Giving Back

We get so busy with life at times we forget to take a second to recognize just how fortunate we are. The closet filled with clothes to keep us warm, some of which we haven't even touched. The car that transports us from our home sweet home to any desired destination. The food to stop our hunger. The family that loves us to no end. The friends that are our crying shoulder. Our education, some of which is paid in full by our government. A plush bed to lay in. The luxury of having a cellphone or a laptop, convenient but far from necessary things. The list goes on and on.
We are all very blessed indeed. God has given us so much. But there are people out there less fortunate than us. People that need love. People that need help. That's where we come in. To be another compassionate human being and tend to our fellow brothers/sisters in need. It's time for us to give back to our community. Did you ever want to help the community, but didn't know where to start? Did you ever feel like you can't make a difference? Did you ever feel as if you don't have time? Maybe you just never gave it any thought? I want to tell you that it's never too late. Make time to be the difference in your community. Though you are just one person, you are enough. You are one person cheering up a sick child, or visiting an elderly. You are one person packing food for the homeless or cleaning up the soup kitchen. You are one person, one agent of love, one agent of peace, one agent of joy, you are one agent of change.

Here are some volunteer ideas and organizations you can check out 8)
Hospitals
Nursing Homes
Churches
Soup Kitchens
Food Banks
Volunteers of America www.voa.org
Hands on Baton Rouge  www.handsonbatonrouge.org
(they have a calendar filled with different projects you can sign up for)
Volunteers in Public School Systems  vips.ebrschools.org
(one on one tutoring with students that are struggling with their grade level expectations, meet once weekly)
Adult Literary Advocates (225) 383-1090
(Pair up with one adult, usually an immigrant, that is trying to learn English)
Volunteer LSU


If you feel there is just no way you can set some time aside for the people that need your help in the community, please donate. Besides the wonderful people that give their time are the generous people that offer their money to support these organizations.


Jewel - Hands
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We Are Human

Heard this song on 92.7 K-LOVE the other day and immediately fell in love!! Yes, I still listen to the radio!! Hahaha...

Family Time

The one thing I love most about holidays besides the little break from school is the the time I get to share with my family. Friends come and go, lovers come and go.. but family, they are there for life. They were there the moment you were born and they'll be there the day you die. My family isn't too big since my mom is the only child. We don't have any aunts, uncles, or cousins. My mom did, however, manage to pop out six of us so we aren't exactly the smallest family either. It can get quite noisy when we gather, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The females in the kitchen screaming over one another. The males chilling with a beer in the living room. The kids running all over the place. It is one of those irritatingly pleasant things about life. The noise, the chaos, the love...<3
Must admit, I feel such a huge void and emptiness now that they're gone. I miss them dearly. I can't wait until they come visit again!! It is just so heartbreaking to be away from loved ones...

On a brighter note, my brother and his wife have arrived safe and sound from Vietnam! We shall see how new sis-in-law will adjust to bratty ole me... >8)
The other two have learned to love me over time so I'm sure she will to...
It's so funny my mom even had a talk with me because she knows how I am. Hey, there's a rite of passage for everything, including being accepted into this crazy family!

Missing California

These are just a few snapshots of the beautiful scenery we captured while in California. I catch myself day-dreaming about that gorgeous place all the time. The perfect weather, the laid back attitude, the versatile landscapes... what I would do to be back there again. I swear one of these days....I will definitely take a road trip all over California. I miss you dearly Cali...



Her dress is so prettyyyyyyyy....

Happiness

Happiness is not a goal to achieve.
It is not the end of a long journey.
It is not a treasure you uncover.
It is not a feeling you feel forever.
It is not an object you have to find.
Happiness is simply a state of mind.

That’s my amateur attempt at poetry..hahaha no wonder I quickly dropped that class some summer ago. For those that didn't really grasp what I was trying to get across, and I don't blame you because I think a 2nd grader could have written something more impressive..let me elaborate.

I can't tell you exactly how other countries view 'happiness'. However, I do find that in America, happiness is commonly perceived as an end point. Something you achieve or find at the end of an enlightening experience of some sort. Thus, we find ourselves continuously seeking happiness. Seeking to the extent that if we find ourselves 'happiness-less' for just a little while, we run to the nearest psychiatrist and beg for Prozac to make a simple case of the blues go away.

Happiness is an emotion you feel. Exterior stimulants can evoke that emotion. For example, a hug from a loved one, an A on your exam, or winning a million dollars. And when your loved one forgets your birthday or you make a F on your exam or you lose money, you begin to feel unhappiness, sadness, pain. They're just emotions you feel because you are human. I guess where I'm going with all this is that you are not obligated to be happy ALL THE TIME. People feel so obligated about being happy that it becomes stressful to be happy! WTF!?! When you feel happy, enjoy that moment. When you are upset, feel it and let it pass but don't deny it in trying to find some ounce of happiness within your pain. That is simply not the emotion you are feeling at the time and it's okay.

I am not here to promote ugliness. I am not saying it's okay to feel sad and be inconsiderate to those around you. I just want to say..stop seeking happiness...just feel it.. 8)

Pixie Lott

"Turn it up, turn it up for the people that say we're moving on and we'll be okay..."

You're Amazing Just the Way You Are

This is just the sweetest song ever!! All girls, no matter how cocky she may seem, have insecurities of some sort. We all love compliments, we all love to feel beautiful, we all want to be accepted just the way we are as much as the next girl. Our culture is border line obsessed with outer appearance, the boob jobs, the botox, the belly tucks, the face peels, toe shortening (WTF!?!) etc.
All of us can point out a flaw we would change. I know I can list quite a few...
With such a strong focus on outer appearance, people in society constantly feel judged and scrutinized. It may be quite a paranoia type of experience for many. Songs that sing about big butts and double d's don't really help either, if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, that music is great for 'popping that booty' in the club. Sadly, it also affects the way society view beauty and women.
Everyone is beautiful in their own way. What truly matters is not the way a person appears on the exterior, but what is on the interior. Beauty on the outside eventually fades with time and age, but true beauty on the inside shines forever on.

I've been there. The insecurities, the heart ache, the unhappiness that comes along with obsessing with the way I look. I know many others out there are still suffering and I will continue to have my moments of weakness. I just want to let people know that what truly matters is on the inside. What truly matters is the love you can offer the world, the peace you create with your neighbors, and the harmony you have with yourself. I'm not telling you to go and leave your legs unshaven! Presentation, undoubtedly, matters because it shows that you care about yourself enough to present yourself well. I just wanted to point out the old saying 'true beauty lies within.'



I really like this song, one of my friends posted on facebook. I don't know why she used the world 'ugly'...I'm pretty sure there's a better word out there but it's whatever...

The Good in Everyone

I honestly believe that everyone deep down inside is a good person. Everyone dreams and wishes of a world filled with peace, happiness, and love. Everyone, from the moment of birth, is instilled with a deep understanding for the difference between right and wrong. Yet, our world is still clouded and tainted with thoughts of evil and self-gain. Why? Because people have fears. People have insecurities. People have an ego to protect. At the end of the day, people are just afraid to get hurt. Very few consciously commit evil acts. Most people, however, are somewhat unconsciously hurting others. I say somewhat because from within, they know their actions have the potential to cause others pain, but their own benefits outweigh the other person.
There's always some kind of excuse or justification...
"They hurt me so this is what they get."
"I'm not responsible for anyone's feelings."
"It's a dog-eat-dog world."
"I'm teaching them a lesson."
The list goes on...
Your actions do not need justification if they are right. How do you know they're right? You search deep within you. You follow your heart. You feel no guilt. You have no questions.
It's a constant struggle for all of us. One must become conscious of their thoughts. Catch yourself and stop when evil/selfish thoughts appear.
Have you ever been so angry at someone you thought, "My goodness, I hate them! I wish they would just drop dead"?
That's not what you really want. It's your anger speaking, but once you become aware, you can stop those ugly thoughts. The key is to become conscious and aware of our thoughts and actions.
Everyone has good in them. Everyone knows what is right. It's just a harder path to take, but can you imagine how beautiful and pure our world would be if we all did or even tried to do the right thing.

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." -Gandhi

Let's start now. Me and you. Making an effort to do the right thing every day, every minute, every second, every moment of our lives...8)

A New School Year

Today marks the first day of my Fall 2010 semester. As always, I spent half of my day deciding if I'm going to stick to my classes and the other half falling asleep due to lack there of from the previous night. It never fails. First days are always a bit rough due to anxiety and excitement.
I must say I feel rather blessed because I actually enjoy school. I don't mind waking up at 8 am. I don't mind the rush of getting dressed. I don't mind the walks to class. I don't mind the corny jokes my professors try to crack. For some odd reason, I like staying busy and stressed!!

This last semester will be no easy peasy. My classes run straight thru from 9am-3pm, no breaks. All my classes are at least 1.5 hrs long, which is a bit too demanding of my attention span, but it makes up for the fact I only come to school Tues-Thurs.

I reserved Mondays for volunteering with my kids at the hospital and the elderly at church... Thursday-Saturday for working. Then I spend Sunday with my ccd kids! I am quite pleased with how this fall will look. Also excited for my favorite upcoming holidays such as Thanksgiving, my birthday, and my favorite-Christmas!!

Cheers to a new school year...so much to look forward too... 8)

WOO HOO!! Geaux Tigers!

Everybody Needs Love

I have encountered some of the lowest points of my life this past summer. It appeared to be a never-ending battle of falling flat on my face and picking myself up again. During my time of instability and constant predicaments, I came to realize that everybody needs love. I can't imagine recovering from my falls as quick as I did if my family and friends were not there to support me.

Lack of love can knock you down and tear you to pieces. The offering of love can pick you up and make you whole. I'm not talking about just 'romantic' love. Romantic love is important when you are ready to date or start a family. However, for the first half of your life, love provided by family and friends is extremely crucial to one's well-being. Orphans, the homeless, the sick, the diseased, the people that are unwanted or outcasted by society...they are hurting and suffering, not only because of their exterior life situations such as living on the streets or the missing an arm and leg...they are hurting because they lack love. They lack the genuine care and feeling of significance from fellow human beings.

I see many children these days growing up in torn homes. Their parents are too busy working or selfishly investing their time elsewhere. I see people argue and differentiate one another on such trivial matters such as race or class. I see people simply turn the other way when others are in trouble.

If we wonder why suicide hotlines, therapist, counselors, psychiatrist are needed in society? It is a mere way for someone to reach out to another person that will show them love and care.

If we wonder why depression and suicidal thoughts even exists, it is due to the fact that so much love is missing in people's lives.

Therefore, be strong and offer nothing but love to the world. Everybody needs love. I do, you do..we all do...


be kind...be caring..be loving...8)



"Everybody knows the love
Everybody holds the love
Everybody folds for love
Everybody feels the love
Everybody steals the love
Everybody heals with love"