*Reflections* --> Embracing your Singleness...

"I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please Him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and please his wife. His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband."

1 Corinthians 7:32-34

Hey everyone!

Lately I have really been struggling with the fact that I am single. I even started to believe that there were things wrong with me, because potential guys that had interest in me tended to fade away as quickly as they came. As I was trying to cope with my insecurities, I was seeing all of these couples frolicking and in love and it made me want to be in a relationship even more! In order to reduce my crying stress, that I needed to focus more on God. God revealed to me that He has plans for my period of singleness. While I am sitting here complaining and sad, God was trying to get my attention to tell me about the things that he wanted me to do...I was missing out on a major blessing!

Later on that week, I received an email from Kim Brooks' ministry for single ladies regarding her upcoming BlogTalk radio show entitled "What To Do While You Wait". This show was all about embracing your singleness, the very thing that I had been (and still am) struggling with! Praise be to God! God definitely sends confirmation through multiple mediums when He reveals something to you. I listened to the show and she ministered to my spirit so much that I couldn't help but share the show with others! The show is only 30 min and she uses scriptural support to deliver her message. I was truly blessed and I know that others will be too! Hang it there single ladies, God's got big plans in store for us as long as we seek Him and put our faith in Him!

Listen to internet radio with Kim Brooks on Blog Talk Radio

Please make sure you sign up for her daily devotionals and monthly newsletters!

www.kimontheweb.com

I love y'all for free,

nNb :)

*Reflections* --> I'm back!!!!

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.” 

― William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hey everyone!

It has truly been an exciting hiatus for me! I've discovered so many new things about myself and I have grown so much over these past 40 days! I will say that I have learned some things that I do and don't like about myself and I am taking the time to reflect on those things now. The above quote encompasses a lot of my thought process during the last couple of weeks.

During my fast, I realized that God doesn't focus on what the world focuses on...while we look at credentials and outer appearance, God looks at the heart. He knows my thoughts, passions and dreams. He doesn't look at me and say that because you had a low g.p.a. out of undergrad, you are not good enough to do this or that... He sees me for who I truly am, His daughter! I take so much comfort and solace in the fact that I serve a God that loves me IN SPITE of me! Glory be to God! 

As I continued to reflect, God laid it on my heart (through a convo w/ my mentor) that I AM a world changer. God uses what the world will think is weak people (we even think this ourselves) to create major change. Think of Moses when he was told that he was selected to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-20), he doubted his own ability, but God did not. God saw in Moses what he didn't see in himself. Thinking about my own life, I want change urban education for the better and although I might not feel like my credentials display my passion and drive, I know that I serve a God who is able! He will make a way for me to carry out this gift of empathy towards others who grew up in similar situations as me. The bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7 that we should not judge people by their appearance (or superficial things). The Lord doesn't see things the way that we see them, but He looks at the heart.

So as I grow more and more each day, and wait for graduate school responses, I keep holding on to the fact that I am a world changer. I am committed and I will persevere no matter what! No man, not even myself can stop God from fulfilling His will. No one! I will leave you with this quote that I look at every morning before I leave for work:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

― Margaret Mead

Blessings to all,

nNb :)

*Reflections*--> Don't Gossip...Just Pray!

"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."  ~1 Timothy 2:1-4

Hey everyone!

In this video, I talk about the importance of praying for people instead of our natural reaction of gossiping about their situation. We are all sinners and all fall short of the Glory of God! Thank God for GRACE though!! Instead of bringing down others, we need to take the time to pray and help those in need of God's help. Hopefully this video touches and ministers to someone's situation. Check out the video below:

Peace & Blessings!
Michelle :)

The Climate of DPS Schools...

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” --Charles R. Swindell

DISCLAIMER: THIS BLOG POST IS NOT AFFLIATED IN ANY WAY WITH CITY YEAR DETROIT. THIS IS SIMPLY ME STATING MY OWN OPINIONS/OBSERVATIONS.

Hey everyone!

Today I was talking to some of my 9th graders about a college night event that my City Year team is in the process of planning. As I was asking about registration forms, one student said "No one in here is going to go to college anyway...". That comment bugged me...not only did the student make the assumption that no one in the class wanted to go to college, he also said (indirectly) that no one in the class will be able to make it into college. People, I ask this simple question:

When did we get here as a community?

Why is it that students are more willing to fight/kill one another over practically nothing?Students spend more time writing their "hood" on the walls of the school than they do writing a ONE paragraph response to an instructor posed question. If you ask a student to recite their favorite rapper's lyrics, they can drop a rhyme on a dime. However, if you ask those same students to READ those same lyrics aloud, the have so much difficulty. Girls are willingly allowing boys to use and abuse them, while at the same time, calling these little boys "boo" or "baby". Even worse, is that these same guys, who were scum to begin with, impregnate these girls and then don't want to help raise the children. We've got babies on the block selling rocks to support their ENTIRE family!

What is going on here people?!?! Have we lost so much love for our commuity that we have let it turn to shambles?! Looking at pictures of my old Detroit neighborhood in the 70s, the area was thriving! The high school (where I am currently placed for my service term) looked beautiful. The neighborhood looked beautiful. what has happened between then and now? Our streets are covered in trash and litter. There are more abandoned buildings on some blocks than there are actual filled homes! Our children walk through the neighborhood and see nothing but struggle and strife. Most of them think that the only way to make money is to sell drugs. The sad part about it is that most of the affluent people in the neighborhood ARE the drug dealers. Those who get out of the neighborhood tend not to come back because they want to escape.

The only way that Detroit can become the thriving city that it once was, is if all the neighborhoods come together as one. We need to stop all of these rivalries and EDUCATE our children!!!! The community is a major influence on the path that students end up. The community sometimes lends itself to be a success deterrant. Our students can do anything that they set their mind to, and we need to instill that idea into them. We need to stop worrying about the superficial and worry more about their FUTURE! It is truly the only way to save our kids...

Stay blessed,

nNb :)

*Reflections* 2-24-11 (Pt. 2)

Just a continuation from Pt. 1. Enjoy!

Love,
nNb

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

*Reflections* 2-24-11 (Pt. 1)

Hey y'all,

I had some things weighing on my heart recently, so I decided to make a video about it. Hope you all enjoy it!

Love,
nNb

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

*Reflections* --> Dealing with Pessimism

"Pessimism leads to weakness, optimism to power"

~William James

Hey y'all!

First and foremost, I want to wish everyone a happy hump day! I know that things can get rough, but remember that the energy that you give off is contagious...

We all know the story...someone that you know woke up this morning in a funky mood. Everything that happens to them causes them to more upset and negative...whether the event was positive or negative. Everyone that they encounter senses that negativity coming from that person and the mood in every room that they enter begins to sour. Negative or Pessimistic people cause evreyone around them to change in attitude and disposition.

I try to be a positive as I possibly can, but sometimes pessimistic people cause me to turn from my naturally bubbly self, into a ball of saddness and negativity. I struggle a lot with dealing with neagtive people on the job, at home with family and even with some friends. The important thing to remember is that negativity is infectious! What we must do is remove ourselves from being around people who are always negative and sad. Don't get me wrong, don't completely abandon the person(s), you are to be a good friend and try your best to help the person get over (or at least cope) with their sadness. The problem starts when the person you are trying to help chooses to remain in their sad state. When they refuse to see the good in any situation and decide to wallow in their own sadness, that is when you need to escape.

I'll be honest, I used to have VERY LOW self-esteem. I used to be the person that wallowed in my own self pity. I constantly turned to my friends and wanted them to pay attention to me and try to make me feel better. I used to like the attention, because I felt like people liked me. After a while, my friends started to get tired of me being in a constant state of negativity. People stopped calling and checking up on and hanging out with me... It wasn't until a little while afterwards, that I realized that people don't want to hang out with super negative people. Sometimes people want to hang out with you and have fun. If they constantly come around you and you are negative and pessimistic, they too will become that way. After that learning experience, I now know how my friends felt as they dealt with my pessimism.

It's very important to be supportive, but remember there is a difference between occasionally being someone's shoulder to cry on and being a permanent crutch. In order to reduce your own stress and frustration, remove yourself from the footholds of negativity and pesimissim. Try your best to be the most positive person you can be and trust in God to heal your heart and those around you who may also be on the fast track to Pessimism City.

with love,

nNb :)

*Reflections* --> Following God's Will For Your Life

"We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can, namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us."

~St. Teresa of Avila

Hey y'all!

As we are approaching the end of another year, many of us can say that we have had some high points and some low points. There have been trials and tribulations as well as moments of joy. If you are questioning whether you had any moments of joy, remember this: You are reading this post, that means that God woke you up this morning and for that you should be thankful and joyful :)

I for one am thankful for the fact that I graduated from the University of Michigan...low g.p.a. and all! That was nothing but God! I am thankful for having a roof over my head, despite the fact that I am struggling financially...again, nothing but God!

As this year comes to a close, and the City Year corps year drawing near the halfway mark, I became stressed about plans for next year. I started frantically researching graduate schools and checking requirements for admission. I had everything planned out...grad school for non-profit management, then a nice career in the non-profit industry. Afterwards, I would cry a little realizing that I don't have the "credentials" to gain admission to some of these schools that I am interested in.

After a very powerful sermon that I heard at church, I realized that this life is not mine. God has a will for my life. Here I was planning out my whole life...down to the amount of children that I wanted...and packaging the whole thing up and asking God to co-sign for me. It doesn't work like that...

I was reading my study bible and here was an insert that they placed in there to give people more insight:

"Jesus said anyone who wants to follow him must 'deny himself and take up his cross' (Mark 8:34). The cross meant suffering and death for Jesus. Does that mean that you'll suffer too?

The cross is more than a place where Jesus died. It is a symbol of our salvation and a symbol of God's will. The cross was God's will for Jesus. But your cross, God's will for your life, is different. What is Jesus telling you?

• Deny yourself. Choose what God wants, not what you want.
• Take up your cross. Do God's will each day.
• Keep on following Jesus.

Following Jesus will make a difference. The old you will be left behind, and you will become a new and beautiful person in Jesus."

After reading that passage, I have decided to leave my life to God. I will follow His will, even if that means that I will have to scrap that whole lifestyle I envisioned for myself. The way I see it, if Jesus knew no sin, and was completely righteous and my righteousness is the equivalent of filthy rags AND I am still seen as righteous through the blood of Jesus, what right do I have to deny God my life?! Absolutely none! He sacrificed His son for a wretch and a sinner like me! What an awesome and amazing God!

I will wait on the Lord and follow his will and I will put my desires on the back burner. I know that God has got sooo much in store for me, that if I follow his will, he will pour down so many blessings on me!

He will do the same for you as well as long as you have FAITH and SURRENDER yourself to him!

With love,

nNb :)

*Video Blog Reflection* 11-15-2010

Hey y'all!

It's been a while since I've done my last video blog, so...

Here 'tis:

Make sure to rate, comment and subscribe!!!

peace,

nNb :)

*Reflections* --> Dealing with stressful situations

"Give your stress wings and let it fly away."

~Terri Guillemets

Happy hump day everybody!!!

That's right, it's Wednesday! This time of the week can be very stressful with all the assignments, projects and activities people have on their plates. This is just a friendly reminder that...

THE WEEK IS ALMOST OVER!!!

Things may be stressful but just hang on!!! Remember that everything that you go through was ordained by God to help make you a better person. Don't let difficult situations get you down and make you bitter.

This week is really stressful for me because we have a big service project coming up this Saturday. The bulk of my frustration occured about 30 min ago after one of our team meetings. Although there seems to be a lack of direction during the planning process, I have to remember that things will get better. Once the project is completed, we get to take a step back and look at all of our wonderful work. Take this advice to heart and lets work together to reduce our anger and stress for the rest of the week!

peace,

nNb :)