I ran track in High School. I wasn't the best on the team, but I wasn't the worst one either, and that was good enough for me.

I remember how grueling our practices were. I grew up in NYC and depending on the time of year and the weather conditions, our after-school sports practices took place indoors. Every time it rained, we would run down the hallways and up and down the stairs at school. We'd repeat this for what seemed like an eternity, and right before, we were all ready to pass out.

In our first few competitions, I competed in the 440-yard dash. I wasn't first, but I wasn't last either, and that was good enough for me. But, one day, my coach decided to change my starting line and wanted me to compete in the 800-meter race. My response was sheer dismay! What in the world was he thinking? I haven't trained for the 800-meter race! There was no way that I could do this. And just like any great coach, he gave me his pep talk and told me all I had to do was finish the race. Don't worry about where you place or your finishing time; what matters is that you finish the race.

As the world turns, my mind spins as I try to be grounded in God's word. While I'm still living in this world of sin. I became a new creation once I again accepted Jesus into my heart to develop a relationship with him as a lost adult in this fallen world. I even got baptized during the first phase of the pandemic in 2020 at Fort De Soto Beach in actual beach water. A real dunk. Our faith was shown around people who got to see our witness on that Saturday as they were just hanging out at the beach. A certificate hangs in my bedroom above my work desk signed by Pastor T himself. A recognition with my name displayed that I claimed Jesus as my Lord and Savior …. Yet I have fought more from the day I prayed in October of 2019 to my writing this blog. The battles are nothing more than the battlefield of life. The battles weren't the problem since I knew how to fight. Life has taught that lesson the hard way. I entered the war for my soul when I decided to follow Jesus.

A few years ago, I was reading through the book of Numbers, which in Hebrew it is referred to as "in the wilderness". Prior to reading this a friend advised me that I was having a wilderness experience in my own life. It took me a while to process because I was not sure what I was supposed to be doing in this season. Until God showed me, I was in a place of preparation. He wanted to give me instruction on how to live when I entered my own promised land. He started revealing things about me that I needed to change, and He showed me things that had to be removed, like my old views of myself, Him, and my calling. Instead of wandering, God was showing me how to be still and stop thinking I can figure it out on my own, instead I needed to follow His leadings. One of the things he revealed was…

Pain changes us. Often hard to focus on anything else, we sometimes become consumed with anger while other times we become numb. Either way, we are continuing to focus on the hurt, which only inflicts greater pain that keeps us stuck in spiritual warfare. Sometimes we are blessed to find purpose in pain. Whether immediate or delayed, choosing instead to focus on the lesson affords us the gift of growth and draws us closer to God.

Little girls often look to their fathers for value and love. For many, entrusting one’s heart in this way is a beautiful daily reminder of worth that propels us forward in life and lends a hand in growing up to be strong, confident women secure in who we are and what we mean to this world.

“As I said, I have friends, close friends, and family that have been some of my biggest supporters and source of counsel when I need them. As I look around the Atlanta area, though, my friends are few and far between here. And as I plan for my future self, I’ve found that my goals have a lot to do with the fact that I have to step out of my reclusive world and engage with those around me in a way that connects who I am with whom I want to be. I need to be inspired by others; questioned by others; welcomed by others; loved by others; in communicating and collaborating with others. More than that though, I need to offer the space for others to get these things from me. This, I think, is what I should be incorporating into my interactions in the next year- no, three years - to come.

So, it’s up to me! I need to establish a welcoming environment for the me I strive to be, never forgetting the progress I’ve made thus far and remembering to stay under Him and His vision for me. At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple: friends will only come to my birthday party if

a) I have friends and

b) I have a birthday party.

With that, I know that the only way to find intimacy and friendship with others is through genuine fellowship.”

Is there anyone out there that hates olives as much as I do? Ugh! I find them to be so distasteful and unappealing as well. And, I absolutely hate when I bite into one by accident. I’m that person that usually doesn’t fuss when my server doesn’t get my order to my exact specifications. I can live with it and go on, especially if I am starving. But if I forget to mention to remove the olives or the server forgets that one important detail, then hands down, we’ve got to fix this error immediately! There are no exceptions to this rule for this girl right here! But if I am honest with you, once I found out the story behind the olives, I learned to admire them, even from a distance. Especially since, I actually love the end product - olive oil. I won’t eat the olives, but I absolutely love the oil that it produces. This tiny little fruit produces such a powerful punch and what it endures to produce its unique oil needs to be noted.

Olive trees and the abundance of oil they produce were very significant in the lives of the people of the Bible. It was a leading agricultural product, an important part of their diet, and part of their religious practices.

The most common use of olives and the oil they produced was the source of light for the people-lamp stands and in the temple, the light of this flame symbolized God's presence.

Do you know that your life right now can be compared to that of an olive?

But do you know what an olive has to go through before it produces oil?