Can My Story Change?
I was recently listening to a secular therapist talking about some things she had learned after years of therapy with people. She said that all of us have a story that we tell ourselves and others. And that story becomes the narrative by which our life is shaped. The story can be something like…I’m not worthy, I didn’t have the right opportunities to succeed, my family didn’t have enough money, nothing works out for me…and so on and so forth. And in most of these stories people find themselves in a prison of their own making. They have become the
Gracious Hosts & Grateful Guests
Hosting and Hospitality may or may not be your thing! Some folks I know have perfected it down to a science while others of us continue to struggle in this area! 🙋🏽♀️ Whichever side of the spectrum you find yourself on- I believe there is ALWAYS something we can learn from one another! In this episode of Apples of Gold, we brought on two very special guests to discuss the art (aka- superpower) of being an AMAZING HOSTESS!! 💪🏾 Renee Thomas and Jeena Samuel are the “hostess with the mostest!” In this video, Renee and Jeena answer our questions and
Remember the Loaves
At the start of summer, I faced a trial. My heart was heavy, and I knew, THIS can only be overcome through prayer and fasting- so I did just that. I fasted, I prayed…and I saw a breakthrough! Woohoo!! Praise Jesus! But while the praise was still on my lips (I was literally mid praise dance), another trial came my way. And like a wave, my heart was heavy…again. That’s when I heard the Holy Spirit say, “Don’t forget about the loaves.” It’s what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:9,10. Jesus and His disciples had just crossed the
Help Wanted
Help Wanted. I saw one of those signs a few days ago. In fact, during the summer months, they are everywhere. Stores are packed to the brim with tourists and young children, and managers need a few extra hands to help make the sales happen. College students, looking for a way to make extra money for their courses or to pay rent, quickly take up the offer. "Need help?" It was the question posed on a flier at a local sandwich shop, offering help to people who were feeling depressed or anxious. A phone number at the bottom provided their
Water Slides
On our recent family vacation, we had the opportunity to go to a water park. I knew that the resort had this feature, but I hadn't been able to view any pictures of it on their website. I had very low expectations and was pleasantly surprised when we walked up and saw 4 huge water slides, a play area and the huge bucket of water that would fill up and then dump on you at random times. The kids were ecstatic and ran in without hesitation. I kicked off my flip flops and chased after them. The pool area was
I Could Be Wrong
Pastor Ryan Leak gave a convicting message at our church yesterday His text was from Acts chapter 10 and he was comparing and contrasting the Roman Centurion Cornelius and Peter. God asked Peter to meet with Cornelius, a God fearing Gentile, to share the gospel to his household and to fellowship with Gentiles. Peter, a strong and devout Jew, could not imagine himself eating what the Gentiles eat or spending time with anyone who was “unclean” according to Jewish laws. But God clearly spoke to him three times to drive the point home. And Peter, though reluctant at first, submitted
It’s not Rejection, It’s Redirection: What to do when you’re just NOT interested.
Real Questions, Honest Answers : Apples of Gold: the Cliff Notes Edition 🍎 {In case you haven’t had a chance to watch any of our Apples of Gold YouTube Sessions OR perhaps you just need a reminder of what we’ve discussed, welcome to Apples of Gold: the Cliff Notes Edition} ✨QUESTION #1 This one is for our single friends: What do you do if you get the vibe that someone is “interested” in you, but you are NOT interested in him?✨ Be mean or Ignore him and hope he gets the hint ❌ Move to another country and pray that
The Gift of the Holy Spirit
My first dream job as a pediatrician was at a small clinic. There were 3 other doctors who were well established there with a wealth of experience. Fresh out of training, I was grateful to start this journey under their wings. They taught me everything, from correctly identifying rashes to properly using medical records to showing me how to educate families. They threw me my first baby shower, gave me parenting advice, and demonstrated how to have work-life balance. I felt like their baby sister, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. About three years into this practice,
What Would We Call You?
Last week, we traveled down to Mexico with some of our friends. After a long day of traveling, we finally made it to our resort. We were starving and headed to the first restaurant on the property that we could find. The place that we chose was next to the pool and wide open. The only walls were around the kitchen and bar areas. The rest was completely exposed. As we sat to have our lunch, a stray cat wandered through the dining area. My daughter is obsessed with animals and immediately ran to pet it. I said "Sweetheart, the
Gratitude
Life can be undeniably difficult at times. No matter how good things are right now, inevitably hard times will come. This should be no surprise to us because Jesus told us this. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble…”(John 16:33a) Even though Jesus warned us about this ahead of time, it doesn’t make it any easier when you’re right in the middle of it. Is there anything I can do to change the circumstances that I find myself in? Maybe not. But I