Living,Loving,Encouraging

Friends and family, How are you? Long time no speak. I hope that you are safe, healthy, and well. And if not, I pray that God will provide for all of your needs. I know that he will, he has done it for me, and others that I know.  Since we last spoke, I had been working on an adult fantasy eBook, and I am now proud to share that it is finally here! The title of the book is Sweet Tragedies: Dreams That Came to Life  and is a book of dreams that I have had over a span of time. The dreams were brought to life by the source of a pen and a little bit of exaggeration; with the hope to inspire others to persevere through challenges, overcome fear, and to chase their dreams. For much of my life, I had many fears, but God has encouraged me to keep going and to not let fear hold me back. In him, there is no fear.  1 John 4:17-18: This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.  18 There is no f...

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope that you are safe and well. I've missed you and wanted to check in. It's been a little while since my last post, but I always think of you. This year I am working on wrapping up a fiction book for adults. I have been working on it since the beginning of last year and hope to come back and tell you more about it. With that being I will be gone for a bit but will be back soon. To new beginnings! With love, Noelani

I recently took a solo trip to Los Angeles, California. My soul had been wanting to go since I last visited in the Spring of 2021. I lived there for a little while in my late 20s and fell in love with the weather, the palm trees, the lifestyle, and the beach. I had it on my vision board to go sometime this year but kept putting it off. After praying about it in August and receiving confirmation from God, I booked my ticket to go for a weekend the following month. I made an itinerary, packed my bags, and headed to LA.  On Friday, September 6, I landed at the Los Angeles International Airport around 2 PM. The flight took five hours from Charlotte, North Carolina, and I stayed at the  Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel . Once I got settled in my room, I refreshed myself and headed in an Uber to my favorite soul food restaurant, Dulan’s Soul Food Kitchen . For lunch I had baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, and cornbread. It was so good. After eating, I walked ar...

"Sis, You're Her!" said a Black brother to me at my local lounge, one day. I was not feeling my best but went out to hear some music and shake off whatever I was feeling. He and I started a conversation after I gave him the eye and asked him to come sit with me from the bar. He had been sitting at the bar alone and I was at a table nearby sipping on a glass of wine.  He caught my eye, coming from the bathroom in his brown sweat suit, Cartier frames, and fresh line-up. Instead of coming over to my table, he pulled out a chair for me to sit beside him. When we started talking, he said “Sis, You’re Her!" Though I was looking good, smelling good, and had my hair done, the truth was, I was not feeling my best. I was depressed and thought that I would get some time outdoors. Though I smiled, he sensed what I was feeling. “Sis, You're Her!” he said with a big smile. As he continued to say it, I asked him why he kept saying it. He replied, “You are. You're it. I can ...

Exodus 17 10-13  So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.   11  As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.   12  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.   13  So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. Since the beginning of my walk with God and getting baptized in 2013 I struggled with my identity. In my walk of trying to be a Godlier woman, I thought that I had to look and act a specific way (modest, quiet, submissive) like some of the women in the bible. With these thoughts, I hid my goofiness, silliness, and sometimes loud voice. I hid some of these things for so long that I felt like I didn't know who I was. B...

Secret Single's Mingle Part 4. Charlotte, NC 7.8.23 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. Friends and Family, "It's been a while since we last spoke. Please excuse my silence as a few things have taken place.  The last time we spoke, I had written a post about fiber and its benefits on the gut.  Since then, I have gotten baptized, have been cooking more, visited family in Boston, and just hosted my fifth event in Charlotte, NC. Woohoo!   On May 28th,2023, I got baptized for the second time after 10 years. I felt a yearning deep down in my Sp...

Family and Friends,  I love my grandma. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know how special she is to me. I have mentioned her in some of my post, but mainly in the Valentine’s Day posts (coming soon). It is one of her favorite holidays. She is the reason that I love and the reason why I strive to spread it.  Growing up, she has always taught me the importance of self-love and loving others. Though loving on others has seemed to come easier for me, I admit that loving on myself has been kind of hard.  From my time in elementary school up until two years ago, I struggled with my identity as a Black Woman. I attended school in the suburbs of Massachusetts (which was predominantly white), and at the time I was the only black girl in my school. The only other person that looked like me was my friend, Alan. I would always feel different. And though my teachers and peers never treated me differently, I knew that I was. Their eyes were blue and green and their hair wa...

  Happy New Year Lovely People! How are you? I hope, well. If not well, I hope that you are coping in healthy ways that work for you and hanging on to your peace and joy like never before. We cannot let that go. There may be some days that you feel down, but you cannot stay there. Psalm 30:5  For his anger   lasts only a moment,  but his favor lasts a lifetime;  weeping   may stay for the night,  but rejoicing comes in the morning . I have been doing well. Going into this New Year I have been doing more listening and watching. On December 31 of last year, I deleted my personal social media and I feel so free. I did this so I can have more time to think on my own and focus. Sometimes it can be a distraction.  I am also trying to learn new ways of thinking and doing things this year, because you're never too old to establish new behaviors. With this said, I am taking a brief hiatus until the Holy Spirit moves me to post. All of my posts written to y...

Friends and family, Can I tell you something? I don’t have it all together. I don’t think that you think I did, but I thought you should know anyhow. Sometimes I am anxious, I mean really anxious, and my mind gets overwhelmed. I get anxious about how overly organized I am, how sometimes I can't sit down and strive to complete my skincare routine in under 30 minutes in the morning, but I can't. Those are a few of my issues.  Sometimes, I can’t even pray because my mind is on overload thinking about what I have to do next. I am overprotective of my family members and many times it’s hard for me to trust people. There it is, that is the truth. That was a lot to release, *breathes*. I am sharing this with you all because this Christmas, this New Year, I want you to remember that we all have flaws and no one is perfect. The only perfect person who was and is to come is Jesus. We don't have to be envious of anyone, and we don’t have to be jealous. We were each molded and crea...

  John 3:8     The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So, it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” God has been taking me on dates. This is nothing new to me, I have shared it with you before (check out this previous  post ), but his style and grace continue to amaze me. Yesterday afternoon, I was at home minding my business when I was reminded of an Instagram post about Taco Tuesday specials at my local Mexican food restaurant. "What a great time and place to go on a date with self" I thought, but then debated if I should go. As I washed up, got dressed, and applied my make-up, I still was in debate. "Go", said the Spirit.  In the past, I visited this restaurant a couple of times and established a relationship with some of the staff. On my last visit, the kind bar manager had given me a gift certificate for a free appetizer, so I was excited to try something new. There was a short ri...

In a survey on twiddy.com , over 2000 Southern and Non-Southern Americans were surveyed on what Southern Hospitality meant to them, "the top answer was politeness, followed closely by good home cooking".   Before visiting the South, the phrase  “Southern Hospitality” was something I had heard of but had never experienced. Up North, I heard people joke about it or mention it on occasion, but it wasn’t really real for me until I visited North Carolina in 2019.  I visited Charlotte, North Carolina in 2019, to attend a live sermon at Elevation Church. I had been following the services online since 2016 and had finally gone down to attend in person. And when I tell you that "Southern Hospitality" is a real thing, It's a real thing! From my shuttle pick-up at the airport to departure, I was greeted by many, asked how I was doing, and received many smiles. There was even a time at the hotel when a gentleman greeted me while I was on the phone. Can you believe it? While...

  Exodus 18: 19  Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. I’ve always wanted a Spiritual mentor. Recently, God revealed to me that I had one in my mother. For many years I sought out counsel at church, from friends, in my relationships, but no advice compared to my moms. Her counsel was wise, humble, personal , and always relative  to the Bible.    I appreciate her advice. It has never steered me wrong.  When reading Exodus chapter 18,   I was reminded of the benefit    of receiving advice from someone you trust. The chapter shared the story of Moses in the wilderness along with the Israelites, and occurrences that took place right after their escape from from Egypt. A little time after their escape,  Moses received a visit from his Father-in-law, Jethro, along with his wife and two sons ( which he had left in his father-...

Dear Lord, I pray for Russia, I pray for Ukraine. I pray for prayer and supplication among our people on the behalf of our sisters and brothers . Lord Avail. Lord Hear our Prayer. Your people need you. You did it for the Israelites , you did it for other nations. Please God, Heal Our Land. Heal your people. Heal the oppressed. Save us from our own iniquities. From unrighteous thoughts.  We stand with the people of Russia, of those in Ukraine who are dealing with suffering, death, Lord . Forgive us of our sins Lord . Change our hearts. Forgive us of our trespasses. Please Lord, help us.  You said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV I f my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Heal us Lord. Heal our Nation. We Need You.  For some encouragement, listen to this playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLic1e2kKfXJo1PN...

  John 16:24  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Joy to the world ! Light has come ! Peace has come! Salvation has come !  Love has won!  Deliverance has come!  Mercy has come!  Forgiveness has Come! It is in Him, His Glorious name, We are one!  Healing has come ! Kindness has come !  From Jesus, Our one and only Savior.  Born of the Virgin Mary and her Husband Joseph, a descendant of King David, from the line of Judah.  In Him are all of these things. Ask and receive , and your joy will be complete .  Merry Christmas! Noelani

  Growing up I used to visit my grandmother on my dad's side at her house in Hyde Park, MA. From a little girl to an adult,  The times that I would visit her would mean everything because we had a special bond. She did not speak any English and I did not speak Haitian-Creole, but God made a way for us to speak and understand one another.  While visiting her, I would practice speaking the language and would use the Google  translator on my phone. She  was always very patient with me. When I would walk through the front door of her house (which was always open), and yell from downstairs "Mama Liline!" she would respond, "Melanie!". That's what she called me. She then would continue speaking to someone in front of her or on the phone. She had many friends and visitors. When I would get to her house and walk up the 7-8 stairs and turn into her living room,  a big smile would spread across her face. My grandmother would be sitting in her favorite green armchair ...

  Romans 8: 18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  This scripture from Romans 8 means everything to me. While lying in the bed this morning all that I could hear in my Spirit was this scripture . I tossed and turned and knew I had to write something . So here I am on this  Saturday morning  delivering this message to you.    I am inspired to write this while reflecting on how much God has done in my life and in my family's life.  He has stretched his hand out and transformed actions, thought patterns, and has broken generational curses. All of this has come with surrender,  and the Peace of the Holy Spirit has rested on my family's life. It is the best feeling ever.  It wasn't like this always,  but as I said, surrendering to God and trusting Him changed our lives. I can truly attest to the notion that our present sufferings amount t...

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. When I was a child my grandmother would always tell me I that I could be anything I wanted to be . She would buy me books on African American inventors , writers , models , artists , advocates of change , such as Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King. Then there were    books like “ Where the Wild Things Are” that opened up my imagination. These books took me to fantasy places and brought me brighter days in times where the world felt mean or scary . To this day, I don’t question my passion for writing and why I feel called to it . It was the inspiration of those same books that she gave me and when I have my own children I will pass them down to them .  CDC.gov ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), says that the “The early years of a child’s life are very important for later health and development. One of the main reasons being because of how ...