EnSpired: Hey Beautiful, Hey Handsome – Can I take Your Picture?

Published on by Roshonda B4 Comments

photo above courtesy of triplepeasphotography.blogspot.com

Okay, so call me a little cheesy but this story or experiment, I should say – brought tears to my eyes but it usually don’t take much to make me cry; I cry when I see stories of military men and women being re-united with their families or the expression people have when they get a puppy as a gift……yes, there really is such a video; honestly….as Kevin Hart said “I can’t make it up” it was circulating around Facebook about 2 weeks ago, I clicked the video and about 2 minutes in, there went the water works…lol. I just love seeing good things happen for people, it does something to me – so, while I try to get some help for my water works problem – let me explain what’s going on in the two videos below.

A high school student by the name of Shea Glover conducted a social experiment at  school in where she convinced the teachers there to let her take pictures of random students as a project, her experiment which I called “Project Beautiful” involved her taking pictures of students; in which according to the video; some she knew and others she didn’t. Before Shay snapped their picture, she revealed to them that she wanted to take a picture of things she found beautiful and Oh My Gosh, the look on some of their faces were priceless. It really made me think about the power of our words and how a simple word such as “Beautiful” can have a major impact on someone’s life or their day; you can almost see the confidence these students gained when she said “I’m taking pictures of things I find beautiful”

I honestly thought the video was amazing, so amazing that someone in Eldorado, Arkansas decided to do the same experiment, this time it was the teachers whom got involved to take pictures of students. Before they snapped the picture, the teacher revealed to the student that they wanted to take a picture of someone whom made their day, someone whom made them want to come to school everyday, someone in whom they thought was important to them and again, there went my water works! each student was surprised and shocked to not only hear those encouraging words but the smiles that crossed their faces again, were priceless.

There’s a saying that says “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Both of the videos above goes to show that everyone involved will definitely remember what was said and how wonderful they felt, even for just that moment.

Oh, what a wonderful world it would be if everyone took out the time to let someone know just how special they truly are. Way to go Shay for starting such a “Beautiful” movement!!

 

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!

 

 

 

Monthly Series: An Attitude of Gratitude – Challenge #7

Published on by Roshonda B7 Comments

photo above courtesy of etsy.com

Happy Monday Inspiration! and welcome to the fourth and last week of our Monthly series – Attitude of Gratitude. I do hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!. Just in case you missed the November Vibes post, Every Monday and Wednesday for the month of November, I will be posting questions in regards to being grateful. I will answer these questions myself but my hope is that you will answer them too and leave those answers in the comment section.

Some questions may have us digging a little deeper within ourselves to answer them, but in the end – my hope is that you will feel more empowered and begin to see yourself and even your life differently and not just for the month of November – but for every month of the year. You can choose to start a journal if you want but this challenge as you may say, is not just about us writing things out and leaving it in a little book to store it away and go back to it when we’re reflecting on our life but the challenge is to show it!! so as an extra bonus after every question regarding yourself will be a question in which will relate to the world around you, it’ll be called “Our End of the Day Question” – you don’t have to write about it here, but it’ll be something that you’ll just ask yourself everyday at the end of your day. While writing out what we’re “grateful” for is half the battle, showing gratitude for and towards others is the KEY!

So, let’s do both – reflecting and showing….(by the way, the passage above will be in every challenge post to start off, however; a new question will be at the bottom of each post).

Today's Challenge Question is.... (3)

What is your TOP goal and why are you grateful for it (My response)

I would say that my TOP goal is to continue to go hard in exercise and stay healthy. Over the course of the last couple of months (late August), I’ve been on the “Girl, Get your Self Together” movement…lol. It was hard at first because as most of you know, when you go a long time without exercising – it’s a killer once you start back but if you keep at it, you’ll eventually begin to not only see results but improve your strength and overall thinking about your body and the things you put in it. We only get one body and therefore we have to treat it as our temple, not our trashcan.

I’ve also been doing/going to a group class called burn boot camp, trust me when you hear the word “boot camp” I know it makes you cringe because you know your body is going to be pushed to its limits. But I took the challenge and have been doing it thus far, faithfully everyday at 5:30am. It’s motivating to be around other people of all shapes and sizes, whom have the same goal as you “To Get Healthy.” It’s truly been a life changer for me and I absolutely love it. I realize that working out is a lifestyle change as I’m not doing it to fit into a certain garment or to attend a special event to show people or exes what they’ve missed but I’m doing it because I want to be healthy and I want to be able to have energy to do things with my two kids, so I do it strictly for me. I’m just grateful to be able to have the mind to want to get healthy and the will to actually do it.

Now It's Your Turn

– What is your TOP goal and why are you grateful for it; Comment Below –

Your End of the Day Question:

How many of your friends would you trust with my life?

 

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!

Monthly Series: An Attitude of Gratitude – Challenge #6

Published on by Roshonda B4 Comments

I’m grateful for Wednesday! and welcome you to the third week of our Monthly series – Attitude of Gratitude. Just in case you missed the November Vibes post, Every Monday and Wednesday for the month of November, I will be posting questions in regards to being grateful. I will answer these questions myself but my hope is that you will answer them too and leave those answers in the comment section.

Some questions may have us digging a little deeper within ourselves to answer them, but in the end – my hope is that you will feel more empowered and begin to see yourself and even your life differently and not just for the month of November – but for every month of the year. You can choose to start a journal if you want but this challenge as you may say, is not just about us writing things out and leaving it in a little book to store it away and go back to it when we’re reflecting on our life but the challenge is to show it!! so as an extra bonus after every question regarding yourself will be a question in which will relate to the world around you, it’ll be called “Our End of the Day Question” – you don’t have to write about it here, but it’ll be something that you’ll just ask yourself everyday at the end of your day. While writing out what we’re “grateful” for is half the battle, showing gratitude for and towards others is the KEY!

So, let’s do both – reflecting and showing….(by the way, the passage above will be in every challenge post to start off, however; a new question will be at the bottom of each post).

Today's Challenge Question is.... (4)What Activities Do You Most Enjoy Doing (My response)

You know when I started this question, I immediately thought; okay, this is a no brainer but to be honest I’m really thinking about it right now – what do I enjoy doing…lol. Well, for starters I absolutely love writing – it’s therapy for me; therapy in which I do not have to pay anyone for, I give it to myself when I pick up a pen or stroke the keyboard and my therapy session begins. Listed below are a couple of other things that I enjoy doing:

Exercising – (when I get into the habit of it, lol and right now I am so it’s all good)

Trying New Things – I love trying anything new (especially food) that comes out, my family knows this and when they see something “new” being advertised, I’m the first one they ask “Have you tried that?” and 9 out of 10 (mostly 10) I have!

Helping/Talking to People – especially people that I don’t know. I remember one time I was holding a conversation with someone and we were just laughing and talking – forget to this day about what, but a person beside me asked “Do you know them?” and I said No, just met them today.

There may be more things but for the most part this is it, I love having fun and I love (just thought of it) going to the movies and/or curling up and watching a good movie (when I’m not too tired, because I’m known to fall asleep on a movie in a minute…lol) my sister can tell you all about that. Gotta catch me in the daylight!!

Now It's Your Turn

– What activities do you most enjoy doing!; Comment Below –

Your End of the Day Question:

If you had to instill one piece of advice in a newborn baby’s mind, what advice would you give him/her or them?

 

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!

EnSpired: God’s Garage of Texas Is Fixing Cars For Free & A Good Cause

Published on by Roshonda BLeave a comment

photo above courtesy of bing

Every person that drives on a daily basis knows that when your car is down, so is everything else in your life and in most cases the cost to get it fixed can also be another downer especially, If you’re a woman like me and know very little about a car as it is; except when it needs an oil change – then like me you pray everyday that nothing major happens to it because if so, then that could lead to major problems; problems that you don’t need,  especially when the money is already tight!

Well, at God’s Garage located in Conroe, Texas they know all too well what that situation is like and therefore started a mission to help single mothers, widows and wives of deployed military veterans keep those cars up and running all “FREE OF CHARGE!”

Gods-Garage-2
God’s Garage – Conroe, Texas

Chris Williams, Pastor & Founder of God’s Garage works on the cars along with volunteers within the community whom donate their time to this inspiring effort. Chris and his team not only fix cars that are down but they also give cars away as well. According to NBC4i, the non-profit organization’s cars as well as money is donated by individuals and/or businesses. Cars that are donated that need little cost repair ($500 – $1000) of work, are repaired and given away.

And what does God’s Garage’s special customers have to say about it?

“I’m thrilled to be a recipient of one of their cars. They are the nicest people ever. I love it.” Jeanne McCowan

After becoming ill and losing her car due to not working, Jeanne will receive one of God’s Garage cars very soon.

“The women when they come to get the cars, you see the old guys, the tears start flowing and just the reactions to those ladies getting the car, that’s what keep you coming back,” Harvey Yaw (God’s Garage volunteer)

Just in case you seen the news today and thought “Is there anything good happening in the world?” Let this story prove that there really is, right there in Conroe, Texas.

Watch the inspiring video here:

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!

Monthly Series: An Attitude of Gratitude – Challenge #5

Published on by Roshonda B14 Comments

Happy Monday! and welcome to the third week of our Monthly series – Attitude of Gratitude. Just in case you missed the November Vibes post, Every Monday and Wednesday for the month of November, I will be posting questions in regards to being grateful. I will answer these questions myself but my hope is that you will answer them too and leave those answers in the comment section.

Some questions may have us digging a little deeper within ourselves to answer them, but in the end – my hope is that you will feel more empowered and begin to see yourself and even your life differently and not just for the month of November – but for every month of the year. You can choose to start a journal if you want but this challenge as you may say, is not just about us writing things out and leaving it in a little book to store it away and go back to it when we’re reflecting on our life but the challenge is to show it!! so as an extra bonus after every question regarding yourself will be a question in which will relate to the world around you, it’ll be called “Our End of the Day Question” – you don’t have to write about it here, but it’ll be something that you’ll just ask yourself everyday at the end of your day. While writing out what we’re “grateful” for is half the battle, showing gratitude for and towards others is the KEY!

So, let’s do both – reflecting and showing….(by the way, the passage above will be in every challenge post to start off, however; a new question will be at the bottom of each post).

Today's Challenge Question is.... (4)

Describe the last time your heart was overflowing with JOY! (My response)

Last year about this time, I had just gotten a new car – BUT! it was a frustrating experience prior to that point, while the beginning was frustrating and had me crying a many nights, the ending was so sweet and I knew that in the end GOD definitely DID IT! so here’s a short version of the story: I was living in a very nice place, probably one of the best places I’d ever lived in since being out on my own. The rooms were huge and there was enough room to move around without bumping into someone; however, those good times came to an end when I got a letter on the door stating that I had to move out, unfortunately the landlord didn’t take the money I paid him, to pay the mortgage on the place (this had been going on for quite some time without me knowing it) and the house was getting foreclosed on; I was devastated, hurt and wondering where in the world were me and my kids going to go?? In the process of moving, I got behind on my car payments although I did try to call and make arrangements but that went unnoticed; I woke up that Saturday morning to find my car gone, it had been repossessed and the kicker in all of that was – I was going to start a new job that following Monday!

How was I going to get to work?? Thank God for cool friends and a wonderful sister whom let me use her car for 2 weeks, putting her active family down to one car. I went everywhere trying to get a car and everyone denied me, I was so hurt and had reached my wits end until my mom mentioned a car dealership that I had not tried; thinking things were going to be the same verbatim conversation as the other dealers, I didn’t put much hope nor thought into the gentlemen that was asking me for the same exact information I had given everyone else. “I can get you a car,” he said….But that’s what everyone else had said too and to no avail, I had to get a ride back home. So as I waited impatiently on him to add up the numbers and submit the information, that feeling of defeat turned into a praise when I heard him come back and say, “Ma’am, YOU’RE APPROVED!!!!

Now It's Your Turn

– Describe the last time your heart was filled with Joy!; Comment Below –

Your End of the Day Question:

What resources do you have in your life right now, that you know someone else doesn’t have. You can’t save the whole world; but think of how you could help give at least one of those resources to someone in need. (food, warmth etc.)

 

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!