Heart Beyond the Canvas-Lakela Dos Santos

11/06/2025

So often, all the energy goes into planning the perfect wedding day, and forgetting a WHOLE ENTIRE marriage will follow!

The true foundation for lasting joy lies in what comes after. Marriage is a lifetime journey, and a successful one requires divine guidance.

I believe prioritizing prayer to the LORD, together, is the cornerstone for building a resilient and blessed union.
Seek His wisdom daily.
Let's go🙏!

11/11/2024

🙏🥰

09/11/2024

“Marriage Preparation: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged (Pt 5)
Read the entire article at womenofnoblecharacter.com
Blessings, Lakela, Ordained Officiant
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“Marriage Preparation: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged (Pt 5)

5. Pray for Clarity
Prayer works. If you are a seasoned believer, you are familiar with the power of the Holy Spirit. That inner voice can provide invaluable wisdom and discernment. Ultimately, if you want assurance in knowing you’re making the right decision in choosing your life partner, then ask God.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ~ James 1:5

Remember, putting God at the center of your life and your relationship is essential for a successful, lifelong, and joyous marriage journey.” ~ womanofnoblecharacter.com

08/11/2024

“Marriage Preparation: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged (Pt 4)
Read the entire article at womenofnoblecharacter.com
Blessings, Lakela, Ordained Officiant
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4. Seek Professional Guidance

Don’t wait until you’re engaged to seek counseling. Love often sways judgment, making it challenging to gauge your partner objectively. Trustworthy professionals or experienced individuals can provide valuable insights and guidance.

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. ~ Proverbs 15:22

07/11/2024

“Marriage Preparation: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged (Pt 3)
Read the entire article at womenofnoblecharacter.com
Blessings, Lakela, Ordained Officiant
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3. Serve Together

To truly get to know the heart of a person, get involved in a ministry within your church or community together. When you work together, you operate as a team, and this experience can be illuminating.

Your spiritual beliefs must align, as a solid spiritual foundation can be the
cornerstone of a successful marriage. If you find yourselves not on the same page spiritually, it’s a significant sign that you should reconsider marriage.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. ~ 1 Peter 4:10-11"

06/11/2024

“Marriage Preparation: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged (Pt 2)
Read the entire article at womenofnoblecharacter.com.

Blessings,
Lakela, Ordained Officiant
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“Marriage Preparation: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged (Pt 2)

2. Embrace Self-Honesty 🤔
When love is in the air, it’s easy to become enamored and overlook your partner’s flaws. Many people fall into the trap of believing that marriage will solve existing relationship issues when it often magnifies them.

To stay grounded, create a list of your partner’s flaws. Everyone has flaws; acknowledging them and thinking about how they might affect your future will aid in your groundwork.
*If you are not willing to stand behind your spouse through these struggles, your marriage could fall into a dangerous place very quickly*

Ask yourself the hard questions and be honest. If you can’t find any flaws in your significant other, that is a sign that you have not been dating long enough.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. ~ Psalm 51:6"

04/11/2024

Engaged?! CONGRATULATIONS! And because you are not married yet, this is the PERFECT time to review your relationship for it’s strengths and areas to submit to the Lord in prayer. I challenge you to seek His help to grow. Read the entire article at womenofnoblecharacter.com.
Blessings,
Lakela, Ordained Officiant
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Marriage Preparation: 5️⃣ Crucial Steps to Take Before Getting Engaged. (Pt 1)

Love can change your world in an instant, leaving you with indescribable feelings that seem everlasting. However, the real challenge arises when it’s time to take the next step.
How can you be sure you’re making the right decision when considering an engagement, especially with divorce rates on the rise? Love can be blind, and powerful emotions can cloud judgment. To ensure you’re making the right decision, it’s essential to prepare.
Already engaged? Here are five practical considerations to meditate on before tying the knot:

Marriage Preparation💎

1. Prioritize Your Intentions

Before considering marriage, ask yourself WHY you want to get married in the first place. “Don’t get so caught up in planning a wedding that you forget to plan a marriage.” Remember that a wedding is purely an event, while a marriage is a lifelong commitment. Ensure your priorities are aligned with the long-term journey.

Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. ~ Proverbs 24:27 "

10/10/2024

Celebrating my 8th year on Facebook. Thank you for your continuing support. I could never have made it without you. 🙏🤗🎉

10/10/2024

Marriage is a sacred bond that glorifies the Father. I pray that the Golston's marriage will be a testament to his love and a source of blessing for many years to come.
It was my honor.
Lakela
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." -Ephesians 5:31
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Call now to connect with business.

01/10/2024

"CrisisCleanUp.org has activated its Home Cleanup Hotline to help survivors of Hurricane . They anticipate that most volunteer groups will work through October, 25th.

Survivors needing clean up assistance can reach Crisis CleanUp by calling 844-965-1386.

🌀 You can also ask for help and lend a hand to your neighbors by posting to the Nextdoor Help Map -> https://nextdoor.com/discover?is=helpmap&map_type=help_map and select "Ask for help" or "Offer help," then describe how you are willing to help or what help you need.

𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐏:
📸 Take photos before you begin to clean up.
📝 Make a list of damaged or lost items & gather receipts.
⚡ Do not touch or cut power lines as they may be live

𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐔𝐏 𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐔𝐏?
✅ Small tree removal
✅ Tarping
✅ Muck-out (removing mud, drywall, and debris from your home)
✅ Hauling debris to the curb

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏?
🚫 Large tree removal, or removing trees leaning on homes
🚫 Fire cleanup
🚫 Activities requiring permits (plumbing, electrical, rebuilding, etc.)
🚫 Hauling debris to landfills

𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐃?
No. Volunteers only work with non-professional volunteer groups that do not charge money. They exclude for-profit contractors and any groups we know have a bad reputation. Volunteer groups are unskilled and may be unable to complete all the work. We recommend supervising volunteers to ensure they do a good job. Please let us know if you know any group not doing a good job.
For more info, see - https://crisiscleanup.org/survivor

𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐔𝐏 🧹 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐘:
🌞 Wait until daylight to clean up
⚡️ Don’t touch or cut any downed lines
🌊 Stay away from flooded areas
🪑 Be sure to take lots of breaks to avoid straining your body.
🪚 Be careful with chainsaws and other power tools.
💧 Stay hydrated and take breaks in the A/C ❄️ (if available).

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐘:

🚫🚫🚫 Never use a generator in an attached garage, even with an open garage door. 🚫🚫🚫

✅ Use portable generators outdoors in well-ventilated areas at least 20 feet from all doors, windows, and vent openings.
✅ Place generators so exhaust fumes cannot enter the home through windows, doors, or other openings in the building. The exhaust must be directed away from the building.
✅ Make sure you have battery-operated carbon monoxide (CO) or plug-in CO alarms with a battery backup.

🚫 Do not fuel your generator when running, as spilling gas on a hot engine can cause a fire. Also, connect appliances to the generator with heavy-duty extension cords.
🚫 Do not stand or sit downwind of the generator exhaust; if you can smell exhaust, you inhale it. Exhaust is toxic and deadly.
🚫 Do not back-feed the generator by plugging it into an outlet; this is dangerous and can seriously injure or kill line workers.
Lastly, If you buy or rent a portable generator, choose one listed by a qualified testing laboratory.

Kindly repost this message to your neighbors

Joseph and the Nextdoor team"

Crisis Cleanup is a collaborative disaster work order management platform that improves coordination, reduces duplication of efforts, improves efficiency, and improves volunteers' experience.

01/10/2024

***I did the training tonight*** DO YOU WANT TO HELP??🙏

URGENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED (especially Spanish speakers)📞 ☎️
Due to the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene, there is an urgent need for volunteers to answer calls on the Crisis Clean-up Hotline. Crisis Cleanup is an organization that opens hotlines for the public to call during large disasters. 🌀

**IF YOU NEED HURRICANE CLEANUP HELP: Call 844-965-1386**

👉 Call volunteers can work from home or from
anywhere with an internet connection, computer, laptop or tablet, and the time commitment is flexible with any schedule. (Literally you can volunteer 20 minutes here and 10 minutes there, or hours a day.) You decide on the amount of time you want to volunteer and when you can volunteer.
Last night, calls were backlogged by over 4,000 people 😭. We can help thousands of people get the help they need.

FIRST-TIME VOLUNTEERS ✏️
Those interested in getting trained can join a Zoom training session Tuesday October 1 at 7 pm EST or Wednesday OCtober 2 at 7 pm. EST. It’s easy but you need to get familiar with their call form.

📣 Please PM me if you can help even a short while and I will send you the Zoom links. You can also invite friends and neighbors to join but calls for Hurricane Helene will be Eastern Standard Time.

IF YOU HAVE HELPED IN THE PAST
If you’ve volunteered in the past, please sign onto crisiscleanup.org and begin volunteering. Thank you!
Thanks in advance for your help!!

02/08/2024

Blessed to be a blessing that our Lord be glorified 🙌🏾🥹💍 Thank you, Kareem and Mya