I had the same dentist for the majority of my life. He finally retired two or three years ago and sold his practice to a younger man. And while I understood that he was ready to move on to his next phase in life, his retirement threw me for a loop. I can remember my first time in his office like it was yesterday. I must have been in the second grade. My tooth had been giving me the blues. I was in all kinds of pain. My mom had to work, so I went to school until it was time for my dental appointment. I was miserable. My teacher…

Spring has sprung, and so have the weeds in my yard. Actually, the weeds sprung up at the very beginning of the month. I stared at them growing in my backyard as I rinsed off my plates and cutlery at the kitchen sink. I glanced at them sprouting in the front yard as I hurried to my car to go run errands. They brushed my ankles on my return home after a long day. Yup! Spring has sprung and brought with it rain, slightly warmer weather, and those weeds. The weeds were not as much of an issue when I was getting my yard professionally treated. I know…I know…I know.…

I work from home. I sit at the computer all day and do my work. While that would drive some folks to drink, it fills my cup. With the exception of occasional phone calls and team meetings, my day is quiet. And I like it way. I can listen to audiobooks and have a TV show on in the background. I can listen to music. Or just enjoy the silence. I set the atmosphere and happily type away. And while I have minimal contact with others during the workday, there are opportunities to engage with my coworkers. Several different chat rooms exist so that we can ask questions if we…

The urge to write hits me at the oddest times and in the strangest moments. A thought will bubble up in my head, and I will want to capture it. Frequently, it is a “stream of consciousness type of experience.” I do not have to scramble for words. They are just there. And they want to be put on a page. They want to spill out onto an empty page and just chill for a while. Sometimes, my fingers cannot keep up with this steady stream of ideas. I misspell or bunch words together but I keep typing. Until the stream dries up. Until all the words have been released.…

Let me set the scene for you. Bible Study Mama and I journeyed to Tacoma, Washington last April to visit Bible Study Brother and Canae. We had not seen them in person in seven months. Our face to face reunion was long overdue. I spent quite a bit of time compiling a list activities, and restaurants, that we could enjoy while we were all together. We were only there for 4 days and I wanted to fill our days making memories and having new experiences. Our first adventure was riding a ferry to an island. Listen….I watch Grey’s Anatomy regularly and having ferries right there was too tempting to pass…

If you have been hanging around here for any length of time, you know I have a ton of memories that are centered around food. Listen, if my family does not do anything else, we eat. I was raised by my great-grandmother, great-grandfather, and extended family for the first five years of my life. My great-grandmother was old school. We got up early in the mornings so that she could make breakfast for us. Biscuits made from scratch. Rolling out the dough. Dipping the formed mounds in grease. Baking them and waiting impatiently for them to be ready. The stuff of my dreams. Mana from heaven. After the food was…

For most of my life, I have considered myself a person with a low pain tolerance. I mean, most people do not like pain, but I avoided the possibility of physical pain like the plague. Get a shot? Who me???? No way. I was all for being a nurse just like my mom until she talked about giving and receiving shots in school. I crossed that off my list and moved on to other options. I was not willingly signing up for pain. As I got older, I stopped wiggling and whining when I had to receive a shot. I took them with no complaints and was able to get…

When I was a kid, I was an incessant fingernail biter. Bible Study Mama did not have to worry about keeping my nails trimmed to an acceptable length. NOPE! I took care of my nails all on my own. Now, let me be clear. I was not biting my nails because I did not want them to be trimmed. I bit my nails whenever I was worried. It was a calming mechanism for me. So, my little hands sported some pretty ragged looking fingernails. At the time that I was biting them, I made no correlation to my feelings. That correlation comes with age and wisdom. It was just something…

My grandma is not the stereotypical grandma. No. She is different.  Upon deeper reflection, her ability to beat to the sound of her own drum probably greatly influenced my ability to do the same. Spending summers with her was magical. We did not play Uno or Go Fish during my childhood. We played Dominoes, and she taught me how to keep score and count bones. We traveled up and down the road at lightning speed. We explored unknown places just because. She listened to my thoughts. And she told the BEST stories at bedtime. After a long day of activity, you know I could go to sleep at the drop…

Listen, I am in a struggle to get myself together over here. My mind is jumbled with various thoughts. It is not that I do not have anything to say. I have tons to say, but I am having difficulty settling. I am having a hard time focusing and making my point get straight to the point. I typed sentences and erased them several times because they did not feel right. They just were not right for this moment. I got FRUSTATED. Typed some more and erased it all again. Made notes for future blogs and still could not find the right words for this blog. I wanted to quit,…

Can I be honest with you? (Even if you just said no, I’m not going to stop. That was the epitome of a rhetorical question.) I’m weird. If this is your first time reading this blog, you might be thinking “how so?”. If you have been around for a while, you probably picked up that gem long ago. I think differently, I process things differently, and I just AM different in lots of ways. While we are now being encouraged to celebrate differences, it is not always a second nature thing for us. Bible Study Cousin spent the early years of my adult friendship with her telling me how weird…

I can get the best insight and receive gentle reminders in the most random conversations. I was chatting with my bestie the other day. At one point the conversation drifted to uncluttering (Is that a word? If not, pretend it is.) our houses. I am the queen of holding on to things for sentimental reasons. That is the reason that I currently have 3 drawers FULL of T-shirts. Some shirts haven’t been worn in years. To be fair, some of them are too little and don’t need to be stretched beyond their capacity. Others fit but I don’t wear them. When you have that many T-shirts, it’s difficult to put…

The season is changing. Winter is giving way to spring in unpredictable weather mood swings. One day, I need my ear warmers and hoodie, and the very next day, I can wear flip flops (which I happily do). I toggle back and forth between heat and cool on the thermostat. I remember to flip my porch sign to the side that says “He is Risen” to signal the beginning of Lent.  The signs are all around that a shift is in process. The thing that sucks about the changing seasons is the uncertainty. I cannot just exit the house before checking the weather forecast. Well, I could. But doing that…

Resurrection Sunday is here. The day that we celebrate Jesus rising with all power in His hands. He has conquered death, Hell, and the grave. Death has no sting. The grave has no victory. Christ remains undefeated. And yet, I still struggle with grief and loss. Resurrection Sunday has always been a big deal in my family. We go to church and then we fellowship. We say our Easter speeches, celebrate Jesus in a mighty way, and then break bread together. Well, not just bread. Cakes, pies, macaroni and cheese, ham….. you get the picture. The kids hunt for eggs and cry when they don’t get the one with the…

I have had three whoopings in my life.  My Aunt Linda gave me one of them.  When you are as sweet as I was, they really are not necessary.  Ask my Aunt Gail.  She will tell you that I was the most well-behaved cousin in my generation.  I followed the rules.  And I also got EVERYTHING that I wanted.  No tantrums needed.  I asked.  They complied. My soul was crushed the day that Aunt Linda whooped me.  Did she not understand that I was a sweet angel?  Maybe the family hadn’t gone over the rule book with her.  But you do not whoop sweet angels.  I know she was frustrated…

Typically sleeping is my superpower. No matter what is going on in my world, my body has the ability to power down at night and sleep. And that is still true. Only now, I wake up way before the sun and just stare into the darkness. During my quiet time, I found myself getting hungry. Although I had purchased the ingredients to make my crockpot chili, I had not mustered up the energy to get into the kitchen. Well, since I was up before the sun, I decided to roll into kitchen and get my hands dirty. Keeping my hands busy was comforting. I diced, sautéed, and stirred. I tasted.…

The grandfather of all zits is currently residing between my lower lip and my chin. He staked a claim exactly at the midway point. Thankfully, I wear a mask all day at work so no one can see this guy. He is an unwanted and unexpected visitor. Well, at this point, he seems to have taken out a lease on the landscape of my face. He is kind of determined to stand his ground. Now when I was a teenager, breakouts were common. A mixture of stress, hormones, poor eating habits, and greasy bangs contributed to my dalliances in pimple town. I had to learn to lay off of the…

When life gives you lemons, what do YOU do with them? Some folks make lemonade. Others frown at the lemons. Some reject them. Stomp them as they are rolling around on the ground. And then there are the really special folks. You may know these special folks. When life hands them lemons, they get busy. They make lemonade. Lemon meringue pie. Homemade salad dressing. Facial tonics. They zest the rind and use it in icing. And then try to find other uses for the remainder of the lemons. No part left behind. Life has handed me some lemons in 2021. I know that we are only three days in. Trust…

How are you spending the last day of 2020? When I was in my teens and early 20’s, my friend and I had a yearly ritual. We always sat down to recap the events that had taken place in the last year. Without fail, we would be amazed at what had happened in just 365 days. Sometimes, we would write down things that we wanted to leave in that year, and then we would burn them. (I been deep and grown for a long time…LOL) While we no longer sit down together and go over the year’s events, I still do it with myself. This year, I decided to put…

Ummmmm…someone come check on Fitz the cat. He is currently nestled in his carrier case staring at me. He is waiting on a ride…to my mom’s house. <cue dramatic music> If you have not ever read the blog, then you have no clue that Bible Study Mama is not a big fan of Fitz. I have mentioned before that I had not ever pictured myself being a cat owner. I come from a dog family. Before I adopted Fitz, I consulted the cat owners that I knew. One in particular told me that I needed to make sure that I did not only pull out his carrier when it was…

Life is so unpredictable. Typically when people say that they are referring to sad moments. Dark times. The icky parts of life. But tonight, I had an unpredictable moment that put a smile on my face. And it was very timely. See, it had been one of those days where I was getting hit with one issue after another. You know the unpleasant unpredictable things. After playing phone tag with a variety of people, I realized that it was getting late in the evening. I still had not prepared dinner. I rolled off the couch and opened the pantry to see what I could rustle up. Voila! I had potatoes.…

Whew! We made it to the last Sunday of 2020. When the first Sunday of the year arrived, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed. It was all about 20/20 vision. I had so much excitement. I just knew that this year was going to be a year of triumph for me. And it was. Just not in the way that I expected. When March rolled around, the world changed for all of us. Although COVID-19 had been on the scene for months, new panic and concern stepped in. Businesses were closed and so were the doors of the church. Well, the physical doors of the church were closed. We…

It’s another day’s journey, and I am glad about it.  Ya’ll today was one of those days.  My last little friend of the day had quite the attitude.  He pointed to the blocks.  He screamed “blocks” out loud.  He cheered when I pulled the blocks out and unzipped the bag.  Then when I asked if he wanted to play with blocks, he quickly responded “no.”  But then yelled and screamed in protest when I moved to put the blocks back. Now, that may seem a little strange to you, but I was prepared for his response.  It is not that my friend cannot say yes.  He does it quite readily. …

I love makeup.  I mean…I do not wear it often, but I enjoy playing with it.  When I was a kid, I COULD NOT wait to be able to start wearing makeup.  Interestingly enough, I did not grow up in a family that wore makeup.  Bible Study Mama lived au naturel.  Minimal fuss and muss.  So, my desires were a foreign concept to her. Maybe I was drawn to makeup because I love glitter, sparkle, and glamour.  Maybe my creative side just wants to be able to blend.  Whatever the pull, I was a huge fan.  Since Bible Study Mama is not into makeup, she set some parameters.  First, makeup…

I have been so guilty of wishing my life away.  On Mondays, I am ready for Friday. When I start a long drive, I am ready to reach my destination.  And when I am hungry and no food is on hand, I am counting the seconds until I can get my fill.  But here lately, I have come to realize that I need to slow down and appreciate each moment as it comes. That is a tall order for me.  It is much easier said than done.  I have lists and goals and calendars and ideas.  I am a woman on a mission.  A woman of purpose.  No time for…

Being a Girl Scout taught me lots of life lessons and principles that I carry with me to this day. The great thing about the lessons is that they were not always obvious. Or even lessons that we were sat down and given. No, the lessons were demonstrated through actions as well as being discussed. One lesson that did not really hit me until today was the buddy system. My Girl Scout troop traveled quite often. Whether it was camping or our annual summer vacations that were partially funded by our cookie sales, we were always on the road. Traveling around with a large group of preteen and teenage girls…

What are you passionate about?  Maybe a TV show or your favorite singing group.  Maybe it is sports, and you have the lineup for every professional game on your schedule.  It might even be your career.  You are a workaholic and cannot rest until the job is finished. No matter what you are passionate about, I am sure that you are well informed on the subject.  You take time to discover new things about your object of interest.  If there is a back story, you are well versed in the topic.  The subject of passion came up the other day, and I had to take a look at myself.  A…

Happy Anniversary to me!  One year ago today, I boarded a plane to Utah.  Very nervous, but desperate.  And I was so desperate that I was flying across the country to spend four days in the mountains of Utah with strangers.  No cell phone reception.  Just time alone with my thoughts and this group of unknown people. I heard about the Haven retreat when I attended a women’s conference last October.  There was a lady there who was selling Younique makeup.  When it was time to introduce herself, she went from talking about the makeup to talking about being an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse.  She went on to…

Birthdays have always been a big deal to me.  Every year when I was a kid, I would let my mom know in advance exactly the type of party that I wanted.  Just a consummate planner from an early age.  I was particularly interested in the milestone birthday years.  I have not ever quite let go of that tradition.  When thirty-five was fast approaching, I decided to celebrate my entrance into my mid-30’s with a weekend trip. Other folks might have called their closest girlfriends to get the party started.  Not this gal.  I sent out an e-mail inviting my family to travel with me to Branson to celebrate in…

This blog was born after a period of intense pain.  I suppose it’s kinda like childbirth.  You push and groan.  You think that you will never make it through and then, there it is, your beautiful baby.  I suppose I am a bit like a teenage girl that does not think her actions all the way through.  I was not prepared to be a mother to this blog.  I did not ask for it.  And yet here I am.  The parent of a child that needs nurturing, love, and care. If I am perfectly honest with you, over time, it has become much easier to share the messier parts of…

Christmas is quickly approaching.  In years past, we would gather together at my mom’s house to start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving.  We would hang the wreath on the door.  Drag in the tree from the top of the vehicle.  Secure the tree in the water stand.  Cut the twine around the tree and see exactly what shape the tree would display. That’s the thing about using a live Christmas tree.  You cannot fluff out the branches to achieve a symmetrical look.  Once you cut the twine that kept the tree bundled up, you get what you get, and you don’t pitch a fit.  Pine needles would be sprinkled on…

Y’all may or may not know this, but I have dipped my toes into the dating pool.  Folks say that there are plenty of fish in the sea, and they are correct.  But many of those fish live in the depths of the ocean.  When they come closer to the surface, it is not a pretty sight.  They look and act like bottom dwellers.  Listen.  It is a struggle. Wooooo!  I went off on a tangent.  Let me get to my point.  Meeting new people has made me really think about myself.  My likes, dislikes.  My strengths.  My weaknesses.  Some of the questions are commonplace.  You know…occupation, siblings, where you…

HELLLLLO DECEMBER!  I’m back!  I’m back!  I’m back!  November was truly nourishing for me.  Clearly, there is power in words, so I need to give December a good nickname.  How about Delightful December?  Even if you do not like it, I do.  And it’s my blog so…LOL.  I truly believe that this month will be full of moments that put a smile on my face.  I am hoping the same for ya’ll.  Let’s catch up. Months and months ago, I was asked to speak on Mission Sunday at my home church.  Everything within me screamed “NO!”  I was polite and said that I needed more time to prepare.  They asked…

Outrageous October marched out much the way that it marched in.  Bible Study Mama and I committed to walking 4 miles each day for the first seven days of the month.  Now, that tested and tried us, but we finished that goal.  We were halfway to reaching our goal of walking sixty miles in the month of October.  You would think that the rest of the miles would have come easily.  Well, you thought wrong. The other twenty-four days remaining in the month were full of challenges.  This proved to be the busiest month that I have had in 2020.  My schedule was jam packed.  Although I lean towards the…

Adulting is not for the faint of heart.  See, in my mind, I was grown long before I was actually a grown adult.  If you were a fly on the wall around eighteen-year-old Sareta, you would hear some interesting thoughts and opinions.  Baby when I graduated high school and went off to college, you could NOT tell me that I was not an adult.  So what if I did not pay for my own things?  The high school diploma was my ticket for entrance into adult life. Clearly, I had lots to learn.  My first semester in college was glorious.  Do not tell my mama, but I stayed up all…

Love.  You cannot turn on the radio without hearing a song about it.  One of the songs that echo in my ears from my childhood church says, “We are one in the Spirit.  We are one in the Lord.  We are one in the Spirit.  We are one in the Lord.  And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.  And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.  Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.”  I remember singing this song while playing outside.  It had a catchy tune that was great for my skipping.  At that time, I could not even begin to comprehend the…

Did ya’ll know that kids grow, change, and mature?  They learn new information constantly.  Do not laugh at me.  I mean, I KNEW that about kids, but I forgot to apply that knowledge.  Sweet Baby called me a couple of weeks ago.  She wanted to schedule a sleepover.  It was long overdue, so I gave her the go-ahead.  We set a date and got ready to party. Sleep over day arrived.  We partied hard.  Watched a movie.  Painted a pumpkin.  Chit chatted about life.  She devoted much of her time to loving on Fitz, my cat.  He finally gave up and allowed her to love on him without complaint.  We…

Good morning!  Good afternoon!  Good evening!  Whatever time of the day that you are reading this, I hope that you are in good spirits.  That your mind is clear and that your heart is overflowing with love.  If they are not, I understand.  I certainly have spent my fair share of days in the dooms and glooms.  Days where situations that were out of my control affected my mood.  However, I have realized that I have more power than I think. Saturday morning was cold.  COLD!  Do you hear me?  Although Bible Study Mama and I have been getting out in nature on Saturday mornings for our walks, the forecasted…

Early voting began on Monday in Arkansas.  On that first day, people stood in line for hours.  They were excited to have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote.  I did not join the masses on Monday, but I was excited to place my vote on Thursday right after work.  I just barely slid in before the after-work crowd. I am always surprised when I meet people that do not vote.  Although I am well into my thirties, I vividly remember our Civil Rights Movement unit from the second grade.  As a child, I was dumbfounded to discover that Black America had to fight for their right to…

Now let’s have a little talk with Jesus.  Tell Him all about our troubles.  He will hear our faintest cry and answer by and by.  His answer would likely be that we need to practice more self-care.  I know, I know.  Saints and aint’s get put off by topics that seem too “woo woo.”  The saints are disturbed because the phrase “self-care” does not appear in the King James Version of the Bible that they live by.  The aint’s are disturbed because they are tired of the focus on mental health.  They would rather just go along to get along.  Enough with all this self-care business. Good thing I am…

Trauma.  An icky subject that people do not like to talk about. Maybe because they do not realize that they have been impacted by the trauma in their lives.  2019 was a big turning point in my life.  Instead of just carrying my trauma around, I really started to dive into my core issues.  I put on a wetsuit and googles and got right in the face of the issues that dwell right below the surface.  Although they lived right below the surface, trust me when I say that they were really difficult to drag back to shore. The more work that I put in to being a healthier and…

Perspective is so important.  Sweet Baby was explaining one of her games to me.  She proudly proclaimed, “I have $322 in this game.  I’m rich!”  For most of us, having a net worth of $322 would be distressing.  That would not cover rent or all our utilities.  A family of four would certainly find themselves in a precarious situation if that was all they had.  But in Sweet Baby’s eyes, that money is astounding. It’s all about perspective.  My perspective has certainly been a little off.  I am guilty of having my sights focused on the wrong things.  I have heard it said many times, from many sources, that we…

For the past year, I have been very self-reflective and introspective.  I have been doing the work of getting to the core of my issues.  It has not been a pretty journey.  As a matter of fact, it has been downright ugly.  While I do not like some of the things I see, I thank God that I am beginning to see myself as I truly am.  Flawed…but God’s treasured possession none the less. This week has been all about acknowledging where I am.  In this space.  In this moment.  Not thinking about the past.  Not worrying about the future.  Focusing on where I am at this specific moment in…

Well, it finally happened.  I am new to the cat-loving community.  And by new, I mean that I love one cat exclusively, Fitz.  Since I did not grow up with cats or have anyone very close to me that had a cat for a pet, there are many things about cats that I do not know.  Many of my thoughts about cats have been formed from their portrayal in media.  I take my cues from movies and television.  So, when it finally happened, I was a little unprepared. Have I built up the suspense enough?  Are you curious to know what happened?  I was sitting at my computer preparing to…

My grandmother is a masterful storyteller.  When I was a kid, I spent my summers with her in St. Louis.  Our days were filled with trips to the library to pick out books and sometimes videos.  We would hang out at the pool and try to improve our swimming.  We would go to the park so that we could get some fresh air.  We would visit the zoo.  We explored the city.  All the nooks and crannies.  The days were epic.  But nighttime held a special magic that day could not ever provide.  Nighttime was storytime. Bible Study Brother and I would get all cuddled up in the bed with…

Unlike many people, I did not get my ears pierced as a baby.  I suppose Bible Study Mama had more pressing issues to think about.  You may know by now, that even as a child, I had extraordinarily strong opinions.  Four or five-year-old me wanted pierced ears.  I launched a fierce campaign with Bible Study Mama.  She was persuaded by my impassioned plea.  She called the rest of the village to see if they agreed with my idea.  They complied.  We were off to handle business. I wish I could tell you why I wanted my ears pierced so badly.  I just know that it was extremely important to me. …

A fresh wind.  An unexpected wind.  I spent a good 30 minutes on Sunday afternoon being a buffer for the wind.  Bible Study Cousin had constructed balloon towers for decorations for our life group.  The balloons were attached to anchors to help them stand upright.  But we had not accounted for the wind.  The brisk fall air moved throughout the event.  Some balloons could not take the push.  As the towers rocked back and forth, balloons made contact with the asphalt and popped.  One balloon unraveled from the string and rolled across the parking lot.  While I generally enjoy a great breeze, I did not enjoy it in that moment. …

Can I share something with ya’ll?  I mean, even if you just said no, I cannot hear you.  I have played it safe most of my life.  I am not big on pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.  Pushing publish on my first blog post was THE MOST uncomfortable feeling ever.  When I survived the first day after posting, I was relieved.  I had made it through that. Being pushed makes me grumpy.  I get aggravated because I feel out of control and helpless.  I feel vulnerable, and I do not like that feeling.  If I am vulnerable that means that I have exposed the soft parts of myself. …

I was chatting with Bible Study Cousin on the phone on Sunday when there was a knock on my door.  Now, I was not expecting company.  And although I wave at my neighbors on occasion, we are not in the habit of just popping over to each other’s house.  I could see that it was a man.  Maybe it was one of my cousins? Wrong.  I was visited by a candidate for Arkansas State Representative.  He was polite and loaded with materials for me to look through.  This was my first time having a candidate knock on my door.  I know I need to be informed about candidates running for…

Yesterday, I shared with you all that the kids that I work with are rough with toys.  Heavy-handed, if you will.  Sometimes, they do not know their own strength, and other times they are very aware of the power that they possess.  Take for instance an incident that happened just this week. Therapy looks a lot like play for the children that I work with.  Mainly because children learn so much from play.  I am intentional about not towering over children.  I lower myself so that they feel comfortable with me.  It provides an opportunity for eye contact and makes structured activities seems less intimidating.  After my time on the…

Kids.  Working with the bright young minds of tomorrow can be a challenge.  For me and for them.  Sometimes, I think that they do not know their own strength.  Just ask my toys, and they will side with me. I used an actual picture of my toys to go along with this blog.  Now the toys were staged for dramatic effect.  Y’all know I’m goofy.  But the detached leg on the daddy doll is the real deal.  One of the kids did not like the way the dad’s leg was positioned while they were playing.  Instead of asking for help to get the dad in the right position, they literally…

My friend asked me how my book writing is going.  I had to be blatantly honest with her and tell her that it is not.  Between daily blogs, work, and the 1,000 other things that I am juggling, writing my book has taken a distant back seat.  I opened it up the other day with the intention of continuing to write, and my attempt fell flat.  The book has a totally different rhythm than the blogs and pulls at a different part of me.  It requires me to be more vulnerable.  I closed out of the book and went on about my night. And then…I got a reminder of who…

May your struggles keep you near the crossAnd may your troubles show that you need GodAnd may your battles end the way they shouldAnd may your bad days prove that God is goodAnd may your whole life prove that God is good “God is Good” by Jonathan McReynolds Tuesday was one of those days for me.  Although I love the rain, the grey skies set the tone for the day.  I had one road bump after another.  Have you had days like that?  I wanted to be at home snuggled under a quilt watching the rain instead of going in and out.  As soon as I made it home from…

When I was in the fifth grade, I had my first taste of adult life.  We were learning how to be responsible members of the community.  A fake town was established.  We all had roles to play in this town.  As a functioning member of the community, we each had salaries.  Our money was used to purchase essentials.  However, we were not given paper money.  That would have been too simple.  We were given checkbooks.  The teacher showed us how to write a check as well as how to balance the checkbook. Writing a check was serious business for me.  I remember the example that she had on the board. …

Life can be so complicated.  Or maybe I just make it that way sometimes.  Ya’ll I will think myself into a tizzy.  Go round and round with my thoughts until I am dizzy.  (That rhymed but I was not trying to do that…LOL…see what I mean?)  Bless my heart. It makes me think of being a kid.  It reminds me of my days on the playground.  Do ya’ll remember merry-go-rounds?  Not the fancy electronic kind that you ride during the fair or at an amusement park.  I am talking about the kind that you could use your feet to start the circular motion.  Or maybe you had that one friend…

I come from a poor family.  We did not have much.  But the Lord has been good to us.  (If you are real churchy, you just sang that song.  It goes hard, don’t it?!?)  Although those are song lyrics, they really are my testimony.  Now, I had no idea we were poor.  I had everything I wanted.  Ate well.  Had toys.  What we did not have was a dryer. As an adult, the thought of living in a home without a washer AND a dryer just does not appeal to me.  Lugging my laundry home while I was in college was a chore.  When it was finally time for me…

Working with kids can be challenging.  Whenever I began working in a new building with a new set of kids, I would inevitably get sick.  Generally, one of them would give me pink eye as a “welcome to your new job” gift.  Then another one of them would graciously share some stomach bug that knocked me off my socks.  After a month had passed, I would be stronger and more resistant to the germs that frequented that particular facility. While typing progress notes, I realized that I have been at my new job for almost 3 months and have not gotten sick.  Not once.  While I have always been cautious…

Today marks one year that I have been blogging.  Biblestudygirl.com is one year old!!!  365 days.  12 months.  52 weeks. 8,760 hours.  And what a year it has been.  Ya’ll have buckled in and ridden through so many ups and downs with me.  I am truly grateful. As I was brainstorming ideas to celebrate this occasion, I decided to check and see which blog was read by the most people throughout the past year.  One stood head and shoulders above the rest.  Although “Empty Seat at the Table” was published on October 4, 2019, it remains the most read blog on the website.  In that blog, I grapple with forgiveness…

Although 19 years have passed, I remember watching the events unfold on September 11, 2001.  I was a freshman in college.  At this point, I had established a routine.  My math class was first on the docket on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  I was thrilled that it was close to my dorm.  The proximity of the classroom made my journey to class a leisurely stroll and not a mad dash. At that point in time, I was more conscientious of my appearance.  What I am trying to say is that I made an effort to look my best.  I had not yet morphed into the girl who wore her most comfortable…

Fasting.  An essential part of every Christian life.  Except…let’s be honest.  How many of us make it a consistent part of our lives?  How many of us push away from the plate and spend time talking to God?  How often do we deny our physical bodies to improve our spiritual walk?  Bible Study Mama may have fasted when I was a child, but I do not recall fasting playing a role in our Christian lives growing up.  Occasionally, I would hear people discussing what they were giving for Lent.  Other than that, I do not really remember hearing much on the subject of fasting.  When you love Jesus as much…

The summer of 2000 was full of new experiences for me.  Give me a second to adjust to the fact that was 20 years ago.  Man, time flies!!!  Anyways, I had been accepted into Arkansas Governor’s School in the area of drama.  My stepfather had worked there during the summers for as long as I could remember.  Because the environment was familiar, I was more comfortable with applying.  We will not talk about my audition and the audition process, but rest assured that I left it all there in front of the panel.  I packed my bags and got ready to spend six weeks learning new acting techniques and meeting…

My greed, while I was in college, helped start my pitfall into credit card debt.  Now when I say greed, I know you are thinking about a materialistic pull to have all the possessions that I want.  Like new clothes or home décor.  Naw.  I am talking about physical greed.  Your girl was hungry.  I ventured over to Subway with two friends of mine.  Side note:  I was a lady that lunched throughout my college experience.  Back to the story.  We pulled open the door, and there, right beside the entrance was a sweet lady with an even sweeter offer.  We could get our submarine sandwiches for free.  There was…

It’s me again.  Back with another story of my eternal fight to be every woman.  I really think that people should try to do as much for themselves as possible.  No one likes a person who does not even try.  So, I will try.  Against every odd.  Bible Study Mama engrained it in me to be as independent as possible.  Honey, she kicked me out of the nest while I was screaming to get back in. Now listen, I do not fail all the time.  But when I do fail, it is spectacular.  Today’s tantalizing tale actually involves Bible Study Mama.  When I bought my house, I fancied myself to…

I am a pretty independent chick.  Asking for help is not a strong point.  My apartment in Houston was on the third floor.  No elevator.  When I went shopping, I was very conscientious.  I had no intention of making two trips up three flights of stairs.  I would be a bag lady.  Weighted down but determined to make it to the top.  I had made a quick trip to Target after work.  My apartment was missing something.  My spidey senses began to tingle when I walked by a bookcase.  I had to have it.  But that was not the only item that I picked up during that particular quick trip. …

Lord, it has been quite a week!  I was sitting at home minding my business when I got a notification on my phone.  Chadwick Boseman, forever immortalized in his role as Black Panther, had died.  I instantly Googled the news to get more information.  Even though the post originated from his personal Instagram page, it was hard for me to fathom that it was true.  He was so young.  He was so talented. My mind was transported to going to see Black Panther with my family.  My family is nothing if not extra.  Although I was a novice in the Marvel world, I had family members that were truly knowledgeable. …

Happy Friday!  We made it through another work week.  Welcome to another installment of my diary.  Well, this is like my diary.  I sit in front of the keyboard daily and pour out my heart.  Some days, I type sentences that will never see the light of day on the website.  I just feel the need to purge.  I feel compelled to get it out.  Then I backspace or simply delete the words.  The thought is swirled into the abyss. It is amazing to me that I have moved so far beyond my initial hesitation.  The one-year anniversary of biblestudygirl.com is just around the corner.  This blog is my baby,…

I tend to be a goal-oriented person.  While I will veer off course if I see something shiny, I generally have a destination in mind.  When I graduated from graduate school, I legit had a mini panic attack.  I had spent years working towards the goal of finishing my education.  That was completed.  Now, what to do???  Ummm…I cut off all my hair and decided to do travel therapy.  Bless my heart. You can tell that I like to set goals because I have shared many of my goals with you.  Like the list that I shared with you in the “37 for 37” blog.  If you have not read…

A familiar sound greeted my ears as I was preparing for work.  I had trouble placing the sound though.  I peeked out my front window, and there it was.  A big yellow school bus parked right in front of my home.  The whoosh and squeak of the doors of the bus was coming through loud and clear.  School was back in session. As a kid, I desperately wanted to ride the school bus.  I have no idea why.  I am not an extrovert.  But for some reason, I wanted to squish onto a bus with a group of kids.  Bible Study Mama squashed that dream rather quickly, but she was…

Sizing up objects and getting a good grip on their size is not a strong suit of mine.  Like the time that I thought I could fit all of the décor for a wedding in my vehicle.  I have learned to take measurements and double-check what I think.  But it’s not entirely my fault ya’ll.  Geometry is where you learn relative positions of figures.  And my tenth-grade geometry class taught me something else. My tenth-grade geometry teacher was the head football coach.  I was nervous about taking the class because I had started to lose confidence in my mathematical abilities.  That worry would have been better served somewhere else.  The…