The Love Issue-February 2020.

The Love Issue

FEBRUARY 2020

The Everyday Crown Rocker To be Loved & to Love

Love is in the Air

The Greatest of These is Love

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CONTENTS 04

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10 13 02 04 07 10 13 15

Editor's Letter When Sugar is Love My Heart in Your Hands Becoming a Person of Love Why Love Needs Emotional Intelligence Seeking my First Love...Me

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Love the Skin you are In Type A Love Tap into the Source Protect Your Loved Ones

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editor's note Wow here we are again, no sooner than the Christmas issue was out the door am I sitting down again writing my introduction to first issue of 2020.

This issue is all about love. I was inspired by the idea that the greatest commission we were given is love.

Everything else builds from this place. We are to seek God first and then we are to love others as we love ourselves.

The loving myself part has been difficult this month as I have been condemning myself for past failures and past mistakes. I have been camping out in fear of the future, feeling trapped by my past. But my God is faithful and He has been working in me to renew not only my mind, but my heart too!

It has been a process of learning that I am loved and that the greatness of that love, allows me to find forgiveness for my mistakes. It is from the incredible love of Christ that there is no condemnation and from where we are redeemed.

It is my prayer that you not only know God's love, but that you experience it on a heart level too!

From this Crown Rocker's heart to yours...

Jasmine Tosseth-Smith Editor in Chief T H E

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r a g is Love u S When

By: THERESA HORNE T H E

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Commercial marketing is sending signals that February is the month of Love. When we walk through the local grocery store it looks like love means sweets.

Even if you aren’t normally tempted by sweet treats, February with its chocolate kisses, red hots, pink frosted cupcakes and heart-shaped candy on every corner can be a struggle.

However, we are overcomers so let’s come up with a plan of attack!

1. Plan Ahead One of the things we like about sugar is the instant energy rush.

This is real. Foods high in added sugar quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to increased energy. Because these sugars are what we refer to as empty calories, or food that has no nutritional value they also cause us to crash. The crashing feeling leads us to seek more carbs in an effort to avoid the horrible crash. Instead of getting into the carb-crash cycle, why not plan ahead and carry your own energy-packed snacks.

My suggestion is to carry a small cooler pouch in your purse or the car with power snacks such as Greek yogurt, Baby Bells, cheese sticks, P3’s, Sargento’s bites or your own homemade version of those snacks.

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2. Get Outside Go for a walk outside! Exercise + sunlight = more energy. Plus, changing your scenery can shift your perspective. Vitamin D is called the sunshine vitamin and the way our bodies get Vitamin D is by sunlight. As a Michigan resident, I know for some climates time outside is easier said than done, but the benefits of time outside are clear. Layer up and get it in.

3. Stay Hydrated Being dehydrated can make you feel tired, cranky and bring on the sugar cravings. Make sure you’re drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water each and every day!

4. Try something new If you know February is going to bring on the temptations why not use those extra triggers to propel you into a new hobby. Have you wanted to learn new hobbies such as crochet, gardening or reading a new book? Now might just be the time to give it a try.

Get your supplies together and every time you are tempted by sugar direct that energy toward your new hobby. Let the sugar craving become a “read my book” trigger, or “time to crochet” trigger. Pretty soon you will have a new habit to replace the old one.

5. Make a healthy swap

Nobody says you have to cut sweets completely from your diet.

We simply want to get out sweets from food in its natural state.

Fruit is naturally sweet. Let’s eat that! And if you want to bake something sweet why not use fruit as the sweetener. Did you know in many recipes you can swap unsweetened applesauce or very ripe bananas in place of sugar? Pinterest is full of recipes for sweet treats that use fruit as the sweetener and came be a great alternative if you need a sweet treat. Let me know if you try one.

I would love to hear what you think at: sisterhoodofstrong@gmail.com

February is the commercial month of love but we know that greatest Love comes from God. May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

1 Thessalonians 5:23- 24 And we don’t need chocolate for that!

Theresa offers a variety services, including a complete coaching package: Strong Body, Mind and Soul, small group training, group classes, and her online Healthy Lifestyle Bootcamp. She is also available as speaker/teacher for workshops and training on a variety of vision development and health-related topics. Follow: https://www.facebook.com/sisterhoodofstrong/ and https://www.instagram.com/sisterhoodofstrong/

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MY HEART IN YOUR HANDS: Showing Love Through the Stages of Parenthood

By: KELLY RAMSEY T H E

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Kelly Ramsey, 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

This month we are using the topic of love to draw from the deepest parts of our soul. Our heart represents many things in our life. The life source that keeps beating and brings us to life day by day, moment by moment. It is the source of our feelings and emotions which bring us to action or conviction. The heart is a living breathing organism that takes in all that we say, do, and hold dear.

The heart pumps blood and oxygen and registers every feeling that surges through our body. For me, the greatest reality of my heart and what it means to give love was when I held my firstborn son in my arms after giving birth. I felt so vulnerable and yet fully alive and engaged with this life that was within and now had broken forth the daylight, and lay still in my hands looking at me, as I was looking at him.

This is what they meant when they said, Love is holding your child in your hands and understanding that you have the capacity to love this being with all you have and nothing will ever hurt them or harm them because against all odds I will love and protect them from all.

As a parent, I embodied so many questions about what my capacity to love was, until I held my son in my arms and it answered every question I would ever have. My first question was do I have the capacity to nurture this soul and care for him? The next question I asked or stated, was how is it possible to love him so much? Both questions yield to the demonstration of love in action. We know that the greatest of all gifts is love.

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I Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us the script of what love looks like: Love is patient and kind.

Love does not envy or boast.

It is not arrogant or rude.

It does not insist on its own way It is not irritable or resentful It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never ends……

The love of a parent for a child is never-ending and the greatest example of the love of our God to the world.

As we cultivate our love walk with our children here are simple ways at each stage to show love to your child.

By showing love, you will experience a reciprocal love from your child.

PRENATAL

INFANCY

Sit and dream about what life will be like after your

Make the most of every moment. Take time to sit and

baby arrives. Create a love letter to read to your child

linger as you feed your baby. Breathe deeply as you

to tell them how you’ve been waiting for them and

rock your baby to sleep, taking in all of their love for

what they mean to you.

you.

TODDLERS

PRESCHOOLERS

As your toddler is scouting new things and busy all

The exchange of love notes and hand-drawn pictures

around, take in the moments that they are still and

show your child how to illustrate their love. A simple

sleeping and watch them sleep. Take in the cuteness

heart and I love you in their lunch or snack bag will

and let your love shine through, waiting for the next

brighten up your child’s day.

quiet moment to emerge.

SCHOOL AGE

TEENAGERS

One of our favorite things is to put words to how much

Love is demonstrated in time spent. Take the moments

we love. I love you more than the stars, I love you to

as they present themselves and learn to appreciate the

the moon and back, I love you when you snuggle up

unique character of your teen. As a teen, it may

and watch cartoons, and just because share an ice

change often, embrace the developing complicated

cream date.

love they display.

ADULTS Everyone loves to be thought of in simple ways. Write

Love expressed is the greatest gift you

a simple note to express your love, leave a little box of

can give. Demonstrate your love today

trinkets, and wrap a chocolate bar with a note sharing something you appreciate about someone you love.

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and bring joy to someone today!

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Love

Become a Person of

by MIKE DAVIS

It’s February. The Month of Love‌or, at the very least the month we celebrate a specific day of love. Love is so very important to our relationships. I think we can all agree with this. What is also cool to know is this: love or loving others is also a skill that you can learn.

This is something I learned when I was sixteen years old. And it literally changed my life and is one of the main reasons I have been married to the same woman for the past 31 years.

What is the key to love? I could site many things that can help us to live more fully and effectively (I will cover these in future articles, Lord willing). But if there is one thing that I know is crucial to love others it is that you become a person of love. That you become someone who lives and embodies love. How do you do that? I am glad you asked. Let me share with you three steps I have used to become more loving - a person of love.

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Step #1 The Decision The first step to becoming a person of love is a decision. It is deciding “I will be a person of love -I will be someone who embodies what love is all about.” This is important. Because who you decide to be will determine how you live. It will determine what yo do or don’t do day in and day out. As I like to say “Your Who (who you are, your sense of identity) determines your Do. If you want to be a person of love make the decision "From this point on I am a person of love, this is who I am and how I live.” It is the first step, a simple step but a most important and profound step. Everything else is built on this.

Step#2 The Commitment The second step in becoming a person of love is to commit to loving. It is another decision that is the second foundational stone in loving others. It is the decision/commitment that you will love, even if no one else around you ever does. It is deciding that you will not allow the behavior of others to determine whether you will love or not. This is taking 100% responsibility for loving others - and not making others or their behavior responsible for your loving them. What this does is effectively remove any excuse for not loving others or being a person of love. And while at times it can be challenging it is also very liberating. This is a commitment you make to yourself and before God “I commit to loving others even if no one else around me ever loves. If everyone else chooses not to love -I will still love” Why? Because of step #1: You are a person of love -it is who you are. Your commitment now reflects and is an expression of your identity, who you are.

Step #3 The Practice Love or loving others well is, as I stated above a skill. And to become good at any skill you need to practice it. This is no different for love. To love well we need to practice loving others well.

Now most skills need to be practiced in private before we apply or seek to demonstrate the skill in public. How do you practice the skill of loving others in private? Through the use of the imagination or mental rehearsal. In Philippians 4:8 we are read “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything I”s excellent or praiseworthy—think about/meditate on such things.” Philippians tells us to think on or meditate upon virtues. Why? Because biblically speaking meditation is how you make virtue your own. The word for “meditate” in Greek means to contemplate or think about something in such a way as to make it your own. We can do this (and must do this) with the virtue of love. Here is one way of doing this that I began practicing as a sixteen-year-old.

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Take the famous love passage I Corinthians 13:5-8 and personalize it. For instance, where it says “Love is patient and is kind� I would personalize it and say “I patient and I am kind�.

I personalized verses 5-8 in this manner. And I would literally walk the floor of my bedroom and quote that to myself over and over (see Joshua 1:8). I did this on a daily basis. And it began to change the way I thought of myself and how I related to others. I assimilated into my thinking and my mind became renewed to a new reality “I am a person of love who is patient, kind, who envies not, who believes the best of others‌â€? and so on. By meditating on the virtue of love and its qualities in this way you make that virtue and those qualities a part of your thinking and decision making. It guides your thoughts, actions, and behaviors. Or as I like to say “What you focus on you follow afterâ€?

Loving others is easier (not necessarily easy -but easier) when our sense of who we are is lovebased and love shaped. Use the steps above to help you begin to become the person of love for whom loving others is a way of being and moving in the world. You will be glad you did. And so will those you love (well, most of them anyway đ&#x;˜‰ )

Until next month -Love.

Mike Davis, also known as “The Emotional Success Coachâ€?, is an author, speaker, corporate trainer and pastor. 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 Emotionsâ€? and “Tapping Into Your Emotional Success Power Now!â€? and the Amazon.com paperback bestseller “The Power of Emotional Success‌Now!â€?

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WHY LOVE NEEDS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

BY: LATARA VENISE

For many love is an emotion. The truth is that love is an action word. It is something we do; not something we feel. It takes work to love people as God does – unconditionally. The difference between us and God is that He loves with what we call, emotional intelligence.

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What is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?

Four reasons why EI is key to loving effectively.

Emotional Intelligence is the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

1. Emotional intelligence helps to form closer interpersonal relationships. Because they are more likely to understand emotional and social cues, people who have a higher EI, are able to form strong relationships with other people outside their family environment.

2. People with emotional intelligence can fit in with more groups. Due to being able to regulate their own emotions in a healthy manner and being able to judge how others may feel about something, People who are emotionally intelligent work well in group and team settings. They often end up as leaders, but also know how to let others lead.

3. Emotionally intelligent people manage stress better.

Because they are aware of their emotional level and feelings, people with high EI know when to take downtime so that they can manage their stress. Life is full of stress, and people who are emotionally intelligent know how to notice it before it gets too far, and they take time to take care of themselves.

4. When someone is emotionally intelligent, they are more likely to show others empathy. People with high EI can read facial and body cues of other people and can also put themselves in the shoes of others, even if they’ve never experienced a certain event.

Consider this story. For many years Scott’s parents hoped he would score highly on IQ tests.

Their assumption was that people with a high IQ did better in life. They wanted the best for Scotty but he never got that high score. However, Scott was a great friend from the time he was a boy into manhood. He loved people for who they were, did not judge, and made himself available when he was able. His parents noticed that he seldom stressed out and was usually able to stay in control when situations seemed to be emotionally driven.

Studies have shown that high IQ isn’t really a good indicator of future success. It’s only an indicator of potential. The missing piece of the puzzle is the emotional intelligence quotient, or EI. Emotional intelligence is a skill that you need to improve your communication with others. This is what Scott had.

None of these things require a high IQ. You can have an average IQ but a high EI and still be super successful in life, perhaps more successful than someone with a super high IQ. If you desire to love better, stop being so emotional and learn how to act and be different. The mandate to love your neighbor as yourself requires the ability to be emotionally intelligent. The great thing is that emotional intelligence can be improved upon, learned and taught.

Go LOVE well!

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. 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/coloryoursoulInstagram - www.instagram.com/coloryoursoulig

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Me

Seeking my next love...

BY: NIKKI JACKSON T H E

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This is the time of the year where love is overflowing all around you. When you go to the store, walk in the restaurants or even visit your family, love is in the air. This time can be full of bliss and excitement, but sometimes it simply is not. Why? Simply because we have been through some things from loss, failed relationships and unqualified love candidates. This can take a toll and we wish February would hurry up and leave so we can get to the springtime, where relationships are not talked about as much.

This year, I think your February can be one to remember.

Sometimes we get caught up in the love we are not receiving from loved ones, flings, or friends. This season it’s always good to be thinking about the love you have for yourself.

Self-love is of high importance for your life and to the Lord.

Without love for you, you can’t love another person and you will have a hard time receiving love from others.

The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

No other commandment is greater than these.”

Mark 12:31

Have you ever seen someone get a compliment and immediately start disagreeing or brushing off the compliment? I admit I have been one to do it too. That was a red flag about my confidence and love for myself. I couldn’t believe that something about me was worthy of a compliment. I was full of self- hatred and the thought of love for myself didn’t exist. Yes, you guessed it February was also rough for me. I realize it didn’t have to always be rough. I had the power in me to change my thoughts and love on me. It was a process, but I went through it and still go through it.

This year I want you to really love yourself. Maybe you already do but there is always space to level up the love you have for you. In the word it, the description of love is given by Paul in 1 Corinthians:

Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. 5 It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. 6 It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. 7 Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].”

AMP 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

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The first step in my process was learning the love that God was referring to. The love that I thought was different. I had to go through and see where I was. Am I patient? Am I kind? Do I persevere? I went through all of these and evaluated myself. The areas I needed help in I prayed about. I asked God to help me. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I began the process of loving me for me. God started to reveal where the true healing needed to occur and how I could get to it.

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The second step to this process is something I would call training. I did things that increased my patience with myself. I gave myself room to make mistakes. I encouraged myself more. All the things I was looking for from my mother or my fiancé at the time, I found it through God and was giving it to myself. I found myself excited to work on a goal for myself. It felt better when I did my hair or makeup. I wasn’t doing it for anybody but me. I started to forgive more because I forgave myself for all the things that I allowed into my life. God started to reshape and prune me. I truly became new in Christ.

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The final step to loving myself is to stay consistent in the process. I started speaking life over myself. I spoke affirmations and scriptures into my spirit.

Then this love overflowed into my relationships with other people. I loved them like I loved me. I could show the love of God, which is loving without condition. Even when things hurt or didn’t go the way I planned; I could still show myself that I was worthy of true love.

I know you may read this and think well, it can’t be that simple. You are right It isn’t. These things take time. In order to change you have to accept where you are and who you are in Christ. We have to come out of agreement with the expectations of others. We deserve the love that God has for us and we should definitely give it to ourselves.

This will be the only way we can keep the first and greatest command which is to love.

That includes you.

Nikki J. is an author, speaker and HIV advocate. While in college she went to a local clinic, and received the devastating news that she had contracted Human Immunodeficiency Virus. After receiving this news, she decided to get educated on the disease and seek out services. Nikki J. is on a mission to educate women around the world via the internet and through community events about the stigma associated with HIV as well as many other complications like mental illness. She is collaborating efforts with other community organizations including the Iknowawareness, LLC., and Positive Women’s Network, in order to accomplish her goals. She has published one book entitled Life After HIV: Removing the Mask which details her life story.

She is a member of the Metropolitan HIV services Planning Council, Fulton County Planning Council, Gilead Advocate Network and a blogger for the Girl Like Me Blog through the Well Project.

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LOVE THE SKIN YOU ARE IN By: AIMEE EBERT

As a wife and mom to four kids I understand that life can get crazy, but I believe in finding beauty and grace in the chaos. Like so many women, I spent years unhappy with how I looked. The feelings of not being good enough trickled into every aspect of my life, until one day I decided it was enough. I started taking care of the body God gave me and slowly began to realize how amazing it is, flaws and all. But above all, my purpose is helping women find their worth and identity in Christ, as daughters of the King Most High, so they can love themselves like Jesus loves them.

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Navigating the skincare world can be a very confusing place, but don’t worry! I’ve got your back… and your face! Did you know that you should apply your skincare in specific steps in order for them to absorb correctly?

Always go from thinnest to thickest. If you try to apply a thin serum after you moisturize the bigger molecules of the moisturizer will block the smaller molecules of your serums and you are essentially throwing your money down the drain.

CLEANSING ALWAYS COMES FIRST, NO MATTER WHAT, BUT AFTER THAT HERE ARE THE STEPS TO GETTING YOUR HEALTHY SKIN GLOW ON! Exfoliate: It’s super important to exfoliate so that your skin can soak up all the goodness you are going to put on it. You need to slough off all the dead skin and expose the new healthy skin so that you aren’t moisturizing the dead stuff.

You should be exfoliating both your body and your face, but did you know you shouldn’t use the same products? The skin on your body is so much tougher than on your face so you can afford to be a little more aggressive when it comes to the type of product used as the exfoliant. Walnut shells make an excellent exfoliant for your body.

The skin on your face is much thinner and using something too rough, like walnut shells, can make microscopic tears in your skin. This can lead to irritation, inflammation, redness, and even infections and acne. Look for something with a smoother exfoliant like jojoba beads or perlite.

Making your own sugar scrub with 1 part olive or coconut oil to 1 part sugar is safe for both face and body, but if you aren’t all about that DIY life you can check out my favorite one for body here and for face here.

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Serums: After exfoliating your skin is ready to accept all the nutrients and goodness that comes next! Now is the time to apply your serums for tightening, toning, brightening, and anti-aging. I recommend these natural serums. Together they are a powerhouse for that youthful, healthy glow! Serums are generally talked about more for the face, but you can use them on your body as well for tightening skin and reducing the appearance of scars and stretch marks.

Moisturize: The next step is moisturizing. This step is what actually adds moisture to your skin. I like to stick with natural products that moisturize but also allow your skin to breathe. Try to stay away from products with mineral oil or petroleum based products. They may feel like a protective barrier, but they are suffocating your skin and can make skin issues worse. For the body I love this moisturizer or this one. Your face moisturizer will really depend on what type of skin you have. For dry or mature skin look for something that hydrates and holds onto water like this one. For Oily or acne prone skin you’ll want a lighter moisturizer, I know it’s counter-intuitive to skip this step if you have oily skin, but don’t do it! You may end up with even more shine as your skin produces more oils to make up for the imbalance of hydration in your skin.

Oils: The last step to your routine is going to be to lock in all yummy goodness you just put on your skin. If you’re not doing adding oils to your skincare routine you are missing out on so much! Oils help dry skin stay moisturized, damaged skin heal, reduce inflammation in sensitive skin, help oily skin produce less oil and even treat acne!

These three oils are good choices for almost any skin type.

Marula Oil: This is one of my favorite oils because of its many great properties! It absorbs easily and it’s non-greasy making it great for oily skin. It’s antibacterial properties may be beneficial for acne-prone skin. It’s soothing and can help reduce irritation of itching and dryness from eczema and psoriasis. And it’s chocked full of antioxidants, fatty acids, and amino acids which make it a perfect choice for mature or damaged skin.

Sunflower Oil: Sunflower oil is another great one that many skin types can use. It contains fatty acids, Vitamin E, and antioxidants that can heal and soothe damaged skin, promote elasticity, and increase production on new skin cells!

Argan Oil: Similar to both Marula and Sunflower oils, argan oil is a powerhouse for improving elasticity and softness of the skin, heal damaged skin, reduce breakouts, and control oil production.

I hope these tips help you get the most beautiful, glowing skin you’ve ever had in your life!

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Type A Love By:Autumn Hoover

In my book, Type A Christian, I discuss infamous

life circumstances that provoke anger in both

‘Type A’ traits and how they are opposite to the

Christians and non-believers.

nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. One thing is true, those who consider themselves

The Bible warns us that even God is angered by

Type A’s are passionate about all of their

those who deliberately disobey Him as He

emotions. We love hard and work hard, but one

disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6). If you

common trait in those with Type A personalities

are Type A, you probably dislike being corrected

is the ability to become easily angered, especially

as we never like to be told we are wrong, but

when we are reprimanded. While the book of

thankfully, God is forgiving and loves us despite

Corinthians describes love as both patient and

our sinful nature. And even though I still fight to

kind, Paul also writes that love should not be

get my way at times, I find comfort in knowing

easily angered. While there are several types of

that God provided me with a family who also

love defined in the Bible, there are unforeseen

molded me through loving discipline.

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My dad was born in 1958. He grew up in a time that was simple yet very different than I faced when growing up in the 80s. At the young age of nine, my dad had his first paper route and bicycled his way through neighborhoods that were not the safest. Children had to grow up quickly and were not coddled as much as our current generation. I was only nine-months-old when his dad (my grandfather) passed away, but he was a former navy officer and always showed “tough love” to my dad, which meant there were certain expectations in regards to my dad’s behavior. He didn’t always meet the demands set by his militant father, and at times he rebelled. Whether it was skipping school or socializing with a bad crowd, there was always one constant—he always had the love of his parents, even when he failed to obey.

Later in my childhood, my parents were more protective of my brother and I but continued to display tough love. We also faced expectations in regards to behavior as well as certain obligations around the house (i.e. chores)—much more than most kids today. We were always taught, “Don’t speak unless spoken to,” and questioning of authority was always answered with “Because I said so!” Much like his father, my dad demanded obedience and was quick to anger when we strayed from the rules. And while my brother and I didn’t appreciate discipline at the time, we always knew his instruction was based on love. Thankfully, my brother and I were often rewarded with trips to the local bakery or even gifted with the newest Nintendo game when we complied.

I will never forget one time I was riding my bicycle and attempted a “wheelie” in the carport and unfortunately crashed into some sheetrock that was laying against the wall. I instantly knew that I would be punished and cried to my mom explaining what had happened. I could already hear my dad’s voice in my head saying, “How could you do that, this was expensive, and why were you riding in the carport?” After emotionally punishing myself, my dad finally came home after work and explained to me that the sheetrock was actually waste from a recent job. Wait, what? I had spent the better part of the day imagining how long I would be grounded from talking to my friends, and my dad lovingly forgave me! To this day, I don’t know if he was lying because my mom told him I had already punished myself through worry, but either way, I learned that no matter when I messed up, I would always have their love and forgiveness.

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Fast-forward to my role as a parent, my husband and I were blessed to have a daughter after years of struggling to conceive. We never take her for granted, but we are probably even more protective of her than our parents were with us. Once you have faced the risk of never having children, we have always strived to do our best to protect God’s special gift he entrusted to us. We often joke about our defensive parenting style in that our daughter wants for nothing, but we also understand that is not the correct approach for raising a child to be an independent Christian adult. I frequently lose my temper with her, mostly because we share many Type A traits, but at the end of any chastisement, I always tell her how much I love her and the reasoning for correction. We have always taught her that God requires us to discipline her through love.

And because I know she will model my behavior someday when she becomes a mother, I am trying to learn how to control my anger when her behavior is defiant.

The one similarity in our three generations is that our families have always been followers of Christ.

Although my grandfather was quick to discipline my dad, he ensured church was a priority.

In the same way, my parents also encouraged not only attending church but also ‘being’ the church. We were always taught to love God first and then love others as commanded by Jesus (Mark 12:30-31). I consistently saw my parents take food to those who were ill or helping out a neighbor in a time of need just as they had witnessed their parents do the same.

My parents taught us to love everyone no matter the color of their skin, the brand of their blue jeans, or the make of their car.

I try to imitate my parents in teaching our daughter to love all of God’s people, even those who do not accept or return that same love.

Photo Credit: Autumn Hoover

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The book of Luke tells us to “love [our] enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and [our] reward will be great…” (6:35). While our eleven-year-old daughter understands the need to be bold in her faith, she has had trouble in understanding why some of her friends are already making poor choices. This is often a conversation we have with her in explaining how to love the person and not the sin, which is why we stress tough love when she disobeys and has to endure consequences.

As a parent I always want to share the ‘why’ with my daughter in regards to discipline as well as showing Christ-like love and forgiveness to others—but instead of saying, “Because I said so,” I have learned to answer “Because God says so.”

Photo Credit (All photos): Autumn Hoover 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 T H E

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TAP INTO THE SOURCE AND RELEASE HEAVEN

by CHRISTINA KIMBALL I don't know about you, but quite often when I hear the word “love” I think of the theme song from the 80’s show, The Love Boat. “Love, exciting and new. Come aboard. We’re expecting you and love, life’s sweetest reward. Let it flow. It floats back to you”.

Love is really where it’s at for every part of our lives. Including in our actions, through our communications, and even live streaming.

In the last week of January, I led a My Confident Live Stream 5-Day Challenge. One of the most important parts of a successful, impactful live stream is partnering with God (God is love) beforehand. I call it Setting The Atmosphere. You see, when we partner with Holy Spirit we receive wisdom and guidance in what to include in our live streams. We can tap into the heart of the Father and specifically ask Him what's on His heart for those who are going to be viewing this live stream. What's on His heart for those who will be engaging with the live stream or watching the replay? When we do that, we are connecting to Love. We are gaining an understanding of how to love those who are engaging with our live stream.

I was reading Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell and in the book he includes a list of questions he asks himself before going into round-table meetings. One of the questions is "How do they want to feel when we conclude?" What if we asked the Holy Spirit how our Father wants people to feel after interactions with us? What if before we call/have a meeting/send an email/record a video/go live with or for that client, prospective client, vendor, friend or family member that we paused and sought the Father's heart first? What if we tapped into love with an increased awareness of what the Source of love wants to release through us? What transformation would happen!

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We would be transformed as we gain the perspective of heaven. Who we interact with would experience the kingdom. Our legacy would be that we are releasers of heaven! Everything changes when we partner with God and continually go to greater depths of understanding of how deep and wide His love truly is. Real love transforms.

Real love builds up. Real love brings freedom. Real love seeks the best for others.

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When we seek the Father’s heart before interacting with others, before creating content, before speaking, we don’t have to worry about what we will say or what to write or type. The message is literally from heaven! When we lean on Wisdom and tap into Love we can trust that the recipient will experience heaven on earth.

God is our source for everything. God is love. When we seek His heart and His way of doing and saying things and we do that, we release it, we are bringing His kingdom to earth. His kingdom comes. His will is done. Tapping into the Source of love enables us to release heaven in a very practical way.

I hope this message encourages you to connect with clients and others in a deeper, more meaningful way. I hope it encourages you to tap into the source before (and during) every interaction with clients whether it is over the phone, Zoom, email, social media, video, texting or live stream. When we have even a partial understanding of what Love desires to impart, we release heaven and glorify God through our interactions. Our light shines bright!

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Will you tap into the Source and release heaven through the work that you do today?

I am passionate about providing the platform and support for kingdom driven leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs, and those who desire to be, 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 - support others in being Holy Spirit-led and partnering with God to do something absolutely AMAZING for humanity! I am all about partnering with God in business and life. It's the key to an abundantly prosperous life.Website www.kingdomcomemovement.comFacebook www.facebook.com/kingdomcomemovementInstagram www.instagram.com/byupublishing

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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. 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.

PROTECT YOUR LOVED ONES BY PREPARING FOR THE UNEXPECTED By: BRANDON GALICI T H E

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From the title of this article, one may be asking how they can prepare for the unexpected. While we never know exactly what the future holds, we can do our best to plan for it and ensure that our loved ones are protected.

DEVELOP AN EMERGENCY FUND According to a Bankrate survey, only 40% of people could pay out of pocket for a $1,000 emergency. The majority would be forced to put that expense on a credit card which only pushes us further from our financial goals.

While we never know when a major car repair will occur or when a hot water tank will stop working, the best way to prepare for “life happening” is to set money aside in an emergency fund. I suggest starting with at least $1,000 in a separate savings account. This way money is not commingled in one checking account but instead has a well- defined purpose. The end goal is to have three to six months’ worth of living expenses in an emergency fund. When, not if an emergency arises, you will be able to use these funds to cover the expense. Be sure to refill your account as you use it to maintain your three to six months of expenses.

PURCHASE (TERM) LIFE INSURANCE It’s necessary to consider life insurance if someone financially depends on you, such as your spouse and kids. There are several types of life insurance available, but I want to focus on Term Life Insurance because I believe that it is the right policy for most people due to its cost-effectiveness.

The reason it is most affordable is that you only pay for insurance as it does not have an investment or cash value component.

You generally will pay a monthly premium over the course of a specified time period (usually 10-30 years). If you were to pass away during this term, your beneficiary (chosen by you) will receive a benefit that is selected when you purchase the policy. If you are able to afford the premiums, a common rule is to buy a policy with a benefit ten times your earnings. For example, if you make $50,000 per year, you would purchase a $500,000 policy. This would provide income to your loved ones and potentially pay off debt during the grieving process and allow them time to adjust to their new situation.

LASTLY...

Protecting our loved ones is a great responsibility. I hope this provides you with the information that you need to feel confident that your family will be secure even if the unexpected occurs. As always, please reach out to me with any comments or questions you may have.

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