All posts tagged: community

Remember You’re A Genius x Greg E. Hill

Published by

This is what I call a pleasant surprise to find in the mail! 🙂 When Greg announced that he’d been writing a book, and then that he’d be pre-selling it etc., I jumped at the opportunity to support someone I know who’s following his dreams. To me, that is loving my neighbor. To me, that is how I encourage others to pursue purpose and walk in it, so there was no hesitation. It was a few months ago when I first learned of this endeavor, talked to Greg, and made a small investment in him. As such, life kept going and I honestly kind of forgot that the book should be ready and on its way anytime soon. Needless to say, when opening my mailbox, and finding Remember You’re a Genius to be embedded as the contents of one package, I was excited. This book is a pretty easy & short read. It’s a heart-felt, autobiographical approach to encouraging others to walk in purpose and believe in themselves. It is the passion behind the book that …

On Love – & loss.

Published by

So often, so prevalently, the word “love” is thought to reflect intimate, romantic relationship. In reality, love is a much wider umbrella under which we are all supposed to live. God commands that we do all things in love. The truth is, I haven’t always done things in love. Frankly, I haven’t even always tried to. There were times that I was content to be selfish, to lack the capacity to care any less about how my actions could affect others. It’s not that I wanted to intentionally hurt them, but doing so as collateral didn’t cause me to think twice. I remember, for instance, when dating for fun was the point… So then when I was “tired” of dating someone, I could just leave them standing alone in the rain. Where, then was the love umbrella? No, I don’t mean I had to love or be in love, but I could have been more tactful. Having fun is great, necessary even, but not at the expense of others. The same goes for friendships, even …

1.18.15

Published by

Oh Lord, I come before you now thanking you for life. It is the most beautiful blessing to wake each day, to live, to learn, and to grow. As people are in abundance around us, laughing, speaking, crying, engaging, isolating, and [verb]ing, l believe we tend to take the gift of life for granted. We are grateful for it, but I for one sometimes overlook the simple blessings in life. I ask that you’d slow us down, Lord, that we might see the beauty in living, that we might actually experience the natural world and its inhabitants. Allow families to bond, to know and love one another unconditionally, allow friends to recognize not only that, but also why they have chosen one another… For those expecting children, please help them to rejoice in every step, allow them to love their children and to care for them sufficiently. We are not innately good, so please help us to be better people that we might extend our hands to help one another, and not attack. Help us …

In The No: “Out”

Published by

Besides the time everyone stood at the edge of “a bridge” and decided to jump while you opted to turn around and take the stairs down instead, how often are you in the no? It’s so tempting to be in the know, aware of all that’s happening, not missing anything… Like when you were a kid and didn’t want to fall asleep while others were up around you. Being involved in the cyclic conversation about The Little Rascals that you’d had 132x before seemed necessary at the time; your friends wouldn’t joke about you being a “sleepyhead”; you didn’t get toothpaste on your face; but you had to beg your mom to stay home instead of waking for church the next morning… and since she wasn’t going for it, you struggled to keep your eyes open until snack time at children’s church. How much different is it now, as an adult? I’ve struggled a million times with being on the scene or not, and what each symbolized and truly meant to me. I enjoy music, I love …

Ready or not, here I come!

Published by

You remember being a kid, rushing through the count to 10 just to say these words… You didn’t want to be at a disadvantage; you never gave the “hiders” a chance to get ready before shouting “HERE I COME!” That’s how you got out of the “seekers” chair, by throwing someone else off their game, by beating them to the punch, by taking away their chance to prepare! Life has a funny way of working; it throws you challenges and cheat codes, God gives favor, life seems unfair, there is sometimes mercy in the most merciless(seeming) situations. In life, we dangle somewhere between failure or success, so society says. Besides God, there are no constants. Life may count to ten sometimes, it may even count to 100, but it may also stop at 1. Either way you look at it, for anyone reading this, no matter what it seemed, life has continued working, ready or not. I am always planning ahead for something – birthdays, vacations, graduation(s), occupation(s), events, a hopeful wedding… most of us are. As we …

Perfection•ism

Published by

With the potential to drive greatness, or withhold it, perfectionism is often viewed as a neutral trait. I’m a perfectionist in many ways, I came to know it long ago, but never recognized how its manifestation limited me, until recently… And only at that point, did I take the plunge to conquer it. On Saturday, November 8, 2014, my friend (hi Ashley!) told me, “You’re sitting on your gifts 😟.” I opted to be a spectator at an event hosted by her church, where participants share their gifts in praise|worship (great event, by the way!). She’d asked me to dance in advance, but I had time constraints that wouldn’t allow me to choreograph and practice as much as I would have liked, so I politely offered a tentative yes, which I knew would likely be a “not this time.” At the event I mentioned having written a piece I could share, but I had every excuse for why I shouldn’twouldn’t: “I haven’t finalized it yet” or “I haven’t practiced reciting it” or “I’ve never delivered …

Art Jamzzzz DC!

Published by

This isn’t current, it was almost a month ago, but it was fun nonetheless! And I was definitely living in the moment! Art Jamz DC offers a host of options for beginner to advanced artists in a fun, lively environment. I enjoyed every minute of it, from the wine (yum!) and artistry to the hilariously ratchet, but undeniably encouraging group of friends that created just behind me. Some would categorize me a creative; I love the arts, but as mentioned previously(on Instagram) “I don’t claim to be an amazing artist, but I am enamored with every stroke of a brush. It really is therapeutic… Great company is an incredible benefit, too. So today, I share this little bit of joy… It amazes me how being joyful truly encourages me to play a role in bringing the same [or an even greater] feeling to others.”

Life’s a Beach, if you let it be.

Published by

We’ve all heard the expression “Life’s a Beach,” but let’s be honest, it isn’t… not unless you believe and work to make it as such. When I turn on the News at night, I’m left with nightmares, photographic memory haunts me at night as I try to conceive things my mind just will not. Life seems to be a desert, thirsty for hope but being fed disappointment. How can we stand in amphitheaters full of people, and still be all alone? Have you placed a seed? Have you watered it, so that it does not dwindle and die like all the other sultry plants around it? Have you loved it, as you might wish that your planter loved you? I challenge you to be better than what the world has to offer, I challenge you to make a difference. Speak to your neighbors. Wait for a response when you ask “how are you”… LISTEN! Have FAITH that things can be different, and work toward it. “There is no greater destruction to the world than the …