Smiling Through The Tears

There is one plus that I think comes from reality shows. The ability to see yourself from a different view. I sometimes watch reality shows and judge the women as IF I myself don't act like that at times. I am realizing (humble pie time) that I have some of the same issues as the women on these shows, I just don't have cameras following me around recording me :-).  Seriously, I wish that I could have a tape that I could play back and actually SEE myself in different situations. I am finding that how the situation went in my head is not always how it actually went. We as society judge these women but really are they that much different than we are. I mean, I may not cuss and fight but the core of what is causing them to act out is emotion, self preservation, love, passion, fear, anger, and at some point I feel all of those things.

At my church my husband (Pastor John Davis) is in the middle of a series of teachings called "The Lie" and "Possessing The Land" that are causing me to realize some tough things about myself. The biggest being I am to alive to what I think, and what I want. I am to attached to MY perspective and perspectives that differ from mine I consider WRONG. I see the world as black and white, right and wrong. What is wrong with that is many times what is black and white, right and wrong are often times SUBJECTIVE. That is what lead me to box people in. I am in a good place right now. I am loving this teaching because it's causing me to see ME. That is what spawned the "yes month". I cried alot today, but now I am smiling through the tears. Sometimes you have to face tough things about yourself and eat alot of humble pie, but it's all for your good. What is even better is I recently realized these things about myself but GOD has known all along and loved me no less. My husband, family and friends have known too and loved me no less. For that I am eternally grateful ;-) THANK GOD FOR GRACE!

For more info on our church or to hear some of the teachings that are making such a difference in my life, visit http://www.totalvictoryexperience.com/ or check out our youtube channel, The TotalVictoryExperience.

There is one plus that I think comes from reality shows. The ability to see yourself from a different view. I sometimes watch reality shows and judge the women as IF I myself don't act like that at times. I am realizing (humble pie time) that I have some of the same issues as the women on these shows, I just don't have cameras following me around recording me :-).  Seriously, I wish that I could have a tape that I could play back and actually SEE myself in different situations. I am finding that how the situation went in my head is not always how it actually went. We as society judge these women but really are they that much different than we are. I mean, I may not cuss and fight but the core of what is causing them to act out is emotion, self preservation, love, passion, fear, anger, and at some point I feel all of those things.

At my church my husband (Pastor John Davis) is in the middle of a series of teachings called "The Lie" and "Possessing The Land" that are causing me to realize some tough things about myself. The biggest being I am to alive to what I think, and what I want. I am to attached to MY perspective and perspectives that differ from mine I consider WRONG. I see the world as black and white, right and wrong. What is wrong with that is many times what is black and white, right and wrong are often times SUBJECTIVE. That is what lead me to box people in. I am in a good place right now. I am loving this teaching because it's causing me to see ME. That is what spawned the "yes month". I cried alot today, but now I am smiling through the tears. Sometimes you have to face tough things about yourself and eat alot of humble pie, but it's all for your good. What is even better is I recently realized these things about myself but GOD has known all along and loved me no less. My husband, family and friends have known too and loved me no less. For that I am eternally grateful ;-) THANK GOD FOR GRACE!

For more info on our church or to hear some of the teachings that are making such a difference in my life, visit http://www.totalvictoryexperience.com/ or check out our youtube channel, The TotalVictoryExperience.

Experience #1 of Just Say Yes :-)

Yesterday I had the first experience of what I call "Just Say Yes Month". I blogged about it in an earlier blog so refer to the blog entitled "Just Say Yes". My son asked if we could go to the movies as a family. Normally I don't do kid movies. I find them boring and I don't enjoy them SO I never took them to the movies. I let their grandmother and God- Mother take them, but my son told me he wanted to see Kung Fu Panda and a friend of the family offered to take him and my daughter, but he asked if we could go as a family and I said ......YES! So we went to the movies and saw it in 3D. It was actually good. I really allowed myself to get into it and enjoy it and I have to tell you seeing a big fat Panda do Kung FU, and do it well might I add, was kind of cool. I even laughed at some of the jokes. So I was not disappointed in the movie but the biggest joy and best part of the experience was seeing my kids. My daughter sat next to my husband and My son sat next to me. They were so happy to have both parents at a movie with them. They really enjoyed it and therefore I really enjoyed it. So my days of saying no to all kid movies are over. My kids are 7 and 8 and I have only gone to 1 movie with them. THEY have gone to lots of movies but not with me. So day 2 of the "JUST SAY YES" experiment was a complete success. :)

Yesterday I had the first experience of what I call "Just Say Yes Month". I blogged about it in an earlier blog so refer to the blog entitled "Just Say Yes". My son asked if we could go to the movies as a family. Normally I don't do kid movies. I find them boring and I don't enjoy them SO I never took them to the movies. I let their grandmother and God- Mother take them, but my son told me he wanted to see Kung Fu Panda and a friend of the family offered to take him and my daughter, but he asked if we could go as a family and I said ......YES! So we went to the movies and saw it in 3D. It was actually good. I really allowed myself to get into it and enjoy it and I have to tell you seeing a big fat Panda do Kung FU, and do it well might I add, was kind of cool. I even laughed at some of the jokes. So I was not disappointed in the movie but the biggest joy and best part of the experience was seeing my kids. My daughter sat next to my husband and My son sat next to me. They were so happy to have both parents at a movie with them. They really enjoyed it and therefore I really enjoyed it. So my days of saying no to all kid movies are over. My kids are 7 and 8 and I have only gone to 1 movie with them. THEY have gone to lots of movies but not with me. So day 2 of the "JUST SAY YES" experiment was a complete success. :)

JUST SAY YES!

Well, I decided to borrow the idea from the Movie "Yes Man" and say YES to everything for a month. I say no to so many things and close myself off from a lot of different experiences, not sure why, no real reason. I guess you get so set in life and routine that you get STUCK there, but I want to shake things up a bit and see where it takes me. I used to be a very rigid person, rigid and set in my ways; and if you didn't fit into my box then you were not on my radar. Thank God for Grace. Since learning about GRACE I find that I am not as judgemental and close minded as I used to be. The world is a big place with so many different people and everyone has a story. Who am I to judge and discredit people because they don't fit into my box. So for the next month I plan to JUST SAY YES. If a friend ask me to go to a Thai restaurant my answer will be yes, if the kids ask to come play kickball as opposed to doing another load of laundry yes, try a new genre of movies, yes...I may even go see Thor with my husband and son instead of the next romance flick. You get the point, my plan is to say yes to everything especially things that I would normally say no to and see where it takes me. :-) I will definitely blog about it so stay tuned.
ILUVMESUMU,

Foreverforgiven1 

Well, I decided to borrow the idea from the Movie "Yes Man" and say YES to everything for a month. I say no to so many things and close myself off from a lot of different experiences, not sure why, no real reason. I guess you get so set in life and routine that you get STUCK there, but I want to shake things up a bit and see where it takes me. I used to be a very rigid person, rigid and set in my ways; and if you didn't fit into my box then you were not on my radar. Thank God for Grace. Since learning about GRACE I find that I am not as judgemental and close minded as I used to be. The world is a big place with so many different people and everyone has a story. Who am I to judge and discredit people because they don't fit into my box. So for the next month I plan to JUST SAY YES. If a friend ask me to go to a Thai restaurant my answer will be yes, if the kids ask to come play kickball as opposed to doing another load of laundry yes, try a new genre of movies, yes...I may even go see Thor with my husband and son instead of the next romance flick. You get the point, my plan is to say yes to everything especially things that I would normally say no to and see where it takes me. :-) I will definitely blog about it so stay tuned.
ILUVMESUMU,

Foreverforgiven1 

Are ALL women catty?

Yes ladies I am going there..... because as women we have this stereotype that follows us that we are all catty. I hear far to often when talking to women about friendships and their lack thereof what I call the famous line of women..."I don't have female friends because women are catty or women keep up to much mess" The thought that always comes to my mind is....aren't YOU a woman so does that mean you are catty and keep up mess? It's funny how we are classic for pointing the finger at others but unwilling to see the part that WE play in why women have such difficult times getting along. I believe the problem is that as women we are emotional and to often lead by what we feel. When led by feelings the focus is always on SELF.

One of the things I have learned when issues come up between me and another woman is....try and see the situation through her eyes. Forgiveness flows where there is understanding. This may sound simple but it makes a huge difference. This small gesture is a natural buffer against you and OFFENSE. It defuses situations naturally. A lot of the things that women argue over are easily fixable if we would try and see the situation through her eyes. Seeing it through her eyes detaches you from how you feel, gets the focus off of you, and allows you to see the full picture. As women we are very in touch with our feelings and how things make us feel, and many times our feelings will become our reality. They AREN'T reality but they are OUR reality. What we have to remember is emotions aren't fact they are just feelings trying to get you to move in a certain direction . Just because it FEELS real doesn't necessarily make it so. Pausing to see the situation through the other person's eyes helps you weed through the emotions of the situation and get to the root of what's really going on; taking account of both people's perspectives.


MANY of the catty arguments and fall outs we have with women on our job, in our churches, and other areas of our lives are small and EASILY fixable. The reason men don't argue and bicker like women is because they don't internalize everything emotionally. Only thinking about yourself in a situation and how YOU feel is why women have such a hard time getting along. We are to touchy and easily offended. That's why we have so many little issues that become mountains. I say this all the time, a "NENE" type personality works on TV but in real life, all that drama is toxic.

Smooches Lovely People :-),
Foreverforgiven1

Yes ladies I am going there..... because as women we have this stereotype that follows us that we are all catty. I hear far to often when talking to women about friendships and their lack thereof what I call the famous line of women..."I don't have female friends because women are catty or women keep up to much mess" The thought that always comes to my mind is....aren't YOU a woman so does that mean you are catty and keep up mess? It's funny how we are classic for pointing the finger at others but unwilling to see the part that WE play in why women have such difficult times getting along. I believe the problem is that as women we are emotional and to often lead by what we feel. When led by feelings the focus is always on SELF.

One of the things I have learned when issues come up between me and another woman is....try and see the situation through her eyes. Forgiveness flows where there is understanding. This may sound simple but it makes a huge difference. This small gesture is a natural buffer against you and OFFENSE. It defuses situations naturally. A lot of the things that women argue over are easily fixable if we would try and see the situation through her eyes. Seeing it through her eyes detaches you from how you feel, gets the focus off of you, and allows you to see the full picture. As women we are very in touch with our feelings and how things make us feel, and many times our feelings will become our reality. They AREN'T reality but they are OUR reality. What we have to remember is emotions aren't fact they are just feelings trying to get you to move in a certain direction . Just because it FEELS real doesn't necessarily make it so. Pausing to see the situation through the other person's eyes helps you weed through the emotions of the situation and get to the root of what's really going on; taking account of both people's perspectives.


MANY of the catty arguments and fall outs we have with women on our job, in our churches, and other areas of our lives are small and EASILY fixable. The reason men don't argue and bicker like women is because they don't internalize everything emotionally. Only thinking about yourself in a situation and how YOU feel is why women have such a hard time getting along. We are to touchy and easily offended. That's why we have so many little issues that become mountains. I say this all the time, a "NENE" type personality works on TV but in real life, all that drama is toxic.

Smooches Lovely People :-),
Foreverforgiven1

When You Assume you make an ....out of You and Me :-)

There is a saying "when you ASSUME you make an .... out of U and ME. It is a play on words but actually very true. When I started this blog I said my purpose was to allow others access into the things God has taught me as I am on the Journey of Life in Christ. One of the things that I have learned that I think would really help women is NOT to assume. I have found in my own personal life that it is best not to assume what a person feels, or why they feel a certain way, or to supply the why behind a person's action. There are 2 things wrong with assuming.

One, when you assume you always assume based on YOUR thoughts and how YOU would act. The problem with this train of thought is everyone is not like you. This is a lesson that I have learned and realized about myself through a dear friend of mine. He helped me to see that everyone doesn't fit in my little box. The world is a big place with all different kinds of people and I can't assume everyone thinks like me or would handle a situation how I would. Here is another BIG lesson I have learned....I also can't JUDGE or get upset with a person because they don't handle something how I think they should.

The second thing wrong with assuming is..... it places a judgement on a person and we aren't God so we only see in part. When we assume we ascribe a MOTIVE to someones actions and we really don't know a person's heart. We can't judge a person based on what WE perceive. They have a whole life outside of us and there are so many other reasons why they could have said what they said or done what they did that actually DON'T involve us.

Listen, here is what I know about the devil. He loves to keep strife and division among the brethren. He loves to see you fighting with your family members, church members, co-workers, people you know. He loves division and disorder, and a person's mind who assumes things is a playground for the enemy. I don't live my life like that. It is to stressful. I can't live wondering where my husband is, assuming he is doing this or that because he walked out the room to have a telephone conversation; or assuming this person was talking about me because of a post on Face Book, or even assuming I know WHY someone posted what they posted. Assuming this group of people doesn't like me because when I walked in the room they stopped talking. Assuming the Pastor is preaching on me because he said something in the message that hit home in my life. People that is exhausting and draining and it makes for a very unhappy life.

So what has God taught me? To go to the source. I am not saying ignore everything because that is not wise but I am saying before you allow your mind to run wild with assumptions just GO to the person and ask. Give people the benefit of the doubt. It is always better to just go to a person and ask. Ladies especially with men. Assuming is a HUGE pet peeve of men. When you treat them like you are the judge and jury without giving them a chance to explain. Trust me on this learning this will keep down so many arguments in your relationship. Give them an opportunity to explain before you jump the gun in your thinking. You will have a lot more peace if you learn this lesson. GIVE PEOPLE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

Isn't that an attribute of love anyway?   LOVE ......thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1Cor 13:5-7 (emphasis added)
Love BELIEVES the BEST about people. We shouldn't always assume the worst about people. It's not fair to them. Adapting these priciples won't keep you from ever experienceing strife with people BUT it will keep strife out of YOUR heart and mind. You are only responsible for you and you don't want to live like that.

Smooches lovely people,
Foreverforgiven1
http://www.totalvictoryexperience.com/

There is a saying "when you ASSUME you make an .... out of U and ME. It is a play on words but actually very true. When I started this blog I said my purpose was to allow others access into the things God has taught me as I am on the Journey of Life in Christ. One of the things that I have learned that I think would really help women is NOT to assume. I have found in my own personal life that it is best not to assume what a person feels, or why they feel a certain way, or to supply the why behind a person's action. There are 2 things wrong with assuming.

One, when you assume you always assume based on YOUR thoughts and how YOU would act. The problem with this train of thought is everyone is not like you. This is a lesson that I have learned and realized about myself through a dear friend of mine. He helped me to see that everyone doesn't fit in my little box. The world is a big place with all different kinds of people and I can't assume everyone thinks like me or would handle a situation how I would. Here is another BIG lesson I have learned....I also can't JUDGE or get upset with a person because they don't handle something how I think they should.

The second thing wrong with assuming is..... it places a judgement on a person and we aren't God so we only see in part. When we assume we ascribe a MOTIVE to someones actions and we really don't know a person's heart. We can't judge a person based on what WE perceive. They have a whole life outside of us and there are so many other reasons why they could have said what they said or done what they did that actually DON'T involve us.

Listen, here is what I know about the devil. He loves to keep strife and division among the brethren. He loves to see you fighting with your family members, church members, co-workers, people you know. He loves division and disorder, and a person's mind who assumes things is a playground for the enemy. I don't live my life like that. It is to stressful. I can't live wondering where my husband is, assuming he is doing this or that because he walked out the room to have a telephone conversation; or assuming this person was talking about me because of a post on Face Book, or even assuming I know WHY someone posted what they posted. Assuming this group of people doesn't like me because when I walked in the room they stopped talking. Assuming the Pastor is preaching on me because he said something in the message that hit home in my life. People that is exhausting and draining and it makes for a very unhappy life.

So what has God taught me? To go to the source. I am not saying ignore everything because that is not wise but I am saying before you allow your mind to run wild with assumptions just GO to the person and ask. Give people the benefit of the doubt. It is always better to just go to a person and ask. Ladies especially with men. Assuming is a HUGE pet peeve of men. When you treat them like you are the judge and jury without giving them a chance to explain. Trust me on this learning this will keep down so many arguments in your relationship. Give them an opportunity to explain before you jump the gun in your thinking. You will have a lot more peace if you learn this lesson. GIVE PEOPLE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.

Isn't that an attribute of love anyway?   LOVE ......thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1Cor 13:5-7 (emphasis added)
Love BELIEVES the BEST about people. We shouldn't always assume the worst about people. It's not fair to them. Adapting these priciples won't keep you from ever experienceing strife with people BUT it will keep strife out of YOUR heart and mind. You are only responsible for you and you don't want to live like that.

Smooches lovely people,
Foreverforgiven1
http://www.totalvictoryexperience.com/

To Friend or Not To Friend That is the Question!

To Friend or Not to friend.......That is the Question. I have been doing a lot of thinking about friendship and friends. Probably because of where I am on my Journey of Life in Christ. I have experienced some people who I considered to be friends who actually turned out to not really be friends at all. One person I was wasn't surprised by the outcome of the relationship but a few I was really surprised and affected by the outcome. I think friendship and trust go hand in hand. You automatically trust that a friend or TRUE FRIEND has your best interest at heart and so your naturally TRUST your friends.

Anytime you trust someone you risk the possibility of getting hurt because trust requires that you let down your guard. It requires a level of vulnerability. Opening yourself up and being vulnerable is risky because it exposes you to the possibility of hurt. The sad thing about hurt is that once you have been hurt most people build a wall that grows every time they are hurt again. So by the time you look up, you could be living in this prison of hurt, and fear of being hurt that cuts you off from others. I have never wanted that to be me. I still don't want that to be me, even after being deeply hurt by a person I considered to be a true friend, I don't want to shut myself off from people. I want to remain open and unguarded, not build walls especially with those that I consider to be friends. Which is why I don't just call everyone a friend. I have many people that I talk to and many people that I am friendly with, many associates, but to get the title of FRIEND from me is a special thing.

So after this recent turn of events I am left with a choice. What am I going to do? Am I going to build up a wall and close myself off from people. Am I going to become mistrusting of all women and adopt the attitude of so many women. One that says "I don't like women they are to catty"? I am at a cross roads right now because I am TEMPTED to become guarded and not trusting and honestly I DON'T want to be like that. Being like that shuts you off from what I think is one of the greatest joys in life. Companionship...friendship. There are so many pros that come with a friend. Having someone to talk to, having someone who will love you good and bad, flaws and all. Having someone to depend on, to laugh with, hang out with, do the things you enjoy doing in life, like go dancing or see a movie or just chatting. People who will be there with you at every stage in life. To ME that is priceless. So I CHOOSE not to shut my self off from the possibility of that, because I have found that like all things when dealing with people.....people are people and they will make mistakes just as I will make mistakes. You have to be forgiving and forbearing but the PLUS of that to me far outweighs the risk.

This not only applies in friendships, but also in marriages and relationships, and family....all of the above. So I choose to remain open. :-) And in the meantime I am so appreciative of my BEST friend.....JESUS and my husband because he is a great friend. We have been through so much TOGETHER and he loves me anyway :-).

Enjoy your day and CHOOSE to stay open. :-)

foreverforgiven1
http://www.totalvictoryexperience.org/

To Friend or Not to friend.......That is the Question. I have been doing a lot of thinking about friendship and friends. Probably because of where I am on my Journey of Life in Christ. I have experienced some people who I considered to be friends who actually turned out to not really be friends at all. One person I was wasn't surprised by the outcome of the relationship but a few I was really surprised and affected by the outcome. I think friendship and trust go hand in hand. You automatically trust that a friend or TRUE FRIEND has your best interest at heart and so your naturally TRUST your friends.

Anytime you trust someone you risk the possibility of getting hurt because trust requires that you let down your guard. It requires a level of vulnerability. Opening yourself up and being vulnerable is risky because it exposes you to the possibility of hurt. The sad thing about hurt is that once you have been hurt most people build a wall that grows every time they are hurt again. So by the time you look up, you could be living in this prison of hurt, and fear of being hurt that cuts you off from others. I have never wanted that to be me. I still don't want that to be me, even after being deeply hurt by a person I considered to be a true friend, I don't want to shut myself off from people. I want to remain open and unguarded, not build walls especially with those that I consider to be friends. Which is why I don't just call everyone a friend. I have many people that I talk to and many people that I am friendly with, many associates, but to get the title of FRIEND from me is a special thing.

So after this recent turn of events I am left with a choice. What am I going to do? Am I going to build up a wall and close myself off from people. Am I going to become mistrusting of all women and adopt the attitude of so many women. One that says "I don't like women they are to catty"? I am at a cross roads right now because I am TEMPTED to become guarded and not trusting and honestly I DON'T want to be like that. Being like that shuts you off from what I think is one of the greatest joys in life. Companionship...friendship. There are so many pros that come with a friend. Having someone to talk to, having someone who will love you good and bad, flaws and all. Having someone to depend on, to laugh with, hang out with, do the things you enjoy doing in life, like go dancing or see a movie or just chatting. People who will be there with you at every stage in life. To ME that is priceless. So I CHOOSE not to shut my self off from the possibility of that, because I have found that like all things when dealing with people.....people are people and they will make mistakes just as I will make mistakes. You have to be forgiving and forbearing but the PLUS of that to me far outweighs the risk.

This not only applies in friendships, but also in marriages and relationships, and family....all of the above. So I choose to remain open. :-) And in the meantime I am so appreciative of my BEST friend.....JESUS and my husband because he is a great friend. We have been through so much TOGETHER and he loves me anyway :-).

Enjoy your day and CHOOSE to stay open. :-)

foreverforgiven1
http://www.totalvictoryexperience.org/

The Secret to a Happy Life

HEY everyone. So it has been a while since my last post. A lot has gone on between now and the last blog, BUT as I like to say I AM GOOD, ALL is well.  We are experiencing some tough times as a nation. There are a lot of people out of work and those who are working most of them feel like they never have enough to do what they need to do nor what they would like to do. My husband and I are not immune to the state of the world right now. You know I think that some people think that because I don't complain and don't walk around talking about my problems all the time that I don't have any. That is far from the truth. My husband and I we have issues that arise in our lives. We have things that come up in our finances, in the church with members, in our marriage, with our loved ones. We have problems, it's just I have LEARNED to be content. I have learned to be appreciative for what I have and the good that God is doing in my life. That is a simple truth but such a LIFE CHANGING one.

 I was thinking today about grace, and honestly grace hasn't changed my financial picture. We still have times where we are short and don't have enough, where we don't know how something is going to get paid. That used to happen prior to me knowing about grace. So I can't say grace changed that......but what I can say is grace changed ME. I am different now when I experience times like that. I am not saying that I don't have times where I feel over whelmed BUT they don't last long. I have learned how to not worry and keep living and enjoying life in spite of my challenges. That makes such a difference in my life. We can't do anything about situations by worrying. It doesn't help or change anything. All it does is make us sick and look older :-). Stress brings on all kinds of sickness and truthfully we have a lot that we can stress over. Everybody has some problem or issue that can cause them to worry and live in fear. We all have problems, we all have cares. Life is hard sometimes and it will zap and drain all your joy if you let it. It has a way of knocking you down BUT through it all GOD IS ALWAYS THERE.....and it is so important that you realize that. He is ALWAYS doing something in your life. If you examine your life you have plenty to be thankful for.

That is what contentment is........ being grateful and satisfied with what you have. Taking the time to ENJOY what you have. So many of us let what we don't have stop us from enjoying what we DO have....and that is a miserable way to live.   Focusing on the bad in everything will cause you to be depressed and angry all the time........ AND it doesn't change ANYTHING.  God will still keep you but you will be one miserable kept person. That is no way to live. That isn't living at all. It is better to allow God to keep you and you enjoy the ride along the way.  The secret to a happy life is taking the time to be CONTENT.....satisfied and grateful for what you have. Paul had to learn this meaning it doesn't come naturally but as you get in the habit of doing it, it will become second nature and you will look up and find that your days of fear and worry have been replaced by days of peace and joy. ILUVMESUMU!!!!!!! Be blessed :-)
Eboni
http://www.thetotalvictoryexperience.com/

HEY everyone. So it has been a while since my last post. A lot has gone on between now and the last blog, BUT as I like to say I AM GOOD, ALL is well.  We are experiencing some tough times as a nation. There are a lot of people out of work and those who are working most of them feel like they never have enough to do what they need to do nor what they would like to do. My husband and I are not immune to the state of the world right now. You know I think that some people think that because I don't complain and don't walk around talking about my problems all the time that I don't have any. That is far from the truth. My husband and I we have issues that arise in our lives. We have things that come up in our finances, in the church with members, in our marriage, with our loved ones. We have problems, it's just I have LEARNED to be content. I have learned to be appreciative for what I have and the good that God is doing in my life. That is a simple truth but such a LIFE CHANGING one.

 I was thinking today about grace, and honestly grace hasn't changed my financial picture. We still have times where we are short and don't have enough, where we don't know how something is going to get paid. That used to happen prior to me knowing about grace. So I can't say grace changed that......but what I can say is grace changed ME. I am different now when I experience times like that. I am not saying that I don't have times where I feel over whelmed BUT they don't last long. I have learned how to not worry and keep living and enjoying life in spite of my challenges. That makes such a difference in my life. We can't do anything about situations by worrying. It doesn't help or change anything. All it does is make us sick and look older :-). Stress brings on all kinds of sickness and truthfully we have a lot that we can stress over. Everybody has some problem or issue that can cause them to worry and live in fear. We all have problems, we all have cares. Life is hard sometimes and it will zap and drain all your joy if you let it. It has a way of knocking you down BUT through it all GOD IS ALWAYS THERE.....and it is so important that you realize that. He is ALWAYS doing something in your life. If you examine your life you have plenty to be thankful for.

That is what contentment is........ being grateful and satisfied with what you have. Taking the time to ENJOY what you have. So many of us let what we don't have stop us from enjoying what we DO have....and that is a miserable way to live.   Focusing on the bad in everything will cause you to be depressed and angry all the time........ AND it doesn't change ANYTHING.  God will still keep you but you will be one miserable kept person. That is no way to live. That isn't living at all. It is better to allow God to keep you and you enjoy the ride along the way.  The secret to a happy life is taking the time to be CONTENT.....satisfied and grateful for what you have. Paul had to learn this meaning it doesn't come naturally but as you get in the habit of doing it, it will become second nature and you will look up and find that your days of fear and worry have been replaced by days of peace and joy. ILUVMESUMU!!!!!!! Be blessed :-)
Eboni
http://www.thetotalvictoryexperience.com/