We are all like precious stones. We all come in different shapes and sizes. It is when we are cut and polished that we begin to live a more radiant life. The Wild Gems hopes to inspire you to live life to the fullest and to enjoy every moment!
First of all my hair was pretty long before I made the chop. Long to where I could be braless and you wouldn’t see anything. Hair goals.
I was so eager to cut my hair though, and for awhile! However I made the commitment to myself to wait till after my friends wedding. I wanted a pretty hairstyle because you know, it was a wedding.
One of my friends actually became concerned that I wanted to cut my hair when I voiced it on Instagram. She sent me a message asking if I was okay. And then we talked on the phone while she continuously wanted to make sure I was fine.
Because you know, when most people chop off their hair it’s because they may be going through something. Like a divorce. That’s what my hair stylist said anyway.
But listen, I really just wanted to cut my hair. I wanted a change and I felt like cutting my hair would kind of be like shedding one’s shin. Making room for growth. You know?
My hair had a beautiful hoorah before I cut these beautiful locks I should say. Check it out!
It’s called a bubble braid in case you were wondering.
I told you it was long.
The Wedding happen and 2 days layer, I mean later, (that truly was a typo) my hair was chopped! Amazing how it took me so long to grow my hair that long and took an instant to just snip time away.
What do you think?
I am loving it!
This was my beforeThis is after. Right to my shoulders/collarbone. A blunt type cut.
3 Reasons Why You’ll Loving Having Short Hair if you’ve been thinking about cutting yours too
1. Showers are soooooo nice
Washing long hair can be a pain in the butt! And you don’t even really realize how much of a pain it is until you have short hair! The shampoo just lathers so beautifully, and you only need just a little bit of conditioner. Compared to using a handful of it.
It just feels so good, I promise!
2. Much Easier To Style
You are going to save so much time my friend. Your hair dries so fast when it’s short and whether you are straightening or curling your hair it’s less tedious overall.
And if you don’t feel like styling your hair, well good news is that short ponytails are super cute!
3. It’s Liberating
You will feel like a new person. Looking at myself with long hair now, in retrospect I feel different. Obviously it’s me but theres a level of confidence that comes with chopping your hair off.
Good bye all that does not serve me! Or good bye bad energy that was just lingering! Or good bye…. You get the idea.Short hair don’t care. Thanks boo. Long hair was so fun. But I think I might keep short for awhile.More polished.
If you’re thinking about cutting your hair just do it!!
The Bible shares with us that each of us are salves in this world. We are either a slave to sin or a slave to Christ. Either way, we are owned.
God granted us the choice in whom we will serve. We have been gifted a freedom to make mistakes, question authority, challenge ourselves, and find ourselves. In our freedom we begin to understand humility and love. We learn, grow, and teach (intentionally or unintentionally).
In choosing God, it is also mentioned that the path of Christ is not an untroubled one. Many tribulations will follow each us in our lives. However there is a degree of peace, patience, and assurance when strengthening your faith and choosing to be a slave of righteousness.
It’s a difficult web to be caught in. And we are all in it.
We need help each day to choose God over the traits of this world. Some days we have slips and will continue to have slips. But we must not shame ourselves, we must give ourselves grace and others daily. We must exhort ourselves, challenge others, and be brave to do what others may not be able to.
To seek God is to have the fog lifted in your life.
Fog can keep us stagnant because we are unaware or afraid. Since we can’t see beyond it, we decide to remain stationary because we only trust what we can see.
To have the courage and hope to seek something greater is to discover what’s beyond the fog. It’s to surrender to the unknown.
And it’s the discovery that there is indeed more than what meets the eye.
The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!”
Psalm 84: 11-12
Do you ever think about what would happen if the sun were to just disappear, vanish, be gone!
Have you ever asked yourself what really does the sun provide to us? What’s it’s purpose and how do we, and life benefit from it?
Well, one thing for certain without the sun we wouldn’t even be able to exist and earth would completely freeze over if the sun were to disappear. Life would very well come to an end.
The sun is essential to life. Nature knows that but do we? How many of us take our sun for granted and rarely acknowledge it’s importance.
The sun is earths guardian and giver. The same way the Lord, God, is ours.
To trust in our Lord is to trust in God, and those who seek God know that he is essential. He is the provider and giver of our lives. He remains very present and so many of us take our God for granted and do not know of His importance.
May we continue to reach for God the way nature reaches for the sun.
An example of nature reaching for the sun is take a plant inside your home and you will notice that it will always lean and grow towards where the sun is shining. Even if you turn the plant, it will change direction and always follow the sun.
The next time you go outside with the sun shining bright take a moment of gratitude and be reminded that we have our own sun providing, protecting, and giving us life. To each and every one of us.
I’m going to create a category called “dear readers” where I can be transparent and raw with my feelings and experiences for a moment. A way to release all that does not serve me in a positive way. I would like to reveal a vulnerable side of myself to better connect with all that follow this blog.
But as well, I would like to write these to share with my children one day.
I’ve reached a point where I desperately need to express and empty in writing all these unresolved emotions and “traumas” that I have been carrying for many years. I do not wish to past these to my children. But I hope to gain solutions and euphonies to help them when they face these obstacles one day.
I’m not really into your typical therapy. Talking about it can only do so much for me. Writing and reading are my therapy. I have to write it all down. I have think about it. I have to soak myself in emotion and words and allow myself to shiver.
It’s a puzzle that I know only I can truly solve.
Since childhood writing has always been a therapeutic tool for me. A way to strip the emotional pain or negative emotions from myself.
It’s always been a processing tactic for me. The only thing was, I would write it all down and then just completely ignore what I wrote. Well I’m older now and instead of ignoring the problems after I write I’m digging deeper for discoveries to better myself.
Writing was the release…..but as my love for reading has grown I also know how reading others writings can encourage and help others. Which is why I decide to share and write what I do on this blog.
My mom was in an abusive relationship during a good chunk of my childhood. Lots of screaming and crying behind closed doors. And I would hear her get thrown around often behind those closed doors. I know they didn’t want to fight in front of us, but our ears provided plenty of visuals.
This could be where my love for writing stemmed from honestly. I would write as they would be fighting. Expressing my hate for my stepdad. I would write prayers for help. It was all so sad really. The most vivid memories of this are from ages 9, maybe 8 to 14.
I know it was sad because there was a moment where I sat down (I’m thinking early 20s) and read those old childhood journals and it disturbed me so much that I didn’t want to remember any of those memories ever again. So I destroyed those journals.
But just because the words are destroyed doesn’t mean the actual memories are erased. My body still remembers.
Being much older now and developing a more sense of self I regret destroying those time capsules. Because now I’m really trying to heal myself to be a better mother to my children and those journals were like a cheat sheet to healing.
And now it’s like playing a guessing game. Something will trigger me and I’m sitting there left and confused, pondering it all day.
Truth be told I thought I was completely fine and “happy”. It wasn’t until I had children that all my repressed emotions began to expose themselves like weeds during a rainy season.
There’s a great part of me that sometimes feels overwhelmed, like now for example. Where I have to sit in a puddle of feels and just think about it.
It’s like, thinking you aced a test and then getting your test back and seeing that you failed. Sometimes I feel/think like “I’m healed, I’m good. I’m past it all.” I think that I can officially move forward and then I’ll have a humbling moment (usually provided to me by my kids) and I’m left dumbfounded. I’ve been shown that my emotions from my past are still greatly controlling me. That the work is definitely not complete.
It’s extremely frustrating. Parenting. Having “screw up” moments is really hard. Putting your tail between your legs in front of your children is super hard.
You want to be the best mother for your children however life shows you that you’re still a child yourself and that you’ve got lots of growing to still do.
Anyways, today I share and tell and I’m looking forward to sharing more.
12 slices of Turkey deli meat (I used Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin)
12 slices of salami or 24 pieces of snack sized salami (2 snack size on each slider if you use those)
12 slices of mozzarella cheese or a few handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese
For The Butter Spread
1/4 cup of unsalted butter melted
1/2 – 1 teaspoon of raw honey
A dash of garlic powder
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly butter a 9×13 glass dish.
2. Place the bottoms of the rolls into the glass dish and layer with 1/2 of the jarred pesto, turkey meat, salami, and cheese. Spread the remaining pesto on the bottoms of the tops of the sweet rolls. Press down rolls to secure.
3. Brush the rolls evenly with the melted honey butter leaving just a little to spare for when the rolls are done.
4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 375 for 10 mins. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are golden.
5. Brush rolls once more lightly with the butter and enjoy!
Encouragement is defined as, “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.”
Encouraging another human being doesn’t cost a thing but it gives them more than anything. It can be life changing for some!
A small act of encouragement pushes people, gives them strength, reassures them, gives them something to hold onto and maybe even fight for…..especially during challenging and sorrowful times.
Even a smile is an act of encouragement.
Don’t fall into the common trap of belittling yourself and your capabilities. You are power.
You can save lives and you DO save lives. You may not know exactly how, but does that really matter? You influence others more than you know. That’s something to think about.
Who knows what doors you have opened for others.
Know in your heart you make a difference. Pass on the love, pass on the encouragement, pass on the hope. The world needs it.
“…for all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Luke 18:14
Let’s define a few of these words so we can better understand this scripture and message.
The definition of the word humble is having or showing a modest or low estimate of one’s own importance.
The definition of the word exalt is hold (someone or something) in very high regard; think or speak very highly of.
If you reread the scripture with those definitions you could say it says that whoever thinks very high of themselves will be brought to their knees and a person who lives a humble life will come out on top. Possibly a more fulfilling, peaceful life.
This scripture instructs us to not look down on others. We are instructed to remain humble at all times. And if we fail to do so God will definitely interrupt and remind us of our place. We will be reminded that we know very little to what we think we may know.
Erase the mentality that you are more deserving than another person. Truth be told, we don’t know what others do in secret. One person may share their charity work publicly while another chooses to remain anonymous.
Erase the thoughts of it will never happen to me or assuming you have more time than another. No one is more righteous than another. We are all sinners and we are all broken in search of repairing and rescuing.
Many walk this life living unconsciously. Unaware that the past still has control over their wheel. They are stuck in their conditioning and haven’t gained the courage or knowledge to break the cycle. We are in constant need of God’s grace to revive us.
We must be patient and again humble ourselves. Change can be extremely difficult for many. And we are not judge those. Some do not change their lifestyles because it’s what they know. They are comfortable, and they feel safe even when their environment is questionable to another. They don’t know any different.
When Jesus was on the cross, during his death, he remained humble. He didn’t say anything cruel nor did he exalt himself. He said, “forgive them Father, for they do not know.”
Recognize how fragile life truly is and offer compassion and offer it fully to everyone. There was a time when you didn’t know. Just as children don’t know many things. With time they begin to understand.
But God calls us at different times. And when we are called we are to be examples.
Pray to God to correct you when you are exalting yourself, pray to be humbled and pray to be humbled often.
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Oh my goodness where to begin!
This was an incredible/magical bachelorette! We left on a Thursday morning and arrived back on a Sunday evening. A total of 4 days.
(Some of us have kids so this was a real treat! Can you imagine!)
5 of us girls piled into an SUV driven by the brides amazing parents and we were off! One of us was smart and flew. We met up with her when we arrived in Cali. So, it was a total of six of us including the bride!
Once we arrived to our air bnb that our bride arranged in which we all chipped in we were out as fast as we were in. The maid of honor (the brides sister) and her parents stayed back to create the bachelorette vibe and they new the assignment!
While we anxiously waited for the air bnb to be transformed to bachelorette shenanigans we stopped at a dive bar that smelled like weed and had non stop murder stories on the TV lol, I’m not even kidding! Definitely unforgettable. Beer and a few shots and it was time to get the party started.
Once we received permission to head back to the air bnb we came back to a party waiting for us! There’s pictures below!
The first night we headed to dinner for cocktails, sushi, chow mein, and teriyaki chicken. We ordered so much food lol. We were also so hungry!
After dinner we headed back to the air bnb, got into our matching pj’s and began some games followed by tons of laughter and spontaneous dance moves. It was a blast!
Here was our full itinerary that was created by the party planning maid of honor!
Weekend Events
Thursday:
Once we arrived to a decked out Airbnb we each had a customized welcome bag waiting for us filled with all sorts of goodies! Matching pj’s, a hangover kit, a personalized shot glass, a bridesmaid sash, and champagne to just name a few!
We had a late diner and our server had such a familiar face, you had to be there.
But check us out! A Bunch of beauties!
At The Restaurant in the bathroom lolWe all wore black while our beauty queen wore white!At the air bnb 🙂 right before we left.Our beautiful bride! Xoxo Lemon Drop Martini, personally my fav!
Once we finished dinner we headed back to get into our jammies and play some games! Spoons and kings cup were just a few!
Bride Squad!
Friday:
We enjoyed a nice breakfast where we wore black leggings and a pink ‘bride squad’ shirt with rose gold Mickey ears while our beautiful bride wore black leggings, a white bride shirt and Disney Bride Mickey Mouse ears. Our first day was spent at Disney California Adventures and we had such a great time! How cute do we look! The maid of honor planned our adorable outfits!
We lost count how many times someone told our bride “congratulations!” A lot of people loved this look!Oh, we also had matching heart shaped sunglasses!!
Saturday:
The maid of honor surprised us with Minnie Mimosas and pastries in the morning. After breakfast we got some coffee at coffee bean and headed to the most magical place on earth! Disneyland! The bridesmaids wore ripped jeans, a black top, matching sashes, and red and black Minnie Mouse ears. While our gorgeous bride wore jeans, a white bride shirt and her bride to be Disney ears.
The photographer took some really cute pictures! Another photographer at Disneyland even grabbed her hand and took us to take some magical pictures in front of the castle! Just for us!
Kisses for the bride to be. Mwah!Note to self: if you throw up your ring finger Disney will think it’s your middle finger and blur it!
There you have it! The amazing Disney bachelorette party in a nutshell!
However there was so much more that happened and so many inside jokes that were born lol.
It was an unforgettable trip with the best girl gang! Check out some more pics!
More Pictures From The Bachelorette! Check it out!
A backdrop where we took lots of pictures and dance videos!The brides room with a giant inflatable diamond ring.The maid of honor gifted us each a “Bach Bucket” full of goodies!We also each received a customized bag full of MORE goodies! Matching pajamas, an itinerary, a hangover kit, and more! We were spoiled! Disney cake pops were also waiting for us! They were so yummy!Our surprise breakfast put together by the maid of honor with help from the brides parents. (Coolest parents ever right!)Mimosa ready with customized name tags!The cutest, I know.Would recommend a Polaroid camera! Most definitely!There’s our itinerary that the maid of honor made for us!Definitely wifey of the party! All about those little details!
Pictures To Take At Disney And MUST HAVES For The Bride
Look at that ring! Just stunning! The Disney photographer is who suggested this pose! And we love it!They wouldn’t let her hold the balloons but the pics still came out so cute!Others saw her doing taking these pictures and then they wanted to do the same! So fun right and so beautiful!It’s those little details! Our Bride even had the cutest wedding themed Disney backpack!A princess about to marry her prince. *sigh* who doesn’t love LOVE!
Welp! There you have it!! 🙂 If you’re having a bachelorette in Disneyland or planning one, good luck and have tons of fun! You won’t regret it!
When your child is just learning how to stand or learning how to walk you are either holding them, or standing very close by.
In case your child falls you want to be there to catch them, versus them falling down and hurting themselves.
Nobody wants to see their child hurt or in pain, so we stand very close.
In this walk of life, we are the child and God is our heavenly parent.
But like most children we are very stubborn. We believe we can do things on our own, better yet, WE WANT to do things on our own. Like we need to prove something.
The thing with this mentality is we end up falling many times in life and learn many things the hard way, and it hurts. It hurts really bad. And God is just there waiting, patiently, to help us when we are ready to ask for it.
It’s not that he hasn’t tried to help us, we have pushed Him away saying, “I can do it myself, I don’t need you.” So he watches us fall and thinks to himself, please let me help you.
He knows learning how to walk is challenging and He knows the walk of life can’t be done without the help of Him.
Actually, it’s not that it can’t be done, it can. God just doesn’t want it to be a hard walk of life. He gives us an opportunity to try on our own but he stands by waiting for the permission to help us.
He wants to catch us on those falls because he knows if we keep falling we will be become discouraged and won’t try anymore.
Nobody wants to crawl forever. We want to walk and RUN. When we allow God to catch us we will begin to take more risks, we will be confident, and we won’t be afraid.
When my children were small they would crawl to the edge of the bed only because they knew I would catch them. Imagine if they could talk at that age and say things like, “alright mom, stop, I want to crawl all over the bed myself without you hovering me.” But my children let me be there for them just in case. They felt safe. And they actually enjoyed me catching me.
If you don’t want to let God catch you when you fall that is ultimately your choice, however if you surrender and just let Him help you….your life will change in the most incredible way because you will know that you can do anything.
You can crawl to the edge of the bed with no fear, always.
baking instructions: bake at 500 degrees in a 9×13 glass dish for 10 to 12 mins or until edges are crisp.
What You Need:
1 pack of active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 tablespoons of olive oil plus more for coating
3 3/4 cups of flour plus more for dusting
1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Steps:
1. Whisk together 1 1/3 cup of warm water (you don’t want the water hot, it will kill the yeast) and the sugar. Then mix in the yeast and allow to sit for 10 mins until mixture is a little foamy and bubbly. Once the ten minutes are up add the tablespoons of olive oil.
2. In another large bowl mix together the flour and salt. Creat a well in the middle and add the water and yeast mixture. Knead dough for a minimum of 5 minutes adding more flour if necessary until dough is smooth and stretchy.
3. Divide dough in half creating 2 dough balls. Brush each dough ball with olive oil, placing each piece of dough in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for an hour and a half.
4. Once dough is done rising freeze one and prepare the other. Rub olive oil all over a 9 x 13 glass dish. Arrange your dough in the glass dish leaving some space in the corners to spread. Add your sauce, seasonings, and toppings.
5. Bake at 500 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until nice and crispy on the edges. Remove pizza from glass dish and place on a charcuterie cutting board and serve while hot.
The Wild Gems 