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We Will Always Love Whitney…

Hello World,

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted mainly because I was furiously working to execute my book release party which happened Friday night and my book release which will be on Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, and everything else in my life…but I’m back:)

I had planned on posting about my party, but in light of the tragic news of Whitney Houston’s passing today, I feel it is more appropriate to post about that at a later date so stay tuned to see all of the pictures from my party…

Whitney Houston, like she was for countless others, was on the soundtrack of my life…I remember seeing her first album cover when I was in the fifth grade and had just started to obsess over my appearance. I had started to develop, but I was chubby and wore huge glasses. Confidence in my looks I did not possess….When I heard all of the boys admiring Whitney’s beauty on that first album cover as we rode home from school on the bus one day, I hoped one day to possess the beauty she exuded…

I remember her song “How Will I Know” that was released when I was in middle school. It perfectly captured the bewilderment I experienced as I first started to feel romantic stirrings for some of the boys I met in middle school. Did he love me? Or was I just fooling myself? How will I know? I smile now recalling how serious I thought all of that was at the time. Those boys were probably still wearing Underoos at the time, and I was obsessing if they loved me…Foolish youth!

I could go on and on recalling the moments of my life that her voice and her presence touched, but more than anything, I just pray for her family and friends that actually knew the woman behind that heavenly talent…And I pray Heaven is just where she is this morning…

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.  2 Corinthians 5:8

And I hope she is singing this song face to face with the Father this morning…”I Love the Lord” featuring the Georgia Mass Choir…(I loved “The Preacher’s Wife!”)

 


Peace be unto you Whitney…

Any thoughts? 

 

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Saying Good-bye to 2011…

 

Hello World,

As of today, we have just over three weeks left in 2011….I’m pausing…for.dramatic.effect…Since I’m a person that makes goals each year, I periodically check-in with myself to determine if I’m actually making progress with my goals….I’m proud to say that I’m still budgeting and saving as I was taught by my financial coach a couple of years ago. (Read my post “Use What You Got To Get What You Want…aka Side Hustlers Unite!!! for more info on my financial journey…) And I’m well on my way to reaching my financial goals….

Another one of my goals was to eat more veggies…I know this doesn’t seem like too much of a big deal…but after meeting with a nutritionist earlier in the year, I realize that many of us, including me, have neglected all of the many healing nutrients that God provides for us in our vegetables…When was the last time you ate beets, parsnips or even broccoli (that is not covered in cheese..)? As is stated in the Bible, we are perishing for our lack of knowledge…(Hosea 4:6) I’m proud to say I have changed my diet a lot…It’s not perfect every day, but I’m making progress and have eliminated many toxins from my diet…By the way, I was not changing my diet to lose weight…You can be skinny and eating processed foods all of the time…I’m aiming for health and wellness…

Another one of my goals was to have my blog redesigned…And as you can see, Tess Gadwa of Yes Exactly hooked.me.up. I LOVE IT…and I hope you do too…

Of course, I have other goals that I have reached for this year…but I cannot share here…have you reached your goals for 2011…what are you thinking of as this year is coming to a close?…My final thought is God is good all the time…All the time God is good…

 Any thoughts?

P.S. And if your year has been difficult for whatever reason, I hope this song will lift your spirit…”Brighter Day” (“this for them rough days when you feel like giving up days”) by Kirk Franklin…


 

 

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Speaking of hearts…

Hello World,

Less than a week ago, Troy Davis was put to death, and I know that many hearts are broken…As a Christian who believes in the omnipotence of God, I wonder why God allowed this man, who proclaimed his innocence until his last breath, such a fate…Maybe someday, we will all know why…And maybe, we will never know…Still,

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

And yet, I do know this…we cannot allow our hearts to become bitter and not believe we can be forces be of good, defeating the powers of evil, ignorance and apathy… As it says in the word of God…we must guard our hearts!

Above all else, guard your heart,
   for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

In spite of Davis’ death, I have seen life spring forth from this tragedy. It is very clear to me now that we must pay attention to the world around us, we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers,we must love others as we love ourselves…

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5

We don’t have to devise grand acts to help those around us. I was amazed that even tweets about Troy Davis drew the attention of the world to this injustice.  And in fact, even a casual trip to the mall can demonstrate that our hearts are in the right place. To that end, Macy’s has created the “Heart of Haiti” initiative to assist Haitians who were left without a way to earn an income following the devastation of the earthquake in January 2010. Funded by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and in partnership with FairWinds Trading, “Heart of Haiti” is a home decor and jewelry line available at Macy’s that promotes “Trade Not Aid.” 

The collection includes 40 different home decor items and accessories. Products include vases, candle holders, serving trays, picture frames, mirrors, coasters, necklaces, clutch purses and more. Each item is designed by a master Haitian artist and made by hand in Haiti. Below is a beautiful frame that I was given from “Heart of Haiti.” Since I collect frames, I was delighted to receive it! The price is $25.00.

Heart of Haiti Picture Frame, Songbird 4" x 6." Painstakingly cut, hammered and varnished by hand, this meaningful picture frame displays your favorite people and places in the tree of life. Steel from recycled barrels gives each one-of-a-kind piece a rustic beauty perfected by Haiti's master artisans.

To see all of the products and for more information, please go to Macys.com. The “Heart of Haiti” collection has already led to employment of 350 artists in Haiti and has provided some financial benefits for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the country.

 Also a video about “Heart of Haiti” is below.

 

Any thoughts?