RECIPE EXCHANGE!!! "What's Cooking?"

Hey Sis,

I am sitting here wondering how many of you CAN cook, enjoy cooking, would like to cook, but don't know how, etc etc... For so many reasons, cooking is a valuable and necessary skill to have or acquire. When I was young I was always so "busy". I never had "time" to spend in the kitchen with my mother. I played sports, I was active in school, and on and on... Cooking and learning to cook, were not priorities to me. As I got older, I began to wish more and more, that I had spent more time in the kitchen with my mother. She could cook anything, from scratch - and deliciously. (*Side note - so often we put things off because we think we can do it "later".... not realizing "later" is not guaranteed to any of us. Don't put off on tomorrow, what you can do today, especially when it comes to your family and loved ones.*)

"Dear Daddy" - A daughter's cry.

Dear Sis, 

Today my heart is very heavy. I just watched a video that literally brought me to tears. It evoked so much emotion in me: anger, outrage, sympathy, sadness, pain, ... and amidst it all - inspiration. It inspired me to WRITE. It inspired me to act. There are so many girls: daughters - without fathers. I am referring to the ones who are without fathers, not because their father isn't alive, but because he has abandoned them. This is a tragedy. Some of you may be thinking, "Well, what can we do about it? We are the mothers." To that I would respond, "What CAN we do about it?"

I can think of a few things. Before we go there though, let's take a moment and watch the video. *Remember, your responses, feedback, thoughts, experiences, --- it's all welcome.*

*UPDATE: {5/24/12} It appears the video has been removed from the internet, which is unfortunate because it was powerful - a little girl's heartbreaking story. The full-length dvd is titled "Dear Daddy". Dear Daddy is a feature length documentary about the life long effects of fatherlessness on women. The film follows the dramatic journeys of eight young women from the tough city streets of Washington,DC as they struggle to overcome poverty, poor educational systems, no healthcare, and the most difficult life circumstance they have been dealt... the absence of their fathers... but at its core, it's about the importance of a father's role in the lives of their daughters.

If you are anything like me - you are in tears right now. You WISH with all of your heart that there was something YOU could for this girl... Well maybe just maybe there is... For starters we can talk about it.

Dear Baby Sis, "Don't Post THAT Picture Online!"

... Or better yet - don't even take it (or allow anyone one else to).

You know the pictures I am talking about... Girls, wearing next to nothing - everything exposed. If you spend any amount of time on the internet, especially social networking sites, you'll see it has become an epidemic. There are SO many reasons why posing for and posting revealing and/or explicit photos (at any age) is a bad idea, and in some cases, a cry for help.

Once that photo is taken, you have put yourself in a compromising situation. Realize and consider this: once a photo is posted online, it becomes public property. Anyone can simply right-click on your photo and save it to their desktop... What they do after that is out of your control. As soon as it's posted online, you have lost all control over it and that can come back to haunt you.

Progress Report!!

Hello SISTERS!! <<<< Ha. I don't think I'll ever get tired of saying that! :) Day 9 and we have had over 400 hits to the page, 11 official members have JOINED, & countless others have either joined anonymously and/or connected via email!!! Whichever category YOU fall in to - know that I am so GLAD you are here! And 400+ hits?! You all are sharing the site!!! For that, words can't begin to express how thankful I am - but please accept my humble and sincere "Thank You" anyway, as a token of my appreciation. Keep sharing! Keep inviting the ladies in your life to join us here! God has something BIG in store for all of us - BIG! We don't want anyone to miss out! 

Already, our lives are being impacted and connections are being made! To everyone who has posted and commented - thank you! It is your comments and feedback that will take this page to another level! Whether you know it or not you have already inspired me! It's one thing for God to put a vision and/or a task before you, but it is another thing to operate in that truth. Sometimes it can be scary. You don't know how it's going to be received, but you do what God asks of you and you put the rest in His hands. That's exactly what I did with this blog and I want to thank you for responding. Your introductions and feedback let me know that I am right on track. God is moving. On that note, I'd like to take a moment to recognize two of our NEW SISTERS: Carlisha and Alexis!! Carlisha and Alexis, thank you for taking the time to introduce yourselves. I truly enjoyed getting to know a little more about each of you!  I noticed that both of you shared your spiritual homes in your introductions - I love it! If anyone is in either Las Vegas or Phoenix, you have Sisters there who I am sure wold love to have you visit and worship with them if you do not already have a spiritual home! If you haven't already done so, click on the "Meet Your Sisters" tab and check out their introductions - and while you are there, leave one of your own!! I can't wait to "meet" you!! And I am not alone - "Meet Your Sisters" has received the most hits and traffic after the "home" page, which tells me that you all are looking forward to meeting your sisters too. Let's get these introductions flowing!

As I stated in the "About Me" section of this page, growing up I was the only girl! I've always wanted a Sister. You can only imagine how many times I prayed God would send me a sister. Little did I know back then, that He had something even better in mind! I was thinking small - ONE sister. But God truly knows best and He answers our prayers. It's not always WHEN we want it or HOW we (think) we want it - and let me tell you - that is a GOOD thing because truthfully, we don't always know what's best for us. We can't see every angle and we don't know what lies ahead. Trust me, we might know what feels good to us, seems right to us, and might even make us happy at the moment... but if God has closed a door or taken something from you that you felt was "good" for you... don't lose hope. Perhaps He did that because that was what YOU thought was "good" for you, but He has something in store for you that exceeds and surpasses "good", He has GREAT things in store for you! Maybe it was a job or a relationship, a business opportunity or a home you had your eye on, whatever it was that didn't work out the way YOU had planned, maybe just maybe, you were thinking too small (smile). Remember, Proverbs 3:6 tells us, "In ALL thy ways acknowledge Him and He WILL direct thy path." I sincerely believe that - and my life reflects it. I was only hoping for ONE sister. I didn't get that... but I continued to acknowledge Him first and He continued to direct my path.... and now look =). I have all of you - and vice versa! "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen". ~ Ephesians 3:20 ... He has most certainly done exceedingly and abundantly above all that I asked - or even thought to ask... and this is only the beginning! As bad as it may hurt when we are going through it - we need to Thank God, He doesn't let us settle for OUR "good" knowing He has HIS "GREAT" in store for US all along! When we lose something or a relationship comes to an end - it doesn't have to hurt as bad, if we remind ourselves of this awesome truth. Just as He's done so for me - He will most certainly do so for you!

I thank God for all of you and am elated to have you in my life. Please make the most of this page. Post your comments and share your experiences, thoughts, advice, etc. I don't want to do ALL of the talking (smile). This is OUR page. Make sure you check out the other tabs on the page. "Worth Sharing" - if you have something worth sharing, please do so. You can share anything there that you feel would be a blessing to one of your sisters - books worth reading, inspirational quotes, health care information, safety information, vacations worth taking, community programs, community events, current events, songs, poetry, - you name it, you can share it. Remember, we are here to inspire, encourage, and push each other towards becoming better women - in whatever way we can. So far I've shared a book that I think EVERYONE should read, a women's self-defense class (offered nationwide), and information on how to get your annual credit report. There is a lot going on on this page - make sure you check out the other tabs on a regular basis to see what your sisters are talking about! 

If you'd like to JOIN the blog and haven't done so yet - check along the RIGHT side of the page. There is a button that says "Join this Site" - it's quick and easy!

KEEP SHARING THE SITE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY 

and "like" us on facebook!

Check Your Price Tag!

Some of you may recognize the following quip from facebook. It surfaced and was pretty popular just a few months ago:

"If you're not being treated with love and respect, check your price tag. Perhaps you have marked yourself down. That's right - It's YOU who tell people what you're worth by what you accept. Get off the clearance rack & get behind the glass, where they keep the valuables!" 

Before we touch on this, I have a few questions for you. Don't worry, these ones are for you to ask yourself! ;) How do you find yourself being treated? Who do you most often attract? Look at your close circle - who have you surrounded yourself with? Do you feel they represent you well?

I am asking these questions because your answers can be indicators of where you have placed yourself.

Many times, woman are mistreated because they allow themselves to be mistreated, whether consciously or unconsciously. Imagine this - you walk into Tiffany & Co and you spot a beautiful diamond. Now you know diamonds, and judging from this one's cut, shine, and clarity, you know it's worth thousands of dollars. It's expensive, but you know it's worth every penny... and you are willing to pay the full price. That is until you notice the price tag hanging from the ring. It's just been marked down. Now, what is your first thought? I am sure I can tell you what your first though ISN'T. I am sure your first thought is not - "This price is marked down too low and I am going to offer the full price instead!" Think about it, how many times have you seen something on the clearance rack and had the urge to pay FULL price?! ... I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess "never". Now why is that? Well, it isn't because you don't think the item is worth the full price - but why would you pay the full price when you know you can get it for so much less?