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

I've been on a bit of a health kick lately. Well I guess you could say more than I normally am. I've been so proud of the fact that over the past 365, I've managed to lose over 65 pounds. It feels great mentally, physically, and emotionally. What's even better is the fact that I get to scout out cute new workout gear. Even while I'm sweating, I like to look my best.

These leggings are from ASOS Curve. They have a really great assortment of tights, hoodies, sweaters, and other active wear, although they don't actually call it that. What great about these leggings are the fact that the back of them are higher than the front, specifically for the plumper derriere. ASOS leggings normally run in even jeans sizes (10,12,14 etc), but they have lots of stretch, so no worries about ordering your normal size.



This pullover is from Old Navy. Anyone who enjoys a nice hoodie (winged, funnel neck, or tunic) should run to their nearest Old Navy. They literally always have a sale, so I can promise you'll get a good deal.

My sneakers are Adidas Performance Madison RNR running shoe. The pink cheetah print was a limited edition and I couldn't pass up the sale. These are the ideal workout/performance sneaker because of my flat feet. They make me feel light and airy. They're even good for running, on the off chance I decide to do so.

Below, I've made a collage of some of my essential workout tools. Click the Polyvore link at the bottom of the page. What are some of your chic shopping places for workout gear? Leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!

Faithfully,
Brieana

That was today's mantra surrounding this outfit. I surrounded the ensemble around this vest that I originally wasn't too happy with. It was too short with not enough fur. I was disappointed and thought "Well this is going to be another donation because I obviously can't use it." But when I went on my mini shopping spree this payday, I saw the perfect dress to bloom this not so great vest into something worthwhile. And that I did. I made lemonade.


The dress is from Rainbow. What I love about this dress is the comfy and cozy cotton +spandex like material that made it very comfy. The burgundy color wasn't as serene as far as burgundy goes. There was an extra oomph and pop. Another addition that I enjoy of a lot of Rainbow garments are that they normally come with some kind of jewelry in addition to the clothing item. That's right, this dream catcher like necklace came ATTACHED to the necklace. 

My boots were also from rainbow. I normally wear them over jeans/tights/leggings, but was happy to know that they're just as comfy against my bare leg. No marks, no muss, no fuss.

Overall, this outfit cost me about $35. It's one of my thriftier outfits, but also one that was super comfy. As I've said before, fashion can be frugal. It's not about what you wear, but how you wear it. Happy Sunday. 

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. 

        When I was about 10 years old,I noticed something about myself;I'd always been pretty tall for my age. Me and one of my sisters were always the Glamazon queens in elementary school and throughout.And it would ALWAYS bother me.My peers could say something as little as "Oh but you're tall, so you don't have the problem." In my head I'd be like, "I have problems!" I wanted to empathize with my shorter counterparts.I would even dread the check ups at the doctor and close my ears to the sounds of me growing another half inch.  In school pictures, we were always in the middle to back row,normally reserved for the pubescent boys. For years,I would ever so slightly hunch my back when I walked or slouch in my seat .It made me look shorter,and thus more girly and feminine because height was something I typically associated with masculinity (as illogical as that sounds).I was usually seen as one of the guys as my shorter my girly looking female counterparts etched hearts on their notebooks and made MASH games of the popular guys in our class(talk about a throwback). That could never be me! I would look others in this adolescent envy because I wanted to be like them and live the life they lived. But because I was tall AND plus sized,that could never be.Fast forward 10 or so years later,that growth spurt has slowed down and my height has actually come into some very good uses.Can't reach that shelf?I GOT THIS! Does my 5'6 frame work perfectly to model those shoes?!Why of course! There were so many great things about being taller that I had never stopped to think about. And it wasn't until I stopped looking at the qualities and characteristics that I didn't have that I was able to focus on my God given assets.

    


 



I was talking to one of my best friends the other day. I'm so proud of her. She just graduated from a Medical assistant program. She moved out of her family's house into her own apartment. She has a full time, good paying job. Still, despite all of those accomplishments and blessings,my best friend was sitting before me talking about going to the military