My Walk With God

Religion is a hot button topic in any and all circles. There are certain people that I will not discuss religion with. I know what I believe. I know there is a God. I know he watches over me. No one can make me believe otherwise. I'm very grounded in my faith. I talk to God all the time. Those talks and prayers comfort me immensely. I love God with all my heart and I know he loves me more than I can imagine. I've seen his mercy and grace bless my life. Things no man can explain. That is me walking by faith. I believe because I cannot imagine any other way.



I have struggled with the idea of organized religion for years. I have a personal relationship with God. I am a spiritual woman. I do not like the politics involved in churches, specifically Black ones. I have seen too many fake and false chosen people of God. They have left a truly bad taste in my mouth. I do not get how a person could basically play with God and his word. That is crazy to me. I haven't set foot in a church in a really long time. That's truly been bothering me lately. I left my last church home because I was not being fed spiritually nor did I believe in the pastor of the church anymore. So now I'm searching for a place that I feel comfortable and will get extra guidance.



Religion has always been important to me. My Grandmother Frances made sure of that. She took me to church with her every Sunday. I loved that time with her. I loved going to the children's church. I took other challenge of reading the Bible last year. I've slacked of as of late. But I need to get back into it. I'm about halfway through. It's interesting to me how much I remember from church as a kid. I also enjoyed learning new things about the Bible. My spiritual journey thus far has been a very winding road. I've taken it into my own hands while carving my on lane. Religion will always be important to me. I want to know about it all. I want to be able to share it with my (future) kids. I want them to be able to believe in something bigger than all of us. That is important to me. My God is awesome. This journey is far from over. I'm interested in religions other than Christianity. I will also be reading the Koran because I want to know. My spirituality is a big part of me. How about you?

It's My Hair: Decisions

Hair is a big issue and industry for Black women. It is our thing. We will spend all day on a Saturday in the hair shop to get our 'do did. I know that if my hair looks good, then I feel good. It's a great feeling leaving out of the shop with my hair perfect. I fee like the world is my oyster. Yes, a fresh hairdo does all of that for me. Hair is a very big piece of my overall appearance. There is a big movement in the African American culture of women going the natural route. This has intrigued me for some time.

The whole natural movement is very interesting to me. The routes that one can take to get back to their natural state as well. I, however, am not a fan of the Big Chop route. If I do chose to do this, I will def be going the transitioning route. I just don't think I wanna cut all of my hair off to go natural. That is just not gonna happen. I've had my hair cut in a short, Halle Berry-type style about 13 years ago. It was cute but the growing out stage was horrible. I hated it. It wasn't growing fast enough for me. I wore micro braids and a weave for a while. I hate weave. i will never ever have hair sewn in or glued into my head again. It just wasn't for me. The braids were cool and my best option when growing my hair out.

I have read a lot of blogs and forums about the transitioning to natural hair. There is a lot of great information on the web. I absolutely love MopTopMaven and CurlyNikki. These sites are encouraging and very friendly. They are full of natural hair care help and advice. I will say that some of these naturalistas are hardcore. They are usually referred to as the Nazis (not politically correct but still). They believe that in order for one to be completely natural, one should not even straighten their hair or use certain products. I think that's nuts. If I were to go the natural route, I would def be utilizing the Chi iron. I like to wear my hair wrapped. I do not like the negativity that I get from some of these women on the forums. I read those forums to gather more info. This has been a long discovery journey for me. And, I'm still not done yet.

I do like the plethora of natural styles I've seen on African-American women. Locs are gorgeous. Especially when they are neat and tidy and long. I love the look. It's just not the look I would go for. There are also the afros. Big or small, everyone is different. I personally like the braid-outs and twist-outs that I see. They are beautiful and soft. I like soft hair. Because i like to play in my hair. Love for a man to run his fingers through my hair as well. That is one of the best feelings in the world. I always wonder about the naturalistas that I see and their hair story. I'm very curious about that.

My fear in letting go of the chemicals is that I have no idea what my "natural hair state" is. I also do not want to do the Big Chop either. I love the length, thickness and feel of my hair now. Going natural is not like me putting in a rinse. I can not just wash it away. What if I don't like it? What if I can't deal with it? These are the big, huge questions that haunt me about this decision. Granted, I know some will say things like "I am not my hair," but in some actuality, I am sort of my hair. It's a part of me. That may be vain but it's my truth. I am still on the fence about this decision. Are any of you ladies naturalistas? If so, tell me your story. If not, what is your take on this issue? Talk to me!

ETA: My girl Kimberlie has another interesting take in natural hair. Please check it out as well.



Tanika Ray, an Extra correspondent, is my hair inspiration. I love her hair. It's always gorgeous, no matter how she styles it.