Join the #5AMClub

Hey! I know I have been a little MIA for a minute but I just needed to settle a little bit into this new season of my life. I actually got a promotion and I have been traveling and just continuing to be inspired. The beginning of February when my life got really hectic I started to realize the only way I would have time with God and time to myself was if I got up at 5AM and made it all happen. This was the birth of the #5AMClub. The Time I spent in the dawn hours praying, journaling and spending time with God as well as me time at the gym getting healthier. I can’t explain how my life has changed so much for the better by starting my days off with this practice. Nothing quite sets the tone to your day like enriching your mind, body and most importantly your spirit.

Through #5AMClub I realized that I am filled with more joy daily, I greet my coworkers with so much energy and I struggle less with doing the right thing because I have already invited the spirit of God into my life early in the morning. I don’t know about you but I have to die daily to many of the behaviors and speech I am asking God to change about me.

Becoming a 5AM’er has not been easy. To be honest I have wanted to be a 5AM’er for years. I struggled so often when my alarm went off- I would press snooze. I prayed to God for months and it was my only New Year’s goal; being able to wake up at dawn. God really blessed me with the grace and energy to live out that goal and he can do the same for you! Since I have gotten the hang of things I thought I would share the love and inspiration. I know schedules and life can be demanding but setting a daily time aside is so crucial to success. What ‘s encouraging is that some of the most successful people in the world all have said they take the time daily to pray and enrich their lives early in the morning; it becomes a habit.

So I challenge you today to join the #5AMClub! You can subscribe for updates here. Also stay up to date with daily scriptures and work out inspiration via instagram: Paparoxi or tumblr. 

New Year God's Promises Board

We have come to the end of 2012! Woot Woot!

I am sure all of you are familiar with a vision board. Its board of pictures and goals you want to accomplish in a given year; it is a fun reminder to stay focused. I have made them in the past, but as I grow in faith my boards don’t quite seem like enough. Instead of asking God to bless my agenda, I needed to ask him to reveal his purpose for my life.

So this year I made a God’s Promises Board. I made a list of all the things I wanted improve upon and all the ways I saw myself fulfilling God’s purpose. Once I wrote down my affirming statement I wrote a scripture underneath that confirms that statement. I hung it on my bathroom door so that every morning I can read is OUT LOUD the affirmation and the promise. I stress the out loud reading of God’s word because that is when change happens! Excerpt from my board:

 My statement: I am pure love; people's lives are changed just by the evidence of God in my life

Confirmation: “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)

My Statement: God hears my prayers and he knows me

Confirmation: “And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Mathew 10:31)

To me this is a daily reminder that aligns my purpose with God’s will. I think it’s a perfect way to start off the New Year and to stay on track for what I am really striving for.

So this year create a God’s Promises Board, Happy New Year!

Where is the Love?

To some extent whether we admit it or not we are all on a quest to find love. We look for love in people, relationships, success and hobbies. Our actions are motivated by our quest for love; we change our appearance, we change our minds and we even change who we truly are all to feel the love. Media tells us that love is hard to find; so we sign up for eHarmony and Match.com to find love. We spend billions each year to lose weight and look sexy in hopes of finding love. Even Instagram has capitalized on love by using heart icons, which make us feel warm and fuzzy when people use them. Why do we believe that the love we need is scarce? That we can only create it through a romantic relationships, family and friends?

I watched this documentary once about people who have near death experiences. One woman said that when she died for a few minutes she saw the light, she felt this overwhelming feeling of love come over her, of which she had never experienced. As a result, she believes that our time here on earth is spent trying to get back to that love and filling that space in our hearts with anything we believe will get us closer. I will never forget her story. The woman continued to explain how the source of that powerful love was God and how we struggle to get back to that love our entire lives.

Real love starts within. I know it is cliché and over used but I never quite understood that until recently. Over the past year I have been having these powerful and amazing interactions with all people both new and old in my life. It was as if time spent with these people was deeper and more meaningful. I would walk away from conversations with people and they would tell me things like “I am so grateful I met you” or “This time spent has really changed my life” or “Thank you for noticing me”… really profound things. At first I just brushed it off; but then I started to notice how full my heart felt when I am truly engaged with someone and how their face lit up and the way it felt when we connected. It was as if the love was tangible like my heart was going to jump out of my chest. The more I looked to engage and have these experiences with people the more people looked to love and engage with me. And without finding a boyfriend, adopting a puppy or running to my natural family my love tank is overflowing.

I have never felt like this before in my life. I know it wasn’t the people that changed but it was my heart that changed. All the time I spent praying to God to mold me into a vessel, reading the word of God and thanking God; I finally received the heart of God. Through Christ Jesus he showed me how to protect that love by discerning things that would break my heart, or media that would instill fear. I have to be diligent about the things I feed my mind and heart because it can be just as destructive as the things I feed my body. By doing all of this I am now at a place where daily I can give and receive love without fear or scarcity.

Every day is an adventure because I never know just how much love is coming my way. I challenge you to do the same. Open your heart and allow God to mold you and get ready to receive all the love that you have been looking for.

Do you feel alone and unloved? Do you experience this type of love daily? Have you had a change of heart? Share your thoughts and comments!

Change your Heart Change your Life

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks

We cannot get away from the inner most thoughts of our hearts; whether it is good or bad the inner most matters of our heart always seem to manifest themselves in real life. Before I get super spiritual, when I say matters of the heart I mean how we deeply and truly feel about something and how we make decisions and conduct our lives accordingly. Just like trying to get in shape and lose weight our hearts constantly need to be worked on as well. We have all been around people that say “God blessed me with a new car, a new job and a new wife!” But so often we limit God to that short list of things we need him to give us instead of investing in the work he is trying to do through us. I am guilty of doing this. For years I prayed and asked God to blessed me with this and send me that. Sometimes I would get what I was praying for and then a month later I would forget who gave it to me or complain about the very thing that I asked.

We are all guilty. This year I put away my short list, it just didn't feel right anymore. I was asking God for things and circumstances that would only momentarily appease me instead of truly seeking him. It all started with my heart. What were the negative ideas, habits and thoughts that shaped my life? Why was I always in a position of lack? For starters I had to be honest about the crap that was inside my heart. I realized that I was extremely selfish; I always wanted everything focused on me; I was an instigator and loved to point out the flaws of others so I could look good; I was always seeking praise from people instead of doing what was right regardless of who was watching. There were many other issues of my heart that I had and still have that I needed to be honest about.

Once I let it all out and presented my crooked heart to God my life changed. Instead of asking God for a new job and money in my bank account every day I began to ask him to change my thoughts. Instead of asking for a man I asked God to give me the desire to serve people. Instead of asking for fame and success I asked him to diminish my selfishness so His grace and light could shine through me. It wasn't just through prayer but I had to take actions. Instead of cursing out that woman in traffic I had to shut up; instead of just loving people that loved me I had to go and love those who hated me; instead of just serving myself and my family I had to go and serve others.

The cool thing is, it worked! The evidence of our hearts is all around us; from our attitude, to the way we treat others, to the things we spend our time doing and our relationships. Every single one of those areas in my life changed. Some days, I feel so much love in my heart that it feels like it is going to burst. Of course not every day is sunshine and the things that come from my heart are not always good; but I keep striving and daily laying my imperfections at the feet of God and aligning my prayer with action. When my heart changed my life changed.

I encourage you to be honest with yourself; and instead of asking God for a list of things ask for your heart to change. Have you struggled with negative thoughts and actions? What in your life is evidence of your heart? Share your thoughts and Comments.

Spirit: I was a victim

I spent a good portion of my late teens and early twenties being hurt. I was heart broken by relationships and choices that I had made. I didn't understand why life was treating me so unfairly. I was mad at my boyfriends, parents and environment for not living up to my expectations. It was easy for me to maintain a perfection persona, if I allowed myself to be the victim of my circumstances. I wore the mask of perfection for many years but I only fooled myself. I willingly made choices that put me in circumstances where I felt as if I was a victim. I choose my friends, I maintained relationships with men that were less than ideal and I choose not to work hard enough for my goals. It was me. In order to heal I couldn't continue to blame someone for breaking my heart, I had to take responsibility for breaking my own. Its human nature to go into defense mode after we have been wounded. We say things such as:

 “He hurt me”

“She lied to me”

“I could never trust them”

“They wouldn't accept me”

However, we have to recognize the part we play in our victimization. The root cause of the problem lies in the esteem we have for ourselves. Do we believe that we are great and wonderful people? Or do we just accept what is handed to us? For so long I operated from the bottom up. I took the scraps, I was happy to receive minimal treatment from people. I couldn't articulate beyond my appearance why I was a worthy human being. That was because I found my worth in people and things instead of my God given qualities. It took a serious and purposeful series of investments in myself to bring out the self worth I now have today. Those investments included getting healthy, spending time volunteering and building a relationship with God. It was only when I removed the mirror of my worth from men and people and put it in the hands of my creator in whose image I was made in.

When we realize how beautiful, talented, special, healthy and wonderful we truly are we don't open the door to allow people to crap all over our lives, thus we don't become victims. When we understand and value our worth and we wont just let anyone come in and take that from us. God gives us discernment about people and situations that will compromise the strength and the love within us. No one is perfect and we sometimes fail and let the wrong person in, but just like cheating on a diet we have to take that responsibility. We can't be so willing to become victims for the sake of our egos.

Let's tap into a higher consciousness of our self worth and take responsibility for our destiny!

Share you thoughts. Have you ever played the victim like me? How were you able to find your inner strength and talents? What challenges do you have with letting people in your life?