Houston Beauty Guide!

Have you guys seen this super cool website? If you live in Houston please check it out!!

http://www.thehoustonbeautyguide.com/

Its a website that offers beauty guides, information and even free giveaways. :)

What a year...

First off let me say that I cannot believe that I have not posted since August but I also can believe that. I have been in a child life internship and it has kept me BUSY. I have no time or anything else. Its sad and exciting at the same time.

Anyways this year has been fabulous! I cant wait to wrap it up and start anew in 2014.

Meghan

Joel and Victoria's Blog

The Right People
Posted by Joel Osteen on 8/16/2013


Back in 1949, there was a young minister you may have heard of by the name of Billy Graham. He was traveling the country, holding meetings in large auditoriums. He was having success, but he wasn't really nationally known at the time.

That summer, he conducted a meeting in Los Angeles in a big tent. A gentleman showed up by the name of William Randolph Hearst. Mr. Hearst owned newspapers all across the country. He was so touched that night that he sent a message to all of his publishers to write favorable articles about Billy Graham. The next week, the whole country was talking about this young minister. He came to national prominence practically overnight because of the influence of one man.

What was that? I call it a divine shift. It was God taking him further, faster. It could have taken Billy Graham his whole lifetime to gain that kind of respect and credibility, but God used one man to show him favor and opened doors that took Billy Graham to a new level.

Now, the good news is that God has already lined up the right people for you. They are already in your future. It's just a matter of time before they show up. They will open doors that you could not open. They will show you favor even though you didn't ask. They will use their influence to make you look good. They're ordained by God to accelerate His plan for your life.

What's interesting is that Billy Graham didn't search this man out; he searched Billy Graham out. You don't have to go and try to find the right people. You just honor God, and the right people will find you. They'll pick you out of a crowd. They'll knock on your door. They'll show up at your office. For some reason, they will want to be good to you. That's a divine connection. God will cause them to use their expertise, even their funds, to take you further, faster. You'll accomplish more in less time. You'll be promoted beyond your education. You'll increase beyond your experience. The right people will help you go where you could not go on your own.

Today, know that God has ordained the right people to be in your life. It's not about you working hard to get their attention. It's about your obedience to do what God has told you to do. If you will focus on hearing His voice and doing what He says, then everything else will fall into place. He'll bring the right people into your life so that you can move forward in the destiny He has prepared for you!

"Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act." (Psalm 37:5, ESV)

Prayer I found on Youversion

What I'm doing is obviously not working--God, help me to get out of the way and just allow YOU to help me the way YOU want to! I still struggle to be the man YOU made me to be! Lord, I need you to help me become the man YOU made me to be. Help me get rid of the stuff in me that's not of YOU....help me budget my finances to serve your will. Help me cleanse my heart and mind of the pain of past hurts and offenses. Life and death is in the power of the tongue...Lord, let me guard every word more carefully so I do not say or do anything that does not glorify YOU. I have generational curse on me to be depressed/addicted to pornography, physically in pain, epileptic, and emotional.... and I'm praying God that you will release me from this bondage. Joshua 1:8; Matthew 5:44--Meditate and the DO the word of God...I need to be spiritual "cow" (constantly bringing Word of God to mind and "chewing" on it)....this is the only way I'm going to truly become what God wants me to be.

This is a great prayer!

Have a fabulous week

Proverbs 25:28

"A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls." Proverbs 25:28

A city with broken down walls is subject for a takeover, it is vulnerable, something is missing. The infrastructure is broken, and people can spot that from the outside. Anyone can come on in and do what they want to.

Don't be a city waiting for siege, don't allow folks to come in and do whatever they want because you are lacking self-control. Ask God to come help you gain self-control and then put it to practice as OFTEN as possible. Sometimes you cant have the last word, sometimes you cant be petty right back to a rude person, sometimes you gotta walk away. The only person you can control is you. ‪#‎wereallstilllearning‬

Your heart...

Proverbs 27:19 "As in water the face is reflected as a face, so a person's heart reflects the person"

Your heart is YOU. It leads everything, what does your heart say about you. Everyday I run into people who deceive, lie to and cheat each other. I just can't bring myself to do it. Is it because I'm self righteous and perfect? HECKKKK NO, but because I have been doing heart work for a few years now. I always want peoples' experience of me to be authentic and really reflect who I am. Yeah we all have times when our attitude is stinky or we are just having a rough go but guess what... Your heart is attached to your head, and your mouth so what flows out of you reflects your insides ALWAYS. Time for a clean out.

WOWJAM

So yesterday I went to volunteer at a WOWJAM for those of who don’t know, it is a large city wide event that is free to the General public. It is hosted by Stephen and Linda Tavani (Linda is Peaches from Peaches & Herb J ) and they throw a huge party with resources and events for families. Most families that come are from a low socioeconomic background. The whole purpose of the event though is to show the LOVE of CHRIST and give them free stuff like bikes, groceries etc.!

Though I went to help and volunteer, I was shocked at how much it ministered to me. Can I be real for a minute here...I once was a person who was depressed and even suicidal in my teenage years. We’re not talking those 1st world problems here, we are talking real issues. At one point my life was so low that I contemplated and made real plans on how to end it. I had heard some kids talking in church one day about if you go to hell for committing suicide so I eavesdropped, and there seemed to be no consensus about the answer. That worried me; I didn't want to spend eternity in Hell, and the uncertainty of it all made me pause. So in efforts to avoid Hell, I thought twice about going through with and thought I would endure hell on earth a little while longer. I remained depressed until a few years ago and I finally began to come out of the darkness with the help of self- assessments, therapists and God of course. Anyways, I say this because that seemed to be a major issue with people yesterday at the WOWJAM. There were many families who responded to the altar call and I could see pain dripping off of people.

Jambalaya Lunch for the crowd

There were young people crying, mothers crying and children yearning for God. Then they pulled a young man on stage, probably 12 years old and he was bawling and shaking and I think everyone took a deep breath in when they saw him. This young man looked like he had been through some deep emotional hurt. So I cried. I remembered my days in what I considered an emotional hole I couldn't get out of…So many feelings of shame, hurt, betrayal and pure confusion…


God is not the author of any of that. Through him ALONE I became free. It took some effort on my part though. I had to read to see what this bible was really about. I started with a kid’s bible and then I went online to get further explanations about parts I didn’t understand and I read MANY Christian blogs and my life changed within a matter of 2 months. I started to understand how God really feels about me, and that what I wanted to impart to every soul I met yesterday at the WOWJAM. What a glorious experience and what a Glorious God I serve. Praise his name!













Wednesday is Skid Row WOWJAM
Saturday is South Central J

Lessons from Saul

Lets read and take this step by step... We are in 1st Samuel chapter 9

1There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin... 2His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel—head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land. 

I'm assuming this is what Saul looked like with his fine self...

3One day Kish’s donkeys strayed away, and he told Saul, “Take a servant with you, and go look for the donkeys.” 4So Saul took one of the servants and traveled through the hill country ... but they couldn’t find the donkeys anywhere. 

5Finally...Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go home. By now my father will be more worried about us than about the donkeys!” 

6But the servant said, “I’ve just thought of something! There is a man of God who lives here in this town. He is held in high honor by all the people because everything he says comes true. Let’s go find him. Perhaps he can tell us which way to go.”



So some would think that Saul's height and good looks would qualify him to be a king but let's look at his insides... So far we know nothing about the fact that he was a godly man but we do see that he was obedient and honorable to his earthly father and he exhausted his options in looking for the donkeys before he wanted to turn back. Also his servant is the one who suggests they go to a man of GOD to receive more guidance in finding the donkeys. Sometimes the help you receive is from people you may not expect it from and also in ways you wont expect it. Let's continue....



“But we don’t have anything to offer him,” Saul replied. “Even our food is gone, and we don’t have a thing to give him.”
8“Well,” the servant said, “I have one small silver piece. We can at least offer it to the man of God and see what happens!” ... 
“All right,” Saul agreed, “let’s try it!” So they started into the town where the man of God lived.... 
14So they entered the town, and as they passed through the gates, Samuel was coming out toward them to go up to the place of worship. 



So now they are by chance going up this road to meet and man of God named Samuel...

15Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day,16“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him to be the leader of my people, Israel. He will rescue them from the Philistines, for I have looked down on my people in mercy and have heard their cry.”
17When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said, “That’s the man I told you about! He will rule my people.” 
18Just then Saul approached Samuel at the gateway and asked, “Can you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” 

19“I am the seer!” Samuel replied. “Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way. 20And don’t worry about those donkeys that were lost three days ago, for they have been found. And I am here to tell you that you and your family are the focus of all Israel’s hopes.”


Wow so Samuel hits Saul with a whopper at the end of that one...Saul came up out of obscurity, yes he was handsome and tall. He was obedient to his father and this ended up leading him on a path to become KING. He was certainly no perfect king but he never took the time to get his heart all the way right and turned to God....


Saul replied, “But I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?”

22Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and placed them at the head of the table, honoring them above the thirty special guests.

                                 

It's been a while...

Wow it has been way tooo long for me to not write! GOD has been so good to me over the last few weeks life has been amazing, but I feel as though I lost some of my juice because I haven't been writing as much as I was supposed to.

Anyways here is some Joyce Meyer for you...

Thoughts and Words Are Intimately Connected

Proverbs 16:23-24 shows us that our thoughts and words are intimately connected. They are like bone and marrow, so close, it is hard to divide them (see Hebrews 4:12). Because of this, it's important that we have pleasant thoughts so we can also have pleasant words.

Our thoughts are silent words that only we and the Lord hear, but those words affect our inner man, our health, our joy and our attitude. The things we think about often come out of our mouths and sometimes make us look foolish, but if we live God's way, our thoughts and words can make our lives more enjoyable.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that you can let your thought life run in any worldly direction and then 'fake it' by speaking godly words. Either both are pleasing or both are negative and sinful. There is no middle ground.

Begin to operate in the mind of Christ, and you will step into a whole new realm of living. As you spend time letting Him adjust your thinking, you won't have to think about speaking pleasant words. It will just happen naturally!

Prayer Starter: God, I realize that my thoughts and words are connected. I don't want to try and 'fake' on the outside what isn't real inside. Please adjust my thoughts so that I can speak pleasant, godly words.

CAKE TONGS!

Super cute!

"Who am I?" Posts

*Hello Readers*,

      SO the Lord has put on my heart to do some “Who am I’s” occasionally. I'm not sure if anyone else does these or thinks of these. I would like to think it is Me and God's novel idea but he could be talking to other women about it too :) What he explained to me is that I must write a list of Who am I characteristics and then to pick a few and write more in depth about them. This ALONE has been LIFE SHAKING! It is encouraging me to really look at the corners and recesses of my life about who I am, where I am going and who I want to be. I just freeflow and write who am I? …

       This lists includes things I would like to be in the future because I once heard a great quote… “Who you are going to be, you are becoming now” meaning you are not going to just wake up an honest person one day if you are lying right now, you are not going to wake up a skinny chick if you are eating the entire sleeve of Oreos right now (working on this one :)… and so on. Whatever you are practicing now, you will likely become, somewhere there has to be a mental shift and we all know we are transformed by the renewing of our minds…

Who am I? 4/6/13

-          A wife, a mother, a lover of all people, a kind mother, a generous person, a loving individual, unwavering in my belief in Christ, a prayer warrior, a bible reading woman, a woman who follows what the Lord tells her to do, an honest woman, a kind woman, a reading woman, an honorable woman, a nonjudgmental woman, a woman who speaks up for herself, a thoughtful woman, a woman, a confident woman, a daughter of the most high, God’s princess, God’s daughter.

• þ  A non-judgmental person – This does not mean that I condone my own sin or the sin of others, it just means that I do not judge. The bible says judge not lest you be judged. I do not condemn others, I realize that we all have fallen short of the glory of the Lord. I give others grace and I smile. I do not crucify others, I let them live their lives in what I hope is peace and speak up only when God’s tells me to. 

• þ  A woman who speaks up for herself- She thinks carefully and does not let people run all over her without speaking the truth. She speaks the truth to negate the lies. She doesn’t make up or conjure external lies to prove a point or add to her “stories”. She is respectful even when she is not being respected. Her accountability is to God and God alone. She honors the Lord in all she does including her appearance, her words, her actions, her thoughts, and her descriptions. She speaks life and truth even to herself. She does not allow her inner tape to play unless it is in agreement with the word of God.
  
  
• þ  A confident woman- She is NOT prideful. She is NOT prideful. She is NOT prideful. She is NOT prideful. She is NOT prideful. She is NOT prideful. She is NOT prideful. (I repeated that because it is easy to fall into, but NOT up in here devil!) 
  She understands that she is a WOMAN. She is beautiful, she is important, she is valuable to the kingdom, she understands her value, she understands her call, she will do anything to protect that value, she understands the importance of being in communion with God, she knows that all good things come from the Lord. And he has chosen her.
• 
  She knows that her beauty is on the inside and this is what people will be most attracted to. She knows that God has a plan for her. She knows that the Holy Spirit lives inside of her and reveals the plans of God on her heart and helps protect her from the plans of the enemy. She takes no pride in anything for she knows it all comes from God. She is God’s and he is hers.

One Church International

After leaving Houston I was looking for a new, young, BIBLE BASED, Holy Spirit filled atmosphere to worship and learn in Los Angeles. I didn't think I would have too much luck but alas I have. At first I was turned off that the church was in Hollywood and that celebs frequented it but I decided to go and boyyyy was I wrong. Service was aaaaaaaamazing and I felt right at home. These people love Jesus, and they dress up too lol. Everyone was looking  their own version of fly. Anyways God is real and great



Check them out:  http://onechurchla.org

Marriage, My Idol: Loving Love more than God

http://beggarsdaughter.com/marriage-my-idol/#comment-2043

Marriage, My Idol: Loving Love more than God

• Posted on February 22, 2013 
• in Purity 
• by Jessica

---

“Jessica, you could be single for the rest of your life.”  I glared at my friend.  She had a lot of nerve making such a statement.  ”No!  I meant it as a compliment.  You are just a very strong woman.”

Strong or no.  I had no intentions of being single for the rest of my life.  In fact, my plan was to be married within the next five years.  I was 18.  I am now 27.  So much for that five year plan.  At 23, I joked with a friend, “How old do you think someone should be before they write a book on singleness?”  Her response: “25, at least.” I could have written it two years ago.

Throughout the years, my attitude toward my own singleness has fluctuated from contentment to sheer panic, from half-hearted trust to anger.  Was I supposed to want this or not?  How long, exactly, did God expect me to wait.  If it was such a good thing, such a ‘gift’ then why on earth was God not letting me have it?  That’s just stupid.

As I neared my 21st birthday, my heart went into a frenzy.  Marriage was not on the horizon, so I started painting my own horizon.  Every single man in my life became a potential husband.  I would plan out our lives together, and then I would be happy.  If I could see it working, God was good; life was good; I was happy.  Then, this funny thing started happening.

They all started getting married– and not to me.  Salt in an already bleeding wound.

I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.  Why wasn’t God answering this desire of my heart?  It was a good desire.  Marriage is a good thing.  I wanted to be married; why was this so difficult?

Then the question came, “Why do you want it?”

Marriage might be a great thing, but if I want it for the wrong reasons, it won’t accomplish its intended ends.

When I first asked myself that question, I had to be honest:  I wanted marriage because I figured it was the best way to deal with my struggles.  I wanted marriage to fix only what God can, because I knew God’s way would hurt.  I wanted a quick fix, a sensible fix- just give me a man, and then I won’t deal with all of these insecurities; I won’t have to worry about all of this anger.  It will just be a bed of dark chocolate and tulips (I can’t stand roses).

I had lifted marriage to a place above God.  It was more important than the work He was doing in my life.  It was the foundation of all my hope and happiness, and I was convinced it must be the key to my Godliness.  That’s when I face-planted on this gem:

“For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).” (2 Peter 1:3- Amplified)

Where to start?

God has given me everything I need for life and for godliness, but it doesn’t say through marriage. I have everything I need for life and godliness through the full and personal knowledge of Christ.  This means, and not meaning to be cliche here, that I should be pursuing Christ.  My successful navigation of life depends on my knowledge of Him not my tax filing status.

So is wanting marriage wrong?

Here’s where the confusion came for me and for so many others.  As Christian women we are fed so many different takes on how we should approach and anticipate marriage.  It’s a good thing, but we’re told not to pursue it.  We’re supposed to just let it happen.

For some of us, we might be fairly convinced that we have a greater chance of being struck by lightning on a sunny day.

How do we balance a desire to grow in Christ with a desire for marriage?

They aren’t meant to be competing desires.  It’s not as if you desire one at the exclusion of the other.  In fact, the problem is, for many of us, we have desired marriage at the exclusion of Christ.  Then, we swing back to the other side and desire Christ at the exclusion of marriage.  We live our lives in this back-and-forth pendulum pattern– unstable, moody, directionless, inconsistent (sound like you?).

I found my own balance (not saying I don’t lose it every now and then, but I found it), through a series of three events.

1.  I read Eric and Leslie Ludy’s book, Meet Mr. Smith.  I recommend this book to pretty much every girl who comes to me with questions about sex before marriage and dating.  It is one of the most beautiful, PG rated guides to human sexuality that I have ever read.  Most of them, even the Christian ones, read like a porn site.  This one is different- emphasizing matters of the heart in such a powerful way that it led me to…

2. I gave up marriage for one year.  Obviously, this is not a recommended course of action for married women, but it is one that I, as a single woman, have never regretted.  Right before my 21st birthday, I decided that I would ‘kill’ the dream of being married by 22.  I wouldn’t just let it die; I, myself, was going to kill it.  I decided that I would not date or even entertain the idea of marrying a man for the next year.  It was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made.  It taught me the art of guarding my heart.

3.  I figured out what marriage really was.  I say that now with all the chutzpah of a single woman; check back with me once I’m married.  What I mean is, I put marriage in its place.  I prayed, studied, and finally sat down and wrote out my own life purpose statement, and then carried that over and applied it to marriage.  I have it written down in one of my journals.  The basic idea is this:

I am placed on this earth for a divine eternal purpose- to serve both the lost and the church.  At any given point, if I am following God, I will be in the best place for that task to be accomplished.  When there comes a time that my ability to minister is better done within a marriage, then I can trust that God will bring that to pass.  He will always have me in the best place I can serve Him.  My job is to be faithful to serve wherever He has me.

If marriage is a struggle for you.  If you want it maybe a little too passionately, I would encourage you to sit down with the Lover of Your Soul and ask Him to help you put marriage in its place.  Like sex, marriage is a good Godly desire, but only when tempered by God Himself.

Ignore negativity

Negativity only follows people that are going places

Have you ever wondered why sometimes it seems that so many people are against what you're trying to do? Or it seems like no on wants to help you accomplish your goals. That's because you have so much to offer the world that it literally intimidates others when they see your drive, and your potential together.It scares them because it forces them to step up their game and get more out of life. So instead of being inspired many would rather get angry or jealous and try to tear you down or discourage you. They know that if they can tear you down then they get to rest in mediocrity for the rest of their days.Well guess what? You can't dim your light just because it's getting too bright for those around you. Give them some sunglasses if you need to, but keep on shining. Let the negativity fuel you because it's a sign that where you're going is somewhere worth going. Don't let their rudeness towards you make you bitter and angry like they are. Instead let it motivate you and push you harder. Step it up and do even more!!If they're going to watch you and hate then you might as well give them something good to talk about!!-Tony A. Gaskins Jr.

God is good

I'm extra busy now, but will be posting again soon! Sit tight

Fasting and prayer

You are what you eat literally and spiritually! What are you letting feed you? You cant just turn on the TV and let any old thing linger in your space, time and mind. What are you putting into you ears, mind, eyes, and body? Are you sleeping around with people who shouldn't be entering your body? Are you eating bad foods? (guilty of this one) Are you watching stuff you know you shouldn't be watching? Are you listening to things you know you shouldn't? (music, people, comedians, podcast that are negative,/have a negative effect on you etc. )

This is all dangerous and we cant take it lightly. You are responsible for your spirit.

Respect your spirit enough to allow it time to download and meet God. 

Most people are concerned with the things that don't really matter and we all can get that way...but we must remeber the important things and the most important relationship you will have is with God! #getitright The kingdom of God is not for lazy people, we must get it together and GO for whatever God has for you!
Amen

eat this...

http://frugalinflorida.blogspot.com/2013/01/warmed-cheesy-onion-dip.html

The Love I want

I want that Jim & Pam Love...

minus the cake smashing :)

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

Let God tell you who you are

Let God Tell You Who You Are by Rick Warren “Your name will no longer be Jacob .... From now on you will be called Israel.” (Genesis 32:28a NLT)

You don’t have to stay the same! In conversion, we’re given a new identity. Look at Jacob in the book of Genesis. Once Jacob confesses his manipulative behavior, God gives him a new identity. Notice that three things happen: God gives Jacob a brand new identity (Genesis 32:28).

Essentially, God says, “I know you’ve blown it. I know you’re conniving, but I see in you a prince. Beneath all your emotional hang-ups, all your insecurities, all the stuff you don’t want anybody else to know, I see a prince.” God is saying that today to many of us: “Beneath all of your sins and hang-ups, I see a princess/prince. You can be something great. You can be what I made you to be.” God blesses Jacob/Israel (Genesis 32:29). 

Deep down, we desperately want God’s blessing. If we want God’s blessing, we have to take the steps God requires of us. God gave Jacob/Israel a limp (Genesis 32:31).

Remember, when they wrestled, God dislocated Jacob’s hip. Jacob walked away with a limp, and it served as a daily reminder to depend upon God. God does his deepest work in your life when he deals with your identity — who you are and the way you see yourself.

You will always tend to act according to the way you think about yourself. So God does his deepest changes in your life by changing the way you see yourself. He says, “Let me show you how I see you.” When you see yourself the way God sees you, things are better.

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

Lessons from Genesis- Jacob

And he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:27, 28 ESV)


The story of Jacob is a story of striving... Hosea (12:3-4) would summarize Jacob's life as a life of striving...from the womb on. And it has been a striving of manipulation and deceit at every turn. Even as Jacob is about to come face to face with his manipulation (in Esau), he is still finding ways to make it work for his advantage. In other words, even in the face of his manipulation, he is refusing to come face to face with his sin. So, God (many would say this is the pre-incarnate Christ) meets with him and forces him to admit the one thing the Genesis narrative has never had him admit - that his name is Jacob. His name means deceiver and supplanter.

The Brick Bible  - http://thebrickbible.com/

And, we see it finally come out of Jacob's mouth. I...am...a....deceiver. It is in the midst of this admission that he finally asks for blessing. Instead of manipulating for blessing, he knows he has met his match in God and now asks...even begs for blessing. As a broken man, Jacob is finally blessed...as one who used to strive in manipulation, but has now striven with God and has looked only to Him for blessing. And, just for good measure to continually remind Jacob and all of Israel, God touches his hip to cause Jacob to limp as a broken man for the rest of his life.


-Jeff Lark

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

Lessons from Genesis- Reap what you sow

In the passage I read this morning, I realized that even though Jacob was the chosen one, the seed of deceit he sowed waited for him right along the way as he he journeyed through life. 

After he deceived his dad and received Esau's blessings, he also was deceived by Laban and got Leah at first instead of Rachael. As we walk through our journey in life, it's important as Christians to sow good seeds so that when it's time to reap as we journey through life, we would reap good fruits. 

Another interesting part of this story that ministered to me was the the fact that Leah who was not so loved by her husband was granted blessings and was highly favored by God. Sometimes, people may mistreat us or make us feel like we don't matter, but if we count our blessings in it, we would realize that God did not forget us and God loved us all the way. Lastly, when our blessings are delayed sometimes, we have to form the habit of thanking and praising God in that situation because he is saving the best for us. Even though Leah and every other maid had children before Rachael, when it was God's time and Rachael had a child, he was the greatest amongst all the children after all was said and done. So in all things...give thanks.

-Bible App Notes

Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder and Leah's wonderful personality made her more attractive to me. Think of how she must have felt in hearing that this man wanted to come live with them and work for free for SEVEN FULL YEARS to marry her younger, "prettier" sister. I would have felt defeated, insecure, inferior and sad for sure. Her father decides to trick Jacob and switch the brides and even after Leah entered the marriage Jacob still really didn't like her and offered himself to work SEVEN MORE YEARS to get his true love.... her sister. She must have felt like crap, for real and probably forgotten by God. This is not true, we are never forgotten and God hears our cries. God blessed her with many children and she got the chance to be part of the line of the savior! She is the mother of the tribe of Judah.

We don't know what either of them looked like but chances are the possibly looked  similar because they were sisters but it was all a matter of Jacob's tastes. Like Solange and Beyonce', they are both beautiful but one may like the other more. I prefer the funkiness of Solange but some may like the fun elegance of Bey.Vanessa and Angela Simmons are a great example too. 

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

What would you say to God?

-Paige Alex

If God came to you and asked you to do something, what excuse would you tell him?

 • “I’ve never done that before.”

 • “I’m too old (or too young).”

 • “I’m going to face opposition.” 

• “The forecast looks rainy.”

When God asks us to do something it’s never at a good time. Why? Because it’s HIS time, not ours. He sees the big picture. We only see our picture. God knows the forecasts for centuries to come. We only see the clouds today.

When God asked Noah to build an ark, he had plenty of excuses to say “no.”

 • “I’ve never built an ark before.” 

• “I’m 500 years old.”

 • “The people around me are evil.” 

• “How am I going to manage a floating zoo?” 

Despite the excuses, “Noah did everything God commanded him” (verse 22). If Noah hadn’t, he’d be sunk…and so would we. What’s your reason for saying “no” to God? Whatever it is, it won’t hold water for very long.

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

Oprah's Super Soul Sunday- Marianne Williamson

So I was watching this episode of Oprah's Super Soul Sunday with Marianne Williamson (whom I have never heard of). I wasn't expecting much but the episode was actually quite good! So good I had to take notes... Notes that I will share with y’all. :)

Marianne wrote a book titled " A Return to Love - A review of the course in Miracles”.  I had to pick up a pen and continuously rewind because THIS LADY WAS SAYING SOMETHING Y'ALL! 

©      We are an idea in the mind of God and an idea doesn't leave its source- therefore we are an extension of him and we cannot be separated from him.

©      We are either walking in love or in fear

©      We are more afraid of our light than our darkness

©      Every life is a platform- you don’t need to make your own, it is yours already.

o    The spotlight is shining on you, it comes from within J

©      For every person there is a specialized and individual curriculum from GOD

o   Generic curriculum for all is to live in love and forgiveness.

©      “It” is always happening- right now- take your lesson in the now. There should be no “someday my path will start”. I don’t need a new job for it to start etc.  It’s already going!

©      You can have grievance or miracles- if you are thinking an attack thought towards someone then you are suffering and your miracle can be blocked. The universe is self-correcting. A miracle is a shift in love.

©      You want to change a person or a circumstance, pray for that person’s happiness every day for 30 days.

©      Your greatest power to change the world comes from changing your mind about the circumstance.

©      All minds are joined, there is really no place where you start and I end….If I pray for you either you will behave differently or I will stop caring.

©      The Universe is self-organizing, and self-correcting. If you or others do wrong, the universe is already on it.

o   Divine compensation- the universe makes sure you get your return but if your heart is closed then you won’t be able to receive the miraculous new possibility that the universe is bringing.

©      Your life is already programmed into the mind of God.  All of the fabulous things that could happen is already mapped out and programmed into the mind of God, the blue print is already there. It’s like a file in the computer that you need to download. I have to download it; it is my choice to do so. I have to download the possibilities “On earth as it is in Heaven”. It’s an undeletable file but if I don’t ask and bring it down to the screen if I stay in bitterness then all I get is bitterness. That doesn’t mean it’s not in the computer it just means I need to go get it and ask for it. Yessssssssssss Lord! This is the truth!

©      There is no such thing as a grey day, no the sky is always blue, sometimes grey clouds seem to cover it but the sky is always blue. THE SUN/SON IS ALWAYS SHINING. “Blessed are those who have faith but do not see” The great stuff is always there sometimes you just cannot see it!

©      Happiness is a choice and should not be based on circumstances. If I am not happy there is something wrong, I am believing an illusion. I am seeing the evidence of fear and thinking they are real. ONLY GOD’S LOVE IS REAL!

o   à Dear God, I am willing to see this differently, because I am clearly looking through human eyes and it is showing me one reality and that is my perception, and my experience from that is I am feeling unhappy. Allow me to see this differently Lord, AMEN…. CHOOSE TO SEE GOD

©      Pray that you let all of your thoughts of blame and judgment go.

©      Blast people with love before you encounter them.

©      Spend at least 5 minutes in the morning with the HOLY spirit

©      Life has presented us all with the perfect lessons to strengthen your muscles

©      It is not up to you what you learn but it is up to you how you learn it

-Selah-

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

                                                       

The books of the BIBLE

Consider the themes of the sixty-six books:

In Genesis, He is the Creator God.
In Exodus, He is the Redeemer.
In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.
In Numbers, He is your guide.
In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher.
In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror.
In Judges, He gives victory over enemies.
In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer.
In I Samuel, he is the root of Jesse;
In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David.
In 1 Kings and 2 Kings, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
In 1st and 2nd Chronicles, He is your intercessor and High Priest.
In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship.
In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies.
In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies.
In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles, but has the power to do something about them.
In Psalms, He is your song-and your reason to sing.
In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully.
In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.
In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.
In Isaiah, He is the mighty counselor, the prince of peace, the everlasting father, and more. In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sin-sick soul.
In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one upon whom you can depend.
In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel-the one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again.
In Daniel, He is the ancient of days, the everlasting God who never runs out of time.
In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to come back-even when you have abandoned Him.
In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble.
In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your side.
In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom.
In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back within His will.
In Micah, He is judge of the nation.
In Nahum, He is the jealous God.
In Habakkuk, He is the Holy One.
In Zephaniah, He is the witness.
In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies
In Zechariah, He is Lord of Hosts.
In Malachi, He is the messenger God.

In Matthew, He is king of the Jews.
In Mark, He is the servant.
In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.
In John, He is the Son of God.
In Acts, He is Saviour of the world.
In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.
In I Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel.
In II Corinthians, He is the triumphant one, giving victory.
In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.
In Ephesians, He is head of the Church.
In Philippians, He is your joy.
In Colossians, He is your completeness.
In I Thessalonians, He is your hope.
In II Thessalonians, He is your patience and discipline.
In I Timothy, He is your faith.
In II Timothy, He is your stability.
In Titus, He is the truth.
In Philemon, He is your benefactor.
In Hebrews, He is your perfection.
In James, He is the power behind your faith.
In I Peter, He is your example.
In II Peter, He is your purity.
In I John, He is your life.
In II John, He is your pattern.
In III John, He is your motivation.
In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.
In the Revelation, He is your coming King.

What 2013 has in store for me :)

      2013 is 100% dedicated to my relationship with the MOST HIGH. I am not worried about boyfriends, making situations un-awkward for others, compromising my personal values or anything else that takes away from Me and God being together. It's gonna be fun!

      With that being said, I'm not a huge resolution person but I am a believer in plans. Here is the plan I have for making the most out of the next 365 days in 2013 with the Lord.

1.  Spend at least 30 minutes daily in the word, reading, meditating and reflecting.
2. Journalpray daily (This is something I like to do, I just write my prayers out at least one time a day, though I try to pray  mentally and verbally as much as possible throughout the day.

1. Yearly focus is WHO ARE YOU?- The focus of 2013 is who are you and who do you want to be? Who does God say I am? What can I offer to this world? In what ways can I be the best version of myself in Christ Jesus?
1. 1 Have a monthly focus of a characteristic that I would like to build up/cultivate within myself. This focus should infiltrate everything I do.  

                   a. January - FAITHFULNESS- in all things asked of me. 
                   b. February- Loving others/Humility
                   c. March- Loving Self/ Personal Empowerment
                   d. April- Quietness/Meekness (BIRTHDAY MONTH :))
                   e. May- Listening
                   f. June- Kindness
                   g. July- Faithfulness (a second time this year to get a re-up halfway
                        through the year)
                   h. August- Humility
                   i. September- Wisdom
                   j. October- Discretion
                   k. November- Observation
                   l. December- Working in my gifting (Writing)

These are tentative and of course can change but these are the top qualities I want to work on! Already working on the faithfulness.

I want to be in love.... with God, with self and with all others.

-- Be strong. Be kind. Be confident--

Meghan

p.s.
Other Goals:
Read a book a month (non school related) This is gonna be tough but I can do it)
Lose another 30 lbs this year :)

Top 12 Moments of 2012

This year was fantastic simple because I was ALIVE and God was working something for me!

There were plenty of fantastic moments but I narrowed down 12 really really good ones - Meghan

12. Reigniting my dreams :)

11. Making new aqaintances and meeting new people!

10. Going to my first NBA game since I was 8 years old :)

9. Dropping lbs :)

8. Getting Practicum placement  at a Children's Hospital 

7. Starting Graduate School at the University of Laverne

6. Moving to the Los Angeles area

5. Finishing reading the bible throughout again :)

4. Thanksgiving on the beach with my family

3. 4.0 GPA in my first semester of graduate school

2. Meeting Holocaust Survivor Bill Harvey

1. Life stirring phone call from my Pastor

GOD IS GOOD!