Latest News

This past week “The Coach” and I had the opportunity to sit down, really talk and get down to the business of planning our wedding.  Personally I enjoy watching him do what he loves, it is so natural to him to coach, lead and mentor young men, and analyze and strategize the game of football.  His coaching expertise he was able to transfer to our wedding game planning.

Since we reconnected now almost 3 years ago I have seen him coach on three different levels; collegiate, professional and now high school.  So though we became engaged in May 2011, just before football season began, I knew that once the season had started, getting him to focus on wedding planning would be near to impossible.  During the season I did make a few trips out to visit with him.  We called them wedding scouting trips, me being his director of personnel:)  While most of his focus was spent coaching and mine on supporting him; we got the opportunity to pick each other’s brains a bit to discover our likes and dislikes.  For example, we addressed questions like… what type of budget were we both willing to commit to?  Were we going to elope? Would we have a destination wedding?  Where would we honeymoon?  We also touched on the topic of relocation since both of us currently live in two different states.

During those visits we agreed that we should complete the important elements of the wedding game planning, like setting a date, confirming a venue and the type of wedding we were going to have before the New Year.  Since I was also armed with the knowledge that during pre-season 2012; when the kids would be let out for the summer would be the perfect time for us to aim for setting the date for our big day and our honeymoon.  So all through last year’s season and post as his Coach’s Wife-to-Be I have been doing my part by scouting… I mean researching and submitting request for proposals to prospective vendors and venues, tapping my network of friends who had recently gotten married for tips and tricks.

So now that we are knee deep in the planning with a good amount of our wedding “To Do List” items executed.  I feel a sense of peace and relief.  I can honestly say that I am truly enjoying the process and pray that as we are not only planning for our wedding but for our marriage together we both continue to look at this as fantastic journey of new discovery.

© 2012 Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com

It’s the holidays and yesterday, “The Coach” and I spent some quality time with my mother’s side of the family;  “The Jones-Medleys”.  It’s funny how you can see yourself and your unique habits mirrored in your kin’s.  For example, my 7 years old grand niece at one point took out her notebook and began to write her own observations of the event.  My big sister her grandmother said that she always has her notebook with her and she enjoys writing.

At one point she asked us how to spell “freaking out”.  All the adults in the room looked around and didn’t answer her.  A few minutes later I said… ‘Wait no one answered Amiah.’  She in turn said “Auntie, I moved on and decided to use another word.” My fiancée shook his head and said that he could picture that being something I would do when I was her age.  He knows me so well

© 2011 Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com

“I’m tired of this mess” … Have you ever caught yourself saying that or thinking it as you were working on something on with someone else?  Have you ever prayed for patience just before the mess began and wondered why what little patience you had to begin with was being tested?

Newsflash… You asked for the mess…ahem I mean the test.  How do you think patience is gained?  A muscle only shows definition when it has been developed… So are the godly attributes that make up good character.  Just pass the test… you asked for the mess and your proctor the Holy Spirit is with you.

John 16:33 MSG ^31-33 Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

© 2011 Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com

Habakkuk 2:3 AMP – For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.

Today is Sunday, November 20, 2011… It’s officially two weeks before my 33rd birthday.  I am using this time to assess and get myself organized.  It is also less than two months before the New Year and traditionally this is the time I evaluate my “I WILL” statements in prep of creating a new list for the upcoming year.  I believe this year I made some positive strives.  However, I want to make sure I’m doing the last thing God told me to do, from writing assignments to scheduling appointments to creating a book reading schedule and a financial plan that I can actually commit myself to.  Offline I have begun to track my habits and activities no matter how small they are to gage how I spend my time.  Any time wasters must be eliminated immediately…

© 2011 Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Recently I sat down and had a conversation with one of my dear friends about Men.  It was not one of those stereotypical sessions where you have two girlfriends talking about guys and dogging them out.  Trust me it was far from that scenario.  We spoke of how important it is for men to see God as their ultimate source for how to love others unconditionally, to forgive and forget, to trust, to be an example of integrity, knowledge, wisdom and how quite simply provide for themselves and their families.

You see, God is the ultimate provider and father; when he created Man he fashioned him after himself.  Man was created because God desired to have a family/people to commune, provide for and share his abundant kingdom with.   Just like God, Man has that very same desire ingrained in him; to provide for those he cares for his own family.

In order for Man to be the true provider which he was created to be he has to be whole heartily in relationship with God.  Without this relationship it will be near to impossible for him to be a true sustainer.  When Man begins to trust in only what he creates of his own hands and things of this earth like money he is trusting in what is temporal.  God is forever and will never lose value, dry up or spoil.

If there is no consistent communication between God and Man, the seeds of confusion can be planted and quickly take root and eventually bear fruit.  Fruit like fear, lack, despair, depression, anger, and desperation on the side of man.  God is confident in who he is.  Man on the other hand until he is rooted and ground in the knowledge of God and his love will always try to make things happen out of his own abilities which are limited.

Man should never get this reality twisted.  Man did not create God, God created Man. And when he did, he did so with a purpose in mind.  Man was to be fruitful and multiple on this earth.  He was to further God’s kingdom until it spread across all four corners of the globe; making a perfect copy of God’s kingdom in heaven on earth.  Man was created to be the steward of this planet.  Yet, when he disobeyed God’s commandment and did not take responsibility for his own actions, he created a communication break down.

First, he ate from the Tree of Life that God explicitly told him not to.  Then he hid from God and lastly he blamed Eve who had not been given the commandment in the first place from God to obey.  Man/Adam was the one that God ultimately held responsible for following the community / Garden of Eden, his rules.  Here is where fear came on the scene and Man began instead of looking up for guidance from God, he began to look down and around himself to see how he could make things happen…

Man, you need to look UP!

© 2011 Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com

His Princess Bride – Love Letters from Your Prince by Sheri Rose Shepherd. I am so loving this book. I purchased it today (8/16/11) at Borders and have not been able to put it down. I highly recommend it!

Here are some of my random thoughts and other quotes I have posted on my favorite social media networks:

Relationships

Remember to put first things first… 1) God 2) Family 3) Your Calling / Ministry.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

God’s Will

I know I am destined for greatness and my promotion comes from God… it’s my heritage and it’s in my pedigree as a child of the KING. I confess today I will faith it, and work it diligently till HE makes it.

I needed to take a day yesterday to shut it all down and slow it down. It ended up being a day of re-dedication…. God is moving and I want to make sure as I move with him that my steps are truly ordered by him vs. my flesh.

Reality checks

It is so not about you. So, some person place or thing or YOU are agitating you. Good! Pass the test. Move on to the next level. How you react now WILL affect not only generations to come, but yours right now.

The desires of your heart God placed there. What you may be lusting after will never equal in comparison. Spoken by a delivered woman who God blessed with her own heart-tailored Boaz

Change is Good!

I am constantly changing… A good friend of mine asked my opinion on something yesterday and my reaction was not what she thought was my norm. In the past my answer would had been ‘I really don’t know about that…’ My new response was ‘Go for it if you have peace about it.’ One response based in fear the other one based in confidence/peace…

When you start to see RED (emotional/fearful over a situation) is a clear sign you need to STOP pray, assess, conquer and then overcome. Relax; Relate and Release are good next steps…

I am still in personal evaluation mode. Here is a question I asked myself after a recent bible study… Whose character are you emulating? God’s or Satan’s? Did you know if you say you are going to do a thing and you don’t do it… You are a liar? I guess that is where that childhood rant came from… “Liar, Liar pants on fire!”

Quotes

“EXCELLENCE is attention to detail, that gives rise to superior performance, which leads to promotion in life.” -Dr. Bill Winston

Learn to settle down and be happy with what you have while the Lord is preparing you for something better – Joyce Meyer

“Sometimes you have to believe in someone else’s belief in you till yours kicks in.” – Les Brown … So why don’t you believe in God’s belief in you? His is the ONLY one that really matters l!

“My only competition is me in the past… Don’t play me.” – Prince

To be continued… I welcome your comments!

Lela Jefferson, © 2010 All rights reserved.

– www.memoirsofablackgirl.com