WHAT A BEAUTY............

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Let's jump in right from the gitgo...........

Question: WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF **BEAUTY**?

A lavender, pink, orange, rust sunset? A 7:00am Tee Time as the sun rises on a pristine golf course? On a plane rising above the storm and bursting through the clouds into the pure, divine Heavenlies? The birth of your first child? Coming out of Staples after a down pour and seeing a Brilliant Rainbow? Seeing a fellow New Yorker help an elderly person across the street? Traveling the World and seeing God's Magnificent Works & Natural Wonders? Life Long GENUINE Friendships? Standing on the shore of the ocean and taking in the vastness of HIS Creation? Holding the hand of Your Loved One as they take their last breath before going Home to be with the Lord? Watching your doggie make a new friend at the doggie park? Watching/Listening to school kids at recess? Watching a Dancer flawlessly showcase his/her God-Given Talents? Experiencing a friend's Dream come True? Experiencing God's Healing Touch in Your Life? Watching your fave sports team compete at the Highest Level? Seeing the Awesome colors of Fall in Central Park? A Powerful Testimony of Perseverance and Faith? Being In LOVE? Having a front row seat to watch God Move Mightily in Your Life?.....................

Oh Yeah! I could go on and on and on.......And I KNOW You have your Own Definitions of Beauty that are a part of your life (and if led, please share below).

But today Family, I come to You with a Beautiful Message from our friend Madisyn Taylor from DailyOM that puts a rosy red "cherry-on-top" and chimes in to answer today's Mona Girl Blog Question.....WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF BEAUTY?


BEAUTY...........IN AWE OF BEAUTY

All we have to do is look for beauty, and she is there all around us at any given moment.

Beauty speaks to us in soft whispers or bold declarations. She calls on us to gaze in awe at her splendor. We are enticed by beauty. We adore her, idolize her, and even court her.  Beauty seduces all of our senses.  Beauty's seduction can be as obvious as the striking good looks of a man or woman or as subtle as the charms of a shaggy dog with loving brown eyes.  We find beauty in the wonders of nature.  Beauty offers us a symphony of colors with every sunrise and sunset and reveals to us her brash power through a storm at sea. Beauty teases us through the shy smile of a child and delights us via the brilliant flashes of fireworks.  Beauty sometimes piques all of our senses at once, appealing to our taste buds, as well as our eyes and nose, when she appears in the form of a deliciously baked cake.  Beauty calms us with floral scents and excites our aural lust through the passionate sounds made by an orchestra.

Beauty can be cruel, and our pursuit of her can be in vain.  We may go to the opera in anticipation of finding beauty there, and she may bore and disappoint us.  Instead, beauty lavishes her attention on another suitor who may be more appreciative of her charms.  Or, we may try to capture beauty's essence in a photograph, painting or sculpture, and still she is nowhere to be found.  Beauty will forever inspire works of art, and she will always pose for her portrait, selecting the artist who is most worthy of her catching her likeness.

Depending on our personal tastes, beauty can be found in every color, flavor, scent and texture.  She lives among the poor, as well as the rich, and appears in the faces of the young and the old. She is at home in the city, as well as the country, decorating skylines as well as landscapes. She is the ultimate shape shifter.  Beauty is a weather beaten barn beloved by one person and an awesome testament of naval craftsmanship revered by another.  Beauty knows no bounds, and we can find her everywhere. All we have to do is look for beauty, and she is there.



Loves, I hope this take on BEAUTY from Ms. Taylor opens Your eyes, Your perspective, Your world to see BEAUTY in EVERYTHING! I close out our time together today with two BEAUTIFUL Take-A-Ways.......


"He has made everything beautiful in its time.  Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NKJV)

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!

DESTINATION? SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Earlier this week, My Sister in Christ (Heyyyy Elisha), posted one of My Fave Psalms on My Fave Website.  It's a Psalm I read often but the other evening, when I read it for the thousandth time.......it consumed my Heart......touched my Soul deeply.

Have any of you ever experienced this feeling?  A Scripture that is so familiar to You (via church, bible study, on-line devotionals, daily devotionals, etc.) and all of a sudden - BAM! You read it at a specific, God-ordained moment, on a specific day, during a specific TIME/STAGE of Your Life and it takes you to a whole 'notha level of Glory! Whole 'notha level of AWE of Our Sovereign Lord! Whole 'notha level of Awareness of the POWER & AUTHORITY of God's MIGHTY MIGHTY WORD!! Whole 'notha level of HIS **PROMISES** TO US!!

Yeah! That's how Psalm 91 Hit Me earlier this week....and All I could do was fall to my knees in Worship & Praise and Thanksgiving for Who HE Is and Whose I Am!!! Thank You Jesus!! It's ALL About YOU!

Family, please Push Pause and Join Me RIGHT NOW on the Psalm 91 Train.......as we pull out of the station......headed for a destination that Promises us Shelter and Protection and Comfort and Love and Rest........headed for a destination that Brings Us PEACE in HIS Loving and Glorious Presence!!  No need for a Ticket.....it's a FREE Ride in **God's GRACE Quiet Car**....and well worth Our Time!! Our Daddy God is waiting for Us........All Aboard!!

And Loves, Please Make this Read of Psalm 91 *PERSONAL*......Insert YOUR Name directly into the Scripture for a BLOW YOUR MIND Version of this Magnificent Word of God!!


Psalm 91 (NIV)

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!!

E-X-P-E-C-T-A-T-I-O-N-S!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

For awhile now, Holy Spirit's been Speaking, Encouraging and Inspiring Me through Picture Quotes. And Boy, is Pinterest (a portmanteau of "pin" and "interest") loaded with some Amazing, DEEP pic quotes!

And Loves, YOU KNOW ME BY NOW.......when Holy Spirit drops something into my heart and soul and it HITS HOME for Mona......and I just can't SHAKE IT.....that's when I SHARE WITH YOU in hopes You feel the same way and are Inspired, Encouraged and Motivated as well :)

So bringing what I'm rambling about into Real Time, below is the Pic Quote Holy Spirit Shared with me few days ago, that WILL NOT leave my mind space, so Sharing It with YOU!!

It's so Simple when you first look at it, don't 'cha think? But as time goes by.......and you continue to gaze a little longer........it becomes so very, Very, VERY POWERFUL!!

And I think that's exactly what Our EXPECTATIONS are.....maybe a little unassuming at first, Simple in the beginning stages but as we continue to Fuel, Feed, Nurture, Analyze, Ponder, PRAY OVER, Our EXPECTATIONS......they become VERY POWERFUL!!

They become our Hopes, Dreams, Outlooks on Life!  THEY BECOME ALIVE IN OUR HEARTS & SOULS......OUR EXPECTATIONS BECOME REAL.......as we begin to Walk them Out.........as we begin to share them with others......as they begin to Manifest in Our Lives! **WE BECOME OUR EXPECTATIONS** (either good or bad, I might add...but that's for another Message for another time).

Here's what my Fave Man of God, King David, has to say about EXPECTATIONS (giving you a look see of the Scripture in two different Bible versions)........

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him." (Psalm 62:5, NKJV)

"God, the one and only - I'll wait as long as he says.  Everything I hope for 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 62:5-6, MSG)

I think the Message Version brings the Scripture to Life, With-a-Cherry-On-Top, when it comes to our God-Ordained EXPECTATIONS!!

So Family, as we close out our time together today, I ask You, encourage You, urge You, to take a Selah Moment and just gaze, ponder, chill-lax with today's Pic Quote.  I Hope and PRAY it Inspires You and Guides You to look at Your Own EXPECTATIONS in a New, Exciting and Godly way :)


Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!!














********************************
Mets Gushing Moment:
I AM SOOOOO PROUD OF MY MIGHTY METS MEN FOR A MIRACLE COMEBACK TO MAKE THE WILD CARD GAME!!

HOLD YOUR HEADS WAYYYYYYY UP HIGH MY BLESSED METSIES! 

PRAYERS FOR AN OFF SEASON OF HEALING, TIME WITH FAMILY & RENEWAL!!

SOOOOOO XCITED FOR SPRING TRAINING!! #GreatEXPECTATIONS!!

SMILE FOR ME RIGHT NOW!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Today's Mona Girl Blog is ALL about making You Smile, making You Chuckle!

So here we go.......

You Can't Teach an Old Dog to Fly

A woman called our airline customer-service desk asking if she could take her dog on board.

"Sure", I said, "as long as you provide your own kennel."  I further explained that the kennel needed to be large enough for the dog to stand up, sit down, turn around, and roll over.

The customer was flummoxed" "I'll never be able to teach him all of that by tomorrow!"

A Panda Walks Into.....

A Panda walks into a bar and gobbles some beer nuts.  Then he pulls out a gun, fires it in the air, and heads for the door.  "Hey!" shouts the bartender, but the Panda yells back, "I'm a Panda.  Google me!".  Sure enough, Panda: "A tree-climbing mammal with distinct black-and-white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves."

Religious Squirrels

Squirrels had overrun three churches in town. After much prayer, the elders of the first church determined that the animals were predestined to be there.  Who were they to interfere with God's will? they reasoned.  Soon, the squirrels multiplied.

The elders of the second church, deciding they could not harm any of God's creatures, humanely trapped the squirrels and set them free outside of town.  Three days later, the squirrels were back.

It was only the third church that succeeded  in keeping the pests away.  The elders baptized the squirrels and registered them as members of the church.  Now they only see them on Christmas and Easter.

Flying Problems

A businessman flying first class is sitting next to a parrot.  The plane takes off, and the parrot orders a Glenlivet, neat.  The businessman asks for a Coke. After a few minutes, the bird yells, "Where's my scotch? Give me my scotch!"  The flight attendant rushes over with their drinks.

Later, they order another round.  Again, the bird gives the crew grief for being slow, the businessman joins in: "Yeah, the service stinks!"

Just then, the flight attendant grabs the pair, opens the hatch, and throws them out of the plane. As they hurtle toward the ground, the parrot says to the terrified man, "Wow, that took a lot of guts for a guy with no wings."

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!






Mets Gushing Moment:
NEVER, EVER, EVER had a Doubt in my mind that My Mighty Metsies Men would be DOING what they're DOING this Evening at 8:00p ET!

NOW, My TEAM......Noah (which Biblically means "REST", which is What WE ALL do when You take the Mound....We "REST" in your Blessed Gifts and Talents).......Mis Guerreros Bendecidos...... YOU ALL Know what to Do.........

FINISH THE JOB! #MIRACULOUSComeBackToWinItALL!!!!

BEYOND THE GAME......BEYOND WORDS!!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family,

Whewee!! Today, Holy Spirit STILL has me a tad overwhelmed and emotional from the
Baseball Game that transcended Baseball on Monday evening......My New York Mets vs. the Miami Marlins!

It was MORE than a Baseball Game, it was a Celebration of Life and the Presence of the Lord, Our Heavenly Father, was ALLLLLL ova, up and in Marlins Park! I watched the Game Live on TV, can't even begin to Imagine what it felt like to be sitting in the ballpark, watching this God-Ordained, Miracle unfold! YES! Our Heavenly Father and His Beautiful, Strong, Gifted and Humble Angel - Jose Fernandez were In The House!! LARGE & IN CHARGE!

For the full back story and the surreal details of Monday Nights' Game: In Miami, Mets' solidarity 'deeper than just baseball'

It's NOW Wednesday and I Still can't shake Monday evening's events. As I was falling asleep Monday night, Holy Spirit kept bringing to my mind (front and center), Jose Fernandez's Amazing, Beyond Life Story (and so many others like him) who STEPPED OUT IN FAITH TO LIVE THEIR DREAM of Playing Baseball in the Big Leagues in the US!  Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox; Yasiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers; Aroldis Chapman, Chicago Cubs; Yoenis Cespedes of my Beloved Metsies and many many more!

During Monday's Game, when the Announcers/Reporters referred to Jose Fernandez, and so many times before when describing the Now MLB Players who've defected from Cuba, I keep hearing the same things: "He plays with such Passion, such Joy, he truly has a Genuine Love for the Game. Nothing seems to rattle him. He comes up Big in critical situations, He's a Game Changer. He's so Calm and Confident. He's had a major impact on the Game and how it's played."

Well, of COURSE Jose played with Joy and Passion for the Game he LOVED! Of COURSE, Yo comes up BIG in Critical Situations. Of COURSE these Men are Game Changers!! Look at what they ENDURED, SACRIFICED, WALKED OUT IN **REAL TIME** TO EVEN GET TO THE STATES!!

For Jose, Three, THREE attempted defections from Cuba that landed him at 15 years old in a Cuban Prison! Then saving his Mother who went overboard while on the boat coming to the US!! Yoenis' warrior-like journey and his families "horribly-gone-wrong", death defying journey to join him!!  Each of these Men, These COURAGEOUS MEN, and so many others like them, have incredible, Nothing But God Testimonies of their Journeys to America!!

NOT being able to say Good-bye to their Families and Friends, NOT knowing what would happen to their Families they left behind, NOT knowing WHEN if EVER they would be able to return to their home land Cuba, NOT knowing what lied ahead of them on their Life or Death Journey, NOT KNOWING anything but the aching deep in their Hearts and Souls for a Better Life for them and their Families, and to LIVE THEIR DREAM OF BEING A MLB PLAYER!!

When you WALK THROUGH what these Men and their Families have WALKED THROUGH......when YOU **SURVIVE**.....when YOU SEE God SHOW UP BIG & BOLD IN YOUR LIFE TO KEEP YOU, SPARE YOU, GUIDE YOU, COMFORT YOU, PROVIDE FOR YOU, **BLESS YOU**!!!

OH YEAH!! Coming up to the plate in a Baseball Game in the 9th Inning with Bases Loaded, Tied Score and hitting a Grand Slam........or Pitching Your BEST GAME and Breaking Franchise and MLB Records EACH TIME you take the mound.....or having to face the media, not speaking Good English and Still NEVER being short for Words of Wisdom........or having to answer the haters who say your ego is out of control, that you "show up" other players with your enthusiastic, flamboyant style of Play.......Oh Yeah!! No Problem, No Worries, No Stress......PIECE OF CAKE!! IS THAT ALL YA GOT?!?  NEXT!!!!!

What we, as Americans, need to remember when we see these Courageous, Bold and FREE Spirited Men (from Cuba, Latin America) is that WE WERE BORN HERE!  We were BLESSED to be birthed on American soil.  These Men and soooooo many of our Brothers and Sisters all over this World, had to ESCAPE to Get Here! Had to LIVE and PERSEVERE through things, conditions, circumstances, *Life Stuff* WE can't even begin to imagine!! Had to wake up each day wondering how much more money will I need to pay the smugglers, the "escorts"........how to get my Family with me once I am FREE....Who can I Really TRUST...am I SURE I'm making the right decision.....will my DREAM come true.......will I spend the rest of my life in prison if I don't make it......WILL I DIE TRYING?!?  Yeah Loves, These are just some of the gut-wrenching. bigger-than-life questions YOU and I will NEVER, EVER have to ask ourselves!! Because WE WERE BORN HERE!!

So Family, as I close out today's Mona Girl Blog.......you can tell I feel very passionate about this Message! Thank You Holy Spirit!  It's near and dear to my Heart what these Courageous Men and Women and their Families have Endured, Sacrificed , Exhibited Walk On Water Faith to get HERE.....to the Land of the Free and the Brave!

And I get why they walk with such Freedom, such Boldness, such God-Confidence!! I get why they are Game Changers, not only in Baseball but in Life!!  I Get It! I See It! Cuz, Family, when you Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death and come out **HIS**....COME OUT **HIS**!!! You are a Bright Light that Nothing or No One can extinguish!! You Truly (Hallelujah!) are Living (Thank You Jesus!) an "All Things Are Possible" Life. Whewee!! Glory to God!!

Watching these COURAGEOUS Men and Women on their Bigger-Than-Life Platforms, move with such Grace and Humility, I don't judge them or question their Gifts, their Talents, their ABSOLUTE JOY FOR LIFE! And I hope, when you Stop and Ponder, You will also not question but CELEBRATE LIFE with them....let their infectious Love, Genuineness, Authenticity, Comfortable in their Own Skin Behavior over take YOU!! Let it Consume YOU!! Oh YEAH Family! What a Wonderfully Magnificent, REAL Way to LIVE!

"Now may God, the inspiration and foundation of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable  joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him." (Romans 15:13, TPT)

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!!





Mets Gushing Moment:
My Metsies Men have such Class! They radiate Class, Respect, Kindness, Warmth , Compassion & Love!!!!

And They can PLAY some Baseball Y'all!!

I am **WILD** FOR THE WILD CARD!! #BackToWinItALL!!!

INTERESTING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE!

Happy Blessed Wednesday Family!

Holy Spirit dropped this Wonderful Message in my lap this morning and I thought YES!
I KNOW INTERESTING PEOPLE **EVERYWHERE** and so do YOU!

Like Madisyn says "Everyone Has A Story", and I LOVE sharing my life, my stuff, my journey with Others......and learning about Who they Are, What Makes Them Tick, What's Their LIFE STORY!

I Pray You read this Encouraging Message and STEP OUT and begin to Ask, Learn and Listen to the LIFE STORIES of the folks Who are in Your World, Who Cross Your Path, Who You are Blessed to Know!

There are truly INTERESTING PEOPLE **EVERYWHERE**!! And YOU are One of Them!! Love you LOVES!


INTERESTING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE - EVERYONE HAS A STORY

by Madisyn Taylor

Every person on this planet has a story to tell, something that makes them unique adding to the whole.

It's easy to forget sometimes that everyone has a story to tell if we take the time to listen. We are so accustomed to hearing the stories of people in the news that we sometimes lose track of the fact that the random stranger on the bus also has a fascinating story about where they came from and how they got to be where they are. The sheer variety of paths taken in this world, from farmers to CEOs to homeless people to world travelers, is indicative of how much we can learn from each individual. Sometimes the shy, quiet person at work has the most amazing life story and the biggest dreams, it is up to us to take the time to find out. 

Some people travel a path of wealth and privilege, while others struggle with only themselves to rely on, and both have great stories to tell. Each person learns lessons, makes choices, and develops a unique perspective, which only they can claim and share. Even two people who have had very similar lives will have slightly different experiences, leading them to a different point of view, so each person remains a treasure trove waiting to be explored. When we take the time to ask questions and listen, we find that every person has a fascinating story to tell and an utterly unique perspective from which to tell it. 

Bearing this in mind, we have the opportunity to approach the world around us in a new way. There is never any reason to be bored at a party, or on the bus, or in a conversation with a stranger. When we retain the spark of curiosity and the warmth required to open someone up, we always have in front of us the makings of a great story. All we have to do is ask.

Mets Gushing Moment:
Mr. Bruce..........Jay......IGNORE the Noise!  IGNORE the Drama!! And DO YOU!

My Beautiful Mets Men!  WE GOT THIS! Say it With Me......WE GOT THIS!! One more Time Please with *PEACE* in Your Heart........WE GOT THIS!!!!

Oh Yeah!! God Speed! #TakeCareOfBiznessRightNOW!

A PRAYER & A SONG!!

Hi Loves,

A tad on the fly this Wednesday BUT Nothing or No One will Ever, EVA stop me from popping by Mona Girl Blog with Our Shout Out! from Holy Spirit!!

Sooooo today: A PRAYER & A SONG :)

Father God, I come Boldly and Humbly to Your Throne of Grace Praying and Lifting Up ALL Your Mona Girl Blog Family. You KNOW Each and Every one of Us by name......You KNOW the Exact Number of Hairs on Our Heads......YOU KNOW US INSIDE & OUT because YOU Made Us in Your Image! So I come today saying THANK YOU Lord for what You are Doing in Our Lives. THANK YOU Lord that We are growing closer and closer and more intimately connected with YOU every second of every day. THANK YOU Abba Father for Your Love, Mercy, Grace, Kindness, Gentleness, Discipline and FAVOR in Our Lives! THANK YOU Father God for the Talents and Gifts You've Blessed Us with so that we may Bless Others and Be Your Light!  You KNOW what Seasons We are growing and walking through because YOU either Ordained It, are Allowing It or Stepping into It to Help Us if we've created our own chaos...our own mess..bringing the Good out of the Bad. YOU, Our Sovereign Lord, are The Master Fixer of EVERY problem, situation, circumstance in Our Lives. We say THANK YOU for Your Promise to ALWAYS be with Us (**if we've invited You into our lives**).  THANK YOU for Your Promise to NEVER Leave Us.  THANK YOU for Your Promise to Provide ALL Our Needs according to Your Glorious Riches in Christ Jesus!! I KNOW without a doubt YOU have ALLLLL OF US in Your Mighty and Powerful Hand of Love and Care and Provision and Healing! Honoring YOU as THE ONE and ONLY ALMIGHTY GOD.......Our Heavenly Father......Our Ride or Die........Our All and All!! THANK YOU for being YOU in Our Lives. THANK YOU for Your Presence in Our Lives.  And THANK YOU for uniting and bonding Your Mona Girl Blog Family all over Your Magnificent World. In Jesus' Name. Amen! Amen! Amen!

Continued Success & Abundant Blessings!




Mets Gushing Moment:
SITTING ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT....WATCHING EACH & EVERY PLAY OF MY MIGHTY AMAZING METS MEN!!!

You Go Boyz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!