During my morning prayer and devotions, I turned to Jonah in the Bible. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story. It’s where God called Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach repentance to the people. However, Jonah was scared and prideful because he felt the people were his enemy and was convinced that God would not carry out the promise to protect Jonah and destroy the city, Jonah fled. He boarded a ship that was traveling in the opposite direction of where God wanted him to go. As the story goes on, a great storm formed and Jonah was thrown into the raging seas and then swallowed by a great fish. He spent 3 days in the belly of the fish before God ordered the fish to spit Jonah out on the beach.

Scripture: Jonah 2:1-10

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. ² He said,

¹⁰ Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.

How many times have you ignored the call of the Lord on your life or during your circumstance? Whew…too many for me to count. However, despite our disobedience, God is always faithful to see us through to victory. I love the passage in verse 2 where it says “I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me“…WOW! that’s powerful. When we cry out to the Lord, HE HEARS US! If that doesn’t have you jumping for joy, you need to check your pulse.

What are you going through right now that you need an answer from the Lord? Cry out to Him. Tell Him your needs and then stand on the promises that He will supply ALL your needs. When we come into His presence with an open mind, an open heart, and believing that He will work on our behalf, we will find that He is faithful and will answer us. Lay your worries at the foot of the cross.

Let’s pray…

Father God, thank you for being so faithful. Thank you for being our protector and comforter. Thank you for answering and supplying all of our needs. You are an amazing God who is always present. You are the God of the universe, yet you care for my needs, my hurts, and my desires. I am honored to be called your daughter…your princess. Father, I ask that you cover all those who are reading this post. Touch them. Heal them. Show them that you are working on their behalf. Show yourself faithful to them. Restore marriages. Restore families. Give freedom to those who are bound by financial problems. Bless them abundantly. You are able my Lord. You are powerful. I thank you for the work you are doing within the Diva community. Increase our community, Lord. Thank you, Father, for your goodness and your grace. For we ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen!

If you prayed that prayer with me, please let me know in the comments section below. I want to continue to lift you up in prayer. I want to support you. I want to empower you to be the Princess God has called you to be. YOU were created by Excellence for Excellence!

Until next time Divas, be blessed!xoxoxo

Today, I’m reading from Zephaniah 3:14-20. Either read along with me or open your Bible and read from your translation. I’m sharing from the Living Bible translation.

Wow, Divas, did you read that? You see, in every walk of life there are disappointments, struggles, things taken unjustly, BUT God said that He will restore those things. He will help the weak and bring glory to those who have been mocked. He will remove judgment and deal severely with those who have oppressed you. He will restore your fortunes. You will be made whole again. If you’re not jumping up and down, you need to check your pulse girlfriend!!

Maybe you’ve gone through a traumatic divorce, like I did. Maybe you’re weary and disappointed about how your life has turned out. Maybe you’re needing restoration with a family member or your marriage. Maybe your struggling financially. Maybe you’ve lost your home due to foreclosure. Maybe you’ve lost your job due to layoffs. Maybe your children have turned away from God and you have been praying that they will seek Him again. It doesn’t matter what you’re going through, God has promised to return it back to you. He says, “be glad and rejoice with all your heart”. 

With ALL your heart, be glad and rejoice. With every ounce of you, rejoice…be glad. Your breakthrough is here! Your restoration is here! Your fortune is here! Woohoo, that’s great news! 

Let’s Pray….

Father God, thank you for your word. Thank you for your promises of restoration. Thank you for loving us so much that you desire to protect us. That you will remove judgment from us and severely deal with those who have oppressed us. Thank you for rejoicing over us with joyful songs. Father, I lift up every need to you that my Diva Sisters have. Father, restore the things that have been taken from them. Show them that they do not need to be afraid and that they can rest comfortably in your arms. Lord, show yourself to them in mighty ways so that you will be praised. Supernaturally make things happen in their lives that only you can do, so that everyone will know just how powerful and awesome you are. Father we come to you with gladness and rejoicing in our heart. We give ourselves to you. Use us, Lord, to your glory. For we ask these things, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

If you prayed that prayer, I encourage you to seek out goodness today. Look for signs and wonders of how powerful and mighty our God is. Live today with thanksgiving and praise. God is good…ALL the time!

Until next time, Divas…Be Blessed!

P.S. If this devotion spoke to you today, would you please do me three things? (1) Share it with others. As Christians, we are called to let our light shine, so by sharing this you are illuminating someone’s path. (2) Leave me a comment. This will encourage me and bring a super-duper smile to my face. (3) Join us on Facebook. We have two pages, one for DivaTalkRadio and one for all prayer warriors called Divas That Pray. I’d love to connect with you over there.

So, tomorrow is Thursday which means that I work out with my personal trainer. He has a program called The Grind wherein we do a 5 minute warm-up and then he puts me through a strenuous 20 minute program of walking, lunges, squats, jumping jacks, and some other things that makes my legs feel like rubber bands. We then do a 5 minute warm down. What I love about this trainer is, he does the workout with me. Love him!! After The Grind, I do a lower body circuit at the gym.

I can do this! I can do this! I can do this! (Sorry, I have to keep telling myself this!) Now that I’m feeling better, tomorrow I will start again and keep pressing through!

Oh, one more thing, THANK YOU for all your well wishes, “go girl go”, “you can do this”, “so proud of you”, messages. I’m so encouraged by you and will make you proud!

Love you bunches!

Up one little hill, down the one little hill…dogs in tow. Up the next little hill, down the next little hill…dogs saw a rabbit and took off (thanks guys, love the support!). By this time, I’m panting and my chest is hurting. Breathe…Kelli…Breathe. I started taking calculated breaths. In through the nose for 8 seconds, hold for 8 seconds, out through the mouth for 8 seconds. Checked stopwatch..2 minutes 32 seconds. That’s when it hit…leg cramps…ouch! What the heck! My calves were on fire. Seriously I thought they were going to fall off!

“I can do this! I gave birth to three kids! I’m an overcomer! I follow through! Oh how I hurt!” Looked down at the stopwatch…surely it’s been 5 minutes….please tell me it’s been 5 minutes. What, only 3 minutes 3 seconds? By this time, I’m down to a snail’s pace. The dogs find me and they’re happily sprinting next me. I think they even have smiles on their faces. But, hey…they have four legs. I could probably do this if I had four legs. Speaking of legs…I need crutches! Better yet, I’ll just call my husband to come pick me up in the car.

By this time I’m really talking to myself and loudly. It’s probably a good thing that we live on acreage because if the neighbors would have seen me, they probably would have thought I was a mental case. Well, I am at times but that’s besides the point!

Okay, just about 100 feet to the beginning point…I can do this! Looked down at the stopwatch and it had stopped…not sure when. I’m dragging myself back to where I started. This is pathetic! All I can focus on are my contracted calves. I tried to stretch them out but that only hurt worse. Ha, and to think I need to endure another 20 minutes of this crap…yeah, right! I went into the house, found some Biofreeze and loaded up the calves. Rested for about 30 minutes and decided that I was going to finish this task. Darn it…I can do this!

Put on my cute pink headphones and really cranked up the Disco music…maybe the music wasn’t loud enough before to drown out the calf pain! Jog for 60 seconds…sure, I can do this…it’s only 60 seconds. Made it! Now walk for 90 seconds…I can do this…it’s only 90 seconds. BAM! Leg cramps…ooo ouch! I’m not liking this too much, but I can do this! I made it through 20 minutes and what a feeling of accomplishment (and pain).

Later in the day, I met my son at the gym and walked another 20 minutes on the treadmill. See, I can do this! And I did!

Today (Day 2), I’ll be working with my Personal Trainer, Roshawn, and then back to the gym for an upper body circuit. I can do this! Watch for tomorrow’s post for updates.

Thank you for following me on this journey and for your support. I’m so encouraged by all the love and feedback!

P.S. Because I want to get the proper amount of sleep, I’ve been going to bed at 10:00 p.m. (early for me) and sleeping a good 7 hours. Except last night! Went to bed at 10:00 and was up at 2:30 a.m…up ever since. Please tell me that this is not a side effect of getting into shape. I love my sleep…oh how I love my sleep!

After the brisk walk, I was to alternate 90 seconds of walking and 60 seconds of jogging for 20 minutes. That totally kicked my butt! Twenty minutes seemed like a LONG time. I wanted to stop half way through but then I recalled the goals that I had set for myself, and I kept going. And, I DID IT! I was tired, I thought my chest was going to explode, I was sweaty, but I felt good…I accomplished my first day! Woohoo!!

Thank you for taking this journey with me. I so appreciate YOU!!

P.S. I’m not ready to show “before” pictures as of yet…but if I continue like this, I will see a difference and will most likely be confident enough to share the ever so dreaded pictures.

Here are my goals for wanting to do this:

1. Accomplishing something that’s bigger than me. Running a 5k race is huge to me.
2. Lose weight. Over the past 5 years I’ve put on so much weight that I’m ashamed of myself. I’m done…it’s coming off!
3. Become healthy again. I hate that I’m always out of breath. I hate that I’m always tired. I hate that my ankles swell. (yes, hate is a strong word, but it’s appropriate here because getting to the point of hating something is getting me to the point that I want to change).
4. Look good again. There was a time that I looked good. Of course my husband and kids will tell you that I’m beautiful…but I won’t tell you that I’m beautiful because I don’t feel that way. I want to feel beautiful again! I want to wear that cute little black dress and feel sexy. Yep, I said it…I want to feel sexy!
5. I want my kids to be proud of me and see that anything can be accomplished with the right mindset and determination.
6. I’ll be in Florida in July for my daughter’s nursing pinning ceremony and I’d like to go to the beach in a bathing suit. I didn’t say a bikini, but not an old ladies bathing suit either.
7. Honor my mom in running my first 5k for the Alzheimer’s Association in Nashville.

Wow, I wasn’t planning on getting “real” in this post, but if I’m truly going to do this, I need to be transparent. I hope that my journey will encourage you to tackle the obstacle in your life that is preventing you from moving forward with greatness. We were created by Excellence for excellence. It’s time that we stood up and accepted that challenge! Are you with me?

Over the next 10 weeks, I will be following a training program called From Couch Potato to 5k. I’ve got the first 5 weeks planned out on my whiteboard to keep me in check. It is also on my Google Calendar (which is synced to my phone) and on my written calendar. This way, I have no excuse to “forget”!

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I will be following the training program. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I will be following an upper & lower body circuit, plus working out with my Personal Trainer, Roshawn Pryor. I plan to journal my progress and hope that you will hold me accountable to make it to the end. My first day of training will be tomorrow, April 29th.

I’m ready to do this!

ME? Write a MEMOIR? I don’t KNOW the first thing about WRITING! What would I WRITE? Who would READ something about me? Why would ANYONE be interested?

Mary Anne Benedetto, our next guest on DivaTalkRadio, has the answers to these questions. She KNOWS everyone has SOMETHING to share.  Your loved ones will love reading about your feelings, your life, the funny things that happened to you as a child, the wisdom you’ve gained, and even sad times.

Mary Anne states on her website:  ”Have you ever considered that you’d like to write some of the significant memories from your lifetime to share with family members, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond?  Many people frequently think about it, but never take the time to tackle what seems to be an overwhelming project.”

Our memories will be very important to our children, our grandchildren, even our great-grand children, and our friends.

LEGACY OF MEMORIES

I wish I had told my story
Like my children asked me to.
While I could still remember
What they wanted me to do.

They were seeking our family history, 
Anything I’d be willing to share.
I always meant to get started on that project,
It wasn’t that I didn’t care.

I was just busy with so many other tasks, 
I had far too much on my mind
To zero in on my memories
For the loved ones I’d leave behind.

I could have told some humorous tales, 
Pertinent occurrences, things I had learned and more.
I’d have clued them in on stories they’d never have known
If I hadn’t provided the key to my special memories door.

But it’s too late for me now. 
My eyes are closed–there’s nothing more I can do,
Except to tell others–don’t take your stories to the grave!
Leave behind a remembrance of you.

by Mary Anne Benedetto March, 2011

You DO NOT want to miss this show. As always, Kelli brings the most amazing guests to DivaTalkRadio. Be sure to share this information with your friends so they can be inspired, empowered and encouraged, too. Here’s the information for the LIVE show:

When: Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live
Our Interactive Chat Room will be open during the LIVE show to take your questions and comments. Please join us!!

ABOUT MARY ANNE BENEDETTO:

Mary Anne is currently a speaker, blogger, Certified Lifewriting Instructor, ghostwriter and author of Eyelash, Never Say Perfect  (Christian fiction) and 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time! Her passions include helping people capture and preserve their memoirs, writing fiction, guiding pet owners in writing their treasured animal stories, world travel and walking the spectacular South Carolina beaches.

To purchase a copy of Mary Anne’s book, please check on the Amazon link below.

Most of the psalms are prayers, and most of the prayers include praise to God. Praise expresses admiration, appreciation, and thanks. Praise in the book of Psalms is often directed to God, and just as often the praise is shared with others. Considering all that God ha done and does for us, what could be more natural than outbursts of heartfelt praise?

As you read Psalms, note the praise given to God, not only for what He does (his creation, his blessing, his forgiveness), but also for who He is (loving, just, faithful, forgiving, patient). Note also those ties when the praise of God is shared with others, and how they too are encouraged to praise him.

Additionally, as you read the book of Psalms, you will hear believers crying out to God from the depths of despair, and you will hear them singing to Him in victorious celebration. Whether despairing or rejoicing, you will always hear them sharing honest feelings with God. Because of the honesty expressed by the psalmists, men and women throughout history have come to Psalms for comport during times of struggle and distress. They have also discovered the power of God’s everlasting love and forgiveness.

Statistics of the Book of Psalms:Purpose: An expression of praise, worship, and confession to God
Authors: David wrote 73 psalms; Asaph wrote 12; the sons of Korah wrote 9; Solomon wrote 2; Heman, Ethan, and Moses each wrote 1; and 51 are anonymous.
Date Written: Between the time of Moses (around 1440 B.C.) and the Babylonian captivity (586 B.C.)
Key Verse: “Let everything alive give praises to the Lord! You praise Him! Hallelujah!” – Pslams 150:6
Key Person: David
Key Place: God’s Holy Temple

In what way have you recently praised God or told others all that He has done for you? Please share in the comments section below.

P.S. I’d love for you to join me over at our Divas That Pray Facebook Page. http://facebook.com/DivasThatPray

Disclosure: Information above was obtained via Life Application Bible – The Living Bible

Our Featured Guest, Julie McGrath, is a licensed social worker and a strong advocate for women.  She sees women become empty shells of what they once were. Julie wants to empower women to live life with joy!

This is what Julie says from her website:

“As women, we too often give so much of ourselves to others- our precious time, our energy and we often forget to nurture ourselves until it’s too late. Feelings of anger, resentfulness and frustration set in.

Pretty soon we feel depleted and drained, and we stop listening to what WE want to do and end up living for other people. Does this sound familiar? Are you heading down this track, or are you at the station…burnt out, used up and completely unable to remember what you love to do and what makes you who you are?”

If this sounds like you, then I encourage you to take the time to restore your spirit and nourish your soul. 

You DO NOT want to miss this show. As always, Kelli brings the most amazing guests to DivaTalkRadio. Be sure to share this information with your friends so that they can be inspired, empowered and encouraged too. Here’s the information for the LIVE show:

When: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live
Our Interactive Chat Room will be open during the LIVE show to take your questions and comments. Please join us!!

ABOUT JULIE McGRATH:

A licensed social worker, Julie watched women disappear into parenting, relationships, work and lose their true selves and desires. The women around her were becoming empty shells of who they once were, full of guilt at the prospect of taking the precious time needed for themselves.  A strong advocate for women, Julie said enough!  In 2009, she created The Joy Source to encourage and empower women to rediscover themselves, find their joy and passion, and live it!

Meet Melinda Minton; a mother, a successful business woman, a world explorer, an author, a woman overflowing with laughter and a bi-lateral amputee.  Listen to her story of flu-like symptoms that was found to be Necrotizing Fasciitis, a Strep A germ that kills more often than not. Her journey that includes: “death”, a coma,  listening to the doctors tell her she would lose part of her lips, part of her tongue, and her legs, the painful rehabilitation, the fitting of prosthesis, learning to crawl and walk again. And, most importantly, Melinda LAUGHS! She is able to say with all confidence, “IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE!”

Melinda Minton, author of RAW, extreme living, states on her website: “It is interesting that many respond to my physical presence as if I were a live, vibrant, running around, laughing two-footed creature and I am. It is only when they hear of a “disability” that their perspective changes. I like to live as if this were my last moment so attacking the joy that life so willingly offers has always been my only option. My children have aptly pointed out that if I ever need to I can take my legs off and use them for something…to dig a trench, self defense, to plant a tree or to place the foundation for something else that I am building.”

You DO NOT want to miss this show. As always, Kelli brings the most amazing guests to DivaTalkRadio. Be sure to share this information with your friends so that they can be inspired, empowered and encouraged too. Here’s the information for the LIVE show:

When: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Where: http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live
Our Interactive Chat Room will be open during the LIVE show to take your questions and comments. Please join us!!

ABOUT MELINDA MINTON

Melinda Minton is a consultant, professional speaker, corporate coach and wellness expert.  Minton has consulted on spa management issues, product formulations, spa profitability and strategy among sundry other projects. Melinda has worked on hundreds of projects involving everything from spa start-ups to launching marketing programs for Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of 5 books to the health and wellness industry and recently published, RAW, Extreme Living which highlights her experiences living with tribes, leading groups through the Amazonian jungle and her brush with death. As a bi-lateral amputee since July of 2010 she skis, hikes and swims.

To purchase of copy of Melinda Minton’s book, please check on the Amazon link below.