I'm in Love...

Singing: "Lately, I've had the strangest feeling..." My admiration, my adoration, and my passion have been turned up a notch for some loves in my life. For certain sentimental beauties in my life, I have always been in love. But for others, I have only had a strong liking.
Today, I'm in love...again.

Here are my Top (kris)TEN In loves...from bottom to TOP.

I'm in love with...

#10: New York City - Good ol' NYC. I had the pleasure of hosting my 15 and 11 year old cousins from Cleveland, Ohio for the 4th of July weekend. This was their first time taking a flight and their first time in New York. I basked in the loving duty of taking them on a tour around the city of New York. We indulged in things that I had not yet experienced before even after being here for almost three years! It's good to know that I still have much more to discover in the city while I'm here.
#9: Romance - Ode to romance. I am the biggest romantic ever! I believe in it, I hope in it and I want to live the rest of my life saturated in it. Larenz Tate said it so eloquently in the quintessential love story of my generation, Love Jones..."Romance is about the possibility of things." I'm sure that romance will always be a huge part of my life, because I find it in everything. God created this earth with such attention to detail, beauty and most importantly love. The wind, trees, cobblestone roads, walks in the parks, rain and sunsets are the epitome of romance. And I live in it...everyday @---<<---- #8: Church - Most people I meet in the city share my introduction to NYC. They are a transplant from another city that’s not quite as culturally diverse, not nearly this fast pace or filled with such vast opportunity. However, the sustaining element when embarking on the Big Apple is always church. My church (my pastor, the people, the ministries) keep me sane, grounded and spiritually uplifted. Since joining my church choirs I can’t get enough of church. If you’re looking for me on a random night…that’s the best place to check. (http://www.worldchangerschurchnewyork.org/)
#7: ATL, GA- Those that know me, know that even though I’m from the “City of Wind,” my heart belongs to A-T-L-A-N-T-A-G-A. When I first inhaled the air in March 1998, I knew it was a special place of prosperity and beauty. Since then, I haven’t been able to separate my heart strings from this city. The trees, the “laid back kickin Georgia pride,” the red clay, the drawl, the food, my friends, and my Goddaughter all keep me coming back for more.
#6: Helping People – When do I feel the best about myself and life? When I am considering and contributing to the success and greatness of others. When I am making a difference in someone else’s life. Whenever I see people who dedicate their lives to helping others, they seem not to have one care in the world. Maybe it’s because life gives to the giver, God gives to the giver and when you are more concerned about the well-being of others you have less time to “care” about what’s not perfect in your own life. I love to volunteer, create ways to help others move to higher levels and see people accomplish their full potential, rather than just scratching the surface. (Look out for The King’s Daughters ™– Party for a Purpose coming soon!!!)
#5: My friends that are like family – My family and I are very close. (Sometimes I say that the reason for this is because I don’t live with them. LOL! They live in Florida). But nevertheless, being far from them is hard sometimes. My friends that are like family are the best gifts from God. They keep me excited about life, constantly practicing love in my relationships and they check me if I’m “trippin.” My friends come to visit me all the way from the west coast, to the Midwest and from the “dirty-dirty.” They continually bless me and allow me to bless them. The older, more mature and wiser that we become the circle of friends changes AND it also gets smaller. So I’m holding on to my “folks” tight…for the long haul.
#4: My Goddaughter Aydin – This whole entry could be about her (and it will be soon). You ever notice how everything to children and babies is so simple. When they’re fed, changed and clean they are so happy and pleasant. Then we grow up and make life complex. Looking in the face of my Goddaughter reminds me of the beauty and simplicity of life. The joy of being a member of the village called to raise and watch over her is fulfillment beyond measure. She gives me hope for the future and an invisible push to always strive for excellence, because God didn’t put us here for ourselves. Aydin is constant proof that we/our gifts are here for someone else.
#3: Music – Singing: “I like that I can talk to you. And you seem to adore it. I like that I can tell you…exactly, how I feel. I like that you don’t…look at me, that confused kind of way when…the thoughts are running through my mind and I can’t seem to find the right thing to say. Oooooooo…this feels nice.” (Easy Conversation, Jilly from Philly). This is my favorite song. It describes my relationship with music, with God and with my best friend. I have a King David experience daily, where I just cry out to God in song, a psalm. Music for me is totally spiritual. It’s the air, it’s the rain, it’s the wind and the water. Music is everywhere. So I make it, I sing it, I live it, I breathe it, and I share it.
#2: My Family – I am absolutely in love with my family. They are my rock and my foundation. It sounds very cliché but it so true. There is no Kristen without the Rogers. For most of my time spent away from home (the last eight years of my life) I have dealt with being away from them pretty well. But every once in while, I have a “blue” day. During my “blue” moment, it never fails that I can always call on my family for advice, to brighten my mood or to give an encouraging word. It’s simple…they’re the best!
#1: Jesus Christ – Two words to describe perfect, unconditional, undying, never failing, faithful love: Jesus Christ. He dwells in me and me in him. We’re always together, always talking, walking and laughing together. He loves me when it seems like no one else does or has the capacity to. He writes all my best songs and He gives me the creativity for new songs. He’s ALWAYS there, no matter what. He always makes time for me. I am totally obsessed with Jesus and who He is in my life. For some people, this is way too deep. But for me its home. It’s my DNA, right where I belong in the most intimate relationship I will ever experience.

So, I’m in love. And when I love, I love hard.

I’m headed to choir rehearsal, my favorite activity of the week! Gotta love a good praise session. Check out the pics from my performance this past weekend. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2001095&l=60b54&id=1017204308. I had a great time getting lifted, elevated by the music, the feedback and the support. Shout out to my World Changers!!

Please also check out the best new fashion mag to hit stands next month: Boho Magazine!! http://www.bohomag.com/ Written and published by my mentor and sister celebrity stylist Gina LaMorte. This is the very first green fashion magazine! (Music to my ears). She rocks!

I’m headed to the studio on Sunday to record a song I wrote for a dope producer working with Rihanna and Chris Brown. Let’s get it! (A placement that is..:-)

And I had to include this url showing the new Rap-Up cover. Teyanna, Keri and Solange are wrecking havoc and I love it!! The cover is FIYAH! They inspire me!
http://concreteloop.com/2008/07/mag-covers-keri-teyana-solange-mary-j-rihanna#more-29452m

All the best to you as we approach a glorious weekend.
Word of the day: Matthew 6:6
In song,
Kristen