The Labor is Complete

 “It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world.”             ~ John 16:21 New Living Translation

This past weekend I officially completed the birthing process for In Search of True Beauty at Marlee’s Coffee and Tea House in Atlanta, Georgia.  Just like a proud mother of her newborn child, the labor pains that lead up to the birth was easily forgotten.

Of course, this wasn’t a typical pregnancy that produced a human child; however, the process was much the same.  God impregnated me with the vision to write this book. I had been carrying it around for years…years. I often ignored the labor pains and refused to push, thus delaying the birth of that which was inside of me.

There came a point when I could no longer ignore the signs of labor. Once Aubrey was born (my physical pregnancy), I know it was time to give birth spiritually. God has sown so much vision in me, including this book and I knew it was time for me to leave another print in this world that will one day be my legacy.

It wasn’t easy, but neither was giving birth to Aubrey. But I knew the time was nearing when the intensity of the pain distractions increased. Of course the devil will not let you give birth spiritually without a fight.  But what he didn’t know about me was that I knew that my King had already won. So every time he tried to block my way, and there were many, I held firm to my faith. Just like a mother experiences anguish in the birthing process that anguish leads to a birth of new life. Likewise, I knew and held to my faith that the anguish distractions that I experienced in this process was meant to birth something out of me~ this work.

Just when I started to entertain thoughts of its too hard, it cost too much, will anyone read it, will anyone be impacted by it…so on and so on, I remembered what a friend posted on her FB wall some time ago:

“When you get tempted to complain about and/or give up on your hopes and dreams because it’s not happening fast enough; just remember that’s usually when you’re closest to manifestation. Keep the vision and don’t settle!”

So I held on and pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed, until  I pushed out In Search of True Beauty: Discovering Beauty from the Inside Out.

What has God sown into your heart that you need to nurturer and birth out?

I would like to give a very special thank you to everyone who came out.  I wasn’t able to get pics of everyone and I wasn’t able to put every pic I had on here. However, I really want each of you to know how appreciative I am for your love and support. Many Blessings to each of you.

Please enjoy the birth of one of the many visions that God has sown in me. Also, if you haven’t gotten your copy of In Search of True Beauty,click here. Thanks for your continued support!

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Your Work or His Grace 

After a miscarriage and 3 long years of trying, my husband and I were blessed with Miss Aubrey on June 19, 2010. She is such a delight. I smile just thinking about her. She has changed our lives in so many ways. We honestly could not imagine life without her.

Although Miss Aubrey has brought so much joy into our home, not every moment rearing her is joyful. Sometimes it can be quite frustrating. I have sometimes found myself thinking about that Calgon commercial. Yes, sometimes I just need to be taken away.

Miss Aubrey is currently in a stage that I like to call the “Terrific Twos.”  She is exerting her independence a little more, which is good except there is so much she still can’t do. Frankly, she can cause a lot of trouble around the house. Yet, no matter what she does or  does not do, I still absolutely love her. In fact, there is nothing she can ever do to make me love her any more than what I do right this moment.

The way I feel about Miss Aubrey is the same way our Heavenly Father feels about us. No matter what we have done, not done, will do or will not do He loves us with an immeasurable love. There is nothing we have to do to earn that love. It’s free as a result of His grace.

It’s unfortunate that so many people have a hard time receiving His free gift of righteousness. There are so many well-meaning Christians who still believe that it’s our “works” (keeping the law) that makes us good enough to be love by God. Nothing could be further from the truth. The story of the rich young ruler is evidence of that (Matthew 19:16-26). He thought that because he had done all the right things- he had not murdered, committed adultery, stolen, beared false witness, had honored his father and mother and loved his neighbor as himself- that he was entitled to enteral life. #FAIL! Jesus told him that he was lacking one thing and then Jesus proved to him where his heart was- his wealth.

The rich young ruler and many well-meaning Christians thought that keeping the law entitles you to righteousness. Frankly, the reason why the law was instituted was to prove to mankind that he is not perfect and that he needed a savior- JESUS. The entire 1,500 years that mankind was under the law not one succeeded in obtaining righteousness by keeping the law. It was the blood of animals that covered their sins till Christ came. Let me tell you, a lot of animals died!

We live under the New Covenant where righteousness is a gift (Romans 5:17, Eph 2:8). Righteousness is no longer something you can earn by doing the right things or by sacrificing animals. It is given by grace and we receive it by faith. As simple as that!

Does that mean you no longer have to do “the law”? Yes and no. You don’t do the law thinking it’s going to put you in some kind of better position with God. “I am on the usher board of my church and I attend church every Sunday. I volunteer with the boys and girls club. I tithe 10% of all my earnings. I visit the sick…” and so on. Those things in and of themselves will not put you in any better position than someone who does not do them as far as eternal life. But, here’s what happens: once you realize you are the rigorousness of God you will do all those things and more. Not because you have to but because you want to. You will do them because your heart’s desire will be to be an example of Christ in the earth. You will no longer have an attitude of “I got to do”, but “I get to do.” You will want to tithe out of love for Christ. You will want to spend time with Christ. In fact my husband wrote a great article where he said that our appetite for the knowledge of Christ increases the more we feed on his word. In contrast to physically feeding your body, if you stop feeding your spirit then your appetite for spiritual knowledge decreases. But if you stop feeding your physical body your appetite increase. You don’t want to get to the point where you lose your appetite for spiritual things.

So which will it be your work or His grace? Let me help you decide, you will never succeed in your works. His righteousness is easy to obtain by accepting Jesus as Lord over your life.

If you haven’t accepted Jesus or if you need to rededicate because you have been operating under the Law and not His grace repeat this:

Accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior:

“Lord Jesus, I believe that you died upon the cross for me, that you shed your precious blood for the forgiveness of my sin. And I believe that on the third day, you rose from the dead, and went to Heaven to prepare a place for me. I accept you now as my Savior, my Lord, my God, my friend, my daddy. Come into my heart, Jesus, and set me free from shame, bondage and sin. And, because you are my Savior, Jesus, I shall not die, but have everlasting life. In Jesus name, Amen!”

It’s that easy!! You are the righteousness of God. Now find a local, bible – based church so that you can get connected and learn more about your salvation.

“Heavenly Father, I confess that I have been trying to earn your righteousness instead of accepting it. I repent this day. I now do good works not because I have to, but because I get to. I thank you for your grace and mercy towards me. I ask you to work in my life to develop the fruit of the Spirit so I may become continually more mature in my faith. In Jesus name, Amen!”em>

 Aubrey at 2 weeks old.

I pray these words have been an encouragement and/or had a positive impact upon you. Remember we all have a voice, this blog is my avenue to share mine. Please share yours by leaving a comment. If it has blessed you then share with your friends and family. Consider subscribing and if you are reading this from your inbox click here to leave a comment. If you need prayer, I would love to pray for you just submit them to the contact me from located to your right. Also, if you haven’t gotten your copy of In Search of True Beauty, click here. Thanks for your continued support!

-Cindy

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Remembering September 11th 

 The Pentagon Memorial 

I can remember like it was yesterday. I was a graduate student at Clark Atlanta University serving as the dorm director of Bumstead Hall. I happened to have been up and the TV was on CNN. It caught my attention because I could tell that it was unscripted and newscasters seemed to be at a loss for words. As I started watching, the details were sketchy, but minutes later I saw live as the second plane flew into the second tower. I will never forget that day. I will never forget the terrible event that caught us all off guard, yet re-united our country.

This past August my family, the Hunt family, had our family reunion in the Alexandria, Va/Washington D.C. area. One of the things I was able to do while there was visit the Pentagon Memorial with Aubrey and one of my besties, Sam.

The memorial was designed so that the nation may remember and reflect on the events that occurred on September 11, 2001. Indeed, I did reflect. As we walked the sacred grounds and read the names of people that I never knew, but will never forget, I thought about lives that ended too soon. I thought about family members and friends left behind.

It was a blessing to visit and see the 184 benches in honor of the 184 people who lost their lives on that day. Each bench is placed according to the age of birth. The youngest victim was Dana Falkenberg, only 3 years old. I thought about her a lot. A life snuffed out way to young. It’s hard to think about someone so young who died such a tragic and untimely death, but it was her that consumed my thoughts for most of the time there.

I left the memorial thinking about death and how it’s no respecter of person or age. It strikes whenever and many times unsuspected.  We can’t run from it, but we sure haven’t learned to embrace it. It’s a part of life. As sure as the sun of life rises, the going down of death is sure to follow.

The takeaways I took from this experience are: 

• Live life with no regrets. Stop putting off till tomorrow what you can do today. We live life with so many excuses for why we aren’t pursuing our dreams or doing the things that brings us joy and happiness. There is not enough money, time, skill, talent, education, etc. We can’t continue to allow these to dictate our progress. If God truly put it in your heart then start to plan your way and he will direct your steps. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” What is your 1st step going to be? At the end of the day, I rather say, “Oh, well” than “What if.” I refuse to die with vision in me that I haven’t attempted to get out.
• Don’t hold onto grudges. “Holding onto  a grudge is like holding on to a hot stone. It doesn’t hurt the stone or the person that gave it to you; it only hurts the one holding it.” Drop it right now! The more you carry the grudge the more you suffer. It’s like you empowering the person to hurt you over and over again. Set yourself free.
• Give lots of hugs & kisses. Never go a day without telling your family and friends how much you love and value them. Affirm them often. Remember what Maya Angelou said, “People don’t always remember what you said or did, but they do remember how you made them feel.” Make the people in your life feel like a million bucks.
• Be a blessing. Don’t always be on the receiving end only. Be a blessing to someone. It could be something as small as speaking kind words to someone, lending a helping hand in a time of need or just being a listening ear.
• Live for Eternity. I saw a pic on FB that said, “Life is short. Eternity isn’t.” How true! If you don’t have a personal relationship with God, ask Him to come into your life right now. Pray this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I believe that you died upon the cross for me, that you shed your precious blood for the forgiveness of my sin. And I believe that on the third day, you rose from the dead, and went to Heaven to prepare a place for me.  I accept you now as my Savior, my Lord, my God, my friend, my daddy. Come into my heart, Jesus, and set me free from shame, bondage and sin.  And, because you are my Savior, Jesus, I shall not die, but have everlasting life.  In Jesus name, Amen!” It’s that simple now join a bible believing church so that you can learn more about the word of God and how to live for Him.  

Life is precious. It is a great gift from God. Live it to the fullest!

This is a view of the 184 benches at the Pentagon Memorial.

Miss Aubrey reflecting at the Pentagon Memorial.

Miss Aubery sitting on one of the 184 benches.

 You can actually call 202. 741.1004 for the auto tour.

Where were you on Sept. 11, 2001? What did you think when you first heard? How did Sept. 11 change your life?

I pray these words have been an encouragement and/or had a positive impact upon you. Remember we all have a voice, this blog is my avenue to share mine. Please share yours by leaving a comment. If it has blessed you then share with your friends and family. Consider subscribing and if you are reading this from your inbox click here to leave a comment. If you need prayer, I would love to pray for you just submit them to the contact me from located to your right. Also, if you haven’t gotten your copy of In Search of True Beauty, click here. Thanks for your continued support!

-Cindy

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In this day and age, society has allowed the media to set the standard for beauty. Consequently, millions of young girls and women have distorted self-images.

In their search to find beauty, many of them look to Hollywood, where society has placed a high value on the outer appearance of women. As a result, millions not only have distorted self-images, but many risk their lives to acquire this ideal beauty.

It’s time that we revealed the truth. Author, Cindy Lumpkin, takes you on an amazing journey in search of true beauty. You will discover that a lady’s validation should come from God, not society. True beauty is not created on the outside, but it is accepted on the inside. When a lady, young or old, demonstrates her love for God through her character and by doing His word, her beauty radiates from the inside- out.

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Destined for Success is a two part book that starts out chronicling the education of the author, Cindy Lumpkin. After several years of experiencing school failure, Cindy was labeled Learning Disabled. This courageous young lady went on to defy the odds of overcoming her disability to receiving a BA and Masters Degree in the field of education.

In Part II of this gripping book, Cindy takes the reader on a journey to personal empowerment- a journey of getting to know you and overcoming life’s circumstances, whatever they may be. Cindy takes you into your past, present, and future; through many twists and turns; highs and lows; and around dark scary corners. In the end however, she helps you discover the light within you.

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In his debut, Jason Lumpkin gives you a process that will not only help you discover and achieve your destiny, but also will assist in accomplishing any goal that you desire to achieve.

This book is a must read. It is presented in a simple, uncomplicated manner and uses sound biblical principles as well as practical knowledge. After reading this book and applying these principles to your life, you will definitely have a process that will be useful as you Triumph in Life.

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No More Bondage…I am Free!

I came across several inspiring bloggers, who did nothing more than live their life out loud-through blogging. I was inspired. I was left thinking, “I want to do that, but can I? Will anyone actually read it? Will anyone actually care? Is my life inspirational?” Heck! I am not the best writer and then…this isn’t my first attempt at blogging.

You see, too often I do care what others think, say, or believe about me. I am super sensitive and tend to be insecure at times. God and I are working through this.

After thinking long and hard, I decided I wanted to try and shout, “no more bondage, I am free” and this is who I am: Read More…

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Sometimes it seems like only yesterday, Cindy Lumpkin was the person who didn’t know how valuable, fearfully and wonderfully made she was. The famous line from Langston Hughes’ poem, “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair,” was certainly true of her life. Like most, she had her share of challenging life circumstances.

She was born to a single mother in small-town Franklin, Virginia. The last to be born of three and the only girl; statistics says she didn’t have a chance at a successful, productive life by virtue of her mother life’s conditions. Cindy’s mother was born to a single mother, who passed away much too early, leaving her children to be reared by family. Cindy’s mother was also a high school drop-out as a result of a teen pregnancy.

The odds were against Cindy’s mother and they weren’t looking much better for Cindy.

From the very beginning, Cindy experienced failure at school and as a result her teacher suggested that she repeat Kindergarten. Her loving mother, who has always been her biggest advocate, wouldn’t hear of it. However, the inevitable happened in first grade. No longer a suggestion, she had to repeat the first grade.

She endured low self-esteem throughout her teens and into adulthood. She share the circumstances of millions of people labeled with a learning disability or others who, as a result of life challenges, are predicted to loose before the race even starts.

She hated the hand that was dealt to her. But she was determined to not only learn how to play it, but win. Thus, her journey to overcoming a learning disability, low esteem, and reclaiming her self-worth began in the 5^th grade. There were many times along the way she was unable to fight for herself. However, She always had a Helper (John 14:26), even when she didn’t know it.

She has been asked over and over again, “what has been your secret? What was the catalyst that drove a 5^th grade student in self-contained special education classes to go on to defy the odds and experience great academic success? Why hasn’t the shame and guilt that comes along with being labeled cause you to retreat?”

It was and is her relationship with Jesus. Once she allowed the Source to come into her life and engulf her with His wondrous, miraculous love, her life, although not easy, has never been the same. He has been the source of her success and everyone and everything else He has used as a resource to help her overcome insecurities, low self-esteem and increase her academic skills.

In her debut book, Destined for Success (TRIUMPH Publishing, 2008), she shares all the resources that helped her to succeed: She had a tremendous amount of family support; she had wonderful teachers who taught her “how to learn” and she somehow developed the self-determination needed to rise above the circumstances of her life. She also gained confidence as a result of playing sports and participating in pageant and modeling contests.

Her education at Virginia Union University (VUU) had an enormous impact upon her life. It was there that she started to learn more about learning disabilities and where she committed her life to helping others like her to overcome the label of “special.” It was also at VUU that she achieved a childhood dream of being a collegiate athlete and being named a queen. She had the distinct honor to not only play Volleyball and Softball, but serve her Alma Mater as Miss Virginia Union University.

Her days at Virginia Union were special. Those years prepared her for the field of teaching and for continued academic studies at Clark Atlanta University, where she earned a Master of Education Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration.

She is fortunate that she is now able to use the struggles of her life and lessons learned as a message of empowerment to show others (students, women and young girls) how to have the courage to TRIUMPH over every circumstance that is holding them back from achieving their dreams. She has been able to experience success as a student, professional, wife and mother.

She has authored In Search of True Beauty: Discovering Beauty from the Inside Out (TRIUMPH Publishing, 2012), and is founder of TRIUMPH in Life, Inc., The Bly/TRIUMPH Awards^TM and Someone Like Me Mentoring Program^TM.

She has spent the last 10 years teaching and inspiring others to surmount every obstacle that stands between them and their dreams. As a result of her past and current success, she is more equipped now than ever before to show and help others to TRIUMPH in Life over every circumstance that may hold them back from achieving their God inspired dreams.

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