UNDERNEATH the MASK

When you look at me, can you see what I have been through? If you knew the family that raised me, you probably wouldn't believe my struggles. Truth be told, I struggle and I'm not alone.

THERE IS MORE BEHIND THE SMILE:
What have you gone through that you haven't told anyone about?  Is it because you are ashamed for the world to know? Or is it  because you don't know where to go?

IT'S OKAY:
It is okay to seek help because I guarantee you, you are not alone. There are a lot of people battling with something: depression, life threatening diseases, learning disabilities, economic hardships, being an outcast, loneliness....the list goes on! BUT what's not okay is that we ignore that there is an issue.

I am all about raising awareness in the communities. Our communities starve because they lack knowledge and resources.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
You can help by joining us on October 20, 2012 at Swank in Lumberton, North Carolina  as we bring awareness to the communities. This is a free event for the public. We will have light refreshments for those that attend. We will have businesses, organizations, nonprofit organizations coming together to provide information on their products and their services.

REGISTER:
Everyone must register for this event.  Please click on the link and come out and support!!!
Click the link: http://lumbertonnetwork.eventbrite.com/


VOLUNTEERS: If you need us to volunteer to help your event, please email us at: drogers.pit@gmail.com.

THANK YOU!!!

LUMBERTON, NC....Why NOT?

LUMBERTON, NC

"LIFTING THE SPIRITS....SPREADING THE AWARENESS"

I begin this blog with a smile, because I can have so many GREAT MEMORIES from my hometown.  I can remember going to WH Knuckles on 41 where the teachers were allowed to spank your hands.  I can remember my father personally making paddles for my teachers to use when I got out of hand.  I can remember going to Carroll Middle School, playing on the playground, doubling up on the swings, my friends eating the food out of my lunch box that I didn't finished...I can remember going to Lumberton Junior High School  and Lumberton High School being the "Class Clown"; "Who Would This Happen To" being in club pictures that I wasn't even apart of(LOL), The Lumberton Marching Band and The AWESOME Class of '97.

QUESTION: What are your greatest memories?

 BUT THEN I GREW UP.....

Never forgetting where I came from and always wanting to give back to my community.  Although moving away has brought great success, it is nothing like coming home to FAMILY.  Over the past few years, coming home hasn't felt so great....going on FACEBOOK learning of all the things that are currently taking over Lumberton (Deaths, Killings, Robberies, Pregnancies, and the Spreading of STDs) and my heart is heavy.  Every time I cross the line into NC, the atmosphere shifts and my heart is heavy.

SO.....WHAT DO I DO?

Instead of rushing on Facebook to see the "WHAT HAS HAPPENED NOW"...I find myself planning and developing ideas on things that will place me into the solution which.....

BRINGS ME TO TODAY....

I am hosting a fashion show called Lumberton's Runway Extravaganza. This is not your typical fashion show, but it is an all inclusive show that incorporates local talents, boutiques, models and organizations.  I have networked in a manner that is bringing talents, designers, boutiques, models and groups to North Carolina because they trust in the vision.  There are so many people that asked me why did I choose to bring the show to Lumberton.  My reply,"Why not"....  AND then there are those who have called, texted and inboxed to say thank you for bringing such an event at a time as this! Those individuals are the ones that keeps me striving.

JOIN ME....

I ask that you join me bringing Lumberton together and support one another!!! This should be one of many events that are planned that we all can join in and support.  This event is about lifting the spirits of Lumberton, North Carolina and I think together we can do it!!!! 

THE EVENTS:

We have planned a networking event on October 20, 2012 that is free to the public.

LINK: http://lumbertonnetwork.eventbrite.com/

The Lumberton's Runway Extravaganza

LINK: http://ncfalln2fashion.eventbrite.com/

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!!!!!



If at any time you need volunteers to make your event successful, please don't hestiate to give us a buzz.

WITH GREAT LOVE,

Debra Rogers

aka

HUMBLE BUTTERFLY

ATTRACTION PT1

04/07/2012
What attracts you to a person?  Is it the color of their skin; the smile on their face; the length of their hair; the shape of the thighs or the sparkle in their eyes?  What if you saw a SCAR would you still be attracted? I sit here and I think about relationships and the reasons why we connect to one another.  I think about those relationships that I wanted to last but didn't.  Was it something I did? OR Was it something that I exposed that broke the connection? 

If those you were attracted to shared their story, showed you their SCARS, those deep dark places, what do you think your reaction would be? Could you love them anyway?  There are a lot of people in this world battling all types of issues and are afraid to expose them because of the fear of being isolated through judgement.  How unfair!!!!

I share my stories because unlike some of the others, I am delivered and set free.  I share my stories because there is someone out there waiting on me...waiting for me to display the success from being a single mother, from being in abusive relationships, from having a child as a survivor of sickle cell...SOMEONE is waiting.

AS YOU PROCESS think on this?
What about your stories? Do you think someone is waiting on it?  WILL you share them to help another person out?

SOMEONE SEARCHING:
What about me? Someone reading may be asking.  How can I get the support I need?  I am here to help you if no one else will.  Go to my website and contact me and I will help to guide you in the right direction (http://www.piecingittogether.org/).  If you want to write me and we start a pen pal relationship, I am here!  You are not ALONE-and GUESS what you are not the 1st that this has happened to.

Sharing my thoughts,

Ms. Transparent

WOUNDS of Life.

03/24/2012

Question: Do you look like the hell you have been through?  I present this question as I reflect on the scenes in my life.  The times when I was broken into pieces but I didn't crumble and I ask myself....what was it that held me together.  Aren't you glad that when people see you, they don't see the process you had to go through to get to where you are even though they may see the scars.  How do wounds heal? Wounds heal from the inside out (RIGHT)? Now let's take a moment and apply that to the wounds you may have endured or enduring in life to date.  When our hearts are wounded what should we do:

1. Slow down and look at the big picture...Take some time to take care of yourself.
2. Get clarity-understanding what has happened is the key to avoid further mishaps.
3. Create a treatment plan. This is something to ease your pain. GO within and clean up the wound (write it down/cry it out/etc.) GO outward and surround yourself with those that are supportive and positive BY all means remove the negativity from your life.
4. Apply a clean bandage over your wound - this is represented through your attitude (So smile and be optimistic).
5. Give it time to heal-Don't keep tampering with the wound/revisiting it instead focus your attention on moving forward not to get tangled up and surround yourself with the same mess.
6. Be HONEST about your wound-some people avoid getting help because of what they may look like, but I would rather look like someone who needs help then look like someone who is unhappy and unhealthy mentally, emotional which affects our physical state of being.

I am writing this BLOG not just for you but for me as well.  I never want to present myself as being perfect because who is perfect - not you and not me.  I use these moments to blog so that others are aware of what they can do to remain in one piece and not in pieces.  However, if you are in pieces, there are resources that are available to put you back together again.

Thinking of you!

Ms. Transparent

CRIME RATE-"That's how YOU feel"

05/20/2012

What is it that you want?

I went home (NC) last weekend and I learned of so much that is going on: the killings, the robberies, the "I hate you", the church drama....What is going on? How did it get to this point?  I can remember saying: "I wish I had what they had, and it could've been the type of shirt he/she was wearing, or it could've been the shoes they had on that day, or it could've been the relationship with the significant other BUT, I never thought to kill just to get it....I never felt that I had to hate on that person because of what they HAD....But what I did do is come up with a plan to get what it was I wanted. It could've been that it took me two weeks to get it but the key is "I GOT IT".  You never know what it took for that person to be where they are. You don't know the hardship they had to endure to just have that moment of happiness and  just like that its taken away.  Wow...that's how they do it now.....PEOPLE just TAKE someone's life! What does that PROVE?

Questions: Did you get what you wanted? How long did the happiness last? Was it worth it?

Listen, there are ways for you to accomplish and gain anything this world has to offer.  1 way is: Go to work, and GO GET IT....All this crime MUST end....It's sad that people are killing people for a temporary moment of gratification.

Signing off,
SADDEN HEART.

Destined Image

05/19/2012

Destined Image stood out to me on today as I began to think about my 1st blog entry. Reason being is as I prepare for the "All Inclusive" Fashion Show, there is a lot that it includes.  Yes, we have our fashion designers, awesome models, vendors, entertainment, door prizes, DJ, etc....but it is deeper than that. When I thought about what I incorporated into the show: Fab-U-Less, Shop-Ur-Closet, "Brave Women Rock Purple", it showed me that I was thinking of those who are in transition.  Transition could be from a lost of a great paying job, from having no job, to the homeless, to those battered women and children, I wanted to display that you can still "love the skin your in" from what you have.  "Destined Image" is an image that we desire to be...but how do we get there...what is it we must do to reach that level of satisfaction. What I am learning to do is reach out for HELP....Yes....HELP. I have to learn to lay aside my PRIDE and reach out when I am in need of healing and so do you! Don't walk around knowing that you are not happy.  Life is too short to be living it unhappy.  Besides we were given today, another day to make it right!  Let's make it RIGHT so we can reach our Destined Image.

SMILE: Someone is thinking of you!

Come support our fashion show on: April 14, 2012 at The Lyceum Museum located in Alexandria, Virgina.

A portion of the proceeds go to: Cancer Awareness, Domestic Violence Awareness and Sickle Cell Awareness.  You can register on Eventbrite.  Hope to see you there!

http://piecingittogether.eventbrite.com/