Saturday, May 5, 2012
Happy Cinco de Mayo
Today is Cinco de Mayo...a day when we give thanks to the Mexicans for tequila and burritos. Of course I am kidding, I have no idea why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo unless I Google it and then I could tell you about the battle between the French and the Mexicans. I don't care to do that since this is not a post about history. Actually, I just need a reason to write today.
Why do I need a reason to write today?
Mostly because I wanted to follow up on my last post, I said I was going to write more and then we changed cable providers. What happened after that was neither of my notebooks would connect to the internet and I only had my kindle fire which is great for reading and not so great for writing. My husband and I went over the idea of fixing the old notebooks so we could use them and we probably will eventually, but I wanted an iPad. Finally, yesterday for my birthday which is next month I got my iPad. Guess I don't have an excuse not to write. I have actually been looking forward to putting more into my writing.
For most of my life I have wanted to write and make money writing. For a variety of reasons I have stifled my creativity and not made use of my talents. As I mentioned, next month is my birthday. It is my 40th birthday an I have decided that it is now or never. I either need to get some good ideas written or I need to give up my dream. Guess what? I am deciding not to give up my dream.
First I need to find out what I would like to write about? Fiction, non-fiction...action, drama, comedy, romance, science-fiction. There are so many options that just figuring out what I would be best at is going to be a large task. Also I have to commit to this just like I would commit to any other job. I need to set up an office where I am comfortable and distractions are at a minimum. Each day I need to spend a certain amount of time working.
Currently, I am reading some books about writing. That sounds funny but I think that there is something to be said for those who have experience and mentoring. My access to other writers is simply that of reading books and seeing what is out there already. Coming up with something original is going to be another difficult task. That is where I am calling upon my creativity for sparks that hopefully will turn into full blown Bon fires.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Death of a Super Star
First of all, it has been way too long since I have blogged and that is just wrong. I should be putting my thoughts somewhere so they don't clog up my brain. Just like your digestive tract, your mind should be flushed frequently so that it works properly. So, dear readers...it is time for a mental detox and today is day one of my mental cleansing. I will probably offend a few people in this post and then there will be those who agree with me. Either way, I hope that each of you finds my point to be more important than the way I am approaching it.
Death of a Super Star: I'm going somewhere with this...probably not where you think.
Saturday a week ago Whitney Houston, pop diva of the 80's and 90's, died in Hollywood the night before the Grammy Awards were to be presented and televised. To say I was shocked would be a lie - I was not shocked to hear the news and briefly it did sadden me. Whitney Houston was known to struggle with addiction for many years. She allegedly drowned in her bathtub, with her entourage and visitors sitting in the next room oblivious to her state until it was too late to revive her. How did this happen? We don't know the details yet, no toxicology results have been made public but we do know that there were prescription drugs found in her hotel room. Her life was lived out on TV and in the news media, the media made sure we knew that she had issues well before her death over a week ago.
In her death she joins the ranks of other great voices or Super Stars that died too soon and similarly dealt with addiction issues including most notably Elvis and Michael Jackson. Oh, and there are a host of others as well, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison are a few more that come to mind when I think about musicians who were talented and because of their demons and struggles with substance abuse came to a sad demise. Of course (once again I will point out) toxicology reports have not been made public about her death yet but one can speculate that she may have been under the influence when she passed...I am speculating.
Can you blame any one person for her drug abuse? I don't think so...being in the business that she was in, drugs were around all the time and readily available. Celebrity rehab is big bucks in Hollywood and why do you think that is? Probably because there are so many "yes" people and doctors who are willing to prescribe to celebrities because they want to be well known and cash in on the popularity of that celebrity. When someone is locking themselves in their bathroom and smoking crack for days...(as it was rumored that Whitney did) there are people who just look the other way and act like it is no big deal. Whitney was known for her famous words "Crack is Whack" saying that she was too good to be a crackhead...and just because she denied it doesn't mean it's not true. Addicts are known liars and you cannot convince me that she was not a crackhead.
So, you can blame her, blame her people, and lot's of people are blaming Bobby Brown but I think to myself...it was allowed to happen. Where were all of her friends when she was sucking on that crack pipe or mixing medications and alcohol? Some of them may have just been sitting outside her door and basking in her popularity yet, they did not really care what she was doing in that bathroom until it was too late. That is the thing about being a celebrity, there are way too many people who are just hanging around for their own selfish purposes. You can apply this to Elvis and Michael Jackson and their own situations as well. No one was taking Elvis' meds away from him or telling him to slow down on the mac and cheese and fried chicken.(BTW food kills you just like drugs do). No one was concerned that Michael Jackson had a personal doctor putting him under so he could sleep or that he was addicted to pain killers because of all the plastic surgery he had had done on himself. Here's an idea about blame...blame anyone who had a chance to step in and intervene for Whitney but sat around and just watched her kill herself. You can't tell me nobody knew she was partying on the night she died. I don't buy that.
Now, I am going to talk about the homegoing, which is a funeral for us white folks. First of all, four hours is a long funeral, I don't care who you are. I realized there were a lot of celebrity tributes and there were several sermons and speakers. It was a who's who of the black entertainment community, and those who weren't there including Aretha Franklin are being speculated about why they were absent. My thoughts on Aretha are that maybe she was one of the smart people who realized how messed up this whole situation was and decided that she wasn't going to be part of it. Bobby Brown evidently brought too many people and was irritated that he couldn't sit where he wanted nor could all his people sit with him so he left before the funeral started. I think Bobby wanted recognition and some of the spotlight and maybe he should have not shown up at all. That is my personal opinion...I have no love for Bobby Brown, especially because he is known as a wife abuser. He should have stayed wherever he was with his people and went on about his business. Listening to Tyler Perry speak and Kevin Costner was very moving but personally I do not share the same feelings for this woman as so many obviously do. I believe faith of believers and what is right and good in the world was misconstrued in so many ways during her homegoing.
This is why I feel like I do...
If Whitney Houston had not been a Super Star, she would have been just another addict who had died and very few people would have described her as an angel in Heaven, nor would they make statements such as the one Kevin Costner did about her being escorted to Heaven by an army of angels. Now let me be clear, I am not judging Whitney nor where her soul lies in the afterlife. That is not my job. If she is in some kind of crazy celebrity choir in Heaven with Elvis and Michael, then when I get to Heaven, and hopefully I will go to Heaven, it will be a big ol' surprise to me...the Lord does work in mysterious ways...right?
Here it is...if she were not so famous, she would not have been so well spoken of by so many famous people. In my opinion, these famous people who were claiming her soul is with God or in Heaven were themselves judging which is not their job. Only one person knows where Whitney is and that is Whitney...and God who we have the hope that he is full of grace and mercy has the answer to that as well. I know I hope the grace and mercy part covers me just as it would cover anyone no matter who they are, because nobody is perfect and we all have problems...famous people have famous problems...which is part of the point I am trying to make.
So, am I the only one who is tired of watching all of the news coverage for this one famous person? There is tragedy that happens every day in many people's lives that does not get media coverage but should. We have become focused on the wrong things. Super Stars are big news...but the war dead get little honor, and while I cannot judge even the war dead on where they will spend eternity, I am more comfortable hearing someone say that angels speed them away to be with God...because they died doing a job that whether you agree with it or not, is way more important than singing songs, winning awards, and being famous. I'm done with this. Tired of hearing these anthems from my youth played over and over honoring a woman that without her voice and her Super Star status would have been just another dead drug addict and sadly no one would care.
My feelings about this will probably rub some people the wrong way, but I did not write this as a tribute to the life of Whitney Houston. I wrote this because I think it is sad that she died and I feel that in the end, all there was to love about her was the songs that she sang. Not knowing her personally...I am not anyone other that someone who listened to her music as a child and later as a young adult. I will not miss Whitney, because I am not her family. By the way someone needs to help her poor daughter get a hold of herself or she will fall into her own downward spiral, if she is not already there. No, Whitney Houston is no longer a Super Star...she is a Star whose light has gone out. She has truly died...and I am hoping that the media will soon let her die...because there are more important things going on in this world...and as hurtful and unfeeling as that sounds, if we don't wake up...we might all be finding ourselves in a bad place sooner more than later.
Wake up America...don't let this death of one person be all we focus on...there is a war going on...and there is a major world threat that most people aren't paying attention to over our dependence on foreign oil. We might be paying $5 a gallon of gas by the end of the summer. Our country could economically collapse if that happens. We are allowing the wrong people to lead us in my own opinion but they are not the only one's to blame. Think of the USA as our Super Star (Super Stars and Stripes if you will) and what is happening is that she is dying (being killed if you want me to be blunt) and everyone is sitting around and letting her die. When she is gone - it will be too late to revive us at least not to the great country we once were, yes I did go there I compared the death of a Super Star to the impending death of our country. As an American I am not comfortable with just sitting around blaming everyone else and not crying out for change...or an intervention of some kind. Let's get off the crack people...the dependency on foreign oil is our country's crack. And just like a crack head, people are going to pay whatever the government tells us we gotta pay??????? Does anyone hear what I am cooking? This is the USA, this is the USA on foreign oil dependency (picture the egg frying in the frying pan for those of you old enough to remember the war on drugs commercials). Any questions?
Death of a Super Star: I'm going somewhere with this...probably not where you think.
Saturday a week ago Whitney Houston, pop diva of the 80's and 90's, died in Hollywood the night before the Grammy Awards were to be presented and televised. To say I was shocked would be a lie - I was not shocked to hear the news and briefly it did sadden me. Whitney Houston was known to struggle with addiction for many years. She allegedly drowned in her bathtub, with her entourage and visitors sitting in the next room oblivious to her state until it was too late to revive her. How did this happen? We don't know the details yet, no toxicology results have been made public but we do know that there were prescription drugs found in her hotel room. Her life was lived out on TV and in the news media, the media made sure we knew that she had issues well before her death over a week ago.
In her death she joins the ranks of other great voices or Super Stars that died too soon and similarly dealt with addiction issues including most notably Elvis and Michael Jackson. Oh, and there are a host of others as well, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison are a few more that come to mind when I think about musicians who were talented and because of their demons and struggles with substance abuse came to a sad demise. Of course (once again I will point out) toxicology reports have not been made public about her death yet but one can speculate that she may have been under the influence when she passed...I am speculating.
Can you blame any one person for her drug abuse? I don't think so...being in the business that she was in, drugs were around all the time and readily available. Celebrity rehab is big bucks in Hollywood and why do you think that is? Probably because there are so many "yes" people and doctors who are willing to prescribe to celebrities because they want to be well known and cash in on the popularity of that celebrity. When someone is locking themselves in their bathroom and smoking crack for days...(as it was rumored that Whitney did) there are people who just look the other way and act like it is no big deal. Whitney was known for her famous words "Crack is Whack" saying that she was too good to be a crackhead...and just because she denied it doesn't mean it's not true. Addicts are known liars and you cannot convince me that she was not a crackhead.
So, you can blame her, blame her people, and lot's of people are blaming Bobby Brown but I think to myself...it was allowed to happen. Where were all of her friends when she was sucking on that crack pipe or mixing medications and alcohol? Some of them may have just been sitting outside her door and basking in her popularity yet, they did not really care what she was doing in that bathroom until it was too late. That is the thing about being a celebrity, there are way too many people who are just hanging around for their own selfish purposes. You can apply this to Elvis and Michael Jackson and their own situations as well. No one was taking Elvis' meds away from him or telling him to slow down on the mac and cheese and fried chicken.(BTW food kills you just like drugs do). No one was concerned that Michael Jackson had a personal doctor putting him under so he could sleep or that he was addicted to pain killers because of all the plastic surgery he had had done on himself. Here's an idea about blame...blame anyone who had a chance to step in and intervene for Whitney but sat around and just watched her kill herself. You can't tell me nobody knew she was partying on the night she died. I don't buy that.
Now, I am going to talk about the homegoing, which is a funeral for us white folks. First of all, four hours is a long funeral, I don't care who you are. I realized there were a lot of celebrity tributes and there were several sermons and speakers. It was a who's who of the black entertainment community, and those who weren't there including Aretha Franklin are being speculated about why they were absent. My thoughts on Aretha are that maybe she was one of the smart people who realized how messed up this whole situation was and decided that she wasn't going to be part of it. Bobby Brown evidently brought too many people and was irritated that he couldn't sit where he wanted nor could all his people sit with him so he left before the funeral started. I think Bobby wanted recognition and some of the spotlight and maybe he should have not shown up at all. That is my personal opinion...I have no love for Bobby Brown, especially because he is known as a wife abuser. He should have stayed wherever he was with his people and went on about his business. Listening to Tyler Perry speak and Kevin Costner was very moving but personally I do not share the same feelings for this woman as so many obviously do. I believe faith of believers and what is right and good in the world was misconstrued in so many ways during her homegoing.
This is why I feel like I do...
If Whitney Houston had not been a Super Star, she would have been just another addict who had died and very few people would have described her as an angel in Heaven, nor would they make statements such as the one Kevin Costner did about her being escorted to Heaven by an army of angels. Now let me be clear, I am not judging Whitney nor where her soul lies in the afterlife. That is not my job. If she is in some kind of crazy celebrity choir in Heaven with Elvis and Michael, then when I get to Heaven, and hopefully I will go to Heaven, it will be a big ol' surprise to me...the Lord does work in mysterious ways...right?
Here it is...if she were not so famous, she would not have been so well spoken of by so many famous people. In my opinion, these famous people who were claiming her soul is with God or in Heaven were themselves judging which is not their job. Only one person knows where Whitney is and that is Whitney...and God who we have the hope that he is full of grace and mercy has the answer to that as well. I know I hope the grace and mercy part covers me just as it would cover anyone no matter who they are, because nobody is perfect and we all have problems...famous people have famous problems...which is part of the point I am trying to make.
So, am I the only one who is tired of watching all of the news coverage for this one famous person? There is tragedy that happens every day in many people's lives that does not get media coverage but should. We have become focused on the wrong things. Super Stars are big news...but the war dead get little honor, and while I cannot judge even the war dead on where they will spend eternity, I am more comfortable hearing someone say that angels speed them away to be with God...because they died doing a job that whether you agree with it or not, is way more important than singing songs, winning awards, and being famous. I'm done with this. Tired of hearing these anthems from my youth played over and over honoring a woman that without her voice and her Super Star status would have been just another dead drug addict and sadly no one would care.
My feelings about this will probably rub some people the wrong way, but I did not write this as a tribute to the life of Whitney Houston. I wrote this because I think it is sad that she died and I feel that in the end, all there was to love about her was the songs that she sang. Not knowing her personally...I am not anyone other that someone who listened to her music as a child and later as a young adult. I will not miss Whitney, because I am not her family. By the way someone needs to help her poor daughter get a hold of herself or she will fall into her own downward spiral, if she is not already there. No, Whitney Houston is no longer a Super Star...she is a Star whose light has gone out. She has truly died...and I am hoping that the media will soon let her die...because there are more important things going on in this world...and as hurtful and unfeeling as that sounds, if we don't wake up...we might all be finding ourselves in a bad place sooner more than later.
Wake up America...don't let this death of one person be all we focus on...there is a war going on...and there is a major world threat that most people aren't paying attention to over our dependence on foreign oil. We might be paying $5 a gallon of gas by the end of the summer. Our country could economically collapse if that happens. We are allowing the wrong people to lead us in my own opinion but they are not the only one's to blame. Think of the USA as our Super Star (Super Stars and Stripes if you will) and what is happening is that she is dying (being killed if you want me to be blunt) and everyone is sitting around and letting her die. When she is gone - it will be too late to revive us at least not to the great country we once were, yes I did go there I compared the death of a Super Star to the impending death of our country. As an American I am not comfortable with just sitting around blaming everyone else and not crying out for change...or an intervention of some kind. Let's get off the crack people...the dependency on foreign oil is our country's crack. And just like a crack head, people are going to pay whatever the government tells us we gotta pay??????? Does anyone hear what I am cooking? This is the USA, this is the USA on foreign oil dependency (picture the egg frying in the frying pan for those of you old enough to remember the war on drugs commercials). Any questions?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Lack of Postivation
Yeah, I have been in a funk for a while and thus the lack of "postivation" which is a word I just made up. Use it if you like, I'm not going to try to own it or anything. But for reals, I have been in such a mood that I have not had a whole lot to shout out about or rant over...even real life has been so mundane that I find myself searching for a dull spork to gouge my own eyeballs out with.
Yes, I love to write and converse over current events, but given that I have only a few lame topics to choose from I have found myself quite bored. So...in light of the recent snoozfest I am going to compile a list of not so newsworthy commentary...just because I am bored and I need something to do right now.
Lindsay Lohan...what a sad sad train wreck she has made herself...we can't look away though, mostly because this is considered NEWS and is getting her share of coverage. Crazy thing is she gets worse as the weeks go by. She supposedly stole a necklace...what's up with that? Is she a glutton for imprisonment? I think so.
Charlie Sheen...prostitutes, drugs, weird ramblings....it's a matter of time before that last brain cell burns out...so glad they took those boys out of his house until he gets serious about his recovery and starts acting like he isn't from another planet.
Quadaffi....give it up already...nobody likes you...and you make no sense when you speak. Not sure that the alternative to no Quadaffi is going to be super awesome. Those middle eastern people never get along...just sayin'. I'm not even sure I am spelling his name right...just that I have seen enough to know here is another person who clearly is not in their right mind...which is also a common thread among leaders in the middle east evidently.
Um...gas prices...what the heck? I am not understanding this at all...I think it is wholly fear based around what is going on in the middle east. Lets get everyone all freaked out about gas prices...rich getting richer every day and people have lost their jobs, not getting raises, losing their homes. And from what I can tell, nothing is being done about this.
Oscars...who saw The Kings Speech? I didn't...and not going to either. Dinner with Schmucks was the best movie I saw last year...and Tron (the new one) in 3D was awesome. This Academy thing must be made up of a lot of old farts who don't go to the movies a lot. Oh and I probably won't see that Swan movie either..even though Natalie Portman is very pretty..
So, this past week has been kind of borish...but somehow I am making it. Missed the guys on Idol tonight because we were watching some weird movie my husband selected off of Netflix. Eventually I will get through the week but for now I think I need to get some rest and try not to think about anything too serious.
Yes, I love to write and converse over current events, but given that I have only a few lame topics to choose from I have found myself quite bored. So...in light of the recent snoozfest I am going to compile a list of not so newsworthy commentary...just because I am bored and I need something to do right now.
Lindsay Lohan...what a sad sad train wreck she has made herself...we can't look away though, mostly because this is considered NEWS and is getting her share of coverage. Crazy thing is she gets worse as the weeks go by. She supposedly stole a necklace...what's up with that? Is she a glutton for imprisonment? I think so.
Charlie Sheen...prostitutes, drugs, weird ramblings....it's a matter of time before that last brain cell burns out...so glad they took those boys out of his house until he gets serious about his recovery and starts acting like he isn't from another planet.
Quadaffi....give it up already...nobody likes you...and you make no sense when you speak. Not sure that the alternative to no Quadaffi is going to be super awesome. Those middle eastern people never get along...just sayin'. I'm not even sure I am spelling his name right...just that I have seen enough to know here is another person who clearly is not in their right mind...which is also a common thread among leaders in the middle east evidently.
Um...gas prices...what the heck? I am not understanding this at all...I think it is wholly fear based around what is going on in the middle east. Lets get everyone all freaked out about gas prices...rich getting richer every day and people have lost their jobs, not getting raises, losing their homes. And from what I can tell, nothing is being done about this.
Oscars...who saw The Kings Speech? I didn't...and not going to either. Dinner with Schmucks was the best movie I saw last year...and Tron (the new one) in 3D was awesome. This Academy thing must be made up of a lot of old farts who don't go to the movies a lot. Oh and I probably won't see that Swan movie either..even though Natalie Portman is very pretty..
So, this past week has been kind of borish...but somehow I am making it. Missed the guys on Idol tonight because we were watching some weird movie my husband selected off of Netflix. Eventually I will get through the week but for now I think I need to get some rest and try not to think about anything too serious.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year
First of all Happy New Year to all of my readers. May 2011 find you more blessed than ever and may you always seek ways that you can improve your life each year as well as ways that you can be a blessing or influence to other people. Which brings me to the purpose of this particular blog posting, which is the dreaded New Year's resolution list.
Last year my resolution was to not have a New Year's resolution. Probably most of that was out of fear of failure and wanting to be a little Mrs. Smarty Pants to go against the proverbial grain. But this year I feel very motivated to set goals and even if I don't achieve what I want to, at least I am going to give it a try. My son's school principal said something very wise to me last year and that was that they were "equipped to meet both of my son's where they are at in their learning and that any progress is just that...progress". I thought to myself, that I could apply this in my own life. Even though I might not be at the level I want to be in my own journey that any thing that I accomplish is progress and progress is a wonderful word...and a good thing.
So, here is my list.
1. Fitness goals...I have set some pretty large goals for myself in terms of physical fitness. We joined The Rush last year and I have been faithfully attending at least 5 days a week. However, I have not nailed down my diet routine and therefor I feel I have fallen short of my fitness goals. Yes, I am more physically fit, I have a stronger body...but I am nowhere near the place I feel I should be. This year I am committing myself to continue work outs and to also be more dedicated to consistency in my diet plan. Still working out the diet plan as a whole but the main things are that I want to cut down on sodium, bad sugars and bad carbs. Also to work on not eating so many pre-packaged foods or processed foods.
2. Spiritual healing and health. A major part of my health depends on the fitness of my mind and soul. This year I want to hone in on those things that will make me stronger in spirit. This includes but it not limited to activities in church and interaction with people who share the common bonds of spiritual worship with me. I do not exclude those of different faiths but welcome others to share their light with me. We all live in this world together and I believe we are meant to be united and not divided. Nuff said.
3. Being servant minded. This is something that is not really a new concept to me but one that I never actually think I have acted upon in a real way or given my whole attention to. It is stepping out of my comfort zone but the small things that I have already participated in have made me want to do more. I've had placed in my path a few servant minded people who are really fired up and want to look for ways to help other people and it has inspired me. This year I want to be the year that I make a real change in my life to be less self serving and more minded of other people. I truly believe, and this is not being selfish it is just an observation...that when I have chosen to help others and have stepped outside the normal level of what I have done in the past. That I find myself appreciating more in my own life. I think what goes around comes around and you get what you put out there. This is probably the most important of my resolutions this year as I look around and find so many people who are in need of compassion. In my personal life I have friends who have parents that are in their last stages of life, friends who are fighting sickness and others that just need a kind word once in a while. I've been in the position where I have had personal needs that have been met by those others who are servant minded and that also has made me want to put acts of kindness back out there. I could go on all day but I fear that I would lose my readers if I haven't lost you yet. :-)
In conclusion I just want to send out blessings to all of you who chose to read this blog for a prosperous New Year and hope that 2011 is a year that we all learn new ways to improve ourselves as well as search for ways to be better friends, family and even reaching out to others that are not in our "comfort zone".
Peace be with you, may you be renewed in this new year and above all may your light shine...wherever you are, because progress is just that...progress. Wishing all a very progressive 2011.
Last year my resolution was to not have a New Year's resolution. Probably most of that was out of fear of failure and wanting to be a little Mrs. Smarty Pants to go against the proverbial grain. But this year I feel very motivated to set goals and even if I don't achieve what I want to, at least I am going to give it a try. My son's school principal said something very wise to me last year and that was that they were "equipped to meet both of my son's where they are at in their learning and that any progress is just that...progress". I thought to myself, that I could apply this in my own life. Even though I might not be at the level I want to be in my own journey that any thing that I accomplish is progress and progress is a wonderful word...and a good thing.
So, here is my list.
1. Fitness goals...I have set some pretty large goals for myself in terms of physical fitness. We joined The Rush last year and I have been faithfully attending at least 5 days a week. However, I have not nailed down my diet routine and therefor I feel I have fallen short of my fitness goals. Yes, I am more physically fit, I have a stronger body...but I am nowhere near the place I feel I should be. This year I am committing myself to continue work outs and to also be more dedicated to consistency in my diet plan. Still working out the diet plan as a whole but the main things are that I want to cut down on sodium, bad sugars and bad carbs. Also to work on not eating so many pre-packaged foods or processed foods.
2. Spiritual healing and health. A major part of my health depends on the fitness of my mind and soul. This year I want to hone in on those things that will make me stronger in spirit. This includes but it not limited to activities in church and interaction with people who share the common bonds of spiritual worship with me. I do not exclude those of different faiths but welcome others to share their light with me. We all live in this world together and I believe we are meant to be united and not divided. Nuff said.
3. Being servant minded. This is something that is not really a new concept to me but one that I never actually think I have acted upon in a real way or given my whole attention to. It is stepping out of my comfort zone but the small things that I have already participated in have made me want to do more. I've had placed in my path a few servant minded people who are really fired up and want to look for ways to help other people and it has inspired me. This year I want to be the year that I make a real change in my life to be less self serving and more minded of other people. I truly believe, and this is not being selfish it is just an observation...that when I have chosen to help others and have stepped outside the normal level of what I have done in the past. That I find myself appreciating more in my own life. I think what goes around comes around and you get what you put out there. This is probably the most important of my resolutions this year as I look around and find so many people who are in need of compassion. In my personal life I have friends who have parents that are in their last stages of life, friends who are fighting sickness and others that just need a kind word once in a while. I've been in the position where I have had personal needs that have been met by those others who are servant minded and that also has made me want to put acts of kindness back out there. I could go on all day but I fear that I would lose my readers if I haven't lost you yet. :-)
In conclusion I just want to send out blessings to all of you who chose to read this blog for a prosperous New Year and hope that 2011 is a year that we all learn new ways to improve ourselves as well as search for ways to be better friends, family and even reaching out to others that are not in our "comfort zone".
Peace be with you, may you be renewed in this new year and above all may your light shine...wherever you are, because progress is just that...progress. Wishing all a very progressive 2011.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
Well here we are and another Thanksgiving is about to wrap up and now we are going to dive into the Christmas season head on. Some of us will be up early to find the best door busters at Walmart or Target, some of us will sleep late and enjoy a long weekend and still others will have to trudge back to the workplace tomorrow to complete the work week. Whatever your plans, it is now the official kickoff of Christmas and Hanukkah otherwise known as the "holidays" and as always, I am just as excited as if I were still a kid.
This year we decided to have Thanksgiving at my brother's house with my parents, my sister IL's parents and brother and her siser IL, plus all the kiddos. My brother made his first turkey and it was one of the best I've ever tasted...juicy and full of flavor. We did the mid-day Thanksgiving meal and by 3:30pm my hubby and the kids were back home and sacked out in front of the TV. I finally had to give it up and take a short nap after all of the turkey enzymes kicked in.
Thanksgiving this year has been more than just Turkey and hanging out with my family. Each day I have tried to reflect on the important things in my life and I have chronicled them in my Facebook status updates. Some of these things have been the obvious things that all of us tend to be thankful for like family and friends and other things have been less obvious or maybe things that we take for granted because they are so common such as clean water. Big and small there are so many things I have been blessed with and I think that a little part of each and every day should be dedicated to giving thanks for those things. Thanksgiving should not be limited to one time every year.
This year I have been blessed with the gift of healing, not of my physical body but of my "heart". I feel that my heart has been changed in such an amazing way and that my spirit has been lifted up to a new place. There is an awakening in my spiritual life that each day is being strengthened. There have been positive influences that have been put in my path as well as new connections with other believers who have had similar experiences in there life journey as I have had. That feeling of not being alone in my struggles has been encouraging and I am so happy that God has put those people in my path.
One of the most important things I have learned is that I don't have to live a life based on what has happened in the past. I am more than the poor choices I have made in the past. What I can be in the future is so much more than all of that because I am constantly renewed. What a blessing to be forgiven and live in the light as opposed to the desperation of darkness that can often overcome one's life when you don't seek the light. Also a live lived in fear and doubt is not much of a life so I am seeking to overcome weakness that comes with those toxic elements.
As the day comes to an end I just want to give thanks once again for my family, friends and all that I have been blessed with. This year I feel loved and have more love to give than I remember ever having. I'm looking forward to the holidays with the anticipation of opportunity to share more special time with my kids, my husband, parents and close friends. Also I am looking forward to connecting in the spiritual sense with others and yes also with the Lord. I feel him making a real difference in my life and that truly is a reason to celebrate.
Happy Holidays to everyone, may your prayers be answered and your blessings be many. May the light shine in your path and the darkness shrink away. And let love be your answer, because love is of God and to know love is also to know him. God is love...God is love...
This year we decided to have Thanksgiving at my brother's house with my parents, my sister IL's parents and brother and her siser IL, plus all the kiddos. My brother made his first turkey and it was one of the best I've ever tasted...juicy and full of flavor. We did the mid-day Thanksgiving meal and by 3:30pm my hubby and the kids were back home and sacked out in front of the TV. I finally had to give it up and take a short nap after all of the turkey enzymes kicked in.
Thanksgiving this year has been more than just Turkey and hanging out with my family. Each day I have tried to reflect on the important things in my life and I have chronicled them in my Facebook status updates. Some of these things have been the obvious things that all of us tend to be thankful for like family and friends and other things have been less obvious or maybe things that we take for granted because they are so common such as clean water. Big and small there are so many things I have been blessed with and I think that a little part of each and every day should be dedicated to giving thanks for those things. Thanksgiving should not be limited to one time every year.
This year I have been blessed with the gift of healing, not of my physical body but of my "heart". I feel that my heart has been changed in such an amazing way and that my spirit has been lifted up to a new place. There is an awakening in my spiritual life that each day is being strengthened. There have been positive influences that have been put in my path as well as new connections with other believers who have had similar experiences in there life journey as I have had. That feeling of not being alone in my struggles has been encouraging and I am so happy that God has put those people in my path.
One of the most important things I have learned is that I don't have to live a life based on what has happened in the past. I am more than the poor choices I have made in the past. What I can be in the future is so much more than all of that because I am constantly renewed. What a blessing to be forgiven and live in the light as opposed to the desperation of darkness that can often overcome one's life when you don't seek the light. Also a live lived in fear and doubt is not much of a life so I am seeking to overcome weakness that comes with those toxic elements.
As the day comes to an end I just want to give thanks once again for my family, friends and all that I have been blessed with. This year I feel loved and have more love to give than I remember ever having. I'm looking forward to the holidays with the anticipation of opportunity to share more special time with my kids, my husband, parents and close friends. Also I am looking forward to connecting in the spiritual sense with others and yes also with the Lord. I feel him making a real difference in my life and that truly is a reason to celebrate.
Happy Holidays to everyone, may your prayers be answered and your blessings be many. May the light shine in your path and the darkness shrink away. And let love be your answer, because love is of God and to know love is also to know him. God is love...God is love...
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday Minute
"The Outsiders"
*One genre of music needs to be banned. Which genre?
Banned, isn't that a little harsh? I don't like Kidz Bop, so if I have to pick - I pick Kidz Bop.
*All time favorite candy?
Chocolate
*How 'flawed' is your driving record?
No points
*What was high school mascot?
Um, Bulldogs, Bison and Tigers (I went to three different high schools)
and finally
What color socks are you wearing?
I'm not wearing any.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Yeah, It Pours...
You know the old saying that "When it rains, it pours"...meaning that when you have bad luck, you have really bad luck. Well, I believe that can be applied to the terrible couple of weeks I have been having. First I was sick, after we came home from the beach, then we realized we were going to be behind on several large bills. I made arrangements for those bills, realizing that we were going to barely scrape by this month and then Sunday a week ago my car stops running. That's when I knew it...here comes the rain.
Thank goodness my car wasn't a difficult fix and it helps to have family close by who are willing to step up. But as soon as I started feeling a sense of relief, the A/C in the house stops working. All I can think is what the mess? Another hot hot hot week and we don't have anything but fans, which do little to alleviate the humidity. Add to it, I think I am getting sick again.
We called in the A/C repairman who says we will probably need to replace the whole unit. That's going to cost a lot of money, which we do not have right now. Our credit isn't so hot since we have been behind on bills so we won't be financing anything either. What I think might have to happen is for us to get a window unit until we can save up the money for a new A/C which will need to be replaced before the winter so we can also run the heat pump. Otherwise we will have to use the wood stove.
It's times like these I get very discouraged and I wonder...what next? My marriage and relationships with my kids suffer. I feel like I am just barely holding it together. It's also very difficult to let go and put it all in the Lord's hands, that he is going to take care of us just like he has in the past. Somehow we always find our way through hard times and I don't believe that we do it all alone. It's times like these I feel the need to lift up prayers for my own patience and sanity so that I may make it through these rough patches.
That doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing. As a matter of fact I think that doing nothing is unhealthy and only worsens the problems with feeling helpless and depressed. I need to actively search for opportunities to help myself. Feel free to send prayers and blessings our way, and if you know of anyone who has a working window unit they would like to donate or sell for a low price, by all means let me know.
Thank goodness my car wasn't a difficult fix and it helps to have family close by who are willing to step up. But as soon as I started feeling a sense of relief, the A/C in the house stops working. All I can think is what the mess? Another hot hot hot week and we don't have anything but fans, which do little to alleviate the humidity. Add to it, I think I am getting sick again.
We called in the A/C repairman who says we will probably need to replace the whole unit. That's going to cost a lot of money, which we do not have right now. Our credit isn't so hot since we have been behind on bills so we won't be financing anything either. What I think might have to happen is for us to get a window unit until we can save up the money for a new A/C which will need to be replaced before the winter so we can also run the heat pump. Otherwise we will have to use the wood stove.
It's times like these I get very discouraged and I wonder...what next? My marriage and relationships with my kids suffer. I feel like I am just barely holding it together. It's also very difficult to let go and put it all in the Lord's hands, that he is going to take care of us just like he has in the past. Somehow we always find our way through hard times and I don't believe that we do it all alone. It's times like these I feel the need to lift up prayers for my own patience and sanity so that I may make it through these rough patches.
That doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing. As a matter of fact I think that doing nothing is unhealthy and only worsens the problems with feeling helpless and depressed. I need to actively search for opportunities to help myself. Feel free to send prayers and blessings our way, and if you know of anyone who has a working window unit they would like to donate or sell for a low price, by all means let me know.
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