I’ve Never Met a Christian Like You Before!

Since starting my spiritual journey, I have come across many people who have very strong views about Christians. And you know what, who can blame them! Christians are made fun of as being bible thumping, critical, and very judgemental individuals. Oh, and don't forget the mentality of "if you don't believe in our faith, then you are damned to Hell!"

Well, what I discovered is that many of my fellow Christians have never read the bible for themselves and lack a personal understanding of what being a Christian really means. So friends, here is why I get the comment "I've never met a Christian like you before" all the time. Are you ready, because it's pretty deep. 🙂

After many hours of studying and researching into my faith, I came to the realization that Jesus Christ was teaching me a very basic message and that message is L.O.V.E. Not the kind of love we think of when we meet the person of our dreams or even the kind of love we have for our goofy pets, but a love that is all-encompassing. Now, you may be asking yourself "what does the Dreamer mean by this?" Well, what I mean is loving people from all backgrounds and all spiritual paths. I believe there are many different paths to salvation and atonement, however they are all leading back to God. So, whether someone is a Buddhist, Hindu, or Muslim doesn't really matter. What matters is if their teachings are being applied to make their life more peaceful and fulfilling and allowing them to spread more love.

Growing up with a family that thought all other religions were taboo and would send me straight to Haiti's was really tough because it left no room to question things.  As I matured, I realized that it was my duty to myself to look outside the teachings of my elders and gain my own understanding. Now don't get me wrong, I was met with a lot of opposition along the way. I would have relatives comment on how other religions worship false idols and how the bible says this and the bible says that. But the weird thing is, none of them had actually read the bible for themselves. Which led me to question their teachings.  And it wasn't any different when I went to church because even the Pastor had a theme. Yall know what I am talking about. The ol' "God will see you through it and your prayers will be answered and that job is on the way or that child is close to changing." But what I wasn't being taught was the details of my faith. The stories of the men and women in the bible who had to make real life decisions in hectic times. I would feel like I was missing episodes when hearing the sermon on Sunday. If my faith had "seasons", then what I was getting was information about Season 2 Episode 5 and the next Sunday we would discuss Season 6 Episode 2 and so on and so forth. I was missing so much information and I didn't know what happened at the end of Season 1! LOL! I didn't understand why LOVE for one another wasn't being taught. I read the New Testament and it clearly shows the love Jesus had for everyone. He washed his disciples feet, he accepted people from all walks of life and even chilled out with the common folk. (Jesus is the Homie).

So after all of that, we come back to the comment about not meeting a Christian like me. Well my friends, I am a Christian because J. Christ is my teacher. He helped me to calm my mind chatter. He helped me to let go of judgement of my fellow brothers and sisters in God. His story inspired me to be Christ-like. So, whenever I meet someone new, I allow my love for their Holy Spirit to shine. I accept them and everything they come with. I know that I am far from perfect, so it allows me to realize I am no ones judge. Only a perfect being can judge someone and I am FAR from that…ya know what I'm sayin?

So I challenge all of my young spiritual driven peeps to apply more LOVE into your actions and encounters and make a statement! No matter who your teacher is, you can LOVE someone just that much more. And maybe one day someone might say "I have never met a [insert your faith here] like you before." Which will open a very unique and deep conversation of sharing your love with one another.

Love Yall!

Last Night I Had a Dream…

Last night, I had the strangest dream. There was a menacing storm cloud forming very quickly off in the distance and I knew something big was about to take place, but before I could do anything about it, water was surrounding my building. I peaked out the window to see what was happening and this surge of water was carrying my whole apartment building away. I panicked and reached for my daughter and found myself praying we would be okay. After drifting for a while, I peaked out the front door to see what was happening and to my surprise we were in the middle of an intersection. I couldn't recognize this new place, but I was relieved to know we made it safely.

So, of course my first reaction was to analyze the dream and try to find meaning in it and here is what I came up with.

God is showing me that I am currently being whooshed away into a new chapter of my life and there is a sense of uncertainty that is lingering in my mind. However, since I didn't get harmed in the dream and the apartment was still in one piece, then I felt it is safe to say everything will be fine.

I am relocating back to Texas and we are stepping out on faith for our entire journey. We have no jobs lined up, staying with relatives, and selling all of our possessions (minus clothing). So in a way, I believe the water represents a clearing of "things". Sometimes people feel they have to wait for the perfect circumstances before they make a big move like the one my family is embarking on. My personal belief is that God does His best work when you let go of what you have known for so long. This is hard for some people my age to understand, but I am actually feeling a sense of relief and lightness. To start fresh is the dream of most people and I am looking at this move as a new start on life. I have been in such a dark cloud for the majority of my twenties and finally, at age 32, feel like I have a deep understanding of true happiness. I just have to apply what I have learned thus far!

So, my friends, when you get that chance to drift with the tide, take it! You never know where you may land and that's what makes life exciting sometimes…the RIDE!

Modern Day Matriarch

Matriarch:  A woman who is recognized as being the head of a family, community, or people.

As I was driving into work today, a thought entered my mind and that thought was "I am a modern-day Matriarch". For years I would joke with my mother about her being the Matriarch of our family and how everyone respects her input and position, however I never imagined I would be in the same role.

Being a "Modern day Matriarch" to me means I am strong, wise, caring, and head of my family. I wear many hats, but yet I always find a way to enjoy being myself. There are so many women in the world who do not recognize how sexy this position can be! Knowing you are the Sugar Honey Ice Tea really takes confidence in your abilities. How many of you can truly say that you take time out to feed the inner you? That sexy beast waiting to break free!

Sadly, I encounter so many women who are broken and have loss that ability to see their worth. I too was one of those gals. I know what you are thinking, "not the fabulous Dreamer", oh but I assure you, it was true at one point. I bet you're asking, how did you get your "sexy back"? Well my dear sisters of the world, it took me stepping back and truly evaluating my contributions to my family. You see, we possess such great power as women, however many of us are afraid to utilize it out of fear of what people might label you and me. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a select few who abuse this magical power, however many of us let out bursts of it without even knowing.  There is so much knowledge we bring to the table and yet we play dumb. What up wit dat?!

I for one have come to love this new-found understanding. I put on that crown and walk into every situation knowing my worth. Whether it's my marriage, career, or even casual encounters, I wear my Crown proudly. I have taken control of my life and understand I can be a great mother, wife, and woman while still maintaining my femininity. I use my womanly charm to woo this male dominated world and make no excuses for my approach. I embrace my ability to bring life into our society and situations. I bask in the ability to charm people with my wit and intelligence. Why should I shrink myself in order to make people feel bigger and better? I say Nay! Be larger than life girls! Make a statement! Be an Earth Shaker! You are a Rose, soft petals and sticky thorns. Find that much needed balance in your life and become a Modern Day Matriarch and wear that Crown until the jewels fall out!

And I'm out…

Embrace the Unknown…even if it’s scary as h#$!

I wanted to share a thought I have about embracing the unknown. I know it sounds pretty deep to start off with, but really, have any of you ever tried it?

Well my friend Sincha and I are what some would call "Recovering Planners". Yall know what I mean by ''planners". We are the people who were trained to plan out our education, career, and family in order to make it in the world. We are greeted by other planners who question our status, progress, and job title. We were the people who felt as if we had to deliver! If we didn't have any progress to report then we will be irrelevant.

Sike! That is sooo not the case. It took me some time to get that through this round head of mine, but as I continue to strengthen my self-awareness, the idea of embracing the unknown doesn't seem so hard after all. Let me explain.

How many of you dream of going to the beach, or any vacation spot, and embracing the timeless beauty around you? We look forward to not being caught up in statuses, progress, and all that stress. I believe we have something deep inside of us that remembers a simpler time, even if it was before our own. We miss not caring about meeting peoples expectations. We want to step out and start an adventure, however most of us are too afraid of the dreaded  "what if" question.

So, when it was time for me to dive into this task of embracing the unknown, I would remind myself of the feeling I felt in Cancun as I laid on the beach and just breathed. It was so peaceful not to think about anything at all. No money, jobs, kids, friends, no nothing! It was amazing! I carried that feeling into my world today and because of it miracles have happened.

I went from not knowing what was going to happen when I graduated from college and tried really hard not to care. I knew I could always find a job and so I just asked God to let me make enough money to take care of my family and take them on adventures! Needless to say, God has been answering my prayers ever since. I even tried it out on my husband. I would leave the door of my mind wide open to the possibilities of what he may do or say and it made it so much easier to accept him for who he is.

You see, in my belief, when we don't put limitations on the possibilities, then what you get may be more than you ever imagined. All you have to do is hold on to your seats, squeeze them cheeks, and  RIDE SUCKA!

Friends…how many of us have them…friends…the ones you can depend on

I would like to address something that has come to my attention as I sit in bed this morning and that is where did my old crew go?!

I grew up with a large group of friends in Lakewood, WA, but somehow I have loss touch with so many of them. I did have several "best friends", but realized that my definition of friends was based on the actual sitcom "Friends". This must have been where the dreamer in me got the situation confused. I was under the impression that the best friends I had were ready to grab life by the horns and ride that mutha right along with me, but somehow that was too far-fetched. I lost them to the daily grind. Ahhh, that daily grind is a beast and some might say it's the perfect living environment for the elusive Monkey Mind! Dun dun duuuuun!

Monkey Mind? You may have heard of this expression, but if you haven't let me explain this little bastard to you. He/she is this sneaky, crafty little animal that hops from tree to tree in your head. Each tree being a new thought, worry, stress, or task. Half of us don't even know it's loose until we crack one day while sitting at our desk or in the car and we feel the "cry bubble" forming in our throat. Yes I said cry bubble. Look it up, I'm sure there is some scientific literature regarding it in the great halls of the medical journals. But back to this monkey business. If we do not tame this creature, it will for sure wreak havoc on our lives. So, now you are asking yourself, what does that have to do with friends Beens? Ahh, it has everything to do with them. See, so many people are consumed by this Monkeys insatiable need to run ramped and free that we are constantly developing new "trees" for he/she to play in. That alone can cause you to neglect life. I too fell victim to the Monkey Mind. I called my monkey Spanx. He was out of control I tell ya!  But when I finally caged him, I could see the world much clearer and once again thought my friends had done the same. Oh, but was I wrong. You see, when you aren't trapped by the monkey, you can come off as being too cool or a know it all. I tried to help my friends understand how nice the world could be (glitter glasses) if they take control of their mind. Needless to say, I am no longer friends with my childhood homies.

But don't get all down, there is a good side to this story. I met a wonderful young lady named Sincha who understood my mind and she too had a pair of glitter glasses just like mine! She wanted to have someone who she could go to and lean on during the taming of her monkey and I was up for the challenge. We conquered so much together and are still traveling this life long journey. See, not all was lost. 🙂 The point of this post is to point out the Monkey Minded friends you may have and to allow you the opportunity to make a conscious decision on whether or not you want to continue to subject yourself to their out of control monkey environment or simply recruit a new crew. The choice is yours my friend…the red or the blue pill…you decide.

Deuces!

B Day! The start of something new!

Hello world!

Today I woke up and realized that I made it to 32 years of age! Can yall believe that?! I remember being a senior in high school dreading New Years Eve in 1999. Don't act like yall don't remember, Y2K. But oh, did the world prove me wrong! I am still here 14 years later! My, life has really been one heck of a ride so far, but to be honest with you, I am just blessed to be able to write this post on a very special day…My Birthday!

Now, it has come to my attention, that throughout the years I have somehow allowed this awesome day to become, well, less awesome. With the weekly grind of work and chores, it almost seems "irresponsible" to have a little fun on this day, Monday  February 17, 2014, but you know what? I am going to put my best foot forward! People will try to tell me that I am a "Dreamer" or I live in a "Fairytale World" or as my Mom would say, "Take the glitter glasses off daughter and come back to the real world". But what is the real world? Is it working your butt off in a cubical and randomly glancing out a window wondering what those nomads are up to today? Or is it commuting in traffic for 45 mins. just to be flipped off by some guy who is in such a rush to make it to a job he probably hates. Well, if you ask me, I choose the glitter glasses any day.

This Blog is dedicated to us dreamers, star gazers, and those with an active imagination. I hope to one day live out this dream I have in my head and view life in Technicolor! I want to experience sights and sounds that I have only imagined. I want to taste the air in a way that I never knew was possible. I want to escape the Corporate Dry Toast environment, yall know what I mean. I want to LIVE! But it all has to start from somewhere and that somewhere is here. In my bed on a Monday morning, just called off from work because its my Birthday and for once in a long time, I want to do what I want to do rather than what's expected of me. I have no plans, but you know what, I'm pretty sure I can come up with something.

So lets begin this journey friends and see where it leads us and hopefully I can be an inspiration to someone out there. Now let's get it crackin in this piece! Ole!