I am breaking my silence.* I am breaking my silence for any person who is a stepparent, and they are living in a dangerous situation at the hands of their stepchildren. I am breaking my silence because I know what it is like to scourer the internet trying to find someone or some resource to signal that I was not alone. I have learned that I was not the only one who was going through this hell behind closed doors.... Read more
I’m going on Blogcation. I shall see you back at Race + Grace by the end of the week of 1/7/19. May blessings enrich your life in ways unimagined. May your life overflow with joy and peace. May your mental, physical, relational, and financial, and spiritual areas of your life prosper. I speak blessings over and send positivity to your life. Much love to all of you who read, stop by, and hang out at R+G. Until then,... Read more
Upon initially embarking on my Biblical sabbatical, I had an experience where my husband’s deceased wife contacted me. Last week, she contacted me again. I have avoided sharing about a range of my life’s mystical experiences because I still had a fear of what people would think, particularly my devout Christian friends. Instead of hiding this experience, I am writing about it for two reasons: First, various people have spiritual experiences that do not fit neatly in our scientific or... Read more
Recently, U.S. border agents released tear gas to deter the migrant caravan* members from throwing projectiles at them and storming the border. An image of a woman, Maria Meza, and her young children struggling to escape the tear gas struck many, including me. Some see people like Maria as a problem. Others see humans. I felt appalled and hurt. My heart felt weighted down in concern for the family. Filled with anger and grief, I thought, “What kind of evil throws tear... Read more
After a car accident where another vehicle struck the one I drove, I noticed that something was not right about my vision. I went to an eye institute to get a diagnosis. After a thorough examination, the ophthalmologist found that my eyes were healthy. Considering my symptoms, he likened them to a concussion and suggested that I see a neurologist. With dilated eyes, I was released to figure out what seemed unhealthy about my officially healthy eyes. Then, I began to... Read more
“Ni**er with the straight hair! Ni**er with the straight hair!” He kept yelling, trying to get my attention. I refused to turn and recognize him. After all, that’s not my name. So he crowed even louder. “Ni**er with the straight hair! Ni**er with the straight hair!” I could even hear the amusement in his voice. The man sat in the passenger side of the truck, as it cruised alongside me on the street. As I kept walking on the sidewalk,... Read more
Do some men need to consider remaining single, celibate and getting a dog? I ask because in this age if the best way for a married heterosexual man to relate to his wife is through demanding “submission,” then I think he might want to consider leaving the institution alone. If he needs obedience and submission so badly, he can adopt a dog and binge watch classics of Dog Whisperer to make it happen. Now you might wonder, why celibacy? Since... Read more
When it comes to race and emotions, many people struggle with anger. Some of us do not know how to handle other people’s anger. Some of us do not know what to do with the fire of emotions that we possess. Often, as a solution, individuals demonize anger and avoid dealing with the issue of race. We lie to ourselves and our world, thinking: If we claim to be colorblind, then racism goes away. If we ignore anger about racism, then... Read more
Does God really need the label of Christianity? Ask a number of Christians, and you will get the impression that they believe God needs it. Last week, I revisited this need to label Christianity and the constraints of this normalized practice. Here are three thoughts from days 127-133. 1) Edging God Out? Labels are useful. They help us make sense of the world and organize it. Our minds do not thrive in a state of steady confusion so categorizing people,... Read more
They ooze sugar, spice, and everything nice, while keeping their fingers crossed behind their backs. I am talking about women with a Nice-Nasty complex. The Nice-Nasty complex has a particular expression of passive-aggressiveness, whereby one draws on largely heteropatriarchal gender performativity by using “niceness” to cover toxic behaviors. Women with this complex are masters of creating a public persona of niceness and innocence, as they confuse their targets with bursts of mean-spirited behavior. In private, the laughing, smiling, and cordial sunshine... Read more
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