Queen Jen's Gems

Storms. Some we see coming. Others seem to come out of nowhere and catch us by surprise. They come fast and unexpected. The storms of life can leave us wondering if we will even  make it through. The storms of life can leave us questioning everything and have us thinking what's next. Now I've had my share of life's storms, but the storm I am currently experiencing- Whew!! For those that may not know, my Mom passed away after a brief illness on January 18th of this year. My Dad passed away almost 17 years ago in April of 2002. Neither of my parents are here anymore. I miss them both so much! My brother and I are sticking together and doing the best we can. We are getting stronger as individuals and together. We have a big support system of family, friends and community of which we are most grateful and appreciative of. Thank you to all of you in our corner! During the time of my Mom's illness, I can look back now and see that God was preparing us. God prepares all of us ...

Have you ever looked at a garden real close before? As you looked at the garden, you may have noticed some flowers and plants that were just starting to bloom or had fully bloomed. Perhaps you saw the beginnings of a plant sprouting out of the soil. But, then as you kept looking closer at the garden, you may have also noticed some plants that looked like they didn't belong. Those were the weeds. Some of the weeds may have even gotten tangled up with the other plants and you couldn't tell the difference of which was a plant and which one wasn't. Stay with me...I'm going somewhere with this! In Matthew 13:3-9, Jesus tells a story of a farmer who went to plant seeds in his garden. Some fell on the path and the birds ate the seeds up immediately. It didn't even have time to make it to the soil! Then some seeds fell among rocks with only a little bit of soil. There was not enough to produce much of anything. What did sprout did not survive because too much sun came and t...

To do something with intention means to do it deliberately and on purpose. From the time we wake up in the morning to the minute we go to sleep at night, we need to know our life has purpose. Each day we live has a purpose. If we didn't have a purpose, God would not have allowed us to be here and live the days we have lived. As we go through our days, we need to keep in mind what we're doing and why we're doing it. Our "why" should stay in the front of our mind at all times. Knowing our "why" will help us live our life on purpose and for a purpose. Knowing our "why" will help us make right decisions. Knowing our "why"will keep us focused on the right path. Every day, we need to ask ourselves questions, such as, "Why am I doing this?", "Why am I going here?", "Why am I saying this?" and "Why am I hanging out with this person?" The answer to our "why" should be to honor God, others and o...