Tag Archive | family

Sleep Time, Dream Time, Rest Time!

Last week Friday, April 1st, I tried an experiment on myself and took notice that for every 3 minutes of sleep time, I actually dreamed for 1 minute. Every time I opened my eye,s I documented the time. Three times in a row, I dozed off to sleep and woke up exactly 3 minutes later. During each of those 3 minutes of sleep time, I watched a 1 minute video in my dream and would wake up.

INCREDIBLE! I am FASCINATED by time and numbers!

Sleep Time (min.)	Dream Time (min.)
3	1
30	10
45	15
60	20
180	60

Based upon that experiment, I got to pondering: if we are actually “resting” during dream time, 3 hours of sleep time (180 minutes) would BE equal to 1 hour of rest time (60 minutes). This would mean in order for us to achieve 8 hours of rest in a full day, we’d need 24 hours of sleep time. Hmmm!

THINKING OUT LOUD: And who is literally going to sleep for 24 hours?

Sleep Time (hours)	Rest Time (hours)
3	1
6	2
12	4
18	6
24	8

However, it’s been noted via sleep studies and other testings that REM sleep makes up 25% of our sleep cycle. In this cycle, our brain and bodies are rejuvenated and dreaming occurs. So then, I got to pondering: if we are sleeping for 3 hours, we’ve actually experienced 45 minutes of rest time, rejuvenation, dream time.

Sleep Time (hours)	Rest Time – Dream Time (hours)
3	:45
6	1.5
12	3
18	4.5
24	6

Based on this supposition, many of us (including myself) are not honoring our brain and bodies. We are abusing ourselves by not giving to ourselves an acceptable allocation of honorable rest (not sleep) time. Studies indicate that based on the age group of my household, we need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per day cycle. This means that our brains and bodies will receive 2 to 2 hrs. and 30 minutes of rest per day.

If in fact there are 24-hours in a day cycle, a tithe of a day would BE 2.4 hours, also noted as 144 minutes, also noted as 2 hrs. and 24 minutes. Can we devote a tenth of our time, 2 hrs. and 24 minutes, to rest by getting adequate sleep?

I’m certainly going to start this manner of devotion and for this reason: I need to honor my temple, not just my body as in flesh and bones. But, my body as in my brain, my neurological system, my heart, my lungs, etc. Doing this is critical and will make me equally emotionally, physically, and spiritually healthy.

Sleep Time! Dream Time! Rest Time!

My Success Status

Apr1

This morning was one of those few days, that comes and goes here and there, that I felt very lonely as a woman-lady. While gathering myself together, out of the darkness of this world the voice of the thief attempted to persuade me that the reason I have challenges in achieving sum total success is because I’m unmarried. I told the thief, “That is a lie from your daddy! My success is not predicated upon my marital success, but rather my ‘doer of the command’ status according to Joshua 1:6-9.”

As I begin to meditate on those scriptures a few of my favorite united with my mind: BE and DO. BE very courageous! I have to live with a steady mind; committed to, faithfully to, and uncompromising to what God has established for me. I have to DO this BE. SELAH!

BE! DO! This command dictates ‘My Success Status.’

Without forethought, I understand that I can forfeit my future and the inheritance of my children. But with wisdom, I can preserve it. While praying and thinking, these words saluted me and my intellect stood attention: Pursue! Overtake! Recover! There was a surge of energy flowing through me as I begin to explore how they were applicable to me in my right now counterattack.

Pursue: don’t pursue just anything, but rather pursue what is approved by ‘our Father, Who are in heaven.’ Pursuing is not a lazy task, you must BE tenacious.

Overtake: when you come up on that thing, that idea, that desire, which you’ve been given permission to pursue, overtake it. Overtake, in this presented context means to ‘catch by pursuit.’ When you’ve done that, follow close and cleave to what you’ve caught. Hold fast to it.

Recover: recover, as presented here, doesn’t mean you were weakened and need to be strengthened again. It means that you’ve pursued, you’ve overtaken, now LIVE! Be refreshed at the success of being a “doer of the command.”

Pursue! Overtake! Recover! This command dictates ‘My Success Status.’

To the many unmarried and the many singles, while flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone is desired and preferred, don’t BE deceived by the temptations of the thief. Your marital status is not your success status. You must BE persuaded to DO this: Pursue, Overtake, and Recover!

Plan it! Do it!

Mar23

“As part of my lads discipline, whenever I have to discipline them, I make them read the scriptures. We always go to the book of Proverbs. Even if they’ve read it BEfore, they have to read it again. It’s like branding their hearts (minds, thoughts) with words that will save their lives.

LAST NIGHT, our discussion was about planning and how we shouldn’t hastily do things. You know just on a whim, carelessly doing something to gratify a short-term emotion; a desire that has the potential to BE incredibly satisfying if we strategically organize it. I was explaining to them that it is important to plan (write the vision) and not just do things BEcause they feel like it.

Additionally, I needed them to understand that how I want it, when I want it, how I want to get it, and if it can’t BE like I want then I don’t want it is a posture of selfishness. And DOING selfishly, based upon a feeling, is a consumption mentality. This mentality leads to sum total poverty. You BEcome mentally obese. SELAH!

Feeling a bit heavy-laden, BEcause I wholly understood my lad’s emotional position, as I was preparing to rest a message came across my news feed about how success is a PLANNED event. Plan it! Do it! Then, THIS MORNING, a message came to me via email reiterating that you must PLAN to win. So then, on TONIGHT there was yet another affirmation confirmation assuring me that I’m yet on the right path in instructing my sons.

Proverbs 21:5.

Yes, the good book of instructions from a mother to her sons. Once again, I’ve found myself in the scriptures; a clear sign that I’m doing just fine as mother and parent” (Smith, Angela M. 2016).

Doer of the Declaration

Jan14

Today, I attended another case conference to review and update the goals and plans of a teenager. In these case conferences, we work on three things: (1) we review past goals and successes/failures of those goals, as well as ask the teen questions about how they view their progress, (2) then, we update/establish new goals based upon the progress/regression of the child, as well as listen to and hear their objective on what they desire to achieve next, and last (3) we develop a plan to succeed the afresh established goals.

After the conference, I sat in my car and recapped all that was discussed and the words advocacy, declaration, and helper were paddling in my soul.

Goals and declarations, to me, are tantamount. Embodied in both words, a person is composing a confident statement by giving specific details of a plan. They are expressing something that they desire to have. In my area of expertise, and otherwise, I’ve watched many people inscribe declarations (goals) and that’s it. All they’ve done was state something over and over again. However, saying something without doing something will retard the emerging of the declaration. Thus, the never-ending saying, stating, talking, writing, and likewise the never-ending not doing.

By way of example: let’s say that one of my declarations (goals) is that Nataph Consulting will work with a retired NFL/MLB sportsperson providing executive director services for his foundation. My ideal work space is my home office, and I will travel, on occasion, as required to the site location. This is one of my declarations (goals). What is the most likely result of this declaration (goal) if I do not submit my required credentials? Will the person even know that I exist, that I’m qualified, that my KSA’s and work ethics are exemplary, and that I will represent his name with integrity? No. They will not know. I have to do something that will bring awareness to them to propel my declaration (goal) to live. SELAH! I must BE a doer!

To witness the “BE fruitful and multiply” results of our declaration (goal), we have to BE doers. Doers are people who “always” progress, improve, increase, get better, etc. They attract helpers (someone who works with them and their plan of action) who are dedicated to advocacy (actively supporting them; speaking in favor of them). These helpers read, they understand, and they implement the forthright declarations (goals) so that they (the declarations/goals) surely come. And, a team of helpers is a team of doers…and givers.

Remember, doers are people who “always” progress, improve, increase, get better, etc. Thus, helpers will “always” progress, improve, increase, get better, etc. SELAH! So then, if you don’t have a plan, an idea, a chart, a sketch, something for helpers to help you with, you can’t justly expect them to help you unto acquiring your declaration (goal).

What are you doing, not saying, that requires the help of a helper?

From this case conference, I, once more, realized that articulating a declaration and penning a goal is priority. For that reason, taking action to propel the declaration into existence cannot BE skirted. The teen in this case saw his declaration (goal) face-to-face today. It was a 3-month plan and he achieved exactly what he desired to achieve, and the reward was exactly what his team of helpers said it was.

He progressed to another level; a level that he declared to succeed. Now, although he has a team of helpers (a team of doers) advocating for him, he was encouraged to take part in his advocacy and BE his own helper; to BE a doer. Again, doers of the declaration (goal) “always” progress, improve, increase, and get better.

In such manner as this teenager, so it is with us parents, relatives, entrepreneurs, educators, athletes, business owners, etc. We must not only say and write or expound and exclaim, we must BE a doer of the declaration (goal). We must escape the sinful nature of chicanery to manipulate doers and givers into advocating for us because we have failed to advocate for ourselves. With great compassion, I compel us all to BEcome diligent doers of our own declarations (goals).

I dedicate this blog to my son, Jordan G. “TheArtistic” Hicks. We developed a plan, you worked the plan, your team of helpers advocated for you on the journey, and today you received exactly what you told me you wanted. Well done son! I love you!

It is the 40th Day

Sep17

For a few days now, I’ve been attempting to choose a song to minister at a service and no thing was coming to mind for the cause. When I was asked about what I would be rendering, I had no other answer than, “I don’t know.”

On this morning’s drive, I succinctly heard the phrase, “SAY YES TO ME.” Instantly, the lyrics to one of my favorites rose to awareness: “God wants a YES! YES to His will! YES to His way!” Soon thereafter, a medley of “YES” songs began to flow as I made my declaration of YES to the voice of the LORD my YAH! YES to do right in His sight! YES to give ear to His commandments and keep ALL His statues!

Sitting at my desk, with the intent to meditate and soak in the scriptures, that I BElieve in, Exodus 15:25-27 was the very first scripture that enlightened me:

“And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them, and said, IF thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God,and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statues, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee. And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.”

While meditating, at 9:52 a.m. (16, means love) the enemy started to pressure me with false advertisements (deceptions) of love. Just 10 days ago, September 7, 2015, I wrote about how my oil level is at 100%, and I will LET no man deceive me. Today, there was evidence that my oil level is maintained. At 10:24 a.m. (7, means perfection or completeness) the Holy Spirit, in a few perfect words, whispered to my soul, “It is the 40^th day!”

I quickly jumped up and BEgin to worship the LORD with my voice. I looked at the date and did the calculation, not because I wasn’t sure, but because I was sure that I had heard accurately. Sure enough, today is the 40^th day (I had started a journey of potentials on August 8, 2015), and my conscious self came alive to what was opened up in my spirit.

The Spirit of the Truth has been speaking to me with numbers for a long time now. So, I started studying the number 40. Forty, from a biblical perspective, means a period of testing, trials, or probation. During my 40-day encounters, I didn’t even realize that I was being tested. Nonetheless, at the moment of revealed knowledge I couldn’t resist the lifting of my hands, the walking and rejoicing, and the tears of thanksgiving BEcause I had passed this period of persuasion.

The enemy said,

“I will pursue her; I will overtake her; and my lust shall BE satisfied upon her.”

Even so, there was yet a predetermined plan for this will. The enemy and my days of old behavioral configuration (giving in to enticements) were defeated BEcause I recognized the wile spirit and rebuked it. Through it all, Marah (meaning a drop of bitterness or heaviness) could have been my disposition. I could have chosen to pitch a fit. However, I choose to pitch a tent and LET peace and gladness abide. SELAH!

There is this one thing I’ve desired for my household, and twice in the last 40-days the prospect of having my desire was at my pleasure. Yet and still, the Spirit alive was guiding me in that the presence that I’ve heard for 40-days was not the suitable presence for us. Thus, the invariable nature of my position, as an unmarried mother, is this: it is not due diligence for me to (and I cannot) make swift decisions concerning my hope. I must continue to rely on, and put my trust in, YAH as I work my faith.

I’m unequivocally certain that there will BE many more 40-days. As for this one though, I acclaim, “My YES is to the righteousness of YAH and the guidance of His Spirit!” In such, there is no failure.

How To Ask of The LORD

Jul28

I was seeking an answer from the Spirit of Truth regarding how to ask of the LORD YAH my Father. Normally, when I think of ask I think of questions, requests, and inquiries, etc. Still, in all that I consciously know, I yearned for revelatory clarity on “how to do” these things called ask.

While I prayed for answers, my brain was gently wiggling as the scriptures were pouring in. I recalled my meditation from a few days ago on John 15:1-8: “⁷IF ye abide in me, AND my words abide in you, ye shall ASK what ye WILL, AND it shall BE done unto you. ⁸HEREIN is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye BE my disciples.” While chanting these scriptures, it arises in me that bearing much fruit, in this contextual manner, is produced from:

two-fold abiding,
asking what I will, AND
it being done.

What I will should BE the same as what the Vine’s will is IF we are two-fold abiding. In contrast, I ultimately bear no fruit IF the two-fold abiding is not my structure. Instead, I will BE withered and burned by men. SELAH!

So then, Luke 11:10 rose up in me in that “For every one that ‘asketh’ receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it SHALL BE opened.” In times past, I’d studied the Greek tense of the word ‘eth.’ Today, revisiting it and its power was necessary. The archaic suffix ‘eth’ is a noun and it is added to the end of verb words to tell you about the behavior of that word. SELAH! This suffix signifies a behavior of continual action known as Greek ‘perfect tense,’ vs. an action without continuation (or one-time action) known as Greek ‘aorist tense.’

With this in the forefront of my mind, I understood that for every one that continual ask (asketh) they continual receive (receiveth). SELAH!

However, I was yet uncertain if I understood “how to do” these things called ask. Luke 11:8 told me exactly how to. Importunity! Shameless persistence! Of the sort, this word is synonym with ‘eth.’ Again, this signifies continual action. This is how we should pray (ask) of the LORD, Our Father, Who art in heaven – with shameless persistence. To BE an importunate person, we must boldly persist, despite difficulties, in order to boldly receive. Some might confuse what I’m saying with vain repetitions, much speaking, as mentioned in Matthew 6:7. That is not the same as continual action, shameless persistence.

In the same scripture, Luke 11:8, the parable reveals that the friend, who came asking, was an importunate person. His importunity (his persistence, his demand for help) was fervent. Thus, his friend, who had what he needed, WILL rise and give him as many (loaves of bread) as he needeth. The friend asked for three loaves, but it can BE deduced that the one who was giving gave more than three loaves, i.e., he give as many as he needeth. He gave ALL that was needed to fulfill, not to merely get by for a little while. SELAH!

Now then, although this law of reciprocity called asketh, seeketh, and knocketh responds for every one that doeth these things, it does not imply that everyone is bearing fruit. SELAH. You are only bearing fruit when you are two-fold abiding AND asketh. SELAH!

Finally my brethren, this is the confidence that I have of Him, the Son of God: that IF I ask any thing according to His will, and I will ask accordingly, He heareth me. And IF He heareth me, and He does, whatsoever I ask, I know that I have the petitions that I desired of Him.

The LORD is my desire, I shall not want. SELAH!

Net Worth

Jul22

While washing dishes, for some reason or another, dialogues and writings from others of the life coach discipline about being an asset came to my mind.

In years past up to now, there has been a crusade (regarding relationships) about what people bring to the table. This means what value (appeal, merit, substance, wealth, etc.) they are bringing to the relationship. Majority of what has been delivered to us has been fixated on needing to BE an asset in the relationship. Well, everyone is part asset. Thus, we don’t need to BE that alone. Instead of focusing on being an asset, we should focus on bringing the resources AND the responsibilities to the relationship. This will assist in accurately calculating how valuable WE are to each other.

What is OUR net worth in OUR relationship?

In this parable, there is a woman who portrays herself as a woman of moral integrity. She works, she has her own home, she provides for her household, she nurtures her children, she rides well, dresses well, her make-up and hair are always nice and neat, her nails are groomed, her feet are soft, she smells good, she is cordial, etc. On the contrary, she doesn’t pay her bills on time, she bounces checks on an account that is closed by 5 figures overdrawn, she’s not a giver to the less fortunate, she’s not cooperative, she lacks humility, her children sees her two-facedness, and her speech is foul.

Assets and liabilities! What is her net worth that she is bringing to the relationship? The sum total of her ‘on the contrary’ makes her net worth (yaqar yaw-kawr) far below rubies. It would BE to her advantage to rid herself of those liabilities and owner’s equity. If not, they will depreciate her by compound scores. SELAH!

Truly, the center of our attention should zoom in on our net worth status. Are we consistently increasing in seven-fold health and soul prosperity? Although this is not about deducing us to an economic equation or comparing us to the rate of a dollar, without a doubt, when our liabilities outweigh our assets our net worth will BE full of no value. I sincerely encourage you all to stop increasing your assets (assets = owners’ equity + + + + liabilities) and start increasing your positive net worth (assets – – – – liabilities = net worth).

Know your worth for real!

Compassion, I AM!

May28

Today, life events from my youth woke up as I was meditating. I remember in my days of youth how I used to be tormented by princedoms, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places (the soul). Even though my parents were praying parents, I, in my own assessment, didn’t know how to respond to this torment other than self-harm. As a child, I didn’t even know this word or what it meant. However, the tormenter that seeks to kill, steal, and destroy knew that word and had no respect of me being a child.

The most common practice of self-harming is a cutter, which is strongly suited with poisoning. I, on the other hand, wasn’t a cutter. I was a self-beater, both mentally and physically, with suicidal tendencies. My communication with myself was destructive! Consequently, my right knee tells a story of years of abuse. The abuse was first compulsive (driven by this inner force to do something), and then intentional (premediated, well thought out) because I saw the results of compassion that it yielded. Compassion!

In former times, my thinking lifestyle and life’s happenings led me to obsessive and compulsive behaviors. These behaviors stifled my life! My thoughts were hacked as I attempted to secure things from people who didn’t have what I needed. Behaviors that made me want to demand this, that, or the other from bankrupt resources and individuals who were not gifted to meet the demand. These thoughts were my responsibility. Even so, after gelling with how I had evolved considering my ways wasn’t a stress-free undertaking. Nonetheless, the onus was still on my shoulder to consider my ways. What did I do, or was not doing, that caused my life to BE what it was? My self-harming actions were, in reality, harming others

As I now breathe, before I BEcame whom I AM I had to BE healed of who I was. SELAH! Wisdom was a ray of light, schooling me in that I wasn’t created with these self-harming deficiencies. Yet, they were born. These shortcomings had to die! An abortion was requisite in order for me to cuddle with salvation, healing, and miracles. And die…they did! Not in one wave, but in many tides over the past 30 years. On this journey, I’ve discovered that confessing my faults concerning my thoughts dismantles the pallets of pride. .

Essentially, I had to break up with injury and cunning persuasions to collect compassion and learn how to BEcome the compassion (the Ruhamah) that I longed for. SELAH! In the here and now, for the past 2 years, I’ve been praying for that Ruhamah. My prayers were consistent in this manner, “LORD! I want to BE compassion and more compassionate. I yearn to BE that for and towards my children; for and towards the fortunate and fateful. LORD, LET me BE compassion!” As I set out to study what I wanted to BEcome, I learned that compassion doesn’t seek a return from others; it simply enjoys being what it is and doing what it does. Also, I’ve learned that it is an intensely powerful word that brings life. It has elements of mercy that runs deep to spring up like a rushing well of water. My study revealed to me that the word Ruhamah, which is Hebrew in origin, derives from the root-verb raham, meaning to love deeply/to have mercy. This kind of compassion is expressed in Exodus 33:19 and 2 Kings 13:23.

In order to BEcome the image of my Creator, I had to consider my ways and change my reasoning. To live, in the likeness of my YAH, I must continuously have the mind of Christ. My spirit self, meaning the real me, has to abound at all times lest I return to the foolishness of my natural self, i.e., the self-harming. Of this lot in life, I have fully BEcome whom I desired to BE and I covet no longer. I have long disowned self-harm, and I cleave to Pure Divine Love. I AM now, compassion!

I Receive The Gift

May26

This morning, I was reading through some messages and came across a prayer that said, “I pray that God protects your money. I bind Satan from diverting your money to someone else!” (((Chuckling))) I was not surprised that this message greeted me as it was just a few hours into the morning that I had a dream of a company giving me $10,000 (testimony, law, responsibility, the completeness of order) for my Top Kids Mentoring Program. Whereas I normally recall all the details of my dreams, I don’t recall all for this one.

Nonetheless, I do remember that the money was in cash with a check/cashier check on the top and it had a rubber band around it. I asked the man that brought it to me, “Where did this come from?” He replied, “A lady with a shop! She just told me that it was yours and to make sure you got it.” He kept trying to explain to me the kind of shop she had where you can purchase flavored drinks, health drinks, slushes, smoothies, etc. I, in the dream didn’t know of a lady with that kind of business. Yet, I do in this realm. While rejoicing, and thanking God for sending me my money, His Favour, the man placed the money in my hand. Also, I remember that it was a Saturday, late in the afternoon, and I was almost jittery about carrying that much money on me. So, I told them I need to get to the bank and make a deposit. I remember putting the money in my pockets and saying, “The bank is closed. I can’t make a deposit today.” Then, I remembered thinking how when I worked in the fast-food industry that you can make night drops (deposits) and I thought to get a deposit bag and make a night drop.

As I was walking to this door to deposit the money, I saw my mother’s face in the door window and she was yelling something. She looked frantic! The closer I got to her, I could see her eyes begin to roll into her head and I begin screaming, “MOM! MOM! PLEASE MOM!” By the time I got to the door, she had fallen to the ground…no movement. When I woke up, it was 1:58 a.m. (Unity, Favour of God, New Beginning, and Salvation). I wanted to cry, as my heart had been incited to fear that my mother was dead. There were many odd things happening in this dream: the beginning I hardly remembered, and the ending causing my heart to feel uneasy.

But even now, I rejoice! I pray, I BElieve that I receive, and I shall have this gift that is gifted to me. I stand forgiving my debtors! I speak increase to my money. I command it to come forth! LORD, whomever she is that gave to me in this dream, for I knew her not, whomever she is that gifted me, that favoured me, LET her find me! LET her seek for me and come forth in this realm. This gift was for the purpose that You’ve placed in my hands called Top Kids Mentoring Program, LET it come forth in this realm LORD! I speak to her, whoever she is, I am grateful to you for your compassion towards me; you have obeyed the LORD and you shall BE perpetually blessed. Do not doubt His leading! He, the LORD God our Creator, has put me on your mind. I receive the gift!

Morning Meditation: Marriage

Apr4

Today I pray against the evil that comes to kill, steal, and destroy marriages and relationships that are separated and seeking restoration. I command adultery to go and put its face in the crease of the corner. You are unwanted fabric and are not welcomed in the image of YAH.

I speak to the chosen of the LORD; get your house in order! LET your old relationships die; LET them BE fully dried up before you seek after another. STAND STILL until you have taken care of the old; LET not the new wine fail because you tried to fit it in an old bottle. I pray that current relationships consummate with marriage because it is right and it is honorable; LET them all remain FAITHFUL to one another, engulfed in integrity, so that the sheets of their souls and private chambers are not spoiled and stained.

Father Elohim, blow Your sustaining wind NOW. LET us inhale Your new mercy, it is our life! In the name of the LORD Yeshua Who is the chosen people’s bridegroom. Surely this is done. ALLELUIA! © March 12, 2012

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Writings Inspired by YAH