Greta’s Sensuous Talks™

Pleasure is Your Birthright!© - Part II

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:25:00 +0000

Pleasure is my birthright. This is a powerful affirmation, especially against the backdrop of theologies that focus on pain and suffering. I have long been told and I am of the mindset that if a captor has a captive’s mind, they have absolute power over the captive.

To claim pleasure as your birthright is to confront the status quo and business as usual. It is to stop casting blame and to accept responsibility. It is to put in action those things you want to do and it is to put forth effort to make your dreams come true.

It is to live worry free, without shame, guilt and anger. It is to not be paralyzed and not stay stagnant unless you choose to do so. That brings me to Greta's question, "What is a wife responsibility in creating pleasure with her husband?"

I believe that it is the wife’s responsibility to share in creating a loving, welcoming fruitful environment for growth and pleasure. She owes it to herself, her husband and her children to be happy and receive pleasure. She owes it to herself, husband and children to be healthy and fulfilled. If Mama "ain't" happy nobody's happy. That’s true for the husband as well.

Thus, it is the wife’s responsibility to be real with her husband. She should share her passions and desires and invite her husband to participate and share in them. She owes it to herself to be open and honest with her husband. It was such a relief when I found out that wives actually like sex. It was helpful when we attended our first Tantric seminar to hear Pala tell other women that “Good girls enjoy sex and that you were not a “bad” girl because you enjoyed this connection with your husband.” It was further encouraging, revealing and uplifting to hear Pala tell other woman that they were responsible for their own sexual pleasure and happiness. A burden was lifted off of my loins. I no longer felt that I had to be super stud.

A wife needs to be free to tell her husband what she wants, likes and want to try. As she opens up herself, the husband must be receptive. He must be willing to listen, speak and act in love and respect. In marriage, the sexual connection is “one” of the most powerful communication vehicles between husband and wife. It is an emotional, mental, spiritual and physical connection that should be honored and cherished. When shared in love, it can be nurturing, relaxing and exciting. It is to be seen as a joy and a privilege and not as a dreaded task.

In looking at sex in a Tantric point of view, lovemaking is a time for husband and wife to share in a life giving and co-creating activity. As one prepares for special events in one’s week, so should a husband and wife prepare for love-making. One should prepare for lovemaking, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Uninterrupted time should be set aside. No phone calls, faxes, texts, e-mails or any other distraction should be allowed during these sacred moments. This time should be set aside for mental, emotional, spiritual and physical pleasure. It is set aside for physical exploration and mutual enjoyment. It is a shared privilege and a shared responsibility. It is one of the many benefits of being married. It is the wife’s responsibility to participate and facilitate this sacred meeting.

Marriage is a partnership and so it behooves husband and wife to know their own and their spouse's needs. The strongest needs are emotional as Greta has pointed them out. Understanding one’s own and their spouse’s needs will open the door for a husband and wife to give and receive bountiful pleasure. A mutual desire to meet the needs of one’s spouse will help them both to honor and live out their marriage vows.

Taking responsibility for one's own happiness relieves the other of the burden of trying to make someone happy. A husband cannot make a wife happy. She has to take responsibility for her own happiness. Conversely, a husband has to be responsible for his own happiness. Together they have the responsibility of articulating their needs to each other and devising a plan to mutually meet those needs.

A husband and wife should respect and care for each other and want the other part of them self to achieve their goals and reach their fullest potential. They should be willing to work alongside the other and do what's necessary to help the other without anger, a sense of loss or subservience.

True love and partnership will require sacrifice from time to time. However in pursuing pleasure, a husband and wife can live in gratitude, grateful for each other and grateful for their love. They can be self-actualized and in doing so create an environment of mutual acceptance and respect. These are key attributes to pleasure and happiness. Most of these activities occur outside of the bedroom, however when partners know that their spouse has their back, it makes pleasure in the bedroom, much easier to share. They will have experienced and received pleasure, thus it is easier for them to give it. A major component of “Making love” is having the mindset to love. It is reciprocal; it is given and received.

Early on in our relationship, Greta and I began a competition of Love. We sought to prove who could demonstrate love the best. Thus we would surprise each other with various expressions of Love from note cards to flowers to phone calls, e-mails, texts and all sorts of small gifts which demonstrated our love and proved that we did not take each other for granted. These expressions continue to bring excitement, anticipation and pleasure to us both. They demonstrate care and nurture and meet several emotional needs and are precursors to love making. I would argue that they are in themselves acts of love.

The key to giving and receiving pleasure between a husband and wife is open and honest communication. To create a successful marriage, active participation is required from both the husband and wife. They must pray together, love together, work together, play together and thus live life together. As most marriage vows proclaim…... “Two become One.” When a husband and wife become One, all of life ebbs and flow are shared and celebrated. This makes pleasure and love.

A husband and wife must tell each other what they want. Together they must proclaim and agree that truly, “Pleasure is their mutual birthright!”

It is a lot of fun to journey through life with the one you love. You can make it an adventure rather than a chore. Greta and I have claimed it. I pray that you and your spouse will too. Pleasure is your birthright!

Yours truly

Rev. Dr. Gary A.

Pleasure is Your Birthright!©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:44:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!!!

Things have been popping since I last talked to you. I can barely keep up. Opportunities to take Sensuous Seminars, L.L.C. to the next level are coming at us left and right. Thank you to those who continue to encourage us and see the need for our services to be shared with the world.

I completed my 2nd interview with Allana Pratt on Friday, October 2nd and I can say that it is hot! Allana was intent on talking about Pleasure being our birthright, so I gave her a few pointers in creating in marriage that is Sensuous, Sexy, Powerful and Whole. You can listen to this discussion at:

http://www.sexysoulfulandrich.com/10wk110/

For starters, we talked about the five (5) emotional needs of a husband and wife based on Dr. William Harley’s book, HIS NEEDS/HER NEEDS. Just in case you are not aware, they are as follows:

Women top (5) Emotional Needs:
Affection
Conversation
Honesty and openness
Financial support
Family commitment

Men (5) Emotional Needs:
Sexual fulfillment
Recreational companionship
An attractive spouse
Domestic Support
Admiration

One of the things we discussed was how the sexual connection is an emotional need for a husband and how this is comparable to the need for affection for a wife. I know what you are thinking…. I was somewhat confused and skeptical about this emotional need when I first heard it. However, I can say without a shadow of a doubt, the more you connect with your husband, the more closer you will become and the communication barriers that are between you will come down. Also, if I can be bold, if you are using this connection to manipulate your husband or connecting when you do not feel like it, you are selling yourself short. Your body is too sacred to be used this way. Do not disrespect yourself and your marriage this way…you will be left feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. As a Sensuous Woman, you deserve to be happy!

The bottom line…sex is an emotional need for your husband and an emotional need for a wife. We both want this connection…it just depend on how it is approached. The way a husband and wife view sex and its place in marriage need to be changed.

Speaking from a Tantric perspective, a husband and wife must be able to acknowledge the sacredness of sex and come to the understanding that the sexual connection is a spiritual connection that has the power to transform your love for each other. This simply means making space for your lover and helpmate to be them-selves and not trying to change them or make them into something that they are not. I am a firm believer that you cannot put a round peg in a square hole. It will not fit!

Sometimes in marriage, we hold ourselves hostage because we want our husband or wife to perform a certain way and if they do not behave the way that we want, we punish them by withholding our love on in this case, our sex.

The other thing that I thought was interesting was Allana’s discussion on the wife’s right to be sexually fulfilled. So many times we tolerate the sexual connection with our husband and over time may look at this connection as a chore. After all, we are all busy women and by the time we get to this love connection with our husband, we are all dead tired. In this instance, sex becomes a wifely duty, an obligation.

Believe me, I can relate. I felt that way for years! The sexual connection with my husband was on the bottom of my “to do” list. It was not a priority. However, the truth of the matter is that your husband cannot achieve sexual fulfillment unless you are sexually fulfilled. A wife does her husband no favors by sacrificing her body to his sexual advances. He can only feel sexually satisfied only when she joins him in the experience of lovemaking.

As women, we are often trained to believe that pleasure is bad. If we had thoughts of enjoying the sexual connection, then we were somehow labeled as a slut, whore or one that was promiscuous. The enjoyment of sex was denied to us. The other way that we have been trained is the way God interacts in our sexual connection with our husband. We have made the expression of love between a husband and wife a sinful, nasty and dirty act. This attitude keeps us from feeling loved, wanted and desired.

In Tantra, the body temple is to be taken care of, nurtured, respected and loved. As a husband and wife, we are to care for each other and this includes fulfilling and satisfying each other’s emotional needs. To receive pleasure, you have to be receptive to it. The shame and guilt that we carry within has to be released. A husband and wife must be willing to educate themselves on their body and communicate to each other what makes them feel good. This takes practice and it takes work.

In marriage, you are to learn from each other. It is your responsibility to share with your lover and helpmate what brings you pleasure and what makes you feel good. Without this discussion, you will never be fulfilled. This involves being open, honest and vulnerable without the fear of hurting each other’s feelings and injuring the other’s self esteem. The worst thing that we can do is give our husband or wife the impression that they are good lovers when they are not. This not only hurts us, it hurts our marriage and our need to be happy.

This week, share with your lover and helpmate what makes you feel good. Listen with a heart that is open to learning and receiving. Give them your undivided attention as they seek to share how you can make them feel loved, wanted and desired. Be understanding and compassionate to their needs.

The best way to start this conversation is “Honey, I want to talk to you about the way we make love. I like what we are doing so far, but I feel like there is something missing. I want to please you and I want to be pleased, can I share with you what makes me feel good?” This can be awkward at first. Move forward anyway. No one wants to believe that they are an inadequate lover. The key is to listen without judgment and respond in love.

Pleasure is your Birthright! You deserve to have a marriage that is sexually fulfilling and satisfying. Most of all, you deserve to be loved!!!

Take care and may God bless you as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

With love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

NOTE: Complementary article and video to this blog is at http://www.momlogic.com/2008/09/sexless_marriage_survey.php

Question of the Week: "What is a wife responsibility in creating pleasure with her husband?"

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

Honoring Your Good!...Part II©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Men and Women!!!

It’s great to be asked my thoughts, opinions, insight and experience. It is a blessing to be blessed and know that you are blessed. It is further a blessing to live blessed. For me and Greta that is living our mantra; We Are Love, Peace, Happy, Prosperous, Abundant and Joy. We are… the words that follow are so powerful, illuminating and grounding. We Are ONE!!!

These words that compose our mantra are more than mere words. They are the trees of life. They provide grounding, support and assurance. They are spring boards to our being and our present state of mind. The best person to remind you of who you are and what you are about is you, yourself, in our case it is Gary A. and Greta.

On a daily basis, we remind ourselves of who we are and what we are about. We use this power at our disposal. Some days we are better at it than others. In recognizing and claiming our power we recognize the breath of life that God has breathed into us. We recognize the part of each other that is made in God’s image. We recognize each other’s souls and we tap into eternity as we begin to live as the god and goddess that God made us.

As we do so, we truly experience peace, love and joy. We rise above the hustle and bustle of life that wants to claim so much of our attention, time and energy. We live within the presence of God and thus we treat each other with love, dignity and respect. In doing so, I am treated as a god and I treat Greta like a goddess. It is wonderful to be cherished honored and treated well by the one I love. It’s wonderful to be valued.

My opinion is not only sought out it is acknowledged and taken into consideration. I am made to feel that I matter. This feeling helps me to live and not merely exist. It is so drab and unfulfilling to merely exist, to go through the motions, doing repetitious things day in and day out, not feeling whole rather feeling like a machine.

Being a god let’s me know that I have the ability to create and to first create on a spiritual realm. This creation helps me on a physical, emotional and heart level. This creation helps me to treat Greta with the love and respect she deserves and desires. It helps me to be open and honest with her and share my goals, dreams, thoughts and experiences without fear. I do not fear that she will judge me or hold anything I say against me. I believe and know that what I have to say and who I am is respected and valued by Greta. I am accepted, just as I am. She acknowledges that I am becoming.

I am reminded of the reality that I live each time I gaze into Greta’s eyes. Truly the eyes are the gateway to the soul and I can peer into her soul and join her spiritually as she and I gaze into each other eyes and share breath. Yes, Yes, Yes, this is a beautiful occurrence, and it just gets better with time. As it does, I am more fulfilled. I am stronger for Greta and I are on the same page. We are journeying together and we are becoming ONE. We are making our special relationship more special. We are not taking each other’s love and support for granted. We cherish it. We nurture it, we grow it. Our biggest tool is communication. We talk, talk and talk as we listen, listen and listen. As we do so, we learn more about each other and we learn more about ourselves as a husband and wife and a working unit.

We know that we were put together for a purpose. We know our purpose is to heal marriages. We first had to start with our own. To do so we had to rid ourselves of lots and lots of baggage and misconceptions. We had to come to know what we believe and why. We had to be willing to discard teachings and learning that didn’t work for us (we had to clean out our spiritual and emotional closets).

In growing my soul, I have to come face to face with my own chauvinism and machismo training and tendencies. I had to develop my sensitive side. I grew up in a household with six (6) other males, five (5) older brothers and my father. There was a lot of testerone and competition. There was a lot of fighting for space and acknowledgement on my part. I had to remind my older siblings that I was more than someone who needed direction. In my relationship with Greta; I had to come to respect Greta differently. I had to come to know that she had thoughts, ideas and abilities equal and in some cases superior to my own. I had to come to understand that wife and helpmate means helpmate and teammate. I had to come to know that she is not the weaker sex!

I had to come to learn to share the responsibility of our marriage and understand that it was not all up to me and that I did not need to control everything and make everything work. I had to come to an expanded version of “being the man.” I had to come to understand the true meaning of partnership. Believe me this didn’t happen overnight.

In coming into this understanding, my concept of god/goddess expanded. For me, it makes sense that we are souls having a human experience. It makes sense that souls like energy is neither created nor destroyed. It makes sense that God resides within us and that we need to develop our spirit and ourselves to be in deeper relationship with God. There is so much contained within my consciousness that it is bourgeoning to get out. In some ways this understanding gave me permission to focus on me and not so much others and definitely not Greta.

I need to know me better so that I can give Greta me. I need to know my strengths and weaknesses, my pains, pleasures, desires and wants, my yearning and those things that engage and compel me, so that I can share them with my wife and soul mate. To do so, makes me strong and not weak. It allows me to live freely in MY power. It allows me to be loving and encouraging. It allows me to give Greta the space she needs to grow and blossom. I need not control her. I need only to love and empower her. In doing so, I do it unto myself.

What is good for her is good for me and so as I develop so does she. As you go through the rest of your week, I offer the following affirmations to help you in developing yourself for further intimacy with your lover and helpmate.

In loving (your lovers’ name), I love me.
In respecting (your lovers’ name), I respect me.
In freeing (your lovers’ name), I free me.
In empowering (your lovers’ name), I empower me.

Peace be unto you…as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

-Gary A.

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

Honoring Your Good!©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:24:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!!!

I hope that you had a week of prosperity and bliss with your lover and helpmate. Do not forget to tell each other how much you love each other. This should be a daily practice and mentioned several times throughout the day. I know that I appreciate hearing these words from Gary throughout the day. It helps to fuel my soul. For us, saying “I love you” is a time when we stop and give each other our undivided attention…as we look deeply into each other eyes. This act of connection can last a mere sixty (60) seconds and is limitless which means, that you can practice it as much as you want, any time of the day. Personally, I do not think you can utter the words, “I love you” to the one that you are with, enough. To make this connection even better, end with a long embrace. In other words, hug each other. If you are doing this already, I applaud you. If not, I challenge you to implement this practice in your daily interaction for the next ten (10) days. Make it a game. I am sure you will leave each other feeling good and not to mention "LOVED UP!!!"

As usual, I would like to express gratitude to those who took the time out of their busy schedules and listened to the telecast interview with Allana Pratt and myself. I have gotten back some interesting and enlightening feedback. In our conversations and email correspondence, I have heard words like "Touching, Fantastic, Powerful, or statements like ...Your story moved me; I have felt and feel the same way; I have never thought to pray before or during lovemaking and one that I found to be most interesting, You sound professional." Not sure what that means…however, I will embrace it.

If you have not heard the telecast interview, it is still available for you to listen at http://tinyurl.com/GretaRecommends. If you feel compelled, register for the LIVE Webcast Telesummit; I am sure that you will be empowered by the wisdom and stories of these powerful accomplished women.

Also, I want to make sure that I give a shout out to Gail Sinclair, a wonderful and delightful goddess that I met two (2) years ago at the MEGA Book Marketing University in Los Angeles for making this opportunity possible. You know that I love you girl and I cannot wait to see you again. I look forward to working with you as we open the minds and hearts of women/men on the emotional, spiritual and sexual transformation and healing powers of Sacred Pole Dancing. All I can say is, "YOU ROCK!!!!" I am so grateful that God placed you in my space.

So that you understand why I refer to my "Sensuous Friend" as a "goddess," it is very simple. In Tantra, the word “god” and “goddess” refer to treating yourself and others with respect and honor while acknowledging their good. It is a woman who is tune with her feminine/sexual power or her female self. As I see it, a "goddess" is a woman who is at peace emotionally, mentally, spiritually and sexually and is comfortable with herself physically. There is no shame about her body or how she chooses to express herself as a woman, wife, lover and helpmate.

In other words, she is in ALIGNMENT or in harmony with herself emotionally, mentally, spiritually and sexually. She is ONE with herself and God and has rid herself of all jealousy, envy, hatred, distrust, division and separation and embraces Good for herself and others. She can see beyond the petty differences and do not concern herself with the color of a person’s skin, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, professional status, educational level, age, gender, height, weight, body type, past and current behavior, past and current decisions, or anything else that would allow her to exhibit prejudice or find fault with another person. In so doing, she can love, honor and respect other women and men regardless of their path, life experiences or personal beliefs. In the eyes and heart of a "goddess," every person has value or worth.

I believe that every woman is a "goddess" whether or not she embraces that is up to her. We all have the capacity to be a provider, protector, lover, healer, nurturing mother, loving and nurturing wife, seducer, hunter, wild, adventurous, romantic, passionate and depending on the situation, strong and forceful. It is this feminine power that I recognize, embrace and honor in myself and other women.

In addition, I believe that every male is a "god" and that he should be honored and respected for his masculine/sexual power and how he chooses to express himself as a man. For me, a "god" embodies the same characteristics of a goddess; he is a provider, protector, lover healer, hunter, strong, forceful, nurturing father, loving and nurturing husband, romantic, passionate, seducer and a healer. He is emotionally, mentally, spiritually and sexually in tune with himself and is not afraid to surrender to his goodness. He is in ALIGNMENT or at peace and ONE with himself and God and has rid himself of all jealousy, envy, hatred, distrust, division and separation and embraces the Good for himself and others. In essence, a "god" is simply the mirror reflection of his "goddess.” They complement each other in love and are equal partners.

In the spiritual practice of Tantra, these are the characteristics or "god like" qualities in each other that we worship as a husband and wife. These are things that we admire and appreciate in each other. These are the attributes or strengths that we uplift and embrace. Please note: worship does not mean that a wife follows her husband blindly and vice versa or that one in the marriage has control or power over the other. It simply means that the husband and wife serve each other equally and enthusiastically from the highest state of their personal power and with mutual respect. For Gary and I, worship simply means that we honor and accept the good in each other while appreciating and respecting the way we were created as a male and female. No gender is better than the other. The key in our marriage is to help each other reach their fullest potential. It is this realization that makes the husband and wife a powerful force and it is from this space that they become ONE.

This week, look for the god/goddess (good) in yourself and each other. If you cannot see the good in yourself, you will not be able to see the good in your husband or wife and not to mention other people. Make a list of all the things you like (love) about yourself. Attempt to look beyond your perceived flaws. Give yourself some compassion.

This love creation exercise will lead you to a path of self-discovery and help you define who you are and the kind of person that you want to cultivate or manifest in your marriage and life. Start your list with the powerful affirmative statement of "I AM." For example:

I AM woman that has a prosperous mindset and an entrepreneurial spirit.
I AM a woman that is self-assured and believes in the impossible.
I AM a woman who has a heart and respect for herself, God and her husband.
I AM a woman with a sense of humor; the ability to laugh is important to me.
I AM a woman with a sense of adventure; I am not afraid to explore and expand.
I AM a woman who has an expansive intellect with a spirit of continuous learning.
I AM a woman who is Sensuous, Sexy, Powerful, Complete and whole!

These are some of the attributes or qualities that I see in myself and the ones that I nurture and develop on a continuous basis. I am certain that your "I AM" will be different for you. Embrace your uniqueness. Have fun with this exercise and do not rush through it. Give it some thought. Go inward and meditate on what you want to create, how you want to express yourself, who you wish to become and write it down. Let your heart speak to you. Your "I AM" is a roadmap to your success.

Finally, Gary A. as I affectionately call him will be sharing his perspective and insights with you on Wednesdays. I am anxious to read and discover how he has incorporated the concept of "god and goddess" into his life, our marriage and how this practice of seeing me as his "goddess" and me worshipping and honoring him as my "god" has made him a better husband, lover, helpmate and friend.

Take care and may God continue to bless you as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

All good things,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

Be Happy!!!©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!!!!

Yes, it is true that I have a passion for marriage and want everyone to be successfully happy in it. Why wouldn’t I? After all, I am a “Married Woman” and I know how tough it can be to maintain, grow and develop the love and intimacy that you want with your husband and wife. In my heart, I believe that everyone deserves and is entitled to happiness and that two (2) people who make a commitment to each other should find ways to communicate their love and grow it.

Before I go any further, I want to congratulate those courageous souls who took the twenty-one (21) day challenge presented to them in my blog posted in December. I know it's August, but what can I say...I had to handle a few things. I must admit, I did miss blogging you. In speaking with some of you, the decision to take control of your thoughts, feelings and actions appeared to be a little challenging. However, I want you to know that if you found yourself regressing back to your old behavior, do not despair, change does not come over night. It takes practice not to be judgmental, critical, complain and make disparaging remarks about yourself and your lover. I know that I had fun with this exercise and can honestly report that I did very well.

The purpose of the exercise is to take a look at what you are doing, what you are saying, how you are behaving and responding, how you are living and not your lover and helpmate. Personally, managing my own behavior and response to a situation or person has made my life easier, not to mention more peaceful. On a personal note, I do not believe in taking on someone else’s pain or their unhappiness. It is not my burden to bear. It is theirs. I cannot change someone’s mind or control what they say or do. How they choose to interact with life is their decision.

In addition, I hope since we last spoke that you have been diligently practicing and implementing the love creation and development skills that I have shared with you over the last year. It will not do you any good to read the information that is provided and do nothing with it. Love is a learned behavior. You cannot make your marriage better if you do not create and make love (I will talk about this later in another blog).

Finally, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation to my husband Gary A. On May 4th, we celebrated our twenty-fourth (24th) wedding anniversary. His love, devotion and dedication to our marriage and me are both overwhelming and humbling. There is nothing more wonderful than building a strong foundation with the man of your dreams. Kudos to you honey for being a man of faith, integrity and courage! Thank you for trusting me with your heart and soul. I am honored that you chose me to be your bride and to spend your life with me. It has truly been an amazing ride! Thank you for being my rock, inspiration and a contributor to my happiness. I could not do Greta without you.

It is wonderful to wake up after twenty-six (26) years of building love together and see that Gary and I are still smiling. In January 2009, we made a conscious decision that we would laugh more together and that is something that we accomplish everyday. It is how we operate, regardless.

As I write this blog today, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that, “I AM THE HAPPIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD!!!” This is the reality that I started creating for myself in 1999. For me, as a spiritual practice and discipline, happiness is by far the highest achievement that one can attain and getting here is no joke. It takes years of conscious healing work to reach this kind of alignment. However, if I can do it, anyone can. It just takes persistence, patience, determination, belief, faith and trust in yourself and God. Oh yeah, you have to know that you deserve it. It is by far the best decision that I made for myself along with the spiritual practice of Gratitude. For me, these two spiritual disciplines go hand in hand.

By the way, I use “happiness” as a non-discriminatory achievement. Happiness does not discriminate. It is available to everyone. It starts within and has to be nurtured and developed in the heart. The process is internal. It helps you to go through any situation with a feeling of peace, joy, gratitude, faith and courage. It helps you take responsibility for your life and make the right decision for yourself. It does not depend on what others think happiness should be or look like for you. It is the decision to live your life authentically with meaning and purpose.

In our journey to become ONE, Gary and I have met so many unhappy married couples who see separation as an option….some have already made the decision to separate. If they are staying together, it is usually because out of necessity or with a sense of obligation. Most people are just going through the motions and have settled for a marriage that lacks the essence of true love. Please know that I am well aware of how it feels to be unhappy with someone you love and to whom you committed your life. For the first fifteen (15)years of my marriage, I would experience happiness that was short-lived. It is not easy maintaining a façade of happiness when you are feeling sad, defeated and discouraged about yourself, life and marriage. Unhappiness has a way of diminishing your heart, mind, body and spirit. It can be the most devastating feeling in the world and is a terrible way to exist. It keeps you from seeing the good and tears down your self-esteem. It makes you feel inadequate and less than; empty and incomplete.

As much as I understand the feelings of unhappiness, I know for certain that it has nothing to do with the person to whom you have committed your life. In search for my own happiness, I had to come to realization that Gary could not make me happy; he contributes to my happiness. I had to make the choice to be happy and do the necessary emotional and spiritual work to get here. I had to figure out the things that brought me joy and laughter. I could not hold him accountable and punish him for the feelings of sadness and grief that I had inside of me. The same is true for him; he is responsible for his own happiness and I am a contributor to it. Keep in mind that love is a process of exploration and discovery.

Knowing that we are contributors to each other’s happiness has lifted a burden off both of our shoulders. We can be free to explore our feelings and emotions with each other and know that we are not going to be judged. The intent is to listen to each other and be creative in bringing joy and laughter that is sometimes needed to lift you and your lover and helpmate’s spirit. The key is to remember why you got married in the first place and work on cultivating and expanding that love.

Speaking of being happy, I have attached a link to the telecast interview with Allana Pratt on Thursday, August 13th. I hope you find it enlightening and encouraging as you seek to grow your love and marriage into ONEness. You can check it out at:

http://tinyurl.com/GretaRecommends.

If you have questions about what you hear, call me. I would be more than happy to talk to you. Thank you Allana, for the opportunity to share myself. I appreciate it.

Finally, I want to welcome my husband, lover and helpmate, Sexy Gary A.™ (this is how I see and experience him) to Greta’s Sensuous Talks™. In marriage, there are two (2) perspectives and insights. So far, you have only heard from me and how the spiritual practice of Tantra has changed my marriage and life. I want to make sure his voice is heard. I am anxiously awaiting to read his insight and how he discovered and connected to his inner-spirit along with the methods, processes and practices he used to do it.

Perspective from Sexy Gary A.™
In journeying with Greta, I have witnessed and experienced with her many things. As she committed to heal herself, she enabled me to do likewise, whether I thought of it consciously or not. One of the realities I knew, was that for our marriage to work required that we grow together.

One of the many strengths that Greta and I have is our love and desire to grow. Thus as she read, grew, struggled and cried, so did I. What a relief I felt when we discovered that I was not responsible for Greta’s happiness!!!

Yet as a husband I cannot share happiness with Greta if I myself am not happy. Further, if I am not happy, I will not be able to receive the joy and happiness that Greta presents to me and vice versa. So as Greta’s lover, husband and helpmate, I owe it to her and myself to address any spiritual, emotional or mental issues or concerns I may have. I need to receive Greta for Greta as she needs to receive Gary for Gary. This practice became a watershed moment in our marriage and it helped me to experience the divine in Greta and the divine in myself.

As a result, I began to understand scripture differently and I began to understand and experience Greta as my helpmate. I began to understand that my relationship with Greta should mirror my relationship with God. The principles which I teach and preach had to be realized in my covenant with my wife.

Greta as my wife is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She is a part of me and as I realized this I had to let go of the hurts, disappointments and anger. Talking and sharing our heart became a foundational practice that gradually change the tone and tenor of our communication. We started communicating, one of us spoke and the other listened, understood and responded. This created a safe environment wherein both of us knew we could speak our heart.

This, challenged me to go within and learn how to communicate with myself and open up my heart to myself and then I began to share the discoveries of my heart with Greta. Yes, I began to trust my heart to my wife. I gained the understanding that I need to conduct myself in a manner that allowed Greta to share her heart with me and vice versa. We are equal souls existing and interacting as ONE and we must both build and share trust among each other.

This takes Faith, Belief, Trust and Love. For me, my knowledge that Greta loves God helps me to place Faith, Belief, Trust and Love in her and my marriage. Her spirituality compliments mine and allows us to connect on a deeper level and higher plane.
______________

Well, there you have it….short and sweet. In other words, take responsibility for your happiness and go after your bliss. You deserve it.

Take care and have a week filled with love. May God continue to bless you as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

All in Happiness,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™ & Sexy Gary A.™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

Playing like Lovers©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 02:26:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!

I hope this holiday season find you in good spirits as you are basking in the glow of love. Gary and I are continuing to enjoy being “empty nesters” as we prepare for the upcoming year and get ready for the new opportunities and possibilities that are coming our way. This is the time of the year when we do two things: Take our Play to a new level and enter into a state of self-reflection and examination. “Out with the old and in with the "New” becomes our mantra as we seek to cleanse ourselves emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually and financially while looking for areas to grow and discover. One thing that I know for sure is, "IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE!!!!" As a husband and wife, we know from experience that “we” cannot continue to do the same old thing, act the same old way, speak the same old way and expect different results. We have to be willing to be transformed to walk in the Newness of our ONEness.

I want to take a moment and holla at my “Sensuous Sexy Lovers” who took the time out of their busy schedule to support us at our first Sensuous Event, “The Art of Sensuous Play©.” In addition, I want to thank “Lover’s Lane, Golden Reign, Well Suited Fashions, KnotAboutMe, Graham’s Printing,Inc., Twist Fitness Studio, Smooth Productions, Cost Plus Wine Shoppe, Vivio's Food and Spirits and O.H. Pye, III Funeral Home,” for sponsoring us, we could not have pulled off a successful event without your presence and support. May God bless you during this holiday season and beyond.

As for you “Sensuous Husband and Wives” who transformed yourselves into “Sensuous Sexy Lovers” that night, I only have one thing to say and one thing only…Y’ALL are so fast!!! For the record, I am talking about both genders; male and female; man and woman; husband and wife; lover and helpmate. You guys were acting like “Equal Opportunity Lovers,” feeding each other; singing to each other, staring in each other’s eyes as if you were seeing your lover for the very first time. Y’all must really love each other, that’s wonderful! In fact, it is beautiful. Gary and I laugh with joy every time we think about it. Do not forget to implement the “Love Creation Strategies” outlined in your “Love Development Plan©.” When used on a regular basis, you will see some wonderful results in your love connection and communication.

It takes a lot of courage to come to our events, you never know what to expect. We plan it that way. We want to make sure that when you leave our event that you have a different perspective and insight on God, sex, your love and marriage. Our intent is to give you something to laugh about and help you create a new way of bringing excitement into your life. Play makes that possible.

During the holiday season, when a husband and wife take their play to a new level, it helps them to remain focused on their love and not get caught up in living out “other” people’s dreams and desires. Gary and I find the "Art of Play" a necessary ingredient of love so that we do not take ourselves and others so serious. This time of the year can be a time of stress; thus humor is needed to ward off the feelings of inadequacy and sadness that we sometimes get during the holiday season. Play is used to eradicate some of those feelings and give each other the needed support of intimacy and laughter. It has a way of putting things in perspective and keeping the marriage light hearted. It brings a sense of harmony and balance to love and life.

On a much different note, I would like to address the issue of change and how important it is in the process of love creation and development, particularly during this time of the year. For me, change is probably the one area of growth and development that I find exhilarating and exciting. I love change. It is the one element of my life that I constantly embrace, for it is inevitable. Change gives me hope. It gives me the power and the opportunity to create something new, different and better for myself. Change has helped me to transform and not be afraid of the unknown. It has given me the power to step outside of my comfort zone and create the kind of happiness that I envisioned for myself and my lover.

In preparation for change this year and to greet the New Year with a renewed mind, heart, body and spirit, I have decided to implement some of the practices that I have found valuable in Edwene Gaines book, “The Four Spiritual Laws of Prosperity.” This book found its way into my space as I was looking for something that would help me release the residual baggage that I accumulated over the past year that has kept me from reaching my full potential as a wife and business woman. In addition, I want to make sure that I am being true and honest with myself as I live and work in my integrity and authenticity.

Although I am avid goal setter and have utilized a lot of the spiritual practices Edwene Gaines describe in my own self development, I found her perspective on setting goals quite insightful. In her book, she issues her readers a twenty-one (21) day challenge to improve themselves and so I want to share and invite you to participate in the same.

This process has the potential to help you live out and practice (2) biblical principles that are found in Psalms 19:14 and Philippians 4:8. It will help you create a spirit of prosperity and a compassionate heart. In addition, it will help you get rid of that negative self talk that we can find ourselves participating in and/or creating. I know that it has caused me to take a more active look at my thoughts, words, actions and deeds.

For me, the twenty-one (21) day challenge is a “Character Building” tool. It speaks to the kind of person you are and the heart that you are developing (i.e. complainer, gossiper, backbiter, liar, hater, mean-spirited, honest, integrity, trustworthy, loving, kind, generous, etc). It helps you to see or become aware of what you are creating in your life and marriage and make the necessary changes.

To help you get started, I suggest that you write down the following statements and follow them for the next twenty-one (21) days:

• I will not gossip or spread rumors about anyone for the next twenty-one (21) days.

• I will not complain about my situation and the unhappiness that dwells within it for the next twenty-one (21) days.

•I will not criticize or talk bad about the actions or behaviors of others for the next twenty-one (21) days.

•I will not allow any negative talk to fall from my mouth for the next twenty-one (21)days.

***For the next twenty-one (21) days, I will examine my thoughts, my behavior, my actions, my words and my deeds.***

To help me practice this process and get centered, I will be doing two things: Meditating on Psalms 19:14; Philippians 4:8 and using the following affirmation. “Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world." The biblical principles will be used to help me plant the seeds that I will need to change my mindset and initiate the process of self-examination. The affirmation will help me connect to my power source. You are going to need your power to complete this challenge.

Please be mindful that this is how I will be doing this practice. Feel free to incorporate the tools of your faith to help you complete this twenty-one (21) day challenge.

If you have not started journaling, I suggest that you start. Write down the kind of person that you want to be and the kind of life that you want to create. Be specific. Dare to take a peek at all areas of your life and be honest with yourself. Write it down. Ask yourself, “is my unhappiness causing me pain? Is it keeping me from reaching my full potential? Is there anything that I can do different that will cause me happiness? Track your progress. If you slip during the twenty-one (21) days, forgive yourself and start over. It takes practice to think positive. Hang in there, don't give up and have fun with this. Obtaining happiness is a process. It takes time.

Since I use the month of December to reflect and renew my spirit, I will not be blogging again until January. However, I want to make sure that I wish you and your lover a wonderful and prosperous holiday season and a New Year that is filled with all the love and happiness that you can stand.

Also, Edwene Gaines book can be found on our website in Greta’s Sensuous Boutique in our bookstore in our literary section entitled ‘Spiritual Practices.' If you have not browsed the bookstore, I suggest that you do.

Thanks again for your prayers and support, I do appreciate it. May God continue to give you the joy and the love that you deserve as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams.

In love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

It's Play Time!©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:47:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!!!

Is it a beautiful day or what? I am so excited about Friday,November 21st, I can hardly sit still. I am looking forward to having some fun, not to mention laughter. Kudos to those who have made the decision to take your love to a new level and join Gary and I as we kick off our first "Sensuous Event." You are in for a treat. You know that I believe in treating my “Sensuous Friends” well. It is ON and POPPING as we get prepared to rock Vivios. I hope you are ready to shake your tail feather and get your groove on in Gratitude,for we have much to celebrate!

Also, please make sure you dress the part. Please do not come to my event looking like “Church Woman of the Year” this is a “Sensuous Event” and you are a “Sensuous Woman” so I expect for you to represent. For those that I have spoken to, I have asked that you dress in something that is "Tastefully Sensuous and Sexy" and that reflect the woman that you are on the inside. I cannot tell you what that look like. You have to decide for yourself what makes you feel good, vibrant and confident.

Keep in mind that this is a costume party so if you want to be daring, by all means be daring; however you do not have to wear a costume in the traditional sense. We will be giving out masks that will compliment your "Sensuous Attire" and help you get in the mood for fun.

To give you an idea of how to dress for this event and to help you get out of your comfort zone, I will be wearing a red halter dress with red boots and my mask. I intend on looking hot for Gary that night and red is my feel good color. As it relates to fashion, I like the classy conservative sexy look; nothing too revealing but something that accentuates my woman curves and is form fitting. However, be mindful that this is me. This is how I intend to represent. I want you to feel free to DO YOU.

Also, to the "Sensuous Men" that are reading this blog and who are planning on bringing their wives, please leave the suit and tie at home. I need for you to dress casual, hip and current. To give you an idea of the “Sensuous Man” attire, Gary will be wearing a red jacket, an embroidered white shirt, blue jeans and his mask. This will be the first time that I have seen him dress in this manner in years, so it will be a treat for me. I cannot wait to see him in his sexiness!

I want to personally thank Lover’s Lane and their Marketing Specialist, Eric Gorde for agreeing to be one of our “Sensuous Sponsors" for “The Need for a Love Connection©” portion of the event. They have been so gracious to provide us with some “Intimacy and Passion Creation” products by SHUNGA Erotic Art. The lucky lovers of this wonderful giveaway will receive the Tenderness & Passion Collection featuring Strawberries and Champagne. In this collection, the lovers will be able to create intimacy while blessing and honoring each others body temple with “Intimate Kisses” Aphrodisiac Oil; "Erotic Massage" Oil; "Sweet Snow" Baby Powder and a Hand made Feather Tickler.

In addition, we will also be giving away the Carnel Pleasure Collection which consists of “Soft Moves” Massage Cream; "Intimate Kisses" Aphrodisiac Oil; "Sweet Snow" Edible Body Powder with feather; "Erotic Massage" Oil and a "Sensation Balm" that will help you and your lover experience new ways of passion and excitement. These are wonderful “Intimacy Creation’ products to have in your “Love Chest” and we are happy to get you started. We will talk more about the use of these products in our upcoming “Blessing Your Lover©” series, so stay tuned. In the meantime, you can check out our "Sensuous Sponsor" at www.loverslane.com or at one of their ten (10)locations in the Metro Detroit area. Make sure to let them know that Sensuous Seminars sent you.

For now and to help those that are preparing themselves for “The Art of Sensuous Play©,” I want to encourage you and lover to take some time out of your busy schedule to sit still and hold each other for twenty (20) minutes for the next few days. Making the decision to try something new in your marriage can be scary, not to mention intimidating. Holding each other and talking about the love that you are about to create and the good time you are going to have less stressful and scary. Make sure to get rid of any expectations. This is just an opportunity to open your heart and allow the love that already exists between you as a husband and wife to get better and expand.

In your time alone, think and meditate on Gratitude. I want you to think of all the ways you and lover show love to each other. Take note on how far you have come in your love and marriage. Notice the opportunities for growth that you have encountered and the way that God has blessed you and your lover in each situation. Start a “Gratitude Journal” that chronicles the love and growth that you have experienced this year alone. Don’t leave anything out. Every experience has a way of pushing us into new and wonderful territories and is an opportunity to be blessed in our love. We have come this far by Faith.

Take care and I look forward to seeing you on Friday, November 21st. Make sure to call or email me if you have questions about the event. My contact info is on my website.

May God continue to give you the desires of your heart as you seek to co-create the life and marriage of your dreams!

In love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

The Art of Sensuous Play©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:29:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!!!

The last three (3) weeks has been phenomenal! Congratulations to our new President-Elect Barack Obama and his lovely wife Michelle. May God continue to bless them as they seek to serve our nation and create the life and marriage of "their" dreams.

We have begun our vendor selection process and it has been fun sitting down and talking with potential “Prosperity Partners” and learning firsthand your perspective on love and marriage as well as your insight on how your services can help us improve the intimate act of communication and enhance marriages between husbands and wives. We appreciate your inspiring and powerful words of encouragement as we seek to take our company and the services that we provide to the next level.

Please be mindful that our criteria for selection are based on the information that is found on our website under the link “Prosperity Partners.” Also we seek to partner with companies who are able to get past the role of Pastor and Wife and see us through the eyes of Gary and Greta, a husband and wife who have a passion for helping lovers and helpmates be successful in their love connection. We seek to create an environment that is bias free and non-judgmental.

We have been busy getting prepared for our first public “Sensuous Event,” The Art of Sensuous Play©. This is a Wine Tasting Costume Party and I must say that we are excited about the opportunity to work with Dan McCarthy, Wine Connoisseur and Owner of Cost Plus Wine Shoppe in the Eastern Market District in Detroit, Michigan.

Gary and I have been frequenting this Detroit Gem off and on for the last twenty-three (23) years and as a result Cost Plus Wine Shoppe and its staff has developed a special place in our heart. Our first introduction to this establishment happened as we were preparing for our wedding ceremony. It was the individual attention and the superb customer service that kept us coming back. We have always found the staff to be very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable about the wine that they sold as well as the foods that would compliment and make the feast that we were preparing more special. It is wonderful to walk into a business establishment and feel welcomed.

The picture that you are looking at is Kim McCarthy, Dan's lovely wife and helpmate along with some of the wine products that they provide on their shelves. If you live in the metro Detroit area and is in the market for wine, please stop by Cost Plus Wine Shoppe and make sure to tell Dan and Kim that we sent you. They will make sure that you get a great wine that is in line with your budget.

Gary and I believe wholeheartedly that a “husband and wife who play together, stay together.” In our love and marriage, this recreational need for fun and laughter is high on our list of priorities. Spending time together and enjoying each others’ company has become more important to us as we age and mature. This is the reason we got married in the first place….to spend time more time with each other. We enjoyed each other so much while we were dating that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together having fun and experiencing life. We are ONE forever.

We have come to learn that setting aside time to play and have fun is essential to building a successful marriage. Play is an opportunity to build an intimate connection with your lover and helpmate that re-kindles excitement and laughter in your love that you had while you were dating. It keeps the marriage fresh and exciting and the lovers young and vibrant. It also creates good conversation as you reminiscence and talk about all the fun that you had. Play is an aphrodisiac to good feelings and the flow of love.

Taking time out to play is the hardest thing for a husband and wife to do. We have a tendency to put the needs of others first and the needs of our lovers and helpmates last. We have the belief that giving ourselves to others is more important than giving ourselves to each other. We take each other love for granted as we seek to build success outside of our marriage. We let the need to be successful in our career/business, the responsibility of raising children, making other people happy and our outside interests become more important than the need to spend time with each other as lovers and friends. We let the sizzle that we have for each other while we were dating dry up and burn out. We do not keep the flames going in our marriage. As a result, we walk around feeling neglected, unloved and disillusioned; not to mention, disconnected and tired of our love union.

The Art of Sensuous Play© is a learning opportunity that is designed to help the husband and wife set time aside with each other and create a love connection that is fun, romantic, sensuous and sexy.

The purpose of this event is to introduce the concept of Tantra and educate the audience on developing and implementing a “Love Plan” that includes the following elements of Sensuous Play:

 The Art of Communication©
 The Need for a Love Connection©
 Preparation of a Tantra Love Feast©
 Dressing for SEXcess©
 Gratitude and Appreciation©

We believe that a husband and wife can enjoy a lifetime of love that continues to grow and develop as they mature. We advocate that the husband and wife have “more romance, more intimacy, more fun, more often.”

This week, I want to encourage you to do something that is playful and fun. I am sure you have a reason to celebrate your love union. Set aside some uninterrupted time where you can be yourself and laugh. Limit the conversation to your dreams and how you want your marriage and love to be. Write it down so that you can see what you want on paper. Talk about your individual and collective dream. What is it that you want to do together? What legacy do you want to leave behind? How do you see yourself accomplishing your dream? Get some wine, cheese, strawberries, grapes and chocolate to set the mood for conversation and laughter. Make sure to light your candles and if you like incense, please feel free to use it. Put on some sexy sensuous attire and plan your future. It is time to get down to the business of Love. Remember to start this play session in prayer. You do not want to leave God out of this important part of your life and marriage. You are planning for success.

For those that are in the beginning stages of Love Development and the cultivation of your ONEness, we suggest that you set aside fifteen (15) hours a week to have fun. That time is strictly yours and do not belong to anyone else. Be selfish with it. Put each other in your calendar and make it a priority. Once it is in writing you are both committed to making sure that you have play time. DO NOT BREAK A DATE! Play is a participative sport that requires the creative abilities and effort from both the husband and wife. It is non-gender specific and role based. Tell each other what you want to experience in those fifteen (15) hours and make it so. No excuses. Start dating again.

When we first started this practice and to help us accomplish our fifteen (15)hour goal, Gary and I would wake up two (2) hours early so that we could have some uninterrupted time together. We also made sure we went out on a date every Thursday evening. This required discipline and a commitment to our marriage and each other. We had a “YES” attitude even if we did not feel like playing. We understood that we were in the process of developing a new habit, so we had to be patient with each other and ourselves. We knew that spending time together would take practice and a change in our behavior and demeanor. In other words, do not be hard on yourselves. Once you make the commitment to play, stick with it. Do not get detoured and bogged down with life. It will go on. Do not let anything come between you and your love.

I hope to see you at our upcoming Sensuous Event. Take care and may you be abundantly blessed in your play as you seek to co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

All good things,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

Nurturing Your Heart©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:33:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women and Men!

Hooray for those that had the courage to initiate “The Position of Love” in their lovemaking ritual the past month. I am sure that this love connection took you and your lover to a new level of intimacy. It may feel a little awkward at first, however if you keep trying, connecting in this manner will become a natural part of your daily interaction together. Practicing this position on a consistent basis will help you make your marriage and the love that you have for yourself, God and each other a priority. It is an intentional way of creating love and opening the heart.

We learned this Love Creation technique at our first Tantra Retreat in Ottawa, Canada in 2002 from Tantra Gurus and friends, Pala Copeland and Al Link. They were the first to introduce us to the concept of making it an intention to connect this way on a daily basis. It was also them who gave us insight into making our marriage a spiritual practice. In Tantra, the “YAB YUM” position is a Love Development tool that the husband and wife can use to pray and meditate together. It is the first step to creating love and nurturing intimacy.

For those “Sensuous Wives” who desire a better spiritual and sexual connection with your husband, this is a great way to implement the “Power of Prayer and Meditation” in your marriage. There is nothing more intimate and God honoring than praying for the good of your marriage and love with the man that you have committed your life to, in “The Position of Love.” Praying together as a husband and wife do wonders for your marriage and your relationship with God. Please stay encouraged and be patient with each other as you seek to develop and create a more meaningful and purposeful marriage and lay the foundation for your love.

For Gary and me, praying in “The Position of Love” is a sacred event. It is a time of reverence and gratitude. It helps us to keep our mind focused on the good that we experience in our life and marriage. It also set the tone for how we enter into our day and interact in it. Praying together is one of the many ways that we apply faith in our love.

Using Prayer in my marriage has helped me to open the door to my stuff. It gave me the power to go within myself and make the changes needed to become a better wife, lover and helpmate as I listened and learned about Gary’s heart. It also gave me the courage to take the responsibility in creating a marriage and life that is authentic and a reflection of me. This Love Development tool keeps me grateful. It is the way that I nurture and grow my spirit.

As you continue to grow and develop in the ways of love, it is my desire that you take some time away from your busy schedule and PRAY with your husband. As a wife, if you do not take the time to intentionally connect and pray with your husband and for your marriage, who will? Praying together will help you cover your conflicts and fears with the presence of God and make conscious decisions that are based on love and the essence of faith. The act of prayer will push you out of your comfort zone and create a new level of intimacy. Prayer keeps the line of communication open as you learn what is on each other’s hearts and minds. It helps to create a home environment that is steeped in peace. If you are not comfortable praying out loud in the presence of your lover and helpmate, then take the time to write your prayers down on paper and read them out loud to each other. As with all things in marriage, praying as ONE is a learned behavior.

Again, be playful. Don’t get stuck doing “The Position of Love” one way. Doing something the same way over and over again without any variation can become boring and dull, even if you are implementing “The Power of Prayer” in your love connection. You do not have to connect this way just in the morning and at night. If you have the opportunity to work at home like I do, performing “The Position of Love” midday can be just as fun. This simply means that you and your husband connect in your power three (3) times a day rather than two (2).

For those that are working outside of the home and find yourself unable to have that midday connection, plan to implement this lovemaking ritual when you come home from work, after you have given each other an opportunity to unwind and relax. If you have to go into your sacred space (bedroom) and shut the door because you have children, then do so. Just let them know that mommy and daddy are praying together and will need 30 minutes alone to devote to God and each other. I guarantee you that you will come out feeling invigorated and revived. The key is to be flexible and creative. Make your love exciting!

Have a wonderful week of God-inspired intimacy. Be blessed as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

In love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

The Position of Love©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:57:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women!!!!

I hope that you have been having as much fun as I have since my last blog entry and not sitting around waiting for your husband to make the first move. If you want a marriage that is hot and passionate, you must make it so. As a wife, it is your responsibility to stay exciting and challenging to your husband. It is you who set the bar for the love and happiness that you experience in your life and marriage. If you want a good marriage, then you must sow it.

In addition, you cannot keep rejecting and hurting your husband’s heart and feelings and expect for him to find you an irresistible Sensuous Woman. I have yet to meet a husband who loves being rejected by his wife. He is hurt by it, just like you. He wants to be accepted for who he is, just like you. If you are hard and judgmental toward your husband, lighten up. Do not make him feel inadequate. I am certain that he is doing the best that he can. To bring your husband closer to you, let him know how much you appreciate him and how grateful you are for him sharing his love with you. Kind, gentle and loving words go a long way in creating and building trust and intimacy.

We are now bonafide, tried and true empty nesters. We have paid the parental and financial dues as we have struggled to give our sons a valuable life and education. Gary and I have taken our youngest son Malcolm to college and have left him in God’s hands. We give him back to God as he seeks to make his own way into the world and find his happiness. As a mother, it is time for me to step back from motherhood and make the transition into being his friend. I am cutting the umbilical cord and allowing him the freedom to spread his wings and use the resources and talents that God has equipped him with. I am confident that The Spirit that lives within me lives within him. I trust that God will lead and direct his path as he did mine and with that confidence, I can let him go. As Malcolm seeks to cultivate his faith, trust and belief in himself and God, I can now step aside and let God work. I have much to learn from Malcolm for he is a deep thinker and a spiritual young man. I cannot wait to hear about his experiences and how he is using his faith to create the life of his dreams. I am truly thankful for God using me to give him life. Having the opportunity to experience myself as a mother has stretched my faith and love in many ways. It has been both challenging and rewarding. I will be eternally grateful to God for the experience.

Now that I am all partied out, it is now time to get back to business. As Gary and I move into our next level of love creation, I am excited and happy about the possibilities and the opportunity to make Genesis 2:24 a reality. I feel like a new bride that is young, vibrant and beautiful with the wisdom of a forty-six (46) year old woman. With 20/20 vision, I can look back at those things in my life and marriage that I know do not work and create something different, more beautiful and magnificent than before.

To create a marriage that is satisfying and fulfilling in all areas, the husband and wife must jointly decide to change their attitude and behavior toward each other and how they want to see their marriage unfolding and their experience in it. In marriage, a husband and wife reap what they sow. If you sow a heart and spirit that is mean and angry, your heart and spirit will bear fruit that is mean and angry and this will be the experience that you bring to your life and marriage. Planting fruit of this nature brings about the feelings of resentment and unhappiness. It is both divisive and non-productive and has the elements of marital failure. Sowing and reaping is a biblical principle that I live by. Simply put, what you plant in your heart, mind, body and spirit grows. You get what you give.

An angry and mean spirit will not bring a husband and wife together, it pushes them apart and creates distance between them. It creates conflict and the withdrawal of love. This kind of interaction creates a home environment that is hostile, distrustful and void of love. Foundationally it is weak. It has no substance. In marriages in which anger resides, the husband and wife are just going through the motions and operate with a heart that is guarded and closed. On the surface, the husband and wife appear to be happy. However, their love lacks the honesty, integrity, authenticity, intimacy and the physical-spiritual connection needed for the husband and wife to move forward in their ONEness.

In this kind of marriage, there is the fear of being vulnerable, getting hurt and being judged by your lover and helpmate. The husband and wife feel trapped, unaccepted and unloved and undesired. It leaves a garden that produces and creates weeds.

Weeds are the things that keep you from having a loving demeanor toward yourself, God and your husband. They are the things that can choke the life out of you.

Weeds do damage to your heart, mind, body, spirit, love and marriage. Weeds are the anger, disappointments, regrets, resentments, jealousy, envy, doubts, fears and the feelings of inadequacy, shame and guilt that we (husbands and wives) carry around regarding the choices that we made in our life and our marriage. Weeds keep you stuck in the past or hostage to your sadness. Weeds separate you from your goodness and the experience of God, who is the essence of love. They block your blessings and kill your spirit.

Weeds are the pain of the past of which we are afraid to let go. They are the feelings that we return to when we want to blame or judge ourselves and/or someone else for where we are in our life. They are the cause of our suffering and heart-ache and the lack of joy that we sometimes experience as a husband and wife. Weeds can create a life and marriage that is filled with pain and grief and one that lacks the feeling of happiness and gratitude. Weeds are the product of the lies and secrets that the husband and wife keep from each other. With weeds, the love in marriage cannot bloom effectively. The love between the husband and wife has the potential of withering and dying.

As a husband and wife who have in the past cultivated and nurtured weeds in our marriage, we know for sure that in order to reap something different we have to sow something different. In reciting and intentionally living out our affirmation in the Love Creation© blog, Gary and I have with purpose created a life and marriage that reaps the spiritual fruit of love, trust, forgiveness, compassion, kindness, generosity, mutual respect, acceptance, empathy and gratitude to each other and God. This has helped us to build a life and marriage that is authentic and one that reaps the fruit of honesty and integrity. It is one in which we are both free to expand and experience life in our own way individually and collectively. It is one where we can be ourselves without judgment. No blame and no shame. We accept and respect each other for how we were created by God and that’s it. No need to change each other.

The picture that you are looking at is Gary and me in the YAB YUM position. This is the "Position of Love" that we use to pray, meditate and build our love energy. This is where the husband and wife are connected in their ONEness. It is the one in which we affirm our love for each other and the Power of God. This is how we start and end our day.

This week as you seek to put love into your marriage garden and build intimacy with your lover and helpmate, I want to encourage you to take some time to sit in the YAB YUM. This is a non-sexual position and refraining from sexual intercourse is recommended unless you can’t help yourself and feel the need to go all the way. However, to get the most benefit from this position, I suggest that hold your lover and helpmate and just be connected with no hanky, panky. You are learning how to exchange your love juice and energy in a different way.

The YAB YUM helps to build the heart-soul connection that is needed in marriage. If used on a daily basis, it has the potential of eliminating the barriers that keep the husband and wife feeling separate. It builds the trust and communication skills that are needed to create love. Use this time to pray for and lift each other up. The YAB YUM has become our armor as we send each other out into world covered and surrounded in love.

To perform the YAB YUM, your husband sits cross leg while you sit in his lap and wrap your legs around his waist. In yoga, we refer to this position as the “Lotus Position.” It is how we learned to sit on the floor in kindergarten, legs crossed, back straight with our hands on our knees. However, in this case, you and your husband are hugging and holding each other. If you need pillows to balance each other’s backs, then by all means do so. Also, if sitting on your husband lap feels uncomfortable for either of you, find something else that works. You may find this position a lot easier to perform if you are sitting in a chair. Remember not to get discouraged when trying this position. The intent is to open up your heart, mind, body and spirit and be on ONE accord as you seek to bless, love each other up and acknowledge the presence of God in your union.

Like all Tantric related yoga poses, it is important that you and your husband maintain eye contact and breathe in harmony. Breathing in harmony will help you circulate the love that you are creating as well as build up your stamina. Bless each other with words of kindness. In your recitation, make sure to put your hand on each other’s heart and focus on the love and joy that dwells within your marriage. If you have children, bless them in your love. Give thanks to God for bringing you together and making you ONE body, ONE heart, ONE mind and ONE spirit. Kiss and hold each other for five (5) minutes. Depart knowing that you are leaving each other loved up and connected.

Stay tune for information on our upcoming “The Spiritual Power of Prayer and Meditation©” seminar series. This will be a powerful series that will help the husband and wife discuss and bring clarity to the financial aspect of their love.

Thanks again for all of your wonderful accolades. However, you deserve the praise since you have been doing the work. Keep it up. Your marriage and love will reap great benefits as you apply the love strategies that I have shared freely with you. I am just thankful that I have the opportunity to share with you those things that is keeping my marriage to Gary fun and exciting. It takes two (2) to tangle. A successful marriage requires the gifts and talents from both the husband and wife. You are both contributors. You are both responsible for the fruit that you plant and the taste of it.

This week sow words of love to your husband. Open up your heart to him. Bless him. Keep him encouraged. Make an attempt to connect with him. He needs your covering.

Take care and may God bless you as you co-create the life and marriage of your dreams!

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

Love Development 101©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:24:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women!!!!

Before I start this blog, I want to give a shout-out to all of my “Sensuous Pastor Wives” out there!! It is good to know that you have been checking me out. Also, I am thrilled that some of you are making your marriage a priority and taking the time to give your husband the quality love that he deserves and desires. Our husbands do a great job of providing for us and our children on their small salaries, so it is our job to make sure that he knows that he is appreciated and respected for his way to serve. Also for you “Sensuous Husbands” out there who serve in the role of “Pastor” don’t forget to appreciate and respect your wonderful wife. You know how much stuff she has to put up with by being your wife. In other words, do not take her for granted and spend all your time at the Church. Show her some love. Make sure to honor her by taking her out and giving her a good time. You are a Pastor, not her. As a husband and wife you deserve to go out and have some fun. Make sure to date her. Even if you have been married over thirty (30) years, you still need to captivate your wife. The challenge for you is not to become boring.

Also, I am impressed with the number of Pastor Wives that are Entreprenuers and business owners. That is AWESOME!!! I honor and respect your commitment to creating wealth for you and your family. You know that I have a passion for Women Entreprenuers…we got it going on! There is nothing like having the courage and faith to live out your passion while helping people to be better and do better. It is a wonderful way to serve the community and the world. “It is truly the “Century for Entreprenuers!!” and I AM LOVING IT!!! May God bless you abundantly in your vineyard.

I hope my blog has stirred up your marriage a little bit and given you some ideas on how to create more intimacy and bring God into the mix of your love. A lot of us have wonderful and exciting marriages. However, there are times when we need to take it up a notch or two as we seek to turn our attention inward and create something new. Each exercise is to encourage you to slow down and grow your love with each other while taking on the challenges of raising a family, building companies, working and serving community. They are to make sure that You develop and nurture Your private worship time together as well as Your relationship with God as a husband and wife and not feel guilty for having laughter and joy in your life. These exercises are wonderful ways to bless and build each other up.

I want to share an affirmation that Gary and I have been doing for the last six (6) years in the YAB YUM position or what I refer to as the “Position of Love” because of the way the husband and wife are connected together in their ONEness. In Tantra, this is the position where the husband and wife pray and meditate together as well as build up their love energy. It is a sitting position where you affirm your love for each other and God. Affirmations are a form of prayer that help you plant the seeds of love in your life and marriage. They are the words of love that you speak to each other on a daily basis. They help the husband and wife live out the biblical promise described in Isiaah 55:11.

Affirmations are always positive. They are the good things that the husband and wife say about each other, their life and marriage. They are the foundation on how you want to build and grow your love. They create a change in your mindset and behavior while helping you get rid of the negative self-talk that we sometimes have about ourselves and each other. Affirmations are your love talk. It is how you want to see yourself interacting with each other, life and God. They help you to develop a heart and spirit of love and gratitude. They become the essence of who you are.

This particular affirmation that I am sharing with you has become a way of living and how Gary and I express our love for each other. They help to remind us who “WE ARE” when we are mad with each other or am in need of little encouragement when facing a difficult situation. The affirmation helps to keep us focused on the good in each other. The words are used in our relationship to each other, God, ourselves and our children. They are the seeds of the spirit that we plant, cultivate and nurture. They are the experience that we seek to give to each other on a daily basis. As a husband and wife, this affirmation represents our ONEness in Christ.

"WE ARE LOVE”
"WE ARE PEACE”
“WE ARE HAPPY”
“WE ARE PROSPEROUS”
“WE ARE ABUNDANT”
“WE ARE JOY”
“WE ARE ONE”

“WE ARE POWERFUL!”

This affirmation has become the foundation in our marriage and life. They are some of the slabs that we have been consistently laying down over the years. The words and their meaning have become our solid rock and a pertinent permanent part of our heart and spirit. We like to begin our mornings and end our day in the “Position of Love” because it ushers in the presence of God into our love connection and help us to stay centered. It helps us to show gratitude for another day of life and the opportunity to once again experience our love as a husband and wife. It also helps to remind us of our purpose as we cultivate, nurture and develop the goodness that dwells within us. It helps us to demonstrate to each other the heart and love of Christ in our marriage.

My prayer is that you will use this affirmation when you are feeling tired and overwhelmed with the challenges of the ministry and your husband’s calling to it. This occupation can be trying on your marriage, your love and your nerves. Saying this affirmation together and out loud has helped Gary and me to remove the junk from our heart and spirit that was keeping us feeling separate and angry. I cannot imagine us starting a day without acknowledging and honoring the Presence of God in our love and marriage. It is the well from where we draw our strength.

As with anything new, it is best to start this love process slowly. The key is stay persistent in the practice even if it feels uncomfortable. You are simply creating another way to pray and build an intimate spiritual love connection. I suggest that you say this affirmation at least five (5) times, getting louder with each repetition. Allow yourself to have fun and laugh in it. Don’t get bogged down in the formality of the exercise. Make the exercise fit you and your husband's personality. You may even want to create your own “Position of Love.” If so, that is cool. Go for it. The purpose of the exercise is to help the husband and wife be on ONE accord while learning how to speak the same language. It helps to break down the barriers that get in the way of our intimacy.

You should be prepared to set aside twenty (20) minutes of uninterrupted time together in the morning and at night. Make sure to maintain eye contact and breathe slowly before repeating. Let the affirmative words that you speak savor in the air and linger. End this exercise with a kiss and embrace each other while affirming your love. Bless and thank God for your marriage and life. Leave each other knowing that you are departing in your ONEness.

Finally, I have decided not to post comments on my blog. Some of you have emailed me your challenges and concerns about your life, sex and marriage that are too personal to share with the world. Greta’s Sensuous Talks™ is a part of our Women’s Empowerment Center and is the foundation on which I choose to live my life and express myself. I AM guided by the Spiritual Practices of Trust, Respect, Honesty, Integrity, Accountability and Confidentiality. I believe that every marriage and path to ONEness is different and requires a response that is tailored to that situation. I also know that it takes courage to email me. Please know that I do not take your sharing for granted. I respect and honor every husband’s and wife’s life journey. It is my desire that you continue to share without the concern for your privacy and judgment. I will from time to time pose questions in which I will ask for and expect an interactive response. However, at this time, I think it is best to keep this blog private.

Last and not least, for those of you who have been inspired by this blog and are using it in various ways to help other people grow and develop their love, please make sure to give God and me credit when you are citing the source and using my material. Also, if you could be so kind to send those to whom you are sharing my information with to www.SensuousSeminars.com and my blog to register their email addresses, I would appreciate it. We are looking to take our internet presence and service that we provide to our clientele to the next level.

Take care of yourselves my courageous and wonderful sisters. May God bless you and your wonderful, delightful husbands as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

In Love and Gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

It's All About Love©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women!!!!

I hope you had a wonderful week of love, growth and discovery. It has been AWESOME hearing from some of you. For those of you who have been printing out Greta’s Sensuous Talks™ and placing them in binders for future reference, thank you very much. I am very flattered, not to mention humbled. I am encouraged by your fortitude. I am certain that if you start implementing just a small portion of the love strategies that I have shared over the last three months, you will see a difference in your life and marriage. All it takes is a decision to create something better. The key is to never stop showing love to each other and to implement these practices on a daily basis. Making the time to spend with each other will help you become better lovers and helpmates. In creating a successful marriage, the husband and wife have to apply diligence when creating and developing love.

Also, if you have implemented the Affirmative Prayer in your daily lovemaking session, more Power to you. In this economy, it is definitely time for the husband and wife to be on ONE accord in their finances. We all know how difficult it is to have an honest and open discussion around our finances. Money is a subject that pushes all of our buttons. This discussion alone has the tendency to destroy the intimacy between a husband and wife. It brings up all kinds of emotions, thoughts and fears. Second to sex, money is the least discussed issue in marriage. More than likely, a husband and wife will have a different understanding and perspective about the significance of money and its use. As a result, the husband and wife can get caught up in the emotional aspect of this discussion and are rarely able to see or recognize God’s provision in supplying them with the money in the first place. This prayer will help you trust God with all of your finances and eliminate a heart and mind of lack and limitation. If you are willing, it will help you start a much needed discussion around money and its meaning for the both of you.

We are now entering a time when the husband and wife need to be thinking in more creative and innovative ways to provide for themselves and their family. It is now time to look at your Passions, Gifts, Talents, Interests, Intellectual and Financial Capital in your household that God has blessed you with over the years and apply it to creating wealth for you and your family. When applying this prayer, think of yourselves as successful and happy business owners who are contributing to the good of the world and living out your purpose as a husband and wife. Remember, a vision unfolds one prayer at a time, so be patient with each other as you attempt to move into your ONEness in your finances and the life and marriage of your dreams.

I am so happy to be sharing Greta’s Sensuous Talks™ with you. It is my desire that this forum will give us an opportunity to share without the drama. The only way to break down barriers is to communicate in a way that is non-threatening and intimidating. I am aware that the discussion of Spiritual Sex is different for some of you and you have to get over the shock of reading and seeing something new and unfamiliar. However, in talking and listening to men and women over the years, it is the spiritual sexual intimacy that is often missing in their love connection. This can leave the husband and wife with a tremendous void and a feeling of emptiness.

Since April, I have shared many ways for you to create a spiritual sexual connection with your lover and helpmate. They are some of the lovemaking rituals that I incorporate in my life and marriage on a daily basis. In creating love, you have to stretch your mind outside of the bedroom or the traditional ways of creating intimacy with each other. You have to become comfortable with having God in your marriage and discussing his/her presence in all areas of your life including the sexual connection that you share as a husband and wife. This discussion alone can be scary and intimidating. However, in moving into the next level of love it is necessary.

My desire for you this week is to slow down, have some fun and relaxation. Take it easy. Laugh a little and lighten up. Midweek, prepare a small Tantra feast (wine, cheese, fruit and wing dings,) put some music on, snuggle up close to your husband, hold him tight and just chill for twenty (20) minutes. Pay attention to his heartbeat. Send him thoughts of love and gratitude. Thank God for your abundance. Thank each other for being instruments of that abundance and the opportunity to share your love. Celebrate the goodness in your life and marriage. Talk about the good times. Should you find your passion rising and your breathing intensifying, that is your love energy at work, adhere to it, do not deny yourself. Give in to your lover and helpmate as you seek to indulge in a much needed, well deserved, God-honoring, Sensuous Connection.

Have a wonderful, delightful, Sensuous week. May God continue to bless you as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

With love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

A Simple Exercise in Faith©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:24:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women!!!

For the last two weeks, I have been working on my Vision Chart. I have used this spiritual growth and development tool for the last seven (7) years as I have prepared to take myself to a new level emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. I got introduced to this powerful practice through the Michigan Women’s Business Council. At the time, I was one of the fortunate students that got admitted into the CEED (Center for Empowerment and Economic Development) program in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They have an excellent Business Development program for women that are interested in Entrepreneurship, Wealth Creation and Self-Empowerment.

My instructor and now friend, Jan Davies had given us the assignment to put pictures and words on how we saw our company on a poster-board. At that time, she referred to this tool as a “Dream Chart.” We were to come up with a company name, put companies that we saw ourselves doing business with and our core values. We were also told to find words that demonstrated how we saw our company operating or in this case, “being.” The pictures and words were to represent the heart and the spirit of the CEO. It was an exercise on how you saw yourself and your company contributing to the good of the world.

Since then, I have implemented this powerful spiritual practice with my employees, my marriage, my family and for the first time, I am developing one for myself. This Vision Chart is more spiritual in nature and is by far, the most powerful. It is the most special because it has taken me forty-six (46) years to figure out what I want and who I AM. The pictures reflect how I see myself co-creating my life with God, Gary and interacting in my wholeness. It has an inner peace feel to it. I am definitely at a different level in my spiritual growth. I have reached a state of happiness and peace that I never thought was possible. It really reflects my decision to surrender and go with the flow of life. I am truly amazed at the pictures I am attracted to and how this chart is unfolding.

The Vision Chart is simply a “Faith Development” exercise that uses the practice of belief. When belief is practiced on a daily basis, it increases and expands one’s faith in themselves and God. Belief help to make one a contributor to good and is based on expected faith. It gives the practitioner the ability to know without a shadow of a doubt that “All things are possible.” It looks at everything from the perspective of opportunities and gratitude. It does not recognize obstacles because there are none. Life is looked at as a way to grow and expand. Belief is the dot that connects you to your faith and the power of God.

When I first started this spiritual practice, I can honestly say that I had the faith of a mustard seed. My faith and belief in myself was wrecked with doubts and fears about my ability to live up to the pictures that I had placed on my board. Although I saw myself running a successful staffing agency that was based on EXCELLENCE and delivering quality service, I was afraid of failure. In addition to that, I was shy, introverted and was not used to starting conversations with people. I did not know how I was going to build my company, nor did I know how I was going to get clients. All I knew at the time was that I had faith in God, a dream, degrees, certificates, along with the knowledge and skills that I had gained over the years in the world of work, and a burning desire to create a company built on relationships,inclusivity, mutual respect, acceptance and equity. I was compelled to create a company where everyone was welcomed and encouraged to reach their full potential, because of the racism, discrimination and lack of opportunity that I had encountered along the way.

At The Diverse Placement Group, L.L.C., we practiced being non-judgmental with a heart that was open and receptive to learning. We connected people to their passion and helped them live out their purpose. We helped people step into their personal power. We blessed people and answered prayers. We helped people feed themselves and their families. We opened doors to success. We created and nurtured entrepreneurs. We were a creator of jobs and a creator of wealth. We were solution oriented. What is ironic is that my dream has not changed; the only difference is that my focus has changed. My dream has expanded, because I have expanded.

After seven (7) years of using this one spiritual tool to cultivate and nourish the faith and belief in myself and God; I have lost all fear and doubt about the possibilities of life. I have come to realize that I am a visual person who is action oriented. I like to see where I am going. I like images and words. It makes it easier for me to stay focused and on track. I can keep my eye on the BIG PICTURE and not get deterred. However it is important to note that you cannot put pictures on a board and expect for them to manifest, you have to put in the necessary emotional, mental, physical and spiritual work to make the dream possible. In other words, you have to step out on faith and belief.

Making the dream a reality is where the rubber meets the road. It requires an attitude of endurance and positivity. In my experience, this is where a lot of people get off. They allow their faith and belief in God to be overtaken by negativity, procrastination and the fear of the unknown. They talk themselves out of moving forward because they are scared and have encountered a little “hiccup” or bump in the road. They fail to recognize and embrace the Power of God. They want to stay stuck because it is comfortable and familiar. They blame their situation and circumstances on other people. Within themselves, they have created a spirit of resistance, separatism and failure. They do not see themselves as being the co-creators of their lives and experiences.

I have learned over the years that faith and belief are learned behaviors. They are success oriented and require that the practitioner display action and discipline in the art of knowing, trust, surrender, acceptance, gratitude and patience. I have also learned that if I say that I trust God, then I must act upon it. I cannot have any fear or doubt about that trust and if I do have trust issues, then I have to work on resolving them. Personally, if I do not trust the Power of God and myself, then I do not have a leg to stand on. The life and marriage that I seek to create as a wife; lover and helpmate will have a foundation that is weak and shallow. It will crumble under my feet. My words and actions will lack the power, substance and integrity needed to create success that I desire.

I have also discovered that faith and belief are not something you do with half a heart; either you believe in the Power of God or you don’t. When the practitioner makes a decision to trust God, they have to stick with it. There is no room for wavering. Faith and belief are not something that you can fake. What you believe have a tendency to show up in your words and actions. They truly reflect the fruit of your spirit and the essence of who you are.

The Vision Chart will help you get to know yourself a little better and take a small step into faith development. When doing these, I stay away from gathering pictures of material things. The focus is more on the experience I want to create or achieve and the attributes that I would like to develop and grow in my life and marriage. I use them to build character. For example, in a chart that Gary and I completed three (3) years ago, we were able to come up with the following vision on how we see ourselves experiencing our life and marriage together. In essence, we seek to:

“BE PRESENT” with each other every moment while taking the time out to enjoy and explore life. We recognize that getting there is half the FUN. However, we will do it even if we have to “BIKE IT.” In the midst of work, entertaining family and friends, we will take the time out to create and experience Romance, Fun, Adventure, Passion and Intimacy with each other. We will embrace our childlike nature with a little splash and lots of smiles. We will create a Holistic Spiritual Retreat Center where husbands and wives can come together to renew, relax and reflect on their emotional and spiritual well-being creating for themselves a heart of peace and a spirit of good health. At the end of every day, we will spend time in our sacred space having luscious and delicious pillow talk.”

Be mindful that Gary and I meditate and continue to act on this vision daily. So far, everything has been accomplished except the Holistic Spiritual Retreat Center; however we know that it is on its way. That is the essence of faith and belief. Visions take time to unfold.

This week, my questions are short and to the point, “What is your vision for your marriage and yourself?” and “As a husband, wife, lover and helpmate how do you see yourself making “your” vision come true?” In other words, “How can you make your marriage bloom?”

Have a wonderful week and may God continue to bless you as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

With love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™

"Copyright 2008 Sensuous Sexy Greta™. All Rights reserved"

The Spiritual Power of Prayer and Meditation©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:55:00 +0000

The Art of Self-Examination©

greta@sensuousseminars.com (Greta D. Johnson-Williams) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:02:00 +0000

Hello Sensuous Women!!!!

I am sitting here writing you from my “Sensuous Throne” and looking out of my bedroom window as I meditate and reflect on the goodness of God. I am indeed grateful for the life that I have been given and the marriage that Gary and I have created. It has blossomed beautifully and is sprouting LOVE all over the place. My heart continues to burst with JOY.

In addition, I am grateful for those that are reading this blog. In the past, I forgot to mention the Sensuous Men who has expressed their enjoyment in receiving them and the impact that it has had on their marriage and the interaction with their wives. It is true that whatever I write works both ways and it is not intended for Sensuous Women only! For those Sensuous Men out there, please know that I heard you. I appreciate you bringing your insight and perspective to my attention. I want to encourage those that have used the information provided to improve their lovemaking skills to keep up the good work. Your wife deserves to be loved, respected, cherished, honored and treated like the “Goddess” that she is. After all, she is the “Wife of your Dreams” and it your responsibility to help make her feel special and loved by the “Husband of her Dreams.” The creation of love works both ways and it is reciprocal.

Thank you for your concerns, well-wishes and encouragement to stay connected to each other and play. For the last thirty (30) days, Gary and I have been involved in continuous play and fun with each other; that is why it has taken me so long to get back to you. I have been playing with my husband and celebrating the love that God has given us. It would not be wise for me to offer you suggestions on how to create love in your life and marriage if I am not doing it myself…that would make me a hypocrite. My marriage is a priority and I took time off to play and give myself and my husband some much needed undivided attention, fun and relaxation. I hope that you have been doing the same since I last wrote you.

On May 4^th, we celebrated our 23^rd wedding anniversary and Gary’s 48^th birthday. To celebrate another year of love, it has become our tradition to purposely find ways to implement more fun into our marriage. We like to honor God by celebrating our union as husband and wife. Adding fun to our life has helped us be more creative in bringing each other happiness. Every year our celebration is different and reflects the growth in our love, faith and trust in God and each other. Fun has helped us step outside of our comfort zone and become more comfortable with ourselves.

We also use this time of celebration to examine ourselves for any thoughts and feelings about life and each other that may be holding us back from moving forward in our ONEness as a husband and wife. Taking a conscious look at ourselves helps us to identify the negative emotions and feelings that we have about a situation, person, God and each other and deal with it in the spirit of love and forgiveness. Taking responsibility for our thoughts and emotions helps us clear the way for our good. As a general rule, we do not believe in nurturing and cultivating negativity; it serves no purpose other than to bring a person down. It lacks the characteristics of love, compassion, mutual respect and acceptance.

The act of self examination is what Gary and I refer to as “truth serum.” It is having the courage to tell the truth about how you really feel about yourself, God, each other, a situation and a person without feeling shamed, guilty, rejected, judged or ridiculed about the way you feel and choose to express yourself. It is making the attempt to understand your own emotions and feelings and making the determination as to whether it is an emotion or feeling that you want to hold on to. This is the first step in getting to know the true essence of you. It is a spiritual growth tool that when used on a daily basis connects you to your intuition and heart space.

Self-examination helps the husband and wife take an honest and truthful look at their heart and see what is residing in their spirit. What dwells in your mind, heart and spirit will tell you the truth about yourself as a person. This is a gauge that helps the husband and wife determine if they are operating out of dishonesty, distrust, love, hate, jealousy, envy etc. They are your emotional triggers or the things that push your buttons. They tell you where you are in your spiritual growth and development.

To be happy, a husband and wife have to be true to themselves first. They have to search their heart for those feelings that give them a negative outlook on their life and marriage and make a decision to change their behavior and response to it. Gary and I have found that it is difficult to move forward in ONEness if we are not being honest with ourselves and each other about our emotions and feelings. As a husband and wife, we want to move and grow together in integrity, honesty, trust, acceptance and gratitude. To get there, we have to work on ourselves first. As his wife, it is my responsibility to tell him the truth and it is his responsibility to tell me the truth. That requires knowing the truth about you first. “WHO AM I?” is a question that will help you get to the meat in your heart and learn the truth about yourself.

Self-examination is a “Love Creation” process that has helped Gary and me clear out the cobwebs in our life and marriage. After eight (8) years of intentionally practicing this art of “Emotional Growth and Development,” we have reached a point in our marriage where we can openly share our thoughts, emotions, insights, ideas and perspectives with each other with total acceptance and freedom. We can finally talk and hear each other and not get mad or what I like to refer to as the word of the day, ‘Offended.” This is a word that stops dialog and disrupts the flow of communication. It is used when the husband and wife pushes a button or an emotional trigger.

The act of being offended often happens when we have a different perspective, insight, belief or opinion about something and we have verbalized it. Offended basically means that, “whatever you said pushed a trigger in me and now I am hurt, insulted and angry about it and I no longer want to deal with you or it.” The wife stops speaking to the husband and/or vice versa. As a result, love is withdrawn and conflict occurs.

To start the process of self-examination, the husband and wife have to ask themselves the following questions: “Why am I offended?" “Why do I feel this way?" “Why have I withdrawn my love?” "Where did this feeling come from?" and “Do this feeling help or hurt me?" Love creation occurs when you seek to understand your own reaction to a situation, person, God and each other.

Self-examination is a personal act. It involves looking at your heart and coming face to face with your own anger, fears, doubts, disappointments, frustrations, resentments, regrets or any negative feeling that you have about yourself, God, husband/wife, a situation and a person and start the process of forgiveness. The ability to forgive will help you jumpstart the healing process and move you toward feeling better about yourself and life. It opens the heart to receive love. It is a “Love Creation” strategy that I refer to as a “POWER” move. The power comes from the husband and wife taking personal ownership for the damage and pain that they have placed in the marriage and in the life of each other. Forgiveness takes a look at your behavior and what you do to create the pain that you are NOW experiencing within and consciously make the decision to create something different and better for yourself and your marriage. It eliminates a broken heart and the suffering that you feel in your spirit and replaces it with a feeling of unconditional love and happiness. In marriage, the act of forgiveness is the peacemaker.

To help us gain the courage to speak our truth to each other and build love in our marriage, Gary and I use the Biblical principle “And the truth shall set you free” John 8:32 as an affirmation to open up to each other and be honest with ourselves. Trust is a reflection of this Biblical principle. “We trust that when we share openly and honestly with each other that it will be received and responded to in love. There is no harm in our intention; we have each other’s best interest at heart. The purpose of our marriage is to help each other reach their full potential while being true to ourselves, God and each other as we move into our ONEness as husband and wife.”

This week as you go about your daily activities, I want to encourage you to be “true and honest with yourself.” Go off by yourself and do some self-examination. Find out what makes you tick. Get a sense of what makes you happy. Take an honest look at what is residing in your heart and spirit and ask yourself the following questions: Do I like who I AM? Do I like what I see? Do I like what I feel? Am I happy with the life and marriage that I am creating? What am I afraid of? How do I keep myself from experiencing love? Do I love and accept myself? Do I believe in myself? Am I ready to forgive and move on? Am I at peace with myself? Am I at peace with God? Am I at peace with my husband/wife? Am I holding myself back? What is blocking me from my good? Am I ready to become better? These are questions that only you can answer.

Below is a prayer that we would like to share with you from Renaissance Unity. It is a church for Spiritual Growth. Gary and I have greatly benefited from this ministry. Greg Barrette is the Pastor and he is a wonderful, caring man who has a passion for spiritual growth and development. He opened his heart and arms to Gary and me during a time of transition. For his act of love and encouragement, we are eternally grateful. In addition, the people are warmhearted, friendly and have a sincere desire to learn and grow spiritually. It is a great place to expand. You can visit them at www.renaissanceunity.org and participate in their Sunday worship service via the internet at 9:00a.m. or 11:00a.m. Attending church via the internet has become a spiritual practice that Gary and I thoroughly enjoy together. It has become one of OUR favorite forms of worship.

This prayer is a part of their summer 2008 Unexpected Income Program. It can be used to help the husband and wife be on ONE accord in the financial matters of their marriage and expand their trust, faith and belief in themselves and God that is needed in this “Global Intellectual Economy.” We use this prayer to help remind us of our truth “God always Provide.” Saying this prayer helps us to take God at his/her word and recognize the true source of our power. You can also learn and read more about this Affirmative Prayer program on their website and register to participate. Please note: In the original prayer, the word ‘I” is used. However, in a movement toward ONEness in our marriage, Gary and I are learning to refer to everything as “WE, OUR and US.” This Affirmative Prayer is a reflection of us as a husband and wife:

WE dwell in the midst of Infinite Abundance. The Abundance of God is OUR Infinite Source. The River of Life never stops flowing. It flows through US into lavish expression. Good comes to US through unexpected avenues. God works in myriad ways to bless US. We now open OUR mind to receive OUR good. Nothing is too good to be true. Nothing is too wonderful to happen. With God as OUR Source, nothing amazes US. WE give freely and fearlessly into life and life gives back to US with fabulous increase. Blessings come in expected and unexpected ways. God provides for US in wondrous ways. WE are grateful. And so it is.

Our intent is to commit this prayer to memory and make it a permanent part of our daily worship together. To help us accomplish this small feat, we have this prayer posted in our bathroom and the area where I do my hair. We are also making it a screensaver for our individual computers. It has become a great meditative practice as we seek to plant these words in our mind and heart.

Finally, please help Gary and I celebrate our ONEness and accept our PowerPoint Mini-Seminar as a gift. It is our desire that you download this Affirmative Prayer and make it a part of your daily meditative practice. It is our way of expressing gratitude for your encouragement, support and love for helping us get through this past year of Spiritual Growth and Development. It was a PHENOMENAL ride!!! We are the happiest we have ever been.

Have a wonderful week and may God continue to bless you as you co-create the marriage and life of your dreams!

With love and gratitude,

Sensuous Sexy Greta™