20 Life Lessons Proverbs Taught Me

This post is sponsored by Front Gate Media and B & H Publishing Group.  Product for this post was provided.

When it comes to life lessons and wisdom, Proverbs is like the ultimate roadmap.  It's filled with so many life lessons to help us tackle some of life's everyday challenges and to help build great character.   King Soloman prayed to God for wisdom and God granted his request.  Soloman then compiled some of that wisdom into the book that is Proverbs.

Going Beyond The Reef With Moana

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Walt Disney Studios.  We attended a complimentary screening of Moana to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are our own.

Dubbed the "ultimate anti-princess movie" by Time Magazine, the kids and I have been waiting for what feels like forever for Disney's Moana to hit theaters.  Well, our wait is finally over because Moana is finally here!  Now usually have a rule about not having family movie nights (outside of the house) on school nights.  However when we got invited to attend an early screening right here in Charlotte, I knew that I couldn't pass this opportunity up.

Why all of the hype and excitement?

Diversity matters.  No this is NOT up for debate.  While Moana is Polynesian, she's still a brown girl/girl of color.  As a multiracial woman and mom of color raising children of color, I will ALWAYS be here for supporting inspiring movies and stories about main characters of color.  This movie is not only a win for Polynesians but brown people everywhere!  The first thing Moo pointed out about Moana when she saw the first colored illustrations of Moana, was that Moana had light skin like her and curly/wavy hair.

Our children need to see the diversity of our world represented in movies, television shows, books and other forms of media.  Because again, diversity matters.  Also, this type of diversity opens up the door for us to talk about, research and experience different cultures.  And I'm firmer believer that more we open ourselves and our families up to those who are different from us, the better we can fight ignorance when it comes race and ethnicity.

Not a damsel in distress + life lessons

While Moana is considered a "Disney Princess" Moana herself sets the record straight.  She and Maui, a demigod, are sailing across the open sea when he makes the mistake of referring to her as princess in a way that hints that she's a damsel in distress.  "I'm not a princess," she fires back.  While there's nothing wrong with being a princess, I felt like this scene was so powerful young girls.  Watching it I wanted scream "You go girl.  Let him know!"

She's daughter of Chief Tui and future chieftess of Motonui.  She's strong, brave, smart, head strong and determined.  She is NOT a damsel in distress.  She does NOT need Prince Charming to sail up on his shiny white boat to save her.  In fact, it's just the opposite.  Moana actually the one who tries to do the saving as she heads out beyond the reef to search for Maui to help save her people and their island.

And as much as I love a great romance, I was so glad that there were no romantic elements in this movie as far as the main characters were considered.  For a while I was concerned that they were going to have her ending up in love with the demigod.  This is NOT a spoiler as Disney and the stars of the movie have already revealed and made it clear that Moana is not the typical princess movie and there will be no smooching going on.

Secondly, I appreciated that Moana was so much more than a story of a 16-year old trying to save her people.  It was about teaching us how to go beyond the reef.  Casting aside our fear and safety nets to go outside of our comfort zones.  This was story about the importance of passing down the history our ancestors to our children and encouraging them to do the same with their children.

Maui taught us that even the strongest warrior can be crippled fear/doubt.  However, it's up to us to defeat that fear or that doubt so that we can rise up to our full potential.  Also, Maui taught us that it's important to remain humble and not sacrifice our integrity trying to be people pleasers.

Culturally stimulating and rich

 I'm going to be honest and admit that Moana was everything that I had hoped Princess Tiana would be.  Don't get me wrong, The Princess and the Frog will always be in my Top 3 when it comes to Disney Princess movies.  But . . . I really wished Disney had made Tiana a true African princess, left Prince Naveen where he was at and delved more into the richness and uniqueness of African cultures.

Like mentioned earlier diversity matters, but so representation.  While we're not Polynesian, we did feel immersed in the Polynesian culture.  From the music, to the dancing and mythology, everything felt so rich and authentic.  We truly loved getting an inside look at what their culture looks like.  It's so much more than hula dancers and floral necklaces.

Just learning that Maui the island was named after Maui the demigod was educational for me.  Since watching the movie, I've actually been googling Polynesian culture and mythology to learn more.   At the end of the day seeing Moana gives me hope that Disney will go to the drawing board in future give us another African princess movie that will really delve into the richness of African cultures.

Great cast

Dewayne Johnson aka The Rock is like a Disney pro by now.  Prior to this movie, he's worked with Disney twice - The Game Plan and Race to Witch Mountain.  Couple that with that fact that he's Polynesian and was born and raised in Hawaii, he was the perfect choice and fit for Maui.  And when I say you guys are going to be pleasantly surprised by his singing chops, I mean it.  Like he's been holding out on us.

We knew he had acting chops, but who knew he had such jazzy and smooth baritone?!  I would love to see him do another animated film with singing or even take a stab at Broadway.

Did you guys know that Auli'i Cravalho, also Polynesian, was 14 years old when she started recording the vocals for her role as Moana?!  She turned 16 today!  Happy Birthday Auli'i!  She truly nailed Moana.  I've heard so many seasoned adult actors talk about how much harder it is to narrate an animated movie than it is to do a live action movie.

Why?  Well, because in a live action movie, there's a set, other actors, costumes, makeup and the whole shabang to help them get into their role.  When you're narrating or voicing over animation it's often times just the actor in a box watching the characters on the screen.  There are no props, wardrobe or set to help your mind slip into character easily.  I truly admire Auli'i for being able to master this at the age of 14.  I mean she delivers her lines like a pro and her singing voice is amazing.

 Overall Moana was and is an amazing movie.  We laughed, we (mainly I) cried.  The kids were mesmerized from the start to the finish.  We all left feeling inspired, motivated, empowered and most of all proud.  Disney knocked it out of the park with this.  Moana hits theaters on November 23rd and we encourage you purchase tickets for your family to see it.

5 Activities I Want To Make More Time For

Have you ever found yourself wishing there were more hours in a day?  I guess twenty-four of them isn't already plenty enough, right?  Wrong.  As I get older, I'm learning to get my priorities together.  When it comes feeling like I "need" more time to do the activities that I really want to do more often, I've decide to cut out the fluff/extra that I can do without.  Instead, here are five activities that I plan on indulging in on a more consistent basis.

Source: CreateHER Stock

Travel

Traveling and exploring new areas have always been a passion of mine.  I remember going to visit my mom's family up North at least once a year when before I hit my teenage years.  One of my favorite trips is when we drove straight to New Orleans to pick up my older sister from college for Christmas break.  We had stopped at a hotel halfway there because of a storm, but the room we had rented was so filthy, my mom demanded her money back.

We were six deep- two adults and four kids- in my mom's trusty and faithful burgundy minivan cruising the highway with a hurricane advisory out.  However, my mom was determined to get to her oldest baby and we did.  What stands out most for me on that trip are all the laughs we had, the wonder of seeing several states and cities for the first time and how God watched out for us.  We avoided several twisters on the way back home and had to dodge more than one fallen tree.

Traveling for me is about uncovering new adventures, making memories and bonding with those I love.  I want to my kids and watch the wonderment on their faces as we discover new places together.  I want them to experience different cultures and see that what the world has to offer.

Crochet

My love for crochet started when I was about nine years old.  My mother is uber crafty.  She can draw, she can paint, she's can sew and she can crochet.  I remember watching her make a granny square blanket and I wanted to so badly to be able to crochet.  She tried teaching me, but for whatever reason, I couldn't get the hang of it.  A few years later I stumbled across some holiday craft books (from Good Housekeeping, I think) and they had step by step picture tutorials on how to do single crochet.

I found my mom's yarn stash and some old crochet hooks.  She was out of town on a business trip for a week.  I was determined to be crocheting by the time she returned.  Night and day I sat for hours with those books, my yarn and crochet hooks.  Guess what?  I had made my first scarf by the time she came home that Sunday evening.

I've been getting busy on my hooks ever since.  Last year, I upped my skills and taught myself how to make graphghans!  Crocheting relaxes me and it helps me to feel close to my mom now that I no longer live at home.  It's something that we can do together whether we're together or not.  Not to mention, there are tons of crochet groups on Facebook and I've formed some wonderful bonds within those groups.

Family Date Nights

Family means more to me than anything.  I've witnessed what happens when family bonds aren't cherished, celebrated and valued.  When my dad split, I admired my mom's commitment to keeping up our Family Date Nights.  She purchased board games, took advantage of movie rental discounts and saved enough money that we could eat out at least once a month.

One our links might have been missing, but our family chain stayed strong.  I looked forward to these nights, especially during the rough spots.  It's during these nights that we each let our guards down and allowed ourselves to be vulnerable.  There is a lot to be said about the effect that making time to have fun together as a family unit can have on children as well as parents.   

I want my kids to know that relationships between parents and kids isn't all about who bosses who.  It's finding joy in spending time together, making memories, showing support, having fun, and loving without conditions.

Source: CreateHER Stock

Local Blogger/Creatives Meetups

Can be honest and say that blogging and writing have left me feeling really lonely this year.  While I have made some AMAZING blog friendships, none of those people live remotely close to me.  I'm not ashamed to say that I don't feel like I've found my blogging tribe locally.  There are a few local groups that I've dabbled in, but I end up feeling like the Black blogger out.

It's been a struggle to find and connect with other bloggers of color in my niche that live in my area.  However, my mama didn't raise a quitter.  I'm dusting myself off, stepping up to plate and taking action.  My goal is to attend more local blogging/creative events and next year I'm going to make time to host a few meetups of my own.  Sometimes you've got to put out the call (like a bat signal) and see who answers it.

My goal is to find a few partners in crime that I can meet with monthly or whenever to brainstorm, network, pitch brands and just support each other in anyway possible.

Christian Fellowship

One of the major aspects of my life that keeps me grounded is my faith.  I can't even begin to tell y'all how many times I've heard people say they believe in God, but they don't need to go to church or be around other Christians.  And that's cool.  To each her/his own.  We all have to make our own choices including those involving our faith journeys.

However, I'm firm believer that birds of a feather should flock together.  The same way you would hang out with Oprah if you're trying to become a business mogul, is the same way you should put in the effort to surround yourself with people who share your same beliefs/faith.  I can't speak for other Christians, but  I want the kind of Christian fellowship talked about in Acts 2:42-47:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

To be breaking bread, growing, making a difference in the world and having favor sounds pretty awesome to me.  This year I've slacked on going to church and being involved in church.  I'm not one of those holier than thou types, but I do recognize my need to have consistent fellowship with other young Christians.  In a world full of temptation, danger, doubt and hate, I need that recharge and faith renewal that comes from a gathering of two or more with God in the midst (Matthew 18:20).  

I need to be surrounded by people I can trust to pour into the right things when my tank is low.  Likewise, I want to be of service and be able to pour into others when their tanks are low.

So no more excuses.  No more wasting time on non-important stuff.  I'm making the time for these activities because at the end of the day they matter.  They all play a crucial role in my happiness, my purpose and my well-being.

What's one thing that you want to start carving out time or more time for?

5 Truths To Share With Our Children Everyday

Today, I'm sharing 5 truths to share with our children everyday thanks to a little help from my Word Play board on Pinterest.  As a parents, it's very important that we teach our children life lessons and truths on a daily basis.  After all how else will they learn these morals, values and code ethics?  My mission as a mom for 2014 is to make sure that Moo and JJ know the following not just because I tell them, but because I'm living it:

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Pinterest

For some us, we think that just telling our children that we love them everyday is enough.  While I agree that we should verbalize our affection for our children, love in its true form is a verb.  I hit on this point several times in my Bible 365 posts last year.  God defines love as the actions we perform for others.  

Before my dad left, I never questioned whether he loved me or not as a child.  It wasn't because he told me.  I was and never will be big on lip service.  I needed to see to proof.  And for a few years, he did just that.  He showed up to science fairs, taught me about cooking and even brushed my hair on occasions.  There was even one year when my mom was out of town for Halloween, he got creative and made all of costumes out of things around the house.

That for me was him showing love.  And I strive to do the same for my children.  I see a lot of myself in Moo.  Lip service doesn't do it for her either.  I never want her wondering if I love her now or even years down the line when she's, married and has a family of her own.  I want to be conscious to show her and JJ what love and loving others is all about through personal example.  No do as I say and not as I do here.

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Pinterest

Taking the easy way out is for cowards.  No ifs, ands or buts about it.  When it comes to doing the right things, we should be teaching our kids to not even question it.  The best example, I can give is that we see all of these videos on the internet and tv of how crowds of young kids and teenagers will gather around to record fights and other nonsense, but nobody ever does the right thing by going to get an adult or calling the police.

I don't want that to be my children.  One day they may be in the position where they are getting bullied and I hope that their peers doesn't just there and watch or worst cheer on the bully.  At the end of the day, aren't we, the parents, responsible for instilling good values and morals into children?  Aren't we suppose to be teaching them right from wrong starting at day one?  Don't wait until Bobby is 15 to teach him that using his fists to solve problems is wrong.  Show kids the right way by your example. 

I tell you right now, if I see something wrong going down, I call the proper authorities.  At the end of the day, not only do I have my kids watching my reaction, but I have a conscience that I have to answer to when all is said and done.  Hopefully, with enough a practice doing what is right will become easier instead of doing what easy becoming more right in their minds.

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Pinterest

Kindness sometimes seems like a foreign language in today's society.  And that is sad.  Actually this is beyond sad.  So many of us are like the strangers from the story of Good Samaritan who passed the beaten and dehydrated man left to die by the road side.

Kindness doesn't take much or a situation that drastic.  Just the act of smiling at those you pass or speaking a friendly hello when you enter a room filled with people is showing kindness.  There are numerous ways that we can teach our kids about being kind to others.   Need a few ideas?  Check out the Random Acts of Kindness website: www.randomactsofkindness.org.

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Pinterest

Whether good or bad, every moment in life is meant to be enjoyed.  Every moment we have in our lives will show us just how blessed we are.  And that we should enjoy and take pride in.  Enjoying every moment also means taking the to enjoy the people and/or places that are a part of those moments. 

This year I am definitely striving more to be in the moment with my family and enjoying the memories we're making.  There will be times when memories of those moments will be all that have.

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Pinterest

Besides the Bible, the second most powerful set of words are the the words we tell ourselves.  Not only can our words have power over others, but they have power over us for sure.  Negative affirmations reap negative rewards.  Start telling yourself and reminding your children to tell themselves 5 positives traits they like about themselves everyday for a month.  The transformation will be awesome.

When we tell ourselves that we can, we do it!  Let your children see  you speaking your positives into existence.  (Don't forget to back that speech up with a little action too!)

What is one truth or life lesson that you share with your child?

P.S.- Don't forget to link up for Motherhood Monday over on the FB page.

Life Gets Hard

When were young, we couldn't wake to be adults.  Now that we're adults, some of us can't wait until somebody invents a time machine and we can turn back the clock and be teens again.  I've been feeling the stresses of being an adult lately.  In the mist of trying to get prepared to celebrate my third wedding anniversary (which was Monday), life decided to deal me a few lemons.

It all started on Sunday at 1:28 AM.  The kids were in bed sleeping and I was on my way to join them in dream land.  The Mr was at work as usual.  Just I'm finally drifting off into a peaceful slumber, I hear a crash and the sound of breaking glass.  Immediately, I shoot up straight out of bed and hit the panic button our alarm system.  

It was not a drill folks, somebody had indeed just busted out our bedroom window where the kiddies and I were sleeping.  It all happened so fast.  I thought that my heart was going to explode because it was beating so fast.  My legs and hands were shaking but in the back in my mind I just kept telling myself to stay calm because I had two kids to protect should the vandal decide to hurl his/her body through the window next. 

I gathered up the kids and put them in the living room. Called 911 and the alarm company to make sure that police were on the way. They were.  I called my husband at work and told him what happened and the he needed to come home right away.  I phoned our landlord and left her voicemail telling her what happened and that we would like to speak to her as soon as possible about getting the window fixed.

During all of this the same vandal launched a huge stone through our neighbors bedroom window as well.  Initially, I thought they were trying to break out our kitchen window.  At that point I had already armed myself with my trusty steel baseball bat.  I had every intention of taking the intruder's head off when they stuck it through the window.  Sadly, they got away before the police came and because the neighbors didn't have their back porch light on we didn't get a good luck at who it was.

Now, let me state for the record that we live in a mixed income neighborhood.  There are several families, an nice apartment complex and a park in area.  Our street is pretty much quiet and everybody is pretty friendly and keeps to themselves. There is a police sub station less than five minutes away.  That being said, I believe wholeheartedly that whoever targeted our apartment was not a resident of our neighborhood.

Anyways, you would think that our landlord would immediately call us once she got our voicemail.  At the very least, you'd think that she'd want to see if any other damages were caused and to see if we or the neighbors were hurt.  Nope.  We don't hear anything from her.  Instead, we hear from her nephew who she sends to make sure we have boarded up the window and to tell the neighbors to board up their windows.

Like really?!  So, at that point the Mr is pissed off because it's obvious that she knows what happened but has not tried to reach out to us personally.  She decides on Monday.  The Mr tells us her that we were not pleased to have not heard from her and asks when she will send someone out to look at the window for repairs?

Y'all guess what her reply was?  She had the nerve to tell him that we were responsible for the window and that it was her belief that my husband had broken the window due to us having a dispute!  Are you kidding me?  I promise you, I can't make this stuff up.  Like lady we've seen you all of five times, two of those times my husband was not home.  She doesn't know us well enough to make assumptions about issues within our marriage.

More importantly, if I was having any kind of dispute with my husband, I'm sure I would have told that to the cops and the neighbors would have told it to them as well.  Long story short she is refusing to fix the window.  And I started to let this bother me and put me in a negative space.  I was a little happy when we moved in here because it seemed like she didn't have any problems with making repairs.  However, I see that was clearly a front.

And I don't do fronts, fakes or phonies!  But I kept my cool.  You see, my faith is stronger than it was at the beginning of this year.  I prayed on it and asked God to not let me moved by the situation because I knew He would work it out for our good.  And you know what, He is. 

Since, our landlord won't listen to us or go by the terms of the lease that pretty much state in plain English that she is responsible for all repairs, except in cases of negligence, we decided to get the city involved.  They sent out a code inspector today and he assured us that here in QC landlords are responsible for all repairs even in cases of negligence.  That's what security deposits are for.  And if damage done under negligence does exceed the amount of the security deposit, they have to take the tenant to small claims court for the difference.

In the words of Tamar Braxton, "Won't He do it?!!"  She now has 60 days to get the window repaired along with some other issues the code inspector found inside and underneath the apartment.  This has taught me that I truly don't have to fight every battle.  God is more than willing to step in and send the right resources our way at the right time.

All it takes is maintaining the faith and not allowing yourself to be moved.  Life gets hard, but my faith is becoming harder.  It's morphing into an impenetrable force field.  I only have one life to live and I will not live it stressing about the hardships that will I encounter along the way.

Acting Accordingly



If there is one thing that motherhood is teaching me, it is that time is precious.  Each minute or hour I spent doing other things that take me away from kids is value time that could have been spent playing cars with JJ or snuggling with Moo.  It's time in which I could miss out on an important milestone.  And if there's anything that watching my Aunt G brave her health condition has taught me is that life itself is too precious to waste.

I admire Aunt G's no nonsense approach to life.  She truly doesn't have time for bull and takes no shit from anybody.  She's quiet and reserved but gives off this air that let's you know she's nothing to play with!  I love how she's always been able to live her life doing what she wanted.  She's not afraid to say no and not think twice about changing her answer no matter who it is or how much they nag.

She doesn't those people or situations that don't benefit her in some way (emotional, physical, etc) the time of day.  And when she has something to say, she tells it like it is and to your face.  Being back home has put a fire back under me to stay on track and live my life on my terms.  I have only been given one life.  Sadly, I've spent too much time already living the life that others have wanted for me because it benefited them.

I had my whole adult life planned out by the time I was 16.  I knew what kind of career I wanted to have, the college I would attend and where I wanted to live.  Somewhere between then and the present I allowed myself to get lost.  I've found myself a few times along the way but in the end I've seemed to always get sidetracked by some scheme that pulls at my heartstrings.  I put what I want on hold knowing that opportunities are probably once in a lifetime because of others.

And do you know how those people repay me?  Some have acted like straight up asses, while others continue to be inconsiderate, unappreciative and nonsupportive.  Well, it's time for me to start acting accordingly.  I'm taking a page from my Aunt G and letting go of those situations and people who do not benefit me or my family.

I'm getting back in touch with the 16 year old me and the plans that I had made for my life.  I'm saying no to things that aren't worth missing time with my kids.  I'm rid of friends and family members who toxic and who only know me when they need something.  I'm aligning myself with a new group of people.  People who are about something and not just going along with the flow because it's the road most traveled.

I'm ready for change.  I crave it.  I desire it.  I think about how different my life would be with it.  I dream about it at night.  It's just calling to me.  And I think it's about damn time that I give in.

I took a leap starting this blog.  I took a huge leap becoming a mommy.  And I'm going to take another huge leap by falling back in love with myself and chasing after my dreams.  I may have to leave a few people behind, but at this point I am okay with that.  I know that anything and anyone that gets removed from life will be for a reason.  It's lonely at the top except for those select few who stay loyal to you and God.

But the only thought that keeps going through my mind is that I'm ready to act accordingly and live MY life!

A Mother's Day Reflection

It's hard to believe that this time last year I was 36 weeks pregnant with a 2 year old and a husband.  This Mother's Day, I have a healthy baby boy added to the mix.  I would like to say that since last year motherhood has been a bed of roses.  That would be a lie and very misleading.

However, as I sit here and think about journey as a mom the things that stick out for me the most are the days I gave birth, my children's first words, their first holidays, trips to Grandma's house, etc.  Don't get me wrong, I still have memories of days when I was overwhelmed, trips to the ER and all that other less than stellar stuff.  It just doesn't outweigh the rewarding parts of being a mom and that for me is the greatest part of motherhood.

The truth about being a mom is that having children will change your life forever.  But at the end of the day, you're shaping a life, creating memories that will melt your heart and leaving a living legacy for the world!  The gamble of becoming a mom has been worth more than any worldly possession.  I'm awed, humbled and grateful everyday for Moo and Bud.

The greatest magic trick on Earth is producing life.  And God blessed me to able to perform not once but twice.  After losing my niece a few months ago, I don't need a reminder as to how precious life and being a mom is.

So, to all you moms, mommies-to-be and those considering motherhood, know that the risk is worth it!

Choosing Happiness

These past few months, I've been going through an emotional roller coaster.  I've had deal with a lot regarding sickness within my family.  I'm also in the process of trying to solidify myself as an extraordinary freelance writer as well as working on expanding the YUMMommy brand.  Then pile on being a mom of two, a wife and a domestic diva.  You could say that I have my hands quite full.

While, I started off strong at some point over the summer everything just kind of started to take its toll on me.  I found myself lacking true happiness.  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't bummed all the time.  There were moments when I was excited or anxious and even moments when I felt ok.  And I'd been asking myself "why can't I feel happy?"

So, after a few weeks of asking myself that question, I decided to pray.  For me prayer is a place I turn to for comfort, help, and understanding.  Anyways, last night I was reading Live Your Best Life Now for Moms by Joel Osteen when I stumbled across this:

Starting right this moment, I'm choosing happiness.  I'm not going to allow the negative and stressful things, people and situations get to me.  I have made the conscious decision to take back my joy.  We only get one life to live and I don't want to look back on my younger years and think about all the moments, I didn't truly get to enjoy.

I know that my stumbling across that passage was not a mistake but a message from God.  And I hear Him loud and clear.

What is it that you choose today?  Happiness, joy, love...?

Winning in Troubled Times

Whether we like it or not, we are indeed in troubled times.  Our economy is unstable, unployment rates are on the rise, major companies are going broke and let's not even talk about the big oil spill that just recently occurred.  It's time like these when we all need to be dependent on God more than ever.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to imply that the only time we need to rely on Him is when we are need.  What I'm saying is that we need to use our time of need as an avenue to deepen the relationship we already have with Him and the Bible.

As soldiers for Christ, we're going to come across a boatload of hardships, storms and rough times.  However, if we have the right tools, skills and mindset we will emerge victorious and stronger than we were before.  Now, I've always been a fan, supporter or whatever you want to call it of Dr. Creflo Dollar's ministry.  There are so many preachers out there who have made it to 'Christian Hollywood' and the fame and money has become their main focus.   Dr. Dollar is not like that.

I first started watching his sermons on TBN when I was like fourteen years old.  And I just felt touched by the messages he was preaching.  At first it felt strange because most teens aren't exactly eager to get into the Word.  But I made a conscious choice to turn my life over to Christ at a young age and to live right as best I could.  So, on Sundays when my mother would gather us all up to sit in the living room and watch his sermons unlike my siblings who weren't too happy, I would be setting on the edge of my seat hanging on to every word Dr. Dollar said.

My childhood was rough and my family didn't have a lot.  And I desperately wanted to change my curcumstances and God was a way maker and miracle worker from what I'd read in the Bible and heard from other Christians.  So, I wanted to learn how to be a good servant and how to walk right and make my faith stronger.  Listening to his sermons it seemed as if someone had told him all our problems and he was trying to teach us how to speak to our mountains.

Well, here I am ten years later battling new issues and trying to move taller mountains as an adult, mom  and soon to be wife.  I have to admit that my relationship with God isn't as strong as it should be but I'm working on fixing that.  Winning in Troubled Times: God's Solutions for Victory Over Life's Toughest Challenges by Dr. Creflo Dollar has motivated and enlightened me.  As God's child I don't have to suffer.  I can be victorious and live the life I've always dreamed.

In his book, Dr. Dollar shows us how we all can be winners during these and future times of trouble or need through lessons about trusting God no matter what, living the God wants us to have, dealing with our sins head on and so much more.  Reading this book has just renewed my outlook and my determination to get back on track and stay on track.  I don't have to be a victim of my current curcumstances.  I can rise above them and you can rise above your curcumstances too.  Whatever they may be, God can make them better. 

I highly recommend this book to everyone-believers and non-believers.  Dr. Dollar isn't just quoting scriptures here or rattling off commandments.  He actually gives personal and private examples from his past life and shares with you how he became the success man he is today.  He shares the journey he and his family made from being thousands of dollars in debt, stressed beyond belief to being blessed and highly favored.  I'd also like to encourage you all to visit his websites to learn more about his ministry for yourselves.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Creflo_Dollar

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creflo-A-Dollar/72063929429

Official Website http://www.creflodollarministries.org/events/WinningInTroubledTimes/

Don't be content to lose the battle when you could be winning!