Lightning can strike the same place twice.

A belief of the opposite was fabricated to ease wounded minds.

Here is a tree that has had it’s branches struck countless times.

I now know that it had been under attack for it’s branches grew closest to the sky.

Every passing storm the tree endured the more it cried.

Inwardly it felt so weak; While outwardly it appeared strong

Others looking on couldn’t see that anything was wrong.

It’s only a tree, it should be able to handle these storms.

Now the tree began it’s understanding

That it had been made for more than just a rod for lightning

The tree began to dream of other places. Places that could nurture her spirit.

The tree suddenly realized it didn’t have to absorb all of it.

That the pain it felt always followed the storm’s rage.

Yet, the tree remained, rooted in this toxic soil.

Oblivious to the fact that it was the one allowing it’s turmoil.

The branches continued to grow, ironically… inviting the shock.

The tree tried to forget all of the painful thoughts.

Even though the tree knew the storm would strike again…

The tree tried to ignore the storm’s arrival

The tree had learned this tactic for survival.

The day it decided to move away from the storm’s wrath.

Was the day it realized there had always been a different path.

A path that wouldn’t lead to pain and misery.

The tree decided to leave carrying with her a life full of tragedy.

Seeking her home, a broken heart’s remedy.

The tree searched the earth for it’s new home.

A nice warm place to belong.

The tree found a place and rested in the sun.

Repairing

Self- healing.

The tree allowed its roots to sink deep into the earth

Feeling that her new place wouldn’t remind her of those painful storms

The tree learned the limits of the storm.

Angered by the tree’s growth, he blasts into a rage.

The tree knew that the storm only had power to hurt her if she chose to stay.

The tree adores the peace that comes from knowing

She chooses the place where she will continue the growing.

Working on your home while trying to heal yourself from childhood trauma, is easier said than done. There are only a few things I can think of that might be more difficult from my experience… childbirth or the loss of a loved one.

I have been diving deep into the root of most of my problems. I have exposed truths in my life that have caused me pain and I have challenged myself to face them head on. After each revelation and resolution, I experience such emotional and spiritual growth. I discussed this growth with my husband last night. I told him what I’ve learned about loving myself and asked him to try to be kind to me. I asked him to let go of the bitterness he had been holding onto about our past. I told him that to release the negative and toxic energy wasn’t just a benefit for me, but for our family. I asked him these things with a giant ultimatum and the first one I had ever given him. I didn’t expect for him to be filled with such anger, when I said “do these things that I ask, or I’m gone!” I learned during this conversation that although I don’t have control over anyone. I can speak to those that make up my reality as to what I expect in my life. I told him my boundaries, this was an emotional process for me as I’m not always clear with others about my boundaries. I told him I would no longer compromise myself for the sake of other’s happiness. I am worthy of love and happiness. After he told me to just leave several times, I placed my hand on top of his and placed it on his heart, his left hand I grabbed and held it open towards the sky. I asked him to release the toxic energy so he could make room for the positive. During this, he said some things that he needed to say and it caused more conflict. I listened, and as I heard his requests I stood firm in what I will and won’t allow in my life. I know the type of life I want to have is not impossible, and that I must put in the work to achieve it. The hardest decision is the first one, and that is acknowledging that you will always get what you believe you deserve.

The spiritual leveling up and the emotional growth I experienced from standing firm in loving myself may have looked like a baby fawn trying to stand up for the first time, but after awhile it became easier and I began to understand that I only have to accept the things in my life that are sent to me with good energy. If it isn’t sent to me in a way I can accept then I can send it back to the gifter. I would have loved to have had this knowledge and awareness as a child. It is such an amazing game changer for anyone’s life. I hope I am explaining it well enough for everyone to understand.

It has never been easy for me to stand up for myself. Believing that in doing so I would be seen as disobedient or too much to handle. I had convinced myself that if I stood my ground no one would be there beside me and that I would be left or abandoned. I no longer feel afraid to be alone anymore, because I can love myself the way I should be loved. I’m no longer looking for love from others but sharing this limitless fountain of love I have found within myself.

Discovering this love has revealed my heart and purpose and it is exhilarating.

For me, loving myself means establishing boundaries for others and expressing to them what I will and won’t allow in my life. It is telling the universe that I am stronger and ready for the next lesson. Realizing that I am the author and illustrator of my story. I can now walk proudly and confidently down my path and know that it was designed for me. Our conversation was definitely an emotional one and I definitely got a good cry in during & after.

Even though the conversation was difficult, it was necessary.

This morning I woke without an alarm clock at 5:30, and started my morning with coffee and an intense desire to learn more about breaking generational curses. As a child, I was left feeling abandoned from my parents divorce. I realize now I have carried that pain with me for 29 years. I know the peace that comes from letting it go and I want to help others. I also realized that I want to protect my children from this pain and struggle. I know I don’t want to be the cause of this for them and want to shield them as much as possible from unnecessary pain. If I am ever forced to walk away for their sake I now possess this wisdom. This is what was revealed to me in my quiet time. Women hold such a wonderful purpose within the family dynamic. If you have found a wife, you have found a good thing.

“He knew he would need someone soft, yet strong. Someone wise, yet patient. Someone confident, yet brave. So, God put Adam to sleep and created a woman to be by Adam’s side, formed from his rib.” –

“Eve was created as a “helper corresponding to him.” God called her ezer kenegdo. In Hebrew, ezer means helper. Kenegdo means opposition or against — not disharmony but as support and balance.”

(Christianity.com)

My quiet time may have only lasted 30 minutes this morning, but it gave me so much guidance for the day. If you are working on yourself and apply these things in your life. Get ready for the abundance that has been waiting for you to receive it. A most amazing gift we have been given, LIFE. We are about to experience amazing things. Magical and majestic doesn’t have to be things that only fairytales are made of… It can be expected for our reality as well. Set your sights on such things. Prepare yourself for good things!

In School NEWS: “due to the continued spread of COVID – 19 in our community and an increase of close contact quarantines, all school sites will move to Distance Learning beginning Monday, November 16th and continue through Friday, November 20th. Beginning Monday, November 16th, all students will be expected to complete Distance Learning attendance requirements and classwork daily.

God Bless! Positivity & Love being sent to you in abundance!

I’m sure anyone reading the title of this article would want to answer… “Hell yes!” I’m certain of this, because I would also like to answer with a resounding… “Hell Yes!” The truth is, somethings never change. The reason why they never change is we believe that they will never change. Change your beliefs and things will change. Why is that? Your beliefs create your reality. Beliefs are the reason we live the way we live. If we believe that work is stressful, that will not change. If we believe we can’t put the bottle down, you will not be able to stop drinking. If you continue to stay in a toxic relationship your belief of love is that it’s supposed to be painful. Your beliefs create your life. This is my leveling up thought for the day.

“Beliefs can be created about anything & everything in our world.”

Creating a new belief that better serves you can be challenging, but challenging does not mean impossible. I grew up with limiting beliefs, I believe most people do. My dad was doing his best with what he knew or believed to be true. He loves his kids and I know he would do anything for any of us. I see now that the most important thing he could have done for us was to love himself the way he has always deserved to be loved. He believed that our lives being stuck in poverty was what he deserved, so he continues to remain there. Even now I see him struggle. I help him… but the only person who can truly help him is himself. He is an amazing person, but he doesn’t know that. I hope to help him see that someday, I’ve been trying for over 29 years. He survived a difficult home life as a child… being beaten and berated. He had never dealt with that pain & so naturally, he became a man that never dealt with the false statements that were said to him as a child. I know this left him with the feeling he would never be good enough. This belief transferred to me. I get my heart from him. He is truly a selfless human being and I adore him for that, and I also know that he still needs to know his true value and aware of his self-worth.

I evaluated my success by other’s happiness. This is a formula for disappointment. I would break my back helping my family to prove I was good enough. This eventually led me to validating the same beliefs my dad still holds to this day. I know I’m not a bad person for believing that for so long. It was my belief because that’s what I was taught. If I decided to do anything based on my own happiness those actions were going to be considered selfish. I couldn’t become a selfish person. We had always said that mom was selfish, because she decided to leave, and that wasn’t who I wanted to be. I had to be the opposite to make my dad happy. I continued to put myself last. I learned how to be the best people pleaser. I believed this was ok.

Leveling up in certain areas might be getting a promotion, buying a home, or maybe just moving into a bigger one, maybe paying off that debt. These are examples of what could change so that one might experience an exterior leveling up, but what I am experiencing and hope to share so others may experience this fully is a broad awareness of now. Awaking to the moments that have carried you to this particular destination. In order for one to level up, you must rise above your own understanding of why your world is made up of the things that are in it. It’s acknowledging the critical patterns and beliefs that creates behaviors that will alleviate you from the things that plague you.

For me it was becoming fully aware of my limiting beliefs. It has been holding me captive and I demand now to be released to experience the things I know I deserve.

In my love life, I will no longer accept what I have in the past. I am not anyone’s trophy or plaything. I am someone who will be treasured and loved with a matched intensity. I will love fully by giving of myself. If that can’t or won’t be reciprocated, I will create the environment where it will be reciprocated. Being kind and loving to myself is not being selfish. Those who truly love me do not want to see me in pain. Those who truly love and trust me will not control me. I am a loving person and I can freely express my love to others without it being seen as evil or deceitful. Love is God, God is love. I will no longer repress the love I have for myself. The old limiting beliefs for relationships that I have held onto are gone. I’m fully capable of loving myself and being completely self-reliant and not feel guilty about it.

My children will see me as a person that will never leave them, but as their biggest support. The best thing I can do is to model self-love and to teach them how to value their unique characteristics so that the world may appreciate and love them with the purest of intentions.

I fully accept the abundance that has been waiting for me to accept it. I accept the energy of having more. More love, more money, more time, more freedom. I hope you will also accept the abundance of good things that are waiting for you!

So much love from my heart to every reader! Life is just beautiful if you believe that it is!

Entering the scene: An innocent child walks upon broken eggshells.

She timidly tiptoes through the mess, fearing a misstep will awaken her very own concept of hell.

This appears to be leftover shrapnel, sprayed about the floor, more added everyday.

Fight or flight, her consistent, constant state

Now we watch as her mother departs, we watch as she drives away leaving her family behind.

The mother continues down this other path, hoping this other man would ease her own troubled mind.

We see the little girl, distraught & abandoned, feeling powerless against this one thought “I’m not good enough.”

We watch as she nervously applies layer after layer of mortar and brick.

First, she will fall for anyone who sees her as a beautiful person not someone unworthy & sick.

A novice at life, not even a teen. The child begins to build her very own wall.

She would realize at a later time in life, that the higher she builds it, the harder she’ll fall.

We see her wander around like an obedient puppy, seeking out a treat.

Consistently reinforced, her own desires are quick to retreat.

The people pleasing attitude

She believes that everyone must be pleased with her & what she can do.

A pattern established in her life before the age of ten, “ditch them 1st before they can leave.”

The pain she hides from the world, it’s hard to describe, even harder to conceive.

No one can abandon her if she’s the one walking away.

Her father now comes into view, we see him trying to raise three kids on his own.

She doesn’t know who to be, or where to go.

The words spew from her father’s mouth, the insults spoken of women stunting her mind.

“Don’t be like your mother, the only thing she ever did well…was lie.”

Echoes of his bitterness and pain can still be heard in her ears.

Growing up too fast, too many bad things to deal and not enough years.

Empathizing with her father’s pain as she tries to help him heal.

Growing up in fear, she learns to lead her life by how things feel.

The pain of this tragedy, so fresh, she still has no idea of how long it’s been.

Mapped out for her by this painful past, she takes the long way which leads to self-hate and sin.

She obeys what “they” say, believing their lies.

Not yet learning her own untethered way.

Ignoring the red flags, her own self-respect just to numb the pain.

Her own happiness,she decides can be found by making others smile.

Her own state of well-being would not be discovered for awhile.

Underneath her fake expression and silence…

her fears have successfully harnessed her self-confidence.

The innocence that carried her through half of her life…

She discovers was only hidden. It had not yet died.

The past she had carried, she releases as it was poorly constructed.

What do we want the audience to learn from her “Start loving yourself and don’t be self-destructive!”

Standing in the rain…

Feeling this monsoon kind of pain.

The drops hit my face

Scattering my tears all over the place.

There is no way

To wipe the tears away.

Living this monsoon kind of pain

My path once aligned with the storm’s

Destroying nearly everything, leaving me torn.

I suddenly look up and realize

That these are my skies.

Still standing in the rain

Still noticing this pain.

I look back and understand

There is no one there to take my hand.

No one can pull me from this path,

I’ve chosen this route this is my own wrath.

Consequences of turning away from the sun.

This left me wailing & completely undone.

Standing in the rain

Feeling this monsoon kind of pain.

I look forward…

I see something, but it’s blurred.

I move toward it

I can see that

I’ve stepped beyond the rain

No longer living in pain

The sun dries up my tears

& my pain disappears.

The moral here is this…

You may not always live in bliss.

Keep moving forward on your path…

Simply knowing you are in charge of that.

Peace to you all!

I enjoy using zoom for classes. I have received mixed responses from my students. Some love it and some need still need the one on one learning experience.

I know there is more for me to learn to be the best online instructor. I’m just excited when my students are able to log on. It was challenging at first and these enhancements (hurdles) in learning occurred because of COVID. We are still learning how to conquer these obstacles.

I know I’ve heard from other teachers that distance learning is too difficult. I tend to think that we could give distance learning a chance. We haven’t given it much of a chance. Look at the old model of education, it hasn’t been the greatest and how long have we been supporting that?

Is it safe to say that I may not be old school? 😊

Have a blessed day! Enjoy teaching whether it’s face to face or online.

I will be ok. We will be ok! Lord guide us all to a place of peace and understanding. This morning didn’t go quite as expected and that’s ok. Things that were out of my control played out as they will everyday and that’s ok!

God was already preparing me this morning for this change in seasons. Life is a blessing pure and simple. We should all be grateful for the simple blessings we receive each day. I know that he puts us in situations at times to make us stronger and to challenge the love we have for ourselves. I look up to the sky as I do most days and say “Thank You Lord!” Thanks for making me stronger. I do wish at times I could hear his reply, but I feel it. I feel that he is telling me to learn from the situation and be stronger. As I get older I realize this more and more!

God bless you and yours and remain faithful to yourself and to what you have been called to do.

Sometimes things are out of my control. I can learn to live with that. Sometimes things are within my control and those good decisions make me stronger. Stronger in character. Stronger emotionally. Stronger overall.

✌🏻 & ❤️

Have a blessed day!

I start the day, just like everyday. I wake up, turn on the Keurig and head to the shower. I then go start my coffee, add some cream because I am not a psychopath. ( it’s fine if others don’t use cream.) 😀

I carry the cup of motivation with me into the bathroom. I begin to put on my makeup the same way I always do. First moisturizer, primer, foundation, blush, eyeshadow, brows, mascara. That’s good enough. Now I must decide what to do with all this hair. I don’t want to always wear it up in a messy bun. What would be the point of having all of this hair if I’m just going to pin it all up all the time. I opt to curl it in big waves and pin the bangs back that I’m growing out, I must do this since I impulsively cut them a few months back. Then I dress, grab my coffee pour it in a to-go mug, refresh it, and head out the door. I drive almost a mile to my job. (Yes, I know… what a long commute.) Things look a little bit different now, because of COVID-19, but not really. It’s just that everyone now looks like a bandit about to rob a stage coach or train cart upon entering our school. (Minus the stick horse.)

I start my day now always feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, I have learned to take a stoic approach and I remind myself what is happening around me is beyond my control, all that I can control is how I respond. So… I arrive to work and wipe down tables, prepare for class and spray disinfectant spray on the areas I know people will touch. I display the homemade cloth masks I have made for my students on my desk, they may take one if they need one. I tell them I have made these so that we all remain healthy and it’s the least I can do to help.

I had one student show up for class today to take a test. I had scheduled 2 to take a test. I have to keep class size at no more than 6 students at a time, it seems like a small class size, but it’s necessary since I teach adults. COVID-19 seems to be more brutal for adults.

It should be relatively easy to keep class size down since most people aren’t sure of what to do with their futures right now. Even as an educated and seasoned person the future doesn’t appear as bright as it once did. I continue to pray that this year will continue as close to normal as possible and that we will be ok. I hope that we can maintain some sort of defense against the unknowns. Even if that defense is simply maintaining control of our reactions. This year has made it more evident than any other year that life is short and surprises both good and bad are bound to happen. I pray for everyone’s protection and sanity during this time of uncertainty. Please pray that I am able to be light for my students who are in darker places. Please pray that I can help them see a future even though we don’t know what is happening right now. This has made it so difficult for me to teach the way I have in the past. Please pray that I can make the changes necessary to be a good guide in their learning experience. Thanks for those of you that read and pray! God Bless!

HBD