Every now and then life throws you a curve ball. You have a choice to hit a home run or foul out. Hitting the home run is not always an east feat.

The ball may come too fast you don't see it or it may come so slow that when you hit it is an automatic out. Then there comes the moment when you hit the ball and you start running to homeplate.

Before you reach that pinnacle of joy, you must first get past the hurdles. First base is where you find out if you have what it takes to really get around the bend. Second base is your challenge of waiting for the end to come near. The third base is where you see the way to go and home...well home is the place of sheer joy.

Change is seldom easy and very challenging. The challenge lies in how you handle the change that is thrown your way. How do you take the moments handed to you during the change? How do you deal with the dust that flies in your face? How do you focus as the challenge comes your way?

God never intended for life to stop when the ball comes our way. It is His not intention to allow a challenge in our lives so that we cower in corner and give up. We don't serve a God that gives up, so why would He want His children to give up.

God's desire is for you to embrace the change. Take it, work through it, work with it, and live your best life in spite of and because of.

Sister...EMBRACE YOUR CHANGE!

In Other Words Tuesday: Promised Land

"God has delivered us, He has parted waters for us, He has made water gush forth from rocks and sent us our own manna from heaven. He has brought us into our own Promised Land. Will I miss the opportunity to tell the story to our children?"

~ Ann Voskamp, Holy Experience ~

When I read the quote this week, a poem I wrote back in 2001 instantly came to mind. So here is my take on this week's IWO. This it the story I share with my children each and everyday. It tells about the witness of my life and how god God is at all times.

It has come to this point.
He has called me to move on;
leave my Jordan;
go after my blessed inheritance:
Receive my Promised Land.

There is a cost that I must pay,
a consecrated life;
a more sanctified way.
What I lose on this path is nothing
compared to what will be gained
as I give up those worldly ways.

I may cry a tear or two:
Oh, but what a joy to see my wilderness journey
left over there next to the Jordan.

Some may not understand the calling:
The purpose of my Promised Land.
That’s okay:
My victory is in His hands.
All I have to do is believe,
and cross over the impossible;
knowing that it is God who leads the way.

As I give God wants His:
All the glory!
All the honor!
All the praise!
His people will be edified;
and His Mighty Name glorified,
as I let Him lead me through
beyond the Jordan.




©Copyright 2001-2006 LaTara V Ham-Ying

I Forgot Fun Friday....Oh Poo!

I love putting up the quizzes on Fridays so that my visitors can just sit back and have a little fun. I realized today that I forgottp put the quiz up this past week.

So now I feel like something is missing, but I will make it up this Friday. Afterall it is Black Friday - a term I loathe - and many of you will be out shopping. When you come home you will need a breather, so be sure to stop by.

I think I just may add a little more for Fun Friday!

Praise Series: What I am Thankful For

I was asked on a site that I belong to what I was thankful for. I wanted to share my thought here on my blog.

I am thankful for God's grace and mercy in my life. So underserved and yet He still follows me with those awesome Twins everyday.

I am thankful for my husband who challenges me to grow beyond and reach for everything that God has for me so that others are blessed!

I am thankful for my chidren because they are good kids with a true love for God and mommie.

I am thankful for the doors that have opened as I pull my new business together.

I am just thankful to be alive!

So many people wait for this time of the year to be so thankful for all they have. I love Thanksgiving and all it entails. I love the time with family, cooking satisfying and sometimes very fattening meals, watching my fmaily enjoy the day, playing chess with my oldest son, and just being with folks I love.

The funny thing about my home is that this is something we do on a daily basis and it doed not take one day out of the year for us to just say thanks.

This is a spirit that should be in us all year around.

Just say Thanks! He is so worthy of it!

I Decided on a New Business

Well I have decided on a new business focus. It did not take long to decide either. I knew that what I was not doing was not profitable neither was it what I was supposed to be doing. I did it because there were people asking me to do it.

Well this time I took a different approach to it. I prayed, talked to business coaches, listened, allowed my husband to have a say, prayed with him, and waited for the Holy Spirit to move me.

So this time it is different and I am so excited about that.

My new business focus is in a field I am passionate and very knowledgeable about. I am working on a new business that I am calling "Vegan Family Living". This business will target families who are vegan or are looking to go vegan. It will also have great tips for the health conscious family.

I am so geeked about this new journey. I will have not only the website, but a podcast, and blog as well. A Membership site will follow.

It is my goal for the business to turn a profit in the next year. One way that I am working on this is by being a member or Mom Masterminds. MM is a community of serious business minded mothers looking to create a focused business for themselves. It offers great resources, tools, and support. The women are honest, creative, ingenious, and downright intelligent.

I am in love with being a Mom Mastermind Member.

They do offer a free 7 Day Trial, but I promise you will want to stay once you join. The monthly membership fee is well worth it when you think about the fact that after a year, you get a lifetime membership and will not have to pay another dime for the life of your membership.

You can find out more about Mom Mastermind by visiting the Mom Masterminds Main Page. For member success stories go to the Mom Mastermind's Success Stories.

My prayer is that every woman finds her place in God's Kingdom Building Process know matter what it is.

Fun Fridays

How You Life Your Life

You have a good sense of self control and hate to show weakness. You say whatever is on your mind. Other people's reactions don't phase you. You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly. You tend to always dream of things within reach - and you usually get them.

How Do You Live Your Life?

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You Communicate With Your Ears

You love conversations, both as a listener and a talker. What people say is important to you, and you're often most affected by words, not actions. You love to hear complements from others. And when you're upset, you often talk to yourself. Music is very important to you. It's difficult to find you without your iPod.

How Do You Communicate?

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This one is So ME!!!

You Are An INFJ

The Protector You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity. Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is. You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience. You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them. You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

What's Your Personality Type?

Praise Series: I Closed My Business

Your eyes are not deceiving you. I closed my business yesterday and it was one of the most liberating experiences of my life. As I shut down each page on my site I was led to leave the home page up and write the following message.

Thank you for stopping by my site. At this time I am following the Word and seeking God for direction in my life. I enjoyed serving women as they strived to build profitable businesses in Christ, however, I was not productive in my own ventures. The focus, or lack there of business is not what God had for me. So let me leave you with one last message of hope:

Obedience is better than sacrfice. If you find yourself in a business rut and you can't seem to get out of it, take a moment to hear what God is saying to you. Don't keep moving ahead in a stagnated position because the you are truly not moving ahead. Obey and heed God in your every endeavor.

Let me end this post by saying take the message above and pray about the message it has for your own life. We all have areas where we are not in absolute obedience to God, but guess what we can bring those under subjection to Christ. We are able to come into ourselves when we fall in line with God's will for our lives.

Be Blessed!

I Found a New Study

Well every now and then I will post a great study for women or some resource for proactive change in the lives of women.

Today I want to suggest "What's the Shape of Your Faith". I ran across this site while perusing the sites of those who comment here on the blog. While I don't actively participate I was in awe of this resource because I am all about change and this one will guide you toward a life of change.

There is a lot there to glean and learn and I go often to read. So click on the link above and have a great time.

Fun Friday

What Your Bathroom Habits Say About You

You are a very considerate person, but that doesn't mean you let people walk all over you. Your look is put together, classic, and stylish. You always look fashionable without trying. You are a little shy and easily embarrassed. You often wonder if you are normal. In relationships, you tend to be very romantic and demanding. You'll treat your partner like gold, but you expect a lot in return.

What Do Your Bathroom Habits Say About You?

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You Are a Purple Flower

A purple flower tends to represent success, grace, and elegance. At times, you are faithful like a violet. And other times, you represent luxury, like a wisteria. And more than you wish, you find yourself heartbroken like a lilac.

What Color Flower Are You?

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Your Personality Profile

You are pure, moral, and adaptable. You tend to blend into your surroundings. Shy on the outside, you're outspoken to your friends. You believe that you live a virtuous life... And you tend to judge others with a harsh eye. As a result, people tend to crave your approval.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Praise Series : Taking Some Time for Me

Well, I just have to give God the Praise. On Sunday I was on the internet and it suddenly went out. That meant that the phone and cable were out as well. Not good for a person who works online.

I thought that maybe I had missed a payment and waited anxiously for Monday so that I could call my provider.

I was distraught and upset at first because I am just really getting myself refocused on business and it has not been an easy road because I had so much streamlining to do. I was just getting into the real groove of it all.

Well before I made the call, I received a peace that I needed to take those days and focus on some things I had been neglecting, like myself. So instead of being upset, I just gave God the praise and went on about my week. I took the time to do my hair, take my kids to the library, cook some collard greens, and plan for homeschool through the end of the year. I also started back on the names of God study I have been doing with my 14 year old.

It was a blessed 4 days.

I had also found out that it was some sort of tech issue that they could not get to until Friday. My first thought was to call everyday and see if anyone could come, but the peace just stayed with me.

My husband know how to do this sort of work as an Electrical contractor, but he gets home so late he forgets. Well tonight he didn't and he found out that someone had been stealing our cable power. Now you know a sista was hot, but I just calmly called my provider to make them aware of the fact that the box had no lock and that someone was stealing our cable.

I am just grateful it was not too bad of an issue and my husband made sure to take care of the cable from the thief with a hammer, so they can't steal anyone's else's cable.

God is good, because I saw so much that needed to be done it my walk. I gotta go take care of LaTara for a while and let God love me like He wants to.

Praise God through it all and look for the blessings and miracles even in the midst of the mess.