IYANLA VANZANT PRESENTS............

HELLO FRIENDS: I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS WEEK A FEW OF IYANLA'S LESSONS FROM HER "Faith In the Valley" book which was published by Simon and Schuster. This book was dedicated in memory of the Great, Grand Diva Miss Phyllis Hyman and Her Sisters Butterfly McQueen, Rosalind Cash, Roxie Roker, Madge Sinclair and her Sister-Friend Dorothea Lois Dowell.

there is a lily in the valley

1. Why me?

Bad things are going to happen. Painful, ugly, frustrating events are going to take place. There is no way around getting your feelings hurt, having your ego bruised, your trust weighed, your heart broken. Life has its ups and downs. If you are living, you are bound to trip and fall every now and then. There is not much you can do while you are going through your challenges and difficulties, but there is something you can remember that will make it a bit easier to bear.

The same God that was good to you yesterday is good today. The same God that loved you last week , loves you today. The same powerful, almighty, all-knowing God that saved you, comforted you, guided you the last time you needed it, will save, comfort, and guide you today. Right where you are, in the midst of trouble, take a moment to be loved, comforted, guided, by the good God who knows exactly what you need. God is present. God's presence is called GRACE.
LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD'S GRACE.


2. I Don't want to go through this anymore!

The rent is due and you have no cash on hand. You are hopelessly, desperately, foolishly in love, and he doesn't know your name. You have lost some important papers at work, and your supervisor is asking for them. You cleverly embellished your expenses for the year, and the IRS is auditing you. You squeezed that new pair of shoes onto your charge account, and now the bill is due, along with the rent. What do you do? NOTHING!

No matter what is going on in your life, the planets are still moving around the sun. Seeds are turning into flowers. Embryos are turning into babies. The moon is becoming full. The sun is rising. Things are going to happen, and you have a choice: you can be a witness or a participant. A witness observes and learns. A participant creates drama and stress.

No matter what it looks like, the truth is simple: there is something you are learning or unlearning. There is some part of you that must be refined. Not fixed! Not changed! BUT FINE-TUNED IN ORDER TO OPERATE AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY. You may not like what is going on, but you will live through it, if you give up the need to fix it. Surrender control with a deep breath. Forgive yourself for any poor choices. Make a commitment to work on your weak areas. Trust yourself that you will know exactly what to do when the time comes to do it. In the meantime, go pick a flower, hug a baby, or salute the sun.
ONLY GOOD CAN COME OUT OF THIS.

3. Great googa mooga! What happened to ya!!

Are you living your life or are you living your mother's life? Perhaps you are living the life that your father told you to live. Maybe your life was custom-built for you by your husband, your sister, or the "system." Does your life suit your needs? Is it too big for you? Is it too small for you? Is your life satisfactory? Do you live in your life or around it? Do you dare do what you want to do. or are you consumed doing what you are told you have to do?

It is very easy to get stuck living your life for others, doing what they want you to do in order for them to get what they need. There is a very delicate balance between my life, our lives, and your life. When you are not clear about what you are, what you need, and what you want, the balance can be tipped against your favor. If you need to reclaim your life and live it, be sure to do it! You can accomplish this by taking time for yourself to take care of yourself. You must also be sure to let people know what you need, and to be willing to say no to what they need without feeling guilty about it.
I HAVE A LIFE THAT I WANT TO LIVE.

4. What are you waiting for?!!

Can we just be blessed right now? Can we find something, some one thing to be happy about, satisfied with, excited over? It won't cost us anything to smile and pat ourselves on the back for what we have already done and overcome. If we really understood that right where we are is exactly where we need be, we would find the joy we convince ourselves we are missing.

Life is so much smarter than we are, it never moves too quickly, nor does it skip steps. Life always shows up on time and in time to bless, teach, reward, heal, protect or guide us. Life always knows exactly what we need, what we are ready for, and when we are prepared to receive it. We are usually so busy looking behind or ahead, we miss the flow of life passing right before our eyes. Fear, anxiety, guilt, and shame fog our vision and cause us to miss the point, the lesson, and the blessings that are present right now. Let us remember that right now is a blessing. When we understand that, we stop second-guessing life.
IN THE PRESENCE OF NOW, I AM.


POWER-PACKED LESSONS FOR ALL OF US. JUST EXPERIENCE THE PRESENT, TRY NOT TO BE OVERLY CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE EXCESSIVELY. TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED TO US.

THE LILIES IN THE FIELD ARE CLOTHED AND ARRAYED WITH BEAUTY. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT OUR HEAVENLY FATHER IS LOOKING AFTER US RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT? WE HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.


ALL OF US ARE WRITERS, POETS AND ARTISTS. ALL OF US ARE WORKING ON ONE OR MORE PROJECTS AT THE SAME TIME. IT IS NICE TO PLAN AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR OUTCOMES. HOWEVER RIGHT NOW IS ALL WE HAVE.

red rose, crimson beauty

****i am scheduling the times that i am working on my poetry. the publisher sent me an email last night inquiring about my continuing interests. i was very happy to hear from them. however, i see other opportunites that i have in the event that the publisher does not work out for me. i was just beginning to get SERIOUS when that email came through.

all i want to do is to have a book of 80-100 poems in that first collection. i want to do well in having enough copies for everyone in this town and beyond. persons here and there are inquiring about my book. it is going to become a reality for this is the year. 2006 will not leave here until i have that book published in whatever form. hasta luego amigos...

Ernie Barnes-from Pads to Pallette-His Autobiography

alrighty now...the perfectionist at work. here is the autobiography... It chronicles his childhood in segregated Durham NC through his successful pro football career, to his debut solo exhibition at a prestigious gallery in NYC. please go to www.erniebarnes.com for more information. He is quite impressive. Now speaking of being impressive, let me take a break, return and impress myself with my future book.

Ernie Barnes-Legendary Artist/Painter(Conclusion)

hi there...we are at the conclusion of his wonderful works. i am going to try and tune in to listen to him i need to find out the station and how i can listen in by way of the internet. ok, here goes it!

there he is, in living color, none other than the legendary Ernie Barnes. the look of contentment of an artist's face. look at that smile! let's look at his concluding art......

1. Singing Sistahs

2. The Big Lineman

3. Tete a Tete

4. Soft Power

5. Sam and Sydney

Ernie Barnes has an autobiography and it is enti tled from Pads to Palette. His life from being on the football field to being an artist. I will highlight that book on a separate post for it is important for you to see and it will not fit here.

mizz diamond

Ernie Barnes-Legendary Artist/Painter (Part 2)

Here are some more pieces of art by our legendary painter, Ernie Barnes! 1. His effort 2. Ring around the Rosie 3. Room ful of Sistahs 4. Ninety-nine, one hunered 5. Late nite DJ 6. Coffebreak 7. Girlfriends 8. Window wishing 9. Springboard

Ernie Barnes-Legendary Artist/Painter

This week on (Greatness by Design) with Blanche Williams, Ernie Barnes, the legendary painter will be on her talk show on July 4th. See her newsletter this week for times and stations. In the meantime, I am just amazed at his art and I will not do another blog for Black Art. I simply don't have the time. I am still working on my first book, at my pace. I wanted to do this segment on him though for his art is beau-ti-full!

Ernie Barnes was born on July 15, 1938 in Durham NC. He had a normal childhood and he went off to college playing football. That was his life until one day this is what he noticed:

"One day on the playing field, I looked up and the sun was breaking through the clouds, hitting the unmuddled areas on the uniforms, and I said, 'That's beautiful!'. I then knew that it was all over being a player. I was more interested in art. So I traded my cleats for canvas, my bruises for brushes, and put all the violence and power I had felt on the field into my paintings."

Let me put some of his work here. Some of his work will have sports scenes in them for that was his past. It seems that there is a restriction of pictures that will go on one post.

1. The Homecoming
2. Sugar Shack
3. The Anniversary
4. A Life Restored
5. In Remebrance

Those five are above. All of his art tells a story and leaves more to be desired. go to www.erniebarnes.com please for his wonderful site. You will be impressed at the biograpy.

mizz diamond