PLAY BALL!!!!!! #LetsGoMets!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Wellllll, it's almost that time of year!!  I AM A HUGE Baseball Fan!! AND my FAVE Team is The New York Mets!!  YES.....I can hear some of you laughing but I LOVE my Metsies and I am sticking by My Team!  Only 40 days until Opening Day and as a loyal Mets Fan, I continue to have *HOPE* in MY Team each and every Season!!

We have a lot to be excited about this year.....our Ace and our Closer returning strong from Tommy John surgery, some seasoned Vets are back and ready to show their stuff, our young guys are eager to prove AND our Starting Pitching Rotation will hopefully pitch us into a Wild Card spot.  YES....I said Wild Card and not Play Offs (Baby Steps).  But I KNOW when we reach the Wild Card spot.......the next step into the Play Offs will be a piece of cake :)

In addition to being a Big Fan of the NY Mets, I LOVE all types of sports (my FAVE station being ESPN) and I enjoy attending Live sporting events, especially baseball games.  I've been BLESSED to have a ticket broker who gives me the hook up AND to have friends (shout out to Darrell/Scott and Dr. Bertie) who treat Mona to a game or two each season.  Matter of fact, my friend Bert has become such a fan (and we sooo enjoy going to games together) that a few years ago, Bert and I flew to Puerto Rico to see the Mets vs. the Marlins at the historical Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan......where they play the World Baseball Classic. Whewee!! #FunTimes!!

One of the main reasons I LOVE Baseball and watching games in person, is because the Baseball Stadiums are so PEACEFUL. My favorite games to attend are *Night Games*.........first pitch around 7:00'ish as the sun is setting, lights coming on in the Stadium, a cool summer breeze blowing through the ballpark, my FAVE team on the field, nice cold beverage in my hand, the company of good friend(s) and as the game nears the later innings - the Stars and Moon making their appearance to cap off a PERFECT night at the Ballpark. Even if my Metsies don't get a "W", NOTHING beats an evening at the ballpark.

Another reason I am a Big Baseball/Sports Fan in general is because I really admire the tenacity, focus, sacrifice, endurance of Athletes. No matter what level of Athlete (little leaguers, highschool, college, or professional), I get a rush watching a talented Athlete showcase his/her God-given Gifts at the highest level!! And I LOVE the fact that some of these Athletes perform at a high level of excellence ALL for the Glory of God!! "For God has bought you with a great price.  So use every part of your body to give glory back to God because he owns it." (1 Corinthians 6:20, TLB) .  

I grew up in a home where Sports/Athletics was on the Menu.  From my Mother being a gym teacher/cheer leading coach in her younger days as a school teacher to my Father being an avid and INCREDIBLE golfer to my Brother playing Hockey since I was in diapers to Mona coming out of the womb as a little league/ cheer leader/dance teacher to my Mother/Father/Me bowling on Church Leagues.......my Family was sports oriented.....which I know led to Mark and me being highly driven and competitive (smile).

As I close out today's Mona Girl Blog, I give a BIG Cheer to ALL the Athletes out there who LOVE what they DO and DO what they LOVE for the Glory of God!!  Our Heavenly Father Blessed you with these Mighty Gifts/Skills and BRAVO to YOU for honing your talents and continuing to Perform and Shine at a high level of excellence!! Shout out to NY Knicks Shane Larkin, whose tattoo reads: "To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required." (Luke 12:48)......Oh Yeah......#HeGetsIt!

YAHOO!!! Me Excited!! Are You?!?  "40 Days and Counting until Opening Day"!!  Besides the Lenten/Easter Season.....Baseball Season is one of my FAVE times of the year :)  And I KNOW that I KNOW that I KNOW My Heavenly Father is a New York Mets Fan!! AND how do I know this for sure?!?  Because Our Lord is a Believer and Rewarder of Long Suffering! LOL!!  

Hold On Mets Fans!  Our Day of **VICTORY & REDEMPTION** is coming very, very soon!!

God Luck to YOU and your favorite Baseball Team this year!! AND let me know in the Comments below who you route for. We can encourage each other this Season :)


Continued Success and Blessings Family!!

WHY? OK, I'M COOL WITH THAT

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Today's Mona Girl Blog is going to be short and sweet and a bit all over the place but please hang in with me, OK?  For the last couple months My Lord, My AMAZING Shepherd, has had me sitting with Him viewing a *Mona Highlight Reel* of the past 3 1/2 years of my life in NYC.  As I sit with Him in absolute quiet and solitude (and in awe at times), He continues to lovingly show/speak to me WHY certain life stuff had to happen and WHY the stuff was essential for Mona's Growth and My Life Purpose.  Yeah!  Gives a whole new meaning to the Scripture "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10).  

Family, if you've never REALLLLLLLY gotten quiet with Our Lord (besides your daily meditation/Bible Study time) and allowed Him to do a little "Show and Tell" with you on your life, I highly recommend it. Whewee!  IT IS TIME WELL SPENT!

I read the following in a Powerful devotional message by Johnny Enlow on how God REWARDS His Saints when we are FULLY yielding to Him.  "This does not mean a life of no challenges - but it does mean a life of greatly satisfying fruitfulness.  You will strive less and accomplish more.  Less effort will bring about more fruit.  Simple obedience will trump leveraging capabilities.  You will learn to Rest, to Worship and to Love - and then repeat that cycle.  At the end of the day it is all about growing more in love and releasing more of that love."

Oh Yeah!!! Key Words for Me: "REST, WORSHIP & LOVE (repeat the cycle)"!!

Well Family, that's all I have for you today (told you it would be a short read).  I know today's Mona Girl Blog seems a tad scattered but my emotions are at full tilt......hence the uber peek into Mona's soul :)  I feel in my heart some of you are on a similar journey of enlightenment and can relate to today's Post.......being the main reason the Lord led me to share this specific, "connect the dots" message. LOL!!
The last couple months have truly been a time of "Why Lord?  OK, I'm Cool with That".  And what a PERFECT time to walk this out with Our Lord as we enter my FAVE time of the year...a time of "spiritual house-cleaning and enlightenment"....The Lenten Season with today being Ash Wednesday.

I leave you today with an AWESOME Poem by Elisha Freeman and a Scripture that have been riding shotgun with me over the last few days.  I feel these two *Confirmations* from God take all I'm experiencing and wrap it up in a nice beautiful box of JOY & GRATITUDE!!  For those of you who are out here with me......I hope the *Confirmations* encourage You, inspire You and bring You peace.

THY WORD

Lord, teach me what You want me to know

So that I will continually grow

To be all that I can truly be

Living a life that truly pleases Thee

May Your Word stay alive and active in me

May I trust and obey with no compromising

Your very Words are tender and sweet

Whether by way of milk or by strong meat

Each Word serves a purpose

Building me up to discern and watch with alertness

That shows I may have gotten off track

And You are only guiding me back

So Lord, whatever the Word You're speaking to me

I gratefully receive because I trust in Thee

-Elisha Freeman

13 Feb. 2015

-Isaiah 61:7

Continued Success and Blessings Family!

I'M A BIRD WATCHER............

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Before we get into today's Mona Girl Blog, I've got a bit of housekeeping to do.   I did not realize that last week's post "Are You FAUX Real or FOR Real" was my 10th Post to Mona Girl Blog!! (Thanks Beautiful Westley for the heads up).  WOW! Time sure flies when you're having fun :)  THANK YOU to ALL of you who read Mona Girl Blog and for your AWESOME and HUMBLING feedback, encouragement and inspiration!!  Thank you for your emails and for your Positive Energy that fuels me to be consistent with the Lord's messages He has me Post every Wednesday!!  Mona Girl Blog is for YOU and I'm truly Grateful and Appreciate your continued interest and support.

OK...........NOW let's talk about Birds.  Yeah!!  I said **BIRDS**.  For the last several weeks, the Lord has been speaking to me through the Birds who hang out in the trees outside the window.  Ranging from Cardinals, Doves, Crows and my FAVE, Robin Redbreast.  It's been so cool to watch when each type comes, how many hang out, the songs they sing, how long they stay, etc.  I get tickled sometimes when my Robin Redbreast pops by and I am too focused on the work I'm doing on my laptop, he sings louder and louder until I look out the window!!  LOL!  Family, God is TRULY Awesome in how He speaks to us and how strategically He speaks to us.  And over the last several weeks, He's incorporated His beautiful winged friends into my line of communication with Him.

Sooooo being that I've always been the "what's the meaning behind this??" type of Girl, I did my research via Google on the various Birds that have been dropping by to chill with me and to my surprise found lots of articles on the Spiritual Meaning of Birds.  It's mind boggling the amount of information that's out there but I'm sharing with you some info I read on Beliefnet.com about the Bird Folks who've stopped by to visit Mona over the last few weeks......

The Cardinal:
The Cardinal tells you that you can handle it, and to believe in yourself.  It is important to be proud of yourself for your abilities or for the things you have achieved.  The Cardinal's bright red feathers and cheerful song call attention to him wherever he goes.  If you see a Cardinal, it may be telling you to stand up, lift your head high, and take pride in yourself.

The Dove:
The Dove reminds you to take a deep breath and relieve all tension and stress.  As a symbol of the Holy Spirit, let your sighting of the Dove remind you to reconnect with the spiritual aspect of your life; accept it as a blessing.

The Crow:
The Crow urges you to think outside the box, to examine what tools and skills you have at your disposal and to apply them in perhaps unconventional ways to achieve your goals.  The Crow also teaches you about change. Change is not to be feared; it is part of the natural course of things.  The death or end of one thing signifies the birth or beginning of another.

And lastly, my FAVE Robin Redbreast:
(The info on Robin Redbreast that I found on The Spiritual Centre.com is a tad longer.  But because it so fascinating, I'm sharing the entire read.)

With the coming of Jesus Christ comes the legend of the Robin Red Breast. It is said that in Our Lords hour of need it was the Robin that tried to remove the thorns, it was the Robin that stood guard and only allowed the light to come near. It was this act of heroic bravery that caused a splash of blood to stain his red breast. This motive is still seen today and is worn with pride by the Cock Robin.  Also the Robin can be found in every church yard but will only be seen once it calls to you.  And once seen, its unique character will become familiar to you as this sacred bird will visit you often whilst providing reassurance for a new beginning.  

The Robin is a visitor and as such should be appreciated as a welcome visitor bringing gifts.  It is for you to interpret the gifts it brings. Someone recently passed maybe showing you that you are being watched, maybe just letting you know that they still love you.  

Just as every human is different so is every Robin, so look at this Robin and identify its unique features.  It is no coincidence that the next time he appears, you will KNOW it is the same Robin.  He will stay around for as long as he is needed and will re-appear if called for.

The Robin is a solitaire, strong, silent, guardian, protector. Even when looking after its family, it is rare for it to flock with others, preferring to be solitary and heard when it speaks.  This beautiful bird is earth tied, meaning that it will stay on the earth.  Its duties include that of the escort, meaning it is willing to escort the spirit to a new beginning.  It is a part of the dawn chorus singing in the new day and it is a part of spiritual awakening, a gentle reminder of what has been and will be again.

What does all this mean you ask? It means when I think Our Father has taken me to a certain level in our friendship/relationship, He turns right around and tops Himself!!  Over the last few weeks, I am learning yet another way My Lord speaks to me.  I am really enjoying His messages of Inspiration, Encouragement, Wisdom and Confirmation that He's speaking to me through His beautiful winged creatures. I am enjoying watching how my new friend Robin Redbreast visits me now twice a day, once in the morning and then again in the afternoon.  Most of the time he comes solo (just like the text above states) but today he surprised me by bringing two buddies along with him to check-in/watch over me..........."3" representing The Holy Trinity.......The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.  Yeah God, I hear you loud and clear!! Thank You Lord for the PEACE........**THE PEACE** you continue to bring into my life that touches my soul!!

Family, I encourage you to slow down in order to be more aware and discerning of the many interesting and "out of the box" ways Our Lord speaks to us. AND it is no coincidence that back on December 3rd, when I wrote the Inaugural Post for Mona Girl Blog that I chose "Birds" as my Blog background!!!   YEAH!!! OUR LORD IS TRULY AWESOME!!

Continued Success and Blessings Family!!

 

Are You "FAUX" Real.....or "FOR" Real?

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

You can tell by the title of today's Mona Girl Blog where the Lord is leading my message (smile). How many of you have had your fill of Faux Real Folks?  People who are Not REAL.  Operating daily with fake personalities.......walking out their lives as Pretenders.  Yeah!  I can raise my hand in this class (me being a Faux Real Folk in recovery) and say YES!! I have had my fill.  And as I get older and deeper in my relationship with My Lord.....whewee!!  My tolerance level for the Faux Real Folks and their drama is at an all time low, especially after an intense, God-ordained Assignment that I completed in 2014.

Dictionary.com defines "REAL" as: genuine; not counterfeit, artificial, or imitation; authentic. And to be honest?  I think some of the Faux Real Folks I come in contact with truly do not know they are being inauthentic or phony.  I mean, if you don't know yourself.......how can you be Real?!? I remember there was a time in my life when I didn't know who I was and I wanted to Please EVERYONE!  It was my mission in life to fit in.  And if that meant dressing a certain way, talking a certain way, hanging with a certain crowd, walking out my life a certain way.....then I did it!  All for the sake of "fitting in", even if it made me uncomfortable in my own skin.  All for the sake of "fitting in", so I wouldn't have to do the hard (and sometimes uncomfortable - ouch!) work of  finding out who Mona really was.

Ohhhhhh but when I realized that I was created by the Master Creator.......that I am created in HIS Image and Likeness.........Yeah! That's when the striving to please everyone, that's when desperately trying to fit in, that's when exhausting myself to be a part of the crowd......all ceased.  And instead, I welcomed the God-ordained process (even when it got a little prickly at times) of finding out/learning who Mona really was. When I finally came to the Peaceful place that **I AM HIS**.......Oh Yeah!!! Pleasing My Lord became (and continues to be) all that matters to me. My transformation from Faux Real to FOR Real took place. "So God created human beings, making them to be like himself.  He created them male and female..." (Genesis 1:27)

When you are FOR Real, you walk in Peace. When you are FOR Real, you are more loving and forgiving. When you are FOR Real, the petty people/things in life don't bother you.  When you are FOR Real, you *PRAY* for your Haters and those who talk about you. When you are FOR Real, you genuinely care for others. When you are FOR Real, you reflect your Lord's Light and Love.  When you are FOR Real, you have Amazing and Authentic relationships with family and friends.  And When you are FOR Real......YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE YOURSELF! "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."- E.E. Cummings

Family, if you don't get anything else from today's Mona Girl Blog, **PLEASE GET THIS**: When you are courageously being Your True Self, no matter what the Faux Real Folks are saying about You.......God sees your Heart!  God sees your Authentic, Sincere and Courageous spirit!  "But the Lord said to him, "Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is.  I have rejected him, because I do no judge as people judge.  They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) OK!!  That's what the Lord said to the Prophet Samuel when He instructed Samuel to pick David as the next King of Israel.  David......the short, low on class and etiquette shepherd boy whose family passed over BUT God chose!!  It doesn't matter how folks perceive/judge you, all that matters is that you are being TRUE TO YOU and living/walking out Your FOR REAL Life :) "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."- Dr. Seuss  
Whewee!  Dr. Seuss ALWAYS knew what he was talkin 'bout - LOL!

In closing today's Mona Girl Blog, I am leaving you with some great "Tips on Being True to Yourself" that I read in an article that you can read about in its entirety here: Be True to Yourself

Tips on Being True to Yourself

Be who you are, be your genuine self

Follow your own value system and common sense

Listen to the advice of others, but make up your own mind

Recognize, appreciate, and develop your unique talents

Stand up for what you believe in and you will gain respect

Know that being 'different' is a gift (Love, Love this one!!)

Understand that you are enriching others by being yourself

So let's give a Big Shout Out to ALL the FOR REAL FOLKS!! We know Who we are and Whose we are!  And at the same time, let's make a commitment to PRAY for the Faux Real Folks in hopes that they will join us shortly :)  #FRFR!

Continued Success and Blessings Family!!!