She persists

In recent news, stories of women from Beyonce to Ivanka Trump to Elizabeth Warren have made headlines! These ladies are making their marks in various ways.

"#Shepersisted" is currently trending on Twitter. Originally, this hashtag spoke to Elizabeth Warren's voice on the Senate floor. But soon, it was attached to photos of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Malala Yousafzai. Those women are renowned for their courage and determination. As I read through the tweets, I looked over at my Nana stirring the masa for her tamale pie. At 88 years old, she is the epitome of strength and persistence.

I could fill volumes with illustrations of my grandmother's fortitude. I watched her get on her knees and pray even while facing extreme pain in her body. I've listened to her share wisdom with those who sought her counsel, and I've witnessed her remain positive and hopeful no matter the adversity. As I typed this blog, she looked out her window and reprimanded a child for knocking down a city Stop Sign saying, "I know where you live". That's old school. She's a boss. She persists. And it is through her example that I know not only will I persevere, but I will prevail.


Jodi

Welcome February

A friend and I made a pact. We agreed to write a blog post by 1/31/17.

Well, you know how it goes, life gets busy, and gets in the way.

I am in the process of rebirth. I am reinventing myself. See, that's the beauty of life. At any given moment, we can decide to begin again. I set an intention on New Year's Day. I declared 2017 to be a year of love. Not just romantic love, but big grins, heart thumping, can't believe this is happening love. And it has been amazing so far.

Tonight we say goodbye to January and prepare to start a new month. I'm excited. I'm hopeful. I'm ready.

Joy for the Journey

My friends busy with their lives, let me know that our plans for a Friday hang out need to be rescheduled. So I found myself wondering how and with whom to spend my day, That's when the thought came to me, ask God to accompany me on an adventure, Just so you know, that's how I talk to God. I ask His Spirit to roll with me, go before, show me things, lead me, guide me. I wanted to relax at a spa. I wanted to find a tranquil reading/writing spot. I wanted to have an inspirational, mind boggling moment with the Creator of the universe. So I prayed for the Divine adventure, and just guess what happened....NOTHING! Nothing felt different, looked different, seemed different. I couldn't sense His presence in a way that I normally do. I kinda felt like a wanderer, a drifter with no destination. I actually felt kind of lost. Wait, this isn't how I imagined my prayer being answered. Honestly, it felt like no answer, like God abandoned me. 

And then I received a text from a dear friend with a link to one of Steven Furtik's sermons on getting in line with God's rhythm. Everything, well mainly my perspective, changed in an instant. Now hear me, I didn't feel God speak from on high nor did the Red Sea part. But, I was reminded that there will be times when it will feel like God is nowhere to be found. This will be especially true in times of trial, tragedy, and tribulation. The thing is, FAITH has never been based on what we feel. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen. In the midst of my day, God showed me to keep trusting Him, keep moving forward, keep progressing in spite of what it seems/feels/looks like.

So now that we got all of that out of the way, let me show you everything I experienced that day. I jumped in my car and drove. I made turns and cruised down new-to-me streets. Some places spoke to my heart, others did not. But what I know for sure is that I could see the awesome magnificence of God everywhere I went. I never made it to the spa nor did I read or write. I just stayed in the moment and experienced His goodness. And for that I am grateful. What better adventure thato see new landscapes while trusting in Him to be by your side. He never leaves nor forsakes us.


Jodi

Avensole Winery

Antique Shopping

                                                        

Sunset on the lake

Enough already!

Is it just me, or do you ever wonder what to do when we don't feel like working out, we don't feel like writing our blogs, we don't feel like prepping meals, or doing any of those other things that we should do? We just do it. I don't mean to sound cliche or bite off of Nike, but sometimes we've just gotta look our laziness, fear, and feelings in the face and with authority say "shut up". Look, if it were easy, everybody would do it. If it didn't require us to stretch ourselves, it would have been done a long time ago. Now is the time to get busy creating the lives we've always imagined.

So, welcome to my blog. Yes, the blog I continuously revamp, restart, renew, drop, and pick back up again. My name is Jodi, other wise known as @jodisjoy on Twitter, Facebook, and Periscope. My purpose is to inspire and uplift through words. And I declare today that I will fulfill my calling. I may put down this blog at times, but I will always, always pick it back up.

Happy new year! My prayer for us is that we will do everything in our power to make 2016 our most awesome year yet!

No more excuses, no more putting off until tomorrow what we can do today, and no more believing the lies that we are unworthy, unlovable and unable. We are more than enough!

Cheers to our victories,
Jodi

Free to be me!

Happy Independence Day! I'm back...

I love having the freedom of choice, free will. I get to choose how to spend my time, my life and my money. Sometimes I don't think we even realize how truly free we are. It's amazing to think that even God Himself gives us the power of choice.

So here I am relaxing on the couch this 4th of July in the year of our Lord two thousand and fifteen. And guess what? That's what I'm choosing to do in this very moment-relax. Ahhhh the peace-home alone, cup of coffee and the TV remote all to my self.

I'm grateful today for the men and women who serve and have served our beautiful country. I'm thankful I get to worship the God of my choice. And I'm overjoyed to have made the decision to indulge in a bit of rest today. I'm actively practicing the art of doing nothing.

See all of that laundry and my house that obviously needs to be cleaned? Ive decided to put that off until later. For now I select the couch, to savor my cup of coffee in a pretty mug, and to read my new Artful Blogging mag. My heart is filled with serenity, calm and peace. Now in my mind-thats true freedom!

Enjoy your holiday doing what you love with those you love. And may you always be free being authentically you.

Lovingly,
Jodi