Dear Self:
Stop trying to compact
your love in their
tiny box.
It’s too
huge; too vast;
and too much
a thing to be marvelled.
Not at all a fixture
to be hidden or revealed
by decision of
a weak ego needing
to be stroked.
–Sincerely, Tyra
Writing this post thinking of some of the ways that I have blocked my own blessings in the past:
A. By moving too fast,
B. by trusting too quickly (yes, there’s a difference between trusting people and being naive like I was),
C. by doing my own thing out of pride,
D. and by not being obedient or protecting my God-given purpose.
Now, I find myself in a waiting period—and sometimes it’s difficult.
But anything that has WORTH will require some WORK!
Never let anyone make you forget what you want for yourself.
Sincerely,
Tyra
#SincerelyTyra
#SlayTheDream
#WorthTheWorkWorthTheWait @ South Side, Chicago
She is gospel and spoken word all at once. Healing and remedies summonsed at her command. Who would dare stand in doubt about her strength? Or the length of her care? The type you pray that you stay in her prayers.
—Sincerely, Tyra
Bruh, here’s a not-so-secret secret: I struggle with being in control.
If I’m being real, I can paint a picture for you. Give me a second… Okay, so:
A. Sometimes, I roll my eyes at people who I think don’t know what they’re doing instead of helping them.
B. Although I’ll say when I’m wrong, I want things to be my way in relationships because I know best.
C. At work, my patience is only reserved for my teens—because every adult should “know better than” fill-in-the-blank.
I know, I’m highly flawed and I’m sure there are a few more examples that could be added to the list.
And yet, I’m working on it. This life gets difficult and tiresome and people don’t care and, at times, we get frustrated or ready to clap back or move before the next step of our journey has been revealed to us.
But God operates differently than we do. Just when we think we have control over the situation, there’s a turning point with the purpose of our getting closer to Him; remembering He’s the head; and that He requires our TRUST and FAITH and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT that He is in control.
Last week, I was struggling with changes at work. The week before that it was a change within my personal life. Change will always come. That’s literally how the cycle of life works. It dawned on me (mid-complaint) about one of these changes that I sounded foolish and faith-less. I literally had to stop and say to myself: “Fear or faith? You gon pick one or nah?”
In this season, God is reminding me that with FAITH should come the desire for us to be still and allow God to take control over every situation in our lives.
“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Philippians 2:13 NLT
Praying that He continues to stretch my heart to match His desires as wait on the way He wants me to move forward. AND that I have the sense to take each of these that I wish to control to Him in prayer.
Sincerely,
Tyra
Dear God, Help me bring everything to You FIRST.
Every dream.
Every concern.
Every responsibility.
Every decision.
Every relationship.
Every battle.
Every opportunity.
Every obstacle.
Every health issue.
Every need for healing.
Every trial.
Every step outside my home.
Every job promotion.
Every difficult conversation.
Every worry.
Every idea.
Every victory.
Every sin.
Everything, God.
I give it all back to You.
I work in Your Name and for the building of Your kingdom, God.
Fear is trying to overcome me, but YOU are my portion.
You are FAITHFUL. So whom shall I fear?
Thank You in advance for FAVORING me! Thank You for Your Friendship.
Thank You for trusting me and knowing me.
Thank You for keeping me and allowing me to come to You in prayer—always.
Praying this in Jesus Christ’s Name,
Amen.
Yo I’m tired now that I’m actually sitting still
—BY MYSELF. Finally.
Hosted an event, facilitated class today, and an hour and a half-long admin meeting.
But God gave me the strength… This is a Gal. 6:9 moment. Just being able to sit still, alone.
Grateful for a day filled with great conversations, but I am really gracious for this moment to:
—just sit.
—reflect.
—breathe.
—collect my bearings.
—center myself.
—rest my mind.
Did I say breathe?
I love building community, but it comes with a price. I had a guy ask me out to drinks this weekend—and I said no. For a few reasons, but mainly because I’m looking forward to recouping from today and this week and the very similarly structured week ahead.
In fact, the thought of not going to church on Sunday crossed my mind, too. Now that I’ve sat in my car one Tasha Cobb song too many, I have to go and get My Joy with a smile on my face and with energy I do not have this evening.
And I wonder: How many more of us are running on fumes?
As we move into Mother’s Day Weekend, I pray that after the celebrating and the gifts that you get a moment to just breathe the sacred air found in solitude. I pray your weekend is a reflection of your actual priorities and passions and not solely those of beloved family members. I pray you get to breathe in the midst of it all.
Have a blessed weekend!
Sincerely,
Tyra
I used to be “the quiet one” in the family.
But my fam knew how to uplift me stoically. Voice is still only revealed or reeled in when necessary—mostly to heighten the sound of another’s. It’s tougher out here for the introverted mind that’s alerted by the time we usually tend to run out of while creatively converted rhymes creep up behind us or before us or however.
||
Never one to waste breath so I guess if I’m in front of a mic it’s my time to shed some light on a situation that needs exposing. I’m supposing the fam could be better if we all poised our voices to be a bit more righteous. We are the only ones who can write us into history. Honestly, who’s words are more powerful than our own? It’s a known fact that no one can tell your story better than you. Remember, they used to call me the quiet one, too.
#SincerelyTyra
#SlayTheDream #representationmatters #poetry #poem #community #excerpt #writing #art #artist #creative #family #introvert #design #podcast #voice #worklife
“From the Desk of Eartha-Ntozake:
Interesting how that works for a woman—brown-braided and radical
like myself. I can be as fragile as flower
and as submissive as a servant. And yet, it’s always been the ones that said
they want a woman
who has something to offer the world
that leave me abandoned.
So they’ll never get to see me
crumbling from the inside out, tear-stained cheek bones, low and regular as they get sometimes.
Their desire to witness that Tyra never outweighs their contempt
for my need to be a free-thinking woman, radically fragile and totally emotionally attached like I get sometimes.”
||
I wrote this on a whim.
After a long day.
Reflecting on my friendships
and past relationships.
Always been intrigued by
the dualities people have
to (by need or want)
pack into their daily lives.
Always considered the
effort it must take to
unpack those complexities
and in front of another person
at that. Can you imagine being
completely and complexly vulnerable
in front of person? I’m aghast
just thinking about it.
What if it’s thrown back in my face?
What if it warrants a lover to surrender his love to me?!
Ready to find out?
Think I could.
Asked for discernment to choose
the right man as options seem scarce
and plentiful all at once. At once, it was meantful… I mean mindful
to want to be the fun,
yet single, holdin’ it down ass mom.
Bet. Been there, done that one.
Found that was unfavorable
or at least that ONE was unfavored
by God Himself.
He crept into my heart
when I had everything and
carried each piece of me away
like a raccoon
rummaging through a dumpster. No wonder, my ravishingly simple personality
is driven by a slight disenchantment of love. I’m Eartha-Ntozake. I am nonchalant
about it all. All the while knowing,
I have been idolized in past and current lives by men who would remain temporary.
How despairing
is it that I am continent’s worth
of Queen’s pride
and nonetheless romantically deprived because it is so?”
||
(Note: It needs cleaning up, but my hand started cramping. And I’m actually not too sensitive about my work, so you can leave comments or suggestions. I’ll either use it or not. Just don’t steal it or not credit me puh-lease.)
–Sincerely, Tyra
#SincerelyTyra #SlayTheDream #poetry #spokenword #playwright #excerpt #love #poem #relationships #excuses #work
Psalm 27:4 MSG is a complete blessing.
Honestly, this whole chapter is a blessing.
So let’s start from the beginning:
“Light, space, zest!”
This whole idea that God our light, the creator of every space, and our zest/spice of life is really special.
It’s a simple reminder that God is really everything and with Him, I should have no fears!
I mean in the NIV version it literally says WHO shall I fear? Well, whom actually, but you feel me.
This reminder that if the CREATOR OF EVERY CREATURE, the PRODUCER OF ALL LIFE has my back…
WHO gon stop me if God be for me?!
Like WHO? I’ll wait…
…And of course, there’s a responsibility to be sincere and humble. But listen, it doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life. If you are trying to live right, God is going to have your back.
I had to realize that even in the fight of my life, the battle was never mine. God, was alywad prepared and willing to take over—it was up to me to let go and give up my “control” of the situation.
Verse 2 says “when the wicked (devil’s army) advance against me to devour me” (NIV) they can’t touch me and fall flat on their faces (MSG).
Verse 3… I just need to quote this one from the Message verbatim, because chile it’s deep.
It reads: “When besieged, I’m calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I’m collected and cool.” —Psalm 27:3 MSG
It LITERALLY says: When all hell breaks loose, I’m cool and collected!!! (I can’t wait to go back and start studying how the Hebrew translation reads and it’s meanings, but still…)
Chile, if this ain’t a life hack I don’t know what is.
Lastly, verse four goes on to say how we can remain cool as cucumber by only asking for the Lord’s presence “all the days of my life.”
This means I’m asking for God to stay with me in this life AND the next!
Can you imagine?
…Being able to gaze on the BEAUTY of the Lord?
…And then to see His temple.
…And Jesus!
I honestly can’t even!
The idea that God loves me enough to even want ME with Him after my life down here is over is too much to contemplate!
No, like seriously, me?!
But the the fact that my desire for God could never outweigh or surpass His desire for me is mind blowing and inspiring.
And if I would only trust Him and allow Him the room to live in me, I could be cool and collected and confident enough to sit back and let Him fight each battle for me.
The next few verses talk about the ways He keep us and protects us in the midst of it all. Please read/study at your leisure! But the message is to constantly seek Him and live to worship Him forever—and ever!
Now, that’s some good news!
Update: Since titling this post, I’ve included the hashtag #GRWM. Although many people across the Internet’s will say that means ‘Get Ready With Me’ as if for an outing. Yet, at SincerelyTyra.com, we are getting ourselves prepared for the coming of Jesus. So, you’ll see it as an indicator that a particular post includes a prayer or some form of Biblical commentary and study.
—Sincerely, Tyra
#JustSharing #GRWM #gospel #Bible #Psalm
I had the opportunity earlier today to pick the brains of forty Howard University Alt Spr Break students about our work! I can’t lie, it was dope/my job is dope. BUT, their insight, questions, and mere presence makes me wanna do more/create more spaces for these types of opportunities for my teens to serve our communities while they’re in high school. I want them to have multiple meaningful exchanges with BLACK college students across the nation while they’re STILL in high school. I want them to be in programs that provide opportunities to travel the world while they’re STILL in high school. They need to get out my office 😂 …We can’t just keep them to ourselves anymore…
This wasn’t really a blog, just a rant 😂
But hold me accountable just the same!
—Sincerely, Tyra
#JustSharing #Chicago #Youth
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