It's Sunday Morning. The sun is shining, and the birds are chirping happily. I get out of bed and stretch. Smiling in the warm embrace of the sun's rays.
I pick up the remote from the night stand and cut on some praise and worship music, while I get ready for church.
I love this song.
And you know how it is when your song comes on, especially if it's praise music you can dance to. You aren't getting anything done until the song is almost over.
I turn my covers down to the end of the bed, so the bed can cool off before I make it up.
I can't stand warm sheets.
I then head to my closet. "What am I wearing today Lord?" My eyes settle on my royal blue pencil skirt. I pick it up and examine it. "I haven't worn this since...New Years?"
I look through the tops section of my closet and pick up a white sleeveless top before walking over to my shoe racks.
Thankful they are organized by color, so this process will be a lot simpler. Well...as simple as 82 pairs of shoes can get.
"Shoes Lord, Shoes."
I pick up two pairs; one pair are striped royal blue and white wedges. And the other are royal blue peep toe platforms with 4 inch gold heels.
"I think I like the shoes Daddy. Whatchu think?" I feel a smile in my spirit.
"These are it then." I continue dancing around my closet as my playlist continues.
I pair my outfit with a gold pair of knot stud earrings, a matching gold chain with a sapphire in the center, a simple gold bracelet, a gold anklet, and my royal blue and gold medallion leather Coach purse.
I sit everything on the prep table, get my bible and a few pens, a couple mints (because you know that carpet is old at the church and it costs money to replace it, so you can't chew gum), lip gloss, my phone, and put them in my purse.
I pick up my keys from the rack and put them in the bag as well, before heading downstairs for Momma G's Sunday morning breakfast.
"Blessed Morning Momma G!" I say taking a seat at our kitchen Island.
"A blessed mornin' indeed my prechous one. How di you sleep?"
I smile and think. "I slept great, thank you for those bamboo pillows."
She divides the food onto our plates. "See I tol' you those pillows were amayseen'."
I smile at her accent, all these years and she still has her Latin accent as if she just got here yesterday.
"Mmm...smells good."
She puts a hand on her hip as she hands me my plate, and takes a seat in front of hers.
"Tha's because it is. Come."
We hold hands and pray over our meal. "Heavenly Father, we humbly thank you for this blessing which we are about to receive for the health, nourishment, and enjoyment of our bodies. Jesus you are Master, Source and Savior and in your matchless name we pray. Amen."
I dig into my monfongo, eggs, sausage, yuca, and pickled red onions. "Momma G..." close my eyes savoring the flavors.
"Si, I know. Be careful no' to bi' the foot I put in there, okay?"
I look at her and chuckle. She winks at me and takes a bite of her meal, closing her eyes and moaning.
"Jur right, this is goo'."
I shake my head in amusement. She is something else. "I keep telling you that you should open a restaurant."
She nods. "I know, but then I hab to deal with annoyin' peopo and inspechons, and complayning. It will become somethin' I no longer enyoy doin'. I am happy with my even' plannin' beesness. I's usually whong on whong, or two on whong, I set ebrythin' up and then my asseestants maye sure tha' ebrythin' goes well, and I get to do whateber I wan'. Weeth a restauran, it wou' be a 7 days a week thin'. I lye my alone time." I nod understanding where she is coming from.
We finish eating and clean the kitchen, head to our rooms to finish getting ready, lock up and head to church.
When we arrive, I look around at everyone. Some people are dressed up, some people are in jeans and t-shirts and some people are in PJs. That's one thing I love about my church, you can come as you are, and no one will care. They'll greet you with a hug, a smile, and a warm welcome. It's the inside that matters here, not the outside.
I'm not saying that all churches are perfect, but the majority of us welcome all people, no matter what they look like, where they come from, or who they came with.
Plus, it's a shame when unsaved people go to churches to be accepted and get treated worse than the world treats them, just because they chose jeans over dresses, or sweats over a suit.
Not here.
We greet everyone we come in contact with on the way to our seats. The music is jumping in Club Jesus. It doesn't take us long to get settled into our seat and get into it.
By the time praise and worship is over, the atmosphere is so charged, folks are taking out bottles of water to drink from, and wrists are getting a heavy workout from all the fanning.
Shucks Momma G done took her cream colored pumps off and the pastor hasn't even come out yet.
We do communion, offering, more praise and worship, welcome message to our visitors, and then The Word.
Ooh and it's good. I always say, Momma G is a great cook, but the Holy Ghost is better. Pastor is teaching on Grace Makes, Faith Takes...
"Blessed morning family. Look at all these blessed folk up in here! Glory to God! Y'all ready for some manifestation?"
"Yes." The congregation responds.
"No, ya'll ain't sounding like that. I said ARE YA"LL READY FOR SOME MANIFESTATION UP IN HERE?!! TALK TO ME CHURCH!"
"YES!!" is the response.
"Alright now, if you aren't it's okay. Come back after service, you can help clean up."
The congregation laughs. "I see you Sister Jones. She over here looking at me like, 'can you hurry up please, I gotta get my greens on for dinner."
The congregation laughs. "I love you Sis."
She cracks a smile and waves him off.
He takes a drink of water and clears his throat. "Turn with me to Galatians 2:16 and 20, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified BY THE FAITH OF CHRIST, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
"Verse 20, I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: nevertheless I live; yet NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME, and the LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH, I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD."
"Heavenly Father we open ourselves to your Word this day. Clear our hearts and minds of all distractions, and enlighten our understanding. Speak to each of us on the spirit level, so that no one under the sound of my voice leaves the same way they came in. We pray this in Christ name, and the church says..."
"Amen."
He comes away from the pulpit, looking out over the congregation as he speaks.
"We live by the FAITH OF CHRIST LIVING ON THE INSIDE OF US. This life is not our life. You see our lives before salvation were lives of sin, and everything that came as a result of sin; sickness, illness, dis-ease, depression, dissatisfaction. On the cross, He took our lives, bore all of that sin and the fruits of sin, and took on the punishment for us all; which was death. In exchange, He gave us his perfect, everlasting, whole, rich, abundant, blessed life."
"Amen! Hallelujah!" the congregation responds.
"Grace Makes, Faith Takes. Grace has a name and His name is Jesus. You see as CHRIST-ians or in other words those that take up residence in Christ, and Christ taking up residence in us, we now live His life. Now how many of ya'll know that Christ was full of faith?"
"Amen." We say in agreement.
"When Christ wanted something to happen, it happened. He gave thanks like He already had it and took what already existed in the spirit realm, bringing it into this tangible physical realm."
"He didn't wait for it, He TOOK IT! Because He knew it belonged to him and that was already prepared by our all-knowing God before the foundations of the world. It was just waiting for Him to...?" He lifts a hand to his ear.
"Take it!" We say, some of us clapping afterward.
"Yes. He is the lion of Judah. When have you ever seen a lion wait on food. Naw, they get hungry, they hunt! They go get what they want! HOW MANY LIONS UP IN HERE?!"
"Yes!! Glory!! Hallelujah!" We shout..
"Let me give y'all some evidence. Y'all remember in Matthew 14, when Jesus fed the 5,000? He thanked God and when the disciples passed out the food like there was already enough for everyone."
"Everyone ate, and there were 12 baskets of leftovers! 5,000, and that number doesn't include women and children. Lord knows how many were actually present, probably more like 10,000 to 12,000. AND THERE WERE LEFT OVERS!! 12 BASKETS!! He took a two piece fish dinner and turned it into a buffet. How many of ya'll need some overflow like that?!"
"YES!!" "HALLELUJAH!!" We say, shouting.
"Grace Makes, Faith Takes! You see Jesus took it because He knew that what was needed, already existed. John 1:1 says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word WAS God."
"Jesus knew because He planned it ahead of time. Like when you go on a road trip and you pack clothes, and food, and a first aid kit, and extra money because you know you'll need it."
"Jesus, The Word, Grace, prepared it, so at the appointed time His faith could bring it forth."
"Say that Pastor!"
"Just like in the beginning, before He even created Adam, He made sure that everything was in place. I'm here to tell you that your provision, what God knew you'd need in this time, was made before the foundations of the world! It's been prepared with your name on it!"
We shout. Some of us standing, and clapping. Some of us have our hands lifted in praise.
"Whatever it is that you have been believing God for, already exists. Grace has made it available. NOW you just need to get your faith in line with the Word of God to TAKE IT! Jesus packed your lunch, take it!"
"Tell it Pastor!!" One of the ladies shouts. Almost all of us are on our feet shouting.
"Who up in here need a new house?!"
Some people shout.
"USE YOUR FAITH AND TAKE IT! A new car?!"
Some people shout.
"TAKE IT!
Some more people shout.
He looks around and smiles. "A new job? Start a business? You need a new transparent lace wig? Get your nails done?"
We are all shouting some of us laughing.
He waits until we calm down. Leaning onto the podium he scans the crowd. "Some of y'all are believing for a mate."
I swear my heart stops. I can hear my pulse racing, the blood rushing through my veins.
"Oh y'all quiet now? If God provided Adam with Eve, what makes you think that He hasn't already done it for you. Use that Christ Faith, thank God and TAKE YO HUSBAND! TAKE YO WIFE!"
More shouting!!
"But be careful of counterfeit blessings. He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world. You'll know one when you see it. Don't let your excitement block you hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit. That counterfeit might look good on the outside, but He knows what it's like on the inside, and He will warn you."
Some of the older congregation say, "Tell'em Passa."
"Also, You can't take what belongs to someone else. That's stealing, and CHRIST-ians don't steal. God withholds no good thing from us, so stealing isn't necessary."
"I know it's hard, but believe and God can do anything. And don't only believe that He can, but that He will. He loves you, and He is a doting Father. He loves to bestow gifts and blessing heaped upon blessing upon His Children."
"No matter what the situation looks like, remember...you are not subject to the rules of unbelievers. A mustard seed amount of faith CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS!! You are not subject to this physical realm's time restrictions!"
More shouting.
"How many of ya'll know that there is no distance in time in the spirit realm? God can turn things around in a SECOND! You only have to believe. Just like Jesus told Jairus when them folks said that his daughter was already dead...ONLY believe. That's your part. God don't need your help, He needs your faith. Amen?"
"Amen." We respond.
He takes another drink of water. "I'll give you this example. Imagine that Jesus created the Grace warehouse with everything you need in it. So, you need a new house. Your prayer in Jesus' name is the order. God gets the order and sees that it's already on Jesus' tab, so He hands the order to Jesus. Jesus controls the warehouse. He finds you your perfect house, and gives the house to Faith your delivery man, to give to you."
People are shouting left and right.
"Is Faith dribin' Jooh-SPS, Jooh-PS, or Fedex?" Momma G says waving her Japanese fan in the air.
The congregation laughs. "Ms. Gladys, you know you crazy right?" Pastor says chuckling.
"Aye si. Pero tha's why I'm God's faybrit." She shrugs
We all laugh once more. "I'm praying for the man that marries you." He says chuckling.
"Than' you Pastor. Can joo pray tha' he has good credi' too?"
"Amen!" Ms. Bernice says from the front row. The laughter gets louder.
Pastor just shakes his head laughing. "I'm done. Every head bowed every eye closed..."
After alter call, and announcements, we are dismissed. It takes us over an hour to get out of the church.
Church folks love to talk.
We hop in the car and head home to finish up what we prepped for Sunday dinner.
When we enter, we hear the TV on. I pick up the metal bat inside the hidden pop out compartment in the wall by the door and head toward the living room. Momma G flanking me with a slipper. When we arrive we stand there in shock.
Standing there with that stupid dimpled smirk on his face is none other than Calvin. "Daddy's home!!" He says with open arms.
We drop our weapons and run at him, almost tackling him to the ground. He catches both of us laughing. "Miss me?" He asks.
Momma G pokes his dimple. "I don' know di' ju mees me." She says with a smile.
He chuckles. "Yes, but not you always poking my face." He takes her finger in his hand with a smile.
"Aye, but jur deempoles are so cute." He laughs and shakes his head. She leaves Calvin and I alone to talk.
He looks down at me, his arm still wrapped around my waist. "And what about you? Did you miss me?"
I tap my chin in thought. "I don't know...what did you bring me?"
He rolls his eyes playfully. "Dangit woman. I just got back from Chile, I was away for three months and you want to know what I brought you? I feel so loved."
I laugh. "How was your trip? What did you bring me?" I say with a smile.
He laughs. He looks down with a smile. "Me."
I roll my eyes at him with a smile. "What else?"
He taps his chin in thought. "I don't know..." He looks behind me with a smile. "Maybe it's in that bag in front of the couch."
I try to turn around, but he holds me in place.
"You're not going anywhere until I get a proper hug from my best friend."
I smile and shake my head. "Fine." We embrace; my arms around his neck and his arms around my waist.
"I missed you Dimples."
"I missed you too Bambi."
"Why do you call me Bambi? All these years and I still haven't figured it out."
He pulls back and puts his forehead against mine. "I don't know how, the reason is STARING you in the FACE every morning." I frown in confusion.
He chuckles. "You're adorable. It's because of those big brown doe-like eyes of yours."
Momma G walks by us in stretch pants, flip flops and a tank top, her cooking gear.
"Kees her olready, I gwan' grandkee's before I turn 30." She says in passing, picking up our discarded weapons.
We both laugh. "I'm pretty sure that's not how they're made Momma G."
"And I'm pretty sure your 30 boat sailed decades ago." Calvin says in a low voice.
"I hear' tha' jong man!" We laugh once more as she mumbles in Spanish.
"Let me go change, then you can tell me about your trip while we cook."
"Okay." He let's me go and I head toward the stairs.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" He holds up the duffle bag. I take it and head upstairs to change into some shorts and a tank top. Head back downstairs.
"You didn't open it did you?" He smirks.
"Nope. I want you there when I do it."
His smirk deepens. "I would have gladly come in, all you had to do was ask." I give him a flat stare and push his shoulder.
Momma G has already stuck the Cajun style chicken filets in the oven that we marinated overnight. She has started making the andouille sausage and red beans. She has Calvin snapping the green beans, and I'm on the yellow rice, and the corn.
Every Sunday we chose a different style cuisine to cook. I live for Sunday dinners with Momma G. The tradition started with my Mom. It was her idea that the four of us get together every Sunday like this. Even though she's gone, every Sunday it feels like she's still here.
"Just out of curiosity...Momma G what were you going to do with that chancla?"
I almost don't see Momma G reach for her slipper and throw it at him without looking. He ducks at the last second and it hits the wall with a loud smack, and falls to the floor. It was that fast.
He looks at the wall and then at her and, laughs. "Chancla warrior princess." He makes the Zena call and I have to join him in laughter. It's too funny.
Before we know it Momma G is chasing us around the living room and dining room with the remaining slipper, yelling at us in Spanish. We all wind up back in the kitchen with minor injuries.
"Why was I happy to see ju agayn?" She says with a smile in Calvin's direction.
He comes to her side and wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Because, your life is boring without me." He smiles at her.
She rolls her eyes. "I haye tha' smile." She goes back to the food.
He laughs. "Why, because you've already forgiven me because of it?"
She shakes her head, chuckling. "Jes. Ebry time I see tha' smile, I see thees cute little boy weeth those deempoles." She pokes his cheek.
He frowns and gets back to snapping green beans. "I can't stand when you poke my cheeks. It makes me feel like I'm 7 all over again."
We both stopped and look at him. "What's wrong with being 7? You were so cute."
He frowns again. "That was the problem. All the cheek pinching and cooing. It was annoying." He shakes his head at the memory.
I giggle at the memory of his cheeks being pinched and his face afterward. His cheeks would be so red afterward. He shoots me a death glare.
"Come on Dimples. Don't be mad." I look over at him smiling.
He rolls his eyes with a smile. "You suck." I blow a kiss at him and get back to work.
We finish dinner, eat and clean the kitchen. "Good Nigh' my loves. I hab to ge' to bed. I hab an 8am wit' a very eyeper bride, and an equally eyeper groom. I'm tire' jus' thinkin' about it." She kisses our cheeks and heads to her room.
"Come on, tell me about your trip." Calvin and I head to my room; he shuts the door behind us and dives onto my bed. I retrieve the duffle bag and put it between us on the bed.
"So..." I look at him expectantly.
He smiles. "Chile was beautiful, you would have loved it. Oh!" He takes out his phone, cuts on my TV, links the TV app with his phone and shows me pictures as he talks.
I am amazed as always by his photographic anointing. The way he can make something so ordinary, as a woman hanging clothes while her child plays nearby, look so magical.
As if they are in their own little protective bubble where nothing else exists but them. As if God set aside this small untouched piece of the universe, just for them.
I am so enraptured by his photography that I didn't notice that he had finished and I was just staring at the screen in awe.
"Stop eye molesting my photos." He smiles.
I pick up a pillow and throw it at him. "Shut up."
"Open your presents." My eyes light up. "Presents..."
He chuckles his shoulders jumping slightly. "Yes, as in plural. You know once I start, I can't stop."
I grin happily as I open the duffle bag and extract the first gift. It's a turquoise jewelry set.
The second present is a Lapis Lazuli necklace and anklet.
The third he pulled from under the bed. It was a box filled with Chilean clay pottery used for cooking.
The fourth was a Chilean wine covered in several layers of clean socks, which was actually meant for Momma G. The fifth was a chilean game called emboque.
The sixth was a red chilean futbol jersey.
The seventh was a pair of booties made from alpaca wool.
And hidden in a thick layer of socks is jar of chilean papaya...which we ate.
"So...what have I missed since I've been gone?" He asks getting comfortable on my bed.
"I have a date tomorrow night with a guy from the gym. Which reminds me...I need your help on what to wear."
His jaw pulses. "A date? What's his name?"
"Omar."
"Where does he work?"
I roll my eyes. He's in big brother mode. "A tattoo parlor."
"What is his social security number?"
"Calvin..."
"What's his blood type?"
"Calvin."
"Who are his parents?"
"Calvin!"
"Does he have good credit?"
"CALVIN!!"
He looks at me like I'm the one that's crazy.
Momma G knocks on the door. "I know I say tha' I gwante' grandkeeds, but can ju keep it down. Some of us nee' to eh sleep."
"She's right. It takes all night to make her beautiful." Calvin says with a sly smirk.
I get up and open the door. Not a second later a Chacla goes flying in Calvin's direction. He makes the Xena Warrior Princess call as he dives off of the bed. The slipper missing him by inches. Momma G just gives him a look.
I give both of them a look. "We're sorry for disturbing you Momma G. Calvin was upset , I told him about Omar."
She nods in understanding. "Oh..." She looks past me at Calvin. "Did' she tell you hees social jet?"
Calvin stands. "Not yet, but I'm working on it."
I look at both of them shaking my head. I pick up her slipper and hand it back to her.
"Good night Momma G." I hug her and shut the door. Getting back on the bed afterward.
I fold my arms over my chest. "Y'all get on my nerves."
Calvin lays his head on my lap as if he did nothing wrong. "But you love us."
I roll my eyes. "Unfortunately..." I mumble.
He smiles at me with those stupid adorable dimples. I roll my eyes again with a smile.
"So, are you going to help me or not"
He stares at me. "I don't know how I feel about you dating. I thought we agreed that you couldn't date until you were married."
I stare at him slack jawed. "That makes no sense. How can you get married if you don't date?"
He smirks.
"You would have me be lonely forever?"
His smirk falters. "No...you have me, and I'm never settling down. I am way too good looking to give all this sexiness to one woman. It would be attractive overload to her circuitboard. I would fry her eyeballs with my adonis like features." He says in all seriousness.
I laugh, shaking my head. "Unbelieveable. Watch, there will be a woman that will blow your mind and you'll want to marry her. And you know what? On your wedding day during the toast, I'm going to say I told you so."
He frowns. "Keep dreaming, you're good at it." He looks at me curiously. "So a tattoo artist huh? I never pegged you for a rebel."
I pinch him. "I am not a rebel just because I go on one date with a guy that just so happens to be a British tattoo artist. Shucks, I've never been on a date before. That should surprise you more than anything."
He sits up with a horrified look in his eyes. "He's British!! No! No nonono NO! You are not going on a date with him. European men cannot be trusted." He whisper-shouts.
I give him my 'you hella crazy' look. "And why not?"
He stands and paces. "Because!" He throws his hands up, over exaggerating his whisper shouting. "You'll be knocked up before you finish your entree. All he has to do is speak a sentence and you're pregnant! I'm too young to be an uncle."
"Were you toking on special herbs in Chile?"
"NO! I just know that women love men with accents, and accents get you much poontang. Trust me, why do you think I travel so much." He smirks.
I massage my temples with two fingers. "Umm, so what he has an accent. So what he's a tattoo artist. So what his eyes are a beautiful shade of grey with a whisper of blue. So what he has a body that a blind woman could appreciate. So what-"
"Wait! He's a British tattoo artist with beautiful eyes and a amazing body. NOPE! Absolutely not! I forbid you to go on this date." He points at me like an accusing nun.
"No, I'm going." I get off the bed and march into my walk-in closet.
"You most certainly are not." He follows me. "You are not going, if I have to build a windowless tower in the middle of the ocean, surround it with great white sharks, hire the navy seals and the air force to guard it, and build a freaking impenetrable dome over it!"
"You are so extra! I am going and that's final. And if you in any way try to stop me or sabotage my date, I will purposely get knocked by him, and name the baby after your grabby Aunt with the mustache."
He gasps dramatically. "You wouldn't."
I angle my chin in defiance. "I would."
He sucks his teeth. "Fine go on your stupid date. But mark my words, if you wear something sexy, I will going on this date too."
I huff and roll my eyes. "Fine."
He nods in approval. "No dresses."
"Calvin, I am wearing a dress."
"But, I won't like it."
I roll my eyes. "Fine, can I wear jeans?"
"Yes, with a belt...or two."
"Calvin, I am not wearing two belts."
"Fine, wear your metal underwear."
"I do not have metal underwear. This is not medieval times."
After an hour of bickering over my outfit. Well he agreed, but I'm changing once I'm out of the house (change into outfit above).
Afterward we get ready for bed. I walk into my room to go to bed to find my dork of a best friend topless in MY bed.
Wow, nice abs. "Why are you in my bed?"
He looks around like I asked a stupid question. "Why not?"
"Because your bed is downstairs."
"Exactly, yours is closer." He rolls over. "Cut off the light would ya?"
"Boy...you know what? Never mind. I'm just going to go to sleep." I get in the bed and shut the light off.
"Night Bambi."
I roll my eyes. "Night Dimples."