Finding Freedom and Fulfillment through the LOVE of Jesus Christ! Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Family Fun!
Once I married my husband, I was blessed to become a stepmom to an awesome teenage son. He is a sweet kid, very respectful and well behaved. We have always gotten along and had a good relationship even during the time my husband and I were dating. One thing that I have learned about teenagers is that they are completely consumed with their own little world which includes cell phones, video games, and any other devices that they can get their hands on. The only time they come up for air is when it's time to eat. They could really care less about spending quality time with their parents in my opinion lol.
Recently, we have began having Family Game Night in our house. It is TONS of fun yet it also a way to get our son to engage and spend quality time with us. The three of us look forward to it every weekend. We typically sit and eat together and then pull out the games. We have been playing games such as UNO and Dominoes. We keep track of who comes out on top each week and the "losers" try to take the title from the winner. Just a little friendly competition lol. As it stands now, I am the Queen of UNO and my husband is the King of Dominoes lol. Our game nights have been such a hit that I will be adding more games to our repertoire! We really do have a great time and our son even asks to play. It has proven to be a great way to get him away from the devices and spending time with us. I would recommend all families try it if you aren't already. It's a very entertaining and inexpensive way to have Family Fun!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
A Dream Come True (Testimony)
Writing has always been a personal passion of mine. I say
personal because until recently it was always something that I kept to myself.
I would share a poem with others here and there but writing was something
that I mainly shared with God only. I remember having tons of journals
filled with poems, prayers, letters to God, dreams, goals and whatever else was
on my heart. I enjoyed writing in school; English was always one of my
favorite subjects. I remember taking English IV as a senior and being the
only person in class to receive a 100% on our first big writing assignment.
In college, a couple of professors told me that I was a good writer.
One professor told me that one day PhD would be behind my name.
Although very flattering, that isn't something that I see in my future
lol.
I enjoyed writing but since it was something I pretty much kept to myself, I never really made any goals for myself relating to writing. I never pursued making a career out of it, never thought about authoring a book or anything. The only dream that I had relating to writing was to one day write articles for a magazine. It was one of those things that I would jump at the opportunity to do but never thought that the opportunity would present itself. I didn't know anything about magazine writing or how to get started. I just knew that I wanted to one day write encouraging articles that would inspire others.
In November 2015, I was scrolling through the "People You May Know" section on Facebook. I came across a familiar name and face from way back in the past, Kimi Johnson! I clicked on her page and one of the first things I noticed was that she published a magazine called "Purpose Driven Women." I began to read some of the articles and enjoyed them very much. I then began to wonder if she was looking for writers and thought about messaging her. My nerves got the best of me and I needed to talk it out with someone. I called one of my best friends and biggest supporters, Mrs. Cobb, and she encouraged me as always to step out on faith! I also read one of Kimi's articles that talked about stepping out on faith. So, I took a deep breath and sent the message. Putting yourself out there can be nerve wrecking for fear of rejection but that's where faith comes in.
I nervously waited for her reply and to my
surprise she replied within the hour. She told me that she enjoyed reading my
blog and that she wanted to discuss joining the team. I was elated! We
talked a couple of weeks later and I was on my way to writing my first article
for the magazine! I could not wait for the magazine to come out on
February 1. It was so very exciting to see the title of my article, Love 365,
on the front cover and to see my article in the magazine. I'll never
forget the feeling! It truly was A Dream Come True! I will be writing
bi-monthly articles in the Family section of the magazine. God is truly
good.
I would like to thank Kimi Johnson at Purpose Driven Women for making my dream a reality. I would also like to thank my personal editor, my mom lol. She reads every single thing that I write. Please subscribe and support Purpose Driven Women Magazine at www.pdwmag.com. Kimi Johnson has done an amazing job.
And remember, never give up on your dreams because Dreams Really Do Come True!!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
Monday, January 18, 2016
2016 Sugar Paper Planner Review (For My Planner Girls)
Recently, I have been into paper planning to try to help myself stay organized. Paper planning is basically using an actual planner to plan and write out your day as opposed to some type of electronic device. Paper planning isn't for everyone. A lot of people these days just prefer to keep up with things on their phones. I love to write so actually writing things out in a planner is right up my alley! YouTube helped me to discover that there is whole planner community. There are many types and brands of planners. Prices can range anywhere from $10 - $80. The more expensive planners are very nice, however; the way my bank account is set up...lol. Last year, I actually did purchase one of the more expensive and well known brands. It was very nice and customized but in the end I felt like I wasted money because it just did not work for me. It was just too much going on.
For 2016, I wanted to find something that worked for me. I stalked every popular planner brand's website and Instagram pages for the last couple months in 2015. I was two weeks into January and still had not made a choice. I wasn't really feeling spending a ton of money so one day I just decided to see what Target had to offer. That's when I discovered the Sugar Paper Planner line. I was able to find a functional planner that fit MY needs and it only costs $10! So far, I have been LOVING my new planner. I was skeptical at first because it was so cheap. But so far, so good. It has a weekly and monthly layout so that I can plan my entire month as well as each week. It also has a notes section in the back which I love. If you're interested in the Sugar Paper Planner, there are a couple YouTube videos you can check out or you can head to your local Target. I think it is a great planner for the price and it is very functional. I'll see how it holds up throughout the year!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
Monday, January 11, 2016
6 Months & Counting...
Some may not celebrate 6 month anniversaries but I enjoy celebrating the small things. Some marriages are headed for a downward spiral at 6 months and I can speak from a past experience. So the fact that my husband and I are very happy at this point is worth celebrating in my book! We took the day off from work and just hung out with each other. We went to lunch, ran errands, watched some Netflix and chilled ;-) It was a great day! I asked my husband how he thought the first six months were and he said that it has been "interesting yet fun." I would have to agree with him. It can be very interesting living with a person for the first time. You get to know them in ways that you haven't known them before and learn things about him that you may not have known. We're learning to just go with the flow and adjust as necessary. The fun part is experiencing life together. Being able to be with your best friend everyday. Making memories. Living, Laughing and Loving Together. It's a great time.
I'm looking forward to the next 6 months. I pray that God continues to bless our union and continues to help us grow together as one. Happy Anniversary Mr. Gallon!! I love you to the moon and back. I enjoy doing life with you. Forever your Mrs!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
Tuesday, January 5, 2016
A New Thing!
Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19
Well we are off into the new year of 2016 yayy!!! I love the start of the new year because it represents new beginnings and a fresh start. It's a time to set new goals and dream new dreams for the upcoming year. A time to start anew. I love anything that represents newness...ah it's just so refreshing. Refreshing to know that regardless of how many times we may have fallen or failed, we have been blessed with another opportunity to get it right. Another opportunity to reach those goals and dream those dreams. Another opportunity to walk in purpose and live the life that God is calling us to live.
I love how God tells us in the above verse to not remember the former things nor consider the things of old. In turn, He is saying forget about the past! The past can be such a stumbling block. We sit there and just dwell on past mistakes, failures and bad things that may have happened to us. We relive them over and over in our minds. Thinking about should've, could've, would've. Asking why and how. Dwelling on the past keeps us from living in the present and clouds our future. God could be trying to show us great and marvelous things but we can't see because we are so focused on looking back. It's time for us to stop allowing those things from the past to hold us back.
The next part of the verse says behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth, shall you not know it? God is saying that He will do something new our in lives. He is restorer and a redeemer. He can make all things new. When He asks shall you not know it, I believe God is asking us if we will even recognize that He's doing new things or are we too focused on what's been. Are we too preoccupied with our past and current circumstances and situations to have the faith to believe that God can make all things new? The rest of the verse says I will make roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I believe God is saying that where there has been lack and barrenness He will turn it into abundance and fruitfulness.
So, as we embark on our journeys in this new year, I encourage everyone to seek God for His direction. Ask Him what it is that He wants you to do this upcoming year. Whether it's following a dream that you've been putting off for years, working on your attitude, or letting go of things from the past. God will work in our lives, but we also can't forget that we play a part in this thing too. We have to be willing to be obedient and follow God's leading. We can't expect to not put in any effort. Let's leave all of those old habits, mindsets, hurts and pains in the past and focus on the NEW things that God has in store for us!!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Christmas Blessings!
Merry Christmas...I hope that everyone had a Very Merry Christmas! I love this time of the year. Despite all of the bad things that are going on in the world, Christmas feels so magical to me. It's probably my favorite holiday of the year. I love everything about the season from all of the movies to the decorations. I absolutely love decorating my home for Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving I'm ready to go! The season started off a little sad for me because I thought I wasn't going to be able to decorate due to financial reasons. I was down because this was me and my husbands first Christmas as a married couple and I wanted to make our home special for the holidays. But I told myself that I wasn't going to worry about it and that it would work out. My youngest brother gave me a call and told me that he would take me shopping for decorations. Ahhh...oh the joy!! I guess he felt sorry for me because he knew how much I was looking forward to decorating. I was so very excited. Once they were up, my husband told me that he saw the extra effort that I was putting into making our first Christmas in our apartment special and that he appreciated it. That made me even happier! I was so thankful that God laid it on his heart to do that for me lol.
My husband and I wanted to do a random act of kindness for someone this year. We chose an elderly family that lives in our complex. It's a son and a mother and the son cares for his mom who is 100+ years old. We have never met the mom but we have met the son. He is a very nice man. My husband says that he is the nicest person that he has ever met in his entire life. Through conversation we learned that he loves Target. So for Christmas, we bought them a Target gift card and put it inside of a Christmas card. We were so excited to give it to him. The first day we stopped by his house there was no answer. The second and third time we went by there was no answer either. My husband told me not to worry about it and that he would catch. We were literally stalking his apt lol. My husband finally caught up with him and oh his reaction was priceless! He was so grateful and thankful that we thought of them. There is no feeling like being a blessing to others. It is one of the greatest feelings ever.
Another thing that I enjoy about the Christmas holiday is my family's Christmas morning tradition that started when we were very young children. My parents, siblings, and I would all gather around the Christmas tree first thing in the morning and my dad would say a prayer of Thanksgiving. We would then begin to exchange gifts. We still continue this tradition and it was a blessing to have my husband and stepson there with us this year. I look forward to our family continuing to grow and continuing our tradition. It's a blessing to be able to spend the holidays with family. That means more to me than any material gift ever will!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
Monday, December 14, 2015
Happy Happy Birthday!
On Friday, December 11 the Lord blessed me to celebrate my 34th Birthday! It's always a blessing to have the opportunity to live to see another birthday. I give God all of the praises for allowing me to continue to grow in wisdom and for allowing me to the opportunity to continue to fulfill the purpose that He has placed on the inside of me.
I was blessed to celebrate with my wonderful husband on Friday. He woke me up with kisses as he told me how much he loved me. He then told me that I could sleep in and that he would make his own breakfast and lunch. I was very grateful for that lol but I got up and helped him out anyways. While at work, my sister, who is also my supervisor, presented me with a balloon and gift card. After work my husband presented me with several pairs of beautiful earrings that he picked out all by himself lol. He took me to dinner and we had a wonderful time talking and laughing. It was a great night!
On Sunday, we were able to celebrate with the entire family. We have several birthdays in December so we had a party for everyone. I'm sending Happy Birthday shout outs to my dad, my uncle, and my father-in-law!!! Needless to say, we had a great time at our party. Good food, fun, & laughs! I love mi familia,
I thank God for the blessings of these birthday & I pray that he allows us to see many more!!!
With Gallons of Love,
J.G.
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