By Samantha McKenzie Some of you dazzling dolls were born with a natural resilience, an appetite for the long haul and a healthy dose of undeniable strength. Some of you blazing beauties learned to take life by the horns, fell first in line for the toughest of tasks, earning every inch of your intestinal fortitude…

By Dawn Onley Every so often, I need to take a break from life’s busyness and noise. It normally happens in the fall, as the leaves cover the ground and temperatures get cooler. The change makes me want to retreat under a blanket with a hot cup of tea and an engrossing book. In the…

By Samantha McKenzie Words have weight to them. Like numbers, letters add up. We don’t see them in equations until we are introduced to higher level math. They represent the unknown, the abstract, a variable that is often meant to be solved. They have the ability to force us into unfamiliar territory. There are writers who use…

By Dawn Onley Pray like it all depends on God and work like it all depends on you.” – Saint Augustine Prayer has legs. And feet. And arms and hands, for that matter. When we pray, we are asking for God to move in our lives. Prayer relies on faith, but it also relies on…

By Samantha McKenzie “It is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong.” Bishop Desmond Tutu The African people have a philosophy known as “Ubuntu” (pronounced uu-boon-too) which loosely means, I am because of…

By Dawn Onley It rained like God was crying last night. For a few hours, the black, starless sky opened up and upchucked rain and fiery bolts of lightning and thunder as if signaling an ominous foreshadowing of what is to come. We barely made it back to the hotel in time, still giddy with delight…

By Samantha McKenzie Are you a closet Cinderella? A professional damsel in distress? Do you cling to the notion that one day – ssssssomeday – your knight in shining armor will arrive and save you from this dreaded life? Even in today’s forward-thinking, progressive society, it’s not uncommon to embrace this concept. We’ve inherited the idea that…

By Dawn Onley On the red clay dirt that dots their home, they run without a care in the world, slowing only when a car pulls up in the driveway so they can catch a glimpse of the visitors. Inside, a middle age woman with a broad smile and a sunny disposition comments that there…

By Samantha McKenzie Underneath all of the personal wear and tear, lies your softness. Somewhere behind your concrete wall, sits your tenderness. Tucked very far away, behind many layers, is your gentleness. Hold on to your sweet kindness. Be mindful to secure your precious ability to love. From time to time, it’s good to take…

By Dawn Onley I read a note that someone posted on Facebook seven years ago, challenging their friends to write something they are thankful for each day during November, and to post it to their page. I did it that year, and have made it a practice to do since then, both on Facebook and…