More Advice Solicitation

Okay, I have a need for more advice. I don't know if it's because I am getting married,or because everyone around me seems to be preganated ( as my friend calls it) but I have the baby itch...... I will admit, I know nothing at all about planning for a baby as I didn't plan to have either one of mine. And I don't really know how I feel about the topic of birth control. I know I don't believe in contraceptives of any kind, but I don't know how I feel about natural method, AND right not that's not what I am soliciting. My FDH wants a nice size family ( an old testament family as he so jokingly calls it) and of course I do to.

My dilemma that with my girls I worked so much that I missed out on so many milestones. I had great support from my parents, but honestly they raised my babies and not me. I was that mother that had to send them to daycare at 3 months and one at 5 wks, because I had to work and sometimes my work included traveling and or living away from my children ( military). My oldest was born the summer of my last semester of undergrad so I was able to stay with her a little longer, but then once the semester started I had to go away, and my littlest, well I took off so much due to complications, that I didn't have much leave time and I had to leave her at 5 wks. Shortly after she was born, I was called to active duty and had to leave them both for almost a year, that's not to mention how many other times I have had to leave them due to a demanding job. But that is the reality for many single women. You HAVE to work, sometimes you have to make a trade and its not easy. It's not easy when your baby looks to your parents when they are hurting, or sick, just plain old would rather be with them than you. It's not that they don't love you, they just aren't used to your 100% of time and nurturing. I could go on and on, but I wont. It's too painful, and it's the past.

Needless to say, I don't desire to do this again. EVER again. So I am soliciting advice for all those women who left the workforce to come home. I know I want to come home, and we are praying for the right time, but how did you do it? I would love to hear the stories and the encouragement. And being that we had such an explosive post going around last week about the values of being a keeper at home, especially within my race I would love to sop up all the teaching I can.

Its Friday!!!

Well good friends, we have made it to another Friday/weekend. Whooo Hooo! Thank you so much for your advice yesterday and today as I type I am sipping on a bottle of water. I have made it a commitment to try and drink more water and to encourage my kids to do the same. My mother so graciously and bluntly pointed out in her comment yesterday that I need to change my not so healthy habits as my children are watching and listening. With that being said, I posted a video that was sent to me today that further served as a confirmation that I just need to get up and accept the changes I need to make. Children watch us, and they listen to us and eventually they become us. I want healthy daughters and I want to be around for them as long as I can. My body is not mine but the Lord's and I must take care of it even if it means drinking water when I would rather have a strong root beer :)
Have a glorious spring weekend. My boss has decided to be gracious and allow me to leave three hours early so that I can get some much needed wedding stuff done ( I am going to purchase my veil, hair piece and slip today!) and I am going to try and enjoy the beautiful April shower free weather that is predicted for us! Oh yeah, did anyone know that Mc Donald's has the cutest .24 micro mini kids cones? They don't advertise them, but if you ask for them they will make them for you. They look almost like sample cones, and my kids don't mind the size they have a blast laughing about how tiny they are. Just thought I would let you know in case you were looking for a way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon for less than a quarter per child.

Spring Break and Putting It All In Perspective

The end of spring break is almost near, so I am taking a couple of days off to spend with these precious angels of mine.

Chocolate Drop and her famous toothless smile *smile*Nee Nee Pooh in all of her sweetness- I only have 10yrs left *sigh*


My perspective- Thank You Lord!

They are at grannie and pa-pa's and the plan was initially, that while they were gone,I would redecorate ( really a nice way of saying clean their room) their room. I thought initially about just getting rid of all their junk and making it easier for them to manage, and then yesterday I read this post (please read) by Crystal over at Biblical womanhood. This poor sister lost her dear husband of only 10 weeks in a unexpected boating accident. Wow, I thought, I am getting married to the man I love in less than three months, I am fretting over wedding plans and the attitudes of others whom I will never be able to change, and this poor woman just lost her husband of only 10 weeks. The Lord was faithful in sending me a reality check! Life is too short to be overly concerned with the cares, the messes, the never ending to-do lists. Their room can wait, we will redecorate it together. So I encourage you all to spend the remainder of the week in honor of Kristy and her husband, by spending dear time with those you love. Forget all the aimless chores and tasks that you won't remember once they are not around. Be blessed and stay encouraged! Have a wonderful weekend. And please if you have a moment, stop by and visit Kristy's blog to leave words of encouragement during this difficult time for her.

Bridal Thoughts and Prayer

Today I will simply share my "bridal prayer and thoughts". I ask that you continue to pray for me that God will keep me grounded and centered during this frenzy of wedding planning. I have come to the conclusion that marriage is a beautiful thing and a marriage ceremony should reflect that beauty both behind the scenes and forefront. I am a very laid back and glass half full person who believes that everything happens according to the will of God in its due time, and that there is really no need to stress or rush through things because when God is truly in it it will be according to his will. However, I am finding that my particular way of thinking doesn't always coincide with wedding planning and the fine details involved. Yes I want a beautiful affair, but should I trade my sanity in the process? While nothing particularly bad has happened, I feel sad that the planning stages of a wedding don't always reflect that beauty that I feel it should. And this is not just with my wedding but with any typical, average or normal wedding. It has become the acceptable norm that wedding planning is "just stressful", and that it "brings out the best and worst in people and you really find out who your friends are". I think that I have probably heard those two quotes more that I can stand to bear. Is this what one day is all about? I say it shouldn't be. It shouldn't cost an arm and a leg, it should be hard to find modest clothing, it shouldn't be hard to choose something likable by all, it just shouldn't be hard or frustrating at all, and by all means it shouldn't be something that will break up friendships or cause family grudges or grudges period! I sometimes believe that our desire for perfection and the perfect day can walk that fine line of just plain old leaving God out of the process and not upholding what his desire for the perfect day is. Scripture plainly states that " God is not the author of confusion but of peace( 1 Corinthians 14:33)" so I can't help but wonder that if there is confusion in planning and communications where lies the place that God hasn't authored??Since I am the bride, I feel responsible to search out any place that God isn't in, and bring him there. I am learning that if you don't put God first in all things concerning that it can be a very un-goldy process. So today I pray this prayer... I ask that you pray for me and my fdh as we continue in this process.

Dear Gracious and Heavenly Father,

I thank you for allowing me to have the opportunity to partake of your beautiful and sacred union that was created by you for your glory. I ask that you give me the grace to always keep you first and foremost in this journey. Help me not to forget you as we plan this wedding. Help me to always remember that it is we ( you and I ) not me, who is planning this for your glory and honor. I thank you for the people that you have brought into my life that possess so much valuable input, talents, and gifts. I thank you for allowing those same people to have the desire to contribute these gifts to our blessed day. I also ask that you will give me the wisdom to recognize when the devil is trying to throw a trap into our plans and to immediately go in prayer to bind and stand firmly against him. Help me not to get caught up into the worldly process of wedding planning, and help me maintain the right attitude at all times for all situations, help me to hide my feelings and keep my words seasoned with grace. Help me to always be conscience of your voice and to hear it before making any decision or statement. I know that of myself I may feel my attitude is correct, but help me maintain your attitude through out this. Help me guard my feelings, my mind, and my thoughts as the enemy tries to bring thoughts and imaginations that sometimes seem difficult to cast down. I know that I possess the power in your word to cast down every thought and imagination and high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of you, and bringing into captivity EVERY thought to the obedience of Christ( II Corinthians 10:4-5). And finally Lord, I thank you for giving me this needed outlet of blogging. I thank you how time after time, you allow me to read something that is truly needful and edifying to my soul that is posted by one of your servants. I thank you for imparting in their hearts the very thing that may be uplifting to the souls that read, and I thank you for their obedience to share the thoughts that you lay on their hearts. I ask that you grant me the grace to be the same blessing to others as those that you send my way are to me. I thank you again and will never cease to praise you. Amen.

With that being said, I feel better already. Have a wonderfully blessed day!-smfg

Warning: I'm Shouting From My Soap Box

Warning: Today I am speaking from the emotions of my heart on a issue that I find truly despicable and detesting,RACISM.
There are not many things in this world that I just absolutely hate, but there is just this one thing that makes my blood boil and pressure rise and it is racism...... Many of you who frequent my blog have noticed by my pictures that I am an African American woman. I love my race and I love embracing and learning about other races and cultures. As a Christian, I have no room in my heart to dislike or to be unaccepting of any human being that was created by my heavenly father. I just wish the world thought the same.
Yesterday, an event happened with one of my girls that for me was just like pulling a band aid off a open sore- it stung and hurt like the dickens.
I know that many people of my generation believe that the race divide has shrank, and true it has tremendously, but when you grow up in and continue to live in the rural south, you almost forget that it has. You are reminded daily, in subtle, sometimes not so subtle ways. Myself, I can take it. I grew up in a town that was about 30 minutes from the national headquarters of the Klu Klux Klan. I grew up in an area where you were afraid to get stopped on back roads by the local law enforcement. I grew up in an area where the roots of hatred were so deep they seemed to be never ending, and those seeds were forcefully planted in the minds and hearts of the next generations, I am accustomed to the looks and the tobacco spits when you walk by, and the negative connotations that are said under the breath as you walk or drive by. I am used to the Confederate flag in front yards, truck bumpers, belt buckles, tee-shirts, and every where else you can slap it on. I'm used to that, and I used that to motivate myself to become more educated and to embrace all the knowledge that comes with learning about other people.
However, what I can't handle, is explaining this to my children. Every time I have to, it's like someone sucks the breath out of my lungs. How do you shatter the innocent love of a child by explaining the ghost of Jim Crow that lingers around, resurrected by his children's children. I know that this may be a sore topic for some, but for me its a reality. For my children it is becoming a reality. Trying to explain God's love and creation of all people in his likeness and image in one breath, and trying to explain why you are hated for the very distinguishable characteristics that makes us all different can be a task sometimes.
I say all this because I want to caution that just because we see strides in the racial divide, it is not closed completely. Racism is a lingering stench that floats in air in may forms. Please don't hide this ugly truth from your children when and if they see it and ask. They need to know that it's not from God and its a hurtful thing that makes him unhappy. We need to continue to plant seeds of love, teach them about other races, and cultures. Don't limit them to only Black History, there are so many other histories that we can all learn from. A good way to start, is with the Bible.
I know February is legally supposed to be black history month for the majority of this nation, but for me, it is a daily history lesson. History is constantly in motion. History never ends. History is always someones story of yesterday, and yesterday is every day.
Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged- smfg.

Lighthouse Musings

If you were to ask me what my favorite iconic landmark is, I would have to tell you that I have a love for light houses. To me they are the most amazing structures, and the history behind them is inspiring. Its amazing to me that in the merchant days of old, ship captains would look for the light reflected from the light house as a beacon of safety and refuge during those tempestuous storms, just as God does for us. He stands there during our fiercest storms, beckoning the much needed light that determines the route to his safety.

Its an awesome and powerful feeling when you finally reach the inner sanctuary of that lighthouse and to know that you have made it safely into God's arms. Many times the waves seem so strong and violent, so overwhelming and undertaking but we have that peace of knowing that there is a light out there, that is guiding us to refuge; and when the storm finally blows over there is the quiet lull of peaceful waters. Be blessed today and always seek refuge in the light of the Almighty. Below are parts of the lyrics to one of my most favorite songs. It was on my heart today.

THERE'S A LIGHTHOUSE ON THE HILLSIDE THAT OVER LOOKS LIFE'S SEA.

WHEN I'M TOSSED IT SENDS OUT A LIGHT,THAT I MIGHT SEE

AND I THANK GOD FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE,I OWE MY
LIFE TO HIM. FOR JESUS IS THE
LIGHTHOUSE,AND FROM THE
ROCKS OF SIN;

HE HAS SHONE A LIGHT
AROUND ME THAT
I COULD CLEARLY SEE

AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE LIGHTHOUSE,WHERE WOULD
THIS SHIP BE?

Written by Ronnie Hinson Copyright 1971

Mustard Seed Faith

mustard field graphic from art.com
I took a small weekend hiatus from blogging as I just needed some time to myself to think and mediate before the Lord. I never want to post on my blog for the sake of using blog space, I only want to post those things that are glorifying to God as he leads me. I would like to share with you what has been on my mind heavily the past few days. I feel at peace sharing my most intimate thoughts with my readers, this helps me stay focused. It keeps me accountable, and I ask for your prayers that I will grow stronger in this area of my life.

As women, I believe there are times when then enemy tests our faith. Not our faith in the things we desire or ask of God, but our faith in ourselves. We have these nipping insecurities that will rob us of our joy and peace. Mine is a battle of self doubt. With this being said we have to constantly remember that we are daughters of the highest lineage and when we keep his commandments and prove him to be true to his word,then we are deserving of all the blessings he gives us.
I find it so odd that when we are growing up, we place so many unnecessary expectations and time lines on ourselves and our lives. If not careful we let society dictate where we should be in our lives at a certain time in our lives. When we start to reach those self imposed time-lines we want to panic if we are not close to our goals. This all happens simply because in our planning stage we planned, we planned and not God! Hence the anxiousness and undue burdens some women carry about daily. (myself included)

There are certain things that I have been before God about, and now that I am seeing that he is proving himself to me, I find myself battling fear. Fear of unworthiness, fear that I simply am not prepared to receive the gift I have asked for. Fear of my current place in my life and all those unreached goals, and just plain old fear of the unknown. I battle fear that I should be at a certain place in my life in comparison to others who's situations are not even close to being similar to mine.
The funny thing is that this is all how I measure myself, and not how God sees me. I feel strong in my heart that He is pleased with me, so why the fear? Well I guess the fear is there because the enemy needed to clock in to work today. The enemy keeps showing me all the ways that I am not prepared in relation to my measurements. However, God is so faithful, that he will not leave us or forsake us and he will give us victory over our fears and allow us to grow into his blessings. I don't believe one bit that he blesses us before we are ready and able to appreciate, and accept what he gives us.
As I pondered in this thought, I came across the thought for the day that my pastor sends out daily. It was fitting for me at the right moment in time and I wish to share it with you. May it be a blessing to you as it was to me.

thoughts today
Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Years ago my father-in-law gave us a rack of different types of seasonings. The rack holds 30 bottles of seasonings such as paprika, garlic salt, curry powder, etc. I accidentally knocked it down yesterday. While putting the rack back up, I noticed a bottle of mustard seed. The seeds are very, very small.

Jesus talked about mustard seeds. Although these seeds are very small, they are still 100% seed. The seed will produce a plant, and the plant will produce a crop. All of this comes from such a small seed.

God wants us to have faith as a grain of mustard seed. Your faith might not appear to be as large as the next person's faith, but it is still 100% faith. Use it, and watch it produce a large crop.

Matthew 17:20-21 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. KJV

It Is Well

My new blogging sister Rosheeda at A New Beginnings had this song posted on her blog the other day, and I have not been able to get it out of my mind. I am in an experience right now where I just have to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord ( Exodus 14:13) . When everything is over and has passed, I just want this song to be my living testimony. I hope it encourages you as it has me today. Thanks Rosheeda!

It Is Well...

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,When sorrows like sea billows roll;Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,Let this blessed assurance control,That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!My sin, not in part but the whole,Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,Even so, it is well with my soul.It is well, with my soul,It is well, with my soul,It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged-smfg

This Little Light Of Mine

graphic from art.com
Matthew 5:16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Today I thought I would share this really encouraging email that my mommy dearest sent me- she is so cool and thoughtful. I hope that it blesses you as it did me! BTW can you see my obsession with light houses?? :)

I was inspired as I read this passage from a devotional that I receive daily. As I read it I was inspired to included you in my prayer as I asked God to give you [us] an opportunity to be the perfect expression of HIS light in your [our] surroundings today as you [we] show your [our] faith, love and courage that originates from the Spirit of God within. With that, please make sure that your 'inner batteries' are energized and ready to shine brightly for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ because you [we] just might be the the only representation of Christ that someone will see today.
So let your little light shine, shine, shine.

Pray for Others
We are living, breathing expressions of God’s spirit.
Praying for another person is a sacred honor. With a love that originates from the Spirit of God within, I offer this prayer:
“Dear God, I pray for loved ones and myself, knowing that it is Your spirit that energizes us and Your wisdom that guides us. In heart and mind, we are one with You; we go about being perfect expressions of Your light in the world.
“Created and sustained by Your love, dear God, I affirm that Your right and perfect will is being fulfilled in our lives and that Your guidance is directing our every thought and activity.
“You are our source of faith, love, courage, health, and every other divine quality that we, as Your children, are capable of expressing. God,
“I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live.”—Ezekiel 37:14

Go Forth and Be Blessed and Seek God for the opportunity to Be a Blessing to someone today.

Guarding Our Focus

Isaiah 26:3Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.graphic from art.com
How does one stay focused when you don't really know what to focus on? Have you ever been in a situation that is so new and so uncharted that you don't even know how to even talk to God about it? Not to sound pitiful, but I am in such a bit of a pickle. I know that I need to remain focused on God and his will right now. However, I feel just as anxious and unfocused as my six year old does when her attention span shuts down! :)

Whoever said that remaining in God's will (while trying to remain focused on what He wants and not what you want) is easy needs to come and see me like right now! Because I am realizing today, more than ever that when you are used to being in control and you release your control you have to completely walk away from it.

I almost feel like I did when I left my newborn off with my parents for the first time. Now I knew she was in good hands but I felt the need to keep calling and coming by to check on her, and who better to take care of her than the ones who took care of me?? It is exactly the same situation when we take our problems, concerns, desires, and burdens to God. We have to drop them off at the cross and keep walking, never looking back until we are told or called to come back to pick up our blessing or answer. Meanwhile, we must focus ourselves on things other than what we left in his hands. This my friends is the test.

So today, I have resolved that I am going to keep my mind off my newborn- because that is how I feel about what I have given to God. I will walk away, I will find something to do for Him, I will take care of myself, I will not idolize it, I will throw my focus on my family. I will not keep thinking about it, I won't ask God how it is, or when is a good time for me to pick it up. I will guard my focus because in the end I know that It shall be and it is well ( II Kings 4:22-26) . I have posted below my favorite passage of Scripture.

Matthew 6:32-34
32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Dignity During Disappointment

Psalm 31: 1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. graphic from art.com

Who among us has never faced disappointment? I am pretty sure that almost everyone that is able to read this has been disappointed sometime in your lifetime. How did you deal with or accept your disappointment? Did you cry, whine, pout, blame, point fingers, stereotype, or worse throw a tantrum?

Webster's defines disappoint as: to fail to meet the expectation or hope of. And yep, that is exactly what it is, but how is it supposed to feel? More importantly how are we supposed to react when we are disappointed? I ask because lately I have been studying my 6year old. She is a perfectionist in the making, and her tolerance for disappointment is very low. She sighs heavily, throws up and drops her hands and arms in disgust, and just pitches an all out fit sometimes. It doesn't matter if its as little as she can't line up all of her letters evenly or as big as punishment she gets mad and just does not like to be disappointed. So I got to thinking and I thought about the post I wrote, "You are What You Eat" and although she is a child and this is what children do, what may be the type of examples I may have or still may show her when I am faced with disappointment? I had to admit, I have not always maintained dignity. Why dignity? Well the verse above states "let me never be ashamed" and the definition of dignity is the very opposite of being ashamed.

A godly woman who has dignity according to Webster carries the following traits, she is the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed and she maintains a formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language, which is how he has called us to be according to his word. Certainly she will not behave ashamedly when disappointment arises. She will remain calm and she will handle her disappointment in a way that is pleasing to God. I say Lord Help me! There will be times when we will be disappointed, but we must trust in the still small voice of God and like I said yesterday when we pray with the mindset of him answering according to his will, our disappointment will not be as hard, or very well be non-existent. I found that we are only disappointed when things don't happen the way we want them to happen and we should want things to be according to his will.

Why is this so important, well as godly women we must exercise dignity during our disappointment because we don't want to raise a generation of children who murmer and complain at the blessings of God's will. We want to raise a generation of children who remain calm in God's will, understanding that God's will is a blessing because he is preventing us from making a complete mess or shipwreck of a situation even when we can't comprehend that we will do so. I thank him for my disappointments because I know that they are mine and not his. My only goal is not to be a disappointment to God and others and to teach my daughters the same. Be blessed and stay encouraged-smfg.

God's Will Be Done

Luke 1:37-38 For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.
believe graphic from art.com
I wanted to take time this morning to encourage us all to remember those prayers that you have before God. Over the past few weeks I have heard several messages on faith, and standing firm on the response that you receive from God in relation to your requests before him and I am finding that we also have to have the attitude that whatever your will, be it unto me Lord. God's will may or may not be the answer that we are desiring, but we must go into prayer with the conviction in our hearts that we want His answer according to his will, and his word. When we have this attitude we become powerful. We become powerful over the strongholds of doubt, fear, uncertainty, impatience, pride, and last but not least, human reasoning.
We become so powerful that our family will see our prayer, faith,and humility to his will and we can pass this power on to them by precept and example. I remember last week I was not feeling well and my oldest daughter asked to pray for me. I was touched and inspired as she prayed a strong prayer believing that God would be touched by my infirmities. Prayer and belief go hand in hand. It is our most powerful weapon and I continuously ask God to keep my stockpile full.

How is your prayer and belief life? More importantly how is your submission to his will concerning your prayer request? What message are you sending to the little eyes that are watching you as you wait for his answer and the little ears that hear you pray?
Be blessed and Stay encouraged!

God's Guiding Light for 2008

The Guiding Light graphic from art.com
John 12:35Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

I will admit that last year I started writing this list of goals that I wanted to accomplish for 2008. I don't believe in resolutions but goals, so I prayed over them and wrote and re-wrote and added and subtracted all of these feeble goals that (I) wanted to accomplish. In all this I was thinking that this is what God wanted for me, this is what me and my husband discussed- WRONG!!!!
As I sat in watch service on Monday night, I felt so renewed that 2008 was going to be better because of all these goals I had made, but then the anointing of God came upon one of the brothers of the church who so simply put it all in perspective, directly from God by letting us all know that the only goal we should have for 2008 is to STAY SAVED! Nothing else matters, and by obeying God, everything else will fall into perspective. For me the scriptures Proverbs 3:5 -6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths and, Psalm 139:2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off, lets me know that God knows what I need to do in my life that will glorifyHim and as long as I obey Him and keep His commandments and walk in His light at the sound of His voice HE will direct me to accomplish daily what He sets out for me to do. When I am not walking to the sound of His voice then I am not in His will, and I am leaning to my own understanding and the end result is I still won't accomplish any goal that I set out for myself.
Let us remember to stay in a position where we can walk in God's voice, keeping our heart and our lives pure and free from the sin that cuts us off from the ears and voice of our Heavenly Father. Our main goal for this yearshould be to continue to serve HIM and allow HIM to direct our paths and I have a hard time believing that HIS path won't turn out to be better to any goal that we can come up with!
Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged! smfg

So Good To Be Back

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!! I am so glad to be back in the blogosphere. I took some very well deserved and much needed time off to spend with my precious babies and I didn't have Internet access and figured that well, my life would not end if I couldn't access the Internet. I almost forgot how I used to function before technology.

I am happy in my soul, and in my mind, and in my spirit. The Lord and I really had some really nice downtime this holiday. I can't wait to share all the thoughts I jotted down. I did have fun with my girls... I needed this time to show me just how out of touch I have been with my children. I will always be grateful to God for waking me up to that! I just wanted to check in this year and I will return later today with another post. Happy New Year again!

You Are What You Eat

Daily Bread- graphic from art.com


Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. Isaiah 7:15

Lately I have been out and about in the blogosphere and just about every blog I read has some sort of reference to healthy eating, healthy recipes, and healthy alternative lifestyles. The more I read the more the thought came to me, you are what you eat both naturally and spiritually. Just as eating non-healthy foods can rob your body of essential nutrients and drain you of energy so can eating non-healthy spiritual food. Eating food that is not going to produce those godly fruits of the spirit will be non-producing and eventually purged and cast into the fire ( Matt: 7:19) So what are you eating? What fruit is produced from the nutrients flowing through your veins. What are you feeding your soul? How are you fertilizing the fruits of your soul, and most importantly just as seeds from a fruit can produce another tree or plant, what seeds are you planting for your child/ren's fruit! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree is more than just a literal saying it is a wake-up call for us all to think about what we are putting into our spiritual and natural bodies.

Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged!smfg

Toot Your Horn Today Challenge!!

graphic from art.com

I wanted to take time today and encourage every mother(and father) who reads this blog to reach over and pat yourself on the back! Take a moment and toot your horn ( remember to stay humble! :) for being the wonderful, caring, thoughtful, God loving, God fearing, sacrificing, doctor, judge, nurse, teacher, and any other role you play parent that you are. If you are a single parent you are allowed to give yourself two pats;) !

We as parents don't always take the time out to toot our horns. I mean sure we do when we are reminding our children of what all we do for them, and how grateful they should be for parents like us, but do you actually take the time to give yourself credit for how wonderful you are?

I want to challenge you to take 15 minutes anytime today and just write down your your strengths and accomplishments as a parent and then take another 15 minutes giving God honor and glory for his blessing you with your strengths and accomplishments then make a brief list of parental goals that you would like him to help to accomplish. Lastly and most importantly take another 30 minutes to treat yourself!! Do something for you that is not related to cooking, housekeeping, taking care of the kids, the husbands and or pets or anyone who is not you!!. Do one thing that you have not done in a while, or continue a project that you always put off whatever it may be just do something for yourself!

I will toot my horn and tell you my indulgence later tonight or in tomorrow's post Lord willing, and I would love for you to share yours. Remember the key to raising confident children is to posses confidence yourself, how can you be confident if you don't know what to be confident about. Our heavenly father blesses us to walk and live in his light and as long as we don't exalt ourselves there is nothing wrong with embracing our brightness!

Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged-smfg

If you can't link your blog, then please leave a comment. Let others know how wonderful you are and most importantly spread the word so that others parents can be reminded of thier goodness!

Remember Your Child's First Steps??

Do you remember when your baby/ies, started walking and how you were their biggest cheerleader? I was reading this book - The Encouraging Parent and I got to this sub chapter entitled "Remember Your Child's First Step", as I read it I started laughing out loud because of the analogy the author used to point out how encouraging we were during this time. I am going to include it and then make a comment.

" Close your eyes and remember the first time you got on your knees and extended
your arms and encouraged your child to walk, You talked baby talk and made all kinds of strange but heart warming sounds, when your child took two little steps
and fell what did you do? Did you lecture her? Get up off the floor! How
many times to I have to tell you we don't walk like that in this family!, You
make me sick! You can't walk anyway! Crawl off to your room and get out of my
face! Of course not. What you did was pick up your baby and hug her, and kiss
her and tell her its going to be okay, you'll do better next time" - The Encouraging Parent Rod Wallace Kennedy, PhD

The author was so right in his assessment of how quickly we as parents can change our encouragement as our children grow older if we are not careful and as single parents we more vulnerable to this type of behavior just because our lives can seem and be so overwhelming. I felt very convicted after reading this. I am not as bad as his example but I can do so much better. As single parents we have to make an effort to work harder to encourage our children, just as we did when we were teaching them to walk, and to say Ma-Ma. Its easy to forget those days, especially when we see how quickly they learn and pick up on things that drive us crazy and borderline off the wall, we still have to remember they don't always pick other things up as easily as we would like, especially if we think it's something they should know, or if at that moment our minds can't possibly empathize with the level of importance that it is to them. When they don't know, we have to encourage. When they make us want to pull our hair out, and then turn around and write their numbers or letters backwards, or mess up on what we think is simple multiplication tables, or draw the most confusing picture -we still have to encourage them. We have to encourage them when the comforter on the bed is upside down and hanging to one side more than the other, and when their idea of clean is no where near ours or when they think they have done a big kid thing and its all wrong and backwards- We still have to encourage. The more I think about it, how would I feel if I called my mom and she said, I raised you, you should know that, now get off the phone, I would probably think that she didn't empathize with my situation, or was lacking compassion and my poor feelings would be hurt and I am 32 not 6 or 8! I will admit, I am not perfected in this area, but as I read I thought, what if God stopped encouraging me. What if he simply said, you know what the bible says, you know what you heard in church, now go away and stop asking me for help! I personally would be lost. So just as he encourages us with things I am pretty sure he knows we should know, we have to do the same for our children!

Be Blessed and Stay Encouraged while Encouraging!!!

I STILL HAVE JOY

There is a song that I have on my favorite CD entitled " I Still Have Joy". I wanted to share the lyrics of the chorus as it is what is encouraging me and taking me through the day.
Chorus:

I still have joy down in my soul.

He promised that He wouldn’t leave me

He promised that He’ll take care of me

through it all, all of my ups and downs

I still have joy.

We have to keep our joy, no matter what because the joy of the Lord is our strength!

Be blessed and stay encouraged!

A Merry Heart

Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Today I am dedicating my blog to someone who I consider a very good friend who's kindness and thoughtfulness inspired today's post. I posted yesterday that I was having a testy day. What I didn't add is that I was mentally, physically and emotionally drained. I didn't mention it because I didn't want my readers to think I had what I like to call a whiny post.... I didn't want to seem as if I were whining about my day, but honestly I was exhausted and wasn't my usually chipper and quick witted self. My broken spirit literally dried my bones!! But, I thank God for the friends that he has given me. Notice I say given me, not the ones I chose but the ones I let my husband pick out for me. He knows what and who I need best in my life and I let him choose.

Proverbs 27:17
Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
My dear friend sent me a few hilarious emails centered around a topic we rival harmlessly about. I immediately broke out in hyena-like banter and felt so much lighter afterwards. All day I have been laughing about the email and thinking less about the shots the enemy tried to take. There is an old saying: " Laughter is good for the soul" indeed it is.

Proverbs 18:24
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
When my children ask me what I am laughing about when I think about funny things my friends say or encouraging conversations, I simply use it as a teaching moment. Mommy is laughing at something a friend said. I teach them that God will send you people who when you least expect it will encourage you, no strings attached. I will teach them that a true friend is most happy when you are happy and sad when you are sad. They will pray for you when you know they are praying and they will pray for you privately, they will always be honest and tell you things you don't want to hear but need to know about yourself. I show them scripture about how a true friend is supposed to be, and if your pray and ask God to give you friends, he will give them to you according to his word. Its important for them to know at a early age that God sends them the best friends, the friends they choose may be fair weathered! Plus I want my children to have pure, saintly friends, ones who will not taint them with teaching contrary to the things of God!

I thank God for my friends who are like family to me. Our situations may not be traditional, but God will surround us with people he has chosen to be our natural friends, but our spiritual family. I think of this scripture that another friend would use to encourage me. Psalm 68:6 God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

We have to embrace those friends and family who build us up spiritually and naturally. We have a duty to teach our children about praying to God for true friends who will help contribute to them having a merry heart!

God Bless you and stay encouraged!
And to my friend- Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement Gal 6:9 will come to pass sooner than you think! gOOOOOO fg

A Husband with a Good Name

Ecclesiastes 7
A good name is better than precious ointment

This has proved to be a testy week for me and its only Tuesday. But I am claiming my joy and victory over the devil and everything that he throws my way. I am resting in the joy that I am married to a husband with a good name, the best name, the only name.....

Last night I had the pleasure of loosing my keys.... I turned my house upside down and the only thing that I could come up with is that I must not have taken them out of my door last night as I was really busy and rushing. A feeling of panic, anxiety and fear came over me, but I prayed and fasted and left everything in God's hands. He knows where my keys are and maybe he wanted me to just learn patience and how to truly lean and depend on him when things go beyond my control.

Anxiety is a natural reaction, its also a fleshly reaction. A vise that satan uses to steer our attention off of turning to God for the simplest things. Long story short, I used my spare key to get to work and requested a new office door key and called my apt manager to request a new lock and key. I as cast down those thoughts of how expensive this would be, I simply told God, its in your hands. You know what I can and can't afford. You know how to work this situation out so I am going to let you have it. Really that is what the husband is for right???

As I talked to my managers and they started quoting me figures, my managers husband took the phone and said, for you its free! Your a single mom, and a wonderful tenant and I don't want you to worry about it one more second!! Isn't God wonderful! Instead of focusing on the negative of my situation, I was blessed for turning it over to him. Satan tried to taunt me all day, but I kept putting the word on him and resisting him and he retreated.... for now. I appreciate how being saved causes you to maintain a good report with people that pays off. I could very easily be out of a nice sum of money, but thanks to God and his teaching me how to have a good name, I can claim victory and keep spreading joy!

Remember, no matter how bad things may seem maintaining a good attitude and being nice always goes a long way. When you are saved and say you are a Christian, you are set upon a pedestal. The world is looking to either point out your flaws, or your testimony. A husband with a good name will take you far....

Stay encouraged and be blessed!