"Brought Me Through"

When I thought that I had many, only to find out that I actually had none, there was but ONE!

When I started to surpass my past in order to catch up with my future, there was but ONE!

When I looked around to the sudden realization that there I stood, all alone, there was but ONE!

When I embrace my tears, yearning for My Mother because she is now with HIM, there is that ONE!

When I know not the words in which to answer the questions, HE is that ONE!

Before I ever decided to "Take My Life Back" (http://allthebestallthetime.blogspot.com/2010/07/im-taking-my-life-back.html), there was that ONE!

When I stepped up and stopped stepping out, that ONE was the first to greet me as I left the past behind and started making my way towards what HE has always had in store for me.

When I became accountable, for my less than desirable, things started looking remarkable, in the face of admirable and less and less fallible, in the midst of humble, and in the presence of the ONE.

You see, no matter what I have ever been throughout the course of or in my Life, there has been no one to sustain me, no one to contain me, no one to frame me, but ONE!

I only look back in order to remind myself of where, who and what I shall not ever return to and appreciatingly how far I have come with the help of GOD in the most Loving form of Jesus.

Wherever I need to GO, is exactly where I will BE!

Whatever needs to be DONE, is exactly what I will DO!

In my meek and humbled state, I am thankful in the presence of the entire world, for ALL that YOU have ever, "Brought Me Through."

Glory Be To GOD! Forever!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"I'm Taking My Life Back!"

The moment that you start acting out of character, unrecognizable even unto yourself, is the exact moment in which you should step back and discern if this new "act" is conducive to what is best for you or if this new "act" is anything but.

Acting out of character does not necessarily mean "acting up," it just means that you are behaving in a manner that is different than what people, up to and including you, are accustomed to. But who is to say that how you are behaving is truly "out of character" when perhaps all of your behavior up until that point was the behavior that was actually "out of character?"

Too often we are allowing definitions or the ways that others view us to define who and what we presently are and to the detriment of ourselves, for who and what we ultimately become.

Shame on us for permitting such foolishness to exist within our lives. But, Glory Be To GOD, that is indeed what Life is all about; the opportunity to understand, comprehend, make changes and amend.

For far too long, even I have been guilty of living up to the expectations of others, that is until I began to better utilize my outer body experience and start acting WITHIN my character, the true character, of "Corey."

I need not revise my story for the glory of someone else telling it. It has been authored for me, (Holy) Ghost written and narrated by the subject matter, "me."

I have thus chosen to live up to my OWN expectations and clear the air of any ambiguity with respect to who I ONCE was, contrasting that to who and what I now AM and who and what I will ultimately BECOME.

In short, I have made the conscious decision to do what is best for "Corey" by doing "him" a favor and declaring that: for the first time IN my Life, "I'm Taking My Life Back!"

Thank you LORD!
Glory Be To GOD!
Forever!

"I'm Taking My Life Back!"

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"Smile, It's Everything!"

What may mean absolutely nothing to you, could very well mean the world to someone else.

We browse throughout the course of the day, spending our time thinking about what is, has or will impact us. But some of the time, it is not what impacts us but what comes through us that impacts the well being and disposition of others that matters most at that particular time.

GOD has a way of working through us for the benefit of others and through others for the benefit of us. There goes that reciprocity again...the Laws of which shall not ever change! Glory Be To GOD for that final fact.

That is why it is important to SPEAK to others! Someone might not SPEAK to them.

That is why it is important to DO for others! Someone might not DO for them.

That is why it is important to BE for others! Someone might not BE for them.

That is why it is important to SMILE...for others! Someone might not SMILE at them, yet that is the absolute BEST thing that one can do for another as an introduction to a better disposition, thus potentially forever changing the outcome.

And "You" (http://allthebestallthetime.blogspot.com/2010/07/you.html) can do just that! In the matter-of-fact way in which you go about your day, you can effectively change or alter the outcome of not only someone else's day, but the outcome of someone else's LIFE!

The admiration for the declaration of Love that GOD so has for us is enough to make us do unto others what has already been done unto us, by HIM.

So, if you do nothing else as you browse throughout the course of your day, embark upon missions that would have you "Speak, Do, Be and Smile."

What may mean absolutely nothing to you, could very well mean the world to someone else. So, "Smile, It's Everything!"

As I Smile...

Happy Birthday Dad!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey
All the Best, All the Time!
Corey
www.allthebestallthetime.com

"You!"

I admire the strength, bravery and courage that it took for you to overcome all that you have ever been through in your Life.

GOD makes zero mistakes, therefore coincidences do not exist. It happened because it was supposed to happen and you handled it in such an honorable and humble manner to be duly noted for how it SHOULD be handled, regardless of what "IT" is.

You are a beacon of inspiration, even if you are unaware of who the recipients are.

You define the bravery within your courage by demonstrating strength at your weakest, most vulnerable moments in Life.

The Love within your heart is on full display when you say "no," the same way that the Love within your heart is full display when you say "yes."

You do what needs to be done, even when "fun" is nowhere to be found.

You demonstrate the possibilities through your wonderful ability to keep "showing up."

You demonstrate the tenacity throughout your history by keep "getting up."

You demonstrate your conviction in the Love that you have for GOD, but staying on your knees.

You illuminate your Faith by demonstrating that Faith WITHOUT works, is indeed dead.

You remain encouraged and a PERMANENT "source" of inspiration, even to one's self.

Today is a new day and it is time to do it all over again. Chances are, you have already started and are well on your way.

You know who I'm talking to!

I dedicate this FOR and I am talking TO, "You!"

Glory Be To GOD!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"Spirit of Love"

HE Loves me so that I may comprehend just how to Love in return.

HE Loved me so that I may use HIM as a reference point and as an example of what Love SHOULD exemplify.

HE holds up a mirror to Love, in the form of HIM, so that we may BEGIN to understand what Love looks like.

I no longer fear Love because HE nor Love ever deposited the Spirit of fear within my Love's Account, whose balance is no longer contingent upon everything, but the ONLY thing that ever truly matters, Love.

I fear not Love, yet I embrace the power of Love and all of its glory and effort to make the most hardened soft again, the non-believers into staunch supporters, the FaithLESS into the FaithFUL, the blind to the WAYS of Love to those with 20/20 vision FOR Love.

If you have not the "Spirit of Love," then you have nothing!

For if you obtain the "Spirit of Love," then you have but a taste of the power of GOD and all of HIS magnificent glory that will not do just ANYTHING, but EVERYTHING that Love needs to do in order to show you that the single most beautiful thing to DO, to BE, to REPRESENT, to EMULATE and to CREATE all your own, is "Love."

But first, you must acknowledge the existence of the "Spirit of Love," from the ONE who first Loved you!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"We Need To Talk"

Those four dreaded words that every man tries his absolute BEST to avoid whenever he hears them uttered out of the mouth of his wife or significant other.

What does it mean whenever we hear the "We Need To Talk" uttered, stated, written, quietly whispered or silently delivered? Our responses are usually contingent upon and dictated by whomever is making that request.

We jog our most recent activities both known and what we think is unknown, desperately trying to figure out what the subject of "We Need To Talk" is going to actually be about. Do they know what we've done? Do they know what we have not done? And are we in trouble for either or both of the two?

To the chagrin of many men, we would much rather hear the four words "I Am Going Shopping," than to hear the four words of "We Need To Talk." And I am pretty confident that those sentiments are not just exclusive to Corey.

But, here is the deal, when you have a GOD fearing woman in your corner that is solely looking out not only for your best interests, but the best interests of your family, the words "We Need To Talk" should basically equate to "I Got Your Back!"

Sometimes we get so riled up that our defense kicks in when the offense is only trying to put some points on the board as well.

And with a GOD fearing woman by your side, who's to say that HE is not talking THROUGH "her" in order to get TO "you?" Other than GOD and his Momma, who knows a man better than his wife or significant other?

I have come to the realization that "We Need To Talk" are four words and not a four letter word that we should take offense to or put up a premature defense of.

GOD has our best interests at heart and how should we respond if HE so utters, states, writes, quietly whispers or silently delivers the message that "We Need To Talk?"

If man is to truly Love his wife (or significant other) like Christ so Loves the Church, then "We Need To Talk."

I'm listening.

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"I Am Beautiful"

With all of the UGLINESS composing the perimeter that surrounds us, it is vitally important for us to take the time out of all of the madness to remind ourselves that we are indeed special!

People treat you like crap, in order to make themselves feel better.

People try to blow out your candle, in hopes that it makes theirs shine brighter.

Hurt people, only know how to, hurt people.

The attitudes, the pompousness, the entitlement, the selfishness, the blatant disregard, the disrespect, the divisiveness, the "self" destructive behavior, the "self" rejection, the lack of "self" respect, the "self" entitlement, the "self" loathing...

Play very close attention to how that external behavior starts taking on a form all its "self," yourSELF. It starts on the outside and if we are not paying close enough attention, it has its way of working itSELF on the inside, all the way to the core of YOU!

Take nothing directed at you personally. The majority of the time it has absolutely nothing to do with you anyway.

Smile throughout all that you will undoubtedly have to go through one day.

And in spite of WHATEVER,
that is WHEREVER,
perpetrated by WHOMEVER,
It has absolutely no bearing on the fact, that "I Am Beautiful."

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"I Got Me Out Of the Way"

My vertical growth continued while my horizontal growth had hit what I perceived at the time to be an unforeseeable road block, with the emphasis being on "perceived." That road block was not an object that I could not "grow" around or a place that I could not "grow" through, but that road block was the one thing that hindered me from broadening my horizons, thus expanding my potential for continued growth. Sure enough, it was no ONE, or no THING that was holding me back. It was "him," that guy that I saw staring back at me in the mirror. It was "ME!"

If that was not a humbling, in your face Revelation, then I do not know what is! Especially when "you" discover that "you" are the reason for the cloudy weather during "your" current season.

You see growth is indeed optional, as is everything else in Life. But when your hearts desire is to subscribe to something better, growth is no longer optional, for it becomes mandatory.

Sometimes we are afraid of what we already know. We already know what we look like, so we refuse to look at ourselves in that mirror for fear of having to bare witness to more than just a reflection, but possible long bouts of self-rejection.

Do you know who, where or what is holding you back and hindering YOUR growth? Could it be you too?

As for me, I finally got back to my growing ways, once "I Got Me Out Of the Way."

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"Know Your Voice"

Throughout the course of a day, let alone a Lifetime, we always hear and have voices that are talking to us, telling us what we need to do, what we should be doing and why.

Although advice is good and I personally welcome its presence in my Life, I have come to the conclusion that it is as equally important to be able to hear and listen to your very own voice and not just the voices of others or as opposed to the voices of others.

We have to come to a happy median where we can begin to know ourselves well enough to be able to trust ourselves when we finally do start listening to ourselves.

Trust is not an option, even when it is US that we need to start trusting. It is a learned behavior especially after having spent your Life NOT trusting anyone, including yourself.

Change is good and should be welcomed because soon enough it will come knocking at your door. And when it does, you should have and "Know Your Voice" so that you may have input into the change that is impacting your Life and its surroundings.

If you do not know it, learn it. It is IMPERATIVE, to "Know Your Voice."

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"I Am"

The Love that I profess, I must confess, demonstrates just how truly Blessed, "I Am."

"I Am" alive, because HE bled and died.

"I Am" Love, because HE first loved me.

"I Am" here, because it is HIS Will.

"I Am" not there, because it is HIS Will.

"I Am" everywhere that HE needs for me to be, because I have a stronger understanding that this here, is not about me.

"I Am" success even before having succeeded.

"I Am" my purpose as I steadily continue to fill it to GOD's brim.

If you know WHO and WHAT you are, then do not allow people to "define" WHO and WHAT you are.

I know WHO and WHAT "I Am."

Do you?

It is because of HIM, that "I Am."

"I Am," because HE is.

Glory Be To GOD!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"Never Enough"

No matter how hard you try, sometimes it seems like it is just "Never Enough."

We try IN vain, when we should actually be trying in HIS Name!

After so many, too many bouts with disappointment, Life throws you on the ropes and you appear to be ready to take that "L," tap out or just allow yourself to get knocked out. But just as you settle into your decision that you will never be able to retrieve, that is the exact time when GOD will step right on in and do what only GOD can do.

Your decision is not the final decision, it just serves as an example of what your decision looks like in comparison to what HIS decision looks like and why HE is GOD and GOD alone. HE does not need someone or anyone to co-sign HIS throne!

WHERE you stand in this Life is nowhere as important as to WHAT you stand on in this Life!

There is a strong chance that what you do for others will always fall into the "Never Enough" category, but that does not draw a conclusion to the end of "your" story.

You give Life your absolute, unquestionable very BEST and forget the questionable intentions and deviations of all the rest.

It is only "Never Enough" when we are offering up Praises to the King that sits on HIS unquestionable throne!

It is only "Never Enough" when the capacity of my heart is not filled to "Love's Capacity" and the whole is not accomplished by all of the parts.

It is only "Never Enough" when the reciprocity of Love is anything but, yet we are guilty as charged, co-defendants and accomplices, under indictment for perpetrating the same or lack thereof.

It is only "Never Enough" when the stuff that we are made of is called into question by the very reflection that is made up of us.

It is only "Never Enough" the moment that you start believing it as such, with no corroborating evidence that you could even begin to touch.

No matter how hard you try, sometimes it seems like it is just "Never Enough." But if we are able to do MORE, than the assessment was conducted in complete accuracy.

We try IN vain, when we should actually be trying in HIS Name! It is through HIS Love and Compassion that dictates within our hearts Love and Compassion if it is indeed, "Never Enough."

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"Memo to SELF!"

Typically, we are looking for reminders from everyone else and are dependent upon our communication devices to tap us on our shoulders so that we do not forget what we are supposed to be doing and where we are supposed to be doing it.

Well, in the form of good old fashioned accountability, it is high time for ME, YOU and US to tap ourselves on our own shoulders and to do what we need to do, exactly where we need to be doing it.

Do not get mad at someone ELSE for not reminding YOU!

Do not look for someone ELSE to do what is within YOU, to do!

You will NEVER hit a homerun, should you NEVER step up to the plate. Glory Be To GOD!

LORD knows that there will be many strikeouts during Life, but depending on your perspective and vantage point, you WILL get on Life's 1st, 2nd & 3rd bases as soon as you are supposed to, within HIS Will!

But just because it has not happened when YOU think that it should have happened, do not prohibit yourself from stepping up!

That is a "Memo To SELF!"

Sometimes you will only single, "Memo To SELF!"

Sometimes you will be able to double, "Memo To SELF!"

There will be times when you triple, "Memo To SELF!"

Then you have those rare occasions when you can achieve an in-the-park homerun! "Memo To SELF!"

At last, one good swing and the crack of that bat and the sound alone is good enough of an indication, without even having to look up, that you have knocked it out of the ballpark...FINALLY!

BUT, you will NEVER hit a homerun, should you NEVER step up to the plate! "Memo to SELF!"

Batter Up!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey

"The First Year"

Trying to sift and sort through the remnants of whatever was left behind, making sense out of things that you would rather not deal with right now or forever for that matter, because to deal with them brings about the confirmation of your situation.

It is a first for all of us that we will undoubtedly go through since death is a part of Life. And even after the demise of our "Loved Ones," it is not like they are no longer Loved, quite the contrary, they are Loved even more in their absence.

It is amazing to know that once we lose one of our keen senses, how the other ones kick in, in order to compensate for the loss of one of the others. Losing a "Loved One" works in the same manner and capacity.

When our continued "Loved Ones" precede us, it is only to get acclimated to their new Heavenly surroundings so that they can prepare our place next to them for when we make the inevitable journey ourselves.

But "The First Year" is by far, the absolute most DIFFICULT! And it does not necessarily get any easier, but just like our new Heavenly Angels becoming acclimated to their new surroundings, we too now need to become acclimated to our new surroundings minus the loss of one of our keen senses.

Our hearts will never be the same because our Love will only intensify as we move through to the next chapter of our lives, holding on to and cherishing the memories that were created and the Love that our souls have dedicated, all to them.

We live with the knowledge that GOD makes zero mistakes and that ALL is well within HIS Kingdom, including his new residents that we call our "Loved Ones."

The first of anything has a tendency to mean so much in our lives. And even when those lives are no more, "The First Year" still proves to mean so much more in and for our lives.

It is hard!
It is the most difficult year of your Life!
But you WILL survive it!

And on the Anniversary of your victory of having survived, you begin to catch your breath and start to breathe comfortably again, realizing that GOD never left your side, even when the population of HIS Heavenly Kingdom increased by one, YOUR "Loved One."

Hang in there!

Hold on with all of your might and seek refuge within the everlasting arms of the LORD.

"The First Year" represents our renewed Faith, confirms our new strength and has brought us one step closer to our "Loved Ones." The loss of that keen sense has indeed enhanced the performance of all of the others, up to and including the strength that you previously did not have, to now muster a genuine Smile.

As we begin to settle into the rest of our lives, reflect back on "The First Year." You have survived and made it a whole lot farther than you think you have. And for that, they are very proud of you, as they patiently await your arrival to that mountaintop. So focus on the view and all of the Life still ahead of you, as you celebrate having survived, "The First Year."

GOD Bless You!

Love and My Mother are My Inspiration!
Love and My Mother are My Motivation!
Love and My Mother are My Celebration!
Love and My Mother are My Dedication!

All the Best, All the Time!

Smile and Love Always,
Corey