Team Bill, O'Reilly that is.....

Hey All,

I know this is a day late and a dollar short. I also know it is roughly 80 pages long.  I also know that this post is going to get me in a lot of trouble with the fans of Bey…..but let’s just get it out there…. I agree with Bill O’Reilly http://youtu.be/3kKZ2WBpEsM regarding Beyoncé's new music. 

She does have a responsibility to our youth, especially our young girls.  I saw her as a role model of empowerment and of substance, which is why I didn’t object to the girls listening to music like “Single Ladies, Girls Run the World, Halo, and Love on Top”.  The Beyoncé that sang at the President's inauguration, the Beyoncé full of life and class.  I guess I am not used to seeing her as a sex object.  What is that the old folks say? Give a person an inch….they will take a mile.

I have read so many reviews and heard so many talk show hosts blasting Bill O’Reilly for correcting or questioning Beyoncé’s behavior.  Now Bill had no right in questioning Russell Simmons but his inquiry was right on point.  Bill, you will need to ask Beyoncé these questions, not someone a) who is not her husband and b) someone who is not her manager/publicist/mama/cousin/etc.   What struck me as hilarious in this whole interview is that Russell wouldn’t touch the issue with a 10 foot pole.  He kept talking about mediation and Zen.  (I had to giggle.)

As I still hear conversations about how bad Bill O’Reilly slammed Beyoncé, a grown woman, with a husband, and a child yet I also think about the fact that Beyoncé is my daughter’s favorite performers.  My daughter is a young girl of 16 with no husband, and no children, that I know of.  In the past, although I was not a major fan, I respected her.  Her growth musically; her aspirations; her empowerment of girls.  Now, I am teetering on banning Beyoncé.

Wendy Williams (How u doin’?), who came to Beyoncé’s defense http://youtu.be/V9UtjHmMyZ0 is totally right in saying that Beyoncé should be allowed to express herself in any manner that she chooses because she is grown, has a husband, and a child.  Wendy is also correct in implying that it is the parent’s responsibility to parent.   However, both ladies should realize that Beyoncé’s following is comprised of a myriad of ages, genders, and ethnicities.  Many of whom are impressionable young ladies and that may act on the lyrics without the husband, marriage, and the like.  I was once a young impressionable girl and yes, I made it through but with some scars and issues to bear but my idols really helped me to make some bad choices in the 80s. 

In my day (I sound like an OP (old person), Prince was the villain with his provocative lyrics.  We however were banned from listening to him, at least at home.  Prince had a large following of ages, genders, and ethnicities but we had parents who shielded us from these things or at least tried to do so.  I still love him and Prince is still a “Sexy….” You know the rest.

I am not mad at Beyoncé, for being who she is!  Yay you! I just want her to realize that Blue Ivy will one day have a role model or someone they look up to, which may be just as persuasive as she is and I wonder will she morph into mommy mode when surfboarding is no big deal 15 years from now?  She will because she a woman and a mom. She will protect her young!  Don’t be fooled.  I know she will SHUT IT DOWN!

So back to my issue, during the Christmas holiday, my daughter asked for the new Beyoncé CD.  She is a good kid, with good grades, and generally does the right thing.  So we obliged her request and brought her the CD.  Yes, I did so without listening to the music or knowing anything about its content.  It had not been preview, review, listen to, or scrutinized, just a blind purchase for a daughter we love…..wrong move mama (where is that shield?).  I thought it would be more of the same girl empowerment music I had heard in the past. 

On our way to Christmas dinner, we played it in the car.  And boy was my face red! (http://looky.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/young-miss-magazine-from-1971/)   I did not have one but both of my daughters riding down the highway listening to some very suggestive music.  We did not look at each other the entire ride.  When we arrived at our destination, I said, “This will NOT be played on the way home” and “What was that?”  Neither girl objected nor have we listened to it again.  (It was trashed).  It is something we whisper about in passing.  “Like, I’ll make you listen to Beyoncé”.  And typically the response is…..In the words of Jimmy Fallon “Ewwwwww”.

Let me admit, I didn’t have a clue as to what Beyoncé was singing about.  Until the oldest girl of 21 said, you can google the lyrics.  Why OH Why did I do that? Again my face was red.

So Beyoncé mission accomplished. You have created much conversation, isolated some responsible parents of your followers, and yes, you have been banned from our home.  I was really surprised when I heard “Bow Down”.  Sorry Bey, that act of submission will remain to be reserved for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I just read that you joined Sheryl Sandberg, one of my idols, in the campaign to ban bossiness when it comes to girls.  Great PR move, since you just called us the “B” word, while remaining “Flawless” to many. 

Bill, I stand with you on this one.  I cannot, will not expose nor condone my girls listening to explicit music or watching sexual shows in my home.  That is my choice as a parent and again, Wendy is right I am choosing to parent.  Beyoncé, your records will continue to sell and concerts be sold out without my hard earned money but I won’t.

Bottom line, here is my plea…. “Beyoncé please sing responsibly” my daughters are watching you.

 

Mi Vida

FaithWithHeels

 

 

 

Speak to My Heart

Speak to my heart Lord.

I am in a season of confession…..I need healing. 

The Webster’s dictionary defines heal(ing):  to make whole, healthy, or sound/to bring an end or conclusion as conflicts between people or groups, to reconcile, to free from evil, cleanse or purify. 

I need all of these.  I realize that I am the common denominator in all of my situations (I live with me). After reflection I know that it is me, me oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.  This week,  I had a conversation with a dear sister recently and it truly motivated me to dig deeper into my healing issues.

So Monday, I joined a Morning Prayer group and I found that I miss prayer.  I haven’t been praying the way I used to and it is truly affecting my ability to heal properly; to just get over some stuff.  Not to forget but to forgive for my own sake. 

I have not been connecting properly with the Lord and it is showing.  My conversations with the Lord have been one-sided; me venting my frustrations and then shutting the lines of communication down.  I haven’t heard a word that the Lord has said. I haven’t been still.  I haven’t gotten any direction which I attribute greatly to my ability to accomplish many of the goals that I have set.  Even if you are not a religious person, speaking and listening are important parts of personal growth.  Speak, then listen for an answer (one of my problems).  You might not like the answer but it is helpful in guiding and developing the person you are becoming.

Not only has my lack of true prayer affected my connection to the Lord, it has affected my outward appearance and reflects my inward pain.  I hadn’t realized how much pain I carried within me.  I believe that am truly forgiving and giving but lately I have found that I hold grudges and have become stingy with my time, love, and personal space.  It has not been very pretty. 

I know and believe that the only way to evolve is to confess your fault, repent, and turn.  It’s the turning that has me caught in a loop.  I am in a catch 22 because I know better and definitely want to do better but I am in pain.  There are some areas that are still very sore and are still tender to the touch.  It’s time to deal with those…..

So as I work toward a new me; a refreshing; a new beginning, I have to call on all of you to pray with and for me as I heal and my heart is the perfect place for the Lord to start. It’s not going to be easy but it is needful.  I’ll keep you posted on my progress but I hope you’ll be able to tell.

Keep Walking In Faith…..

MiVida

Mi Vida is my message

My Life is my message.  Mahatma Ghandi

 

As I slip back into this world of blogging, I realized that I am a little boring.  I would love to have some great exciting things happening to me daily, so I could “Wow” readers with my exploits.  However, I realized that being exciting is costly.  I looked into a trip to skydive…I figured that would be very exciting and it is.  It also cost a whole lot too.  So does hot air ballooning and horseback riding lessons, etc.

So I guess until I hit the Mega-jackpot of something, then I will remain “boring” and excite you with my wordsmith-ing or better yet my life.  Although I am not jumping out of planes or flying across the world to taste exotic foods, I am doing what all of us do well.  I am living my life.

Life is not easy and in everything we do there should be a lesson.  All of us learn something daily.  From our experiences, we associate things with encounter with lessons we have learned.  Some lessons are good, some not so.  I just love this quote, “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” Bernice Reagan Johnson  Many of my challenges...lessons have helped me to be a better me.

Some challenges, I like to call them lessons, make you pause for the cause…but I am a survivor!  What hasn’t killed me has made me stronger! (Thanks Bey and Kelly Clarkston, oh yeah…& Gloria Gaynor, she survived first.) 

I do believe life should be lived to the fullest but it is the small things that make us who we are.  We have people we love and who love us; we have jobs, whether we love them or not, we get up and go there daily to live; and we have an opportunity to improve our current situations by becoming a better us.  Our lives are the messages we send.

If we don’t like the message, we have the power to change it.  We set the tone and can overcome any obstacle because we believe we can.  I am in school because I want to change the course of my career.  I attend church because I believe in a power greater than me. I am a great mother. And so on and so on….

I have so many facets to who I am. I realize something new about me every day.  So this week, think about your life message…What does it say and does it represent the true you.  Start creating your message and sending it out.  It’s your life and you can say whatever you want.  Slip on your favorite shoes and Keep Walking...you have just started your journey.

 

MiVida! (My Life)

Slippers by CitySlips.com

http://www.cityslips.com/collections/frontpage

 

It Looks Like Goliath to me

Psalms 37:5 ~ Commit they way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and shall bring it to pass.

Hello All,

Many of us can recall the story of David and Goliath. David, the young inexperienced shepherd boy, had to fight against a mighty warrior of the enemy, Goliath. In the course of the story, David tells Saul about his triumphs over a lion and a bear. David was bold enough to declare that he would also triumph over Goliath in the same manner. This is such a great testimony of Faith (even if David wasn't wearing heels). (1 Samuel 17)

I had to tap into my faith reserve this week as we draw closer to the 2010 Mother's Day Banquet. My faith level had begun to sink well below the allotted range and I had that negative talk going on.

I was talking with a very good friend and she was explaining to me some things she would like to accomplish in the next few months. In my normal, excited way, I encouraged her that it would be easy for her to accomplish it. I gave her several examples of what she could do, how she could do it and who she could call to get it done. My friend says to me, "Well you do this all the time, so yeah it sounds easy to you." Why in the world did she say that?

Out of the abundance of my heart, my mouth began to speak. I began to run down all of the fears and trepidation that I often have in the midst of my planning. I gushed about what I wanted to see and how I wanted the plan to go. I let her know that within me there was much reservation. However, I did try to continue to interject my faith talk as I had pushed down, as much as I could, the unbelief that always tries to surface as I embark upon a new event, venture or idea. But sometimes it still lingers because I am not trusting as I should (or could). How quickly I forgot that I did triumph over a lion and a bear. But I admit that each new venture looks like "Goliath" to me.

Recently I asked my friends, "What have I gotten myself into?", while I am dragging them along for the ride. Their support, words of encouragement, love and help has made me stronger in my resolve to kick "Goliath's" butt. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I am taking my eyes off my plan and asking the Lord for His will to be done. And by golly is He doing it. The phone is ringing, ringing, ringing. (Yay!!!!)

This year is truly turning into a Walk of Faith because I am letting go and letting GOD and it is good to know that I have some Faith Walkers along side of me. "Goliath", we declare that you are going down in Jesus' name. Ladies, we are lifting up a banner of Faith over everything we put our hands to do. We are victorious in Jesus' name. There is no fear in Christ Jesus because perfect love casts out all fear.

Stay tuned to our exciting new developments and join us by supporting the Mother's Day Banquet at Pi, by sending us a donation to keep working the work or by attending our 2010 FaithWithHeels launch party slated for Fall of 2010. With your help we can infuse "Faith" into those who need it the most. Help Us, Help Others.

In the meantime....Keep Walking,


MiVida

Dreaming

Last week I had a dream about my mom, Patricia. The dream was really clear and I believe that there was a message that the Lord is trying to convey to me. Patricia is my biological mother Carol's sister. Patricia adopted me and raised me after my mother was killed over 33 years ago. Although I talk with her often, I haven't seen her in about 3 years as she lives in New Mexico. (If anyone wants to buy the girls and I plane tickets, Yes we accept.) So here is my dream:

I was in the ladies room at the house of some other family members and I was in the process of getting dressed. The other family members had some clothes that they had laid out for me and I was about to put them on. Then the door opened and my mother came in with a bag full of beautiful clothes for me. In the dream I was really surprised to see her and we began to talk. I asked her about the clothes and she said I brought you some clothes to wear and she began to show me the things she had chosen for me. As I began to protest, because I already had some clothes and she insisted that I wear the clothes she brought. Now in the dream I was thinking, I am too old for her to pick out my clothing. So I kept asking why she brought me all this stuff. Then finally she said, "I don't want you wearing those clothes that they are trying to put on you." And I woke up.

All that day I tried to figure out what this dream meant for me. What was she trying to say? What was God trying to convey? I called my mother, who as I was calling her, she said she was just thinking about me. She wanted to talk with me and will be coming to MI soon. Yay!!!!!

This dream is still so vivid in my mind. I prayed several times for my mom and also for those who were in my dream. But I couldn't put it together. I am not an interpreter of dreams but when I have one that sticks with me, I know that the Lord is trying to say something to me. The last time I had a dream that was so real, within days the Lord prepared me and revealed to me what was taking place. I often tell people that the reason that the Lord speaks to me in dreams is because I won't be quite and still long enough to hear Him speak, so He waits until I am knocked out to talk.

Anywho, back to my dream. As I continued to rehearse this dream, I believe that my mother represented the source of provision for me and that as the source, she had everything I needed. She has brought a multitude of clothing for me, chosen for me, but I was too eager to just wear what someone else had for me. I was ready to put on things that didn't belong to me, that didn't fit me and wasn't really chosen for me. In the dream I was willing to take whatever, but I my mother had other plans for me. Actually I had no idea what I was getting, I was just satisfied with it. And when something better came along, I tried to deny it. In reality, I see that the Lord only has the best for me and I cannot settle for less than best. He gives me a glimpse of my future and I cannot stop short of what He has planned for me.

Sometimes the trials are difficult to overcome but I make it through and sometimes I overcome easily because I have so great faith. The Lord has shown me that in any given situation, He is right with me and that He is protecting and keeping me. He is building character and integrity in me. He is given me knowledge and wisdom, things I have asked for and He is providing for all of my needs.

Ladies, I believe that the Lord has so many great things for us but we must willing to receive them because are assured that He is giving His best to us. We cannot be reluctant to accept some things that we know are of/from the Lord. We know that He is looking out for our best interest and teaching us how to use the gifts that are within us. We know that He is the source of everything and no good thing will He withhold from them that "Walk" uprightly.

As I take some time to meditate on His word and ponder His goodness, I choose to receive everything that He provides and I am grateful to have a God that loves me so much.

Keep Walking,

MiVida

Shoes by L.A.M.B. Feisty