I'm Fine...Quit Lying!

The Enemy of the best isn't the Worst, The Enemy of the best is I'm Just Fine!  Dave Ramsey...

Isn't it crazy how you start feeling bad because you don't want what your friend wants, your spouse wants, your boss wants, your kids want, your siblings.... You go to a restaurant that you don't like, you buy shoes that you don't like, you get a hairstyle that you don't like, you go see movies that you don't want to see, you sit where you don't want to sit, you have conversations with people you really don't want to talk to.  The things we do "just because" are crazy.  We keep going and going until finally something pushes us over the edge and we blow up, but all along we kept saying, I'm fine.  NO you're not fine!

In so many areas of our lives, we keep doing the same thing, hoping that one day things will just change on their own but that never happens.  At some point you have to just say, I QUIT!  In this sense, quit is a very positive word because it will get you back on the road to SELF-FREEDOM, freedom to be you, who you really are, not who others want you to be.  People think something is wrong with you when: you  don't like the same color, the same movies, the same foods, the same clothes, the same books or have the same taste in men, women, hobbies etc... Why?  Why does something have to be wrong with me?  Why isn't that something is wrong with you?  Who said your way is right or best?  Understand this... you are who you are and if God is alright with you then who gives a rat about what others think.  If you keep being a puppet on a string, your life will continue to be miserable, unfulfilled and void.  You're not happy because you're not doing you, being you and pursuing you.  Quit lying, you're not just fine, you're miserable because you're bound!  Jesus came that we may have life and have it more abundantly.  He came so we can have joy, peace, happiness and love. He died for us to have choices, not to be controlled or witchcrafted into doing and being someone we're not.  It's obvious that bullying don't just happen in schools, it happens in life.  We allow people to bully us right out of our purpose, right out of our dreams and right out of our destiny. 

If you really want to be free, be truthful.  Tell the truth about what's going on in your life and the people you are connected to.  Honestly, you have friends that you're waiting on to leave, you want them to go.  You're tired of lending money and not getting it back.  You're tired of sharing your dreams and ambitions and being rejected by them.  You're tired of being used.  You're tired of wasting time going nowhere when you know God has called you to more.  You're not just fine you're sick and tired of being sick and tired.  When are you going to stop lying to yourself?  When are you going to stop lying to God.  When are you going to stop lying to others? 

No one is an expert on you but you.  No one really knows what you want but you.  No one really knows what you like but you.  So, when are you going to start making some decisions about your own life.  Your finances are in disarray because you lend money you don't have, buy things and go places that you can't afford.  Let's stop pretending and regain control of our lives.  If your so-called friend can't keep a man or a woman, how in the heck you're going to let them council you in your relationships?  If they are broke, busted and disgusted, how can they council you in your financial decisions?  Come on..., get some sense and fire your life leaders.  The Holy Ghost is trying to figure out how you gave somebody else his job anyway.  He wants what's best for you.  He wants you to fulfill God's divine purpose and destiny for your life. He wants to see you blessed.  So why give his job to somebody who's with you today and talking about you tomorrow?  Lying to avoid confrontation only hurts you in the long run.  I've been there.  I've settled for things in the past just because I didn't want to deal with confrontation.  I allowed myself to be manipulated and controlled simply because I didn't want to deal with confrontation.  But when I got some sense, you best believe a change was made.  I had to allow God to rebuild my self-esteem, self-confidence and self-belief.  When you believe in you, no devil in hell can get you to retreat and bow down, to the detrimental influences of others, due to their lack of self-esteem and lack of faith in their abilities. People will try to hinder you because they're afraid of stepping out. THE DEVIL IS A LIAR!  Leave them right there in their pile of "wanna be" and you move on to what's "gonna be".  God is faithful to His Word to perform it.

Life is always about making adjustments.  It's time to stop lying to yourself and grab hold of the steering wheel of your life and follow the path that has already been set before you.  Make today the first day of the best days of your life.  Press Play and LIVE!

The Purpose Coach
www.yolandapresley.com

Personal & Group Coaching Sessions Coming Soon!
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(30 min.)  = $19.99/person
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I'm looking forward to coaching you to a VICTORY!

Simplify Your Life

Being laid-off has given me a new meaning of the word SIMPLIFY.  When you simplify your life, you make things so much easier for yourself. The funny thing is, when you take a look back, you were only doing and doing to make things easier for somebody else while your life remained hectic and frustrating. You get everything done for everybody else then when you get home, you're rushing to get the kids, feed the kids, do homework, get them to practice or clean-up, do laundry, cook, see clients and so on...  While others are home chilling, you're stressed-out and trying to figure out how you're going to get it all done. Well, my bible says, WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPLE THING!

Woman are good at taking on more than they can really handle.  We are nurturers by nature and feel like we have to take care of everything and everybody.  This causes undo stress in marriages and relationships with your children.  We have to learn when enough is enough.  NO is not a curse word, it's a word that brings PEACE and BALANCE to your life.  You can 't always be available and accessible to everyone.  Not only do your family need you but YOU need YOU!  We don't even realize when we've lost contact with ourselves.  Some of you don't even have a relationship with yourself.  Your needs go unmet because you're always trying to meet the needs of others.  What about YOU?  If you don't take the time to Refresh and Renew YOU, then you will be no good for your family.  What about taking a mental-health day and just spending time doing NOTHING?  You can go watch a movie, lay on the beach, do some window shopping, read a good book, plant a flower garden or do NOTHING AT ALL.

Don't get caught-up in the rat race of life.  Don't allow people to make you feel bad for saying NO and not being available at their every beckoning call. Plan your day.  Don't create a To-Do list, create a To-Don't List!  De-clutter and Simplify, it's time to Live Life and Live it in PEACE.

People will use you as long as you allow yourself to be used.  If you want peace you have to take it by force.  It's hard to undo what you've been doing for so long, but for many, if you don't make a change now you're going to wear yourself out.  Remember, WISDOM IS THE PRINCIPLE THING! 

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!

The Purpose Coachwww.yolandapresley.com


If you want to be empowered to live the life God has purposed for you to live, order one of my books:

New Book: AVERAGE, The Enemy of Purposewww.xlibris.com/AVERAGETheEnemy....html

http://www.amazon.com/AVERAGE-Enemy-Purpose-Yolanda-Presley/dp/1453508643/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316181073&sr=1-1

Surviving the Struggle, Having a Faith that Won't Quit
http://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Struggle-Having-Faith-that/dp/1425984010/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1316181073&sr=1-3

It's Only By His Grace

As I was in the kitchen this morning washing dishes and doing a lil cleaning before I take off for the gym, I take notice of the stories being reported on the news.  Wow...from a 19 year old girl who ran over a pedestrian and kept going trying to elude the police, flipped her car and now is in the hospital.  She is believed to have been drinking.  A man shot by a deputy while he was stabbing a woman that he had forced inside of his car.  The lady who crashed into a gas station with her child in the car.  She wasn't even suppose to have the child.... to a man who ran over a 15 mth old baby and kept going, dragging the baby down the street.  Shootings, fights, drugs, robberies.........just one thing after the next.

My normal response to crazy stuff I hear on the news is, "I can't believe that" or "What's wrong with people today"? or "These people must be crazy".  Before a thought could fully form this morning I was checked by the Holy Spirit who reminded me that it's only by His grace and mercy that I'm not on the news or haven't been on the news for anything negative.  My mind immediately went back to all of the bad choices that could have landed me on the news, in jail or in the cemetery, but God's grace.........wow....tears forming in my eyes now as I think of the goodnesss of Jesus and all that He's done for me, my soul cries out Hallelujah, thank God for saving ME!

We can never get so besides ourselves and look down on others or think we're so much better than the next person.  Just because you didn't drink, don't mean cussing was ok.  Just because you didn't sleep with somebody's spouse, don't mean fornicating was ok.  Just because you didn't kill or steal, doesn't mean lying was ok........we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God.  We've all made bad choices and did or said something that was outside of God's will.  One thing is sure, God always have us on His mind.  What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  (Psalm 8:4) While we were yet sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) If it had not been for the Lord on our side.... (Psalm 124) 

And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. 12:9

I don't care what you did yesterday, His grace is sufficient.  No matter how weak you are in certain areas of your life, His strength is made perfect in your weakness.  I remember being in 20's, trying to live right, trying to live by God's word, but I had strongholds. I was bound by sin, bound by what people thought about me and bound by my perception of myself.  When I wanted to do right sin was present.  I would go to church and experience the power of God, the power of His Word and the power of His delivering anointing.  I would yell, scream, cry and roll all over the floor, asking God to deliver me.  I wanted to be set-free from people, set-free from me and set-free from sin.  My heart was right, I wanted to be DELIVERED and SET-FREE, but something happened from the time I got up off the floor and the next week.  I would find myself fighting those same demons, couldn't get past the thoughts of being by myself, no friends and feeling insignificant without purpose.  What I came to realize is that I was being delivered, but I was allowing the Holy Spirit to SET me FREE! But one day, God got a hold of me!  This time when I got off of the floor I was a new person.  I wasn't Londa, I was Yolanda.  A transformation had taken place and I knew that the chains were broken and I was FREE.  I didn't care what people said anymore.  I didn't try to hang on to friends anymore, who really didn't care about me anyway.  I wasn't trying to please anyone or be somebody that I wasn't.  I was finally ok with who I was and decided that God had more for my life than what I was experiencing.  It was time to LIVE.

I said all of that to say, God's grace is sufficient for you!  You can be free if you really want to be free.  Yeah, you'll have to make some tough decisions and disconnect yourself from certain people, but the question is: Do you want God's purpose or do you want people?  When you pursue purpose it will bring the right people in your life, but when you pursue people, you will never see your purpose manifested.  Check your circle.  If the people in your circle aren't adding to your life, bringing hope, encouragement and empowerment, then you're in the wrong circle.  To get what you never had, you must do what you've never done.  Even if this means being alone, not lonely, but alone.  This decision may require just you & God and you must be OK with that. 

I challenge you today to really give thought to where you would be if God had pulled back His hand of GRACE and His hand of MERCY.  Just that thought alone should empower you to get up everyday with PURPOSE on your mind.  When I want to stop, shut-down and lock myself in my room, PURPOSE says, Get-up!  Purpose tells me that I don't have the right to sit down, give-up or give-in.  Purpose tells me that my life is not my own.  Purpose tells me that God has invested too much in me to allow the enemy to steal my gifts! Purpose tells me that there are people all over this Nation that I've been assigned to and my life is not my own.

So, I'm here to tell you today, God has invested too much in you for you to think defeated or live defeated.  If it's only by His grace that you're here now, it's only by His grace that you'll see tomorrow.  Therefore, don't wallow in self-pity, get-up.  God is saying, Rise-up and LIVE!

Have a Powerful day of Reflection as you prepare yourself to move Forward!
Remeber, life doesn't offer Do-overs, but there is a RE-START button, PUSH IT!


The Purpose Coach
www.yolandapresley.com


Order Your Copy Today!

New Book: AVERAGE, The Enemy of Purposewww.xlibris.com/AVERAGETheEnemy....html

 

IT'S JUST TRANSITION!

It's amazing that I can actually think once the kids are gone to school and I can sit down and take a breather.  Wow......mornings are crazy!

As I sit here and think about the transition that my life is in right now, it becomes more and more evident to me that it's just that....TRANSITION.  Many people view transition as a negative but in order to get from a place called "Here" to a place called "There" you must experience Transition.  Transition simply means: Passage from one form, state, style, or place to another.  In other words, when you are transitioning, you're moving.  You are in route to a new place or a new state of being or a new form of living.  Another definition is: The period of time during which something changes from one state or stage to another.  This leads me to believe that there is a certain time for transition, change, modification, alteration or a shift.  The bible says there is a time and season for all things.  What I'm learning is that most people don't understand when that time has come. 

When I think about something as simple as boiling an egg.  As the water gets hotter and hotter, it causes the egg to get harder and harder.  At some point, the water must be turned down or turned off as the egg transitions from having soft yolk, to hard yolk.  If there is no change in the water temperature, the egg will eventually burst open.  Why?  It happens when the cook doesn't realize when the transition needs to be made.  If the cook gets distracted and start doing other things while the egg is boiling, it's easy to forget and/or miss the time of transition. 

See, many people are trying to figure out, what happened? How did I get here? When did this happen?  The job, the marriage, the relationship, the finances, the business just all of a sudden burst-open.  Well, the signs were there but somebody missed the time for transition.  There was a change that needed to be made, but it was never done.  Now, you're left with cleaning egg off of your life and family.  Something distracted you and you were unable to detect, discern or see that it was time for TRANSITION. 

It's not to late to make adjustments.  The only thing you have to do is realize that it's time for CHANGE and move towards it.  Even when you're forced into transition by losing a job or business, if you don't see it as transition, you will miss what God is doing.  I understand where I am and why I'm here.  I know I'm right in the middle of transition because I couldn't do what God has called me to do where I was. He forced me to transition out of what was, in order to prepare for what will be.  Now, I may have to do some things in between that I really don't want to do, but it's now about my "Here" it's about my "There" because it's my place called "There" where God is going to release the blessing. 

My friends, IT'S JUST TRANSITION!  What you're going through wasn't meant to kill you, depress you or frustrate you.  It was only meant to TRANSITION you into what God has for you.  Step outside of what it looks like now and see what He told you it would be.  Remember the egg?  In order for the egg to go from soft to hard, it had to experience some heat.  The yolk protein will start to thicken at 150°F and set at 158°F/70°C. The whole egg will set at around 165°F/73°C.  You can't reach your full potential without experiencing some heat!  You will go through some trials and tribulations that will cause you to question yourself and God, but like David said, "I would have lost hope, if I had not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living". 

During this time of transition, you have to hold on to your FAITH in God, TRUSTING & BELIEVING, that what He promised, He shall bring it to pass.

As you face challenges today just keep in mind, IT'S JUST TRANSITION!

Have a POWERFUL day!


The Purpose Coach
www.yolandapresley.com

Order Your Copy Today!

New Book: AVERAGE, The Enemy of Purposewww.xlibris.com/AVERAGETheEnemy....html

My Foot Almost Slipped!

It's funny how you can be going through your day, having a pretty good day and all of a sudden, thoughts.......thoughts enter your mind that causes you to think on what you should have, desire to have, want to have or have been promised.  You start looking around you and see drug dealers living large, crooked politician driving nice, able to go on vacation when they want, send their kids to the best schools & create the best opportunities for their kids, schemers and thieves living off the system, but living better that those of us who work hard, trying to live an honest and holy life.  Something about that can make you want to go back to who you were before you gave your life to Christ. Something about that makes you ask yourself, is this really worth it?  Does God really care? Is God really real? Why am I doing this to myself?  Because you know there was a time when money wasn't an issue.  All it took was a phone call and it was done! 

Psalm 73:1-9

A Psalm of Asaph.

¹ Truly God is good to Israel,
To such as are pure in heart.
² But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
My steps had nearly slipped. ³ For I was envious of the boastful,
When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 
⁴ For there are no pangs in their death,
But their strength is firm.
⁵ They are not in trouble as other men,
Nor are they plagued like other men. ⁶ Therefore pride serves as their necklace;
Violence covers them like a garment.
⁷ Their eyes bulge^[a] with abundance;
They have more than heart could wish.
⁸ They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression;
They speak loftily.
⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. 
     
All of a sudden, I hear a voice in my ear saying, "If I did once, I'll do it again".  "If I brought you out once, I'll bring you out again".  "If I provided once, I'll provide again".  "Is there anything to hard for me?"  At that moment, I realized that I've been down this road before.  I've been without before.  I've had to totally depend on Him before so why doubt Him now?  Is it my pride that somehow tells me that I should be excluded from trials, hard-times and disappointments because I've been here before?  What is it?  Is it because I know that I've done all I can to live by His Word and feel that I deserve better?  Or, is it because I believe His promises, but want them to come to pass the way I want it to happen?  Either way, I have no right to worry or be concerned about tomorrow when it was only by His grace and mercy that I made it through yesterday.  It's so easy to look around and get upset about the prosperity of the wicked, but God's word says He rain on the just and the unjust.  He blesses whom He wants to bless.  It's not up to me to know how or when, it's my job to READY when the door opens.  It's my job to keep my heart pure towards God and His people.  My foot almost slipped, but there's something about the name JESUS!  My foot almost slipped, but there's something about His Word that gives me a peace and an assurance that my God shall supply all of my need, according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus!

Don't be moved by what you see, be moved by what you know.  You may see famine all around, need all around, crisis all around, BUT you KNOW that the God you serve is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that you can ask or think according to the power that worketh in YOU.  Activate your power today.  Put some feet to your faith, press play and LIVE!  Remember, Purpose don't cease because your circumstances change.  God is expecting you to change your circumstances to see your Purpose manifested! 

Even if your foot slips, don't lose your balance.  It's not perfection God is looking for, He's looking for a willing heart that seeks being perfected daily in His Word.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. Selah.....

Have a blessed and powerful Holiday.  This is the beginning, not the end!


The Purpose Coach
www.yolandapresley.com

Order my new book today:

New Book: AVERAGE, The Enemy of Purposewww.xlibris.com/AVERAGETheEnemy....html

 

A Quiet Place

This is the 2nd day of my 30 day journey and I'm de-cluttering and repositioning myself to hear God clearly.  The thoughts that can so easily overcrowd your mind and cause you to worry about things you can't change, will keep you bound by what-ifs and maybes.  Today I've decided to just
"Be Here".   Not concerned about tomorrow or next week or next month, but I just want to Be Here.  I'm taking advantage of this moment right now that God has allowed me to experience.  I'm enjoying this time alone with Him as I find out some things about "me" that I don't know, don't want to know and/or just don't want to confront.  You know, we all have those things that we run from, but today I'm running to them.  I'm ready to meet them face to face so I can really and truly enjoy a life of FREEDOM and PEACE.

There are times when we need to still away and get in a quiet place. No phones, no emails, no facebook or twitter, just some quality quiet time alone.  We run and run and run, always running after something, but never finding it. I've realized that I've been running after something for so long, I almost forgot what it was that I was running after.  At some point, we must stop running because many times we've passed our destination and didn't know it.  Many times we've passed the detour sign and didn't see it.  Many times we've run through road blocks because we saw it as the devil, when it was really God saying STOP! When we're serious about God's will, we'll see every "natural obstacle" as a "spiritual door" being opened that will lead us directly into His will. It may not be lining up according to your 3-5 year written plan or your strategic goals that you set, but that's why the bible says, His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.  See, many are the plans of a man's heart but it's the will of God that will prevail.  When you finally decide to STOP, God will GO.  He's not going to keep fighting you to bless you.  He's not going to keep bumping heads with you to give you what He wants you to have.  He's waiting on you to STOP and go into a quiet place so you can hear. 

Remember, for many of us this is HALF-TIME.  It's time to re-think some things, rearrange some things, revise some things, replant some things and redo some things.  But, it's also time to cut down some things, root-up some things, cast-down some things, cast-out some things and  renounce some things.  The "Quiet Place" is a place of rest, peace, serenity and calmness.  Leaving the rat-race of everyday life and the hectic, overwhelming place of frustration, making a conscious decision to breath in and exhale slowly..............no deadlines, no appointments, no needy people, no must-haves, gotta haves and need to haves.  Not allowing anyone, to make their urgency your emergency. Just resting in a Quiet Place.  It's amazing when you just sit still and listen to the wind blowing, birds chirping, dogs barking and cats meowing. There's nothing like a Quiet Place.

Rediscover "you" by spending time with "you".   I'm finally realizing that I'm not too bad. I'm a pretty cool young lady who loves life, but just haven't allowed myself to Live It!  Well, that time is now. It's good to finally just Be Here.............

A journey of self-discovery reveals all of the inner secrets of the heart, releases you from the pressure of measuring up and opens your heart to greater possibilities.  A Quiet Place...


The Purpose Coach

That's Your Problem.......

I get a real kick out of people who think they are so much better than you and you're not deep enough or "holy" enough for them.  If you joke, you're sinning, if you cut-up a little with your friends and just enjoy life, then you're not there yet.  Child please....... if the real truth be told, God is more displeased with your nasty, wanna-be attitude than He is with someone laughing and joking around.  Yes, there is a time and place for everything, but don't get it twisted, no one has to live up to your expectations.  Who in the heck do you think you are?  I don't care who you are or what your title is, nobody owes you anything and people don't have turn into a FAKE just because you're around.  If people can't be themselves in your presence then it's YOU with the problem, not them!

Listen, don't let anyone minimize your anointing, minimize your academic skills & knowledge or your gifts, talents and abilities, just because they think they can. There are too many masked men and women running around trying to succumb to who and what people want them to be. Why?  Is it because of their position, title or status?  Do they intimidate you?  Do they make you feel unworthy or not good enough?  If so, I want you to check your self-esteem today.  If you don't rise-up and be you and do you in spite of the opinions and thoughts of others, you'll spend the rest of your life trying to please someone who doesn't really care about you anyway.  Me myself, I'm so over it!

I'm so excited about my journey to live a PEACEFUL life.  I'm so excited about my self-reflecting, soul searching journey that's allowing me to spend time with God, focus on my family and God's divine purpose for my life.  There's no more stress to prove myself to anyone.  My response now is, OH WELL............If you don't know me by now, you'll never know me. That part of my life is called OVER! Now, that's your problem.

Don't run yourself into the ground, neglect your family and real friends for the CONDITIONAL love of those who only love you when you're doing something for them, buying something for them, baby-sitting their kids, giving them money and letting them borrow your car. Life is too short to waste on people who will never see you the way God sees you.  Life is too short to waste on people who will always see you less than because in all actuality they are intimidated by your success.  They are intimidated by your anointing, your gifts and what you bring to the table.  Your answer to all of that needs to be, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!

Love yourself, Be yourself and Be Comfortable with yourself!  Have a Powerful day.


The Purpose Coach
www.yolandapresley.com


If you're ready for CHANGE, order my newest book!

 AVERAGE, The Enemy of Purposewww.xlibris.com/AVERAGETheEnemy....html