Earlier this month one of my closest friends asked if I would join her in Columbia, SC for the Palmetto Walk for Life/Race for Life in honor of her mother and of course I quickly said yes! I had never walked/ran for Breast Cancer before and I was humbled to join her and I had THE perfect shirt! On Saturday, October 18th I woke up very early to get ready for the race because I knew there would be a huge crowd downtown but I was not prepared for 11,000 people. As I walked up to the park where the race was going to start I saw people with others tshirts on in honor or in memory of a loved one and I silently said a prayer for them and their family. Every step I took on the 3.1 mile walk I saw people smile, laugh and have a good time for this great cause.
This month has defiantly made me more aware of Breast Cancer and the importance of a mammogram (I had my first one earlier this year at 37) and early detection. You can even create a free Early Detection Plan at www.earlydetectionplan.org.
Also in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month HISBlessedOne is donating the proceeds from the I Am Blessed Tshirt ( the one I had on during the Walk for Life) will go to BoldandBreastless, Inc. The money will help fund seminars held to promote breast cancer awareness, to educate and motivate all women, to include breast cancer patients and breast cancer survivors, assist with participation in health fairs, purchase care packages for cancer patients and cancer survivors to include children affected by cancer, and to provide care packages to family members of hospice patients.
Many Blessings
A'Keta Julinate'
HISBlessedOne is so excited to partner with Shondia McFadden-Sabari, Executive Director of BoldandBreastless, Inc. Shondia had a bilateral mastectomy on February 11, 2011. Since her mastectomy Shondia has decided not to have reconstructive surgery and she doesn't wear breast forms. Today Shondia is blessed to be a SURVIVOR!
Shondia spends her time educating others about Breast Cancer and visiting cancer patients and survivors. HISBlessedOne would like to assist Shondia and BoldandBreastless, Inc. to continue to be a blessing to others. When you a purchase a HISBlessedOne "I am Blessed" Tee the proceeds of the shirt will go to BoldandBreastless, Inc. The money will help fund seminars held to promote breast cancer awareness, to educate and motivate all women, to include breast cancer patients and breast cancer survivors, assist with participation in health fairs, purchase care packages for cancer patients and cancer survivors to include children affected by cancer, and to provide care packages to family members of hospice patients.
Join us for the great cause! Shop www.HISBlessedOne.com or you can go directly to boldandbreastless.com to make a donation. You can also read Shondia's full story there.
I would like to thank Shondia for being obedient to the HOLY SPIRIT and being a blessing to so many! You are so awesome!
John 10:10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Many Blessings
A'Keta Julinate'
God told me a while ago, I needed to share my story. I don’t know how I’m here now, other than God’s grace. When I divorced my 1st husband, I thought that was the worst thing to ever happen to me. When I was eight months pregnant, a woman called to tell me she’d been having an affair with my husband since the beginning of our marriage. I was devastated, but I overcame. I prayed for the love I felt I needed and deserved.
Three years ago, I was engaged to the most amazing man. Our relationship was like something I'd never experienced or seen. Justin was my best friend. We didn’t grow up together or know each other for years prior. I met him on a Sunday at work and by the end of that week I told him he would be my best friend. Without going too much into detail, just imagine a "perfect" relationship. I was going to be this man’s wife. My prayer for the perfect husband was about to come true.
June 12, 2011 a co-worker asked me if I was afraid of death. My response was no, I'm afraid of losing my loved ones. The next day, I found out Justin had been killed. The day Justin died, I died. Love had died. Love had left me and didn’t even say good bye. Love told me to call him on my lunch break and when I called he didn’t answer the phone. Love was killed by a drunk driver late one night on the other side of town. I lost my mind, I lost control of my finances, and I almost emotionally lost my children. For months I waited on death to return for me. I was literally in my bed waiting to die. It took my friend to tell me it would be a shame for my boys to lose two parents, instead of one.
I believe everything I’ve gone through has been for this moment. I’m excited about my outcome because the preparation for my journey has been intense. Each and every man in my life has played an important part in me learning how to love.
God's love and grace brought me back. God heard my cry, and brought Kirk into my life. I opened my heart to a man that was willing to accept me, my flaws and all. God gave me love again. This September we’ll be celebrating our 1st anniversary.
MY STRUGGLES AND MY SACRIFICES WERE ALL TO GLORIFY GOD. I GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY. BECAUSE OF HIM, I SMILE. HE DID IT. THROUGH ME, HE HAS SHOWN HE’S REAL, HE CARES, HE LOVES YOU, AND HE LOVES ME. THE WORST THING THAT COULD EVER HAPPEN IS HIM LEAVING YOU AND NO LONGER LOVING YOU AND I’M HERE TO SAY THAT’S JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
2 Cor 5:7 says “For we live by faith, not by sight.” You can’t see HIM, but you know He’s there guiding you, you just have to trust HIM. --- That’s what I was thinking when presented with the new His Blessed One t-shirt idea, “Walking by FAITH”. To me it’s like going through your trials, tribulations, or circumstances literally blindfolded while trusting an unseen GOD by faith. You can feel the hurt, there’s so many things going wrong, but you know you’re not alone.
For the last week the song “This little light of mine” has been in my Spirit! The song instantly took me back to my childhood as I remembered singing it in the choir but clearly not understanding what my light was or who it came from.
I now know that my light is the GOD in me. HIS word says in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life".
This song has been ministering to me that even in the midst of negativity, chaos, gossip, hurt, pain, uncertainty, confusion, sadness, loneliness and depression to allow my light (GOD) to shine.
I pray that this song will bless you today as much as it has blessed me.
Blessings,
A'Keta Julinate'
In 2009 I went through the hardest year of my life when my Grandmother passed away. She was my favorite person in the world and I am so glad that I was able to spend more than half my life waking up in the same house as her. We had a special relationship so much that somewhere in my early teen years I went from calling her Grandma to Ma.
A few years after my Grandmother passed I was having a conversation with my Mom telling her how much I missed my Grandmother and she said something that I will never forget. She said "A'Keta I know you and your Grandma had a special relationship and I know you miss her but my siblings and I lost our Mother and we will never get another one." When she said that my heart immediately hurt for my mom, my aunties and my uncles. She was right...yes I called my Grandmother Ma and loved her like no other but I still had my Mom breathing and living every day.
My heart was again wrecked this week as I thought back to the conversation I had with my Mother. Not only was my heart hurting for my family but for everyone else that is without a Mother in this season. Today it is my prayer that Mother's Day brings you nothing but JOY as you rememeber the special relationshiop you had with your Mother. I pray that your day will be filled with laughter and good times.
This is my prayer.....
Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; HE rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Blessings
A'Keta Julinate
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and as a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for the Military I spent the entire month raising awareness and speaking out against this horrific crime that is hurting our Military and Civilian workforce. The Army's Campaign for this year's Sexual Assault Awareness Month is Speak up! A voice unheard is an Army defeated.
Not only did Sexual Assault Awareness Month open up the door for me to continue speaking up for Government Civilian's to have the same rights as Military when it comes to Sexual Assault and Harassment it also allowed me to open up about events in my life where people have hurt me and I didn’t speak up about it but now I am.Growing up my Mother taught my siblings and I to always speak up for ourselves. We were always able to voice our opinion and speak up for what we felt was right as long as we were not disrespectful. I felt empowered at a young age and always believed that I had a voice until my voice was taken from me.
When I was in my teens I was sexually molested by a man that lived across the street from me. I was friends with his daughters and it started off as a hug, touching and then progressed to kissing. I knew that it wasn't right but I was too scared to tell anyone....I had lost my voice. After living with this secret for months I finally broke down at school and told a guidance counselor that I trusted. This month I found the voice to ask my mom what happened when she found out that this guy hurt me. It was like I forgot all the lessons that she taught me growing up.
In my 20s I lost my voice again when I was physical abused by a guy I was in a relationship with. I can remember telling a friend of mine and being so extremely embarrassed that I allowed someone to put their hands on me that I didn't mention it to anyone else until the relationship was over. Even now some of my siblings and close cousins will be shocked that I never told them.
Earlier this month someone tried to take my voice again. After working on the same job for 5 yrs my work environment turned toxic. I was feeling disrespected, feeling like I was being silenced and my opinions didn't matter. This time I stood up for myself and others and fought back! I made the decision to no longer allow anyone to treat me disrespectful or silence my voice!
My prayers goes out to all the Victims of assault, domestic violence or victims that feel like their opinions doesn't matter. I will ALWAYS stand with you and for you! SPEAK UP!
Proverbs 31:8-9 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.
If you are a victim of sexual assault contact your local Rape Crisis Center and if you are a victim of domestic violence you can contact your local Safe House.
Blessings
A'Keta Julinate'
I love when GOD sends me a word when I least expect it. This morning during my 4am Ultimate workout class we were doing high intensity aerobics and my instructor {who is a beast} kept telling us not to focus on her or the person next to us because the enemy will try to distract you. When she said that it resonated in my Spirit and as I looked around I noticed that everyone was moving to their own pace and own beat I could see how you could get off focus when you are looking at the next person.
How many times have you gotten distracted because you are paying attention to the person in front of you, beside you or even the person behind you? I know I have! I am learning that everyone's beat is different but we are made perfect by the one and only GOD so we should stay focused on the plan that HE has for us not anyone else.
Proverbs 4:25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
BlessingsA'Keta Julinate'
* Don't forget to check out the HISBlessdOne Store.
Monday night I barely made it to my car before I burst out crying and yelling while on the phone with a girlfriend. The last week has been hard for me in Kuwait. I like to think of myself as a strong women but when everything that I was holding in came crashing down on me I was mess. As I got ready for bed that evening all I could do was call on the name JESUS in order to sleep peacefully.
When I woke up on Tuesday I wish I could say that it was better but I would be lying. Instead of crying on the phone to my friend I cried and yelled while talking to my mom. I was literally exhausted after talking to her and I knew at that moment that I need to push past my feelings and go in prayer. I recognized that the enemy was trying to keep me in bondage. I spent some time praying in the Spirit and studying Ephesians 6:10-20.
This morning before I could open my eyes the song "More Than Anything" by Lamar Campbell dropped in my Spirit! It was a reminder that no matter what is going on in my life my relationship with CHRIST is the most important thing. I am so thankful that HE is my shelter through the storm....that makes my heart smile!
Ephesians 6:11-12 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Check out the new GOD is LOVE shirt on the website.
Blessings
A'Keta Julinate'
Last September GOD gave me the vision of helping to drill a well in the villages of Kenya. As I have blogged about before I was kinda intimidated by the call but I knew if GOD gave it to me it would not fail. GOD was there to guide me the entire way and when I made the donation to the ministry I partnered with {Real4Chrisit} at the end of December I had to give HIM all the glory!
I am beyond thankful for all the support I received from everyone when I announced this call from GOD! This has been such a humbling experience and it has really changed the way I looked at my life and the way I give without expecting anything in return.
Here in Kuwait I don't drink the free water provided by the Military because it has sodium in it so I spend money each week to purchase sodium free water and it adds up especially since all I drink is water and hot tea. I also use a water filter on my shower because the water here is hard and is not my skins friend. I am fortunate to have to have options. I believe water should not be a luxury so I am looking for other ways to support this great mission through HISBlessedOne. I receive regular emails from Real4Christ and I am excited that the drilling of the well will start in April. Once I receive some pictures I will definitely share them everyone!Deuteronomy 16:17 All must give as they are able, according to the blessings given to them by the Lord your GOD.
Blessings
A'Keta Julinate'