Last Sunday at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, I was honored to (1) acknowledge the March 28th No Kings protests, (2) International Transgender Day of Visibility March 31st, and the (3) importance of paying attention to the truth during these challenging times.  Below is an excerpt of what I shared.  🌻 Three things cannot be long hidden. The Sun. The Moon, and the Truth. This Buddhist saying is a call for Honesty and Courage in the face of misinformation… Be emboldened by fai

Delighted to participate in the 14th annual Women’s Leadership Conference at Johns Hopkins University on March 20th. As an alumnus of their Carey Business School, I’m always excited about opportunities to continue to learn and connect with like-minded folks…especially when it comes to one of my favorite topics: 💜 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 💜 As a leadership & organizational innovation enthusiast, this is my kind of conference! Our keynote speaker was U.S. Senate candidate and alu

I believe that age-appropriate sexuality education helps create a nurturing and informed environment for our children. It helps them to grow up with a healthy, respectful, and empowering perspective about their bodies, sexuality, and boundaries. This past Sunday, I had the privilege of providing lunch for the “ Our Whole Lives (OWL) Sexuality Education ” 5th grade class at All Souls Church Unitarian in Washington DC. I provided salmon burgers, veggie burgers, and snacks! The

I do my best not to miss opportunities to learn and grow. Yesterday, I attended “Staff Enrichment Day” at Montgomery College. Montgomery College is the #1 Community College in Maryland and #17 in the whole country. When many academic institutions closed their diversity and inclusion offices and rolled back equity of all kinds,  Montgomery College  never once wavered in its commitment to inclusive excellence. This deep commitment, which is weaved deliberately into our culture,

Honored to give the Keynote at the McLean Rotary club yesterday. I presented:“𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀”. The McLean Rotary Club is a service-oriented organization focused on community improvement and fostering fellowship. I appreciated learning about their 4-Way Test, which is a moral code they say aloud at the end of each event: ✔️ Is it the TRUTH? ✔

A week ago, I served as the Emcee at a Trivia Night Fundraiser event for  United Community  in Virginia.  This event was sponsored by  Mount Vernon Unitarian Church . It was so nice to finally meet their Senior Director of Development & Communications,  Cecilia Jade Kern Fix  in person.  Over $4,000 was raised that  United Community  will use to help neighbors in need overcome barriers and build pathways to lasting stability. Some of their programs include medical and nutriti

Happy Black History Month! 💪🏽🥰 Here are five ideas for how you can celebrate:   (1)    Deepen your understanding by attending Black History Month events. These can expand your perspective and give you something to reflect on. Use it as a reason to catch up with a friend so that they can join you. Better yet, ask that special someone on a date to a local Black History Month event. It’s a unique date idea and can be an educational and inspiring experience that can open the d

“Evil” leaders often operate from faulty assumptions. They believe their power justifies manipulation or that the end justifies the means. They see control as essential to their vision and dismiss the human rights of others in pursuit of their goals. Followers can play a role in this cycle too. Study after study is clear that followers accept or even contribute to toxic environments because they (1) seek approval, (2) fear repercussions, or are (3) influenced by a culture tha

An effective leader, LEADS. They won’t ask others to do what they’re not willing to do. Despite obvious risk, leaders show up and step up. Leaders are the buffers who take the heat. Not easily provoked, leaders know actions speak louder than words. 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚? The team will follow, support, and immediately have their leaders back.  𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑝𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑠

This past Sunday, I had the honor of supporting the worship service at All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington DC. One of my contributions included leading the “Time for All Ages” where I offered a Kwanzaa story called “Seven Spools of Thread, written by Angela Shelf Medearis. This story reminded us about the value of cooperation, communication, and creativity in achieving shared goals. As I reflect on this worship service, I am acutely aware of how powerful it is to celebr

For years, I spent the bulk of my free time volunteering at my progressive, social justice-oriented church. It felt so good. I learned so much…about myself and about this world in which I was a part. I was surrounded by mostly retired people who nurtured and mentored me. I benefited from their wisdom and encouragement. I eventually grew envious of their ability to spend their retirement pouring into social justice and caring for the wider community. Something inside me said,

Tomorrow isn’t promised. We can never get back time. I am sending positive energy your way so that you can use these next few days to spend time with those you love and/or on pursuits that fulfill and fuel you. 💞 My gift to myself is living a life with little to no regrets. 🎁 If you spent the last few days in gift-giving mode, I invite you to consider this: 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛? If gifting yourself feels uncomfortable, try this: 𝗪𝗵𝗮

I had such a wonderful time hosting extended family this holiday season. One of the highlights was including my cat and nieces when making my “famous” Oreo cake. This year, I taught them my super-secret recipe. It was all about Teamwork!  I used to make just one Oreo cake; however, a few years ago - two family members got into a little back and forth about the last slice. Since then, I have been proactive by baking two Oreo cakes. Now, there’s always enough for everyone to ha

Think Divorce, Quitting a job, Ending a relationship, or being “Stuck” is a failure? No! The failure is staying longer than you should have.🔥 "The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing." - Henry Ford "Failure is not the opposite of success, it's part of success." - Arianna Huffington Fail your way to JOY. Fail your way to PEACE. Love yourself to pieces! 🥰 YOU are the leader of your life. So, lead. YOU are the author of your story. So, write. When you open

My mind is BLOWN 🔥 Just wow! What a privilege to learn from  Mark Cuban  and  Bill Gurley  this afternoon at the  Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center  in DC. I took notes both by paper and in my spirit. One of the biggest tragedies of our time in the United States is our predatory health care system that does a disservice to those it’s suppose to serve.  I have many, many take-a-ways from today’s learning (that I’ll share later), but one thing I feel is inspired and ho

I get asked this question a lot! Community ministry is my Call at this moment. What will the future hold? I know it will include both continuous growth, an expansion of my services, and a deepening of my skills. When it comes to other aspects of my life, I have been very deliberate, whereas for whatever reason - my ministry has demanded a more organic, go-with-the-flow approach. I continue to embrace the beautiful uncertainty of how my ministry has and continues to unfold. Be

Wow, it happened! I’m officially a “Reverend” 💞 Does this mean that I’m going to drop everything and run off into the sunset to start my own church?  No, not quite, but I’m glad you asked! 😊 I have been multi-vocational for a long time, and I LOVE it!  Serving my students, clients, congregants, and association members brings me deep fulfillment.  I’m someone who’s often lived at a naturally high frequency. I didn’t choose or try to be this way. I’ve come to understand that

Today was my big day. A once in a lifetime affirmation that inspires my journey. If you missed it, you can watch the replay here: https://lnkd.in/eq4eJG6f I started off anxious but quickly turned it into a more productive and healthier feeling – excitement .How do you handle anxiousness around a big occasion or important situation? How do you “let it go” so you can enjoy the journey and lean into the possibilities?For me, I have lots of practice turning anxiety into excitem

This Saturday will be a very special day in my life and in my ministry. I never knew if ordination would be a part of my journey, and yet here we are. I am filled with gratitude and joy. I was raised in a mixed religious household. My mother is Pentecostal and enrolled my brothers and I into Christian school. My father is a Unitarian Universalist (UU) and took me to his UU church most Sundays. Some ideas that caused me to lean into Unitarian Universalism  instead of the versi

My 17-year-old cat Xena, communicates her wants and needs ☺️ As they say, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease!” I agree. Speak up for what you want. 💕Surround yourself with people who love and cherish you. They will find joy in giving you your heart’s desire, no matter how silly or quirky that desire is. Don’t assume others know what you need. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. 💕When you surround yourself with people who care, you are more likely to be cared