Wake up...

I haven't blogged in more than a year and boy has my life evolved in this time!!!  I still have consistently held on to the 15lbs I have gained since losing 50lbs a couple years ago but I'm getting back on track. I haven't sewn much, but I'll be getting back to that as well because I have now graduated and earned a Masters of Arts Marriage and Family Therapy degree!!!!!!!  So, along with getting back to creating I will also continue growing as a competent therapist.  Additionally, not only do I still feel more at peace with my relationships but more importantly, I feel more at peace with myself!!!!!  I feel like I have evolved to a level of acceptance where I have a sense of inner peace and joy that I have learned to better guard when hearing about or experiencing difficult situations; even in times like this when the world seems so fear-driven.  I understand now that we are all definitely in this together.  If there has ever been a time where oneness and balance are needed,  it is now.   We all must do our part.  Intentionally. 

I've come to this evolution due to a continued effort on my part to have important conversations that were needed with my loved ones.  Boundaries were placed and crossed and they will continue to be, and I have grown a readiness that puts a smile on my face.  I'm aware that I still have fears but I have also grown an awareness that I can't let fear stop me.  The other day I was reminded of the Harold Melvin and The Bluenotes song by Teddy Pendergrass called Wakeup Everybody. (I've posted a clip of it.  Listen to the message.)  The words are so fitting for what's going on right now.  There should be no sleeping in bed (other than our usual beauty rest :-), of course). The world has changed.  The teachers have had to teach a new way. The world won't get better if we just let things be.  Being reminded of this song definitely woke something in me because I admit being in this house day after day, reprimanding my kids on the same things over and over, and being annoyed by my Husband who's been on vacation this week, helped me realize something.  I again have fallen into the pattern of putting everybody else and everyone before me.  I have to get back to my purpose.  My purpose involves me helping others, but in order for me to fulfill that I have to help myself first.  I can't pour from an empty cup.  I have to do things that replenish me, feeds my soul, and after receiving this reminder I realized that within the act of feeding my soul I can also empower others; which I believe is my purpose. I feel updating my website is the platform that will allow me to do that.  I can't wait to share with you all the plans I have for Enchante. I am definitely stepping outside of my comfort zone and I hope I can count on your support along this journey.  We are all in this together... Be well, wash your hands, and live in love and light...

Living my Best life

Perhaps its the fact that I cleansed my house and my family with Sage and Palo Santo for the 1st time or maybe its the fact that I have been taking CBD oil for the last 3 weeks, but I am loving the creative, zen, and peace that I now feel.   I have sewn so much for myself in the last 2 weeks; more than I have in the last 2 years.  I also give zero fucks about what anyone thinks or feels about what I am saying now and about to say next.  Yes, I sewed for myself and I can do that!  It's my body, my equipment, my fabric, and my time.  Just because I do it for myself does not mean that I have to make  that time to do it for someone else .  I digress, but seriously it is totally different sewing for myself than it is making something for somebody else.  I know my body.  I can make a dress for myself in an hour.  I can't do that for somebody else.  Sewing for me is an act of self-care and I vow to take care of myself each and everyday.

Moving on, I feel more at peace with my relationships because of a more elevated awareness of time and peace of mind.  I have had several hard much needed conversations with people that I love and I feel those relationships are definitely headed down the right path or I have accepted them as they are.  I have written more blogs this year (and its only March) then I have in the last couple of years.  After loosing almost 50lbs I have officially gained 15lbs of it back just in the last 9 months all because I unconsciously decided to put everything and everybody before me. So now I'm back at my workouts, and I'm about to do something wild and crazy next week for my birthday.  I have an idea of what I would like to do but if I actually get the opportunity, we will see (Hint: It involves heights).  I'm on my way to my 3rd interview in the last few weeks and I'm happy to say that I don't feel that anxious about it.  I got God all around me, Jesus walking beside me, CBD and a few crystals in my pocket, peace of mind, and love in my heart.  I hope you're living your best life.

Mindfulness

Since starting graduate school I haven't really taken a break. In-between classes we have the option of taking a break and that break can be one week to three weeks or we can choose to not take a break at all. Due to me wanting to complete my degree and start working as soon as possible I have opted not to take any breaks. However, due to my overwhelming responsibilities and the process of starting my clinical work I have decided to take a 3-week break. I'm currently on my second week and I feel that although I have been taking steps to better myself more intensely the last couple of years;  it is in this experience that I just had an epiphany moment. I have a better understanding of why those steps were so extremely vital to my journey right now. I have been feeling extremely anxious and unsure about many of the decisions I have made in the last few months; years in fact!  Even though I have grown secure with my decisions.  However, at this very moment I have just realized that those decisions, those steps were necessary not only for my health, sanity, love and respect for myself, my peace, but also for my well-being of being present in my body and this time and space.

I have learned that therapist also need their own therapist. We all have our own set of problems and experiences that we have to deal with that impact the people we are; and that impact can be a negative or a positive one. So on my journey I have had the honor of experiencing several therapist and a few have suggested mindfulness practices to me. I admit, I did not truly understand what mindfulness was until today. Thanks to a podcast app that I just downloaded I have chosen to subscribe to many therapist topics to utilize as resources for myself that may also be beneficial to share with my clients and through my research I have learned that mindfulness means different things to many people.  Therefore, I have gained a bit of compassion for myself for putting so much pressure on self to understand something the way another therapist understands mindfulness to be. I now understand that my confusion on what mindfulness is was because it was something different to me. It's not just shutting my brain down to not think any thoughts.  It's about welcoming those thoughts and being aware that they are there but placing a bit of a boundary on those thoughts and telling them I see you, but this is my focus right now. Its not just sitting still posing like a Buddha.  I have now realized that I have been practicing mindfulness a lot in my relationships, when I cook, when I go for a walk, when I'm shutting off the TV and playing games with my kids, when I'm listening to the birds, when we're trying to have family dinner, when I'm gardening, when I'm drinking a cup of tea. Mindfulness is a awareness and it's a focus on one thing, but also a developed compassion that we're human beings and our minds roam.  That's what they are supposed to do.  I'm now seeing ways that I would like to practice mindfulness with more of an intention; for example it's a habit for me to tell my kids I love you everyday.  However, it has become more of a habit; there's no real intention on it. When I'm saying it, I am making their lunch or I am pushing them in the doorways of their school building or I am turning a direction to head to work or something. Now I see that I have to be mindful in my intent to actually help my children really see that this is a moment of expressed love and not just words.  Furthermore, not with just my kids but also with my husband, my mother, my father, myself. I am so looking forward to the focus that I am sure being intentionally mindful will bring to my life.  Maybe you will be on the same thing I'm on...

Trust in Gods Plan...Be Calm

I'm baaaaaack!!!!!!!

Click the video to hear what I decided!

Keep trusting...

As I sit here on public transportation with the sun warming my face, and appreciating the 50 degree breeze that welcomes me everytime the doors open it is putting me in a reflective, proud but melancholy mood. So I decided what better moment to get my feelings out right now where there is no one around grasping for my attention. Yesterday, I had a pretty eventful day. I went and saw my cousin play basketball for Drake, against Loyola, and it was ravishing seeing these young men out there putting up a good fight, and trying to make their dreams come true.  It was truly inspirational, and it made me pray for them, especially my cousin. It made me pray that God shows him how much he is loved. How awesome he is, and that he can do anything he put his mind to, but put his mind to something good, and rewarding on multiple levels. To don't give up and trust in him.

Yesterday I also got a biopsy. I still have to wait for the results, but in getting this biopsy I was given information that confirmed suspicions I already had.  I've shared this information with my husband but now I'm forced to make a decision that will/ or may affect our lives and I'm struggling to be open, and positive about it, but I'm trying.

I'm trying to focus more on being thankful that God has given me the gift make things beautiful. Thankful that my family is in good health and that I'm able to live this life with my wonderful grandmother still here and in her right mind and able to help me with creating our family tree. That I am on this journey of starting a new career as a therapist and I am doing very well in my classes still maintaining a 4.0. Thankful that my mom has opened her heart to go through the journey of falling in love. Thankful that God keeps showing me ways to build on my relationship with my dad, and work on my marriage, and be a good Mom.

There's so many things that I can be thankful for and yesterday having the opportunity to pray for my cousin now has shown me that I need to pray that same prayer for myself. God is showing me how awesome and loved I am.  He is showing me that I can do anything and all I have to keep doing is have faith and keep trusting  in him. Everything is going to be alright.

Smoothie Recipes

2016 has been self-proclaimed as the year of me getting my mojo back. One of the things on the list was for me to become healthy and buildup my energy, and lose weight. March 18th I started my journey and as of right now I'm 24 pounds down. I have my good days and I have my not-so-good days but one thing that I have learned to do better is eat. I'm one of those people that doesn't eat much and because of that metabolism sucked. So I have learned to not leave the house without eating.  A big helper has been making smoothies. Below are some of the smoothies that I've been deliciously devouring lately.  Enjoy!!!!

Monkey Flip Recovery Smoothie

           

12 ounces of pure, unsweetened coconut water
1 banana
1 tablespoon Peanut/Almond butter
2 tablespoons plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Ice, to preference

Low-Calorie Chocolate Almond Smoothie

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder (I used Vega Performance Protein)
8 raw almonds
3 ice cubes

Cinnamon Apple Smoothie

8 ounces coconut water
4 raw almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped apple (about 1 medium Granny Smith apple)
1/2 scoop unsweetened protein powder
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)

Cinnamon Bun Smoothie

1 frozen banana, cut into four pieces
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup

Morning Workout Protein Smoothie

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 banana
Dash of cinnamon
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I used one packet of Tone It Up's vegan vanilla protein powder Perfect Fit)
Ice

Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

1/2 cup pure coconut water
1 1/6 cup local, organic strawberries
1/4 medium-large local, organic lemon
1 handful of organic spinach
2 to 3 small pitted, local Deglet Noor dates (optional and can be used to sweeten according to taste)
2 scoops ice

 The lemon helps the body naturally cleanse, while the strawberries provide well over the daily recommended intake of vitamin C, which has been shown to help burn fat. And not only that, the added spinach helps regulate your digestive system.

PB&J Smoothie

2 cups fresh strawberries
1 frozen banana, chopped
2 teaspoons peanut butter
4 ounces fat-free plain Greek yogurt or fat-free milk
1/2 cup ice cubes

I'M A STUDENT!!!!

A couple of months ago I blogged about troubles, because I had received word that I once again was not accepted into a school that I applied for.  This was the 5th School!  I was really upset and I was sort of discouraged, but still determined to see if I can actually make my dream of becoming a therapist come true. Northwestern University was the closest school that I got to actually making it.  I made it to the final round. Out of 200 something applicants I was a part of the 70 something people that actually got an interview and I was proud of that. I was thinking,  what if this actually happens?  When it didn't happen my world was kind of turned upside down. I was thinking why would God put being a therapist on my heart for the last 10 years for it to not happen?  What is the lesson in this? That question was not settling with me so that's why I was determined to just keep going and see what happened. So I did my research and I found one more school that had my program.  I saw that it was an online program and I talked to God.  I said, "is this what you're telling me?  Are you telling me that I need to go to school online because my life is crazy right now?  I mean how would I actually be able to handle going to class in this life and studying?  Is this what you want me to do?  You want me to go to school online?  I imagined him saying,  "Go for it!" (Or maybe I heard him for real ;-)

So that's what I did and now I am happy to announce that I am now a graduate student of North Central University in the Master of Arts Marriage and Family Therapy Program. I was so excited to get that acceptance letter all I could do was get down on my knees and praise God literally. So far I'm in my first week of class and I've done three assignments and everything is smooth sailing (besides a hiccup with fingerprinting).  Financial aid has been all taken care of.  I've spoken to my advisor several times.  Communication is great, and I will meet my instructor via Skype tomorrow morning Everything is great!

You might say what is happening with an Enchanté?  I would say that's a great question.  Enchanté is not going anywhere.  The fact that I am becoming a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist will only add to the success of on Enchanté. Enchanté is all about empowering women to believe in themselves, know their worth, carry themselves with dignity and integrity, and demand for the world to worship them and be encouraged to take care of themselves within.  Being an MFT will help aid me with the work that I can do in the community that Enchanté will be affiliated with. I have so many ideas for on Enchanté and I am so excited to see it on unfold.

(Day 19, 20, 21 & 22) Getting Unstuck: You get What you Put Out

This past 21 days of medication has been a really positive experience. After 21 days of doing the meditation I still need to get better with my focus on the actual mantra but other than that the messages that I received from having this experience and going on this journey I am praying that I actually am able to incorporate them into my daily life because I feel that they will be very instrumental in turning many of my relationships in a more positive direction. Being that 21 days meditation experiences is no longer available for free on the site; I'm so happy that I put this experience into videos so that I can always go back and experience this moment of positivity when it's necessary and I'm hoping that you all take advantage of this resource as well. Click the video to hear more about the last days of my journey of meditation.

Day by Day

I've started a 40 day Journey

prayer book called Emotional Healthy Spirituality Day by Day by Peter Scazzero and it has been wonderfully enlightening reading this book everyday suggested by my Pastor Dori Gorman of New Story Church . In my readings I came across Psalms 131 and in the devotional portion of the book for that particular day we were reminded that we often forget our humanity, our limits, and our inability to change others. We are reminded that David was one of the most powerful people of that time but he still reminded himself to not to think highly of himself. He prayed that he does not concern himself with the great matters or things too wonderful for him and that told me that even with David being as powerful as he was he knew not to worry about things that were going to happen or that he wished would happen or anything of that nature. He knew that it was not up to him but that those things were too powerful for him to think about. He knew that those things were up to God.

Reading that I was like, "Man, I wish I could be more like David." The reading for the next day and devotional we were taught about patient trust.

Patient trust is above all trust in the slow work of God we are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay we should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability and that it may take a very long time. And so I think it is with you; but your ideas mature and gradually let them grow let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don't try to force them on, it's true you could be today what time will make for you tomorrow (that is to say grace and circumstances acting on your own goodwill). Only God could say that this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you. And accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
-Pierre Teilhard de Chardon

Reading these words were so powerful and they assurance I needed regarding my acceptance to school, my career, the opening of my storefront, the growth of my kids, the success of my marriage. the Journey of getting myself healthy. All of these things I have to trust that with these different processes that I'm going through the Lord is leading me and to accept the anxiety that I feel.

This Is Crazy

I have been feeling very overwhelmed with all areas of my life, but its amazing how God works. Yesterday, I decided that I was just tired of being angry, feeling sick, and not being as productive as I want to be, basically beating myself up, and I just decided that want to start fresh, start over, stop worrying and experience whatever lessons, or blessings come my way. This was followed up with a horoscope message I received that solidified everything that I've been going through the last couple months with strengthening my business, and applying to graduate school. Its so scary reading how accurate horoscopes can be sometimes, but it was purely an act of God.

I was sharing some of my worries with a sister friend of mines, Chelle, and she sent me the following message;
"Sis KNOW that you got accepted into grad school. It's not about being cocky but it is about standing on your faith! Knowing that you are more then a conqueror. KNOW that your marriage will be fine. KNOW that the devil is alive trying to kill, steal and destroy. KNOW that this battle already have been won... I want you to KNOW that you are great wife, mother, daughter, entrepreneur, and now student. He wouldn't bring u this far to disappoint u sis. He died for u so he wants you happy, we just have to KNOW he can do all things, he have done all things, and will continue to do all things in your marriage, in your children, and in your life!..."

This was so empowering to me, completely true, and nothing but God speaking to me through her.

Then I went to church today, and my wonderful Pastor, Dori, of NewStory Church spoke today about when we tell ourselves this is crazy, this is crazy! She said that if we don't go through the THIS IS CRAZY moments we will never get to experience THIS IS AWESOME moments. I was sitting in church like God...you are good! You are clearly speaking to me. God was telling me through my horoscope, through my sister friend, and through my pastor that I don’t have to worry, just have faith, be still. Its already done! My business will prosper, my kids are more than awesome, my marriage will blossom, my health will be good, and I will be a North Western University grad student. All I need to do is have faith, and believe.  I'm looking forward to posting my grad school acceptance letter. :-).

Giving back

For the last few years I have noticed that my oldest son has caught this "I want" aka the "give me" or "can I have" disease, and I was wrecking my brain trying to figure out how I can make him more appreciative of what he has.  I tell him all the time you have so much going for you, and there are kids in this world that don't have half as much as you have.  They don't get to go on vacations every year like you do.  They haven't been out of this state let alone out of the country like you have!  Stop I want, I wanting and can I have blah, blah, blah, but he still continues to do it.  I teach our boys that life isn't easy.  That they must work hard for what they want, believe in themselves and never give up.  We're also trying to teach them the importance of giving and not just taking, appreciating what you have because what you have can always be taken away, and there are people who don't have everything we have. So starting last year I joined him in the Honeycomb Project where he can sign up for different volunteer projects around Chicago every month, but the problem with those projects is they fill up really fast, and some months we're left without a project.

So one day, taking my morning walk on the lake I came across some tents that some homeless people set up, and ding, ding, ding!  A thought popped into my head; we should feed the homeless, make sandwiches or something and pass them out to these homeless people!

This past Monday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr day my family and I did just that.  In spite of it being -7 degrees below zero, it was a perfect morning to do it, because it was the only morning we would all be together.  It felt so rewarding, and it was such a proud moment seeing how excited my son was to give back.  Check out the pictures below, and I urge you to give back, and teach your kids how to give back.  If you would like to help in any way by donating food, or creating your own opportunity to give let us know.  

Setting up the bags and food, Apples, Pears, Oranges,
cans of vienna sausages and Oatmeal Pies

Making Turkey/Ham & Cheese sandwiches.  Yes, our hands were clean :-)

Bags all ready!

Carefully placing the bags

Walking to the tents with bags in hand!

It's Music Monday!!! Smile :-) Kirk Franklin

Monday mornings, especially cloudy Monday morning tend to put me in a melancholy mood, so I needed some uplifting today.  Kirk Franklin always does that for me  So enjoy this with me and smile...