faith

Letters From the Family Album

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
Croughton Middle School, RAF Croughton, England

Dear 7th grade Me,
It’s our birthday, it’s our birthday, we’re going to party like it’s our birthday!

Girl, you look fabulous! I know how much you fretted over your hair and outfit. Believe it or not, you will grow to love the “big” forehead you so desperately tried to cover. You’re not just “pretty for a dark-skinned girl,” you’re pretty…period. One day you will celebrate your rich complexion, walking confidently in your skin…and your afro. Yes girl! That hair you stressed about keeping straight will thrive as a thick, curly, kinky crown of glory. How cool was it that Mom let you wear her sweater? Red always has and always will be your color, embrace it and rock it often. About Mom & Dad, I know they may seem a little strict but you really will appreciate them later. Their boundaries and prayers will keep you from some dire mistakes and bitter heartache. Trust me. And I know it’s not always easy being a “church girl.” Sometimes you just want to fit in and do what everyone else is doing. You’ll realize the importance of cultivating your own faith and a relationship with Jesus for yourself. The sooner the better. Keep your heart kind but your eyes open. What “they” think will constantly change and you will never please them, so don’t even try (I know, easier said than done). Keep smiling, it will be a great asset.

God made you a brilliant original. There is no need to dim your shine. You are enough…always have been, always will be. Believe it.

Love,
The Woman You Are Becoming

The Best Birthday

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

My husband is my best friend…no cliche. He’s the first person I think of when I have good news, bad news, interesting tidbits, stressful days, exciting days…he’s seen me at my best and at my worst and 20 years in, we’re still walking this journey hand in hand. Happy Birthday Mr. Sellers! I love you!

Lovingly formed
Intricately crafted
Wonderful and complex
You entered the world on this day
A gift
So much more than meets the eye
So much more of your story to be written
A gift, my gift
Celebrating you today and always-LAS

Rest

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Feeling a little under the weather this week, so I’m laying on my couch, watching Touched By An Angel reruns, giving my body the rest it needs. Just being reminded of the necessity of rest today.

Do You Haiku?

/ LaShona Sellers
Haiku Anchor Chart (Pinterest)

A dear sister-friend informed me that February is National Haiku Month. She knows a thing or two about haiku as she is the author of  A Christian’s Book of Haiku.

So in the last days of the month, I say better late than never to share the love. And since poetry has been my expression of choice lately, I’ve decided to try my hand…

Clear a cluttered desk
Free a busy calendar
Rest a weary mind

(I used this handy site to check my syllable count.)

Happy Haikuing!

Just Dance

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
Freedom Dance by Laurie Cooper

I love to dance. My reserved nature often takes a back seat to a hype beat and open dance floor. Music and movement speak to me. It’s how I worship God, it’s rejuvenation, it is  inspiration. Find what inspires you today and write on, friends.

Oh, how she danced
Head back, Eyes closed
Twirling & swaying
Bowing & waving
Lost in the rhythm
Carried by a melody
Oh, how she danced
Exercising joy
To exorcise pain
Dancing until she was consumed
With freedom-LAS

Sweet Silence

/ LaShona Sellers / 4 Comments

Inspired by a moment my family silently sat together, in a room, each of us doing our own thing…


We sit in silence. Not in the silence of tension. But in the silence of contentment. Content in our own little worlds, in the imaginings of our minds and the creativity of our hands. Our worlds in orbit basking in the warmth of connected hearts. We sit in silence.

Perspective…

/ LaShona Sellers / 1 Comment
Photo by Ivan Bertolazzi on Pexels.com

I write because I have a passion for the written word. I have a brain overflowing with stories and ideas that must be recorded and shared. I exercise my pen and my keyboard for my freedom. The flow of my words therapeutic, a divine intervention. Published or unpublished, hundreds of readers or just one; my gift is not diminished, my call no less important.

Why do you write? Re-evaluate. Refocus. And let’s write on, friends!

Sandwich With a Side of Romance

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

You can’t help but to love Maddie Buckner, the heroine of Krista Phillips‘ debut novel Sandwich, With a Side of Romance. You will root for this sassy tough girl from page one, as she lives out her new faith in Jesus while struggling to make a new life for herself and the little brother she desperately wants to get out of foster care. Her move to small town Sandwich, IL marks a new beginning and as her heart eventually accepts, so does Reuben-the-Jerk Callahan.

This novel is engaging and humorous yet seriously deals with the realities of life. Universal themes of grace, forgiveness, acceptance, and unconditional love are woven throughout the story. The characters are memorable and endearing, especially the Callahan clan, a family so rich in love that one can’t help but to cheer on a Maddie and Reuben romance. Krista writes in the novel’s Acknowledgments that “no man is an island” and this novel speaks loud and clear to how God uses the people around us to bless and enrich our lives.

Sandwich, With a Side of Romance reminds us that life is best lived with a whole lot of faith and a little help from friends.

On a personal note:

I have followed Krista’s blog for a couple of years now and though I’ve never met her personally,  it is so exciting and encouraging to see prayers answered and dreams fulfilled. God is nothing short of amazing!