Day Defined

12/03/2025

Watching kids light up and seeing officers show up with kindness just warms my whole heart.

04/10/2025

As a CASA with CASA of the Parkland, I've seen firsthand Morrison's platform values in action through his generous and committed support of the organization's cause.

Send a message to learn more

01/23/2025

Tips for speaking up even when your voice shakes:

🫁 Practice deep breathing and vocal warm-ups

💧Stay hydrated

🧍Maintain good posture

🎯Focus on your message

😌Try to relax your body

💤Get enough sleep

Credit to Google AI for this shortlist!

01/08/2025

Miscommunication Level: 💯

Remember the good ol’ days when the word “trump” simply meant “to outshine”?

Now, you can use it and be accused of covertly insulting someone - calling them ignorant, racist, or irrational* - without even realizing it.

Here are a few tips to navigate digital communication better:

🙊 PAUSE before you respond. A simple “Let me think this over and get back to you” works as a placeholder until you’ve gathered your thoughts. Or better yet, follow up in person.

🙈 REFLECT before you react. Think back - has the person ever behaved the way you assume they are now? Give them the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions.

🙉 KNOW where you go. Be honest about your insecurities and triggers. Take accountability for the possibility that your interpretation of someone else’s words might reflect your own sensitivities.

Communication isn’t easy, but it can be better with a little mindfulness!

*Grabbed these adjectives from an article on stereotyping by political affiliation.

Keegan and Jordan misunderstand the tone of each other’s text messages while trying to make plans. (Contains strong language.) About Key & Peele: Key & P...

12/24/2024

Our community did it again! Farmington’s Buffalo Wild Wings hosted an incredible event for children involved with CASA of the Parkland. From the decadent hot chocolate bar to the stockings overflowing with goodies, to the thoughtfully chosen gifts that matched the kids’ wishes every detail was heartfelt.

And they didn’t stop there, they even treated the volunteers to a complimentary meal! I’m absolutely blown away.

Before I became a CASA of the Parkland volunteer, my prayer was simple: that each child connected with our services would sense that someone out there is thinking about them, rooting for them, and seeing their potential. Thanks to Buffalo Wild Wings’ incredible generosity, these children didn’t just have one person, they had many. 🥲🙏🏾

I can’t wait to deliver these gifts to my kiddos. Moments like this deepen my understanding of the divine purpose of fellowship and community. It’s true: if you want to go far, go together.

And, of course I snagged a pic with Santa 🤷🏾‍♀️ 😁

Join us as volunteers and become that one consistent, caring voice advocating for the best interests of kids in our local community.

12/15/2024

Sunday Service: Striking the Balance Between Truth and Compassion

Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of speaking objective truths, even when they’re uncomfortable. In our personal and professional lives, truth acts as a wall between reality and fantasy. However, truth-telling requires careful balance—boldness must be tempered with compassion.

As a workplace leader or a person of faith, it’s easy to focus on delivering hard truths to achieve outcomes or encourage growth. But the way we deliver those truths shapes how they’re received. Directness without empathy can shut people down, while excessive gentleness might fail to address critical issues.

Here are three principles I’ve found useful for striking that balance:

1) Examine your motives: Ask yourself, “Am I speaking this truth to build someone up or just to be right?” Truth-telling should lead to growth, not self-righteousness.

2) Tailor your approach to the situation: Some moments call for boldness to prevent harm or clarify confusion, while others require patience and gradual revelation.

3) Lean into empathy: Whether you’re leading a team or navigating faith, balancing conviction with understanding builds trust and fosters change.

In all situations, truth delivered in love—not in judgment or haste—has the power to guide people toward growth. As leaders and believers, let’s aim to uphold objective truth while treating people with the care they deserve.

Written in collaboration with ChatGPT, my go-to for turning insights into actionable, professional communication.

Let’s keep the conversation going—how do you balance truth-telling and compassion in your work or life? Share your thoughts below!

12/13/2024

All I wanted was a little Christmas magic and some CC cream, but instead I got a masterclass in awkward customer service. Are we prioritizing training at all anymore?

Hit play to hear the story, or scroll down to read it below. The rest of the story is in the comments section.

So, picture this: I’m in the mood to unwind, so I went to Sephora today. The plan was simple: immerse myself in the Christmas music, the perfectly curated lighting, the skincare displays that promise to fix all my life problems. But the vibe? Oh, it was off.

First, I’m greeted at the door, and not in a warm, “Hey, welcome!” way. No, this greeter decided my attempt to politely breeze past her was some kind of personal affront. So, naturally, she launched into a full-on manifesto about their specials. I’m standing there, smiling awkwardly, trying not to feel held hostage.

Then there was this wild goose chase with their makeup remover stations. Why are they stashed in Narnia? I ended up wandering aimlessly, desperately trying to not look like someone who needed help.

But, the real tea was the CC cream disaster. I approached this associate - young, probably still in high school, and asked for her recommendations. I gave her all the context: skin concerns, my skin type, what kind of coverage I wanted. And her response? Blank stare. Barely listening. I even tried to nudge her along with a softball question like, “What’s your favorite brand?” She takes me to a section, but nothing there even remotely fits what I described. I’m like, did we even have the same conversation?

And then we meet again at checkout 🙄She casually mentions there’s a second email linked to my account. Uh, what? I’m thinking identity theft or hacked Sephora points. So I ask, “Can we fix that?” And she just shrugs and says, “I’m not sure.” No follow-up, no guidance, nothing. At this point, I was too stunned to even respond. I can’t even with this level of “not my problem” energy.