Time to play in the dirt again!!!

For some time I have become very interested in gardening. Could be because of the time I have now that I'm on a sabbatical from production or because of the growth process that satisfies me to watch. Maybe it's both! I believe that God has a purpose for setting us aside to be worked on, pruned and replanted. No matter the results in our eyes I'm certain that if we stay rooted in Gods word and abide in His love that He will plant us again in an area that He will recieve great glory (satisfaction) . In the meantime, play in the dirt. Enjoy the time away, the people that will pour into your life, look closely at birds (those that God sends away) and blooms (the relationships that grow deeper) . Appreciate him for His work. God is there and the best gardener!! 

Don't call it a comeback...

Can we just pretend like my last post was not in 2011? No? Ok, call it a come back then lol. I have missed you! I am back and so glad to be talking with you again! As you can see I decorated a bit. The look of this page has changed and will be going through more changes but the content will remain the same; Jesus Christ, family, love & marriage, friendships and advice. To add, you can also look forward to event invitations, freebie deals, product reviews, coupon savings, and book discussions. 

To start, let's talk about friendships. As the hit 90's girl group TLC said "What about your friends?" Do you have real friends? I'm not talking about your Social Media followers. I'm talking about the people in your life that you can cry into their arms if you need to, the kind that will hold you accountable, the ones that your family see as adopted family because you are so close. More importantly a friend that will pray with you and for you at anytime. These are the people you can call spontaneously over for a movie night and you won't have to wash the dishes or vacuum before the arrive; that's real friendship right there! 

 For years I have had real friendships with the same group of women; Candice, Jennifer, Araneetae, and Lisa.  I feel blessed every time I think of each of them. If you know me, you know my friends only because I talk about them all the time in the most positive light. Why? because they shine bright in my life. I don't have to talk about them negatively to make myself feel or look more important. Neither does a good friend indirectly or directly try to measure themselves to those close to them to prove that they are on a higher thinking or motivated level. 

Recently, some attention has been paid in the media to a concept called Shine Theory. Essentially, it’s built off of the idea that when I, as a woman, perceive that another woman is more successful, attractive, put together, wealthy, or whatever my measuring stick is that I am likely to resent her, rather than want to befriend her. Shine Theory says that, instead, it’s to my benefit to befriend that very woman because, we shine when the people around us shine. We are who we associate with. In my circle, I want people who are smarter and more successful than I am to connect me to opportunities and challenge me to try new things. I want to be inspired by my friends to be a better human, all around. My girlfriends do that for me and I love them for it.

What about you? Do you have friends that make you shine? Let’s talk in the comments!

True friendship is when you know that differences won't stop you from loving each other. It embraces one another. It loves no matter what, just as the Bible instructs. 

"If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." (1 Corinthians 13:3-7 NLT)

L.A. 

The Women God Blessed Me With: