Tag: Jimmetta Carpenter

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

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God Called One of His Angels Home Today

December 27, 2011 jcladyluv

“What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”

~Eleanor Powell

I had something completely different in mind to blog about today but when my best friend Ms. L called me with some tragic news that took place in her family I was moved to write something totally different. A 38 year old woman is no longer in this world today due to a heart attack that no one saw coming and obviously (because of her age and good health) could not have been predicted. Ms. L had just spoken to her last night and she was said to have been lively and energetic, without any sign of something being wrong. Then she was just gone.

Now while I did not know this person personally I feel sadness for Ms. L and her family and the immediate family of the person they lost. Mostly I feel such sadness for her 8 year old little girl who was unfortunate enough to be the one to find her because she had no idea (clearly) that this would be her last Christmas with her mother. This is a painful reminder of the fact that none of us are promised tomorrow.

I find myself constantly telling myself that I will start really living my life tomorrow, or next week, or next year, after I have everything mapped out. Today I realized the problem with that way of thinking. We don’t know what life we have left on this earth and because of that we have to start living that life. I’m not dismissing the act of planning what it is that you want to do in life (I don’t think I could stop planning if I tried) as well as what you want out of it. However, all of that planning should not go to waste by forgetting to live out those plans before we lose our chance to.

And for those of you out there who have unspoken words that you think you have all this time left to say, say them now because none of us know if we will have another time to say them. Until tomorrow…Never take for granted the life that you have.

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

Even When No One Is Looking

December 26, 2011 jcladyluv

So I didn’t necessarily feel like blogging today but I’ve already taken a two day break over the Christmas holiday and I didn’t want to risk missing anymore. I was having trouble figuring out what to write about today and I found that I wasn’t feeling all that motivated because I took a look at the stats of my blog and saw that there weren’t that many people reading what I had to say to begin with. I think I need for my best friend Ms. L. to share her secrets with me because she can go from having a bad blog day to a good blog day in a matter of minutes with just one post. Maybe it’s just not my blog moment yet. I guess that I just have to wait my turn in that area too. It feels like I always seem to be waiting for my turn at something. Well they say that the best things come to those who wait and since I don’t plan on ever giving up on writing, I guess I’ll just keep on blogging and writing my novels and doing whatever else my journey as a writer brings to me even if no one is looking (or in this case reading). Until tomorrow…Always do what you love doing whether people are watching or not!

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

The Gift of Giving

December 23, 2011December 23, 2011 jcladyluv

“At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me food to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in. Hungry not only for bread — but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing — but naked for human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks — but homeless because of rejection.”
~Mother Teresa

When Christmas comes around every year we get so caught up in worrying about what gift we are going to get for which person and whether or not we will be able to get everything that the kids wrote down on their lists or dropped hints about way back around Halloween. I admit that I am guilty of being determined to get every single little thing on my daughter’s list (knowing that I can’t possibly in good conscience get everything). I admit that it is for the sheer joy of seeing her face light up as the gifts go under the tree and on Christmas morning when she thinks I’m a rock star because I actually made the attempt to get everything she wanted.

Now I have explained to my daughter that Christmas is not in fact about getting gifts (as society has made it out to be) but I think that when she continually sees adds and cartoons and other children so focused on getting gifts that it’s still hard for her to understand what Christmas really means. They say this is the season of giving but I’m not sure that whoever said that meant gifts of toys and all sorts of material possessions. There is so much that we have to give to this world and our children then just the latest toys or electronics and video games.

There are a lot of reasons that I would like to be wealthy but one of the main reasons for me is so that I can be in a position to help people who are struggling and need it the most. I was watching the news this morning and there was a woman who talked about her foundation that she started to help the families of the wounded and deceased navy seals who died or were injured in the war inIraq. All I could think of in watching this story was ‘I wish there was something that I could do to help’. In fact I would love to be able to be someone else’s Christmas Angel for once.

I got to thinking about all of the many different foundations out there put in place to help others and made a small list which I included below. I think that everyone should compose a small list of what they would do to help if they could. Maybe it will inspire someone out there who has forgotten what the true meaning of Christmas is to be reminded once again.

Make a Wish Foundation
Local Homeless Shelter
Habitat for Humanity
UNICEF
Locks of Love
The People inHaiti
The People in Japan
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
The International Child Art Foundation (ICAF)

These are just a few of the organizations that I have wanted to help in one way or another for quite some time now. This gives me even more motivation to see my dreams through, so that I can firmly place myself in a position to be able to help others struggle just a little less so they can see their dreams become a reality and then hopefully they would one day be able to do the same for someone else. What organizations would you place on your list? Until tomorrow…Remember that we are all worth more than just the things that we possess.

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

Just a Few Words

December 22, 2011 jcladyluv

I don’t have too many words to say tonight so I will just share some words that inspired me yesterday morning about wisdom.

“Wisdom comes from a willingness to be a student of life, a willingness to be a life long learner. Wise people learn that success does not come from a certain set of circumstances, but rather from a certain set of attitudes.”

~Willie Jolley

Until tomorrow!

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

What’s The Worst That Could Happen?

December 21, 2011 jcladyluv

“Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.”
~Leon Joseph Suenens

I am typically an overly cautious person who has to literally think of every single positive and negative before saying yes or no to anything, usually ignoring my first instincts. I tend to talk myself out of wonderful opportunities and rationalize it with legitimate excuses (lack of money, or no time) that hold me back from doing a lot of things that I would love to do. I have found myself wondering lately, what if I just said yes to every opportunity that came my way. I mean what’s the worst that could really happen?

Now I don’t mean literally to just anything because I’m not in my early twenties with no responsibilities and no one to be held accountable for. I mean opportunities that I would normally find any reason that seems legitimate to say no to. I think about the movie Jim Carey played in called Yes Man and even though he had some not so good experiences in saying yes to everything, he had some really good ones too, some life changing experiences. I guess I will never know what it is I’m missing if I just keep finding an excuse to say no.

So I think that I am going to challenge myself for the year 2012 to say Yes to any opportunity that comes my way (within reason of course). I am not going to let what I don’t have stop me from exploring what it is I could have if I just said Yes. Now I don’t know how effective this is going to be because I don’t think I have ever done anything without giving it an excessive amount of thought but I sure am going to try to live up to this challenge. After all, what do I really have to lose? Until tomorrow…What do you think would happen if you just said yes to your next opportunity?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

Where Credit Is Due

December 20, 2011 jcladyluv

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

~Mahatma Gandhi

I am reminded every morning when I go to the gym to workout that I am a lot stronger than I think I am. Each day when I do something else that I never thought that I could do or that I said that I would never even try, it reminds me that I sometimes don’t give myself enough credit. A lot of us tend to do that in general during the course of our everyday lives. We get it in our heads that we are only as good as the limits that we set for ourselves, not realizing that we often set the bar too low and don’t give ourselves nearly as much credit as we deserve.

If we think about it, each time we reach an obstacle and find ourselves saying that we can’t handle anything else, not only do we surpass that obstacle but it builds us up stronger for the one that is sure to come after that. They say that which doesn’t kill you can only make you stronger, and while sometimes I find myself wanting to throw a certain finger up at whoever started that phrase, I find it to be very true. My struggles have not only made me stronger but made me more ambitious and determined. I feel that with each road block I face during the course of my journey I am made to be hungrier and more driven to reach my destination.

Someone at the gym told me that I have been coming to the gym lately with a new drive and as if I was on a mission for the year 2012. I am on a mission. I plan on setting that bar increasingly higher for myself and raising my own expectations right along with it. I am strong enough to achieve anything I desire despite the struggles I have to face along the way. I am going to stop counting myself out before I even make it to the starting line and start giving myself the credit that I deserve. Until tomorrow…Ask yourself if you are giving yourself enough credit?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

Don’t Throw in the Towel Too Soon

December 19, 2011 jcladyluv

“Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.”

~Richard L. Evans

Did you ever wonder if you gave up on something that you wanted too soon? Sometimes we hang in there so long that we start to get the feeling that maybe we just weren’t meant to achieve that goal or dream we long for. We start to become doubtful and discouraged, and to put it bluntly, we get impatient. We forget (at least I know I do) that there is not a specific time table on when your dreams can come true. More importantly we forget that sometimes we have to put in our dues and struggle to get to the point of our destination. We have to exhibit perseverance and not be too quick to throw in the towel. Remember that if it is in your heart to accomplish your goals and you were given a purpose then it will all be worth the wait in the end. Nothing that is worth having has ever come easy and with great struggles there are also even greater rewards. Don’t give up on your dreams. They are more than likely right around the corner and well within your grasp. Until tomorrow…Don’t throw in the towel just yet!

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

A Lesson in Losing Gracefully

December 18, 2011 jcladyluv

“I get it now; I didn’t get it then. That life is about losing and about doing it as gracefully as possible…and enjoying everything in between.”

~Mia Farrow

You know as a parent you only hope that each talk that you have with your child makes an impression, but more importantly that it makes the right impression. You hope that you communicate the right thing (what you intended) and not that they only hear the opposite of what you are saying. I guess most of us are all winging it in the parent department because the fact is that the rules keep changing with every generation that comes along.

Last night I found myself having to explain to my daughter (probably for the hundredth time), after she started pouting because I beat her in a video game, that it is important to know how to be a graceful loser. Her first response was ‘huh?’ and she clearly didn’t understand what that meant (she’s 8 so that’s understandable). She said that she always wins that game and didn’t want her record as champion to be erased. I reminded her that she’s not going to always be able to win and when she does lose at something she needs to learn how to do it gracefully and without pouting about it. She claimed that she understood but I could tell by the pout that she failed to remove from her face that she didn’t.

So without taking away her determination to always be a winner (because she’s going to need that in this world) I sat her down and tried to impress upon her that we all want to be winners at everything that we do but it is impossible to win at everything, all of the time. I reinforced that while it is important that she always tries to do her best at every single thing that she does, that she shouldn’t get discouraged, or throw a tantrum because she doesn’t win.

Now I don’t know how good a job I did at making her understand the art of losing gracefully (seeing as though I’m still trying to master that myself) but I can only hope that I didn’t suppress her determination to succeed. Lord only knows that my mother never talked to me about the art of losing or winning with grace so I am really just praying that I’m saying all of the right things. Until tomorrow…What lessons are you winging it on when it comes to your children?

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jimmetta-Carpenter/1069480310

http://www.passionatewriterpublishing.com/thediary.htm

Let’s Talk About Courage (Pt. 2)

December 17, 2011 jcladyluv

“One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous, or honest.”

~Maya Angelou

I think that creative people are very special. I say this not just because I am a creative person and that I surround myself with nothing but people who are also immersed in their own creativity. I say this because being someone who’s life’s purpose centers around the creative arts is not really something that one can learn or that can even be taught if it is not ingrained somewhere deep inside of them. Take a singer for instance. You can give someone vocal lessons and the techniques and coaching that they may need to make their voice better and stronger, but if that natural talent and ability was never there in the first place, if it did not live deep inside of them, then it would never be able to be taught.

There’s something else that lives inside of a person who is creative at heart, courage. I think that being a creative person takes massive amounts of courage; the courage to withstand rejection, the courage to be patient and never give up while waiting for your turn, the courage to step out there and take the risk of being rejected to begin with, the courage to sacrifice comfort ability to serve your purpose no matter how crazy your loved ones may think you are.

It takes courage to be your true self even if it is not what is expected of you or what is perceived as something that will be a more immediate success. So today’s message is for all of you out there who are fulfilling your creative aspirations and enduring people looking at you or questioning your choices as if you’ve lost all of your senses. Keep wearing that badge of courage because in the end it will pay off and you will be glad that you remained true to yourself. Until tomorrow…“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the resistance to give in to that fear.” (Mark Twain)

Jimmetta Carpenter

Writer/Editor

The Diary: Succession of Lies (Now Available)

Writing as “Jaycee Durant”