...Plain Upon Tablets

In last week's post , I mentioned the booklet Holy Boldness that I received from Great Aunt Blanche. This week, I'm focusing on the short (1-1/3 pages) introduction. Despite its brevity, the reader learns quickly that there is no time to be wimpy in your boldness and that you will be doing BIG things with this boldness. Image by Steve Harvey at Unsplash Let me state that this text was created by the American Bible Society and published in 1995. It was prepared for The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. Because there is no expiration date on God or the Word, I'm diving into these words 25 years later still expecting to learn a thing or three. Now, let's jump in... Essentially, the introduction, written by the late Bishop Felton Edwin May, states that there are two prerequisites to Holy Boldness. "First, we need to know what we believe." We need to know and believe that Christ was both crucified and resurrected, and because we know

I was blessed to have a grandmother with six beautiful sisters--women who were bold, funny, kind, encouraging, and faithful among so many other wonderful things. Let's get BOLD! In picture: back row l-r: Aunt Caroline, Aunt Lee, Grandma Audrey; front row l-r: Aunt Margie, Aunt Blanche, and Aunt Ethel; missing from pic: Aunt Edna When my grandmother Audrey passed in 1998, one of these awesome women stepped up to encourage me along my journey: my aunt Blanche. My Grandma Audrey and me at my B.A. graduation My grandmother was a fervent believer of God. Never knew anyone who believed more or loved him more (though my mom is close behind her and Aunt Blanche is tied). She was the one who constantly kept me in the faith, and she was the one left heartbroken when I had my moment of disbelief in God. She wouldn't know that losing her and then my grandfather four months later would only deepen that disbelief. My great-aunt Blanche About a year after Grandma passed, Aunt Blanche began w

So often, we struggle, we fight to live just above life's currents so that we are able to, at the very least, breathe as we make it from one day to the next. That is not the way life is supposed to be. We are called to be joyful and to find joy even in the most devastating of circumstances. Chronic Stress Disorder (CSD) often makes it hard for me to see joy and keep joy near. For me, CSD is like having my nerves constantly on fire while they are pricked by millions of the sharpest needles ever created. This is what it feels like when I'm stressing about things that my mind knows are perceived and not real. This feeling is amplified when dealing with stressors that are tangible, immediate. Despite these feelings and the other issues that cower under the CSD umbrella (anxiety, depression), I do realize that there must be consistent intentionality to the pursuit of joy. As with anything. If you want to lose weight, you have to be consistent, intentional of what you eat

One thing to know about me: I care about others, I love others, and making people feel cared for and loved is important to me. However, I often didn't extend that care, that love to myself. A few years ago, I attempted to remedy this by writing daily love notes to myself (#loveaday notes). Through these notes, #HUGSlove originated. I've been told a time or two that I am one of the best huggers in the world, and I am always in search of a good hug. It's my firm belief that you can gauge a person by their handshake and their hug. I've had hugs that left me feeling cold and detached and hugs that have left me weeping in a stranger's arms. There is a connection that's made with a good hug, an exchange of love. So, to me, HUGS and LOVE go hand in hand. #HUGSlove, in a way, has encapsulated my life's mission: to spread that exchange of love and care to myself--and to others, and it taps into every facet of my life. Currently, it is seen in the #loved

Years ago, I began writing myself daily love notes, which I ended up calling #loveaday notes. It started with me using 7-day pill holders and Post-its and has grown to me using notebooks, planners, and now digital journals to write my daily notes. I am of the firm belief that if you don't fill yourself with love, it will be difficult to have the energy and resources to fully and effectively provide needed love to others. These notes often give me great food for thought. Today's note really tapped into the heart of how I've been feeling lately, and I wanted to share what the note read and what that note made me think. In doing this, I hope you find something to glean from this sharing. This was today's note (to the right): "Get up one more time... ...and then keep getting up!" This note came from my experiences of the day, which I share with you below. ======= When I woke up this morning, one thought blared in my head: "Why do you ever w

One of my favorite singers is contemporary gospel vocalist and evangelist Beverly Crawford. When she sings, she ministers. When she sings, you can feel through her words, her voice. One of my favorite performances of hers is "Breakthrough." When I heard it a few years ago, it moved me. It still moves me, and several times a month, I make sure I get in a quiet space and listen to it. Let the words minister to you. It's a song that reminds us of God's promises and our need to hold onto faith, believe God's word, and wait until we see those words come to fruition in our BREAKTHROUGHS. They are coming.