life

Body of Evidence 

by Danielle N. Hall

12/22/2016

This a brief account of Danielle vs. Fear, Doubt, et al.
On August 3, 2014, was when the first piece of documented evidence in this case was established. See “Exhibit A” below:

Exhibit A – The First Step


Fear, Doubt, Procrastination, and Limited Finances had been holding her hostage, but on August 3, 2014, Danielle found a breakthrough moment. She had been searching within for a way of escape and then she discovered Faith. It wasn’t long before she found out Faith was one of her greatest assets. On said date, Danielle broke free from the grips of Fear, Doubt, et al. and, with Faith, she delivered a major blow to the aforementioned adversaries. Though she broke free, they continued to stalk her. However, Faith was strong and Danielle was resolute so those that had once intimidated her could no longer gain control over her.

On July 28, 2015, additional evidence in this case was established. Pictured below is a screenshot of what had been yet another blow to the perpetrators. We will call this “Exhibit B”.

Exhibit B – Progress Made


Surely, this was upsetting to Fear, Doubt, et al. and they continued to rear their ugly head. Months would pass and they continued to stalk, but Faith was still strong and Danielle was still resolute so there was no surrender from the two them. Danielle wanted to ensure she stayed free from the bondage of the adversaries so she delivered another blow just to make sure they understood she wasn’t weak. It’s depicted in “Exhibit C” below.

Exhibit C – The Fight to the Finish


Apparently, this was upsetting to Fear, Doubt, et al. and they would gain a couple more allies: Vertigo and Threat of Absolute Eviction. These two meant business and did temporarily knock Danielle down and weakened Faith. On July 17, 2016, Danielle received a life changing phone call and suddenly she was back up and Faith was yet strong again. Danielle took matters into her own hands and, with Faith, she triumphed over the adversaries (including the new allies).

Danielle would shortly after enter into an agreement with Faith and in just a matter of time the final counter assault was delivered to the adversaries. After many battles with the perpetrators, Danielle (with Faith, of course) prevailed. The last piece of evidence was the delivery of the final blow. On just yesterday, what started on August 3, 2014 was finally finished. Please direct your attention to Exhibit D.

Exhibit D – It Is Finished


“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1 

“So too, faith, if it does not have works to back it up, is by itself dead inoperative and ineffective.” – James 2:17

If it had not been for faith and the mind to work, the finished work would not be so. Dewdrops: Refreshing for the Soul is the very “body of evidence” of said faith and the mind to work. I allowed fear of failure, doubt of success, procrastination, and little money once hindered me from moving forward, but I pressed and I am pleased to say that I have officially authored my first book. It will soon be available for purchase online and in the near future I’ll have a book signing.

For a final note, please know that you really can do all things through Christ who gives you strength and no matter what you lack, when you write the vision and set out to make it happen, God will make the provision so that it will manifest at the appointed time. Don’t quit. Just keep going!

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” – Proverbs 24:10 

Use It or Lose It

by Danielle N. Hall

11/30/2016


“A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.” ~Kahlil Gibran

“Put the word into action. If you think hearing is what matters most, you are going to find you have been deceived.”-James 1:22 (VOICE)

The Pressure Before the Push

by Danielle N. Hall

11/15/2016

I’ve had a host of memorable experiences in my lifetime, but something that left an indelible impression on me was the pregnancy and childbirth experience! I’ve had this great pleasure 3 times and EACH time was a different experience. Of note, is the journey to Maurice’s arrival: the debut of the second child. What a journey it was from the beginning to the end! I’m here to tell you alllll about it. Take a peek into my history…

Picture it…Washington, DC…2002. In the wee hours of the morning of May 12th I wasn’t feeling too well. I wasn’t alarmed, but I was feeling hopeful. To my pleasant surprise, I discovered I was with child. The added joy of this news is that the discovery was made on Mother’s Day! I was so grateful because I was confident that God had been unhappy with me and I wouldn’t be able to bear any more children. This was a significant experience of God’s grace towards me. I will NEVER forget how that made me feel. The joy was overwhelming, but then the real journey began and there were some tough moments.

In the first few months, I wasn’t able to keep down any water, ginger ale, soup, crackers, or anything else. The doctor’s response to this was the prescribing of Phenergan suppositories which were ineffective. Additionally, I would get severe headaches and I blacked out a couple of times. I was then prescribed Duradrin which seemed to be helpful. While I was indeed still grateful for grace, I have to admit I was NOT enjoying this part of the process. It gets even better, though! As much as I am a seafood lover, I recall being really excited about our to-go order from the Fish Market in Clinton, MD. We arrived home and proceeded to dig in. Unfortunately, both the smell and sight of the seafood made me severely nauseous. How could this be??? Time progressed and I began to crave very strange things: alphabet soup was one. The even more strange thing is that I would get sick if I waited too long to satisfy my craving and I would get sick each time I ate the soup. All of these foods my body rejected somehow translated into massive weight gain. I’m still perplexed about that. I also experienced consistent swelling of the ankles and very dry skin. This was a whole new world for me, especially since the previous pregnancy was much more calm and delightful. Oh, but there’s more…

A little after the midway mark, I began to not be able to sleep in a lying position and had to start sleeping in a sitting position with my back against a back rest pillow. The third trimester arrived and so did labor pains. I paid multiple trips to labor and deliver: long before he was due. I would have consistent contractions, but no dilation. I was prescribed yet another medication: terbutaline. My understanding was that this would alleviate the contractions and also help with asthma. That was a bonus since I was asthmatic during that time. Well, I can’t say that I was surprised, but the meds didn’t stop the contractions and it actually made me begin to have problems with asthma more. I was placed on bedrest in November with a due date of January 18th. This journey had been less than ideal, yet I was grateful still.

On one of the later trips to L & D, I received the first of a series of two shots in my rear to help strengthen the lungs of little Maurice in the event that he decided to arrive before his scheduled time. This was followed by a second visit 24 hours later to receive the 2nd shot. Did I mention that this was around the 11pm hour?! Fortunately, he decided to hang around inside for a little while longer.

The infamous day finally came! At 37 weeks, on December 31st, the contractions were truly coming and THIS TIME, I was not being sent back home empty handed. The contractions grew stronger and I wisely made sure I got an epidural. The problem was it kept feeling like it was wearing off too fast…this wasn’t good. By the time I was about 5cm dilated, I felt this extreme pressure to push. I was afraid because I knew it wasn’t time, but it sure felt like it. I got a few boluses to relieve this feeling, but the pressure was so strong. I was only halfway dilated and I didn’t know what was going to happen. It was quite an emotional experience. Several hours had passed. I was exhausted from resisting the urge to push and I was hungry. I snuck some of the Starlight mints I had developed a craving for earlier during the pregnancy. I also had some mini chewy Sweetarts. Unfortunately, this didn’t mix well with anesthesia so I got really sick. I grew increasingly frustrated because my body and proper timing weren’t in sync. When I had reached the time to push, I was almost too tired to do so due to all of the festivities before hand: extra anesthesia, nausea, and mental exhaustion. The time was here so I had to suck it up and rise to the occasion. The difficulty didn’t end before the push: it continued. Due to exhaustion, my strength was declined and little Maurice required the assistance of the doctor’s hands: that’s a nice way of saying the doc reached “in” and pulled him out because his shoulder was stuck. He was turning blue and needed a bit of stimulation to let us know he was ok. He did just that and I was finally relieved. WHAT A JOURNEY! I’m proud to say that he is a thriving, young man who has overcome many obstacles: including shoulder dystocia from the time of his arrival.

I shared this experience because when we spiritually conceive, it is a joyous occasion. As the journey progresses, we can encounter all sorts of challenges: discomfort from the baby growing inside, cravings for things that only will make sense to the one carrying, and the pressure to deliver before it’s time. This experience may exhaust you and you, too, may require a little birthing assistance. It is my prayer that whatever it is you’re carrying will be carried to term and will thrive when delivered.

Sweet Somethings

by Danielle N. Hall

11/1/2016

Remember when you were…well nevermind about how old you were, but remember that time when you heard those whispered babbles in your ear and you felt warm and fuzzy? Well, those are what are known as sweet nothings. According to one source, “sweet nothings” are affectionate, but unimportant words spoken to a loved one (usually whispered in his or her ear). I’m a firm believer, however, that #ALLwordsmatter. Sometimes, those sweet words are just what we need to calm a troubled spirit, to soothe an aching soul, or to quiet a noisy mind. Therefore, I choose to call kind or affectionate words, that are uttered by others toward me, sweet SOMETHINGS.


These sweet somethings featured above are just a few highlights of what I’ve received over the past 24 hours. Flowers are best when one is alive and able to receive them. These sweet somethings are like flowers to me. They are pleasant, they are mood enhancing, and they are meaningful.

Perhaps it’s crossed your mind to buy flowers for a loved one or for someone you care about, I submit to you to consider offering a different kind of sweet something: words of life. 

“A soothing tongue speaking words that build up and encourage is a tree of life…” – Proverbs 15:4a (AMP)

Don’t hesitate to be kind and to speak kindly to others. Unexpected kind words can be just as effective as an unexpected bouquet of flowers: they are sweet somethings. I’ll leave you with this note: “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body.”-Proverbs 16:24 (AMP)

Small Beginnings 

by Danielle N. Hall

10/23/2016

Despise not small beginnings…When I consider the mustard seed and its latter glory, it causes my faith to increase. Use the little you have, place it in the Master’s hands, and watch Him work!


Mark 4:31-32 (VOICE)

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed, the tiniest seed you can sow. But after that seed is planted, it grows into the largest plant in the garden, a plant so big that birds can build their nests in the shade of its branches.

#gotFAITH?

Bruised, But Still Able to be Used

by Danielle N. Hall

10/21/2016

“Bruised, But Still Able To Be Used”Originally written on 10/6/2016 for My Sister’s Corner –Worth Series

If you’re anything like me, when you see a banana with one of those unsightly, brown spots, you probably count it as trash. I must admit, this is a faulty way of thinking. Just because a banana is bruised doesn’t mean that it is of no worth: as a matter of fact, bruised bananas are useful for many recipes! 


Like those brown spotted bananas, we too are useful. Even Christ was BRUISED for our iniquities. As followers of Christ, we can expect to go through some bruising, but it’s for the greater good. God creates some of the best glory stories out of those who have been bruised. Psalm 51:17 reads “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” You see, God does NOT determine our worth by our outer appearance, He looks at our hearts. I don’t care how beat your face is, how fly your ‘fit is, or if the color of the bottoms of your shoes is red…the focus of God’s attention is what’s inside. 

According to Proverbs 31:10 (AMP) “An excellent woman (one who is spiritual, capable, intelligent, and virtuous), who is he who can find her? Her value is more precious than jewels and her worth is far above rubies or pearls.” The value of a virtuous woman exceeds the value of those external ornaments. Verse 30 of the same book and chapter declares that “charm and grace are deceptive, and superficial beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord (reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect), she shall be praised.” A woman with a worshipful heart is praiseworthy in the sight of God. Those that worship Him must do so in spirit and in truth and a worshipper knows that true worship requires obedience and involves sacrifice. Again, consider Christ: His laying down His life and being bruised for us was the ultimate act of obedience and sacrifice and He did so because He felt that we were worth it.
Ponder the following lyrics to the well known song by Anthony Brown entitled “Worth”:
“You thought I was WORTH saving

So you came and changed my life

You thought I was WORTH keeping

So you cleaned me up inside

You thought I was to die for

So you sacrificed your life

So I could be free

So I could be whole

So I could tell everyone I know”

What a gesture for us…because He thought we were worth it, He became bruised and He was wounded. Those wounds and bruises surely didn’t decrease His worth: they serve as a valuable reminder of just how much He loves us. He died that we may become vessels of honor to carry His glory. 

David, a man who is known to be characterized as “a man after God’s own heart”, was chosen as King Saul’s successor: not because of his strength or appearance, but because God knew His heart and that David would not hesitate to glorify Him. He knew that David wasn’t vain, didn’t have selfish motives, and wouldn’t take God’s credit. In essence, he had just the heart that God wanted and He saw fit to make him king and allowed Jesus to be birthed through the lineage of him. That’s the kind of God we serve! So, in spite of your appearance, know that God already thought that you were to die for! You are worth it and with the proper posture of the heart, you can be not just His vessel, but His vessel of honor…to carry His glory. As aforementioned, the bruised become some of God’s greatest glory stories!

With love,

Danielle 

Sore Thumb

by Danielle N. Hall 

10/10/2016

Being different has been historically viewed as a negative. Whether it is a birth feature, a behavioral difference, or a matter of a choice of style…people tend to critically view these things and shun them. I submit to you that we were each uniquely designed to stand out with respect to individual purpose, yet be on one accord in heart. 

At the tender age of 2, I must have grasped ahold of this notion of being born to stand out. I had even found another way to spell “out”. Despite hearing my grandmother say: “O-U-T, OUT!” I’d discovered a way to spell it that had a different ring to it: “O-T-T, OUT!”. Soon I discovered that I was in error 😊. However, as time progressed, I found myself participating in spelling bees with children who were older than I. This was largely in part because I was afforded the privilege of taking classes with others who were in a higher grade until I reached the 2nd semester of my 3rd grade year; at that point, I was skipped to the next grade. While everyone was not as welcoming of this privilege, I’m truly grateful.

Here’s something important to note: though we are uniquely designed to stand out with respect to purpose, it does require others to help you achieve that purpose. Consider this: if you pioneer an organization for the cause of meeting a specific need, in order for the purpose of that organization to be fulfilled you will (at minimum) need the people who you endeavor to help. Be careful to not confuse being outstanding with being independent. The following scripture may better convey the point I’m attempting to make:

“How would a giant eye be able to hear? And if the entire body were an ear, how would an ear be able to smell? This is where God comes in. God has meticulously put this body together; He placed each part in the exact place to perform the exact function He wanted. If all members were a single part, where would the body be? So now, many members function within the one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:17-19 (VOICE)

As a member of the body of Christ, I may be an eye. I say this because it’s been my experience to see something that may otherwise be insignificant and I get an encouraging message from it. This particular writing is an example of one such experience. Below is a picture that I took to capture the moment that would later develop into this writing.


While in my vehicle, after having finished a delicious portion of spicy kale, I looked for a bag to dispose of the trash. I typically keep one in the car, but on that particular day I didn’t have one. In an effort to try to make the trash more contained, I attempted to bend the fork I was using so that it would fit in the container. I was unpleasantly surprised at how strong this fork was; I was trying to get this container sealed and was encountering all types of resistance from the fork. I bent it and turned it in so many directions…to no avail. At that moment it occurred to me: the fork wasn’t designed to fit in that container and that’s why it was standing out! Immediately, I said to myself: “Self, you have to take a picture of this and share about being designed to stand out.” I had no idea what I’d write or when I’d write it, but I got up early this morning and began to type and this message is the result. 

My friends and I often joke about how I see common things and get a message out of it, but it’s a perfect example of having unique, individual purpose. Embrace the gifts that God has given you and don’t be afraid to be like the proverbial “sore thumb”. I leave you with this final thought:

“Now you collectively are Christ’s body, and individually you are members of it each with his own special purpose and function…And if one member suffers, all the parts share the suffering; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:27, 26 

Strength In Unity

by Danielle N. Hall

9/24/2016

When I walked out to leave for work yesterday, I observed that my rear driver’s side tire had gone flat. Mind you, I already have one plugged tire and had recently replaced the rear passenger tire with a used one. At any rate, I enlisted the help of a uniformed passerby who was kind enough to apply my spare tire and who refused to accept the money I tried to offer. He mentioned that I needed to replace all 4 tires and get an alignment to avoid future uneven wearing. I’d just recently received the same recommendation when I went to have an oil change. Not that I was trying to delay, but the way my bank account is set up…

Fast forward to the evening. I went to a tire business after work to inquire about the cost of 4 new tires. It was significantly less than what had been quoted to me at the place where I received the oil change. This was pretty much a no brainer. I decided to go ahead and get the issue resolved there. I went inside as the work was being done and in about 5 minutes, the manager said: “You’re ready.” I was perplexed. I said you mean you mean it’s finished and then he affirmed. CLEARLY, this was the result of teamwork. 

“Strength In Unity”


As with most of my daily experiences and observations, I get a lesson or encouragement. Yesterday’s experience was a reminder of the strength in, and power of, unity: we can achieve so much when we work together. I’m still in awe of how quick the work was completed and am encouraged to be an even better team player. 

Here’s a final thought for your consideration:
“Beyond all these things put on and wrap yourselves in unselfish love, which is the perfect bond of unity [for everything is bound together in agreement when each one seeks the best for others.]” Colossians 3:14 (VOICE)