NEWTOWN SHOOTINGS WEIGHT ON TEMEKA'S MIND AND HEART

Good Morning everyone, I am so happy  to be home. It is always good to be around family and friends. I had the honor of witnessing my little niece Ja'Niya Christmas Play today at Bridge City Head Start. It was so heart warm and gratifying just saying the excitement on those kids face.

It took me some time to speak about the lovely precious kids and teachers of Connecticut, because it truly troubled me. But this morning it manifested even more.

Those sweet faces, innocent faces, our tomorrow OUR FUTURE!!!!!

And it sadden me, further to actually hear and witness that they could not open up their play with a prayer. It never truly hit home to me that God was taking out of our school. That hurt me deeply, and I strongly believe that it should be put back. I won't go too deep into that, because I don't want to take away from how great the play was, and how much fun the kids had that participated in it. It was a great was for them to start their Christmas and New Years break. I was very happy to see the passion in the teachers. The love that thy had towards the kids. Simply touching.

This was a great way to start my morning. Glad I was back in town to be able to see.

God please keep these babies protected and safe!

Meek

BOUNCING BACK WITH A WIN

I come sharing out redemption. On yesterday we redeemed ourselves by winning our game. It was a battle at first and I must tip my hat off to the Bulgarian team. Not only did they drive for THIRTY SIX hours, but they played like they had only flown for 2! The ladies gave us everything that they had and I have a great respect for that.

I have to let you know though that although we won the game, we did not play as well as we are capable. I am not taking anything away from the other team at all. But merely stating that we (Dynamo Kursk) better get it together very soon. It will take a total team effort for us to get anything accomplished this year and we need to start now. We thought that the Vologda game was like a wake up call for us, but our defensive approach to last's nights game was not very good either.

There is some positiveness in this though. We are still racking in W's so there is not much complaint, but I love getting better in the process and that's what this is all about.

Ok until next time.
Meek

SHOCK REUNION

I come to you today to share our first loss. We played Vologda, one of the Russia teams, and as many times as I have talked to you all in the past few season about this team we have been the ones to come out on top. Well, this team that Vologda has this year is definitely different. They are very young, talented, and energetic. Their two Americans (Jasmine Thomas -- WNBA Washington Mystics) and (Glory Johnson -- WNBA Tulsa Shock) and also my teammate played very well tonight. Despite our outcome I was really proud of them and how well they played. The day before our game, Glory and I was joking around with our families about who was really going to win the game, and of course Glory was talking a lot of smack saying that they were. I just laughed and said "ok." I didn't think that they would win of course, and I don't think Glory really thought they would either; she was just saying things to get me mad. Well it didn't work then, but it did when it actually happened LOL. We were undefeated up until this point, but hey, what can you say. Both Johnson's played well tonight, and although my team didn't win, I am still proud if my teammates and back to work we go.

Meek

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING Everyone!

I hope that you all are enjoying some great cooking and lots of fun and laughter with family and friends. As for me I am over in Russia, where Thanksgiving isnt celebrated but with the Americans that are on the team we will make the best of it. We are planning to get together tonight and have a minor thanksgiving meal which is better than nothing at all.

This may not be the Thanksgiving that I had in mind, but I am so blessed and thankful to be where I am at this point in my life, I look at it as God ordain purpose for me to be here. I will enjoy it to the fullest with my American Buddies Epiphany Prince and Michelle Snow.

Please have a great day everyone.

Meek 

MEEK'S MUSIC: IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL

Know that in the Midst of it all God is right there with you.

A TIME FOR CONCERN AND PRAYERS

I come to you all saddened with a heavy heart. This situation that is now occurring over in Israel truly makes me pray a lot harder. For those of you that read the bible I know that it says that these times will come as well as happen. There will be rumors of wars; but even in knowing that, it is still difficult to see, watch, and hear about it. I hope and pray that my fellow colleagues that are over there are safe and that they can stay out of harms way. I pray and ask God for everyone's protection over and although the outcome may not be great for all parties I'm still praying that prayer.

The next thing is the situation with Chamique Holdsclaw and Jennifer Lacy -- Two women of which I have had the opportunity to play on the same team with. When I look at this situation it truly hurts my heart. These are two individuals that are in a need for comfort, support, love, help.  I was really shocked by this story and I will continue to pray for the both of them.

Although we won our game against Botas, this really life threatening happenings are sticking out for me a lot more. I will say that I am proud of my teammates as we all played very well. Everyone contributed and did what we needed to do as a unit. Courtney Paris tried to out her team on her back as she finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds, but it was enough for her group. I was definitely happy to see her though as well as Quianna Chaney (Lady Tiger alum), and Christi Thomas.

Temeka

ONE NATION

I would like to first start off by saying that I am very happy and excited for OUR President and his entire family as well as his team. Many people were worried about if the first time was just a mere accident, but America has spoken. I am so proud of everyone that has gotten out and voted. There are so many things that can be said, from the history and many before that fought for his right, to the importance of why which party is better; but I won't go into that I will keep this very positive and say that no matter what Party won in the end whoever ends up in that chair is the President of he United States Of America. That person will be the President for the entire country and WE as a whole has to Respect that.  It's so difficult being in a leadership position, everyone has an opinion on how things should be ran but not all truly want to accept or embrace all h responsibilities that comes along with it.  As I sit here in the Moscow airport smiling because I am truly happy, I also reflected back to the last election and how important it was for history to be made. It was great, and history has been made again, but its no more saying that it was because of history so to say. It is now because the better man has done what he needed to do to win the hearts of all fellow Americans that he will lead.

Again I am happy for OUR president and I pray that all goes well with and for him; remember everyone he is fighting for US as a whole. America if we can come together on one accord, OUR strength as a whole will not even be able to be measured on a scale. WE are a very strong country but WE sometimes let other things get in he way of the bigger picture. ONE NATION!!!!!!!!

That's what we are suppose to be and that's what we should be!!!!!!

Meek

MEEK LEADS TEAM TO VICTORY OVER RIVAL ORENBURG

Guess what everyone? I am happy to share with you that we (Dynamo Kursk) accomplished a major task last night. We competed against Orenburg. And if many of you can recall, they have been our Achilles heel since I have been playing in Russia. Well on last night we were able to come away with a hard fought victory.

Not only did we win, but we got Michelle Snow back and she had her returning debut against them. We look so good out there. Our team as I have mentions has gotten so much stronger and better across the board, and we played like we really wanted this game.

Now don't get me wrong  -- Orenburg was not going out without a fight. At the end of the 3rd quarter we were both tied at 49. Now this fourth quarter was the determining factor in who wanted it more.
Orenburg has Dewanna Bonner, I was so happy to see DB, and they also have Rene Montgomery. The two of these ladies practically tried to put Orenburg on their backs and carry them to victory. Rene finished the game with 23 points and 3 assist, and DeWanna finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. She was clearly a match up problem for us because of her athletic ability and her ability to stretch the floor. She was hitting from long range which was making our big players have to come out, as well as drive directly to the goal. It definitely took a group effort to try and contain her.

But with that being said, we had a group effort on our end offensively as well. I was and still am extremely proud of Ekaterina Lisina for how well she has been playing and how much she has worked on her game in the off season, and I was extremely happy for the production that Shay Murphy came in and gave us. Again it was a total team effort and I couldn't be any happier.

Our next game up will be against Bulgaria, this is in the Euro-cup game. We will be traveling to them this week. I am looking forward to this. I do not know much about this team yet but I will very soon. I know that our coaches are watching film and will definitely have us prepared for it.  So until then I hope everyone have a great week and check out Eurobasket.com if you want to follow myself and so many others throughout Europe. 

MEEK'S DEVOTIONAL: DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED

DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED by the difficulty of keeping your focus on Me. I know that your heart’s desire is to be aware of My Presence continually. This is a lofty goal; you aim towards it but never fully achieve it in this life. Don’t let feelings of failure weigh you down. Instead, try to see yourself as I see you. First of all, I am delighted by your deep desire to walk closely with Me through your life. I am pleased each time you initiate communication with Me. In addition, I notice the progress you have made since you first resolved to live in My Presence.

When you realize that your mind has wandered away from Me, don’t be alarmed or surprised. You live in a world that has been rigged to distract you. Each time you plow your way through the massive distractions to communicate with Me, you achieve a victory. Rejoice in these tiny triumphs, and they will increasingly light up your days.

  

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died- more than that who was raised to life- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.- Romans 8:33-34

 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son Of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of Grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrew 4:14-16

FINDING LOVE AND COURAGE IN A RUSSIAN FOSTER HOME

Hello all! I am so excited to bring you this news. Two days ago a few of my teammates as well as myself went to visit a foster home home here in Russia.  I was not sure what I was getting myself into other than going visit some kids that were in need, and needed to at least smile.  To my surprise this place was really nice and well equipped.

The manager of the facility was super nice, and her husband was a true Kursk Basketball fan. She shared with us how much she had to listen to him after our games until around 1 o'clock in the morning, and while sharing how excited her husband was he then called LOL. He wanted to make sure that we had made it. Then after hanging up with him she began to inform us about how things work around there. The phone rings again, it was her husband -- LOL, wanting to wish us a good luck. It was so funny and cute.

Anyways this is what is learned about the facility, (keep in mind I was getting everything translated and was trying to keep up) but I know I enjoyed every minute of what I saw and learned while we were there.

Here is a little information that I was about to gather while touring:
The facility houses 149 kids. It has 300 workers, and a psychologist that the kids can speak with when needed.

Of the 100 kids at least 80 find homes which I think is amazing; some are only here temperaily if their home is unstable and once it gets back right then the kids are able to return back to their homes.
They use to allow Americans  to adopt but their was an accident that occurred after one of the adoptions with the family and that kind of slowed that process down to almost not even really occuring anymore.

Most of the handicap kids  are adopted by foreigners mainly for medical purposes but I think that it is amazing to try and get the kids the medical attention that they truly need.

In this facility they also do something that I think is really helpful;they mix the normal kids as well as handicap kids together so they can learn from each other and not feel any different than anyone else around them.

The babies that we saw that were 0-6 months and are usually the ones that are given up for adoption but they were placed in such cute little beds amongst one another.
Something else that they do in the home is try to make it very family oriented. They help the kids to know and understand what having a mother, grandmother, or sister is like. So the younger workers that work there are called their sisters, the middle age workers are the mothers, and the older workers are called the grandmothers. 

Most of the workers that were there were not real professionals but they were women that were truly great with kids. I will be returning there to see them all again as well as bring some of my children books to them, they were very excited about that. It was a great experience for me and I am so happy that we went.

Here is a video news report:


You can also see more pics on my Facebook page: http://goo.gl/qujYK

MEEK'S DEVOTIONAL: RELAX

Linger In My Presence A While. Rein in your impulses to plunge into the day's activities. Beginning your day alone with Me is essential preparation for Success. A great athlete takes time to prepare himself mentally for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My presence equips you for the day ahead of you.  Only I know what will happen to you this day. I have arranged the events you will encounter as you go along your way. If you are not adequately equipped for the journey, you will grow weary and lose heart. Relax with Me while I ready you for Action.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.- Ephesians 2:10

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.- Hebrews 12:3

From"Jesus Calling"

Enjoying Peace in His Presence

By Sarah Young 

MEEK'S DEVOTIONAL: STAY FOCUSED

DO NOT EXPECT to be treated fairly in this life. People will say and do hurtful things to you, things that you don't deserve. When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you. Don't be concerned about setting the record straight. Instead of obsessing about other peoples opinions of you, keep your focus on Me. Ultimately, it is MY view of you that counts.

As you concentrate on relating to Me, remember that I have clothed you in My righteousness and holiness. I see you attired in these radiant garments, which I bought to you with My blood. This also is not fair; it is pure gift. When others treat you unfairly, remember that My ways with you are much better than fair. My ways are Peace and Love, which I have poured out into your heart by My Spirit.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:13

I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,as a bridgegroom adorns hisself like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels - Isaiah 61:10

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding- Ephesians 1:7-8

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into out hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.- Romans 5:5

From "Jesus Calling"

Enjoying Peace in His Presence

By Sarah Young 

MEEK'S MUSIC: GOD IN ME

From time to time, I'm going to share some of my music with you.  Today it is "God In Me" by Mary Mary.  If people only knew some of the things that comes along with the success that they think you have just from looking on the outside.

MEEK'S DEVOTIONAL: THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Thought I would share my Daily Devotion that I read today:

It says --  Come To Me when you are hurting, and I will soothe your pain. Come To Me when you are joyful, and I will share your joy, multiplying it many times over. I am All you need, just when you need it. Your deepest desires find fulfillment in Me alone.  This is the age of self-help. Bookstores abound with books about "taking care of number one," making oneself the center of all things. The main goal of these methodologies is to become self- sufficient and confident. You, however have been called to take a "road less traveled": Continual dependence on me. True confidence comes from knowing you are complete in My presence. Everything you need has its counterpart in Me.


"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:4

OFF AND RUNNING IN RUSSIA!

Hello there!

Wow it is so great to stop and exhale! We have been going non-stop, but it has definitely been a great thing. We jump started the season off with meeting with the Mayor. He took time out of his busy schedule to congratulate last year team on our success, as well as welcome the new player to this years team and wish us all the best. It was truly a pleasure and an honor to be there with him.

From here the game began. We started out the season 2-0 in the Russian league. We played our first game against Spartak Noginsk. They are a very talent but different looking team this year. They put up a great fight against us, but we were able to prevail in the end and come out on top with a victory.

The following game in Russian league was against Dynamo Moscow, who had fellow American player Laura Harper on there team. We were so ready for this game, we came out of the blocks against these ladies. I was really proud of our team and how we responded to this challenge, because we know that this is a team that we will see later on and they will be much better. With that said this game put us at 2-0 in the Russian League and after the progressing season that I have just come off of; it is great to be right here right now. ( ahhhh the little things in life).

On yesterday, we had our first Euro-cup Game. This was the first of our new journey to try and repeat the championship; which we know will not be easy. And Botus the Turkih Team that we competed against was proof of it. Although we started out playing well, that team that had Former LSU Lady Tiger Quianna Chaney, Courtney Paris, and Christi Thomas on their team would not just go away easily. It was definitely a hard fought game by both teams. But I was definitely please to see how well my teammates and I are gelling together and we are still missing two big pieces to our puzzle in Ephipany Prince and Michelle Snow who will both be joining us very soon. Its scary to even think of how good of a team we can really be.

Again I am happy to be where I am right now, and the best thing about this is not only that I get to continue to play basketball; but I get to continue to grow and mature as a player, person, and a leader!!!!!

I will be in touch with you all very soon. There are more games ahead, more road trips, and best of all more fun!

BACK IN RUSSIA

Hello everyone, I am back off of hiatus. I have to tell you that my time resting was so good for me. Thanks for understanding.

I am currently back in Russia and yes it is time to get back to work. This is my second day her and I will say that through the jet lag and tiredness I am enjoying my teammates. Ill wait until the other Americans get her to speak to you about them. They will be arriving first thing next week. right now we are enjoying my teammate Bimba's birthday. We are at the bowling alley, and lets just say that basketball is definitely the sport that I was blessed with talent for. LOL. I'm not horribly bad but I won't say that I am amazing either.

It's all in good fun and I am having a blast. We'll be back in touch with you all very soon.

Meek

MEEK TALLIES CAREER HIGH 26 POINTS IN WIN OVER NEW YORK

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Temeka Johnson put on a show in what could possibly be her last home game with the Tulsa Shock.

Johnson scored 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field to lead the Shock to a 78-66 victory over the New York Liberty on Thursday night, for their third straight win and the franchise's longest in three seasons in Tulsa.

With just two road games remaining and Johnson a free agent after the season, nothing seems certain for 2013. Asked if she wanted to return, Johnson said, ``Of course.''

After thinking about it, she added: ``I won't rule it out. It's been a very difficult season, something I've never experienced. We've lived the highs and lows but you always want to make a difference in terms of turning things around. There's an upside (to this organization) and I may just be around to see it.''
Ivory Latta had 13 points and Amber Holt added 10 as the Shock (9-23) matched their victory total from the first two years since moving from Detroit before the 2010 season - a combined 9-59.

``Tonight was really a collective effort,'' Johnson said. ``Everyone came out with a lot of energy. We wanted to do this for the fans. When you are on the outside all you see is the record. You don't feel the energy of the fans. When I talked to coach (Gary Kloppenburg) during the offseason he made me want to come Tulsa. You don't want to be anywhere where you aren't wanted and the Shock wanted me. That was a plus.''

``Riquna hit a couple of big 3s for us,'' Kloppenburg said. ``We have gotten really great guard play particularly in the second half of the season. We really got our running game going. ... Temeka played outstanding tonight, so did Amber and Ivory. Temeka is probably the reason we've been winning of late.''

The Shock finish the season on the road, with the game at New York followed by the finale at Indiana on Sunday.

Kloppenburg acknowledged the team has a few free agents but added it was a priority to re-sign Johnson.

``For sure, we'd love to get Temeka back,'' Kloppenburg said. ``No question about that. We want to keep this team intact and add those two bigs (Tiffany Jones and Liz Cambage) back into the scheme. Ideally, that's what we want to do.''

MEEK STILL FEELING THE LOVE IN PHOENIX

Hey everyone -- Happy Monday to you all.

I hope this is the start of a great week for you. I want to share with you how much of a great weekend I have had. We started out with a great team win against Phoenix, then after the game the Mercury love was still there for me as they came out to support me at my "Temeka's Choice" book signing. I want to thank the Phoenix Mercury, Alex Chambers, Hard Rock Cafe, and all that came out for making that a great experience and a fun day. From there we went on to San Antonio where we were able to come away with another win. Our record doesn't show it but we are really playing some good basketball.


Ok that's all for now talk to you all soon!

Meek

ASKING FOR PRAYERS

Hey there everyone!

For those of you that do not know about the young man Devon Walker of the Tulane University football team, he was injured in a head collision with one his own teammates in a game with Tulsa a this past Saturday. The game was actually played here in Tulsa. This young man was hurt pretty badly and he is a New Orleans native. Being that I am from the Crescent City as well. I took the liberty to go and pay him a visit.

I was happy to see that he was alert and knew what was going on around him. I had a chance to speak with his mom and told her that I was just trying to share my condolences and wanted to drop by a small bear and a get-well balloon. His mom was appreciative and just asked for continued prayers. I assured her that I would do just that.

Some of you might be wondering why I would do such a thing for someone I don't know? Well here's why: I would appreciate something like that if it was me, He is a athlete and we share that in common, and that just the type of person that I am. And he is also a New Orleanian and I am from the same area.

I ask that you all join me in lifting up this young man for a speedy and full recovery.

Meek

MEEK AND HER 1,000 CAREER ASSIST!

Hello there everyone!

I truly hope that all is well. I know that it has been some time but I am back. I have been focusing on our team and trying to get better. I hope you all don't mind.

I want to share with you how much better we have gotten as a team. We have won a couple of much needed games and have been feeling much better as a unit.

On last night we came away with a good win against the Atlanta Dream. They are a very talented team that is fully of athleticism as well as speed. Through it all we were able to come away with our first road Win.  We also found out that our Australian teammate will not be returning this season, and it was causing a lot of up roar for people. I will just say this, I think Liz did what she thought was best for her. I can not make or pass judgement on a situation that I don't know all the details to. I don't want to do what everyone else is doing and just assume anything. I have not spoken to Liz so I don't know the true reason. As of right now we are doing what we can with what we have and I think that we are all still growing and learning in this process.

On a good note I was able to obtain my 1000 assist in my WNBA Career in this game, and I want to thank every teammate that I have had during this process to make this possible. This is not just for me it is for you all as well.

Meek

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GLORY

Hey world in yesterday our Rookie Glory Johnson celebrated her birthday. Yep she is a whopping 22 lol, and she says she's getting old! I just laughed and looked at her.  Her is a picture of her being blind fold as a few of our friends take her out on the town. I think she had a pretty good time, and we were happy that we could help her bring in her birthday.

Happy Birthday lil homie!

Meek

EXTENDED FAMILY

Here is my new mom Mrs. Johnson.

Mrs. Mercy is Glory Johnson's mom -- but I promise she has treated me like I was one of her own since we met. She is so caring, loving, God fearing, supportive, fun, etc. I really don't think I could come up with enough words to describe this lovely lady. I just wanted to take this time to say thank you from myself and my mom for adding me as an addition to the already Johnson Family!

Thanks Mrs. Mercy!

Meek 

VISITING WITH A PIONEER

Here is a proud moment. While in Knoxville with my teammate Glory Johnson over the break. I had the opportunity to go and visit Coach Summitt. I joked with Glory about never ever wanting to be in Tennessee, due to the SEC competitiveness that we all have, but that went out the window for this moment. It was and honor to chat with one of the coaches that has done so much for our game as has dedicated herself, her life to make it better as well as setting a high mark for others to follow. It was a great time, and I really did enjoy Knoxville and the Johnson family. It was not the SEC battles that's always talked about when we meet up, it was fun times with new friends. I'll take that always.

Meek

AN APOLOGY

I come to you today embarrassed as I let my emotions get the best of me. Today while facing Minnesota I was ejected from the game, something that is so uncharacteristic of me. I am not only embarrassed but upset with myself because as the leader that's not suppose to happen. Leaders don't allow others to rattle them to the point of leaving their team out to battle alone. This is definitely a growing season and another lesson learned for me. As we head to the Olympic break I have a lot of time to reflect on the first half of this season and I will do just that. In the mean time I will take some much need rest but will be routing the USA Team on all the way. I want to wish all of them good luck and I believe they will bring back home the gold.

Temeka

A STATISTICAL PICTURE OF OUR IMPROVEMENT

I'm certainly not accustomed to losing on the basketball court so at times this season it has been very frustrating because we have been close a number of times.  Last week I had a long discussion about this with my college coach at LSU, Bob Starkey.  Coach Starkey also serves on my HOPE Foundation board and has been a big supporter of me and my mission.

He obviously follows our team closely and he made a very profound statement to me.  He said that I should be more "process-oriented" as opposed to "result-oriented." He reminded me that I was coming into an organization that had won only 3 games last season and it was unfair to expect a massive turn around in one season.  Coach Starkey said that the improvement on our team had been impressive and that I and my teammates would miss out on that fact if we just looked at the win-loss record.

I started to give it some thought and realize that it is really true.  Then Coach Starkey emailed me some statistics that prove that very point.

Last year we averaged losing games by 13 points.
This year we average losing games by only 6 points.

This year, we have lost four games by 3 points or less.
Last year, we had no losses by 3 points or less.

Our worse loss this year is one by 20 points and another by 18.
Last year we had losses by 39, 31, 30, 28 and five more by 20 or more.

We are getting better...it is evident if you look close enough.  Now make no mistake about it, we want to win -- and we are going to win here in Tulsa!  But it's about baby steps and making progress. We are competing!!!

As I was told -- it's about the process!

Meek

MECHELLE VOEPEL REPORTS ON THE SHOCK

Recently I did an article with Mechelle Voepel of ESPN.com.  Mechelle is one of my favorite writers because she is so passionate about sports -- especially women's basketball.  Not all journalist are knowledgeable on the subject they are reporting on -- that's no the case with Mechelle!

Here are some excerpts from her article:

Temeka Johnson always heard she was too little, and just never paid any attention. Courtney Paris heard she was too big, and tried to ignore it. Now, here they both are with the Tulsa Shock, the team that wants so much to fit in.

In its third WNBA season in Oklahoma, the Shock's record so far isn't much different than the first two seasons, when they won a combined nine games. Tulsa is 2-12, pretty much the categorical opposite of Western Conference-leading Minnesota, at 13-2.

But is there light at the end of the tunnel? Or is it just a mirage? The Shock has lost four games by three points or fewer. You don't need to be completely delusional to picture Tulsa as 6-8, in which case it would be hanging with Seattle and San Antonio in playoff contention.

At least, I don't think you have to be delusional. There seems to be hope in Tulsa … or at least not abject despair.

Johnson wasn't expecting to be here, having spent the past three seasons starting in Phoenix, where she was part of a WNBA championship team in 2009. But she was traded for Andrea Riley on Jan. 12. The move basically was the Mercury's way of saying, "We just don't want you anymore."

Johnson said she hasn't dwelled on that. Instead, she has focused on the fact that Tulsa did want her.

"Once I heard about the trade, I was in Russia, and I accepted it," Johnson said of getting the news when she was playing overseas. "I'm not sure I really understood what I was getting myself into, but I just believed I was here for a reason.

"When I talked to Coach Klop, it was about leadership. This allows me to grow as a person. I like getting better as an individual."

That's certainly an optimistic way of looking at it. And Johnson says she has been encouraged by the fact that Tulsa supporters have welcomed her.

"The fans are loyal, and they're holding on," Johnson said. "They have told us they're going to stick with us, and believe we're going to turn things around. Everybody is looking for that ray of hope. OKC found it, and Tulsa is looking for it."

You can read the entire article here: http://es.pn/P8IiX2

4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS

Hey everyone! I really hope you all had a safe and happy 4th of July. It was great for me. My teammates and I popped fireworks last night and really enjoyed ourselves. I won't embarrass any of them by dropping the names of the ones that were afraid LOL, I'll just keep that one to myself for now; but know that we definitely had a lot of laughs while out there.

Meek

BOWLING WITH THE SHOCK

Hey everyone! I want to share with you just how much fun we had on yesterday at our team bowling event. It was with our season ticket holders. It was soooooo much fun and yes my team did win and we had such a good bunch.

This man right here Brian, is going to give me some bowling lessons. I am looking forward to it. I wasn't too bad but Brian, now he was on a different level.

Meek

AUDIO FEED FOR TEMEKA'S CHOICE

Today was such an eventful day. After practice today, Glory Johnson and myself  played a little horse with Alex Chambers from Full Court who is in town for a few days.

After that he and I did some audio feed for my book Temeka's Choice. I was a little nervous at first but after I got into it I think it went fairly smooth. Both Alex and I had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun... I promise you I do not want to look at that blooper tape LOL.

I have so much respect for the actors/actresses that does the voice overs for the movies, you really have to get into the character, so it definitely made me have to step outside of myself. I know you are thinking that it is your book so how can it but believe me when I say it did.

I am super excited about all that is going on with the book and I believe that you all will be as well.

Stay tune for more information coming shortly.Meek

GREAT TEAM WIN!

Wow wow wow!

I couldnt be more proud of our team for the effort that was put forth in last nights victory against the LA Sparks. Riquina Williams on of our rookies really stepped up well, and utilized her minutes tithe best of her ability. She led us with 27 points but it was our team defense that turned things for us and helped us to not look back once we got ahead. It was great for our team as well as our fans. For the first time tonight we took the lead and kept it and it ended up being a pretty decent lead at that.

After the game was over we had a locker room full of the sponsors, owners, as well as the League President Laurel Richie who is in town for business as well as our game. It was such a great atmosphere in there, but I think owner Bill Cameron took the cake when he became a little emotional about the potential that he sees in this team. He is so proud of the way things have turned around from last year and he assured us that he is behind us and Tulsa will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

With passion like that from your owner what can you say?

And of course the shock fans they are there every night watch at the edge of their seats, butting their nails, etc LOL, but this victory was not a close one at all. WE REALLY PLAYED well. Again, I am so proud of each and every one of my teammates for the effort tonight. It was great!

Meek

IT'S ABOUT THE JOURNEY

It has been a long journey, but I was told that I should pay attention to the progress more than the wins and loss column. I couldnt agree more. I will say that our team is growing and moving in the right direction. We have had some minor set backs with our players, but I am proud of the way that others have stepped up. We came up short against the talented Indiana Fever last night, it was a 3 point deficit but we fought hard to get back after getting down to them by a little more than 10.

We have today off so I will get in the weight room, and I have some of my family here, so I will take my little cousin to get him a work out in, then I will relax and enjoy the day. Its always great to have family around, and I will enjoy them for as long as they are here

We have LA coming in here on the 26th -- so we will continue to work hard to improve.  Our win-loss record doesn't show it but this team is improving.  If we continue to work hard and stick together, the wins will follow!

Meek

THE TASTE OF VICTORY!

Hey Hey everyone!

I want to let you know that it feels great to wake up after a hard fought win. We have broken a 9 game losing streak -- yes that's right 9 -- and I am very proud of each and everyone of my teammates. We have struggled closing out game but last night all of that changed. I believe that this will be a great turning point for us as we head to LA for a game on wednesday and then back home for Indiana this Saturday.

As I rest up today, I look forward to getting back to work tomorrow and preparing for our task at hand. LA is a very talented team and we lost to them at the buzzer last time we played them at their place. I believe our team has grown since then and I'm anxious to see how we come out against them. Enjoy your day everyone!

Meek

UPDATING MY COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS

Here is some information on two important Groups that I was able to help bring some awareness to. So glad That I was able to be a part of it as well.

DVIS

Domestic Violence Intervention Services, Inc. (DVIS)/Call Rape, a Tulsa Area United Way agency, is the only nonprofit agency in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the surrounding communities to provide comprehensive intervention and prevention services to men, women and children affected by domestic and sexual violence. The DVIS/Call Rape mission is to rebuild lives affected by domestic violence and sexual assault through advocacy, shelter, counseling, and education.

Link: http://www.dvis.org/dvis/default.asp

Family Safety Center

They do a lot. Check out their homepage:

Links: http://www.familyjusticecenter.org/Details/Ann-Patterson-Dooley-Family-Safety-Center.html

Brave Women Project

Brave Woman is a grassroots movement designed to shift personal and public perception of women in domestic violence situations from a victim mentality to one of courage and strength required to take action moment-by-moment to change their lives. The outcome is enhanced community awareness and an increase in women seeking healing services to move into a life of healthy independence.

Brave Woman seeks to support and encourage the critical decision maker in an environment of domestic violence….the woman experiencing the abuse. Low self perception and self-esteem are often the consequences of a life of abuse and is, unfortunately, often reinforced by community perceptions. Without shifting our perceptions and that of the individual, we cannot hope to lessen the impact and end domestic violence.  Domestic violence affects one out of every four women in their lifetime. These astounding statistics do not account for the residual effect on children and families. For example, every year, 3.3 million children are exposed to violence against their mothers or female caretakers by family members. 50% of men who assault their wives also abuse their children. Brave women have a lot of considerations to sift through before, during and after making the decision to leave.

Brave Woman is not a cause, but a culture shift partnering with service providers around the country.  Much like breast cancer, which wasn’t spoken of for many years, awareness leads to healing and a higher level of support during the process of recovery. We intend to do the same with domestic violence.

Our ultimate goal is to build a community of awareness and action among women experiencing family violence, community champions, law enforcement, legal system, civic/social and church groups, family members and others.

SNEAK PEAK AT MEEK'S NEW BOOK!

Hello everyone!

I come to you differently today. I would like to know what you all think about my new book cover that is coming out soon. I would love to have your opinions of it. (Feel free to leave a comment in the box below). I have worked very hard on this, along with a very good team and I am very excited about it.  I could not wait to be able to share it with you all. It will be coming to you all very soon.

Meek

PREPARING FOR THE MERCURY

I am not sure how to even begin, I just know that I expected so much more out of us! We are playing very hard for 32-38 min, and that is not enough for us yet, we need to play that way for the complete 40. I will say that I love working with our team, and appreciate each and every members effort to keep getting better. As a competitor, of course I would like to have some W's but looking beyond what is seen, I see the potential as well as the growth that has taking place within us so far.  We have fought very hard on this 10 day road trip and will continue to do so. It doesn't get any easier as we go ahead, so our goal is to continue to improve and get better.

We will face the Mercury tomorrow at 3 pm Pacific time. It will be another fun and uptempo game and one that we will work really hard to get. Wish us luck!

Meek

WE ARE RIGHT THERE

I am still upset about last night's loss. Yes, it was a good shot at the end, by the opposing team; but come on. We worked so hard to let that one just slip away. This has been the breaking points for us as well as the difference in us having 1, 2, or maybe even 3 wins in the W column. Through all of this, I still see the positiveness though. We are right there. RIGHT THERE!!!! We just have to figure it out and soon.  We have Seattle coming up and then Phoenix to finish off this ten day road trip. That's right -- it will not be easy, but we never thought that it would be.

We have to let this one go and move on to the next one. Tough, Tough, Tough one! but what else can you say?

Meek

ANOTHER TOUGH LOSS

I know everyone wants to know my thoughts about last night's game against Phoenix. Well let me just say that it was great to see my old teammates, but it was definitely a heart breaker. It was not a rival or revenge game for me -- it was what it was Tulsa vs. Phoenix. I think that we did a lot of great things, but we have to do better coming out after halftime. We have started a little slow in the 3rd quarter the last 2 games and that has to change. I think that we played hard and showed that we are taking this team in the right direction. We are still looking to get our first W, and I am sure that will happen very soon -- in the mean time we will continue to get better and keep on working!
Meek 

DISAPPOINTED WITH OUTCOME, MEEK STILL LIKES WHAT SHE SAW IN YOUNG SHOCK

We are under way now as we started our season and had our first game last night against the SilverStars.  I was pretty excited about our efforts but don't like that we didn't come away with the win. We played 38 minutes of some good basketball and came up short in the last 2 minutes. We definitely started off going in the right direction. We have some work to do to continue to get better, as we have Phoenix coming in on Tuesday at 7, but I am confident in our team and coaching staff and know that we will continue to progress.

Meek