For us, today is extra special because we are celebrating our wedding anniversary, with plans to continue the celebration this weekend.

This week’s blog is simply dedicated to us and this beautiful journey called life! #gratefulheart

We were young, very young, and both incredibly determined. Before meeting my husband, I had only dated two other guys. Once I met him, I knew I was not interested in dating anyone else. For me, it was love at first sight. It was his eyes, his smile and broad shoulders, that immediately caught my attention! #myveryownDenzelWashington (smile)

To be honest, even through the rough patches we faced early on, I have never regretted my decision to marry him. He was and continues to be one of the greatest blessings in my life.

Thirty-eight years later, we are still here. We have walked through some challenges, celebrated some great victories, and experienced some unimaginable losses, all while navigated this life as parents, grandparents, siblings and friends,

We are both dreamers, who love the Lord and enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle. I am grateful that my husband is always willing to join me on some of my crazy adventures, like trips to Disney (as adults) and private boat rides in Jamaica. Even more, I love that he shares my heart for reaching out and helping others. #mylover #mybestfriend

As I work on book number two, he graciously gives me the space to write… and write I do! This month alone, the blog reached more than 5,000 unique visitors (so far). Apparently, that last post really resonated with some people, so I guess I’ll keep writing. 

And, I make space for him to do what he loves, as well, like sports (i.e. basketball), and tackling different projects around the house, and thankfully, there are plenty available for him to tackle.

My encouragement to couples, especially younger ones is this: communicate often, dream big dreams together, and courageously embrace the new adventures as they come. The years will pass quickly, so cherish each season!

We have something very special happening soon, and I cannot wait to share it with you (so stay tuned).

Until then, be encouraged and remember to run the race that the Lord has set before you. Don’t live your life comparing yourself or your marriage to others.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders… and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

Thirty-eight years later, and by God’s grace, we are still in this together.

Terence, I love you very much! Happy Anniversary my love… #38YearsAndCounting

This week’s fitness update is dedicated to one simple truth: consistency is key! 

The scale may not always move as quickly as we would like, but progress is happening. One of the biggest victories I’m celebrating right now is that I’m building muscle & creating healthier habits that hopefully, I can sustain for the long haul.

Another win? The constant “food noise (after stopping the GLP1, I was on)” is beginning to lessen. While I’m still finding substitutes for some of my favorite sweet treats, I’m learning that every healthy choice adds up. This journey isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress.

Most days, I’m reaching 10,000 steps, although my goal remains to walk 3 miles Monday through Friday. Some days feel easy, and other days it takes everything I have to keep moving. Life gets busy. Energy levels fluctuate. Motivation comes and goes. But consistency means showing up anyway.

What I’m discovering is that success isn’t built in one extraordinary workout. It’s built in the ordinary moments when you choose to keep going. It’s choosing the walk when you’d rather sit. It’s making the healthier choice when the easier option is calling your name. It’s believing that small, daily actions will eventually produce big results.

If you’re on a fitness journey too, I want to encourage you today: don’t underestimate the power of consistency. Celebrate the small wins. Honor the progress you’ve made. Give yourself grace on the hard days, but don’t quit.

As believers, we know that discipline and perseverance are not just physical principles, they are spiritual ones as well. God often works through the small, faithful steps we take each day. We may not see all the results immediately, but He is developing strength, endurance, and character along the way.

So this week, keep moving forward. One step at a time. One mile at a time. One healthy choice at a time.

The journey continues, and by God’s grace, so will I.

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

There is something special about putting words on a page.

For me, writing has always been therapeutic. It has been a place to process life’s challenges, celebrate victories, work through questions, and document God’s faithfulness. In fact, my first published piece was in the third grade. I had no idea then that decades later, writing would still be one of the ways God would allow me to connect with others.

I first accepted Christ at the age of 11 while navigating the loss of my dad (my boom, boom) and other close family members & friends. But it was in my early twenties, after rededicating my life to the Lord, that my faith became deeply personal. I began reading the Bible with fresh eyes and a hungry heart. The truths I discovered didn’t just inspire me, they transformed me.

As a young wife and mother, journaling became one of my greatest companions. Those notebooks held my prayers, struggles, dreams, questions, and lessons learned. They became a record of God’s faithfulness and a reminder that growth happens one step at a time.

Looking back, I can see how those moments shaped who I am today.

One of the coolest things about this season of life is realizing that people actually take the time to read what I write. Every week, I sit down and share a piece of my heart, and every week someone reads it, relates to it, comments on it, or shares it with someone else.

That never gets old.

In a world filled with endless content, the fact that someone would spend a few moments reading my thoughts is both humbling and encouraging. It reminds me that our stories matter. Not because we are extraordinary, but because God can use ordinary people to encourage others in extraordinary ways.

My goal has never been to have all the answers.

I simply want to share a little love, a little encouragement, a little laughter, and hopefully a reminder that God is present in the everyday moments of life.

Whether I’m writing about faith, family, fitness, marriage, personal growth, or the occasional chaos that comes with life, my prayer remains the same: that every post points people toward the love of Jesus Christ.

Because He is my everything.

He is the source of my strength, my peace, my hope, and my joy. He is the reason I continue to write. Every lesson I’ve learned, every victory I’ve experienced, and every storm I’ve survived has been possible because of His grace.

So thank you.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for encouraging me. Thank you for allowing me to share this journey with you.

As long as God gives me stories to tell and lessons to share, I’ll keep showing up week after week, doing what I’ve loved since third grade; writing.

And if through these words someone finds hope, encouragement, or takes one step closer to Christ, then I would consider every post, worth it……

A Word of Encouragment

Whether it’s writing a blog, starting a business, launching a ministry, recording a song, writing a book, or pursuing a dream that has been tucked away in your heart for years, putting yourself out there can feel vulnerable. There are no guarantees about how people will respond. There will always be opportunities to second-guess yourself, compare your journey to someone else’s, or wonder if what you have to offer really matters.

But I’ve learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear, it’s choosing to move forward anyway.

Many of the dreams God places in our hearts require faith before we ever see the results. They require us to take that first step, write that first page, post that first blog, launch that first project, or simply believe that God can use our willingness and obedience for His glory.

I’m grateful that I didn’t allow fear to silence my voice. Week after week, I continue to create, share, and trust God with the outcome. Not because everything I write is perfect, but because I believe the gifts He gives us are meant to be used. Somewhere along the way, I’ve discovered that obedience often opens doors that fear would have kept closed.

So if God has placed a dream in your heart, don’t ignore it. Nurture it. Pray over it. Take action toward it. Trust Him with the process. You never know whose life may be encouraged, strengthened, or impacted because you chose to step out in faith.

This week, our daughter and son-in-law came home for a quick visit to handle some work-related obligations and reconnect with a few friends. Along with their luggage, they brought their two dogs.

Add those two to our one-year-old German Shepherd, Teddy, and suddenly we had three dogs, three very different personalities, and enough chaos to keep us on our toes all week long.

To say these dogs gave us a run for our money would be an understatement.

Our daughter and son-in-law had various activities planned throughout the week, which meant we got the privilege of spending lots of quality time with the dogs. Teddy was thrilled. In his mind, visitors had arrived, and life couldn’t get any better.

The other two dogs? Not so much.

They were older, calmer, and quite honestly seemed a little annoyed by Teddy’s endless enthusiasm. While Teddy bounced around excitedly, they looked at him as if to say, “Please settle down.”

But Teddy remained completely unmoved.

No matter how much the other dogs ignored him, no matter how many times they gave him “the look,” Teddy refused to let their mood affect his own. He stayed joyful. He stayed excited. He stayed authentically and unapologetically himself.

He didn’t change who he was to gain acceptance. He didn’t tone down his enthusiasm because others weren’t matching his energy. He wasn’t concerned with fitting in or being understood. Teddy simply showed up as the joyful, positive dog God created him to be.

And honestly, there’s a lesson in that for all of us.

Somewhere along the way, many of us learn to shrink ourselves, dim our light, or adjust our attitudes based on the reactions of others. But Teddy reminded me that there is freedom in being comfortable with who God created you to be. Not arrogant. Not insensitive. Just secure enough to remain joyful, hopeful, and positive regardless of what is happening around you.

Watching him this week made me think about life.

How often do we allow circumstances, or the attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of others, to determine our joy? How many times do we walk into a room feeling positive and leave carrying someone else’s frustration? How often do we surrender our peace because things aren’t unfolding the way we expected?

The truth is, life has a way of bringing both calm and chaos. Some days feel smooth and predictable. Other days feel like three dogs running through the house with completely different agendas.

Yet in the middle of it all, God invites us to maintain our peace.

One scripture that came to mind this week was Isaiah 26:3:

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

Maybe that’s what Teddy unintentionally taught me this week.

Peace isn’t the absence of chaos. Peace is maintaining your composure in the middle of it.

It’s learning to enjoy the journey even when everything around you feels noisy and unpredictable. It’s trusting God through the ups and downs. It’s choosing joy when circumstances suggest otherwise.

It’s waking up each day and deciding that your attitude belongs to you and God, not to the opinions, moods, or actions of everyone around you.

So here’s my encouragement for this week:

Don’t allow the world to steal your joy. Don’t allow someone else’s bad day to become your bad day. And Most Importantly, Don’t allow temporary circumstances to rob you of lasting peace.

Like Teddy, stay excited about the blessings God has placed in front of you. Stay hopeful. Stay joyful. Stay expectant.

And above all, enjoy the journey and embrace the moments—even the chaotic ones.

After all, sometimes God uses three dogs with three different personalities to remind us what peace really looks like.

As an African American woman, I already knew my hair would be an important part of my fitness journey.

Increased heart rate can lead to sweating out hairstyles, edges fighting for survival, wash days multiplying, and figuring out gym hairstyles that still look halfway decent afterward…

Especially now, as we head into the summer months.

Because nothing humbles you faster than walking out of the gym looking like your workout had a personal vendetta against your silk press.

But somewhere between the sweating, the increased heart rate, the weight training, the battle with sugar cravings, and working to become healthier mentally, spiritually, and physically… God started showing me something deeper:

Consistency matters more than my comfort!

And honestly, that lesson shows up in so many other areas of life too.

The last few days, I’ve been in Proverbs (chapters 1–7), and those chapters have been sitting on my heart as I write this week’s blog. Over and over, Solomon talks about wisdom, discipline, instruction, self-control, guarding your heart, staying focused, and not turning away from the right path.

This journey requires intentionality, and I’m learning that it is not about perfection! It’s about awareness.

And remember that becoming healthier is not punishment — it’s stewardship.

Prayer:

Lord, thank You for carrying us through every season, even the seasons where growth feels slow, uncomfortable, or unseen. As we enter the summer months, help us to walk in wisdom, discipline, joy, and balance. Teach us how to care for ourselves spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically without losing softness, femininity, or peace along the way.

Help us to stay consistent even when motivation fades. Give us strength to make healthier choices, grace for the days we fall short, and wisdom to keep getting back up. Protect our hearts, guide our minds, and remind us that true transformation begins within.

May this summer be filled with laughter, healing, confidence, freedom, growth, beautiful memories, deeper faith, and renewed strength.

And Lord… please help our hairstyles survive these workouts and this humidity.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Happy Summer, friends. Let’s keep growing anyway.

This month’s fitness journey has been about far more than weight loss. It has become a lesson in discipline, self-awareness, stress management, and learning how to care for myself differently in this season of life.

One thing I’ve learned is that health truly impacts how you show up in the world. My recent weight gain started affecting my energy, mobility, confidence, and even my mood day to day. And as a woman of a certain age, I realize now more than ever that mobility is essential. I don’t just want to lose weight — I want strength, endurance, flexibility, and the ability to move well for years to come.

Because of that, I’ve started adding weight training into my routine. Slowly, but consistently. I’m learning that building strength matters just as much as cardio. Strength training is helping me feel more capable physically and mentally, and honestly, it’s becoming empowering in ways I didn’t expect.

Another lesson? What you eat and when you eat it, matters more than I realized.

I’ve been paying closer attention to how certain foods affect my body, energy, and cravings. One real area of struggle for me lately has been sugar… especially candy!. Whew. That’s the truth. I’m learning that minimizing sugar isn’t just about appearance; it’s about feeling better overall. Less sluggishness. Less emotional eating. More balance.

This process is teaching me that discipline is often built in the small daily decisions nobody else sees.

I’m also discovering the importance of relieving stress in healthy ways. These 3-mile walks have become more than exercise for me. They’ve become quiet time. Reflection time. Prayer time. Mental reset time. Movement has helped me process emotions, clear my thoughts, and reconnect with myself.

And the good news? My knee is finally feeling much better. That alone feels like progress worth celebrating. Looks like I will be ready for a few races next year -in no time. This also means; inclines and leg raises are back in my workouts, which felt impossible not too long ago.

I think one of the greatest life lessons in this season is understanding that fitness is not punishment. It’s stewardship! It’s choosing to honor the body God gave me and creating habits that support the life I want to live.

No perfection over here. Just intentional progress.

A Word Of Encouragement

If you’re on this journey too, I want to encourage you not to give up on yourself.

Real change rarely happens overnight. Some days you’ll feel motivated and strong… and other days you’ll wrestle with old habits, exhaustion, emotional eating, stress, or discouragement. I’m learning that health is not about perfection, it’s about making the choice, over and over again, to care for the body, mind, and life God has entrusted to us.

Every healthy decision is an act of self-respect and stewardship.

And if you’ve fallen off track recently, this is your reminder that you can begin again today. Not next Monday. Not next month. Today.

Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for giving us the opportunity to grow, heal, and become stronger; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Help us to honor our bodies with wisdom and discipline. Give us strength on the days we feel weak, discouraged, overwhelmed, or tempted to return to habits that no longer serve us.

Teach us to care for ourselves without guilt and to understand that rest, nourishment, movement, and peace are all forms of stewardship.

May we learn to love ourselves enough to choose what is healthy, life-giving, and sustainable. And may this journey not only transform our bodies, but also our minds, confidence, and hearts.

One decision at a time.
One day at a time.

Amen.

Well… we’re here now. #newseason

Our youngest has graduated college and is preparing to begin a marketing internship in less than a week. And suddenly, I find myself standing in a brand new season, learning what it means to slowly release control and trust God even deeper.

I have been a mother my entire adult life. My husband and I married young, and became parents as teenagers. So when you see us celebrating milestones like this, you are witnessing something deeper than achievement, you are witnessing the faithfulness of God over our little family.

In our early twenties, Terence and I rededicated our lives back to the Lord and made a decision to put Him first. Since then, we have had a front row seat to His perfect work, watching Him show up again and again in ways only He can.

I stand in awe!

Still, if I am honest, one of the hardest parts of motherhood is surrender. Releasing them little by little… while trusting they were never truly ours to begin with. They have always been safely held in THE FATHER’S loving hands.

So here I am…

A son graduated.  

A daughter newly married and stepping into her next chapter.  

A new season of writing, blogging, and completing my second book, while continuing to follow God’s lead and prioritize my health.

Choosing obedience. Choosing the fear of the Lord.

And even in this quiet beginning, God is still speaking. Even with only one blog post this month, we are already nearing 2,000 visits. I haven’t pushed it or promoted it heavily, yet messages of encouragement keep coming in. And I know, this is not by my strength. When God assigns it, He breathes on it.

So in this season of surrender, I will keep following His lead.  

Keeping my eyes fixed on Him.  

And sharing as He leads.

To every mother stepping into a new season, whether it’s empty nesting, releasing grown children, or simply learning to let go in new ways, you are not alone. God is with you in the shifting. He is faithful in the letting go just as much as He was in the holding on.

We are held too.

Lord, thank You for every mother reading this. Strengthen her heart in this new season. Give her peace in the releasing, trust in the unknown, and confidence that You are guiding every step of her children’s lives. Remind her that what she placed in Your hands is safer than anything she could ever control. Cover her with Your peace that surpasses understanding. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

As Mother’s Day approaches and I find myself on the verge of another family milestone, I feel the absence of my mother in a deep and tender way. It’s been six years since she passed, yet there are still moments when grief shows up quietly, unannounced, but familiar.

This time of year has a way of stirring both gratitude and ache at the same time.

I want to take a moment to honor my mother, and also celebrate mothers everywhere, especially those whose quiet sacrifices often go unseen.

I became a mother at a very young age, still learning myself while stepping into one of life’s greatest responsibilities. In many ways, I was growing up and raising children at the same time, holding on to the lessons my own mother had already planted in me.

My father passed when I was very young, around the age of four, so my mother raised me as a single mom. She was strong and steady, intentional in the way she parented. She carried wisdom, resilience, grace, and yes, like all of us, she also carried some pain.

As a young girl, she would read Scripture aloud to my great-grandmother. That love for God never left her. She introduced me to Jesus and taught me the importance of prayer. Because of her, and my great-grandmother, I always knew we were covered in prayer. Looking back, I realize those prayers became a spiritual inheritance that still carries me today.

My mother was full of wisdom. She worked hard, cooked meals from scratch, and still made time to care for others. She carried both strength and softness in the same hands.

And through it all, you never questioned whether you were loved.

I miss her smile.
I miss her touch.
I miss the way she called my name.
I miss our conversations about the Bible.

There is a kind of loss that comes from losing both parents that is hard to put into words. At times, it feels like walking through life without the covering you once knew, navigating milestones, holidays, and everyday moments without the voices that once anchored you. There are moments when it simply feels like absence.

One of the greatest gifts my mother gave me was permission to grow. She once told me:

“Take what you like that I did as a mother, and disregard the things you don’t.”

There was so much humility in that. So much grace. So much freedom in that kind of love.

So this Mother’s Day, I want to honor the quiet sacrifices of mothers everywhere, the sleepless nights, the unseen prayers, the emotional strength, the constant giving of self that so often goes unrecognized.

To every mother: you are seen. You are valued. You are appreciated more than words can express.

And to those who are missing their mothers, grieving a parent, or carrying quiet pain this season, I see you too!

May God bring comfort to your heart and remind you that love like a mother’s never truly leaves us.

We’re living in a time where you can feel it, love is not what it used to be.

The Bible said it plainly: “the love of many will grow cold.” And if we’re honest, we’re watching it happen right in front of us. People are more divided, more hardened, more quick to tear down than to build up. Everything feels louder, more chaotic… and yet somehow emptier at the same time.

Scripture already warned us about deception: “See that no one leads you astray” (Matthew 24:4).

This world is full of distractions, things designed to pull our attention away from what actually matters. And if we’re not careful, we attach ourselves to it without even realizing it.

But if you believe the Word of God, then you don’t just see chaos, you recognize the times. “You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:3). Everything unfolding should be waking us up, not lulling us to sleep.

For those of us who believe, for those of us who are watching and truly longing for Christ’s return, we are called to live differently.

Not perfectly. But intentionally.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).

This walk is about surrender.

Not my will… but Thy will be done (Luke 22:42).

That shows up in real life, in our choices, our relationships, our reactions, our obedience. It’s not just something we say; it’s something we live.

And let me say this, because this matters just as much…

None of it means anything if we’re not being real.

Authenticity is what connects. People don’t need perfection, they need truth. They need to see what faith looks like when it’s lived out daily. The wrestle (especially with those morning workouts…. smile). The growth. The surrender.

And I’m not talking about using filters (that’s just for fun), botox, or how you wear your hair (extensions, locs, knotless braids or not – that’s just your style – do you!)… I’m talking about being real in how we relate to one another. How we show up. How we love. How we forgive. How we extend grace when it’s not easy.

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Being real doesn’t mean you water down truth, it means you walk it out with integrity. Quietly. Consistently. Even when no one is watching.

Because that’s what sets you apart.

In a world where love is growing cold, we’re still called to love, but not the world’s version of love. A rooted, anchored, enduring love. “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14).

We also stay ready.

Not in fear, but in awareness.

“Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

That’s the posture.

Watchful. Grounded. Anchored in truth.

Because He is coming back.

And I don’t just want to say I believe that. I want my life to reflect it.

To stay ready. To stay full of faith.

That’s why this platform matters to me! Not for attention. Not to add to the noise. But to share truth. To stay rooted. To encourage anyone reading this to stay awake, stay grounded, and stay anchored in Him.

Because in the end, “the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

There’s something powerful about getting your rhythm back.

Not perfect. Not finished. But steady… consistent… intentional.

The goal? 3 miles each morning (add in weights three times a week). I can feel the shift—not just in my body, but in my mind. I’m more focused. More disciplined. More locked in.

And it’s not about chasing perfection. I’ve still got a ways to go. But it feels good to show up. It feels good to commit and follow through.

This year looks a little different, too. No races planned. It was all about the wedding, and it was worth every moment. Next year? We’ll see what’s in store. I’ll take it one step at a time and see if I’m ready to hit the road again. Right now… not yet.

My structure has been simple:
Monday through Friday—I’m all in.
Saturday—taking care of home, responsibilities, life.
Sunday—true rest. Reset. Restore.

And those morning posts? That’s my accountability. Not for validation, but for discipline. A reminder to myself that I showed up again.

Because here’s the truth—how we care for ourselves matters.

Scripture reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are temples. That means how we move, how we fuel, how we rest—it’s all part of stewardship. And in 1 Timothy 4:8, we’re reminded that physical training has value. Not everything—but it matters.

So when I wake up early, spend time in the Word, and then push my body—it’s more than a workout. It’s alignment. Spirit, mind, and body moving together.

Self-care isn’t selfish—it’s obedience. It’s discipline. It’s preparation for what God has called us to carry.

So wherever you are in your journey—start. Start imperfect. Start tired. Start unsure. Just start.

Because something shifts when you decide to show up for yourself… consistently.

And one day you’ll look up and realize—you’re not just going through the motions anymore…

You’re locked in.