Saturday, December 23, 2017

NOT DEFINED BY MY DARKNESS

I remember the look on my dad's face when I announced to him that I was going to study abroad. I had flunked high school, merely got accepted to college and was continuing the trend of failure. It's not that I didn't care at all about doing well, I just wasn't focused.

A year into college my dad lost his job and I was forced to leave school and find a job. As I saw my college classmates graduate and move on, I decided I didn't want to return there, I wanted a fresh start, a new environment. I wanted to be successful.

So I made the decision that I wanted to study abroad. And with my C's and a few D's neatly written on my well tucked away transcript, I boarded the plane to NY.

Everything was supposed to be against me
1. I came to the US with one semesters tuition- instead, I wasn't kicked out for none payment.
2. I was an international student paying out of state fees- instead I graduated without student loans
3. I always got low grades- instead I graduated with a 3.7 GPA
4. I didn't have a job offer when I came here- instead I always got a job on campus and off campus as well to help sustain myself.

Circumstances at times become the fuel that drives us. For me it was the embarrassment of having to go back to a school when all my friends had graduated, having to find the tuition to complete school each semester and the embarrassment of being a failure. That sparked in me a desire to excel.

Allow your dark moments to fuel your drive for greatness. Don't allow yourself to be sucked in by them, instead grow. Continue reaching for the stars. You were made to fly.

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

One Love
Danni

Monday, December 11, 2017

AUTUMNS LIFE'S LESSON


Every season brings its blessings and autumn is definitely no exception. I love the crispness of the air when September rolls around. My mood and emotions change as I begin looking towards getting together with friends and family.

Autumn identifies itself by the shedding of leaves which happens regardless of the temperature during the season. And we know to look forward to it, because it happens every single year. A few lessons can be learned from autumn which I believe are worth taking note of, and are applicable to our lives today.

1. Autumn signifies shedding or letting go of the old. Think about it, would it make sense if we had spring and no fall? Can you imagine how crowded and over grown the trees would become? In our own personal lives, what are the thoughts, fears, activities, relationships, friendships, habits, past failures that we are holding on to that are worth letting go. For us to move forward and go into another orbit, we have to let go of those things that we know are holding us back. TD Jakes said "when we hold on to our past, we do so at the expense of our destiny". It is important to take inventory of our life, take note of those things in our lives that need shedding, and shed them. The bible speaks of the pruning. This is another example of getting rid of the old and making way for the new.

2. The falling of the leaves happen regardless of the temperature of the season. Once the month of September rolls around, the leaves begin to change and the fall happens. It can be a warm autumn, or it can be a cold autumn, it doesn't change the outcome, fall still happens. We must know our season to let go of the old, and we should make that decision regardless of what others may think or feel. Our calling to greatness is by divine design and should not be handled lightly. Therefore when you know in your heart the time has come, it is movement time. Do not allow others opinions or the activities that are going on in our lives (the temperature) to prevent us from making our decision to move forward.

3. Autumn's shedding, leaves the trees bare for winter's assaults. When we let go of those things in our lives that prevent our growth, we become vulnerable to life's assaults. It is during these times that we may become criticized, or life just seems to become harder. The road to greatness, is never straight and easy, but has many challenges that are essential for building strength, endurance, growth and tenacity. These challenges stretch us and prepare us to handle the breaking point. And for us to make it through each challenge we have to have grit.

4. Autumn leaves us open for the miracle of spring. Letting go of the old, allows us to be prepared for spring. The falling of the leaves onto the ground provides nourishment for the soil which intern nourishes the trees for a better spring. Death to self always creates a new person. Therefore letting go of the old is essential to growth.

What are the life's lessons that you have learned from the autumn season. Please share them with me. I would love to hear them.

One Love
Danni