MommaMae's word for the day (via Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith):

I want you to wake up today!  If you believe that you will be complete after you find the right relationship, the better job, the bigger house, that hotter investment, the accomplishment of a particular goal, you are asleep in the human dream of maya, which is the sleep of human delusion.  Any such fulfillment is only temporary.  The quest of looking for wholeness outside of yourself is not the way it works.  It’s an inside job!

MommaMae's word for the day:

I do not normally do this, but necessity trumps pride at the moment...please help if you can

I'm in a bit of a bind because closing is going to come before I get my tax refund.  I have been approved to build a home through the USDA's Rural Development Self-Help Program.  The down payment is covered through sweat equity.  Unfortunately, the Builders' Risk Policy is not and has to be paid for before closing.  I'm a single mother, with 2 kids at home and have worked so hard to fix my credit and get on the right track.  Please help us to make this happen.  You can donate by going to https://fundly.com/users/471455

MommaMae's word for the day:...

If you're going through hell, keep on pushing through because trouble don't last always.  It's only temporary.

Been a little bit, but I'm still here! and now for MommaMae's word for the day:

If you keep doing what you've done, you're going to keep getting what you've got.  As stated by the late, great Mark Twain, "By changing nothing, nothing changes."  Nothing can change, until you change it.

MommaMae's word for the day...

I see and hear many people complain about having drama in their lives.  In fact,  I just had a conversation with a couple of young people at the dining hall last night about this very thing.  There are only 2 reasons you have drama in your life: 1. You create it, or 2. You allow it.  Either way, Y.O.U. have control over it.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Someone will always be attracted to your spouse/significant other.  That's to be expected and not something that should concern you.  What should concern you, however,  is the way YOUR PARTNER  responds to and handles the attention they receive from the opposite sex.  

MommaMae's word for the day (inspired by a meme)...

You should never chase love, affection, or attention because if it is not given freely by another person, then it is not worth having. What sense does it make to cross an ocean for someone who wouldn't jump a puddle for you?

MommaMae's word for the day...

Sometimes the answer we get isn't the answer we want, but it still doesn't make the answer wrong nor do our feelings about the answer change the facts. No one is as blind as the person who refuses to see.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Don't let a bad day make you feel like you have a bad life.  We all sit on the pity pot once in a while, but just be sure to flush it when you're done.

MommaMae's word for the day (inspired by my Facebook friend, Felix M. Carrigan's, status)...

So many times, we as people fail to help someone because of fear. We're afraid it won't be appreciated, we're afraid we'll go without etc etc, but our best blessings come from being a blessing to others. Kindness is never wasted and even the simplest act of kindness can have the biggest impact on someone's life. You just never know. We need each other because no person is an island. Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together...just imagine what we could accomplish.

Wishing my very handsome firstborn, Timothy (a.k.a. TimJ), a very happy 26th birthday. I am so very proud of the man you've become and I love you so much.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Live every day to the fullest, laugh as much as you possibly can, and love yourself like your life depends on it.

After reading the preface, my first reaction was,

"She needs to leave him.  She doesn't have to put up with that.  It ain't worth the stress," but after I read the article...the author actually makes some very good points that I find hard to counter because his logic does make sense.  

From the author:

Let’s call her Tara. Tara emailed me in response to an article I wrote.  Her man broke her trust (she didn’t go into details). She’s upset because he’s trying to make her hurry up and ‘get over it’. She also suspects he will get tired of the uphill climb out the doghouse and will just move on to the next one. She is trying to figure out whether to stay and work through it, or do a preemptive strike and leave.

Before you are quick to say ‘LEAVE HIM!!!’, read the article.

http://bmwk.me/1jsboM6

Pampering myself with my favorite hair mask :)

I have naturally curly, frizzy hair, BUT I recently discovered this AWESOME hair mask that tames my mane.

Here's the basic recipe (I modified it slightly because my scalp is very sensitive to apple cider vinegar.  If you have a sensitive scalp, dilute the apple cider vinegar 1:1 with distilled water)

I'm going to give the basic recipe, but you can make as much as you need. (I triple the recipe because I have dry, thick, curly hair)

2 Tablespoons castor oil
1 teaspoon glycerin
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (I use the unfiltered kind with the 'mother' in it.  If you have a sensitive scalp or have been scratching your scalp, I highly recommend using 1/2 a teaspoon ACV and 1/2 a teaspoon distilled water)
1 large egg

I put all of my ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender, but the first time I made it, I used a glass bowl and a whisk.

Mix everything thoroughly.  The mixture will be VERY runny (It totally looks like pale yellow milk LOL).  

I HIGHLY recommend using a long-tip squeeze bottle to apply.  Like the condiment bottles you buy for ketchup and mustard.

Apply the mixture to DRY hair root to tip.  Massage in thoroughly and cover with a self-heating conditioning cap. 

Fair warning:  your hair will feel like it is glued together but trust me when I say it's gonna be worth it.   Keep hair covered for 2 hours.  Do not rinse out.  Just wet your hair and wash with shampoo and condition like you would normally do.  Then, style as you wish.

I honestly can't recommend sitting under the hair dryer because I haven't tried it and I'm not sure it would be the best thing because of the amount of oil in the treatment. I've done it using only a plastic cap and body heat.  It's more time consuming, but I have been very, very pleased with the results thus far.

You will thank me.

True words by the late, great George Carlin

No person can do more for you than you can do for yourself...

MommaMae's word for the day...

Your thoughts affect your feelings and your feelings affect your actions and choices.  If you have a negative mind, you cannot have a positive life.

MommaMae's word for the day:...

If you're not interested romantically in someone who likes you "that way", it is wrong to encourage them in that direction.  Don't be selfish; be honest.  If you only want to be friends, then you need to keep things strictly friendly.  How you treat people and react to the way you are treated is your karma.  

MommaMae's word for the day (inspired by a meme)...

One way to reduce drama in your life? If you have a problem with someone, talk to him/her about it; not everyone else.

MommaMae's word for the day (inspired by a meme)...

Words cannot be unspoken.  So, be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.

This is actually a VERY good article. Short, sweet and on point.

10 Ways to Improve Your Marriage While You're Still Single

http://photos.essence.com/galleries/modern-day-matchmaker-10-ways-improve-your-marriage-while-youre-still-single/?slide=289921

MommaMae's word for the day...

Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle. We each have to run our own race at our own pace. We start where we are and we finish when we do.

Huge shout out to my son, Terran, for graduating tech school and is now officially in the USAF

Almost 23 years old, no kids, succeeding in life and (get ready for the shocker), raised by a single mother.  I am one proud momma!

MommaMae's word for the day:

MommaMae's word for the day...

Happiness is an inside job and the keys to your happiness belong in your pocket.  

MommaMae's word for the day...

I see so much about people having drama on Facebook and I hear people talking about having drama in their lives. There are only 2 reasons for drama in your life: you are creating it or you're allowing it.  It's just that simple.  The biggest troublemaker in your life is the person who stares back in the mirror: Y.O.U.  You can't complain about what you create or what you allow.  You have options and choices and where you are is where you want to be because if it wasn't, you wouldn't be there.  

MommaMae's word for the day:...

A true test of a person's character is how they treat those who can do nothing for them.

Love it!

"A word to the wise ain't necessary. It's the stupid ones who need advice." ~Bill Cosby~ 

My 100th post! and it's a GOOD 'un

MommaMae's word for the day...

When you forgive someone, that doesn't excuse their behavior nor does it mean you have to tolerate their maltreatment of you.  Forgiveness is for YOU and YOUR peace of mind.  It means you're able to move past it, but it doesn't mean you have to put aside common sense.  Forgive those who wrong you, but don't forget the lesson you learned.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Words are just words.  They are merely sounds and air and they only have the power you allow them to have.  Negative words are no different and are only powerful when you give them power.  You have the power to destroy words that are meant to hurt you.  Negative words can only turn into actions when you act on the words that were said about you.  Like Madea's character said in the movie, Madea's Family Reunion, "It's not what people call you honey; it's what you answer to."  Are you allowing others to control your life with their negative words, thoughts, and actions? If so, it's time to do some Spring cleaning.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Stop worrying about what you can't do and start thinking about and focusing on what you can do.  Turn those negatives into positives and stop fixating on failure.  Why not prepare for the best instead?

MommaMae's word for the day (via Genevieve Behrend)...

"A feeling that greater possessions, no matter of what kind they may be, will of themselves bring contentment or happiness, is a misunderstanding.  No person, place, or thing can give you happiness.  They may give you cause for happiness and a feeling of contentment, but the joy of living comes from within."

MommaMae's word for the day,,,

Romantic love defined..

Mommamae's word for the day...

Sometimes, we don't get the answer we want, but that doesn't make the answer wrong just because it isn't what we wanted.  Sometimes, the answer is what it is and the facts are what they are and you have to put on your big people undies, accept what is and move on.

Dr. Scholl's Active Series inserts review

For those that don't know this about me, I'm a freebies fanatic and I love testing out new products.  I received a VoxBox from Influenster.com to try out the new Dr. Scholl's Active series inserts.  They seem like a good product honestly.  They're lightweight, have great cushioning and appear to be durable.  I unfortunately wasn't able to actually use them in my shoes because they're too thick and made my shoes too tight to wear.

MommaMae's word for the day...

How a person makes you feel is most often the best gauge of how s/he feels about you.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Sometimes, the smallest act of kindness can affect a person more than you know.  Every person you meet is fighting their own battles and kindness is not ever wasted.  Make three people smile today for no other reason than simply to do it.

Best story I've come across in quite some time. I had to share this!

http://www.yourblackworld.net/2013/09/black-news/businessman-rents-anti-saggy-pants-billboard-show-your-mind-not-your-behind/

12 SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO ACHIEVE HAPPINESS EACH DAY

1.  Set aside time each day for prayer and meditation

2.  Try to get at least 6-7 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night

3.  Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar

4.  Try to make at least 3 people smile each day

5.  Don't waste your precious energy on gossip

6.  Avoid negative people, places, and thoughts

7.  Spend time with people over 70 and under 6

8.  Don't worry about the small stuff and the things you can't control

9.  Don't take yourself too seriously because no one else does ;)

10. Agree to disagree; you don't have to win every argument

11. Make peace with your past so it doesn't spoil your present

12. Most of all, treat others the way you want to be treated

MommaMae's word for the day...

Joy is the best measure of success.

MommaMae's word for the day...(Inspired by a Facebook meme)

As the old folks used to say, "A dog who'll bring a bone will carry it."  In other words, a person who gossips to you will gossip about you.  Listen carefully to how a person speaks to you about other people because this is how he or she will speak about you to others.

MommaMae's word for the day...

 The cost of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it ~Henry David Thoreau~  
While money can be replaced, time cannot.  Spend both wisely.

Book Excerpt #17...The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

You’ve brought your Mind to this self-exploration to remember three things: (a) the purpose of your life’s journey, (b) the paths that this journey can take, and (c) the journey’s destination.

Your remembering will begin with some more basics. But first, a request—from your Soul to your Mind:

Because these are “basics,” much of what you will read in these next few passages may feel like “old news” to you. Have patience, then.

A gentle request, yes?

It is not a bad thing to be reminded of what you already know. Most people are not applying what they already know anyway, and that’s the point. Perhaps a memory jog would be really good right about now.

And perhaps there are one or two tiny pieces of data that are not fully remembered—the remembering of which could change everything.

So please, have patience.

Now then . . . to those basics.
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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.) 

MommaMae's word for the day...

Don't let your mistakes become your habits.

Book Excerpt #16 from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

Back to Basics

DEAR SWEET AND GENTLE BEING . . . As we move more deeply into this exploration, let us step back and take a look at some fundamental concepts, including this one: You are on a journey here. And no, it is not the journey from birth to death. It is a journey from way before birth to long after death.

The importance and the implication of this Journey upon which you find yourself can barely be comprehended by your Mind. It can be comprehended . . . but barely.

Is this because your Mind is so incapable, so inefficient? No. It is because your Mind has been given so little information about the Journey itself.

We learn about it in a very indirect way. Not because our elders and our teachers sit us down and tell us everything we need to know about it (they have, after all, been given no more information than they are giving us), but because our art has done the best it can to fill the gap.

It is humanity’s culture that tells us about the experience in which we find ourselves. (And this is why, by the way, the movement to remove “cultural pursuits”—music and drama, art and other creative expressions—from our schools, leaving classrooms full of children to look only at our history, is so crushingly damaging to our sense of who we are and why we are.)

We need culture and esoterics—story and song, movies and plays, fiction and poetry, and really good television—to tell us about ourselves in fuller ways.

The American poet Em Claire did just this, capturing the essence of our journey, when she wrote . . .

I left The Home so long ago now
that I would not recognize my own face.
I constructed the Boat of my Life
and I set out
into the open sea
waving to all who knew
that the seas would give me
everything I could handle
and everything I could not
and yet they waved, and I set out
into the open sea
In the Boat of My Life:
built from Soul, crafted by Heart
and with great innocence I pushed off
into the open sea
and have been away from my Home
so long now that I would not recognize my own face
but I know that Home
Home
remembers me
.
_____
“Long at Sea”
©2007 em Claire
!is feeling and sense of being “away from home” is common to many people who yearn for the knowing and the experiencing of their union with the Divine.

Yet are we in the fullest sense “away from home”?

No. We are neither away from home nor away from God, but it sure seems that way. !e tiny amount of information that we have been given by those who simply write about our history and our physical sciences has been wholly lacking in any truly important metaphysical or spiritual detail. Or, worse yet, it has been riddled with error.

All of that is going to end here.
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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.) 

MommaMae's word for the day...

"I would've," "I could've," and "I should've" are usually the start of one of three things: a regret, an excuse or a lie and none of the three benefit you.  Regrets are the past hindering the present, a lie becomes part of your future instead of your past like the truth would, and, more often than not, there is no excuse for an excuse.  Regrets, excuses and lies keep you from having peace of mind and from achieving your dreams.  Instead of "I would've," "I could've," or "I should've," think in terms of "I will," "I can," and "I am."  It's easier than you think.

Book excerpt #15...The Only Thing That Matters

Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

The first step in moving into clarity on where you’re going is moving into clarity on where you are right now, on who you are to begin with, and on why you are here.

On Earth, that is.

What are you doing here? What is the point of this? What is Life’s purpose?

These are the questions that have to be answered before you can begin to make decisions about The Only Thing That Matters—to say nothing of living your daily life focused on that. So the next few chapters—Part Two of this book—will be devoted to a deep investigation of these very questions.

As you move through these next pages, know that this is an exploration for which your Mind has earnestly yearned. Your Mind, you see, has been trying for years to make sense of a life that makes no sense at all. Now, thanks to the Knowledge of your Soul, you will be placing everything that is happening in your life into a new context—a context in which life finally does make sense.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.

MommaMae's word for the day.....

You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.

MommaMae's word for the day...

As Maya Angelou once said, "If someone shows you who they are, believe them."  If you characterize people by their actions, you won't be fooled by their words.  Words whisper...Actions scream.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Your thoughts dictate your feelings and your feelings dictate your actions.  What you think about, you bring about.  What you think, feel and do are choices and those choices are under your control.  Get ya mind right and watch the rest fall into place.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Start where you are...

MommaMae's word for the day...

Stop focusing on what you don't have because if you're not happy with what you have, you sure won't be happy with what you want.  An attitude of gratitude multiplies your blessings.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Doubt and fear are dream killers.  Anyone who ever accomplished anything didn't know how they were going to do it.  They believed they could and they acted accordingly.  You have that same power.  Own it.  Use it. 

MommaMae's word for the day...

Learn from the mistakes of others because you won't live long enough to make them all yourself.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Always be yourself because the people that mind don’t matter and the people that matter don’t mind.

Good question...

MommaMae's word for the day...

If someone makes the same mistake repeatedly, that's not a mistake; it's a habit. Do not let your mistakes become your habits.

Think about it...

MommaMae's word for the day (borrowed)...

A good friend introduced me to "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne a few months back and it has honestly changed my life for the better

There is a book available, but personally, I prefer the extended version DVD (As of today, $5 on Amazon.com and free shipping if you have AmazonPrime.)  You can also watch it for free if you have an AmazonPrime membership.  Also, the "Daily Teachings" companion book would be a wonderful addition to the book and/or the video.

I watch the video on a very regular basis and it helps keep me focused.  The participants, in my honest opinion, come across as sincere and genuine which is why I love this video so much.  They aren't trying to sell you anything, except on the ideas of how to change your life.  

With all that we do in the course of a day, why not do something that is for your own greater well-being?  

It is this simply...really!

Book Excerpt #14 ...The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

For now, let’s get back to the original literary style. That style assumes this book is being written by someone else and you’re reading it. Let’s accept that idea and return to the original question: What does matter? And . . . if you pay attention to only that . . . what of the rest of your life?

How do you live in this world without paying attention to the things that you used to spend 98% of your time on? Hang out in a cave? Enter a monastery? Become an ascetic? “Drop out,” as thousands did in the sixties counterculture of hippies in communes disillusioned with conventional values?

No. The idea here is not to walk away, or to walk around in a meditative daze, abandoning all constructive activity. The idea is to refocus your life’s intention, so that one day it may be said that 98% of your time is being spent on things that do matter.

The surprise here will be that when this happens, your activities themselves probably won’t change very much. Even if everyone on the planet read this book, agreed with it, and began spending 98% of their time on what does matter, people’s activities wouldn’t change that much.

People would still get up and go to work—or create some way to survive.

People would still marry and have kids—or create someone to love and by whom to be loved.

People would still run and jump and dance and sing and laugh—or create some way to entertain themselves, to bring joy into their days and nights, and to be happy.

So the question becomes: if what humans do won’t change that much, what will make what they do suddenly matter?

The answer lies not in what they do, but in how and why they do it. The answer is: something matters if it leads to and produces a particular kind of result—a result desired by the Soul. A result desired by Life Itself.

It is when the way in which you are doing anything facilitates the Larger Goal that you are seeking to reach that it matters.

Yet what human beings are doing cannot facilitate what they are trying to accomplish if they don’t know what they are trying to accomplish. They must be aware of the Larger Goal they are seeking to reach. And therein lies the problem. Most people don’t know what they’re doing.

That is not meant in any way pejoratively. It is a simple statement of fact. Most people have little understanding of the nature of the Journey they are on, much less how to arrive at their desired destination.

It is the things they are doing day-to-day that play a huge role in moving them toward, or away from, their Larger Goal, yet most are not aware of where they were intending to go to begin with, and so, as one comedian wryly noted: “If we’re not careful, we’ll all wind up exactly where we’re headed.”
Today the earth is populated with billions of people desperately hoping to “get somewhere,” but having no idea of where they’re going.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

MommaMae's word for the day...

Who you are, what you do is entirely up to you regardless of what has happened in your life.  Your past does NOT define you.  Your thoughts, feelings, and subsequent actions and choices shape your life.  You have the power to define your existence and your experiences. Own your power, change your mindset and you will change your life.

MommaMae's word for the day (via Iyanla Vanzant)...

Spend time alone. Pay attention to what you are feeling. Investigate your thoughts. Examine your activities. Do not judge, condemn, or criticize anything you are doing or have done. Postpone making decisions and pronouncements until you are clear and peaceful within. What is going on in the world is not your truth. Your truth is within you.

MommaMae's word for the day (borrowed):

MommaMae's word for the day...

If someone wants to love you, you can't stop them.  If someone doesn't love you, you can't make them. Don't cross an ocean for someone who isn't willing to jump a puddle for you. If you are only an option in his/her life, don't make that person a priority in yours.

MommaMae's word for the day...

I see and hear so many people complaining about drama in their lives.  If you have drama you either 1. allow it in your life or 2. are the origin of it.  If you create a storm, don't be surprised when it rains. You can't keep doing the same things and expect change to happen.  Change will not happen until YOU make it happen.

MommaMae's word for the day (via Iyanla Vanzant) :

Feel what you feel and allow it to pass. Don't judge your feelings or yourself for having them. Do not label your feelings good or bad, right or wrong. Drop your hands to your sides and give yourself permission to ride out the emotional tidal waves that are sure to surface every now and then. Each time an emotion surfaces, this is a sure sign that you are working through it in order to release it.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Happiness is an inside job.  Don't put the keys to your happiness in someone else's pocket.

I have been a bad girl lately...

and have been neglecting myself.  I haven't been doing the things that make me happy like I should.  I've been basically just coasting along the past few weeks, but I have broken out of my slump and I am back!  We all need to pamper ourselves and treat ourselves to a lil something special.  Sooooooo, I'm starting off my week with the most awesome exfoliating foot soak.

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup Listerine mouthwash (the generic works just as well)
1 cup warm water

Pour all three into container that's just big enough for both feet (or one foot if you prefer).  The dry, calloused skin will just rub off with a towel :)

Some of you fellas can use this too!

MommaMae's word for the day...

(inspired by a Facebook meme): In life, you have two options...Make progress or make excuses.  If you want to get anywhere, you can't stay in the same place.

MommaMae's word for the day:

Don't miss out on a blessing just because it didn't arrive in the package you expected.  The best blessings often come from the least expected sources.

MommaMae's word for the day:

The best revenge in the world is forgiveness.

Book Excerpt #13....The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

Okay, so maybe We should just drop the whole idea. Erase the statement: We Are All One.

Forget We said that.

Allow yourself to encounter this material as if someone else wrote it and you’re just reading it. Maybe that’s enough for the first sit-down with this book. That’s the safe way, and so it may be the better way. At least for now. Perhaps We can get back to this a bit later . . . like, maybe, 10 chapters from now . . . after more groundwork has been laid.

Or maybe not. We’ll see.

No, wait. We have to. It’s an absolute Must, because it’s this Awareness that creates the only context within which The Only Thing That Matters can emerge as an experience in our lives. So before we’re done here, you’re going to be invited into a felt sense that We Are All One—because you’re going to be writing this book.

But not just yet.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

5 Habits That Produce Extraordinary Relationships BY: Tiya Cunningham-Sumter - 20 Jun '13

Some may be questioning whether or not it is actually possible to experience an extraordinary relationship. I believe it is. We already know good ones exist and there are even some really great partnerships. But, how many of us strive for extraordinary?  I would never deceive anyone into believing it’s a breeze to obtain. I will, however, challenge everyone reading this to understand whatever we put time, energy and effort into will eventually become remarkable.

If an exceptional marriage or relationship is what you’re after, explore these 5 habits to assist you in getting there:

1. Speak favorably of your significant other; especially in their absence. Everyone in your personal circle should know you are in a relationship and hear more positives than negatives about your mate.
2. Be patient with your boo. It’s easy to become snappish or disagreeable when we’re tired or frustrated. Remember, this is someone we love; therefore love should always be evident in each communication.
3. Love intensely, passionately and frequently! If all the world needs is love, it’s absolutely the most key ingredient in our relationships. In everything we do, the plan should be to have no regrets. Can you imagine how powerful a relationship could be If we loved like there was no tomorrow?
4. Touch regularly. Holding hands, kissing, gazing into each other’s eyes and making love always produce a stronger relationship. Keep in mind we can’t argue, fuss or fight while we’re physically connected.
5. Listen attentively to your partner. There will be certain things said that pertain directly to the relationship. If for some reason we aren’t listening, we just might miss out. Listening is the best source for information gathering on our mate. How else will we learn of their little quirks, pet peeves and what makes them happy? When they speak, we must give our undivided attention.

Ultimately, all we really must do is treat our partner the way we desire to be treated. People are pretty much the same. We all have feelings that can get hurt, dreams we want supported, and the need to experience an honest and healthy love relationship. Once we have that understanding, we are well on our way to achieving an extraordinary relationship.

(Article source: http://www.blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2013/06/5-habits-that-produce-extraordinary-relationships/)

MommaMae's word for the day...

As Maya Angelou said, "If someone shows you who they are, believe them."  Characterize people by their actions and you won't be fooled by their words.

MommaMae's word for the day:

Don't be in a competition to be better than someone else.  Instead, make it your goal to be a better person today than you were yesterday. (inspired by a facebook meme).

MommaMae's word for the day:

If you take a long hard look in the mirror...you'll see the root of your problems...Y.O.U. You are your own worst enemy, but it doesn't have to be that way. Where you are is where you want to be because you have the power to change it.  What you think about and your subsequent actions affect what you bring into your life.  Change your mind and you can change your world.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Loss is hurtful and painful...but loss also makes space for something else and YOU get to choose what you use to fill that space with.  Choose wisely.

Mommamae's word for the day

Don't put the keys to your happiness in someone else's pocket.  Happiness is an inside job and it's not by chance...it's by choice.  

MommaMae's word for the day...

In times of prosperity, our friends know us...in times of adversity, we know our friends.

Sorry it's been so long since I posted but sometimes life does get in the way...

MommaMae's word for the day: No matter what you try to teach your children, they end up acting like you anyway. Children learn what they live. Be the example of the qualities you desire for them.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Be careful about stirring the pot.  You just might have to lick the spoon

Book Excerpt #12....The Only Thing That Matters

Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

Now you might think, “Well, that’s all very nice, that’s a very nice model of the world, but there’s no way to put that into practice in the reality of our daily lives.”

And it would be understandable if you thought that. We are, after all, appearing to be separate beings, even if we aren’t in fact. We are, to be sure, acting as if we are separate beings—even if we are all the Same Stuff. We are acting so much so that if the various Parts of Us told other Parts of Us that We think there is only One of Us, the other Parts of Us would laugh at Us.

And if We insisted that We Are All One, the other Parts of Us would do more than laugh at Us. They would put Us away somewhere, so that We could not contaminate the rest of Us. And if that didn’t shut us up . . . well . . . they would have to take other measures.

Why? Why all this ominous stuff that sounds as if it’s coming out of a bad movie? Because the idea that We Are All One upsets every applecart in the world.

It upsets our global economy for sure. How would we proceed?
It upsets our global polity for sure. How would we proceed?
It upsets our global society for sure. How would we proceed?

And . . . here it comes . . . watch out now . . . it upsets our global theology for absolutely, positively sure. How would we proceed?

Everything we thought was true would not be true. Everything we thought was not true would be true. How would we be able to stand up for ourselves? How would we be able to fight for what is right? How would we be able to justify killing each other over what is right if we thought that we were killing ourselves over what is not even true?

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

MommaMae's word for the day

Far too often, we worry about things that never happen and nothing wastes more energy than worrying. Either it will or it won't. Either it is or it isn't. 1 minute of worrying costs you 60 seconds of time doing something productive or enjoyable. We all get the same 168 hours per week. What are you doing with yours?

Book Excerpt #11...The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

You’re About to Become an Author

NOW WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE what happens next. You’re not going to believe what happens next.

You’re going to be writing this book.

“That’s crazy,” you could say. “I’m reading this book, not writing it.” Ah, yes, but wait. Magic is about to happen.

Have you ever heard the statement: We are all One? Of course you have. You’ve heard it a thousand times. But have you ever considered what it would be like if it were true? Not just conceptually, but actually, factually, functionally?

Well, it is true.
Actually.
Factually.
Functionally.
There’s no one else except You, in various forms.

To many people this at first sounds “way out,” and too abstract to embrace as a working notion of reality. Yet considered within a larger context, a very broad context, it might begin to fall within at least the outer reaches of the realm of possibility.

Let’s take a look.

All of us are made of the “same stuff,” having evolved from the same First Source. To use an analogy: When the ocean first appeared, and then expanded, it was not created as something other than its drops. A drop of the ocean is the same as the ocean. It is the ocean, in smaller form. No single drop is other than the ocean. All the drops of the ocean are One Thing: THE OCEAN.

It would not, therefore, be inaccurate for one drop of the ocean to say to another drop: “We Are All One.” The second drop would simply say, “Of course we are. Just because we have been singularized does not mean we are other than each other, nor are we other than that of which we are a singularization. We are all the same thing, The Ocean, in singular form.”

This is also true about human beings. We are all the Same Thing, simply individuated. We are not separate from That From Which We Have Emerged, nor are we “other than” each other.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.) 

MommaMae's word for the day...

Try not to take things people say about you personally. The things they say are a reflection of them, not of you. How people treat you is their karma.  How you react is yours.

MommaMae's word for the day...

Pretty simple (:

Excerpt #10 from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

You are being invited to meet Yourself here—and that is precisely what you came here to do. (To Earth, not just to this book. But it will happen in this book, and be demonstrated in a most unusual way.)

One of the things that you already know, but that you sometimes forget, is that nothing happens by accident, and that there’s no such thing as coincidence.

It is because you know this is true that the appearance of this book in your life at this exact moment cannot exactly be a shock.

Of course, it wasn’t intended to be a shock. It was intended to be a confirmation. And confirmation is very timely on this exact day, because there are energies, situations, and circumstances in your life right now that have tempted you to seriously question what you know—if not deny it altogether.

Don’t do that.
Do.
Not.
Do.
That.
That will not serve you.
This will.
Moving even more fully into this moment and this experience will.

Trust that your Soul knows, always, what will next serve you. In fact, that is why what happens next happens next.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

MommaMae's word for the day

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever could.  Believe you can and you will; believe you can't and you won't.  

10 Mindsets That Undercut Your Happiness

"The next time you are stressed, write down the beliefs you have about the event and the emotions that are produced. As you become more aware of your crooked thinking patterns, you can break the cycle and begin to develop a better understanding of those mindsets that stand between you and lasting happiness and change."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paula-davislaack/happiness-tips_b_3588173.html

Excerpt #9 from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

It is impossible to overstate the impact of “knowing that you know.” Remembering that you know that you know releases you immediately from any thought of helplessness, hopelessness, and haplessness. Yet once you know that you know, you will yearn to know what you know, specifically. Your Mind will want to know what your Soul is aware of.

It is in your Soul that your deepest awareness lies, for awareness springs from Knowledge, and your Soul is where true knowledge is found. The Mind stores Experience—which is mistaken for Knowledge.

And so now you may ask: “How can I access all of this Knowledge that I supposedly possess?”

Fair question. Very good question. And the answer? The simplest way to retrieve information that you already hold about life (but may have forgotten that you hold—or forgotten how to access) is to call it forth.

This is another way of saying: Bring it forward. Place it at the forefront of your thoughts.

You can do this in two ways.

One way is to gather it from a place that appears to be outside of you. That is what you appear to be doing right now.

A second way is to gather information from a place that is inside of you. That is what you are actually doing right now.

It looks as if you are doing the first, but you are actually doing the second.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.) 

MommaMae's word for the day

Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start. ~Nido Qubein~

MommaMae's word for the day

If you settle for less than you deserve, that's exactly what you're going to get...less than you deserve

Excerpt #8 from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

It’s Important That You Know
That You Know What You Know

YOU ALREADY KNOW this. At the deepest part of your being, you already know what has just been said. Your purpose in coming to these pages is not to find out something you don’t know, but to remind yourself of what you do know—so you may know that you know.

“Knowing that you know” is a major step in living a life focused on The Only Thing That Matters. You may have forgotten that you know that you know, but the very first Remembrance brought to you here corrects all of that. The very first Remembrance is that you know that you know.
Now you remember that you know that you know—because now you have “remembered that you remember.”

There will be many other equally important Remembrances in the explorations just ahead. These Remembrances—what you might call “Soul Knowings”—are precisely what your Soul brought your Mind here to encounter. So you may want to keep track of them.
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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

MommaMae's word for the day

The only difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is the way you look at them. Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how you take it.  A hill ain't nothing to a high stepper!  

7th excerpt from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

The reason that life’s events seem to many people to be in the way is that many people have no idea where they’re going. They do not know that on the path they were intended to take, there are no obstacles.

The obstacles that people are encountering have not been plunked down suddenly and ruthlessly by Life, right in the middle of the path they’re traveling. Rather, the path they’re traveling is the one with obstacles already on it.

Why? Why would people be traveling the road with all the detours, all the pitfalls and potholes and stumbling blocks, and finally, all the dead ends?

It’s because they’ve been given poor directions, or a very badly drawn map.

The way people have been told they’re supposed to go is not the way they came here to go. And that is why 98% of the world’s people are spending 98% of their time on things that just don’t matter.

When you turn that around, you’ll turn your life around.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

If your hands are already full...there's no room to receive

Book excerpt #6 The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

Now here’s where the danger of misinterpretation exists: Your increased Consciousness brings along with it an increased sensitivity to every aspect of life. This has no doubt resulted in an expansion of the effect that all of Life has on you—and this could feel as if everything’s in your way, standing between you and peace, because the same kinds of life experiences that you encountered with little difficulty just a short while ago now feel like they’re going to put you on “overload.”

You’ve probably been wondering what’s going on, and why you don’t seem to be “handling things” as easily anymore.

Well, it’s all very simple: You’re not becoming less able, you’re becoming more capable than ever. But you’re growing into that as Life calls upon you to pay more attention to more things in more ways more of the time.

Add to this the fact that there is more data in toto of which you can become aware (the world’s new technologies have placed more information at the fingertips of a 15-year-old today than that to which the President of the United States had access a few years ago)—and you can see the challenge.

And it hasn’t stopped there. More things seem to be falling apart all at once all over the place than ever before—from financial systems to political systems to social systems, and even weather systems.

So here you are, in the middle of The Perfect Storm: a confluence of expanding energies, enlarging noticements, and rapidly multiplying negative events that are producing some very interesting times. To say the least . . . some

Very.
Interesting.
Times.

Yet it is as spiritual teacher Mary O’Malley wonderfully and succinctly puts it: “What’s in the way is the way.”
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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

MommaMae's word for the day

It is extremely difficult to hold on to a sense of personal power as long as you believe there is something wrong with who you are. Each of us is aware of those things we could do better. The fact that something needs improvement does not mean it's wrong. There is nothing wrong with you!  ~Iyanla Vanzant~

MommaMae's word for the day...

(which I snagged from my girl Xelence Trueth-b Tolde's Facebook status)

When you spend your whole life making stupid decisions you're gonna eventually be judged for them.

Forgiveness is good for the soul...

5th excerpt from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

What is occurring in your life right now is that your Awareness is growing —and now you are hearing its voice.

In strictest terms a “growth” in your Awareness is not possible. Your Awareness is what it is; it does not “grow” larger and larger. That’s because your Awareness rests within your Soul, and your Soul does not get bigger, or in some way “more,” than it always was and is now.

It is your Mind that expands. For easy understanding, it could be said that Awareness rests in the Soul and Attention resides in the Mind.

So to put what is occurring in your life another way, you are now paying greater Attention to your Awareness. It’s one thing to be “aware,” but it is another thing altogether to pay attention to what your Soul is aware of (instead of ignoring it, which most people do most of the time).

This mixture of the two is what might be called Consciousness. When your Mind pays attention to your Soul, and your Mind and Soul thus carry the same data, hold the same idea, and possess the same perspective, you might be said to be fully conscious.

So, in real terms, it is your Consciousness that is expanding as the Awareness of your Soul comes to the Attention of your Mind.
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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

MommaMae's word for the day

If you want to change your life for the better, look in the mirror and start with the truth and be honest with yourself. It's not an easy thing to do but you cannot heal or move on from what you refuse to face.

Ain't possible

4th excerpt from The Only Thing That Matters

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

That inner voice is correct. Your life does not have to be a series of worrisome and challenging crises involving finances or relationships or health or family—or all of the above. Or, for that matter, on some days nothing in particular . . . just a nagging sense of out-of-orderness.

Neither does the world at large have to be a container of constant calamity engulfing its governance and politics, its commerce and economics, its environment and ecology, its cultures and religions.

Listen to that voice . . .

. . . IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

That is not wishful thinking. That is your Awareness speaking.

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

and add to that just live :)

MommaMae's word for the day...

(borrowed from two memes I came across on Facebook) 

When someone treats you like an option, help them narrow their choices by removing yourself from the equation.  Don't cross an ocean for someone who isn't willing to jump a puddle for you.

MommaMae's word for the day...

(inspired by my friend Holly K. Egger)

We often spend so much time wishing things would hurry up and happen that we don't allow ourselves to actually take notice of other things and when we look back, we often realize how much we missed because it went by so fast...the journey is the very best part

The Only Thing That Matters...book excerpt #3

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

Can You Believe This?
LIFE LOVES YOU. It may not seem that way to you right now, and you may guffaw when you hear this, but Life loves you and is supporting you, and that is why you are receiving a Special Invitation from Life on this day.

You may actually be able to feel this invitation—much as you sometimes sense in the sleepy hours of the morning that it’s time to wake up.

Have you ever had that feeling? Nothing in particular is happening. There’s no alarm going off. No one has come into the room to stir you. There’s just an inner knowing: It’s time to wake up.

You may be feeling these days a muted excitement stirring within, generating a restless readiness to respond to a gentle but persistent inner voice that keeps whispering . . .

. . . IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

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Visit this site: 
You may actually be able to feel this invitation—much as you sometimes sense in the sleepy hours of the morning that it’s time to wake up.
Have you ever had that feeling? Nothing in particular is happening. There’s no alarm going off. No one has come into the room to stir you. There’s just an inner knowing: It’s time to wake up.
You may be feeling these days a muted excitement stirring within, generating a restless readiness to respond to a gentle but persistent inner voice that keeps whispering . . .
. . . IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
====================================================================Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has
(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has

MommaMae's word for the day...

MommaMae's word for the day: Almost really isn’t good enough. Like my daddy used to say, “Almost chicken never made soup.” Almost doesn't amount to or count for anything. If you almost won the lottery, you’re still broke right? Almost doesn't count; not in hand grenades, not in horseshoes and most certainly not in life. Stop settling for “almost.” You can definitely do better than almost.

Something to think about...

The Only Thing That Matters...Book excerpt #2

(Note: This picks up where the last excerpt left off. For purposes of continuity, daily reading will prove very helpful.)

Let’s begin here.

Something very unusual is occurring on this planet right now. You have no doubt noticed it. It may be producing a more than normal amount of challenge and disjointedness in your life, and perhaps even some major upheavals. You are probably noticing it in the lives of others as well.

For a while you may have thought that this was all just your mind playing tricks on you; that things were not really happening any differently, and that you’re just a little tired, a little overcommitted, a little oversensitive.

But now, as each day presents itself with obstacles mounting and challenges increasing and more and more personal issues coming up to be faced and healed, it is apparent that all of this is not an illusion, not an exaggeration. So you may be asking: “Why is all this happening? What am I doing wrong?”

And here’s the answer . . .

You’re doing nothing wrong.

AND . . . there is something very unusual going on right now in your life, and all over this planet.

Call it an energy shift, call it a cosmic cycle, call it the overhaul of humanity, or whatever you will, but what’s occurring on Earth right now is, you can be sure, very real. It’s touching lives emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Some lives more than others, but none are immune.

This experience is global in scope. Talk to people. Just ask them. Talk to people anywhere, everywhere. They’ll tell you: Yes, life has been tumultuous lately. More than usual. More than normal. For some, more than ever.

Now there’s a danger here, and that danger is not in what is happening, but in how you may construe what is happening. The danger is that you will view what’s going on as “bad,” and then react from utter frustration or fear, or even anger (which is Fear Announced), doing exactly the opposite of what would serve you.

The biggest danger is that because of the inaccuracy of your perception, you will miss a once-in-a-lifetime (literally a once-in-a-lifetime) opportunity.

The good news is that your Soul is working hard to make sure you don’t do that. It is working at this right now, in this moment.
One last time: Do you really think it is happenstance that you are reading this . . . ?

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Visit this site: http://goo.gl/gFAsm to find out more.

(NOTE from NDW SUPPORT: Neale considers THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS (just released from Hay House) to be his most important book to emerge from God's inspiration since "Conversations with God." Neale's dream is that everyone could read every word that's in this text. He is therefore posting the entire book, line-by-line, here on Facebook, in daily excerpts. He hopes that you will find the book as beneficial as he has.)

Excellent article for single folks wanting a better future relationship/marriage

The time to start working on your relationship is before you get one.  Sounds silly but it's very true.  If you're already in a relationship or are married, this article offers some excellent advice to improve the quality of your relationship with your significant others.

http://photos.essence.com/galleries/modern-day-matchmaker-10-ways-improve-your-marriage-while-youre-still-single#321236_321226