Come with me to New Orleans- Nola Vlog

Growing up in NOLA shaped me in ways I didn’t fully understand until I left. From the neighborhoods I ran through as a kid to the family traditions that still ground me, my journey has been one of growth, change, and realization. There’s a rhythm to life in New Orleans that never really leaves you. The warmth, the resilience, the way people show up for one another—it’s in my DNA. But it wasn’t always easy. I grew up watching strength in action. I witnessed how creativity and faith could stretch limited resources into something meaningful.

 

Of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without diving into the food. Every bite carried a memory—of childhood, of laughter, of moments that mattered. From red beans to beignets, every meal felt like a small reunion with a part of myself I forgot I missed. But more than the food, it was the conversations shared over those plates that reminded me how deeply rooted I still am in family and culture.

 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that growth doesn’t have to look like major milestones all the time. Sometimes it’s just being present in a space that once overwhelmed you—and realizing you’re standing in it with more clarity, more confidence, more peace.

 

This trip back home helped me see that even though I’m not exactly where I want to be, I am so far from where I started. And that is worth celebrating. If you're in a season of growth—or even just trying to hold it together—take a moment to reflect on how far you’ve already come. You don’t need a big breakthrough to be proud of your progress.

 

Maybe your “walk down memory lane” looks different. Maybe it’s a conversation, a journal entry, or a quiet moment alone. Wherever you are, honor your journey.

Watch the Vlog below:

 

 

Then drop a comment in the YouTube video and let me know: What’s something in your life that reminds you how far you’ve come?

Stay the Course—This Ain’t the Time to be Shakened

 

Peace, blessings, and love to you all. As the world shifts and uncertainty looms with the new administration, it’s easy to feel discouraged, frustrated, or even fearful. Many are questioning what’s next, but one thing remains unchanged—The Most High is still in control.

This is not the time to shrink back, get distracted, or move in fear. This is the time to stay the course, trust in The Most High like never before, and use discernment in every step you take.

 

The Call to Stay Focused

We are living in times where deception is at an all-time high, and the enemy’s tactics are subtle yet strategic. This is why discernment is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. Now, more than ever, you must:

• Guard your mind and spirit. Be mindful of the media you consume, the conversations you entertain, and the people you allow to influence you. (Proverbs 4:23 – "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.")
• Strengthen your prayer life. Seek wisdom and clarity from Yah daily. He will guide you and keep you from falling into deception. (James 1:5 – "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.")
• Stand firm in your convictions. The pressure to conform will increase, but you are called to be set apart. (Romans 12:2 – "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.")
• Prepare and position yourself. This is not the time to be idle. Equip yourself spiritually, financially, and mentally for what’s ahead. (Matthew 25:1-13 – The Parable of the Ten Virgins reminds us to stay ready, for we do not know the hour when God’s plans will unfold.)

 

Now is the Time for Unshakable Faith

Faith is more than just belief—it’s action. To stay the course, you must:

✔ Stay grounded in the Word. Scripture is your foundation.

✔ Surround yourself with like-minded believers. Community is key.

✔ Move with wisdom, not emotion. Feelings can deceive, but God’s truth remains steady.

This is not a time to play. This is a time to be vigilant, intentional, and unwavering in your walk.

 

Need Extra Guidance?

Download this Stay the Course Scripture & Prayer Journal to help you stay grounded in your faith. It includes:

✅ Daily scriptures for spiritual strength

✅ Guided prayers for wisdom and discernment

✅ Reflection prompts to keep you focused

[Click Here] to download your free copy and stay anchored in The Most High, no matter what comes next!

Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance: If You Missed the Message, You Missed the Mark

 

Peace, blessings, and love to you all. Seeing so many negative comments about the Super Bowl performance is truly eye-opening—it’s a reminder of what the Most High revealed to us long ago. Racism is real, whether people choose to acknowledge it or not. Kendrick Lamar didn’t just put on a show; he delivered a message. And if you didn’t catch it, it simply wasn’t meant for you.

In a world where Black artistry is often watered down for mainstream consumption, Kendrick did what he does best: showed up, unapologetic, and delivered a message for us, to us. From the song choices to the symbolism, every detail of his set spoke volumes about Black identity, resilience, and power. While some might’ve seen “just a rap performance,” those who understood felt the weight of the moment.

A Performance Rooted in Blackness

Kendrick has never been one to cater to the masses. His music has always been layered—meant for those who are willing to listen beyond the beat.

At the Super Bowl, he didn’t compromise. He gave us:
✔ Unfiltered Black storytelling
✔ A visual representation of resilience
✔ A performance rooted in OUR culture—not for approval, but for impact

Some people watched it and kept scrolling. Others saw a cultural statement, a message, and a moment of Black artistry standing firm on one of the world’s biggest stages.

If You Know, You Know.

Too often, mainstream media tries to erase or soften our impact. But Kendrick didn’t just entertain—he made a statement. And if you didn’t feel it, you weren’t the audience he was speaking to so if you missed the message, you missed the mark.

Choosing Rest Over Celebration: How I Reclaim Peace During the Holiday Season

 

 

Peace, blessings, and love family. As the world rushes to deck the halls, exchange gifts, and prepare for the “new year, new me” frenzy, I’ve chosen a different path—one of rest, reflection, and intentional living. As an Child of of the Most High, I don’t celebrate pagan holidays like Christmas and New Year’s, and instead of being swept up in the holiday chaos, I take this time to focus on what truly matters: my spiritual and mental well-being.

In this post, I’ll share a brief insight into the origins of these holidays and offer practical ways to embrace rest and self-care during a season that often feels overwhelming.

 

The Origins of Christmas and New Year’s: A Quick Insight

The holiday season is filled with traditions that many people follow without questioning their origins. Here’s a brief look at where these holidays come from:

 

Christmas

While Christmas is widely celebrated as the birth of Christ, historical evidence shows that December 25th was chosen to align with pagan winter solstice festivals, particularly Saturnalia, a Roman celebration honoring the god Saturn. Traditions like decorating trees and exchanging gifts have roots in pagan rituals, not biblical teachings.

 

New Year’s Day

The modern New Year’s celebration on January 1st traces back to ancient Rome, where it was dedicated to Janus, the god of beginnings and transitions. The Gregorian calendar’s New Year does not align with biblical or agricultural cycles, which often marked the true beginnings of a year.

Understanding these origins has led me to step away from these celebrations and focus on practices that align with my beliefs.

 

Why I Choose to Hibernate During the Holidays

This season is often marketed as a time of joy, but for many, it’s a time of stress, overspending, and burnout. By choosing rest, I protect my peace and set the tone for a truly intentional year ahead. Here’s how I approach this time of year:

• Spiritual Alignment: Instead of holiday festivities, I use this time to draw closer to God. Whether it’s through prayer, reading scripture, or meditating on His promises, I align my heart with what truly matters.

• Unplugging from Consumerism: The holiday season is filled with sales pitches urging us to buy more, do more, and be more. I’ve found freedom in opting out. By saying no to holiday spending, I can focus on experiences and connections that enrich my life.

• Embracing Rest and Reflection: The end of the calendar year doesn’t have to mean rushing to check off resolutions. I use this time to reflect on the past year, celebrate personal growth, and plan for the future at my own pace.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or seeking a different approach to the holiday season, here are 5 tips to help you reclaim your peace:

• 1. Set Boundaries: It’s okay to say no to holiday parties or traditions that drain you. Protect your time and energy by only committing to what feels right for you.

• Create a Restful Routine: Turn your home into a sanctuary by embracing cozy mornings, journaling, and moments of stillness. Light a candle, sip tea, and let yourself slow down.

• Focus on Nourishment: Instead of indulging in heavy holiday meals, focus on nourishing your body with foods that energize you. Warm soups, herbal teas, and fresh produce can be grounding and comforting.

• Reflect on Your Year: Use this time for honest reflection. What went well this year? What did you learn? What do you want to carry into the next season of your life?

• Plan with Intention, Not Pressure: The “new year, new me” mentality can be overwhelming. Instead of setting unrealistic goals, focus on meaningful intentions that align with your values and purpose.

My message to you, whether or not you celebrate the holidays, remember that you are not obligated to participate in traditions that no longer align with your values. You have the power to create your own rhythm and reclaim this season as a time of rest, reflection, and intentionality. 

 

I encourage you to take a step back, focus on what truly matters, and enter the next season of your life refreshed and renewed.

5 Ways Mothers Can Embrace Winter Rest (Without the Holiday Chaos)

 

 

 

By Zak L. Grace | AuthenticallyZ

I used to get caught up in the holiday pressure—decorating, scheduling, overgiving—only to end up tired and disconnected. Now? I look at this winter season as what it truly is: a time for slowing down, resting, and reconnecting with Yah and my family.

 

If you’re feeling pulled in a million directions or unsure how to navigate this season without falling into the trap of stress and tradition, here are 5 grounded ways to shift your energy toward peace and purpose.

 

1. Honor Your Relationship with the Most High

 

Winter is a set-apart time—a time to pause, reflect, and listen.

This is when I draw closer to Yah, not through man-made holidays, but through intentional stillness. Read Scripture, pray, and create space to hear His voice.

You don’t need lights or festivities to feel connected—just truth, stillness, and the Word.

"Be still, and know that I am Elohim." – Psalm 46:10

 

2. Release the Pressure of Traditions

 

Let go of the pressure to perform.

Ask yourself: Does this tradition align with truth? Or is it something I’m doing out of habit or guilt?

When you let go of traditions rooted in stress, your soul can breathe.

"Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." – Romans 12:2

3. Embrace Community, Not Overload

 

You don’t have to do everything alone—or everything at all.

Delegate tasks, say no when you need to, and embrace quiet moments with people who bring peace, not pressure.

This season isn’t about appearances—it’s about alignment.

 

4. Set Boundaries & Keep Them Sacred

 

Perfection is a trap. You’re not called to impress—you’re called to rest.

Set clear expectations for yourself and your family.

If something drains you more than it fills you, it’s okay to let it go. Protect your peace.

 

5. Make Room for Real Rest

 

The winter season naturally calls us to slow down—so honor that.

Rest isn’t laziness—it’s obedience to the rhythm Yah created.

Take naps, journal, take walks, do nothing—and don’t apologize for it.

When you rest, you show your children what it looks like to live aligned.

You don’t need to wait until January 1 to reset. You can reclaim your peace now.

This winter, let’s choose rest over rituals, peace over pressure, and truth over tradition.

 

Let it be a season of renewal, not burnout.

3 Things You Can Declutter Right Now

 

So you’ve been trying to figure out what are some ways to get this year started for a while now. 

You may see others online, showing how they've planned and organized their lives this new year. And it seems like everyone makes it look so easy. 

But for some reason, planning and organizing keep eluding you. Every time you get close to clearing the clutter out of your life, something happens and you end up back where you started and with even more clutter than you started with.

Not this time. 

Because this time you’re going to be armed with the same tips, tricks, and secrets you see others are doing to make their lives easier to become successful in whatever it is you are trying to achieve. 

This year I wanted to start with a clear mind, a clean slate, and a clean home. Decluttering is a great place to start when you need fresh ideas, a new start, and a clear mind. And I don't know about you but I can't think straight when my home is not in order and things are all over the place virtually and physically.

Give these simple tips a try and see if they work for you too… 

Tip 1: Declutter your email

There are many ways you can declutter your emails but these are a few that have helped me in the past 2 weeks.

Download Unroll.me

• Unroll.me is the easiest way to manage your inbox. Unsubscribe from unwanted email subscriptions, discover new ones, and organize them all in one place.
• 
  

Create folders in your Inbox

• Creating a folder for emails I will return too is one of my top ways to declutter your email. I put these emails in the folder and put some time on my calendar during the week to read through them.

Never stay subscribed to an email if you know you're not going to read them.

 WARNING: Keeping emails you never open adds to the clutter and does not decrease it. We tend to keep subscriptions based on coupons, discounts, or sometimes we feel we are missing something.

NEWS FLASH: you have everything you need. 

Erasing these emails can help you eliminate unnecessary purchases, which is buying psychology, which will ultimately help your budget. This will clear your emails of so much junk, and also minimize the internet's algorithm to stop studying your shopping habits.

• Go to the top search in your email browser, put in a name of a consistent company you see in your inbox, erase all the emails if you aren't going to read them, and take the companies latest email and unsubscribe. 

Tip 2: Declutter your social media 

This is a quarterly task I complete about every 3 months. There are so many voices, so many opinions, and so many “facts” that a lot of times, social media can be really noisy. 

I don’t follow everybody that follows me. If a page doesn’t uplift me, encourage my faith, and help me with something. I will not follow them unless they are my family or friends.

If you went to high school with somebody and they didn't talk with you then and don't say too much to you now. Why are you following them? Now if you support them or their business and the relationship is mutual then that’s a different story but most of us follow a lot of unnecessary people just because.

I don’t like much noise so when my feed seems cloudy. I clean out my follower's list to minimize the busyness of social media.

 

Tip 3: Declutter your Closet

This will have to be my all-time favorite! Cleaning out my closet is so refreshing to me. I like to do these things to declutter.

Create a Toss, Sell, or Donate pile 

• Sell items I don't wear on eBay 
• Donate clothes to Goodwill or local church for outreach
• Toss items that are torn, ripped, or super old

Organize your closet using containers, labels, and color coordination 

Hire a professional to help if this task becomes daunting.

Bonus Tip: Just Breath. This may seem like a lot but this becomes fun once you implement these steps in your life. I started doing this by 15 minutes a day for each tip and saw a huge leap in my creativity because my phone, my social media, and my closet were all clutter-free.

In sum: Decluttering is fairly simple when you apply the above 3 tips. So let me leave you with one last tip… 

So get to it – you’re going to be glad you did! Let me know in the comments, which is your favorite.

10 Lesson 2020 has Taught Me

December is always a reflective month for me. It's a month I am still, more entuned and aware of the things happening around me. This has been one hell of a year and I don't know about anybody else but I'm happy and grateful to still be breathing. I've learned so much this year that during my reflection 2020 has taught me all these things.

1. There is a lot of work to be done internally.

2. I have everything I need.

3. Your people are right in front of you.

4. God never intended pain to be our teacher.

5. Everything that has happened to us, got us to our now.

6. You can only run from yourself for too long before you catch up with yourself.

7. You are your worst enemy.

8. Everything starts in the mind.

9. You may feel lonely but you're never alone.

10. Situations come to teach us not to stop us.

Think about these things. What are some things 2020 has taught you? To go deeper into your journey, download a FREE guide below to help you reflect on this year's lesson.

I hope you have an awesome holiday season.

 

Subscribe to recieve your FREE

"What 2020 Has Taught Me" Guide

Name

Email

Thank you!

Check your inbox for the good!

How Everything Happens for a Reason

In life, we may struggle with so much wondering why we are experiencing certain situations. I believe it's because of 3 things:

1. God is either trying to show us the lesson in a situation

2. God is trying to show us something about us or,

3. God is trying to guide us through a situation.

Just know things didn't happen just because and that there is a beauty from ashes from any situation. Recently, I had a mini battle with my current life situation because I was reminded of the turmoil I'm facing. God showed me the ugly truth behind it all. Listen in on how I pushed through. I hope you're encouraged. 

The Virtuous Women · 17. How Everything Happens for a Reason

Song: Pat Barrett- Canvas and Clay

Scriptures:

Ecclesiates 3:1

Romans 8:28-10

Genesis 50:20

Stay connected with me

My blog: www.authenticallyz.com

Instagram www.instagram.com/theevirtuouswomen/?hl=en

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/240840070506526

Virtuous Women Playlist: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/the-virtuous-women-worship-playlist/pl.u-38oWW5esYWaj8R

For sponsorship partnership and Ad services please contact me at theevirtuouswomen@gmail.com