The Be One Life

Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength together a one.

  • Home
  • About
    • Living Whole
    • Kingdom
    • Reading Plan
  • Studio
    • Why Private Tutoring?
    • Marriage Yoga
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Grief and Gratitude

November 10, 2016 by beoneadmin

Griefandgratitude“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” –Jesus via Matthew 5:4

Can I say it out loud? This hurts!

It hurts to live during such tumultuous times.

It hurts to have what you already knew confirmed.

It hurts to have people express and confirm that they think you and your people are “other than” and “less than.”

It hurts to see so many people motivated by fear.

It hurts to have your life be one so use to discrimination that this doesn’t even surprise you.

I hurt for my husband, a black man.

I hurt for my two black daughters.

I hurt myself as a black woman.

I hurt for my friends and family of color.

I hurt for the people who are so driven by fear that they would do anything to hold onto their power. That is scariest part, no?

I’m also grateful.

I am grateful that as a black woman I stand on the shoulders of generations of women that have risen through slavery, rape, misogyny, and other forms of discrimination to hold our families and communities together.

I’m grateful for my husband who is a man after God’s own heart.

I’m grateful that through all of this, my family has had so many opportunities to introduce our kids to the ways that love and fear and grief and gratitude can all be experienced at the same time.

I’m grateful to have voted and experienced this election from outside of the States. It allowed me to step outside of the bubble and shift my perspective.

I’m grateful to live in a country where I have the right to speak up, the right to vote any way I choose, and the right to worship God freely and openly.

Most of all, I am grateful for a Savior who tells me that it is okay to grieve. As a matter of fact, I am blessed when I do so.

So I encourage you, dear sisters and brothers, to grieve out loud. Grieve in your notebooks, around your dinner tables, in your churches, on your porches, and in your prayers.

And also express gratitude in those same places. Be grateful that you are not grieving alone. Be grateful that our people are known to be strong beyond belief.

Grief and gratitude can co-exist. Our hearts are big enough for both. Allow your heart to fully feel your sad surprise and to fully feel the joy of knowing a God who is fully in control.

And know this: We are worthy. We matter. We are loved. We rise…together.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Slow Flow Yoga – Rooted

November 7, 2016 by beoneadmin

Hey friend! Wanna practice with me from the comfort of your own home? Here’s a slow flow practice to do just that. Grab a mat and join me!

P.S. I’m super scared to post this, but I also know that fear has no place where God’s love reigns.

P.P.S. Let me know what you think and maybe we can make this a more regular thing!

https://youtu.be/vLa78p7fMSo

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Gratitude

November 1, 2016 by beoneadmin

gratitudeLet all that I am praise the Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty. -Psalms 104:1 (NLT)

How great is our God! He is the Creator and sustainer of this world and everything in it. He spoke it all into existence, without having to left a finger. He is eternal and has infinite wisdom. He carefully crafted each one if us, and knows us right down to the hairs on our head. The best part? We are his most prized creation because He made us in his own image.

How can we not be grateful for such a wonderful creator? We are good because he made us good.

We are blessed because He left his place in heaven to come to earth to rescue us from yourselves, from our sins. We are blessed because Christ has set us free from our sins to live a life of gratitude in worship to him. Every day that we wake up, breathe, and move is a day to be thankful to God.

The beautiful thing about being in the kingdom of God is that we don’t have to work for our salvation. Our salvation is a gift–through grace by faith. For that reason alone, we get to be grateful to God. That’s right, friend, our gratitude is a “get to.”

If you are in a dark place right now and are finding it difficult to be thankful, remember this: the Lord our God is faithful and He will never leave you. There is NO place that His light cannot reach. There is nothing powerful enough to separate us from God’s love. Stay connected to him through prayer and His word–it will light your path out of the darkness. You are redeemed, and are set free.

This month our focus will be on gratitude. So let each of us live daily with thankful hearts for our Creator. Instead of working to earn the salvation that God freely gives, let’s serve Him and one another wholeheartedly.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

We Are The Church

October 28, 2016 by beoneadmin

churchDear friends,

Ready for some truth? This one will be hard to swallow and it is even harder for me to say but, well, it needs to be said.

You CANNOT love Jesus and reject HIS church.

The whole point of Jesus giving up his place in heaven to put on human skin, to be hated, spit on, rejected, tortured, and killed was for His church.

In our American, “it’s all about me”western way of thinking, we like to think that he died and rose again just for us, but that is sadly a lie from the evil one.

Real talk? Jesus died for His church. The church is his bride. That church includes those who call on His name, who accept Him as their Savior and who follow him wholeheartedly as disciples.

Can we be hurt by the institution of the church? Can we hate the hypocrisy? Can we feel left out? Can we feel like it is not relevant?

Of course we can.

The church is made up by a bunch of imperfect, broken people trying to walk in the way of the PERFECT one. We get it wrong all the time. But guess what? He knew we would; that’s why there is grace upon grace.

Remember that old saying: wherever you go, there you are? If you are a follower of Jesus, if you have put off your old self and put on the new, then wherever you go, you are the church. You cannot get away from it or separate from it.

Instead of writing the church off because we are disillusioned or hurt, we must remember how much Jesus went through to pay the price for the church.

He paid his life. God gave his Son.

So I challenge you and myself to BE the church that Jesus died for. Be the church you wish you had. Look at what he actually says about his church and what it means to follow him.

Love. Learn. Be. Follow. Obey. Love.

This is the journey of a disciple of Jesus, the journey of the members of His church.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Discipleship

October 1, 2016 by beoneadmin

Discipleship“If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison–our father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even our own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.” -Jesus (Luke 14:26-27 NLT)

In our “Jesus is only love” society, this is a hard pill to swallow, no? A difficult teaching to understand from a God/man who has been painted as a “we are the world”, hippie type. But let’s not forget that Jesus is God. He is man. He is the word. He is just. And He is love.

Because of His great love for us, Jesus came to earth to establish a kingdom where he will reign forever. Jesus graciously forgives and brings all who believe in Him and dedicate their lives to Him into His kingdom. This is where a disciple’s walk behind and towards Jesus begins. Imagine God’s kingdom as a circle. When we, as Jesus’s disciples, first step into the Kingdom of God, we are are on the fringe and Jesus sits on a throne in the center. Each day that we follow Jesus, study his word, and live by his teachings, the love in our hearts for Him and others grows. We begin to take baby steps closer to him. As we grow in faith and in our relationship with Jesus throughout our lives, the blurry image of him at a distance comes into focus, and the light of His glory shines brightly through us. Jesus extends this free gift of grace to all of us, but this grace came at a cost.

The grace that God extends to us through Jesus was not cheap. It cost Jesus his life. It cost Jesus His place in heaven for a time. It cost God his Son.

Grace is costly and we continuously cheapen it.

In the verses following our key verse, Jesus goes on to say that we must count the cost of following Him. Our relationships with our families are important, our lives are important, our jobs are important; but they all pale in comparison to WHO should have the place of ultimate importance in our lives. Before we become disciples of Christ, he asks us to count this cost.

He MUST come BEFORE everything else.

To be a disciple of Jesus, you must choose Christ. If the choice is between your mother and Jesus, you choose Jesus. There is no comparison in the life of a disciple, Jesus is always first.

Like I said, hard pill to swallow, Amen?

What does this look like on a daily basis? How do we count the cost and still choose Jesus over all things. How do we make him preeminent over all things? What does it look like to put Jesus first, for real and not just as advice to graduates and newlyweds?

This month, we will be exploring discipleship. We will be looking at what it truly means to be a disciple of Jesus, to follow him wholeheartedly as Lord of our lives. We will look at some common mistakes that we make, and how His word tells us to follow him. Most of all, we will be encouraging and challenging ourselves to follow him more fully, to more fully count the cost.

Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to view our daily posts on discipleship.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Renewed Strength

September 7, 2016 by beoneadmin

Renewed StrengthWe are 7 days into our Move into Stillness journey. It is a great time to check in with each other, with ourselves, and with God.

Today’s verse, Isaiah 40:31, says “But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” It could not have come at a better time in this journey. You see, during this first week, I have found myself exhausted by my own thoughts, fears, and worries. I worried what you all thought, why you were not participating, and whether social media is the best outlet for what I am trying to accomplish.

It.was.exhausting.

But God. His Word. ALWAYS speaks.

He gave me new strength, and reminded me that I need NOT accomplish anything. This ministry, Be One, my life, and all of you are His. His word will stir hearts and open eyes as He sees fit. I am only to do my part in the journey.

So here I am; still fidgeting and moving my way into stillness. This time, I am doing it with renewed strength and a promise from our Creator that I will not grow weary or faint.

You won’t either, my friend.

So in the coming weeks, let’s keep trusting in Him. Let’s gather our new strength. Let’s soar on wings like eagles–together.

I would love to hear from you. How is your journey going? What has been your favorite posture so far? Do you have any new insights?

Share, please. You may just encourage someone else.

You can join the journey on our Facebook or Instagram page.

 

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Moving into Stillness…Day 2

September 2, 2016 by beoneadmin

Stillness-Day2****Instructions for today’s posture, our intention, and a picture can all be found on our Instagram: @thebeonelife or Facebook: thebeonelife.**** Yesterday’s is there too. Let me know how it goes for you! Remember–we are doing this hand in hand!
Be silent before the Lord, all humanity, for He is springing into action from his holy dwelling. –Zechariah 2:13.

How hard is this? We’ve been taught that the way to God is to talk to him. Now I am not saying that this is wrong; of course we should present our requests to God. I’m also saying that there is a missing piece to this puzzle-probably the most important.

How will we know the answer if we never take the time to be silent/still before him?

Have you ever been so rushed to check prayer/quiet time off your to do list that you just hop up after saying “Amen?”
I am guilty of this. I am also forgiven.

God is calling us to something deeper. You see, prayer is communication, and we know that great communication requires both speaking and active listening. God is wonderful at being our active listener; we have full access to his holy throne to speak to him. But how much time do we spend actively listening to God?
By active listening, I am not talking about looking for signs that God approves of decisions we have already made. I mean getting silent, getting still before our mighty Creator and actually listening to what He has to say through His word and His Spirit.
We can use our yin yoga practice as a tool to help us get silent before the Lord. When we are practicing, we can begin to notice the silent whispers from the Spirit. We can notice the burdens that God is asking us to release to him as our bodies release. We can notice the places in our hearts that need healing. We can notice…Him.
So slow down today, my friend. Get silent and watch God spring into action.
What did you hear?

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Moving into Stillness…

September 1, 2016 by beoneadmin

StillnessOh friend! 90 days. 3 months. A quarter of a year. It has been that amount of time since our family followed God’s nudges and moved to Puerto Rico. It is a turning point for sure. The experts say that it is at this point that a transition happens. The novelty fades. We realize we that this is not temporary, we are no longer tourists. This.is.our.home.

Thing is, it doesn’t feel like home yet. We are still transitioning, still learning, still adjusting (all normal). We long to feel at home here, while at the same time longing for all the things and people we left behind. It is difficult to explain this to people–especially because many people think we are one long vacation. Yet we long to be understood.

Thank God for the gift of yoga–especially yin yoga.

My mat and my yoga practice gives me a safe place to be understood, to be myself. It also provides the perfect metaphor for my life. This year, I have fallen in love with yin yoga. It has been such a reflection of what is currently happening in my life. In the yin style of yoga, we hold postures for a 3-10 minutes (sometimes longer) in order to get into the deeper spaces of our bodies–our ligaments, tendons, and joints. To the unfamiliar eye, it looks like one is doing nothing. That could not be further from the truth.

When coming into a posture, you move and you fidget your way into stillness. In the stillness, you are doing the hard and holy work of waiting, waiting, waiting.

Sounds boring huh?

A favorite quote of mine says “When you’re waiting, you’re not doing nothing, you’re doing the most important thing there is. You’re allowing your soul a chance to grow up. If you can’t be still and wiat, you can’t become what God created you to be. “ (Sue Monk Kidd)

In other words, “Be still and know.” (Ps. 46:10)

As you move into stillness and waiting, something almost magical happens. You feel places in your body, and sometimes deep within your soul begin to open up and release. If you can move past very human and cultural desire of always needing to move and to “do,” you can enter into the holy space of BEing still. This process teaches us both who we are and who God created us to be.

So back to the move. That’s where we are with this move. For three months (or more if you count all of the preparation), we have been moving, fidgeting, and trying very hard to find a soft place to land so that we can get still.

We have had flashes of some beautiful and difficult out-of-our-comfort-zone things that God has invited us here to do. But we have committed to getting still first. First, we will create space for our new lives to open up and for our souls to get quiet so that we can hear the only voice that matters. We will not run ahead of God’s plan.

But we can not do this alone. We are list making, to do list checker, get things done-ers. We are also recovering perfectionists. This month, I would love for you to journey with us into stillness. Everyday for the month of September, I will post a yin yoga posture, instructions for practicing the posture, and an intention. All you need to do is set a timer and practice the posture in your own home along with me while focusing on the intention.

That’s it. One pose per day. 30 days.

We will learn together how to sit in the hard and holy spaces, and wait for God to move us.

I cannot wait to hear about how God works in your life through this.

Will you join me?

You can find the the daily poses on our Instagram: @thebeonelife

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Self-control

September 1, 2016 by beoneadmin

self-controlBoth love and godly communication are keys to any good relationship. Whether the relationship is with your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors, your enemies, or even God, all relationships need love and clear communication to flourish. This is where self-control comes in. Self-control is a spiritual gift we all desperately need, yet constantly struggle with. So often in our relationships, we want the other person to love more deeply, communicate more clearly, control their actions…first. The truth is that this begins with controlling our own actions; the practice of self-control.

When we accepted Jesus, we made a commitment to follow him wholeheartedly. A major part of being a disciple of Jesus is that we love God and others. True love requires that we keep our word, that we build one another up, and that we are trustworthy. None of this can be accomplished without self-control. God wants us to speak truth in love and gentleness and encourage one another with our words. (Ephesians 4:2, 15; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Following through on our promises show the other person that we can be trusted and that we really do love and care about building a good relationship.

God intends for us to exhibit self-control out of love for our spouse because our marriages are a reflection of the relationship of Christ and the Church. Husbands must show self-control to be the Christ-figure in our marriage and serve our wife as Christ served to the point of death. Wives must show self-control by submitting ourselves to our husband. We must ALL practice self-control by submitting to one another (Ephesians 5:21-33).

In order for us, the church, to show the world we are one with each other and one with Christ, we must exhibit self-control in our words, actions, and in all areas of our lives, so that the world may see and give glory to God. Let us all ask God to bless us with the gift of self-control in all our relationships!

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Gentleness

August 1, 2016 by beoneadmin

GentlenessGentleness is the spiritual gift of being mild mannered and implies humility and meekness. Our society equates traits like gentleness, humility, and meekness with weakness. In the kingdom of God, however, gentleness is an aspect of strength. Our perfect example of this is Jesus. In Matthew 11:29, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus approached teaching others with a humble and gentle heart, and at the same time he was strong enough to carry all of our burdens. We too are called to teach the word to the lost with gentleness (2 Timothy 2:25).
As husbands and wives, we need to show gentleness in our marriages for us to grow as one toward one another. This begins with opening up the lines of communication and listening to each another. One of the hardest things for a husband to do when he sees his wife suffering is listen and empathize. Naturally, he just wants to fix the problem. This is where gentleness comes in. Husbands, your wife does not need you to be her savior when she is going through difficult times; she already has One. She needs you to be her partner who helps and supports her with gentleness as Jesus brings her through whatever trial she is facing.
Wives are called to clothe themselves with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God (1Peter 3:4). That beauty of gentleness will speak volumes to your husbands, more than anything else you might wear.
Jesus is our example of a gentle spouse in His gentleness towards his bride, the Church. He has always loved her, and showed the church gentleness for her, flaws and all. Whenever we get off track, he gently corrects us and reconciles us with God (Colossians 1:15-20).

Let us pray for the Holy Spirit to give us the gift of gentleness in our teaching and our marriages.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Recent Posts

  • Appointed Times
  • Happy New Year!
  • Unity Bound in Peace
  • Cultivating Wholeness: Caring for your soul
  • Unbreakable Marriage

Featured Posts

During these days that some people are referring to as uncertain times, let’s remember a promise from the YHWH (God) of all creation that says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22 ESV)  YHWH established the times and seasons to continue […]

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Happy New Year!  Wait. Did we catch you off guard? It’s the beginning of April. What are they talking about?!?! Have you ever wondered why the new year starts in the winter when its it cold, dark, and most of nature is dormant?  When the trees are bare and most of creation is resting and/or […]

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. -Ephesians 4:3-4 (NLT) What is peace? How can we live in it? Peace is not just the absence of […]

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

The Be One Life

The Be One Life

Social

  • View beoneyogapr’s profile on Facebook
  • View thebeonlife’s profile on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Appointed Times
  • Happy New Year!
  • Unity Bound in Peace
  • Cultivating Wholeness: Caring for your soul
  • Unbreakable Marriage

Contact Info.

Hampton, VA
757-880-6838
thebeonelife@gmail.com
Appointment only

Copyright © 2025 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in