Author: Roshonda B

My name is Roshonda Blackmon and I have been known in life as “the encourager” God gave me that gift before I even realized what it was or what it truly meant, the only thing I knew is that a vast amount of people liked to come to me for advice and once that advice was received, I never heard from them anymore until they wanted more advice. That gifting soon became my ministry. I’ve been through quite a bit of challenges in life from dealing with suicide, low self-image which resulted in low self-esteem, to the difficulties of growing up in a one parent household and the list goes on and on. But God in all his Mercy and Grace blessed me to overcome those obstacles and situations and gave me a “second” chance by allowing me to live through all that darkness in order to help spread an encouraging light to others. In a world of uncertainty and negatism’s I want to encourage you to LIVE. Yes, Life does get hard sometimes, But if we keep looking up at the SON; we gain strength, we become empowered and we grow in the process with God’s help; for it doesn’t matter where you are in your life at this moment in time; God is able and will meet you within that dark place and change your life from Dark to Light, I’m not only a witness to this; but JustsumInspiration to show you, That you too can make it.

Holiday Family Survival 101

Published on December 14, 2017December 14, 2017 by Roshonda B4 Comments

photo above courtesy of bing

Okay, so Christmas is a little over a week away and I’m sure if you’re like me and millions of other people, you’re going to be getting your bags packed to travel to the parents and/or in-laws house and depending on your relationship with either – it could be a dreaded day of pretending to like the current situation but in your mind, you’re on some deserted island with a margarita, a TV and your feet up (or maybe that’s my wish..lol), but anyways wherever your mind is taking you, I know it’s far far far away from where you want to be.

And, I get it because all families aren’t created equal, however it’s the holidays and you have to deal with the shenanigans and get through it especially when you have nosy or “busy” I guess I should say, family members whom ask you the same ole questions every year such as “So when are you going to get married?” or “When are you going to settle down?” or how about this one “So what happened to your last relationship?” andddddd…..”When are you going to get a real job, why did you quit the last one?” “You know you’re getting older right, so when are you going to give me a grand-baby” and the list of questions go on and on and on and on and on and, well you get my drift.

So, while I can’t provide you a magic wand ….to make you disappear when that annoying uncle comes to you with another sob story of why he wants to borrow money, knowing good and well he’s not EVER going to pay you back…I provided a couple of tips that hopefully will help you sail through the day until you get back to your “normal” life.

1. Get Those Positive Vibes Cooking Before You Head Out!

You know the environments we encounter can really be changed, if we change our outlook on the environment. When you have what I call “stinking thinking” it causes everything around you to stink! Suddenly, instead of looking at the situation with a positive view, the only thing we allow ourselves to see is the negativity of everything and soon everything everyone does begins to get on your nerves and while the situation may not be the best one, we can only control our actions within it; for our actions are the only ones we have control over. If you change your outlook, you just may see things differently than what you’ve seen before.

2. Don’t Be Rude

Yes, I know you’re saying “That’s easier said than done” and while I truly understand; you have to understand that people will be people (family or not) and you have to take them with a grain of salt, It’s nothing wrong with speaking and holding a light conversation, if you have busy bodies for family members (as we all do) and if a conversation turns south or makes you feel uncomfortable, just let them know “Hey, you know what?, I’d rather not talk about that right now but what I do want to talk about is Aunt Rubies sweet potato pie, she put her foot in that pie” this way you’ve dodged them getting into your business and turned the conversation onto something else. Hey, they may be family but your life is your life and no one needs access to that unless you give them a ticket to sit in the front row of it.

3. Be A Team Player

Ever heard the saying “There’s no “I” in T.E.A.M” well that statement is very true, if your family is anything like mine, usually (it hasn’t always been) but it’s the time of year where people put old feelings to the back-burner for the day and everyone “pretends” to get along so well. Whether it’s just a show or not, take glory in the fact that for one day your family is actually deciding to get along. Join in on the conversations, games, laughs or whatever is going on – don’t just sit on the couch with your mouth poked out looking at people as if to say “If you say one word to me, I’m going to go off” Remember, someone out there wishes they had a family and our minor situations could always be worse off than what it really is. Enjoy your family for this special time, because we never know whom will or won’t be with us the following year. Life is short, enjoy the small moments even if they are only for a second….

4. Shift your Focus

It’s so easy to recognize the faults in people, we can pick those characteristics out like popcorn but when it comes to seeing a positive attribute, we struggle because in our minds we only want to see the worse. Each of our family members, including us are not perfect – someone may have said something to you that really scarred you, so much so until you don’t think you can forgive them. We’ve all suffered “family scars and hurt” unfortunately it’s more common than need be. My family is dysfunctional, they all have issues and I’ve had times in which I’ve said “They’re Crazy, I ain’t got time for that” and have distanced myself from them and while that little grudge lasted a little while, if they were to call me now, I would talk to them as if nothing happened. Every one of us have a little crazy in us, but someone still puts up with us regardless; someone took a chance on us, knowing we weren’t lovable or easy to get along with. Your family members may not be perfect but each of them have a special quality about them, choose to find and see that quality in them, instead of the worse side of them.

This will personally be my last blog post until January 2018. I pray your holiday season is filled with love, joy, happiness and PEACE! Spend time with your family, you never know how special they are until you lose them.

Wishing you and yours a Very Merry Christmas & a Very Happy, Prosperous New Year!

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud, Inspire More & Love Harder!

Artist Lookout: HOSANNA! – Blessed Be The Rock…

Published on December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 by Roshonda B7 Comments

If you haven’t heard of Hosanna Jones a.k.a hosanna1light then I have to ask, “Where Have you Been? This lyrical, heartfelt christian rapper is not like any other, Yesssss…I know you may be thinking “What Makes Him So Different?” Well, I’ll just let his music tantalize your ears later in the post plus I’ve been following Hosanna for about a year now and I can tell you, he really does practice what he “rhymes” about. He’s an encourager and motivator whom takes pride in his craft as well as being a family man to his son and wife.

Growing up, Hosanna knew of Christ; but when you have a parent whom let you do what you want to do, having a relationship with God suddenly gets pushed to the back burner. Hosanna didn’t know much about God and therefore found himself getting further and further away from his voice.

I told God, “I know who Jesus is, I understand the word a little bit but it doesn’t make sense to me. Hosanna

One day, while hanging out with some friends all of whom were doing spiritual practices but not necessarily the Christ way, Hosanna whom really never experienced what love truly was – felt like their way was right and began to question God concerning his involvement with them and if the way they were going was the way God wanted him to go. Hosanna asked God, if the practice was wrong to let him know and to do whatever it is he had to do to him to get him out of it, just don’t kill him.

I wanted to change for the better; I knew that I wanted to change. Hosanna

While Hosanna has had many downs as well as set backs towards his journey in Christ, the one thing that remained constant, was his music.

The music Hosanna raps about are lyrics of the heart that springs up from his soul, every verse is wrapped in love and spoken with conviction about his own life and of a father whom saved him from the very hands of the enemy, now he spreads that love and light to others so that they may also come to know God in a special way.

Once Hosanna grabbed onto changing “God’s Way” that’s when his music no longer became just a beat to make people bob their heads but a beat followed by life changing lyrics of life and struggle, finding God, falling in love with life and mending broken relationships, powerful lyrics that will hopefully change a life for the better, just as God did for his.

You can check out Hosanna’s new video music “Say Whatchu Wanna Say” above!

For more information about Hosanna, Upcoming Music or Inspiration, you can follow him on one or all of the social media outlets below:

Facebook – Hosanna Jones

Instagram – @hosanna1light

YouTube – Hosanna Light

What do you think of the video? Leave your comments below.

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud, Inspire More & Love Harder!

8 Free Gifts You Can Give To Anyone, Anytime of the Year.

Published on December 12, 2017December 6, 2017 by Roshonda B4 Comments

As the Christmas season heavily gets underway, and while we all rush to get that awesome gift for the special people in our lives, I wanted to share a few gifts that we all should remember to give each day of the year. These gifts are all free and won’t cost you a dime out of pocket. The only thing these gifts require is a heart.

So, just in case you don’t have the money to spread a lot of Christmas cheer. I’m sure these next 8 gifts will fit the bill for their cost is far more precious than anything you can buy out of a store, as a matter of fact their all PRICELESS!

Check below and see which one you would like to give to someone this month, next month or years to come for all of these gifts can be used every single day.

#1. THE GIFT OF LISTENING:
But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response, just listening.

#2. THE GIFT OF AFFECTION:
Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family,friends, spouses or etc.

#3. THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER . . .
Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, “I love to laugh with you.” Laughter is the best medicine, it heals in ways you can only imagine.

#4. THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE:
It can be a simple “Thanks for the help” note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life. While buying a card is nice, actually making one or writing a note is better. It let’s the person know that you actually took out time to care.

#5. THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT: A simple and sincere, “You look great in red,” “You did a super job” or “That was a wonderful meal” can make someone’s day. The smallest of words hold the most value.

#6. THE GIFT OF A FAVOR:
Every day, go out of your way to do something kind for someone else outside of yourself.

#7. THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE:
There are times when we want nothing better, than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.

#8. THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION:
The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone, really it’s not that hard to say, Hello or Thank You or How are you doing today?, sometimes people just need a smile or happy face to let them know, it’s going to be okay.

Well that’s it, sometimes the smallest things/gestures are the ones that are never forgotten, people will lose a gift or even forget what was given to them but making someone’s day; is a feeling that will last a lifetime……Because (see below)

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud, Inspire More & Love Harder!

Sunday’s Thought: The Plan Pusher

Published on December 10, 2017December 6, 2017 by Roshonda B3 Comments

photo above courtesy of bing

As I was lying in my bed early Tuesday morning – I began to talk to God about a couple of things. As I laid there, my mind went to the many things that I’ve come up with in regards to the plans that I have for my life. I mean we all have plans, dreams and things that we would like to accomplish but what if those plans don’t align with the plans that God has for us. Most times in my life, when it’s come to the small details concerning my present and future – I’d draw my own blueprint for how I want my life to be orchestrated, not one time consulting God about his thoughts towards my “so-called” ideas.

man pushing rock — *How many of “your” plans do you push off on God.*

I recently experienced a situation in which my blueprints were all mapped out and I was all geared up into moving forward to start the building process, but no matter which way I tried to go with making those blueprints work; it just didn’t seem to come together in the way “I” wanted them. I mean, I erased and re-wrote them every which way – still, nothing made sense and every mark made seemed to take me right back to square one. As I laid in bed contemplating, it was then that it fell in my spirit “We have to be careful about pushing our plans onto God” – It was obvious the blueprint that I had so diligently put together wasn’t working because it wasn’t what God had intended for me to do or have.

No matter what plans we may have for our lives, we have to realize that in the end – God has the last say and if it’s not apart of his will, then it will not be apart of your life unless you PUSH it to be, in which in that case whatever misfortune you experience from that PUSH, will be on you – not him. The bible says “The blessings of God maketh rich and add no sorrow.” Prov 10:22. We have to have faith and trust the blueprints that God has already drawn out for us, we have to believe God and know that whatever HIS PLANS are, they’ll work out for our good and best interest in the end. Gods plans won’t keep us up at night wondering how we’re going to pay for it and his decisions for our lives will not make us worse off but better in the end.

So, put your blueprints or any orchestrated things you have for your life aside and ask God to give you the blueprints/plans he has for your life. You’ll be very surprised about the layout because FATHER DEFINITELY KNOWS BEST!

Prayer:

Lord, bless me to pay attention so that I’m not pushing my plans and/or blueprints for my life onto yours and forgive me, if I’ve not stayed still long enough to hear the plans you have for my life. I’m listening now God, It’s your will – not my wants.

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Let’s Live Well, Laugh Loud, Inspire More & Love Harder!

How To Get Through Loss During The Holidays…

Published on December 7, 2017December 6, 2017 by Roshonda B8 Comments

photo credit above courtesy of bing

I used to feel really sad for people whom went through the holidays without a loved one or someone to spend the holidays with because let’s face it, who really wants to be alone when the holidays roll around – no one. (I don’t care what they say..) but I always said a special prayer for people who lost a loved one, whether husband, wife, child, friend, pet – it didn’t matter, I prayed for them. At the time I had no clue as to what they were actually feeling but I tried to place my feet in their shoes for just a moment to imagine the pain they must’ve been feeling, although I never had….at least until last year.

I mentioned briefly in this past Sunday’s Thought message of the difficult circumstances concerning my mom and what happened. I lost her five days after Thanksgiving and we funeralized her the first week of December, so needless to say Christmas went straight down the drain last year, it was also the first time since starting this blog that I didn’t write anything that whole month. Once January 2017 rolled in, I knew that it would be a really tough year – the only thing I kept thinking as each day and month passed by was the fact that “This time last year, mama was here.” which honestly has played in mind up until recently, when I could actually say, “This time last year, mama wasn’t here” – When January 2018 comes in, that will pretty much be a fresh start for me, the beginning of truly leaving the year behind and all the pain it held in it. It’ll also be a year in which, I can finally let mama go and begin to move forward and live my life as she would have wanted me too.

While the holidays bring their own type of vibe and it may be a little hard to celebrate the season because you’ve suffered a loss, rest assured that even though your special loved one isn’t here, doesn’t mean that you have to exclude them or yourself from still having a special holiday. Listed below are a couple of tips that I’ve learned and have done since loosing my mom and maybe they’ll help you or even a friend whom may be experiencing the “blues” this season due to a special loss.

1. Talk About It, Get It Out of Your System…

Keeping my feelings to myself in regards to my mom dying suddenly would have been a train wreck had I not had a good support group. If you don’t have one, then talk to someone in whom you trust such as a pastor, good neighbor, co-worker or counselor. Trust me, keeping your emotions locked up only breeds fire – you have to get it out, so you can begin the process of moving forward and having a peace of mind in regards to the loss.

2. Keep the Traditions Alive!

My mom was a game player, she loved coming up with unique games in which people could win prizes. Now, don’t get me wrong; my mom didn’t make a lot of money, in fact she only received a disability check once a month but you wouldn’t have known that with the gifts she gave out. Every year for Christmas we pulled names as a family to exchange gifts and mama would invite people over for a unique Christmas game (I never knew how she could come up with such thoughtful games) afterwards, she would award the winner and the losers as well with some amazing gifts. She always made people feel good, no matter where she went and she always had some little trinket to give them, to make their day a little brighter. It’s good to keep memories/traditions alive when you lose a loved one, we’re so quick to want to forget everything once their gone, but we have to realize when we keep their memory open, their spirit will always be alive.

3. Time really does HEAL…

I can and will say that it will take time for you to heal, and you do that as often and as much as you need to, don’t let anyone define to you when you need to let go or stop crying…you do what you need to do to deal with your loss. Remember all the good times because those are the memories that are going to get you thru your toughest days and with the holidays now here, this time of year makes those tough days harder. Remember, healing also occurs when you surround yourself with positive, caring people. I’m still healing every single day.

4. Get Involved In Activities…

There’s a scripture in the bible that says, “An idle mind is the devils workshop” and boy that scripture couldn’t be further from the truth, the enemy works and toils with our emotions and when we’re down, feeling blue or even sad – he pounces on those emotions, his goal is to take you deeper into a “blue” place, so deep until it’s hard for your to come up to breathe. Find something that you like doing that will help take your mind off of your current situation, focusing on other things does not mean that you’re forgetting about your loved one. It’s just you letting your brain and body know that you have to keep them sharp and moving forward. You’ll have your moments and that’s totally okay, but when that moment is happening every day? It’s time to get up and find a hobby or get involved in a charity….maybe even one your loved one preferred. Just don’t sit and let yourself go because at the end of the day, “Would your loved one really want you to do that?”

5. Signs and Wonders…

I was in the break room at work a little shy over a month ago eating lunch, I always sit at the table in which has a window by it, once you sit down at it; the only thing you can see are the clouds. Suddenly, I thought to myself – “I wonder if my mom know how much, I loved her?” and no joke, it seemed like as soon as I said that my head immediately turned to look at the sky and I promise you – there was a heart shaped cloud there. I was sooooo amazed that I hurried and tried to get my camera up on my phone but when I looked back up, it had faded away. I know that sounds crazy, but I wanted to share that to let you know that even though our loved ones may be gone from this side, their on the other side watching over us and if you look around closely, you just may see little signs of them still wondering around, letting you know that they’re okay. So, be encouraged!

I hope this post was a little help and offer some comfort as you go on through Christmas and the rest of this month. God bless you and know that I am praying for you and while you’re on your knees, please say a little prayer for me too.