Don’t Give Up!!

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It’s very easy to give up when things are difficult or if you’ve failed at something you’ve tried hard to accomplish. At least you tried, right? Here’s where I tell you one of my embarrassing stories. 😀

While pursuing my education, I failed my first Statistics exam. My failing grade was beyond an F. I got a K for kill yo self foo. LOL 😀 Just kidding of course. Lighten up. 😀 I felt so horrible. I conversed with my professor about dropping the course because I didn’t think I would pass. He told me that I needed to study more, not drop the course. EASY FOR HIM TO SAY!! 😀 Every negative thing that I heard about Statistics was true. It was designed by Satan himself. LOL After a full on snot-fest, I decided to return to class. Long story short, my final grade was a B. I ruined my chance of an A with my first exam score.

It would’ve been easy for me to go down to the registrar office to request to drop the course, but guess what. I would’ve been a semester behind and back in the same class the following term. That’s how regular life lessons are. If you don’t stay focused on the Lord, we fail or just give up. That doesn’t get us to the next level so we end up having to go through the same thing over and over again until we PASS! It’s better to hang in there. I heard a pastor say, “Every storm is a school. Every trial is a teacher. Every experience is an education. Every difficulty is for your development.” True, huh?

Whether it’s a harebrained scheme we’ve gotten ourselves into or one that the enemy has thrust upon us, God can use it for good. I constantly remind myself to praise God during difficult times and that there is a lesson to be learned that will make me stronger. Romans 5:3,4 says, 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

No matter what we are going through, there is a lesson that God wants us to learn. So  don’t give up . . . GROW UP!! I’m not exempt, I’m  . . .

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Friday Night!

BLACK HISTORY FACTS:  http://www.blackfacts.com/

 

I Wouldn’t Change a Thing

Published on by T.S. Cook2 Comments

Well, it’s no surprise that I’m having a hard time thinking of something to write about since we’re still enjoying our camping trip. I did have a quick thought that I think is worth sharing. If I had a chance to do it all again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Really! Every experience I had brought me right here with Antoine and Scout. I love my life. It’s not what I planned, but it’s mine. I’m not perfect or where I should be, but I love who I am and where I’m going. There’s no need to think about the things I don’t have because I’m so grateful for everything that I do have.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Anyway, no matter what stay focused on the Lord. He’s got the best plan for you. Trust.

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and Happy Thursday Night!

 Black History Facts:  http://www.blackfacts.com/

 

Miracles Do Happen

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Throughout my life I’ve prayed for a BUNCH of miracles. Even before I had a relationship with the Lord or cared about having one. Usually these requests would be made when I was down in the dumps about something. Like during the time when creditors would call threatening to confiscate my belongings after I had charged up my three credit cards to the max. Creditors were ruthless back then and could say pretty much anything they wanted to you. I remember one lady left a message telling me that my debt would never go away until I paid them in full. She also told me to consider selling my answering machine. LOL I prayed to win the lottery even though I only owed $950. Now that’s funny! Now where was I? Oh yeah. I would also pray to be taller or for the scar on my left cheek to go away. When I was really young, I asked for an afro like Christie Love. I didn’t realize I already had one. Which is leading to my point. By the way, I have excellent credit now and I am very financially responsible; I wear heels to be taller; 😀 and I’m growing back my afro. Christie Love still ROCKS! 😀

What are miracles? Merriam-Webster defines a miracle as an unusual or wonderful event that is believed to be caused by the power of God. For me, my entire life is a miracle. Yeah, philosophers and theologians wouldn’t agree because they wouldn’t see anything extraordinary about my life. Everything that I’ve accomplished is possible for anyone to do as long as you put your mind to it. What if you didn’t even know you could put your mind to such things. What if your life is headed in the opposite direction? I’m not one of those people that had a rough life. I’m not. In fact, most people would say I had it pretty easy. But if you’re not on the path that God designed for you, easy is definitely not good.

Miracles happen when we focus on the Lord and what He has planned for us. He has miracles that are already in place for us. Miracles happen when we are finally tired of doing things our way. God’s plan will give you new ideas that you’ve never EVER thought could or would happen. Alright, that’s all for now. We’re still enjoying the great outdoors. Take some time to think about your miracles. As for mine, I’m  . . .

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and HAPPY WEDNESDAY NIGHT!! 😀

Black History Facts: http://www.blackfacts.com/

What God Put Together

Published on by T.S. Cook2 Comments

The hubby and I decided to take our pal, Scout the wonder dog, on a road trip. So here we are in the middle of nowhere in a rented RV enjoying the night sky. Toine is trying to figure out the WiFi connect thingy while Scout is trying to catch some z’s. I’m thinking about a question I was asked this morning out of the blue. “What’s the purpose of your marriage?” A list of things popped into my head, but I summed up my answer with, “to be a healthy example of a beautiful marriage to other couples”. Yeah, that’s it, yeah. LOL

The longer we are together, the more God reveals His purpose for us being together because we desire to know. You see, we’re not together to make each other happy. In fact, we don’t depend on each other for our happiness; we depend on God for that. God put us together for His purpose. And not just us. God has a purpose for every married couple. Yup. It’s up to you and your spouse to seek God to find out what it is. Besides the fact that we are in love and have a great time together, knowing that God put us together for a specific reason gives us that extra oomph. You know what I mean?

God called you for a great purpose designed by Him. Don’t get God’s plan mixed up with your plan. Unfortunately, our plans can lead us to a life of chaos and calamity or just a mundane existence. It’s up to you to find out what His purpose for your life. God is waiting for you to ask. This was a quick post because I want to get back to my hubby. 😀  

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and HAPPY TUESDAY NIGHT! 😀

 

Black History Facts: http://www.blackfacts.com/

Marriage is . . .

Published on by T.S. Cook2 Comments

CONGRATULATIONS! 😀 Now that Valentine’s Day has come and gone, there are many new engaged couples walking around in premarital bliss. As the lady shows off her beautiful diamond, she’ll probably receive many superficial compliments about her husband to be based on the size of the stone and shiny platinum setting. She will be swept up in conversations about the details of the wedding while he will probably go on with his life as usual. In the midst of all the planning, my prayer is that they have people in their lives that will impart godly wisdom regarding the actual marriage.

People mean well when they give advice, but sometimes it does more damage than good. For instance, one piece of advice that’s been handed down to quite a few women is to hide money from their husbands which is referred to as mad money. Hide money just in case. Just in case what? If you feel you have to hide something from the person you’re planning to spend the rest of your life with, perhaps you should consider postponing the wedding until you figure out the issue. Men are often told that innocent flirting is harmless and completely unnecessary to tell the wife. Would the husband  feel the same if his wife was the flirtee? And what deep issues does the husband have that makes him desire the attention from another woman?

I remember when Antoine and I were preparing for our big day and long life together, people would tell us that marriage is hard, a lot of work, fun, good, bad, etc. We were warned that eventually the lovey-dovey phase of the first or second year of marriage would fade leaving us with the reality of marriage. Which is what? Antoine and I decided a long time ago that our marriage would be different and nothing like any that we had ever seen.

While I am the first person to recommend premarital counseling to any engaged couple, I encourage them to make their own reality. It’s nice to ask for advice, but you cannot and should not plan your marriage according to someone else’s experience. How can you? Your significant other is unique and so are you. Even if you have a lot in common with another couple, it’s still not enough. Your reality is your reality. Tolerance levels are different. What another woman or man may tolerate may be intolerable to you.

Marriage is . . . it depends on who you ask. Marriage to me is the best experience of my life and I look forward to the years to come in the Lord. I see my husband as a blessing from God. No he isn’t perfect, neither am I. One of my main goals in life is to be the best wife I can be because that pleases not only my husband; it pleases God.

Marriage is what you and your spouse make it. Remember, these are my thoughts. I’m just blogging them out. 😀

Oh and HAPPY MONDAY!! 😀

BLACK HISTORY FACTS: http://www.blackfacts.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When They Are, But You’re Not into Valentine’s Day

Published on by T.S. Cook6 Comments

cropped-blog-logo.pngHappy Valentine’s Day! (Eve, eve. 😀 ) It’s no secret that my husband and I aren’t into Valentine’s Day at all. I’m talking Valentine’s schmalentines.  For the record, our feelings towards this hallmark holiday has nothing to do with deep rooted bitterness that stems from a past experience. We’re just not into it. I’ve always been the girl that march to her own drummer. Status quo who? LOL I’ve never been into flowers, dressing up, make-up, and days set aside to celebrate love. I couldn’t stand when we were forced to pass out those silly VDay cards in elementary school. However, I assure you if either of us were into it, we would go all out for each other, which is what this blog is about. My husband and I go waaaaay back. We met our senior year in high school so that’s eons ago. Okay, that’s a ridiculous exaggeration, but you get my drift. We’ve been married for almost 17 years and this year is the first time we are actually doing something for VDay. And that’s only because it’s an event that was organized by a couple at our church. We like to show our support.

Of course I have a story before I get into my point. One year around Vday many years ago, there was this guy who was digging me in one of my classes. He was a nice guy, but I had just became a Christian and wasn’t interested in dating. My main focus was Christ and finishing college. I never showed any interest in the guy, but everyday after class he would ask me if he could give me a ride. I would politely decline and then hop on the bus to go to work. One day when I got to work, my supervisor said I had a visitor which was very strange. When I got to the lobby, the guy from my class was standing there waiting for me with a bouquet of flowers and a box of candy. The ladies in the office went nuts while telling me how lucky I was that my “boyfriend” was so thoughtful and sweet. Okay, so here’s where I differ from my fellow women peeps. My first reaction WAS NOT awww how sweet. I had a hidden reaction in my mind behind a smile, “whatchoo doing here foo?” There’s no denying that the gesture was kind, but to me there was definitely an added creep factor. After thanking him, I asked how he knew where I worked. He said he followed me to work a few times. Ummm gulp and ZOINKS! LOL Of course he left because I had to get back to work. My coworkers didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he had been FOLLOWING ME!! I’ll just leave this right here. 😀

I have three points:

  1. If your spouse wants to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but you’re not really into it, DO IT ANYWAY AS IF YOU ARE SO INTO IT THAT YOU WOULD LOOK OVER A CRAZY STALKER DUDE TO GET CANDY AND FLOWERS. LOL 😀 Don’t say how stupid and lame you think it is because that’s like saying you think your spouse is stupid and lame. Valentine’s Day is on the same day every year. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy him or her a gift just because you’re not into it. There’s a book called the 5 Love Languages. One of the love languages mentioned is receiving gifts. Your spouse’s love language may be receiving gifts. If you want to know more about the 5 Love Languages, click on the following link: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/
  2. Please remember that Valentine’s Day is not a big o band aid for your relationship. If you’ve upset your spouse and haven’t resolved the issue, giving candy and flowers or going out to dinner will not make your situation better. Not even jewelry, even if you go to Jared. LOL Now if you go to Tiffany’s, it will buy at least a week of peace. LOL I jest! 😀
  3. Don’t base your relationship on what he gives or not give you for Valentine’s Day. Love each other everyday like it’s your last. 1 Peter 4: 8 says, Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. If you really love VDay, communicate with your spouse in love. Tell him/her what you want, what you really really want. (Spice Girls LOL)
Satan wants so badly to destroy your marriage. Don’t let him. And take it easy on those of us who aren’t into VDay. It’s my opinion and I’m . . .
Just blogging it out . . . Oh and HAPPY FRIDAY! 😀
BLACK HISTORY FACTS: http://www.blackfacts.com/

 

 

 

Guard Your Mind

Published on by T.S. Cook5 Comments

Shortly after I woke up this morning, I allowed a few thoughts to dangle around in my mind longer than I should’ve. I don’t even know where those thoughts came from really. Well, actually I do. The enemy likes to throw things at you to see what he can use to distract you from more fruitful activity, your purpose. When I realized I was pondering over something the enemy had served, I snapped right out of the unproductive cognitive misadventure. LOL We have to make an effort to renew our minds or the enemy will take over.

Philippians 4:8 & 9 says, And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

God’s power trumps all negativity even if it’s smacking us in our faces. There is nothing bigger than God. N O T H I N G!! Sometimes we can’t control what pops up in our brilliant minds. 😀 However, we can control what stays. Let’s kick the enemy’s butt with the word of God together. Guard your mind from foolishness!

Just blogging it out . . .Oh and HAPPY THURSDAY!

BLACK HISTORY FACTS: http://www.blackfacts.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Fear Not

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Do you remember Glum, the Lilliputian, from The Adventures of Gulliver cartoon? He wore a green top and a tan hat with a feather that drooped over his forehead. He was short, but I guess all the Lilliputians were. 😀 During their adventures, while Gulliver and the gang tried desperately to escape the clutches of some villain, Glum would say in his monotone, nasally voice, “It’s hopeless.” or “We’ll never make it. Never!” or “We’re done for.” or “We’re doomed for sure.” LOL From what I remember, the gang never listened to Glum. They kept running, swimming, or whatever they had to do to get out of trouble. If they had listened to Glum, the cartoon would’ve ended after the first episode. 😀 What’s even funnier than his perpetual pessimism is the fact that he never stayed behind. He always ran with Gulliver and the others even though he thought, “we’re all gonna die.” LOL

Do you have any Glums in your life? I know I’ve had an encounter once or twice or hundreds. Unfortunately, there were times that I was influenced by the doubt and fear of others. Yup, I would question my well thought out plan because someone said I couldn’t do it. Sad, but very true. What I found out later was that glums don’t believe they can do what you’re trying to accomplish which is why they speak against your plans. They’re saying, if I can’t do it then there’s no way you can do it. Or maybe they tried and failed. Whatever it is that’s fueling their fear, we shouldn’t let it affect us.

Okay, it’s a fact that fear is a human emotion and we’ve all experienced it, right? Denying that we’re afraid of something doesn’t make fear go away. Trusting in God’s promises instead of allowing fear to hinder us is where the victory lies. Focusing on God’s word instead of the opinions of others is a great way to get over our fears. Psalm 56:3 & 4 says, But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 4 I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?

We should seek God’s direction in all of our plans and know He will lead us to where we need to go. Stay focused on Him!

So the next time cousin Glum, friend Glum, mother Glum, father Glum, coworker Glum, sibling Glum tries to contaminate you with fear by saying, “you’ll never make it”, remember they’re displaying their fear. They may need encouragement.

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and HAPPY WEDNESDAY! 😀

BLACK HISTORY FACTS:  http://www.blackfacts.com/

 

Part Deux-What If Divorce Was Not An Option?

Published on by T.S. Cook2 Comments

Today we experienced a tragic event that took both my husband and me by surprise. As always, we will continue to focus on the Lord and keep moving forward.

Yesterday I posted a short rant called, What If Divorce Was Not an Option, but I didn’t really make a point. So here’s part deux . . .

Marriage is definitely not for the squeamish and even strong people have challenges. If you start off thinking that you have an out, you’re starting off on the wrong foot. Have you ever taken one of those mandatory personality surveys for a job where you’re supposed to choose the best answer out of four choices that aren’t really good choices at first glance? Even though it takes longer, you read the choices over and over again until you finally realize that you actually have something in common with one of them. And then there are surveys that gives you four choices plus “other”. If after reading the four choices we’re not able to relate, we quickly choose other without rereading the four choices. The latter example gives you an out so that you won’t have to think about the other choices.

Okay, here’s my point:  If divorce was no longer an option (other):

  • Single people, would you settle for someone that you’re hoping will change later?
  • Married/Separated people, would you take more time to get to the root of your problems?
  • Divorcees, would you consider the fact that you were part of the reason your first marriage didn’t work out? Perhaps, take time to deal with yourself before marrying again.

Marriage takes a whole lot of effort, self awareness, and JESUS. As I said in my post yesterday, my marriage isn’t perfect, but our desire is to honor God with our relationship. I’m not passing judgement or any other negative thing you can think of.

I’m just blogging it out . . .Oh and HAPPY TUESDAY! 😀

BLACK HISTORY FACTS:  http://www.blackfacts.com/

What If Divorce Was Not an Option?

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Hear ye! Hear ye! From this day forward, DIVORCE IS NO LONGER AN OPTION! Now go . . .

You’re either single, separated, married, widowed, or divorced, right?

Single people (dating or engaged people are technically single.), would you be in such a rush to get married if divorce was no longer an option?

People who are separated, now what? You can’t get a divorce, EVER!

Married people, you’ve threatened your spouse for the last time. The divorce talk is ideal chit chat, literally. What are you going to do now?

Divorcees, you’ve been divorced before, but you always thought you would get married again someday. No more divorce, though. Will you ever take the plunge again?

What exactly is the point of this post? I’m not sure yet. 😀 Antoine and I have received all sorts of comments about our marriage, good and bad. We’ve even been accused of being phony a time or two. My answer to that is, there isn’t one person walking around on this earth that is worth us putting up a façade. I mean really, why? LOL What’s sad is those people are saying they don’t believe a married couple can actually be happy.

Our marriage is far from perfect, but we decided a long time ago BEFORE we got married to keep Jesus at the center of our relationship and divorce is never an option. Our INDIVIDUAL goal for our life is to honor God. If you please God then your spouse will reap the benefits. 😀

What’s the point of this post? I still don’t know. LOL Maybe I will come up with something tomorrow. I guess it’s one of those days. LOL

Just blogging it out . . . Oh and HAPPY MONDAY! 😀

BLACK HISTORY FACTS: http://www.blackfacts.com/