When Things Seem To Get Worse Than Better

This year, you're going to need something so important and something that you probably least expect that I'm going to say. But it is paramount for you to understand this as  I teach you in this last installment of Grow Your It Factor- Feminine Power Edition. And what I'm about to tell you may really shock you hear me out. 

What you need in 2024 is discernment. That's right, you need discernment. You need to discern what is deemed worthy of your time and what's deemed a distraction of your time. Why is that? Because once you know those two, you're able to show up and make decisions that don't rob you out of the confidence and the security that you need to show up as your best self. Because when you don't know those things, it's easy to step out of your God given identity to chase after something that's a mere distraction or to chase after something that's not worth your time.

1. {1:11} In high school, I tried to convince and persuade my boyfriend that broke up with me that we needed to get back together. Why? Because I lack so much identity that I showed up from a place of striving. I showed up from a place of trying to make something happen that was never supposed to happen. And I stepped out of my power into desperation. I didn't see myself as a prize. I didn't see myself as a gift. I relinquished my power because I lacked identity. The only way for you to step into that feminine power and that confidence in the security is you must have identity through Jesus and a close relationship with Jesus. Why? Because He will instruct you and say that's a distraction. 
2. {3:45} Stepping into feminine power is relinquishing control, is stepping into surrender. You're surrendering to Jesus and his plan for your life. You're surrendering to the identity that He gave you, and everything flows from that surrender. We're not trying to control a narrative. We're not trying to control situations. No, we are surrendering. And when you use surrender, pray for the discernment to know what is worth your time and what’s a distraction.
3. {8:26} Start here as I breakdown 3 keys to Unlock Feminine Power- Having a Powerful Image, Powerful Stances & Powerful Communication.

Ready to Unlock Your Next Level of Womanhood? Let me coach you! https://www.amandaferguson.org/links

Have you wanted to be the woman that when you show up somewhere, your presence just feels like sunshine? What about being the type of mom that when your children are around you, they just can't get enough of you? They love being around you. Or being that type of wife that’s virtuous and graceful and peaceful and loving. What about being that friend?

The friend that’s a champion for other women. That's supportive. That’s pushing your friend to be all that God has called that friend to be. Do you want to be that type? Okay, keep listening. This is part two of Grow Your IT Factor. It was going to be a highly paid challenge, but I decided to give it to you for free.

1. {00:58} Today we are going to talk about poise. What is poise? Poise is the graceful and confident way in how you carry yourself. I had to learn how to be poised and have gone through many trainings because I truly believe you can become whatever you want to become.
2. {03:08} There are a few things that I had to overcome and train for in my own life. And I want to teach you those today. Number one- being guided by fear. You know, remember I told you about how I had the opportunity to walk in a room with my head held down because I had mascara all over my dress? But I did not do that because I don't bow and bend to the fear of what other people may think about me. Nobody can stop you. You can stop you. You can allow the fear of the unknown to stop you. You can, but you don't have to.
3. {07:49} Internal esteem issues. It’s very difficult to show up poised in a room when you feel very badly about yourself. What are you telling yourself about yourself? The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11 that He thinks good thoughts towards you.  When I struggled with my weight, Holy Spirit stopped me and told me to say that I have fat, but I am not fat. So, be careful about the thoughts that you think that are not the thoughts that God has about you.
4. {09:30} The next one is the lack of identity. Because if you do not have identity and you don't know who you are, you will have to listen to the world tell you who you are. The problem with that is their report may not be accurate. I’m a Daddy’s girl. Jesus is my daddy. There’s a confidence that comes with that. A few other pitfalls to being poised everyday are arrogance and depleting under pressure. If you’re ready to be coached on the next level and get vision for your year, youre in the right place!

Ask me questions LIVE when you join here https://femininewomanacademy.com!

We are so excited for you to become the woman of your dreams and look forward to seeing you soon.

Scriptures:

Proverbs 29:25

Jeremiah 29:11

Proverbs 29:18

When I was younger I smoked black and milds... and the residue of smoke followed me. I use that story as an example of what presence is like. You cannot take it off, it is the essence of who you are - it follows you. You possess the “it” factor and the “it” is the power of presence. In today’s episode I am going to teach you three foundational keys to unlocking your feminine presence and how to connect me with me on your new journey.
 

Let me coach you !

https://www.amandaferguson.org/links. Go through all the steps, fill out the application in its entirety and remember the more descriptive you are, the better we will be able to help you, and lastly pay the application fee. I’m so excited for you to become the woman of your dreams and look forward to working with you.

Scriptures:

Proverbs 23:7

Romans 12:2

Welcome to another episode of #FeminineFriday. Today is such a special day as I am recording this on my oldest daughter’s 9th birthday, so you may hear a little bit of background noise as we get ready for the festivities. Speaking of my daughter, I have officially returned to social media and have become so passionate about spreading the message of family, presence, and connection. During my time away, I made more time for my family and completely scaled back. Why? Because we need a revival of present parents, whole families and deep connections with God and others.  I’ve been sending emails this week about this very subject, which we will dive into more today. But if you are not signed up for my mailing list you can do so at my brand new website https://www.amandaferguson.org! I have actually forgot to announce it, but you can find so many resources and information there!

While you listen to today’s episode, you may notice the fiery tone of my voice. I am fired up. I refuse to subscribe to the messages social media and culture is telling us. Ministry doesn’t have to cost you everything - family, health, and happiness. Jesus did not die on the cross for us to loose everything that he so badly desires for us. So while the opposite messages are being shouted, I am being intentional about shouting louder the pattern God intended for us to live by. This is the cry of my heart that’s been brewing in me since April of this year and further confirmed a few weeks ago when I attended a parents meeting at my children’s school. At the meeting, the principle began to tell us there was a war going on and recently, there was a child that came to school with a litter box because she identified as a cat. When the teacher refused, the principal told her that she had to allow the litter box because that is what the child identified as. Needless to say, the teacher quit.  In this season of my life, I am being intentional about making my home an atmosphere to receive and give love and be a pattern of what Jesus has called us to be in two ways:

1. Deepening connections with others and patterning myself and life after the word of God. Think about it, how many people do you actually call on their birthdays rather than sending a text? Deepening connections with others, even those in your household can be as simple as putting your phone down while you are eating or calling instead of texting. Most recently, at my children's school, a teacher had an emergency and all of us pitched in to make sure her family had dinner every night. That is what community and connection is about. Most of what we see today, particularly on social media is just a pattern of culture and reflects intense selfishnes. It isn’t the pattern of the Word of God. Not me, I accept my identity in Christ and pattern myself after the Word of God.  Will you join me?

2. Family dinners. Every night, we sit around the table and have funny conversations, enlightening conversations, and overall just enjoy each other. If you are chaotic and overworked, and, not in the Word of God, then your home will begin to feel that way. Eating dinner at the table with your family is just one of the ways to make your home a place of God’s presence and peace. It’s a way to restore deep connection with your loved ones and to fellowship the way God intended us to. I don’t know about you, but I am ready and will continue to shout my faith and belief in family, God’s way, louder than any other thing propagated in media today. And I want you to join in the fight with me and let the world know we are not on the sidelines not doing anything. Let’s show the world not a different way, but a better way by living our lives to pattern after Jesus. Share this audio with someone else listen to this.

If you want to join this revolution of women, click here to purchase my digital cookbook Kitchen Encounters. If you are ready to be a leader in this movement, be sure to check out the mentoring guide. This is where I train you to train others to pattern yourself and home in the ways of Jesus. If you have any questions, be sure to email my team at assist@amandaferguson.org and we’d be glad to assist you.  

Remember, for us to advance, we all have to be willing to get in the fight.

Welcome to #FeminineWoman Friday! I am going to jump right in with this: The enemy wants to steal the passion and the sanctity and beauty of God ordained families.  Let that sink in. The enemy wants to minimize and reduce family, which is God’s original design for our lives. I am very passionate about this topic and you can see that in my reels. And lately, I’ve been fine tuning and zoning in and going against the idea that says if you’re not doing enough, then you’re not successful and if you don’t have millions of followers, you’re not successful either. So, what have I been doing? I’ve been spending time with my husband and having deep conversations with him and spending time with my children and building strong relationships with them. I’ve been mastering etiquette.  In 2022, I’ve scaled back from doing all the things and have laser focused on my family and because of that, my husband and I are more in sync than ever. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for that season of busyness and working really hard. But, I heard a leadership guru say this - “Saying yes to one thing, does mean saying no, to something else.” What’s your yes in this season? I made a decision to scale back completely and say yes to my husband and children. How did I do that? Let’s dive in!

1. {7:30}  Ask the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, we have a tendency to escape and there may not be a genuine desire to spend more time with your husband or children or you may feel like you are too busy to focus more on your family. The key is this: ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you. Whether you need to know the root of why you spend hours scrolling or talking on the phone instead of having a desire for spending time with God and your family  or simply need wisdom on how to scale back. The Holy Spirit will guide you and reveal those things to you.

2. {8:02} Be more emotionally present. There was a time when I didn’t take time to think about the things I was going through or the root cause of certain things in my life. Sometimes we can be so used to showing up for other people and not showing up for ourselves. Well the scripture says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” No matter what state I am in, I want to be more emotionally present.  Take a moment and go to this place of reflection and ask Jesus to heal your heart. We can be so good at nurturing as women and sometimes we nurture the wrong things like pain and bad memories. Remember, take those things and give them to Jesus and ask Him about you.  It’s time to say yes to emotional healthiness and no to bad habits and toxic atmospheres.

So, I will ask again, what’s your yes in this season? The book of proverbs talks about a women who looks well to the ways of her home. It’s time to get back to the basics, stop doing a bunch of things and look to the ways of our homes.

Scriptures:
Proverbs 31:27
Mark 12:31
John 16:13

Welcome back to #FeminineFriday before I get into the teaching. I want to thank you all  for sharing, rating and reviewing. In a world where women are often portrayed as catty, I love that we have an environment of encouragement and just uplift each other here. Your support means so much to me!

As many of you know, I have been taking a break from social media and have really been focusing on other areas of my life. I wanted to hone in and press the reset button on a few things-mainly my health. God desires us to be healthy, and I believe that Christians should be the healthiest and the wealthiest people on the planet. We should truly reflect God’s original design for us in every single way. In fact, that is what the scripture tells us that in 3 John 1:2. This is my foundational scripture that you’ll hear me talk about over and over again. This really applies to everything-our relationships, our health, our money, and our family. I talk more about this in my Woman, Arise book that you can purchase here. If you go to my social media page, you can actually get the first two chapters absolutely complimentary, with no strings attached! So, let’s dive into how I’ve been dropping the weight!

1.{4:04} I kept a food journal. I was bad eater. I would eat Chick-Fil-A, and go into carb comas and have low energy. Most days, I would have to drink coffee to stay awake or I would reach for sugary foods when I got tired. I started to notice and take note of the things I ate that made me feel bad or tired. I realized that my previous habits were not setting me up for success and I had to change. Food is for fuel, so now I make sure I am feeding my body with things that energize me. I do have treats from time to time, but I’ve learned to do so in moderation.


2. {10:40} Eating for my blood type. My blood type is A. In 2020, I read a book titled, “Eat Right for Your Type.” This is not an endorsement, however, this book helped me find what works for me. In the book, type A does better with a plant based diet and once I began to switch over I began to see how my body reacted to certain things. Now, I can’t even eat a burger without getting nauseous. Whatever your health goals may be, it is important to God, your legacy, your joy, and your productivity. Our physical and mental health are effected by many things we consume that may not be right for our bodies and more specifically our blood type.

Next week, I am doing a 5 day challenge in Feminine Woman Collective, where we focus on health. If you are not a part yet, make sure to join us at this link http://femininewomancollective.com.

Scriptures

3 John 1:2

Welcome to another episode of #FeminineFridays. This episode is very powerful today. As many of you know, I dealt with quite a bit of childhood trauma that left me with a spirit of rejection and fear. I lived in bondage until God freed me. I know many others struggle with these same spirits or some may not even know this is what is operating in their life, so I want you to listen to this today. Our basis scripture is Romans 8:15. And I believe, that as you listen to this, the same presence that I felt recording this will invade wherever you are. Let’s get into these three points on deliverance from the spirit of fear and rejection and get back to the original design God has for our lives.

1. {4:52} Be free from the orphan spirit and receive the Spirit of adoption from our Heavenly Father. Some of you have encountered lots of rejection and most of our problems as adults come from rejection. Studies have shown rejection can even be felt as a a baby. There’s a difference between being rejected and receiving rejection. Growing up I knew that my mom loved me, but I felt very distant. Some of you may feel that same way - not receiving hugs, or having been affirmed or even able to cry as a child leads to rejection.  Once rejection is received it shows up as loneliness, not being able to connect with people and retreating within, but God is here to deliver you today. It’s time to crossover to the new you and ask God if you are dealing with the spirit of rejection and be free. Wherever you are right now, receive God’s love.
    
2. {16:51} Embrace inner healing and deliverance. As a child, I remember my Mom was fasting and praying. A woman came over and said she wanted to talk to her. During this visit, the woman began to manifest demons and what I witnessed was terrifying - her body began to contort and she let out a scream.  What I witnessed caused me to be so fearful, I couldn’t be in a room by myself. The spirit of fear gripped me so bad that even my hair began to fall out. I even developed skin problems at this time. That incident was the door the spirit of fear crept into and I struggled with it into adulthood, until I was delivered when I begged God to deliver me from the spirit of fear.  Once God delivered me from the spirit spirit of fear, he also delivered me from rejection. Rejection is the dominant spirit that hides behind fear when we aren’t rooted in God’s love and haven’t full accepted the Spirit of adoption.
    
3. {29:08} Embrace safe people, healthy people and those you can trust. There is healing there. One of my favorite verses, is Psalm 68:6. It says that God will set the lonely in families. You may not be close with your parents or family members, but God will supernaturally give you what you don’t have. I’ve experienced this in my own life with my spiritual father. I God is going to give you a place to go and a people where you can lay you shoulder on express your pain. Today is a new day for you and I believe that angels of joy are coming to bring life into your atmosphere and you’ll receive double for your trouble.

Scriptures
Romans 8:15
Psalm 68:6
Isaiah 61:7
Psalm 27:10

Here we are, the final episode of the “That Girl” series! I can’t believe it! Today I want to talk more about atmospheres and really dive into all the difference it can make in your life and in your conversations. If you are a part of my blog community, then you probably read last Sunday about how I took my daughter out of state to design school. Side note, if you aren’t a part of my blog community, make sure you subscribe at https://www.amandaferguson.org. The reason why my husband and I took my daughter out of state to design school, was we discovered she was just too advanced  for her current school and needed a change in atmosphere. She needed to be in the right community to flourish. If you’ve read my Woman, Arise book available at https://www.womanarisethebook.com, then you know I talk about the difference of how I grieved my mother’s passing and my miscarriage. It was community - grieving with the right people made all the difference. As adults, I think we underestimate the power of community. I’e watched my children on their first day of school find a friend. Our nature is to desire  community for bonding and when we stop craving that, usually its because of offense or anger. So, I want to share three things that will help you find the right community:

1.{3:48} Atmospheres are important. Being in the right atmosphere can replenish and refresh you. If you are in the wrong atmosphere, it can drain you and suck the life out you. Taking my daughter out of state introduced her to a new atmosphere that refreshed her and was a place where she could grow. If you aren’t growing in your atmomosphere, then something in you is dying because we are made to flourish. What type of atmosphere are you in now?  


2.{5:35} What conversations are you entertaining? Conversations around beauty, your life, God’s design and your visions are life giving conversations. Conversations of gossip, unforgiveness and bitterness only produce chaos. Conversations you entertain, will be what you produce in your life. Ask yourself this: are the conversations you are having life giving, energizing and healing to you? In that new atmosphere my daughter was in, I noticed she was having different conversations with the other girls who had been there before. They were teaching her new things. Feminine Collective is just like that and it’s not my community our community. It’s for us women who want to live for Jesus.  
It was amazing to see how quickly my daughter adapted and lit up during those conversations. When you see other women tearing each other down, I want you to be a part of the solution that says, “Why are you tearing down someone that you don’t know?” I’ve seen some of my closets friend ripped to shreds over false opinions online. Be the type of woman with a different conversation. Every person who tries to attack you when you are putting your best foot forward, don’t let that get to you.

3. {12:04} Future planning. Where there is no vision the people perish. One thing I noticed, was that all the girls were sharing with each other what they would make in the future. Some said they would design wedding dresses or anniversary dresses and my daughter said she will even make me a birthday dress. The point is they were all submersed in the vision for their future. My thought is this: I cannot bond over the past, I’m not there anymore. Last thing, you were not made to be a loner, you were made to be in community. That’s something that me and over a hundred ladies are building in Feminine Woman Collective and I want you to be a part of it. Registration officially closes tonight, so make sure to visit http://femininewomancollective.com to join vibrant community of women encouraging women.  

Scriptures:

Proverbs 29:18

Welcome to “That Girl Part 3," of our week podcast, Feminine Fridays.  I cannot believe that we are almost at the end of this series, which has been completely amazing! Can you do me a favor and tag 2 or 3 of your friends that can benefit from this teaching? Right now there are so many shows and social media posts filled with deception, and I strongly believe that people need a fresh perspective of truth. So with that said, let’s dive into becoming That Girl, Part 3.

1. Our appearance is a reflection of ourself.  When I was younger, my mother used to tell me to take pride in my appearance. I never saw my mom go to the mailbox in slippers or leave with her hair undone.  She only had two suits to wear to church every Sunday, but those two suits were always clean and nice. You don't always have to be dressed up everywhere you go, but taking time in your appearance and not wearing pajamas or slippers out of the house makes a difference. Your appearance is a reflection of you and what people will associate you to.

2. Have the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your clothing. I went through many traumatic experiences as a child and in my teens and adulthood I entered into a rebellious stage where I wanted to dress to get men’s attention. That’s what you see on social media today - women dressing in a promiscious way for attention. But it’s just a reflection of a broken soul. I cannot tell you how to dress, but the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth can lead you. When I get dressed, I do so with the conviction of the Holy Spirit knowing that I represent Jesus in my appearance and want to exude His excellence. There was time where I didn’t want to dress well and was very religious in my appearance after I was saved. I didn’t wear make up as not to draw attraction to myself. However, ladies we are a work of art. So I’ll leave you with this, dress how you want to be addressed.

Lastly , Feminine Woman Collective is open. Feminine Woman Collective is an online christian membership community where women gather to grow in a deeper relationship with God and with each other, plus learn womanhood God’s way. I am a certified etiquette coach, and you’ll be learning from me. I have a decade of etiquette teaching and source from The Father. It’s all about owning who you are, and knowing whose you are. You join us today by visiting http://femininewomancollective.com for a low monthly price. You'll receive weekly teachings from me like Womanhood Wednesdays and invites to exclusive LIVE events. See you inside:)

Scriptures

John 16:8

John 16:13

Welcome to another episode of #FeminineFridays! Today’s episode is something I am so passionate about. Kindness. Many people meet me and say, "Wow, you're just as kind as you are on social media." This always strikes me as weird because I believe that all Christians should be kind. A mean Christian is weird. In today's society, we've normalized toxicity and trauma so much, that anything above that, is deemed to be fake. I want to dive deep into that today and teach how it's okay to leave toxicity behind in order to move towards God's original design for us.  

1. {1:30} Being gifted doesn’t equate to having the fruit of the Spirit. In Galations 5, the fruit of the Spirit is characterized as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and faithfulness. When I encounter people, I want them to meet the love of Jesus and someone full of kindness. I believe that as a people we’ve been through so much trauma, that it’s caused us to go into survival mode. I’ve found that most women who are brash, have always expressed that they had to take care of themselves and fight to survive as children. Can I tell you something? We are not children anymore.

2. {3:16} It’s time to start taking responsibility for ourselves and choose different environments. Many years ago, when I first got married, my husband and I went to see some of my old family members. They were very abrasive and brash and I noticed that in that environment, I began to go in a shell and enter into a tough exterior.  I went into a survival mentality. If you’ve ever experienced this, understand this, you can decide which atmospheres you want to be. It doesn’t matter if its your family or close friends or if you are trying to be the “bigger person". You do not have to go.

3. {5:25} You are supposed to be different. There will and may already be those around you who say you are different or try to bring up your past to discourage you from growing into your next. If that is you right now, take that as a sign of your growth. Some people don’t understand the transformation taking place inside of you. I love being around people who want to get better. That's why I sign up for courses, and go to the gym -  the atmosphere is amazing. Will you be brave enough to flourish in your transformation or strive to prove to those unwilling to change that you haven’t?

Lastly, this morning, I spoke life into my three daughters and they began to cry and beam with joy. The reason why was because I was pointing them to Jesus and encouraging them. Sometimes you need someone in your life to build you up and that’s what my new community is about. It's about women coming together and supporting each other on their unique transformation journey.

It’s time for you to make a decision. Will you be brave enough to say you need women around you that will lift you up and help you on this journey? If you said yes, then I invite you to join over 100 here: http://www.femininewomancollective.com

Scriptures:

Galations 5:22-23