Monday, February 11, 2013

“Before (and after) you say “I do” by Pastor Tayo Tychus


Good Morning beautiful people.

I has been a while. Yes. So a few greetings are in order...
Merry Christmas
Happy Boxing Day
Happy New Year's Eve
HAPPY NEW YEAR

Now that I've got it all covered (I think), I believe I need to start off my 2013 right by sharing a really awesome article written by a Pastor I truly admire and as a single woman, everything he discussed resonated with me. But the great part of the article is that it is not JUST for the single people. It also applies to the Married folks too. Please read!!

I'll be back with my rants pretty soon (I have a whole lot of things to say...but then I always do)


The wedding industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and while many spend so much money, time and resources to plan a perfect and splendiferous wedding, very few invest in the marriage before saying “I do”. According to 2010 enrichment journal, the divorce rate in America for first marriages is 41%; for second marriages is 60%; and for third marriages is 73%. Christian marriages have a divorce rate of about 50%. Now, I have never met anyone or known anyone that hoped for or expected a divorce on their wedding day. Most people plan to live happily ever after. A common adage goes “love is blind” but I totally disagree; love should be an eye opener. Don’t let the story book romance from novels or the infatuation with love drag and keep you in a wrong relationship.  Marriage is the bedrock of family and the society as a whole. Research has it that most people in prison and most divorces are a function of broken homes.  We have got to do something different to break the cycle of evil. I personally believe, if as much planning and preparation goes into a marriage as it does a wedding, many marriages would be much better and not end up in divorce.  I strongly believe in a Godly marriage - between a man and woman - and not just a marriage were both parties are  managing and tolerating one another, but a strong, loving and happy marriage that glorifies God.


Dating is a good time to find out as much as you can about your potential mate. Would you find out some more stuff after marriage? Absolutely! But the point is hopefully it is nothing earth shattering or nothing that can end the marriage. For instance, you should not find out after marriage if your spouse has an anger problem, or if the creditors are after your spouse, or if there is an arrest warrant on your spouse – extreme examples but you get the point. Since I have heard so many definitions of the word dating, let me provide some context for this article. For me, dating is exclusively “getting data” about a person – getting to know a person with the intention of marriage. Prior to dating, you can talk to many people of the opposite sex and have many friends, but when it becomes exclusive, I consider that to be dating. Okay, now that we have the definitions out of the way, you are probably asking, who should I date? Who should be the chosen one from a pool of friends? I’m glad you asked. My sister-in-love (wife’s sister) has a colloquial term she uses to refer to a great guy or girl. She says “he is a big fish” and every now and then she further describes the person as an “octopus with 9 legs”. Funny descriptions but basically, her point is the person is a great catch and unique. How many octopuses have you seen with 9 legs….hopefully none? So I thought about what characters make a big fish and how to have a great C-A-T-C-H.


The first thing is to make sure they believe in and love Jesus CHRIST. While I am tempted to think it sounds obvious, I have seen too many relationships suffer because they are just not on the same level with beliefs and their faith. Notice, I did not say “they must go to church”. The devil goes to church and probably gets there on time before many Christians. Just because someone can speak “christianese” doesn’t really mean they love Jesus. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says it simply and plainly…”do not be unequally yoked”. So beyond the chain with the crucifix that they have and the fact that they know a few scriptures from Sunday school, still make sure your potential mate loves Christ. If Christ is at the center of your life (and He should), then it is imperative that who you are with should have similar beliefs. Now I’m not saying, if a brother can’t preach and speak in tongues for hours unending, you should not give him the light of day; but dating or marrying an unbeliever hoping they would be converted later is a recipe for disaster. It’s not worth it. In the long journey of marriage, you will need someone who can pray with you, pray for you, believe God for you and stand with you. Even with Christians in the same faith, sometimes denominations and different levels of Christianity might be a problem. For instance, if the girl/guy is in church 7 days a week because of their calling, is that something that the spouse can deal with, because in general it would remain the same after marriage.


Secondly, is there an ATTRACTION? Please don’t marry anybody that you are not physically attracted to. In Genesis 12:11 Abraham told Sarai “Indeed I know that you are a woman of beautiful countenance.” Abraham was very attracted to his wife and let her know because like every wise man would eventually realize, women love compliments. So for the fellas, like Abraham, constantly remind the ladies how beautiful they are and you would see wonders in your relationship (And all the ladies said Amen!). To my wonderful wife, Ena, you are beautiful, elegant and magnificent! I love you! (Shameless plug) Let the wonders continue!!

Physical attraction is really like a 1B to the first point of making sure the person loves Christ because in some instances, the physical attraction happens before finding out whether the person is a Christian or not. Especially for men, who are drawn by sight, there is an attraction that draws him in. The average single man does not see a lady at the office or gym or library or at a party and say “Wow!! Look at the works of the Holy Ghost on her” Truth be told, if the man is not physically attracted to her, then he probably won’t find out what her Christian beliefs are, except of course, he is out just evangelizing. Without being facetious, the first thing he sees is her figure and her face. I am not saying every aspect of your list of exact height, build and hair length must be met but if you would be married to and live with someone for the rest of your life, but you should be physically attracted to them. Whatever it is, I believe there should be a great deal of physical attraction. Now obviously, this is not the only trait because I know some older people are probably thinking, well what happens if physical stature changes via pregnancy, a few extra servings at thanksgiving, forgetting to go to the gym, or whatever the reason is and my response is start with what you like physically and as much as you can, “be your best you”. How tall or short or light or dark you are might be out of your control but certain things you can control like grooming, fitness, hair, nails, dressing. You should never have to pray “Lord make my husband taller” – you were aware of his shortcomings (pun intended) before marriage. Different things are attractive to different people. Some ladies like a man in uniform and that could be all the attraction they need. Obviously that man won’t be retiring from the military anytime soon. Some ladies like a confident man who just knows how to talk; and that makes the man look finer than he is. There has to be attraction on both sides. Am I advocating a “love at first sight” message? No. But I do believe you should be very attracted to who you marry.

For example, you are a lady at Starbucks getting some funky named coffee and you see this guy who walks in with a swag like Idris, has a body like Beckham, a face and confidence like Denzel and dressed like he just jumped out a GQ magazine. As he gets closer to you, you realize he has all the features you like – tall, dark, chocolate and just HOT like the coffee you are about to get (you probably forgot about the coffee at this stage…lol). He speaks and sounds very good!
            “Hi. I’m John”, he says. “You are?”
Smitten, is what you really want to say, but you manage to remember your name and say, “Erica.”
“Well, Erica, it’s nice to meet you” …and the conversation begins.
Ooh and did I mention John has no kids and likes to do dishes. Okay ladies, before you dash down to the nearest Starbucks looking for John (lol), let’s consider a couple of different scenarios.

Scenario 1: John happens to be a Christian and just moved into town and they start talking and obviously both like tall dark chocolate coffee and realize they have good chemistry so it’s a wrap, Erica is swept off her feet and they are married not long after.

Scenario 2: As the conversation builds, its obvious John does not know Christ either from the *bleep* *bleep* language that ensues or the invitation to meet at a night club later that night. If I were Erica, I would gladly decline and probably invite John to church. Just maybe John can get to know Christ. Am I advocating a “catch and convert” philosophy? No. But “convert” and maybe “catch” is fine. His initial reason for coming to the church might be you and then he finds Christ. Truth about the matter is even if John does come to church and receives Christ, there are a few other hurdles to cross. Maybe you guys end up together, maybe you don’t, but hey another person got to know Christ. Plus, while John is getting his act together, Mark might come along with everything John has and knows the Lord too. You know the rest.

Scenario 3: He buys his coffee and doesn’t say anything to you (ouch…lol).
As you can see, this is a well-made up story that could take very many different turns. I purposely used the example above to highlight attraction is key. Sometimes it comes immediately, sometimes much later.


 The next dating instruction is TOUCH NOT - no premarital sex. The bible emphatically says premarital sex is wrong and is a sin in 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 “No wed No bed”. Most guys have hunter personalities; they enjoy the chase better than the catch. This is why in good relationships and marriages, the chase never ends. But back to the hunter, once a man has caught all that you have offered; there is no need for you anymore. If he can milk the cow for free why buy it?  Forgive my bluntness but it is painful seeing young ladies sell themselves short and get easily heart broken and damaged emotionally. And so to all my single ladies, your body is not a hotel where men can check in and out as they pleaseNo one can use you unless you let them. Allow me to quote Beyonce and say to the men “If you like it, put a ring on it”…it is that simple. In and of itself sex is not wrong or perverted and is an amazing thing within the confines of marriage. However, the copycat devil that has never had an original plan tries to thwart God’s original plan and purpose for sex. God’s plan in Genesis 2 was for a man and woman to marry, be fruitful and multiply. And while some cringe at the discussion of sex or wonder why sex is being talked about in the “don’t-have-sex” prematurely part of this article, I believe it is imperative to highlight the purpose and importance of sex (or no sex) in a biblical context. Pre-marital sex has long lasting effects on marriages. It creates soul-ties and leaves room for comparisons. “That’s not how Jessica did it” or God forbid, you are called the wrong name during sex (awkward!). Genesis 2:24 says when two people have sex, they become one flesh (a soul-tie) so can you imagine a guy who is “one flesh” with many ladies trying to hook up with a girl who is “one flesh” with many dudes. It is only with the help of Jesus such soul-ties and unnecessary baggage can be broken before marriage. In all honesty, I would say that the average single guy/girl reading this article has probably had sex already. To assume this article would be read by virgins only would be quite naïve and unwise. However, I do believe that you can make a choice today to do it God’s way from now on. Even if you have had multiple sex partners in the past or currently sexually active with your partner outside of wedlock, God will bless this relationship if you do it the Godly and proper way. You can make up your mind to live for God and honor Him with your body. You can decide that in your next relationship, you would do it how God commanded and ordained and remain pure until the appropriate time.

I pray if you are single or currently dating, you would make up your mind not to have any sexual encounter until honeymoon night. Now let me quickly address the elephant in the room, which is:  “What if they are not good in bed”? How can I know we would be sexually compatible? If you both marry as virgins (quite rare these days), there would be no comparisons to make and you would both be your best ever! And most likely, if the chemistry and attraction and other things are in place, it typically translates into the bedroom. But any man (more common with men) that tells you to sleep with him to prove that you love him or to make sure you are sexually compatible is the DEVIL himself. And you should not be talking to devils, let alone sleeping with them. The spiritual side is if you have prayed and received the necessary confirmation that this person is your spouse, then the simple answer without over analyzing or trivializing this concern is BY FAITH. None of us have seen Jesus but we believe by faith. Marriage is a step of faith because people have changed and done the craziest things that you didn’t expect. But when you get married, you are hoping and praying you know this person and believe and trust them to do or not do certain things. In the same vein, I expect a God who says don’t have sex before marriage to bless and make good sex in marriage.


Next, there has to be good CHEMISTRY between you and your potential mate. We have already decided no touching so the question is “can this person stimulate me mentally” Do you get bored after talking with them for a while? While Spiritual (Christ) and physical (attraction) connectivity must be present, you should also connect with your potential spouse in some other ways. We have to be able to talk about a little more than the bible and sports highlights and connect on several levels. If you enjoy rich and erudite philosophical conversations and your potential mate only wants to talk about football, there might be a problem. Without being arrogant or proud, you never want to have to “dummy down” yourself to accommodate who you plan to live with – if anything, it will be a good opportunity for the spouse to learn about economics, politics and foreign policy and a few other things that pertain to life. Now if both parties just want to talk about the bible and football…great! But you get the point, which is you must connect on certain things.


It is amazing how couples after marriage fight on things like someone not wanting to have kids but the other person wants kids.  Or she can be cute and fit your physical expectation but talks crudely or is unladylike and eats improperly with mouth open and blouse soiled in public. When dating, like the popular “deal or no deal” game show, there should be a stage where the imaginary button comes in front of you and the banker asks you “deal or no deal”? Am I saying you would find a perfect person that you agree with in everything? Absolutely not! My favorite Pastor and spiritual covering (Pastor Nike Wilheims) always says “If two people agree on everything then one of them is irrelevant” There is no perfect person and if there is one, when you bring your imperfect self and join them, they suddenly become imperfect. So do bad eating habits immediately negate a person? No, because they might not know any better or maybe you caught them on a bad (hungry) day. But from your conversations with them, proper dining and etiquette comes up and there is a change. You might be a staunch democrat and your spouse a staunch republican or you like the Lakers (Go Lakers!) and your spouse likes some other teams that I won’t mention – but the point is as long as you both understand what is a deal breaker and what isn’t and everyone is comfortable, then no problem. However I would say know what you can and can’t live with. Certain things change with time, and people can amend certain things but there would be some, actually most things that won’t change, and you have to decide what you can or cannot compromise on – Spiritual commonality and physical attraction being the biggest I think. You must ask yourself, if this person never changes in this area, can I live with this? Be honest to yourself- you owe yourself that much because you don’t want to come to the sad realization 3 to 5 years later that you cannot live with a certain aspect of your spouse.


Talk about anything and everything. Remember, in dating, you are “getting data” about this person to see if they can be your potential spouse. Common discussions you should have that could be deal breakers are: Do you want to have kids? How many kids? Discuss money goals and spending habits/patterns, family values. Know their likes and dislikes, bad habits (since it probably won’t change in marriage). Money is usually a huge factor also - who earns more and does that person as a result spend more? Should we have a joint account? With money, I’ll suggest talking in-depth with your spouse and coming up with what works best for you. There is no one size fits all. Some couples work well having just a running joint account and do everything from there. I personally prefer to have private accounts and have a joint for savings, bills and whatever else we agree on. But again, there are different strokes for different people. As long as both parties are comfortable with the method chosen and it works well for them, fine. Money is extremely important in dating and eventually in marriage. And call me old school, but if a guy doesn’t pay for the first date, that should be “the last supper”. But seriously, everything about money should be discussed – credit histories and reports definitely. Is the guy comfortable with the girl earning more than him or a higher potential to earn more in future years? Life insurance, 401k – everything is fair game. If a guy is hiding assets or money from you, it’s time to pick your stilettos and run. Another thing I would add about money if you are still dating is to avoid debt like a plague. It’s senseless to put the wedding on a credit card and suffer for it for unending years. Live within your means and grow wealth together with your spouse.


And last but not least for getting a good CATCH is HUMORMarriage is meant to be enjoyed not endured. As we grow and move through the different vicissitudes of life, it is easy to fall into routine and lose the spark because we are so concerned with schedules and deadlines but like the old saying goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. It’s good to work hard but to achieve balance you should also play hard. Your eventual spouse doesn’t have to be a stand-up comedian but they should make you laugh and you should enjoy spending quality time with the person and be free when around them. Most women have a great sense of humor as #1 for what they look for in a partner. So fellas lighten up and test out the funny or corny jokes. Since you both plan to be together for a very long time, you have to be able to see the light side of life and make the journey an enjoyable one for both parties. Spontaneity like a surprise vacation or date or just something out of the ordinary usually helps increase the fun and keeps the fire burning.


So there you have it. This list of 5 things is by no means exhaustive, but I believe it is a great place to start when looking for a potential mate and a “Big CATCH”. Starting with Christ obviously is a must because He is the one responsible for keeping you both together. And I have realized that the same things apply in marriage obviously with the exception of the “touch not” point. In marriage, there is a lot of touching Hallelujah!!! Grow together in Christ and ensure the attraction is always there. Anything good or great in life is as a result of a conscious effort and marriage is no different. Put in the time to have a good marriage. Learn to say “I am sorry”. Be more concerned about getting it right than being right. Marriage involves compromise. You wouldn’t and shouldn’t always get your way but that’s what true love is about anyway – sacrificing and compromising. Don’t take each other for granted and always appreciate the other person for what they do. I pray for every married person reading this that Jesus would pour upon your marriage a new wine and a new love and passion for one another. And for those desiring and looking for a spouse, God would give you the right person for you.

Agape!
Pastor Tayo Tychus

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Amen

It has been too long.

Side note - I have quite a bit of posts that are in various stages of completion ranging from a start date of June 20 to now. I feel the need to start with this, then bombard you with the rest. You have been warned.

A lot has happened in 2012 - I can definitely say confidently that this year has been the most interesting year in my almost 24 years. It has been good. It has been bad, horribly bad. It has been amazing. There have been times where I'd wake up sweating profusely with my eyes as big as saucers, completely terrified about what's going on and what might happen next. There have been times where I'd be ridiculously happy and content. Now, I'm not schizophrenic (I'm sure..I think..hahaha). Things have just happened that will cause one of two things to happen: either drive a regular, fairly normal woman completely insane or to her knees. I chose to do the latter.

I'm not sure if at some point I told you that my favorite book of the Bible is Romans and more specifically Romans 8...I probably did - I'm getting old; that's what happens when you're slowly creeping away from "mid-twenties" status, you lose your memory, some of your hair, your hearing...It sucks getting old, lemme tell ya!

Sorry, I veered off tangent. I'm back, I promise.

To be really REALLY specific, I absolutely LOVE Romans 8 vs 18
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

I'd like to add another to this now, considering the series of events - a few verses down, verse 28, a pretty popular scripture.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

And another..verse 31 - :-)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

I  now know that sometimes when things are happening around you that just bring you constant confusion and anxiety, it's probably best to just hand over the reins to God anyway because all you're going to do is botch it a lot more. I am not all-knowing, He is. I am not all-seeing, He is. This realization became set in stone for me this year. I couldn't have told you in April that I'll be where I am now spiritually and all around to honest. Bad things happen, yeah. It's part of living; there will be ups and downs. That's why Romans 8 vs 28 was put in the Word of God. 

And to be buttress the point that we are not omni-scient and/or omni-potent, when trials, tests and tribulations come and it feels like things have never been this dark or twisted, that's not the end of the matter. That is why Romans 8 vs 18 is in the Bible. Your present condition right this instant is just another chapter to the story of your destiny. There's nothing in this world that can stop, hinder or delay you! Everything is working under God's timetable - the devil might not think so, you sure as heck wont think God is watching out for you while you're in the precarious position - but He is. You just need to remember Romans 8 vs 31.

If God allowed his only son to go through the pain, the humiliation on the way to and on the cross and the pseudo-finality of death after the cross, surely He won't spare us. We are Christians, Christ-like. We will have to stand in situations like He did.

This is a quick synopsis  albeit a little veiled, of my 2012 thus far. These are the things I had to preach to myself daily to prevent myself from burying my head in the sand and going mad. God knows. God sees. God can do all things. And He loves me. So I trusted Him (still do) and He brought me out..time and time and time again.

Really all I'm trying to drive home is in everything can comes your way, good or bad, all we are called to do, like Jesus Christ, is to say Amen. So be it.



**AMEN**


Monday, June 18, 2012

Get in The Game

Hello beautiful people!!

It's weird that I'm just blogging about this now as it happened close to three weeks ago. Well anyway, better late than never!

I was approached by the Pastor of Temple of Praise Sunrise Church, Pastor Tayo "PT" Tychus to write about "Get in the Game 2012". Two things happened at once - first I was shocked he knew I had a blog and actually read it from time to time then the bone-chilling panic washed over me like "I'm writing for a conference!! eeek!!".

Well, anyway, I got over my trepidation, 'cos I won't be writing this blog this wet and chilly morning if I didn't! As a quick side note, Get in the Game is an annual youth conference inviting people to stop sitting on the sidelines and make their lives count for God, plain and simple (Romans 8vs19).

You can read the blog HERE..

I hope you're blessed, challenged and inspired by it!!

Have a blessed and God-filled day!

Two smiles in the sky! Brightened up my day!!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Mixed Emotions



It's so hard to pick a favorite in sports. It's hard because, if you're like me, your emotions are tangled in there like a bug caught in a spider's web. Your heart starts to race when your team or favorite player takes the court (or field..you get me). It's sad, really. As much as I adore Roger Federer, watching his games is like torture for me. My heart is in my mouth most the time and other times (when he gets broken and he refuses to break back like he's supposed to!), my heart sinks into my stomach. I start to sweat profusely or my eyes start to twitch. So I change the channel or close the online tracker. I really can't get how his wife or other WAGs sit there stoically when their men are playing. Mirka Federer, especially, just sits there and chews gum and follows every rally! HOW!?! I'm dying in my room!

If he loses, I'm devastated. I can't function for a while. I don't google him for about a week because I know that all they'll talk about is how he lost! This in and of itself is torture for me as I google him at least twice a day..so imagine not doing this for a WEEK! Someone I follow on Tumblr put this up and it's really sad that I can relate -

                                            

So now, I read that Eric Abidal (Barcelona), who underwent a liver transplant about 3 months ago is retiring! Why is this happening to me!?! When he had his first surgery in 2010, came back to play in the UEFA Champions League and they won, I was so happy I shed a few tears! Especially when Puyol (who's out as well!!) gave him the cup. I really was hoping there'd be a repeat of that for Abidal, but no dice. Pops (that's my bro, by the way) says that he's old and would've retired soon anyway...but I don't care!

Eric Abidal
                             
To cap it all off, Kim Clijsters (Tennis) has decided to retire permanently after this year's US Open after a series of injuries and issues with her shoulder! I'm not a big Women's tennis follower to be honest, but she's one of the select few I watch when I decide to watch the WTA! And she's leaving! And Venus Williams (half of my all time fave) has an auto-immune disease that's not letting her play the way she used to! ¿Por qué?!
Kimmie! :(
                                           
I wish I could take my emotions out of the equation but I can't...and I'm suffering at the moment! I'm really hoping I don't hear or read any more negative news for the next two weeks,  Roger wins the French Open and Barca wins Copa Del Rey. That should make things okay.

Until then....womp womp womp!!!


Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Being a Fan...

This past month (and some change) has not been easy for me at all! AT ALL! I pride myself in being a well rounded person, for the most part; I love sports and I follow a select few teams or a person religiously. But it's been pretty tough to take; this past month, especially. No worries, I'll explain in detail; I need to vent anyway! Sorry, beautiful people...this might be a long 'un.

- FC Barcelona: I blame Pops, my older brother, for this obsession, really. He was the one who wouldn't stop talking about this team and Messi and Pep (who I call Peppie; my relationship with the hunky coach is a little more intimate that my brother's) and the amazing chemistry between all the players and how they play like a well-oiled machine and all that. So, one day, about two plus years ago, I decided to watch one match with Pops to see what the fuss was about. I used to root for Real Madrid but I stopped when they traded Raul to some German club (yep, my emotions ran really deep there). I believe the match I watched was Barca against Real Madrid, my former team. A beautiful El Classico. Barca won, of course. I did see the chemistry this team had and I noticed that they passed a lot and they were so well timed that it looked choreographed! It was also funny that they were all pint-sized! haha. Small guys deadly with a soccer ball. And of course, there was 22 year old (at the time) Leo Messi, who just reminded me of a shorter, stockier, younger, Roger Federer (we'll get to him later). I was hooked! I watch all the matches, trash talk a lot when they win, hide my head in the sand when they don't and just plain LOVE them.

Repping Barca!!
So imagine my despair when three horrible things happened back to back - we lost our semi-final UEFA match to Chelsea (of all teams, ACK!), we lost a key La Liga match to Real Madrid, both at home!! And then - Pep "Peppie" Guardiola, our beautifully made coach, decided to step down after 4 glorious years. I wrote this to Peppie on my other blog (I'll get to the story behind this in a minute) -

Pep! Oh Pep!! Why are you leaving us?! So soon after two disappointing losses! You were like icing on the cake for me on the sidelines...with your crisp fitted white shirt tucked into snug pants, thin tie and beautiful blazer topped off with your scruffy beard of grey black accented with that cute dent in your chin....
WHY Peppie! WHY!!!!


El Barca no sera lo mismo sin ti, oh Pep. Gracias por todo lo que hab al equipo ygoodluck con sus proyectus futuros.
Love that scruff on his face!
                                     

Oh Peppie!! Don't GO!! Notice the thin tie, snug pants and blazer..


And now I read that Carles Puyol is out for six weeks with a knee injury and Pops says he's getting old and might retire soon!! My heart can't take this!! It just CAN'T!!!

- Roger Federer: If this your first time reading my blog, let me just say that my love affair with Rogerio (my new pet name for my husband...you like?) is long and deep. He's the reason I watch tennis. Without him, I get twitchy 'cos watching tennis without him is like an ice cream sundae without whipped cream and cherry..like cheese-less pizza...like soul food without collard greens and fried chicken. You get my point. So you will understand how HORRIBLE I felt when after losing in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open in mid-March, Rogerio went on vacay! Now, this time, it's not the fact that he went with his first wife and twins that irked me, it's just that he LEFT! For 6 weeks!! Why would he do that to me? Yeah, he needs to recuperate, but couldn't he have done that in like 3 days?! I was lost! I was itchy! I needed a fix...so I turned to Tumblr and found people like me who were heartbroken and in dire need of a picture, a gif, a post on his facebook page...SOMETHING!
Couldn't have put it better!!

Rogerio! 

I also discovered that although I love him a lot...I cannot begin to describe how much I love this guy...some people are just over-the-top! It made me feel marginally better about myself. So, while I was waiting, I started another blog on Tumblr, focusing on my favorite sports teams and people (leaning heavily on RF). You can find that HERE!

But, I am glad to announce that the wait is over!! Roger plays his first match in 6 weeks in the 2nd round of the Madrid Open on "blue" clay (another long blog coming up on this debacle) against cutie with a deadly serve, Canadian, Milos Raonic. Needless to say I will be watching that with a heavy glass of Amish Orange Juice and assorted nuts! With a stupid grin on my face and a gleam in my eye. My man is BACK!!

Rog in Madrid


Well, that's all for today..I don't want your eyes to glaze over any more than I suspect they already have (lol)

Peace be unto thee!!

Till next time!

:)

Nevertheless

Hello Beautiful people!!

So, I took my sister to the metro on my way to work (and ended up napping a little in my car in the garage at work..I was really early. haha) so as I approached the lever that allows entrance into the garage, we noticed that it was fixed...again! Let me give you a quick background on why this is not something to sniff at the Largo metro - Some faceless dude or dudette decides not to pay for parking and thwack! the perpetrator breaks out of the garage! But what gets me every time is the speed with which the metro people replace said levers. So on Monday, it was broken (it's sad really,  there's about  jagged 3 inches of the long lever left and once the sensor detects that a vehicle approaches, the little thing will still go up and down..teehhehe) and today, it's whole again! I really can't count the amount of times this has happened.

So, this got me thinking...

I am in a place in my life now where I doesn't matter what's going on around me - what I hear, what I see, what's documented - it doesn't change the infallible and irrefutable truth that I believe in. So the fact that things just seem to be going awry for you shouldn't shake your resolve. It should produce an opposite and unexpected response from you as a matter of fact! Our God is not a sensitive God who moves in anger, frustration or despair just because something's not "right". Stay with me here, I'll soon land this plane..


There's a reason these scriptures are in the Bible -

2 Corinthians 4vs 18 - While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Romans 8 vs 28 - And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8 vs 18 (one of my all-time faves) - For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in  us.

My main schpeal is that when life throws you a curve ball, like the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, get up again and keep moving. Keep fixing that lever. Don't let a temporary situation cause you to make a permanent (and sometimes detrimental) decision. Hold on to God. Hold on to your faith. Hold on to the Word. It's all you need, really. Believe me, I know. Don't let anyone tell you what doesn't agree with what you know; they were not there when you heard what you heard or saw what you saw. They can't understand. When that storm is blowing and the rain is pouring and it doesn't look like it's EVER going to stop, stay rooted. Remember the God of "Peace, be still", remember the God who walks on water. Let your foundation be in these things.


This. Too. Shall. Pass. 

I hope this blesses someone today!

Have a blessed and God-filled day and week!

(This post took me a whole month to finish! A WHOLE MONTH! Better late than never, I always say!)

Friday, March 30, 2012

Seek Justice. Advocate Release.

Hello Friends -

It's been a while. A good long while as I was taking a break from blogging to concentrate on work. However, when something needs to be done, we need to rise up in any way that we can and help out. This is my plea for help on behalf of a good man; a son of God who is in a situation beyond his control. Your signature CAN make a difference in getting him released and letting his voice be heard. That's all you need to do. Read the petition, sign the petition, invite others to do the same.

Let us be the hands and feet of Jesus at this time. Help out a son, a husband, a brother who really needs your compassion, your empathy and your ACTION today.



Thank you.