XYZ is for...X-cellence, Youthfulness, and Zeal

I'm always striving for...

X-cellence: Had to get creative with my 'x' word. I was raised not to be satisfied with the mundane. Because I am a child of God, the sky's the limit when it comes to my dreams. And when I'm going for my dreams, don't just settle at being good. Doesn't mean I'll be the best. There's always someone better than me. I just have to strive to be the best that I can be. Strive for x-cellence. That's what I'm doing. And if I fail, I get right back up and try again.

Youthfulness: No, this doesn't mean I'm looking for the fountain of youth. I'm actually ok with aging. I do not want to lose my child-like imagination. I do not want to become a grumpy old adult. Children can find pleasure in the simplest of things. Even the little things tickle them and make them smile. I don't ever want to be so busy that I don't stop and take the time to appreciate all that's around me. I want to be able to always smile and find pleasure in the simplest of things.

Zeal: And last but not least, I want to go for my dreams with all I have. I want to have a passion for life and live it to the fullest!

W is for...Who is Rae?

What's an A to Z blog challenge without a post about yours truly? I know you wanna know all about me. Go on. Admit it. You're dying to know, "Who is Rae? Who is the girl behind the blog?" Well my loves. Your prayers have been answered. I'm posting 25 things about me. How wonderful of me, right? Yes, yes. I know.

• I'm a lefty. And proud of it. Despite the fact that the world was made for the less fortunate (aka right-handed people), being a lefty is awesome.
• My favorite color is pink. Sure, pink is a girl color, but HELLO. I'm a girl. In case you hadn't noticed.
• I'm claustrophobic. I hate feeling closed in. Elevators are cool when they're big and practically empty. It's the small, full elevators I can't stand. I tend to pass them up. If I do get on a full elevator, I have to stand at the front. I'm definitely not a fan of crowds. When I feel closed in, I have a panic attack.
• I was born dead. My mom was sick, so I ended up coming one month early. You know how babies come out crying? Yeah, not me. I was stillborn. Not breathing. As quiet as can be. The doctors did their thing and, by God's grace, I lived. Obviously. Cos a dead woman blogging would be so creepy...
• I'm shy. I know it's hard to believe since I'm such a great conversationalist here in blogland, but alas, it's true. In the real world, I'm quiet unless I'm with family and friends. If you get past that barrier of mine, you see the real Rae. I don't let just anybody in. In my eyes, you've got to earn it.
• I am obsessed with have a crush on Laz Alonzo and Adam Rodriguez. I know I've said this before, like a bagillion times, but these men are gorgeous.
• I'm an analfectionator. I'm an anal perfectionist who sometimes procrastinates, hence the word "analfectionator"...a word I and my dad made up. Did I mention I have slight OCD and ADD? Sounds like I need professional help, huh?
• I am a closet adrenaline junkie. Bunjee jumping? Skydiving? Ziplining? Yes please!  I haven't done any of these as of yet, but I do plan on it. I can just imagine the rush! I LOVE roller coasters. The faster and scarier, the better. And wouldn't you know it. The world's fastest roller coaster (the Formula Rossa) is here in Abu Dhabi. This summer, I am so there...front row!
• I'm allergic to seafood. Terrible, right? I LOVE seafood but I can't eat it. I can eat tilapia and tuna fish. I can even eat Long John Silvers or fishsticks. But for the most part, I have some kind of allergic reaction if I eat seafood. Most just makes me nauseous, puke, or my throat itch. Not Perch fish.  Remember that scene in Hitch where he eats seafood? Yeah. That's me if I eat perch. My face swells and my airways close in. If I'm not careful, perch fish can send me to my grave.
• I hate clowns. Never liked them, especially Ronald McDonald. They're just...creepy. Remember, Stephen King's It? *shudder* My children will not be having clowns at any of their parties. If so, Mommy's gonna have to retreat to her bedroom til they leave. Not that I'm scared of them or anything. Cos I'm not. Really, I'm not.
• I'm a nerd. And proud of it. I've always been a nerd. Always will be. I have no problems admitting this. Nerds rule the world. As a teen, I preferred staying in my room to read and write over going outside and playing like normal kids. So much so that, the few times I got in trouble, my punishment was to go outside or call friends. And yes. To me, that was a fate worse than death.
• I'm a 5th generation first-born female. My great great grandmother, great grandmother, grandmother, mother, and I are all the oldest child in our families. I just think this is so cool. I wonder if I'll have the 6th generation first-born female or will I be the one to break the cycle and have a boy as my first born. No pressure, right?  
• I collect angels. Anything that has to do with angels. I've got angel figurines, angel pillows, angel hats, etc. It all stems from my great grandmother, GaGa, who saved me when I was a baby. You can read the story here.
• I'm Chi-Town born, H-Town bred, and AD led. I was born in Chicago. Then, 2 months before my eighth birthday, we moved to Houston, where I was raised and have lived most of my life. Now, I've been led to Abu Dhabi, where I currently reside. I still have Chicago in me (I say pop instead of soda), and Abu Dhabi is an absolute beautiful place to live, but my heart will always be in Houston. I love my city.
• I love to bake. It's actually a stress reliever for me. Cookies, cakes, brownies...you name it. I get in that kitchen and all my worries/stress melts away. And I'm good at it, too. I get my love of baking from GaGa. Of course, I try not to be overly stressed. Too much baking is so not good for the hips.
• I'm a vampire. Ok, not really. But, like a vampire, I can't stay out in the sun for long. If I do, I get sick (migraine, hard time breathing, hives). It drains me of energy. On days I go to the beach or chill at the park, when I get home, I'm done for. That's it. I'm no good afterwards. I think it has more to do with the heat than the sun itself, though. This is why most of my Abu Dhabi summer days will be spent inside rather than outside. It gets CRAZY hot here in AD.
• My favorite animal is the white tiger. I LOVE white tigers. They're beautiful and rare...just like me. I had a pet one named Sasha. Well, not a real one. She was my stuffed animal. I let my nephew have it when I moved to AD. He begged me for it. I admit. It was hard to give her up, but I did. Now, some of the sheikhs' sons here in the UAE have pet white tigers. If I could own a pet tiger, I so would. But alas, it wasn't meant. They were meant to be out in the wild. 
• I have an irrational fear of cockroaches. Especially huge FLYING cockroaches like the ones we see in Houston. I can't stand them. At. All. These things should not have wings. They just shouldn't. I'm not sure what God was thinking, giving them wings. Thankfully, I haven't seen any in Abu Dhabi.
• Mulan is my favorite kiddie movie. I loved everything about it. The soundtrack. The characters. The storyline. EVERYTHING. Mulan is a perfect example of a strong, yet vulnerable female character. And that Li Shang. Whew! 
• I'm a sarcastic person. Shocking, right? You're like, "Seriously, Rae? I hadn't even noticed!" I know. But yes. Sarcasm is my friend. We go way back. I think this is part of the reason why my favorite age group to teach is junior high. They are terribly sarcastic. They so get me & I them. Actually, my whole family is sarcastic. It takes special people to hang with us. 
• I'm slightly clumsy. Ok more than slightly. I'm very clumsy. Extremely clumsy. Embarrassingly clumsy. Like one time, I was so busy reading my Nook while walking to my room, that I ran right into my door, head first. Proof that reading while walking is a dangerous thing.
• I LOVE my curves! But it wasn't always like this. In high school, I went through an anorexic faze, where for six months, I either didn't eat or I ate very little. My parents caught on, though. Thank God. I didn't get scary skinny and I didn't do any damage. But that's only by the grace of God. Now, I love being full figured; wouldn't change it for the world. Being voluptuous and curvy rocks! 
• I actually prefer action movies over romantic movies. Yep. I may be the only woman who feels this way, but that's me. Don't get me wrong. I love romantic movies. I just love action better. I think this may a result of my being an adrenaline junkie. Movies like the Bourne series and Mission Impossible series are my favorite to watch. I also like the XMen series and the like. I so can't wait to see the Avengers!
• I have two tattoos & a nose piercing. A peace sign on my ankle and the word "virtuous" written in Japanese on my right shoulder blade. I got them to celebrate turning 30. This summer, I plan to get one of a butterfly to celebrate stepping out of my comfort zone & moving to Abu Dhabi. I'd like to say I've come out of my cocoon and am now a butterfly. My nose piercing actually closed when I moved here. I wasn't sure if they frowned upon nose piercings at work, so I took mine out. I know now that it's fine so, I plan to get it re-pierced this summer.
• I'm a child of God. I'm totally, irrevocably, madly in love with Jesus Christ! I believe in the Holy Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). I believe in the existence of heavenly angels as well as fallen angels (demons). I believe that Satan and his demons are real and are causing havoc on the children of God. I believe that Jesus died & rose for my sins and, because of this, I have victory over Satan. I believe that Jesus is coming back again at a time unknown to man. I believe that when I die, I will spend eternity in paradise with God, Jesus, the angels, and all my loved ones who died before me. I am not perfect...will never be perfect. But I do strive to become the woman God has called me to be. I will not apologize for my beliefs. Yes, it is my job to tell unbelievers about Christ, but I do not believe in beating it over their heads. My life speaks just as powerfully as my words. I try to practice what I preach. When people see me, I want them to know I'm different. There's something about me that separates me from others. And that "something" my loves, is God.

U/V are for... Ultimate Vision

Ok, so yes I'm cheating. This week has been...draining to say the least. I just didn't have the energy to even think about blogging. So, I ended up getting behind in my posts. To catch up, I have to put a few of the letters together. Mafi mushkila, right? BTW, "mafi mushkila" means "no problem" in Arabic. See, I'm learning a little something something while living here in Abu Dhabi.

Anywho, on to my post...

I'm going to visualize what I want my life to be like...where I'd like to see myself in 10 years. Of course, God has the final say, but He gives us the desires of our heart (if it's according to His will), right? So, here it is. In 10 years, I see myself...

• Married to a wonderful, God-fearing husband who loves and cherishes me. He's the head of the house, but he doesn't mind me being me cos of course, that's who he fell in love with. I see us as sort of a power couple, only for the Kingdom of God. Everything we do, whatever job we have, will be for the glory of God. And people will see Christ through us. Will our marriage be perfect? NO. I have a feeling God is going to send me someone who's the opposite of me, so I'm sure there will be some head-bumping going on. But after all is said and done, we'll work our problems out. I know this can happen cos my parents have done it. 35 years of marriage - 39 years of being together - and my parents are still together...still in love.


• A mother to wonderful children, including twins. Honestly? I'd love to have a set of boy/girl twins and be done with child-bearing. Not so far-fetched considering the fact that my dad was a twin (she died at birth, though). So, it's quite possible one of his children will have twins. I've discussed this with God: boy/girl twins then I'm done. But of course, God may decide to give me more. Or less. My children will not be perfect, but who is? But my husband and I will be rearing them with God's help.


• As Dr. Raenice B. Weakly, EdD. I will finish my doctorate. I'm determined. I had to take a break because of financial hardship, but I will go back. Soon. Prayerfully, if all goes well, I'll be back in school this summer. And since I'm on that final leg of my program - my dissertation - I can be finished by sometime in 2013. My degree will be used more for research purposes. I'd like to research reading education. I'd especially like to research aliteracy, which is when people know how to read, but they choose not to. My main focus will, of course, be on kids - teens to be specific. I've heard of so many tweens/teens who hate reading. They don't do it. Unless they're forced and that makes them hate it even more. I want to research ways to get children and teens into reading. Being a total book nerd myself, I can't fathom people NOT liking to read. I just can't.


• Successful entrepreneur. I'm still panning out the details of my business, but I know I plan to open an enrichment center for youth. I've had this idea in my head since I was about 14 years old. It was an old Cosby show episode - the one with Theo working at a community center - that planted the seed. I saw the kind of work and the difference he was making at this center, I knew that's what I wanted to do. It wasn't until 2 years ago that God reminded me of my dream. So, one of my goals while here in Abu Dhabi is to come up with a business plan and afterwards, start looking for places and funding. Whether or not the enrichment center becomes a franchise, I'll leave up to God. But I plan to do big things and make big differences through my center(s).


• Best-selling author. Notice I didn't just say author. I said best-selling author. I know God blessed me with a gift of writing. Not everyone can create stories - not everyone can create good stories - so, I treasure my gift. And I plan to share it with the youth of this world. I'll start out writing tween/teen novels. Eventually, I can venture out to other genres...mainly women's fiction and Christian non-fiction. Before I leave Abu Dhabi, I have to have 2 novels written and revised, possibly out on agents'/publishers' desks. I've completed and revised one novel, set it aside, and will bring it back out to make changes. I'm working on novel #2. I have a bagillion other stories just waiting to be written. Perhaps, I can even dream that my books become money-making movies?

So, there it is. Well, the gist of it anyway. There are other details, but these are the main ones. The awesome thing is, I can ask God for all of this and not feel like I'm being too picky or selfish. He wants His children to ask for what we want. And I'm sure He wants us to be specific. I love that I can come to Him with my dreams, hopes, and aspirations and He won't laugh at me or think I'm crazy. I can't wait to see what He will do for and through me. He's got something big planned for my life and I plan to buckle up and enjoy the ride!

T is for...Turkey Monster Thanksgiving (Book Review)

Author: Anne Warren Smith 
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.

S is for...Southern Fried Sushi (Book Review)

Author: Jennifer Rogers Spinola
Genre: Fiction, Christian, Romance
Release: October, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 5/5

Description: Ride the rollercoaster of Shiloh Jacobs’s life as her dreams derail, sending her on a downward spiral from the heights of an AP job in Tokyo to penniless in rural Virginia. Trapped in a world so foreign to her sensibilities and surrounded by a quirky group of friends, will she break through her hardened prejudices before she loses those who want to help her? Can she find the key to what changed her estranged mother’s life so powerfully before her death that she became a different woman—and can it help Shiloh too?

Review: Shiloh Jacobs lives in Japan where she has the perfect life, perfect job, and perfect fiance. Sure she overspends to keep up an image, causing her to have stacks of credit card bills, but other than that, life is good. Until her mother back in the States dies and leaves her house to Shiloh. Shiloh was not close to her mother. At all. Yet, she goes to Staunton, Virginia to the funeral and to sell the house. While there, Shiloh loses both her job and fiance. Life couldn't get any worse. Only it does. Her hopes for a quick sale are dashed. God has funny ways of getting your attention and this is His way of getting Shiloh's. So now, Shiloh's stuck in Staunton, surrounded by her mom's friends, people Shiloh thinks are rednecks. What Shiloh doesn't realize is, these "rednecks" are teach her about true friendship, happiness, and most importantly, God's love.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE

• The beginning was a little slow. It picked up more after she receives the call about her mother's death.
• It was slightly stereotypical of the South, but not enough not to like the book.

WHAT I DID LIKE

• The cover and title immediately grabbed my attention! I mean, come on. "Southern Fried Sushi"...what a cool title. The cover is colorful and the mix of cultures is evident (Japanese dress & fan with cowboy boots).
• I loved Shiloh's character. Throughout the book, you see her growth and will be rooting for her by the end.
• The secondary characters are pretty awesome, too. They're well-rounded, three dimensional characters, just like Shiloh. Her mom's friends all have their little quirks that makes them endearing.
• The message of God and His love is written in the story without being too preachy. It's subtle, but...obvious. I know that's an oxymoron, but that's how I can describe it. It's not the "beat you with the Bible" type of message, but a "Let me tell you what God has done for me" type of message.
• I love that Shiloh did not automatically accept Christ. Had she immediately accepted Him, it wouldn't have been real. She struggled. Thought about it. Then struggled some more. It makes the book more authentic.
• There's a little romance in it, but that's not the focus. The focus is more on Shiloh and her growth as a person. But Ms. Spinola does add a splash of romance.

If you're into light-hearted books with a tiny splash of romance, Southern Fried Sushi is perfect. I am now reading the second book, Like Sweet Potato Pie (again with the cool titles), and I'm loving it so far. I'll definitely be on the lookout for book #3, Til Grits Do Us Part.

R is for...Raenice Beatrice

Today's post is dedicated to my name. My mom had special reasons for both my first and middle names.

Raenice. My mom wanted to give me a name that would give me the nickname, Rae. In her mind, she saw me as an adult; a businesswoman. She said she imagined a room full of men waiting for a businessman named Ray to make an appearance in the meeting, but in walks this sexy businesswoman named Rae. The men's mouths would hang open and they'd all be enamored by my beauty and sexiness. I see where I got my imagination from. I'm so gonna use this set up in a romance novel sometime in the future. Anyway, so her middle name is Denise. Add Rae to the last part of her middle name and you get Raenice (pronounced "Rae-niece"). My name is actually spelled Rae'Nice, but I don't use the hyphen. Maybe I'll use it when I'm a best-selling author. Hmm...

Beatrice. This one is not as "glamorous" as my first name, but it's just as important. I was named after my great grandmother, GaGa, who died seven months before I was born. Remember, she's the one who saved my life when I was a baby. If you didn't read the story, you can read it here.

I love names that mean something. Since Raenice is made up, it doesn't really have an official meaning. I say it means "unique" cos it's not a common name. Beatrice means "voyager of life" and "blessed" (source). It also means "she who makes happy" and "she who brings happiness" (source).

So there you go. Raenice Beatrice. A unique voyager of life, who's happy, blessed and brings happiness to those around her. Yep. That's me. 

I love my name.

Q is for...Quite A Story

I've got a story for you. 


It's about a couple and the night they almost lost their baby girl.


One cold winter night, this couple slept in their bed while their baby girl slept in her crib close by. Sometime during the night, the woman noticed her grandmother standing in front of their bed.

Her grandmother had died the year before.

The woman didn't think it weird that her dead grandmother stood in front of her. She was just excited to see her. The woman and her grandmother were so close and she missed her so much. Unfortunately, the grandmother died before she even got a chance to meet the baby girl. The woman excitedly told her grandmother about her new life.


"GaGa! You've got to see her! She's so beautiful."


All GaGa said was, "Check the baby."


"Yes, but GaGa, I'm so excited. You should see her! She..."


"Check the baby."


This went on for a few minutes before GaGa started to fade away. The woman cried, "No GaGa! Don't go! I miss you so much! And the baby...you've got to see her!"


"Check the baby."


Finally, GaGa was gone. The man heard the woman call out for GaGa, but he didn't see GaGa. He shook the woman awake and asked what was wrong. The woman described what happened and her excitement at seeing GaGa again. Finally, she told him all GaGa said was, "Check the baby."


The both decided to see what GaGa was talking about. When they checked the crib, what they saw made their hearts stop. Their baby girl was blue in the face...not breathing. Scared and alarmed, they rushed her to the hospital where the doctors worked to bring the child back to life. 


They succeeded. The couple breathed a sigh of relief. 


GaGa saved their baby girl.


The ghost of a dead woman saving a great granddaughter she never met. Sounds fictitious, doesn't it? Like a supernatural, out-of-this-world kind of story?


It's not.


It's a true story. It's my story. I was that baby girl. My mom was the woman, and my dad was the man. I've never met GaGa. She died seven months before I was born, a victim of a robbery gone bad. But almost a year after her death, she came back, if only for a few minutes, to save her great granddaughter. The doctors told my parents that, had they come even a minute later, I would've been gone...a victim of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), also known as "Crib Death." 


One of the current popular trends in YA is angels. Lots of fiction with angels as main characters. Are angels real? What about ghosts?


I believe they're real. First of all, they're in the Bible and I believe the Bible to be truth, God's Word. The Bible tells of both heavenly angels (like Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael) and fallen angels (Satan and his demons). Yes, I believe there's a spiritual realm that we can't see, with angels - both heavenly and fallen - roaming the earth, in the midst of a spiritual war...a battle for our souls. 


But I also believe angels are real because one saved my life. I believe God sent GaGa's angel to my mom to save my life. He knew that my mom wouldn't be weirded out by seeing GaGa. He knew my mom would've listened to GaGa. God tells us in the Bible (Psalm 91:11) that He sends His angels to guard His children.


Because God sent GaGa's angel, I am alive today.