Everyday Uplifting You - Book Review

Title – EveryDay Uplifting You: Daily Encouragement for Your Soul 365 Days of Any Year 
Author - Valderine Newton-Knowles
Publisher – BookBaby
Date of publication – May 30, 2014
Number of pages – 62

*CWA Review Crew and the author Valderine Newton-Knowles have provided me with a complimentary copy of “EveryDay Uplifting You” to read in order to write my review. The opinions expressed are truthful, mine, and uncompensated.*

About The Author: Val has a  masters in theology and is currently a pastor at Jesus Christ Centered Ministries International in Nassau, Bahamas ( JCCMI). She lives in the Bahamas with her husband, Oshnal Aldo, and their daughter, Tiara Aaliyah. You can learn more about the author HERE, HERE, and HERE.

About The Book: What started out as a tool to bless and encourage an aunt quickly became an idea to bless as many people all over the world as possible. Everyday Uplifting you, is a book filled with daily nuggets to jump start your day. After watching an aunt broken due to the many obstacles she had been facing, Val decided to do something special for her and started writing nuggets for each day to show her aunt how much she is loved and remind her of the blessing that she is. The book is designed to bless, motivate, uplift and challenge you with powerful nuggets to empower you from the inside out.

My Thoughts: What an awesome book! The book is uplifting and Inspiring without being boring and self-serving! A lot of daily motivational books are more about the author and their life/trials then they are about uplifting others. But this book is refreshingly different. The book has daily, quick, one liners that make you smile and enhance the beauty of your day! The book is short enough that you can read it in one sitting, but the substance is clearly fitting of a daily inspirational book. The colors of the photos are FABULOUS, actually breath taking! The pictures have a euphoric quality that mixes very well with the daily encouraging words. The daily encouragement is short one or two lines however they can be used as the foundation of an in-depth study or devotional. The daily words are short enough that it does not take up much time but meaningful enough to Sustain you, Uplift you, and Motivate you! This is a good daily encourage to accompany a daily devotional.
This is a fabulous daily read and worthy of repeat reads!
On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a solid 9!
You can purchase a copy of this book from Amazon.

Blessings!
Regina

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I Wish I Was Married...

For the first time in YEARS I can honestly say I wish I was married. As a matter of fact this may be the first time I can even recall saying that! I was married before... for 12 years! I divorced in 2001 and since my divorce I have never actually said I WISH I WAS MARRIED. I have maintained that if it be God's will than it will happen again with the right mate. So I carried on with my life and once I started back to school I was focused on SCHOOL! There was no time NOR the desire to date.
But in the past week I found myself saying, "I wish I was married to a strong man of God".
But the funny thing about that statement is that it was not even a self serving desire. I did not say it because I am yearning the love, companionship or sex that comes (or should come) with marriage. All those things are beautiful, in their time and place. No, I said I wish I was married because over the past week I had an encounter with two different young men that caused me to actually stop and utter that wish.  Both young men are in their late 20's - early 30's. And both young men are caught up in situations that are seriously frustrating, angering, and confusing them.
I pray for our young men because they are lacking in instruction, support, and mentoring. Pastors, preachers, ministers, et all can not lead congregations of hundreds or thousands and do one on one mentoring/instructing with these young men. Where are all the GODLY MEN willing to be that surrogate, be that mentor, be that instructor?? We need more "boots on the ground"! Everybody cannot be up on the stage/podium! We have real everyday young men, going through real everyday situations, and they need strong men of God to talk to, to guide them, to help them grow into strong men of God. Our young men have NO CLUE how to be Godly Husbands, Fathers, or Friends. They cannot fulfill their duties because they do not know how!
So this past week I found myself saying, "I WISH I WAS MARRIED, and I wish my husband could talk to this young man". My heart breaks for young men going through struggles, with no help, with no instruction, with no leadership or guidance. I can pray a mother's prayer for them but I cannot teach a man how to be a man, that is a MAN'S job. I have son's of my own and I pray for them daily. Because they do not have the benefit of an earthly, Godly father figure in their lives and I know they are lacking that instruction, and guidance.
Since the enemy's goal is to Steal, Kill, and Destroy, who do you think his target is?? The head of the household because once you remove the head the body dies. His other target is children because if he takes them out early they will never grow to see, and actualize their God given potential and destiny.
Do you not see the attack on our young men and children??? I need more seasoned, Godly, men to stand up and lead, instruct, be examples for our young men. I don't need another men's ministry to gather for breakfast, or go bowling, or go fishing, or go golfing. I don't need them to stand around in suits, shaking hands, saying "How you doing my brother". I need the men to work with our young men, pray for AND with our young men. I need them to be an EXAMPLE of what real GODLY MEN look and act like.

I Wish I Was Married, So That My Husband Could Talk To These Young Men...

Praying For Our Young Men,
Regina


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Infused Water, My New Love!

My weight has always fluctuated but I have never been skinny or small. I also know that genetically my mother's side of the family is predispositioned to be heavy. This means I have to actively take steps to change some things physically. Generally when people see a heavy person they automatically jump to the conclusion that the person eats a lot of sweets, candy, or lots of fast foods. I do not eat a lot of either. I very rarely eat sweets, am not too fond of desserts, and I do not like chocolate. I hardly ever feast on fast foods because frankly who can afford it? Not me! I am what I call a CARBOHOLIC. Yes I made that up. I am a lover of starchy foods like pastas, rice, potatoes, but especially breads.
My love of starchy foods was I believe a combination of two factions. 1- being ancestral. My grandfather had rice and biscuits with EVERY dinner. No matter what else my grandmother cooked my grandfather always made small pot of rice, he always made fried chicken, and he always made biscuits. So the rice and bread thing, I think I can surely say I got from him. The second faction is economy. I have five children, so when they were growing up I was always conscious of having to feed this family. Rice, potatoes and pasta was always cheap. You could buy it in bulk and it would last us the month or however long I needed to stretch my dollars. It was always about making my little bit of money go as far as I could get it to go, so yes we ate LOTS of potatoes and rice!
When you fast forward some 20 odd years, and you realize the economy still sucks. Have you compared prices of foods that are good for  you to the foods that are not good for you? WOW!! Eating right is definitely not cheap. A 20lb bag of white rice will cost you about $9 but a 4 lb bag of brown rice will cost you ... $5!! I saw a bag of naval oranges in Sams Club for $9, so I kept on walking. But wheat pasta has definitely gotten cheaper so that is a good alternative to regular pasta.
So my focus now is small changes, starting with increasing my intake of water. I have never been a big water drinker, I think it is nasty! In the past I could only drink it with some lemon in it and in small doses! But I am now totally in love with INFUSED WATER! Infused water has various health benefits such as flushing you out, So I am infusing my water and detoxifying my body. The infused water is giving my body vitamins and minerals. It is a small change but it is a start. Different fruits have different benefits and adding the water is a plus. I bought 2 cases of 32 ounce jars (12 jars per case). so since 128 ounces are in a gallon, and my goal is to drink a gallon of water per day. That would mean drinking 4 - 32oz jars a day. I am now at about 3 jars a day! So I am getting there! That is also well over the recommended amount of water for daily intake! Since I am drinking so many jars of infused water, my intake of sweetened drinks (Kool aid) has decreased, so another win/win for me! My first batch of infused water contains lemons, limes, cucumbers, strawberries, and mint. I am doing some more today with mint, oranges, and lemons. Start where you ARE and MAKE SMALL CHANGES!
Changes in eating habits, increased water intake, and increased exercise are a great way to improve your health. I am not looking to be skinny, I am striving to IMPROVE ME!


Have an Awesomely Infused Day Lovelies!!
Regina 

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Esther Queen Of Persia - Book Review

Title – Esther Queen of Persia, A Courageous Woman For A Dangerous Time

Author – Jim Baumgardner

Publisher – Baumgardner Press

Date of publication – November, 2013

Number of pages – 304

* Jim Baumgardner and CWA Review provided me with a complimentary copy of “Esther Queen of Persia” to read in order to write my review.  The opinions expressed here are purely and truthfully my own and uncompensated*

About The Author: Jim Baumgardner

Born in Wichita, Kansas, Jim Baumgardner grew up in a Christian home. The author’s mother gave her life to the Lord in her late teens, and she brought his dad to Christ after they were married in 1939. April 30, 2013 marked Jim’s 56th year as a Christian. The author continues to reside in Wichita with his wife Linda. They have three children and nine grandchildren. All of the Jim’s books are primarily written for his grandchildren’s benefit. He also makes them available to all others who wish to read and enjoy the stories.

You can connect with Jim Baumgardner HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

About the Book:

Hadassah, a young, Jewish orphan, forced to enter the palace at Shushan, has had her world turned upside down by Ahasuerus, the despot King of Persia. Not only has Hegai, the custodian of women, changed her name, but everything about her life is now controlled by this eunuch. She must witness and experience the heathen excesses of the palace while awaiting her night with the king in his bedchamber. 
Why has God allowed this to happen?  Enter the 5th Century B.C. world of the vast Persian Empire where Hadassah becomes Queen Esther, and her life is forever changed through the providence of God.

MY THOUGHTS:

The story of Esther has always been one of my favorite!  So reading this book was neither a chore nor a stretch of the imagination for me.  The story of Esther is perhaps one of the most told but most ignored stories of the bible.  In the bible, the book of Esther is a fairly short book but sometimes people find bible reading slow and tedious. This book is a good supplement to the book of Esther because it gives you the story in a way that brings it alive! You are on the journey with young beautiful Hadassah who must experience life-changing encounters for a reason she does not KNOW or UNDERSTAND. Hadassah is taken by force from her home. But why?? To become one of the King's concubines? To become misused meat for the soldiers? What about her cousin Mordecai? What can he do? Was Hadassah being taken HIS fault?  Hadassah losses her name and is given a new one. Hadassah loses her dignity being touched, looked at and examined like a side of beef. BUT Will Hadassah lose her FAITH?So many question! This is a story of TRIUMPH, FAITH, FAVOR, and VICTORY.  I absolutely loved this book!

The author takes us on Hadassah’s journey from poor Jewish worker girl to Queen of Persia as we experience the trepidation, fear, and doubts with her. We witness young Hadassah BECOME Queen Esther of Persia. We witness the truth of God's plan and why Hadassah/Esther was the perfect person for that plan! What I really liked about the book was that the back contains scripture references for the chapters so people (like ME) who like to cross-reference stuff as they read can do so!

This is a good book for women’s groups and discussion groups.

The book is NOT slow, NOT boring, and NOT a burden to read. This is an EXCELLENT READ! 

On a scale of 1-10 I give this book a definite 9!

You can get a copy of this book HERE.

Happy Reading!

Blessings

Regina

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What Are You Carrying, Accidentally On Purpose...

I have posted this before at another blog of mine. In reading it again I realize how relevant it still is, so I decided to post it here.
During my Internet travels, I ran across this poem by an unknown author and wanted to share!
An elderly Chinese woman had two
large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in
it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered
a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walks from
the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went
on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half
pots of water..

Of course, the perfect pot was
proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed
of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only
do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived
to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the
stream.

'I am ashamed of myself, because
this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your house.'

The old woman smiled, 'Did you
notice that there are flowers on your side of the path,
but not on the other pot's side?'

'That's because I have always
known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your
side of the
path, and every day while we walk
back, you water them.'

For two years I have been able
to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.

Without you being just the way
you are, there would not be this beauty to
grace the house.'

Each of us has our own unique
flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make
our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You've just got to take each person
for what they are and look for the good in them.

~Author:Unknown~

From this poem I learned a lot about people but more importantly about MYSELF! I learned that I am flawed, I am imperfect, I am a work in progress, I am not 100%. BUT I also learned that GOD can take my little and create much. He can take my imperfections and create perfection. He can take my sorrow and turn it to joy!

God does not make mistakes. There are no ACCIDENTS. He has a plan and we are part of that plan.We have a PURPOSE in His Kingdom. He does things in His own way, by His design, and we do not have to understand it, just respect it!! The problem comes when we (HUMANS) try to understand, predict, dictate, and / or usurp GOD's intent. God DOES NOT need our help to create anything, HE IS GOD ALL BY HIMSELF!

WHAT BLESSINGS ARE YOU CARRYING!? 
Regina

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You Get A Degree, You Get A Degree, We ALL Get Degrees!

So, I am feeling a little salty right now, so just excuse my rant! You may or may not know this but I am in school working toward my MBA. School has been a long and sometimes hard journey. In 2010, I received my Associate degree, in 2012, I received my Bachelor degree, and by the end of 2014, I plan to have my MBA. As long as I make it through this darn statistics class I am currently struggling through.
I know many people who have struggled through school. Some of them young adults, some older adults, even seniors. People have worked hard to claim their education and some people are swimming in a sea of student loans. Some people will be paying off student loan debt long after they are dead!
But that is not why I am feeling some type of way. My issue today is that the news has been full of celebrities who have received HONORARY degrees. Now, I have no problem with schools showing their appreciation for celebrities donating money to the schools. I don't mind if you are giving out plagues, engraved bricks in a wall, special carvings in the school walk way, or even pictures in the hall or statues in the quad BUT I DO have a problem with the handing out of honorary degrees. Whether or not the degree is functional or worth anything is irrelevant. It is the PRINCIPLE of the thing! Anyone using the title of DOCTOR of anything should have to WORK FOR THE TITLE, not just be given the title because they donate money. I think an Honorary degree is a slap in the face to people who are working and struggling and busting their butts to achieve the accomplishment of an degree!
Look at this list of celebrities who were GIVEN Honorary degrees...
Jon Bon Jovi received a Doctorate of Humanities from Monmouth University in 2001
Yoko Ono received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Liverpool University in 2001, and she received a Doctorate of Fine Arts from Bard College.
Aretha Franklin received an Honorary Doctorate of Music in 2006 from Berklee College of Music, The University of Pennsylvania awarded her the same degree in 2007.  In 2010, she received an honorary Doctorate of Music in 2010 from Yale University and the following year, she was also awarded an honorary degree by Ohio's Case Western Reserve University.
Meryl Streep, she received an honorary Doctorate from Yale University In 1983. In 2009, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Princeton University. And most recently in 2010, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Arts from Harvard University.
J.K. Rowling received an Honorary degree from Harvard University in 2008. She has also received honorary degrees from St. Andrews University (2000), Napier University (2000), the University of Exeter (2000), the University of Edinburgh (2004), and the University of Aberdeen (2006).
Kylie Minogue received an Honorary Doctorate of Health Science from Anglia Ruskin University in Essex, England in 2001.
Oprah received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in 2009.
Muhammad Ali received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Princeton University in 2007.  Two years later, Muhlenberg College honored him by awarding him an honorary doctorate.
Dolly Parton received an honorary Doctor of Humane and Musical Letters from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2009
George Foreman received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2008 from Texas Southern University. In 1998, he also received an honorary Doctorate from the Houston Graduate School of Theology.
Stephen Colbert received an Honorary degree from his alma mater  Northwestern University in 2011.
William Shatner received an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater McGill University.
Celine Dion received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Laval back in 2008.
Alexander Skårsgard received an Honorary degree from Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK
David Bowie received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston
Gloria Estefan received an Honorary  degree from Berklee College of Music.
Steven Tyler received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.
Melissa Etheridge received an honorary Doctorate in Music from Berklee College of Music
Mike Tyson received an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Central State University in Ohio in 1989.
Ben Affleck received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Brown University in 2013
Willie Nelson, received an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from Berklee College of Music, Honorary
Patrick Dempsey, received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Bowdoin College,
Morgan Freeman, received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Boston University,
Barbra Streisand, received an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy from Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Jill Scott received an honorary doctorate from Temple University
Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs received an Honorary Doctorate from Howard University
Kermit the Frog received an Honorary Doctorate of Amphibious Letters in 1996 from Southampton College

And YES, the last one does say KERMIT THE FROG! They gave a MUPPET an honorary degree, a frigging MUPPET!!!! SERIOUSLY!?!

Oh, I cannot forget to mention how these honorary degrees can be taken back if a celebrity falls from grace, such as Lance Armstrong who received an Honorary degree in 2006 from Tufts University, only to have it taken back in 2012 because of his use of performance enhancing drugs.
And again, I understand that it is a way for the school to show their appreciation for whatever contributions the person has made in that field. However, doesn't this cheapen the experience for those who ACTUALLY WORKED for this honor? Many students are burning the midnight oil, dealing with biased professors, irritating students, maybe juggling school, home, and work life. School gives you VERY LITTLE time for anything else. But after years of BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS, CURSING, PRAYING, and likely some form of alcoholic beverage... YOU MADE IT! You deserve the Pomp and Circumstance, you deserve the Cap and Gown, you deserve the Streamers and Balloons! YOU WORKED FOR IT AND IT BELONGS TO YOU!

Okay, I am done with this rant...Besides I have some homework to do and a quiz to take! But if you are in school BE ENCOURAGED, STAY MOTIVATED, KEEP PUSHING, and You WILL EXCEL!

CHEERS!!! To The REAL Class of 2014!
Regina


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Stop Talking!

Remember years ago when growing up and you may have come home from school crying and told your parents that so and so (Likely the class or playground bully or the mean girls!) was talking about you. Or someone was talking about your mother. I don't know about YOU but if someone talked about MY mother rest assured a fight followed! But our parents always said, "Sticks and Stones may break your bones but WORDS (or NAMES) will never hurt you". In essence this was our parents way of teaching us to walk away from a fight because violence begets violence. And for children we needed to learn early that fighting will not solve our problems. We needed to be smart about things and gauge our reactions. So our parents ERRONEOUSLY told us that words could not hurt us. Or maybe that was just taught in my childhood!
My mother was pretty big on us (my sister and I) staying out of trouble. We were taught to ignore idiots and to only fight when absolutely necessary...But when it WAS necessary, you pick up the nearest thing to you (bottle, trash can, rock, etc) and bust them upside the head, Hey we grew up in Brooklyn, New York!!!
....Sorry I digress...
Any way, back to the issue. so we grew up thinking that WORDS could not hurt us and that as long as no one put his or her hands on you, you were good. HOWEVER, now that we are grown WE KNOW BETTER! WORDS DO HURT! Words have lasting effects that far exceed the damage of a stick or a stone. Bones mend, and wounds heal but words can cause long lasting psychological damage, words can cause poor self-esteem, low confidence, words can break your will or spirit, words can even kill. WORDS can cause irreparable damage.
Parents back then were worried about physical damage but as we got older we come to realize that mental damage is just as dangerous. The WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH can cause great harm to yourself, your family, or other individuals.
The bible even tells us about the dangers of the words of our mouth...
Proverbs 6:2 - You are snared by the words of your mouth
James 3:8 - But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Proverbs 15:28 - The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.
Proverbs 13:3 - He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: [but] he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.
But most IMPORTANTLY this scripture tells us that the very POWER of LIFE & DEATH is in our mouth!
Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof

So UNDOUBTEDLY the tongue can bless and curse people. It can build someone up or tear them down. Be very careful the words that you speak, because YOU have the power to speak things into existence. Be especially careful of what you say to and about our children. STOP telling them how dumb, stupid, useless, and ugly they are. Start telling them that they are a BLESSING, INTELLIGENT, TALENTED, A LEGACY, and full of POTENTIAL! We need to BUILD UP up not Tear Down our young. And that goes for young children, young adults, and the young in Christ. The young are looking up to us to Lead them, Guide them, and help mold them into the mighty Warriors they can be!
When you open your mouth let something POSITIVE come out or just keep it shut!

So you better WATCH YOUR MOUTH!

BE A Blessing!
Regina

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Changing And Shifting...

Ever get that feeling....
The feeling like something is about to happen? It is kind of like butterflies in your belly, or that weird tickle on the back of your neck, or the overwhelming feeling like something super exciting is about to happen?
I have this feeling, a feeling that I can not quite put my finger on. It is like a slight shift in the atmosphere. The winds of change are softly blowing but the gusts are slowly getting stronger.
I do not know if it is attached to me working steadily toward achieving my MBA or if it is something else entirely but I do know that I pray that I stay in line with God's word. I pray that I continue to hear HIS voice and another I will not follow. I pray that the path continues to become clear and that everywhere I place my feet He has already gone before me to lay the way.

I do not know what is about to happen but I do know that God will never leave me nor forsake me. I know that as long as I keep HIM first I will continue to have the VICTORY!

Shifting The Atmosphere - Jason Nelson


Blessings All
Regina





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Black Girls Rock, But Other Girls...

You may have noticed the entire “Black Girls Rock” movement. Isn’t it AWESOME….or is it? What IS Black Girls Rock? Well according to the website http://www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/

Black Girls Rock is "501(c)3 non-profit youth empowerment and mentoring organization established to promote the arts for young women of color, as well as to encourage dialogue and analysis of the ways women of color are portrayed in the media" (Black Girls Rock Inc.). Black Girls Rock has a television show that comes on the BET channel (I have a strong dislike for all things BET.... But that is another story!). 

I am definitely a Black woman who used to be a black girl. I have three daughters and one granddaughter who are black girls and I definitely believe that all of them TOTALLY ROCK. I have no problem with telling black girls that they rock. However, I do have a problem when your enforcement of one disrespects, insults, or downplays another.

The Black Girls Rock movement, is supposed to empower, uplift, inspire, and foster positive self-esteem in black girls. It is supposed to combat the negative images of black people in the media and society. And I totally understand the logic behind this and I absolutely agree that they need to be uplifted, motivated, and need their self-esteem bolstered. My issue is that in order to make black girls feel good about themselves it is not necessary to make all other girls feel less about themselves. And even though that is NOT the intent of the show, how can you say that other little girls who are NOT black feel good about this??

Black Girls Rock has an annual television award ceremony, they have posters, t-shirts, and a website. The movement and organization is huge! And I love that they are going all out to make girls feel great about themselves. Letting girls know that they have the ability to do and accomplish AWESOME, MIGHTY, and EXTRAORDINARY things! However, does this mean that Hispanic girls, White girls, Indian girls, Asian girls, or girls of all other nationalities and races DO NOT ROCK? I strongly believe that ALL GIRLS need to have people telling them that they are beautiful and full of potential. All girls need people telling them that they can do all things through Christ who strengthens them. All girls need to know that with proper education, resources, and opportunities they can achieve and accomplish AWESOME THINGS!

I do not believe that little black girls are so stupid, ignorant, disadvantaged, destitute, or deprived that they cannot function unless an entire movement tells them that they ROCK. If we, the MOTHERS, the SISTERS, the TEACHERS, the AUNTS, the MENTORS, the ACTIVISTS, and the GRANDMOTHERS are doing our jobs properly these young girls will NEVER lack inspiration, NEVER lack motivation, and NEVER think that they do not rock! But instead we start an entire movement of Black Girls Rock, which by omission is in essence telling all other girls that they DO NOT ROCK! We are telling all other girls that they are not worthy of posters, t-shirts, and award ceremonies because if YOU ARE NOT A BLACK GIRL YOU DO NOT ROCK….seriously? How do you go into a multicultural classroom, church, or gathering and tell only the black girls that they are special and worthy? Isn’t this equivalent to reverse racism, and segregation? Isn’t this the same thing that was done to us as a people? Isn’t this the same type of thing we fought against for years?

Oh but I guess because we are black we are entitled to do black things that ALIENATE all others because ….

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A Chef, A Diva, and A Big Bear ...

My oldest daughter initiated a "Craft Day" recently! Yes, the 28 year old Chef wanted to do some Arts & Crafts projects! So we all (the Chef, the Diva, baby Buddha, and I) piled in to the car and took a trip over to Michael's (which is way over priced in most things!). We spent about an hour in the store because she had a very specific project that she wanted to work on.  Mind you I absolutely hate shopping but I must say it was fun because my children act crazy when ever they get the chance. My family has some sort of weird magnate thing that happens to them. One child alone is fine and calm but whenever my children get together .... look out world! So I was in the store with 2 daughters and 1 grand baby. smh... Loudness & Laughter everywhere for no good reason! And of course the Diva finds EVERY OPPORTUNITY to take pictures! Oh look this paint is red, let's take a picture. Or, Oh wait this paint has glitter in it, let's take a picture! LOL! This is seriously how she acts!

Anyway, so we get the frames, boxes, paints, brushes, and a bunch of other stuff (we found some cool classic books on sale, and being the reader that I am, I grabbed a few for my 7 year old grand daughter ...okay, I bought 6! Don't judge me!) and headed back home to make a mess create beauty! Of course the Chef not wanting to leave out her other nephew bought stuff for him to paint as well....Yay...
So, we find an old sheet and they proceed to start painting. Having worked in head start for 8+ years and having operated my own childcare business for 7+ years I know that children tend to be messy BUT the Diva wanted to paint a frame and then add the baby's footprints.... oookaaayyyyy, LOL!! That was like giving a cat a bath! Then it came out messy so she painted over it and tried it again LOL!

The Chef painted a jewelry box, a snake (yes, in the store she saw a wooden snake and thought it was cool), and a frame, the grand boy painted a castle and a bird house, the Diva painted 2 frames, and I had a frame but yea, I hate arts and crafts (too much time spent with little kids and paint can do that to you!). BUT later that evening my honorary son aka "Big Bear" (father of my youngest grandson) came over. This nut had the nerve to say why we didn't buy a frame for him to paint??? WHAT! How many young, black, 20 year old males do YOU know that like to do arts & crafts (and are not gay)? All I could do was laugh because this is a big dude, who works on cars, and has a loud music in his car but he wanted to paint a frame! NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER! So I told him he could paint my frame (still laughing!) And he did! All in all Craft day was fun! Everyone enjoyed themselves, Even Big Bear!
I LOVE My Family!!



So anyway, the moral of this story is: 
YOUR Perception of someone or something may be wrong!
Don't Judge and Assume based on your expectations!
FUN is FUN no matter what age you are!







Blessings All!
Keep It Fun!
Regina


Please visit my other spots:
http://www.facebook.com/JrsConsulting
http://www.facebook.com/jregina.seaman

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