Yesterday was Labor Day for you all in the US. Unfortunately, they don't celebrate it here in the UAE. So, yeah. I may be a tad bit jealous. Haha!
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Tickle-Me Tuesday
Book Review: Witches
Author: Cheryl Christian
Genre: Children's Book; Picture Book
Release: August, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5
Description: Halloween night to remember. Whimsical, colorful illustrations overflow with charming details that will engage young readers to read the book again and again to discover all its charms.
Review: Witches are visiting homes on Halloween night! Children will love this book. The colorful illustrations capture the story perfectly. And I love that the witches are diverse. If I remember correctly, there's even a witch in a wheelchair. The revelation of the witches' identity, for adults, is predictable (we'd already know), but children will love it. This is a charming story perfect for Halloween!
T is for...Turkey Monster Thanksgiving (Book Review)
Genre: Fiction, Children's Novels
Release: September, 2011
Rating: 4/5
Description: This year, instead of celebrating Thanksgiving in the family's traditional way by eating pizza in their pajamas, nine-year-old Katie wants to create the perfect holiday and be just like a "real" family. But by Thanksgiving Day, Katie has invited guests Dad didn't expect, festooned the house with what may be poison oak, and set the sweet potatoes on fire. Ultimately everyone sits down to a most unusual dinner--one that succeeds because it comes from the heart.
Review: Nine year-old, Katie, does not have what we'd call a "normal" family. Her mom is off chasing her country star dreams, so it's just Katie, her dad, and her three year-old brother, Tyler. It is a tradition in the household to order pizza, stay in their pajamas, and watch football all day on Thanksgiving. The perfect Thanksgiving for Katie until now. Her supposed best friend, Claire, who lost her mother in a car accident the year before, keeps bragging about how she and her dad were going to have the perfect Thanksgiving. Suddenly, pizza and football doesn't sound so perfect compared to what Claire says they'll have. So, Katie works to come up with a perfect and normal Thanksgiving. But the more she thinks of, the more her plans go awry. Will Katie's Thanksgiving turn out to be the best - or worse - Thanksgiving?
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- Claire was annoying, but that's how it was supposed to be. Her character fit in.
WHAT I LIKED
- I liked how the single dads were represented in this book. There are plenty of children's books with single moms, but not enough with single dads. It was awesome to see them well represented.
- I liked the message - that because your family may not be a "normal" family doesn't mean it isn't a real family.
- I loved the family tradition of pizza, pajamas and football! Sounds awesome.
- I can picture what was happening in the book as well as feel what Katie was feeling.
This is a cute book with an awesome message about family. Perfect for your 2nd or 3rd grader.
Inspirational Sunday
I have the bestest mommy in the whole world. I mean, I know you may think yours may compare...you may even think your mom is the world's best, but I must say: if you were to look up "World's Best Mother" in the dictionary, there would definitely be a pic of my mom. She is my bestie and a wonderful role model for me. No, she's not perfect, but the cool thing is, she's willing to admit when she makes mistakes. God broke the mold when He made Karen Weakly. I pray that, when I become a mom, I'm able to be for my children what my mom has been for me.
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| My sister, mother, and me Mother's Day 2011 |
A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Inspirational Sunday: Happy Easter!
"He's not here; he has risen, just as he said..."
Matthew 28:6
Rae's Thought: The women walked along the path, hearts heavy, minds still reeling from the events of the last two days. They could still see Jesus, their Lord, hanging on the cross, body so marred, he was nearly unrecognizable. They could still hear his voice as he cried out in agony. Those hands, nailed to the cross, were the same hands that had performed so many miracles only days before. That voice, riddled with pain, was the same voice that had, with all power and authority, preached to the masses and commanded demons out of the possessed. The women couldn't believe Jesus was gone. Oh, how they missed him!
As they approached the tomb, a violent earthquake shook the area. After things settled down, the women looked up and saw what appeared to be an angel of the Lord, rolling back the stone and sitting on it. The angel's appearance was like lightning and his clothes were white as snow. The women were terrified! The guards were so paralyzed with fear, that they looked like dead men! Although the guards and women were both afraid, the angel only addressed the women. "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." (Matthew 28:1-6)
"He has risen." These three little words hold so much power. Without them, we would have no Easter. Without them, we'd have no Christianity. Without them, we'd have no victory. "He has risen." Because of these three words, we celebrate both Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. I assure you, the whole time Jesus was in that grave, Satan and his minions were holding a party down in hell, thinking they'd won. They thought they'd triumphed over God. In their minds, they'd finally gotten the victory over the One who'd kicked them out of heaven long before creation. Satan had been waiting a long time, since he'd convinced Eve to take a bite...perhaps even before that, to get revenge on God. Those two days and nights were sweet bliss for hell's inhabitants.
But on the third day, something happened; something...out of this world. Satan and his minions looked at the scene of the grave and realized that something was missing. The tomb was still there. The guards still watched over the tomb. The women were still in mourning. But something was missing. Jesus' body! Where was his body? I can imagine God's words coming back to Satan after the fall of man: He will crush your head (Genesis 3:15).
"He has risen." With these three words, Jesus defeated Satan and, because of that, the children of God - all who believe in Jesus' death and resurrection - are victorious. The battle? Already won. Satan? Defeated. God's children? More than conquerors. Jesus died so that our sins may be forgiven. He got up so that we may be victorious. And we are. We've been redeemed! Redeem is defined as: to pay off; to recover; to fulfill; to deliver from sin by sacrifice. Do you know what that means? Jesus paid off our debts, recovered our souls from hell, fulfilled the prophesy of the scriptures, and delivered us from sin by sacrificing his life. So, lift that head up. Put a smile on that beautiful face. WE'VE GOT THE VICTORY! The battle's already been won. Satan is no longer a threat. Jesus got up with all power in his pierced hands. And because Jesus has the power, we have the power. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do all things through Christ who gives us strength. We've got what it takes to live abundant, triumphant, and redeemed lives. "He has risen!"
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?
Random Thoughts Thursday
Success! Two weeks ago, I mentioned the controversy surrounding Justine Larbalestier's book, Liar. The controversy stemmed from the fact that, Micah,the main character in Liar, is an African American teen with short hair. The cover model was not. People complained. Publishers listened. They changed the book's cover.
Original Liar Cover
New Liar Cover 
See what can happen when people join together against something that's not right?Boohoo! So, if you've read my blog for a while (is anyone really paying attention to me?) you know that I've wanted to go to Puerto Rico since high school. My sis and I'd planned on going this past Spring Break, but money - or the lack thereof - kept us from going. We shook it off and planned on going in December over the Christmas holidays. Unfortunately, the lack of funds is winning out once again. *sigh* I SO wanted to go. So, I'm thinking, I keep having to put my trip to PR off, which means, when I do get a chance to go...oh, you betta believe I'll have the time of my life. It'll only make my trip that much sweeter.
All's not lost, though. In December, we'll go to South Padre Island, a beautiful island (so we've heard) near Corpus Christi, Texas. Since SPI is about 6 hours away, we can drive, cutting out the high cost of airfare. So, here's a pic of SPI. Not bad, huh?
Spring break 2010, we're hoping to be in Hawaii. All we have to worry about is the flight there (have 4-days/3-nights free) , which helps us BIG TIME. Summer 2010 will see us worldly travelers...at least on this side of the world. Our fam (immediate + extended) is taking a cruise with ports in Grand Cayman and Cozumel. My sis and I are working on plans to travel quite a bit during that time (first the cruise, then Miami & eventually PR). We're still working on it, so more to come later. I'm actually excited about next summer. One thing I know, I won't be working. I'm determined to save, save, save. Looking forward to it!Research. In novel #2, Who's Got Tha Moves, the dance reality show that Treasure is participating in is filmed in Miami. Since I don't actually live in Miami, and I've only been there once, shouldn't I research it some more? Sure I do. So, what does that mean? FIELD TRIP! That is the reason we're going to Miami next summer...well, you know, besides the beautiful beaches, awesome scenery, and muy caliente men. I'm absolutely positive I'll be finished with draft #1 (and maybe @ least #2) by that time, but I can still research the city. It's quite possible I can be on final draft by then. So, yeah. I'm looking forward to "researching" Miami next summer.
Inspirational Sunday
“Do not be afraid…He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said.”
Matthew 28: 5-6
Matthew 28: 5-6
Rae’s Thought: There have been an alarming number of murder/suicides within this country in the last few months. These people, who had given up on life, chose not only to take their own lives, but also the lives of innocent people around them (including children). For some reason, these people felt there is no hope.
Our country is going through a major economic crisis right now. What’s worse is we don’t know for sure how long this crisis is going to last. Words like ‘recession’ and ‘inflation’ strike fear and terror (and cause depression) in many Americans. Companies are cutting positions, people are losing their jobs, families are being forced out of their homes…many Americans are losing hope.
When Jesus was crucified on the cross, over 2000 years ago, His followers and those that loved Him lost all hope. They were so sure He was ‘The One’ – the Messiah sent to save their people – and yet He was dead. The man they followed for the past 3 years (33 years for some)…the same man who warmed their hearts with His presence…was no longer there. The silence must have been deafening. No more parables. No more miracles. No more Jesus. I can only imagine how depressing that Friday and Saturday must have been. The future, in their eyes, was bleak. Their hope was buried in a tomb with a huge stone covering the entrance and huge guards protecting the area…or so they thought…
Imagine the emotions going through the three women as they went to the tomb Sunday morning to clean their Lord’s body. Imagine their pain as they walked the road leading to the tomb, remembering how He was beaten, laughed at, and nailed to the cross. Imagine their surprise when they saw no guards and the stone rolled away. Imagine their joy when they were told by the angel that Jesus, their Lord, had risen. Hope had been restored.
I know the Easter story is about Jesus’ crucifixion/resurrection for my salvation, but it’s so much more than that to me. It’s about hope, even in the bleakest of times. It’s about not being afraid, even when the situation looks bad (“Do not be afraid…” Matthew 28: 5). It’s about believing that God will do exactly what He said He’ll do (“He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said.” Matthew 28: 6). Despite what may seem like a desolate situation in the American economic crisis, I still have hope. My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. My hope isn’t in the new president or American financial institutions. My hope isn’t in anything of this world. It’s in Jesus and I’m clinging to Him like a lifeline, refusing to let Him go. I have a RISEN SAVIOR who is taking care of things in the background for me. HE IS IN CONTROL, therefore, I still have hope.
Happy New Year!
Ah! 2009 is finally here. Did you have an awesome New Year's Day? Guess what I did...rested. That's right. I slept late, then spent the rest of the day watching TV and reading. I loved it! I haven't taken enough "Me Days" in my life. One of my must-dos for 2009 is take more me-days...don't be afraid to not work every once in a while.
2008 was a pretty good year. I mean, nothing overly exciting happened - besides my 5 week trip to Cuernavaca (Mexico) in June/July...my 1st real summer vacation since I started working in 1992. Still, nothing horrible happened either. Now, it's time to leave 2008 where it belongs - in the past - and move forward. Every year, or almost every year, my family comes up with a motivational slogan to live by. This year's slogan is: It's Our Time in 2009! Why? Because we feel that God's about to do some awesome things for our family. He's already started putting things in place for us. And the best thing is we're doing it together (did I mention that we're a close-knit family).
About 5 years ago, my parents started a business called Weakly Family Ministries, that, as the name suggests, focuses on bettering the family. They started out with marriage counseling, pre-marital counseling, family counseling, mentoring, etc. Now, WeaFam is expanding. They're looking into officially moving into an office building (they'd been counseling in our garage-turned-office). Also, now, WeaFam includes the AYM Enrichment Program, which is my sister's & my business (also looking for our own space), along with the urban wear store my brother wants to open, my children & teens novels that will published, and my other brother's poetry/spoken word books that will also be published (if you're a Houstonian, check out Freez.Eturnal's performances at clubs around Houston...my brother is a talented spoken word artist). So you see, God has given each and every one of us a talent to use to help others (and glorify Him, of course) and we're about to do our thang in 2009. IT'S OUR TIME IN 2009!
I leave you with a few of my 2009 goals:
- Complete Who's Got Tha Moves
- Begin/Plan novel #3 (not sure of title, but I do know what it's about)
- Move into own home (my sis & I are starting our journey of becoming home-owning roomies)
- Start journey to become debt-free & financially stable
- Complete my dissertation by June 1st (which means, I'll become Dr. Weakly & have my degree by July/August if all goes well, but I won't actually walk across the stage til January 2010)
- Become more confident in my Spanish (I'm basically a chicken when it comes to speaking Spanish...I know it, just too scared to speak it. I'm getting better, though, thanks to my sis, who speaks fluent Spanish)
- Concentrate on making AYM my full time job
- Go to more conferences for writers and entrepreneur since I am both
- Travel more
- Work on crossing more things off my list of things to do by the time I'm 35 (I've only gotten a chance to cross one off, while I'm working on about 3 others...my list is about 60 items long)
- Take better care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually
Also, I've added more to this blog:
- Inspirational Sundays: I'll post anything that can be seen as inspirational, whether it be my own inspirational writing (like what I do on my myspace blog) or inspirational stories I've read online or heard about.
- Tickle-Me Tuesdays: This day is reserved for stories, pictures, jokes, or comic strips that'll make you laugh. We all should enjoy a good laugh every once in a while, right?
- Random Thoughts Thursday: Same as last year
- Fitness Fridays: My sis and I have started our journey to a healthier us last month. On Fridays, I'll chronicle my journey by posting any weight loss success, success in lowering my high blood pressure, great workouts, trials, triumphs, etc.
Random Thoughts Thursday
Finally, back on Thursdays...at least til I'm without a computer again. I've decided to get a pink Dell (still trying to figure out which Dell). Unfortunately, I won't be able to buy one til February. Why pink? Cuz it's different. Although the black laptops are business-y, they're just so...blah. I want color. Guess I'm reverting back to my childhood days when pink was my color, before I outgrew it. Anyway, that's what I'm getting. On to my thoughts...
The Holidays. It's the holiday season! Did I mention before how much I love this time of year (I'm sure I did, but I'm saying it again). Monday was Hanukkah, so, Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate it. Today is Christmas, so, Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa (starts tomorrow). Did I miss one? If I did, forgive me. I celebrate Christmas, so I thank God for sending His Son here. Happy Birthday, Jesus! I love you!
James Bond. There's a rumor going around that P. Diddy wants to be the next Bond. You can look at his newest fragrance commercial & see that (his fragrances are AWESOME, btw). So, here's my take on this: while Diddy can dress like Bond & he may have that Bond swagger, I don't think he's Bond material. Just my opinion. First off, James Bond is supposed to be gorgeous and, to me, Diddy is not. I mean, come on. Sean Connery? Pierce Brosnan? Daniel Craig?
Diddy is not in the same league. Then, there's the smoothness...the umph that makes the man Bond. And the acting? Don't get me wrong. P Diddy was okay in Raisin in the Sun. Not dynamic...just okay. I admit, he does have a few Bond qualities, but, when I picture the first African American James Bond, I do not see Sean "P Diddy" Combs. I just don't.
You know who I do see? Will Smith. He's got it! He's the next James Bond - should they decide to add color to the Bond franchise. He's gorgeous, got a great body, smooth, an awesome actor, & gorgeous (I know I said that one already, but it's worth repeating). Think Bad Boys' Mike Lowry on a whole different level. That's James Bond. And he's a bankable star. Even in his worst movies, Will Smith still did well in the box office. Face it...I...I mean, people love Will Smith. They'd go see a Will Smith headliner before a P Diddy one (sorry, Diddy). I've casted my vote. Will Smith as the next James Bond. It's perfect - a match made in Hollywood heaven. Did I mention he's gorgeous?
Random Thoughts Thursday...on Saturday
I know I'm 2 days late; couldn't be helped; didn't have computer access, hence, my Random Thoughts post on Saturday. Oh the day when I'll be able to afford my own laptop (soon, I'm hoping...like for Christmas, maybe)! Anyway, on to my thoughts - which, really, I haven't thought much about anything but work and my dissertation. Here are the few extra thoughts I've had:
Obama 'Haters'. Oh how I wish people would stop 'hatin' on Obama. For those who don't know, a hater is A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person (urbandictionary.com). Newsflash: HE WON! He's gonna be our 44th president. The people of America have spoken. Sheesh! Leave the man alone. People need to focus on how to make America even better rather than how to stop the next pres from being pres. I guess I can look at this from a positive angle: All this opposition will only make PRESIDENT Obama and his family stronger & Lord knows this country needs someone strong....
December. YAY, IT'S DECEMBER!!!! December is my favorite month. I LOVE this time of year. It's awesome...it's fun...it's beautiful...it's magical. The decorations, the caroling, the giving...I love it all. And it's Jesus' birthday (the celebrated day, at least). It's the best. I'm like a big kid during this time.
I remember when I was younger, we used to go caroling in the neighborhoods (before people started getting all freaked out about the whole religion thing). I loved doing it, and I miss it. My sis and I were just talking about how & where we can sing carols without offending people. Our neighborhood has a mixture of religions. On one corner, we have a Muslim mosque. Across the street from that, a 7th Day Adventist church is being built. Our church (Christian...Baptist) is next to the Adventist church and next to ours is another Baptist church. That doesn't include the 2 Baptist churches right around the corner, the other Muslim mosque down the street, and the Jehovah's Witness church about 2 minutes away. I'm not sure we can go caroling without offending anyone. And you can't carol without songs like Silent Night, Joy to the World, and O Holy Night...all talking about Jesus. Maybe we can carol at a children's hospital - spread a little Christmas cheer. I don't know. All I do know is THIS IS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE TIME OF THE YEAR! Happy holidays to EVERYONE.
Random Thoughts Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving!
Some things I am thankful for...
- God/Jesus
- Family
- Life
- Job
- Health - yeah, I have HBP, but other than that, I'm healthy...and HBP can be controlled
- Music
- Books
- my God-given purpose: to educate and empower children/teens
- children/teens (without them, I wouldn't have a purpose)
- My ability to create and write stories that will one day bring smiles to readers' faces
- Fact that people actually read my blogs
- The people before me who fought and/or died for the rights that I'm enjoying now
The thing that I am most thankful for is God. Without Him, my life would cease to exist. Without Him, life would be worthless. He's awesome!
Don't forget to take some time out to thank someone - which, actually shouldn't be limited to one day. So, what are you thankful for?
