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Do You!

Hi PeaceMakers! I am so excited to have you on my site today! Thanks for your continued support and encouragement.

What’s My Intent for this post: My intention is to give you a quick word of encouragement. With that said, if this is your first time checking me out, My name is Melissa Rivers and I am a Peace Coach. Most of the time, I coach entrepreneurs in their quest to plan, build and manage a business that is authentic to their unique gifts and talents. In addition to that I coach women in designing self-care routines that promote mental clarity, self-preservation and service to self.

What’s Important for you to know: Both my Leadership Academy & Personal Coaching programs are heart centered.  Together, you & I sit down and create a Peace Map that will help you peacefully move through your leadership development program or your current crisis situation. I’ve assisted clients during career, finance, relationship and health transitions. What are my qualifications? I have a full-fledged Master’s degree in Peace & Conflict Studies, I am a  Certified Change Manager and a Certified Lean Six Sigma Professional. That means, I have the necessary skill-set to help you identify the underlying issues, create a plan of change and give you the steps to make that change  part of your normal routine.

What Matters: I stopped by today with a word of encouragement. “Don’t be afraid to build your business your way”. If you don’t hear anything else that I say to you, hear this. It is perfectly okay to do you and to pursue a business that makes you feel good, provides a useful service to others and that caters to your unique gifts & talents. I was recently told that you can’t create a profitable business from doing the things that you like to do and if it makes you feel good, it’s a hobby.

A hobby?    Wrong, wrong & wrong! With the right mentor and tools, you can turn your passion into a successful business that feeds your spirit and your pockets.

I invite you to sign up for my N.I.C.E Mentoring program today. Click here to get started!

Don’t give others the power to deter you from following your heart and pursuing a cause that you truly believe in. Peace is my cause and I am all in. Too many women in our community deal with setbacks from infidelity issues, unexpected health diagnosis and sudden job loss, just to name a few.

There is a map to peace during the crisis. Let me help you figure it out.Screenshot_20190128-190406

If you’re local to the Charlotte, NC Metro area. Join me on March 2nd for “No More Struggle Prayers.” This is an interactive creative writing course where I teach you how to compose prayers that are filled with language to inspire, uplift and encourage! Click here to register.

 

 

 

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The Importance of Sincerity

When’s the last time you had a tough conversation? One of those gut wrenching discussions where you had to be the bearer of bad news. A conversation where you knew that you were about to deliver news that could rock someone’s foundation and be detrimental to their wellbeing.

I’ll never forget the day I told my ex that I wanted a divorce. It was tough to figure out how to say those words because I had never been an advocate for divorce before.

What I realized when delivering the news to him was that I needed to be direct in my approach, clear with my words and my energy needed to be sincere. It was important to me to reaffirm the work that we had put into trying to save our marriage but I was also sure to acknowledge the reality that things just weren’t working out.

Are you may facing a tough conversation? Are you unsure about what your approach should be?

My advice to you is to speak from your heart, say what’s on your mind and sprinkle in a little sincerity and grace.

Delivery is key.

PeaceMode,

Melissa

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A Prayer for Restoration

Dear Lord,

   Thank you for restoring those things that were once lost. I appreciate your willingness to restore them better than they previously were. Its been said that time heals all wounds but I’m a firm believer that you make things right in your time and then you redeem the time that was lost. You are amazing. Always watching over us and guiding us through life. I pray to trust you more. I pray for a better understanding of your love for us. I thank you for blessing us according to your love and I am thankful that in you all is well. 

In Jesus Name, 

Melissa

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When Peace is Your Business

CVAN - Safety, Shelter & Support for Battered Women & Children

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I am spotlighting the Cabarrus Victims Assistance Network (CVAN) for their work in helping battered women and their children find safety and peace during troubling times.

I first learned about CVAN as a Girl Scout Leader searching for a community service opportunity for my girls. I found a cute little boutique full of women’s clothing and toys that accepted donations from the community. Upon researching this store I discovered their mission. The store was just a means of support for the many programs that CVAN provides and the shelter that it operates.

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CVAN has been in operation since 1982. They provide services such as: a 24-hour hotline, housing, peer counseling, children’s program, formerly battered woman’s advocacy, woman’s jail program, teen program, court advocacy, community education and support groups.

I’ve been connected with CVAN in various capacities for more than 10 years. CVAN is an integral part of Cabarrus County but that reach is nationwide. CVAN has successfully assisted women throughout the United States in finding safety from their abuser.

The following is a list of patterns and behaviors to look for in an abusive mate:

Safety Planning

Signs to look for in your partner:

  • Quick involvement with you
  • Isolates you from others
  • Blames others for their problems
  • Gets upset easily
  • Controlling behavior
  • Explains how you are always wrong
  • Speaks disrespectfully of women
  • Says hurtful things to you
  • Expects you to be perfect
  • Threatens you
  • Hits, chokes or shoves you
  • Cruel to children and/or animals
  • Inappropriate sexual requests

In the United States a woman is abused every 15 seconds.

If you or someone that you know is a victim of Domestic Violence, there is confidential help for you. You can speak with a representative at the following number:                     (704) 788-2826.

Please check out CVAN’s website at:www.cvan.org for more information. Image result for domestic violence awareness

Peace In Action,

Melissa

 

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Get Ready To Love Your Job!

We-Are-Hiring

SUGA Wellness Boutique, LLC is looking for a Marketing Intern for a six week paid assignment. Your primary job duties will included: new client development and social media marketing.

The ideal candidate should posses the skills necessary to help us move forward into new markets including corporate, government and ministry settings.

If you are creative, hardworking, dedicated, organized, motivated and peaceful, we need you!

To learn more about this exciting opportunity and submit your resume for consideration, send an email to sugawellnessboutique@gmail.com

Find Peace and Be Well!

 

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Who’s in your Circle?

Proverbs 24:6 After all, with the right strategy you can wage war,
            and with many advisers there is victory.

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Surrounding yourself with good people is one of many ways to create peace in your life. When you choose like-minded friends and companions you’re empowering yourself with the gift of “More”! More creativity, more spirituality, more support, more love and more possibilities are just a few of the benefits. There is power in unity but you have to be connected with the right people. As the word says, with the right strategy you can wage war and with many advisers there is victory.

I’ve created a short list of tips that will help you to build a tribe filled with friends who are necessary for your journey through life:

  1. Connect with people who share similar interests as you. Try volunteering at a local non-profit or community event to find people who care about some of the same things that are important to you.
  2. Join a group or organization such as a local book club or bible study group. Conversations about spirituality are a great way to connect with like-minded people.
  3. Get out of the house more! Make it your business to join a gym, take a class or attend local social events to connect with others.

Let’s face it, life is not meant to be lived alone! There is success, peace and power in numbers!

The picture above was taking at the Carolinas Breast House in Charlotte, NC back in December of 2015. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I knew that I had to connect with people who understood how I felt and those who were just as determined to live and beat the disease as I was. Pictured are just a few of the people that I have had the privilege of connecting with along my journey.

There is strength in numbers.

After you’ve finished reading the blog post, check out today’s podcast. I interview  a dear friend of mine, Rashida Gittens. Rashida is a domestic abuse survivor and she credits her faith and her support system for helping her to find and realize her self-worth.

I invite you to take a listen as two friends hold a candid conversation about the power of being connected to the right people.

Find Peace and Be Well!

Melissa

 

 

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Identity Crisis

By now, you may have seen the awful pictures that detail the scars and bruises that Nicole Holder suffered at the hands of Greg Hardy. These photos are a terrible reminder of the physical abuse and terrifying situations that many women find themselves faced with daily. Statistics reveal that domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women, more than vehicle accidents, muggings and rapes combined. It’s disturbing to know that a woman is abused every 9 seconds and even more disturbing is the fact that 1 in every 5 teenage girl has reportedly been threatened with violence or experienced harm if she decides that she no longer wants to be in a relationship with a boy. Even more shockingly for the Christian body, 25% of Christian homes witness abuse of some kind. Spousal abuse is just as common among church goers as it is with everyone else.

So what can we do? There are tons of causes, organizations and awareness campaigns that are aimed at raising awareness for domestic violence. As a society, WE ARE EXTREMLY AWARE. We have the desire to create change, knowledge of the issue but we lack the ability to make real change and challenge what is seen as normal in many households. I’m under the opinion that we need to introduce some type of identity intervention program to challenge those beliefs and misconceptions that women and young girls hold about themselves, while we deal with the issue of abuse.

Truth is, we have to recognize things for what they are. Human beings are experiencing a lack of love and compassion toward one another, and this goes against everything that God says in his Word. Ephesians 3:17-19 NIV so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

As heirs of Christ, our identity is established in love. Until we are able to deal with those issues that make us doubt our ability to love others and the things that keep us from fully receiving love, we will always have the issue of domestic violence

“If I were your enemy, I’d devalue your strength and magnify your insecurities until they dominate how you see yourself, disabling and disarming you from fighting back, from being free, from being who God has created you to be. I’d work hard to ensure that you never realize what God has given you so you’ll doubt the power of God within you.” (Excerpt from, Fervent, A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer).

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Purpose Driven Work

We are often blessed with the privilege of helping others during their challenging times. Our communities are filled with neighbors who have fallen due to challenging circumstances. We have the homeless population, domestic abuse victims and veteran affairs just to name a few. What may seem like an act of service to us is actually an opportunity of growth.

How awesome would it be if we were more intentional in choosing the areas of service where we work? Could we make a bigger impact or maybe discover a new way to serve the community?

Helping others, starts with helping yourself first. If we self-reflect on those painful events from our past, and how we were able to overcome them, we might find out that we are the solution to someone else’s problem.

It’s a fact that we all have gifts and talents that are to be used to create peace on earth.

Have you unwrapped your gift? Have you discovered your talent?

Think about it. In Romans 12:18 the Word says, “If it is possible, As far as it depends on me, live at peace with everyone.”

Your gifts and talent make peace possible.

Within each of us are existing problems and possible solutions. Share your solution!

Peace and Wellness