When I was 10 years old, I remember feeling like the only person who hadn’t been “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Growing up in a Pentecostal context, our church was trying to recreate the infamous Acts 2 Upper Room moment—the…
Supporting the one you love with mental illness
I was first exposed to the conversation on mental illness when I began dating my husband in 2016. When we met, he was writing an article about the church, and it’s often, poor response to mental illness. Very early on…
standing up to bias is a biblical calling
Last October, Charles and I drove 28 hours to Austin from New York. We left Long Island early on a Friday morning and drove all the way to Atlanta to visit some of my favorite little girl cousins. On Day…
If you’re feeling purposeless in #coronatimes
If you’re reading this, you’re either in mandatory self-quarantine, social distancing, or at a healthcare facility. We’ve been avoiding travel and keeping to ourselves. The more I watch the news or step into an empty grocery store, the more nervous…
Marry whoever you want, whenever you want.
On the eve of my twenty-first birthday, my sister texted me this message. Dad wants me to give him your Facebook password. I thought you should know. That day I had forced myself to the university gym. I had been…
The Time I Got Scammed.
My husband Charles and I went to the Trail of Lights in Austin, TX. Every year, Austin hosts a holiday trail at Zilker Park. The event hosts tons of concessions, entertainment, food, etc. On our way to the trail, a…
Ten to Twenty – The Decade Recap
At the start of the decade, I graduated from high school. At my graduation prayer meeting, my then almost roommate and I made a vow that we would “blossom in college.” And genuinely, I thought I would. I was ready…
Snitches get stitches
A friend of mine thought I had “snitched” about an issue important to her. That wasn’t the case. Somehow, someone found out and that news had gone through the land. Often the way it does when you belong to a…
Where lies your treasure?
Charles and I left New York City in a bit of a frenzy. We had abruptly lost a job and couldn’t afford to live in our Manhattan apartment. We hadn’t planned to leave New York, and we sure as hell,…