Queen Jen's Gems

 Here we are...a few days away from 2025 ending and 2026 arriving 😊. As I reflect over my 2025, one word comes to mind...grateful!!! I first thank God because He's the reason I'm here and have made it this far 💖. I am grateful for new opportunities, new connections, and new adventures. I took leaps of faith when I tried new food experiences (Ex. I ate sushi for the first time!), embraced the inner child in me in riding carnival rides (High Roller is forever etched in my mind 😄!), and became a newspaper columnist (My biggest highlight for sure!). I am grateful that I was able to witness one of my friends receive an Everyday Hero award for all of her hard work and heart for community 💖. We even made TV, which was so neat! I am grateful that I saw family on happy occasions. I am grateful for all the encouragement, help, support, hugs, and love shown to me all year long 😊. I am so grateful to still be standing! It's not always easy, but I'm grateful for God walking wit...

 In this holiday season especially, we see wrapped presents under the Christmas tree and in the form of decorations. To add a nice touch to the gift, one may add a bow to the top 💝. We see gifts of all sizes wrapped up. Sometimes, we try to guess what's inside by shaking the gift or looking at the size and shape. It can be fun seeing exactly what's inside the wrapped present 😊. Sometimes, our guess may be right, while other times, it's wrong. After the gift is opened, there are different reactions to what's inside. Reactions could range from excitement to shock to disappointment. As we tend to focus more on giving in this season, giving is something that can be done in every season. What are we giving to others that we interact with on a daily basis? Are we giving encouragement, a smile, a hello, compliment, or a listening ear? What is being revealed in our hearts and lives even as conversations began to happen? What is being revealed as we walk by people without sayi...

 Happy December 💝!! Wow! We have made it to the last month of the year. Praise God for that!! I am so grateful for all God has done and is doing😊!! I'm thankful for every new opportunity, connection and adventure this year. I've enjoyed making new memories. I've learned to appreciate all the memories with my people. My house is full of photo albums, which I love it  and I am so grateful for💗!! At the end of November, I had the wonderful opportunity to make more new memories, which I want to share here with you today. My first new memory came the day before Thanksgiving. I was able to volunteer for the first time at the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Maryland with my friend Amy. It was an amazing experience! I felt the love and joy when I was greeted at the doors to check in😊. It was opening day at the building, and it was an exciting time! Once inside, you worked on an assembly line as boxes of packed shoeboxes came rolling down the conveyor belt the who...