Inspirational Sunday

NOTE: Decided to post one of my older IOWs for this week's inspiration. I wrote this one 2 years ago after Hurricane Ike.

"I might have trouble on every side, yet not distressed. I might be perplexed but never in despair. Persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed." ~ Take 6, 'I've Got a Life'

Rae's Thought: We have this tall, skinny pine tree in front of our house – a tree we've watched grow for the past 11 years. This weekend, we watched it go through a major storm that could've left it destroyed, like so many other trees in our neighborhood.

Friday, when Ike's winds started to pick up, we watched anxiously as our tree bent back and forth, side to side. I'd prayed for her strength. If she fell backwards, she would've ended up in my room; if she fell to the left, our cars would've been destroyed; if she fell to the right or front, our streets would've been blocked. So, we waited, praying that she'd make it. And, you know what? She did. At one point, we were sure she'd fall. It looked like she would snap in half, but she's still standing strong. One of her branches snapped and she was hit so hard that sap is coming out, but she is still standing.

While watching this, I had a thought…an epiphany of sorts…an "aha" moment. Many times, I am like our tree. The "hurricanes" in my life hit me on all sides, bending me down. At one point, it looks like I'm not going to make it – the winds of life are blowing so hard, it feels as though I'm going to snap. But, you know what? After all is said and done, I'm still standing. I may have a few scars – battle scars, if you will - but I'm still here…standing strong.

I imagined God picking our little tree up every time she bent here and there – just like He picks us up during our times of trouble. And, after the storm is over, I can imagine Him cleaning our wounds, wrapping us up in His arms, like a mother does when her child has been injured. Watching this tree's struggle against a major hurricane gave me a sense of peace and comfort. Just like Take 6 said, "I might have trouble on every side, yet not distressed. I might be perplexed but never in despair. Persecuted but not forsaken, cast down but not destroyed." I'm going to make it. No matter what happens to me, as long as I have God, I'm going to make it. And, guess what? So will you.

Random Thoughts Thursday

Brrr!!! It's cold here in Houston! It's like 36 degrees here, but with the wind, it feels like less. My goodness, the whole freakin country is experiencing this cold weather. Crazy

I saw this on twitter:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6946257/Mans-penis-removed-from-pipe.html (not sure how to hide the link where it says click here or something).

I only have one thing to say about this: How in the h*ll did he get his private part stuck in the pipe!!! What was he doing (I can only imagine)? SMH

Yay Glee for winning People's Choice Award for fave new TV comedy! I LOVE that show, despite the fact that it comes on at the same time as Criminal Minds and Law & Order SVU. It's easily one of my faves now.

If I weren't so darn shy in high school, I so would have joined something like the glee club. I was in the choir in both junior high and high school, just not confident enough to join the show choir...and I wouldn't have cared if popular people talked about me. Being popular never made a difference to me. You had your jocks, cheerleaders, nerds, etc, then you had Raenice. I knew people in all groups, but was never a part of one group...and I was happy with that.

And what about that Ugly Betty? I don't care what anyone says. Ugly Betty is one of my fave shows. And now that Adam Rodriguez is on there, I like it even more!

Well, that's it for this week. Until next time, adios!

Tickle-Me Tuesday

Book Review: Sassy by Sharon Draper

Genre: Chapter Book

It isn't easy being the youngest. Just ask nine year-old, Sassy Simone Sanford. According to Sassy, she's "the one who has to settle for the last piece of chicken on the plate...who's stuck with the last slice of bread in the loaf...the one who gets the last choice of jelly beans in the candy bowl." Her family has a habit of calling her 'Little Sister' instead of her name, a habit Sassy seriously wishes they'd drop.

Being the youngest and smallest doesn't stop Sassy from making life an adventure, though. From jazzing up her boring school uniform (adding glitter nail polish and shimmery, bubble gum-smelling lip gloss) to carrying her dazzling 'Sassy Sack' (a purple, silver, pink, and magenta handbag that holds a gazillion things), Sassy's sparkling personality shines through. And when her family has to count on her to get them out of a scary situation, Sassy learns that good things really do come in small packages.

The thing that first attracted me to this book was the cover - just as sparkly as Sassy's personality. When I started reading, I realized the cover wasn't the only good thing about the book. I truly enjoyed reading about Sassy, who lives up to her name. I loved everything about the book: the cover, characters, plot, setting...this book was awesome! It kept my attention from beginning to end. I already knew Sharon Draper was a talented writer from reading her YA books. With Sassy, Ms. Draper proves that she's just as talented in writing outside of YA. This book is perfect for young tween girls, especially for African American girls. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Sassy series, Sassy: The Birthday Storm (which I've already bought).

Rating: 5/5

Inspirational Sunday

"So David inquired of the Lord..."

1Samuel 23: 2a (AMP)

Rae's Thought: In this particular passage of scripture, David had just found out that the Philistines planned to attack Keilah, a small city in Judah. Upon hearing this news, David could have done 2 things: ignore the news and hope for the best, or immediately charge into Keilah and fight the Philistines. If he'd chosen to ignore, no one would have really blamed him. He had problems of his own with Saul's murderous vendetta against him. On the other hand, going right into war and defeating the Philistines could have been possible. David was no punk. Remember, this is the same guy who killed a lion and defeated a 9ft giant (Goliath) when he was a teen! Not only was he a military genius, but he was also anointed and chosen by God. David chose neither option. Instead, he chose to ask, then act. So David inquired of the Lord... He took the time out to seek God's guidance.

When it comes to decision-making, we can certainly learn from David. How often have we made decisions without consulting God first, then wonder why things turned out the way they did? How many times have we pondered so long about a decision because we just didn't know what to do? I truly believe that some of the heartaches we've experienced could have been avoided if we only asked God what to do. So many people automatically ask friends and family, imperfect beings who may or may not know, before asking God, a perfect Being who knows all. When asking God for guidance, make sure you stick to what God tells you, no matter how crazy it may sound...even if family and friends tell you you're out of your mind. When David asked God what to do, God told him to attack the Philistines. David's men believed it would've been a suicide mission. So, David asked God again (and God told him the same thing).

Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Come in closer. You ready? Here it is: GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING! And you know what else? He has the answers you need, you just have to ask. Even when dealing with what seems to be unimportant, go to God. What do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing! He never tires of hearing our voices. He won't get exasperated if we came to Him for everything. He wants us to come to Him. He loves when His children ask for advice or direction. You can't go wrong with seeking God's knowledge. Uh, hello! He knows everything! When faced with a decision, no matter how big or small, ask then act!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010!!!

Thank God for allowing me to see another year...and what an awesome year it's gonna be! I have several goals (not resolutions) that I'm already working to achieve, some of which include completing novels 2 and 3, taking another look at novel #1, changing AYM (my business) from side hustle to main job, etc. I'll be blogging more about my goals later.

One of my goals is to blog more and consistently. To achieve this goal, I've made a few changes to my blog, as far as posting is concerned. Here is my new blog post schedule:

• Inspirational Sunday: Every Sunday; Inspiration of the Week post.
• Man-ifcent Monday: Every Monday; This day will be reserved for cutie pies. I plan to post pics of cutie pies, or eye candy. Ah! This may be my favorite day.
• Tickle-Me Tuesdays: Every Tuesday...hasn't changed; posts with funny/cute jokes, pics, vids to brighten your day.
• Writing Wednesdays: Every other Wednesday; This day is reserved for my new blog opera/blog novel/blog series...whatever it's called. Still working on the storyline, but by January 13th, it'll be ready.
• Random Thoughts Thursday: Every Thursday (unless there isn't anything to blog about); Posts about my thoughts on what's going on in the world.
• Fitness Friday: Last Friday of the month; Posts about my weight-loss journey
• Book Review Saturday: Every othe Saturday; I will post reviews of books I've enjoyed reading - books that have left an impact on me. I read all kinds of books (though, at the moment, I'm reading more YA than anything else), so my posts will reflect my taste in books.

So, there you have it. I'm excited about 2010. Are you?

2010

OK, so I'm still on hiatus, but I'm definitely excited about where my blog is going in 2010. New things planned, but I'll blog about that later (January 1st). So, my main purpose of posting today is to say that I've decided to buckle down and join the 2010 Debut Author Challenge. This just means I vow to read (and review) a certain amount of books from YA/MG authors debuting next year.

I don't have a complete list of TBR, but here are a few:

• The Body Finder by Kimberley Derting
• A Match Made in High School by Kristen Walker
• The Dark Devine by Bree Despain
• The Mark by Jen Nadol
• Eighth-Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
• The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
• Princess For Hire by Lindsey Leavitt
• Escape From Camp David by Dee Garretson
• The Unidentified by Rae Mariz
• The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Kidnapped by Yxta Maya Murray
• The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell
• Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

This is my list so far. I'm sure there will be more books as I LOVE to read. I'm especially looking for more debut authors of color, so if anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them! See you in 2010!