naked and unashamed

A safe space is beyond a place that "feels like home."

A safe space is beyond a place that makes you feel comfortable.

I define a safe space as an environment where you can shed the layers that are calloused. An environment where you can be honest in the pain, the joy, the stretching, and everything else in between. A safe space isn’t supposed to make you feel comfortable, but you should be comfortable in sitting in one. 

A safe space is designed to challenge you by letting go of the mask that you hold tightly to your face. 

A safe space is supposed to be inviting, energizing, and encouraging to be in. 

And through this interactive episode, I hope that we get to sit in a safe space together by reflecting on Jesus, Judas, Jerusalem, and Jericho.

Want to share your reflection? Feel free to DM @nkdandunashamed!

We're back with EPISODE 10! We're ten whole episodes into this podcast. What an absolute dream.

On today's episode - we're back with the second part of this installment of Maze to Marriage!

Marriage - the thing society tells us to aspire to and the thing that is a lot more complicated than the world likes to tell us. Marriage is something that has been portrayed as a destination. To the outsider, life is a maze, and in your singleness, you're navigating the confusing path we call life. At the end of the path is your person and then you get married and you've exited the "maze" to marriage!

That isn't the slightest bit true.

In reality, marriage exposes your singleness and in this episode, we sit with Kaila Parker as she shares her story of what her singleness looked like, how divorce and constant pursuit of goals affected her love life, and how the "maze" to marriage and post marriage is full of constantly growing, stretching, and becoming. 

To keep up with Kaila and her life, follow her @kaiii.parks!

Well it's been QUITE some time since we last had an episode, hasn't it? Since then, I've graduated college, gotten more vision and purpose for this podcast, and gathered up some amazing guests for us to listen and learn from!

On today's episode - we're back with the Maze to Marriage series with a new couple!

Marriage - the thing society tells us to aspire to and the thing that is a lot more complicated than the world likes to tell us. Marriage is something that has been portrayed as a destination. To the outsider, life is a maze, and in your singleness, you're navigating the confusing path we call life. At the end of the path is your person and then you get married and you've exited the "maze" to marriage!

That isn't the slightest bit true.

In reality, marriage exposes your singleness and in this episode, we sit with Will Parker as he shares his story of what his singleness looked like, how singleness affected his love life, as well as how when God has his hand something, it can be fully redeemed and made new and whole. In this funny and impactful episode, we'll learn more about Will, his journey to meeting his wife Kaila, and how God has moved in every step.

Part two features Will's wife, Kaila!

To keep up with Will, his music, and life, follow him @willl.parks!

Ring-a-round the rosie,

Sound familiar? Oh the days of simple nursery rhymes, holding hands, and collectively falling down.

What's interesting is that the song holds true -- the reality is, we all really DO fall down. As humans, we gravitate towards the fall. When you really think about it, falling is just the human tendency to move in the same direction of gravity. It's almost as if we were wired to move in a downward motion naturally, isn't it? 

We naturally fail.

We naturally lose.

We naturally deal with disappointment.

We naturally all struggle.

And yet when we're faced with the reality of a fall, we're surprised. Surprised that we're not as invincible as we thought. Surprised that we're not as in control as we thought we were. Surprised that our plans or our wants didn't go as planned. 

And even though it reigns true that we all in fact fall down, and in many cases, we all walk expecting a fall of some sort, we never hold the same anticipation for the rise.  We all expect death, but rarely do we anticipate resurrection. We all know the comfort of the floor all too well, but it takes more to have the will to get up. Here's the deal: there’s no shame in falling and going in the direction of gravity. However, there’s power in pushing against the grain and getting up.

And you CAN get up. 

To keep updated with all things Naked + Unashamed, feel free to follow the Instagram @nkdandunashamed. To keep up with the things going on in my life and how I'm doing in quarantine times, follow me on my personal Instagram @totallytega!

Everyone, everywhere is grieving in some way, shape, or form. We grieve what we failed to fully relish in. We grieve what we failed to accomplish. We grieve the activities we took advantage of. We grieve the opportunities that were beginning to rise. We grieve the budding relationships and the established friendships. We grieve for what was and what was supposed to be. For some, we grieve for who we’ve lost and the fear of losing more. 

Whether it's the job, school, seeing people, the internship, the travel plans, the wedding, the summer plans, going places, whatever it may be, we are all grieving once was.

But we all have a way in which we cope with those things and how we process where we are now. For some, we push to fill up the time we have now. For others, we have struggled with a lack of motivation to do much of anything.

What if I told you that it didn't and doesn't matter how much time you have. You can have all the time in the world, and still not be productive, or healthy for that matter.

It's less about filling up time and has everything to do with whether you're fueled enough to steward the time you have well. 

To keep up with all the things in my own life and my qUiRkY adventures, feel free to follow my personal Instagram @totallytega. To keep up with all things Naked + Unashamed, please follow @nkdandunashamed!

WELCOME TO THE SECOND TEGA TALKS OF THE SEASON! This episode is special and very timely as we all sit in our own level of a waiting room in one way or another. Whether you're stuck inside due to Miss Rona (also known to some as coronavirus), stuck in a mental block, stuck in a circumstance, stuck in a continuous pattern, stuck in wanting more, or too afraid to move from the comfort of where you are now, we've all experienced some level of what I call a "waiting room."

I've defined a waiting room as pretty much anything or anyone that blocks or prolongs your ability to go to the next. Anything that essentially limits your mobility to continue or move forward.

The waiting room is beyond just a place, but can also be a mindset that, if looked at in the wrong perspective, can be detrimental. In this episode, we get to sit together and have a bit of a laugh while also navigating why waiting rooms exist, what lies at the core of our waiting rooms, practical ways to get out of them, and practical ways to steward them well. Regardless of what or who you may be waiting on, the waiting room goes beyond the four-wall limitation you give it -- it can be fully freeing if you lean in, look up, look in, and allow what you've learned to help you in looking out.

To keep up with all the things in my own life, feel free to follow my personal Instagram @totallytega and follow the Naked + Unashamed Instagram @nkdandunashamed! 

Marriage - the thing society tells us to aspire to and the thing that is a lot more complicated than the world likes to tell us. Marriage is something that has been portrayed as a destination. To the outsider, life is a maze, and in your singleness, you're navigating the confusing path we call life. At the end of the path is your person and then you get married and you've exited the "maze" to marriage!

That isn't the slightest bit true.

This is the SECOND part of a two-part installment and in this episode, we get to sit with Conor Thomas, the husband of Lynsey Thomas and here his side of what the "maze" to marriage looks like. With Conor, we get to have the discussion of what manhood looks like, how brokenness is exposed in marriage, and how the way we love is passed on generation to generation. Marriage is complex, an act of constantly choosing, and the process of two people who've lived two separate lives coming together to build a life together and it's absolutely beautiful.

To keep up with Conor Thomas, follow him on Instagram @conorthomas_!

Marriage - the thing society tells us to aspire to and the thing that is a lot more complicated than the world likes to tell us. Marriage is something that has been portrayed as a destination. To the outsider, life is a maze, and in your singleness, you're navigating the confusing path we call life. At the end of the path is your person and then you get married and you've exited the "maze" to marriage!

That isn't the slightest bit true.

In reality, marriage exposes your singleness and in this episode, we sit with Lynsey Thomas as she shares her story and what life looked like before her husband, how she met her husband, and what life looks like in marriage. Marriage is beautiful, and complex, and honoring, and difficult, and fun, and so much more. To those of you called to marriage one day, I hope that this episode encourages you with a new lens to how God uses all things to His glory.

Part two features Lynsey's husband, Conor Thomas! 

To keep up with Lynsey, follow her on Instagram @lynsthomas!

WELCOME TO THE FIRST TEGA TALKS OF THE SEASON! In these episodes, they'll be shorter episodes full of things that God is showing me in my current season of life. These moments are just me, sitting, talking, and sharing. 

In this Tega Talk, I'll be talking about singleness. With Valentine's Day coming up and pressures to be in a relationship spiking and rising, I figured it was the perfect time to sit and chat about what singleness has meant in these past four years as well as what I've learned from it. Whether you are single because you're called to be, single by choice, or single by circumstance, this episode is for you. Singleness is not just a phase of life, but an opportunity to learn and grow without bounds. 

Singleness is beyond a relationship status -- it's a perspective shifter. I hope that for those of you in this season, especially with Valentine's Day coming up, you don't sit in longing for what others have. I hope you stand in the space of knowing that when or if it happens for you, God wants to shape you to be prepared.

We're back with a new episode, new audio (shoutout to Brett P), and a new guest!

Here's something to reflect on: think about your inner circle. Think about the people that you're closest to -- the ones you're most vulnerable with. What does your circle look like? Who are you surrounding yourself with? What binds your friendship? What divides it?

Here's the truth of the matter:

If all of your closest friends look the same or have had the same experiences, there might just be a problem. 

I know. Very direct and in some cases, controversial statement. In this episode of Naked + Unashamed, I get the absolute pleasure of sitting down with my friend Norlina and discuss her experience as a black woman as well as the vitality of diversity not only in the church, but beyond those doors. Norlina is a writer, blogger, and creative who attends Kennesaw State University and is infectiously passionate about diversity and inclusion in all spaces. I hope this conversation challenges you to seek and learn those who differ from you, as well as understand the dangers we pose to ourselves when we settle for personal comfort over challenging growth. 

To keep up with Norlina and her work, check out her blog https://www.norlina.net/ and follow her on Instagram @norlina27!