I Can See Clearly Now

2 Samuel 23:4 And [he shall be] as the light of the morning, [when] the sun riseth, [even] a morning without clouds; [as] the tender grass [springing] out of the earth by clear shining after rain.

It is good to serve the Lord, I once heard Darlene Bishop say. And I wholeheartedly agree. He had given me a great deal to praise and bless Him for. He has rained down His blessings and also used the rain to increase my faith. His sun shines so brightly that it warms and brightens, yet it can sometimes burn if I am not careful.

On the heels of a fabulous Mother's Day Banquet, I took a vacations to attend my cousin's wedding in Atlanta, GA. This was my opportunity to celebrate and rejoice with those who are rejoicing, just as the Bible tells us to do. This was a celebration of family and life renewed. I am truly happy to see that the Lord has blessed them both with some very extraordinary people, who both have a heart for the Lord and love each other so much. This wedding was a wonderful addition to my vacation and it was so refreshing to take a break from my daily schedule and just put my feet up. I was expecting to be in "Hotlanta" but the weather was not so exciting.

This however was no ordinary trip. I have made some connections with voices that I had heard only on the phone and people with whom I had come to love and adore through our emails. I made some new friends and exchanged numbers because we are all now family, no matter how we happen to be related. I visited my cousin's church and it was very similar to my own. I could definitely feel the love in there and most of all I felt at home. I kept saying that this was one of the best vacations that I had ever taken.

Even though it rained two of the 6 days we were there, the Son was shining through the people that I met and the experiences I had. The cloudy feeling that was creeping over me had begun to dissipate. I could see all of the obstacles in my way. 1. being doubt and fear, 2. being me. Once I got past those two major hurdles, I was good.

Although this song may have been written secularly, the words are so appropriate to me. This song just randomly jumped in my head today but it fit for me. As the song says the when the son is shining we can see clearly. We are hopeful of what is ahead. Human nature teaches us that there is safety in the light, that is why we don't skip down dark alleys in the dead of night but stick to the lighted streets even when we are assured that there is a short cut. Any obstacles are seen before they are reached and we can deal with the pain if we fall because we can see the scars and deal with them. We even expect a rainbow at the end of the rain.

I appreciate the Son because it helps me to grow and right now I am soaking up every ray that falls upon me. I want to feel His warmth shining upon me and see the rays directing my path. I am glad that He listens to me in those out loud conversations that we have. And I am glad that He is the author and finisher of my faith because with that He adds His peace like fertilizer to help me grow even stronger.

I can see clearly now! Even though rain is needed to help me get the nutrients I need to grow, I sure enjoy the (Miracle Grow) that Jesus adds to my life. I enjoy basking in the Son because I know He is cultivating me and helping to purge those things in my life that will stunt my growth. It is just something about basking in the warmth of Him.

This vacation was more than a week of rest. It was a time of reflection, refreshing and revelation. I thank the Lord that this opportunity came not just for me but for a couple starting out together, a family who is so glad that we have them both, a community that is family and a city that is alive with possibilities even when it rains for two days straight.

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way.

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I’ve been praying for

It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.

Keep Walking,

MiVida es de Oro!

My Life is Golden!

Shoes by Jessica Bennett ~ Women's Heart

God is Faithful

This past Saturday was one of the best days of my life. I had a great time celebrating with my sisters. When we (my friends and I) decided that we would host such an event, we had no idea what the Lord had in mind. Although I had coined the phrase Faith With Heels, I still have not experienced every situation or been in every circumstance that others have had to deal with, yet I knew that my shoes were appropriate for me.

This weekend was filled with joy, laughter and excitement. Each woman that spoke, truly spoke from their heart and give sound wisdom to us all. Each woman that sang a song, sang from the depths of their soul to be a blessing to us all. Each woman that attended, did so because they wanted to celebrate with us and encourage us all.

As the day progressed, I began to realize that the Lord is truly faithful. Leading up to this event, I was unsure if we would have the funds to cover our expenses. Then people started calling saying they couldn't make it, etc, etc, etc. But God was showing me that He has all power in His hands and that I must stand still to see His salvation. Our team forged ahead and boy did the ladies show up.

We had over 100+ women in attendance. (Sorry, I don't have the exact number yet.) And after the bills were paid, we blessed New Beginnings Sanctuary with $500 for their organization. This is a donation coming from a group that had no money and started with no money.

Therefore, I want to thank everyone (yes, you) for their love, prayers, support, and guidance.

Here is my short list of named thanks you's:
The Lord who was on my side throughout this entire event.
The Ladies of Faith, my committee
The Sisters of Faith, my hostesses with the mostess
Pi Banquet Hall - Tony Gioutsos who supported and believed in us

My Aunt ~ Juanita Haley for the gorgeous cupcake give-a-ways

Pastor Joseph and Lady Portia Hewitt

All of the Vendors: SpiritedInfusions ~ Heidi Robinson, The Cake Fairy ~ Joan Wright, A Time to Heal ~ LaShawn Myers, Self-Discovery Workbook ~Benita Beckles, Easy Wear ~ Wanda Allen

All of the Donations: DeMocha ~ Spafetish, Affirmations by Crisette, JJPorr ~ Lady Portia, What's Possible ~ Daryn Kagan, DeShawn Snow Foundation

(Look under my favorite sponsors for links to their sites)

And all of our speakers: Each one with a testimony that is unique yet relatable.

• Laura Varon Brown - The Detroit Free Press
• Dr. Stacy Leatherwood-Cannon ~ Healthy Start 101
• Margaret Wilson ~ ACTS Impact
• Doria Hickman
• Sakeena Strickland
• LouAnne Stewart ~ Bible Motivated Women

I am so glad that we were able to share in this experience. Lord willing, We will be doing it again next year, same day/same place/same time. Mark your calendars now for Saturday, May 8, 2010 at the Pi Banquet Hall 28847 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI.

Thanks again to everyone who supported this event, venture and my vision. Couldn't do it without you.

Keep Walking,

MiVida

I Think I'll Use Knee-Mail

We live in a world where google and yahoo rule. A world where you must be connected to some source of social interaction to feel useful and vital. You cannot survive daily life without being: twittered, facebooked, or myspaced. You can use your IM to get information instantly and chat with your peeps. Your daily agenda has to include the thoughts of another via blogspot, wordpress or blogher to complete you. Passwords reign supreme and you have to remember all them to be linkedin or you'll get locked out. And heaven knows that no human is complete without an email address but we understand, so we will allow voicemail, if we have to.

With all of these things pulling on my time, I have neglected to take the moments, minutes or hours to log on and tap in. I have used my time unwisely in the past few months and crammed all of the refreshing into the time it takes to shower. I have used my shower time as my devotion to Him. As I drive, I mash a prayer (with reverence) between my tweets with my tweeps. "Really, there is no time" ~ is both a statement and question. It is the statement I make when I disregard my quality time with Him and the question He asks when I fail to stop and lay at His feet.

This week as I embark upon my mission from Him, I have found that it is impossible to blog Him, tweet Him or find Him on Facebook. He doesn't have a page on Myspace and He doesn't want to be Googled. He has no iPhone with multiple applications, because He is the I am He doesn't need it.

God is only accessible through KNEE-mail. I thank Him because there are no passwords to lock me out or keep me from reaching Him. He has unlimited memory to keep up on all my prayers (no matter how brief), tears and feelings. He can chat with me instantly and doesn't need twitter or facebook to know my status. He doesn't need to get a text, because He wrote all the Text by which I should live my life.

The best way to reach him is through the most valuable means of communication that we have. Knee-mail. He listens and answers. He has the most friends and makes the best connections. His status is always updated as He is always on line. The Lord is always logged on.

As I try to change the world, I had forgotten my password to the Lord because I hadn't used it in a while. It wasn't something I had to write down to remember, it is written in my heart. "Lord I need your help" always unlocks His ear. And because of all of the human connections I am making, I was forgetting that I needed to maintain the spiritual one. The stamina, passion and motivation that I need comes from logging on and talking with Him. The answers to prayers are found in the text that He has given.

This week I have been using more knee-mail than email. I have made space for Him and left myspace alone. I have sought His face and not facebook. I linked up with Him in my morning prayers and then took a shower. I tweeted a praise to Him. I Googled some scriptures and read them aloud. And most of all Jesus, This Blogs for you.

Keep Walking,

MiVida es De Oro!

My Life is Golden~

Shoes by Carlos Santana ~ Believe