Faith, Hope, and Love

Thinking about my #OneWord365 and I found this old blog draft that I never posted. It's still incomplete, but it makes me feel that much more excited that I chose intentional as my word!  Since I've come back from India, I've felt the huge challenge of living an intentional life. I'm the classic, go-with-the-flow kind of girl, and while I don't think I've necessarily been simply a follower, I know I am more reactive in my choices than proactive. India showed me the power of what it looks like to intentionally give of your life and your time to others. And I've really been wanting to make sure that my life just isn't there , but that it's a life of impact. That I'm not wasting my days or my resources, but I'm making the most of them for the glory of God. And that takes some serious intentionality!  I just finished the book Notes from a Blue Bike , and she goes through how she and her family live intentionally when it comes to work,...

Happy New Year, guys! It's crazy to think that 2014 is over and 2015 is here... and yes, I am quite aware that it's been here for almost a full month and I'm just  now acknowledging it (well, on the blog at least). Let's do a little bit of catch-up like we did last year , shall we... 1.  I still live in the same place (no new moves, yay!)... although there might be a new move in June. It's the cutest place I've lived in since moving to Houston, but the landlord is a bit crazy. My neighbors are amazing though... we all hold false hope that we'll find another triplex we can all move into at the same time (we can dream, right?). 2. I still teach and I'm still a course leader. And I still love both... but I'm also beginning to think about what might be next. 3. I can no longer call myself a runner, but I did buy a bike! 4. My family got A LOT bigger... my niece was born last April and my sister got married in December! The niece is the cut...

On August 15, 2014, a friend (also my co-worker) emailed to see how my family in Nigeria was doing when she heard it had spread there. Below was my response (written on August 16 th ) and it answers why I partially hijacked my sister’s blog… I initially tried to use the Note function on Facebook but it didn’t seem to be working so I gave up and just wrote in dependable Microsoft Word – this reminds me to give a special shout out to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for donating money ($50 million) and services to the Ebola epidemic.  –TAI Thanks for always being so sweet... I have mixed emotions about it all: sad, hopeful, bitter, guilty, relieved, confused, and honestly...  terrified ... I think the scary answer is that only time will tell. What is known is that Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have been struggling with this crisis a long time and any numbers reported are underestimations. For Nigeria, it's so new and yet has the potential to be disastrous....

More thoughts from my sister about Ebola. --B :-) The Problem with Ebola, Part 2                                                                         October 2, 2014 [May] the L ord turn his face toward you and give you peace. – Numbers 6:26 Ebola is especially terrifying to people, EVERYwhere around the world. As a doctor, I was reflecting, the ER was one of my most dreaded places because anything (i.e., any virus, bacteria) could show up and for at least a period of time, you were exposed to them. After you assess someone and then later fear they may have Tuberculosis (TB), you get a little/lot nervous (this is the ...

Over the past few months, there's been a lot of talk about Ebola in West Africa. And this has sparked a lot of responses from Africans, both on the continent and in the Diaspora. It's also sparked a lot of responses from the Western world--many that have felt ignorant and upsetting to me as an African. My biggest pet peeve has been how the media has portrayed it. I was in journalism for a while, and I've always found a strong distaste for articles that were more about sensation than about clear, objective reporting. Most of the articles I've read have promoted ignorance and a "panic" about Ebola versus really presenting the reality of the disease and how it's being handle. An example: West Africa has a lot of countries. And only 4 of those countries have been dealing with Ebola. Two of the four have contained it and it is no longer a problem. Yet all the articles simply just reference "West Africa."  As a doctor, my sister has had lots of th...

I've decided. Next year, when I turn 30, I'm celebrating my birthday for 30 days. My birthday is on the 1st, and September has 30 days... so it's perfect. I know... it sounds crazy. And maybe a bit self-absorbed. But as I got closer to my birthday this year, I realized that I had never really gone all out for my birthdays since I became an adult. As a kid, we planned our own. My sisters and I would come up with themes and execute pretty stellar parties. But I think my last big party was when I was like 10. After that, they remained pretty simple--dinner with family and friends, maybe a movie or a show. Even most of my "milestone" birthday passed with little fanfare. Age 13: I think it was a Wednesday and my church family came over afterwards for cake and ice-cream. I remember asking for only one thing: A Bible... which as a pastor's kid, you know I got. Age 16: Four friends came over and we went to the mall. I used my birthday money to buy a bun...

Yesterday, I began a new chapter in life. I turned 29. Holy cow! It's the last year of my 20s!!! I don't even what to contemplate what that means... should I be excited? terrified? Last year, I was not all that thrilled about turning 28. I think I was just down about life not being all I expected it to be. And as the days grew closer to my birthday this year, I could feel myself feeling all down and pathetic about life. Like getting older was a curse, instead of a blessing. So I decided to change my tune and celebrate life. FRIDAY: I got to sing the National Anthem at the an Astros game !!! Granted this wasn't planned in honor  of my birthday, but it was a great way to get the weekend started. I'm not a huge sports fan, but I am a huge fan of new experiences. And this was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Check that off the bucket list! And the best part is that the Astros were playing the the Rangers! And... THE RANGERS WON! (Sorry, Astros fans.....