Bryce Walking with his toy

Quote for the Day

I just read this in an email and I thought I should share:

When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go, only 1 of 2 things will happen, either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!

Marinate on that!

I haven't been around for a while

Hey, Those of you who know me, know that the latest addition to the house has left me sleep deprived and with a little less free time. I'm thinking this is why God hasn't given me my book idea yet since I've got other things occupying all my copious spare time. Well, I've decided that I'm going to make myself post at least once a week from now on and even though that's a really mediocre goal, I've got to start somewhere to get back in the groove of writing.

Well, I thought I'd start off my new posts with something exciting that I saw today. I love all things Tyler Perry and have been in anticipation of his new movie called A Family That Preys starring Alfre Woodard, Sanaa Lathan & Kathy Bates. The movie comes out on Sept. 12 and the trailer looks like Mr. Perry has made another smash hit. Any peep the trailer for yourself and make sure you go out and see the movie the opening weekend...Oh and make sure your ticket is for the right movie!

http://www.blackfilm.com/20080606/features/thefamilythatpreys.shtml

Happy Mother's Day we love ya!

part 3

Part 2

Oasis Ministries Ordination (kim)

A Stress Free Life

I just heard a quote that made me stop and really evaluate the words that I had taken in: Stress is resisting what is. I've been sitting here trying to get some very important work done but that quote keeps repeating in my mind. I think those words resounded with me so greatly because it seemed so easy when I heard it and so correct. God only wants the best for us but sometimes, actually most times we don't take the lessons that He gives us in the good and wonderful things that He provides; and so more negative situations occur in our lives. All those stressful, anxiety causing problems that happen to us are a direct result of not getting the easy lesson. The stress that we feel from those "negative lessons" is just a result of us still not getting the hard lesson the easiest way possible. Think about living a stress free life by just accepting what God has put in front of you. Imagine that. I know it's a very hard idea to accept because I truely think it's part of our human nature to worry and stress about things but in striving to be the person that God wants you and I to be, we need to let that trait go.

It's Been A Long Time...I Shouldn't Have Left You

Happy New Year! I don't really have much to say today but I thought I should try to start the new year out on the right foot and post more often this year. I've got a few topics brewing in brain that are getting ready to be released, so I can only say keep checking for updates or you can always sign up for the emails and the the post straight in your inbox. Aight ya'll, I'll Holla.

The World Is Yours

I got a message this morning that I felt was really important to share. I'm pretty sure that I heard this before somewhere else but this morning it really sank in and I had one of those lightbulb moments. The message was this: Everything that you don't have in your life is a direct result of your own choices and actions because God only wants good things for us. I'm sure that many of us have asked "why me Lord" and really the answer is becuase of our own free will bad things happen. You can blame anyone else for your lifes short comings or the things that you don't have because the only person that you can control is you. So if you want a better marriage, what are you doing to make it better? You can't keep blaming everything on your spouse because he is a bad husband or doesn't do things as you like them. You married that man just like he married you. You made the choice of being with him til death do you part. What are you doing to make sure you make it that far. Or if you have a job that you don't like; did you take that job for more money thinking that the money would make you happy only to realize that you hate getting up for work every morning? You can't blame it on your rude coworkers or your ignorant boss because you chose that job and you can just as easily make the chose to leave that situation.
This message goes with everything in our lives. Don't blame God for the bad things that only you have created in your own life. Relationships with our children, parents, siblings, and friends are all results of our own creation which means if we helped make it a bad situation we can certainly try our own personal best to make the situation better. Think about how great this message is! If God only wants what best for us and only our own pride, stubbornness and built up walls are stopping us from being where we want to be, then how great it is to know that all we have to do is change the negative thinking and things we've been doing to live the God approved life that He wants for us anyway.

Marinate on that!

Because I love it...

I hope everyone went out this opening weekend to see Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married". The movie was excellent. Mr. Perry has taken his movies to that next level where the story line and over all premise of the movie transcends it just being a black movie, although I love the fact that all the main characters are black! If you haven't seen it yet please enlighten your life a little and head to the theater. I promise you will laugh, cry, and learn something that could either help you as a married person or someone that you know who is married.

Now I have another movie that I think is going to be great to tell you about called "This Christmas". Here is the trailer for the movie: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/thischristmas/

Make sure you check it out.

Why Did I Get Married?

That is the title of Tyler Perry's new movie and the topic on Oprah's show on Wedensday. Oprah has 4 couples on and pose tha question to them and it was quite a surprise listening to all the different answers. Like most open dialogue shows it brought me to thinking "why did I myself get married?" I think the answer to that question is different now to my answer for why am I still married? I got married because I was in love and couldn't picture myself with anyone else. I am still married because God has allowed me to see a man that I didn't see before and the fact that God has opened our relationship to a level that I didn't really think exsisted. My husband is my best friend and I know I can tell him anything and I do. Even the things that I know he may not want to hear or things that I may be nervous to tell him. He's better than a girlfriend because I know his feelings aren't hurt when I just say things that come into my mind without sensoring them. God brought me a friend that I truely cherish.

I think this new Tyler Perry film is going to be a host to open up dialogue for many couples, friends, and married people. Check out the trailer here:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809847807/video/3691134/20070813/122/3691134-1000-wmv-s.40793780-,3691134-100-flash-s.40793782-,3691134-300-flash-s.40793783-,3691134-100-wmv-s.40793776-,3691134-300-wmv-s.40793777-,3691134-700-flash-s.40793785-,3691134-700-wmv-s.40793778-,3691134-1000-flash-s.40793787-,3691139-6800-qtv-s.40793791-,3691139-2700-qtv-s.40793788-,3691139-10300-qtv-s.40793797-#4154015


And let's go out and support Tyler and his truthful portrayl of regualr black folks and not the fools that THEY would like us to be seen as. But that's another post for another day.

Quote for the Day

Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God no matter what the conflict.

Rev. Run

Marinate on that...

Keep Pushing

I recently got an email that had the acronymn; P.U.S.H. I've heard this before from my pastor at church but I guess it resignated differently with me becasue of my current situation. The acronymn stands for Pray Until Something Happens. Four little word but a huge task. It really seems that when you are in the midst of any storm it become so easy to just give up an say "I'm tired of trying" or "Nothing seems to work". To keep pushing is a hard thing to do but in the end it really is the only thing you can do because if you could change the situation you are in, you would have done it by now, right? Keep pushing and believing that you will receive an answer and don't be afraid of what you hear when your prayer is answered.

Been So Long

I don't really have a good excuse of why I haven't written in so long. I actually have had things to say, thoughts to get out, news to share, and stories to tell but for some reason I haven't posted. Laziness I guess. Anyway I always come back though, don't I? I love writing and this blog is as close to a book journal as I can get right now. Not quite a personal diary because hey I'm not fool, I'm not putting all my personal business out there

So, I'm in quite a conundrum right now. My mind in rolling over trying to analysis the situation that I find myself in but I'm not able to find my way. In times like these I always pray for God to clear my mind, to help me see what I'm supposed to see but I (more often than not) never seem to get that clarity without much turmoil. How do you know when you are walking in God's given path and when you are trying to carve your own way? I've been told that with God's way there is no confusion, no doubts. But it can't be that easy because I can't seem to reach that clearing of no doubt and confusion without going though so much of it that I make myself dizzy with trying to figure out if I'm supposed to be going left or right.

This really seems to be something I struggle with a lot. Life changing decisions don't seem to be my forte. I'm praying that God work on this within me. It's such an innate need of mine to not knowingly or willing do anything against God's will that I find myself standing still when I feel like I should just be moving where ever He leads me, but I find it so hard to take that first step. Like my feet have cemented themselves in fear, mistrust, doubt of my own intuition. I want to cry in my frustration but all I can do is just ask for the help and the clarity that I so need. Please show me the right way. In Jesus' name.

A Learning Curve

I recently heard someone say that "Relationships are God's assignments for us, a curriculum for spiritual growth."

The way the person stated it kind of made me stop and really think about those words. We've all heard the saying that "everything happens for a reason" but somehow knowing that every single person that God places in our paths to meet for a second or for years is all so important. These lessons are to help us all reach the higher ground that God wants us to be on. I know all of us at some point have wondered "what is all of this for, what is life really about?" Well I think the level of enlightenment, the level of thinking the way God wants us to, taking the limits off of our lives; is the reason for it all.

Being a Star

I can't remember where I heard this but it really resonated with me once I really thought about it. Hilliary Clinton has been in the spot light now for years and handling it well but in the beginning and through the trails of her marriage just about everyone has had something to say about what she should do and how she she conduct herself. Of course its always hard when outsiders have comments on how your life should be, and Mrs. Clinton found herself very upset and asking her mother for advice on how to handle all the criticism.

Mrs. Rodham gave her daughter some great advice (like all good mothers do!). She told her daughter these simple words: "Do you want to be an actor in your own life or a re-actor in others". You can only make changes in your own life and attitude.

Make sure you are being the star in your own movie and let God be your director. You'll definitely have a hit on your hand.

Something To Marinate On

Thought for Today

"You really don't become what you want. You become what you believe."
—Oprah

An Episode of Oprah

There recently was an episode of Oprah with a woman who was in an abusive marriage. I'm an avid Oprah viewer but the commercials for this particular show were so disturbing that I couldn't even bring myself to watch it. In the commercials you could hear and see this woman's husband cursing and beating her because he had their teenage son video tape it. All a little too much for me, but I do realize that there are many women and young girls who live that life everyday.
In college, a friend was in a situation where she was being beaten. We would see her in classes with black eyes and bruises but it still took a while to ask her what was going on; even though we knew. Of course at first she lied but finally she did admit that she needed some help. Why did it take so long to ask a friend if she needed help when the answer was already so clear? Well its a curious thing, but somehow the person who is being abused either believes that they deserve it or that being beaten is a form of love. Either way as a friend, you know that they are more apt to be defensive and not receptive to help.
I recently heard some advice on the Steve Harvey show about how to deal with a loved one in these types of situations. Steve gave the advice to not confront your loved one but go straight to the abuser or send that unscrupulous cousin or nephew that's been in jail once or twice; basically someone who doesn't really have good sense! You get that person to go and talk to the abuser and basically say "Hey look, we all know what's going on so you don't even have to try to deny it. You need to stay away from (insert name here) or some real bad things might happen to you." Then if you'd like to throw some extra stuff in there, then you can use a couple of lines from Bad Boys 2 when that boy came to pick up Marcus's daughter and Mike asked him if he ever slept with a man. You know what I'm talking about if you've seen the movie. Then chop the dude in the throat so he can't breathe...
I thought this was great advice. But if you'd like some PhD advice, I've got that too click on this link: http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200705/tows_past_20070508_c.jhtml

I personally like and will follow the Steve Harvey advice should there be another person in my life who needs this kind of help. I surely will not be going to any one's apartment to ask their crazy boyfriend to leave peacefully anymore, believe me crazy and peaceful don't go together. You have to fight crazy with crazy; send your crazy cousin to handle business.

Knowing When

Have you ever been conflicted with the thoughts of something that you needed to get off your mind? Something that you really felt like you had to express to someone else? Most times when I feel like that, I try to really think about why I want to say whatever it is that's on my mind. Is it for my benefit or for someone else? Will the conversation actually have a positive outcome? If I can't answer the questions in a positive manner I usually keep my thoughts to myself. Not everything needs to be said, and if it does need to be spoken it doesn't have to be said by me. It's important to me to make my word count and sometimes above all silence is golden.