Journaling To God

A few months ago I started journaling to God, I feel for me it is a better way of deepening your relationship with God. With journaling I am able to express more to him unfiltered, rather than just praying out loud. When I’m journaling it’s like a flood of words rushing out of me. Sometimes when I’m finished I’m like ‘wow I wrote all that?’ When I’m done with my entry, I feel like I just vented to my best friend, and that’s how it should be. With journaling in my quiet time I have acquired more intimacy with God than I've ever had before. Deuteronomy 4:29 - But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. Jeremiah 29:13 NLT- If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.  Especially when you’re a new Christian it can be a little awkward praying out load and maybe you don’t know what to say. Writing in a letter form feels more casual, so it’s easier to just tell him about your day, the troubles that you’re having, or just to say that you love him. I feel it helps build a relationship when first becoming saved. It should become you safe haven where you can be vulnerable and  open. You learn more about yourself, in return it’s helping your personal growth.  Living in a college dorm and having roommates, sometimes it might be uncomfortable to pray out loud. Prayers are meant to be between you and God; not you, God, and your roommates. Maybe you don’t want them to hear and think you’re talking to yourself (or your crazy.)Maybe you’re saying some deep “stuff” and that’s nobody’s business.  Or maybe you’re praying about them; either way journaling with be a great option. For Christians that have been saved a while, journaling to God can build an unwavering bond that you haven’t had. I added this to my quiet time and it has helped me and my attitude/ faith/ relationship/etc tremendously. An hour out of the day, I’ll have my bible, journal, and a good station on Pandora going (William Murphy or Tasha Cobbs) and I’ll just relax my mind before I do anything. Then I’ll read a chapter out of the bible, write a journal entry and conclude by listen to music. With journaling it doesn’t have to be difficult or a chore, it should be a release. Habakkuk 2:2 And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain  on tablets, so he may run who reads it How I do my journal entries:  Date: I put the date just so I am able to go through and see my progression  and go back and see how he is working in my life.  Greeting: I start with “Dear Jesus…” Body: when I write I just tell him how I’m feeling or what I’m going through.  My doubts, frustrations, enjoyments, and sadness I tell him about my day,  boyfriend issues, friend issues, school issues, etc. I end my entry just telling  him how thankful I am for his doings, how much I love him, how I want  to follow his word and make him happy.  I DO NOT ask him to do anything for me I just vent to him.  Extras: When I’m really going through a struggle I’ll go in my bible and under  when I talked about it I’ll put the scriptures. You can highlight/circle/underline/bold a word that you talk about a lot.  Close:I close the letter with “your daughter, Jae” At end of the day this is your journal and you write to him how you want to.  The way you get your break though may be different than mine but if you come searching with a heart to be better for God you should see results.  Thank you for reading today

DIY Halter shirt: T-shirt renovation

Hey Guys. So I was going through some old clothes and I found a few shirts that I don't need, instead of throwing them away I decided to do a t shirt renovation. Its really simple to make and doesn't require a lot of sewing. If you can do a stitch you can make this shirt. 

Materials:

• A fitted shirt 
• Scissors 
• Needle
• Thread 
• A clothespin

              
           We went from a pajama shirt to night out shirt             

                             

Directions 

1. First cut off the sleeves of the shirt 
   
   
   
2. Turn the shirt around and on the back cut a straight line from the arm pits of the shirt 
   
   
   
3. Next fold the neck line 1 inch or 2 inches and pin it to make a pocket. Make sure you have enough room to slide something through the pocket
   
4. Sew where the pins are, still leaving space to slide something through
   
5. At the bottom of the shirt  cut of an inch and attach a clothes pin to the end 
   
6. Feed the clothes pin and piece of shirt  through the pocket that you pinned and sewn                                                                      
7. Pull at the edges of the shirt where you cut to make it curl               
8. And BAM you got a new shirt 
   

You can wear this shirt to class, to lunch, on a date, or a night out. I paired this with a skirt but with some cut off denim shorts this would uber cute. To keep it casual add a cardigan or a kimono and some jeans and your ready to take on the world with your new DIY shirt. 

Thank you for reading today.

Green Smoothie Recipes

Berry-banana Smoothie

1 banana

5-10 Strawberries

3-6 Raspberries

10 Blue berries

1-2 cup of almond milk or water

1 cup of spinach

2 leaves of kale

4 ice cubes

Tropical Green smoothie

1 cup of pineapples

1 banana

2 cups of spinach

1 cup of coconut water

5-10 strawberries

1 mango

Peach smoothie

2 cups of spinach

2 cups of almond milk

1 cup of strawberries

2 cups of peach

1 cup of non-fat plain yogurt

These are just a few recipes, as I said in my last post the possibilities are endless. You can add anything to these smoothies like yogurt, chia seeds, protein powder, oatmeal, or any other fruits and vegetables. It’s your smoothie so put in your favorites. If you need more inspiration, ideas, or recipes on green smoothies: I go to Simplegreensmoothies.com.

Thank you for reading today 

Green Smoothies

So I drink a green smoothie almost every morning, without it I don’t feel right and it  throws my whole day off. Therefore it is a staple in my new healthy lifestyle. If you have not tried a green smoothie, you have no idea what you are missing HUNTY (snaps finger). Not only are they delicious but it helps you to lose weight and boost your immune system. Just a few reasons you should try a green smoothie today:

• Excellent source of nutrients
• Great energy booster
• Natural weight lost
• Satisfy recommended vegetable & fruit servings
• Inexpensive/ easy to make
• And Delicious

At school we have a Jamba Juice that sells fruit smoothies and green smoothies but they use concentrated fruit juice, not the real fruits. And that goes for most smoothies places they are not 100 percent natural, you’re consuming more sugar than anything. With making your own green smoothie you control everything that goes inside, it’s less expensive to make than buying one every day, and you can put any fruit or veggie inside.

When you make your first smoothie, do look up a recipe, make sure they are easy, and simple. My first smoothie was so nasty because I was adding literally every veggie and fruit I could, DON’T DO THAT. Less is more. In every smoothie I make I use almond milk, a banana, spinach (you cannot taste the spinach), and berries. And then I just add other ingredients to the mix kale, kiwi, pineapple, mango, protein powder, ginger, lettuce, collard greens, celery etc.

Honestly I have been losing weight this summer (my face has been clearing up too) and I have my smoothies to thank for that. Green smoothies are amazing for overall health, once you try it, you’ll be hooked (trust me).

Thank you for reading today. 

Breaking up and Getting back together

Quite often I am torn on the question is it okay to break up and get back with your significant other? When you break up, one always thinks of it as final but maybe down the line, they want to get back together. But if it’s break up after break up, is that healthy for a relationship or even the person?

Now of course if a couple is breaking up every week, every other week, or every month then yeah it may be time to just let that go. But what if someone in the relationship just has a problem with communication? So every time they get into an argument, it’s down break up road, and then after a week they realize that it was dumb so they get back together? What if someone is scared to love or has commitment issues so they break up because they’re scared but get back together because they are made for each other, is that ok? Maybe they’re just young and dumb and that’s what young and dumb people do (right?).

If one sits and make a pro/con list of their relationship and has more pros than cons, why shouldn't they get back together. If they think its true love shouldn't that be enough? If they have more cons of their list, than breaking up is definitely the right decision. If there has been mental or physical abuse in the relationship and that’s why the person keeps making up to break up than that’s a different story (RUN and don’t look back). Taking a break from a relationship is actually helpful I feel. I know couples that have taken plenty of breaks during their relationship and their married now. Not saying that in their marriage they can take a break but at the end of the day marriage and dating/being in a relationship is two different things. So it obviously works for some couples. Just like arguing is healthy for a relationship, I feel breaking up is healthy too (if it happens). It makes them miss you, realize your value, and some people just need some ‘me’ time. If they don’t miss you then leave that alone, stay single.

I feel more than ever, we are embarrassed that we break up one day and get back together the next. We tell our friends and family me and boo thang broke up, that ‘it’s final, I wish him/her the best, nothing but happiness and love.’ Like always their response is “yall broke up again/yall getting back together again?!” But after both parties have evaluated what happened in the relationship, taken time for their selves (at least a month), and when they come in contact that spark ignites in our little heart. Then the dilemma becomes; you really want to get back together because it feels AMAZING being with that person (talking on the phone, etc.) but don’t want to feel like your week or look stupid to other people.

Honestly at the end of the day WHO GIVES A CRAP WHAT THEY THINK. It’s your relationship, your life, and you have to do what makes you happy because you never know when it is your last day. We are not here to impress our loved ones or make it seem like we are perfect, we all have problems, and we all our trying to work them out. Don’t judge me because me and my bae are not perfect, it’s life. Couples argue, some break up, and some get back together. If you’re one of those people, then own up to it, fix it (if it can be fixed), and live Blissfully.

So, if you and your significant other break up, it’s not the end of the world. Take your time and get yourself together. Don’t be ashamed or embarrassed if you want to get back with your boo thang. I think it is healthy to have a break up once in a while, long as when you get back together the situation is fixed and it doesn't happen again. Like life, a relationship is about progression. If you have any second thoughts, still angry, just want to be together so you have someone to hold at night, or because you feel you won’t find someone else, stay single because God has someone perfect for you. 

Thank you for reading today

Hunger Epidemic

I think sometimes we forget that this is real, that its people around the world starving to death daily. It’s not just in Africa or Asia but this epidemic is worldwide. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that nearly 870 million people or one in eight, were undernourished from 2010-2012. 1.5 million children die from hunger every year while 7,615,360 is the total number of deaths form starvation. I aide everyone to do research on this cause and help any way that you can, you can be the difference

Thank you for reading today.

Red lipstick on dark skin: MAC Ruby Woo

I was very insecure about wearing any lipstick other than my Wet'n'Wild deep burgundy but with motivation, research, and a bunch of YouTube videos. I got the confidence to try it. Once I put it on, I felt like a classic beauty and didn't want to take it off the whole day. Anyway what I would say to anyone trying a new lipstick color, never be afraid to try any lipstick because with the right lip pencil it'll always look flawless no matter your skin tone. But the thing about Ruby Woo, is that she looks good on everyone. Here's some pictures of me. 

All I used was the M.A.C Chestnut lip pencil and M.A.C Retro Matte Ruby Woo in this look (remember to BLEND). I think my dress compliments the overall style I was going for, I found this gem at a church sale. I adore the pearls on the neckline, the pop of skin it shows, and the length (it comes to my ankles). I was channeling Audrey Hepburn a bit. 

Haha. Thanks for reading today. 

Collard Green Smoothie

Want to add a new green to your smoothie? Have you tried collard greens? Well you should, let me tell you why. Collard greens are great source of natural vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. According to incrediblesmoothies.com, 2 cups of greens or 2 leaves “Contain 26% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A (as beta-carotene), 34% RDA of vitamin C, and 350% RDA of vitamin K and 2.2 grams of protein. Collard leaves are also a great source of fiber with 2.9 grams, (or 12% of your recommended daily allowance) in just two cups.” I made my own collard green smoothie and it was bomb-a-licious, we’ll call it Berry Green Smoothie and it was very easy plus inexpensive to make. Remember to drink your water thirty minutes before the smoothie.

Ingredients:

Good blender

 2 cup of Collard greens or 2 leaves

 1 Banana

2 cups of almond milk (can use water, coconut water, etc.)

4-6 ice cubes

 5 Strawberries

3 Raspberries

10 Blueberries

Directions:

Put in your almond milk, add your ice cubes, greens, and then your fruit. (You can add the amount of fruit you want just make sure it balances your greens. You don’t want too many fruits but not enough greens.) And just blend. Make sure you blend enough so everything can get processed. The more you blend, the less you can taste the collards. (I blended mine for about 2-3 minutes)

The smoothie was actually delicious, I couldn't taste the collard greens at all, and it filled me up. The mix of berries and the banana covered the greens miraculously. Next time I think I’ll add some yogurt, chia seeds, and maybe pineapple.

Thanks for reading today. Sorry the background is weird, I don't know how to fix it. Remember it's a process. Thanks for coming on this journey. 

5 Steps to Happiness

What is one thing that everyone wants out of life? If you take all the vain stuff and unnecessary emotions, all anybody wants is happiness. What technically is happiness or to be happy? Dictionary.Com defines it as being delighted, pleased, or glad over a particular thing or characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment or joy.

We all get in our ruts, have a bad day, feeling depressed, or as I like to call it in a transitioning phase. So I have scavenged the internet looking for 5 steps to happiness. There’s actually a plethora of websites that has steps, so I picked out the 5 that I would personally use and maybe one day I’ll post more.

1. 1.      Give back                                                                                                                                                                            Helping someone in need or knowing that you made a difference (short or long term) in someone’s life is one of the most fulfilling emotions one can receive. Knowing that you gave someone the only meal that they will have today, you clothed a family that doesn't have clothes to last a week, or you put a smile on a child that has been battling cancer, should make anyone feel like a hero.

1. 2.     Pamper Yourself

You are woman, hear you roar! Go out, get those toes done and tell them to take extra time massaging your foot. Get your nails, hair, eyebrows, makeup, everything that you get done (or afford) and if you have the money get massage or two. And if you don’t have the money, do your own toes, make you some face masks, and lounge in the tub. Just because you aren't feeling 100 percent doesn't mean you can’t look 100 percent. Some consider exercising as pampering themselves, if you are one of these people then work out until your body aches. If you’re looking in the mirror and saying ‘I could lose a few pounds’ or you don’t like your weight, then change it today. Start a workout regimen, eat healthier, but do it for self-gratification not others. God made you fearfully and wonderfully made, and that should spark some happiness back.

1. 3.      Talk about it

Call up your girls, your boo thang, or a close family member and just vent, let it all out. Relationships and feeling loved by those that love you the most is vital to happiness. You get comfort, support, laughs, remembrance of who you are, encouragement, motivation, strength, love and so much more. Talking to someone when you’re most vulnerable strengthens the bond that you both have. Actionforhappiness.org says “people with strong and broad social relationships are happier, healthier, and live longer.”

1. 4.      Accept and learn

I was always taught that there’s a lesson in everything. “Either it’s a lesson or blessin,” and in a way that’s true. There’s always a lesson to get out of a situation. For example I just got out of a 3 year relationship, so when it was over I had to take responsibility for what I did wrong and what I didn't like about myself and our relationship, then I learned what I could do better. So when the next guy comes around I’m not still dealing with the same things from the past relationship. Life is about progression. Love yourself. Accept yourself. Accept who you are now (flaws and all), and spend the rest of your life becoming the best version of you.

1. 5.      Soul search/Find your purpose/Do what you love

In this transitioning time find things that make you happy, do the things that you've been wanting to do but maybe couldn't because you didn't have the time. Try to figure out what you want out of life and what's your purpose. Take this time to grow and learn more about yourself.

I think one thing that we all need to remember is that we’re not in this alone, we’re not the only one dealing with unhappiness, and we’re not the only person that has cried their self to sleep, been heart broken, or low on money. There’s a tomorrow and then a next day, and one day you’re going to wake up and it’s going to be over, you just have to get going. Every day is a miracle because every day you wake up and start your day. You never know what the next person is going through, the person standing behind you in the target line could be one bad thing away from killing themselves. A compliment or just a smile can go a long way in someone’s in life. You could be the change.

You are loved. You are wanted. You are breathtaking. You are a blessing. 

DIY Honey and Oatmeal face mask

Need a little pick-me-up for your face? Have acne, acne scars, or just need some ‘me’ time? Well go in your pantry, get you some oatmeal and some honey and let’s make a face mask. Honey has been used for decades for its moisturizing, healing, and protecting abilities.  Honey helps cure acne, acne scars, and wounds because of its antibacterial properties. Oatmeal contains 18 different amino acids that’s delightful for your skin, the texture is miraculous for exfoliating, and helps retain moisture.

You’ll need:

• 3 tablespoons Old Fashioned oats (it can be cooked)
• 2 tablespoons of honey  
• Towel for the mess
• 1 egg white (optional you can add anything you like: lemon juice, baking soda, bananas, etc.)

So it’s very simple: blend your oats so it has a powdery consistency, mix the oats, honey, and egg white in a container, and apply to your face. Put the towel around your neck to catch any of the mask, Leave the mask on your face for about 30 minutes, lay down, and relax (i take selfies when I relax) 

When your time has elapsed wipe off in a circular motion and put your favorite moisturizer. Your skin should feel soft and your pores should be less noticeable.  

Thanks for reading today.

Drinking a GALLON of water a day

So I’ve heard about drinking a gallon of water a day but didn't understand the benefits until I had to do my own research for my face. I noticed my dark spots are beginning to darken on my face, I’m getting more pimples, and my glow is diminishing from when I was in school. The main reasons that my face is acting up; is bad dieting and not drinking enough water (Darn Vacation). When looking online, I saw that drinking a gallon of water every day can help revive my face but also aid to weight loss. When exercising one loses about 2 to 3 liters a day from sweat and urination, so one would be replacing the amount of water lost. Celebrities like Gabrielle Union, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, and many more that divulge in glasses of water a day.  If they can do it, we can too (Flips hair and snaps finger).

It’s also important to know when to drink the water, to reap the benefits. Studies show its best drink one glass of water after waking up, one glass 30 minutes before a meal, before/after a workout, before a bath, and before bed. That sounds a little too complicated for me, therefore I drink one liter by noon, (refill) drink the next liter by 3 pm, (refill), then at 6 pm, and the last liter by 9 pm (way easier). You can drink the water however you want or the time that suits you, long as it’s getting into your body it doesn't really matter. If you’re like me, you’re thinking ‘Geesh how am I going to get all that down’, I purchased a SmartWater bottle which is also a liter, so I’m getting the correct measurements, it’s easier to hold, and then I’m more comfortable taking it out of the house. You can also infuse lemon and lime to create detox water and give more flavor, if you don’t like the taste of plain water.

Other benefits of drinking water:

. Helps process fat and excrete it from your body                         . Helps maintain energy                                                         . Maintains muscle tone                                                         . Plumps skin cells                                                                             . Feel refreshed                                                                                   . Keeps you Hydrated                                                                . Clear pee when using the bathroom (and who doesn't want clear pee??)

So I’m challenging myself to drink a gallon of water every day for a month and ill post the results august 26. Let’s get to DRINKING! Thank you for reading today.

Into of Authentic Bliss

Hi, my name is Jae and I am the creator of Authentic Bliss. Just a little about me I attend Florida Gulf Coast University, I a major in Communications and Journalism. I’m from Ocala ,Florida (i'm a country girl), I’m the oldest of 5 siblings, a big foodie, flat fanatic, TV/movie specialist, and I will not leave my house nor dorm without mascara and eyeliner. I love helping others, making others smile, and being a blessing anyway I can. I made this blog because I’m in a transitioning period in my life and I know that when one’s life is in a standstill writing helps. But I have so much to say and trying new things in my life, so why not share?   I envision this blog as a lifestyle blog, so we’ll touch on a bit of everything including; beauty, fashion, food, DIY, fitness, spiritual devotions, relationships, college tips/stories, hair, gossip and discussion topics. I hope that you leave this blog with an authentic bliss and more informed than when you clicked on. I appreciate you taking the time to come to this blog, I hope you enjoy, and thank you for coming on this journey with me.