Be A Woman of Excellence!

Just some Sunday Inspiration!

Daniel was a man of excellence, and because of that, the King promoted him to a position of great influence (see Danile 6:3).

Daniel was also a man who refused to compromise. Even if his choices endangered his life like when he refused to stop praying and got thrown into the lion's den, he would not compromise.
He believed strongly in keeping his commitments, promises and vows, and he was willing to endure personal discomfort to do it.

Our God is an excellent God, and He has called us to be excellent too. To be excellent is a decision we must make and it means we got to go the extra mile to do OUR best. We don't have to be THE best- but we must 'DO' our best. We should always strive to do what God would do in the situations we encounter.

Make a decicion today to BE excellent!

Lizzy's Top 15 Healthy Foods

Whatever your lifestyle is, it's not difficult to make small changes.

I don't know about you but I had more sugar in the last couple of months than I've had in the last few years.

For the last four years, I've been eating pretty healthy and for some reason I went off a few months ago. Not good. It's not good because I don't 'feel' good. I went from juicing DAILY to juicing a couple of times a week in the last couple of months. I know how amazing I felt before I fell off so it's time to get back!

I started my week on Sunday with no sugar. I had a coffee this morning and added some natural brown sugar but I'll let myself off the hook this time....The last two days have been great. I know two days isn't much but what a difference I already feel just in two days. Despite still going to the gym at least a few times a week, diet is everything!

So here are my TOP healthy foods that I went and stocked up on yesterday for eating and juicing!

Apples: Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin C, beta-carotene, pectin

Avocados: Potassium, tryptophan (an amino acid), vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin B5, vitamin K, high in vitamin E

Bananas: Potassium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin B6

KEFIR: kefir is made by fermenting milk with 10 to 20 different types of bacteria and yeasts, where yogurt is usually just fermented with a handful of types; this leads to a higher probiotic count in the final product. Kefir is a source of several B vitamins, which are essential for our good health and functioning. It has B12, which is important for your blood and nervous system, and B1, (otherwise is known as thiamine) which is important for helping you withstand stress. Kefir also contains biotin, which is a B vitamin that helps your body use other B vitamins.

Grapefruit: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C

Lemons: Potassium, vitamin C

Tomatoes: Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, beta-carotene, folic acid, vitamin C

Beets: Calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, manganese, folic acid, vitamin C

Carrots: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene

Fennel: Calcium, magnesium, sodium, folic acid, vitamin C, potassium, rich in phyto-oestrogens

Spirulina: Potassium, sodium, vitamin B3, gamma-linoleic acid, beta-carotene, It's a nutrient rich algae available as a dry powder

Squash: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C

Ginger: Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium

Molasses: Calcium, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins

Quinoa: Iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B3

I've obviously got more like salmon, flaxseeds, bee pollen, tuna, lentils, chick peas etc but for now there's a short list. By making good health your goal, you will have a better understanding of food and of the factors affecting health issues.

Even if you made poor choice this year, make 2016 a year of transformation. You deserve it!

Your True Identity Is Hidden in Him!

Being a young girl 'today' is soooooo far from what it was in my playground; when there were no reality shows, no facebook, instagram and twitter. No cell phones with data, no girls injecting their boobs and backside and of course their lips, no red bottoms...we just wanted a pair of jelly bean shoes from 'Honest Ed's' and a wind breaker oh and maybe some 'madonna glow in the dark' rubber bracelets and some ty dye to design our jeans and t-shirts... or a time when pills, mollies and X were never a cool thing to try. A time when drug addicts were soooo seperated from us......


Our youth are searching for their identity.

Their trying to find it in other boys, girls, music, drugs, alcohol, sex, celebrities, actors and rappers.

There is ONLY one place their going to find it!!! In the One who created them!!! ‪#‎God‬

I am Back In School at 40!

 

 

In the last few months I have been thinking a LOT about purpose.

Just five years ago, I barely saw any of this coming. Yes, I knew God had a purpose for my life, but I also discovered that-that purpose was rapped up in Him and in order to get to it, to have access to it, I'd have to rap myself up IN Him as well.

It took discipline, courage, strength, determination, passion, motivation and FAITH to do this. To believe that I could and would walk into all that He had ordained for my life. You see it was nothing but faith. Because looking at the conditions of my life- and especially 5/6 years ago, it was not evident that I would have overcome. No not at all!!

  

I had many plans. Plans of owning a clothing line / store, an accessories boutique, a skin care line, a perfume line, a juicing booth, an image consulting business...you name it. But none of those plans stuck with me. The more I studied Gods word and allowed Him to work through me, the closer I got to discovering my purpose. For many years, I wanted to go back to school. I've probably thought of 4-5 different degrees to study in the last 15 years. Everything from Public Relations to Social Work to Fashion. I became more and more frustrated with myself for not going to school. I was watching the time and the older I got the more frustrated I grew.

 

All of this changed when I started listening closely to Gods direction and voice. I discovered that my primary purpose was to live with and for Him (God). And through Him, I would discover my

secondary purpose. I knew that I had to be still and stop all 'my own' planning in order to allow His plans for my life to prevail. Once I surrendered my life to His plans, then I would and did discover my secondary purpose. It was only then (in the last year) that I finally got the OK in my spirit to go back to school. I know 100% what my secondary purpose is and so now is the PERFECT time (Gods time) to do so. Otherwise, I would have wasted time, money and energy.

Going back to school at 40 feels fantastic! I am a more dedicated student now than I could or would have ever been. I am stabled in my mind. I am disciplined. I am settled. I am focused and I am a leader. I am a leader because I serve many people. Not because they serve me.

Whether you're 18 or 80, Gods timing is the BEST timing!

  

With Love, Lizzy

Are You A Game Changer?

You must decide what you want and it WILL happen....

In other words, you must know your purpose before it comes into manifestation. So when you decree a thing (make a decision) you then cut things away...

There are things in your life that just don't fit any longer. That season is over. It's been over. You're just refusing to let go! And this why you're frustrated and stressed out. You really think God created you to be stressed out? You've lost your passion for life and passion is the very thing that gives you POWER!

It's not what you hang unto that changes the quality of your life. It's what you cut OUT!
God wants to use you as an agent of change..to advance the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is Gods Royalty, the Rule, and the Realm. When we talk about advancing he Kingdom of God, it's not just some lofty word. He has given us power and authority. He's not just trying to get us to Heaven (that's such a religious mindset) He is trying to bring Heaven here TO earth!

But the question is, do you avail yourself?

Stop asking, " God what can I ask you for today? What can I use you for?" and start asking, "God what can you use ME for today?"

When we allow God to use us to be game changers, we put a smile on His face. I know all about games. I use to play them. A lot of them. Dangerous ones too! I lived more then 20 years of my life playing games. Worldly games and it kept me in bondage. But I have chosen to turn away from the world's fun and games and I am now a game CHANGER for Him. He has equipped me for such a time as this. Ohh what he can do with your sin. Trust me!!

I wake up every morning with purpose...

It's up to YOU to discover YOURS!

Love, Lizzy

How I Discovered My Purpose!

I know 100% I have discovered my primary and secondary purpose and as a result, I am walking out my destiny!

I can recall just 4-5 years ago, when I literally struggled to believe what my propose really was. I mean, I had a feeling that 'speaking' was my calling but those negative thoughts of 'I am not good enough' kept bombarding my mind. I was confused and of course I was living in that 'victim' mode.

I am often asked, "how do you know what your purpose is?"

It wasn't until I started seeing myself as a son of God (a child of God) and understanding who's I was-that I began to see WHO I was. Through out my life, I believed I was called to do many things. I started off by thinking I was a 'Fashion Stylist' and so I worked with many artists as a wardrobe stylist and fashion consultant. I went on to sell products; such as makeup, skin care, clothing, accessories etc. And believe me, the list goes on. I was all over the place. Confused...and no direction or sense of purpose. It wasn't until I began to study the word of God- that I really understood what my purpose was.

You see, when I decided to take a step back and just rediscover who I really was and why I was created, it was in that moment that I realized-outside of KNOWING God, I was nothing... and outside of God, nothing really mattered. Everything I had started, I couldn't finish. Everything I thought I was suppose to do-was total opposite of what I was called to do. It was all apart of what God was calling me to do, but it wasn't the THING I was born and created to do.

Yes, today, I use my fashion sense to do what I do because it's apart of my branding and marketing BUT it isn't what God called me to do. I know this because even while I was in that scene and phase in my life- there was still a void. I still felt empty. Everything I did (business wise) was what my flesh desired NOT my spirit. So I had to make up my mind to surrender to God! I had to stop the 'doing' and just BE!

In doing so, I had to first heal! I was broken and needed a whole lot of healing. In healing, I realized and discovered a deep desire to heal others. I did not call that desire upon myself. God Himself called me to do so. Through many visions and dreams He called me to do what I do today. BUT!!!! There was a process. Ohhhh there was a process!!!

I had to prepare myself for the journey and in doing so I had to be willing to go through the process. Let me tell you, the process was not easy. When I say this, what I am saying is that I had to unlearn everything I learned. I had to be willing to do it God's way...because no other way worked!

Only through knowing God, I discovered my secondary purpose. My primary purpose was KNOWING Him. Apart from knowing God, our thoughts and desires are based off of flesh. And so everything I thought I was suppose to do, was what my 'flesh' wanted to do NOT what God called me to do. And the only way to know what it was that God called me to do, I had to first KNOW God. My Father, my creator, my sustainer, my provider!

I felt this deep desire to serve girls and to use my story in service of my community. I was confused as to how to go about using my voice BUT He gave me the tools to do so. It was the one thing I had tried that for some reason came with ease. Everything I needed to fulfill this calling- was and is available to me. After all, He called me to do this-so He will make it possible.

This is how I know that I have discovered my purpose. I first found Him and in Him, I have healed and I am whole. In knowing God, I have come to know who I AM and what I am called to do! But I was first called to KNOW Him. To live in Him and allow Him to live in ME!

It's not 'me' doing anything but it's what I see my Father (God) doing through me.

There is no better feeling than knowing that I am putting a smile on my daddies face! Abba!

Love, Lizzy

Why You So Afraid of Success?

Something on my heart....

Sometimes the very 'thing' you're so afraid to do or try is the very 'thing' that will change your life and the world around you-FOREVER!

I was 12 years old when I actually decided without a doubt that 'one day' I would write a book about my life. Like, I mean I literally told my library teacher (Mrs. Hayes) that I was going to write a book about my story. She asked me 'oh why do you want to do that? What will it be about Elizabeth?"
I answered, "I want to help girls who are being abused and who don't like themselves. I want to tell them to be strong and don't let anyone hurt them or abuse them" Little did she know....at the time, I did NOT like myself one bit!

Little did I know what the next 15-20 years of my life were going to look like.

As the years went on and I experienced more pain, abuse, shame, self inflicted emotional drama, neglect and abandonment, I realized more and more that I was going to ONE day write a life changing book / memoir for women and girls- on the affects of abuse (emotionally, sexually, mentally and physically). But I was so afraid. I was afraid of letting out my secrets. I was afraid of telling 'my' truth. I was afraid of exposing those who abused me. I was afraid of telling the world about the places I'd been, things I'd done, toxic choices I made and the alleys they brought me threw. I was afraid of being vulnerable and most importantly, I was afraid of freedom. I had being life as a prisoner my entire life and I was scared to death of FREEDOM. Kind of like a man standing in his jail cell the day he is about to be released after doing 15-20 years behind bars. It was nerve wrecking and scary to face the UNKNOWN.

I started writing that book when I was 33 years 'young' but I came up with the title at 18 'If You Played In My Playground'

Writing it alone was the longest emotional rollercoaster ride I had ever been on. I laughed and I cried. I laughed and I cried. I had to dig up memories of my childhood that made me lock myself in a room -alone- and ball my eyes out for hours at a time. I had to go back and stand face to face with 'my story' in the deepest way you can ever imagine. And this hurt sooo bad. There were moments I had to put my pencil down and just feel the memory. Go back to the moment of that memory and really just 'be still' in it; in order to deal with the emotional aspect of it- that I NEVER dealt with as a child. I will NOT sugar coat this in any way. It hurt mannnn. I fought to go back there because my entire life I was a RUNNER. The moment I got to run away from my 'home' I became a runner. If something hurt bad enough, I ran! Because I had wanted to run ever since I was 6 years old so the moment I got to do it- I mastered it.

The truth is, I did not want to write my dark secrets in that book. It didn't feel good at FIRST! I was so cautious of what the world would think of me and I thought by writing the book I would go back to live in that place of darkness again. Ohhh was I wrong!

I had the entire book pretty much written and put down for months. Again, afraid of the world. The moment I was able to speak to my sister after my brain surgery (December 2011), I said to her, "Sue I am going to publish the book mama. If I had died, nobody would've known the real Liz" It was a true AHA moment for me.

I had to come face to face with death in order to discover my true purpose in this world. I didn't think for one second or worry for one second (after surgery) what 'others' would think of my TRUTH. Because I knew God Himself gave me that vision when I was 12 years old and I knew that He did so because He could trust ME to bring it to life. To bring MY life back to life.

Today, through that book, through 'my story' I empower the lives of disadvantaged and disenfranchised girls and woman who have been afflicted by challenging family of social circumstances. Today, because of the freedom I stand and live in, I inspire girls to live each day recreating who they desire to be, therefore enhancing their quality of living and becoming leaders of their OWN future.

The very thing I was so afraid of was MY PURPOSE!

Whatever your 'thing' is, I am begging you to just DO IT! You're feeling that push because it was given to YOU! If you do not bring that vision to life, you will be held responsible for it. That 'thing' is your purpose tugging at you, screaming at you, calling to YOU! Shut out the world and lock into your calling.

Go ahead, 'it's' calling YOU!

Love, Lizzy

Who Are You vs Who You Are Not

Have you ever had to introduce yourself in a workshop or classroom setting? Ok, so you know how it is, everyone gets up when it's their turn to speak and they say their name and tell everyone in the class something or a few things to describe who they are. Something like this, "Hi my name is Sandra. I am a mother. I am a nurse. I have 3 children and I love dogs." Well, I don't do it like that-anymore. I use to until I experienced an AHA moment about 2 years ago-while introducing myself.

I got up to tell the classroom who I was and instead of doing the 'norm' I did something a little different. I got to sit there and listen to about 17 people introduce themselves and then I went last. But I sat there in aw as everyone followed the exact same pattern. Everyone shared their occupation. How many children or pets they had. If they were married or divorced and hobbies. I got up and said something like this:

"Hello everyone. I am so excited to be here with you all. Well, Elizabeth is the name my father gave me. He named me after Mary's cousin-in the bible. He never explained why, but I get it now and personally think it's a beautiful name. I am kind. I am a giver. I am compassionate. I am welcoming. I can be very silly. I am passionate about empowering women and youth. I am courageous. I am a go getter. I love LOVE and I am loyal....." I probably said a few more things. But it went a little something like that. Let me tell you, the look on everyone's face was priceless. They were waiting for more but at the same time they were totally intrigued. I then said, "oohhh and God has given me the awesome privilege of giving birth to two rock star boys whom I personally feel are the coolest kids in the world"

One woman spoke out and asked, " ummm can we do this all over again?" And the entire class laughed.

Please get this clear, you are not your occupation. You are not your marital status. You are not how many kids you have or don't have. You are not broken. You are not a victim. You are NOT the titles you wear or have been given. You are not your name.

The next time you are asked to introduce yourself to a classroom or group setting, tell them who YOU ARE!

I have created a small list here for you to read and pick out a few words that resonate with you. You may also add to this list. Print it out, circle or highlight the words that best describe YOU.

Which of these traits do you possess and value:

• Kind
• Dependable
• Great Listener
• Energetic
• A child of God
• A woman of God
• A believer
• A woman / man of faith
• Funny
• Open
• Self-aware
• World changer
• Compassionate
• A giver
• A problem solver
• Grateful
• Humble
• Happy
• Warm
• Trustworthy
• Responsible
• Sympathetic
• Lifelong Learner
• Sociable
• Strong
• Courageous
• Committed
• Loyal
• Empathic
• Confident
• Self Assured
• Romantic
• Optimistic

These are just a few. Go ahead and add your own.

P.S
Tell yourself:

I Found God When I Lost My Religion

I struggled for many years not knowing the difference between religion and God. I mean, I knew what I felt during worship and while praying. I knew God was real and present and spoke to me often. But then I was confused by all the 'rules' the church folk often spoke of. Like how women aren't suppose to wear pants and it's not right to wear jewelry and our hair / head must be covered while in worship. I mean I can go and on. That was the part that really confused me. I knew deep down inside that all of this had absolutely nothing to do with God.

God is simple.

The world has God trapped up in a box and this is why the 'church' (the people) are suffering and confused. I was one of them- so I know.

It took some time but God was awesome enough, as He's always been, to send a man into my life to teach me about the true living God. My pastor ( Boby Somers ). He did so by opening up my heart to the Kingdom message:
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL these things will be added unto you -Matthew 6:33

The message that transformed my life in every aspect. All these years, the church spoke about serving God in order to get to Heaven...to paradise. And I swore they spoke more about getting there- then they did about experiencing God here on earth-while still alive. But what I needed at the time, while broken, confused, hurt, angry, in debt, depressed and ready to give up on God, was something more. I needed to discover what my purpose was and why I was here. I needed to heal. I needed to know what to do with all my pain. I needed to forgive. I needed joy, love and peace. I wanted a discipline to pattern my life by. What I was getting for so many years was NOT that at all. I was identifying myself with a denomination- NOT God. How could I represent God if I am identifying with something (religion) that has nothing to do with Him or who He is or even what He created. Identifying with God liberated me to live in the order He requires me to live in. In total freedom where I can function from a place of purpose.

Religion promised me something that 'it' could never give me.

God promised me LIFE and He gave it to me; free from pain, confusion, drama, pain, depression and unforgiveness.

Through my pastor's teachings and the word of God (the bible), I was able to completely transform my mindset. Through the kingdom message, I received peace of mind. I began to understand who I was because I knew Who's I was. I am a King, therefore I am suppose to live like a king.

I received healing in areas of my life- I had no idea needed healing. I discovered my purpose through my pain and wanted nothing more then to spread His love and light in the world. Each and every day was and has been beautiful.

Kingdom living is LIFE. The Kingdom of God is not a place. It is within us. Each of us. When we live the way we ought to live, the same pattern that Jesus lived His life, all things will be added unto us.

I welcome you to watch this short video clip describing 'Kingdom Living Now' Please watch and listen with an open heart. Shut out the negative thoughts and noise. Be still... because I promise you-this has nothing to do with religion.

Religion is bondage and that is exactly where I was coming from. Today, I am healed and delivered. My only purpose in life is to serve Him. Because through Him, I am able to do all that I do-with a smile on my heart. Only God!

Kingdom Living Now

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