I had an epiphany yesterday. I had to get to 250 Elm Street in Somerville, MA from my job. Somerville is maybe 10 miles from Boston, but I may well have been going to Mars. I don't know anything about any place in Massachusetts but my own city, so I printed some Google directions. I ran it by my boss since he knows everything about everywhere and told him that if I'm not back in the 12 minutes that the map said I should be back, at least he knew where I was. And I was off. I missed my first turn and had to navigate a U-Turn and proceeded on. My directions were telling me to be on a given street for 2 minutes which was 10 minutes for me; 1.3 miles which turned into 7 miles and so on and so forth. Suffice it to say, I came upon a street that I was familiar enough with to know that I was not where I needed to be. I didn't panic, but an interesting thing happened. I didn't take the first U-Turn and make my way back....rather, I kept going forward. I may have been looking for a gas station but I came upon a red light and the cross street was Broadway. Broadway was one of the streets named on my Google directions!!! So, I turned left onto Broadway. The driver behind my was blowing his horn, so maybe that was an illegal maneuver, but whatever. So, I proceeded down Broadway looking for the next cross street listed on my directions. I came to a rotary without having found my cross street. I saw a big green sign in the rotary pointing to Boston, and I knew that I didn't want to go that way, so I turned right. Still nothing was familiar, but I was on the correct street - College Avenue!!!!! So I took College Avenue and began getting worried. I called my girlfriend who also sits at a desk all day. (Whenever I get lost or need some information, I call her and she will Google or Mapquest it for me.) I called her and while we were small talking, I saw a sign ahead of me that was pointing the way to Elm Street!!!!! At this point, I knew exactly where I was, and was so mad at the stupid directions that I had depended on. I turned onto Elm Street and found a parking spot. I didn't have quarters for the meter, but I had 7 dimes and a nickle and was parked in front of a bank. I went in, got my 3 quarters and was on my way to my appointment.
The epiphany was this: God may take us over the river and through the woods, but He will never leave us. Even if we somehow find ourselves off the beaten path, He will make sure that we will reach our destination - the destination that he has preordained for us. Jeremiah 29: 11 tells us For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (NIV). Who is to say that if I had gotten to 250 Elm Street in 12 minutes I would have had my primo parking spot? What if I needed to get quarters and there was no bank near my new parking spot? Did I mention that it was raining cats and dogs all day yesterday??? So this entire ordeal was compounded by the heavy rains, but God saw fit to get me 2 parking spaces from the front door. Even though I didn't know where I was going for a while, He did. So translate this 30 minute ride into a lifetime. We may stumble and fall, but we always end up where God intends for us to be!!! And we are never alone!!!
And yes, I made it back to work in 12 minutes!!!!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20 NIV)

This verse sums up God as Jehovah Jireh - Our Provider!!! Whenever my back is against a wall, I recite this scripture (among others) and it calms my soul. Still true to my goals of 2010, I had meetings with others who have knowledge and/or resources that I need. On Wednesday, I met with David Ginsburg (@davidginsburg on twitter). He's the best social media consultant out there!!! I had him looking at the site for Prove Me Now Herewith (www.provemenowherewith), and he gave me some incredible ideas. I was pleased with the site as it was, but God used David to show me exceedingly and abundantly more than I had imagined. He suggested that I create a facebook fan page and make the site itself more interactive. He suggested hyperlinking the labels to the actual testimonies that are sent in. When I left the meeting, I immediately reflected on how this is SO much more than I had asked or thought.
Then, yesterday I met with the Ayele Shakur, executive director of the Boston Learning Center (http://www.bostonlearningcenter.org/). Another of my goals is to write a successful grant this year, and by successful, I mean funded. There is a class being offered and the University of Massachusetts for $375. It meets on Wednesday nights from 6-9:30 (which as you know, is a violation of my 8pm bedtime). I liked the class because the students actively worked with an organization researching it as well and potential funding sources. I went to Ayele to ask if I could use the Learning Center as my organization. Not only did she agree, she invited me to come on board and work with the grant writing team there and get hands on experience that way - for free!!! Not only will I write 1 grant this year, but the expectation is that I will be writing 1 a month!!!! Again...excited!!! And can you say "exceeding"????
If God has moved beyond your wildest expectations, don't keep it to yourself!!! By all means tell somebody, and feel free to share on this blog!!! Have a great weekend, and above all, be blessed!!!

I'm still plugging away at my goals for 2010. One of those goals is to get 3 books published this year. (I told you that my goals were audacious!!!!) I just completed the press release for the anthology - Prove Me Now Herewith: Testimonies of Overflow Blessings from Faithful Tithers. While cruising the Internet to see what I could find on testimony services, I came across this post from I.H.S.'s blog. I am inserting it here in its entirety because it sums up completely why am am working on this book. Enjoy it, and be blessed!!!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
"Testimony Service?"
I remember, when I joined what a lot of people called the sanctified church, there was at the beginning of the service this part called testimony service, and some places called it devotional service. This was the time when those in the congregation could get up and sing a song that they loved and then after singing two verses and the chorus they would then start telling everyone in the church how good the Lord has been to them.This was the general format: " first giving honor to God; who is the head of my life and to his Son Jesus. I honor the pastor of this church, to all the elders and ministers, to the deacons and to the mothers of the church and the missionaries, members, saints and friends. I thank God that I'm saved from my sins, sanctified and filled with the precious gift of the Holy Ghost..." They would then proceed to expound on an incident where had it not been for the sovereignty of God something bad would have happened or something bad happened but God turned for their good.This was a time when the saints would encourage one another to continue to move forward with God as their Lord and Saviour. The testimonies that were given at times would directly speak to another individual in the congregation and that they would see and hear that if God did for that person then surely He would do it for me too. However, a lot of churches no longer have that time in the services anymore, and I've heard some pastor's say the reason being was the people began to glorify what the enemy was doing as opposed to God and it also became a place for some people to tell off others.Whether the church you attend has testimony service or not; I believe in my heart that we as believers must continue to "testify" to one another all that the Lord has done and is doing in our lives. It's a normal thing for me to call home to my parents, and while I'm on the phone with my dad or my mama Al the conversation never ends before we have expressed to one another what God has been up to in our lives and this carries us until the next time we speak.So, I implore all believers to get back to "testifying" to one another and watch God strengthen you even more.
Posted by I.H.S. at 1:33 PM

So far, this year is off to an exciting start for me. Granted, we are only 12 days in, but I feel good about 2010. Like God Himself, I am calling things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17b NIV). I have written my 5 year vision and my 2010 goals to attain the greater vision, and am working daily towards these goals. What I have found in the process is that I spend more time in prayer as God reveals the future that He has planned for me. Believe me, mine are lofty goals. We as humans have the tendency to get arrogant anytime we do something new or great that brings us accolades from man. We become addicted to the complements, the celebrity, the money, the recognition....all the trappings that come along with success. I remain in constant prayer that as God works through me that my mind will remain on Him. I don't want to become fixated on anything other how I can become greater for Him and how I can expand His kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven (Matt 6:10 NIV). Honestly, the thought of getting so puffed up scares me. Psalm 119:21 says "You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from your commands". I don't want to do anything that causes me to lose God's favor for one second!!!! So I ask that you pray for me that I am able to successfully complete all that is before me this year, and I do so with a humble heart. And when I make it big I promise that I won't forget the little people 8-)

I love a good sermon!!! I was drawn to my current church - Mt. Olive Kingdom Builder's Worship Center (http://www.thekindgomchurch.com/) because I heard both the then Youth Pastor and the Pastor speak on the same night at a tent revival. They are neither greedy nor selfish - on occasion, an invitation will be extended to a guest preacher. Although I am anxious for most of those services, I have never been disappointed by the guest preachers. A few weeks ago, Elder Shane Perry gave the sermon at our 9:30 service. He spoke about vision. He said that we in the church speak faith, but have no vision. Habakkuk 2:2 says "And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." (KJV) I have to admit, it got me thinking. I have so many things that I am working on, goals that I have, revelations that I am trying to fulfill, but how can I do all these things if they aren't written down? I would certainly lose track of one or 2 by March or April!!! So I took it upon myself to write out what they taught us in business school as a BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal. I changed my Audacious to Attainable because I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (Philippians 4:13 KJV) I read it at least once a day. I have most of it memorized and I speak it throughout the day. In addition to this 5 year vision (something of this magnitude can't be done properly in a year), I wrote out what I am going to do in 2010 to ensure the attainment of this goal by 2015. These 6 goals are what I am working towards everyday. I have a binder and everyday I write what I have done towards my BHAG. It is encouraging. It keeps me motivated. It is exciting!!! If you are working towards something big, I encourage you to write the vision, and make it plain!!!! Good luck in your endeavors!!!

I love the Dorchester YMCA. They have everything you can ask for - even if the times aren't conducive to my schedule, at least it is there. I was there with my son last night for swimming class and I was reading the December 2009 Essence. (I am so behind on my reading.) In the letter from the editor, Angela Burt-Murray spoke about black love and all the covers that have featured strong African-American couples. The part that resonated with me was:
"Now on the threshold of our fortieth annivesary year, we continue to tell our love stories, despite the reality TV catfights and guess-the-daddy segments on trashy talk shows that would have so many buy into the fiction that Black Love is dead, or at the very least on life support. We will pull back the veil on the lie we've been sold by the mainstream media, which consistently promotes the idea that African-American women and men can't be civil with one another, much less be loving, caring, supportive and emotionally whole partners to each other. Time to change the channel."
In addition to pool time, I try to get to my neighborhood Y by 6:15 every morning and get a "brisk" walk on the treadmill. My objective is to burn 600 calories in 35 minutes. The most I've gotten is 589. However... I have lost 6 pounds much to my delight. I love that the Y has TVs hooked up to the equipment so you can be distracted from the misery of what you are doing. Now I'm not sure if I was just mad because I was 20 minutes from the end of my torture, or really mad at TVOne. At 6:00am while other stations are showing news or even informercials, TVOne is showing Divorce Court!!! I remember saying to myself "It is too early for this mess!!!" The Google listing for TVOne says "TV One is a cable television network featuring classic black tv shows, movies, news, and entertainment for African Americans." Really???? And is there nothing that African Americans would rather watch to get their day going besides discontent, disharmony, disillusionment, and discord between a black couple who have fallen out of love? Don't we see and hear enough about black on black crime? Isn't television supposed to take us away from the occasional bleakness of everyday reality? I'm not sure what the programming personnel over at TVOne are thinking, but it is obviously not about true entertainment for African Americans!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I apologize for the 2 week hiatus. With 4 children, I'm sure you can imagine that Christmas time is a time of much business in our house!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that 2010 is off to a glorious start for you. This is an awesome time of year. As I suggested in my last post, this is a time for resolutions; a time of rededication and new focus. According to comScore, Inc. in January, there is a 99% jump in web visits to Weight Watchers and a 42% jump in traffic on career sites. 1 million boxes of smoking cessation gum, lozenges and patches were sold in January 2008, and 12% of gym memberships are sold in January. Roughly 50% of Americans make New Year's resolutions, and sadly, 25% fail after one week. I've hit on the most common resolutions - lose weight, quit smoking, find a new job, but what about the rededication and refocus of our lives to Jesus? Have you ever heard anyone say that they are going to spend more time in prayer this year? Or they are going to read the bible in its entirety this year? What about making it to more than the one Sunday service on a weekly basis? These are the things that are really important; the things that will last. I think we forget that James equates our lives with a "mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (4:14 NIV). If any of your resolutions include following the world's view of happiness, keep in mind that "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12 NIV) Seek those things that will draw you closer to Christ on a daily basis.

On a separate note.....my second website is up. Check it out at http://www.provemenowherewith.com/. Feel free to submit a story or just send us words and prayers of encouragement. God moved for me in mighty ways in 2009, so I'm expecting Him to blow my mind in 2010. I wish the same for you!!!