Opting Out

/ LaShona Sellers
Psalm 136:1(NLT) Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever.

With the holiday season in full swing, I’m thankful for a Thanksgiving spent at home. With family stretching to the south and to the west, holiday travel is often a given but this year, there really was no place like home (and extra sleep).

Of course thoughts of the holidays don’t always elicit warm fuzzies and good cheer. So what if we opted out? Opted out of obligations that steal our peace. Opted out of traditions and expectations that weigh us with dread and mask us with insincerity. What if we shifted our focus? Changed our perspective? What if we dared to do something different? What if our “yes” was genuine and purposeful? What if our “no” was kind but firm and free of guilt. What if we intentionally set the tone and atmosphere of our space? What if in the midst of it all we took time to just be…

Be grateful. Be at peace.

Happy Holidays!

Giving

/ LaShona Sellers

She looks battle weary. Her face bearing the scars of addiction, her head bowed. She walks the line of cars, the blessing of a busy intersection and a red light.  Quickly she walks, hoping some kindness might be extended to her- a meal, a few dollars, an encouraging word. This day I can offer only a hello and a prayer. She cries and grabs my hands, her gloves stiff with cold. “In Jesus name,” she agrees. “I know He’s going to take care of me” she says. The light has changed, the cars behind  honk with impatience, we say quick goodbyes. Each day I pray, that her absence means she’s found a warm  and safe place to lay her head, that she is bravely fighting her demons, that healing and recovery are in her view.

This woman is just one of  thousands of homeless men, women and children  in Baltimore. The need is heartbreaking and overwhelming but there are individuals and organizations on the front line meeting these needs everyday. If you are considering where to give this holiday season, consider adopting a woman or family (mother & children) at Marian House. They are truly helping women move from dependence to independence.

Journaling is Life

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

I love journaling. Like so much so that I designed a workshop to share the love and the benefits (although scheduling hasn’t allowed me to present it just yet, it’s coming…see previous post Writers Speak). I have over 20 years worth of journals stored in bins and periodically go through them to find ideas or just to reminisce. Over at The Writing Cooperative, this article by Karen Thompkins beautifully explains the bridge I found between journaling and discovering my voice as a writer. She also provides some great resources (did you know there was a Center for Journal Therapy?! I am seriously excited about this nugget of new info). Here’s to discovering and staying true to your voice. Keep journaling and writing, friends.

Look up

/ LaShona Sellers

The Baltimore Basilica

Life is busy. Heads down, noses to the grindstone, we’re marching through the day. And sometimes we forget to simply…Look Up.

Find beauty and inspiration in the details.

Writers Speak

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

A wise woman told me, “Writers speak and speakers write.”

I have a tormented relationship with public speaking. Tremoring, sweaty hands, a flip flopping stomach and a shaky voice don’t equal good times for me. Speech Communications was the first class in which I ever received a C. I often say I can write it better than I can say it. But over the years, my written thoughts have led to invitations to publicly speak. *Insert alarmed face* And more recently, the causes and issues I’m passionate about have sparked ideas and opened doors that require me to write as well as speak. So, compelled to grow, I registered for a voluntary series of public speaking workshops offered at my job. The first workshop was downright uncomfortable at times (including a 30 second exercise of maintaining uninterrupted eye contact with a stranger *insert alarmed face again*). But I imagine the process is like stretching; it’s a bit uncomfortable at first,especially if your muscles are cold and stiff, but once your muscles begin to warm and lengthen, the release and relief are invigorating. So here’s to growth and stretching out of comfort zones.

Appreciate Your People

/ LaShona Sellers / 1 Comment

Last Christmas my husband delivered a loving tribute (he is a natural orator, the man can recite Mary Had a Little Lamb and bring you to your feet with applause) and gifted me with an iPad and keyboard to dedicate specifically to my writing. He’d always been supportive and encouraged me, yet there were times I wasn’t sure he fully understood me as a writer. But on that day, in that moment, I knew he got it.

Treasure those who get it. Those who support you, who put up with your quirks and embrace your awkwardness, who give you space to be and space to create. Let them know you appreciate them. When you find your people, hold on to them, love them and reciprocate all the goodness you receive.

She Writes and SheSpeaks 2019

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

I try not to overemphasize everything as “life changing.” Because honestly some moments and experiences are amazingly awesome but our lives return to status quo pretty quickly. So when I say that SheSpeaks 2019 was life changing, I mean it completely changed my perspective, my approach and my momentum. It was the push, the kick in the butt, the “Aha” moment I needed. It’s taken me months to process it all and I’m still not done. But I’m here (Heyyyy WordPress!) because after years of sidelining I needed to put myself out there again. It’s not easy putting your thoughts, your work, your heart out for public consumption, risking rejection, trying to separate the constructive criticism from the unnecessary barbs. And while I generally like connecting with people, there are some days it feels like a floodgate has been opened and the socializing of networking can become overwhelming (extroverted introvert here).

This conference was an investment in me, and as a wife and mom, I was reminded that it’s okay to invest in my dreams and passions.

I am extremely grateful to Lysa Terkeurst and her team at Proverbs 31 for creating a space for women to be themselves, be educated, be encouraged, be connected and most of all seek God. This was my first year and most definitely will not be my last.

Dream. Invest. And write on, friends

Read the Sign

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

“No Left Turn”

I’d seen this sign regularly on my drive into the office. I assumed it meant I couldn’t make a left turn onto a particular street. For months I made right turns and drove side streets until one morning I noticed two cars making the forbidden left turn. My internal traffic cop was appalled so I decided to take another look at that sign. Upon further inspection I realized, that while the placement was confusing, that sign was not meant for my lane of traffic. So what’s the point?

How are we reading the signs in our lives? Are we adhering to signs that were meant for someone else? As a follower of Jesus, I know God has a unique plan and purpose for my life. But if I’m not careful I can misinterpret or altogether miss the signs He provides. As a writer, I have to adhere to the signs that direct me to authentic creative expression. Where are my energies best utilized? How does my creativity best flow?

Here’s to paying attention and correctly reading our signs.

Great Writers…

/ LaShona Sellers / 2 Comments

“Great writers are great readers.”-Lysa Terkeurst

I’ve loved books for as long as I can remember. My Little House on the Prairie book set ranks as one of my favorite Christmas gifts as a kid. The regular library visits my parents began with me as a child, I have continued with my own children. So I would say I was a pretty great reader.

But I am challenged by Lysa’s suggestion that as a great reader I not only read to savor the story, I also read to study the author’s craft. Take notes. What moves me? Why? What works? What doesn’t work? How can I apply it to my own style and craft? So logical yet such a light bulb moment.

Write…and read…On, my friends!

Prompted…

/ LaShona Sellers

Writing Prompt: Interrupted by a chapter of loathing

Her mirror once reflected a distorted truth
Skin too dark
Hair too coarse
Nose too big
Distortion born of comparisons
Fed by erroneous standards
Created by inferior minds
Her beautiful book of Life
Interrupted by a chapter of loathing