So This Just Happened....

After a year long effort...and many stops and starts....my FIRST Book is published!

Get Phenomenal Woman...Gurl That's U! Today!

Thanks to all of those who supported me and encouraged me!  Thanks to a few Phenomenal Women that I called on to send me a few lines/thoughts that I added to encourage others! 

Don’t Dim Your Shine

Don’t Dim Your Shine! (Excerpt from Phenomenal Woman Gurl That’s U!)

When I was a little girl, one of the songs that we grew up on at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church during  all of my childhood, was “this little light of mine”. You know it well, this little light of mine, im gonna let it shine. When I sang it I didn't understand what kind of light they were talking about, but it was a cute song and we liked it. 

As I continued to mature and even today I know exactly what they were talking about. I'm reminded of a story about a time when my shine or my light attracted my first hater - or as we called them back in the day, a bully. In the third grade, for a period of about two months, I had a bully. She shall remain nameless because why would I give her credit at this point. She saw my shine. Every day for almost 2 months she terrorized me. I would have to bring her my milk money. She would threaten to beat me up, and just be generally mean whenever she could. It really bothered me. It really perplexed me. All I had were friends and people who loved me. Why this girl hated me was a mystery. One day my teacher, Mrs. Cecelia Irvin, asked me to pass out some papers, as she often did. As I jumped up to comply with her request as one of her favorites I noticed that my bully - lets just call her Bailey for the purposes of my story - was looking at me sideways as usual. In that moment I got an idea.  I asked Mrs Irvin if Bailey could help me. She agreed and Bailey jumped up beaming with joy to help pass out the papers. At the end of our task, I said “Wow! Bailey was a lot faster than me, wasn’t she Mrs. Irvin?” Mrs. Irving agreed and said, “great job Bailey.” And we sat down. Bailey turned around and smiled at me for the first time in two months. You see, my shine in that classroom was getting to Bailey. I was the little administrator always helping my beloved teacher Mrs Irvin. The only way Bailey knew how to deal with her lack of shine was to terrorize me. Bailey and I never became good friends or anything, but that was the last day she took my milk money. That day when I shared my shine with her, Mrs. Irvin started calling on her to help her out sometimes as well; and just like that, it was over. Side note, my uncle started giving me extra milk money so I had enough for both me and Bailey. He just thought I was helping out a friend. As a third grader,  I didn't know anything about my shine but Bailey did; its what she coveted. Mrs Irvin did; its what she bragged about to other students. But I really didn’t. 

That light, that shine, that “IT” factor - follows you all the days of your life. Your SHINE is that Special Happening Inside Nobody Else!  That shine on the inside is the thing that will draw people to you the rest of your life. That “IT” factor that you don't understand when it happens especially on the days when you weren't even trying to look good and someone walks up to you and says “you look so pretty today”, and you look bewildered! “Why today, really today? I didn't even take a selfie today before I left the house. I didn't even try that hard today. But okay!” It's those days when you were caught showing your shine. People may walk up to you and comment on some physical aspect about you because that's what drew them to you, but in all actuality that person noticed something that was intangible about you. That person noticed something that was unreachable. That person was drawn to your SHINE. There is something to be said about a woman who understands her worth and her purpose. There is something to be said about a phenomenal woman who understands her shine. 

In this book, I will use the backdrop of the poem by Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman” to explore topics that every woman can see themselves either struggling or thriving with. I will attempt to encourage you with each line. In fact, I was struggling with the first line of this poem as a basis. “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.” In my gathering of notes and doodling of ideas, I didn't want to start the book talking about looks, but then I had the “aha moment” about my SHINE and your SHINE.  It occured to me that this first line is not about physical appearance. In life, it’s rarely about the outward appearance.  It really has to do with our shine. On the days I try little harder with my Mary Kay application of my makeup; or my selection of garb for the day; or when my curls are popping just right on my head, that's all well and good, but its extra. Regardless of how well I dress up the outside, it’s the inside that’s going to either shine or diminish everything that I did on the outside. I didn't always understand it, but I get it now. 

As women, I believe the sooner we understand the inside...the sooner we understand the wonderfully and fearfully...the sooner we get what the “IT” factor is all about..the better. Anything great about you, anything great about me, was pre-planned by God. Before anyone knew who Dagne was; before anyone knew who you were - God had already laid out a plan and a purpose for your life. He put the shine on the inside from day one. He put the wonderfully and fearfully on the inside from day one. The moment that his impartation of the shine and your acceptance and embrace of the shine met that's when “phenomenal” took place. My goal in this book is to help you get to your phenomenal. But it starts with embracing your shine. Your shine is your shine. My shine is my shine. The moment we embrace our shine, accept the wonderfully and fearfully, and stop coveting someone else’s shine, that's the day phenomenal takes place. There is more, however, once you recognize it in you, then honor it in another sister! 

I asked several other Phenomenal Women to give me a snippet of their SHINE to encourage others. Each one later told me writing those couple of paragraphs from reflecting on a line in the poem was theraputic for them. I thank God for them since it’s no way I could effectively encourage all women with this concept without reach beyond my own narrow thoughts. Thank you to my sisters (detailed in the appendix with their bio briefs) for reaching inside your SHINE connecting with my SHINE and together illuminating some much needed light in some areas of darkness and discouragement.  It is my prayer you find many truths to combat any lie that may be tearing you down to build you up! Find your shine my sister, while reading this book!  Don’t linger in those areas of disappointment. You have too much Special Happening In Nobody Else!  Phenomenal woman, gUrl that's U!  

Bring Out the God-Colors

Matthew 5:14-16, MSG
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors
in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as
public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to
hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve
put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be
generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open
up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

I love the way the Message bible puts this scripture.  Keep open house - be generous with your lives.  As servants of Christ, we are most fruitful when we are light in every area.  All too often we are only light around other light.  Sundays is like a laser show with all the light pinging off of one another at churches all over the world.  Today is Monday, is there light where you are right now, or are you it?  Do we always see ourselves as this "bringing out the God-colors" where we go?  I must admit I don't.  Sometimes, I even shrink from "trying to shine" because I really don't want to bothered.  Shame on me...
When I read this scripture today, it brought up three different instances to mind.  One where I know that's why I was in a certain place to have a conversation with someone completely unsolicited and unplanned that lead to them coming back to Christ.  Another where I was the one in the dark place and needed a friend who encouraged me back into a lit room.  Finally, my mind went to a time, recently, where I was not willing to step out of my comfort zone and say something that I know might have made a difference with someone.  I know his grace is sufficient, but I don't always want to be pulling on that, especially in these areas where I know better.
This week let us be intentional about this SONshine on the inside of us.  Let us share his love in a tangible way.  Let us move from the thing that is comfortable into the thing that stretches us.  Let us KEEP OPEN HOUSE with our lives this week.  Love on someone for no reason.  Call someone just because.  Actively listen in the conversations you are having and listen for the broken pieces so you can help mend them.  By doing so we will as the word says "prompt people to open up with God", starting with us!  This is what I heard today...be blessed and be a blessing always....

Stay in Your Lane & Focus on the Road

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. 1 Corinthians 7:17, ESV

Recently I was driving out of town going to visit relatives.  During the drive I was reminded of the fact that I drive so much differently than I used to when I was taking road trips in college.  In my earlier years of driving I would get so nervous when passing an 18-wheeler because I thought it was going to come into my lane and run me off the road.  The main reason I believed that was whenever I was about to pass one, I would never have my eyes on the road in front of me, I would always have my eyes on the 18-wheeler.  Because of that perspective while driving, it always FELT LIKE the truck was IN MY LANE when that was never the case.  Now I drive with my eyes on the road in front of me, stay in my lane and pass with caution TRUSTING THE FACT THAT the other car will do the same, but not focus on that driver at all.

You see the problem with my driving skills in the example above is that I HAVE LEARNED that when I changed MY THINKING and what I was focused on when driving, I became much more relaxed and a better driver!  Likewise in life, when we keep our mind on what is TRUE (God's word concerning us); what is PURE (thoughts that build and don't tear down); what is HONORABLE (things minding our own business and not that of another); what is worthy of PRAISE (anything opposite of a complaint!) THEN we will change our thinking patterns.  It is then we will become better DRIVERS so that we can know that the other person is NOT COMING OVER TO RUN YOU OFF THE ROAD, because you are focused on the life the Lord has assigned to YOU.  He is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of THAT PLAN.  Focus on that excellence and we will be safer, better and more confident drivers.  I will remain CONFIDENT IN THIS I will see the goodness of the Lord!

That's what I heard!  Be blessed today!!!

Love. Love. Love.

God commands us to "love thy neighbor" in several different ways and occasions in the word.  That is the command.  The ASSUMPTION is you love yourself.  

I think that is the problem that keeps us from loving the neighbor, the family, the friends, is lack of love of self.  Love God...Love yourself...Love others!!

That. Is.  All

And now I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (John 13:34)

Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)

Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins. (1 Peter 4:8)

Kingdom Labor Day

Happy Labor Day to the Kingdom Laborers

1 Timothy 4:10 For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe. 

In this scripture Paul is encouraging Timothy and other ministers of the gospel. This whole section of scripture (vs 1-10) is telling them to stick with the basics of spiritual disciplines.  He lets them know from his own perspective this is not an easy life. But to continue to LABOR AND STRIVE in the hopes that all men be saved. In such an endeavor OUR HOPE is in the living God. He is the one who we r laboring for and that's who gets the glory. 

Likewise on this Labor Day I want to encourage all the kingdom laborers. Those in fullTime ministry at a church.  Those in full time ministry in their homes and community.  Those in full time ministry at their jobs in the marketplace. Those in full time ministry of reconciliation wherever they go. 

None of us are part time. This is a full time waking hours position. As we LABOR AND STRIVE each day to make the true and living God shine in and through our lives his rest is our labor unions. As full time kingdom laborers our bonus and raise comes in the form of rest with him being a burden bearer for the heavy laden of kingdom work. This job is better than "your good government job" because it has benefits of FAVOR. As a kingdom laborer when I need to call in sick the true and living God is there to heal me from all my diseases. At the "company picnic" when we hear the annual report no matter what kind of year we had the Lord is working things together for our good. When we have our board meetings with a kingdom agenda he is there in the midst of us. 

So to all of u who r taking the day off remember that WE HAVE A HOPE in God and HE is giving us rest. 

That's what I heard today!  Be blessed. Be a blessing. Happy Labor Day!  

Just Play Ur Hand

U have heard that favor ain't fair. Well I say it's fair for those who Love the Lord our God. This scripture reminds me of that in Psalms 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

So picture this game with me. It's Spades night and U have ur snacks and the card table and the other team already talking smack. U see it?  This scripture is like playing spades with Jesus as ur partner!  Lets picture this hand. U have no spades!  U have a couple of possibles at best. U know u cant do anything but go board and u still may get set with this hand. But then Jesus speaks up (interceding on ur behalf) and says we r going 10for2!  U r like what???? Jesus what u mean??? Do u know what I have in my hand!?!?  Jesus is like "just play ur hand. We got this." 

So u r making moves. U r trusting him and when the opponents start to play that Ace of heart that just beat out that queen u had, ur one possible dream in ur hand BAM Jesus is cutting that mess up with a spade. Now that's ur book. Ur dream again!  Finally here is the good news. U r down to ur last cards and u don't know how u r going to make it. U trust Jesus and he shows u he also has BOTH JOKERS in his hand. They can't do anything to u without him being the one who is playing it!  Whew!  I could shout right here!  U thought u were set...u thought u would renig but u just played ur hand and THE MASTER OF THE SEAS heard ur despairing cry!  The Lord established the work of ur hands by playing his in concert with urs. (Just like his word says according to the power at work in us...according to the cards in ur hand all along) With Jesus as your partner u r beating the odds all the while. 

That's what I heard!  Hope u r encouraged by it!  I'm back. Be blessed today. Smooches!! Mrs Barton.