HONESTLY?? YES, PLEASE BE HONEST!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Today's Mona Girl Blog is short and sweet. Holy Spirit just said - ***HONEST***.  

Sooooo, I come with exactly that word today - H-O-N-E-S-T.  Living an HONEST life is NOT the easiest thing to do.  I can raise BOTH HANDS in this class and have several (SEVERAL) T-shirts on my desire to Walk/Stay in the HONEST lane :)  But WE are ALL human and I can Honestly say that I'm still a work in progress on many levels. But as I round the bases at this stage in my life, HONESTY.....Being HONEST has become such a refreshing part of my existence....it has become My best policy.

When You are HONEST, You are authentic, genuine, trustworthy, kind, loving.  Folks know where they stand with You....folks are drawn to Your HONEST nature....folks feel safe and comfortable around You...folks know you are #FRFR! And those are only some of the Benefits.  I've found from personal experience, when You're an HONEST person, YOU feel soooooo much better.  You are free-er. You enjoy life more. The little stuff....the DRAMA doesn't get to You. You are more secure, self-confident and comfortable in your own skin.  You have and extend a high level of Respect to Others when You are HONEST with Family, Friends, Strangers, etc.  You Honestly feel better when You're HONEST!!

And becuz I am a Word Abider (meaning, I *try* to run EVERYTHING I write/say by Our Lord), HE is NOT a big fan of Dishonesty.....NOT being HONEST. Whether "little white lies", "half truths", etc.

"What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth.  In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all.  When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself." (Ephesians 4:25, MSG)

AND this Scripture which is a tad more direct......(Thanks Holy Spirit):

"The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth." (Proverbs 12:22, NLT)

Rinse & Repeat:  From Mona's personal experience......the more I do my darndest (and it AIN'T ALWAYS EASY) to stay in this lane in my life....to walk this "road less traveled"......I can Honestly say.....You will feel better, You will act better, You will interact with other folks better, You will live better, You will look better, You will enjoy life better, You will exude a better energy, You will Really (REALLY) just be BETTER......when You are HONEST.

Well Loves, that's all I've got for US today. Being HONEST.......HONESTLY?? Yes, Please Be HONEST! 

"There's just some magic in truth and honesty and openness."

-Frank Ocean

Continued Success & Blessings!!

YOU'RE EXCEPTIONAL MY FRIEND!! #YesYouAre!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Wellll, in today's Mona Girl Blog, Holy Spirit has me highlighting the Wisdom and Insight of some EXCEPTIONAL folks!

My friend Shellie Warren, who is soooo EXCEPTIONAL, penned a Powerful Devotional last week entitled: "God's Children Are to Be EXCEPTIONAL" (Bravo Shellie!!!!) One of the quotes she highlighted that stuck in and fueled Mona's brain was:

"In the same vein, an exceptional life demands that one find a cause in life's journey that warrants an immediate and sincere desire to champion beyond one's current accomplishments for a lifetime of transformational living.  It's a desire to indulge and play in the gargantuan world of the so-called perfectionists." - Derreck Kayongo

Oh Yeah!! That will make You sit down, put your head between your knees and read a few more times - LOL!!! Also in her Devotional, Shellie highlighted an Amazing Read entitled: The 10 Qualities of Exceptional People by Sherrie Campbell. And Ms.Campbell gets our attention Right from the start with her opening quote:

"The truly exceptional focus on cultivating their inner worlds and the most soft-spoken qualities of their character because they know to be wholly successful, it takes being a really good human being."

OK!! These EXCEPTIONAL folks Don't Play!! And my EXCEPTIONAL Family, this is where I'm going to drop you off today so you can partake of Sherrie's Wisdom and Insight. It's a GREAT read.......Yes!! An EXCEPTIONAL read. Enjoy!! The 10 Qualities of Exceptional People

Thanks again Shellie for the Exceptional Knowledge........I'm paying it forward!!! 


Family, ONE more thing before I let you go......I just Have to give a **BIG SHOUT OUT** to Terry Collins, the EXCEPTIONAL Manager of The BEST Team in Major League Baseball - The NEW YORK METS!! "For the fist time in 17 years, TC will be managing in a pennant race." (MetsBlog). 

Hallelujah!!!!! Thank You Lord!!! And You want to Know what the Biblical Meaning of the #17 is?!? VICTORY!!! Oh Yeah!!! YOU GO TC!!!!!! Nothing But God!!! Loves, you're probably, most likely, going to get soooo tired of me over the next few weeks of the Baseball Season, LOL!! But I ain't gonna stop Praising & Supporting My EXCEPTIONAL Mets Men!!!

"Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom." (Daniel 6:3, NIV)


"Exceptional people are often called crazy by the ordinary world." (Erica Jong)

Continued Success and Blessings!!!

STOP IT!!!! RIGHT NOW!!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Today's Mona Girl Blog is about a Video (Thanks Westley for the knowledge!!) that I posted on my Facebook Page couple days back. The Video, "To This Day" by Shane Koyczan, is ALLL about Bullying (BULLYING!!).  

I was going to leave it at just the FB Post, but YOU Know if I'm penning today's Blog on "IT", Our Heavenly Father thinks this is something of GREAT IMPORTANCE that should be shared and shared and shared and shared again. And like Shane Koyczan said, he wants the Message in his Video to have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying. So here we go.......please hold on tight!!

"Bullying" as defined by Wikipedia is the use of  force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others.  The behavior is often repeated and habitual.  One essential prerequisite is the perception, by the bully or by others, of an imbalance of social or physical power, which distinguishes bullying from conflict. Rationalizations for such behavior sometimes include differences of social class, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, behavior, body language, personality, reputation, lineage, strength, size or ability.  

The Mona2Cents.com definition of "Bullying" is PURE FOOLISHNESS!!! And Family, Bullying is NOT just for Kids!!  I have been Bullied MORE as an Adult than I ever was as a child.  And YOU want to hear a Shocker that REALLY Hurts My Heart?!?  I've experienced more Bullying by so called Christians...folks IN my church...Believers (and sadly I use that word loosely).  As Jesus used to say during His time on Earth and it still holds true TODAY, "Love Your Neighbor as Yourself." (Mark 12:31, NIV).

And speaking of Jesus, Our Lord JESUS was the poster child for Bullying!! He was constantly being ridiculed, chastised, hated on, disrespected, degraded, belittled, dissed on along with other types of outright Ugliness and Not so Nice Behavior.  Just like Our Sweet Savior, when WE stand out from the crowd, walk a different walk, talk a different talk, look differently than the pack, have a unique spirit and energy, don't TRY to fit in but are Comfortable in our own skin, etc., etc........OH Yeah!! In most cases, the Bullies come out of the woodwork in packs to do what they LOVE to do to Us. Hmmmm but a word of Caution.....a Word of CAUTION from Our Lord:  "He said, "Don't hurt my chosen people. Don't harm my prophets." (Psalm 105:15, ERV)

Pull the Covers Off Mona Time: I've learned from My personal Bullying Sessions (and there've been LOTS over the past few years), that the Bully has a problem with Mona because I tend to be or do the things noted above and that They on the other hand, may feel threatened, have low self-esteem, are NOT Comfortable in their own skin.....and it makes him/her feel better to belittle and bully me. As a result, I immediately react (wellll, the New & Improved Mona - smile) with Love & Compassion.  I PRAY for my Bullies.  I ask Our Sovereign Lord to BLESS them and have MERCY on them. Btw, we won't get into what the "Old Mona" used to do (Thanks Holy Spirit!!)....that' a Message for another time - LOL!

Loves, I've watched Mr. Koyczan's Video a few times (and I recommend multiple viewings) so Shane's Powerful, Raw, Honest, "No sugar coated/rose colored glasses" Message could touch my soul and ignite a passion and zeal in me to NEVER, EVER AGAIN STAND BY AND WITNESS BULLYING!! And it has put a deep desire in me to PRAY even harder for the **Bully**.......because Bullying not only hurts and causes trauma to the Individual being Bullied BUT it causes damage and sometimes long-term effects to the Bully!!! A person cannot walk through life and maintain an existence of Bullying and NOT be effected or NOT have to suffer the consequences of their behavior.  Our Abba Father DOES NOT take kindly to folks Bullying His Children, His Flock, His Sheep.....

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40, JUB)

As I close out our time together today, I encourage You to get somewhere quiet, when You have some Real Alone Time and check out this Powerful Video.  #ShaneDon'tPlay!!! A couple resources if you need them that are uber on point: Stop Bullying.Gov and Adult Bullying Resources

And lastly Family, I Pray this Video changes the way You look at this horrible epidemic called Bullying. I Pray this Video causes You to take a Stand and Speak OUT when You see Bullying occurring. I Pray that if YOU are a Bully - YOU WILL STOP THIS DETRIMENTAL BEHAVIOR RIGHT NOW and get the needed help and comfort!!  I Pray that if You are a Victim of Bullying, You have someone or a group of someone's to help You, Love on You, Protect You and PRAY with You.  I Pray this Video will touch You and move You in such a Powerful way that You Share it and Share It and Share It Again!!

Continued Success & Blessings!!

BE ENCOURAGED BOO!!!

Family......Shhhhh. I need your full, complete, undivided attention.  Come a little closer......closer...... I want to whisper something in your ear.  Did you see who's in FIRST PLACE IN THE NL EAST?!? Oh YEAH!  My Metsies!! I don't believe in the "j" word so I'm SHOUTING - YAHOO, WAY TO GO BOYZ!!!!! Keep Shining Brightly My Talented and Gifted Mets Men and Keep Doin what you Do ohhhhhh so Well!!! "For Nothing is Impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) #LGM!!!! #MeExcited!!! 


OK!! NOW that I've got that out of my system, let's get to today's Mona Girl Blog which is about Being Encouraged and Being an Encourager!!

We can ALL raise our hands in this class that there are times (Whewee!! Are there times!!), when WE ALL need some Encouragement. And there are times when WE are to give Encouragement to others.  It goes both ways, We receive and We give back.

And Being an Encourager is sooooo MUCH better than being a discourager, a naysayer or a Negative Nellie.  It doesn't take much effort to Encourage a friend, family member, co-worker, etc. who may be growing through a hard time, walking out some life stuff, dealing with a rough patch.  And when WE come along at just the Right Time and Encourage him/her......lift up, support, share a positive word, Pray with them or just sit and be a good listener...Oh YEAH, that's ALWAYS time well spent!

And on the flip side, when WE are going through some stuff.....someone will do the same for us......Just you Watch!!!  WE ALWAYS reap what we sow. Good and Kind seeds planted will bring a harvest of positive thoughts,words and actions to both the Encouraged and the Encourager.

As you all know, One of my all time Fave Mighty Men of God in the Bible is King David!! And BOY, could King David not only Encourage others but the King could Encourage himself when he had to!! And there were many, many times when King David was in despair, discouraged, weary, depressed, at his wits end.......and that's when he rose up with the Power and Love of Our Lord and Enouraged himself......

"In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul." (Psalm 138:3, NKJV)

"God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as he says.  Everything I need comes from him, so why not?  He's solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, An impregnable castle: I'm set for life." (Psalm 62:1-2, MSG)

OH YEAH!! Now That's What I'm Talkin 'Bout!!! Whewee!! King David, REALLY knew how to Encourage himself.......King David, TRULY knew how to lift his Own Spirits......King David, CONSISTENTLY slapped himself Hi-Five when his circumstances required him to do so!!

And Loves, WE can take a page (heck.....the whole book) from King David's life in how WE are to do this Encouragement thing..........how WE are to Encourage ourselves and how WE are to be Encouragers. Here are a few of my FAVE "go to" Encouragement Scriptures to Fuel Your Soul and to Share.........

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6, JUB).

"We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God - those whom he has called according to his plan." (Romans 8:28, GNT)

"I will bless you with a future filled with hope - a future of success, not of suffering." (Jeremiah 29:11, CEV)

"For with God, nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37, NKJV)

**And my 2 All Time FAVES**.........

"Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to HIS power that is at work within us," (Ephesians 3:20, NIV, emphasis added)

"I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13, NKJV, emphasis added)

Family, I hope you are Encouraged by this Wednesday's Post.  And as the Holy Spirit's been penning today's Mona Girl Blog through me for You, I'm soaking these Words of Encouragement in MYSELF. I'm taking them to Heart, Right Now!!  Thank You Jesus, this hit the spot!!

As I close today, I urge US again to not only Be Encouraged but to also and ALWAYS, whenever possible - Be an Encourager!! YOU will be Amazed at how YOU feel and the response YOU receive from those YOU touch with YOUR Encouragement!!  Oh Yesssss! #GoooodFeelings!!  #WarmFuzzies!!

FAMILY, THIS PIC QUOTE WAS SOOOOO GOOD,  I JUST HAD TO POST IT AGAIN!!

Continued Success & Blessings!!