Strong and Courageous — His Princess Ministries

Hello my friends!
I am sorry that I have been absent for several weeks. God has been teaching me many things and I hope to share those with you in the coming months. This morning I received an email that I really wanted to share with you. For the letter, click the link below.
As a woman, it is hard to sometimes see yourself as strong and courageous. It is easier to look at circumstances and lose your focus. But you and I are filled with everything we need to take on any situation. Hope this encourages your heart today. Blessings until next time!

Strong and Courageous — His Princess Ministries

I Will Waste My Life-Misty Edwards

Happy Monday!
This morning I plugged Misty Edwards into my cd player and rocked out on the way to work. I heard this song and it touched my heart on this Monday. May it encourage you to again fall in love with Jesus.

Until next time...be blessed!

Hidden Heroes # 2

Hey friends!
Sacrifice is something that isn't taught, it is simply done. When I see someone sacrificing, it really makes me pay attention. It touches my heart! Sometimes the sacrifice may not be a large one, but it can just as easily touch the other person's heart.
Today I would like to share about a personal hidden hero. As with many of you, I was struggling through a long day at work. I was discouraged and just plain tired. Things had not been going well and I was struggling to handle all the situations that were being thrown my way. My thought is that even when I am having a bad day, it should not show to those that I am serving. Anyway, I was working with my co-worker helping a patient prepare for a test. This patient was so plesant and kind. He spent the majority of our time together joking and teasing my co-worker and I. At the end of our appointed time together, he took a moment to give my co-worker and I a quick hug.
This may not have seemed like much of a sacrifice, but to my heart that day, it meant the world. It only took a moment out of that gentleman's day, but it made my day.
I was reminded that even the smallest sacrifice is important. I know that it will make me pay better attention to my moments and how I use them. I hope that you are touched by someones hidden heroism also. Until next time...

Hidden Heroes

Heroes…what do you think of when you hear the word hero? A red cape and tights, perhaps? A faithful soldier fighting for a cause? A woman fighting breast cancer? A missionary on the front lines of faith? We all love to see something heroic or watch someone being heroic. Let’s be honest, we flock to the theatres to watch the newest hero action movie. However, being a hero is more than a mere cape and tights, my friends. Being a hero implies courage, strength and faithfulness. Aren’t these great attributes? Aren’t these things that you and I need more of? YES!
I have often heard it said that you are what you focus on…don’t think that is biblical but it is definitely true. So, I would like to focus these next few blogs on hidden heroes, people who go above and beyond, but may never be recognized.
I work in the medical field and am around people day in and day out that need something quickly. It is rare to have a person be willing to wait on anything, but wait they do. For example, if a patient needs some extra care, it can put our schedule behind 30 minutes. That means that all the other patients that were scheduled for the rest of the day will have to wait. No one ever wants to wait and this can end in some seriously cranky patients. Let’s just say that it doesn’t make things easy for us or the patients.
The other day I was at the check-in desk and overheard a conversation between two patients. One patient was an older gentleman who needed to be finished by a certain time in order to get to another appointment. The gentleman was worried that he would miss his other appointment because the schedule was behind by about 30 minutes. The other patient was a professional 20-something woman. To be really honest, she looked as though business was her middle name. She was dressed in a suit and was carrying her laptop with her. She heard the gentleman talking to our receptionist. As the gentleman went to take a seat, Misses Professional leaned forward and told the receptionist that she would like for the gentleman to take her appointment and she was willing to wait. I was very surprised that this conversation had taken place. In the end, the gentleman took the earlier appointment.
The professional woman was the older gentlemans hero on this day. It really touched my heart to see someone else sacrifice for someone that they don't even know. Isn't this how we are suppose to live?
Until another hidden hero story...blessings!

Sinking Into The Wall

I love looking at walls. I suppose it is the interior decorator in me that just loves to see what new designs and patterns are being put together. I like to see what other people think looks good together and take away ideas for my dream house. The other day I found myself staring at a wall. It was the kind of design that seems to move and makes you feel as if you are going to sink into it. You know the kind…it’s the bathroom wall that makes you dizzy as you sit there pondering life’s hardest questions…it’s the living room wall that you just can’t take your eyes off because you need to count all the flowers on the wall. I think you get the idea. We have all seen that type of wall that just makes you feel like you are sinking into it.
I bring this up because I have been thinking and studying about fear and doubt a lot. What, you may ask, does a design on a wall and fear and doubt have in common. Well, on the surface they don’t have anything in common. Upon a closer look it is clear to me that fear and doubt also allow you to sink into it, if you aren’t paying good attention, just like the designed wall. As you ponder that thought, let me share with you a quick story from my favorite book, the Bible.

This is the story of twelve men who were sent on a special mission. This mission was to scope out the land and those that inhabited the land. The ultimate goal was to see if the land was fertile and if the people residing there were strong, weak, many or few. The mission took time. The men had time to become fearful and filled with doubt. During that time, ten of the twelve got together, looked at the men and women in the land, and decided that it was too dangerous to battle the people in the land. They looked and saw with the lense of fear and doubt. They were afraid. There were two men who stood up and said, “Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.” They did not stop and look at the impossible. They saw the possible. They didn’t allow fear and doubt to cloud their vision. Here is the big deal with this mission. Because the ten saw the impossible, they, along with all the children of Israel, were sent to wonder in the wilderness for forty years. What a consequence for fear and doubt. If you would like to read the story in detail, it can be found in Numbers 13 and 14.

My point is that fear and doubt can hold you in bondage. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be in bondage. So, what is the solution? It’s simple: just have faith in the Lord and what He says. Simple, right? In the book, Breaking Free from Rejection, John Paul Jackson states it this way: “our personal relationship with God will determine our perspective. Our perspective will determine our decisions, and our decisions will determine our destinies.” (Page 52)

If you and I want a life free from fear and doubt, we can’t allow ourselves to sink into it. We must look away from the fear and doubt and look to the only One who can help us. Jesus is the answer.

Well, after all that I bet you won’t look at the funky design on the wall the same way again. God can teach a truth even through a crazy design on the wall. Until next time, may He teach you something new also.

Bold And Beautiful With A New Life

Hey friends!

I have so many projects going on right now, but I wanted to quickly share one that I worked on before Christmas. I was in sad need of a chest of drawers (i.e. clothes were all over my floor with no home to be put in). So, I started my quest for a chest of drawers at the local thrift shops. I love all the fun things that can be found in a thrift shop, but I wasn't able to find what I was looking for. I was starting to give up hope that I would find anything that could work, when I decided to look at Craigslist. I will admit, I am a bit hesitant to use online classifieds, but this time it paid off.

 I found a good chest of drawers with really good bones. Believe me, it needed a good sanding and painting, but I saw the potential immediately and the price was right.

 After a really good sanding (by the way, sanding without a mask is not a good idea...learned this the hard way), I gave it a great coat of primer. Then piled on about three coats of paint and finally put a good sealer on top.

This is the end product. I personally think it looks much better in person, but I think you get the idea. What started out as a chest of drawers with good bones, ended up looking like a beautiful custom made piece of furniture.
Thanks to my family for putting up with paint fumes and to my friend for driving down into a scary knoll on my first adventure of buying an item on an online classified site. It was an adventure and I enjoyed every minute of it...I think I shall try it again soon! Until next time...

Young and Restless on Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day, dear friends!
What a fun day!!! A day to celebrate love. The love of family and friends and the love of God.
Recently I have been restless. Plain and simple...just restless. Content is not the word I would use to decribe myself at this moment. I have been wrestling with why I am restless and for what. I personally think there are many reasons for this restlessness, but as I was driving into work this morning I was thinking about God's great love for me and it hit me. At the very core of it all, I am restless for my God. I need more of Him. I need more of His face. I need more of His love. Why am I restless for Him? Simply because I love Him.
When you love someone, you want to be with them. You want to learn more about them. You can't wait to see their face. Shouldn't it be that way with the Lord too?
As you ponder the love of God, take a listen to this powerful song by Caleb Andrews. It is awesome! And have a great Valentine's Day! Until next time...