Hey everyone! I just wanted to share my progress with you. As of this morning, I have lost 11 pounds. Yea me! Yes, I must brag because I absolutely hate exercising. Since January 4, 2010, I have faithfully dragged myself out of my warm, comfy bed and got myself moving. My goal was that I'd complete 30 minutes of exercise at least five days each week. We are all painfully aware that in order to lose weight, you have to exert more calories than you digest. I have cut out the calorie laden drinks and water has become my beverage of choice. That is huge and believe me I miss Pepsi, sweet tea, and kool-aid. I also love ice cream...who knew that the Skinny Cow products actually taste good and they are only 150 calories. Honestly, I haven't made many food adjustments, I have pretty good eating habits. Minor adjustments such as more vegetables, no seconds, and smaller portions have helped. Also, no mindless snacking(so long Utz potato chips, and Edy's ice cream). Remember, I love food so I do allow myself a twice weekly indiscretion!
It only took me two days to realize that the treadmill and I were no longer friends. Our first name basis friendship was over before I could get started. It was BORING! For me, boredom deflates my motivation. So in order to not sabotage my efforts before I they could become habit-forming (that takes 21 days for those of you who don't know), I had to find another exercise solution. I like walking but it needs to be outdoors so I that the scenery is constantly changing. Well right now it's too cold. I am now doing a cardio workout on Wii, courtesy of Gold's Gym. I am enjoying the shape boxing. To add variance to the work out, I have incorporated Wii Fit's step aerobic, yoga, and strength exercise to my routine. I am not bored and my son gets up about 45 minutes earlier than he has to to cheer me on. I am doing a minimum of 30 minutes and some days, I get to an hour. I am gonna borrow my sister's Wii Active...she's kicking it to the curb for P90X. I am going to try the challenge. Pray for me! I would love to find an economical Zumba class, I hear it is all the rage.
I have begun this journey and it is progressing. My only advice is to encourage your children to be active. I wish I was into exercising at a much younger age. While life does begin at 40, it certainly should not be the age at which one decides to become physically fit. Do NOT interpret this as you should not begin, because you have to begin somewhere. What I am saying is this, 40 is a little tardy for the exercise party and it is hard. Regardless, it is worth it for your heart and your sanity. I feel proud every time I complete a work out and I am more focused throughout the day. When I look in the mirror, I see a pleasingly plump sexy DIVA who has NO health issues. Despite that, I know that my body is a temple and God requires me to take care of it. We only get one body and it has to last us a lifetime. Knowing that I have good genes and may live to a ripe old age(my grandma is 95), I needed to get serious quickly. We take of our nails, hair, and skin so it makes sense to care for the temple. I think my goal to be about 50 pounds lighter at the end of the year is attainable and my approach is realistic. When I feel weak, I say a really simple prayer and move forward.
I hope you are progressing toward the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. It is not too late to start. If you have already forgotten the pursuit, I challenge you to refocus and begin again. Sunday is a good day to start! I'm just saying, you can start the new week AND the month of February with a small goal that you purpose to work toward each day. You will be surprised at the accomplishment of simply taking one day/one step at a time. Before you know it, you have beyond your initial expectation. Till next time, God bless and be safe!
Copyright January 28, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
To Be or Not to Be?
I attended a Women's Conference this weekend. The theme was a Spa Weekend for Magnificent Women. It was pretty nice, although not quite the spa experience I was looking for. I had had one of the crappiest weeks ever and my mood was pretty much in the toilet. I had no expectations of how I wanted or needed to be fed. So I went with an open-mind and heart. The speaker was Alicia Britt Chole. A rather soft-spoken woman, she was a tad earthy/granola but her information was on point and she was real. If you have an opportunity, check out her website: http://www.truthportraits.com/. She has an awesome testimony especially since she used to be an atheist. Now she is sold out for JESUS! Can I get an, "AMEN!"
Because I was blessed by her, I thought that I'd bless you with some of the wisdom that I gleaned from her presentation. Trust me, it is worth sharing. She operated from this simple statement which packed a serious punch; To be or not to be a woman of God? She opened by talking about decisions and choices. According to Alicia, every choice is a seed and every seed bears fruit. She wanted to know how is your garden growing? She went on to let us know that God "thins our lives to thicken our character." In going with her garden analogy, think pruning, which is necessary to maintain a garden. God uses raw integrity to get through and remove the layers of mis-thinking, lies, and deceit we've fed ourselves or been fed.
Then she focused on several choices that we women are faced with. The first of which is, to be a woman who enthrones truth, not to be a woman whose mind is unpatrolled/uncontrolled. The basic premise is this, women can't let their emotions/lives drive their lives. Our false, constantly changing emotions/feelings become our truth, which determines our will. So, we need to retrain our minds by filling it with truth, through repeated exposure to the Word. That results in our thoughts re-aligning to God's thoughts. In this situation, victory is not the absence of uncooperative feelings, but the presence of obedience. Scripture references for this issue are Phil. 4:8, John 8:32, I Cor. 2:16, I Peter 1:13, Rom. 12:2, an Col. 3:2.
Next choice is to be a woman whose value is anchored in her Creator's love, not to be a woman whose value is anchored in mankind's approval. The essence of this choice is that people's opinion of you can't define who you are. Mankind's promise is a faulty compass. She noted that the four false sources of value in the church are performance, productivity, perfection, and position(4Ps). In this case, the value's root are not anchored in "doing" but in "being." She expounded on this point by reminding us at our value was established at creation, was affirmed at the cross, and can't be added to or subtracted from by anything or anyone. To reinforce these points she also reminded us that we always have God's attention, so what could man add. Also that we always have God's acceptance, again, what can man add. And finally, Our Daddy, God, is proud of you and it has nothing to do with the 4Ps. Scripture references for this choice are Gen. 1:26-28, Isa. 43:1, and John 5:44.
The third choice is to be a woman who chooses to be fiercely faithful, not to be a woman who flirts with unfaithfulness. She made this lesson applicable to both, married and single women. Basically, your "I do" to one person is your "I don't" to everyone else. Deep huh? So if you are single, Jesus is your Husband, everyone else is rather irrelevant. To further her point she had us reflect on who we allow to make deposits into the intimate part of us called, "woman." You know we love and need to be invested in. She also had us thinking about whether we fulfill God given desires outside of God's given context. She questioned whether we honor the marriage covenant of others and whether we did so with our eyes, touch, and thoughts. You can be unfaithful intellectually and emotionally. Most folks always focus on physical. Lastly, she inquired as to whether or not we were ruining any kings. You know those moments when you go so far but just miss crossing the line. Yes, I mean the compromising positions. You gotta date with boundaries. Tough stuff! Think about it! Scripture references for this set of ideas is based on Matt. 5:27-28, Prov. 31:3, and Heb. 13:4.
Her final choice was to be a woman whose "yes" to Jesus is unconditional, not to be a woman whose obedience is compartmentalized. The message was simple and clear....there is no substitute for obedience. She let us know that disobedience can't be quarantined. It is going to infect everything. Her final point was that you should not be offended by what I do unless you are offended by what you've done. Well that directive is clear, isn't it? The scripture references for this choice are I Cor. 9:26-27, I John 2:4, and I John 5:4.
She left each of us with much to think about and reflect upon. She ended her session by inviting the women in attendance to sign a covenant to be committed to Jesus in all of their life choices and to live it out in their daily walk. Jesus simply asks that we come and follow Him. No hesitation, no excuse, and no conditions. It will not always be easy but it will be so worth it. My friends and I pooled our money to purchase the DVD series. Eventually, I will let you know about the other choices we women deal with and what I glean from her discussion. For now, enjoy the meditating on the choices listed here and let me know what you think. Till next time, Lord willing, be blessed!
Copyright January 26, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Because I was blessed by her, I thought that I'd bless you with some of the wisdom that I gleaned from her presentation. Trust me, it is worth sharing. She operated from this simple statement which packed a serious punch; To be or not to be a woman of God? She opened by talking about decisions and choices. According to Alicia, every choice is a seed and every seed bears fruit. She wanted to know how is your garden growing? She went on to let us know that God "thins our lives to thicken our character." In going with her garden analogy, think pruning, which is necessary to maintain a garden. God uses raw integrity to get through and remove the layers of mis-thinking, lies, and deceit we've fed ourselves or been fed.
Then she focused on several choices that we women are faced with. The first of which is, to be a woman who enthrones truth, not to be a woman whose mind is unpatrolled/uncontrolled. The basic premise is this, women can't let their emotions/lives drive their lives. Our false, constantly changing emotions/feelings become our truth, which determines our will. So, we need to retrain our minds by filling it with truth, through repeated exposure to the Word. That results in our thoughts re-aligning to God's thoughts. In this situation, victory is not the absence of uncooperative feelings, but the presence of obedience. Scripture references for this issue are Phil. 4:8, John 8:32, I Cor. 2:16, I Peter 1:13, Rom. 12:2, an Col. 3:2.
Next choice is to be a woman whose value is anchored in her Creator's love, not to be a woman whose value is anchored in mankind's approval. The essence of this choice is that people's opinion of you can't define who you are. Mankind's promise is a faulty compass. She noted that the four false sources of value in the church are performance, productivity, perfection, and position(4Ps). In this case, the value's root are not anchored in "doing" but in "being." She expounded on this point by reminding us at our value was established at creation, was affirmed at the cross, and can't be added to or subtracted from by anything or anyone. To reinforce these points she also reminded us that we always have God's attention, so what could man add. Also that we always have God's acceptance, again, what can man add. And finally, Our Daddy, God, is proud of you and it has nothing to do with the 4Ps. Scripture references for this choice are Gen. 1:26-28, Isa. 43:1, and John 5:44.
The third choice is to be a woman who chooses to be fiercely faithful, not to be a woman who flirts with unfaithfulness. She made this lesson applicable to both, married and single women. Basically, your "I do" to one person is your "I don't" to everyone else. Deep huh? So if you are single, Jesus is your Husband, everyone else is rather irrelevant. To further her point she had us reflect on who we allow to make deposits into the intimate part of us called, "woman." You know we love and need to be invested in. She also had us thinking about whether we fulfill God given desires outside of God's given context. She questioned whether we honor the marriage covenant of others and whether we did so with our eyes, touch, and thoughts. You can be unfaithful intellectually and emotionally. Most folks always focus on physical. Lastly, she inquired as to whether or not we were ruining any kings. You know those moments when you go so far but just miss crossing the line. Yes, I mean the compromising positions. You gotta date with boundaries. Tough stuff! Think about it! Scripture references for this set of ideas is based on Matt. 5:27-28, Prov. 31:3, and Heb. 13:4.
Her final choice was to be a woman whose "yes" to Jesus is unconditional, not to be a woman whose obedience is compartmentalized. The message was simple and clear....there is no substitute for obedience. She let us know that disobedience can't be quarantined. It is going to infect everything. Her final point was that you should not be offended by what I do unless you are offended by what you've done. Well that directive is clear, isn't it? The scripture references for this choice are I Cor. 9:26-27, I John 2:4, and I John 5:4.
She left each of us with much to think about and reflect upon. She ended her session by inviting the women in attendance to sign a covenant to be committed to Jesus in all of their life choices and to live it out in their daily walk. Jesus simply asks that we come and follow Him. No hesitation, no excuse, and no conditions. It will not always be easy but it will be so worth it. My friends and I pooled our money to purchase the DVD series. Eventually, I will let you know about the other choices we women deal with and what I glean from her discussion. For now, enjoy the meditating on the choices listed here and let me know what you think. Till next time, Lord willing, be blessed!
Copyright January 26, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
On My Mind
I have quite a few things floating around in my head on any given day. Today is no different. So here I am with a random post because the fairy who can transpose from my mind to this blog has not shown up. :)
Haiti-hit by a devastating earthquake last Tuesday, an already struggling country now has insurmountable death and destruction to deal with. By now, I hope each of you reading this has done at least one small something to help. Really, a $10 donation will never hurt you and can do much for a poverty stricken country. We all have at least one outfit per person in our household that can be sent, and if that is not your cup of tea, how about a hygiene kit? Hygiene kits consists of the basics, a washcloth, hand towel, 6 band-aids, a small bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, etc. We take these things for granted. Give something to help those in need, you will feel good and God will bless you.
Sex Rehab-is there really such a thing? Does it work? What do you think? Hell, if everyone was getting it on the regular, the world might be a happier place. LOL! Seriously, do you believe that sexual addiction can be treated? How does one know if therapy was a success?
Healthcare Reform-I am so over it. I believe that we all deserve to be treated. There are many Americans who avoid medical treatment till the last possible moment simply because they lack the resources to get the medical assistance that they need. There is a problem with this because once they are finally treated, they are so ill, that it costs significantly more to take care of them. It is extremely difficult to level a playing field once it has been so unequal for so long. We have to start somewhere. Those of you who have never gone without(healthcare, food,or employment) cannot understand or empathize, for that matter, with those who never had those things to begin with. I want something worked out soon because I am tired of our government fighting over it. We have other issues to focus on. We need to begin somewhere. Here is a good place for Obama to utilize the Sista girl panel I suggested in a previous blog.
President Barack Hussein Obama-today is the one year anniversary of his Inauguration. It has been a long year, filled with uphill battles and a bunch of crap left over from the previous administration. What is your opinion of how he led our country so far? Have you noticed how grey his temples are getting? His popularity has dropped...no surprise there since getting his agenda through has been a constant battle. Despite the strife, I think he has maintained his respectability and cool demeanor. It is still nice to see a POTUS with swagga. I still love his family, they are still a wonderful representation of a successful African-American family in all its glory.
Martin Luther King, Jr.-how far have we come? What would he think of America at this point in history? Is his dream alive and well? How do you measure our efforts to improve civil rights? While we have come a long way, we still have many miles to go. Race matters in America whether people acknowledge that fact or not. When you are a part of the majority you can't even begin to fully relate to a minority or their personal experiences. Interestingly enough, America certainly looks different than it did in 1964, but there is still overt and subtle inequality in every arena of life. I hope in my lifetime, I can witness a color-blind society. That would be awesome!
Life-so January is more than half over. If you made resolutions, have you been successful sticking to them? Are you still optimistic about 2010? As of today, all of my closest friends seem to be a little blue. They are all tired of the monotony of life and the status quo. They are sick of most things seeming like an uphill battle. Each one of them can acknowledge that they are blessed but can't shake the feeling that there has to more to life than whatever their current, routine situation is. Perhaps it is the winter blahs or maybe it is their current season of life. I seriously don't know, but I can relate. How do you get out of a rut or jump-start a spark in your life? Tell me because I am all ears.
All righty then! That's it for now! Real random, huh? Till next time, be blessed and more importantly, be a blessing!
Copyright January 20, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Haiti-hit by a devastating earthquake last Tuesday, an already struggling country now has insurmountable death and destruction to deal with. By now, I hope each of you reading this has done at least one small something to help. Really, a $10 donation will never hurt you and can do much for a poverty stricken country. We all have at least one outfit per person in our household that can be sent, and if that is not your cup of tea, how about a hygiene kit? Hygiene kits consists of the basics, a washcloth, hand towel, 6 band-aids, a small bar of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, a comb, etc. We take these things for granted. Give something to help those in need, you will feel good and God will bless you.
Sex Rehab-is there really such a thing? Does it work? What do you think? Hell, if everyone was getting it on the regular, the world might be a happier place. LOL! Seriously, do you believe that sexual addiction can be treated? How does one know if therapy was a success?
Healthcare Reform-I am so over it. I believe that we all deserve to be treated. There are many Americans who avoid medical treatment till the last possible moment simply because they lack the resources to get the medical assistance that they need. There is a problem with this because once they are finally treated, they are so ill, that it costs significantly more to take care of them. It is extremely difficult to level a playing field once it has been so unequal for so long. We have to start somewhere. Those of you who have never gone without(healthcare, food,or employment) cannot understand or empathize, for that matter, with those who never had those things to begin with. I want something worked out soon because I am tired of our government fighting over it. We have other issues to focus on. We need to begin somewhere. Here is a good place for Obama to utilize the Sista girl panel I suggested in a previous blog.
President Barack Hussein Obama-today is the one year anniversary of his Inauguration. It has been a long year, filled with uphill battles and a bunch of crap left over from the previous administration. What is your opinion of how he led our country so far? Have you noticed how grey his temples are getting? His popularity has dropped...no surprise there since getting his agenda through has been a constant battle. Despite the strife, I think he has maintained his respectability and cool demeanor. It is still nice to see a POTUS with swagga. I still love his family, they are still a wonderful representation of a successful African-American family in all its glory.
Martin Luther King, Jr.-how far have we come? What would he think of America at this point in history? Is his dream alive and well? How do you measure our efforts to improve civil rights? While we have come a long way, we still have many miles to go. Race matters in America whether people acknowledge that fact or not. When you are a part of the majority you can't even begin to fully relate to a minority or their personal experiences. Interestingly enough, America certainly looks different than it did in 1964, but there is still overt and subtle inequality in every arena of life. I hope in my lifetime, I can witness a color-blind society. That would be awesome!
Life-so January is more than half over. If you made resolutions, have you been successful sticking to them? Are you still optimistic about 2010? As of today, all of my closest friends seem to be a little blue. They are all tired of the monotony of life and the status quo. They are sick of most things seeming like an uphill battle. Each one of them can acknowledge that they are blessed but can't shake the feeling that there has to more to life than whatever their current, routine situation is. Perhaps it is the winter blahs or maybe it is their current season of life. I seriously don't know, but I can relate. How do you get out of a rut or jump-start a spark in your life? Tell me because I am all ears.
All righty then! That's it for now! Real random, huh? Till next time, be blessed and more importantly, be a blessing!
Copyright January 20, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Sacrificial Lamb
It is two weeks into 2010 and I feel pretty good. I am resolute about making some changes. I gotta stay positive to make them happen.....a little focus and determination coupled with less procrastination should serve me well. Like most people, I am fairly optimistic about the year ahead. For me, optimism remains a constant throughout the year. What is difficult for me is being obedient to the point of sacrifice. Currently I am studying the book of Genesis in a Community Bible Study. It is a great study! Yes, the stories are familiar but the nuggets of wisdom are very thought provoking.
Recently, we studied about Abraham being commanded to sacrifice Isaac, his promised child, for the Lord. Well that lesson got me to thinking really hard. Could I do what Abraham did? I really don't know. It is that confusion that led me to think about what blessings that I might have missed because of my lack of sacrifice. God may ask us to give up small things because He has something so much better in store for us. How often do we miss the blessing because we like what we have or we are not willing to have the faith to get rid of it so that God can give us something new and greater?
We are guilty of blocking our own blessings. God's will is always going to prevail but we may miss being taken to a higher level of relationship, praise, and worship because of our inability to trust God with what we consider most precious to us. Wouldn't it be a tragedy to find out that we held on to, say a house, when God told us to move, only to find out that he had several mansions or an island for us in return.
Our sacrifice is really not for God. Everything already belongs to Him. He wants our faithful hearts. He wants to know that we love Him and trust Him to have our best interests at heart. He wants to know that whatever we love the most has not become our idol. An idol is anything that we love more than the Lord. So my dear readers, what are you holding on to? What do you treasure most? If God asked you tomorrow, what would your answer be? "Here Lord, take it, I know whatever You have for me has to be better than this." Or will it be, "No Lord, I love you but I need/can't_____________(you fill in the blank)." It is something to think about.
Now Abraham actually got to talk directly to God. God continued to bless Abraham even though he messed up and messed up often. God will do the same thing for us. We have to be willing to let go because when it comes to God, a bird in the hand is not necessarily better than two in the bush. Please don't confuse me as saying that the blessings will necessarily be material. Sometimes, they might but often, they might not. You never can predict what God will do, but whatever it is, it's His business. Whatever His Business is, He set that plan in motion a long long time ago. This, I know, God is in the blessing business and all that He requires of us, is our obedience, even if it means we have to make a monumental sacrifice. So I challenge you(and myself) to be willing to let go of whatever you treasure so that God can bless your socks off. It will not e easy but it will be one of the best decisions you could ever make. Let me know your thoughts, it's real deep when you really really think about it. Could you do it, even if it made no sense to you? Would you trust God enough with your prized possession? Inquiring minds really do want to know........Til next time.....God bless!
Copyright January 19, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Recently, we studied about Abraham being commanded to sacrifice Isaac, his promised child, for the Lord. Well that lesson got me to thinking really hard. Could I do what Abraham did? I really don't know. It is that confusion that led me to think about what blessings that I might have missed because of my lack of sacrifice. God may ask us to give up small things because He has something so much better in store for us. How often do we miss the blessing because we like what we have or we are not willing to have the faith to get rid of it so that God can give us something new and greater?
We are guilty of blocking our own blessings. God's will is always going to prevail but we may miss being taken to a higher level of relationship, praise, and worship because of our inability to trust God with what we consider most precious to us. Wouldn't it be a tragedy to find out that we held on to, say a house, when God told us to move, only to find out that he had several mansions or an island for us in return.
Our sacrifice is really not for God. Everything already belongs to Him. He wants our faithful hearts. He wants to know that we love Him and trust Him to have our best interests at heart. He wants to know that whatever we love the most has not become our idol. An idol is anything that we love more than the Lord. So my dear readers, what are you holding on to? What do you treasure most? If God asked you tomorrow, what would your answer be? "Here Lord, take it, I know whatever You have for me has to be better than this." Or will it be, "No Lord, I love you but I need/can't_____________(you fill in the blank)." It is something to think about.
Now Abraham actually got to talk directly to God. God continued to bless Abraham even though he messed up and messed up often. God will do the same thing for us. We have to be willing to let go because when it comes to God, a bird in the hand is not necessarily better than two in the bush. Please don't confuse me as saying that the blessings will necessarily be material. Sometimes, they might but often, they might not. You never can predict what God will do, but whatever it is, it's His business. Whatever His Business is, He set that plan in motion a long long time ago. This, I know, God is in the blessing business and all that He requires of us, is our obedience, even if it means we have to make a monumental sacrifice. So I challenge you(and myself) to be willing to let go of whatever you treasure so that God can bless your socks off. It will not e easy but it will be one of the best decisions you could ever make. Let me know your thoughts, it's real deep when you really really think about it. Could you do it, even if it made no sense to you? Would you trust God enough with your prized possession? Inquiring minds really do want to know........Til next time.....God bless!
Copyright January 19, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tiger, Could Ya Roar Any Louder?
Okay so I am gonna say my piece on Tiger and hopefully this will be it. First of all, let me just say that I have never really been a huge fan of Tiger. Y'all know I'm cynical, soooo bear with me. I am proud of his abilities on the golf course but I was not a fan of his persona at all. His aloof demeanor was always a turn off for some reason.
As recent events have transpired, we see that his personally crafted life was out of control. His fierce desire to maintain his privacy was obviously born out of his fear of revealing his copious sexual indiscretions. All of the women were Caucasian party girls. WTF? They are coming out the wood work like roaches. They are dying to tell their stories. So he liked them dumb and trophy like. Elin was attractive but not beautiful enough to keep him from straying. This says a lot about him, in my opinion. Once a frat party boy always a frat party boy!
Tiger's problem is this......He tried to play the game and lost. Here is his Black card reality check. We can't do what they do, no matter how much your black a$$ is loved and admired. Come on bruh, and your ass is a brother......an attorney on retainer to quiet the bimbos who wanted to out you. Let's be real! Reality check number two, your jealous colleagues, who are probably guilty of the same indiscretions, are dogging you out every chance they get. You now see who your true friends are. That is what happens when there is a scandal. Reality check three, you are screwing with your money in more ways than one despite the fact that if you never earned another dime you'd still have more money than you could spend in a lifetime. Elin is getting seriously paid as she has revised that pre-nup, and she has your children. Endorsements are being lost as your name is being defamed on national news and talk shows everywhere. Reality check #4, bad press is fine if you have good PR people. Unfortunately you are no media darling and if you had PR people, well they need to be fired. Reality check #5, if you couldn't be loyal how could you expect those in your camp to be loyal?
As a sister, an African-American sister, I am annoyed that you never saw fit to deal with one sister. We come in all shapes, hues, and we are beautiful in all of our glory. When I look at Tiger, I see a partying frat boy who never grew up. Funny, life has a way of making you grow up. We will all face our demons someday, no matter how powerful we are nor how much money we possess. So who cares where Tiger(or Elin) are hiding out. Remember, to whom much is given, much is required.
All this said, I feel bad that yet another family's dirty laundry is playing out in very public television. Nobody deserves to have to resolve their private business under public scrutiny. The public doesn't deserve to hear from you because they are going to draw their own conclusions anyway. You do need to work on being a better person, husband, father but we all need to improve as well. I am not sure if you making a public statement would make a difference.
Do we really care? No! There are much bigger issues going on in the world. Now Tiger could have the last laugh, according to my hubby, he could divorce Elin and pay her a mere fortune, win the Masters etc, and retire and screw all the women he wants for the rest of his life. UGH! I am sure that scenario would piss off a whole host of people. So that's it, I have no more to say(on this subject). Yes, I am late but this was on deck, I just didn't post it timely. Forgive, me! I love y'all! What do you think? What is your opinion of Tiger Woods? Has it changed?
Copyright January 13, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
As recent events have transpired, we see that his personally crafted life was out of control. His fierce desire to maintain his privacy was obviously born out of his fear of revealing his copious sexual indiscretions. All of the women were Caucasian party girls. WTF? They are coming out the wood work like roaches. They are dying to tell their stories. So he liked them dumb and trophy like. Elin was attractive but not beautiful enough to keep him from straying. This says a lot about him, in my opinion. Once a frat party boy always a frat party boy!
Tiger's problem is this......He tried to play the game and lost. Here is his Black card reality check. We can't do what they do, no matter how much your black a$$ is loved and admired. Come on bruh, and your ass is a brother......an attorney on retainer to quiet the bimbos who wanted to out you. Let's be real! Reality check number two, your jealous colleagues, who are probably guilty of the same indiscretions, are dogging you out every chance they get. You now see who your true friends are. That is what happens when there is a scandal. Reality check three, you are screwing with your money in more ways than one despite the fact that if you never earned another dime you'd still have more money than you could spend in a lifetime. Elin is getting seriously paid as she has revised that pre-nup, and she has your children. Endorsements are being lost as your name is being defamed on national news and talk shows everywhere. Reality check #4, bad press is fine if you have good PR people. Unfortunately you are no media darling and if you had PR people, well they need to be fired. Reality check #5, if you couldn't be loyal how could you expect those in your camp to be loyal?
As a sister, an African-American sister, I am annoyed that you never saw fit to deal with one sister. We come in all shapes, hues, and we are beautiful in all of our glory. When I look at Tiger, I see a partying frat boy who never grew up. Funny, life has a way of making you grow up. We will all face our demons someday, no matter how powerful we are nor how much money we possess. So who cares where Tiger(or Elin) are hiding out. Remember, to whom much is given, much is required.
All this said, I feel bad that yet another family's dirty laundry is playing out in very public television. Nobody deserves to have to resolve their private business under public scrutiny. The public doesn't deserve to hear from you because they are going to draw their own conclusions anyway. You do need to work on being a better person, husband, father but we all need to improve as well. I am not sure if you making a public statement would make a difference.
Do we really care? No! There are much bigger issues going on in the world. Now Tiger could have the last laugh, according to my hubby, he could divorce Elin and pay her a mere fortune, win the Masters etc, and retire and screw all the women he wants for the rest of his life. UGH! I am sure that scenario would piss off a whole host of people. So that's it, I have no more to say(on this subject). Yes, I am late but this was on deck, I just didn't post it timely. Forgive, me! I love y'all! What do you think? What is your opinion of Tiger Woods? Has it changed?
Copyright January 13, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
My Daily Prayer
Some days I pray randomly and all throughout the day others, I pray at night or in the morning. This year I thought I'd do something a little differently. So I developed a prayer that I'd say every day to remain consistent and watch God work. I thought I'd share it with you. Perhaps you will be inspired to come up with your own prayer or to personalize mine. The point is to connect with God each and every day. After all, He is all about relationship. Prayers simply begin a on-going conversation with God. They will change you and your perspective. It will also force you to see exactly how great God really is. Here it goes!
Father God, I come to you acknowledging that I fall short on a daily basis. You are worthy and deserving of my praise. It is my desire to live a life that is pleasing to You. Please order my steps and guard my lips. Help me to seek to do Your will and not my own. Please penetrate the deepest parts of my heart. Give me a hunger and thirst for Your Word.
Lord, you know my every need. You know my deepest desires and fears. You also know my hurting places. Help me to flee from sin, anger, malice, and bitterness. Help me to encourage those in my circle and be a mighty witness for you. Help me also to be a good steward of my time, talents, and finances. Help me to use what I have to advance Your Kingdom.
Lord, I pray for my family, friends, acquaintances, and the unsaved. Lord, I pray for our leaders, that they make good decisions. I pray for the safety of our military, bless and keep their families. Lord let me not forget how blessed I am even on my worst day. Let me be mindful of those less fortunate. Open doors for me to share Your Goodness! Thank you for the doors You open and the ones that You close, I know that what You have for me, is for me. Finally Lord, thank You for blessing me with a group of friends who know You and can pray when I have no words, And when they can't pray, I thank You for the Holy Spirit who intercedes on my behalf. To You all glory and honor are due..In the matchless Name of Jesus, AMEN!
Copyright January 13, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Father God, I come to you acknowledging that I fall short on a daily basis. You are worthy and deserving of my praise. It is my desire to live a life that is pleasing to You. Please order my steps and guard my lips. Help me to seek to do Your will and not my own. Please penetrate the deepest parts of my heart. Give me a hunger and thirst for Your Word.
Lord, you know my every need. You know my deepest desires and fears. You also know my hurting places. Help me to flee from sin, anger, malice, and bitterness. Help me to encourage those in my circle and be a mighty witness for you. Help me also to be a good steward of my time, talents, and finances. Help me to use what I have to advance Your Kingdom.
Lord, I pray for my family, friends, acquaintances, and the unsaved. Lord, I pray for our leaders, that they make good decisions. I pray for the safety of our military, bless and keep their families. Lord let me not forget how blessed I am even on my worst day. Let me be mindful of those less fortunate. Open doors for me to share Your Goodness! Thank you for the doors You open and the ones that You close, I know that what You have for me, is for me. Finally Lord, thank You for blessing me with a group of friends who know You and can pray when I have no words, And when they can't pray, I thank You for the Holy Spirit who intercedes on my behalf. To You all glory and honor are due..In the matchless Name of Jesus, AMEN!
Copyright January 13, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Joy is Internal
Did you know that God commands us to count the good, the bad, and the ugly that we experience in life as joy? Well, He did and He stated it pretty clearly so that we can learn patience. James 1:2-3 states, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."(NKJV) That's something, isn't it? All means all.
I don't know about you but sometimes that is a really difficult pill to swallow. I mean it is easy to count the good as joy but when life is dealing you a crappy hand how the heck are you supposed to count that as joy? I am a pretty upbeat person but every blue moon, even I want to bury my head in the sand and tantrum at the wrongs in my life. Today, as I whined and complained about a situation that I'm dealing with, my very good friend Rose kept reminding me that we who are saved are not supposed to handle life's ills in our own strength. She kept reminding me that God has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to do what seems impossible for us.
She is right and I needed that gentle reminder that God has equipped us with all we need to survive. Also, He is trying to produce something in us. Patience is a virtue and it is one that I also struggle with. The older I get, the more I realize that most people are seriously lacking in the area of patience. We try to complete people's thoughts when they don't explain something fast enough, we repeatedly push the elevator buttons like that will make it come faster. We are all in a rush like our life is so important. Really, we lack patience. Achieving patience will perfect and complete us(James 1:4). We all know that we are NEVER going to be perfect, so patience will always be an area that we are tested in and constantly having to mature in.
Wouldn't it actually be sweet if we did really put the verse into practice? Life might be so much more pleasant. Our perspective would be positive and so would our interactions. We would all see the glass half full rather than half empty. We would tackle our problems with relish and gusto. We'd whine less and praise more. Honestly, it is easier to praise when things are going well but it is a testimony when we praise God through our heartache and pain. So I am issuing a challenge.....try to purpose in your heart to be joyful even though you really want to moan and groan. You might just bless yourself and someone else in the process. You will grow your patience in the process too. Yep, that's it, count it ALL joy, even the pain. Till we meet again, be joyous!
Copyright January 13, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
I don't know about you but sometimes that is a really difficult pill to swallow. I mean it is easy to count the good as joy but when life is dealing you a crappy hand how the heck are you supposed to count that as joy? I am a pretty upbeat person but every blue moon, even I want to bury my head in the sand and tantrum at the wrongs in my life. Today, as I whined and complained about a situation that I'm dealing with, my very good friend Rose kept reminding me that we who are saved are not supposed to handle life's ills in our own strength. She kept reminding me that God has given us the Holy Spirit to enable us to do what seems impossible for us.
She is right and I needed that gentle reminder that God has equipped us with all we need to survive. Also, He is trying to produce something in us. Patience is a virtue and it is one that I also struggle with. The older I get, the more I realize that most people are seriously lacking in the area of patience. We try to complete people's thoughts when they don't explain something fast enough, we repeatedly push the elevator buttons like that will make it come faster. We are all in a rush like our life is so important. Really, we lack patience. Achieving patience will perfect and complete us(James 1:4). We all know that we are NEVER going to be perfect, so patience will always be an area that we are tested in and constantly having to mature in.
Wouldn't it actually be sweet if we did really put the verse into practice? Life might be so much more pleasant. Our perspective would be positive and so would our interactions. We would all see the glass half full rather than half empty. We would tackle our problems with relish and gusto. We'd whine less and praise more. Honestly, it is easier to praise when things are going well but it is a testimony when we praise God through our heartache and pain. So I am issuing a challenge.....try to purpose in your heart to be joyful even though you really want to moan and groan. You might just bless yourself and someone else in the process. You will grow your patience in the process too. Yep, that's it, count it ALL joy, even the pain. Till we meet again, be joyous!
Copyright January 13, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Saturday, January 9, 2010
My Nook Is Here!!
Okay so I still really don't feel like putting my fingers to keys and typing the blogs in my head. Sorry folks, I am not sure what the problem is but I can assure you that eventually, it shall pass. I am excited to share with you the fact that I have finally received my Nook. Y'all know that I am a book whore! I love to read! Any book store makes me happy just by being there for me to browse the latest titles. So imagine having a bookstore that you can hold in your hands.
For those of you who are not aware of what a Nook is, it is Barnes & Noble's(B&N) electronic reading device. Think Amazon's Kindle or Sony's E-Reader. Originally, I wanted a Kindle but after much study, I thought I'd like the Nook better. In other words, whole books are downloaded to a portable device. To be able to download and port my books in a hand-held device, well for me, that is MAJOR.
My Nook finally came yesterday and I wasted absolutely no time getting it charged and ready for use. As of today, I have downloaded five whole books and eight book samples. The sample allows you to read at least the first chapter(or more) before you purchase. You can sample anything before you buy. The cost of the books range from free to $9.99. Most bestsellers and newly published books are at the higher end price-wise. Not bad for new hard backed books which would normally cost you anywhere from $17 to $27. Not only are books available but also magazines and newspapers. How cool is that?
I can download pictures and music to personalize and enhance my Nook experience. I ordered a pretty case for it today. It is small enough to fit in my purse. It is about the size of a 5x7 picture and very light in weight. Every time I look at it I smile. I can share(or lend) the books I purchase with a friend too. My sister will get hers in a couple of weeks and she can't wait. If she had it today, she'd be locked in her bathroom with it. I understand totally. The other good thing is that your books download to the device and your on-line account. There is no space taken up in your home or on your bookshelf. If you take your Nook with you to B&N, it will recognize the store and offer you additional deals. All that said, I am an extremely happy camper. So I owe a huge amount of appreciation to my husband who gave me the most cherished gift this past Christmas. Meat, I love you and I appreciate the thoughtfulness. Now, don't forget to give B&N gift cards if you are ever in doubt of a gift idea for me. Hint, hint, hint! LOL! So I gotta go, read of course. Y'all know reading is FUNdamental! Till next time, Ciao!
Copyright January 9, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
What's up?
Hey Folks! I hope your New Year is off to a fantabulous start. So far for me, so good. I have been working out every morning and a little in the evening too. It is so hard to drag myself out of the bed, but in order for me to lose the weight I am motivated to lose, it is imperative. I've been watching my diet too. I don't have horrible eating habits but I can definitely improve. I have not been drinking anything but water since Sunday. I don't miss anything, yet. Also, I am trying to get at least 7.5 hours of sleep. You need at least 7 for the body to heal itself. I am not a sleeper, so this one is a tad more challenging for me, I function well on 6.5.
I am telling you all of this because, I really have three blogs floating in my head but I just don't feel like typing them out right now. That said, know that I love you all. I am praying God's will and best for you. I will write soon. Till then, stay hopeful. The year is fresh and it has quite a few surprises in store for each and every one of us. I appreciate you and I hope you find my blogs entertaining and thought provoking. I hope that I inspire you and make you want to do better and be better. When all else fails, I hope I make you think or laugh. The glass is always half full. Be blessed! Till next time, peace, love, and hair grease!!!
Copyright January 6, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
I am telling you all of this because, I really have three blogs floating in my head but I just don't feel like typing them out right now. That said, know that I love you all. I am praying God's will and best for you. I will write soon. Till then, stay hopeful. The year is fresh and it has quite a few surprises in store for each and every one of us. I appreciate you and I hope you find my blogs entertaining and thought provoking. I hope that I inspire you and make you want to do better and be better. When all else fails, I hope I make you think or laugh. The glass is always half full. Be blessed! Till next time, peace, love, and hair grease!!!
Copyright January 6, 2010 by Pamela Cole Thorpe
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