One thing that I always struggled with was the insecurity of my body image. Since elementary school, I disliked the way I looked. I never felt that I was pretty or matched up to the standards of what a boy was looking for in a girl. I remember in fifth grade, the entire class got weighed. When my turn came up, the scale said 50.0 lbs. and I remember getting laughed at because I was way smaller than everyone else and that, is the moment that insecurity started to grow.

Definition: re•deem

/rəˈdēm/- gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment.

compensate for the faults or bad aspects of (something).

‘buy-back’

Who would have thought it would be me writing a blog? Let alone, who would have thought I could lead my own ministry, have women look at me for inspiration and be a person who ministers to the brokenhearted on how Jesus can change lives? Well, certainly NOT ME! I have always put myself down in a sense because I believed I was the equivalent to the ends of a loaf of bread (those pieces everyone touched but didn’t want) I did not believe I was worthy, so I sold myself. I would say I sold myself to past relationships, friendships, and even my father so I could know what it feels like to be loved.

Growing up, I didn’t realize how special I was created to be by God. Sure, I went to church at my parents’ mandate. From that requirement, I attended all services and even participated in the youth activities there – the youth choir, the youth usher board, and youth leadership activities. However, I did not learn how much detail was put into creating me until I began to seek my own understanding of who God is. The more I learned about the limitless love, grace, and mercy given freely to me each day of life despite my imperfections, failures, mistakes, and selfishness, I began to yearn to learn more about God and in turn, I began to learn more about how He sees me.

Over the past decade, I have been through my share of heartbreaks and disappointments. From dating guys that took me for granted, to letting go of toxic friendships. It's safe to say that the road has not been easy. At the age of 19, I experienced my first abusive relationship. This was by far one of the lowest points of my life, and out of fear and shame, I kept it a secret. After the abuse, I struggled for years with self-esteem issues and knowing my self-worth.

I must be honest. I don’t always feel confident and I venture to believe that I am not the only person who feels this way. In the spirit of self-love this past February, I explored my personal journey to confidence. Funny enough all my journeys begin with a dictionary! What is self-confidence anyway? Confidence is To believe in oneself, in one’s powers and abilities (Dictionary.com). I don’t know about you, but don’t always trust in or believe myself (Insert: “Oh yea, I will definitely exercise every day this week!”). The point is that what we really want is confidence in God and not in ourselves. As many of my friends say, let’s call it God-fidence!

By: Jennifer Uwanaka

Potential. We all desire it. We all want others to see that in us. What really makes someone have potential? Is it their educational background? Or maybe their family upbringing. These are the questions that have been stirring in my mind lately.  I have been wondering who are the individuals who get the most opportunities?  I often tell myself, it must be the ones who believed they had potential and then sought out resources.

Every day people are placed or faced with an undesirable situation that changes their lives. Many of these situations occur based on their decisions; however, some of these situations occur totally out of their control. Whether it’s their fault or not, they—and we—can still overcome the current situation, nevertheless.

Single women with children are faced with many different challenges in raising their families on their own. Why they are in this situation can be the result of a variety of reasons. Single moms in many cases have stigmas attached to them. 

As I was driving to a choir rehearsal I decided to turn off the music and listen to silence. It's always good to quiet our thoughts and give God a chance to say something. My Pastor, Dr.Mike Freeman of Spirit of Faith Ministries (Quick shout out lol) says that God shouldn't have to wake you up in the middle of the night just to talk to you! He should have full access to our lives as well as our attention; anywhere and at any time. Something I've had to learn as I've grown in my relationship with God is that he is always speaking! The question is have I positioned myself to hear him? Most of us have heard the quote "One word from God will change your life" So, I gave God an opportunity to explore, question and challenge my thoughts.