Rant # 2 & 1st Vlog

Oppzz at one point I said lens instead of flash hahah...

Rant # 1

Okay so there's a few things I want to talk about, and I will try to touch on these things without making this into a book. They will be broken down ....so here is Rant #1:

My Culture Is More Than A Fashion Statement

OK I'm not the most traditional person you will come across. I'm what most may describe me as culturally exposed. I mean for petes sake I have a set of Indian parents, a set of black parents, couple of Black, Indian, and Hispanic siblings so on and so forth. I personally consider myself a well rounded individual as far as race is concerned, and pretty flexible with it. However, few things that highly bothers me is when the Western culture makes my culture just a fashion statement. Oh and that question "why don't you wear that dot on your head?". Unfortunately people of my culture lets the Western culture get away with it, because they have this weird need to please the Western race. A Sari is more than a fashion statement people, it is a traditional outfit. Henna is more than temporary tattoo, those designs have meaning behind it. OH and one more thing...just cause I am Indian does not mean I was converted to Christianity you close minded fool. Christianity still exist heavily in the Southern part of India.

Please don't get me wrong I love it when people are curious about other cultures, and try out new things. However, it bothers me heavily when cultures are used for fashion statement, and it doesn't even stay true to its form. It always has to get some sort of Western twist to it...have some sort of "sex" appeal. By the time all is said and done all that's left from that culture would be just the material used to make this fashion statement, everything else has been distorted thanks to sex appeal,and fashion statement. Case and point...pussycat dolls as pictured below


For the most part three out of the five are wearing the sari as it was meant to be worn, and the short blonde...I'll kind of let her slide because I know the newer generation tries to switch it up even in India, but the other one...ummmm HUH??? Oh and what's the deal with the push up bras??? I've worn a sari once in my life, but I have seen it on many folks both young and old alike, but none of them were sporting a push up bra looking blouse underneath...smh Of course some people might look at it as Hollywood is embracing Bollywood.....I look at it as...STOP USING MY CULTURE FOR YOUR SEX APPEAL FASHION STATEMENT...thank you!!! That pretty much ends rant # 1 which leaves me with rant # 2 soon to follow, and reminiscing of blogger...Stay tuned, and till next time..adios!!

With a GRATEFUL heart

The number ten represent a whole new cycle. It also represents trials and tribulations. As I walk around the house feeling the effects of the first cold front that has swept through the South I started to think about all the things I was thankful for. I heard my Houston dad talking in the background, and my Houston mom laughing, and it occurred to me that even though it has been one of "those" years, and I felt like just staying in my bed most days I am probably one of the most blessed girls in this world. From my family to my friends I got it made pretty good.

This year I got to stay in Houston for Thanksgiving. Not only did I get to spent Thanksgiving with my family I finally got to spent a Thanksgiving with my best friend after four years of knowing each other. Of course this was a big deal because he is leaving for Alaska for the next two years, so only the good Lord knows when's the next time we'll be in 50 mile radius of each other. Marc's cousin flew in from Alanta so I got the pleasure of finally meeting this Robyn I have heard so much about since freshmen year of college. Our day started off with the H.E.B Thanksgiving Parade. This is my very first thanksgiving parade, and it was very Texas styled needless to say.

Robyn and I waiting for the parade to start...

Now you see this was no ordinary parade...this parade including my best friend dancing with "Twitch" (he's a big deal in the dance world, youtube him).

Marc Dancing 

Twitch

He's too cool for school...THIS GUY!!!

BUDDY!!!

After the parade we all went to our houses and cleaned up, and re-grouped at my house for lunch/dinner (gained about 10 pounds btw). Needless to say this was the best thanksgiving I have experienced ever since I have been celebrating thanksgiving, and it's really because of God's grace and the amazing people he has placed in my life. Regardless of if you were physically here or not today please know that I love you and appreciate you for the things you do in my life.

I hope the rest of you all had just a great thanksgiving as I did.

Testing out the BB Blogger App

You can tell more about a person by what he/she says about others, than you can by what others say about him/her

The Difference Between a Husband/Wife and a Partner

For a while now I've been thinking about myself and my likes and dislikes,and I remember I having an internal conversation with myself, and I ended the conversation with "I'm not looking for a husband, I'm looking for a (life) partner". That kind of caught me off guard, and lead me to think deeper and deeper into the difference between a husband/wife and a partner. Of course I had to use my favorite site Google, and look up the definition. I as a female will be speaking of the husband, but you as the reader can reverse the meaning according to your preference.


Husband is defined as: A man joined to another person in marriage; a male spouse
Partner is defined as:  a person with whom one shares an intimate relationship


The deeper a person looks into the meaning of these two words it really makes one think. The conclusion I came up with is anyone can take the husband title and put it on themselves, but a partner it's a contract that you sign, and you uphold that contract through the good and the bad. When you have a partner this person compliments you in your weak areas and in your strong areas. Another way of looking at this would be the common saying "baby daddy" and "daddy". Anyone can donate their sperm, but it takes a special breed to be the real deal. 


See in a partnership we think twice before breaking a contract because both parties are aware that there are consequences and ramification when a contract is broken. To me marriage is a contract, it is one that you make with God and your spouse, and you say " for the good, the bad, the worst" I choose to stick with this person. This is my partner and I honor them, and I will not break the contract that I make with God and with this person. For these reasons and more I choose to have a partner in life rather than just a husband. 

MIGHTY Small

I'm sitting here reading James 3, and it got me started on a thought process and of course I had to write about it while it was still fresh in my mind. Look at the objects above when you look at it, it's just a match stick, an airplane yolk, and a steering wheel. But if you take each object and look at what it can do it's truly amazing. For instance, a steering wheel as small as it is controls the movement of a whole car. If you turn it right, it will turn right. If you turn it left it will turn left, but if you choose to keep it straight it will also do that. The same goes for an airplane yolk. You can control your destination with that one small piece of equipment. Lastly I looked at the single match. It's small, almost inanimate object in most peoples eyes, but when  you think about it if you spark that small inanimate object it has the power to burn down a whole forest. The same goes for your tongue. You tongue can make grand speeches (James 3:5), but are those speeches regrettable? Do they speak life to yourself and to others or is a speech of death into every situation? Your tongue is capable of sparking fire in peoples' lives...make sure it is a fire of prosperity and not of death.



"The best speech you have made that you will come to regret is a speech made in anger"

Soooooo BOUGIE!

So last month I had the pleasure of doing my very first runway show during Houston Fashion Week. I walked for two designers one local and one from Cali, and it was put together by Bougie Magazine (http://bougiemagazine.info/main/) I was able to locate the pics today (after over a month lol) thanks to the lead makeup artist... and here it is

In deep thought before the show

All smiles here :-)

I feel like I was saying..yea it's me and what!!! LMBO!!!

I was def bougiefyed lol :)

What's True? What's Real?

It's funny how much the enemy has been fighting my mind for the past couple of weeks. There are days I am borderline about to cross over to depression. Sometimes when I get up in the morning and before I even have a chance to fully wake up I'm bombarded with thoughts, and a gloomy feeling. I know a few of my friends my read this and I have to apologize to them because in instances like that I tend to pull myself away from people and its not because of them, but because I am easily irritable, and more sensitive when I go through things like that than I normally am. Also, in the last four months I have made so many strides forward I didn't want them to think I fell off the wagon. It's like recovering from being an alcoholic, and you have that one night you fell off that wagon of victory. You're mad at yourself, you're mad at the world, and most of all you are just filled with a little shame.

I caught myself slipping constantly with my thoughts of self pity, but there were four words I always asked myself when things looked bad "What's true? What's real?". You see the truth of the matter is our mind amplifies a situation 10 times more than it needs to be amplified. Of course the enemy knows where to fight us, and in the last couple of days I've noticed he starts these thoughts on some EXTREMELY petty things like HAIR!!! I kid you not...I almost slipped into bad mood syndrome because of my hair. I really thank God for knowledge because if not for his grace and knowledge I would be deeply depressed right about now. So last night as I sat in my room feeling like Mrs. Gloom, I made a decision that I am not about to stay in this state for too long. The enemy had his fun now it's time to kick him to the curb and for me to move on with my day. I knew I needed a good nights rest (which most problems can be solved with a great nights sleep) so I turned on my laptop and started playing worship music and meditating on the things that it said rather than what my thoughts were telling me. Needless to say I woke up feeling good. I didn't have thoughts trying to bring me down before I even got a chance to wake up. Heck I even kept it cool with certain class mates who get on my ever lasting nerves.

When things look down and out always ask yourself "What is true? What is real?" Because you see my daddy tells me I am more than a conquerer, and that he has plans to prosper me, and that he will never forsake me. Also, if you get a chance please go by your local bookstore and pick up either Loving God With All You Mind By Elizabeth George or Power Thoughts By Joyce Meyer. I find it that both books correlate with each other so you win regardless which book you end up with

Ummm...you're early...

So here's my pondering of the day and before I ask the question let me give you a little background information. I like being early to appointments. My freshmore (freshmen/sohpmore) of college one of the things Dr. Dittmer told me that has stuck with me to this day is "if you are not 15 mins early then you are". But I'm not always early there are times I walk in late to places usually my aviation classes ;-). Anyways especially when I go to a new place I leave my house extra early to give myself enough time to get lost. Anyways I was driving to a new hair salon today to get my hair done for senior pictures & I realized I will be exactly 15 mins early "yay me" I thought, but a conversation that took place last month came back to me. I had a meeting with the dean of the college of science & technology. Wanting to appear as an adult & as someone who values others time I showed up somewhere from 15 to 20 mins early. I checked in with his assistance. She just merely told me "oh you're early he's in another meeting" I thought to myself well duh I know I'm early. But when she said it, it was almost as if she was annoyed or like WTC!!!!. So here is my pondering "is it a bad thing to be late now a days?" I mean I heavily dislike being late to church let alone to an appointment where no one knows off me. Whatever happen to making a good impression & valuing others??? Please help

PS- posted via my blackberry....yea...I'm that technologically savvy *brushes shoulder off*

Diddy's 50th Birthday Bash

You can view these pictures and more on my website @ jubylaila.shutterfly.com

What in the WORD!!???

I have had the most blissful past couple of days, and I give God all the glory on that one. These past couple of days are the most I have spent continually in the sanctuary since the 21 days of fasting, and it felt good.

Wednesday night of course was Bible study this week I decided to visit Mark's church since he visited mine the week before, plus we were on the other side of town and it made more sense for me to stay there instead of driving for another hour plus to get to my church. From Thursday to today I have been in a Joyce Meyer conference. At first I didn't think I would be able to make it to anyone of the sessions, then Thursday opened up for Mark, and Friday opened up for me. Saturday I re-arranged the group meeting and it opened up for the both of us, and let me tell you I am so glad that I went to all three sessions in the past I have only made it to one.

The reason I am writing this particular blog is to write about the powerful words we say and don't even realize that we are saying it. On Thursday evening when Martin Smith (former lead singer of Delirious?) opened up with praise and worship and he said "wouldn't it be great if we believed the words that we sang" and the weird thing was I remember looking at the words on the screen, and thought man these are some bold statements to be making. Then Kim Walker-Smith (phenomenal singer by the way) sang "How he loves us". Mind you I've been hearing this song for a very long time, and never thought much of it. I started looking at the words,and thought WOW!!! That's bold!! and I told myself after hearing her sing it I will never look at the song the same ever again. I made that statement to myself because I was impressed with her voice, and her version rather than the song in itself. I still thought it was pretty powerful, but I was impressed by the wrong thing.

Today was the last session. I walked pretty chipper for someone who is tired, and they sang that song once again. Except this time it had a complete different effect on me. Martin Smith said things in trusting God,and how we will continue to dance regardless where we are in life, which was soon followed up by Kim singing "How he loves us". A flood of emotions soon hit me like a typhoon. Maybe it was being able to relate to what he had said about not knowing where God is taking us. You're too far to remember where you came from, and you can't see where you are going, but you're just trusting God. I know what that feels like. For the past year plus I've been trying to figure out what it is that God wants me to do after I graduate, and exactly five weeks from today I graduate. I know what it is to look into my future and not know what is out there for me, but just have enough faith to thread through the waters. This time when Kim sang the song I looked at the words, and I could hardly contain my tears. It was absolutely beautiful, and not because she was singing it but JUST BECAUSE!!!. I looked at each word and soaked it in,and just cried. As many times as my best friend has seen me cry I tried to hide my tears from him, but after a while it was like "WHATEVER". These past couple of days were well needed in my life... I'm SO GLAD! God opened up the doors for me attend all three night when I initially thought I wasn't going to be able to even make it one night.

Now as I end this blog I'm going to leave you with some of the most profound words I have heard this past week, even if we have been hearing it in the past.

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us oh,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

That He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

Be blessed....