Queen Jen's Gems

 We check in for a lot of different reasons and with a lot of different people. We check in for the reservations made at the restaurants and hotels. We check in at the airport to board our flight on time. We check in when we arrive at work and appointments. We check in on social media as we see shout-outs being posted. We want to show up and be on time (that's the goal, right?!!). We want to make our presence known and not miss out on anything. We do not want to miss out on the meal, vacation, giveaway or paycheck. But what about us? Have we showed up for us? Have we checked on us lately? Have we checked on how we are really doing? In all the checking in we do, we have to make sure to check in on us. While we take care of responsibilities, tasks, and others, we can't forget about us. We need to be at our best to take care of what we need to. Checking in with ourselves requires that we do a self-exam. It requires us to check our overall well-being. We need to be alert and presen...

 Everyone has an opinion about something. Sometimes, many people share the same opinion. Other times, it may be a few or the one who has the opinion. Either way, an opinion is how one feels about a particular topic or task. Isn't it interesting how we can eat at the same restaurant, watch the same game, hear the same music and be at the same service, yet still walk away with a different opinion?! Today, I want to focus on a story in the Bible where some people saw the exact same land, but had different opinions about what they saw. God had promised His people, the Israelites, the land of Canaan. In Numbers 13, God gave instructions to their leader Moses about checking out the land. Moses was to send one leader from each tribe. Since there were 12 tribes, there would be 12 leaders to go (v.2). When the 12 men went, they were to check out everything- what the land looked like, the cites, how many people lived there and how the people were. They even had to bring back some from fruit ...

 We all have had setbacks. We all have had disappointments. We all have experienced rejection. We all have been hurt in some way or another. It's not fun. It's not easy. It can be hard to look up again, to trust again, to move forward. In fact, it can be downright devastating. But I have good news today- we can bounce back!! It doesn't happen all at once or overnight, but it will happen. In a previous blog post, I talked about how we have plants in our house and how my Mom was always the plant person. For those who don't know, my Mom passed away in January 2020 after a brief illness. In our house, my brother and I have plants from before my Mom passed and after she passed. Her plants skills must have rubbed off on us because the plants that were blooming when she was here are still blooming! One of the plants we have in our house is a lily plant. I love them! Side note: If you're looking for an easy house plant to take care of, lilies are what you want! We have thre...

 One may not seem like a lot, but one can make a difference. Athletes and coaches know that one can make a difference. When a team has scored one more point than the opposing team, that team is declared the winner. Any of us who have taken a test of any type also know that one can make a difference. When you get at least one more point more than the required score, you have passed the test. In both of the scenarios above, one made the difference. Jesus cared about the one too. In Luke 15:3-7, Jesus told a story about a shepherd who had 100 sheep and 1 got lost. Instead of shrugging it off and not worrying about the sheep, the shepherd took action. Verse 4 tells us he went looking for the lost sheep until he found it. That's how important the one was to him! Not only was he excited about finding his sheep, he shared the good news with others and they celebrated with him. Jesus wanted those listening to the story know the one was important. When we're posting on social media, let...