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PRECIOUS<br />
MAGAZINE<br />
MAIDEN EDITION<br />
52<br />
IS THE NEW MOST<br />
GRATEFUL AGE<br />
SEVEN<br />
SECRETES<br />
TO KEEP<br />
YOUR JOY<br />
EVERY AGE<br />
I HAVE BEEN<br />
GRATEFUL<br />
MISTAKES ARE<br />
LEARNING<br />
OPPORTUNITIES<br />
SHOUT OUT<br />
FROM THE BUDDIES<br />
FOREVER<br />
YOURS<br />
I AM A<br />
BLESSED ME<br />
PURPOSE-FILLED<br />
WOMAN<br />
ARE YOU DREAMING<br />
BIG ENOUGH
Contents<br />
PUBLISHER’S LETTER, 3<br />
CHRISTMAS MESSAGE 5<br />
52 IS THE NEW MOST<br />
GRATEFUL AGE 6<br />
MISTAKES ARE LEARNING<br />
OPPORTUNITIES 8<br />
MR. PRESIDENT 10<br />
I AM A BLESSED ME 11<br />
PRECIOUS VEGETABLES 12<br />
STOP BEING A COPY,<br />
WHEN GOD MADE YOU AN<br />
ORIGINAL! 17<br />
SHOUT OUT FROM THE<br />
BUDDIES 18<br />
7 SECRETS TO KEEPING<br />
YOUR JOY 24<br />
FOREVER YOURS 28<br />
DEDICATION TO OUR DEAR<br />
MOTHER 31<br />
DEDICATION TO MY DEAR<br />
MOTHER 32<br />
ARE YOU DREAMING BIG<br />
ENOUGH? 34<br />
DEDICATION TO MY LATE<br />
FATHER 39<br />
EVERY AGE I HAVE BEEN<br />
GRATEFUL 40<br />
TIPS FOR ENHANCING YOUR<br />
NATURAL BEAUTY 42<br />
TO HILLARY CLINTON,<br />
THANK YOU 44<br />
SPICE UP YOUR MARRIAGE 47<br />
Publisher's Letter,<br />
Greetings and a warm<br />
welcome to our<br />
very Maiden Edition<br />
of PreciousOne<br />
<strong>eMagazine</strong>! Let<br />
me introduce<br />
myself: I am Peace<br />
and the Publisher<br />
of <strong>PreciouOne</strong><br />
<strong>eMagazine</strong>. You are stack with us till end of<br />
time, because we know you're going to be<br />
looking forward to every Edition. It's a bi-monthly<br />
magazine featuring everyday Godly living and<br />
lifestyle in a very fun way. We want it to educate,<br />
entertain, inform, inspire, be useful and very<br />
interesting.<br />
And our name? Every single soul on earth is a PreciousOne in<br />
the sight of God and loved ones. We want you to find yourself<br />
right in there. There is certainly an article that would impact and<br />
enhance your life. It is aimed at readers of all ages, who wish<br />
to think, ponder and cherish life the Godly way. PreciousOne<br />
represents us all, each of us living by the Grace of God.<br />
Having conceived the <strong>eMagazine</strong> for over five or more years<br />
now, am humbled and grateful, it has been birthed on my 52nd<br />
birthday. Wow, what a blessed way to celebrate 18980 days on<br />
earth.<br />
I am incredibly thankful to God for the ability to be able to<br />
finally publish this <strong>eMagazine</strong>. And to you, our first readers, we<br />
appreciate your support and are happy you have joined the<br />
PreciousOne Family. Stay with us, and expect more.<br />
I hope you enjoy this maiden edition. Do let us know if there are<br />
any topics you would like to see covered in future. This is an<br />
opportunity to have influence over your preferred <strong>eMagazine</strong>,<br />
please feel free to relay your comments and suggestions to the<br />
publisher at preciousonemagazine@gmail.com.<br />
So, this is your <strong>eMagazine</strong>, PreciousOne.<br />
May you have the gift of Faith, the blessing of Hope, and the<br />
Peace of His Love at Christmas and always.<br />
Peace aKu Bennett<br />
Publisher, PreciousOne <strong>eMagazine</strong><br />
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3
Christmas<br />
Message<br />
A Blessed Christmas<br />
to you and to your<br />
family. May the birth<br />
of our Savior Jesus<br />
Christ bring you and<br />
your family endless<br />
prosperity, blessings<br />
and peace of mind that<br />
you truly deserve.<br />
Merry<br />
Christmas!<br />
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5
52<br />
is the new most<br />
Grateful Age.<br />
18,980 Days Blessed On Earth...<br />
Unbelievable!! The calendar<br />
tells me I’m a year older. I find<br />
it hard to believe I’ve clocked<br />
18,980 days on earth. Where have<br />
the days, months and years gone?<br />
Seriously, have I really lived that<br />
long?<br />
Wow, I am so overwhelmed with massive Joy and fulfillment!<br />
As I turn a year older I want to thank God for my wonderful<br />
journey and life. “Feeling GRATITUDE and not expressing it<br />
is like wrapping a gift.. and not giving it” I am Grateful to you<br />
Lord. I have always been grateful, not only on this special<br />
day, but every day am granted another opportunity to breath,<br />
I have said THANK YOU JESUS. Thanking and appreciating<br />
God should be 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 60 minutes an<br />
hour, and 60 seconds a minute thing we should all do. With<br />
every tick of the clock, with every breath we breathe, there<br />
should be thanksgiving in our hearts! And that is just how I am<br />
feeling right now.<br />
Life feels more rewarding as I am growing older. My mirror<br />
tells me am growing but inside me am energized and full of<br />
life and purpose.<br />
I may not be rich in the world’s standards, yet I am wealthy in<br />
the things that matter most in this life, many of which money<br />
could never buy. I am rich in God’s blessings of family and<br />
friends. I am rich in His mercy. I am rich with his grace and forgiveness.<br />
I am rich in the goodness He’s given so freely to me.<br />
No matter how hard life has treated me, I have always kept a<br />
positive outlook on life.<br />
My life may not be perfect, but I am blessed, and will forever<br />
remain grateful to God who has never forsaken me. Every<br />
mistake I have made is a progress towards my success. At<br />
every stage of my life, I TRUST IN JESUS my great deliverer<br />
and my strong defender. Let us always remember that; Life<br />
is full of ups and downs, without the downs, the ups would<br />
mean nothing.<br />
I am always inspired and reminded by the words of Cristy<br />
Lane’s ONE DAY AT A TIME...<br />
I’m only human, I’m just a woman.<br />
Help me believe in what I could be<br />
And all that I am.<br />
Show me the stairway, I have to climb.<br />
Lord for my sake, teach me to take<br />
One day at a time.<br />
One day at a time sweet Jesus<br />
That’s all I’m asking from you.<br />
Just give me the strength<br />
To do everyday what I have to do.<br />
Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus<br />
And tomorrow may never be mine.<br />
Lord help me today, show me the way<br />
One day at a time.<br />
I would like to take this opportunity to thank and bless all who<br />
have touched my life, past and present; the ones I know closely,<br />
the ones that I know casually and those virtual souls I met<br />
through the computer screen. Thank you all for contributing<br />
and adding interest to my life.<br />
Indeed 52 is the new most grateful age, and I am rocking it<br />
focusing on my passion and purpose and not my problems.<br />
Peace aKu Bennett @ 52<br />
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7
Mistakes<br />
are<br />
LEARNING<br />
OPPORTUNITIES<br />
We have all heard the<br />
sayings "To err is<br />
human" and "you live<br />
and you learn". We make<br />
mistakes every day, large and small,<br />
failures and faux pas. But failure<br />
and mistakes still don't feel like an<br />
awesome learning opportunity. I know<br />
it is my shortcomings that make me<br />
unique and that I should embrace<br />
the stumbles and screw ups. But it is<br />
a challenge for me and a challenge<br />
for many of us. We live and act in<br />
ways to prevent mistakes -- not taking<br />
risks, expanding our comfort zones<br />
or jumping outside the boxes we hide<br />
in. But our mistakes and failures are<br />
gifts, gems, guideposts in our learning<br />
and growth as people. So embrace<br />
failures, mistakes, screw ups and<br />
shortcomings because they not only<br />
make us uniquely who we are, but also<br />
teach us powerful lessons like the nine<br />
below.<br />
8<br />
Mistakes teach us to clarify what we really want and<br />
1.<br />
how we want to live. The word mistake derives meaning<br />
only by comparison to what we desire, what we see as<br />
success. Noticing and admitting our mistakes helps us<br />
get in touch with our commitments--what we really want<br />
to be, do, and have. Mistakes wake us up and focus<br />
our attention like a flashing sign that says "fix this". The<br />
urgency created causes us to focus on issues or problems<br />
that make us feel off track. Working on possible solutions,<br />
redefining what we want or expect, or reexamining our<br />
values or goals can lead us to more clarity about our path.<br />
Mistakes teach us to accept ourselves and that we can be<br />
2.<br />
flawed and be loved. We can fully appreciate ourselves,<br />
even while acknowledging our screw ups. It is possible<br />
to laugh at our mistakes and then work hard to correct<br />
them. Most of us have a long history of putting ourselves<br />
down when we blow it. But it's a self-defeating habit we<br />
must break so that we can start appreciating ourselves,<br />
mistakes and all. People who love and care about us will<br />
stick with us through all our flaws and floundering. Our<br />
not so perfectness is what makes us unique and we are<br />
loved for it. So we should give ourselves a break.<br />
Mistakes teach us to accept our fallibility and face our<br />
3.<br />
fear. Sometimes even our best efforts just don't work out.<br />
We might do everything possible to achieve a certain<br />
result and still fail, again and again. When this happens<br />
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we can admit that we're stuck.<br />
Facing mistakes often takes<br />
us straight to the heart of our<br />
fears. And when we experience<br />
and face those fears, they can<br />
disappear. When we are stuck<br />
and admit that we can't do<br />
it alone it sends a signal and<br />
opens the door for help to show<br />
up. People, resources, and<br />
solutions will appear, especially<br />
when we ask for help.<br />
Mistakes teach us about<br />
4.<br />
ourselves and how to tell our<br />
truth. It is natural to want to<br />
cover up our mistakes or be<br />
embarrassed by them. To feel<br />
like we wish we had a handy<br />
mistake eraser or remover.<br />
But being honest about our<br />
failures and limitations offer us<br />
opportunities to practice telling<br />
the truth.<br />
Admitting the truth allows us<br />
to expand our knowledge of<br />
self-to know who we are. And<br />
thus, increases our capacity to<br />
change. It is like holding up a<br />
mirror to ourselves and really<br />
seeing. When we tell others<br />
about our mistakes, to let them<br />
really see us, it allows us to<br />
let go of the embarrassment,<br />
shame and blame we may feel<br />
so that we can concentrate on<br />
learning and growing.<br />
Mistakes teach us, through<br />
5.<br />
analysis and feedback, about<br />
what works, and what doesn't.<br />
It's a reality check. When we<br />
experience the consequences<br />
of mistakes, we get a clear<br />
message about which of our<br />
efforts are working--and which<br />
are not. The feedback we get<br />
from our mistakes can be the<br />
most specific, pointed, and<br />
powerful feedback we'll ever<br />
get. Many times we can trace<br />
mistakes to recurring patterns<br />
of belief or behavior--things<br />
we do, say, and think over and<br />
over again. When we spot and<br />
change a habit we may find that<br />
other areas of our lives change<br />
for the better.<br />
One way to gain maximum<br />
benefit from mistakes is to<br />
examine them through the filter<br />
of powerful questions:<br />
"How can I use this experience?";<br />
"What will I do differently next<br />
time?"; "How will I be different in<br />
the future?" Questions like these<br />
lead to an inquiry that invites<br />
solutions.<br />
Mistakes teach us to take<br />
6.<br />
responsibility. Sometimes our<br />
instinctive reaction to a mistake<br />
is to shift blame elsewhere:<br />
"It's not my fault." "You never<br />
told me about that," Or the<br />
classic "I don't see how this has<br />
anything to do with me." It is<br />
more empowering to look for<br />
our role in the mistake. Taking<br />
responsibility for a failure<br />
may not be fun. But the act of<br />
doing so points out what we<br />
can do differently next time.<br />
Investigating our role reminds<br />
us that our choices and our<br />
actions have a huge influence<br />
on the quality of our lives.<br />
Mistakes teach us about<br />
7.<br />
integrity. Mistakes often happen<br />
when we break promises,<br />
over-commit, agree to avoid<br />
conflict or fail to listen fully. Big<br />
mistakes often start as small<br />
errors. Over time, tiny choices<br />
that run counter to our values<br />
or goals can accumulate into<br />
breakdowns. Even our smallest<br />
choices have power, so it is<br />
important we pay attention to<br />
the integrity of the choices we<br />
make every day. Mistakes can<br />
be a signal that our words and<br />
our actions are out of alignment.<br />
In that case, we can re-examine<br />
our intentions, reconsider our<br />
commitments, and adjust our<br />
actions.<br />
Mistakes teach us to engage in<br />
8.<br />
our lives -- to live fully. We are<br />
not our behaviors and we are<br />
more than our mistakes. We<br />
can remember that our history<br />
does not have to predict our<br />
future. And then remember that<br />
we have an opportunity to go<br />
all in--to participate fully. Many<br />
people, when faced with a big<br />
mistake, begin to pull back--to<br />
retreat. Instead, we can use<br />
the failure as evidence that<br />
we are growing, risking, and<br />
stretching to meet our potential.<br />
Mistakes help us to remember<br />
that we are not content to play<br />
it safe. That we understand that<br />
without risk there is sometimes<br />
no reward.<br />
Mistakes allow us to inspire<br />
9.<br />
others. They may be inspired<br />
when we are courageous and<br />
make our private struggles<br />
public. They might decide<br />
to live differently. When a<br />
lifelong smoker who's dying<br />
of emphysema talks about the<br />
value of being smoke-free, we're<br />
apt to listen. The same kind of<br />
contribution also occurs when<br />
we speak candidly about less<br />
serious mistakes. As parents<br />
we can teach our children<br />
that it is OK to fail because we<br />
are willing to let them see our<br />
failures and mistakes. This gives<br />
us opportunities to talk through<br />
what we could or would have<br />
done differently. These are<br />
powerful lessons for those<br />
around us.<br />
PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE 9
I AM A<br />
BLESSED<br />
ME<br />
MR. PRESIDENT<br />
Dear President Barack Obama and Mrs Michelle Obama,<br />
Thank You For The 8 Wonderful Years.<br />
Thank you for your respect for other nations, and by so doing, bringing<br />
back respect for our country and for the office of the presidency from<br />
people and leaders worldwide. You have always led us by respect.<br />
Thank you for your leadership qualities that truly brought change into<br />
many lives. Thank you for your humor and your tendency never to<br />
take yourself too seriously, and your ability to roast yourself when the<br />
occasion calls for it.<br />
I keep hearing the words you spoke the other day; “If you’re walking<br />
down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually<br />
you’ll make progress.” “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t<br />
have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m<br />
going to press on.” What an inspiration you are to the world. Know that<br />
you are loved and truly admired by a great many people around the<br />
world. May the good Lord order your steps clearly and directly to your<br />
next assignment on earth. Indeed and of a truth, “we will remember to<br />
go high when they go low”<br />
I doff off my hat to you; may the rest of your life be the best of your life.<br />
Press on my president and first lady.<br />
Peace Bennett<br />
I am a blessed me.<br />
If He knew me before I was formed,<br />
Then He has a plan and a purpose for me to be formed.<br />
He designed me to be me for a purpose.<br />
I am wonderfully designed and precious in His sight.<br />
Because He designed me in His own image.<br />
God makes no mistakes with His designs.<br />
Yes, He took His time and did an excellent design.<br />
I call it custom made master piece design.<br />
I have walked on the surface of the earth 365days x 52<br />
18,980 days.<br />
Some days were better than others.<br />
There were days of laughter and there were days of tears.<br />
Days of conception and days of delivery.<br />
I was discouraged and hopeless on some days.<br />
That was when He came and reminded me;<br />
There is Hope for the future Peace.<br />
I remember the days He wiped my tears.<br />
On some days He carried me out of the pit.<br />
The days I went wondering, He came looking for me.<br />
No matter where I have been all these days, months,<br />
And years, God never forsake me, He never left my<br />
side.<br />
Now I remember something within His purpose for<br />
me;<br />
He never promised all days will be great and<br />
beautiful.<br />
But He did asked me to be of Good Cheer<br />
Because He has overcome the world.<br />
Every single day counts and adds up to spice my<br />
purpose on earth.<br />
And I am a blessed me because I serve a Living<br />
God.<br />
10<br />
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Celery<br />
1<br />
PRECIOUS<br />
VEGETABLES<br />
7 UNDERRATED VEGETABLES<br />
WITH EXTRAORDINARY HEALTH BENEFITS<br />
Eat your vegetables!<br />
Your grandmother probably told you the same thing you tell<br />
your own grandchildren: Eat your vegetables; they’re good for<br />
you. And there are always certain veggies we focus on—leafy<br />
greens like spinach, broccoli, and the like. But scientific research<br />
shows that some veggies that we all write off (celery and mushrooms,<br />
anyone?) are actually nutritional all-stars, too. Read on to learn about the<br />
nutritional power—from helping reduce the risk of cancer to boosting your<br />
immune system—of these seemingly ordinary vegetables.<br />
Mushrooms<br />
2One of nature’s most powerful tools for fighting<br />
breast cancer may already be sitting in your<br />
refrigerator. Mushrooms—from humble, button<br />
mushrooms to more exotic shitakes—have been shown<br />
to improve the body’s immune system and reduce risk<br />
of colon, stomach, and prostate cancer. In one study,<br />
eating mushrooms cut the risk of Chinese women getting<br />
breast cancer by 64%.<br />
Mushrooms also contain vitamin D and long-chain<br />
polysaccharides that can help boost your immune<br />
system to help you fight the common cold. To access<br />
all the nutritional goodness of mushrooms, be sure to<br />
cook them, rather than eat them raw.<br />
If you associate celery with diets, or think the stalks are<br />
nothing more than sturdy swizzle sticks for your Bloody<br />
Mary, think again. Evidence suggests there’s a world of<br />
health benefits in every crunch. Dieters count on celery<br />
because it’s low in calories—only 10 calories in a large<br />
stalk—but it also delivers phthalides, which are thought<br />
to act as a natural diuretic. Those same phtalides support<br />
the circulatory system, and can help to reduce high blood<br />
pressure.<br />
But the best reason to add celery to the grocery list: it just<br />
might rev up your sex life. According to Alan Hirsch, M.D.,<br />
Director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research<br />
Foundation, celery contains pheromones, airborne sex<br />
chemicals, that are released when you chew on a stalk of<br />
the green stuff. It’s rumored that Casanova ate celery every<br />
day to keep his libido strong and if it worked for<br />
Casanova, we say pass the crudite.<br />
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13
3<br />
Brussels<br />
5<br />
Sprouts<br />
The Brussels sprout may be small, but<br />
don’t be deceived. Whether or not you’re a<br />
fan, the Brussels sprout is a cancer-fighting<br />
Jedi. Brussels sprouts contain more<br />
anti-carcinogenic compounds called<br />
glucosinolates, than any other cruciferous<br />
vegetable. One of these compounds,<br />
called sinigrin, causes cancer cells to<br />
self-destruct.<br />
More good news? Using a Brussels<br />
sprout extract, researchers at the<br />
National Institute for Health showed<br />
that the glucosinolates also are able<br />
to stabilize DNA in white blood cells<br />
by blocking offending enzymes.<br />
Onions<br />
If you slice an onion, and it makes you cry, rejoice! Those<br />
compounds that are bringing tears to your eyes are called<br />
thiosulfinates and they could keep you from having a stroke,<br />
according to some studies. Thiosulfinates act as a natural<br />
blood thinner and can keep blood platelets from<br />
clumping. In addition, the quercitin in onions has<br />
been shown to relax and dilate blood vessels,<br />
which also aids in stroke prevention.<br />
Onions are high in vitamin C, provide calcium,<br />
iron, folic acid, and dietary fiber. And,<br />
because they can kill the H pylori bacteria,<br />
they may also help to prevent—but not<br />
treat—stomach ulcers.<br />
Carrots<br />
You know that carrots are good for your eyesight. The betacarotene<br />
that makes them orange is converted to vitamin A<br />
by your body and that can help protect you from macular<br />
degeneration, as well as glaucoma. Eating carrots can<br />
even help to improve night vision, which is important when<br />
driving after dark.<br />
What most of us don't know is that carrots are<br />
almost as good for our outsides as they are for our<br />
insides. According to research, carrots contain a<br />
powerful antiseptic compound that kills germs and<br />
can prevent infection and help wounds to heal more<br />
quickly. Shred them raw, cook them and mash them, or<br />
soak a cloth in carrot juice and apply it to the affected<br />
area. An NIH study found that peeled, shredded<br />
carrots inhibit food spoilage bacteria, which supports<br />
the theory that carrots have beneficial antiseptic<br />
powers.<br />
6<br />
Bell<br />
Peppers<br />
Crunchy, sweet, and delicious, bell peppers<br />
are also one of the most healthful foods you<br />
can eat. One red bell pepper will provide almost<br />
twice your daily allowance for vitamin C. Bell peppers<br />
also are an excellent source of vitamin B6, which is used<br />
by your body to help regulate metabolism and to enable the<br />
cells in your brain to communicate with one another.<br />
Bell peppers also contain minerals, including potassium, zinc,<br />
and manganese. According to The Linus Pauling<br />
Institute, their high levels of manganese may<br />
help to prevent osteoporosis.<br />
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15
7 Garlic<br />
Garlic has been credited with warding off<br />
everything from vampires to the plague. One whiff, and you<br />
know it’s powerful. It’s antibacterial and antiviral and<br />
fresh garlic may help to prevent some cases of<br />
food poisoning by killing E coli and salmonella<br />
bacteria. It’s been credited in studies with<br />
lowering blood pressure and cholesterol,<br />
protecting the heart, boosting the immune<br />
system, and regulating blood sugar levels.<br />
But what really pushed garlic onto our list is<br />
that according to research garlic may help<br />
protect against breast, colon and other<br />
cancers. And according to research<br />
done at the Mayo Clinic, garlic can kill<br />
the rogue cells that cause prostate<br />
cancer. Maybe that’s part of the<br />
reason the Mayo Clinic suggests that<br />
men with enlarged prostate—which<br />
includes 50% of men over the age of<br />
60—use garlic to season their food.<br />
I<br />
wanted to encourage those<br />
who are too unique to be fully<br />
accepted, but too significant to<br />
be fully rejected… those often<br />
appreciated, yet rarely understood…<br />
those like the last few<br />
unplaceable puzzle pieces that<br />
rack your brain but you know they<br />
fit somewhere… those who have the<br />
keys but don’t particularly care for<br />
driving… those who are often discussed,<br />
yet rarely truly known… those<br />
who somehow make one effortlessly<br />
comfortable and also unintentionally<br />
uncomfortable… those who have<br />
remained unable to be programmed,<br />
boxed, or duplicated… those who<br />
don’t need to be right, but do love<br />
being understood… those who sometimes<br />
feel like an island in the midst<br />
of a strong city…<br />
…but most of all those who in every<br />
way are committed to becoming<br />
okay with both the simplicity and<br />
complexity of who they are and<br />
choose to embrace, love, learn, grow,<br />
and BE ALL Christ desires, knowing<br />
that you ARE for a reason!<br />
STOP<br />
Being a Copy,<br />
When God made you an<br />
Original!<br />
You are admired by the King of Glory<br />
just as King Solomon admired his<br />
bride stating, “You are all fair, my love,<br />
and there is no spot in you”. (Song of<br />
Solomon 4:7)<br />
Here is are some”peaces” of advice:<br />
1. Stop trying to remove what God<br />
put in you to uniquely shine, just<br />
because of the discomfort that<br />
comes with not fitting into everyone’s<br />
puzzle! Being original is not easy, but<br />
it is the only way in authentic living.<br />
2. Stop trying to fix what’s not broken!<br />
Embrace your uniqueness and operate<br />
in your gifts, WHILE working on<br />
your issues, and SHINE! Sometimes<br />
our “issues” back us into a stagnate<br />
corner. Remember the bible says we<br />
are to ”work out” our soul’s salvation<br />
and issues, not sit in a corner<br />
defeated!<br />
3. Remember in the big picture there<br />
are places you fit perfectly and if<br />
you change your shape or become<br />
a copy of someone else, you will be<br />
incapable of fitting into the places<br />
predestined for your unique design!<br />
There is a divine time and place of<br />
convergence where the bible declares<br />
ALL things will work together<br />
for the good of them who love the<br />
Lord and are the called according<br />
to His purposes! Don’t be discouraged,<br />
eventually the puzzle pieces of<br />
your life will fit, as long as you don’t<br />
change the shape of any!<br />
I Peter 2:9,10 says you are a chosen<br />
generation, a royal priesthood, a holy<br />
nation, God’s own special people,<br />
that you may proclaim the praises of<br />
Him who called you out of darkness<br />
into His marvelous light; who once<br />
were not a people but are now the<br />
people of God, who had not obtained<br />
mercy but now have obtained<br />
mercy….<br />
Purposed Woman arise in your<br />
unique purpose remembering no<br />
matter how marred the original looks,<br />
it is the only one that is truly valid!<br />
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Shout Out<br />
from the buddies<br />
Special<br />
Birthday Messages<br />
I<br />
need to write a whole book about the fabulous<br />
Peace. She has been my personal Counselor,<br />
Encourager and a Prayer Warrior going to 10<br />
years. She definitely would give me every reason<br />
to laugh before I get off the phone with her. Very<br />
committed to her family and friends. She is an<br />
instrument of encouragement. Problem solver<br />
and she can be tough sometimes. I wish you<br />
many more years of good health and prosperity.<br />
Christine D... Ohio<br />
She is gorgeous, talented, selfless and humble<br />
from hair to toe. Her humility is so naturally.<br />
The best giver I’ve ever known. She gives her<br />
time, her talent, her money and love. Happy Birthday<br />
Peace, you make life look so simple. Love you Sis.<br />
Betty K... Chicago<br />
Cheers to a Phenomenal woman. Very<br />
Purposeful and Passionate. You are a<br />
huge inspiration to many, including me.<br />
Super incredible all round. I love it when she<br />
would call and say; “Is everything okay? Just<br />
checking up on you, and know that am just a call<br />
away...” Happy Birthday my confidant. Nana Yaa<br />
B... New Jersey<br />
Special day, special person and special<br />
celebration. Wishing a very special person<br />
a very special day. Because I have a best<br />
friend like you, every day feels like a special day.<br />
Your Devotion, Dedication, Loyalty and your<br />
heart of giving are just a few of the many things I<br />
cherish about you, but your sense of humour and<br />
simplicity tops them all. Congratulations on your<br />
special day!<br />
S.W.... Omaha, Nebraska<br />
I<br />
know I don’t say it enough but you’re the<br />
best friend I’ve ever had. Never forget that.<br />
Seriously, everyone deserves a friend<br />
like you. But I’m the blessed one to call<br />
you my very best friend. Happy Birthday<br />
Davi Aku. Stella... Ohio<br />
You are my source of laughter and sanity. You<br />
are a godsend in my life. No one is perfect.<br />
I’ve seen many friends come and go, but you<br />
are by far the most loyal friend I’ve ever had. Very<br />
prayerful and never forget anything you tell her.<br />
Memory shark... lol. Thanks for always being there.<br />
Hope your birthday brings you many blessings.<br />
Vicky... Cali<br />
Guess who made me got my first Traffic<br />
Ticket? Interesting enough she asked the<br />
police officer if it could be written in her<br />
name. That really got us all laughing. Aku is sweet,<br />
intelligent, super passionate, caring, an incredible<br />
giver, God fearing, creative and very hardworking.<br />
Such a sweet mother to her boys and what have<br />
you. An advice to all her friends; “if this beautiful<br />
soul is your friend, make sure you keep her<br />
FOREVER”. Wishing you all the great things in life.<br />
Emilohi… New Jersey<br />
Am here wondering how I can sum up<br />
everything in just 4 sentences. That’s just not<br />
fair to some of us who want to write chapters<br />
about this wonderful human being. She is my sister<br />
from another mother and a very dependable one.<br />
If you annoy her and she wouldn’t answer your<br />
calls or respond to your text messages, hay, don’t<br />
stress yourself, she will call you back in two days...<br />
Hahahahahhahaha. She is Honest, Courageous,<br />
Creative, Giving, Caring and Humble. Happy Birthday<br />
Buddy.<br />
Ben Jay... Alabama<br />
She is freaking Hot at 52!! My bosom friend<br />
for decades. Smart and super fabulous.<br />
One of the most delightful ladies of all time.<br />
She is rocking 52 years like she just turned 25.<br />
Thanks for being part of my life.<br />
Congratulations!! I see Preciousone<br />
<strong>eMagazine</strong> becoming a household name.<br />
Ebow K... Florida<br />
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us an<br />
angel on earth. One that is not perfect but<br />
beautiful, faithful, smart, respectful, selfless,<br />
dedicated and devoted. You always touch my<br />
heart with your angelic ways of doing things.<br />
HAPPY BIRTHDAY and CONGRATULATIONS!!<br />
PreciousOne <strong>eMagazine</strong> has finally been<br />
birthed. You are indeed blessed and favored.<br />
Dr. Pearl... Omaha<br />
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Peazo, as we affectionately call her<br />
sometimes, is a smart, multi-talented lady<br />
with intriguing qualities. I have known her<br />
for decades and she's always been her collective<br />
self. Her high driven spirit manifests itself<br />
whenever she's dedicated to any project; making<br />
sure it yields results exceeding everyone's<br />
expectations. That's the 'Peazo' I have known<br />
all these years. However, I would appreciate<br />
it if she doesn't expect the same kind of vim<br />
from others when she delegates any duties.<br />
Alberta A... New Jersey<br />
I've always been inspired by your Kind Heart,<br />
Humble Soul, Beauty, Generosity to all,<br />
Calmness, Transparency and Strong even<br />
in the most difficult circumstances. You are<br />
my big sister from another mother and I just<br />
adore you for who you are. You are truly a<br />
blessing from God and I've always admired<br />
you. BLESSED BIRTHDAY TO YOU. YOU SHALL<br />
NEVER LACK IN ANY AREA OF YOUR LIFE.<br />
Vivian aka BabyGirl - Ghana<br />
I<br />
need to see her birth certificate to be sure she is<br />
hitting 52. Investigators continue to search for<br />
proof that you could be getting older because<br />
there is no evidence since you look as young<br />
for ever. I like your humor, looks, the selfless you<br />
inside out. Your love for the things of God and<br />
how sweet you are. But most of all, your praying<br />
heart. She will just belt the prayer on the phone<br />
and release some blessings and end it with, in<br />
the name of God the Father, God the Son and<br />
God the Holy Spirit... Amen. Happy Birthday<br />
my boss woman Peace. Kelly N... Omaha,<br />
Nebraska<br />
I<br />
definitely have something to boast about. My<br />
buddy is cool, trendy, awesome and beautiful.<br />
No one competes with that. I always have<br />
something to laugh about anytime we get to<br />
talk. For me, it’s truly exciting to celebrate an<br />
extraordinary friend like you. She is always filled<br />
with joy no matter what is going on in her life. She<br />
taught me to never let go of my JOY. I love you<br />
like the Sister I never had. Happy Birthday Peace...<br />
Prince J... UK<br />
I<br />
know I don’t say it enough but you’re the<br />
best friend I’ve ever had. Never forget that.<br />
Seriously, everyone deserves a friend<br />
like you. But I’m the blessed one to call<br />
you my very best friend. Happy Birthday<br />
Davi Aku. Stella... Ohio<br />
My Dear Peace, Putting together a few words<br />
as you celebrate your birthday and launch<br />
your e-magazine is done with pride - I am<br />
very proud of your achievement, and pleasure - in<br />
capturing a few words about my sister and friend.<br />
I have nicknamed you and privately address you<br />
as “Bishop” and these are my reasons: You have<br />
a positive aggression that makes you seek to<br />
produce results, whilst serving at the same time.<br />
Your beliefs and interests combine and work<br />
together so that you are constantly driven by the<br />
will to win, desire to succeed and the urge to reach<br />
your full potential.<br />
This unique approach that is simply YOU,<br />
unlocks the key of excellence both in the<br />
physical and spiritual dynamics of your life. I<br />
will always call you “Bishop”, my unique and<br />
amazing Lady who serves all. Ayeeko!!! Lady<br />
Pastor Delidah - Italy<br />
Peace is there when you need her. She is a<br />
REAL sister and a wonderful touchstone in my<br />
life. You are my source of laughter and sanity.<br />
No one is perfect. I've seen many friends come<br />
and go, but you're by far the most loyal sister and<br />
friend I've ever had. Very prayerful and never forget<br />
anything you tell her. Memory shark... lol. As for<br />
your love and commitment to the things of God, I<br />
just don't know how to spell it all out. The awesome<br />
prayer warrior I have known. STOP RUNNING AWAY<br />
FROM YOUR CALLING AS A PREACHER!! For years<br />
we have stood by each other through the good as<br />
well as difficult, challenging times. Sometimes we<br />
fumble; sometimes we get knocked down or even<br />
knocked out. But at the end of the day, we come out<br />
victorious. I value the way we can agree to disagree<br />
and still count each other as sisters. I admire your<br />
humor and humility. Then there's your persistence<br />
which some might call stubbornness; hopefully at<br />
52 and with the Preciousone <strong>eMagazine</strong>, you will<br />
change that aspect of you. Yes I have said it. And if<br />
I don't see it in the magazine, then I will call it THE<br />
VOIDED MISSING MESSAGE. Lol..<br />
I<br />
wish I would be given the opportunity to just write<br />
my heart out. I will never forget February 21, 2011<br />
when we met at our former work place. God still<br />
send human angels to people and Peace, you are<br />
one of those angels. You saved me from alcoholism<br />
and alcohol abuse. Those days of counseling,<br />
holding my hands and praying with me. Giving me<br />
ride home because I couldn't afford a car; they are<br />
days I call THE REDEMPTION DAYS. You helped me<br />
work on my marriage from heading to divorce. You<br />
led me to Christ and bought me my first ever owned<br />
Bible. You did all these out of love and compassion<br />
and I just can't stop thanking God for you. Today,<br />
am still happily married, have my own business,<br />
strong in the Lord and have a daughter<br />
I named Peace Rossy. On your special<br />
day, together with my wife and your God<br />
daughter, we say; YOU ARE A GORGEOUS<br />
ANGEL walking on earth. Happy Birthday.<br />
Carl J, South Dakota<br />
Peace ooo Peace ..but chaii I prefer to call<br />
you Dj.<br />
In January of 2015 I first got to know<br />
you through the Royals and wow..ooo..<br />
wow little did I envisage that this friendship<br />
would develop into sisterhood. It's been<br />
great knowing you. I thought my association<br />
with you would be limited to only our noble<br />
group, the Royals, but I was wrong. We built<br />
a very good relationship beyond that. We<br />
talked, laughed, cried, shared ideas, (fought<br />
small) ooo and the small small KKS....chaii.<br />
You have been the big sis I always yearned<br />
for. We discussed issues without any<br />
exhibition and that has healthily helped our<br />
friendship. Your commitment to the APGP<br />
Royal Ladies is second to none and we say<br />
"thank you". You love God so much and that<br />
shows in everything you do. We thank God<br />
so much for your life. Sis, continue to be<br />
yourself, enjoy life, love God as always and<br />
I pray that you live up to the expectations of<br />
God. Happy birthday ooo may the Almighty<br />
good God continue to bless you paaaa.<br />
Hon. Rosemary H. - Ghana<br />
God bring certain people into our lives<br />
for various reasons, and Peace is<br />
indeed one of those. I have known<br />
Peace for over 25 years and she is super<br />
incredible. If you don't know her, please don't<br />
judge her till you get to know her. She is my<br />
sister and the friend I will never let go. The one<br />
I run to after God. The friend who would call<br />
you back if she says I will call you back. The<br />
kind of best friend who would stay with you<br />
from the beginning of your trouble to end,<br />
regardless of what it takes. The hope and faith<br />
preacher. Yes, she is a seasoned preacher.<br />
Anything she sets her mind on to do, she does<br />
it passionately. Biggie - France<br />
A<br />
committed and a dedicated woman of<br />
God who never stops dreaming. And<br />
that one thing I love about her, her<br />
devotion to GOD and the things of GOD. She<br />
is a storm calmer, she is able to calm down<br />
any storms with her I CAN DO ALL THINGS<br />
SPIRIT. Always ready to say “I AM SORRY, WE<br />
SHOULDN'T LET THIS DESTROY OUR RELATIONSHIP”<br />
Indeed she value friendship and relationships. Her<br />
giving spirit tops it all. A faithful and a beautiful woman<br />
who doesn't let her smile fade away. Even in her own<br />
storm, she would find a way to reach out to others in<br />
their storm. Very dedicated to her WORK and the super<br />
mom to her three handsome men... Thank you for all<br />
that you have done for me throughout the years. HAPPY<br />
BIRTHDAY Peecash... Sika D. New York<br />
You become more beautiful every single day.<br />
The way you carry yourself, the way you respect<br />
others. Your simplicity, love and humility, makes<br />
you the best. Your passion for anything you set your mind<br />
and heart to do is just so unbelievable. I’m so honored<br />
to call you my kid sister and best friend. I know you are<br />
aware you have touched so many lives including mine.<br />
Am grateful to God for crossing our path. There is no day<br />
I talk to you that I don't feel honored knowing you. Your<br />
sweet spirit makes you sweeter every day. And your<br />
sense of humor sets you apart from the others. Thank<br />
you for impacting my life and many others. Thank you<br />
for teaching me the importance of prayer.<br />
Happy Birthday... You're loved every single day!<br />
Keep dreaming and pushing yourself! “A little more<br />
endurance and patience will make you just perfect.”<br />
Lydia K - Canada<br />
I<br />
have known Dj, mainly by whatsapp, for just<br />
over a year, having briefly met several years ago<br />
and then again just over a year ago when she<br />
visited Ghana. Dj is creative and hugely talented,<br />
evident in the emagazine she has just launched.<br />
She is passionate about what she does and remains<br />
fully committed through execution. Dj is strong willed,<br />
determined and fearless. Meeting dj comes as a bit<br />
of a surprise if you first become acquainted with her<br />
writing style. You expect to see effervescence and a<br />
bubbly person but find a cool, calm and almost reserved<br />
personality. Clearly, she most comes alive through her<br />
work and written expression.<br />
On the downside, if I can call it that, being strong willed<br />
can lead to her being fixed and unyielding when she<br />
takes a position. Congratulations Dj! Once again you<br />
had a dream and it has seen reality. God bless and guide<br />
you. Hon Emma A... Ghana<br />
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22<br />
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7 Secrets<br />
to<br />
Keeping<br />
Your Joy<br />
Are you enjoying your life? If not, God wants you to. Jesus said in<br />
John 10:10 (The Amplified Bible) that Satan comes to steal, kill<br />
and destroy, but He came that we "may have and enjoy life, and<br />
have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)." I believe this<br />
means God wants us to enjoy every part of our lives-not just little bits and<br />
pieces here and there.<br />
Many people today live their lives in<br />
a constant state of stress and turmoil.<br />
But as Christians, we don't have to<br />
live that way. Why? Because God's<br />
Spirit lives in us, and a fruit of His<br />
Spirit is joy.<br />
Now this joy is not just a "happy<br />
feeling" based on our circumstances<br />
or on the things we possess - it is an<br />
unshakable stability in our inner man<br />
(spirit). Joy can range anywhere from<br />
a calm delight to extreme hilarity,<br />
and it is the joy of the Lord that is our<br />
strength (see Neh. 8:10)<br />
Many years ago, I spent most of<br />
my time uptight and upset about<br />
something. The reason for this was<br />
because my happiness was based<br />
entirely on circumstances. If things<br />
were going my way, I was happy.<br />
If we had money in the bank, I was<br />
happy.<br />
If it was Friday night, a holiday, or<br />
if we were on vacation, I had joy.<br />
But since these things accounted<br />
for only a small part of my life, the<br />
majority of the time I was sad and<br />
discontented.<br />
As my relationship with God grew, I<br />
got tired of being happy only if and<br />
when things were going my way. I<br />
was weary and worn out from the<br />
constant mood swings, and I just<br />
wanted to be happy.<br />
God's Word said that I could live my<br />
life with joy, and I finally decided that<br />
I was going to do whatever it took to<br />
have it. As I really started to seek God<br />
about this issue, He began to reveal<br />
to me several important principles<br />
that are critical to receiving and<br />
keeping our joy. Following are seven<br />
of these life-changing essentials:<br />
1 Be led by the Spirit. One of the<br />
most dynamic ways to keep our joy<br />
is to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in<br />
the way we should go. Proverbs 16:9<br />
says, "A man's mind plans his way,<br />
but the Lord directs his steps and<br />
makes them sure."<br />
Probably one of the hardest things in<br />
the world for people is to walk away<br />
from doing something they have<br />
done for a long time. In many ways,<br />
I can't stand to do the same thing for<br />
too long. For example, I have several<br />
pairs of pajamas because I just don't<br />
like to look at the same ones all the<br />
time. But in certain areas I'm not like<br />
that-I would probably be happy with<br />
the same hairstyle until Jesus comes!<br />
If we do the same thing the same<br />
way too long, it just becomes old and<br />
stale, and it means nothing. But one<br />
of the things I have learned about the<br />
Holy Spirit is that if we follow Him, He<br />
keeps everything fresh. Life does not<br />
get stale when we follow the Lord.<br />
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The Holy Spirit will lead us to change<br />
things on purpose just to make us<br />
pay attention to Him. God may lead<br />
you simply to take a different route<br />
home from work. He may want to<br />
show you a new tree or something<br />
beautiful on your way home.<br />
Don't just keep doing things the<br />
same way if you are no longer joyful<br />
when you do them. You will lose your<br />
joy if you are not willing to get out of<br />
the boat.<br />
2. Simplify your life.<br />
Don't try to do too much. Satan works<br />
hard to complicate your life so he<br />
can steal your joy. If you want to live<br />
a less complicated life, you may have<br />
to simplify it by not doing so much.<br />
I used to whine and grumble about<br />
my schedule saying, "How can<br />
anybody do all this? I never have any<br />
time to rest. I never take a vacation."<br />
God finally told me one day, "You're<br />
making the schedule. If you don't<br />
want to do it all, then just don't do<br />
some of it."<br />
If you're too busy, I suggest that you<br />
take an hour or so and write down<br />
everything you are doing or want to<br />
do. Then look at which events are<br />
not bearing any fruit and mark them<br />
off your list.<br />
Before I uncomplicated my life, I<br />
never had time to enjoy my home. I<br />
never enjoyed my kids. I loved them,<br />
but I never really took time to enjoy<br />
them.<br />
I encourage you to spend time with<br />
your family and friends. Enjoy your relationship<br />
with God. Many people are<br />
too busy to even take a walk. Take a<br />
little bit of time to look at some of the<br />
things God has created.<br />
Learning how to simplify your life is<br />
possibly one of the most important<br />
principles to understand because<br />
Satan wants to steal your time. He<br />
steals your joy by making you too<br />
busy to enjoy all God has given you.<br />
Take time to laugh. Take time to<br />
enjoy your life!<br />
3. Pray with Boldness.<br />
Jesus said, "Ask and keep on asking<br />
and you will receive, so that your joy<br />
(gladness, delight) may be full and<br />
complete." (John 16:24)<br />
I believe there are people who are<br />
not receiving from God what He<br />
wants them to have because they<br />
won't ask boldly of Him. Hebrews<br />
4:16 tells us to come "boldly" before<br />
God's throne that we might receive<br />
grace and help in our time of need.<br />
Many Christians feel as if they need<br />
to "clean themselves up" before they<br />
can come to God in prayer. But our<br />
righteousness is in Christ alone, and<br />
no amount of good works will make<br />
us right with God. If we are in Christ,<br />
God sees us as righteous right now!<br />
A few years ago, I stepped out in faith<br />
and prayed, "God, I'm asking You to<br />
let me help every single person on<br />
the face of the earth." My mind said,<br />
Now that is stupid. But I kept praying<br />
that prayer anyway, and our television<br />
ministry has expanded greatly<br />
since that time.<br />
The Bible says we do not have<br />
because we do not ask (see James<br />
4:2). I would rather ask for a lot and<br />
get part of it than ask for a little and<br />
get all of it!<br />
Be bold and confident in God when<br />
you pray; don't be double-minded<br />
when you ask for His blessings. Don't<br />
think, I wonder if I have been righteous<br />
enough for God to grant my<br />
request. Just ask for what you need,<br />
boldly and in faith, without wavering,<br />
hesitating or doubting, knowing that<br />
your righteousness is in Christ.<br />
4. Be quick to forgive.<br />
Joy is restored to your life when you<br />
learn how to forgive and forget, and<br />
these two virtues go together. God<br />
tells us He forgives our sins, puts<br />
them as far as the east is from the<br />
west, and He remembers them no<br />
more (see Ps. 103:12; Is. 43:25).<br />
Frequently, we try to forgive people,<br />
but forgiveness can't do its<br />
redemptive work because we want<br />
to remember what they did to us.<br />
We continue to think and talk about<br />
them. Remembering a past offense<br />
reopens the wound and feeds anger-then<br />
anger in turn feeds unforgiveness.<br />
Why do we need to forgive other<br />
people? Because our faith won't<br />
work if we don't. Unforgiveness is like<br />
dirt and mud on our spirit. It blocks<br />
our fellowship with God, and that<br />
prevents our spiritual growth.<br />
Actually, we end up torturing ourselves<br />
when we hold grudges and<br />
don't forgive others. While we are<br />
miserable and upset, the person who<br />
hurt us is out enjoying his or her life,<br />
not even thinking about it. I often<br />
say that holding unforgiveness is<br />
like taking poison and hoping your<br />
enemy will die!<br />
Have you lost your joy because of<br />
unforgiveness? If so, I suggest that<br />
you start forgiving people right away.<br />
Make a list of people you need to<br />
forgive. Ask the Lord to give you the<br />
power to forgive these people, then<br />
let it go.<br />
5. Obey God.<br />
I can tell you from experience that<br />
walking in obedience to God is one<br />
of the best ways to have a joyful,<br />
outrageously blessed life. Psalm 37:4<br />
(NIV) says: "Delight yourself in the<br />
Lord and He will give you the desires<br />
of your heart."<br />
Every day we need to submit our<br />
will and our plans to God. We need<br />
to learn to wait on Him and listen<br />
to what He is telling us to do-then<br />
simply obey Him. God knows what is<br />
best for our lives, and He will lead us<br />
into His perfect plan if we give Him<br />
permission to do so.<br />
When we are new believers, we have<br />
our own plans and walk in our own<br />
ways. However, as we surrender to<br />
God to really follow Him, there will<br />
be things He will ask us to do that we<br />
may not want to do-at first. But if we<br />
really love Him, we will let Him have<br />
His way in our lives (see John 14:15).<br />
Are you in a position right now in<br />
which God is asking you to do something<br />
you don't want to do? I strongly<br />
urge you to submit to Him. Your joy<br />
depends on it!<br />
I believe that as we obey God more, it<br />
will bring such outrageous blessings<br />
that our love for Him will grow deeper<br />
and deeper. As our love grows, we<br />
will want to do what God wants us to<br />
do, and our obedience will give us<br />
great joy.<br />
6. Be yourself.<br />
Being satisfied and happy with<br />
yourself is a very important key to<br />
enjoying your life. It was so liberating<br />
to me when I discovered that I did<br />
not have to be like anyone else.<br />
I used to try to be easygoing like my<br />
husband, Dave. I even tried to be<br />
soft-spoken and sweet like my pastor's<br />
wife. But all of that was only making<br />
me frustrated because God didn't<br />
anoint me to be them-He anointed<br />
me to be me!<br />
Many people think they must become<br />
what another person is. That<br />
kind of thinking will steal our joy.<br />
We don't have to compare anything<br />
about our lives to another person's<br />
life. All we're required to do is be who<br />
God created us to be.<br />
God has made every one of us<br />
unique. He personally made you and<br />
gave you gifts, talents and abilities.<br />
Just think about it: Nobody else in<br />
the world is exactly like you. That<br />
means what is best for someone else<br />
may not be best for you.<br />
So, when you are tempted to say to<br />
God, "I wish I looked like someone<br />
else," or "I wish I could do this or that<br />
like them," don't say it. Be satisfied<br />
with who God made you to be.<br />
Remember that He made you exactly<br />
who He wants you to be. If you try to<br />
be like somebody else, you will miss<br />
the beautiful life God has planned<br />
specially for you.<br />
7. Let God invade every<br />
area of your life.<br />
A major change that God helped me<br />
make years ago was to stop dividing<br />
my life into what I thought was<br />
spiritual and non-spiritual. Somehow<br />
I had fallen into a religious trap<br />
of feeling like the only time I was<br />
pleasing God was when I was doing<br />
something spiritual such as praying,<br />
reading the Bible or ministering at<br />
church.<br />
But the Bible says that whatever we<br />
do, we are to do it as unto the Lord<br />
(see Col. 3:23). This means that God<br />
wants to be included when we are<br />
shopping for groceries, pumping gas<br />
and combing our hair just as much<br />
as when we are praying or reading<br />
the Word.<br />
The truth is none of us can live in a<br />
church service, a Bible study or on<br />
our knees in prayer. There are many<br />
practical aspects to our lives, and<br />
God expects us to take care of them<br />
too. In fact, I believe He anoints us to<br />
live ordinary, everyday lives in victory<br />
and with joy.<br />
When we decide to let God out of<br />
our "Sunday morning box" and into<br />
every area of our lives, we'll begin to<br />
experience His joy and peace more<br />
than ever before.<br />
Remember, enjoying the abundant<br />
life Jesus died to give you is based<br />
on a decision you make-not on your<br />
circumstances (see John 10:10).<br />
Joy is God's gift to us, but some of us<br />
have never even opened the package!<br />
God is just waiting for you to do<br />
so. He is the glory and the lifter of our<br />
heads (see Ps. 3:3). Satan wants to<br />
pull us down, but Jesus came to lift<br />
us up!<br />
Start celebrating your life. Don't just<br />
endure your days-enjoy your days.<br />
Smile. It will give your face and your<br />
spirit a lift.<br />
Find some good, clean entertainment<br />
or get with some Christian<br />
friends and cut loose and laugh. "A<br />
happy heart is good medicine and a<br />
cheerful mind works healing." (Prov.<br />
17:22, The Amplified Bible)<br />
Every morning when you wake up,<br />
before you even get out of bed, I<br />
encourage you to declare out loud, "I<br />
am going to enjoy this day!" Decide<br />
to be happy right where you are and<br />
to enjoy the life you have right now -<br />
on the way to where you are going.<br />
Make a firm decision to enjoy your<br />
journey. When you do, you will begin<br />
to experience the abundant, joy-filled<br />
life that Jesus died to give you.<br />
God's Word said<br />
that I could live<br />
my life with joy,<br />
and I finally<br />
decided that I<br />
was going to do<br />
whatever it took<br />
to have it<br />
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PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE<br />
27
Forever<br />
Yours<br />
A Letter for Every Single Christian Woman<br />
Who Just Wants To Find Mr. Right<br />
by MidoriLei<br />
Dear Miss Right,<br />
I could ask you the same question.<br />
None of us were created<br />
to be alone, we thrive off of love<br />
and relationship, so I think it’d<br />
be mutually beneficial for us<br />
to find each other quickly. The<br />
truth is, and this is where most<br />
guys won’t admit it, I need you<br />
as much as you need me. I’ve<br />
tried to be one of those super<br />
macho guys, but in all honesty,<br />
in my heart, nothing could be<br />
more satisfying than to be your<br />
sensitive and loving provider,<br />
your husband. My plans and<br />
ideas are everywhere. I ask God<br />
daily for direction and confirmation.<br />
God’s the only one with<br />
the big picture, because I’m as<br />
lost as you are. I know that there<br />
are wonderful things out there<br />
for us to discover together, God<br />
will reveal them to each of us<br />
in time. There IS a reason we’re<br />
still not together. Logically it’s<br />
because we haven’t met… or if<br />
we have, we haven’t gotten to<br />
know each other. You’re not the<br />
only one without a line of ducks,<br />
I think some of mine might actually<br />
be geese, in which case, I<br />
have to be rid of them and find<br />
the ducks to fill their spots.<br />
I agree with you wholeheartedly<br />
about the right woman<br />
and the wrong time being the<br />
wrong woman. The same can<br />
be said for guys. And truthfully,<br />
God’s been dealing with me on<br />
issues that would only bring our<br />
relationship down. I struggle<br />
with the idea of being forgiven<br />
without cause, and I need to<br />
learn to be more accepting of<br />
grace. Until I am, please don’t<br />
give up on me. Truthfully, the<br />
reason we’re not together is that<br />
I’ve asked God to hold off on<br />
our introduction until I’m ready<br />
to be the man you deserve. I<br />
have some of the same fears.<br />
Trust me, nothing’s scarier for<br />
a guy than to think that he’ll be<br />
the emotional head over heels<br />
in love one, while you look on<br />
in disdain. I want to get lightheaded<br />
when you walk into a<br />
room, and I want you to melt at<br />
my smile. Don’t be afraid, you<br />
can never ask too much of God.<br />
Nothing is beyond His capacity.<br />
The very reason you feel like I<br />
should be these things for you,<br />
is because God has created a<br />
desire in you specifically for me<br />
and only me, who will be these<br />
things, and you won’t be happy<br />
with any other guy.<br />
And believe me, I’m far from<br />
perfect. My heart aches at the<br />
very thought of you getting me.<br />
I’m the undeserving one. It’s not<br />
fair that someone with a past<br />
like mine gets coupled with the<br />
woman of his dreams. But the<br />
beauty of grace, is that it makes<br />
life not fair. I AM looking for you,<br />
and I’m waiting for God to deem<br />
the time right for us to meet. The<br />
fact that I know you’re out there<br />
doing the same, only strengthens<br />
me further. I hate to disappoint<br />
you, but I’m very much into<br />
movies and TV… Luckily, to have<br />
an interest in something does<br />
not necessarily mean to believe<br />
it. Love is not a feeling or emotion<br />
that coincides with “Happily<br />
Ever After”, it’s a choice. And I’ve<br />
decided to love you unconditionally<br />
into eternity.<br />
Admittedly, a good appearance<br />
is nice, but appearances can be<br />
deceiving. Don’t worry about it;<br />
be yourself. My eyes were made<br />
with you in mind, so I’d say you<br />
have an advantage over other<br />
women. And besides, if you<br />
make yourself look too good,<br />
you’ll run the risk of attracting<br />
more than just me… I don’t want<br />
to have to fend the hounds off<br />
my woman! Your imperfections<br />
are what make you you, and<br />
I can put you just as easily on<br />
my screensaver or wall, as any<br />
of those other women. And the<br />
best part is, then I’ll have the<br />
real thing right by my side to<br />
keep me warm. Good luck with<br />
the cover snatching, you’ll need<br />
it. (lol) While there are a lot of<br />
pretty women out there, there’s<br />
only one for me. I would never<br />
settle for someone I could live<br />
with, and you shouldn’t either.<br />
Where’s the fun in that? I’m the<br />
one you could never imagine life<br />
without.<br />
I’m the guy you might notice at<br />
first, but only in that, vague sort<br />
of way, but if you got to know<br />
me, you’d find a soul that yearns<br />
after God, and that’s what will<br />
help you understand the plan<br />
God has laid out for the both<br />
of us. If I only saw beauty from<br />
the world’s perspective, I’d be a<br />
rather lonely individual, wouldn’t<br />
I? There is none more beautiful<br />
than a beautiful soul. I can’t wait<br />
to be captivated by yours. I’d<br />
take on all the pain the world<br />
could throw at you, and you’d be<br />
the heaven that helped me bare<br />
it. I’ll be the first to admit, I struggle<br />
with taking a passive role. It’s<br />
hard to be a leader with no one<br />
to lead. Your point is valid, however,<br />
I find it ironic that you were<br />
the one to initiate this conversation,<br />
to which I am responding.<br />
I have difficulty knowing who to<br />
pursue, I guess my biggest fear is<br />
accidentally getting in too deep<br />
with someone that’s not you. I<br />
have been hurt and rejected, and<br />
mostly because I’ve pursued…<br />
In fact, most of the stupid things<br />
I’ve done have come from “the<br />
hunt.” Maybe I should learn<br />
to do less shooting and more<br />
tracking. I can’t just fire into the<br />
crowds and hope for a hit. God<br />
has directed me on how to set<br />
my sights to find you. And you’ll<br />
be my trophy wife. (lol, couldn’t<br />
help myself with that one.) I’ll<br />
have you know, if you think<br />
I’d get married for the sake of<br />
getting married, maybe it’s you<br />
that’s looking in the wrong places.<br />
Marriage is a commitment for<br />
life, and that’s a commitment I’d<br />
be miserable to make to anyone<br />
but you. That and I want my rib<br />
back. I’ll tell you what, my rib for<br />
the covers, sound like a deal?<br />
There is no one I’d rather build<br />
my life with.<br />
We’ll have our pitfalls, but we’ll<br />
also have our mountain tops,<br />
and there’s no one I’d rather share<br />
my adventure with because I<br />
know that there’s no way I can<br />
grow to be the man God wants me<br />
to be without you by my side.<br />
I’m getting kinda tired myself. It’s<br />
58 days after New Year’s Eve, and<br />
I kissed no one… I was actually<br />
oblivious to the clock altogether<br />
as I was watching Monty Python’s<br />
Flying Circus (but that’s another<br />
story). Believe me, I’d rather have<br />
been in your arms. I wasn’t truly<br />
alone, but I was as good as. I’m<br />
one of the ones that feels lonely<br />
in a crowd, because I just don’t fit<br />
in. I’m not of this world, and that’s<br />
how you’ll be able to pick me out.<br />
I can’t wait till I can hold you as we<br />
usher in our first New Year together.<br />
It’ll be my happiest moment…<br />
until the next time you smile.<br />
Good night to you, my love! God’s<br />
time is His own, but I pray daily<br />
that He take into consideration<br />
our time not spent together is<br />
time lost. I’ll search for you until I<br />
die, but I trust God to make sure<br />
it doesn’t take that long. Don’t<br />
settle for Mister Sorta Charming,<br />
because trust me, when you meet<br />
me, he’s going to look like the<br />
frog. I know not what form you’ll<br />
take, but I know you’ll be the<br />
woman God’s formed for and from<br />
me. I know you will have honesty,<br />
faith, tenderness, and a pure<br />
heart: each a beauty in and of its<br />
own. Even one of these is worth<br />
waiting an eternity for. I’ve loved<br />
you as long as you have me, and<br />
for the same reason. Don’t give up<br />
waiting for me, I’m searching for<br />
you. When we do finally meet, you<br />
can be sure God will have orchestrated<br />
it to bring out the both in<br />
best of us and to glorify Him in the<br />
greatest means possible. God’s<br />
been moving in both of our lives,<br />
and He’s been moving us together.<br />
It’s only a matter of time before<br />
that finally happens.<br />
Forever Yours,<br />
Mister Right<br />
28 PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE<br />
PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE<br />
29
Dedication<br />
to our<br />
Dear Mother<br />
Dear Mother,<br />
Words would never in a million years be able to explain<br />
how much you mean to us mom. You are indeed a warrior,<br />
a strong and industrious mother. A woman of faith<br />
and great substance! We SALUTE YOU! In this world<br />
only a few mothers like you thrive to give their children<br />
the best of life and comfort. You have strive and worked<br />
so hard to make things great. You have put food on the<br />
table for years, and have made ends meet and struggled<br />
through the night to find shelter for your children! We<br />
SALUTE YOU MOTHER! You are indeed a warrior! The<br />
warrior who never gives up. A faithful servant of God<br />
and a unique creature. There is absolutely none like you!<br />
You deserve the world and We promise that one day you<br />
shall have it! You are a great woman and we are entirely<br />
grateful for all you have done and continue to do for us.<br />
Congratulations on launching PreciousOne <strong>eMagazine</strong>. It<br />
is a dream come true.<br />
Mom, no one can ever take your place in our heart. We<br />
love you forever and ever. No matter where we go or<br />
whom we meet, you will always be Number One to us.<br />
Every mom is special, but trust me there is no other<br />
mom who can be compared to your qualities and abilities.<br />
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our mom… the woman who sacrificed<br />
many a precious moments in her life, so that we<br />
could have them in ours. WE LOVE YOU MOM.<br />
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Reflection of the times...<br />
Dear Mom,<br />
I appreciate and love you.<br />
It is rather impossible to put into words everything I appreciate<br />
and love about you. From the wonderful woman you are,<br />
to the woman you raise me to be, you are simply amazing. Your<br />
loving touch is like no other, your smile is brightest of all.<br />
Your heart beats love and care, makes you a real SUPER MOM<br />
of all time. If I needed you, you always made time for me. I<br />
know you’ve always got my back. You have no idea how comforting<br />
that has been in my life. You taught me how to love<br />
unconditionally and have an open heart. I have seen further<br />
evidence of this unconditional love in the way that you show<br />
such love, patience and commitment. As I turn 52 on December<br />
18, 2016, I say:<br />
Dedication<br />
to my mother<br />
Thank you for always believing in me.<br />
Thank you for teaching me that I can rise above every circumstance.<br />
Thank you for teaching me to give my very best at everything I<br />
do.<br />
Thank you for teaching me how to be strong and independent.<br />
Thank you for teaching me the importance of hard work.<br />
Thank you for showing me what love, commitment and family<br />
is all about.<br />
Thank you for loving my kids as much as I do and always being<br />
there for them…this is truly one of the BEST gifts you have<br />
given me. Finally;<br />
Thank you for leading me to Jesus Christ at a very young age.<br />
I’m a better person because of you and all that you instilled<br />
in me. I believe I wouldn’t be the woman I am today if it<br />
weren’t for you. Thank you for loving me in all the ways you<br />
do. You are more than just a mother to me; you are my teacher,<br />
my strength, my guidance and my best friend. Thank you for<br />
giving me every part of yourself. I LOVE YOU MOM.<br />
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34<br />
Are You<br />
Dreaming<br />
BIG<br />
Enough?<br />
Dreams are not merely the nightly thoughts you<br />
experience as the brain sorts out the day's<br />
events. They are the goals and visions that fire<br />
your heart and saturate your soul with joy<br />
at the very thought of them. They are those continuing<br />
visions of what you want your life to be at its highest<br />
level of fulfillment--what you want to do, how you want<br />
to do it, what kind of person you want to become in the<br />
process.<br />
Your destiny and reason for living are wrapped up tightly in your dreams and desires,<br />
like the genetic information inside a seed. That dream in your heart contains your spiritual<br />
"DNA," the very blueprint for who you are. Your dream is that idea, that vision for<br />
your life that burns inside of you--something you can't ignore for long. It keeps coming<br />
back to your mind because it is part of who you are; it will never leave you alone.<br />
A dream doesn't drive you; it draws you. It is like a big magnet that pulls you toward<br />
itself. I don't believe that there is a man or woman without a dream, because God designed<br />
every member of the human race to have dreams. Without a dream, a person<br />
will be frustrated in the present and will miss his or her future.<br />
Your dream did not even originate with you. It resides within you, but God put it there.<br />
He is the source of your dream. When people dream without God, they find it hollow<br />
and unsatisfying. Every person must come to Jesus for his or her dream to make<br />
sense. In fact, without Jesus, you might follow a dream for your life that God never put<br />
in your heart.<br />
PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE<br />
Not every dream is from God. There is<br />
such a thing as godless dreams. But<br />
when your dream is God's dream, it's<br />
unstoppable.<br />
Jesus said that apart from Him we<br />
can't do anything and that all our<br />
dreams will be frustrated. The power,<br />
energy and creativity needed to fulfill<br />
our dreams must flow from Jesus.<br />
The most common and most crucial<br />
question is, "How do I know which<br />
dreams in my heart are from God?"<br />
Here is the answer. You will know it's<br />
God's dream if:<br />
1. It is bigger than you.<br />
2. You can't let it go.<br />
3. You would be willing to give everything<br />
for it.<br />
4. It will last forever.<br />
5. It meets a need nobody else has<br />
met.<br />
6. It brings glory to God.<br />
Let's unpack each of these. First, any<br />
dream God put in your heart will be<br />
much bigger than you. Most children<br />
start out with big dreams of being a<br />
major league baseball player or the<br />
first woman president of the United<br />
States. But people and circumstances<br />
whittle those dreams down to size. We<br />
reach adulthood, and we voluntarily<br />
trim our dreams to manageable proportions<br />
so we won't be disappointed.<br />
That's the opposite of what we should<br />
do. We should set higher goals, not<br />
lower ones. God is the author of<br />
bigness, not smallness. We may not<br />
reach the highest dream, but we will<br />
go a lot farther by aiming high than<br />
aiming low.<br />
The first test you can apply to your<br />
dream is: "Is it too big for me to fulfill<br />
without God's help?" If you can do it<br />
without His help, you are not dreaming<br />
big enough. If it's much bigger<br />
than you, you are on the right track.<br />
The Bible promises that all things are<br />
possible with God. Is your dream impossible<br />
enough? Does it go beyond<br />
you enough to qualify for God's help?<br />
Your dream should be so big that it<br />
takes your breath away, makes you<br />
temporarily weak in the knees, and<br />
makes you cry out to God for help and<br />
guidance.<br />
Next, are you able to let this dream<br />
go, or does it keep bugging you? A<br />
God-given dream is a bothersome<br />
thing: it won't leave you alone! It<br />
keeps bobbing to the surface of your<br />
heart, clamoring for your mind's attention.<br />
If that's how your dream behaves,<br />
then it is probably from God. You also<br />
know it's a God-given dream if you are<br />
willing to devote every ounce of energy<br />
and every minute of your days to<br />
it. A dream inspires devotion like the<br />
devotion a parent has for a child: you<br />
would give your very life just to see it<br />
grow and find fulfillment.<br />
Will your dream last forever? Many<br />
people pursue dreams built on things<br />
that will fade away. They dream of<br />
fame, but fame never lasts. Others<br />
build dreams on wealth, health or<br />
power, but none of these last more<br />
than a few decades at most. A dream<br />
cannot be built on ego. It cannot be<br />
built on tradition--because the company<br />
expects it or your family expects<br />
it. None of these foundations will<br />
support your dream.<br />
You must build your dreams on something<br />
that will last. Only two things<br />
in the entire world will last forever:<br />
truth and people. Heaven and earth<br />
will pass away, but God's Word will<br />
never pass away. You have to build<br />
your dream on that never-changing<br />
foundation.<br />
The second thing that lasts forever<br />
is people. God made human beings<br />
to last forever. Jesus came to seek<br />
and save that which was lost, to die<br />
for people. That's how we should<br />
spend our lives, too. If God Himself<br />
thought people were worth dying for,<br />
shouldn't we follow His example? In<br />
fact, the only way to minister to God<br />
is to minister to people, as He said,<br />
"When you've done it to the least of<br />
them, you've done it to Me" (see Matt.<br />
25:40).<br />
Your dream must be built on human<br />
need. Will it help people? Improve<br />
lives? Alleviate human suffering? Does<br />
it fill a need nobody else is filling? If<br />
so, you can be sure that dream is from<br />
God. The secret to happiness in life<br />
is pouring into other people, giving<br />
without expecting anything in return.<br />
Finally, your dream should bring glory<br />
to God. The most horrible thing in life<br />
is to realize you have wasted months,<br />
years or decades following the wrong<br />
dream. Life is too precious to fritter<br />
away by building on a crumbling<br />
foundation. Many people lose their<br />
lives, not by dying, but by squandering<br />
their time.<br />
So, you've identified your dream. If<br />
fills all the criteria of a dream from God<br />
Himself. How do you bring that dream<br />
to fruition? It's not about brute force,<br />
mindless energy or human calculation.<br />
Here are some steps that I have<br />
noticed people take on the road to<br />
reaching their dreams:<br />
1. Get alone with God.<br />
One reason people never discover<br />
their dream and purpose in life is that<br />
they never stop long enough to listen.<br />
They are like the World War II pilot<br />
who became lost over the ocean and<br />
radioed back, "I have no idea where I<br />
am or where I'm heading, but I'm making<br />
record time." Someone else said,<br />
"It's an ironic habit of the human race<br />
that we double our speed when we've<br />
lost our way."<br />
We have to get alone with God and<br />
listen. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and<br />
know that I am God." To get a vision<br />
from God, turn off the television. Get<br />
quiet. Let God talk to you. An Indian<br />
tribe in Oregon used to send young<br />
men out, when they came of age, with<br />
the instruction, "Don't come back until<br />
you have a vision." Those who got<br />
discouraged came back early. Those<br />
who stayed until they had a vision<br />
became the leaders of the tribe.<br />
Paul spent three years in the desert<br />
PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE 35
listening to God before he began<br />
his ministry. That was his seminary<br />
education. He said: "God, what is the<br />
overarching, all-consuming passion<br />
of my life? What will I do until I die?"<br />
Once he discovered his dream, he<br />
lived an extraordinary life.<br />
2. Review your gifts and talents.<br />
Romans 12:6 says we each have<br />
gifts. God gave you the gifts you<br />
have; you didn't choose them. Fulfillment<br />
comes when you use those<br />
gifts for Him in service of your dream.<br />
Your gifts are the key to discovering<br />
God's will in your life.<br />
Desire points us to our dreams. God<br />
uses desire to accomplish what<br />
He wants on this earth. How did<br />
He make sure the world was populated?<br />
He gave men and women<br />
a desire for each other to produce<br />
children. How did He make sure<br />
we cared for our bodies? He made<br />
us thirsty and made two-thirds<br />
of the planet water. He made us<br />
hungry and caused food to grow<br />
all around us.<br />
God speaks to us through desires.<br />
Many Christians have come<br />
to think that their motives and<br />
desires are corrupt and untrustworthy,<br />
but the Bible says that if<br />
any man is in Christ Jesus, he is<br />
a new creature. Old things pass<br />
away, and all things become new<br />
(see 2 Cor. 5:17). That includes<br />
our desires! The Bible says you<br />
can have the mind of Christ within<br />
you. So what does it say about your<br />
desires? It says your desires, when<br />
you become a new creature, are<br />
changed. That's why God can say, "I<br />
want to give you the desires of your<br />
heart."<br />
3. Review your experience.<br />
We pay attention not only to our<br />
desires and talents, but also to our<br />
past history. This is a powerful thing.<br />
Romans 8:28 says, " ... All things work<br />
together for good. ... " God uses all<br />
things.<br />
God can use your desires and talents<br />
36<br />
to serve your larger goals. Even<br />
if it's a skill you don't particularly<br />
enjoy, you may find it opens doors<br />
for you at key times. Not everything<br />
in our past is bound to be good.<br />
Some people reading this may have<br />
lingering pain in their lives. Some<br />
went through a divorce, grew up<br />
with angry parents or struggled<br />
with alcohol. Some had abortions,<br />
filed for bankruptcy or endured<br />
hurts that cannot be easily explained.<br />
But each of these problems falls<br />
into the category of "all things." God<br />
wants to integrate your hurts and<br />
difficulties into your life message.<br />
He never wastes circumstances,<br />
even bad ones. Before you became<br />
a believer, God was working to redeem<br />
the problems you faced. Not<br />
all things are good, but all things<br />
will work for the good of those who<br />
love Him and are called according<br />
to His purpose (see Rom. 8:28).<br />
Second Corinthians 1:4 says God<br />
helps us in our troubles so we can<br />
help others who have troubles,<br />
using the same help we ourselves<br />
have received from God. When you<br />
grasp that, it will change the way<br />
you view your life circumstances, and<br />
it will help you discover your dream.<br />
4. Decide what's really important in life.<br />
Paul wrote, "All things are lawful for<br />
me, but not all things are helpful ... "<br />
(1 Cor. 10:23). Some things are not<br />
wrong, but they're just not necessary.<br />
They waste time. We might not have<br />
time to pursue every dream, so we<br />
must choose to spend time on what's<br />
important. Successful people learn to<br />
eliminate nonessentials, those things<br />
that won't matter 10 years from now.<br />
Invest your life in those things that will<br />
outlast you.<br />
5. Begin to explore different avenues.<br />
6. Journal your dream.<br />
Once you are able to define your<br />
dream, write it down. Habakkuk 2:2<br />
says, "Then the Lord answered me<br />
and said: 'Write the vision and make it<br />
plain on tablets, that he may run who<br />
reads it.'" If you want to move ahead in<br />
your dream, you must write it down--<br />
inscribe it indelibly.<br />
That shows resolve, definition and<br />
form. It is not enough to have an idea<br />
of what you want to do; you must have<br />
a plan for implementing it. Dreams<br />
do not come true by fantasizing--you<br />
have to write them down and let them<br />
become a guiding force in your life.<br />
It has been said, "No individual has<br />
the right to come into the world and<br />
go out of it without leaving behind<br />
him distinct and legitimate reasons for<br />
having passed through it." But most<br />
people have lost their dream.<br />
It seems impractical in this world to<br />
believe you were born for something<br />
great. Somehow it becomes more<br />
important to have a steady job, pay the<br />
mortgage, keep things moving forward<br />
with the least amount of disruption<br />
and the highest possibility for what our<br />
society calls "success." But the fulfillment<br />
of your dream has little to do with<br />
what our society considers success-<br />
-it's much bigger than that. Are you<br />
dreaming big enough?<br />
PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE<br />
To us its love,<br />
Care and dedication<br />
Tel: 402-813-3444<br />
www.preciousoneathome.com<br />
PRECIOUS ONE MAGAZINE 37
that touches others goes on forever.<br />
DEDICATION TO MY LATE FATHER<br />
FRANK AGBEMADZO<br />
“The Exclusive First Edition of PreciousOne<br />
Magazine is for you, Dada. You thought me how<br />
to be a firm, strong, responsible and a respectful<br />
woman.<br />
In all the world there could never be another dad<br />
quite like you. No one else has your looks, firmness<br />
and your persistent and purposeful spirit. Your jokes<br />
and laugh that shows how happy you are.<br />
I<br />
saw the many lives you touched, whether a kind word spoken out of love, or the<br />
harsh truth spoken out of wisdom and living life. You still never cease to amaze me,<br />
because dada, you're always right.<br />
You were well-loved everywhere you went and your selfless spirit of giving your<br />
time, resources, advice and money is second to none.<br />
I think and look back on the years and the love you've shown, some where hard to take<br />
and swallow and others where easy to chew on and swallow without water. Which<br />
ever way I took them, you always loved and cared.<br />
That is why am thankful to God for giving me the perfect father, just the kind of father<br />
anyone would want.<br />
As you look down from heaven, I hope you’re proud of your first girl Peace and your<br />
grand children, Frank whom I named after you, Fred and Francis.<br />
There are special people in our lives who never leave us .... even after they are gone<br />
and you are certainly one of them.<br />
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Every Age<br />
Grateful<br />
I HAVE BEEN<br />
There Lived A Truly Beautiful<br />
Talented American<br />
Woman...<br />
On an episode of “Super<br />
Soul Sunday,” Oprah sat<br />
down with the woman<br />
she calls her mentor, Dr.<br />
Maya Angelou, to talk about the<br />
legendary poet’s life and career —<br />
including how she’s handled the<br />
aging process.<br />
“As you’re 85, what can you say about the 80s?” Oprah<br />
asks in the video. “Are they still hot?”<br />
“Oh my goodness,” Dr. Angelou says. “Do it if you can.<br />
If you have a choice, choose the 80s.”<br />
Dr. Angelou echoes the philosophy of Oscar Wilde<br />
when she says, “moderation in all things, and even<br />
moderation in moderation. Don’t get too much moderation.”<br />
As Oprah laughs, Dr. Angelou continues, “But<br />
when you get in to your 80s, and you find that you’re<br />
still looking kinda alright, and people still say, ‘Hello,<br />
hello, hello,’ you think, ‘Hmm, I’m glad I got this far.’”<br />
With many women trying to fight against the aging<br />
process, Oprah asks Dr. Angelou how she’s managed<br />
to embrace it. “I can’t remember ever being anxious<br />
about [aging],” Dr. Angelou says. “Every age, I’ve been<br />
grateful.”<br />
Each morning, Dr. Angelou says she takes a moment<br />
to feel grateful. “Thank you, Lord,” she says. “Thank<br />
you for this day. Thank you for the light coming<br />
through that window. Thank you. Thank you that I’m<br />
breathing. Thank you. Thank you for everything. Thank<br />
you for the phone call that told me that I have the job.<br />
Thank you even for the phone call that told me I’m not<br />
wanted anymore. Thank you because I know you have<br />
something better for me lined up.”<br />
In the video, Oprah brings up a phone call she had with<br />
Dr. Angelou years ago. “I was crying hysterically about<br />
something, I don’t recall what it was,” Oprah says. “I<br />
was calling for your open, empathetic, loving embrace.<br />
And you said, ‘Stop it. Stop it right now. I want you to<br />
say thank you.’”<br />
At first, Oprah says she didn’t understand what Dr.<br />
Angelou wanted her to be thankful for. “And you said,<br />
‘Because you know God has put a rainbow in the<br />
clouds for you,’” Oprah says. “That was life changing<br />
for me.” May her beautiful soul rest in perfect peace.<br />
Source of the story:<br />
http://www.huffingtonpost.com<br />
40<br />
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Maya Angelou:<br />
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We’ve all had one of those days where we just feel blah about our<br />
appearance—maybe your hair isn’t falling the right way and those<br />
dark circles under your eyes just seem a little, well, darker. Luckily,<br />
we’ve found news that will help break the funk next time you’re<br />
having an “ugly day.” Studies show that beauty isn’t about the perfect body,<br />
long blonde curls or the latest designer fashions; in fact, your outward appeal<br />
is largely influenced by surprising factors such as how you treat others, spatial<br />
clutter and even the company you keep. We’ve researched 10 unexpected ways<br />
to enhance your looks—naturally. Read on for the beauty secrets!<br />
Tips for<br />
Your<br />
Natural<br />
Beauty<br />
Remember the Golden Rule<br />
Being dishonest or disrespectful<br />
changes your appearance, for the<br />
worse. According to character<br />
coach Susanne Alexander, acting<br />
ungraciously “makes you more likely<br />
to frown or raise your eyebrows<br />
in arrogance, causing forehead<br />
lines,” while lying “causes tightness<br />
around the mouth and lines<br />
around the eyes.” Even prolonged<br />
resentment or unforgivingness can<br />
cause unhappy facial lines, such as<br />
a downturned mouth. To enhance<br />
your natural beauty, act graciously<br />
whenever possible. Practice acceptance,<br />
gentleness and patience—all<br />
of which reduce facial tension and<br />
can increase your natural beauty.<br />
Stay Engaged<br />
“People are flattered when you find<br />
them appealing—and they naturally<br />
reciprocate,” says Ann Demarais,<br />
PhD, psychologist and coauthor of<br />
First Impressions: What You Don’t<br />
Know About How Others See You.<br />
One of the easiest ways to increase<br />
your natural beauty is to accept<br />
and be interested in other people.<br />
“Showing interest in others is a component<br />
of confidence,” says Dr. Demarais.<br />
“And when you’re confident,<br />
you appear more attractive.” To feel<br />
more confident and appear that way<br />
to others, make an effort to smile<br />
often, make frequent eye contact<br />
and maintain a positive aura.<br />
Do The Work You Love<br />
Debra Condren, PhD, business psychologist<br />
and author of Ambition Is<br />
Not a Dirty Word, says, “Loving your<br />
work and unapologetically following<br />
your dreams is the secret beauty<br />
elixir women never hear about.<br />
Doing meaningful, challenging work<br />
will make you glow with an inner<br />
and outer beauty that no cosmetic<br />
or surgery or makeup can imitate.”<br />
Dr. Condren advises checking in<br />
with yourself daily to stay in touch<br />
with your ambitions and desires. The<br />
more tuned in you are to what you<br />
really want out of work and life, the<br />
more beautiful you’ll be—inside and<br />
out.<br />
Focus on your personality<br />
Feel bloated, blotchy and blah?<br />
Don’t fret. As it turns out, Mom was<br />
right: Your personality counts more<br />
than your looks. Research shows<br />
that if you’re cooperative, dependable,<br />
hardworking or intelligent, people<br />
will think positively of you—and<br />
perceive you as beautiful.<br />
On the flip side, in a study conducted<br />
by evolutionary biologist David<br />
Sloan Wilson, rude or unfair people<br />
were rated less attractive than those<br />
who were kind and cooperative—no<br />
matter their appearance. Next time<br />
you feel like you’re having a bad hair<br />
day, just remember: Minding your p’s<br />
and q’s will keep you looking lovely.<br />
Surround yourself with supportive<br />
people<br />
One recent study revealed that<br />
if you’re worried about rejection<br />
because of how you look, you’ll feel<br />
anxious, neurotic and insecure—<br />
making you appear less attractive to<br />
others. “[In our study], a reminder of<br />
one’s strengths or close relationships<br />
was enough to reduce the damaging<br />
effects of thinking about negative<br />
aspects of one’s appearance,” says<br />
Lora Park, PhD, assistant professor<br />
at the University of Buffalo. “These<br />
findings emphasize the power of…<br />
close relationships to help people<br />
cope with insecurities regarding their<br />
appearance.” Surround yourself with<br />
the people who know and love you<br />
best to instantly feel more beautiful.<br />
Free your inner "Iman”<br />
Have you ever daydreamed about<br />
striking a pose, Heidi Klum–style? As<br />
it turns out, a modeling session with<br />
a professional photographer can be<br />
liberating, enlightening and just plain<br />
fun! “I see women transform and step<br />
into their natural beauty on a daily basis,”<br />
says photographer Lone Mørch,<br />
whose sessions help women express<br />
their sensuality. One of her plus-size<br />
clients shared this about the effects<br />
of her recent photo shoot: “I recently<br />
attended two big parties, and I was<br />
on the dance floor the whole time. It<br />
was fantastic, and there’s no doubt<br />
the photo experience put an extra<br />
sway in my gait and a glint in my<br />
eye.”<br />
Establish your personal definition of<br />
beauty<br />
What do you think makes a woman<br />
beautiful? If you don't establish your<br />
own definition of beauty, you're more<br />
likely to waste precious time, money<br />
and energy chasing other people's<br />
ideas of beauty. Instead, focus on the<br />
activities, though.<br />
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To Hillary Clinton<br />
Thank you<br />
for your dignity, your<br />
perseverance and your service<br />
Dear Secretary Clinton,<br />
Though everything<br />
in your personal<br />
history suggests that<br />
Tuesday’s defeat<br />
will not mark the<br />
end of your work in<br />
American public life, I<br />
can imagine that this will be a moment<br />
of reflection and recovery for you.<br />
And though we have some profound<br />
disagreements, on the occasion of this<br />
transition, I wanted to take a moment to<br />
thank you for some of the contributions<br />
you’ve made in the past quarter-century<br />
as one of the most prominent women in<br />
American politics.<br />
In the two and a half decades that Americans<br />
have used you to work out our complex and<br />
contradictory ideas about women, work and<br />
marriage, I have been moved by your dignity<br />
and resilience.<br />
I don’t envy you the compromises — the<br />
enforced cookie-baking, the meeting with a<br />
group of female journalists to ask for advice on<br />
how to present yourself — or what must have<br />
been moments of agony in your marriage. But<br />
as I’ve watched you from a very great distance,<br />
I have been grateful to you for bearing some of<br />
the slings and arrows of the outrageous fortune<br />
that is the lot, in different degrees and forms, of<br />
all the women of this country. Every insult that<br />
didn’t level you, and every moment of absurdity<br />
you absorbed without staggering, helped start<br />
conversations about the expectations and<br />
standards women face.<br />
You didn’t have a solution for this conundrum.<br />
None of us do. But if you couldn’t solve<br />
American gender politics in the span of a life, or<br />
act as a shield against the harshness directed at<br />
other women, you created space for the rest of<br />
us. We won’t surrender it.<br />
Thank you for your commitment to service.<br />
Defeat is not easy to accept with grace, and there<br />
is always a temptation in the days that follow to<br />
choose a different course or to withdraw entirely<br />
from the fray. After President Bill Clinton’s plans for<br />
comprehensive health-care reform failed during<br />
his first term, you became one of the champions<br />
of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.<br />
After you lost to then-Sen. Barack Obama in the<br />
2008 primary, you campaigned for him and served<br />
as his secretary of state. You’ve demonstrated over<br />
and over again that you are truly committed to your<br />
pledge to “Do all the good you can,” even if the<br />
gains are smaller than you might have hoped, or<br />
if doing that good requires you to put aside hurt<br />
feelings. This is an exhortation and a model that we<br />
all ought to emulate in the weeks and months to<br />
come.<br />
In the days since the election, I have thought<br />
frequently of the example you set in reaching out to<br />
others and forming life-long friendships with them.<br />
Hearing from Ryan Moore, Aleatha Williams and<br />
Janelle Turner about your correspondence with<br />
them, and your care and attention during both<br />
painful and proud moments in their lives, has been<br />
a reminder to me to be more diligent in my efforts to<br />
stay in touch with the most important people in my<br />
own life. Listening to the Mothers of the Movement<br />
talk about how you listened to them is a testament<br />
to the simple power of presence. It’s precisely<br />
because time is in such short supply that offering it<br />
to others is a valuable gesture.<br />
Thank you for laughing in the face of absurdity.<br />
Thank you for apologizing about occasions when<br />
you were wrong, and keeping alive the idea that<br />
politicians ought to educate themselves and<br />
to grow, rather than intellectually immobilizing<br />
themselves as the world changes. Thank you<br />
for your dedication to the Constitution and to<br />
the peaceful transfer of power in our democratic<br />
system; among many other things, your opponents<br />
will be measured by whether they show the same<br />
measure of allegiance to our most valuable norms<br />
and institutions.<br />
I can only begin to imagine how painful it must be to<br />
feel that you are exiting one public arena with your<br />
work undone. I hope you take some measure of<br />
comfort from the idea that, though you may not see<br />
the garden in bloom, many of us will be tending the<br />
seeds you planted.<br />
With respect and gratitude,<br />
Alyssa Rosenberg<br />
Soutce:ww.washingpost.com<br />
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45
Spice up<br />
your<br />
Marriage<br />
Hot. Thrilling. When was the last time you used words like that to<br />
describe your relationship? "Once you move out of the infatuation<br />
phase, the spice usually starts to fade," says author and sex therapist<br />
Ian Kerner, PhD. In a recent Woman's Day poll, 38 percent of you<br />
said the thrill has fizzled from your relationship. So what can you do<br />
to bring back that strong, intense connection? Read on for great tips<br />
from relationship experts and real women on how to ignite the spark<br />
again. Grab your pen and pad of paper—you'll want to take notes.<br />
Share a 20 Second Hug<br />
When you embrace your man, how long do you usually<br />
stay entwined? A few seconds? Next time, hold on<br />
a bit longer. "When you hug for at least 20 seconds,<br />
it increases levels of [the hormone] oxytocin in both<br />
men and women and makes you feel closer," says Dr.<br />
Kerner.<br />
Clean Out your bedroom<br />
It's the place where you time spend alone with your<br />
partner, but there may be roadblocks to seduction.<br />
Get rid of the family pictures on the dresser. Sexologist<br />
and relationship expert Logan Levkoff explains that<br />
seeing a picture of your children or mother-in-law<br />
could definitely ruin the moment—or prevent you<br />
from getting in the mood in the first place. Also, consider<br />
saying goodbye to the television. "If you have<br />
700 channels, it gives you 700 excuses to avoid being<br />
intimate," says Logan.<br />
Send a Love Note<br />
Handwritten love letters may be a thing of the past,<br />
but that doesn't mean you shouldn't express your love<br />
via written communication. Sometimes it's easier than<br />
saying it aloud. “Make it a priority to send a sweet<br />
email, sexy text message or some other little gesture<br />
on a weekly basis, “says sexologist and author Yvonne<br />
Fulbright, PhD.<br />
Tell Him Exactly What You Want<br />
You can't be upset that your husband never gives you<br />
a massage if you don't tell him you want one. “A reason<br />
men don't do things is because they fear getting it<br />
wrong,” says Logan. “Women have to understand that<br />
men feel pressured.” Make it easier by sharing with<br />
your significant other the things you like, and dislike.<br />
Be Unpredictable<br />
"Long-term relationships are based on trust, dependability<br />
and predictability," says Dr. Kerner. That's great<br />
when it comes to finances and raising a family, but in<br />
the bedroom—not so much. Mystery can create the<br />
romance you're missing. "Sometimes I tell my husband<br />
to expect a 'surprise' after the kids go to bed. The anticipation<br />
alone keeps him excited all day long," says<br />
Eunice Carreira of Kaneohe, Hawaii.<br />
Schedule a Date<br />
Hire a babysitter and pencil in dinner with your man<br />
just as you would for a client or old college friend. Staci<br />
Christmas of Avon Park, Florida, and her husband<br />
frequently go out on date nights. "You need time to be<br />
away from kids, family and work to relax and reconnect,"<br />
she says.<br />
Have Sex Without the "Sex"<br />
Part<br />
Sometimes too much emphasis is placed on the<br />
actual act of sex. "Sex happens not just in the body,<br />
but also in the mind," says Dr. Kerner. "Not actually<br />
having intercourse can make the experience more<br />
creative and fun." Kissing, touching and fooling<br />
around can sometimes be just as enjoyable.<br />
Leave Arguments Outside<br />
"What happens outside the bedroom usually affects<br />
what happens inside the bedroom," says Dr. Kerner.<br />
If you and your mate have a spat, it may be wise<br />
to repair the argument before you go to bed. Dr.<br />
Kerner also suggests making a joke or giving your<br />
partner a kiss if you feel a conversation is headed<br />
toward a disagreement.<br />
Stroke His Ego<br />
“Find out what your man wants and do it for him,”<br />
says Logan. Affirm his self-esteem with a compliment<br />
or by doing something special. “I tell my<br />
husband that he is the sexiest man I know as often<br />
as possible. I want him to know that he is still that<br />
hot guy I thought he was when we first met,” says<br />
Beth Pisano of Hutchinson, Kansas.<br />
Indulge in Yourself<br />
“Women tend to place everyone else before them,<br />
often putting their self-care on a back burner,” says<br />
Dr. Fulbright. “The more a woman looks after her<br />
health and welfare, for example, the more she exercises,<br />
the better she will feel and the more she will<br />
be in the mood for sex.” Dr. Kerner suggests that<br />
women dress up for themselves: Once you like the<br />
way you look, you'll feel sexy and confident. And<br />
that alone will get your heart pumping.<br />
Revisit the Honeymoon Days<br />
No, you don't have to start pulling out the old wedding<br />
albums and get all teary-eyed. Instead recall<br />
the fun times you and your mate had incorporate<br />
them into your relationship today. What made you<br />
laugh? What did the two of you enjoy doing the<br />
most? “My husband and I go to sci-fi and comic<br />
conventions together, which gives us plenty of<br />
fodder for being geeky together,” says Shari Lipkin<br />
of Watertown, Massachusetts. “His silliness is what<br />
attracted me in the first place!”<br />
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