Wednesday, February 1, 2012

LOVE NOTES: 29 Songs and Letters of Love

In celebration of the month of love, February, I am posting a love song every day.  2012 is a leap year which means February will have 29 days. I’m calling this series of blogs Love Notes: 29 Songs and  Letters of Love. Every day you will get a love song and a message of love. And if you are lucky I may share one of my original love songs with you.  I hope everyone enjoys the selection of songs and shares the message of love with someone special.
My first favorite love song is Michael Jackson’s I’ll be There. It’s a beautiful promise to a good friend that no matter what happens they can always count on you. Unconditional love has no time limit and when you truly care about a person, the love you have for them surpasses all earthly matters. Sometimes it is good to reach out to a friend and remind them of your commitment to being supportive in a time of need. We all go through trials and tribulations and it is good to know that your friends have your back. Take the time to tell someone this month that you are there for them.


By: Chi Ife

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Rise and Shine with a little revelation!

I was running early this morning and as the sun was coming up I felt this amazing feeling and had a revelation instantly.  The voice said that true love feels just like this moment. It is fearless, beautiful, breathless, amazing, free flowing, awesome, simple, uplifting, captivating, and spiritual.  I was really overwhelmed by the beauty of the sun rising and I was connected to its energy. That is how real love feels. It is a natural and spiritual connection with another person that transcends anything superficial and earthly. Sometimes people come along and they try to impress you with worldly things and lies about what they think love is, but that stuff is all meaningless (see Ecclesiastics). Real love must be a  spiritual connection because it takes that type of connection to love someone unconditionally and also to forgive them throughout the journey.  Real love is something worth waiting for. And if you find it in your significant other, then marry him or her.

Also, you may think that the little things you do for others everyday does not make a difference but it does. Blessing sometimes come in small packages. Smiling, listening, sharing, holding, hugging,  caring, loving, honoring, and supporting, are all blessings that we can give to the people around us for free. You don't need fame or money to change lives or to help people because you can do it everyday with your actions.

If we all were dedicated to making just the smallest difference in each others lives then we would all see the big picture which is one of love.

~ Chi the Love Bug:)

Friday, September 9, 2011

Guest Post: Single and Satisfied?

Is there a such thing as being single and satisfied? What if one desires to be in a relationship but the future appears bleak? Does that mean they are meant to be single for the rest of their life? God did make Eve for Adam.... why isn’t there anyone for me? All of the previous questions are valid and I am sure they have run through every single man or woman’s head at one point in time. Whether you are single now or have been single before, each of us have considered at least 1 of the 4 inquires.

With any relationship, whether it be a friendship, marriage, or parenting, satisfaction is developed. Satisfaction is simply the state of gratification, the contentment felt after the right action is taken.  We can all get to our desired level of satisfaction as single people. We have to learn how to be content, single with God, before he can bring another person into our lives. If we want to truly be happy and satisfied in our relationships, we must first learn ourselves and develop satisfaction as single individuals. God has every intention of bringing us our mates as long as we have that desire.

Genesis 2:18 states: “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”  When you are not in a relationship with someone of the opposite sex, or “single”, that does not mean you are alone. God is always with you. In fact, God wants to use this time with you developing a single heart with him.  As earthly vessels God’s intentions are to give us the desires of our hearts however, our hearts must be ready. The objective as a single person is to develop “singleness in heart” with God. The missing void in your life should be filled with God and his word. Allow him to work on you and prepare your heart for a relationship. Yes I know this is easier said than done, however, how can you expect to get a diploma without completing the necessary high school courses? One cannot expect to be in a meaningful and fruitful relationship without knowing themselves. This requires development as a single person. Before you take delight in a mate, take delight in The Lord and allow his word to satisfy you. The Lord's will is everything you want, more than you expect, and far beyond your imagination!  Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

Single and Satisfied,

~Lady B

Monday, August 22, 2011

Not your Judas: I can play any role but that one.

Not your Judas - I can play any role but that.

Judas Iscariot is known as the infamous backstabber in the bible. Sometimes we question if he had a choice in playing the person who betrays Jesus. I mean somebody had to do it in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled, but I wonder if it had to be Judas. What I am saying is that yes God has written our stories and certain things are supposed to happen, but do we have the free will in playing certain roles. What if Judas didn’t succumb to his feelings of jealousy and fear and opted out. What if Judas said no and then Cleofus (made up name) the other deviant disciple became the one who betrayed Jesus. The story would still have the same outcome but different characters. Let’s look at the situations below.



Situation 1: So you meet a guy at work that you think is handsome and the two of you share a moment. A deep deep moment. Ola la!! There is something so perfect about this guy; unfortunately for you he is perfectly married. You think to yourself, “God could this be my soul mate” and you begin to justify every reason in your mind why this guy and you were meant to be together. What is even crazier is that you are also unhappily married and looking for any reason to leave your current situation. Office guy isn’t helping because just like you, he is itching for an escape out of his reality and flirts with you. Shall we say weekend getaway perhaps? Conundrum!

Situation 2: You are a pop artist who just signed a record deal with a major label and your dreams are finally happening. You soon find out that the label is changing your image to a raunchier one. If you don't do it, the other chick they just signed will. Knowing that if you get this new fake butt to up your sales you may damage the self esteem of millions of little girls who are unhappy with their self image. You say, "Let their parents talk to them about loving themselves. I aint a role model", as you begin to count all the money you will make from your new stripper booty and sexually ambiguous lyrics. Drop it like its hot!
Situation 3: So the pastor put you in charge of the collection plate and times are hard. Pastor is flying in private jets and you have no ac in your vehicle. " Where is the blessing", you scream in your piping hot ride as you watch the head of your church jump into his pricy ice cold autoban. You know that there has to be others also stealing from the church and you think even the pastor is as well. Why not you…right?

All three examples are situations where you could be easily tempted and become a betrayer of someone. You can betray your spouse, the church, and even your own values. The fact is a cheating man is going to step out on his wife, but don't let that person be you. Record labels continue to pump out negative artists but you don't have to be one of them. Some church members are low down and breaking all the rules, but you don't have to follow suit. If you are presented with a test, then tell that situation, " I am not your Judus," and keep moving forward. Life is a stage and we are all merely players, but try your best not to play certain roles... you dig.      

Love ~ Chi
Check out this video - JC SUPERSTAR - HEAVEN ON THEIR MINDS - Brilliant!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Perfect One


Meeting and accepting the person that's Mr. or Mrs. Right.  How difficult does it seem?  Yet, how difficult is it?  More often than not, we hear both males and females talk about all the great ideas they have regarding how “the perfect one” will look, talk, sound, act, and the grueling list goes on and on.  Many people promise that “THE LIST,” a sheet of paper containing tons of fantastic words describing the perfect mate, is a guaranteed way to focus on and get the person you want.  Yes the list may sound perfect but is there really a perfect mate?
“Just Wright” a movie starring Queen Latifah and Common, isn’t a film where people sit around to talk about meeting the right guy, rather it shows what happens when the right one shows up.  The movie is anchored by a beautiful women who desires to become married to a professional athlete for all the wrong reasons.  She has a list and is determined to check off every item she’s listed.  At first glance it’s hilarious but this women does everything she can to make sure she plays the game right so that Mr. Right, takes the bait and makes the catch.  On the opposite spectrum, the movie shows what happens when the right person just shows up.   No pre-made list, fantasy driven ideas, or stereotypical images, just the right person. 
More often than not, we’re consumed with pre-conceived ideas of what we want.  This conviction causes us to automatically shut down when someone comes around who doesn’t fit the perception of what we think we want.  We simply miss it and fail to give any attention to the idea that although they’re not a perfect match, that they could actually be the one.  Just think about it.  How often do you hear your friends say they want somebody!  And then once somebody attempts to come along, they are dismissed by your friend because they don’t make the cut.  The list comes out and they’re excused because of their body type, hair length, skin complexion, job, bank account, car, family, friends, diet, and the list just keeps going.  And at the end of the day once again your friend still hasn’t found anyone, and especially not "the one."
Now does “the list” have merit or value?  Absolutely!  We must know what we would like to have and set standards to things that are absolute deal breakers.  Yet, we can’t be so completely attached to a list that it gives us no room to look up and experience a whiff of fresh air when someone comes along that’s not an exact match.  The beauty in relationships, is sharing life with someone who allows you to be free enough to be who you are and willing to go through life with you during seasons of change.  At the end of the day it’s that person you want to embrace, not a list.
There's something different in the air today....enjoy it's freshness!
 ~Dee

Friday, July 29, 2011

Play like a kid!

 PLAY LIKE A KID!!!
 I read this Article called reclaiming your creativity written by William Grace Frost co-founder of Ekastasis and of the Butterfly Peace Path. I encourage you to Google him. The article presents several good suggestions on how to energize your creativity. The two suggestions that stood out to me were to fine tune your awareness and to do something new every day. Fine tuning your awareness is about being present in the moment that you are in. Staying present is hard to do if you have worked yourself into an everyday routine. I mean you can literally coast through your day on auto pilot. I read in another article that the best way to practice being in tune or present is to practice being completely aware of your surroundings for a minute every ten minutes. I also liked his suggestion to do something new every day. Again, this breaks up a hum drum life. Try a new flavor of ice cream, buy a stranger some lunch, go planking or owling. Do something you have never done every day and I am sure it will give you new experiences which will jump start your creativity.
 The suggestion that Frosts presents in his article that really caught my attention was to play like a kid. How many times do we drop everything we are doing and challenge the person next to us to a race. Sounds crazy right? What about playing a game of kickball, dodge ball, twister, hide and go seek, or even tag with a group of adult friends. Kids get real joy and laughter when they are playing. Adults need to play sometimes. I think as we get older we forget how to have real wholesome fun. 
 Fun is not always in the night club. It might be on a big open field with a water gun in hand. I think I’m going to try Mr. Frost suggestions which are being present, doing something new every day, and playing like a kid. I can’t wait to see what creative energy I am going to stir up. You try it to and comment.

Be Virtuous

~Chi

Friday, July 8, 2011

Join the Virtue~Us Book Club

 
ATTENTION, ATTENTION!!!!!  YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!!!!! 

Join us as we embark on book#4:

The Compassionate Samurai: Being Extraordinary in an Ordinary World by Brian Klemmer 

Review date will be: August 28th

 Synopsis:  In life there are two types of people. The first are those who are nice, good-hearted, and compassionate but can’t make much happen. The other kind can make everything happen—they’re the creators, the go-getters, and the aggressive producers in society—however, they’re often self-centered, greedy, and unethical.Wouldn’t it be great if you could make things happen in a really big way but not lose your integrity? The Compassionate Samurai will show you the way to produce extraordinary results in a dog-eat-dog world and still maintain the highest levels of ethics.

 The Compassionate Sumarai (Amazon link for purchase)

 Let's gather to talk about doing what's required to live an extraordinary life.  Great food, great company, great book---We welcome men and women---Hope to see you there!!!!!


***Vision Board Party details coming soon.  
We will NOT host the vision board party at this event so...... STAY TUNED!!!!