The 50th Anniversary of the I Have A Dream Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Let us never forget.

My President Making Me Proud - Example of Humility, Grace, Dignity and Honor

Quoteable Quote

"Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head is not indifferent to the wants of His children. ‘The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.’ James 5:11. His heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our utterances of them. Take to Him everything that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up worlds, He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing that in any way concerns our peace is too small for Him to notice. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too difficult for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of His children, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. ‘He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.’ Psalm 147:3. The relations between God and each soul are as distinct and full as though there were not another soul upon the earth to share His watch care, not another soul for whom He gave His beloved Son.”-Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 100.

Public Health Messaging

Because I love messaging that causes you to think! Oh these ads are from the NY campaign on teen pregnancy! They are getting a lot of attention!

Year in Review!!! Happy New Year 2013

I do not know how to start this year in review as I have named it over the years. I actually started by first reviewing what I wrote last year.

Let’s go through the months. January – nothing according to my iphone calendar. February nothing still. In March we welcomed my niece, Megan Isabella into the world. That was a pretty big deal. April I celebrated my 36th birthday with a party at the house, which I recapped here. May – nothing to exciting.

June I stepped out on faith in God and resigned my position with the Food Bank, to focus on finding my career job in public health and to have a little R&R. I have been working since I was 16 years old and I have never had a real break. Unlike a lot of my friends who have had kids they have had at least three months off after they delivered and some of them have had it more than once since they have had multiple children. Thankfully I got to enjoy my R&R/ non -Maternity leave (what I jokingly called it) without a child, but the point is I needed a break and got a great one. July I took a family vacation on a cruise to the Bahamas. That was nice. It reminded me that once you have been to one beach you have been to them all. Hence I am not a beach vacation type of girl. Give me the rainforest in Costa Rica or an Alaskan cruise.

For part of July and August, I volunteered with my church. It held a purity camp for kids in the community. It was an amazing experience. These kids knew more about sex then what I knew when I first had sex in my mid twenties which in my opinion was still too young. I might even still be too young. LOL.

September and October started the process of really interviewing for various jobs. It brought to my attention that it takes a minute for people to hire you. I was offered a really cool job after a really great interview. When I am in a position to interview someone I would hope I will be as graceful as this person was with me. When I left the interview, I was like even if I do not get the job, it was such a great experience. I fell in love with the company right then. One person can really speak for a whole company. I get to make an amazing contribution to preventing HIV/AID everyday. I am humbled by the task and awed by what God can do if we should only ask and believe.

November and December, I found myself settling into my routine of working every day since my four month hiatus gave me the luxury of having a life of leisure. I would be remised if I did not mention my personal life. No major develops that I know of at the moment (I pray there is one on the horizon) however God sees all things as they really are so I will leave it to Him to reveal to me any life changes in 2013!!



Happy New Year!

Christmas Party 2012

Yes, I know this blog post is about 20 days after my actual party but I figure better late than never.  This year's party was not a cookie exchange but rather just a late apetizer party and I gave everyone a gift box with a mug (compliemnts of pottery barn) with their first initial on it.  We painted it using Sharpie markers.  They turned out great.  I have provided a photo gallery for your viewing pleasure.  Also I cooked chicken, a first but since I cooked turkey for Thanksgiving, chicken was pretty easy.

Thanksgiving 2012

I know this post is late but I figured since my annual holiday party is tomorrow I should probably post about Thanksgiving before I post  about my party.

I had this desire to cook a turkey this year.  I know you are thinking, why you are vegetarian. I know I  know.  Well Williams Sonoma, released this little Thanksgiving holiday cooking guide with a really cool recipe for a turkey and I thought I want to make that.  It also had a recipe for quonia that I made as well.  According to those who ate it, it was pretty good.  So I was able to make a great turkey without having ever tasted it.  Always tell people they can cook if they can read and follow directions.  It is priceless.  Here is a photo gallery of my turkey cooking experience.  Oh I did brine the turkey but I forgot to take pictures of that process and I cooked it in the slow cooker.

Sewing Adventure

Well this weekend was a friend of mine's daughter's 4th birthday.  I wanted to get her a good book.  To my disappointment I learned there were very few African American children's books.  I finally found the book 'I like Myself" by Karen Beaumont.  It is a great book.  I just wish there were more like them.  I made little bag for the book and the lose roll of quarters I added to make it seem like she had lots of money ( a roll of quarters equals $10).  She loved it. Which was great.  The bag is below.  It has some minor little mistakes.  Overall I think it is pretty good considering I did it without a pattern and it's lined.

Weekend at Callaway Gardens

I spent the weekend at Callaway Gardens for their annual hot air balloon show! It was a nice end of summer getaway. Here are a few pictures!

Patches

I took a picture of Patches this week to cheer up a friend and I realized I really liked it so I thought I would share it here!

Table for two/ wordless Friday lunch

View on morning run in Palm Springs

God's promise to me

The biblical meaning of a rainbow is the sign God gave Moses that He would never destroy the world by flood again. Found in Genesis 9. Today as I was seating in my living room I saw this rainbow which I kind of took as God's promise to me about my own story.

Sunday breakfast

Since I am rarely home in Sunday I decided to make homemade blueberry pancakes. You wonder how do you make them good ole flour, baking powder, soy milk, sugar and oil. Who needs bisquick?

Sabbath lesson for me

Today I attended Berean SDA church. Pastor John Boston spoke and shared the following story from his childhood.

Pastor Boston was around 10 years old and was being disobedient in Sabbath school and his father noticed and pulled him out of the class. He knew he was about to be physically disciplined by his dad. He thought of all the things he could say to get out of it. His father asked him to hold out his hand and then his father took off his belt. He knelt down before him, and his father started hitting himself on his knee and he asked Pastor Boston to cry. Mercy prevailed his father told him to act as though he was physically disciplined.

Pastor Boston brought his story full circle in that, that is what Jesus has done that for me and you. Christ Jesus died for me. But even more deeper than what Pastor Boston's father taught him that day, Jesus took the punishment I deserve for my disobedience/sin in well advance.

Father, help me think of of the sacrifice your son made on my behalf each time I am tempted stray from your will for my life.

Sabbath lesson for me

I attended Berean today for church and Pastor Russell spoke His scripture was James 4:1-6.

He highlighted what happens in the absence of humility

1. I missed this one
2. Ungodly desires create battles
3. End up with wrong motives
4. Take on the values of the world

He went on to the book of Matthew 26: 57-63, in these text Jesus is before the Sanhedrin, the powerful take away was the following;

Defend other people never defend yourself. When you know who you are you do not have to defend yourself.

BCJA 5K run

Sunday I was able to participate in a 5 K run  fundraiser for the church school I attended (a long time a go).  I finished in 31 minutes.  I was kind of excited I was just hoping for 35 minutes.  God is awesome.  The route had some serious hills that kind of discouraged me at time but I made it thru.  I just thought I would document the day.  We shall see what my next time will be! Stay tuned!

Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting

This past week I had the privilege to go to prayer meeting something I have not been able to do on a constant due to working at Pottery Barn more than normal lately.

We had a guest speaker from one of the surrounding churches and he spoke on power.  He said the following with Biblical references which I did not get all of them.

1.  Man's power is perceived.  We as individuals give people power.  We make them powerful in our own eyes.

2.  The devil's power is permitted.  God allows the devil to have the power he has.  For example in the book of Job, the devil had to go to God to ask permission to cause calamity on Job, and God permitted it.  And the devil has to do the same thing with each of us.

3.  God's power is preeminent.  God is all powerful , need I say more!.

How awesome is that revelation, no man on this earth has power over us, only if we allow him/her to.  The things the devil tries to put in our way to hurt us God has permitted it because God knows we can handle it.  And God is all powerful and He knows how to adjust everything perfectly in our lives.  Thanks you Father!

Atlanta Botanical Garden

For Good Friday my mom and I went to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.  I had  planned to go for my birthday but then I found out they are closed on Mondays.  They had a tulips in bloom exhibit that I was looking forward to seeing but unfortunately the tulips decided to decrease their blooming season, there was not a bloom in sight, one of the gardeners told me they had removed the remaining dieing tulips yesterday.  I was very disappointed however here are a few of the highlights.