Queen Jen's Gems

We could stop right at the title, couldn't we?! No matter how old or young we are, we all have been through something that was hard. We all have been through something that we didn't think we could make it through. But look at us..we're still here! God brought us through. That's enough to give God praise for! In those "fiery" situations, we didn't think we would make it out. I know I have felt that way before, but I made it. You made it too! We had some people around us that didn't think we would make it either. They doubted us and counted us out, but God! Maybe they didn't know or forgot about the God we serve who is able to do more than we could ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). During those hard times, we also had to remind ourselves that God was able to bring us out those "fiery" situations that seemed impossible to come out of. Those situations that cut us deep, but we could still have a praise and smile through it all. Our God never ch...

The new normal. We've been hearing that phrase a lot lately, right? Things that we were used to doing a certain way and places we were used to going have been adjusted and shifted. A new normal has definitely been about looking at and learning a new way of doing things. For my brother and I though, a new normal started before the quarantine hit our nation. Our new normal started on January 18th of this year when our Mom passed away. We had to make adjustments and look at things with a different perspective. We've had to embrace our new normal, which is not always easy. Yet, we are still pressing day by day and taking steps forward in the right direction. So thankful to God for the progress we've made and the blessings we have! Now our nation is learning to embrace a new normal. We're seeing that's not always easy either. Since trips outside the house are limited or not at all, we are learning to pick up the phone more and call people to hear that voice. We are learn...

Lol. Most people know lol as laugh out loud. But I want to challenge you today to think about another lol...live out loud. In both cases, they have to do with an action and that action being done out loud. When something is being done out loud (whether it be singing, reading, talking, playing an instrument, laughing), it can be heard. When we do these actions out loud, it can be heard by those in our presence. Sometimes we don't always realize who hears us. We may be talking to someone in the grocery store and someone on another aisle hears us. Maybe we are sitting at our desk at work and start singing a song aloud. We may not realize a coworker has walked by us or come in the room where we're at. Just like we didn't know someone heard our conversation or song, it's the same thing with our lives. People are watching us whether we realize it or not. What is our life saying? What message does it send? How we live matters! People see what we say and don't say. People h...

With everything going on in our lives and in the world around us, it seems like it's hard to find peace. While it may seem impossible to have peace at a time such as this, it can happen. We can have peace regardless of what we see and how we feel. Even with the pandemic going on in our world, we can still have peace in the pandemic. Real peace comes from God and it's available all day, every day. Peace is knowing that everything is going to be alright. Peace is staying calm even when chaos is breaking out around you. Peace may seem far away, but it's closer than you think. Peace is possible and can be yours. Let's take a look at Mark 4:35-41 where we see peace in action. In these particular verses, Jesus and his disciples were riding on a boat one evening. While they were riding, a storm came up. The wind started blowing hard and the water was starting to get in the boat. You know when a storm comes on the water, the waves start to get higher. The disciples began to pan...

No matter what season it is (except with the current quarantine going on!), you can usually find a sports game to watch on TV. You or someone you know may like to play sports. On the other hand, you may not play a sport, but you have a favorite sport you like to watch. When certain teams are playing, you may cheer louder than usual. And don't let people cheering for opposite teams be in the same room...it can really get loud then! When you listen to the cheering (or not!), you can usually tell pretty quick who people want to win. When I have watched different sports being played, there are a few things that I've noticed they have in common. Players and coaches are involved in the game and on the sidelines. Umpires or referees are on the field or court. Some games have cheerleaders on the sidelines cheering their team on. There are usually people in the stands watching the game. Now these are who we notice immediately at the game. Then, there are the individuals who get there ea...