I Surrender All
Feb 24, 2008 Sunday Testimony
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When all else fails in life, I know that I must surrender all. Sometimes it may seem hard and like we can’t handle it, and you know what we can’t. There is no New Age philosophy, no “secret” way to fix it, no “new earth” until Jesus comes back, that will make our issues better. Only total surrender to Christ.
I Surrender All
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In his presence daily live.
I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
All to Jesus I surrender,
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken,
Take me Jesus, take me now.
I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
Scripture To Ponder: Matthew 11:28-30
Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] 29Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. 30For My yoke is wholesome (useful, good–not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne.
A New Contest - The Cost of Skydiving?
Feb 20, 2008 Unplugged Authentcity
Skydiving takes a lot of guts. It is courage beyond courage.
As moms we have to live our lives daily exhibiting courage we never knew we had.
Both of my boys have been near death twice within the first two years of their lives. Let me tell you having to walk into through the hospital doors and be a source of comfort when I needed the comfort was not easy.
My husband almost lost his life too. I was seven months pregnant and scared because his heart had been seriously infected. To give him my love and care was hard when I trying to stay calm for the baby growing in my womb.
So many skydiving moments for moms.
I had the privilege of writing a story that was accepted and added to a book titled “Skydiving for Parents.
I want to give away an autographed copy of the book. It is filled with encouraging stories for parents by parents.
So how do you win a copy of this book? Easy!
Blog about your skydiving moment as a mom. Link to Mom Unplugged and then come here and share a link to your post.
That’s it!
The contest will end February 29, 2008 at midnight. So get your stories posted.
The Road of “Me”
Feb 20, 2008 Unplugged Moments
You know I often watch the actions of others to determine if they are worth my getting involved with on a deeper level. This past week I came across a young woman that I have talked to often. I realized something about her and it unnerved quite a bit.
This young woman is walking the road of “ME”.
The road of me is all about that person and they cannot see outside of the small world they created for themselves. You know the person who never got out of that teen-aged philosophy of “it’s really my world”.
This is a dangerous road to travel.
When we are in the realm of “me” we can’t see the needs to others. The ability to love unconditionally does not exist for you because if someone does not do it your way, then you can’t love them effectively.
When you are on the road of “ME” your motives become warped and your ideas of assisting another revolve around what you want for you. It has nothing to do with the person you are doing it for.
You know Jesus loved us without rhyme or reason. He showed it all that way to cross. Although He had His moment where He asked for the cup to be removed from Him, it was still not about Him.
It was about you and God’s glory!
Are you traveling the road of “ME”?
TMT: The Attention Hog
Feb 14, 2008 Unplugged Authentcity
About a month ago I announced that we had a kitten. Roadie is about 8 months old and my husband, or rather Roadie found him, at a highway entrance.
Before I go on here is a picture of Roadie that I shared for my Wordless Wednesday .
Now on with the story.
Roadie was sitting at a highway entrance right where all the cars enter the the highway. My husband said he was wondering why traffic was creeping and horns blowing. Then he saw Roadie sitting down wagging his tail, and waiting to be chosen by someone. At first Rupert (my husband) passed him by; but being the cat lover that he is he went back with plans to take the kitten to a shelter.
Once he opened the car door and Roadie jumped right in, walked up to him and nuzzled his neck, Rupert was sold. He checked him for fleas, signs of disease, and such. From what he gathered someone placed Roadie on the side of the highway and he sorta found his way to the entrance. We checked to see if someone had reported him missing and no one had. IT seemed so odd because his coat was beautiful, he was friendly, and did not act like a street cat at all.
He was dehydrated and bony when we first got him but he was not afraid of us at all. He took to all of us within the first hour of Rupert introducing us to him. It was as if he just belonged.
Now being the attention hog that he is, Roadie, loves jumping up on the keyboards when I am working. I guess that is his way of saying that I have done enough. So I had my oldest son take photos of him sitting like a King while I was trying to get some work done.
By the way, Roadie got his name from my Mother. I was on the phone with her and gave her my ideas for names when she blurted out “Call him roadway because Rupert found him on the side of the road.”
When I told Rupert about it, he loved it but said we should shorten it to Roadie.
Scratch My Back
Feb 14, 2008 Whatever
A part of what I do online is Affiliate Marketing. I follow a few people who I think are the best at what they do or have done in the Affiliate World, like Alice Seba and Kelly McCausey . I also follow Shawn Collins blog for a few reasons. I understand what he is saying, his site is very interactive, he has a fun podcast, and I love his headers 
Really, he is good and I have learned even more about making my own Affiliate Program fit me. I noticed that every time I go to Shawn’s site I would see a Top Spot widget. So I decided to check it out. I liked what I saw.
Not because you can earn a buck or two but because it gives folks a chance to be seen for their efforts. There are many mom blogs, WAHM businesses, and unplugged women who I want to highlight, but gosh that would mean dedicating a lot of my time to Mom Unplugged. So I think this Top Spot thing is pretty cool.
It’s advertising with a Social Networking spin! It is also a way to tell a blogger or site your love, thank you and “have a cup of joe or tea on me”.
Now why didn’t I think of that.
Anyway, you can find out more about this cool concept over at Scratchback.com . It is in the Beta mode now but I think it will definitely catch on. And while it is in Beta you can have them design a widget for you for FREE…way cool! They even have a program you can download and make you own Top Spot widget (note -they have to approve the final design).
So you wanna Scratch My Back and buy me a cup of Chai Tea? Check out the Widget on the sidebar and get on my Top Spots. All links will be approved! So tip at your own Risk.
The Agreement
Feb 12, 2008 Unplugged Authentcity
Last week was a week from hell for me. On Tuesday I had such a bad day that I finally sought counseling because I felt like I was slipping back into the same deep depression I was in for almost 10 years. Actually my husband was the one who finally listened to me about needing clarification on some things and how I think a counselor would be beneficial in my life.
He has been very supportive and paying close attention to what is going on with me now.
I am not ashamed of needing to seek counseling because to me that is admitting that yes I have issues and no I can’t figure them all out on my own. No to me that is being real!
Over the past few days while plugging away at being mom, wife, entrepreneur, and teacher I realized that I have not exactly done a good job at being me. Sure I have let go of the Supermom Complex, but somewhere in my head I was still not connecting with LaTara. So I am taking some steps to remedy that.
The first thing I did was find a few meet up groups in the area that fit me like a Natural Hair group, a Christian Parenting Group, and even a reading group.
Then I told me husband that once per week I need to get away from the kids. I am always with my boys and that is just not healthy. I love them but I don’t always want to be around them. They have their outlets and it is high time that momma had hers. I have been like a homeschool hermit and it is time for it to stop.
Sure I get out by myself but it is to Target or some appointment.
So As I shared this with my husband I realized it may never happen because right now my oldest son is having some typical teenager issue with his dad and so he can’t be left at home alone. In my head that meant no personal time for me.
Well my husband must have really been freaked out by outburst last week because today he said that one day a week he will stay home or reschedule his day so that I can have some me time. And not just time in the bathroom with the door closed.
When I was a single mom I had me time every week because I had a better support system in Los Angeles than I do here in Chicago. So I am pretty glad that my man decided that he can be my support here while I get out and find me again.
I enjoy going out to eat and to catch a movie by myself. I enjoy going to Borders and perusing the books all day while I drink a cup of tea or decaf. I love going to meet other like minded women and connecting.
So out I venture to a territory I know so well. Thank God for The Agreement, and, oh yeah, the man too!
My Morning Revelation
Feb 9, 2008 Unplugged Moments
Over the past few days I have been on a roller coaster ride that nearly shook the life out of me. In the interim of all the chaos, I realized that I needed an outside source to help me balance things out a bit.
Just because I live an authentic life does not mean I don’t meet my share of difficulties. So I will be starting counseling sessions later this month as I realized that I am retreating back into a mode of depression and I just won’t go there again.
In an effort to hear from God I have been very quiet and just waiting to hear. I guess that may be why my internet was down for three days. I just needed to sit in Daddy’s lap. He has been sharing with me ways that I have left Him and ways that I can reconnect with Him.
One of those ways is through my poetry. I used to write all the time and something occurred about 7 years back where the rhyme just stopped. I could just no longer put the words to paper and my thoughts were all jumbled.
This morning while I was thinking I was reminded that one of the ways I left God was when I stopped writing; especially through poetry. And I was bathing a title for a poem came to mind; one that reminded of the fact the poetry is a part of my lifeline to God.
Rhyming Left My Soul
There used to be a time when a rhyme
Didn’t want to leave the warmth of my pen’s embrace.
A time when my heart and mind connected with a melody so sweet and tender.
Rhyming was my muse!
As a young girl rhyme was my door to freedom
From the chaos that was my life.
As a woman I used it as a daily therapy session
And a time to release and be me.
Then one day rhyming left my soul;
ran from my heart;
separated from my mind.
It was no longer a part of me!
I had lost my step and slipped futher into the abyss -
My hell right here on Earth.
The pen was no longer my friend.
It grew tired of the constant,
negative,
murmuring in my mind.
Rhyming - it left my soul!
I was not aware that
my talent,
my skill,
my ability to rhyme
Was how God connected to the
Essence of me.
Rhyming was a part of my lifeline to
My Father,
My Lord,
My Everything!
And yet I sunk lower into the abyss;
Deep down into the pit not made by me
But maintained by my mud stained hands.
Where was God?
Why wasn’t He hearing me?
Why oh why my God have You Forsaken me?
Then one day a ray of Son
touched me
healed me
delivered me from the abyss that was my hell on Earth
The pit that had
my mind,
my heart;
my spirit bound.
And my pen so dear and true
Came back to me
With a familiar embrace.
My mind cleared and I could hear my
Creator speaking to me;
Through His Word and
Oh Yes with Rhyme!
It came back -That Connection!
Now rhyming is once again one with my soul
and my lifeline to Him has awakened from it’s deep deep sleep!
Copyright 2008 LaTara Ham-Ying All Rights Reserved
Fruit of My Labor
Feb 2, 2008 Unplugged Moments
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about where I was financially. Am I still there?
It is getting better, but I still have a ways to go. And as I said, I did this to myself because I was not a good steward of finances. So I accept it all without complaint. Sure I cried and I got angry at myself but I could not blame anyone but LaTara.
I prayed and asked God to show me if this is all worth the effort or if He wants me to shut it all down. I was and still am willing to do whatever He calls me to do because I am now on an obedience walk with Him. There is no turning back now for me. I have ran for far too long from the responsibility we hold to obey God’s Law, commands, statutes, and principles.
Psalms 119 is filled with the importance of obedience and there is not way to deny it or get around it. As a matter of fact I am now studying it for a deeper understanding. Over time I will share parts of my study here on Mom Unplugged.
Well, once I surrendered and gave it all over to God, I started seeing these little things called blessings pop up.
I have been given gifts that I should have paid for and yet, the people who offered just said, “God led me to do this” or “It is a gift”. I have won customizations for sites, 3D graphics and have headers done for me. I almost have a sponsor for the Vegan Family Living weekly podcast. I needed all of this to see my business catapult to the next level. I needed all of this so that my sites and products have a professional, not home grown, look.
It has all made a difference just in the last few weeks. Well, that is just like God. When He shows up, He will definitely show out.
I have been invited to write for magazines and interview for podcast. I even watched God help me deliver a speech for Woman’s Conference when I really did not want to. Yet, the women in attendance were blessed and even more to because so many were able to listen to the recording.
When my latest e-book, Transitioning Your Family With Ease was released last week, the sales I made helped me to get one account of the red. The one I needed to maintain my online business. Even before the sales came in somehow my bills for maintaining business were paid.
Honey, you know this dark child could do nothing but Thank God! I was in awe.
Even today when I look at yet another month of bills that are more than I can afford, I am going to just keep on keeping on.
I was Twittering about my e-book one day and friend told me that she couldn’t wait to see the “fruit of my labor”.
I received an email from a friend of mine for yet another blessing and I want to share a little bit of my response with her:
“I told God that if this were all meant to be and if I were to move myself towards the business He wanted for me that it was in Hi hands. So I kept moving and working as if I were getting a pay check every week…
I may not be seeing the fruit of my labor in monetary ways, but God is sure showing how to be humble and see the fruit in other ways.
I really believe that God is calling His people to make a strong impact on the business world and so I focus a lot on that aspect. Every area of a Christian’s walk must be under subjection to the will of God and when you truly give it over to Him, He has to work it all out. His word says so.”
To God be the Glory for all that He has done and will continue to do in my life. It will work out for the good of them who love the Lord.
I will end this post with this:
“[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”
Philippians 2:13 (Amplified Version)
