Seven.ThirtyOne.TwentyTwelve.

Hello loves.

The sunset when I got out of church on Sunday night.

These past few days have been difficult for me. It seemed as though everything was going wrong during the day as well as while asleep. I was weary as I started my day this morning. I wanted to let go of everything I knew was right to do and go back to my old ways. Instead, I went running. I determined in my mind that I won't give up. God brought me to it, and He can definitely bring me through it. It was time for me to start practicing what I preach. I always tell others how "God already gave you what you needed to get through that situation at the very moment He sent it to you". How easily we forget the things that we use to encourage others to encourage ourselves. I know that I look for others to encourage me when I'm down, but sometimes I have to encourage myself. I know the Truth, and I'm the only one who knows my situation from the inside. Even in times when I feel I can't encourage myself, and other earthly creatures' encouragement won't suffice either; that's when God steps in and sends His Divine words to me straight from Him. And that is the greatest encouragement ever!

At some point in your life, there is going to come a time, probably more than once, where you must shift your space. For me, this happens once every season. My life facilitates in seasons. Some longer, and some shorter. If there is an unhealthy relationship in your life, be it natural or spiritual, let it go. Cut those ties. Sometimes, you have to be selfish. It's either YOU or THEM. Taking their side may end up leaving you dead. Shift your space. Either you move or you move them, whichever is beneficial to you.

Also, sometimes we feel like God has forsaken us when He puts us through things. But He hasn't! He's right there waiting for you on the other side. God sends us through things to draw us closer to Him. We profess that we love the Lord, and He has to try us to make sure we really do.

"I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." -Jeremiah 17:10

 We are going to be rewarded in Heaven. If God is going to give us all these great treasures on the other side, He has to make sure this person really loves Him. He loved us enough to die for us, so our little finite situations that we go through to prove our love to Christ is nothing. Be encouraged. God will never leave you nor forsake you. He'll give you just the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and prudence you need to make it through every situation in your life.

Much love,

Rita

Song of the Week: My Life is in You, Lord

Hello hello hello. :)

I'm excited about the song feature for this week. Not for any particular reason, but it's just an awesome feel-good song. It's called "My Life is in You, Lord" and I don't know if it ever made it mainstream or to radio but we sing it at my church and I absolutely love it! It's very simple and it says:

My life is in You, Lord
My strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord
It's in You

We change up the second part of the song from the traditional way. We sing it just like the first part. Here are the lyrics:

Delight is in the Father
Delight is in the Son
Delight is in the Holy Ghost
They are three in one 

I love it! Listen to it here. Enjoy and have a Happy Saturday! :) 

xo,

Rita

Don't Wait Until It's Too Late

Hello loves.

As I was driving to church this evening I heard the sirens of a firetruck and it sped past my street. I stopped at a stop sign on the corner and saw billows of black smoke filling the air. It took a few second for everything to register but then when I saw two more fire trucks accompanied with sirens, it clicked. Something is on fire! I saw that the smoke was coming from what looked like my church. I immediately started worrying and getting nervous. Traffic was blocked in certain areas so cars wouldn't stop passing in front of me. I was stuck at the stop sign and couldn't move, praying and pleading that it wasn't my church and if it was that no one was hurt. Finally, the traffic was clear and I was a nervous wreck. I approached closer to all of the commotion and saw the flames. No, it wasn't my church, thank God. But it still broke my heart that everything that someone had was now gone. Their home was consumed with a blazing fire. I pray no one was inside. All of these people's earthly possessions were gone. Just like that. I went into the church relieved but still shaken up, and burst into tears my heart going out to that family. Then I had to repent for forsaking God's house. You see, I hadn't been to church since Sunday and that is not like me. We have Monday night prayer meeting and Wednesday night church service but I wasn't there. It's not like I had good reason not to be there, I just didn't go. If that would have been my church that was set ablaze, I would have missed my last opportunity to worship there. This is the church that I grew up in, the church I got baptized in, and received the Holy Ghost in; the church I taught in, the church my god-sons, as well as I, was dedicated to the Lord in. Yes, we could build another church building. It would never be the same as the original though. The Word says

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." -Hebrews 10:25

The end is quickly approaching, and it's so important now more than ever to make it to church where our brothers and sisters in the Lord are.

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." -Matthew 18:20

"How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up?" -Deuteronomy 32:30

There is power in numbers. If we take those things that we may be struggling with that we don't have the power to fight on our own and join with our brothers and sisters, then we can overcome those things. The battle is great in these last days. We have to utilize every bit of truth that we have to make it. And we CAN make it, God already gave us everything that we need. Don't wait until it's too late. Use it now. Be encouraged y'all.

Much love,

Rita

 

Song of the Week: The Wonderful Cross

Hello loves.

This week's song spotlight is on "The Wonderful Cross". This song is very dear to my heart. The lyrics are amazing and the song truly speaks for itself. My favorite lyric is:

"See from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down. Did ever such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?"

I was introduced to this song through my church a few years ago but it was made popular by Michael W. Smith and another version is by Chris Tomlin. It really makes you sit and think about what happened on Calvary's cross and it breaks my heart each time. It is important for us to remember Calvary's cross and the crucifixion of our Savior because then we will never forget to use His Blood for all things, which was His reason for going to the Cross. You can listen to Michael W. Smith's version of the song here. I pray that you are blessed by what you hear.

Much love,

Rita 

Seven.Twenty.TwentyTwelve.: Today's Run x Motivation

Hello loves.

Lately, I've been in a little funk over exercising. I really just didn't feel like it. I asked myself "why should I?" multiple times and I couldn't really come up with an answer. I had a true lack of motivation. I couldn't say to lose weight. I'm 114 lbs., I don't need to lose any weight. And I've never been bigger than 118 so even if I don't do anything I won't be that much larger than I am now. I also couldn't say to stay healthy. I felt like if I ate healthy then I would be healthy regardless of if I exercise or now. I came up with every excuse possible to feel justified about not working out.

Then last night I got to my lowest point. I felt HORRIBLE in my body. I was fine and there was nothing wrong with me but I missed how I used to feel in my body when I was working out daily. I had more energy then and I was more motivated in every aspect of my life. I wanted to feel that way again but I didn't know how to push myself to get up and run. Then I came across a fitness blog that mentioned The Color Run. 

I had heard about this particular 5k run before but never really paid attention to it. I thought "oh that looks like fun" but never considered participating in it. Until now. When I saw this and went to the website (linked above) I knew that I had to do this! And this was my newfound motivation. I was running one mile before and a 5k is 3.1 miles so I figured I can definitely do this. The one that I will be attending is in Houston, TX on November 11, which so happens to be World Run Day. If I start training myself now, I'll definitely be able to  run three miles by November. So this morning, I started my training by pushing myself to run TWO miles. Yes, it was difficult but I got it done. I set a goal and I'm DETERMINED to reach it. And I'm SO excited to be apart of The Color Run this year!

Hopefully this inspires you to push past yourself and know that you CAN do ANYTHING you set your mind to in any aspect of your life. I know God's got me and I know He has you too. With Him on our side, we can do anything.

xo,

Rita

Style Catalog: How I Twist My Hair

I have received many questions about how I twist my hair to achieve the look of my twist-outs. So I decided to make a video to show you all. Enjoy.

xo,

Rita

Song of the Week: "Don't Wanna Let You Go"

By Deitrick Haddon.

No matter what state of mind I am in, this song breaks me down and opens my heart so that I can worship Jesus and let His love flow through me. It's on his Crossroads album which was released in 2004. This is one of my favorite songs; a true worship song. It is a cry out to God, pleading for His presence, His Spirit, to stay and making a bold statement saying that I won't let Him go once He comes to me.

"Now that you're here, I don't wanna let you go."

"I'm in love with you Jesus and I..."

 "I'll just stay here in Your arms forever."

Simple song. Simple lyrics. Strong message. Pure worship. Listen to it here. Much love.

 xo,

Rita

In Loving Memory...

I went to a funeral today and it birthed thoughts in my mind.

First off, it hit me like a brick that my loved one's body was lying in this casket, but SHE, her soul and spirit, was gone. This is not a new concept for me. I have the knowledge and understanding of the process of death but to actually experience it one more time was tough. Death is always difficult for me. But this realization reminded me once more that my body, on one side, is nothing. It's just clay; dirt and water.

As I have been doing, I need to continuously work on my soul and my spirit. Working to become closer to God and to make an impact in people's lives through love. That is what is important. Different friends and loved ones rose up and spoke kinds words about the deceased. It made me wonder, as I do at every funeral, "What will they say about me? What type of legacy will I leave behind?" I pray that people recognize my love for Christ as well as my love for others. I want the love that I have inside of me to penetrate the very core of each person's heart that I come into contact with. I am an advocate for love, but I can do better to make that love manifest in others' lives.

Shift my space. Get focused. Love with my entire being. Don't hold anything back.

The song "I Can Only Imagine" was played during the ceremony and it stirred me up. When I go to be with the Lord, will He be pleased with my works that I have done, within and without? Will the Heavens rejoice that I've made it? I am striving to please Jesus alone. I want my heart to be like His. I am not my own, I belong to Him therefore I shall do whatever He wishes for me with no questions asked, no hesitation. If I do this that I strive to do, then I know that He will be pleased to the uttermost.

This is my desire.

xoxo, Rita

Just Keep Running On..

Hello loves.

I've recently started running as a form of exercise. For the past month I had been going running every morning. Since I went out-of-town and had family to visit here at my home before then, it had been about three weeks since I ran. I knew that my body was out of shape but I refused to give up on my goals so I pressed through my feelings and FINALLY made it to the track today. And my body feels AMAZING. So worth it. I just want to encourage you, just keep running, keep pushing through. You may be going through a dead season where you don't FEEL like it, but don't give up on your goals; your second wind is coming, your strength is coming.

Just GO. There will be tons of things you need to do, tons of thoughts will cross your mind to keep you from exercising and meeting your goals. But you have to just put those things aside and GO. Make it a priority to get your temple into shape. We are vessels that God uses to spread His Word, and if we are unhealthy then it makes it that much more difficult to do what He wishes for us to. Our body is our temple, therefore we must keep it clean and tidy, in every way, inside and out.

The natural types the spiritual. When you feel weary like you can't take another step and you feel like you are completely surrounded by darkness, just keep running, keep pushing through. You cannot go by your FEELINGS, they deceive on a daily basis. Your second wind is coming, your strength is coming. Don't give up, God is right there.

Much love.
xo Rita

Today's Hair: 07/12/12

(click on photos to enlarge)

Hello beautiful people.

It's a rainy day out so I wanted something cute but simple and out of my face. So I went to the trusty old Puff. My puff is not yet mature so it  may look a little different than yours but once my hair gets longer then my puff will continue to shape and evolve.

Pretty woven-type flower!

This is an old twist-out. I re-twisted the night before last so there's a little bit of definition going on. I love it though.

Products I used:
- water (spritzed from a spray bottle for moisture)
- Beautiful Textures' Whipped Curl Creme
- Elasta QP Smooth as Silk gel

Very simple but cute look. If you want to see more pictures, keep reading!

Seven.Nine.TwentyTwelve.

Always be true to yourself.

Speak. You may think that you have nothing to say but you will never know until you try. Someone may need to hear exactly the thing that comes from your mouth. When you do, make sure you speak with an open heart, always.

Love. I am an advocate for love. If you know me, then you know this. I always say "Give love. Always." It may seem difficult but there are many ways to give love. A gentle touch, a kind word, a silent smile to a stranger. It doesn't have to be big but you never know what a person is going through. You could be the vessel that God uses to save a person's life. I've experienced this and it is real. Love has power, utilize it.

Let God use you. We are nothing but vessels that God works through to reach other people. If God puts it on your heart to do something, do it. Don't feel as though you are not big enough to do this thing. Just do it. In your small, feeble, and finite way. The Father covers small things with His love; and once you are surrounded with Him, then that is what people see when you are fulfilling your purpose.

This was on my heart to share with you all this morning. Be blessed and give love, always.

xoxo, Rita

Pentecostal Naturals!

I am so excited about this post!

I just created a social network for Pentecostal naturals of the same name and I think it's so awesome! For those who may not want to create their own blog or who want more interaction in the Pentecostal natural hair community, I decided to create this network. I don't know what God is going to do with this but the idea came to me a few hours ago. I was sitting here wanting to interact more with the natural hair community, specifically Pentecostal and Apostolic ladies but not knowing how to do it. Then I thought about this! Thank you Jesus. So, if you are interested or anyone you know may be interested, please check out the site and JOIN. It's free and it will be nothing without you all! So please tell all of your friends and join me over at Pentecostal Naturals!!! See you on the site! :)

Love and Peace,
xoxo Rita

Song of the Week: I've Anchored in Jesus

Hey y'all!!

A beautiful view of the sun on our way to Indiana.

So, you may have been wondering where I've been. Well, for the past week I've been in Jeffersonville, Indiana for my church's annual July International Convention. It was AMAZING, the best yet. Every year we say that it was the best convention ever, but that's because it's true. It gets better and better as time goes on. I didn't take many pictures, hardly any at all because time was precious, and so was energy. The convention was five days of services, both morning and night, with on average about three hours between the two.

The Word was out of this world, I may be able to share some things that I learned later down the line. If you like, you can go to my church's website christgospel.org and view each of the messages from the July Convention in the video library. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to e-mail me.

A view of one of the bridges we passed. I love bridges!

Now, on to the song of the week. The theme of the convention was being anchored in Jesus so we sang a song each service called "I've Anchored in Jesus". It's a little out of my comfort zone, a country hymn, but the more I listened to it as well as the lyrics, the more I loved it. Once we make Jesus the core of our lives and anchor ourselves in Him, then we don't have to worry about being overtaken by the waves of trials that we face. We know that Jesus will take care of it all if we lean on Him.

This past week has been life-changing and I am so excited about what God is doing in my as well as the rest of my church family's life. I am forever grateful.

The beautiful view from our hotel room.

Love and Peace,
xoxo Rita