The Essence of Me

Recent events that have occured in my life have provoked me to take a step back and look at myself and what I stand for.  Who am I and what is it that I really believe in?  What makes me tick and why?  What are my core beliefs?  I recently got into a verbal altercation with someone who, in my opinion, had the nerve to question my christianity.  She considers herself a Christian as well, and her statement to me really shook me to my core...and it really bothered me.  I began to question myself.  Why did her statement bother me so much?

"And you call yourself a Christian".  I must admit that the statement really, REALLY pissed me off.  I had people tell me, "Girl, that's just the devil.   Don't pay her any mind"!  That may be true, but I still wanted to know why it bothered me so much.  I know that she may not have understood my decision, but I had to do what was best for me.  It was the right decision at the time.  She expressed how disappointed she was in how I handled things, and I must admit that I probably could have handled the situation differently.  In my mind, the outcome would still be the same.

I began to think about one of my favorite songs...Simply Redeemed by Isaac Caree.

I am a Christian,
Do you know what that means?
That means I'm far from perfect,
Simply redeemed.
Bought with a purpose...
Purchased by love.
It's not a form of religion, but a gift from above.
I am not perfect...no, but I have been redeemed.

I cry every time I hear this song because it speaks to the essence of me.  The fact of the matter is that I do love the Lord, and even though I make mistakes or choices that may not be conducive to everyone else's life or standards for me, my Heavenly Father still loves me and has an expected end for me.

I believe in treating people the way I want to be treated, and giving everyone a chance.  I trust you until you prove yourself to be untrustworthy, and still love you anyway.  I love to help people and it is my goal to be a blessing to every person I come in contact with.  In my heart I know that I was a blessing to this person just as much as she's been a blessing for me. 

I guess what bothered me the most is the fact that she really spoke to me like she was a BETTER person than me.  She expected me to be understanding and empathetic to her circumstances, but was unwilling to do the same for me.  At the end of the day, I've asked for forgiveness and have accepted the fact that me and this person might never be on speaking terms again.  I can't make anyone forgive me...that's between her and the Lord.

Reality Check

I had the opportunity to talk to a really good friend and fellow blogger.  She told me something that I already knew, but I definitely needed to hear it..."you've got to be consistent".

These words cut me to the core because I say that to my self all the time, but there's something about someone else telling you.  I haven't been consistent in certain areas in quite some time, which provokes me to ask myself the all important question.  How important is it to me?  Making a commitment to myself is something that I hadn't done or considered...until now. 

Part of me doesn't think that what I have to say is important to anybody but me, but isn't that enough?  Am I not important enough to share my thoughts and get into the habit of writing more?  The answer to both questions is yes.  I am important and I am enough, and if no one reads or visits my blog I know that I've met my commitment to myself. 

Thank you Nettie Boo Boo for being my friend and checking me.  Thank you for believing in me even when I sometimes don't believe in myself.  "You got this", is what she always tells me and you know what?  I do...I got this.

I can show you better than I can tell you, so stay tuned.

Until Next Time...

Long Time...No Blog

It has been far too long since the last time i wrote on my blog, and I must say that I miss it.  There has been so much going on that I haven't really taken the time to put update my thoughts.  Part of the reason is because I don't think that many people are interested in what I have to say.  That is a temporary mindset, however, and I quickly return to the mentality that I have plenty to share with the world. 

This entry will be short and sweet, but one of many that I will continue to submit for your reading pleasure.

Until next time...

Sharing My World

Every morning I wake up, my goal is to be a blessing to each and every person I encounter throughout the course of my day.  I smile every morning because I'm so grateful for another opportunity to smile at someone else during the day.  I feel like in some small way, a smile from me blesses someone else.

I love my job and thoroughly enjoy going to work each and every day.  I work with students all day long and it makes my heart happy to see these little faces on a daily basis.  Helping them understand information and being emotionally available to them is important to me because children need to know that learning is awesome and that there are teachers in the world that absolutely love what they do.  My world is enhanced greatly because of my students.

Love has found me...true love.  It's the most amazing thing I think I've ever experienced in my life and I'm so happy.  I'm finally at a place in my life where I can truly be myself and not have to worry about how I'm received by the other person.  I'm free to love the way I was designed to love and he receives me with all his heart and soul...amazing.  Absolutely amazing.

I'm completely in awe of how God moves and works in my life.  There's a boldness and confidence that comes along with freedom.  Freedom from worry and concern about what other people think and say.  Freedom from self doubt.  There is liberty in love...true love. 

Thank you Jesus, that finally I'm free...

WOW...I've done it again...

Well, I've done it again...

I want so badly to keep my blogs going but stuggle with finding the proper inspiration to do it.  I struggle with what to say and how to say it, even though I have so much I feel like I can share with the world.  There have been some wonderful updates in my life that I'd love to divulge, however, I'm not sure how to share it, when to share it, or even if I should share my world via blog at all.

What in the world should I do?  How do I maintain this blog?  I want to share what's in my heart, but I'm not sure if it should just go into a book...or my dear blog?

I'm just emptying my head of some of my thoughts right now...

Black History Month

February is one of my favorite months of the year.  I know that sounds so weird to say, but I'm a huge fan of Black History Month.  It used to bother me that black history gets the shortest month of the year, but I'm not limited to one month of learning about my heritage.  African Americans have such a rich history, especially in the United States of America.  


I love learning tidbits of information that most people don't know about the amazing contributions of Black people to these united states.  So, each day I'll share with the world all kinds of historical information about my people...Black people.


I'm ethnocentric, yeah I know.  I have love for all people...ESPECIALLY Black people!


So, on this day (01 February) in Black history:


1902:  Langston Hughes, one of my FAVORITE authors, was born.


1926:  Carter G. Goodson aka the Father of Black History, succeeded with all his efforts to have Negro History Week.  He started his fight in 1915, and wanted it to be in February because he felt that it would pay homage to and honor the birthdays of two people whom he felt had dramatically affected the lives of African Americans, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. 


1976:  Black History MONTH begins!!


I don't want to overload you with TOO much Black history, but this is a great start to learning something new.  Be proud of who you are...I know I am!  


Come back tomorrow to see what happened on that day in Black history!  Stay inspired!!

Proud Meredith Angel

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Meredith College.  No seriously...I absolutely LOVE Meredith College!  I've had some of the best experiences of my life at this private female college in Raleigh, NC and I want the world to understand that I'm so proud to be an Angel.

Tonight, I had the privilege of attending the first event for the Class of 2008.  15 of us gathered at the Alumni House and ate, laughed, reminisced, and spoke about the current heartbeat of the campus.  We shared concerns about the current climate and conditions of the campus, inquired about what we could do to improve the current state of affairs, and stressed the importance of alumni support.

Meredith College is an amazing place for women to become global citizens, study abroad, and become leaders in business, technology, and changing the world for the better.  The faculty and staff are supportive and appreciate the fresh ideas and passion that Meredith students and alumna possess.  Current and former students alike become intertwined as they prepare for and participate in Meredith traditions, and engage in healthy competitions between the even and odd graduating classes.   

I learned something special tonight.  I learned a lesson in giving, not just monetarily, but in investing my time and talents in a plethora of ways in an effort to help Meredith College maintain it's strong and competitive place amongst private female colleges in the state of North Carolina and beyond.  I've learned that the hearts of the Angels that I had fellowship with tonight are pure and genuine, and I'm proud to be a Meredith Angel.

I'll be doing a lot more for the college I love so much, and I would encourage my fellow class of 2008 alumna to do the same.  It only takes a moment and Meredith College would only benefit from our support.  I'm thankful for the experiences and opportunities that Meredith College has allowed me to have, and so pleased to see that there is lots of love for this amazing educational institution.