In Hebrews 11, the Bible talks about great heros of faith. If you haven’t read this chapter, take time to do so. You will be inspired at who God uses to do good. Let’s just say he didn’t always use the strong and powerful either.

Hebrews 11:1 says “Faith is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead.” WOW!! That’s exciting! That means with faith…I can have the assurance and the certainty that God is working for me in my life and my hopes in dreams will come to pass. If you’re not jumping up in down right now…you’ve got to check your pulse!

Do you remember how you felt when you were younger and your birthday approached? You were excited and anxious. You knew  you would certainly receive gifts and other special treats. But some things would be a surprise. Birthdays combined assurance and anticipation, and so does faith! Faith is the conviction based on past experience that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours.

Two words describe our faith…confidence and certainty. These two qualities need a secure beginning and ending point. The beginning point of faith is believing in God’s character…He is who He says he is. The end point is believing in God’s promises…He will do what He says he will do. When we believe that God will fulfill His promises, even though we don’t see those promises materializing now, that my friend is true faith!

So the next time you hear “keep the faith”, remember that God is Almighty and can do all things…it’s up to you to believe in His promises that He will do what you hope for.

I hope that you are inspired today and will Keep the Faith!  God desires a loving relationship with you…have you talked with Him today? If you’re needing prayer or have a praise report that you would like to share, please do so in the comments section below or join us over at Divas that Pray on Facebook. (http://facebook.com/DivasThatPray)

Always remember…I believe in YOU!

Be Blessed,

Kelli Claypool

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I’ve learned through the past year that even though she at difficulty communicating her wants and needs, she still can feel her emotions. She enjoys it when I hold her hand. She loves it when I hug her and squeeze  her tight. She gets a big smile on her face when I tell her that I love her. These are the times that I cherish…I just wish I could read her mind!

I love you Momma!

Kelli Claypool

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Have you traveled to another city or country only to find yourself locked into typical tourist traps and postcard settings and wondered to yourself “how can I experience the true culture of this country or flavor of this city?”  These are symptoms suffered by today’s tourists who haven’t learned to escape their comfort zone. On the next episode of DivaTalkRadio, Kelli will be talking with Raquel Segural about the fun women can have with travel, especially traveling with girlfriends.
Next Show: Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EST on http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live

Raquel is planning a Paris excursion for women. Oh I so want to go! This 8-day tailor-made luxury extravaganza for the discerning woman who wishes to experience the authenticity, flair, culture and dazzling splendors that the City of Lights has to offer. Our guides will immerse you in the best of fashion, gastronomy, wine, art, history and joie de vivre that Paris has to offers. An unforgettable experience you will treasure for years to come.

“In the mayhem of today’s life, as women we often forget how to slow down and take in everything that life has to offer. Je Suis. PARIS will deeply enrich women’s lives by engaging all their senses in a fun manner with opulent influences, including fashion, art, music, culinary trends and every day musings. And what can be better than rediscovering a new you in Paris?” — Raquel Segura

Je Suis. PARIS is the debut tour of a new line of ‘I AM. Tours‘ catering to the tasteful and discerning woman who seeks to experience the most luxurious and authentic savoir faire of any city.

These guided tours offers a myriad of unique services based upon unparalleled local knowledge and unprecedented access throughout the city.  Luxury is at the forefront of each tour, delivering an enriching foray into Paris’ most sought after establishments and environments, often overlooked by even the savviest traveler.

Whether traveling solo or with friends, Je Suis. PARIS was designed for the chic woman who craves to Celebrate Herself in the City that Celebrates Women through an illustrious travel experiences.

About Raquel:

After nearly 20 years in Corporate America, Raquel decided to walk away from the rat race of the 9 to 5 world and follow her passion for travel. AiresLibre Travel was born from her vision and eagerness to provide the best personalized service, and passionate experience for her clients that she creates for herself in every trip she plans.  Her attention to every detail of an itinerary and unwavering desire to see the world through the eyes of the local culture is the driving force behind the company.

Raquel is the mother of her favorite travel partners (Daniel 14 & Savannah 11).   She is an avid reader and writer.  A culture aficionado who enjoys learning new languages, tasting wines from around the world and experiencing all different cuisines.   She currently resides in South Florida and when she’s not traveling, can often be found riding around town on her Vespa lovingly named “Valentina.”

Kelli Claypool

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Join Kelli Claypool as she chats with S.E. Gregg regarding her new book, The Christian Olympics: Going for the Gold Crowns, on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EST at http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live

S.E. Gregg Bio:

A marathon runner in the Christian Olympics for several decades, S. E. Gregg is a Bible school graduate and the founder of Sound Doctrine Christian Ministries. An award winning author, gifted Bible teacher and Bible curriculum writer, Gregg has authored   the best-selling books,”Evangelism Counseling- How to Counsel People About Salvation”,”The Christian Olympics-Going for the Gold Crowns” and the salvation tract,”God Became A Man”. The salvation tract has been translated into the Burmese language and over 100,000 have been printed.  Gregg lives in the Philadelphia,PA area.

Kelli Claypool

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General Mills’ Tablespoon.com is honoring the most delicious food experiences America has to offer – from the most iconic burger, to the best local farmers market, to the best chef. Featuring some of their favorite food people from TV, blogs, books, restaurants and beyond, Andrew Zimmern, Chef & James Beard award-winning television personality, and a panel of celebrity chowhounds have developed the list of nominees across three groups:

• Terrific Tastemakers- the media and personalities that make the food world sizzle, from Favorite Food TV Personality to Favorite Food Blog
• Best Bites- the most delectable interpretations of our favorite foods, like Most Iconic Burger and Best Cookie
• Delicious Destinations- the establishments that keep us coming back for more; think Coolest Coffee Shop or Most Intriguing Cocktail Bar

The nominees were chosen by a panel of culinary celebs, but it’s now up to the real experts out there – namely, you – to choose the winners! Vote for your faves once per day (even recast your whole ballot with just a click!) at Tablespoon.com/themunchies now through April 30th. A,nd don’t forget to check back in May to see who the winners are!

While celebrating food, they’re also fighting hunger. On behalf of the expert panel and all of the voters, Tablespoon.com is donating $15,000 to Feeding America, the nation´s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. One good meal deserves another, so head on over to Tablespoon.com/themunchies to vote now!

Disclosure: The information about The Munchies: People´s Choice Food Awards has been provided by Tablespoon.com through MyBlogSpark.

Kelli Claypool

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For example, the Founder & Host of DivaTalkRadio, Kelli Claypool, gags at the sight of raw meat, however she wanted to cook dinner for her husband’s birthday. So she put on a pair of pink rubber gloves and snorkeling goggles just to handle the meat. Of course, she did all of this in a cute pair of pink stilettos to match her gloves. The picture was priceless!

Do you have a funny story? If so, we want to hear from you! Favorite family recipe submissions are great too!

Send your submission to Kim at shows@divatalkradio.com. All submissions will be reviewed by our production team and everyone will be contacted.

Please put “Divas in Aprons” in the email subject line.

Thanks so much…we can’t wait to read your stories!

Kelli Claypool

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on our website.

Kelli Claypool

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About 43 percent of the US population (almost 70 percent of older women) use dietary supplements containing calcium; but Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, warns that, without balancing their calcium with magnesium, they may be at risk. Dr. Dean, magnesium expert and Medical Director of the nonprofit Nutritional Magnesium Association at www.nutritionalmagnesium.org, says most people, including the majority of medical doctors, do not understand key facts about calcium and its sister mineral, magnesium:

• Typically, less than half of calcium intake is absorbed in the gut,the rest either being excreted or potentially forming kidney stones or being transported to soft tissues where it can harden (calcify).

• Adequate levels of magnesium are essential for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and vitamin D.

Magnesium converts vitamin D into its active form so that it can aid calcium absorption. Magnesium also stimulates the hormone calcitonin, which helps to preserve bone structure and draws calcium out of the blood and soft tissues back into the bones, lowering the likelihood of osteoporosis, some forms of arthritis, heart attack and kidney stones.

• There is a growing amount of scientific evidence pointing to high calcium–low magnesium intake leading to calcification, or hardening, of arteries (atherosclerosis—the number one cause of death in the US), osteoporosis and osteoporotic bone fractures.

Dr. Dean is a health pioneer with over 25 years of experience with nutrition, diet and health issues. She’s authored 22 books including “Future Health Now Encyclopedia”, “The Complete Natural Guide to Women’s Health,  “Hormone Balance”, “Menopause Naturally”, “365 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power: Tips, Exercise, Advice”, “The Yeast Connection”, “IBS for Dummies” and “The Magnesium Miracle”.

To find out more about magnesium and how it relates to depression, fibromyalgia, ADHD, diabetes, and more, visit Dr. Dean’s media page at http://drcarolyndean.com/media

You will want to join us for this episode of DivaTalkRadio. Plus, Dr. Dean has a very special offer for our Loyal Listener’s Club regarding her Wellness Program, so be sure that you’re on our mailing list. If you are not signed up, it’s easy to do…just look for the sign-up box on the right next to the Diva in Pink holding a mic.

Next Show: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. EST
Where to Listen: http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live
Our interactive chat room will be open to take your questions and comments.

About Dr. Carolyn Dean:

Dr. Dean’s not only a medical doctor, but also a naturopath, herbalist, acupuncturist, nutritionist, lecturer, consultant, author. Dr. Dean has been in the forefront of health issues for over 30 years.

Education

She graduated from Dalhousie Medical School in 1978, holds a medical license in California and is a graduate of  The Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine – now the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto. She served on the board of Governors of the CCNM for six years.

Publications

Dr. Dean has authored or coauthored twenty books, including How To Change Your Life With Magnesium, Future Health Now! Encyclopaedia, Death by Modern Medicine: Seeking Safe Solutions, The Magnesium Miracle, The Yeast Connection and Women’s Health, IBS for DUMMIES, IBS Cookbook for DUMMIES and Hormone Balance. For a complete listing of her published work click here.

Kelli Claypool

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Ahh, music to my ears! I love shopping! I love walking into the store and smelling the scent of something new. I love the sound of the register printing the receipt. I love ‘handling with care’ the handbags and cooing over the new Spring line of shoes. Just saying the name Nordstrom’s makes the endorphins in my body get all excited and start scrambling to figure out how we can pull off a quick shopping trip in between appointments.

The article goes on to say that our desire to shop compulsively is because we’re missing something in our lives. That some women project hopes and fantasies into the items that they buy. That some women actually feel that a certain pair of shoes would change their life for the better. (Okay, I’m not that bad, but a cute pair of Christian Louboutin’s do make me feel taller!) While some woman do go to the extreme, even the noncompulsive shoppers hear the same message. Haven’t we all bought something just because we were unhappy, stressed, or bored?

“Dr. Brian Knutson, a Stanford Neuroscientist, did an MRI study of shoppers’ brains and discovered that seeing something they wanted to buy — a fabulous pair of boots, say — increased activity in areas rich in dopamine, a brain chemical associated with reward. Dopamine is sensitive to novelty and spikes when we’re confronted with something new that looks enjoyable. Fortunately, the brain is also equipped with the insula, dopamine’s cranky, buzz-killing aunt. It gets activated when we anticipate pain, so price those boots uncomfortably high and the insula will arm-wrestle with the dopamine, pitting the pain of paying against the pleasure of acquiring.”

In a reader poll, done by Ladies’ Home Journal, the results were eye opening!

When asked “How does shopping make you feel?” 82% of women said happy, while 5% said overwhelmed, 6% said dreadful, and 7% said exhilarated.

When asked “Do you shop for fun?” 89% of women said yes, while 11% said no.

When asked “Has the troubled economy changed the way you shop?” 55% said “I think more thoroughly about each purchase”, while 21% said “I’ve cut out nonessentials”, 17% said “I have the same habits as always”, and 7% said “I’ve stopped using  credit cards to avoid debt”.

I find the poll results very interesting. While I’m a recovering shopping addict, moving to the rural country didn’t stop my compulsion. Yes, I cannot just jump in the car and drive to a local mall because there aren’t any, however the UPS guy and I are now on first-name basis, thanks to buying online.

For me, I’m trying to increase my insula and decrease my dopamine with a system called The Budget. Just saying that word “budget” makes me want to put a quarter in the swear word jar! Regardless of how I feel about abstaining from shopping, I do enjoy the increase in my vacation savings account.

So let me ask you, “Why is shopping so much fun?” Please share your comments below…I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time, wear your heels well and be blessed!

Kelli Claypool

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These stories have been amazing, but we believe there are more women who are ready and willing to share their story to inspire, encourage, and empower other women.

Our definition of a Diva is “a woman who is strong in her faith, blessed by her family, and encourages others to rise up to their greatest potential”.

If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! Your story may be featured in our A Truly Outstanding Woman segment on our website or you may be invited to join us on our radio show, which airs live weekly.

Are you a woman entrepreneur who is juggling work, family, and community events?

Are you a single mom raising your child(ren) on your own and making a difference in the lives of others?

Are to a woman who is strong in her family and has a strong desire to community outreach?

Regardless, we want to hear from you. Your story must be one of empowerment and inspiration. Perhaps you have a story about a life lesson you learned from the hard way. Or have a story about your family or a favorite family recipe. Perhaps you just need to vent about a company who did you wrong and how you turned a bad situation into something good.

No topic is off limits and all stories will be read and considered by our team.

Simply contact us with a brief overview of your story and our production team will contact you for more information. Everyone will be contacted.

Kelli Claypool

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