A Woman of Strength and Purpose ffers encouragement and guidance for the strong-willed woman.  Oftentimes the term "strong-willed" is seen as a negative characteristic in people, but Cynthia Ulrich Tobias shares practical ways for using the nature of the strong-willed woman for good.

As a child, I didn't like my name.  It stemmed from many things. 

It's been three weeks since I stepped out and attended my first blogging conference and left my family for more than a day.  I am so happy that I took the plunge and did something that I once only dreamed of doing. I remember when I first started blogging in 2009 there were quite a few popular conferences like Blogher and Blogalicious, and hundreds of women were sharing all over the place gems that they gained from the workshops. 

5 Minutes with Jesus:  A Fresh Infusion of Joy by Sheila Walsh is a devotional. There are 50 devotions that make up this refreshing book.  All of the devotions are joy based.  The purpose of this particular title in the 5 Minute with Jesus series is to help the reader seek and find joy in all circumstances.  There isn’t any wonder why I decided to review it in this season of my life.

It was exactly ten years ago when the desire to write was ignited inside of me. I remember the moment like it was yesterday.  I was taking an undergraduate creative writing class.  We wrote memoirs, plays, and sonnets.  This type of writing I enjoyed because the stories came from within me, and they were a part of me.  I didn't realize I had stories until that class.  It was like a lid was taken off all of the thoughts I held within me.  I felt free to share the words on paper that I dared not speak because of the fear of being misunderstood.

Before becoming a more than part-time entrepreneur, I had little use for my cell phone outside of talking on it.  Since I now own a jewelry design business, blog and am a freelance writer, I have found my need for having a cell phone has changed.  It has become my digital recorder, my camera, and at times my word processor.  If someone would have told me this would be the case a few years ago, I surely wouldn’t have believed them.

I didn't say anything to her, but I am sure my eyes did.  I found the masking tape, but I couldn't help but to continue thinking about the scene that I witnessed. 

I despised being called resilient.  I cringed when well meaning people would nicely comment on my resilience.  Some of the people were family members, some were friends, and some didn't really know me well, but they recognized that particular attribute.

Live Fearless is an adult coloring book which uses Scripture as its foundation.  There are more than a dozen Scriptures for one to reflect on and memorize.  The coloring book helps weave Scripture that reminds us to be fearless and to trust into our hearts and minds.  You will find Isaiah 41:10 and Luke 12:32 among the pages of Margaret Feinberg’s artistic works.  This coloring book isn’t only about coloring though there is room for journaling and reflection for each of the Scriptures presented in the book.

One thing I have learned about life is that it is fluid.  It continues to move even when I want it to just chill for a moment.  This constant motion oftentimes include changes and adaptations.  I haven't always been good with changes.  I wanted consistency which in turn made me rigid.  Rigidness is just as bad as a lack of consistency since it tends to hold you hostage.  Thankfully, I didn't remain rigid instead I am now flexible.  Flexibility is the happy place between between being scheduled and accepting unforeseen changes. 

How does planning work when you don't want to be a planner? In order for planning to be a success for me, I had to be honest about my reasons for needing a planner.  My top reason is I simply can't remember it all.  The girls are getting older, and they have their own interests.  In order for me to not over-schedule our lives, I have to be able to see what is happening in the weeks to come.  Another thing is I am giving myself freedom to do the things I desire to do.  Although my family, marriage, and teaching the girls come first, I still have tons of ideas that I would like to attempt.  I can't invest in these things if I don't have a system set up because honestly there is only so much time in a day. 

Lately, I have been struggling with time management. The number of things vying for my attention can be overwhelming.  From the dozens of ideas running through my mind daily to wanting to utilize every gift the Father has blessed me to possess, and I can't forget the responsibilities I have as a person, wife, and mother.