Happy New Year!!!

This year has been one that challenged me to STAND when I wanted to fall out and CRY, to walk in perseverance when doubters surrounded me, to put aside my own wants and needs, to share truths that are not so flattering so that it may encourage the next one, to remember what is most important and to ACT on that. I am so thankful to be able to say that. My God is so awesome. I am so looking forward to what else is in store for me in 2013. Happy New Year Everyone! ♥

Faithful, Fierce and Fabulous!

Have a fabulous day, everyone!

Good Morning!

The summer is flying by. I've had a lot going on hence my absence and will be back soon! The Lord has been SO GOOD to me, during my peaks AND valleys. How dare I let a "challenge" silence me!?Have a fabulously blessed day!

Fitness: Inside and Out

"Transformation is only valid if it is carried out with the people, not for them. Liberation is like a childbirth, and a painful one. The person who emerges is a new person: no longer either oppressor or oppressed, but a person in the process of achieving freedom. It is only the oppressed who, by freeing themselves, can free their oppressors.” - Paulo Freire

The above photo and quote was shared over 25 times on Facebook from Paula Hannah’s wall. (You ROCK Paula!) I shared it on my personal page as well. Not only were the “before” and “after” photos inspiring, but the words in the left image spoke to a place that, unfortunately, I personally dwelled in for a long time.

Rejection

Bitterness

Unforgiveness

Shame

I can go really deep on this blog to demonstrate my point, but I will say this: Dealing with the root of rejection, in turn sprouted bitterness, unforgiveness and shame. It popped up in various areas of my life, both internally and externally. It showed up in my disposition when I perceived ANY form of rejection. Holding on to bitterness was a barrier to developing meaningful relationships. Unforgiveness, in short, was my emotional prison. Shame was the fuzzy cloud that I walked in if that makes sense. Even after I gave my life to Christ I still carried a lot of these labels.

Let me tell you, GOD is a healer and restorer! This is not a catchy phrase. YOU have to be REAL with yourself and real with God. He sees all anyway so why try to hide?

God dealt with me over time in layers. When I believed that I was healed from one area of my life, He brought another one before me to confront. All of these offenses were interconnected and had hardened my heart over time. I also asked God for forgiveness and prayed for the people that I have hurt in the past as well.

I love the themes on the right side of the photo!

Empowered

Renewed

Rebirth

Planted

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13

I can BE spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially healthy!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

I am a NEW creature in Christ.

Regardless of the lies spoken over my life.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

I can not continue to dwell on the world’s negative thought processes.

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, ² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night. ³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. – Psalm 1:1-3

Where are you planted?

Apple Pecan Salad

So I was inspired by a healthy salad at a fast food restaurant!

I love the mandarin chicken salad at Wendy’s! When my brother went to pick one up for me when I was in Virginia the other week, he came back with an apple pecan salad instead. I was disappointed to find out that it was not on the menu there. I believe that it is discontinued. Anyhow I tried the apple pecan chicken salad and loved it! I grabbed it for lunch twice when I returned home and then decided to pick up items to make my own at home, with or without the chicken. Here is the recipe for a single serving:

Bowl of Spring mix salad greens

¼ to ½ chopped apple

Glazed pecans (about two tablespoons)

Craisins (about two tablespoons)

Crumbled Bleu cheese

Raspberry Pomegranate dressing

Enjoy!

Note: Beware of caloric intake from the glazed pecans, craisins and cheese. In other words, go lightly.

Unlock Your Greatness

May 13 – A giant never starts out being a giant; it grows into one.

What things can you stop early before they get out of control?

May 14 – [do you feel less of a man/woman based on how much money you make?]

I am a man/woman who has a lot to offer. My value is not based on how much money I make.

May 15 – It took a while but I love myself. <3

These questions and quotes were pulled out of David Carruthers’ book titled “Unlock Your Greatness Daily Reminders for a Year of Empowerment”. He is also the author of “Kill Your Giants”.

Like King David in the Bible, we have to confront and eliminate the giants in our lives. Also when things are tough and our backs are against the wall, we have to encourage ourselves. Check out his website via http://www.therealdavecarruthers.com.



App for Losing

I have NEVER counted calories. I admit I had a horrible diet which consisted of a lot of sweets such as late night ice cream binges and Pepsi. A slice of leftover chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and a cup of coffee for breakfast was normal for me.  I never considered my daily caloric intake at all. When I was in my late teens, early 20s it wasn’t an issue. (Insert chuckle here!) Decades ago I used to smirk at people that diligently counted their calories.  

I don’t have to tell you that over the long term, this type of eating is detrimental to your health in a myriad of ways. I’ve encountered medical issues that I am sure was not enhanced by my former diet.

You know how WE know that something is not right, but we ignore the signs? I am not proud to say that THAT is how I was about certain aspects of my health. The obvious issues I addressed quickly but the issues that were self-imposed, I didn’t acknowledge it as such.

^“19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, ²⁰ for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” – 1 Corinthians 16:19-20

Ok. Wake-up call yet again. This scripture calls for a closer examination of what I was putting into my body. I can’t just eat whatever I want, whenever I want, just because. How can I truly honor God if I am always tired or sick? It is easy to say “Oh I don’t abuse my body with drugs and alcohol.” but what is the heavy sugar intake doing? What does a lack of a balanced diet do? What does a NO EXERCISE lifestyle do over the long run?

I came across a video where a woman described her weight lost journey. In addition to exercise, she mentioned an app called “Lose It”. Immediately I went to my ipad and downloaded the app. This app helps you keep track of what you eat and your exercise. It is very user friendly. It was the last day of the month so I decided to eat what I would eat normally. I logged everything in from a normal day, snacks, the whole nine. It was alarming to me to see the amount of calories I consumed from junk food. The very next day I kicked Pepsi cold turkey.

My husband downloaded the app as well and we use it to encourage each other.

Have I seen results? Yes, I lost a couple of pounds. I am far from where I would like to be but it is not a discouragement. This lifestyle change is a process. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, “Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

He is Risen!!

Have a blessed Resurrection Day...

Focus - Interview with Alishia Louis

Alishia Louis is a single mother of two, a motivational empowerment speaker, entrepreneur and author of two books, Woman Will Thou Be Made Whole?: Healing from the Wounds of Divorce and The Woman You've Empowered me to Be!: Staying on the Path of Emotional Healing & Freedom.  She is the Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Empowered Women Ministries. She graciously took time out of her busy schedule for this interview.

FF: Describe your Christian Journey in three words.

         Alishia: Incredible        Liberating           Real

FF: Your first book, “Woman, will thou be made whole?: Healing from the wounds of divorce” spoke to me directly although I have not gone through a divorce. You candidly addressed rejection and brokenness. Can you share something with the reader who is broken but does not realize it?

Alishia: I think once a person reads that type of material and begins to connect with it, she then realizes she’s broken. Acceptance is the next step, however. I think a lot or people (men and women) know in their heart that they are fragmented emotionally, but don’t want to accept it. Until you accept that you are broken, healing and emotional healthy living will only be something you look at from afar; never able to touch it for yourself.

FF: What has being a parent taught you about yourself?

Alishia: Ah! Wow. It has taught me that I better get myself right! (smile) Because God shows us who we really are beneath the skin through the behaviors of our children.

FF: Reality TV thrives off of exhibiting toxic relationships between women. How do we reach the women who watch these shows and believe that they are examples of sisterhood?  

Alishia: We reach them by teaching them their value in Christ Jesus. He really is the only one who can open the eyes of the blind, literally. We reach them by introducing God’s genuine love to them. Once a woman experiences God’s genuine love, and the value He has placed on her worth, she does not and will not allow anything or anyone to taint it with emotional toxins.

FF: What was your inspiration for “The Woman You’ve Empowered Me to Be!”?

Alishia: My inspiration was the mirror I looked in as I realized I was 5 months pregnant, had an existing child that was less than a year old, and I was getting ready to be a divorced single mother of two. The question was, “How did I get myself here.” The answer lied within me—deep soul searching. After looking in the mirror, and seeing myself. I had no other choice but to turn to God to me with “me”.

FF: Can you tell us about the Empowered Woman of the Year Award Ceremony and Dinner?

Alishia: Inspired by my own journey: The Purpose of the Empowered Women of the Year Award Ceremony is to honor single mothers who have overcome extreme hardship and have accomplished a level of success in areas of Education, Entrepreneurship, Home Ownership, Career Success & Health. Proceeds from this event go to support our efforts to build a transitional living housing facility in Kent County for single mothers and their children.

FF: What’s next for you?

Alishia: Well Natasha, I sure could use a good night’s sleep and a trip to Jamaica! But we shall see what the Lord shall say. I’m all His!

 FF: God bless you!

For more information about Empowered Women Ministries, visit:
http://www.empoweredwomenministries.org

 

Bethel - Shana Wilson

Purity Ball Gown

My daughter at her Purity Ball.

While considering where to purchase a white gown for my daughter's Purity Ball, I decided to make it instead. I would have had to spend wedding gown money for a simple yet elegant style.

This is the pattern I used for the gown. I love the Jessica McClintock silhouettes. I used another random pattern to make the sheer stole.

My Niece's Cooking Lesson

My beautiful niece recently mentioned to me that she wanted cooking lessons.  She is now an adult and on her own with a daughter and busy schedule. When she made the request I said to myself, “Oh my goodness!” because I was thinking of my own elders (mom, aunts, grandmothers) and how they THREW down in the kitchen.

From scratch.

No cookbooks in sight.

I learned to cook by helping and observation. I remember fondly my childhood summers spent in Virginia at my grandparents.  I have a huge extended family (my mom is one of thirteen) so the kitchen was always bustling with activity. I remember helping my grandmother to snap string beans. I LOVED it. I remember trying to find the sharpest knife to peel potatoes. My dear grandmother made the BEST fried potatoes and onions, hands down. Fried apples, mackerel and salmon cakes? Go on and sit down. I grew up in a generation where children were “seen and not heard”. So as a kid, being allowed to hang around the kitchen was a treat.

I am chuckling to myself because I am now the “next generation” who is considered someone’s “elder”.  This is a serious example of “stepping up to the plate”, no pun intended.

Titus 2:3-5 instructs us to teach the younger women, by example and by training.

I am thankful to God for using my niece to be a reminder to me. Although I did not see myself as being “fit” to teach, there are lessons that she wanted to learn.

There were certain dishes that my niece liked so I picked one of those to start with for her lesson on yesterday.

No Boil Lasagna

Two boxes of Lasagna

About 1.5 – 2 pounds ground turkey

2 (26 ounce) jars of spaghetti sauce

Small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic

10 ounce box frozen spinach

32 ounces ricotta cheese

8 ounce bag shredded mozzarella cheese

8 ounce bag shredded cheddar cheese

Egg

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Seasonings (Salt, pepper, seasoned salt, oregano, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In small saucepan, prepare spinach as directed.

In stockpot, sauté chopped onion and garlic in a little oil until translucent. Add ground turkey and seasonings. Brown the ground turkey. Add the spaghetti sauce. Simmer.

Put the ricotta cheese in a bowl. Mix with an egg, seasonings and parmesan cheese. Add spinach. Mix well.

Grease the bottom of a roaster pan. (A 9 x 12 baking pan is too small) Spread about a cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom of pan. Take some uncooked lasagna noodles and lay at the bottom of pan. Spread some ricotta cheese mixture across the noodles. Spoon spaghetti sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle some of the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese over the sauce.  Layer more lasagna noodles. Repeat until you use all of your ingredients.

Put about a cup of water in the spaghetti jar, then pour this around the edges of the lasagna then top. (This extra water is what cooks the lasagna)

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Take off foil and finish baking for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy.

My family went IN on the lasagna so I did not get a chance to take a picture of it. Smiles.

Bath and Body to the 10th Power!

I admit it. I love scented body lotions. I love toiletry SETS even better. If they have the shower gel, bubble bath AND body spray I am IN.  Name brands do not necessarily matter. I have sets from the drugstore as well as department stores and specialty stores. I even have a couple of home-made “organic” spa products from local entrepreneurs.

The “3 for 2” or “5 for 3” sales at the chain retail stores don’t help at all, they actually aid my little predilection. However, I am NOT blaming the suppliers!

The downside of my in-house spa experience is the lack of complete usage of all of my products. Each scent or line would have a “season” so to speak. I may grab one scent randomly or stick with basic body lotion the next. I don’t methodically rotate each set. I use what I use whatever I am feeling and the others sit on the shelf. So ultimately some of these products can go stale. The product can separate in the container. The scent, color, and or consistency changes, you get what I am saying. You don’t REALLY want to slather this all over your body and get a negative reaction.

So this week I decided to go through my bathroom and medicine cabinets to clear out old product or nearly empty containers.

I am kind of proud to say that I recycled 20-something containers! Old vitamins and expired medication bottles are also included in this count.

Although some spa products do not usually have an expiration date stamped on them, there is a shelf life for them. Certain ingredients and usage determine shelf life. You can check out the U.S. Food & Drug Administration for more information on this. (Keep in mind that home made products have an even shorter shelf life because no preservatives are added to them.)

Body Lotion – 2 or 3 years

Shampoo, conditioner and shower gel – about 3 years

Bath Oil – 1 year

Bar Soap – 18 months to 3 years

Body Scrubs – About 3 months to 2 years

Body Spray – Up to 3 years (These should be kept in a cool dry space, not in the bathroom)

Perfume – About 2 years (These should be kept in a cool dry space, not in the bathroom)

Next up will be my makeup bag!

Coca Cola Chicken Recipe

My Coca Cola Chicken

A girlfriend of mine inspired me on her facebook page with a picture of her own coca cola chicken. I immediately asked her for her recipe. She's a chef though, and listed the ingredients and I am more of a follow the instructions and use measurements type of cook so I found a recipe online and gave it a shot. LOVE it! My family loves it...It is really hot so I use one or two chili peppers instead of three. I serve it with stir fried rice. Here is the link for the chicken recipe.


http://www.mijorecipes.com/chicken-recipes/coca-cola-chicken-wings/


Here is the stir fried rice recipe link (Easy version)

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/ricefried/r/basicfriedrice.htm

Greatest Love Of All

Setting: Downtown Crossing T station. A sister is on the bench with a keyboard and mic. She sings this song while I am waiting for the train. I am telling you, God used this woman and this song to pierce my heart! Each lyric spoke to the burdens that I’ve kept buried deep inside for so long. Every rejection, every betrayal, every hurt that scarred my heart, God chose THIS time, in public, to PERSONALLY speak to me as I waited for the train. I wept the WHOLE way to Green Street station! A woman came up to me at Green street and invited me to Bible study as I wept and walked...I will never forget THAT particular encounter....God is amazing...

"Greatest Love Of All"

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

Everybody's searching for a hero
People need someone to look up to
I never found anyone who fulfilled my needs
A lonely place to be
So I learned to depend on me
[Chorus:]
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows
If I fail, if I succeed
At least I'll live as I believe
No matter what they take from me
They can't take away my dignity
Because the greatest love of all
Is happening to me
I found the greatest love of all
Inside of me
The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

[Chorus]

And if, by chance, that special place
That you've been dreaming of
Leads you to a lonely place
Find your strength in love

Karate Ka For Peace Summer Camp

Karate Ka for Peace Camp is a wonderful free summer camp established by Hamilton College alumna Tiffany Sanders.

The mission of this camp is to provide a safe and unique enrichment program for adolescents living in high-crime areas throughout the city of Boston as well as to use martial arts as an outlet to begin to discuss peaceful approaches in high-anxiety situations before resulting to physical force. The camp met on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings for two hours from mid-June to the end of July.

The classes, taught by Sensei Anthony Sanders, covered diverse disciplines and fostered a great sense of camaraderie amongst the youth. For more information, contact Sensei Sanders at 857.919.7676 or via email at Karateka.summercamp@gmail.com

Literal Water

We are supposed to drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. I admire people who can do that effortlessly.

I used to keep a little poster up in my office cubicle for a visual reminder.  It was not actually a poster but a copied printout from a colleague. She was a serious runner and adamant about eating healthy, etc. At the top of the page was a drawing of 8 glasses and below it listed the benefits for water intake.

1. Lose weight: Drinking water helps you lose weight because it flushes down the by-products of fat breakdown. Drinking water reduces hunger, it’s an effective appetite suppressant so you’ll eat less. Plus, water has zero calories.
2. Natural Remedy for Headache: Helps to relieve headache and back pains due to dehydration. Although many reasons contribute to headache, dehydration is the common one.
3. Look Younger with Healthier Skin: You’ll look younger when your skin is properly hydrated. Water helps to replenish skin tissues, moisturizes skin and increases skin elasticity.
4. Better Productivity at Work: Your brain is mostly made up of water, thus drinking water helps you think better, be more alert and more concentrated.
5. Better Exercise: Drinking water regulates your body temperature. That means you’ll feel more energetic when doing exercises. Water also helps to fuel your muscle.
6. Helps in Digestion and Constipation: Drinking water raises your metabolism because it helps in digestion. Fiber and water goes hand in hand so that you can have your daily bowel movement.
7. Less Cramps and Sprains: Proper hydration helps keep your joints and muscles lubricated, so you’ll less likely get cramps and sprains.
8. Less Likely to Get Sick and Feel Healthy: Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu and other ailments like kidney stones and heart attack. Water adds with lemon is used for ailments like respiratory disease, intestinal problems, rheumatism and arthritis etc. In another words one of the benefits of drinking water is that it can improve your immune system.
9. Relieves Fatigue: Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body. If your body lacks water, your heart, for instance, needs to work harder to pump out the oxygenated blood to all cells, so are the rest of the vital organs, your organs will be exhausted and so will you.
10. Good Mood: Your body feels very good and that’s why you feel happy.
11. Reduce the Risk of Cancer: Related to the digestive system, some studies show that drinking a healthy amount of water may reduce the risks of bladder cancer and colon cancer. Water dilutes the concentration of cancer-causing agents in the urine and shortens the time in which they are in contact with bladder lining.

Can you see the importance of water to your body after understanding the above benefits of drinking water?

 

I’ve also read that this is the formula for your own personal water intake.

Take your weight in pounds, divide it by two and drink that many ounces per day. So if someone weighs 160 pounds, divide that by two, get 80. So that person should drink 80 ounces of water per day. That is ten eight ounce glasses of water throughout the day, or eight ten ounce glasses of water.

Ok this is great. The information was right there in front of me. I knew of the benefits but yet I could not consume all of this water throughout the workday. I like water when I am really thirsty but other than that, I am not that motivated about it. Coffee, juice and other beverages do not count. I am talking h2O. I did however get into the habit of diluting cranberry or grape juice at home. I would pour about one part cranberry juice and three parts water. When I dined out I would ask for a glass of water with lemon, in addition to my other beverage. So I TRIED!

While online I happened to come across links for water recipes. This really caught my attention. “Water Recipe” made the idea of preparing a glass of water EXCITING. I will share a couple of recipes here:

Cucumber-Orange Water Recipe

6 cups cold water

6 thin slices English cucumber (I used regular cucumber)

5 thin slices orange

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve.

Sassy Water Recipe

2 liters water (about 8 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 medium cucumber (peeled and thinly sliced)

1 medium lemon thinly sliced

12 small spearmint leaves

Combine ingredients and let it stand in fridge overnight.

I really like the Cucumber-Orange water. I haven’t tried the Sassy water yet. I have all ingredients with the exception of spearmint leaves so I will try that next. What water recipes do you use?

I am probably the last person on earth who STILL buys CDs

Sometimes I feel like I am the last person on earth that STILL buys CDs.

I have NO music on my iPad. (YET) Yes, I still use my purple CD boombox, the descendant of the 8-Track player and Stereo Record Player.

It is also a cousin to the portable CD walkman. We have iPod users in the house, my teenage daughter downloads music all of the time. That process seems a little weird to me, to peruse online in the privacy of your own home, hear what you like, then purchase and download. I used to love strolling down the aisles of Strawberries Music & Video back when I worked downtown or even at Best Buy when outside of the city at the mall. Purchasing music was a small event in a sense.

Remember album covers!? They were like little pieces of art.

CD covers are an important as well as powerful part of the buying process. This first presentation is how they would engage a potential customer unless you are a diehard fan of the artist and the cover wouldn’t matter anyway.

This brings me to another point. How we communicate. How we disseminate information. How we engage, entertain or teach our audience. Regardless of how the information is imparted to the audience, the information is STILL the information. We can still hear the same thing. Part two of this point is our willingness to adapt. When 45s and LPs were phased out, the console stereo player owners didn’t just shut down, some eventually accepted the cassette. As a cassette-on-the-verge-of-CD playing young adult, I still appreciated the albums from my favorite Uncle Rodney’s extensive collection.

All of this makes me think of how the church ministers musically to multiple generations, whether through the iPad, CDs or albums. Whether we have the traditional, robed, large choirs, smaller groups of praise & worship teams or one psalmist, the message is the same. Jesus is LORD. ‘Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”’ – Mark 4:9 NIV

You are God alone.....

This is Psalm 139 set to music! I pray that it blesses you as it always does me!

Wow...they are selling already dyed Easter eggs at the grocery store!

“Wow....they are selling already dyed Easter eggs at the grocery store! Wow wow..” This was my text that accompanied the picture that I took as soon as I came across these eggs in the dairy section. It is the first full week of March. Easter is 34 days away. This post is not about so-called pagan practices or such, but about our microwave society. Trust me. I understand about being a wife and parent, amongst wearing other hats, having a super busy schedule and taking shortcuts for certain things in our lives for instance canned vegetables or take-out from time to time. Or for that matter, boxed cake mix versus made from SCRATCH! *Gasp!* But PRE-DYED Easter Eggs? Talk about bursting someone’s proverbial bubble! I thought that was the whole point of dying the eggs. To use vinegar and food coloring and making a mess with our kids while decorating the eggs. Now they have other decorating kits where we can use special markers to write on the eggs or do a tie-dye method so to speak. Easter Eggs Haute Couture. Who are they targeting with these “Ready Made” eggs? I am curious. Would you buy these if you were in a pinch? Is this going overboard?

Black History Month - Fashion Montage - Christian Magazines

The Proverbs 31 Woman

Black History Month - Fashion Montage - New African Woman

Black History Month - Fashion Montage - Heart and Soul Magazine

Being fit never goes out of style.