Heading Out of Town AGAIN...

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Yet again, I'll be heading out of town tomorrow.
I will be meeting two new clients on this trip. I am excited.
As much as I love to be at home on my bed reading, I love traveling more!
I will be blogging, Facebooking, tweeting and instragraming on my trip, I promise!
I will! :)

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

Off to Work...

I am covering an event today.
It is work day, and I shall be MIA from A Thousand Miles today.
I got my own personal press card. 

All I can is Yay! :)

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

You Fight for the one you Love...You Die for the one you Love!

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The emotions that bubbled out of me in high school and in college when I came across a guy I was attracted to seem to have dried up lately. Truth be told, I still giggle and look the other way when a crush walks by the guy at my church who I am madly aware of so much as says hi to me. ) However, "growing up" figured out a way to evolve emotions into awareness. A matured awareness very different from a chaos of emotions which quickly stampede into palpitating heart beat, warm cheeks and sweaty palms, thighs and armpits. Symptoms that quickly diminish into confusion arising from the conflicting messages that can not be deciphered even by the FBI. Or worst still, I decide he is not tall, cute, athletic and cool enough or I am not attracted to the way he chews. 

Emotions have evolved into an awareness that watches for integrity, character, excellence, godliness and kindness. An awareness that desires to see a commitment to community, service, adventure and travel. A commitment to the local church, family, the girl next door and the guy in the next cubicle.

My definition of love has expanded since high school. It is no longer defined by the fiery rush of blood to my heart or my loins, and better still it is no longer defined by what I can get or what I perceive to be good...it is no longer defined by how tall he is and how well sculptured are his features or her wardrobe to suit my taste. It is taking on a new definition as I grow and learn and meet all kinds of people and men. 

I am indeed convinced that love fights and dies for its beloved. There was a time even maybe a few years ago that my definition of friendship and relationship were based off of so many superficial things like how can this person make me look good. That was my underlying motive, and I was not aware of it until lately. I handled friendships and relationships based on how I can flaunt this friend or guy to show off just how popular, loved and beautiful I am. 

In the past few years and more recently, I am learning a lot more about how love works and what exactly should my definition of love be. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is truthful. Love is grace. Love is a fighting force. Love is a dying force. It quenches all it is so that the beloved can be all it was called to be. 

Love transforms! As I grow and learn, I find that my desire around friendship and relationship is different. No longer am I looking to promote me, I am looking to promote the other. To love the other, to be kind to the other and to be truthful and honest. I am willing to say "I am sorry" not to be viewed as the bigger person, but to live out the fact that love forgives. Love gives its very best in this coming together we call friendship and romance. Love fights by forgiving. Love fights by dying. Love fights by letting go. Love fights by appreciating. Love fights by operating from a distance, but it never stops hoping and wishing the best for the other even if they experience the best in another person's arms. Love dies to self.

What is your definition of Love?

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

What was I up to This Weekend?

I am still recovering from the weekend which basically means I am sleeping a lot.
I chose fun over sleep all weekend. :) Here are a few pictures from the weekend. I will be back tomorrow. Hopefully, this sleep -deprived beauty will be awake and ready to rumble. :)

I know you are wondering why I am so tired from the weekend. I went on a fall retreat with my church Frontline, and in addition to worship and community, we spent time exerting energy in the following activities: Zip Line, Ropes Course, Volleyball Tournament, Basketball, Climbing Wall, Trail Hike, Flag Football Competition, Just Dance Event. Hot Tub, Pool, Bonfire and S'mores and loads of fatty food. 

Phew! I need sleep!           

We were at the Young Life Rockbridge Alum Springs

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

Oops! Running Behind on Words...

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I had plans today to share my evolving direction for A Thousand Miles...The First Steps, but I am running behind on time. The words I want to write today might not catch up. I caught an insomnia bug last night, and I could not fall asleep. It took all my strength to get out of bed a little after 11am, and I am still not feeling like myself. :(

However, I'm excited to get the trip to Shenandoah Valley on the road. I am meeting up with some girlfriends, and we are driving out in a few hours. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, and I'll be back next week.

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

Falling in Love in the City of Brotherly Love...Philadelphia!

I was in Philadelphia over Labor Day weekend, and yes it feels and reads like I'm always in Philly.
One of my bffs goes to the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, and my first visit to the city was in 2010 when she started at Temple. I was there to support her; we arrived on the same day, and I can say we both have a love-hate relationship with the city. I wrote about my first trip and some here.

This last trip to Philadelphia was to meet up with my two bffs and to attend a wedding. My other bff and I got into Philly on Thursday morning and afternoon respectively. She flew in and I arrived on the Megabus. It was my first time on the Megabus, because my trusted Chinatown bus closed down or moved! I'm not sure of the details yet. :( I can't remember what we did on Thursday...I really can't. I am not sure if I should laugh or worry.

Anyways on Friday while E was at clinical, D and I headed out on foot to the Love Park to see the famous Love sign (E lives right in China town), but it was smaller than we expected. We had plans to visit the Liberty Bell and other attractions , but the sun was out with a vengeance. We spent the rest of the day shopping and napping (We blame the sun and shopping). Later that evening, we attended a Nigerian traditional wedding.

Don't ask my why I am not wearing a traditional outfit...okay, the one I had in mind did not fit. Run the lbs off...Ola...Run! My friends had their outfit custom made, I on other hand bought mine from a Marshalls and my shoes from the city of Macy's.

The bride and groom are Yoruba from the south-western part of Nigeria, and it was reflected in the wedding. If you are wondering, I am also Yoruba.

Pic1: Friday Traditional Wedding. Pic2/3/4: Saturday Church Wedding and Reception. Yes, the couple changed twice and wore three outfit in all. Very typical!

Saturday morning was the church wedding. I am sad to report that we over slept and missed a big chunk of the church wedding. Instead of going late, we decided to go shopping looking like the picture below. Don't ask me why...E's boy was flabbergasted that we got out of out pjs and wore these ensembles to brave the shoppes in Philadelphia.

The scarves are a Black girl's dilemma. Next time I am packing my Fedora, but they are so hard to pack.

 But, we cleaned up well for the wedding reception.

E's outfit is custom-made, my dress was a gift from my sister and D's gorgeous pants & tanks are from H&M.

Did I tell you I love to dance?

Pic1: Random dude challenged me to a dance-off, and I SWEAR I won. :) Pic 3 was supposed to be "The wobble dance," but I'm sure my back was demanding mercy at this point.

I had a wonderful weekend. Sunday was church and lunch at my favorite Senegalese restaurant in Philadelphia, Kilimanjaro. Read a few reviews here.

Oh before I forget, on our way back from the restaurant, E got a call from a friend who needed help with proposing to his girlfriend. Of course, it is the City of Brotherly Love...we jumped at the offer. He proposed on the beautiful Pier landing. She was surprised, she cried and said yes. Love was in the air I was breathing all weekend. :)

 

That was my labor day in a nutshell words and pictures. I hope yours was fun and filled with love.

This weekend, I am off to Shenandoah Valley in west Virginia. I have never been, but I hear it is beautiful.

How was your Labor Day weekend and what are you plans for this weekend?

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

My Kind of Sweet Servings...

I came across these cakes on Facebook a few days ago, and my first thought was "I'm sure they each taste as good as they look."  Then it occurred to me that I was invited by the baker, designer and owner of Mon Delice, Diwura Adeyinka-Ayodeji, to a private cake tasting in the spring. I could not attend, because I was out of town. Sucks!

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Mon Delice, a DC area-based bakery specializes in custom cakes and cupcakes. There are more orgasmic designs on their website and Facebook page. Yum!

Looking forward to another cake tasting invite. Hopefully, soon...:)

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

Why I Took a Different Writing and Editorial Route...

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"I write everything," I said while standing with a group of young professionals at a networking event sipping white wine. 

As I uttered these words, a familiar and "not fun" feeling that had been present since February began to seep out. Then the question about who do you write for comes up, and I'm mumbling, "I write for everyone." Before winter 2012 was over and almost a year into launching JostWrite and A Thousand Miles...The First Steps (formerly JostWrite), I knew I needed a change and a strategy.

Truth was when I launched JostWrite in 2011, I wrote everything and anything. Whatever came across my desk whether I liked and enjoyed it or not was fair game. If it paid and did not violate a legal or moral principle, I wrote and edited it. As the months rolled by, I knew doing it all was not my goal, and it did not give me a competitive edge. I got increasingly tired and anxious each time, and I could hear the ridiculousness in my own proclamation. I wanted to focus on writing what I loved while filling a need in the market place.

However, in the year and few months since I started JostWrite, doing everything and anything gave me the chance to know what I like. I realized I like writing a variety of things. Writing everything and anything also helped me assess my strengths and the kinds of clients/projects I was getting. The challenge was using that knowledge to create a business that I enjoyed, but one that also generated income.

While I struggled with this knowledge, I signed up for Black Enterprise Small Business University and won free business consultation with a business expert. I wrote about it here. After the consultation ended and after taking into account my vision for my life and my small business, I re-focused JostWrite as a writing and editing consulting firm providing a wide range of professional writing services to non-profits and small businesses, as well as entrepreneurs.

This is what I have been up to all summer and even now. 

Do keep in mine that I was already writing for this market segment. I also wrote for magazines, web-zines and worked with students, and I love writing for these outlets. My re-focusing of JostWrite does not mean I will not be writing for these outlets if they do come across my desk, but I hope to keep it to a minimum for now. I hope to strategically market and groom JostWrite towards corporate and business writing without giving up other things I do enjoy writing too. 

Lifestyle, women issues and magazine content are still topics I am interested in writing on. This is where content for A Thousand Miles...The First Steps will look different. I will be sharing more about that before the week runs out.

It took me a while to get here, but I am glad I did. I do not have it all figured out, but step by step I am advancing forward. Thanks for keeping with me, reading my blog and commenting on each post.

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

Eleven Years After 9/11

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It's been eleven years since September 11, 2001, and the memories of that day will forever remain with me. I did not lose a loved one, but I will never forget the emotions that swept over me on that day. I could never walk in the shoes of family members, friends and co-workers who lost loved ones and close friends, but I pray that peace from the Prince of Peace and comfort from The Comforter will forever be a gift to them.

As we commemorate that fateful day and observe moments of silence, I hope we hold tight to the ones we love and tell them each day how much they mean to us. Let us also remember their families, survivors, first responders, our troops, our leaders and our generations in our prayers.

RIP!

September 11, 2001 will always stand apart as its own day!

It changed me, my United State of America and our world

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!

Thank You for Missing Me!

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It's been three weeks, and I miss the blog world. :)
I took a break from blogging, because I needed time to crawl out from under a load of work. I also needed to re-evaluate my work and time management skills. In addition, I was working through re-focusing JostWrite while also thinking through how A Thousand Miles...The First Steps could merge or stand apart from what I do as a writer/editorial consultant. 

I will be lying if I told you that I have it all figured out. Yes, my work load is reduced, but it is also growing. I have not completed my to-do list for re-focusing JostWrite, and neither I'm completely settled on the direction I plan to take A Thousand Miles...The First Steps.

What I can tell you is my reduced but growing workload makes it easier to come back to blogging. In addition, I have made huge strides in re-focusing JostWrite, and you can visit my website to get an idea of my new direction (This week, I will be sharing more about how I arrived there and also making a huge announcement). I also can tell you that A Thousand Miles...The First Steps will evolve, but it is going to take both strategic planning coupled with just doing what feels like me to arrive there. 

I am indeed excited to be back, and I look forward to hearing from you and catching up  via comment chats, emails, social media or reading your blogs.

Thanks for missing me.
Oh, did you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend? I sure did.
I will be sharing my Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia with my two bffs later in the week. I scored a date! Wink!

Are you excited for warm apple cider and pumpkin pie yet?  I am! :)

Beloved, You are Loved Absolutely!