A Day In My Life

38  Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ [ a ] feet and heard His word. 40  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” 41  And Jesus [ b ] answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38 (www.biblegateway.com) Makes you think about some things huh? I mean we are in the most glorious of seasons, celebrating the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is a time full of festive activities, family gatherings and re-connections. It is a time to lavish the ones we love and the ones in need with the best that ...

Greetings Reader, It is a time for sharing! Enjoy: I was re-reading one of my favorite books You're Late Again, Lord by Karon Phillips Goodman and I had an epiphany! Mrs. Goodman has a wonderful and witty way of exposing your faults not to make you feel bad but to encourage you to seek the Lord. In one of the passages she confessed that "I always wanted to complete the waiting, and I cared little about what benefits were in it for me" (Goodman, 2002) The wait she is referring to is the time in your life where you feel like you are stuck. Can't move forward won't go backward so you are just there. Well I have been in one of these waits for what seems like an eternity and had become very burnt out on life. To the point where I no longer wanted to be involved in any activity, social outing or anything that would require me to get out of clean pj's to make an appearance. But then just when I was settling, at least I thought I was, into my wait..determined to m...

It is the Saturday before Christmas and I am not out shopping or competing with the hustle and bustle of the last minute crowd. Have I bought anything? Absolutely not. Normally I would be wheeling and dealing to try and make sure my children received a few things off of their list; but this year is different. This year I just don't want to to. This year I just want to celebrate the simplicity of life. I want to hang out with family and friends, play board games, eat (not too much) holiday food and just appreciate life. I thank GOD for the peace He has given me. I thank Him for allowing me to see more purpose in the everyday's and not be concerned with productivity of them. I am just loving life and more appreciative of His Son's miraculous arrival on Earth and humbled at His plan to save humanity. The mall doesn't hold that type of revelation joy! Neither does a 25% off sale or extended ours...I am good. And honestly GOD always surprises me and the children end of up ...

The More I live, The More I Learn. The More I Learn, The More I live. -Souljourner

  Good Morning Family! I wanted to make you aware of an awesome group of people that work with my sons and kids like them. River City Buddy Ball of Richmond Virginia; what makes them so special is that they ensure that all children especially our children who are challenged with autism, MD, processing delays (MR), down syndrome have an opportunity to play sports. They are kids who love to run and play with other children. They provide jersey's, play facilities and treats at no cost to the parents. For more information see  www.rivercitybuddyball.org Now that I have introduced you to a cause close to my heart. Please take a moment to browse pampered chef products and consider making a purchase. All purchases up to 12/20/13 will yield a 15% donation to buddy ball. So calling all chefs and those who are aspiring to be! Come and check out the goodies at :  www.pamperedchef.biz/indygriffin  make a purchase and help our kids!  www.pamperedchef.bi...

I will be the first to admit that some days are more challenging than others. You know it's gonna be one of those days when you can't find your keys; or you fight with the kids to get out the door on time or someone forgets a book bag or leaves a lunchbox on the back seat. No matter what makes you look up to the sky and go ARRRGGGHHH, there is still something salvageable in that day. It's never as bad as it seems it is when we you are going through it. And if you would remember that going through is actually a action phrase which means nothing is standing still and the moment is passing right before your eyes. It might make you smile the next time you lock your keys in the car or forget to grab gas before you run into the traffic jam on the way to work. Not every moment is a hooray moment but I would challenge you to find a piece of happiness on the worst of your days. It's like taking a spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down. I am doing that right now as ...

Ok, I just had to blog about this and I am so fired up I can guarantee this will be a 2 part-er maybe more. So there I was in the nail salon, getting a little T.L.C to me before I am locked in the house with the kids and the husband for many, many, many (x's infinity) days, when a commercial comes on the Tele. At first I didn't really pay much attention to it  but then I noticed the melody the jingle was based on and I was completely appalled. Mouth open and everything! It was JcPenny and they had a bunch of actors on a movable fireplace complete with all of the trimmings of the season. I was like gaudy but ok whatever, but the song they were singing to was Do you Hear What I Hear..look it up on youTube. That is what got me; we have completely lost our minds folks. Instead of thanking GOD for making it thus far in the year and blessing His Holy and Righteous name we settle for singing, praising and worshiping the gods of greed, self and materialism. How can you have CHRIS...

Many Thanks Freedom has materialized Justice has form Hope is solid Many gathered...one led Many kept going .... a few remained faithful We all have benefited from their struggle Another rises Time to continue Unity has a name Bigotry, hate and prejudice are Outside looking in We must be ever vigilent They don't idily wait If given the chance they will dictate again But for now the horizon boasts of a new dawn Full of hope, determination and promise Thankyou From the boat to the fields to the plantations To the streets, to the offices, to the schools and the lunch counters and finally to me. We will not forget your work, your sacrifices, your struggle We celebrate!!! Your time of harvest is come One world indivisible defined by liberty And the same justice for All Souljourner Howard

Coffee Bitter, acidic warm, inviting swirling, majestic colorful and unruly Memories past Hopes...I dare to dream envelope me  like a jerzee sheet on a winters morn By itself it is just that..coffee but dressed with warm flavors of the earth it is defined into something distinguished, exotic, cherished Coffee equals comfort for you it may be tea or maybe chocolate but for me Coffee is velvet and time well spent Souljourner

Hello Family! I hope all is well in your world but even if it isn't please remember that GOD is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Re familiarize yourself with some of His promises to you. I pray this will strengthen you as you go thru this day's journey. I am so excited to have found some of my old journals! I am even more excited to share some of my earlier works with you. This particular piece was written back in 09 and it serves as a reminder to me that sometimes the very thing you are looking for is right in front of you!  Enjoy Fly I want to fly taste the wind play with the eagles what is stopping me what is stopping you I want to dance be light as air I want to flow like the wind I want to be mighty like a river strong in its season I want to be faithful like the sun as refreshing as a summer rain as fragrant as new lilies in the spring I want to fly What is stopping me  What is stopping you I want to laugh  ...

One of the projects I am working on centers around these two little rascals. They are my sons; the are amazing, handsome, intelligent, extremely observant and Autistic.  That last one was a sucker punch to both my husband and I. No one prepares you for having a child with mental differntabilities, (new word, I totally made that up). It has been a journey filled with every piece of emotion ranging from: disbelief, fear, denial anger,overwhelming sadness, fierce love, acknowledgement and finally acceptance.  As expecting parents we are filled with the joy of the unknown! We wonder who the child will look like, what will their personality develop into and approximately when will they get here. No where in the prenatal visits or books are we told that there is a possibility that our future bundle may have autism or any other ism; but sometimes they are and then what? What exactly are you supposed to do with this child who: will never live up to your preconceived notions, whose...

Fall is so beautiful. It's almost as if we get permission to wonder at all of nature's glory that GOD created. The leaves are turning, delicious seasonal foods and beverages are being offered; it's the calm before the storm called the winter holidays. This year I have purposed to get closer to the meanings of the holidays by deleting some of our family traditions that don't add to the experience. By adding I mean creating lasting memories. For instance our kids, yours probably too, don't remember what they got last Christmas or the Christmas before that. They do, however, remember the tree and decorations, yummy food and new stuff.  And there it is! It comes down to stuff. All the time I spent in the store, carefully going over their lists and trying to match them to my budget. Substituting this for that, waiting for that to go on sale, following the ads to see who had the cheaper 'stuff'. REALLY??? Is that what Christ died for us to have? No - He said He ...

Technology is a wonderful thing. It is both a gift and a curse depending on how one uses it. Sure it has made our lives easier, it has helped us live with a better quality of life but it has also made us cold, complacent and a little worse for the wear. Now before you reject my comments completely let me explain my position.  Before television families would sit around at the dinner table and have, what is becoming a lost art, conversation. It was a time to bond, to inform and to share. It also set a precedent for the up and coming generations to value time with one another and pass down the craft of slow cooking. Before video games kids never had to be told to go and play 20 minutes a day - because that is what they did. They made up cool games, jumped rope, played jacks and had block bike races. Again there existed a sense of community and belonging. Before my husband and I bought smartphones we actually had conversation instead of jumping at the first notification of something ...

Good Morning, I trust all is well with you and yours.  So yesterday I was at the hospital clinic for my son's 90 day check up. It is a specialty clinic that services kids with kidney disease and related issues. Just a little background, our youngest son was born with 'Prune Belly Syndrome", which is a 3 in 1 punch. It causes deformation of the abdomen muscles, which lead to bladder issues which effect the kidneys. So with medicine, diet and prayer he has been sustained and is a happy 4th grader.  Did I mention he and his brother are autistic? Yes they are, talk about a full plate - But God is able to sustain me.  I am at a point in my life where I am tired of kicking against the goads or thorns. I thought that if you work hard, studied and was faithful to your job then you would reach acceptable levels of success. I never really thought about including GOD in my plans or eventually graduating to asking Him what His Will is and submitting mine to Him. But giving us these...

This morning I was sitting in my living room listening to the birds chirping and enjoying the stillness of the house. The children were off to school courtesy of my mom, Anthony was gone to work and there I was. Alone in the beautiful silence.  Have you ever just sat? With your eyes closed...just focused on a fix point like the miracle of breathing or in my case the chirping of my feathered friends. I have found in that time I feel so much more closer to the LORD; in that time is when I have the most peace, it is also where I find myself most contented. That is a glorious gift in itself because I am a goal-oriented person and I always need the proverbial carrot hanging in front of me. In my mindset it never accord to me to enjoy the journey while traveling to my destination. It was always the destination that I was obsessed with. What is wrong with this mentality is that you fail to see all of the beautiful scenery surrounding you. You also miss valuable opportunities to enjoy the...

Childrens' Hospital run/walk - Richmond VA! We had a great time.  Here we (Anthony and I) are with a few of  our volunteer friends. Our kids have opened a new world to us!

Life continues to amaze, confound and enlighten me at the same time. As I sit here in recovery mode I get to have a ring side seat of observation. My sons are trying their best to ride the waves of change in our home. Their routine has been disrupted and the security of 'mom's way' has been challenged. Instead of flowing like water uninterrupted in a brook, their morning routine is a mixture of the familiar and new. Some mornings their Nana helps them, some mornings dad, who lacks culinary skills, fixes their breakfast or dinner; rarely in the past 3 weeks have I, their mom, given them anything familiar.  This is where I get to see the man I committed my life too, struggle to make bacon and eggs; struggle to keep the kids on task with the daily routine; soar when it comes to helping with homework - especially science all at the same time checking in on me to make sure he can try and meet any of my physical needs. Oh and I forgot to mention that he is also challenged to com...

Greetings Readers, First let me apologize for my long absence. I will purpose to do better. Isn't that the truth? The last statement I mean. Everyday we make promises that we never intend to keep, which we don't do on purpose, but has turned into an acceptable practice in American culture.  Take the statement " Let me Call you Right back" What is wrong with that? Nothing except given the time of day and all of the items left on your to do list you probably will have to continue the conversation on a later date; the mistake was made when you placed the term 'right' in the sentence. An expectation was created that shortly the conversation would be continued. I am terrible at this so I am trying to get better. Another one of my bad habits is making the promise not to make a mistake again. Really? Life is a learning process and for those of us who prefer the structure of an expected turn of  events everyday this leads to a long list of things that make us misera...

Greetings Readers I hope all is well with you and your families. I had an interesting day; One of our family members was placed in dire straights and ended up in the hospital with a not so great prognosis. It doesn't matter who it was, so don't call me and ask (smile), just know that it had a ripple effect in the family; and it actually got me to thinking. Do we really understand the implications of our decisions? I don't think so. Let's take something simple for an example. Let's say today you went out to lunch at a decent restaurant and at the end of the meal you tipped your waiter or waitress. Well depending on how well you tipped that person will make the difference on how much gas they can put in their car, if they can buy something to eat tonight or pay a bill or maybe go to the movies. You are probably thinking, yeah right - my contribution does not make that much of a difference in someones life. I would sorely disagree with you because you were not that per...

Today we were at the Children's Hospital 4k run and walk. I love volunteering at these events because I get to mingle with so many interesting people. The event was well organized, fun and full of a festive atmosphere; people from all walks of life didn't mind sharing their stories, triumphs and challenges. There were 'real' runners and runners at heart, the best were the ones who dressed up. The costumes were pretty amazing.  The whole day was awesome! It was great to be part of something bigger than yourself. What a huge benefit to the kids and parents at the hospital, some of which, we got to meet. I will tell you that I never felt so much love, compassion, understanding and caring in one place. Some kids had intellectual disabilities, like Myles and Nathan, others had physical challenges. But in the end it didn't matter - they were just kids who were enjoying the fresh air and companionship that only their loved ones could bring. Kudos to parents and friends who...

Good Afternoon Viewers! This is going to be really awesome or a complete travesty! Either way I am committed to it. Since I am somewhere in my 'wait' - (i'll explain later) I thought I would do something productive such as create a blog. Those who know me well know that this was something that a team of wild horses couldn't drag me to do..because technology is not my friend.  Anyhoot, one of my new friends turned me on to the whole blogging world and so here I am. I so wish I had my daughter here, she is like a tech guru- but she had to grow up and leave home. It's cool. It just means you are stuck with me, on my own and a lot of tech! ha ha  Well I hope you enjoy all of my postings of our mis-adventures here in Richmond!  xxoxxo Souljourner Nette Charnette  However you know me

You may be wondering what exactly do I do? What do I write about? Well to sum it up, I write about my experiences...the good the bad and the ugly.  Degrees of Perfection is the first publication of many and it is an introduction of me to the rest of you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.  All of my works will be available in a print on demand format for your convenience.  All of my works are faith based because that is who I am. However don't exclude yourself because you don't believe as I do. I would very much enjoy your company, inputs and comments as I walk this journey.  You can catch a preview at my web site -  www.degreesofperfection.com SoulJourner Howard Nette Charnette However you know me Works in Progess: The Fall of Eve - Spring 2014 A Different Walk - Summer 2014 From My Heart - a collection of poems - 2014

Greetings Reader! Today's reflection is born out of painful realization that life rarely follows the path that one sets. Do you realize that when you make plans, you are making them with only 1/4 of the information you need? As Sherlock Holmes said I can't solve the equation without knowing all of the variables. Well in this life we will never know all of the variables therefore we will never be able to adequately solve its many complex equations. It's painful I know but it's the truth. The sooner you accept it then the better and more productive your life will be. It is not an easy process at all, trust me...I am struggling as I am communicating this to you. Ever since we stepped out on faith and moved here to Richmond it has been one stupid issue after the other. Either the kids, finances, somebody's health or another door refusing to be opened. At some point you just have to stop and ask yourself what I am doing wrong? GOD, where is the lesson in this? What exact...