Friday, January 23, 2015

ADVICE I CAN GIVE A LITTLE GIRL

                                                                              
                                                                               

                    As each of us muse over our lives, wouldn't it be liberating to go back and give invaluable advice to your much younger self? Today, I have several tips of encouragement to my seven year-old self and beyond. 

TIP 1-When that elementary school bully comes up to you constantly and says, “Look at your hands.  I am glad I’m lighter than you”,  but God made both of us the same shade of beautiful brown, you must understand that her home life is dysfunctional.  She had no other outlet.  Put no weight on it.  We are all wonderfully unique.

TIP 2-Ladies don’t fight!  That one and only scuffle you had in high school will teach you no man is ever worth physically fighting over for three reasons: 1) Black eyes don’t heal fast.   2) He’s a 17 year-old boy.  There will be 50 more girls in line probably to fight.  3) You should never have to engage in mortal combat for love!

TIP 3- You need a more realistic goal than trying to become a Radio City Music Hall Rockette! Always have a plan B, C, D, E, F, and G.

TIP 4-No matter how hopeless a situation may seem, you will always believe your hope is in God through Christ Jesus!

TIP 5-Never settle in any relationship.  When you end up in a committed relationship remember they are ALWAYS getting the better end of the deal!

                    Basically, we wish we could all go back and teach ourselves life lessons that we learn along the way.  However, learning from the past to never repeat any of our mistakes is the best lesson we can take from life’s journey.  Love you all.  Peace and Blessings Until Next Time!

Love,
Danica

 our lives, wouldn'our lives


Thursday, January 22, 2015

THE STELLA EFFECT


                                                                         

                          If you are a woman, than you have only read or viewed the movie, “How Stella Got Her Groove Back”, no less than four million times.  However, I have actually, like so many other women, came across a moment of needing to get “my groove back” much like “Stella”.  

               Sometimes after suffering a loss, you often began to look for affirmation and happiness in other  individuals.  However, you are soon to realize that true happiness is not found in the affirmations of someone else but it is always found within yourself.  Was getting my “groove” back a nice distraction from the harsh realities of life?  Of course!(smile).  However,  like any other vice or drug of choice, the search for happiness presents only a temporary interference until you realize the core of your problem is still there!

               The time and energy that we put into  “getting our groove back”  to get us through a lonely or rough patch or two could be better spent on self-enhancement.  Go on a retreat, read a book, or even meditate on the fullness of Jesus! Take some time to learn what you want and need out of your future relationships.  Take some time to even discover your gifts and talents. I discovered I am a writing diva machine! Learn to love and embrace the person you are during a relationship hiatus.

                          I’m only relaying advice to you from my past experiences to save you well spent time and energy.  Looking to others for my completeness was well misguided.  I should have been looking toward myself and God all the while.  Today, I am so much stronger and wiser.  Living and learning to do better every single day is definitely what I am “grooving” to now! Peace and Blessings!

Love You Much

Danica

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

SURRENDERING ALL

           
                                                                                  



           My eldest son is quiet and reserved while my youngest son is a pistol.  He has his own ideas, plans and agendas he desires to accomplish.  Every now and then, we clash because his ideas plans and agenda are contrary to mine at times. Having two different agendas can create tension and confusion.  I recently came to the conclusion that God often feels the same way when we concoct our own program without his consent.

Recently viewing a movie called, “Surrendered-The Jay Harding Story”, all of the consequences of moving forward with his own agenda and not God’s came into play.   He was a very angry husband and father, frustrated with life and the pressures of it all. His family constantly tried to enlighten him with the idea they could care less about material things but instead desired his time and attention. Jay Harding’s failures soon overtook his professional and private life in many negative ways.  Jay and his wife separated. Their daughter had a tragic, horrific fall from the staircase.  Jay also defaulted on a loan and lost his business.   Everything in this man’s life went awry until he humbled  himself and prayed to God promising that he would surrender all.

Many of us can relate to having our own personal trials and tribulations. We should all let this story become a cautionary tale that we often need to surrender it all unto God.  This premise of letting go of our own agenda’s becomes much easier when we realize that everything we have is His to begin with anyway. Nothing have we gained by our own knowledge, strength, success or wisdom.  

In 2015 leave nothing on the table when it comes to God.  Receive everything that God has for you. He loves us so much that we will never comprehend it.  God wants to give us everything He has but only if we surrender it all unto him. Go get it!

 Peace and Blessings Loves!


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

UNMASKED: SALUTING VIOLA DAVIS




I love Viola Davis.  Several times in my life, people have commented on how I reminded them of her.  I usually get compared to Viola Davis or Michelle Obama. I am flattered either way!  My point is unfortunately with my schedule, I missed several episodes of her breakthrough show, “How To Get Away With Murder.” However, I did get a chance to view the very end of the most important, life-altering episode that will help to assist all minority women with embracing their natural beauty from this point forward.

While winding down from a busy day one evening, the only thing I desired to do was to zone-out on television.  Flopping down on my couch, I immediately reached for the remote and started flipping through the channels.  I stopped scanning the channels when I noticed Viola Davis’s character sitting in front of a mirror removing her wig and wiping off her lipstick as well as her eye-shadow.  When all was said and done, she was sitting in front of the mirror in her natural bare essence, while I was sitting on my couch in my natural utter amazement!

This moment of transparency spoke to my spirit within for several reasons.  I endured mental and emotional abuse for many years from my past relationship. Anything I tried to accomplish was never good enough.  I was told I had to act like or be someone else.  It was often stated by this individual, I was not allowed to cut my hair, wear certain clothing or even wear certain make-up. I even had a curfew while attending family functions!  All of these rules helped to bound up my spirit and took a toll on my soul.  As the individual on the receiving end of emotional and psychological abuse, you do all these things because you think you will keep peace.  However, you soon learn that when other people thrust their insecurities on you in the form of abuse, there is no peace to be kept. Therefore when Viola Davis bared all and presented her natural image to millions, she truly became my icon.

I used to despise the image I saw in the mirror while I was experiencing that unhealthy relationship.  However, several years and many prayers later, God has healed my unseen wounds.  Believe me when I say, “To God be the glory for He has done great things!” Now I say in jest, if anyone ever states to me, “She thinks she is all that!” I will reply, “Yes. But it took me almost 40 years to believe that!” So I have made it my life’s mission to make sure the process of embracing who you are for our younger women does not take 40 years for them to realize how beautifully unique they are.  It’s utterly ridiculous to walk around for years so messed up on the inside just because of what someone else wants you to be. I desire our young women to embrace who they are from the inside out and believe they are “All That” even in their natural beauty TODAY! So thank you from the bottom of my heart for that moment of vulnerability Viola Davis because you are truly “ALL THAT AND THEN SOME”.