old year's day once again...

rejoice and be merry.

giving thanks to the Most High JAH

for letting me see another day.

praying for those less fortunate 

on this beautiful and abundant earth;

that humankind shall find peace and

exhale love in every breath they take.

sending loving vibes out in the universe.

can you feel it?

be safe everyone.

one love.

selah.

twelve.21.eleven...

CONGRATULATIONS to Susan & Emerson!!!

you are a most perfect union, indeed.
 and oh what a beautiful moment ~ seeing
my baby sister extend her hand in marriage
~ our family grows, as do our hearts.

i love you, for always. (wavin' at Em ;)
JAH guide.  Blessed Love.

ballet of angels...

i am here giving thanks and praises to the Most High JAH for life and friends like you, and the words ballet of angels came to mind.  it could be because i recently had the unique experience of enjoying the ballet in a church, or because i've been slowly sipping on a glass of this savory wine, or it could be because that is what life feels like being shared with all of you...a ballet of angels.  i guess i really have to share a little story with you so you can understand what i am talking about.

when we started our new collective random act of kindness - Selah's Angels - i only hoped that we would offer a soft touch of loving kindness to someone whose life has been touched by cancer...and then someone shared this "testimony" with me that left me completely speechless:

Her friend (let's call her Etana) is one of the recipients on our greeting cards mailing list.  These two ladies recently went to church.  When they arrive, Etana was simply beaming...no one could figure out why.  The church service soon began and Etana walked up to the mic to give a testimony before the whole entire congregation.  Before long, she was reading from an anonymous greeting card that she recently received in the mail from Selah's Angels which had an insert tucked inside with a poem about cancer.  Etana told of how she had made up her mind to just give up and was at the lowest point on her journey living with cancer when this card arrived in the mail.  She moved everyone in the church to tears as she shared how this tiny little card changed her outlook on life!

...and so i thank you all once again for allowing me to dance this ballet of angels with you.  one love, always.

friend-ship...

There are good ships,

and there are bad ships,

but the best ships are friendships.

***

There's a special kind of freedom friends enjoy.

freedom to share innermost thoughts,

to ask a favor, to show their true feelings.

The freedom simply to be themselves.

***

A friend loves at all time. (Proverbs 17:17)

~ ~ ~

I am lost in thoughts and emotions about the formation of friendship in children.  

What words of wisdom do you share with the children in your life? 

practise kindness...

I've been spending a lot of time lately pondering what purpose my blog serves.  While I sat in silence contemplating, I received the most wonderful piece of mail - it was from a blogger, thanking me for providing her with a platform to spread love through the random acts of kindness we collectively perform here.  melt my heart.  I hadn't realised how many lives we touch through this little tiny blog.  So, I had to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all of you for your generous contributions, and for the peaceful, loving vibes you share with others in the world.  None of the following would be possible without you...I remain inspired.

bridge of love

let's be the village

friends of makeda

gift of jewels

gift of jewels 2

gift of jewels 3

gift of jewels 4

selah's angels

selah's angels 2

and we are currently doing

selah's angels 3

Thanks so much for all you do!!!  one love, always.

untold stories...

do you ever
sit and wonder
what it is really like
to live
on the other side
of the tracks?


*hailup Buju B...back in the MIA!
JAH Live! Everytime.

Selah's Angels: (a collective random act of kindness)...

(photo:  stephen marley)

i really thought long and hard over these last few weeks
about what i would like to do for the third anniversary
of my necessary room, coming up later this week.
can you imagine that showing love to one another
was all i could come up with?  go figure. ;)

i'm over here, vibin' to the voice of stephen marley
Hail-e Se-las-sie is the cha-aa-pel-llll
po-wer of the Tri-ni-ty-y...




oh, how he reminds me of his daddy (bob marley)
yet still original in his own unique way.
love dem both. (but i digress)...

 well i was over here thinking...thinking about how
even Fada Bob experienced living with cancer
while on his human journey, yet.
he kept on traveling around the globe
spreading JAH's message of peace and love.
the thought was so inspiring...

my heart began to overflow with compassion
for all those living around us today
whose lives have been touched by cancer
(and also the loved ones who support them)
prayers sent up.

and i thought to myself, maybe i could reach out to Selah's Angels
to help me sprinkle a little extra love into their lives...

*If you would like to join Selah's Angels in sending one anonymous greeting card (handmade or store bought) to someone who has been touched by cancer, please leave a comment here or send me an email at necessaryroom@gmail.com.  The angels will be showering a selected few individuals with handwritten words of love in the mail on before Saturday, January 7, 2012.  As is customary, no future commitment is required.  Give thanks to all of you who help make these collective random acts of kindness not only a possibility, but a reality.


one love. always.

pure + innocent...

i cradle my own
with infinite joy and fullness,
melting into each other
my heart overflows.
oh how i feel blessed.

but what about them?
the pure and innocent children
who endure brutal victimisation
at the hands of unrighteous men.
who will cradle them?

*Did you know that every 5 hours a child dies from abuse or neglect in the USA -- the highest/worse child abuse rate in the "industrialised" world?  (exhale).  prayers sent up for safety of all children.  one love.

conscious friday...

it surely wouldn't be a friday in my necessary room without some warm and easy reggae music.

listening to a marley-tosh combination, once again, on this blessed day...pure bliss.

one love. always.

release...

Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is a wonderful moment.

(thich nhat hanh)

* * *

how have you been, my dear friends?

i've missed you so.  thanks so much for being patient with me as i stumbled through life these last few months.  i really am blessed to have such wonderful souls surrounding me, holding my hands from afar when i need it most.  

in a few weeks, necessary room will turn 3!!!  oh what shall we do to celebrate this happy occasion?  any ideas?

well, i've got a quite a few friends to hail up now, so i best be on my way.  keep the fire burnin'...i'll be stopping by to see you soon ;) 

one love.

can you feel it?

be still.
can you feel
my heart beat?
it is there, even
in my silence.
it is there.
always.

one love.

scenes from Chinatown...

hey Mommy, what's going on over there?

don't know, but i think i'd like to borrow those kick-a** pants...



RUN!!!....a hungry dragon has invaded the streets of Chinatown



"HA-HA-HA!  don't be afraid, little empress.  i'm not hungry."


celebrate diversity.  embrace culture.  one love.

shhhhh, he's sleeping...

welcome to the world, baby C.

little does he know that before long

he and my camera shall have a wonderful play date ;)

enjoy the present moment.  one love.

to my darling BJ...

it started with one random act of kindness

and before long, our souls would be forever linked

a mother, a sister, a friend to the end

you are so dearly loved, my darling BJ

(mere words just can't express)

painful - i suffer, as long as you do

so i send infinite love and pray that you feel it

my heart overflows as twilight creeps in

but i know JAH will cradle you in the palm of His hands

as you tread ever so softly on the pillow of your breath.

peace. be still.

i love you. for always.

* * *

*UPDATE:  Thanks to all of you who touched BJ's life so deeply through your loving words, here and via post.  She treasured each of your cards.  It is unfortunate that I must share with you that our beloved BJ transitioned on Sunday, October 2, 2011.  As Empress Christina so aptly put it, "An angel went home on Sunday morning."

I would be unmindful not to mention that it was also my dear sisterfriend Doris' birthday.  I know that she was there at the gates waiting to greet BJ into an oasis of everlasting bliss.  One love.

a little respite...

taking a quiet moment to pause and reflect...

whatcha doing?

try life...

i vow to develop COMPASSION

in order to protect the lives

of people, animals, plants and minerals.

~ ~ ~

I recently had a reasoning session with a very dear friend, Amani, about being mindful of the value of life for all sentient beings.  We started to discuss those creepy little spiders (you know the ones) and my automatic mental response was "SQUISH."  I paused and began to reflect on my lack of mindfulness as Amani expressed her amazement and fascination about the Most High taking such care in creating their tiny bodies in such great detail.  She rhetorically asked, "Why would i smash it when i could just shoo it away?"  Her words resonated deep within my soul...and I instantly felt remorse for my impulsive desire to squish the little buggers so that I could feel more comfortable with my existence while completely disregarding their own. (on knees, hands clasped, eyed tightly shut - whispering 'Father, please forgive me!!!!").

It is against this backdrop that my heart sank last night when I received the news that the state of Georgia and the United States Supreme Court had declined to save the life of Troy Davis, a Black man on death row who was accused and convicted of murdering a white police officer on the testimony of 9 witness (7 of whom had since recanted); a case in which no physical evidence ever tied him to the crime.  (exhale).  As his executioner entered the death chamber, Mr. Davis continued to profess his innocence and prayed for those about to take his life.  Though his request for further investigation to seek the truth fell on deaf ears of those in positions of power, my earnest prayer is that Mr. Davis is now in a more peaceful place than he encountered here on earth and that his pain in leaving us was not too great. 

I do find it quite interesting that while the debate on stopping the execution was raging on, the mother of the victim stated that she would find peace in Mr. Davis' death. (a foreign concept to me, but i can appreciate her suffering).  Today, however, her statement is that "All the feelings of relief and peace I've been waiting for all these years, they will come later.  I certainly do want some peace."  I sincerely pray she finds it.  May the truth soon reveal itself so that Mr. Davis' family can also embrace peace.

peace is every breath...

we all have a beautiful, safe place inside of us

where we can go that is full of peace.

the bridge that takes us to this island of peace

and clarity inside of us is our breathing.

breathing in, i am calm.

breathing out, i smile.

                                                                   (Thich Nhat Hanh)

~ ~ ~

*please be good to yourself today and visit your island of peace.  one love. (exhale).

a random act of kindness...

September 11, 2011 is the Ethiopian New Year
and Grandparents Day!

This year, in lieu of our traditional Gift of Jewels event, I am inviting everyone who visit here to perform a random act of kindness on the 11th of September. 

Wouldn't it be divine to spoil a grandparent of your choosing with a surprise greeting card in the mail?  The recipient need not be a relative - any grandparent will certainly do ;).  Or maybe you'd like to go off the radar and do something completely different.  Your imagination is your horizon.  Just follow your heart and enjoy showering another beautiful soul with some much needed love. 

as always, ONE LOVE, my friends.

they called her irene...

and she blew

and she blew

and she blew

and she blew

but i remained still

because i knew.

be still and know

one love.

breathe deeply...

and exhale...

(do you feel better now?)

one love.

these are the moments...

spending girl time with my little empress

oooh, she simply melts my heart.

on a saturday morn...

i remember Mama baking

i was right there by her side

she had the best cake pans, i thought

and i had a tuna can (no lie).

even though i'm all grown up now

the memories still stay the same

but now i've got some real cake pans

and i love to play with them. ;)

wishing you a divine weekend.

remember to treasure the ones you love.

ode to love...

i love you so much it hurts.

the art of therapy...

aaaaah, i needed that.

hope you are having a divine weekend

on a wing of prayer...

fasting and sending positive vibes,

overflowing with peace and love,

to my haitian brothers and sisters

and their beautiful, innocent children

who are still today living

under unsanitary conditions in makeshift tents, 

while the hurricane season rains down upon them.

me? live in that situation?

absolutely unfathomable for the haves,

yet without a doubt acceptable for have nots! 

may JAH infiltrate the very air we breathe

and return civility to the hearts of men

that human life will once again be valued (above all else)

regardless of race, colour or creed.

prayers sent up. 

one love.

blessed earthstrong, my little empress...

i am entirely convinced
that i have THE best
friends and family
in the whole
wide world.

give thanks to all who make our lives so special.
one love.

moments of tranquility...

hope you are enjoying a moment of tranquility...



one love.

blessed earthstrong, Emperor!!!

prayers, on a conscious friday...

each day i rise, i give thanks and praises to the Most High for the blessings bestowed upon me in this life.  i recognise that i am indeed blessed and privileged.  therefore, i find it my duty as a living human being to do what i can to help those less fortunate.  i put my palms together and lift up them up in prayer...JAH JAH, please deliver them from their suffering.

my mind is consumed with thoughts and images of our brothers and sisters in Somalia (especially the innocent babies) who are now clinging to life because of the famine, which resulted from severe drought in the Horn of Africa.  even the word itself - FAMINE - evokes such strong yet surreal emotions that it gets caught in my throat when i try to discuss the real situation with my daughter.  tell me how, in this rich and abundant earth, do we still have people dying from lack of food???  and it breaks my heart to know that Somalia is not alone.  

if you'd like to lend a hand, please consider making a donation to Doctors without Borders or any of these charitable ONE partners.  

wishing you a conscious friday and a divine weekend.

one love.

just because...

smile.

'cause

you

are

beautiful.

rastaman vibration...

Stephen "Ragga" Marley

if you are ever blessed with the opportunity, i strongly recommend that you experience his performance in person as he blasts across the globe on tour now.  his new album, REVELATION Part 1 - The Root of Life is tuff (no doubt) and is also available on iTunes.  tears fill my eyes as i revel in the beautiful moment we share this weekend.  Big up you self Ragga.  You truly epitomise the Rastaman Vibration.

 

Give thanks to all of our Rasta Kings and Queens who sacrifice (and endure) so much personally in their quest to spread JAH's message and to promote peace, love, freedom and equality for all human beings.  (Buju, you are always in our hearts.)  

*July 23rd marks the birth of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I.  In honour of this important ocassion, i will giveaway an original 4 x 6 print of Stephen Marley to a randomly selected recipient.  Register to win by leaving a comment on this post and the winner will be announced on Friday, July 22, 2011.  one love.

UPDATE:  All 5 guests who've registered to win a photo of Stephen Marley will be so rewarded.  Thanks for playing along.  Please send me your mailing addresses.  one love.

celebrating life...

hope you are doing the same.

have a safe and wonderful week.

one love.

on a rainy friday...

every day is a blessed day
give thanks and praises for life.


have a conscious friday and a divine weekend

exhale...

may your day be filled with smiles and sunshine

one love

hailup kings...

(photo by Little Selah)

wishing all our kings, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
one love.

a moment of silence...

words escape me today

so i ask you to please read here.

one love, always. 

prayers sent up...

 

always remember

to pray 
for others 

~ ~ ~

This photo was taken at an accident scene i happened upon on a bright and sunny, Sunday morning. Traffic slowly dwindled down from four to two lanes but soon screeched to a complete halt as emergency vehicles - police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and even the helicopter - encircled the crumpled SUV sitting on its roof against the inner guard rail.

While onlookers whispered unfounded rumours about the fatal condition of the occupants, who were reportedly on their way to church, my eyes glanced over their shrewn about belongings, now laying in the middle of the road, as if they never had an owner, and finally rested on their bible sitting amongst the shattered glass...(a wink from JAH, i thought).  So I lifted them up in prayer.

The next day, I just had to research the accident.  I was happy to learn that everyone survived!  True story!  one love.

*i see you, haiti, and my Rasta bredren, BUJU!  prayers sent up...

Selah's Angels: (a random act of kindness)...

let sisterly love continue; 

be not forgetful to entertain strangers; 

for thereby, some have entertained angels unawares. 

~ ~ ~

Four years ago, the world lost a dynamic 39-year-old earth angel, who happened to be one of my best friends, to Stage 4 breast cancer.  Doris was a wonderful soul, who did all she possibly could to help those less fortunate without seeking glory or anything in return.  She just did it.  Her strong, enduring spirit guided her to show love to all others, regardless of their circumstances, and my spirit couldn't resist being drawn closer to hers.  (i miss you Doris).  If one could make wishes, I would wish that Selah's Angels was established when she was sick - we would have showered her in love sooooo much.

Years since Doris journeyed on from this plane, several of my close friends have been touched by cancer.  I felt especially broken deep within when I learned that my lovely friend BJ had been diagnosed with a terminal form of a rare cancer.  While medical doctors are unable to provide her with a humanly cure to her illness, I have witnessed her faith provide her with all the spiritual cure she needs...and she is truly dignified and at peace - you can feel it in her aura.  Still, she is a lighthouse emanating the brightest of light to dark corners and over foggy, rough seas.  She actually told me that the love she has received from so many of you in the form of greeting cards helps sustain her soul and has rejuvenated her spirit.  I may have told you that we touched her so deeply that she decided to joined us in sending notes of encouragement via snail mail to those in need.  Now that's what Selah's Angels are all about...i am so thankful for all you do. 

The list of recipients of our loving kindness has grown tremendously over the past two years.  I receive emails on a regular basis requesting that we send someone in need a little extra touch of love and we are happy to oblige.  Though most recipients are elderly or living with some form of illness, we also send notes of encouragement to those who are simply experiencing other challenges in life (and from what i hear, it has made all the difference). 

So now friends, it's time once again for Selah's Angels to spread their wings and perform another collective random act of kindness by sending one anonymous greeting card (handmade or store bought) to a sister in need.  No future commitment is required in this shower of love.  If you are interested in participating, please leave a comment here or email me at necessaryroom@gmail.com.  

*All greeting cards should be mailed before July 6, 2011*  
give thanks.  one love.

~ ~ ~

psssst.  (in a whisper)  speaking of sisterly love, i understand that a most precious earth angel is celebrating a special birthday today.  big up you self, Miss Tracey Amani.  Let's stop by her place and sprinkle her with some happy wishes.  ;)

gone for a stroll...

today, i am heading over to my wonderful friend, Anyes' place, Far Away in the Sunshine for a little reasoning session.  it would mean the world to me if you would join us.  hope to see you over there.

one love.

it started as a love story...

 

it started as a love story

but soon she was cowering beneath

his raised hand and furrowed brows

like a child of God she forgave him, each time

made excuses for his unrelenting anger

until one day the unthinkable happened

he beat her til she knew not herself anymore

nor could those around her recognise her

for she became like a child

happy to have survived

the brutal beating she sustained

at his oh so "loving" hands.

*remembering victims of domestic violence*
one love.

thinking of you...

you opened the window to my soul
and I and I felt pure, unadulterated joy

one love. always.

Happy Earth light, Mama T...

to my best friend ever in this whole, entire, beautiful world
i wouldn't know my self were it not for encountering you
you deserve only the best, my heartical sistren
sending the most loving vibes your way
on this your special day
TO INFINITY!
one
l
o
v
e

p.s. your own copy soon come ;)

silently...

stop holding on
make space for emptiness,
become silent, clear and calm

a little Zen wisdom to help you get through the day...thanks Birdie for sharing this wonderful snippet with me.

one love, my friends...wishing you all the best of days.

i'll be soon jammin' to my new Stephen Marley CD, Revelation.  He's now on tour across the USA and is coming near me soon! ;)

*sketch was done by my baby sister, Belle

tender hearts...

this sketch was done by my baby sister, Belle, who authors the blog still dreaming. I find it absolutely amazing! - saying so much, with absolutely no words.  (exhale).

i hope you are treating the hearts that surround you tenderly today. one love.

inch by inch...

thinking of you
as i crawl into my necessary room
during this allergy & asthma season

are you doing well?

*please forgive my limited appearances (and visits).  i'm practising deep breathing with shallow lungs.

*p.s.  have you received your *gift of jewels* yet...still tracking a few outstanding gems ;)