Blessed & Curvy

Body of Armor Growing up  one’s appearance was a significant factor that my mother instilled into each of her children. We were told we were beautiful, handsome and take pride in your appearance.  As a child I loved to play dress up and shopping for clothing was more than a necessity it was an obsession for myself. Scrolling through my childhood pictures I was ready for the camera at any time. My mother's living room was packed with picture frames of all of her children.  During middle school I found that I loved food more than clothing and accessories and by the seventh grade I was wearing a woman’s size 18 clothing. The suggestion of my older sister she talked my parents into letting me go to modeling school. I learned how to walk properly, apply makeup and again take pride in my appearance. I was soon losing weight, competing in fashion shows and getting attention from the opposite sex. I was subscribing to fashion magazines, watching televisio...

What can the readers of my books expect this year about the  latest book There Is Sunshine After The Rain? Synopsis  Sitting there with the pieces of your life around you, there seemed to be a pattern. There was faith, love, deceit, lust, and loss—in that order. You didn’t think you were deserving of love. That is why everything was being taken from you, and you were ready to give up on life. Through your poetry, faith, and learning from your past, you can rewrite the story. It was after coming through all the experiences and being stronger, you realized there is always a new chapter. The book will take you on the journey of a young girl growing up in Connecticut, who had to take some stumbles along the way to come into her own and realize instead of tearing herself down for the decisions she made, there is a lesson. Love is greater than anyone can imagine and can warm you like the sunshine after the rain. You went from the beginning, the journey, the...

What Is Forgiveness? Psychologists generally define forgiveness as a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. Just as important as defining what forgiveness  is , though, is understanding what forgiveness is  not . Experts who study or teach forgiveness make clear that when you forgive, you do not gloss over or deny the seriousness of an offense against you. Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offenses. Though forgiveness can help repair a damaged relationship, it doesn’t obligate you to reconcile with the person who harmed you, or release them from legal accountability. Instead, forgiveness brings the forgiver peace of mind and frees him or her from corrosive anger. While there is some debate over whether true forgiveness requires positive feelings toward the offender, experts a...

With My Hands Up I have never been a protester I have stayed under the radar Until today Today I am the one with my hands up Followed around the store I have enough money in my wallet to pay the salary of the cashier following me I am trying my best to stay in control Not guilty until proven innocent I know I haven’t done anything except walked into the store I realized that I had taken so much for granted I am the only one in the store that looks like me I notice that others are walking around the store No one is being followed Except…me I am walking down the aisle when I hear his voice “Did you find everything that you’re looking for?” “Well, yes I am quite aware of how to read I can find my way around a store” I notice backup is coming down the aisle “I haven’t done anything except walk in your store” As my voice goes up because I know my rights “I know that you’re following me!” Someone who you are thinking is guil...

New Year. New Beginning It seems like when a new year begins everyone is taking out their journals and writing what they are going to do different. You have the new craze where women get together with magazines, scissors, and some wine. They call it a vision board party and this is where the motto is If You Can See It … You Can Believe It! People list that they will be better than they were the year before. Making promises to themselves: I will take better care of myself and watch what I eat. I am going to lose the baby weigh. I will start exercising. The list goes on. The problem is out of a pool of 100 people by March you have 50% that have lost momentum and no longer find the importance of their list. The become content with what is comfortable. There is 25% that is on target and have partnered with someone to hold them accountable and that is what they said is the key to their success. They don’t want to disappoint themselves but they mainly don’t want to disappoin...