Too Busy To Blog

Although there are things constantly flowing through my mind, I haven't had the energy or time to put it in writing. My weekend was nice with a bit of a bizarre ending. My kids are starting their 2nd week of school and I am glad to say that week 1 went rather well. Both kids had homework last night that I made them re-do (I know their just loving me to death). I have constantly got on to my daughter about writing her words too close together. She finished writing her sentences before I made it home, but, after checking her work, I had her re-write them making sure to leave spaces between each word.

My son had pretty much finished his math homework when I started looking over his shoulder to see if he was doing it correctly. Half of his work wasn't done correctly. He obviously didn't read the instructions correctly, soooooooooo, homie had to start from scratch (and he had to do it neater). When I looked at his work then 2nd time it was amazing how different his penmanship was. I told him that it didn't look as if the same person had written both assignments. The 2nd time around was extremely neat. We're talking numbers here, but still, I love to see neat handwriting. I told him how proud I was of him and that he was much neater than I had thought.

I start my on-campus class today and I'm a little nervous. There's a tad bit of excitment there as well. Science is not one of my stronger subjects but Geology is much more appealing than Biology II (there is no way I can dissect anything -- living or dead). My prealgebra class shouldn't be bad at all. It's an on-line course plus, I just loooooove me some math. I'm hoping to get a higher grade than C in Geology. I was both relieved and a little disappointed last semester with my C in Biology. I really don't see myself as being an average student. Maybe that will help me work harder this semester.

Toodles :). Got to meet a friend/former co-worker for lunch at Souper Salad.

Characteristics of a Good Woman

A good woman is proud of herself, she respects herself and others. She is aware of who she is. She neither seeks definition from the person she is with, nor does she expect them to read her mind. She is quite capable of articulating her needs.

A good woman is hopeful. She is strong enough to make all her dreams come true. She knows love, therefore she gives love. She recognizes that her love has great value and must be reciprocated. If her love is taken for granted, it soon disappears.

A good woman has a dash of inspiration, a dabble of endurance. She knows that she will, at times, have to inspire others to reach the potential God gave them.

A good woman knows her past, understands her present and moves toward the future.

A good woman knows God. She knows that with God the world is her playground, but without God she will just be played.

A good woman does not live in fear of the future because of her past. Instead, she understands that her life experiences are merely lessons, meant to bring her closer to self knowledge and unconditional self love.

Girl Smile.....YOU KNOW YOU HAVE IT GOING ON! .....So Keep ON Keeping On.

It's amazing how time flies . . .

whether or not you're having fun. I was reminded of how quickly the days pass when my 5 years of employment was celebrated this afternoon by having lunch at Snuffer's with co-workers. I received a nice clock with an engraving of my name and an inscription acknowledging my dedication & hard work over the past 5 years.

I've seen a lot of changes since my first day with the company -- some good, some not so good. I've also seen people come and people go. I've made a few friends and have been blessed to have crossed paths with those who have touched my heart by their kind words and cheerful disposition. I don't know how much longer I'll be here but I pray that my performance and attitude will reflect the presence of Christ in my life, regardless of what's going on in the workplace.

If time on the job has seemed to have flown by then the rate at which my children are maturing is like a rocket in comparison. As of Monday, my son will be in 5th grade and my daughter will be in 3rd grade. Just looking at them change right before my eyes is amazing. Their features, their uniqueness, their own little style and their conversational skills -- sooooo amazing.

Before long, I will be 37 years old. It's seems like I was just posting about my 36th birthday only a few months ago. Now -- here it is August of 2005 and in 2 months and 5 days another year of my life will have gone by. The good thing is, as I look back, I have made some positive moves in my life. I have dealt with difficult situations and am now stronger and wiser because of those temporary road blocks and/or setbacks. I am more determined to be better in a lot of different areas of my life even more-so now than I was back then. I'm not just talking the talk -- I'm also walking the walk. I have set goals -- and I am achieving them.

God has truly been good.

Tomorrow Is Not Promised

How quickly we all tend to forget this until we are touched (either directly or indirectly) by tragedy. Whether it be someone we're related to or someone we know 'in passing', tragedy should always remind us to value each moment that we have in life. From Artist Greggy's auto accident that resulted in the death of his wife, to more recently the death of a neighbor in an auto accident as well. Although I knew neither of the the above personally, my heart ached when I heard about each incident. Greg and I have never met but have communicated via each other's blogs and his kind, cheerful and sometimes uplifting comments have created a positive lasting impression of him in my mind. Since the loss of his wife I have heard from him twice and am glad to say that we consider ourselves friends.

I found out about my neighbor's death last night from my children. My heart truly ached when my daughter told me and I had to just sit for a moment, fighting tears, to collect my thoughts. He and his family lived across the alley from me. He was probably no more than 13 years old and we all new him as 'Jr.' I would see him and his 2 younger brothers often either playing in the driveway or walking in the neighborhood. One day Jr. rang my doorbell to let me know that Diesel (our dog) had gotten out of the fence. On another occasion, he and his brothers mowed my lawn for me. Apparently they had figured out a way to make extra money. Jr. and his 2 brothers would go door-to-door asking people if they would like for them to mow their lawn -- and they were only charging $10 dollars. Not only did they mow my lawn but the edged it as well and trimmed my shrubs. I gave them more than the $10 dollars they asked for and gave them a bag of chips as well. I didn't know much more about Jr. other than his name but for some reason, whenever I saw him I had a good feeling about this young man. He appeared to be somewhat quiet and carried himself in a mature way. There are people that you may see every now and then or notice as you're passing by and you think to yourself 'there is just something about them' -- it's a positive something that you just can't put your finger on. This is how I felt every time I saw Jr.

Knowing that tomorrow isn't promised, we should spend more time doing or saying things that will uplift, inspire, motivate and encourage others whether we know them personally or not.

May God continue to comfort both families and may Jr. and Cheryl be at rest in heaven with the Father.

I usually don't get excited about movies, but . . .

I am very excited about 'The Gospel'. This movie is supposed to be in theaters in October of this year. I don't know about anyone else but I would love to see more faith-based movies in theaters. (I took the kids to see Fantastic Four a few weeks ago and I was surprised that I actually enjoyed it.) I'm not into the horror or sci-fi movies and I am sick of movies that could have been worth watching if the majority of the language spoken wasn't vulgar. I guess the producers are only catering to what the 'majority' of the public wants. I guess that means I am not the majority.

Anyway, check out the above link. There are some great actors & actresses starring in the movie (as well as some great gospel singers -- yes, my favorite {Fred Hammond} is one of those singers and I can honestly say that I would still go see the movie even if he wasn't).

Just Rambling . . .

Starting with this past Friday -- I had a good weekend. It rained some but it wasn't too bad. Friday evening a few people from my single parents small group met at a local bowling alley to do a little bowling. No professionals in the group -- which made it even more entertaining. We had a lane for the kids (my daughter won -- YEAH!!) and a lane for the adults. There were 3 kids bowling and 4 adults. I didn't win but I wasn't last either. Two other newcomers showed up but didn't bowl. They wanted to meet the other ladies in the group. We had a really nice time.

Bright and verrrrry early on Saturday morning the kids and I attended a Single Parent-Kid Weekend conference at a nearby church. The kids had a great time. The parents and kids had different sessions where we listened to various speakers. My favorite was Rev. Marilyn Giles. This lady was fantastic and was a single parent herself (she has 3 adult sons). We left the conference a little early (about 1:30 p.m. -- it was over around 3:30 p.m.). We went grabbed a bite to eat, went home and slept for at least 2 hours -- I know I did. I was b-e-a-t. I guess staying up late Friday night and getting up early Saturday morning had caught up with me.

We went to church Sunday evening and then went to Chili's afterwards. The rest of the day I sort of lounged around, nothing exciting. The kids played outside and I shampooed my hair and set it in rollers so that I could have the curly look again. I had just styled my hair several days ago but the salsa class that I took on Thursday had me curls looking a bit limp. I received a shocking phone call from my ex saying that he would take the kids shopping for school supplies the following day!! I was truly stunned. Well, Monday came -- I dropped the kids off at his apartment, went to work and picked them up later that evening. HE CAME THROUGH!! Praise God. This really helps me out a lot. He even bought our daughter a backpack (my son didn't get one because he said that I was buying his -- one that he saw at a department store that costs no less than $25.00 -- I don't think so). I'll probably end up having to buy him one but I don't mind. At least their father bought the bulk of what they needed.

So here it is on a rainy Tuesday and I am at work -- busy as ever. My intentions are to attend the salsa class this evening at 6:15 p.m. I felt so good after last weeks class. The sad thing is -- I just know that my curls are not going to hold up. But it's for a good cause :).

God Knows What's Best

Well, I have come to my own conclusion that I will not be offered the job that I interviewed for several weeks ago (due to the fact that I have not heard from them). Of course I'm disappointed but. . . . I'm trying to look at things in a different light.

For starters, from the interview it seemed rather obvious that this position would require some overtime. There is no way that a new-hire could walk in the door and expect to receive flexibility when it comes to the work schedule, especially if there is a large amount of work to be done and new sofware applications to be learned. With me about to start school in a couple of weeks, I will need some flexibility on certain days. I am busy at my present job but I still have the option to study during my lunch hour without any problems from management.

So yes, I'm disappointed but not depressed. On the brighter side, I have a job that allows me to take care of things during working hours when needed without any problems. My job is more lenient than most. Not to mention that they supply beverages (including bottled water) and snacks -- more recently healthy snacks have been provided.

There is a reason that I am still at my place of employment. It may not be totally clear to me but I know that God knows what's best for me -- even when I don't. I will continue to be thankful for the job that I have and allow God to direct me. This way, there's no way I can go wrong.

Feelin' Good

I had been anticipating yesterday evening at 7:30 p.m. for over a week now. I am a lover of music, but my favorite is gospel. I loooooove me some gospel music. I believe that there are gospel singers out there who are truly anointed. These are people who send chills through your body at the sound of their voice. I don't idolize these singers but I do believe that they are gifted and have the ability to minister to the hearts of others through song.

Where am I going with this -- I'll tell you where, in two words. . . . . Fred Hammond. That's right, Fred Hammond performed (for free) yesterday evening at a church in Arlington, TX. The church is having a week-long conference and will have different speakers & entertainers each night. I'm ashamed to admit that I cannot remember the speaker's name from last night but he delivered a powerful message. His message was 'Don't Give Up'. No matter what you're going through -- don't give up. In spite of your circumstances, your surroundings, the people who are hindering you from fulfilling your purpose -- don't give up. I'd say he spoke for about 20 to 30 minutes. After that, we experienced the radical praise of one of gospel music's most talented singers (which I am certain is the reason that the overflow area was filled with about 500 people). I am glad to say that I pre-registered early (for myself and a friend) and was able to be seated in the sanctuary.

My kids said that they enjoyed it -- I know I did. I think I sang harder than Fred :). I left feeling pumped! So pumped that I had to call a few friends and family to tell them how much we enjoyed it.

It's amazing how God can use people to touch the lives of others when you decide to step out on faith and go along with the plan that he has laid out for you. We all have talents -- it may not be singing -- but there is something that is embedded in each one of us that God would just love to use to build his kingdom. We just need to trust him and start living our lives to please him and not ourselves or others. It means that we need to pay attention to what he is showing or telling us. When we receive those warning signs, take heed -- just like you would at a traffic light. Stop when he says stop, go when he says go and yield when he says yield.

I was deeply touched last night, not just by the voice of Fred Hammond -- which is honestly the only reason I went, but by the word that was delivered in such a powerful way by the guest speaker. I just wish I could remember his name.