Lifestyle On Purpose
There are thousands of horror stories about "church people" and I have heard 'em all. Visitors being asked to move from a member's seat? Heard it. Deacon sleeping with the pastor's wife? Heard it. Drug boys flipping money from the offering plate? Heard it. Abusing innocent children? Pastor high on crack in the pulpit? Tithes… Continue reading Don’t Go! Those Hypocrites Need You
And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. - Ruth 1:14 A big part of knowing who you are is know who you ARE NOT. Recently on Honey and Onion we talked about knowing your limitations. As always, I go to the Bible for guidance and… Continue reading Too Much Orpah to be Oprah
Fearless people scare me because fearlessness often leads to foolish behavior. The KJV of the Bible translates 2 Timothy 1:7 as "God has not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." People quote it all the time and some folks say there is never a… Continue reading Fear Gets A Bad Wrap
I really enjoy a good story. Of course, living a Shine TYC life means I see everything through the lens of my faith -- a Christian World view doesn't idolize or demonize anything in God's creation but understands there is a way to use it all for God's glory. So, that brings me to my… Continue reading What I learned from Alita: Battle Angel
1 Corinthians 13 is one of the most quoted love poems ever. Most importantly it reminds us that love never fails. I know. I know. Right now you are thinking about that person you loved dearly and it all fell apart. You're thinking about the pain of your failed marriage. Love never fails. However, relationships… Continue reading Love Never Fails. Relationships Do.
For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and send rain on the jut and the unjust alike. - Matthew 5:45 NLT Let's get one thing straight. You are going to have problems and likely more than one in a lifetime. God never promised anyone a life without problems. In fact,… Continue reading You’ve Got Issues
I tried , but there are tiny spoilers in here so proceed at your own volition. It's been a few days since I've seen Bird Box on Netflix. I'll admit that for two days my mind was reeling with possibilities. What is Bird Box about? Parenting. social media, racism, death and grief, bad decisions,… Continue reading Bird Box: You Can’t Handle the Truth
In the current environment I'm fighting like Rizpah to keep the scavengers from tearing away at my sons-- their dignity, honor, self-esteem, self-image, and life itself. I have to watch police, politicians, teachers, coaches, store clerks, and strangers who might consider skittles to be dangerous. Every night I fall into bed, I thank God that my sons are alive and pray they live another day. It's a real, not at all irrational, fear of this Black mother.
In a time when our self-image and self-worth are challenged daily by social media highlight reels of people who seem to lead perfect, adventurous, well-maintained, lives with exceptional children and extraordinary marriages, it's easy to focus on what's wrong with our lives. Psalm 139 reminds us that even the things we think are "wrong"… Continue reading Do Not Give Up On God
“Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good.” - Mark 10:18 By studying Jesus we learn what it means to be Christian. After all, Webster’s dictionary defines Christian as “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” So how can we be Christian if we don’t know what Jesus… Continue reading A Good Person