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What’s My Response?
Wednesday night’s REfresh Bible Study was much needed. I know. I know. I say that about every one of them. Just because I say it all the time does not mean that it’s not true. If anything, my takeaways from these sessions should pique your curiosity. They should draw you in and make you want to dive a little deeper into the topics at hand. Now that we’ve settled that, let’s talk about the panel that presented last night. Last week, a different panel convened to discuss racism and religion. We got to hear from Black men in the church. We heard their stories and listened to how they were…
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Decisions, Decisions
I haven’t arrived at the place in my life where I make all the right decisions. As a matter of fact, I spend a lot of time questioning my choices. “Was that the right move?” “Maybe I should have ______.” “How did I end up here?” You would think that with all of my second-guessing that it would take me a long time to make up my mind about anything. And your thinking would be wrong. Although I weigh my options when a decision has to be made, I don’t tarry long. I do the thing that feels good to me. Now, don’t get me wrong. I will pray and…
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A Whole New World
The past two weeks have been hectic. The nation has had a lot to process. In all my emotional ups and downs, I forgot to keep you guys up to date. After weeks of wondering “how long Lord?”, I finally got a reprieve. My job opened back up last week, and I dove back into the swing of things. Of course, I have had to adjust to the new normal. Face shields and masks have been added to my daily attire. They are my new accessories. And let me tell you about my new accessories. THEY ARE HOT! Like, not as in stylish “hot” but temperature hot. Put a big…
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And Life
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. John 11:25 Life. So precious. So fragile. Every day that we wake up is another chance to get it right. To do it over again. When we accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we’re given new life. A do-over. But it doesn’t stop there. Walk with me through the sermon recap. In John 11:25, Jesus is talking to Martha. Her brother Lazarus died four days ago. She sent for Jesus while Lazarus was ill. She believed in the Lord’s saving power. She sent for Jesus…
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Let’s Get Started
Although Bible Study Brother can be long-winded, so can I. Someone posted a question on biblestudygirl.com. I thought about my response for a while. I was trying to be as concise as possible in my response, but it kept getting longer and longer. Baby, I had to quit and just say that I’ll answer it in the form of a blog so I could gather my thoughts in one place. The question wasn’t super deep, but it really made me think about my experiences in the church. The question was how does one start to serve in ministry. I grew up in the church. I was going to say that…
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Charmae’s Faith Journey
Charmae came into my life when Bible Study Brother got married. She’s my bonus sister. We’ve spent a lot of time together over the years, but we hadn’t talked about her faith journey until we sat down at the mic together. I hope you enjoy our chat. #wepreach
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Because Everyone Deserves A Voice
Fun fact: I do not plan my outfits for work. I have a drawer that is specifically set aside for my work attire. I take whatever t-shirt/pant combo that is at the top of the drawer and go about my day. There are exceptions to this rule. Sometimes, we have spirit week at work, and I need to wear a certain t-shirt. When that happens, I’ll pull out the right t-shirt the night before. Those weeks are few and far between. My routine nowadays is consistently to grab and go. Yesterday morning, my outfit consisted of my black t-shirt that has my speech-language pathologist credentials printed on the front of…
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Racism and Religion
When I brush my teeth in the morning, I see my image reflected in the mirror. Brown skin and a squashed afro. A sermon or gospel music plays in the background as I prepare for the day. After my shower, I add my special concoction to the edges of my hair and use a brush to smooth my hair. I take my head wrap or pantyhose (whichever suits my mood) and pull my hair into it’s signature puff. I stare at my reflection as I smooth moisturizer onto my skin….my very brown skin. While I’m prepping, I’m praying. Praying for guidance…direction…grace. Because while life is difficult for everyone, it holds…
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Wheel of Emotions
In December of 2019, I had my first experience with group therapy with strangers. How did I arrive at that juncture in life? I’m happy to tell you. My first experience with individual therapy occurred when I was nineteen. I was finding my place in the world and making choices that my mom thought was not in my best interest. In her mind, I needed to speak to a professional to sort through my feelings. She found me a therapist and work began. Over the course of a year, I saw the therapist once a month. He was a nice man. However, I didn’t spend my time talking about my…
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Endurance
At some point earlier this year, I made a commitment to myself that I would exercise four times a week. I felt that was a reasonable lifestyle change that I could maintain. I didn’t come to this conclusion on my own. My friend wanted someone to hold her accountable for her weekly workouts. I said that I was in need of the same thing and an alliance was formed. Every week, I would make my way to the gym. Let me just tell you. There were some ugly days. If you want me to be honest, I had a couple of days that I drove to the gym after work. …
