Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8 New King James Version Names have so much power.  People are often either ignorant of that fact or don’t put much weight into the concept.  Even though I know names hold power, I went into this Bible Study Girl thing foolishly.  Though I have a heart for Jesus, I didn’t realize just how much my study time with God’s word would be altered.  My study time has increased tenfold.  I went from minimal study to concentrated study.  At least, concentrated for…

Faith without works is DEAD.  That’s not just a catchy opening line.  It has proven time and time again to be true in my life.  Buying my home tested my faith to the core. Being a homeowner was just one of my billion dreams.  I kept putting it off because I wanted to make sure that my credit was superb.  I’m a shopper’s shopper, so I indulged in browsing homes online and in the free real estate magazines around town.  I felt I wasn’t ready financially, but I wanted to at least know what was available. I saw the cutest little town home one day while I was online shopping. …

Well, I took on a new role in life.  I agreed to teach our adult Sunday school class.  Emphasis on the word adult.  Although I previously taught Sunday school to teenagers and young adults, teaching to adults was never on my list of must haves in life. I attend Sunday school regularly because there is just so much that I don’t know.  When our teacher got married and went to find a church home with her husband, we had two choices- join another class or one of us would have to teach.  I championed for others to take the reins.  No one stepped up to the plate.  So, I chose…

What happens to a dream deferred? Langston Hughes During my discussion of my faith walk on the Bible Study Girl podcast, Bible Study Brother brought up the fact that I was one of the speakers at my high school graduation.  I hadn’t thought about that in forever.  When the podcast was over, I tried to remember what my speech was about.  In that moment, I really wished that I had kept it in a folder with a box clearly labeled “Senior Year ’01.” Although I don’t remember the content of the speech, I do know that I used the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes to structure the speech.  His simple,…

How do you define family?  It’s different for everyone.  The way that our individual families operate help us define normalcy.  It’s only once you get older and more observant that you realize that all families do things in their own way.  Our families have their own cultures and sets of principles that they use to function. Anyone that is close to me knows my family.  That’s the way that I do life.  We see each other often, and there is food involved 99% of the time.  We are loud and opinionated.  And we welcome people into the family with open arms.  (After they complete their initiation….let’s be real…LOL)  Once we…

 Kids LOVE bubbles and stickers.  I’m not kidding.  I work with kids that typically range from one to five years old.  Stickers and bubbles are life savers or feeling crushers.  The response to them is so powerful that I use them for leverage. When I have a child that’s temperamental, or especially expressive, about their wants (and their wants don’t line up with my plans), I pull out my secret weapons.  They have been known to turn a frown upside down and soothe the most terrible tantrum.  Even my most hardened kids have a soft spot for bubbles and stickers. Bubbles and stickers are sooooo cheap and readily available.  You…

You know you’re an adult when water cooler conversation at the office revolves around the landscaping at your home.  Not even just at the office.  I regularly talk with my bestie about ways to eliminate weeds in my flower bed.  We debate about whether we’ll use mulch or switch over to stone.  We dream of our ideal flower beds out loud. Just the other day, I overheard my co-worker saying that they were trying to get rid of bamboo that the previous owners of the home had planted.  She said bamboo is almost impossible to eliminate because it has such a strong root system.  I hadn’t ever thought about the…

Almost five years ago, I got a tattoo.  I wasn’t alone.  Bible Study Brother and Cousin were there.  As a matter of fact, Bible Study Cousin got the exact same tattoo in the exact same spot.  The crazy thing is that I had always been vehemently opposed to tattoos.  Until, I started getting this itch to get one. My good friend that I refer to as Princess just knew I was having some kind of crisis.  Not only did I get a tattoo, but I also dyed my hair.  It was crayon red.  Not burgundy or plum…red red.  Maybe I was subconsciously rebelling against the “system” or people’s expectations, but…

By now, you likely have a better idea of the activities that I like to do for fun.  You can probably guess things that might entertain or thrill me.  I told you before that I’m childish, and I meant that.  I often find myself very easily amused.  I laugh a lot because I find so many things to be hilarious. That may explain why I have found so much newfound joy in my job.  Kids are hilarious.  And working with kids makes me utter phrases that sound ridiculous in AND out of context.  “We don’t pee on our friends.”  “Pick it up…it’s right there…it’s RIGHT there…IT’S RIGHT THERE!”  “My name…

I often hear people say that God can shut doors that no man can open, and He can open doors that no man can shut.  What happens when there is no door?  You may be wondering what I mean by that. I’m very dramatic.  During my teenage years, I was even more dramatic than I am now.  Slamming my door was the punctuation to my sentences.  When my parents didn’t go with my program, I emphasized my displeasure by slamming my door.  I was a master at the twirl and slam. My dad quickly got tired of my scenes.  He thought outside of the box and came up with an…