Monday, December 29, 2008

What happened to Christmas?

Have we lost Christmas somehow? Did you notice that this was an extremely QUIET Christmas even though the weather was nice? There was no noise outside. No squealing children, no dogs barkings, no sound of skate boards, bicycles, nothing. And we wonder why we are a nation of overweight children. Because they sit all day. I know I'm dating myself but when I was a little girl, the only reason you stayed inside on Christmas day was if it were raining or there was a blizzard going on. Even the girls went outside with their dolls though it was the boys making the noise. I did not see even 1 child outside this year and I left my daughter's house at 3pm in the afternoon! Come on parents. Make some changes in the lives of your children. I am not against computers and technology. My 10 and 13 year old grand daughters are proficient with computers because they have always been around them. But what happened to the bike as a gift or even a jumprope (remember double dutch)? What about skates, either blade or ice skates? The quiet was deafening and very sad. Something to think about.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Ponder this

My young 27 year old cousin, Kyle, died last week. The funeral was Sunday. A year ago my Mom took a turn for the worst during Thanksgiving week and died on Dec 1. Not to replay those heavy moments but I was speaking to Kyle's mom just now. She wanted to know "why?" She asked God to tell her something. As we talked, she got her answer. Someone had said to her, "you don't know what kind of pact Kyle made with God!" I never thought of that. Perhaps Kyle said he did not want to subject his friends and family to seeing him waste away in a bed for years. As hard as it was to know that he had crossed over, it would have been very difficult to see him lying in bed for months and years, not being the Kyle we knew. We don't have the final say. That's between the person and God. We may want them to stay but that is probably our own egos speaking. I know that Kyle touched a lot of people and his life, though short by our calculation, was not in vain. God is still in control. He said lean not on our own understanding. Be encouraged.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Holiday time

This is supposed to be a happy time of the year and usually it is. For my family, this is a bittersweet time because my Mom took a turn for the worst last year this time (Thanksgiving week.) So this is the first Thanksgiving without her. Then 2 days before Thanksgiving this year, my cousin died. And my sister lost her Mom earlier this year so this was her first Thanksgiving without her Mom. WOW!!! Not going to make the usual trite remarks that don't make anyone feel any better. I don't know why things happened the way they did for my family over the course of 1 year. Are we still blessed? Of course! Can we feel it now? Probably not. My cousin's family is mourning the loss of a son, brother who had not experienced all that life has to offer yet. Yes this pain will pass in time. But in the meantime, life goes on. I am grateful for the years I had with my Mom, my cousin and my sister's Mom. It makes me appreciate the friends and family that are still with me. So let me remind you to tell friends and family that you love them whenever you can. It will be appreciated. Don't forget the laughter of your friends and loved ones. Continue to enjoy life. I think they would want us to do that. Much love to all of you.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Thanksgiving

Have a happy, full-filling and blessed Thanksgiving. Count your blessings for they are many. Remember those who are no longer with us and celebrate their lives, laughter, love. Enjoy your day. Take lots of pictures and eat lots of food.

8 gifts that do not cost a cent

1. The gift of listening, really listening. 2. The gift of affection-be generous with hugs and kisses. 3. The gift of laughter-share articles, cartoons, funny stories. 4. The gift of a written note-a brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime. 5. The gift of a compliment-a sincere word can make someone's day. 6. The gift of a favor-every day go out of your way to do something kind. 7. The gift of solitude-be sensitive to the times when you (or someone you know) just want to be alone. 8. The gift of a cheerful disposition-the easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone like Hello or Thank you.

Today's thought

Work like you don't need the money, Love like you're never been hurt and dance like no one's watching.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Happy holidays

Hi Gang,
Just want to wish you all a full-filling Thanksgiving holiday. We, as Americans, have much to be thankful for. Be sure to count your blessings-family, friends, pets, job, the ability to walk, talk, think, the beauty of a sunset or sunrise, food in the fridge, a roof over your head, a great business idea-whatever your blessings, count them! Remember, what you say is what you get so be mindful of what you say.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

WE DID IT!!!!

God bless America!!! Change has come to America. The world was watching to see if America would be it's money where it's mouth is. Now let's get behind this new President and lift his hands high. Keep him and those around him in prayer. "No weapon formed against Barack Obama shall prosper." THIS IS AWESOME.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

ROCK THE VOTE!!!

Well, I just voted. As a matter of fact, I was at my polling place before 6AM. Some interesting tidbits: Let's look at the numbers. November is the 11th month. 11 and any double number is a master number. Very powerful. Today is the 4th. 4 is the number of foundation. 2008 reduces to the number 1 (8 + 2 = 10 = 1) which means unity. 4 and 1 equal 5 which is the number of CHANGE. (That is the message of this election.) Obama is 44 years old. There is that double number again. Check out numerology for more details. YES WE CAN. CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Let's do this!!!

OK people. The world is watching America. Do you know why? Because they want to see if this country is really "the land of the free and the home of the brave." Can any child grow up to be President or is it just the usual hype and lies of the racist few? First of all, people of color need to realize once and for all that if someone is trying this hard to keep you down, then you must have something great to offer. Study your history, Black people. Look at the contributions of Blacks in this country. Look at the struggles. Our slavery is still present when someone can yell "terrorist" at a campaign rally and no one stops them. But get a grip, Black people. We may have been brought here against our will but this country was built on our backs. And for you Christians, "all things work together..."It was obviously in the scheme of things for us to get here. Well, we are here and have been here for a long time. Now is time for us to step up to the plate and hit it out of the park. Stop the negative talk. We have someone here who is for ALL the people. We haven't had that since the Constitution was written (probably). Stop saying Obama is not Black enough. What the hell does that mean? There's not a pure Black, Asian, Indian or white person in this country. Because the people in power were raping the women. So what is Black enough? And stop tripping over his name. Did you choose your name or did your parent(s) give it to you? White folks, stop tripping over his color. Must be good to be brown, black, yellow, red. You spend billions of dollars trying to get what we have naturally. The question is, is this the dream MLK talked about? I think so. And stop making excuses for not voting for Barack. "Well, if I vote for him, someone may try to kill him." (This come from people who call themselves born again Christians.) Whose report are you going to believe? Can the God of all creation take care of this man and those associated with him? Can He give him long life? Get out and vote for this man with the strange name who has a plan for this country. Don't believe the hype that it's in the bag. It's in the bag when you vote for Barach Obama on Tuesday. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, etc to vote for Obama and let's turn this country around.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Palin's poison

For all of you racists, rednecks, unintelligent believers in the poison coming from the Republican campaign, let me point out some things.

First of all, no one chose their color before birth. And White folks spend billions of dollars risking skin cancer to "get a tan". In order words, to turn BROWN!!!

Second, no one picks their name with the exception of some who changed their name to be more acceptable in this country. Barack Hussain Obama was given his name by his parents. Be for real. How stupid can you be? That's his name. Get over it.

Next, as I heard someone say, this Black man was in the belly of a WHITE woman for nine months. Get to that, ignorant people.

And finally, there probably would be no America as we know it if it weren't for the "colored" people who built this country. This country was built on the backs of colored people: Black/Brown slaves, Yellow Chinese who built the railroads and Red Indians who were taken off their land, THIS LAND, by white folks. White folks have raped this land, have raped Africa and then have the nerve to make racist remarks about Barack Obama. Now, of course, this tirade is not against all White people. Only those small minded, ignorant folks who are just being stupid, as usual.

Your racism is showing. Now the truth is coming out. GET OVER IT!!!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

How to handle a pit bull!

OK people. Let's stop tiptoeing around the issue. Palin, you said the only difference between a soccer mom and a pit bull is liptstick. And the news media, instigators that they can be with their tales of woe, think the Democrats should be worried and that Biden should tread lightly. To HELL with that!!! First of all, a female dog is a B-t-h. Second of all, there are a couple of things you do with all dogs: if they are rabid, you put them down, otherwise, you train them as to who the pack leader is and make them get in line. (Check out the Dog Whisperer.) The pack leader is Barack Obama. My advice to Joe Biden-do what you always do: shoot from the hip and apologize, if necessary, later. No kid gloves for you, Miss Thing. As is said in the 'Hood, "You ain't so bad, you can't be had." If you are so bad, Palin, go out and tackle the press, the same press that you have already angered. What are you afraid of? And stop trying to act like you are on the same page as Hillary. She can beat you with blindfolds on and both hands tied behind her back. You can't hold a burnt candle to Hillary. By the way, you don't seem to understand protocol either. The 2nd in line is supposed to ECHO what the leader is saying, not create their own agenda. If you had an agenda or some issues to talk about, you would not have spent your first night up ranking on your opponent and the press. And as one young lady said (same age as your daughter), how can you handle the country when you obviously couldn't handle your own home. And why are you under investigation? Handle your own business before trying to handle this country. Let me break it to you, not so gently: you will never get into the White House as VP. Give it a rest.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Non-profit firing practices

What's this I hear that non-profits can fire you for no reason and tell you it's the "right to fire" clause? In other words, the company has the right to fire you but they don't have to tell you why? SINCE WHEN??!! If there have been no counseling sessions telling me that I'm not meeting my numbers, quotas, etc, and no written or verbal warnings, no corrective action plans implemented - guess what? YOU WILL TELL ME WHY I'M BEING TERMINATED - AND - I WILL SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL - AND - PROBABLY SUE YOU FROM THE GROUND FLOOR TO THE TOP FLOOR!!! What kind of stupid business practice is this? This recently happened to a friend of mine and my advice is to: write a letter of protest to the CEO of the project, cc to the board of directors, the funding sources and since this happened in NY which now has a Black governor, I would cc him also. I would go to the labor board and to whatever organization has oversight over non-profits. And if it looks like folks are giving you the runaround, go straight to the media, TV, radio and print. Don't take this quietly. And if I'm not mistaken, you have the right to see your personnel record. Do what you have to do - and then tell them what they can do with the job!!!

Anyone else know of similar situations? What happened and what was the outcome?

Sunday, July 27, 2008

10 Laws of Life

Life Law #1: You either get it or you don't.

Strategy: Become one with those who get it.



Life Law #2: You create your own experience.

Strategy: Acknowledge and accept responsibility for your life.



Life Law#3: People do what works.

Strategy: Identify the payoffs that drive your behavior and that of others.



Life Law #4: You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.

Strategy: Get real with yourself about life and everybody in it.



Life Law #5: Life rewards action.

Strategy: Make careful decisions and then pull the trigger.



Life Law #6: There is no reality; only perception.

Strategy: Identify the filters through you view the world.



Life Law #7: Life is managed; it is not cured.

Strategy: Learn to take charge of your life.



Life Law #8: We teach people how to treat us.

Strategy: Own, rather than complain about, how people treat you.



Life Law #9: There is power in forgiveness.

Strategy: Open your eyes to what anger and resentment are doing to you.



Life Law #10: You have to name it before you can claim it.

Strategy: Get clear about what you want and take your turn.







Which of these Laws do you need to work on? Get started now!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Black in America

Have you been watching the Black in America series on CNN? Powerful. I watched the episode last night that focused on Black men and the problems they face-the drug epidemic, especially crack cocaine-and the difference shown to whites busted for cocaine possession and Blacks busted for crack possession, Black baby daddies, who are absent from their children's lives and how women have learned to live without them, the whole issue of how educated young Black men are teased and considered "acting white" if they get an education and strive for the American dream and the disproportionate number of Black men in prison. It was a very good program but these kinds of shows always leave me angry. How dare white America condemn anyone for being different when none of us had anything to do with our color, etc. How dare white America try to make me feel inferior when they spend millions of dollars trying to get a tan, dreading their hair, stealing our words, our family remedies (which they market back to us as medicine), dancing to our music, eating our food and when they couldn't/wouldn't nurse their own children during slavery, we nursed them but they would still sell us and our children for a couple of dollars. Forgive the soap box. I agree with Obama. We must unite but sometimes old wounds open unexpectedly. This was one of those times. We are not without responsibility either. Cosby and Poussaint are right. Come on People!!!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Apocalypse

Interesting that people are preparing for the end of the world as we know it in the year 2012. People all over the world are gearing up for the end of civilization in that year. Many of these people are believers in the Bible, I'm sure. That being the case, what about the Scripture that says no man knows the day or the hour. Why would God say that and then tell the Mayans that the year 2012 is THE YEAR? Just wondering!!!

Friday, July 4, 2008

Independence

No matter what you have experienced in your life, it is truly wonderful to be in the "land of the free and the home of the brave." HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!!!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Proud of America

I agree with Michelle Obama. This may not be the first time but it is one of the times I can say I am proud of America and proud to be American. That's because her husband is in line to become the first African American president and his campaign has brought out more voters than ever. For those hypocrites who act like she said something wrong, be for real. Unless you are deaf, dumb and blind, you can't convince me that you HAVE ALWAYS been proud of your country. I was not proud of the Vietnam war. I was not proud of the assasinations of both Kennedys, King, Sean Bell (yes it was an assasination), etc. I was not proud of the election fiasco during the last election. Not proud of the war in Iraq and as an African American, I am truly ashamed of this country and this government's response to Katrina and it's victims. Did anyone notice that when Hurricane Rita hit soon after Katrina, those folks, mostly white, were allowed to board buses as whole families and even allowed to take their pets. Is that blatant racism or what??? So yes, I am proud of my country but this is not always the case. I am very proud of the fact that I can disagree with what is going on in this country and not go to jail or get killed (hopefully). So let's keep things in perspective, shall we?

Enough is enough

Go to www.colorofchange.org to see article on Fox News and their racist remarks concerning the Obamas and their lame apologies. Site shows other high profile events and how you can get involved (Katrina, etc.) Check it out. Get involved.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

What's wrong with this picture?

Take a look at a news stand. Notice that the magazines showing African-American women show them practically naked. Is that the only way we can sell magazines? Is that all Black women are good for, showing booty all the time? Look at the other magazines. Except for a picture or two of Britney showing all her business getting out of some car, the cover girls are dressed very nicely. So what is the problem? Why are our women dressed liked this?

Am I the only one that thinks this is wrong? Sure the cover models are making money but what image are they giving to young girls? We talk about rap music being negative (some of it). What about these images that flash across every news stand? When will we learn? Read the Willie Lynch speech and you will know what I mean? Slave mentality is alive and well in our community and we are perpetuating it, not the white man.

As Bill Cosby says, "Come on People!"

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Michelle Obama

Did you see Michelle on The View? Sistah Girl was fabulous! She needs to have her own show!!! Can't wait for her to get into the White House.

Public Money

What is all the hoopla about Obama not taking public money. All the money he receives is public money. The money his supporters contribute is public money so what is the problem? The reporters have nothing else to do but dissect every thing the man says. Get a life!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

FAB FOOD

If you want some really, really great food, check out COLORS at 417 Lafayette St in Manhattan (Astor Place). These are the survivors of Windows on the World restaurant from the World Trade Center. Small bar in front, soft music playing in background and the food is WONDERFUL. This was my first time there. I recommend the Chilean Bass. Cannot describe how delicious it was. You must try it put for yourself. I intend to make this a regular stop. Staff is very friendly and helpful.

Check it out.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

History in the making

What a wonderful event to witness. An African American man is the Democratic nominee for President (and I have it on good authority that he will get the position!!!) Dr. King said he may not get to the promised land with us but we as a people would get there. Well, we are on our way to getting there. Think of the implications. Contrary to popular belief, the world is made up of "colored" people, red, brown, yellow and black. And there are more colored people than white. And quite a few of those white people support the change that Senator Obama will bring. So can you imagine the ripple going around this planet right now? WOW. This is a wonderful time to be American, a wonderful time to be an African American. No matter who you supported up to this point, history is being made.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Who is this Mystery?

Who is this mystery that beckons me from afar?
Who is this mystery who shares my thoughts in the night season?
Who is this incredible, fabulous mystery willing to soar the universe with me?
Who is this mystery, not intimidated by my expressions of greatness?
Who is this mystery, comfortable in his own self?
Who is this loving, giving mystery?
Who is this mystery who understands the inner most secrets of my soul?
Who is this mystery willing to reveal his empire to me?
Who is this mystery so powerful and yet so gentle?
Who is this mystery, this knight, this hero, this king, willing to name me?
Who is this mystery that I give my love to?

My beloved mystery. My wonderful secret.

What do I want?

A man who loves me, exclusively me, a lifelong love, with no other women in his life romantically. I was going to say a man who loves God more than me but do I really want that? Let me explain. I think of the the homes in ruin because the man put God first to the neglect of his family. Men who were so married to the Church that they neglected their wives. One Apostle from Louisiana said God told him, "you take care of that woman. My job is to take care of My Woman, the Church."

It seems to me that we need to have a balance here. If loving God means neglecting me, then that's not God. Does that mean I put God second? No! God is all in all. It's an automatic that I love God. So do I want someone who loves God to the exclusion of me? Or do I want someone who loves me so deeply that he recognizes God in me?

I do not believe Adam loved God so much that he neglected Eve. As a matter of fact, God was not enough for Adam! In Genesis 2:18, God said it is not good that man should be alone. I will make him an help meet for him." But I thought Adam was communing with His Creator every day? Gives one pause to think. After all, all the animals, birds, fish, bugs, etc had mates. (Remember Noah's ark?) Adam had God, the Creator of the Universe. Yet he needed more. And God did not rebuke him, He blessed him with a mate. SELAH.

Makes us wonder, don't it?

(We won't even talk about the influence Eve had which was apparently stronger than God's directive.)

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Law of Supply

Nothing is in short supply if you believe. This is what Walter Malone said about the Law of Supply.

"They do me wrong who say I come no more, When once I knock and fail to find you in; For every day I stand outside your door, and bid you wake, and rise to fight and win."

"Wail not for precious chances passed away, Weep not for golden ages on the wane! Each night I burn the records of the day--At sunrise every soul is born again!"

Isn't that beautiful??

Destiny Awaits

Hello and blessings to one and all.
This is my first attempt at blogging and I'm looking forward to a thrilling ride. I will be exploring some thoughts on spirituality, life in general, a little politics, fun stuff like great restaurants, fabulous jazz, etc. Of course, this will probably not all be on the same blog. Like I said, I am new to this so bear with me AND be kind.

Thanks

Mystic Diva