The Little Things

Tonight's dinner preparation was a bit of a workout. There was LOTS of chopping.

As I was chopping I just started thanking God. I realized that there are many people who can NOT chop.

It may be painful for them to grip the knife.
They may not have enough strength to cut the thick carrots.
They may not be able to stand for as long as I stood while chopping.
They may not have anything TO chop.

Yes, in something even as simple as preparing dinner, I had a praise on my lips...because I realize that NOTHING should be taken for granted.

So as I thank God for continued eyesight (which I do EVERYDAY), I've also thanked Him on this day for the ability to simply prepare a meal.

I praise God for the Big and the Little things...because He deserves the praise in ALL.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What's something small that you think people take for granted, yet YOU don't?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Reciprocity

All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
~Matthew 7:1

A few weeks ago I was at a street fair and found a woman's driver's license on the ground. The fair was extremely crowded and finding her would have been virtually impossible.

So I took her license with me and 2 days later, on Monday, I mailed it to her. It was the right thing to do.

Now we fast forward to this passed Saturday. I lost MY driver's license. Where? I have no idea. I've been checking my mailbox daily in the hopes that some kind person would have "done the right thing" and mailed it to me as I did with the one that I found.

Well, it's been almost a week...no license.

So my question is this, why is so difficult for people to "do the right thing" these days? For $.44 whoever found my license could've easily sent it back. Instead, I'll have to pay $29.00 to get it replaced.

Sometimes, I just have to shake my head.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! Have you ever lost something and had it surprisingly show up due to the kindness of a stranger?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Labor Pains

Deep cleansing breaths...right?

I don't know what's goin' on here. I've had 3 babies "the natural way" (you know...like the way Eve & Wilma Flintstone had theirs...no drugs, no c-section...just a LOT of pain and pushing), yet giving birth them was exponentially easier than it has been for this book that's been gestating in my heart and mind for years. I mean really...time's up...COME OUT ALREADY!!!

I think about the book everyday. Many times a day. I could probably WRITE IT in a day...if I would just sit down and do it.

But it just won't come out. It's like I need a "mental suppository" in order to get this thing outta me.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?!?

Why is it so difficult to put pen to paper and get the first page done?

I know why, and I have to get over it.

You see...the book is about me. The good, the bad, and the ugly. The good, I can write about easily. Nobody gets hurt there. But the bad and the ugly...yeah...some toesies are gonna get stepped on there.

But what am I supposed to do?

I'm not writing to make anybody look bad. I'm just writing the truth about MY life.

I can't help it if every page of my life has not been rosey...and they haven't been. And I don't want to sugar-coat the pages either, because they definitely haven't been that.

I know that I have a story to tell. Too many people have heard my story, shook their heads, looked at me in amazement and said..."You have GOT to tell your story"! And I know I need to.


The problem with me is that I'm always considering how others will feel about my actions, and so...I don't act. That's so not cool.

And I know...I've gotta get over that. I mean really, if the shoe were on the other foot, you can bet your bottom dollar that the folks I'm "protecting" would write their book, and care less about how it affects me.

And therein lies the problem.

Whadda I do, whadda I do?

Breathe in, Breathe out...deep cleansing breaths...and...PUSH.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What's dream, goal, idea, do you have growing inside of you that needs to come out, but hasn't yet? What are you waiting for?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Ha ha!

Today's post gives me a giggle so I thought I'd share the giggle with YOU.

I happen to be one of the very few people who actually drives the speed limit. YES folks, I said it...I DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT!

If the speed limit is 40 mph, that's how fast I go. If it's 25 mph, that's how fast I go. Ok...you get the idea.

And as you can imagine it drives people behind me nuts...absolutely NUTS. Oh well...I see it like this...I can not afford to pay for a ticket if I get one, and I don't want my driving record tarnished, sooo...I'm driving the speed limit.

Oh...and another reason is because cops lurk in nooks & crannies where you can't see them. Just when you zoom past one they come "out of nowhere".

So the other day I was on my way home, driving down a street where the speed limit is 25 mph and I know exactly where the cops like to hide on this particular street.

As I'm driving down the street, the dude in the truck behind me is right on my tail and he stays there until he decides to speed up and go around me (mind you, we're on 2 lane street so he's not supposed to pass me).

Well..."Mr. Speed Demon" zooms around me and guess who's waiting for him as soon as he does...Yep...you guessed it...a cop. YAY!!!

That's what dude gets.

I'm sure that as his ticket was being written up he was probably calling me every name in the book. Oh well...as long as MY name wasn't the one on that ticket, I really don't care.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin! Are you a "speed demon"?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

The ABCs of Me

Today's post is inspired by Judy, one of my two very best friends in the whole wide world.

She's created a social psychology collage and I think it is absolutely bee-yoo-tee-ful.
So much so, I want to create one myself. Hopefully she'll show me how one day (hint hint, wink wink).

The background for her collage really captures who she is. Without her even having to say or write a word, you "get it".

Then she added meaningful photos which also reflect who she is. I love her choice of photos ;-)

And then, she chose each letter of the alphabet to describe herself. That's the part that I will attempt for myself here. I'm just gonna type the first thing that comes to mind. Here goes:

A - Affectionate
B - Bubbly
C - Chatty
D - Determined
E - Ebullient
F - Friendly
G - Genuine
H - Hospitable
I - Inspiring
J - Jolly
K - Kind
L - Lovable
M - Momma
N - Nervous
O - Optimistic
P - Patient
Q - Quiet
R - Resilient
S - Studious
T - Talkative
U - Understanding
V - Vigilant
W - Writer
X - Xtra special
Y - Youthful
Z - Zaftig

There ya have it folks. I think that those who know me best would agree with the descriptions. There may be a couple that would tilt a few heads. And for the life of me, I couldn't think of ANYTHING for the letter X, so I got a little "creative" on that one. But these are pretty much me in a nutshell...The ABCs of Me.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin! Using each letter of the alphabet, which words best describe you?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

***

So...this afternoon, my dear friend Judy, actually made a collage FOR me. I absolutely LOVE it!!! The clipart image of the girl with letters floating around is the original image that I had for this post. I've now added my BEAUTIFUL collage for all the world to see. Judy, my friend...I love you!

From The Mouths Of Babes

So my daughter Lauren works at a park. Every now and then she comes home with a funny story about the kids that are part of the park program.

Last night, she told me a story about her friend's young niece that reminded me of a story about my youngest daughter Jordan when she was little.

Lauren told me that the friend's niece was at the nail shop when a VERY VERY LARGE woman walked in. As the woman went to sit down in the chair to get her feet done the little girl looked at her with a fretful face and shouted, "NOOO, it's gonna break!"

Now...adults know better than to say such things (even if it may have been true), but children don't have "filters". They tell it like it is. Not saying that it's right, but it is what it is.

So that incident reminded me of one that happened when my daughter Jordan was 3 years old.

Now I'm a big woman...plus-sized, overweight, fat...call it what you will. So I have to shop at the "big girl" stores.

So when Jordan was 3, I had her with me while I shopped at Lane Bryant. As we're in line at the register Jordan notices the VERY VERY Large woman in front of us and she says to me, "Mommy, that lady is a big ol' fat".

I was sooo embarrassed and wanted to crawl under a rock. I apologized to the woman and told Jordan that her words were not nice and that she needed to apologize. So she goes up to the woman and says in her adorable little 3 year old voice, "Lady, I'm sorry you're a big ol' fat."

Ok. At that point I needed someone to DROP a rock ON me.

That wasn't quite the apology I meant, but I understood that in her 3 year old mind, the apology was sufficient. At the very least, it was honest. Which leads us to today's topic...

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever heard a child say?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Things I don't "Like"

So here I am again venting about Facebook and something that I don't "Like" about it.

RE-POSTING!!!

I don't mind when others post or re-post, however, I DO NOT WANT TO BE COERCED INTO REPOSTING by guilt-riddled comments like these:

...let's see how many people re-post this.. I have a feeling I'm gonna see almost no re-post

...Copy and re-post if you...

I am GROWN people!!! I don't need to be TOLD what to re-post, nor do I need to be made to feel badly if I choose not to.

If I like a post enough, I will re-post it, but I ALWAYS remove the part at the end telling others to re-post.

To me, re-posting is like the chain-letter of Facebook. You know..."if you don't send this to 10 people in 10 minutes, yadda, yadda, yadda".

My blessings are not tied to a chain email, nor are they tied to a re-posted comment.

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin! What irks YOU about Facebook?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Goodbye Melvin, Hello MELODY!!!

Ok. So those who know me well know that I have this habit of naming my possesions. You know...kinda like how people name their cars (mine by the way is named Kenya). And the way that people name boats...well, I name a few other things, especially...my iPods. And I've had a few.

I won my first iPod at work. It was a shuffle and it held 200 songs. I thought, "Wow...200 hundred songs...that's a lot." Lemme tell ya...that thing was filled to capacity in no time, but it didn't have a name.

The shuffle suited me well but once I spotted the nano with the color screen, I had to have it. So with my tax return money that year I bought one for myself as a treat. It was blue and sooo pretty. Something that pretty just HAD to have a name. So I named it Azure. And Azure went everywhere I went.

Well...we had another contest at work and guess what...I won an iPod touch. The funny part though is that I was so happy with Azure I wasn't really even that interested in the touch. It just seemed way to "gadgety" for my taste. Took me some time to even open it up.

Then the folks at work started telling me about the features, so I decided to check it out. I was IN LOVE!!! And my love's name was MELVIN.

Yes, MELVIN. A soulful name from the 70's that you just don't hear anymore. And MELVIN was full of soul.

So into my drawer went Azure, and into my pockets, purse, palm, went MELVIN.

That was...until a couple of months ago. Melvin died :-(

Water damage, so they said.

So for months I've gone without my iPod and have had to make do with CDs. Just not the same.

After finally saving enough money, I bought a new one. And once again, I've found LOVE!!! This time, in MELODY. That's the name of my new iPod. And she's pictured here. Ain't she purdy???

Even as I'm writing this post, I've got her playing right next to me in my little portable speakers. She is an absolute dream. As a mother of three, it's rare that I buy anything for myself...but this time...just this once...I had to get something for ME...and I am sooo glad that I did. It's been great on my morning walks. The time just flies by when I've got Melody plugged in.

The protective cover that I bought speaks volumes. It's colorful (which I find music to be), and there are lots of hearts (which reflect my great love for music).

I even applied the protective film thingy perfectly on the first try...no bubbles.

So there you have it folks. Yeah, this post is pretty long. But anybody who knows me will attest to the fact that I could go on for days when it comes to music. But for now, I'll stop here.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! Do you name objects?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Sharing My Praise & Worship Playlist

Most people who are writing anything today are writing about this being the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks on our country...recounting where they were, who they were with, how they felt, etc.

My writing on this day is of a different twist.

I woke up this morning and prayed as I do each day. In my prayer I included the victims, their families, the men and women who risked their own lives to save the lives of others, our country, and the leadership of our country.

Then I went to church (as I do 99.9% of the Sundays during the year).

Many people probably stayed home on this day, for one reason or another. But you see, the best way to overcome the enemy is to keep giving God glory, honor, praise and worship...especially at a time when those things are NOT expected. And hear me clearly when I say "enemy". I'm talking spiritual enemy...NOT a race or religion of people. We are ALL God's creation...PERIOD!

So MY day, has been one of PRAISE and WORSHIP, through song. On my iPod (yes, I have a new one which I'll be blogging about soon), I have a Praise & Worship playlist. Today, I wanted to share it with YOU.

I know that this may sound morbid to some, but as a believer in Christ, my Lord and Savior, I am certainly not afraid of death. Not that I'm hoping for it any time soon, because I have a lot more work to do here on earth, lots more people to help and share the Gospel with. However, whenever I am called home to be with the Lord, I would love it if my friends and family would listen to my playlist.

EVERY song is uplifting.
EVERY song gives God glory.
EVERY song makes me happy when I hear it (and of course, when I sing along...which you KNOW I do).

So here they are. Not in any special order. I tend to listen on shuffle so that I get a surprise every time I listen.

You Who Reigns - GB5
You Loved Me (Live) - Karen Clark Sheard & Kiera "Kiki" Sheard
You Are The Living Word - Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ
You Are Good - Israel & New Breed
You Are God Alone - Marvin Sapp
Worshipper In Me - Marvin Sapp
We Offer You Praise - Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers
We Offer Praise - Rodnie Bryant & CCMC
We Are One - Daryl Coley
Unconditional - Kirk Franklin Presents One Nation Crew
With Long Life - Israel and New Breed
To Our God - Judith Christie McAllister
Thou Art A Shield For Me: Psalm 3 - Byron Cage
Thirsty [Reprise] - Marvin Sapp
Thirsty - Marvin Sapp
Still Say, Thank You -Smokie Norful
Shout Unto God - Marvin Sapp
Safe In His Arms - Milton Brunson
Sáciame Señor/Yo Sé Que Estás Aquí - Donnie McClurkin & JoAnn Rosario

Rivers Flow - Marvin Sapp
Revelations 19:1 - Stephen Hurd
Praise Him In Advance - Marvin Sapp
Our Father You Are Holy - Ricky Dillard
Nothing Else Matters (Album Version) - Israel & New Breed
No Greater Love - Fred Hammond
Never Would Have Made It - Marvin Sapp
Moving Forward - Israel Houghton
Matthew 28 - Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers
The Lord Will Make a Way Somehow - Hezekiah Walker & The Love Fellowship Choir featuring Kim Burrell

Lord I Lift Your Name On High - Donnie McClurkin
Just To Be Close To You - Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ
Jesus I Love You - Norman Hutchins
Inhabit My Praise/Oh the Presence of the Lord - Praise & Rodney Posey
In The Sanctuary - Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers
I Will Bless The Lord (Reprise)- Byron Cage
I Will Bless The Lord - Byron Cage
I Trust You - Fiya & James Fortune
I Told the Storm - Gerg O'Quin 'n Joyful Noyze
I Smile - Kirk Franklin
I Do Worship (Live)- John P. Kee
I Calll you Faithful - Donnie McClurkin
I'll Trust You, Lord - Donnie McClurkin
I'll Run to You - Vicki Yohe
Holy Spirit - Earnest Pugh
He Loves Me - Kirk Franklin
Great Is Your Mercy - Donnie McClurkin
Goin' Up Yonder - Ruben Studdard
Glory To Your Name - Byron Cage
Friend of God - Israel & New Breed
Falling In Love With Jesus - Kirk Whalum
Faith - Ricky Dillard & New G Christian & Gospel
Don't Give Up On Jesus - Daryl Corey / Vanessa Bell Armstrong
Crazy Praise - Monique Walker
Can't Live - Second Baptist Mass Choir
Calvary - Richard Smallwood & Vision
Blessed & Highly Favored - The Clark Sisters
The Best In Me - Marvin Sapp
The Heavens Are Telling - Karen Clark Sheard & Kiera "Kiki" Sheard


Let the DIALOGUE begin! If a friend of yours left a playist for YOU to listen to once their time here on earth was over, would you listen to it?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Ouch!!!

Okay, so I'm not one to complain, especially when I'm sick, but that's because I am RARELY sick.

Even now, I still wouldn't say that I'm sick...I would just say that "something isn't workin' right".

One thing I know for sure is that I have a high tolerance for pain...EXTREMELY high.

How do I know this? Because I've had 3 babies via natural childbirth WITHOUT drugs/painkillers, and my longest labor (the first one) was only 7 hours long. Somethin' about me going "into to zone" when I'm in pain.

But there doesn't seem to be a "zone" when it comes to this ear ache that I've had for the past 4 days. Feels like something has crawled in my ear...and is STILL crawling...creating terrible pressure in my ear.

So yesterday, when I couldn't take it anymore, I decided to call the E.N.T. specialist who hooked me up the last time I had an issue with my ear. I call...tell them why I need to come in, and they schedule me for the 16th. THE 16TH!!! That's a whole 8 days from now (yesterday). What am I supposed to do for 8 more days?!?

So I came up with another idea...I called my P.C.P.

Mind you, he's the one who sent me to the E.N.T. the last time, but I figured, at the very least, he could flush my ear out (sounds gross, but it feels so good), and prescribe an antibiotic. Well, my luck wasn't much better on that call. He can't get me in until the 13th.

Seriously?!?

My only other option is urgent care, but that's $50 a pop and for this unemployed mother of 3...that's just not happenin'.

So...Extra Strength Tylenol has been my BFF for the past 2 days. Not quite sure how much is too much, but if it takes the pain away...then it's just enough.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What's the worst pain you've ever been in?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

i SEE you

Many times I've wondered what the world would be like if people actually SAW one another as opposed to looking through or past each other. What would happen if people would overlook "flaws" and see people for who they are on the inside.

Maybe I'm the only one who has spent the majority of life being seen past or through, yet never being SEEN. Then again, may you have too.

Have you ever been in a room full of people, yet no one knew you were there? I have.

No, this isn't a "pity party". I'm just keeping it real. This has been my experience, so why candy coat it. I won't and I don't.

Today's post is short and sweet. I SEE you.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! Are you constantly overlooked, wondering when/if anyone will actually recognize you for the wonderful person you are?

Maybe you're like me with a exterior appearance that's "less than desirable" according to societies standards.

Well I have a word for you my friend. A word that gives me comfort, and I hope it does for you as well:

1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

So if you've been overlooked most of your life as I have, don't worry. God SEES you. And He sees you where it matters most. He sees your HEART. Now that's something to be happy about.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Goin' for it!

I finally did it!

I booked my flight to Texas!!!

Some may think that now is an awful time for me to be traveling (considering that I don't have a job), but to the contrary, I think that now is the BEST time for me to go. Afterall, what am I going to do...wait until I HAVE a job and then have to ask for time off. Nope, that's not happenin'! So I went ahead and bit the bullet. A great travel offer came along in my email this morning and I jumped on it. It was the lowest fare that I had seen to Texas EVER...and I've been watching the fares closely.

So I'm gonna go visit my niece, her husband, my fairy-god-niece, and my godson. And I am sooo excited!

Never been to Texas and I really want to spend some time with my godson so that he'll know who I am.

This is just another example of me living my life without any "coulda", "shoulda"," would'ves". I've lived long enough and have allowed too many opportunities to pass me by. Not doin' that EVER again.

So I live my life for today. Tomorrow will worry about itself.

I'm living a life of "no regrets". Up until this point, so far I only have ONE regret...that is, that I've never had a man love me enough to make me his wife for life.

That's it! There's just that one. And hey...I'm still breathing, so there's still hope that I can cross that one off my list one day. Sure would be nice.

Anyhoo...

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What irrational thing have you done lately that most people would say wasn't a wise decision, yet you did it anyway?

Talk to me!!!

Til next time...

Ewww!

This was my Facebook status yesterday:

...was grossed out today at the fabric store. as i'm sitting at the table looking thru the pattern books, the ladies to my left, right, and in front of me were ALL licking their fingers as they turned the pages. ICK!!! that is sooo unsanitary. that's why i always have hand sanitizer with me. people are nasty!

It really got me to thinking about the hygiene habits (or lack thereof) that people have.

As those women were fingering through the pages, and I listened to the disgusting sound of their lips smacking with each lick, all I could think about was how many "lickers" before them had turned those same pages, and how many "lickers" would come after them and do the same. GROSS!!!

Then I thought about all of the non-hand washers that are roaming around. I don't know about YOU, but I was raised to WASH MY HANDS...After going to the bathroom, before cooking, before eating...I even wash my hands before I wash dishes.

Surprisingly, over the years I've found that NON-hand washing appears to be more common than hand washing. You've probably noticed it too.

If you've ever worked in an office, have you ever gone to the restroom, heard someone come in after you...do their business...flush, open the stall door, and walk right out the restroom door...NEVER STOPPING AT THE SINK TO WASH THEIR HANDS!

I've experienced this too many times. So many that I developed the habit of looking at the feet of the person in the stall next to me. That way, if they "flush and go", I'll know who they are by their shoes, and I'll know NOT to eat anything that they bring for potluck.

I once worked with a co-worker who was a non-hand washer. We were good friends so one day I asked her why she didn't wash her hands. She very openly admitted that it just wasn't something that she did. It wasn't a habit for her. Her exact words were, "I just went in to pee. Why should I wash my hands?" GROSS!!!

I explained why, and it caused her to see things a WHOLE LOT differently. From that point on, she joined the "hand washers" club.

So now, Let the DIALOGUE begin! What's the gross-est thing you've ever seen someone do in public?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

What a Difference 4 Days Make

"How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone."
~ James 4:14

Last Tuesday I went to a friend's house. As I walked toward her front door to ring the doorbell I whisked by a flower that was growing in her yard. Yes, in my haste to get to my next stop, I just zoomed right on by the flower.

I rang the doorbell and as I waited for my friend to answer, I was prompted to go back to the flower and take a picture. It was sooo pretty. How could I pass that up? So I snapped the picture and then we were on our merry way. I didn't think much of the picture after that. Looked at it a few times. Still thought it was pretty, but wasn't quite sure what I was supposed to do with it.

Until...

Yesterday.

Yesterday I was at her house again, and as I went by the spot where the flower was, I noticed that it had drastically changed. It was almost gone.

The flower that had just 4 days before captivated my attention with its splendor, had now dried up and resembled nothing of what it was before.

Even in its new "not-so-pretty" state though, I was again compelled to take its picture.

And that's what you see at the top of the page. Last Tuesday's picture, and yesterday's pic.

As do most things, this little flower got me to thinking. Thinking about life and how many things go unnoticed and unappreciated. Similar to the number of times that flower had probably been passed by and gone unnoticed, there are many PEOPLE who experience the same. Everybody desires to be noticed. Regardless of how beautiful they are (or are not) on the outside, that doesn't negate the beauty that they possess within.

Every life is meaningful. Every life has a purpose. Every life is worthy of being noticed.

Psalm 150:6 states, "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!"

This is what we are ALL commanded to do. Notice, it doesn't say Let every BELIEVER...or Let every CHRISTIAN...no...it says let Everything that has breath (that's YOU, that's ME, that's ALL OF US!!!) praise the LORD.

That flower had breath. It was a living thing. It grew, and it died. While it was alive, it gave God glory by simply doing what it was called to do. That flower didn't try to be a bird. It didn't try to be a fish. It didn't try to be human. It did just what it was purposed to do. It was a flower.

Even though that flower is dead now, there are at least 2 lessons that I've learned from it. Maybe you see more.

1.DO WHAT YOU WERE PURPOSED TO DO. Plain and simple. That's what the flower did.

2. Appreciate your friends, family and others WHILE THEY ARE ALIVE. You see, when I saw that flower in all its splendor on Tuesday, I had no idea that it would be dead on Saturday. The thought never even crossed my mind. Let's not let this happen to the people in our lives. Let them know NOW how much they mean to you.

With that said...

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What other lessons do you think can be learned from the flower?

Talk to me!

Til next time...