"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"

​"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" is a proverbial phrase used to encourage optimism and a positive can-do attitude in the face of adversity or misfortune. Lemons suggest difficulty in life. They are sour and hard to swallow - just like life can be sometimes. On the other hand, lemonade is cool, refreshing, and sweet, right? It feels and tastes good going down...

So this is what you do to be victorious in your life. Take life by the hand, squeeze it, add some sweetness, and stir it up! Overcome difficulty by changing your attitude from sour to sweet. Kick life's butt by not allowing it to dictate who you are and who you can be in the face of the difficulties in your life!

You see, the reality is that life happens! Good, bad, and ugly. But your response to life's challenges is YOUR responsibility. And most importantly, your testimony of overcoming your challenges can be just what God uses to lift someone else up from their difficulty...

So... let's make some lemonade today!

From the Book of Shellye <3

Book Review: She's Still There by Chrystal Evans Hurst

As I started reading this book, I laughed, I cried, I sat and stared into the ceiling... I saw myself over and over and over again throughout the pages. When Chrystal says she's talking to you, she's telling the truth. The book speaks to the reality of who I am and as I near the empty nest season of life, I am assured that I can find the girl in me who has been so many things to so many people and rescue her so I don't get lost on my journey back. I've learned to be careful of what I say about myself. Remembering that my "drifts, decisions, and collisions don't define" me and so much more! So if you seem to have lost your way as you wind your way through different seasons of life, grab hold of this book, get ready for the ride of lifetime, and put on your cape to become your own superhero and rescue the girl in you!

On a scale from 1-10, I rate this book as follows:
 • Readability - 10
 • Challenge - 10
 • Encouragement/Inspiration - 10
 • Godly Wisdom - 10

I highly recommend this book for any woman looking for encouragement, self evaluation, and self improvement.

If you're interested in learning more about this book and purchasing it for yourself, please CLICK HERE. There's also a study guide available!!

Happy Reading! Thanks, Chrystal for allowing us a peek into your life for inspiration and encouragement. Thank you for being a model for other women!

#KingdomWoman... Who Me?

I remember telling my husband years ago, before we were married, that I was striving to be a Proverbs 31 Woman one day. I felt I was doing my best but thought I couldn't achieve that goal because I thought I had to be married. Can you believe that? Thank God for knowledge!

We get in a bind both when we fall for the temptation to think more of ourselves than we should and also when we think less of ourselves than we should! ~Dr Tony Evans

My understanding of God's word was very skewed at one point in my life. I wasn't studying and I wasn't listening clearly to the vessels who were sharing His word. As a divorced mom, I certainly wasn't focused on getting married again and I definitely wasn't going to get married just to fulfill some goal. So I went along my merry way.

At first I felt like a failure for being divorced and I felt the stigma against me because I was a single mom based on society's standards. But, when I began to see myself as God saw me, that was a very freeing thing. I began to study the Proverbs 31 woman more and more. I asked The Lord to help me be the best I could be with what I had been given. Doors began to open that I knew were only opened because of Him and I realized I'd been the Proverbs 31 Woman all along; a Kingdom Woman, with power, purpose, and possibilities!

Beloved kingdom woman, you are God’s workmanship. You are not meant to serve like the woman who sits beside you in church or like the one who sings solos in the choir or like the pastor’s wife from another church in town. You are meant to rule according to the unique gifts and strengths and calling which God has given to you. ~Dr Tony Evans

Be blessed!

You are kind, you are smart, you are important! (from the movie, The Help)

#KingdomWoman... A Woman of Excellence (Part 2)

Today was interesting. I had an unexpected opportunity to share part of my testimony with a Christian sister in business contemplating some tough decisions. One of the key statements I shared with her came from this past weekend's Desperate for Jesus conference - "God will ask us to do hard things so expect Him to ask and be ready to say 'be it done unto me'. Decide in advance to say 'yes'". ~Chrystal Evans Hurst

I remembered after speaking with her that when we took our spiritual gifts inventory years ago, I showed a strong giftedness in encouragement and hospitality. It's funny the things that jog your memory. 

As I sit here reading through my Kingdom Woman book tonight, I remember when my husband and I were dating and he was in seminary. At one point, we discussed the characters in the bible who we most resembled. He chose Ruth for me to study.  I researched the meaning of the name, read through the book of Ruth, and was amazed at how her characteristics seemed parallel to mine.

The name Ruth means "Friendship" or "Refreshment." Ruth was born in Moab, but relocated with her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem in Judah after the death of her husband. She was the wife and widow of Mahlon; remarried Boaz by an extension of levirate marriage; gave birth to a son, Obed, who figuratively was called the son of Naomi; and was an ancestor of David and Jesus Christ. She was originally a homemaker, later a maidservant of Boaz; and finally a homemaker again. She was best known for insisting that her mother-in-law Naomi allow her to come to Bethlehem, in order that Naomi's people, the Israelites, could become Ruth's people, and Naomi's God could become Ruth's God. Even though I've not been through the same trials of life, Ruth is seen as the epitomy of loyalty and encouragement... just like me.

Even without trying or planning ahead, I always seem to be put in places where being transparent about where I've been, what I've been through, and the power and presence of the Lord through every second, every minute, every hour, and every day, has encouraged someone else to hold their head up high and keep fighting. It's amazing how our God works... So thankful for the misery that has prepared me for the ministry all to His glory!

Taking It Easy... A #KingdomWoman Time of Reflection

I think sometimes when we get married, we may start to lose our identity; our purpose, power, and possibilities. Reading Kingdom Woman and attending our Desperate for Jesus conference this past weekend reminded and instilled in me that I'm just as essential to God's Kingdom Agenda as my husband. Hearing the word through each speaker reiterated that, in addition to what I'm purposed to do as a wife, I have things the Lord has purposed in me to do as a Kingdom Woman to bring Him glory..

Being a helpmate doesn't mean we're an accessory or a bonus to what God has asked our husbands to do (Got that from Pastor Evans). We should always respect his position and the leadership role The Lord has given him. However, just know that we're not to feel that we're less than him in what The Lord has asked us to do to glorify Him as well.

I felt so refreshed at the conference this weekend, not just because of this realization, but because of the fellowship with other women of God and confirmation in my heart as to where the Lord is leading me in this season of my life. So, with that, I've just been taking it easy this week, relishing the time I had in God's presence, sifting through life's daily tasks, and praying about the direction my life will go from this point.  It's a time of reflection.

#KingdomWoman... A Woman of Excellence

I think I did pretty good this past week for not having been writing consistently lately! I'm working on balancing home, business, and now reading and writing.

Hubby and I were discussing our dreams and future plans and he asked me about my writing. He said he missed that part of me and admires the fact that I can write. When I told him I started writing again, he went to "check me out" (smile) and told me how proud he is of me. That felt really good. But even with hearing him say that, it's a little disappointing to know there's a talent the Lord gave me that I've been literally sitting on for almost 20 years. I wrote 65 pages of my book and a play back in 1992 and when I moved here in 1998, I lost everything. I started rewriting them but got discouraged when my computer crashed, not once, but twice in the process!  

When I read the original book, Seasons of a Woman's Life, I reached out to Mrs. Evans to ask how she did it. She advised me to journal. I took what she said to heart. I was excited and started but then I stopped... Raising four kids alone was so overwhelming for me sometimes that I didn't have the energy to put one more thing on my plate - even as simple a task as journaling.  But even back then, I knew, I needed to do this... I just couldn't bring myself to be obedient and do it.

As time went on, I forgot about my dear book and the play. I included that it was something I aspired to do one day in my bio. I've helped others write and edit their books. I even wrote a little business ebook in 2009, but that wasn't what I felt I was supposed to do. I just did it because I could. LOL. But deep down I knew I needed to share the power and presence of the Lord in my life to help someone else get through some obstacles and adversity they've faced in their life... 

I remember a friend telling me a long time ago that I'm a walking testimony of God's faithfulness and I remember the year of reading the Prayer of Jabez and all the Lord blessed me with in one year alone. So what prevents me from being a woman of Excellence in this area?  Fear maybe? I guess I better get over it, step into, and embrace my purpose, power, and possibilities - FINALLY...

Pray for me! This is going to be a HUGE undertaking for me but I can't be disobedient in this area any longer...

The Epiphany...

"An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, that illuminates a deeper or numinous foundational frame of reference. (taken from Wikipedia)"

Ok. So I had to make sure I had the right word for what happened to me earlier today...

I joined an Authors and Writers group the other day with the intention of soliciting some writers for a Magazine I'm working on for my women's group (NBWEN). As I started reviewing some of the information on the group and seeing some of the writer's profiles, I got a little emotional...

This is sad, but true...

I've been working on a book for over 10 years about the different critical stages of my life - as a teen mom, single mom, and divorced mom and how I made it through. The book is to be an encouragement to others who have been and who are going through the same thing.

Over the years, I was able to write 65 pages but then in the last few years, my computer crashed, not once, but THREE times and (like a dummy) I didn't back anything up!

Although I have an idea of the structure of the book, something struck me this morning...

Why not compile success stories of many different women to incorporate into the book? Wouldn't it be even more encouraging to see more than one person make it through a situation?

Why not give a portion of the proceeds of the book to create a fund to support teen, single, and divorced moms who are struggling to succeed? (After I wrote this earlier, I happened by the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition show and balled my eyes out!)

Why not give a portion of the proceeds of the book to its contributors?

I believe that God put this book on my heart a long time ago but He had to bring me to a place where I would be able to get it out to the masses... and here I am! My women's network is over 500 members strong now and growing everyday... God has connected me to some really good people who continue to support and encourage what I do... and everything I do is for the encouragement and support of others... So... it's definitely time!

Anyone interested, please email me at info@paradisesecretarial.com or paradisesecretarial@yahoo.com.

I am going to dedicate at least 1 hr/wk to writing... like I used to do and my prayer is to have the book completed by the time of our Women's Conference in March 2009