Rosey is a business owner and photographer for Vision of Rose Photography which was founded in January of 2013. She is the Senior Editor, Photographer and Designer of weSPARKLE magazine.
Annet has been a supporter and original member of Women Ablaze International Ministries since the beginning. She is Assistant Editor of weSPARKLE magazine, as well as a writer and transcriber.
Maria is a business coach, the founder of Chevelle & Co. as well as an author of Unbreakable Destiny. She is featured in the October issue of weSPARKLE magazine. She will be a contributor to weSPARKLE magazine.
Veronica owns and operates Tutus for All Boutique in Colonial Heights, VA. She will bring us custom looks for young girls and teens under the Fashion section of weSPARKLE magazine.
Theresa G is our very own celebrity contributor. She was the talk show host for the radio show “Talk Back Live�. Every month she will contribute to weSPARKLE magazine with her wonderful works and words of wisdom under Creative Writing.
Zenita is a Graphic Artist who graduated in May of 2013 and is the owner of Askew Art & Graphic Design. Every month she contributes to the graphic design of weSPARKLE magazine by adding extra flare and SPARKLE to our magazine.
LaShendra is a freelance makeup artist under the name of Luxe La Vie. She also works with Rosey on Glamour + Boudoir sessions for multiple clients. Every month you will get Beauty tips from her as well as peeks at some of her favorite items to use.
Emanuel is a certified personal trainer with American Fitness Professionals & Associates. Every month he will give health tips as well as answer your questions about Health, Nutrition and Fitness for weSPARKLE magazine.
Matthew 5:14-16 You are light for the world. A city cannot be hidden when it is located on a hill. 15. Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
T
his is what We SPARKLE Magazine
is all about;
finding local women that are hidden from the hearts and minds of others, who we consider precious Diamonds that radiate such brilliancy in their lives, that their story should be known and shouted from the house tops. Some of these women have experienced life threatening illnesses, the ups and downs of weight loss and obesity, singleness, the pain of betrayal in their marriage, giving birth to a child that society calls disabled, sexual and domestic abuse. Some will convince us that we can juggle being a house administrator, professional business woman, wife and a mother, proving to us that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” You will be able to get a glimpse into the lives of a Pastor’s wife and the Preachers Kid, through all their struggles you will see how their personal encounter and walk with God brought healing to their broken hearts and restored hope to their shattered dreams. These are the women you will read about, those who have refused to allow their past to dictate their future. Their past, may be your present, their story may be your story, but like them, your mess can become your message and your test can be your testimony as you allow the Son of God who has healing in his wings overshadow you, comfort you, bring light to your darkness, you may also SHINE before men, SPARKLING BRIGHTLY, that others may see and believe in a faithful, loving God and glorify your Father who is in Heaven….
In this issue we featured and highlighted some local Authors, talk to one of my favorite talk show hosts from the past, as well as promote some local businesses and organizations that we feel are Blazing for the Lord! Enjoy!
ounded Oct 2011, By Minister Bianca Thomas, Women Ablaze International Ministries is an InterDenominational Christian Women’s Ministry composed of a Network of Christians from different denominations and backgrounds with like hearts, vision and purpose; which is to Love, lead and empower women, propelling them towards greatness through Jesus Christ.
AIM is committed to helping women from all walks of life, experience the love, healing and delivering power of God. As a team, we are devoted to create a Christian Network of Sisterhood; providing resources to positively influence the women we come in contact with throughout our lives. One of our goals and desires is to have a website that will have inspirational stories, video interviews, products and teaching materials to assist in living a healthy, successful and productive Christian life.
od has given us a great opportunity to expose women to a supportive community with an abundance of love, opportunities and knowledge to assist, inspire and encourage them to walk in faith and confidence, so that they may experience the Greatness of God through our lives, worship and service.
o help women experience the life changing power and presence of a Faithful and loving God; we are committed to encourage personal and spiritual development by working with our organizations as well as creating a loving and welcoming atmosphere in our conferences, workshops, outreach and social events.
e truly believe our efforts will empower women to have healthier family relationships, utilize their gifts and talents for the Kingdom of God, serve in their churches, impact their communities and that women from all walks of life will be able to proclaim boldly, “I am A Women of God, I am Loved,
I am Beautiful. I am Powerful, I am Destined for Greatness & I am Blazing for Lord!!!“
Create the Perfect Fall Look with an Ombre Lip: A: Cailyn Liner – Color: Iron B: NYX Mosaic Blush C: Chella Highlighter Pencil D: Mary Kay Lipstick – Color: Vintage Red E: Benefit Benetint Lip Stain F: BH Cosmetics Waterproof Lip Liner – Color: Rose Red G: It’s So Big Mascara H: BH Cosmetics Gel Eye Shadow – Color: Frost I-L: BH Cosmetics – Neutral Eye Shadow + Blush Pallet To create this look, after applying foundation, apply I to the base of your eye lid and blend outwards. Apply C under your brow line and blend down. Apply J to your eye lid and blend outward. Apply K to the middle part of your eye lid and blend outward. Apply L to the outer part of your eyelid and blend inward. Use A to make a thin line across the lash line of your eye and blend up into your shadow. Use H on the inner part of your eyelid and blend upwards; also apply just underneath your lower lash line. Using E, place 5-6 small dots across your bottom lip and blend into your lips. Line your lips using F then put a coat of D across them. Apply B to your cheeks and blend up to your temples. Apply G on your upper and lower lashes. Using your fingertips, use L to dab lightly into the corners of your mouth to and blend slowly towards the center of your lips. Do not put on the center. Keep applying until you have an ombre (or fade) effect.
very month we will bring you fashion tips as well as outfit ideas to help you create the perfect look! We will bring exclusive looks of custom items that are in style and fashion forward. You will also find images of fashionable people as well as fashion tips
on recreating their eye-catching looks! So keep checking back every month to see what’s in store!
ften times when we buy our little ones a Halloween costume, it’s hard to predict how this flaky Virginia weather is going to be. So this time, we’ve got you covered with ideas to dress up your little one’s costume if
the weather is cooler than expected! Veronica with Tutus for All Boutique shows how you can dress up this adorable Monster’s Inc. costume with a simple black, long sleeved shirt and black tights.
or this month, our fashion tip for October is: “Wearing a blazer makes ANY outfit look more professional.” - Maria Chevelle
o you have a question that you’re not quite comfortable asking your doctor or nutritionist when it deals with your health, exercise, diet or daily eating habits? Well, look no further! “Ask Emanuel” is coming next month! Every month, Emanuel will answer your questions as well as offer tips for health, nutrition, diet and exercise. Without further ado, I present to you, Mr. Emanuel!
B.A. English, CPT (AFPA) Emanuel is a certified personal trainer with American Fitness Professionals & Associates. He is currently employed as a Personal Trainer with the largest fitness company in Richmond, Virginia. Emanuel has been actively involved in fitness for over thirty two years. He has been a certified professional for close to fourteen years.
Emanuel is mostly known for being the inspiration and co-creator of the “Be a Loser” weight loss program at American Family Fitness. Others recognize him for his talent with training Figure competitors for national and international competitions. Some of his work includes nutrition and fitness workshops for the United States Military (Fort Lee, Virginia), Dominion Virginia Power, John Randolph Hospital- HEAT Organization, and District 19.
Emanuel’s clientele ranges from youth to mature life population, athletes to stay at home mothers, and fit to deconditioned populations. He is notorious for creating specialized fitness programs for individuals and groups. He is highly skilled in: corrective exercise, functional fitness, nutrition & calorie plans, weight loss or gain, post rehabilitation, sport/movement specific training, strength training, figure & bikini show preparations, specialized population. To ask Emanuel a question, womenablazers@hotmail.com
please
email:
earning how to budget properly can be a very intimidating and frustrating thing to learn. But the value you get from learning to budget your finances properly will be well worth the time it took you to get there! very month we will tackle the one subject we usually avoid in general conversation… . s each month progresses, we will take a deeper look into our finances, learn how to budget properly and find out where to stop spending and how to start giving. he steps to budgeting properly can be quite intense and stressful if you do not tackle each portion one at a time. So, this month we will tackle how to watch where your spending is the strongest and where you need to make changes. o begin, you will need to designate a basket, folder, envelope, empty purse or storage bin to store all of your receipts from every purchase for this entire month. This includes any bills you pay throughout the month as well as tithes you pay to your church. lose to the end of the month, you will sit down with all of your receipts and you will place them into piles according to how your money was spent. You will use the following: ome Expenses (this includes bills, cell phone bills and anything it takes for you to keep your home running) ersonal Items (this includes everything for each family member such as toothpaste, personal care items, hygiene, clothing, accessories, etc.) iscellaneous Purchases (cd’s, movies, toys, video games, money spent on family days out, etc.)
ast Food + Restaurants (any time you eat out or order food in. Don’t forget to include your tip amount) ar Expenses (this includes car insurance, car wash, car repairs, gas or any expense you put into your vehicle(s)) amily Expenses (this includes any money you pay to a babysitter, daycare, child support, etc.) onations + Tithes ood (this includes any money you spend on groceries) nvestments (this includes anything that you invest in towards your job, towards your home or a project you are working on) ow that you have all of your areas in which you will keep track of your money, you will need to also keep track of your paystubs and any money that you bring in throughout the month. n a sheet of paper, write each of the topics listed above, add up all of the receipts in that pile and put the amount on your paper beside each topic. hich area did you spend the most money? Some of you will be shocked to see! By doing this, you are taking a hard look at where your money goes and how often we tend to spend money on things that we really don’t need in our lives. hings such as fast food, eating out, buying items from the store that could’ve waited. So this month we are going to learn to be aware of our spending habits and we are going to force ourselves to keep track of where money from our household goes. o what about next month? For November, we will take a look deeper into our spending and learn when to make a purchase and when to walk away.
"I PRAY THAT THE PERCEPTION OF YOUR MIND MAY BE ENLIGHTENED SO YOU MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE HOPE OF HIS CALLING, WHAT ARE THE GLORIOUS RICHES OF HIS INHERITANCE AMONG THE SAINTS, AND WHAT IS THE IMMEASURABLE GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TO US WHO BELIEVE, ACCORDING TO THE WORKING OF HIS VAST STRENGTH" (EPHESIANS 1:18-19)
n Saturday, August 24th we came together in the presence of God and celebrated breaking FREE of the chains that hold us back! The evening was so anointed and full of women who were experiencing God’s work first-hand. The evening was hosted by Bianca Thomas of Women Ablaze International Ministries. We were blessed with performances from singers, dancers, poem readings, inspirational messages, learned how to defend ourselves and so much more. video recapping the night is coming soon on our brand new website that is currently in the works. A launch date will be announced very soon! AIM would like to give a very special thankyou to those who participated in making Break Free 2013 very special. Without the love, prayer and constant support, we would not be able to make this conference happen. We look forward to Break Free 2014 coming next year! f you would like to volunteer to help with any future events or if you are interested in joining the weSPARKLE staff or the Women Ablaze CIA Team, you can do so by emailing your information to: womenablazeim@hotmail.com – Please include in your message what you would like to volunteer your time towards. -shirts and wrist bands are still available from the conference if you’d like to purchase one in support of our ministry you can contact Bianca at: 804.536.5678 or email your t-shirt size and information to: womenablazeim@hotmail.com
“I realized when my son died in my arms how short life really was.” – Maria Chevelle in Unbreakable Destiny. Bianca had the pleasure of sitting down for an interview with the lovely Miss. Maria Chevelle to speak with her about her book. If you have the chance to read Unbreakable Destiny it is definitely worth the read. It will pull at your emotions, make you laugh, make you cry; all while witnessing how God works on Maria’s life. Women Ablaze International Ministries is proud to bring you this exclusive one-on-one between Bianca and Maria now! Throughout the interview, Bianca will be shortened to B, and Maria Chevelle will be shortened to MC. B: First I want to know, who is Maria? MC: Maria is a God-filled woman of purpose. I will tell you that. I’m an only child and I’m also raising an only child so that can be interesting at times but I love the youth. My passion is youth and women. B: Ok! So, what church do you attend? MC: Living Faith Ministry, Inc. Worldwide Apostle with First Lady Martin. B: Ok, well, that’s awesome! So you have a little girl? MC: I do! Her name is Amya Sanjay and she loves to sing and dance so we’re always doing talent shows with her. B: Oh, ok! Well praise God! So tell me a little bit about your company that you have! MC: Sure! With Chevelle & Co. my name is Maria Chevelle and Chevelle means bold & beautiful and so with the company it has a lot of different things that we do with the company. Like I said, we put on talent shows and also I do have a model registry; Chevelle Models. And, what I love to do the most is I actually do business coaching as well. So I love to help women get to the next level as far as business is concerned. A lot of people get scared when it comes to the actual legal part of business. I like to get them over that hump and just kind of help their vision become a reality. B: Oh wow! Well I’m talking to the right person! MC: Yes ma’am! (laughs) B: Well great! So, tell me a little bit about your book you just released! MC: Yes! August 27th was the release date for Unbreakable Destiny: This Broken Vessel. It’s so funny because the book actually was never a book. It was a journal; my personal journal. Just a short story real quick; I was in therapy back in North Carolina. I was just going through a really hard time and I went to go see a therapist who saw me two times. She told me that I did not need therapy, I needed healing. And, even though she would love to bill my Tri-Care, this was not a benefit for me. So of course, you know, I felt rejected all in my feelings and so I started to actually do my journal. Then, the book was originally called The Makings of a Butterfly because I love butterflies, their transformation, their metamorphosis and all they represent. And, as God began to work with me, he showed me that the things that I’ve been through as a young girl would actually be able to help and heal a lot of relationships with mothers and daughters. He told me that it’s time to break the cycle with brokenness and how to start that is with forgiveness. And so then I was given the bible verse with Jeremiah 18:04 when it talks about the potter forming
the pot and I realized that you are unbreakable by man but destined by God. B: Oh wow!! I got chill bumps from that! MC: Yes! Yes! So, situations, people and things cannot break you. Man cannot break you. Only God can break you because he is also the only one who can remake you. So, that’s why it’s called Unbreakable Destiny because your destiny was already set for you before you were born; and you’re unbreakable to man. B: Wow! I’m excited! She blessed me with a book and I just have to read that! I feel privileged and honored. Ok, so right now, just to give people a sneak peek of what the book is about, just give me a little synopsis of what is in there! MC: The book actually stops with me at the age of 17. Me and my mom, we dealt with a lot of things growing up. She was a hard working woman. She worked three jobs just to provide. Unfortunately, she had some rough times with some relationships she was going through and her first marriage did not work out. So, as time went on, I was left with my Grandmother so that she could kind of pursue another relationship that wasn’t really going in the direction, at the time, that I saw that God wanted for us. My stepfather was addicted to drugs and it was a lot of effects because of that. So really, the book just focuses on me being an angry teenager and the decisions and choices that I made because I had a lot of free time. I engaged in early premarital sex at the age of 15. It also goes into detail about my son who passed away when I was 17. And, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life was see my little boy die in my arms and so the opening of the book says that the night my son died is the day that I started to live. I really feel like God gave me a second chance. B: Wow, wow. I am speechless here! What would you say just to give women encouragement; what do you want them to get from your book? MC: I learned a little trick by praying and a lot of times we choose to be victims. Sometimes we don’t want to allow ourselves to get to that next level in life because we are so hurt that we become consumed in our hurt. So, what I had to learn was that you can’t be a victim, you have to be victorious and so you have to break that cycle. B: That’s awesome! Say that again. MC: Ok, here, let me do a hair toss to the right and I will say this again! (laughs) YOU CANNOT BE A VICTIM, YOU MUST BE VICTORIOUS! And, to break the cycle of brokenness you have to do one thing and that is forgive. You have to forgive and once forgiveness really settles in your heart, you’ll also know that the things you are going through are not for you, God will put you through things because he knows that you are strong enough to be tested. So as you are tested, he will start opening up doors and then you will be able to speak to other broken hearted young girls and women to let them know that it’s going to be ok. And like your ministry says, God loves you and he really does and he is going to see you through every situation. Just hold on because your destiny is definitely unbreakable. To find out more information on Maria Chevelle, Unbreakable Destiny, or Chevelle & Co. please refer to our Resources on page 1.
“I’ve asked my husband to go to church with me for the 4 years we have been together but he would always turn down the offer to attend. I prayed about it, asked God for help on swaying his mind to get him to come. Well, finally, he attended Destination Church with me at the Crossings Campus. On the way there, I got the list of “rules”. My husband has Asperger’s Syndrome which causes paranoia; so his rules were: “no touching me if I seem nervous. If they sing and clap and stand, I’m not doing any of it, I’m not talking to anyone and if I get up and leave in the middle of the service, don’t say anything.” We got our seats inside and I filled out his guest information card. When I handed it to him to place in the bucket at the end of the service, he folded it into a tiny little micro piece of paper to ensure no one would see his name! As the service went on, he stood up with everyone else when they would stand. About mid-way through the second song, he reached over and he grabbed my hand to hold it. The sermon was about Tithing and the importance of following God’s command of giving 10%. There came a point where Pastor Bryan asked us to pull money from our pockets and just pray over it for a moment then do whatever it is that God tells us to do with it. I pulled money from my wallet and as I looked over at my husband from the corner of my eye, I noticed he had pulled a $10.00 from his wallet. He stood there, in complete silence, looking over that $10.00. When he thought I wasn’t watching, he unfolded his guest information card, stuffed the $10.00 inside and quickly folded it back up. At the end of the service, as the buckets were being passed, he dropped that folded up guest card with his tithe inside, right into the bucket. When we got into our car, I looked over at him and asked what compelled him to put the $10.00 inside? His response: “I don’t know. Something told me to so I did…” Something, huh? We all know WHO that someone was! As we drove home, he began asking questions about God’s forgiveness and was wondering if he “really has a shot to go to Heaven” based on his past and the things he’s done. I explained to him how God’s love for us works and how Jesus was sent to carry our sins. When he returned home, he spoke with his friends (who are all either agnostic or atheist) and I silently waited to see if he would talk to them about his experience at church. As his conversation went on with them, he spoke loudly and with great conviction: “I went to church with my wife today and I actually had FUN.” You see, my husband was raised in a church where people were “miserable” in his opinion. Thankfully, God had other plans for him and he was met with smiling, happy faces and he can’t wait to go back. Prayer is a persistent, never ending task that we must stay adamant about. If I would’ve given up on asking God to bring my husband to church, he would still be stuck thinking that church is just a miserable experience and he would be missing out on his relationship with God and Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. So I say to you – whatever experience you are having in your church, if it is not one of love and one of joy, please, try another church. Do not let your experience diminish your RELATIONSHIP with God.”
he prayer line comes directly from our readers, supporters, contributors, members and even the in between. These are your prayer requests, our prayer request – everyone’s.
Please take a moment to lift a prayer up to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for these wonderful women and their family members, friends, coworkers and for the people of the world.
“I ask that you give your prayers to those who are suffering from difficult situations, harsh financial situations, those who are ill, those who are lost, and those who need guidance and for those who have yet to find the love and acceptance of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” – Anonymous
live with his grandparents. My heart has been hurting so much – the house is so empty without him. I’ve given up on my business – there’s no more motivation (and the fact that I’m actually losing money operating it doesn’t help either). Basically, my life is a train wreck right now.” – A.B.
“Please keep my family in your prayers. We are facing some difficulty when it comes to me finding a job to supply for my family. My wife is there to love and care for me and supports me through my hardest of times and I thank God for her. I just want to be able to provide for my family the way that they deserve.” – Z.S.
“Praying for our city and surrounding areas. There are so many things going on in the community that we do not know about and things that get swept under the carpets for people to not see. Hearts need healing, children need guidance, women need mentors; the world is being led astray and I just pray for a change. Join me in prayer.” – R.W.
“Please send prayers for the healing of my mother’s health. She keeps fluid on her legs and in other parts of her body. She has other health issues as well that I don’t want to go into detail on but please just pray that God heals her and helps her return to good health.” – Anonymous “My grandfather Billy is having many health problems. Please send a prayer for him, and my grandmother Sandy Sahnow who works so hard and selflessly to care and nurture him.” – A.B. “To sum it up in a nutshell – my son, as well as the rest of my family, has basically disowned me. My son has expressed that he felt I didn’t deserve the title of “Mom” and decided to go
“Prayers for my dad who is about to go through a cancer treatment and prayers for my grandmother who has very bad vertigo.” – S.B. “I’m going in for more testing for my current health problems and though it may lead to more surgeries, I’m praying that they do find what’s causing the pain and loss of function in my arms and legs.” – L.R. “Please pray that our financial situation changes and also for my grandfather who is fighting cancer.” – A.G.
Do you have a prayer request? If so, send it in directly to: womenablazers@hotmail.com – Please include your initials. Thank you and God Bless!
weSPARKLE magazine is so excited to have the opportunity to share with you this month an excerpt of my interview that I had with a beautiful woman of God and wonderful sister in Christ, whom I had the privilege to meet over 15 years ago. She will always be a woman in my life that I feel truly honored to call my sister girl and a dear friend. She’s a wonderful actress, speaker, anointed minister of the gospel, a legend in her own right, a star that shines brightly paving the way for others to dream and follow. She was the calming, unshakable voice that was heard in the afternoons on 1240 am radio, no other than Ms, Theresa Gee!
2013 6:00 p.m., Elizabeth Keckley - Thursday, October 17, 2013 6:00 p.m., and Rosa Parks: “The Rosa Parks Story” Thursday, October 24, 2013 6:00 p.m. All performances will take place at "The Boulders" in Richmond. The Address is: 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300 N. Chesterfield, Virginia 23225. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Payments are payable to: Theresa G
So who is Theresa Gee, why aren’t we hearing her voice on the radio anymore, what is she doing today and what can we look for or expect from her in the future?
That is so awesome Theresa, I know it is going to be an exhilarating performance just by having the opportunity and the privilege of seeing and hearing you share your testimony titled, “A Battle in My Garden” at the Women Ablaze International Ministries, Love Encounter Conference in February. I know some of my
Thank you Bianca, I appreciate the opportunity for this interview. Many of your readers may not know this but, I was in radio and broadcasting for a little over twenty years and although the doors aren’t completely closed they were temporarily shut. I went through a lay off from the company that I worked with for about 16 years, but God is so faithful. When we are children, He puts events and opportunities in our paths that we don’t know that, as adults, we will be given the opportunity to fall back on some of those things. So after the company lay off, I went back to my roots of performing. God has opened the doors for me to become a character performer, and by that Bianca, I mean, performing the personage of Coretta King, who is the person I perform the most. I also do other persons of history, like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Sally Hemings, and due to popularity of the Lincoln movie, I’ve developed the character of Elizabeth Keckley, So I have been quite busy! God has been extremely good to me. I still minister, so I travel as an Evangelist, which enables me to share Christ and His love.
If any of my readers or myself, would like to attend your performances, do you have any shows coming up soon? Yes I do Bianca, and thank you for asking, I will be performing the characters of: Coretta Scott – King: ”Through the Eyes of Coretta” Thursday, October 10,
And where can one register to purchase these tickets? To register in advance or for more information, they can call (804) 931-0222 or 804 419-4234
readers would love to come out to hear and see these entertaining yet informative performances.
Sista Girl, You have been very busy and I know my readers will be hearing from you in the future. Yes they will!
Well that wraps it up for right now thank you again Theresa, for taking the time and coming out and sharing with my readers the wonderful things God is doing in your life. You are truly DESTINED FOR GREATNESS and the Best is yet to come!!! I love you and thank you so much for an awesome interview. THANK YOU!
If you will like to know more about Ms. Theresa’s other projects that she is working on or possibly book her for a performance, you may call her at 804-931-0222 or you may email her at mssg823@aol.com Interview by: Bianca Thomas
have always been a person who loves change within the home. I love rearranging the furniture, adding new curtains, swapping out a rug, repainting the bedroom that was just painted the year before. But, where my weakness has been, is learning when to get rid of things. You see, I’m a collector. I love keeping little memoirs. I’m that woman who walks by every information kiosk at an event or festival, picks up every brochure, every business card or info flyer only to get home and pack them away into a drawer of “maybe I’ll use these.” I probably even would still have letters that I wrote back and forth during my high school days with my best friends if it weren’t for me learning to LET GO of monetary items. That doesn’t mean that it’s easy to let them go now, it just means that I’ve developed a system that helps me learn when enough is enough and it’s ok to let go. A very dear friend of mine taught me a very simple technique a few years ago and since then, I have been able to keep my office and home clutter free from all of those “maybe I’ll use these” items. Lucky for you, I’m going to share this simple method with you as we take a deep dive into learning to organize your home!
hred (these are items that you can get rid of but have your personal information on them so you wouldn’t want to toss those out)
very month, I will move to a different section of the home to teach you how to organize and simplify your life at home. This month’s area to tackle: “Do I REALLY Need This!?”
ext, grab up your recycle pile and donate the books away to a local charity, homeless shelter, bus station, train station or church. Magazines can be donated to some doctor’s offices, churches or other organizations that are looking for reading material for their clients and visitors.
et’s begin! Gather up all of the papers in your home that do not have a “home” of their own. This includes bills, any receipts, books or piles of magazines. You know those ones that you kept because you’ll “read it later” but now there’s a stack of dust on it so thick that the woman on the front now appears to have fur covering her once bare arms! Yep. That’s the one! Grab those; grab everything from your junk drawer too because truth is, we all have one! hat you will now do is make four piles on your floor: ust Keep (these are items such as receipts, billing statements, medical information, anything important that you can’t throw out)
ecycle (this pile is for books and magazines that you can donate away) aybe I’ll Read It (this pile is for those items that you’ve meant to read but haven’t gotten there quite yet) ow, designate an area in your home, preferably inside of an accordion file or filing cabinet, where you can keep all of your Must Keep pile. Every 6 months, go through this file and get rid of any receipts, statements or information that you no longer need. ext, designate a small box or plastic tub (from a dollar store) to hold your monthly Shred items. If you do not have a shredder in your home, places like Staples as well as some local Libraries have shredders that you can access completely FREE. At the end of every month, make it a point to stop by and have your items shredded to empty your box.
ast, the dreaded Maybe I’ll Read This pile! This is the pile that changed my life. Seriously. It was that big of a deal for me because this was actually my biggest pile of items! Get another plastic bin or basket (whatever you do, do NOT put it in a drawer because as the old saying goes, “out of sight, out of mind”); place the whole pile into your bin or basket and at the end of each week, take out an item you haven’t read and toss it out, shred it or donate it. Do this faithfully and slowly you will see your pile of “maybe” turn into, “I really don’t ever read this stuff!” ext month – Organizing your Closet.
Spooky Pumpkin ave the mess this year and opt to make your Pumpkin extra spoooooooky for fall.
hat You’ll Need:
Pumpkin Fake Spider Webs (dollar stores carry these) Fake Spiders or Creepy Crawlies
tarting around the stem of your pumpkin, drape the web across and allow it to catch on to the stem. Continue draping the web back and forth slowly as the web wraps around the pumpkin. You can anchor your web underneath the pumpkin or place your pumpkin where you wish to display it then drape the web across that area as well. Be sure to anchor the ends of the web to ensure it doesn’t come off. Place the spider or creepy crawlies into the web and around. ave a DIY tip you’d like to share? Send your suggestion to: womenablazers@hotmail.com and your entry may be chosen!
The Pen and the Sword “Message on a Plate” By Theresa G love deciphering license plates. You know, those often inspirational messages spelled out in seven or less words and numbers on the back of our vehicles. I love them. My friends and I race to see who will figure them out first. magine my surprise one Friday afternoon when I was driving home after a long and particularly stressful day. On the rear of a tiny white truck were these letters A L W Z A G R Y. Was the owner of the vehicle trying to tell us he is ALWAYS ANGRY? “What a sad commentary,” I thought as I continued down the freeway. Is this the only message the driver could use to sum up his life? Too bad. am pleased to note there are many of us who share vehicular greetings that are much more positive. In these messages we spell out our beliefs, our blessings and, sometimes our professions. ake for example a license plate I have seen on the road. These car owners seem to be praising their children. The plate reads, “R 3 R AWSM” (OUR THREE ARE AWESOME). Or yet another one I saw while in Hampton a few days ago, GT 2 TCH (GET TO TEACH). It is incredible to know there is an educator out there who is not only proud to be a teacher but also doesn’t mind proclaiming such to the world. ronically, as I was making notes on this article, a car pulled up next to me in the shopping center parking lot. Its license plate read “TRY AGN” (TRY AGAIN). Was this a personal message for me? Maybe. A few days later I saw it again. f you had to spell out your testimony in seven letters or numbers or less, what would you say? What about the plate that reads, “U CN 2” (YOU CAN TOO). That plate reminds me of Philippians 4:13 which simply says, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.” Or perhaps this one, “B E L 1 V” (BELIEVE). ut of all the messages I have seen these days, there is one that for me sums it all up. I saw it on a plate that donned these letters T M GSUS. Simply put, TRY MY JESUS.
“Our goal is to reach out to families who have children with special needs; to help make their journey a little easier. There are many resources out there for children with special needs. Many parents do not know about the resources that are out there. There are a lot of question and concerns and there are families out there who have children with special needs who can help with some of those questions and concerns. We want to educate families with their child’s diagnosis and help them to understand it. We will encourage them to be their child’s advocate! Our organization has a diverse group of individuals, all from different professional and non-professional backgrounds. My son, Elijah, has Mosaic Down Syndrome and Mosaic Trisomy 14. ThisABILITY is for children with special needs and the website where you can find more information on our organization is: http://www.thisability.org” “My face may be different, But my feelings the same I laugh & cry & take pride in my gains I’m one of the children special & few That came here to live & love the same as you.”
Introduction
The World Beyond My Kitchen Door
Through the years, I have kept what I call my unstructured journal. In reality, it is a small file cabinet that travels with me in the RV. I titled it “Things to Ponder as I Wander.”
“I’m a man today,” I scream breathlessly from the top of five-year-old lungs as skinny brown legs and bare feet carry me through the rows of the garden. “Today is my birthday, and I am five years old!” I am so excited that I see nothing wrong with the exclamation that has just proceeded from my mouth, although I am obviously a girl.
It contains some notebooks, together with assorted pages and cards on which I have jotted down thoughts and sometimes complete poems that have come to me in my quiet times. Many times I will just begin to write freely upon awakening. This short story, I Never Was a Butterfly, I wrote, in part, about twenty years ago. Until now it has remained unfinished. Parts of it have provided inspiration for me, however, during speaking engagements. I believe that it is with the leading of God that I publish it at this time. I pray that it will not only entertain but also serve as an inspiration for anyone who reads it. I wrote “He Was a Giant, My Brother” after the death of my youngest brother. Writing this poem served, as writing can do, as therapy for me as I worked through the grieving process. I chose to include it as a witness to the way that God is able to use any gift as a source of light, even in the darkest times.
He Was a Giant, My Brother When as a toddler I dared explore The world beyond my kitchen door All nature’s wonders lay at my feet But I feared neither man nor beast Since I held the hand of a giant, my big brother. When in the quietness of night I learned to read by candlelight Each magic word he pointed out With grubby fingers, short and stout Of that intellectual giant, my big brother. I made the transition from farm to town From gingham dress to white prom gown From high school days through college years Those dubious days of doubt and fear Under the watchful eye of the giant, my big brother. (To Be Continued)
About Linda Terry Linda Terry is a retired educator who has enjoyed working with children for more than forty years. As an army wife she moved often and thus experienced teaching in school districts as diverse as Prince George, Virginia, and Fairbanks, Alaska. Mrs. Terry has served as a member of the board of directors of Retreat to His Presence Ministries, a family retreat and conference ministry, for many years. She currently enjoys serving with the Uncommon Youth Ministry of Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Petersburg, Virginia. I Never Was a Butterfly is a lighthearted telling of a life-changing story. Through the eyes of a lonely young girl, we are first given a fantasy view of life with all its storybook promises. Then as the story continues, we watch her grow from country child to city adult. With each change we relate to the way the human spirit manages to adjust to life’s often harsh realities without losing faith in what can be. In the end we rejoice with the realization that unlike the caterpillar, people don’t need a metamorphosis to become a new creature. Instead, through the work of the Holy Spirit, we simply become who we have always been!
To purchase your copy of I Never Was a Butterfly, visit Amazon.com.
aria Chevelle had the pleasure of having a sit down interview with the lovely Miss. Tameca Ricks with Tri Cities Angels LLC. Take a look at the wonderful things Tameca is doing for our community: (Marica Chevelle will be labeled as MC and Tameca Ricks will be labeled as TR for the interview) MC: Hello! I am live here on location, this is Maria Chevelle with weSPARKLE magazine and we are here to do the business segment for the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas. I am so excited today. We have Miss. Tameca Ricks with us and she is the Founder as well as Executive Director of Tri Cities Angels. Hello Miss. Ricks! TR: Hello, how are you? MC: I am great! Can you just give me a little bit more information… what is Tri Cities Angels? TR: Well, Tri Cities Angels is a mentoring program that I decided to put together for young youth. Reason being, because we have a lot of children going through things that us parents sometimes just don’t see. The purpose of the program is to bring the kids together and to sit down and discuss the problems in their school as well as at home. And, see what we can do to work on that getting better and that’s pretty much it! MC: That’s awesome! Is this a free service? TR: Yes ma’am. MC: Alright! And what are the age ranges? TR: Well, right now, there is no age range. Mostly, we try to deal with children from the age of 8 years old and up. MC: Ok, so that sounds good! So, probably you filter it right around the age of 18 years? TR: Yes. MC: Ok, that sounds good! Also, I understand that Tri Cities Angels is also presenting something big! I know you’ll be making the big announcement on Facebook soon but we have it first here at weSPARKLE magazine! So! Tameca Ricks is also the Founder of Black Girls Rockin’ VA. Am I correct? TR: Yes you are! MC: Awesome! I follow the page closely and I see that you have almost over 1,300 likes and it’s just growing daily. In our conversations, I also understand that you will be
holding an annual awards ceremony every Black History Month to honor those in the area? TR: Yes ma’am! MC: Alright! Give me just a little bit more information of Black Girls Rockin’ in VA. TR: Black Girls Rockin’ in VA is an awards ceremony that will be hosted every year during Black History Month. What we do is we honor women in the state of Virginia that’s doing awesome things. Educators, mentors, entrepreneurs, and etc. So, that is Black Girls Rockin’ VA! Just showing them that we appreciate what they’re doing in the state of Virginia and that they are not forgotten. MC: Awesome. And, I understand also in talking with you that God had led you to do both programs, Tri Cities Angels and Black Girls Rockin’ VA. Could you give me a little bit more about that? I know that these both are Christian organizations, so just tell me a little bit more about that. TR: Well, God gave me a vision actually a long time ago that I did not move on. And when he gave me this vision this time I said, “you know what Tameca, you have a testimony and you need to share your testimony with other young girls that went through pretty much what you went through as a child.” So that’s what I’m doing with Tri Cities Angels and Black Girls Rockin’ VA, of course, I feel like that there are some awesome women in the state of Virginia that’s going unrecognized and it has to stop. We have to show these women that we appreciate everything that they are doing and that it’s great! MC: Well, we are so excited. I am here as a Representative for Women Ablaze International Ministries. The founding individual for that is Bianca Thomas and she also was the visionary behind weSPARKLE magazine. Thank you so much for being a part of our Business segment. We are so excited for what you’re doing here in Virginia for not only just the youth but also for the women who are doing something positive. So, for more information, where can we contact you? TR: Well, I’m on Facebook: Black Girls Rockin’ VA and Tri Cities Angels LLC is also a Facebook fan page. MC: Thank you so much Tameca Ricks, Founder for Tri Cities Angels and Black Girls Rockin’ VA. We here at weSPARKLE are so excited. Thank you so much and God Bless! TR: God bless you also!
Citrus & Orange - 4 Large Oranges, Sliced Thick - 3 Medium Lemons, Slicked Thick - 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon Fill a large pot with water and drop in the ingredients. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 3-4 hours. Gradually add water as needed.
Rosemary & Vanilla -3 to 4 Sprigs of Rosemary; stem and all -2 Tablespoons Pure Vanilla Extract Fill a large pot with water and pour in ingredients. Simmer uncovered on medium heat for 2-3 hours. Gradually add water as needed To submit a recipe of your own for consideration, please include a picture and the full recipe to: womenablazers@hotmail.com
Healing the Hurt 2013 Conference Hosted by: Fountain of Life Outreach Church When: Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 10am to 3pm Where: Hopewell High School, Hopewell VA RSVP: www.eventbrite.com or Call the church at: 804.452.0430 A message from Ruth about the goal of Healing the Hurt: “To inform, to educate and to enlighten. The faith based community has often kept silent on matters such as this, but, we wanted to pioneer an effort to break the silence and get people talking about it. The more we talk about these types of situations, hopefully, the more we will understand and help to prevent or avoid becoming a victim. At last year’s conference we had many individuals who were freed by sharing their stories. They realized that
The James House Helping women, men & children in the Virginia Tri-Cities area and surrounding counties affected by sexual & domestic violence & stalking for 24 years. Phone: 804.458.2704 or 804.732.1711 Online: www.thejameshouse.org Email: outreach@thejameshouse.org All services are fully accredited and free of charge
they were not alone in these situations. We hope to educate them and give them the tools and resources they need to make a change in their lives.” Cost: The cost to attend Healing the Hurt is FREE but if you would like to have lunch during the event, a $5.00 donation is requested and this can be paid either at the church or online at EventBrite. Maria Chevelle Book Signing at Rainbow Christian Maria Chevelle, author of Unbreakable Destiny will be at Rainbow Parable Christian Store in Colonial Heights (70 Southgate Square, Colonial Heights, VA 23834) on Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 1:00pm until 4:00pm! Stop in, bring your copy of Unbreakable Destiny and meet with Maria!
backgrounds and faiths and strives toward attainment of a common vision--peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. Address: 6 N. Fifth Street – Richmond, VA – 23219 Phone: 804.643.6761
Have a Heart Foundation We are an organization that started in 2007. We collect/take in new or gently used it. Phone: 804.631.1010 Online: www.haveaheart2007.com Facebook: facebook.com/groups/haveaheartfoundation Feed More: Central VA Food Bank FeedMore's Central Virginia Food Bank brings hunger relief to 31 counties and five cities in our region by acquiring needed foods and distributing these items to neighbors in need. Phone: 804.521.2500 Online: https://feedmore.org/food-bank/ Vision of Rose Photography Vision of Rose Photography is part of the iPictureHope campaign which offers free glamour portrait sessions to women who are currently fighting or have beat their battle with cancer. Phone: 804.490.3213 Online: www.visionofrosephotography.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/vorphoto The YWCA of Richmond, VA The YWCA is a membership organization that supports the development of women and families of diverse
Pictured Above: The wonderful ladies of The James House and Bianca Thomas with Women Ablaze International Ministries.
oman Ablaze International Ministries would like to take a moment to give a BIG THANK YOU to Destination Church for their constant love, support and for believing in our vision. Without everyone’s support from Destination Church, we would not be able to reach women and heal the hearts of those who are aching. It is with great love and deep appreciation that we extend our sincerest thank you for all that you have done and all that you continue to do. It is because of your devotion and support in Women Ablaze International Ministries that we are able to do what God has sent us to do. Thank you and God Bless every single one of you from the Destination community!
Colonial Heights Campus | 300 Southpark Circle | Sundays 8:45am and 11am Hopewell Campus | 5246 Oaklawn Boulevard | Saturdays 5pm and Sundays 10am Free breakfast served for morning services and free popcorn + drinks served for evening services.
“We are a Casual, Contemporary, Christian church that meets in a movie theater!”
“Our vision is to help people find their destination in Christ... because where you're going matters.”
“Destination Church is a Casual, Contemporary, Christian church serving the tri-cites & surrounding Virginia areas.”
To show your support and place an ad in weSPARKLE, please email: womenablazers@hotmail.com