20 MINTUES A DAY…..Just For You!

This originally post April 16, 2010...enjoy!

Sunday after church, my girlfriend took me out to eat. We had a nice leisurely meal and plenty of good conversation. We covered God’s faithfulness, eating healthy, clothes, a new hairdresser and our nails. There was a lot more in there somewhere, it had to be. We were seated at 1:30pm and left at 4:00pm. LOL!!! But apart from God’s faithfulness there was something else that stuck out to me, and that was the conversation we had about our nails.

We started talking about our nails and I shared with her this new system I had purchased about a month ago on a shopping trip with my youngest daughter at the mall. The brand name is Déjà Vu and it’s manufactured in Israel with minerals from the Dead Sea. The system consists of a nail file, bottle of cuticle oil, body lotion and a buffer. What I love about this system is that it has made my rough, ridged nails very smooth. And they shine like glass. The lotion is fantastic, and I’ve been using it on the heels of my feet more than my hands. I take about 5 minutes each evening to rub the oil on my cuticles and do the buffing once a week. She shared that she had a similar system but was too tired at night to use it. That’s what stuck out. I hear this way too often from women. Because what you are saying is that you are too busy for you. Now granted my friend’s schedule is very full with working full time and all the other things she has on her plate, but she is single and does not have children, and if she is too busy then what about the women who are caregivers, married and have kids? Women who are responsible for others often put themselves last. And there needs to be a change in that mindset.

I could write a few more paragraphs talking about all the things that women do and why we so often put ourselves last, but I think focusing on inspiring us to make change is a better use of time. You already know if you are not making time for you and why.

On Wednesday I posed the question on our Facebook fan page “Share something you can do for yourself in 20 minutes” I did not get the response I had hoped for. I really wanted to see women write something they do that is for them, that doesn’t involve anyone but them. I wasn’t surprised though because once I offered a free subscription to a fashion magazine and women wrote me and told me they didn’t have time to read magazines. I think that is pretty sad. Why? We are inspired by reading and even a magazine that might take us all month to read can inspire us to try something new or make a change. Take a mirror test…..If you are frumpy or look neglected and un-kept, ask yourself “Why would someone else want your God?” How faithful a God is He if you look like you are in need would be their question? Some of us have let ourselves go to that point. And that should not be, so my prayer is that you will take a look at how you got there and begin to make change.

There is a great buzz in the air because it is spring. Women are talking about their gardens, spring cleaning, freshening up their houses, working on their curb appeal and so on. Well, what about you? It really won’t take much to make a change if you have been neglecting yourself. Even if financially you are not able to budget in a “professional” anything for yourself. That still does not leave you out or make it okay for you to be last or neglectful of yourself.

Maybe clothes are not your issue as much as your hair, skin, nails or feet. I would love to get a professional pedicure, but my budget says, “No.” But that doesn’t stop me from soaking my feet and, pumicing the dead skin off and painting my toenails. Most plastic dish pans will accommodate both your feet. They cost what two or three dollars at the most? If you don’t have foot soak, a little bit of bubble bath or shower gel will do. Treat yourself to a new color of polish, and go for it. There is so much that we can accomplish for ourselves if we just spend 20 minutes a day on us. Six times 20 equals 120. One hundred and twenty minutes translates into 2 hours. Wow, that is impressive if you are one who doesn’t spend any extra time on you. One night you could give yourself a facial. You can spend twice a week doing exercises to tighten up your stomach muscles or lift hand weights to firm up the under arm ding-a-ling. Soak in a luscious bath for 20 minutes and pumice your feet at the end. Twenty minutes is enough time to file and buff your nails or even pluck your eyebrows. It really doesn’t have to be about if you have money or not, it should be about you no matter what. You can read a magazine article in 20 minute that will inspire you to try something new. If you spent just 20 minutes each evening sewing an outfit for yourself, by the end of the week it would be completed. How often have we purchased material and never found the time to do the project? I’m guilty!

Maybe you are a person who has kind of lost your sense of style, if so, may I suggest you go to the bookstore and peruse the fashion magazines until you find one that speaks to you, and then buy it. Also if you have The Learning Channel please checkout the show “What Not to Wear!” It is fantastic, mainly because they teach you to dress and love the body you have. Here’s the website: http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/whatnottowear/whatnottowear.html.

Thrift shops in upscale shopping areas are another place to find good pieces. A new trend that seems to be really catching on is women are having clothing swap parties in their home. That will help you to get rid of those items that still have the price tags on them but you will never wear. You know the things that are 2 sizes to small but you bought for when you lose the weight you have gained. ~Smile~ There are consignment shops that buy clothing by the bag or trade off for items in the store. Spend 20 minutes in a thrift shop and put one outfit together for yourself. Then on another day spend 20 minutes picking out a new shade of lipstick or eye shadow. The sky is the limit, be creative. After all it’s for you.

As women, if we can’t take 20 minutes a day to love on ourselves then something is amiss, I do believe. No more excuses please. If you have eggs in the house then take one and use the egg white as a facial mask. Did you know you could do that? Well, you can. Here are a couple of links and a search for “Homemade Facials” http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980423b.cfm,
http://hmbeautyrecipes.homestead.com/SKINcleansers.html,
http://www.bing.com/search?q=recipies+for+natural+facials&src=IE-SearchBox&Form=IE8SRC. You probably have most of the ingredients right in your cupboard and fridge.

So again…..No More Excuses!

My dear sisters you are worth 20 minutes a day no matter what you do for others or how full your day is. I pray I have encouraged at least one person to start making room for themselves each day, even if only for 20 minutes.



Blessings & Love
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!!

SATISFACTION!

Remember the infamous Rolling Stones song “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”? Well, God’s girls are a lot like that song…sometimes we just can’t get no satisfaction, no matter how hard we try.

Most of that stems from feeding into the world’s misguided sense of what life should be, and if you are not living according to that agenda then you are not living. I live on the East Coast of the USA, and we get the four natural seasons. I’m also bombarded at the beginning of each season with the new and improved or you just gotta have this in order to feel that life is good. Right now it ranges from, renting summer homes at the shore, new deck furniture, a new spring wardrobe, redoing your bedroom, planning your garden and getting your bathing suit body ready for the summer…ahhhh! But what if you can’t buy a new wardrobe this year, and your deck will still be filled with last years mix matched plastic furniture? You would love to plant flowers but you are barely stretching your dollars for your food bill, so that is out of the question too. What if there’s the likelihood you won’t be going on a family vacation because you have to scrimp just to spend a day at the shore? Will this mean that life is not good? Will you feel like you “Just can’t get no satisfaction” because your funds are low and it seems everyone else can do and go but you?

The house I’ve been renting for the past 4 years is really very nice. In fact it was gutted and revamped right before I moved in. Friends of mine own it, and have been a great blessing in allowing me and Tovah to live here. And when I saw how big my bedroom was, I was as happy as a little kid at Disney World! But there was a catch…the street was too noisy for me to sleep in there. Here I had this huge room where I could have my queen sized platform bed again, and a slew of other stuff. Three large windows that form a bow and new laminate floors—but I still couldn’t live in this room!

There are two other bedrooms in the house but one of them is really a closet with windows and I had turned it into a walk-in closest and ironing room. Tovah’s bedroom is large also but I couldn’t swap out bedrooms with her because hers had been painted purple just for her. Guess what I had to do? That’s right—make the small closet room my bedroom! It was the only way to get away from the noise. The only bed that would fit was a twin. So I have a night stand, twin bed and bookcase with my TV on top of that. That’s my room! But you know what? I love it!! There is something very nice and warm about it. I still have three windows that take up a full wall and it’s bright and cozy. When I had to give up my master bedroom to sleep on a twin bed, I was disappointed and a little disheartened about the whole thing. But my first night in my new room—proved to be very tranquil. I could sleep and not hear a bunch of noise all hours of the night.

At first there was great satisfaction visually with my huge master bedroom, but the real satisfaction and contentment came in a room I had deem as nothing more than a closet/storage room.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that we can often find great satisfaction in what we already have. It’s just that we are usually distracted by what is being dangled in our faces as better.

If you’ve been feeling a little dissatisfied with life, maybe all you need is an attitude adjustment and a grateful heart for what you have—more so than what you want and don’t have.

Sisters!! It’s time to be like Paul, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” Philippians 4:12 NIV



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


See you tomorrow!

"You...complete me!"

This originally posted September 29, 2010...enjoy!

Do you remember the movie Jerry Maguire, and the infamous scene where Tom Cruise looks Renée Zellweger deep in her eyes and says, “You complete me!” The sad thing about this is that way too many women bought into that foolishness back in the 90’s and it’s still messing us up today. It is one thing to be bored or not quite satisfied with life because of how things are going or not going when you are a resident in the Kingdom of God. But it is another thing to be sad and unhappy because you don’t have a man telling you, “You complete me.”

Sometimes I become weary of hearing single women “whine” because they are not hooked up, engaged or married. Pleassse enough already! Get over it!!

I know that sounds so harsh, but the truth is we need to stop bellyaching about such things and grow up. There are times we just need a big dose of reality and God’s truth, still clothed in love, but nonetheless a reality check. First off sisters, everyone woman is not going to be married. That is a “fact of life,” that even the world seems to understand. Their remedy for this situation is called “shack up.” They have even gone so far as to have a movement of writing “prenups” (prenuptial agreement) for people who plan to live together. That’s right! A book came out this year (written by a lawyer) on when and how to use a prenup before you move in together.

Okay, since we know that living as man and wife and you are not married is a sin and not an option for a “Daughter of the King,” so then how do we handle the fact that marriage may not be on the horizon? Well, for one we need to stop letting the world and others be our measuring stick. The Bible must be the ruler of how we measure our lives. “You complete me,” are words that only ring true to our relationship with the Messiah. There is not one human being on this earth who will ever be able to complete another human being.

I think that once we can come to that conclusion then we will be well be on our way to the good life. So, guess what I did to help you? I looked up the definition for the word “romance”. Girls, I was surprised and utterly amazed at what I found, and I used a good World Book (the encyclopedia people) dictionary. And guess what? Romance is made up! Did you hear me? Romance is referred to poems, stories and songs. The definitions were numerous but it all boiled down to the fact that “romance” was made up. Now that ought to tell us something. But I didn’t stop there, I did a word search on “Biblegateway.com” and guess what? I couldn’t find the word “romance’ or “romantic” in any of their English Bible translations. Hum, so what does this mean? STOP desiring and looking for romance! There is no such thing! It is all make believe! Wow!! I hope you girls are getting this.

The desire for romance in our lives causes real problems, especially since it is non-existent. It’s make believe, just like in all the soap operas, romance novels, movies and TV shows. Pure fiction! Our Lord is the only one we can look at and say with truth, “You complete me!” So if you’ve been unhappy because you want a little romance in your life, now is the time to get over it!! Sorry, no such thing!!

Where do we go from here? Try looking deeper into your relationship with the One who really does complete you. See what you can find there that makes life better for you.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

He Desperately Needs Our Prayers

This past Friday, the New York Times featured an article on a woman who is 70 years old and has no money saved. She works one day a week at a retail store for $12.50 an hour, and makes dresses for little girls for about $200 a month and receives $900.00 a month from social security. The story in a nutshell summed up what happened for her to be in the position she is in and how in her case there is a solution of a reverse mortgage on her house and selling some land she and her brothers own. As I read the article there was a sadness because I know that many are in her position and they don’t have the land or property to help turn things around for them. But I guess the saddest part of all is that she probably doesn’t know the Lord, and up until she was given some financial advice, she was beginning to feel very hopeless.

I started to close the page once I finished the article, but looked at a comment that had been post just 3 minutes prior (7:00am this morning). Sisters, this man (whose name is not known) desperately needs our prayers.

….I am 52 years old, disabled from a spinal injury that makes me unable to stand or sit for very long as my low back goes out leaving me unable to walk. I am 6 foot 6 inches tall and that doesn't help. I get a Social Security Disability check for under $1200 a month and it is all I have. If the government goes bankrupt or the system attempts to purge me as it did when I initially was forced to file after losing nearly 60K in savings fighting in family court for the right to be my children’s father, I already have plans to kill myself. I will have no choice. In order to afford the insurance Medicare provides from another insurer, along with my monthly bills just surviving, I would need a job that paid $1000.00 a week take home. Where at age 52 will I get that, much less 58 or 62?! I cannot afford to be buried ($3000.00 minimum just to have your body processed unless you want to be stacked with 3 other corpses in cardboard boxes to decompose on top of each other). I eat a bowl of rice and an apple for my one meal a day and sometimes am able to have a piece of meat or fish twice a month. Michigan gave me $22 in food stamps, that won't feed my cat. The American way wants me to die. I already wrote my note and wrote instructions on what to do with me and my few remaining belongings when it all goes bad and I must kill myself. But that's all this country will allow me. I have Hep C, my liver is quite sick but I cannot afford the doctor. I have rheumatoid arthritis and cannot afford the medication so my joints ALL hurt all the time. I sleep in a chair because I can longer lay flat. THE AMERICAN DREAM COME TRUE after working myself to the bone from age 15 to 46......and I have nothing. My dad died today, my mom died 5 months ago, I am alone and have no hope for the future. I KNOW HOW SHE FEELS…..

Sisters, my heart was breaking as I read her post….this is the cry of a hopeless person. Let us pray that he comes to know our Lord and Savoir, and that God will open the door for him to receive the medicine he needs to help with his rheumatoid arthritis. But most of all he will no longer have plans to kill himself because his hope will be in the Lord.

Please encourage as many people as you can to read this blog or to pray for this man. Let’s not just pray for him today, but put him in our daily prayers beseeching our Father on his behalf.

It is things like this that help me put my life in perspective. My life compared to his is grand. For one I have good health and family and friends who would help me. But most of all, my hope is in the Lord! If you were having a bad day or maybe feeling a little sorry for yourself, I pray that reading this man’s desperate plight has helped you to see how blessed you truly are.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

I Love Me Some ME!!!

Originally posted on April 19, 2010...enjoy!

On Face Book a friend’s profile information begins with…I love me some Me!!! And any given day she will post it as her profile status. It seems to be her theme for life and at times she makes it a daily reminder. So, thinking about us as single (and married) women in the Body of Christ—I think all of us should have that mindset. What about it sisters? Should we be proclaiming on a daily bases that “I Love Me Some ME?! I say, “YES!”

After making the decision to write about this catchphrase, I wasn’t sure what the next step should be. So, like any up-to-date, savvy internet person (LOL!!), I did a google search. Yes, I know, so very creative. ~Smile~ Well, a slew of junk came up but what caught my eye was the “I Love Me Some Me” group Tyra Banks started back in March of this year. Click—and I was in. What I found were about 178 messages and I started to peruse through them to see what the ladies were talking about. Sad to say, “I was very disappointed.” Most of the messages had to do with loving your body or not loving your body. Message after message talked about struggling with weight and low self-esteem, and then I realized that was the theme of the group. Ooops! It was “I Love Me Some Me…Body!” Kiss all the body parts that you can and tell yourself, “I love me some me.” But there was one woman who wrote about how she had experienced some very hard times in life and at times found herself broken. And yet, she is now learning to love herself and be strong through the things she learned in those hard times. Wow!! Now you’re talking.

Loving your body for what it is definitely is part of loving yourself, but it can’t be the main focus. There are just too many things about the human body that we have no control over—parse. The average woman cannot afford massive plastic surgery, nor should we want it, but that is what our world becomes when we focus on the outward body — when we make it an idol of sorts. The main focus on our bodies should be that we take care of them the best we can. We should love ourselves enough to work on getting excess weight off, exercising, eating for health, and looking our best. But, our self love must run much deeper than our outward shell if it is to transform how we live and enjoy this life that God has given us.

Exactly what does “I love me some me,” mean? I would think it holds something different for everyone, but there are some common threads. For starters we should accept who we are. This doesn’t mean there is not room for improvement or change, but that we stop looking at what is not right or what we feel is not working and take a long look at, what is good and working for us. That we begin to believe what the Bible says about us and rebuke what the world says. Make ourselves a top priority in our lives. This does not mean we are to be selfish and self-centered, but it does mean that we nurture and care for ourselves as we do our children and others. In other words, stop putting ourselves on the back burner of life.

As I looked at myself I realized there is a combination of outward love and inward love that needs to happen to make us whole and gives balance to our lives. But a total focus on just one or the other will leave a gap. I know women who make sure a good portion of their wages are spent on their hair, nails, makeup, perfume, clothes, shoes, entertainment and shopping. Yet, they still are empty inside though outwardly they are done to the nines. On the other side, I know women who dedicate their lives to serving the Lord and neglect their outward selves and it shows in their lack of confidence around other women, because they stand out as frumpy or not well kept. As with everything in life, even in our self love we need to strive for balance.

I’m in the process of reading a cookbook, (Yes, I read cookbooks…LOL!) The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pam Anderson. She is a renowned chef who for years struggled with her weight and self-esteem, but lost close to fifty pounds in a year and at the time she wrote this book she had already kept the weight off for five years. It is a good book and if you desire to lose weight by changing your lifestyle (not dieting) then this might be a good match for you. I purchased it used, (used like new) from a 3rd party at amazon.com and it was the best few bucks I’ve spent in awhile. One of the things she talked about was starting with working on the outside you, because that is something we can do immediately. We can start with something as simple as putting on lipstick and decent clothes if you are one who is home more. That’s me! I have days when I know I’m not going out, I tend to not care so much what I have on, and lipstick never enters the picture. But she made a valid point of starting out with little things to encourage yourself. So starting next week, I’m going to make sure I dress every day unless we have a day of heavy rains. Then I like to stay in my jammies. ~Smile~

You might be one who is a high maintenance sister, and really doesn’t need to change much on the outside, but there is not one of us who does not need work on the inside. After all, we are a work in progress.

My prayer for you my dear sisters is that you will begin each day by proclaiming, “I Love Me Some ME!” and you begin to peruse just exactly what that entails for you as an individual. I have a feeling that with our focus directed on us in a more positive light, you may find more satisfaction in your life! And as time goes on that satisfaction will turn to joy, and we won’t have so many single women in the Body of Christ who are miserable and so very joyless. I Love Me Some ME takes time, effort, and work, but you are worth it!


Love & Hugs
Ponnie

See you Monday!!

Have a great weekend loving on yourselves!!!

When Life Isn’t Perfect…..Then What?

Orignally posted December 26, 2008..enjoy!

Recently Tovah and I tried to take that perfect picture of my three grands to use on the cover of a photo album the middle one bought her mother for Christmas. As you can see in the photo I posted, is far from perfect. Just as Tovah was about to snap the picture, one of our cats decided to run down the stairs and see what was going on which triggered the baby closing her eyes and the cat being in the photo. We did get a really nice one for the cover, but as I perused them to pick just the right one, I couldn’t help but be inspired by this photo. It reminds me of how we try to orchestrate perfect lives and how in an instant it can all fall apart. And when that happens….then what?

The “Then What?” really translates to, “How do we respond, how do we handle things, or how we really perceive them to be?” How many of us have experienced trying to get that perfect baby photo or family snapshot? Probably all of us at one point or another, so we know that it can be a nightmare (especially with a cranky or crying baby) or it can be fun with a happy ending. It's a lot like life can be….moments of joy that we wish we could hold onto forever, or seasons of disappointments and trials that seem to go on forever.

With the end of our current year quickly upon us, I’m sure that many of us are looking ahead for what we would like to see happen in 2009. I have been looking at the goals I set on January 4th, my 55th birthday. And at first I was a little disappointed as I viewed my list, until the Holy Spirit had a word with me. He was quick to point out just how many things I had accomplished and the many ways the Lord had blessed me on an every day bases.

I wanted to celebrate my birthday every month in the year 2008 by doing something special. I wanted to do things like go to the movies every month if there was something I wanted to see, have lunch with friends once a month, buy myself a mp3 player, have a makeup party, etc., etc. Hum, I still don’t have that mp3 player, didn’t have a party and there were a couple of movies I wanted to see this past year that came and went before I got to see them. He showed me that though I may not have gotten to see those movies when I desired, there wasn’t one day of this year that I did not have eyes to see. I may not have the mp3 I wanted so I could listen to music as I walked in the mornings, but He reminded me of all the mornings I had a song in my heart and used my walking time to talk to God. And as far as the party goes, if I hadn’t wanted it to be a set way I probably could have had one. As I began to look at my list of goals through the eyes of our Comforter, I could see that my year had been one of great measure.

Of course with 56 on the way, I am setting new goals and transferring some from this year that I want to continue to work on. But one big difference from this time last year is that I’m not trying to setup things so that I have that perfect picture. Just as the picture of my grands is not the perfect picture pose, in the upheaval it turned out to be a great moment of laughter, with a good memory to boot. One thing we often do as women when we conceptually plan or design things, we strive for perfection. The truth is….. there is “No Perfect” in this world other than the love of God for us….

….So my dear sisters, when at first glance the picture does not seem to be perfect, take a second look and see what you missed. You might be pleasantly surprised at what you find.

Update: Today is March 24, 2011, and guess what sisters…I’m still working on some of the same goals and I not too long ago celebrated my 58th birthday. No perfect pictures, but many good times. This past birthday I set the same goal of getting out more each month, and I still haven’t gotten that MP3 player yet…LOL!! But the past couple of years, I must say I have gained more wisdom with each passing day. Rereading this blog, inspired me and helped me to see that even though I never got the makeup party or the MP3 player, life has been really grand, as I try to be more like our Messiah. .



Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

God is Good!

The saying, “God is good!” has in many cases become a cliché in the Christian world. But it really is a great Truth and Attribute about our God, the creator of heaven and earth! You often hear Believers saying, “God is good.” and then someone will add, “All the time.” But we are mostly using it in the text of Him doing something in our favor.

Been out of work for awhile, and you get that job you have been praying for—first part of your praise report…”God is good!” There is a fire in your apartment building and many lose their homes but you didn’t…”God is good!” Bad report from the doctor and God turns it around…”God is good!” Getting ready to lose your home, but a miracle comes your way…”God is good!” Need a car and God makes a way…”God is good!” Living in a shelter and He provides you with your own place…”God is good!” You need money, and He opens a door from out of nowhere…”God is good!” Yes, God is Good—All the time, and that is a truth that never changes even when things do not go our way.

You got the job you so desperately needed to stay afloat. But what about the brother or sister who He didn't open the door for a job and they lose their home? Is He not still a good God?
Your apartment was spared in the fire, but others in the household of faith lost everything they owned except the clothes on their back? Isn’t God still a good God? Your doctor’s report was turned around, but what about your sister who’s healing came on the other side? Isn’t He still a good God? You needed money or your gas and lights were going to be cut off, and out of nowhere God made a way for them to be paid. But when you went to church that evening you saw your sister crying because her electrify had been cut off. Is God, still not a good God?

Sisters, God is a “Good God” no matter what! This is the point I’m trying to make. He is Good—Period! And I think this is something that seems to elude us as Believers at times. We seem to only praise Him as “Good” when things happen in our favor. But the truth of the matter is He’s good even in the midst of the hardest times ever set before us and no matter the outcome. The earthquake and Tsunami in Japan were devastating and people are still reeling from its effects. Many lives were lost and who knows what the long term effects will be? But nonetheless God is still a good God.

I’m not sure why the Holy Spirit led me to write this blog today, but one thing I’m sure of and that is we need to come to the revelation that God is a “Good God” no matter what the circumstances in our lives may be. And just maybe we should start to praise Him for His goodness everyday. His goodness wakes us up every morning and starts us on our way. His goodness has allowed you to read this blog. Yes, my dear sisters—God is good all the time—Period!

When I’m in a situation where I feel “God is good” is being used as an old cliché, I sometimes interject…”God is Faithful in His love for us!” That often causes the party or parties involved to stop and think for a moment! ~Smile~

Let’s praise God for His goodness, but let it not be that tired old cliché of “God is good—all the time!” Let us be sincere about the things we say about our Father, letting our praises and accolades come deep from within our hearts.



Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Enjoying the Everyday Beauty in Life

This blog first posted on April 28, 2010...enjoy!

Though this blog slot is for Single Women, what I’m writing about today is something all women struggle with from time to time. And that is being able to “Enjoy the everyday beauty in life”.

When I say, “The everyday beauty,” I’m referring to the fact that with each day we are gifted there is something beautiful about it or in it, if we only look. Problem is we can go days without seeing any beauty.

By nature it is difficult to live in the moment and not worry about tomorrow. And I say this because in the Old Testament, God tried to teach the Israelites to trust Him each day by giving them manna on a daily bases. The instruction was to take only what you needed for that day (and an extra portion for the Sabbath) of course there were those who needed to make sure tomorrow was taken care of, so they took extra when they were instructed not to. As always there are consequences to be had for our disobedience and so not only did they still have to collect their portion the next day, they had a real mess to clean up on what they had called themselves stashing away. In the New Testament, Jesus tells us in the “Model Prayer” to ask the Father to give us this day (today) our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11) He also tells us in the “Sermon on the Mount” that God knows what we have need of, therefore stop worrying about tomorrow. So this is why I say that it is hard for our human nature to live in the moment because it has been a problem since the beginning of time. The truth is it started in the Garden. Eve just couldn’t be satisfied with the everyday beauty of her life and thus came the “Fall”.

I would have to say that in this day and time, it is harder then ever to focus on being in today. That part of us that wants to work it all out and have things in a neat little package is bombarded and inflated on a daily bases to strive for more. So when we are busy trying to get more, and be more, we usually end up not having the time as the old saying goes, “To stop and smell the roses!”

As single women we are often drawn to looking at the lives of others (the grass is greener thing) and finding discontentment because it provokes feelings that our lives are lacking or we are missing out. Take marriage for instance. If you have been a bridesmaid yet never a bride and each year more and more of the people you know are getting married, and it seems like God has forgotten you….after awhile you stop “Enjoying the everyday beauty in life”. Why? Because your focus is on what you want, what you think you should have, why God doesn’t love you as much, why is life so hard, why me and the list goes on. Everything you have or do would be sooo much better if you had a husband to share it with. There is no truth in this thinking, but again it is the MO (motive of operation) that our enemy has used for years to dupe us. He told Eve that God was holding out on her. He continues to tell us the same thing and like Eve, we continue to fall for that same old line.

The everyday beauty in life is usually not the big things. Most often they are the things we take for granted. The neighborhood I live in (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) has a great beauty about it; in fact there are tour buses that come to show off the gardens in the spring and early summer. The area I take my 2 mile walk in is absolutely gorgeous, and I’m very excited that soon I will get to smell the honeysuckle and much more. Every morning I get to walk I try to savor what each individual block has to offer me, but it wasn’t always like that. I have been walking in this neighborhood for 16 years, and I can remember a time in my life when I walked without noticing anything. Why? Because I was too preoccupied with tomorrow or distracted within that day. I would walk right pass all the beautiful front gardens and well kept homes oblivious to their charm and splendor. I didn’t necessarily enjoy how good the sun felt after a long winter. I hardly noticed how quiet the city was early in the morning or in the early afternoon. I ignored the fact that the Holy Spirit was with me, and there was an opportunity to talk to God versus grumbling in my spirit because “I didn’t have what I wanted.”

The truth is…..there is not a man on this earth girls who can make you appreciate God. And it is God who has given us life and the everyday beauty in it, is something we must choose to see. But I also want to note that “married” women suffer from the same issue of “not enjoying the everyday beauty of life” too. This is something that is common amongst women in general. Again, Eve fell for it and so do we as women across the board.

How do we stop letting our days go by without enjoying the beauty in them? By making a decision to look for the good no matter what! Hebrews 11:6, tells us that we must believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. When we seek to see Him in each day that we are given, there is a great reward in that. For one, it gives us a heart of thanksgiving. It helps us to focus more on Him rather then the things that are not so perfect around us. We complain less in our spirits, and hope has the lead versus doubt. Joy triumphs over sadness, and most of all……others (non-believers) begin to see there is something different about us. Something that sparks their curiosity? “What is it about her, why is it when we approach her with a complaint about another people she has a positive flip to the situation?” “I know that she has had a rough time of things, yet she always seems to be humming every time I walk past her desk.” We all have family and friends who are not saved and for them to know that things may not be ideal in your life, yet, you seem to always enjoy living, speaks volumes to them as far as God, and how great He is.

No one has a perfect life, but we usually find what we look for. So if we look for “trouble” then that is what we find. But if we look for “what is good” well…….

The beauty in your day may be as simple has sipping a good cup of coffee as you watch the sun rise. Or it could be that though you are in pain, you are still able to function on your own, and the freedom of not having to wait for someone to do for you is beautiful. On the other hand you might be dependent on someone else, but the beauty is, that someone loves you and takes very good care of you. It could be the birds singing outside your window this morning that woke you to a sunshine filled day. We all have different lives and it is up to us to see the beauty in each day.

Contrary to what the world projects and others say, there is a special beauty in the life of single people. Why? Because we are given the opportunity to serve God in a way that others cannot. If I were married, I would not have been able to have the ministry that I do. I could not have taken women into my home the way I have. It would not have been prudent for my husband. Even now, the schedule I keep and the things I do would not work for most married women. The point I am trying to make, is that we must strive to live in the now. See what is good about now. See what beauty is there in my today. Why? Because tomorrow really is not promised to any of us, and to put your life on hold because you are waiting for something else, is not a wise thing to do at all.

My dear sisters, I pray that I have encouraged you to strive to enjoy every day that you open your eyes. That you begin to see the glass half full with more to come. That you will be so busy seeking the beauty in your life that you won’t have time to envy others or be discontent with what you have or don’t have.

Learning how to ENJOY THE EVERYDAY BEAUTY OF YOUR LIFE, takes commitment and work. So get to it!! LOL!!!



Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Prayers for Healing

While attending a spring concert at a nearby college this past Saturday, a young woman was asked to pray over the offering they collected, she not only prayed for the offering but for all in attendance. She also prayed for physical as well as emotional healing. “Wow!! We just don’t hear that too often,” I thought to myself. It seems to be common place for us as Believers to request prayer for our physical healing or pray for others to be healed. But we don’t often talk about or include emotional healing in our public prayers. This made me ask, “Why?”

I’m not sure I have the answer, but I think it might stem from the fact that emotional issues are often our dirty little secrets. They are the things kept in the closets and tucked away in the deepest recesses of our souls. Because the truth is, you don’t just get over a childhood of abuse or neglect. The residue of rape doesn’t somehow just disappear. You may not have any telltale scars that others can see, but the emotional scars of physical and mental abuse run deep in our souls. The death of a child, whether by accident, illness or murder, cuts to the core of our innermost being and the hurt and emotional devastation of our loss will not leave on its own. To be abandoned by a spouse who promised before God and man, “Till death do you part”, rocks your world in a way that can make you feel hopeless and emotionally unstable. The loss of one’s job and the trickle down effects of losing your home, car and other worldly possessions can send you emotionally on the brink of no return. To lose a spouse of many years can be emotional devastating. But these are everyday occurrences in our lives, yet we seem to forget that those who are experiencing these test and trials need prayer for their emotional healing and wellbeing.

If you are one who has been emotionally healed from one of life’s many hardships, I ask that you pray for all women who are in that place you once were. You don’t have to know them by name, because you know them all to well by circumstance. If you’ve ever lived in a shelter, pray for those who find themselves there today. If you have ever struggled with the root of rejection and loss of a marriage…pray for your sisters who are struggling to move on and forgive. Women are raped and abused everyday, and if you have experienced this heinous crime, pray for others as you know what it has taken to heal and be whole again. If you have lived through the guilt of an abortion, pray for those who find themselves walking in those old pair of shoes of yours.

On the other hand you may be one who is hiding your emotional turmoil and pain. You may not want others to know what you’re going through; because like so many of us you’ve been duped into thinking you are a weak Christian. “Why are you so hurt?” “You’re not the first woman to be left by her man and you will probably not be the last!” you may think others might say this about you. The truth is pain-is-pain and hurt-is-hurt and no matter how you get to that point, it can make you emotionally sick and deceased in your soul.

We are quick to request healing for our physical bodies. We will even hop a plan to go to a healing service to have hands laid on us for healing. But we are slow and secretive about asking for emotional healing for our souls. But it is time for that to stop. If you are one who is suffering in silence, please suffer no more. If your church is setup with those who can help and counsel you please seek them out. But if not there are many groups out here that offer support for you.

The next time you are asked to pray, as you stand at the Throne of Grace, please ask our Father for emotional healing of those in His presence. There are far too many broken women in the Body of Christ.

Shalom (nothing broken, nothing missing) my dear sisters.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


See you tomorrow!

YOU'RE FIRED!

This first posted April 2, 2010. Hope you enjoy it!

“You’re fired!” Two dreaded words that no one wants to hear. One of my favorite shows is The Apprentice because at the end of the show you know that Donald Trump is going to turn to someone, point his finger, and say “You’re fired!” When you think of the phrase, “You’re fired!” your job is probably the first thing that comes to mind. “How am I going to support my kids without a job?” “How will the bills get paid?” However, being fired may not only refer to your job.

Another one of my favorite TV shows is “CHUCK”. In one episode, while Chuck was talking to his best friend Morgan, Morgan got upset because he discovered that Chuck had been lying to him a lot. Morgan also happens to be Chuck’s boss and Morgan was so upset that he turned to Chuck and said (bet you can guess it), “You’re fired!” Chuck replied, “What, from my job?!” Morgan’s response surprised me because he answered back, “No, from being my best friend.” Whoa! Now while you may have been fired from your job before, have you ever been fired as a friend? I can only imagine what it would feel like to be told that, “You’re not doing a good job as a friend anymore so I’m going to have to replace you.”

I’m sure that we’ve all had times when we feel like our friends are failing us or we’ve failed as a friend, I know that I certainly have. But I don’t know anyone who’s been physically fired as a friend. Have you ever thought about what it would be like if God ever fired you as a friend? He wouldn’t, because He is a kind, loving, and a merciful God, but what if God treated us like we treat each other? “I’m sorry but you never talk to me anymore so I’m going to have to let you go as my friend.” Have you been spending time with God in the way that he desires of you? I recently came to the realization that I haven’t been talking to God like I should, or spending adequate time with Him.

God has given us a willful nature and He doesn’t force us to do anything, He always gives us a choice. I realized that I was choosing television and Facebook, over Him, on a daily basis. He really wants to spend time with us, and I wasn’t making the time for it. God convicted me of this and I am now working to further strengthen my relationship with Him, and make sure that I am always talking things over with my Best Friend.

Spring is upon us and with that comes the beautiful weather and new life in the form of flowers and budding trees. Everything seems so new and fresh. It has inspired me to want to refresh my relationship with my heavenly Father, and my friends. This is one of the major goals that I would like to accomplish this spring, and I hope that you will do the same. The last words you want to hear are… “You’re fired!”



Till next time,
Tovah


Ponnie will be back on Monday!

I Am.....

This blog orginally posted on June 7, 2010...enjoy!

During the last few weeks of school, my kids have both been working on their end of year personal portfolios to submit for their final exam grade. Their portfolios are to be a compilation of some of their work over the school year that they are proud of and want to showcase for others to see. It should also include reflections of what they have learned and their successes in all of their subjects.

My kids see this as busy work. I am sure many of the kids feel the same way…LOL! My daughter made a statement though that I think captures their principal’s vision for the students. While my daughter was going through old Language Arts writings, she said to me “ Mom, look at how much I have improved since the first day of school!”

I was looking over some of her assignments and she really has developed into quite a terrific little creative writer. (Don’t worry...this isn’t a blog to brag about the wonderfulness of my daughter…LOL!) I can remember when she was given certain homework assignments and how she whined and complained because this particular teacher gave them so much homework. At the time she couldn’t see the value in having to do all that work, however now, she loves to write and has some great poems/writings that she has created to prove how much she has grown as a writer.

This morning I work up and had to really, really, REALLY talk to myself to get out of bed and to go for a walk. I was up late and I just wanted to sleep in. (I’m still trying to beat this laziness bug…LOL!) I started whining and complaining...to no one in particular...of how I was so tired of having to do the work to get healthy and fit. Why is it taking so long? But then I remembered my daughter’s statement and felt convicted...”But look at how much I have improved since I have started.”

I’m tired of the work...my stats are not as great as I would like them to be but I can honestly say, “I have improved so much over the past few months!” I pulled out my journal that I started using since the beginning of the year during my times of devotion and started reading some of my entries. I began to see and realize that I have improved/grown so much as a person...as a woman. This morning, I realized that my journey is not only a journey to become Fit by Forty....but it has also become a journey towards Wholeness.

Thank you Holy Spirit for helping me to see how much I have grown today. And Thank You for helping me along this journey in finally becoming the woman that God the Father has created me to be.

One of the pieces that my daughter wrote this year was called "I AM". I am not a creative writer by ANY means...but I loved the poem. I am following the template that she used and I’m writing my own version to kind of reflect my journey so far...I hope you enjoy!

I AM
I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.
I WONDER if I will ever see a size 6 again.
I HEAR God’s voice whisper to me that He loves ME.
I SEE God’s glory all around me.
I WANT to be made whole. I AM a fearfully and wonderfully made

I PRETEND that I am happy and that I have it under control.
I FEEL scared and alone and that I will never reach my goals.
I TOUCH the hem of His garment with my prayers.
I WORRY that I will never receive the desires of my heart.
I CRY when I look in the mirror. I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.

I UNDERSTAND that I can do all things through Christ.
I SAY that I won’t give up and I won’t get discouraged.
I DREAM to be Fit by Forty.
I TRY to walk by faith and not by sight.
I HOPE to be the woman that God has created me to be.
I AM fearfully and wonderfully made.


Until next time.

In sisterly love,
Sasha


Tovah is up tomorrow!

OH…..Just Another FROG!

This is a rerun from April 3, 2010...I thought it appropriate with all the spring and summer weddings coming up. It is a time of joy for many and envy for others...single sisters this is just a reminder to not step ahead of God!

Last Friday on “The Kitchen Table” fan page on Facebook, I posed the question “Did you ever really want something and God said, “No?” This was based on Tovah’s blog “You Can’t Always Get What You Wanted”. My response was….”Yes, a man. But God knew that he was a frog. Thank you Jesus!!” But I wasn’t alone in my response. There were others who were also thankful to God for saying, “No! Not Him.” The truth be told there are many of God’s daughters who are very grateful to His, “No” of protection and there are also many of His daughters who wished they had listened to Him. So today I want to talk about the Frogs versus Prince Charming.

The world always has everything backwards or upside down compared to God’s Kingdom. It has given us “Beauty and the Beast” “The Princess and the Frog” all stories where true love brings out the handsome prince. But since Jesus Himself warns us to…”Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves,” Matthew 7:15 (NLT) to me this is saying that you better watch out for the so called “Prince” because he could really be a “Frog”.

I am going to be focusing on men who are in the church buildings. I put it like that because everyone who is hanging out in the church building is not necessarily part of “The Body of Christ” and I don’t want anyone to be confused about that.

Once upon a time there was a 42 year old single mother of a 2 year old child who thought life would be perfect if only she could find validation by being married. Her heart was broken because the father of her child was off with another and had made it clear she would be on her own. It didn’t matter at the time that the Lord had made her a promise that if she had this child versus having an abortion He would forever supply all their needs and be with them always. Yes, that sounded good for a minute, but didn’t He see that she needed a husband?

Yes, it seems He did, because He sent her a “Prince Charming”. A man that looked good, smelled good, had a good job and excellent credit rating, generous with his money, talked the talk, looked like he was walking the walk, and to top it all off he wanted her and her baby. Wow!!! God is good! But wait! He was a deceiver and not really a man of God. Oh no….it turns out he was just another frog.

How did she find out? Well, the blessing in all of this was that this fair maiden had made the decision that she would never have sex again outside of marriage, before she met him. She had come to the conclusion that was a sin she was not having anything ever again to do with. And that one decision to obey God saved her. Even though she had run ahead of God, her desire to do things the right way, gave Him the opportunity to show her the truth (before she completely jumped off the edge) about what she had picked for herself. Because there was no soul attachment (the type you have when sexually involved with someone) she was able to call off the engagement, give back the big beautiful diamond and walk away. Was there pain involved? Yes. There was a time of mourning, for the death of her dreams and hopes with this man, but there was a celebration after her period of mourning because she had eyes to see what the Lord had done for her. And I have been grateful to Him ever since! ~Smile~

There is a seed that I have planted in Tovah and continue to water every chance I get, and that is….if a guy who says he loves the Lord is continually trying to get you to have sex with him on the guise of “If you love me, you will have sex with me.” Know that he is a frog and not for you! When a man loves God he is not trying to sin against Him. And if he loves you, he will not be about the business of trying to involve you in sinning against God.

Also there are a few other things to look for my dear sisters. How does he handle money? Is he always using credit cards or does he have cash? Has he asked to borrow money from you? Are you being foolish enough to offer him money or the use of your credit cards? What is his relationship with his mother? What is going on with his family? Does he have children? How many and with how many women? Are his actions really lining up with the Word of God? Is he busy wooing you so much that he is eating into your time with the Lord? If he is after you all the time, when is he spending time with the Lord? I hate to break this to you but….just because a man is interested in you, does not mean that the Lord sent him. And even if he is a true man of God who really is walking the walk, it still does not mean that the Lord has deemed you and him to be together. I know that is a hard pill to swallow for some, but nonetheless one that all single women in the Body of Christ should take. It will save you from unnecessary heartache.

2 Corinthians 6:14 tells us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness, and what communion hath light with darkness?” (KJV) But do you realize that you can be unequally yoked with someone who is in the kingdom of light? Well, yes you can. Will God have you unequally yoked? No! But we can put ourselves into a relationship that is unequally yoked. If you have been walking with the Lord for 15 years, why would you want to be yoked to a man who is just coming in from living a sin filled life in the world and can’t rub 2 scriptures together? How can he lead you? But in our desperation to be “Mrs.” we get ahead of God and try to make things happen in our own way.

The best thing you can do for yourself as a single woman in God’s Kingdom, is….5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge HIM, and HE will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. Proverbs 3:5-7 (NIV) Got that girls?! If not read it again, and again until you do. This is key to living the good life in Christ.

Now as for men you meet who are not even pretending to know the Lord, I can sum that up in four words. “RUN THE OTHER WAY!!”

My dear sisters, I pray that today’s blog has encouraged you to continue thinking about your life as God sees it. And the more we can do that, the happier and more fulfilled we become with who we are and where we are in this season of our lives.

So…the next man you meet (or it could be someone you know now) don’t forget to ask yourself, “Hum, is this just another frog?” LOL!!!



Blessings & Hugs
Ponnie

See you tomorrow!

Planning Your Garden

I live in the city of Philadelphia in a traditional row home. My backyard is what many call “a postage stamp,” meaning it is small. Philadelphia has the largest city park in the USA. Unless you have been here to see it for yourself, it is really hard to describe, but it runs all through the city and it is something to behold. But it has its downside too—for one, a bunch of squirrels. I mean squirrels like you’ve never seen before and there is a city ordinance that you cannot kill them. They are a big problem. If they get into your attic you end up paying an exterminator big bucks to set traps and take them to the park and set them free. They love to bite into your tomatoes even though they don’t like them, they will still bite into every one on the vine…errrrr. Another downside to the park is many neighborhoods are being pledged with raccoons and opossums. The city has nothing setup to help get rid of these critters and the past 5 years, we’re seeing more and more of them. They too eat in your gardens. So, a person like me finds it hard to have a vegetable garden because I’m in a neighborhood that has lots of trees and critters out of their natural elements looking for food. And at times I find myself a little envious of others as they talk about starting to prepare and plan for their gardens.

But you know there is one garden we should all work on no matter where we live. It is the garden of our lives as Believers. The Bible tells us that whatever spiritual seeds we plant (sow) in this world is the spiritual harvest we will reap or receive. Works the same as in the natural. If you plant tomatoes, then tomatoes are what you get. You don’t plant lettuce seeds and get grapefruits….impossible. So, just as we plan our natural gardens each year, we should be as diligent in making sure we have planted good things in our spiritual ones.

Natural gardens don’t take care of themselves anymore than our spiritual ones. A natural garden has to be planted, watered, weeded, fed, pruned, protected and harvested at the right time. Our spiritual gardens of love, kindness, generosity, hospitality, helps, friendship, and selflessness must also be planted (sowed), watered, weeded, fed, pruned and protected too. The spiritual harvest is continual and a result of the seeds we have been sowing.

To care for a natural garden there are several key tools one needs to ensure a good harvest of the things planted. Same thing applies for the spiritual realm in the gardens of our hearts and actions. Our essential tools are Faith, our Bibles and Prayer.

Faith (trust) helps us to continue to love and be kind to others even when they a not kind to us. It keeps us in obedience with the things of God even when it seems like it is a waste of time or it’s just not working. With our faith we continue to be able to sow good seeds no matter what.

Our Bibles feed and water us. The spoken Word of God keeps us full of Him and refreshes our weary souls. When we are feeling used up and parched it will revive, refresh and water the dryness our spirits might feel. It helps us not to give in to the temptation to repay evil-for-evil and therefore sow bad seeds that will affect our harvests. It also helps us to protect our heats and weeds out that which is not good.

Prayer gives opportunity to talk to the One who has all control. Prayer is where we can lay the hurts and pains of life at the Cross. It is the place to ask for forgiveness (when we mess up) and receive help to forgive those who have hurt and used us. Prayer helps keep our love walk in check. And it’s also a time to hear from our Father to see what He has to say about our garden and how it looks to Him.

When planting a garden decisions have to be made, “What are we going to plant this year?” Some people plant many different items, others only one or two. But since the Word of God tells us that “Love covers a multitude of sins” I would have to say spiritually, maybe we should focus on sowing as many seeds of love as we can and let the other things follow. ~Smile~

Sisters, spring is around the corner and many of you are thinking about planting gardens, I want to challenge you to also think about your spiritual gardens. What type of seeds have you been sowing lately? Is it time to rearrange things in your lives so you look more like what God wants you to be? If you are not sure—reach for your Bible, you will find the answer there for sure.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


See you tomorrow!

Were We At The Same Place?

This past weekend Tovah and I attended the Philadelphia Flower Show. It’s a big deal each year and people come from all over to see it. It’s an event that generates extra revenue for the city. Hotel bookings are up, there’s an increase in the sightseeing tours, downtown shopping and restaurant business. The city of Philadelphia gets very excited about the annual flower show. There’s even a Black Tie event the night before it opens.

Each year the flower show is vigorously advertised to the point you are enticed to think about going. The tickets are pricey and might not fit into the budget of a large family, but that doesn’t stop you from wanting to be a part of it, especially if you live in the city. With Tovah leaving for college in August, she thought it would be nice for us to go this year since she has never been. God willing this time next year she will be away at school and unable to attend. So, we went!

As you can see from today’s picture, it was beautiful! But, I found it to be super crowded and in general the people were rude. There was a lot of pushing and shoving to get in front to take pictures. When I would say “Excuse me” to get by, often the person didn’t move or half moved. One woman backed into Tovah almost knocking her over and didn’t even apologize. I found myself praying because I really wanted to let her have it, for being so ignorant. But then we started running into people who were friendly…and others who were at least more civil. We even had someone offer to take a picture of us and we retuned the favor. All-in-all it was a nice time, but the day itself was great because Tovah and I went to lunch afterward and really had a good time.

My Facebook post later that day was “My feet are tired!! Flower show was nice except for ALL the rude people!! Will post pics tomorrow....need a nap! :).” Well, this prompted comments from friends who had also attended. They loved it! In fact one person had also been there Saturday. She had such a good time and found the people to be so friendly, that she questioned (in jest) if we were at the same place.

This made me think about how living in the Kingdom of God can sometimes be like that. All of us have the same things available to us through the Blood of the Messiah, yet we see things so differently. Our Bibles say the same things, yet we don’t read things the same or believe them the same. How can that be?

Well, just like the flower show, my focus became “how rude" the crowd was because that was what I was hit with first thing. It took prayer and eventually running into people who were more gracious for my focus to be directed more on the beauty of the flowers and exhibits than the people. I think it is the same in the Kingdom of God. It all depends on our attitudes and focus.

There are so many of us today who will live an ordinary day. We will not experience any emergencies, bad news, illnesses or tragedies. We will just have a day like any other day without incidence. But if a survey were taken on how our day was—it would be hard to believe that we all serve the same God, read the same Bibles and have the same instructions for living life. Some of us would be grateful and talk about the goodness of the Lord for such a fine day. Others would complain that it rained and they hate the rain. We would have to listen to story after story of the “pain in the butt” boss, or how my husband couldn’t even make up the bed, so that started my day off on the wrong foot. What about the fact that it’s “Monday” and so many of us just hate Monday and wish we could skip over it?

I could have let the rudeness of others spoil my day on Saturday and wasted my money, but I thank God for prayer and His understanding. The same goes for today; we can miss the many blessing interwoven throughout our day if we focus on those things that can be a hindrance or we can purpose to see all the beauty that lies before us.

Sisters…enjoy your day with a heart of appreciation and gratitude! Don’t sweat the small stuff or the indifference or rudeness of others.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie


See you tomorrow!

He Takes The Lead

So I had a thought this week. Actually a friend of mine had a brilliant thought this week and I’m stealing it because it really made sense to me. I love ballroom dancing. I’ve been taking a class with some friends and it’s one of the most amazing, fun things I think I’ve ever done. I can’t help but dance to just about every song I hear (yes, very obsessed).

My favorite part of ballroom dancing is that, as a follower, I don’t have to worry about a thing! I just learn my steps and my partner just leads me where he wants me to go! It’s great (mostly because I have a special talent for running into people so it’s good that I don’t have to pay attention to that). I do have to pay attention to something though. Unless I want my lead to literally drag me around the floor, I need to pay attention to the small cues he gives me, telling me which way he’s going to go or what step he’s going to have me take. Is he going to turn his shoulder slightly to cue me to do a promenade? Or is he going to step back instead of forward? I can’t see ahead into what he’s going to do a few steps ahead. All I can tell is where he’s telling me to go right at that moment.

Hmmmm. Make you think of anyone? Maybe the leader who clears our paths for us and makes sure we don’t bump into anything too hard and get hurt? Or the incredibly cool guy who leads us across life’s dance floor (sorry, talking about ballroom dancing so I have to sound poetic). I suddenly had this idea of God as this leader in a waltz (or tango or whatever your favorite dance is, mine’s waltz ~Smile~). Oh yeah! I can’t tell exactly where he’s going to move me in the future! I can’t even control him but guess what? I don’t have to worry about that because he’s the one who sees the whole ballroom floor. He’s the one that sees all the obstacles I don’t see and (the fun part of dancing); he’s also the one who will move me into the really challenging steps to make sure I’m not hurt by the obstacles. I really don’t have to worry about a thing! I just listen the cues and do what he tells me!



Blessings,
Lydia

Until next time, remember to allow the Lord to fill your days!


Ponnie will be back on Monday!

Yes, Your Highness!

I thought with all the hoopla of the impending royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton this would be a great blog to rerun for my single sisters…enjoy!

Good Morning Majestic Women of God!!

Majestic: adj. of or having majesty, grand, noble, dignified. Some days we just need to be reminded of who we are, and as daughters of the King of kings, we are royalty and we should never forget it. Yet, in our desperation (not caring what happens because hope is gone…leading to poor decisions) to be married, women often forget the position that the Blood of Jesus (Yeshua) has placed us in. Today I’m hoping to get you excited and thinking about just what that is!!

Being a citizen of the United States of America, whose government is a democracy, I had a hard time grasping the concept of a nation ruled by kings and queens. I would have to say the most famous example for me would have to be England. Growing up England’s reign of kings and queens was a large part of our history because before the Revolutionary War, England had rule over us. Still the intricate part of the royal kingdom wasn’t the forefront of my history lessons and it wasn’t until Prince Charles’ marriage to Diana, was there any great interest for me as to the private and special life of the royal family. I remember being glued to the television watching the wedding and sucking up all the news for months after the announcement of their engagement. But like most, their happily ever after, fairly tail lives had a tragic ending, starting with divorce.

Even after becoming a Believer and finding out that God was the King of all kings and that He has a Kingdom that rules in the supernatural, I still was very clueless as to what this all really meant? What true effect did that have in my life on this earth?

Though growing up with Disney’s “Cinderella” and those types of movies and fairy tales, I learned at a very early age that my life was only going to reflect the part of Cinderella’s life that had the mistreatment and servitude. This consisted of the ugliest room in the house, fewer basic needs than mother and sister, and lots of physical and verbal abuse. And no matter how hard I tried, nothing I did was ever good enough. So when I started hearing that I was seated in heavenly places with Jesus (Yeshua) and that His Blood paid the price for me to be part of the Royal Kingdom. It meant absolutely nothing! I’m like, “What???” But as God began the journey of my becoming a new creature in Him, and replaced the old tapes of “You are nothing and you will never be nothing” with “I have loved you with an everlasting love and you are fearfully and wonderfully made, because of My love.” I had the courage to look at what does it mean in my life that my Father is King of all kings.

I shared with you a few weeks ago, that marriage is between God and the man, and that we as women do not have the burden of finding a husband. Well, such is the same in a natural royal kingdom. Not just anyone has access to a princess. She is protected from those who are not on the same social standing and background as herself. She doesn’t go out and find a husband. Her courtships are overseen by her family, namely her father (the king) and mother (the queen). In fact there was a time when the marriage was prearranged (still happens in certain countries) by her parents, she could have been betrothed (promised) to someone as early as birth. But as times have changed you don’t see that so much and the prince and princesses have strayed far from what used to be. There was never a divorce in a royal family. Not so anymore. It’s as if the rules of conduct no longer apply. Sort of what some of us think when it comes to the Word of God! It applies to some, but not to me.

The point here is that a royal princess (and there are many royal kingdoms around the world) is born into a special place and standing. So are we when we are reborn through faith in Jesus (Yeshua). We are not to be connected to just anyone or anybody. We are special. And 2 Corinthians 6:14 is quick to point that out. Not only should we not be connected to a non-believer, but also a Believer who is not suited as a right match. This is why we have to wait on the Lord and His wisdom, because we in our humanist will mess it up every time. If for some reason you disagree, look at the divorce rate in the Church. Why is that? How many people get married who are Believers without God’s blessings? Sorry to say, “Way too many.”

Over the years I have come to see that (just as I used to be) many of God’s daughters do not know who they are in Him. And that causes an awful lot of problems for women. If you don’t think you are of much value, then you sort of settle for “whatever”. And the truth is, “whatever” is never good enough for royalty. If you go to Kay Jewelers or a department store they have quite a bit of jewelry on display that you can touch. Most of it is costume or of a lesser value, then that which is in the locked display cases. Go into Cartier’s of France and everything is in locked cases and their very, very, very best is in a vault and they have a special room to take the perspective buyer to, in order for them to view these special gems. As daughters of the King, we are those special jewels that are locked in the vault (our Father’s protection). We are not for just anyone to have. Only those whom the jeweler knows has the funds or standing can even view the finer jewels. I’m sure that if the Queen of England desires to purchase a piece of jewelry, she doesn’t have to leave her palace or country home. It is all brought to her to view and or custom designed to her specifications. That is the way royalty is treated. ~Smile~

I challenge you to begin to see yourself as someone who is really special. Not desperate! Not desperate for a husband, not desperate to fit in, and not desperate for attention. But that you are so very special that you wouldn’t put yourself in a position to marry just any man. He would have to be much more than just a male who professes to know the Lord. In fact, you are so special that you can’t even imagine a man in your life unless God chooses him giving you the freedom and confidence to know that he is the one for sure! Does this mean to start looking down on people and walking with your nose in the air…..NO!!!! That is not what I’m talking about. What I am saying, is that a royal princess is trained from birth that she is special and has a special standing in life. Are we to be gracious and kind in this special place? Oh yeah!! That is how we show the love of God to others. I just want you my sisters to begin to understand exactly what the Blood of Jesus (Yeshua) has done for you. And when you began to get an understanding of “Who” you are, the spirit of desperation (that so many single women in the Body of Christ are experiencing), will began to give way to a new found confidence and love in Him.

The solution is the same and won’t change. You will have to get into the Bible and see what it has to say about who you are in the Lord. The Bible is key for us and we really can’t get around not reading it if we want to have victory in our lives as Daughters of the King.

If you didn’t have a chance to read Cheryl Mackey’s special blog written especially for you, on Thursday, February 11, 2010, please take a moment to go over it. She was very open and honest about her desire to be married and what she had to learn before God could trust her to be a wife. It’s a very inspiring and enlightening read.

Seeing yourself in a new light is always exciting. So be diligent in placing yourself in high esteem as our Father does. It will begin to change how you see your every day life. Knowing that you are special in who you are this day, right now, should put a little pep in your step and hope in your heart.



Love & Hugs
Ponnie

Lydia is up tomorrow!

Decisions, Decisions…..DECISIONS!

Stress: tension, a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense

Stress! It’s something that we all go through whether you’re a single mother working two jobs, or a married woman managing a business. In my particular case, I’m a teenager being bombarded by numerous college offers and the looming cloud of upcoming SAT’s. Junior year of high school can be really stressful because it’s the year that colleges really look at. With honors classes, student teaching, and student council duties, things can become pretty stressful. It can also be unnerving to walk through the door and find a large stack of college letters waiting for you. YIKES! (Even as I am writing this blog my 5 year old niece brought me a stack of thirteen college letters…LOL!!)

Ever since I was a little kid I have wanted to be a teacher. Most kids probably haven’t chosen their career path at 7 years old, but I knew what I wanted to do. As I am now deciding which colleges to apply to, millions of questions are running through my mind. “Which college is right for me?” “Do they have a good education program?” “Can I even get into this one?” Researching colleges can be a very stressful task that a lot of teenagers are going through, especially if you are not sure about which field you want to go into.

One thing that I had to learn the hard way is that you can’t let others define who you are or what you do. When I would share that I was looking at a particular college I was given words like “I wouldn’t apply there, you probably won’t get in.” or “I know someone with 2100 SAT scores and a 4.0 GPA average, if they couldn’t get in there’s no way that you can get in.” WHAT?! It was devastating. I really wanted to scream, “Well who asked your opinion?!” But seeing as my mother raised me to do the right thing, that wouldn’t be very Christian-like would it? ~smile~

Fortunately, I learned to turn my mindset to, “Even if I don’t make it, I at least have to try.” Philippians 3:14 says, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” We can do all things through Christ, whether it’s applying for college, working toward that job promotion, or overcoming a huge obstacle in your life. What we all forget sometimes is that God is always there to support and guide us. Sometimes you may feel like you are at the end of your rope and things can’t get any better but we have to remember that God is always there for us. Our strength is in Him and he will help us through all things. I am trying to remember this everyday as I am preparing for the next big step in my life.

While this is a long and wearisome process at times, I am super excited about college. I am also excited to grow in God and to achieve that which he wants for me. Knowing that God is always with you is such an empowering thought when you stop and take the time to think about it. I Can Do All Things Through Christ! So don’t let someone discourage you from trying something new or reaching for something that seems impossible, because nothing is impossible with God. I hope that this has been an encouragement to all of you and I look forward to sharing more of my college searching experience with you in the future.

Special Note: This blog originally ran March of 2010, and since then Tovah was accepted at the 3 colleges she applied and has now made her choice. She is scheduled to move into her dorm August 25th and will be majoring in Early Childhood Education. Her college of choice was one she was told, might be to hard for her to get into. As she has said, “We can’t let others define who we are or what we do.”



Until next time.

Love You All
Tovah


Ponnie will be back tomorrow