Save the Peel!

Don’t toss your orange peel! This little wrapping around this luscious fruit is great for a little boost of Vitamin C. Save those peels, put them in a baggie in the fridge, run the inside of the peel under a little water and rub on your face. This little wonder can shield your skin from the visible impact of pollution, improve hydration, even out your skin tone, and help with younger looking skin. Go grab those oranges, enjoy the inside and the outside all at the same time!

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

Beauty is a buzz word that has been around for decades and each decade has found a way to redefine the word. No wonder we are so confused and constantly striving to be beautiful and with the advancement of technology adding an excruciating painful reminder most often of our flaws. But what if there was one universal beauty mark? What if the mark of beauty lasted longer than a glimpse and reached deeper than your skin? What if we discovered that this beauty mark has the power to transform a person? Now were talking sign me up and where do i get this? What if i told you, you need no money to get it? and What if i told you that the mark of this beauty will never age, its completely timeless, and it will captivate any person? If it fit in a jar it would constantly be "out of stock." Here is the most shocking statistic about this beauty mark. What if i told you that you have this unreal, impossible, mark of beauty? and What if i told you it comes in the form of a blemish? Still interested? Come join me at Valiant Church, April 15th at 5:00. 2002 Post Office, Galveston TX

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

I was challenged to do an exercise at church the other day by my pastor. Write your top 5 closes friends other than your family. I found myself in an interesting situation, before writing names down I was defining friendship. I always defined my closes friends as those I spent the most time with. In this case I could only write one. The next closes would be some I see monthly for about 2 hours. I have always had a very large circle of friends and I understand life happens and changes occur, however, this exercise shed some light on a "not so good" trend I have jumped on. The truth is I spend more time scrolling through Facebook to see my friends rather than having lunch with them. I seriously calculated this if I took how much time I jump on Facebook to see everyone's post and added it together over two weeks’ time, I could have lunch with two friends for two hours (that's 20 minutes a day for 14 days on FB) c'mon don't tell me you don't average 20 minutes on FB, that includes your post about where you’re eating, the picture of your food, your comment on how good it is, and then checking to see who all liked it!!!! I never defined my closest friends by requesting for them to be a friend. They became my friend naturally by spending time together and this time together created true friendship. I could list more than 5 people I consider to be my closest friends; the problem is when I go back to my definition of a close friend I have failed to maintain what it takes to have true friendship.  When life happens, I don't want to have to friend request those that I need around me. I want them to show up. I don't want to click a little sign with a heart to express to my friends how much I care. I want them to see it in my eyes. I completely understand the social media thing and I’m not a hater I use it to. I just want to shed some light on the importance of actual human contact. Don't be deceived by the friend’s number you have at the top of your page and don’t rate your level of life by how many likes you get, because a few hours with a good friend on a regular basis will create a lifetime of memories that you won't need a screen to show you, because they will be standing right next to you. Take the challenge list your 5 friends and figure out how to take 5 hours of your time and do some life together! (not likes together)

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

I wrote this the Sunday before my last child would graduate. For all my mommas, the changing seasons of this journey sometimes come down to a day! Happy Reading!

SUNDAY

Move over Monday, its Sunday that marks the start of the seven-day cycle. From dresses and bows, to heels and hose.

This day develops dreams and determines destinies.

Sundays sing of sorrow and pain, and worshippers whisper the prayers for the lame.

This little light of mine, sometimes doesn’t seem to shine.

Bring the little ones, and carry the old this day was created for everyone involved.

Some Sundays stay the same but some carry the name of life changing moments and memories and mourning’s.

Hello Sunday as I seek and look to find, the seasons are changing in this life of mine.

The seven-day cycle you are asking me to start all I hear are the beats of my heart.

Be still my soul is a Sunday tradition and amazing grace comes with no conditions.

So Sunday here we go can we take these seven days slow?

I remember when Sundays were busy and loud, three little ones to get ready for the crowd.

It is official today my last Sunday to say wake up and put on your best and you know the rest.

We have done this before has it really been 24?

Years to be exact, and the fact still remains its Sunday today and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

In seven days things won’t be the same but Sunday will be here and it always calls my name.

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

New Beginnings, we love them and hate them all at the same time, it is the fear of the unknown and the excitement of new opportunities. It is the perfect season to undo what has been done before and release the things we so tightly hold on to. It creates new challenges, and puts old ones to rest. New Beginnings allow us to project a future, and learn from the past. Life is full of these things called New Beginnings, we either embrace them, or push them away. Our strength is tested and our endurance is proven. We allow them to complete us or defeat us.

How is your New Beginnings??????

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

She is every woman with the ability to impact an entire nation. We are women who have been empowered to create change. As we go about our daily duties there is little thought of the magnitude of impact.   As women, we are given inner strength, endurance,  compassion and intuition.  These abilities don’t require exposing skin, the perfect body or the latest clothing trend, they don’t require make-up or plastic surgery.  Lasting impact is felt to the innermost core of a person.  Consider Rosa Parks, Rosa Parks didn’t refuse to walk to the back of the bus for herself, it was her compassion to impact, it was her endurance to withstand, it was her strength to create victory, and it was her encouragement to start a movement.    Who would of thought?

One woman’s refusal to move!

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

She looked to be around 78 years of age, sitting on the first seat of the transit bus, clutching her large white purse.  She was neatly dressed and with her silver gray hair groomed for perfection, she sat close up against the window, as if the seat beside her was occupied by another person. Her piercing blue eyes intently stared straight ahead as her thoughts were so consuming her body appeared to be as still as a statue. The deep wrinkles on her face told a story of a long life, lived, and her hunched over body, clinging to the large white purse, of a frail, weak soul.  Surprisingly, no one chose to occupy the seat right beside her, it might have been the mere feeling of the “world of her own” that she so intently created, that marked that seat as unavailable.  The bus driver knew her by name, and acted as if she was a permanent fixture to this large moving means of transportation.  She sat quietly and calmly as if she knew her destination but pondered her desire to get there. The large white purse appeared to be heavy and bulky, but she held it as if it contained everything she owned.  As we approached the corner of main and center street, the bus driver gently said “Mrs. Wallaby center street is straight ahead” She struggled slowly to rise to her feet, and her thin, wrinkled hand reached to grip the rails to stabilize herself as she struggled to place one foot in front of the other, she continued to grip her large white purse, never letting it out of her sight, it appeared to be so bulky and heavy but she seemed to maneuver it  as if it was as light as a feather. As she exited the bus, the driver said “ya’ll eat some ice cream for me, I’ll be back in about an hour” I stopped to ponder the words of the driver. Why did he speak to her as if she had someone with her? Why did he know her name? Why did he say he would be back in an hour?  My curiosity got the best of me and this provoked the very personal question Mr. Bus Driver what’s her story? The bus driver proceeded to explain Mr. And Mrs.  Wallaby have been riding this bus for 50 years together, they sat in that very same seat every time, their daily routine was to take the 12:00 bus to center street and have an ice cream together every day.  No one has been able to figure out how the day after Mr. Wallaby passed away this large white purse appeared on the front seat of this bus, with her ticket to ride the bus, and enough money for an ice cream everyday for Mrs. Wallaby, so every day, Mrs. Wallaby, with her large white purse, enters this bus and goes to center street for ice cream.” The bus driver ended his story with these words “you have to wonder why we worry about the big things when it’s the little ones that make our life complete”

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri

Wonder is an interesting emotion! Have you ever thought about the fact that this emotion called wonder has so many emotions in itself? You wonder if he will ask you to marry him. You wonder if you will pay the bills. You wonder how they figured out how to make an airplane fly. You wonder where your kids are. You wonder if you will be hired for the job. You wonder why you get up everyday. You wonder what your purpose is. Wonder = happiness, worry, intrigue, concern, anticipation, self worth, It’s a crazy word this word called wonder. It can take you on an emotional high, and slam you down to the depth of sadness, it can push you to explore, and prohibit any movement at all, it can be controlled and it will control you. Wonder! What are you wondering today?

Creating More Beauty!

Your Friend, Cheri