Making Waves

When Kobe Bryant passed away, I couldn’t believe it. The day the news broke, I felt like I’d lost a family member. I’ve been a Lakers fan and a Kobe fan since I was a kid, so processing what had happened felt unreal. To this day, it’s still difficult to process sometimes. One of the things I admired most about Kobe was his work ethic. He had a dedication to the game, on and off the basketball court, that has continually inspired many of today’s athletes. Shortly after his passing, I read   The Mamba Mentality: How I Play  and was motivated to be better in my own life and career. Though the book provides skills and life tips from the perspective of an exceptional athlete, much of the wisdom in it applies to everyday life. Please check this book out for yourself. It's a great one I recommend reading.      

Becoming an educator has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my career. When God opened the door for me to teach, respectfully, I asked Him, “Are you sure about this?” But as I continued doing what He called me to do, I learned that I was exactly where I needed to be. As this school year approaches its end, I’ve had some time to reflect on my first year of teaching. And I can wholeheartedly share that it’s been a faith walk that’s shattered my comfort zone and has been a journey filled with peaks, pits, and plenty of in-between moments that God somehow knew were already going to happen. Whether you’re an educator or not, or simply embarking on a new career path or opportunity, know that when God positions you and opens new doors for you, He already knows the plans He has for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).     The peaks.  First, getting hired by the original administration team who invited me

* Names have been changed.   *Rashad and *Shanice had been close friends for a long time. They chilled together, confided in one another, and were super close. They even shared the same Christian faith. Shanice was especially vocal about her faith, open about her walk with God, and was well-known for being a good girl. She was smart, successful, and beautiful, and many young women looked up to her too. She even had a huge social media following because of her status as a fashion influencer. But as Shanice’s popularity grew, Rashad noticed some changes in how she started presenting herself on Instagram.   Shanice was already a naturally beautiful woman, but suddenly, she began posting revealing pictures of herself in bikinis, booty shorts, and revealing dresses. When Rashad noticed what was happening, he told Shanice she was someone on a higher level who didn’t have to be the kind of woman posting thirst traps for attention. When Shanice learned how Rashad felt, she got upset and defens

The more I grow in my faith, the more comfortable I’m getting with surrendering the steps and outcomes of my life over to God concerning   every  area of my life. If He’s not orchestrating or approving the moves, the relationships, or the blessings in my life, I don’t want them or need them. After all, it would be insane for me to move forward without His consent. When I’ve made decisions without checking in with Him, I have, however, invited unnecessary stress, setbacks, pain, and humiliating moments into my life that could’ve been avoided if I’d just checked in with Him first.   His answers to all of our requests are usually  yes, no,  or  not right now .   I honestly don’t like when I get a  no  or a  not right now  with different things I’ve prayed for, waited for, and felt ready for, but His ways are what’s best. Isaiah 55:8-9 reads, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways hi

I often miss what life was like before social media.   As a former ‘90s kid, I was fortunate to experience what life was like before the internet and smartphones became things that would change our lives forever. Back then, there was a certain level of anonymity that existed that I believe made the world a better place. Everyone didn’t know so much about you or your life. People also didn’t seem as divided or as emotionally heightened as they are now. Just take a moment to think about some of what you’ve seen in your social media feeds, and you’ll see what I mean. Recently, I started unfollowing different social media accounts that weren’t encouraging, inspiring, or good for my mental health and spiritual well-being. And I’ve also stopped following people who don’t communicate or interact with me and post things that have been negative, triggering, obnoxious, and unnecessary. I often wonder why we stay connected to certain people, and I also wonder how much our online behavior would ch