We are God's treasure. We are precious in the sight of God!
Profoundly, in my discovery, an oyster forms a pearl by foreign material
trapped inside a shell and the oyster responds to the irritation by producing nacre
and this over time produces a pearl. In life, a pearl is special treasure
trapped inside a dark place waiting to be discovered. Similar to the pearl, our
lives become entangled inside a shell covered with doubt, shame, broken dreams,
misfortunes and adversity. We become hidden in a dark place until the LIGHT
exposes us and we break forth out of our shell to become the PEARLS we were
born to be! After this birth, it's important to understand the invaluable
essence and inner strength of who you are! As an Oyster births a Pearl, she's
valuable and strong!
And remember, ladies,
Stay C.L.A.S.S.Y. ;)
--Sheena
Hutchinson--April 2014 C.L.A.S.S.Y. Lady of the Month
Throughout my life’s journey I was blessed to find out
that, I cannot and will not ever be 100% perfect. I say that I was blessed to discover
this because so many people (including myself in the past) constantly “beat
themselves up” and look down on their achievements because they do not feel
good enough.
Not only will realizing your worth help you to grow as
an individual, but it will also help you to appreciate the differences in all
who you encounter. It is one thing to look down on your own self for not being “perfect,”
but it is another to continuously put others down for not being “flawless” as
well.
There are so many instances where we all look down on
individuals for not reaching the high bar that we have set for them. We all do
it, but the sooner we accept the fact that people mess up and make mistakes the
more peace we will have in life. The sooner we allow everyone including
ourselves to just be who we are all called to be without diminishing our worth,
the more individuals will just be able to live and reach their full potential.
So, next time you begin judging yourself or others
remember none of us are perfect, and we never will be. Just because one is
polished, it does not mean he or she is perfect.
In
light of the new semester beginning, it’s an ideal time to talk about change.
To some it’s exciting, and to others it is probably the most unwanted thing
ever but regardless of how you feel about it...change will happen. Seeing as
it’s inevitable, let’s discover the ways of embracing it rather than planning
to avoid it. Here are some ways to look at the idea of change a bit differently
in hopes of altering your perspective because as we all know; perspective is
reality.
1. No matter how nicely we may view it or how good things
are going, our life is never perfect.
Don’t
look at this in its negative connotation but rather as an opportunity that change
can be for the better. In some cases we feel like change will ruin everything we’ve
worked for or mess up our plans, but in fact change could be the very thing that
sets us up for something greater. Say everything’s going well for you but you get
fired from your job or internship, nine times out of ten we will view this
change as “bad.” However, it may be this very event that set you up to provide
you with the availability to receive your dream job.
2. As long as you’re still alive, nothing is final.
This is
similar to the situation described above, but change is not a one-time thing; it
is constant. In the case that the change you experience in your life is not
agreeable, remember that your circumstances are due to change again. So what if
you don’t get the job or the boy you want, something new will always come along.
Each day is legitimately another chance to change something about your reality
no matter how large or small. So if you don’t like the change you’re
experiencing, then I encourage you to simply change it.
3. Take advantage of the people in your life who keep you
grounded and work on maintaining those relationships.
Change
will occur on its own whether you intend for it to be there or not, but this isn’t
to present the idea that you have no control over the things in your life,
because you actually do. No matter how large or small your circle may be, you
need a few people who will serve to help you stay grounded. Of course they will
experience change too but there is only one thing about them that you need to
stay constant, and that is merely their willingness to be there for you. For
those needing a more detailed definition of “being there,” I am referring to
the willingness of an individual to help you grow, encourage you, provide a few
laughs, and remind you that everything will be okay. These friendships aren’t
as common, but for the ones you do have cherish them and take full advantage of
them.
Overall,
there are two things I hope each reader can get from this. One is to understand
that change is and will always be constant; two is that you should embrace the
elements of consistency in your life...including change. I challenge each of
you to welcome change into your lives and use each experience to grow mentally,
spiritually, emotionally and physically, when applicable.
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Hello Darling,
So, once again it’s the holiday season. It is Thanksgiving,
and I am definitely ready to eat some amazing food!
But we need to think of more than just the good food and such. When you
break down the word Thanksgiving you have two very meaningful and powerful
words: Thanks and Giving.
Two words that can make a difference to those who we encounter!
Thanks:
Many times so many of us are so consumed in our busy days that we
forget to show gratitude to those who we love or those who have helped us. This
one word can go such a long way. By showing your appreciation to others it not
only encourages them to continue helping other people, but it also shows them
that their kind actions are not taken for granted!
I challenge you to do the following:
Send someone who wouldn’t expect it a text message today thanking
him/ her—express how much you appreciate them!
Don’t forget to say thank you to those who hold a door for you,
press your floor button in an elevator, or whatever—doing these things are not
mandatory so if someone does it for you remember it was a kind action!
Giving:
Now to the final word, Giving. In a society that teaches people to
continuously do for and worry about oneself to succeed, we sometimes get caught
up and forget about the importance of helping another individual. Whether it’s
giving someone a cheerful smile on a rainy day or buying a friend a coffee, our
kind actions to others may be what a person needs in his or her day. You never
know how you can make an impact on someone’s day.
I challenge you to do the following:
Volunteer somewhere—giving doesn’t always mean spending money,
giving your time is important as well!
Give someone a compliment—nice words to an individual can be the
starting point in helping someone realize their talents and skills
I wish all of you beauties an amazing Thanksgiving. Thanks and
Giving!
Today's C.L.A.S.S.Y advice is
about embracing your flaws! We all have them, so why not?
The
best ways to embrace your flaws is to first figure out what they are. I know,
it might sound depressing but the best part is...it'll also bring light to many
of your talents.
I
recommend making a list of your strengths and weaknesses. It's helpful for
updating you on your progress and letting you know what you need to work
on.
I can
remember an interviewer asking that question to me during my junior year of
high school and let's just say I wasn't totally prepared for an answer.
After
recognizing your flaws, it's time to embrace them and work it. Make your not so
great qualities work to your benefit. Your flaws confirm that you're human, but
how you embrace them shows your true beauty!
"When you
hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an
emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to
dissolve that link and get free."
- Katherine Pond
Today’s message will be about forgiveness and moving
on. One of the greatest lessons I’ve experienced in life thus far.
I remember as a child I would go to family gatherings
on my father’s side of the family and realize there was always one person
missing…… My grandfather! I was at the curious age where I wondered about things.
I wondered why I had a grandfather on my mom’s side but not my dad’s
side.
One day I built up enough courage and confidence and
asked my father, “Where’s your dad, my grandfather?” He stared at me with
disbelief that I asked that question and he responded “He’s dead!”
From that point on I never asked about my grandfather
again. I was hurt I never met him and puzzled as to how no one mentioned
this to me.
Two weeks before my High school graduation I received
a message on Facebook from this unfamiliar person. She explained to me
that she is my aunt and we have to meet up. I was skeptical at first
because it sounded sketchy. That same week we met up and she told me that
she’s my father eldest sister and that she has some people for me to meet.
We went to Applebee’s and a few people came in greeted
me and explained how we were related. The next person who walked in was
very strange. He was about 5’7, curly hair, pretty brown complexion, wrinkles
around his eyes and he had a pearly white smile. He walked up and said, “Wow
you’re all grown up.” I was puzzled by that statement, and I asked him to
elaborate.
He smiled and said, “I’m your grandfather!”
Apparently my father didn’t accept him in his life because he was never around.
So to my father he was dead to him. I was heartbroken, confused and
shocked. For 18 years I didn’t know who my grandfather was all because my
dad couldn’t forgive and move on.
So I challenge you all today, if there is something
minor going on in your life please look over it and forgive that person.
Don’t hold grudges because you never how that will impact someone’s life.
Remember you only have one life why not forgive
people?
“Speak over
yourself, encourage yourself, in the Lord.”
This is
a line in one of my favorite gospel songs entitled Encourage Yourself.
Recently,
I have been feeling extremely discouraged. From not getting accepted into
certain organizations here on campus to not passing certain assignments I felt
like a failure. I began to question if I was good enough. Little did I know,
all I needed to do was do was speak over myself and encourage myself in the
Lord. I will share with you how to use that line from the song to deal with my
discouraged state in hopes that I can encourage you.
Speak over yourself.
This statement
reminds me of one of my favorite quotes “speak your dreams into existence”.
To me
that means in order to reach success you must talk about what you want to
succeed in and believe that it will come true. To “speak over myself” I created
a vision board! I taped eight pieces of paper to my wall and wrote a question
at the top of each one.
Some examples of those questions are, “what
makes you happy” and “what do hope to accomplish in the next four years?” Next,
in different colored markers, I began answering the questions. Now on my wall,
in vibrant colors, I have who I want to be not for everyone to see but more
importantly for myself to see.
Encourage yourself.
After claiming my future I then began to
implement positive things in my life for encouragement. The first thing I did
was make a positive playlist. I personally LOVE music so having a positive
playlist was a necessity. As I created my vision board I had songs playing like
“Video” by India Arie and “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. Also for
encouragement, I downloaded the “daily bible verse” and the “daily
inspirational quote” apps. As you can probably guess by the titles these apps
send me a bible verse and a positive quote every day.
The
apps give me daily boosts of encouragement.
In the Lord.
This
last part of the line in the song is probably the most important. Although I
created a board of what I want my future to look like I really don’t have
control, and trust me I don’t want it. I would rather give control of my life
to someone who knows me better than I know myself. To someone who knows every
move I have made and will make and knows exactly where I need to be.
God is the only being that fits that
description. When I was in my discouraged state I was overwhelmed with everything
that was going on in my life. To stop the madness all I had to do was hand over
the reins to God because he knows what’s best for me.
Let me
quote a section from an inspirational poem that I read recently “The Road of
Life” to illustrate what I mean.” This poem describes life as a bike ride with Jesus.
It
states, “When Jesus Christ took the lead,
he knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at
breakneck speeds. All I could do was hang on! Even though it looked like
madness, he said, “pedal!” I was worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are
you taking me?” He laughed and didn't answer, and I began to learn to trust
him. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure, and when I’d say
“I’m scared”, he’d lean back and touch my hand. I gained Love, Peace, Patience,
Understanding, Knowledge, Wisdom, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Grace, and Joy; all
free gifts to take on the journey, My Lord’s and mines. “
Get through
whatever you are going through and know that you will be successful.
Encourage
yourself by implementing positive thoughts and actions into your life.
Remember that
God is willing to be in control of your life if you let him. Once you let God
steer your life he will never leave you or forsake you. I would like to
encourage you all to attend some form of church service and if you don’t have a
church home and you live in DC feel free to visit me at my church 13th
NW and Irving street NW. (Street Church of Christ on the corner of 13th)
