"When I told my father I was going to marry Jake he said, ‘If you marry that man you will never set foot in this house again.’⁣ ⁣ He was horrified that I could contemplate marrying a black man, and I soon learned that most people felt the same way. The first years of our marriage living in Birmingham were hell — I cried every day, and barely ate. No one would speak to us, we couldn’t find anywhere to live because no one would rent to a black man, and we had no money.⁣ ⁣ People would point at us in the street. Then I gave birth to a stillborn son at eight months. It wasn’t related to the stress I was under but it broke my heart, and we never had any more children.⁣ ⁣ We were at the same technical college. I was having typing and shorthand lessons and he’d been sent there for training by the Air Force. He was with a group of black friends and they called my friend and me over to talk. We didn’t even know they spoke English, but Jake and I got chatting. He quoted Shakespeare to me, which I loved.⁣ ⁣ Jake returned to Trinidad, but we carried on writing to each other, and a few years later he returned to the UK to get better paid work.⁣ ⁣ He asked me to marry him, quite out of the blue, when I was only 19. My father threw me out, and I left with only one small suitcase to my name. No family came to our register office wedding in 1948.⁣ ⁣ But gradually life became easier. I got teaching jobs, ending up as a deputy head teacher. First Jake worked in a factory, then for the Post Office.⁣ Slowly we made friends together, but it was so hard. I used to say to new friends: ‘Look, I have to tell you this before I invite you to my home — my husband is black.’⁣ ⁣ My father died when I was 30 and although we were reconciled by then, he never did approve of Jake.⁣ ⁣ Today we have been married for 63 years, and are still very much in love. I do not regret marrying him for an instant, despite all the pain we have suffered."

We have incorrectly understood extroversion to be a spiritual gift that everyone must cultivate. Extroversion is not a spiritual gift. Introversion is not a spiritual liability. It sounds simple enough, but somehow this message gets confused in the church.

Honored to give this TEDx youth performance/short talk recently! youtu.be/YIa1nDejMPI

Use things. Love people. The reverse never works.

This thread will be dedicated to the victims of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. As a parent, my heart is broken seeing these faces and their ages. My condolences to their families during this difficult time 🙏🏻 Xavier Lopez, 10. He was a 4th grader at Robb Elementary.

Just heard about Texas. As an elementary school teacher -school is a safe place for many kids. A place to learn and grow. To have two guaranteed meals. To see their friends. To find what they love and cultivate it. We have to find a way for this to stay true. Lord hear our prayer

“I don’t know what your destiny will be. Some of you will perhaps occupy remarkable positions. Perhaps some of you will come famous by your pens or as artists. The only ones among you that will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” - Albert Schweitzer

Thank to @MarysvilleEVSD and Bunsold Middle School for inviting me to speak and perform for the 8th grade class. Marysville School District is on the cutting edge of education and innovation.

What enneagram number was Jesus? And why was he a 9.

I had a great time performing/speaking for a TEDx conference today! Am I the only person to give a TED talk in shorts and t shirt 😂

I would much rather be excluded because of who we include than included because of who we exclude.

This week, we are announcing the performers for our event. First up is Samuel Sisley of Sizzla Basketball! Samuel will dazzle you with his skills and inspire you with his story. To learn more, visit the Performers page on our website: tedxyouthmhs.com/?page_id=16…

Hungry people, thirsty people, people who need clothes on their back, people in jail, widows, orphans, the least of these. This is where Jesus shows up. You find God in the most unlikely people. An upside down kingdom where the first are last and the last are first.

Anyone seen the Hillsong documentary? What did you think?

"But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

"I left home, I flew across an ocean. My brother is missing, in the middle of a war zone. What is there left to be afraid of?" I'm really enjoying "Other Words for Home" by @jasminewarga . The strength and resilience of refugees is astounding.

Killed it Wordle 210 4/6 ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ ⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

"If we dare take a first step, we discover that faith can be a road, a doorway out of the fortress prison of certainty and into the adventure of living. Before us lies the unknown, which is our life." Brian McLaren in Faith After Doubt.