And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Habakkuk 2:2 KJV)
GODLY THING OF BEAUTY
LEWISVILLE, Texas — For Sandi D. Johnson, June 5, 2018 essentially changed the overall landscape of her life.
“Last year on June 5, I did a Facebook Live (segment) on collateral beauty,” Johnson told Making Headline News this week. “I was inspired by the movie and how Will Smith’s character became paralyzed by grief and begin to seek out answers. The results were that in life’s toughest, most heart-wrenching situations, there are some lessons and blessings. So, the term collateral beauty has been in my spirit ever since.”
All things considered, such an awe-inspiring sequence is what fueled Johnson’s desire to compose the newly-produced entitled, “My Story, My Journey: Collateral Beauty,” a collaborative written work she assembled with other authors.
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The book’s official launch will take place on August 3 at Sway’s Room in nearby DeSoto, Texas, during which Johnson will be the keynote speaker.
Also, Johnson announced that a retreat is planned for some time next year and will called, “My Story, My journey: Collateral Beauty Retreat,” during which she will be a presenter.
As Johnson explained, her company EnVision Your Life, L.L.C., also has played an integral part of her quest to write a book that figures to become a fixture during what many have dubbed “perilous times.”
“My company has a proven multi-step process that produces vision boards, which produces results and are in action,” Johnson explained. “As a result of the EnVision Board Experience, the individual will leave with a visual representation of their vision, futurist mindset, and three concrete goals that will be in motion with the help of a dream keeper relationship. The experiences are done virtually or in person. So on my vision board, the words ‘Put it in writing’ as a personal goal was to author a book. I cannot motivate others to reach goals and not move on my own.”
To her credit, Johnson has certainly moved mightily, thus exercised her faith in ways unimaginable, particularly with regards to assembling “My Story, My Journey: Collateral Beauty.”
“After experiencing the death of my stepfather, mother, and grandfather in a period of like 16 months, I was able to find some beauty in that situation,” said Johnson, when asked what was the single, most underlying reason she chose to produce her new book. “The heartbreak and grief were purposed to give me the ability to reframe any situation. I want others to know that not only can they survive those hard places, but it is part of their purpose path.”
As far as demonstrating faith to compose her newly-assembled written document, Johnson acknowledged that it was, by all accounts, a vision to which God introduced her early this year through “Grace to Recover,” a book she co-authored with Shirley LaTour.
“This goal was in no way, shape, or form one that was easy to obtain,” Johnson recalled. “You see, I struggled with spelling since childhood, which feeds into the irrational thought pattern that I could not write. As a child, Thursday nights at my house growing up was a struggle due to the Friday spelling test. We would sing, rap, write, and dance to my spelling words only for me to barely pass the test. In college, I would procrastinate when assigned any paper out of this belief that I could not write.”
But God Whom, much to Johnson’s delight, still had a divine purpose for her life, most notably through the competitive world of authorship.
That, of course, meant she had to become accustomed to spelling and writing — and do it efficiently.
“A few years ago, I expressed to my author friend (MeLisa Calhoun Collins) that I could not write,” Johnson said. “I would send her something I had written for her to read. It was at that point, she informed me I would never say that statement again. She has been my editor and can take my sometimes not-so-well-written thought and fix it to make sense. She is my writing dream keeper.”
And today unlike never before, Johnson has emerged as purpose driven and accomplished author, who’s yet walking fervently in her purpose — with God, her Helper, leading the way.
Talk about a massive thing of beauty.
“This fear almost stopped this project,” said Johnson, who’s currently working on two more anthologies. “As a vision coach, I tell my clients just to leap and that is what I did with a blindfold on. And 14 other women joined me on this journey and shared their stories of finding meaning in either the death of a loved one or divorce. Some were hit with both at the same time.”
For Johnson, it all goes back to June 5 of last year.
“This year on June 5 — exactly one year after the Facebook Live on my weekly broadcast — ‘Living Life On Purpose,’ — was launched,” said Johnson, alluding to yet another published project. “This was not planned, and it was only realized as I casually strolled my memories and the connection was made. It was as if God was blowing His daughter a kiss and putting His seal of approval on this project.
“When you leap without knowing the full plan, it is a faith walk, and all credit has to be given to our Father up above,” Johnson continued. “If He gave you the project, He will supplies the tools to complete it.”
Not to mention, change the overall landscape of your life in the process.
For more information about Dallas/Fort Worth-area Author Sandi Johnson, to order her books, or to schedule her for a public appearance or book signing, call 817-678-6750. To book a Virtual EnVision Board Experience, log on to: https://www.virtualenvisionexperience.com/. For information on the retreat, log on to: www.mystorymyjourneyretreat.com. Also, send email to: [email protected].
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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.