Excuses

To me excuses are like opinions... Everyone has them. To be honest, I've been wanting to write this blog for the past week but every time I thought about doing it I made an excuse as to why I could put it off. Some would call that Procrastination. Being labeled a "Procrastinator" sounds way better than "I just did not feel like doing it." because that would sound like I'm lazy right?

But think about how so many of us cover up the truth of not wanting to do something with an excuse and think about how so many of us accept the excuses that people give us and accept the excuses we give ourselves:

• I really want to lose weight but I just love food to much; I like eating what I want when I want.
• I would love to hang out but I'm busy and don't have that much time; I really don't want to make the time to hang out with you.
• I need to focus on my career so I wont be able to talk to you as much; This relationship is not a priority
• Ive always wanted to (Insert hobby or interest) but I just (Insert excuse here); Im not motivated
• I'm not ready to do the work required to change; Its too hard 
• I'm afraid of what I don't know. The devil you know is better than the devil you don't; I like being in a comfortable place
• He/She really needs me; They aren't a child they need a come to Jesus moment
• This is just who I am; I'm fine and I don't want to do better
• I really want to go out and do something but I'm stuck in front of the TV following other peoples lives; self explanatory
• It's not the right time; In reality it will never be the right time ever.

Excuses are so damaging and they really only allow us to fall into the loop hole of practicing failure and that's a dangerous cycle to be in.

I feel like everyone has a friend thats soooo full of excuses and if you were to call them out on it, they wouldnt believe you because they believe the excuse they give is always valid. *News Flash* What if youre that friend? If that cycle continues 5 years down the line you're going to ask yourself how did I get here? There are plenty of females out there who have stayed in bad relationships because they were still waiting on that relationship to become official and made excuses as to why they only saw their "man" once every other week. Now she's feeling insecure and rejected. There are plenty of males who have noticed red flags with a woman who was more concerned with instagram likes than pursuing something meaningful.Now he's heartbroken and doesn't want to commit to anything. There are people out there who have horrible jobs and are to scared to quit because they dont want to be uncomfortable and the only reason why they left is because they got laid off or fired.
If you lost the weight when you said you were going to you wouldnt be 40 pounds heavier, put the cookie down. If you have an innovating new idea, or you want to learn a new hobby get out there and do it. Dont condition your thought pattern to accept defeat. Put your phone down, stop being so immersed in someone Else's life and get up and do it.

But if you're going to make an excuse really take the time to sit down and ask yourself. Do I really want to do this or does it just sound good? Do you really want to put in the work or just reap the benefits? Be truthful with yourself because once you accept your truth that's the first step to recognizing who you are.

In summary: Quit Practicing Failure. Just do it.

Stay Positive Peeps

Love Maia !!

What am I doing

Have you ever been in a state of “blah”? Not sure where your life is going or what exactly you are supposed to be doing? You got your degree in one thing but doing something totally different or you're in school and changed your major ten times and have to stay in school longer or you have so many interests its hard to stick to one thing. In your mind there is a clear view of how you envision your life in the future but there is no map to tell you how to get there, all you have is just a picture. Or worse you are on the right track but life suddenly hits you knocks you off and places you on a different path, now you’re stuck at a fork in the road and faced with the choices.

I can totally relate to that feeling. Life has a way of making me ask myself “What am I doing?” When I got to college, I had no idea what I really wanted to do, ever since the 7^th grade I told myself I wanted to be a physical therapist, well after Cell Biology and Anatomy and Physiology that quickly changed. I jumped from interest to interest, thinking I wanted to be in the air force to wanting to be a nurse. I just knew I wanted to help people and I did not have the slightest clue on how to go about it. I quickly became that person that starts something realized they did not like it and dropped it. Guess what? There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, a lot of people do not have the courage to try out so many different things because of a fear of failure. The only way you can figure out what you like is to go out and try it. So I was just living and following other people. I think sometimes with the society we live in, we get so caught up following other people’s lives that we don’t make a life of our own. We follow people via YouTube, reality TV, Instagram twitter and Facebook. All that is okay but your life shouldn’t be based on following someone else’s life, unless you following Jesus. Getting so caught up in other peoples reality can leave you feeling lost if you do not know your own purpose in life. People are out here living their lives and you’re just a bystander.

If you’re not sure where you’re going in life or what you want to do, I encourage you to shut down the pity party and work yourself up. If you know that your passion is serving or helping people go out and volunteer and see what you like. Or get a notebook write down what you envision your future to be in the next 5 years and then make a plan to take the proper steps about how you are going to get there. Don’t just stand around and wait for your moment or dream about it, you have to make it happen. And when life throws you curve balls don’t sit back and get all emotional, have a backup plan, figure out the next step but most importantly do not stress out. Find a coping mechanism, go running, write or sketch. Life is a journey and it takes time to get on the right path, embrace the struggle. Its easy to be apathetic don't get caught up in that, make it a priority to do something with purpose, you never know whose life you are going to touch.

Love Maia

When are they going to change

You cannot force people to change and you can’t change people. The only thing you can do is intercede on their behalf in prayer and be an example. Consider how hard it is to change yourself now picture trying to change someone. Most people don’t think they have any issues or that anything is wrong with them. Some know they have issues but are too fearful to even reflect why. Some, will continue to blame others “it’s not me, its them” “she trippin” “He got issues I just reacted” “I’m a remote control, they push my buttons and I do whatever they want.”

There are so many books out there that tell us to act a certain way or do something and it will make another person do what we want them to do. The last time I checked that was called manipulation. Now some of those books are great because in retrospect we change our own behaviors. I.E. Raising Standards; Helps us learn what we want and what we don’t want. Let’s look at it this way. How could I change Joe’s behavior because of a book that I read? Whether Joes issue is stealing, lying, cheating or whatever he isn’t going to stop these things because a book that I read said to ignore him until he changes. Ignoring someone is nothing but a power trip and it’s immature. He is going to stop because he wants too. You cannot bank on someone else’s change based on your own manipulative ways.

Let’s use Salvation as an example, you can plant the seed and tell someone about Jesus but you can’t make someone feel Jesus in their heart. It’s a process, the same goes for reading the bible. I did not want to make changes in my life until I encountered the Holy Spirit and needed instruction from the word. The bible is not used as a scope so you can see into other people’s lives and point out their issues, the bible is a mirror to look into your own life so you can make your own changes and show people the same Grace and Mercy God lavishes upon us. So before you cut another person off because they aren’t doing what you want, look at yourself. Don’t be so quick to condemn someone with your death sentence.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed . The prayer of a righteous person has a great power as it is working.” James 5:16

Dont be Afraid. Just Have Faith.

"And Jesus said Dont be afraid just have Faith" - Mark 5:36

The word afraid in that scripture can be substituted for many words. Do not worry, Do not be anxious, Do not be discouraged. 

So if you get a chance to read Mark chapter 5 there is a story about a a man named Jairus, whose daughter was very sick and on the verge of death and he wanted to seek the healing power of Jesus but people in the crowd were telling him his daughter was already dead and that it is not worth it to bother Jesus. But Jesus did not listen to them he told Jairus not to be afraid just have faith. 

How many times in your life have you told someone about a dream or a goal you are trying to achieve and they say it can not be done, that it does not make sense, it will not work or worse they say "well I hope it works out" but you hear the doubt in their voice?

Better yet how many times have you doubted yourself? You believed the lie that you were not good enough, you could never achieve that goal or that you weren't going to make it.? First of all who told you that lie? Don't you know once we believe those lies they become rooted in our hearts and then we speak those same lies over someone elses life? (Matthew 12:34)
Second why would you tell yourself that lie? We have the tendency to be extremely hard and unloving towards ourselves. This maybe cliche but it all starts with self love. Why do you think it says Love your neighbor as you love yoursel. (Matthew 22:39 Galations 5:14) If you can not love yourself properly then you probably do not know how to treat people.
What if I told you that you could achieve anything you tried? Dont be afriad just have Faith. Apply for that job your "friend" said you were not going to get. Dont be afriad just have faith. Nervous about a test? Dont be anxious, Just have Faith. Go ahead and DO something that you told yourself you couldnt do. Stop Doubting and Just do it. Step out on Faith. Block out the nay-sayers and people who speak doubt on your life. You have too much potential to believe the crowd. One day they are with you the next day their against you. They will remind you of your failures but root for you when you make it. As Sweety Brown said "aint nobody got the time for that"

Dont put your trust in mere humans. Humans are as frail as breath. (Isaiah 2:22)

There is a man out there who isnt listening to the crowd. He is not swayed by opinions or emotions, He is not like us. Jesus believes in you and loves you so much that he died for you. 

And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.- Romans 8:28

The Prayer App

How many avenues of communication do we need to talk to each other? We are constantly connected via text, imessage, email, twitter, facebook, vine, instagram, viber, groupme, whatsapp etc. Thats if we are not constantly talking on the phone. Whenever something happens good or bad we are conditioned to pick up the phone and call a friend. There is absolutly nothing wrong with that. But how often are we in constant communication with God? We have all these apps to talk to our friends and people we "entertain" but how many apps do you need to talk to God?... oh ... just one. Its called Prayer. Prayer is so important when it comes to our walk with God. Prayer changes our heart, keeps us from dwelling in the past, gives us no fear of the future, stops us from worrying and most importantly is our direct link to God. When we worry it is usually fear based over something in the future we have no control over. Why stress yourself when there is someone that can give you a peace and handles it all. 
I once was told  that worry is prayer to self. How often are you praying to yourself, or venting to a friend about an issue? Do you give God a 2 minute prayer before bed and think its all good? God yearns for quiet time with us. Since joining the Peace Corps I've had plenty of conversations with people and apart from thinking God isnt real. They think he is some entity that wants to suck all the fun out of your life, control you and punish you. Well they are wrong. Besides being a protector and provider God wants a relationship with us.
Think about this if you had a friend who came to you and asked you for something, expected you to give it to them how would you feel? Especially if you only heard from them when they needed something. When you reach out to them they never answer, never pick up the phone or return emails. You would probably feel neglected. How do you think God feels? The difference between us and God is that his love is not conditional no matter how many times he tries to reach us and we ignore him he keeps reaching out and reaching out he will never stop. 

okay so... What does it mean to pray? The literal definition is to address God with adoration, confession, supplication, thanksgiving and Adoration.
Supplication- To ask earnestly
Thanksgiving- expressing gratitude
Adoration- Expressing Love

Through prayer God reveals his character and blessings not only does prayer allow us to be honest with God it forces us to be honest with ourselves. When we pray and give thanks God enhabits our praise which fills us with joy. The situation is left in Gods hands and we do not worry.because everything is going to be worked out for our good !!

My first night in Malawi

Original date March 6, 2014

My first night in Malawi….

AHHH well lets start with the flight. The flight from JFK to South Africa was fine, they fed up three times. I watched 12 years a slave and Frozen. Two awesome movies by the way. Our flight from South Africa to Malawi got delayed by almost 4 hours, We sat on a plane that did not move for 4 hours, you could imagine what that was like but we played cards, talked and I made a bracelet to pass the time. So now when I look at the bracelet I am reminded to have patience.

But about last night….

When we arrived at the compound in Lilongwe we met other volunteers and other Peace Corps staff. Had an awesome dinner and went to my room. So as I’m in my room I decided to unpack and put some clothes in the closet being that we are here for 5 days. I open the closet door and then slammed it shut…. Want to know why? Because a black spider the size of my fist ran across the closet.  When I say I almost fainted.. I almost fainted, my whole life flashed before my eyes and my heart skipped a beat. I sat on the chair and cried for 15 minutes. I can take fires, hurricanes, a gun anything but spiders. While crying I contemplated on setting the closet on fire, this was really a thought because they gave us matches. But on the plane I listened to a Podcast from my church about being afraid and Pastor said “The Devils greatest weapon against the people of faith is the induction of fear.” I then opened my bible Psalms 27 and began praising and just like that I decided not to live in fear of a spider I can easily scare. Easier said than done though but today I walked in my room and saw a spider on the ceiling and I was okay. I decided not to be scared because these spiders eat mosquitoes. Usually I would kill the spiders but since these mosquitoes have Malaria, I think the spider can stay. His name is Parker. Peter Parker.

Fear is a choice. You can choose to be scared or you can conquer your fears.

 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind. 

Considering Peace Corps

So obviously you're here because you've either applied for Peace Corps or thinking about applying. Or you just want to volunteer abroad. Although I have not left for Malawi, Africa yet, I can still give some great advice, these are in no particular order.

1.) Learn to Wait
Patience is Key for everything.From the application, to the invitation to staging to PST all the way to COS. This will carry you through your entire Peace Corps Journey. Getting through the application took me two days and thats because I was so excited to fill it out and determined to finish it. A lot of other people that I talk to say it took them longer than a week. Patience is also key when communicating with recruiters about anything because they are communicating with a whole host of other people at the same time. As you get further into the process you won't have to wait long for a response. I had to wait at the most 1 week for a response from my recruiter but now with my Country Desk Manager I get a same day response. 

2.) Stop listening to People
Do not entertain the negative comments that people have to say. I.E. "Its dangerous" "you're gonna get sick'' "Why would you do that youre not going to make any money" "Its a waste of time" "youre gonna get raped"
I could go on but you have to realize that people project their own fears and inseurities upon you and you cant let that deter you from making an important desicion about your future. 

3.) Realize you are about to step away from the Norm
After you graduate most people go to Grad School or Start Working.Its the normal thing to do, its comfortable and thats what they know to do, theres nothing wrong with it. But realize that your making a descion about your future that not many people will make. 

4.) Press Pause
Consider that while you are making some of your own major milestones your friends and family will be making their own major milestones and you cant make a 2 hour drive to celebrate

5.) Be Flexible and Open-minded
Dont consider peace corps if you want to be placed in a site specific country, throw all those thoughts out of the window NOW lol. When I first applied I wanted to be placed in Jamaica (Dont ask) and then I just knew I was going to be placed in a Spanish Speaking country (wrong again) lol. When I got my invitation to serve in Malawi I cried tears of joy because it was perfect for me. I realized I only wanted to go to those other countries for selfish reasons,  I told myself I wanted to go where I would be needed and I could use my skills and believe me I am more than happy about where I am going. 

6.) Medical and Dental Clearance are a pain in the Neck
There was a point in time where I thought I was not even going to go, everytime I turned around I needed to get more bloodwork, or needed to go back to the dentist. During the process to clearance I was placed on medical hold and the Doctors had to go through my papers to make sure I was healthy enough to serve. The smallest thing could be wrong and Peace Corps nurses will hone in on it. Its a pain but at the end of the day its worth it because you dont want to get all the way to another country get sick and realize its something that could have been prevented. 

7.) Ask yourself if you're commited and ready to serve
If you cant put your phone down or away for an hour, If you constantly need to be in communication or if you have seperation anxiety from technology and social media then you may not be ready to serve. 
Are you volunteering because it looks cool or are you volunteering because your willing to step out of yourself and make a change? Its always a plus to have Peace Corps stories but realize that this journey is NOT just about YOU.  

8.) "I want to change the world"
I asked someone why they wanted to join Peace Corps and they said "To change the world"... Not to sound negative but You wont. Now dont get me wrong, I have a huge heart and wish I could do everything in my power to Stop the spread of the HIV/AIDS virus. But I cant, I can only do my part and educate others to do their part. Its a team effort and its your job to educate. You may not change the world but you can change a small part.


Until the next time
Love you ALL