Faith Archives – Jamieson Diaries

Congratulations, Wilcox Family!

April 20, 2016 Comment : 1

I’m sure most of you remember me posting a status on Christmas Day asking you all to pray for our friends, Lacey and Brandon, as their youngest daughter battled a strand of bacterial meningitis in the hospital.(If you are unfamiliar with what meningitis is click here to learn more) As most of you know their baby girl, Alaiya, didn’t make it. She passed away on December 26th, 2015. I don’t share any of this to make you all sad, because Alaiya was so full of joy, her smile could light up any room, and she has two of the most caring parents anyone could ask for. I share all of this to explain why Lacey telling me a few weeks ago she is pregnant with their third baby brought me so much joy. Yes, there will be a 3rd Wilcox baby girl, Averie Laine, due on October 18th! Yayyyy!

The news of Lacey’s pregnancy made me so happy, because she and her family have endured so much loss, and heartache the last few months. (Lacey’s mother and her daughter died within a week of each other in December) The question “why do bad things happen to good people” couldn’t be more relevant when talking about the Wilcox family. But there is such an explainable joy brought into our lives with the announcement and birth of a baby. I honestly believe there is no hurt the birth of a child can’t match in joy. It doesn’t take away the hurt but it balances it out by adding much needed joy. I believe, God and Alaiya, showed up right on time to remind them joy comes in the morning.

I asked Lacey last night if it was okay for me to share her baby news, and write a blog post about their family, because it’s something I wanted to share with people all over who take the time to read my blog. The faith and strength Lacey and her family have shown throughout the last few months is nothing short of admirable and heartbreaking. I first met Lacey in college through my husband, what now seems like eons and just a few weeks ago, (that’s the first sign of getting older, right? LOL) and from then she was always a sweet heart. It has been since about 2009 I have really considered her to be one of MY friends though. She’s the type of friend who although she lives hours (and a whole different state away) makes sure she comes to any birthday parties, baby showers, weddings etc. no matter how far she has to drive. She’s the type of friend all of us should be so blessed to have in our lifetime. Which in turn makes it even harder to see your friends go through such trying times, and know you would do anything to bring them joy again. It’s genuinely hard to see great people go through bad things. Especially when we see so much turmoil, so many bad things and people in the world, because we always naturally wonder “why them?” It’s even harder to live so far away from your friends when they’re hurting because all you want to do is wrap them up in the biggest hug and cry for hours. Being present doesn’t make anything happening to them easier, but sometimes crying with a friend makes everything seem better than it is for those few minutes.

We are planning a trip back home to Illinois in October for a wedding and had already planned to stop in Indiana for a few days to see the Wilcoxs, before heading to Washington D.C. for a postponed vacation. I was already excited to see the Wilcoxs in October, but I’m even more excited knowing I’ll get to meet and hold little baby, Averie, in my arms! I write all of this because I hope they know how much we love them and how happy we are to see them happy. I think Alaiya has already been sending Averie tips on how to make parents crazy considering how Averie has been treating you this pregnancy, Lace. Ha! I’m gonna stop typing and go text you now haha. I love you, girl! And of course Brandon, Alanna, Alaiya, and Averie. <3

P.S.- funny story about the day of my baby shower and this picture: Alanna was not a fan of me holding Alaiya and basically said “put her down” in baby terms. LMAO. Also, Alaiya, was clearly just as confused as to why I was holding her and both of her parents are standing nearby hahaha.

Brie <3

[04.20.16]

Happy Birthday, Dr. King!

January 16, 2016 Comments : 2

Today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have been 87 years old. I could ramble on and on about how extraordinary he was then, and how important he still is to this day, but instead, I’m going to share my favorite speech by, Dr. King. In case you’re wondering, the “I Have A Dream Speech” is a great speech, but it’s not his most powerful to me. Sometime this weekend, make time to listen and/or read at least one of this incredible man’s speech about equality and justice. If you have children, take time to teach them something new about Dr. King not taught in the paragraph from their history book at school. (Yes, that was meant to throw sarcasm and shade to the lack of Black history in so called history books.)

Happy birthday, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You are surely missed and the fight is still being fought with your teachings and words at the forefront.

Brie <3

[01.15.16]

All Posts, Dear Diary

Selfish vs. Selfless

November 8, 2015 Comments : 2

In the spirit of the season, I have decided to make my Sunday blog posts for the month of November about giving and gratefulness. I know this tends to be the cliché trend of everything in the month of November, but what is wrong with doing something for others and sharing positivity? In a world where hatred and sadness seems to be more popular than love and happiness, I think a month of thankfulness is needed.

This won’t be a long blog post, because this post is simple. I challenge everyone (myself included) to be less selfish and more selfless this month. It is quite an easy task if we truly find the compassion in our hearts to put others before self. Becoming a wife and mother has taught me this lesson more than I could have ever imagined, but I can still be and do better. It doesn’t have to be some grand gesture to prove selflessness either. Maybe instead of buying that new shirt or pants for yourself, you buy a few pairs of sweatpants and sweatshirts at Walmart for the homeless. An alternative for those who may not be in the financial place to buy such items can go through your closet of clothes and give away anything you don’t wear or need anymore to the less fortunate.

Another example of a small, but large impact gesture, could be buying some cheap canned goods on sale at your local grocery stores and donating some to your local food bank or church. The alternative, you may be shocked at what you have in your own pantry and don’t eat/need that can be donated to someone else.

A few other examples of selflessness is donating your time to a cause to help others. Find a local church or shelter who may be looking for volunteers to bless someone in need this holiday season. You would be amazed how appreciative people are to those who share their time and love with complete strangers. Another idea is making sure your coworkers or neighbors have somewhere to go on Thanksgiving. As hard as it is for some people to understand, there are many people who do not have family and/or close friends to share Thanksgiving dinner with. So ask your friends, coworkers, and neighbors if they have plans for the holiday. Not only will you be given the opportunity to bless someone else who will always be grateful for your hospitality, but you have the opportunity to strengthen a relationship or make a new friend.

I hope we all have the opportunity to show multiple acts of selflessness this holiday season. I pray all of us are able to be a blessing to someone else, and in turn be blessed by them as well. What other ideas would you like to share of selflessness with others? Please comment below. Also, as the month goes on, please share your acts of selflessness with me and other readers by commenting below, and/or tweeting and Instagraming me @JamiesonDiaries.

Here is to a wonderful season of spreading love and happiness to those around us!

Happy and blessed Sunday everyone!

Brie <3

[11.08.15]

All Posts, Dear Diary, Family Love

Merry Christmas- From My Family to Yours

December 25, 2014 Comment : 1

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Today, I pray all of you enjoy what this day is all about. Faith, family, and food. Thank God for his son, Jesus Christ, and everything He has done, is doing, and will do in our lives. Thank God you have family, or friends who have become family, to share this day with. And thank God you have food on your table to eat and share with others. While we are rejoicing in the birth of Jesus Christ, with our loved ones, please remember to pray for those who do not have the luxury of faith, family or food. If you are able to be a blessing to someone else during this season, please do so. Nobody should spend this day alone and/or hungry. So always remember to give thanks for the many blessings we have received in this life, and lets all try our best to pass those blessings onto others.

A very Merry and Blessed Christmas from my family to yours!

P.S.- it’s this beautiful little girl’s first Christmas. The greatest blessing God could have ever given my husband and I! <3

Brie <3

[12.25.14]

All Posts, Dear Diary

Wisdom Wednesday: Tia and Tamera Mowry

December 10, 2014 Leave a Comment

My Wisdom Wednesday post is a week late, but it’s the holiday season, and I’m sure you all know how that goes. To make up for it, my December Wisdom Wednesday will talk about two individuals who inspire me. When you talk to most people in my generation or younger, they will probably tell you their role models are in the likes of Beyonce, Rihanna, Taylor Swift etc. I will hold my opinions on a few of these examples until another blog post down the road I will call “The Modern Day Celebsession.”

Anyway, my Wisdom Wednesday of this month will concentrate on Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Tamera Mowry-Housley. Many of us grew up watching Tia and Tamera in the 90’s on the sitcom “Sister Sister.” And lets be real, can we hear or read that show title and not instantly say in our heads- “GO HOME ROGER!” Exactly. Lol. I consider these ladies to be inspirational because of the example they have set for young ladies, and how they are the complete opposite examples most childhood actors/actresses have set for others. Since they were younger we never heard of these ladies being caught up in scandals or in the tabloids for making stupid decisions. Instead, their parents (who have had a major influence on them) tried to make their lives as normal as possible. When “Sister Sister” ended, they attended school at, Pepperdine University, as normal college students. It wasn’t until the Fall of 2006 when we saw Tia make her way back into the major television industry again in a show called “The Game.” (Which happens to be one of my favorite television shows while it was on the CW network.) Although I had already been a fan of these ladies from the early 90’s, it was their hit reality tv show “Tia & Tamera,” on Style network, that made me realize how inspirational these ladies are to everyone around them. They are both so genuine in their faith, loving their families, and making themselves positive individuals. I love hearing them openly talk about how they turn to God to guide their footsteps in everything they do. I love hearing and seeing how much they adore their husbands and their children. And it seems despite what issues may have presented themselves at the time, they always found the positive side of any trial they were going through. It was a plus to see how diverse their family is as well. I personally come from a melting pot of a family, and although I can’t relate on a very specific level of them being biracial, I can say I understand how important it is in becoming who you are in this crazy yet diverse world. During season two of their show “Tia & Tamera” they developed a product line called “Milky” which serves the sole purpose of helping Moms and Moms-to-be produce more milk for their little ones. Being a Mom myself, it was nice to see celebrities acknowledging Moms and future Moms needing more products specifically for us.

In this day and age where “rowdy” and “negative” seem to get most of the attention, it is nice to see women who still conduct themselves as respectful women. During a time where we can turn on multiple television channels and see so-called “Real Housewives” or “Love and so-called Hip Hop” showing women cursing, degrading, and showing off every single inch of their bodies, it is a breath of fresh air to know these classy ladies exist.

Tia and Tamera are showing young ladies everywhere that it is still possible to be successful without having to lose yourself in the process. Not everyone in Hollywood is willing to sell their souls for the almighty dollar. A few are still allowing God to lead their steps to serve their purpose on this planet. Which is why Tia Mowry-Hardrict and Tamera Mowry-Housley are my Wisdom Wednesday ladies for the month of December.

Brie <3

[12.10.14]