SCHAE SPEAKS!

Schae's Story, officially hits the streets tomorrow, but for the last several days I have had the please of watching people read her story....Schae is talking to a whole bunch of people...
It causes my heart to race as I watched people immersed in my work, shooing others as the read, not wanting to be bothered....
It is also pleasing when someone is reading for the first time and I love the way they look at me,
With a reassessing eye, it's almost as though they are saying..."Oooh, she really has something to say, or I didn't know she had it in her...I love it!
Standing at the post office with arms full of books, or getting out of my car with arms full of books and having my readers say, "oooh, you didn't forget or I can't wait."
Oh what a feeling and all before the book actually is released....
God really does take care of his children...PLEASE BELIEVE...
SCHAE'S STORY is Available for signed copies @
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/ and
http://www.amazon.com/ for online purchasing....

LOVE AND BLESSINGS!
Angelia

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

ENJOY YOUR LIFE, YOUR FAMILY AND TIME SPENT TOGETHER AND REMEMBER TO READ SOMETHING...MOST IMPORTANTLY PRAY AND STAY THANKFUL!!!

BLESSINGS!

angelia

www.angeliavmenchan.com

More Conversation....

I am absolutely, unequivocally convinced that I have the most interesting conversations…bar none..
I remember years ago, I had a supervisor, who summed it up this way,
We were sitting in a managers meeting and someone asked, why is it that everyone talks to Angelia about issues, she is in charge of purchasing, not human resources, he laughed and said, this, ‘She has that weird look on her face, the one that says she gives a damn about what people feel, I never forgot that…
Anywho…
I had an interesting conversation on Thursday, one of my coworkers walked in my office,
And started chatting, he had been a bit grumpy since the election, so I left him alone,
We started talking about a laundry list of things and somehow we got on the subject of Christmas, he said the problem with Christmas celebrations nowadays, was it isn’t about America but about ethnicity…HUH?
I had to ask what that mean, at that moment I guess he remembered I was ethnic, so he mumbled something, I said, ‘Well every holiday is ethnic, as a Black person, I have my traditions as a White person you have yours and our brothers and sisters of other ‘ethnicities’ have theirs, what is more American than that? He had to tell me something!
He said, ‘Well it seems that we are so focused on ethnicity more than anything!’ Weak answer, so I said, the only problem I see with Christmas is how people have taken the Christ out of it…but surely America was based on ethnic differences, especially after everyone who wasn’t Native American started to come here…” He looked a bit embarrassed as he changed the subject. I totally understood his pain, but come on, get over it already…life my friends has gone on, and one thing I know is that we have to take whatever life offers and live with it…WE have been doing that forever and one thing we know for sure is that sometimes we have to flow with it…or be miserable…

Blessings!
Angelia

SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation NOW available @
www.angeliavmenchan.com
www.amazon.com

Love It...

This morning as I arose, I walked from my bedroom, peeking into my office,
And my heart rate increased...amongst the scarves...something I love, and the candles, another love, and all the enlarged book covers on the wall, was the beginning of the Schae tour...woo woo...It has been a whole year since I last published a book, one year...the first four came out in such rapid succession, I was like a book factory...but when I got to Is NO Not Clear Enough For You?, I knew it was time to slow down, give it to them a bit slower, while I showed my work some respect, allowing it to stand alone for a minute...it was hard, mind you, but worth it...
This time I feel so relaxed, I have preorders!!!, I am booked through January 17th with signings, and celebrations...so blessed....
But back to what got me so geeked, in my usually very orderly office filled with the aforementioned and a gaggle of electronics and pictures of my family is a work station,
Boxes filled with mailing envelopes, bright pink gift bags and little surprises I love giving to my readers...so blessed...I looked at my husband, grinning, because he has been right by my side all the way through this, designing my covers and websites and most importantly putting up with my Diva like antics when things were not as I wanted them...Saint Mench, for real....
I realized that as I plunked down a lot of scrilla...for programs and printers and computers, he never batted a lash, just supported me and my dreams...so blessed...
And now we are both really comfortable with what we are doing and where we are going...
It reminds me of when my kids and my niece were youngsters and they would stand on my mama's porch, singing all day long at the top of their lungs, 'We are family..." So blessed...
Well, I wont tarry much longer, there is so much work to do....but I just wanted to say as so many have said before, me, "Do what you love, and it will feed your soul..." and I LOVE IT!!

SMOOCHES!

angelia

Schae's Story: A Woman's Transformation now available at
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/
http://www.amazon.com/

Patience is Still a Virtue!

One of my prayers is that folks realize that while change is good, change takes time,
I know there are a gaggle of people who want miracles and they want them now,
And I am a miracle believing girl, have seen a few in my time,
But I am also a practical chick, who knows that sometimes we have to be patient,
Realizing that sometimes a thing will take longer to undo, than it took to do,
I remember twenty nine years ago, I gained forty-five pounds while pregnant with my eldest, I was padded nicely with vanilla ice cream and cheeseburgers, hello…as someone with energy to burn, I had always been able to eat what I wanted and maintain my curves,
So I was unconcerned, well lo and behold after giving birth, I discovered those pounds were still there, mostly a few months later, it didn’t occur to me, that what took nine months to gain, might take twice as long to ungain…oh what a revelation,
So much a revelation that I made sure I only gained twenty six years later with baby number two…I may be slow but, I get there…

Yesterday, I was sitting in a team meeting and we have two new members, youngsters, half the ages of the three elders, yikes,
They bring a freshness, smarts and idealism to the old guard that was truly needed,
However, I watched the faces of one as he was told he couldn’t do something he wanted to do, there was stunned disbelief and a bit of pain, as he realized that his bright, new, shiny ideas wouldn’t be implemented. I am sure he thought he was in the backwoods…
So, I kindly, gently told him this,
“Just hang in there, continue to offer up suggestions, you will discover that many of your,
Ideas will get incorporated, even becoming the norm”…he smiled, lip trembling a tad, not really believing me,
So I offered this,
“Ten years ago when I got here as a relative youngster, (sighing as I realized even then, I was 13 years older than he is today…) I was shocked and some of the then archaic practices, and I threw my cutting edge (sic) ideas around, mostly I was ignored,
But realizing that I needed an hang in there mindset, so today much of what is done, was once an idea in my overactive mind…” Whether that made him feel better or not, I am unsure, but I do know the day will come, I will be long retired, sitting at the beach somewhere and he will be in a room of youngsters, remembering what I said…

On the other hand when talking to some youngsters, I have to say, “That while patience is a virtue, it is not a synonym for inertia, that we must remember that while waiting patiently we have to constantly work behind the scenes, making things happen. If we feel underemployed, we have to while working, keep our eyes open for the next opportunity, or while looking a pile of rejected manuscripts, we have to continue to write. Because heaven forbid, our opportunity comes, after waiting even so patiently and we are unready…that sends shivers down my spine…

I guess I said all that to say that even when change is afoot, we have to recognize that it takes time and it makes for patience, but if we take the time out to help make those changes, in whatever little way that we can, time will pass quicker and we will probably feel better when it occurs…me thinks!

So remember, Patience is Still a Virtue!


Smooches!
angelia

www.angeliavmenchan.com

Did You Feel It?

I love and value those in my life who give it to me straight, who make me feel it…
My Pastor is like that, he expositorily teaches what is in the Word, and if sometimes,
We go ouch, then all the better, I love it when I am riding home after church,
Thinking of the many ways I can be better, even when the truth has hurt,
There are also a handful of people I go to when I want it real,
My husband, my youngest son, my friend Nicole,
They love me madly but when I need it, they bring it…hard…
Thanks!
As such when blogging or writing, my goal is always to tell the truth,
As I know it, because that is the only truth I have,
I can always tell when someone has felt something I have written, whether positively.
Or otherwise, and they don’t have to say it, I can sense it, and that’s cool,
Because sometimes we have to feel it,
Just the other day, a woman much older than I read, Is NO Not Clear Enough For You?
When she bought the book, I didn’t even realize how much she looked like the grandmother in my book, small, very light complexion, a bit haughty appearing,
Anyway, she came to me saying;
“You are very observant, reading your book, made me see myself, my children, my grandchildren and at times I didn’t like what I saw…but I learned something.” My heart turned over because a few months earlier an elder had taken me to task for not being kind to the grandmother. It was at that moment that I realized the woman sitting next to me was the spitting image of Pearl Green in my book. I was really touched then, realizing that as a writer, my biggest responsibility is to bring it as God gives it to me…and to be able to deal with the fact that everyone will not take the same thing from it,
As I have said on more than a few occasions, everything isn’t for everybody, and the universe offers enough choices for all of us….all I try to do is do my little bit, in the only way I know how, as honestly as I can and to try to grow even when there are growing pains….

Blessings,
Angelia

SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation @
www.angeliavmenchan.com
www.amazon.com

What Comes Between Us!

As most of you know, my best thinking is done between 5:30 and 6:00 am as I make my way to work, my twenty plus mile commute from the country to the heart of Jacksonville is filled with music on my CD, usually RB or Gospel or some wonderful mixture thereof, I pass over the largest bridge in the city with the St Johns River and the twinkling lights as ambience, sometimes fog…this morning, I was thinking about my neighborhood, the diversity, on one side is a white couple, on the other side is a black couple, across the street is a family, originally from Kenya and next to them is a white guy married to a Cuban woman…wow…and I only thought of them as my closest neighbors…
While thinking about that I realized the things that separate us most are minute things,
Things we say, how we carry ourselves, what we want to be known for,
I know many people who have ARRIVED…
Six figure family incomes, college educated children, nice homes, vacations hither and yon, sounds good doesn’t it,
But they don’t have good relationships with the people who nurtured them,
Family, friends, old classmates…and if you were to ask, many times they would say,
‘Oh they are just jealous’…surely it is true, in some cases, but many times it is because they are made to be,
No one wants to spend time around people who are always flexing, flossing and preening,
Or worse case talking about what they have or looking down their noses at people they once shared a zip code with,
When I get together with people I love and have loved a long time,
I just want to be with them, eat some sweet potato pie, laugh at each other's antics...
I find that that is not the time to discuss my latest promotion, bonus or where I am whisking off to…I am grateful, God knows I am, but what I am looking for is a way to,
Bond heart-to-heart, and bask in what we each bring to the table from the inside out…
It is so not about what separates us, but what makes us the same,
Heart beating, truth seeking, individuals who want to share time together…
Sounds good don’t it…And it is...HONEST!

Blessings!
Angelia

ORDER SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation and donate to Breast Cancer Research. One dollar of every book sold goes to The Donna Hicken Foundation.
www.angeliavmenchan.com
www.amazon.com

Put In Work!

One of the most difficult lessons to impart to young people and in some cases,
Not so young is that most things happen in baby steps,
You have to work, plan, save and wait for many things,
Contrary to popular media,
There are very few overnight any things,
Most successful people work and grind until they become good, better, best at what they Do, then they reap the rewards and benefits of putting in work,
I look at a lot of young people, unfortunately young men,
Who have these delusions of grandeur and miss many opportunities,
Wanting to start out at the top,
It does not work that way,
To be a manager, you have to have in most cases been a worker or manager trainee,
To be a Principal, in many cases you had to have been a teacher,
To be a singer, at a minimum you should know how to sing…
You see where I am going…
I see so many, who are unemployed and allowing precious time to run away from them,
While they are waiting for a big break that has passed them by too many times to count,
That job they started on four years ago, would today be that management position,
If only they had hung around, put in work and braved it out,
Now they stand twenty jobs later, knocking on the door of a certain age,
Wondering what the heck happened,
Not understanding that huge part of success is hanging in there,
Not heading for the door every time something does not go the way they want it to,
That is not real grown,
One of the truest signs of grownness, is understanding that sometimes things go our way,
Other times it does not, but to make it or make a difference, we must stay in the fight,
I surely wouldn’t have my sixth book coming out,
If I hadn’t known that everyday is not a good day,
But tomorrow is another day,
And believing in myself and my work and staying the course,
The old cliché about nothing that comes easy is worth having is still real…
I feel when talking to them,
That I am preaching to the choir,
But they had better know, I won’t stop, until at least one of them listens…

Blessings!
Angelia

SUPPORT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH! One Dollar from each copy of
SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation will be donated to The Donna Hicken Foundation to support the fight against Breast Cancer!
Order @
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The Right Path...For Me...

This morning I woke up singing,
Honestly, I woke myself up singing,
Mench and I drove home from a friend's party last night,
Listening to Shirley Murdock's gospel album,
And I woke myself up singing the song...
I got out of bed, pittering around, allowing so many things to resonate with me,
Mostly I was thinking of this literary journey,
I decided to go on,
Three years ago I knew I wanted to write books,
So I wrote one, a fire was born,
Then after writing three others in less than two years,
I knew it was time to change my path,
I was and am very proud of those first four books,
But,
I also knew I wasn't on the right path for me,
When people would say or email telling me they appreciated the empowering message,
I was a bit puzzled, wondering what message they had gotten, and it also made me think long,
And hard about what messages I wanted to impart,
So when I sat down to write, Is NO Not Clear Enough For You?,
I decided to stop writing under a pen name,
Because I knew, I was finally, getting on the right, writing path for me,
When I completed SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation it was further confirmed for me...
That what I am meant to do is write stories, that are entertaining, thought-provoking,
And has a message that I want to own and stand by;
At the same time, I also know that I had to write all that other stuff,
To get to the place where I am, telling the stories I was meant to tell,
And for that I am grateful,
Also, I had to learn to stop spinning out of control, about where I was selling books,
If $$$$ in my community bought my books as opposed to **** on line or around,
The globe it was still $$$$....hello and that would allow me to do the things I love,
Like write the next book, donate to Breast Cancer research, mentor young women,
And spoil my grandbaby, Amira, even before she is born....GRATEFUL...
So, what I have learned, is there are many paths for many people,
And that is all good,
But, I Angelia, am on the Right Path for ME...

DONATE TO BREAST CANCER RESEARCH - ONE DOLLAR FROM EVERY COPY OF
SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation will be donated to The Donna Hicken Foundation to help win the fight....

Blessings,
Angelia

www.angeliavmenchan.com

Decisions!

This morning I made a decision to lie in bed just a bit longer,
It ended up being two hours longer, but who's counting,
Then as I stood grinding chocolate infused coffee beans, I decided to sit down,
With the newspaper and enjoy the brew....ahhhhhhhhhh...
I love the fact the we are given free will to make our own decisions,
And what I know for sure is that the decisions we make, through God's Grace,
Determines our path...
I can remember when my mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 1998,
The prognosis was not good, but she decided not to listen to that, she made a,
Decision to live, and though it was sometimes hard, ,live she did,
Almost two years later she had to have another mastectomy,
And the doctor told us surely, this was it, she had beat the odds and it was time for her to go,
Uh, she was still making decisions about her own life, with God's permission,
However, almost three years later, on Thankgiving day,
She made another decision,
She told me she was tired and ready to end her journey,
And two months later she was gone, I am so glad for her decisions,
Which is why I make decisions of my own;
I decide to live well, understanding it is only through HIS grace,
I decide to treat people as I wish to be treated,
To be joyful, rather than sad,
To fill my life with those making good decisions,
Than those who feel that they have no decisional choices,
I have decided that every single day of my life,
I will do the very best I can, with what I have,
And Thank God, all day long for allowing me to DECIDE!

LOVE AND BLESSINGS!
angelia

PREORDER SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation @
www.angeliavmenchan.com
AND SUPPORT BREAST CANCER RESEARCH WITH YOUR PURCHASE!!!

Simple Conversing...

This morning my supervisor and I had our bi-monthly chat,
Usually he and I speak in the morning, say a couple words, he goes his way,
I go mine, we rarely if ever discuss work, he knows I can do what I am paid to do,
And his philosophy is ‘He hires the best so why tell ‘em how to do it’…I like that,
However, every now and then he will stop in my door to talk about something,
Usually its sports, I am a sports nut, as is he and I think he is surprised by how much,
I know about sports…anyway,
So we started out talking college football, segueing to pro ball,
We then talked investments, mortgages and the economy and retirement,
As usual we were in agreement on most basic things,
Hard work, education, responsibility,
As he prepared to leave, he turned back to ask,
‘Did you ever think we would have a Black President?’ His face was a vivid red…
“No, not in my life time.”
He smiled wide, admitting, neither had he.
Then this really genuine light came on in his eyes, betraying, how genuinely pleased,
He is…that touched me, because it further confirmed for me that what has transpired,
In the past week or too, transcends so many things,
Race, politics and differences,
We laughed a bit about the ‘Reverse Bradley Effect’, meaning how many,
White people probably told their friends they weren’t voting for Obama,
But did, we got a good chuckle out of that, then he said,
“Have a good day.”
I know it will probably be right before Christmas before we chat again,
But it is all good…
There is work to be done…

Blessings!
Angelia

PREORDER – SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation @
www.angeliavmenchan.com

Having Relations!

This morning, while listening to Shirley Murdock, I mused about relationships,
What creates them, then sustains them and how they come about,
Many of the best relationships I have, were borne of other relationships,
However, it is so wonderful to know that those relationships stand alone are bound,
Based upon their growth,
One such relationship is with my sister-in-law (sister for real) Betty,
I always knew her, but she is ten years older than I, so we weren’t friends,
Once I married her brother, we were sisters-in-law for the first ten years,
I lived around the country and we saw each other occasionally, but in 1998, my husband,
Was overseas for a year and I was in the hometown, she and I became friends, do or die sisters, and in the last several years, even moreso, we love, argue, agree and agree to disagree, but we depend on each other for love, support and honesty, and I know that our thing is exclusive of her brother, she and I would be girls no matter what…I love that…
Then there are some of the young women in my life,
They have either dated my son, had a crush on my son or been something with my son,
However, he is now married, expecting a child and lives thousands of miles away,
But these young women are part of my life, I love them,
They love me, we talk, meet for meals, the keep me abreast of the happenings in their lives, they are family, my surrogate daughters,
And though they were introduced to me by my son, their relationship with him,
Has nothing to do with me, thank God for that…
I’m not even sure what I am trying to say here other than,
Having relationships with people, should only be because you and that person,
Want to relate, it shouldn’t exist only because of some other relationship,
And it darn sure shouldn’t fall apart because of some other relationship…
We should have relations based on their own merits!

Love and Blessings!
Angelia

PREORDER SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation @
www.angeliavmenchan.com

HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY

MAURICE KENNETH MENCHAN SR. AND MALIK VERNON MENCHAN

RETIRED AND CURRENT VETERANS

FOREVER LOVE!!!

BABY AND MAMA

Too Much Information...

There is an amazing exchange of superflous information,
People simply tell too much stuff,
This morning I was having a conversation with a co-worker,
And he felt the need to say, that no one knows his views on certain things,
Politics for instance,
My eyebrow must have been etched really high, because his face colored and he asked if,
People thought they knew,
I told him honestly, 'Uh yeah, you have expoused certain phillosphies, and it is pretty clear,
When talking to you, what side you line up on, his face colored again ( a dead giveaway )
He tried to laugh it off, but it was pretty clear from the fact that he revisited the conversation,
With me a couple of times, I was on to something,
The message inherent in this is, Please don't sit around talking about, arguing about, kvetching about a thing, then act all shocked and outraged when someone sees you that way,
First impressions are lasting, and hard to change, unless they are good ones,
I tell the young people in my life all the time,
It is so easy to mess up a good rep,
But doggone near impossilbe to change a bad one,
People have to almost relocate in order for others to accept changes,
It is as unfair as heck, but as real as rain,
So, the easiest thing to do, I assure you,
Is to only put out there what you want people to know,
Keep quiet about what is dear to you,
Now you certainly don't have to listen to me,
But, if you don't want to be misjudged or thought different than you are,
Control your brand,
And don't put it all out there like that,
There are times when it is simply too much information,

This is another FREEBIE!

angelia

Careful Navigation...

My ability to navigate, carefully through life has been one of the biggest gifts,
God has blessed me with,
I have the ability to get along with anyone,
Because it really doesn’t take that much, just a smile, a bit of kindness,
And most importantly, knowing when to stay mum, keep one’s mouth closed…
I also know when a situation or a thing is wrong for me and I can gracefully extract myself from it, exiting with as much grace as possible…
Yesterday, I was in the restroom at church between services and one woman was telling
Another woman about my writing, she was unaware I was there,
My heart surged and soared because that is how I want and need it to happen,
I can and do advertise my work, but not at work or church,
What I have tried to do is write my books,
And allow those who read and love them to spread the word to the masses,
I am sure some find this as a weird marketing practice,
And it probably is for some,
However, I made a calculated decision to navigate slowly, through this writing thing,
Making enough to allow me to do the next one better…
Until I arrived at the stories I truly wanted to tell, in the way I wanted to tell them,
I held myself back, just enough to be able to do that,
And to stand in a rest room and hear someone say,
‘You know that young woman (young!) who sits in the middle aisle, the tall one, with,
The curly hair,the kinda quiet one, well, she is a writer and a good one, too, you should get her books!” Woo, that made me smile and my heart thud. The ladies in the restroom turned around looking at me, the description I guess was a good one…saying,
“We didn’t know!”
I winked as I left, with orders, thinking, ‘You know when you know!”


Love and Blessings!
Angelia

PREORDER SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation@
www.angeliavmenchan.com

Think Like Me, Be Like Me...Please!

As those of you who venture to Ramblings know, I stay in a sense of perpetual fascination,
And as I watch people this week, I am even more fascinated,
There are a good many people, who when talking to me, in particular, those from different,
Races, ethnicities and belief systems,
Are trying to arrange their faces into some semblance of happiness about our new President,
I am not fooled and I don't need to be, we can do what we do, albeit different and still be,
As cool as popsicles from the freezer!
One of my good friends walked into my office, asking me was I happy about our President,
I said 'OH Yeah!"
It was apparent, she wasn't, because she didnt say another word about it,
But, you know what, we went on, talking about things that we mutually care about,
And she did what I would have done had the reverse been true,
She left it alone, being a mature adult,
However, there are way too many folks who are of the mindset,
'If you don't think like me, vote like me, wanna be like me,
Then how can we be friends or even get along,
Hello People,
God made us all different, with different mindsets, different belief systems, skin tones,
Values, desires, wishes and dreams,
But you know what, he also gave us the ability to coexist peacefully,
If we choose to,
I tell people that all the time,
There is not blueprint of what a person should be like if they are a certain race,
Ethnicity or gender....we need to get over ourselves...
I have had my own people comment on my style and choices,
About the simplest stuff,
The food I eat, how I speak, dress, own my own madness,
I have been told how I do it, isn't Black enough,
As if though, doing me, my way is associated with some,
Arbitrary sense of Blackness!
Hello,
All you need to be for me and to me is this,
Spiritual, Loving, Honest and Kind...
That right there makes you my kind of people,
How you dress, eat, speak or any other superficial thing,
Simply makes you UNIQUELY YOU!

LOVE YA! OH YES I DO...

BLESSINGS,
angelia

PREORDER - SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation @
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/

Think Like Me...Please!

Enough For All..Honest!

I could see fear on the faces of some on Tuesday night,
And I clearly understood, many folks who have done someone wrong,
Are always fearful of a comeuppance, or sometimes the fear is that because someone looks,
Different or thinks different they can't have your best interests at heart,
That my friends is 'Stinkin' Thinkin'...
Those who believe KNOW that no one can stand in the way of their blessings,
And there is truly and abundance for all with faith,
I know I am right,
Many times those who try to block your blessings, leave you open for better blessings,
I remember moving back to the States from Hawaii, moved to Oklahoma,
Lord, what a difference,
I had spent the last two years in a job with great pay and even greater stress,
A Sistah, needed to exhale,
Anyway,
I went on this interview, in fact I was told by the headhunter who had found me the job,
The job was mine, just needed to pass a drug profile and background check,
Because job was a small, though very busy loan company, no probs there,
Clean urine, cleaner record,
So I went in, met the Sister who managed the office,
Had a great interview, submitted my bodily fluids and filled out the forms,
She told me she would call me in a few days,
Never heard a word, called a few times, left messages, Nada...
A few weeks later, I was at the Dr. and ran into a woman who looked vaguely familiar,
She came over telling me she was the receptionist at the loan company,
She then commenced to tell me that once the manager saw my resume,
She told them she would never hire me, I might try to take her job...
HUH...
Cool,
A couple days later, the phone rang,
I was needed for a few days at Job Corps,
Well those days became three years, and I had the best work experience,
God had ever blessed me with, had always meant to counsel,
But had gotten caught up in other things,
And what I knew for sure was that the woman who had tried,
To block had simply, created a path for me to go to my better blessing,
I saw her one day, she walked into my office to enroll her son,
He was struggling,
She remembered me, I could see it in her eyes,
But I knew she didn't want me to acknowledge that,
And I didn't, I was about that child,
And I knew there was a lesson in there for both of us,
I learned mine, my prayer is that she learned hers....
You can't stop anyone else's growth,
And if you try to you might block your own blessings,
There is enough out there for all of us...HONEST!

BLESSINGS!
angelia

SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation
Preorder @ www.angeliavmencha.com

Don't Give Me Nothing!

I found myself thinking about the James Brown song this morning,
“I don’t want nobody to give me nothing, open up the door and I will get it myself!”
That ran through my mind at midnight as I listened to Barack Obama’s acceptance speech
No one gave him anything, he went out there and got it,
Never compromising who he was or where he was from,
We can all learn from that,
It reminded me of my life,
All I had growing up was faith, family and a brain,
And I was told everyday that it was all I needed,
One thing I knew by the time I was grown, was this,
I would have to study hard,
Work hard,
And Pray harder,
I would also have to go against the grain,
Stand for what I knew was right, even when no one agreed with me, but me,
That has been particularly true in the last few years,
But I was raised to be beholden to no one,
That old Billie Holiday song was a mantra,
‘Mama may have, Papa may have, but God bless the child that has his own,
I remember when I was starting eighth grade,
I wanted alligator loafers,
That wasn’t in my mom’s budget, so she told me to get the penny loafers,
I said, that is okay, I will get them myself,
Within a week I was working,
Within two weeks I had my loafers,
Because one thing I knew and know for sure,
If you want it, you gotta go get it!

CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA

BLESSINGS!
Angelia
www.angeliavmenchan.com

Here We Are...

This morning I lay in bed, praying, for so many things,
As a prayer, I know what it can bring,
What I also know is that no matter how today's election turns out,
Tomorrow is another day and we will still have to get out and get about the business,
Of living, loving, working, believing, passing something on,
One of the things that has always driven me as a parent,
Is the imprint I would leave on my children, their children, and their children,
Many would accuse me of being so orderly, reserved, careful or whatever,
And I own those things, but what I knew more than anything,
Is that I needed to always carry myself as a model for those who love and watch me,
And they are always watching,
That is also what I pray many get from this campaign,
That there is more than one road to take,
And the high road is the better one,
I watched Senator Obama,
Coolly, for the most part work his way through,
I heard and read people talking about,
What he should say and how he should say it,
But what he knew as I know,
Is this,
His children and other people's children,
Were watching him and whatever he did or how he did it,
Is what they would remember, not what he said or how he said it,
We have to be careful about not talking out the side of our necks,
Because no matter what message we impart with our lips,
They are watching to see what and how we do it,
And most likely some young person,
Whose first defense would have been to cuss someone out,
Or even smack them,
Might think back to this time and decide,
To think and plan their way out of a situation,
By taking the highest road available,
Now that is cool to me,
I have just gotten as political as I get....

Now go VOTE!!!

BLESSINGS!
angelia

Comparative Analysis...

One of the most detrimental things one can do, is spend their lives, comparing,
It to the lives of others, we were all made different, with different paths and different courses of action,
However, in all of this came another revelation,
I see people who spend all of their time with people who they can compare themselves,
Favorably too and always come out on top,
Case in point, folks who only befriend people who aren’t doing as well as they are,
In this situation they can always look at themselves from a position of doing better,Even if the only people being fooled are themselves,
The reverse can also be true,
Those who only can converse or engage with those they think are ‘all that’,
As if though some of what they have will jump off on them, or others will say,
So and so must be all that, he or she is with, whomever,
That must be exhausting to always have to compare oneself , while posing and pretending,
I am tired just writing about it,
Last night I looked into the face of a younger person, who has spent all of his twenties,
Running with a crowd, to whom he can feel superior,
And running from anyone and anything that will stretch him or make him do something,
I could see watery eyes as he dealt with the fact, maybe for the first time,
That the only thing that has ever stood in his way, was him…
And my prayer was that he also realized at that moment that silly comparisons,
Is wasted energy, that we all have a unique bag of tricks to bring to the table,
I know I have frustrated many when I have held on to the me in me,
Refusing to be anything other than what God made me,
I try to explain, simply, it is not you don’t have it going on, you do…
But I need to and want to have it going on for me…the way I am…period…
You do you, I do me and together we all can get there…
Nothing COMPARES to that!

Blessings,
Angelia

PREORDER SCHAE’S STORY: A Woman’s Transformation @
www.angeliavmenchan.com

Some Will Leave...

This morning, sitting in church, I had so many revelations,
Someone, an elder related to me that they didn't get my young adult book,
I tried to explain that my goal when writing that or any such thing, I have learned to get outside of ME, and become who I am writing about, because I know the inability to see anyway, except my way, is growth stunting, and a real mentor, homie, lover, friend, has to be able to see someone, other than themselves!
Thus some will leave...not sure what they read or why, and that is okay,
Another revelation was about this very blog,
The more spiritual my rendering became, some left,
I knew that going in, as I revealed myself as a spiritual warrior,
I would lose some, but, that too is okay, better than okay,
Cause then and only then do I know I am on the right path,
The third revelation was in knowing that we will lose some of our church members,
Our new Pastor brings the gospel, hard and true,
And he is unswayed by what people say, do or represent,
He is there to bring the word, as God has shown him...
And too many of us struggle with owning that God's word is for us,
But it truly isn't about us, just to make us comfortable or feel good about our own stuff,
We have to be able to get through the message, past the messenger, and realize,
That to grow spiritually or any other way,
We had better be open to the truth as it is written and as it is told otherwise...
Finally, I had to check myself,
Knowing that sometimes I will have to be the one to leave...
Leave things alone that stunts my spiritual growth,
Or my walk,
Or my peace,
Leave people alone who aren't good for me, or my walk,
It's hard to stay, even harder to leave,
But we know when it's time...
Oh yes we do!

Love and Blessings!

angelia
PREORDER SCHAE'S STORY: A Woman's Transformation @
http://www.angeliavmenchan.com/
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