SINGLE is as SINGLE does.....

LOVE this!

So, you're single and many of your classmates, friends, family members, church members, etc. are happily in love and have just gotten engaged, planning a fabulous wedding, and/or are getting ready to have their wedding really soon. You hear the love stories, see them holding hands and making goo goo ga ga eyes at one another, view the engagement pictures and wedding website, and you even get the beautiful invitation in the mail. And then to top it off, you are put to sleep either by an "I love him/her so much" conversation or a romantic movie on t.v. only to remind you of just how single you are.....bummer right? WRONG!

I don't know about anyone else, but my SINGLENESS is a BLESSING! Yes, I too want to go out on dates with a male companion and enjoy the company of him topped off with great conversation, food, fun, etc., but that does not mean I'm going to settle for just no any Tom, Dick, nor Harry either. Ladies and gentlemen, if you are single, you must make the best out of it and do everything you want to do NOW. Single is as single does. If you look at being single as a curse and therefore do things out of the will of God, then you'll 9 times out of 10 do things to PUT a curse on your current singleness and/or future marriage as well. When we do things in he will of God and stay in his presence, constantly seeking HIS face for the purpose on our lives, then he will show us exactly what we should be doing, when we should be doing it, and how we should do it. He will even show us who is for and against us, including our future mates.

So when you hear of the blessings others are getting concerning marriage, sincerely REJOICE WITH THEM because it God did it for them, he'll surely do it for you! But here's the catch....he's only going to do it on HIS time. I don't want anything prematurely, including my blessings from God, so I'll continue to wait. No matter how lonely I may get, how much I long for "his" company and attention, and no matter how long it takes, I ONLY want what God desires me to have and nothing less.

One day soon, it will MY time and MY turn. Hallelujah!!!!! Some blessed man will be happy to receive me because he will obtain favor with the Lord. I'm believing & trusting God to do just that.

I recently viewed a Youtube video where Pastor Todd Hall was preaching on the Annointing. In his message, he said....."GOD IS TAKING HIS TIME GIVING US WHAT WE WANT BECAUSE HE'S DOING IT FROM SCRATCH"! He then went on to say, "WHEN GOD DOESN'T RUSH TO BLESS YOU, ITS BECAUSE HE'S TAKING HIS TIME TO ENSURE YOU DON'T GET WHAT'S IN THE BOX LIKE EVERYONE ELSE"! Guys, I almost had a praise fit in the middle of my living room, lol! That was so profound and only encouraged me to be grateful even the more for where I currently am. I know that Jesus loves me soooooo much that he won't allow just no anybody to take me as his wife because I'm too special and precious to be handled any other way than God's way. So to prevent a life of hurt, pain, saddness, etc., he's taking his time molding & shaping MY future HUSBAND just for me! And I'm glad about it.....*praise dances*, lol! CAN I GET A WITNESSSSS????????? :-)

So in my singleness, I've learned to go ahead an accomplish some goals and make a living for myself BEFORE I make that commitment to be joined together with a man for the rest of my life. I am currently in my 6xth class of my Doctoral program, have just re-opened my business, and working in ministry---allowing God to lead me and guide me every step of the way. I'm still learning what makes me happy and what I like, all the while trying to get my finances in order and learning what God desires a "WIFE" to be. Men, you must continue to seek God's face on where to find your wife and when to go out looking for your "good thang", lol, and ladies, we must continue to work diligently in the field, occupying our time with things of God including ministry, our education, etc. to prepare ourselves to be found!

Single is as single does. If you look at it in a bad way, then it will be a bad thing for you. If you look at being single in a good way, then it will be good to you. Use this time wisely and praise God that you still have time to be a little selfish :-) (Well at least I know I am anyway, lol!) In the mean time, I'll just continue being the FABULOUS me that God has designed me to be :-)

One day it WILL be my time, and my turn!

Glitter & Sparkles....OH MY!

And the quest to have pretty nails continues, lol! I have really enjoyed doing my own nails lately. Having chipped nail polish on the hands or toes are complete NO NOs in my book! I remember being shoulder to shoulder with a famous female gospel artist (that shall remain anonymous, lol!) in Waffle House one night, and while I was so amazed that I actually saw her, I was disappointed to look down at her nails to see that they were chipped...lol. She must have been doing some MEAN singing to the point her polish came off, lol, but that was a turn-off for me. I know it may sound crazy, but its the truth....so much so that if my nails are heavily chipped,  I will not be caught out with them looking like that unless it was an emergency! Haha. Anywho, these are pictures of my latest & current nail designs. Not much to gock over, however I thought they were really pretty. They have managed to hold up for a week now, but I'm in the mood to do them again maybe later today. I used a pastel blue, pastel lavender, and a purple glitter on the top. 

CHECK OUT ALL OF MY NAIL POSTS HERE! Enjoy!

I loved them!

They were so glittery & sparkly.....lol.

A better look :-)

Didn't you know I was FABULOUS?

Didn't you know I was fabulous just like you?

Hmmm...obviously you don't because you're too busy stepping on me with your shoe.

If you knew I was fabulous just like you, then you wouldn't have time to hate me as you do!

But because you can't love me, your sister in Christ, just as God requires you to,

you'd rather be jealous of the things I accomplish, that you very well could too!

You're too fabulous to dislike anyone and be un supportive sister because its not a good look.

Don't you know that God favors you more when your motives are sincere, as he teaches in the Good Book?

Take a deep breath and look deeply inside yourself.

Is it because you're unhappy and lack spiritual wealth?

Or maybe its because you're angry because you don't have love for self?

You're too fabulous to be anything less than great, but once again you'd rather take out time to hate.

Don't you know you're better than that, a jewel all around? 

Its a shame you can't shine as brightly as you could and let your awesome self be unfound.

But I'm convinced you don't know that I'm fabulous now.

Because if you did you'd be happy for me because you know there is more to go around.

You don't have to be the way you are. All you have to do is look up and realize that you too are a star.

You're too fabulous not to even recognize another of the same shine. Its a crime and a shame that we can't both but our two nickels together and be a dime.

But I'll be praying for you in hopes that God shows you the error of your ways, because without him in your life, you'll forever be dimmed down all of your days.

I know you're fabulous and want you to see it to, but for now I can't like you but only love you as God instructs me to.

~Signed,

FABULOUS

(A poem written in 20 minutes by: Shenina Brown)
LOL! It was on me guys, lol! God is good!

We are ALL FABULOUS, ladies!

CONFESSION: There's a STRANGER in my house!

Do you feel as if you have lost yourself? Have you ever done so many things, for so long and then one day it HIT you that you weren't "yourself" any longer? Have you forgotten who & whose your were? Are you just alive & camping out in a house (physical body) at which you don't recognize anymore? 

If you can truthfully answer YES to any of those questions, then there is a strong possibility that you are now a stranger to yourself, and maybe even others. That has been on my mind for the past few days and if I can be real about it, I feel as if I've let myself go ALOT. I don't necessarily  know if I feel this way because I'm changing & growing or because I simply have not cared for myself wholeheartedly as I should over the past few years. Physically, I've gained weight, have not taken complete & total pride in my appearance, have gotten lazier now that I ever have been, am eating whatever I want, whenever I choose to, am not exercising, and more which are all affecting my self confidence. I know we have all been there and done that at least one point in our lives, but I'm not satisfied with myself for that. Mentally & spiritually, I haven't been reading God's word as I should and communicating with him through prayer, I haven't been fasting, praising him, and obeying as I should, and I haven't wholeheartedly been feeding my spirit with things of substance that will help to elevate me further in life as I should either. Financially & emotionally, I haven't been saving as I should, preparing for my future as I should, and have not come to grips with alot of things as well. 

I have taken a goooood look at myself over the past few months and I see that I DO love me, but have fallen out of love WITH me. Sure, I can still encourage, uplift, and inspire others to be their best selves, but when it comes to me, I put myself last. Some would say that I don't "appear" to be the aforementioned things I spoke of, but the truth is, I feel as if I'm a stranger to myself sometimes and that I don't know who "Shenina" is some days. My faith has decreased and my passion for making God #1 in my life is not as strong as it used to be either. I have become more to myself and some of the joy that once flooded my soul is now gone. Now don't get me wrong, I will forever love God & be grateful for who he has created me to be, but I'm not 100% completely happy with myself right now. But giving up & giving in is NOT an option for me and I will continue to push past what "I" feel & further motivate and empower others along the way. Even in the midst of all of that, I can still honestly say that God is good though. I am grateful and so proud of myself that I'm able to let people in on how I am feeling. There is no shame in my game because too many of us are keeping hush hush about what is REALLY going on in our lives.

When you know that you aren't your loving, caring, happy, & joyful self anymore, then it comes time that you do a self-check and see what went wrong. I know I have to get back on it because being in the state that I am currently in now does not feel good. I'm alert and well and very aware of what's going on, but its just that I've kinda lost myself in the process of trying to do & be all God has called me to be and do. The bright side of things is the fact that I can openly admit this, and as stated before in many posts, my goal is to be TRANSPARENT, no sugar coating.

That's why we must never judge people based off of their outer covers. Some of the most beautiful, inspirational, and successful people are dying in the inside! So much so that they are taking their own lives prematurely, and that is surely not of God. I know he has bigger plans for me and in order for me to progress to the next level, I need to learn who I am over again.....and guess what, there is NOTHING wrong with that! I actually feel much better that I have said it and recognize it. God has not forgotten about you and he loves us so much. We just have to know who we are and whose we are daily to fight off the enemy. The devil thinks he may have won, but he has another thing coming, lol! I don't want to be a stranger to myself any longer, so I praise God right now who gives me strength from day to day knowing that it is already worked out in my favor! Have your way Lord & make us really, REAL!

Have you ever or do you currently feel this way? What did you do or what are you doing to overcome it? Over the course of the next few weeks/months, I will be finding ways to get myself back to where I used to be physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and financially and will document my journey.

Just getting to know the woman you see today all over again :-)

Don't let THAT worry you boo boo!!!

LOL!!!!! I was trying to come up with the perfect title for this here' post and this was the first thing that came to mind. So many times in life, we pass up great opportunities for silence, we pass up opportunities to smile, and we pass up opportunities to just be STRESS FREE because we worry too much about the "little" things & the "little" people, respectfully. Little things such as, what you're going to wear two months from now, how you're going to sound when talking, how this & that will turn out....etc. are things we should not be totally concerned about. You don't even know if you're going to be living in 10 minutes (not trying to scare anyone, but its the truth), you don't know how your presentation will turn out because you haven't done it yet, and you don't know how this or that will be because you haven't even accomplished taking the first step yet.....so WHY are you wasting time worrying about it? Why on earth are you worried about what the "little" people who belittle, talk about, hate you, etc. have to say or think about you? If they aren't helping you to progress & advance in life yet have everything to say about what you're doing, then they need NOT be in your life in the first place. 

There is so much more to life than what people think about you. So instead, trust God to see you through the things that you don't see right away. That 5 minutes you took worrying could have been 5 minutes you could have praised God for what he's about to do! Its just that simple. Letting things & people get under your skin & take up much of your thoughts is not good for your health ladies and gents. You can't do anything about what's going to happen tomorrow or what people say about you, but you CAN do everything about how you respond to it all. I encourage you to let it all go and take things one day at a time. Worrying causes added stress, weight, headaches, and more upon you, so don't let those things you have no control over take over your life! Look outside.....Its BEAUTIFUL! Go take a walk around the block & clear your mind. You have a wonderful life that God has afforded you to live, so don't waste any more valuable time concentrating on mere nothingness. Put your "I'm not about to let that worry me" face on & have a STRESS-FREE weekend, boo boo....lol! :-)

Here's mine........lol!

Instead of worrying, have ICE CREAM.....lol! Pralines & Cream with waffle cone pieces to be exact :-)

Workin' my J E L L Y!!!!!

What a blog post title ey'? Though I like the kind of jelly in the picture, that's not what I've been workin' lately though.....Lol! But I have been jigglin' it though in a good kind of way....(and no I don't mean giving myself away either...lol). 2012 has been very emotional for me so far. I shared on facebook the other day that I have experienced just about every emotion possible but the tears that I've shed have definitely not been in vain. Also, I've been thinking about exactly what I want to do & where I would like to be in my life. I am good at sooo many things that its hard for me to choose just one thing to do that I love. I've always been told that if you do what you love everyday then it won't be considered as "work", and that's exactly where I want to be in my life. Right now, I'm still exploring what I'm good at but I truly think I have found my calling. If I could go back & change the major of my Bachelor's & Master's degrees then I surely would, but my Ph.D will be in exactly what I believe I've been called to do and that is in Counseling.

God peanut butter & bread anyone? Lol! *joking*

So, in "workin' my jelly" I started The SHE |in| ME (Encouragement for Women) page on facebook at which I shared in a few earlier posts, I am still creating invitations, decorating for parties, etc,, still pursing my doctoral degree, and my business, Love, Nina Natural Body Butters is still in session! Oh yeah, not to mention that I'm still active in ministry & doing it all by the GRACE of God....Whew...*wipes forehead*. So I've been a busy bee lately, but I am grateful for it all because I want to better myself & provide a better life for my future family. I plan to do at least one more thing before the year is over, Lord's will, and I wholeheartedly think this will be the answer to all of my frustrations and annoyances with my career choices. I bless God for the opportunity to do alot of what I love and I know he isn't through with me yet.

So I ask you, how are you workin' YOUR jelly? What are you good at? Have you been using your skills & talents to help you bring in extra income? I encourage you to dig deep & step out on faith with some things. Yes, fear has gotten the best of all of us, but you will never know what you're capable of doing if you never try. Its time to work our jelly ladies & gents! We are too great not too. Don't worry about what others will say or think and please don't worry about not having this or that because God WILL supply ALL of your needs. Of course before doing anything, make sure you consult with him first. If he gives you the green light, then GO FOR IT! Its time to work with what God blessed ya' mama to give ya', lol! Time waits on no one.....WORK YOUR JELLY & put those talents, skills, & gifts to good use!

Just doing me.....beautifully! Pigtails & all, lol!

Late night/early morning thoughts....

Well, its going on 3 a.m. and I'm up again "thinking". I truly thank God for the connections that I have made on Facebook alone because some of them have truly helped me get over some humps along the way. Now on to my thoughts....lol.

What do you do when God continuously shows you that a particular person is not for you, yet & still you try to be a friend to them? I know it may sound as if I can truly answer that question myself, at which I can, but I'd love feedback on it. Friends support one another through the thick and the thin. I'm almost 30 years old and I can count on ONE hand how many people I call my "friend". I barely like to use the word because I haven't had good experiences with people who I thought were my friends because they truly let me down. I know in order to make friends, one must first show themselves friendly. Truthfully speaking, I have not been the best of the best friend to some people either. I have my faults and flaws as well, and I'll admit that, but one thing that remains factual is that I will do my best to be the support & encouragement that they need. Since I've grown older and have now gotten a sense of who I am and what I like to do, I've found out that I communicate better through the computer, just as some do via text or maybe even in person. When I don't feel like being bothered, I just don't feel like being bothered. No harsh feelings, its just that I enjoy having my "space". Even with that, I know it doesn't qualify me to be in the "dog house" for being a bad friend.

I'm not even sure that I can call those who are still in my space a friend. Some are just really awesome associates. Because of my past experiences, I have my guard up and vowed to myself that I would never allow anyone to get close & then hurt me like some people have previously done. It wasn't until recently that I started allowing people in my life because I know that God wouldn't want me to be lonely, friendship wise & relationship wise. Friends.....how many of us have them? Friends.....ones we can depend on? Lol! I just pray that God continues to show me those who are indeed for & against me. Lord, I know I'm not perfect and if I'm not supposed to be in someone's life or even if I'm a hindrance, I ask that you remove ME from the equation so that they can live happily on. I don't need that extra stress and drama, that's why I keep to myself and stay in my own lane. One thing I know for sure is that God will never leave his children in the dark. Listen to those gut feelings. He has been telling me things all along & even showing me signs, but its "me" who is being hardheaded. I just want to make the right decision concerning breaking off ties with this friend. Lord, I need you....work on me.

Mini haul: Nail polish & Vo5 Conditioner

So, I've gotten back on the nail polish bandwagon & recently purchase a few beautiful colors that I will be SURE to rock this spring & summer. Also, because I've fallen back in love with my hair, I'm going to do more co-washing so I decided to pick up a few Vo5 conditioners to do just that. They are great, "cheap" conditioners to provide the extra moisture & slip (detangling) that your hair needs whether natural or relaxed. Check out my new polishes & my latest nail design. I plan to do my nails again in maybe nude for Easter. I can't wait, lol! :-)

I purchased everything from Dollar Tree- the devil! Lol!!!!!

Aren't they beautiful? Can't wait to try these bad boys out!

Aren't these gorg? My mom purchased these for me from the Beauty Supply store! SO FAB!

My latest nail design :-)

I love them! I also gave myself a wonderful pedicure & painted my toenails in that powder blue color! BEAUTIFUL I SAY, lol!

The reasons I *SMILE*

You see, there is PURPOSE behind my smile. You see me smiling most of the time, encouraging others as I encourage myself, and building those who have been torn down, but what many don't know is that my smile carries a bit of pain, happiness, joy, depression, and more. At one point and time in my life, I didn't like who I had become. I didn't really care about myself that much and I allowed people to do & say as they pleased, putting myself on the back burner. I used to try to be people that I wasn't and didn't know my identity. I've always been a nice, kind, caring, & compassionate person, but I've dibbled and dabbled in mess as well. I've talked about people, lied on people & myself, and have gossiped.....yes "I" did. I have engaged in sexual intercourse before marriage & I have allowed myself to live below my worth. But the beautiful part behind all of the things I "did" is that they are in the PAST. The past is behind me, therefore I will not turn back nor will I allow it to define who I am now or where I'm headed. That's why we must never judge a book only by its cover. I thank the Lord that I'm able to genuinely & sincerely SMILE now even in the midst of the storm because he's yet growing me up into a big girl.

So you see, many people can't be honest with themselves & others. I've done the majority of my sinning AFTER getting saved & being washed in the Blood of the Lamb. The more you go through in life, the stronger you should become. I've had some good days & bad days..... but through it all, I'm still able to SMILE!

I smile because I've been forgiven!
I smile because my past doesn't determine my future!
I smile because I'm a new person!
I smile because I embrace my failures, faults, & flaws!
I smile because I'm free!
I smile because I've been given another chance!
I smile because God is strengthening my character daily!
I smile because I'm making a difference in the lives of others!
I smile because no devil in hell can touch me!
I smile because I've decided to follow Jesus!
I smile because I'm yet learning from my mistakes!
I smile because I'm now able to embrace who I am!
I smile because I'm able to accept that things won't always be perfect!
I smile because it feels good to be honest & tell the truth!
I smile because I know that my purpose is BIGGER than my pain!
I smile because no weapon formed against me shall prosper!
I smile because my faith exceeds what I see!
I smile because my family is still here!
I smile because God is yet working on me!
I smile because the Lord has been too good to me!
I smile because I know God has me covered!
I smile because man can't break nor shake me!
I smile because even though things may not go as planned, God still has purpose for me!
I smile because being talked about, misunderstood, criticized, & lied on has made me STRONGER!
I smile because I'm able to accept things for what they are!
I smile because peace is my best friend!
I smile because God is yet working it all out for my good!
I smile because I know it isn't over!
I smile because God has more in store!
I smile because God saved me from the hands of the enemy!
I smile because the joy of the Lord reigns supreme!
I smile because I'm able to love those who hate me!
I smile because for the first time in my life, I can tell the truth & be honest with my feelings!
I smile because God loves me regardless of what I've done!
I smile because the Lord continues to have his hands on me!
I smile because I'm able to trust him in the good & the bad!
I smile because through it all, regardless of what others think, GOD HAS THE FINAL SAY!

I thank God for the woman I am yet maturing in to....and for that, I SMILE!