I was in disbelief. Did I just stand up and pledge $2,000 to help build our new church? My inner voice was screaming… “Are you crazy? Did you just stand up in front of all these people and say you’d give $2,000? You know that you can’t sit back down, people are watching you. You do know that you just made a vow to God and He doesn’t take vows lightly.” I felt faintish, but I couldn’t turn back now. Over the past year, I sowed a seed here and there. My balance owed was $1,400. That spring, I received…

If you are having a hard time moving past a painful time, I encourage you to lift up this prayer:

There are certain sayings that on the surface appear to be a bit selfish. Like the saying “I can do bad all by myself ” or “I don’t need no one. It’s team me, myself and I”.  While these sayings may sound like they’re coming from a place of arrogance and pride, to the contrary, they come from a place of self-defeat.  Many of us as women have experienced a certain level of defeat in our lives, particularly in our relationships/friendships.  I know I have. In this place, we begin to devalue relationships and start to believe that everything and everyone is…

I didn’t want to be alone when I was single. My single state felt like an uncomfortable glove. I was addicted to love and the feeling it produced in me. I wasn’t very selective when it came to choosing whom the love came from, I just wanted someone to quell my desire; at the time I didn’t see it that way, I just called it “dating”. One failed relationship proceeded another in hopes that the giddiness of new love would numb out the pain of the previous one. Looking back it was a destructive vicious cycle with no end. I…

I’m from New York. I’ve lived there for twenty-somewhat years. It’s the city that never sleeps. Never stops. For better or for worse, that’s ingrained in me. So though, I’ve been living in the sanctity of peaceful Maryland for the last 4.5 years, that New- York- work-now-rest-never spirit still lives in me. And I’m working on it. I’m working on it because for most of my adult life, (and I’m only 26)  I have silently struggled with anxiety and hypertension. My mental and physical well-being depends on me finding rest often and consistently. I’m working on it. I work a…

My roommate finally walked in. It was our very first day at the university. We exchanged our details then she asked… “What does your mom do?” I had to think very fast because I was not about to say “she sells fruits and vegetables”… so instead I said “she works at a bank” That’s what I told her and everybody else I met at the university. You see this didn’t seem like a big lie at first. They don’t even know me and they will never really find out about my mom. It might have been a small lie but I had given…

Here are 5 Things The Bible Teaches Us About God’s Grace: When you start to feel hopeless… remember that by God’s grace, nothing is impossible.

One of the greatest gifts we are given as followers of Christ is grace. For a moment I want you to picture Jesus Christ on the Cross. Blood, sweat, and tears encompass this pivotal crucifixion. He bared the weight of our sins, even the ones we don’t know we will commit yet, and still He chose us anyway. He chose YOU anyway. He chose ME anyway. Despite our past, present, and future, He chose love and covered us in the truest form of forgiveness: grace. The power of God’s grace is immeasurable, in fact, I am certain that we have…

After 4 1/2 years of employment with the bank, I’d just been fired. Relief and uncertainty followed as I gathered my belongings and headed out the door. Later that evening, I headed off to Bible Study. Service was great. I felt renewed, rejuvenated and was ready for a new start.  Fast forward three weeks later… The mortgage was due and my funds were low. Two weeks prior, the car broke down and my small “egg nest” had been depleted. Rewind…Three years earlier. I’d just purchased my first home. My daughter was attending private school, which meant monthly tuition payments had…

Stay on a Godly path and God will allow the right people to come along to join you.

As I look around me every day, I am constantly aware of the brevity of life. As a child is birthed into this world at any given moment, the same goes for a life that is taken away. We didn’t come on this earth to stay; we are just sojourners on this path of what we call life. Yet, we go about our daily lives as if we have all the time in the world not aware that we could be here today and gone tomorrow. I know we don’t like to talk much about death but dying is inevitable.…

Whether it’s allotting a few hours a day to browse potential Tinder candidates or venturing out to the local coffee bar more often than you should, finding “Mr. Right” is often top priority on any single gal’s to-do list. Infatuated with the idea that the man of our dreams isn’t far beyond our reach, we find hope in stumbling into the quaint coffee shop, committing to the right gym or attending the crowded party in order to land in his very presence.  You name it–I’ve dated. From the habitual cheater to the nonsensical liar, my unhealthy enumeration of men could…

Perhaps you know the feeling of waiting for your phone to charge? You’ve run out of batteries, you’ve plugged the phone in and now there’s nothing to do but sit and wait? And even if it really only takes a matter of minutes (and even though it’s nothing more than a phone), you start to feel tense and anxious, wondering how long this could possibly take. Most people don’t like to wait. We often get frustrated waiting on fast food or waiting behind the slow car in the fast lane. We are always in a rush to get to the…

God loves you on your best day, your worst day, and any other day!

When you come out, you won’t be the same person who went in, and sometimes that’s what the storm is all about!

If you’re anything like me, social media can more often than not lure you in. Before we know it, we have spent a good portion of our days (and nights) aimlessly scrolling through Newsfeeds and Timelines. We have mindlessly “liked” stories that frequently have little to do with our real lives and “commented” on things that only get us distracted, frustrated, or even envious. If you’re anything like me, you have had to take mental breaks from social media or even fast from social media because of the great distraction it presents. Personally, I struggle with what I deem the…

It’s easy to get impatient and attempt to take matters into our own hands when we feel our prayers are going unheard. Why does it seem like some people just ask and receive while others beg and plead with God, but to no avail? I know, it’s hard to sit back and watch everyone around us continue to reap blessings while we sit back and wonder… when will it be our turn? The problem with giving God deadlines is that God doesn’t move on our schedule. His timing is perfect. This is a lesson, I unfortunately had to learn the hard way. 12 years ago,…

For as long as I can remember, I have had an on-again-off-again relationship with fear.  Initially, he took the role of a protector, much like a father or a big brother would, however his presence soon turned controlling.  His reign rendered me the cowardly lion: afraid to live with him and afraid to live without him.  He was there in my youth when I crossed the street, instilling the fear of danger.  His presence became more dominant in middle and high school as he exposed me to the fear of rejection. And later in adulthood he introduced me to the fear…

We are alive to say we made it through 2015 and it’s all because God saw us through. We have been through trials and triumphs, but despite it all God saw us through. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” ( Jeremiah 29:11 ). I am here to proclaim the word of God and laugh at the enemy because he thought he had the upper hand on my life. I almost gave up, but Glory be to God I MADE IT THROUGH…

Scripture provides no list of qualifications for a pastor’s wife. Pastors and deacons are covered in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, but the pastor’s wife? She doesn’t show up, at least in terms of suitability for an office. Nevertheless, some churches have their own set of unwritten qualifications for the pastor’s wife, many of which create unrealistic expectations and abundant misconceptions. These can place undue pressure on the wife of a pastor. This shouldn’t be the case, however, since Scripture knows no such formal category. Here are five popular misconceptions about the pastor’s wife: 1. You have it all together. Some will assume you’ve worked through all your issues. Sure, you may struggle, but…