Up down and back again

Today was my pastor, Brian Z Evans’s, third anniversary at First Baptist Church of Nutley. I am very happy to have him as my pastor and I know the rest of the church body is grateful as well. I had to praise dance, sing in the choir and usher.

Ushering = welcoming the guest, making sure they are seated, making sure they do not disrupt the service, making sure their basic needs are covered ie fans, bathroom directions, tithing envelopes, programs.

Praise dancing = Using dance as a ministry but praising God. Here’s an example:

Although, it’s not us.

Sing in choir = Yall know what that is.

That’s usually what I do once a month. But this was a special day. So in addition to my normal duties I had to serve dinners. And could you believe that some of these people were getting nasty because they had to wait for their plate. I mean, I understand the frustration but honestly the nastiness – the last place it should be is in the church. Luckily for me, seven years of customer service helped me cruise pass disgruntled customers. Honestly, we were disorganized but the constant confusion of people coming up asking for a plate mixed in with people who had just came in asking for a plate did all but set the kitchen on fire.

But for those serving the plates it probably felt that way, =-(

After washing dishes, I ran back upstairs to usher; of which I was the only one. All by myself except for my kind mother who is not an usher but was sitting close enough to urgently grab my attention for someone who needed a fan or envelope.

Nisa! Nisa! She wants a fan!

Nisa! Nisa! The lady over there – look!

Nisa! Nisa! She’s calling you!

“Yes mommy,” I say as calmly as I can muster for I was determined to prove I had had home training and escape embarrassment.

Then, I had to stand up in church and do the welcome for a second service. And all I had to do was welcome them. But then I started sweating, my stomach started hurting, the room was spinning.

It honestly wasn’t that bad and surprisingly enough I didn’t stumble. Yay! But I was tired yall. I was tired. The church who came in the afternoon, Fellowship Baptist – my pastor’s home church had praise dancers. The music on their cd wasn’t loud enough. The person who worked the audio booth had went home. I had to go upstairs and helped find the volume button for the cd player on the audio board and run back down to usher – since at that time I was the only one ushering.

When church was over I did not go downstairs for cake. I went downstairs to get my praise dance clothes from that morning and go home. What winded up happening was, Charlotte, a nurse who could not make it back downstairs in her heels, asked me to retrieve her coat.

Again, I was determined to prove my mother had trained me in the ways a child should go.

I retrieved it for her. And then I was on my way to the car where I would have to convince my mom to edge out of her tight space in the parking lot – which we never park – so that I could make it to Bedside Baptist.

I wrote this to share my crazy Sunday with you; not to complain or ridicule anyone. It is an honor to serve in any way that I can in the body of Christ and I am glad that I could be counted on to do it. I only hope my pastor and his wife to be enjoyed the services and that my God is proud of me.

Running on empty…pockets that is.

This Saturday tune in to gyroscope radio at 6:00PM on http://www.ustream.tv/ to listen to “Rated M” where a panel of all women discuss topics that deal with women! I am so excited that I am using my talents and everyone has been so supportive. I’ve been befriended by all of these amazing, intelligent, innovative and artistic and wonderful people.

So what do you do when you have your dream job, but you can’ t get to it? My mom and I essentially share a car even though the car is under her name. She has this Medicaid insurance but since she’s unsure about what it exactly covers she is wary about letting me drive it far.

This just in: the tire light came on.

“Well, put air in it,” you say.

We did that to no avail. We have to get it checked and we probably need a new tire which neither of us has money for. So I take the bus. No biggie. I have taken the bus all my life. But the bus cost money too. Most of which I am saving for training to be a substitute teacher which will, in the long run, make me money.

I’m hoping this blog will reach the struggling intern and the entry level worker who can only afford Nissan Noodles; because this happens. Sometimes grown up life means you have to struggle to do what you love.

And I’m here to say I’m hanging by a thread with you. May the Lord keep us both.

Some tips for saving money:

Use every resource you got: Ask friends for favors, take money from your savings (a reasonable amount), ask granny for enough to get you by. Just don’t forget all the people who helped you out when you get to the top.

Put first priorities first: I know you miss your best friend but that big project is not going to finish itself. If they are really your friend they will be available when you really have the time to hang.

IT’S OKAY TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THINK, CAN I REALLY DO THIS?

Don’t make big commitments when you can not deliver. That’s a step on the road to self sabotage. Take a moment to think if you really have the means to accomplish certain task. Sometimes on the road to success there are some opportunities you may have to pass up.

Don’t try to do it all but make all that you do count.

I really need to establish a regular posting date. I mean in my mind its Sunday and Wednesday. Sunday and Wednesday. Sunday and Wednesday. Sunday and Wednesday. Maybe if I type it enough, my fingers won’t be able to flex without touching the keys of my laptop.

My laptop is staying with me by the way. Dell will have to long- term screw someone else’s computer. I’m going to put editing software on mine and suffer with my ethernet cord until I buy mac.

YOU HERE THAT PC, I’M BUYING A MAC!

Many a great thing my life has happening in.

=-) I mean many great things have been happening in my life. The Ivanhoe Artist Mosaic of Paterson, NJ has been providing a platform for art mediums even before it became a non – profit in 2006. The city wants to take the building away from them and rent it out to other organizations. In order to sway their decision, the Ivanhoe group need to provide “just cause” of them utilizing the building. They put on mucho events and all events are paid for by donations and membership funds. What is the city talking about?

Moving on I volunteered to film a mini doc in support of the Ivanhoe. So I have been filming that. And I have begun the editing process. And I promise I will be blogging about that assuming the frustration hasn’t consumed me and I haven’t sworn off all technology. =-)

The busiest girl with no job…ok I’m exaggerating

First and foremost I am sorry I have not posted anything in a while. I am still blessing this blog via ethernet. Dell and Comcast are on my $h*# list. But I should probably shut up because I might need to work for them some day.

For whatever reason, apparently unknown to man, my computer will not connect to the wifi. I have acquired a new router, Dell has uninstalled and reinstalled drivers, they leeched on to my computer via tech assist. (It let’s someone control your computer via internet.) And nothing…wait I lied. The bars icon at the bottom of my desktop will appear to be connecting now but when I try to connect to a web page it says I have no connection. I am beyond frustrated. So beyond. Now dell wants to take my computer for two weeks to replace the wifi card “which appears to have no problem.” Not that I can’t make due without technology for two weeks, BUT THIS IS RIDICULOUS! When I asked how long would it take to receive a new computer there was a pause and redirection of conversation. It was similar to someone making a rude comment in conversation and the other parties dismissing the comment for the offender’s sake. They of course do not want to give away a computer oh no. Whoosaaaah. Ok.

I can’t remember Monday but Tuesday I volunteered at a soup kitchen in Newark on Martin Luther King Boulevard. The volunteers were characters indeed and the conversation was outrageous.  Mr. T, Ms. Shannon and Lisa thought they would scare me away with their…ideologies. I had been told that I would be eaten if there was a nuclear, apocalyptic explosion because the plants would be too poisonous. Mr. T and I thoughtfully countered that our flesh would also be poisonous. But our other two contenders argued we would taste better than the plants and berries. Smh.

In spite of my new friends’ particular taste, I was happy to be there serving. I was …ahem a little late. But I was still able to serve those who came lingering in after the rush. I was glad to know I was able to provide a hot meal to the less fortunate. There is a joy in knowing they didn’t have to spend their whole day starving. Honestly, I’ve always been a little nervous about helping the homeless or assisting children with special needs. I thought they would be mean to me because of their position in life. I’ve had an an experience where I asked someone if she wanted me to buy her something to eat and she was rather grumpy as she said “no.”  As she spread out her blanket to cover her huge blue bags which were spilling over I understood why. I still gave her a few dollars and she said thank you. But those who came in for a plate the day I volunteered, who were less fortunate than me, were kind to me. At first, I averted my eyes when I handed them napkins and utensils. But I realized that was foolish. So I looked each one of them in their eyes. And I saw people who breathe and even eat as I do.