Queen Jen's Gems

 "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." Have you heard that quote before? It is a quote by Oscar Wilde. Chances are you have heard it before or something very similar. The quote has a lot of truth to it. There may be lots of people with the same first name as you and some may even have the same first and last name as you. However, they can never be you and you can never be them. That's okay because we are all made uniquely and wonderfully (Psalms 139:14)! Someone needs what only we can offer and give. Someone needs our smile, help, gifts and talents to encourage them along their life journey. Let the real you shine through. Let your personality, likes, dislikes and quirks shine through. It's okay! There was a time I didn't feel it was okay, but now I do. It didn't happen overnight, but I have learned to embrace who I am. For a very long time, I did not like to wear open toe shoes in public because I was embarrassed about how my feet looked. Every now a...

 At some point in your life, you may have asked the question (or were asked the question): Are you all settled in now? This may have been in reference to moving to a new place, such as a house or dormitory room. You may have also heard it being referred to when someone has a new job. In these cases, the word settle can be defined as taking residence in or to come to rest in. When we settle in somewhere, we become adjusted and acquainted to our surroundings. Settling can be a good thing, but we also don't want to get too comfortable that we are not open to new opportunities or a new way of doing something. We need to remain teachable, keep learning and know there is always more. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us that, "There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven." We don't have to settle for the wrong. We don't have to settle for the wrong attitudes and thought patterns. We don't have to settle for wrong relationships while dating be...