Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose

Disclosure:  This post is sponsored by Faith Words.  I received a complimentary copy of Destiny to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

I was first introduced to the ministries of Bishop T. D. Jakes through my mom.  Growing up my siblings and I knew it was time to get up and get ready for church when we heard Bishop T. D. Jakes shouting "Get ready, get ready, get ready!"  My mom faithfully watched The Potter's House every Sunday morning before church when we got cable.  She has almost every book he's ever written and the songs from his Sacred Love Songs cd are forever memorized in my head from years of hearing her play them in the house and the car.  So when Faith Words reached out to me to see if I would be interested in reviewing his new book Destiny: Step into Your Purpose, of course I said yes.

If you're like me, I'm sure that many of us have often wondered what your purpose is.  I know that I've asked myself (and God) many times "Why am I here?"  Is there more to our lives than just living day to day and bills?  After all we are all put on Earth for a higher calling/deeper reason, right?  

Many of us are of tired going through life feeling like we have no true purpose.  Others of us might have already discovered what our purpose/calling is, but need help navigating this series of adventures called life in order to reach that destiny.  In Destiny, Bishop Jakes not only reminds us that we each have a predestined purpose, but he also teaches us how to uncover, achieve and protect our destiny.  And because we live in a time where it seems more and more people looking for elevator routes to living their purpose Bishop Jakes reminds us that there are no shortcuts.  We have to take the steps!

When the Bible said that we could do all things through Christ, that included letting God guide our steps and having the patience to see our journey to our destiny through.  What I love about this book and so many other books from Bishop Jakes is that he doesn't just say do this, this and this.  Instead, he provides personal stories/learned lessons and observations coupled with advice and tips.  Essentially, Destiny is a step-by-step guide for those of us who are ready to STEP into our purpose and stop going around and around in a circle or living a life of mediocrity. 

President Obama once said, "We are the authors of our own destiny."  Yes, God has purpose planned out for us already, but He gave us the freewill to either create journey that either aligns with that purpose or leads us from it.  So if you're ready to get serious and put in work (remember use the StairMaster not the elevator) to write out and step into yours, Destiny: Step into Your Purpose by Bishop T. D. Jakes is definitely a must-read for you!

About Author

T. D. Jakes is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 25 books.  His television ministry program The Potter's Touch is watched by 3.3 million viewers every week.  He has produced Grammy Award-winning music and such films as Heaven Is for Real, Sparkle, and Jumping the Broom.  A master communicator, he hosts Megafest, Woman Thou Art Loosed, and other conferences attended by tens of thousands.

You can order your copy of Destiny: Step into Your Purpose from the following retailers:

Amazon

Target

Walmart

Have you ever wondered what your destiny/purpose was? 

Taking Inventory

These last few weeks I have been taking some serious inventory of my life and were it's headed.  I'm less than two months now from delivering my second child and I'm wondering if I'm going to be in over my head?  Honestly, am I going to be able to function with 2 kids under the age of 3?  Some of my family have already made it feel like I'm going to be serving some kind of prison sentence.

They've said things like 'Oh you're really going to be stuck in the house now,' or 'How do you plan on going back to school with two kids?'  I've even been told that I'm living my life backwards.  The proper order should have been finishing college, living on my own for 5 years, establishing a career, get married, wait another five years and then have kids.  Like really who came up with this life sequence?

I don't feel like I'm living my life backwards.  Everybody has their own unique path that they must follow. I've come to realize that having two kids at the ripe age of 25 is not a death sentence like most people try to make it seem.  It was getting to point where I was actually starting to believe these people's mindsets.  Well, I have snapped out of the trance.

I can and will prove to myself and these naysayers that I can still set out to accomplish everything that I want. Just because they feel as if they had kids too young and didn't go after their dreams doesn't mean that I have to use the same excuse.  I am stepping my game up and making big moves.  I am on well on my way to being a mogul and achieving all of my dreams.

I say to any and everyone reading this that you are in charge of your destiny.  God gave us all free will for a reason.  Use yours to go after what your heart desires and improve your station in life.  Use it to become the change that you want to see and be.  Don't buy into the nonsense that people will try to sell you about you not being able to do something because you have too many kids, you're too young ,etc.

You can be and do anything that you put your mind and best effort into.  Take inventory of your life, your mindset and your actions. Then make the needed changes and get to living your best life today!!  I know that I   am!!

Stepping My Game Up

So, yesterday I turned 25 and blogged about My List of Adventures to Accomplish by my 30th birthday.  I've come to realize that I really want to make YUMMommy something special.  I want to make a name for myself.  I feel like I have the potential to be a self-made mogul.  I've always been a self-starter and a leader.

However, I'm realizing that if I'm ever going to rub elbows with the big shots then I need to seriously step my game up so that I will be prepared.  I mean I've met some basketball players, singers, stylists, etc when I worked in retail.  And I've come to realize is that all those were opportunities in which I missed out on being able to network.  Do you know I don't even have a business card?  Pitiful I know.  I mean business cards are the basics and I've slacked off on doing that.

I look at some of my friends who've gone on to chase after their dreams and I can't help but feel like I went wrong somewhere.  I mean my friend Kion is working for one of the largest PR firms in the country.  He's worked as a brand rep for Addias and had the chance to promote products with celebs like Reggie Bush.  He's successful managed to grab the attention of people like Fantasia and Tachina Arnold. Oh, did I mean he's only 24?

How did he get where he is?  He started with the basics.  He networked, exchanged numbers, read books and voiced his opinion.  I can't begin to tell you all how many great books I have here about how to get to my mogul status.  I've just procrastinated and not read any of them.  I'll start and then put it down never to return.  But what do I do? I go out and order or buy another book that pretty much tells me the same thing as the book I already have waiting on my coffee table.

Well, I'm awake and ready to take charge of my life. I want leave my legacy on this world and give my Moo and future child someone to look up to and want to be like.  I'm no longer content with just making it.  I watched my Mom just make it with us and I hated it!!!  We were always telling her that she should publish her writings, get into motivational speaking, start a business and guess what she's done none of those.  Sure, she does speaking engagements but that's only because her job as director requires her to in order to raise money for their non-profit programs.

Her writings are still collecting dust in her many notebooks she has scattered throughout the house, she still hasn't started that business she wanted either.  While I desperately want to be like my mom in so many ways, those are not some of them.  I want to be able to full my destiny and achieve the adventures on my list.  So, I've decided to brush the dust off of my self-help books and get to reading.  Also, with the help of my new found blogger bff Mommy Delicious, I ordered a lovely set of business cards from Shutterfly.

I'm even stepping the game up with my wardrobe.  I might be pregnant and a mom already, but that doesn't mean I can't look fab.  I'm hunting down new maternity clothes and even adding a little eye shadow.  I recently won some lipstick from FSL Comestics over at Silver Lips Beauty.  I am super excited to rock it to my doctor's appointment on Wednesday. I need to be prepared to run into great people.  I don't their first impression of me to be that I'm tacky or cheap.

I've even gone through the trouble of joining some great groups on Meetup.com.  It's these little changes that are going to give me the boost of confidence I need to get back in the game.  Heck just writing this post I already feel bolder and ready to take on a challenge.  Stay tuned because there is more to be continued!

5 More Days Until Christmas