Good Friday

WE REMEMBER LORD.

Color Blind?... A Mother's Heart

If we believe what the Bible says, then we are all uniquely made God. We are shaped for the purposes He has for our lives. With that being said, I believe that I have been designed to share this message with all of you. At work I was required to take a test about unique strengths and one of top strengths was indivuidualism. This means that I love the individual, unique qualitites of each person. I do not like it when people conform and believe that differences should be celebrated. Unfortunately, I have been reminded by the media lately, that there are a lot of people that don't feel this way. There still is a lot of progress to be made in regards to acceptance of others that are different from us. As a parent of interracial children, I plead with you to be a parent, mentor, or person that educates people about not only race but people that are different than you, your family, and your kids.

I want to start off by saying that it is never too early to start talking to your kids about the differences of people. There are several ways to go about doing this well.

Talk to your kids about how great of an artist God is and how he has created so many different types of people. How He loves us all the same. One of the biggest mistakes that parents of non-minority children make {in regards to race} is not talking to their children about it because they think their kids are color blind. Studies have proven that children start developing attitudes about race earlier then we think, normally around the age of five. It is better to proactive in these situations and set positive examples. If not, kids listen to others around them, TV, and the internet to form their own opinions.

Make sure that magazines, books, and shows that you select have diversity within in them. Talk about the children. Educate yourself about the cultures of other people and share those with your kids.

Studies show that one of the most important things that you can do for your child regarding race is to place them {and yourselves} in multicultural settings and relationships. Experts say the number one thing that challenges stereotypes is relationships.

Every night since my babies were little I sing them two songs. Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World. The lyrics are so simple yet so powerful and if more people truly believed them the world would be a better place:

Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Wednesday Reminder

I saw this on pinterest and laughed. Just a nice Wednesday reminder to remind you that it's a powerful thing being a woman. We are the crown of Creation. Remember to use your womanhood for the Glory of God and be great at whatever you do! 

Are you believing lies?

What has the world said about you?
You're not pretty enough? You're too skinny? You're too fat? You're not smart? You've failed too many times? You're not as athletic? You're not a good wife? Not a good mother?

What lie or lies do you carry around on those shoulders? What weighs down your heart?

What is it that is blocking you from reaching your goals, following your dreams, and being the very best version of yourself that you can possibly be?

Here's the thing ladies: satan lies. he will do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to keep you burdened, weighed down, lost, depressed, and feeling lonely. Are we believing the things the world has thrust upon us? Let's stop. You have control of how you act, how you feel. Remember that there is an absolute truth out there and that is that you are WORTHY. You are BEAUTIFUL. You are INTELLIGENT. You have STRENGTH.

Ladies, we are only given this one life: ONE! And as I was sadly reminded this week by a friend who lost a close family member, you never know how long this ONE life is. What are you doing with yours? Are you wearing around lies and letting them direct your choices? Or are you remembering that God created you in His perfect image and with a great purpose? You are no mistake dear sister!

Let's live in the truth. We are beautiful women who serve the ultimate Beauty; our Lord Jesus Christ. Cast your burdens, doubts, and rejections on Him. Live ladies! Live life to the fullest and live it for Him!

Daily Reminders

1. Most Important in Life- Jesus:

Make sure you're remembering who the most important person in your life is. It's Christ. Do your best to please Him and everyone else will fall into place!

2. Most Beautiful Attire- a Smile:

I think this is very true. A smile goes a long ways! It not only will make you feel good but others will feel good too. Joy is contagious! So spread some with that gorgeous face God blessed you with!

3. Greatest Asset- Faith:

We do not live by a blind faith. Oh no, we have EVERY reason to trust our Heavenly Father and His Word, so trust Him! Don't be stressed or worried. He will be there for you! Have faith in your Savior. He loves you very very very (x's infinity) much!

4. Most Powerful Force- Love:

You can quench conflicts, anger, frustration, disagreements, and so much more with Love. Love can heal and help you grow. It's all because of Love that we get to have a close and personal relationship with our Lord. Love Him and Love others. Love your enemies. It's powerful.

5. Greatest Weapon- Prayer:

YES IT IS! Before you worry or doubt. Before you make a decision. Before you act. Get on those knees and pray sister. We have a direct line to the Father's ears. Talk to Him. Let Him know that you want to spend time with Him, that you trust He is listening and will answer you one way or another. Prayer is key to your relationship with God. You've got to be communicating with Him to grow with Him.

The Announcement

I have a confession to make. I absolutely love college basketball. My husband is probably the luckiest guy in the world because I love it just as much as him. Most other wives get frustrated about March Madness but not this girl. With that being said, last Sunday was known in the college basketball world as Selection Sunday. This is the day that they decide which teams make it into the tournament. This year after Selection Sunday they had an ESPN Special called "The Announcement".

"The Announcement" was about Magic Johnson. For those of you who aren't basketball lovers like me, Magic Johnson was an extremely talented basketball player that spent his career playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. His career came to a halt when he tested positive for HIV. So many things stood out to me when he shared his story that I wanted to share with you.

#1- It absolutely blew me away when he didn't make excuses. He stated that he made foolish decisions, had unprotected sex and that he had no one to blame for his condition other than himself. He never blamed the fame, pressure, influences around him, his childhood, or anything. Something about this was so refreshing for me. He messed up and he owned up.

#2- The biggest thing that stood out to me was his wife's {Cookie} response to the situation. When she found out about her husband, she was pregnant. Of course their fears were aimed at whether Cookie had contracted HIV,  as well as their unborn child. Luckily they had not. I can not begin to imagine what was going through her head or what she felt at that time. She said that she could drive herself crazy with questions and scenarios about how Magic had contracted HIV. That she could spend her life questioning if he cheated on her and about all the other relationships that he may or may not have had with other woman. Instead she chose to love him and not be angry. She chose to walk through this difficult time with him. She chose to be his friend when others were turning their backs on him. It was not temporary or fake either, she is still with him today {20 years later}. What a story of love and forgiveness. 

#3- Despite this difficult circumstance and life long reminder of the bad choices that he made, Magic and his wife chose to make the best of it. They chose to educate the world about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and fight for those who had this terrible disease. He started a foundation in urban communities that provides free resources as well as free HIV/AIDS testing.


Even though Rock the Red Pump is over I encourage you to continue to educated yourselves about HIV/AIDS. I encourage you to pray for those who are dying of this terrible disease and pray for a cure. If you are able, I encourage you to watch "The Announcement" It was incredibly uplifting and encouraging.

fruit on the bottom

I LOVE fruit on the bottom yogurt. It tastes so much better to me than the already mixed kind. I love it. Today as I was eating some for breakfast, and being really excited that we had some, I said out loud "Fruit on the bottom, yum yum yum!" I have a toddler so don't judge me. lol. And then I started thinking about "Fruit on the bottom". It's what is the best part about that yogurt. I wouldn't eat it if it was just plain. I want the fruit!

Now turn it around on us. Where is our fruit?

Are we keeping the best parts at the bottom, where people have to dig and dig to find? Or are we living them out and people know we're Christ followers because they see our fruit? These things are what makes us set apart from the world. We have to practice them, make them habits, and master them. One of the ones that I am working on diligently is Gentleness. It doesn't come natural for me. I have to practice it, make it a habit, and God-willing, master it. I want it to become a part of me. So, let your fruit be visible ladies. It's the best stuff!