Snippet of My Upcoming Book

Good Morning Loves,

I've decided to share something near and dear to my heart today. I have been working on this project off and on for about four years now. I am extremely proud of it.  It has taking me this long to come out with a second project that I could be proud of sharing with my readers. 

Drum Roll Please!!!!

I am sharing a snippet of my upcoming book due out in early 2015

"Life Lessons of Twisted Minded Christian"©October2014

This has been a labor of love and I am nervous about being vulnerable and opening up my personal journal for others to read.  I hope you enjoy it.  Please feel free to leave comments. 

Running on Fumes

            

A car can only travel so far off gas fumes, at some point you have to fill back up with gas.  

One of the most difficult times in my life was when my grandmother and uncle died with-in months of each other. My uncle had lost his battle with throat cancer.  He was the laughter in our family.  He was the jokester that made everyone smile. Even with his voice gone, he could still make people laugh with his facial expression and vibrant eyes.  The laughter never left his spirit or his eyes. He was smiling from the very end.  He died around Christmas time. I remember it so well his memorial was the same day as normal Christmas gathering.  I remember crying because he was the first of my mom sibling’s to die. He was the first person to die in our family in ten years when his son my cousin succumbed to cancer.  I made it through his passing with the love and support my friends and family.  Little did I know I would be going through the same thing in a few months?

My grandmother was the only one I had growing up. I didn’t have the pleasure to meet my maternal grandmother. She died when my mom was a teenager. I have heard great stories about her.  I really wish I could have met the women who raised my mom to be such a beautiful person.  My paternal grandmother would have turned 92 the year she passed away.  I knew she would not be with me forever. I remember the many conversations we had about her dying. She often talked about death. It was a normal thing for us.  She wasn’t a morbid person. She was the exact opposite full of life and wisdom. When she spoke, people listened. My grandmother had Alzheimer. She had it for some time. My siblings and I never noticed and our parents never mentioned it.  I am not mad they kept it a secret from me.  I don’t think I would have been able to handle it.  My dad told me at the last possible minute when he could no longer hide the fact.  I didn’t have it the worse out of my siblings.  My youngest sister worked at the nursing home my grandmother resided. My sister saw the entire progression.  My siblings and I equally took it hard.  We went from seeing this amazing woman we laughed and talk with often to her not being able to communicate with us at all.  It is very hard to look at someone trying to formulate their words but just can’t get it out.  Many families deal with this daily.  I was a ball of emotions for those few weeks I can only imagine what other families have been going through for years.

I was going through all of this while working an emotionally taxing job and feeling unsettle within myself.  I was struggling with my creative being and the person others thought I should be.  Although I really enjoyed my job, I didn’t love it. I was looking for a way out. My mind and spirit had taken all it could take with these two deaths.  I could hear my spirit screaming at me saying, “REST” but I kept moving and pressing forward.  I didn’t even realize I had quit doing my job until my boss walked in and handed me my walking papers.  I didn’t cry. I think I breathed a sigh of relief.  Finally someone had recognized I had run out of gas and I was stuck in the middle of the road. As I think about it now, I wonder how I made it that long at that job. I was driving over an hour away from home. 

Around this same time, my Pastor encouraged the church to read and study Psalms 23.  When I read it, the passage opened my eyes to what I needed in my life. I needed rest. 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. Ps23:2

Psalms 23 verse 2 states, “He will make you lie down in green pastures”, spoke volumes to me.  I needed to lie down in green pastures, to look up at the clouds and point out different shapes to just enjoy life.  After I was fired, I tried to volunteer at church. I wasn’t a good volunteer. My mind and heart was just not into it. I wanted to do nothing. I didn’t want to think about anything. I just want to be still and listen to the silence.  I needed to breathe in fresh air.  I realized with this scripture God was giving me permission to rest.  He was giving me the thumbs up to chill and relax. 

Many times as adults, we are constantly on the move. We have deadlines to meet and goals to reach. We are always on the go that we don’t even recognize when we are running on fumes. During my time of respite, I learned so many valuable lessons. One was to create a system which allows me to time rest and enjoy life. I refocused my energy on things that were purposeful and meaningful to me.  In this period of time, I decided not to go back to a 9-5 to job but to pursue my dreams of writing full time.  This decision gave me the freedom I so desired and the creative outlet I needed in my life.  If God had not made me rest in the meadows grass I would not discovered my true purpose and passion.

Today my challenge is for everyone to take 5 minutes to rest their spirits, clear their mind and enjoy the beautiful scenery God has created for us.  I don’t want to hear any excuses about not having time.  I’ve learned we make time for the things which are important to us.  Besides, it is five minutes! Shouldn’t our spiritual and mental state of mind be important to us?  Don’t be afraid; Take my challenge and journal about the experience. I promise it will change your life! ©October2014

Do You Have a Story or Snippet of Story You Want To Share? Email us at phatskinnychic@gmail.com