Tuesday, January 28, 2014

What about these L-I-E-S ...

My Pastor spoke about losing loved ones.  He talked about the grieving process … the several stages involved and how to stay strong during the process.  I sat there, tears streaming down my cheeks, hurting deep inside.  No … it was not a loss due to natural causes, a terminal illness … not even a heart attack.  I’ve lost a loved one due to the worse sickness of all … L-I-E-S – Libelous Inconsistent Egregious Stories.   

My son has continued to promote a page called “Bring Angelina Home” in which he lays out an emotional story of a baby ripped away from him and his wife at birth.  They also solicit donations for their cause … to (as they say) help them right this terrible wrong.     

My prayer is for everyone to know the truth.  THERE WAS NO ILLEGAL ADOPTION.  Also understand the child's name was never “Angelina Moore”.  She was discharged from SRMC to the Brown's with the last name of Brown as instructed, agreed to and signed by the Moore's.  The Moore's agreed BEFORE the child was born to allow the Brown's to adopt.  Because they continue to promote an untruth, I must continue to promote the truth.  I am also (again) including the FINAL DECISION in which the details of the case are explained within the first two sections.  For those who just want the brief summary, I have included that in this post.  Please don’t make decisions without all the facts. 

Thank you for taking time to read THE TRUTH.

BACKGROUND

M.K.B., the third child born to the Moores, arrived on March 8, 2009, in the Commonwealth of Virginia, where the Moores reside. Among M.K.B.’s early visitors was appellee Donna Brown, a distant cousin and close friend of Kevin Moore’s mother, and whose relationship with Kevin was such that he had termed Donna his “aunt” during his youth.2 At the time of M.K.B.’s birth, Donna and her husband, Alvin, resided in Harker Heights, Bell County, Texas, near Fort Hood, where Alvin’s U.S. military unit was based—though he was deployed to Iraq—and Donna also was employed.


The parties agree that, in advance of M.K.B.’s birth, the Moores had discussed giving up the child to the Browns for adoption and, in fact, agreed that M.K.B. would live with the Browns following birth. It is likewise undisputed that, following birth, the Moores consented to giving the child the surname “Brown” on the child’s birth certificate (hence the initials “M.K.B.” rather than “M.K.M.”) and executed several documents granting the Browns custody and laying legal groundwork for an adoption.




On March 10, 2009, the Browns, as “prospective adoptive parents,” and the Moores, as “birth parents of the child to be known as [M.K.B.],” executed before a notary an “Entrustment Agreement and Power of Attorney” giving the Browns “all legal rights and authority over said child as if they were the birth parents,” including the power to receive M.K.B. upon discharge from the hospital, and further directing the hospital to discharge M.K.B. to the Browns’ care.3 The agreement also authorized the Browns to transport M.K.B. to their Harker Heights address, “which will be the primary residence of the child.” The parties additionally agreed that they would keep each other advised of their addresses and telephone numbers “until an Order accepting the consent of the birth parents and granting the custodians custody of said child for purposes of adoption has been entered by the appropriate court . . . .”

LINK TO FINAL DECISION

Monday, January 20, 2014

Lies and Consequences

It is so sad when people lie to hurt others and even worse when those people are your family.  It is even sadder when people don’t know (or care) what or whom they are really hurting.

In this world there are times when all you have is your word.  When you make a promise to someone or an agreement with someone, you should live up to that promise or agreement.  You shouldn’t try to go back on your word and you definitely shouldn’t try to destroy someone’s life in the process.  When you begin to hide the truth, cloud the issues, ignore the facts, disregard feelings, resort to slander and attempt to spread vicious lies … you’ve reached a new kind of low.  I am sick and tired of being the one to always forgive, the one who gets dragged through the mud and doesn’t throw the mud back at those who dragged me through.  So as a part of my ‘forgiveness’ I’m doing some ‘letting go’.  If your intent is to drag folks through the mud while you pretend to be pristine and the ‘victim’ … trust and believe … your show is about to hit the stage … and I’m pulling the curtains. 

For the last four and a half years I’ve had the unfortunate opportunity to watch my family be torn apart by lies, deceitful manipulation and selfish motives.  I cannot sit back and just “do nothing” while the people I love are destroying themselves and being destroyed.  I’m not going to discuss how you shared with me your intent on selling your then unborn baby.  I’m not going to discuss how you expressed no emotion for the baby.  I’m not going to discuss how you agreed BEFORE the baby was born to allow those you’ve chosen to slander (on social media) to adopt the baby.  I’m not going to discuss how you lied on, disrespected and even disowned family.  What I am going to do is ask you to stop and think for a moment … think about the life you are really going to destroy … think about that child.  Notice I did not say “baby”.  That child will be 5 years old this year and will be celebrating with THE ONLY MOTHER AND FATHER THAT CHILD HAS KNOWN SINCE BIRTH.  Think about how that child would feel being torn away from the only parents that child has ever known.  Think about how that child would never forgive you for taking away the only parents that child has ever known.  Think about how that child would feel knowing you took away the love, the home, and the life to which that child was accustomed.  Think about the well-being of that child and how your selfish actions, your lies and your deceitful behavior would affect that child.  Think about all those things as you continue to weave lie after lie to cover the truth.

You say you want the “truth” to be heard … well then … perhaps you should start telling the “truth”. 
For those interested in reading the truth, the link to the FINAL court case from August 2013, is included.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Rapid Cleanse-NOT

It’s a new season. It’s a new day.  A fresh anointing is coming my way.  Beautiful song, I love the lyrics and am trying to apply it to my life now.

One of the things I decided to do over my holiday break was a cleansing.  Nothing so serious that I would have to give up my hubby, friends and a life, but something that would make a ‘difference’.  I ended up selecting a “natural” product called ‘Rapid Cleanse’ and was extremely disappointed.  Again … I didn’t want to spend 7 days sitting on the toilet, but I wanted to see some type of ‘result’ … especially on the scale.  Well I spent 7 days bloated, uncomfortable, crampy and wondering how much fluid was left in my body.  YUP … just a lot of fluid, no got-to-get-up-and-run pooping.  I lost 7 pounds of fluid and gained back 5 the day after I ended the cleanse.  Smh

Anyhoo … the next step to the ‘new season’ is to limit fast food, prepare more meals at home and increase my activity.  This has been a real challenge because I’m always out doing something (leaving little time for a planned activity) and it’s easier just to grab-n-go food, but I’m working on it … baby steps.  This morning’s struggle will be getting hubby out of bed to hit the gym, I count on him for motivation.  I now see that I also need a ‘work-out hubby’ … that guy who will encourage me through my work-out when my ‘at-home hubby’ is not up to it … just thinking outside my head.

As for the ‘Rapid Cleanse’ fiasco … here’s the “skinny” (pun intended) on the product.  I would not recommend anyone plunking down the $30 bucks it costs for this stuff.  Just drink more water mixed with fresh lemon, try to eat your darker veggies, do your turmeric, flax-seed or healthy smoothies and you’ll get the same (but better) results.




Total Body RAPID Cleanse™
  • Simple, fast and effective
  • Soy-free, gluten-free
  • Great pre-diet cleanse
  • 8 grams soluble fiber daily
  • 3-part formula
Total Body RAPID Cleanse™ is a 7-day, deep-acting total-body cleansing and metabolic jumpstart program‡.
Part 1: Detoxify with Deep Liver and Organ Cleanse‡.Contains potent herbal extracts, amino acids and Vitamin C for powerful antioxidant and deep-cleansing support‡. The liver is the most important detoxification organ in the body, and Total Body RAPID Cleanse supports this critical organ with 4 amino acids and 6 herbal extracts‡. 7 herbal extracts are included to support the rapid and deep detoxification of the lungs, lymphatic system, kidneys, skin and blood‡.
Part 2: Capture with Natural Acacia Fiber. Total Body RAPID Cleanse provides 8 grams of soluble fiber daily. For this 7-day, deep-cleansing experience, we have included 100% soluble acacia fiber. Acacia fiber dissolves completely when mixed with water and has no taste or gritty texture. Fiber is a critical component of colon cleansing, as well as organ detoxification and purification‡.
Part 3: Eliminate with Colon Cleanse.Total Body RAPID Cleanse is formulated with magnesium hydroxide (a mineral that helps to hydrate the bowel) as well as cape aloe and rhubarb to promote bowel contractions‡. Triphala, marshmallow and slippery elm are soothing herbs included to comfort the bowel during this critical cleansing step‡.
*This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


Friday, December 27, 2013

Promises, Promises

New Year’s Resolutions – Have you made one?  I’ve gotten to a point I don’t make resolutions, I just say I’m going to do better than I did before.  So many of us start out with good intentions, our ‘who-we-need-to-forgive-or-ask-forgiveness’ lists, our fitness goals, our healthier eating goals … and let’s not forget our 30-60-90 day challenges.   The many fitness centers eagerly awaiting our arrival as we promise to get fit for just one dollar … only to have those things slowly fall to the wayside.

Part of my vacation included organizing my home office.  I’m sitting here right now, surrounded by mountains of diet cookbooks, exercise books, healthy-living pamphlets, exercise DVDs, meditation CDs and half-used journals.  All of these items accumulated over the years … each one a different end of the year resolution.  I have self-help books on every subject, how-to books, inspirational books, home improvement books and even books on how to write books … all purchased with good intentions for a new year.  Even with all that, I forgot the most important thing, improving myself from within.  

I’ve said I don’t make resolutions however, now I do make promises … to myself.  These promises are supposed to keep me on track, hold me accountable, make me a better person and improve my inner-self.  I have promised myself I will attend bible study in the coming year and that I will not allow people to schedule things that could conflict with that night.  That’s something I can control.  And that’s another promise I made to myself, take back control of my life … both in and out of the home.  Most importantly, I have promised myself I will live the life I encourage others to live.  It is crazy that I tell someone else how or what they should do yet not apply this advice in my own life (physician heal thyself).

So I’ve made a conscious decision, not a resolution - While I’m working (slowly) on my outer-self I am also working on my inner-self.


Thursday, December 26, 2013

You Just Don't Know ...

One of my favorite voices has always been Phyllis Hyman.  Her deep, soulful sound seemed to touch me in places no other voice could reach.  Many of her songs spoke to things in my life and I’d always find myself running the lyrics through my head or humming softly as I went about my day.  One in particular has really stuck with me lately ….

You just don't know what I've been going through, You just don't know how I've been missing you
You just don't know how glad I am that you're back, You just don't know, you just don't know

You just don't know all these tears I've cried, You just don't know how I feel inside
You just don't know how good it feels to have you back …

Those beginning lines are the ones I have realized I constantly sing … out loud; so much so my hubby has started humming the song and can’t figure out why.  I think it’s the holiday season that makes us more cognizant of what we ‘feel’ we are missing in our lives, our jobs, our relationships … our homes … as we look longingly at others who appear to have everything together.  Now with social media it’s even more painful as we see picture after picture of perfect couples, perfect families, perfect homes and oh-so perfect pets.  I think we forget social media allows (now more than ever) to put on the face we want everyone to see.  We forget no one is perfect.  Every family, every relationship … has issues … I mean … really … even the Cosby family had “Cousin Pam” (made myself giggle).

I have never found myself wishing I had the type of relationship someone else had/has, but I have heard women (and a few men) say they wished for my relationship.  This, of course, would leave me speechless and immediately I would begin to mentally re-evaluate how I portrayed my relationship.  I have always told myself I don’t put up a fake or phony show for people … it is what it is … but I do give credit where credit is due and my hubby is a great partner on his good days.  I think people tend to only hear the good stuff and trash everything else.  I have always tried to be honest and I have never over-romanticized anything … again … it is what it is.  One of the stories I know people love to hear is how we reconnected.  They get all teary-eyed and end with ‘you two were meant to be together’.  Some days I agree and some days I don’t.

Whenever I talk to people about relationships I always remind them to become friends first and let the physical aspect be the bonus.  When I met my hubby the first time he was in the military.  Slim waist, broad, muscular shoulders, beautiful thighs and very athletic.  I was always a full-figured girl and around that time I had toned a bit, so I was a very shapely thing.  The second time we met (13 years later) we both had put on a few pounds, moved a little slower, but overall … we were pretty good.  The physical does fade away.  Thankfully we developed a friendship; we learned we could keep each other laughing.

That friendship has come in very handy over these 11 plus years.  I have a very little patience for drama, do NOT like to argue and don’t like to be controlled.  All of these things are found within our relationship and many days I have just wanted to walk away.  Those are the moments (after we have calmed down) we remind ourselves how we met and later … how we met again.  Unfortunately, with each disagreement things are said or done that you can't take back.  For me, that's not a good thing, as each occurrence chips away at the only thing we have left, Love.

This Christmas (not the song) I found myself wishing for what we used to have ...    

You just don't know what I've been going through, You just don't know how I've been missing you
You just don't know how glad I am that you're back, You just don't know, you just don't know

You just don't know all these tears I've cried, You just don't know how I feel inside
You just don't know how good it feels to have you back …   


Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Get Moving ...

I DID IT!!!!
Today I finally moved the computer from the dining room table to the office!  Believe me … that is truly a big step for me.  That means I now have to sit in the office and get it organized.  I’ve been avoiding that task since we started unpacking boxes.  I have also found the bed in the guest bedroom … Goodwill is going to love me this year and the producers of Hoarders won’t be knocking on our door.  Of course the major influence for this project is to get my house ‘visitor ready’.  Even though hubby is not a fan of having people over, I still want the place to look homey if someone manages to get beyond the troll living under the bridge. 

My co-workers gave me lots of entertaining cookware (they know I hold meetings) and serving items.  I’m really looking forward to putting them to use.  After the holidays I plan to stock up on other little household entertaining thingies.  I’ve always wanted people to feel comfortable when they come into my home … hubby … not so much.  I had an awesome inspiring-moment when I was invited to a friend of a friend’s home for my first holiday party.  She was the perfect hostess!!  The house was elegant and H-U-G-E, but still managed to feel cozy.  She welcomed everyone with a warm hug and kiss on the cheek.  She flowed through the room with grace in her lovely red evening dress and hubby was dressed ‘casket-sharp’.  I admired how she made everyone feel right at home.  I could tell each guest felt equally loved.  She became my entertaining she-ro. 


Now I don’t have to have everything she has … I just want an ounce of all that love, warmth and spirit to flow through our home and into all those who honor us by choosing to visit.  My future plans include learning more on the selection of GOOD wine … stay tuned. <3 <3 <3


Sunday, December 15, 2013

Enlarge My Territory ...

1 Chronicles 4:10
New King James Version (NKJV)
10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.

Luke 12:48

New King James Version (NKJV)
48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

These two scriptures stick in my mind, but more so this morning, as I sit here listening to the constant noises from above.  We live in a bottom-floor apartment.  Our neighbors upstairs have two very rambunctious children (my hubby swears one is ‘extra-special’) that don’t like to step lightly.  I’m not going to blame the children, I’m blaming the parents.  As the adults in the home, you should be teaching them to respect their surroundings.  This means if you live above someone you and everyone in your household shouldn’t be stomping around like sailors celebrating shore leave!  If it’s not the children, it’s the Mom … who apparently was trying to get all her partying in before her partner returned from deployment.  Every Saturday, like clockwork, we could hear her putting on what had to be extremely high, thick-heeled shoes.  She walks around the bedroom in them, takes them off, lets them drop to the floor as she searches for a different pair.  How do we know that’s what she was doing?  Well we drew this conclusion, because the pattern would continue until finally she (insert assumption here) found a pair.  Then her three friends would come over and join in on the “fun”.  We could always hear them going up the steps and entering the apartment, then the group tap dance would begin.  This little show continued until it was finally time to leave for the club.  Hubby verified the number of friends, as he was compelled to watch them leave one night (he wanted to see who was responsible for disrupting his solitude).  He took great pleasure in describing each one and how they all could use a course in etiquette and dress.  Why the scriptures you ask?  Well … it would be nice to have a home again.  Not just because of the things associated with apartment living, but it’s just something about having your own.  I loved having my own yard, my own deck, my own garage, and my own walls to do with as I pleased … just having something that was mine (and the bank handling the financing).  We’re both older now and I really don’t know what the future holds for us, but I do know our next move would be the most expensive as I don’t plan on lifting NOT ONE FINGER.  So I am reminded to ask God to enlarge my territory and with that I understand comes much responsibility.  I continue to ask God for strength, wisdom and guidance. I continue to ask God to move in my life, equip me to handle those things I will be given and to keep me in His will. 

I have never seen our upstairs neighbors and wouldn’t know them if they walked up and ‘punched me dead in the throat’ (inside joke).  I can only let my imagination run wild, as I continue to listen to the constant noise from above and trust Him.