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Random Thoughts Thursday

New Toys. I just received my new netbook. I was a little worried that it would be a little too small to use (as oppose to the 15+ in screens that I'm used to) but I absolutely LOVE it! It's little and cute...like me. I can easily carry it along with me. Here's an example of what my laptop looks like:


Now, all I'm waiting on is affordable internet service and I'll be good. The funny thing is, my laptop was delivered on the same day I got a few books that I ordered. A pink laptop and books delivered on the same day...you know I was in nerd heaven! The books I ordered, by the way, are: A Match Made in High School, Eighth-Grade Superzero, Wish, and The Mark.


At-Home Retreat. So, unfortunately, I can't afford to go somewhere for a sabbatical, so I'm going to plan an at-home retreat. I'm including time to spend with God, catch up on things that have fallen behind (blogging, reading, writing), and just have some me-time. It's going to be during my spring break. I can NOT wait!

 

Tickle-Me Tuesday

Sent to me by email...

Little Dewey and his family were having Sunday dinner at his grandmother's house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Dewey received his plate, he started eating right away.

"Dewey! Please wait until we say our prayer," said his mother.

"I don't need to," the boy replied.

"Of course, you do." his mother insisted through gritted teeth. "We always say a prayer before eating at our house."

"That's at our house," Dewey explained. "But this is Grandma's house and she knows how to cook."

 

Man-ificent Monday: Chris Daughtry

There's just something about this rocker with his bald head! I was rooting for this cutie pie to win the 5th season of American Idol, but, alas, he came in 4th place. It looks like he got the better end of the deal. You hear more about him than you do the winner, Taylor Hicks. I am a BIG fan of Daughtry...love the music.

Word(s) to describe: Gorgeous!

 

Tickle-Me Tuesday

Two cute videos. The 1st one is of my 5 year-old nephew, Sidney, dancing to Michael Jackson's movie, This Is It. He LOVES MJ!! Too bad, MJ won't be around to see this future rock star! The 2nd one is a video response to Beyonce's Single Ladies. I love it! Enjoy.




 

Man-ificent Monday: Nick Denbeigh

Today's cutie pie is Nick Denbeigh, a 25 year-old model/actor from Spokane Washington, who is seen in the newest Bring It On, with Christina Milian. He was also in Christina's video for "Us Against the World". His girlfriend is Camille Winbush who played Vanessa on The Bernie Mac Show. My my, Camille is a lucky girl!

Word(s) to Describe: WOW!


 

Inspirational Sunday

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"
1 John 3:1

Rae's Thought: As a teen, I suffered from bouts of low self-esteem. I didn't hate myself, but I just didn't have the right idea about myself when it came to body image. At that time, thin was in and thick was out. Images of thin models and celebs were everywhere. Since I wasn't thin, and society said thin was beautiful, then that must mean I wasn't beautiful, right? This was what went through my mind when, at about 16, I decided that if I didn't eat, the weight would come off. This is a dangerous thought that plagues females of all ages, even today. I skipped breakfast and lunch and only ate a minimal amount at dinner, just so my parents wouldn't figure out what I was doing. This happened for months. Thank God He opened my parents' eyes to what I was doing. Had He not, I could've done some serious damage to myself. I could've become a victim of anorexia.

If Christians really understood the depth of God's love for them, do you think there'd be so many with insecurities, low self-confidence, depression, suicide, and other things? I don't think so. With God's love and acceptance, we'd be able to accept and love ourselves, and then we'd be able to spread that love to others. We wouldn't have so many women who feel that their worth is in men. We wouldn't have so many men who feel the need and pressure to prove themselves to everybody. We wouldn't have so many children committing suicide because they feel unloved. As an adult, I learned and understood the depth of God's love for me. He loves me, with my big butt, wide hips, big head, full lips, and all. I learned to love ALL of me. If God, who is perfect, can see past all my flaws and still love me, why can't I? I had to see what God saw when He looked at me. Yes, I saw my imperfections, but I also saw a child of God; a princess; an heir to His kingdom.

What happens when you keep pouring water in a cup? It'll overflow and spill out everywhere. When God pour His love into you, it overflows. You can't have God's love inside of you and hate yourself or others at the same time. It just won't work. God's love is more powerful. God doesn't want His children to walk around hating themselves or others. It's not in His will for us to continually put ourselves down. Once we gave our lives to Christ, we went from being dirty and filthy to being clean and loved. First John 3:1 tells us that He lavished His love on us. To lavish means to give in abundance; to shower. Do you really think God would shower His love on people who don't mean a thing to Him? Do you think He would make such a huge sacrifice on ones He didn't love...didn't care for? The fact that God thinks I'm worthy enough to sacrifice One so precious to Him and that the One loved me enough to go through with it, fills me with joy.

Allow God's love to fill you up. It's like a supernatural Energizer Bunny: it keeps going and going and going...His love is eternal. Romans 8: 38-39 tells us that "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Nothing, absolutely nothing, can remove us from the warmth of His love. It gets inside of you and works its way through your entire body until it reaches your heart. It engulfs you like fiery flames, burning away your impurities. I promise you, once you experience His love, your life will never be the same!

 

Random Thoughts Thursday

Call me naive, but I can't understand why politicians can't set aside self for one moment and agree on what's best for this country. They're so busy arguing about "Republicans this" and "Democrats that" that they're forgetting about what's more important than they're inflated egos...THE PEOPLE! I'm so tired of hearing each party go back and forth about who did what. At times, they sound like the little kids I teach, tattling on each other. I really wanna tell them, "Get over yourselves and start focusing on what this country needs!" I'll tell you what we don't need: a bunch of bickering peeps (doesn't matter what color, age, or race) who's main focus is to push their own personal agenda forward.

I am SO glad I do not put my trust in politicians. I am a supporter of President Obama, but my trust is not in him. I do not count on him to help me in my daily living. Yes, he's the leader of our country - whether you like it or not - but I don't trust him to make my life here on earth livable. My trust is in God and God alone! He is the one who sustains me day-by-day. He is the one who keeps me, in spite of our tumultuous economy. It is God who will lead me to my promised land. Not President Obama...not Democrats...not Republicans...but God.

 

Tickle-Me Tuesday

Kids Marriage Advice

( 1 ) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10 --

( 2 ) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kirsten, age 10 --

WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

( 1 ) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10 --

( 2 ) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.
-- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

( 1 ) Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE

( 1 ) Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
( 2 ) On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10 (wise beyond his years)

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

( 1 ) I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

( 1 ) When they're rich
-- Pam, age 7

( 2 ) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
-- Curt, age 7

( 3 ) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8 (this one has very good morals!)

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

( 1 ) I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out.
-- Theodore, age 8

( 2 ) It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

( 1 ) There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

( 1 ) Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
-- Ricky, age 10

 

Man-ificent Monday: New Orleans Saints

In honor of the new NFL Superbowl Champs, the New Orlean Saints (whoooooohooooo), I've decided to feature to more Saint cutie pies...ones I just noticed yesterday during the game.

Darren Sharper (#42)
Word(s) to Describe: Absolutely FINE!!!!
Lance Moore (#16)
Word(s) to Describe: Adorable!!!

 

Interruption

Geaux Saints!!!!!!! WhoDat! WhoDat! I'm so happy for the city of New Orleans! EXCELLENT job, team!

Ok, continue.

 

Inspirational Sunday

"Wait on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:14 (NKJV)

Rae's Thought: Last week, I realized that I'm currently in a season of waiting: waiting for my Boaz; for my finances to get better; to have kids; to become a successful entrepreneur and a published author; to finally become Dr. Weakly...the list goes on. It seems like all I'm doing at this time is waiting. During my devotionals, God talked to me about waiting and trusting in Him. He brought to mind two examples - one of someone who didn't wait and one who did.

God had promised Sarah that He would bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. He promised that kings of peoples would come from her. Unfortunately, Sarah got impatient and gave Abraham her maidservant, Hagar, so they could have a son through her. The thing is, God promised Sarah that He'd make her mother of nations, not Hagar. Sarah's impatience cause a lot of unnecessary heartache.

David was a young teen when Samuel anointed him as God's replacement of Saul, the king of Israel, but he didn't see that promise come to pass until years later. Those years weren't exactly easy years either - he faced a giant, dealt with Saul's murderous attempts, went against huge armies, lost his best friend, was always on the run from his enemies - but David kept waiting. Even during his reign, he waited on and trusted God, proving that he clearly deserved the title, "man after God's own heart".

Have you ever had to wait on God? Not always an easy thing to do, is it? Sometimes, it seems like doing things for yourself is easier than waiting. I mean, who knows how long God's going to take, right? If you're not careful, Satan will convince you to take matters into your own hands. It is important for us not to entertain Satan and his devious thoughts. Resist him and he'll no other choice but to flee.

I love this quote by Michelle McKinney Hammond, author of Sassy, Single, and Satisfied: "You never know what you are getting if you conjure something up on your own. When we move out of time or out of season, we forfeit the protection of God over our lives as well as our hearts...Perhaps we don't understand why He does what He does or why He takes so long, but He knows best and He is sovereign..." Waiting on God is not always easy, but the alternative - doing things my way - is even worse. God works on His own time, not mine.

The way I see it, I have a choice: I can grow impatient and take matters into my own hands like Sarah, which will more than likely yield disastrous results; or I can wait and trust God like David, which can earn me the title "a woman after God's own heart". I truly believe that, if I wait on God, He will bless my diligence and patience. So, I choose to wait and trust that He knows what He's doing, no matter how long it takes. It could be years before I see His promises come to pass for me, but I'll wait. It may look like God has forgotten about me, but I'll wait. Time may seem like it's running out, but I will wait! How about you?

 

Book Review: Mama's Saris by Pooja Makhijani


Genre: Picture Book

In preparing to celebrate her seventh birthday, the little girl in Mama's Saris helps her mom decide which sari to wear. Mama wears her saris for special occasions. As they go through her suitcase, Mama talks about the different occasions she wore each sari. The little girl pleads with her mother to let her wear one. Mama finally concedes since it's the little girl's birthday. After she's dressed in the sari, bangles and a bindi, the little girl happily tells her mother, "I think I look like you."

This books was a heartfelt read that I enjoyed very much. It reminded me of when I was a little girl wanting to wear my mom's clothes. It brought to mind a picture I have of me in my mom's high heels with my hands on my hips. The pictures in Mama's Saris go perfectly with this story - so colorful and expressive. Mama's Saris gives you that warm feeling inside as you take a look at a mother/daughter relationship and a wonderful Indian tradition.

Rating: 5/5

 

Random Thoughts Thursday

Mayor Goodman/Obama. Ok, so am I the only one who is perturbed at Las Vegas' Mayor Goodman's reaction? I mean, come on! Obama's statement: "You don't blow a bunch of cash on Vegas when you're trying to save for college. You prioritize. You make tough choices. It's time your government did the same." I'm sorry, but I don't see anything wrong with that statement. Is it just me?? I don't see him saying anything negative about Vegas. I can sum up his statement in one word: budget. If I'm trying to save $ for college, will going to Vegas and blowing it really be a smart thing to do? Doesn't Mayor Goodman know that people come to Vegas from all parts of the country - the world - so they can experience the casinos and flashing lights? Does he not know that people do, in fact, go to Vegas to blow a bunch of cash? I can't see people going to Vegas and not spending a dime...not experiencing the casinos. If you have, well, good for you. But I'll probably be right in saying most people don't. They go and they spend. They gamble and they spend some more. So why in the h*ll is Obama's statement so bad? Why did it warrant Mayor Goodman's statement that Obama's a "slow learner"? Looks to me like Goodman's the slow learner here. smh

Blog Awards.
I've received my very first blog award: a Silver Lining Blog Award (for blogs that always help others in some way or focus on the good things in life and uplift others), thanks to my friend, Karen Strong over at Musings of a Novelista. I kinda feel like Betty did last night on Ugly Betty when she won a Blobby award for her blog, lol! So, according to the rules, after thanking Karen (thanks SO much), I can answer the following quiz (no more than two words) and pass the award on to 5 blogs I feel deserve the Silver Lining Award.

  • Where is your cell phone? Desk

  • Your hair? Medium

  • Your mother? Beautiful

  • Your father? Strong

  • Your favorite food? Mexican

  • Your dream last night? None

  • Your favorite drink? PEPSI!!!

  • Your dream/goal? Become virtuous

  • What room are you in? Parents' office

  • Your hobby? Reading

  • Your fear? Cockroaches

  • Where do you want to be in 6 years? Bestselling author

  • Where were you last night? Home (duh)

  • Something that you aren’t? Talkative

  • Muffins? Chocolate chip

  • Wish list item? Books

  • Where did you grow up? Alief, TX

  • Last thing you did? Wrote

  • What are you wearing? Jeans/Sweatshirt

  • Your TV? Off

  • Your pets? Not yet

  • Friends? Awesome

  • Your life? Blessed

  • Your mood? Happy

  • Missing someone? Deceases grandparents

  • Vehicle? Ford Mustang
  • Something you’re not wearing? Shoes

  • Your favorite store? Barnes & Nobles

  • Your favorite color? Pink

  • When was the last time you laughed? Earlier

  • Last time you cried? Can’t remember

  • Your best friend? Awesome

  • One place that I go to over and over? Parents' home

  • One person who emails me regularly? My family

  • Favorite place to eat? Applebee's


  • Now for the 5 blogs that always help others in some way or focus on the good things in life and uplift others: hmm...


     

    Tickle-Me Tuesday







     

    Man-ificent Monday: Adam Rodriguez

    If you've read my blog before, you'd know that I think this week's cutie pie is absolutely gawgeous, dahling! Adam Rodriguez is the reason why I started watching CSI Miami. Of course, now, even without him on it, I'm hooked on the show, but, years ago, it was all about seeing that dimpled smile and beautiful, brown eyes every week. Fans of CSI Miami (Ahem, me. *raises hand*) knew all about Adam before he was even cast in Tyler Perry's, I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Now that he's done Bad, his fan base has gotten even bigger. I LOVED his character, Sandino, in the movie. Taraji P. Henson was one lucky chica! If you've seen the video for Melanie Fiona's song, It Kills Me (LOVE this song, by the way), you'd notice that he's her love interest. Now that he's leaving CSI Miami, you can only see him every once in a while, but he is on Ugly Betty as Bobby. He has a few movies in the making, including a movie with 50 Cent, called Caught in the Crossfire. I'm not a fan of 50, but I'll go see the movie because AR's in it. I don't mean to sound like a 15 year-old girl, but I SO have a crush on Adam Rodriguez!

    Word(s) to describe: Que rico!