"A life devoted to things is a dead life. a stump;  a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree." (Proverbs 11:28 msg)   "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper."  (Psalm 1:3) "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who wins souls is wise." (Proverbs 11:30) These are random photos. I do not take credit for them.

Today is a great day!! Why? You may ask. Well, that's because sixteen years ago on this day, I married the love of my life, Larry Thompson. It's such a blessing to be marry this long. Many married couples have gotten divorce after only 3 years or less of marital bliss. That's probably because God is not the foundation of their marriage; Or they have put more emphasis on getting married and not enough on doing what needs to be done to stay married. Larry and I have had our share of ups and downs. However, not to sound so cliche', but love really did conquered all. Marriage is definitely hard work, but it's worth it. Let's just say it's a labor of love. As a married couple, we are still a work in progress. Besides, we have to make sure that we keep our home fire burning. ;) I pray that we continue to grow in our marriage. I, also, pray for all marriages. I come against anything and anyone that may cause unnecessary strife, disc...

Have you ever given any thought about what God has in store for you? I do.....almost everyday. My mind has the tendency to daydream about my future. I think about how my life may change within a year or even ten years from now. Sometimes I envision God transforming what naturally seems impossible into supernaturally possible. We were created to do great things in the name of Jesus so that other people can see God's glory in His miraculous works through us. However, we must allow God to lead, instruct, direct, and guide us to what He has in store for us. In addition to that, grab hold of it and claim in it in the mighty name of Jesus. Please keep in mind the road that you will travel to stake claim on your divine possessions will not exactly be as easy as you think. There are going to be quite a few potholes, road blocks, and even detours that are going to try to hinder you along the way. The devil is not going to make it easy for you at all. But it's all go...

"All positions are filled. You need not to apply." If you go to a business establishment where you wish to put in a job application and you see these words posted up, that pretty much means that they have all the man power they need to get the job done. Most likely, each employee is probably responsible for doing one job maybe two. They work the 8, 10, or 12 hours that are required of them, clock out, and then go home. But, what if see these same words..."All positions are filled. You need not apply.," posted up in someone's home??  Do you know what that means?? One thing for sure is not 10-20 employees working various jobs in that home. However, it does mean that this home has all the man power they need. Except it is not man power,..... it's MOM POWER!! Moms have many job descriptions. Our work is never done. We work way more than 12 hours a day.  Not to mention, we are on called 24/7.  We wear so many hats and at the same time, too. Yet, ...

As mothers, it is our naturally instinct to protect, provide, and comfort our children. We want to make sure that our children know that no matter what, we are here for them. Mothers are natural born fighters. And we are willing to come against anyone or anything that tries to hurt our children, whether it's physically, emotionally, or verbally. Bottomline, you don't mess with our kids.   If you have a problem with our children, then you have a problem with us. We are like lionesses protecting their cubs. But, what if a mother's primary fight is not only for her children, but for her health? We are talking about mothers who have been healthy all their lives only to have it compromised. Mothers whose primary concerns included dinner for the family, fixing their children's school lunches, making sure laundry is done, preparing dinner, carpooling, and so, much, much more. So, what happens when a monkey wrench called cancer has been thrown into your best l...

When God gave me the vision for Designer's Original, He wanted me to help women to understand that we are His original creation. We are His masterpiece, a poem, His priceless work of art. In addition to that, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God is our Master Designer. Everything He has made is good. There some women who elude the eloquence of Christ. They inspire us. They encourages. They give us hope. There are also women who have that mother hen syndrome. They know how to keep the peace and balance among friends and family. And that is exactly what my sister in Christ, Sonia does. She is such a sweet and tender hearted person. She is also the very first recipient of the Designer's Original Award. Congratulations!!  You deserve it!! Today is her birthday!! Happy Birthday Sonia!!! It's a blessing to have her in my life. We are all Designer's Originals. And to all mothers, continue to always be enco...

There's nothing like a mother's love. A mother's love is nurturing, endearing, comforting, and warm. A mother's love is express in so many ways. You can see it and feel it everytime she bakes gourmet cookies, helps out with homework, kisses the boo-boos, wipes away the tears, etc. A mother's love is endless from the moment her child started to grow in her womb to adulthood. A mother will love her child(ren) forever. Here's an excerpt from one of my favorite children's book, "I Love You Forever" By: Robert Munsch A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And while she held him, she sang: I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be. Well, that mother, she got older. She got older and older and older. One day she called up her son and said, "You'd better come see me because I'm very old and...

A mother's work is never done. There's always something to do whether it's cooking, taking the children to their little league practices, and so on. And let's not forget my all time favorite.......doing laundry......yeah right. Even though laundry is not exactly on the top of my to-do list, it is still has to get done. I must admit I have no problem with the washing and drying process of doing laundry. But, folding and putting it away is probably a different story. With that being said, I came across this "Prayer While Doing Laundry" on Creighton University Online Ministries and thought this will be a great edition to my "Ode to Mother's Week". In addition, I think all mothers can relate to the beauty of doing laundry. This prayer can help you make the most of your laundry time. So, the next time you are up to your eyeballs in laundry keep this prayer in mind. I pray that it is a blessing to you. Prayer Whi...

Next Sunday is Mother's Day!! So, I will post all this week in honor of mothers. I am mother of three, 2 boys and a girl. Jonathan 16, Michael 13, and Ketirah 9. I wish I can say that raising children is a ray of sunshine every single day. Unfortunately, it's not because being a mother has its own challenges. However, the good always outweighs the bad. Sometimes, I think that God tests us through our children. He tests our patience. He tests our faith. He tests our parenting skills. In order for us to grow as mothers and be the mother that God designed us to be, in some way or another we must and have to be tested. During our testing time, we must not grow weary or even question our ability to be a great mom. We must stand on God's word. We must seek Him for guidance and instruction on being the mother He has called us to be. Even as mothers, we have a divine purpose. And if you are not sure what that might be, God will show you in due time. ...

"Cinco de Mayo is a celebration held on May 5. It is celebrated nationwide in the United States and regionally in Mexico. The date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride, and to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War." Quoted from Wikipedia.org I didn't realize how many people celebrated Cinco de Mayo and how much they look forward to it. If everything goes according to my schedule today, I will be attending my first Cinco de Mayo party. Yay!!! In addition to having fun with my friends, I am excited about the food, because I love mexican food. The only thing I am not a big fan of is the refried beans. However, I am definitely a fan of burritos, fajitas, and quesadillas. Yummmmmmm. All this talk about food is making me hungry.  Besides, what's Cinco de Mayo without some delicious SALSA!!! I saw this salsa recipe on the Taste of Home website. It looks s...