Posts Tagged ‘encouragement’

I recently finished reading having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver.  A book I now highly recommend for all women, young and old to read.  For the next 12 weeks, I plan to share my findings as I journey through the accompanying Bible Study Mrs. Weaver placed at the end of the book.

Going Deeper – Day Three

3)      A woman told me, “I guess I’m a Martha and that I’ll always be a Martha.”  Is it possible for our basic character to change or are we destined to live our lives stuck in a predetermined nature? Explain your answer.

When we are little we tend to be more like Mary.  Our parents and/or guardians give us the first flesh and blood examples of teachers.  Because we know nothing other than to tend to their words; like Mary we listen and obey in an essence at their feet.  As we grow older and gain more independence and experiences of our own we can develop character traits that can be more like Martha or remain like Mary’s.  The choice is ours if we want to have a balance of the two or remain either or.

I choose to strive to be an evolved version of both sisters.  The sisters we see displayed in the story of Lazarus their brother; purposeful, bold, working in concert yet at the same time having a peaceful understanding that the Master’s (Jesus’) will be done.

To be continued…

The previous article can be found here.

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

Lord if the tongue is that of a pen of a ready writer…Let it not be me that, is the author, but you who is the author and finisher of my faith that speaks through me. That is my prayer today! Psalm 45:1

The above statement is one of my new daily confessions.  Though I have been saved and a Christian for a number of years.  I am just truly learning the lesson of how important it is to speak life, positively not only about others but also myself.  Too many times, because I have not wanted to put my hopes up too high I have downgraded the awesomeness of God and what he can do and has done for me.

What I mean by this is if he placed desires in my heart, he is not going to tease me with them.  He is going to put me on the path to obtaining them.  However I must have consistent faith, patience and put some sweat in.  As my mother used to say “There’s no free lunch.”  In short meaning I have to WORK towards achieving my goals.

The beautiful part about the whole thing is that know I am not alone.  Each time I speak life and equally give God his due and his praise. I am not only encouraging myself I am also bringing God into the mix.  I recently dug out my high school year book because I am reconnecting with many of my friends from that time period.  In it, I found not only funny pictures of my friends and myself, but also my first resume.

My first resume was already two pages long.  I am not trying to boast.  However it reminded me, that who I am today, is not too far off from who I was then character wise.   I still list as my hobbies a love for creative writing, dancing, singing, reading, helping others and a passion for leadership development.  The only differences between the Lela I was then and the Lela I am now besides no longer having dreads, actually enjoying wearing my glasses and my switch from totally militant afro-centric clothing is life has happen and doubt has tried to creep into my psyche.  The key word here is being has TRIED.

Where I am today is not necessary where I pictured myself, all those years ago.  However, I have no regrets.  My experiences the good and the bad have shaped me and brought me to the place where my reliance is not in my own works, but in God.  It’s kind of funny.  One of my good friends recently told me God had to slow me down for me to finally stop and listen to what he has been trying to tell me for years.  Which is again as my mom used to say…”If you do your best God will do the rest”.

I have put all my faith / trust on that statement and now have put it all to rest.  As I do my part I know that God is out there working on my behalf.  For as his daughter and one of his willing servants I can expect nothing less from him.  He has already shown me how much he loves me and he desires only the best for me most importantly thorough loving correction and rebuke.

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

Tools I Use to Journal

• A notebook – Usually with a funky cover design with standard sized lines
• Writing instruments – A pen, pencil and/or markers
• A computer – With a word processing program
• Voice recorder – To capture my thoughts when I do not have any of the above handy
• Music and Movies to set the mood – I get inspiration a lot of times from watching and listening to inspirational teaching or music. I love music in general and if I know the song or have watched the show/movie before I can have it playing in the background just to make sure I have a secondary focus.

Why I Journal vs. Keep a Diary

Growing up I always thought if I kept a diary meant I would have to write in it every day.  My big sister Andrea purchased me a diary once and I think I wrote in it maybe three times (3) in the entire year that it was meant to record.

However when I was given a composition notebook by my dad that just had lines and told I could write, whenever and however and whatever I felt like and call it journaling… I felt freer to write.

Keeping a diary just seems too restricting to me and I by essence am a free spirit.

How my Love for Journaling Came About

I have been keeping journals since I was about 10 or 11 years old.  I was first introduced to journal writing and recording my thoughts from observing my mother when I was as young as two (2).  My mother would put a blank tape in the recorder and just begin talking expressing herself to God about what she was going through in her life, with her children, and with my Dad.  She would sometimes just let the music play or record me and my niece Abby playing.  My niece Abby and I grew up like siblings being just under two (2) years apart in age.  My mother would baby sit my niece, eventually she would end up living with us for five (5) years.

From time to time my mother would also record her thoughts into a journal or write quotes in the margins of books she was reading.  Draw pictures on pieces of scrap paper…I mean my mother if she had something going on…she would find an outlet to get it out.  I believe it was her extension to her fellowship time with God.

Now on top of all this my mother was a prayer warrior.  People to the time she passed would call her just to leave long messages on her answering machine requesting prayer.  They knew when she prayed she got results.

My dad he was another one that encouraged me to read, write and record my voice.  My father had a strong passion for photography, drawing, painting and self discovery.  I remember going on outings to bookstores with him or museums and being given a budget to purchase items.  Instead of toys growing up after a certain age I received books or historical activity kits from my father as gifts.  This ended up being a family trend (I began to receive similar gifts from my uncles and aunts on my father side of the family) and it helped to strengthen my love for the arts.

At around 10 or 11 years of age my dad saw that I had begun to take on my mother’s love for journaling.  So he purchased for me my first set of composition notebooks to record my thoughts.  Then when he saw I loved to play as if I was radio disc jockey/host, he purchased me a tape recorder and a stack of blank cassettes and would pay me $10 per tape to record books for him.  This was before the whole books on audio tape became a big industry of its own.

In those composition notebooks I captured my pre-teen experiences, poems and drawing.  When I felt led, I would share them with my parents and they would in turn encourage me even more to continue writing, so I did.  Now it is 20+ years later and I am still writing and recording my thoughts electronically.  My latest medium is however blogging.

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If you enjoyed this article and would like to begin journaling yourself.  You may now purchase an official “Memoirs of a Black Girl” journal for as little as $12 by clicking on the following link http://www.cafepress.com/memofablackgirl

Thank you again for your support of my writings!

Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com & http://www.poetryofablackgirl.com

Send email to: talktous@memoirsofablackgirl.com

One of the “I WILL” statements I listed for 2009 was to basically be a better steward over my relationships.  For those that do not know what an, “I WILL” statement is… well think of them as New Year’s resolutions that you actually plan on doing.   For the past two years I have compiled a list of things I want to do / develop in and actually go into contract with myself, witnessed by God and my friend/support base to keep me accountable.

Well, top of this year’s listing was for me to be a better steward over all of my relationships as I mentioned above.  Letting those that I love and care about really know how I feel about them and what they mean to me.    Reconnect with my family members, old friends and get to really know newer ones.

I am striving to be a better friend and support to those that have made any kind of impact on my life.  For so many years I focused on work, and work some more and my career that I lost sight kind of what was really important.  Enjoying this life I was given and those I was blessed to experience it with.

I believe I did this more so as a defense mechanism after first my dad, god father and one of my uncles passing in less than a year of each other.  Then my mother five years later which put a strain on my relationships with my siblings on both sides of my family also my relationship with my former beau.  Toss in there a few job changes and physical changes (cutting off my dreadlocks after 15 years of growing them and losing about 26 pounds.)  If I did not have God, I don’t know how I would have been able to cope.

Getting back to me being a good steward over my relationships “I Will” statement, with making this commitment and really working being more pliable I have learned more about myself in these last six months for both the good and the bad compared to in the last three years.  The bad are areas where I need more development and the good… are areas that I want to work on expanding.  So in an essence, I am still learning and I am still developing.  I know I have only begun to scratch the surface…However I can only honestly say that the seeds that I sow now are more so good seeds than bad ones…

I have very talented friends and associates.  Many of which also have blogs or websites where they frequently showcase their creativity.

If you are on any of my Friends’ Lists that means YOU!

I would like to propose an old fashion link exchange. I have added a new page to my Memoirs Blog called “Blog Watch” http://memoirsofablackgirl.com/blog-watch/ .

If you would like to have your website or blog added to this page please send me a PRIVATE email on Facebook, Essence Community, BlackWomenConnect or at talktous@memoirsofablackgirl.com including the following information:

Email Subject Line: Link Exchange
Your Full Name
Name of your Blog or Website
Website address of your Blog or Website
Brief Description of Blog or Website (100 words or less)

Please note: That a link back from your website would be nice however is not required.  A submission also does not guarantee placement.  Placement will be done based on topic relation and NOT by favoritism.

By definition the word Termination means to come to a closing, to bring something to an end.

As I look back as another chapter of my life has closed. I smile at the realization that God has prepared a new one for me. I know what I have gone through has only prepared me for what I am about to experience…an explosion of blessings.

On January 29^th, 2009 I was released from my last place of employment. Most people may have looked at the situation and say to themselves “What am I going to do now? I spent the last two (2) almost three (3) years of my life working for this company! How could they?”

In that split second of realization of what was happening to me, that I was being released I made conscience decision. One not to act like a fool or even cry and two that I did not work for this company or Man in general instead I worked for God. Three that I also wanted to leave with grace and peace, so I sucked up the one tear that was trying to fall repented and thanked them for the opportunity. Finally I let them know I would be available if they needed anything and I also did not want to leave without giving them a list of open projects I was working on.

When asked if I wanted to give a written statement otherwise known as an excuse for my actions. I said no. That whatever I needed to say I would take it to my Heavenly Father in prayer and ask him to correct whatever He felt in my character needed correcting.

At that point I was given the honor to go back to my office and prepare for my departure. As I sat for that last time in front of my computer, I thought to myself ‘Why Lord am I doing this? Putting a list together to help them?’ At that moment I heard a very quiet voice which I knew to be the Holy Spirit say … “You are doing this because you are a child of God and not of the Devil. You will not make this challenge a blessing blocker for your life but a stepping stone towards what I have for you. I am not done with you, yet!”

At that moment I felt peace come over me like a wave. Every action I did afterward was almost mechanical. When I finally got home I posed another question not to myself, but instead to my Heavenly Father my Jehovah Jireh (my provider) and said to Him in prayer ‘What do YOU want me to do now?’ Again I heard a quiet voice in my head…the voice told me “Read what I lead your hand to read, watch what I lead your eyes to watch, speak what I tell you to speak and write what I tell you to write.” For days that led into nights… to weeks that is all I did and I don’t believe I have ever been closer in tune with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit began to open up my mind’s eye after I began to pray for wisdom to show me that I had everything I needed around me. From books I had purchased to articles I had printed out, to writings I kept in journals and a business plan and income generating ideas from years past to people I knew.

He even pressed on my Pastors’ hearts and those of guest ministers at my church to teach lessons on How to pray and hear from God…How not to overcome and recognize the different faces of fear… They even have taught on how to believe in the peace of God and how to SPEAK against bouts of worry and condemnation.

This last month or so has been like God has been speaking directly to me no matter where I am, no matter what I am doing. It feels as if my ears had been clogged and finally they were open again to hear Him tell me what He needed me to do.

I am just thankful for the people he has brought into my life during this time. And for all those that are waiting for me to say “All is not well and that I have fear.” You can keep on waiting for its not going to happen.

I can proudly proclaim that “Fear” is no longer a word in my vocabulary. I am living and have the peace of God. He is not done with me yet!

Scriptures I am standing on:

1 Corinthians 9:19 KJV
For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.

Proverbs 31 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 49 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 51 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 90 (Whole Chapter)

Psalm 91 (Whole Chapter)

1 Kings (Whole Chapter)

1 & 2 Samuel (Whole Chapter)

Nehemiah (Whole Chapter)

Esther (Whole Chapter)

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Lela Jefferson is an aspiring writer and New Media Public Relations Professional. She is the owner of Urban PR Connection – A New Media PR Firm. She is also working on her first book her memoirs and editing a collection of her poetry scheduled for release winter 2009-10. You can learn more about Lela at her Memoirs Blog: http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com