Grits, Ketchup, and Hot Sauce A meal fit for a king-When Soul and Legacy Meets

 January 18, 2021, the family group text went out "hello family, dad was rushed to the hospital and the prognosis does not look good!" We all begin to pray. January 22, 2020, the family group text went out "hello family, it's with a sad heart I must report at 10:30 am Dad has taken his wings to heaven and has passed on to glory!" :( 

To everything there is a season so Ecclesiastes 3:2 "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." Ecclesiastes 3:20 "All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again." These two verses of scripture are more real to me to day than it has ever been. It's something when it happens to other people, but it's something ELSE when it happens to you.

Yes, my awesome father and dad has gone on to be with the Lord. But the craziest thing is this, I knew in my heart he wouldn't be with us much longer. I went home the weekend before dad went to the hospital to do some cleaning for mom. Mom is 83 and can't quit clean the way she used to. I enjoy cleaning so I do it for them. As I watched my dad walk slowly from his bedroom to the den I was saying to myself; it's not going to be long now. Dad told me that he was tired. When the seniors say they are tired, that means they are tired of suffering and they are ready to go on to heaven.

My mom prepared his breakfast, grits with hot sauce and ketchup, eggs and sausage. He sat at the head of his table like he always does and enjoyed his meal. While eating breakfast, he had a conference call with the church leadership. I listened to my dad as he spoke with the deacons and trustees at his church. Deacon Douglas asked him if he there was something he wanted to say. Of course my dad had something to say, he always does. This is what he said.

"I am sitting here at the head of my table, looking out the window. I'm not sure how many more days I'm gonna have like this, but I thank The good Lord for letting me sit at my table and I don't know how many more calls like this I'll be on. Now, I want you men to learn how to work together and be about our Father's business." That really stuck with me. Again, I knew it wouldn't be long before he would be gone.

As I prepared to go back home, my dad says this to me, "tell your husband I said thank you for letting you come and take care of me and your mom!" I was like okay dad... not really understanding why he would say that as I've come home many times to clean and run errands for them. But this time, there was something different in his voice. I kissed my dad, told him I loved him and he said the same. Two weeks later, he was gone. 

My daddy loved his grits with ketchup and hot sauce. LOL. AND so does all the children. We all put hot sauce and ketchup on our grits. I'm not sure why he did it, but if it was good enough for my daddy, then it's good enough for me. That meal is one of the many legacies my dad left with us. All eleven of us! 

One thing I know for sure, my dad along with all his ways will be a part of our lives forever. Live like it's your last day, love like you'll never have it again, forgive the way Christ forgives, and like in peace with all men.

Learn to enjoy the simple things in life, much like my dad...have your grits and eggs with some hot sauce and ketchup. 

Remember to Smile, Show up and Succeed Everyday

Find Peace Within,

Be Blessed, 

Ms. Lisa D. 

Uncle Frank - When Ma'ma Knows All

Why do you hate me so much? What have I done so terrible that would cause you to not want to be in my presence? What is it so hard for you to say my name or even acknowledge that I exist? 

Recently I watched the movie "Uncle Frank" on Amazon Prime. If you haven't seen the movie or don't have access to Amazon Prime, you should think about investing in it, even if it's just to watch this movie. I was curious about the movie "Uncle Frank", because it spoke of a relationship between an uncle and his niece. Uncle Frank was different than the rest of the family. He was smart, intelligent, quiet spirited, and a professor at a college in New York City. That alone, made him interesting to his niece, Beth. 

Uncle Frank encouraged Beth to do good in school which would be an opened door for her to attend any college she liked. And she did just that. So, Beth gets accepted at the New York University where her uncle teaches. But what she didn't know was that her favorite Uncle Frank was living a double life and so was his partner. 

You see, it wasn't popular to have an opened gay relationship during this time; which lead Uncle Frank to hide his true identity and his relationship. Not until the death of his father. While reading the will of Frank's father, the attorney read what Frank's father thought of him as a gay man. His father was ashamed of him and his lifestyle. His father caught him having an intimate moment with a boy when he was 16. His father, who was supposed to be a devout Christian. He told him he was to never see that boy again and that he and the boy were going to hell. That moment, was the beginning of Uncle Frank's arrested development. He hid his feeing for the same sex for years until he moved away to New York.

Uncle Frank was devastated and felt no one loved him any more. When Uncle Frank hears his mother call his name, the little boy Frank walks into the room and sits on the chair across from him mom. His mother begins to explain to him how his father was afraid of his lifestyle because he didn't know anything about it. In his father's world, that was not acceptable behavior. Frank goes and lays in his mother's lap, much like a child would whose in pain. Hi mommy told him that she loved him and spoke the most profound word, "Ma'ma's always knows!" That was the moment Uncle Frank was waiting for and needed. 

He needed to know he was still loved by his mother regardless. Many of us, like Uncle Frank, are hiding because of our lifestyle and the choices we've made. Many of us are ashamed of the decisions we've made and have created a story in our minds that the world will not accept me as I am. But, have we given the world a chance? Much like ma'am. They will still love you. 

My message today is this... even if you are scared of being who you are and standing in your truth...give the world a chance. and if the world rejects you.. that's okay too.. if they accept you, that's okay too. At least you're not lying nor are you hiding anymore.

When the truth is revealed, all fear and shame is gone.

• Remember to always be truthful in your truth
• Don't lie to yourself about how you think other people feel
• And remember, you're not alone. As my granny would say, "You're not the first and you want be the last."

Remember to Find Peace Within

Blessings to you,

Ms. Lisa 

Finding Peace WithiN S3 E52 -"Now That We've Found Love"... You Are Not ...

Write IT Seven Times - When Soul and Vision Meets

 I know many of us have read the scripture, "Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie, Though it tarries, wait for it. Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.- Habakkuk 2:2-3.

I've read this scripture I don't know how many times and have heard in church hundreds of times, BUT, I never paid attention to the number of times the word IT was used; until this morning. I read it twice and the word IT is used SEVEN times. Now, the number Seven is said to be God's complete number. The number of completion. God created the world in SEVEN days... He saw what he wanted and did it in SEVEN days.

Here's my charge to you today. Identify what it is you want, writ it out SEVEN times on your vision wall. If you don't have a vision wall and or board, get one. Remember when you were in trouble at school and you had to write on the board what you did, saying that you wouldn't do that IT again??? Well, now is your time to WRITE on the wall... but this time it want to say what you want do again, but to say what you will do again.

Keep your eyes on the wall and walk it out.

Remember to Smile Show Up Succeed Everyday. Find Peace WithiN

Be blessed,

Ms. Lisa

It Runs in the Family

 It's really interesting when you sit around the table with your family and see how everyone has their own makeup but still yet similar in many ways. I can testify to that. While home for Father's Day, my sisters and I were talking bout how we are all shaped differently. Two of my sisters are blessed to have nice size breast as the other four of us aren't. then there are four of us who are blessed to hve nice size hips and buttocks while the other two with breast don't. It was funny while we were talking about it because it's a reality in many families. what makes it that way? Well, it's that ting we call GENES. 

While genetics are a factor, believing you are destined to be overweight for life because you've inherited "fat genes" is the most dis-empowering and self-defeating attitude you could ever adopt. The only way you'll lose weight permanently is to accept total responsibility for yourself and acknowledge the fact that you have the power to change, regardless what mother nature has give you to work with. 

Weight loss drugs do not take the place of diet, exercise, patience and perseverance. You don't have to be a product of your environment or your heredity. But be a product of your own thinking and belief systems. So be positive, be consistent and get moving. 

The Choice is Yours

 How many of us have professed to be a Christian? Many of us, I'm sure. We try to be cautious of the things we say and do. We're careful in the way we treat people and interact with them. We make sure that the people we come in contact with knows that we're representing Christ. When night comes and it's time to lay down to rest, we pray and ask the Lord to forgive us for the sins of commission (the ones we know of) and the sins of omission (the ones we know not of). But how many of us look at unhealthy food as one of those things that could separate us from seeing the Kingdom of God? 

If eating 2 slices of chocolate cake was like back biting, would you eat it? If eating a whole pizza was like committing adultery, would you do it? If drinking a Starbucks Frappuccino (400 calories) was like murdering your best friend, would you drink it? I believe I've gen you enough examples to get my point across.

As funny as it may sound to compare unhealthy food to sin, it's such a realistic look at how we treat our bodies. If we are striving so hard to live a Godly life and make it to heaven, then why do we destroy the temple with the foods we allows to enter our bodies? The word of God says clearly that it is His desire that our souls prosper and that we be in Good Health, III John 1:2. You see, it is His desire that we have a good healthy lifestyle. Now, I know that eating unhealthy is not going to be a factor in us making it to heaven, but I do believe that it can be a factor in how fast we get there.

Don't let an unhealthy lifestyle separate you from having what our Father desires for you. He wants you healthy, rich, and her to enjoy life.

Remember to Smile, Show Up and Succeed Everyday

Be blessed,

Ms. Lisa D. :) 

I May Be Cut But I Still Have Life|When Soul and Death Meets

I was taking a walk on our neighborhood trail and came across this huge, beautiful tree that had fallen during a resent storm. Half of the tree was lying in the pond it once stood so gracefully beside and the other half laid on dry land. Severed in the middle so the path could be passable, the tree laid dormant and lifeless. I took a picture of the tree as I  wanted to see what would happen to the tree over time.

Two weeks later I walked the trail again and the tree was still lying there. Half in the pond and the other half on dry land. However, this time there were signs of leaves starting to grow on the part of the tree that was resting in the pond. I took another picture as I wanted to continue to see what would happen to the tree. The part of the tree that was on land had no apparent signs of life.

Two week later I walked the trail again and the tree was still lying there. Half in the pond and the other half on dry land. I thought for sure property management would have cut the entire tree to make if safe for their neighbors. But, no, the tree was still there. As I approached the tree, there was very visible signs of life on the tree that was lying in the pond. At that point I received a revelation. Even though this tree had fallen during a storm, cut in half and left to die, it found life on the other side. You see, the part of the tree that was connected to the pond still had life. The part that was lying on the ground did not.

The part of the tree that was lying in the water had a chance to live because it was connected to the life source...WATER. As time went on and the tree remained connected to the right source, signs of life began to be manifest. This is how our life works when we're connected to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. He is the water that will never run dry. He gives us life when life experiences cuts us off. When we look or feel like we're dying, His blood, (which is the lifeline to the body) gives life to our SOUL. Our spirits are made new again and we begin to live.

What's the lesson in this message? As long as the part of the tree that was lying in the pond stayed connected to the water, it survived. We are the same way. If we stay connected to the spiritual water source, which is Jesus Christ; we will be like the tree planted by the water, we will live as well.

Stay planted and live. :)

Remember to Smile, Show-up, Succeed Everyday
Find Peace WithiN

Be blessed,
Ms. Lisa D.  :)