A Response to Spring Things...

This was sent to me by my dear friend Shanee' Yvette. Like Mary, I am pondering these things in my heart. I invite you to do the same...

This is Shanee'

Your use of the world camouflage to describe dresses and your thighs was very striking.

Camouflage is a method of crypsis (hiding). It allows an otherwise visible organism or object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment (according to wikipedia---I Know Not a Great Source).

I thought about what camouflage means when I read your post about dresses. Hiding? Blending? Trying to maintain a certain level of safety? Survival. What about compliment? complement (a thing that completes or brings to perfection)? I know the word camouflage, personally. As someone who is struggling to love ALL of myself I read your post and thought about how I speak about myself using language that doesn't exactly benefit my "Body Loving" cause. How did I learn to speak in these ways about myself. How did a word describing a evoluntionary mechanism animals use to avoid violence and destruction become an appropriate way to describe the ways in which beautiful fabric adorns my precious body? Beautiful fabric which I choose in accordance with my own creativity and aesthetic. Beautiful fabric that makes me smile and happy to be alive. Beautiful fabric that tells the story of me: tragedies, dramas, romances, and comedies. How did violence become a part of my description of the adornment process? Who taught me to hate/hide myself? How can I unlearn that? Hiding. Hiding and fear hold each other's timid hands. What am I afraid of? Someone seeing me? Others beholding parts of me that the world has convinced me are unsightly? The truth of me is I have big chunky thighs that will never not rub when I walk and a heart shaped butt with fanny pack-like pockets at top but rather than camouflage these parts of me I'd rather learn to drape them with fabrics so that they feel safe, safe in that they are loved and protected by me and not subject to my vicious critiques and scathing looks of dis-appreciation. These are my great-grandmother's thighs and my grandmother's booty; my mother shares these gifts with me. Would I look at the three of these women and say "Hide yourself woman, be thee concealed for your are repulsive!". Absolutely Not! Then why do I disgrace them each time I shimmy into some garment that wasn't made with me in mind all the while damning the reflection of the women who made me. Camouflage, eh?

I'm curious. I assume short skirts are out due to modesty issues and insuring credibility and comfort(personal and public) in your ministry but what about you and how you feel about you. Is camouflage the right word? Am I making too much of the verb? Perhaps. Am I calling you out? No stones over here. Did something you said you call out to me? Yes, the sound of my own voice.Thank you for sparking my reflection today. I love you.


- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!

Spring Things...

On my morning walk today, I realized that as much as Spring is a time of spiritual renewal for me, it is also a time of physical newness. As the sun peeked through the clouds, it was clear to me that hibernation time is over. It is time to shed the bulky layers for lighter wares. It is time to pack away the grays and black for yellows, greens, blues, and pinks. It is time to buff, polish, and slather away the ash to reveal glowing skin. It is time...

I am keenly aware of the trends, but the older I get the less interested I am in trends. These days, I am interesting in things that work well for me. With that in mind, check out just a few of my Spring Things...

Spring Thing #1: A Fresh Face
At thirty, many women will experience adult acne. No one warned me before this happened. It was crazy. But thanks be to God, almost five years later, I have adjusted. I have learned to find new products that work when my skin gets too used to a product (when it stops working). These days, I am using Burt's Bees Radiance Day Cream to moisturize and Acne Solutions cleanser, scrub, and blemish stick.

As far as make-up goes, I am loving a pop of color on my eyes with nude lips. Hence I am using Bobbi Brown's Creamy Lip Color in Heather Buff and Sunset Nude and Lancome's Color Design Shadow Palette in Amethyst Glam and Bronze Amour.

In addition to the product on the outside, the key to a fresh face is drinking lots of water!

Spring Thing #2: Supple Skin
I don't know about you, but the "ash monster" visits me during the winter. In fact, he moves into my house without invitation, never pays rent, and reluctantly leaves in the Spring. This year, to move him out of the way, I am bringing in heavy artillery: Brown Sugar Body Polish and Nivea Body Cream.

Spring Thing #3: Jewel-Toned Dresses and Nails
With supple skin ready, it is time to throw on a pretty dress! Dresses work for me. Not only do they camoflauge my thighs, they make me feel beautiful. My latest snag is this floral number from Target. And we all know that a pretty dress is not complete without manicured nails. This season I am shelving my Essie Chinchilly for OPI Strawberry Margarita!

Spring Thing #4: Healthy Hair
So, this is not just a Spring thing for me, but an all year round thing! This Spring, I have made the decision to keep my hair short and sassy. To maximize the shine, I rinsed my hair black and I use Elasta QP Mango Butter.

- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!

iPad App of the Week

I know, I know...

I hear you: Thursday came and went...no iPad App of the Week. Friday came and went...still no iPad App of the Week. For crying out loud, it's Monday already and you haven't blessed/annoyed us with a new iPad App! What gives?

Well, since you asked, the truth is that I've been so caught up playing Scrabble that my other gaming apps are probably jealous. UNO doesn't stand a chance. Mancala doesn't do it for me like it used to. And who wants to play Solitaire by yourself when you can play Scrabble with Facebook friends? Huh? Huh? Huh?

So, as an act of transparency and authenticity, the iPad App if the week is Scrabble. Again. It really is that good!



- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!

Hovering Over the Deep...

This morning during my time of prayer, I became overwhelmed by the Presence of God in a way that I've never been before. Everything was filling up: the air in the room, my mind, my heart, and the recesses of my eyes where the tears well. The Presence of God was palpable; I knew that I was not alone. And not only was I not alone, but I could sense, without a shadow of a doubt, that God was doing something.

At first I could not name it; The atmosphere was, at once, extremely heavy and awesomely beautiful. I sat with Him, exchanging my usual stirrings to be still in the Presence of God. After all, we are admonished to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:1). And in our knowing, which can also be understood as acknowledging Him, our paths will be directed (Proverbs 3:6). More than anything, I want to walk in a God directed path. Donna directed paths usually lead me straight into ditches, dead-ends, going the wrong way on a one way street, or circling the block too many times to count.

After a period of stillness, I started writing. As the words began to pour out of me, I was able to name what I was feeling. It was a brooding. It was as if the Spirit of God was hovering over me and we were at the brink of God bringing forth newness in my life. And all of a sudden I knew that today was the beginning of something new. I was reminded of the foundations of the world:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

The formlessness in my life is about to be shaped and fashioned into something beautiful. The emptiness and void in my life is about to be filled so that I am fully satisfied. The chaos in my life is about to be ordered. The darkness in my life is making way for the light of God.

I do not know exactly what, "Let there be's" God spoke over me today. But I do know that, that just as God looked at His work in creation and declared it to be good, I know that whatever was spoken into my life today will be good, and even very good...

- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!

Allow Me to Introduce...

...a fellow preacher of the Gospel;
...a thinking woman of faith;
...a teacher par excellence;
...a wife, mother, career woman and student (who does all of it well);
...soon to be graduate of the Master of Theological Studies Program at Drew University;
...a woman I can cry with and close down the mall with;
...a lover of books and a fierce pair of heels;
...a woman who can sing so well the hairs on your arms stand at attention;
...my sister from another mother;
...and her newly launched blog www.mbcdoc.wordpress.com







From time to time, when you aren't stopping by here, I encourage you to visit her site for inspiration, information, and incitation...




- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!

Location:Alexis Ln,Edison,United States

Think on These Things...

Lead Me, Guide Me
Lyrics by Doris Mae Akers

I am weak and I need Thy strength and power
To help me over my weakest hour
Lead me through the darkness Thy face to see
Lead me, oh Lord lead me.

Help me tread in the paths of righteousness.
Be my aid when Satan and sin oppress.
I am putting all my trust in Thee:
Lead me, oh Lord lead me.

I am lost if you take your hand from me,
I am blind without Thy light to see.
Lord just always to me thy servant be,
Lead me, oh Lord lead me.

Chorus
Lead me, guide me along the way,
For if you lead me I cannot stray.
Lord let me walk each day with Thee.
Lead me, oh Lord lead me.



- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!

Location:Lincoln Ave,New Rochelle,United States

iPad App of the Week

Sorry I have been incognito. Much has been happening in life and ministry. During the in-between times, instead of blogging, I have been caught up with the iPad App of the week. I'vv been working with words, just not in the way I'd grown accustomed to.






I must admit, I love Scrabble in it's analog form, but the digital version knocks my socks off! At home we have the board game and the new Scrabble Flash game, but the iPad app gets the most play.

Funny (and true) story: Some years ago when hubby and I were dating, we would play and play and play all night long. Nerds! It didn't become obvious to us, until we were at a house party playing with other couples, that we had been making up rules to the game. Yes, we were that couple. You know, the people who make up rules and don't know how to lose gracefully when playing by the real rules. But thanks be to God, we have matured and we now know how to play the game. Not only can we play correctly, but we play well!




The iPad app has so many options for play. Let's see...
I play it alone, to pass the time...
I pass and play it with hubby, for bragging rights in the house...
I play it when my sermons are hiding from me, hoping that one of the words will inspire a thought...
I play it with Facebook friends, although a game can sometimes take a week to complete...




The only way I haven't played is using the Party Play option. You need to have iPhones for that, and since we are a Blackberry household, well...you get the picture. But I imagine that this option is great for a party full of iPhone geeks, I mean users. But look at the picture...how cool is that! I'd become and iPhone geek just to play Scrabble like this...





All that said, I would suggest you get the Scrabble App for iPad. It was my first iPad download, and it hasn't disappointed me yet!

- Posted using BlogPress on the fiercest device ever...the iPad!!!