Another Wonderful Season of Life...Grandparenting

I have seen it...heard people talk about it...BUT NOW I AM ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE IT!!! Yes, my middle child, Beranda is about to have my first biological grandchild and it feels like this will be the first grandchild ever born in this world. hahaha  I mean I am filled with so much anticipation I can hardly fathom what this will actually feel like. I am about to meet my new little best friend.

As I sat at the hospital today, watching the various monitors, hearing a very strong heartbeat, I had so many flashbacks of my daughter as a little girl. Her knees never touched the ground; she went from doing a crab crawl (hands and feet only) to standing and walking. She was always cleaning and straightening things up.  She became the self-proclaimed Golden Child but in time we all agreed that the title was a great fit. Strong willed, forthright, determined, a self starter, great student, honest, hardworking...one of the most dedicated friends one could ever have and she has such an incredible way with children...that is my sweetheart...lovingly called Ms. B. I know she is going to be one of the most awesome Moms EVER!

After many hours, we got an all clear and returned to our respective homes BUT I believe that little girl will be here before long AND I CAN HARDLY WAIT TO MEET HER...my little Kalaya.

 Thank you Lord for allowing me to experience yet another season of life!

Just saw Billy The Exterminator for the first time on A&E..AWESOME

And you know we need help. I have written about my rodent woes several times but now we have a new predator...RACCOONS. May it is like a rotation effort around here. The skunks were king and I tried everything I could think of to get rid of them. Pest control came and caught quite a few (along with some wild cats) but the next year more returned. Oh how embarrassing when they spray the house in the middle of the night and our clothes smell the next day. Then the groundhogs came and set up shop under the house. When they run and fight I can actually feel them under the floor board under my feet. It is downright scary and at times it wakes me in the middle of the night. I need all the rest I can get in order to care for Mom. BTW, she is doing really well. Thanks for your prayers. But these raccoons take the cake. They are now pulling the gutter board off by reaching down from the roof. Then they pull the pink insulation out and throw it on the ground. Now the pest control is out of traps because Garfield is "overrun" with rodents. Though we are on the list for traps for next week (if any are returned) I wrote to Billy The Exterminator. I saw the show for the first time tonight and I sure hope he and his crew comes to Garfield. They're all so cute but they are menaces and can be dangerous.

Shae Shae Turns 31!

Oh what a blessing this wonderful child has been to me. Though she is 31, she will always be my baby. As a Mom, one of the first things I do in the morning and one of the last things I do at night is pray for my children. It is so important for me to see them grow and go into this world as positive productive members of society and Shae is definitely that. She has such a passion for the Arts, Education, and people. And God has blessed her to be able to utilize that passion daily via City At Peace in DC and in her church. God has also given her a wonderful circle of loving friends and I am grateful for each one of them as well. I am so proud of her and thankful that God allowed me, ME to be the steward over this marvelous human being. Thank you Lord! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAE SHAE!!!!

GOD PLACED UPON MY HEART TO START A LOVE THY NEIGHBOR PROJECT

We all know the Great Commission:

1) Love the Lord with ALL OUR HEARTS... and
2) Love thy neighbor

I have heard this tons of times. In VA my neighbors were very interactive. There were 50 homes on the street and we all knew each other, each other's children, we pretty much all knew where the "hidden" key was, it was kind of like a commune...ergo the root of 'community'. "The times they are a changin," as Dylan so eloquently put it. But today, as Pastor Mike spoke, I felt a desperate need to connect with my neighbors here in Garfield soooooo I am going to pray and put the spirit of hospitality that God has given me to work and I will let you know what He brings to me to do AND what the reaction/outcome turns out to be.

I love people and over the years I have walked the neighborhoods I have lived in (thank you Pastor Ahlemann for that teaching some 20 yrs ago) and prayed for my neighbors whether I knew them or not.  Though I was born and raised in the neighborhood where I care for my Mom right now, those I grew up with have either moved on or passed on and though I wave occasionally to my current neighbors, I don' know them and they don't know me. I desperately feel compelled to do more. Stay tuned....

The Rippingtons Let it Rip @ Cain Park

What an enjoyable evening my husband and I had yesterday (in celebration of our 6 month wedding anniversary) as we sat in the midst of the cooling night air at one of the most beautiful Greater Cleveland venues, Cain Park. The Rippingtons filled the air with melodies old and new, some inspired by international travel that took me here and there each time I closed my eyes. They have been enjoyed by many for many years via smooth jazz stations, albums and concerts and they've still got it! They didn't miss a beat and it was cool to see them add a bit of choreography to their smooth stage demeanor. It was such a pleasure for us to see them in person. Keep it going Rippingtons! You're one of the GREATS.

Sade Herself...Still Sultry...Hasn't Aged A Bit & The Band "Sade" as a Whole...PHENOMENAL!!!

First of all let me say, "THANK YOU SADE FOR MAKING CLEVELAND A PART OF YOUR WORLD TOUR!!!" WOW...Songs brought back soooo many memories. The videos that accompanied the performance were cutting edge. One would never have known 20 years had passed. And the crowd was so beautifully dressed! Where were the naysayers about Clevelanders' style THAT night. The crowd was so diverse it was like a little touch of Heaven. All ethnicities...All ages. There were grandparents with young adult grandchildren, mothers and daughters, girls night out groups and evidences of parents' night out gen xers that were happy to rekindle a loving moment from days of early dating. John Legend kicked it off with a total command of the stage. This was a stellar event all and all that felt like a once in a lifetime moment. And though I waited until the LAST moment to obtain tickets, boy oh boy, was I glad that I had the opportunity to capture this moment! Credit to Elizabeth Mirth for the only pic I could find online of the entire group. To see more of her wonderful pictures of this concert, go to http://eof737.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/sade-live-in-concert-in-ny-a-pictorial-review/

Chonda Pierce Spoke Candidly and Made Us Think

As mentioned in my Mom Squad Post, there were laughter and tears shared between Chonda and the audience during her performance.
(themomsquad@955thefish.com, May 23) It touched my heart to hear her speak of the dynamic of a parent and child, when a parent never feels your accomplishments are enough, but you love them anyway. Thank you Jesus for helping us to know in YOU, we are more than enough for it is not about our accoplishments, but our hearts. How sometimes, we as Christians can be so judgmental rather than empathetic when addressing issues like depression. Some feel those suffering with depression don't need medication but need to pray more. Her answer to that was, "Take off your glasses and let's see you drive home." Funny, but thought provoking. She discussed why some of us as Christians find it necessary to show hatred toward those living a different lifestyle instead of showing them the love of Christ in speaking of meeting comedian, Wanda Sykes. The judgment should come from God...Christ asks us NOT to judge. Why can't we as Christians be more loving and understanding? She spoke of how depression can frighten our loved ones at times and cause division. Satan loves to cause division. We must be mindful of his traps. The pain of mental and psychological disorders can create long suffering. She spoke of the opportunity God gave her, "just a little girl on the second pew", to explain John 3:16 to her Jewish manager that saw the numbers on a calandar in a Christian book store and thought it referred to a Christian holiday of sorts. How beautiful it is that God can and will use each one of us, if we let Him, to plant a seed so those that don't know the wonderful saving power of the blood shed on Calvary, can come to know Jesus Christ, so they too can be saved. God has given Chonda Pierce many talents (what a BEAUTIFUL singing voice) but what's even more amazing is her loving and appreciative heart for our Lord and for people...all people. It was such a pleasure to spend time with her. Bless you Chonda! Thanks for giving it to us straight.

Thank You Lord 4 Keeping Teens Safe During Prom Season

It was so lovely...I mean SUCH a HUGE BLESSING to see my son all dressed up and confidently ready to mix, mingle and have a great time this past weekend. God provided all of the finances and some major deals to help us get what Micah needed and at the same time at bargain prices. We are just bursting with happiness to see Micah grow to be a man of integrity. But I felt compelled to pray for a hedge of protection around every single teen/young adult out on the roads during this prom season. Thank you Lord. Commencement next, summer job hopefully and off to college. Though I have prayed everyday with and for this young man, I can't stop now. I had to thank my nephew Rocky and his wife Jennifer for moving all the way across town to buy a home in our neighborhood just so Micah would have their son Ryan to go to high school with. That was so thoughtful and it has been wonderful for all of us to see them grow together... pray together...play together...and now move into adulthood never forgetting these precious moments. My new daughter, Dominique, has prom coming up, commencement and college too. We pray daily for her as well.

I am going to miss my constant companion that has helped me for 7 years to care for my Mom but I wish Micah all the best. My children know my motto, "Grow, Go, & Grow Some More". Even before I had children I prayed for 3...2 girls & a boy (probably because that is what my Mom had) that would live for Christ and be positive, productive members of society. God has blessed me and I am truly thankful.

A Lovely Time with My Sisters @ Unity Free Will Baptist Church

What a pleasure it was for my daughters (Shae-right, Beranda-left) and me to attend the Mother-Daughter Banquet at the Unity Free Will Baptist Church in Middleburg Hts. this past Saturday. Pastor and Sandra Crouch are such lovely people...truly on fire for Christ.

Every detail was attended to in sea of lavender with beautiful floating candles. I am so greatful to Sandy for inviting me and for all her hard work. And the food...OH THE FOOD!!! Wow, those ladies can cook. I'm hoping to obtain a few recipes for The Mom Squad Blog.

What a blessing it was for me to have the opportunity to uplift the precious Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with these beautiful sisters. My new sister, Delma (shown below) and I found we had quite a few similarities and God had truly brought us through. By the way, the MC, June, was magnificent and the music was lovely too. Hope to see them all again soon. If you live in the Middleburg area and are looking for a Bible teaching, Bible preaching church in a loving environment, I highly recommend Unity!

NICOLE C. MULEN WAS AWESOME!!!

Me, Nicole & Brooke - The Mom Squad's first dinner in honor of Mother's Day!
Lord, I just wanted to take a moment to thank YOU once again for the ministry that you have instilled in Nicole C. Mullen. What a blessing she is and how wonderful YOU are to give the ladies of The Fish such wonderful events to be uplifted and rejuvenated. We truly adore you Lord and as each one of us begins to truly realize our purpose in this world, as it relates to being in relationship with YOU and the building of YOUR kingdom, let us never forget that if YOU want us to do it, it is YOU that not only sees us through it but actually gives us the ability to do whatever YOU would have us do....be it speaking, singing, interceding in prayer, caring for others, teaching children about YOU...WHATEVER. May each and every one of us accept these loving assignments with joy and without fear, in the Precious Name of Jesus. Amen. Bless you Nicole and your family. Thanks again for coming to Greater Cleveland. It was so nice to meet Elaine and Jean too.

TIME CERTAINLY FLYS WHEN I'M HAVING FUN!

I opened my Blog today and was shocked...SHOCKED I tell ya to see that I had not entered anything this year. Man oh man. So much has happened. I got engaged for New Year to a lovely Christian man that I met at Whole Foods. HA. Yes, it was definitely a God apppointment. We did not want to have a wedding but my oldest, Shae Shae, INSISTED so we opted for an extremely intimate ceremony with our pastors, children and us. It was extremely sweet to see the blending of family take place right before our eyes and it continues to this day via Facebook, etc. Media communication is a marvel. Mom turned 95! Whoooo Hooooo and the wonderful people at Crossroads Hospice said she was doing so well they saw no need to continue at this time. WHAT AN ANSWER TO PRAYER. But I miss them very much. Shae Shae (that's just what I call her - it is really just one Shae) acted in her first PAID play. We have seen her use her God-given talents for many years and in many different ways but this just happened to be the first time she was paid for her acting and boy or boy, what acting. She actually played 30 different characters. Such a unique adaptation, a switch of a hat, scarf, coat, glasses and of course tone of voice and each new character emerged. Beranda moved into her new apartment and is still working (imagine a Jamaican accent here "15 j-o-b" HA. She is amazing! And the Micah-man graduates high school. Right after The Mom Squad Dinner with, might I add NICOLE C. MULLEN!!!! we left for a college tour so I am EGGGzausted. But I had to pick up Micah's tux, get an oil change and do grocery shopping. Yes, eggs were on the list ergo EGGzausted. Oh I crack myself up. GOD IS SO GREAT. THANK YOU LORD FOR EVERYTHING!!!And thank YOU for your prayers over the years. Please keep Brooke and her family in your prayers, i.e. adoption in the works (yay), also a new baby on the way (yay) but her Dad is going through a health issue so much prayer is needed all around. Paula is relocating to the Carolinas! We are going to miss her desperately. Please pray for her as well. Love you ladies. You are truly my sisters in Christ. Ciao Bellas!