Balance

Recently, I posted the question “I honestly want to know how other working mothers/wives find balance, with handling children, work, school if applicable, bills, household upkeep, friends, "me time" etc!” on Facebook.  I received many responses that all seemed as “when you figure it out let me know!”.  Too many of us, are spreading ourselves too thin and as a result we get overwhelmed, tired, irritable and just no good!  Going back to my original question, I realized that there are just some things that cannot be ignored and/or put to the side, i.e. kids and work.  But I still needed to find a way to find balance in my life.  Therefore, I compiled a list of the 5 most important things in my life (in no particular order) that HAD to be done.  My list consisted of 1) home/family (children & spouse), 2) work, 3) schoolwork, 4) prayer/devotion/worship, 5) I drew blank on number 5.  This made me realize that numbers 1-4 pretty much kept me occupied and I was making room for 5, which almost never consisted of doing something strictly for me.  I also realized that in order for me to maintain balance, I had to put ME in slot 5.  I had to learn that it is ok to say NO to everyone/everything else.  Many times, I have inconvenienced myself to convenience others.  Now there is nothing wrong with being nice, helpful or a friend, but if you are run down, burnt out and overstretched, it’s nothing wrong with a friend being a friend to you, by being helpful and nice by understanding that you are TIRED AND ALREADY STRETCHED TO THE MAX.  However, you cannot wait on someone else to realize your reality so you have to be the one to make a stand for your sanity.  The moral of this story is, I must take care of all of my required responsibilities first and I must include ME in that.  Everything and Everyone else will just have to understand.

Baby Shower Candy Pacifiers

So my best friend and her husband are expecting their first child basically anytime now! J  For her baby shower her mother and I were trying to think of creative and cute things for the cupcake toppers!  Well, I looked and looked and finally, I came across candy pacifiers.  I thought to myself, this is toooooo cute!  So needless to say, I gave it a try! 

1)  You start with Lifesavers, Jellybeans and icing (whatever brand you prefer)

2)  Next, you take the icing and put a little in the circle part of the lifesaver.

3)  Then, you take another lifesaver and hold it upright and attach it to the middle of the previous lifesaver (the one that has icing in the middle) It should resemble the shape of a ring.

4)  Now take the jelly bean and insert it at the top of the lifesaver in the middle part where there is still a little icing.  You may need to add a little more icing at this point to make the jelly bean stay.

5)  And there you have it a candy pacifier!!!!!  Or if you are doing a bridal shower a candy ring!

6)  It looks great on a cupcake!

Picture of cupcake and dessert table courtesy of Benson Blake Photography.

Unclaimed Anointing

Recently, a popular morning show did a segment on unclaimed government money.  It wasn’t long after the announcement was made, that people started searching for their potential unclaimed cash.   There was such an interest that people literally wrote mounds and mounds of letters thanking the show for bringing awareness and investigating the methods of recovering the dough.  Would you believe that there are just as many if not more people who have unclaimed anointing?  As I used to ponder the question, what does God want me to do, I use to draw blank.  I use to say, I can’t sing, I’m not a preacher, I am not a musician or an adjutant so I just don’t know what I can possibly do to edify the kingdom.  However, scripture reminds us that after Christ left the earth, He left us the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16). Now all Christians are anointed, chosen for a specific purpose in furthering God's Kingdom (1 John 2:20).  Have you thought about what your purpose is?  It doesn’t have to be in the typical “talent” box, for there are many different talents that God has blessed us with that can lift up the kingdom and be a blessing to others.  So my friends take this as a public service announcement…Reclaim your anointing by getting on your knees and calling on God; He will answer you and He will direct you to your anointing.  What are you anointed to do? 

Just a thought,

                                              

Through the eyes of a blind person

Have you ever stopped and wondered if no one could physically see you, how you would be viewed.  Would the drop dead gorgeous woman be envisioned as ugly or would the person who most view as unattractive now be the most sought after?  I never would like to have my sight taken away, but I must say that blind people definitely have an advantage of truly seeing people for who they are.  Behind the makeup, behind the hair extensions, behind the clothes, behind the career, behind the family, who are you?  What picture are you painting in the minds of people?  Is your greatest attribute your physical features or is your greatest attribute your spirit?  Just like wealth, beauty has the ability to come and go if not managed well and quite frankly at times, our beauty can be compared to economics, as the supply goes up, the demand comes down.  Meaning that we may find ourselves surrounded by a multitude of beautiful, younger and/or newer persons and thus our once desirable looks may be less desirable or even replaced.  However, inner beauty doesn’t age; it only gets better with time, that is if you nourish it. Galatians 6:9 states, Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up and Proverbs 31:30 states Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Therefore, don’t place so much emphasis on your outward appearance; let your spirit be your beauty.  Be a woman of virtue, be a man of integrity and most importantly be a child of God and you will be the most beautiful person.

Love,

Beauty is as Beauty Does!

As many of us begin to age, we notice that our skin and body starts to do things that they have never done before.  As far as our bodies are concerned, we may start to see and feel the signs of aging and our skin sometimes begins to transform in weird ways such as wrinkles, age spots and adult acne.  While I would love to agree with some skincare companies and swear that the fountain of youth is all in a bottle, I would not feel comfortable misleading many.  The truth is (at least as I envision it), our skin just like anything else must be taken care of in its entirety,  after all it is the largest organ of our body and the first line of defense!!!  Topical products are only one part of having healthy skin!  I know that all of the skincare companies realize that each consumer is super intelligent, but I wish that they would put a disclaimer on its packages and say “This product will be at its best, when you eat the right foods, drink plenty of water and exercise”.  Green vegetable are great foods that have various benefits for the entire body.  They are full of vitamins, minerals and protein compounds.  Vitamins and minerals both exist in plant and animal matter and usually cannot be produced by your body, so they must come from your diet.  As stated in an article on Livestrong.com, protein is necessary for cell structure repair and growth in nearly all of your body's tissues and plays a key role in metabolism.  Chlorophyll can be found in many green vegetables such as asparagus, beet greens, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, celery, collard greens, green beans, green peas, kale, leeks, green olives, parsley, romaine lettuce, sea vegetables, spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens and more.  The key is to NOT OVERCOOK these vegetables as many researchers have found that two thirds of the chlorophyll was removed after 20 minutes of boiling.   So the next time, you are in the grocery store, pick up one of the listed vegetables and include it in your diet.  Not only will you start to see a difference in your skin, but you will also feel a difference in your body.  Reverse the curse and start taking care of your entire body today by including the many natural products that were made and manufactured by God!

Make it a great day!

For more info on healthy living visit, http://www.livestrong.com/ and for more info on chlorophyll visit

www.chlorophyll

How to overcome the barriers of hurt!

Soooo lately I've realized that more than not people, especially women are hurting and in need of an encouraging lift, only not from others but from themselves.  My grandmother used to say if you haven't experienced a let down, well just keep living!  I hate sounding like a Debbie Downer, but it's true, life hands out all kinds of issues.  The question is, how does one handle each circumstance?  For some they have openly professed, when life gives lemons, make lemonade!  Or my glass is not half empty, it's half full.  It's always easier to give encouraging advice to others but when hurt or pain hits home, how do you encourage yourself?  I am a strong believer in God and I have always known prayer to be effective.  Many of us have lost touch of our beings.  We are friends to our friends but enemies to ourselves.  I challenge you to have an outer body experience, and use the same strength and words of encouragement that you would give to your friends to yourself.  The very thing or things that keep you so far down, develop its antonym.  Instead of saying, I'm ugly, say I'm beautiful, or instead of feeling worthless know that you are priceless.  Stop standing on the sidelines of life and cheering everyone else on.  Give yourself that much needed pat on your back!  The very fact that you are still here is a testament that God is still waiting for you to leave  your mark.  Ask God to give you His vision and start seeing yourself the way He sees you!  You are amazing, forgiven, a blessing and a Gem, you are a Pearl! 

Smooches,