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Inside This Issue
Why Bother? Seasons Greetings. Hope you have been doing well and thriving to live your best life. I have to honestly say the news and political events lately have been harrowing, scary, unbelievable and quite frankly, depressing. The phrase, “tomorrow is not promised” has never been more true than it is today. I completely understand why there are people who are hermits. You may walk out of your house in good shape, but who says you’ll make it back? I know you’re saying, “Dag Jackie. You started out with Seasons Greetings and went right into, death, doom and destruction.” LOL Okay, you’ve got a point, but every single day, there seems to be very little to celebrate…unless you have faith and a peace that surpasses all understanding, unless you walk and talk with the Lord on a regular basis. Because if you don’t have faith, hope, or a comfort in knowing that God is your refuge and your strength, then you are liable to be caught up in the “why bother” syndrome. You’ll convince yourself that you don’t need to press forward because nothing but mayhem awaits, so why bother?
2 It’s important to encourage each other along the way that no matter how bleak a situation may seem, God is in control. Even when we stumble and fall, God is in control. When we get hurt or people hurt us, God is in control. For many, many years, folks have said, “We are in the last days.” (If only I had a dollar for every wrong prediction.) Can you imagine if these are the last days? What if that were true? Again, you’re probably thinking I’m being pessimistic, but I’m not. Watch this pivot: Have you accomplished all that you wanted to do with your life? Did you pursue that dream? Did you start that business? Did you do all that God placed on your heart while you had a chance…or did you waste it on self-doubt and worrying that you’d be a failure? Do you really want this life to be over and nothing you knew you were supposed to do came to fruition? Well guess what? If you’re reading this, that means you are still here, with another day to get it right. I know what it feels like to have a mind full of life-changing, entrepreneurial thoughts and ideas only for them to stay with the same three people: Me, myself and I. Yup, wouldn’t even make a move because I was worried someone wouldn’t support me; it sounded stupid; it’d be a disaster. I’ve got news for you too, and I’m sure many of you can relate to this next statement: When you do decide to get ready to make a move, the idea is gone. The thought is all jumbled up like a bunch of mismatched puzzle pieces, and you sitting there trying to fit a square into a circle. Know why? Because God gave you something and you stored it away!! You didn’t act on it. So many things in life is all about the timing. When God says MOVE, He got you! He won’t let you falter. Our problem is that it may not make a bit of sense because that is not how you would have done it, therefore, it can’t be right. Well, it’s not all about US or ME. God has the big picture. He can see far and wide. We usually can only see into the next day…maybe. And we are soooo traditional and stuck in our ways!! We’re forgetting that God’s ways and our ways are probably polar opposites. Case in point: Let’s look at the Old Testament of Joshua (Joshua 6) and the wall of Jericho. How were the Israelites to overtake Jericho with this impenetrable wall as a major obstacle? God told Joshua (with some explicit directions) to march around the wall of the city for seven days and then it would come down with a shout. Let’s see: walk around a wall and then shout. Really? Research indicates its fortifications featured a stone wall 11 feet high and 14 feet wide. At its top was a smooth stone slope, angling upward at 35 degrees for 35 feet, where it joined massive stone walls that towered even higher.1 Can you imagine what some of his flock were thinking and saying? Now you know Shyneequa and Jamaal wasn’t trying to hear that. They were probably laughing and snickering about how nuts the idea sounded, but they went along with it anyway. In the end, God – and the people -- prevailed because of Joshua’s obedience. God likes to shake things up, and He uses us (and those around us) to do things out of the ordinary so you can only give Him the praise. And I know you’ve heard the saying without any tests there can be no testimony. I venture to say every time we don’t act on His guidance, that small inner voice with clear instructions, we’re getting a big fat F.
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https://www.gotquestions.org/walls-of-Jericho.html
3 Thank God for his grace and mercy. If we don’t give up on Him, He certainly won’t give up on us. Let me say that a different way. He NEVER gives up on us, regardless of how hard-headed we can be. But whenever you get an F, you are delaying your progress because now, He has to start over with us, and with some of us, that is a chore in itself. LOL He has to go to great lengths to get our attention because we’re so busy being preoccupied with life, we forget He’s there waiting in the wings. But Hallelujah. Bless his heart. He’ll keep on coming over and over again. I’m empowering you to step out of your comfort zone and really talk to God about your heart’s desire (although He already knows it, but we have free will and choice. Let Him hear what you will choose.) Once you do that, be prepared for Him to give you guidance and instruction and remember, it may not LOOK like how you would do it, but trust me, He will hold your hand every step of the way, especially when the naysayers are giving you the sideeye. And do not get caught up in the “why bother” syndrome. First of all, the Bible says no one knows the day or time Jesus is returning. Yes, there are wonders and signs we can debate, but we haven’t a clue. Each of us has an appointed time to leave this earth, but you can’t live in fear. God does not give us the spirit of fear so if you’re afraid, pray for guidance and peace. And let’s understand this statement. The NKJV says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy, 1:7. Some people freak out when they see a spider or a mouse. It scares them, much like a snake scares me. This fear we’re talking about is a fear of pursuing and living your best life. You have the power to make it happen. That is what God wants for us. And that is what I want for you too.
“Genius is Common” is a movement started by Bruce George of Def Poetry fame. Celebrate your genius with these unique t-shirts. There’s a little bit of genius in us all!
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Yes Yes, ,
Yessss……
I don’t care what anyone says, women are the most powerful people on the planet. No offense to the male species, but I’m giving kudos to my girls, my ladies, my chicas, those ride or die chicks who are there no matter what. We are designed to give birth to another human being. We have an innate ability to multitask on extraordinary levels. We have women’s intuition and instincts that can’t be matched. We have degrees we didn’t go to school for -- we’re teachers, nurses, tutors, counselors, chefs, “Merry Maids,” architects and mechanics. We’re activists and advocates, pastors and leaders. We do community organizing (‘cause organizing a family to go vacation is no easy feat!) We rise early and sleep when necessary. We’re our partners BETTER HALF, bump that other half business. But….when do we say NO? Are we even allowed to say those two little letters?
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We have such a desire to please others, that we can find ourselves saying yes when we really mean no. It becomes routine and actually a bad habit. Don’t get me wrong and hear me when I say I actually celebrate our strength, diversity, courage and ability to “make it rain” 24/7. But eventually, it will catch up to you. You’ll start to resent it and walk around talking to yourself… “Why on earth did I agree to such ‘n such?” I’m sure you’ve heard the term burn-out. It’s when you’ve run yourself ragged always going above and beyond. It’s not healthy. You’ve got to build in some time for real self-care. Some alone time. And speaking of self-care, do not feel guilty about it. That’s another issue we have, like we don’t deserve it. Uh, yes we do! We all deserve some TLC on our terms. Not only that, it will rejuvenate you and help you to be better to those you serve. So here’s to saying NO...with love, of course. And since this is the season of giving, I’m gifting three manicures to the first three people who can unscramble this popular phrase, often said by Rev. Run of Run DMC fame. Please note there is an extra letter in each scramble that doesn’t belong. If you think you have solved the puzzle, send an email with the answer to authorjcg@yahoo.com. Contest will run until there are three winners. First come, first serve. Good luck. (Click Here for a printable version.)
Scrambled Clue
Answer
1. DOEG 2. SIA 3. EOAVL
Phrase 1.
2.
3.
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If you knew my mother, then you knew she was a fabulous cook. The kitchen was like her first and second home. As far back as I can remember, she was always in the kitchen. She liked to watch people eat, and it brought her great joy to see them enjoying her delectable treats. To honor her memory, I’ve started a culinary scholarship fund: The Charlotte Martha Elliott Culinary Scholarship Fund. It would give me great pleasure to give one student, on a yearly basis, a $500 scholarship to assist with attending culinary school.
Charlotte M. Elliott
I need your help! Please consider donating to the Fund. $1, $5, whatever you feel led to do. A gift of $25 or more will earn a free 4-pc wooden spoon gift set.* As of this writing, we’re $160 away from our first $500 grant.
Visit www.cmefund.org for full details Donate Via Go Fund Me
Thank you for your consideration
*Picture is a representation.
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Thanks for reading. I appreciate your love, prayers and support. Please visit booksbyjcg.com for all of my products. Feel free to forward this newsletter to others. Until we “meet” again, be blessed, be safe, and may God grant the desires of your heart.
Additional Reading
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Romans 8:3839
Articles about the Power of Saying No:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201311/the-power-no https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254796 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-rollin/the-power-of-saying-no_b_10285096.html