Year of Yays! The '2023' Edition.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, Love!

Happy, Happy Monday to you!

Monday #054 Time Stamp: 10:38 AM CST

I have some EXTRA pep in my step today because...

1. It's the day of my dear Savior's birth. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

AND..

2. I have a brand new look to my blog now. In 2024, I will begin the process of building a whole new website and home for my blog to breathe, live, grow and thrive!

I want you guys to absolutely enjoy this beautiful holiday in whatever way you celebrate BUT just 3 major YAYS I want to share with you in this Christmas edition of my blog I like to call, 'The Year of Yays, 2023!'

• In 2023, I prayed for courage for God to give me the strength to move forward with my life in the healthiest and most productive ways possible! In 2023, I had to grieve the loss of several long time friends who no longer served a purpose in my life! It was so painful. This is a season where God wants to do new things in my life when it comes to ALL of my relationships! I have gone without for years and this year, God and I dealt with that area of my life and I REALLY needed to heal. AND I have! I have done the hard work and am now ready for God to replace every one of those old relationships!
• In 2023, I learned how to put myself 1st! This year, I have truly learned how to invest in MYSELF!!! And I have learned that every woman should learn how to do that, ESPECIALLY if you are a single woman of God! We are responsible for SO much. When I say invested in myself, I mean taking care of every aspect of my life. And if I cannot change what needs to be changed in the current moment, I am at least acknowledging it. I have learned how to be fully accountable for EVERYTHING that is going on in my life!
• In 2023, I learned how to take ACTION! I began working a retail job as a Supervisor in August of 2023 and my level of body movement changed drastically. I walk between 4,000 to 5k steps every single day at work. I removed all dairy from my diet in April 2023 so it was like I got a head start on my weight loss goals! Since February 2023, I have dropped 21 pounds. YAAASSS! I feel and look better than I have in years and I am just getting started! This year, I have learned to power of taking Action everyday because we know that..
• 'Faith Without Works Is Dead!'-James 2:26

Addressing these 3 major areas in my life has given me SO much confidence and I have discovered a whole new level of LOVE and RESPECT for myself! 2024-Let's ROLL!

Enjoy this beautiful holiday, my love! I love you and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it! Smiling!

72 Hours.

Happy Monday, Superstar!

Monday #053 Time Stamp: 8:39 AM CST

My weekend was SUPER restful and I have a lot to say this beautiful Monday morning! I have had this nudge from the Holy Spirit that I am called into the motivational speaking space for several years now! To be honest, it is why I continue writing in this, 'Motivational Monday' platform every week. I began following, Trent Shelton, a Christian based motivational speaker, author and former NFL wide receiver. Trent played with my twin brother, Julius when he played with the Seattle Seahawks in 2008! Trent has a Christian-based ministry called, 'Rehab Time.' I have been following him for years. Actually, he is the one who inspired me to begin making videos from my car!!! It is so much fun, you guys! 

One day after work last week, I was feeling a little defeated. Trent has become my go-to for wholesome and positive messages. I logged onto Facebook and he was talking about the things that have happened in his life that should have made him quit! He lost his mother a few years ago and losing a parent is one of the most painful things adults have to endure. Trent went onto say something that stuck with me. 'When things happen in my life that are hard to understand and that make me want to give up...I give myself 72 hours to vent, cry, complain and then I am moving on with my life!' For me, that means 72 hours of leaning on my own understanding...but when things happen in my life that I do not understand, I immediately play my favorite gospel song,' Run Til I Finish,'-by Smokie Norful. God knows we will not understand everything that we have to endure in life. This is why he sent the Holy Spirit. We are all human and dealing with life is always hard to understand...But, God gives us peace if we ask him for it. He will comfort us and give us grace to endure whatever trial we are struggling with. 

I hope you guys have a wonderful week leading up to Christmas! I absolutely love this holiday. Just a chance to celebrate the reason for the season, spend time with my family and do something we all love, EAT baby! YAAAASSS!!! This time of year allows me to assess my year and prepare for the 1st quarter of 2024, which I am doing right now. I encourage you guys to make a list of some things you want to accomplish or want to come to fruition in 2024 and begin working on them now. Be intentional with your time right now. 72 hours can turn into years if we are not careful and God wants YOU to use those 72 hours of trouble to bless others! Please, let me know in the comments how I can pray for you in the next 2 weeks as we close out 2023. I love you and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it! Have a beautiful day! Let's GOOOO! Smiling.

Discomfort of Destiny vs Familiarity!

Happy Monday, sweets! BRRrrrrrr!

Monday #052 Time Stamp: 8:05 AM CST

Baby, IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! And winter doesn't even begin in the Nashville area until a few days after Christmas! Maybe this is an indication that we will have a white Christmas...

I hope you are well and have been since our last meet up. I wanted to talk about 'Destiny' today! I have found that over the years, I have been tempted to remain in my comfort zone during the more trying moments in my life. After I gain some clarity from my savior, I push through and am ALWAYS glad that I did! The simple fact is, your comfort zone is not a home, IT IS A CAGE. 

I believe that we were all put here on an assignment! We aren't here to merely do what we want. We can but that's not our destiny! Your destiny or your calling requires you to partner with God in order to get clear on your assignment. Sure, it is easier to just stay in your comfort zone and never find out why you were REALLY put on this earth! I was created to be an educator and I believe I am fulfilling that calling. But there is so much more for me to discover. I really despise being in my comfort zone at any time. It is just so isolating and lonely. Finding your destiny will be uncomfortable because it is only for YOU! Once you find your gift, you are meant to hone in on it and perfect it and ultimately, share it with the world! Every single person on this planet has a unique gift! Once I started to explore the things I was really good at, life started to really open up for me! To find my gift, I just paid attention to the activities that I found myself doing consistently well and that I would do for free! It has been difficult getting here but this is MY journey! MY story! AND everyone has one. Let's get comfortable with being uncomfortable and find DESTINY! I love you and there is nothing you can do about it! LET'S GOOOOO! Smiling.

Apples To Oranges!

Happy Monday, love!

Monday #051 Time Stamp: 11:35AM CST

I hope your Monday is off to an incredible start! This is my 1st blog post since mid-September and I am super excited to connect again...SMILING!!! The Christmas holiday season is HERE and I couldn't be more excited!!! Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year and I LOVE celebrating all that it means! But it has not always been this way for me. I used to struggle with slight seasonal depression from 2010-2013. It was such a battle and it was something that I had to work through with God, my therapists and my Dr.'s at the time. It has been so hard at times. BUT, I have remained faithful and that depression has been lifted!!!! PRAISE HIM!!! 

Most, not all but, MOST of the depression came from my need to compare myself to other people. Comparison is something that many of us do during the holiday season. It is like comparing apples to oranges! It is so easy to just assume that EVERYONE around us is so happy and to assume that they are doing SO much better than you! It is just not true and everyone living has problems of some kind! It is absolutely absurd to believe that others have a problem free life. This is the way that an unhealthy mind thinks! Social media would have us to believe that a svelte woman with 50K followers, an attractive husband, cute kids and a dog live a problem free life!!  NO ma'am! That is an illusion and we have to guard our hearts from believing these things. I am only able to participate in social media because I spend a lot of time with God! I read his word daily! I enjoy it, it fills me up and it is exactly what my spirit needs daily, BUT even more when I am using social media. 

These days, my agenda is filled with me thinking of ways to turn my trials in life into a testimony to help people to become Overcomers, too! That is what spending time with God does for me. Having a large bank account and being attractive do not equal happiness! Please, stop comparing yourselves to people on social media. YOU are all that you need! YOU!!! We have no idea what others have gone through to be at their level in life. Do you know what is a trillion times better that happiness? JOY! We are 21 days away from Christmas 2023 AND 28 days from beginning a brand new year! Celebrate yourself just the way you are right now! YAAAASSSS!!!! I love you AND there is absolutely nothing you can do about it! Let's GOOOOO!!! Smiling!

10 Amazing Charities To Support/Donate To In 2023!

Happy Happy Monday, love muffn!

Monday #050 Time Stamp: 7:11PM CST

It has been a super busy day after 2 days off this past weekend but I wanted to put you on to something I have been working on for some time now. During some of the most difficult times in my life, one of the things I started doing for healing was SERVING! Honestly, putting others before yourself is a major component of JOY! I know it sounds crazy but it is SO true. 

I absolutely love to give: 

LOVE

TIME

ENERGY

HOPE

RESOURCES

MONEY

HUGS

And, during the last quarter of 2023, I would like to begin giving to some of my favorite charities!

Here are 10 Amazing charities I am thinking of donating to!

10. Mental Health America

09. St. Jude

08. Prevent Child Abuse America

07. Action Against Hunger

06. Global Fund For Women: Support Gender Equality

05. National Alliance Against Hunger

04. Coalition of Homelessness: In This Tent Together

03. Color of Change: Civil Rights Advocacy Organization

02. The Alzheimer's Association

01. The Innocence Project: Justice for Everyone

Cue the music...'TREASURE, that is what YOU are!' By: Bruno Mars

Monday #049. Time Stamp: 3:00 PM CST

Happy Motivational Monday, beautiful!

Your Monday pep talk is HERE!!

God has given EVERYONE a gift! He has given everyone of us something or some things that YOU are exceptional in! As you evolve, grow and change in life, it is your job to find out what that gift is. I found my gifts and talents by surprisingly, going through PAIN! Also by serving my community, learning from my mistakes AND learning how to take constructive criticism on a daily basis! I say that pain was my biggest motivator because going through pain forces you to ACT! You can either lean in to the pain and let it motivate you, persevere and push you forward OR you can stay stuck and never evolve by not letting the pain mold and shape you into the person God wants you to be. That is what trying times in life are supposed to do! There are so many different layers to pain and suffering but the key for my healing has been staying and remaining HUMBLE throughout it all. I have also made the decision to give my life to Christ so that has been the backbone of my healing and success!

The more that you persevere through difficult seasons in your life, the more glory God gets and the more that you shed the old version of yourself and become NEW! This is how your gifts and talents are uncovered! Hebrews 12:1 tells us to lay aside the things in life that keep us from seeing clearly. Sin, distractions and selfishness keep us from finding and getting to the 'gifts and treasures!' Ephesians 1:18 says to pray your eyes of understaning will be opened. When the eyes of understanding are blocked, discouragement will throw you off course, keeping you from seeing clearly which in turn, results in hopelessness. Today, I want to you to believe and put your trust in this scripture:

Matthew 6:21: '...where your heart is, there your treasure will be also!'

Keep persevering and you will find treasure, love! Cue the music, 'TREASURE... that is what YOU are!!!' By: Bruno Mars.

How To Recognize AND Leave A 'Co-Dependent' Relationship!

Monday #048. Time Stamp: 8:00 AM EST

Happy, Happy Monday love!

I hope that your week is off to a good start! My 42nd birthday was a week ago and I thank God that I am able to see another year! This past year has been so enlightening for me and I am just recognizing more and more that I am SUPER blessed! This past year has been full of so much growth. I have to say that it was the first year that I have been operating, functioning and living as a GROWN woman! What I mean by that is, I have been holding myself accountable for literally EVERYTHING in my life! Holding myself accountable for things I used to blame on others and doing my part to live the life that Jesus died to give me! This new and transformed Knetris, The Word Nerd, believes and lives as though everyday; myself and anyone connected to me is going higher! I am so thankful to have reached this level in my life! SO grateful!

Let me tell you a little about what I had to leave behind in order to reach this level in my life! When I was researching co-dependency, I felt myself getting angry all over again. I have survived several co-dependent relationships in my past. Most of them began in college when I was such a people pleaser. I have found that in most of these relationships, mainly with other females, I was always the strong one and the other party was so weak and insecure! Naturally, as we grow and evolve in life, we will grow apart from people we were once so close to. A Co-Dependent relationship can be between family members, your boss, colleagues, friends, siblings, and in anyone else who is dealing with a partnership where one person is healthy and the other is toxic! In essence, there is a severe power struggle going on and the toxic partner wants complete and total control over you! THEY are a hater that thinks they can do YOU better than YOU can do You! That is exactly what it is!

In 2006, I moved to Chicago, IL to pursue a career in Interior Design. School was wonderful and challenging and I was able to land a part time job at a custom carpet design studio. I was giving, giving, and giving my time, energy and focus to the relationships and the other party was taking, taking, TAKING advantage of me, verbally abusing and talking about me to others the entire time. A few months before moving away from Chicago, I was severally depressed and just had been so isolated from everyone. I would order take out to just throw it away when it arrived at my door. I had EVERYTHING! I had a really cute studio apartment in downtown Chicago and was enrolled in one of the MOST competitive design schools in the country. In addition to that, I already had a B.A in English from UVA so a second degree in a city as poppin as Chicago was an absolute dream! Seriously, I was living like a rockstar! BUT I was so unhappy and it was maily because of the relationships I was engaging in. At this point in my life, I was not strong enough to walk away from them yet. When you are weak, you can have a tendency to cling to anyone who will show you some love! What I needed to understand was God's love for me in that moment. It was not until I moved to Charlottesville,VA in 2007 that I began healing and therapy. I remember vividly that the manipulators I had for friends always wanted to hang around, come visit, gossip about others, and put me down during those hard times I was going through. God stepped into my life just in time to save IT AND remove them from my life. I stopped all communication from them for a season. It was so hard to do that but I have been healed as a result of being obedient!!! The devil was using them to literally kill me BUT God! God has taken their place and I know the new and healthy friendships that I am making right now are coming from him too!

If you are in a toxic or Co-Dependent relationship, It is most likely that you have not fully recognized the signs. OR maybe you have noticed some signs and you are just a little fearful to leave! 

10 signs that you are in a toxic and co-dependent relationship:

10. You feel anxiety when you don't hear from the other person. Like they may feel angry with you for not being around when you are away from them.

09. Manipulate and verbally abuse you when you try to better yourself.

08. When it is difficut to be alone.

07. When they do not want you to have any space or time to yourself.

06. When they get upset at you for setting healthy boundaries for yourself.

05. When you cancel plans to be with them.

04. When they manipulate you when you share your feelings with them. They try to discredit you and how you feel on a regular basis.

03. When they do not want you to have any other relationships besides theirs.

02. When they try to keep you from your other loved ones.

01. When they never want you to seek happiness for yourself!

Ways To Fight Back In A Toxic Relationship:

05: Tell them how you truly feel.

04: Invest in some good therapy and invite your partner to join you.

03: Find a good church home and reach out to a community there to get clear on how you can help the manipulator.

02: Begin and really set some boundaries for yourself!

01: KEEP Moving forward with YOUR life! The more a toxic person sees you evolving and moving on with your life, the more it shifts the power from them to YOU! You deserve a wonderful life, away from the toxicity. The more they see that their behavior is not stopping you and your elevation, the less control they have and the more likely they will leave your life forever.

Why Rocky IV is the BEST Movie in the Rocky Series!

The Rocky movie series has always been my go-to when I need some inspiration to overcome obstacles in my life! I have seen just about ALL of them! A few weekend's ago, there was a Rocky marathon on TV! I love them all but Rocky IV would have to be my ALL-time favorite out of the series. Let me tell you WHY!

'Rocky IV' was written, produced and featured actor, Sylvester Stallone! He just plays the character so well. It is deeply polished and extremely entertaining! In my opinion, much more entertaining than the other movies in this series. There are so many underlying themes to this movie and Rocky was clearly the underdog in each film. BUT Rocky had to travel to Russia to fight, 'Drago' who's real name is Dolph Lundgren. Apollo Creed, Rocky's best friend and confidant was killed in a fight by Drago and he wanted to get redemption. 

I really enjoy Rocky IV because it mostly resembles overcoming obstacles in real life! I will use my own life for example: I continously have to step outside of my comfort zone to get healing to become an overcomer. Rocky flew to Russia, trained in Russia and fought a big fight in Russia. He had to step outside of his comfort zone in order to overcome. This movie is set in the 1980's, during the Cold War. The Soviet Union and The United States were at odds so an American and a Russian fighting in a boxing match was all too symbolic. When Rocky stepped off of the plane when he landed in Russia, there were several intense scenes where he was training outside using all calisthenics. Drago trained inside using machines and performance enhancing drugs. Being an athlete myself and watching my two brothers perform at the highest level in the NFL, Drago set himself up to lose the fight because everything he was doing to get prepared was illegal. 

In my opinion, the key word to sum up my take on this film would be PERSEVERANCE! After a number of rounds, Rocky ended up defeating Drago in the boxing match in Russia. I can relate to and LOVE this movie so much because I conitnue to persevere in my own life. I believe that God has set my life up to allow me to experience hardship in order to persevere to write this post for you! Persevering and Overcoming allows us to have stories to tell and those stories are meant to help other people! They are not just for us! Rocky IV will ALWAYS be my absolute favorite movie and I hope you find strength in this post as well!

Time Stamp: 8:00 AM, CST

Monday #047

Knetris' Daily AFFIRMATIONS!

YOU WILL REAP IF YOU FAINT NOT!!! Galatians 6:9

SPEAK LIFE, KNETRIS!!! SPEAK LIFE ALWAYS. DON'T GOSSIP, SPEAK LIFE!

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH!

I am an OVERCOMER!

I AM SOOOO PROUD OF MYSELF!

I GROW MORE and MORE into the Woman God wants me to be every SINGLE day!

I AM A PROBLEM SOLVER!

I AM A BUILDER!

I AM COMPASSIONATE AND TRANSPARENT!

THE WORLD NEEDS MY IDEAS!

I AM A BIG BALL OF FUN AND LAUGHTER!

I MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER!

I HAVE LOVE!

I HAVE SUPPORT!

I AM NEVER ALONE!

THE PAST WAS FULL OF LESSONS. GOD IS IN MY PAST, HE'S IN MY RIGHT NOW AND IN MY FUTURE!

THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!

I WILL RUN A 5K IN 2023!!!

How To Manage Your Inner Critic:

Happy Motivational Monday, My Love!

Your Monday pep talk is HERE!

Since starting 'Motivational Mondays,' I have been consistent in posting my weekly pep talks for you guys! I recently took a 3 month break from social media to rest, refresh and work on several projects that you will be privy to in the near future! They will be worth the wait!

When I first began my writing journey, it was just a hobby. Then, I started a blog and soon after, began sharing my passion on social media. It grew to writing for 1 freelance platform, then evolved into writing for several at one time. All throughout the process of blogging, freelance writing, and now; getting paid to write, I had an 'inner critic!' It was the voice of 'average!' That voice was telling me that no one would be interested in reading anything that I had to say. I began my writing journey in 2013 and 10 years later, that voice is still there! Over the years, I have realized that it will ALWAYS be there! I have learned to channel that negative voice into something really beautiful and freeing. 

Truth is, we ALL have an inner critic. AND it is especially loud when we are on the verge of a major breakthrough in our lives! Evolution is the archenemy to the inner critic! When I write now, I always have music playing in the background. The beat of the music helps me to focus on my writing AND drown out that inner critic. While we are evolving in life, there is going to be an inner critic trying to discourage us from moving forward! The more that you persevere, the less you hear the voice of average. No need to fear the inner critic, my love! That is exactly what the voice of average wants you to do is to be paralyzed by the lie and never move forward. At some point, being fearful gets old and you have to fight back! Speaking from experience, the journey will always be hard but you learn to navigate this part of life bit by bit. It does not get easier, YOU just become stronger. 

God has blessed everyone with multiple gifts and talents and when you find them and start to operate in your gift, there will be opposition! KEEP GOING! Keep moving forward! God has a specific plan for your life and if he has called you to a specific job, he will make sure that it gets accomplished! Someone out there needs EXACTLY what you have to offer. You have to have FAITH! Remember, this is your journey to greatness and every time that you persevere, you are moving closer and closer to your destiny. Do not fear the inner critic but use it as fuel to light that flame of greatness and growth! Find some healthy ways of keeping your mind sharp and focused strictly on your passion. For me, it is reading my bible daily, exercising, listening to music and writing! Be consistent and be honest with yourself and watch your life elevate to the next level AND the next level and so on and so forth!

Let's make it hap'n, cap'n!!! Smiling!!

I’ve Tried Every Candy Under The Sun And I Rate My Top 10 From Worst To Best:

It’s March 20, 2023! That would make me 41 years old and about 5 months shy of turning 42. Life is so serious right now and to lighten the mood, I find myself thinking about my childhood and reminiscing on the things that my brothers and sisters and I used to do for fun. I have had a candy obsession since I was a little girl. After church on Sunday’s, all the kids at my church would go next door to a lady named, Mrs. Jones’ house and get peppermints! She would say in the sweetest voice, ‘Get 2!’ Next to Sunday school, it was the BEST thing about going to church. Every day during the summer months and on Sunday’s after church, my siblings and I would walk to my grandparents’ house in rural Virginia and get permission to go to the bottom of the hill and buy candy! It was literally the BEST time for us. My parents gave us each 1 quarter. This candy store named, ‘Black Diamond,’ had every single old school candy known to man. They had everything from peppermint sticks to life savers, peanut butter taffy, sugar babies, gobstoppers, every flavor of bubble gum, the infamous tootsie roll pop and the list goes on and on! Going to Black Diamond was the beginning of my candy obsession.

Since the days of buying candy for a quarter at the candy store at the bottom of the hill in Virginia, I have literally tried every piece of candy under the sun. As a young woman, I really didn’t value my dental health, so I ate candy as a hobby. I was buying candy every day. I had cavities a time or two in my twenties. I still enjoy strawberry blow pops every now and then, but my teeth are important to me now, so I have cut back tremendously.

I will always cherish my time as a little girl and buying candy with my siblings. Since I have gained so much experience with candy that runs from 1985 to present day, I have put together a list of my top 10 from worst to best! I even added a bonus. I am looking forward to the opportunity to tell my kids about my exciting adventures growing up and trying all sorts of candy for fun.  

10. Sweet Tarts

09. Snickers Bar

08. Hot Balls

07. Laffey Taffy

06. Starburst

05. Skittles

04. Twizzlers

03. Peanut M&M’s

02. Reese Cups

01. Peppermints

Bonus: Gummy Bears

Word of The Month for March: RESOURCEFUL!

Happy Motivational Monday, love muffin! LOL!!

I hope you are out there thriving your socks off today! It's the 1st Monday of March! I have been in just this state of extreme gratitude and pure joy since the beginning of this year! I am just so thankful for my journey. With a lot of patience and prayer, I have come to understand that the most difficult times in my life have been the most valuable to my current state of mind! I am from a very small and rural area in Southwest Virginia. It is very hard to find opportunities there. After teaching for a few years, God led me back to that area to really hone in on and focus on doing some healing. I moved back home in June of 2016 and lived there until January 2020! While trying to make a life in Big Stone Gap, VA, I created a series of extremely good habits for myself. I worked out (lost 50 pounds) finished my Masters degree in Curriculum and Teaching, started reading more, went to the library everyday, learned some new skills and most importantly; deepened my relationship with God! It was just a series of being extremely disciplined and obedient. I learned how to FIGHT! 

This month, the word that has continuously been on my mind is RESOURCEFUL! I learned how to become extremely resourceful during my 4 year stint in Virginia. God sent me there because it is an extremely slower paced lifestyle so I could really focus on my health, finances and spiritual life. I had to create opportunities for myself. There were no staffing agencies there. At one point, I was getting dressed and was literally passing out my resume to different businesses. I was getting passed up for jobs left and right. I substitute taught all of the time. That was one job I knew I could land every time. I took myself out of my comfort zone and worked for Quickbooks for nearly 2 years! It was extremely difficult there. BUT God!

These days, I am so grateful for my perseverance and bravery! I am not afraid of a challenge. I STAY ready for opportunities and I really have come to understand the need for strength in the mundane! It is literally everything to me. Life is so unpredictable and it is so important to remain humble and vigilant. I love my journey and hope it inspires you to become resourceful in your life!

Let's Go 'Faith Shopping!'

Happy Motivational Monday, my love!

It's the first Monday of February! I like to call it, the 'LOVE' month!

A few months after I graduated from college, I went to live in Knoxville, TN. I landed a job and spent the next 9 months planning my next move. My sister and I would ride around the city on the weekends looking at luxury homes. We just knew at some point in time that we would own one of our own. Looking back, I now have an official title for that aggressive pursuit to look at houses we would soon own. I like to call it, 'Faith Shopping!' I saw this term on Instagram a few months ago and wanted to elaborate and share it with you guys. 

According to Hebrews 11:1, "...faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!' We have to activate our faith in getting the things we are called to have in life BUT we also have to act. "...faith without works is dead,' James 2:14. I recently bought a new car a few days after the new year. A week before I went to the dealership, I searched the dealership's web page to get an idea of what I might like. I found a few vehicles in my price range but there was one in particular that struck my fancy. I went to the dealer a few days later to test drive the ones I had found online. I fell in love with a Buick SUV but it was a little too small for my needs. I test drove a few more and felt like I wasn't finding anything I could really drive long term. Right before I gave up, the car salesman brought out the Ford that I saw online for me to test drive. Honestly, I had forgotten about it. It turns out that it was THE one. It was a limited edition sedan and had everything I could dream of having in a car! After test driving it, I bought it that same day! God is so good!!

Moral of the story, we have to manifest our faith! If I had not gotten on the car website, I would have never known about the sedan I would later end up buying. We have to make a conscious effort of acting on our faith day in and day out. We cannot just hope for it. We have to literally go and get it. There have been times in my life where I needed a new job for whatever reason and I have gotten dressed and physically taken my resume around to businesses in the area. Calling and applying online were just not enough. If you need a new washing machine, go to Lowe's and look at your favorite ones. Faith Shopping can be applied to anything that you have faith for. It is literally THE most fun and rewarding thing you can do. HAPPY Faith Shopping!!

I Got You 'COVERED!'

Happy Motivational Monday, Love!

It's January 23 and this month is about to roll on out of here!

I thought it was time to introduce my 'word' of the year. At the beginning of 2022, I began a tradition of letting God lead me to a word that I would lean on or would sort of be my 'anthem' for the entire year. Last year, that word was 'Prepared!' This year, its 'Covered!' Last year, I stepped back into the classroom for the first time in 6 years! I taught 5th grade Writing. It was extremely difficult to teach my students during a pandemic. They had already been through so much with 2 or 3 teacher changes prior to my arrival. We had a blast! I was met with so much resistance at the beginning of 2022 but after awhile, my kiddos opened up to me. There were lots of discipline problems and they had a very difficult time trusting and opening up to me at our initial meeting. BUT God!!! I asked God to lead me and I prayed for him to cover my students. And he did just that! I was 'prepared' last year and this year, I am asking him to 'Cover' me while I embark on the journey of writing a memoir! At times, I am terrified. There is a new level of vulnerability and honesty that I have to have and there is so much that I want to highlight and talk about in my life. God and I are taking it one day at a time. I know that my testimony will change lives! 

I am leaning on the scripture, 'Isaiah 41:10'.. Fear not, for I am with you! I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will hold you up with my righteous hand!

My hope for sharing this with you is to let you know that, it is okay to be unsure of the unknown. We all have doubts at one point or another. But the objective, through God's love and protection, is not to stay doubtful! If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again! (Shout out to, Aaliyah!) I have had the idea of writing a memoir about my life for at least 10 years, and finally began writing in 2021! It is NEVER too late to go after your dream and change the trajectory of your life. You are not too much of anything. NOT too old, NOT too inexperienced, NOT too anything! It just takes faith and daily action! God has got you 'COVERED' love!

Time Stamp: 4:30AM 

Monday #041

The Soundtrack To My Life!

30 of my favorite songs that have helped me to transition from season to season in my life! I believe that everyone should have a soundtrack to their lives. Music is so healing! It has been my favorite way to cope with difficulties in my life. If you could choose 30, what would you choose?

Here are mine!

30. 8 Ball & MJG-'You Don't Want Drama'

29. Amerie-'Nothing Like Loving You'

28. Kelis-'Get Along With You'

27. Nas-'Summer On Smash'

26. Alex Isley-'Into Orbit'

25. Ryan Leslie-'Never Break Down'

24. Fabolous-'Breathe'

23. Coldplay-'O'

22. Hi-Tek-'Music for Life'

21. Brandy-'Focus'

20. Frank Ocean-'Swim Good'

19. Smashing Pumpkins-'1979'

18. Lupe Fiasco-'The Show Goes On'

17. Jeezy-'I'm Back'

16. Mazzy Star-'Fade Into You'

15. Beyonce-'Disappear'

14. Rihanna-'Yeah, I Said It'

13. Anita Baker-'Caught Up In The Rapture'

12. ASAP Ferg-'Dreams, Fairytales and Fantasies'

11. Yebba-'Louie Bag'

10. Smokie Norful-'I Need You Now'

09. Eric Bellinger + Kiki Sheard-'Counting My Blessings'

08. New Edition-'Can You Stand The Rain'

07. Forever Jones-'He Wants It All'

06. Smokie Norful-'Healing In His Tears'

05. Beyonce-'I Miss You'

04. Beyonce-'Me, Myself and I'

03. Amerie-'Swag Back'

02. Alex Isley-'Gone'

01. Coldplay-'Sparks'

Bonus #2: Fred Hammond-'He LIVES Remix'

Bonus #1: Michael Jackson-'Leave Me Alone'

The Tea 'Without' The Sugar! The ART of Growing Up.

WELCOME to my blog, 'Knetris, The Word Nerd!!'

I guess I should begin by saying, 'Happy New Year!' 2023 has officially arrived and I am SO excited! This is the 10th year that this blog has been on the scene. Myself and this platform have grown tremendously just in the past 2 years! It was actually deactivated from 2013 (which is when it was created) until 2020! I tested positive for COVID January of 2020 and after my healing I began writing again and have NEVER  looked back! God blessed me with the wonderful opportunity to write for 6 months as a Contributing Writer for SHEEN Magazine from October 2021-April 2022! Since then, I have been blessed to add to my resume an ongoing freelance writing position for Thought Catalog, Collective World, as well as DoingGoodTV! I am super happy with where my writing career is headed! I am so excited to announce that I have had the idea of writing a memoir about my life for the past 10 years and as of 2021, I AM WRITING IT!!!!! There are still lots of technical issues to work out, lots and lots of writing to be done but hopefully, I will be done before the end of 2023! As soon as more details become available, I will post them.

This week on my 'Motivational Monday' series, I would like to talk about growth! So, I used to have a very bad habit of driving to McDonald's and buying their sweet tea. It's $1.00 per cup. It's soo good! BUT not only does it leave the most horrible aftertaste but it is so bad for you. The sugar content is through the roof! I had a decision to make. I could continue putting the poison in my body, which was the tea that costed $1.00 OR I could find something else to drink. I started drinking more water. When I felt the urge to have something sweet, I started going to Panera Bread. Their sweet tea cost $3.50 but it was still tasty minus the aftertaste and all of the additional sugar. It cost more but in the long run, my body was healthier and I found that I didn't have to have it but only once or twice a month. Unlike McDonald's, I was going there EVERYDAY! Ugh!

The moral of my story is, we have to grow in life! Although we have choices, we will suffer tremendously if we choose to remain the same. I had to learn that even though the tea from McDonald's was delicious and cost less, it was ruining my health AND it was full of 'sugar!' The tea from Panera had less 'sugar' and allowed me to learn to not be addicted to comfort. That comfort zone is not home, it is a cage! It is amazing that today, I only want water! I made the choice to change my level of comfort and it has taken me to levels that I never thought I could reach so fast! It may be time for you to grow and step outside of your comfort zone! If that is you, I hope this post kickstarts your journey! Every 'Motivational Monday' I will be here helping you along the way!!

Have an amazing week, Love!