Take it easy out there …

As I ended a phone conversation with a banker on Monday, in a very gentle and assuring voice he said, “Take it easy out there …” Those few words have lingered in my mind all week. Not only did the conversation yield a deposit in my account of $421 which was a total and unexpected blessing in itself, his words left an even greater impact.

“Take it easy out there” – he was a total angel and I believe God spoke to me through him. If I had to summarize what that meant my only conclusions would be; life isn’t always going to be easy, we will have obstacles, situations will arise, we won’t always understand everything that goes on “out here” in this world we live in BUT no matter what happens, what adversity we face, what we don’t understand – God is always faithful and He loves us!

That Monday also happened to be day 3 of my current multiple sclerosis relapse, the 3rd day of my body not doing what I need it to do when I need it to do it. “Take it easy out there” – means for me to continue to look for the joy in this journey while walking out this road of multiple sclerosis. Currently that walk hasn’t been that easy but unlike others I can still take one step at a time and I’m thankful!

I’d like to be an angel to you today and tell you, “Take it easy out there.” Let those words apply to any area of your life where you may have pain, doubt, insecurity or fear.

Warm Regards and Many Blessings,
Tamika

Found it!!!

In a very quiet and calm voice I heard, “Here’s your bible.”  Instantly I started screaming, I was so excited!

Before I started typing this I tried to remember how long it’s been, I know for sure I didn’t have it for the entire summer so it’s been awhile.  Have you ever cherished something and one day looked up and it’s gone and you have no idea what happened to it?  Well that’s what happened to me and of all things – it was my favorite bible.  The bible that I’ve cried on, slept on & leaned on during some really big transitions in my life.  The bible that’s been all over this country and to other countries with me.  My #1 all time favorite New King James Thompson chain reference study bible with the words of Jesus in red.  Love it, love it and love it!

My library is filled with various bible versions and while my favorite has been missing I’ve read the others but something was always missing.  I was reminded of something very important today and that was not to neglect the very small yet very important things in  life.  As I screamed about my bible, my 11 year old ran from her room wanting to know what was going on … I prayed that she will also have a favorite bible that she too can cry on, sleep on & leaned on when no one else is around to comfort her.  I also pray that everyone reading this will also have that one special bible in their lives that deepens their relationship and walk with the Lord. 

Time for me to pick up my reading in 2 Samuel and I can’t wait … tonight I’ll be reconnected with my #1 favorite bible …. Thank You Lord!

Speaking the Truth in Love

When is the last time you had to speak the truth in love by correcting someone when you knew they were wrong but they couldn’t really see it?

This isn’t always easy especially when we are having these conversations with loved ones. It’s easy for some to slip into the victim mentality of always thinking the world is against them opposed to trying to figure out what responsibility they have to correct misfortunes in their lives. We need to own our lives and the steps we take and decisions we make on a daily basis. Don’t fall for the ‘victim’ trap! It’s a lie, it paralyzes our ability to act and it messes with our faith.

If you find yourself blaming others for all the misfortunes in your life – take a time out to ask yourself whether or not you hold any responsibility for the situation. If it’s not clear pray for guidance and ask the Lord to send good Godly counsel your way.

Own responsibility for your life and don’t let anyone take power from you. If correction needs to be made, work diligently to make it but never ever give anything or anyone power over preventing you from living out your destiny.

Forward motion at all times …..

We were all created to do mighty and magnificent things.

Just a little something that was on my mind

Tamika

Smash, Add – Share!

My grandmother has to be the sweetest person I know.  Let me share a story.  A couple of weeks ago she called to tell me about this Amish Friendship Bread one of her friends shared with her.  She was so excited and read the instructions over and over!   Someone gives you a starter of dough in a Ziploc bag which you smash daily and add more ingredients at the halfway mark.  When you get to day 10 you add more ingredients, divide the mixture into 5 parts, 4 more starters and a portion to make your bread.  It’s more like cake to me but its called bread.  With that 5th portion you add even more ingredients and you end up with enough batter for 2 loaf sized bread/cakes. 

 

The goal is to give 3 of the 4 starters away with a piece of your bread, instruction and best wishes.  You keep the 4th starter and begin your 10 day process all over again.  If you keep it up every 10 days you’ll have bread for your family and 3 starters for someone else to start the process.  Remember all of the starters you give away are going to be divided and shared as well.  Imagine the multiplication that takes place.

 

OK, back to my grandmother, she decided to send me 2 starters initially.  What a sweet thought, we were both very excited!  But here comes the tricky part … after I did my 10 day process I ended up with 8 starters and only gave 1 away.  On my dining room table I have SEVEN starters that I’ve been smashing and adding and smashing and adding.  Guess what day we’re on today?  Oh dear, yes … it’s Day 10!

 

You might be thinking, why did you end up with 7 starters, well, I was going to give some to my neighbors but only 1 was home when I sent the girls out to spread the love.  My family LOVED the bread cakes and demolished them very quickly. 

 

I had an idea – don’t worry about the 7, keep them, bake them and freeze some, it will be no big deal, you can make different flavors, play around, come up with unique variations etc.  It made perfect sense to me at the time.

 

Plus – when I looked on the shipping box, my grandmother paid $25.00 to send me the 2 starters initially so I couldn’t just throw it out.  Remember I went through that process of smashing and adding and smashing and adding so I was connected to this stuff!

 

I laid in bed this morning and said Lord, I have 7 bags of stuff in there, and this means I will end up with 28 starters and 7 portions for myself which will make 14 bread/cakes.  Now what??? 

 

Answer – share this time, give it away, don’t try to keep it all to yourself … this is exactly what I want you to do with your love, talents, skills & passions.  When you go through the process of being smashed and I add to you daily and we smash and add over and over when you get to Day 20, if you don’t share you will be overflowing and you won’t have anywhere to store all the other great things I have for you.

 

Hmmm, isn’t that the truth?

 

I know that lesson, I’ve heard it before, but this morning when I laid in that bed a bit overwhelmed yet excited - this time it became real for me.  I didn’t realize it until now but last night I prayed about my Compass personal development business and I said Lord, this is such an amazing gift for women and I know it can really change people’s lives but I can’t really wrap my mind around figuring out how to tap into larger audiences of people but you know my heart and I trust that you will show me.

 

Right now in this moment, those 7 bags sitting on my dining room table and my goal of impacting 250 women’s within the next 6 months doesn’t seem so difficult.

 

If I keep my focus on God, allow Him to smash & add to my life on a consistent basis and I commit to freely sharing – anything is possible!

 

God used some fermenting sweet bread dough to really teach me a valuable lesson and I thank Him for it!

 

Warm Regards & Many Blessings,

Tamika

 

To learn more about Compass find me at http://www.mylifecompass.com/tamikabryant 

I also have a Compass tab on this blog.

 

 

 

 

 

Let Go by Sheila Walsh – Book Review

The introduction of “Let Go” captured my attention when Sheila Walsh described hearing the voice of God say – I will deliver you while she looked in the mirror, feeling “discouraged and bone weary”.  Instantly I could relate and was excited about what this book was going to share. As I read through the first few chapters I realized this was not going to read as a typical Christian self-help book which usually explores a topic and then gives tips on how to overcome.  Many of the chapter titles left me guessing about what was going to be explored; “This Dead Religion is Past Its Sell-By Date”, “The Trouble with Temptation Is That It’s Just So Tempting” and “Shame on You!” are a few.

Each chapter began with quotes and scriptures related to the chapters topic. Chapters involved various stories from the authors own life and that of others which helped convey biblical truths on how deliverance from various burdens could be obtained. I enjoyed the stories, some were funny, and others sad, but all were thought provoking. The chapters concluded with reflection questions which she called “deliverance discovered” and a “prayer of deliverance”.

I enjoyed the book although I realized my plans to simply read the book from beginning to end in a weekend was not going to work if I used the book in the manner I think the author intended. Although the book is easy to read, it is intended for self-exploration and deep thought in order for true deliverance to take place. I could see this book being used very effectively in a study-group format or during one on one mentoring sessions.

In conclusion, I enjoyed the book; it has made me see the genre “self-help” in a different light. I would recommend this book for a fresh perspective on how God can deliver a person from every day issues that may weigh them down.  It’s practical and explores real issues that often go untouched.

I am a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program, for more information see: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Can You See Clearly?

I’m sure like myself, there are a lot of people who set goals for themselves at the beginning of the year.  I typically get a little nervous around this time of year because Fall is coming and my goal list is still a little full.  So what do you do to avoid feeling so overwhelmed?  How do you get goals that you know you can reach?

I just had a little coaching moment with myself, those are always good.  In addition to the goals I set in the beginning of the year, I added a few a couple of months ago.  My goals are currently a little cloudy so I asked myself how I could see them more clearly.  Here are the steps I went through in my head.

Step 1 – Prioritize your goals.  Tackle them one at a time or in some cases you can work on a few concurrently.  The key is making sure you are not overwhelmed with a long list of goals and no starting point.  Know where you’re trying to go.

Step 2 – Are there any obstacles keeping you from reaching your goals.  If so, get them out-of-the-way.

Step 3 – Keep your goals in sight.  Whether it be a list hanging on your wall or a memo note in your phone, keep your goals in a place where you can see them.

Step 4 – Check your list on a regular basis.  Check them off when you’re done.  Keep on moving to the next one.

Step 5 – Have an accountability partner.  Perhaps you can share your goals with a friend, spouse, family member or coach.  Make sure someone is checking on you or you’re checking in with them.  Accountability is key to your success.

One of the goals that I’m really excited about is reading one book per week.  I love books and learning in general.  I just realized that I’ve gotten myself off track by trying to read too many books at one time so now my focus is scattered.  I also realized that I subscribe to just about every woman and parenting magazine that exists and that was also getting in my way.  Obstacles!

Solution – I’m not renewing several of my magazine subscriptions and I’ll prioritize what books I need/want to read now and which ones can wait a couple of week. 

I can now see clearly.  I also don’t feel so overwhelmed!

My goal is more reachable, it now feels like something I can really do.  I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

Thanks for reading about what was on my mind this afternoon. 

Warm regards & many blessings,

Tamika

   

 

 

How’s My Attitude?

I’d like to share a quote from Charles Swindoll’s book Strengthening Your Grip.

“Words can never adequately convey the incredible impact of our attitude toward life.  The longer I live the more convinced I become that life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.

I believe the single most significant decision I can make on a day-to-day basis is my choice of attitude.  It is more important than my past, my education, my bankroll, my successes or failures, fame or pain, what people think of me or say about me, my circumstances, or my position.  Attitude keeps me going or cripples my progress.  It alone fuels my fire or assaults my hope.  When my attitudes are right, there’s no barrier too high, no valley too deep, no dream too extreme, no challenge too great for me.”

How true is this? I thought this quote was very powerful.  We were all created for a reason and purpose. When in the middle of a challenging situation stop and ask yourself, is my attitude positive or negative?  Am I a victim or am I a conquer?Making sure we’re not viewing ourselves or the situation in a negative light can make a huge difference.  Remember to have an “I can do all things through Christ …” attitude, it will take you far.

Warm Regards & Many Blessings,

Tamika

Be alert, be present …

Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.  Be alert, be present.  I’m about to do something brand-new.  It’s bursting out!  Don’t you see it?  There it is!  I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands. Isaiah 43:18-19 MSG

Isn’t that good news?  I love God’s word and all of His promises.  I love it even more when I can look at something in the bible and realize it belongs to me!

Be alert, be present.  I can honestly say I have lived years of my life asleep.  Walking, talking, parenting, working, living day-by-day semi-functioning but asleep.  Does anyone else know what I mean?

Have you ever been so disappointed with yourself or someone else that you simply checked out?

Perhaps you felt trapped? Isolated? Maybe you weren’t moving in a forward direction? Or, have you ever stopped dreaming?  Ever think it was impossible to be anymore than you were at the time?  Have you ever been semi-functioning but asleep?

Have you ever had your identity stripped to the point that you didn’t even really know who you were anymore?

I think I can say ‘yes’ to all of those questions and many more.  So when I read, “Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history.  Be alert, be present.  I’m about to do something brand-new.  It’s bursting out!  Don’t you see it?  There it is!  I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands” I get excited!  Excited about all of the possibilities.  Excited about life!  Excited about the unknowns.  Opposed to being fearful about what the future holds I get excited.  I’ve heard people say, “all it takes is one word from the Lord” and it’s true, that’s all you really need at times.

I’ve decided to be alert & be present!  Will you join me?  If you find that from time to time you are semi-functioning but asleep will you adjust your thoughts?  Will you commit to stop going over old history and look for the brand new things in your life?

Start dreaming & doing and I promise, God will meet you!

Warm Regards and Many Blessings,

Tamika

Do You Think You Can?

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right! – Henry Ford

What does this mean?

To me I think it’s simple … if you think you CAN – you’re right and chances are you will.

Same is true … if you think you CAN’T - chances are you probably won’t and you would be right with that as well. 

A couple of points I’ve learned over the past few weeks during various Life Coach training sessions;

• “You can either think yourself UP or you can think yourself DOWN.” Simply taking a step back to focus and say I CAN DO THIS can really make a difference when you become fearful or doubtful.
•  “Psych yourself Up instead of psyching yourself OUT.” – Just as a coach would encourage his team at half-time if they are losing the game – “You can do this! Let’s fight to the end! I know you can!” are just a few phrases that would motivate the team opposes to saying, “Let’s throw in the towel! We can never come back at this point!  What’s the use?!

Personally, I like to tell myself – I might not know all the answers BUT I have the ability & mental capacity to figure it out!  Often simply affirming myself and saying I am Smart! can make the world of a difference when I’m not feeling so smart.

What are you telling yourself about you?  Is it what God says about you?  When you are feeling down and facing those big challenges in life, the challenges we will all face, do you think you can?

One of my favorite scriptures –  

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

Isn’t that awesome news?  It didn’t say some things or only good and happy things … it says “ALL things”.  The key to that scripture is, “through Chist who stregthens me.”

I’ll present the question again, “Do you think you can?”  Hopefully the answer is YES, I know I can!

Warm Regards & Many Blessings,

Tamika

and Be Glad!

I just had a really amazing experience.  I read a blog from @kimmlee, I follow her on twitter.  A few lines into the post sent my mind wondering and my spirit leaping.  She said, “Have you ever been feeling not so well, started worshipping God, got into His presence, and started feeling better?”

Instantly I thought about many times where I’ve been sitting here in my office, in lots of pain asking myself WHY?  Why me? Why do I have to go through this?  Why can’t the doctor fix it?  Why isn’t it going away?  And yes, that secret question I like to keep to myself … Why hasn’t God healed me? 

I know we all ask ourselves those WHY questions at some point in our lives about this or that.  The key is figuring out what to do when those why questions come up.  I’m still learning but I have found that turning the situation from me and focusing on God helps me feel better.  Sometimes this can take a while and it can be a process but there is hope. 

My response to @Kimmlee’s question was, “Yes, yes, yes! ‘I Will Rejoice’ by William Murphy/Nicole Binion does it for me every single time! I recall a day when I was in so much pain, I had this song on repeat and after singing it about 20 times it finally clicked, I will rejoice and BE GLAD! …”

I believe William Murphy III is such an amazing worshipper.  I have been in his presence along with hundreds of people while he’s been worshipping the Lord and it always feels like it’s just between him and God.  Once I started thinking about ‘I Will Rejoice’ out of nowhere I remember a special time we had at my old church.  

January 2004, our pastor announced we would start the year off with “52 Days of Praise”.  During these 52 days our prayers were filled with praise and thanksgiving only.  We could not ask for anything and we could not complain.  He wanted our year to start off understanding the importance of praising God and making sure will established this habit during our prayer time.  On Sunday evenings we would go back to church to sing, praise and worship God together.  What an amazing time in my life!  Then Elder Murphy, now Pastor Murphy (see God in action) came to our church on a couple of those Sunday evenings to lead us in worship.  Back then his hit was, “Praise is What I Do”. 

As I sat here smiling and reminiscing I realized I had one of our praise nights on my other computer.  I ran into my daughter’s room to turn it on.  It is one hour and 9 minutes long.  I recall putting this CD on repeat and letting it play through the night for MONTHS.  

All it takes is a little thought at times to take you back to those special moments of time you’ve had with God.  The time where he molded you and showed you what was really important to Him.  Times where you grew and felt untouchable because you knew you had God on your side and nothing else really mattered.

When the WHY questions start coming up in your life – pause and say I WILL REJOICE and BE GLAD!!

kimmlee’s blog – http://kimmlee.wordpress.com/2009/08/01/environment/