Its Official: I am a Real Woman

Its official. I hosted my first Christmas Party and thus have formally transitioned into the life of a real woman (LOL). For many that doesn't seem like a big deal. For me, this is absolutely a great deal. Let me explain something about me, I am not the best hostess. Unlike Sis Sabrina, who can read your needs better than you, I am one of those people whom you tell what you need done and I will execute. That is probably why I am a project manager and not a project developer.

It was a blast to host a party. I had no idea how much work goes into events of this size, but my adrenaline what rushing the entire time and I never once sat down. I didn't even eat the wonderful food that was brought.

One thing for sure, I would do it again in a heartbeat. The looks of happiness. Knowing that others who usually host our events were able to rest. The full bellies that were being rubbed and children running around like they lost their heads. It was all wonderful to me. It was fantastic!

Thanks to all for allowing me to open my home and use it for God's good. Nothing gives me such satisfaction as doing God's work. We had 25 guest at this party. Who knows how many were impacted by something so simple as opening a door to a home. Or how many were impacted by the fellowship that took place right in my driveway or over a warm plate of food that was supplied by the members of this church. Or during the games played and ran by the members of this church.

This party was a collective effort and a collective success. We did it. I loved it and am thankful for it.

This was my first but definitely not my last.

My Mom and Dad

My parents.

Tagged!

Sis Alice tagged me

Unspectacular!

6. I love bean bag chairs. I am sitting in one right now.
5. I like to wear simple colors (Blues, whites, tans, beige's).
4. I love thunder and lightning storms.
3. Water is my favorite drink. So, when I ask for a cup of ice water with lemon at a restaurant, I am not being cheap.
2. I like folding laundry. It smells nice and clean.
1. I'd rather have french fries vs. ice cream and cake.

Meme terms & conditions
1. link the person who tagged you
2. mention the rules on your blog
3. list 6 unspectacular things about you
4. tag 6 other bloggers

I am tagging Sis Rebecca, Alaina, and Jose. (I didn't make it to 6. I broke the rule)

STOP!!!

I heard a story about a woman who thought she was TMing her husband and accidentally TMed her boss. Wouldn’t have been so bad if the TM wasn’t about her boss. This is a life lesson. Stop complaining. You never know who might be listening or in this case, who you are TMing.

Why do we [Adults] not think this way? Or do we?

On the way home from school, Anthony shared with me the troubles that one of his classmate is having. Knowing that my son is familiar with this, I offered him my suggestions on how to befriend and help this classmate through these hard times.

I asked Anthony how he got over his hard times. He said to me, he stopped being mean because he did not want to go to hell. He said that he felt God would not be happy with him being mean. So his brain told him to stop.

I can testify to this. He truly stopped being mean almost instantly. I get chills thinking about what he said. This came from the mouth of my 7 year old who fought his way to the top of his kindergarten class, but by the end of first grade, was given the Character Counts award. This award rewards the students who display trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

He earned this title of Good Character, all because Anthony knew his actions were not pleasing to God and that he must change.

So Simple

My sister and I were conversing yesterday and began discussing Anthony and his prayers. Anthony can pray and his concern for people show in those prayers. As his mother, I can honestly say that some of his prayers have made me feel guilty.

Well, my sister was telling me how Laila (my niece) told them that she did not want to pray that night. That really disturbed Anthony, so he began to question why she would not want to pray. Laila only being 3, could not freely express why, just that she didn’t want to. Anthony just did not understand this idea and said to Laila “Why would you not want to pray. It is good for you. Don’t you want something that is good for you?”

So simply put and so right.

I don't know the author, but I really like the quote

Surviving and living your life successfully requires courage.

The goals and dreams you're seeking require courage and risk-taking.

Learn from the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

I really like this story

Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott.

Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen.

On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. "Guess what, Mom," he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....."I've been chosen to clap and cheer."

Magnify Jesus, Magnify the Lord

Magnify Jesus, Magnify the Lord

Magnify Jesus, Magnify the Lord

For He is worthy

For He is worthy,

For He is worthy,

To be praised. To be praised!

We have been singing this song, "Magnify Jesus" for years now. We even began singing it in Spanish. It dawned on me yesterday what I have actually been singing. I can be honest and say that to me it was just a great worship song. I think it is one of my favorites that I have not tired of yet and probably will not.

I read this from Joy Haney's book, May I Wash Your Feet, "God's kingdom increased because of her ability to decrease as she magnified Christ." Worshipping God is not just about worship. It is saying to Him that I put You first and I humble myself to You and Your will at this moment in time. It is saying, I want You to increase as I decrease (John 3:30). This is why we must continually have praise in our mouth for Him. By doing so, we are continually putting Him first and putting ourselves in a position for Him to bless us. Oh how I want the blessings. We want the blessings! He wants us to have the blessings. All He ask for is my worship and praise.

So, I realized that what I was singing was not just about worship, but it was also a declaration from me. I am asking God to cleanse me, wash me, break me and make me over. Increase Lord in my life as I decrease. There is a God-sized void that only You can fill, Lord. And I am asking You to fill this thru my worship. I am asking for You to fill this thru my praise, Lord. Increase in my life, Lord. Increase in my life!

Based upon what I have realized this is how the song "Magnify Jesus" now sounds to me:

Magnify Jesus, Magnify the Lord (Increase Lord as I decrease)

Magnify Jesus, Magnify the Lord (Increase Lord as I decrease)

For He is Worthy (Because You are greater than my problems)

For He is Worthy (You are greater than my issues)

For He is Worthy (You are GREAT LORD and GREATLY to be PRAISED)

To be Praised (I praise You all of the days of my life)

To be Praised! (Your praise shall continuously be in my mouth)

How Big is Goliath?

Was in discussion today about the height of a cubit. By definition a cubit is an ancient unit of linear measure, originally equal to the length of the forearm from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, or about 17-22 inches (43 to 56 centimeters). The Bible says that Goliath was 6 cubits and a span (I Samuel 17:4). This means he was anywhere between 8.5 to 11 feet tall.

Not sure why this number seems so small to me. I guess growing up, Goliath seemed more like a monster than a man and therefore reached a preposterous height no man had ever seen. He was certainly no shorty by any means, but he just doesn't seem so scary. I would love to stand next to someone so tall. It would make me feel short and that is hard to do seeing how I stand at almost 6' tall. It is interesting how we view people as a kid vs as an adult.

Adam called them

“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.” Genesis 2:19

If Adam named every beast of the field and every fowl of the air, how long do you think he was thinking of names? And how many names did he have to create? It makes me smile to know that God gave Adam this privilege. I wonder at what point did Adam run out of names? Obviously, he made it through because in verse 20 it goes on to state that Adam went ahead and named them all.

There is estimated to be anywhere between 2 – 100 million species of animals and plants on the earth today. A more consistent number I have seen is around 2 million. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring (www.wikipedia.com). Each species does not account for the individual members of that family, but the family as a whole. Scientist today have attempted or are still attempting to classify and name all species though they run into difficulties with differences in opinions and redundancies (The Environmental Literacy Council, www.enviroliteracy.org)

Adam was just one man who named every beast and fowl that God created. He had to come up with some crazy stuff and God loved every one of them. What scientist can’t do today, one man did in the beginning of time. We have a hard time naming our pets! When I was young I had 4 dogs and one cat. The cat was never named, three of my dogs were all called Boy and one was called Princess. Can you tell that I had issues with naming my animals?

Maybe I should ask for the mind of Adam when naming my animals. Who knows what I would come up with!

Here is one for you; do you know what an Alpaca is? What about an Ermine? I didn’t make these up. They are real animals. Check out Wikipedia for more.

Hello...

I feel as if I haven't written in forever! Someone that talks as much as I do (LOL), can really miss a chat here and there.

First, I want to say that on Thanksgiving, I cut the pie and it was perfect. You just don't know how much I've improved in my culinary arts effort. I haven't burned much since my last kitchen horrors. There was only one incident during Thanksgiving where the marshmallows on the yams were charred. But that was not completely my fault and all I had to do was scrape them off and start again. They were yummy! Hate to disappoint you, but this chick is not going to have many more stories for you if I keep this up. LOL

Secondly, Christmas is coming around and I just love the holidays. Unfortunately, it always seems that I am broke during the holidays, but that is probably because there is always so much to buy.

Thirdly, Anthony has advanced to his purple belt. His only goal is to get the trophy and the belt. If that is what it takes to keep his self-esteem and his confidence high, then I am all for that. From this, he has learned discipline and respect amongst other things. Moms usually have a hidden agenda. This was definitely a winning situation.

Fourthly (is that a word? I guess I could spell check...Yes, it is a word) and most importantly, God is good!!! I love God and He loves me.

Chat with you later.
PJ

Someone has a birthday...

Happy Birthday Pastor Pryor!!!

Another pic of mi familia

I just had to load another picture of my oldest brother and his family. My oldest nephew, Quentin turned 21 on Sunday. I remember those days.

For my 21st birthday, I flew out to NYC and stayed a week. I had it planned for months. When I first arrived my hotel didn't have my reservation. Then it had troubles running the credit card. After figuring out that it was their machine and I got into the room, I became sick. Food poisoning. It didn't stop me though. I was 21, I had energy even when I was sick.

Alaina got a new car!

After much asking, Alaina finally posted a pic of her new car. This is Alaina's first car which I think warrants a celebration. New cars are always exciting and fun, especially when it is your first one. Hip! Hip! Horay! to Alaina and her new Nissan Maxima.

Shopping to Invite

Went down yesterday to the mall with Granny & Granny Lu. We were hanging out having a good ole time buying some $2 skirts from JcPenny. You would think that my young age would give me an advantage in the energy department, but you would be wrong. I was worn out (and happy) at the end of our 4 hour excursion.

And don't think we shopped the time away. Nope, we were on a mission. We came prepared with church cards and a smile. Check out some of our techniques.

• THE GOLD MEDAL DASH technique: After we grabbed a bite to eat and were headed towards the exit, Granny Lu grabbed a church card from me and ran (yes, she ran) after this woman to invite her to church.
• I KNOW YOU WANNA BUY technique: The verizon wireless guy was shocked when his sales pitch was turned right back on him.
• 'CHEESE' technique: The Glamour Shots guys asked us if we wanted to take some pics. BAM! Church cards pulled right out of the purse and into their hands.
• YUM!YUM! technique: The lady selling us some candy. BAM! Church card slammed down on the counter (I did that one).
• YOU HUNGRY? technique: The lady at the food court eating. BAM! Invited to church.

Everyone they talked to walked away with a church card. Those people in that mall didn't know what was coming when we pulled up.

Church Grannies

I have had so much fun lately with our grannies. There is so much wisdom that is displayed from them. The experience they have and the strength they exhibit is fascinatingly wonderful.

Saturday night on our way to the Everywoman’s BBQ, we (Trudie, Granny, Lula and myself) were all chit chatting away. The car was filled with happy talk, laughter and the Holy Ghost.

Lula (I call her Granny Lu) was telling of her past experiences and her days filled at this “holiness” church. I was definitely God’s will that we met. Granny was reminiscing on her days of youth and Trudie was telling of her days in Illinois.

Wonderful is all that I can call these women. Wonderful and hilarious! They have so much personality to go along with that wisdom. Laughter truly is medicine for the heart and soul. I am blessed to be able to drive them around. Ya’ll just don’t know how much you are missing out on. Maybe one day I will share them (just kidding).

In Due Season

Leviticus 26:4

Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

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I read something today that I thought I'd share. I read of a man that was asking God for a wife. He prayed this in thinking that maybe God's will might be for him to marry a woman in his church. When he realized that his feelings for these woman did not change, the man then changed his prayer and began to pray for preparation of his wife. This man never stopped asking for what he desired, but he understood that in time God would provide him with the desires of his heart. Until that time was to come, he would prepare for what God was going to provide.

I am single and a mother of one. My desire is for Anthony to have a wonderful father that loves him as if he were in fact his own blood, a husband who will love me as Christ commanded and a man that I would greatly respect, love and cherish for all of my days. I have not found this man as yet, but there is nothing stopping me from preparing for his arrival.

All this cooking (and I am getting good at it) is a form of preparation. Regardless, I have to cook for Anthony, but he could care less that he had to eat cereal because I burned the fried chicken. I must practice in preparation for the day that I must liberally exercise my skills in the culinary arts. (A note to my future husband, don't worry. By the time you come along I will be good at frying chicken)

Any ways, the point I am trying to say is that the blessing has not arrived, yet. But there is no reason why you cannot prepare for when it finally comes. Get your umbrella ready. Hang the rain coat up by the front door. Get that rain slicker if you want to. When the rain finally comes, get yo' stuff, go outside and enjoy your due season in the rain.

Seasons of Sowing

I received this via email today.

Seasons of Sowing

Today's Scripture
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy" (Psalm 126:5).

The Scripture talks about seasons of sowing and reaping in your life. In Psalms, it talks about sowing in tears and reaping in joy.

That verse is saying that the sowing seasons are usually the most difficult. It’s hard to keep a good attitude when all your friends are being blessed, but you’re not.

You may feel like they don’t work as hard as you do. You may feel like they don’t give like you do or don’t deserve the blessing. That’s a time of testing. It’s hard to go through disappointments and stay positive and hopeful. These are seasons of sowing.

If you’ll do the right thing even when it’s hard—when you sow in tears—you will always reap in joy!

I’m asking you to have a new attitude toward what God has placed in your heart. It may be taking a long time, but God still has a plan to bring it to pass.

Don’t give up. Your time is coming. It’s never too late!

God is saying, "This is your season. Keep your faith stirred up." Keep sowing because in due season, you will reap the bountiful harvest with a song of joy in your heart!

Hold Fast

Hebrews 10:35-36

(KJV)
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

(Amplified)
Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised.

(NIV)
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.