Category: Relationships

All you have to do is ask…

Posted on By wrenhowsway
I’ve recently shared I started a new position about a month ago and as I continue to learn this new role, it gives me a lot of blog content. Lol
Storytime: When I learn something new, I like to try it by myself before I ask for help. I recently worked on a task and I felt like I knew the answer to resolve the situation. After about 45 minutes, I couldn’t figure it out and in addition to that it involved multiple people and I haven’t found my comfort zone in the role yet, so I pulled the trigger and asked my manager for assistance. After discussing it with my manager we talked through the situation and I received helped me with actionable next steps. I was able to complete the task swiftly once I asked for help. Y’all I could have saved so much time if I would have asked for help earlier. ?
So y’all know I’m about to flip this right? ?
This often happens with our relationship with God, except for the 45 minutes in my illustration is usually longer. We will spend days, weeks, or months trying to figure out the answer to a problem – when we can just ask the all-knowing, all-powerful, and the one person who has everything figured out – God. I’m only writing this because I’m guilty myself. ? So, what are we waiting for? God already knows when we need help, he’s just waiting for us to ask.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:7‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬
Relationships

Sponsorship

Posted on By wrenhowsway

There’s a buzz word going around in corporate America called sponsorship. My understanding of the word is a sponsor is someone who is an advocate for you when you are or aren’t in the room for a position, project, opportunity and etc…
A good sponsor should be a person who is asking others – have you considered (insert name).

I went to an amazing virtual conference a few weeks ago called Sharp Heels and several of the speakers spoke of sponsorship and how their sponsors helped them obtain new opportunities within their company. Often time when I hear a word I like to think of how it could be used in another context.

When I thought of the word sponsorship- I thought of Jesus Christ. I know there is God the Father, God the son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit – who all make up the Trinity. But I like to think of every one of individually and collectively to make it more relatable for me. Jesus, is our personal advocate – like how sway! He’s sponsoring us in heaven to his father. He’s advocating on our behalf to his Father pleading our case.

Picture this – Jesus is sitting on the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. He’s sees the best in us and also sees our full life from the end to the beginning and advocates for us. ❤️

“who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:34‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Relationships

Abba, Father

Posted on By wrenhowsway

I acknowledge God as my Heavenly Father.  So, when I think about my relationship with him, I think about a father and daughter relationship. My father is deceased, but I look at the scriptures, other healthy father/daughter relationships around me, and my relationship with my father to understand the role of a father.

Picture this: You are in school and you were in trouble for something. You make it home from school and your father is already aware of what happened because he received an e-mail from the teacher about your behavior. So, once you get home you run to your father to tell him the news.

At that moment, of sharing the news with your father you may feel vulnerable and awful for your behavior. But your father is good, so he covers you.

Later on in the day, y’all have a conversation about it, he calls you higher and he reminds you that he loves you.

This is how I picture my relationship with God – though I may do wrong, God is there to be a father even in the midst of what is going on.

There’s nothing I can do or anything anyone can say to change the love my Heavenly Father has for me as his daughter. Just like a natural father may have to discipline or correct a child, God does this for us as well, but it’s only because he wants the best for us.

This is why I can call him Abba, Father.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

Friendships

Friends

Posted on By wrenhowsway

“Friends 

How many of us have them?

Friends

Ones we can depend on

Friends”

Listen – I love my friends – but umm let’s talk about this accountability and vulnerability thing. 

So, this year a couple of my friends and I decided to focus on our finances and physical health. Of course – I was  all in because I want my bank account booming and y’all know summer is always right around the corner. 

Storytime: I loved accountability until I had to send a picture of my scale after a weekend trip in which I ate tortilla chips and pico de Gallo amongst other delicious treats. ? 

Like my body loves carbs and stores carbs, so there was some weight gain after that weekend. #cringe 

Sharing that initial scale picture was a different level of transparency; however, it was good for me. The most beautiful thing about great friends are that they cover you, give you grace, challenge you and call you higher. We are simply walking through life together and I wouldn’t trade them for the world! I’m grateful to have so many amazing friends in my life! 

Cheers to great friends! ?

Question of the Day: What’s One thing you love about your friends? 

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

growth

Growth Conversations

Posted on By wrenhowsway

Have you ever had to have a conversation with someone about something that was not pleasant? I’m sure some people even cringe just reading the title of the blog – but just know there’s a growth opportunity in the conversation.

I’m sure we all had those moments when we had to discuss something with a family member, a co-worker, a friend, an associate, a manager, etc…

How do you navigate those conversations?

As someone who’s had to have several of these conversations, while they can be challenging at first, they become easier to handle.

You may not believe this, but I used to be the person that could go 0 to 100, it’s not my proudest moment. ? But, I’m thankful to God for his saving grace! ??

Below, I’ll share the steps I’ve learned on my life journey I take to prepare for conversations – I like to refer to them as growth conversations now! So while I may still get a little nervous before a conversation, I feel so much better after I share my heart with someone.

My Top 5 Growth Conversations Tips

  1. Check your heart and make sure the conversation is rooted in a place of love.
  2. Pray about the conversation.
  3. Discuss or role-play the conversation with a trusted non-biased friend if needed.
  4. Ask open-ended questions that are not accusatory of the other person.
  5. If needed bring in a nonbiased third party and also be prepared to listen.

Share any tips you have for growth conversations!

“The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with Loving kindness I have drawn you.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭31:3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Uncategorized

De-Pressed

Posted on By wrenhowsway

 

This is a topic request I received from a friend.

The holidays are approaching rapidly and it’s statistically shown depression and suicidal rates increase during the holiday season.

Depression is one of those things that you can easily suffer from and hide from others. You can go through your daily task, attend functions, and sometimes successfully mask your feelings.

You hide your true feelings from others- all to return home and get in the bed and feel de-pressed. I can easily talk about depression because that was my personal experience years ago- I would go out with my friends on the weekend and come home and wouldn’t do anything else at all. Thankfully, with prayer, I was able to overcome that season which occurred many years ago.

Remember, this holiday season is different for many, due to Covid and job loss. More people are likely to stay at home and not travel to see family or friends.

So with that being said, it brings about a great opportunity to reach out to a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or a neighbor to check on them. Maybe you can drop off groceries, send them a holiday card, call them or send a text. When I mention sending a text, I don’t mean the mass group text message chains either.

Also, this is not something that has to stop after the holidays, this can be done continuously. Do something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return.

Question of the Day: How will you check on someone this holiday season?

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 KJV