A Note I Found In My Old iPhone

This past weekend when I was decluttering some items I no longer needed, I came across a basket of some of my old electronics -- one of which happened to be an old iPhone I had. I turned it on to see what was on it and to my surprise, I found an old note I’d written that contained prayer requests. Some of the requests were mine, and a few others were from different people I’d been lifting up. It was cool and refreshing to come across the note, especially with the year 2020 has been.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I had a tough time. I was coping with tremendous amounts of stress, anxiety, doubt, depression, isolation, and restlessness. There were also a handful of times when I got so angry and disappointed with God that I got rid of different prayer request lists I had on my phone and some that I’d written out in my notebooks. When I was feeling my lowest, I didn’t see the point in praying anymore if things weren’t going to change. Eventually, some things changed, some didn’t, and some things still haven’t, but you know what? God is still good. I’m in a much better and healthier spiritual, mental, and physical space than I was before, and I’ve eased back into my prayer closet with greater intention, consistency, and focus.

I'm glad I stumbled across a note that reminded me to keep going, keep praying, and to keep pursuing God. I hope that as we all approach the end of this year, you're motivated to do the same no matter what your circumstances, challenges, or obstacles are. And I hope that you will embrace a peace and contentment that carries you through. If you're reading this right now, I'll be lifting you up in prayer too. Keep going and take care.

A Year Of Being Ghosted

Ghosting: the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. I’ve been ghosted by every guy I’ve met within the past two years. About six to be exact. · The first guy pursued me and then got shady whenever I asked him about what he did for a living and where he lived. When he started dodging and avoiding questions, wouldn’t initiate dates, and slowly stopped keeping in touch with me altogether, eventually, all communication ceased. · The second guy was someone I met through a family member. He was super cool, very smart, handsome, and funny, but didn’t want to be in a relationship and acted like he didn’t want to be seen with me publicly. When we had plans to meet for an outing, he didn’t show up, and then texted me about a week later with an apology. We chilled at my place a few times, had a few phone conversations, and exchanged occasional texts, but eventually he stopped responding to me

Teacher Table Talk: When Parents Attack

As an English teacher, a core belief I’ve held close since the beginning of my career has been the importance of relationship building. I believe that if great relationships between teachers, students, and parents are established at the beginning of the school year, everything else will fall into place. Authentically modeling, practicing, and establishing mutually respectful and professional relationships within my classroom has been the bridge for effective communication, solid classroom management, and creating a safe and effective learning environment that fits each of my student’s needs. And though I’ve seen and experienced the benefits of great relationship building, unfortunately, there have been times when some students and parents have not been receptive or interested in my efforts to establish connections that would best serve all parties involved. I’ve also noticed and shared spaces with other educators, school counselors, and administrators who’ve experienced the same. And

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 things too far

Making Waves