Have you ever had one of those days where your best plans and ideas just seem to unravel right in front of you? The team you trained begins to act like they were never taught a thing. The people you work with or for seem to forget their own systems. Your partner breaks the flow of business that the two of you have enjoyed from day one. You thought you had your ducks in row but things have been changed. Somebody else created a BIG problem and now you are the one who must fix it. Does any of that sound like your situation? Moments like those make you feel like all your pre-efforts were a waste.

Well, despite what it looks like, those efforts have prepared you for the sometimes “drama” of business. You are just the person to rectify these wrongs and redirect your team, no matter who you are playing with. And even though Murphy (as in Murphy’s Law)seems to creep up behind you, you know just what to do. And the anger or the tears or the attitude is just your frustration, but you can control that, you can regroup, you can start over in your mind. As my Pastor says, “If I made it this far, I know I can make it from here.” When all else fails start over. Calm yourself down and start all over.

MizJAI . . . calming herself down, learning how to start over

It has been awhile. A full Christmas, an exciting New Year, and a world-wind of work brings us to the door of March, already. Unless it is a lazy summer with enough humidity to stop time, everything seems to move so fast.

Of course we can always use our super power called “free will” and calm things down for a minute. I am sitting in a little cafe in small town outside of Atlanta. Taking a moment to myself between meetings simply because there is a point where you can move past the place of clarity; and the only real solution is a quiet moment, a deep breath, and re-evaluation.

Yes, I still have this dream that beats strong in my chest . . . Is your dream still alive?

Yes, I still believe that this dream is important enough to capture the best of my attention . . .Is your dream still important to you?

Yes, the details and the repetition sometimes dulls my focus on the big picture, but I know that these dedicated actions will walk me to the door of my dream . . . Do your daily actions move you closer to your best desires?

Yes, I am willing to adjust myself and my efforts in order to get closer and become more of who I need to be in order to live what I see in my mind . . . Are you still willing to slow down long enough to
1. regroup for your next move,
2. reevaluate for future actions,
3. refresh your focus,
4. renew your spirit for the journey, and
5. rediscover why you started down this road in the first place?
Are you still on the move for your dream?

Your best desires are waiting for you to arrive.

MizJAI . . . remembering the dream
(behind the scenes: Gospel Nerve is preparing for a move, as well as some tweaks and updates. We finally have a logo and a “home of our own”. As you see the different changes taking place let me know what you think. Most of you prefer private emails and that works for me too. On the new site I am considering disabling comments, share your thoughts on this if you like . . .)

“I have these yesterdays that creep into my future. I try to walk in new dreams but I have this old pain that just gets in the way. I seek after new moments but it seems to be the old me when I get there. I’m looking for something new but it never seems to arrive.” Have you ever felt like that, as if you were slowly slipping away even though you try to hold on and wait for something to change. What if that something that needs to change is you instead of all the things around you?

Some people have a tendency to wait for someone to save them from their lives. It’s that woman again waiting for her knight in shining armor to ride in on his white horse and scoop her up from her boring, underfunded, overspending life. Waiting for him to love her in-spite of her broken heart. Waiting for him to complete her. It’s that man waiting to start his real life once he finds a wife. It’s that anxious need to be loved and yes rescued from lonely nights. It’s that need to find our answers outside of ourselves instead of within. God lives on the inside of the righteous and our answers are where He is. He’s in the Word and He reveals the truth about us. So let’s get real.

Have you ever been bored and overworked and thought that if you had a (new) mate all would be well? Well, before the singles get all anxious and the couples get to switching partners and start responding to that next person who pays attention to them, listen to what’s going on with you. If there was no mate, what would you do to get yourself out of your funk? What would you do to save yourself? How real are you willing to be with you?

Maybe your prince charming wants a woman who knows how to ride alongside him. And believe me, even a capable and whole woman will need to be rescued on a bad day. There is room for romance, but I’m just saying there is room for you to take full responsibility of your life, your joy, your finances, your future and your heart. Stop holding back and waiting before you start your life; write your book, release your album, launch your new business idea, or at least improve on you by learning or doing something new like horse back riding, painting, traveling, singing . . . like worship, Word and fellowship so that God can expose your weaknesses and your strengths and heal what’s broken. So that when you find that woman she finds a whole man to love.
Let’s get to the business of really living, there is an entire world out there that is big enough for your best dream. You just get yourself ready to walk it out.

MizJAI

Oh, this weekend I was overwhelmed with the battle between all of the things that I need (work) to do and the things that I want (rest, among other things) to do. They had something in common, they were all wearing me out. It is easy to slip into a mood when things are not flowing the way you would like. So, I put on some music. The question is, did I want that music to define my mood or redefine it?

Well, I didn’t do much planning. After moping through two of the songs on my playlist, Mary J Blige took over my speakers with Just Fine and I started to move and sway and dance and smile until the third time through the song. And it occurred to me that music shapes your atmosphere profoundly (we all knew this already, but do we use it like we should?). So, since I am in the middle of a transition in my life, I figure I better create a Keep Your Head Together Playlist, where the beats are tight and the words remind me of the dream. I encourage you to do the same, so that we can come over together.

First on my list is
Just Fine, song by Mary J Blige
Second is

Well, I’m still working on that and will keep you posted with updates. You be sure to create your own Keep Your Head Together playlist and feel free to share some of your songs here. We will build this list, even if we have to hunt down and write up the songs ourselves.

Just Keep Going . . .

-MizJAI-

Every morning, I wake up
to massage my spirit
with words that encourage my soul . . .

The ones who sow in tears shall reap in joy.
When our hearts desires finally come true
it will be like a dream! (Ps 126: 1-6)

Forget about what you’ve been through,
focus on where you are going
God is giving us a new thing
now it shall spring forth. (Isa 43: 18-19)

Don’t wait around for conditions to be perfect
if we do, we will never get started
step into your life now. (Eccl 11:4-6)

He is the Lord, our God,
He teaches us to profit
and leads us by the way that we should go (Isa 48: 17)

Give God something to bless (my dad)

We get beauty for ashes
the oil of joy for mourning
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness . . . and
in our land we shall possess double
for our trouble (Isa 61:3,7)

So, we are digging in, holding on,
and riding it out as if we expect to win.

-MizJAI-