Hello Friend!

When I immigrated to the United States from Cameroon, West Central Africa, I was surprised by so many things. One of them was the pet culture. I was surprised to see people having snakes, turtles, and other fascinating animals as house pets. In my home country, most pets are cats or dogs for one reason: to protect the home from intruders or rodents. When I came here, I was surprised to see someone keep a mouse as a pet. It was a huge culture shock for me to try to reconcile seeing a mouse as a household nuisance versus seeing it as a welcome guest in the home, as a pet.

Have you ever seen God? Well… I saw Him yesterday. For months I have been praying for a divine encounter. Yes, I have been fasting, reading the Bible on a consistent basis, thirsty for a face-to-face meeting with my First Love. I had heard and read stories of people like Moses, who spoke to God face to face, Abraham who heard God’s voice leading him to the promised land, and Mary who had an angelic visitation. I wanted my own experience with God. This is how I began my spiritual journey in search of a divine encounter. So I prayed, “God, reveal yourself to me…please…I want to see you…I want to know that you are real.”

Love is beautiful, it’s exhilarating, it’s orgasmic but love is also painful. It hurts. And when it hurts, it hurts deep. Well, two years ago, Mona’s husband had traveled. She felt alone and was craving for some TLC, tender loving care. She met this guy at Walmart, a grocery store. She was looking for some napkins, and he was looking for some utensils. Somehow their eyes met, and in her vulnerability to feel loved and be held, she … she gave him her contact information. She was feeling alone. She had needs as some people would say. Her body was yearning for what she subconsciously knew would be damaging to her soul and her relationship. He called her that evening, came over and… as they were intertwined in the sheets, she heard the front door open. Gripped with fear, she told the Walmart man, “please get under the bed”, and so as he hid, she tried to hurry in the closet to put something on and that’s when her husband opened the bedroom door. He found her naked.  She was so ashamed. She tried to play it off but her husband could tell what had just happened. She had betrayed his love, his trust and had broken the relationship they once held dear. 

Many people around the world love a particular perfume or cologne. My mother’s favorite is amarige de Givenchy. She has been using it for many years. For more than 20 years, it has been her go to perfume. She will use other perfumes when she goes to the grocery store or the gym, but when it comes to special events, she always pulls out her amarige perfume that she previously kept in her special drawer. It has such a unique and sweet scent that I can see why she loves it so much. I have used it on a few occasions but my favorite perfume is Calvin Klein Euphoria , more affordable and I love the smell.