Welcome

Embracing Me is an opportunity for us to connect with ourselves...learning to embrace the God within. The post that I share with you are very real. The experiences of my life (whether good, bad or indifferent) sought to develop me into a Woman who honors the God that dwells inside of me.

For over 10 years I fought against sharing my life's experiences with the world but I also neglected to fully share my gifts. You may ask why I denied myself to live and the answer is fear! After relinquishing the fear of my own thoughts as well as the thoughts of others I have decided to do and be all that God has ordained. He chose me to share my testimonies through songs, poetry, short stories and encouraging words.

I invite you to travel with me as I journey into yet another fearful place, seeking to please the Father while providing healing, restoration and inspiration as chosen. It is my hope that these words will improve your daily living.

My charge to you: Think Well. Do Well. Speak Well. Be Well. Live Well.


"For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10-11

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Memoir Sharing - Dedication / Statement of Intent

In the coming weeks, I intend to share the pages of the first book in The Embracing Me Memoir Series, "Hell & Heaven at 8". Today  I start by sharing the Dedication and Statement of Intent. 
 
Additionally, I will provide a platform for questions and open discussion from the 20 chapters. "Hell & Heaven at 8" was published December 2011 and has traveled around the globe impacting lives of people near and far.
 

DEDICATION:
 
This book is dedicated to every young girl, woman and any male who experienced the discomforts and humiliation of watching family members, especially fathers and mothers, waste away, being consumed by drugs and alcohol.  Equally, the book is dedicated to the neglected, abandoned, and anyone who has ever suffered from sexual, physical, mental or verbal abuse: thus lacking self-love, self-esteem, self-worth and/or self-respect.  To those whose minds were or still are consumed with suicidal thoughts in hopes to rid yourself of the nightmares in reliving moments of pain over and over again.  To those who still cry yourself to sleep at night wishing to turn back the hands of time.  To the victorious ones who exceeded the expectations of the disasters you lived through and are living a life complete from guild and shame.
 
And certainly, this book is dedicated to those who struggle with your identity, unable to embrace the true you. 
 
STATEMENT OF INTENT:
 
For almost twenty-five years I have held onto this story for fear of hurting those whom I love, respect, and honor.  That however, is not my intention.  This series is not to cast blame, point fingers or to cry out as a victim: nor is it an opportunity to "air the families dirty laundry".  Neither is disgrace the objective.
 
"Hell & Heaven at 8" is one of four books in The Embracing Me Memoir Series which tells of my life's journey from girlhood to my current womanhood, having gone through abuse, disappointment, rape, molestation and many other experiences.  The story is told in eight year increments, discussing the pivotal points in my life that have allowed me to heal, grow, and embrace myself for the woman I was created to be.
 
The fact of the matter is my story is a common one, often held inside without the gory details of each bitter experience that has left and leaves young women wounded for generations.  Although the book discloses true accounts of my life, again, it is not to bash or tear down, but rather; to build.
 
My hope is that in sharing and exposing the deepest parts of me, other women and girls will have an opportunity to embrace every experience that makes them valuable, uniquely created, intricate members of society while going through their own process of healing.  This series opens the doorway for each reader to reconcile with past hurts, abuses in any form, abandonment, neglect, disappointment, grief, divorce, rape, abortion, sexual assault, miscarriage and the list goes on.
 
It is my hope that you gain an understanding of your own significance to begin embracing who you are and without defining yourself according to failures, successes, generational curses or the like.  Essentially, healing broken women leads to healing and restoration of broken boys, men and prayerfully, families.
 
Life is a journey with many roads.  It's like a tree with many roots that lead to many branches.  Each root with its own purpose and each branch having its purpose, yet, they are connected by the middle.  They sustain one another and give purpose one to the other.  This story and the story yet unwritten, embracing my life, holds just as much significance as the root to the tree.  The tree which grows lives and will continue long after I am gone.  I embrace the past, present, future, the known and the unknown.  With time I have learned to accept each part of my life, each branch, every root and all the ties in this daily pursuit of Embracing Me.
 
"In order to know who you really are, In order to know the power which you possess, In order to grow, In order to live and be free, You must first be willing to embrace every moment...The days before your existence, The days when you came to be and the legacy that you will leave behind...Know thyself, Embrace who you are."
~ Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris 

Thank you for going on this journey of embracing through self-discovery 


 
 
 

Saturday, January 24, 2015

POEM: A Greater Strength

Some of my greatest powers and strengths come in the form of knowing my own limitations and thus knowing when to ask for help. 

It comes after constant inward battles of inadequacy. It comes with the ever nagging thoughts of who will judge me. It comes rejection after rejection due to expectations that one sees, knows, understands, and will respect me as I am.

My strength is in my heart, but it is not physical. It's in my love but not the word, the action. 

My strength comes when I forgive others who have wronged me - be it real or perceived. 

My strength comes in the acknowledgement of the perfectly imperfect thorns in my flesh. The anger, hatred, rage and self-destructive behaviors that seemingly rise with the thought of conquering my mind by consuming my soul...drawing from it the love that is mine to both give and receive. 

My strength is in my stance, in my eyes, in my walk, in my belly. 

My greatest strength took longest to cultivate - the ability to forgive myself, move beyond my fears, and love myself deeply.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Imagine That!!!

After much cogitation regarding the prior year (2014), I declare with the voice of Mr. Thomas Edison: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work". (SMILING WITHIN & OUTWARDLY)

Creative beings such as myself and probably many of you reading this post, typically venture into uncertain territory to formulate and cultivate things and ideas others think of but are afraid to try - mostly due to fear of failure or rejection of others. And although many visionaries try, not many are willing to continue trying over and over and over again until accomplishing the desired outcome if they feel they've failed.

Let me just encourage you as you start this year (2015), bright, bubbly, full of energy and ideas - one road block is just that...ONE! Failure is not a means to an end, but the opportunity to begin again, anew! Failure is also an idea! IMAGINE THAT!!!

Choose to accept or deny the idea of failure!

May you pursue and conquer! God bless you abundantly as you continue to IMAGINE THAT!!!

Listen to God - Follow your heart...IMAGINE THAT!!!