The world is always telling us to go, go, go. It says we aren’t grinding enough and we aren’t hustling enough. The world says we should be farther along than we are. Therefore, we push and push until we are so tired that we feel guilty or don’t feel justified to rest. I’m here to tell you that even God rested; therefore, we should too.

In college, I wanted a relationship so bad that I hated seeing or being around other couples. One of God’s Ten Commandments is to not covet what your neighbors have. Covetousness steals the joy God wants you to have and can evoke negative emotions. As the scripture says, God wants to bless you abundantly, but your abundance may not look like someone else’s abundance.

I’ve always believed that at least some parts of stories from books and television could become reality. I would daydream and fantasize about how my life would be similar to the stories I read and watched. However, as my storybook life derailed to a mundane one, I became sad, depressed and wistful. I had to realize that there is beauty and inspiration in unconventional stories.

Through therapy, I discovered that I battle with the issue of wanting to controlling others. I want the best for them; therefore, I try to imprint my version of what their best life is. However, my therapist ultimately asked me, “What does that have to do with you?” I had no other rebuttal than “Nothing,” and since it had nothing to do with me, I decided not to let my loved one’s actions continue to negatively impact me. I gave them over to Lord and mentally said, “Do you Boo Boo.”

We often tell people that we have faith, but do we live by faith? Earlier this year, I became sick and nothing I did helped or worked. I decided to declare and decree that I was healed and a few days later, I felt better. This situation taught me that not only should we have faith, but we should live by faith.

Contracting herpes at 21 seemed like a death sentence. Who would love me? Who would want me? Who would accept me? However, God used my STD as a way to start my self-love journey and get me closer to Him. This blog post is to encourage you that it might not seem like it, but all things are working for your good.

The fear of missing out or FOMO is a real thing, especially if you have missed out for YEARS! At the age of 23, I vowed that I would experience life by going to more concerts. 5 years later, I rediscovered traveling and I became infected with the travel bug. Up until recently, I was always on the go. Then, I discovered that my savings account had sunk lower than I appreciated. I had to become more serious and intentional about saving. Read more about what I learned about saving.

We’ve all heard that “Communication is key,” but if you’re like me, sometimes you try to avoid uncomfortable communication. However, due to lack of communication, events did not always end pleasantly. Through scripture, I began to realize that even our all-knowing God requires communication. Because of that, I am making an effort to be more communicative. You should join me!

With the constant stories, posts and videos of peers being lit with friends while it seems you are stuck at the house, forced to be bored, it is easy to understand why you could become upset, sad and angry. But God is setting you apart for a reason. I hope this blog post can give those struggling with being set apart hope and encouragement.