Rochelle Frazier was born and raised in Magnolia, Mississippi. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a BA Degree in Communication in 1996. She has worked in sales over the past twelve years in Mississippi and Louisiana. She currently resides in Covington, Louisiana with her three children Holland Rose, Houston and Jackson. Her mission is to inspire creativity, promote the search for passion (God's Gifts), instill faith, hope and charity, and to bring back the essence of a true Southern Girl: charm, character and charisma.

The Sweeteas
By
Rochelle Frazier

I will share with you my story, because while the “Sweeteas” seems to be touching the heartstrings of most any Southern woman who reads it, there is a lesson in faith here that is far greater than the “Sweeteas.” It has been said that “something good always comes from something bad,” and I believe I am a true testament to this. It began with a cycle of life changes starting with Katrina devastating our community. While I was blessed that my home survived this horrific storm, my community was forever changed and being pregnant with twins and having a double dose of hormones made it very difficult to live in such an environment emotionally stable. I can’t imagine had I lost my home. A very complicated pregnancy then led me to early bed rest and a move closer to my family to help with my daughter while my husband tried to salvage his business back home on the coast.

I became what I like to say “intimate” friends with Oprah during this time, because she was the excitement of my day, and I soon learned why most all women love her.  It seemed she was an advocate for changing your life and following your purpose. She spoke of “The Secret" and “Living your best Life Now.”  It was then that I began practicing her advice. I tried to think of abundance and attract positive things in my life. I also started reading Joel Olsten who spoke of abundance, and leaned on Beth Moore who is my personal mentor. I was often worried about having twins, and how I would possibly provide financially and physically for three children when it was already so difficult for me with my job and my one precious daughter. How would I be the mother that my children or any child deserves?? So, I started praying for inspiration to change my life.  It was almost immediate that I started dreaming of these adorable characters and writing little phrases here and there of what they might say. At first I didn’t see it as inspiration, but my crazy mind in motion, as always.

I started getting very sick before the birth of my twin boys and the doctor thought I had bronchitis. I had a really bad cough, and I couldn’t sleep without a pile of pillows and even then, very little. Out of desperation, I begged my doctor to take the babies, because I thought I was dying but I had no idea how right I was. It turned out that I had pregnancy induced congestive heart failure. It’s called a peripardum cardiomyopathy and it occurs in about 4% of pregnancies. By the time they realized this, my heart function was at 20% which was pretty close to requiring a heart transplant. My cardiologist and internist were both positive that I would survive, but neither knew how I would respond to therapy and both doubted I would return to my current job which had been the livelihood of our family. So I found myself at a place needing inspiration more than ever before. I will admit that there were many rough days where I was very sad and I cried very often, but I was mostly afraid that my children would grow up without their mom. A dear friend who battled cancer told me to say continuously that “I will not die but live and spread your Word," and I keep these words close and I truly believe they transformed me. I kept scriptures posted to my walls  and books of inspiration at my hip trying to keep my spirit up, because I had a family who needed me so very much.

As if this wasn’t enough, I ended up going through yet another life change that called on my spirit more than ever. My husband and I of almost ten years ended our marriage less than a month after my mom was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.  If you would have told me at the beginning that I would have to go through all of this to get to where I am today, I would have said there’s no way I could survive, but I did. Not only did I survive, God put so many people in my life to help me change my life for the life I wanted and deserved. A life that today is so full of blessings.

With the help of my library of motivational books and my priest, we continued to pray for inspiration and the Sweeteas began to come alive. I began writing and drawing both to my surprise. People were put in my life almost magically to help me with water coloring, publishing, printing and everything involved to get the Sweeteas to press. It’s a book in itself. My health did return and I was able to keep my job to provide for my family while I continued developing the Sweeteas. It was yet another miracle that our company was purchased by another pharmaceutical company, and I had just enough vested options to self publish my book. So I was able to write, draw and self publish the Sweeteas just as I was inspired. I had great faith it would do well, but no idea how much it would touch people. On October 16th, 2009, I also released, “The Secret of the Pearls,” my second book in the series. Last year much like 2006 was a very trying year for me and my family, but again through such suffering came yet another adorable book that I get to share with you today.  I believe in lessons and that sometimes we keep getting them until we fully learn what we need to move forward. I am happy to say that I am finally on a Rock….and I pray that this is where I live always!! I hope you will join me here….together we can surely touch the world with a lil’ Southern Grace!!!!! Please check out my blog (A Spoonfull of Sugar  )to follow my journey. I hope it will inspire you, as so many have inspired me. Beth Moore wrote that sometimes you are more useful healed than you ever were well….I love that:)

This year I plan to release "God's Promises to His Sweeteas." This will take me on a new journey, but one I am very eager to begin. I was truly transformed in 2006 with the words "I shall not die, but live and spread your word." I pray that the Sweeteas will begin touching people in a way that they become so full they overflow the Love of God and His Word on to others.

Blessings to Y’all,
Rochelle