2021 – UNVEILED FACES

July 20 2021

Surrender…

One of the most challenging things in this current season of my life is learning how to surrender to God’s will and his perfect plan – especially when the path is not clear. I have always been inquisitive. I have an intense desire to know and to understand.

I do not always know how to get from point A to point B; this is highly uncomfortable. I do not always understand the ups and downs of life, relationships, and friendships. Although I sometimes feel like I’m being crushed like an olive in the olive press. I have the tenacity to believe that all things are working together for my good.

Life is a beautiful journey filled with valley and mountain top moments. Although the valley is the most challenging place to reside, it is the most fruitful. You see, God uses the valley to build our character, develop our intimacy with him, and strengthen our faith. A valley is also a place where we build endurance, new behaviors, and healthier mindsets. None of this is easy because we cannot control how long we will live in the valley.

As I attempt to surrender, I am seeking God for the lesson plan– I know he holds the answer key to my life. I offer the image of my life that I had in my mind to God, and I accept his predestined plans for me.

Is this easy?

NO.

But I desire to please God more than my selfish desires.

What do you need to surrender? Do you need to submit to the healing process? Do you need to repent and turn away from willful sin? Whatever it may be, ask God to help you and give you the strength to relinquish your false sense of control and trust him. Believe that he loves you more than you could fully understand.

God is our creator; he created us for a particular purpose. I choose to believe that his plan is far greater than anything I could conjure up.

We all are in a valley of some sort. Let me encourage you just as much as I need to be encouraged. Continue to trust God; do not ever give up. No matter how complex your circumstances may be, we always have something to be grateful for. If you feel like you cannot think of anything – be thankful for reading comprehension- because you just read this post. Sometimes it is the simple things that we overlook.

Trust God. Trust his plans.

Surrender.

Be Blessed. God loves you.

Category: Begin Your Unveiling Journey | Comments Off

July 11 2021

Choose Love!

Frequently, those of us who have been affected by trauma have a difficult time expressing and receiving love. At least this has been true for me – sometimes, the idea of allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to receive love and return the same gesture makes my palms sweaty, my mouth dry, and my heart even races.

I realize those reactions are trauma responses; my brain goes on high alert and warns me that I must take shelter and protect myself from the invasion of imminent love. This feeling can be active even if love is what we desire. At the essence of our being, we all yearn to be loved, understood, and accepted for who we are.

Most likely, in some way, you have been affected by trauma. Trauma survivors have an obscured view of what love is. Often our abusers told us they were misusing our bodies because they “loved” us, or a physically abusive man acts out in rage in one moment and professes his love the very next.

As I mentioned in a former post, I have been on my healing journey for quite some time. I have healed and evolved in many ways. Recently, I made a deliberate decision to allow myself to experience the exchange of love. This was not an easy decision, but I have overcome so much of my past, and I am determined that the trauma I have endured will not hinder me from experiencing the fullness of life.

Love is a human experience.

We must embrace every emotion – pain, grief, enjoyment, pleasure, and the like. I know this all sounds terrifying because it is. To allow ourselves to be loved and seen, we must be vulnerable and live an unveiled life.

Take inventory, self-reflect, and think about where you are on your journey. Of course, use wisdom, do not allow yourself to be in an abusive situation for the sake of love or force yourself before you are stable in your healing.

Ask yourself: Are you ready to step out from behind the shadow of your pain and welcome love into your life? Please do not count yourself out – a traumatic past does not mean you are not worthy of love. It means you need to allow yourself the time and space to heal, learn to love yourself, and then let yourself love others.

I will be the first to admit that this is easier said than done, but I would rather allow God to heal my brokenness and welcome love into my life with open arms. I refuse to let the venom and toxicity of my past strip me of an incredible life immersed in love, joy, and healing.

I know we have endured our fair share of pain, but a heart that does not know pain is also a heart that does not know love. When we stifle one emotion, we stifle every emotion. In the best way possible, allow yourself to be overwhelmed by love.

The first step is to accept Jesus into your heart – give yourself to him.

Be Blessed! God loves you.

Category: My Passion | Comments Off

July 1 2021

Look Within… Reflect.

We all struggle with fear from time to time in our lives. At what point do we say enough is enough? Fear shows up in many ways – perfectionism, procrastination, and indecisiveness. Fear can be paralyzing; we may never move forward and achieve our goals or desires.

Honestly, I have been thinking about things in my life that I have been allowing fear to stifle. And you know what? I am tired of wasting time. Life is so short; time waits for no one. Can you believe we are quickly approaching 2022? I know COVID-19 slowed many of us down; maybe it was necessary to help us regroup and think about our lives, decisions, and options.

Life is such a God-given gift- How will we use our lives to honor him with the many talents he bestowed upon us?

What plans or opportunities would you pursue or say yes to if you believed you could not fail? It may be time to view failure from a different perspective. Failure is our most excellent teacher. Mistakes are how we grow and sharpen our skills. Life would be dull if we never made a mistake or took a risk that makes us nervous. Of course, I am talking about a healthy risk- for instance, returning to school, starting a business, or telling someone you love them. We allow fear to make us miss out on life-changing experiences.

I know I threw many questions at you, but I am asking myself the same things. What do I want out of life? Am I willing to do the work and learn new skills to accomplish my goals? Let us finish out the year strong! We are capable, strong, and intelligent human beings. I am determined that my history of trauma and abuse is not how my story ends – the same can be true for you. Do not give up on God’s plan and purpose for your life. Nothing will be wasted.

The bible says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 KJV

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April 5 2021

Help! I’m drowning!

*Photo credit- Pexels.com*

Have you ever felt like you were drowning in emotions and traumatic thoughts? There was a time in my life when it seemed as if no matter how fast I tried to swim to avoid the overwhelming waves of emotions, I was constantly overtaken by the current. My feelings left me drenched and gasping for air, yet I was desperate to make it to the shore (healing).

I would reevaluate my stride and make necessary adjustments. Did I need to pray more fervently? Was my therapist a good match? Did I need to update my reading material?

Then I would take a deep breath and start my journey with my new plan.

For a moment, I felt confident with my newfound skills. Still, I was unprepared for what happened next- my soul erupted. Every traumatic thought created all the elements needed for a perfect tsunami. I tried to silence the thoughts with food, shopping, and traveling- I became desperate to survive the whirlwind of thoughts that crashed against my amygdala.

However, then again, it was too much to bear.

The tsunami of emotions and thoughts had overtaken me, but simultaneously, pushed me closer to the shore (Jesus). Nevertheless, again, I was left exhausted with few options. Somehow I had to gather the strength to continue. It was a vicious and exhausting cycle.

I started to contemplate suicide – Often, when we have those thoughts, we do not want to die; the truth is we do not want to feel the pain. We would rather be numb than face the broken reality of our lives.

I knew I had come too far to give up.

I developed a new plan; I surrendered to Jesus.

Jesus became my rock amid the storm. He became my life raft. When the waves of emotions and traumatic thoughts threatened to drown me, I stood on God’s word. When I felt like I could not handle another crashing wave, I cried out to Jesus in prayer. I allowed him to save me and guide me safely to shore. I made peace with the past, and I became one with Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the living well that we will thirst no more if we drink of him.

Please say yes to Jesus and allow him to be your savior- your life raft. You do not have to handle the storms of life alone. Place your hope in Jesus. You will not regret it.

Be Blessed. God loves you!

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March 23 2021

Spring Cleaning

Have you been busy with Spring cleaning?

Often, as we look forward to warmer temperatures, this is when we focus on dusting and cleaning our homes, getting rid of old clothes, packing our winter clothes, and pulling out our raincoats.

At least, that is what I do; I look forward to this time of the year because I love spending time in nature and having picnics in the park. However, how often do we spring clean our minds – meaning the same way we take care of our physical space, we need to take care of our mental space.

It is imperative to cleanse our minds. We can do this by reading the Bible, monitoring the types of TV shows we watch, and being mindful of the music we listen to. Think about it as a mental detox – take a break from social media or emotionally exhausting activities.

Journal and spend time thinking about what you are thinking of.

As you take inventory of your thoughts, pay attention to your mood. If you realize that your emotions or thoughts control your mood, this may be a sign that you need to meditate on God’s word to destroy those thoughts in your mind. This is a challenging process, but it is necessary for mental clarity and prosperous thinking.

Romans 12:2 says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

I encourage you to spend time with your thoughts and allow God’s word to renew your mind today!

God loves you. Be Blessed!

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March 1 2021

What are you juggling?

In this image, I am juggling snowballs. Needless to say, due to the texture of the snow, this stent was short-lived, lol as you can see, I enjoyed what I was doing. I was focused and passionate about the current task. But in all seriousness, do you allow yourself time for joy- simple joy? This image was taken at the local park.

Life is complicated; there will always be challenges to overcome, but we can not stop living in the process. There was a time in my life; I only focused on the trauma I experienced. My mind was consumed with darkness and pain.

By the grace of God, I have processed a lot of my trauma. Please take note – healing is a lifelong process. Once I learned that everything changed.

When this photo was taken, I had many issues in my life, but I let go and experienced the moment’s joy. Now, I can enjoy and juggle simple moments no matter what happens.

Are you willing to let go for a moment and allow yourself to have a belly-shaking laugh? I pray your answer is yes.

Be blessed. God loves you!

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February 15 2021

Valley Of Emotions

Have you ever felt a plethora of feelings and emotions simultaneously? Joy and sadness coupled with depression mixed with a sense of hope and faith that things would change for the better one day. I’m sure someone can relate. I remember the day of this photoshoot; I was vulnerable and broken; it was a hot summer day, August 30th, to be exact.

I held myself tightly as the photographer snapped away, all while curious spectators gathered and took photos of me on their cell phones. No one truly understood how I felt internally, but this photo shoot was a life-defining moment. I promised myself that I would heal – I titled it “My Healing Journey.” Little did I know if we suppress one emotion, then we suppress every emotion. If we do not allow ourselves to feel the pain, we will never experience joy.

On the day of the photoshoot, I was still processing past traumas.

For the photographer to capture my testimony, I had to feel the past’s painful emotions, which was not too difficult to accomplish. I had an array of feelings – Hopelessness, despair, and depression. I may look broken and afraid, but shockingly, I also felt brave. I felt brave because I chose to walk through the valley of the shadow of death – Emotionally, I was bruised, but I did not allow the evil of my past to stop me from moving forward because I knew that God was with me. God blessed me with a measure of faith to believe that I could overcome anything.

Please don’t allow your self-perception to stifle your healing process. What we deem as broken, God sees as beautiful. Hold yourself tightly, trust God and let Him lead you from the darkness of your past into his glorious light. Allow yourself to feel again – feel the pain, and then allow God to overwhelm you with his presence and joy.

Be Blessed. God loves you.

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February 7 2021

The Road Less Traveled

Wow, it’s already been a week since my last post. It is my joy to check in with you. I pray that you are doing well. I am doing fine – it has been an interesting week, but God is on the throne. Just like you, I am still on my healing journey. Let me remind you that I post each week to encourage myself.

Contrary to what I initially believed, healing is not simple, pleasurable, or for the faint of heart. It takes much courage to face our past pain while still trying to live in the moment and balance everyday life. Sometimes it is necessary to take a moment and reflect on how far we have come on our journey. Had it not been for Jesus, I would not be where I am today.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I was not a Christian when I was sexually assaulted. The trauma led me to Christ; for that reason, I do not regret the things of the past. However, if I’m honest, this journey has not been comfortable; it has been quite challenging.

Early on, I had no idea what it meant to accept Jesus into my heart. I was a broken woman, and I needed a savior. My life seemed dark; I was hopeless. Much like this photo, my life was like an obstacle course. My path was not clear- similar to the debris and the falling branches in the image, I could not see past all the pain and trauma that threatened my existence.

But God is gracious; I praise him for his mercy. Lord, I thank you! Every day you give me new mercy, refresh my soul; you lead me in the paths of righteousness for your namesake. Please feel my heart; God desires to do the same for you. My life is far from perfect, and I will be healing until I meet Jesus in Heaven, but my path is a lot brighter than it used to be.

If your life feels more like the first photo, cry out to God and ask for his saving grace and mercy. You will be amazed. Allow God to change the landscape of your life. The decision is up to you; please choose wisely.

Be Blessed. God loves you!

Category: Uncategorized | 2 Comments

February 1 2021

Throwing Stones

⁶They said this to test Him, hoping that they would have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and began writing on the ground with His finger. ⁷However, when they persisted in questioning Him, He straightened up and said, **“He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”** John 8:6-7

Have you ever been judged or criticized? Or were you the one diminishing someone else’s character? Truthfully, we are all guilty of speaking ill of someone.

Think about it…

It is easy to judge and make assumptions when you see a promiscuous young lady partying in the club, allowing men to disrespect her body. We may even speak negatively about her behavior. The problem with rash judgment is we are not familiar with her history. We have no idea what caused this type of behavior.

Maybe she was molested as a child, and she never developed healthy boundaries, self-respect, or self-esteem. Perhaps she modeled the behavior of those in her life. It could be she never learned the value of being a woman. We all have done things that we wish we could erase from our memory; Lord knows I have.

The same is true for the woman in the scripture. You see, she was caught in the act of adultery; people brought her before Jesus and demanded her to be stoned to death. Fortunately, Jesus looks at the heart of a person, not necessarily the behavior. Understand, I’m not disregarding this behavior or sin, for that matter.

My point is, Jesus is our savior, and he forgives our sins. If you have done things that you are not proud of, repent, express your sorrows to Jesus and turn away from your sin. Ask for forgiveness and receive it by faith. Forgive those who judged you, and forgive yourself for judging others as well.

Please take note that Jesus said, “He who is without [any] sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” The people walked away from the oldest to the youngest because no one was without sin.

Let’s be mindful of how we treat one another. A broken woman needs love, not judgment. Allow Jesus to restore and turn your life around.

Be blessed. God loves you.

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January 26 2021

Random Questions!

Hi Ladies!

I am just checking in! How are you?

I’m doing well! You know what, we are almost a month into the new year!

I pray that 2021 is off to a great start. From time to time, I love to ask myself random questions. The reason being, I like to check-in and see where my head is and what areas need to be adjusted.

Maybe you are interested in sharing the same exercise!

Please answer the questions honestly- this results in healing.

Please ponder on the following questions:

Have you submitted your heart to Jesus?
Are you seeking God for your purpose?
Are you living up to your potential?
Are you progressing in your healing?
Have you forgiven the people that hurt you in the past?
Have you forgiven yourself?
What goals have you put on the back burner?
Did you admit your faults and repent to God and the person you offended?

These are just a few questions to get you thinking. The intention is not for you to judge yourself. Show yourself grace and love; open your heart to healing and growth. I am very proud of you!

Be blessed. God loves you!

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