Walk The Walk

Good morning family. Why does today feel like Friday? Maybe because it's Halloween, oh well. Closer to the weeeeeeeeeeeeekend baby. So much to be thankful for. Rested well last night, gas in the truck, employed, husband, kids and all family members are well, still full from yesterday's lunch, coffee was perfect and I got paid today, thank YA. Praying for anyone who's unable to get up and thank God for a fresh start, a new day. I overheard a conversation yesterday that reminded me that there are so many people who are not prepared for what they think they want. I say that because the person speaking didn't understand that when you want something, i.e. promotion, marriage, financial security, success, you have to actually start "walking in it" before it's received. For that promotion, are you learning and accepting responsibility for what it will take to get that promotion? For that husband/wife you're looking for, are you obeying God, being submissive, ready to share, ready to compromise, ready to commit, give completely/fully of yourself? Are you able to live within your financial needs right now, are you being a good steward, living within your means, blessing others? For the success you're pursuing, have you've learned everything or do you already "know it all", are you willing to take direction, can you sit at the table with those who have succeeded and let yourself be led? What I figured out is life is like "layaway", you have to start paying now to get what you want later. Nothing falls into your lap. Walk in what you want as if the blessing is already there/been received. You'll find that you're already blessed and what you sought after is just icing on the cake. TeamWalkingTheWalk. Bblessedloveyou

Stop Complaining

Good morning family. Thankful to see this beautiful sunrise. Understanding that we are blessed beyond measure. Sometimes we forget our manners, forget to say "Thank Ya" to our Lord who makes all things new and possible. My heart is full of gratitude and appreciation of "life". We had a nice family dinner last night at Red Lobster, I don't know if the Red Lobster employees thought it was nice but I enjoyed it. Love my crew. I find myself confessing and apologizing a lot lately because I can no longer give myself a pass when I fall short. My most recent episode happened yesterday at work. I let someone's written emotional response move me to complaining. I was not pleased with my reaction. What I realize is that I wasted about 45 minutes of my day venting to everyone but that person. I also realized that my venting served no purpose and if I am who God says I am, it doesn't matter what someone says to me or about me. Sometimes we miss the opportunity to remain positive on our jobs. We complain about addtional responsibilites and focus far to much on what others aren't doing. I don't know about you but as of yesterday at 5pm, my "job attitude" changed. I no longer want to get caught up in the "side bar complaining". It has gotten me nowhere and will take me nowhere. So to those I belly ached to yesterday, I apologize. We all have to take a step back, really use our hearts when receiving and giving out information. Practice makes perfect. TeamStopComplaining Bblessedloveyou

I Won't Go Back

Good morning family. What a beautiful day. Tuesday. Thankful for a nice start, a good word, peace and praise. Happy Birthday to Assante (AKA Mr Belvadeer) and congrats to Bernard who was signed by the Baltimore Ravens yesterday. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. I love the song "I Won't Go Back". It speaks volumes. This song reminds me of all the false starts I've had. Those times where I began a new process and flat gave it up before I could finish. I'm at a point in my life where I don't want to turn back, I don't want to revisit old habits. During the last weeks of my mom's life some family members were talking about using bad language "cussing". One of them looked at momma, asked if she cursed, her response was "I used to". At this point in her life, she'd lost or forgotten some of the habits she'd developed over the years. Her answer sticks with me because it's how I want to treat all my old/bad habits, as "used to". Every day I find that I've stopped doing things that were unproductive and served no purpose. Those things I thought were fulfilling turned out to be things that I used as fillers and most didn't make me feel any better about who I was. The walk that I'm on now has me feeling like I can do anything I set my mind to. I am confident in who I am, no longer ashamed of my past failures. When you finally come to the realization that "worldly things" come with "worldly pain" then you start letting go. So this morning I say "I won't go back, I can't go back to the way it used to be, before Your Presence came and changed me". Thanking God for favor and change, He is so awesome. TeamIWon'tGoBack. Bblessedloveyou.

Forgot My Blessing

Good morning family. Happy Monday. Blessed to see a new week. I'm actually hanging out at home for a little bit today. Something I haven't done in months. We had a nice weekend. The kids really had fun. Thanks again to all who came over for their party Saturday. Assante is looking forward to his birthday celebration at Red Lobster tomorrow night. So I have to tell on myself. A few weeks ago I was working from home. All of sudden the lights went out. I went to the door to see if the stop light was on, it was. I checked the breaker, it was okay. Next I picked up my cell phone, called Dee because he pays the light bill. When he admitted that it hadn't been paid I sort of lost it, talked a little trash and hung up. Now, back in the day, if the bill wasn't paid, I knew it was because we didn't have the money, but today I'm thankful that I can say we have money to pay our bills. It's just that my husband has a bad habit, so do I, of waiting until the late notice comes. This is a habit we developed when money was short and we sort of had to move it around to make ends meet. I'm sharing this story because I was reminded that men have enough stress without our attitudes being added to what they have to think about. Unlike women, men, real men, feel the burden and responsibility when bills don't get paid, when things break down around the house, when legal issues arise and when "family matters" happen. I'm learning that if I let go and allow things to work out naturally, I'll feel better and so will Dee. That day, I called, paid the bill over the phone and the lights were back on in a matter of minutes (modern technology). I know ya'll remember when someone actually had to come back out and turn them on and you didn't know if you were going to have lights before night. What a blessing to know that God supplies our needs and brings us from places of despair to places of prosperity. We just need to honor His word by living better, making better choices and accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. TeamForgotMyBlessing. Bblessedloveyou.

Old School

Good morning family. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the Matthews Children's Halloween party. I was very impressed with all the super heroes that showed up. We had some spooky visitors, princesses, mickeys and fairies as well. Shout out to Court, Alva, Zeina and Lexus for putting it all together. Dee and I, as usual, cooked and cleaned, WOW. Watching our children interact with others always teaches me or reminds of things that have changed. As a child I didn't always have a bucket to put my candy in. I picked up a grocery bag or a pillow case. I didn't question my parents about a lack/need or beg for a full costume. I was lucky to get a mask, ya'll know the little cheap ones. We didn't have an organized party and as a matter of fact we had to walk to the other side of town to get the good "candy". There's no doubt that the lives of our children and grandchildren are totally different from what we knew or where we come from. What I understand and believe is that we have to instill better values, remind our children that the reason they are more privileged is because someone stood up for their future. Someone died to give them the right to celebrate whatever they wanted and whenever they wanted. My parents and grandparents raised me to be respectful of others, not to speak out of turn and to listen, basic discipline. I'm not criticizing anyone or judging, just putting a reminder out there that the same disciplines that applied yesterday have to be applied today. If we can take it back to "back in the day" we'll experience less "black on black" crime, a more successful family life, less stress, more graduates and more respect for who we are from the "inside and outside". Lastly but certainly not least, our children need to know our Lord and Savior. It warms my heart, makes me smile, when my grandkids ask me questions about God or about biblical characters. I shout on the inside. YAH. TeamOldSchoolPleaseComeBack. Bblessedloveyou.

Happy Birthday Kevin

Good afternoon family. I have been up all morning, just moving around, helping prepare for the party today. I spoke with my cousin Patty, just checking on her to see how she's doing. Today would have been her son Kevin's 29th birthday. It's been four years and it still feels like yesterday. There is nothing that stings as much as loosing a child, nothing. We all remember Kevin as a young man who had a heart as big as gold and a smile to go with it. He was book smart and always helpful. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for others. Kevin worked with/for Dee off and on. He was very impressive on the job, so impressive that one of Dee's customers actually offered to pay for Kevin to go to college. I'm not sure why he didn't take him up on the offer, maybe he wasn't ready or maybe college just wasn't his thing. Most of us say we'll do more tomorrow, enroll in college, find a new job, move to a different place, call a relative, call a friend or even take time out for ourselves. For some reason, most of us never get to the things we put off until tomorrow. What we must understand is "tomorrow is not promised". Everything we do is in God's time and if we start paying attention to where He's leading us then those "tomorrow things" start getting done. As I think about the path my family has taken (all of them) I realize we're making progress, we're doing more as opposed to just talking about doing more. Our family has more high school and college graduates, we're talking more, saying I love you more and even grooming and preparing future leaders. Our children are doing things I never dreamed of doing, they're traveling, leading church ministries and holding down steady/professional jobs. I could go on and on but my point is, we need to remember and honor those that God has called home by continuing to knock doors and chip away at generational curses. I'm encouraged/inspired and in love with my family. TeamHappyBirthdayKevin. Bblessedloveyou.

Kim & Elon

Good morning family. It's Friday. Can I get a woot-woot. No school today. I honestly don't remember having days off during school other than "real" holidays. These kids got it good. Well folks I'm still smiling about our diversity event yesterday. It felt good seeing people dance at work, just a "wow" feeling. My joy didn't stop there. I attended my sister and brother-in-law's graduation last night. What a joy to see relieve and happiness on their faces. Only they know the sacrifice they had to make in order to earn a higher education. I've watched them over the past few years work hard and consistently press towards their goal. They both could've settled for what they'd already acquired and obtained but they saw the bigger picture, the path to a more prosperous life. They've set the standard for me and I know their growth progress is just beginning. School was the easy thing, applying all they've learned in the class room and in their home life will show what they really learned and achieved. As I thought about last night, two of my favorite songs came on, "The Potter's House" and "Still I Rise". Both songs bring tears to my eyes, reflection and thankfulness, but this morning they played at the right time because I was thinking of my sister and Elon, The line in the "The Potter's House" says "He'll heal the fragments of your broken life, my friend, the Potter wants to put you back together again." Not that I considered my sister's life to have been broken but I do know that embarking on a journey that requires sacrifice can cause brokenness. The line in "Still I Rise" says "Above all my problems and all I can see, still I rise." When we decide change is needed, we will most likely face set backs, have to start over and get weary but we must continually rise to the occasion because our Father in Heaven says we can. We can do all things though Christ. I am so proud of Kim and Elon. TeamKim&Elon. Bblessedloveyou