Peculiarly Classic

Isaiah 59:19 (NKJ version) While I haven’t entered parenthood just yet, I often marvel at the strength and hard work of moms and dads everywhere. It’s a huge task in itself to have to take care of a child’s basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. It’s an even greater responsibility for parents (and nowadays grandparents) to raise a child to be an upstanding, God-fearing adult.  There’s some truth in the statement that no matter how a child was raised, they make their own decisions when they become an adult. Nevertheless, most parents make sure to take the time to guide their children to a way to for them to live the best life possible. I find it such a high and daunting calling, and I understand why there are so many debates on what way of parenting is best. No child is the same and one method for one child doesn’t always work for another. Knowing this, I feel the need to be praying IN ADVANCE for my future children. I pray ultimately for their hearts to be full of love and j...

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Personally, I like S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects more than the English or Literature. In S.T.E.M., you’re presented with a problem and your objective is to provide the solution. I loved the fact that in most cases, there is only one solution and there’s a clear cut method to get to the solution.  The more advanced you get in those subjects, you’re often given the task to write proofs, or validate that the method you used to solve the problem works no matter what real world problem you’re presented with.  We’re understandably in an era of seeking truth...about the state of the economy, or maybe the state of our relationships. The problem is there’s never a clear cut answer. Everything is subjective and the state or one thing most times depends on another.  Sometimes it feels our our confidence...our self esteem...our self worth gets wrapped up in the subjective. Our worth depends on who sai...

  Psalms 145:9 April 20th 2019 is a special day for my family. My grandmother had turned 100 years old and the mayor commemorated the special occasion by proclaiming the day “Effie Smith Black Day.” I was so excited for her. Excited the future birthdays and future Effie Smith Black day celebrations. Unfortunately, I’m writing this post sitting in front of her gravesite.  Only 18 days into 2020, my grandmother decided to leave us and the Lord obliged. Selfishly, I wanted her to stay. Not because she could do anything for me physically or financially. Her mere presence was enough. Her calm demeanor and most definitely her sense of humor. I prayed God would give her her will to eat back...her will to live back. But she’s gone and in January I couldn’t understand why.  Around two months later, this pandemic began to rear its ugly head and a certain word kept popping up in everything I would read and watch.  Compassion. A word that could be translated ...

1 Corinthians 15:58 Well there's no need to tell you how my world is going these days. You're most likely right there with me. Needless to say, March caught us ALL by surprise. In some ways, it put most of us on the same playing field. Sitting at home...….wondering what happens from here.  If you're like me, I definitely have had time to think about my life, especially my spiritual well being. Talk about scripture coming to life! Besides catching up on chores, new tv shows and movies, or trying new hobbies, there is no better time to sit with God and talk about your life and your purpose here on Earth. I came to this conclusion....  I have a tendency to let things die after a while. If I don't "feel like" it should happen right now, then it gets put away. If I "feel like" I have nothing to say, then I get quiet. If I "feel like" I don't deserve or not qualified for something, then I shy away from it. And I'll be...

Philippians 2:12-13 It’s been a while since I’ve been here, so thank you to the people who encouraged me to come back. I wish I had a good, non-cowardly, faith filled reason for not writing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In 2019, I began a new tradition and started a ‘Blessings and Promises’ jar. Every thought, goal, or accomplishment that I deemed wonderful or miraculous I wrote down and placed in the jar so I could look back over them at the end of the year. One of my biggest achievements was the one-year anniversary of this blog. The last time I wrote, I had a life changing opportunity that I was excited, yet afraid to take. As it turns out the opportunity for a new change was given to someone else. I went to bed that night sad, kicking myself for being afraid of the opportunity, since God obviously took that fear as an indicator that I wasn’t ready (in my mind, of course). I woke up the next day ready to walk in the same highly functional depression I tend to dw...

Matthew 7:7 Today marks a year since I published my very first post! First, let me thank God at how amazed I am to still be writing. Not only have I grown in persistence, but I’ve also been able to see how much my mentality has changed. I have a deeper understanding of purpose, and how it’s important to find it and how impactful it is for you and your environment.  This blog in a sense has become “rough drafts” of my prayers to God. It’s where I happen to share the things that’s happening in my life and the things I want to happen in my life. Then I pray and I meditate and I wait and wait and wait and wait and…..you get the picture. So I was completely dumbfounded when I was presented a solution to a problem I had been praying about for years. Today I interview for a new position in a totally different field than I’m currently working. A field, more importantly, that correlates with the field I studied and attained not one, but two degrees for. And do you know what I...

Isaiah 43:19 I celebrated a birthday over the weekend and have officially been in my 30s for three whole days. And the one big thing that I have found is a change in perspective. It’s slowly been creeping up on me the last few months of my 20s, but I’m embracing the change day by day. The big word of the year?!?!? GRATEFULNESS!!!!!!!!!! I remember fellow family members, friends and classmates that didn’t make it to 30. That fact alone is nothing short of sobering. It makes you aware that life is truly God’s gift and my being alive is on purpose and for purpose. Not only grateful for that, but for the amazing opportunities God has set before me, past and present. In my 30s, I see myself taking more risks. I’ve said it in my blog before, but I feel more confident so it bears repeating! 😊 I’m frequently reminding myself that I am now a risk taker and plan to take advantage of all the good opportunities coming despite how qualified I feel for it. To help me, I found myself j...

I would love to think that I developed great character growing up. I was able to get along with people and didn’t “sweat the small things.” That I could get along with everybody and treat everyone with respect. That I strived to maintain that same character throughout my life. When I graduated high school, my mom warned me on what was ahead in my life’s journey. She told me, “I wish I could say that you will never have trying times. I wish I could say there will not be difficult people that you will have to deal with. I wish I could say that you will never feel sad or angry.” And you know moms, they always seem to be right. When relationships with friends and family began to change, I was sad. When I encountered people who sought out to hurt my feelings or take me out of my character, I was angry. When life in general didn’t go in the direction I wanted it to, I was sad and angry. Lately, I know for a fact that my character has been challenged, and I was losing. Someone...

I Thessalonians 5:11 I intentionally prayed for friends a couple of years back. Friends who loved and pursued God, someone I could safely reveal personal details with encouraged me and more importantly, held me accountable. About a year and a half ago, a fellow co worker was engaged and in the process of planning her wedding. Being a wedding fanatic and watching countless episodes of Say Yes to the Dress plus having an impressive wedding Pinterest board (according to me, that is) made me a homemade professional, I had to ask about her plans and details about her upcoming nuptials. That grew into us becoming friends and learning more about each other. I learned she loved and pursued God. I learned I could safely reveal personal details. She was encouraging and more importantly, she held me accountable. I told her many things; how I wanted to decrease my spending habits and save money, how I planned on losing weight, how I wanted to pursue different hobbies and careers. ...

2 Corinthians 10:5 I’m a few days late, but that’s because I’ve been partying! I’ve been celebrating my Grandma Effie’s 100 th birthday! Seeing her still with us…. able to soundly communicate with us is something I thank God for daily. As an added bonus, I have seen more of her silly side in the past few years than I remember in my childhood. Talking with her these days is nothing short of a good time. Stories she tells of being 16 rather than 100, or of planning amusing trips throughout town (though she’s never had a license) brings the family a lot of laughter. Though she is full of wisdom, her imagination can run wild. That’s one trait I feel I get from her. A big imagination. My thoughts have the ability to carry me away from my reality. I’m still being reminded by family of the games I made up while staying at my grandma’s house during the week as a little girl. My favorite game to play was “choir director,” where I sang and directed hymns that I found in a book a...

When life goes a completely different way than expected, your minds plays tricks on you. I was beginning to accept that all I had going now, was all there was for me. I stopped thinking about what else could be out there and learn to stop dreaming and praying for big things, only to be disappointed again. A few years ago, I had been invited to tour and interview for possibly becoming a PH. D student at a major university. Considering this was four years after I received my master’s degree and still had no job, I knew this was God finally giving me my shot for success. I was brought in, wined and dined and showered with compliments and praise and positive feedback. I went back home, and a rejection letter followed soon after. Devastated is an understatement. Extremely depressed. Embarrassed. It was the cruelest joke God had ever played on me. Why would he let them build my hopes up for them to come crashing down? And since I had run out of options for what I thought was th...

First things first…HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! Six months today I wrote my first post on this blog. I’m grateful for you sticking with me during this short time. Praying you’ll stick around for the long haul! I’ve spent over half of my life making sure I have the right answer that puts my best foot forward. Something standard that doesn’t offend, doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable…something that’s socially accepted. It’s one of my constant battles. My normal way of thinking has been challenged more than I’m comfortable to admit. What exactly do I believe? And why? Because of my personal experience, or because of what someone told me? What do I really what out of life? What do I what others to learn through me? I’ve been forced to expose good (and ugly) things about me, my life, and my character. And since love is the most popular topic nowadays…I figure why not talk about it? I mentioned before that my love life has essentially been nonexistent. I used to think it wa...

Well friends, it’s a new year! I’m assuming a lot of us have spent the time renewing our minds and making resolutions this year. I’m no different. Every year seems like it provides a fresh opportunity to start over. To do things differently. To make changes. As for me I plan to do a lot of things. I’m putting valuable effort cooking skills this year. I’m telling I plan on producing some “Pinterest worthy” creations. I’ve attempted to make some life changing resolutions as well. Taking leaps of faith in my career…. trying new things…. exploring new hobbies. Truly forgetting everything that happened (or didn’t) behind me a pressing towards my high calling. The problem is one that probably 98% of us have. I low key hoped most of these resolutions would just…… happen. That watching all these Chopped and Worst Cooks of America shows on the Food Network would make me a MasterChef in the kitchen. That opportunities that I wasn’t previously searching for would start coming my way a...

Well hello friends! 2019 is just around the corner and I can tell you with all honesty that I’ve never been more excited for a new year. Just when I was embracing the “just making it….´ or “status quo…..” mentality. I was becoming ok with my life and the way it seemed to be heading. Accepting that this is what life had to offer and that what I was offering was all I had. That kind of mentality will make you do strange things. Things usually out of your character. So sometime in the middle of the year, I decided I would start doing things just because. As long as it didn’t hurt anyone. Go see the play. Go on the trip. Read the book. Start the blog. That last one threw me. I’ve never considered myself a writer. Truthfully?? There are some teachers and professors out there that never considered me a writer either according to their grades and comments. I’m usually the math and statistics girl. Two degrees in Economics. The one that likes to be analytical. Writing won’t hurt a...

At this point in my life it’s safe to say that I’ve missed the point in a lot of lessons big and small. This mistake however cost me hundreds of dollars, a lot of sleep and a lot of heartbreak.  Instead of digging deeper into my insecurities, my past hurts, or searching for something or rather The One that will really make me happy, I was crazy to apply to the same school AGAIN. I knew this was just a small hiccup in my life story. In my mind, I was working harder......”digging deeper.” I knew this was what I’m supposed to do. Retook exams, bought exam practice books, paid for application fees, which all helped make my application look better, only to get rejected again.  At this point I didn’t understand anything, and felt like a complete failure. I knew my family and friends were looking at me with pity..... “ We thought she would do better....” “Maybe she’s not as smart as we thought...” “She turned out to be disappointing....” My parents are thinki...

Hopefully many of you are Disney fans, or know of who can fill you in on the whole premise of The Princess and the Frog, but in the meantime, I recently found myself relating to a scene........animated movie of all things. In the movie, Tiana and Prince Naveen go to voodoo queen Mama Odie to help them to turn back into humans from frogs. To their surprise, Mama Odie has no trick, potion, or spell to bring them back to normal. In true Disney form, Mama Odie breaks into an elaborate song with animal backup singers and dancers and all of nature creating the perfect platform to proclaim.......that it all depended on them.   “Dig a little deeper. ” “ Don’t matter where you come from. ” “ Don’t even matter what you are. ” Tiana, who was depicted as a hard worker.....who often overworked herself concluded she needed to physically work harder to get the things she wanted. What she didn’t realize is that her view was misguided. That her sole purpose wasn’t in all the work she ...

If you’ve been reading earlier posts you already know God has me on a diet. (Read “When God Answers Prayer....”) So I decided I would actually participate in my own weight loss journey and join a weight loss program.   I’m four weeks in and I’ve lost a whole three pounds!!!!! I know you’re reading this and rolling your eyes at the screen as we speak.  Me???? I’m ecstatic!!!! I, the “sweet tooth queen” herself, has TEMPORARILY given up sweets, and started eating much smaller portions than I’m used to while drinking more water than I can stand in a day. To see some progress.... any progress is an accomplishment on my part. Makes me wonder how much more I can achieve if I keep at it.  The hardest part of changing habits is obviously letting go of the old. I’ve already mentioned how I’m not the greatest leader of change. That, however, is changing in my life as well. I feel compelled to do things that hasn’t been seen or heard of in my family.  With a ...

In the world we live in today, being single can be terrifyingly satisfying. You have the freedom to come and go from your house as you please. If you decide that fast food and/or brownies and ice cream is what you’re having for dinner, you get in your car and go get it. Whose going to stop you? And when you go to sleep at night, that entire bed belongs to you friend! However, with this satisfying freedom of your own house, car, and bed comes the never ending bills, the maintenance costs, and the responsibility attached to it. Terrifying isn’t it? It all becomes stressful which undoubtedly makes you weary working so hard in the long run.  In an effort to de-stress and still be considered good citizens, I imagine some singles turn to relationships, drugs, or who knows what to temporarily relieve them of the weariness that’s bound to come with life as a single.  They have the freedom to do whatever but as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “I have the right to do anyt...

“They.” “They” truly tear my nerves up. You know who “They” are. Bosses or co-workers at your job that think you don’t know much or can’t do much. Family members that think they know you, your life and your future all too well. People you automatically assume (through discernment or paranoia) are just not in your corner...don’t wish you well...don’t see anything special in you. “They” are defined as people who make you feel undervalued, undeserving, and unqualified. I don’t really like to acknowledge these people by their actual names...I just group them in a pile and label all of them “they.”  I think what I love most about Jesus is that He can relate on a human level. He had a group like that too. He understood what it was like to be underestimated. He took jeers from people that were considered qualified to speak on the Law and it’s meanings. I’m sure He was mocked from people who had no clue about His Father’s business but acted like they did.  I don’t know about you ...