Out Of Order

I'm Rayven This is an original piece I wrote on January 23, 2017. Enjoy. Don't use my ethnicity as a means to divide but use it as a means to understand where I'm from and what makes me different. I do see color and we should all see differences. To say we don't see color is weird and implies that differences are not good. It's okay to see me as a person who has brown skin, as long as you don't treat me badly because of it. It's okay and appropriate to notice that my skin's tone is different than yours, we learned how to distinguish colors in kindergarten. Just don't treat me with a lack of respect because of it. Don't let it divide us into a group of colors like we're a bunch of crayons. We aren't. I'm Rayven and I have so much to offer. I am kind and honest, I am creative and love to laugh. I love to inspire and encourage others. I can sing and write. I am worth more than the melanin of my skin. A brown crayon can only add c...

Be hope. Be hospitable. Cinnamon boiling on the stove. The succulent aroma of homemade sweet potato pie. Carols playing throughout the house. This is Christmas to me. My Christmas this year is going to be very different now that I'm away from my family. I'm going to have to do some major adjusting to what will be my very first Christmas (and birthday) without my mom and sister present. While it's going to be very different, thankfully I'm not going to be alone for this beautiful holiday. I'll be celebrating with the warm and lovely people with whom I share a house. I have been very blessed and am very grateful to have housemates who practice hospitality. That brings me to the amazing message at church this morning. It wasn't too deep nor was it full of hard to understand Biblical jargon. It was easy to get and put into practice. The message was about hospitality. Christmastime is a time where others so often open their homes to friends and family and maybe...