VIDEO: I AM, Holding on to You

February 19, 20141 Comment

There is nothing like being at the feet of Jesus. You feel humble, broken, grateful, lifted high and complete. So many emotions – redemption, hope, acceptance, joy – I could continue on and on.

I wonder to myself – why do I not take time to do this more often? To be still, meditate and worship the man who died for me – for my ugly sins. I am a broken vessel – He made me whole.

It takes dedication to enter into the throne room of Christ. It takes release – to truly let go of your fear, to live in the moment, to throw away regret and shame and just breathe in the presence of the Living Lord.

I did that today, and it was grand.

There I sat, in my apartment sauna – in tears. Not because I was sad; but, because I was experiencing the presence of my Christ. I envisioned his face. I pictured his love – and it made me weep tears of joy.

I worshipped, lifted my voice and sang to the heavens:

There’s no space that His love can’t reach. There’s no place that we can’t find peace. There’s no end to Amazing Grace. Take me in with your arms spread wide. Take me in like an orphan child. Never let go, never leave my side. I am, Holding on to You. I am, Holding on to You. In the middle of the storm, I am Holding on, I am! – David Crowder

There is nothing like shedding tears out of love. They are watery conduits of thankful expressions. They are waterfalls of gratitude for unending grace and mercy.

What love is this that the Father has lavished upon us! There in that steam room alone, I felt honored to be in his presence. I felt blessed to sing from my gut – not worrying about if others in the gym could hear me. What a moment that was with my King!

Take time Dear One – to sit alone and worship God. You will enter his illuminate presence when you let go of all that burdens you. Your God will take your load – so you can fall on your face in the glorious presence of Jesus Christ. He’s holding on to you. Reach out for Him.

Listen to this song – and really envision the lyrics. Enter into God’s throne room of grace, Dear Child of God:

Headbands of Hope – #GiveBack

February 12, 2014February 12, 2014Leave a comment

Today I wanted to share with you a beautiful ministry that I ran across this morning on Twitter.

It’s called ‘Headbands of Hope.’

For every headband you purchase from this organization, one is given to a girl fighting cancer. They also will donate $1 to the St. Baldrick’s Foundation to fund life-saving childhood cancer research.

The website writes, “Headbands are the perfect way for these girls to keep their feminine identity and have a constant reminder that they’re not alone.”

This picture (on the blog) really says it all. We all wear headbands. Why not purchase one from an organization that gives to girls in need of a smile and support?

Everyone needs to feel beautiful. We are all majestic creations of the King of Kings.

I encourage you to share this post and/or this organization with anyone you know will be interested in bringing a smile to someone’s face. Pray about it. This is why we are here – on this earth – to love God and love others. And, we love God by loving his children.

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. – Matthew 22:36-39

www.headbandsofhope.org

Buy A Chosen Child Adoption Band & Support The Choice of Life

January 24, 2014January 24, 20143 Comments

Jonathan & Megan – prime example of a sweet couple who want to open their hearts and home to a little one in need.

This week marked the 41^st year in America since Roe v. Wade (1973) was set in place. I read a news article that stated that 55 million unborn lives have been lost since that date. Abortion rates in the United States are simply outrageous. Thousands of little lives are snuffed out each and every day.

I won’t spend this entire post talking about the statistics. But, if you are curious and concerned, which you should be – check out this link {here.}

Choosing life for your unborn child is not only beneficial, it’s right. And, there are beautiful, amazing couples out there – looking for a special child to love on. Adoption is key. Don’t snuff out a life because you are scared. Look for alternatives for that baby inside of you.

Thank goodness that many people have chosen life for their little ones – so that precious families can adopt them and accept them into warm, caring homes!

Jonathan and Megan are the prime examples of loving people that your child could be blessed with. After 6 years of marriage, they are choosing to give a child a life, love and a family. According to their blog {which you should check out} they are adopting an infant through the ABC (African-American/Biracial Children) program of The Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth.

They need your help and support in adopting this little one.

This is the cool band you will get – only $10!

Will you give of yourself – to help a little precious child go to a good, happy family? You can simply purchase an adoption band {pictured} and all the proceeds during January and February will go directly to their agency. How awesome is that!?

It is based on Ephesians 1:3-6, which says, ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves’

By the way, don’t you just LOVE the name of the band – chosen child!? Chills. Seriously. Please read more about the bands, here. Again, all the proceeds go to Jonathan’s and Megan’s agency during the months of January and February!

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. {Psalm 127:3}

Wedding Bells & Tremendous Bliss

January 21, 20145 Comments

Hello sweet blogger friends, I wanted to share some exciting news with you – I’m engaged. Taylor popped the question over the frosty weekend, and I said yes.

It was a wonderful night – dinner at the first place we had a date, ice-skating and a romantic {freezing} walk on the mall, where he got down on one knee – with the United States Capitol illuminated in the distance.

I cried. He teared up {men don’t cry, right? Haha}. It was perfect. I love this man with all my heart.

He is my best friend. My partner –the person that I cannot wait to call at the end of the day! His jokes make me cry with laughter and his heart melts mine. He is not afraid to stop and pray {in public or in private.} His fervent love for God and dedication spurs me to dig deeper into the Lord’s unfailing grace and mercy.

I pray this only gets stronger with time and am excited to walk through this life with him. We all know marriage is not a smooth sailing cruise ship, so I pray God will bless our commitment and make us into understanding, loving vessels that shine his glory to the world and each other daily.

So now, I guess, I will be adding a new dimension to the blog – wedding planning. However, I will not over bombard you with posts about flowers, vows, dresses and bridesmaids gifts.

I realize that is annoying – don’t worry. I am not typical in that sense – sometimes it’s too much white lace, frosting and cake. I get it. I am going to stick to my typical blog style {and maybe just pepper throughout some wedding posts.}

Anyway, I wanted to share my joy with each of you. Thank you for following this blog. I truly appreciate your support and encouragement.

Fresh Flowers Have Health Benefits

January 14, 20142 Comments

What a cute idea – use a pitcher as a vase!

There is something about flowers that brightens my world. Looking at them really gives me a serene charge. It’s like my heart smiles at every glance of a pastel petal in a crystal vase.

To me, it’s worth it to chunk out $4.99 or more {don’t go crazy!} every few weeks for this bit of peacefulness. You’re worth it.

But, what is it about flowers that make people happy? This might surprise you, but there was actually a study done on the emotional impact of flowers.

The study finds that – happiness, friendless and memory are gained.

Maybe the people who coined the phrase ‘Flower Power’ were on to something?

Women who are given flowers are reported to carry happiness around with them for up to 3 days after receiving flowers. If flowers are displayed or set out in a room, it incites friendliness. Flowers given to elderly people actually improve memory retention.

You can read the FULL study here.

Also – as a little bonus for you work desk dwellers – flowers and plants promote innovation and productivity in the workplace.

And guess what – men garnered 15% more ideas than women having some type of green plant present in the office. However, women benefited more in the creative department.

Go out and buy some flowers. Let your heart smile a little more today!

Praise You With a Grateful Heart – for Today!

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014Leave a comment

I had an epiphany today, if you will. I’ve never had an issue with gratefulness. I love my life and typically look at situations and circumstances through rose colored glasses. I feel blessed and really thank God for who he has made me to be – and how he works through me.

However, as you get older, things change a little bit. Your life does not move at the speed of light anymore. You are not graduating from high school to college and then on from college to the working world. Challenges and goals don’t come up so quickly and you can find yourself feeling dull – even useless.

I hate to admit this, but I have felt this way at times. Heck, we are all human. You get into a routine – and that spice for life somehow dissipates.

You think, ‘When is the next best thing going to happen to me!?’ When is that next phase is life going to happen!?’ Yet, you continue on every day like a faithful servant, but lacking that zeal.

I think on Matthew 5:13, ‘You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.‘

Think of saltiness as zeal or a joyful heart. You are basically useless without an inward joy and peace. And, boy, I don’t want to be useless! Joy attracts others to you. Thankfulness sets your face aglow!

Time to adopt a thankful heart again! I have to tell myself not to long for the future – but to live in the moment. Days go by wasted, if your heart is not right. Think of how far you’ve come in life and praise God for this!

This exercise is a surefire way to get your mind back to that grateful state.

When I first moved to the Washington, DC area, I lived in a tiny studio apartment. And, we are talking tiny, like a little box. I washed my dishes in the bathtub y’all. No dishwasher for this girl. But, you know what, I may not own a house now – but I don’t need to gravel in that fact and let it destroy my day. I need to praise God for where I am now. I live in a nicer apartment with a beautiful new dishwasher. So, I praise God for the sudsy bubbles in that machine that make my life happier and easier.

I praise you, God—for the little paws that pitter patter on my hardwood floors, and that sweet little puppy face that has been living with me for 3 years. This is a blessing and is something that blesses my life. This is something I did not have before – and now, I do.

Try this exercise. It works wonders – and the list will grow like those grow magic capsules! Of course the future holds wonders for you (this is a promise!) – but don’t long for it. This will only make you unhappy. Praise God for where you are now – and ask him to use you in your current state. Life is too short to live unhappy.

Reasons It Rocks To Be A Girl

January 10, 2014January 10, 20142 Comments

I enjoy being a girl. That was a favorite song in my youth. Listen to it here – it’s from the 1961 musical ‘The Flower Drum Song.’ But seriously y’all, I enjoy being a girl.

There are many reasons that being of the female gender is awesome. {Minus child birth and all that comes with that!} That’s kind of a bummer; yet, special at the same time.

Motherhood seems like a wonderful thing, and I hope to experience it one day.

However, here are my top reasons that I simply ‘enjoy being a girl’ in this season in my life. I am sure I will add more as the world keeps turning. Hope you women out there can relate.

Long hair is awesome. You can braid your lovely locks or cut them off for Locks of Love. You can dye your hair different colors or curl it. Your choices are basically endless. Use an old sock to create a sky high bun – why not!? Deep condition and brush with a comb or round brush. Use a headband to pull back those bangs or just get those tresses out of your face. Long hair is awesome. Plain and simple.

Dresses are so much cooler than suits. Sorry men – ladies get to enjoy the summer so much more than you. We get to experience ventilation when wearing a cute, little frock. You look feminine and can stay comfortable. You can make your waist look skinny with a cute belt or, if you are feeling bloated – wear a loose fitting shift dress. Gotta love dresses!

Make-up is a lifesaver. I know you all are natural beauties – but you have to admit, when you have that little pimple on your chin, isn’t it nice to cover it up with a little mineral veil or concealer? Men can’t do this, unless they want to risk someone pointing out their makeup fondness. You can also play up your eyes {which are the ‘windows to your soul.’} Make blue eyes look like the Pacific Ocean or your Hazel eyes like a moist meadow. You’re worth it – sweet beauties.

Crazy gets a pass. So women are crazy sometimes. Embrace it. You get a pass even acknowledging this fact. We are emotional beings {so what?}. If you feel your emotions about to get the better of you – call out your craziness. Tell your beau or your family, ‘I am an emotional, crazy mess right now.’ It’s beautiful to get a pass on this feeling. Our emotions make us who we are. God made us to be this way – with many, many hormones. Let it out, girl. Embrace it – don’t try to mask it or deny it.

Excuse to love lace. Being ladylike is in your blood. So, you can love lace. You can channel your inner Victorian princess and wear it from head to toe. No one will call you out for loving some fancy lace. Throw a tea party with pretty doilies. It’s your God given right as a woman. Wear a sweatshirt with lace on the elbows. It can’t look funny – because you’re a girl. No one will say a word. Love some lace.

Go gaga over puppies. Kiss puppies. Baby talk to them. Dress them in sweet little sweaters and buy rain boots for them. Somehow you will not be dubbed the ‘Crazy Dog Woman.’ You can’t do this with cats. You will be dubbed ‘Crazy Cat Lady.’ Fawn over puppies. They have so much love to give. Take them on walks and cuddle with them. If you don’t have a dog, visit a pound and pet them there. Puppies are a girl’s best friend!

Wear gaudy jewelry. Layer thick jewelry over sweaters. Wear a huge necklace with a white t-shirt. You are a girl; and, therefore can get away with this interesting trend. Those collar necklaces – buy one and proudly wear it. Feel the womanhood and femininity. Adorn yourself with funky cocktail rings. As How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days would say, ‘Frost yourself.’

Cheer Up, Buttercup! 5 Ways To Beat The Blues

January 6, 2014January 6, 20141 Comment

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at a certain time of the year, usually in the winter.

So, I was scanning online today (like I usually do) and discovered that today is known as ‘Blue Monday.’

What?

Daily Mail reports, ‘today there will be nearly five times the average number of tweets relating to guilt, as people abandon their promises to pursue a healthier lifestyle.’

It’s also the day that millions of Americans…dun, dun, dun – return to work. The giddy feeling of the holidays and Christmas cheer is over and icy weather conditions really make things look bleak.

But – hello, little buttercups – cheer up!

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. We can do things to beat the ‘oh so blues!’ No need to feel defeated, depressed or just under the weather.

I will add in a little Bible verse of encouragement, here:

‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. {2 Cor. 4: 8-12}

Here are some great things you can do to cheer up!

After all, Audrey Hepburn says, ‘Happy girls are the prettiest girls.’

Smell Some Peppermint Oil

The qualities of this oil will cause you to feel energized. It is often used to treat discomfort and stress. A lot of shades of grey are due to stress in one’s life. Dab some essential oil behind your ears and under your nose – and watch that distress and gloomy spirit melt away.

Read Inspirational Quotes

This is a sure fire way to cheer up anyone down in the dumps. Go to Pinterest and click on the ‘Quotes’ tab. I do this all the time. I gain so much spiritual and mental inspiration from reading the beautifully laid out quotes and mantras.

Go on a Walk

Get out of the house – even if it’s for 10 minutes. Bundle up and walk for 30 minutes. Listen to a book on tape {while walking on the treadmill}. Turn on some upbeat music {Christian is a good one here}. Do lunges in the driveway – or out in the hallway of your apartment complex. The more you move – the more your body will feel more alive.

Sing a Hymn

Don’t dismiss this – it works. Here is a link to some of the most popular hymns. Sing all the verses. You may not be feeling this at first – but believe me, if you make it through the whole song – you will feel rejuvenated. There is something about singing songs to your maker with lyrics of old.

Drink a Feel-Good Tea

Now, this is not just any old tea. You really need to seek out the teas that relieve anxiety and depression. Stick to caffeine-free teas. Did you know that caffeine can cause anxiety? This is not going to help alleviate the blues. Types of teas to try are: kava, passion flower, valerian root, chamomile, peppermint and lemon balm. In addition to this, tea is an antioxidant. This will add to your overall health. The healthier you are – the happier you will feel.

He says to me, “This is the way –walk in it.”

January 3, 2014January 3, 2014Leave a comment

Lord – you make the stars. And, I stand in awe every night looking up to the sky. Hands raised, I release my life to you. I’ve said it from the beginning – Father of Love, you can have me. I need direction and clarity Lord.

I see your shining light in the distance and everything within me wants to race to that light. It’s my utmost desire that your beams of warmth and radiance touch my skin. I want to glow with your Light of Love. Not my will – but yours Lord. Not my way – but yours.

I am a clay vessel, prone to mistakes and cracks. But, God – I crave to be a cistern of your holy water. Your goodness –fills up my life like the abundant bread you fed the five thousand. You keep giving and giving your goodness. And, Lord, I will continue to receive all you have to give me. I am overjoyed to breathe in your blessings.

I long to repay you in some way – for this overabundance! But, you hold my head in your hands and say, Daughter, I’ve already paid for you in full. Just walk in my truth. Love others. Love me.

Who is this Giver of such good things?

Does he not see my faults and flaws? Does he not see me stumble, fall and struggle?

Yet He says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) He makes his daughter – strong and able. He lights a fire in my soul. And, I will stand for truth, even if it’s fading in this world like embers after a Christmas fire.

His wind of provision coats my tongue. And, I will speak though my voice shakes. For truth cannot sit idly by –it is meant to be exemplified! The banner of the Lord will go before me (Deut 31:8). He’s promised this. I want to dance in the parade of His endless direction.

He says to me, “This is the way –walk in it.” (Isaiah 30:12) May I be able to recognize his beautiful voice and follow my Life Leader into the garden of His endless grace!

New Year’s Eve Resolutions & Celebrating The Life in You

January 1, 2014January 1, 2014Leave a comment

It’s New Year’s Eve and like typical this calls for a grandiose list of goals for the upcoming year.

I don’t want to say that I am going to complete all these things – fingers crossed – I will.

But, it is important to set spiritual, physical, personal and mental goals.

Like mentioned yesterday in the kindness post, we really cannot take care of others properly when we forsake ourselves. So, now is your time to think about you and the things you need out of this coming year.

Like water refreshes a parched animal, so accomplishing goals refreshes a life.

Don’t overload yourself with a never-ending list. Some people write down 50 things they want accomplished.

This is really unreasonable. Make sure that you have just a few goals that you can really try to meet. So, here goes – here is my list for 2014.

Physical Goals:

Get a yoga membership (go 3x a week – this will be difficult with work, but it can be done. Weekends may need to fill two days of this goal and a weekday night class here and there)

Lift weights 2x a week (one day focus on arms, the other legs)

Start walking more (30 minutes 2x a week)

Spiritual Goals:

Sermon listening in the morning before work (Leading the Way is a favorite – this has a free podcast). I try to listen while I am putting my makeup on. Check out the link —> here.

Personal Goals:

For a time I have been saying that I am going to write a book – well, I need to do it and brain storm. Even if it is never published (but prayers, petitions and hope that it will be), this is a goal I have set for myself a while back. So, 2014 – be ready to be graced by a heartfelt masterpiece (through a lot of heartfelt prayers and direction from God).

Mental Goals:

Read one book a month. Yes, this may seem like an impossible goal – especially because I read every day online for a living (news) but, this is such a good way to broaden your vocabulary and knowledge. Sometimes news can be a downer (believe me). Why not mix it up with a classic novel or words that take you through the steps of history!?

*I will post my reading list for the year tomorrow – you may want to check out these books for yourself and add them to a reading list for 2014*

At any rate – tomorrow is a new year and it means a blank slate (well, not totally – but you know what I mean.) You can start your book tomorrow on a clean page. Set goals and really try to accomplish them.

You might surprise yourself. With enough passion and drive, you can change the world and yourself.

Happy New Year!

Celebrate you, God’s grace and the gift of every breath by the Maker of All Good Things!