Out of Time !!!

Last night I went to bed feeling a bit down. I guess we all have those days. But as I've said before, when you have major depression "those days" are almost everyday. As always, I keep faith in God and try to push on with life. This morning, I woke up with a burning desire to say something. So here goes...

We are now out of time. You might be wondering what the heck I'm talking about, let me explain. As a young Christian woman in this world today, I think it's safe to say the end is now. Earthquakes, floods, terrorism, racism, violence and the return of slavery. To an extent, yes the world has gone mad. Mad with money, fame and power. People seem to have lost sight of what is truly important.

I see a world that teaches our young girls how to be promiscuous. I see people with the means to use their voice positively to help others, yet they choose to fatten their own pockets and disregard the calls for help.

When did the world become so selfish? When did it get so bad that we're afraid to be out at night? Well I'm convinced that we live in the last and closing days. Jesus is definitely coming soon. So I just have one question..

Where will you be spending your eternity? I am no millionaire, I am not a supermodel. But I love Jesus Christ and I strive to treat others the way I would like to be treated. Money can't buy you a ticket to heaven. Be kind to people, love and cherish each other. And remember we are almost out of time. Make good choices and know that Jesus loves you. Get it right with God and everything else will fall into place.

I would not be doing my duty if I didn't say this. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, just ask him to come into your life and change your heart. Get in a church and I promise you it'll be the best thing you ever do.
God bless you. Until next time.
Latoya.

How to stay positive when you are depressed.

By now it's no secret that I have an ongoing battle with depression and anxiety. As a Christian woman, I sometimes find it difficult to remain positive and keep faith. This is especially so when I'm experiencing some difficulty, physical or otherwise.

As humans, it is innate for us to be happy when things are going well and to be sad when things are not going right. As Christians, we learn to keep hope and faith in our God through the good and the bad times. However, as a depressed Christian, it is not always easy to be cheerful and remain positive when things around you are tumbling down. So what can we do?

Can we be like Job and say "though he slay me, yet will I trust him"?  Or do we curl up in a ball of frustration and anxiety and await death? Well speaking from my experience, some days, I find myself leaning more to one side or the other.

I know my God and I know all the things he has done for me. But sometimes in difficulty, this overwhelming sadness bursts out from inside, and it is so hard to hold on to my faith and to keep hope alive. But this is how I do it....

With depression comes a tiredness that no amount of sleep can fix. Sometimes when things are going well, I am still mentally and physically exhausted. Reading my bible presents a challenge, but I try my best. When I am having difficult days and I feel helpless, I like to listen to some inspirational, gospel praise and worship music and I sing along. This lifts my mood from 0 to 90 almost instantly.

Leaving the house is not something I like doing when I'm having bad days, but I make sure I go to church. Fellowship lifts my spirit and I usually forget about what was bothering me. So my advice is if you're thinking about staying away from church because you're having a rough patch, DON'T!


In the end, all we have is Jesus. I try to remind myself that everything happens for a time, a season and for a specific reason.  Even when I don't understand the things that are happening, I remember I serve a God who is bigger than my problems. And that is how I make it through anything.

Be encouraged today and remember, all things work together for your good. God has not given up on you, your breakthrough will come in perfect timing. Have faith and hold on and if all else fails, remember this:

Psalm 23:1-3
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT. HE MAKES ME TO LIE IN GREEN PASTURES HE LEADS ME BESIDE STILL WATERS. HE RESTORES MY SOUL.

Jesus loves you. Until next time. Take care and God bless.
Latoya

No more migraines! Headache relief in two minutes!

My dad died when I was seven years old. A few years after my dad died, I started having nagging headaches a few times a week. After many tests and doctor visits, I was diagnosed with migraines.
I've been suffering from migraines for many years. Until someone gave me this...

This is shiling oil. It is an external analgesic from Solstice medicine company. I had NO idea what this was, I've never heard of it before. But I am so happy I found it, however, I would not recommend it for young children because this stuff burns like hell.

All you have to do is apply a small amount to your forehead or wherever the pain is and gently massage. I like to put some on my temples and behind my neck. By the time it stops burning, the pain is gone. This has saved me from taking painkillers and helped minimize the time I had to lay down in pain.

The bottle is very tiny and it can be difficult to find in stores. Thankfully, where I live it is available at the pharmacy. I use Shiling oil almost every day and I have recommended it to my family and friends who suffer from headaches as well. This is a product I use and it works for me to relieve migraines and tension headaches. But be prepared for the BURN!

I hope you try it and if you do, let me know if it works for you.

Until next time, God bless.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL OR NURSING ADVICE. PLEASE SEEK HELP FROM A PHYSICIAN IF YOU SUFFER FROM MIGRAINES.
-Latoya

What?! I have a black friend!

2017. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was back in 1950. 


When I look at the world today, I am ashamed. I am ashamed of our leaders and those in authority. Racism is rampant in our society and some people act as if nothing is wrong. Every day something racially motivated is reported in the media, it's sickening.

My mother is mixed with Spanish and East Indian and my dad was of African descent. I am a mixture of many races and cultures and I am very proud to be me. But when people look at me, they don't always see all of that, to them I'm just a black girl. 

A few years ago I met someone and we became friends. This person and I had many things in common so our conversations were easy and natural. After a while, I started noticing things and I started to pay closer attention to the things they said. 

One day, I decided to be blunt because I was quite sick of their behavior. I asked if I was the only mixed race friend they had. To which they quickly replied "No! I have a black friend, we used to go to the movies together."  Now, this may sound innocent, but to me, it was alarms and whistles going off in my head. 

There were so many little incidents that occurred where I knew this person was prejudice, but somehow I allowed myself to ignore it. Maybe I'm too trusting, maybe it was stupidity or maybe I was just curious to see the outcome. 

I think now I can understand myself and I am better able to deal with such situations. But being depressed at that time I endured and allowed someone who was clearly prejudiced and whose family was prejudice to stay in my life for much longer than they should have been. 

I realize now that I had something they needed and wanted and that's why they stayed. The moment they stopped getting what they wanted, that friendship crashed and burned. Go figure people.

It's 2017 and why people are still racist and prejudiced is beyond my understanding. Every day I still pray for that person and their family, and I pray that the world changes so our future children could live in a better society. 

Not until we put aside our differences, will we come together and unite our world. God created us ALL in his image and likeness. We are ALL mankind.

PEACE. LOVE. RESPECT.

Until next time, love and take care of each other.
- Latoya. 

Hi ↑ Lo ↓ Depression.

Gosh! I hate depression!!

Sometimes, I can be in the middle of a big, happy family event. Sometimes, I'm at home watching a movie and BAM!!!!!! Out of nowhere comes an overwhelming sadness, deep in my soul. I have tried to analyze this change and what causes it (triggers). However, sometimes I find that there aren't any rational explanations. It just is, what it is. The sad reality of depression.

When it's good, it's good and when it's bad, it's crippling. I think all we really want is to find that semi-solid medium ground. But until then the battle continues. I know depression won't win because I will never give up.


I serve a God who is bigger than any problem, and mightier than any foe. I have come too far to give up now. To anyone suffering from depression, keep the faith and know that we are in this together. God bless you until next time.

- Latoya.

Choose when to get your period !!!

This was an accidental discovery for me. I tend to skip breakfast and sometimes lunch, thus I suffer the consequences of severe gas pains later on. One of my friends told me his mother suggested I try boiling some water with cloves and garlic.

Out of desperation, a few days before my cousin's wedding I tried this concoction. I made it fresh every morning and drank at least two cups per day for three days. It did help with the gas a little, but... it also gave me a surprise.

The morning before my cousin's wedding, I was shocked to see that I got my period. Now my periods are fairly regular and according to my app, I was three weeks away. You could imagine my mental status at that point.

To test to make sure it was indeed the tea I made causing my period. After that period, I tried the tea again for three days after and yup here we go again.

So if you have a vacation coming up and you'd like to get your period before, or if you have irregular periods try this tea. All you need are a few grains of cloves and two cloves of garlic. You can also just use the cloves only if you don't like the garlic taste. I realized it's the cloves that actually causes the period.

I hope you try this and if you do, please comment and let me know if it works for you. Have a blessed day.

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT MEDICAL OR NURSING ADVICE!!! PLEASE CONSULT A REGISTERED PHYSICIAN IF YOU HAVE IRREGULAR PERIODS.

-Latoya.

Bruno Mars wrote our national anthem.

Bruno Mars said it right "Today I don't feel like doing anything. I just wanna lay in my bed." But I have a feeling he meant on occasion, just a day to chill.

Then there's the other 350 million of us with depression, for whom this feeling occurs every day. I can understand busy people wanting to take a break and relax. But having depression is having your brain stuck on 'sad mode' almost every day of your life.

Getting up to take a shower any day is a challenge in itself. I distinctly remember days, I was barely able to drag myself off the couch to shower at 3pm. I would just lay there all day. Not because I was lazy, I had a great job as a registered nurse. I was just so depressed, I could not function.

I remember days when I would put my phone on silent mode and hide it under the couch cushions. I could not bear to look at my phone when it rang or when a message came in. I wanted to isolate myself from the rest of the world. I felt safe in my little bubble.

Depression transcends race, religion, and socio-economic background. I have lost so much to this disease that sometimes it is difficult to see the upside. Especially when an ignorant society tries to call you lazy and say you brought it on yourself. It makes me very sad and sometimes angry enough to say things I probably shouldn't. So to answer the person who said depressed people should use "the lazy song" as our national anthem...

NO! I'm not lazy. I can not 'snap out of it'. I did not cause this to happen to myself. I try so hard every day to improve myself for ME. No one knows my pain, no one knows my hurt, no one knows the constant influx of thoughts I have every day.

Yet I still smile. If I didn't tell you I suffered from major depression, you'd never know. Don't judge me unless you've lived the things I have survived.

I am hopeful for better things, for myself and for all those suffering from depression. Together, we can do anything. Thank you for reading. God bless you. Please comment below and let me know of your experiences.

- Latoya.