If you guys have been following this little blog for any length of time, then you know I usually take off during Christmas to some desert island (Hello St. Croix & Mexico) or beautiful, little house in the woods (Hi Nashville, Tennessee) or go snow tubing near the Rocky Mountains (Bonjour Denver, Colorado!) I typically enjoy these excursions with my oldest bestie, but this year we’re making it a Cleveland kind of Christmas. This is perfectly fine with me and BJ as we’ve gotten our tree up, our stockings hung, and our gifts, well, almost wrapped.

Not only am I staying home with my loved ones this holiday season, but I also recently took a trip to another place that’s considered home: Toledo, Ohio.

My Uncle invited me to speak to a group of 6th-grade girls in my birth city, and I had no idea just how impactful it would be for both them and myself.

My trusty photographer and I hit the highway in the wee hours of the morning (dear God, why is there such a thing as 5 AM?) and made the two-hour commute to behold their excited, smiling faces. I hadn’t really thought about how it would appear to a group of pre-teen girls, me rolling in with my camera crew (is it really a crew if it’s just one person, though?) and gliding along my self-published books in my super bougie suitcase. LOL. But now, looking back, I see how easy it would be to be glamoured by an adult who looks like you with dark brown skin, a cute burgundy vest that just so happens to match the school colors, and her commanding air of confident authority.

In all honesty, I had nothing pre-planned. My heart has been its own roadmap of emotions, and I simply didn’t have the capacity. I knew I would just need to lean on Holy Spirit. And guess what? It worked.

I wanted them to know they had options. Growing up, I was told there was only one way. One career. But my journey has shown me that that is not the case. 

Sometimes we can even demonstrate them simultaneously, just as I did with bookkeeping and writing.

I assured the girls the benefit they have is that this generation has many taking the unbeaten path of entrepreneurship. There are even college programs that can prepare them, giving them a head start in a way that some of us have had to navigate via painful trial and error.

Talking to them was empowering for me because in being so focused on looking ahead, it’s been easy to miss how far I’ve come.

As we visited my old stomping grounds, looking behind was a theme. I stood on the soil of a preschool hidden inside a Baptist church that served as the foundation for my faith. I treasure blurry memories of the sisters there, teaching me to tie my shoes, or helping me to pull a tooth, or walking down the aisle to give my mother my first diploma. The one where I graduated from kindergarten. I started there many years ago and hadn’t visited in decades. It was a sight to behold.

We are working on documenting all of these things, so my cameraman caught priceless, special moments: me interacting with the girls, visiting with my relatives, and admiring the old church where so much of my foundation of faith and academia was crafted. Even the sudden radio interview I got to do with iHeart radio. WOW.

These are the moments in life that you can’t adequately prepare for, but it is everything you’ve experienced up until that point that has qualified you. I did not need a speech ready for those girls because, for the last several decades, I was living that speech. I was leaning into the Spirit to lead, guide, and reveal the path of life. I was ready.

When we are walking in purpose, all things are in alignment. We don’t have to stress and fret over the next door of opportunity. We just need to be in the right spot for when it pops open.

I was in the right spot. 

In case you’re interested, click here to check out my interview on iHeart radio with Fred Lefebvre.

And if a picture is worth a thousand words, then I will end on this note:

In other news, did you know that I just dropped the pre-sale for my debut novel When Love Wins? You can check out more here! This time around there is an audiobook in addition to the eBook and paperback versions. Make sure you are subscribed to my email list to catch special offers, discounts, insider information, and more!

Are you on Instagram/Facebook? If so, please reach out. I have a series called “Word of the Day Wednesdays” where I share 5-10 minutes worth of nuggets that are on my heart, which I hope are encouraging to others on IGTV/FB Live! I have these also posted on my Youtube Channel.

And, lastly, if you have read “Stories for the (Urban) Soul, please put up an Amazon review here. I was SUPER encouraged and blessed when a new reader put up her review for my 2nd book which you can view here :).

As always, thank you for your support!

SHALOM