Queen Jen's Gems

 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 ...

 Hello everyone! We have made it to the end of March 😊.  Praise God! This month, I have been highlighting different women in the Bible, and I have been loving it 💗! I started with Esther, who was a voice of hope for her people. Then, I highlighted Elizabeth, who was favored and faithful to God. Next, I highlighted the widow who was a heartfelt giver 💗. Today, I want to highlight a woman in the Old Testament. Today, I want to highlight Miriam 😊. Miriam was Moses and Aaron's sister. Miriam watched baby Moses when he was in a basket on the Nile River (Exodus 2:1-10). Later, when Moses was leading the people out of Egypt and they crossed the Red Sea, Miriam led the people in praising God. Praise is to say something good about someone else. We have a lot we can praise God for as we can start with the fact that we woke up this morning. That's one reason 💗! In Exodus 15:20-21, we see Miriam leading the people with a timbrel (our modern tambourine) and dancing and the women follo...

 Hello everyone! First, I have to say that I am loving this women of the Bible series I'm doing this month 💜!! I hope you have been encouraged by it as much as I have! So far, Esther and Elizabeth from the Bible have been highlighted. If you haven't checked out "A Voice of Hope" or "Favored and Faithful," be sure to go check them out 😊.  This week, I take us back to the New Testament and highlight a woman and her giving. We don't know her name. We do know she's a widow and she's poor. I do know a widow is a woman whose husband has passed away. She knows what it's like to experience grief and loss in her life and not have a lot of money. We find the widow woman in Mark 12:41-44. Jesus was watching people give their offering to the temple (church). There was a crowd of people there. Lots of rich people were putting in large amounts of money (v. 41). In verse 42, we see the widow enter and give two copper coins. It even mentions it's small...