What I wish I could tell my 13 year old self

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What I wish I could tell my 13 yr old self…..Well, I’d make a day of it. I’d probably pick her up borrowing someone else’s car because going to pick mini-me up in my minivan would probably scare the crap outta her (me? Mini-me?)😵

We got the minivan to accommodate the kids not the other way around

I’d take her to the kitchen and invite her to help me bake My favorite Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I’d fix her to small cup of coffee even though mom doesn’t like us to drink coffee. (Even though sometimes at Grandma’s house Grandma’d let us cousins make some with lots of sugar and pet milk and lightly toasted bread and butter to go with it.) And while we were mixing I’d look her in the eye and tell her:

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• Forgive because you are forgiven.
• It’s OK to be afraid. But do it anyway.
• Fear is no excuse.
• It’s OK to not know all the answers or every step of the way as long as you keep stepping.
• Failure happens, learn the lesson but don’t own the failure.
• You are stronger than you can even imagine because Christ strengthens you.
• Your name means Gift from God. Your presence is a present but do not give your pearls away to swine.
• Believe. Be consistent. And Be aggressive. B. E. AGGRESSIVE! That uneasy feeling in your gut is The Holy Spirit listen to it!!

• YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, GORGEOUS, HOT AND IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS.
• You’re witty and funny. OWN IT!
• You is smart, you is kind, you is important!
• Never let them steal your shine!
• PS. I love you. Stay away from wheat. You are not allergic to breakfast. It’s wheat. Get on AOL and look up Gluten. It’s a THING.
• ☺ and lastly, take off your mask the sparkle depends on the flaws of the diamond

Be kind to yourself,

Talia

6 Steps To Having The Perfect Girls Night In.

In order to have the Perfect Girls Night In there are some essentials that are an absolute must. Here is my list of must haves for your next Girls Night In.

• The Perfect Movie– Suspense or chic flick. The choice is yours. I’m sure you’ve  heard of the movie Bird Box and How It Ends. They’re trending all over social media. They are some super suspenseful movies. However in my research I’ve noticed that suspenseful movies encourage mindless snacking. (That’s not necessarily a bad thing.)  You know the kind of movies that make you scream at the t.v. and cover your eyes in false fear. The kind of movies that beg for the Perfect Movie Marathon Snack, soft fuzzy socks and a nice comfy blanket. This past Friday I had surgery on my right knee. So I’ve been laid up for a few days. This has been my exact reality.  I’ve been binge watching on Netflix and I can’t complain. Here’s how I survived.

• The Perfect Snack- The Best Movie Snacks  are both sweet and salty. These are my favorite! 

  

  Maple Bacon Regal Puffs @ http://www.talias.co

• The Most Comfy PJ’s- Oh PJ’s, the right pajamas can make or break the perfect night in. I prefer the ones that are vintage soft and slightly over-sized. You know the ones….. the pj’s you never want to take off. The ones you’d even venture out into Walmart in even though you said you’d never be that person wearing pajamas in public. PJ’s on sale 2 piece tee and pants set originally $40 now on sale for $15.99 You’re Welcome.
• A Super Soft Blanket-  You simply can not have a movie night without Something to snuggle with. Soft, comfy, big enough to share but perfect enough for one person

• A Pedicure- Relieve those tired feet and pamper those toes! Give yourself a fancy pedicure and a pair of fuzzy socks
• The Best Mocktails– Sip in style with a refreshing Raspberry Lemonade fizz Mocktail. Be fancy and sober at the same time.

Enjoy your girl’s night in! Smooches and snuggles!!

XOXOXO Talia

 

Be The Blessing

Hello, How can I bless you today?

What if we approached life like that? What if we acknowledged that ‘We are blessed therefore we are able to be a blessing’?  Going about our day-to-day operating in servitude.  Going the extra mile to bless someone else.  If everybody behaved like that what a wondrous world it’d be.

Now you may think that blessing someone only means giving them money. There is more to it than that.  Blessing someone doesn’t just mean monetary. It could be sharing a smile to brighten someones day, speaking a kind word, praying a word of prayer, giving a heartfelt hug, being a listening ear, or speaking the heart of God to a broken heart. Serving is the epitome of ministry. www.thefreedictionary.com defines ministry as

a. The act of serving; ministration.

b. One that serves as a means; an instrumentality.

As Christians we serve God by serving others. That is part of loving thy neighbor as thyself . When teaching my kiddos I like to tie this lesson right in with treating others how you’d like to be treated.  Don’t be the person who only says, “God bless you” but you are unwilling to allow yourself to be used as a willing vessel to show God’s love and mercy here on earth.Whatever you do, it must be do it with love. #BeTheBlessing

One of my favorite scriptures is 1 Corinthians 13:1, 13

 If I speak in the tongues^a]”>[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^b]”>[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. NIV (https://www.biblegateway.com)

This Shirt is all THE above rolled into one and then some. It literally is the perfect gift for someone who’s blessed you in any way shape or form. It’s the whole reason I created this shirt to show just how blessed we are.

As we enter into the holiday season I just wanted to give you a tip for keeping that warm fuzzy feeling all year-long. Give more. They say ’tis better to give than receive.

Stay toasty,

Talia

 

Happy PASCHA!👼

What is Pascha?

Pascha comes from both the Greek and Latin words for “Easter,” the holiday that celebrates the day Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The verbal form of this word, pascho in Greek, means “to suffer.” Originally, the Hebrew word pasach referred to the Passover feast (Exodus 12) that was celebrated during the same week Jesus was crucified. In the Jewish tradition, Passover is 8 days long, beginning Nissan 15, to celebrate the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Different religious traditions celebrate Easter at different times. The Western Church (both Roman Catholic and Protestant) celebrates Pascha or Easter on the Sunday immediately following the Paschal full moon of that year. This Paschal full moon is based on historical tables rather than lunar events. Easter always falls on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. The Orthodox (Eastern) Church bases their Easter on a Julian calendar that they claim follows the ruling of the Council of Nicea.

The apostle Paul refers to Jesus as “Christ our pascha Lamb” or “Passover Lamb.” First Corinthians 5:7 reads, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” During the Jewish Passover, a spotless lamb was killed at sundown and roasted as a meal for the family in the home. At the first Passover, the Lord required that blood from the lamb be marked on the sides and top of the door of each Jewish family’s home.

In the New Testament, Jesus became the sacrificial lamb of Passover, which represented freedom and salvation for God’s people. In fact, some have observed that the blood on the posts and lintel of the door can be connected to form a cross. The cross has become the “door” that provides salvation for believers and causes death to “pass over” them.

Recommended Resources: The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Gary Habermas and Logos Bible Software

 

–www.gotquestions.org

 

Bless God for sending His son. Christ our pascha Lamb.

The cross has become the “door” that provides salvation for believers and causes death to “pass over” them. Make sure you Don’t linger in the doorway.

Enjoy your families today and remember why we celebrate. He Reigns!

My Womb

A warm internal cocoon of feminine hospitality.

My children’s first hug.

A receiver of love, A creator of beauty 

Beauty is the essence of love unconditional.

Beauty is residual.

A soul that keeps on giving.

Beauty is intense.

It magnifies the spirit within.

Beauty draws us near. It eases our fears. 

A comforter. A giver of life. 

Where the heck do I get the right to reject my very essence? The thing that made me love me. I was co-creator to 6 beautiful blessings so therefore I must possess a beauty even if it was deep within. 

Betrayed and afraid. A love for the life you constructed.

A deep despise for your malfunction.

It’s a love hate thing we bring to the stage. They say pain comes with age.

I say pain was stood up.

I still feel your absence. A gaping hole in my soul. See I need you like air.

Lord knows I hate when he stares.

I need to know if he’s  satisfied with my ordinary

compared to her glorified extraordinary? 

My womb made room in my body for blessings.

Inside my sweet babies were nesting. 

My beauty is gone, to that, I can attest.

Guess God said my body was done.

Just feel like I’m missing a part of me. 

A worn out vessel that’s now empty.

Surviving a hysterectomy.

-N. Powell

This was such a dark time in my life. Having to have a hysterectomy really shook me to my core. My self esteem was shaken. The very thing that in my mind made me a woman was being extracted from my body due to a malfunction. I was so bad I had to have two blood transfusions just to get me back to normal. I was broken, physically and spiritually. I lost myself, my sexiness and my happy. Hormones fluctuated and things on my body changed without so much as a memo to me. My husband showed me nothing but love and reassurance through this like any good husband would. I knew I didn’t want anymore children however at such a young age I began to feel old and used up. I’m telling you it was such a dark time. I’m so grateful for stumbling across the Hystersister website. It addressed so much of what I was going through or about to go through and provided much needed support for this girl right here.

Click on the link if you are facing a Hysterectomy and you need support

Broken Christmas mirrors

My family and I were Christmas shopping a few years ago. I had the older half of the kids with me inside the store while hubby had the younger kids waiting with him in the van. Earlier that morning I’d gotten some beautiful floor length hotel-sized mirrors, 3 to be exact, and I’d carefully stacked them in our trunk. They survived being driven around all day with my rambunctious crew in tow as well. I literally could not wait to bring them home. One was for me and I was giving the other two away as Christmas gifts. So, I’m in the store trying to decide what I should get my hubby. My phone rings and it’s my husband. He angrily tells me a lady who just left the same store I’m in mistakenly opened our trunk thinking it was hers and all 3 mirrors hit the ground and shattered. She apologized and walked away. There was glass everywhere!

The cold part about it was that my kids were trying to warn him about the strange lady trying to open the trunk. He assumed it was me and didn’t pay them any mind. I know the people in the store must’ve thought I was crazy because I began walking around the whole store trying to remain calm, deep breathing and calling on Jesus. After I woo-sawed I paid for my items and left the store only to see the remains of my precious mirrors when I got to the van. I’m telling you I sure didn’t feel very Merry on that night. I was mad at her for opening my trunk, and mad at my husband for not having the trunk locked and not paying attention to the kids when they told him she was behind our van. I thank God I can look back on it and laugh. I wonder where that lady is right now…… I wonder if she remembers destroying my Christmas mirrors……… I wonder what her story sounds like…..

They do what they wanna do.

Say what they want to say.

Live how they want to live.

Play how they want to play.

Dance how they wanna dance.

Somethin… Somethin… Somethin…

The Powell Family.

We are to legit to quit.

Boiii!

So I’ve figured out that this is how we gotta approach life.

Everybody will have an opinion about whether or not you should or shouldn’t do a thing. The way I see is you don’t have to search for people to validate your decision. You have to develop your own moral code of ethics and realize you don’t have to assimilate to be righteous.

Finally Free To Fly

Free me!
Finally free
Love will bring me home
Emerged from my cocoon
Not a moment to soon
Spread my wings
Impressed at the expansion
The world is my mansion,
my treasure
From now until forever
Freedom is power.
a life untamed & unafraid
the gift I’ve been given
so my journey begins.
With the expiration of the timid caterpillar who retreated to ease his pain.
Living a life without passion,
Absent of his lineage,
Plagiarizing your existence to appease the masses.
Stunted as a complacent adolescence.
What good is a life not worth living?

There are times when I have to give myself a petalled t

Have a GOOD day.

I’ve had some good days. And I’ve had some hills to climb. I’ve had some weary days and some sleepless nights but when I look around and think things over, all of my good days outweigh my bad days and I won’t complain. 

The song every southern baptist Christian knows by heart. Its a beautiful song. Lots of vibrato and deep throated notes. All the old deacons and the whole mother board would raise their hands or lift their voices with amens and hallelujahs. As a kid I didn’t get it. I hadn’t experienced anything yet. Today I’m an adult and I still struggled with this. I want to not complain. I have so much to to thankful for. So so much. Being in my mid-30’s my good days do outweigh my bad days. Although, the bad days have for the past year been giving the good days a run for their money.  Yet, as I sit here thinking about what I consider a good day I start naming the superficial things (extra money, peace in the house, enough food in the house(the good stuff) and fast food money an answered prayer, pampering myself, shopping…) Then I start to break it down a little more: my family was kept safe, we had enough gas money, we have a roof over our head, the love we have for our family, family time. Then I had to stop again and break it down again. I woke up. I can breath on my own, I have another day to talk with my mom, I have more time to spend with my dad, I’m not a widow, I’m not divorced, my children are alive. Then I took it one step further: even in my wickedness Christ laid down his life for my sins. He took my punishment. I rejoice in the knowledge that my home is waiting in Paradise with my Savior. I know Jesus & Jesus knows me.
And that right there outweighs the sum of all my bad days past, present and future.  

Every breath, every step, every today that becomes yesterday is something to be greatful for.
Mixing the gospel with a little faith will produce hope, expectations and joy incomprehensible and the knowledge that no matter what there will be glory after this. 

In the words of Ice Cube –TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY

Nothing but net

Violated again and again

A lessor turned foe not friend.

Yup, you thought we’d be recourse-less

But we got beaucoup resources.

You thought you had a virgin tenant

But your actions made me mad attentive.

You really thought you had me. 

You thought I had no voice.

Your unethical negligence is astounding

You tried to force my choice.

My cries are loud, 

my moans are heard. 

Though I want to 

unleash my tongue and fists;  

I vow to stifle my words. I swear to hold her back.

My divine right to protect my brood, 

apparently was misunderstood.

Though fury rages inside,

 though my angry fire burns…. 

I know my God has gone before me, 

as surely as the world turns. 

Don’t take my calculated actions as defeat,

Yup, I know the rules of the game.

I’m strategically setting the pick.

You ‘gon remember MY name.

Uh,  I’ll see you on the court, sir

You shool ain’t seen nothing yet

‘Cause Jesus is my point guard 

And with HIM it’s always nothing but net.

Baby steps.

I’m not gonna lie. I’m a lottle( a mix between a little and a lot) apprehensive about joining a class offered at the local gym. Truth be told I wanted to wear my shades while I did my workout. Not necessarily for glamour but security. I’m uncomfortable in my skin. I love to dance. I love Zumba. I worry that I won’t be able to keep up. I love pilates.I worry that they’ll think I don’t belong. Literally sweating like a prostitute in church. Folks know I should be there but secretly judging. Monitoring my form. Watching me wander around looking for the appropriate machine and trying to figure out how to operate it. I guess like the first day of school jitters at 35 mind you & and a mother of 6. What the what?!? Why do I care!?!

I care because I’m uncomfortable. I hate the roundness. The jiggly inner thighs. The lack of booty curvature that I once possessed. I miss my old body. The one I sculpted right after the twins. Le sigh.

So my plan is to work up to a class I attend solo. My plan is to murder this fat and find my peace in this skin I’m in. I guess I’ll take my motto from Bill Murray’s character, Bob in What About Bob?

“BABYSTEPS”

Baby step to the gym. Baby step to Zumba. Baby step through cardio.

I can do this. I can do this. I will do this. I must do this.

What’s my motivation? Freedom. Fat person jail is not for me. I’ve been framed. 😩😁

I have great things to do and this body is trying to hold me hostage. A healthy freedom is in my future. And judging looks, rude whispers or sabotaging family members will not stop me.

I’m busting out of this plump prison and once I taste the sweet taste of freedom I’m not going back. This time when I step out I’m gonna rock my shades like the Boss that I am, only this time it’ll definitely be for glamour.