Clean out the fridge....it's time to purge 2016

     This morning I woke up early, mulling over in my head when and where I was going to get my nails done today.  What better way to end the year than to make sure my hands and feet were cleared of the dirt and grime and prepared to walk into the new year.  I laid there mentally mapping the day, deciding what I would do with the boys, how I'd help Byron prepare for the 2 services and when I was going to begin cooking the black-eyed peas.  (Because of course it's a MUST to begin the new year with a pot of black-eyed peas. As a little girl, I was told that this would bring good luck into the new year.)  Whether I believe it or not, it's still a family tradition.  So those smoked turkey legs are just waiting to jump in the crock-pot with the peas....they have a great relationship.

     I finally walked into the kitchen to eat a bowl of cereal, read a magazine and just kill time before heading to the nail salon.  When I opened the refrigerator to get the rice milk, I stopped long enough to realize that the refrigerator was full of STUFF.  Leftover food in containers, new groceries from yesterdays trip to the market, bottles of condiments, jars of pickles, yogurt and fruit cups and plenty of plastic storage bags, that I use to save space, were just staring back at me screaming HELP.

     Chandler had mentioned the other day, upon opening the refrigerator, that something smelled funny.  I ignored him and kept moving about the kitchen.  I was probably preparing for the next meal and didn't have to time to investigate. I continued doing what I had been doing and didn't give it a second thought.  For some reason this morning, as I pulled out the milk, I paused a little longer than normal.  I didn't smell anything, but I did notice the chaos.  Yesterdays new groceries couldn't rest properly on the shelves because there were so many other things preventing it.  It was at that moment, that I decided to purge.  I moved the trashcan directly in front of the refrigerator and began to open and dump the containers and toss all of those food storage bags.  I could feel the cold air circulating more freely in the fridge.  The deeper I got into the refrigerator,  my sense of smell became a bit more keen. (Oh Lord, where did this come from?  How long has that been in here?  Oh crap....this must have been what that boy was smelling.)  Don't judge me...you know you could probably find a piece of foil or container, in the back of your fridge, that's been there for weeks.

     But the tossing of items was not good enough for me.  As I purged items, I rearranged the remaining items on the shelves, only to realize that I should probably take out each shelf and wipe it down.  Slowly but surely,  I began to see progress.  I combined similar condiment items, threw out salad dressings that apparently no one likes, wiped down each jar and rearranged them in a manner that you could find things easily upon opening the doors.  I removed every shelf and washed them off in the sink.  I pulled out fruit and vegetable trays and checked to make sure they were still in good condition.  (Lawd Jesus, as I'm typing this I just realized that I didn't even look inside the freezer, which sits on the bottom.  Doggone it...I still have work to do.  I'm on it, as soon as I finish this.)

     I didn't share this with you to tell you that I'm a slob, because I'm not!  As I was cleaning, something began to resonate in my spirit.  You need to purge, before you can prepare!  Before you even step into 2017, there are some things that you must toss from 2016.  There are some unhealthy relationships, some 'stinking thinking', some annoying habits, some seemingly never ending cycles and some lies that have become self- fulfilling prophesies that you have got to leave behind.  Before I could even begin preparing the black-eyed peas, I needed to be sure that I had all of the necessary ingredients.  However since the refrigerator was overflowing with stuff, I couldn't clearly see what I needed.

That's what this 'life thing' is all about......learning when to let go.  Now you better believe, when the original meals were cooked, they smelled and tasted delicious.  They were so good that we decided to keep the leftovers in those containers and storage bags.  But think about it, everyday we don't eat leftovers, I cook again and then place those goodies in the fridge too.  After awhile the fridge overflows with leftover food.  Hmmm?

    What have you been holding on to and refusing to let go?  It's not that it was bad initially, but after not nurturing it, it became stale, moldy and ridden with bacteria.  It had a purpose, but now it's time to let it go.  Toss it and sterilize everything around it!  On this last day of 2016, make up your mind to purge those negative thoughts and negative people.  Decide that you will not respond in 2017, the way you did in 2016.  Forgive yourself for holding on to some things far too long, so you can make room for the new groceries and/or blessings that are headed your way.

     Even as I bring this to a close, I'm reminded that this is a daily process.  Cleaning out the refrigerator was a GOOD thing, but as I mentioned earlier, I forgot about the freezer and must now go and rearrange that.  Perhaps there are some things in the freezer that might need to be tossed OR there are some good things that can be moved back into the refrigerator  and thawed for future consumption.  The bottom line is, I have to check.  I can't ignore it!  I can't act like it's not a part of the kitchen refrigeration unit.  It might me take me a little more time, but it will be time well spent.

Before you plow into 2017 with all of your new ideas, plans and resolutions, take this last day of 2016 to reflect and rearrange a few things.  Purge, then prepare!

Now walk it out....... (Pray for your girl as I walk back to the kitchen to clean the freezer, start my black-eyed peas and then go get my nails done.)

Enjoy a safe and happy New Year's Eve!

Wake up........Get in Position!

"Stop waiting on the approval of others to be who you are.........Get in position!"

I was just about to post this message on my Facebook page, when I heard my dog get off of the couch.  Oftentimes when he knows that I'm sitting at the dining room table, he will come in the room, sit right by me, nudging me with his nose until I begin to rub him under his chin.  This time Arby did something differently.   He tiptoed past me, slowed his pace as he approached the door, stepped down one-step into the man-cave and stopped.  When he realized that I understood his actions, he looked back at me with approval, and stood there waiting for me to react. Interpreting his code, I got up from the computer, stepped into the man cave, said "good boy"  and we walked side by side towards the back door.
This dog has me trained!  He needed to go into the backyard to relieve himself. The funny thing is......it's 4 am and had I not woken up he would have held it until I would have awakened much later.  I suppose if it had gotten too bad for him, he would have walked into the bedroom and let out a tiny cry until I'd stir out of my sleep to open the back door. (Yes, he does that too.)

His actions quickly made me think about this past weekend and the "Mother's Night Out" event.  The weekend was phenomenal.  The selected mothers were so grateful and appreciative of the kindness and generosity of strangers.  We listened to one testimonial after another about how timely this event was.  Most of them just needed a reprieve from their everyday lives to recognize that they, like Mary Magdalene at the tomb (John 20:11-18), were crying without realizing that Jesus has been standing there the entire time.  Mary was looking at the "situation inside of the tomb" not recognizing that the Savior was already outside of the tomb waiting for her so she could run and tell the others that he was risen. 

On September 28th I did a Facebook Live post to tell the world about my assignment to bless 10 mothers.  I needed to  have the accountability partners to actually make me follow through with the task at hand.  Six weeks later, the event took place and it was done in such style, elegance and class thanks to an AMAZING group of volunteers.  No one could have expected an event of this magnitude to take place in such a short amount of time.

I was talking with a sister friend yesterday and I mentioned that oftentimes the doors that we are able to walk through or the tables where we are privileged to sit are NOT for us, but rather to be a blessing to others.  I didn't have the funds to do this event myself, but God told me to open my mouth to let others know about the assignment.
When I opened my mouth, God opened his hand and the Mother's Night Out event took place.  (With only a $10 difference in the total budget and the amount donated.)    #wonthedoit

Arby's simple gesture reminded me that there is always someone waiting for us to get into position.  There was no way possible that Arby could have gotten into the backyard without my assistance. (He's too big for a doggy door.)  However when he heard that I was fully awake and in the proper place, he was smart enough to get off the couch and give me a sign.  There are signs that are going up all around you that people are in need.  But many won't receive that help because you're too busy playing around, not recognizing your God-given assignment.  My simple words to you....WAKE UP and GET IN POSITION!

You know in your heart what God has told you to do; yet you sit in silence waiting for the perfect time.  Hello ma'am...hello sir......there is no perfect time.  The time is NOW and God's waiting on you.  He's sitting outside of the tomb, just chillin', while you are looking inside of the tomb crying. Dry your eyes and hear his voice.  He's talking to you!

When you get in position......lives will be touched.
When you get in position......generational curses will be lifted.
When you get in position......others will be encouraged to want better for themselves.
When you get in position......some child will want to achieve due to your steadfastness.

Ludacris released a song in 2003, Stand Up....."When I move you move (just like that)" 
When YOU get in position......people will develop the boldness to step into THEIR position just like that.

Thank you Arby for this morning's illustration and thank you God for your assignment.

If you're ready to get into position, wake up and tell the Lord Yes!

 Now walk it out........................

Mother's Night Out November 11-12, 2016

God's assignment has been blessed by God and is totally paid for.  Thank you for trusting me with God's vision and your resources.
These women, mothers and daughters of the most high God will never be the same.

If God told you to work your assignment....you better WALK IT OUT......

God's assignment for me

I want to share a video that I shared last week about God's newest assignment for my life to bless around 10 mothers, grandmothers, foster or adoptive mothers.

Please join in prayer with me as I step into what God is going to do for these women through my obedience and your sacrifice.

Just go to Facebook and type in Sharri Coleman.  It was a public post from September 28th, so you should be able to see it.

This is the point that I really............walk it out!

SECURE THE HOME...1st

All day I've been wrestling with these three words, "Secure the Home".

 This morning I was cleaning up the bedroom and trying to get dressed for the day, after folding clothes and making sure the people in the house were fed. (A normal busy Saturday morning.) I realized that I was totally at peace.  Something that would normally have rattled me, didn't affect me at all. In fact, I'd made a conscious decision not to sweat it.  I can recall so many times in the past, when faced with too many things at once, I would become internally frantic. Now I was usually cool on the outside, but internally I had an attitude,  was short-tempered and in a state of worry about the "what-ifs".  Today was different and I sensed it!

After that realization, I could hear these three words in my spirit, "secure the home".  It wasn't an audible voice, but I responded with a "what did you say?" inquisitive look on my face.  Just as gently and peacefully, as the first time, I heard those three words resonating again, "secure the home".  Those words were like the vibrations of low notes resonating from a cello or bass well after the bow has been lifted off the string.  It was a sound that rang in my ears and shook me to the core.  It wasn't scary, but I knew that it hadn't come from me.  It was the Lord sweetly saying for me to "secure the home".

Although I'd heard it and felt it in my spirit, I hadn't truly digested what it actually meant.  It would take an entire day of conversations, text messages, phone calls, face-to-face dialogue and social media scrolling to fully appreciate what those three words meant for me.  We live in a society where everyone wants to be recognized and considered important for getting the most 'likes'  or for having the largest number of followers on all the social media platforms. They share with you the most important details of their lives.  You usually see their highs in print, but very rarely their honest lows.  Sometimes, if you're not careful, you will begin to judge your life based on the "false" life of others.

Fast forward 2 weeks....

Well it has obviously taken more than one day to digest the true message.  I am now sitting in the middle of my bed on a Sunday evening, two weeks later after writing the opening of this blog.  It has taken a few more experiences within the last two weeks for me to completely understand the weight and significance of that voice still resonating inside.

This message is a message of settling into the seat which God has prepared for you.  As our women's ministry is preparing for our Empowerment Conference entitled, "Preparing for Uncharted Territory: Mind, Body and Soul" it became so clear to me that God won't send you out to do the 'next best thing' until you can honor your current position or situation.  By this I do not mean to settle for where you are in life, because I believe that you should always live with some type of expectation; however, you have the opportunity to see where you are as a blessing.  When my husband and I were dating in college and began to get serious, we talked and dreamed about how we would spend the rest of our lives together.  We said that we never wanted to raise latch-key kids.  His church and my medical practice would somehow be in close proximity, so that our children would either go to the church with him or with me to the medical practice after school, then we'd all go home together as a family in the evening.They would never have to let themselves in the house as young children because one of us would be there.

Well he got the church, but I never opened the medical practice.  But you know what, to this day, our kids are not latch-key kids.  When I taught HS Chemistry and then began teaching at the University, I always had time to cook a full breakfast, send them off to school, do pick-ups, cook dinner and spend time with them.  They never had to wait for me to get home from work and let themselves in the house. (So many of you have to do that and I commend you for your hard work, intense scheduling and sacrifice.)  I didn't realize that I was getting exactly what I had dreamed about with Byron well over 20 years ago.  Though I have been frustrated so many times within this past year, I realized that my frustration was because I was so busy trying to "keep up" and secure myself, my future and my career that I had lost sight of the gifts that God has given me. God has given me an absolutely amazing family, who need me in the role that I play at the moment.  It's not that God is not willing to do wonderful things to secure my career, but He simply wants to know that he can trust me to make sure my home is anchored first, before I move into what He has planned for me.

What have you been frustrating your will over?  You keep asking the same questions, " God why not me?,  Why not now? When will I get mine? Do you see me God?". God will continue to sit in silence until you begin to learn the lesson of appreciating your current location.  There are some things that you need to experience and learn from today that will prepare you for the tremendous blessings that God has planned for you next month or 5 years from now.

So today, I am content in knowing that this season will not last forever; but while I'm here, I am to make sure that my home is secure. Be sure that my husband knows that I have his back; that my kids know that they can talk to me about anything; that they are all well fed and cared for and that the boys know how to pray.  I need to be sure that they see me cry and rejoice....and know how to show compassion.  We are preparing our boys to "grow and go" each day.  THIS is indeed a full time job and a blessing!  For none of this do I receive a paycheck, but my rewards are priceless as I watch them develop into strong, young, gifted and compassionate black men.

No longer will I wrestle with the thoughts that "I'm not doing what I went to school for" (and paid good money for, if I may add); but rather I will continue to embrace where God has planted me and the assignment that He's given me.  I WILL SECURE MY HOME FIRST!  For those of you who work outside of the home, the same applies to you.  Securing the home is about making sure you appreciate where you are at the moment, instead of pining away for where you think you ought to be.  Securing the home is living in the moment and appreciating the journey.  Where you are right now is only a part of the greater journey, so make a decision to embrace it and then grow from it.

Now walk it out!

Generational Blessings

My heart is so full!  I am so blessed.

My very 1st blog post was a testimony and tribute to my parents, James and Nelda Mattison.  Three months later,  Mommy had transitioned.  It has been 3 1/2 years that she has been gone and I miss her dearly.  However, I must say that I have gotten to know my father at a much deeper level.  He was always a praying man, a loving husband and great father, but I have learned through recent years that he is so much more than that.  This dude is quick witted and full of life.  He is a walking ball of encouragement and smiles.

This past week he's been visiting and I've just found even more reason to love him.  I loved watching him pull both of our boys to the side and speak life over them.  His favorite line, "it's going to be alright; you'll make it".  I remember when Byron and I got married, we were ready to get away from our parents so we could finally grow up.   Once we began to have children, we quickly realized the longing to have grandparents close by.  This trip with Daddy has been heartwarming.  I've watched him walk around the neighborhood for exercise, love on Arby (dog), encourage the boys, talk about Mommy and their life together and discuss his future travel plans.  He said I work to travel...and I love it.

As he prepares to head back home in the morning, I am sitting here just thanking God for the lesson in his visit.   He and Mommy were married for 54 years and 14 days and they were good to each other.  You would think that after being with someone for so long that you would eventually just sit down and wait for your time to come.  Daddy has shown me that this scenario does not have to be the reality.  Although his life partner is gone, the Lord spared his life and he has chosen to live and do it well.

This is my encouragement to you, that no matter what the situation looks like, you can still choose to live.  It might be painful to suffer any type of loss, but God has a way of breathing new life into you.  It's totally up to you whether or not you choose to accept the gift.  As I watch Daddy continue to expand his horizons, I am encouraged to do the same!  I will not allow a NO to deter me.  I will not allow a loss or disappointment to cripple me.  I will not allow a distraction to overtake me. I will not allow death to overtake me.  I choose to live.  I choose to try new things.  I choose to experience all the joys that life has to offer.  Thanks Daddy for reminding me that life is exactly what you make of it.  Thank you for praying over your grandsons and speaking life into them...they are the next generation.

Now choose to live and love as you "walk it out"....

From one generation to the next...God-fearing men.

Daddy & the boys

SHIFT with Sharri

Check out this video!
https://youtu.be/ENCqzcZ4XGQ

#SHIFTwithSharri and change at the cellular level.
#weekofgratitude
Let's focus and set our minds on that which is positive.
What are you thankful for today?
Write below..................