Family Fun!

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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,

Javashea

A Dream Come True!

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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!!

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With Gallons of Love,

Javashea

6 Months & Counting!

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Today, I would like to wish the love of my life, my best friend, MY husband a Happy 6 Month Anniversary!! Yay!!! I thank God for my husband. He is truly an amazing man and he is absolutely perfect for this girl right here lol. He puts up with me which sometimes isn’t the easiest thing to do so I’ve heard lol. He is a very kind and strong man. I am so very proud of him. I have seen him grow in so many ways. We have had some ups and downs in our relationship, yet he has remained constant.  He is a great supporter and I can truly say that he has my back.  We have each other’s back and God is in the center.

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,

Javashea

A New Thing!

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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,

Javashea

Christmas Blessings!

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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,

Javashea

Happy Birthday to ME!

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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,

Javashea

Suddenly and Abundantly

Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced over what God had prepared for the people, because the thing came about suddenly. 2 Chronicles 29:36

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us. Ephesians 3:20

Recently, there has been a lot of social media attention surrounding a video in which a guy gave his opinion on a product that was made by a famous singer.  The video went viral and brought a lot of attention to the singer’s product. As a result the singer was able to make tons of money off of the product.  I was already following the guy that made the video because he is very talented and funny.  But this video in particular changed his life. Social media of course, chose to focus on the negative and debate about whether or not the singer owed the young man money for boosting sales.

I however, chose to look at things from another vantage point.  I didn’t focus on the debates about money and what not.  I was too busy being in awe of how God was working in this young mans life.  How quickly God catapulted this young man’s career…overnight!  This young man was just doing what he loves to do, which is making videos to make others laugh.  And it opened doors for him that he probably never dreamed. I’m sure he didn’t have any idea that this one video would change his life forever.  I continue to follow him and the opportunities that he is being blessed with are amazing.    

Following his story has strengthened my own faith as it made me think of God’s amazing abilities. How we could be just going about our day-to-day as usual, then suddenly God opens a door that changes our lives forever.  God has the ability to do amazing things far above what we could have ever imagined and he has the ability to do it quickly.  Life can get a little tough at times as we face various tests and trials.  Sometimes life can feel boring and mundane…even purposeless.  But if our hope and trust is in God, He has the ability to do great and mighty things in us, through us, and for us.  One touch from God and our seemingly impossible situations can be turned around in an instant.  God can not only turn our situations around suddenly, He can far exceed our expectations.  Cause our wildest dreams to become a reality.  He is miracle working God!   Whether you are facing tumultuous situations or just wanting more out of life, invite God in and allow Him to work on your behalf.  He is able to work suddenly and abundantly!

With Gallons of Love,

Javashea

Give Thanks!

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Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Ps. 118:1

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I look forward to the three “f’s”…Food, Family, & Fun! Typically, my family gathers at my parents house and we enjoy a big family dinner with amazing food and lots of laughs.  I love my family and spending time with them is one of favorite things to do. I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season.  My family and I are alive, well, and healthy. This will be my husband & I’s first Thanksgiving as a married couple!  I am excited to spend the day with my family as well as some of my husband’s family that will be joining us this year.

As we embark on this holiday season, I give THANKS to the Lord because He has been so incredibly good to us.  I thank Him for blessing me with a wonderful family and allowing me another opportunity to spend this holiday season with them.  Family is everything and worth more than any type of material thing.  So I thank you so much Lord for the Blessing of Family.

Happy Thanksgiving from My Family to Yours!

With Gallons of Love,

Javashea

Dinner and Devotion Date Night

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For the past month and a half, my husband and I have started a new tradition of having a Dinner & Devotion Date Night!  One night per week we sit down to a candle lit dinner that we have prepared together.  Well actually I usually prepare dinner on these nights and hubby will help if I ask for assistance lol.  We eat and talk about our day and afterwards we have devotion!  It’s nothing fancy, we just pick a devotion out of one of my daily devotion books.  We pray, read the scripture and the author’s explanation, then we have a discussion.  We discuss important points that were made, lessons learned, and how we will apply it to our lives.  We then pray and ask God to help us put into practice what we have learned.  Afterwards, we usually just hang out at home and watch movies/t.v. together.

I look forward to our Dinner & Devotion Date Night every week.  It’s a chance for me to spend quality time with My God and My Guy at the same time.  I enjoy my devotion time everyday but it’s extra special when I get a chance to share it with my husband!  We are learning a lot and we feel as though we are growing individually and as a couple.  It is my prayer that we always keep God at the center of our relationship because a three-stranded cord is not easily broken Ecc 4:12.

So, I encourage wives and husbands to start having a Dinner & Devotion Date Night with your significant other once per week.  It will be a wonderful time spent with the two most important people in your life…Your God and Your Spouse!

With Gallons of Love,

Javashea

Cooking and Cleaning and Laundry Oh My!

I grew up in a household in which my dad did most of the cooking and cleaning all while working 2 jobs to provide for a wife and 4 kids.  I can’t discredit my mom though (or she’ll get upset lol) because she did do her share of the household duties.  But I mainly remember my dad taking on the majority of the household responsibilities. After a long day of school for us kids and a long day of work for my mom, we would all come home to beds that had been made, clean rooms, a  spotless house, and dinner on the table.  My dad completed all these tasks before he left to go to his evening job in which he worked 4pm-12am.  As we grew up, of course my dad stopped cleaning our rooms but he continued to cook and keep the house clean.

I don’t remember us having very many chores at all.  Needless to say, this resulted in what some may call very “spoiled” children lol.  Some people, including my husband, say that I am the most spoiled out of all of us.  I beg to differ!  Although I can say that I enjoy things being done for me, but hey who doesn’t?! Before I got married, I would always say that I wanted a man like my dad.  One that would work and provide for me and do all of the cooking and cleaning while I set back, kicked my heels up and watched television.  Oh the joy!  But being married gave me a reality check and my previous way of thinking was tossed out of the window.  Since I’ve been married I’ve cooked, cleaned, and done more laundry than I ever have in my life!!! My husband is great because he helps out with all three.  Especially with the laundry because he says that he’s better at doing the laundry than me lol.

What changed my way of thinking was the fact that my husband works extremely hard to provide for our family.   I wouldn’t dare allow him to come home to a filthy house and no dinner.  And on his days off I like for him to just sit back and recuperate because he does very physical work.  Every now and then I’ll ask him to cook  but I take on most of the household responsibilities.  Do I always enjoy doing it…no.  Most days when I get home I’m exhausted and just want to relax in front of tv.  Do I enjoy making my husband happy…YES!  So regardless of how tired I am I somehow am able to muster up the energy to make sure the house is clean and make sure hubby has some food.

It wasn’t until I was married that I realized how much work it takes to keep up a household.  It can be exhausting, especially when you’re leaving from chasing behind toddlers all day.  Even when I’m at work, I’m planning in my head what needs to be done when I get off.  I’m constantly online looking for recipes and I’ve never been to the grocery store this much in my life!! I did learn that I’m a pretty decent cook (I guess I get that from dad…sorry mom lol).  Although I do find all of this to be exhausting & overwhelming at times and I never would’ve thought in a million years that I would be a domestic, but what I do keeps my husband happy and that’s all that matters.  Now when we begin to have children I think I’m gonna need help lol.  Taking care of my husband is enough.  I can’t imagine how much more cooking, cleaning, and laundry I’ll have to do once the children come. Oh my!  I think I’ll be getting tips from my friend the “The All-American Mom” (she knows who she is lol) 😉

With Gallons of Love,

Javashea