Thankful for SUPER-POWERS

Phew! We made it through the haunted house season! Did you take my advice and go through your house? Did you find the courage to access those dark spaces and rid yourSELF of skeletons and ghosts that have been lurking around? Well good... and if not there’s no time like the present. If you’re like me, you’ve looked up and have realized the year is on a sharp decline. Before you know it, it’ll be 2023. Let’s not carry that ole S&^t into the new year! Promise me... 

I have to admit going into those dark spaces that have been log locked... and dealing with dead things have taken some work, riiiight? Even though some of us are stillll dealing with things and life may not be all that you hoped it would be by this late date... things could always, hear me, always be worse. So there are things you can be, should be... MUST BE thankful for. That’s right we’re heading into the  
Thanksgiving Season. And even if you don’t celebrate... what should be called “Indigenous People’s Day” - ya shouldn’t wait to one day of the year to BE THANKFUL! Since tomorrow is not promised to any of us, every day you’re above dirt should be a thankful one... just saying. But... for the next 30 days, I want to walk with you on a short journey of “being grateful.” And I’m gonna need you to dig deep... Let’s not be thankful for being pretty, in shape, having better hair, car, or clothes than others, or having a cute boyfriend or girlfriend... that’s so … so... shallow. Let's think on... be THINKFUL about things in our world and push to be seriously thankful. And I want you to be verbal... be intentional about speaking it out. I want you to be UNAPOLOGETICALLY great... So, I want to start by saying: I am grateful for POWER. I have the power to bring what was dead back to life, speak those things which are not into existence, to give freedom-keys to those on lock-down, to create beauty from ashes, to bring light into darkness, and to change bad to good ... POWER! It’s a power, everyone could have except for fear... 

Marianne Williamson said this in her book Return to Love (HarperPerreniel, 1992 )  

“Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that frightens us we ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant gorgeous, talented, fabulous. Actually, who are you NOT to be? you are a child of God. You're playing small doesn't serve the world.” 

My superpower, and yours, is to be who God has created you to be (your highest, best SELF.) You may not be all that you want to be YET, but honey, if you’ve been walking with me... You've grown. Be thankful that you are no longer the person you used to be... you know, back in the day when ya did something stupid that should’ve taken you out! Look you are still here, be thankful! If you are still in a dark place... PLUG-IN and turn the light on!  

Are you in a place your decisions have brought you, got an addiction, feeling stuck like Chuck, experiencing downtimes or bad luck, were things going good, and then boom... whatever it is (remember: things could always be worse) just PLUG-IN, and get the POWER TO CHANGE – and then bust a move.  

Imma be really honest, things are bad for a lot of people and continue to be so because their “talk is raggedy.” And I’m not just talking about what’s coming out of their mouth. Life and death are literally in the POWER of the tongue (there’s that word POWER again.) What about your SELF-TALK? We do more internal talk than we do speaking out loud. Start paying attention to what’s going on in your head. Wanna change your world... change your talk. Wanna change your talk, change your thoughts.  

How to change your world 

You change your world by renewing your mind. How do you renew your mind? This might sound a little cheesy... but I promise you it works... #1) Read the Bible. There is a reason this book has survived for over 2000 years, it’s supernatural. Start with Proverbs, there are 31, read 1 for each day. And every month something different will pop out at you. And #2 (and this works best when you’re worrying) “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Bible) And it will bring light into your world.  

Seems simple, I know... but it’s not. Try this for the next 30 days and watch it not only affect your mind and heart, it’ll change your world too.  

For more on SELF-TALK pick up your copy of 4SELF 101 here. And if you need a little help putting it all into practice... I got you CLICK HERE 

Thankful Hands

Okay, I want to share something very, very intense, and personal with you. I was unwanted… at first. Did you know that unborn babies experience their mother’s feelings while they are in their womb? And those feelings can stay with them through their lifetimes? I never knew the full story until I was an adult. My parents married young, probably right after graduation. Dad went into the military and Mom was the “stay at home wifey.” I don’t know when the drama started or who started cheating first but by the time, I was three, Mom was “fleeing for her life,” my sisters were living with my Aunt and the ink was drying on the divorce papers.

The short version is: Cross daughter #3, Wanda, was a sick baby. Despite the wheezing, coughing, and etc., my Mom neglected to get her to the doctor, I don’t know why she waited so long. But on the way up the elevator to the doctor’s office Wanda stopped breathing. When the doors finally opened the nurses snatched Baby from Lenora’s arms to revive her, but to no avail. And where was Dad? IDK. Thank God his brother Ken, who I call “Uncle Daddy” was there for moral support. That must’ve been the last straw. This was the day she must’ve decided to never have any other kids with “that man.” But little did she know that there was already a bun in the oven… me.

I wouldn’t say that I am afraid of heights, but whenever I stood at the top of the stairs, I would always see myself tumbling down them. That was so weird and it bothered me to the point that I did what I do when I am between a rock and a hard place with no where to to… and that is (you guessed it) pray. But really it’s deeper that that. I rondevous with my Divine Father, the source of like EVERYTHING, especially wisdom. Not that I have to qualify that, but I’ve lived without my earthly father all my life and someone led me to a passage in The Book that says, “… God will be a father to the fatherless.” And I gave it a try, and let me tell you, He is literally the BESTEST FATHER ever. So I go to Daddy (God), I talk, I cry, ccomplain and even sometimes cuss… but then a sense of warmth and comfort blankets me like a warm shower and then … I listen. Once I learned what His voice sounded like there has never been a void of meaningful conversation between, He and I.

And He said to me: “When your mother threw herself down the stairs to abort you, I held you together.” HIS HANDS HELD ME TOGETHER. Wow, even now it takes my breath away. Imma let that set right there for a second…. It’s kinda interesting that He’s also given me the gift of healing. Now don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t work without Him. Its His healing virtue that flows through my hands when He ordains it. Understand this, EVERYONE HAS GIFTS, so I am not saying in any way that I am more special than anyone else. But I am saying, He held me and I have the awesome privilege (for which I am very grateful) to hold others. Hugging my children and grands (and adopted kids) give me life. When people are “going through” stuff they sometimes don’t need words - and divine wisdom helps you decern whether a person needs a hug or just to be emotionally held. When people are uncomfortable with physical contact, I just give them my undivided attention. Listening with care can do wonders.

Hugs can heal. Hands can help do work. Holding someone’s hand can strengthen them, Holding attention fosters respect and also affirms. And because hands can harm, one must be especially responsible when they offer “a hand” or experience consequences (and reprocussions) for not. So, I “High-five” (or fist bump) you  for trackin’ wit me. I appreciate you; I hold you up spiritually and if you need an emotional hand… I got your back! Need help, CLICK HERE.

Oh, I forgot, to end the story. Near the end of her life my mother told me that she used to purposely fall down the basement stairs while pregnant with me. (I already knew.) The strong hands of God held me together in my Mom’s womb (Thank you Father) … and when I was born on Thanksgiving Day, she looked me in the face and called me Angel.