YES WE CAN!

Yes we can,It's amazing how three small words have now become so significant to people all over the USA.Three small words with so much meaning.We never looked as deeply and intently at those words until now.Yes We Can has been said before throughout the years but now those words have taken on a whole new meaning for us. We have always been told that we could do anything we put our minds to as a black race.We have achieved much and jumped many hurdles but there was always that one thing that seemed to be out of reach for us,A black becoming president.

Now it has happened we have crossed all barriers and obstacles, a black man has finally made it to the white house!There is hope for our children and this is also a great learning experience for them.Now they can hold the words we have been saying true" you can be anything you want to be!"Yes we can babies,YES WE CAN!

Live each day as though it may be your last

I am part of a networking group similar to myspace and I ran across a question that got me to thinking.What would you do if the dr. told you that you were dying?I thought and thought and I feel you should live your life like there may not be a tomorrow even without knowing you're dying.Let the people close to you know you love and appreciate them.Hug your kids spend special quality time with them.Aspire to do all the things that you would rush to do if you had a diagnosis that would eventually lead to your death.

Why do so many of us want to rush to enjoy life when you find out it will be soon ending instead of enjoying it on a daily basis? I enjoy the little things and appreciate them daily.The birds singing,the deer coming to my yard,the rabbits hopping around and those raccoons that try to knock my trash over nightly! I enjoy sitting outdoors looking up at the stars with my children trying to find the constellations.Enjoy the now!You don't need an ominous diagnosis to make you get out and smell the roses so to speak.Get in touch with those little things that often go ignored that can make life that much more awesome!

What is your calling?

All of us have a calling on our lives,a purpose for which we were put on this earth to fulfill.I for instance have been knowing what my calling is for quite a while.I have taken baby steps time and time again in the direction that I should travel and each time I have dropped the ball so to speak.

Why I ask myself,.I am living a truly unfulfilled life because I know where my heart and my passion is and I am not pursuing it.I had to reflect long and hard and I come to one conclusion fear.Fear of the unknown,it's something new and the emotions that come along with my calling I don't like to face and deal with.I know that my calling in life when pursued will touch many people.Sometimes the hardest thing to do is dredge up the past but it is sometimes necessary for self growth and to gain understanding.

Many of us are not fulfilling our calling because it is sometimes easier to settle for the ordinary 9-5 than to put in the mentally draining work it takes to pursue your dreams whatever they may be.I already know that I will never be fulfilled and happy until I achieve what I was put on this earth to achieve.Pursuing my dream and calling has been heavy on my mind lately.I will take an honest try at it again and pray that I stay focused and don' lose sight of the big picture.

Turn back the hands of time

I often wonder what would become of my life if I could turn back the hands of time.Would I be as wise as I am today?Would I have the children that I have now?Would I be married to my current husband?I have heard all of my life that everything happens for a reason but some situations are so complex that I can brainstorm for hours and still come up with no logical reason for why this or that happened.


I am definitely a much wiser person from the experiences that I have encountered and endured.I consider myself to be strong willed, and level headed under pressure and extreme stress.Trials and tribulations have whipped me into the person I am today.In one instance I am appreciative of the experiences because they have been great teachers but in another instance I am disgruntled over the outcome of some of my experiences.
Do you ever wish you could turn back the hands of time?

Mother

The best reward You can give me as a mother is the success of my children.I holler, scream and yell sometimes to get my point across to my children but I mean well.Their success is important to me,it shows that the advice the teaching the yelling and screaming has all paid off.It's hard to sit by and watch your children go down the wrong path when you of course from experience know where that path is going to lead.


I have seen families where there are many children and all the children with the exception of 1 or 2 turn out to be crack heads,prostitutes or just bums.This must be heartbreaking for that mother,I don't want the pleasure of knowing how she deals with this situation or how she must feel.Where did that mother go wrong?Yes I know that children will do what they want when they are out of your sight but prostitution and crack use is the extreme.

Being a mother is hard.I am not growing flowers here I am molding and developing human beings.It's a huge responsibility and it should not be taken lightly.I have to watch the character that is emerging from each child and try to steer them in the right direction when I see their personality taking a turn for the worse.

What does a mother do to ensure the next crack user or prostitute wont be her child?What will you do to ensure that next crack user or prostitute wont be your child?

Tear,Tear

I have grown very emotional in my old age.I cry whenever one of my children accomplishes a great goal.I just can't control it.One of my 11 year olds who has adhd brought his report card home the other day and I hugged him and cried.He thought I was nuts but he appreciated the hug.He has made major improvement since he has been put on meds.He has gone from flunking every subject to passing them all.He even received student of the month and a lot of privileges .



My oldest son who has had a rough time in school received a full scholarship
to college.Tears well up in my eyes whenever I tell anyone about him,I try
to control it but I can't.I guess I know where he's come from and how hard
it was for him to make it where he is today that is so touching.His
graduation is coming up and I better come equipped with some shades!

Which child do you trust?

I have 7 children and I am very observant of their good and bad characteristics.It's very disturbing to me that the child I always thought would be most responsible is not.If something happened to me I couldn't trust this child with my life insurance.However there is another child that I would trust with my life.I know I would be well taken care of in my old age and I know that whatever earthly possessions I have accumulated when I leave this earth could be entrusted to this child.


It's scary to see one of your children's personalities take a turn for the worse.Selfishness,self centeredness and just plain ole for self.If you have not taken notice or have not even thought about it yet,this is something very serious that every parent should think about.Which of your children could or would you trust with your life

Mothers

Mothers are unappreciated overworked and overstressed.How is a mother supposed to feel when she can't enjoy the one day of the year that has been set aside for her to celebrate all that she is and the contributions she makes for her family all year long?

Disgruntled and hurt ,a mother who loves her children will continue to Love,continue to give despite feeling that her sacrifices go unnoticed and unappreciated.I wish I could go on strike sometimes but being a mother is one of those jobs you can't just walk out on no matter how rough it gets.

Maybe when those ungrateful& selfish children are all grown up they will realize the sacrifices that their mother made to ensure their happiness.Borrowing money for a prom dress,matching accessories hair&nail shops when the electricity bill was well overdue and the lights were out.
I guess kids do a lot of heart breaking things but mothers just let it roll right off their backs.

When will mother's receive the recognition they deserve?I suppose just knowing you are doing the best that you can will have to be recognition enough!Trips to the candy store,outings with friends,all their money is spent when mothers day comes around can't even afford a card, but a mother will keep on loving and keep on giving with hopes of one day being appreciated for all that she is and does.

He Claims to have Infected 12,000 Young Girls With HIV

This is horrible!although this is very wrong this is very real.I think this should be shown in sex ed classes all over.Sad as it may be he is telling the truth about girls being materialistic and not taking responsibility for their own safety.

This is enough to scare anyone into abstinence.This should be shown to all daughters who are having sex or contemplating it.This is very serious and AIDS kills.

I feel bad for this generation coming up.There is so much going on that wasn't when we were coming up.All we can really do is equip them with the information they need to survive and hope and pray that they listen and learn from our life experiences so they don't fall into trouble.This video is a great topic for discussion please show it to your daughters I'm going to show it to mine(WELL at least one of them the other is too young!)

Smell Yo Dick (Official Video)

When I first saw this I was shocked,Then I started laughing next I started thinking.I started to think about all the women out there who are actually smelling d***s when their so called man comes home.It's a little bit funny but sad at the same time.


The funny part is just the thought of some woman waiting for their man to come home so she can say drop them drawers and let me smell your d**k.If you feel that you have to smell your man when he comes home why is he still considered "your man"? I also wonder after she smells the d**k is she looking for a particular fragrance?Is she going to take action and leave him alone if it doesn't smell like she feels it should?What's even crazier is the thought of her smelling him and being convinced that he's been cheating and doing nothing about it.

Why do women give so much power to men?Why do we lower our standards and accept behavior from them that we wouldn't accept from anyone else.Some sad broken down beaten down woman out there is going to have this song as their ring tone and think it's cute,It's not cute it's sad and any behavior you accept from men they will keep on dishing it.


Are we in a generation where woman feel as though they can't do any better?Do women feel that they better take what they can get and deal with the bad side and hope it will get better.Wake up sisters these men need consequences for their actions!Stop sharing Billy,Big Mike,Tank and Rod.Stop fussing about him cheating and then doing nothing to back up what you are fussing about.Get a backbone,some self confidence and Love yourself.

How much you can bear

I have always heard the saying that God won't allow more to be put on you than what you can bear.When you are going thru something whether it be caused by something you did or may it be something that occurred due to something you cannot control.God knows how much each of us can deal with.Whatever the situation you happen to be faced with there is a lesson to be learned and personal and spiritual growth will occur from your experience.

I snapped on someone who has been a thorn in my side this morning.I mean I went off like a crazed person and afterwards I felt bad because I knew it was not the reaction I should have given to them pushing my buttons.I am also upset because I know that I will have to repeat this test until I have the reaction I am supposed to have which will be to acknowledge that the enemy is working thru this person to try to keep me snapping and reacting to him.Please pray for me that I overcome this.

I watched a movie the other night and the ending was what many of us do in a sense.We can be so close to a miracle or breakthrough but we get so tired and frustrated of waiting,waiting,waiting!It seems like an eternity when you are going thru something and need immediate results.If results don't come when we think they should we act on our own and the results can be disastrous!In the movie "the mist"there was a car of 5 people a father&son&lady in the front and two elderly people were sitting in the back seat .They were trying to escape large demon like creatures that appeared in the mist and then their car ran out of gas.They had seen what the creatures had done to others so they decided that their only way out was to take the gun that only had 4 bullets and commit suicide .The father shot his young son and the other passengers in the car and stepped out of the vehicle to await the monster who would surely kill him.Much to his surprise the mist started to dissipate,and he saw army vehicles with people they had rescued.The army men were burning the remains of the creatures that were in the mist.If he would have held on a little longer he would have been saved,his son would still be alive.
Don't give up when you are going thru something your salvation from the problem could just be a minute,hour or day away.

God is Faithful

I recently had an attitude adjustment concerning things which I can't do anything about.I used to pout, sulk and worry all day.I now pray and whenever I feel that depression coming on I pray even more.Just during this week God has shown himself faithful to me.I keep saying over and over again in my head He knows my situation and he knows about my transportation problems my financial concerns and he knows about our necessities and I'm not going to worry.Down to Malachi's last pullup,down to one roll of toilet tissue,no gas money and worn down brakes he moved on my behalf.I am grateful that I can go to the store in a few hours and get the things we need.Trust God He will show himself faithful to you too.

Why are you so angry?

Time lost with loved ones.Years missing from your memory, every things a blur.Drug and alcohol abuse have robbed you of the prime time of your life.Instead of building your dream home and settling down with the person of your dreams you were chasing a high or a feeling that could never be duplicated after that fist high.Your children are all grown up,you are behind in the times,not familiar with the technology of today.You've been awakened from a trance,Why are you so angry?


You have overcome the demons of drugs and alcohol,you've started from scratch. A brand new beginning,new family ,new surroundings, a whole new you .You've gone from sleeping in abandoned buildings,eating out of dumpsters ,to eating steak and shrimp and having a warm and stable home to come home to,Why are you so angry?

The people who are close to you, you are pushing away .Anger and frustration over mistakes you have made in the past have taken hold and you can't stand to see anyone happy because you are not.No one can change the past,we can only work towards insuring a better future .Why are you so angry?

What was on his mind?

Yesterday the kids dyed Eggs and fixed their Easter baskets.Today we went to church and afterwards,I turned to my 3 youngest Melia 6,Maliq 4and Malachi 3 and told them when they got home they could get their baskets and eat the chips and juice that was inside.Melia looked at me and said I don't have any chips.I questioned her as to what happened to them.She then informed me that Justin her 11 year old brother had made a trade with her.I knew something was fishy about the trade before even asking what she got in return.I said o.k. what did you trade your bag of flaming hots for and she happily said" An easter egg". Needless to say,I was very disappointed that her brother played on her innocence and made a bogus trade like that.How is he gonna trade her an Easter egg that I boiled and should've been in her basket in the first place.I just shook my head and waited for mr. negotiator to walk home from church .When he got in he sat on the couch,I asked him why he made A trade like that.He burst out in laughter which let me know he knew he was wrong.I asked him how he planned on fixing it and he planned on apologizing but I told him that wasn't good enough and to come up with something else.He walked to Burger King and bought his lunch with the money he earned from pulling weeds at the neighbors house and he came back and gave melia a small order of fries.I was pleased with his way of paying her back and she was too.I would've been really worried if he didn't see anything wrong with what he did!

Do You Trust GOD?

Do you trust God?Hmmm,I always said that I did but my actions showed otherwise
I was brought up to pray about my problems and forget about them and know that God will work everything out the way it's supposed to be.It may not turn out the way we expect for it to at that time but within time everything makes sense.

As I sat on the couch and prayed last night,I had a shocking revelation something I had never really thought about.I have always put trust in man but have neglected to trust God with my situations and circumstances.I would say I had faith as many of us do but I now realize I didn't.Some very important decisions that I have made I've trusted man and not God to be my provider.Man will let you down time after time because they are only human.

When you are a housewife and you depend on your husband to bring home the bacon what happens if he gets hurt on the job and can no longer work.No income coming in kids looking at you crazy cause they don't have the things they need,bills piling up disconnection notices coming in even faster,what do you do?What you have been putting your trust in has failed you,your hands are tied there is nothing that you can do, no help for you to receive there is no easy fix you need money and you needed it 3 weeks ago.

Basic necessities and toiletries you are unable to afford.Your vehicle starts acting crazy and you can't get around even if you had the gas money to put in it.Easter is fast approaching,proms graduations, birthdays and anniversaries.The pressure is on you are stripped down to nothing.Do you trust God then or do You continue to try and find another way.

The revelation was shocking as I had said before.After everything else had failed me I still didn't trust God.I came up with illegal schemes,and even considered prostitution.All the while I'm praying and saying that I believe and I have faith but time the praying stops I'm back plotting and scheming.Sometimes it takes you being stripped down to barely nothing for you to be able to clearly hear God's voice talking to you,Its a shame that we don't listen when things are going good,we block God out and are too busy doing whatever you deem to be important.

Trusting God and having faith in him is of utmost importance.What man cannot do God can do.He knows our individual situations and will work things out in his own way in his own time.Every difficult situation you face when you yourself alone cannot solve the problem is opportunity for a miracle.I'm waiting on mine how about you?

Stranger in my bed

Sometimes decisions we make are based on the emotions we feel at that time.We don't always think things through and weigh the good and bad aspects of things .Jumping into things with our hormones raging and no thoughts of tomorrow,a lot of us are guilty of this .


What is your reaction when you wake up one morning and realize theres a stranger in your bed?Pure horror right,think about going to bed next to that person every night and waking up feeling like he's a complete stranger.Think about if this person is the one you chose to be your mate,that's even more horrifying!How do you recover from this?Do you continue to be miserable and pretend that nothing is wrong or do you confront the issue and move on?

What if you realize you have nothing in common with you spouse ?The days of the hot and steamy romance are long gone,the kids are demanding and your spouse is stuck in the past when there were no children and less responsibilities.


Think about it, when you first meet someone and you are being swept off your feet you hardly ever pay attention to those little flaws you see in the other person.You may overlook the fact that he or she is not that bright mentally.You may also overlook their tendency to get jealous.You may even overlook the fact that their earning potential is minimal at best thinking that Love will help you get through hard times.I am here to tell you I have never seen love pay one bill! Critical things to overlook,how does a person recover?

Do you have a stranger in your bed?

HAVE YOU TRULY FORIVEN?

Have you truly forgiven?That is a question you should ask yourself.Through the trials and tribulations of life there is always that one person or people that hurt you,or did something so wrong you felt like killing them.Yes we have all been there,but how you let go is most important .Do you sit around and smolder on the inside whenever you hear that persons name?Do you cringe and try to walk in the opposite direction if you happen to see that person walking in the mall?Does it feel like vinegar being poured into wounds when someone happens to mention how good the other party is doing?


We are only human and it's natural to feel those feelings,but for how long?As a Christian I was taught from childhood to forgive so that I may be forgiven.Turn the other cheek and move on,yes it's easier said than done but it can be done.


The other day I was on one of my detective missions on the internet,I'm naturally nosy as my family and friends know and I can find info. on anybody.I was curious as to why my ex husband has not been paying child support. The ex husband who cheated on me with my so called friend that was also his brothers baby mama.The ex husband who went on to impregnate her while I was pregnant and then went on to marry her after our divorce.As I was searching,I found that their home is in foreclosure.The old me would have jumped for joy and said they deserve every bit of what they get,but I didn't do that.I said a little prayer for them and thought about the kids they have and how difficult this time must be.I know this may sound really strange after the pain they inflicted but I am only human and couldn't hold on to the anger and resentment of what happened forever.Now don't get me wrong I wouldn't go back to being friends with them but it was at that moment when I said a prayer for them that I realized I had truly forgiven.

I CAN HEAR A PIN DROP

Silence is something that is a rare occurrence in my house !With all of the kids talking ,playing,singing&dancing I hardly ever get a moment to myself.By the time they go to bed I'm usually so exhausted that I doze off too.Sometimes,like now I wake up a few hours before they do so that I can have some" ME" time.After giving,listening&sharing all day I need to regroup and decide what's in store for the next day.I get a moment to sit down and reflect on the events of yesterday and if their were any negative events,how they can be resolved.
I'm enjoying the silence right now but at the same time I'm looking forward to the challenges that are ahead of me.How do you get free time or me time when raising more than 1 child?

Full time job

Being a mother is a full time job.Anyone who begs to differ either has no children or neglects the ones that they have.If you take the time to think really think you will realize the significance and influence that we have as parents.We have been entrusted with the lives of other human beings.It is our responsibility to mold and shape them to be all they can be.There was a point in time that I didn't realize the important task I had taken on but with age comes knowledge and understanding.I started having kids at 14 and of course I was oblivious to what my real responsibilities were.I didn't know at 14 that raising a child meant more than feeding and clothing them.
I learned by trial and error.Thank God I had family around during the error parts of my life.I'm grateful that my children had loving family around to help me when I was learning to be a mother.I am still on a journey and still learning daily.The emotional part of parenting is deep.I have a house full of kids and each one of them has their own emotional needs.I make my rounds and listen to each of them on a daily basis to let them know I am interested in what's going on and that their feelings are important.Now that's alot of talking and of course the younger kids Malachi and Maliq just want to talk about their WWE figures the ones they have and the ones they want!!!The rest of the kids are a little more complex but it's my job to listen and give them the advice, love and support they need.

There are days when I don't feel so giving and days when I just want to be left alone but I just take a short breather and get back in the game.They didn't ask to be here and face it ,If it's not me taking the time to talk to them and see what's on their minds the pimps,prostitutes,drug dealers and gang bangers would gladly lend a listening ear.

Children are a blessing

I woke up this morning to the sound of my lifesaver tin being opened.I already knew who the culprit was before I turned to look.It was Maliq my curly headed little 4 year old son who rises early in the morning looking for anything my husband and I forgot to put away.I have 7 children and it's amazing how I can hear one coughing or sneezing from another room and know who it is without asking.It's also funny that I can hear their feet hitting the floor when the first get out of bed and I can tell you who just got up without seeing them.Someone stole a cup cake last night and I know who that was without even asking!The other night I helped the kids and my niece fix pizzas using English muffins,I know who it was that ate all the toppings off and threw the English muffin into the toilet!Sometimes it is the little things you have to pay attention to so that you can get the bigger picture.How well do you know your kids?If you were blind folded in a room and some one told you to listen to the sounds of different children laughing, snoring ,sneezing ,or coughing would you be able to pick your child?Would you be able to hold a child's hand while being blindfolded and tell if that child's hand belongs to one of your children?



Sometimes we all forget the little things that mean so much.Sitting watching t.v. holding hands with your child It builds an emotional bond and the child will notice the effort you are making.I sometimes sit in a chair by the bed watching t.v .while my 3 year old Malachi falls asleep.I hold his hand,pray for him and wait for him to yell AMEN when I am done,and then I continue to hold his hand until he drifts off to sleep.These are memories that don't cost you anything and will leave you smiling.

Father where are you?

As a young girl growing up,that is a question I often asked myself,"Father where are you?"
This is a question that no child should ever have to ask but unfortunately many of our men
don't value and take pride in their offspring.They don't stop to think of the importance that their presence will be in a child's life.Yes, many of us grew up with stepfathers in the home but nothing can ever compare to the closeness love and validation a daughter yearns for from her biological father.How many little girls have grown up to be emotionally scarred and have low expectations
when it comes to men because what she needed from her father she never got?I firmly believe that if little girls have a strong,loving and positive father who is a good provider she will not accept anyone who is less of a man than what her father was to her.

Little things can mean the world to children.A walk in the park, baking and decorating cupcakes with them or just sitting down watching their favorite movie which you really may not like .How hard can it really be to be a dad?Not just any dad, a good one ,how hard can it be to take the time out of your day to call and listen to how your little girl tell you how her day went?How hard can it be to remember your promises and keep them?I'm really curious what men have to say in defense of this because alot of you are guilty of making a child ask this question about you!FATHER WHERE ARE YOU?