In Diva Love,
Pamela 🙏🏽👑❤️♊️
Showing posts with label Life goals/fulfillment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life goals/fulfillment. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
What are Your Intentions?
This has been bothering me for a couple of days now....Watching the story play out about La David Johnson, a soldier slain in the line of duty on a mission that seems fraught with questions, got me thinking about why are we quick to believe that a person's intentions are less than honorable and when it would be better to take a humble step back and right the situation.
None of us is being told the whole truth about how Sgt. Johnson ended up dead but we know that he is dead and will not be coming back to his family. We all saw his grieving widow and we know that her pain will last way into the future. We know it will be a long time before we know what was really going on in Niger and how this US soldier ended up where he was in the position he was in.
What we do know is there is controversy surrounding a call from 45 to this widow. A congresswoman has accused the POTUS of making an insensitive remark to the widow. The widow pretty much has indicated that the POTUS said something insensitive. Here's what I think...I believe the POTUS did make the remark. I do not believe he meant it maliciously even though it was definitely not a humane remark to make. I believe the Congresswoman could've shared her concerns privately to someone and the POTUS could've made a decision to fix the situation privately. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Instead both have taken to airing their issues publicly and a grieving family is left hurting in the midst of the drama. It's absolutely sickening to see adults acting this way, especially ones who are running our illustrious country. At what point are people in power going to take the high road? Everything is not meant to be a political battle. We can see that 45 is NEVER going to take real responsibility for his actions nor will he ever humble himself and admit that he may have made a mistake. He could've offered up an apology to the widow and moved on but nope, he took to Twitter and belittled yet another grown woman. The Congresswoman could've have pointed out her concern and let it go. Neither choose to handle it it maturely.
How are we going to recover from errors and misjudgments such as this? I hesitate to think of all the negative messages that are being sent to our youth. No wonder they don't have any idea about how to navigate conflict and small dramas in their lives. The people in position of power keep sending terrible messages. We are going down a horrible road when we can't address simple misunderstandings civilly and without making a public spectacle and bringing attention to ourselves. We have to do better. People are watching and taking their cues from us. I suggest parents use this very situation as a teaching tool. We all say things we don't mean and we can often recover from them. We need to be people who CHOOSE to see the best in others--even if we don't think they deserve it. People are important and so are relationships. So I implore you to be a lil different...choose humility, air your grievances privately. The Bible says in Matthew 18, v:15-16 (NASB) "if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed."
In Diva Love,
Pamela
Late mss add against yogo and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two orthree witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
None of us is being told the whole truth about how Sgt. Johnson ended up dead but we know that he is dead and will not be coming back to his family. We all saw his grieving widow and we know that her pain will last way into the future. We know it will be a long time before we know what was really going on in Niger and how this US soldier ended up where he was in the position he was in.
What we do know is there is controversy surrounding a call from 45 to this widow. A congresswoman has accused the POTUS of making an insensitive remark to the widow. The widow pretty much has indicated that the POTUS said something insensitive. Here's what I think...I believe the POTUS did make the remark. I do not believe he meant it maliciously even though it was definitely not a humane remark to make. I believe the Congresswoman could've shared her concerns privately to someone and the POTUS could've made a decision to fix the situation privately. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Instead both have taken to airing their issues publicly and a grieving family is left hurting in the midst of the drama. It's absolutely sickening to see adults acting this way, especially ones who are running our illustrious country. At what point are people in power going to take the high road? Everything is not meant to be a political battle. We can see that 45 is NEVER going to take real responsibility for his actions nor will he ever humble himself and admit that he may have made a mistake. He could've offered up an apology to the widow and moved on but nope, he took to Twitter and belittled yet another grown woman. The Congresswoman could've have pointed out her concern and let it go. Neither choose to handle it it maturely.
How are we going to recover from errors and misjudgments such as this? I hesitate to think of all the negative messages that are being sent to our youth. No wonder they don't have any idea about how to navigate conflict and small dramas in their lives. The people in position of power keep sending terrible messages. We are going down a horrible road when we can't address simple misunderstandings civilly and without making a public spectacle and bringing attention to ourselves. We have to do better. People are watching and taking their cues from us. I suggest parents use this very situation as a teaching tool. We all say things we don't mean and we can often recover from them. We need to be people who CHOOSE to see the best in others--even if we don't think they deserve it. People are important and so are relationships. So I implore you to be a lil different...choose humility, air your grievances privately. The Bible says in Matthew 18, v:15-16 (NASB) "if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed."
In Diva Love,
Pamela
Late mss add against yogo and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two orthree witnesses every fact may be confirmed.
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Saturday, April 15, 2017
Eyebrows On Fleek
Initially, I envisioned throwing a fantastic divorce party once my divorce was final. Well given the long amount of time that it took for that to happen, I was just happy for it to be over and done. I must also admit, it seems that celebrating the demise of a marriage is a tad wrong even if you are happy. After a very unnecessary fight, you still need a reward for your victory. So instead of a divorce party, I chose to do something for me--with the ex's money of course. 😇
My eyebrows were nearly non-existent due to a habit I have of plucking them while reading or being bored. I was sick and tired of drawing them in. Even though I know our eyebrows aren't twins, some days were good ones and others....well were not so great. So, I gave myself the gift of microblading. Microblading is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing treatment that fills in sparse or nonexistent eyebrows. The technique uses a handheld tool with needles to apply pigments that simulate additional hairs. The most popular technique is the PhiBrow technique. Their tools and pigments are produced in accordance with the highest standards. You have one microblading session and you return 4-6 weeks later for a touch-up as you will lose some pigmentation.
After consulting with several local aestheticians, I settled on the one I felt was most knowledgeable about the process. I hate people touching my face. Lyly was my choice. Her shop was neat and clean. She explained the entire process, had me sign some paper work, and got started. Lyly was very meticulous and measured multiple times and marked so that the placement was natural and symmetrical according to the shape of my face. She then carefully drew out the shape and size according to my request. I wanted natural brows with a natural arch. She gave me two colors to choose from. After about two hours, Lyly superseded my expectations. She was attentive and concerned about my level of comfort every step of the way.
The pain level was tolerable. It feels like a bunch of paper cuts. Then a strong numbing agent is applied and the remainder of the process is relatively pain free. The strokes are drawn in the direction of your brows' natural growth pattern to achieve a realistic look. Some think it looks a little dark initially but the coloring does lose its intensity after a week or so. It takes 28 days to fully heal and then the area is ready for a touch-up. For the initial week, Lyly gave me a beeswax substance to seal and moisturize the area. For the remaining time, an A&D ointment was provided. She was adamant about follow-up care. Once the microblading was complete I had very little puffiness and no irritation, despite some bleeding during the process-who knew I shouldn't have had that morning cup of coffee. The touch-up appointment was much shorter as no drawing or measuring was required. There were areas that had lightened noticeably and those were the areas Lyly concentrated on during the touch-up session. I am including a picture from my first session and from my touch-up session.
To say that I am very pleased would be an understatement. I wrote Lyly a glowing Yelp review and would recommend her without hesitation. If you aren't in the DMV area, do your homework. Microblading is an excellent choice if you are wasting precious morning time on your brows. My brows are now on fleek--in a very natural looking way. It wasn't a party but it was an awesome gift of love to myself and just in time for the summer. Did I mention that I have found contact lenses that I can wear that don't make it look as if I've been doing world class drugs after 3 days wear? I call it winning. Here's to new freedoms and a life of freedom and happiness. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your comments or thoughts. Till next time. ciao.
In Diva Love,
Pamela 👑💜
My eyebrows were nearly non-existent due to a habit I have of plucking them while reading or being bored. I was sick and tired of drawing them in. Even though I know our eyebrows aren't twins, some days were good ones and others....well were not so great. So, I gave myself the gift of microblading. Microblading is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing treatment that fills in sparse or nonexistent eyebrows. The technique uses a handheld tool with needles to apply pigments that simulate additional hairs. The most popular technique is the PhiBrow technique. Their tools and pigments are produced in accordance with the highest standards. You have one microblading session and you return 4-6 weeks later for a touch-up as you will lose some pigmentation.
After consulting with several local aestheticians, I settled on the one I felt was most knowledgeable about the process. I hate people touching my face. Lyly was my choice. Her shop was neat and clean. She explained the entire process, had me sign some paper work, and got started. Lyly was very meticulous and measured multiple times and marked so that the placement was natural and symmetrical according to the shape of my face. She then carefully drew out the shape and size according to my request. I wanted natural brows with a natural arch. She gave me two colors to choose from. After about two hours, Lyly superseded my expectations. She was attentive and concerned about my level of comfort every step of the way.
The pain level was tolerable. It feels like a bunch of paper cuts. Then a strong numbing agent is applied and the remainder of the process is relatively pain free. The strokes are drawn in the direction of your brows' natural growth pattern to achieve a realistic look. Some think it looks a little dark initially but the coloring does lose its intensity after a week or so. It takes 28 days to fully heal and then the area is ready for a touch-up. For the initial week, Lyly gave me a beeswax substance to seal and moisturize the area. For the remaining time, an A&D ointment was provided. She was adamant about follow-up care. Once the microblading was complete I had very little puffiness and no irritation, despite some bleeding during the process-who knew I shouldn't have had that morning cup of coffee. The touch-up appointment was much shorter as no drawing or measuring was required. There were areas that had lightened noticeably and those were the areas Lyly concentrated on during the touch-up session. I am including a picture from my first session and from my touch-up session.
To say that I am very pleased would be an understatement. I wrote Lyly a glowing Yelp review and would recommend her without hesitation. If you aren't in the DMV area, do your homework. Microblading is an excellent choice if you are wasting precious morning time on your brows. My brows are now on fleek--in a very natural looking way. It wasn't a party but it was an awesome gift of love to myself and just in time for the summer. Did I mention that I have found contact lenses that I can wear that don't make it look as if I've been doing world class drugs after 3 days wear? I call it winning. Here's to new freedoms and a life of freedom and happiness. Let me know what you think. I'd love to hear your comments or thoughts. Till next time. ciao.
In Diva Love,
Pamela 👑💜
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
What Am I Here For?
Years ago, Rick Warren’s
book, The Purpose Driven Life,
was extremely popular. It challenged its audience to figure out what their
purpose was for existing and to get busy making it happen. Today people still
ultimately wonder what is their sole purpose in life and how do they fulfill
their destiny. As my small group met last night, this topic came up in light of
why we as Christians exist. Of course, the conversation got deep and people
talked about their lavish purposes for their existence. I pondered the question
and I came to a slightly different conclusion this time. Yes, we are all here
for a purpose. We all have a job or role to fulfill. We cannot all be world
renown for the great works that we have done, or will do.
What if each day our purpose
is different? Perhaps we can only touch one life a day. In other words, your
mission may not be far-reaching; it may be to be taken in bits and pieces. You
have a station in life and it may be closer than you envision. Your impact may
be your immediate family, friends, and neighbors as well as your workplace and the
local stores and restaurants that you frequent. No, you may not be destined to
become the face of world philanthropist but you may be destined to touch the
woman in the grocery line ahead of you with a kind word or the $2 dollars that
she is short so she doesn’t have to have the cashier void the last item in her
cart.
Think about that. If your
random acts of kindness are not self-serving and you positively touch at least
one person a day, imagine the impact that you will have on furthering God’s
Kingdom and reflecting the love of Christ. Your purpose is to be Jesus at that
moment. Translation: meet the person's need at that moment, expecting nothing
in return. There is no value that can be placed on an act of kindness-for the
receiver as well as the giver. The concept is rather simple but in today's
reality, it doesn't always happen.
Fast moving technology and
social media have made some of us totally oblivious to the plight of others. We
have become selfish and narcissistic, worried far too much about how others
perceive our lifestyles and painting false realities to get as many
"likes" as possible. In the end, will that matter? Will that allow
the loved ones at your funeral to have something substantive to say or
celebrate? Our purpose, if we believe biblical
principles, is never about self. It's supposed to be about serving with
humility and loving others. Each day, we are given a blank page to write our
story. How we fill that page reflects what's in our hearts and our purpose for
being.
It's never too late, as long as you're alive, to be purposeful about
your purpose. Don't wait to look for an opportunity to positively impact one
person each day. Now is the time, kindness is contagious. Your purpose is to
love without expectation. How that destiny is fulfilled may be different each
day, but those divine appointments are your purpose and no one can do whatever
it is you were appointed to do for that day. Blessings will come, Don't make it
deeper than it needs to be. Your purpose begins with you, right in your corner
of your world.
In Diva Love,
Pamela
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Friday, January 13, 2017
Black Girl Magic-No Longer Hidden
If any year has taken Black Girl
Magic to an all-time high, that year is definitely 2016. Not only were there
beautiful Black girls in the White House but Black girls made significant strides
in every arena from politics to Olympic sports and of course entertainment. Our
FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, pushed for education of children everywhere but
specifically for African American girls in the Science, Technology, Engineering
and Mathematics (STEM) arena. Isn’t it fitting that a film, highlighting the
accomplishments of three African American women who were critical to NASA and
astronaut John Glenn’s successful launch to the moon, would finally be told?
Hidden
Figures chronicles the stories of Dorothy Vaughn, Katherine G.
Johnson, and Mary Jackson, names that were most likely relegated to “Little Known
Black History Facts” until just a few short months ago. After a 22 million
dollar opening, on a nationally weather challenged weekend, I suspect they will
soon be household names uttered with pride. Based on a book written by the
daughter of a NASA research scientist who worked with the women, the story
highlights their friendship along with the challenges each faced working with
the backdrop of the Jim Crow South in a racist and sexist environment. Despite
the odds stacked against them, the women played a critical role in America’s
first successful moon launch, piloted by astronaut John Glenn.
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer,
Taraji P. Henson, and Janelle Monae, poignantly play the women and are
supported by a cast that includes Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons,
and Mahershala Ali. Spencer plays Vaughn, leading and nurturing the Colored Pool
of mathematicians, without the title of supervisor. She teaches herself to
program the then innovative IBM computers, and by movie’s end finally is named
NASA’s first African American supervisor. Henson, plays Johnson, in a role so
much more demure and low-key than her over the top Cookie Lyons portrayal in
“Empire”, I wanted to stand up and cheer for that alone. Johnson, is the
trusted number cruncher who was an integral part of John Glenn’s flight team. Not
only was she eventually allowed to attend NASA briefings, she actually calculated
the equations that led to Glenn’s successful launch and landing in his quest to
orbit the earth. Mary Jackson, played by Janelle Monae, had to legally petition
the court to allow her to take university courses at a segregated high school in
the evenings. Jackson goes on to become NASA’s first African American female
engineer.
Given how long it has taken
for the three women to receive any accolades, I think this is a film they would
be proud of. It appropriately highlights the joys of their personal lives and
friendships versus their more intense and often daunting work environment. As a
viewer, I relished those scenes away from NASA so I can only imagine how they
cherished them. Tender moments with their children, families, and each other, coupled
with church attendance and functions probably sustained them for the work week
ahead. At work, they endured racist and sexist acts that were characteristic of
the times. As part of the Colored Pool, their work assignments changed
regularly. Johnson had no Colored restroom to utilize and could be found
running from building to building with stacks of work in hand, on a daily
basis, in any weather to find one. At this point she had proven that she was
brighter than most of the men in the room, yet they didn’t even want her to
pour coffee from the same pot. You can feel the emotion and passion Jackson has
as she makes her case to go to a segregated school during the height of
Woolworth sit-ins and demonstrations.
This film is a must see. The
film makes math (and physics) look pretty cool. Not only does it reinforce
Black Girl Magic but it is a story of female empowerment that will resonate
with any girl. Yet, the film is not just for girls, it’s for everyone. The
characters are relatable and you will cry over their pain, celebrate their joys
and cheer their victories. The relationship between the women is warm and
humorous. You will welcome those moments because you want them to succeed
despite the oppressive roadblocks that are thrown in their way. You will walk
away from the movie with new knowledge of the past but you will also walk away
wondering how many more of these stories exist and when exactly will they be
told.
In Diva Love,
Pamela
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Persistence begets Success
Happy New Year! 2017 is a week old. Any resolutions? Any highs? Any lows? No matter whether you make resolutions or not, the New Year makes you reflect on the past and reset your course for the future. I have goals and dreams but I don't make resolutions. I do usually choose a word to focus on for the year. My word for 2017 is persistence.
I'm going to persistently pursue being a better version of my best self. I'm going to persistently pursue those things that give me life and that I feel passionate about. I'm going to persistently pursue becoming debt free and more retirement ready. I'm going to persistently pursue seeking/meeting a balancemate. There you have it! My year, my way! Well, sort of...we plan one thing, God has other ideas. I will always remain open and available to His leading. He's already charted the course, my responsibility is to trust Him. There are 358 days left in the year...get busy living your life, your way. I am cheering for you to achieve whatever dreams or goals that you have for yourself. Go forth! Be great!
In Diva Love,
Pamela 👑🙏🏽
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Wordless Wednesday-November 23, 2016
Have a blessed and safe Thanksgiving!
Happy Heavenly Birthday to my dad, Gerald William Cole, Sr. ( Nov. 23, 1944-May 13, 2005) You are missed!
In Diva Love & Gratitude,
Pam 👑🙏🏽😘
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
