Community Stand Up!

 People, we are a very fascinating species. We are full of contradictions. 

On the one hand we are keeping it 100 and on the other we are terrified to give 50% of our authentic selves to others.

We have this tough unbendable outer shell yet we are traumatized scared children on the inside that crave belonging.

We share our innermost angers on social media platforms but find it challenging to be vulnerable and have intimate conversations with our partners, children and parents.

We are quick to say what we absolutely don't have time for: fuckery, bullshit, disrespect, haters, new friends! Yet, we find it almost impossible to surrender to having time for the things that would possibly serve us well: Mental health check ups, forgiveness, reading, investing in true holistic healing, investing in our future better selves, time away from social media and other toxic behaviors.

Many of us are hurting in ways that we don't even recognize, we need to be reminded that we are valued, needed, enough, and so very loved and seen. 

We are in need of a nurturing and uplifting Village. 

We need our Community to Stand Up!

Life

Life comes in waves

At times the silence of life is appreciated and at others it can be heartbreakingly loud

Life has a very special and unique way of nudging us awake...through loss, illness, and struggle. We are brought back from the edge of simply drifting through.

TODAY!
This Moment
This View
This Love
This Friendship
This Embrace
This Breath...are all that truly matter
They are simply the most important things

                                                                                                                          Kallista Marie

"BLACK LiVES MATTER"

Black Lives Matter

Black Health Matters

What we eat, think and do...Matters

           Black Financial Literacy Matters

Loving Our Black Sons and Our Black Daughters Matter

Black Excellence Matters

True History of Our Ancestors Matter

True History of what We've Achieved Matters

Celebrating and Supporting One Another Matters

Yes Black LiVES Matter 

I Am Proudly Melanin Rich

and

Yes...I Matter!

Build

 

 

 

Build

With Your Faith

With Your Words

By Your Actions

Build up Well-Equipped Children

Build Better Communities

 Make This World A Better Place

 

 

Evolve (It'sTime 2 Go 2 the Next Level)

It's been a bit since I put fingers to keys, so I thought with this topic bouncing around in my head why not share.  This past weekend I enjoyed a Sunday out with some great young people and during our Sunday adventure a message was shared which deposited this in my spirit: When it is Your Time 2 go to the Next Level, you should be different than you were before.  Zipping in and out of daily life, setting goals, dreaming new dreams, and striving forever striving to go to greater heights we can easily get off track of where in the world we truly need to be heading in order to feel the most joy and peace.  We may begin to believe that our joy and peace will be found once we get this or achieve that and in deed this and/or that may contribute to them but they more often than not will not be the epitome of walking in our Divine Purpose (which it isn't normally where we will experience the most joy and peace).  We tend to have many obligations, people who depend on us, things we feel we MUST DO or the world will absolutely cease to go round (LOL..I am not the only one who has felt this way..be honest).  We somehow function this way for years, not realizing that the solution is many times challenging yet simple; Evolve, evolve, evolve!!! Give yourself not only permission but a charge to Evolve to the Next Level of your journey.  Stop holding yourself back by playing the same old film about your life up to this point in your head, over and over again.  You can either be your BIGGEST FAN or your most intense foe, it is up to you.  You can be your own cheering section, by being teachable and being willing to learn things that up to now you may have been hesitant or downright scared to learn.  As for me, I am learning my way around the kitchen (for those who know me..no smart comments or loud laughter and thanks in advance) and learning to ask for help when I need it which has been hard for me.  In this part of my journey it is amazing how God brings help from some of the most unexpected places and how the blessings flow abundantly on us when we step outside of our comfort zone and trust evolving will most DEFINATELY take us outside of our comfort zone so get ready.  That being said, we are not really living an abundant life if we are always comfy (sorry but it's true).  As we move out of our zones and start to blaze new paths, we will find we are evolving and becoming what we were destined to be.  The Awesomeness of this is that since no man is an island and in reality we really do all impact one another in some small way.  We all need each other to be fully who we are supposed to be, full of love, full of forgiveness, walking in our Divine Purpose, being teachable and being cheerful givers.  When we begin to truly live this way, we will look different, talk different, many times dress different, worship and praise different!!!

 So again let us rise up and  Evolve (It is indeed Time 2 Go 2 the Next Level)!!                      

Heed The Warning and Just Answer The Call!!

Growing up, my beloved great grandmother (Sis. U.D. Shugart Bryant) kept her grandchildren as close to God and in church as much as she possibly could.  We went to Sunday School, morning service, evening service, prayer meetings, bible study, vacation bible school (faithfully EVERY SUMMER) and probably many other services that my special memory can not remember.  Being around what we call "Church Folk" or as my mother would say, "The Good Christians",  we heard and picked up many cliche statements.  Often we repeated these little sayings, having no clue of their meaning or even knowing if we really believed the words that were coming out of our mouths..LOL.  One of these statements was brought oh so gently to my mind tonight, so gently that although I would simply LOVE to be SLEEPING, here I sit typing until my lil' heart is content (can you hear the sarcasm?).  Many say" "Anyone can praise God but you must intimately know and dare I say love Him to Worship Him".  I have heard it, questioned it and kept it moving many times.  However, tonight as I listened intently to the words of a song (attempting to rehearse) that not so long ago I thought was for "Older Saints" it occurred to me that this statement was and still is so deeply true.  The song was "When The Saints Go To Worship" by Donald Lawrence.  Ok this may be your jam and that's ok, but you should know I am a little special (so don't judge me), ahhh moving on. 

The words came alive to me tonight and in just moments I was transported from an average mundane "I have to moment" to a small space where it was truly just my Heavenly Father and me, vibing (It was lovely).  What is really funny, or maybe not so much is that over the years God has impressed upon me to do many things and out of nervousness, fear and Lack of FAITH (yes yes yes I admit it...L.O.F) I was disobedient and did not move when He said sweet heart move this way or sing when He presented opportunites for me to sing or EVEN write when He generously gave me such eloquent words to write.  God does not change!!  If He wanted you to do it then, I would be willing to bet you some yummy Cold Stone Creamery Cheese Cake icecream that He STILL Wants YOU to Dust Yourself Off And DO IT NOW!!!  Something we need to know and remember about God is that to Him, our obedience is far better than our sacrifice (Thanks Bro. Howell you really brought this point home for me).  God knows that many things that will make our homes, childhoods, neighborhoods, work environments, relationships, finances, health and world better, can only be achieved when we step outside of our comfort zones, have real faith in Him (really believing that nothing is impossible to God and with God) and are obedient to His Divine promptings and instructions....  When the same message is coming to you loud and clear from what seems like EVERY direction, do yourself and those who need what has been placed in you a favor, Heed the Warning and Just Answer the Call!!!!