10 x THREE = 30

Ten years for the FATHER...
10 years for the SON...
Ten years for the HOLY GHOST...

NOW, I live.  Thanking God for this NEW LIFE He has afforded me!  Whew!  I really can't tell it all, but here's a little something.  Colorful sticky notes collected the first pieces of this blog around 1am on 01/20/12 chronicling the last decade of my life.  It's a "very real" look into the past decade of my life.  Age ranges are grouped together in choppy and probably grammatically incorrect sentences.  The last year in my 20s is month by month.  It's kind of lengthy (we're talking 10 years....and really this is not the half).  Wherever you are in life, I hope God speaks to you in this.

Ages 20-22
In college at UCA finishing up my Sophomore year.  Cool.
Made lots of mistakes.  Not so cool.
Little to no identity.  Kinda just went with the flow....even if it didn't feel right.
Prayer life?  Yea, when I really "needed" God to do something, like pay a bill, help on a test, don't let me be pregnant.  That sort of thing...
Graduated UCA in 2004 at age 22 with no clue about what was next.
My "extreme" kicking it days.
A "girl" searching for acceptance.
Afraid of being alone and single.
I know Jane Etta (my mama) prayed a whole lot during these years.  She showed herself to not only care about me as her daughter, but as a soul that needed to be saved.....for real.  Thanks, Mommy :)
FOX RUN Apt B-11....moved out on my own living alone for the first time ever.
New lifelong friends came into my life whom I still call "sisters" to this day.
Worked at a daycare for in LR in 2002 at age 20.  Fell in love with the name of a little girl there and promised myself if I ever had children (a girl), I would name her this.  Of course the name was Brooklyn, and the promise was kept 5 years later.....with an extra 'n'.
Tried my hand as an independent sales rep selling knives with Cutco.....failed miserably.  This is how I knew sales was not my area!
Daddy got married.  Went to NJ for the wedding.
Started career at Acxiom at age 22.  I was really still a baby.

Ages 23-25
Corporate world grew me up big time!
Bought a house.
Started Masters program at Webster (LRAFB)
Experienced a lot of hurt and pain that only God could heal....though at this time I didn't know He was really doing the healing.
My 1st sis, Lanisa, graduated HS
Traveled to NJ to be with my daddy and his wife for Christmas in '06.
Joined facebook (I mean y'all really needed to know when I joined the book, right?  lol)
Joined Salem Missionary Baptist Church!
Found out I was pregnant on Mother's Day in 2007 (crazy, huh!).  I was 25.
Birthed a beautiful baby girl on her exact due date after 18.5 hours of labor.  Good God!
Switched to Masters program at UCA & almost dropped out in 2nd semester after having a baby on 01/08/08, with classes starting on 01/10/08.....BUT GOD.  To Him I give the glory for strengthening me during that time and ordering my steps AND giving me a great support system.  I said, "I can't do this".  God said, "Tasha can't....but I AM that great I AM & I CAN".  Kendra was my class buddy and a great encourager.  Crystal Floyd would drive to my house every night I had class and watch my "brand new" baby while I was in class and her father was at work.  Very loyal friends, and I thank God for blessing me with these two ladies to be very instrumental in that season of my life and everyone else who believed in me, extended a helping hand, and prayed me through it.  Thank you!

Ages 26-28
3 words.  One for each year of this 3 year span.....TRANSITION, TRANSITION, TRANSITION
@26, settling into my new role as Mommy
@26 completed Masters program at UCA
@26 Orthodontic treatment started (I'm a few feet away from the finish line now)
@27 traveled to Destin, FL for my 1st prayer retreat.  Encountered God in a way I never had before and came back to AR "different" to say the least.  Eyes began to open...
Thought I could have the best of both worlds.....God made me choose.  
@27called into ministry and preached first sermon on December 13, 2009.
Started wearing eyeglasses....wow
Very pivotal time in my life spiritual wise.  Learning about God and who I am to Him.
Had to make hardest decisions of my life.
Witnessed the electing and the inaugurating of the U.S.'s first African American president
Learning to discern God speaking.
LOTS of faith tests.  I must not have been passing them too good because they kept coming, lol.
Dreams
Attended a "Watch Meeting" for the first time
10 year class reunion for McGehee High School's Class of 2000
My 2nd sis, Whitney, graduated high school

Became an Auntie to a blessed nephew named Kabrien James :)
The promises of God are "Yea & Amen"...

Age 29
God's Grace and Mercy
Learning more about ME....about time, huh :)
A whole new faith walk.....still learning everyday
At this point, some things just aren't as important as they once were....if at all



The Last Months of Year 29...

May-June '11
"Now FAITH is the substance of things hoped for...."
Yep, there were most def months of faith.

July '11
Hair cut!  Decided on short for a while.  Not a mid-life thing, just a little change.  Change is good :).  Is change good?

August '11
Participated in my first Rhea Lana event as a consignor.  Fun and it paid off so no complaints here :).
My baby flew on an airplane for the first time....and without me.  I was fearful at first, but thank God for peace.

September '11
Results!  Oh yes, I love results :)

October '11
Hmmmm.... ????

November '11
A month of thanks.  I spent my first Thanksgiving totally alone thinking it would be good for me.....not so much.
In other news....A process started in my life that only God could have initiated.....THANKFUL!  When I tried to do it previously, it came to nothing.  POINT:  Let Him work it out :)
Ended a 29 year relationship.....with Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix.  Y'all laughing, but this was a serious breakup!  I made my first pan of homemade cornbread from scratch :) #LOOKOUT

December '11
Year end anticipation.  Wondering how God would close out the 2011 chapter in my life and transition me into the 2012 one.  I made it over, obviously, lol.  So, I'm grateful :)

January '12
Song lyrics I was thinking of on 01/20/12.... "Disappointments, I've had my share of disappointments.  But, I'm still here.....  Through it all, I made it through another day's journey.  God kept me here."
I encourage you to find out why you're still here if you don't know already.  I'm sure we can all look back and see the many, many times where God could have taken us out.

February '12
What Can I Do For You?  Helping others brings a great joy....even just doing nice, unexpected things to see a smile on someone's face.  For me, that's what this month was about.  Crazy thing is that now as I type this, I have no idea what happened to make me include this, lol.  Whatever the case, it has been included for a reason.  SMILE :)
Well so much for the "short hair change", ha!  Officially started growing my GLORY back this month.
March '12
John's month....
If I had never heard "John" before in my life, I promise you I nearly heard enough of this name for a lifetime in this month alone.
A deeper study into the Gospel as recorded by John begins...

April '12

At the dawn of this month, as I anticipate and wait with excitement on MY DATE, all kinds of thoughts, past experiences, failures, triumphs, etc... flood my mind.  "I am actually turning 30!" is what I thinking to myself.  I have never been so excited about a birthday and certainly have never felt so blessed.  Just in the past year and a half, the devil has made several attempts to take me out.  He didn't want me to see this day, BUT MY GOD.  God had allowed me to still be here.

As the contents of this blog speaks to pieces of the last decade of my life, I'm getting an even clearer understanding of grace after seeing how the past 30 years that grace is truly was I have been abiding under.  Of those 30 years, I only recently came to really understand and appreciate this gift from God.  I used to live with no appreciation of my tomorrow because in my world, surely tomorrow would come just as it had come today.  I didn't know that I was only breathing because of His grace.  Until I came to realize that I was a sinner and came to a point of fearing I had run out of grace, I had no regard for it.

I've gone to college and received a bachelor's degree....check.
Started a career in my field....check.
Went back to further my education and received a master's degree....check.
But tell me this....
What is an accolade or an accomplishment without an Advocate?  I can look back over the past 10 years at all that has been accomplished, all that has been worldly, and yea I can smile and be pleased.  BUT in all that getting this and receiving that, I've accomplished not a thing if I don't have Jesus Christ, my Advocate, my Savior and Lord, who is pleading my case every day, and is THE ONLY reason I consistently receive a supply of grace day after day.  So, now when I look back....it's not the degrees, it's not the house, it's not the partying, or the cars.  My greatest accomplishment came in 2009 at the age of 27 when I made the choice to begin an intimate relationship with God, to purposely get to know Him.  You see, I knew of Him before, but not on purpose.  I knew what you told me, but that wasn't sufficient enough for my own salvation.  This would indeed be the highlight of not only the last 10 years, but of my entire 30.  After all, what is life without the One who gave it to you?


Be blessed...