taken a chill pill from this

@lexxh

Learning from Lack

"Been thinking a lot about seasons, and not just because we’re in the midst of my favorite one. I’ve been thinking about the ebb and the flow, the yin and the yang of sowing good seeds and harvesting the blessings of life. For the purpose of this blog, I’m speaking of blessings of the spirit.

I have a friend who’s going thru a bit of a rough patch. A job she depended on ended and as a result, some of the things (of the material variety) she feels she needs are now in jeopardy. As she shared her story, I was reminded of the principles of the seasons and what they teach us.

For anything to grow, be it an oak tree or your character, there are seasons we must endure and hopefully respect. Perennial flowers, which bloom year after year, come to mind. They are planted in spring, enjoyed for a few weeks in the summer, then cycle down to endure the chill of fall and cold of winter. Then when spring arrives, they bloom again. The blooming time gets all the attention, but there’s a lot of good going on within those flowers when winter has, for a time, hidden their blooms. To see their beauty yet not appreciate the cold dark season that nurtured them and gave them what they needed to thrive, is to miss the most important part of the growth process. It’s ironic that the time they’re the most appreciated for their beauty is the time when they’re the closest to giving up their leaves and blooms in order to prepare for the process anew.

Your dreams and plans are like that flower. And the seasons of life affect them in the same way. Sometimes it’s your “summer” and everything is beautiful and you’re flourishing. All is truly well. So well, that the chill to come may can catch you off guard and make you dread the stillness that’s comes in winter. But there’s care and nurturing in the seasons when you’re not figuratively in bloom. Winter is when WE grow, too.

My best lessons about provision and calling have come in my “seasons of lack,” those times when I lost what I felt I needed. God is awesome in that way. By losing what you feel you need to survive yet…surviving, you are reminded of how strong you really are and how little the perceived “necessities” in life really matter. Seasons of lack teach us that.

So the next time it’s cold and dark and all seems lost, take inventory of all that still remains. I promise it is more than you imagined and more than enough to keep you until your springtime comes.

With love,

Yvette Nicole Brown

As always, please share what you’re learning…it helps us all grow! You can

reach me on twitter at: @yvettenbrown

Simply Believe…"

you dont know me

Amy Winehouse - Fuck Me Pumps

A true talent. RIP.

"A Woman Should Have" - Maya Angelou

A woman should have

enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to.

A woman should have
something perfect to wear
if the employer,
or date of her dreams
wants to see her in an hour.

A woman should have
a youth she’s content to leave behind.

A woman should have
a past juicy enough that she’s looking forward to
retelling it in her old age.

A woman should have
a set of screwdrivers,
a cordless drill,
and a black lace bra.

A woman should have
one friend who always makes her laugh
and one who lets her cry.

A woman should have
a good piece of furniture
not previously owned
by anyone else in her family.

A woman should have
eight matching plates,
wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored.

A woman should have
a feeling of control over her destiny.

Every woman should have
how to fall in love without losing herself.

Every woman should know
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship.

Every woman should know
when to try harder
and when to walk away.

Every woman should know
that she can’t change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips,
or the nature of her parents.

Every woman should know
that her childhood may not have been perfect,
but it’s over.

Every woman should know
what she would and wouldn’t do for love or more.

Every woman should know
how to live alone
even if she doesn’t like it.

Every woman should know
whom she can trust,
whom she can’t,
and why she shouldn’t take it personally.

Every woman should know
where to go,
be it to her best friend’s kitchen table
or a charming inn in the woods
when her soul needs soothing.

Every woman should know
what she can and can’t accomplish in a day,
a month and a year.

Skyscraper

Nothing like watching someone return with a bang! After a long hiatus, caused by her choice to seek help for personal issues, Demi Lovato is back. This song literally gives me chills every time I listen to.

"Go on and try to tear me down/ I will be rising from the ground/ Like a skyscrapper"

I want to cry. And in one of my inevitable dark moments, I probably will. Thank you, Demi, for giving the world a song that will encourage us during hard time.

Take a listen here!

Ariana Grande's 18th Birthday Extravaganza - "Lady Marmalade" ft. Patti ...

Coolest kid in town?

Last Day of High School

People have been crying. A lot. I mean way too much. Like, gallons. And well, I haven't. And apparently I am heartless? Well be surprised, folks! Today, after not crying during the whole 3 hour Honors Day assembly, I cried. And I blame one special little sophomore, whom I love but hate right now. I mean, who does she think she is making ME cry??
After laughing my butt off at my grandmother and her eye patch (she just had cataract surgery yesterday) I see my little sophomore, who I take home after yearbook, BALLING HER EYES OUT. So me, you know, aggressive me, tells her to stop crying. But she won't. So I get sad. SO I CRY!
I'm sure it has been a long time coming but, I didn't want it to come. But it all hit me, all these people whom I love with all my heart will have less presence in my life. No more complaining about my physics teacher on a daily basis. No more 50 people to a 10 seater lunch bench. No more.
It hit me, I'm going to be starting over in a couple of months. I do not fear the future, I was just wanting it to stay away a little bit.

*Submitted this to something and I decided to copy & paste it here!*

**Haha I forgot about this. I wrote this "sample blog" for Seventeen Magazine's Freshmen 15. I actually got picked to go onto round 2 and had to make a video. I should find out sometime next month if I get picked or not. It was refreshing reading this.

Stay Strong

jennifersturdy:

Demi Lovato’s Tattoos ‘Stay Strong’

I was just browsing a gossip site when I came across pictures of Demi Lovato’s new wrist tattoos again and it hit me. Everyone has seen the pics of the scars on Demi’s wrist from her cutting and I believe these tattoos are there for her to remind herself to stay strong in a time of weakness. To prevent her from self harm. I believe these tattoos aren’t just for the appearance, but help serve as a reminder of all that Demi has to be thankful for. I admire her so much, especially during this difficult time she is having.

Forgive and Forgo

I think I'm going to officially move to Tumblr. It depends.

My favorite part about life is when I am struggling with something that seems so difficult and I read something so simple that makes the difficult thing easy to get over.

Case in point: forgiveness/ being unhappy with something from the past

I have been struggling with moving on from something that happened. Then a couple of hours ago, a schoolmate posted this status on Facebook: “forgiveness is the release of all hope for a better past.”

And I go, HELLO. TRUE. There is nothing I can change about the past. But dwelling will only make my present an unhappy one.

So here’s to letting go. Keshia Cole said it best y’all.

I read something

I read something. While highly upset for no, but yet so, good reason, I read something. Something so meaningful, something so thoughtful. Something written by someone in love. Someone full of love. The love for a friend. It read:

i can look around a room and find rest if i know you are there with me. because you understand.

And that just made my heart melt. It made me cry. To feel the warmth, the hear the laughter, to see the smile of a friend, by its true definition, is all that is right with the world. So here i celebrate the love of a friend.

Skin

So recently I was talking about Prom dresses and saying how much I love dresses with low backs. Actually, I said "I love having my back out." To which this girl responded, "What else do you love having out?"

Let's ignore her rep for having things "out," and focus on the bigger issue:skin. So many people today are so afraid of showing skin. Short shorts, skirts, and dresses are looked down upon. Why? If someone is calling me a skank for showing my beautiful brown skin, move on with your life. If a teenage boy is getting because of the skin 6 inches above my knee or the smoothness of my back, you've got a problem. Seriously.

At the ages 14-18, I think we've all seen every body part necessary and if my clothes aren't showing off my NIPPLE, VAGINA, or BUTT, I think I'll do fine.


No, I'm not going to be walking around with barely there clothing. But this summer, I am not going to fear wearing cute little skirts, showing off my legs and stop wearing Bermuda shorts!

All hail the beauty of our skin. All hail the beauty of our bodies!

My mom and I both agree this top is to ADORBZ.
Now all I need is a cute lil body to swag it out.

'Sup, Gym?

In this month alone

I've caught up with 3 old friends.

Something about an old friend makes me feel like life isn't so crappy.

Or maybe it just makes us feel the happier times.

Either way, I love this month right now :)

Dusty Springfield - YOU DON'T OWN ME

California

My friends tell me that I talk about California too much. But I feel like I don't talk about it enough. For the past four years I've been treating California as if it never existed.

In a way I'm a little embarrassed. Embarrassed to be in Alabama. Embarrassed for now having a legitimate answer when people ask me "Why did you move here?"

In more ways, I'm pissed. I could be gearing up to go to UCLA. I could be enjoying warm weather in January. I could be hanging at a DECENT mall with my Best Friend Angela (Yes, we'd still be traveling via Metro!). I could be walking to Jack in the Box with Michelle. I could be spending holidays with Auntie Ketha & DaMarco.

To be totally honest, I feel like Alabama has changed everything. However, I do know that things still would have changed if I didn't move. But I know that there would still be possibilities.

In all, I just want to go home.


*Blame this post on The Grapes of Wrath

Adorable

I am in love with this photograph.
I am in love with this couple.
Michelle and her fashion & passion.
Barrack and his politics & swagger.
Love.

VIRGINIA TECH!

Yes m'am! I change college preferences like I change draws, VERY often. So now VT is my number one choice and I'm pretty excited.

Excited about the school not the weather or snotty responses of immature junior high school girls who can't get over ONE student's actions. Suck it, please.


Oh and did I mention that my 2nd or 3rd or 4th person on TV went there and gave an awesome commencement speech. Yeah! Hoda Kotb. 'Das Wassup!!

So now I'll wait for the first of April so I can celebrate (or cry my eyes out)