by Elizabeth Jennings | Feb 7, 2019 | INSPIRATION
Growing up I used to love the sitcom “Married With Children”. It was pretty much the dawning of the dysfunctional family being put in the face of viewers around the world. Of course, I never would want to grow up and have a marriage like that, but the previous television shows that showcased marriages either made them seem too good to be true or just downright boring.
Getting married at the tender age of 20 myself, I had a lot of people that was in my ear telling me I was too young and I needed to live life more before making such a lifelong decision. Or worse yet, there were those who said their marriages didn’t last and I was definitely not going to make it. So in my marriage I went in with a lot of doubts (honestly) but I made the decision for me; not for my family, not for even our own son (which was why I didn’t have the proverbial “shotgun” wedding; pregnant with my family holding a shotgun to my soon to be husband while he made an “honest” woman out of me ).
So this year I celebrate 20 years of marriage. Made it this far, we’re still alive, still in love, and still working on it. Here are some of the few things I’ve learned about love and marriage in these 20 years of marriage.
20 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT LOVE & MARRIAGE
1, Keeping God as the nucleus to your marriage will keep you glued together.
2. Effort can’t be 50/50, but 100/100. Each person has to put their all into the effort in order for there to be a just balance.
3. Marriage is not life, it is is a decision you make in your life. (Some people have made marriage out to be what their life is all about)
4. It is not a fairytale, neither is marriage the wedding. The wedding and marriage are two completely different things. (The wedding is just the event to celebrate entering into the marriage, then the work begins)
5. Don’t run to friends and family to discuss your disagreements and personal affairs.
6. You must be friends first, and lovers always.
7. It’s okay to have healthy fights, just don’t try to destroy the other person’s feelings or character in the process. (Don’t get personal with the disagreements)
8. Marriage is a business so we might as well make a profit 
(Money issues should be discussed regularly and they should build and grow with your marriage so a profit is made, not a deficit)
9. Separation is sometimes necessary to come back together stronger.
10. Never allow anyone to come in between your relationship except God!
11. It’s okay to not like your spouse sometimes, as long as you love them through the moments of dislike.
12. Love does not hurt, so anyone or any song that said that is a liar!
13. It is never your spouse’s responsibility to make you happy, but they should be able to tell when you are not.
14. Marriage should be a stepping stone, not an albatross; it should enhance your life, lift you up and help you to get where your going, not get in your way.
15. No other couple should be relationship goals. The only goals you should have is to make your own marriage stronger with each day.
16. Going through struggles shouldn’t tear you apart, but should bond you together.
17. You CAN help who you “fall” in love with, and choose whether you’re going to make it work or not.
18. Pray together as if your life and love depends on it!
19. Guard your ears and eyes from things that will cause you to compare your spouse to unrealistic expectations of people or things they could never be!
20. Its usually in the moments your spouse seems unlovable that they need love the most!
Oh, and here’s an added bonus so we’ll call this #21:
It’s okay to go to sleep mad at each other, just sleep in separate rooms to prevent holding a pillow over the other person’s head 🙈🙉🙊 Start over the next day, and be thankful to experience a new day with your love!
Of course this list is NOT all inclusive of all that I have learned over the past years. There has been so much I have learned about love, marriage, and making it through. The most important thing is that I will never stop learning because it’s a never ending education. When two people join together, they are still two people. We will always be learning the other person, we will always be growing, and we also will still be learning who we are as well. There have been many ups and downs in this journey, but I am thankful that I am still here to say I’ve experienced it, learned from it, and have grown through it and most importantly love my husband more than the day we first got married.
Wishing You a Successful Beauty-Filled Journey,
Elizabeth Jennings💕 , The Minister Of Beauty (TM)
by Elizabeth Jennings | Aug 25, 2018 | LIFE
I’m the big 4-0 today! Wow, can’t believe it, FORTY! The old saying is true, the days are long but the years fly by. . . I truly am thankful that I have made it to see another year, graced and favored to even see this age. There are many who didn’t make it to be 40 years old, so I’ll wear it with grace, honor and dignity. (And blush 
that I’m still getting carded )
Melanin Still Poppin’
In the forty years I have been here on this beautiful Earth, I must say I’ve learned a whole lot, and there’s still a lot more that am learning and growing in. I wanted to share just a few things I’ve learned and experienced in these years, so here are forty things I’ve learned, ten of which are things I’ve learned about God, ten things about Business, ten about Beauty, and ten about Life. Of course this list is not all inclusive, as I’m sure you know I’ve learned and experienced a whole lot more than forty things in the past forty years I’ve been alive. But I thought I’d touch on some things that are near and dear to me that I wanted to share, and I hope that you will be encouraged by them.
10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT GOD
*God Doesn’t Make Mistakes, But Those Who He Created Make Plenty of Them
*God Doesn’t Help Those Who Help Themselves, He Helps Those Who Trust In Him
*When You Rest In God, You Trust In Him, but Resting (Trusting) Takes Work
*God’s Promises Will Come to Pass But You Have to Hold On and Remind Yourself of the Promises Made for Your Life
*When We Take God at His Word, He has No Choice but to Prove Himself
God didn’t create the struggles and stumbling blocks, but he created you to be an overcomer of those struggles and to get over the stumbling blocks with His help.
*God created us to be winners, so he hates when we quit because that’s the only way to lose is by quitting and giving up on our faith in Him.
*He said get dressed for the battle, but He never told us to Fight Them; He fights for us.
*God gave us the power to speak our existence just as He did, and expects us to do it!
*God is a healer; physical, emotional, spiritual, and I am a witness and have experienced it.
10 THINGS IVE LEARNED ABOUT BUSINESS
*Friendship ends where business begins
*Business Success is born out of Business struggles
*When it seems the hardest, keep pushing forward
*Don’t expect support, invest in support
*If it was easy, everyone would do it
*The success you see today was born out of many sleepless nights
*Dollars Don’t Have Loyalty, But People Who Make Dollars Should
*Being a blessing in others businesses is sowing a seed into your own success
*You must always evolve to prevent extinction
*Imagination is Cool, Implementation is Necessary
10 THINGS I’VE LEARNED ABOUT BEAUTY
Kicking Down Old Beauty Standards
*Being Your Own Kind of Beauty Means Ignoring the Stares of Others
*Beauty Is In The Eye of The Beholder, So Look In the Mirror and Behold Yourself!
*Lashes & Lipstick are the Only Makeup Tools I Desire, but I don’t need them
*Perfect Is Boring & Unreal
*Beautiful People Rock Conficence Without Questioning if It’s Suitable for the Occasion
*No Matter How Plain a Woman May Be, If Truth and Integrity Are Written Across her face, She Will be Beautiful
*Wisdom is Beauty That Will Never Age Nor Fade Away
*The Illusion of Beauty Can Leave You Blind to What True Beauty Is
*Investing In Your Beauty Doesn’t Mean Your Superficial
*Loving Who You Were Created to Be Gives You the Keys to Reign & Shine
10 THINGS IVE LEARNED ABOUT LIFE
*Just because you didn’t have a great start in life doesn’t mean the rest of your life has to follow the same pattern.
*In life we make mistakes, but we have to forgive ourselves before others will.
*Don’t Run Behind Anyone Who Won’t Walk Towards You
*You Defeat Your Enemies When You Quit Talking About Them, Although they may still have your name in their mouths
*If You Don’t Fit In Someone Else’s Comfort Zone, It’s Okay because Great Minds Rarely Fit Into Small Spaces
*Some Friendships are Seasonal, Some Friendships come in the Right Season of your life for Life, and Some People are just not seasoned that have come into your life so they can’t stay.
*You can Gain Victory After Defeat, But You Don’t Have to Be Defeated to Gain Victory
*Experience Is a Good Teacher, But Learn the Lessons That She Teaches So You Don’t Repeat It
*What doesn’t Kill You Will NOT Make You Stronger. . . Your Decision to Continue Living Through What Didn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger!
*Never Worship People, Because People Can & WILL Let You Down
What can I say about all these years? Sometimes just plain boring and uneventful, and at other times almost chaotic and unbearable! But I’m so extremely grateful that of all these years and all the joys, pains, ups and downs, I didn’t throw in the towel, nor did anything else defeat me or take me out. I believe I have a whole lot more to do, and lot more to see, and most importantly a lot more people to reach, support, encourage and help to grow. For it is from our experiences that we can help others who are on that same path or headed that way. Forty years, graced, favored and loved by God most importantly, and blessed to have my family still, I can say that these years haven’t been all bad. Yes, I’ve been through much and sometimes I was like “God, why me!!!”, but looking back on it all, I’m a survivor, a strong woman and strong in faith. And that’s why I’m still here; #purpose.
Wishing You a Successful Beauty-Filled Journey,
Elizabeth Jennings💕 , The Minister Of Beauty (TM)
by Elizabeth Jennings | Aug 14, 2018 | INSPIRATION
Twenty Four years ago today I had a child. It was not in my plans to be a teen mom at 15 years old. One week before my 16th birthday, bringing a child into this world was something I never thought I would be doing but it happened. What a sweet sixteen present, huh?!! I was extremely scared, but honestly thinking back, I was in a foggy state of mind. You see, I wasn’t quite clear about my life, and where it was headed. I of course had heard the stories about how young girls who had kids had to drop out of school to take care of their kid. Although school for me was not a fun experience nor did I even really know what I wanted to do with my life, I was sure of one thing. I wasn’t going to be like the normal teenage mom. I was going to do something that was going to make a difference in my life. Not even was it about doing it for my child, it was about proving to myself that I wasn’t going to just be a statistic.
Listen, I’m not going to lie to you, I wasn’t quite clear even after ten years of being a teen mom that I was sure that I wanted to be X, Y or Z. I just believed that there was a bigger purpose for my life and that I had to see it through. I’m so thankful I went with those thoughts and saw them through. Today, as I write this I am a beauty business entrepreneur. I have established myself in the beauty industry as a success who did not start with much, but developed into having so much more. I am not done yet, and there is so much more to behold. But you see, I am grateful that I did this; not with the help of having a reality show backing like the teen moms of today’s MTV or other networks that create shows about teenage mothers and their experiences. I didn’t do it with the help of a rich family. I didn’t even do it with the belief and encouragement from others that I could accomplish something more. I did it because I didn’t give up and I kept my faith in God, even when I was pretty much a non-believer in a greater higher power back in those days. I just wanted more, and I sought that. I got the affirmations I needed through scriptures I found, continued to speak them over my life, and prayed for better and watched my prayers come to reality. I honestly was having God prove himself to me! I was like, okay if you’re real prove it; let me see this happen in my life! It was daring, but nonetheless I went there.
So here’s my thoughts on being a teen mom, looking back 24 years ago: Do I condone teenage pregnancy? Absolutely not. Do I regret having a child early? At this point, I do not. Would I do it again? Probably not, and with that I mean I probably would not have kids, and I chose to not have anymore. That doesn’t mean I don’t love the child that I did have, but I do think the selfish thing is when people have a lot of kids they cannot take care of and expect others and society to help to raise it and pay for it. I didn’t do that. I worked in high school from the moment I ws able to get a job and have worked hard ever since. I’ve worked full time, going to school full time for many years and I did it without complaining. When I look back on it now, I say that there has to be a God because he helped me get through all of those many years and it was not easy. Honestly, I never was one of those girls that said I wanted to have 3.5 kids, a husband and a house with a white picket fence. I didn’t really have a desire to even be a mother, but God allowed me to see it through. I’m also not one of those people that says God doesn’t make any mistakes. Listen to me; God didn’t have sex and create this child, I did (with the help of my baby daddy and now husband of almost 20 years LOL). But what he did do was through my slip ups and mistakes allow all these things to eventually work out for my good.
Wishing You a Successful Beauty-Filled Journey,
Elizabeth Jennings💕
by Elizabeth Jennings | Aug 7, 2018 | ENJOYMENT
My husband surprised me with a plane ticket to go to Dubai. He shot me a text message that said to check my email a little over a month ago and so I did and when I checked my email, I saw that there was a plane ticket that was purchased for me going to Dubai for 5 days from the end of July thru the beginning of August.
The majority of my preparation was more of a mental since it was going to be my first time to travel out of the country. The first thing that I secured was my passport and made sure that I have it in my carryon bag that I use when I travel, I don’t want to be in a foreign country and find out that I did not have my passport with me. One of the things that freak me out in a long travel was being out with a lot of people I don’t know and having to use public facilities and by that, the restrooms! So I made sure that I have everything that I need for the airplane bathroom in my carryon bag like Lysol spray, Clorox wipes, gloves and all those things like that.
One of the things that I was anxious about was the travel, 21 hours, 3 different planes and getting to my destination safely. When I got there, it was so different from the US, it’s like I’m technically in another world. My plane experience was so tiring, there were children running around the plane and children screaming which is I’m not accustomed to. I arrived in Dubai at night and it was over 100 degrees and it was at night! And I was not prepared for that though I am used to humidity being living in the south but dealing with humidity at night is a different story.
We stayed at the Atlantis Palm Resort in Dubai and the place was EXQUISITE. I loved our room, it has an ocean site view room but I really did not enjoy the patio since it was hot outside at all times. There were a lot of constructions going on that added to the dusty haze appearance in the skies. Majority of my time was spent in the resort but I did go to some other places in Dubai like the Dubai malls. I went to the Mall of the Emirates, the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifah which is the tallest building. It goes up to 126 floors but the tourists and guests are only allowed in the 123rdfloor to observe. The elevator experience in Burj Khalifa was something that I was not prepared for, my ears were popping. I tested my fear of heights by walking around the glass walls and there were servers that were serving drinks and it was a nice experience.
One of the coolest experiences I had was in Dubai Mall where they have an indoor ski area which was really cold. There was also a Pelican experience in the Dubai Mall and my husband and I signed up for it but I did not touch or pet them since you are required to take off your gloves and I refused to do that since I was freezing cold, it was just my husband who pet them while I was just observing. When the night came, they had a fountain show where all of these different fountains were like dancing while there was music in the background and there were a lot of people who watched. We were not able to see the entirety of the show but it was a cool experience.
Since the days Kardashians and all the social media exposure of Dubai including celebrities and make it seem like a go-to place for a luxury travel and the place is cool and there are a lot of things that you can see and do in Dubai but I am not sure if it’s one of my goals to go back to Dubai but I am still thankful that I was able to visit the place and I’m glad that my husband surprised me with this trip and it was something that I can say that I came, I saw, I conquered and my passport has been stamped!
Wishing You a Successful Beauty-Filled Journey,
Elizabeth Jennings💕
Recent Comments