My6inchchallenge's Blog

Tackling difficulties and overcoming the challenges life serves up – by Dona Halliday

Archive for May, 2011

The journey to “suddenly” – It can all change in a moment

May 23, 2011 at 5:18 am · Filed under Challenges, church, Difficulties, God, Growth, development, health and wellness, High heels, Journey, relationships and tagged: , , , , ,

There is a journey to suddenly, a time of growth, transformation, readiness - then, "Suddenly"
Prepared for “Suddenly”

I really don’t know how it happened… I kept wondering if things were ever going to change — get better, you know? I was at a point of desperation, and just when I thought I could not hold on for another second, suddenly there was a knock on the door and my life changed completely…

I don’t know whose story those lines are from but I know that we have all longed to get that place of “Suddenly.”  That pivotal moment when our faith interrupts reality and we know it has to be something supernatural, a God thing, because just a second before suddenly occurred there was absolutely no evidence that things would, or could possibly even change.
A funeral procession, a grieving woman who had recently lost her husband now cries over her dead son, her only son, THEN SUDDENLY….
A grave yard for a home, living among dead people, clothes torn, restrained with chains, his mind and body no longer his own, THEN SUDDENLY…
A  church service, a woman who could not even lift her head toward heaven because of her crippled body — bent over for 18 years, THEN SUDDENLY…
He sits on the roadside, begging, blind, and crying for mercy, THEN SUDDENLY….
I don’t understand God’s timing, but in my own life I’ve come to appreciate the journey to “Suddenly.” That season of stillness, challenges, pressure, growth, change. I believe with all my heart that God makes the difference. He shows up in our circumstances, and with a word and a touch; years of graveside, crippled, blinded, churched and dead living meets the transformation of “Suddenly.”

Are you in a situation that desperately needs the God of “Suddenly?” Seek Him and remain steadfast in your faith.

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Was God Not Paying Attention When He Made Me?

May 18, 2011 at 4:08 am · Filed under Growth, development, health and wellness, Journey, relationships, women and tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Learning to love ourselves is a journey we must all take.

I love my kinky curly hair!

Was God not paying attention when he made us? That was the question I raised when I delivered my speech at my Toast Master’s club on Monday evening. I wanted us, African-American women to take a close look at ourselves and continue the journey of learning to love those things that make us unique.

I realize, however, that it’s not only us who struggle with self acceptance, but women in general seem to have this destructive, negative, internal talk that makes it difficult for us to sometimes accept and love what we see in the mirror. How can we guard against passing this negativity down to our little girls?

Those thoughts inspired this short poem:

I love being me!

I love this skin that I’m in,
I love the crown that I wear,
I love the shape of my face
Beneath my kinky curly hair.
I love the size of my lips,
I love the spread of my nose,
I won’t trade any part of me,
Not for those, those, or even those.

I love the way that I curve,
I love my poise and my pose,
I love my entire body,
With and without clothes.
I love the shape of my legs,
I love my wide-width feet,
I don’t care if I’m not skinny,
If I’m not petite.

I love being me!
I hope you love being you,
Those who want to change us,
Don’t even have a clue,
Inferiority and insecurity,
Won’t find a lodging place,
For we are wrapped in His beauty,
And covered by His grace.

I love being me!
Do you love being you?
Can you recognize your beauty?
It’s right there in front of you,
Should God have really formed me,
the same way He formed you,
As though He lacked originality
and creativity?

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Do you have time for a core check?

May 9, 2011 at 2:45 am · Filed under Challenges, Fitness, God, Growth, development, health and wellness and tagged: , , , , , , , ,

What core area of your life needs to be strenghtened? Growth and change come from not only taking time to evaluate self but formulating a plan and following through with it.

How is your core?

“Do you know those toys that come with labels that say batteries not included? well this one says CORE not included!” My physical therapists were having fun at my expense after my five pathetic attempts at raising my upper body from the floor as I reached for a ball perched on my raised bent legs, and even though I protested with, “Do I really need to put up with this verbal abuse?” I was laughing just as hard as they at this funny, clever remark.

After hearing Willis’ remark Kurt came over, pressed lightly on my abdomen and asked, “do you mean the flat belly is only for show?” They were working on eliminating the pain caused by an injury to my left shoulder that had led to neck and back pains as well, and restrengthening my core was part of the plan to alleviate the back pain.

As Willis lectured me on the importance of having a strong core, I listened and took note of these girdle-like muscles that support, protect and enable movement. However, his first comment caused me to shift from the physical and take a look at other areas in my life and do a “core check”. In a society where so much can be about “show,” I recognize that there are some things that are too important for me to settle only for appearances.

If I were to ask you, “Do you know of anyone who seem to live a life founded on pretense? They are all about the show – how perfect they can make others believe their life is. They’ll buy it, lease it, go into debt to get it, as long as it creates the image. They’ll lie about it, fake it, and say it so many times that they themselves, though they don’t change to make it truth, start believing it. They’ll settle for the form of the thing and miss that it’s the power that makes the difference, and is available for asking.

If I asked you that question you’ll probably be able to list names and relay incidents. But I’m not going to ask that. I’ve come to realize that it can be easier to point out the challenges of others yet fail to recognize and address the same challenges in our own lives.

So, the question really is yours. Can you recognize any area in your life that is founded on pretense? Are you all about a show…?

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