If: The Power of Words

"Words are things, I'm convinced. You must be careful about the words you use, or the words you allow to be used in your house. In the Old Testament, we're told in Genesis that, 'In the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word was with God.' That's in Genesis. Words are things. You must be careful, careful about calling people out of their names, using racial pejoratives and sexual pejoratives and all that ignorance. Don't do that. Some day we'll be able to measure the power of words. I think they are things. They get on the walls. They get in your wallpaper. They get in your rugs, in your upholstery, and your clothes, and finally in to you."   Maya Angelou

I heard Alicia Keys speak about the moment she realized the power of words. Her response, she says, was to banish the word "if" from her vocabulary. And to change the way she spoke.

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The Problem with Timidity

Mika!

Photo via mikasounds

I don't ask for much in the way of music. I just want artists to produce great music consistently. Usually an artist I initially love disappoints me by their second or third album and I have to find some new infatuation to fill the musical void. This is not the case with Mika.

Sugar Cookie Fail!

Recipe adapted via the Food Network

I am not a cook. But I love to eat. And every once in a while, if I love something enough, I'll try my hand at recreating it myself. The other day my grandmother bought me some sugar cookies that were just to die for. They were gone that day. (Don't judge.)

Naturally I had to have more. They seemed easy enough to make. A little sugar, a little butter, a little love.

On repeat.

Solange via Mydamnblog

I'm in love with Solange's new EP, True. If you haven't heard it yet, you should definitely check it out. "Lover's in the Parking Lot" is my absolute favorite track at the moment. You can listen to it here. What say ye?

Learning Vicariously

Nikisha of UrbanBushBabes

I stumbled upon this last night. Nikisha of Urban Bush Babes shared 30 life lessons she learned on her way to age 30. This is honestly one of the most life changing things you'll ever read. But only if you put it into practice. So I had to share this with you, in addition to noting some of the ones that especially resonated with me (because hey, they all did).

Ungrateful

the view from my balcony

You ever have one of those moments where you literally want to smack yourself in the face? Well I had another epiphany. I can be very ungrateful. I forget, all too often, that I am blessed. There is so much to be thankful for. I was perusing my favorite spots online adding things I don't need to my mile long wishlist when I thought, "When was the last time I gave thanks for all the things that I have?"

It had been a while. Sometimes I get angry with God, and he has to remind me that I can be such a spoiled brat. "Remember that time when I...?" He says.

And that time He's referring to, was yesterday. Or this morning when I woke up. Because waking up is a blessing that we don't all get to experience. We mustn't take these things for granted. And instead of focusing on me-me-me and all the things I want, I should be spending my days asking God how I can live today, for him. He's done enough.