IT'S................#EncoreWednesday!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Y'all Know What Day It Is! But before We Get Into It, I gotta give a Shout Out to those taking the Keeping A True Lent Journey with me!! Did You read February 24th's Message?! 

“True power originates in silence. When we cultivate silence in our bodies, hearts, and minds through prayer, meditation, and conscious movement, we plug the holes in our soul and create a unified presence. Silence births the power to shape the invisible into the visible. Our words, actions, and presence become pure and powerful. We reflect the Divine, and the world responds.” (Rev. Carolyne Mathlin)

Oh Yeah!! Just had to do a "rinse & repeat excerpt"!!  Powerful, POWERFUL Stuff Right There! And for those who want to jump on board *Today*, just Click Here: Lent 2018: Keeping A True Lent and join US!!

OK! NOW For Today's **Featured Message** for #EncoreWednesday!, we get a helping hand from a Family Member in Turkey who's taking us back to Are You "FAUX" Real......or "FOR" Real? from Wednesday, February 4, 2015.  Thanks Zehra!

**Remember**: Email me at wincty@aol.com or Post in Comments below or DM me on  Twitter @MonaGirlNYC to have your Fave Mona Girl Blog re-posted the last Wednesday of the month for #EncoreWednesday! 😇

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 our 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'm leaving you with some great "Tips on Being True to Yourself" that I read in an article that you can read 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 & Abundant Blessings!




Mets Gushing Moment:
OK. Just my 2 cents But I feel ALL Post Game Interviews should be done shirtless! 
Just Sayin. 😏 #ShowOffUrBBG! 

*BBG*: Body By God!


Metsies Winning Season - Scripture #3:

**One of My All Time Faves**

IT'S ALL BEEN WORTH IT!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Well Loves.......after Coming off of Valentine's Day.....what I called *LOVE* Day last Wednesday....what a God Message to Soak In, Pause and Ponder from one of my FAVE Anointed and Appointed Men of God, Graham Cooke!!

No Intro Needed. Want YOU to Get Right Into this God, Deep Word of Pure *TRUTH*.  See You on the other side of this Mighty Read.............

It is such an essential part of the call, that we get wounded in the house of our friends, we get wounded by the people that we really thought we could trust, that we feel that kiss of betrayal that Jesus felt in the garden. That we feel that sense of our friends walking away from us when the cock crows three times.

It’s really important that you are betrayed and wounded. It’s just a part of your development. You go through that distress. If you want all the fullness of God, you have to experience all the fullness of life, yeah?

He’s a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and if you want the power of His resurrection you have to know the fellowship of His suffering, yeah? So when you know that it’s part of our development, it’s easier to forgive those people who have done those things to you.
(from Graham Cooke: "Why Wounded & Betrayed Believers Are So Useful To God")

Lord Have Mercy!! Mr. Cooke DOES NOT PLAY. Our Daddy God DOES NOT Mince HIS Words when HE uses Graham as HIS Anointed Scribe!!

I so LOVE the Divine Timing of this Powerful Word of *TRUTH* as We're on the 7th Day of  our Lent 2018: Keeping A True Lent Journey en route to Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday (aka Easter). 

With ALL the Drama, Life Stuff and Down -Right Foolishness Jesus walked out on His way to Calvary's Cross to die for Our Sins! For Our Soul Salvation! The Betrayal, the Slander, the Lies, the Gossip, the Pain, the Meanness, the Hatred, the Isolation, the Jealousy...... ALL He endured........from Friends, Family, His Disciples, Folks He Thought He Could Trust, His Fellow Brothers & Sister In Christ, Heads of the Church, Priests,the Religious Elect, etc.!! 

Whewee!! Puts it ALL in Crystal Clear Divine Perspective when We have the Same/Similar things happen to Us!! When We Truly have to Walk the Walk like Jesus in order to be Fully Surrendered, Genuinely and Purely HIS!!

Oh Yeah! Been There! Done That! *Still* Living It! GOT THE T-SHIRTS (Yes! Got more than one - LOL!) 

And IT'S ALL BEEN WORTH IT!! Cuz..........................

*You come out Stronger! 

*You come out Wiser! 

*You come out More Loving & Forgiving of Those satan uses to Wound You! 

*You come out Pure In Heart! 

*You come out with a Resilient Spirit! 

*You come out with a Divine Boldness!

*You come out with God-Fidence!

*You come out with a Deep & Trusting *RELATIONSHIP* with Your Daddy God! 

*You come out with a SAVED Soul! 

*You come out an Encourager!
*You come out FREE & JOY-FILLED!
*You come out with a PEACE that Passeth All Understanding!
*You come out with a Holy Spirit Sense of Humor! (Yeah #frfr!)

*You come out Speaking and Spreading His Mighty Gospel!

*You come out Touching Lives for His Kingdom!

*You come out HIS!! Totally and Completely and Uniquely The Lords.....Shining Like Pure Gold......Reflecting Jesus' Image!! 

Hallelujah!! Glory To God!! Can I Get An AMEN?! 

#NuffSaid! #DoneFork!

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!

Mets Gushing Moment:

Oh Yeah! Going back in the archives for some Ole School Encouragement for Y'all Today!! 

Soak It In & Walk It Out!

P.S. And David! Go Ahead......**DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!**   #HatersJustWatch!

Metsies Winning Season - Scripture #2:

BE AN *ENCOURAGER*!! #YesYou!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Well Loves...........over the last couple days, Our Father God's had Me Front and Center with Him in an Audience-of-One Atmosphere.  And Today, He's bringing me out with His *Love* Word for Us......BE AN *ENCOURAGER*!! #YesYou!

As we walk out each day of our lives, it's not hard to see or hear that ENCOURAGEMENT is Not an Ordinary Thing most folks do on a Daily Basis.  Yeah.......Parents Encourage their Children; Family Members Encourage their Relatives; Teachers Encourage their Students; Coaches Encourage their Players; Doctors Encourage their Patients; Pastors/Priests/Rabbis Encourage their Congregants; But for the most part, most folks (and that includes Us Y'all)
are Not Consistent ENCOURAGERS.

OK. I hear You. Yes! We Encourage Others from time to time when they reach out to us in a time of need, during a crisis or troubling circumstance. But is BEING AN ENCOURAGER Part of Our Daily Routine? Do We STOP long enough to come out of our self-absorbed pods to give a quick Word of Encouragement to a friend/co-worker who seems down or a Genuine Smile to someone we pass on the street or see on the subway?

I KNOW it's difficult to Pause and Ponder someone else's situation when We have Our Own Life Issues We're dealing with 24/7. But, what I've learned is when I STOP for just a few seconds to BE AN ENCOURAGER, It makes me feel good. It gives me the "warm and fuzzies". It makes the Life Stuff I'm so intensely focused on become a non-factor for a few moments.

*Real Talk*: BEING AN ENCOURAGER Blesses Them and Blesses Us! It's a Win Win for All!

And because this is HIS Mona Girl Blog, Holy Spirit will Always guide me to Scriptures in His Word to back up His Message to Us. And for those Who are interested in the Bible's Take on what it truly means to *Live Like Barnabas* and BE AN ENCOURAGER, Click Here: Barnabas: The Encourager  and Here:Realize Your Encouragement Potential

"Therefore Encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11, ESV)

"And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that Encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them." (Ephesians 4:29, TPT)

And You know Who Else We should ENCOURAGE on a regular basis?! OURSELVES!! OH YES! We should make it a Daily Ritual to Speak Life, Speak Good, Speak Positive Words Over Ourselves! Truth be told, some of the folks who come to me for Prayer and Encouragement are in a deep rut of daily drama Speaking Negative, Toxic and Unhealthy Words over their Own Lives!

Family, this brings us Right Back Around to Today's Title........if We Don't ENCOURAGE Ourselves, How Can We Possibly BE AN ENCOURAGER to Others?! We gotta Speak Encouragement Inwardly before We can Speak Encouragement Outwardly! Plain and Simple: What Goes In - Eventually Comes Out!

"Finally,  brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." (Philippians 4:8, NKJV)

".......What you say flows from what is in your heart." (Luke 6:45, NLT)


Sooooooo Let's Start, Right NOW to BE AN ENCOURAGER! Encourage Yourself throughout the day, giving Yourself little hi-fives, speaking Positive Words to Your Heart and Soul and Then Take IT to the Streets!  From New York to Nepal; from Portland to Pakistan; from Rhode Island to Russia; from South Bend to South Korea; from Boston to Brazil; from Utah to Uganda, from Austin to Australia from Chicago to Croatia (Hey Beautiful Susan!) from Green Bay to Ghana.  Let HIS World-Wide Mona Girl Blog Family join together and BE AN ENCOURAGER to Others with a Smile, a Pat on the Back, a "You're Awesome", a Hug, a Prayer.....whateva or whomeva Our Heavenly Father puts on Our mind. BE AN *ENCOURAGER*!! #YesYou!

"Inspire and Bring Joy to all those you touch."

-Rod Williams

**P.S.** A Reminder that Today is Ash Wednesday! The *First* Day of the 2018 Lenten Season. And if you didn't read last week's Mona Girl Blog and missed the Invite 😆, I ENCOURAGE You to take the Journey with Us for Keeping A True Lent by Clicking Here: Lent 2018: Keeping A True Lent

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!!






OH YESSSSSS!! It's That Time of Year!! SPRING TRAINING for My New York Mets is Officially Underway!! Yahoo! Me Excited! And You Know What That Means......

WE are Baaaaack to Our Weekly Metsies Shout Outs!!


Mets Gushing Moment:
*Clean Slate! 
*New Season! 
*New Faces!
*New Attitude!
*SAME GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#Let'sDoThis!
#HealthyAsAnOx! 
#LGM!



Metsies Winning Season - Scripture #1:

THE VELVETEEN RABBIT

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Today Loves, Holy Spirit is sharing with Us a Mighty Message I read on one of my Fave Facebook Groups! An Anointed Sister, Laurie Roars, posted the Beautiful Word below.

It's an excerpt from one of my Treasured Childhood Books - The Velveteen Rabbit. And it's amazing to me how what I used to read or have read to me so many years ago, STILL Rings True Today! It brings to light the Beauty and Awesomeness of WHO WE REALLY ARE when We Let Go and Let God be God in Our Lives! We Grow and Bloom and Emerge as a Radiant Being, Shining Like Pure Gold and Reflecting Our Lord Jesus' Magnificent Image!!

And since Holy Spirit has Us taking a Divine Look See at WHO WE REALLY ARE, what better time to drop this Link into your eye gates as we head into my FAVE time of Year! Oh Yeah! The Lenten Season begins next Wednesday with **Ash Wednesday, February 14!**

For those of Us who journeyed together last year through Max Lucado's "He Chose The Nails" Lenten Season Bible Study, I've Got an Exciting Lenten Season 2018 Journey we can take together!! This Year's Lenten Study comes from UNITY and it's called Keeping A True Lent.  Click Here to Download Your Copy before Ash Wednesday, February 14. Lent 2018: Keeping A True Lent

And Family, as We Know, the Lenten Season is more about Rebirth and Our Own Personal Spiritual Transformation.  It's about becoming More *REAL* in Our Own Life Walk and in Our Interactions with Others.  Lent is more about Giving Up Negative Behaviors and Fasting from Toxic Attitudes so We can draw closer, move into, a more Intimate Relationship with Our Father God.

I PRAY You decide to Join Me this Year and Take A Lenten Season Journey with Our Saviour Jesus.  To Shed Our Old  Self and Step Into Our New Self.....Our *REAL* Self with HIM!

OK, NOW, let's get into this Mighty Read that I KNOW will Hit You Deep in Your Heart and Soul.......The Velveteen Rabbit.......

“Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'

'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.

'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'

'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?'

'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept.

Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”

― Margery Williams Bianco, The Velveteen Rabbit

Wheweee Loves!! See What I Mean?! What a Wonderfully *REAL* and Deeply Inspiring God Word for Us to feast upon as We continue to Walk Out 2018.....the Year of Open Doors and New Beginnings!!

Oh Yeah!  #MicDrop! #DoneFork!

"I give Thanks to You because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made.  Your Works are Miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this." (Psalm 139:14, GNT)






Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!