NaBloPoMo!

I'm back to take on the challenge! How does one get anywhere in life if they keep giving up when things get hard or don't go their way? I'm not saying that I give up all the time, but I often imagine how different my life would be right now if I had faced some of the challenges/fears that I've run away from.
Well, no more! After the twice-monthly meetings I've been going to with other women who are trying to grow and be empowered, being taught by a dynamic, powerful woman of God, and after the confirmations I've received from the Love Life Women's conference, I am on a mission to kick through these brick walls of fear that have been surrounding me all my life, wield my sword, and start cutting down the things that have been holding me back (which includes my own insecurities) and live my life with purpose - in ways that glorify God and that not only make me feel fulfilled, but that let me know I am fulfilled and doing what I am meant to be doing.
To kick this off, I am accepting the challenge of NaBloPoMo for 2014. If you have followed my blog (and if not, now is a great time to start!) you may recall my post from single post for NaBloPoMo 2013. Sad isn't it? I did one post out of 30 and didn't start until the 19th day. However, I give myself credit that I started. This time has already started off better, which proves to me, even if to no one else, that I have grown. :-)
Anyway, this was supposed to be a short introductory post which I started approximately 2 hours ago, but in the meantime I have checked my son's grades, subscribed to a video series on marriage, installed and run CCleaner on my computer, and searched for sales on coconut oil and hair gel. Also, in order to attempt to keep myself on task, I even made a couple of "To Do" items at the bottom of this entry so that I will see them after I'm done and do them instead of interrupting my writing time. I'm not even mad at myself right now, I am actually laughing at the insanity and intricacies of my mind. I am making efforts not to be mad at myself for the way I am, but to embrace my different-ness and learn to take advantage of it.
That being said, I am going to conclude this entry with a list (I LOVE lists!!) of possible topics for NaBloPoMo.

• Marriage (my anniversary is coming up! I can't wait to write about it!)
• ADD/ADHD in adults (namely, Me LOL)
• The social media vortex that we all seem to get caught in from time to time
• Ratchet music and why...
• I came up with many other ideas but I was busy so here it is for now. See you tomorrow! 

Spiritual Exercise!

It's been awhile, but now I'm back and I wanted to come back with something that will make people think as well as help with spiritual growth. So here is my first Bible study for "Honestly, Natalie."

This time I want to address the subject of prayer. Prayer isn’t just about asking God to help you and to sustain you, it is openly communicating with God. It is about growing spiritually, connecting on a higher level. Without a prayer life, what are we, just natural beings who are simply existing?
When we are having a dialogue with God, we are allowing our spirits to breathe rather than having them trapped within our body on this earth. Below are some scriptures about prayer. Please study them and pray about them and about this bible study and ask God to not only listen to you, but to speak to you as well.

Ps. 145:18-19 - The lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
19He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.

Deut. 4:7 - For what great nation has a god as near to them as the lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him?

Ps. 10:17 - lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

1. When you pray, is it a monologue or a dialogue? Sometimes we may continually ask God for things, but never wait to hear from Him. Something to work on would be to quiet our minds sometimes and listen, or look for what He wants to say to us. 

Heb. 4:14-16 - So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

2. Let's not be timid and think ourselves unworthy of God's love and mercy. The fact that He sacrificed His son shows that we have a special place in His heart and should not be afraid to communicate with our Father.

Job 22:27 - You will pray to him, and he will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows to him.

Is. 58:6-11 - Then when you call, the lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! 10Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. 11The lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.

3. Prayer is intended to be an open line of communication between us and God. It is also guidance for us to walk the way God wants us to walk and for His light to shine through us.

Please leave your comments/questions/suggestions below! I would like to set up a Skype, or Google Chat for those who are interested in discussing this in real time.

Letting Go In a Cold, Cold Season

This winter season has definitely been lion-esque so far! (Does that make sense?) Not much unlike how I'm feeling about my life. I am reflecting on the choices I've made & thinking of how my current "life season" is similar to the weather outside.
One thing that has always challenged my sensibilities is change. I want so badly to hold onto what once was so wonderful - or at least comfortable - that I end up losing my grip on things that are more important in this present time. That is when things start to fall apart. Sometimes things, people, even places from our past ought to be let go of before we lose ourselves in attempting to recreate that which was only meant to be during the time it originally existed.
I have spent a lot of time this week clearing out clutter in different areas of my house just because I felt like it, not as any sort of New Year's resolution, but simply because it is time to stop holding onto things that are no longer beneficial to me and are just sitting around not being cared for properly. (This is very significant for me because being clutter-free is one of the biggest challenges in my life.) It is just time to let go.
I have known for awhile that a particular situation had long since changed seasons from summer, to fall, to winter, but I didn't think I was ready to let go so I tried to hang on to the summer.

A Hawk I watched eating a mouse behind my house

I tried in vain to keep the leaves from falling off, tears, broken promises, etc. Not only did winter come, but it hit me like a blizzard, as if it had decided to punish me for trying to keep it away. (As you can see, I love my metaphors. :-))
Now that it's here, I am almost relieved. No matter how inconvenient it may be, the snow is undeniably beautiful. Who can look at a blanket of snow and not be filled with wonder or a flood of memories?
I will accept this winter because I have faith that spring will come again just like it always does. It may not be exactly like the last spring, but it will still be beautiful. The next summer will probably be different, but it will be warm and sunny.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-6

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;