For His Glory

 In 2024, I read the least amount of books than I had in the past five years: 16.5 to be exact. But getting married and planning a wedding took up a lot of my time, so I'm blaming the low book count on that, hehe 🙈. Did I just breeze by the fact that I got married when the majority of my blog has been focused on singleness? Yes, I did. (But that deserves its own blog post.) Post wedding, I'm looking forward to more books, more writing, and engaging with more readers. So for now, here's all the books I read last year. 1. Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan I found this book at Second Story Books in Rockville, MD, and I loved it. I'm a big fan of books and television set in the 90's. The women in this book were so relatable, and it just goes to show that women today are still going through the same things as women 30 years ago. Also, this book was written from multiple perspectives, which I love! 2. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talki...

If you talk to a Richmond native, many of them will say there's not much to do in the city. But as a Richmond transplant, I feel like I'm always finding new activities, festivals, and events to enjoy. There's several articles on things to do in RVA, but they're a bit outdated. Many new businesses have opened up in the last year, and they deserve attention. So enjoy this list of three unique and fun things to do in Richmond, VA!  Winter is the time to stay in, cozy up, and enjoy the holiday season. Check out these three unique things to do in Richmond when the weather gets cold. Pour a candle and sip wine at Wick & Sip Candle Lounge. Eat a full-course meal while watching a movie at Cinebistro. Take Instagram-worthy pictures at one of Richmond's four selfie museums. Pour a Candle and Sip Wine at Wick & Sip I am a candle addict, and I was over the moon when I found out that a Black-owned candle lounge had opened right in the heart of downtown Richmond. At Wick ...

I John 3:1b: The reason the world does not recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize Him. (TPT) Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. (KJV)   * Note: I originally wrote this on March 24, 2021, and I just got around to posting this. I’m in a much better head space now, but I think it still needs to be shared. I’m reading a not-yet-published devotional I finished in March 2020 (I'm going through the devotional for myself because I really need it right now.) and 1 John 3:1 was listed in one of the chapters focusing on validation. I’m fairly certain that I originally put it in concentrating on part a: “Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children." But today, the Holy Spirit had me read the second part of the verse, and tears formed in my eyes.  I’ve been at a low point recently, feeling like a zombie version of myself. Insecure, sad, lo...

You don't need me to tell you how bad 2020 has been. From Covid-19, to being at home for 9 months, to missing friends, to social injustice, to an unprecedented election, to losing loved ones, to Christmas day bombings, to natural disasters, to life plans getting put on hold, 2020 has depleted many of us. As did many of you, I had high hopes for 2020. This was going to be my year. When I turned 23 in January, I said this year was going to be, "No insecurities, no doubt, no depression. Year 23 is all God." Well I've had a lot of insecurities, a lot of doubts, and a whole lot of depression, but I've still had a lot of God. With the way this year has turned out, it seemed easy and safe to lower my expectations for 2021. I didn't want to be disappointed if things don't return to "normal" as I thought they would. Last year, I got my hopes up and the year was not at all what I expected. But then I remembered a Scripture I read a few days ago that has re...

“He who is satiated [with sensual pleasures] loathes and treads underfoot a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7 AMP) Over a year ago, I read this Scripture and the Holy Spirit dropped a bomb of revelation on me: I’d been the honeycomb tread underfoot, and I’d also been the hungry soul—the soul longing for and seeking and maybe even a little desperate for love, which caused me to be blind to bitter men—thinking that they were sweet just because they were interested in me. Maybe that L word is a little strong for you, and you’re not looking for love. Maybe you’re just going through a dry spell. Like dryyyy, where your phone isn’t lighting up, no one’s sliding in the DMs, you’re not going out with anybody, it’s just you. Sometimes it gets lonely. You might not want a serious relationship, but just somebody to go out with sometimes, somebody to talk to, somebody to hang out with… just somebody. Although we may not admit it, many of us are l...

Note: I always write from a place of candor on here, but some things I’m more reluctant to share than others because I’m afraid of what people will think. This is one of those times. BUT, the name of this blog is “For His Glory” and when I started it, God told me that everything I went through would be used to give Him glory, hence the title. So, I’m sharing this because God placed it on my heart, and I want to be obedient. I wouldn't want my selfishness to impact another young sister who needs to read this because I know I definitely needed to see this when I was younger (and now as well). It's a little embarrassing, but if you can look past me and see Christ, that's all I ask. I live in my head a lot. A type 5 on the Enneagram with a 4 wing, my mind can go on for days. I’m also an avid book reader and a hopeless (hopeful?) romantic, so I can escape from reality to a far better scenario in my head fairly quickly. It’s a gift from God for creative writing so I’m than...

A lot of people look at my life from the outside and say that I’m doing well. I’m working full time in my field straight out of college, I’m also a dance teacher, I do some freelance editing, and I still train and take dance classes on a regular basis. That right there is a lot to be thankful for. So why has this past year been the hardest of my life? Before I graduated, I had a vision of what my life would look like post-graduation. I would have moved as far away from the south as possible, been living on my own, dancing in a company, teaching dance, making new friends, living my best life, etc. I didn’t know that a year later I would be living with my parents back in Nashville and working a full-time office job. My senior year and the summer afterwards were filled with many unfruitful auditions which resulted in a lot of rejection. When I came back home to Nashville, I decided to take an unpaid position with a small local dance company. I’ll just say that the starving artis...

I've wanted a relationship for a longgg time (like since 7th grade long). I wanted to be wanted, I wanted to be appreciated, I wanted to be valued. I wanted to be loved. That desire to be loved landed me in some uncomfortable and sometimes hurtful situations. I found myself repeating the same cycle with different people. Each time running back to God wondering why I kept falling into the same situations again and again. Eventually I sat down and made a list of what I was ultimately looking for, and it boiled down to a few things: love, value, worth, and affirmation. Growing up, I've always heard that God is supposed to be your first love, but in writing that list, I finally got it. All that time I was thinking a guy was going to give me love and validation when in reality, I should have been looking to God to fill that void because that's a job no man can do. The process in which I let God heal me was a satisfying one. I spent a lot of time in prayer and in the script...

Recently, I had the chance to go to a concert for a very well-known rap artist. During the breaks between songs he took the time to continuously brag about himself: how he’s traveled all around the world, has his own private plane, several number one albums, lots of beautiful women, etc. While everyone was shouting his name and the girls in front of me were falling out as he jokingly extended an invitation for a few ladies to ride back with him in his plane, the Scripture Matthew 6:2 popped into my head: “I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.” As I looked around at the roaring crowd, it suddenly became clear that this would all pass away — the celebrities, the fame, and the money would come to an end. When I got home that night I read the rest of Matthew 6, and in verse 19 Jesus tells us to “store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.” I started thinking about treasures and how ...

When I thought about glorifying God in my life I would often think about what I can do in my schoolwork, on my job, in my friendships, or in a future romantic relationship to bring Him glory, but I never stopped to think about how I could glorify God right now in a state of singleness. Of course I had constantly heard the single woman’s encouragement verse, 1 Corinthians 7:34, “The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.” but I never took that as a way to glorify God, it was more of an advantage of being single that I read whenever I needed to feel better about not being in a relationship.  One definition of the word “care” means to attach importance to. So you could read verse 34 as, “The unmarried woman attaches importance to the things of the Lord.” Whatever you think is important is what you give first place to. If you want...

Today, being in a relationship has become a god in our society. We idolize romantic relationships; making movies, TV shows, and songs about it. We plaster the words “relationship goals” to every cute couple on social media. And we even get bitter when we see our friends dating while we’re still single. The desire to be in a relationship isn’t necessarily bad, but when we start to settle just for the sake of being in a relationship then we hit dangerous territory. In times of singleness, it’s often tempting to settle for someone less than God’s best in order to satisfy our desire of being in a relationship. When we choose to settle, we’re telling God we don’t really believe that he will bring us the person we really want. As hard as it is, if they’re missing something you find crucial, then it’s best to let them go. We all have a dream of what our perfect mate would be. In the qualities we look for in our significant other, there are things that are negotiable and things that a...

My freshman year of college, I had lunch with a friend of mine who wasn’t a Christian. We were just getting to know each other and I was telling him about some Christian organizations I was a part of. “Oh so you’re a church girl, huh?” He asked “Yeah, but I mean, I still want to go out and party.” I replied. He shook his head and laughed, “No, if you’re going to be a church girl, be a church girl. You can’t do both.” I was speechless, and his response has stuck with me ever since. I think a lot of young Christians live where I was during that conversation; in a position of straddling the fence with one foot in the Church and another foot in the world. I believed in Jesus, but I wasn’t quite ready to give my life up and completely live for Him. I could act like a Christian when it was convenient; when I was at church, or at a youth conference, or I needed a nice inspirational verse to post on twitter. But if you saw me in real life, you might not have been able to t...

For the majority of my life, I tried to hide the fact that there was something different on the inside of me. See, I didn’t just grow up in a regular church, I grew up in a tongue talking, spirit filled, laying on of hands, casting out demons, speak to your situation, use your authority type of church. As a kid, when you know that much Word, it requires you to live your life on a higher standard. However I wasn’t ready to do that. I wanted my salvation and to walk in my authority as a believer, but I also wanted to fit in with the crowd. Eventually, I got to a point where I was all God’s on Sunday, but Monday through Saturday I was busy trying to figure out how I could blend in with the people at school. People at school cussed, I cussed. People at school smoked weed, I wanted to smoke weed. People at school got drunk, I wanted to get drunk too. I saw the lifestyle that everyone lived that looked so fun, and even though I didn’t have access to things like alcohol and weed in high scho...

It’s been a long week of finals and now all you want to do it curl up on the couch and binge watch a couple seasons of your favorite show on Netflix. But before you log in, take a moment to stop and think about how binge watching television shows affects your heart. I speak for myself when I say that I had become so desensitized to the garbage I had let into my life through television. Every time I turned on the TV hatefulness, gossip, lies, greed, cheating, lust, etc. were everywhere. I wondered why I was so hateful when all I watched on TV were teens my age rebelling against their parents. I wondered why I was gripped by fear when I had to go outside at night when I constantly watched shows about murder. I wondered why I lusted after every cute guy that walked by when I was constantly bombarded with sex scenes. Jesus cautions us in Mark 4:24 to “take heed what [we] hear. With the same measure [we] use, it will be measured back to [us].” We can’t allow ourselves to listen and...