if we are the body

The story of "this" man who appears homeless but is actually the new head pastor of a church conducting a social experiment on how the body of Christ treats the needy has been floating around the internet for a while now. When I first read the story I was appalled by the attitude of the church members who shunned the man. Would you like to know why I was so appalled? Well I'm going to tell you anyway - it's because that behavior is believable. Turns out the story is a "hoax", and people are very eager to tell you that it did not actually happen, that this person Jeremiah Steepak isn't even a real person. 

Here is my thing, did Christ himself not teach in parables that his audience could relate to? Is this not a parable of the current churches attitude towards the destitute? I saw a commenter on facebook post "The point of the story isn't a hoax" and I could not be more thrilled to see his response to the naysayers. What this story does is takes a look into the heart of the church and point out that we as the hands and feet of Christ are failing miserably at taking care of the people who are in need around us. People feel the need to point out that this is a hoax because they refuse to believe that NOBODY would be willing to help out a person in need that walked into the doors of a church. I agree completely, I believe that there would have been at least one person who would have reached out to this man to offer assistance. I also believe there would be a number of people calling security because this man poses a threat to their safety. 
So please excuse me from this soapbox I've been on, but I'm just a little over people missing the moral of the story. Don't ignore the lesson to be learned though this "hoax" that's gone viral - because then we buy into the hoax that we're working to the best of our ability to better the lives of the neighbors that Christ calls us to love.

because everyone needs an encouraging word

a very near and dear friend of mine recently asked me to write a post about him. I initially wrote this request off because I had no idea where I would even begin. Marcos was a coworker at ExpressScripts and I honestly can say that he has had one of the most positive impacts on my life. I could consistently count on him to lift me up and give me encouragement - but also he made sure I knew that HE was boss. One day in particular I was telling him about my boy woes (WHAT?! JK I've never had those in my life....) over our interoffice communicator. After relaying to him that I am a mess this is what I received:

"Princess, you are not a mess. You are at a point in your life that you want someone in your life. we have all been there and 95% of the people living today are still going through it. Nobody wants to be alone. I just don't want you to end up with the wrong guy because you are to in a hurry to be with someone. You are young, beautiful, extremely intelligent, fun and funny. Just take it slow. Being in a relationship is a bonus. Take care of the important stuff in your life first and I'm pretty sure everthing will fall into place for you after. There is more to life than boys #Boss"

It may not seem like the most novel concept - in fact, it's been told many different ways before and will be told a multitude of different ways again. I am more than happy to say that Marcos' phenomenal advice has finally become my attitude. I am BEYOND content with where I am right now, but tonight I had a moment of weakness where I needed to be reminded of Marcos' encouraging words.

I'm not a perfect person, and I don't deserve a perfect person. Hell, I don't even want a perfect person. What I do deserve is somebody who encourages me to grow and continue to better myself. Not for selfish gain, but because they're striving to be the best version of themselves as well.

BOTC

Remember that one time that I blogged about online dating and how it resulted in endless giggles? Folks - I MATCHED WITH THIS GUY ON TINDER LAST NIGHT. Because that photo right there is exactly why life exists. It has successfully sustained human life and cured a hangover. I'm still laughing out loud at my desk. He even messaged me. The app is called Cat Effects, and it's shoddy at best but you better believe that my life is about to be filled with instagrammed selfies laden with cats. I mean really it's flawless.

Have an amazing weekend, everyone. And as my BFF Amanda and I say, BRING ON THE CATS.

make me a match

Call me vain, but my biggest reason for being an advocate of online dating is the result that it has had on my self worth. 

Whenever online dating comes up in conversation, the most common initial reaction is something along the lines of "oh I'm not desperate enough to resort to the online scene" or "I want to meet somebody ORGANICALLY" (which what does that even mean, by the way?). There was a point where this was my sentiment as well, until I decided to bite the bullet and give "match" a shot. Sure, I got a plethora of creepy messages (one older gentleman emailed me around 20 times, once stating that he "wouldn't mind dating a sexy librarian"... thanks but no thanks, scumbag) - but I also got to talk with and meet some really amazing people. I also learned how to date, something I had never really done prior to joining the online scene.

As my match experience started to die down and messages with guys that actually had potential grew fewer and further between, I decided to move on to the "scandalous" Tinder. Let me tell you something - I have never had more fun in my entire life. Every time I tap the little flame icon for this free app I find something to laugh about. One gentleman who was simply driving through Orlando as he moved up to Jacksonville had a picture of the contents of his trunk as one of his photos, so I messaged him "What ya gonna do with all that junk inside that trunk?" We ended up having a lovely conversation about life as a young adult and how it's difficult to meet people in today's day and age. Now correct me if I'm wrong, but that to me doesn't sound like some loser that's desperate to get in a relationship and can only do so by resorting to online dating (aka the go to stereotype of online dating types). Don't get me wrong, the creeps exist in excess on Tinder. I've had horrifying messages of "hey babe I'm just looking to hook up so if you wanna ride me let me know" and also "your bio makes me want to put a ring on it" but I've found myself responding to some of these messages because guess what - there is no commitment. If I don't want to talk to them anymore, I simply block them or stop responding. I'm allowed to relish in every giggle inducing conversation because I don't have to be afraid of them popping up again. One guy messaged me "heyy" and I replied with "TWO Y'S?! Gahlee that's serious, one more and I would have been buying my wedding dress" and he ended up being one of the funniest people I've ever exchanged messages with. 

The first guy I went out with from tinder (shout out to Athiest/Sex Bender Brett) is still somebody I maintain contact with on a consistent basis. I full on adore the kid, and he challenges me to see things in a different light - isn't that what life is all about? I'm interacting with people who also inhabit this world, and I'm constantly growing and morphing my mindset by communicating with others who teach me something new about life, go ahead and ask me a little bit about bowling competitively. So yes, sometimes they're silly things - but sometimes I have conversations concerning the importance of faith and morals, political views, world news, etc. I recently read somewhere that the best way to get people to like you isn't to be interesting, but rather interested - aka ASK QUESTIONS about them and things they're interested in so they feel noticed. And guess what? You end up learning something new and expanding your worldview. Online dating isn't necessarily about "finding your soul-mate"  anymore, it's about creating connections with fellow humans in an effort to participate in the world we exist within.


If nothing else, I'm an advocate of online dating because of the fact that it made me take a look at myself, and gave me the desire to be a better person every day. And the fact that guys find me at least marginally physically attractive is a pretty big plus, sorry I'm not sorry.

mocha chocalata ya ya

I have an addiction.

I'm here to confess because I've heard that's the first step to recovery. I am in a codependent relationship with my mocha AG Stevie Ankle Jeans. This may or may not have become a bit of an issue. I realized that the obsession was real when I was going through my reserve of "daily selfies" that are sent to my ATL Fashion correspondent and BFF Meredith on a daily basis in order to reassure her that we're still the cutest betches around and we can rock this yo pro thing no problem, only to realize that the majority of these outfits utilized my brand new mocha skinnies. Now before you go thinking I'm backslidden, I'm well aware of the fact that Syria is being sneaky, Al Qaeda is getting feisty, and Jodi Arias is about to start round two. But the world has to know something - and it's that my mocha skinnies go with anything and everything. They can be worn in any and every season, my mocha skinnies can be dressed up or dressed down, AND they go with any type of shoe you can procure. I even have another pair of AG's in white, which are regrettably retired for the season (despite friends telling me that white pants are now acceptable to wear in the fall - HA!), and they are equally as  fabulous. Although I do look fresh to death in them, there's another aspect that I haven't told you about yet which makes them completely worth it - over the course of the day they don't stretch out on top. I can wear them all day and I don't have to consistently hoist them up as the day moves along. I'm serious. So ok yes right now the knees are a little baggy, as my mother so lovingly pointed out last night when I sent her my OOTD a night early, because HI HELLO I am sitting behind a desk all day, but that's nothing a quick wash or an overnight stay in the freezer (yes - seriously) won't and did not fix. Popped these suckers out of the freezer this morning and the knee baggage was gone. I apologize for the deviation from my pursuit of knowledge, but I just had to give a shout out to my BFFs - the mocha skinnies.

top notch

TNBs do formal: Senior Year

It's that time of year again - recruitment at my beautiful Alma Mater, Samford University (which deserves mad respect, yo). This season naturally means I am missing my sisters a little more than normal (a difficult feat - TRUST ME). In the fall of 2008 I pledged my allegiance to the first and the finest and learned to throw that diamond like nothing else mattered. While I wasn't always the best member - sorry, Eug - I am beyond grateful for the girls that became sisters in Alpha Delta Pi. These are the girls that showed me unconditional love and were arms of strength as I dealt with the loss of my dad, the girls that did the mundane with me, the girls that did the crazy stupid with me, the girls that giggled and cried with me, the girls that told me what I wanted to hear when I needed the encouragement, the girls that told me what I needed to hear when a swift kick to the rear was due, they are the girls that became my sisters.

So, in honor of these top notch sistas, I'm going to subject you to a walk down memory lane. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Mamas and Babies / Bigs and Littles / Divas and TNBs

That one year I thought I could survive as a Rho Gamma and cried tears of joy coming home

BECAUSE MALLARD BALL AND DIAMONDS, Y'ALL

The key to sisterhood is arm placement

The weekend we learned there's Somethin' Bout A Truck

The night we raised money to find a cure for cancer and showed our penchant for patriotic clothing

#Merica

Sidebar - why did I EVER think it was acceptable behavior to cut my hair?

That one time we thought it would be a good idea to graduate... WHY

But it's all good - because we still get to see each other post grad :)

Boom freakin' Boom, y'all. Go get them Alphas!

learning to fly

My ignorance as to what was happening on the global stage became very apparent to me when the Syrian conflict (explained here and comically here) went viral after the actions of August 21st. When it came down to my opinion on the situation and the course of action - or inaction - that I believed my country should take, I didn't have the first clue. I realized that my main source of news came from BuzzFeed's hot page, and I thus came to the conclusion that I had to get a better news outlet. While the BuzzFeed home page does in fact produce some phenomenal articles that are very informational, I was looking for a more credible source to get my news from. I came across The Daily Beast, which I now go to religiously each morning as I sip on my coffee (yes - I've finally converted after 23 and a half long years without it) and get acquainted with what's going on in the world around me. The site provides a cheat sheet that gives blurbs on the main articles of the day as well as a link where you can read the articles in their entirety. As the days progressed, I realized I was actually deriving enjoyment from educating myself in the news. I now laugh at obvious jokes or incredulous statements, and I have confidence that if somebody were to come talk to me about my opinion on the United States' potential involvement in the Syrian conflict.

Over the years, specifically the past few months, I have been blinded by the social medias constant barrage of Kimye's baby, Miley's antics (more on that later), and viral videos - which are all good and fine except that my attention to them resulted in my incompetence when it came to politics and "important" world events. If somebody were to come and ask me my opinion on Dennis Rodman's friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (yes, seriously) I would have returned the question with a blank stare. Just because I graduated a year ago doesn't mean I stop learning or putting forth an effort to be a contributing member of society. It's now my job to continue to educate myself and develop opinions on matters that I in turn voice in an attempt to better the land that I call home.

prone to wander

after much consideration on whether or not it was time for me to start writing again, I have decided to bite the bullet and go for it. I suppose I'm utilizing this inaugural post to set forth my intentions for this space. I settled on the header wanderlust with much hesitation as many people attribute it to international travel, but my wanderlust isn't a desire to backpack around Europe or to seek out the seven wonders of the world. I desire to understand my very existence. this past month has consisted of my journey to eat healthier and feel better about my body, and during the latter half of that month I realized that's only half of the expedition. what you're going to experience here is my endeavor to be more connected with the world, the development of my political views, commitment to dive into my relationship with Christ, enrichment of my literary knowledge, and the installation of passion into my life. nothing extraordinary or remarkable, just one twenty-something's journey to look at the world around her and find out how she fits into the grand scheme of things.