Happy Birthday Sissy

This is my sister.  She is daughter #2, I'm the eldest.

It's my Sissy's birthday.  And all I can think to get her for her birthday is her favorite slushy from 7-eleven.  She could never turn those down.  It's impossible to be on a road trip with her and pass by any 7-eleven without stopping to get her one.
 Winona, Noni,  single mother of three; graduate of National College; vlogger; songtress; comedienne; the list could go on and on. Noni was always the family's clown.  Always keeping laughter in the atmosphere whether by singing and dancing, telling jokes, or just plain being silly.

Winona's children l to r: Jaizon, Natailsha, and Asia

I'm especially proud of the relationship she has with her three children.  The joy of the Lord has truly been her strength.  Her joy has gotten her through everything in her life.  There is so much more I could write, but while writing this post, I decided to introduce everyone to all of us in the next post.
For post I did on her earlier this year click here.


Happy Birthday Sissy!  Let's go get those slushy's!!!

Much love,
Granny

These Mothers of Mine - Part 2

This post will honor my step-mother, a powerful woman of God.  We choose to call her our "Other Mama".  We don't like to use the term step.

Pastor Patricia J. Braxton of Change Me Ministries and Fellowship

Patricia J. Braxton, Ma, has been one of the greatest blessings for my sisters and I.  She married our father when we were still in grade school.  This moved her status of being the mother of one, to the mother of five children.  She has impacted our lives greatly.  Teaching us money skills, how to sell products you make, teaching us the word of God, how to forgive and change your life for the better are some of the things we learned form her.  There has never been a time when we called upon her for assistance to understand things happening in our lives that she didn't assist us. My Mother's Day would not be complete without honoring her as well.

Ma, is Pastor of Change Me Ministries and Fellowship in Lynchburg, VA, and is also Director of Bright Hope Educational Center.  She has an Associates and Bachelors Degree in Business Administration (it appears I have followed her footsteps), and is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Religion.  There is so much more I could tell you about this powerful woman.  You can see more about Pastor Braxton and/or the ministry of Change Me by clicking here or the link under the photo.  Support the ministry and stop by for a visit if you're ever in the area.

Thank you Ma for being a part of our family and assisting in our rearing.  It definitely took another great woman of God to help raise three girls.  You have been more of a blessing to us than you know.

Love you much,
Granny  aka  Danielle

Click link for part 1 to meet my other Mother -  http://www.1elegantgranny.com/2012/05/these-mothers-of-mine.html

These Mothers of Mine - Part 1

Since I'm back to writing now, I suppose I could honor these mothers of mine in this fashion. Wasn't sure what else to do or say for Mother's Day this year. In the next two post, I will honor my mother in part 1, and step-mother in part 2.
 

Nah Nah in her Sunday's best celebrating Women's Day at her local church

Phyllis Elliott-Braxton, "Nah Nah", born and raised in Virginia started in Rustburg, Va where most of her relatives lived until the family's house caught fire when she was around 4yrs old.  Her father, Phillip Elliott, built another house in Lynchburg, Va with the help of his best friend.  Mama graduated from the historic Dunbar High School in 1965 (now Dunbar Middle School), attended the historic Phillips Business School (now Miller-Motte College) and attended Central Va Community College. She didn't finish college due to tending to her family.  Raising three girls as a single parent:  keeping up with our school lessons, helping us practice our singing lessons (she played for us while we sang in various churches), helped us with reading and understanding the bible, teaching us how to cook her way (just go in there until it's right), selling dinner plates - chitterlings, chicken, and ham -  during the summer so she could get our school supplies, teach us the proper way of sitting as a lady, the correct way of setting a formal dining area (we always had guest), the correct way of walking in high heel shoes (I still haven't conquered that one yet), all while taking in private sitting jobs to provide for her girls. 
My mother always emphasized to us, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."  She instilled the value of not hurting people on purpose.  There are times when it may happen but to always remember how you would feel if you were that person.
On her job, she was known as the "Hat Lady", always wearing a variety of hats to put smiles on faces of her patients, friends, and others she came in contact with.  Now, Nah Nah is retired from Centra Health as a Certified Nursing Assistant in Hospice, helping attend to her grand-children and teaching the youth at her local church how to be a lady.

Love you Mama.  Lord knows it took another great woman of God to help with three girls from the hills of Virginia.  Happy Mother's Day.

Love you much,
Granny aka Danielle (Danny-Tee)

Click link for part 2 to meet my other Mother -  http://www.1elegantgranny.com/2012/05/these-mothers-of-mine-part-2.html

My Greatest Investor

Deacon Phillip Elliott

This post is about the most important man there ever was in my life.  My Grandfather, the late Deacon Phillip Elliott.  He was the man in previous posts I wrote about that taught me how to think of others besides myself, how to use my money wisely, to always trust God no matter the circumstance(s), and whatever you do, be the best.
My Grandfather was the next to the youngest of 21 children from Rustburg, Va.  Some of his older brothers and sisters, according to what he told me, he never met until his father passed in his early 20s.  Most of them moved up North.

When I was a little girl, I was a Papa's baby.  Through my youthful eyes, I saw no wrong in this man.  He was my everything.  As I became older, I began to see a few of his flaws, but I also saw how he controlled his flaws and not allow them to control him.
Although he only had a third grade education, he was the biggest advocate for education in our family.  He always told us to do and become better than what he did.  With that in mine, I never stopped struggling to continue with my education.  Next month, my family, friends, and I will celebrate me graduating from National college with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration - Management.  I will began Grad school in June.  Because of Granddaddy, today our family is enriched with Ministers, Teachers, Entrepreneurs, Poets, Writers, Musicians/Songwriters/Singers, and other greatness.
I remember on his death bed, we shared a lot of things about ourselves.  I remember him reflecting back over his life.  One of my many quotes summarizes his life, "Man is only as strong as his faith.  The more it is exercised, the stronger he becomes".  ~Elegant Granny

RIP Granddaddy.  All thanks to God for allowing him to be a very important factor in my life.

Much love,
Granny

It's Not About You - Part 2

Bishop Motley Davis
Pastor of Higher Heights Cathedral of Deliverance

Yesterday, I read a status on Facebook that said, "Will you please stop doubting God?????....You are insulting Him when you doubt Him.....Trust and never doubt.....He will surely bring you out.....Just take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there."  - Bishop Motley Davis

                                                                                                  

Granny's testimony:
In 2003, I was laid off from work, for the third time.  The same year, my legs decided they did not want to work anymore.  The Doctors tried to discover what the problem was, but to no avail.  They decided I should not try to work until they found what was going on with me.  Me, on the other hand, decided I needed to be busy.  Everyday, a friend of mine, who was laid off with me, went job hunting.  While she was able to walk at a normal or quick pace, I was going at a very slow pace, shuffling in very slow motion, hardly bending my knees.  At the end of each day, we would retire at her apartment to relax and work on a game plan for the next day.  One day, her roommate, who happened to be home with some of her friends, decided to ask, "How are you going to get hired with your legs not working right?"  My reply was, "I'm going to get a job."  One of the roommate's friends said, "No one is going to hire you looking like that."  We were all looking for jobs.  My reply to this lady was, "I'm going to get a job.  As a matter of fact, I will have one before you."  By the end of the following week, I had a job working in a retail store in the mall which required me to use my legs a lot.  Being of a competitive nature, I took the challenge on deciding I was going to be the best Sales Associate that store had seen in a while.  As usual, we went back to my friend's apartment, same doubting females still there, haven't looked for a job that day while I came in exclaiming I had one.  One said, "How are you going to do that job when it requires you to move around a lot with your legs like that?"  I answered, "I asked God for a job that will assist me in strengthening my legs and He did. You'll see."
As time went on, I reported to work faithfully.  Did what was asked of me faithfully.  Never complained, never looking for an easy way out of doing my share of the work load.  My legs became stronger.  Before anyone knew it, I was pretty much running half the time - I was hired during the Christmas season. A lot of people were rushing in and I was responsible for refilling stock on the floor.
By the end of the season, my legs were back to functioning properly.  The medicine the Physicians had given me, continued to sit at the bedside table without me taking any.  I figured why take them for something if they could not tell me why my legs weren't functioning properly in the first place.

When life dealt me a bad hand, I played the best hand I had.  I chose to believe God.  I never knew God to lie so I depended on Him to get me through this and He did.  I knew that sitting around at home on temporary disability and taking medicine was not going to work.  I knew within myself, that more mobility on my part was the answer.  My act of faith is what caused God to move on my behalf.
Months later, the same ladies that were doubting still did not have a job.  I was enjoying my strength, my new job, and mobility.  There were others, who knew my testimony and believed God according to what they saw Him do in my life and received great results.
Time has passed since this event.  The last few years, I ran into some of these ladies again.  Everyone is doing well now.

So what does all this have to do with the title?  There is always someone needing to hear your testimony of how you overcame a bad hand dealt to you in life.  It gives them a sense of hope and helps them to hold on a little longer because they have something to identify with.  Had I not believed God, the people who received results because of the actions they took according to the testimony they witnessed in my life, they would most likely still be in the position of a defeated mind set.  And God would not have gotten the glory out of my testimony. 

When life dealt you a bad hand, what was your reaction?

For part one click here
To view another testimony click here
For a worship experience with Bishop at Higher Heights Cathedral of Deliverance, click link here or picture above. 

Much love,
Granny

It's Not About You - Intro

It is a beautiful thing to be able to go through a trial in your life and come out a winner.  Losing never feels good.  But no matter what you've been through in your life, being dealt a bad hand in life does not qualify you for unsuccessful living as an adult.

So many of us get through things in our lives and forget about helping others that are going through those things now.  If you have gotten through that thing, it is a testimony.  Your testimony is not for you.  It is to edify others, therefore, glorifying God when you do so.
Remember how you felt when you were going through your trial.  Some may have felt alone, depressed, angry, scared, etc.  As humans, we have the ability of being filled with compassion.  There is enough compassion to see someone else going through what we just went through, extend our hand and offer our assistance to get them out.  Of course, there are times you may come across those that do not want your assistance.  Nevertheless, you are still able to pray if that's what you believe in. In case you don't believe in God, you are still able to pronounce good things into someone's life and direct them to where they can get help they are more apt to receive.

You coming out wasn't all for you.  You came out to bring others out.  Never underestimate the power within to be just for you.  God gave it to you to share with others.  The power He placed inside you is to be shared with others.

What has He brought you out of lately, that you are able to share with others when you see them going through the same turmoil?

Much love,
Granny

PROMISE-----> TEST-----> BLESSING

One of the bible stories that stick with me most from Sunday School as a child is when God promised Abraham he would have a son.  It seemed like an impossible job giving Abraham's age.  He also proceeded to tell him he would be a father of many nations.
So many times in my life, I have experienced God giving me a promise, showing/telling me the end results.  He proceeds further by taking me to the beginning of receiving it, then BAM........nothing.  I have come to realize that He will show you the end result, take you to where it will all begin, but it is up to you to work out the middle.  How many times have you waited and waited thinking God has forgotten what He said He will do?  Of course He hasn't, but it sure feels like it.
In the beginning, when He gives you the end result of the promise, depending on the promise, you will either be over joyed or stunned.  There are times when I can identify with Sarah laughing when Abraham told her what God said.  Some things just don't make sense.  At their age, having a baby.
 
Isaiah 55:8 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
Whatever it is we think God can do, He can always do better.  God didn't care about Abraham and Sarah's age.  Nor does He care about what walk of life you come from.  If He promised you it will happen, it will happen.  It doesn't matter who believes it or not.  Sarah laughed as she eavesdropped listening to God talking to Abraham.  God did not tell Sarah the promise, only Abraham.  That's why she didn't have enough strength to wait on God and planned for Abraham to receive his son through her hand-maid.
There are times when God makes a promise to you that you should do like Mary did and ponder and not tell anyone.  Abraham waited and fainted not (Hebrews 6;13-15).  This is what caused him to receive the promise of God.  He waited patiently.  And continued with his life until he saw the manifestation of God's promise.  Will you?

Much love,
Granny                                          

For tips on how to work out the middle while you wait for the blessing to manifest, click here.