Thursday, April 8, 2010

The Other "N" Word


A question was posed today on one of my fave hair blogs, CurlyNikki.com, and I have no idea how to formally cross-post, but I thought I'd mention it here:

"Weigh in divas... is nappy a term of endearment, something we should embrace? Or do you feel offended when family and friends refer to your natural frock as nappy?

I just want to re-post my answer here, and also get your take on the question.

My response:

I've never had anyone call my hair "nappy" to my face, but I know that people *think it.* I've been called some other not-so-nice things. Some people are slick and subtle with it, e.g. "You should try a blowout! Look, I clipped out this newspaper article about it for you..." Others say it to their friends while you are in earshot. And sometimes it just shows on their faces.

These types of things used to really hurt me, but -- thank You, Father! -- it doesn't both me that much anymore. Why? I think the more mature you become (notice I didn't say "older"), the less other people's opinions matter. And more importantly, I believe what He says about me. Everything else is bunk, trite, and sometimes just plain evil. My people, when it happens to you (there's no "if," just "when") I encourage you to throw it in your mental garbage disposal, flush it, incinerate it -- do whatever you have to do to not internalize that thing -- and forgive that person... immediately! We add WAY too much value to people's personal preferences!

My hair is natural. This is the way God intended for it to come out of my head. You can call it kinky, curly, coily, or whatever you want, but the plain and simple fact is this texture is natural. It's mine. I take care of it. I like it. It's fun! My husband likes it (i was natural when we met, and yes, I think that makes a difference). It's here to stay.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Curls and Miss Jessie's in Target

I recently learned that Curls and Miss Jessie's are being sold in Target stores across the country! I've never tried it either of those product lines, but perhaps now I'll give it a go.

For an on-again, off-again product junkie (PJ) such as yours truly, it's always nice to find products that can be easily returned via a quick trip down the road. Unfortunately, most traditional Mom-and-Pop BSS (beauty supply stores) offer no refunds/no exchanges. Boooo!

Does this mean you'll spend more time at Target? Dangerous... !!!

The 50-Day Fast

Every year my church fasts corporately for 50-days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost, the celebration of the first fruits of the harvest following the Latter Day rains. It is also the celebration of the birth of the church. In Old Testament times, it signified the time of the giving of the Law to Moses; so how fitting that God selected the same celebration to birth and ordain the church, which ushered in the dispensation of Grace that replaced the Law. We're connected to Christ through His Grace!

This year's theme, Be Ye Transformed, is especially fitting for me. Over the past few years, my weight has slowly crept up, up, and away. when I graduated from college, I was about 170 and wore a size 12. Now I'm around 210 and wearing a 16. I'm 5'10" and I "carry weight well," as they say, because it's evenly distributed. But it's still not healthy for me to carry around all this extra.

All this weight gain is linked to a number of major events: grad school (mindless eating while studying), too much tv (mindless eating while vegging), and not exercising as much in general, to name a few. Notice how many of the reasons have to do with the mind. I want to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Change is (or can be) partial, but transformation is all-encompassing. I know I have to think differently and then my behavior has to change to match, until healthy living is actually my normal, sustained, consistent lifestyle. I have to believe, receive, and apply God's Word, which says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, "...know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

It's time to live it!

I'm going to post throughout this fast, which I believe is going to transform my life -- physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. And I invite you to join me, if you feel led of God to do so. I'm so excited! I'll post more info about the details of the fast soon, as well as healthy substitutes I'm learning about for common foods, recipes, exercise (which I actually started in January and have continued regularly), etc.

:)