Convergence

Online Dating Advice For the Brethren

Clarissa Rodney, the lead character in my upcoming film "Something Worth Waiting For" just posted some fun tips for online dating for those brothers in Christ who might be trying to find that special someone in cyberspace. See what she has to say here.

Also, don't forget we're still looking for your help with the making of the trailer for the movie. Whatever you can give would be greatly appreciated--whether its $10, $25, $50 or $100! Consider making a donation today by clicking here. Thank you for your support!

Tired

I'm just tired, ya'll.

- I'm tired of the people upstairs making so much noise.
- I'm tired of never having enough money to do the things I really want to do.
- I'm tired of feeling like my work is not good enough.
- I'm tired of all the uncertainty on my current job.
- I'm tired of trying to figure out how much longer I even want to stay at my current job.
- I'm tired of people complaining all the time.
- I'm tired of waiting for things to jump off with my film "Something Worth Waiting For."
- I'm tired of working for other people.
- I'm tired of being single.
- I'm tired of not having a church to go to when I want to hear some good gospel music.
- I'm tired of my own excuses.
- I'm just tired of it all...

Sometimes I wish I had it in me to be a bitchy person. You know, that person who says what's on their mind and doesn't care what people think? I wish I could be that woman. But my momma taught me better than that. She taught me to respect others and to be kind. And I think my dad taught me how to be logical, rational, and level-headed--even in the midst of anger. And while all those things help me to be a productive citizen, they don't help me very much when it comes to getting things off my chest.

My Birthday Weekend

So I ended up having a decent birthday/weekend. Wednesday I had to work late but when I got home, Khalilah had a gift waiting for me. It was a can opener with some Twix and Fun Dip (my two favorite candies). It was great because Ive been wanting a new can opener to replace my old school one. And, well, as far as I'm concerned you can never go wrong with Twix and Fun Dip. 

Thursday I went to the Global Night of Worship at Buckhead Church which was AMAZING! I had a great time. Praise and Worship is my favorite part of the service so an hour and a half of it is like heaven to me! Friday I tried a new Indian restaurant with my friend Shandra and it was AMAZING! I'll definitely be back there again. We then went to check out the Tyson documentary. It was very interesting. Disturbing, but interesting. Overall a very good film.

Saturday I had Tea Time with Tony, which is always a blessing. What was funny was that I ran into Michael Wynne while I was there so he joined us and we had some really good conversation. It's always nice to hear the male perspective on some things. And it's always a blessing to hear Tony's ideas and wisdom on things. Tony's one of those people that always wants to know what God is doing in my life and what He's teaching me in this season. It's good to have someone like that in your life so that you can always be aware of how God is moving. Because sometimes we get so busy or frustrated with the things that aren't happening that we forget to see the forest for the trees. After that I hung out for a little while with Jon. He said he had a birthday surprise but we ran out of time so we'll have to do that some other time.

Sunday morning I went to church -- fantastic message. Andy just concluded a series called "God and Country" talking about the moral conscience of America. It was really really good. Sunday afternoon my family and I went to the Green Manor for dinner. If you've never been to the Green Manor you OWE it to yourself to get down there if you like southern cooking. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, turnip greens, string beans, dressing, rice, yams....it was all so good!!! I'm still thinking about the chicken even this morning! After that I went to my parents house and then hung out a little while there. Shari had to drop me off at the airport because I left my car there at her job so that we could ride to Green Manor together. Well, while we were in the car we realized that we had gotten hungry again so we stopped at Malone's Bar and Grill and had the BEST crab legs I have ever had in my life! So well seasoned and tender! OMG...I'm still thinking about those too.

Overall it was a good weekend. People say you don't have to celebrate your birthday on just one day. I guess that's true. Tonight I will be celebrating it at my friend Shandra's house. And I still want to celebrate somehow with all my friends and I still want to do karaoke. Looks like I might be celebrating my birthday for the next few weeks!

Recap

Good morning everybody! It's officially been a whole two weeks since my last blog! Maybe I should change my blogging frequency to like once a week or something. Who knows. So much happened last week along, let me try to catch you up...

I got back from South Carolina for my grandfather's funeral last Sunday and stayed in Stockbridge Sunday night. It felt so good to be around family for that whole weekend that I literally did not want to go home. I think that may have been the first time that I actually felt sad to leave and come back to the city. But I'm glad I did come back and re-enter the world called life. Family is so important. I think sometimes we take family for granted and forget the fact that if it weren't for them, we'd be nothing.

On Wednesday my editing class took a field trip to CineFilm, the largest film processing lab here in the southeast. It was a blast to be able to see all the machines that process film and do the color timing. I would love to learn more about color timing and color correction. At some point I'm going to contact them about doing some work with them.

Thursday I had lunch with Jon. That's right. We're talking again. What's nice is that we're taking things slow this time and allowing ourselves to be friends. It's a little weird  but very refreshing at the same time. There are a lot of things that I still feel I don't know about him. So I'm looking forward to getting to know him all over again. We'll see what becomes of it.

Saturday I got a chance to videotape the singles of Buckhead Church as they did community service projects all around Atlanta as part of the doJustice campaign. It was a lot of fun and there were so many people! It's nice to know that so many people were willing to serve. I think that about 65 or so groups went out and did some good for the community. It was fun videotaping too and being able to see many of the different groups.

After that I went over to the Hotel Midtown where the Georgia Big Picture Conference was having a Film workshop as part of the Atlanta Film Festival. Joe Binford arranged for those of us in his class to assist the folks at Kodak in running the workshop. The workshop was designed to teach people about film and shooting with a film camera. It was a hands-on workshop where the participants actually had a chance to shoot a little scene and later Kodak will get the film developed and send them a DVD. So me and some people from my class were able to be Assistant Camerwomen for the day. It was cool to work with such a great DP. His name was Joe D'Allessandro and he's shot and AC'd a ton of films. He was very nice. This editing class I'm taking is opening up my mind to a lot of possibilities and I''m really enjoying it.

Yesterday (Sunday) I went to Hampton for the dedication of my friends Zandrea and Gator's twin babies Solomon and Shiloh. It was very nice to see them and to see their family 'cuz I haven't seen or talked to them in a minute. This was my second time attending a baby dedication within the last 2 weeks. From now on I need to ask my friends what is the dress code for their church because both times I got all dressed up because I didn't want to be disrespectful to my friends and their church cultures, then I got there and people were dressed very casually. Anybody who knows me knows that I HATE heels, so anytime I can get out of wearing them, I welcome the opportunity. Well, I could always get some flats but I don't have any so until then it's either sneakers or heels. That or flip flops... :-)

I'm not gonna make any empty promises about the next time I'll blog but I'll at least try not to make it 2 weeks next time. LOL

Thoughts

Well, it's 1:07 am and I'm here in Stockbridge at my parents' house. I hadn't planned on doing this but I've been looking for Editor job opportunities for the past 3 hours. What does that mean? Maybe I'm finally ready to move on? I'm starting to feel the itch again to get back into more of an industry environment. But I love teaching. I love the fact that my current job gives me somewhat freedom to do both. But the more I stay at this job I'm starting to see that that reality might be going away soon. I would love to have an editor job somewhere here in Atlanta. I think I'm gonna send out some applications once I get back home. You just never know...

Today I went to the Home Show at the Cobb Galleria with my fam. We had a good time. I bought a garlic grater. Yeah, I know. I'm a sucker for a kitchen gadget. But I'm really excited about going to the grocery store tomorrow to buy some fresh garlic! Aunt Bessie also got me some Sun-Dried Tomato olive oil that I can't wait to use on some fettucine and/or bread.

I'm also sitting here still remembering my trip to NYC. I can't stop talking about it to people who will listen. It was such a great experience being out there with no rules and no agenda. Now that's what I call a vacation! I feel like God spoke to me on that trip in many ways. I can't wait until my next trip!

I'm really enjoying my new hair journal on Facebook. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out here. Everytime I try a new natural hairstyle, I take a picture and post it to that photo album. In case you're wondering, I've been getting all these new hairstyles from a new YouTube link I found called CurlyChronicles. She's got some GREAT how-to videos on some funky natural hairstyles. Another good site with some good techniqeus is MsButtahfly. I've been having lots of fun experimenting with different methods and styles to see what I like best. My biggest challenge right now is trying to find new products. I like my Murray's Loc Lock gel but it does make my hair a bit hard. I want to find something that's a little more natural and that will allow me to do these styles but have soft hair.

Well, that's all for tonight. I feel my eyes getting heavy. Peace out Convergence readers!

Day 2 in NYC - Things I Learned Today

Boy am I one tired soul. I forgot that NYC requires so much walking! The good thing, though, is that I've gotten plenty of exercise and it's actually helped my back. It doesn't hurt as much as it has been.

Today I woke up and went for brunch at a place called Sarabeth's. I had a salmon scramble and it was good but it was no Flying Biscuit. After my brunch was when I realized that I was so exhausted from yesterday that I had to go back to my hotel room and take a nap. After resting up a bit I set out to go to the Met.

Since it was such a nice day out and my hotel is so close to Central Park, I got the bright idea to walk through the park to the east side. Huge mistake  -- well kind of. It took a really long time and I got really tired halfway through but once you get that far, there's no turning back. I started to get a little frustrated because I was losing time to spend at the Met. But then I decided to really take in the scenery surrounding me and the day suddenly got a whole lot better. I slowed down my walk, took a seat on a bench, and learned a lot of things during my time in Central Park:

• It's perfectly possible for me to entertain myself. Here I am in NYC with no set agenda and I am having a great time. How's that for an independent woman?
• NY is a place where you have to take risks. Even just getting around on a daily basis requires risk. Hanging out with my friend Rich last night and Priscilla today, I had no idea where I was going. But I had to just take the risk and get on the train and figure it out as I went along. Reading the signs. Such is life. Sometimes we gotta be willing to take risks and figure it out as we go.
• Living in the moment means focusing on and enjoying what's in front of you now instead of always waiting for the destination. For example, taking the time to enjoy Central Park rather than getting frustrated about getting to the Met. I was missing out on the beauty right in front of my face. Also, I'll admit that being here in NY has made me want to move back here. But then I realized that I've got great things going on in Atlanta that I still have yet to take advantage of. The grass always looks greener on the other side. Sometimes it's worth it to sow the seeds in your own yard first.
• The whole time I was here in NY I missed out on a lot. For one thing, I rarely ever went to the east side of town. So today's journey was quite an adventure in and of itself. It's different over there in those parts. For some reason it seems a little cleaner over there. I don't know. Maybe it's just me. 
• Throughout all these years, God has never let go of me. I've had ups and downs before and He's gotten me through. Why should I believe He'd stop now?
• I have to get back to TRUSTING God, not just believing in Him.
• I think me and Jon could have a great friendship if we both tried a teeny bit harder, and if we actually took the time to be friends (whether as boyfriend and girlfriend or not). I'm willing to try.
• Love means reaching out. I was watching this couple in Central Park and watchiing how they interacted with each other. She would put her head on his shoulder. They would read a book together. She would read his text messages on his phone. They would flirt with each other. All from this position. It was very sweet. 

So yeah, I did eventually make it to the Met but they were about to close so I just sat on the steps for a few minutes after trudging all that way through the park. I continued on my journey and went to Starbucks on Lexington & 78th. Then I went to Brooklyn to hang out with my friend Priscilla and her beautiful daughter Sophia. She made dinner and I had such a great time! It took me a long time to get home because I unknowingly got on an express train that skipped my stop. But after a lot of back and forth I finally made it back to my hotel.

Another great day in NY. I know I said it before but I am exhausted!! And, I am ready to go back home to the ATL. I think I got what I came here for. A renewed sense of purpose and drive. As I sat in Central Park, one of my favorite songs came on my iPod and I had to repeat it several times because it gave me great peace. The song is "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman. I'll leave you with the lyrics as a reminder that no matter where you are in life, God's always got your back and He always has something to say to you.

You Never Let Go

by Matt Redman

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Chorus:

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

Day 1 in NYC - DO YOU!!

So today is my first day in NYC and so far I'm having a blast!

As soon as I stepped foot off the plane I felt the charge....ok, well maybe I'm being a bit dramatic. But getting on the NE Corridor to Penn Station just brought back all kinds of memories and took me back to a time in my life where I did my thang...

Which is why I wanted to come to NY this week. I'm starting to feel like I'm losing my mojo...like I'm getting to comfortable with things the way they are. I'm comfortable with getting in my car and driving around time. Not having to think, not having to figure things out. Not having to hustle. I just wanted to go someplace where I had to think on my toes again.

When I got to NY I could feel the energy. Everything felt the same as if I had never left it. All of Penn Station was in the same place, it smelled the same, it looked the same. My first stop in NY was my Ben's Pizza on Spring & Thompson. They have the best pizza around imo. They hadn't changed a bit either. Although they do lose one cool point because they no longer having fountain drinks (grape drink and coupon). That place used to be my hangout spot for lunch when I used to work at AIVF on Houston, so it felt good to be back there. For all you NJ/NY'ers who are longing for that REAL NY pizza, here's a picture:

There it is...

And there it went....

I tried to get a picture of the slice before I started eating it but I couldn't help myself. I just had to dig in. The white stuff on the plate is the powdered sugar from my two zeppoles, which were also always part of my routine. :-)

After my lunch, I went ahead and checked in my hotel. Boy is it TINY! Here are some pictures but I don't think the pictures even do justice of showing just how small this room is...

I wish I could've taken a pic of the shower but the bathroom is so small I can't get a good shot of the shower withiut stepping into the toilet. But aw well, I'm not complaining too much. It's a place to lay my head. And it's just for me so it works.

So after resting for a little while, I caught up with a friend of mine named Rich Chew. Rich was an actor in one of my first short films, Soul Connection. He invited me to come with him to a bible study for models. It was really good. I'm glad I went. Maybe I'll have to share more insight on it later because I'm getting increaingly sleepy.

All in all, I'm having  a good time. And what I love most about this trip is that I have wing me to do no agenda. I go wherever the wind takes me and in the meantime it's allowing me to DO ME! I get to set my own pace and chart my own life--not my schedule. Tomorrow I'm supposed to be having dinner with my friend Priscilla. I also make walk through Central Park, pay a visit to the MET  and take in the day.

I"ll keep you posted. Bur right now I'm pooped! I'll give you another recap tomorrow. Peace and G'night!

Fiddlesticks!!

Sigh. I had such great plans for some great posts this week. But as usual, time got the best of me and they just never materialized. So here's a smorgasbord of some of my thoughts from this past week.

• I've been trying to let it go but my drives to and fro are becoming more and more lonely. I am really pissed that they switched all the radio stations around and have removed all Black Talk Radio from the airwaves. Apparently, now that we have a black president black folks no longer need to be informed about anything. All of our problems have been solved and there's no such thing as injustice so we have no need to talk about it. Warren Ballentine and Al Sharpton had become two of my favorite radio shows on 102.5 because they would talk about real issues affecting the black community. Now that they've been yanked off the air, I don't really have much to listen to on the radio anymore. What pisses me off even more is that they took off two shows that made people politically and socially conscious (I know there's debate about whether these shows were actually good or not, but hey, at least they made an attempt at making people aware...), but yet they left Steve Harvey and Michael Baisden on the air!! Now Steve Harvey, he's a great pick-me-up during the morning rush-hour slump. I love to listen to his show on Fridays while I'm on my way to Alpharetta for my BTCL class. And I'll admit that every now and then I do tune in to Michael Baisden to see what kind of trifling-ness he's talking about today. But the fact that these two shows are the only two options on this radio station now is appalling. 102.5 used to be my favorite station because they had the perfect line-up. Laugh with Steve Harvey, then think with Warren Ballentine and Al Sharpton, then cut up with Michael Baisden. But it's like now that intelligent talk has been removed, I'm left with nothing but buffoonery. That SUCKS. Maybe I need to start surfing the AM dial to try and find some other good talk radio replacements...

• Things are going better in dealing with the breakup. I'm indifferent these days.

• I'm up here watching the Young Conservatives Political Action Conference on C-Span. This kid Jonathan Krohn is on here talking about ideas from his book, "Defining Conservatism". He looks like he is no more than 12 years old. He can hardly reach the microphone at the podium.  But he just got a standing ovation from the crowd. Maybe he needs to be the next Republican candidate for president. I gotta admit, his speech was pretty electric. I'd listen to what he has to say. Even at 12 years old, he even looked "presidential", which seemed to be why a lot of people voted for Obama, so who knows, maybe he has a shot.

• I just had tea with Tony Marchetti. I spoke about him before in this post. We had another very insightful talk. I shared with him what I talked about in my post from last week about hearing from God. He had some very interesting insight about how if you look at people in the Bible, many of them did in fact hear from God, but the journey toward reaching that promise didn't look at all like they thought it would look. It was very insightful. I"ll have to share more about this later because I'm just realizing that I'm running out of time...

• Still watching this Young Conservatives Conference. It's funny, looking at all these kids (most of them college kids) get up to speak, I wonder how come they aren't at the forefront of the GOP? When I watched the RNC, those people didn't look anything like the people on here. If they're trying to revamp their image, I think they should start with these students.

• I'm on my way to church with Angela. We're going to a Saturday evening service at Fellowship Bible Church. I'm excited. If I don't get off this computer now I'll be late. Hopefully I'll be able to update you about it later....

• Toodles!

All Work and No Play Makes One Open Up Photo Booth...

So tonight I'm supposed to be catching up on work. I've got the last bit of color correcting to do on Faithfully Divided, I've got tons of homework for Bible class, I need to get a head start on preparing for classes next week, I need to revise my demo reel and my website, I've got a script to do rewrite. With all that work everybody needs a little break. But I think me and Khalilah had a little bit too much fun with Photo Booth....

     

Back to the Grind...(Earlier Than I Thought)

So I just realized that my first class starts today, as in 11 hours from now. Not Tuesday like I thought. So much for having Mondays off this quarter. Aw well, at least I had already prepared my syllabus for that class so I'm not freaking out too much.

Today was a good day. I did a little shopping at one of my favorite stores, Plato's Closet and founds lots of cool tops that I can wear to work. I love that place because you can get fashionable stuff for dirt cheap. I left there and went grocery shopping, which is always fun to me.

Church was a little different today. Andy was there live. Everytime he shows up live I still find myself looking at the video screens. Habit, I guess. He started a series about personal finances today called "Balanced." It was cool because these days whenever I hear that someone is preaching about personal finances I usually want to turn the other way. Not because it's not valuable information. It's just that for a person who has been going to church all your life, those types of sermons are usually very predictable. You know there's going to be talks about tithing, about giving to those in need, and you know eventually it's going to lead to giving money to the church. But today's sermon was a little different. He focused on how to have balance in your finances, stating the  importance of knowing where your money is going. It was a good start to a 6-part series and I don't think I'm doing it much justice since I'm starting to drift off to sleep right now...

Only time will tell. It's been real!