Busy, But Unproductive

Did you ever work at a fast food restaurant? If not, let me tell you how it was for me. There were peak times at the restaurant when the place was hopping and then there were times when there weren't any customers in the place. But because you were "on the clock," management felt that you had to be "busy" doing something. Even if all the dishes were clean, the floors mopped, or the counters spotless, you still had to wipe them down again or find "something to do" to keep yourself busy, because heaven forbid you just chill until you get busy with customers again.

So you do meaningless tasks that are unproductive but make you "look" like you are earning your pay. You pretend to be wiping down that already clean counter. You restack the napkins that are already stacked. You over fill the cup holder because there are already enough cups there. You check and recheck to make sure you have enough fries and hamburger patties in the freezer. Everything is stocked. Kitchen is clean. Dining Room is clean. Check. Check. Check. There really isn't anything to DO, but you keep DOING.

The same thing happens in a corporate enviroment...has your manager or you as the manager ever said..."look busy, the head guys are coming today."

Why am I bringing this up you ask? Because every now and then, I find myself getting caught up in that fast food mentality of just looking busy. But then I wonder...Am I getting paid for my production or my presence? Am I getting paid for my experience or my extra clean countertop? Am I getting paid for my proficiency when I actually work or my pretended-ness when I'm actually not working? Am I getting paid for results or repetitive tasks that yield no results?

Tell me...why I am here? Why are you here? What are you doing? What are we doing?
Busy, but unproductive. WOW!

The Sequel is Coming..Check Out the New Book Cover!!!

Faith, Gavin, Chrissy, Remi and Giselle are all back in this explosive sequel where all may be forgiven, but ain't nobody forgot! Will these old college band friends be able to forget the past and march forward?

Forward March is the sequel to Back and Forth. If you haven't read Back and Forth yet, pick up your copy now.

Are you ready to move?

I heard this awesome song the other day by Carmen Calhoun and in the song, she sang, are you ready to move when God says move. It touched my spirit so much that I shedded a few tears. The lyrics basically say are you ready to move in the visions and dreams He's given you. WOW! What an awesome question!

How many of us have these big dreams and visions of what we should be doing? Remember in the last blog post I talked about "the danger of doing nothing." This song coincides with that message. In order to live out what God has for us, we have to be ready to move when God says move. How many times have we done nothing or the opposite moved when we wanted to move instead of when God said to move?

You have to listen to the voice of God and allow Him to guide you. But when you pray and ask God to guide your feet, be ready to move when He says move! Okay, I am about to shout because that's a good word right there! A lot of times though, we ask God to move us, but we don't take the first step of faith. You have to be ready to move when God says move. So get ready! Have your stuff together. Don't wait until its time to move to start preparing to move!!! Oh my goodness! I am seriously getting ready to shout now!!! Whatever it is that you are dreaming of, do something on it now, because when God says its time to move forward, you gotta be ready!

Well how do I know when God is telling me to move? Glad you asked. God speaks to us, but in order to recognize his voice, we have to have a relationship with him. By reading His word (i.e. The Bible), and talking with him and communing with him on a regular, we become accustomed to His voice. It's just like when you hear your favorite music artist or actress, you know their voice without even seeing them because you have spent time with them by watching their movies or listening to their songs. That's the same way with God. When you talk to Him on a regular, you begin to recognize His voice. He speaks to all of us differently, but it's your relationship with Him that determines how he speaks to you. So when he tells me, "Fon, it's time to move," I know it's him because we talk all the time. The more you talk to Him, the more you recognize when He's talking to you.

Now back to the moving part...when God tells you to do something, you have to be ready. You can't be saying, "Oh hold up God because I need to do this first or I need to do that first. Or I need to run over here real quick and handle this first. You have to be ready!

So ask yourself, are you ready to move when God says move? If not, then Get Ready, Get Ready! Coming from Jackson State University and playing the flute in the famous Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band, you already know I am going to plug our theme song! GET READY!


You can listen to a snippet of Carmen's song, When God Says Move here

To hear Jackson State's Sonic Boom play Get Ready, check out the link below.
(Please note, the band begins with another song called Blowin, but Get Ready follows. Just listen for the Tubas!).
JSU SONIC BOOM

Be Blessed and Be Ready To Move When God says MOVE!
Fon James
www.fonjames.com
Coming Soon...Forward March, a novel...it's the sequel to Back and Forth.

The Danger of Doing Nothing

Have you ever felt like you were destined to do something big? You have that heart wrenching, gut pulling, butterfly stomach feeling that you are going to make a big splash in this world. You go about your day, your month, your quarter, and you go from year to year to year. Whatever you are meant to do is already rooted in you. But you fail to follow your heart and you just simply do nothing. Or you say, "I am going to wait until I finish school or my kids start school or my husband gets a better job or I get a better job or when I get married or when I lose weight or when my finances get better or when I pay off my debts or next year or next month or tomorrow! And you do nothing.

There is danger is doing nothing. You are not living purposely if you do nothing. God created all of us for a reason. You are not a mistake no matter how you got here. God meant for you to be here and He destined you to do SOMETHING! You were made to accomplish certain things in this life.

Don't get stuck on the "how" you will do it. Just do something and watch God provide everything you need to accomplish His will for your life. If you step out on faith and just simply start it, God will see that you trust Him to guide you through, and He will do just that.

Like the hands in the photo, don't just do nothing...it's too dangerous. Do something and do it today!

Be Blessed,
Fon James
www.fonjames.com
The sequel novel to Back and Forth...COMING SOON!!!!

The Hallway of Opportunities

Yesterday at church, my pastor said sometimes God will open up a door of opportunity or He may even put you in a hallway full of doors with many opportunities behind them. WOW! What a blessing! That gives new meaning to God pouring you out a blessing that you won't have room enough to receive!

I imagined myself in a long hallway (of course) and all up and down that hall were doors. Behind each door was a great opportunity for me! As my pastor says, follow me with your spiritual imagination. As I enter this hallway, the first door I come to is a door where I can have my book on Oprah (yep I said it). Then another door where I can work from home so that I can spend more time with my daughter. The next door was an opportunity to encourage people across the world through speaking engagements. The next door was an opportunity to turn my books into movies!

Do you see where I am going? All along this hallway are opportunities abound...and they are JUS 4 FON! Is anything too hard for God? Nope! I believe that if I have faith in God, if I am obedient to God's word; and if I allow Him to be Lord in my life, then these opportunities are possible, not just in my spiritual imagination, but in my life today! How exciting it is to experience God and know that He can open a door of opportunity, a window of opportunity, and all the while pour you out so many blessings that you won't have room enough! Can you see yourself running down a never-ending hallway!!! Shout with me now!

My hallway is long and I look forward to going through each God-given door. I know that behind each door will be an opportunity from God created especially for me!

God has a hallway for you to...close your eyes and let Him show it to you!

Amazing huh?

Be Blessed,
Fon James

Visit me on my website...www.fonjames.com
The new novel, Forward March, is coming soon! Stay tuned to my blog and website for excerpts and announcements about the novel! Forward March is the sequel to my debut novel, Back and Forth. Haven't read Back and Forth yet, get your copy today on my website: www.fonjames.com

Keep On Moving, Don't Stop...Noooo

Remember the chorus to that Soul II Soul song: Keep On Moving, Don't Stop...noooo. Maybe you don't remember that part of the song, but today I want to blog about Keep On Moving.

The bible says don't get weary in doing good. What about when you are just weary? LOL. That's what I am today...weary. You know if we don't get adequate rest (or if your newborn keeps you up at night), then you start the day off tired, weary, and sometimes sleepy enough to nod off every once in a while while you are typing (don't hit your head though)! LOL.

Well if you are feeling that way today, like I am, I want to encourage myself and encourage you to Keep On Moving and Don't Stop! We have things to do for the Lord today and we can't stop because we are a little tired. Drink some water and Keep On Moving. Drink a cup of joe and Keep On Moving. Eat a balanced meal today and Keep On Moving. When you feel the sleep coming on, get up and Keep On Moving. That's what I am about to do...GET UP from this computer...because I gotta Keep On Moving.

As I hum the Soul II Soul jam (singing voice) Keep On moving, don't stop, nooooo: I know that God will give me the strength to make it today so that His will be accomplished.

Want to hear and see the video for this Soul II Soul jam? Click here


Be Blessed!
Fon

Creating a Schedule

Wake up, brush your teeth, wash your face, shower, clothes, eat breakfast, etc. These are some of the things we do on a regular basis (at least you should - lol). From the time we were babies to now, we have led scheduled lives, some more scheduled than others.

Today I want to blog about Creating a Schedule. Since the birth of my daughter, I have pretty much ran my daily schedule based on her. So I've had a baby-led schedule. When it was time to return to work, I didn't adequately prepare and found myself still on my baby's so-called schedule, but yet I was working, so my days were out of sort. I realized a few days ago that in order to accomplish the will of God, I need to create a NEW schedule. Gone are the days of jumping up and doing the aforementioned and running out the door with Eggo Waffle in hand trying to be somewhere at the same time I am leaving the house (yep, I am one of those who believe if I have to be there at 7 a.m., I can lave at 6:55 and make it). Okay I know that I can't, but I try my hardest to do it...which probably stresses me more than I want to admit.

So as I kick off this new year of Getting It Together, Living On Purpose, I am now creating a new schedule for my new life. If I want to accomplish all the things that God has requested of me, I have to now create a better suited schedule. One that includes enough time to study God's word, get enough sleep, eat well balanced meals, be a great mother, wife, employee, and of course, a writer!


There's only so much time in each day, and it's up to me to determine how I will spend it. I thank God for each day and I will honor Him by being a good steward of my time. Want you join me in doing the same?

Tell me...what's your schedule like? I'd love to hear how you manage your time.

Be Blessed,
Fon