Wednesday, April 20, 2016

"The Wait" becomes the "Game Changer"

HEY GUYS, IT'S BEEN AWHILE SINCE I'VE POSTED ON OPGL, I'VE MISSED YOU GUYS, HOPE ALL HAS BEEN WELL AND BLESSING UPON BLESSING HAS BEEN ON YOU GUYS. LOVE YOU! TO GET TO THE MAINE PURPOSE OF THIS BLOG, I'M SURE YOU GUYS SAW THE TITLE "THE WAIT" BECOMES THE "GAME CHANGER". BOY! I JUST FINISHED READING "THE WAIT" AN AMAZING BOOK BY MEAGAN GOOD-(FRANKLIN)AND HER HUSBAND DEVON FRANKLIN, IT'S DEFINITELY A BEST-SELLER PERIOD. I LOVED IT!! I PROMISE I WON'T SPOIL THE BOOK FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL READING AND THOSE WHO PLAN ON READING IT. I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO KNOW THIS IS A MUST READ. NOW TO THE GOOD STUFF... I AM A MOTHER OF 3 BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN 8,9,AND 1O AND FOR A LONG TIME I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THE REALITY OF RELATIONSHIPS. I WAS WITH MY CHILDREN'S FATHER FOR 7 YEARS AND HE WAS 'THE LOVE OF MY LIFE' WE CREATED 3 AMAZING HUMAN BEINGS TOGETHER HOWEVER THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIM AND I WAS A ROCKY ONE (AND THAT'S A NICE WAY OF PUTTING IT). AFTER A WHILE WE DECIDED TO GO OUR SEPARATE WAYS AND TRY TO CO-PARENT THE BEST WAY WE COULD CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES. AFTER HIM, I FOUND MYSELF 'IN LOVE AGAIN'THIS GUY AND I SPENT 7 YEARS OFF AND ON, UPS AND DOWNS, MORE TEARS THAN SMILES BUT I MADE MYSELF HAPPY. I WAS IN A "RELATIONSHIP" I GOT WHAT I NEEDED, HE GOT WHAT HE NEEDED, IT WAS GOOD, UNTIL I STARTED TO "FEEL SOME TYPE OF WAY" ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS HE CHOSE TO DO. MY PHILOSOPHY BECAME "WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE IS GOOD FOR THE GANDER". IF YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE "FUN" SO WAS I. IF YOU CHOSE NOT TO TAKE MY FEELINGS INTO CONSIDERATION, I WASN'T GOING TO TAKE YOURS INTO THOUGHT AT ALL. I REBELLED, NOT AGAINST THE GUY BUY AGAINST GOD. AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T CARE, I JUST WANTED TO GET MY LICKS BACK, ALL MY LICKS BACK. I BEGAN TO GET SUPER TIRED OF THE DRAMA, TALKED TO MY MOM ABOUT MOVING, MADE A TRIP TO ATLANTA FOR A HAIR SHOW IN AUGUST OF 2015, LOVED IT, CONSIDERED MOVING THERE. DECIDED THAT TAKING MY BABIES THAT FAR WASN'T THE BEST IDEA SO I DECIDED TO MOVE TO DALLAS, I JUST WANTED SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR ME AND MY BABIES. WE PACKED UP AND MOVED AT THE END OF OCT 2015 (QUICK HUH!!-HAHA.) THE HAND OF GOD MOVED SO QUICK FOR US WE WERE OUT OF THERE IN NOT TIME. I OBTAINED EMPLOYMENT AND WAS DOING REALLY WELL. I HAD FINALLY GOTTEN AWAY FROM THE MAN THAT WAS BEGINNING TO CREATE A MONSTER (OR HAD HE ALREADY DID THAT-HMMM) BUT IT WASN'T ALL HIS FAULT BECAUSE I AM GROWN. I MADE IT. I MADE IT TO D-TOWN ENJOYING LIFE (NOT REALLY, I WAS WORKING NONSTOP-UGH) BUT I WAS MAKING THE COINZ SO I WAS HAPPY. WITHIN A MONTH I MET A GUY, GOT ALL STARRY EYED AND WAS "IN LOVE" AGAIN *ROLLS EYES*. WE HAD SO MUCH IN COMMON, HE WAS SO SWEET ON ME BUT THERE WAS A PROBLEM (THAT PROBLEM IS NEITHER HERE NOR THERE), JUST KNOW IT WAS A PROBLEM. ONE DAY, WE WE'RE ON THE PHONE HAVING A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION AND AFTER THAT AMAZING CONVERSATION, I STOPPED CONVERSING WITH HIM, JUST LIKE THAT, I LET IT GO. I DIDN'T COME TO DALLAS TO "FALL IN LOVE". I CAME TO DO BETTER AND BE BETTER AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE FOCUS ON MY "WHY" AND AT THE RATE I WAS GOING I WAS LOSING FOCUS QUICK. SO, I LET IT GO. WAS IT SOMETHING I WANTED TO DO, HONESTLY, NO. IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD TO DO. SOMETIMES OUR FLESH CAN MAKE US DO THINGS AND MAKE DECISIONS THAT ISN'T PARALLEL TO CHRISTS STANDARDS AND SOMETIMES, IT HURTS BUT THE REWARD IS GREATER. AFTER THAT I HAD A LOT OF TIME ON MY HANDS (I HATED MY JOB SO I RESIGNED). I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MY "SISTER" A FRIEND THAT I'VE BEEN FRIENDS WITH FOR ABOUT 8 YEARS. WE WERE ON THE PHONE CUTTING UP AS USUAL AND SHE MENTIONED "THE WAIT" SHE WAS TELLING ME HOW I NEEDED TO GET IT, HOW GOOD IT WAS AND WHATNOT, SO I WAS LIKE WHATS $25 DOLLARS ON A BOOK AND I LOVE READING SO WHY NOT. I WENT TO BARNS AND NOBLE AND GOT "THE WAIT"............. GOING INTO "THE WAIT" I HAD CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS. I DIDN'T GOOGLE THE REVIEWS LIKE I WOULD NORMALLY DO WITH THINGS I'M PURCHASING, I JUST TOOK MY FRIENDGIRLS' WORD FOR IT. I WAS LIKE YES!!! MEG IS ABOUT TO SPILL THE TEA ON HOW TO GET AND KEEP YOUR MAN (I WISH I HAD THE SIDE-EYE EMOJI-BECAUSE THAT'S THE FACE I'M SURE I'D GET FOR ANYONE I TOLD THAT TO-LOL). I WAS THINKING I'M GOING TO START KNOWING HOW TO DATE WHILE ABSTAINING FROM SEX, I WAS GOING GET THE BEANS ON HOW TO BE GOOD TO MY MAN, I WAS ABOUT TO BE SCHOOLED ON HOW TO HAVE A "BOYFRIEND" AND TURN HIM INTO "A HUSBAND". (TUH)...... I OPENED "THE WAIT' AND WAS IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING AND WAS NOT READY. THE INTRO HAD ME WIDE EYED. THE HOLY SPIRIT SPOKE AND SAID "YOU WASN'T READY WERE YOU?", I'M LOOKING AT THE BOOK LIKE "NAWL, I WAS NOT READY". I WAS EXPECTING SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. I'M EXPECTING FOR MEAGAN TO SAY "GIRL LISTEN, KEEP YOUR LEGS CLOSED TILL MARRIAGE AND YOU GOT HIM, SIMPLE AS THAT." AS I BEGAN AND CONTINUED TO READ "THE WAIT" I STARTED TO REALIZE MY WORTH. I BEGAN TO REALIZE I WAS WORTH MORE THAN WHAT I EVEN THOUGHT OF MYSELF. I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD WAS NOT WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE, MY LOVE FOR BEVERLY WASN'T WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE, AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY CHILDREN WASN'T AS STRONG AS I THOUGHT IT WAS, AND I TOOK A GOOD STRONG LOOK AT MY FINANCES AND WAS FLOORED. SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE. EVEN IN READING "THE WAIT" I HAD SOME THOUGHTS. CUTTING CORNERS TYPE THOUGHTS. THOUGHTS LIKE, "SO, IF I'M PRACTICING CELIBACY FOR MY HUSBAND AND EVENTUALLY WITH THE MAN THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BE MY HUSBAND, SINCE IN SINGLE, NOT DATING, NOT SEEING ANYONE EXCLUSIVELY, I CAN GET ME A PIECE WITH NO STRINGS ATTACHED" (TUH) AS I KEPT READING, MY AWAKENING WAS REAL RUDE. I REALIZED FOR ME, "THE WAIT" WASN'T ABOUT HAVING "A MAN", "A BOYFRIEND", "A SIGNIFICANT OTHER", OR WHATEVER. IT'S WAS ABOUT HEARING THE VOICE OF GOD FOR MY LIFE. GETTING RID OF ALL THE CLUTTER THAT CLOGGED THE EAR OF MY HEART TO HEAR THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT GOD HAD FOR ME AND LIVE LIFE ACCORDING TO CHRISTS' STANDARDS. I WAS ALSO LISTENING TO PODCASTS W/ DR. TONY EVANS (THE URBAN ALTERNATIVE) TOWARDS ME FINISHING "THE WAIT" AND WHEN I TELL YOU GUYS THE MESSAGES (FOR ME) WERE PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, IT WAS INSANE. DR. TONY EVANS SAID SOMETHINGS THAT BLESSED ME DEARLY IN MY WALK AS A "SINGLE KINGDOM WOMAN". ONE OF THE THINGS HE POINTED OUT WAS, "TO BE A SUCCESSFUL SINGLE UNTIL YOUR CHANGE COMES, YOU NEED TO SATISFY YOUR CALLING, YOUR DIVINE APPOINTMENT UNDER GOD". HE ALSO SAID, "BEING FULLY DEVOTED TO YOUR CALLING IS WHATS GOING TO SUSTAIN YOU DURING THE TIME YOU ARE NOT IN THE STATE YOU PREFER TO BE IN (PREFERRED STATE-MARRIAGE), YOU ARE TO FUNCTION IN YOUR GARDEN, YOUR DIVINE PLACEMENT (EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS ONE). AT THE END OF THE NOTES I TOOK FROM THAT PARTICULAR PODCAST WHICH WAS TITLED "DOMINION AND MARRIAGE" PT. 1, I HIGHLIGHTED IN BIG BOLD LETTERS, "SUCCESSFUL SINGLE" BEING A "SUCCESSFUL SINGLE" IS WHAT I'M STRIVING TO BE ON MY JOURNEY IN "THE WAIT". "THE WAIT" CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE ON HOW TO GO ABOUT HANDLING BEING SINGLE, HANDLING BEVERLY AND MAKING BEVERLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEVERLY. TO GO INTO COURTSHIP WITH AN OPEN MIND, MORALS, VALUES AND HIGH SELF-ESTEEM, AND ALLOW CHRIST TO BE THE STANDARD IN WHICH I MAKE MY DECISIONS AND ULTIMATELY MAKING THOSE SAME DECISIONS WITH THE MAN GOD HAS ALWAYS HAD IN MIND FOR ME, NOT "A HUSBAND" BUT "MY HUSBAND". YEARS AGO, IF ANY ONE WOULD HAVE ASKED ME WAS I READY TO BE A WIFE OR WOULD I MAKE A GOOD WIFE, MY ANSWER WOULD HAVE BEEN "YES" WITHOUT QUESTION BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS READY FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY. NOW, I LOOK BACK AND SAY I WOULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIBLE WIFE, WHY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW MYSELF, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ONE CLUE ON HOW TO HOLD MY HUSBAND UP AND BALANCE LIFE AS ONE WITH HIM. MY DESIRE IS TO BE GREAT. GREAT AS A "SINGLE KINGDOM WOMAN" AND EVENTUALLY GREAT AS A "KINGDOM WIFE". WORKING TO BE A BETTER ME HAS BEEN THE BEST DECISION I'VE MADE SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY, AND EMOTIONALLY. PUTTING MY HEART/LIFE IN GODS HAND AND ALLOWING HIM TO GUIDE MY COURSE IS A FEELING THAT CAN'T BE DESCRIBED WITH WORDS. I AM FINALLY HAPPY AND FREE AND IT FEELS GOOD, SO GOOD. THANK YOU MEAGAN AND DEVON FOR SHARING NOT ONLY LIFE EXPERIENCES BUT YOUR HEARTS TO US. YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING.. XOXO BEVERLY P.S. "THE WAIT" WILL BE PASSED DOWN TO MY DAUGHTER ON HER 14TH BIRTHDAY..... SHE'S A MONTH AND A HALF SHY OF 11... I'M NOT READY BUT I'M AS READY AS I'LL EVER BE.....LOL... XO