Girl Time

You always know your passion because strong feelings are invoked when the topic arises.  For me, it seems I'm passionate about so many things...however one particular group which has stuck with me from as long as I remember having a passion- young girls.

http://pinterest.com/giavana81/inspiration/

Of course, this explains Mercy House and It's Girl Time. It's all about me finding ways to connect with, empower and promote wellness and resilience among my younger counterparts.  Because of this, I have a collection of activities, sayings, Bible stories that are all stored up for whenever I get an opportunity to work with this population. I saw this picture and was like "YES!!". It was immediately "liked" and "repinned" on Pinterest. ;)

With that said, I'm excited about a new idea/direction for Girl Time. My pastor suggested it and it literally only took 2 minutes for me to think, process and run with the idea. Details are still very fuzzy at this time, but essentially I would like to have a "conference" for young girls. 

It will be FUN, AFFIRMING and all things PRETTY.

I'm thinking spa sessions and tea time....more details to come soon.  I'm also getting excited that this is something I can market to other youth groups, churches, civic organizations to host for their girls and tweens...who knows. It's definitely within the mandate of Girl Time and a great stepping stone toward achieving the vision of Mercy House.

I love hearing from you, so if you have suggestions for this project or your own, please share in the comments section below.

Grace peace and love,

Gia

Lessons from Ari: accidents will happen

After a very exciting photo shoot for It's Girl Time a couple weeks ago, I woke up in the middle of the night to walk in a little puddle. My immediate thought as I looked down into the cutest face ever was eeeew and Ugh at the same time. Ari had whined to leave the room but hadn't rang the bell, but still here I was standing, in now, that I could see, a puddle of yellow pee. This is TOTALLY unlike him...but in retrospect he had a pretty exciting day.


Because my husband was going with me to the photo shoot, we decided to make it an outing with Ari since two of the girls absolutely love him and another had yet to meet him (she now loves him too). The thing with Ari is that he has a very low tolerance for activity. A 5 minute walk and he's pooped. Five minutes with an excited 6 year old kid who is reminiscent of Elmyra and he's even more pooped.

So imagine him after 2 hours with 4 kids (and a couple adults) who were vying for his attention at various points. By the time we got to the car, he just looked "done". He had water then and then he drank another ton of water over the evening. Of course, we aren't idiots, we took him out to pee twice that evening but true to my husband's concerns, he actually did have too much water. Although, what could we have done? withhold water from the pooped pup? nope! That's inhumane.

So as I stood in the pee, I had a couple choices and I chose to NOT scream at the dog. For a number of reasons:
1. I heard the vet's voice in my head admonishing us that if we did not catch him in the act, that screaming or punishing him afterward would mean NOTHING. He doesn't have a brain like humans so there is no 2 + 2, if the moment had already passed.
2. It was 2 am and my husband was sleeping.
3. I got it. It really wasn't that big of a deal. Accidents happen right?

As I grabbed a ton of Lysol wipes and got on my hands and feet to make the puddle disappear, I thought about my own "maturity" in the situation. I am not usually this level-headed, especially not at 2am and would have still given a stern word to the clueless pup just to "vent". But no venting was necessary. Sure I was tired. Sure I was disappointed. But on some level, I just thought "accidents will happen".

Isn't our perfect heavenly Father just like that? Doesn't He extend us mercy and forgiveness and because of Jesus, none of us (who chooses Him), will get what we truly deserve? mmmmmm

But how does this play out in my day-to-day with other humans? Like my responses with Ari in times past, I've had moments of great impatience and judgement. Unfortunately, these happen most often with the one who is closest..my husband. I am usually able to restrain myself and extend mercy with the stranger, with the coworker and even times with the friend but not so much with hubby. Of course, before hubby, it was my siblings. The thing is I've got as much of a duty, well privilege to be patient and kind with those I live with as much as I should with the stranger.  I've got to learn to extend mercy; this is different from being taken advantage of but I think sometimes we can get too quick to judge, condemn or "show someone their error".

Patience is a virtue as the saying goes, but it is also a fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Just as our Father is patient and merciful toward us, we should be with others...this includes those closest to you (spouse, significant other, child, parent or siblings) and the stranger, as well as the pet! ;)

A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. (Proverbs 15:18)

Grace peace love (and patience),
Gia

It's Girl Time

I think it is past time that I finally share about the vision and purpose of It's Girl Time. What it is, what we hope to accomplish..all that good stuff.

Well, I would have liked to be able to send you to the website, but unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, it is not ready yet. Probably won't be ready until end of October. :sigh: I can't do anything about it so I won't dwell on it any further.



Anyhoo, back to the subject at hand. It's Girl Time is a small event planning and entertainment company, in the Bahamas, that is focused specifically on events for little girls. Yes, it is a very narrow population but hey, girls just have more fun than boys! ;) We are, of course, open and willing to planning "mixed" events and even events where the boy is the guest of honor.

Our Signature events:

SPArkle parties. These are designed to pamper your princess and her friends. Whichever space we will hold the party in will be transformed to create a calm, soothing and relaxing place that is fit for the princess. Girls will be donned in plush white robes while they are led through relaxation exercises (yoga-style), and receive manicures and pedicures.Throughout the 90 minutes, girls will be engaged in routines that not only adorn their natural external beauty but also nurture their inner beauty.

Themed tea parties. Culture, etiquette, poise and fun! These are the hallmarks of the tea parties. We offer three themes: princess, fairy, and island tea parties. We provide costumes for princess and fairy tea parties. The tea parties are designed to cultivate character as well as proper etiquette and poise.

Personalized theme parties. If neither of the above works for you, or you've already "been there, done that", then allow us to work with you to create another unique, fun and personalized event that matches the personality of your child. You give us the idea and we can make it a reality. If you don't have any ideas, let us sit with you to get a feel for your daughter and her interests and we'll create an event to remember.

(ideas for a luau themed event)

We got tons of exciting ideas and add-ons and all that's missing is an event! Remember, it's not only for birthday parties...any event that you have, we could find a way to fit in our signature events and activities to make it that much more memorable (slumber parties, workshops, class events, girl days, etc). For more information, email us at girltimeevents@gmail.com or call us at (242) 465-6270.

We are currently working on a personalized theme party- a Luau for an 8 year old princess and we are having a blast. If you are on pinterest, you can follow our It's Girl Time board for a taste of what we are thinking of. I promise to make a short post once the website is up and running for you to see.

Our team consists of women who love planning and love little girls (well, we love all kids). We believe that even in fun, we can impart lessons that shape identity, character and purpose. Yes, we love getting dressed up and looking like princesses, but we also believe that each girl is a princess, as a child of God and should know that as well. For me, Girl Time is fun with a purpose. You'll hear more about it as we get more contracts!

Grace peace and love,
Gia

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

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