Make Your Heart Smile.

In the past month, I am so grateful to have mentored teens ages 12-17 to help explore relevant issues for  their age groups and co-faciliate power groups that allow for topics like communication, relationships, and school/home life.   I went in with the intention to source authenticity- and boy, were they some amazing teachers!! Young leaders taking a stand for themselves brought me back to an age where I was overwhelmed with very adult issues and struggled until recently with expressing myself. Last Monday, I had a breakthrough in front of a room of about thirty teens, and ten adults and shared a very personal experience from the Summer of 2013. In that moment, I experienced myself as authentic- without a story, with tears flowing from my eyes knowing that sharing my own brush with life could impact others and set myself free. And so, I shared unexpectedly- and in that, I was set free from the shame, guilt and judgement I had of myself and was able to forgive. So, the idea o

The month of January has proved to be so full and rich for me. 2014 looks promising. 2014 is promising. Although, there are many opportunities that are arising, my writing and spirituality has become a daily pursuit and endeavor that has grounded me. Last year, with a great big push from loved ones, I pushed myself to do spoken word. After my third time this past Saturday, I am growing more comfortable and uncomfortable with showing up vulnerable in front of strangers. The beauty of poetry- of speaking my words is that I am sharing myself with strangers, and after it is over, they have become friends.  In some ways, I am a stranger to myself- (although I am clear that I am strange, in fact, I embrace it ;) ).  This journey of self- discovery is amazing because I walk daily with God.  The illusion of separateness is just that, an illusion.  If you were to ask me last year if I thought I'd smile like this, I would've laughed.  But, I arrived.