The Joy Issue - June 2020

The Joy Issue

JUNE 2020

The Everyday Crown Rocker Exceptionally Good

Joy In The Morning

Be Glad & Rejoice

EDITORS NOTES. Some days I don’t feel like I have enough. Some days, I don’t think I am qualified to do what God has called me to do. There are many times when I look at myself and at my situation and think: “God, I can’t do this! There is no way I can do this!” Starting my online magazine, The Everyday Crown Rocker, I felt the same way. Even in writing this book, I objected and argued with God that I am not able. As in Jeremiah 1 v 4 - I argued with God that “I do not know how to speak.” Now if you have watched any of my Facebook lives or videos on YouTube, then you know that I am not mute and that I can speak. But I have often said to God, I cannot speak to your people, I cannot share the message you have given me. I don’t have a degree in Prayerology, who am I to write this book. Also like Jeremiah, I argued that I am too young.

Who will listen to me? Yes, I have been through a bunch, but am I healed enough, have I come far enough to speak on this? I don’t feel able. My feelings of inability rise within me and I pray, “God, I cannot do this.”

I have also prayed this prayer from the floor, telling God that I could not keep on living. I cried that I could no longer carry the crushing weight of my shame and circumstances. I cried out that I could not do it anymore. I wasn’t able to keep a smile on my face. I wasn’t able to keep my fridge stocked. When I was homeless, it was that I could not keep a roof over mine and my children’s heads. In college, it was that I could not study and pass my tests. When I was single, it was that I could not find a life mate. Before I had my boys, my cry was that I could not bear more children. Regardless of your station, your situation or your circumstances, you have times when you feel that you are not able.

However, God has an answer for us. Read Jeremiah 1 v 7-10. God tells Jeremiah, and us, he specializes in using ordinary people to do extraordinary things and that while we are not able; He empowers us.

Trust Him despite the fear God is the one that is sending you, therefore, obey all that He commands. He is the one that called you to parenthood, so trust Him despite your fears and insecurities. He is the one that called you into business, so trust him as your provider and provide, despite the challenges that come up - trust me... they will. If you know He called you to it, then stick with Him, and do as He commands. That requires praying about your inability and inadequacy and listen for His response to that. Listen for His truth and cling to that.

EDITORS NOTES Obey Him despite your inexperience This one hits home for me as an entrepreneur. In January 2020, I quit my 9-5 and started working my Crown Rocker Digital Publications business full time. I have NEVER been a fulltime entrepreneur. I have always worked a traditional 9-5 and worked my business on the side. Over 2019, it became increasingly clear and the stirring to go into full-time entrepreneurship became so great that I finally took the plunge. That has meant, though, that I have had to obey Him in this new territory. This is new and difficult for me. I have no experience with this, but despite that, He still calls me to obey. As I take one step, He illuminates the next, but in order for that to happen, it requires me to obey first. The same is true of parenting, even if you have experience being the mother of one. Being the mother of 2 is a new experience and requires a new level of obedience. Perhaps you are purchasing a new home. Your new experience as a homeowner, as opposed to a renter, will require obedience despite your inexperience. Or perhaps you are embarking on a new relationship, a new job or moving to a new state - all these require that you obey despite your inexperience with this new thing.

Proclaim His word even when you feel inadequate I believe this refers to telling others what God said as in Jeremiah’s case and speaking the word over our own lives. I am guilty of getting so overwhelmed by what I seemingly cannot do that sometimes; I take a minute before I remember to speak God’s truth over my life. I have to remind myself that my God is “able to [carry out His purpose] do superabundantly more than all that I dare ask or think [infinitely beyond my greatest prayers, hopes or dreams], according to His power at work within us” Ephesians 3 v 20 AMP and that “He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world” 1 John 4:4. I have to remember the promise in Deuteronomy 31 v 8 NIV, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

EDITORS NOTES CONT. See, prayers of inability point you towards the one that is able. While you may start with a list of all the things you are not able to do, God comes to you with His even longer list of the ways you are able, not because of you, but because of Him at work in you. See often when we look at our situations and pray, “God, I am not able” it is because you cannot do it in your own strength. You need His guidance and His power at work in you. He is the one that can do it all. What you can do is call on Him to do what only He can do. We get stuck when we look at our own human ability and forget that God can work supernaturally through us. So while we are not able He is!

An in that we find joy!

‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ - Numbers 6: 24-27 and "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13

Jasmine Tosseth-Smith Editor-In-Chief

Editor's Notes picture: Hair: @TwistItSistah Makeup: @Jah Woo Beauty Accessories: @Dainty Dazzle Adornments Photography: @WithUNMindPhotography Follow them on Facebook

It is no secret that what led me to start my health, wellness, journey was my desire to learn how to alleviate my hormone imbalances naturally. As a Holistic Nutrition Health Coach who specializes in hormonal and Gut Health, I am overjoyed when I am helping women. Because whenever I'm giving, I am giving back to myself. Maureen believes that fitness isn't about having the perfect body. The main objectives of the fitness programs she offers is to help her clients develop a high-quality, vigorous body and the ability to resist stress and strain.It's about being feeling strong and amazingly beautiful and having the inner strength and self - motivation to live life as the great adventure it is!Maureen Stephenson-Lewis, Certified Holistic Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Hormone and Gut Health Coach, ` Certified Fitness Specialist/Movement Coach/Lifestyle Enrichment. https://crawl-walk-run.squarespace.com

Dr. Terri Truesdale is a functional medicine chiropractor helping patients find the root cause of their chronic conditions and sources of their pain. She walks along side them through the recovery process. Terri has always had a vision to serve women of faith. But it has not been until just recently that it is manifesting. The patient population looks: strong but challenged in their faith because the enemy has used past trauma, wounds, and lies to negatively affect their health, leading to chronic issues that conventional medicine has not provided answers for. They are tired of not getting better and not even being believed. Or even not feeling worthy enough to get the help they need! Her personal experiences, struggles and frustration led her to victory over her illness and now she walks others through their own healing too. Connect with her on FB @ https://www.facebook.com/TerriTruesdaleDC

Autumn Hoover is a first-time Christian author and her book ‘Type A Christian’ is available on Amazon! Autumn has been a Christian since she was ten years old and has mastered her Type A personality for the last 30 years! It was only when when faced with specific trials in her life and was unable to rely on her Type A traits to succeed and persevere, that she realized her behaviors and characteristics did not encompass the fruit of the Spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. In fact, several of her Type A personality traits were actually the complete opposite of the fruit as granted by the Holy Spirit! Once Autumn understood which negative traits to prune, she was finally able to submit to the Holy Spirit who provided room for my fruitful growth.

Follow the Author:FB at https://m.facebook.com/TypeAChristian/Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/type_a_christian/Pinterest at https://www.pinterest.com/typeachristian/Author Page & Free Personality Quiz at https://www.chasingkites.com/authors/autumn-hoover/Type A Talks-To schedule Autumn for a speaking engagement, please email at TypeAChristian@gmail.com

In 2005, Christina was medically retired from law enforcement and chose to be retrained in website design. This began her grand adventure in doing business online. Christina is passionate about providing the platform and support for kingdom driven leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs, and those who desire to impact lives, advance the kingdom of heaven on earth and release heaven through the work that they do. Whether it is providing coaching, consulting or digital media publishing services or speaking and equipping through live and virtual events, the goal is the same - to support others in being Holy Spirit-led and partnering with God to do something absolutely AMAZING for humanity! Christina is all about partnering with God in business and life.

It's the key to an abundantly prosperous life.

Website: www.releaseheaven.comWebsite Facebook: www.list-that.comFacebook and www.facebook.com/byupublishingInstagram www.instagram.com/byupublishing

THE CONTRIBUTORS

Carol Griffiths is a Freedom Guide who uses her gifts of teaching, writing, faith, discernment, administration, and knowledge to guide people to experience healing, wholeness, and freedom in their lives. She is passionate about self-discovery, self-awareness, and living a purposeful life. From her own journey of discovering her Free to Be Me life, she has learned that knowing who she was created to be is a life changer. In her pursuit of purpose, she discovered her current role as a Freedom Guide, which incorporates what she is gifted for and passionate about - teaching, mentoring, counseling, and accountability. Carol enjoys working one-on-one with clients to help them discover their who, what, why, and how. Who they are. What they need and want. Why they need/want it. How to use what they already have to get what they desire. Additionally, through Carol's inspirational talks and interactive workshops, she advocates for persons to discover their purpose and live it unapologetically and passionately. Her dream is that every person on the plant knows that they are Free to Be the Me they were created to be.

I am Mompreneur of 6 (4 boys and 2 girls) in a “Bourg-Bunch” Blending family! With dear husband Fred (also an Entrepreneur/Consultant), I am Nanapreneur to 11 (as of May 2020). I spent the first third of my career pulling teams of medical technologists together to offer Medical professionals and patients the most efficient and complete care they could receive. I loved it! I spent the next third of my career as a Biblical Counselor/Licensed Professional Counselor and family therapist walking alongside and offering wise counsel from the Word to bereaved families and families in crisis, supervising LPC Interns, and speaking/teaching. I loved it! (I still Supervise LPC Interns, and have turned the rest of the Private Practice over to others! Loving life’s “transitions!”). I realized the minute I opened my Private Practice offices that “if you build it, they will come” is a fallacy! And I’m now blessedly devoting the next third of my career to helping other entrepreneurs build and grow to extraordinary levels of success worth CeLeBrAtInG! I love it – I eat, sleep and breathe it as President of the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs @ NACWE http://nacwe.org and Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com

Mike Davis also known as “The Emotional Success Coach”, is an author, speaker, corporate trainer and pastor. He has a doctorate degree in first century Christianity in It’s Jewish Context from the Centre for the Study of Biblical Research, Division of Graduate Studies.He has trained and coached individual clients and teams in Fortune 500 companies in live, face to face training as well as through virtual online events, across the United States, and around the world for the past 25 years.He is the author of 2 e-books “Sanctified Emotions” and “Tapping Into Your Emotional Success Power Now!” and the Amazon.com paperback bestseller “The Power of Emotional Success…Now!”As an Emotional Success Coach Mike’s goal is to help people make their emotions their ally rather than their enemy in the pursuit of their goals so that they can live the life of their dreams.He lives in Southern CA with his wife of 30 years, His 3 daughters, niece and 2 grandsons.

Brandon Galici is a Christian financial advisor whose focus is to help others take control of their finances and steward their resources to the best of their ability. Upon completion of his finance degree, Brandon spent six months in a training program designed to enhance his skills to better serve those he works with. He has since been building a practice where faith is an important part of nearly every client conversation.Whether you are living paycheck to paycheck or have mastered your money, his goal for you is to have the knowledge and information to take actionable steps to succeed in your personal finance journey. Through a Biblical lens, Brandon will guide you through simple strategies to give you the skills and confidence to manage your money God’s way.Find him on Facebook @Brandon J Galici

THE CONTRIBUTORS

Tamara Carroll, affectionately known as The Joy Queen, is a prophetic painter, joyful worshiper, and creativity coach. In the last few years the Lord has transitioned Tamara from a successful traditional business and Certified Life Coach to becoming a trained Healing Art Sozo teacher, Creativity Coach and Prophetic Painter, using her hands and fingers almost exclusively in painting.

Tamara teaches workshops on several subjects on how to connect to the heart of God through creativity. She delivers keynote presentations to groups of all sizes and her unique gift is to cocreate with the Holy Spirit, commissioned personal prophetic paintings and paint in worship at large conferences. In summer 2019 Tamara and her husband purchased a property near Yosemite where all that God has brought her to continues to grow and flourish.

Website: TamaraCarroll.com

Kelly Ramsey is the owner of Developing People, Inc. is an experienced presenter and workshop leader in the areas of early childhood education, parenting, relationship development and adult education. Her work in the field of early education has spanned local, state, regional and national leadership over the past 35 years

Kathryn (Kathy) Gifford, M. Ed. is a recent graduate of the University of West Alabama where she graduated May 7, 2020, with a Masters of Education degree in Design, Technology, and Learning. A life-long learner continuing to facilitate students of all ages with art, reading, writing, and technological literacy to become lifelong learners who acquire the highest level of education they desire. Kathy volunteers as a family crisis coach and has coached young women through crisis situations in finances, marriage, parenting, and pregnancy with the Women’s Resource Center of Athens, AL where she currently serves on the board of directors. Kathy was a Bilingual Parent Liaison and Assistant to the Director of Federal Programs for Athens City Schools in Athens, AL for two years. Before that, Kathy enjoyed 13 years in corporate America, downtown Dallas, TX as a Sales Support Specialist in Desktop Publishing with LexisNexis. Kathy lives in Harvest, AL with her husband of 20 years, Stephen, and three spoiled rotten dogs, Peanut, Rocky, and Milo. Get in Touch with Kathy: LinkedIn | Facebook |Instagram | TwitterDoodle Facilitator at Doodle All the Day-OHead Bug at 2020 Virtual Camp Doodle Bug Graduate Portfolio Website: www.kathygifford.solutions

Danika Deva is a Jesus loving, intentionally living, principality fighting, woman of God! She is the director of The H.O.P.E. Network which provides practical solutions to restore H.O.P.E. Since Danika Deva has a God-given PH.D. in “hard knocks” and “God rocks,” she delights in coaching kids and family to find HOPE and RESTORATION in the areas of Home, Outlook, Purpose, and Education.She has been an international educator and administrator (Pre-K--Collegiate) helping students and families connect and flourish realationionally and academically. She has also assisted kids from hard places find healing with helpful tools, a lot of love, and outrageous hope.As you can see, her heartbeat is to “Be Intentional” as a hope dealer who distributes simple, life-changing solutions through her international teaching, speaking, coaching, writing, music and prayer! She resides next to the Blueridge Mountains in Virginia, has four amazing adult kids, and loves sunrises and sunsets!

Website: www.TheHopeNetwork Hope@TheHopeNetwork.us FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/beintentional2day/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Danika+Deva&ref=nb_sb_noss_2 LaTara V Bussey is a certified master life coach, author, entrepreneurial mentor, storyteller, and vision keeper. She has been there; done that, and now writes books, helps people have healthy emotional conversations and speaks nationwide about a life not lived and the dangers it causes.After losing her business in 1997 and becoming homeless, LaTara went on an 11-year journey of depression, anger, bitterness, and un-forgiveness that taught her the value of soul prosperous living.In February 2008, at her heaviest weight of 360 lbs, amid an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually abusive relationship, with her kids in the next room, she tried to take her life. That was her rock bottom and the reason why today she believes in laughing, loving, and living each day to the fullest. She gets that life is not to be taken for granted and has learned that it is at the core of the woman, where the success she desires, exist.It is the mission of her brand to help people tend to their soul, get comfortable with their truth, and succeed in discovering, developing, and delivering vision.--Facebook www.facebook.com/coloryoursoul Instagram - www.instagram.com/coloryoursoulig

THE CONTRIBUTORS

LISTEN to the

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Flawless!

By: Maureen Stephenson

Flawless is defined as: Without any blemishes or imperfections.

I was at a point in my life, where my daughter was off living her best life at college. I was a single woman, an empty nester, filling her time with working and shopping. Who else loves an enjoyable shopping trip to Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx? Both? Me too!

As was our habit, a married friend and I met to catch up over lunch. Younger and more tech savvy than I, she suggested I join an online dating site.

Umm, what?!

I knew nothing about online dating. She laughed at my protests and countered, “Maureen, this is a new millennium. This is how most couples meet now.”

Unsure, but trusting my friend, I agreed to have her help me set up my online dating profile.

Fast-forward to March 5, 2013, my doctor diagnosed me with breast cancer. As I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I could lose both of my breasts, I placed a call to my aunt.

After going over my test results, a sudden outburst from her stunned me. She blurted out, "So sorry. And here you are not even married yet!” In retrospect, I understand that her reaction was out of concern for me. She worried that I would have no one to help me through the treatments and recovery process. In the moment however, her sudden outburst resulted in an awkward pause in the conversation. I was thinking: “What's at stake is bigger than marriage! I am fighting for my life!” I hung up the phone shortly afterward, feeling deflated. I got out of bed and stopped to look at myself in the mirror. I looked blotchy, and I was a mess.

Cellulite on my thighs, bags under my eyes; I didn't look at all like those perfect women in the magazines, nor did I feel amazing.

Having breast cancer was the wake-up call that led me here today, contributing to this magazine and talking about how to be flawless and learn to love the part(s) of your body you hate.

Two weeks after my double Mastectomy, I went back to the surgeon because I was experiencing stiffness in my thigh. He ordered tests that confirmed I had Deep Vein Thrombosis. I was rushed directly from his office to the emergency room and from the emergency room; I was sent home with injections and instructions to inject myself daily.

Meanwhile on my dating profile.... After staying with my sister for a while so she could administer my injections, I was able to go back to my home and recover in my own space. I checked my profile on the dating site. I don’t really know what I expected to find, but there were all these messages from the same gentleman wanting to connect. Dating under normal circumstances was tricky enough, but with the cancer I was battling, dating seemed unrealistic, so I didn’t bother replying to any of his messages.

Two months to the day, I was medically cleared from the first of 3 surgeries so I checked the dating site inbox for messages. He had messaged me again. This time around, I responded. We exchanged numbers and spent hours chatting long-distance over the phone. As time went on and we got to know each other, he would make comments like, "Girl, you have some legs on you!" Meanwhile, I was thinking, " What legs is he looking at!” To understand my reaction you have to know this: The countryside of Jamaica, where I grew up, allowed me to play outdoors. A section of my grandmother's backyard houses comprised these large boulders and rocks. (In Jamaica, their popular name is Round A Rock). As a tomboy, I spent my days jumping and skipping from one boulder to the next and so it was no surprise when one day I fell and cut my left thigh so deep that it left permanent scars in the skin. An indelible mark on my left thigh that looked like the masterful design of a skilled tattoo artist. I hated that scar! I developed body dysmorphic disorder related to my left leg. You know how we all dislike something or some part (s) of our bodies and ourselves? I never liked my legs because of that scar.

Back to dating. Eventually we agreed to meet for lunch at the local mall in my town. I was excited that I had met someone amazing, but not sure how to navigate the road ahead. Like a woman on a mission, I put on my high heels. I mixed my baby oil with coconut oil and shined and polished my (ugly) legs and wore a mini dress to showcase the legs he had been raving about. I kept praying all the time: “ Legs, you have to close the deal for me because I have no boobs to do it.”

He was charming and intelligent on our date and I allowed myself to see the possibility of nurturing something romantic between us. I didn’t want to hide anything, so I was upfront about my cancer diagnosis and the long road ahead with many more surgeries.

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To my surprise, he wasn’t deterred at all!

In fact, he held my hand through the entire thing!

Nurse Lewis, as he was affectionately known to my family and friends, planned his life around my care 24 hours a day.

God used the ugly part of my body - my legs, to bring laughter, joy and love back into my life. We got married on January 30, 2016. I have thanked God daily for the blessing that is my husband.

Too many of us think they have to have a perfect body to be loved or to find the perfect partner. I learned that all we have to do is to love and allow ourselves to be loved just as we are. It's so crazy to think we may never have found each other if it hadn't been for my “ugly” legs .

I'm going to revise my earlier definition of “Flawless”. I believe that as women, being flawless isn't being absent of flaws, but instead, it is being the best you can be despite them.

Every time you look in the mirror, I want you to see that you are powerful! You're amazing! God created you to be extraordinary! You are enough! Every part of your body, even what you consider the "ugly” part, is here to do fantastic work.

I believe in health and wellness, mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. I invite you to look in the mirror and be kind to the person looking back at you.

Next time you judge yourself, remember God can use even your ugly parts to give you the greatest desire of your heart. Sometimes the “ugly” parts of our bodies are the same parts someone else loves most. You are God's masterpiece. He made you flawless. Being Flawless is a Choice! Let me hear you repeat after me, “I am flawless.”

The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine |

FUNCTIONAL JOY BY: TERRI TRUESDALE

IT ALL STARTED WITH A BONE TUMOR WHEN I WAS 18.

I went through 4 years of being misdiagnosed, not believed, and treated by most everyone in my life, including members of my church, like I was making it up and seeking attention. I was finally accurately diagnosed, and my first thought was that I didn’t even care what kind of tumor it was…I finally had proof I was not the kind of person everyone thought I was. This was the beginning of the good work of redemption God had in store for me.

The next phase in His plan was to make me a teacher to special needs students. 10 years of this forged patience and creativity in how to communicate effectively. All while learning that I loved it and it was a gift from God. But, His plan was not over….

He moved me to move. You know, that time in your life when you think it should look one way but it had not manifested, so you took matters into your own hands? I was 30, unmarried with zilcho prospects, and had not done anything “big” in my life. So, I trained for my first marathon. God is so good to take our discontent and use it for a better future. I ran that marathon (well, limped it). Learning to move gave me a confidence that I had never had growing up. This lit the fire to, of course, teach others this wonderful lesson. I became a personal trainer while teaching.

But His plan was not over….

The teaching job had ended. Budget cuts hit and that left just personal training. I was moved again to seek out a better understanding of the human body and its ability to move better. At 30 – eh hem – something, I went back to school… grad school.

6 years of this forged the foundation for me to know the body and have the educational and legal authority to diagnose people. This is where I dwell now. Preparing the field to receive His rain and once again redeem the hard work I put into this part of His journey.

His plan, from the beginning, has given me the personal experience to know when something is wrong with my body, the struggles and frustration of not being able to find answers and to live for years in pain, feeling alone and challenged. He secured the experience of growing as an effective teacher and compassionate listener. He gave me the education and necessary skills to lay hands on patients and take the appropriate steps to help them get through this part of their own journey.

20 years in the making designed specifically for us to meet and work together!

And… His plan is not over yet…for either of us.

SO! THAT ALL LED ME HERE, ANSWERING THE QUESTION: WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

WHO: Because Functional Medicine is a model of medicine, there are many licensed professionals who can practice it, as long as it is within their state's scope of practice. There is no governing body that issues a specific FM license. However, there are several organizations who have worked hard to help practitioners go through a structured continuing education certification process. Chiropractors, naturopaths, and even MD’s (not as common) can all support and treat a patient with this approach.

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WHAT (AND A LITTLE BIT OF THE WHY): Many people have never heard this term before, let alone experienced the benefits of it. FM addresses your overall health and wellness and can help you find answers for your medical issues that conventional medicine has not provided answers for. It is a medical modal approach to dealing with chronic illness, taking the whole person into account. It finds the root cause(s) of illness and provides treatment for lasting health and wellness.

Conventional medicine is a wonderful tool to have. If I have a heart attack, break my leg, need surgery, or go into anaphylactic shock due to bee stings...you bet I want to be seen by a CM doctor. God has gifted us with the ability to treat many diseases and injuries through this approach.

The problem lies with chronic illness. Conventional medicine's "sick-care" model is not equipped to deal with these illnesses. This is evidenced by the fact that these diseases are not getting better, only getting worse. The symptom-based (sick-care) approach focuses on disease after it happens. They prescribe medications that may indeed help the symptom but at a cost of dismissing the root cause, and putting you at risk for side effects.

Here is a sample of chronic illnesses that functional medicine can have a positive effect on: Autoimmune Chronic Fatigue Depression & Anxiety Hormonal and Gut Issues Allergies and Metabolic Issues Chronic Pain and Sleep Issues ADHD etc. and Brain Fog Joint Issues….and more!

TO ILLUSTRATE WHAT FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE IS I LIKE TO USE THE “DAM ANALOGY” You live in a house (your body) along a river. One day the river water starts to rise and reaches flood levels, devastating your house. The flood water represents all your symptoms of your chronic issues.

So you go to your insurance company and community organizations (conventional medicine) to get help to restore your house. They prescribe you with tools (usually prescriptions) to rebuild and repair the water damage. They say that the cause of the damage to your house was flood water (that is your diagnosis).

The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine |

You do your best to use their resources and repair your house. As far as you know, flood water is the diagnosed problem. It makes sense because it was indeed flood water that caused the problem.

However, little did you know that farther up the river there was a dam. This dam is what kept the flood water from rising to begin with. The dam is a healthy functioning body. All body systems are operating as they should.

When the flood water came and destroyed your house it was because that dam broke. No one is talking about the dam breaking. So you continue to do your best with the resources you have been given but water keeps flooding your home. No one is identifying the true cause of water destroying your house...the dam break. No one (conventional medicine) is looking to fix that problem – mostly because they were not trained to look farther upstream.

Functional medicine looks at everything - including what is farther upstream to identify the root cause(s) of your chronic illness. Why did that dam break to begin with? Until you know why you got an chronic illness to begin with, you will not be fully treating it. You will only be given tools (medications) to help with the symptoms.

HOW: So how does one begin the journey down the functional medicine path? First, find a practitioner in your area. Many of those continuing education programs have a “find a practitioner” built into their website – those clinicians who have gone through their programs. You can also do a simple internet search for “functional medicine” and name your city.Once you reach out there is a generalized approach to care. It may not look exactly like this, but in general this is what you can expect:

Your first appointment, usually preceded by filling out fairly extensive paperwork.

Remember, we look at everything so you have to share as much as possible with us!

Your first appointment can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.

Your initial treatment plan will be built upon this information – designed uniquely to you. It will most likely have a plan to get some lab work done and maybe some early supplements going.

You will then go through the process of completing those labs. You will also order your supplements (or purchase them direct from your provider) and begin taking them. The sooner you do these steps, the sooner you move on to the next phase.

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Once the labs are in you will have a follow up appointment to review the labs, and assess how the supplements are working. This appointment usually takes about an hour. It is then that modifications are made to your treatment plan.

After these initial visits then it is a matter of being diligent with all aspects of your treatment plan, including any lifestyle changes that need to be made, and then a follow up is scheduled to review how things are going. This is repeated a few more times as your symptoms improve. It will also include retesting of your labs at some point – usually about 6 months down the road.

Chronic issues need to be dealt with chronically – this means that the length of your plan is dictated by the length and severity of your issues as well as your compliance to sticking to the plan. These issues did not happen over night and to see lasting results it won’t be a switch to set it all right.

WHEN: John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

I have been on both sides of chronic issues, the patient and the clinician. I know firsthand what it is like to KNOW something is wrong with my body and to go to doctor appointment after doctor appointment and STILL have my pain, while having no answers. I have been treated like I did not know what I was talking about and even treated like I was making it all up. I have had the frustration of years of seeking help only to find none. I have cried to God in the night, desperately clinging on to hope.

The enemy has corrupted all God’s ways, perverted them to make them his own, and I truly believe he uses sickness to beat us down so low that we begin to believe his lie – that this is of God. He is hiding in the shadows of the conventional medicine model where he knows there is little hope to finding our abundant life. He uses chronic illness to steal, kill, and destroy, and then perpetuates the insult by making the standard of care for these types of illnesses of little effect.

So, the when in all of this – is now. My hope in sharing this information is that you are empowered to take action and seek a functional medicine clinician who can help you find your path back to God’s intended plan for your life – a health and abundant one!

The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine |

TYPE A SPRING CLEANING BY: AUTUMN HOOVERÂ

FINDING JOY IN REST As the warm spring air greets us with the pleasant fragrances from the flowering tree blossoms, there is one phenomenon that Type A individuals find joy in during this time, and that is…Spring Cleaning!

What were you expecting me to say…drinking lemonade on the deck as we relax under a large umbrella?

NOPE, NOT US! The Type A’s of this world find joy in making lists of what to clean, what to organize, what to donate, and what to declutter! All the while our spouses and children seek new hiding spots with hopes of being forgotten, but they will be found and (strongly) encouraged to comply with detailed cleaning instructions from their Type A leader. And fortunately for the Type A family, daylight savings time indicates more time to attain more goals.

In being a Type A individual, my objectives are like many who are goal-oriented. I set a goal, develop a plan of how to accomplish the goal, prioritize a task list, and then determine the length of time to reach my goal before moving on to my next mission.

I was fortunate to have parents who taught my brother and I the value of hard-work but also the importance of celebrating success in reaching certain milestones and achievements. As children we always enjoyed the fruits of their labor in trips to the beach or Red Lobster dinners! While most Type A’s quickly move on to their next task without celebrating previous victories, I have tried to carry over this incentive to my family. And I was super excited as spring approached this year because my family has missed out on previous spring break vacations due to my husband who previously served as a high school baseball coach.

(If you follow me on social media, you know that my husband accepted his calling into ministry.) We were all excited to fly to Texas and relax in Magnolia Country, an area in Waco made famous by “Fixer Upper” couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines. I was so eager to finally have some down-time with my husband as we sipped on fresh coffee, while our daughter picked out one of Joanna’s famous cupcakes at her local bakery. I could literally see myself sitting on the patio of their new restaurant as I could finally relax, maybe even drinking lemonade under a large umbrella!

Then came the quarantine order! The Coronavirus was now unleashing its power onto our United States and would cause great fear among its residents and medical staff.

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My husband made the decision to cancel our trip because I could not bear to say the words, and just like that, ‘spring fever’ took on a whole new meaning.

As an ob-gyn nurse practitioner, my hours were reduced and office policies changed. And, there was so much uncertainty in the lives of many. And as a Type A individual, I wasn’t ready to ‘slow down’ during a time of year when I am typically just getting started on specific tasks.

But as the days continued, I realized that even though I had more time to complete more tasks…I actually ran out of tasks to accomplish! We then took time to cook together, read together, play board games together, walk the dog together, watch church together, take communion together, sing together, but more importantly, rest together! One night my daughter who will be going to middle school asked me to read her a bedtime story to which I happily complied. I was a little surprised that she picked a book from her childhood as she is always reminding us that she is getting older. Nonetheless, I started reading to her, and she quickly reminded me, “No, Mommy, you’re not reading in your tiger voice!” And in that moment, I knew that God was gifting me this precious time for a reason; and I wasn’t going to let my Type A personality get in the way. I quickly restored my ‘tiger-voice’ as I read the book to her and we cuddled as she spoke her nighttime prayers. *Kathryn Shirey, a Christian blogger writes, “If we are to continue following where God leads, we also need to spend time renewing, repairing, and refilling our souls.” I know there are many who faced loss during this quarantine—jobs, finances, and even dear family and friends.

But I pray that the Type A Christian’s of the world can find joy in rest not just because we received a government order to do so, but because our Heavenly Creator demands the same in order to be productive for His kingdom. Sometimes, the quiet rest we seek may not involve drinking lemonade under an umbrella, but God provides many ways to find rest in Him and to avoid distractions through prayer, reading His word, or even through music.

Finding rest in the Lord provides so much more fulfillment than any spring cleaning check-list can satisfy!

“There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered his rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:9-10 “Truly my soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. Truly He is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62: 1-2 *Kathryn Shirey, How to Find Sabbath Rest in a Modern Life, October 27, 2018, retrieved May 24, 2020, from https://www.prayerandpossibilities.com/how-to-find-sabbath-rest-in-a-modern-life/ The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine |

The Joy is in Your Yes, God! BY: CHRISTINA KIMBALL

Where does your hope and confidence come from in business?

Hopefully, it comes from your faith. Faith in

Then something happened...

God, faith in Him as your provider, your source for everything. When you dream with God,

While I was on a flight across the country God

about your business and the work that you do,

downloaded this whole blueprint to me on

you receive guidance for what you do, when

hosting a virtual summit. He even gave me the

you do it, the decisions that you make, the

names of those to invite as guest speakers and

endeavors, you undertake, and the direction

the copy for the web page. This was great!

that you go.

However, I was a little confused on the timing. I Sometimes that direction will make you say,

thought, “God, it’s April and the three-day

“Whaaaaaat???” I’ve been there. At the end of

conference is in June. Shouldn’t I be promoting

2018 I was planning my first three-day in

the conference?” Guess what His response was?

person event. I researched a bunch of things

It was to host the virtual summit at the

and then took a break from planning. A few

beginning of May! I thought, “Oh my, that’s less

months went by and I realized that the event

than a month!!!” and then I thought, “Okay, God.

was coming up quickly and I better get back to

I’ll do it.” and began following His direction.

planning!

I had never been to a virtual summit, let alone hosted one before. Turns out that I broke all the rules and... it was so POWERFUL! I had never experienced Holy Spirit working through the worldwide web like that before and it was AMAZING! Lives were touched. People were healed. Transformation in hearts and minds happened right before my eyes, right on my screen! I experienced joy by the power of the Holy Spirit through the experience of partnering with God in business in a new-to-me way.

What He speaks to you and reveals to you, becomes your unique personal blueprint for your business. Often, if not all the time, it will not seem logical. It is not necessarily going to make sense and it definitely may not be what the gurus tell you to do to create or build a business

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on the surface, because His ways are higher than

This is where true joy is experienced in business

our ways.

that is done in partnership with Him.

When we follow His direction, even when it makes

When we have an experience with God in our

little sense to us, we can trust him. When we trust

business, it motivates us to keep saying, “Yes,

him, every time we trust him, and we experience

God!” and our trust in God grows exponentially. So

the result that He desires us to experience, it gives

the next time He asks us to do something that may

us confidence for the next time He asks us to do

seem crazy, we immediately say, “Yes, God!”

something that makes little sense to our mind,

because we know it's going to be incredible and we

seems far fetched or maybe even a little crazy.

can trust that it's going to be amazing. This is where true joy is experienced in business that is

It is the exercising of that faith that causes growth

done in partnership with Him.

in confidence, and the hope we have in Him in our business. In fact, when we see lives transformed

What is God asking you to do right now that seems

because we said, “Yes!” to God, we experience joy.

impossible, crazy or you feel ill-equipped to do? I

Like for real, deep, energizing joy!

want to encourage you to lean into that thing and ask Holy Spirit, “What is the one next step I need

It's an exercising of our faith that leads to a result

to take right now for this?” and then do it. It may

we could never ever have done on our own,

seem

because there is a kingdom impact when we say

because our Father knows best, He won’t steer

yes to God.

you wrong because He loves you in such an

uncomfortable,

however,

take

comfort

incredible way.

Every time we say, “Yes!” to God we are exercising our faith, building our trust muscles, and having a

And can I just encourage you for a moment? Don’t

supernatural experience of bringing heaven to

worry about getting it wrong! If you get it wrong,

earth... we release heaven on earth.

our Father will not fire you. (Insert wink here) He is going to lovingly course correct you. That’s all! So

I looked up the definition of “experience” on Dictionary.com and it says, knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone.”

go forward with boldness and in peace while full of joy knowing that what you are about to experience with God will be a WOW experience. Just leave the results to Him and keep saying, “Yes, God!”.

When we have an experience with God in our business, it motivates us to keep saying, “Yes, God!” and our trust in God grows exponentially. So the next time He asks us to do something that may seem crazy, we immediately say, “Yes, God!” because we know it's going to be incredible and we can trust that it's going to be amazing.

One final thought, enJOY the adventure of doing business in partnership with God as you release heaven every step of the way!

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JOY AND FREEDOM BY: CAROL GRIFFITHS

[In the voice of Sophia on Golden Girls] Picture it...Nassau, Bahamas. It's the year 2020. We're in the midst of a global pandemic. I'm sitting at my dining table in front of the laptop with my eyes closed. A breakthrough coach is guiding me through a visualization via Zoom.

The coach tells me to picture a peaceful place. I do. Then she says to imagine that God is there with me. I look around and there He is, just up yonder over there. She asks if I can see God. I don’t want to disturb this sacred moment so I breathe out a quiet “yes.”

Next, she asks me what God is saying to me. I listen, but there are no spoken words. Yet, I understand everything He says. God and I are communicating without words.

Father changes my version of a peaceful scene to His version. My vision was a bright open field with some grass and flowers. He shifts it to a small cozy, well paved, fully covered lane.

Along each side of the lane is a 4ft tall stone wall that is covered in lush green ivy. Growing out of the top of the wall are beautiful flowering trees. They grow upwards on both sides and then lean over towards each other to form a vibrant, fragrant arch of brightly coloured flowers over our heads.

I am looking around in awe at all of this unimaginable gorgeousness. The sun peaks through small holes between the flowers. It provides just enough light to illuminate the lane, but not so much to feel any uncomfortable heat.

In that moment, I look up at my Father and He looks at me. It feels like my heart will EXPLODE. Father looks at me with so much love. It's as if I am the only person in the world. And with His eyes, He tells me that He delights in me.

At first I think, I'm reading His eyes incorrectly. Surely He can't delight in me right now. I'm just standing here looking goofy and awestruck. But, as I lock gazes with Him, Father confirms that I don't need to do anything to earn His delight. I just need to be.

Wow! My vision is a manifestation of Psalm 16:11.

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” Psalms 16:11 NASB

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In that moment, on that beautiful path that I never could have envisioned for myself, I experienced God's presence. And in His presence, there was Joy and Freedom.

The vision reminded me that on the path that God has set before me, I will enjoy fullness of joy when I tune into His Presence. Further, one of the pleasures in His right hand is the freedom to simply be who He created me to be.

My Friends, both joy and freedom are available when we abide with God. Neither can be taken from us when we know who we are as God's children. In fact, they are ours even in imperfect circumstances. However, we miss out on joy and freedom when we give too much attention to the things that lead to anxiety, fear, and insecurity. Yes, there may be chaos all around us, but that does not minimize the God within us, nor the joy and freedom He gives us.

The best part of resting in God's presence is that because He is faithful, we can trust Him. Therefore, as we adjust to a new normal, we can trust God to gently and wisely guide us.

Friends, we are never alone. God is with us and He is for us. Therefore, no matter what you are facing, may you know the fullness of God's Joy and Freedom. “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.� Philippians 4:8 NASB

Joy in the Morning BY: DR. KAREN LINDWALL-BOURG

It seems, in the midst of grief and mourning, one of the last things we think about is Joy.

I

Joy and grief are never far apart. In the same street the shutters of one house are closed, while the curtains of the next are brushed by shadow of the dance. A wedding-party returns from church, and a funeral winds to its door. The smiles and the sadness of life are the tragi-comedy of Shakespeare. Gladness and sighs brighten and dim the mirror he beholds.

Robert Aris Willmott

The Struggle is Guaranteed! UGH! Let’s be honest, before we even coined the term Covid-19, because of the world we live in, we were all experiencing some level of grief and mourning. My family was adjusting to the ups and downs of my husband’s recent forced retirement, the death of a beloved uncle, concern for a daughter-in-love due to have a baby, and more.

What were you struggling through? The struggle is a guarantee. John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation...

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I

Look at the last half of John 16...

Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy 16 “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 17 So some of his disciples said to one another, “What is this that he says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see me, and again a little while, and you will see me’; and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” 18 So they were saying, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We do not know what he is talking about.” 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, “Is this what you are asking yourselves, what I meant by saying, ‘A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me’? 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

I Have Overcome the World 25 “I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.[a] 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.”29 His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! 30 Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” 31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

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Are the JOYS Guaranteed? I certainly Hope So!

I

Let’s be honest, before we even coined the term Covid-19, because of the world we live in, some of us were experiencing profound joys. My family was actually enjoying the ups and downs of my husband’s recent forced retirement; and while we miss my uncle, it has been such a blessing to reconnect and visit with cousins; our son and daughter-in-love gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl; and more.

What were your greatest joys? The joys don’t seem to be guaranteed.

Or are they?

Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal - Thomas Moore I wanted to explore all sorts of passages in God’s Word to comfort you and assure you that JOY abounds even during our times of distress, but I never made it out of John Chapter 16! Go figure! It’s packed with HOPE and JOY! May we be able to contain it!

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain- Khalil Gibran The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine Page 28 |

I

JOY is Guaranteed!

God promises JOY - we will see Him! John 16:16, 22 “...again a little while, and you will see Me.” God promises JOY - He knows what we want!

John 16:19 “Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so He said to them...”

God promises JOY - from our sorrows!

John 16:20 ”...the world will rejoice and your sorrow will turn into joy.”

God promises JOY - from remembering anguish!

John 16:21 “...she no longer remembers the anguish...”

God promises JOY - He Protects and Preserves our JOY! John 16:22 “...no one will take your joy from you.”

God promises JOY - If We Ask for JOY, He Will Give it to Us! John 16:23, 24 “...whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.”

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God promises JOY - He has Overcome the World!

John 16:25-33

I

John 16:32-33 “...I am not alone, for the Father is with Me. 33 I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

How about you?

I don’t know about you, but I lose sight of His promises during times of struggle like these. I’m going to post this one on the wall right beside my desk, my nightstand beside my bed, my makeup tray - maybe I just need to have it tattooed to my right arm or above my heart!

Thank YOU, Lord for Your Promise of JOY! I LOVE YOU!

Many Blessings to You, Dear Crown-Rockers!

Be JOY-FULL!

References:BibleEnglish Standard Version (ESV)The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.Quoteshttps://bit.ly/2z4K8YM

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Want to have a Joy-filled Relationship?

Be a Joy-filled Partner!

BY: MIKE DAVIS

We all want happy, flourishing relationship...right?

I know I do.

But is it even possible?

The answer is ...Yes! So what is the key, how do we attain this goal?

According to researchers in the area of positive psychology the key is positive emotions! Especially the positive emotion of joy.

The scientific research has shown that joy is a major key to a happy flourishing life! In her book “Wired for Joy” Dr. Laurel Mellin writes that when experiencing joy “people are at their best” (p.7).

Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky a happiness researcher and expert has stated that happiness/joy creates success and flourishing in areas such as health, finances, career... and marriage.

Dr. Barbara Fredickson, a leading authority on Positive emotions in her book “Positivity” shared research that positive emotions -of which joy is a leading expression - promotes and enhances openness, connection and unity among people. She states “Feelings of oneness come and go, not at random, but in step with your feelings of joy, gratitude, love and the like” (p.65.)

Dr. Antonio Damasio in his book “Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow and the Feeling Brain” states that joy “creates.... within us greater functional harmony...and the power and freedom to act” (p.138)

Joy makes everything better!

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It is not only a by-product of success - it is a cause of success in different areas of life according to the latest research So one of the keys to a happier, more joyful relationship is to be a happier, more joyful partner in the relationship. And here is the great news...you don’t have to wait for your partner to do things to make you happier in order to be more joyful. You can start right now.

Here are some steps to experiencing more joy and becoming a more joyful partner.

1

Commit to experiencing joy independent of what others do or don’t do. Don’t make your joy dependent upon people or situations that are outside of your control. Decide today (right now) “I take full responsibility for my joy!”

2

Meditate upon joy. Philippians 4:8 reminds us that if we want to make any virtue our own we must “think on” or “mediate on these things”. How do you meditate upon joy? Identify joyful moments from your past, then rehearse and relive those moments of joy. Do this often. As I like to say “What you consistently give your mind to you will develop a mind for.”

3

Give yourself a joy shot through out your day. Write down 5 memories or 5 things you can think about that when you think about them gives you a moment, a “shot” of joy. I like to picture my grandchildren (especially my new granddaughter). I think about moments from my childhood that were enjoyable, or places that I have been that brought me joy. It can be anything.

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Just identify at least 5 items. And then as you go about your day, and you begin to feel stressed or unhappy for any reason take a moment to focus on one or more of those items you picked. Really feel the joy of your chosen focus, Do this through out your day.

4

Do joyful things! We all have read the verse in Nehemiah 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” What most of us don’t realize is that this verse is connected to a larger thought “Go your way drink, eat the fat, and send portions for whom nothings prepared; for the joy of the Lord is your strength” The joy of the Lord in this passage is connected with eating , drinking and sending food to others -it was embodied and released through celebration! What can you DO that will nurture joy in you? What can you celebrate? Identify for yourself at least 5 things you can do on a regular basis that will enable you to experience and embody joy!

5

Ask yourself joy stimulating questions: Dr. Barbara Fredrickson suggests asking yourself the following questions: “What’s right about my current situation? What about this situation is a blessing? What aspects of my circumstances might I view as a gift to be treasured? How does it benefit me or others? What ’s going right for me right now?” (see Positivity p.49, 51)

These 5 practices can help you to develop, nurture and practice joyfully living. As you become more joyful it will “spill out” into your relationship; so nurture and enhance your own personal joy.As Anne Frank said “ Whoever is happy makes others happy” The Everyday Crown Rocker Magazine Page 34 |

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Want to see it around for a long time to come? Become a Patron of the magazine for just $4.99 a month. Be a part of spreading His story and the stories of amazing men and women who are rocking their crowns daily. Your patronage supports our mission to uplift, inspire, encourage and support women in cocreating lives that matter, in partnership with our Heavenly Father. You also help keep the website up, the podcast playing and the articles coming. Support the mag here >>> https://www.patreon.com/theeverydaycrownrocker

BY: BRANDON J GALICI

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FINANCIAL ADVISOR

There are several considerations when it comes to deciding whether or not you should work with a financial advisor. I fully understand how intimidating it can be, as we are talking about entrusting the management of your life savings to another person or company!

COMMON CONCERNS ABOUT HIRING A FINANCIAL ADVISOR It’s uncomfortable. Talking about our finances can be challenging. We might be embarrassed of the mistakes we have made, like carrying credit card debt or taking money out of a retirement account prematurely. We also may not have much saved which makes it difficult to share with another person.

I don’t want to be taken advantage of. There have been horror stories from the financial services industry, so it makes sense if this is an area of concern for you. Just like hiring a mechanic to fix your vehicle for a fair price, you want to ensure that you aren’t being overcharged for the services being provided to you. Since advice is intangible, you can’t hold it or “feel” it, it can be challenging to filter good advice from bad advice.

Since these are all fair concerns, it’s important we are diligent in selecting the right financial advisor who truly has your best interests at heart.

WHEN DO I NEED TO WORK WITH A FINANCIAL ADVISOR? I don’t even know where to start. A good financial advisor will help you identify and figure out how to help you achieve your financial goals. They will provide you with an objective opinion about your financial situation. They will ensure that your investments and protection strategies are tailored to you. If you want regular check ins and updates to your financial plans as “life happens,” then working with a financial advisor may be a prudent decision for you.

I have a complex situation. Life is complicated, and we all have a different financial story. Family dynamics can greatly impact your financial plan. Whether you are single, married, or divorced, each can add varying complexity. If you have a sizeable amount of assets, there are certain tax and estate considerations as well.

ATTIC

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HOW DO I CHOOSE THE RIGHT PERSON? I have so many options. There are over 300,000 financial advisors in the United States.

We want to ensure that we partner with a person who shares similar values as us and that we enjoy working with. Try asking friends if they have any recommendations on which advisors you could reach out to.

I have scheduled a meeting with a financial advisor, now what? Remember, you are not committed to working with this person yet, so try to have the mindset of an interviewer. Do you like them? Could you see yourself working with them? Below are a few other important questions to ask.

How are you paid?

Why did you get into the business?

What are your credentials and experience?

What differentiates you from other advisors?

FINAL THOUGHTS Regardless of whether or not you decide to work with a financial advisor, I hope this helps you on your journey to financial success!

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Joy! BY: TAMARA CARROLL

I am affectionately known as The Joy Queen. I can’t remember who started calling me that, but it kinda stuck and in all honesty, I like it!

Am I always “happy?” Nooooo, not by a long-shot! But I do live in a place of joy in the Lord! Why is this important? Because in times of living in the messy, we need to know where our Joy comes from so we can live free from fear, oppression and anxiety! Recently I asked a handful of my friends what the meaning of joy is to them and here are their responses:

A happiness so deep within nothing can destroy it!

Strength!

Contentment no matter what Trust. I can’t truly have joy circumstances or if I’m worrying about something! situation you are in.

Complete trust in God that His ultimate plan is perfect.

Strength that keeps me going over and over again.

Peace from deep within.

Thankfulness even in an unrest world...I got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!!!

The joy of the Lord is my strength.

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Just from these few responses, you can see that joy means so much more than just being happy! Out of curiosity, I did a word search in the Bible for the word joy and there are over 100 verses that speak of joy in the Lord! One of my personal favorites is Galatians 5:22-23, it reads: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)

As Believers, we oftentimes will seek after this fruit of the Spirit. When we express these character traits to people in our influence, we are showing God’s love to them.

In the Webster 1828 dictionary (my personal favorite because it relates to Scripture), the definition of joy is:

Joy: Noun (note it’s a noun not a verb!)

1. The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; that excitement of pleasurable feelings which is caused by success, good fortune, the gratification of desire or some good possessed, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exultation; exhilaration of spirits.

Sometimes in our every day conversations, we use the word joy very simply. “What a joy your little girl is!” or “There was a childlike joy in the classroom or “There is joy and satisfaction in nature” and finally, “The joy of the free market.” Again, very casual words. But when we really understand the biblical meaning of the word joy, it brings it all up a notch. Let’s investigate this a little more together The Hebrew language has several words for joy, each with different shades of meaning: 'Simcha' (ch is a soft gutteral, between h and the ch of 'Bach') means happiness in the most full sense. 'Gila' is a stronger sensation of joy but more transient and worldly (related to 'gal' = wave.) 'rina' is a joy related to singing and shouting. 'ditza' is joy related to dancing. 'hanaah' enjoyment (of something specific.)

And in the Greek language:.

Chara: Transliteration: chara Phonetic Spelling: (khar-ah') Definition: joy, gladness, a source of joy.

And then I have my favorite acronym for JOY: Jesus, Others and You! You want to really learn more about joy? Read on…

The first letter of JOY is J for Jesus: Where do I start? The most important message here is, do you know Him? Not just do you know of Him, but do you KNOW Him? How would you explain Him to others? Who is He in your life? What is one thing you want your children or grandchildren to know about Jesus?

What was the experience that brought you to Jesus?

How can you be sure that you have a relationship with Jesus? You can spend time with Him daily. You can come to Him in worship.This act alone breaks down oppression, anxiety and depression! It will cause you to hunger for more of Him. The good news here is it brings JOY in the messy of life, in the hard times in life and we can all use more of that right now! Read His Word and ask Him to speak to your heart so you can understand everything He has for you. Do you know that the Word is alive? There have been many times in my life that I needed an answer to a question and I went to His Word and the verses almost jumped off of the page at me. It was exactly what I needed to hear at the moment. In troubled times, we have to stay close to the vine, and the vine is God. Hear me on this ladies, you don’t have to be “religious” about it either.

Jesus loves you so very much. He wants to have special time with you. Worship with music and song!

Remember, it breaks oppression and brings joy! Pray, read and listen for Him to speak to you. Journal what you hear in your spirit. Journal and investigate with discernment, asking God for the meaning of what you see in visions or dreams. That’s God talking to you! Ask for divine appointments in your day.

Ask Him to number your day for what is important to get done, that’s relationship. That brings joy!

Devote yourself to Jesus!

The second letter of JOY is O for Other’s.

How are you the hands and feet of Jesus? What community do you surround yourself with? Are they positive and loving? What can you do in your life to express God’s love and joy to others? What about forgiveness or blessing someone? Is there someone in your life now that you need to forgive? Ask God to help you do it and He will! How does God express His love for you in your marriage? Family?

Friends? It says in the Bible: A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24 (NKJ) We all know who that friend is right? Jesus!

Growing up, my mother used to tell me that in order to have friends, I had to first be a friend. Let’s pause here for a second and talk about being a truth teller to your friends. Have you ever been with a girlfriend who has had a terribly hard day?

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Maybe she is very down on herself for whatever reason. What can you do? You can tell her the truth. God’s truth for who she is in His eyes. This is your opportunity to let the love of Jesus shine through you. How does Jesus see her? What is His heart for her? Your conversation might sound like the one I just had with a friend. She was feeling rather down on herself and was listening to the lies of the enemy telling her she wasn’t good enough. After praying and asking Jesus to show me how He saw her, I responded with: “I was thinking about you today, and thinking about all of the things that Jesus says about you. He says that you are kind, compassionate, filled with mercy, you have His heart. You are strong yet tender. You are a survivor and an overcomer. You are wise and you have good integrity. You are confident and courageous. You have self-respect and you give respect to everyone. You are outgoing and friendly. You know the importance of family. You are loved and adored by many.

Never think that you aren't good enough. Jesus thinks otherwise and so do I.” Do you see how being a truth teller in the lives of your friends and family can help give them joy?

Make it your habit to see people through the eyes of Jesus, through the heart of Jesus and tell them! We all need to hear it. We are called to see the good in all people, to encourage them and tell them of the love of our Father towards them. My challenge for you right now is to grab a pen and write a note or send a text to a friend who is down, someone who could use a little joy. Tell them how God sees them and who they are in His eyes, in His heart! Send a handwritten greeting card with a scripture tucked inside. This will not only bring you joy, but it will change her world!

Practice doing that every day and see how you can give joy to others. You can even take it a step further and check in on people who are home alone. See if you can go to the store for them or if they need anything. Call and see if you can pray with your friends and family. We need to bring God’s joy to others.

Demonstrate God’s Joy to others!

And finally, we have the Y in You! Who are you to everyone in your life? Are you a mother, daughter, sister, wife, student, homemaker, grandmother? Most of all, you are a Daughter of The King! You have rights in the Kingdom.

Expect those promises in your life for this will bring you true joy!

It says in the Bible over and over that we are heirs to the Kingdom. In Romans 8:17 it says, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” (KJV)

The definition of an Heir is a “person who inherits or has a right of inheritance in the property of another following the latter's death.” Isn’t that what we have with Jesus’s death on the cross and His resurrection from the grave? Didn’t he say that we have that right? The Bible says we are co-heirs with Jesus! It’s time you know your identity in Him! We are after His titles, not who the world says we are. This wisdom needs to get from our heads to our spirit! Ladies, we are all more alike than unalike.

The enemy would love to poke at you and make you feel alone in your pain in striving to be perfect. We need to be authentic with each other and bring freedom! My word for this year is purity, not perfection. Are you with me on this?

Could you use a little more of His joy over you and less comparing yourself to others?

What about you? Do you know who you are in Christ? Do you know the joy that He has for you? I want to encourage you to take time to sit with the Lord and find your true identity in Him. Ask Him to reveal to you where you have been believing a lie from the enemy or a lie that was spoken over you, even as a child that has kept you from moving forward in your life.

A few years ago, I had a very vulnerable experience. I was having some headshots taken and while I was sitting in the chair of a professional makeup artist (who works on models I might add), I was sharing with her about the flaws I had on my face. You see, I felt intimidated by the photos of the beautiful women on her walls. And I started speaking down about myself to her. You know the script, “I have a scar here, I have wrinkles, and my face is falling!” And she abruptly stopped me and said: “Please don’t say anything else negative about yourself! You are a beautiful woman. You are a JOY giver and you shouldn’t be talking about yourself this way.” Ouch! The coach got coached! I ruminated about this for a few days, and it was transformational for me. Through this woman that I didn’t even know, I heard the heart of God speaking to mine. He said to me: “It doesn’t matter what weight you are or how many wrinkles you have. I love you. You are so beautiful to me.” This is huge ladies. Our Father loves us so much! And He thinks we are beautiful. Now I am walk with a new confidence, knowing that I am beautiful, valued and wonderfully made! He calls us His joy!

What are the desires of your heart? God placed those promises in you as your purpose in life, your destiny! What is your soul statement? What makes you cry when you think about doing it? What are you passionate about? What creative ideas did He give you? He wants to give you the desires of your heart. He sings Joy over you!

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I hope this little chat today will help you understand a little more about joy and how you can add more of His joy to your life with just a few simple steps. He really does delight in you and He wants you to come to a new higher level with Him where the Lord sings over you with joy!

The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]!

He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 (AMPC)

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Bring Back the JOY in Parenting

By: KELLY RAMSEY

Do you remember your first days of parenting? Preparing to bring your bundle of joy home from the hospital. Being sure that the car seat was in correctly. Being totally exhausted from lack of sleep, but still smiling as you watched the baby sleeping in their crib. Well, guess what? Joy happens every day and in every stage of parenting. It feels like we are on a hamster wheel getting everything done, but when we slow it all down and pause, we experience these bursts of joy. Joy requires us to make it a choice. A choice that we choose every day. Recently I revisited my gratitude journal looking for inspiration for my day. This entry spoke to the things that bring me joy and reminded me of a few lessons.

12/9/2018 Journal entry: Grateful for laughter and creative expression as I watched and danced with the boys tonight. So grateful for memory making and the joy in the walls of our home. Great Sunday worshiping and serving as a family.

Kelly Ramsey

The joy of parenting gives us hope, rest, and peace. As we move through a world that is uncertain, we can hold fast to our families and create environments that nurture their spirits.

Joy comes from somewhere deep inside of us. It is the burst of laughter that is laying dormant and emerges as your child does something funny and expresses their true selves. Joy is from the well of our soul. The deep places that are awakened when we make connections, experience creative expressions, like dancing, and connect with the innermost part of who we are.

What brings me joy?

Watching my boys play together, knowing that they are going to be two against the world and emerge victorious.

What brings me joy?

Reconnecting with childhood as I put together a 100-piece puzzle and a beautiful image emerges.

What brings me joy?

Baking teacakes and sharing them with friends at work and it reawakens their childhood memories of their grandma baking teacakes and the smell coming from her kitchen as they returned from school.

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What brings me joy?

Writing to unlock the wonder of life again and sharing my heart with others.

What brings me joy?

Friendships and feelings expressed and heard. That brings me joy.

JOY is: Joining with others Opportunity to experience something new Saying Yes to adventure.

Now it’s your turn, get a piece of paper and write down childhood joys you experienced. Share the joys with your family and watch the room come alive with joy as you relive those experiences. Joining with others and sharing a part of ourselves brings us closer together. This is the opportunity to experience something new. Now together create a list of the 5 things that bring you joy. Capture the moment by taking a snapshot, be sure you’re all smiles and you can see how much that moment brought you to life. Create a journal just to capture those everyday moments that you share with family and friends. Say yes to adventure and enjoy your family, be restored to JOY.

So go ahead, everyone, and shout out your praises with joy!

Break out of the box and let loose with the most joyous sound of praise! Psalms 98:4

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Joy in the Storm By: Kathy Gifford

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When the storms of life come we can rely on the underlying currents of love, peace, and joy that we’ve established by faith and the forgiveness of sin, and the hope empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Lord sustains us, strengthens us, His hope anchors our soul, His word guides us, His love and joy lift us. The Lord sustains us, strengthens us, His hope anchors our soul, His word guides us, His love and joy lift us. We can have joy, we can live joy, because He has redeemed us and given us the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit produces joy in us as we dig deep and lean on God’s word in reading and praying.

Galatians 5:22-23 New Living Translation (NLT)

by Kathryn Owen Gifford of Doodle All the Day O

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

We are His and called according to His purpose. You may say, “But, what about me, I’m a Christian. I would gently say, How’s your quiet time? How’s your prayer life? Are you reading God’s word with understanding? Are you taking every thought captive? His yoke is gentle, His burden is light. Invite Him into your days so you can have joy.

2 Corinthians 3: 16-18 New Living Translation (NLT) 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.18 So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit— makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

If thoughts and worries overwhelm, take them to the One who loves you most. Pray!

Remember, Paul had to remind the Philippians - they were mature Christians and they still needed to be reminded - we all do! Philippians 4:6-9 (NLT) 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing, fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” We can walk through our days empowered to know that we belong to the one who controls the wind and the water.

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We can walk through our days empowered by the Holy Spirit with the hope of God. “Now may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace in believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NLT) What a blessing to know and be in relationship with the One who controls the wind and the waves. “This hope is a strong anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain (veil) into God’s inner sanctuary.” Hebrews 6:19 (NLT). In all boating, the anchor is the hope of safety whether it is on the boat or dug deep in the sand. Isn’t it wonderful how God gives us this image for our clear understanding?

Have you ever seen a sailboat out of the water? Some look like this: “The keel is basically a flat blade sticking down into the water from the bottom of a sailboat bottom. It has two functions: it prevents the boat from being blown sideways by the wind, and it holds the ballast that keeps the boat right-side up. That’s all you really need to know about the keel to enjoy sailing—OK, you have to know how deep it is so you don’t run aground—but in fact, the keel is a pretty interesting structure” (Discover Boating, 2020). Some sailboats have a fixed keel (as in the photo above) and some have a retractable keel to be able to sail more shallow waters. (image by: Holly Hartman from: https://ourbudgetyacht.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/img_063 2_2420.jpg ) ReferencesDiscover Boating (2020) https://www.discoverboating.com/resources/what-does-thekeel-doImage: (2012) Holly Hartman https://ourbudgetyacht.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/img_063 2_2420.jpgwww.BibleGateway.com (2020)

“Keels come in many styles. Traditional boats have graceful keels built into the shape of the hull; the ballast is either bolted to the bottom of the keel or placed inside it. The keel is built of whatever the boat is built of— usually fiberglass, aluminum or wood—and the ballast is lead. This is a sturdy, time-proven design, especially good for a cruising boat, which might run aground on an uncharted reef or require hauling out in a remote part of the world.” (Discover Boating, 2020).

The keel digs deep into the calmer water to keep the boat from toppling when the water is choppy, and it raises the vessel in calm water so the sail can catch the wind. Think about that for a minute. It’s probably the heaviest piece on the boat but it digs deep and raises to meet the needs of the boat. We need to remember to keel well when trouble comes. Dig deep into the Word and prayer, keep tabs on our thoughts, and remember who we are and to Whom we belong.

We are Daughters of the Most High King!

“You will keep us in perfect peace when our minds stay on You.” (Isaiah 26:3) We have victorious joy because we know whatever happens we belong to Him. Psalm 16:11 (NLT) says “11 You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.[a]” He tells us we are His and He is ours, believe Him, trust Him. God Bless you!!!

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Still

I CHOOSE JOY

BY: DANIKA DEVA

These last few months our lives have changed. Ok, not really changed, but turned upside down and then suddenly took a right turn, then a left and then started spinning round and round landing somewhere we never thought we would be. We have unexpectedly had to put on masks, quarantine for months, wash our hands a bazillion times a day, remote work (and school our kids). We have had income and job loss, seen a loved one sick and sometimes die, and well, you know the rest. It has been brutal. It has been lonely. It’s been weird.

And I think it has been a time of scary unknowns. In fact, even as things open up, there are still many unknowns in our life, work, and the world. Do you agree?

Believe me, I completely understand because I have had a time of scary unknowns with a medical journey that was painful, scary, hopeless and lonely. Have you ever heard of MCAS (Mast Cell Activation Syndrome)? It is a rare illness where your mast cells (emergency cells in your body) go haywire when they come in contact with a trigger like dust, mold, bees, grass, chemicals and several foods. As the mast cells, which hold over 200 chemicals including histamine, heparin, hormones and more, dump into the system they create chaos in every area of the body including reactions such as flushing, itching with rashes, erratic gastro issues, swelling of mouth, and throat, vomiting, feeling like passing out, and even anaphylaxis.

Actually it can present itself in 1,000 unique ways and is different for each person, but it also changes and that makes is impossible.

In my case, even many foods would make my mast cells flip a switch, and at one point, I could only eat 20 foods that had to be low histamine and cleaned from pesticides. "Would you eat a strawberry if you knew you would feel like you had the worse case of the flu ever?" Nope, probably not. Here is what one bite of chocolate did to me. Yikes, so much swelling that I had several chins. That is why avoidance is key to managing this illness. High dose antihistamines and other meds help reduce the length of the symptoms and intensity too.

One bite of chocolate gave me several chins! #notmodelready

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Photo: Author Submitted.

BP, swelling in tissues and joints, pain and more pain, headache, blurry vision, swollen eyes, runny nose,

Sometimes the scary unknowns made things difficult too. Just like right in this pandemic, I didn’t know what the future held (actually none of us does). My brother would keep reminding me that right now there is no cure YET! Ironically, it is just like Covid-19 in that way. For MCASers, it is an illness that you manage. I managed it with 8-10 antihistamines a day (240-300 monthly), supplements, clean water, food and air, and avoidance. Others manage it with additional medicines and even chemo.

With the mast cells going crazy, comes severe brain fog. I knew something was wrong when I found myself in another city on the way home and had to GPS my way back home. This confusion made it hard to function some days. It was hard to think, work, live or plan my life. Even walking became difficult. On those awful days of horrific pain in every part of my body, I had to choose joy. That was the ONLY option!

The days were not always easy. There were hard things like being alone a lot, continually monitoring everything because I never knew what I would react to. For instance, one day I wasn't reactive to avocado, the next day my throat started itching and closing in and meds to the rescue!

Photos: Author Submitted

Being able to go to dinner or coffee was out of the question because I couldn’t wear a mask in the restaurant and eat very well, could I? In my case, I couldn’t take the respirator off without getting horrible sick. That means I had to bring all my meals everywhere I went. That is hard to do when leftovers made me sick. And to keep my mast cells from going haywire, I could not eat food that has been sitting out as that would make me react as well. So, I would eat a low histamine diet (some fresh fruits and veggies and some meat—but nothing from a can and no leftovers). In the picture below, I was at a fundraising gala I where could not eat the meal and would leave the building to drink water every 30 minutes. It was tough to choose joy that day, but I did!

The pain, oh the pain--that was hard to deal with too as it was so severe that I become bedridden at times. A reaction could be from literally anything and when it hit, I would swell (10 lbs. usually) as my veins would push fluid from them out to my tissues. This made me feel like I had a severe case of the flu, the kind where you can't walk, talk, or eat. Oh yeah, and I would start to pass out and had to lie down.

Yep, I had to wear a mask too. I guess I could say I was a mask trendsetter sporting many masks before the rest of the world joined me with Covid-19. It was a necessary and valuable form of protection from scents, mold, dust, and chemicals.

This rare, hopeless, and painful condition doesn’t get better but lightens up for a time only to hit you the next time you “hyper react” to something. I remember lying on the floor crying out to God for healing. I remember praying, repenting, trying to breathe. It was brutal. Losing the dream of life and the many “nevers” that I would miss were just as painful on the inside as the pain I was experiencing on the outside.

During my illness, I decided to choose joy when life was hard and wait on God in the storm. I even claimed the motto, “IChooseJoy2Day. I had to; I had no other option.

#IChooseJoyWhenLifeIsHard This is me! YEP, for almost a year I had to wear a mask everywhere I went except outside, in my car, and in my home. I used four kinds of masks. A medical mask, the kind that nurses wear, that helps with perfume and other chemical scents; a cloth-like medical mask that also helps with dust, animal dander and scents; a white disposable construction mask for a few minutes in a moldy or musty bathroom or building; and a many buildings have had water damage with mildew and mold or are old and dusty, such as a school auditorium with old curtains.

# IChoosePink The respirator only comes in 'obnoxious pink' or 'robber lookalike'; I chose the pink! Why? Because I go into banks and I don't want to land in jail because my mast cells scream ‘alarm’ and go into degranulation mode.

I will say there were times when I walked into a bank and saw their immediate surprise, dare I say alarm, on the faces of the bank tellers.

That is the reason I purposely held my debit card in one hand and my car key in the other. I would hold my hands up and state as clearly as I could from inside the mask, "I have environmental reactions and that is why I wear this mask." After a glance my way to verify my actions, I was cleared with a nod since most bandits don't wear 'Pepto-Bismol' pink masks for a holdup! #IChooseJOY- It is a choice. While I admit that I don't always want to choose joy, I had to. I had no other option or I would become depressed in the pain, discouragement about the loss of my future, and the inability to cope with the trials of that day. And I am thankful that God's word was such an encouragement to me as well. Here are some verses that helped me cope:

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Photo: Author Submitted.

high-grade mold respirator that is 95% effective for mold remediation. I use that in most buildings because

Rom 15:13 (NLT) I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As you can see from the verse above, we need to trust Him (even when we do not understand what He is doing!), and then there will be a result of joy and confident hope from the power of the Holy Spirit. It's true. On the arduous days when I said, “iChoose joy,” I ended up with an overflowing of confident hope, even in the unknowns.

Here are a couple more verses that stretched me:

James 1:2-4 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Yep, my faith sure was tested; yep, my endurance was growing; yep, I was (and still am) learning to trust God in a whole new way on a completely different level--all true.

How about you? Where are you in your joy journey? Is the current pandemic circumstances weighing you down? If so, join with me in a I choose prayer of Joy:

Dear "God, I choose joy! Even though I have no idea what is happening around me or understand what you are doing, I know I can trust you. I give everything to you. Help me see this trial as an opportunity to grow and not to get bogged down in the circumstances. Help me rejoice in you and the trial and let me overflow with confident hope!"

Amen!

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How I Learned to Manage my Emotions BY:LATARA VENISE

For many years, my thoughts lay in a jumble pile and it was hard to sort through the processes in my mind. It took many years for me to understand that thinking effectively for clarity and sanity involved separating our thoughts. I know it seems strange but as I have said and will say often, it is necessary if you desire to attain any kind of success in life.

This all changed for me one day while I was reading a magazine. I read an article about gaining clarity of thought, and after some studying of my own, I learned that there are four main areas of thought we sort through daily.

These are faith and spirit, wealth and career, health and self-care, and relationships and love. If you consider it for a moment, you will see that there are no other areas we can really consider each day. We are propelled by the thoughts that come up in each of these areas. The problem for many of us is, we confuse the thought process by thinking about these areas in a jumbled and confused way. We do it all the time. At least I know I did it all the time. Sometimes I still do.

Coming out of my depression, I found that it was important to separate the thoughts first and then cohesively integrate them into effective clear thoughts. Otherwise, you have an enormous mess, and sorting it all out can be a tough feat.

That just does not work for productive living. I should know because I am the one who suffered for over 11 years with a debilitating disease called depression which led to other issues like anxiety.

My thinking caused me to assume and perceive so many things that were just off-kilter and crazy.

If a man was not cheating on me, then one of my friends was jealous of me or she was trying to get back at me for something I likely caused because of my warped thinking patterns.

It is why I can say to this day that I really do not have any childhood friends who I can go hang out with or call my best friends. For many years it hurt, but I have learned to live with it because it is a residual of a soul not colored and life not truly lived.

It was hard becoming an adult and seeing people leave me because of me. I struggle for many years with feelings of abandonment, rejection, and loneliness. I think this is why I jumped into the relationship I did. It was for me a way of escape from the pain of very few people wanting to be around me. The only thing is that I jumped from the frying pan to the fire and it burned something fierce. It was one of the most horrible experiences ever in my life. I was even more abandoned, rejected, and lonely because I would not conform to what he thought I should be. It was a horrible place to be, and it resulted from immature emotional control and thinking that got me there.

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So I work daily to correct my thinking and do the work necessary to keep my thoughts integrated and not jumbled. I stay sane that way. I realized that insanity for some results from confused thinking that leads to false perceptions. These perceptions become a part of your daily existence and before you know it, they almost swallow you whole. You wake up one day and realize that you do not understand who you are and how you got to the place you are in.

Where do you need to make some changes?

Where do you see growth? What needs to go?

What needs to stay?

Doing this exercise, which I call “Quadrant of Thought” is not the final answer to healing but it is a start. Healing takes work. Are you willing?

Then get started with sorting through your thoughts.

Love and Relationship

Faith and Spirit

Health and Wellness

Wealth and finance

Here’s a simple exercise to help you sort your clutter.

Take a piece of paper and fold so you have four squares. Give each square one of these titles: Love and Relationship, Faith and Spirit, Health and Wellness, Wealth and Career. Once you have done that, say a prayer asking the Holy Spirit to help you brainstorm ALL the mess in your mind for each area. Once you have completed the brain-dump, look for patterns and similarities for thinking. What’s healthy? What’s not so healthy?

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