Monday Motivation: Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor

I am just having a very productive day today despite the distractions!!


Friends, I want to encourage you this morning to live your best life.  Love it!  Understand that to live life is a gift from God.  We are supposed to work and enjoy the work that we do so that we may enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

who walk in obedience to him.

2You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Psalms 128: 1-2 NIV

King Solomon shares his wisdom about our life's work:

This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. 19Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. 20They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 NIV

Your life's work isn't just your job.  It can be, but what ever it is that you do everyday you should love it.  Ask God to help you love it.  Be at peace and be content in every situation.  Enjoy the place that you are in.  It is not a sin to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

Here is your Motivation for Monday

Enjoy Every Part of your living

Enjoy Every part of your work 

It is ok to 

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor

This is not a suggestion, but it is a law in the Kingdom.  A law in the Kingdom is not something that you are commanded to follow, instead it is something that happens naturally as a result of an occurrence.  For example, if you jump off of a building, the law of gravity requires you to fall.  If an object is at rest, it remains at rest until another force acts on it: law of inertia.  If you labor in the field to plant seed, you produce a harvest, law of sowing and reaping. Cause and effect.  If you put time into something, you should be able to enjoy a payment for your time.  But what do we do friends?  We throw away our time so that we cannot enjoy the law. . .

Do not overwhelm yourself with too much "stuff"

Take it down a notch and start enjoying your life.

Friends, let it be known that this takes practice to enjoy the fruits of your labor.  It's not going to happen over night.   I know that I am guilty of overcrowding my schedule with TOO MUCH!!  This was a habit that I had to break.  We can not be everything to everybody, all of the time.  You will get burned out if you keep giving and someone else keeps taking!  Cause and effect.  It is important to take time out and fill your spirit with something good and pleasant.  Now, I'm not saying that we over indulge, eat bon-bons, or drink wine all day, but I am saying: 

 Enjoy the Fruits of your labor. 

We can live our best life if we ask our father how.  He tells us not to labor to be rich, but instead seek the kingdom of God.  Our spirits are slowly learning the ways of the Lord and I pray that this blog is helping you on your journey . . .

Another word of encouragement for those who are feeling used, abused, and overwhelmed.  Give it to the Lord.  A lot of the times, the things that people do to us are not done on purpose.  Sometimes people can hurt us deeply because we feel like they are using us.  This is wrong thinking.  Much of the time it is our mindset that allows people to use us.  Additionally,  the Lord may need you to be in the place that you are so that he can use you to bless others.  It is all about the way you look at the situation.  Think about it?  What is your perspective about how people use you?  Are you allowing God to use you?  If so, do you have a practice or quiet time to let the Lord feed your spirit?

Let someone else pour into you for a change!

Sometimes, it is our nature to be strong for everyone else, that we don't let people help us.  We must understand the law of Giving and Receiving.  You must be able to do both in order to have balance in your spirit.  Practice receiving, as well as giving.  At the same time, don't let people take advantage of your giving spirit. You will indeed feel stressed, overwhelmed, and lose your will to keep moving forward if you let others take, take, and take.

This is how you know if you are indeed being used by people:  You are not the first to enjoy the fruits of your labor; instead, someone else is always enjoying material things that you have worked for.  This is not the way the Kingdom works.  The Lord says:

The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

2 Timothy 2:6

Look friends, God made us and he understands the world that we live in.  We got ourselves involved in a whole lot of materialism, and "stuff." It is a sin to always want and to covet material things, but it is not a sin to enjoy what you work for. We don't place the value on the material item, but we place the value on the reward.

Great is the reward if you endure this world.  Great is the reward if you do the work.

 God wants to change our mind so that we place more value on our time.  He wants us to place more value on the Kingdom.  He wants us to place more value on nurturing our minds.  He wants us to place more value on understanding his word so that we can live a life of peace, love, and joy.

Learn the ways of the Lord and Enjoy the fruits of your labor

Remember to Live Life on Purpose.

Until Next Time

All my love

-Tamorra

Throwback Thrusday: 7 things to do to Find Peace

The Lord is telling me:  You are NOT self sufficient.  You need Me!!!

I'm writing my feelings out on this throwback Thursday.  I haven't been very disciplined in writing on Thursdays.  I'm learning.  I'm allowing God to teach me his ways.  I didn't know that it would be this long to learn discipline.

The flood has over taken my thoughts.  It has overtaken my ability to think straight.  I'm not to quit sure that there is something going wrong.  I'm not too quit sure if something is going right.

I am definitely learning how to identify my feelings.  I am learning that they should not be ignored, but they should be identified, characterized, and handled with care.

I am looking for the answer to my question:  What will make me feel better?

I don't want to make the same decisions that cause me to turn on the wrong paths.  I want the Lord to lead me beside still waters and to restore my soul.  Oh Lord lead me in the pathways of righteousness for your name sake.  And although I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil because you are with me.  Your strength, your wisdom, and your love brings me peace and guidance.  Thank you Father.

I find myself at home praying, thinking, and enjoying the presence of God but I'm also very heavy in my spirit.  I'm asking God to forgive me for my short comings.  Forgive me for my flesh and sinful nature.  Forgive me for sending hate that I mean not to give.  These are the times that I cry out to God . . .

Lord Help Me!!!

If I have ever gave the impression to anyone that I am more blessed, better than, or smarter than, forgive me.  Forgive me for the things I do wrong and for the blessings I miss because of my sinful nature.  Forgive me my debts, and the Lord will forgive yours.  We fall short every day.  This is why we need Jesus.  This is why we need the Holy Spirit.  With out the help of the spirit we will be completely lost.  This is what he is telling me to do right now:

Pray

slow down

Be still

Open up your heart

Read my word

Get Quiet

Listen to my voice

I will give you peace

I am asking the Lord today to bless my soul.  I have a decision to make and it seems like with every decision I make, my life get's worse.  I want to know what is going on! 

However, in everything I give thanks.  I love the Lord, and this feeling may not be bad.  Because I trust the Lord, this may not be a misdirection.  I just pray to the Lord to stay with me.  Tell me what to do next.  I open up my heart and my mind to his answers. Here is a throw back video:  Yolanda Adams, I open up my heart. . . 

If you are waiting for an answer from the Lord, open up your heart and let him speak to you.  God bless you until next time.

-Tamorra

Motivation for Monday: Why I had to Quit

You are not a quitter, but sometimes you have to quit . . .


Let me explain this . . .


I think I just got excommunicated from my church!!

One of the first things I thought was "this is really bad for the brand!"

I know the Lord is faithful and he is taking me through a journey that not many people understand right now.  It all seems pretty surreal, but I have to let you know that when you are ready to grow,  The Lord will get you ready to go.

Where are we going?

We are going into the World to preach the word to all nations.

There has been a confidence shift in my blood.  I am now seeing that people will use you and abuse you as long as you let them.  When we finally change our minds about who we are and how important we are to God, then we develop a different focus.  Finally, our eyes start to see things that we haven't seen before.  This is a hurtful process, but a necessary process for our growth. . .

We have to stop caring about what other people think about us!

Grab your confidence.  Hold on to it tight because you can and will do great things!!!

I want to encourage anyone right now who finds themselves making the same decisions over and over or anyone who is being dragged down by destructive habits: Let it Go- Do the OPPOSITE-  Change your decision making process.  It is time to:

Quit the drugs

Quit the drinking

Quit that relationship

Quit that stressful job

Quit the over eating

Quit the over spending

Quit the negative self talk

Quit the gossiping and backbiting

Quit that cultic church practices

Quit the DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR

My friends, No one is better than anyone else.  Do not get caught in that lie.

Here goes another lie:  I can live this life all by myself!

Friend, we are at the mercy of our father in heaven.  He loves us so much that he gives us chance after chance to get things right.  But please understand, that it is only by the power of the holy spirit that we will be able to really live.  You cannot live this life by yourself.  Find the peace of the Holy spirit.  Understand that any trial that he puts you back into is for your learning and for your growth.  Hence, I follow the Lord and just ask him to open my eyes to the right answers so that I can make better decisions.


Real quick let me tell you what happened. . .

God told me to Quit!

I decided to tell the leadership of my church organization about the teachings that did not line up with the word of God.  I wrote a letter saying that the Lord is leading me another way and that I will prepare a letter of resignation after my presentation coming up.  Well, I spent time gathering resources, planning, and practicing what I was going to say about behavioral health.  Unfortunately,  I was not told until right before the service that I was forbidden to speak!  WHAT!!!

My heart broke.  Why? I wasn't prepared to be rejected.  God showed me in that moment that I had been "put up with",  I had been "allowed",  and I had been used as a place holder until they could but someone they really wanted in the position of youth president.  I spent 16 years in a church organization who did not yet understand that we are all members of one family in the Kingdom.  It doesn't matter what church we go to, if we always agree or not, if we have the same biological family or if we understand who we are yet.  God made it so that his people share one blood- The blood of Jesus.

This is Supernatural.

I can't really take the time to explain what is happening to me supernaturally.  All that I know is that the Lord is telling me to do things that are making huge turns in my life.  Now that I call him Lord I am trying very hard to listen to what he says, and follow his directions.  I said to the Lord "That Hurt."   The Lord said to me "When you have to let go of things for your growth in the Kingdom, it will hurt.  I will cut it away with the word of truth.  I will separate you from things that are in place to kill you.  Do not go back.  Do not look back.  I will lead you out if you let me.  When I tell you to quit, you need to quit."

Here is your motivation for Monday:

It is ok to Quit when the Lord is leading you to bigger and better!

Stay encouraged that the Lord who started a work in you will complete it until the end. . .

Things are working out for the good of those who love God and are the called according to his purpose.  Things will work out.  Have faith that God is completing his work.  Be confident that he is shaping and molding you, and helping you towards an abundant life.  Anything or anyone that keeps telling you that it is ok to be complacent, or that it is ok to sit back and watch the world destroy itself, or that it is ok to create mini communities that shut people out, or that it is ok to worship a leader other than our holy Lord Jesus Christ: IS A CULT.  Come out of her my people.  The Lord showed me that this my friends is :

THE GREAT FALLING AWAY

Many people will be called out of the Church setting because it has failed its mission to preach the word of truth to the world.  Here comes the time of the harvest.  The true laborers of God are going out into the world to be his servants and his witnesses.  We will gather this harvest: plant by plant, row by row.


God is going to destroy all false fellowship.

We are going to learn what real fellowship is as we are going to have to talk to each other, learn that each of us have something special to contribute to this world and that we all are supposed to work together.  Real fellowship is talking to each other, appreciating each other, and encouraging each other.  I had to quit the false fellowship.  Big thanks to Kytia for sharing her story and for Terri sending me that letter.

Check out my reflections on my confirmations below.  This thing is real.  God wants us all to make it to heaven . . . Let's get there together.

until next time

Tamorra

I want to clear the air about going to hell . . . No one is worthy to go to heaven

HOLD UP!!

Someone just posted that if you don't live holy you are going to hell. That is very condemning.  There is no condemnation in Christ.  I think a lot of people need to sit their holier than thou, narrow behinds down somewhere!  You are really messing up the message of Christ.

Have I any pleasure that the wicked shall die but that he shall turn from his evil ways and live. . .

(Ezekiel 18:23)

What is the Message of Christ?

Simple.  It is what he was saying the whole time he was going around healing people and teaching the word:

Change your mind for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Philippians 2:5 KJV

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:5 NIV

Friends, Jesus taught love and acceptance and changing our thinking to the right thinking.  He taught that you can not do this thing called life alone.  We needed him to die, so that he could fulfill his mission.  He needed to become the Holy Spirit so that he could show us the way.   He taught about relationships, how to choose your inner circle, being wise, being strategic all while keeping a low profile.  He taught about the importance of learning the ways of the God, the ways of truth, and the ways of the law.  And we still fail to remember the most important thing:

Love your neighbor as yourself.

Why do we treat each other the way that we do?  Simple, it is because we don't love ourselves.  Let us take on the mind of Christ and no longer live our lives to the lust of the flesh, but instead spend our time fulfilling the will of God.  This takes a serious mind shift.  It is a process.

 If you are Lost and don't know what you need to do to make it to heaven, say this prayer:

Lord, Forgive me of my sin

I need help

I want to know your ways

I believe that Jesus is the way

Help me change my mind about how I am living this life.

Amen

This blog post was inspired by a response I posted on GOOGLE +

"OK- All sin is sin. Yes, the wages of sin is death.  Yes, flesh will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.  But we have to understand that there is no condemnation in Christ, therefore the very fact that he came to die on the cross for us needs to bring us closer to the fact that no other man on this earth could have done that for us. Why, because we are all born to the flesh.  Do we understand that we live in flesh but we came from God?

Therefore we have to go back to God.  You do not have a spirit YOU ARE A SPIRIT!!  You have been bought with a price. God doesn't make mistakes, he works everything out according to his purpose.  If he made us to expand his kingdom Glory, we will complete that mission. Oh wretched man that I am, who shall save me from this body of flesh? JESUS, JESUS did it!  Why do we continue to put so much pressure on our selves. Let the Holy Spirit finish the work!!

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus

Philippians 1:6

Your flesh will always be flesh and it will go back into the earth from where it came (ashes to ashes, dust to dust)  But your spirit belongs to God.  He will not let the spirit go to a place that it was not meant for it.  Watch God's plan work.  Live holy, because your creator is holy.  Get to know Jesus and walk closer to him. When we try to live Holy as a chore, or so that we can say we are better than other people; this is the righteousness of the Pharisees and except your righteousness exceeds this form of righteousness- You will in no way inherit the Kingdom. I say, the man who knows that he is not worthy, he walks away justified. . .be blessed.


until next time
Tamorra-

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.  John 3:17-21

I use Bible Hub

Freedom Friday: How I'm Crushing it! A Gary V book

I'm reading Crushing it by Gary V

If you are an Entrepreneur-Go buy it now-  Get it, Get it, Get it!

This book is getting me  just as hyped as Tim Ferris's book "4 Hour Work Week."

I no longer feel alone in my ideas and mindset.  If you are not aware of what is going on in my life it is simply this:  

I got laid off of my job as an art teacher.  This was a job that I had much passion for until I didn't.  The stress got heavier due to school policies and lack of discipline practices in the school.  Also, the wolfs of charter began to take over the public school buildings in Camden City where I worked.  It was a mess.  I didn't love it anymore.  My mind though was still set on education.  I have a passion for teaching that fuels my ambition to advocate change in the American Public School System.

The thing is, this new ambition came at a price.  Currently, I am not making as much money as I used to.  Therefore,  my house got sold in sheriff sale, my car is about to get repossessed, and I recently had to file for bankruptcy.  Most of my income right now goes to paying lawyer fees and my three kid's marching band expenses.  That's it.  I don't have money to shop for food, clothes, or personal hygiene items.  Like Gary V said "You will have to eat sh*t everyday!"  if you want to do this entrepreneur thing.  My trust is solely in the Lord for all of the things that I need.

I know that I am an entrepreneur because I've been selling things since I was a kid.  I used to write people's names in bubble letters at school.  I would charge a standard $1 fee for a quick drawing that took me 3 minutes to do.  I would charge more money if they wanted me to color it in.    I had another business of doing hair.  I loved braiding hair as a creative outlet.  This was one of the ways that I was able to pay for my senior trip in high school.   $10 dollars a pop for the front of your hair in corn-rows.  Half of the girls on my track team hired me to do their hair for the meets.  No one ever told me that I could scale that into a business.  I didn't know.  No one eve told me that I was an entrepreneur.  I want to let you know that if you do things on the side for a hustle, you may be an entrepreneur.  

I still do hair today, but it is not part of the grand plan of the things I want to accomplish in the future.

Let me tell  you how 

I'm Crushing It and How you can too!

I'm using my creativity everyday to be who I am.  I want to share my thoughts, ideas, and perspectives with the world.  My family may not understand this, but I know that I will succeed in what every I work hard at.  I'm working hard, but I'm about to kick it up a notch.  I often let the people around me influence the way that I think and act.  I had to let that thinking go.  I had to stop being a people pleaser and start being a doer.  This is how I'm crushing it:

#1 Be a doer

I started this journey about 2 1/2 years ago when I started writing this blog.  I felt a force that kept on nudging me to write a book that I was trying to write for the past 5 years.  I finally sat down and just did it.  It took me 2 years to finish.  However, from that book came a plethora of ideas of the different kinds of books that I can put together with the knowledge that I have for business, spiritual awareness, education, and life.

#2 Be Creative

I want to write.  I want to create.  I want to teach.  Finally, I want to live a fulfilled life on purpose.

There is a problem with this though,  If I want to write, I also need people to read. I am learning that people don't like to read.  Why?  Because life is too busy for people to take the time to read.  So, what I want to do is create a business where I can make short e-books with the subjects that you are interested in.  Then create a way for you to listen to it as you are on the go.  This is the business that I want to scale.  This is the business that I want you to be a part of.  This is how I'm crushing it. . .

#3 Be Patient

I started small, but I want it to grow. . .

The word says do not despise small beginnings.  We have to start somewhere.  What ever your business idea, know that you are providing a service.  Know that you can achieve success if you work hard and keep pushing forward.  Design your business to have a strong foundation so that it can keep growing and growing.  You have to be patient and not motivated by money. This is what I'm getting from this book. You have what it takes inside of you to "Crush it!"

Crushing it is about taking the time to write your vision, then making the small steps towards it. . .

#4 Change your Mind Set

"Crushing it" is actually a sequel to Gary V's  2009 release called "Crush it."  In "Crushing it,"  Gary reiterates very important entrepreneur tactics to scale your business using social media platforms.  He takes you on a mind shift awareness journey so that you can start to think about what you are doing wrong in your business and what you are doing right.  I highly suggest you buy the audio book because he goes off script, keeps you up to date with the changing media, and gets brutally honest with why your not crushing it!

Get your mind right!

#5 Become a Reader

This is why I love this book, it is an awareness book.  You don't know what you don't know until you know it.  These are the type of things that I write about on Fridays . . . Mind shifts!

This is a FREEDOM FRIDAY!

"Crushing It"   by Gary V. 

Go grab the book.  Change your mind about scaling your business.  Change your mind about working a 9-5 job and being ridiculously unhappy.  I encourage you to start living your life on purpose.  Love the life you live.  Love God.  Love what you do!

Today, I'm not making a lot of money but I am happy.  I'm about to self publish my book.  I'm getting ready to open my E-book business on my website Artteacher4Purpose.com.  I'm building a following and I just went back to school to get my doctorate in the Philosophy of Psychology in Cognitive Instruction.  The plan is to continue speaking on my passion for creative, and mindful education practices.

I'm Crushing It!

Yeeaaaasssssss!

This is good stuff and I just want to thank you for your comments, your shares, and for all my readers.

_About Freedom Fridays: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Freedom Fridays!!

Hello Friends. . .

It is a freedom Friday where I love to connect you to information about the mind bondage that we all are in.  We want to start to gain the insight to these systems that have been set up by the world kingdom.  These systems are  false systems set up by the adversary.  I encourage you to gain understanding of your enemy.  Even more importantly than that, I implore you to get to know your God, your creator.

Change your Mind:  Read Something!

Back in March I wrote a post:

Check it out when you get a chance and you can see what I read back in 2017 and 2016.

https://artteacher4purpose.blogspot.com/2018/03/wisdom-wednesday-running-list-of-what.html

This is/was my "want to read list"

The Life to Come -Michelle De Krester

Lioness Arising- Lisa Bevere

Girls with Swords- Lisa Bevere

Viktor Frankl- Man's Search for Ultimate Living

Ask Gary Vee- Gary Vaynerchuck

Crushing It-  Gary Vaynerchuck

One Word- Evan Carmichael

Braving the Wilderness- Brene Brown

The Principles and Power of Vision- Dr. Miles Munroe

I'm currently working on 3 of these titles today. . . 

I have a goal of reading 10 books this year . . .I will surpass that goal!!

I read so far this year:

Crushing it- Gary V

Girl Wash Your face- Rachel Hollis

Forgotten God- Francis Chan

Declutter your way to Success-  Terri Savelle Foy

Circle Maker- Mark Batterson

Visioneering- Andy Stanley

3 Most Important Things in your Life- Mike Murdock)

(Seeds of Wisdom series- Mike Murdock)

For Women Only- Shaunti Feldhan

Purpose Driven Life Journal- Rick Warren

Battle Plan Prayer- Kendrick brothers

Proper attitudes towards Leadership

I'm reading now

Jesus Calling- Sarah Young

Care for the Soul- Thomas Moore

Braving the Wilderness- Brene Brown

Playing Big- Tara More

Abundance Now- Lisa Nichols

I'm dreaming of Some White Chocolate- Rhonda Rhea (this will be my December read)

Hearts of Fire (I never finished this but it was very good)

My 2019 Got- to-To Read List so Far

Into the Wild-  Jon Krakauer

School of Greatness- Lewis Howes

Girl Stop Apologizing- Rachel Hollis

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck- Mark Manson

Additionally, the most important book that you can read in your life is the Bible.  My practice is to read something or meditate on something from the bible EVERY DAY!! This is where all the good books get their ideas.  The bible is the source and God uses people to interpret his word for us to understand. . . This is good stuff!

Great Talk_ Now Go do Something!

Until Next Time.

-Tamorra