All Day, Every Day

As I was reading my scriptures this morning I got to thinking...  What if my friends and family who I love only called me when they needed something, or just once a year to say hey.  How would that make me feel?  It saddened my heart to think that God could be feeling the same way!  Often we go to him when we have prayer requests.  We start off like we are at the drive-thru at a fast food place ordering a value meal on our way rushing to an appointment we are late for.  Oh and lets not forget on Sunday mornings we rush into church catch some of the message and may even have to leave early for another commitment.  We have to slow down!  We are really missing out on what really matters.  I have decided to really focus on worshipping the Lord.  Worship (appreciating God for his nature and worth) should occupy the core of our lives and not just a few minutes once a week.  I wanted to learn more ways to direct my life towards more worship so I found an article entitled Ten Ways to Worship Without Music.

1. Worship through prayer
2. Get in a regular habit of reading the Bible
3. Obey God
4. Tithe
5. Build deep relationships with other Christians
6. Share you faith
7. Serve others
8. Build into your life the attitude of thankfulness
9. Begin turning over to God areas of your life that you have never committed to Him
10. Live a life of purpose

These are things I can actually do daily to help me worship God in practically everything that I do.  To keep my mind focused on him and in return he will take care of me and anything I would otherwise be concerned about.  How awesome is that!  Don't let me leave out worshipping with music.  Listening to some uplifting music and meditating on the words I am singing can be an instant relief from anything that has come up that could have potentially changed my mood for the worse.  So try it with me.  Let's worship a little more each and everyday!  I am truly excited!

Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD. - Psalm 150:6

Until next time...

Grace and Blessings!

   

Dying Daily

Have you ever been in class and the teacher was speaking on a subject and maybe you hadn't read that chapter so you just sat there and nodded along with the other students who seemed to be taking it in and right there with the teacher.  Well that is me some times when I am speaking with people who maybe have a little more knowledge than me when it comes to knowing Jesus.  They may have a little more experience talking with Him and hearing the Holy Spirit speak to them with more profound information.  I know God does not have favorites and He can use anyone for His purpose so this does not discourage me.  In fact it makes me want to find out more and more what I can do to have a closer relationship with Him also.  


So class the topic of today is dying daily.  What does that really mean?  I knew that was something as a Christian I was suppose to do to be more Christ like.  In my prayers I have been asking the Lord to help me be more like Him, to show me what I can do to get closer.  Well today I was sent a devotional that helped with just that!  It was about dying daily!


"[I assure you] by the pride which I have in you in [your fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily [I face death every day and die to self]." 1 Corinthians 15:31 (AMP)


Everyday we are faced with situations where we can snap back at someone.  Get upset because we have told our children umpteen (an imaginary number my mom use to say to my brother and me) times to do or not do the same thing.  Maybe it is as simple as passing judgement about someone.  We have to stop and think is this pleasing to to the Lord?  If not go ahead and be like me take a second to die.  Let all of those thoughts and reactions that we have let come up in our spirits just die off!  Stop take a deep breath and die in a spiritual sense.


Ok that is not hard right?  Well what about when we forget to think of the other person.  I sometimes promote self, elevate self and just plainly think too much about myself and my feelings in situations.  Stop and die!


Die to self, Die to flesh, Die to the attitude of entitlement, anything that changes my attitude to result in me acting wrong. 


Thank you Lord for opening my eyes and increasing my knowledge about You!  


Until next time, 
Grace and Blessings!

Hair from February 24th Straightening - Update

When I had a TWA (teeny weeny afro :) ) I played in it all the time!  I wore a lot of wigs and just didn't take the neccessary care for it like I should have.  Some how I managed to get over the hump and it grew out and I found a stylist that could flat iron my hair but with methods that would not strip it too much.  She uses a steamer, she may deep condition you 2xs if your strands need it and a good heat protectant before she uses the blow dryer or flat irons.  Daisha is awesome!  Just look at her work.  This hair being straight is 5 weeks old.  I used no oil or hairspray on my hair.  I keep it wrapped if I am not leaving the house.  I only use a wide too shower comb in it.  

My hair is starting to get a little fuzzy at roots so putting it in a pony keeps it looking together.  

Well since the gray hair is creeping in I will have to dye it soon at the roots.  When I do I will post pics and updates!  Until then be blessed and thanks for stopping by!

Hands Off!

I really think the big secret to growing hair is to keep it moisturized (if you have dry hair and scalp) and to keep your hands out of it.  When I had a TWA (teeny weeny afro) I kept my hands in my hair twirling the curls, and when it grew out some I had fun gelling my hair back into puffs.  Using gel and a boar bristle brush.  I just think my hair didn't achieve its potential because I kept manipulating it.

Once I knew I would be in a foreign country (Germany) without my stylist and a lot of my hair products readily available to me I had to make some changes.  I decided to get a sew in when I 1st arrived in August.  I kept the weave in until the 1st of October.  Not sure if I could have gone longer, the hair was holding up pretty well, but I am the type of person that like to feel my scalp and the rat tail comb to scratch up under the braids was not working for me.  I took the hair down and began my routine with my shea butter mixture.

From October until February was conditioner wash on Sunday.  Two strand twist with shea butter mixture.  Twist out on Wednesday.  Dry braid out every other week on Friday night.  Ok not sure if that was clear but when my hair was in twists I would pin them in a style when leaving the house or I wore my satin bonnet under a winter hat and went about my day running errands. The every other week braid out was when I was attending a basketball game and wanted to wear my hair down.  So here are a few visuals of those styles.

Sew in weave

Dry braid out

Wearing satin bonnet under winter hats

This was it in a nutshell.  Nothing spectacular :)  I just believe minimal is best.  Oh and the dye is because I have a lot of gray hair.  It is my way to camouflage it and give me a little sass ;)
Until next time stay blessed!

Little Bit of This, Some of That! My Shea Butter Mixture

I want to apologize this took forever for me to post.  When I initially wrote that I would post what I mix into my shea butter concoction I failed to realize that I had taken my measurements home to the USA during my visit in February.  So what I will do is tell you the things I included in the mix and what they are claimed to do for your hair.  I want to also say that I am no scientist, doctor or even a cosmetologist.  I just did some research for what I wanted out of a hair cream and got in the kitchen mixing!  I really think want helped my hair (and as we all know all hair is different, what may work for me may not work for the next person) was the fact that I stayed out of it.  I had been looking around on the web and reading about all the harsh things that are in store bought products (not all) that are not moisturizing for our hair.  My hair was feeling dry and I have a two year old with really dry hair so we needed something to restore moisture, make our hair soft and manageable.  This mix is heavy.  Your hair will not bounce or fly with the wind lol.  It was really for the health aspect for our hair.  I will post my routine for the fall and winter on another post.  Stay tuned!

Here are the ingredients I used in the mix:

Aloe Vera Benefits

- dandruff prevention- has natural antibacterial and fungicidal properties.  

- conditioning- The gel also has a similar chemical composition to keratin, the primary protein in hair cells, which allows it to more easily penetrate hair along the entire length of the shaft, according to Gage. Once the gel has penetrated the hair shaft and follicle, its combination of essential amino acids gives it strength and luster.

Glycerin 

-keeps hair hydrated by drawing moisture from the air to the hair shaft. As a conditioner, it's especially beneficial for curly hair, which tends to be drier due to the shape of the hair shaft. It helps curls form better and works against that dreaded curse of the curly girl: frizz.

Castor Oil

Regular castor oil use on your hair’s roots and scalp will help:

1. Increase hair growth
2. Thicken hair that is starting to thin out
3. Reduce and prevent hair damage
4. Eliminate dry hair
5. Make the hair fuller and shinier
6. Deeply condition and moisturize hair and scalp
7. Prevents dry scalp
8. Boost your hair’s overall health

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (EVCO) - makes hair manageable, seals in moisture, pre-poo

Shea Butter – heavy butter for sealing in moisture, softens hair

• Shea butter provides moisture to dry and damaged hair from the roots to the tips, leaving it healthy and shiny. Because it's rich in vitamins A and E, shea butter soothes dryness, repairs breakage, and mends split ends.
• Shea butter absorbs quickly and completely into the scalp without clogging pores, leaving a greasy residue, or causing a buildup of oil or dandruff.
• Shea butter helps heal a variety of scalp problems, including dry scalp, psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.
• Shea butter protects hair from weather damage caused by wind, humidity, and extreme dryness, and repairs such damage.
• Because it's rich in moisture and can shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation, shea butter protects hair from sun damage.
• If your hair has endured chemical treatments, hot irons, and blow-dryers, shea butter can restore its moisture and vitality.

Jojoba Oil - structurally and chemically very similar to the human sebum( natural oil we produce), non greasy, high content of minerals and Vit E, antibacterial and prevents damage from free radicals.  

Extra virgin olive oil EVOO- Used on hair, olive oil can nourish, condition, and improve the strength and elasticity. Moreover, being olive oil a completely natural product, treating yourself with it will help reducing the stress caused by chemical products and therefore improve the health of your hair overall.

Orange Fragrance Oil

A lot of these products don't smell like the nice smelling stuff you can buy in the stores.  That is why I added the Orange Fragrance.  It gave the mix a spa smell, kinda clean and herbal, like when you close your eyes on the massage table.  Here is what it looked like after mixing it by hand:

It is the consistency of cake icing.  I do apologize for not having the measurements.  A tip to remember though you have to warm the raw shea butter to get it soft enough to stir and mix.  I achieved this by spooning it into a small bowl and putting the bowl in a HOT larger bowl of water until it melted.  The coconut oil was solid as well but after a little stirring it became soft.  There are some hair sites on the web to give you a reference to measurements.  Just look around and see what looks good to you.  If you have a question please ask and I will try to get back to you very soon!  Thanks for stopping by and good luck if you decide to make it yourself!  Happy Growing!!!

Grace and Blessings!

My Very 1st Blog Award!

Oh wow I have won my first blog award and I feel so honored!  

Leibster: (German Origin) Meaning beloved, dearest, favorite.

Presented to me by Mrs C Truscott author of Greater Than the Game, the Liebster Award is awarded to you by the readers of your blog; making this so much more special to me because it means that my words…my efforts are touching someone.

        
Mrs C Truscott Is a wonderful, woman of God.  She is led by the Holy Spirit and is a blessing to all those who know her.  Her blog is a wonderful testimony of what a Christ filled life can be like.  She is very transparent and tells stories of her struggles and her blessings.  Her testimonies of faith will inspire anyone who reads.  Check out her blog Greater Than the Game and see what the goodness of the Lord can do!  
        
Not only does she write on this wonderful blog she is a co-founder of Bara Prayer Movement.  Bara Prayer Movement is a global ministry that was created for women who are committed to keeping God and His son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, first in their lives, families and marriages.  Mrs C Truscott along with 2 other ladies have inspirational devotionals and live prayers during the week.  You can find the prayer recaps on the site as well!  Please check it out, you will be blessed.  


I feel so blessed to have Mrs C Truscott as both a reader and nominator of this lovely award.

The honor of accepting the award is traditionally done in the following way:

1.      Show your appreciation to the blogger who presented you with the award by linking back to their site.

2.      Pick 5 blogs that you would like to spotlight/nominate that have 200 followers or less. Let them know by commenting on their blog.

3.      Post the award on your blog!!!

Thus, the 5 blogs that I would like to spotlight are as follows:

1. My Two Roads
2. xxxMixed Chickkxxx
3. Pretty In Pink
4. Tower
5. Our Global Escapades

Thank you again to Mrs Truscott and to all of the readers who enjoy this site, thank you for visiting this blog and for continuing to read, comment on, and support my posts. I greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Sincerely,

Too Blessed to be Stressed!

Today started out nice like any other, thanking God for another glorious day, and seeing my wonderful family awake and getting along with the activities of their limbs.  Somewhere after breakfast and before lunch it all went wrong.  There were a few grocery items we were in need of and I wanted to browse two little boutiques for small gifts for friends.  The hubby had training so it was going to be me and the little lady out and about.  We parked and commenced our shopping with smiles and songs.  That is where the happy story ends...  Inside the 1st store with no shopping carts available to strap her down, she wanted to run through the aisles grabbing things.   This type of behavior is frowned upon in majority of the German stores I have been in so I grabbed her and tried to shop a little faster.  She kicked and screamed because she wanted her freedom to roam.  I tried to buy her silence by showing her some stickers of one of her favorite characters.  That bought me two minutes of quietness but when the whaling started back we made a dash to the check out.  I didn't get the items we went in for I didn't see them or perhaps I did but my mind was thinking lets get out of here before the clerk says something to me.

Isaiah 58:9 

Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

The second store wasn't much of a difference except there was a cart.  She just leaned over to the side of that trying to grab items to throw in the cart.  When they were replaced on the rack the screams started.  I had a little more luck in here with finding items, I think the fact that I wasn't chasing her or trying to hold her while being kicked helped :)  SO the final two stores were grocery stores.  The first store wasn't bad I can't recall a major incident.  Then second grocery store was a different story.  In there we only had to get a special flavored yogurt her daddy loves so I planned on dashing in and out.  All was good and we were on the home stretch in the checkout line.  Can you guess what she spotted as we waited our turn to check out? Yep candy!  I said ok the chocolate eggs she loves with a toy surprise inside were on sale.  So I said we will get two.  She of course wanted them right then and there and we were 3rd to check out.  So she cried and screamed like I had pinched her.  Her nose started to run and she fell out all over the cart.  Finally she stopped because the nice lady behind us played as though she was going to tickle her.  After paying and thanking the stranger we went home.  

You would think the wild day would end because we came home to lunch already prepared.  Daddy met us down at the curb to carry our groceries up four flights of stairs but you thought wrong.  She barely ate lunch and wanted to play with our electronics and when she was denied she screamed and cried.  It was definitely nap time and mommy time!  Daddy was leaving for night practice and we would be alone again.  We had a battle to lay down but I thought I won so I came out to sit and check emails.  Ok it was a little too quiet so, I decided to go take a peek.  Sure enough she was into something!!  She was sitting in the middle of our bed covered from head to toe in my lotion.  Lotion I had brought back to Germany from the States.  In other words cannot replace it at this time.   So after cleaning her and the sheets, I told her I didn't want to see her face for a while!  She cried and screamed so I closed her door.  I needed "me time".  

After a while of her crying and I was able to talk to a dear friend (thanks Mrs. Truscott) who chuckled at the situation because it is what a typical sleepy child would do in that situation.  My daughter was no different than other children nearing her nap time, although at times I wonder am I the only mother going through this?!  After stepping back and looking at the situation and hearing my baby call out Mommy! Mommy! from the other room I did the only think I could do at that moment.  Asked for help.  No my husband still wasn't here but I called my Father (not my dad back in the USA), my comforter, my teacher, and just called out Shalom - Lord of Peace!  I prayed for help, so that I can help her in this time of need.  I asked Him to show me how to be a good mom to her when she is in distress and I am stressed.  He is always an on time God!  The tension left my body, and I felt I could walk in there and deal with anything.  Well not only did He give me peace He gave her peace as well.  We ate dinner, and played a little then at 8pm (her official bedtime) on the dot she was in her pjs and on her way to a deep sleep in bed.  I have to remember to thank God for the good and the bad.  The situation with my daughter drew me closer to my Father.   We have to believe that with Christ we can handle anything!  We have to ask the Holy Spirit to help us love in those tough situations and to give thanks.  For this realization I am truly blessed.  

Until Next time...

Psalm 62:1-2

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.