when thinking about my last few weeks in NC and the almost week that i’ve spent in phoenix, i realize that a lot of that time served as my emancipation. not to say that i wasn’t already free or whatever but it was a point of letting go, breaking ties, and evolution. at the same time, it was weird because i met people and became close to people at the end of my time who are really important to me now. as i’ve said before, i don’t doubt that god places people in your life for a reason…

i’m grateful for this period of emancipation. a time where i can really be myself and i get a clear view of who i’m becoming. and i’m also grateful for those people who have come along at this point in my life. people who i didn’t really know before the month of july are people that i talk to on the regular. y’all are the best…you know who you are.

my time with my family has been great too…shouts to twilla for telling me to go home and spend time with the fam before i get away again. it’s very therapeutic in some senses…to feel the love and the strength of the family unit before i head to athens where i’ll be alone in sense of people, but i’ll be strong in my network of sisters and brothers in christ. i’m excited about heading to georgia in like…10 days…because after all “the will of God will not take us where the grace of God cannot sustain us” (quoted from Rev. Billy Graham).

so here i am…emanicpated and loving it…

“just when the caterpillar thought it was over, it became a butterfly…”

“there came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom” ~anais nin

“there’s been a change in me/was blind but now i see/GOD gave me victory/and he did it SUDDENLY/He changed the way i walked/He changed the way i talked/He changed my attitude/and He did it SUDDENLY…” ~suddenly

to GOD be the glory for the things he has done:
**because of who you are i give you glory…i worship you because of who you are…
**lord make me over…make me over again…
**who am i that you are mindful of me…that you hear me when i call…
**there will never be a friend as dear to me as you

peace and blessings

so i’ve been at home…home being phoenix, az…for almost a week now, and i realize that living the simple life has been good. don’t let me be mistaken…i’ve talked before about how i’m very grateful for the things that my educational experiences have afforded me. and when looking at tangible things…i would say that carolina has forced me to not only realize, but to understand that there are MUCH finer things existing outside of my hometown of hillsborough. i’ve met several people who have been very blessed with very nice THINGS…and i have been blessed with very nice things as well.

however, being here has given me such a great appreciation of the simple things…having dinner with my family, helping my sisters study spanish, watching my brother play playstation. because i have been in a different state, i’ve missed out on a lot of these opportunities. i’m glad i’m here now though, playing catch up and enjoying family life before i head off to athens.

so here’s to the simple things in life…dinner with family, short but sweet conversations with friends to catch up, trips to the grocery store…all those experiences that we tend to overlook because we’ve been too caught up in the GETTING FROM life instead of the LIVING OF life. begin every day as if it were on purpose…