Love, Laughter, and EVERYTHING in Between: Faith

Imani/Faith: The duty to trust and believe in our parents and in our capacity as family, community and a people to achieve at our highest potential.

• Let us continuously cultivate that “something within” that allows us to trust beyond all doubt the spirit and truth of the principles, practices and symbols of this Kwanzaa/Nguzo Saba tradition will lead us to the righteous victory that our struggle pursues – a world more hospitable and nurturing for our families and communities and the whole human family.
• Let us always trust in the infinite ability of the Creator to show us the more effective way to use the energies and impulses of the sacred image and essence within, to go over, under, around and through the ever-evolving challenges and obstacles that stand before us (and within us). 
• Let our faith be informed, inspired and strengthened by the large and small lessons of love, diligence, determination, compassion, forgiveness and positive transformations wherever life presents them.

Candle Lighting:  Light your last GREEN candle and commit to being more  trusting  in each other in the coming year.

~Until Next Time
SimplySHAY


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter and EVERYTHING in Between: Day 30- Purpose

Nia/Purpose: "Commitment, duty, and obligation to contribute to the morally serious purpose and noble goal, of nation building, i.e., the quest to recover and restore the  African American family, community, and people as a whole”

• Are you growing in realizing and appreciating that our traditional greatness includes the fact that our African ancestors were the fathers and mothers of humanity and civilization?
• Grow in knowing, receiving and revering inspiration from such a commitment (and its results) in people in every period of our history, in every geographic location.

The African proverb is insightful in illuminating the centrality of the family in the nation building project, declaring: “The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.” And, conversely, the development and elevation of the nation begins in the home. This is an affirmation that nation building begins at the smallest level, the family.

Candle Lighting: On the fifth day of Kwanzaa, the family lights the GREEN candle.  This candle is symbolic to the collective prosperity; Kwanzaa commitments are made around the Purpose principle.

~Until Next Tiime
SimplySHAY


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter, and EVERYTHING in Between: Day 28-Your Purpose

My sister and friend LaToya Perry posted this on FB and I wanted to share it with you.  Be encouraged!

"With all the things going on in the world it makes my heart heavy. It would appear that daily as a people we are losing our love and simple kindness for one another. I can only imagine what the Lord sees and how His heart must break as He watches His children make choices that will lead to their destruction. All the while, we have disregarded the gentle nudges and some times the outright bricks of correction that has been thrown at us. We are caught up in the show.

What is the show? The show is what the enemy uses to distract us from our mission. He uses any and everything. The magicians are great at this tactic. They call it slight of hand. While performing their magic trick, they keep your eyes occupied on something insignificant meanwhile, the thing you should be focused on is being done right in front of your eyes and you don't see it. We get occupied and caught up doing and being all that GOD has NOT called us to do. We get frustrated and burned out by living and doing what we THINK or WANT our purpose to be. Sometimes it's clear but often times it's not. We HAVE no clue what all the Lord has put in us. We've failed to go to The Maker and inquire into what should our usage be. We allow "the show" to dictate our usage. If you allow the show to dictate your actions, you will find yourself at the end of the year declaring that in the Next year, your dropping all your insecurities, fake friends, dead beats, negativity and so on. Not realIzing, that those very same things and people will be with you in the next year because you will make the same decisions because you don't know why you're here and secondly because maybe some of those fake friends were meant to build you into a better you.



I'm encouraging you as well as myself to spend these last days of 2014, seeking God for direction. "The show " will keep you frustrated and always looking for the next. God's purpose and mission will keep you fulfilled and inspired. Yes, the show will always try to get your attention but if you stay on mission you will easily be able to discern what and who is not for you.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that should be your first order of business. How can you know what God has for you if you don't know Him. Next, commit to seeking Him and finding out what HE would have you to do and not what you think or feel you should be doing.

I wish you all the joy you can contain in this coming year. I pray that you would be a solution to this world's problems and not a participant in its downfall. I pray that you would forgive other's quickly and remember that you are not perfect and do not walk on water. We are going to disappoint and hurt one another, we are human. However, choose to extend grace and love instead of hatefulness and vengeance."

~Until Next Time
SimplySHAY


Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Love, Laughter, and EVERYTHING in Between: Day 28- Collective Work and Responsibility

UJIMA (00-GEE-MA) Collective Work and Responsibility: To build and maintain our community together and make our sister’s and brother’s problems our problems and solve them together.

• Are you your brothers or sisters keeper?
• Are you willing, compassionate and pro-active in extending the knowledge, abilities, energy and other resources at your disposal to help members of your family and community to achieve the best outcome of a given life or situation?
• Can you extend yourself in this manner without the expectation of some immediate material return, but with the satisfaction of knowing that helping others in this fashion is, in the long run, help and reward for you also?

Candle Lighting: On the third day of Kwanzaa the family lights the GREEN candle next to the black candle. This candle is symbolic of future success and achievement.

~Until Next Time
SimplySHAY

Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.

Fasting - How it Works (Day 2)

Day 1 was all about the benefits of fasting and writing down your thoughts in a custom "Your Journey's Journal" by Designs by Shay.  Today we'll go more into what fasting entails and one fast in particular.  How many of you fast for either spiritual or dietary purposes?  I'd love to hear your stories. 

What is Fasting?
Fasting, the act of willingly abstaining from all food, drink, or both, for a period of time.  Though it may not be the most practical -- or safest -- diet, some people use fasting as a way to lose weight or to cleanse the body of toxins, although some experts say our bodies are perfectly equipped with organs that already do the job. Most religions use periods of fasting as a means of demonstrating faith and an opportunity for spiritual reflection.
 

What is The Daniel Fast?
The Daniel Fast is the most "popular" fast used by many of faith and is a biblically based partial fast.  In Daniel 1 the Prophet ate only vegetables (that would have included fruits) and drank only water. So from these scriptures we get two of the guidelines for the fast: (1) Only fruits and vegetables (2) Only water as a beverage.  Then in Daniel 10 we read that the Prophet ate no meat nor any precious breads or foods and he drank no wine for 21 days. So from this scripture, we get a third guideline: (3) No sweeteners and no breads.

You may be saying, "OK, no meat, only water, no sugar; but why no bread?"  Another important guideline is drawn from Jewish fasting principles, where no leaven is used during the fast. So that's why yeast, baking powder and the like are not allowed on the Daniel Fast.

When my daughter asked about the eating plan on the Daniel Fast, I simply stated "it is a vegan diet with even more restrictions."

DISCLAIMER:  I am NOT a doctor. Fasting should never bring harm to the body. And if you have concerns, be sure to consult your health professional before going on the Daniel Fast.  Although the Daniel Fast is a very healthy way to eat I suggest a few modifications if you have health issues that need special attention. For example, I just recovered from the Norovirus and am taking antibiotics so I fast until 6pm and eat only chicken and fish. (if any meat at all)   My daughter and niece are athletes (cheerleading) so their eating plan is slightly altered as well

WHAT I HAD ON THIS DAY~
Breakfast - Mango, Orange, Grapefruit, Carrot, Celery JUICED juice
Lunch - Oats, Flax Seed, Banana, Raspberry, Blueberry SMOOTHED smoothie
Dinner - Corn and Potatoes
Late Night Snack- Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries..... yummmmmdelish!

~Live Life With NO Regrets
Sharon Patrice Simply Perfect Peace Events, Inc. and Designs by Shay, the Blog "My Journey, My Way, My LIFESTYLE ~ Celebrating Love, Laughter and Everything in Between..." You or your brand interested in a review? Getting married or having a social event and need assistance? Email Me For All Your Event Planning Needs.