This is all for now. I pray you’re having a wonderful day so far. May the rest of your day and weekend be as beautiful as you are. Remember, it’s Self-love Saturday. Don’t forget to do something extra special for yourself!♥️
Last night I attended a lecture about a local civil rights icon, Clyde Kennard. Clyde Kennard was the first African American to attempt to enroll at what’s now the University of Southern Mississippi. Although he became part of civil rights history, he wanted to enroll for the same reason as everyone else—to get an education.
Clyde Kennard’s story is one of segregation, mistreatment, betrayal, imprisonment, illness, and unwavering hope. Until his death, Mr. Kennard hoped to see a world where everyone was treated fairly, equally, and had the same educational opportunities.
Research on Clyde Kennard’s story was conducted by Dr. Sherita L. Johnson, Dr. Loren Saxton Coleman, Dr. Cheryl Jenkins, and Dr. Rebecca Tuuri. Their latest project is the book “Mixing: Race, Higher Education, and the Case of Clyde Kennard.”
So, you may be wondering why I included JET Magazine in the title. Well, much of the information gathered for the book came from the scholars (mentioned above) following the work of journalists and photographers who documented Clyde Kennard’s story in JET Magazine. Last night, they explained how Jet Magazine was the only national publication that humanized Mr. Kennard’s story.
From their lecture, I also learned that JET Magazine was one of the few national publications that conducted extensive research to present African American stories. For me, learning this was one of those indescribably beautiful moments. You see, I still have copies of JET Magazine. I look through them from time to time, but rarely stop to read the articles. I’m pretty sure I read a few of the articles when I purchased them, but I never considered the work that went into presenting those stories. This week, I plan to take a moment and read a few articles with this thought in mind.
I also have copies of Ebony, Essence, and Sister 2 Sister magazines.
Y’all, I truly love my life! If you only knew what I’m feeling right now. The only way I can describe it is Forrest Gump-ish—I’m surrounded by and standing in the midst of history.
My life and MY GOD! I can’t express it enough, I just love the way He loves me. I am truly blessed.🥰
This is all I have for now. Thanks for stopping by and reading. I pray you have a wonderful day!♥️
Singing— “I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Amen
God, thank You for allowing me to see another day and experience Your grace and blessings. I never want a day or moment to go by without acknowledging Your presence in my life.
Feeling thankful…
I pray your weekend has been lovely thus far. Wishing you a beautiful rest of the day. May it be filled with lots of love, laughter, and joy.♥️
Keep moving. You’ve come too far to give up on your dreams, goals and purpose. Just because you can’t see or feel God working, doesn’t mean He isn’t. Imagine if you were to quit today and tomorrow everything was set to fall in place. Again– Keep moving!♥️
Listen, God is always working. Don’t give up!♥️
This is all for now. I pray that you have a wonderful day. May it be filled with lots of sunshine!☀️
Sitting here scrolling through past photos from this date. Y’all, life is so random and interesting. Here are two memories from September 16th.
This first one is a screenshot of my mom’s Facebook post shared on September 16, 2021—
This made me laugh. She must have wanted Burger King badly on that day.😂 She was hilarious, and she’s so missed!
That was 2021…
This next memory is from a year later and carries a bit of sadness. It’s a video of my meals eaten between the time my mom was admitted to the hospital and September 16, 2022. I was there another month before she was released to a rehab facility. Sadly, she never recovered and was in and out of the hospital almost every other week or two until she passed in May 2023.
I imagine I was shaking my head when I took a screenshot of my mom’s post, thinking, “Now, why did she post that?” I’m pretty sure I shared it with my kids or sisters. Then, one year later, she couldn’t post anything because her right arm was paralyzed and she could barely use her left.
Y’all, life can change at the blink of an eye. Where we are today may be completely different from where we’ll be a year from now. Try to stay present as much as you can and enjoy this gift called life. Take nothing or no one for granted.
Every day I wake up with gratitude in my heart. It’s the reason I can find goodness in the smallest of things. I am so grateful to be alive. I’m truly blessed!
I pray you have a beautiful day! May it be filled with an abundance of love, joy, and peace.♥️
Today, I’m singing a new song! Yes, a new song! Smile
For those who haven’t been following my posts lately, Byron Cage’s song “Breathe” was stuck in my head for over a week. I’m not sure when I stopped hearing it because I was definitely hearing it when I woke up yesterday morning. However, today, I’m singing a new song, which I’m pretty sure was inspired by today’s messages—God’s goodness.
“Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of God.” –Author Unknown
Y’all, it’s true. From the moment that I wake up until I go to sleep, I am always thinking about God’s goodness surrounding me. This doesn’t mean I don’t feel pain, hurt, or have disappointments—because I’m human and do—but it means that I always manage to see God’s goodness. Many times I see it in the smallest things—things we often take for granted, like our senses—the ability to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste. Right now, I hear a little birdie singing and an owl hooting somewhere in the distance. Side note: If you haven’t noticed, I love hearing birds sing. I also love hearing roosters crow—something I miss about being in the country.
Anyhoo… I was about to get side tracked. But yeah, I’m hearing and singing a new song. At least for the moment.
This is all for now. I pray you have a beautiful day! May it be filled with lots of love, joy, and peace.♥️
I really didn’t know what to title this post because I didn’t want to do a third part of “Air I Breathe.” But here I am still writing about the song I’ve been waking up to, hearing throughout the day, and falling asleep to for a week now. Today’ I’m sharing the lyrics to the entire song. Maybe once I get it out, I won’t hear it anymore. Don’t get me wrong, the song isn’t a bad song or annoying. Honestly, it’s actually quite soothing. But I would really like to hear something else.
Here are the lyrics—
Breathe by Byron Cage
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your Holy presence Living in me
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your Holy presence Living in me
This is my daily bread This is my daily bread Your very Word Spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your Holy presence Living in me
This is my daily bread This is my daily bread Your very Word Spoken to me
And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you And I, I’m desperate for you And I, I’m lost without you
This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe
So the song title is actually “Breathe.”🤷🏽♀️ As I mentioned before, the song is really soothing. It’s a nice, slow-paced worship song. However, I would really like to hear something else if it’s God’s will. I had to add this caveat because I don’t want to speak against God’s will. Amen
Anyhoo…
This is all I have for now. Remember, it’s Self-Love Saturday. Be sure to do something extra nice for yourself.♥️
***I wanted to add this. Just thinking about how I wrote, “I don’t want to speak anything against God’s will.” Y’all, I truly respect God’s will. I truly honor Him. He’s too good to me for me not to. Amen
I’m still singing Byron Cage’s song “Air I Breathe (or Breathe).” Started singing it on Saturday and haven’t been able to shake it since. Thanking God for His holy presence surrounding me and living within me.
How was your extended weekend?
Mine was good! My daughter arrived on Thursday and left yesterday morning. I hated to see her leave, but I enjoyed every minute of our time together. We had a few of our deep conversations while she was here. We didn’t dance, sing, or laugh much this time (we did laugh, just not as much). This time, our conversations were more serious—ones we needed to have. I’m so grateful God placed her in my life. She’s my blessing.
On Saturday, I spent the day volunteering with a local nonprofit for the International Day of Charity. Y’all, it was so hot! I sweated so much that salt was literally coming out of my pores. I believe it was over 100° F and humid. Listen, it’s not always the heat that leaves you drained; it’s the humidity. I would post before and after pics, but I’m too embarrassed. Y’all, I looked a mess after it was over.😂 Aside from the heat and humidity, I enjoyed every minute of being outside and serving our guests. When I got home, I showered, ate, and went to sleep. Didn’t wake up until after midnight. Yeah… I was tired!
Yesterday, Labor Day, I relaxed a little but still worked some. My sister and her little ones stopped by for a quick visit yesterday evening. So I got to love on them for a minute. I’m so proud of the youngest one because he’s finally fully potty trained, and he was happy to announce that he’s now a big boy. I just love my nieces and nephews. They’re my little hearts.
Anyhoo… that was my extended weekend. This morning, I’m enjoying God’s presence. My heart is full.
Listen, be intentional about recognizing and enjoying the blessings God has placed in your life. They are some of the greatest gifts.
***By the way, today is my 100th Day of posting.🎉 Smiling because I remember when I was so bent on not breaking my 1,800+ day streak. What a ride that was!😊
Singing “Air I Breathe” by Byron Cage. Feel free to sing and worship along. The song says—
“This is the air I breathe This is the air I breathe Your holy presence Living in me…”
Y’all, God is so good. I am so thankful His presence surrounds and lives in me. Amen
Not only is today Self-Love Saturday, but it’s the International Day of Charity. While you’re showing yourself a little love, please consider supporting one of your local charities. So many people are in need, and anything you can give—even if all you can afford to give is your time—will go a long way. Believe me, your little is someone’s blessing.🙏🏽
This is all for the moment. Wishing you a wonderfully blessed day.♥️
Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of celebrating my friend Ms. Raylawni’s 85th birthday with her. Y’all, she had so much fun! I am so grateful and blessed that God brought us together. I’m so thankful for divine connections. I love my friend.
This past Sunday, we spent the day together laughing and reminiscing about the “good old days,” which was actually me listening to her tell stories about her amazing life. We also watched the Roberta Flack documentary. Y’all, Roberta was a fascinating human being! I was so in awe of her story. Did you know she produced music under the name Rubina Flake? They described Rubina as her alter ego, saying she became a bolder person as Rubina.
I can’t express enough how grateful I am for life. I’m so grateful and blessed that God’s allowed me to live it as I have. To have witnessed and experienced all I have through the eyes of others.
Y’all, life is meant to be lived!
Sitting here thinking about one of Ms. Raylawni’s friends, Ms. Cee, who I spent an evening with last week. Now, her story is one for the books. She was a professional dancer in her younger years, and later a studio owner. The way she described her life was like that of a Hallmark and Lifetime movie. A little love and lots of drama.
Please allow me a moment of gratitude:
God, thank You for loving me! For allowing me to witness Your greatness in real time. I do not take Your love, goodness, or kindness for granted. I know that I am blessed—truly blessed🙏🏽
This is all I have for now. Listen, if you want to truly live, sit and stay in God’s presence. He will give you experiences that will satisfy your soul. Yeah…His experiences are soul deep!
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