THE LOSS OF SUE

JUNE 25, 2015

MY HEART IS HEAVY.

Heaven just got much more beautiful with it's newest resident my friend Suzanne Ferrara.

The call that we were all dreading, but yet knew was eventually coming. Well it came today.

Sue had begun her brand new journey after what has been an 12 plus month struggle where Sue COURAGEOUSLY battled STAGE 4 LUNG CANCER.

I had the pleasure of visiting with Sue last year after she was newly diagnosed. Davelynn and I went to visit Sue in Atlanta at a clinic that she was attending thanks to friends who had organized a fundraiser to come together and help Sue fight this horrible disease.

While visiting last year we promised to visit again the following years knowing that the LOVE,SUPPORT & PRAYERS that were surrounding Sue would allow her to FIGHT the FIGHT.

THAT SHE DID.

I returned this year thirteen months after our first visit.

I was able to spend my birthday with my dear friend. I was blown away by Sue's Strength, Courage and will as she battled this illness.

We had three special days that I will cherish forever.  So happy I was able to make the return trip.

6 weeks later Sue's fight had come to an end.

Her family unselfishly shared Sue's journey with us all and we were all made better people beacause of it.

THANK YOU SCOTT,CARLY & VINCE.

6 days before Sue's passing she was admitted to the hospital and placed in hospice as it was determined the end of this journey was in the process.

Sue was able to SURRENDER & LET GO KNOWING & FEELING how very LOVED she was as her family allowed all of us to post messages on her facebook wall which they read to her.

LOVE LOVE LOVE....SURROUNDED BY LOVE.

What a blessing and a beautiful way to begin her new journey.

Sue, THANK YOU FOR YOU. THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME.

I will miss you my friend.

But I will be ok, because I know that you are ok.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF MY LIFE. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU.

FLY FREE. EMBRACE THIS WONDERFUL NEW JOURNEY THAT YOU ARE ON.

FUCK CANCER......EXPIRATION DATE. SAYS WHO.

WTF

Food, Vitamins, Products.

&

LIFE.

I just got to spend 3 days with my dear friend Sue. I have had the pleasure of calling Sue a friend for the past 33 years.

Sue has been faced with some MAJOR HEALTH CHALLENGES.

She has been diagnosed with Stage 4 LUNG CANCER.

She was given a certain TIME FRAME/EXPIRATION DATE. I am happy to report that she has long since passed that time.

So much for expiration dates.....We need to remember the medical industry works with statistics.
It is a guessing game. That is why it is called a PRACTICE.

Sue is truly an inspiration and a warrior.

She is fighting everyday to stay here with us here on Earth.

She is a FIGHTER. SO COURAGEOUS.

I said to Sue on our visit. That the only one who has the answer is GOD. He also has a PLAN.

I told her that we are all dying. Each breathe we take we are closer to death than we are to life.

She is surrounded by LOVE and SUPPORT.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP SUE IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS SHE CONTINUES HER BATTLE.

Sue,

I LOVE YOU & I am  honored to call you a friend. Your BRAVERY & STRENGTH, INSPIRE & MOVE me.

KEEP, KEEPING ON.

GOD BLESS.....LIGHT AND LOVE.

THE FACE OF COURAGE .......TODAY

COURAGE.

THE FACE OF COURAGE.

What does it look like?

In the world today, it would look like BRUCE JENNER.

He is the face of the moment when we think of COURAGE.

After 65 years of living on the earth, he is finally after three wives, being the father to ten children, being an OLYMPIAN, being a SPOKESPERSON for Wheaties and being an EVERYMAN is being true to hmself and transitioning to a WOMAN.

WOW. I can not even begin to imagine after living his life in the SPOTLIGHT most of his life will now go through this very transition with ALL EYES WATCHING.

Such a private and personal matter for all the world to be witness to.

How unfortunate for he and his family.  At the same timethe attention he is bringing to the subject of TRANSGENDER has and will save countless LIVES.

Thank you Bruce.

Wishing you peace, light and love as you become true to you.

LESSON for all os US. We need to trust who we are and what we want out of life and be courageous enough to pursue and seek without being concerned with what others think about our decisions.

We have but ONE LIFE. We need to live our lives with HONESTY AND INTEGRITY & BE TRUE TO OURSELVES.

SPRING

SPRING

All things made new.

NEW BEGINNINGS. SECOND CHANCES.

Working to get it RIGHT.

Spring is representative of brand new life. An opportunity to redirect.

Setting things right.

Choices.........We get to make new and different choices to help move us along our journey.

Acceptance and Trusting that in life at any given moment we are where we are meant to be.

May not always feel good. But everything that we go through and experience in life is all part of the MASTER PLAN which is to help us to be the people we are meant to be and to fufill our purpose here on earth.

It may be for a lesson that we ourselves our meant to learn to break free or it may be to help a loved one,family,friend or stranger to become the people they are meant to become.

GRATITUDE for being an ENERGY on this planet to be of SERVICE not only to others but to be of SERVICE to OURSELVES is extremly important.

It is necessary that we CARE for ourselves in a LOVING & HEALTHY way.

It is only after placing ourselves on  the TOP OF OUR LIST for self care/self love that we are able to fully be of services to others.

Life is not always easy........Often one must go through extreme HARDSHIP to reach it's potential and find it's purpose.

The flower as example does not become the Beauty it was meant to be,  if it does not blossom and break through......WE AS PEOPLE ARE THE SAME.

WE ARE MEANT TO BREAK FREE.

It is our job and our MISSION TO BREAK FREE...........WE ALL OWE IT TO OURSELVES.

2 DECADES

2 DECADES = 20 YEARS =240 MONTHS =1040 WEEKS =7300 DAYS =175,200 HOURS


What does all of this mean?

It is how long since we have been without YOU.

Madeline Corina ( MY GRANDMOTHER)

February 21,1995.

That was the morning that you were chosen to emabark on a brand new journey.

It does not seem possible that 20 years have gone by that I have not been able to visit you and hug you and kiss you and be loved by you.

It has been 20 years since we have shared the holidays together.

20 years since I have heard your voice and enjoyed your Sunday macaroni, or your tomato soup cake or italian cookies

20 years since I have gone to Defazio's store for you to buy the italian bread for our Sunday meals.

You are gone. But you are here and with me always. You have just taken on a different form.

You were always my # 1 Cheerleader here on Earth. Always looking out for me.

I feel your presence, your love and support even after all this time has passed. I know you have been with me and have WATCHED OVER ME & KEPT ME OUT OF HARMS WAY.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Just wanted to reach out and say I LOVE YOU & MISS YOU.

Thank you for loving me.

You are my SUNSHINE as I move through the STORMS in life.

You always used to say Joey the sun does not shine everyday......That is just a part of life. Tomorrow will be a better day and the sun will shine again........Hearing you say that over and over as a child has saved my life. THANK YOU.

In Search of Food for the Soul: JUMPING IN

In Search of Food for the Soul: JUMPING IN: JUMPING IN We have just closed out the first month of 2015. I made a promise to myself that 2015 was going to be a better year. So far...

JUMPING IN

JUMPING IN

We have just closed out the first month of 2015.

I made a promise to myself that 2015 was going to be a better year.

So far that promise is being realized.

I decided to GET OUT OF MY WAY & STOP BLOCKING MY BLESSINGS.

We live in an ABUNDANT UNIVERSE.  If we are not open and available for the abundance and blessings they will just flow to others.

THERE IS ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE. WE JUST NEED TO TRUST AND BELIEVE.

For most of my life, I have fought and went against the current and the NATURAL FLOW OF LIFE.

I would jump in and fight the current. I always felt, like I was swimming upstream on a dry lake bed. I would than wonder why I was tired, frustrated and facing one obstacle after the next.

I think that I am finally understanding that once WE STOP FIGHTING, things begin to come into our lives and we begin to MANIFEST what we NEED, HOPE AND DESIRE for our LIVES.

This only begins to happen by jumping into and GOING with the FLOW OF LIFE.

I wish everyone the COURAGE to just say YES TO LIFE.

We create so much unnecessary struggle in our lives.

JUMP IN AND GO WITH THE FLOW OF LIFE. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO AND THE NATURAL WAY TO GO.......MOVE WITH THE DIRECTION OF THE WATER.

ALWAYS WALK AND BY GUIDED BY THE LIGHT IN  YOUR HEART.

READY, SET, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 1/1/15

READY, SET, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 1/1/15

And we are off.

January 1, 2015

A BRAND NEW YEAR.

The slate has been wiped clean, an empty canvas, a black page.

These are all very exciting things to be placed in front of an artist.

This is a GREAT THING.

WHY? YOU ASK.

A new beginning is always exciting. We get to decide as the artists,authors and designers of our lives what we want to CREATE. What type of STORY we want to TELL.

This will all happen by the CHOICES that we make.

2014 is over. THANKFULLY.

I am grateful for all of the lessons and hardships that were a part of 2014.....THERE WERE MANY.

I was EMPTY & DEFEATED in 2014. Feeling LOST and without direction and at times very HOPELESS.
I slipped into complete and utter darkness watching myself slipping away day by day.

It was SCARY. I was losing myself.

Today I am feeling very HOPEFUL & EXCITED about what this new year will bring.

I do know that alot of what the new year will bring, will have to do with what I BRING into the new year.

I am choosing to bring BELIEF,FAITH,HOPE,LOVE,TRUST
(especially SELF LOVE & SELF CARE) with me into 2015 which will allow me to Design,Create,Write,Direct and Produce a BEAUTIFUL LIFE FOR MYSELF & TO LIVE THE LIFE I WANT TO LIVE.

I wish each and everyone of you the same wish to DESIGN THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS AND THE LIFE THAT YOU ARE SO WORTH LIVING.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.  MAY 2015 MANIFEST ALL OF YOUR DREAMS.

FIND YOU LIGHT. WALK IN THE LIGHT AND BE SURE TO SHINE YOUR LIGHT.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

WISHING EVERYONE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON AND A MAGICAL NEW YEAR.

PEACE & BLESSINGS,

JOE

P.S

I plan on being much more active in 2015.

2014 has been a rough one personally in every area.

 Looking forward to NEW BEGINNINGS.

365 +5 DAY

365+5 =370

370 Days is the number of days I have been back in Los Angeles.

Easy it has not been.

It has been one obstacle and challenge after another.

Still questioning if retuning was the right choice.

When I left and said goodbye to Los Angeles in 2009, I WAS DONE.

I really did not expect it to be as hard as it has been. I thought with living here for 23 years and creating whatever life that I had created would help make the transition easier upon my return.

THAT HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE.

My plan was to come back to Los Angeles and work.

WORK FOR MONEY
WORK FOR SELF AWARENESS
WORK FOR RECONCILLING ISSUES OF THE PAST
WORK FOR SELF PRESERVATION
WORK TO SURVIVE
WORK CREATIVELY
WORK

JUST WORK SIMPLY WORK.

Work has been so scarce and sporadic for me. I have managed to get by with much struggle.

I know there ia a LESSON in all of this.

I believe this struggle that I have been faced with and continue to be faced with is for me to realize that I need to TRUST AND BELIEVE that I am worthy of living the life of my dreams. Not just thinking it but REALLY B E L I E V I  N G IT.

I need to REFOCUS on what I want and work towards that GOAL. If I refocus my energies I believe that I will see PROGRESS.

I always deplete my energies by spending precious TIME PURSUING THE LIFE OF SURVIVAL which takes away form LIVING THE LIFE OF PASSION AND MY DREAMS.

I have wasted so much time and energy stuck in FEAR
FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL.

It sucks.

The time is now to live FEARLESSLY.

Trusting the next 365 +++++++++++++ DAYS MY ENERGIES WILL BE SPENT CREATING THE LIFE I WANT TO LIVE RATHER THAN THE LIFE I THINK I NEED TO LIVE.

REACH FOR THE STARS.

PEACE AND BLESSINGS

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH BEAUTY AND ENERGY THAT SUPPORTS YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY.         LIFE IS TO BE LIVED. ENJOY .