Happy Thanksgiving!

We wanted to take a moment to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from our DOVE family to your family. We pray that the good things of life be yours in abundance, not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year. We decree and declare that during this holiday season you will live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Doves Love & Kingdom Blessings!

No Excuse For Abuse: Honoring Survivors of Domestic Violence!

Event registration for The No Excuse for Abuse Luncheon: A Challenge To End Domestic Abuse powered by Eventbrite

It's Been Awhile!

How are you doing? I pray all is well and you are busy on your grind and focused on those goals you set at the beginning of the year. OMG, its already October; where did the time go? The good news is you still have three months until the end of the  year. Please make sure you have set realistic goals for yourself because I don't want you get discouraged.  So continue to PUSH, PUSH and PUSH.

Well, I wanted to share with you something that is so dear to my heart.  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In recognition of this national awareness, we are having a fundraiser luncheon Friday, October 19 at 11:00am honoring women who survived domestic violence. 

Every person has power to create change and can make a difference towards ending domestic violence. It all starts with you and me. It starts by deciding to become part of the solution. Learn the facts and know that every proactive action, big and small, will make a difference. What will you do? Will you be the solution with me?

Domestic violence is serious and often times overlooked until it is too late. If you are not able to attend our luncheon, I ask for you to still make a donation. Please click on this link below. If you would like to mail, please send to check or money order to P.O. Box 722338, Houston, TX 77272. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at 832-754-1568 or contact our chairperson Kim Washington,318-771-5765 and co-chairperson, Jeneba Wint at 301-768-6553. http://doveministriesinc.eventbrite.com/?ref=ecal

Doves Love and Kingdom Blessings!

Online Ticketing for The No Excuse for Abuse Annual Luncheon: Honoring Survivors Of Domestic Violence powered by Eventbrite

Ministry Expansion to Help More Women

As I stated in the video, we need your help. We need $3,000 startup monies for this program. By you helping us, we will be able to fund our operational expenses for this program. Each level of contribution allows you to partner with us to accomplish for each woman who come into our organization for a particular service. Based on your contribution level you will be recognized as a partner and your name will be seen globally. By clicking on the link below you are showing you care. You are helping us make history in our organization's growth efforts. We understand that some of you may not be able to contribute at this time, but that doesn't mean you can’t still help: Please get the word out and make some noise about our new program. Share this with your friends and family. Also, we are need of recovery coaches and volunteers. If you have a heart for broken and hurting women, please visit our website at www.dove-ministries.org to schedule an appointment through our Bookfresh online calendar. It is our prayer God touches your heart and we even exceed our the amount we are asking for. There are alot of women in our community who need the service we offer through our programming. DOVE's Love and God bless you for your generous heart in giving.

Living Your Best Life - Setting the Right Goals!

As the first quarter of the year has almost ended, you may be thinking about adjustments to your goals you want to make. I am not the most organized and have come to realize, it takes time and effort to grow and change. We all know this, but sometimes we forget to take the steps to actually make change happen. Here are some tips to help you make that lasting change we all crave in our lives.

First of all, put your goals on the calendar. A lot of times we get going with whatever we're doing and we think in terms of big plans, but we don't ever really plan for getting anything done. So as you're doing this, start putting things on the calendar with a due date and steps along the way to achieve those steps. These little steps help us achieve a bigger goal.

Overcoming fear is a big obstacle to achieving your goals. You may be saying, "I'm not really sure if this is what I want to do. I'm a little afraid. What if it doesn't work out?" However, think of it this way.

What's the worst that could happen to you?

If you go and ask someone as far as making your plans, the worst they could do is say no. Nothing bad is really going to happen as you go through these plans and you start to set your goals. I would really encourage you to create mass accountability. So let's say you write down three things you want to do in the first quarter of the year. Tell someone else. Put it on your blog. If you put something on a blog or your Facebook or other social network site, then you have mass accountability, because you are making those three goals public.

Another motivator is to treat yourself when you achieve a goal. Meaning, reward yourself so that if you do achieve a goal, you see a tangible benefit. That doesn't mean you have to reward yourself for everything. But every now and then, treat yourself!

Let's say you set a business goal and you succeed in it. That goal doesn't always have to be about money. Maybe that goal is writing two blog posts from now until the end of March. If you do that, then give yourself a treat. Give yourself a reward that you would appreciate. Maybe a meal out at your favorite restaurant or splurge on your favorite pair of shoes.

These are some great steps you can take to setting and achieving your goals rather than just having unclear goals that you never actually reach. Try setting your goals today. Make sure you put them and the steps to achieving them on your calendar so you have some realistic milestones to reaching those goals.

I am taking the next few days and really make sure I strategically put together a sound action plan as well as pray God send me an administrative assistant. I really really need help!!!

DOVE’s Love to you!
www.dove-ministries
"Preparing Women for Purpose"

Make a Sound Decision to Change (Excerpt from Cynthia's Book "It Had to Happen")

It is easy to become paralyzed with fear and do nothing. We are also paralyzed by our constant failures, or just not knowing what to do. Sitting, waiting, existing and doing nothing allows disputes in our minds to escalate. But you know what? Today, right now you can win this dispute. And you know how? Win by choosing to make the decision, by choosing to make the focus of your life knowing God and by making God your purpose in life. If you were to make that decision, I guarantee that it would be completely life changing. You will never be the same.

Sisters, in order for us to receive full deliverance we have to be connected spiritually to God. I truly believe when you are in a desperate state it will cause you to seek the Lord wholeheartedly. It is when your backs are against the wall and when you are in a place where you don’t know what to do, that is when we are forced to make a decision to lean on God or turn further away from Him. This is what I believe happened in the case of our woman with the issue of blood. Based upon what she heard about Jesus, she was motivated to make a decision. The decision changed her life forever.

I believe positioning yourself for purpose is predicated on your next decision. In the book of Ruth, we can see an example of this type of determination through two devoted friends Ruth and Naomi. I am encouraged through Ruth because here we have a young woman who was a princess. She is the great grand-daughter of King Eglon of Moab. She was married to Mahlon who later died and now she is a young widow. She is faced with a situation that is hopeless. She has no husband, no money and no means to take care of herself.

I don’t know if you are aware of this, but in those days widows had no standing in the community and were totally dependent upon the good will of their families and friends for survival. It was the duty of the Priests to look after widows and orphans, but there was no such provision in Moab because there was famine in the land.

But something happens to change her destiny through the wisdom of her mother-in-law Naomi. Chapter 1 verses 6-7 says, “One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah” (Message Bible). Sisters, feeling sorry for yourselves or continue to wallow in your pity parties is not going to help you. Naomi’s action is what I call decisive faith – faith that says, “I have to make the decision and get myself together.” She received a word God was blessing the people and decided it is time to take a step of faith towards her destiny.

This is one of the problems we face as women. When we have things that block our perspective on what is going on, we can be so close to God, but yet so far away. We can avoid the consequences of poor decisions by taking God’s word seriously. You may think you have been rejected, excluded, cutoff and shutout but I want to encourage you that God wants to put a word down in your spirit that will enable you to get up and make a decision to begin moving toward your deliverance.

After examining her situation, Ruth refuses to take “no” as her final answer and decides to leave her current state and go. She decided to go with Naomi to Bethlehem. Ruth did not allow herself to be paralyzed by her lack of a husband. She understood God’s promised provision and was willing to position herself for purpose. She understood it would take acts of obedience and diligence and was able to receive the blessings of God.

Ruth was able to discern when her season was up. In Ruth 1:16 the scripture says, “But Ruth replied, ‘Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’ ” She realized she was in a difficult place because there was a famine. You have to shift your focus. Quit looking at your situation and start anticipating your blessings. Don’t be so preoccupied with your current situation that you don’t see beyond it. For example, if you’re having problems with your job, look beyond it. If you are having difficulties in a relationship, get past it.

Or are you like Orpah? Who was so preoccupied with her situation she could not discern the blessings ahead. Orpah made a decision to turn and go back. Orpah was a woman full of unbelief and empty of wisdom. She made a mistake on making a now decision on a then experience. She was limiting her future to her past. She had more faith in her lack than she had in the promise. Sisters when you do that, you are limiting what you could be based upon what you have been. Just like our sister Orpah, you become preoccupied with problems and situations, when you should be looking at opportunities.

Instead of focusing on negative, develop an attitude of expectancy. To say you were born this way and you will never change ~ negative. To say this is how I am and it is what it is ~ negative. Your current situation isn’t the destination, but a chance to alter the course to get there. You have to take a stand and be bold enough to say like Ruth, “No is not an option,” and declare, “I’m going all the way. I am moving forward!”

Cynthia A. Patterson
Author & Inspirational Speaker
CEO & Founder, DOVE Ministries Inc.
P.O. Box 722338
Houston, TX 77272

Inquiries requesting Cynthia Patterson for church, empowerment seminars, universities, community colleges, corporate, women's retreats and conferences or consultations send an email to info@dove-ministries.org.

To order your copy of "It Had to Happen", click on this link http://www.amazon.com/It-Had-to-Happen-ebook/dp/B005AHR8W6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1308016296&sr=1-1

Seeds of Love

I wanted to take this day to sow "seeds of love" and wish you a Happy Valentine's Day. Please take a moment to think of other people you can tell how much you love them, i.e. family and friends. Send emails, make calls, spread your love.

Enjoy the day, have good thoughts and enjoy your life!

God bless you,

Cynthia A. Patterson

-:)

The Introduction (Excerpt from It Had to Happen)

Sisters, we are living in a society where so many of us are searching and probing for the answers to this thing we call life. We are in a society where many of us are seeking to understand our purpose. We are changing our degree plans. We are changing our careers. We are changing our hairstyles. We are changing our dress to the latest trends. We have become serial daters: one month we’re with this guy and the next month with another man. Some of us are even changing to an alternative lifestyle. And you know why?

As women, we seek affirmation and praise. We want someone to approve of us. We hunger for protection and assurance. We strive for love and security. God has designed for us to grow from babies to little girls, then from little girls to young ladies, and now, God wants you to blossom into a woman who is whole. Many of us do not realize that it is the trick of the devil to keep our purpose veiled, because the devil knows that true purpose is engendered in God, and that a woman who finds her true purpose will become Satan’s enemy.

We have heard and quoted many scriptures: “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning,” “What the devil meant for evil, God meant it for good,” and “All things work together for the good of them who love God and are called according to His purpose.” The list is endless. While these scriptures bring us comfort and peace at times, it is a daily struggle to accept them as truth in the daily reality of our lives. Yes, we really want to believe our pain is passing and that one day our joy will be permanent. But wherever we are today, we are still asking God – Why?

Why am I having sleepless nights? Why am I still dealing with this hurt, rather than escaping from it? Why am I missing the mark of being a submissive wife and loving my husband? Why does my child continually disrespect me? Why do I keep going in and out of so many dysfunctional relationships?

Why are you feeling continually disappointed? Why it is everyone is coming to you for the answers to their issues and you can’t even figure out your own? Why it is that every night when we lie in our beds, dark thoughts come against our minds? We’re told, “You are nothing… If you would not have done this, that would not have happened… If you would have been a better this, they would not have done that…” and so on. Things are so tough right now you can’t even share with your girlfriends because you are the one who is “supposed to” have it together.

The truth of the matter is that we have been walking around, masking our feelings and closing the door to our own thoughts about what we are really feeling. We avoid embracing the reality that everything we dream for has been shattered into pieces. We don’t have the will or desire to stoop down, pick up the pieces and put them together again. We are emotionally drained, physically tired and just going through the motions of life in a near comatose state.

Now that we have painted a picture of where you are in your struggles, what comes next? While a picture is worth a thousand words, it is merely a snapshot of where you are in time. It does not show how you are viewed at that particular moment in time. Now we will embark on a journey of self-discovery, not only to retrace our past steps, but to clearly see the direction of our future.

For the next several chapters, we will take this journey together and discover the answer to these questions. It is my prayer that you will be open to experiencing a life-changing paradigm that you have desperately tried to find. Together, we will explore the issues that have positively and negatively influenced our emotional behavior.

This is a book for healing, restoring and focusing on our relationship with God. We will explore the life of a woman in the Bible, whose story is told in the book of Mark chapter five. She intensely suffered for twelve years, but through determination and perseverance, obtained the help she desperately needed. This book was birthed out of a personal desire to offer practical insight into God’s healing power. Just like the woman in the fifth chapter of Mark, God does not discriminate in providing healing for those who are suffering. He will do the same for you, if you allow Him.

Please note my sisters, this book is meant for those who are ready to read it. It’s a voluntary, personal choice for women who say, “I’m feeling you,” “I know someone who needs this,” and “How can I help?” Now if this is handed to you by someone, continue reading it; they are sowing a seed into your life. Afterward, pass it on to someone else and sow a seed into their lives. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “My work was to plant seed in your hearts, and another to water it, but it was God, not we, who made the garden grow in your hearts” (KJV). Remember, it had to happen. Click on the Amazon link below and purchase your hardcover, paperback or eBook editions. Also available at Barnes & Noble and other online stores.

http://www.amazon.com/It-Had-to-Happen-ebook/dp/B005AHR8W6/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1308016296&sr=1-1

DOVE's love and big hugs,

Cynthia A. Patterson

Author, Bible Teacher & Inspirational Speaker

CEO & Founder, DOVE Ministries Inc.

P.O. Box 722338

Houston, TX 77272

(832) 323-DOVE (3683)

http://www.dove-ministries.org/

www.facebook.com/doveministryinc

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DOVE-Ministries-Inc-Preparing-Women-for-Purpose/127838747293521

https://twitter.com/#!/cyndypatterson

Inquiries requesting Cynthia Patterson for church, empowerment seminars, women retreats, women conferences or consultations send an email to info@dove-ministries.org.

Thank You from DOVE Ministries Inc.

I wanted to take this moment to thank you for your support and following "It Had to Happen" book blog. We had an awesome year in 2011. I wanted to post a 30-second clip to let you know the results of the book and the impact it has made on women lives through the message of faith and hope. I am so excited about 2012. The best is yet to come!

Enjoy my friends!

Make your own slide show at Animoto.