New Year's Resolution? None Here

Happy New Year everyone! 

Now just because it's another new year, I'm not requiring myself to create any particular New Year's resolution.  However, I am requiring myself to apply what I have learned last year and do some things that will make my life a little bit more interesting and settled for this year.  Some of which includes: taking care of the basics like relationship and parenting goals, money management and my own personal walk with the Lord (without being confined to church walls and men's twisted teachings of biblical truths.  Can I get an Amen?)  I started changing my outlook in these areas of my life back in 2009.  Then by 2011, I received some life-changing plans.  Everything I did answered the following question, "How do I apply biblical truths to my life each day?"  This year it's time to give birth to what I have been learning.  Notice, I have been in a state of emergency with every change (9-11.)  It is indeed time to come up higher, folks!

There are those who restrict the intelligence of the Most High (I am referring to the one true God) to their inner circles.  They feel like the Average Joe just isn't privy to his wisdom apart from the biblical stories.  But if you choose to have a personal relationship with a being beyond basic human understanding, then you have to know that he is one who always has a plan for your life which is, dare I say it, better than yours!  A man who wants to keep you dependent on him, like a crack head needing a fix, is not going to reveal any universal plan in its entirety or any prophetic word that will lead you away from him!  He will leave those details out!  Why?  Because he needs your money and your service to promote his plan.  He doesn't care about your personal goals.   

Do you really know what the one true God's plan is for your life?  If you take the time to know the Lord, study his word and be open to a relationship, he will reveal his plan step-by-step.  Now what is revealed to you will affect those around you and they may or may not be on-board.  From the politicians to the local store owner, what you do with your time and money affects everyone besides your family.  This is why everyone wants you to stay close to them.  Momma doesn't want to let go.  Daddy wants to keep you around.  Your spouse wants you to stay at home all the time.  Your children want you to play with them all the time.  No one wants or will give you the time to just think!  You have to steal that time! 

The Pharaohs of this earth have ignored God's plagues like in the Book of Exodus.  The little people ie.) Moses and Aaron (you and me) keep telling these kings, leaders and others what to look out for; yet, they continue to act stubborn in their ways.  So sad, but true, it won't be long before they will be wiped out (ie. look at the many different world leaders who are no longer with us to date.)  The same destruction will happen on the national and local levels.  So if you are hurting for money, sell your business and add that money to your savings account.  If you need some debt relief, start making phone calls and negotiating with creditors.  If you are hoping that a dead-end relationship on a personal or professional level will turn around, not now, you have a choice either stick it out or end it.  There is no, "wait and see--things will get better."

Now I am not on this blog site just because I enjoy blogging, nor am I on here, because I get a few cents from an ad, but I am here because I have a calling on my life to write.  I wouldn't know that unless I had allowed myself to be in touch with the one true God.  For decades, I was oppressed by family, school, businesses, other associations, and friends to walk a path that was created for someone else.  I had very little say at one point in my life on what I was supposed to do and say, because of all my brainwashing.  In other words, what I thought I wanted wasn't really what I wanted.  Now that I am growing older and wiser, I realized that what I had been "buying" into over the years on a personal and professional level isn't what I really wanted.  Yes indeed, it's time for something different to happen in my life and yours too!

As I write, I think of you reader, you probably realize too that you were sold a bag of garbage for far too long!  You allowed people, places, things, circumstances and the like to influence your decision making.  You probably made some poor choices while the atmosphere you were in appealed to your five senses, now you are regretting some things.  But can I tell you, you can get out of your mess and you will!  But you will have to do much such as: read more about the subject area that troubles you, write about it and to those who you need to help you, save and spend money to get yourself out of trouble, and most of all try to keep the peace until your day of freedom comes which means not yelling, slamming doors, cussing people out--just acting like a fool!  When your freedom comes, my friend, you will be stronger and wiser, I promise you that!  It takes one to know one, so the old adage goes!

Sometimes we all walk toward pits then fall in them without anyone around to warn us.  This happens because there is something we need to learn while we are in the pit and sometimes the only way to get our attention to do good is through a bad situation.  As I write, I think of the story of Joseph in the Bible.  But when it is all said and done, like Joseph you will have your day to shine!

Know that there is something beyond the skies much greater than these weak humans on this planet!  You don't have to settle for man's dumb, dark philosophies!  You don't have to agree with everyone.  You definitely don't have to sell your soul to the Devil unless that is what you want but if you have already, you can reverse the curse, but you will definitely have to be on the winning side with the one true God on a consistent basis for that to happen which requires a sacrifice (Jesus performed the blood one already,) I mean all that dark thinking and stuff!

Remember whatever choice you make in this world will affect you on the other side (you do know there is another side after death, right?)  It is up to you to either wallow in the mistakes of the past or do something today to mark your future in the most positive way.

Thank God, not me, for today's inspiring message.

Nicholl McGuire
Feel free to read my other work on these sites:  When Mothers Cry http://whenmotherscry.blogspot.com  African American Lifestyle http://africanamericanplanet.blogspot.com Spiritual Poems by Nicholl: Thoughts and Words to Convict http://spiritualpoemsbynicholl.blogspot.com

You got family drama?

Don't we all!  Whether they call you at work, stop you on the street or knock at your door at home, those people you can't live with, but can't live without will work your nerve, won't they?  So why not read some articles filled with thoughts and solutions on all sorts of family drama at a blog I have had for some time now, called "It's All in the Family" by Nicholl McGuire. Click the following link:   http://familyarticlesbynicholl.blogspot.com  Enjoy!

Back to the Drawing Board...

After years of writing for myself and other websites from home, I spent the summer working as a temporary employee for a bank.  I needed the time and money to be more of a help to myself and others during that stage in my life.  I believe that one must not only take, but also give to others as one's Lord leads him or her to.  It makes sense to me, because the one who created me, knows the future.  Therefore, I will sow seed wherever he tells me the harvest is, capice?

Anyway, I have been reworking old home business plans in my head these days and ridding myself of dead-end so-called home business opportunities.  I am still a work in progress and find that sometimes I tend to get too overwhelmed and excited about little things that just have no place or impact in my life.  I think we are all guilty of this, hoping for things that clearly aren't prosperous and talking to people that can't help us.

I thank you as always for taking time out of your busy day to keep up with me on Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, YouTube and elsewhere, your prayers and support are definitely encouraging and have not gone unnoticed.  You can send me a message at: virtualassistant007@yahoo.com

Lastly, for those of you who followed me on AC and/or Yahoo, you can catch up on my latest relationship articles on my advice blog.

Nicholl McGuire

Visit me on YouTube

Lately, I have felt like sharing more from my previous works.  You can listen to me read from my very own books at YouTube channel:  nmenterprise7.  There you will hear contrast and rhyming poetry about myself and experiences as well as thought-provoking commentary on relationships, life and spirituality.  Enjoy!

Silence: A Place of Peace Will Uplift

Some people are so use to noise that if it is quiet at anytime in their lives, they think that something is wrong.  If no one calls them for a period of time, if the family doesn't have the TV up loud or a radio on somewhere in the home, "What's wrong?" they think.  There is absolutely nothing wrong when there are those moments of peace that come out of no where!  If anything these are opportunities to check yourself, check your children, and anything else that needs checking, then sit back and relax!  This is how I build upon my creative side, I tap into those peaceful moments during the day.

Everyone is okay, you are alive and breathing.  Enjoy your quiet time, appreciate silence, I encourage myself and you with these words.  I, for one, enjoy peace and quiet immensely!  You aren't making me feel comfortable turning on your TV when I come over for a visit.  I could care less about you turning on the radio in your car for me.  I enjoy quiet.  If you don't want to talk, you aren't hurting my feelings, keep quiet.  I think sometimes we are offended when someone enjoys peace a little more than we do.  "What's going on with her/him?  Why isn't she talking much?" We think.  Maybe they just don't want to hear what we have to say, because they need some time to just think.

When we have suddenly tripped up on those moments of peace or created a peaceful atmosphere, keep in mind that if you use your time wisely, those quiet moments in life will bring you out of whatever trial or tribulation you are dealing with.  Maybe there is something you have been overlooking because you have been so busy.  Establishing an atmosphere of peace and quiet in order to solve your problem might help; rather than doing what most people often do, talk to everyone they know, visit every website they can to find solutions, or spend money on yet another problem solving tool.  Sometimes there is nothing we can do to make a problem go away; however, we can gain some energy during those sudden quiet times to face whatever is ahead.  If you are spiritual, you know that sometimes God creates such moments to get our attention, it wouldn't hurt to say, "Okay God, I'm listening." 

Take advantage of those moments of peace.  Turn the cell phone, radio, TV and even the partner and children off sometime, and just relax. 

Nicholl McGuire

 

Audio Excerpts of When Mothers Cry by Nicholl McGuire

Some time ago, I told relatives, online followers and others that I would be doing more with audio.  I understand that not everyone has the time or money to read or buy my products.  So I have uploaded some audio on the following site http://chirb.it/2hK6H7  The audio at this site is primarily excerpts from When Mothers Cry, a book I wrote to help new parents deal with the trials of raising a child or children.  I am a mother of four and have been active in my children's lives despite separations and a divorce.  Feel free to listen to the audio here.

Be Careful What You Write...

After writing my books, "Laboring to Love an Abusive Mate" and "When Mothers Cry," I didn't expect that life would be any easier as a result.  These books were meant to be a release of past burdens.  I didn't anticipate major book sales and made no plans to get these books in local stores.  Making money wasn't even on the "to do" list.  What was important to me first and foremost was saving lives.  "If one woman could walk away from an abusive relationship as a result then it was worth writing the 'Laboring to Love...' book," I thought; and if another could walk away from her children before she abused them, then "When Mothers Cry" was worth it too! 

When you write your reality, your truth about any circumstance, it is a given that you will face more challenges.  It seems as if you are tested by everyone you know.  "You should know better, you wrote the book," an advisor preaches.  "I read your book and wow, I didn't know you went through so much, what do you think about...?" the reader questions.  You are expected to know more than the average person and most of all you have now put yourself in a position to help others whether you set out to do that or not.

People want answers to their problems.  This is the main reason why people even bother to read anything that anyone writes.   "Can you solve my problem? Can you ease my pain?  Do you have any wisdom to help me through my trial?"  People want to be encouraged.  There are times when I read my own work seeking a bit of information to help me deal with a dilemma.  I admit that sometimes I forget what I write.  It helps to go back and reflect.

At times, as a writer, you will regret some things you have said or wish you said more.  I can't think of anything in particular that I regret writing, but I can remember how some of my articles made people react negatively and then I wished that they never read them; notice I didn't say I wished I never wrote them.  No matter what my good intentions were in writing a piece, people will not always react positively.  However, there were also those who agreed with my points in some of the same controversial work as well.  If one left a positive comment, then in my mind, the rest of the folks didn't matter.

I advise any writer, like I would any speaker, to be careful what you write.  If you can't say it in person, don't write it!  I have watched interviews where people backed down from what they have said and I wanted to just throw a shoe at the TV.  "Take a stand!  Don't back down!  You know you said it, so stick with it!" There will be those times when someone may push you to speak your truth even when you aren't quite ready, but rather than cave into the pressure, carefully consider everything first.  I have had to do that.  How will what I write impact my future?  Is it necessary to reveal secrets?  Should I talk about everything about a situation or just the revelant points?

It wasn't easy putting my first book together, because I had to look back.  I had to go back and read the poetry I wrote while the abuse was going on.  This meant that everything that happened over that nine-month period in my life had to be relived.  I was irritable and impatient at times while putting that book together.  It wasn't easy putting my second book together either, because I had to be honest about how the people, places, things, and reactions around me affected my being a mother.  Sometimes you step on toes when you think about how people and things make you feel, but like a cauldron of hearty soup needs meat and potatoes, what people did or said goes in the pot.  You might have to deal with readers speaking negatively about your book.  If you are more interested in keeping the peace amongst family and friends when you tell a personal story, then don't write a book.  But, if it means more to you to pen your truth, then do it!  However, keep in mind that you will need to be careful what you say.  You also might lose someone from your inner circle in the process too.

Nicholl McGuire

My Parents are Going to Die, But I Might Before Them

The reality of death sets in the older you get.  For me the realization that one day my parents will die became especially heartfelt when one of them became deathly ill a few years back.  It is almost morbid to mention "death" or "dying" when you are talking to your parents, but it is an all-too important reality.  Therefore, when I realized this hard truth, I began to ponder, "How would their death impact me?"  Well, if you want your parents to be buried with dignity and some class, it would make sense to find out what they have in their financial portfolios to ensure that this gets done.  It would also make sense to find out that in the event that your parents don't die, but just become very ill, where to put them.  You could start this process by asking simple questions about their daily living.  Then maybe another time mention your thoughts on what to do in the event of an emergency, illness or death.  You may also want to talk about assets, beneficiaries, and what might they want you to do if they can't handle their business affairs.  Some parents may be okay with conversations like these when they are broken down over a period of time while others may take offense.  You may have to do your own investigative work, so that you aren't caught off guard if your parents should pass.

After talking to my parents about my concerns, I had a thought that passed through my mind that they may outlive me and if this is the case, then hopefully they will do something nice for the grandchildren in my absence.  I personally don't have much for my children, if I would die today or tomorrow, but I have some things they might be interested in.

Sometimes we are so caught up in routine, that we fail to do a lot of things including making sure that we, us and they are taken care of in the future.  I think too many of us have a "wait and see" mentality.  "Let's just deal with that issue when it comes..."  But whose to say, we will have it altogether when that time is upon us?

I know that lifestyle has a lot to do with how long someone lives.  I also know that there will always be exceptions to the rule, but I have to remind myself that I am not that person who is the exception, so the rules might be different for me.

I have been hearing people say little cliches like, "Think positive..." but it is the negative people who often say it.  It's almost as if they are trying to convince themselves aloud.  However, we can do a whole lot of thinking positive, but that isn't going to render results without us actually doing something.

Death as we all know is final!  When I am speaking with people offline, it seems as if they are more interested in defending their lifestyle choices, their foolish decisions, and other things that are slowly eating away at their relationships with others, their physical and spiritual bodies (among other things) that they are literally running away from the truth!

"This world is not my home, I am just passing through," an elderly person once told me.  So true, and because this is not my home, I am a mere guest trying to be on my best behavior until my spiritual father calls me home.

Nicholl McGuire

Survey Taking: Been There, Done That

Several years ago when I learned that I was pregnant and having some issues mentally and physically with it, I quit my job and decided that the best thing to do was remain stress free during the pregnancy.  However, I needed some money while I waited my time out, so I decided to look into paid surveys.  Now I have written about my experience briefly before, but this time I just wanted to add some things that I might not have shared in the past.

First, I stopped searching via the search engines for survey companies that pay and instead concentrated on a paid service that already did the research.  I found some on Click bank.  This way it saved me a lot of time.

Next, it wasn't that long after before I was receiving numerous offers because I for one was an expectant mom and had other children as well.  There were companies that readily accepted my profile and sent me both cash and rewards for my service...BUT...

I noticed that offers began to slow after having my baby.  Therefore, I couldn't reach payout levels (most were $20) that I had previously.  I began to tire of the emails that requested I complete a survey and then once I began taking it, I didn't qualify.

As I began to learn more about survey taking via visiting forums, looking up words like "scam" and "rip off" along with various company names, I learned that the popular survey companies that offered between $1-$3 quickly reached their maximum number of participants whether this is necessarily true all the time one only knows.  I also found that more and more companies since I started doing surveys were offering point programs for survey takers to pick a prize later; rather than giving us money like they once had.  As for those that were still sending money, like I mentioned before, they set payout levels. 

Now when you really think about survey taking, especially when you see it advertised as a job, you think like an employee.  However, survey taking is more like entertaining yourself for awhile, you get a small reward possibly for doing nothing.  The money is not anything to talk about and your lucky to buy something useful with it.  It also takes a lot of points to get a worthwhile reward. 

Some survey takers I did come across were always getting offers but what they were doing wasn't honest.  They would pretend to have certain interests, change their gender, have multiple accounts, and do other things to keep those offers coming in.  I guess in some of these scammers minds, they were paying the companies back that were ripping them off of their time.

Most of the offers I got would give me $1 for 15 minutes of time.  Others between $2 and $3 for 20 minutes or more of my time.  I had a couple that wanted me to go somewhere offline and I would be paid $75 plus--that is a once in a blue moon occurrence.  A few times I got offers for free movie tickets, coupons for products, and one time I got a web cam in the mail that I could keep just for completing a survey.  It turned out to be a quality product and was made by Microsoft.  Just to be clear, I didn't have to sign up for trial offers that asked for my credit card information either--those are a rip-off!!  Each survey experience was legitimate and I paid nothing. 

In closing, I would just like to remind my readers, don't survey take with a job mentality if you are interested in this sort of thing, because you will be disappointed.  To date, I am still receiving requests to take surveys, but I may click on one or two like every other week--not really interested anymore especially when they tell me each time I don't qualify.

Nicholl McGuire