This One Time, At Church Camp…

The summer I was nine, my parents started sending me to an overnight Christian camp. It became a thing I looked forward to each summer. In the beginning I wasn’t excited, but once I arrived and met other girls just like me (the kind who practically spent their lives in church too) I was hype. A lot of us came from different areas, races, and backgrounds, but we were all about Jesus. My summers at the camp were the best, because it’s where I felt accepted in ways I hadn’t been, back home or at school. The set up was nice. We girls were assigned to cabins, with two female counselors and a group of other young women. The week girls arrived boys weren’t allowed (except for the male counselors that worked there, which a lot of us ending up crushing on.) The camp had all kinds of things like horseback riding, golf, chapel services, swimming, arts and crafts, and a gym where we’d all play games. Even though I was amongst a tribe of other girls I had a lot in common with, I was still relatively, quiet and shy, so one day when one of the leaders asked me to participate in a live recording, I was surprised. To this day I don’t know why she picked me, but she did.

My job was to read John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

It was a go-to scripture that a lot of Christians usually memorize early on. This reading and recording would take place during a service the camp was having. I practiced and I was nervous, but I did it. I’ll never forget that. My time at camp was when I also started to notice guys, have my first crushes, build friendships, and grow closer to the Lord. I miss that time, and how unaware I was of how bad the world could be, and how on fire I was for the Lord. It was just a good time. People communicated without the distraction of technology, and were present while enjoying each other’s company. I went to that camp every summer until was twelve, and I’m grateful to have had the experience.

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...

I’m Glad I’m Not Married

When I was about five years old, I was sitting in the backseat of my dad’s car when me, him, my older cousin (my aunt’s son), and my aunt (my dad’s sister) caught my aunt’s fiancé with another woman. My dad had been driving my aunt out to run some errands since she didn’t have a driver’s license or a car. When she spotted her man with another woman, she told my dad to pull the car over, got out of the car, and immediately addressed him. She wanted the keys back to her apartment and was done with him. The other woman she caught her fiancé with slapped him when she realized what was happening, and that was that. When my aunt returned to the car, she was clearly and understandably upset, and the ride back to her place was quiet. Although I was too young to fully grasp what was happening at the time, I knew it wasn’t good. And now, at 34 years old, I can’t imagine how much pain she was in. Her wedding had been planned and paid for – and she never made it down the aisle. My aunt was a beaut...

How To Respond To A Nasty Email

Technology has made many people bold, rude, and incredibly messy. Often to the point where some may hide behind words they’ve typed instead of verbally communicating a message they want to convey. Such can be the case when it comes to sending emails. Ah, emails. You know what they are. Electronic messages that can be quickly drafted, sent, and misinterpreted (because you can’t always interpret tones or emotions through them). Which is why it’s key to know how to respond to nasty emails if they should ever come your way – especially in the workplace. As a working professional, there have been plenty of times when a coworker or superior sent an email my way that was petty, mad disrespectful, and unprofessional. And before I learned how to properly utilize email etiquette, my first instinct would always be to clap back. I just felt the need to respond and to communicate that I wouldn’t allow anyone, no matter who they were, to disrespect me. And while I haven’t taken t...

Making Waves