Love Note - Friday 4/27/12

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If the Church Were Christian: a Review and Recommendation

I just finished a book that I deeply disagree with—but highly recommend. In If the Church Were Christian, Phillip Gulley makes some very strong claims about the divinity of Christ. I deeply disagree with these claims—yet, he makes even stronger claims about the nature of what the Christian Church has become—and I completely agree with them. Gulley is a Quaker pastor and theologian. He has written extensively about matters of Biblical exegesis and theological interpretation, but his greatest contribution to the Christian church may be this short, little book that is an incisive critique of postmodern Christianity. I, like Gulley, am concerned...

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The Most Important Key to Your Happiness and Success

source "Present yourself alwaysAs who you would be,And that is the personThe world will see." You know me as GG.  Mom, blogger, writer, hair enthusiast.  Lover of pretty things and positive words.  Always ready to point out the lesson and the silver lining.  If you know me in real life, then you know that I'm a serial smiler and a peacemaker.  You might even know about the weird things I do with my hands when I talk or how I behave when I've had too much to drink.  My quirks.  My skeletons.  All of the things that make me self-conscious at times, but also make me who I am. I know that I'm...

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Pretty Things: 5 Beauty & Style Tips to Make Motherhood Look Easy

And here I am.  NOT making it look easy. I've got everyone fooled. Well, really I don't. But I like to think that I've fooled everyone into thinking that I have it all together and I've got this motherhood/career thing totally figured out. It's all a hoax, actually. I read this quote the other day and I chuckled out loud: "Let us be grateful to the mirror for revealing to us our appearance only." I don't know about you, but I'll drink to that. If my appearance reflected everything going on in my mind at any given time, I'd probably be walking around looking like a circus clown. I live by the doctrine that...

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Music Review: Ebony Anne Isaac "The Chase"

Last Friday afternoon I had the pleasure of clicking play on Ebony Anne Isaac's "The Chase". From the onset "The Chase" had me wanting to lace up my shell top Adidas, throw on my bamboo earrings, and don my Jordache jeans. It reminded me of the good ole days of hip hop, when being young was as innocent and free as writing a love note in class to get that girl’s attention; remember: “check yes or no, if you'd be my girlfriend”? Well that's just the feeling I got! "The Chase" features vocals from Ms. Isaac and a cute rap verse featuring her label mate, Snowflake Black. It describes the day to day of living, hoping, being ready to face the world...

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Take a Moment to be Grateful for What You Have Right Now

The photo above is the view from my balcony. This is what I get to stare at as I sit outside, enjoying the warm air and writing this post. You can’t see them, but just to my left, and at the bottom of that hill are a family of deer, grazing busily—but glancing up at me occasionally to ensure I’m not going to interrupt their meal with any human silliness. This is my happy place; surrounded by nature and shrouded in quiet—save the sound of animal paws scurrying across the forest floor. It’s an easy to place to reflect, and to remember to be grateful. My son, my only child, my baby—he turned 13 this past weekend. To celebrate, I took him on...

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Love Note - Friday 4/13/12

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Inner Pretty: How Not to be One of Those Obnoxious People Bothering Others

I think GG really hit the nail on the head with her recent post, Misery Business: How to Stop Letting Obnoxious People Bother You. We can all relate to how annoying it is to be the target—or even caught in the crossfire--of someone else’s misery spreading spree. But just important to be aware of, is the kind of energy we are spreading; and how we can avoid being one of those negative, complaining, obnoxious people that make others want to run in the other direction. Sometimes, we are so wrapped up in own issues that we forget to be cognizant of others around us. "If you don't have anything nice to say to someone, then don't say it." This...

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Misery Business: How to Stop Letting Obnoxious People Bother You

source Maybe I'm too sensitive. But I pretty much live by the standard that "If you don't have anything nice to say to someone, then don't say it." I prefer to just let people be who they are and do what they do unless it directly impacts me or mine in some way. I don't like when people give me unsolicited opinions about how I live my life, how I raise my children, how I dress, how I wear my hair. I suppose there's something to the whole "it's not what you say, it's how you say it" thing, but really no matter how you say it, if it's none of your business, it's just none of your business. I don't understand it. Apparently, this...

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The Truth About Getting What You Want

It's all fun and games and positive affirmations when you're trying to accomplish something. But how about when you actually get the gig and you’re like “Oh Sh*t!”, what do I do now? How will I have time for this and everything else on my plate? What if I don’t live up to expectations? This is it. This is what you’ve prayed about, visualized, and spoke into existence. And now that it’s here in your lap, you’re freaking out. Maybe I shouldn’t speak for you. You’re probably poised and capable at all times. Not a hair or a mission statement out of place. That’s okay. I see you. And one of these days I’ll be like you. But for now, I freak...

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Music Review: Liv Warfield

In this PLPT post our music reviewer, Mugure Crawford, sings the praises of Liv Warfield's soulful singles. Last week I had the pleasure of experiencing Liv Warfield's brand of fresh, live soulful grooves from her two songs "Embrace Me” and “Waiting". The music was featured during her February 2012 performance at the Alberta Rose Theater in Portland, Oregon. And though I didn’t have the honor of being there in person, the recording didn’t disappoint. It was a live set of R&B and funk, with a sprinkle of rock n’ roll; "Alternative Soul" is what we like to call it. Her melody and lyrics are full of emotion, allowing the listener...

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