Queen Jen's Gems

 No matter what age we are, it is important that we feel safe. We should feel safe where we live, where we work and go to school to, and when we're out and about in our day to day lives. You see, the truth of the matter is that we may not always feel safe. Depending on what has happened in the past or seeing everything going on in our world today, there can definitely be feelings of uncertainty, which is real. We should be aware and alert of our surroundings at all times. Yet, we can't always avoid being hurt as sometimes it does come unexpectedly. However, we can choose people and environments that allow us to be ourselves and that are free from judgment. We can choose a circle of friends that will listen to us and allow us to vent, but also encourage us to grow 😊. We can choose to go places where we can be ourselves and we're appreciated. We can choose environments that will help us be the best version of ourselves. A safe place is somewhere where we don't have to fe...

 Do you ever feel like a juggler? Do you ever feel like you have a lot going on and don't know how it will all get managed and taken care? Well, if you have answered yes to one or both questions, you are not alone! I feel like a juggler a lot of times! Now, I do not know how to physically juggle items, but I'm sure those who do will tell you that it took a lot of practice and they dropped the items many times. In life, we may feel like we're juggling a lot, and we've definitely dropped some things along the way. The truth is, all of us have many roles in life. We have roles in our family, career, community, and church. Not only do we have a lot of roles to fulfill, but we also have to make sure we're taking care of ourselves well. In the midst of looking out for everyone else, we have to look out for ourselves. Our overall health (physical, spiritual, and mental) is important 💜. It's working on finding balance in all areas of life 🙏. Lately, I have been talkin...

 At some time or another, we have all seen the warning signs. Have we always listened to the warning signs? Probably not always! We thought we were being careful after seeing the "Watch Your Step" or "Caution" signs. Sometimes, we may have even ignored them because we were in a rush or failed to take notice of the signs. Then, the unthinkable happens. We almost miss our step, or we do miss our step and fall. It hurts when you fall or even if you skip a step because you've lost your footing. Not only can I relate to a misstep or fall physically ( you may can relate, too!), but I can relate spiritually also. In my life, I haven't always stepped in the right direction. I haven't always been careful with what I did and who I spent time with. I haven't always make the right choice about my words and attitudes. I'm thankful for growth! I know you have grown also and I'm grateful for you 😊. You see, the path we travel on is important 🙏. It's i...

Fresh air is good for all of us 😊! Fresh air is something we should get every day if possible. When you step outside next time, take time to notice all the nature around you. Look up at the clouds in the sky. Look at the different animals that are crawling  and flying by. Listen to the noises of the animals. I love to sit outside and walk outside a lot 💖. Sometimes when I'm sitting outside, I hear these really loud birds (maybe you have heard them too!). I remember I used to get annoyed by the noise. But, then, more recently, I started looking at the noise in a different way. I have started to see it as the birds doing what God has created them to do. That's how they're communicating. Look at the flowers and plants that are blooming. They're all beautiful in their own way 😊. All that God created is beautiful! You know who else God created? You and I! We are made by God! In Psalms 139:13, it talks about how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Anything God made is b...

 At one time or another, all of us have followed someone before. It could have been that someone showed us how to get to our certain destination. We could have been playing the game Follow the Leader, where we imitated the actions of the leader 😊. With our society being more technology driven now, we can follow people's pages on social media. We can see the latest post and messages of those we follow. On the flip side of this, we all have been a leader in some way. We all have had someone look up to us at school, in our family, our friend circle, in a community organization, or following our social media page. If we have ever played Follow the Leader that was mentioned earlier, we may have been the leader. In any case, who we follow is important. How we lead is also important. A leader should know the way and show the way. In other words, a leader should live a good example for others to follow in words, actions, attitudes, and motives. People are watching and most importantly, Go...

 Take a minute and look at your surroundings. What do you notice? What do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? I want to stop right here because smell has inspired today's blog post 😊. Stay with me.. I promise I'm taking you somewhere! In fact, this all comes from a compliment a student asked me in class not long ago. I was collecting papers from students in my classroom. When I walked past one of my student's desks , she said, "Ms. Clark, you smell good." First, I told the young lady, "Thank you!" Then, I proceeded to tell her that I had some Japanese Cherry Blossom on and Dove, but that was it. I didn't have anything special on. I also said it was a good thing I smelled good 😊. The young lady said again that I smelled good. But, this time, she added something she didn't say before. She said I smelled like goodness! Now, when I tell you my whole face lit up smiling, it did 😀! I had never heard anyone say I smelled like goodness befor...

 Welcome! You have made it to see a new day! I'm glad you're here 😊. A new day holds new opportunities, new experiences, new connections, and new memories 💖. When something is new, it's never been seen and it's original. We should be grateful when we get to experience a new day! It's a day we have never seen before and a day we will never see again when it's over. I'm learning more and more of the value of a new day and not to take it for granted. Everyone does not make it to see a new day. I'm learning more and more to cherish the day and the people in my life in that day. Each new day allows us to learn something new, improve, grow, make memories with those we love, and enjoy life 😊. I do my best to focus on progress. However, I will be honest. There's a perfectionist in me! Some of you may can relate to that 😉. The perfectionist definitely rises up a lot. Even in that, I remind myself to do the best I can and look how far I've come. Each n...