#socialdiva

The only church that I have consistently attended while I have been back in Charlotte is Elevation Church. While it is drastically different from my former church in Raleigh, I can’t deny that the message is almost always on point! Beyond Paster Steven being very comical, he tends to illustrate what he is trying to say in his sermons. By me being a visual person, I really appreciate that! Three weeks ago, we started a series called #DeathToSelfie where we are studying the life of Jacob. #DeathToSelfie allows us to focus on the conflict of who we are, what we want others to think we are, and who we think we are. 

Just a little background about Jacob, he was the second twin born to Isaac and Rebekah and came out holding on to his brother Esau’s heel (Jacob means Heel grabber). Eventually, he took Esau’s birthright and his blessing as the first born in order to have Isaac’s inheritance. Although he was a very jealous man who was essentially a trickster, he was still blessed by God. 

So this week, the sermon was titled “When God Show’s Up In The Middle of Nowhere” and came from the passage in Genesis 35:1-7 when God told Jacob to get up and go to Bethel. At this time, Bethel was basically the middle of nowhere, but it was also the same place God had previously revealed himself to Jacob when he was fleeing from his brother (Gen. 35:7). So what God did was took a place that appeared to be ‘nowhere’ to show that He was ‘now here’. Pastor Steven pointed out to us that we are so destination driven, that we arrive where we always want to be and don’t know it. Wow. He encouraged us to praise God when you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, because He will show up in the transitional moments and bless you IN-BETWEEN places. Ok so that right there is when my hand had to go up because it was like Pastor Steven was speaking directly to me. 

I am in a very big transitional moment in my life where I am moving to the other side of the country in the middle of my graduate program, but just like God met me in The Bay area last summer, He will meet me there this year and continue to cover me in this next year. A lot of people don’t know that when I went out West last year for my internship, I was dead broke and landed in San Francisco without a confirmed place to lay my head. To keep the long story short, I was just fine, as I knew I would be. God blessed me with a very nice married couple to stay with in which my living situation was better than it was at home. I shook my head for like five days straight because I could not believe how He had blessed me to be there. 

Pastor Steven told us that Bethel was known for three things: being a place of remembrance, a place of revelation (Gen. 35:3), and a place of response. Every now and then, we have to “go back to Bethel” and do a 360 of our life and things that have happened to see where God has taken us. He even went as far as quoting “The Book of Biggie” in having us say ‘I’m going going, back back, to Bethel Bethel’ so then I KNEW this sermon was for me lol. Seriously though, in that moment, I went back to The Bay, and reflected on how much had happened since I went there last summer. A lot of people also don’t know that I was about to withdraw from UNCC to move to The Bay full time, but so many doors had opened at UNCC that I felt that maybe that’s where I needed to be, even though things were also happening in The Bay, I still did not have a job there after my internship so this was a moment where I had to battle with discernment. Luckily I did come back to Charlotte, because I know the Apple opportunity wouldn’t have come any other way. 

In the place where Jacob was just passing through, God gave it to him and he renamed it from Luz to El Bethel, which means House of God. You too can rename a place that you are in and change a set back to a set up! I don’t know what transition you may be in right now whether it’s emotional, spiritual, physical, etc, but be sure praise Him in the midst of it all, because He can and He will, show up in the middle of nowhere, to show that He is now here! 

Live Life! Dream Big! Be blessed!! 

KMB

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Last week, my boss and I were to meet in the School of Art & Architecture at UNCC to give a presentation about emerging technologies and communication. When I arrived in the building, I was halted by the following words on the wall:

This question actually made me smile. I couldn't help but think about a few weekends ago when I had an event at my house, which brought together some very special people in my life.  During my senior year in high school, I was fortunate to build a bond with several of the women who worked at my school. Who knew this bond would last 5+ years? Who knew that they would still influence my ‘now'? Collectively, they have all been there to support me through major life milestones (birthdays/graduations/my probate) and I have been able to support them as well. They may not know it, but they have, and always will, impact the woman I am today. So, although the question says "what" I had to think of "who". 

Apart of my past, that [still] influences my now <3

If I had to answer the question as stated, I'd say support from my past influences my now. Support from women who didn't necessarily have to give me the time of day since I wasn't in their class or program at my high school, is what influences my now and keeps me going. When asked "who are they to you?" I can never give a straight answer because they mean so much and I haven't found a title fitting. 

I knew that while I was at NC State, I had to do well because I couldn't come back to Charlotte and face them knowing I had done otherwise! The same applies for graduate school.   There are some others who aren't pictured above that impacted me in that time frame as well. I don't keep in touch with some of them as much; however, I think about them often. That was a very critical time in my growth as a young woman, and many played huge roles. I appreciate and love you all. Thanks for being apart of my village and continuing to influence my 'now'! 

I could write pages and pages about friends and family who have influenced me over the years. It just meant so much to have this group of women all together again :) 

What from your past has influenced your now? A coach? Your family? Your undergrad experience? Think about it and tell them how much they mean to you! Feel free to share below!

Enjoy the throwback pictures of me and the very same people up top, plus more <3

KMB

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My probate in 2010. (Not sure why Alison wasn't in this picture :-/)

High-School Graduation Dinner in 2008 :)