women

Ordinary People Changed History

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These women changed history.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Nov 18, 1815 to Oct 26, 1902, changed history by joining with a group of women to form a women’s rights group. She did this in 1848 before it was popular and lots of women were involved. She stepped up for what she believed in and spent her life fight for women to have equal rights as citizens of the United States.

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Susan B Anthony Feb 15, 1820 to March 13, 1906, changed history by helping to form many organizations that championed women’s rights.  In 1872 she was arrested and convicted for actually voting in an election.  Anthony and Stanton presented Congress with an amendment that was known as the Susan B Anthony Amendment. It was ratified by Congress as the 20th Amendment in 1920.

IdaBWells

Ida B Wells, July 16, 1862 to March 25, 1931, changed history by documenting lynchings in the United States. She was one of the founding members of the NAACP and an early member of the civil rights movement. Wells had no qualms about offending her white counterparts when she accused them of turning a blind eye racial discrimination while championing rights for women.

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Mary McLeod Bethune July 10, 1875 to May 18, 1955 changed history when she started an African American private school which later became Bethune-Cookman University.  She was also appointed national advisor to Franklin D Roosevelt.

Alice Paul

 

Alice Paul, Jan 11, 1885 to July 9, 1977, changed history by being one of the main leaders of the campaign for the 19th Amendment.  She also worked for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

 

 

Black History Month

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To celebrate Black History Month, I am going to share some African American History moments with you throughout the month.  I love history because it is like a present in a wrapped box. You shake it and think you know what it is. You unwrap it and find out it is something altogether different.  Prepare to learn and be entertained this month.

Black History Month

Each week, I will give away one of my books. the first book, Destiny’s Dilemma, is perfect because it is a historical fiction set in 1912 Fort Worth, Texas. Checkout Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on Monday to see how you can win a copy.  There are also copies available if you want to purchase a printed copy for $10.

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Today I learned about an African Latina woman, Anita Scott Coleman.  She was a writer during the Harlem Renaissance, but never lived in Harlem. She lived in New Mexico and California.

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Here is a link to more information about this amazing woman.

http://www.somosenescrito.com/2016/01/afro-hispanic-writer-anita-scott.html

Knowing What You Are Called To Do

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Have you ever had someone say something you know, but once they say it it actually becomes clear? What I love about my relationship with God is that  He doesn’t just say something to me, He gives me a full 3D experience to make sure I get it.

The speaker said “We are not called to be successful. We are called to be obedient.”

This word encouraged me to the point I almost shouted right there! God used my whole weekend to make this point.

Sometimes when we are doing things we were called to do we have a goal in mind, but it is not the same goal as God’s.  There is a feeling that if He calls me to it, He is going to make me successful in it. Sometimes all He wants from us is to show up. We assume that He calls us to places to win the big prize or make the big deal.

Saturday started with me finishing last in a 5K.  I mean the very last person to walk across the finish line. When I finally caught up with the police officer  who managed the traffic for the race, I asked if he was afraid I was going to jump on his bike and ask for a ride because he pulled off everytime I got close. He laughed and went on home.  I kept walking. I finished the race. (Now I wasn’t trying to win, but I later learned that I was not called to be successful, just to be obedient.) Somedays it is about us showing up.

2018 5K

No matter how many things are on my agenda for the day I still have to manage my business. Later that evening I sat down with my marketing plan and saw there were some holes in it.  Usually, I would get frustrated and chuck it. I would look for something else or contact a consultant.  But I came to a better understanding that I was not called to be successful, just obedient.  Somedays it is about showing up.

This statement reminds me that God’s plan doesn’t look like man’s plans.  As long as I am obedient, I am moving in the right direction. My obedience is success in God’s plan. You have to learn to listen to God and not all the people around you sending you in the wrong direction.

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Finally, this evening as I was standing in a hallway, I watched a little boy have a melt down while the adults around him didn’t know what to do. The adult in me said leave those people alone, I don’t have a dog in this hunt. But the Holy Spirit who is quite familiar with me, said you know what needs to happen.

So his father put the little boy down after I asked if we could pray.  After seven years as a children’s leader, you know how to listen for the Spirit speaking to you.  You see this morning the pastor taught us that we are all in a struggle and God is waiting to rescue us.  We just have to give Him our struggles.

I don’t know if the little one will understand what we prayed for, but I know that success was not my goal. It was being obedient to the Holy Spirit. The God I love gave me all of these expereinces that mean one thing on earth, but something different in heaven. This will be a year of letting the outcomes go.  You see He didn’t call me to be successful. He called me to be obedient.

1 Samuel 15:22

 

 

 

 

 

11, 12, 13 and 14 of my 17

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I attended some functions I have not attended in a while and others I had never attended before. Each experience was unique. So one of the things that make all of these special is that I do not like crowds.

11. I attended a comedy show with some of my favorite comedians. I love spending time with my sister and where ever we go, we laugh. And I learned why it had been almost a decade since I did that. The woman who sat next to me was very drunk and didn’t know who most of the comedians were.  And she was smoking.  Some of the comedians were funny, some were just angry.

 

12. I attended Congressman Marc Vessey’s townhall. I learned a lot about how government works, but the most profound thing I learned was that there were jobs available, but few people who wanted to learn the skill set to do the job. Congressman Vessey explained how there were blue collar jobs available but very few wanted to learn the skillset, so many of those jobs went to international workers who were willing to learn the new skill sets and make up to $100,000 a year because Americans turned them down. The room was packed, standing room only. But many of the folk wanted the government to give them something, they did not want to change how they did business, or move or learn something new. They wanted it the way it always was.

Life changes constantly. We can try to make someone or thing stay stagnant to please us.

 

13.  One of the best things I attended this year was Poets In Autumn. It is a Spoken Word Tour that uses a combination of live and recorded performances. I  loved seeing Jackie Hill Perry live!!! It was so encouraging and fun. I was introduced to this new form of performance and it rocked me. I am inspired!

9 Propel Women

14. This year a good friend invited me to Propel Women with Christine Caine, Beth Moore and Lisa Harper. It was a great blessing. I had never seen Christine Caine or Lisa Harper live.  I loved hearing Harper’s story of the adoption of her daughter. It was powerful. I enjoyed Christine Caine, but it was so great to see Beth Moore live.  It had been years since I seen her live.

 

This year I got to witness many talented people inform, entertain and inspire me. There were some great moments and not so great moments. But it was all a part of the adventure of life.Go live, learn and be inspired.

 

Peace and Hairgrease.

 

8, 9, and 10 of my 17

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Here are some more of the things I accomplished in 2017.

8. I learned to create digital art.  This was not easy nor did it come quickly. I changed colors, added images, deleted images and even created some from scratch. More importantly, I learned to look at it as digital art. I worked with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

What I learned here is that you have to create your own path and don’t get side tracked by what other people can do. Do you.

 

9. At first, I was intimidated at the thought of creating light photography.  And my first few experiments did not work out. But, when it did work out, I loved it. Learning to do this photography was a blast. I enjoyed the experimental aspect of of itand trying to get the light to do what I wanted it to do.

 

10. I learned to photography with an Alien Bees Flash Unit.  This flash creates a flash of light that separates a subject from the background making the image very crisp. But the real learning happened when the Alien Bee didn’t work, but I still needed to created portrait studio quality images.  I learned to manipulate the settings on the camera to give almost the same quality of image. It broadened what I could do photographically.

 

I learned a lot in 2017. It made me a better photog and gave me the opportunity to take some amazing photos.  I also added new depth to my art.  If there is something you are really good at, look for some ways, maybe even unconventional, to add depth to it.  It will allow you to look at the world around you with new eyes.

Peace and Hairgrease

Black Friday Sale

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For Black Friday, these books are on sale for $.99 or $1.99.  Read fun books about African American women living life to the fullest. There are novels and devotionals. Something for everyone. Check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Broadening My Vision

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Over the last 90 days I have expanded my view as an artist. I have learned how to do new things, but also strengthened my current skill set.

The funny thing is when I was making goals for this year, none of these new skills were even thought of.  That thought makes me truly excited about all of the things I will learn next year.

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I achieved about half of the goals I had for this year.  The truth is lots of things in my life changed, but it changed for the good.  I am always amazed at this time of year when I sit and review. I look at all that I have done and it floors me.  God is good.

It is very important to write down the things you want to accomplish.  That list will remind and encourage you to make those things happen.  It will also help you cut down on the distractions in your life.  Those are the things that come along and are good things to do, but they don’t really fall into plans for your life.  They distract you from accomplishing the plans God has for your life.

Make 2018 a year like no other in your life.

First, write down a list of things you want to accomplish in 2018.

Second, pray over that list everyday.

Third, keep that list in a prominent place. Maybe create a folder for it.  I keep a list of overall goals, but also one that has specialized goals, such as financial, spiritual, etc.

Fourth and Final, get out of your own way. Sometimes we don’t accomplish stuff because we get in our own way. We don’t believe we can do something.  We would much rather believe the negative things people say about us, rather than the beautiful things God tells us about ourselves every day.

God places desires in our hearts that He longs to accomplish through us. Believe Him. I am doing things I never dreamt I could do.  It is fun.  Trust God to take you on an adventure that will change your life.

 

 

Comfortable is Not Your Calling

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Do you find that in a day that is designed for 10 things, you do 20 because you are wonder woman or captain america? You are tired, but you can handle it. Let me just say that this is not your calling, One of the things you have to learn to say is NO.

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God will not call you to be so busy you don’t have time for this gift He has given you called life. I think we get so wrapped up in other people’s callings that we wear ourselves out trying to accomplish things that we were not meant to do. Learn to say no so some stuff that looks good so that you can get what is better.  One of the things I prayed for was a spirit of discernment. Lord, teach me what to do and when to do it.

Since I have let go of other people’s callings, God has taken me places I never would have imagined. I stopped trying to be what others wanted me to be. I began to embrace the things God called me to. I have found myself doing several things I never thought I could do.  In the next two weeks I will meet new challenges as an artist, as a photographer, as a writer and as a jesus follower. I am amused and scared at the same time.

 

One of my ahha moments this year was that God has a different idea of what success looks like that does not always match mine. Sometimes God just wants us to try some new stuff.  Some of us are so caught up in the same ol same ol that we won’t try anything new without a good reason. (I know from which I speak)

I have been on this journey with God for a while.  I have not looked up to Him and said “Lord, I’m bored.”  Kinda like a kid on an amusement park ride, there have been days I have asked to be taken off the crazy ride or to slow it down.  It is like when you start trying to teach your baby to walk.  Some of them find it scary because they fall and their legs are so unsure. Once they get used to it they appreciate the new ability.

God is the same way. There is so much He wants to teach us, but we get so scared we sit in the floor and say “I am not ever going to do that, it is too scary.” But God knows that once we trust Him and get the hang of it, we will love it.  He created us for it.

Over the next couple of weeks I have some amazing challenges before me.  There will be the tendency to sit in the floor and say “I can’t do that.” But I am going to put everything I got into it because success is not defined by me or determined by me.  I find my confidence in Christ because He called me to it.

Some Call It A Hard Rain

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while others might refer to it as a storm. A metaphor for struggles in life, we  all encounter them in our lives and have to decide how to deal with them. In this collection of short stories, Dancing During the Storm, each main character had to decide what they would do when their life turned upside down.

This book is available:

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Amazon

 

How to Raise God Wise Kids in a Satan rich World