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A Little Backstory – Part III

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How Did I Get Here, con’t.

The Holy Spirit had to continue to remind me that my true purpose is ministry, which was birthed through Order Your Steps.  I had to be mindful of the task at hand and allow the Lord to lead and guide me along the way.  As the months went by, I could hear the Lord’s whispers in many different ways.  One of our church Elders and my very dear friend would send me the Spirit of Prophecy bulletins for my daily devotional.   It still never fails to hit me exactly where I am in that moment and on March 21, 2018, it was no different.

“Beloved, I want to help you see and hear spiritual truth.  To do this you must look without fear, prejudice, or expectation.  You cannot allow anything to color or distort what I show you, but rather take it at face value.  When you see something, do not add anything to it or take anything away from it.  Look with eyes wide open, ears ready to hear, and a heart ready to receive, says the Lord.” By Marsha Burns*, March 21, 2018 (https://ft111.com)

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”  John 16:13 KJV

Unfortunately, when things don’t go as I plan (as God laughs) I want to change the plan. However, when we’re in the midst of a spiritual journey, the rules change.  The Lord will ask us to do things that are a tad uncomfortable, while we wait until He tells us to take the next step.  He takes us out of the realm of reasoning and into the spiritual realm of faith.  It is now, March and I’m in this most interesting God Set-up and I’m struggling.

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke”, we also believe and therefore speak… II Corinthians 4:13 NKJV (Paraphrased)

So, I tried to encourage myself by speaking positive words into my life.  Every day, my journey will only get better.  I’m living my best life!

Positive speaking worked for a while, but I was having an Abraham moment!  I just didn’t know how God was going to handle this for me.  In Genesis 22, we are told that out of obedience to God, Abraham took Isaac, his only son, up one of the mountains in Moriah to offer him as a burnt offering.  Now I know that my workshop assignment doesn’t come close to sacrificing my only son, but work with me.  Abraham went up the mountain, knowing that the Lord had a plan, but he had no clue as to what would be the outcome, except that they (he and Isaac) would be going back down the mountain, but Abraham did not know how.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I … And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. Genesis 22:10-11, 13 

Although I knew that the Lord has given me an assignment to accomplish, my Faith had begun to wain because I didn’t see the ram.  I could see the answer that God had prepared for me even before He had given me the task or idea.

I could tell you of many situations, when I thought that there may be a ram hidden in the thicket, but to be honest, I really wasn’t sure.  I knew that God had always come through, but because of what I saw; doubt and uncertainty reared their ugly heads!

Although Abraham didn’t see the ram at first, we know that the ram was on the mountain before Abraham and Isaac even got there.  In faith, we must see the ram, to see God’s answer, even before we see it, I knew that I was going to see this assignment through and even if the Lord didn’t appear until my 11th hour, I knew that the ram was already in the bush!

Stay Tuned to “The Conclusion of the Matter, For Now!”

Available for Pre-order, scheduled for release in June, 2019.

A Little Backstory – Part II

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How Did I Get Here?

In early January, 2018, I found a new zeal for God’s Word, even before the real journey began.  I truly wanted to hear what the Holy Spirit was saying.  I started to read the Bible consistently and I started listening to various sermons, especially Bishop TD Jakes of the Potter’s House and Pastor Steven Furtick of Elevation Church, who said, “Peace comes after obedience.  We may NOT experience God’s peace until AFTER we do what He tells us to do!”  

Later in January, the Lord impressed upon me to host an Order Your Steps event, a women’s workshop focusing primarily on helping them to establish more Order for their lives!   I’d always conducted workshop for small groups on the organizing process, but I’d always driven solo.  This time I’d have people speaking with me.  So what began as a fall season event with a “New Beginning” theme, evolved into a Mother’s day weekend event, which in my opinion may not have been the best time? Usually, Mother’s day is a very, very busy period for mothers and families, so most women would not be available for a workshop.  But the Lord was ordering my steps, so by no surprise, as I lined up the venue, vendors & even the speakers, everything seemed to fall into place.  My workshop now entitled “Ordering My Steps: A Mother’s Perspective” was off and running!!

As I read, God’s Word says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord”.  1 Corinthians 15:58 KJV

So, I knew that whatever happened from that point forward, I’ve had to see it through, but, I also knew that it was not going be easy!  From my previous experiences, God doesn’t normally give you something to do, if you can do it without Him.

Now, we’re moving forward!  The invitations were sent, we marketed on social media and life is good!  Five tickets sell, Yayy!! Then a whole another month goes by and not one ticket sold.  What do I do now?  Shortly thereafter, I woke up one morning and the Lord said, “Plant the Seed”, and so I searched the scriptures and the Holy Spirit took me to Zechariah 8:11-13.

“But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the Lord of hosts.  For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong.”

As I continued to study, the Nelson’s New King Jame’s Version Study Bible stated that “While in Babylonian captivity, the people had been subject to God’s discipline.  Zechariah encouraged the people to focus on God’s chose of Jerusalem and that God had promised to come among His people and completely restore them.  Because of their obedience with regard to rebuilding the temple, they could now anticipate His Blessing”.  I heard God’s Word, but I still questioned…

Doubt

Did I really hear God?

Did I say something wrong?

Did I do something wrong?

 

Stay Tuned for “A Little Backstory “ – Part III

Available for Pre-order, scheduled for release in June, 2019.

The Organizing Story by Myiesha

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As I was preparing content for my blog and most recently for my new eBook; Order, Organize & Obedience, my lovely daughter, Mya, had agreed to write “The Organizing Story” for me.  In addition, this story is a great lead in for my 2nd Annual Order Your Steps Women’s Workshop: DeClutter Your Mind, Coming in April.  So please allow me the pleasure of presenting to you, none other than my own daughter, Ms. Myiesha.

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Although she is not aspiring to become a world renowned author, she has been an avid writer since she was ten and self-published her first book “Last Look Back” at the age of 21.  Myiesha is currently attending Graduate School at University of Maryland pursuing a Master’s degree in Library Sciences. She has also graciously agreed to pen “The Organizing Story”, a creative work of fiction to further illustrate the Psychology of Clutter.

So without any further ado, enjoy “The Organizing Story”….

“I’d like to explain how I work”, Rhonda said. She was having a sit-down with her newest client, Mariah Kellar. Rhonda is a professional organizer and usually liked to have a conversation before she began. “But first, would you consider yourself an organized person?” She asked Mariah.

Mariah took a moment to think about it. “Um,” She said. “I don’t know…yeah…maybe…yes! Definitely yes~”

Rhonda smiled at the woman’s indecisiveness. She was used to people being unsure about their organizing habits. After so many years as an organizer, she had seen people at every level of organization and she knew how to effectively help them proven in her 100% success rate. The reason for her success was simply because she was no normal organizer. “Organized? Well, there’s only one way to find out,” She said. “Let’s have a look see, hmm?”

Mariah was confused. “I don’t think I understand.”

“Give me your hand,” Rhonda said. Mariah eyed Rhonda warily, but put her hand in Rhonda’s anyway. “Please take a deep breath and close your eyes.” Mariah did as she was told. She was beginning to get worried that her time was being wasted. Rhonda was known as the best in her field, but for what Mariah was paying, she wouldn’t be able to afford it if Rhonda was wasting time. A few minutes passed and it seemed that nothing was happening. Mariah opened her left eye to take a peek, but to her surprise, Rhonda was gone.

“Wait, where’d you go?” Mariah asked, looking around annoyed. She definitely deserved a refund if all Rhonda was going to do was play hide-and-seek.

“I’m in here,” Rhonda yelled. She added, “And I don’t appreciate that last statement, I don’t do refunds. Good Lord, it’s a disaster area in here.”

“What?! Where’s here?” Mariah asked.

“I’m in your mind, Mariah, and I’ve got to say, you’re not organized at all,” Rhonda said.

“How can you say that? I’m not perfect, but I’m not a slob.”

“I know better than that. Just because you look organized on the surface doesn’t mean you’re an organized person. If the state of your mind is of any indication, I have my work cut out for me. Goodness gracious, when’s the last time you cleaned up in here?”

“Well, excuse me.” Mariah replied. “I’m not really sure how to clean up something I can’t get to.  Besides you don’t understand, I’ve got a LOT going on”

“Good thing you called me then. You see, organizing begins in the mind. You need to get your mind in order first before you can begin organizing your space. You have to start getting rid of the things you’ve been holding to. Pick your priorities. Pick what’s really important to you and just let go of the rest.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

Rhonda chuckled. “It’s not, but it has to be done. I can’t organize your area if your mind is cluttered with things you don’t need.  If I don’t start with your mind, it makes my job a lot harder because there’s no guarantee you’ll keep up with the order. If there’s no order to your brain, I’d be wasting my time organizing the rest of you. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah,” Mariah said and she understood how Rhonda became the best.

“Excellent,” Rhonda said, rolling up her sleeves preparing for the feat ahead of her. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

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Available for Pre-order, scheduled for release in June, 2019.

A Little Backstory

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As I mentioned briefly a few weeks ago, my new eBook, Order, Organize and Obedience is a tale spanning four decades of my journey with God to find order in the chaos of my life.  It begins in August of 1979, as I’m returning to DC from Austin, Texas, after only five months.  I will take you through my life in Corporate America, into my life as a wife and mother and all that I learned along the way.  I had always known of God, but I never really knew God truly for myself.  Over time, I have realized that my steps have always been ordered by Him through the good times and the bad.  This can especially be seen as I recount how the Lord orchestrated my leap of faith culminating into the birth of Order Your Steps.  Order Your Steps was not only a business, but a ministry that God had ordained for me. He has not only allowed me to share God-given gifts and talents, but to also be able to share His Word through my testimony, which you will find a few sneak peaks in my blog over the next few months.

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As my story begins, it’s Monday, September 17th, 2018 and I’ve been up since 7 am.  It’s now a little after 8:30 am and I’m finally here!  I’m sitting in front of my computer, ready to start the writing of my book, but now what?  Where do I start?

Early on, during the inception of my own professional organizing business/ministry, Order Your Steps (I’ll explain more about that later), one of my objectives was to write a How-to-Organize eBook.   I started to write a blog entitled Finding Order in Corp USA.  Its primary purpose was to share my life at Xerox, as a backdrop to owning an organizing business.  But what I discovered was that people were more interested in me and my mission, versus learning just about my career and organizing.  So as Order Your Steps continued to evolve, I focused on my blog posts and the eBook took a backseat.  But now I believe that the book has taken the forefront and I’ll try to explain why.

Have you ever been in the midst of a God Set-up?  You probably have, but you just didn’t know it at the time.  I’m realizing that I’ve had numerous Set-ups throughout my life, but let’s just talk about this year, for now. I’ll give you a little backstory how this particular Set-up unfolds.  My last organizing session with a client was on September 7th.   So, a few days in, I decided that God was giving me a period of rest, which He’s done before.  So I didn’t really worry… at first.  I just started to look forward to my next scheduled appointment, which would have been the 12th of September.  But then, as the 12th got closer, the client rescheduled, and then another client rescheduled and then another.  Now, I must admit that I was becoming a little concerned.

Interestingly enough, Order Your Steps turned 7 years old on Sept. 13th and the number 7 in the Bible represents “Completion”.  I knew in my spirit, with an assurance that Order Your Steps (OYS) wasn’t over, but that we had entered our year 8, our Year of New Beginnings.  Since 2018 began, I felt that my business/ministry was evolving into its next phase.   In a few days, I’ll be 62 and I must say that although I really truly love my job, it has always been rather labor intensive, i.e. walking lots of steps, lifting boxes, carrying clothes, etc. etc. etc.  So you can understand that now that I’m 60’something and to be truthful, even when I was 50’something, I’ve needed periods of rest from time to time.  The Lord would always provide His strength and stamina and then He would set aside a time of rest.  However, it’s now 11 days in, with very few client organizing sessions on the calendar?!  I don’t believe that I’ve ever had 11 days straight without an appointment, that I can remember.  God always had another client on the horizon, seemingly coming out of nowhere … Thus, the Set-up!!  There’s obviously, maybe not so obvious at first, something that I should be doing, during this “time of rest”.

September has been a rather interesting month thus far and I’m acknowledging the push from the Holy Spirit to do something productivity, so I’m writing my book.  I’ve realized that even when God says “Be Still”, He doesn’t mean for us to stop moving!

Available for Pre-order, scheduled for release in June, 2019.

What do you think thus far? 

I welcome your comments!

 

 

Our New eBook Cover Reveal!

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My graphic designer, Inked Designs by Elayna, and I discussed a few different concepts, however, Elayna had suggested a bull’s eye from the start.  Initially, I was a little concerned that it may not fit with the theme of the book and then the Holy Spirit led me to this scripture:

My question: What are God-worshipers like?  

Your answer: Arrows aimed at God’s bull’s-eye. 

They settle down in a promising place; Their kids inherit a prosperous farm. God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. If I keep my eyes on God, I won’t trip over my own feet.  Psalm 25:12-15 – The Message (MSG)

It was interesting to discover that this scripture was the basis for my book for the beginning.  The Lord continues to show me how to worship Him for who He is.  I must focus only on Him for guidance and direction and He will always Order my steps.  This journey has been and will always be about what He wants of me,  much more than what I want from Him for me.

Order, Organize & Obedience is a tale spanning four decades of my journey with God to find order in the chaos of my life.  It begins in August of 1979, as I’m returning to DC from Austin, Texas, after only five months.  I will take you through my life in Corporate America, into my life as a wife and mother and all that I learned along the way.  So please join me on my journey of Order, Organize & Obedience, with all the twists and turns, up and downs.  As a bonus feature, there’s organizing tips too.

Available for Pre-order, scheduled for release in June, 2019.

Next Post:  “A Little Backstory”