Unstuck and Unstoppable

Faith Is Color Blind - Diane Bailey

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:54:00 +0000

To some of us, interracial relationships are no big deal.

But to others, these relationships are still rare enough to cause uneasiness.

Where do you stand? Are you brave enough to share your position?

I had the privilege of making a new friend, as I sought someone to interview for today's story.

When Diane Bailey and I first got on the phone, we had no idea of what her story was going to be about. But God does have a sense of humor.

As we began talking, Diane shared about the struggle she initially had in accepting her daughter's relationship with a black man, and how God helped her reach a different place of understanding. I asked her to share a little bit more. She did so-- with refreshing honesty -- all the while not realizing that the person who was interviewing her was African-American.

Living Out Her Purpose - Debra Elramey

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 30 May 2012 16:16:00 +0000

If you're still unclear as to your God-given life purpose, you'll definitely want to read Debra's story.

She shares how uncovering the mystery can be as simple as reflecting on childhood clues that point towards your truest self.

Tell us a little bit about yourself...
I live in North Carolina with my husband and daughter, where I teach writing and music.

I have 3 children all together. 2 have left the nest. All of them were home schooled.

Abigail, my 16-year-old, describes me as “cat whisperer.” She tells her friends that
neighborhood cats “bond” with me when they won’t come near anyone else.

What is your God-given purpose, and when did you uncover it?
From early on, I have always known that I had an imagination, which is one of the elements that a writer has to have. I used to tell stories, and I was quite animated.

I've known I was called to write since second grade, when I copied verbatim an entire children’s book and turned it in to my teacher, saying, “Look what I wrote!”
Read more »

Living Out Her Purpose - Paula Tobey

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:49:00 +0000

From being a school teacher, afraid to teach adults, to becoming a parent coach, with adults as her primary students, read about Paula Tobey's journey in uncovering and living out her life purpose.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I'm a former teacher, and now a certified parent coach. I work with parents (mostly moms) who have children with special needs. The parents that I see most frequently are the ones with kids that have ADHD, or Aspergers, which is a mild form of autism.

I found the moms who needed the most help were completely overwhelmed and did not know where to start. The parents who have children with special needs know how difficult it can be!

Living Out His Purpose - Minsky Delmonte

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:31:00 +0000

I am delighted to share with you this interview with Minsky Delmonte. He and I went to high school together, many moons ago. It had been over 20 years since I'd last spoken to him live. But when we got on the phone last week, his familiar jovial manner was still evident, as he teased me about being a "bootleg blogger", since I had to reschedule our interview twice. I told him to reserve judgement for after I posted his story!

Anyone who knows Minsky, knows that he is an avid steel drum player. But what you might not know is that he is also an avid warrior for Christ. He shares his story here...

Jamie Grace - Hold Me

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 06 May 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Today's featured artist is Jamie Grace. I'd heard her song, "Hold Me" on the radio, and immediately liked her. Such an upbeat song about relationship with the One. Her sound reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Colbie Caillat-- a beautiful mix of folksy-pop with a slight reggae infusion. If I were a musician, she and I would be destined for a collaboration! As talented as she is, Jamie Grace has endured a struggle that most of us know little about. The video for "Hold Me" is embedded below. I have also reposted the following information from jamie-grace.com...
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Living Out Her Purpose - Linda Russell

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:18:00 +0000

You can tell by her picture that Linda Russell is quite the character. I chuckled often during our interview, amused by her self-deprecating humor, and her honesty about being unsure that God knew what He was doing when He called her to action...

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I live right outside of St. Louis, Missouri. I've been married 38 years, and I have four grown children, 11 grandkids, and 3 great-grandchildren. I'm a writer and a speaker, and I do volunteer work for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Abused Children). I also spend a lot of time with my grandkids.

What This Protestant Girl Learned in Catholic School

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:00:00 +0000

St. Francis of Assisi School, 4300 Baychester Ave., Bronx, NY 10466

Because there were few options for protestant schools back when I was little, my mother sent me to Catholic school for my elementary education. So, from first through fourth grade, I attended St. Francis of Assisi School on Baychester Avenue in the Bronx, NY.

I remember it as though it were yesterday. I particularly remember the principal, a towering nun, who scared the bejeezus out of me-- Sister Mary Terrence (may she rest in peace). Talk about a strict disciplinarian! I saw her pull more than a few badly behaved boys into her office-- by their ear.

Touched By the Divine - Althea Bailey, Part IV

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:34:00 +0000

On Tuesday morning, she called her pastor friend to tell him what she had been experiencing.

"There's this fire inside of me...", she explained.

"There's a calling on your life, and God wants to use you", he told her.

When she got to church on Tuesday night, she discovered that there was more than one track for Bible College. One was a new members track. But there was also a ministerial track. And even though she was brand new, she was drawn to the ministerial track.

She asked someone next to her what the ministerial class was all about. He said, "I think it's the one you take if there's a calling on your life".

Althea joined the class for the ministerial track.

Touched By the Divine - Althea Bailey, Part III

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Althea contemplated everything that had been happening to her since November.

Though she hadn't made a commitment to God until December, He had already blessed her with a good job, stable finances, admission to graduate school, and a great relationship with her family.

When she had been suffering from back pain and a broken heart simultaneously, He had provided instantaneous relief, as a supernatural answer to her prayers.

When she was in need of comfort, after hearing about her parents pending divorce, He allowed the SUN to shine on her, through closed blinds, to assure her of His presence through her pain.

And when she doubted that He had really done that, He confirmed His signature, by leading her to a verse in the Bible that began with, "For God is a SUN and SHIELD..." (Psalm 84:11)

Touched By the Divine - Althea Bailey, Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:48:00 +0000

December was a difficult month for Althea. She had just ended the relationship with her boyfriend in November, and now she was dealing with her parents' pending divorce. She had begun attending church, which was helping her to cope, but there were still days when the burden of her sadness took over.

Christmas Eve was one of those days.

She kept thinking about how different Christmas dinner was going to be, now that her parents had decided to part ways.

Touched By the Divine - Althea Bailey, Part I

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:12:00 +0000

Every now and again, you are blessed to a meet a person whose fiery new-found faith reignites your own desire to walk closely with God. For me, that person is Althea Bailey.

Althea is a delightful young woman with a vibrant personality that will warm your heart within the first few moments of speaking with her. At only 30 years old, she's had a successful career as a neurosurgical nurse, and will begin studies in Nurse Anesthesia this coming August.

Around this time last year, Althea felt like she was on top of the world. She had a great man in her life, her finances were in order, her plans to apply to graduate school were coming along, and all was well with her family and friends. One-by-one, the plans she had set were coming to fruition, and she felt that her life was complete.

That is, with the exception of one thing. She didn't have a relationship with God.

Life Purpose - Definition

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:05:00 +0000

"Who am I? Why am I here?" Regardless of your walk in life, you've probably shared in this most basic human desire-- to find out where you came from, and to uncover what you were sent here to do. According to dictionary.com, purpose is defined as "the reason for which something exists, or is done, made, used, etc...". As such then, one's life purpose must be the reason for which one's unique existence was made to be-- the achievement that it was made to fulfill, and the end that it was created to attain.
Read more »

Building 429 - Listen to the Sound

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 01:19:00 +0000

I love good music. And "Building 429", a popular contemporary christian band, most definitely churns it out. I had the pleasure of coming across their music while sitting in traffic one day on the highway, a few months ago.
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Living Out Her Purpose - Keesha Barreau

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:31:00 +0000

Charismatic. Inspiring. Ambitious. These are the words that come to mind when I think about Keesha Barreau's personality. I've had the privilege of interacting with her and experiencing her gifts-in-action throughout our 4 year friendship... on Facebook! We first linked up back in 2008, based on our connection with a mutual friend. Since then, we've chatted back on forth regarding just about everything under the sun-- natural hair, weddings, pictures, spirituality, etc... I was intrigued by her craft as a make-up artist, so planned on asking her to share a little bit about it here at Unstuck and Unstoppable. The Lord had other plans, however, and our conversation revealed that there's even more to this bubbly woman's mission on earth, than I'd originally recognized...

What would you describe as the role that God has created for you to fill?
My role in life is to encourage other women, older and younger, to be who they are, to love who they are, and to be confident.

When did you discover that this was your purpose?

I've known for a long time that I enjoy talking with people and encouraging them. My mother is a pastor, and has always been a very encouraging person. So, as a typical "mommy's girl", I'm very much like her. Before she became a pastor, she was a probation officer, and a counselor.

Wisdom - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:18:00 +0000

In Wisdom - Part 1, I shared how reading one Bible chapter to quiet my mind led me to recognize the process necessary for gaining "supernatural-level" wisdom. In today's post, I'll share how God responded when one ill-prepared young man humbly asked for wisdom, and why his experience should get us over-the-top excited!

As a brief review...

In 1 Kings chapter 2, Solomon succeeded his father, David, as king of Israel. Though we don't know exactly how old he was when he assumed the throne, we believe that he was as young as 12, but no older than his late 20's. In either case, he was very wet behind the ears, and not at all psychologically or intellectually prepared to run a kingdom. This concerned him greatly, and in a dream one night, he had a conversation with God...

Shawn McDonald: A Hippie Reborn

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 18:57:00 +0000

Shawn McDonald is one of my favorite inspirational artist. I came across his music by accident, about 4 years ago, when looking for some new music to download on iTunes. His music is driven by the acoustic guitar, and is very fresh and contemporary, with upbeat tunes, as well as meditative selections for those who want to enjoy a quiet moment in song.
Read more »

Wisdom - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:38:00 +0000

My mind is generally in at least 4 different places at any given moment. So last week, in an attempt to quiet my noisy thoughts, I committed to reading at least one chapter per day of a Bible book until I was finished. The book I chose was 1 Kings.

What a page turner! I felt like I was watching a movie.

And even though I'm almost done with the first book of Kings, there is something about chapter 3 that keeps bringing me back to it. I'm going to share it with you here.

Shipwrecked

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Recently, I made the decision to make Bible reading a daily habit.

Despite how involved I have been in church from time to time over the years, I never did quite make it an imperative to read my Bible everyday. Some people would be ashamed to share information like that. But, not me. You know why? Because, I think to myself... "If I've come this far by faith, without having spent as much time in the Word as I should, then what heights can I look forward to in my faith and my future, now that I AM spending this much time in the Word?" Now THAT'S something to shout about!

Let me share with you where this renewed commitment originated...

Personal Transformation - You're Human

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 20:05:00 +0000

When she awakens, she feels refreshed because she's had a good night sleep, and she's already set goals for the day ahead.

She's confident about her intentions and direction, because she communes with God before starting on her way.

Though she's in her 30's, she feels more vibrant than she did in her 20's, because she engages in at least 45 minutes of exercise, 4 days per week. Her health is optimal, because she eats lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and enjoys water as her favorite beverage.

She has a sister, however, who lives close by, but struggles with attaining good habits.

When she awakens, she wonders why in the world she stayed up so late watching "Breakout Kings" the night before.
Read more »

The Not-So-Sleepy Vineyard

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:37:00 +0000

I took this picture a couple of weeks ago while visiting my brother in California. I live on the east coast, so to me EVERYTHING on the west coast is worth taking pictures of. It's just so.... I don't know... different over there. Within a 2-hour drive, I felt like I'd seen the northern Midwest, the southern east coast, the Caribbean, and Central America all wrapped up into one.

What a diverse landscape!

Spring In Your Step

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:34:00 +0000

The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come,

and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.

Song of Solomon 2:12 NLT

Okay... maybe Solomon took it a little over the top with the whole turtledoves thing, but you get what he's saying. Spring has sprung!

What a pleasure it was to drive by these blossoming beauties as I dropped my daughter off at school.

Oh no, He didn't!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:17:00 +0000

God doesn't play at all, does He? My, oh my. Let me share.

After months of going back and forth about it, I'd finally accepted that it was time for me to move on from my job. It was a good job, and at times very personally fulfilling. But the restlessness in my spirit made it evident that there was much more for me to do "out there", and it wasn't to be done in that particular role. My season there was coming to an end.

So, I began working on "mission: New Job for Karen".

About Karen

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:16:00 +0000

Such an unusual child of God I am, sometimes. Goofy, but serious. Loving, but stern. Happy, but pensive. Very organized with my work, but you'd never know it if you saw my home "office". Yowsers!

I am perfectly imperfect, and so very pleased about it. It allows me to stay grounded and ever-aware that my suitability as a mommy, sister, wife, mentor, cousin and friend comes solely from my "blood line" as a child of God, saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

I have a passion for personal development and spiritual growth, and an awe-inspired reverance for the outcomes that both can lead to.