Hi, everybody! How's things?
Well, I got a semi-positive e-mail from one company I sent my resume to. They sent me an e-mail that said that they still have my resume and that they're comparing my skills and qualifications to job openings they have/will have soon.
So, not a rejection (not yet).
: ) Happy thoughts, happy thoughts....
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Better late than never...
To all the Muslimahs (and brothers?) who follow my blog, I wish you a (maybe late, but not sure since I can't remember if I've already said it) Ramadan Mubarak!
Well, I got my first "Thanks, but no thanks" rejection letter yesterday from The Container Store, and I got one from Target today. *sigh* Everyone says that the military is such a great starting point, but... I can't seem to get a job! The defense contractors only seem to be interested in intel analysts and linguists with Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Dari, etc). Since we (in the active Army, anyway) didn't get to choose our languages ourselves, but get what we call "voluntold" (a staple of military life), and that's just not fair. Yes, I know, life's not fair, but right this moment I'm feeling pretty childish. It's an LNF time in my life.
*soooooo frustrated*
On a happier note, HijabGirl has a bunch of pretty new hijabs, just in time for Eid. Some new prayer outfits, too. I'm going to browse the site... Online shopping makes me happy. And it makes my bank account happy when I don't buy. : P
Well, I got my first "Thanks, but no thanks" rejection letter yesterday from The Container Store, and I got one from Target today. *sigh* Everyone says that the military is such a great starting point, but... I can't seem to get a job! The defense contractors only seem to be interested in intel analysts and linguists with Middle Eastern languages (Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, Dari, etc). Since we (in the active Army, anyway) didn't get to choose our languages ourselves, but get what we call "voluntold" (a staple of military life), and that's just not fair. Yes, I know, life's not fair, but right this moment I'm feeling pretty childish. It's an LNF time in my life.
*soooooo frustrated*
On a happier note, HijabGirl has a bunch of pretty new hijabs, just in time for Eid. Some new prayer outfits, too. I'm going to browse the site... Online shopping makes me happy. And it makes my bank account happy when I don't buy. : P
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Cute new goodies!
I got new goodies! I went to Ross and got 5 pairs of jeans and a cute long black/white patterned tunic, and also found Hello Kitty bubble bath and a pink fleece Hello Kitty jacket. I got a cute Hello Kitty bracelet at an accessories store, too. And I got 4 pairs of shoes (yay, BOGO!) at Payless.
And I got all those half niqab that I ordered! Some are longer, but they're all great. I found that if I loop the back of the elastic around my bun, high on the back of my head, it holds very well.
*so excited* I'm going back to The Sunnah The Better (the Islamic store here) tomorrow to check out their new merchandise.
And I got all those half niqab that I ordered! Some are longer, but they're all great. I found that if I loop the back of the elastic around my bun, high on the back of my head, it holds very well.
*so excited* I'm going back to The Sunnah The Better (the Islamic store here) tomorrow to check out their new merchandise.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Pretty abayas!
While Googling "pink abaya", I found this website: www.renukasilks.com.
They have a particularly lovely abaya (two-layers, with buttons at the top of the outer layer) on page 3 of the "abaya/jilbab" section for $45. You can get that style in two-tone pink, two-tone gray, yellow and purple, blue and purple...etc. So many options! And for about 15 bucks more you can get the matching hijab and niqab.
*Bliss*
They have a particularly lovely abaya (two-layers, with buttons at the top of the outer layer) on page 3 of the "abaya/jilbab" section for $45. You can get that style in two-tone pink, two-tone gray, yellow and purple, blue and purple...etc. So many options! And for about 15 bucks more you can get the matching hijab and niqab.
*Bliss*
Friday, August 21, 2009
Islam 101 continued...
Hi, gals. I read your comments and I am very appreciative of them.
Yes, I am taking my time and being very deliberate in my studying. I'm going to write down the questions I come up with and pose the Islamic ones to the sisters at the masjid, and the Christianity-related ones to a local church.
The one thing that I have found odd is that I keep hearing "the Bible has been altered/corrupted/changed". My question is this: if the Bible has been corrupted, why did God instruct Mohammed/the people to ask the people who had read the Scripture before (meaning the Bible) if they misunderstood something in the Qu'ran?
Surat Yunus 10:94 --
YUSUFALI: If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt.
PICKTHAL: And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers.
SHAKIR: But if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to you, ask those who read the Book before you; certainly the truth has come to you from your Lord, therefore you should not be of the disputers.
These are three different translations of the Qu'ran. I doubt that God would instruct people to follow the truth of a "corrupted" Bible.
Second: All the different "versions" of the Bible aren't versions. Like the Qu'ran, they're different translations. Unless I totally miss my guess, we still have the original books of the Bible, so the translations are likely being done from the original, not from translations of translations of translations of the original. I don't know how the Catholic Bible or the Book of Mormon or any of that fit into this subject (or if these are the "versions" that the sisters have referred to), since I've never read them.
Third: Why would Mohammed edit the Qu'ran, if it were whole and true? From what I've read, Mohammed revised/edited the Qu'ran every year, not just adding things, but taking things out. This leads to my next question.
Fourth: Why would God supposedly give a commandment (for lack of a better word), but then take it back a little later? I'm forgetting the examples I read of this, but I'll make a note in the future if I find it again.
Fifth: Muslims claim that the Bible says nothing about Jesus being the Son of God, and that Jesus Himself never claimed it. If not, then what about the baptism of Jesus, where a dove flew from the heavens and God said "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."?
I know I've left out some things, but I'll continue with this when I remember. This is what I get for not writing things down. : )
I am trying very hard to be objective in my study, but most of my questions are Islam-related, since I have been a part of Christianity my whole life and have more knowledge and background on it.
Yes, I am taking my time and being very deliberate in my studying. I'm going to write down the questions I come up with and pose the Islamic ones to the sisters at the masjid, and the Christianity-related ones to a local church.
The one thing that I have found odd is that I keep hearing "the Bible has been altered/corrupted/changed". My question is this: if the Bible has been corrupted, why did God instruct Mohammed/the people to ask the people who had read the Scripture before (meaning the Bible) if they misunderstood something in the Qu'ran?
Surat Yunus 10:94 --
YUSUFALI: If thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt.
PICKTHAL: And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers.
SHAKIR: But if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to you, ask those who read the Book before you; certainly the truth has come to you from your Lord, therefore you should not be of the disputers.
These are three different translations of the Qu'ran. I doubt that God would instruct people to follow the truth of a "corrupted" Bible.
Second: All the different "versions" of the Bible aren't versions. Like the Qu'ran, they're different translations. Unless I totally miss my guess, we still have the original books of the Bible, so the translations are likely being done from the original, not from translations of translations of translations of the original. I don't know how the Catholic Bible or the Book of Mormon or any of that fit into this subject (or if these are the "versions" that the sisters have referred to), since I've never read them.
Third: Why would Mohammed edit the Qu'ran, if it were whole and true? From what I've read, Mohammed revised/edited the Qu'ran every year, not just adding things, but taking things out. This leads to my next question.
Fourth: Why would God supposedly give a commandment (for lack of a better word), but then take it back a little later? I'm forgetting the examples I read of this, but I'll make a note in the future if I find it again.
Fifth: Muslims claim that the Bible says nothing about Jesus being the Son of God, and that Jesus Himself never claimed it. If not, then what about the baptism of Jesus, where a dove flew from the heavens and God said "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."?
I know I've left out some things, but I'll continue with this when I remember. This is what I get for not writing things down. : )
I am trying very hard to be objective in my study, but most of my questions are Islam-related, since I have been a part of Christianity my whole life and have more knowledge and background on it.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Islam 101
Yup, I actually went, even though I was pretty nervous. I was wearing niqab.
I didn't know where to go at first, so I just went in through the women's entrance. I went into the prayer room and there were two women there. One was probably around 50 and had been Muslim for a month (she'd converted from Catholicism). The other was probably a little younger than me, and she'd been Muslim for four months, but had studied for the eight months prior to her conversion. We chatted for a while, and another lady (another new convert) came in with her 17 month-old daughter. I talked to her for a bit, and then we all went to the class, in what was actually the cafeteria, in a separate building. There were two men there (one the teacher), and the rest (about 10-12) were women.
The man who was teaching the class seemed to know a lot. One thing he said got me to thinking. He said "People are made to want to worship one God, not 2 or 3 or a thousand." He also mentioned that all of the prophets had come with the message that God was the only God, and only He was to be worshiped. Like it says in the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt have no other God before (besides) Me.
After he said that, the wheels in my head started turning. He'd made a very valid point, regardless of whether or not I agreed with the rest of what he said (and I didn't disagree, really).
It left me with a lot to think about.
I also found out that there is a Muslim clothing store here -- it just opened a couple of weeks ago, and it's not too far from my house. It's called The Sunnah The Better. I talked to the lady who owns it for a long time -- she was very nice and gave me a CD with a sermon called "Why You Should Be Muslim". The sheikh/imam who gave it was a convert. I've listened to it, and it's very good. He brings up a lot of interesting points, including one about people who stay with the religion they grew up with because it was what their parents taught them. He said that his own mother was Christian and believed in the trinity because that was what her parents had taught.
So, even more to think about.
If I were to convert, the hardest part would be having to change my belief in Jesus. It would be like turning my back on everything I'd ever been taught or believed about Christianity. How could I reconcile that? I guess my biggest fear about all this is converting to Islam, and finding out after I die that I was wrong and Christianity was the right religion, or not converting and finding out that Islam was the right religion. I wish there were a way to know for SURE which is the right path to take.
Which of you ladies has converted from Christianity to Islam? What convinced you to do so?
It feels like a huge dilemma right now. I guess I'll keep studying and see if God nudges me one way or another.
The good thing about there being no classes during Ramadan (because they have to use the cafeteria for the after-dusk meal) is that I'll have plenty of time to read through the Qu'ran and write down any questions that I have.
I bought a new Qu'ran today -- the one I had had such small print, it was hard to read. The new one is better.
Lita (the girl around my age) invited me for Jummah prayers tomorrow. I'm planning on going.
Even right now I want to go back and sit in the prayer room and think and pray about what to do. It's like I'm being drawn back. Could that be an indication in and of itself?
I didn't know where to go at first, so I just went in through the women's entrance. I went into the prayer room and there were two women there. One was probably around 50 and had been Muslim for a month (she'd converted from Catholicism). The other was probably a little younger than me, and she'd been Muslim for four months, but had studied for the eight months prior to her conversion. We chatted for a while, and another lady (another new convert) came in with her 17 month-old daughter. I talked to her for a bit, and then we all went to the class, in what was actually the cafeteria, in a separate building. There were two men there (one the teacher), and the rest (about 10-12) were women.
The man who was teaching the class seemed to know a lot. One thing he said got me to thinking. He said "People are made to want to worship one God, not 2 or 3 or a thousand." He also mentioned that all of the prophets had come with the message that God was the only God, and only He was to be worshiped. Like it says in the Ten Commandments: Thou shalt have no other God before (besides) Me.
After he said that, the wheels in my head started turning. He'd made a very valid point, regardless of whether or not I agreed with the rest of what he said (and I didn't disagree, really).
It left me with a lot to think about.
I also found out that there is a Muslim clothing store here -- it just opened a couple of weeks ago, and it's not too far from my house. It's called The Sunnah The Better. I talked to the lady who owns it for a long time -- she was very nice and gave me a CD with a sermon called "Why You Should Be Muslim". The sheikh/imam who gave it was a convert. I've listened to it, and it's very good. He brings up a lot of interesting points, including one about people who stay with the religion they grew up with because it was what their parents taught them. He said that his own mother was Christian and believed in the trinity because that was what her parents had taught.
So, even more to think about.
If I were to convert, the hardest part would be having to change my belief in Jesus. It would be like turning my back on everything I'd ever been taught or believed about Christianity. How could I reconcile that? I guess my biggest fear about all this is converting to Islam, and finding out after I die that I was wrong and Christianity was the right religion, or not converting and finding out that Islam was the right religion. I wish there were a way to know for SURE which is the right path to take.
Which of you ladies has converted from Christianity to Islam? What convinced you to do so?
It feels like a huge dilemma right now. I guess I'll keep studying and see if God nudges me one way or another.
The good thing about there being no classes during Ramadan (because they have to use the cafeteria for the after-dusk meal) is that I'll have plenty of time to read through the Qu'ran and write down any questions that I have.
I bought a new Qu'ran today -- the one I had had such small print, it was hard to read. The new one is better.
Lita (the girl around my age) invited me for Jummah prayers tomorrow. I'm planning on going.
Even right now I want to go back and sit in the prayer room and think and pray about what to do. It's like I'm being drawn back. Could that be an indication in and of itself?
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Going to Islam class tonight...maybe...kinda....
There's an Islam 101 class being held in a couple of hours at the Islamic Center here. I'm thinking about going.... Actually, I've been trying to get up the guts to go for a while! So chicken, I am. : P
Why do silly things like this make me so nervous?
Cute niqab photo above to bolster my courage. LOL
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