Drop Everything And Read: It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way

Lysa TerKeurst is an extraordinary writer. I’d read one of her books a few years back titled, Uninvited, and loved how she addressed the topic of rejection, so I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me that It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way would be brilliant too. When I read this book, I felt like God was sitting in bed with me as I read each page. Once I started reading and began the first few chapters, I was in tears because I’d never read a book from a Christian writer that was as open, vulnerable, and authentic as Lysa’s story and words were in It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way. If you’ve ever felt as if there were moments or experiences in your life that didn’t make sense, left you heartbroken, or wondering, “God, where are you in all this?” Then this book is for you. I believe that this book is powerful and will speak to you in some special ways if you’re open to checking it out. I’ve been through seasons that have been challenging, painful, and left me utterly disappointed with myself and even God at different times, so books like this let me know that it’s okay to be real with Him and with others we trust about the things we go through in this life.

If you're moving through a season of uncertainty right now, I want to lift you up in prayer through this blog post and let you know that you are not alone. God is with you and I'm praying for you too. I know moving through uncertainty can be scary, frustrating, and uncomfortable, but as Lysa writes in It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, "Sometimes you just have to walk in your I don't know." Again, God is with you, and I hope you will check this book out for yourself and be blessed.

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