Double Portion Inspiration

This year has been filled with devastating news cycles. My heart is saddened. There is so much that can make us feel unsettled. Fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, political unrest, pandemic & division (just to name a few) can bring anyone to their knees searching for answers.  How much longer will this last? How do I find calm in the midst of disruption? Where do I find joy ? These type of questions are the reasons I wrote, " Power Of One: Finding Hope In The Midst Of Struggle ." I wanted to find a way to bring God's light into so much darkness. I wanted to reassure readers that God uses our painful moments. It develops our character and fortitude. No experience is wasted.  When my book launched earlier this year it was a dream come true. Honestly, it was a passion project for me. I didn't know or understand the impact it would have. I didn't care about how many sold. I wanted to do something to fill my cup. Writing and encouraging others fills my cup. I'v...

My son's senior year in 2018 was hectic (actually that's an understatement). I remember there were so many details to finalize, parties to plan and then get him prepared to head off to college. It was the year he picked his college (not an easy process) and started flying to pursue his aviation dream.  My life was moving fast as I juggled work and the mounting details of his senior year. I would be standing in the kitchen and constantly rattle off questions to him. Did you fill out the FAFSA form? Did you apply for that scholarship? Did you study for your test? Did you hear from the admissions office? Did you write that essay? Did you sign up to take the SAT? My son would look at me and say, "MOM, RELAX!" I look back now and think about how stressed I was ALL the time. I transferred that stress onto him with all my questions. Life was breathless and frazzled for me. I had so many to do list - my list had list. Have you ever felt like that? I didn't know where to s...

This summer I spent time with my daughter and Goddaughter. They've both successfully made it through their freshman year of college. During our time together, I asked for their top pieces of advice for high school Juniors and Seniors. Here's what they shared: Continue to build relationships in your Junior year . They stressed the importance of building relationships with teachers, counselors, and coaches in your Junior year. They will be important in your Senior year when asking for letters of reference and recommendations.  Apply for as many scholarships as possible.  There are so many scholarships available. Provide yourself time to apply for as many as possible. Use a calendar system to help remind you of scholarship deadlines.  Apply for college early in your Senior year of high school. Most colleges will open up registration for college admissions the summer before the fall semester begins. Take time to apply early so that you're not stressed by any deadlines.  ...

I am out of prison! Normalcy is returning in the U.S.  COVID restrictions have lifted.  For me that meant taking vacation with my girlfriends. We normally travel annually to meet up. Unfortunately, we hadn't taken a trip since 2017. Although we did the Zoom thing in 2020, we missed the physical interaction of being face to face. The girls trip this year felt different. In fact, it was extra special. The excitement before the trip was exhilarating. No one was really focusing on work, we wanted to start vacation early (wouldn't you?).  The thought of no plans, no housework, no cooking (unless we wanted) and no children asking, "What's for dinner?" We love our families but the opportunity to have solitude with friends is priceless. There was so much to celebrate .  Since 2017, four of the seven kids in our village graduated from high school and started college.  We celebrated one sister being healed from cancer.  We celebrated the completion of a 25 year ...

Did you know?  Our beloved father was a TWIN! I think that shatters the myth that being a twin, skips a generation. Our dad (Ernest) was also an avid golfer with a big personality. We spent many moments with him on a golf course during our childhood. There was great joy when dad would take us golfing with him on his days off.  This was usually on a Monday. We enjoyed the many tasks of being with Big E (his nickname) - cleaning his clubs, riding in the golf cart (our favorite) and even raking the sand dune. We knew all of this would eventually lead to a Cherry Coke when we arrived back to the clubhouse.  We didn't know it then but each encounter with a golf course and our dad was etching a precious memory we now cling too. Fast forward to 2021, our father now resides in heaven but we have incredible memories of being on that golf course with him. Not only do we have memories but also advice...LOTS of advice. Our father gave us plenty of wisdom during the Summer of 1991. Th...

It is almost Summer and many families have booked their 2021 vacation. I visited my mom for Mother's Day and I could tell by the traffic on the highways, people are already traveling. It was a beautiful moment to surprise my mom on Mother's Day weekend by bringing her sister to surprise her. They had not seen each other in 15 months. I sat on Mother's Day reflecting that a year ago this type of family reunion wasn't possible because of the pandemic. What a difference a year makes! In our home we've been celebrating many birthday milestones. I picked a perfect beach cottage for us to finally get away. We like to keep it simple, just have fun at the beach. Before vacation, I get so excited thinking about what I want to do each day. I'm cautious now not to make ANY plans. You can pack numerous activities into your vacation and come back needing a vacation from the vacation.  The only vacation plan we had was to visit the beach everyday. Well the first two days of...

Photo credit:  Highlight Studios My husband and I recently celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary so why not write a post about marriage? I don't claim to be an expert on the subject by any means but, I'm often asked about marriage and how we've made it together for so long. Here are 3 questions I'm asked the most: 1. How did you know he was the one ? Our dating/courtship was very short. After 5 months of dating exclusively, he asked me to marry him. We were both young and knew without any doubts that we wanted to share our lives together.  All I can say is that I knew. I know that's probably not what you expected to hear but it's the truth.  I just knew ! It was unlike any other relationship in my past.  I will often share with singles that if you have to many questions about whether it's the right person on the other end of your relationship, it might not be the right person.  One thing love is not is unsure.  2. What is the key to marriage ? Alton and I...

The days are ticking away to the official countdown for the launch of my new book, " Power Of One: Finding Hope In The Midst Of Struggle ." It launches on Tuesday, March 30th. Releases March 30, 2021 During tough moments hope for me is found in ONE word. ONE word from God can change the trajectory of your life. This book is written for those who are navigating a tough or as I like to call it, " spicy " season of life. It happens to all of us. Sometimes unannounced. A fog of darkness descends. Life becomes blurry. We can be disoriented by sadness, anxiety, or grief. It arises and lulls us into a funk.  Life has the ability to throw a curveball at any moment. ONE phone call, ONE text, ONE notification, ONE court document, ONE doctor's report can provide an incredible sting.  This book was written to remember the simplicity of ONE word. It can be overwhelming to digest numerous words of advice, negativity or even well wishes during times of struggle. ONE word from ...

One thing that I've done consistently during the pandemic is walk. I cancelled my gym membership out of an abundance of caution last year. Exercise is an integral part of my life. Since I wanted to stay active I walk, jog and run outside almost daily. In the morning, in the evening, in the cold and in the blazing hot sun you will find me outside. On average log 25+ miles a week. It just organically happens. Walking is a way for me to clear my head, stay sane, pray, chat with my hubby and exercise. Another added benefit, I get the opportunity to see my neighbors and really soak in the beauty of my community. One thing I've witnessed on my walks is the creativity of people discovering their own homes . During this pandemic we've learned how to LIVE in our homes and not just BE at home. We are creatively using large Roman bathtubs as a remote workspace to take a phone call when every crevice in the house is full.  While walking I see people grilling and toddlers in kiddie poo...

Have you LAUGHED lately? Any NEW experiences lately? When was the last time you had FUN?  The world has been incredibly serious the past year. There are restrictions everywhere. People wearing masks. Families are home more navigating school and work. New updates on the pandemic have some isolated and sheltered in place. Guess what - we are quickly becoming a nation that has forgot how to have FUN. Humor is needed. Stress is real and it manifests in our physical bodies in different ways. It is recommended that we laugh 15-20 minutes a day . Stress is a silent killer. One way to break up all that tension is laughter.  Laughter Matters! During Christmas I was provided the opportunity to be with my mom. Due to the pandemic it was months that I longed to feel her touch and give her a hug. We safely came together and the moments I cherished the most was hearing my mom laugh . Even during our times on Zoom, my mom will crack up laughing. She's a reminder to me - don't take life so s...

2020 was a crazy year.    How many times have we heard that? I've heard it so much that I'm tired of hearing it. Even with 2020 being a year like non other, our mother became a published author! During a pandemic and in the midst of chaos, she followed God's will.   For nearly 10 years Roslyn and I have both wanted to write a book. We've written in our private time, but we knew at some point, God would take our broken pieces and allow us to share it publicly. Never in our wildest imaginations did we think, mom would become published before us. We didn't even know she was working on a book. She's a very private person so it doesn't surprise us that she kept the project all to herself.   In the book, "Age-Old Wisdom Sayings", she joins three other writers, Marsha Deveaux Johnson, Iris Deveaux Anderson and David Johnson to share priceless words of wisdom. The power packed 55-page book records sayings of old that we've heard so many tim...

 Happy New Year.  Welcome to 2021. Why does it feel that the holidays come and go so quickly? I always enjoy the end of year traditions that allow me to connect with my family and decompress from the holiday rush of December. Here we are already almost halfway through January. In 2020, I had the unique opportunity to deliver via Facebook & Instagram words of encouragement for the church every Friday at 12pm. My pastor asked me in March 2020 to provide a few words of comfort as the country navigated the new coronavirus. I thought this would be a temporary assignment. The new virus turned into a pandemic and our worlds evolved abruptly. The rest is history... Life was changing so swiftly. My pastor's vision was to provide hope to congregants during a difficult time of isolation and uncertainty. It was a moment during the day to PAUSE and reflect. I was humbled by the request.  What would I say?  I was navigating the same uncertainty as everyone else. Every time I a...