Hey guys! It’s me! Your girl Rhoda back with a little bit of my thoughts on what you can do to make your relationship work. Now, don't get me wrong, there are some relationships that have been broken, are toxic and both parties need to leave ASAP. I’m actually talking about relationships that may have become a little dull or you’ve lost touch with each other a bit. There are things that you and your partner can contribute to the situation to aide in reconnecting and growth. When you and your partner have lost touch with each other and the relationship but still love each other, what greater feeling is there than realizing that it’s not over and that whatever is happening is fixable? It’s an amazing feeling and i’m going to list a few things that you can do to help the situation along okay? Read below. 1) This one, I’ve seen a million times in any conversation that has anything to do with relationships BUT!!! GO ON DATES!!!!! Do you hear me in the back there? It doesn't matter how long you’ve been together, date nights matter. That’s a time where you can go somewhere and have fun, create memories and get to know each other all over again. 2) Okay, this is something that is often emphasized as well so here goes.... COMMUNICATE!!!! Communicate and do it often! You cannot read minds and i doubt your partner can either (if they can have them send me an email, i have questions). Set aside at least 15 minutes each day to just converse with each other about life, how your day was or if there’s anything seriously on your mind. 3) LOTS AND LOTS OF KISSING IS NECESSARY! I get it, a lot of people aren’t big on kisses. Even little forehead kisses, a peck on the shoulder, any gentle touch of the lips would do. Who would turn down a boost in the Oxytocin (also known as the love hormone)? Kiss kiss kiss!! 4) FORGIVE! Remember your partner isn’t perfect so the both of you will have to CHOOSE to forgive. Forgiveness isn’t a feeling, it’s a choice and as long as the offence isn't too crazy (eg cheating that requires extra work to heal) then it’s a good habit to form in the relationship. Remember, forgiveness is more so for you than your partner and if you don’t want to spend your days being bitter and filled with resentment, then forgiveness (along with communication) will help you right along. 5) APOLOGIZE! Guys (as in guys and gals), create a trusting environment by taking responsibility for YOUR ROLE for the pain you caused. You make a mistake, own up to it and apologize. Being right or having the last say or even pride shouldn’t cost you your relationship. 6) HAPPY MEDIUM! That’s just a cute way to say to find a win-win solution. Find a medium that works for the both of you rather than fighting about who’s wrong and who’s right. 7) STOP ASSUMING! Do not assume you already know your partner’s thoughts or response whether it be words or actions. Focusing on positive qualities and always assuming the best (if you must assume at all) will ensure you and your partner a pathway to being a happy couple. 8) Finally... CHOOSE LOVE! Always choose love. Loving someone is a choice. That’s something you make your mind up to do. No matter if resentment, disappointment and other feelings come and go, love will always be there because you chose to love your partner. CHOOSE to do something that will draw you and your partner closer together daily. Find new ways to show you love him/her by being intentional with showing small acts of care and kindness. There you have it guys. Just a few things you can do to make your relationship work. There is nothing wrong with revisiting the past and revising things that you did before that worked. You can go back to basics and fall in love all over again. People think a happily ever after is a fairy tale, but it’s actually a choice once you work toward it. Follow me on all my social media: IG: https://www.instagram.com/empressrhose/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Rhodaspage/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/empressrhose Blog: http://www.twentyfive2life.com/ _ _ _ About our Guest Contributor: My name is Rhoda Nedd. I'm no huge social media personality, nor do I have a million degrees and certifications (I do have a couple, not a million though lol). I'm just a plain 26 year old mom, blogger and open Pinterest addict. I enjoy writing in a way that can connect me to readers as if I'm talking to them face to face where I can say "ya'll" or "ain't". I use my blogging platform to say what's on my mind and let people know they're not alone in anything they go through or think about. I talk about relationships, beauty, recipes and cooking, natural hair and mommy stuff on my blog. One of my main goals is to give others a place to go for uplifting and positive vibes and a laugh here and there too. There's something for everyone on my blog. ALL are welcome!
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Follow Your Instincts- Guest Post by J White, creator of @thelifeofjwhite #TuneInThursdays10/25/2018 "TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. INTUITION DOESN'T LIE." Following your instincts takes a lot of practice and the world tries to stop you. I can recall times in my life where people made me doubt my magic or shrink myself to get by and fit in. Most recently, these decisions I made came back to haunt me and left me feeling drained—no, depleted! Everything in my life a few months ago had went wrong, but now I know better. I see now how everything has come full circle in my life and I feel renewed in my ME-ness! It feels good to be back in my own skin and in tune with my higher self. I write all of that to say, you know who and what is best for you. It is a gift from God and in our nature to be aware of what is not in tune with our path. Do not wait for life to show you why something or someone is not for you! The “why” does not matter. Recognize that it does not serve you and press forward. You will save a lot of time and trouble just by listening to yourself! Here are some tips I have compiles to help you along. Like I said earlier, it is difficult and takes practice!
Keep up with J and all of her endeavors! Instagram: @thelifeofjwhite Youtube: thelifeofjwhite When is the last time you said something positive about yourself? When have you lifted yourself up with praises or complemented yourself on your efforts and accomplishments? In Ezekiel chapter 37, Ezekiel was placed in a valley of dry bones in a vision. God spoke to him saying, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord (37:4)! Surely, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live (37:5).” We must diligently breathe life into ourselves until it becomes habit. We must believe in our abilities and stand on them despite what another person’s success may look like. Do you breathe life into the things that you view as dead?
How you view yourself is very important to your success in every aspect, whether it is physically, mentally, or spiritually. Speak over what you may view as flaws or weaknesses in yourself. We spend so much time focusing on the beauty of others that we can easily allow our own image to disappear from us. We can forget how beautiful we are and how exactly to embrace our own flaws. We make the conscious effort to hand out complements on a silver platter to other women with boldness, but can sometimes be ashamed of the skin we’re in. We must embrace our unique beauty and intelligence for what it is and nothing less than that. The constant comparison of one to another must come to an end. It should become more so of us supporting one another and being an inspiration rather than competition. We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God himself. Be proud that you are His workmanship. Celebrate yourself each day. Speak life into yourself. Start with the words I am and watch the glow that comes from within as you breathe into yourself life. Your current situation may not be ideal. You might be in a financial bind or dealing with unwanted stress, but continue to breathe life into those dry bones! Having the ability to speak over yourself and your situation takes the possession of having true faith in God. Having faith in Him will increase your ability to use words that have power of your circumstances. Remember that this too shall pass. Remind yourself that this is only for a season and better is coming. Feed your spirit continuously knowing that God has a purpose and a plan for your life. About our Guest Contributor Erin Myers is the founder and CEO of Favored Freauxs, LLC. Erin resides in New Orleans, Louisiana by way of California. She is the wife of Timothy Myers and mother of two daughters Aniyah and Sarai, who both inspired her to found Favored Freauxs, LLC. Erin studied child psychology and business management at the University of Phoenix. Favored Freauxs is a faith based brand that was created to provide spiritual encouragement for women and girls through blogging, inspirational merchandise, and holding community events that promote empowerment, encouragement, and self-love. The purpose is to inspire them to overcome being their own obstacles in order to be the best versions of what God created them to be Erin uses her blogging platform to lead by operating in extreme faith, encourage through the word of God, and have the confidence to walk in victory. Erin contributes her writings to Mess In A Bottle, Hope in Her Inc., This Mama Wines, and The Official Maleeka Group, LLC. Happy New Year, Honey Bees! It’s been awhile since my last post, but I have a few announcements to share before we fully embark on Chapter 2018. First and foremost, I intend to incorporate more video content for The Honeycomb Suite, mainly vlogs and interviews with fellow bloggers, creatives, movers, and shakers! In addition to these updates, I also plan to add a new section to my blog: 'Eats in the Suite". Of course these new projects will take time to develop, so please be patient with me. In the meantime, I will continue delivering posts for the #TuneInThursdays, #SultrySundays, and #NoShadeJustHonesty series, as well as spotlighting those who captivate me with their content, which brings me into the subject of today’s post! Over the holiday break, I had the opportunity to interview a dear peer of mine, Jeffrey Jordan. Jeff and I have known each other ever since high school; to be more specific, we were in the same Creative Writing class. Here’s a brief bio about the man behind “The Barrister’s Review”: Jeffrey M. Jordan II is a 22-year-old native of Smithfield, Virginia. In 2013, he graduated from Smithfield High School with honors, competing as a student-athlete in both basketball and cross-country. Upon graduating from high school, Jordan was recruited to play basketball at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. After a year stint in upstate New York, he transferred to Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. While at Sarah Lawrence, Jordan was a captain, 2-time award-winning athlete in basketball, two-time Diversity Committee Student Representative while, served as a ESL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Teaching Assistant Volunteer at the Riverside Language Program and acted in a few school productions. He was a legal assistant at My Sister’s Place and The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office in Newport News, VA. He graduated in 2017 with honors from Sarah Lawrence concentrating in politics and writing. He was also named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court during his senior year. Jordan was admitted and received a scholarship to attend The University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he is currently a 1L law school student. He is an aspiring entertainment attorney, actor, writer, public speaker and community leader. Impressive, right? When Jeffrey isn’t burying his head in the books, he spends his free time blogging and songwriting. My interview with him was everything I imagined it would be: introspective, enlightening, and compelling. Jeff’s wisdom about life exceeds the years of his existence in this world, and he is quite the savant when it comes to balancing obligations and dreams. The following is the transcript from the interview: KW: Explain the meaning behind your blog’s name, The Barrister’s Review. How did it come to be? JJ: The Barrister’s Review came about because I was looking for something that was innovative, and where I could express [who I am] as well as push for my goal of creating more diversity for students of color and graduate programs all across the board, not just law school. I wanted to shed a light on the real truth behind law school because I heard a lot of myths and opinions about it when I applied during my sophomore year. The tough part [behind creating The Barrister’s Review] was portraying it objectively rather than subjectively, meaning to not solely gauge my own personal experiences but incorporate those of my classmates/peers. KW: As a peer and fellow college student, I sometimes find it difficult to find balance between academics, work, family obligations, and curating content for my blog. How do you, a 1L Law student, balance your academic obligations with your creative passions? JJ: I would like to start off by saying that it hurts. The reason I say that is because the legal profession is so rigid, it's so "right" [not comparing it to conservatism] and my creative outlet is leaning toward the left. One thing about [law school] is that it's intense; the professors dictate the flow of the classes and your entire grade is based on your final exam. On one end I feel like a lot of things are out of my control, and on the other end I have total control over my blog. My art feeds my energy, and if I wasn't doing [The Barrister's Review], I would've had a more difficult time pushing through the semester. The reason why is because there are a lot of hidden battles that people don't see; they only see the outcome or what's on the surface level. I feel that blogging opens the door for creativity in the classroom. I may learn some things about myself that I wasn't aware of, or I may learn some things about my peers by discussing the topics that I've covered in blog posts. That's one of the reasons I created [The Barrister's Review], to engage with people and receive feedback. KW: In your "It Depends" post, you mention that law school is "not about being 100% right", rather what is the law. For some of us, we can argue that life has a tendency to operate the same way according to the laws of God or the "Universe". What advice can you give to those who often feel cheated by the "laws" of life? Do you personally feel such laws exist? JJ: I would say that [feeling cheated] is a totally valid feeling because I've felt the same on several occasions. Some people have asked me "How could you feel that way?", but they don't understand that I've had to fight to get to this point. So for those who feel cheated, it's good to bring those emotions to light. Even though things appear to be moving a snail's pace, you shouldn't lose sight of accomplishing your goals. Never let your current circumstances take your "fire", instead, use them to feed the fire. KW: In addition to writing introspective pieces, you also dabble into songwriting. What/Who inspires your lyrics? If you could write for any artist(s), who would it be? JJ: I take a lot of my inspiration from what I see everyday, as well as everyday people. As for artists that I really admire, it would have to be J. Cole [for his lyricism], and Kanye West [for his visual representation]. If I could write for someone, it would have to be Kendrick [Lamar]. KW: What are some lessons that you learned from 2017 that you've brought with you into 2018? JJ: I've learned that it's ok for people not to get you (or understand you), to eliminate my distractions, to maximize my full potential, and that not everyone is for you. I've also gained strength through solitude. *The content of this interview has been edited. ~~~ You can check out "The Barrister's Review" here: thebarristersreview.wixsite.com/thebarristersreview To keep up with Jeff, follow him on IG: @mr.jeffjordan Hey there, Honeybees! I know, I know, it's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you-- without a dope post or two. In all seriousness, I do apologize for not being on top of my blog game like I should be, and to make up for that, I've created a new series: #NoShadeJustHonesty. So, what is #NoShadeJustHonesty, you ask? As with anything associated with The HoneycombSuite, it is a safe place for you to share the lessons you've learned while going through the motions of life and love (even if it makes others uncomfortable), a place of healing for those reclaiming their time, worth, and bodies from those who've abused it, and essentially, a circle of support. This is an open invitation for my readers to contribute their stories, so please feel free to e-mail or Direct Message me via any social media outlet.
Now, let's get into it, shall we? In our first installment of NSJH, we're tackling the misconceptions surrounding the phrase "emotionally unavailable". Let's be honest: we've all said this to someone at one point in our lives, yet the sting of being on the receiving side of this statement is almost lethal. We say to ourselves, "How dare he/she say that? Haven't I done all I can to prove that I'm worth more than a one night stand or a Good Morning text once a week? Yes, you are. When someone says they are "emotionally unavailable", that essentially means they are unavailable in all aspects: emotionally, physically, mentally, etc. How can one truly be ready for a serious commitment if they're lacking one of the most important "binders" of holding a relationship together? Additionally, lacking emotional availability is unfair to both parties. On one end, the emotionally unavailable party is wasting the time of someone willing to go deeper than "Netflix and Chill. On the other hand, the emotionally available is putting all of their effort into a situation that clearly isn't going anywhere. All in all, remember that you are worth being genuinely courted, and anything less than that is simply unacceptable. Love and light, Black Honeycomb “So, I never leave the house, without make-up on, I keep mascara in my pocket when I’m running to the market ‘cause you never know, who’s watching you…” Jazmine Sullivan’s “Mascara” is a satirical reference to our current culture of glorifying glam make-up looks and inflated egos, all at the expense of making someone else pay for the finer things in life. Though the song is catchy due to its slow-burning beat and Sullivan’s raspy wordplay, it shines light on a deeper issue: A beat face, surgically-enhanced body, or perfectly sculpted figure will not heal the fact that your spirit needs healing. Now, I’m not saying that every woman that fits the description listed above is “broken”. I am referring to those of us that may have taken the route of physically altering our outer appearance to cover up the fact that we’re hurting spiritually. We figure that the life-giving concealer we added into our make-up collection will hide the bags and puffiness under our eyes from the nights of crying into our pillows. We figure that a new weave installation will hide the fact that our hair has been shedding due to stress & recurring anxiety. We look in the mirror, tears welling up in our eyes, asking ourselves “What have I done to bring on all of this pain?” Perhaps we’ve been struggling with disobedience, not waiting on God’s approval for that “special someone” in our lives. Maybe we’ve fornicated, letting ungodly men enter our temples. We feel ashamed by these actions because we know our sins are a direct slap in the face to our Father, thus bringing on remorse, embarrassment, and harsh judgement upon ourselves. Just as God is our Father, He is also our Restorer. Whatever we have done to bring uncleanliness to our spirit, God’s forgiveness can purge it away. God has the power of turning our tainted spirits into masterpieces. That’s the true beauty of being renewed in Christ. Verses to Meditate On: Psalm 23:3 Psalm 51:10-12 Titus 3:5 Inspirational Song of the Day: “Make Me Over” by Tonex Image by Ojo Agi
Good afternoon, long time no see! It's been a minute since I've posted anything here in The Honeycomb Suite, and I do apologize for my absence; charge it to my head and not my heart! The good news is that I'm coming back with some new content in the upcoming weeks, as well as some new features! One of these new features is a dear friend of mine, Ms. Breunna Dunn! I've known her for six years, and I am so proud of the woman she's becoming! Here's a brief backstory on her: 22- years-old, born and raised in Newport News Virginia. Destined to help and guide others. Background in writing poetry and returning back to the writing screen. Goal is to spread peace, love, and wisdom.
Here's her "throwback" piece on Beyoncé's "Formation", and the impact its had on Black women across the world. February 19, 2016 – Beyonce’s Formation Grasp! For Beyonce’s style and music selection was not her norm and how we all forgot that she is BLACK! The reaction to Beyonce’s new song, Formation and her performance during the super bowl this year, has many people feeling some type way. Omg, she is racist, she supports a hate group, and Beyonce should be banned from the super bowl, and so on. Her song Formation and the video are very pro black, thus it is black history month, and this time she wasn’t bouncing her butt around for a performance and all her dancers were black. Of course, as you can imagine she got a lot of backlash. For starters, everyone saying Beyonce is black again, need to go have several seats. When did she stop being black? I will say I don’t recall here doing something like this before. Beyonce music normally caters to diversity, but the moment she expresses that she is black and proud of it, all hell breaks loose. 3/20/17 (UPDATE) I was supposed to finish this post or blog, but I didn’t. I just became lost for words. It saddens me that we must alter our selves and be a certain way to be pleasing in the eye of some, most, people. I’m a black woman and proud of it. I’ve been natural for 3 years, going on four. I love my natural unprocessed hair and will never go back to getting relaxers. For years and generations my ancestors had to dumb down who they really are and transform into the standards of the American ways. For years, we been told everything about us is wrong and should be changed. To the color of our skin, to the texture of our hair, and to our natural body features. I can go on and on about how black man and woman have been and continue to be oppressed. Sadly, our black man has been doing it to our black woman for years. For example, calling us hoes and bitches, mocking the fact that we wear weaves, and even making our darker skin woman feel unworthy because their skin isn’t light enough or their hair isn’t a certain texture. I won’t let those things define who I am and how I view myself. To sum things up, Beyoncé I commend you for your bravery and stepping outside the box. You can only be you and if you must alter yourself to be pleasing in the eyes of others around you, they never intended to get know or experience the real you. They only want you to be and look a certain way when they want it and how they want it. Be you unapologetically Sincerely, Breunna 2016 has been an uncomfortable year so far. We're already into month 8 and I've been feeling like every ounce of my patience and sanity has been tested. I've become more of a hermit over the past three months due to this constant search of finding meaning in everything I do. This irritating-but-necessary feeling of wanting more for myself has been tugging at me as I question my purpose on this earth.
And I am not alone. It's amazing. God has a way of linking you with people that are going through very similar situations, simply because He loves us and wants us to know that we are not being singled out and used as "test dummies" for difficulties. He sends these "earthly angels" to us so that we can support each other, encourage each other, cry on one another's shoulders, and love on each other as we experience these growing pains. He uses these people as vessels to send us divine love letters, signed-sealed-delivered and marked "From God". Though the soil we've been planted in is constantly being tilled with tests after tests, we must allow the waters of patience to soothe us. We must allow the light of wisdom to beam on us so that we can soak up every ray it has to offer. All of these factors are preparing us for harvest time, and best believe the reaping will be sweet. With Love, Black Honeycomb Here's our very first submission to #WordPlayWednesdays entitled "Forever Love" by PoeticLee. Brief background on our featured poet: PoeticLee is a 23-year-old Spoken Word artist based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. You can hear some of his beautiful pieces (such as the one below) through his Soundcloud account. Here's the link: https://soundcloud.com/keepsnapping "See I think of you from the crack dawn til the night fall Thoughts of your kiss Once again blessing my lips The passions of and heaven felt Vibes you give my soul When your eyes glow And glance my way It surely without a doubt brightens my day See I don't know what else to say but let my hands do the talking As I grab your waist And stare into your face And cherish this moment Cherish this minute cherish this hour Cause I have you to spend it Look my heart is vacant and yes I want a tenant But I want somebody that's in it I want somebody that wants to win it Cause this love just ain't free this love goes deeper than me So if it's destined to be Let your soul free And let's fly into the winds Never turning back again Cause the moment you tell me you love me I don't want to bend or break those feelings from you I take However those feelings from you I do take And place on the top shelf of my heart And lock into my mind As my woman you represent my spine And as your man I will represent the Hands on the clock that keeps us together thru times Our days together can rewind and recline on my mattress but never fast forward cause I don't want to lose it These aren't just words I'm oozing These are thoughts and feelings I'm choosing for you I've long awaited the day I could call You my Bae I've long awaited the day I could bring a smile on your face I've long awaited the day we could fly away Just us two this is something fresher than earlier morning dew Cause in the morning the birds sing to you When the sun shines thru and beams it's light on you Cause you're an angel in disguise And I don't need the lotto cause you in my life is the winning prize" Direct link to the audio version of "Forever Love": https://soundcloud.com/keepsnapping/poeticlee-forever-love Follow PoeticLee's Instagram for more updates at @poeticlee Thank you for tuning in to this week's edition of #WordPlayWednesdays! If you or someone you know may be interested in being a feature, please feel free to hit me up via e-mail at [email protected] or social media: Instagram- @thehoneycombsuite Facebook: HoneycombSuite Yes, loves, we have a new tag!
I decided to implement a new tag for during the week to balance out the usual #TuneInThursday and #SultrySunday posts: #WordPlayWednesdays ! I will be sharing some of my favorite poems, ballads, haiku, and all other literary pieces from world-renowned poets and authors, as well as sharing some of my personal pieces. Though this may seem like a #SultrySunday reloaded, it isn't; this tag in particular is strictly a day dedicated for the love of language. As always, I will be petitioning my readers to send in some of their own personal pieces in an effort to build a community of writers. If you or anyone that you know happens to be a writer (you don't have to be a professional), please feel free to shoot me an e-mail @[email protected] or hit me up via social media: Instagram: @thehoneycombsuite Facebook: Search "Honeycomb Suite" and send me a direct message! Let's make this into something beautiful! Many Blessings, Black Honeycomb |
Author23 years old. Aspiring Social Media Consultant/Manager. Mass Communications major at Norfolk State University. Lover of God, food, wine. and good times. Archives
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