Are you at war? War is so much more than what we have seen happen repeatedly through history in the natural realm. War occurs daily, and the most ferocious battlefront is often our minds. Even when the  enemy is not immediately apparent or even tangible, we may be experiencing internal strife that has the potential to be more damaging than the culmination of any war that ever was, in history. However, the one thing that all wars have in common is the way in which they eventually end, which is through  what is arguably the most powerful declaration of a nation: I SURRENDER.

The wars we fight in the battlefield of our psyches are no different. There comes a time when we must lay down the armor of war and pick up the armor of peace, with those very words: I SURRENDER. 

It is only in this uttering that the divine being working within us can come forth and worry subsides into the resting place of prayer and supplication. We can be our worst enemy, causing so much damage on the physical terrain of our beings. But, if we would just surrender and relinquish the absurd idea that we control the outcome of our destinies, we can begin to build again with a spirit of solace and reflection. 

Surrendering is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it is only wisdom that allows us to know when to lay down our noisy strategical agendas and habitual self-destruction in order to hear our divine instruction in the quiet whisper of surrender. 

----Love, Peace, and Progress, 
Baria Leshea Jennings

Lingering

When was the last time you saw a squirrel laying on its back waiting for food to come dropping down to its feet?

When was the last time you pushed yourself past yourself to get to the you that you were created to be?

If the answer to both of these questions is never, then don't waste another minute, the work begins TODAY.

Lingering is not an option when your legacy is waiting on you to claim it!

Peace, Love, and Progress,

Baria Leshea Jennings

NEW TERRITORY: STAND IN THE WATER

While taking a bath one evening, I decided to sit in the empty bathtub while it filled with hot water, instead of my usual practice of filling it prior to attempting to submerge myself. Surprisingly, I sat there completely at ease and able to withstand the heat, because my body was getting exposed to it all at once.

Doing so, I was reminded of how much more difficult it is to step into a bathtub of already drawn hot water. Sitting is not even an option, because you must first bear the heat long enough to STAND. This is due to the fact that the hot water is new territory and our bodies are not yet accustomed to the temperature. So, we must ease in, and if we find the gall to submerge ourselves all at once, it is somewhat shocking to our system. So what do we do?...
If you're anything like me, you inch in, toe by toe, foot by foot, until you  are finally completely standing. Oh yeah, it's real hot right about that time, but you're in now! Therefore, you must make a decision to take the heat until the initial shock dissipates, and your brain tells the rest of your tense body that it is alright to ease into the steamy abyss. At this point, every muscle and joint relaxes into the realization that this is EXACTLY what was needed.
The same is true for us when we are approached with the opportunity to thrust our WHOLE BEINGS into the sometimes shocking territory of new ideas, dreams, and visions. How often don't we allow ourselves to get past the "big toe" test, jumping out of the water before we quite literally get proper footing?
In order to truly become successful in the area of NEW TERRITORY, we must make a decision that no matter how hot and uncomfortable it initially feels, we are going to take it! Standing on both feet, until the longing of our soul is at ease, knowing that we are EXACTLY where we need to be, doing what we are called to do!
---Love, Peace, and Progress,
Baria L. Jennings

Peace and Light

"My beloved, travel in Peace and Pack Light, because we can't take any of it with us and beyond this Earthly realm, all that will matter is the Peace we brought to others through the Pieces of our gifting."-BLJ

Not a Mirage

Sometimes life can feel like a walk through a barren desert with blistered feet and parched throats with the big picture taunting us like a mirage of refreshing, flowing water to quench our thirst and soothe our burning soles. Sometimes our dreams seem so far beyond our reach, we want to simply stop in our tracks, no matter how far we've traveled. Especially, when you are meant to lead, this walk through the desert towards your dreams can feel like the loneliest time in your life.
Oh, but if only we would keep walking, we would eventually feel the fine mist from the waterfall of hope, as our dreams become our reality. If only we would ignore any lies that lay  in our paths and keep our eyes on our own truths, we would surely be drenched in that reality before we knew it.  My friends, the bigger picture is not a mirage. It is your destiny. Stay focused and beware of distractions.--BLJ

-Love, Peace, and Progress

Heritage

"If heritage is determined by those traditions,treasures, and values that withstand the sands of time and weather the storms of generations, what will be your heritage? What are you passing down to descendants who may never know your name? What do you carry from those, whose names you never knew but faces stare at you daily in the looking glass? What will be your contribution to the steady stream of heritage, consciously and subconsciously, flowing through your lineage?"--BLJ