When my husband proposed to me, I was elated. He was finally going to put a ring on it after six months of dating. This was in 1999, so I realize this may seem odd. However, I knew in my heart that he was my husband and I told him this. I am also a mom of a beautiful six-year-old daughter, Gabrielle(Gab). She is my everything. Her father wasn’t in her life and wasn't even … [Read more...]
20 Text Messages to Send Your Husband on Valentine’s Day
Men like to be flirted with. They love provocative speech and they love for women to be sassy and sexy. As you plan for Valentine's Day, consider incorporating a few sexy texts to whet his appetite for you. Have fun with your texts and be creative. Be as suggestive as you want to be or get straight to your message. I want you to have fun with it and show him your sexy … [Read more...]
Top 3 Things that 18 Years of Marriage Have Taught Me
Anniversaries are super special in my house. I would never have imagined being married to my husband for eighteen years. Real talk, my parents didn't even think my husband Don and I would remain married past the first six months. They expressed this to us more times than I can count. Why would my parents think this, let alone have the nerve to verbalize this to us? Well, the … [Read more...]
How to Stay Together When Your Family and Friends Want You to Divorce
For years, my husband Don and I had an extremely rocky marriage. During those tumultuous years, I confided in a lot of girlfriends. I told them everything he did and did not do. I was painting a picture of him that had them not speaking to him or wanting to be around him. When things were at their worst, I ran my mouth. Straight up. I even convinced myself that I was going … [Read more...]
How to Be a Mom and an Entrepreneur without Failing at Both
When I began this entrepreneurship journey several years ago, I knew one thing and one thing only: I did not want to work for anyone ever again in my life. I had been fired twice from jobs because I put my kids’ health first. The last full-time job I had was with the federal government. I quit that job when I heard God say, “Pack your things. It’s time to go.” Before and … [Read more...]
Why Fighting For My Marriage is the Best Thing I’ve Ever Done
A few years ago, Don and I were at a crossroad in our marriage and we had to decide if we were going to remain married even though we didn’t like each other. It was not easy to live with this question hanging over my head nor was it pretty. The realization that we did not like each other was painful, but we had no idea how to break from it. One day, we decided to have a … [Read more...]
Seven Strategies that Saved My Marriage
I’m going to be totally honest with you: sometimes, I am annoyed when folks say they want a marriage like mine and Don’s. What they don’t know is that we experienced many ups and downs in our marriage. The 'downs' seemed to last forever. We’ve experienced the difficulties of blending a family, numerous periods of unemployment, a child going to jail, alcoholism and an emotional … [Read more...]
Challenge: 30 Days of Service to Your Spouse…Can You Handle It?
Don and I decided to do a 30 Days of Service Challenge after watching the below video by Comedian Mike Goodwin. Mike decided to do something every day to serve his wife for an extended period of time - - 30 days. I thought it was going to easy to knock out. Wrong! The first few days we were enthusiastic about out-serving each other. He made me breakfast in bed on more than one … [Read more...]
One Way to Obtain Peace of Mind in Your Life This Year
I know, I know…you are already working diligently on your long to-do list and action steps to get you closer to your goals for 2017. I am so excited for you! I’m actually doing the exact same thing. However, you must add this very important thing to your 2017 goals list. That thing is counseling. Yes, you read that correctly, counseling. I know as the year begins, we see and … [Read more...]
I Had to Tell Myself that I am a Great Mom. Here’s Why…
Proverbs 22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." For years, I questioned this scripture. I just didn't see how it was going to manifest in my life. I questioned my parenting skills and I wondered if I would ever be a great mom. After all, I was pregnant with my 1st child, Gabi, at 19-years-old. As a single mom, I went … [Read more...]
5 Ways Couples Can Grow Closer Together and Not Apart During Unemployment
Today, I was informed that my long term substitute teacher contract was ending in a few days. I have been a sub for the past 4 years. I worked in a new classroom or school every year for an entire school year. And, this will be the first time I will not be completing an entire year. “When one door closes another door opens, but we so often look so long and so regretfully … [Read more...]
5 Easy Steps to Turn Your 2017 Vision into a Reality
"I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; and I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run." - Habakkuk 2: 1-2 We all have heard this preached time and again in church. We all get hyped up … [Read more...]
Why I Refuse to Let Guilt Tear Me Apart This Holiday Season
I had been living with a lot of guilt lately. It wasn't guilt because I personally did something wrong, but the guilt still robbed me of my joy and thanksgiving. Ironically, I had been feeling guilty for all the good things happening in my life recently. I wanted to rejoice that my parents and both my brothers along with their families would be with us at my brother's … [Read more...]
How God’s Sense of Humor Healed My Blended Family; Plus, 5 Tips for YOU
Many people ask, "how did you make your blended family work?" With so many couples turning to divorce in our society, I can see how this perplexes folks. My prayer is that these five tips will help you in this journey called LIFE. 1. Pray!!!! I am so serious about this. Bringing children and a spouse together is a totally different dynamic, which can make or break a new … [Read more...]
4 Books to Make Your Marriage Better, Tighter and Smoother
My husband Don and I have been married for 17 years, however, the first 15 were awfully tumultuous. We argued all the time and just could not get along. I now realize that I went into marriage thinking I would be a glorified girlfriend and that my husband would love me unconditionally until “death did we part.” That lasted all of three weeks. That’s it. The honeymoon and my … [Read more...]