Hello World!

In case you haven’t noticed, 2009 will be over in roughly a couple of weeks…And how do you feel about it? To get a feel for how my year has gone, I dusted off (actually opened a file on my computer) my written goals for the year…

One of my goals on the list was to make my blog the best it can be. Hmm…I say I did a not-so- bad job I must say…I’ve written about interesting topics I think….My most popular post this year was “Of Drugs and Light-Skinned Boys…” It got 489 views although only two people commented on that particular post! I was able to spread the word about the House of Grace Free Health Care Clinic, a true example of what Jesus Christ would do…I was able to have a few guest bloggers…My favorite guess post was “Your Turn: A Closeted Virgin Speaks Out…” My blog has even been shouted out on other blogs….Check me out on momstyleicons.blogspot.com…It’s a wonderfully inventive blog with haute photos of our moms at their most fashionable…I’m also listed on the blog roll for enjoyceinglife.blogspot.com! Thanks JD! So what y’all think about my blog? Have you enjoyed reading my posts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them? Feel free to offer suggestions for posts or ways to make this blog the best it can be…

Another one of my goals, which I’ve actually written about, was to learn more about financial health…I’m proud to say that I have the biggest savings account I’ve ever had in my life, and I am on a mission to pay off a major debt my May 2010! Having money is not a guarantee that one will be happy but being broke ain’t too cool either… Whatever I have, I’m thankful for, which is the key, my financial counselor said, to receiving more blessings…

I could write more about goals, but life is about more than goals…life is about learning and growing…And I’ve definitely learned and grown a lot this year – some of had been hard lessons to learn and some have given me tremendous joy…Here a few a few of the lessons I learned in 2009:

1. Any relationship that causes you to worry all of the time – whether it be a platonic friendship or a romantic relationship just ain’t worth it…

2. No matter what I do, I just cannot control my circumstances…The best I can do is to do my best and leave the results to God period end of story…

3. If a relationship starts affecting my looks, I gotsta go…pleaz…I’ma be cute…

4. Coveting is a sin…

5. Tomorrow is not promised…reach out to friends and loved ones that you haven’t communicated with in a while today…

6. Prayer, laughter and sloppy kisses are good medicine…

7. Ain’t nothin’ like your girls…

And since it is the Christmas season, I must say a few words about the “most wonderful time of the year!” I have found that many people end up feeling sad because they expect that Christmas is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year.” I’ve found that if I expect to feel a little blah this time year of the year because of the frenzy that goes with “just 12 shopping days until Christmas” and what not and focus on more Christ  (The word mas means more in Spanish.) instead of Christmas and my family and friends, I feel better…

And now, I gonna go against what I just said…I love Christmas songs about romantic relationships even the sad ones..so I’m going to name a few in no particular order…and just for the record, “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway is my absoute fave relationship Christmas song, but I mentioned him last year…

1. “Merry Christmas Baby” by Charles Brown

2. ”Let It Snow” by Boyz II Men

3. “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt

4. “Last Christmas” by Wham!

5. “Every Year, Every Christmas” by Luther Vandross…one of the best saaangers ever…

Hello World!!!

Can you believe it? September is nearly over, and after that, all we have left to 2010 is October, November and December.  So since the year is more than half over at this point, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our goals for this year. 

One of my goals was to continue to work on making this blog the best it can be by planning topics in advance, booking guest bloggers, writing book reviews, etc. I haven’t done all that I had planned to, but I am satisfied with my progress. And I will continue to work on this goal as this year comes to a close. Another one of goals was to help plan this event for this organization that I am involved in. I’m happy to say that event went very well, and I’m really proud of myself.

But in reflecting on my involvement in that organization, I realized that I am often more committed to the goals of organizations and other people than I am to my own goals. That means that when somebody has asked me to do something, I get it done. But when I ask myself to do something, I may or may not get it done. That’s not good.  I need to commit to myself that I will be as dedicated to my own goals as I am to other people’s goals.

I am most proud of myself for working on my financial status.  I have saved more than I ever have before, and God has blessed my efforts by rewarding me with a few windfalls. I give thanks to God and my financial counselor. Another one of my goals was to commit “random acts of kindness” anonymously and otherwise for friends, associates, etc. Hmmm…I’ve got more work to do in this area…I had planned to write for four new publications this year. I have written several articles for one publication – not quite what I aspired to, but I am thankful and will keep pushing.  And I have decided to investigate a new form of writing. This was not on my original list of goals, but in this economy, we all know it’s important to diversify your skills.

One of my goals for developing this blog was to create a market for my book After the Altar Call: A Young Black Woman’s Journey of Faith, but I still hadn’t developed any specific goals  this year toward getting my book published. I had become so discouraged last year that I hadn’t approached any agents in a while, but I have decided to begin approaching agents again. To date, I have only submitted a letter to a single agent, so I have got to get busy. And if you know me, feel free to ask if I have submitted a letter to an agent lately. I need the encouragement.

And finally, I had some goals for my romantic life…awww, what can I say, what can I say…I have done my best…I haven’t gotten quite the results I had hoped for, but nevertheless I’m pressing on. In spite of my magic magnifying mind, I guess I will just have to take things one day at a time and see what unfolds…

To encourage me and you, I have decided to share two nuggets of wisdom that I love. If you are a Jamaican or were raised by a Jamaican, I’m sure that you know this Jamaican proverb or famous quote…(maybe this is why Jamaicans always have so many jobs, haha)

The heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight.  But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.

And here is my favorite verse in the whole Bible. If you are anything like me, you know you are prone to making mistakes and causing your own misfortune, but thanks be to God, that He is in everything…

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Finally, I’m glad God is my on my side, but I’m also thankful for friends who God has often used to encourage me this year. Even if I don’t accomplish all of my goals, my friends are always there…thank goodness…Pastor Marvin Winans wrote a touching song about not having people to turn to in his time of need…I had forgotten how much I loved the song until he sang it in Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” Check out the video below…how are you doing with your goals for 2009?

Any thoughts?

P.S. I don’t know what is on President Obama’s list of goals for the year, but what could possibly be wrong with providing affordable healthcare for everyone…

P.P.S.  I am still “hoping, wishing & praying…”

Camp Creek Writers Group

Hello World!!!

It’s my birthday month, and I’m feeling blessed to be here – albeit a year older (in a few days, you know a post is coming  )…But when I think of the alternative, I have to say “Hallelujah Anyhow!”

Today’s post won’t be long, but it is still important. On Sunday, I went to a book launch party for Deborah Hall-Branch. I met Deborah when we were part of a now defunct writers group that met at a local Barnes & Noble.  I felt so proud of her as she read the prologue to her book “Through the Eyes of Abuse.” I plan to do a review of the book later this month after I read the book, but I can already tell it’s a compelling story. Although you would have never guessed it if you met her, Deborah is a survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence. And she has lived to tell about it and triumph over it!  Hallelujah Anyhow!

Deborah reading the prologue to her book.

Deborah’s launch party was also a reunion of sorts of my writers group. And I think seeing each other again after several months and years, in some cases, provided the fuel to reignite our writer dreams!  Some of us have continued to plod on that harrowing journey to publication. The leader and founder of our group was Denise aka Chicki Brown. She don’t stop! She is working with an agent and has written several books that she hopes will get published. In just a few years, she has become an expert in book publishing. With her persistence, I am sure she will be published. 

Mike Fuller, one of the few guys from the writers group, has compiled his captivating short stories in his book “Chronicles of a Nappi Head.” His testerone-driven stories, at least the ones that I have read, are reminiscent of that movie, “Cooley High.” Brent McKibben, another member, admitted at the party that he hasn’t been writing much lately but decided that he would begin again. Some of his work is featured here.  And his book “Liquid Fiction Volume One: Have You Experienced?” is available on Amazon! Another writer, affectionately known as Jessy, is embarking on grad school while she continues to hone her sci-fi/fantasy writing. As for me, I guess I will stop all the whining and will begun searching for agent again. (Yikes!)

It’s September, the beginning of a new season. It’s time to begin again. Hallelujah Anyhow! I heard this statement in a sermon recently. (My statement is paraphrased.) Every open door is not God’s will and every closed door isn’t closed forever…sometimes you just have to wait….

Just us writers...

Any thought?

A Valentine Day's card from Julia & Paul Child! How erotic and innocent at the same time! Who woulda thunk it?

Hello World!!!

So a few posts back, I lamented over the fact that I had writer’s block and couldn’t think of a thing to blog about. I also wrote about the fact that I have neglected one of the two basic tools that I learned about when I took a class on The Artist’s Way some years ago. The basic tool that I am referring to is the artist date. An artist date is a “block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist.” And as a rule, you must be alone with “your artist” on the date – that means no boyfriends, children, etc.  According to the principles of the “The Artist’s Way, ” a book written by Julia Cameron, you can actually “hear” solutions to problems that your inner artist may have considering…

So all of that to say, my artist and I (read Jackie by her lonesome) decided to see the movie “Julie & Julia” Saturday night. We LOVED it!!! This movie is about Julie Powell’s quest to discover herself as she approaches her thirtieth birthday (I cannot believe I will be 36 years old in a few weeks…GULP).  The frustrated writer, at the suggestion of her so supportive husband, decides to start blogging.  (Something sounds sooo familiar…) Unsure of what to blog about, she decides to blog about her quest to cook her way through Julia Child’s book “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”  She decides she will cook all of the recipes in a year! A gutsy and innovative task to say the least!

There were so many aspects of the film that captured me. First of all, as someone who really enjoys eating, I was enthralled with that aspect of the movie…I think it is entirely possible to experience heaven in your mouth!  I also know what it’s like to feel frustrated as a writer. While I have wanted to be a “writer” since I was six years old, I still don’t feel quite successful…Yes, I have written for magazines, newspapers, Web sites, etc., but I have yet to achieve my ultimate dream of becoming a published book author. (Yes, I know I can self publish…I don’t wanna – read: whine, whine, rant, rant.) I was especially encouraged that Julia’s blogging eventually resulted in a book deal! (Oh God, please let happen to me…) But I was most captivated by the illumination of Julia Child’s marriage in the movie.

While Julie’s blogging provided the framework for the movie, the movie was also a biography of Julia Child’s life and went back and forth between the lives of the two women. The marriages of both women were explored in the movie, but Julia Child’s marriage was most surprising…I don’t think I ever tried to watch Julia Child on television but I do vaguely remember seeing her on television and seeing others imitate her as well. Remember when Cliff Huxtable imitated her on “The Cosby Show?” With her weird voice, box-shaped body, looming height and boring hairstyle, one would have guessed that she wasn’t married…Or at least I did.

But not only was she married, Julia and her husband Paul Child had a hot and sweaty love life…(Sidebar: Have I mentioned Meryl Streep yet? She is my favorite actress at this point! She literally becomes each character that she plays. Her depiction of Julia Child is brilliant.)  Apparently, the two married when she was in her mid ’30s…They lived in Paris for a while as her husband was stationed there as an employee of the U.S. Department of State. While in Paris, Julia attended the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and subsequently decided to write a French cooking book in English. Her maddening struggle to write the book and find a publisher for the book also resonated with me.

By the end of the movie, my artist was very happy. From the movie, I learned that it is possible to get a book deal from a blog(oh pleazz, God!), one does not always have to be a frustrated writer, there is somebody out there for everyone even those that society may deem weird or unattractive and that I have no desire to cook an entree with more than 10 ingredients and or steps.

Finally, I bought yet another relationship book on Saturday night….(ugh!) According to this latest book, I am a latent commitment phobe – go figure…that does it! I have now bought my last relationship book….For some reason, over the past six years or so, I have become obsessed with relationship books…how to catch a man, keep a man, etc…I am so over it at this point.

Maybe if I get married, I will buy another one…but as a single woman, I am done with the relationship books. In fact, I told a friend last night that I may box them up and give them away. She said that she wants to look through them

As alluring as this book sounds, I will not be buying this book or any other relationship books anymore!

first…Aaah, I may not be ready to box them up yet, but I won’t be buying them anymore. This reminds of the time that I gave away my calorie counting books in my ’20s. I finally surrended my weight to God back then, and I haven’t looked back…(And if you are wondering, I didn’t get fat!) Maybe this is what my latest declaration is about…I’ll let you know.

Any thoughts?

Julia Child making an omelette…I think I can handle it…DKW doesn’t think so…

Hello World!!!

As of tomorrow, the month of June begins. Can you believe that 2009 is almost half over? I can’t! It seems like just yesterday that I was pondering my goals and dreams for the new year…So how are you doing on your goals and dreams for 2009? My spiritual community and I have a phrase that we use to determine how one another is doing. That phrase is “checking in.” You can “check in” with yourself and with other people.

For the purposes of this blog, I will share some of the “checking in” I have done with myself over the last week.  One of my goals for the new year was to start saving money consistently. Wonders of wonders, I have actually been saving! As I take out my tithe out of my paycheck, I also subtract my savings…My savings account isn’t huge, but it is growing. I also wanted to take a finances class or seminar to learn more about finances and become financially healthy. Well, I am proud to say that I now have a financial coach. So I am on track in that area! Another one of my goals is to make this blog the best it possibly can be. I’m working on that…My goal is to post twice a week…This month I haven’t done that…but I’m getting back on track…I also want to expand what I cover on this blog…I don’t have a “game plan” yet for that endeavor, but I will work on that during the  month of June. I have also wanted to find a career mentor, but I haven’t been able to find one yet…I hope to work on that in June…we’ll see…

Another one of my goals was to go to five journalism networking events this year…I have attended two so I feel pretty good about that…I need to attend three more and make sure that I utilize contacts that I make at each of these events. And networking for me is not only about working to advance my career…I have learned that it is important to network to help others as well…Another one of my goals was to stay on top of my daily mail and e-mail…Not looking good…I have over 900 new e-mail messages in my inbox and stacks of mail I need to go through…I know it’s important to look at each of these each day, but I get sooo overwhelmed sometimes…Anybody got any tips for making this task more manageable?

So that is a little bit of my “check in.” How are you doing? Have you remembered to dream and dream big? Have you written down your goals? Have you made your vision boards and posted them within easy view? Have you consulted others who may be able to help you achieve your goals? In my experience, it is only with the help of others that I can achieve my goals and dreams. My friend, Dr. Pam Thompson, has begun a series, “Blue Lights in the Basement,” in an effort to ”take psychology and life coaching to the streets.” I attended the inaugural session on Friday and what I learned there I think will help me achieve my dreams and goals for this year and beyond…

But let’s face it…sometimes things happen in our lives that we aren’t prepared for that can derail our goals and dreams…Many people have lost their jobs this year…I have experienced that before…It’s not fun for sure…But when that has happened to me, I have learned that God has got my back, and I have always moved onward and upward…(Yes, it has happened to me more than once…) Let  me share a portion of the sermon that my father preached for the New Year’s Eve service. He preached on Hebrews 13:5-6. This passage is from The Message version of the Bible.

 ^5-6Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote,

   God is there, ready to help;
   I’m fearless no matter what.
   Who or what can get to me?

And here are some of the notes that I took from the sermon:

1. Don’t look to money as the source of your supply. If you have a lack of money, that is not the end of the story.

2. Our Heavenly Father is the source of your supply and is able to make a way out of no way.

3. Face the New Year with contentment.

4. Face the New Year with courage. We are not alone on our pilgrim journey…

 No matter what, God has got our back…

Any thoughts?

Hello World!!!

I typically don’t post on Friday, but since our first black president will be official on Tuesday, Jan. 20, I have decided to compose a quick “ode” for this most auspicious occasion.

In honor of our first couple, I have decided to post the anthem of the unofficial first couple: George & Weezy. (Of course, I did not compose this “ode.”)

(“Movin’ on Up” by Jeff Barry and Ja’net Dubois) – The Jeffersons Lyrics

Well we’re movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

Fish don’t fry in the kitchen;
Beans don’t burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin’
Just to get up that hill.
Now we’re up in the big leagues
Gettin’ our turn at bat.
As long as we live, it’s you and me baby
There ain’t nothin wrong with that.

Well we’re movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.

Below is a YouTube video of this heartwarming song….

Whenever I hear this song, I remember eating chicken sandwiches with my family on Sunday nights…

Also, here’s another song with a similar title….it captures how I feel this morning as I make my final preparations to ride out with my girls to DC, baby!!!

Any thoughts?

P.S. Expect a post with lots of pics about my DC excursion!!!

Hello World!!!

Somes friends and I have decided that this year we are going to hold each other accountable for our resolutions, dreams, goals, etc. for 2009. I have yet to decide upon mine for this year. It usually takes me the whole month of January to come up with a reasonable list. I know many people think that coming up with yearly resolutions is pointless, but I think if you consult God and ask for His guidance, you stand half a chance of actually achieving them. God’s word states that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philipians 4:13

So how do you know that God is guiding you to a specific resolution, goal, dream, etc.? An anonymous commenter on my last post “,Doubt,” said that one way that he or she knows that God is real is through coincidence. I think I know what this commenter means. Sometimes a string of mysterious events happen that seem to magically point to a certain result. I call this synchronicity aka magic! I first learned about synchronicity in an “The Artist’s Way” class I took one summer. It a class designed to “discover and recover your creative self.”  Taking that class was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in life! I cannot begin to tell you all that I learned.

But I will share one life-altering realization I had as a result of taking that class. I realized that I wanted to pursue a freelance writing/book writing business. I named this endeavor Selah Communications. Selah means to pause. Since I lost my job earlier that year, I had a lot of time to pause. I also decided that my business would be based on the Psalm 4: 4-5. “When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Offer right sacrifices and trust in the Lord.”  That year, I spent many hours lying on my bed pondering my future. (So dramatic, I swear.) I determined that I would try to live a righteous life and trust the Lord was leading me in spite of my circumstances.

So I am getting to the point. I am…for real. That New Year’s Eve, the pastor actually preached on the same verses that I decided would be my guiding force for Selah Communications. Out of all of the verses in the Bible, the pastor chose the same two that I chose earlier that summer. Synchronicity at its best! And since then, I’ve been able to pursue freelance writing/book writing. (Aside: I do wonder when or if my book, “After the Altar Call,” will be published, but I’m still yet holding on and trusting in the Lord.  )

The following quote perfectly sums up the synchronicity principle:

Evoking the Soul

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no person would have believed would have come their way. Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it.  Action has magic, grace and power in it.

                                                                                    Goethe

Great quote, huh? I first read it in the “The Artist’s Way” book by Julia Cameron.  I have a sign with this quote on it in my office. I think synchronicity is one of the ways that God’s leads us to the right dream, resolution, goal, person, etc.  I have described one example in this post, but I’ve experience synchronicity countless times in my life. If if my book is published, you can read about more of my synchronistic experiences…

Have you experienced synchronicity in your life? One of the reasons that I love blogging is because it gives people a forum to share their experiences. So please tell me about your personal magic… (Also, here is a great article about synchronicity that explains it even better than I have, I think.)

Any thoughts?

P.S. You must  know that is was synchronistic that President-Elect Barack Obama offically accepted the Democratic party nomination on the same day that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech 45 years earlier. Don’t tell me that God isn’t real, as father likes to say…

Hello World!!!

Goodbye 2008! Hello 2009! By tomorrow, another year in the life of you and me will be over…I wonder what’s coming next! For roughly the past 10 years or so, you can find me in church on New Year’s Eve listening for God’s words to me for the upcoming year. I’ve been amazed time and time again how whatever verse or verses the pastor chooses to preach on that night sums of my experiences for the upcoming year. It’s uncanny… I’m excited to find out what I will hear tonight…

But aside from God’s words for me, I have some words for God…I want to know when some of my deepest dreams will come true…I want to believe that some of my dreams will come true this year, but if you have lived for a while now, you know that sometimes dreams are deferred. (Shout out to Langston Hughes!) If you’ve lived long enough, some of your dreams have been shattered. Maybe your husband died of leukemia shortly after you were married. Maybe your mother died of breast cancer. Maybe your father rejected you. Maybe you wrote a book that will never be published. Maybe your wife cheated on you. Maybe someone has broken up with you. Maybe the love of your life left. Maybe no one has asked to marry you. Maybe you never passed the bar. Maybe you have a crazy behind family. Maybe you never intended to be a single baby mama. Maybe you ain’t got that record deal yet. Maybe you’re a raging alcoholic and you’re impossible to deal with. I could go on and on unfortunately…

Goodness, I hate to write such pessimistic prose, but we all know that sometimes life is a b@#%*. So what are we do? For today, I have decided to hope, wish & pray that my dreams will come true…According to the Word, you are “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 When I first read this verse years ago, I thought it meant that God will give you whatever you want if you serve Him. I know that’s not true now. Now I believe that if you come to know the Lord in an intimate way, He will guide you to your true desires – that is He will give you the desires He has for you. He will guide you to your God-given destiny. So over the years, God has shown me what are my false desires and what are my true desires.(I no longer desire to date a man from every continent, ha,ha, for instance.)  Anyway, two dreams or two desires remain…at least for today. Well, that’s not true. I have more than two dreams, but I am thinking of two in particular…(What dreams do you think I am referring to? Guess.)

I don’t know about your relationship with God, but I let Him know how I feel. And sometimes I say, “Okay God, the answer to this problem is taking too long. I need for You to act right now. I cannot take it anymore.” When I get like this, my face is glistening with tears and I am prostrate on my bedroom floor. And sometimes I throw a tantrum. Yes, I get down and dirty. I take the Lord at His word. According to the Word, you can “cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22. So I’m steady castin’ !

But that’s the beauty of God. If you know Him, love Him and try to serve Him, you can claim His promises. I do. And so with the sliver of belief that I have left that my dreams will come true, I will hope, wish & pray that in 2009, at least one, maybe two will come true…Please God!

Any thoughts?

P.S. The title of this post was inspired by the Hidden Beach artist Lina, who sings the song “Hope, Wish & Pray.” Why she hadn’t blown up yet! Check out the song here. Isn’t it beautiful?