25Jan

Start Where You Are

Your health is in YOUR hands. So at some point, friends, you have to decide. You have to decide that you love yourself enough to care for your temple. You have to decide that you are worth it. You have to decide that you won’t accept sickness and disease.  And once you make that decision you’ve got to act on it. And it doesn’t have to be super complicated. You can simply start where you are.

 

DO WHAT YOU CAN, WHERE YOU ARE, WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

 

This is the second in a 5 part series on Getting Healthy, Staying Healthy. If you missed part 1, “Do I Need To Get Healthy?”, you can find it HERE.

 

So here’s your formula for starting where you are.

 

STOP

What has God already told you to STOP doing? Did He say stop eating candy? Did you say stop going through the drive through for fast food? The most simple place you can start is with what He already told you to stop. 

 

KNOW

What do you need to know? You need an accurate assessment of your current health. When was the last time you had a full physical? When was the last time you had the full battery of blood work? Do you have a copy of the lab report? Know where you are. Ask your doctor plenty of questions. 

 

Know which foods trigger you. What causes you bloating? What causes you swelling? What causes you irritability? What makes your mouth itch? Identify those items and AVOID them. Why are you eating things that you know make you feel bad? You are not a slave to your taste buds. They should not have that degree of control over your life. Know which life situations trigger you so you can avoid them or erect boundaries so that you can protect your mental and emotional well-being. 

 

GO

What has God already told you to START doing? Did He say drink more water? Did He say go for a walk daily? Did He day commit to your devotional time? Obey and be consistent in the things He’s already told you.

 

This isn’t super deep nor is it super spiritual but it is practical and it is effective. So do it.

 

START NOW!

 

Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be. Job 8:7

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

13Jan

Do I Need To Get Healthy?

While the health & wellness industry is a multi-trillion dollar industry we are sicker and fatter than ever before. In the last 2 years, life expectancy in the U.S. declined while obesity skyrocketed. 

 

So we can see that putting all our hope in quick fixes, pills or trends is not the answer (Baby them waist beads are cute and the waist trainer has you snatched while you’re wearing it but those are not long term solutions). We’ve been purchasing more wellness drinks, scheduling more self-care time, taking more supplements and going keto & alkaline yet we are still suffering.

 

Here’s one thing I know. Gimmicks are not going to work. Diets alone aren’t going to work. Joining a gym alone is not going to fix it. We must take a holistic approach to our overall wellness by nurturing the mind, body & spirit. These 3 areas are inextricably linked so our healing and our wellness must take a multi-pronged approach.

 

Why do I need to get healthy you ask?

 

~So you can enjoy the fullness of life. Your ability to enjoy life is severely hampered when you are not in good health.

~So you can take full advantage of all that you’ve worked hard for. If you work, work, work but are sick, sick, sick, you’re unable to fully reap the rewards of your labor.

~So you can take delight in new experiences. If you don’t have good health, you’re less apt to want to try new things, to go places or take on new adventures.

~So you can go back to doing the things that used to make you happy. Maybe you used to run but now your inflammation is so bad you just stopped. Maybe you used to dance but you don’t anymore. Maybe you used to sing but you don’t anymore. It’s time to get back to living!

 

But it all boils down to you deciding. There’s no other way around it. Either you’re choosing to do things that support life or you’re choosing things which promote death.

 

Yeah, I know we’re all going to die at some point as death is one of the only certainties we have in this life. But I’m surely not going to speed up the process of getting there.

 

I don’t know about you, but I intend to live a vibrant healthy life. I want to enjoy my time with my husband and children. One day I want to play with my grandchildren. I want to travel. I want to wake up daily feeling invigorated and not complaining of aches and pains as soon as my feet hit the floor. But there are many things that are ebbing away at our ability to live healthy. Lack of movement, poor nutrition, and environmental toxins are taking a massive toll on our health. So we need to address this head on. The buck stops here.

 

I am committed to being part of the solution, but are you?

 

Perhaps you made a declaration that THIS would be your year to get healthy. Well I want to partner with you in making it happen. This is the first in a 5 part series on Getting Healthy, Staying Healthy. You will be armed with the information you need to set you on the course of prosperous health. And let me go ahead now and give you the heads up, living healthy is an inside out job. So pray now to prepare yourself. And over the next few weeks, apply the information that I share and with consistency you will see and experience the fruit of LIVING FULLY!

 

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2:2

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

04Jan

How To Live The Life You Desire

Living the life you desire is possible but it’s going to require something of you. 

 

Do you want to be healthy? Do you desire financial success? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to be free of that stronghold? All of these things are possible but will require you to make some changes.

 

Sometimes people fear change because they think it is going to be too hard.  But let me tell you, staying in the same rut is hard.  In fact the pain of staying the same is actually greater than the pain of change.

 

If you want to see something different, you have to do something different. Unfortunately, many people have gotten too comfortable with living in lack. They’ve become too accustomed to pain, trauma and living with just enough. But that doesn’t have to be your story. 

 

You can begin living the life you desire by evoking change in three areas.

 

YOUR HEART

Your heart is the wellspring of life and everything you think, say and do stems from what is in your heart. So we must do some excavation to uncover what’s in our hearts. Ask the Lord to search your heart (Psalm 139:23). Ask the Lord to clean your heart (Psalm 51:10). And be mindful to guard your heart (Proverbs 4:20-23).

 

YOUR MIND

The mind is truly the battlefield. You must remain vigilant to not allow thoughts to run rogue through your mind. Your enemy is very cunning and likes to sow seeds of doubt, discouragement and deception. Amidst his wiley ways, you have the ability to put on the mind of Christ. You have the power to take your thoughts captive and bring them into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The mind that was in Christ Jesus can also be in you (Philippians 2:5). So regulate your thoughts, renew your mind and think on things that align with the truth of God’s word.

 

YOUR ACTIONS

With your heart and mind in alignment with the truth of God’s word you are ready to take action! Remember, the word of God tells us faith without works is dead (James 2:26) so you must put some effort in to reap the life you desire. God is working in you to will and to act for His purpose (Philippians 2:!3) and you can accelerate that by partnering with God and taking action. 

 

If you want to lose weight, take action. Eat less sugar, manage your stress, and start walking. Take action.

 

If you want to go back to school, take action. See which schools offer your major. Decide if you want on campus or virtual. Figure out the financing. Schedule a call with the office of student affairs. Take action.

 

If you want to grow spiritually, take action. Put your phone away. Wake up early. Go on a fast. Open your bible. Pray in the spirit. Listen to worship music. Spend time in nature. Cry out to God. Take action!

 

Friends, change is not super deep. It’s simply you making a decision that enough is enough and committing to doing things differently. 

 

 No more waiting for the perfect time

 No more waiting until you have it all figured out

 No more blaming other people

 No more making excuses 

 

Day by day you are putting off the old self and day by day God is renewing you (Ephesians 4:22-24) so walk boldly in the opportunities that each new day presents to live the life you desire.

 

No excuses. No delay. It’s go time! And if you need a jumpstart, support and accountability in living the life you desire, join me for the 2022 Fully Focused Fast. This fast will set you on the trajectory for living the abundant life you deserve. CLICK HERE to register today!

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

29Dec

10 Tips for a Successful 2022

You set the trajectory for your year.

 

With your beliefs and behaviors you choose what will be.

 

Determine in your heart right now that 2022 is going to be a GREAT year and back that up with action.

 

So here are 10 tips that will assist you in ensuring 2022 will be filled with love, joy, hope, health, success and prosperity.

 

  1. READ GOD”S WORD – To discern the will of God and to be sure you are walking in it, you must read His word. Daily make a commitment to reading, studying and meditating on His word.
  2. BREATH DEEPLY – Flat out most people don’t breathe deeply. We’ve never been taught. And LIFE truly is in the breath. Every cell in your body needs oxygen to survive. So make it a habit to try to do focused breathing from the diaphragm at least 3 times per day (until you work up to doing it rote). 
  3. STAY HYDRATED – By the time you think you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Even mild dehydration causes irritability, moodiness, and brain fog. Hydration affects your elimination pathways (bowels, skin, lungs, kidneys, liver)
  4. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT – As a man thinketh, so is he (Proverbs 27:3). You must be mindful of the thoughts that are roaming free in your head. If the thoughts do not align with the TRUTH of God’s word, you must take them captive and cast them out! Think on things that are lovely, honorable, praiseworthy and true.
  5. SPEAK LIFE – And while you are thinking on truth, make sure you are speaking truth and life. Life and death are in your mouth so SPEAK LIFE!
  6. GET SOME SLEEP – The benefits of sleep are too numerous to name here but suffice it to say, your brain works better, you’ll feel better and even your weight is better managed with adequate sleep. Devise a sleep hygiene regime that involves winding down, turning off devices, bathing and calming the mind. 
  7. MOVE YOUR BODY – Your body was designed for movement. In fact, some body systems like the lymphatic system which is responsible for eliminating toxins are only activated with movement. Walking, dancing, exercising, playing with children are all great ways to move the body.
  8. EAT REAL FOOD – There’s no way around this one. Seek to eliminate processed food and eat more whole foods especially more fruits and veggies. If you need help, pick up my book 30 Days 30 Ways to Salad Heaven
  9. SET REALISTIC GOALS & SEE THEM THROUGH – When I reflect on my 2021, I see the goals I set at the beginning of the year and with consistency and commitment I was able to accomplish most of them. Y’all see that? Most of them. I didn’t do all that I had hoped, but I did achieve most. So what are you hoping to accomplish this year? Set the goal. Break it into bite sized chunks and get it done.
  10. SMILE & LAUGH – The bible says a cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22) and that’s actually scientifically true. Laughter lowers blood pressure, decreases stress, alleviates tension and even boosts immune cells. This is one I myself will be working on. I tend to be on the more serious side but I’m committed to laughing more. And God has blessed me with 6 children so that’s a built in laugh factory. But with tunnel vision I can sometimes not create space for laughter. But I’m committing to make room and have some deep belly laughs. God is good!

 

So which of these is most challenging for you?

 

I am praying for you. 2022 is destined to be a year filled with markers of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love for you. Be on the lookout and position yourself for it by following these tips. And if you need additional support and accountability with all of the above, I invite you to join the Fully Focused Fast. Registration is ending soon and this program is only offered once a year so don’t delay!

 

Don’t look left or right. Focus on God. Read His word. Obey what He says and reap a year filled with success!

 

“Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:1-9

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

25Nov

How Do You Show Gratitude?

Murmuring

ComplainingUngrateful……Don’t let that be you! God has done so much for you. So how can you show gratitude? By saying THANK YOU!Did you know that your gratitude is actually a gateway for entry into His presence. Look at what the Message Translation says in Psalm 100

On your feet now—applaud God!    Bring a gift of laughter,    sing yourselves into his presence.

Know this: God is God, and God, God.    He made us; we didn’t make him.    We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

Enter with the password: “Thank you!”    Make yourselves at home, talking praise.    Thank him. Worship him.

For God is sheer beauty,    all-generous in love,    loyal always and ever.

You see that? Enter with the password THANK YOU! What do passwords do? They grant you ACCESS! Access to God. Access to the throne of grace. Access to His love, joy and peace. Access to His blessings and favor. Access to His protection and provision. So be sure to offer Him the sacrifice of praise with your THANK YOU!

How can we show God our thanks?

 

In addition to saying THANK YOU and blessing His name you can show Him you are thankful by:

  • Obeying what He tells you to do
  • Serving others
  • Honoring your temple through proper nourishment, rest and exercise
  • Giving of your time, talent, spiritual gifts and financial resources

In ALL things, give thanks to the Lord. This is His will concerning you (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

11Nov

The Lies We Believe

What you believe is greatly influenced by what you see and hear daily.

 

And what you constantly rehearse in thought or in deed becomes your truth.

 

So what do you see and hear daily regarding your health?

  • Trash masquerading as food
  • Fast food advertising on billboards, magazines, and mail inserts
  • Fast food on every corner
  • Vending machines
  • Marketing that entices you to eat more and more and more
  • Drugs to make concession for all the indulging you’ve done
  • Holidays that are built as gluttony monuments
  • Keep working, keep hustling, grind, grind, grind

We must be discerning as to what we see & hear lest we believe and perpetuate the lies. And it would behoove us to take it a step further and ask questions and to search out what’s masked, veiled and not overtly put on display.

 

Because the lies we believe are killing us.

 

We don’t see that:

  • The bottle of soda will cause our blood sugar to be elevate not just for the moment but for days to come

  • The amount of sodium in that one fast food meal is more than recommended for two whole days

  • The added hormones in dairy are actually causing our bones to become more porous not stronger

  • All this multitasking and hustling culture in the name of productivity is increasing our levels of anxiety and depression

 

Our enemy is the father of lies and there is no truth in him. His M.O. is to perpetuate lies, to operate in deceit and to keep God’s people blind to the truth. But I declare that we shall know the truth.

 

Ask, Seek, and Knock for our God is faithful to answer!

 

If you’ve been asking, seeking and knocking, He WILL answer. The question is are you open and clear to receive?

 

Often we cannot see and we cannot hear because we are so clogged up. Our hearing is dull and our vision is blurry because of all the clutter, congestion, constipation, inflammation in the body. It literally dulls all the senses both physically and spiritually.

 

Let us make this declaration that we will no longer believe the lies. Let us declare that we will remove the cataracts from our eyes and the impacted wax from our ears. Let the lie be dismantled.

 

The lie that you can continue eating whatever you want, not exercising, not breathing, not fasting, and not praying fervently

The lie that there’s any one magic pill to getting healthy

The lie that you can do anything you want to your body and it will be just fine

The lie that disease is ok and there are pills will fix it 

The lie that it ran in your family so you’re bound to have it too

The lie that you are powerless

 

May the light of truth shine brightly in your heart.

 

Remember that the Spirit of Truth guides you into all truth (John 16:3). 

 

Let us transform our believing and our behavior.

 

Let us present our bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God. 

 

Before the holiday season’s debauchery of eating anything and everything with no self-control, no restraint, and no regard, let us pause and examine ourselves and challenge the lies we believe.

 

Let us walk in truth and in self love. Because we know the truth and the truth shall make us FREE! And whom the Son sets free is free indeed. 

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

27Sep

Is There Any Good News?

Come one, come all listen to the pronouncement from our Lord and Savior, The Christ.

 

I am your Herald and have been sent with Good News. 

 

Have hope! The Lord of all Hope, The Sovereign One reigns.

 

Hear Ye, the Word of the Lord.

 

“Though calamity abounds, so much more does My peace abound.

Though sadness abounds, so much more does My joy abound.

Though disease abounds, so much more does My healing virtue abound.

Though evil abounds, so much more does My love abound.

Fear not, for I have overcome the world. Have eyes to see and ears to hear My truth. 

Be still and know that I am God. 

I am He who was and is and is to come.

I am the First and the Last.

And as such I have seen the beginning and the end. 

And I am causing ALL THINGS to work together for your good and even for the good of those who don’t yet know me because they are coming. More sheep are coming into the sheepfold. I welcome them with open arms and I beckon you to do the same.

Remain in me. Be anchored. Be rooted.

Be swift to obey and heed my commands. 

I have full need of you at this hour. Yes, all the preparation was for a time such as this and that time is now. 

My Kingdom come my will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Blessed are you who hear and apply His word. 

 

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

18Jun

Juneteenth… A reckoning or a pacifier?

On Thursday, June 17th President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a Federal holiday. You can read more about that HERE. Juneteenth commemorates the day that slaves in Galveston Texas were told of their emancipation (albeit 2 years after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation).

 

But is the enacting of Juneteenth as a federal holiday a reckoning or just a pacifier?

 

This weekend Juneteenth celebrations will abound across the country. Lectures, food, dancing and other celebrations of community and culture will take place all across the country. I am even a speaker for one such event, Juneteenth Freedom Fest NYC. I’ll be teaching on the subject, “Health Is Your Heritage”. And while we are all in a celebratory mode, let us not get distracted. The fight against injustice rages on.

 

     

 

Yes, a day to commemorate our freedom may seem like cause for celebration but where is the legislation protecting Black and Brown peoples from police brutality? Where are we in the fight eradication systemic racism from the workplace? What about closing the divide in education? Surely in this past year and a half we have also seen the critical need for equity in the health sector.

 

Communities of color do not need to be pacified with a holiday. I personally do not want to see this holiday reduced to cute marketing campaigns sporting red, black and green. Nor do I want to see a slew of cheap apparel, jewelry or other trinkets being hawked on every street corner the week of 6/19. What we need is authentic overhaul of deep rooted beliefs and practices that keep communities of color oppressed.

 

Let us continue to press forward vigilantly as work remains to be done. Let us have the heart of God which cries out and demands justice. Let us continue to speak up for those who’ve been silenced.

 

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17

 

Let us each examine ourselves. What area(s) of influence has God called you to? One of the single greatest things we can do to be a change agent is to FULLY walk in the call God has on your life. God needs each of us in position carrying out His will. And that’s why I am here. I am here to do the will of the Lord in equipping you with practical strategies for living fully holistically so that you are strong, able-bodied, edified in spirit and mentally capable so that you can RUN the race set before you. And because I want to see you succeed, I am gifting you $5 off anything in my shop by using the code BV2US3JX

 

Continue to fight the good fight of faith. Obey the Lord completely. His kingdom come, His will be done.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!

 

 

 

23Apr

5 Simple Ways to Thrive

You ever have days where you barely feel like you’re surviving? The issues of life: children, work, marriage, caring for aging parents, health challenges and the like all have a way of sucking the life right out of us if we’re not careful. But that’s not God’s will for us. Jesus came that we would have LIFE and have it to the FULL! His desire is for us to thrive.

THRIVE

/THrīv/
To prosper, flourish.
So make no mistake about it friend, it is God’s desire that you thrive and flourish in EVERY area of your life. Your mental health, your emotions, your physical health, your spiritual life, and your relationships can all reflect the health and vitality entitled to you as a Kingdom citizen.
We serve the TRUE and Living God, el Chay. el Chay is our source of life. We live because He lives. We don’t serve a false God made of wood or stone, but the True and Living God whose Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and who resides inside you right at this very moment.
 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Ruach—if indeed the Ruach Elohim dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Ruach of Messiah, he does not belong to Him. But if Messiah is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Ruach of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Ruach who dwells in you. Romans 8:9-11
So here are 5 simple ways to allow the Ruach, Spirit of God to flow in and through you so that you are LIVING FULLY every day.
BREATHE
Most people breath way too shallowly. Every cell in your body requires oxygen in order to survive. If you want to feel alive and nourish your cells you must breathe. And not just any type of breathing either. You want to be sure to breath from your diaphragm.
EASE YOUR MIND
The Lord doesn’t want you carry and harboring things. He invites you to cast your cares, your worries, and your anxieties on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). So nourish your mind by not harping on the past and not stressing over the future. Jesus said today has enough cares of its own. So bask in the beauty, majesty and joy that is found here in the present moment.
MOVE YOUR BODY
When we don’t ease the mind, that gets stored in our bodies. In his book, The Body Keeps The Score, Bessel A. van der Kolk says, “We have learned that trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how the human organism manages to survive in the present.”  Because the body keeps record of all we experience it is importance that we not only ease the mind, but that we also move the body so that we release. When we move we release environmental toxins, trauma, we activate the lymphatic system which is responsible for removing waste from the body and more. So go for a walk, get on the trampoline with your kids, or grab a jumprope and get to moving.
MEDITATE
The enemy is persistent in trying to present us with lies. We must be diligent to store God’s word in our hearts and to meditate on that word day and night (Psalm 1:2). Having that word in your hearts and on your lips enables you to have victory over the enemy. I challenge you to memorize 2-3 new scriptures a month and meditate on them all day long. Your spirit man will grow stronger and stronger as you meditate on the word.
PRAY
Pray is your primary gateway for communing with the Father. When we pray we literally merge heaven and earth. Jesus said what you bind on earth is bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth is loosed in heaven (Matthew 16:19). And remember that pray isn’t just a monologue. It’s also an opportunity for you to get quiet so that God can talk to you. The Lord longs to spend time with you and one of the ideal opportunities for that to happen is in prayer.
These 5 simple ways to thrive will yield great rewards when you practice them consistently. And because I am wholly committed to seeing you FLOURISH, I’m inviting you to attend my upcoming FREE virtual conference, Nourish to Flourish. During the conference my speakers and I will  share key strategies on how you can manage your emotions and nourish your mind, body and spirit so that you are flourishing in prosperous health.
Click the image to register for the conference today.
As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired to Live Fully!