February is Black History Month. I get that someone as white as I am may not be the best resource for books to read for Black History Month. This is by no means some definitive guide to Black History in America. Nor are these books I've read specifically to educate myself on anti-racism or books on Black liberation or womanist theology (those will come in subsequent lists). I just ...
Read More
Lawd, y'all. Here we are in a New Year. A new beginning. A fresh start. But it doesn't seem like all that much as changed, does it? We can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but we're not there yet. If you feel your faith faltering, remember that a faith that struggles with questions is always stronger than one that never asks any. We're all going to ...
Read More
On this day when the first vaccines are being administered to first responders, we pray: For healthcare workers on the frontlines who are physically and mentally exhausted. For those who continue to battle the virus in hospitals and in homes. For the long-haulers who have been dealing with the effects of this virus for months. For the custodians and janitors and all the unseen heroes who tirelessly clean and sanitize to keep ...
Read More
I like television. Yeah, there's a lot of bad stuff out there (I'm looking at you, Hallmark movies and reality TV), but Thanksgiving is when some of the good shows really bring out their best. They remind us that no one's meal comes off perfectly, everyone has relatives that drive them up a wall and that, in spite of it all, there is much to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is going ...
Read More
If you grow weary of election results and Corona virus updates, here are five movies (some you may not have heard of) that boost my spirits every time. Based on a true story of when the LGBTQ community teamed up with striking miners in the UK, this movie will make you feel better about life and the world. I love it every time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIh0v7nQcXw Available on Amazon Prime and Hulu It's ...
Read More
This year's MTV Video Awards show gives me hope for the future. A middle-aged female African-American icon was finally recognized for her contribution and absolutely killed it on stage. Earlier this year, Missy Elliot was the first female hip hop artist inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and this week she was awarded the long overdue MTV Vanguard Award for her contribution to hip hop music, culture and fashion--not ...
Read More
I've lived in Arkansas for about 34 of my 49 years--but not consecutively. I've traveled so many backroads and by-ways of the state that I'm surprised when I run across a small town that I haven't heard of (but I have yet to find a town that my native Arkansan father doesn't know about). Before I get out of here this time and head to NYC, I thought I'd share ...
Read More
Whatever you do, do it from the heart for the Lord and not for people. Colossians 3:23 (CEB) I have grown up and grown old with Madonna, and I have always been fascinated by her ability to reinvent herself in world that, as a whole, is incredibly resistant to change. I recently ran across a quote from an interview she did with Vanity Fair many moons ago, and Madonna said, “This ...
Read More
I haven’t been able to find this clip from last week’s episode of legal drama For the People or been able to rip it legally. But it’s such a powerful speech that I believe speaks to the frustration and the realizations many of us are experiencing right now in regards to our country’s stance on immigration, that I decided to transcribe it. I’m a sucker for a good speech, and ...
Read More
The Academy Awards are on tonight, which means fashion statements, pun-ny presenters and acceptance speeches. Some speeches are professional and polished, some are funny, some are painfully awkward and some go completely off the rails, but everyone who wins gives one. They thank their team of agents, managers, etc. They thank their co-workers, their mentors, their families and (at least some of them) God. Perhaps we should start expecting acceptance speeches ...
Read More