest about your present state. The future can be tricky because it's not about pipe dreams. It is about creating a systematic plan with the guidance of your higher power. See we can not become the new creation spoken of without getting rid of the old. Our systematic plan will help us not to return to old habits, people, and mindsets that will keep us from our predestined purpose. Yes, you have a purpose and it must be fulfilled.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
March 8th is World Kidney Day. What is your level of awareness?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem with adverse outcomes of kidney failure and premature death [1]. CKD affects approximately 195 million women worldwide and it is currently the 8th leading cause of death in women, with close to 600,000 deaths each year [2]. .
The risk of developing CKD is at least as high in women as in men, and may even be higher. According to some studies, CKD is more likely to develop in women compared with men, with an average 14% prevalence in women and 12% in men [3]. However, the number of women on dialysis is lower than the number of men.
Some kidney diseases, such as lupus nephropathy or kidney infection (acute or chronic pyelonephritis) typically affect women. Lupus nephritis is a kidney disease caused by an autoimmune disease, which is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the own cells and organs [6]. Pyelonephritis is a potentially severe infection that involves one or both kidneys [7]. Kidney infections (as most urinary tract infections) are more common in women and the risk increases in pregnancy. To ensure good results, as most renal diseases, diagnosis and treatment should be timely.
To find out more about it go to
http://www.worldkidneyday.org/2018-campaign/2018-wkd-theme/
Good morning,
Grace and peace be unto you!
As we move into women's history month I want to ask you, Who is in your tribe? Tribe? Yeah, you know the people that you call when you need to get stuff done. Who is a part of that group? Are they people that encourage you to greatness or foolishness? Are they people who see things in you that you don't even see in yourself and don't alow you to be mediocre? Are they the people that would come get you out of a situation in the idle of the night?
If everyone around you has their hand out and never gives those parasites and they need to be fumigated. Find you those people that will build you but will also tell you when your wrong. Yes people will have doing crazy stuff while they talk about you behind your back. Pray for God to send the right people in your life.
Until tomorrow
#liveBlessed
Good day friend, Grace and peace be unto you! What are you manifesting on this marvelous Monday? With the new day comes new strength and th...
