Queen Jen's Gems

 We have made it to the month of June 💛! Praise be to God!! He has been with me every step and moment of the way. I am so grateful!! As we enter into this second half of the year, I can take a glance back at the first half of my year and be grateful. God was with me in the ups and downs, hurts and healing, trying times and triumphs. I'm forever grateful for the moments spent with family and friends 😊. I'm forever grateful for the laughs, encouragement, conversation and connections. I'm forever grateful for the memories I have made so far. I'm forever grateful that I was able to start my own little free library in March. Every day, I look out the window at Jen's Little Free Library like a child at Christmas time 😀. Every time I look at it, I think about how God blessed me and allowed me to have it. I'm forever grateful for every book donation and individuals who have stopped by my library. You are very appreciated💚! I'm forever grateful that I was able to...

 Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next month. Today 😊.  What's important right now? When we look at the definitions of the word important, it means to have great value, something that is necessary and worthy of special attention. So, let's think about today. What needs our attention now? I know our days get really busy and twenty-four hours seem to go by really quick! We're almost at the end of May. May is flying by! For educators like myself, we are getting close to the end of the school year. For others, you may be getting close to end of a quarter or deadline at your job. For all of us, we will be stepping into the season of summer in mid- June 💛. With that, there are decisions to make, planning to do and things to wrap up. It can be a lot, so it's important to ask ourselves what's needed now. I'm asking myself this question a lot lately! I'm looking at my to-do list and calendar events like where do I start at. I try to look at what is happening first ...

 One of my absolute favorite TV shows of all time is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition 💗😊!! That show warms my heart so much!! I love seeing how a team of individuals come together to renovate a house for a family in a week. I love hearing the stories of each family as they are so encouraging. Just thinking about the chant "Move that bus" right before the big house reveal still brings happy tears to my eyes. During the building process, a lot can take place as progress would be right on time, but there could also be delays. I remember watching episodes where storms took place and deliveries were not on time, which pushed the progress back. Through all of that though, the team always managed to finish the renovation 😊. Another construction project comes to my mind that can be found in the Bible in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah got word that the wall of Jerusalem had broken down (Nehemiah 1:3). It weighed on his heart, so he prayed to God about it (Nehemiah 1:5-11). Then, he a...

 Have you ever made plans, and it worked out exactly as you planned it? Have you ever made plans, and it didn't work out like you thought it would? Have you ever made plans that didn't work the way you thought it would, but it turned out even better than you thought?! We may be able to answer yes to one or all of the questions above. Plans can be defined as a set of intended actions designed in advance to achieve a goal. Life has taught me that plans can be made, but they are subject to change. Making plans can be good, but we also have to be open to be flexible and adjust as needed. Today, I want to remind us that God has a plan for each and every one of our lives 😊. He sees and knows everything. He's been with us every step of the way and will continue to be with us 💗. In the Bible, I want to take us to journey through the book of Exodus where we find that God had a plan for a man by the name of Moses. In Exodus 1:22, we see Pharoah (leader of Egypt at the time) giving ...

When something is glowing, we notice it. When something is glowing, it catches our attention. When something is glowing, it cannot be hidden. A glow symbolizes light and warmth 😊. This past weekend, I had the amazing opportunity to attend a Women's Tea and be one of the speakers at the tea. The theme of the tea was "Women Who Remarkably Shine." I was so grateful and honored to attend the tea. The tea was an amazing and beautiful gathering of women who uplifted and encouraged one another! It had been a long time since I had attended a tea, so I loved every minute of it 💕! At the tea, I shared a little bit about me being a blogger, author, teacher, newspaper columnist, and little free library owner 😊. I also shared how I currently serve at my church as a Youth Leader and Youth Bible Study and Sunday School teacher. I also shared how I am in the process of a new chapter at my church- Minister in Training. I am so grateful for all God is doing and will do in my life 😊! Go...

 We have made it to spring! I am so grateful 😊!! With the spring season brings warmer temperatures, longer days, flowers blooming, and animals coming out of hibernation. The start of spring also marks Quarter 2 of the year. Can you believe it?! We have already seen three months of the year already! Take a moment and reflect back on January, February, and March. When I look back, I can see how God blessed me with amazing experiences 💗! I also had challenges and trying moments that God brought me through. As I think about a new season, I think about new beginnings and new starts. Seeds that were planted in other seasons may start being visibly seen in growth. Spring is a great reminder to reset and begin again 😊. I had not been doing a lot of decluttering lately, but I got back into it recently. I reminded myself not to get overwhelmed, but do a little each day (5-10 minutes) like I was doing before. We just finished Quarter 3 of school, which is a great milestone! Quarter 4 will ...