Daily Word: You're Better Than That

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”  Ephesians 3:20

During this season of change and introspection, I have been thinking about the people that I have wronged and the sins I’ve committed over the past year.  I am asking God to forgive me for the sins that I have committed and to help me to do better, to be better, and to act differently.  But one person that I really need to work on forgiving is myself.  I am working on forgiving myself for the mistakes I’ve made and for not always being the person that God has called me to be.  And I’m praying that God will forgive me too.  It’s such a tall order; to ask God to see past my imperfections and decide that I’m worthy to be called one of His own.  But if anyone can take on such a daunting task, its God.  He is able to do more than I could ask or think (exceeding abundantly more, as a matter of fact).  He is able to surpass my expectations for myself.  He is able to dream bigger dreams for me than I could dream for myself.  I look in the mirror and see my imperfections.  He looks at me and sees my possibilities.  This past week in services a minister (who also happens to be my husband) said, “You’re better than your mistakes.  You’re better than your shortcomings.  You’re better than what other people say about you.  You’re better than what you say about yourself.”  So as I journey towards forgiving myself, I hope that you will work on forgiving yourselves too.  Whatever it is that is causing you to feel down about yourself, remember that the power of God is working within you.  He is able to do all things.  You're better than your situation.  You're better than your circumstances.  You're better than that.  --Lady S.

Daily Word: God’s Treasure

Isaiah 38:20

The LORD was ready to save me: therefore we will sing my songs to the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

Have you ever felt like it was too late to turn your life around?  If you could just do it all over again you would have done things differently?  In spite of these feelings, did you know that God is always ready to save you?  We are God’s treasure and he is always looking to clean us up and give us another opportunity to walk in his light.  According to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, a treasure is something of great worth or value; a person esteemed as rare and precious.  The word “save” means to deliver from sin, rescue from danger, and to preserve from injury or destruction.

Your life is very precious to God, which means it has GREAT value.   God is the potter and we are the clay.  As the song says “make me what you’d have me to be” because God is molding and forming us into the person he desires us to be.   You are also valuable to God because you are rare, meaning there is no one else exactly like you, no one else with your exact makeup of qualities and experiences. 

As a precious gift of God, he is always ready to save and deliver you from all harm and danger.  The Lord is here to protect you from hurt, harm, or danger.  God wants to build you up and not tear you down.  No matter what you do always remember the Lord is ready to save you. 

God wants to pick you up from that low point in your life because you are his treasure. God wants to bring you out from destruction because you are his treasure.  God wants to heal your wounded heart and broken spirit because you are his treasure.  God wants to ease your pain because you are his treasure.  God is ALWAYS ready to save you because he loves his creation. 

~Lady A

Peaceful Projects: Make time for yourself

I love sleep.  Its really one of my favorite things to do.  If I could have a magic wand grant me one wish it would be to have 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night from now on.  Sadly, it will probably be a few years that wish can realistically be granted.  My infant son doesn’t sleep through the night yet, and recently my daughter has decided that 4 AM is a good time to come into the bedroom and check up on her parents.  A full night of sleep is just not in the cards, and getting up early in the morning is the last thing that I want to do. 

In spite of all that, I need make some time for myself.  And the only time to enjoy a peaceful, quiet house is to get up earlier than everyone else.  To give myself some structure, I joined Inspired to Action’s Maximize Your Mornings Challenge.  Read more about the challenge here . 

If you are interested in creating some peaceful time for yourself in the mornings, try taking these small steps:

1. Write down everything that you do in the morning (wake up, take a shower, make breakfast, get the kids dressed, etc.)
2. Review your list and identify things that can be done the night before (pack lunches, get clothes ready, etc.).  This should buy you some extra time in the morning and take the stress out of getting everyone out of the house on time.
3. Set your alarm clock for 5 minutes earlier than you usually get up. 
4. Start your morning spending 5 minutes enjoying the peace and quiet of your house.  Use the quiet as a time to fellowship with God and get your day started on the right foot.

As I mentioned, I hate getting up early in the morning.  But, when I do get up and start my day with prayer, praise, and exercise, I find that I have more energy all day long, that I feel better about myself, and I feel a strengthened connection to God throughout the day. 

So give it a try.  Start out with 5 minutes just for yourself, then move on to 10 and so on.  Before you know it, you’ll be looking forward to getting up in the morning.  Inspried To Action also has a free ebook on Maximizing Your Morning.  It is a great resource.  Check out the ebook here . 

--Lady S. 

Tree of Life: A Young Mother's D.R.E.A.M.

Success and accomplishments don't have an age nor do they come without struggle, sacrifice, or obstacles.  In every step that you take towards succession do not let anyone, thing, or problem come between you and your goals.  Don't weigh success by age or how quickly you gain it, but by whats inside your heart and making strides to reaching your goals.   Geneva Farrow is a young black women paving the way for many young women across this country.  She is showing that ALL things are obtainable if you work to reach them.  As you read a little bit about who she is and what she is doing, you will grow strength in knowing that dreams can become reality. 

Geneva Farrow is the Executive Director and Founder of A Young Mother’s D.R.E.A.M. (YMD) a mentoring organization that helps young mothers complete their education.  Geneva became a parent at the age of 19 while attending Temple University in Philadelphia PA.  If you attended Temple at that time you most likely saw her on campus with a baby strapped to her chest going to class. She held on to her dreams and graduated in 4 yrs without skipping a beat.  She longed to help other young mothers to conquer this same feat, which is why she founded YMD. She believes that God gets us through challenging situations so that we can help others going through the same challenge. Geneva speaks to middle and high school students about goal setting in her DREAM Chasers workshop to help in her mission to reduce teen pregnancy.  She believes that when children have a strong grip on a dream they are less likely to be sidetracked.  

Her favorite quote: You can not solve a problem with  the same mindset used to create it –Albert Einstein 


Please visit A Young Mother's D.R.E.A.M. website to learn more about this great organization.


http://www.youngmothersdream.org/

Daily Word: Praise is what I do!

Psalm 86:12

 

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

       

Praise is what I do, from the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul.  Lady ~R said it best when she said “the best part of waking up is waking up!  Be thankful!  She has committed to praising God for having another chance to be in the land of the living.

 

Praise is a form of thanksgiving. When we praise God we are thanking him for ALL that He has done for us.  There are different forms of praise: you can testify, shout, sing, cry, or just say "Thank you, Lord." But no matter how you praise God, proclaim that praise is what you do.  Make it up in your mind that praise will be your full-time occupation, not a part-time gig or a side hustle. Make it up in your mind to praise God in the good and bad times.  Praise God for bringing you out.  In the story of the three Hebrew boys, the Bible says they were walking through the fire instead of laying down, bound as they went in. Despite their situation, they glorified God's name because they knew that God would save them and bring them out from the fiery furnace.  Remember that you can never be better to God then God is to you.  Today, don’t give in to sadness or disappointment, but tell sadness and disappointment that praise is what you do! ~ Lady A

Daily Word - It's a new day!

Psalm 130:6-8

 ⁶My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
 ⁷Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.
 ⁸And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.


We, as less-than perfect people, sometimes beat ourselves up for the things we have done that didn't hit the mark. Today, be reminded that every day is a new one. This day brings new chances to get things right and earnestly put our best foot forward. Go into today thankful for this day that has never been seen before... Make it count!


- Lady R.

Peaceful Projects - DIY Bath Salts

Do you want to come home and dive straight into the tub, but realized you don't have any "smell-good" products? Here is a fun, EASY-PEASY project to make your own bath salts *courtesy of ehow.com*

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup epsom salts
• 1/2 cup sea salt (course or fine)
• essential or fragrance oil
• liquid colorant
• Measuring Scoops
• small glass jars to store your salts
• metal spoon or funnel
• Epsom salts
• 1 or 2 baking sheets
• liquid colorant that is skin safe
• wax paper
• Medicine Droppers (if oils don't have thier own dropper lid)
• Sea salt
• Essential oils or fragrance oils
• large metal bowl

Instructions

1     You will need a clutter free,  clean work surface to mix your bath    salts. A kitchen table covered with a plastic garbage bag for protection works perfectly.

1. • 2
     Measure out your Epsom and sea salts and pour into a large, metal mixing bowl.
   • 3
     Add your essential or fragrance oil and your colorant (optional) and begin mixing the salts thoroughly with your hands. It will take some time for the scent and coloring to incorporate with the salts so be patient.
   • 4
     Once you are satisfied that all the salts have been coated pour your bath salts out onto your wax paper lined baking sheet. Use your hands to spread the salts out to as thin a layer as possible for quickest drying time. Allowing your bath salts to dry before placing them in a bottle with lessen their likelihood of clumping in the jar. Allow them to dry for at least six hours.
   • 5
     Once your salts have dried they are ready to be packaged. The best container for bath salts is a glass jar with a tight closure. You want to seal your scented bath salts as tightly as possible to avoid excessive exposure to the air. Exposure can cause clumping from humid air, which is common in a bathroom, or can cause premature fading of the scent. storage. Dollar stores usually have little jars that are perfect for this.

Hope this helps you have a peaceful day or night!


- Lady R.