we both looked up at the sky from different places and saw the same moon? You were on one side of the island, and I was on another. And we saw the very same moon. 🙂 Big, bright, beautiful. It glowed in the sky and shone so brightly that if it had breath, I could feel it breathe on me.
How close I felt to you, dear one, as we considered life and love and relationships and what we deserved. It was a magical moment. So filled with joy, I didn’t know what to do with myself but sing out to you through the night sky and wonder if you could hear my voice from a faraway distance.
Can you hear me? Do the vibrations of my voice carry through the noise and the hustle, the bustle. Did my words make it all the way to your ears, entering into your stream of consciousness, one at a time, formulating phrases and sentences that hopefully demonstrated how much you mean to me.
Can you hear me now? As I reminisce on the times we gallivanted through the picturesque streets of West Side and contemplated what it would be like to date different people and end up in different places. You were living in that mansion at the time, and I, on the island. What beautiful times. What beautiful memories; like of your little lime tree growing in the open room. Or was it a lemon tree?
N, I think of you often and wonder what it would be like if time travel were possible; what I would have said to you, or not have said. The time I pretended to smoke pot with you instead of telling you that I didn’t want to do it anymore.
…
I saw that same moon tonight. The same exact moon, only a little bit older. The moon doesn’t change. It’s the same one that comes every single night faithfully and can be seen from all over the world.
Beautiful. Magical. Accessible. I wonder why God created the moon? If not to make me feel closer to you and closer to Him. Those two reasons are good enough in themselves.
‘Ello there! I’m tired. But it’s a good kind of tired!
Yesterday I went for a 25 mile bike ride with some friends.
We did part of a 50 mile trail that goes from Williamsburg, VA to Richmond, VA. Went down 12.5 and took a hammock break.
My friend literally makes hammocks himself. Pretty awesome. I got scratched by some thorns upon exiting the woods.
Y’never know what’s going to happen on an adventure. Hahaha. On our 12.5 return trip, an unexpected friend showed up to ride the last few miles with us!
He’s blurred for privacy reasons 😛 but it was so much fun to have him show up and join us!
We caught the last few moments of the sun setting before we got back. 🙂
Gotta love adventuring. 🙂 <3 Every time I go outside I remember who I am and why I’m here. It’s easy to get lost being stuck inside too much.
I think of the story of Martha and Mary, and how Martha was running all over the place getting upset over this and that. Jesus told her that Mary “has chosen what is better” by sitting at his feet, completely attentive to all he was saying and doing.
Lord, it has been somewhat of a strange week. Today is Friday and it seems as though the week absolutely flew by in a sense. Some days feel so long and fruitful, and others… painstakingly mundane. I yearn for tomorrow, and hope that I find the greatest contentment in all that it brings.
Lord I guess the unknowing has gotten me down here and there. Even though you specifically spoke to me in a devotional saying that we are not to worry about what the future holds. That we are only to trust in you, Lord, keeper of our souls, finisher of our faith. What peace there is in that.
Lord, I thank you for the many conversations about you as of late. About the gospel, about the Truth. About the person of Jesus. Thank you Lord for history. Thank you for historians. Thank you for evidence. Thank you for proof. Thank you for all of the people that dedicated their lives to discovering the truth. Thank you for all the people that set out to disprove the truth and ended up being saved by what they found.
Thank you Lord, that you are unstoppable.
And that includes all of us that are saved. All of your children. Thank you God for saving me and giving me eyes to see what’s true.
And I thank you Lord, for leading others to your truth. Thank you for softening hearts. Thank you for making people ready to receive truth. Thank you Lord for fertilizing the soil. Thank you for planting seeds. Thank you for raining truth. Thank you for working, always working. For your great plans. For bearing fruit in season when the time is right. You’re the Only One who knows what the future holds. And I THANK you so much for holding my future!
Lord God, help me put You first. Help me do all of the things. Thank you for helping me take on new territory. Thank you for going before me and laying down each and every step that I will take. Even the confused ones where I go back and forth, sometimes literally, before making a decision.
Thank you for helping me decide what to do tonight. You put that obstacle in my path, and it was good. It was necessary. It was helpful. It was perfect. I am THANKFUL that You placed it there. Lord, please help me to see EVERY obstacle in my path as a blessing from you. Since I believe you are in all of the details. 100% of the details.
100%.
Not 99%, and the other 1% left to chance.
100. You are the God of everything. The One over it all.
I love getting to know you. Thank you for slowly teaching me how to love You and others better.
You gotta show up. You gotta do the work. You gotta be excited about it. You gotta be LIT. You gotta be PROUD. You gotta be PASSIONATE.
I could never be with a company that I didn’t stand behind 110%.
120%. 130%.
200%.
500%.
All in. I really couldn’t. I could never be one of those Instagrammers that are paid to review some random product that is sent by companies who want advertising in exchange for a few dollars or a discount off of their products. These people can’t possibly have a good idea about the product. And the incentive for reviewing the product is not worth their time.
And it’s sheisty. It’s downright shady. hahaha
And then there’s investing into a company that has incredible momentum, has outsold all premium haircare lines in the world, is #4 in direct sales in the U.S.A. after only ~5 years, and is Leaping Bunny certified, vegan, and chemical-free.
Umm, yeah. Nuff said. You don’t even have to be a long-term customer of my business to know that we have incredible products, a bar-none compensation plan, and timing on our side. The numbers don’t lie. The momentum doesn’t. Lie.
Facts are facts!
Know what you’re getting yourself into when you invest in a company. Don’t invest in a company that’s been around for 50 years and where half the people that sign up quit because they aren’t making any money. Invest in something that’s growing exponentially like my company.
Invest in a company that has a mission of solving people’s hair issues by representing clean products that are clinically proven to heal hair from the inside, regrow and thicken hair, hydrate and moisturize hair, make hair shiny, soft, and healthy 🙂
The health and beauty industry will always thrive. It’s a wise investment to make. And a cheap one too! People go to school for 4 years and spend $100k on a degree that may or may not be used, yet spending a couple hundred dollars on a side hustle is risky? This logic is flawed.
This small investment starts as a side hustle and can grow into and even replace your main stream of income. Email me for more information at velvet@velvetyoung.com!!!
do you pout or do the next right thing? A little bit of both?
If you pout, how long do you do it for? Does it consist of pouting to yourself or complaining to anyone and everyone around you? How does that make you feel?
Kinda makes me think of a miserable slug leaving a trail of slime behind it. Eww
When things don’t go your way…
how fast are you to accept the change? Are you a fighter when it comes to keeping things the way they are, or do you ignore the changes, or do you embrace the changes?
For me, it’s a matter of if there’s something I can do about it, I do it. If there’s nothing I can do about it, I try not to worry about it. I ask God for peace about it. He is Faithful to give me peace!
We are all little control freaks at times. We have ideas of how things should look, when they should happen, how they should happen. Thank God that He is in control and we aren’t able to manipulate so many parts of our lives. God is always teaching me how to depend on Him more. However, my nature wants to depend on Him less. And that doesn’t lead me to very good places.
I don’t want to be darkened in my understanding. I want to have the wisdom that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, going where I’m supposed to be going, and embracing what God has me to be embracing. But isn’t that every challenge?
Isn’t every single challenge that comes along once from the Lord? Not that He causes or creates the issues. Think of it like this:
If God wanted to protect me from someone, He could.
If God wanted to make my business take off running overnight, He could.
If God wanted to me work hard to cater to people no matter what their response is, He would. He would find a way. Because He is God. And if we’re looking… we’ll see God in every one of the details. Every. One.
God is the big boss. And it’s night time. Gotta go to sleep, more later!
I think because of the way it started. I woke up several times thinking that I was oversleeping and was going to miss my appointment. Do you ever have that feeling?
Each time I woke up and realized I still had ~3 hours, then ~2 hours then ~30 minutes I was both relieved and annoyed at the same time.
Sometimes I can’t calm the adrenaline. I can’t calm the feeling of anxiousness. Alertness. “On”ness.
Sometimes it feels like a high speed chase. Sometimes it feels like a race.
Sometimes I wish I could slow down my pace, which is funny cuz that’s exactly what GOD said
Listen to me child, or you’ll end up in bed
Don’t run so hard, don’t play so hard, you don’t have to do all the things
But did I stop and listen to GOD? If I had, I wouldn’t be writing.
He said “don’t go, not today, listen to your pain. That stiffness you feel is because your body’s not trained.
Sit down, relax, go later or tomorrow. Heed my advice, daugher, have some coffee and fodder” (lol I love slippin’ the word “fodder” in when I can 😂) … (even tho I’m not a cow. DON’T YOU DARE COMMENT!!) … (jk)
.
..
.
God is always looking out for us. He wants to help us take care of our temples well.
He put this on my heart tonight: what I want people to remember about me after I die. So I made a list, which looks kinda like dis:
She….
stood up for Jesus.
walked the talk. Did what she said she would do, and wasn’t a hypocrite.
was quick to confess when she did wrong, and ask for forgiveness.
was quick to forgive others when they wronged her.
stood up for justice.
gave God all the glory in whatever she did.
acknowledged that it was all God’s grace… that she lived, walked, and had her being.
feared only God.
lived to please God.
shamelessly shared about her faith and testimony.
took care of her temple.
followed God and didn’t run ahead of Him!!
considered others as better than herself.
worked hard with her hands to provide for herself (and her family).
never doubted, for a moment, that God would give her all that she needed.
leaned on Him completely for direction.
spoke often of her privilege to walk with Him.
filled her head with things that were lovely, pure, excellent.
filled her head with things that were praise-worthy, and true.
filled her head with things that were just and honorable.
took every thought captive and made it obedient to Christ.
.
..
.
This is what I want my legacy to be.
Lord… thank you for making me more like You and less like me every day. As I fill my mind with Your Word, I dwell on it. I choose to dwell on what’s True. You tell us that all Your Word is True. Thank you for granting me eyes to see the Truth. Lord, thank you for dwelling and dining with me. I would be utterly lost and hopeless if not for the riches of your grace… you have made me rich. Free, rich, righteous. What more could I ask for? Only to help me stay my eyes on you.
Today was an odd day. Well, this afternoon and evening was odd.
I started the day like normal… I was tired when I first got up, and frankly didn’t want to do anything. But I got up and made coffee and had some quiet time with God which was lovely.
Then I went to work. Then did some work at home…
Until I had to get up and move. Though I was starting to yawn. I started to get SO tired and thought it quite odd. So I put on some clothes to go running in, and thought I’d wake myself up that way. That’s when I started feeling anxious.
“Don’t run today.” was the feeling that I kept getting. I kept having that feeling as I was putting on my clothes, as I was heading to my car.
I then remembered a time when I didn’t listen to God and didn’t have peace about going dancing one night but decided to go anyway and didn’t have peace the whole way there.
I then thought about the fact that I was thinking about that other time when I didn’t have peace and then started thinking about the fact that I was connecting that time to this time. So I asked God “should I just go home?” to which it seemed He said “yes, go home”.
But I still kept driving to the park. Even though the light was red and there was nobody in the turning lane next to me and I easily could have done a U-turn and went home.
So I get to the park and I’m still questioning whether or not I should be at the park (a good indicator that I should NOT be at the park) and I park my car and start walking the 5.3 mile loop. I’m planning on starting to run, but I heard a nagging “turn around and go home” in the back of my mind. Or maybe at this point those words were at the front of my mind.
So I asked God for a clear sign that I should go home. I was looking down at the time. When I looked up, I saw not one, not two, but three crystal clear signs.
They were road signs, actually. And the first one said “Caution” and I walked by. The second one said “Do Not Enter” and I kept going. The third one said “Exit” with an arrow pointing back to my car.
It’s funny because I’ve done this trail countless times, but never noticed those signs before. I know I’m oblivious to begin with, but when you ask God for a sign and then He shows you three that all say “go home” after you pretty much know He’s been telling you to go home all along anyway, it’s time to listen.
So I left. And I went to the grocery store on the way home. Got some stir fry veggies.
Made a lil stir fry. With chicken. Yum.
And then all my plans were thrown out the window. I just felt like sleeping. I absolutely hit a wall. So at 6:30pm I went to sleep. And slept til 9:30pm. Then I went to work.
I’m about to go to bed now… 12:48am but I really wanted to share this experience with you. God is speaking. Are we listening? Are we really tuned in? Are we willing to trust Him and do what He says? Are we?
I’m not sure all of the purposes behind God telling me to go home. I don’t believe anything is ever purely physical, though He was definitely helping me take care of my body (I’m also going running tomorrow with a friend so I should preserve myself since I’m such a noob and don’t want to overdo it again. I have a tendency to start a regime too quickly and sabotage myself). I also believe there were many unforeseen spiritual implications going on that I may come to understand, but likely will not.
Long story short, God is in control. And when He takes your peace away, trust Him and listen. Lack of peace means STOP and LISTEN. Sometimes God will reveal obvious signs right in front of your face.
He is worthy to be trusted and worthy to be praised!
There’s no telling when they’ll come, or when they’ll go. All can look totally calm when a sudden storm occurs. Sure, our weathermen can predict. The arrival and departure, the severity. The impact.
But it’s all guesswork. It’s all a prediction. It’s a projection. It’s uncertain. Though one thing is certain:
God either sent the storm, or God allowed the storm. For He is sovereign.
Sovereign means: the Big Boss. Sovereign means in charge of everything. Sovereign means in total control. This is not to say that God is the great puppeteer and that we don’t have a say in anything that happens; no. The bible says that God is sovereign, AND we have free will.
What this means is this: God created me and gave me a mind, a will of my own, desires, tendencies, instincts. I’m a free agent, and may choose to do whatever I will.
However, God knows all of my thoughts before I think them. He knows all the words I will ever say before I speak them. He knows where I’ve been, where I am, and where I’m going. His Word says that He has written all the days of my life before I was born.
This fact boggles me. God wrote all the days of my life before I was born. Dang. Even the boring ones. Even the ones when I was sick. This afternoon I wasn’t feeling super great– I think it’s because I ran hard yesterday and didn’t do something properly afterwards. Not enough water, stretching, maybe an ice bath was needed? I dunno. Also, I may have simply done too much. I biked after I ran too… and then it got chilly outside so maybe subjecting my body to the elements was where I went wrong.
ANYWAY.
God knew that I would take a nap this afternoon.
Followed by an Epsom salt bath.
God knew I would be actively listening to His voice, and what conclusions I would come to.
Entrepreneurship is difficult. I want someone to tell me what to do. I want to have deadlines and pressure that keeps me accountable for getting work done.
I sat there wishing I had a boss. Then God reminded me that HE is my boss. He’s me Overseer. He’s my Counselor. He’s my Father. I report to HIM. For He says in His word:
“Whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
Whatever I do.
Whether I sit or stand, speak or am silent. Run or walk, or am still. Whether I read or write or send messages or make phone calls or pray or weep or laugh; I should do it all for the glory of God.
I repeat, entrepreneurship is difficult. It requires a lot of research on my own to come up with business plans that actually work, time management that’s actually realistic, and goal setting that I can stick to. Sometimes I feel as though I’m juggling forty things at once and am not sure if I should give equal time to each one or really sit on one for a longer period of time.
To all you business owners out there, heed this advice: have some grace for yourself, especially if you’re a newbie like me. I shouldn’t expect myself to nail down an amazing business model and have a huge business after only a couple of months. I can’t help comparing myself to other people and see how they have advanced in a short time which gets me down sometimes. But it’s important to remember that those people are the anomalies.
Success requires small steps over time. Success requires many failures. Success requires consistency and being disciplined and picking the next right task and doing it. Success requires not attaching emotion to any outcome, and being okay with people expecting you to fail.
NF really did have it down in his song “Remember This”:
“These people gon’ tell you that you will never make it
Then when you do, they gon’ say they knew you were goin’ places
That’s just how it works, next thing you know you’ll be overrated
Hearing people say they miss the “old you, ” it’s crazy, ain’t it?
And perfect people don’t exist, so don’t pretend to be one
I don’t need pats on the back from people for my achievements
When I die I wanna know that I lived for a reason
Anyone can take your life, but not what you believe in, no”
Actually, the whole song is fire for entrepreneurs… it’s all about going and getting what you want out of life.
On that note, I’m going to go do what fills me up now.
It’s people like her that encourage me to go on, and I do.
But Lord, I’m waiting on your move. I’m waiting on your time. I’m waiting on your green light. I’m waiting on your sign.
I’m waiting on your guidelines, I’m waiting on your words; I’m waiting for you to tell me when to back up or go forth.
You’ve handed me the tools. You’ve handed me the script. You tell me not to worry, you say you have a grip
Over my life
Over my pain
Over my future
Over my gains
My losses
My wins
My friendships
My heart
You’ve told me you’ve set me apart.
“Let you light shine before others” is one of your commands. “Don’t hide your lamp under a basket, put it on a stand. Stand up for the whole room, for all the people to see. Shine brightly on the hillside, like a well-lit up city.”
Shine. Shine. Shine for Jesus. Mind. Mind your wants and needs. Be mine. Be mine you whisper to me.
You wrote it in a letter. You tell me to read it and remember. I forget from January til December. You’re always sending it back to me. I rip it up and it reappears in my mailbox. I crumple it and it reappears in a message on a screen or from the mouth of someone in passing.
“Are you listening? I said ‘I love you'”
I’m listening. You told me through her, and so many others.
Friday night.
About to go to work.
Work tomorrow.
And sabbath.
Easter Sunday.
It’s strange because normally I have things to look forward to.
Is this beautiful life not enough?
How about contentment.
I say that I am.
Sometimes I am.
Usually I am, I would say.
Though it’s hard during this time.
When we’re so limited.
Though I love the rest.
I love the routine.
I love the cooking.
I love the exercise.
I love… the bible study.
I love the intimacy with the Lord.
Yes. Sitting in His presence.
And He speaks.
And He answers prayers.
And He is so sweet.
Where have I been? You’ve been here all along. And I?? I miss your presence. Yes, You’ve reminded me of Your sweetness yet again.
I have started SO many drafts on this blog. I usually start them when I’m exhausted and half asleep. Like meow. Though I need to get up and go to work. Going to text my client now actually.
Texted her. On my laptop. What an amazing world we live in. God is so incredibly amazing to have given us the capability to come up with all that we have. Simple amazing. Indescribably so.
Lord God, I am so privileged. You have just reminded me of the revelation I had the other night when I was turning the key on my back door. I though, Lord THANK YOU that I have a back door and a key to turn into it. You provision is insane. And I recognize that I’m only here in this house because of your goodness and grace. I love it here. It’s perfect for me. Thank you Jesus. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for taking care of me. Thank you for teaching me discipline. Thank you for teaching me how to live on my own without resorting to escapist activities. You have brought me SO far. I love and rely on you completely.
