Aaron- Exalted and Strong

Aaron Isley

Today I am taking time out to appreciate a dear friend of mine. Aaron Isley. I have had the great pleasure of knowing him for about 3 years. We both work together at Starbucks and every time that we work, it's always a blast! Let me just tell you a little about him. He is a proud father, a loving husband and a good man. During recent months we talked about a few issues that were bothering him.We have both talked to each other about dreams and goals that we are both in pursuit of.  He already knew the solutions to his problems but I think he just needed to hear some encouraging words from a friend. I remember us discussing with Aaron the next steps that he could take to make his dreams a reality. He told me his plans and that night after working with him, I prayed that God would bless him and his family.

Over the next few weeks, when I saw that i was working with Aaron, I was eager to find out how things were going. WAIT....IM SITTING HERE TRYING TO MAKE THIS BLOG SOUND SO SPECIAL WHEN I JUST NEED TO KEEP IT REAL WITH YALL!

Aaron, if you are reading this blog, I am writing this to let you know how proud I am of you! I have seen you grow so much in such a short time and you are doing so great! When I was looking for the meaning of your name, although you may already know, I found: exalted and strong. And I think both words describe you PERFECTLY!! Exalted-of high moral or intellectual value. I admire your role as a father to your children. You always make decisions with your family in mind and I admire that so much in you. When making decisions in your personal life and work life, you take the moral high road. :)
Strong-having strength or power greater than average. I like this definition the best! You have gone through so much and your remain hopeful. which takes some strength. Bad days seem to try and stop you from moving forward or tried to make you loose your focus, but look at where you are today! Strength greater than average? Yep, Aaron, that's you too!

I just wanted to recognize you for doing such a great job! I want you to know that I value our friendship and I pray that the Lord continues to show Himself strong in your life. I pray that even when the bad days come that you will remember that you are strong and have high moral and intellectual value, so you will always know what to do. Please stay encouraged. Please know that you are doing so well! See you at work later!!

Aaron actin silly at work!!

Financially Free Devotion #2

Trust- to have confidence in or to have faith in

source

Today's Devotional deals with trust. As we embark on this financially free journey, it is important for us to go ahead and acknowledge where we have placed our trust. The Bible say, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5. I believe that this verse sets the tone for the rest 29 days of our journey. Do you think its fair to say that we trust God with only a portion of our lives? I know in my case, there are areas that I can allow God to have full access of and other areas I would rather Him just stay away from. Why is that? I think its because of fear and not knowing the true essence of God. For example, I am ready to turn my money over to Him because I know that He can handle it better and its his anyway. But when it comes to something more dear to my heart like um....relationships, I rather God just stay waaaayyyyy over there! lol! Sure I want the best boyfriend or husband but what if God tells me no about someone I really love and care for? Shoot, what if he is ugly when we first meet? I'm just being real!! Yall know that you have thought that too! lol! :)
All Im saying and learning is that if I can say God you can have control over my financial life, why not let Him have control over all aspects of my life? And it all has to do with TRUST!!

So, now that God has enlightened me and you to the fact that we need to get our finances in order, lets trust Him to be able to help us to do so.I wanna give you a few verses that I will meditate on today:

Psalms 46:5 *My favorite*
Proverbs 3:5
Pslams 37: 3-6;39-40
Psalms 55:22
Psalms 119:173

Those are just a few that I will focus on today. Remember trust Him at all times. No matter what may happen in your life, God is faithful. I know you wanna go out and buy that dress, purchase those shoes or grab that fast food lunch. But remember goals set before you. You wanna be financially free, right?

Prayer Focus: Lord, I trust you and I acknowledge that you are head of my life. I thank you Father for showing me a better way to handle my finances. I thank you for trusting and believing that I can be financially free. I turn my desires over to you and I wait Lord for your instruction. I thank you in advance for blessing me with the gift of financial freedom! Amen.

Be Blessed- STAY NATURALLY FLY

Financially Free Devotion #1

The Journey Begins

Today is day one of our Financial Journey. I want to remind you that this is the first step of many that will bring us to a place of true financial freedom in Christ. We have to also remember to keep Him before us at all times. I believe that this journey will be one of the best that I will ever take. I know that there may be some challenges and there may be some old habits that die HARD, but reaching my goal is what keeps me going.

Devotional Day 1:

" The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints."

Ephesians 1:18

What do you get out of this verse? A few words jump out to me: enlightened, hope and calling. Here is why I choose those words. Enlightened: it brings to mind coming into the awareness of something; having your thought pattern changed. Hope: a feeling of expectation; having something to look forward to. Calling: summoned; having an assignment. 

In this devotional, we want to look at beginning the journey to financial freedom. Some of us have noticed that some changes need to be made but never really knew where to begin. If your like me, I sought the Lord out and asked Him to help me and when He began to show me ways, I became afraid. What was I thinking by asking God to help?! I can change my habits on my own. All He would do was tell me that I couldn't buy ANYTHING!! This has been my thought pattern for years and it wasn't until my pay rate took a huge hit, that I knew something had to change and it had to change FAST!

BUT GOD....in His loving was has "enlightened" me to a few principles that I want to share with you. 

1. Nothing that we have truly belongs to us.- God owns everything in the world and we are just managers over His things. We manage by taking care of what he has blessed us with. If he has blessed you with a home, take care of it. Pay your bills. Keep the lights on. You guys know what I mean.  And because nothing truly belongs to us, we must transfer ownership of everything back over to Him. This lets God know that you trust Him will everything. Money, cars, home, family, EVERYTHING!!

2. I/We are capable of being Naturally Fly and Financially Free. "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" Philippians 4:13. I like to believe that God laid down a path for everyone to follow. He went ahead of us before we were even though of and prepared a way. Now that we are here on Earth, we are just following in His footsteps. Because of that, I feel I can do anything because Christ already did it for me. Woah!!

Hope: By beginning  this journey, we have something to look forward to and expect. I expect to have money saved, to understand what God says about money and to apply to principles everyday. I look forward to being able to allow God to direct me financially. Calling: I believe that I have a calling on my life in various areas. Teaching, writing, and now in my financial life. I dont think that it is a coincidence that this topic was introduced to my spirit. God wants me to be financially free called me "for such a time as this." He has called you to and you can now have hope that you will accomplish your goals. 

Prayer:

Lord, please fill me with desire to know and follow You, allowing my

misconceptions to be overpowered by the light of Your truth.

STAY NATURALLY FLY

Naturally Fly and Financially Free

Ok ladies and gentlemen, it time to get serious about our finances. Since this has become a topic of interest for me, I just wanted to share it with you. As I get older and begin thinking about my future, I realize that there have been certain habits that I've had for years that could be damaging to my future if I dont change them. And my financial habits are at the top of my list. I didn't want to just read book after book on finances. I wanted to find Godly principle that taught me how God viewed money and our uses of it. I am reading Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover and Crown Money Map by Crown Financial Ministries. I plan on being very open and transparent with you. We will discuss and learn about saving, creating an emergency fund, paying off debts and much more. In Crown Money Map, there is a companion  31-day devotional that accompanies the book and I will share with you each days devotional along with my own comments. I also have a You Tube channel and I will post weekly comments about how I am doing so if you want to follow me there to, please feel free. Money is good to have and enjoy as long as you dont let your money rule over you. I hope you join me on this journee. :)

STAY NATURALLY FLY

Dreaming

Hey Fly Girls!!

I know it has been a few days since my last post. But I have been having some "ME" time and it has proven to be the best time yet!! God is good! That kinda sums up all that I am about to share with you. Many of you may not know but I have been having sooooo much fun with being a naturally fly girl!  :) I am finding out new things about myself that I never would have dreamed that I was capable of. Ideas flowing from every direction. Places I want to visit and dreams that I know I will accomplish. God is good! The cool part about all these ideas is that I am not sure how I will accomplish all that I am dreaming of. I say that it's cool because I know that these ideas are God given and that He will assist me in making them come true. Have you ever had a dream that seemed impossible or was totally not in your comfort zone? Well girlie, that is where I am, which isnt such a bad thing.

I am sitting at home right now with my dog Bella, enjoying the peace of God that has taken over me. I have been seeing the light at he end of my tunnel for a while but today it just a WHOLE lot brighter. When God talks about restoration and bringing you back to the place that He wants you, he ain't lying! lol! I dont know why it seems like when you initially make that decision to say "yes" to Him, things seem a little rocky. But once you get over that temporary upfront discomfort, I believe it smooth sailing after that!

With all the ideas that have been put inside me, I just want to take some time and encourage you. What is it that you want to do but you feel a bit afraid to do?  Have you begun to feel like you didn't know how to even START? Yep, Ive been there too. My advice: STOP FRETTING! Roll it all over to the Lord. I know, I know, you have heard it all before but let me share with you what God shared with me. He said, " Once you have made up your mind for Me, the Word and the Kingdom assignments given to you, you can be stable and fixed." Make up your mind girl! He is waiting on you so that He can bring your dreams to life! Isn't that an amazing thing?

So, what do you need to do to get started? Think of that first. Dont try and move the whole mountain, just pick up one rock at a time. This will ultimately help you in dealing with frustrations that are bound to come. I mean, lets face it, we are NATURALLY FLY and somethings just come with the territory. Own every dream and go ahead and let God help you make that dream come true! As always ladies....

STAY NATURALLY FLY!!

Natural Hair and Confidence

Having confidence as a natural has been a hot topic lately. Dealing with the drastic change of having long, silky straight hair to having short kinky, curly hair, can be dramatic. No matter what the reason for your transition to Natural beauty, the first few months can be the most challenging. I am here ladies and gents to offer you some advice that has helped me during the 2 months of being a NuNtrl!

1. How you feel about your hair and yourself will be the EXACT same way your peers will feel about you and your hair!

--This one is simple. Truthfully, I did not like my new cut but until now, I NEVER told anyone!! I said to myself that if I dont like it AND I show it, NO ONE else will like it. After styling though, it wasn't that bad. :D

2. Dont judge your hair by the next girl's hair!!

--So what if  "Keisha" has long natural hair and your hair is barely an inch long! Who cares!!? Its the same as being envious of someone. You dont know the next girl's journee and all the drama she may have had to endure to get the long hair. You see? This journee is for YOU! Its a journee that was made for you and you alone! You know you FLY girl!! :)

3. Natural girls stand out! 

--We are different and we make our own rules! This is not a diss of my relaxed sistas but it takes a strong woman to cut off her hair and start all over again. We stomach the negativity and STAY NATURALLY FLY throughout the process!

4. Our natural hair is the coolest accessory we have! 

--You know you've gotten some good compliments girl! Why is it that for every 10 good comments we get, it takes 1 bad one to ruin our day? Forget 'em girl! You wear your hair well! 

Thats my take on having confidence with your natural hair! What makes you so confident in your hair? 

STAY NATURALLY FLY :D

NuNtrlBeauti: Hair Products

Hair Products I Currently Use

I have only been natural for 2 months but the amount of products that I have purchased in the last 6 months has been CRAZY!!! It all started by me watching YouTube. I would literally write down everything that I saw other transitioners and new ntrls using and go buy it! I really believe it was a sickness! Help me LAWD!! And now that I have to use these products more than I did as a transitioner, I think I have been able to narrow down the list to only a few staple products!

DISCLAIMER: THESE ARE PRODUCTS THAT I USE AND THAT WORK WELL ON MY HAIR. ALL HAIR IS DIFFERENT SO CHOOSE WHAT YOU LIKE FOR YOURSELF AND SEE IF IT WORKS FOR YOU!!

NuNtrlBeauti"s Regime:

~Co-Wash 2x a week with Organix Coconut Conditioner or VO5 Moisture Milks in Passion Fruit Smoothie

~Shampoo once a month with Organix Coconut Shampoo (its Sulfate free) mix w/ Giovanni Deep Moisture Conditioner (for extra softness)

~Leave-in Conditioner- Cantu Shea Butte Leave-In

~Styling Products (for Twist Outs, Finger Coils, TWA)

*Karen's Body Beautiful Hair Milk/Hair Butter in Coco-Mango scent

*My Shea Butter/Coconut Oil mixture

*Glycerin Mix- Aloe Vera Juice, Vitamin E, Glycerin, Jojoba Oil and Coconut Oil

*ORS Twist and Lock Gel (for Finger Coils)

~Deep Condition 1x a week with Karen's Body Beautiful Luscious Locks Hair Mask

~To seal in moisture, I use Coconut, Jojoba and Extra Virgin Olive Oil

That's about it Beauties! I haven't trimmed my ends yet. I plan on getting a trim at my 3 month mark and trimming every 3 months. (4 times a year). I think the best way to take care of your hair during the early stages is to LISTEN TO IT! Try a product for @ least 2 weeks before switching up. Ive noticed that when first trying something it seems like my hair hates it, but when I tried it for a longer span of time, it actually turned out to be very good for us. Remember that it's a process and it takes time but YOUR HAIR IS GROWING!! NEVER judge your growth by someone else's growth. All hair is different and it's what makes you UNIQUELY YOU!

I would love to hear what you have been using on your hair. Post a comment below and tell me girl!!

STAY NATURALLY FLY!!

NuNtrlBeauti: Natural Journee Month 2 Update

Its been a while since I have posted anything on here and I am soooo glad to be back again! So much has happened since December of 2009. Where do I begin? ok... Well, I am officially a Natural Beauti!! I did my BC (big chop) on May 20, 2010. I was a wonderful experience. :) I did my BC with my friend, Christy and having her there made the process a while lot easier. The photo that I posted here was taken the very next day after doing my BC. Christy had the brilliant idea to do a photo shoot so that we could get a jump start on feeling good about the decision to cut our hair. I decided to cut my hair honestly after a bad breakup. I was just gonna do a short hair style and call it a day. But then I started watching YouTube and I was hooked!! It didnt take long for me to make the decision and move ahead with transitioning.

My last relaxer was on November 6, 2009. And I went to the shop and got my hair done! ooohhh weee was it layed!! lol! :) But the decision was already made. I transitioned for 1 month by just doing rod sets but that was getting old quick. And at the start of the New Year, I added micro braids to the regime to help me. I liked the braids a lot. They helped me not to "see my hair" everyday. I had gotten to the point of seeing the new growth and missing my relaxed hair. So the Micros helped a lot. I wore the micros for 2 1/2 months and when they got too old for me, I gor a Sew-In. It was my 2nd one and I had it cut into a really cute bob style...I was F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!! FABULOUS indeed!! I kept that style for one month and in May, I cut it all off!

Now here I am and I am loving this Journee so far. It has taught me to be patient with my self and my hair. It has given me a new confidence. YOU WILL NEVER MEET ANOTHER NATURAL DIVA LIKE ME BOO!! LOL! Ok,Ok. Just teasing. I am just happy with who I am cause this is who I am supposed to be. Get it? Well, Ill keep you posted on this journee. I plan on doing an update once a month until I hit my one year mark! Thanks for reading!

STAY NATURALLY FLY!!