Hey Friends, I was in bed sick most of the day yesterday so I didn’t get to share with you my post that ran on A Deeper Story yesterday called, “Speaking Fear, Praying Shalom”. I tell the story of how the “Standing Our Ground…In Prayer” series started. I hope you’ll pop over there and read it and then read this fantastic story by Tarama called, “Cheese Ball Rosary”. So good. This Black Mama is afraid when I roll deep with... Read more
This week I made the best decision ever…I changed my wake up alarm tone from the over-synthesized, Tron-esque “Slow Wake” on my iPhone to “I Am Mountain” by Gungor. I love starting the day meditating on Creator God, hopefully wandering through transitions, and the truth that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. This image really speaks to those wonders for me, and my favorite line from the song: Life is here now, breathe it all in Let it all go,... Read more
Today I am linking up with my Story Sisters in our “Girls We Once Were” link up. Today’s the last day to submit (I know I’m such a procrastinator), but I couldn’t figure out what to write. Then I remembered a post I read by Glennon Doyle Melton called, “Extremely Long, Completely Scattered and Containing Curse Words” and I so got her response to God in her tough season of life. It echos mine in this tough season of life. ... Read more
Hi Friends! Today I’m coming off my self-imposed blogging hiatus by sharing a day in my life with the Simple Woman’s Daybook. Outside my window the sun is shining, the snow is melting, and I want to kiss someone it’s so glorious. Come on, Spring! I am thinking I should write more, especially in this hard season of heartbreaks and changes. Since we got word that our housing is in jeopardy, I’ve pulled into myself this past week. Friends, I’m... Read more
Hi Friends! Today I’m coming off my self-imposed blogging hiatus by sharing a day in my life with the Simple Woman’s Daybook. Outside my window the sun is shining, the snow is melting, and I want to kiss someone it’s so glorious. Come on, Spring! I am thinking I should write more, especially in this hard season of heartbreaks and changes. Since we got word that our housing is in jeopardy, I’ve pulled into myself this past week. Friends, I’m... Read more
Today’s addition to my Standing our ground…in prayer series, I’m going to share a couple of beautiful prayers from my friends Kate Schell and Idelette McViker. Both are heartfelt and poignant lamentations and both moved me to tears. Today both prayers come from white women, because I believe it’s important for the African-american community to see the our pain, our grief, our fears are seen, heard, and carried by our Caucasian sisters. I didn’t feel like this at first. When... Read more
2013 was the Year of the Ugly Cry. Ugly crying into my pillow. Ugly crying on the couch. Ugly crying behind the steering wheel parked outside the nail spa. Ugly crying here. Ugly crying there. Ugly crying everywhere. To be honest, I was prepared for the hard of church planting. I don’t say that to brag, I just mean, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I expected what some of... Read more
When I put the call out to my friends to pray with me, I was afraid of the responses—honestly. I didn’t want to offend or shame anyone, I just wanted to be honest about my pain. I wanted to ask fellow believers to mourn with me and ask God for guidance. I have been amazed at the openness and the vulnerability of the women in this series. So, often we shy away from discussing racial reconciliation. For good reason, shame... Read more
I’m excited to “join hands” in prayer with two of my favorite poets: Chelle Wilson and Rachel Lee Haas. Both women have captured their pain over division in the Body in stunning words and masterful imagery. They have inspired me to imagine a future where we are fully known and unconditionally accepted. Where we speak hard truths with kind words. Where we celebrate our differences and in so doing, we create this bright tapestry of color held tightly together by... Read more
My heart is heavy. For over two weeks, I’ve tried to write on the confusing murder of Jordan Davis, a black Florida teen shot for playing his music too loud. I read “Worthy“ by Austin Channing Brown then tried to write my own lament for the devaluation of black boys’ lives sanctioned by archaic laws. Unfortunately, those cries for deliverance rise too easily from my spirit. I am the daughter of a black Senior, the sister of a black twenty-something,... Read more
Shalom in the City
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