Saved by the Serenity Prayer & God

Sometimes you'll be having sumkinda day... It's not a horrible day, but one of those days that could EASILY turn bad...

This was that day for me.

Short version: I was cussed out by an AT&T customer. He started out angry about his bill, then definitely transitioned into verbal abuse slung at me personally. -sigh- Needless to say, I cried. it was WAY too much negativity for my sensitive emotional self. I managed to hold it together long enough to get a supervisor.

Honestly, I believe that the only thing that helped me pull it together was the Serenity Prayer. I wrote it out on sticky notes and put them on top of my computer. I read and re-read it while praying for calm and peace...

I think God held the calls from my line just to allow me time to talk to Him.

God is so good... And He knows just what we need, right when we need it. :)

A great day for a Birthday :)

Today was my Bestsisterfriend Amber's birthday :) I made her a video and successfully uploaded it to her facebook. [color me: excited]

I also got to sit outside in the sunshine this afternoon. Not particularly by choice, but when I look back on it- it was a good thing. I havent really gotten to soak up any sun lately. The customer service job is quite taxing... anyway... Im glad my girl was blessed to celebrate another birthday.

[I love you Ambs, my darlin'! Happy 23!]
there's your shoutout ;)

...I Adore You...

God is good :)

I was listening to 'I Adore You' by Darlene McCoy in the office this afternoon, and it brought tears to my eyes. I thought of how many stupid things I do. I thought of how small I really am...

But then I started thinking about how good God is. How He loves us regardless of what foolishness we get ourselves into. How He constantly teaches us how to be more like Him. He is so good. Even saying that is a gross understatement. I sometimes think of what it will be like in heaven... with everyone praising Him. Sometimes I think it'll just be silent. Masses of people just sitting and marveling at a God that loves them so much, He gave His son...

What words are there for that?
I adore You... That's all...

This is me today :)

Today I will be happy.

Not because something awesome happened, but because happiness is a choice.

It's interesting... in deciding to be happy/positive today, discouragement seems to be a bit farther away. I mean, being on the phone at work has felt easier today and I feel more balanced...

Its like im finally learning how to stand solidly. You know- both feet firmly planted :) And to make it better, I solved my own problem today without help. [fist pump] That really boosted my confidence.

I can do this. I am capable. I can give off positive energy to those around me. I can be viral happiness in my workplace. ;)

Quote :)

My bestsisterfriend Amber said something wonderfully beautiful and true to me today. She said,

"We are God's children.
So we can do everything but fail."

:D Love it!

Thumbs up!

Two people told me I had a pretty name today. :) That was awesome considering they came after a horrible first call for me... I considered them God's little gift to me :)

Thanx Jesus :)

Blessings

Thank you for small blessings, Lord...

Sometimes when I feel myself getting down about circumstances in my life, I try to remember to count my blessings. There is always something to be thankful for. Having a mindstate of thankfulness truly combats those self-deprecating moments.

Dont forget to count your blessings.

Need Hug...

I needed a hug today because working customer service is no walk in the park... =/ I considered quitting for the first time today... -sigh-

So i talked to him about it and he listened and gave me a real good hug. :)
Then I felt better.

Hugs have got to have some kinda medicinal properties :D What do you think??

Polkas

I wore my red polka dot skirt today. :) I felt pretty. It's good to feel pretty once in a while. :)

Thrift store church

I went to ThriftMart for $0.99 monday this evening. I perused the book section, fabrics, and random other sections looking for refashions waiting to happen =) When I made it around to the women's blazers, i started hearing singing. And it was gospel music. Above the radio lady gaga jams, there was a clear voice singing His Eye is on the Sparrow. It was beautiful... you know... one of those moments that you have no choice but to stop what youre doing and listen. Needless to say, I walked up to the front of the store to listen to the rest of the song. It turned out that there were two young men singing. And the only thing that i can say that would describe them is... singing to the glory of God... Customers were standing around listening and getting lost in the song.

It moved me to tears.

I started thinking about the words as they sang.
I sing because Im happy. I sing because Im free. For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me...

Its such a blessing to know God makes it His business to watch over the little birds. Every moment He is keeping our world and those surrounding it in balance. He makes sure that our sun isnt too far away or too close. He makes sure that the earth doesnt tip too much in any direction. He makes sure the tides ebb and flow as they should. He keeps the stars in the sky. And while making sure that everything in existence is in its rightful place, He still watches over me. He sees me. Living in little mexico. Trying to figure out what my life is suppose to be.

He sees me.
He watches over me.
And there isnt anything more blessed and wonderful than that.

Refashioning

I love thrift storing! Reason being: I get to take clothes and give them a new life =) Its great.
I bought a ginormous red night gown with white polka dots for about $2 the other day.

When i saw this on the rack, i instantly thought, "AHHH!!! This is an awesome pencil skirt waiting to happen!" So I brought it home. And an hour or two of cutting, pinning, sewing, and problem solving later.... [drum roll]

TA-DAH!!!

Front view

Back w/ button detail =)

I also made a neck tie for my friend, but i dont have a picture of it... =/ Maybe i can find one on facebook and post it over here...

Oh the joy of using your creative talents =)

My buddy, my pal, my friend

Ricky, my best friend from college, came into town :D I havent seen him in a looong time... so this post is about how awesome it is to have friends :)

I feel very blessed to have such great friends. Ricky has been one of those who has "really been there for me." One memory i have is of him forcefully taking me to health services during my junior year. He was more concerned with my health than I was, lol...

"We all need a group to be a part of, a place in the social world where we feel like we belong." This is what M. J. Ryan says about finding that core group of people. Having certain individuals we are connected to is a sure way to combat feelings of sadness. My good friends have most definitely been happiness boosters for me. I cant count the smiles that have literally exploded from my face when I talk to one of them. Even though my Bestsisterfriend Amber and I are separated by 800+ miles and our grown-up schedules prevent those long BFF convos like we had in high school- its like we never missed a beat when we finally get time to talk :)

Friends are truly a gift sent from God to sweeten our days ;D

Happy Tuesday

He sent me flowers :D

How lovely :)

Save!

This day began a bit off... I woke up at like 4:15a and couldnt get back to sleep. The upside- I got to watch Lilo and Stitch: The Series and crochet another row on my blanket. Now the last 3 rows look like neopolitian ice cream :) I took a long hot shower... only to arrive at work a couple minutes late... sigh... wtf man... From that point on, the day was pretty much garbage...
[I know this doesnt sound like a happy blog, but bear with me...]
That is until around 5:30ish. I was telling my friend, Lamar, about how another friend of mine ate the oatmeal cream pie that i was saving for "one of those days"... I know, such a little thing to be upset about Caleisha! Anyway, after telling him the story, I said something like 'This was such a down day... Im trying to find the good but Im really not seeing any.' So he decided to give me 2 oatmeal cream pies. One to replace the one that was eaten and one to make me smile.

It worked :)

Way to swoop in and save the day :)

Sunday Morning

Song of the Day: Sunday Morning by Maroon5 =)

The beginning of a beautiful day!
------------

I COOKED! I made fried rice and veggies with grillers today. Mmmmm! It was so good =) I followed the recipe from a book that my friend Sheree gave me for my birthday called "The Starving Students' Vegetarian Cookbook" Its pretty cool. Over 150 recipes for quick, cheap, and delicious meals. Im not normally the 'in the kitchen' type, but I really want to cook more.

Yummy yummy in my tummy!!!

Today was an ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL day! The temp was wonderful. The sun was shining. My dog was happily running amok in the house. I wanted to take her to the dog park, but i didnt... [better luck next sunday Kiva]

I suppose this was another simple pleasures type of days. =) Way to start the new week!

Monday, here I come with positivity and excitement! =D

TGIF

Today I played kickball with my kids at school =D It ended up being boys against girls and the boy's team SMASHED on the girls! SUH-MASHED!!!!!! Anyway, now my feet are tired and my leg muscles hurt, but i feel good =)

Im sitting on the sofa watching Property Virgins and relaxing under my crochet blanket. I really need to work on it some more... but right now it's long and wide enough for me to fit under... sigh [motivation wanes...]

Now... for... PICTURES! YAY =)

Kiva!


My cozy blanket

The math of my day

Today = (rainy late morning + many marshmallow moments in class) / doing my job right ^ dwele x jill scott&mos def

i.e.
The beautiful distress of mathematics... =)

**Add - rainy morning, late to class, and marshmallow moments
This day was full of so many moments that couldve made my day completely tank... I had a very frustrating group project this morning... one that ended with me taking my 'dammit doll' into the bathroom and slamming it into doors and walls... [takes.breath]

-Sidebar- a 'marshmallow moment' is when you want to say something smartaleck-like but you shouldnt and if you had a bag of large marshmallows, you'd shove 6 in your mouth to keep yourself quiet... lol

**Divide the foolishness by - Doing my job right
It just feels good to know that you are doing what you're suppose to be doing at work. That youre taking the right steps and following the procedures correctly. This is what i decided to focus on after my "marshmallow-moment-dammit-doll-banging" Finding the positive things to focus your attention on is a great way to kill frustration =)

**Raise to the power of- Dwele multiplied by Jill Scott feat. Mos Def
I came home and got down to the business of washing clothes and dishes. I boosted the peaceful vibe i wanted by lighting ALOT of incense and playing Dwele, Jill Scott feat. Mos Def 'Love Rain', and Amel Larrieux. [sigh] It was wonderful! Provided I havent finished the dishes... lol, I did finish the laundry tho =)

This all equals today. A good day. A full day. Im sleepy, and have a sinkful of dishes left to finish... Im feeling good =)

Covering the negative

Today my friend Tanaysha and I ate lunch outside under a tree. We talked about appearances, self-love, black families... lots of things. I enjoy conversations like that.

Speaking of conversations... Ive, sadly, been noticing that people will say negative things about themselves, or speak in a negative way. When I realized this happening in my training class, it made me sad...

How often do we speak about ourselves with a negative tone?
We say or think things like,
"Im not smart enough..."
"Im not pretty enough..."
"Im not thin enough..."
"Im not this" or "Im too that" or anything...

Replacing this thought pattern isnt easy, but it is something that we all should try. Each time we realize that our thoughts or words are coming from a negative place, we should consciously state something positive. Blot out the negative with purposeful positivity.