Today, I reflect on the lives and legacy of two amazing women who transitioned this week.
The interesting thing is, I am not sad. I am reverent. I am profoundly grateful and appreciative for their lives and how they lived them. With dignity, quiet grace, power, and extraordinary love.

Janice Scroggins..a gifted pianist, musician, and Portland, Oregon community treasure. I remember her legacy of music, but even more so, her quiet presence. Janice never talked much. She just let her music do the talking. I never saw anyone like her. She didn't seek fame and fortune. She was a part of her community, and she served it well. She served us all. Just by being who she was, and sharing her gift.

Maya Angelou..an author and teacher, and humanitarian.  A wisdom woman. I wanted to be like her when I became an elder. Just comfortable in my own knowing. Like she was. She used her energy well. Even in her passing, her energy lives on inside of us!! What power..it is so strong!!

Women of wisdom..our community treasures. Especially in an age of reality television where we are bombarded with images of women fighting, bickering, clamoring for 15 minutes of fame at the expense of ratings and an audience...it is so refreshing to stop and reflect..and appreciate these two women who just used their gifts and their lives to bring us all clarity, purpose, and insight.

Today, I love and salute them!! Ase!

You just had a hard day at work, and you feel really frustrated and stressed out. You need to vent about your crazy boss, so you call your best friend and tell her "You won't believe my day! I need a DRINK!"

Whether or not you drink alcohol, you know when someone says, "I need a drink!" it's usually because of something that has made them feel angry, frustrated, confused, or disappointed, and they either talk about it, or do something out of character! We all have moments when we feel like that, right?

However, when you hear some of your friends or colleagues communicate their feelings with statements like this..

"Girl, if I wasn't saved, I would cuss him out today and repent later!"
"I need to be prayed up to deal with this mess.."
"The Bible said, "Thou Shalt Not Kill; it didn't say I couldn't shoot your kneecaps off!"

..then assume they come from the "saved and sanctified" church culture and they are letting you know "they need a drink!" How can you tell?

Notice the code speak. The words "saved", "prayed up", "the Bible" are all mentioned in the same sentence as "cuss you out", "shoot your kneecaps", and "repent later".

Who else does that?

You just read a brief excerpt from my book "Saved, Sanctified..And Still Need A Drink!" which I will be publishing this summer. This is a book about my own self discovery journey, growing up as a preacher's daughter in the Church of God in Christ. This book will definitely resonate with those of you who are familiar with issues of the "saved and sanctified" culture.. and still wrestle with feelings of guilt, hypocrisy, shame, and fear.

I talk about the struggle I experienced with religious upbringing, especially with the strict "holiness or hell" thinking that kept me locked in imagined fear for many years. I also open the door for everyone to stop and examine their own feelings and situations, without judgment. This book is written in a humorous way, so no one should really be offended, even though it touches on some sensitive subject matter.

Anyone can relate to this book, regardless of your race, creed, or religion. It is religious beliefs that oftentimes stop us from opening up to true salvation and personal peace. I seek to begin the discussion, and I want to invite you get this book when it is released!

Please e-mail me at bfree996@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list. That way you can be notified when the book is released. Also, feel free to send me any questions or topics you are struggling with that I can help you process through with wisdom, peace, and a calm presence!!