School Daze: Advice for parents and soon-to-be’s on the importance of NOT stressing your child to go to college. Shocked? Read more on why here!

Where is The Love?: With 7 out of 10 jobs being service-providing, yet customer service is declining steadily, here Michele gives tips for how to give better customer service. The next blog will address the customer so look out! Click here

Take a moment to check out Michele’s blog and I hope you find a blessing in it!

Thanks!

Gossiper

Working in a bank for the past 15 years has opened my eyes to a lot of things and one of them, sadly, is that some people can’t (or won’t) pay their bills.

And what’s really sad is that some of these choices were made when they were younger and now that they are older and need to do “grown up” things, their past has come back to haunt them.

Not paying your bills causes you trouble on so many fronts. It keeps your from getting favorable rates and deals. It requires you to put down higher deposits for utilities and other services.

Now if you have found yourself in the position where things aren’t looking so good, don’t fret. You can work on it. First, face it. It’s yours. You did it, so own up to it.

Visit LifeMapConsulting.Blogspot.com and become a follower of the blog- Good tips & help that we can ALL benefit from!

Be Blessed & May You be FINANCIALLY secure!

I don’t want to mess up a perfect introduction with all MY rambling and boasting on my sister’s new endeavor, so I will let her blog speak for itself…Check out this first article that gives an overview of where Michele will be coming from! ENJOY (I did!)

http://lifemapconsulting.blogspot.com/

-Gossiper

Unless you have been living under a rock, then you know that the United States is in a bad economic state. And those issues are starting to manifest at the consumer level – that’s you and me. Climbing credit card interest rates, home foreclosures, depleting 401(k) accounts, job layoffs, pay cuts, volatile stock market, and inflation are things that are causing us to make some changes to our lifestyles.

This may mean cutting back on the things we sometimes hold dear to us like trips to the mall just for fun, going out to eat multiple times a week, taking lavish vacations and so on. For some, it may require more drastic cuts to the budget, but no matter how tight we have to cinch our belts, we must not lose hope.

We have all seen the stories of people who have lost money in the stock market or lost their jobs and homes and they have committed suicide and even worse, have taken other lives with them. When I see these stories I always shake my head and can’t understand why people would do that. Then I realize why they do these atrocious things. It has to be because they do not have a relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Because if they did, these material things that they have lost would mean nothing to them for they would know where their true treasure lies.

For those of you who are in the “valley of financial unrest”, do not despair. I already told you in a previous post to “Pray About Everything”. Well if you continue to read Philippians 4, Paul tells us how to be content in whatever circumstance you find yourself in:

I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (v. 11-13)

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abounds in glory that just pours out into eternity. Yes! (v. 19-20)

One of my good friends recently told me this:

We are all susceptible to the wrath of this corrupt economy “man” has created. But the great news is that we serve the “Creator” of this universe and do understand that “He” is bigger and greater than our circumstance. God is faithful and wise and powerful to the utmost.

So continue to lean and depend on the Lord. He will supply your need (not your greed). We serve a God who is recession-proof.

-Michele

Pray About Everything

The economy. Healthcare (or lack thereof). War and threats of new wars. Job layoffs. Recession. Foreclosures. Scandals.

The list can go on and on. All of the things in this world that are affecting us one way or another. What can we do it about it all?

I am glad you asked. There is one thing that has worked since the beginning of this world – PRAY.

In Philippians 4, Paul has given us some advice and encouragement for just a time as this. He reminds us to:

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him! (v. 4)   Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.  Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.  It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (v. 6-7)

As I stated earlier, there are a lot of negative things to think about, but we cannot let these things cloud our minds. Paul continues to tell us:

Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realize. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

So friends, pray about everything and worry about nothing. And once you have prayed and laid your burdens at His feet, don’t pick it back up. Let God handle it. He is bigger and greater than our circumstances.

(all scripture taken from The Message)

~Michele Purvey~

If anyone would have witnessed my childhood, without knowing me personally, they would have said that I was destined to be a statistic. Born to a teenage mother who did not want children and proved it on a daily basis. Born to a father who lost both his parents at a young age and despite his desire to be a husband and father, had no clue how to do either. As a result, he made, probably, one of the worse decisions of his life—-picking the wrong woman to be his wife. Physical and emotional abuse in the home led to foster care, then life with a negative, unhappy grandmother who was overly burdened and disappointed by the life choices of her six dependent adult children. Yes, anyone who only looked at my life circumstances would have labeled me a statistic. But those people did not know me or the God I serve.

Because no one in my family understood the concept of “quality” parenting, most of my childhood was unhappy beyond description. But even then, I knew that I was destined to beat the odds. Instead of falling victim to my circumstances, I developed a near obsessive desire to succeed; which can only be credited to God’s desire for me to fulfill my purpose in life. I have questioned a lot of things in my life, but have never questioned that fact that my life has a greater meaning than just my earthly desires. I believe that my desire to succeed stems, at least in part, from my desire to prove people wrong. But, more importantly, my success stands as a testament to other children and young adults who come from similar dysfunctional backgrounds that it is not only possible to survive, but to thrive and prosper.

My childhood has also given me a greater sense of what is important in the world. It is paramount to me that my career always have a purpose besides just money; that I give back to my community through volunteerism; and that I mentor disadvantaged youth in some way. It is also very important to me to be a mother someday (through birth and adoption) and break the cycle that is so prevalent in my family.

Everything that has happened in my life, even though I did not know the reason at that time, I understand was for a distinct purpose. I still have a lot of doubts sometimes, and I know that when doubt sets in I should read my bible more and wait for answers—but this is easier said than done. What I struggle with the most is my fear that I will end up alone. Being a black woman, I am more than aware of the odds of finding a black man who is a Christian that I am both in love with and have the vitally important compatibility. It is so hard in today’s world to be a Christian woman in our “anything goes” society. Sometimes, I am so discouraged, especially because of the slim pickings in the city in which I live.

However, I try to hold firm to the fact that I know that God does not give me a spirit of fear and I must stand steadfast in my belief that God answers all prayers as long as they are unselfish and serve his will. I know that God has always revealed his purpose for my life in due time; and, therefore, I must continue to trust him. I know I must allow him to guide my life and direct my path.

In closing I would like to say, again, that it was not a coincidence that I found your blog (G.O.S.S.I.P. Sister). This blog has helped me tremendously in many of my times of depression or doubt. For that, I am truly grateful. We all should use whatever our talents are to contribute something to the world because we never know what a profound effect it may have on someone else’s life.

-CosmopolitanChic

www.cosmopolitanchic.com