Hello!

This week I was able to do a few paintings.

Although my edits are now ready to complete- I felt like doing something different this week. Groupon offered a $20 art supply pass for $10 dollars. That's a deal!

I never explored the realms of painting and sketching but I love the arts so I figured why not?!

It was fun! Painted one painting in colorful circular designs. It's even displayed in my living room right now.

Then I painted a portrait of a woman. I named that one - She Speaks! Out of the portrait, I have words flowing out of her mouth - Peace, Faith, Love and Hope. For my very 1st time doing a portrait painting-  it's not bad!

That will also be going up on my wall somewhere.

So that was the brief highlights of my week. Exploring the artistic side of drawing and painting.

So should you- go do something fun, interesting and artistic!

Live. Love. Learn 2016

The Presence of Life

One of the things I love the most
Is seeing and witnessing
Life present in folks

The Presence of Life

These things are our thoughts
Our ideas
Our hope despite all things
Our laughter
Our faith
Our joy
The very things we find value in

Our functioning and operating
Our distinctly given names
Our principles that we stand on
Our way of living and being
Our survival mechanisms

The Presence of Life

A long time ago
I was able to witness souls enclosed in hidden environments
Who had no presence of Life within
It was mesmerizing as I sat to just witness

There was no life
No thoughts
No ideas
No different functions
As night turned to day
No laughter
No nothing

No Presence of Life

No hope
No joy
No faith
No noise

Just souls drafted in skin
With no presence of Life within

No different mindsets
No speech
Nothing to set them apart to say...
"See! Here is the presence of Life for this being!"

There was nothing
Just darkness, one could say
And the worst part of all
I don't believe they knew it was dark on any day 
They stayed lifeless and systematic routines became their way

Life and new day was possibly long ago thrown away
I do not truly know
All of their stories to say
But one thing was certain
Life and the presence thereof...
Wasn't displayed

So after witnessing such an experience as this
I love to see the presence of Life displayed
Even if my thoughts don't line up with theirs
Even if my voice don't speak the same
We were all made different
A distinct uniqueness
A beauty to behold
GOD given life beings

And...
The Presence of Life
Will always remain a beautiful thing

Never Settle!

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:34

Often when traveling from one level unto the next,  one will experience the strong sensation to just give up.

Often the discomfort associated with our changes will have us to believe that this will be a continual battle.

Well, I implore you to not settle or give up. Keep enduring!
Keep faith!
Keep hope!
Keep the path!

The discomfort is associated to represent a changing occuring. A new phase on the way. A new beginning getting birthed.  A new environment.  All things new will soon be presented if you just determine now that you will not settle or cave in.

Besides don't allow all your sowing to be in vain. Don't allow your crops to be destroyed. Your hope must endure and sustain. Your heart must be ready to walk in your way. Your faith must be ready to climb to the next level.

It may possibly involve some discomfort or pain. And we just determine right now- whatever we have to go through to be better , LORD I am with you!!!

So let's go! No settling or caving on the road. We have beautiful and great lands waiting for us to continue.

We may just have to focus on today only to continue to walk on. Don't focus on tomorrow because tomorrow may be too much for you to bear. Just today be willing and committed. Just today be hopeful and planted. Just today trust the path. Just today be ready to not settle.

Live. Love.Learn- 2016

HE is...

Saw this picture with its vibrant colors and thought... Yes, this is nice! Later came exactly what my mind would think of for what I wanted to express.

Each color represents so many dimensions in life.  From pain, courage, hope, faith, love, learning, growing,  forgiving...etc. I will just stop there because truly the list can go on for days.

And then I thought about how GOD shapes all those colors together for HIS purpose in mind. HE brings us from the negative zone into the correct and positive zone.

HE brings us from our act of forgiving others-  gifts of beauty. Our gifts become a perfect and moldable heart that HE can use and do beautiful things to. And who knew, it even includes our healing.

Our pain, HE turns into victory.  We hand HIM pain in the form of our prayers and releasing all our heart to HIM over that thing and Bang! Suddenly comes a day where for our pain- HE hands us beauty. That beauty comes in so many different forms. Lessons learned, wisdom, change, hope and sometimes HE even has a few folks pay dearly for their wickedness committed on us.
There's beauty- vindication but from the LORD's hands. And the greatest thing is sometimes we can help another out who is experiencing similar on their road.

I could go on for days off of the many things that HE does but check out the picture once more!!

Once all the colors blend...it forms a rainbow of colors.  And I don't know about you but rainbows signify promises!!!

So there! HE creating something.  HE up to something.  HE forming something. And best believe when HE is done....possibly our promises given comes!

I love it ! 💫

Profession tied to Passion

Well, it's true!

What do you love to do?
What's the thing that you would even do for free?

Because your heart is so committed- it's almost identical to you.

For the painter- it's his passion and often his pain.
He will work all night and day just to create.
And may don't even make a dime for the detailed painting
So what's in it for him?
Why does he do the thing so vigorously and hard?
Because it's connected to him

It's a way that he heals
Painting allows him to speak
It displays all that he is and think
It's an one of a kind
It captures and details his heart and mind
It states- I was here!
I was born in this world for this thing here
It states here is how I operate and behave

And let's say a day came where he finally gained his 1st customer
Well, that would be his happiest day
Even if for his work he just received a penny that day
Passion is tied to profession

Take the woman who desires to help others out and encourage
She spent her life prior to that day developing
She learned valuable lessons and gained priceless inspiration from ABOVE
Now she gets on a mission of spreading that love
She remembers herself
Remember her prior location
She remembers that she needed Christ's guidance and friendship
Heck, she still do
And behind that
Is why she do what she do

She receives no true monetary value for her labor
The reward for her is that another soul elevates and be better
She is her most happiest then
And she counts all forgotten
Even if she had to gain scars to help another win

Heyyyy
She remember her own life
So she writes and motivates
Spends time and energy to plan things accordingly
Many late nights and early mornings
Just to hope one can be better one day and see

But it's all worth it
Because as I stated before

Profession is often times tied closely with passion

And having passion so strong
May very well never leave you alone
It can cause great pain and even suffering
But....
On that one day of joy
Everything prior will appear almost like nothing

Because the two coincide
And profession is tied to passion
So as always with everything
She keeps hope, faith and love strong
So tomorrow she can continue on!

The splashes and beauty of life
Hope. Faith. Love

Well Yesterday I Finished..

Yesterday, I finally finished the book I have been working on for at least a year or so.

It's filled with short stories,  poems and even have a few memoirs attached.

This was a difficult one to complete. I guess it was difficult for me because I was portraying heavy messages. Maybe because a few glimpses of my life lessons were also involved in the process.

And processing lessons which initiated as pain is probably not to fond to look at during your own process to move on.

Anyway- it's now just awaiting the editors approval.

My 1st book was just a splash of poetry writings that I had. It detailed my life and thoughts in poetic expression. There was no clear process for it. I just placed the poems I liked and felt the most all together. I really more than anything just wanted to create. I had so many personal journals laying around that I made myself publish some expressions from them. Sort of like a complete this task Now..type of thing.

But Life, Trials and Love is my new baby. I wanted to show life.  I wanted to display life for others. I wanted to give heart and mind to the characters. I wanted to display my funny side. I wanted to express my girlfriend's personality after her recent death. I wanted to document the folks at the homeless center who let me see their stories. I wanted to draw lessons. I wanted to share about those who passed on and even those who breath today but still a small death has occured within them. I wanted to touch on the beauty and power of love.  The power and beauty of hope. The stories are great. There is even a suspenseful  mystery short story inside.

Quite mysterious and you will still be in suspense after you read it.

This one here is beauty!

#A little tidbit for you-
The short story most like myself is entitled- Jazzy Stars. A accurate short story on a chapter in my own life.  Such beauty, hope, faith and love.

Well enough about the book. After the editor does what he do...it's ready. And after that will come another plan of action to create.

Nope, I'm not telling you now, you just have to wait.  But this one will also be great.

Us Creatives Rarely Have Tidy Minds because we think, problem solve, investigate, research, prioritize,  delegate, fine tune, plan, create and we can't forget we actually do function as well in all our given roles- mother, granddaughter, friend, encourager, supporter and employee etc.

But....Our Beauty Gets Displayed Once We Create!!!

So let's go creatives...let's create.

So True Right? ?!!

http://wp.me/p2nVRm-fu

Another Instagram Photo

Well, here is another Instagram photo I saw. It grabbed my attention instantly.

It displays hope in my mind. Ready and prepared to conquer a day. Eagerness. Determination. Victory even.

It says despite all we been through we can still stand. Still be great.  Still be able to climb all those steps of life and actually still stand at the top to declare- After all I went through I am here and standing.

Thank GOD!

Live.Love.Learn - 2016

Well..Guess What I did today?

I finally went back to my unedited book. I finally finished one of my short stories.

For a minute-  I couldn't write or go back to the book. I even started thinking and making moves towards the new book I am making.

But with the move on - it still felt like I was leaving my hard work behind. Like I was abandoning it somehow. It holds such significant meaning in my life. It documents a few of my own struggles throughout life. It has my funny side also in it. It details my best friend who died recently. It has so much character, love,  hope and joy that it was going to be a great disappointment for me if I couldn't complete it.

Now thinking back- I believe since so much of the book documents my life in the folds,  maybe that was why I had to pause on it.

Well anyway, today I completed a section.

Stay tuned for - Life, Trials & Love.

Tomorrow I will complete a little more too. Determined!

I had to jazz it up a bit and add some R& B tunes to the mix to get going. Stevie Wonder station on Pandora. Worked wonders today!!!
📝💾💻😀

It Was There-

Today a fellow writer happened to read and awknowledged an old post that I wrote. So old that I even forgot the words placed inside.

As I read, my mind then soared back to that time. The visual was so clear as I read- tears dropped.

The Pain.
The Tears.
Her Soul.
Her Heart.
Her Story.

I guess he just reminded me again of my passion.

It was there - http://wp.me/p2nVRm-6J

Now Entering. ...

Along will come a time where more strength, courage and wisdom is needed than before.
It's always been present but now next levels require a bit more.
More courage to walk in the path that is set.
You have never been there before so that fear will try to sit by you and rest.
The thoughts will come to make you cave.
Or maybe just the thought... Where I am at today is okay!
But that only comes because new is often frightening.
It requires complete faith and your path will be ordered.
A step by step process.
Where you won't be able to predict what's next.
But trust and believe. ..
HE has this thing all worked out
It will just require of you to display courage about
This you will need
When leaving the past and old things.

And how can we forget strength.
Relates to enduring and finishing
This too will require more than before
New doors open cause you ready now to soar
And all the strength that you do not have
Again..
HE will grant you what's needed
As long as you have that courage

And wisdom! !!
Yes, yes, yes
How can we forget.
More wisdom is needed than before on this particular trip
Reason being
You traveling to new lands
And will encounter quite a few folks who might possibly not desire for you to stand
It will be also needed to discern a few things
Prior associations you might have had
Cannot enter with you regarding this thing
Remember a walk is a walk
Your life and purpose is according to HIM
And sometimes just sometimes
You have to leave a few things
To reach heights and forward towards a better you

But most importantly
The thing you must know
That if you have the faith and courage

HE will do everything else for your road!

Here is too more courage, strength and wisdom being performed more on our next road.

Live. Love. Learn -2016

Discover The Yellow During The Travel

Each day awake with new and positive thoughts
Each day take a moment to reflect on positive stuff
Things that are true
Things that are of good report
Things to appreciate
Things to look forward to
Things that remind you of purpose too
Things of great in regards to health
Things that are great in regards to your life
Things that Christ gave when He granted new life
Discernment of things
Hope and Joy
Favor and Grace
And even the fact that you have this new day
The wisdom
The strength
The courage within
Are all things to be thankful for while traveling closer to win
The heart has peace
And disturbances doesn't affect what's placed in

So take the moment out to reflect and look closely to discover the yellow during the travels.

Live. Love. Learn- 2016

Sometimes The Colors Will Be Mixed

Well ...
I know you have gotten quite adjusted to the positive posts- not saying that this will not be because of course it will.

But often I try not to make mention of problems or issues. But sometimes we must speak up.

And sometimes there really are issues deserving of our attention.
Like do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good!!

A few months back- I needed these words. This life giving script. Surely,  I was about to slip. Devastation seemed to rule. War was breaking out in my own little life. Peace was at a stand still. You ever been there??

Feelings of being used and abused. Feelings that too many folks have done wrong to you. Feelings that you forgave and now moved on but people, people, people....I mean Come On!!! 😔

Have you been there before?

I am sure you have. Just as I was there a few months ago too- The Bible had the opportunity to pull me in for a finetuning.

And that finetuning came at the very precise time needed.

Romans 12:21

Do not be overcome (defeated, overtaken, ruled,  laid waste, destroyed, conquered ) by evil but overcome evil with good (purity, righteous, satisfactory in quality, )

When you examine the words in that way it sure showed me things. Will I allow wrong doings to conquer me in my life?

Will I allow evil motives and plots of others lay me to waste?

Will I allow another person to defeat me and rule over me with my conduct or actions?

We reread the word this way...I am sure you would also say No! I can't allow people or things destroy me. And when we make our minds up to not change who we are as a result of others...

We Win!!!!

No matter what anyone else thinks we win ! Our minds have accepted and conformed to the higher road! And that higher road always leads towards higher paths of greatness. And no insult now should make us trade in our ordered paths to Victory!!!

Sometimes the colors won't be yellow it could very well be an accumulation of mixed colors. Colors of green, red, blue (turmoil,  problems, pain) but as long as we remain on script. ..We Win!

Besides who defeats anyone who stands and walks with GOD! No enemy wins in the camp where the ALMIGHTY Rests!

Live. Love. Learn 2016

It's A Beautiful New Day

Nothing compares to the absolute beauty in and of life.

A new day to appreciate lessons from the past
A new day to change and perform better
A new day of creating memories and experiences
A new day of laughter and love
A new day to develop
A new day to commit to different practices both worthwhile and great
A new day to thoroughly appreciate everything on your plate
A new day to love
A new day to practice patience
A new to forgive
A new day to let go
A new day of hope
A new day of favor
A new day of grace
A new day to recover from your falls or mistakes
A new day to adjust your mind
A new day to change your thoughts or heart
A new day to heal
A new day to breath and learn to be still
A new day awaits
A new day of humbleness
A new day of victory
A new day to listen
A new day to take hold of wisdom
A new day to try new things and learn
A new day is born
A new day represents all of these things

I am just grateful to be apart of the new day! Hopefully you are too.

Live.Love.Learn- 2016

Time for Change- or- Is It Pain?

Well check out the graphic picture I discovered on Instagram again. Another gem! It was on a friend's page. Maybe he made it or maybe he didn't but the words spoke volumes.

Too loud to ignore. Too loud not to reply a comment on his photo. Too loud not to share the process also.

Each new level will require a new you!!!

Just reread that for a minute!

Absolute truth. But here is another truth that wasn't shared. That process will cause pain. It's pain involved whenever growth comes.

Remember your child teething or maybe you witnessed a small baby in the process of teething. They were enduring pain to have a few teeth finally sproat up. No method could prevent it all we could do was ease it temporarily.  You know teething rings, Orajel and the like.

And It Rings- All change will require pain!

Each new level will require a new you!!!

Remember child birth? Or maybe you witnessed or saw a video relating to childbirth. Birthing something required pain. New Life required pain. New beginnings require change. And changing definitely feels like pain.

But just like that baby who was cutting its early signs of teeth- new beginnings came. Such a new beginning that no more milk substance was needed. Time for the big boy or big girl league now.

Such a new beginning and change that solid food was now the proper food to give unto that child. No more mashed potatoes- some meaty substance was now a need.

Such a change where even their diets changed. Speech came. More developed practices ensued. Habits practiced. From laying to crawling to all of a sudden one day walking!!

So indeed, as we just studied up close- the pain is just a momentarily suffering that for surely cannot compare to the later and more everlasting glory.

It's just a thing that we must go through but good news is after the pain.....

Here Comes The New!!!

Every New Level Will Require A Different You- and let's not forget....

Every different you involves change and every change carries with it a little discomfort or pain!

But Beauty and New Awaits so Let's Continue!!

Remember In your struggle against sin, you have yet to resist in the shedding of your own blood. Hebrews 12:4

Live.Love.Learn. 2016

HE Speaks- Trust The Process

So while strolling through my old and ancient Instagram, I noticed this old post. At 1st glance I laughed. I made this while I was stuck at the auto mechanics for hours.

When I say hours, I mean a whole 8 hour shift!! I wanted to leave desperately.  I just wanted the mechanic to hurry and do a quick fix.  Just let me come back another day- I even requested of him.

To no avail !!! He wasn't hearing of it. So in my frustrations and in my attempt to make light of this ordeal- along came this joke.

As I reread it today though- the words then had a deeper meaning. A more spiritual meaning.  A meaning relevant for both you and me while we are walking and carrying on in life and business.

You know them times where GOD places us in sheltered protection?
Sheltered development?  Hidden almost from the world? Just resting and regaining our strength back moments? Or just sitting quietly resting before HIM?

You also know that after awhile of waiting on GOD , we also get a little impatient. We drastically and desperately just want to move from one location to the next. Go from one area to the next. Maybe leaving pain to go to joy. Maybe leaving our homes to get to a bigger and better one. Maybe one church to another. Maybe leave one job to gain another.

We all have different needs and things. But check out the message!!

Just as that mechanic said to me on that day- Not until everything is in working order. Not until the process is complete. Not until everything that needs to be done is done. Not until everything is worked out.  Not until I let you know it is time!!!

Wisdom SPEAKS!

So although we may be stuck or rather feel like we are in one phase of life wayyyyyy too long- trust the process! Trust the mechanical process involved. Trust that everything spoken over your life- shall and will come to pass.

So exhale time now- you in that season for a reason. No more fighting your way out. You can't cry or complain your way out.  Nope, you can't talk your way out of this one!

But guess what you can do - Let Go and Let GOD! And "learn" to trust the process. One Day At A Time.

Live.Love.Learn.

The Look of Victory

It's the look of victory today.
Victory in remaining steady on things.
Victory in not giving up.
Victory from remaining on hope.
Victory on remaining steady on your goals and plans.
Victory on practicing love with everyone you meet.
Victory for not accepting any momentarily defeats.
Victory for your faith.
Victory for pressing towards another day.
Victory for being not easily angered.
Victory in changing.

So celebrate!!!

It's A Brand New Month and You Just Experienced Daily Your Victories!

Live.Love. Learn -2016