A Daily Dose of Freedom

When I’m at the gym and there’s an elderly person next to me on the elliptical--killin it, I’m always a little embarrassed. I mean they could literally do laps around me without breaking a sweat, while I’ve dragged myself out of bed just to say, "I made it here today." I guess in my mind, I’ve earned some invisible pat on the back for effort or something! However, my little bragging rights are short lived when I peep their willpower, perseverance and tenacity to go the distance. Plain and simple--ain’t no stopping them!  As I sat quietly to get some work done, this early morning scenario rang heavily throughout my spirit. We could learn a lot from our predecessors if we just took the time to listen. If we weren’t so dismissive in the company of our elders, we could learn to really endure, without falling all to pieces everytime we stump a toe.  I’m all for the innovative ideas of the new millennials, but there’s something about "traditional work ethics" that appeal ...

One thing that I find pretty annoying in life is someone that attempts to feed my spirit with a bunch of "excuses" about any and everything. It literally makes my insides scream to God for mercy on my ear gates. My anxiety immediately shifts into overdrive with the mention of the word, "can’t." If you wanna see my whole face collapse into a pile of tension, just start ranting off a list of "impossibilities. Today, I took a breather from my regular, routine schedule to reconnect with some friends and I was blown away at the notable growth I witnessed. They weren’t the same group of women that I shared laughs with over coffee in February. They were vibrant, confident women who were clutching their jewels like the queens they had become. They were in a new season and I was ecstatic to celebrate with them on their newfound journey of success. I witnessed some break down limitation barriers and crush the enemies’ heads with the lies of fear that stifled creative jui...

Sometimes we find ourselves making excuses for things we refuse to do but secretly cry about the things that never change. We give until we’re depleted (at our own free will). We know better but won’t do better. We run, hide and blame everything and everyone outside of self for our problems. Why... Sometimes it’s easier to play the victim when you’re tired.  Sometimes "change" requires you to put that "mustard seed faith" into real action. Sometimes we "refuse" to live in submission to God’s will. Yesterday, I shed some heartfelt tears over a few situations that knocked the breath out of me. (Fresh off vacation...fresh into the lions den) My ego was bruised because I couldn’t bring any resolution to the issues. My heart was crushed because I couldn’t offer any signs of light--my hope was overshadowed by darkness. All of the situations at hand seemed beyond God’s attention. The future seemed pretty bleak regarding the matters.  I needed God to magnify my ...

We all have different perceptions of what a "happy home" should look like, smell like or feel like. Some may have wanted a two-parent household. Some might have this televised version of a stay-at-home parent baking goodies, packing lunches and carpooling them to school. But for many, the reality was quite different. Unfortunately, children don’t have a vote in the matter. They don’t get the luxury of opting-out of poverty, single parent homes and dysfunctional relationships, so they learn to survive. Then those same broken kids become broken adults, who spend their entire lives trying to recreate that imaginary space of a perfect household that doesn’t exist. So in turn, we buy our kids "things" to compensate for what we lack. We justify doing the wrong things for the right reasons. We want our kids to have a better life; but sometimes, we set them up for failure by creating a superficial system of entitlement that the real world doesn’t offer. Then we find ourselv...

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." --Galatians 6:9 So yesterday, I perused the mall at Myrtle Beach, not to shop but more-so for physical activity since I haven’t been too conscious of my calorie intake. Once I came to the center point, I caught sight of kids secured in some type of harness bounce off trampolines and fly way up into mid air. My anxiety skyrocketed every time I saw a kid shoot up into thin air. I would never have the courage to be so daring! What if the harness malfunctioned? Then the "what-if-list" turned into endless possibilities of what could go wrong. I hurried off a few minutes after my nerves had endured more than I cared to witness. As I walked away, the picture remained etched in memory bank. I chuckled, "Kids are such dare devils!" We, as adults, could learn a thing or two by tapping into our inner youth. What if we weren’t afraid to fail? I immediately thou...

As I was getting ready for a few days at the beach with family, the thought of packing gave me an immediate headache. Preparing to spend time away from home usually means taking everything short of the kitchen sink. My mind went into overdrive as I thought about all the electronics I "needed" to function on a daily basis and the anxiety grew stronger as I thought more about forgetting the accompanying cords. After checking the weather forecast for South Carolina, I pulled out endless clothing possibilities that left my bedroom looking like a tornado touched down. Truth be told, I wasn’t here for all the "glitz and glam" on this trip. I was in a lighter mood, so I wanted my wardrobe to reflect what I felt on the inside--freedom. I grabbed some tanks, leggings and a few dusters-Bam! I was done minus the toiletries, shoes and cosmetics. I could’ve downsized some more but I was proud of myself. I had accomplished something meaningful! For the first time in years, I wasn...

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed." --Isaiah 53:5 When I recently got drafted to facilitate a lesson on "The Process" at a Woman’s Bible Study group, I was a little disgruntled. Give me a topic that I’ve already mastered and let me hit the ground running. Give me the reins to lead a group discussion from a place of victory but don’t put me in a vulnerable position to expose my weakness. I felt destined to fail but God had other plans little did I know. As I’ve stated many of times, my struggle has always been "middle ground!" I’m either dragging my feet in the valley or doing handstands on the mountaintop. However, lately I’ve been sprinting around the same mountain--complacent, unsatisfied and annoyed. I sat distressed, mourning and crying out to God like Paul with a "secret thorn" in my flesh. During the group discussion...

On Saturday morning, I hopped out of bed with the residue of defeat lingering like a thick cloud over my head from the previous’ days troubles. I didn’t feel like being social because I still felt slightly irritated. I thought about Pastor Richard’s nugget that he shared during a recent sermon on being "physically present" for divine appointments. To be honest, I was still trying to work through my social awkwardness. I simply gravitated towards people that seemed to enjoy my company. Those that didn’t care to share my space was perfectly suitable for my taste. It meant less stretching out of my comfort zone. I could live with that. So, here I was physically present to serve as a volunteer at this Street Church event but emotionally preoccupied. The biggest problem with introverts is that we spend a lot of time in isolation, working on "inward" feelings. There’s rarely room on our plate for much else because we’re so overwhelmed by working through our own stuff. Som...

On Friday, I tried to blog at least four or five times but the enemy kept sending petty interruptions my way. Well, maybe it wasn’t the enemy at all. Now, that I’m over all the endless shenanigans, I’m sure it was God’s protection. He wouldn’t allow me to fall flat on my face and completely stumble on my post. However, the more proactive I tried to be in conflict resolution, the more my flesh wanted to react. In this season, "time management" is at the top of my priority chain and little roadblocks have attempted to rob my serenity and tried my patience a time or two. As a result, I planned to write a sassy little piece about "burning bridges" because I was super annoyed. Every time I set out to pen my thoughts, a distraction claimed my immediate attention. By the end of the day, I was livid. I encountered one epic failure after another. When I finally arrived to my hair appointment, I told the hairdresser to cut it all off. There was a storm brewing on the insi...