Archive | December 2016

Looking Back and Giving Thanks 🙏🏽💗

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2016 has been quite the year; filled with challenges but most of all blessings. I couldn’t have done it alone so I’d like to thank everyone for all your love and support as I negotiated the Cancer landscape.

I’m showcasing this post as my Year in Review feature because it captured my emotions, resolve, and gratitude for the trials I believe God placed in my path to help grow my Faith and Spirit. 

 

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This piece is very powerful for me and from the feedback, has touched many. So, with Love and Gratitude, I now present from March 2016: “Defying Gravity”.

 

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I’ve now reached my 11th out of 12 chemotherapy treatments. I’m filled with so many emotions but the primary one is thank you, God, for your grace and favor while physically jumping up and down with joy!

I created this video as an expression of my feelings and experiences with fighting cancer. The song “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway play “Wicked” perfectly describes what I’ve taken away from my cancer journey. 

 

Shedding fears, my unwavering faith and belief that God is always with me and that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to is such a freeing and powerful realization I’ve been blessed to receive. 

 

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My message and desire for everyone is to embrace your faith and shed your fear. We only get one life, let’s enjoy it!

 

 

 

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And He Shall Reign Forever!

 

G.F. Handel Messiah

“The Messiah”

 

When I was in Middle School I was a member of the Choir and every year at Christmas time school choirs from across the metropolitan area would come together to perform Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah. To this day, I still feel the passion and exuberation I experienced those many years ago whenever I hear my favorite choral piece.

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The Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible, and from the version of the Psalms included with the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

 

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This Christmas performance by our choir was, for me, the highlight of the season! This was the early sixties and integration was an ever present topic and the city-wide chorus was an opportunity to bring all schools, black and white, together to celebrate the birth of Christ and to also bring together children who otherwise might never have met to learn and understand that we have more commonalities than differences.

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So, in honor of the season and the celebration of Christ’s birth, I present from Handel’s Messiah the Hallelujah Chorus.

 

PEACE AND LOVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Live to Learn, Learn to Grow🤔

 

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Every time a profile asks me to describe myself, I always respond, “lifelong learner”. This description really reverberated after I told my mother-in-law that I was updating my web design skills. Her response was, you’re 60 years old and learning a new vocation? Yes! Challenges stimulate and energize me; unlocking the answer to a puzzle others might not ever attempt to try.

 

 

The age of the internet has opened so many doors and opportunities to learn and evolve into whomever we wish to be. Work life balance is an essential component of happiness, so being able to take online classes reveals a universe of possibilities. Continuing education sparks the imagination, keeping the brain sharp and firing on all cylinders.  

 

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I’ve added Italian to my language repertoire in preparation for my springtime trip to Italy. Total novice, but at least I can remember the word for woman is la donna. Awww, named for me? You shouldn’t have.😊

 

 

So, whatever you do, don’t stop learning. Open yourself up to new adventures and challenges. It’ll keep you young!

 

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For One Brief Moment☄

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It’s easy to forget what an amazing gift life really is. Our lives are nothing but a cosmic blink. Even our seemingly all-encompassing world is just a tiny blue dot circling an average sized star spiraling around a galaxy of 200-400 billion stars, which itself is just one galaxy among billions more. Yet for one brief moment, we get to experience the wonders of existence, of consciousness.

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Our brains are wired to find things we’re looking for – if you’re always cynical or waiting for things to go wrong, then your life will reflect that. On the other hand, having a positive outlook on life will bring you joy and provide you with inspiration when you least expect it. (www.keepinspiring.me)

 

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One of my favorite quotes is “We are what we believe”.  Some days we all could use an extra dose of positive energy. On those occasions, I find reading and sharing inspiring quotes helps me re-focus and affirms my belief in the power of our thoughts.

So, as we trim the tree and wrap our packages, let’s remember to give thanks and treasure each precious moment as we reflect on our blessings from God. 

 

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“Best and Worst of Times” A Reflection

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My Very First Post

I believe new information, unlikely events, and seemingly out of the blue opportunities are put in front of us for a reason. They can reveal just the information we need to move forward with an idea or plan, an event that demonstrates or inspires up to do what’s been in our head, and opportunities to prove that we can do this; act on our dreams and take advantage of the situation to make them come true.

 

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I love FaceBook memories because they take us back to a particular point in time, a viewpoint we had at a snapshot moment in our lives. This recollection took me back to my very first post and the need I had in that instance to verbalize what was going on as my world was turning upside down.

 

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The impetus to re-post this piece, I believe, presented itself for a reason; to remind me where I’ve come from. By revealing my experiences it allows an opportunity to reach out to others and perhaps shed light or make a difference in my audience’s perspective.

Thanks everyone for reading, sharing, and following Livinginthemoment2015, you’ve made a tremendous difference over the past year with your encouragement and positive feedback. 💖

 

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First published on Blogger.com October 13, 2009

“Best and Worst of Times”

Husband laid off after 20 years! Starting our own business!! Moving to Charlotte!!!? What??

These are the “out of left field” string of events that lead to this blog. Even though I didn’t even know what that term “blog” meant until about 8 months ago, I knew I had to share my vision and excitement about what I believe is the rebirth of the entrepreneur.

 

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When I first heard the news about my husband’s layoff after 20 years of the same company, the first thought that hit me was “Yes! Now I’ll finally be able to get out of this freakin’, frozen tundra.” That reaction might sound odd but I looked at the layoff as an opportunity not a source of distress or panic. It felt like freedom to me and a chance for us to do something for ourselves, something we felt passionately about instead of giving our talents away to a company that viewed us as “just another body on the assembly line.”

 

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We can no longer rely on “The Corporation” to take care of us and guarantee retirement and pensions and stability. All our beliefs about the safety net of “The Corporation” have been turned inside out. It doesn’t matter what level – management to mailroom- all bets are off! No one is safe. We are all vulnerable. But, if we’re not afraid and have heart, we can beat the system at its own game.

Somewhere along the line, we forgot that it’s the small, mid-sized businesses and entrepreneurs that are the backbone of this country and our economy. We forgot that “we the people” have the power to direct our own destiny and we don’t need to rely on “The Corporation” to fulfill our “American Dream.”

Corporations may be slashing the positions of their “best and brightest” for the sake of the shareholders and the bottom line but in the end, it will come back to bite them. More and more of us are starting our “own thing”. With social networking and media, we’re tapping into alternative methods to realize our potential and thinking in terms “outside the box.”

 

 

These are truly the “Best of Times and Worse of Times.” The best of times because of the chance to get back to basics. To create our own blueprint of the future. One that advances our society to the next level. But it can also be the worse of times if we don’t take advantage of this moment to reach for new heights and change our shared destiny.

 

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Re-reading a piece or thoughts you had in the past can be very eye-opening and an opportunity to reflect on your life since then. How have you changed? Do you still feel the same? Or, think it was utter nonsense and naivete?

Reading this post again after several years, my first thought was I still believe every word and subscribe to that optimistic attitude on life. Use chaos as an opportunity to change, move forward, and create a new opportunity.

 

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