Why your value is worth more than you think.

This morning, after I got the beauty sleep I needed to function -- I live streamed church. I have heard about this church through my friend, Emilee, who ironically I went to middle school with years ago. Over the course of our lives that took separate paths, we lost touch. I think the irony here is that when I started noticing the ministry, The Lovely Project, which was founded at Northwestern Orlando Community church a few years ago -- I finally had the light bulb moment. This is the ministry that God has led me to where the sole purpose is to mentor, invest in the lives of and encourage/inspire the girls in our communities. I am now praying about how God wants me to get involved as this is the ministry I wish I had when I was growing up.

Sometimes there are messages that we listen to whether they are at church, on billboards, from our friends/family, or the news even that we know we needed to hear it for our own mental health. That was how I felt this morning while live streaming, and to my surprise, the pastor speaking was Dr. Crystal Evans, who is one of the pastors at Northwestern Orlando.


Her message filled me with encouragement and hope to be perfectly honest. I have been feeling so down lately as I've been having medical issues on top of my chronic congenital issues. Part of me has been angry at God as the congenital ones I did not sign up for and the ones that have happened in the last month -- I would have never wanted to face and confront them. Now I am seeing them in a different light. God knew that I would have to deal with this heartache and He still promises to hold me tight as I keep my trust and faith in His timing.

I really thought that my the time I was thirty, I would have at least two kids. I would be in the job I love, traveling the world and making lots more money.

While not all of these dreams are true, like the being rich at 30 and having kids, I am reminded that my worth in God is not only what I wanted for me, but what He has planned for me. It's about sharing what He has done in my life, keeping my faith in Him and remembering my value. He is going to reward us by In the world we live in, we're told that our worth and value is based off our jobs, our houses and how we prosper in society.

That's not how it is valued with Jesus. He values our worth by using it to help the lives of others who find themselves in the same situation. I know that while extended family and friends wonder when kids will be brought into the picture. I thought by now that kids would be in our lives but it's more important that I wait for His perfect timing.

So understand that your value isn't what car you drive or how much you make in a year. With Jesus, it's about how you give back and love your neighbor, how you live your life to impact the lives of others for Jesus, and lastly, investing your value in ways to glorify Him. <3

I've been wanting to get back into blogging and posting but after today's message about evangelism, and what this really means to me -- I wanted to share what's been on my heart and reflect on it.  Here's hoping your week is fantastic, full of good sleep and happy in all adventures you find yourself doing.

- Jess

Why we're a #DisneyCruise couple (before we have any kids!)

It's no surprise that since we went on our first Disney cruise 4 years ago that I am quite simply enamored just with cruises but with Disney cruises also.

Each time I go on a cruise, the convo always seems to feel like this, especially if its with someone who doesn't know me as well.
Friend: What are you doing on your vacation?
Jess: I am going on a cruise!
Friend: Oh, cool, what ship?
Jess: Disney!
Friend: ::insert awkward stare at ceiling:: minutes later: oh, cool.

Yeah, you called it - that obvious elephant in the room. I don't have kids and I love Disney cruises. Yes, Disney is geared towards families with kids. Yes, that's not my current family dynamic. BUT - here's why I Disney cruise. It has nothing to do with THAT.

1) I love kids. I grew up around kids and when GOD is ready to bless us with that next step, though we are very excited and praying for that to happen sooooon - it's gonna happen.

2) I love Mickey! My husband & I are both avid fans of Disney in general. We go to the parks often. We buy Disney souvenirs for our home and for each other.

3) We love time together on our cruises. We've been married for 5 years in June. But we are the very best of friends and while we enjoy soaking up the time on the ship ONLY for adults - we do welcome the trips and memories to make with our future kiddos on the family sides.

4) We are both kids at heart. Each of us get excited about the features and benefits of what Disney offers us on board like new movies on the ship, the chance to meet the characters & see Mickey at dinner, and the fact that you can order Mickey bars for room service. Each cruise is such a fantastic getaway and while we don't have kids -- we hope that will be changin' soon.

So, there you have it. In case you were curious why I Disney cruise and yes, we're that couple at dinner that doesn't have kids at our table or kids in our room or kids with us -- it's the type of cruise that honestly fits us just fine all the same.

Where our adventures have taken us - #bloghiatusover

Happy Friday. Every once in awhile - it's time to take a break for the purpose of refreshing and getting renewal. That's what I did with my blog. I started wondering if I even wanted to keep this blog going and well I'm back. :) To give a quick update on us. I am still working hard to lose weight & still working on my book. Everything kind of got put on the back burner for a bit but thanks to friends support - this is something I can't wait to self publish. 

This wife has been up to alot of adventures in these last months.

Shortly before Christmas - I finally got to start my new job in Education. I had to wait 3 months for paperwork to get signed but I absolutely love it - 4 months in as a Registrar. It's a phenomenal feeling to know you're supporting and serving students & faculty of the University you've been working with for 5 years. I absolutely love my team and what I do each day.

I spent Christmas with my in-laws, having driven to Missouri from Florida. People always act so surprised when I make this trip like I've lost my marbles but honestly - I love it. We take our dogs with us, we stay in hotels and we usually get to enjoy treats at restaurants that are not locally convenient to us normally like Whataburger.

& the work Christmas party with my parents. 

February: I got to treat my parents to dinner for a mistake and horrible lack of judgment on my part from when I was 16. This was something that felt great to do and healed a lot of hurt with them. 

March was a big month for us that we'd been waiting on for sometime. The first part was that my husband turned 30. I had saved up and made big plans for us including a hotel overnight stay which included a jacuzzi. New toys to play with. 

His parents came into town to celebrate spring break.
& then we closed the month with this two family dinner at 4 Rivers.

Last weekend we were in Disney's Castaway Cay on the Disney Magic cruise ship. 

For now, this is where I am leaving things. This weekend I am going to write why I Disney cruise. Since we don't have kids yet, alot of people wonder why I would do this kind of cruise because there are kids everywhere. I love kids - I grew up as the oldest girl on both sides so I have cousins of all ages and I have a niece/nephew I adore. But I will explain it all in my next post. 

#MerryChristmasStarbucks - I'm a Christian rebel.

Hello! I saw this in the news that Christians are angry with Starbucks and this really made me angry. From the beginning of time, Starbucks has never been a Christian company and they have never said they hate Christians.. but these supposed "Christians" are really not helping themselves look good. 

Here's the deal. Christians shouldn't be mad that Starbucks isn't putting crosses or snowflakes on their traditional red cups. In the end, it is up to the company (i.e. Starbucks) how they decorate for the holidays. I say Merry Christmas to everyone I see, I don't stick with 'Happy Holidays' . But I guess this season I will be a Christian rebel as I still fully intend on 100% fully enjoying my Starbucks drinks with the red cups because at the end of the day - I'd rather use my Christian faith as a way to shine a light into the lives of others instead of casting shame and judgment. 

Point is - who cares what the holiday red cups at Starbucks look like? I love the bold red color of the cups. Living in FL, its 90 degrees in November so holding a bright red cup to me makes it feel more like Christmas! 

When I accepted Christ into my life, I didn't make the promise that I would boycott businesses that don't share my faith. This is the exact opposite of what Christ wants us to do. ESPECIALLY after the whole Chickfila & Gay marriage news story that rocked America. People threw rocks and wanted to flog Christians then so in return we see that Starbucks doesn't support our faith by what their cups look like and show everyone how rude & hateful 'Christians' are.  NOT COOL!

That is not the Christian I am. Those are the hateful, ignorant, mean spirited ones that are not changing the world the way Christ intended us to. He wants us to share Him in the world & be a shining light while being respectful of differing beliefs. 

So I will still be going to Starbucks this Christmas season. For all y'all who won't because of the silly cup issue, more for me! 

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I don't usually write posts like this inspired by the media. But please understand that I hope more Christians view my point than others. With that said, I am very excited for Thanksgiving & Christmas. They are my favorite part of the year. :) 

Thanks for stopping by. Enjoy the rest of your weekend :) 

friday 5 :)

Hooray for the weekend! Here's to celebrating the weekend & the top 5 moments of the week.

1) Sonny's wings are legit. At the end of August, I was intro'd to Sonny's dry rubbed wings. Wings are my jam, I don't really allow myself to have them but they are incredible. This week I was with my friend for lunch & I got to have my wings again. They were incredible but I really made the random on lookers who watched me dive in - something to talk about.

2) Weight loss. I refuse to lie to myself or anyone. I took a break for my 30th birthday & its been a struggle to get back but today I feel I overdid it with the snacks and it strangely gave me the kick to get back full force. I am excited to get back into my better ways and get off this plateau.

3) MASH. This game made me laugh every single time I played it out for myself or if a friend played it out. Each friend had a different version & I shared this pic yesterday for #throwback & it just made me laugh for a good 5 minutes!!

4) October 14th - 6th anniversary of when we truly started our lives together. I knew we'd get married eventually & this date is something I always celebrate every year. :)

5)  I saw this picture earlier this week and it made me smile. I don't aim to be a Kim K. as my role model but more of a Diana for obvious reasons. This quote also inspires me as I am working on my book more frequently. I sent out a chapter to friends this week to critique and proof, overall to make sure it reads like I want it too. This book is my passion in life to present myself as one who works hard for success not just given to them.

Cheers to the weekend. Time to sleep in some, workout like a beast, clean my house, hopefully a Starbucks date with my sister. Enjoy your weekend!  - J

Friday 5 :)

Hooray! It's finally FRIDAY!! :) :) Today I'm celebrating the top 5 moments of my week.


[ONE.]

My dad always, always knows when I need a text to encourage. He sends the best Bible verses or he just knows how to make my day. Today was one of these days, where I got this text from him. He is seriously the best dad and his encouragement is always appreciated. :)


[TWO.]

I am in LOVE with my Target Beauty Box. Due to the fact that I am in student loan repayment, I cannot afford or justify getting an ipsy or Birchbox monthly subscription -- I am absolutely in LOVE with these boxes from Target. Each one is $5 - free shipping. This box is my 2nd, and included products from Dove, Shea Moisture & a coupon for $3 off $15. Will be redeeming that this weekend for more makeup!

With these boxes coming out every few months, I always stock up when they come out as they sell out ULTRA fast. They also make perfect gifts. :)



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[THREE.]

 At the beginning of the month, I got two really incredible birthday gifts. My 30th birthday is 7 DAYS from tomorrow. I am SO excited. :) :) Anywho, this month I got to pay off my smallest student loan, so I only have 2 left & they are beasts. My second gift: celebrating my health. I've been part of the JessicaSmithTV Community. She's a certified fitness trainer through YouTube and I love her workouts. I've been stocking up on her DVD's but my husband's gift for my birthday was her newest 30 Day Walk On challenge. I finished Day 15 last night and I love this DVD set. I'm still making a decent dent on my weight loss and these DVDs are a perfect add on to my daily workouts. :)

So this is definitely been a journey for the past year. I am on track to my #size9progress & my future self is definitely thanking me. I am so close. :)

[FOUR.]


I am not a Pumpkin Spice fan but I do love me some candy corn/pumpkin. I definitely treated myself to some last weekend. I am seeing more in my future which is ironic but I definitely don't eat 80 lbs at once. I love this time of year because its everywhere. :)

This particular one is Sea Salt Chocolate. I found it at Target and it is delicious. I bought more than I should but I am saving some for the fall holidays when I need a boost. YAY.



[FIVE.]

Sometimes you need inspiration so you don't eat everything in sight. This is me with dark chocolate lately. I used to hate it and sometimes I just want cake but I found this the other night & I laughed for 10 minutes. ;)

Almost like Ryan Gosling cares about my #size9goal & wants me to keep hitting it hard.

Thanks for stopping by. I am in so much need of sleeping in or a nap. Disney plans on Saturday, World of Beer date night Sunday, catching up on SCANDAL and getting some OT this weekend. :)

throwback thursday.//epcot date night.

Happy second day of fall. I wish Florida would get it together. I am jealous of my friends who see leaves changing colors, cool weather for boots, and all those other beautiful things.

I am sure each thursday you see on Facebook/IG/Twitter - all these #tbt pictures. Some of them are pretty hilarious, some are cute and some are face palms. I figured I'd start posting my #tbt on here - promising to myself - no really embarassing photo choices.

Today's #tbt for you - a collage of a recent Epcot date with my favorite.
This weekend, the Food & Wine Festival starts, and I'm excited to head out there in a few days. Plus they're adding a concert series - I saw some of the great names listed & Hanson is coming in November. :)

My husband & I are pretty big Disney fans. We love our passes and its truly the place where both of us relax the most. I am excited to get some Starbucks, I have a free drink expiring soon.  My big thing at any Disney park is snapping pictures of fireworks.

Figured this weekly #tbt love post would be a quick way to stop not blogging. Take Care! Starting tomorrow, I will be re-joining the Friday 5 posts that I used to love last year. I hope you'll stop by. :)

Tomorrow is Friday. YAY. :) :) :)