At Least a Hamburger Happy Meal

Hi Folks,

It's been a long while, hasn't it? Divine is in the house today to share another of her, It-Could-Only-Happen-To-Me, moments. while humorous, it does bring to mind the questions, "What are we teaching our teens today? Is chivalry or decorum obsolete? What about selfworth?" And yes, the characters names are Mary and Jesus, but before you run away saying. . .ooo. . .she talking bad about Jesus. . .that's Hay-suce not Jesus. . .LOL.  So read on...

At Least a Hamburger Happy Meal

Divine inserted her key and pushed open the storage-room door. It slammed shut. She turned the key and pushed the door again, and just as quickly, it slammed again. After trying to figure out how a storage room catches a wind, she dismissed that idea and reached into her pocket for the original set of keys. She inserted the key and pushed the door in, applying more pressure this time, and came up against resistance accompanied by a faint rustling noise. Again the door slammed shut.

Okay—the wind can’t be blamed for all of that. There’s someone in there! Now curious, she once again turned the key, and as she was about to put her weight behind her push, the door gave way and she was eyeball to eyeball with two flustered teens. As Divine opened her mouth to speak, the slender, fair-skinned young lady’s eyes slid away from hers. The girl fixed her disheveled shoulder-length hair, slid past Divine, and disappeared down the nearby hallway.

“Oh my gosh! Were you locked in there?” Divine asked, looking at the remaining teen. He shrugged his shoulders, nodded his head, and said, “Uh . . . yeah.”

With forced nonchalance, he walked around Divine and headed in the opposite direction. Divine left the storage-room door ajar and was halfway down the hallway when a thought occurred to her. Wait—don’t those doors look from the inside? She turned around to check, ensuring that she had her cell phone with her in case she got locked in. The resident manager getting locked in a storage room wouldn’t exactly be good press.

Good Friday: What Does it Mean?

Hi Folks,

Divine is going to interrupt her regular programming (man hunting... ahem, proper positioning) to get a little serious with you. Today is Good Friday, a very important day for Christians. I recall as a child that I wondered to myself ... what's so good about this day? They sing songs that make me cry and they talk about Jesus (the Savior) getting nailed to a cross (like that's a good thing). Grownups are screwy!

When they got to the part about the thief asking Jesus to save Himself and them too, I remember thinking, how come the Savior doesn't save Himself? I know He can do it. Why doesn't He?

No matter how many times I asked adults, their answers weren't satisfactory. I heard answers like: Jesus stayed on the cross to save us, or He died so that we could live, or Don't worry, he rose again on the third day. ????

You see, although I thought He, Jesus, was doing a great thing, my anti-violence mindset figured that He, God, could have done it in a less gruesome manner.

It wasn't until I too became an adult and re-read the story of the crucifixion that it became apparent... that it really was a Good thing!

It became apparent that the whole crucifixion and resurrection story is the basis for my faith. For without the cross and the resurrection, there is no hope for you or me. The Bible clearly states that the wages/payment/result/reward (pick your choice) for sin is death. If you examine yourself for five minutes... in those three hundred seconds you would have had cause for death about 200 times ... or maybe that's just me?

Anyway, for those of you who struggle with the thought of the brutality of the crucifixion, think about the fact that it was a choice that was made on our behalf. He chose us, instead of Himself. By His dying in our stead, we can live on and not die prematurely because of our sins, but have umpteen seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries worth of opportunities to get it right.

I know that learning purpose behind the story, helped me understand it. I'm still not crazy about the brutality... but even that had a purpose. 2000 years later... the story of it is still being told. Ergo, it needed to stand out, be apparent that there was more to Jesus the Christ than there was to any man who walked the earth.

I know it worked for me ... so that 2000 years later wearing the name Divine is not a huge joke, a weighty impossibility, but a large possibility because of the inherent DNA of my big brother/Savior/Jesus the Christ.

That being said, here are some links that you might find useful:


Good Friday - Wikipedia
About Good Friday, the friday before Easter or Pascha which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus at Calvary.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday - 55k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Good Friday - Catholic Encyclopedia
Observed on the Friday before Easter. The day on which the Church keeps the anniversary of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
www.newadvent.org/cathen/06643a.htm - 34k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Good Friday Earthquake - Wikipedia
Brief article about the magnitude 9.2 earthquake that hit Prince William Sound in Alaska in March 1964.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday_Earthquake - 33k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Why is it called Good Friday?
Brief article on the terminology used to describe the day when Christians celebrate the Crucifixion.
www.kencollins.com/Question-11.htm - 8k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Free Good Friday Ecards, Good Friday Greeting Cards, Good Friday Cards ...
... family/ dear ones on this Good Friday with holy verses and spiritual sayings from... Good Friday is a solemn memorial of the sacrifice of our Savior. ...
www.123greetings.com/events/good_friday - 55k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Good Friday -- Encyclopaedia Britannica
From the early days of Christianity, Good Friday was observed as a day of sorrow, ... are New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day (first ...
www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037369/Good-Friday - 51k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Good Friday or Dark Friday - Meaning of Good Friday in Persian, Farsi ...
... Friday, Friday before Easter Sunday, What is Good Friday to an Iranian Christian ... Jesus was Crucified on Good Friday and died on the Cross for the Sin of ...
www.farsinet.com/goodfriday - 23k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

WFF: Good Friday
Describes the veneration of the cross, the reproaches and the reading of passion, related symbols, and more.
www.wf-f.org/GoodFriday.html - 43k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Good Friday
Put some Fun on your calendar! ... Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. ... holiday is known as "Good" Friday since it commemorates a sorrowful ...
www.calendar-updates.com/info/holidays/us/goodfriday.aspx - 38k - Cached - More from this site - More like this

Long Good Friday DVD At DeepDiscount.com
Get Long Good Friday DVD DVD for $17.97 and other great Dramas DVDs for low prices. Buy Long Good Friday DVD DVD and save more with free shipping.deepdiscount.com/viewproduct.htm?...&src1=voltage&extid=df00029 - More from this site - More like this

Avid Reader Alert!

ATWC1.com Used Books is now Live!

Featuring authors like:

Juanita Bynum, Margaret Johnson-Hodge, E. Lynn Harris, Mary B. Morrison and Zane to name a few.

Take a moment to peruse the booklist while supplies last.

Happy Browsing!



Peace,
Dee


P.S. Fifty percent (50%) of all sales will be donated to the Youth Group at my church to aid in sponsoring a youth's trip to the Annual Youth Conference in July. You can read more about the Conference here. (Page 12)

Living Each Moment In His Grace

2007 arrived whether we wanted it to do so or not.

For millions around the world, they ushered in the new year with friends and loved ones with fireworks or with champagne. Then there are those who went to church to contemplate or renew their faith and start afresh on the first day of the new year.

In this month, we are encouraged to make resolutions. We are bombarded with advertisements about diets in anticipation of the summer months. We are constantly charged to think ahead. And there's a time and place for all of this.

But there is also a need to live in the moment. We've heard that tomorrow isn't promised. Yet we wish our days away when Monday arrives and we can't wait for the weekend to get here. Or it's 8 a.m. and we wish for 5 p.m. to get beyond our jobs. I've been there with that mindset.

As the new year begins, inevitably it also means that I'm one year older. I realize that time is zooming. I have to enjoy the small, as well as the big things that occur in my life on a daily basis, even hourly. How many times do we pray to give our appreciation and gratitude for the many blessings. As an example, Muslims pray five times a day to remember God, ask for His guidance, and ask for his forgiveness.

My only wish for everyone is that through their own faith, he/she can live life with a little more deliberation under His guidance, compassion, and love.

Michelle Monkou


Sweet Surrender:

Title: Sweet Surrender
Author: Michelle Monkou
Publisher: Harlequin Kimani Press - Romance
Release Date: September 2006
ISBN-10: 1583147802
ISBN-13: 978-1583147801
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
List Price: $5.99


Author Photo Credit:
(c) Tisara Photography
1607 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 838-8098
www.tisaraphoto.com

A Blessed New Year to Come for All!

As the New Year has come in and we are still here first we should give thanks for yet another year we were allowed to be here and that the fact that we are here means we have some purpose in this wonderful world.


If you don't know your purpose, then I suggest using these few minutes in the New Year to find that out and if you do know your reason for living then I pray and hope you succeed in all you do.


Say I love you to people you care about as much as possible, give flowers while they live, touch, laugh and kiss all you can.

Remember, don't live for the days or the weeks, live for the moments and make them count. Make them matter.

Love always,

Your Author
Sylvia Hubbard

Teach Me To Love:

Title: Teach Me To Love
Author: Sylvia Hubbard
Publisher: Hub Books Publishing
Release Date: 2006
ISBN: N/A
E-Book
List Price: $2.50

New Year

The New Year is an opportunity for a fresh start, to learn from last year's attempts and better them. I hope that you enjoy a blessed and cherished New Year and that this year will mark the beginning of great things.

Since it is 2:30 am, this is the afterparty post, sending blessings to the West Coast family and others who are just crossing into 2007.

Intimate Musings:

Title: INTIMATE MUSINGS (Discover Kai Poetry, Volume 2)
Author: a.Kai
Publisher: OPHELIA PUBLISHING LLC
Release Date: NOVEMBER, 2006
ISBN: N/A
Paperback: 84 pages
List Price: $7.50

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Whatsoever is good, whatsoever is lovely ... think on these things. I hope and pray that your thoughts for 2007 will be positive and empowered, for as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

I was so busy hostessing, I didn't have a chance to write a fresh thought for 2007, but last year's offering: Endings and New Beginnings is still quite apropos.

Thanks so much for joining us, you were great!

Love,
Dee and Divine


Buried at PhotoCasket.com

The Countdown Begins...

Buried at PhotoCasket.com

And the party is about to wind down...

Winners so far:

Game 1 - Name that Author No 1
Phenomenal - The Love We Had by Dedan Tolbert


Game No. 2
Sylvia Hubbard - And Even If I Did by Kisha Green


Door Prize Winner
Mr. New - THE TRAIN-OF-THOUGHT WRITING METHOD:
Practical, User-Friendly Help for Beginning Writers by Kathi Macias

Game No. 3
Lilchoc - From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly by Renetta Randle

Please email your address to dee@deeswhite.com to receive your prize.

Will you be next?

We've also had New Year Greetings from authors Kisha Green and Kathi Macias and also from the Read Zone Book Review Team.

There's more to come. In the meantime, interact with the other guests, tell us about your New Year's resolutions, or tell us about your favorite Accomplishment of 2006.

Play some GAMES and win a prize. Stop by our Book Introduction Page, where we introduce to to new authors or new works from familiar authors. Mayhap something will be perfect for you or a friend.

NOTE: Authors if your book isn’t listed, tell us about it in the comments section.Again thanks for stopping by and enjoy yourself.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

WISHING YOU

AND YOURS

A

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly:

Title: From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly

Author: Renetta J. Randle

Publisher: Shortcakes Productions

Release Date: September 2006

ISBN: 0978970004

Paperback: 116 pages

List Price: $16.00

Sale Price: $10.00 (at Shortcakes Productions)

New Year's Greetings from Shoi

Wishing all the readers and friends of Divine's Diary a Happy and Healthy New Year.

P.S. I'd also like to point your attention toward vouchers created specifically for guests of this party:

10% Discount Vouchers for the following Author-Friendly Services...

Just drop Shoi an email and tell her what you want...! (use email links below)

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Game No 5 - One of These Things

One of these titles just doesn't belong here!

Which one is different do you know?

Can you tell me which title doesn't belong here,

and I'll tell you if it is so!



Which of the following isn't a title?

• Alex's Dreams


• Saving Grace


• The Lady and The Thug


• Intimate Musings

Which title doesn't fit?

• Emma Jean Reborn


• From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly


• The Life of Teenagers Aint No Joke


• Daddy's Girl

BONUS: What children's show is the song from?

Game No 4 - Write Your Own Story

Hi Folks,

It's now your turn to write!

Write a paragraph (that makes sense) using the following book titles. They don’t have to be used in the order listed, just use them all. The best story wins!

• And Even If I Did


• Age is Just a Number


• From a Caterpillar to a Butterfly


• Intimate Musings


• Love is the Beautiful Black Woman


• Please Come Home for Christmas


• The Love We Had


• Until Next Time


• Just a Picture in a Frame


• Saving Grace: When Fate Steps In

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

On behalf of Read Zone Book Reviews and our Review Team, I want to wish you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year, so here goes:

Happy New Year Lovers of Literature! It's always the the perfect time for adding more choices to your "to be read" list. That being said, take a detour by the punch bowl, get yourself some punch and settle down to take a peek at our reviews completed in 2006.

In addition, don't miss our book introductions page and our excerpts page for a peek at up and coming authors and their latest selections.

Also, feel free to post your book recommendations in the comments section. Don’t forget to include the author’s name and genre of the book.

A Year in Review:

Active Christian Media:

• He Talk Like a White Boy by Joseph C. Phillips (Non-Fiction)


• Help! Mom! There are Liberals Under My Bed by Katharine DeBrecht (Children's Fiction)


• The Life of Teenagers Aint No Joke by Keith G. Wright (Non-Fiction)

FSB Associates:

• Why You're Still Single by Evan Marc Katz (Self-Help)

Read Zone Book Reviews:

• Emma Jean Reborn by Dr. Cupid Poe and Kathi Macias (Fiction)


• Played by Dana Davidson (Young Adult Fiction)

Game No 3 - Scramble!

UNSCRAMBLE THE FOLLOWING "MUST HAVE" ITEMS THAT BOOKS AND MOVIES HAVE LED US TO BELIEVE ARE TOTALLY NECESSARY TO CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF THE NEW YEAR.

LADU NGLA NEYS

LALB RDPO

CNFTETIO

CTDOUOWNN

JSUSE

MNIDITGH SISK

IOSEN AMKRE

APRTY THA

SFIGNIICATN TOHRE

MITE QSURAE

BONUS: After unscrambling, tell us if you agree or disagree with the above list.

New Year Greetings from Kathi Macias

If you’re serious about getting your dreams and ideas into print in this coming year, THE TRAIN-OF-THOUGHT WRITING METHOD: Practical, User-Friendly Help for Beginning Writers is the book for you. May it bless you as you bless others with your words in 2007!

Kathi Macias
Speaker, editor, and Angel-award winning author of seventeen books, including the bestselling devotional A Moment A Day and the popular Matthews mystery series from B&H Publishing Book number 18, How Can I Run a Tight Ship when I’m Surrounded by Loose Cannons?, scheduled for 2008 release from New Hope Publishers.

The Train-of-Thought Writing Method:

Title: THE TRAIN-OF-THOUGHT WRITING METHOD: Practical, User-Friendly Help for Beginning Writers
Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: AUTHORHOUSE
Release Date: FEBRUARY 28, 2005
ISBN-10: 142083259X
ISBN-13: 978-1420832594
Paperback: 96 pages
List Price: $15.50

Game No 2

Name that Main Character!

What is the name of the Main Character of Age is Just a Number?

1. Danielle


2. DayShawn


3. Divine


4. LaShawn

Name that Publisher!


Which one of the following Publishers is suing some of its authors?

1. Divine Truth Press


2. Genesis Press


3. GirlChild Press


4. Urban Books

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

And Even If I Did: A Novel

Title: AND EVEN IF I DID

Author: KISHA GREEN

Publisher: iUniverse, Inc.

Release Date: April 18, 2006

ISBN: 0595390137

Paperback: 256 Pages

List Price: $16.95

Name That Author!

Let the games begin!

FIRST TO GUESS BOTH ANSWERS CORRECTLY IS OUR WINNER (Leave your answer in the comments - YOU CAN ONLY WIN ONCE)

Name that Author - Multiple Choice No 1

Fly on the Wall was written by?

1. Wahida Clark
2. Joylynn Jossel
3. Trista Russell
4. Nikki Turner

Who wrote The Playa's Handbook?

1. Brenda Jackson
2. Janet Jackson
3. Lilian Jackson Braun
4. Monica Jackson

Welcome!

Hi,

I’m Divine and I’m so happy you decided to join us to welcome in the New Year! Dee is a little busy right now, so I'm gonna play hostess with the mostest until she's ready.

I’m grateful for this moment in time time because I know for a fact that some didn’t wake up this morning and some won’t wake up tomorrow morning, however, we’re going to live in the present. Thankful for the here and now, and hopeful for what will be in 2007. God has been faithful and if we can even meet Him one quarter of the way… He’ll do the rest!

That being said… time to PAR-TAY!

So how do we partay exactly without a chat room and/or video camera? (Personally, I’ze scared of those things, since I was traumatized when I first began online dating when a prospective suitor decided to go au natural for me. We were talking about children, mind you… then whoop… there it was! I didn’t go online again for a week after that. And thereafter if asked about having a webcam the answer was a quick NO! I’ve had much time to think on it… and I figure that maybe… I’d just made to big a deal of it all… after all… we were speaking about procreation… he’d just skipped ahead to the show-and-tell section… my bad!)

Anyway… back to how we party without seeing or hearing each other?

Well, I liked how LaShaunda handled Sormag’s Christmas Open House so in that vein, here’s what we’ll do:

Starting at 6 PM (EST) Dee or I will post games, trivia questions or scrambled words to be solved. The first person to post the correct answer in the comment section wins a prize!

We’ll also have a guest author stop by every hour to share New Year’s greetings and an excerpt of their book.

Activities:

• Name That Author!
• Name That Character!
• Your Turn to Write!
• And anything else we think up between now and then … LOL.

In the meantime, I'll get back to getting the punch made (alcohol free... since alcohol makes me waaaay too friendly).

If you do arrive before we get back, please sign the guest book (a/k/a comments) and make yourself comfortable, cause y'all really aren't guests... but family.

Peace,
Div

Calling all Authors, Bookstores and Book Clubs

You're Invited ...

By Whom: D.S. White

To What: A New Year's Eve Virtual Party

Held Where: Right Here

Date: Sunday, December 31, 2006

Time: 6:00 P.M. (EST)

Activities:Trivia, Guest Authors, Door Prizes, Contests and more...

If you plan to attend, please RSVP below so I know my catering numbers.

P.S. If you're an author who would like to have your book considered as a prize or contribute as a guest speaker email me.

P.S.S. If you're a bookstore and would like to offer a coupon or gift certificate as a prize email me.

P.S.S.S. If you're a book club and would like to tell us a bit about your club and supply a top 10 booklist of the books you've read in 2006 email me.