Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Hi, I’m A Boundless Babe

Today I have my final #boundlessbabesociety check in call of stage one with my dear friend and mentor, Renee.  For me, being part of BBS for me has been one of the best types of therapy both physical and mental.
  When a woman is part of BBS, she has the ability to set her own goals without the word should.  She has the accountability of a monthly meeting with other women who  100% understand the frustration and joy of this life that looks different from the average woman can bring.  I am thrilled that I have met my goals of getting out on the town independently using access service to meet up with friends, and I have been using my walker basket to carry things by myself.  I haven’t been perfect, but I love the feeling of independence when I do stick with my goals.  I’m grateful for this community and I can’t wait to see what chapter two of my BBS journey brings

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Unfinished:The beginning of the church

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:1‭-‬11

Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write an accurate account for you, most honorable Theophilus,
Luke 1:3

  1. The proof- Jesus appeared to his disciples
  2. The promise
  3. The purpose

Memory Verse

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts of the Apostles 1:8 NLT

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Just Sayin’:Toxic Words

The tongue can bring death or life those who love to talk will reap the consequences

Proverbs 18:21

The mouth speaks what the heart is full of

A verse from the Bible in the Book of Matthew

Let no unwholesome word come from your lips but only what is beneficial for building each other up

Ephesians 4:29

What are Toxic words?

  • Lying
  • Slander
  • Gossip
  • Any speech that would tear someone down and dehumanize them.

Gossip is not only about the person spreading it or the person being spoken about it is also about the listener. when you hear gossip, it should stop with you.

Toxic language; defaces the image of God and us and in other people.

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advocacy, Dance

I’m excited

I can’t wait to meet these Ladies

I can now publicly get excited about meeting these two groundbreaking women next month!
Judy Heumann began fighting for the rights of the disability community in the late 1960s. She was a witness to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( The ADA) in 1990,and she continues to speak about how the world needs to change its perspective of disability.

@alistroker is someone you definitely can call a #boundlessbabe she is an original member of @rollettes_la. She was the first and only legit wheelchair user to be on Glee, and she was the actor in our community to win a @tonyawards_ I know that there will be many more. I can’t wait to learn from these ladies.

Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

I need to clarify something

Hi, I hope you’re having a blessed day. I need to clarify something that I said on the podcast yesterday. My pastor’s barber asked him what a pastor does, and Andrew said it’s the job of a pastor to help people see the love of Jesus. The barber then took out his phone and showed him the photo that he found online with the hateful words that I told you about and asked Andrew, how would you explain this photo? Andrew told his barber that that is not a picture of who Jesus Christ is.

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Asking for A friend: How can I follow Christ if I don’t like Christians?

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

1 Peter 2:1‭-‬12 NIV

Back to the Basics

  • New Birth is always into a family.
  • New birth is exciting, but maturity in Christ is the goal.
  • God’s plan is for the world to experience him in and through us.
  • Holiness is a powerful witness

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Colossians 4:6 NIV

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

1 Peter 3:15

Memory Verse

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 NIV

https://john.bible/john-1-14

Bottom line

Resistance is expected; let Christ not our character be the stumbling block.

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advocacy, Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Global Accessibility Awareness Day

Today is global accessibility awareness day.  This is a day of recognizing the things and people that are allies to the people in the disability community. 

Thank you to the following people:

Thank you to Feinstein’s at Vitello’s for creating accessibility by adding the chair lift to your place.  I truly feel like family when I attend shows at your place.

Thank you also to the federal bar in North Hollywood.  I love attending shows upstairs, and I love how easy the access is for a wheelchair and walker user like me.   

Thank you also to theatre 68, who gave me a front-row seat to see my friend Renee Marino in a production of Danny and the deep blue sea.  Thank you also to Renee Marino for letting me take a Walker-free photo with her on two occasions. 

Thank you also to John Lloyd Young, who was the first person to take a walker-free photo with me back in August of 2015.

Last but not least, thank you to my family at Eagle Rock Baptist Church for not giving up on me or leaving me out of things when my movement became a little bit more difficult. 

The things I think need to change:

The first thing that needs to be changed is the restaurants that use the accessible bathroom stall or the walkway to the bathroom for high chair storage space.  Companies need to require their employees to go through a training called the other side of the chair.  A training in which wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive equipment is used to give people the experience of those who use that equipment daily.

Another improvement that needs to be made is accessibility in entertainment.  The only way that crip face casting will become a thing of the past is if theatres and movie and tv filming locations become accessible. 

The definition of Cripface casting is- casting someone in the role of a disabled person when the actor has no life experience as a person with a disability.

Society still has a lot to learn, but I do believe that things have the potential to get better.

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Facing Failure with unshakable Faith

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered. So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him. Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”

Acts. 12:6‭-‬14 NLT

1. We need an unshakeable community

2. The people in your community need to be people who practice sacrificial love

3. Speaks words of encouragement

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Faith, Dance, Books, advocacy

Asking for a friend: Why didn’t God answer my prayer?

Reasons we may not see Answers to prayer:

1.  Maybe the request is Wrong

James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came up to him. “Teacher, we have something we want you to do for us.” “What is it? I’ll see what I can do.” “Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.”

Mark 10:35‭-‬37 MSG

When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?”

Luke 9:51‭-‬54 MSG

2.  Maybe the timing is wrong

Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.

2 Peter 3:8‭-‬9 MSG

3.  Maybe there’s something wrong with me. 

The same goes for you husbands: Be good husbands to your wives. Honor them, delight in them. As women they lack some of your advantages. But in the new life of God’s grace, you’re equals. Treat your wives, then, as equals so your prayers don’t run aground.

1 Peter 3:7 MSG

Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.

Isaiah 59:1‭-‬2 NLT

4. Maybe Nothing is wrong

Memory Verse

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8‭-‬9 NLT

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