IF YOU LOVE CRUISING & ITALIAN STYLE...YOU'LL LOVE COSTA!!

I am soooo excited. I met with the Costa Cruise Line rep last night and the deal they are offering us is AMAZING!! If you love Italy....If you love cruising...If you love Italian decor...magnificent artwork...the best pasta in the world, and how about have a FREE Cappuccino with your breakfast in the morning - you will NOT want to miss this upcoming event!

7 Day Cruise Western Caribbean Cruise on the Costa Fortuna, their largest ship
From Sunday, January 25, 2009 through Sunday, February 1, 2009
Inside cabin for ONLY $560*

Outside cabin with window for $640*
Outside cabin with a breathtaking balcony for $940*

Our group will receive Italian Wine and Imported Cheeses during a 45 minute VIP Cocktail Party and a $50 ship board credit for all attendees!

Whether you are cruising Europe or the Western Caribbean, Costa, the #1 cruise line in Europe and soon to be #3 in America offers the finest in Italian Style. Come! Lets live the sweet life together. LA VIDA DOLCE!!! Please call me so we don't miss out on this limited offer (216) 978-9667.

A deposit of ONLY $250* per person is due by October 13th. Ciao.
*All cabin prices exclude taxes and fees/$50 of your deposit is nonrefundable

www.darvacations.com DAR wants you to De-stress And Relax!!

The Mulicultural Praise Fest was Phenomenal!

I hope you had the opportunity to attend the 2nd Annual Multicultural Praise Fest that took place this year at The Cleveland Zoo. If not, PLEASE, plan to attend next year. It is such an inspirational event. It was amazing to look up at the Praise Team and see people from NewSong Church and The Church On The NorthCoast that I have enjoyed listening to for many years, along with others. Their voices blended in a joyous harmony that was so uplifting. The Praise Team Band, comprised of anointed musicians from various area churches never missed a beat. Then we were blessed by the praise stylings of Britt Nicole (I'm Coming Back To You), Jaci Valasquez (I Get On My Knees) and the ever amazing Minister Marvin Sapp (Never Would Have Made It). Pastor Louis Kayatin gave a rousing talk about mending hurt feelings and Pastor Alan Fung delivered a heartfelt message about uniting as a Christian family throughout all ethnicities. Danita Harris (Channel 5) and our own Len Howser (95.5 The Fish) were wonderful hosts offering interesting information about the various artists, the event and sharing their own hearts for Christ. Their beautiful smiles just radiated throughout the massive crowd. Dariana Delgado, Tina Farmer, Ronnie Knight and Ed Powell also brought their love for Christ and their broadcasting expertise to the stage. Every seat was a winner as the sounds of worship could be heard throughout the entire Zoo. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE NEXT YEAR!! Thank you Marcella Caffe and Ruby Alexander for creating such a marvelous event, which helps support the M.C. Chatman Center for Humanitarian Services. May the Lord continue to bless your efforts.

Problems - Panic + Prayer = Peace

You know, it really saddened me when I heard about the death of the lady that worked at St. Vincent's Charity Hospital and her husband. Per the news, $2 million dollars is missing from the organization and she was in charge. I do not know any pertinent details but I can imagine the pressure she must have felt...knowing or not knowing the whereabouts of these funds. I have been going through financial difficulties too in caring for Mom and not being able to find employment to fit my overall circumstances BUT no matter how horrible my situation gets...no matter how much pressure Satan tries to place upon me, I have truly learned not to panic. God's promises are true and He promised to see us through EVERY problem. I hold on to that and it is because of Him that I would never consider suicide. I truly want to see and be able to share with others how His mercy and grace brings me through. There are times when he inspires me to try this or that, encourages me to ask others for help but He is the catalyst of every blessing. Its nothing that I do. So I encourage you from the FIRST MOMENT you feel a problem coming on...PRAY...and be at PEACE, knowing our Heavenly Father has it all under control. Learn from past mistakes and continue on in Him. He loves us so much. He will never let us down.

Feeling Groovy...

I love hearing songs from the 60's 70's and 80's. They have such a descriptive character. I woke up rested today and the words 'Feeling Groovy' came to mind. It made me smile. What songs do you think about and how do they correspond to your feelings? What about 'It's a Turn Down Day' What did that actually mean? And have you ever had 'The Tears of a Clown'? Here's a good one, 'Blue On Blue'. Today would be a great day to take a peek through some of those old 45's, 78's and 33's or if you have purchased some of those DVD series that have revitalized the music of the past...then, dance. Not only is it great exercise, but the experience will make you feel years younger! Bless you.

Life Is Precious...Life is Sweet

For those of you that haven't heard, (see The Mom Squad Forum - Prayer Request Folder) a very unfortunate incident took place this past Saturday and it really made me realize, even more than ever, just how precious life is. But it also made me realize once again, just how precious it is to have Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We can be here one second...and gone the next. Do you know Him? If not, I truly and sincerely invite you to take a moment and ask Jesus to come into your heart right now. He is always waiting for us. The Heavenly Father never said we wouldn't have difficult times, but HE PROMISES TO BRING US THROUGH EVERY SINGLE ONE. I know Him. I trust Him and I thank Him for yet again, seeing me through...lifting me up...As I continue to pray for the gentleman that lost his life and his family and friends, a portion of my prayer is that they be comforted by the Holy Spirit and that any that haven't had a personal relationship with Christ up to this point, will turn to Him at this time. I've heard so often of trucks and cars running into motorcyclists but this is the first time I have ever knowm of a cyclist running into the back of a vehicle. I lost my cousin Mitchell in a motorcycle accident 40 years ago. Please take more care and slow down cyclists everywhere. Though I did not know this gentleman, I grieve his loss. Bless you one and all.

Boy Am I Tickled!!!

I had no real desires for Mother's Day except to go to church, enjoy a smile from my Mom and some hugs from my children (virtually from Shae Shae since she is in VA) but as usual, they knocked me off my feet. I was awakened to breakfast in bed, a mug they decorated and filled with various cutouts and on each cutout there were words that described how they feel about me. Then they sang a song that they had written. So thoughtful...They made Mom's breakfast too and Micah and I went to church. He was the perfect gentleman once again. The pastor's wife gave the message and what a message it was. First of all her delivery was so heartfelt as well as researched. She provided insight regarding 2 Mom's in the Bible...one being Eve and the other being Mary. Even though I would never be able to reiterate the message, the bottom line was this...One Mom brought sin into the world and the other Mom brought the One that would save us from sin into the world. Profound. Mothers are so important. We can learn from one mother's mistakes and learn from the other mother's example. The pastor then asked every Mom to come to the front, he prayed over us, gave each of us flowers and led us in a very inspirational song. I truly felt honored. Once home, my children gave me another set of gifts that were well thought out...a planner and a sparkling stainless steel pen/pencil set. They know I love things that help me with organization. We enjoyed a nice dinner and each others company. BUT WAIT, night time came and all of the lights went out and I saw twinkling lights approaching. You guessed it. One last gift, a candle holder with 4 of the sweetest smelling tealights ever! Blue is my favorite color and I love angels so this holder was the perfect combination and along the bottom it read "Guardian Angels Are Disguised As Mothers". It just doesn't get any better than that. Thank you Lord for granting my heart's desire to specifically be the Mom of 2 girls and a boy. I SURELY HOPE YOUR MOTHER'S DAY WAS FILLED WITH JOY AND LOVE.

Beranda turned 21 yesterday!!!

And boy did we have an awesome time. PRAISE GOD for this wonderful child. She is amazing. Self-proclaimed the 'Golden Child' but it truly fits. Actually I have been blessed with 3 glowing gems and I am grateful for every similarity and every difference amongst them. They have been such a beautiful support system for me and with Mother's Day approaching, though children usually give Mom's the thanks, I truly want to thank my children and God for allowing me to be their Mom. Well anyway, we had an eating experience. Cuyahoga Community College had a free event about 2 weeks ago and we were blessed to win a gift certificate to The Melting Pot in Legacy Village (Beachwood). If you have never been there, put on some nice duds and go at least once. It is fondue style. I remember when I first married (back in the 70's), the "in" gift was the fondue pot and though I received several I never used one of them, in fact, we probably returned all of them for something we thought was more practical. Now I am thinking I would enjoy having one. Especially now since we eat so much fresh veggies and seafood. It was so much fun and my 15 year old son who is a pretty picky eater laughed, ate heartily and actually tried new things. He was the perfect gentleman. YOU WILL TRULY LOVE IT THERE!!!! I investigated their menu online prior to going so I would have some idea and also touched bases with my oldest daughter, Shae, who dines at their VA location often. It's funny, we used to eat out a lot in VA and there was a Melting Pot near our home there but I just never took the opportunity. The older I get, the more I am embracing new things. By the way, Beranda and I shared the reading of a wonderful book for her birthday. It is titled "The Art of Growing Up". It is filled with marvelous revelations by Vienne & Lipsey and though it spoke deeply to me at my age, I thought it would help her to embrace life more as she travels this wonderous journey. Mom's I truly encourage you to read this book and share it with a daughter or close girlfriend. Love you all.