Learning to Live Intentional One of the hardest things to learn is to be intentional with your thoughts and actions. You must know exactly what you want out of life! You must be able to envision what you want in life. You must be clear and concise on your dream! You must decide for yourself what you want out of life. You must be the one who is making the decisions in your life. You must be in the driver’s seat in your life. Once you know what you want it easier to live intentional! You must be exacting in your plans and your goals. I am going to give you some questions and tips to get you started on the path of living intentional. First ask yourself the following questions: · What do you want your life to look like? · What are your goals? · What are your dreams? · What do you want to accomplish? · What do you need to make it happen? When you have your answers, you will be ready to start on your journey. Every journey starts with the first step! And answering these questions honestly is a great way to begin your journey! I start each of my journeys and plans with prayer. I ask God to show me what He wants for me; Where He wants to send me. How He wants to use me and then I am silent so I can I hear His Voice, His Answer! Start each month with a list of things you want to accomplish. Break it down into weeks and then into days. Now you have a 30-day plan on living intentional; easy steps to take to your ultimate goal. A plan to work on and a way to make it happen. A way to be intentional daily! As you get into a routine of living intentional it will become a habit. It will become a way of life for you. It will be how you live. How you are! Who you are! It will just be your normal! Your life! And you will see results immediately! So start today and live intentional and change your tomorrows! Much Love & Light To You My Friends, Sharon Gulley of Beautiful Expectations of Faith
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I Am Sharon
I started out life being a teenage bride and in fear of the world and I became withdrawn in some sense and wild eyed in another over the things I had never seen or experienced before; I was lost in between the world of Christianity and freedom. Christianity I was familiar with, freedom I was not. Fear became a survival mode for me and the world was now my stage and everyday life a place for me to practice a no fear survival mode in; so I started learning everything I could to help me to survive on my own and be independent. Even though I was married then I had no support I could really count on. He was always gone and getting what he needed in his life and I was left to care for myself. If I ate, I caught it from the sea, if I had clothes, I got them one way or another; most of the time I didn’t even have a pair shoes, if I had anything, it was because it came to me in one form or another and this went on for years to come. I lived on the side of the roads, beaches, river banks, etc; for the first 7 years of my life after I was made to leave my home, I was either working or hitch hiking to one state or the other for means of survival. I bathed in and ate out of rivers, creeks and oceans. I cooked over an open fire when able to and when not, ate cold cans of soup given from a shelter, and was thankful for what I had. I never really felt I was poor or without, it just was life as it was. I did not feel bad for myself, I actually felt loved by God, for I was given what I needed to survive. I felt as rich as those who were living in all the beautiful beach houses. It cost them a fortune to live there and experience what I was but for me it was free. There were times I salvaged left over fishing line and hooks, and whatever I could find they had left behind upon the jetty walls and beaches to catch bait fish to sale for money to buy matches or a jug from time to time to put fresh water to drink in or personals and I cooked the fish or crab and sometimes oysters I would catch or gather over an open fire on a stick and then there were times I did not eat at all, but I was okay with that for I knew the next day would unfold and bring what I needed; I had faith in that and it came to pass. I washed my clothes in the open waters and whatever I needed to; as I mentioned before, the world was now the place I called home. I came from humble beginnings and for this I am thankful, for it was the bridge to survival during my young teenage years. The sun, moon, stars and salt water was my family, for the sun kept me warm, the waters kept me fed and the stars were entertainment at night and the moon watched over me as I slept. I never felt alone per say for the stars told me a bedtime story every night as I gazed upon those who have been honored by being placed in the night’s sky. I would lay there on the sandy beach at night and think about Perseus, the son of Zeus who was placed on the beach to grow up safely and imagine that I too was being protected by God as Perseus was protected by his father. I had no fear of being alone, when he would leave for days, sometimes weeks on end; my fear was that I was uneducated and unschooled, and I knew someday things would change and I would not be able to live this way anymore, and I was right. I spent many days and nights alone walking the beaches, and I grew up on those sandy beaches, watching the tides changing before me. It taught me so much and gave me inner strength, and balance that would fill me with life sustaining courage to face anything with relentless determination. Little did I know there were times yet ahead that these survival techniques would prove useful and most definitely, helpful. As I knew it would, life circumstances changed and in 1986 I was a little more than a month from being 21 and I was going to be a mother now. On November the 13th, 1986, I gave birth to a beautiful, handsome boy. In the weeks and years to follow I went through abuse in many forms and it finally spilled over onto my son, and when it did, I was gone from that. When my son was two weeks old I took him and left his father for good. For years I had questioned God why I was even here and what could I offer to the world, I could not see or even understand who I truly was in God’s eyes or how something I could not quite see, hold, or understand completely yet, kept caring for me, protecting me; but little did I know that my journey to discovering my true self and my purpose was unfolding right in front of me. I would only leave this marriage to enter into another one in 1995 that proved to be even worse than the first one and again my survival skills stepped into play and I fought with all that was within me to protect my son and I from being killed and once again we were gone. It took me 3 months to heal from the attack and my son over a month and we stayed in a woman’s shelter to get back on our feet again. I spent countless hours trying to figure it all out. I knew I was a good girl and had done nothing to deserve what I had been through and needed to understand more than ever who I was and why I was here. There had to be a reason; I could not except that I was born to live the way I had since I was 13. I kept talking to the Lord and asking for someone to come into our lives that would love us and be good to us and he answered my prayers. In 2000 I remarried and have had a completely different life, and that in its’ self has been its on journey of self discovery for me and I know for him it has been a challenge for him; but he to this day has never left my side. I look back now and it is all too scary the way I lived and all the times I was so far away from anyone for help if I had needed it or how lucky I am to be alive from sleeping on these beaches alone at night; but even more so now, than ever before I know God and his angels were and are with me. Through all of this I stand 52 years old now and my son is grown with two children of his own, and I finally know who I am. I am Sharon. I am a child of God who is giving, loving, trusting, caring, brave, selfless, understanding, and compassionate, and a healer, a storyteller, a survivor; a woman with enough courage to face adversity to the ground as the victor. I am a child of God with a fire filled passion to help every woman I come across in finding who they are in life and in God’s eyes. I am Sharon. It took me many years through all the pain and abuse, abandonment and excepting why I had to go through what I went through just to find my true self and to find true love of and for myself; and to know as well as accept that I am worthy after all. Deep inside I am still that girl on the side of the road in many ways, but today, I love her for her courage and strength to face it all, and come through it, but I am also the woman living her passion and understanding as well as accepting her purpose to love and heal those who are still out there on the side of the rode in any way that fits their story and to bring in healing however it is needed for them. I still weep at times and I guess I always will for tears are the healer of the soul, someone very special to me said one time; but my tears are no longer tears of pain, they are tears of joy knowing I alone can give to another, what someone did or did not give to me. There is something to be said about moving in faith, that no dictionary can explain and if God says you are, then you are. No if’s ands or buts about it! The greatest love is the love of God and ability to love ones’ self, and others when God calls you to the forefront for his mission; know it is because you are chosen and you are the special person he chose for his plan and it is your soul that is calling. Listen! Never doubt who you are or question why you are here, for every hair on your head is numbered, that’s how loved you are. You are an individual master plan of God, no matter where you come from or who you may or may not believe you are. Trust your inner calling and know yourself from the core of your soul, for it is there you will find peace, passion and purpose. Deep inside each of us there is a soul that is filled with the answers we are seeking. Within our soul there lies the roadmap to our journey; once we take the time to look within and accept that we are just mere passengers on this train of life; each of us with our very own destination; we begin to see our true selves, and once we step off the train of life and into the spiritual journey, we operate from our core level, our purpose. The greatest friendship is the friendship you share with yourself, and the greatest conversations are those you have with him. Within this acknowledgement you will find you. Today I want to say that in a world full of so much uncertainty, there is one thing I am certain of; we are loved and we are needed in this life, and most of all, you are you and that is special. As for Me? I Am Sharon WHO AM I ? Almost everyone at some point or time in their life wonders, “Who Am I?” This question can bring in the dark feeling of loneliness and the feeling that no one understands you, not even yourself at times. These feelings and thoughts are what I like to call, the chain of super natural callings and even though they don’t feel like it, they are normal feelings; they can lead to many different self beliefs and doubts that are most of the time, not true. This question and these uncomfortable feelings are the place between you knowing your true self and not knowing your true self, and purpose or calling. The awkward emotion of where do I fit in or Who am I is the super natural calling to awaken your inner self to the light you hold within you, the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak; everyone searches for this knowledge for it is your soul calling out to you to become one with yourself, your purpose and destiny. There is a predestined plan written for each of us before we are even born and the longing we feel, is a key to the door of our planned, purposeful journey. It takes years sometimes to find out who we are at a core level and then there are others who are born just knowing. I knew what my birth name was, where I was born, who my parents were, where I went to school, what I loved and what I disliked, and I even knew I loved God, but I did not know who I was at a core level or how deeply valued by God we all are. The evaluation of my-self I once held was just a very small percentage of who I truly am at a core level. I have come to understand that likes, dislikes, and all these other things are not who we are, as God’s children. They are just part of what makes us who you are. I like blue jeans, but that is not who I am. It just means I like casual wear. I now, years later realize I was in the middle of evolving into who and what I needed, and was meant to be. I knew as a teenager there was more to this life and that I had a calling but I did not believe I would ever find out what that was, and even if I did, the question remained if I was worthy enough to accept that calling; If my mother did not want me then how could anyone else and all of this was because I did not know who I was at a deep core level. Life and unfortunate circumstances come and we are not prepared because we are not solid from the core base within. Some of us are not taught as children how important it is to truly know ourselves on a deep personal level. How important it is to be our own best friend even. We are taught we have choices to like or dislike and that we need to strive to be as good if not better than someone else in order to succeed, but never to take the time to deeply and honestly know who we are inside our souls or to seek quite time and search for the meaning of our lives and why we are here; So by the time we are out of school if we even get to go to school, I know I didn’t, we are so caught up in the world that, we have lost ourselves and grow into adulthood feeling like something is missing; and there is, it is our connection with self and our connection to source. As it is natural to search and ask, “Who am I,” it should be as natural to teach our youth to seek within for answers and become strong independent seekers of self acknowledgement and source. Lucky for me I knew about faith for in the end it taught me about knowing my true self. I share my story today because I don’t want another person to spend their life wondering Who am I, Where do I fit in, Who needs me, and or what could I offer; I want to tell you that the answer to these questions are as follows; You are God’s child, that is who you are. You fit right where he has you growing from, there is a reason you are where you are and a purpose. Life needs you and all you contribute by just being alive and being present. You can offer the world all you know, survived and overcome along your journey, after all you are proof, God exist each day you wake up and greet the day. Know you are loved and know that no matter where you are or how bad it may be, the light to the way home is within, you already have the answer. Like the light house on the hillside, within its walls there is safety, warmth and hope. You hold within you the light of hope so bright that even faith the size of a mustard seed can grow. Much Love & Light To You My Friends, Sharon Gulley of Beautiful Expectations of Faith Encouragement Message
Today spirit has moved me to bring a message of encouragement, there are so many of us out there doing entrepreneurial work, spiritual work, inner work, healer work and as each one of us travel through our different transition, ascensions and levels in our life, we find that sometimes we are in need of encouragement. So today I want to share a special message of spiritual encouragement concerning your life and dreams that came through to me today from spirit. Spirit gives a definition for the word vision in a way no dictionary can do. Vision is your supernatural imagination in which you expect to become your reality. Starting today I want you to expect what you imagine to become your reality; for if God/Spirit gave it to you then it means you already have in you what it takes to see your vision come to pass. Have faith in that, believe it and stand on it! Things will come to discourage you, and try to move you off your path to get you to quit. But no matter how difficult that path may seem, never quit, never give up! There is something special to be said about moving in faith. There is something that God/Spirit wants to do with you and in your life, something like no one or even the world may have never seen before. In fact God/Spirit wants to use you to open new doors that have never been opened to you or my-self or maybe even unto the world before. For when God/Spirit opens a door in your life, always remember that no one nor nothing, not anything can shut that door of blessing to you, but you! Believe in what you do, Believe in the things you are achieving in your life, Believe in your dreams, Believe in the promise that all shall be given when asked, received and believed; so don’t be afraid to dream, don’t be afraid to move forward and use your imagination, and don’t be afraid to connect with like minded people, for who’s reality is your imagination, because if they have already been there and they have been successful and received great success there, then they in return can help lift you up and help you to obtain the next level of your dreams, your visions and imagination and strengthen that of your expectations. Today I want you to share this message of encouragement with a friend or colleague share it with someone who has a vision or calling and remember that everything hoped for shall come to pass, believe it, receive it and know that every day of your life, is a day victory. Much love and light to you today my friends; May you take this message of encouragement into your heart and carry it with you and unto the others that you come across this day and with all my heart I love you, and until we meet again, Have a Blessed Day, Sharon Gulley of Beautiful Expectations of Faith
With heart pounding fear a woman reaches for the phone knowing he is only one step away from reaching her. Is it fear or is it freedom that motivates her? How will it end? These are some of the realest moments in a woman's life when she knows it is a matter of life or death. Today we see that the reports of abusive relationships have grown in larger than ever before numbers. It is a horrifying feeling to feel alone with your attacker and it is even worse when it is someone you loved and trusted more than anyone else in the world. Domestic Violence is a real disease that affects everyone it touches; From the victim, the children, the hospitals and doctors that treat them to the police departments and counseling services that are overwhelmed trying to reach the ever growing need for help. Let's educate our young women today to see and notice the signs before it gets to that point. Let's teach our young men to love and honor their spouses and girlfriends and when they can't, teach them how to walk away. We can make some big changes if we as a nation step into the reality of what is right in front of us everyday and do our part. Teach love, not violence to the tender minds and hearts growing in our footsteps today. Educate yourself on the causes and how to free yourself from these chains and share that knowledge and love with a family member, friend or even a colleague that you don't have to live this way. There are more and more support groups being put into action today and a growing number of loving and support people who are there for you when you need them. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Tell someone and take that step to freedom.
There are National hotlines available 24 hours a day to you, please don't be the victim anymore, be the victor and set yourself free with love and courage; Not just for you but if you have children, for them as well. Become a beacon of light unto yourself and others. Share your story and heal through over coming and be the champion you were meant to be, the hero another is looking for and the protector your children need you to be. I am a survivor of domestic violence, a speaker of the heart felt truth of fear, pain and suffering, but I am today also a best selling author, writer, speaker and activist against domestic violence. A long way from the girl of yesterday that had bruises and cuts and a soul full of deep wounds I thought would never heal, but here I stand because of one woman's love who showed me how to be strong and face my abuser and over come; Because of another woman's love I am a best selling author, speaker and activist today. My heart is open to you and anyone facing this challenge today, Know you are loved and needed in this world and never, ever let anyone tell you your worth anything other than the best life has to offer. National Hotline for Abuse 1-800-799-7233, 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) With all my Love. God Bless. Sharon Gulley Gratitude a human emotion that is very dear to heart for without it we miss out on some of the best opportunities and blessings life has to offer. It teaches us to be thankful for all the small things in life so that when the big things come we are able to appreciate it with grace. I am a firm believer that with gratitude grace comes naturally and creates within us a wholeness. For me personally there is nothing more beautiful in a person than the emotion shown of gratitude. Gratitude happens when kindness exceeds expectations even when sometimes undeserved. It reminds us to never take things for granted. Even though I have big ambitions, I preserve small anticipations. In keeping a grateful disposition we become attuned to the gift of abundance and communion, and other like minded individuals that are motivated by heart, soul, sympathy, spirituality as well as interest. In the gift of abundance intentions matter, this means even being grateful to those who have offered help and it may have not worked out the way you had hoped. Just be grateful because they were there and they cared enough to offer even when it did not benefit them to for they did at least offer and try anyways.
Appreciation is everything and to share this is completing the perfect task. It becomes a virtue. The capability to see and appreciate others creates a magical economy, where gratitude surpasses expectations and encourages individualism. When insufficiency is acknowledged, your independence is celebrated. People with a grateful heart see their efforts grandly but not themselves. Life doesn't surpass your dreams but it can nicely surpass your expectations. Hold tight to gratitude for it is the beginning of something beautiful for you and your dreams as well as life. Much Love and Light, Sharon Gulley 2016 |