Hot BeautyTrend: The Extreme Side Pony Tail

You're so One-sided!

This spring and summer, take it as a compliment. To go along with Naeem Khan’s spring 2009 collection,

the extreme side ponytail was revisited. This time it is not the same ponytail you modeled for your 2nd grade toothless photo shoot on picture day. It's definatley fresh, fun, and futuristic. All hair is slicked over to the side. Extensions are added to the ponytail and cut straight across for an edgy feel. I absolutley love this style. Your hair is an accessory and this is for sure a style you should gain access to. Stay tuned. There are more sides to this story!

Toodles

Respect Him

You are an island girl, only sixteen years of age. Both of your parents pass away. You are left along with your handful of siblings to live the island life of survival. Your parents were not amongst the wealthy echelon of families who could send their children to school. Thus, you are left with nothing but your head, your two feet, and two hands. The options, possible prostitution, or selling grocery products along a marche as they do in France. You choose the latter. nine years of heard work tilling the land and selling, you are now 25. You never date until you believe a good man has found you to be his wife. You have three children. Fast forward. Loved one number three passes and your good man is alive no more. Years later, you suffer a stroke. The end result, physical therapy and all of your sense of hearing lost for life.

How do you imagine you would live with no hearing after having lived as a hearing person for 60 years? How would your view o life change? I don't know what I would do necessarily. I do know that the young island girl is my grandmother and she has one of the most unique views on life that I've seen. One morning, she told me as she pounded her fist down onto the kitchen table, "You see God is a great God. This morning I awoke and the sky was practically white. This afternoon, it is blue and when it rains, it will be gray! God is a great God. You'd better respect Him!"

My grandmother is now 72 and has been living with her life changing disability. She never went to school so she never learned how to read or really write for that matter. She lives in America now and barely speaks any English. Her communication lines are just about non-existent because she's not abale to learn any sign language. Yet, despite her trouble, I believe her view point on life and God has changed for the better. You can suffer not being able to have a conversation, yet, you still have respect for the Lord and can find joy and comfort in something that seems as simple as a colorful sky.

Go-Go Gadget _____!

Passion [pash-uhn]: Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate, strong sexual desire: lust/strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything: a passion for music/the sufferings of a martyr.

These are a few out of the 12! definitions I found for this word. There must be something about passion that there are a handful of meanings. What is it about passion that people obey it? So much that parties are made to celebrate it. Yep, you read that correctly. It's true. Hey, this is not your typical party. We're not talking about celebrating your passion for music or saving the world, let alone the passion of Christ. We are talking about having a party to celebrate your sensuality: igniting the fire between you and your boy or toy for that matter.

Here are some of the hot lines promoting the parties: "Improve or maintain good sexual health regardless if your partner is a man, woman or toy" ,"When I saw Slumber Parties featured on the Today show, I knew immediately that this was something I could do to earn extra money and make new friends", and "Your life is about to get BETTER!". How does it all sound to you? Are you enticed or casting those imaginations down?

The facts:

• Passion parties are facilitated by passion party consultants that will show and/or demonstrate a number of sex toys and products.
  
• The parties are held primarily for groups of women i.e. bachellorette parties, slumber parties.
  

My Opinion

Although I know not this man, my dear friend Micheal Basiden, host of the self titled radio show, the Micheal Baisden Show, hosted the topic of passion parties today and I was educated on its existence. Mr. Baisden was especially interested in finding out what Christian and Muslim women thought about the parties. To my surprise, there were quite a few faith filled women calling in expressing that they did not see the harm in attending the parties. At first, I thought, "Well, if you are a married woman, then why not, if it will help keep the fire going". Then I soon thought the contrary saying to myslef, "Why would I need the help of a passion party to keep my sex life alive?...can't God do that"? I am seriously wondering if that is too much to expect of God? Am I absurd in believing that the God who gave me the husband in the first place will keep us where we need to be intimately if we obey His Holy Spirit? Some would think I am. Some may say that I am not living in reality. What do you say? I say that our passions are often misdirected. Do I need an inspector to hand me some gadgets or do I need real intimacy?

One of the main things that bother me about it is the fact that not everyone attending the parties are married or even have a human partner. Some of the attendees are learning how to connect with a sexual machine of some kind. Thus, it is my belief that these parties are promoting masturbation. What's wrong with that you ask? Well, the best lover that exists once said to man, if you even look at a woman with lust, you are sinning. He did not say if you have sex with a woman you are not married to... he said if you only look with lust. This tells me that the process of creating sensual imagery in your head is where the sin begins. God only knows where that imagination ends. It can lead to seeking out a partner to release this elevated sexual tension or it could lead to taking care of business all by yourself. Either way, the sin begins in your head. Now don't get me wrong. I believe many of us, including myself, battle those images and thoughts of Tyrone. Now, it is what we do with those thoughts that determine if we sin or not. If you reject your imaginations, then you are erring on the side of God. If not, then you err on the side of your desires. How many different desires do we have coming in and out of our consciousness, sprinting across our fore-heads? If we had each one fulfilled we would be stripped of the very life experiences that build us up when we wait or work for what we have.

A wise young man once explained to me what I thought was very profound. He explained to me that everything that God created, satan copies. However, satan's copy is always perverted; meaning that it is always changed to a lesser state, distorted, or just plain cheap. He went on to compare and contrast various things. Take sex for example. The sexual intercourse experience that God offers is intimate, satisfying, pure, and without regret. The sexual experience that satan offers can be casual/non-comittal, and full of guilt or pain. He said that the gifts that God offers in life are always lasting, whereas satan's cheap "gifts" don't hold up at all. They fall apart and leave you longing for more feeling insatiable. I believe this booming business of passion partying , amongst other things, is just another way for us to be distracted from the real solution to our real problem of lacking intimacy. Go-Go Gadget Holy Spirit!

Toodles.

"For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul."

~Jeremiah 31:25

So what about u(s)?

So you ask what's with the title? Have you ever picked up a magazine and loved all the layouts and articles and editorials from "Beauty" to "How I can perk up my Booty"? You name it. Honey! don't forget about the latest in current events, hottest spots, and if wearing polk-dots is hot ...or not! But there always seems to be something lacking. There may or may not be a page designated for the beautification of your soul. Hmm. If there is, it is literally one page. I must say, I am grateful for that. However, I wonder often why can't I find an Essence/InStyle type of magazine totally based on the Christian women life, fashion, beauty, and concern? Honestly, although I am entertained by what is out there, I feel left out. The latest fashion spreads and crazes don't account for those sisters who are doing their best to stay classy and not trashy. I say to myself, "what about me?" Rather, "what about u!?" Therefore, the title of this blog accounts not only for me or "u" but for all of u(s). To me, having a well-rounded magazine of a purer nature would be the total woman magazine. Thus, I am set out on a mission to start a revolution in the most Christian-Chic way! Toodles.

Please offer me any feedback you have.