Posts Tagged ‘writing’
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
In 2006 there were a few factors that if I did not have a relationship (meaning a prayer life) with God I may have wanted to check out… nothing extreme like taking my own life. However if I could I would have just become invisible and just disappeared from the craziness of what was becoming my everyday routine. I had bouts with depression, my behavior and attitude changed, and not for the better. I was under a lot of pressure and more responsibilities than I would have cared to have. Yet quitting was not an option for me…
See, 2006 was the year my mother went home to be with the Lord. The job and career that I had successfully progressed in I no longer had a passion to do. In some ways my family was on the verge of falling apart and though I was the youngest I had to stand in place as if I was the eldest and make some life changing decisions. I felt as if I was back in time and was experiencing the emotions and happenings that I did when my dad past five years earlier. It was also the year that I was first offered an opportunity to work in fulltime ministry…
The big difference though the morning my mother passed I awoke for the first time with the unction to pray at 4AM first in the spirit for an hour and then in my natural language just to say…”God… no matter what people, places or things you must remove from my life in order for me to walk and be in your prefect will for it..I will not get angry with you, I so swear.”
Little did I know that promise I cried out to God in the wee hours of the morning on March 15, 2006 would be tested time and time again in the years to come…
To be continued… I welcome your comments!
Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com
Psalm 45: 1 (Amplified) MY HEART overflows with a [a]goodly theme; I address my psalm to a King. My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.
“Spiritual Vomit”!?!? What the heck is that you may be asking…? Does it sound gross to you? It should. The repercussions that come from not purging your soul, can cause you to have unexpected verbal accidents.
As I have been taught, man is a tri-part being he is a spirit that possesses a soul/heart (where his thinker, feeler, and chooser reside) and he has and lives in body. When we die in the physical our spirit man is separated from our flesh (our earth suit) and the decisions we made while we were alive affect where we end up living out eternity.
My spirit man, when I became born again was made new. However my soul/heart needs to be renewed daily. That means what I allow into its gates through my ears, my eyes, by what I touch and what comes out of my mouth must line up with the Word of God. This way my spirit and soul/heart can become on one accord. When they are not, the possibility for verbal accidents based in flesh to happen can seem unavoidable. For example, I have been called snappy on more than number of occasions, as it relates to my responses… snappy means briskly cold. Am I proud of it? No, it’s an area where I need to continue develop in. It’s an area where I can visualize my spirit man physically getting ill because it has to witness my soul/heart controlling how my body reacts to situations. Its base is fear…
Going back to the topic of this article, “Spiritual Vomit”; if you noticed above I made mention that our soul/heart is where our thinker, feeler, and chooser reside. So it is safe to say that if you think a certain way, and feel a certain way you will choose to do a certain action, right? Again hypothetically speaking, if I think on doing something for a while (mediate on it), I will begin to have strong feelings and eventually will choose to do it or because I have been mediating on it for so long, I will begin to act out on my thoughts by instinct. Think of a person that has learned to drive. After awhile the fact that in order to keep the car moving forward requires them to press their foot on the accelerator and hold onto the steering wheel to keep the car steady will become almost as instinctual as breathing.
The same can be said about a person and their attitudes towards others. If you think a particular way about a person, you will begin to feel also a particular way about them and so either way good, bad or indifferent will begin to treat them based on those feelings. When you see them your face may also read a different message to what you are actually saying. This scenario can also cause you to seem phony, not truthful to people because you are attempting to mask your feelings. I am not saying it’s ok either to go around telling people exactly how you truly feel, because it can be considered offensive. Depending on the delivery, the timing and the words you use… Trust me, I know. Choose your battles… However, I do recommend that you examine yourself before you react.
If you are not cautious with your words, you may even begin to make comments that reflect flesh based feelings. These little comments may seem accidental but are really what you are feeling in the city of your soul.
Usually what makes you angry is what you are afraid of. Or what annoys you, is what you have given power to trigger negative reactions from you. When my Pastor taught these two points a number of years ago it really hit home. What more than anything hit me is that I can choose how I react and what I react to. I have the ability to stop verbal slip ups from escaping my lips.
Now what are some of the repercussions of NOT purging your soul?
1) Lost relationships
2) Doors of opportunity being shut
3) Communication breakdown
Cheers to fewer clean ups in the aisle called you!
Reference Scriptures
John 6:63 (Amplified) It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life.
Romans 8:1-7 (Amplified) 1THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.(A)
2For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.
3For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [[b]subdued, overcame, [c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],(B)
4So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].
5For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and [d]pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and [e]seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.
6Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that [f]comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever].
7[That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed it cannot.
8So then those who are living the life of the flesh [catering to the appetites and impulses of their carnal nature] cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him.
© 2011, Lela Jefferson. All rights reserved.
The field is empty. My love and I walk its length hand and hand. A ritual started during our courtship. He replays the game to himself, play by play as I listen to the smooth timber of his baritone voice. Our boys the twins are playing catch on the sidelines. Both like their father play football, pee wee for now. The stands hold echoes of the memories of fans and their cheers. They are empty too but for the rubbish left behind from the throngs of people. It was just a couple of hours ago when he had been given his 100th Gatorade bathe adding another win to his impeccable record at State.
Who am I? I am the head coach’s wife and I have held this title and that of assistant coach’s wife in different cities and at few schools through the years. It has been eight years in the same city this time. When my coach and I first met in high school I could have never imagined that we would end up here. Our weekends from August to December are filled with team chapels, tailgates, pre-game warm ups, get to getters with other coach’s ladies and two hours of nail biting, and eyes closed in deep prayer. Coordinating trips to away games, and couples’ bible study teleconference calls; other times of the year as a family going to conferences, visiting family and working on projects that could not be completed before the football season started.
Title: The Training Never Ends (Novel – In the Works)
He Treats Her Like a Lady
/ / Chapter 1 //
She sits and stares pondering how she could had forgotten how it felt to be treated as she should, like a lady only after so short of a time. He asks her if she is ok, because her face had contorted while she was lost in thought. She tells him she is fine. Her mind had only wandered away for a moment.
She stares down at her left ring finger again and then into his eyes and smiles. Inwardly thanking God for loving her so much to bring him back into her life. And now he has pledged himself to her. She is now his wife. Just a few moments ago they said their vows and sipped from the communion cup, confirming before God and all those that they love to honor and cherish each other for the rest of their lives.
She is now Mrs. Alexia Uhuru St. Claire, married to the man of her dreams and her prayers. It all quickly comes back to her as she comes out of her daze; they are seated at the bride and groom’s table at their wedding reception. Family and friends are hitting their champagne flutes, giving the ceremonial signal that they would like to see the newlyweds kiss. Her husband, wow it still sounds weird even in her own head to comprehend that Charles is now her husband. He leans towards her and kisses her softly on the lips. He pulls away just a bit and lingers just before moving to her ear to mouth the words “I love you”. Alexia, sighs again before saying the same to him.
An excerpt from “He Treats Her Like a Lady” a new short story still in the works …
Lela Jefferson, © 2010 All rights reserved.
I read having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver over the summer. A book I now highly recommend for all women, young and old to read. I have been actually sharing my findings as I journey through the accompanying Bible Study Mrs. Weaver placed at the end of the book on my blogs. Here is the latest question I studied out and gave commentary on.
Questions for Going Deeper – Day Thirteen
7) Write Jesus a letter beginning with “Lord, I know you love me because…,” and list the ways he has shown his great love for you.
Lord, I know you love me because you gave your life as a living sacrifice for me. You taught through your example to others that even though it is over two thousand years later I am still gleaning from your wisdom! You left me the greatest comforter, the Holy Spirit to be my daily guide. Even though you have been redeemed and have returned to sit at the father’s side you STILL intercede on my behalf ceaselessly. With the simple calling of your name and my belief in your word, your only answer to me is always YES!
There is SO much that I can list about how you have shown your great love to me, but the greatest is that you called me yours before I even knew how to utter your name. Each day I fall more and more in love with you as we grow more intimate with each other. All I want to do is serve you and your people. I know through my willing servitude and swift obedience to your voice, I show you my love, trust and respect in return.
To be continued… I welcome your comments!
The previous article can be found here.
Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com
I read having a Mary Heart in a Martha World – Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life by Joanna Weaver over the summer. A book I now highly recommend for all women, young and old to read. I have been actually sharing my findings as I journey through the accompanying Bible Study Mrs. Weaver placed at the end of the book on my blogs. Here is the latest question I studied out and gave commentary on.
Questions for Going Deeper – Day Twelve
6) Read Psalm 103. List at least five of the many ways God shows his love for us. (If you are struggling to know the Father’s love, consider memorizing this chapter so you won’t forget “all his benefits.”)
The benefits that stand out for me are as follows, the complete chapter follows my highlights:
- God forgives us of ALL our generational sins (iniquities) and he heals us of ALL our diseases (things that don’t put us at ease.)
- God redeems our lives from evil and makes them beautiful, dignified with his loving-kindness for his sake with tender mercy.
- Through our confessions he renews our youth like that of an eagle.
- God does not hold grudges.
- He removes transgressions from our lives.
Psalm 103 (Amplified Bible)
Psalm 103
[A Psalm] of David.
1BLESS (AFFECTIONATELY, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!
2Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits–
3Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,
4Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
5Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!(A)
6The Lord executes righteousness and justice [not for me only, but] for all who are oppressed.
7He made known His ways [of righteousness and justice] to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.
8The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness.(B)
9He will not always chide or be contending, neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge.
10He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13As a father loves and pities his children, so the Lord loves and pities those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe].
14For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.
15As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16For the wind passes over it and it is gone, and its place shall know it no more.
17But the mercy and loving-kindness of the Lord are from everlasting to everlasting upon those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, and His righteousness is to children’s children–(C)
18To such as keep His covenant [hearing, receiving, loving, and obeying it] and to those who [earnestly] remember His commandments to do them [imprinting them on their hearts].
19The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.
20Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.
21Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, all you His hosts, you His ministers who do His pleasure.
22Bless the Lord, all His works in all places of His dominion; bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul!
Cross references:
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
To be continued… I welcome your comments!
The previous article can be found here.
Lela Jefferson – http://www.memoirsofablackgirl.com
Folks, I have a new set of blogs for you to check out, written by the MommyWriter
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Dominique is a wife and mother to a very active 12 month old in NYC. In addition to her full-time job she is also a freelance writer, blogger, and non-profit organizer. Her writing topics run the gamut from book reviews, parenting, education, Christianity, freelancing/publishing, and a lot in between. Dominique in her own words… While I write mostly about parenting and education issues, I also write about Christianity, writing/freelancing, and any other topic that come my way. As you will notice on this blog and on my webzine Balancing Act I I started this blog to chronicle my journey in the freelance writing industry, while hopefully offering some lessons from the trenches to other writers who are beginning their careers . Besides my writing I am also the founder of Mommy Writers, a non-profit organization built to offer a community to writing mothers. TheMommyWriter
http://www.blogher.com/blog/mommywriter FreelanceWriterForHire
http://freelancerforhire.wordpress.com/about “A blog beginning writers can really sink their teeth into. Practical advice alongside the encouraging, sometimes funny, but always relatable experiences of a beginning writer. Read along as I search for freelance success." – Dominique Rambert |
. A young military wife that is living 
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One of my passions in life is reading; it has been for as long as I can remember. As a little girl my parents fostered it in me with weekly trips to the library and introducing animated storytelling into our nightly bedtime routine. Though my parents separated when I was young; their joint nurturing of my love of reading did not cease. No matter where my father lived after their separation and even still in my mother’s home, he had milk crates and shelves spilling over with books. He was an avid reader and collector. Come to think about it…I don’t think I can ever recall my dad telling me, he was reading just one book! We would have weekly discussions catching each other up on what new book we had discovered…that the other just had to read. |
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Like him, I generally have 3-5 books on my coffee table that I am working on completing and have a growing library. Recently, as I am learning how to slow down and enjoy the lulls of life. I have begun again to read for enjoyment. Of course this means since I LOVE sharing what good finds I discovered, I want to share them with you my readers a listing of the books that I am either reading or plan to read. From the realms of history, poetry, spirituality, how-to/self improvement, fantasy, and even romance… I bring to you titles straight from my own collections. See through the windows of my soul; the current year reading schedule of author/poet and performance artist, Lela Jefferson. |
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