Author

Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I've written two books which are a collection of my anecdotes about life, love, and wisdom. I started writing poems when my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and interesting enough, I find it difficult to find the words to write about my mother's diagnosis. Maybe its the irony of it all. Maybe its the fear that I may join their ranks. Maybe its the hopelessness or vulnerability I feel every time I'm around my mother. Maybe its the doubt that God really is in control. In all of that, as a writer, I find comfort in thinking of God as an author. I don't have to be in control of this story. I don't have to make sure that the plot doesn't have holes. I don't have to create full characters. I'm not writing this story. I'm not in control. There's some comfort in not knowing the ending, and being genuinely surprised by life's turn of events. There is a peace in looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith.

Kairos

There are key moments in our life that define us. It could be the day you graduated from high school or college. It could be the day you had your first child. It could be the day you got married.  It could be the day someone close to you died. Victories and tragedies have a way of shaping our lives. Some events catapult us into destiny, while others cause us to take pause. Kairos is an Ancient Greek word meaning the right, critical or opportune moment. We might not always recognize these as kairos moments, but they are crossroads. These moments have the ability to shift our lives. Take advantage of every opportunity given to you. Don't just knock, kick the door of opportunity open. Seize the moment. Take a chance. Live!

Gratitude

I always try to instill an "attitude of gratitude" into my girls. I want them to appreciate everything they have, and to understand that there are people who are less fortunate than them. I want them to say, "please" and "thank you." I want them to be aware of world events without them having a fear of the world. I want them to know that you give out of the kindness of your heart, and not with an expectation of receiving something in return. I want them to know that but by the grace of God, it could be us. It is recognizing that "it could have been me." Rather, "it should have been me." Gratitude is taking the time to count your blessings.
 

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend." -Melody Beattie

Vow

 "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part"

Isn't it interesting that marriage requires you to agree to something before you have knowledge of it? Marriage makes you say, "yes" to the unknown. Most of us have a problem with this level of commitment. We want to weigh all of our options. We want to make an educated decision. We want to pick and choose our vows. Not possible. We will never know what the "worse" is, or what "poorer" really looks like. We can only value the gift of our spouse, and choose to honor our vows regardless. We have to remember our vows when challenges occur in our relationships. We have to "love and cherish till death do us part."

Loyalty

"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses." -Ann Landers

There is a reason that wedding vows include "in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." It speaks to the human condition. We are naturally selfish. We don't tend to put someone else's needs, wants, and desires before our own.  When things get rough, we innately want to leave. Loyalty is about ignoring our instincts. It is about being selfless. Loyalty is about enduring the vicissitudes of life. It's about mutual respect and love.   

Connect

"When you connect to someone on a human level, and you get to know about them, you can begin to love the things that make them different. That's when fear dissipates, and that's when we can live the life that we're all supposed to be living."-Ruth Negga

We have more in common with each other than we have differences. It's always easier to identify what's different. We exist in a series of adjectives instead of nouns. We are all human. We all have blood flowing through our veins. We all need love. We are all the same when it counts. Our adjectives cease to matter when we choose to see how we connect. Tragedy connects us. Experiences connect us. Life connects us. 
 

Planted

The process of being planted and being buried are very similar, but have completely different purposes. You plant something that has the ability to live, while you bury something that has died. Both require being put in the ground and covered with dirt. However, the end result is quite different. How can you determine if you are being planted or buried? You are still alive. There is still life in you. There is still purpose in you. There is still the ability to produce. You are being planted. Though it may seem alone and dark, these are the optimal conditions for your growth. This is what you need to produce what's inside of you. The better question is what kind of seed are you? When this process is over what will you produce?