The Queen's Journey

      I'm a huge believer in journals.  There is journaling for anything and everything.  Journaling helps to organize your thoughts and set things in motion.  It helps for you to see where you've been and where you're going --- and want to go, or don't want to go BACK to!  It shows you how you've improved and those areas of life that need improvement.  It really is the best self-help book out there!  I liken journaling to a written form of a VISION BOARD.                      However, I don't write in my journal every day, though.  But, that's just me and my process.  I journal when something profound happens in my life, or I need to get something off my heart, or to express an emotion.  I journal when I am totally blown away by the Lord by the work He is doing in my life, and He allows me to see how He's putting the puzzle pieces together.  I also use journal...

How is "living" in gratitude accomplished?    Living in gratitude is a lifestyle.  It is something that can be learned, but does take discipline.  Try this exercise in helping you develop a grateful heart, thus, to live in gratitude.... STOP >>>> Start out for five minutes a day (and increase over time) and just stop .  Stop and close your eyes.  Empty your mind of all that is going on around you.  Dive deep within yourself, within your soul, and search for the blessings of the day.  Surely, you've had at least one in your day thus far.  Actually, you have.  You're breathing --- able to see the light of another day.  Oh, and what about your sight --- you're reading this, are you not?      So, for five minutes of your 1,440 minutes of one day, stop, dive deep, and remind yourself of the blessings not only in your day, but in your life.  And, I want you to really focus on those blessings. ...

This world is full of darkness. If we each would shine our individual lights, it would dispel that darkness!                       It doesn't take much at all to shine --- small acts of kindness work, and genuine love.  When we are all working together to better this world, a bigger impact is made.  Just as it is with the one rain drop filling the ocean; all those "one" rain drops combined together ... fills the mighty ocean!  And the same with the stars in the heavens... all the stars combined, light up the darkest of nights! Use what you have, where you are to make a difference.  It all begins in the heart, and a good place to begin is with gratitude; being thankful in all circumstances. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)  Yes, life deals us blows along our journey, but we also receive blessings.  And, it is our responsibility to open our eyes and see the light of those blessings; an...

Without a vision, a nation will perish.  So it is with us - each individual.  IF we don't have dreams and goals, then we wither.  No one advances in life by accident.  We must have vision.  Just think about all of the great ideas and inventions of life.  They didn't just <poof> and happen.  They began as a little idea.  BUT, what is important is what was done with that little idea.  Nurture and water your dreams.  Make determination and perseverance part of your life.  Success isn't over night.  It takes time.  It takes vision.  All achievements are reached by a dream.   Put into action a plan that will energize your dreams.   But, first, you must dream. And, don't be afraid to dream BIG!  There is nothing at all wrong with having a vision to reach the stars.  The stars are our aspirations.  If we didn't have the stars to reach for, we wouldn't accomplish much.  It...

We vote politicians into office to be our representatives, governors, and president, in "hopes" of taking the best care of our lives.  So, why not vote Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and know  that He WILL take the best care of your life? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Look, the way I see it, most people have never seen or met their government representatives in person.  We are just trusting someone whose name is on the ballot.  We trust what they tell us in their campaign speeches.  We trust a person whom we've never spoken with.  But yet, we give him/her full range of authority over our lives.  How's that working for everyone? So the same is with Jesus.  Outside of when Jesus lived, we've never met Him in person.  We've never seen Him.  We've never talked with Him.  So, why not take a chance with Jesus and trust Him, just as we trust our politicians whom we've never met?  He's dead, you say?  Well...

She had a choice to believe.   She had a choice to reach out.   She had a choice to want to better her life.   But, it didn't happen without her "choosing" to.  She had to take that forward step.      I am speaking of the woman in the Bible with the issue of blood.  After 12 years of failed medical treatment and spending all she had, she was determined; and became a risk-taker.  Just as we women, today, can be.      (Mark 5:24-29, 34)... "... And a great crowd followed him and thronged about him.  And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.  She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment.  For she said, "If I touch even his garments, I will be made well."  And immed...

What matters is the <<willingness>>, which is the motive of true generosity.    And this willingness -- begins in the heart .  It matters not how small a gift of giving you offer; rather, that what is offered is given from the heart.  All the wealth in the world that is given out of appearance sake, cannot out-give a poor person's heart of genuine love.  Though the widow's offering was meager, she gave out of her poverty.  Jesus commended her act of generosity -- which was from the heart. Jesus honors our willingness to genuinely love. "Jesus looked up and saw the rich  putting their gifts into  the offering box,   2  and he saw a poor widow put in two  small copper coins.    3  And he said,  “Truly, I tell you,  this poor widow has put in more than all of them.   4  For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her  poverty put in...