I always liked this verse...now following it is a different matter...

I-Love...this Burberry Oversized python tote...So unassuming no one needs to know it is a designer purse. And since I dislike snakes the idea that a snake was used is a plus. (Peta im sorry I just really really do not like snakes.)

Now that we have that out of the way, I am not going to preach much today there are just two scriptural verses/reflections that I think are relevant for those of us who are quite confused about what it means to live a "good life" and also thinking about what the world is coming to. These are taken from the Bible and from St. Peter but it can apply to any denomination and anyone so read on and see how it can help you make a change in your life.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,

to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and pleasing to God,

your spiritual worship.

Do not conform yourselves to this age

but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

that you may discern what is the will of God,

what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Let love be sincere;

Hate what is evil; hold on to what is good;

Love one another with mutual affection;

Anticipate one another in showing honor.

Do not go slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

Rejoice in hope,

Endure in affection,

Persevere in prayer,

Exercise hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice,

Weep with those who weep.

Have the same regard for one another;

do not be haughty but associate with the lowly;

do not be wise in your own estimation.

Do not repay anyone evil with evil;

be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all.

Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good!

Jesus said to his disciples:

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.

For as you judge, so will you be judged,

and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.

Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye,

but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?

How can you say to your brother,

‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’

while the wooden beam is in your eye?

You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first;

then you will see clearly

to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”

Thank you Daddy...

The most Handsome man I KNOW

He is a quiet man; he doesn't say much,
A man who makes his actions talks for him.
He's a thinking man,
A wise man, a man none like you've ever seen.
He's a loving man, a patient man, a friend, a brother
He can shock you, trust me there is no other.
You should meet the man I'm talking about.
His eyes sparkle when he smiles
His hugs feel warm and special.
He's more than a provider
He's my number one fan
And though hard to believe he's come to be my true friend
No one loves me as much as he does this I know.
He makes me feel there is nothing I cannot do
Nothing in this world I cannot achieve.
He listens when I talk, and never judges me.
His love for my mother, I pray for this in my man to be
The most handsome man I know is not in some magazine picture
He dwells in my heart, my thoughts and my home
That man is my father.

Are you a BENEFICIAL friend?

Obviously one can never go wrong in Lanvin and being a shiny object aficionado...these shoes give me chills all over. Lord make me rich *sigh*...moving right along...

I was trolling the usual sites for my morning wake up read (dont judge me) and came across this interesting article about friends with benefits. I can knock it because Ive tried it and as the article points out guys are usually better at it than women are and its because they are built to be like that. I think there was only one situation where I really did not care how it turned out ... but then again it could just have been me. I know some pretty ruthless girls who might be able to get away with this and truly feel nothing or at least that is what they claim. All i know is, I would not pursue this particular avenue at this age and at this stage in my life...why complicate life further??

Anyways read on...

It all starts out simple. You were friends. Then you decided to ‘get busy’. Then you both decide to remain friends and continue to get busy. That’s it…no strings attached. Spooning is OK, but no one is obligated to sleep over. No one has to call the next day to check in. Both of you can even date other people. Simple, no?

“Cuddy buddies”, “FFs”, “friends with benefits (F.W.B.)”– whatever fancy term you give it, there’s never anything simple about it.

Relationships have become increasingly carefree and physical, as women and men are marrying later in life. The boundaries between male/female relationships are less apparent and sex easily slips into the dichotomy. On the surface it makes sense to enjoy sex with someone you can trust, if you both aren’t ready for a serious relationships. But for some strange reason, F.W.B. always turns into a bad situation.

We can’t restrain you from acting on you burning loins, but can give a few tips to avoid an atrocity.

First- REMEMBER you are not his girlfriend or going to become his girlfriend by having sex with him. You are a friend, who is a girl…that’s it. If you go in (no pun, well maybe a little) expecting him to change his mind about your place in his life, you may be disappointed and left feeling like you’ve wasted your time. If you want an emotionally fulfilling relationship, seek out one, don’t try to create one.

Second- If you choose to date other people, understand that they may not be comfortable with your cuddy buddy set up. It may be difficult for them to meet your friends, if your hooking up with one of them.

Third- Don’t sweat the small stuff. All the common relationship courtesy’s don’t apply. He doesn’t have to call. He doesn’t have to meet your other friends. He doesn’t have to mention you to his friends. And foreplay is appreciated, but not required.

Fourth- Don’t become territorial. REMEMBER you are not his girlfriend.

Fifth- Lil Wayne said it best, “don’t get too comfortable”. Unless you’ve created a time chart for how long your special meet ups will take place, they can end abruptly.

Sixth- Be discreet, don’t get too touchy in public and only tell a select number of friends. Once again, if one of you decides to date an outside person they will not appreciate everyone in your circle knowing you two have had relations.

Seventh- Avoid being F.W.B. with a close friend. Hooking up with acquaintances is always an ideal situation because you don’t run into them on a regular basis.

Eighth- Understand your relationship will never be the same again. There’s something about seeing another person naked that changes everything. If you value your relationship platonically, be leery of taking it in another direction. Biologically, sex educes hormones in women that creates a sense of happiness and loyalty that can manifest into emotional attachment. Biologically for men, sex educes hormones that put them to sleep. See the difference?

Source

Little Green eyed Monster...

I absolutely love the way Narciso Rodriguez designs his outfits. Theres always a little something to push the outfit to that sexy realm...and at $720 this dress right here is a steal...just not for me lol...I would have to STEAL it!! Now with thoughts of larceny put aside lets free style...

While someone (no names mentioned) was remembering her anniversary today it suddenly hit me that I haven't been in a relationship in a while... whilst you are in school trying to finish 12 credits (when the maximum amount of credits is 9) the last thing on your mind is a boy/man/boytoy. But suddenly when all that is gone if you are anything like me you stop and think oh wow ...where did the time go...I used to be such a social butterfly when did my wings get clipped and why wasnt I informed? I guess I could technically call someone and go out etc. etc. but the spirit isnt even willing and I think thats my biggest shocker. But then again do you blame me? The same old tired ass guys trying to convince you they own this and that and yet they are in wrinkled shirts...or little boys spilling drinks all over you trying to "spit" game...sitting right here with my slow jamz playing is exactly where I want to be...I think this is why ultimately I dont want to move to a big town or a party city where I feel I will be obligated to appear for "events"...Ill let you in on a secret...I would rather be in a little village (with no snow) than live somewhere like NYC...if I want to party Ill go party but I dont want to piss where I sleep or however that saying goes lol.

Ok I have written so much and this wasnt even the topic I wanted to go off on. Lets talk about something fun and useful...JEALOUSY! I have been extremely blessed in my life to not have jealousy be one of those things that have bugged me. Even in relationships I always told the guy I will not get jealous Ill get even and after the first time I got them back they didnt like it and didnt give me a reason to and everything was good. But yeah jealousy is an issue I have never had to seriously dealt with so imagine my surprise when today in scanning my life and the things going on in other peoples lives the first thing that crossed my mind was...how come this person has a job, or a man, or their papers and I dont. Why does everything have to be so hard for me (yeah the usual woe is me speech)...STOP THE PRESS!!! What the hell was I doing? My life could have gone so completely the other way...my graduation my purely by the grace of God because technically I missed the date to defend and during my defence one of my committee members was trying to be difficult...but you see human nature...once I got that hurdle crossed I had forgotten about how I begged God that I really really really wanted it more than anything else....and today I have the nerve to turn around and ask why me?...The voice that came back to remind me how very different things would be if I had not graduated shook me right back into reality.

Jealousy may be a human emotion but one I think we can control. Do not let this little evil emotion take control of your life, it just prevents you from focusing on other positive things you can be doing with yourself and your time because you are so busy worrying about everyone else and busy counting their blessings. No one knows what the other is truly going through in their lives...we only see the facade they want us to see...so dont be like me and fall into jealousy's trap it is not worth it...I leave you now with this quote that I use to realign the senses when I start getting stuck on stupid...hope it helps you as much as it helps me :)

Jealousy is simply and clearly the fear that you do not have value. Jealousy scans for evidence to prove the point - that others will be preferred and rewarded more than you. There is only one alternative - self-value. If you cannot love yourself, you will not believe that you are loved. You will always think it's a mistake or luck. Take your eyes off others and turn the scanner within. Find the seeds of your jealousy, clear the old voices and experiences. Put all the energy into building your personal and emotional security. Then you will be the one others envy, and you can remember the pain and reach out to them. ~Jennifer James

Are you motivated? Are you Thankful?

All hail McQueen...R.I.P...This draped dress could cause a lot of trouble in my closet...ahhh...

Moving right along, so someone messed with my head today :(.You know when you are job hunting and get a call thinking its a serious job offer...then upon doing your google homework find out its just one of those insurance call center things? *sigh* Yes you may sigh with me...

I mean I get that the guy on the other line is trying to do his job by suckering in as many desperate people as he can but dude why would you want to put me in your position? This job hunting deal is really got me by my unmentionables. I am so stressed out I spend all day eating (ok ok I admit I would eat all day even if I wasnt stressed out but that is not the point). I am breaking out so much I look like one of those medieval spike instruments ...(thank God for good make up)...But job hunting sucks sucks sucks. Oh and especially when you are an international. I cannot tell you how many times my heart sinks when I think I have found the perfect job and see AMERICAN CITIZENS ONLY or something to that effect. Yes I get that you do not want to spend money and time training someone for them to leave but Mr. America if you dont give me the opportunity then how am i supposed to learn and get better? What is the use of Optional Practical Training (which we are eternally grateful for) if there is nothing to practically train on? But I will not give up hope...despite that insurance person playing with my heart, God is there and it WILL be well :).

Life isnt what i want it to be (not even remotely ...I am supposed to be loved stupidly by a rich and very handsome ambitious man lol) , but despite a lack of this and other things I think my life should entail still I laugh, I smile and I thank God. Why? I thank God because I am single and not in a loveless or even worse an abusive relationship. I thank God that even though I am unemployed I have no major bills or school loans to worry about. I thank God that even though I claim not to have a loved 'one' infact I have several who check up on me constantly and try to make sure I at least laugh once a day ( I love you mummy and daddy). I thank God because even though I may not be able to afford the beautiful clothes I put up (yet) I can still see their beauty. In these times it is so easy for one to get bogged down with all the discouraging things life throws our way. Today I choose to be happy and thank God for giving me the grace to realize that my life is a blessing even if it isnt how I wish for it to be :)...what have YOU thanked God for today?

I would rather my clothes not speak for me ...thank you

So I die a little every time my pretty (yes they are pretty) eyes fall on these beautiful Brian Atwood Loca studded pumps...*swoon*...ahhh...(I need a moment to myself)

Ok...so today's topic is clothes that speak for their owners. I am not even talking about people being slovenly or not well put together. I am talking about those who "think" they are so well put together that they have to let their clothes "the labels" speak for them. A.k.a. I can afford to now shop at Saks 5th so I am going to let YOU and the rest of the world know it.

Is this really necessary? Trust me, we (and I speak for the rest of the world) dont care! I have an acquaintance who refuses to wear anything that is not name brand and I am sorry to say sometimes (ok ok most times) she looks like someone threw a bargain bin outfit on her. I dont blame her though, I blame the designers. I think sometimes they put things out there to see how they can "punk" the consumer. I know if I was a designer I would do that just to mess with peoples minds lol...innovative my behind!!!...Not everything is meant for everyone that should be all out mantras. But I digress ...ok lets look at these two outfits..

Now these are both Armani's but do you see my problem with one of them already? As a grown man or woman, do people really need to know what label is attached to your outfit? This has become a pet peeve of mine i.e., people in obviously "designer"pieces which half of the time is a knock off anyways. People we can do better. Lets all try to be like Bachelor number 2, dont ask me how I know he is a bachelor, a girl can dream can't she? Anyways back to the issue...lets leave the wearing of the labelled crap to the NASCAR drivers who are getting paid for the endorsements. Please!...Simple is best...when I met you I want to meet YOU and not what your recently acquired job has allowed you to purchase. Not cool ...not cool!!!

Rejectedddd....

Perhaps feeling very unlike a goddess today with my allergies, the intense heat and just life in general (thank you Naa for waking me up at 7 am) is the reason why I want this Alexander Wang one shoulder goddess dress...anyways one can dream...

So rejection...in any shape or form...I have realized I dislike intensely. Obviously human nature has set it up that one usually tries to avoid situations where one thinks they will be setting themselves up for rejection, but sometimes it is inevitable.

Take for instance this wonderful job market that an unemployed individual (such as myself) might find themselves in. Employers have such a wide pool of candidates to select from that you are nobody. Really! But what else can one do? Not apply? Ha! you will be on your own with THAT one...I guess I am a masochist and I am learning to deal with the rejection letters...telling myself its a learning experience...(yeah right).

Now on to dating rejections. Ok no joke those really really hurt. I mean who is going to sit here and tell me that after thinking you are really all that (and trust me underneath it all we all think we are really all that)...someone comes and bursts your bubble. Ok i am the only one who totally thinks it sucks and spends a day (or so) going over every piece of communication with the individual to see where you went wrong? Ok so its just me? *sigh*...Ill call it one of my neurosis. But really guys lets talk. Why is it so hard for men to just tell women to get lost? I mean its not that hard. I think its common courtesy especially after you are the ones who pursue us. I mean if you pursue me and you decide you dont want to anymore doesnt common sense dictate I at least get a peace out? Or better yet a pass fail grade letting me know the areas I am lacking in and how to improve the next time around? No? No? *sigh* a girl can dream...

Anyways the long and short of everything is that rejection sucks. I wish I could show us all a way to avoid it but as I have come to realize its one of those things in life you just have to grin and bear and truly try to learn from (when you learn whatever it is rejection is supposed to teach let me know...and please dont tell me its one of those rejection makes you tougher yadda yadda..i mean a real lesson I can actually draw something useful from).

All jokes aside :)...let us enjoy the moments of rejections for when what we are truly meant to be/enjoy/be with comes along, we might enjoy it all the more because of what we had to endure to get there...

We keep going back, stronger, not weaker, because we will not allow rejection to beat us down. It will only strengthen our resolve. To be successful there is no other way.
Earl G. Graves