King's Daughters

Merry Christmas to all you beautiful King's Daughters and a very happy New Year! 2014 was a difficult and wonderful year for me.  I did struggle to write, as you may have noticed.  It may have been writers block, it may have been busyness or it may just have been a season to 'pen down' and have a break. It's been nearly six years since I started writing to you right here on this very blog and I have loved every minute of it. 2015 is already packed with a great deal and I am so excited about the journey, but I will write as often as possible and share the journey with you and hopefully encourage you too in your journey. Looking back to my very first blog post to you on 13/04/2009, I realise that my message hasn't changed one bit and neither has my passion for this message. As I read over the words and reflect on them I notice that I am pretty much still writing the same things just in different ways to various different audiences.  And so rather than write som...

This year presented a difficult subject, we delved into purity as well as a lot of talk about sexual purity. Our numbers were lower than usual as a result but the event was better than ever!  We enjoyed a fantastic day together, everything went smoothly, the food was great, the company fantastic, the talks life changing, the worship heavenly!  Everything was just perfect!  It was a beautiful day in God's presence and we are so grateful to all who played a part in making it happen. Next year's conference - HE LOVES ME - is already in the pipeline.  We have made some positive changes so that even more of you can enjoy this fantastic annual event.  The most significant change is that we will end by 5pm which has enabled us to bring the ticket price right down to £25.  However, if you book in during October, you get a once off early bird rate of £20 using promo code OCTOBER and if you wish to exhibit this code applies to your stand too.  So...

Strength and Dignity by Box Polish I thought that since it is only 18 days to go until our conference, eeek, I would do something a bit special and girly for us!  One of the lovely  Women's Business Club ladies who is also a King's Daughter, has started making her own polishes.   They are being launched this Saturday, 6th September. It's all very exciting and King's Daughters have ordered their very own special colour called Strength and Dignity . In celebration of our upcoming conference Amy has very kindly given us a polish as a free gift.  So, enter the competition below and the new polish will be given away at the conference to one lucky winner. Don't worry, if you cannot make it we will post it to you. UK residents only please. Book your conference ticket  or view our clothing and accessories a Rafflecopter giveaway

I can't believe it is nearly that time of year again with only 25 days to go until our annual King's Daughters Conference. This year is especially important, not only because we really need to get together as Christian woman but also because we do need to talk about this very important subject that we will be discussing, namely purity but mostly sex. How to enjoy it, what to do better, what not to do, when to do it, when not to do it, what went wrong in the past, how to fix what went wrong in the past, the scars of the past and healing for them. How it's intended for pleasure , how to enjoy the pleasure without the guilt and shame, what to do if you got it wrong too often and find it no longer offers pleasure. Same sex attraction, opposite sex attraction, lack of sexual attraction and lethal attraction! Sex in marriage, sex outside of marriage, no sex in marriage Lies about sex, truth about sex, love and sex, lust and sex, hate and sex, sex traps, sex deception, sex...

" "Christianity in Mosul is dead, and a Christian holocaust is in our midst," said Mark Arabo, a Californian businessman and Chaldean-American leader. In an interview with CNN's Jonathan Mann, he called what's happening in Iraq a "Christian genocide" and said "children are being beheaded, mothers are being raped and killed, and fathers are being hung." "Right now, three thousand Christians are in Iraq fleeing to neighboring cities," he told Mann. Arabo is calling on the international community to follow France's lead and offer the Christians of Iraq asylum. "You're startling me with the severity of what you're describing," the CNN host said. "You said they are --- beheading children?" "They are systematically beheading children," Arabo repeated slowly. "And mothers and fathers. The world hasn't seen an evil like this for generations." "   >>> Read full artic...

I love my new church.  It was scary at first to go from being a pastor to being pastored again but we have settled and simply love being a part of the family at Charlton King's Baptist Church .  This past Sunday Jason did a  life changing talk with our little ones, explaining the great commission to them. After explaining to them about Jesus and asking if they accepted that He died and rose again, he gave them a pack of stars and told them to go around the church and give everyone a sticker if they accepted the gospel.  It was a wonderful and practical reminder of what we are called to do, he said a the Great Commission is our co-operation with his mission!  Afterwards he played this video which sums it up perfectly.   Sue went on to preach a brilliant message as always and each Sunday I want to get born again again!  I feel so privileged and honoured to be a part of such a wonderful church family.

A short while ago ago I was invited to stand in the local borough elections for the Benhall and The Reddings ward in Cheltenham. The elections took place last on 22nd May and I received 594 votes. My opponent received 1188 votes so clearly I did not win. However, I don't feel like I lost either. I learned so much and gained so much and I can honestly say that it was well worth it. I will definitely stay involved.  Today I would like to share some of the valuable things that I learned with you: Politicians are Real People Local politics is often confused with national politics.  Yes in theory we are all one party but in reality the local councilors have little if any contact with the national leaders.  We might get to meet one or two national leaders but we are unlikely to become their best friends and change the country with them.  So what I want to focus on is our perception of local politicians and the simplest way that I can describe a local councilor is that...

Our King's Daughters Conference breakout sessions have been finalised and boy oh boy do we have something special lined up for you! Tania Vaughan - Doing it D ifferently Roseann Boyce - Hard Truths Vanessa Stottor - My Huts on Fire Fay Price - Love, the Church and Homosexuality Make sure you get your ticket soon  www.kingsdaughtersconference.co.uk

Madonna is one of Malawi’s most famous ambassadors. She said “ Despite horrendous life chances the children have a song in their heart and wear a smile .” On Sunday 6th July its Malawi Day and there will be live music, fun games and activities, stalls, live Wimbledon Men’s Final on a big Screen and a delicious afternoon tea for all the family to celebrate and raise money to keep Malawi girls in school. Dignity is a charity set up to raise awareness of the plight of girls; in Malawi an average girl misses one week a month of school because of the lack of menstruation provision. This problem can be solved and costs £10 per girl and will last her through her education. Come and join in the celebration at The Pavilion, Hatherley Lane, GL516PN. Tickets costs £5 per person or £20 for a family (includes afternoon tea). Tickets available on http://tinyurl.com/npbvkoc If you would like to be a stallholder email: Vicky@freerangechicks.net

To my brothers and sisters in Christ, It is my conviction that God is positioning Christians in leadership positions in the nation for His purposes. Christian men and women in business, ministry and politics are rising up with the express purpose of doing the will of God.  I have been involved in all three areas but my message to you today is in the area of politics.  I firmly believe that we need Christian leaders in our government if we stand a hope of being a true Christian nation. Just because something is the will of God doesn't mean that it will automatically happen, we must be prepared to do our part.  As far back as we can go in history, Godly men and women had to fight for the will of God. The promise land was taken on the battle field, William Wilberforce abolished the slave trade by giving his life to fighting for this cause and today we see men and women fighting for various causes such as human trafficking, poverty, etc.  It is not God's will that ...

2014 Conference Speakers This year's lineup has been confirmed and tickets are now available. We would love you to join us for the 2014 King's Daughters PURE Conference for a day that has been carefully crafted JUST FOR YOU. Enjoy a day off! Feel refreshed, get inspired and leave ready for the next season of your life. Find out more about our speakers below and don't delay, book your place now at www.kingsdaughterspure.eventbrite.co.uk Angela De Souza Angela has a deep desire to see women reach their full potential in every area of life. She has published many books in her quest to help women find and love who they are. The King’s Daughters Conference is an annual UK women’s conference where she continues to explore the theme of being all your can be. Susan Woodley Sue is a wife, a mother, a pastor and the host the King's Daughters Charlton King's Girl's Night. Sue is also an extraordinary woman with a big heart and a big vision. It is ...

Continuing on from my previous post  on depression, let's take a look at happiness.  Not that depression is the absence of happiness but it is difficult to be happy while suffering with depression.  Some people can just be happy - I envy them. Other people, like myself, have to make an effort to be happy. Don't get me wrong, I have happy days that just come and it's wonderful.  It's those other days, the days when I have to work at it that are a bit more difficult. You see, I believe happiness is a choice. We can choose to be happy but it does require some effort on our part. I have days when even getting out of bed is difficult.  Being self employed makes it even more difficult as I have no one to answer to but myself. Sometimes I just stay in bed and work on my laptop - that way I still get some work done without having to find the strength to get up.  Other days I have to force myself to get up and have to find a  reason  to get up.  I ...

I have never seen our nation's leaders stand up for Christianity as I have seen in the recent years.  David Cameron is putting his career on the line when he mixes his faith with his politics but yet he continues to be open about it.  Being a Christian is not easy, it comes with many challenges, preconceived ideas from others and opposition.  Being a politician is no easy either, again it comes with so much hardship and little reward. It seems that everyone has an opinion and Christians and politicians can do little right - if they make one mistake the are branded forever by it. People quickly forget all that they did right and hang on to their one mistake. Personally, I think being open and honest about Christianity is risky and being a politician is dangerous.  So, combining the two means multiplying the challenges, the risks and the dangers. For what? What is in it for the Christian or the politician?  There is little or no personal gain, they are merely ...

One of the many things that the Americans get right is their patriotism!  I often see American homes with their flags proudly hanging outside their door or hear them speak highly of their country.  It is a wonderful thing. Here in the UK I often see Brazilian flags, Polish flags and other flags from foreigners living here who are proud of the country they have come from.  NEVER have I seen a British flag displayed in front of a British person's home and all I EVER hear from locals is their complaints about this country.  COME ON PEOPLE!  The country is made up of you and I. Let's start off with being proud to be British.  Let's support local businesses.  Let's find good things to say about our country. Let's back up and support our leaders who are doing their best to do what they think is right for this nation. It is usually those that do the least that say the most.  Judge your own mouth and your own actions please. Until you are willing to step ...

THIS MONDAY 7th April 2014 we launch our brand new event called Business, Ministry and Politics. King's Daughters has taken a very definite direction change into these three areas with an emphasis on how we use these areas to share the gospel.  We are called to be salt and light and it is our mission and obsession to get the salt and light into the places where it is needed.  As Christians we need to seek and desire places of influence within our communities so that we can be salt and light.  What good is salt if it remains in it's container and what good is light if it isn't in darkness?  We must position ourselves in places of darkness in order to be light but don't go alone .  If you are in business (either self employed or employed) then are you using your position to lead and shine?  If you are in politics are you using your influence in your town, city and nation?  If you are in ministry are you teaching and equipping those around you to be light...

Hello and Happy Monday! I am so excited about our brand new event,  King's Daughters in   Business, Ministry and Politics , which is being launched next Monday evening.  The aim of the event is to support, encourage and challenge women who are currently leading in these areas or who want to get involved in these areas.  As Christians, we need to rise up and position ourselves in places of influence in our communities and country.   Please join us for a light supper, networking, worship, guest speaker and prayer.  Together we can encourage each other and do so much more than we can do on our own.  Our April guest speaker is Jennie Dallimore, a Gloucester City Councillor. See you next Monday, 7pm at the Fairview upper room in Cheltenham.   Book your p lace  at  www.kingsdaughtersleaders.eventbrite.co.uk Have a great week! Angela

Continuing on from my previous post , I wanted to look into the other side of depression.  The side where people use it to be lazy or to do nothing for the kingdom.  Yes there is a time when you need to slow down or stop in order to recover and get well but there is no reason to throw your whole life away and write off your future.  Depression is not a lifestyle it is a season. It can be cured and it can be managed.  If you are newly depressed or burnt out you may need to stop what you are doing and have a season of rest. What did God tell Elijah to do when he was newly depressed? Let's read about it in 1 King's 19:4-8 "Elijah  went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, “It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!” Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” Then he looked,...

Continuing on from my previous post , I wanted to talk about the Christian view of depression.  You see, very recently I faced complete burnout and ended up going to the doctor only to discover that I was on the high end of the depression scale.  It never occurred to me that I was depressed or burnt out because I have lived a balanced life and followed all of the steps I wrote about in my book  Hope's Journey . It did not even cross my mind that the series of difficult situations that I have faced over the past two year had actually worn me down!  I am a survivor - I just get on with things. Thank goodness for a good Christian friend who had the boldness to confront me and encourage me to see my doctor. She recognised the symptoms as she too suffers with depression but she also understood that as Christians, admitting to depression is the hardest thing. So why do I keep mentioning Christians, what makes it different for a Christian?  Well, first of all we ...

In September 2010 I released my very first book called Hope's Journey  where I opened shared my struggle and victory over depression, suicide and self harming.  Since that day I have had a couple of mild relapses into my old ways but can honestly say that today I am completely free of any temptation or desire to self harm in any way.  Perhaps the darkness became deeper after the book was released because I felt exposed or perhaps it was 'someone' trying to rob me of my testimony.  Times were especially difficult in the weeks before I was scheduled to publicly speak on this subject or share my testimony.  At times the struggle was intense but I knew that many would be encouraged by my story so I knew I had to stay strong and remain in victory or else too much would be lost. It had been a battle before Hope's Journey was released and continued to be a different sort of battle afterwards too.  At times I wondered if complete freedom would ever be possible ...

Hello ladies! As you can tell from the subject, we are doing less in order to do more!  Now we have one clear focus - to bring Jesus into the centre of all that we do whether we are in ministry, business or politics.  Practically what this means is that the women in ministry event and the women in business event will be merging into one event and we will be adding politics to the mix too.  If you fall into any of these three categories please join us for our monthly event.   The event is focused on women who are leading in some way, who are intentionally focused on using their platform to shine for Jesus.   Find out more here. I can't wait to see you all there - it is going to be fantastic!  Be prepared to be inspired and refreshed.  Keep an eye out on the website as we update it over the next few weeks with lots more info.   www.kingsdaughters.co.uk Love Angela

As you might already know, I just love to laugh! Here are some funny things that I have come across lately that have made me have a good laugh - enjoy!

Firstly we have a delicious raw chocolate cake from River Cottage -  absolutely healthy and totally yummy.   Get the recipe here . And then we have a really nice, easy, healthy and yummy sweet snack. Enjoy and please share any recipes that you have found that are tasty, sugar free and completely natural.

I had the privilege of speaking at our church again recently at a special event called Money Sunday. It was a fantastic service and we even gave money to every single person who attended and challenged them to use it in one the 7  Baby Steps to Growing Your Money.  One of my many passions is to help people live financially free.  There is nothing quite as draining as financial problems.  This talk covers the 7 basic steps that will help anyone find true financial freedom. Featured on BBC Radio - listen here 7 Baby Steps to Growing Your Money: Baby Step 1 - BOLDLY BUDGET Baby Step 2 - DITCH DEBT Baby Step 3 - GIVE GENEROUSLY Baby Step 4 - LOVE LEFTOVERS Baby Step 5 - SAVE 'N SPEND Baby Step 6 - SOW SEEDS Baby Step 7 - THINK 7 Baby Steps to Investing Your Money: Baby Step 1 - INVEST IN SAVINGS Baby Step 2 - INVEST IN YOUR FUTURE Baby Step 3 - INVEST IN DELAYED REWARDS Baby Step 4 - INVEST IN YOUR CHILDREN Baby Step 5 - INVEST IN STRATEGI...

These are some of what can occur during a fast but don't be alarmed, it is only worse case scenario.  Many people don't go through all of this so don't worry.  This info is merely so that you understand what is happening in your body and that you don't become concerned if some of these symptoms present themselves. Odours, tiredness, dizziness, headaches and other pains - these are some of the things that you will face during your fast.  As you continue to fast you body will begin to cleanse itself and eliminate toxins.  These toxins will come out of your body wherever they can which will mean that you might sweat more and your sweat will have a stronger smell than usual.  You breath will also be stronger than usual and so will you urine smell.  You may even get a funny taste in your mouth or feel that your tongue has a thick coat on it.  It sounds nasty, but for a while you will face unpleasant odours from your body, so brush well with a natural toot...

Every year we like to kick start the year with a fast so I thought it would be good to blog about it during the fast.   I would love to hear your thoughts and comments.  In preparation of our fast I have provided a list of foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast and foods to avoid. Foods to include:  All fruits . These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard gree...