Juggling life

There is so much going on but yet it seems that nothing is happening. Have you ever had that feeling? It is the staple feeling of the over-multi-tasker. Clearly that is not a word/term/phrase but we know that these people exist.


I know that things are progressing but oh, isn't there something so liberating, so affirming in the check mark. You know what I mean, whether it is a mental, electronic or a hand-written list...there is nothing like saying "check"!

So what am I working on?

• Trying to get It's Girl Time business license (more about this soon)
• Finishing some transcription analysis (research for school)
• Attempting to complete an outline for my dissertation (woohoo- final project for PhD)
• Early stages of planning a party (1st official client for Girl Time)
• Finding a house to lease in Nassau*
• Finding an apartment to rent in Canada*

*While these last two are not at the forefront of my activities, these are major decisions that I am in the midst of negotiating/pursuing, even from a distance. Side note: I feel horrible that I'm here in Nassau and needing to find a new apt in Canada, which is most urgent, since I'm homeless after August 31. The worse is that I won't even be back in Canada before this time. This means I'm trusting someone else to not only secure the place but move all my stuff. Talk about nerve wracking huh? As a testimony of my own growth, I am not at all freaked out. God has blessed me with an awesome roomate so is taking the lead with this stuff and although I honestly really have no control over what happens between now and September 4th when I arrive in Canada, I trust that all is well. [sorry about that very long side note].

Going back to the list, I should add that I've got another paper that needs my attention for a first complete draft (no deadline but it is hanging over my head like a dark cloud), and I would love to finish, or at least read another couple chapters from the Michael Hyatt book that I shared from a couple weeks ago.

wooh! Writing all that out was a task...who knew all that was going on?!?!

 I'm happy, that in the midst of juggling those balls [+ hubby time, me time, family time, church time, God time (in no particular order)], I'm still not overwhelmed.  When it gets overwhelming, I usually have to stop, drop and prioritize. That is, simply pick the most important or the one with the closest deadline and work on that first. However, it's never quite that easy. I seriously lothe that feeling of overwhelmed. I guess because I'm a multi-tasker by nature, when I get overwhelmed...I get OVERWHELMED. It's dramatic. It's a big deal. It is a time waster...you know, trying to get all the emotions calmed and thoughts sorted out. :sigh:

So in an effort to not get overwhelmed, I've decided to minimize my activities today to two things:

The first of which is finishing the transcriptions, which are due tomorrow and then finishing the proposal for the first Girl Time client. There are still some holes and this need to be provided to the parent by Thursday at the latest.

I don't always get it right (or remember) but I try to consciously invite the Holy Spirit into the activities of my day for that is where true purpose comes in. I don't want to miss divine appointments...you know those opportunities where in the midst of the regular, I can be used...for a word of encouragement, message of hope, opportunity to share, praying for someone....whatever and however.  I'm looking forward to a productive and purpose-filled day for myself today!

What's on your agenda for today? Are you a mult-tasker like I am, or are you a step-by-step, do one thing at a time organizer? Whichever category you fall in, I declare that today is a productive and purpose-filled day. 

Grace peace and love,

Gia

Disappointment

Disappointment. It is an unfortunate life occurence that we cannot escape. Although, I guess some would say that you can avoid being disappointing by not having any expectations. I know that was my position for a little while (maybe longer than a "little while"). In any event, I realized that it was not a healthy way to live, for a number of reasons, the main one being that I missed out on living by trying to insulate myself from imperfect situations and subsequent bad feelings. As a friend once pointed out (paraphrased), "how can I truly enjoy happiness if I don't know what sadness feels like; life is a roller coaster, enjoy the ride."

I decided to write about disappointment today because that is what I experienced just now. I came here to click "post" to share with you a great Lessons from Ari post, only to find the post empty. I spent probably 45 minutes writing and researching that particular update and if I do say so myself it was really good. I know some of you may be like, that's nothing to cry about (and it really isn't) but the fact of the matter is, I really do feel sad/disappointed that it is lost. I invested time and energy into the development of that writing and I was proud of my work. To make matters worst, I signed into my online banking, as I was expecting some money, only to find the account still reflecting the mere 2-digit balance. womp womp. This realization occured less than 5 minutes after the blank blog post revelation. :insert deep sigh here:

So you can imagine, my next set of thoughts were that today is going to suck. The funny thing about our mind is that the minute it is focused on a particular type of thought, the more likely it is to bring to our memory other similar thoughts. For example, as I sat, for less than 5 minutes mulling over this missing post and trying to decide what I wanted to do about it, and the fact that I do not have money that I was really counting on, I then remembered another disappointment that I experienced this morning. You see, I was up bright and early and had already made plans to get breakfast from a particular place, however due to a last minute change in events, I wasn't able to get breakfast (and I've already shared how I feel about food ;) ).  And I was soooooo looking forward to this particular Bahamian treat. Then I remembered that yesterday I was having some challenges and woke up this morning with a new plan to address this challenge, only to have that new plan knocked down. You can see where this is going right? Had I not been careful, what is a beautiful day that the Lord has made, could have easily, very quickly turned into a  I-wanna-crawl-back-under-the-covers day. Instead of singing a praise, I'd soon be singing the song of gloom and doom.

BUT (and it is a big but), I am in control of my thought life. I recognize that despite the couple disappointments, the day is still early and there are still opportunities for it to turn around. Above and beyond that, should nothing good happen today, I am still blessed. beyond. measure. Seriously. To get started on how blessed I am will make this post ridiculously too long.

As a therapist, I know about changing/shifting thought patterns. I know how to, and the importance of, reframing; which is (very simply) changing how you view a situation.  I know how my thoughts impact my mood and behaviors. I also know that our behaviors, if deliberate, can impact our thoughts. As a Christian, I know that I should think on things that are good, pure, true...(Philippians 4:8). I also know that I have authority to take every [wayward] thought captive to make it line up with truth, i.e. what God says. I also know the difference between facts and truth. The fact may be that a couple things didn't go as planned for me today, I'm not suggesting being delusional. However, the TRUTH is that God is still in control of everything and He makes all things work together for the good of those who love and are obedient to him (Romans 8:28).

And...if I was to shake myself for a teensy second, I realize that maybe God didn't want me to share the Lessons from Ari today. That maybe there was something else that needed to be shared for even just one person who may stumble upon my blog and experiencing a REAL disappointment (not that mine were fake but just trivial). That I needed to instruct (or remind) this person that you have authority over your thoughts, feelings, and actions. That if you consciously choose to think on things that are good, you are more likely to find more good things to think on and improve your mood. To remind you that there is a difference between what you are experiencing (facts) and what God says about your situation (truth). To remind you of Romans 8:28, Romans 8:37, Genesis 50:12, and Jeremiah 29:11. If these aren't enough, email me for some more (giavana.jones@gmail.com).

If you are experiencing a disappointment, whether serious or trivial- choose not to allow it to impact your outlook. Grieve the "loss" but even still, be aware of the authority you have and exercise that authority. Speak truth over your situation and look toward the future with expectancy. Find the purpose or  lesson, i.e. another perspective, in the situation and embrace the process by which we are matured.

edited to add this excellent phrase from Path CoachKaylus
"disappointments are divine reschedules and cancellations for better and more appropriate"

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Personal mission statement

I saw this couple weeks ago and I smiled. I said hmmmm, really thought about it and then smiled some more. Maybe I'll add this book to the "To Read" list.

In some respects, I've incorporated this as a personal mission statement:

My gifts, leadership, and purpose are not about me. 

My life is about service to those who need my gifts, leadership, and purpose.

What about you, do you believe this? Are you living a life of service to those who need your gifts, leadership and purpose? If not, are you willing to redefine your life in this manner?

On another note, do you have a motto or mission statement for yourself? If so, I'd be excited to hear about it- leave it in the comments section below.

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Asking and receiving

Two events happened that got me thinking; both of which included the individual (one instance, it was me) looking, searching..almost 'begging' for something that was already there.

This may sound silly, but it made me think of how often this can happen. Imagine the scenario, I received a gift of a SIM card (for cell phones); however the person who gave it to me couldn't remember what the phone number was that was associated with the card. So I took the SIM card and put it in my phone to see if the phone number would show up; it didn't...apparently the card was never "registered". Okay, what does one do next?

Call somewhere so that the caller id will show the origin of the call, i.e. the phone number. Well I determined (without trying) that this was NOT an option because there was insufficient credit to make a call (or text). This then began a series of attempts that I made to determine what the phone number was. Ten minutes later, and somewhat frustrated, I turn the phone off, and begin to take the SIM card out. It was then that I felt *it*...you know what I mean...that nudge, that still small voice, that feeling (whatever you call it) and I felt the urge to put the SIM back in, and simply check the balance on the card.

Well, you can probably predict what was the result- yip! There was sufficient credit on the phone ($5) to make a hundred texts, one long distance phone call and at least 10 minutes of talk time on a local call. It was such a "duh" moment but I couldn't shake it. Why did I just assume that there was no money on the card? Wouldn't the first thing one does is check the balance?

Scenario number two: a friend wants to make coffee so she goes to the water fountain but there is no water. So she begins to ask around the office for someone who may have personal water that could be shared for her to just brew some instant coffee. This activity goes on for about 15 minutes but once again to no avail. Finally, as she is about to give up, the person who usually monitors the coffee/tea, calls her and asks her what she is looking for. Her response- "water to make coffee". She is then informed that there is water already set aside for coffee by the coffee pot but somehow this friend not only failed to check the "supply" but also the "supplier".

Of course, I couldn't help but to ask her why she didn't just check the coffee pot ,which is what we typically do BEFORE searching for other sources of water. She didn't have a response. I had to chew on this  for awhile and just knew I had to blog about it.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt convicted...why ever did I not simply check the balance? Is this a reflection of how I live my life? The provision is right there in front of my face, but I miss the obvious because I too often chose to:
1. Not ask God (the supplier) for the thing I want/need
2. Proceed to attempt to solve the problem, find the hidden thing on my own; this includes looking to other "sources" for what it is I need.

Without being "super spiritual", this made me wonder how many things I wanted (or needed) that was right there, literally there but because I asked the wrong person or didn't ask at all, I failed to get it.

I can hear the good ole chuch (not church) people quoting "You have not because you ask not." (James 4:2)

What the full verse states states:
James 4:2 (NLT)
You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it

There is a plethora of scripture that confirms this simple concept: We ask (in faith)- God provides. Although I should point out, that the requests that we make, should line up according to His will (another blog post for another day):

Matthew 7:7-11
Matthew 21:22
Philippians 4:6
1 John 3:22

The sad part is that I knew this before the SIM card situation. I knew these scriptures by heart..I've heard this "sermon" before...I think I may have even "preached" this lesson before in some form on this blog. But why is it still so easy, particularly in the very small and simple things, to revert to the stance and actions of an ignorant child, one who does not know that I have a Heavenly Father, who is the SUPPLIER, who is willing and desires to supply my needs.

I trust that my very simple object lesson and musings is a reminder to you to continue to seek the SUPPLIER, go to the SOURCE for every question, need or problem.

Be encouraged!

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Affirmations

If you have ever read or even heard of the The 5 Love Languages, seeing the word Affirmation should immediately bring to mind this particular "love language". But above and beyond the work that Dr. Gary Chapman has done, giving affirmations is not strange to our cultural milieu.

To affirm is to give validation, to confirm.

In fact, most self-help resources encourage us to speak positively to each other. To lift others up. To speak positively to ourselves. While most people do not make a big deal about this type of stuff,  I firmly believe that all of us need to hear and experience some form of affirmation on a regular basis. It replenishes our core. It confirms that what we are doing and/or who we are is important.

This post was the result of a very cheesy series of events that began in our office. Apparently, one person declared a specific day as belonging to another coworker. I came in just recently, heard about it and decided that I wanted a day too. So I put my name on the calendar and that particular day is mine. Well, we just celebrated two people recently and it was fun...cheesy but fun. This day isn't about expenses...what we have given is loving notes, small tokens of appreciation, and some very ecstatic exclamations: e.g. "Happy Gia Day!!!!". As I mentioned, it is seriously beyond cheesy (see picture below) but at the core of it, it is really soul affirming.

By nature, I am a nurturer and an encourager [if that is a word]. I love making people feel good about who they are. I think it actually makes me feel better about myself. That's one of my gifts..and because of this, I tend to make big deals out of what my husband would call "trivial stuff". I make a special effort to say "thank you", "I appreciate you/what you did","you are awesome!"; it is almost like a need for me to recognize the gifts, acts and personhood of others. I sometimes greet friends with pet names or terms of endearment like love, beautiful, dear, friend and so on...I refer to my husband as "handsome". ;) You get the point.

So yes, I can hear you now: most people are not like me, but it does not mean that you should be oblivious to this innate need that we all have. It doesn't take that much extra to offer an act or word of kindness, or even more than that, to provide a word or act of validation. So lets get started: make today YOUR day to celebrate yourself. If you can't think of anything positive about yourself, affirm yourself with what God thinks and says about you:

You are fearfully and wonderfully made, so you are no accident. (Psalm 139:14)

You are deeply loved, so much that he suffered death on the cross for your salvation. (John 3:16)

You are forgiven so you do not have to be weighed down under guilt (1 John 1:9)

You have a purpose and a positive future, so don't downplay your value to your family, community...world (Jeremiah 29:11)

You are royalty, a child of the King (1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 3:1)

Once you have taken YOUR day, I then want you to set aside another day to affirm everyone who comes in your path, recognizing that a simple "good morning" can be an affirmation. Think about the person who is used to be ignored, e.g. the homeless person on the street; for someone to stop, smile and acknowledge them would be an affirmation that they are human, worthy of acknowledgement. Obviously, I would challenge you to do a bit more than just "good morning", like you should find something nice, encouraging and positive to say or do for someone but in the very rough instances, I can settle for a smile and a genuine courteous word. I'll tell you a secret, even the meanest, roughest, most miserable person secretly appreciates someone to dote on them...at least once in a while. ;)

So, THANK YOU for stopping by and reading my blog!

Grace peace and love,
Gia

OH! My affirmation to you:

YOU are a designer's original, a one-of-a-kind. You have greatness within you and the world needs to experience it.

Repost: Friday 7/20/12 ~ Peace Love and Pretty Things

I just HAD to repost this!!!! I needed to read this and thought you may too! ;)

Love Note - Friday 7/20/12 ~ Peace Love and Pretty Things

Lessons from Ari

Meet my fur-baby Ari. He is a lovable, SUPER friendly, 2 year old Yorkie-Shih Tzu. As you can see, he is jet black and most times, taking a picture of him (and seeing more than a blob) is impossible. Another detail about Ari - he is spoilt! He is our child and the center of attention in our house. The house actually belongs to him...well it seems that way most days.

Anyway, just yesterday it dawned on me how much I can learn from the simple interactions with Ari and so as I do with most my lessons, I will share with you.

Today's lesson from Ari is about REST.

Ari sleeps wherever he chooses, sometimes the couch in the front, and sometimes on the floor on either side of the bed (usually mine). There are some nights, where he fights to sleep with us at the foot of the bed. In an  effort to provide boundaries, we typically do not allow this...but of course, every so often he gets away with it. This usually occurs in the middle of the night/early morning when we are near comatose and he comes in to cuddle at our feet. Regardless of where he sleeps, 8 out of 10 mornings, once he realizes we are awake, he bounds up in the bed, tail wagging and almost a smile, he often times tries to give us slobbery kisses. After settling, he would just curl up somewhere he could squeeze, while I just lay in bed, either trying to wake up (or catch couple extra mins sleep), pray/have quiet time or read my Bible/devotions.

Because he is settled and curled up so cute, I usually can't help but to just rub his head or tummy and I am amazed each time at the level of relaxation he experiences when I do this. He puts himself COMPLETELY VULNERABLE and just lays there. Sometimes he is staring at me...and clearly because he does not have the cognitive capacity, I know he is just enjoying the attention and the rub and there are no thoughts.

This most recent occasion, it hit me. God wants me to be like Ari. I should excitedly bound into His arms and just rest in Him. Clear my mind and just enjoy as the Holy Spirit ministers and refreshes me. I can be completely vulnerable because He will not hurt me or take advantage of me. I can be free and just REST.

I'm thinking I will try to be a happy-go-lucky trusting daughter who is re-energized by laying in the lap of her Father and gazing into the beauty of His face.

One of my favorite...rest-in-God songs.

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Thankful Thursday

On this Thankful Thursday, I'm thankful that God sees and hear everything...that all I need to do is call on Him when I am in trouble and He will hear and respond accordingly. I'm thankful for the faithfulness of God and as the Psalmist instructs, I will commit to make thankfulness my sacrifice.

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Happy Hump Day

For those of you who may be feeling heavy or the week is dragging...make a special effort to put a smile on your face and push through it. 


It is amazing how our actions can change our thinking/emotions...there is something to that "fake it til you make it" saying. So buckle up and CREATE a ride today.

WOW

Have you ever heard a story and was like "WOW"! That was me when I read this!

I like hearing stories like this because it calls to something deep DEEP within me. Something that makes my heart race and makes me feel alive. And it is those moments when I remember that I am called to make a difference. I am not called to the dull or the boring...to "things" and superficiality. I want to live a meaningful life that is filled with passion and purpose. I want to make a difference. I want the world to know that I was here...not for attention purposes, not to comment on how beautiful or rich I am/was..but for how my life impacted and facilitated a positive change in others.

The cool thing is, that I can have this impact. I don't need to be super rich to make a change, I can start with the people that God allows in my life. Simple daily obedience. Looking for the divine encounters. Loving my neighbors as myself. Recognizing that it is very likely that some of the annoying, smelly and not-so-lovely people that I pass [and often ignore] are angels (Hebrews 13:2).


I will be praying and re-surrendering my heart and mind to be used by God and creating "WOW" moments in my compassion and obedience.

...humbled by His love and compelled to give that love to others.

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Mercy House

I guess I have referenced this enough times in the past couple weeks and sent you to the empty website, that I should commit a post about what it is (or will be).

Please keep in mind, that I will speak in the present tense although at this very second, it is not yet a "reality".

The Mercy House (Bahamas) is a non-profit residential treatment facility to be housed in the Bahamas. MH will cater to adolescent girls between the ages of 12-16 who are struggling with behavioral and/or emotional disorders. Mercy House takes a strengths based approach recognizing first and foremost that every individual is a child of God, with her own strengths, talents, gifts, and purpose. It is our hope that every young lady that participates in our program becomes aware of her own strengths and ultimately her God-given purpose.

The mission of MH is

"Providing a therapeutic, safe environment for hurting adolescent girls to find refuge while equipping them with skills necessary to live successfully within their natural home environment."

The first cohort will be considered a pilot, and will most likely be housed on the island of New Providence. It is my dream that residents of Mercy House get to experience a full acreage of privacy on one of the family islands of The Bahamas and only upon preparation for transitioning, are they re-located back to the island of New Providence. This detail is still hazy.

The cottages are state-of-the art and designed for communal living. They are also secured with multiple levels of security measures to ensure that the residents are safe once left in our care.

Mercy House will offer daytime program (not school) as an alternative to full residential, however, the daytime program's hours are longer than the average school day.

All residents of MH will have access to services that address the academic, physical, psychological, family, and spiritual needs. Specifically, residents will have:

• 24 hr supervision and treatment
• Training in social and living skills
• Family visitation
• Behavior modification and cognitive problem solving
• Therapeutic recreation
• Daily living skills training
• Community skills
• Individual, group and family therapy
• Educational services

As I mentioned, I'm still waiting on finances to firstly get the business officially established as a non-profit organization within the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Once that is completed, then I will begin more aggressively marketing, and fund-raising. It is my hope, that somehow most of my projects over the next however-many-months are able to connect me with this vision and prepare my platform so when it is launched, it is upon an already existing foundation.

To God be the glory for great things He has done...and will continue to do!

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Goals

I had the coolest experience two nights ago as hubby and I sat in the heat of the night, with no electricity, and shared our goals with each other. The odd thing about this experience was that I am sure we have done something of this nature before, but the difference with this one, was that I wrote down everything that came to mind (his and mine).

The heat was short-lived (thank God) and to some extent, so was the conversation but it is amazing what a 1/2 hour conversation that is free of distractions can produce. Some of the goals that were shared was a surprise to both of us and that was exciting...learning a bit more of each other. The other good part of this process was that although some of the goals, well lets be real, most of my goals were far-fetched and really "out there"...there was no negativity, it was a very supportive atmosphere.

We will continue the discussion in the next couple days, expanding from personal goals to couple goals, an exercise that we have done together before but once again, I do not recall recording our objectives.

You may be wondering (or not) what prompted this conversation; it was based on my reading of the Platform book that I mentioned here. Once again, upon reading another chapter, I found new meat to chew on...something to say "hmmm".  Being the application kinda gal that I am, I immediately wanted to jump in and actually do what was being talked about/suggested.

What about you...do you have your goals written someplace? or are you like how I was, and they are just swimming around in your head? As long as I can remember, I always knew that there was some importance to writing down your goals but for whatever reason I guess I just never did it. In the book, five reasons are provided as support for why one should write down your goals:

• because it will force you to clarify what you want
• because it will motivate you to take action
• because it will provide a filter for other opportunities
• because it will help you overcome resistance
• because it will enable you to see and celebrate your progress.

Note: you can read a bit more about each of these on his blog here or buy the book!

With this in mind, if you do not have your goals written down, I think you have five very good reasons to do so. While I do not have a story (yet) about how I wrote out a goal and it was achieved (at least I don't think so...), what I can say is that the minute I began writing down the goals, my next step was to add detail. It was second nature, without me even realizing it. Some of the ideas/goals that I had loosely formulated at various points in the past couple years just simply now required more detail.

For example, one of my goals was to spend at least 1 year beginning with birth with my child(ren). Granted, I've said this out loud before I hadn't really developed the idea (never written it down). By simply recording it, I realized that the statement was too broad, too vague. What am I thinking when I say spend a year with my child(ren)? Do I not want to work at all, i.e. be a full time stay at home mom? or do I want to work part-time? A short 3 minutes later, this is what the statement then looked like:

"Spend a year at home with each child from birth to his/her first birthday. This allows me to work from home, although not in excess of 20 hours per week and while I am off, I want to still make money. Specifically no less than $50k for that year."

I can almost see your response! :D But I did warn you that my goals were pretty "out there" but as I've said before, and I am now committed to this philosophy, I refuse to dream within any confines anymore. The world is mine because the world is God's and I belong to him. I will fight doubt, rational thinking, fear and "reality" (I've never made that amount with a full time job) and choose to believe that God is able to do so much more than my imagination can think up. On that note, I choose to believe the truth in a situation rather than dwelling on facts (thanks Deanie!). The truth being what God has said about me or the situation; the facts are what we call "reality".  hmmm, I think that is another blog post. ;)

Anyhoo, even now as I am reflecting on this, I have more questions to refine this goal...what kind of work do I want to work on? Writing? Research? Because the idea is to spend time at home with the child(ren), does this mean no outside-of-the-house work? As you can see, writing the goals down really opens up the creative process. I would suggest your details include answers to the basic questions:

• who (is anyone else involved?)
• what (more details about the object of the goal)
• when (time lines for goal achievement)
• where (is the goal tied to a particular place?)
• why (the rationale or meaning behind the goal)

I personally think the why is really important because as life unfolds and the goal seems impossible, you will need to think on the reasons behind the goal to help keep you focused. Anyway, today's challenge...write those goals down and for those that need more development, start adding details!

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Cultivating a grateful spirit

A couple days ago, I had another small 'life lesson'...As I mentioned previously, my life goal is to reside in a place where I am not afraid, worried or the least bit concerned about sharing what I have with others because I am cognizant of who I am (child of the King) and ALL I have access to. In other words, there is no need for stingyness.

Now this may sound very noble, but until recently, I lived in almost the opposite manner. My attitude was that I needed to be cautious with what I had (and how I shared it out), because I had to store up for a "dry day". You know, that day in the foreseen future when I may find myself with nothing...and at this point, when I have nothing (or run out) I can dig in my closet/pocket/refrigerator and pull out the life-line! Without getting too "holier-than-thou", this kind of thinking is quite Anti-Christian considering I am professing to serve the God of the Universe. The Creator, the One who owns all and is above all. After all, He is the One who "owns the cattle on a thousand hills" (commonly quoted scripture -Psalm 50:10).

Anyway, to the story: I am at work (summer job that I am grateful for) and it is lunch time. I only prepared sufficient lunch for one person (me) and the typical Gia does not share food. I just don't. I'm always hungry and when I get full, I feel the need to save what I don't eat...for that next moment of hunger. Anyhoo, without even being asked (or thinking twice), I offer my plate to a friend for her to share my meal. I knew that after sharing, I was probably going to still be hungry but it just wasn't that big of a deal. [Side note: Thank God for growth in seemingly small areas.] Anyway, less than 1/2 hour after eating my share of the food, I get a call to come for food. And not just any food...some good good yummy Bahamian food. As I returned to my desk with the food in my hand, I could only smile to myself and say "Thank You Lord". The story doesn't stop there, an hour later, I get another call...and I am invited to join in a mini-feast with dessert!

On this Thankful Thursday, I am grateful for the abundance of food...I have food in my fridge and cupboards and  beyond that, I have access to places (restaurants, grocery store, semi-fertile land) that I can obtain nourishing food from. I also commit to continue to cultivate an attitude of gratefulness and maintain an open hand so that for every blessing I receive, I freely give!

I am definitely a work in progress in so many areas, but it feels good when I get it "right"...cause I know when I do, I make God smile and that makes me giddy on the inside. :-)

Grace peace and love,
Gia

Freedom

Yesterday, we who have the privilege of calling the island nation of the Bahamas, home, celebrated 39 years of Independence. Thirty-nine years of sovereign rule..of monitoring our own self. Yes, we are still fairly young as a nation and have tons of lessons to still learn but we are getting there!

As I live between two, although it feels like three, countries, this is the 3rd Independence celebration in less than two weeks and it has had me thinking about what freedom is and what it means to me. I usually think of my freedoms in terms of worship (religion), speech and voting. Those have been most salient and I am uber grateful for them. However, there is sooooo much more freedoms that I experience but are often not even aware of.

Since I've been focused on the development of my many business ventures in the last couple months, during this Independence celebration, I couldn't help but think on another freedom I have: to pursue any type of job, career or project that I choose. Something that I never thought of before, probably because it has never been regulated. I chose my area of study and then I had the option to chose which organization I wanted to work at and launch my career. A couple years later, I then chose to pursue an advanced degree and now have the freedom to choose which organization I would like to work with. More excitedly, I have creative freedom to develop a new organization and business; the only limitation being that the business offers services and products that are legal. The only other limitation is a personal one- how far, wide and big I can dream.

It was only at this new found realization, that I stopped and thought about the stories I have heard, of individuals in other countries who are limited to pursue degrees (by their government) based on gender, social economic status/class and other variables that are used to segregate the population. Wow, what would it look like, if as a female, all I can do is be a housewife, or even a teacher? Both are very noble callings, which I will probably enjoy at some point in my life, but are not the fullness of my purpose and calling. These thoughts make me very happy to be a citizen and resident of two countries that offers equality and justice for all.

I can be whoever I want to be when I grow up! ;)

March on Bahamaland!

Dreaming in color –Part 2

I do believe dreaming (see part 1 here) is facilitated by me; specifically the people who I am around (other visionaries), the books and media that I put in and how I nurture the idea(s) that I have been given. One recent effort is a book: Platform: Get noticed in a noisy world by Michael Hyatt (former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers). This book was referred to me by another one of those awesome female friends that I have (if you live in South Florida and are looking for a child/family therapist or life coach, she is your lady!). I have only gotten through about ¼ of the book (had it for less than a week) but I can already see that this is a great resource for all of us with a dream.

The idea behind the book is really how to market oneself to stand out amongst all of the competition and “noise” that we call life now. Seriously, who can compete with the multi-tasking, fast-paced, social-networking based society that we currently live in? So yea, this book takes you from step one through the end. One part that resonated with me, was the idea of the “Wow” effect that Michael (yes, we are now on 1^st name basis) talks about. Everyone knows that wow effect..you walk into an office, a building, a hotel, a shop…you receive a service or product, and you are like “wow”…blown away, impressed. You can easily remember the details of that wow experience and will most likely talk about it to anyone who will listen. I should mention that my latest idea is the result of having a wow experience while visiting April in Palm Beach. He points out that this is one of the keys to establishing your platform to be noticed. Michael does caution that clearly not every aspect of everything can be “wow”, obviously, but he encourages the readers to find the aspect of their dream which should hold the bang. 

Now to the title of this two part series, "Dreaming in color"- Michael encourages the readers to regularly close their eyes, envision their product/service/business and “become present to what it is you are trying to create”, i.e. to strive to get the reality as close to that vision. This will save us from the “drift”. I've coined this as dreaming in color. Think Regina Belle hit:

Tired of living life in black and white

There’s so much in between

Like a rainbow in the sky

Crying to be seen

When I open my eyes to find inspiration

I search for the best I can see

If I settle for less

I won’ t be the best I can be

So one morning, as I was having some quiet time, my exciting new idea began to develop some more and I remember thinking “Oooh! I love this!...wouldn’t that be FABulous!” and it was that moment that caught my attention. I hold myself accountable (and you can hold me accountable) to ensure that as this dream becomes a reality…hopefully in the next six months (tentative official launch date- January 2013), that I remain connected with the original vision, as it currently unfolds. That I listen to my heart and take a stand for greatness, to ensure that the customers who receive the products and services truly have a wow experience. That the expression “Oh! I love this..this is FABulous!” be a living, breathing tag-line that is perpetuated not through some expensive marketing scheme but from the mouths of those who have already experienced it.

Do you already have a dream?

Is it in color?

Do you remember the details…?

What is the WoW component?

My challenge I leave for you: let your dreams take on the detail, color and life as Alice’s (Alice in Wonderland).

If you don’t yet have a dream OR you have a dream and it doesn’t have this life and vibrancy OR  you have a dream that had color and life but is now in sepia or black and white…take Michael’s advice:

Close your eyes, envision your product/service/business and “become present to what it is you are trying to create”!

Grace peace and love,

Gia

Dreaming in color

I've never considered myself a true dreamer/visionary until just recently. Even now, the idea of a dreamer still seems bigger than me, but the events of the past couple months provide evidence that maybe I have underestimated myself.


A little of this "dreaming" began about 10 years ago, with my dream of The Mercy House Bahamas (MH)...but if I am honest, I think this season of dreaming really took life on April 8th, 2012. My Pastor challenged us with his sermon, "Dream, ask and live!". Here are a couple of memorable quotes from that sermon that I recorded:


"When we dream, we are just parternering with God..."
"Heavens storehouse is waiting to be emptied. Every promise that God made is waiting in the storehouse."
"God's vision for us, is total freedom!"

There was much more to that sermon that resonated with me...particularly about the second step, of asking God (after you have dreamed), but it is too much to put here. What was interesting was that I initially felt the aspect of the sermon on dreaming (or not dreaming) was not relevant to me. You know, I had dreams and I was actively pursuing them (PhD, Mercy House)...I wasn't just sitting there all forlorn or defeated. But, once again, with my heart and mouth, I said "Amen" and came into agreement with the declaration that we would be a community of dreamers...that we would open our eyes and ears to hear and see what God is showing us. This inevitably awoken something in me. 

I'm blessed to be surrounded by a number of very wise and ambitious women, visionaries in their own way. One day, I remember mumbling (complaining) to one of these women about WHEN....the conversation went as such:

Me: “when is my dream, Mercy House going to really take form and become a reality? When...ugh! how much longer do I wait- I've been carrying this vision for 10 years now! I have no money to do anything…I am ready to just get this started! I hate feeling stuck”  

Her response to me: “Slow down grasshopper.”

And I did. I (re)surrendered MH to God and recognized that His timing is perfect…and that was that.

Never  being one to sit still, earlier this year, I began focusing on some more immediate projects that I could develop, build and execute and somewhere in that process, I asked God to dream again. I asked for new visions and ideas. While the initial request was actually before the above referenced instance of grumbling, I'm not sure when the actual fulfillment of the request began to happen, but all I know is that I have been on a roll. Like seriously on a roll. 


This is how it goes: I ask God, I go sleep...or go about my business and bang! there is another one, some new idea, or reformulation or fine-tuning of an existing idea.  Sometimes I do not even consciously "ask". It's like I'm looking at life through new eyes (the answer to another prayer)...and so I see opportunities now in areas that I never even considered going into.

This makes me quite excited because I never thought that MH was going to be my end-all...sure it is going to be a major accomplishment, it will impact many and hopefully revolutionize the way we approach youth care in the Bahamas but I just knew, that was not IT.

With my most recent “dream”, I’ve come to realize this one was given as a direct answer to a MH related prayer. I have been asking for income and/or finances that can go directly to the building and establishment of Mercy House. Learning my lesson, and now praying with a new found sense of expectancy, my eyes are open and searching for that someone or some people who are going to be donators, (I need about $½ million), to get it started. Not withstanding this faith, it is still ‘my baby’, and I want to financially sow into my own business, and if possible, I would like to significantly sow into it, you know, like not just $1,000 although being a full time student that is a SIGNIFICANT offering for me ;-). In any event, I can’t share the newest idea just yet…it is still too hot off the press but look out for more about this new adventure in blog updates to come! I can say, it is fun, it is fresh, and it is still connected with my purpose (facilitating healthy development of young ladies).

So now, I open the invitation, please join me and let your imagination soar…DREAM! Think of dreaming like brainstorming, you are not censoring the ideas, giving yourself reality checks, looking at limitations…just imagine what could be.  One of the seemingly favorite questions of my friend (referenced earlier-click hyperlink to learn more about her and what she can offer as a Path Coach), is "what would you do if you had no limits?"...dreaming answers this question. The very cool thing about dreaming is that it usually creates solutions for some of the gaps and problems in the community within which you are embedded! Dreaming is the first step toward leaving your mark in this world! I can’t wait to hear of some of those big dreams!

Grace, peace and love,

Gia

Grateful that His love endures forever!

I have been following another blog and last week they started a challenge: 21 Days of Gratitude. For whatever reason, I haven't officially committed to this challenge but because I have read the daily posts, I have been keenly aware (and convicted) every time I open my mouth to complain. It has been a very interesting struggle within my mind. In all honesty, I love it. As I mentioned before, I embrace growth, even though it often hurts and I am really looking forward to a more grateful me.

Now, as with most things in life, the events tend to overlap. My bible reading a couple days ago was from Psalm 136, here are the first 5 verses..

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully.

His faithful love endures forever.

As I read this, I couldn't help but notice how the Psalmist was doing a couple things- first, he recognized and thanked God for who He is and what He has done and then, almost as a reminder, but most likely as a 'chorus' for a song, he then stated that "His faithful love endures forever".

The Psalm goes on for 26 verses and as I came to the end, I thought, I could personalize this. So today, I'm here to share and encourage you to find another reason to thank God!

• I give thanks to the Lord that I am privileged to experience life with all five senses (thanks Schantal). His faithful love endures forever.
• I give thanks to the Lord for a cadre of supportive family and friends who make life meaningful and exciting. His faithful love endures forever.
• I give thanks to the Lord for freedom: of speech, of worship, and of thought. I can publicly do this without recourse. His faithful love endures forever.
• I give thanks to the Lord that even if I didn't have this freedom of worship, and if I were to be punished with death for declaring His praises that there is a home for me in Heaven with Him! His faithful love endures forever.
• I give thanks to the Lord for health, breath, and daily bread. His faithful love endures forever.
• I give thanks to the Lord for my husband, who not only loves but also supports me. His faithful love endures forever.
• I give thanks to the Lord for making me - me!...and completely loving me as He made me. His faithful love endures forever.

I could go on and on and on but I'll end just how the Psalmist ended...

I give thanks to the God of Heaven because His faithful love endures forever!!!

Grace, peace and love,
Gia

Wordless Wednesday: Freedom

Who is helping you fight-Part 2

During a sermon and subsequent personal study of Exodus 17, I got somewhat of a template for how to approach one of my business ventures, particularly as it relates to the core team. Part one to this can be found here.


The second 'lesson' has to do with planning for the future life of the business or organization. In the business world, it is called succession management. Now I speak about cautiously because I have no formal training in business management (or other related areas) but I gleaned this lesson from the life of Joshua. In Exodus 17, we see Aaron and Hur, holding up Moses arms while the Israelite battle against the Amelikes raged on. The man on the ground is Joshua.


Joshua was very young when we first saw him but he was by Moses side also from the beginning. He was mostly in the background but seemed to have an understanding of his role and what was required of him through the different "seasons". Exodus 17 was his first front line mission and a big mission it was but even after this, he was faithful to serving Moses. He was pretty much what we would call a personal assistant. My favorite scene of the young Joshua, leader-in-training, was in Exodus 33:11:

"Inside the Tent of Meeting, The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Afterward Moses would return to the camp, but the young man who assisted him, Joshua son of Nun, would remain behind in the Tent of Meeting."

The first time I did a Bible study on this a couple years ago, I was 'wow-ed' by this particular verse. There is something to be said about Joshua. He was a man who knew and hungered for God's presence. Because of this, he fully caught the vision. And this is the type of person that I'm thinking everyone should have (or in search of), from the very beginning. It may be awhile before you find your Joshua and for a variety of reasons, that is okay but at the same time, I can't help but think there should be some length of time that the person works with the company/organization and can be groomed before he or she can take the lead.

For me personally, Mercy House is my baby but I have no intentions of this being my end-all. I have a number of other smaller projects that I plan to also  lead and being the visionary that I am, I will continue to dream! Long story short, I need a Joshua and I am praying that my Joshua comes sooner than later. Because of the size of the project, it would be nice to have a "personal assistant" that can be on the ground for me, who I can trust to keep things running in the home while I deal with everything else. I guess this position is more than personal assistant, more of Program Director but the challenge of filling this position is to find someone who captures the vision, who is not power-hungry, who is teachable, someone who knows and accepts their roles and their "training ground".  

My eyes are wide open as I wait expectantly for the revelation of these three key persons: Aaron, Hur and Joshua and what each of their roles will be with the development and running of The Mercy House Bahamas!

I hope my Biblical extrapolations are helpful for you in your own mission, organization or business. Feel free to share any of yours in the comment section(s) of these posts.

Grace, peace and love,

Gia