Speak Those Things

I tried an experiment that seemed a little ridiculous at the time, but began to change my mood and my focus in the best kind of ways. I grabbed a stack of post-it notes, wrote out different things I wanted in and for my life, and posted them in a place where I’d see them every single day. I also spoke these things out loud to myself and noticed that as I spoke them, I began to believe them, and slowly but surely, began to see how they started to manifest in my life. This stuff really works. I also topped it all off with scripture. Romans 4:17 reads, “Calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Sometimes, I’ve waited for things to actually happen before I decided to get excited and celebrate, but now, as crazy as it may seem, I celebrate before arrival dates. I’ve professed all sorts of things over my life, and while all of them haven’t happened just yet, I have a spirit that waits in expectation while God delivers. If you want something in life, why not speak and believe big for it? You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

And a side note: While I’m all for believing before seeing and speaking what you want into existence, I don’t recommend announcing everything to everyone, or rather posting your news all over social media of what’s about to happen for you. I see people do this all the time, only for something to happen and hold up their plans, job interviews, closing on their homes, or any other exciting things that may be happening in their lives. Stay quiet and low key until things are official, and then proceed as you’d like.

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...

Making Waves