Free By Design » Moving Forward

Why

Kimberly Cooley — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:29:00 +0000

Good evening. Never give up on possibility because you could very well be the one who makes it possible.

Peace – Kimberly

Smooth Sailing

Kimberly Cooley — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:51:26 +0000

Good evening. A few bumps in the road always make you appreciate the smooth rides. If you keep moving forward, the possibilities are endless and a smoother ride could very well be up ahead. However, if you turn and go back, you’re guaranteed nothing but another really bumpy ride. See, pot holes get worse with the passing of each car. If you go back, what once only tripped you up could, this time, very well take you under.

Peace – Kimberly

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Better Than A Hallelujah

Kimberly Cooley — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 00:49:13 +0000

“We pour out our miseries, God just hears the melodies; beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a Hallelujah.” – Amy Grant

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Open Letter To You

Kimberly Cooley — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 00:23:29 +0000

Hey! I can’t believe it’s been this long already. Normally when friends talk to me about losing someone, I typically tell them, from experience, that it takes me a full year (day by day) to accept the fact that that person is not coming back. Well…you have made me a liar because a part of me still wants to believe that your death is some cruel joke of yours or some unusually twisted technique to teach me a lesson. I remember walking up to your casket with Dimples, Bridg’s sister looking at you and thinking to myself this can’t be real. I was waiting for an outburst of laughter or a smile because you couldn’t hold the joke any longer. That never happended. It was definitnely reality and reality hurts.

A lot has happened in the last two years – some good, some bad. I’ve grown a lot and matured a lot spiritually. I took some time away from everybody…literally EVERYBODY. I know you’d fuss about me doing that, but I had to, and I can honestly say it helped. In each day, I rediscovered (and continue to rediscover) a bit more of myself and really entered into somewhat of an introspective phase. I’ll be the first to tell you that it wasn’t pretty.

I had an epiphany the other day that I’ve finally “got” this financial thing down. Nothing in particular happened but rather it was like God whispering to me, “You’ve got it!” It was pretty neat. I guess it’s been a while since I’ve had something confirmed right before my eyes. Guess I haven’t been paying attention, BUT I got it and it feels darn good.

I guess you’ve noticed that I’m back at MPC full time. Its good to be home. Actually it’s good to not dream about you almost daily which happened consistently until I did listen and adhere and return to MPC. It’s all good. Terri and I are in a good place. She won’t sell me your car just yet, but we’re still cool. A few other relationships have been restored as well. Speaking of Terri, you’ve got to be tickled. She’s like a little, walking, preaching, dynamite. It’s so powerfully and divinely cute. I know you’re proud.

I’ve been spending a lot of time at Coach and Bridgett’s in GA. It’s been good for me. For a while after you died, I couldn’t even look at Coach because I kept seeing you. It was tough, but after he hugged me and prayed with me prior to me leaving one night, things got better. The last time I was there, I literally only left the house maybe three times. It just felt good being there. There was a sense of closeness that I’d been missing that I felt the entire time I was there. What really put the icing on the cake was when Bray just started talking to me out of the blue. Weird right?

Hmmm let’s see. I’m about to move to Cleveland (yes again)! I’m actually looking forward to it this time. I work directly for DSU now so that has made community and campus life that much better. I do need one favor for you. While you’re up there chillin with the Big Guy, can you talk to him about the mosquitoes in Cleveland? Just kidding. It’s going to be a good move. Jahviah and Joey are helping me. Wesley is also but he just doesn’t know it yet :p

Dude, Angela and the praise team are “doin it.” OMG! Talk about a worship experience. I would have never in a million years put Angela on stage with a mic. It is AWESOME!

Before I go, I just want to say that I miss you. The older I get, I’m realizing that we have a lot of similiar traits, which could be a bad thing, but I’m going to chalk it up to being good. I’m becoming more and more stubborn. Oh and the liberty of not taking phone calls when I don’t feel like it is SO FRIGGIN GREAT. Haha. Seriously, you impacted me in ways that neither of us were aware of, and I couldn’t be happier that you did. We had some intense moments, but at the day’s end, we still loved and cared about each other.

This letter’s to you, Bishop. And Terri, this song’s for you. I love you.

I love you, Bishop.

Kimberly

“Still With You” by Eric Benet

Heaven knows what you’ve been through

So much pain

Even though you can’t see

I’m not far away

We always say if one of us

Somehow went away

We’d light a candle and say a prayer

Know that love still remains

Close your eyes, go to sleep

Know my love is all around you

Dream in peace, when you wake

You will know I’m still with you

Live your life from this day on

And love again

I know you’d do the same for me

That’s the way that loves is supposed to be

Close your eyes, go to sleep

Know my love is all around you

Dream in peace, when you wake

You will know I’m still with you

When you feel those lonely teardrops

Rolling down your face

Just know my love watches over you

Always, always

Close your eyes, go to sleep

Know my love is all around you

Dream in peace, when you wake

You will know I’m still with you

I’m still with you

Let It Go.

Kimberly Cooley — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:17:59 +0000

Good evening. In many ways I am thankful for the wisdom of knowing when to fight for someone and when to let them go. You can’t reach someone who doesn’t want to be reached. Relax. You’re not giving up on them. You’re just giving up on your human ability. It’s okay. TrustGod. In the meantime, go spend time making a difference in the lives of those who do want to be reached. Again…Trust God

Peace – Kimberly

The Miracle Is In What’s Left

Kimberly Cooley — Sun, 16 May 2010 16:59:43 +0000

“No longer continue to grieve over what you’ve lost. Focus on what’s left and strengthen it so that it won’t die too.” – Pastor Terri Barnes

Integrity

Kimberly Cooley — Sat, 15 May 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Good afternoon. Too often we tend to hold onto what we should let go of, and too often it’s people. We have to, at some point, realize that everybody that claims to support and love us, don’t. We have to discern faithfulness and loyalty vs. agenda. We have to feel between love and deceit.

Unfortunately, becoming aware of the truth can be emotionally exhausting, but living a life in integrity filled with character and free of uncertain influences is more than encouraging.

Peace – Kimberly

Your Lifetime…..

Kimberly Cooley — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 20:04:10 +0000

Good evening. Judgement. We’ve all done it and some of us still do it, but you know what….? Judging others hurts us far more than those that are judged!

“You have to be careful about writing off people over one season in their life. People will judge you at one stage in your life. They think that because of something you did at one stage in your life, there is a continuum the rest of your life. What they don’t realize is that the same person who messed up back there, repented over there, and got set free right here. That was then; this is NOW.” – Bishop T.D. Jakes

Peace – Kimberly

Second Time Around

Kimberly Cooley — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 02:44:19 +0000

Good evening. Sometimes a second chance is the best thing that can happen to us. However, the worse thing could be is not embracing it. No one gets it right the first time. No one. Chill out.

“I must learn to love the fool in me the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries” – Theodore Isaac Rubin

Peace – Kimberly

Speed of Light

Kimberly Cooley — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:17:31 +0000

Good evening. During my commute this evening, a car in front of me was driving at a speed that I was comfortable with trailing but they were driving reckless at the same time. So, I passed him and later began to notice that he was dropping off significantly far behind me. I hadn’t sped up any; my car was on cruise so obviously he slowed down after I passed him.

As I continued my drive, I started to wonder if that’s the same thing we do in life. When something is behind us, we can be so focused on keeping it behind us that we endanger or detour where we’re going? And as soon as we lose the advantage, we become complacent and start to feel defeated. Are we simply running when we do this or are we convinced that we’re protecting ourselves by staying ahead? Regardless, many times what’s behind us isn’t trying to necessarily get ahead of us or reoccur in our lives, but WE force it to. Our past can stay in the past but only if we acknowledge it, release it, and move forward with forgetting it rather than running from it.

Many times, I believe, God will allow us to see what’s behind. Not to temp us into going back. Not to scare us into thinking we have to ‘run’, but to simply remind us that what we see is in our past solely because He delivered us from it. Whether it’s situations or relationships, don’t run. Don’t speed up. Keep moving at the pace you’re at in this season and enjoy the ride.

Peace – Kimberly

P.S. – Yes, I took this photo. Actually about a year ago.