You CANNOT take it with you...

Hello wonderful ones..

I hope the summer has been good for everyone. I just went to Asheville, NC this fourth of July weekend with my husband. We visited the fabulous Biltmore Estate. What a beautiful place! The architecture of the house, the rich decor, the beautiful grounds and gardens! The Biltmore was built by George Washington Vanderbilt in 1895 and is a National Historic Landmark. After a day of walking and viewing such excess and wealth, my husband made a good point. "It's beautiful, but I guess you can't take it with you."

True. As many "things" as I "want" in my life, I need to focus on what matters most. My realtionship with God, my family connections and making a difference in the lives of my loved ones and anyone else the Lord leads me to. Weekend getaways are fun, and "things" are nice to have, I am just praying to keep it all in perspective. Staying humble in HIM.

Summer Blessings :)

Hello Wonderfully Made ones!

Well,school is out for Miles in a week. So summer is officially here! The school year has flown by, and I am so grateful for Gods blessings in our lives. I have been making to sure to be thankful for all of the blessings in my life, even on those days when I am feeling down, or overwhelmed. I am not at all saying this is easy. However its is necessary. I am trying to teach my son ( he is a tween!) to be grateful for the good and the bad because we are blessed no matter what! My son is going away for a month this summer, and I will miss him terribly. However this is part of him growing up and maturing, and me letting go a LITTLE bit! I plan to use the time to work on myself- the spiritual, personal and professional. Whatever your summer plans, I pray that you and your family remain grateful and productive. Remember the blessing in every situation. :)
"But my God shall supply all your need
according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"
Philippians 4:19 (KJV)


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Dreamkillers part DOS!

Hey Wonderfully Made People!

I am actually re-posting part an old post of mine- I just think it's appropriate for today- You owe it to yourself, not to listen to the dream killers! You AND the ones you love will benefit when you work on even the tiniest bit of yourself- read and feel free to comment, I hope you will relate...


Hmmm, what do i mean by dream killers? Sounds like a movie huh? Its actually a real phenomenon.This is when you have always had something inside you to accomplish, to attain, to "be" or to create- and the people around you, closest to you "kill" your dream. It could be a family member, a friend, a husband or a boyfriend, girlfriend or wife. Sometimes it could even be yourself. A dream killer can suck the life out of you, and throw you off track!
I am speaking from my own personal experience..Sometimes we blame it on "life", we are "too busy", the jobs, the kids, etc. Foolishness! I now see the importance of working on even a little bit of yourself, your dreams and personal goals even in the midst of all of the other things.While your suppressing your dreams and desires, the dream killers couldn't care less! Life goes on for them, and you end up resentful, and sad that your missing something special in your life.

Who do you think you are?

Crazy question right? I believe this one comes up more than you think it does for adults, and especially women.Over the years, I have been unfocused, not driven towards a goal or purpose, and kind of "going with the flow" in my professional and personal life.I think what I call life development is so important for children teens and adults! Asking yourself certain questions, that you should NEVER let anyone take away from you OR answer for you.. What do you want out of life? What are your hopes and dreams? What are you personal and professional goals? How do you plan to get there? Don't let your fear, procrastination, family or another relationship take away who you really are!

Personally, in the past few years, I am finally finding my personal "niche". Why? It could be for many reasons. I think for some, you may suppress the "real you" to please others, make them happy, and be what they want you to be. I WAS one of these. The title of my blog is Wonderfully Made Mama for a reason. All of you need to know you were made for a reason and a purpose, and wonderfully! Once you realize God has a unique life plan for you and your specific personality, you can FLY! By the grace of God, I am taking the time to write down my likes, dislikes, my strengths and weaknesses, and how these can apply to my life. I am not letting anyone tell me what I am good at, or how they can show me the path to happiness or help me get there. That is for you to pray about and ask God to help you get to know the "real you".
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Psalm 139:13 (NIV)

P.S I was inspired by Renee Swope's blog from the Proverbs 31 Ministries-
Proverbs 31 Ministries

Connect!

Life is such a massive learning experience. A lesson that seems to reoccur over and again for me is the power of connecting with people. Myself, I am a social person, a "people" person. "Social butterfly" has been used to describe me by some.The crazy thing about me is, I love my private, quiet time as well. Of course I get that not everyone is like me. Interacting with folks on an everyday basis, I see the importance of connection with someone no matter how it's done.
I had dinner with my neighbor/friend the other night at her house. We had been saying for awhile that we should get together and do something casual. She is a very private person! She is content to work hard during the week, and stay close to home on the weekends. Her family is important to her. They know her well, and understand the need she has for her own time and privacy.Like many of us she cherishes it.
At our little informal dinner, we had a great time , laughing and chatting. I appreciate the time she took to clear off her dining table, prep a great salad with delicious components, and be an awesome hostess! I was only there for a little over an hour. We covered a lot of ground at the dining table in that hour!I guess what I am trying to say is, even the most solitary and private people have the need to CONNECT.
I love listening to the wisdom of others and value that connection. Connecting with someone does not have to be long and drawn out. It can be over the phone, online,in person- what works for you? What works for me is an encouraging positive connection with others..
CONNECT with someone today and bring something of value to the table- it could be powerful!

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” 1 Corinthians 15: 33(NKJV)

Hooray for Sisters!

Hey Mama's!

Just checking in, after a great weekend. I went to an event called "For Sister's Only" at the Charlotte Convention center on Saturday, and it was lots of fun. There were women everywhere! No drama, attitudes or evil eyes, did we experience. Shout out to Danyell, my co-worker/girlfriend. We had a great time. Near the end of our time there, Danyell found a great vendor who had the cutest earring and necklace set's for $5.00 and under! I may try to post pics later.I am a jewelry fanatic, and I splurged on a necklace from one vendor and a pair of $3.00 earrings from that last one.

Just wanted to stress the importance of "me time" for mama's. It's always nice to step away from whatever you have going on and enjoy the company of other women! I do not do it often enough. This allows you to refresh and de-stress and when you are back into whatever situation you left- family, marriage, work, school- you will be READY FOR THE WORLD! Plan a special day with the girls, mom or sister! Remember, you are wonderfully made...

Thrifty finds and tips :)

Hey everyone! For those of you who don't know me, I loooove a good deal!! And for those of you who do, you know this well! Hence, my frequent trips to thrift and consignment stores. I try to check out the thrift stores at least once a week, just to see if anything new is there. I know for some there is a stigma attached to shopping in a thrift store, I say get over it!! Really, in this current economy if you can find a pair of designer shoes for $3.97 that have barely been worn, GO FOR IT!! I noticed the thrift store are more crowded now, more than ever before. You will find folks from ALL walks of life there. I do have a few tips that may help you in finding good deals and ways to navigate.

1. Find out if the stores have specials!
I have a Salvation Army in my area that offers 50% off of clothes on Wednesdays. WOW! The clothes are already cheap. Call your local store to find out.Also check their hours, and I find weekdays are always less crowded.

2. Know what your looking for before you go in!!
Or else you will be OVERWHELMED. If you need black pants, you can focus on that. Look the pieces you choose over thoroughly. Look for stains, missing buttons and tears. Some stores have clothes never worn with tags on them!!

3.Dont feel like you have to buy somethng!
Thirft and consignment shopping is hit and miss. Sometimes you win, sometimes you dont! That's why I enjoy it, it's like a treasure hunt!

4.Know the charity you are supporting!
Goodwill industries- Provides vocational rehabilitation for the disabled.
Salvation Army- Offers shelter, food job training, and spiritual guidance to the poor.
So it's a win win situation! You get deeply dicounted items, while supporting a cause. Also, dont forget to give back and keep the cycle going! If you or your kids are in betwen sizes, donate to your local thrift store, so someone else can benefit.

I hope these tips help, please comment and let me know what suggestions you may have!

P.S Check out the photo's of some of my finds. My Nine West red flats, My super cute wrap dress, and my Calvin Klein platforms! All for under $5.00 each!! Check back to see what else I might find!

You think you know, but you have no idea!!

Don't you feel like saying this to folks sometimes? Most of us have people close to us who can relate to what we are going through, but some people haven't a clue!! Life can be overwhelming when your a mother, a significant other, student,wife, employee and all around superwoman! Oh yes! Let us not forget there are the breadwinner's, the caregivers and the encouraging ones. Everyone has a different path, everyone has a different struggle. The thing we share in common, I believe is that sometimes you feel like you are in it alone and nobody understands! This couldn't be further from the truth. Just take a minute and realize somebody out there in this world has to be feeling something similar. This helps me realize, nobody is ever completely alone in their feelings. Maybe this website can be a forum for those feelings and ways to express them!Let's take the journey together. Let me know what you think.....

Need more hours in the day?

Yesss!! So do I. I recently enrolled in school, and need to step it UP! I used to be terrible at time management, but I am actually improving! I am going to talk about a few things that help me- then I will give you some tips from the "pros" which I one day hope to be!!! What helps me big time is to write things down, where I can SEE them. I have a feature on my computer that I can pin a notepad on my desktop. Every time I boot up my computer, I see my most urgent "to do" list. Since I'm logging in through the day, it helps! Of course all of the email applications have calendars with reminders you can set. I have to plan blocks of time, and the "extra" playing I may do on the computer has to be cut out!

Here are a few time management suggestions from the Mayo Clinic:

1. Plan each day.
2. Prioritize your tasks.
3. Say no to non-essential tasks.
4. Evaluate how your spending your time.
5. Limit distractions!
6. Take the time you need to do a quality job.


Anyone else out there have tips to share? Post a comment and let us know!!