WorldPoints Mall wish list

What to do with 52,800 point… Leading thoughts?

1. Maui, Hawaii helicopter tour: 24,000 pts
   

   Maui, Hawaii helicopter tour

2. Aurora 10-sheet crosscut shredder with basket: 11,100 pts
   

   Aurora 10-sheet crosscut shredder

3. iLuv Armband Case for Iphone/Ipod touch: 25,000 pts
   

   iLuv Armband Case for Iphone/Ipod touch

4. Nintendo Wii bundle (system + 2 E-rated games): 52,700 pts
   

   Nintendo Wii bundle

5. Cuisineart Griddler Grill Centro (converts from grill to griddler): 19,650 pts
   

   Cuisineart Griddler Grill Centro

6. Paula Deen 12=piece porcelain-enameled cookware set: 17,850 pts
   

   Paula Deen 12 piece porcelain-enameled cookware set

7. Jack Lalanne Power Juicer deluxe: 16,050 pts
   

   Jack Lalanne Power Juicer deluxe

8. Kindle 3G reading device with case: 37,350 pts
   

   Kindle 3G reading device with case

9. Garmin nuvi 1260T 3.7″W thin GPS with real time traffic: 27,650 pts

   

   Garmin nuvi 1260T

Hmm… decisions, decisions…..

NNB

Michael Buble: Jazz’s boy-next-door

I’ve grown to appreciate and love Michael Buble’s talented replications of classic 1950s and 60s jazzy and swing oldies over the past year or so. Not to mention how charmingly he pulls of the whole “boy-next-door” persona ;-). I came across his music bio on Pandora today and thought I’d share:

Michael Bublé’s introduction to the music of the swing era came to him through his grandfather, who filled his grandson’s ears with the sounds of the Mills Brothers, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and others. As Bublé eagerly absorbed the recordings, he began to realize that he wanted to be a singer and that this style of music, virtually foreign to his own generation, was what he wanted to perform. With his grandfather’s assistance, Bublé soon learned a whole catalog of tunes and gained experience and exposure by singing as a guest with several local bands. While still in his teen years, he won the Canadian Youth Talent Search, released several independent albums, and performed in a musical revue titled Swing that traveled across the U.S. It wasn’t long before Bublé was introduced to Grammy-winning producer David Foster and signed his first major recording contract with Reprise Records. 

The two Canadians began work on a debut album that would incorporate Bublé’s aptitude for pop standards into songs that spanned several decades. His self-titled debut disc was released in early 2003 and featured jazzy takes on old standards like “Fever” and “The Way You Look Tonight” as well as newer classics like Van Morrison‘s “Moondance” and the Bee Gees‘ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart. ” Further exposure ensued with a world tour and appearances on several television programs like NBC’s Today Show, in which he sang a duet with host Katie Couric. He finished off 2003 with an EP of holiday material, Let It Snow, and began 2004 with the live CD/DVD set Come Fly with Me. In 2005, It’s Time was a number one hit in Canada, Japan, Italy, and Australia and made the Top Ten of both the U.K. and U.S. Later that year he released the live album Caught in the Act. The holiday-themed album Christmas followed in 2006, with the studio effort Call Me Irresponsible dropping in 2007. Bublé returned in 2009 with the live concert album/DVD Michael Bublé Meets Madison Square Garden, which documented the singer’s first ever performance at the storied New York City venue. The studio effort Crazy Love, featuring duets with Sharon Jones and Ron Sexsmith, followed in October 2009. In 2010, Buble returned with the six-song ep Special Delivery as well as the expanded Crazy Love: Hollywood Edition. ~ Aaron Latham, Rovi

NNB

Waiting Impatiently

One of the hardest things I’ve found in this walk with Christ is the art of waiting. Waiting not because you know what the future holds or sometimes waiting even though you sense that God has given you a calling in your life or impassioned a cause very dear on your heart. Waiting is not an easy task. It wasn’t for the Israelites thousands of years ago when they wandered in the wilderness even though they knew that God had promised them the promise land, and it isn’t going to be any easier for Christians today. I woke up this morning with this song in my heart. It’s a beautiful song by John Waller. I hope this validates someones mixed emotions about waiting…. and more importantly reminds them of how important it is for us to wait on Christ, in all matters of our life/heart rather than lean to our own understanding.

NNB

One, CHOO, Three, Four….

I’m currently in a one-roomed cottage on a cheap couch procrastinating like its my day-job. During an impromptu excursion to New York with a girlfriend last December, I was reminded why Jimmy Choo is probably my favorite high-end shoe line. It’s about that time of year….. sigh. How drool-worthy are these boots?!

Jimmy Choo, Fall 2010 Hexagon Metallic Boot: Price $1195; These metallic-washed khaki suede boots with uber-luxe fur lining featuring blanket stitch edging and gold studded buckle detail are perfect for the weekend.

Also on my wish list…. forget the hat. Yes to the coat.

French Connection "Erno" Wool Blend Military Jacket PRICE: $298.00

Michael Kors Fall 2010 Crossbody; I absolutely adore this bag and can't find it on their site. So I still have no idea what it's called or how much it costs. If you do, fill me in ASAP :-).

 

Urban Outfitters Sparkle & Fade Roll Cuff Boatneck Sweater Price: $48.00

Well now. That was oddly therapeutic …. for me at least ;-). And I never spent a dime.

NNB

Warning, Christians: Do NOT trust your heart

We are told often times by well-meaning friends, family, and loved ones to just “trust our heart”. However, as children of God we must trust not so much our heart but rather the Spirit of God in us because our emotions are just too unreliable, simply put. While love, sympathy, and forgiveness are of the heart, so is desperation, impatience, and envy. In all matters of careers, school, family matters, health, and finances, the Bible encourages us specifically to seek first the Kingdom of God (not your heart) and as promised He will direct our paths. Through the Holy Spirit, the Lord is always speaking to us about all areas of our lives. You may be saying, ” but how do I even know what the Holy Spirit wants me to do when I don’t hear, see…… or feel anything when I pray?”  Or maybe you’re saying, “God doesn’t “answer” me when I seek him or ask him questions in prayer!” There are 3 main reasons from my personal experiences I think many young Christians experience this.

Majority of the time, we are not even listening or paying attention to His answer… mostly because many of us are not focused on it to begin with.  The main issue then is not that He doesn’t answer or respond, but rather we simply don’t hear him. If our ears are turned to everyone and everything else, the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit will be drowned out. In order to hear the Holy Spirit, we must turn our ears from all of the distractions in the world around us.  So start praying with expectations! Read the Bible. Look out for the men and women of God He sends into your life to point you in the right direction! As you grow in Christ, you will even begin to realize that the Holy Spirit speaks to you in a particularly special way (i.e. dreams, visions, the persistent/pressing/overwhelming voice in your heart, etc). Learning to develop sensitivity to this voice in all of its different manifestations is very important!

The second most common reason is we put God on some deadline! Note that God does not operate on our timeline, but rather ALL things happen on His. So have patience in such a case and WAIT. Because everything happens to the good of those who love the Lord and are called for His purpose, if what you pray seeking is a part of your role in advancing the Kingdom, then indeed you will receive the go ahead when the time is right. Otherwise, expect to be called in the other direction, when HIS time is right.

The third reason is that we don’t like what God has to say! Point blank. We already made up our mind on what we were going to do waaaaaayyyy before even praying about it. We are basically “frontin” because we pretend to be seeking God in prayer about what direction to go when in reality we would rather just have him affirm our plan. Newsflash: it does NOT work that way. Why? Because chances are because of our limited scope of vision/perspective, we will rarely choose the best thing for ourselves. Thus, we should communicate our hearts desires, but more importantly pray for Him to have his way in our life regardless because He knows what’s best for us….. then wait watchfully to see what direction He would have us go in. Sometimes it may be what we want to hear, and sometimes it won’t. Regardless of our reservations, we should trust in Him (exercise faith) and be obedient….. and we all know that faith without works is dead. So we should follow through with what He tells us to do regardless and our vines will bear fruit in the end :-).

In Christ,

NNB

African or African American?

On Nigeria’s 50th independence day, someone asked me if I had a green passport

…… or a blue one

He said it rather laughingly in response to the disgust that creeped onto my face when he mentioned goat meat, but I started wondering in 2010 who we of African heritage classify as Africans and who are the African Americans. It’s a simple question from a geographical standpoint, or is it? Socially, it’s a loaded topic that anyone who appreciates dinner-table etiquette often leaves unruffled. Let’s see:

Number 1: There are the African Americans who can trace their heritage to the late 1800s and theoretically have no clear written ties to anywhere in Africa. The vast majority consider themselves African Americans.

Number 2: Then I have black friends that can trace their lineage three generations or more back to specific countries in the continent. All four of them consider themselves African American.

Lauryn Hill, Neo-Soul African American recording Artist

Number 3: Then there are the first generation Americans, American-born sons and daughters of African immigrant parents. Half of which feel their “parents are African” but they however, consider themselves African American, one fourth consider themselves African, and one fourth African and American…..

Olufunke Grace Bankole, first generation American born to Nigerian parents, Harvard Law School graduate, established fictional writer

Number 4: There are those people born in Africa and were raised in the U.S. like my brothers and I

My family at my youngest brother's highschool graduation

and on the flip side, those who were born in the US and raised in Africa like some of my many cousins.

Number 5: Lastly, but certainly not least, there are the African American-African, European-African, and Latin-African mixed race children, born on any kind of soil

Helen Folashade Adu, neo-soul recording artist born to a Nigerian father and British mother

and separately,  those with dual citizenships either by circumstance (children of naturalized immigrant parents under 18 years of age) or by choice as adults……

So, again who is African, and who is African American?

Some say it’s your birth country regardless of citizenship status. Others prefer the loose phrase “whatever culture one best identifies with”, calling the daily social relevance of both the country of birth and allegiance into question. Many agree that wherever you call home is where your identity is…. and the rest don’t like to bother themselves with such complexities. In the end, to simplify things, politics defines our nationality as our country of citizenship but we of African heritage will continue to make up our own rules ….. sometimes one may find themselves playfully teased and sometimes even judged by other Africans on the basis of their ability to cook the native cuisine, speak any of the native languages, extent of association with African social circles, number and duration of visits to the African country, and even attire to cultural celebrations to some degree.

That evening, examining the pan-African menu of a well known Nigerian restaurant in Chicago, I overheard the waiter telling my friends that they don’t have any chicken that’s not jerk chicken….. I thought out loud, “Umm, is that African?” When you have authentic African restaurants serving Caribbean food, does it even matter whether your passport is blue or green? Well, home is where your heart is, and in the words of the great American humorist Erma Bombeck, once you get a spice in your home, you have it forever. Perhaps we all have different spices then.

NNB