Happy Thoughtful Thursday to you! Long time, no talk to! Today is a good day and I just wanted to say hello, share a few things with you and see what you think!

As far as my living to be healthy, I have lost approx. 16 pounds and still going! I have 21 more pounds I’d like to lose by the end of October. My personal trainer who is married to a military man had to follow her husband to a new assignment in South Carolina. Additionally she is now 7 months pregnant and our time together would have come to an end sooner than later. However, she left me moderately equipped to continue on my own. But…as good as she was, I want more! I have decided to hire another trainer for just a few weeks. She refers to herself as “super trainer extraordinaire”! I can’t repeat what others call her! Lol. What I know is, she is tough! I would like one more round of working with a trainer, especially one that is going to push me beyond my limits and make me mad and glad at the same time!

I can tell you, I feel better, (hopefully) look better, have more energy and display more confidence! I wish there was a magic pill to make the weight melt off and tighten up all my loose, sagging, jiggly parts! But to achieve a permanent place in the Diva Hall of Fame, I must work and work hard! Lean cuisine, water, treadmill, elliptical, ball, weights, bands, etc! And I won’t stop until I reach my goal! Pray with me!

Now for my BIG news! Remember all my sad stories regarding my wedding pictures? You remember, me not getting my pictures and then not getting my refund? Well, if you recall, I did finally get my money back and I bought a 50 inch flat panel TV that I lovingly refer to as my wedding pictures. The recovery of my refund came when I inboxed my photographer’s wife on Facebook. You know the saying: Behind every great man there’s a great woman? Well, behind my photographer was a great woman who took me seriously, handled the situation and refunded my money! But there’s more! Last week I got an inbox from her requesting my address. She said she had a gift for me. Yesterday I received a package.  My wedding album! Oh my goodness! It is beautiful! Absolutely gorgeous! Amazingly, his work is exquisite! I am so pleased! More than pleased! Of course I would have preferred it on time but it still brings me joy today!

Here is the lesson I learned. I could have gone to more extreme measures and did ugly things to recoup my losses. But I didn’t. In the end I am just as pleased with my pictures now as I would have been then! Maybe even more so! I am so appreciative and will cherish each and every photo and… my 50 inch flat panel TV! Ain’t God Good!

Holla back!

This is the front of my photo album.

P.S. – anointedphotography.com

P.P.S. – My Anniversary is July 14th….and now I have pictures to prove it!

Marvelous Monday Morning to you! You know me and my wandering mind! I’ve been thinking and these are the things I’m thinking about today:

1. If a song can be played on a Soap Opera during a sex scene, can that song also be called a “gospel” song? I’m on the fence with this one, and in my opinion, that is exactly where Benjamin and Priscilla Winans (BeBe and CeCe) reside, on the fence! I think playing it this way is lukewarm. I believe you can sing anything you want, this is America, but there needs to be distinction as to the purpose. I really don’t mind if BeBe and CeCe go secular. Many entertainers have recorded a combination of Christian/Gospel, Soul, Hip Hop, etc., music in their careers. No biggie. But when you claim to be gospel recording artists and your music is fit to be played in a sex scene, doesn’t that cross a line and take your music out of one category and put it in another? I am not getting paid to decide, I just have a problem with them seemingly, not wanting to take a stand on either side of the fence!

2. Is there NO ONE in the gospel arena, that lives the gospel daily, capable of hosting the BET annual Celebration of Gospel? Seriously? Steve Harvey himself talks about how surprising it is they asked him to host the show. He talks about how stunned his Kings of Comedy costars were and thought he was joking with them! He talks about how for two hours he can’t cuss! Is there no one else? I’m talking about someone who doesn’t have to put on their personal censors and deserves the honor and paycheck because they are a 365 day living example of the good news of Christ? Here me when I say, I love me some Steve Harvey! I listen to him every morning on my way to work. I even enjoy watching him on the Celebration of Gospel every year but I do get tired of the first 5 or 10 minutes being dedicated to him defending himself and justifying why he, of all people, is hosting the show! Enough of that! If BET can’t find a representative from the gospel community to host the show that would make them as much money as Steve Harvey, ok, just do it and move on! Don’t make us feel bad for wondering why a chronic and habitual curser, with a questionable lifestyle as a Christian is doing it! Don’t tell me I’m judging you when all I am doing is watching you sweat as you go overboard explaining why you are there! You’ve done it for 10 years, what’s one more! (and by the way, who was that husband and wife that sang on there this year??? Yikes!)

3. (Colts fan speaking…) Why did Peyton Manning keep handing the ball to the runner only to have him go straight into the cluster of big boys in Saints jerseys!? That play didn’t work the first time he did it, the last time he did it, or any of the times in between!!! I hate that play!!! I don’t like it if any team does it but… it did work a couple of times for the Saint didn’t it? I blame that play for our loss! It was the difference between Drew holding the trophy and Peyton holding the trophy… I’m just saying. (lol. I know nothing about football. I know there were other things that caused the fabulous Colts to walk away defeated but that plays drives me nuts!)

4. After last night’s performances, I must ask, didn’t Jennifer Hudson and Faith Hill have the right idea to lip syncing their performance at the Super Bowl?! Even the little award winning Carrie Underwood struggled with that last note, did she not!!! I love my Queen but…. And the Who?????????

5. Why on earth does Face Book keep changing their layout!!! I don’t know what I am doing anymore! My coworker told me I need to update my browser. Ok that is fixing something that is broke! In my opinion, Facebook wasn’t broke, my browser wasn’t broke and my computer wasn’t broke! Now nothing works right!!!

Holla back!

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. Today I have a mixture of five random questions, thoughts and concerns. You’ll see by my list, I’m all over the place but it is a good day! Despite my circumstances or the circumstances surrounding me, I’m employed, I’m healthy, my family is employed and healthy, I’m happy, blessed and highly favored of God! Here we go.

1. I am so sad about the catastrophe in Haiti. My husband, brother, sister-in-law and I stopped there during our cruise in 2007 and got to see a snippet of that country. To know that so many families are destroyed and devastated is heart wrenching! I pray help is there and more is on the way. I pray the hurt recover and the sick are healed.  I pray every need they have will be met!

2. Is it possible that Bill Clinton really said: “A few years back, this guy would be serving us coffee” about Barack Obama? Not the man that, until this election, was deemed the closest thing to a black President we would ever have! …and are President and Mrs. Obama really alright with Clinton and Reid’s comments or is the high road just for public view?

3. Why is 99% of the Facebook community called to preach on Facebook!!! Holla!!! FINALLY a platform for all the “wanna bes” TO BE!!! Er’body is soooo deep on Facebook!

4. Why do SOME of those called to preach on Facebook, preach one day and cuss and say awful things the next? I have seen pictures and words and exchanges from kids and adults that surprise/shock/astonish/alarm me!

5. A few weeks back I brought a book that I just started reading January 1. I arbitrarily ran into it and bought it without much thought but am so impressed I wanted to share it with you. Some may already know about it. It is called: 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue. What You Say (and Don’t Say) Will Improve Your Relationship. The author is Deborah Smith Pegues. Great book! It is a quick and easy read. You only read one, 2 – 3 page, chapter a day and it takes about 5 minutes. She writes beautifully and everything she writes is based on scripture! It is written to be read in 30 days. Apparently I am on day 14. So far I have read about:

• The Lying Tongue
• The Flattering Tongue
• The Manipulating Tongue
• The Hasty Tongue
• The Decisive Tongue
• The Argumentative Tongue
• The Boasting Tongue
• The Self-Deprecating Tongue
• The Slandering Tongue
• The Gossiping Tongue
• The Meddling Tongue
• The Betraying Tongue
• The Lying Tongue

Today is The Cynical Tongue and tomorrow is The Know-It-All-Tongue. Truly I have enjoyed reading this book! Truly I have been whipped and shamed by seeing myself when reading this book but I will continue to read it and see myself in some chapters because I am determined to be better and do better! I may have to go another 30 days and reread it all again, but I intend for it to get in my spirit and be a part of who I am! I don’t want my tongue to be my demise and the reason I don’t make heaven my home!

FYI: This author also has many other “30 days to…” books including:
30 Days to a Great Attitude
30 Days to Taming Your Finances
30 Days to Taming Your Stress and many others

If you don’t get any others, I recommend this one! And there is a workbook that goes along with it!

Be blessed and holla back! I want to hear your thoughts on my five random thoughts, concerns and questions!

So what about Facebook? Isn’t it something? Have you joined this exciting, worldwide, internet sensation?

A few years ago I went to a funeral of a man who was very popular and well known. It was the longest funeral I have ever attended and it was one of the largest funerals I have ever attended.  It was such a sad occasion but it was also quite the celebration.  While there I was bombarded with continuous blasts from the past!  I saw dozens and dozens of people I hadn’t seen in probably 10 – 15 years or more! It has got to be in the top 25 most fun weekends I have ever had in my life! Why? Because it reunited me with so many old friends and memories! It was an amazing weekend! It was such a pleasure seeing old faces and catching up. Well now, here we are with Facebook!

I have either been found or found so many friends, acquaintances, coworkers, classmates, etc. from yesteryear on FB. It is fascinating! Fascinating that this venue affords me the opportunity to reconnect with so many people that touched my life at some point.  It tickles me when somebody is on “Face”Book and doesn’t have their picture/face on there but still, isn’t it something! I don’t do all the daily talking and whatnot, I’m more a 3 – 4 times a week “Facebooker”, but still, I do it! I am also not one to give blow by blow accounts of my day, e.g., ”I am getting up now to take a shower and get ready for work” or “I am going to bed now”; to me that is sad because it seems like a lonely person who utilizes FB as a companion but still, I am there! I am not an intelligent user yet and I have to ask about some of the functions and features but still, I will continue to be there! I only have two pictures on my page but soon, I will add some and become a little more hip, but still, my face is there!

I must say, every time I go to FB I am anxious to see if anyone has requested me as a friend. lol. Yesterday I told my new coworker to find me on FB and add me as a friend. I told her she didn’t have to talk to me; I just want to rack up on my friends and have a long impressive list of friends. dlol (double laugh out loud) I will say, I like to know all the friends I have. I don’t accept people as my friends if I don’t know them. Why would I? I guess it is an opportunity to get to know people. I do have a two part question. Is FB exposing too much of our lives and who we are and is there any aspect of FB that could be dangerous? I don’t know. To me, I feel it is pretty safe.

Recently I found someone on FB that let’s say, is an undesirable, or at least they were years ago when I knew them! They had a very, very bad impact on my life and owe me. Well lo and behold, there they were as big as day on FACEBOOK for all the world to see! As far as I’m concerned, they should be in hiding! tlol! (you got it, triple laugh out loud!)

So what about Facebook? I like it and an enjoying it immensely. I am not a dedicated user or a regular user; I am just a social user and do it for entertainment purposes only. I know it is a great vehicle to do networking and business, but for now, I just use it for fun! What do you think about Facebook? Are there any drawbacks or dangers of being part of this fast growing online community? Let me know what you think, how and why you use it and… if I am not your friend, request me, I want to be!

Gotta go see who requested me today!

Holla back!