When I'm recording my weekly radio show (insert SHAMELESS plug here: It goes by the same name as this blog, Faithandfashion360 Live on WFNKRadio.com, Sundays from 7pm-9pm. Here's the link.), I usually peruse the social media airwaves and timelines for the things people are talking about, the things they may divided on, as well as the things that just need some JESUS. My sites of choice are typically fashion forward, millenial friendly, etc.

I was scrolling down Instagram the other day and I found a post on one of my sites of choice (one that sometimes I'm almost ashamed to say), and I saw a post that had me pleasantly surprised. TheShadeRoom, the place you love to hate, for its constant celeb post and infinite shade, posted a thought provoking question that forced me into a few minutes of self-awareness. It was so much so that here I am, writing to you about it, and eventually asking you to think about as well;

What is a toxic trait that you possess and would like to work on getting rid of in 2019??


Whoa.
1st of all, I felt personally attacked. They asked assuming that I would even have any! *insert fake disgust*

This question spoke to me in a number of ways and there was a wave of emotions and feelings that swept over me as I thought about an answer.

The fact of the matter is, we all have some things that aren't so great about us. We all have traits that have caused an argument. Things about us that people rightfully don't like. Parts of ourselves that, if we're honest, can stand to hit the trash. It was difficult for me to say out loud, but once I got real with myself, I could name a few.

Moment of transparency: I have a spending problem. I mean a forgo-my-car-note kind of problem. It's something I've realized over the years, especially as I've grown my blogging and fashion brand. There were times where I would even make justifications and excuses about why spending money on the latest shoes were necessary.

"My followers need these looks."
"I have a 10 day grace period."
"How can I grow my brand if I don't invest?"



John 3:16
Romans 5:8
Hebrews 10:24-25
Romans 14:10-19

Here's a fun fact about me: I am a Type-A person. Type A and Type B personality theory describes two contrasting personality types. In this theory, personalities that are more competitive, highly organized, ambitious, impatient, highly aware of time management and/or aggressive are labeled Type A, while more relaxed personalities are labeled Type B.

Being so hyper organized and detail oriented has always been a blessing for me. It's just the way my brain operates. I can tell you how long it going to take me to get to the gas station and hit the ATM (barring a line), down to the very minute. Running late gives me anxiety. And being on time for things? If you tell me 4pm, I will religiously be there by 3:40pm, trying to find out what I missed. I can't help it. I've always been this way. And its worked for me.

For the most part.

In the past few years, my life has taken a few turns for the better---a thriving blog, modeling gigs and shows left and right, sponsorships, collaborations, international flights, the list goes on. Saying that I was prepared for this elevation in my life would be a lie. I didn't know that I was going to be here.

We all have plans for ourselves. This could be a plan for the day, week, month, or even the next year. We have plans for our fitness, as well as plans for eating right and drinking more water. We have plans on finding our Boaz and finding family, or even a plan to cut off relationships (romantic or platonic) altogether.

Sometimes these plans are written down.
Sometimes they're just in our head, without any concrete bullet points or planners to accompany them.
We all do it. Whether its the Type-A or Type-B way.

One thing I've learned about "planning" as a child of God is that my planning holds the assumption that I'm in control. It holds the assumption that my successful planning puts me as the front runner of accolades or praise for getting it right. Do you remember that saying from Colonel John "Hannibal" Smith of the A-Team? "I love it when a good plan comes together." We automatically feel these overwhelming sense of pride when we painstakingly plan something and it...works out?!

The adrenaline rush of making it happen.
The relief in it being over.
The determination as we play with the thought of doing it again.

On the flip side of that is the fear, anger, and disappointment we feel when things just don't work out.

THAT is where I learned I am just a passenger in the grand scheme of things. A few of my brothers and sisters in the Bible could definitely empathize with these feelings as well.You guys know I'm into annotated versions of Bible stories, so look for the corresponding Bible books and scriptures to follow.

Happy Monday everyone! I come to you today off the heels of an extremely productive weekend. It was full of meetings, thought provoking discussions, and fun photoshoots! My body is sore,but in a good way. I don't mind being tired so much when I enjoy what I'm doing.

My photo shoot yesterday was a huge thank you from the pioneers and visionaries of Lehigh Valley Fashion Week. What better way to say 'thank you for your hard work' than to add to my portfolio. I had an amazing time picking out my look for this shoot and getting dolled up. Its every girl's dream.

The look I chose for the shoot was a bit of an ode to Marilyn Monroe, queen of bodaciousness and curves. I've always admired her for her unique take on what she wanted to look like, even if that wans't like everyone else. From my hair, straight down to my shoes, I used Marilyn as my muse to create this sexy and flirty commercial look, that showed off my best curves and assets.

Check out some shots of my photo shoot below.Professional shots coming soon!
Also don't forget to check me out  at Season 3 of Lehigh Valley Fashion Week, happening in a couple of weeks on Friday August 12-Sunday August 14. You can get your tickets here.

Similar /Similar

Faithfully,
Brieana

This week's weather has been a direct contrast to last week's warm breeze and sunny skies. There's been a lot of rain generously watering our grass and plants. I'm excited to actually have a spring season though. For anyone who's lived in the Poconos for an extended period of time,you know that we've had a Winter to Summer season shift. There's rarely an in between,so these mid temperature days are more than welcomed. 

We've all heard our wise Pastors and Deacons say it. "When you ask God for something, don't expect it right away. Be patient. God's timing is perfect." Growing up in an era of social media and everything that's fed to us in a "live" format, we've become so used to getting things at what I call a "microwave" speed. The Bible says many things about being patient and standing firm in the Lord's promises for you, even when it doesn't seem like your prayers (and let's be frank) wishes are being "honored" by Him.

Acts 1:7  He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.

Lamentations 3:25-26  The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,  to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord

More seasoned Christians, or better yet, those of us who have prayed and fasted for the patience and loyalty God desires of us, have experienced the waiting period, and the ultimate receiving of what we have prayed for. One thing we don't normally prepare outselves for is getting what we ask for. How many of us are prepared? And are you fully at a point to receive what you have so fervently asked the Lord for?

This sentiment has rung true for me for almost 2 years. Yes two WHOLE years. I started out in my currnt place of worship, Faith International Church of Bushkill, Pennsylvania, as an "attender-- coming to services, clapping along with the praise and worship portion of service, "ooohing" and "aahing"  at the special ministry performances, and leaving an hour and a half later, apart of the conversation on how blessed the service was.  Also in my mind? "I'm tired of sitting." So from that time, I prayed to the Lord to reveal to me where in the church he wanted me to be, and to help me find the courage to do what he saw fit for me wholy and consistently.

That was not as easy done as I thought.

On my path to becoming a passionate doer, I was met with almost every obstacle one could imagine. Bad timing. No room. Not being a good fit. No answer AT ALL. It was frustrating. It was a test if my faith. And it gave me time to really affirm that this was what I was looking for.

And then it happened....

One ministry after another  started to cross my path. My excitement eradicated the word "no" from my vocabulary, as I took on one hat after another, so much so that I haven't considered myself an attender in almost a year.

More often than not, there have been times where i'm overjoyed at the idea of being someone that immerses myself so deeply into my place of worship. I enjoy being a committed servant for a number of reasons. The lessons I've learned about my walk with the Lord and the golden nuggests of truth I've walked away with in regards to myself as a person and a leader have been  insurmountable. I thank God daily for the opportunities and the will to excel in all areas. ON THE OTHER HAND, a girl can get a little tired! And its the times when I get tired that I say to God, "I know I said I wanted to serve, but I didn't mean ALL LAT!" Why do we do this? Isn't that what I asked for? And did I really expect anything halfway from God?

Patience and waiting is an important (and fulfilling) part of a successful walk with the Lord.  But equally important is the ability to know that God's timing and plan for you is so perfect that he knows just what you need, how much you need, and when you need it. My question for you is: Are you ready?

Faithfully,
Brieana

Story time!

The other day I was having a conversation with my boyfriend, and he said a very profound thing to me. He said, as human beings we tend to worry about things and that's where we normally lack in our lives. One of the most popular things we tend to worry about are our finances. And I can say this for myself that money is one of the things I think about all the time. Am I going to be able to afford this? How much will that cost? And the most pressing question: Will I have enough? He continued on with saying that we need to operate in rest over things that we would normally fret over.


I didn't know then that this discussion would ring true for me in just a few short days. I'm a Supports Coordinator at the county mental health office in East Stroudsburg. I had gotten this job just 7 short months ago after a hiatus of not working full time. It was a long time coming, and I was so thankful and grateful to have one. On Monday though, exactly one month from my 25th birthday, I got fired.

YUP, you read it right. Fired. Me. In my 25 years of living, I had never so much as gotten suspended from school or a note sent home. And on Monday, I sat looking unemployment in the face.While I could get into that story, I'll save it for another time. And as I left my now, former place of employment, I did one thing; I adopted a state of rest.

I know what you're thinking: BUT WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?! And for a split second, I thought those same things. Where will I go next? Is this termination going to impact my ability to get another job? WHAT ABOUT THE MONEYYYYYYY?!

Fast forward 10 hours later, I had calmed down (even more than I already was, again Praise God) some more.  I placed a phone call to an outpatient clinic that I previously interned for when I was still  getting my Master's degree. I had built quite a rapport with the director and one of the secretaries there. During my conversation with her, she told me "You're always welcome here. He's available today if you want to come in and chat."

At this point, I still wasn't expecting anything, and I wasn't worried.On the drive there, the song "I Won't Go Back" by William McDowell was laid upon my heart. As I drove and listened to the song, the words "there's nothing to go back to." resonated with me. And I thought to myself, that while I would love to go back to my old job and explain that there must have been some kind of mistake, it wasn't worth it. The sense of calm that came over me as I left that place was one clue to that.

So I arrived at the clinic, with nothing in hand, again ready to tell the story of my departure from my old gig. After about 20 minutes of casual conversation and catching up, I was handed a job application. And coupled with this stack of paper were two simple questions.
1. How many hours a week are you going to work for us?
2. How soon can you get this back so that we can get you started?

It took me almost a full two hours later to process the roller coaster of the day before and this moment. Fired and then re-hired that quickly.So I essentially had one door slammed in my face, to be met with another door wide open and waiting. All of these life changes were possible because I never left the presence of the Lord. The peace that I felt during the most trying hours of Monday into the more triumphant hours of Tuesday was not my doing. For me, the type-A individual who likes to plan out breakfast to what pajamas I'm going to wear to bed, could never stay that calm. But in his presence, I was at rest. And what blessings awaited me! I say all of this to say that it's very easy to praise and adore the Lord when it's easy. It's easy to do when you're on top of the world. But what about when it doesn't seem so great? Will you stand firm?

Exodus 33: 14- And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
Proverbs 3:5-7- Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all you ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct your paths.



Stay encouraged,
Brieana. 

Things I hated as a child: Cough syrup. Tea.Turtlnecks. My oh my how the times have changed. When I saw this maxi bodycon dress on Rebdolls I looked back on a time where I mainly wore joggers, Nike high tops and hoodies. My college days called for comfort and convenience, and those outfit staples made it easy for me to head the class in a hurry. At a time even earlier before that, I laughed because I would NEVER wear turtlenecks. They always make me feel like my clothes were "closing" in on me. I'm a self diagnosed claustrophobic and that was NOT okay. The same could be said of scarves and earmuffs.You get the point.

 Its amazing how things of the past always repeat themselves. As I look through look books and magazines I spy a lot of oldies from the 80's and 90's that made appearances in my mom and sister's high school yearbooks: mullets, shoulder pads, and increased use of floral patterns. I had never thought of a turtleneck as a fashionable things. But that's the things about fashion. Our perception can turn any item into a staple.




This dress is long and maroon just the way I like it. It camouflages my knock knees and its perfect for the winter weather. And true to Rebdoll fashion, they hug my curves.

What are some items you would have never worn and find yourself loving now?Leave a comment below!