Life by Design

The Gift of Time

 

Ephesians 5:16  Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! (The Message)

 

Last Tuesday, I got up early. However, it was, I thought, my general time of arising which is usually between 5:30 and 6:00a.m. As usual, I arose thanking God for another day and toying in my mind whether I would get up or just lie there and get more zzzzz's. I let discipline rule. I rolled out of bed, looked out the window, it was dark. But it is winter in Indiana, so it's always dark at this time, I thought to myself.

 

I walked past the window, and headed to my "spot" on the couch to pray. Though it was pretty dark, I reminded myself that Jesus often got up early to pray and so should I.  After talking to God, I picked up my bible and read some passages. After all, what better way to start each day than to "present my body as a living sacrifice" (Romans 12:1)?  But it was still dark.

 

I read of few pages of, The Power of Positive Thinking. The chapter on "How to Draw from a Higher Power" was just what I needed.  Generally, by now after being up for a while, the sun will start to peek out, but not this morning.

 

In my mind it is about 7:00 am. Time to wake my husband. When I do, he says to me, "just 15 more minutes".  At this point I look at my cell phone and notice that the time says 4:23 a.m.  However, the clock in my room says 7:53, that's strange. But I leave, planning to wake him in "just 15 more minutes."  When I return, I again look at my cell phone which now says about 4:38 a.m. If you know anything about cell phones, they are usually very precise, satellite time. But now I start wonder why my cell phone still shows a time in the 4:00 hour because I know that it is after 7:00 a.m.

As I wake my husband again, I tell him that my phone is malfunctioning because the time shows 4:53 and that just can't be right. So I turn off my cell phone to restart it. When it comes back on it now says 4:55a.m. By this time, he says that he just doesn't feel rested and it's really dark outside, but since it is now 7:30,  he'll get up. I mention again that my cell phone is acting strange and that our bedroom clock now shows 8:00 am (its set ½ hour fast), but my cell shows 5:00 a.m and we both finally realize why it is dark. Because it is really 5:00 am and I have actually been up since 3:30!

 

Somewhere during the night, my bedroom clock malfunctioned causing me to be 2 ½ hours off in time. Boy do we have a good laugh! When asked if I am coming back to bed, I think about it for a moment and reply that I am already up now. It occurs to me that to go back to sleep is to give God a gift back, the gift of time!

 

At that moment, God gives me a revelation that every waking moment is a gift of life and time that we cannot get back. Ephesians 5:16 says that we should "redeem the time." Or in other words make the most of every opportunity. Each of us has something that we want to accomplish, usually while working another job, and our reason for not getting it done is "I just can't find the time." But my little mishap showed me that "time" is there, we just don't always arise early enough to take advantage of it. After that incident, I've found it a little easier to arise early and focus on my goals. After all, Jesus got up early in the morning focus on His goal (the cross)...shouldn't you?

 

 "Do you love life? Then do not squander time because it's the thing the life is made of!"   

Ben Franklin

 

Signing out 'til next time,
 Cynthia "Time Sensitive" Newman
Make your life...Always Beautiful...Always By Design!

My PEACE of Passion

 

Phil 4:6 And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus.

 

You know, since I have been writing "Life By Design", several of my friends have remarked that there is something different about me. That I seem peaceful, that I have a rested attitude.  The first time I heard that, I smiled politely and gave my "pat" answer, "really?" and kept it pushing. But seeing that I heard the same comment from my husband the next day, I thought, well maybe they are right, but why? Why has my mind gone from racing all the time, to still in think mode, yet a calmer demeanor?

 

You only have to work in close proximity with me for a little while to know that I have an excited attitude and I am generally upbeat all the time. But this was different. Lately, my friends and family were saying that I had gone from happiness to having real joy. In reality, my situation hasn't changed much. We are still creating a resurgence of our business which requires a lot of work, I am still getting up early and going to bed late, I still rarely take a full day off without something planned. So what is it?

 

It is that I have found my "Peace of Passion". You see, writing this blog and having the courage to send it out weekly, fulfills my basic need for pursuing my passion. And in that pursuit, I have found the peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:6). Norman Vincent Peale says that "A primary method for gaining a mind full of peace is to practice emptying the mind." (The Power of Positive Thinking, Simon & Schuster, 1952).  I believe that when I am writing, I am emptying my mind and therefore I am able to come into perfect harmony with who God has created me to be. In that space of time, there is no struggle, no worry, no anxiety. I am free to just be. Be relaxed, be with God, be me. 

 

My husband, Eric was born with the gift of calmness and the spirit of peace but unfortunately for me, that was not so. I have had to learn how to be calm and serene. I've had to learn what brings me to a state of peacefulness. That is what pursuing this passion of communicating has done for me. In effect, my peaceful mind has helped me generate personal power. (NVP cited above.)

 

If I had know that pursuing what I love, even when I'm only doing it as a labor of love, would give me this kind of peace,  I would have done this years ago. Why we resist God's individual design for our lives, I'll never know. But this is exactly what this blog is about, helping you live your "life by design". Oh the joy that comes when you grow into the knowledge of who   you   really   are. Therein lies your power!

 

If you haven't' found your passion take some serious time to examine it. What makes you tick? What is it that you could do for hours on end, yet time would stand still? If you know your passion but you're waiting for permission to pursue it (from yourself or anyone else) don't wait, start living it now. You'll experience a quietness that you've never seen. Go ahead! Pursue your passion, experience peace and watch your power come forth!

 

By the way, hit me back on this one and share your passion with me. My greatest joy will be in watching your passion unfold!

 

(Post your comments below.)

 

Signing out 'til next time,

Cynthia "Very Peaceful" Newman
Make your life...Always Beautiful...Always By Design!

I WAS Martha

I Was Martha

 

Dedicated to my great friend Barbara Sanders in Jackson, MS.

 

Luke 10:42 - But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

 

Luke 10:38-42 speaks to us about two sisters Mary and Martha. These same two, are the sisters of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. In this passage of Luke, Jesus has come to visit the family as he so often did when he was in town. No doubt, Martha, the "busy" one was frantically running around, preparing dinner and playing hostess to the guests. We can assume that there were guests because we know that a crowd followed Jesus wherever he went.

At the same time that Martha was busy doing what we women do when we entertain, there sits Mary at the feet of Jesus, soaking up all of the teaching and basking in His glory.

Enter Martha. Upset and overwhelmed, she asks Jesus to command Mary to "up" and help her. But to her surprise and probably disdain, he does exactly the opposite. Instead he tells Martha, that "Mary has chosen the good part", to spend time with Him to receive lessons and memories that can never be taken away." 

 

I can just see Martha now thinking..."No, Mary is just lazy and she needs to help me out!" LOL!

However, as I analyzed this text, I had to once again analyze myself. On any one day, which sister am I? Am I Martha, who is always rushing around, trying to get things done, always in a hurry doing what will please others? Or, am I Mary, observant and willing to take time to hear from Jesus on what my next move will be? Do I spend time receiving direction and hiding his word in my heart so that it can never be taken away? (Psalms 119:11 says, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.)

 

Well, I have to admit...I was Martha

On the day that I both discovered and accepted it, I was not pleased. But as you are on your path to self discovery, times of introspection like this can produce some of the greatest "a ha" moments of your life. In fact, this is how you grow! When I visited this text some months ago, I discovered that in my best intentions, to please Jesus (by doing) I may have missed him altogether.  The beautiful thing about life is that once you know better you can do better. And I do better I will. Less running, more resting (in Jesus), less fretting, more fasting, less talking, more listening. I decided to make a change that day, so that I can keep the good part of Jesus with me at all times.

 

So if you are Martha (or for my male readers, Marty), take a moment to ask yourself, what you can do to slow your pace and bask in his presence? I have not fully converted yet. At times I still see the Martha in me rear her head.  (Like this weekend during my mom's celebration.) But, I am personally going through a "transformation". Behold the old is passed away and all things have become new! (2 Cor. 5:17) Hallelujah!! 
 

Signing out 'til next time,

Cynthia "Mary" Newman
Make your life...Always Beautiful...Always By Design! 

Copyright pending...material not to be used withouth permission.

ACCOLADES

Proverbs 31:30 - Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
 
How do you accept praise? I was talking with a close friend who came across this letter she'd written to herself some time ago. Upon finding it, a few days ago, she forwarded it to me. While I was flattered to receive it, I didn't know what to do with the praise.
 
Some discussion of whether I would post it, confirmed that it was something that could benefit you. I am much too reserved about receiving accolades for me to post it for public consumption. But at her urging, here it is.
 
(Reprinted with permission)
 

The Letter (written in 2005)
I am blessed to have had the opportunity to cross paths with an amazing woman. Her love for God, for her family and for her friends is beyond the imagination. Let me tell you about Cynthia Newman.
 
Married 19 years and she is only 37 years old, this woman's knowledge of life is beyond the years she has lived. I first met Cynthia as one of Sunday school teachers. While seeking how to accomplish my dream of empowering and educating people on their financial independence, I was led to Cynthia as she spoke at the Single's Conference at our church, Light of the World Christian Church, about financial freedom. After meeting her seven months ago, my life has never been same.
 
Growing up I have always had an inner drive to do more and be more than what life had to offer but this quality often clashed with many areas of my life esp. relationships. After meeting Cynthia, she has helped me channel this drive in creating greatness in every area of my life. Her gifts for giving, motivating and gabbing have given me a new outlook on what life has to offer me and what I deserve and expect out of life. She is not only my Sunday school teacher, but my Regional Vice President in my business with Primerica Financial Services that gives ordinary people extraordinary opportunity to do something great with their lives. She is also my mentor and I am proud to say my friend and sister.
 
There is something special about her that words cannot sum up. She is destined for greatness over beyond. My Spirit knows that her journey has just begun and I am proud to share in this journey with her. Her story is captivating, motivating and downright inspirational. There is so much more I could say about her overcoming adversity and rising to every challenge. To attempt to sum her up is to say 'Dynamic'. And while I say all of this about her, she would not agree because of her humility. And I know one thing for sure that when Oprah meets her is that Oprah will know that the Best Yet to Come in Cynthia's life.
 
Olowa Ogden
 

Each time I read the letter, am still hesitant to post it because I know that all praise belongs to God for how he continues to show up in my life. However, I realize that it actually represents two opportunities that I would not want you to miss.
 
First, we must all ask ourselves daily what impact I am making on my world around me? What legacy will I leave behind? Note that I didn't say "the" world. The world is a big place, but I believe that if enough of us can impact "our world" then together we can impact "the" world at large.
 
Secondly, who in your life can you pause to let know that they have impacted you? I believe that what makes our life full and complete is the joy one receives when knowing you've made a difference. So while I have a long way to go, I am grateful, that a friend stopped long enough to let me know that I am on track.
 
During this week of Thanksgiving, take time to thank someone who has made a diference to you. I'll start by saying...
 
Thank you Olowa, you too are a dynamic woman who deserves praise! (Prov 31:30)
  
Signing out 'til next time,
 
Cynthia Newman
Make your life...Always Beautiful...Always By Design!

Do Your Impossible

Did you know that you can do anything? A few years ago, I taught a yearlong study called Great Bible Truths. The first  truth was that "we are created in God's image" found in Genesis 1:26 -27. While I had heard this many times, it was the fact that I had to prepare to teach this lesson to my Sunday School class that caused me to investigate what this really meant. After all, how can one teach what one doesn't comprehend?

My study led me to text of the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1 - 9). While this text lends itself to various teachings, the  revelation that I'd like to share with you is this...YOU CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!

In this passage, the people gather together to build a great city and a tower that reaches the sky. They create the plan, begin to work the plan and their tower begins to take shape. At this point God comes down to confuse their language, because He acknowledges that "surely these people are going to accomplish what they have set out to do. In fact, after this, nothing will be impossible for them!" (Gen 11:6), He ultimately confounds their tongues, scatters them abroad and the rest, as they say is history.

Why would God come down to look on their project? Why would God confound their tongues? Why would God say "nothing they have imagined they can do would be impossible"?

Because He created them. And since He is the maker, He knew the power that He had placed in them! I have heard it said that if you want to know how something works, ask the creator. Through the bible, our creator gives us the "Divine Design," our instruction manual as to how we work. The key is, it only works, if we work it!

1.He gave us a vivid imagination- God has given us the power and ability to think outside of the box, just as he does!  Think about God's creativity, he made a hot pink flamingo, a black and white striped zebra and 20 foot tall giraffe with a long neck. God has a vivid imagination and so do you! But you must use it to elevate your life!

2. He gave you the ability to create and follow a plan - In Genesis 1, God created the earth and everything in it in 6 days. On the 7th day he rested. That's a plan! He didn't try to do it all in one day. He had a system, it was methodical.  The people building the Tower of Babel had a system. The found a way to make both bricks and mortar to build that tower. But they didn't just talk about building the tower, the actually got to work on it. What is your plan for the future and when will you get to work on it?

3. He gave you the ability to achieve the impossible - God created the earth out of nothing! Achieving the impossible, the people actually built the tower into the sky. While we build sky scrapers today, in the context of this scripture, that would be unheard of. Yet, because God knew how he made them, he knew that he had created them to do the impossible. Jesus was whipped, beaten, died and then rose from the dead with all power in his hands! Now that's our greatest example of achieving the Impossible!

4. Bonus - If you get on one accord with your "dream team" your ability to accomplish your task is magnified! The people were all united, speaking the same language! (Gen 11:6) Who is on your team helping you accomplish your dream?

So here is the message for you and I. We can accomplish the impossible...but the word also says according to your faith, be it unto you! (Matt 9:29)

So, I know you've got some "impossible" in you! Go ahead...allow yourself to imagine it, create a plan, follow it, develop your dream team and you'll confirm for yourself that ...YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!
 
Signing out 'til next time,
 
Cynthia "Gettin' It Done" Newman
Make your life...Always Beautiful...Always By Design!

I Won't Accept Defeat

Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us!

   

More and more these days, I have these experiences in my life that make me pause and think about who I really am. Not just who I say I am, but when I am in action, living and doing in the moment, what kind of character traits I exhibit.  Well, recently I had one of those experiences that on the surface was inconsequential, yet it held a deeper meaning of what I am all about. So here is the incident.

 

I was at an event with a silent auction. While perusing the room, I saw an item that I loved. In fact, upon taking my seat for dinner I’d noticed that item and periodically caught glimpses of it during the night.  Upon the bidding time, I began to place my bid and there by entered into somewhat of a bidding war with another bidder.  As the auction prepared to close, I hovered around the table as a mother bird hovers around her nest, in sight but somewhat inconspicuous.  However, the other bidder was doing the same.

 

He bid, I bid, He bid, I bid, someone else bid, He bid, I bid and so it goes. At last call for the auction, I am in winning position. As the attendant comes to collect the bid sheets, there by closing the bidding, my opponent’s spouse swoops in to place their last bid. Here is the kicker; I have the opportunity to bid one last time, but I don’t. I allow them to win the prize.

 

Now at first glance, this probably seems to be just a fun incident with little consequence. But in fact, it is much, much more than that. So much so, that I could not allow myself to purge the memory of it until I assessed its meaning to who I am and my character.

 

The underlying meaning is that in that moment and space of time, I allowed defeat.  Not only did I allow it, I ushered it in. So it got me thinking, how many other times has the brass ring been in my hand that I chose to let it go.  How many other times had God placed victory in my life only to be defeated by my own decision? I believe that in life, we are given opportunities to succeed and that for whatever reason we decide not to go for it.  We won’t make the call, introduce ourselves, place the last bid, or whatever that action is that could bring a win to our life. If we are going to be successful, winning has to be instinctual.   

 

Not that we have to be evil competitors, but the will to win has got to be a part of your life. In my case, the will to win is there but somehow I allowed myself to “shrink back” when I viewed the consequence as having no real bearing on my life.  But here is what I am coming to understand. All decisions have consequences. All decisions shape our character and our destiny. So, from this day on, I have decided that I do not accept defeat!

 

God made me a winner; in fact, Romans 8:37 says that in all these things we are “more than conquerors” through him that loved us! So today I challenge you to look at yourself. What small character flaw exists in your life that could be having a bigger impact than you think? Find it, weed it out, and watch the result. For me…I won’t accept defeat. Will you?

"Hello, My Name is Enough"

 
Last weekend, I attended The Harvest Girls - Women's Empowerment conference. Upon entering the venue, each woman was given an "Hello, My Name Is" tag. I am sure that I have been given a name tag to identify myself at every event of this kind that I have attended.  After all, my name says who I am and of course, people want to know who you are.
 
However, this name tag was different because when it was handed to me, it did not give me a name I already knew, (Cynthia, that is). It gave me a name that I was to embrace and embody for the next 365 days, and hopefully forever.
 
I suspect that the name tags for all of the women were carefully thought about as the facilitator, Dr. Elon Bomani, prepared them. However, I am certain that there was no rhyme or reason as to how we would receive our "new name" tag as they were simply handed to each woman as she walked in the door.  All who attended received names that were clear, definite, and to the point. Names that were generally positive, uplifting and affirming of who they are or are to become. For instance, "Hello, My name is "Confident". Hello my name is "Beautiful". Hello my name is "Vibrant". You get the point. I watched in delight as each woman wore her name tag, eager to embrace and affirm that attribute within her, or to embrace the possibility of becoming what it said.
 
However, for me the experience was a little different yet extremely fitting. You see, my name tag said..."Hello, My Name is Enough". Wow, it caught me off guard. "Enough". In true fashion, even in my busyness, I took this as an opportunity to reflect the meaning of the moment. I could take this name tag in so many ways, and in fact I did. 
 
 "Hello, My Name is Enough". This must mean that I have had enough. Enough of living up to others expectations, enough of being too busy or enough of being everything to everybody. But no, that could not be it. Because this was an empowerment conference, so surely our facilitator would never have named me anything that would conjure up frustration in my mind.
 
"Hello, My Name is Enough".  Maybe that indicated that I have given enough. I am involved in the community, serve as a leader in my church, I teach Sunday School.  I try to be the best wife, daughter, friend and business woman I can. And even in the middle of receiving my name tag, I was serving at the conference. So, "I have given, enough" would certainly have been applicable. And yet, as I considered the meaning of my new name, it still led me to a feel "less than glorified". Knowing that the facilitator intended for me to live in the "name" for the next 365 days, I surmised that this could not be the meaning of my new name either.
 
Then it hit me! "Hello, My name is Enough" I am Enough. I AM ENOUGH! You see I am in the process overcoming P P S. People Pleasing Syndrome. So I had to be given this new name to let me know that I am enough and that in God's eyes I have more than enough to accomplish everything that he has set out for me to do. I am nice enough, I am pretty enough, I am smart enough, to get the job done.  No need for me to seek approval any longer because I   am    enough.
 
My need to seek approval all this time has simply meant, that I didn't know that I am Enough. I don't need another title, degree or promotion because in my current state, I am enough.  So, since I am smart enough, educated enough and gifted enough, all that's left for me to do is to step into my destiny. 
 
So the next time you question yourself about that thing you want to accomplish remind yourself that you too are "Enough".  And remember that God is more than enough to perform and complete every good work that he set out to do in you! (Romans 4:21).
 
"Hello, Your Name is Enough"...Live it, Love it, Embrace it. Now go get your destiny!
 
Signing out 'til next time,
 
Cynthia "Enough" Newman
Make your life...Always Beautiful...Always By Design!

Welcome!

Welcome to "Life By Design" inspirational blog. It has been a long time in the making, but it's finally here!

 

Why so long? For most of us, starting is often the hardest part of the process.

 

Why a blog? I love to communicate. It doesn't matter whether it's speaking, writing, television, radio, even non-verbal. I love connecting, uplifting, empowering and  encouraging. Communication is my passion and what better way to pursue it, than to share my thoughts with you in hopes that you too will find your passion and share it with your world as well.

 

Why "Life By Design"? I've been on the path of self discovery for many years. Genesis 1:26 says that God created us in His image and likeness, but who really knows what that means? Through studying the Bible and many hours of quiet time, I have learned that God has given me the ability to do so much more than I can ever imagine. He's endowed me with His ability to create, speak things into existence and to be limitless within the boundaries of my humanity.  It is in this spirit that I have learned that I should live my life on purpose and "by design".

 

I'll send posts to your email periodically. Feel free to comment, pass them along and invite others to join the mailing list!

 

Sometimes there may even be questions to aid you in your discovery process. So grab your journal and join me as I continue to pursue life through this blog. Sometimes inspirational, sometimes motivational but always By Design.

 

 

Enjoy,

 

Cynthia Newman 

 "Life... Always beautiful...Always by design!"

 

 

What I Believe

 

In my quest to discover my talents and abilities, I spent one Saturday afternoon  at the local library in a creative writing class. I've always loved to write but have never had any formal training. Our first assignment was to write a poem about what we believe in .  Here is the result.

 

 

What I believe

 

I believe in God

That we all have a source.

I believe that love conquers all and when you get to something unconquerable, love will conquer it to.

 

I believe in sleep,

the place where we go to dream, imagine and create our “real world”.

I believe that when I wake up I am new again.

 

I believe that we should live life from the inside out.

Learning who we are will shape our destiny.

 

I believe that if we believe that everything will be okay, it always will be.

 

To love, to live, to care, to grow, to suffer and rise again victorious; these are the things in which I believe.

Gone Soft?

Good Morning,

 

You may not know that I have a passion for writing. In fact, I have a passion for communication of all forms. I've been journaling for years in an effort to become a better me. Often God gives me an inspirational word in my quiet time that is meant just for me, and sometimes it is meant to be used by me as I share it with others. Today was one of those days. I just feel compelled to share this inspirational writing as God gave it to me. I hope it blesses you as well!

 

I welcome your feedback...Thanks for reading it!

Cyn

========================================================================================================================

Gone Soft?

By Cynthia Newman

 

My Fortune Cookie: Be a doer of deeds and not just of words.

 

My Bible: But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)

 

I’ve had that little piece of fortune cookie paper floating around my purse for weeks. If you know me, then you know that I change purses like I change undergarments (daily)! But somehow, that tiny piece of paper managed to follow me around long enough for me to take notice.

 

Today I awakened to find myself pondering my plight. Where I am and how I am using the voice that God gave me. Am I making an impact? Am I doing things that uplift others or am just helping myself? When I hear a call for help do I stop and meet the need or do my words end the capacity of my comforting?

 

This week, as I sat to reflect on my life, I realized that I had been passing the opportunity to help those in need. There were calls by women struggling to get ahead and wanting to be mentored. There were children needing a responsible adult to step in and be a rock in their lives. There were women trying to escape their situation and needing some strong person to step in and show the way.  I am sure I get these types of calls regularly, but for some reason, this week, God stopped me long enough to slow me down and cause me to take a look at my actions.

 

When I examined myself, I realized that I had “gone soft”. Somewhere in my process of life and trying to achieve my goals, I had forgotten to slow down and help others achieve theirs. Now I am not saying that I don't lend a hand to those in need. I do my share, but in reflecting, I found that sometimes the level of my compassion is centered on my words (e.g. “I'll pray for you”) and that my actions didn't always see the situation through to resolution.

 

While I know that I am busy (these days we all are), God showed me that there are times when people need more than just my words. That he has equipped me with the capacity to help and that is what I must do.  For example, can I use my contacts to provide resources to a person in need? Can I take an hour a week to spend time with that child who needs just that…my time? Can I give to the person who may need groceries, the money I planned to use for new shoes? These are decisions that we all have to make. But only I know if I can and I will.

 

I must be clear and say that the bible teaches us that “wisdom is the principle thing and in all thy getting, get an understanding” (Prov. 4:7). So, we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into discerning when we are to help and when we are to be still. But, the Holy Spirit, who leads you into all truth (John

16:13

), will do just that.

 

God is calling all of us to a higher level…will you answer the call? Or have you “Gone Soft”?