Flip through the pages of 2018. Page after page youāll see lots of light and laughter, yet heaps and loads of heaviness and devastation.
Letās be honest. Itās not been all bad. Thereās been a host of good things too. While I was inches away when my Mom took her last breath on earth, I found joy in the support of other friends who lost their mothers this year.
While domestic terrorist attacks and horrific violence plagued(s) our Nation and world, songs of healing and restoration follow quickly to be released in the earth.
Weeping truly MAY endure for a night, my friends. But thereās something so sneaky about JOY. Like the sun, it comes in the morning.
Be strengthened, party people. Know that itās morning time. And we gonā be aight.
I remember telling my sister @ladykroach, āI donāt think I can do this.ā
āJust go up and tell your story and then itāll all be over.ā
This #TBT is from Creative Mornings this past spring. I was WILDLY depressed and suffered with EXTREME anxiety.
My topic: COURAGE.
The hosts didnāt know. The audience didnāt hear me say it. I got up there and spoke on bravery, Antarctica, exploring alone, blah, blah, blah.
But that blah, blah, blah ignited a ton of fire in a room full of people. All from a woman who didnāt recognize herself anymore.
I lost my identity while caring for my mother as she fought #lymphoma. My GREAT accomplishments of reaching my goal became a quiet whisper as I was divinely assigned to care for her. From Aug 2017-May 2018 I battled depression for the first time and anxiety in HEAPS like never before.
HOWEVER
I rose.
I pushed.
I prayed.
I spent time in nature.
I believed.
I received counsel.
I had therapy.
I cried in my Momās lap.
I exercised.
I ate well.
I prayed.
I cried in my pregnant sisterās lap.
I read the Word.
I exercised.
I meditated.
I got counseling.
I prayed.
I went up for prayer.
I spent time in nature.
I worked.
I booked speaking engagements.
I wrote.
I prayed.
I forgave myself for being too hard on myself.
I looked in the mirror and smiled.
Iāve learned the agenda of the enemy.
He desires to get into my HEAD to STOP the work of my HANDS.
If he can get in your head, your hands will stop. Your feet will stop. Youāll be frozen, paralyzedāunproductive.
BUT when you understand his strategy, you LEVEL UP with YOURS.
You do the work to BLOCK and BRUCE LEE KICK those thoughts away and combat them with DECLARATIONS and the TRUTH.
Today (if youāre still reading),
take the time to share this with someone who may need a LIFT or some encouragement. Let them know that a girl who traveled to all seven continents before the age of 30, came back home and fell FLAT on her faceāand then RELENTLESSLY bounced BACK. And they can too.
You can not only BOUNCE back, but you can get your BOUNCE back.
LEAN on each other and LOVE on each other. Thatās why weāre here.
*******
DISCLAIMER: This is ā¢myā¢ open letter. You, of course, are entitled to your own.
While not all singles desire to be married, all singles should desire to be whole. While not all singles will get married, all singles should constantly strive for enhancement, development, and refinement.
What is written below is a conglomeration of that which has been poured into me over the course of my lifetime at home and abroad as a single woman. I have gleaned well and I am grateful for all of the seeds that have been sown. I am yet learning.
*******
Shalom, Kings & Queens. Shalom.
It is a joy to address you today. Perhaps I can have a moment of your time.
While you are preparing for your most intelligent choice, I’d like to share a few items that you may find beneficial.
Instead of asking, “Why are you still single?”, consider asking, “How are you stewarding your time as a single?”
šWhile living and working abroad, both companies in #China and #SaudiArabia provided lodging for me free of charge. I simply had to steward what I received.šæ
šæFive years ago, while teaching in China, I paid off the commercial debt that I had which was less than $1,000. My trip to #Antarctica cost $5,000+. I used savings to pay for it. Responsible stewardship is critical.š
šAfter my first year of teaching English in China, I returned home for a vacation and sold my luxury car (Volkswagen Eos, hardtop convertible) in order to achieve my seven by 30 goal. I simply broke even with that sell.šæ
As I continue to get messages and replies, I have been released from On High to share my sentiments on Israel, Palestine and beyond.
An open letter to those who say,
“NO! DON’T GO THERE!”
Shalom,
Thank you so much for your comment. I am incredibly pleased to hear from you. The gift of this educational tour is to see the conglomeration of the bitter and beautiful. The goal of Passages Israel and COGIC World Missions is to provide an authentic experience of Israel.
Although much that I’ve experienced has been magnificently overwhelming because of the Biblical historical context while visiting, I’ve also witnessed heart wrenching facts right before my eyes and observed the misery that many endure. I’ve touched these people and walked on their grounds in their community.
šµš¾ On the #WashingtonDeluxe š #bus from #NYC to #DC and I’m grateful for the last rest stop. I just took one of the #bracelets that my 103 year-old Great-Grandma Brown left behind after transitioning in February (She departed on #Superbowl Sunday and during Black History Month. She did nothing small even in her departure! š) and moved it closer to my #heart. ā¤ļø
And while you’re celebrating, someone somewhere is suffering.
There’s very little grace that accompanies mourning, I’d say. Plenty of grit with it, paired with sorrow. That’s the natural bit.
But Grace. She’s enviable in my opinion. How she holds her head high while most hold theirs low. I envy her. She grabs tissue for others while tears simultaneously stream down her face. Oh, Grace.
š
And then there’s Grit. Courageous enough to cry–wail even, openly. Falling in laps continuously to exhale, moan, and weep. Flailing arms high in question and bowing at reality. You’re so over the top, Grit. I know you well.
My time in Saudi Arabia was sweetened by the people. Both the students and staff from the universities and the members of my church home in Riyadh added sweetness to each day.
Below you’ll find one of the treasures of my trek. This song, until this very hour, held lyrics that I never understood, but always enjoyed hearing members of my church sing at various points in the service. Asking invites answers. It’s just that simple. Google invites answers too. But it’s always fresher to get it straight from the source.
This Zulu song and is truly music to my ears. Now the lyrics ring even louder in my soul.
(Jesus is gracious towards me)
Have you ever heard a song in a foreign language that spoke to you although you didn’t know the meaning? How long did it take you to find the meaning? I hope I’ll never wait this long to dig into the meaning of a song.
(The video is NOT from Grace Outreach Global Church in Riyadh. All details are on the link to the Youtube channel.)
I remember telling my sister @ladykroach, āI donāt think I can do this.ā
sevenby30 