Some years ago, I established a new tradition in my immediate family.  We were all gathered to celebrate my mother’s birthday.  I challenged my mom to tell us something about herself that we didn’t already know.  I then challenged everyone else at the table to do the same thing.  I coined them “fun facts.” We can’t ever fully know someone else.  Everyone has secret thoughts or desires that they don’t necessarily share with others.  It doesn’t even have to be anything deep.  Recently, my cousin shared that at one point in her life she desired to be a professional clown.  And my grandma bought her a kit to help her…

Anyone that really knows me, knows that I don’t do scary movies.  I’m a big baby.  A scaredy cat, if you will.  You probably need a frame of reference so that you know what I mean when I say scary movies. Hmmm…”The Sixth Sense” was too much for me.  “Seven.”  “Pet Cemetery” was not even an option.  There is something about the music.  The suspense.  Waiting for the murderer/psycho/villain to attack.  NO THANK YOU! It might surprise you that, in my younger years, I tried to watch scary movies.  Back in the day, it was what groups of teenagers did.  We might be at a sleepover or going to see…

Thank God for technology!  I missed service Sunday, because I traveled to Mississippi to celebrate my youngest cousin’s first birthday.  Even though I was excited to see her, I was sad about missing service.  It seems like each sermon has been tailored just for me.  Jesus smiled down on me, and the media team put Sunday’s sermon on Facebook. The sermon was entitled “Working with a No” and came from the first chapter of Luke.  Zacharias, a priest, and his wife, Elizabeth, have wanted a child.  Years have passed, and it has become apparent that Elizabeth is barren.  In those days, it was a disgrace to not have children.  People…

The holiday season is upon us.  For many of us that means that we get to participate in fun family traditions.  My family has several traditions that have passed on through the years. I come from a family of givers.  Giving to everyone at Christmas time has become more difficult because our family has steadily increased in number (and size…LOL).  So, some years ago, we placed everyone’s name in a container on Thanksgiving.  You were only responsible for getting a gift for the person’s whose name you pulled.  Fun idea, right? Bible Study Cousin and I also started a tradition where we get a Christmas gift for the whole family. …

Ya’ll probably get sick of me saying this, but my Pastor has been dropping the unadulterated Word of God.  Sunday’s sermon was no exception.  He preached from the book of Acts, chapter 20.  Acts chapter 20 begins with the story of Paul teaching and preaching to the disciples and others that have gathered.  They fellowshipped and ate and then Paul gets to work.  The teaching is so good that Paul is still going at midnight.  (I’m sure many of us in the black church can relate to loooong services…LOL.) Eutychus is a young man who is there to hear Paul’s teaching.  Unfortunately, this brother is tired.  He seems to have…

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. I Chronicles 16:34 Happy Thanksgiving! 2019 started off horribly and but has become the best year ever. Why is it so great for me? Because I’m starting to step into the woman that God created me to be. Of course, I’m a work in progress just like everyone else. So with that introduction out of the way, I’m going to tell you just some of the things that make my heart smile. God’s grace. I don’t deserve it. Couldn’t earn it. But He gives it over and over again. Tacos. The kind with the homemade…

I am grateful for my home. Because I was raised by my grandparents (maternal and paternal), I always prayed to God for my own home and family. In 1987, I thought that God had answered my prayer when I got married after a 2 ½ year courtship. However, in 2005, the marriage ended in divorce and my vision of what my home and family would look like died. I felt like a failure and honestly, I even felt like God had failed me. He knew the desires of my heart and it was all gone. So when God told me to not take anything from the home I had shared…

Ms. Bible Study Girl and I have been friends for going on two decades now, and I was honored to be included in this series of her blog.  When she first told me the topic, what I’m thankful for, I thought I knew exactly what I was going to write about.  Initially, I was going to write about how thankful I am for our friendship (and I am very thankful for it), but then something happened.  The book fair.  The day started out just like any other day.  Get up. Get ready for work and school. Go to said places.  It was a special day at my children’s school. I…

I should probably start off by saying this is my first time to write a blog entry, so please bear with me. My name is Shelby, and I have known the one and only Sareta Fulcher since 2013. I love that she has started her Bible Study Girl blog series and am so happy to contribute!  When Sareta asked me to do this, I thought a lot about what am I truly thankful for. Yes, I love my family. Yes, I love my job. Yes, I love my house. Yes, I like my closet…. a lot. I am very thankful for all of those things because they do bring some…

When I take a moment to meditate on what I’m thankful for, it doesn’t take me long to have a list compiled.  I mean a list, list. There is so much that I have to be grateful for, yet I often find myself seeking ways to gain more. Whether it’s financial, educational, spiritual, physical, or emotional. I’m always thinking of ways for increase.  There is a statement that states that “the best things in life are free”. I couldn’t agree more with this statement. But a few million dollars would surely help a sistah live her absolute best life.   There was a point in my life in which I felt…