It has been a whole MONTH since our last episode, but man am I excited for you to hear this one! We're back with PART TWO of this specific Maze to Marriage collection and this is always one of my favorite series that I get to do because there's SO much to learn from the stories and experiences of others. 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 Emily Buchanan as she shares her story of navigating love, fighting through relational hurt and tension, as well as what redemptive love looks like. We get REAL real in this episode as Emily shares candidly on how her relationship with God has been magnified through the process of loving and being loved. I learned an incredible deal through sitting with Em and I can't wait for how the Lord meets you in this space too. To keep up with all things Emily, her endeavors, and more, follow her @emilybethbuchanan!

HAPPY MONDAY! On today's episode - we're back with the Maze to Marriage series with a new couple! This is always one of my favorite series that I get to do because there's SO much to learn from the stories and experiences of others. 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 Camilo Buchanan 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 Camilo, his journey and redeemed relationship with his now wife Emily, and how God has moved in every step. Stick around for next week's episode where I sit with Camilo's wife, Emily! To keep up with all things Cam, his travels, speaking, and more, follow him @iamkingcam!

Continuing on in the month of all things Black History and LOVE, today we're talking about a stage of relationships that often gets overlooked or glossed over -- dating. Over the years, I've heard a lot of amazing advice on singleness and marriage, but less content on dating relationships and the tensions that come with dating intentionally in today's age. What does it look like to date with longevity in mind and date seriously today? What are the fallacies social media portrays versus our own experience? In today's episode, I sit with my boyfriend of 2+ years to talk about our dating experience, what we've learned, what's grown us, and some of the growing pains we've experienced. Whether you're single, dating, or even married, I hope this episode brings a sense of normalcy to your view of dating and reminds you that to everything, there's a time.  To keep up with all things London Taylor and know about the guy that I'm am head over heels for, follow him on Instagram @londontaylour!

It's officially the month of all things love and Black History Month and I could think of no better way to kick off the month of February than with this amazing and growing conversation with my good sis, Jordyn. Oftentimes in discourse about black history and black present, we center our minds and hearts on what has been achieved in the past and the advancement of black people in American contexts. We get to sit and talk through our experiences as black women, black women in the Church, and what we can all take away when it comes to loving and listening to one another better.  Jordyn's insight and perspective on the world and her place in it challenged and encouraged me greatly, and I hope it does the same for you! To keep up with Jordyn, follow her on Instagram @jordynkgilbert!

Being in a new year warrants reflection time and sometimes, what you see in your reflection isn't all too pretty. Sometimes, you see that the very person keeping you from healing, from community, from love, from taking risks, from experiencing life in FULL...is you. And let me tell you, it's incredibly humbling. Today we're kicking off Season Two and 2023 talking about how ALL OF US are actually are own worst enemy in some way, shape, or form -- the actual villain in our character arc. There's a reason why we self-sabotage and it's a lot less morbid than you think. What would 2023 look like if we were self-aware enough to realize when we're hurting ourselves and fix our eyes and heart on the only One who can truly help us? 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, follow me on my personal Instagram @totallytega!

WE! ARE! BACK! New look, new theme song, and a new season! After what feels like 73 years, Season 2 is finally here and I am SO excited for all to come! This trailer is a brief update on where I've been, what I've been up to, and where we're headed this season. The biggest update? WEEKLY EPISODES EVERY MONDAY STARTING JANUARY 30TH! 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!

LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX BABY! ....and pornography. And masturbation. And lust. And sexual appetite. And sexual cravings. And the fact that girls struggle with this a lot more than people like to mention. And because these things have not been mentioned in public settings, many girls grow up to be women who hide in shame of sexual sin and are in bondage to their own desires. The reality is, these conversations are necessary. These conversations are necessary for freedom and bringing light to a type of sin that leaves many, especially women, feeling left in the dark. In this episode, we get real about what each of these terms are, what they're rooted in, and ask some important questions in order to reflect on how we can take a practical step in pursuing freedom from sexual sin. In this, I also get transparent and share some of my own struggles in all of these categories and make things as plain as I possibly can. To keep up with all things Naked + Unashamed, follow the Instagram @nkdandunashmed. To keep up with me personally, follow me on my personal Instagram @totallytega!

We're now officially more than halfway through the month of July and in the second half of 2020. What a TIME! Here's the reality - all of us have experienced a set back in some capacity. Whether it was a financial set back, a job, a relationship, family dynamics, school, or whatever it may be, we can all attest to the fact that the set back doesn't always feel the best. Often times, we get into a place of questioning and wondering why and what the purpose behind the setback is. But ultimately, God's purpose prevails. As Romans 8:28 reminds us, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." The things that may seem to be a set back are actually factors that propel us forward in purpose. In this episode with Blake Eason, we sit and chat about the set backs he's experienced and how ultimately, those set backs set him up to be set apart.  To keep up with all things Blake, follow him @blakeeason and check out his website: https://www.blakeeason.com/

Here's a fact: we're all flawed people. Here's another fact: we all have the capability of becoming better. The hard part about that? The process of being better involves picking at and stitching up our open wounds, and that, more often than not, is always painful. With this process of becoming better, there isn't any anesthesia to sedate us or a way to numb out the pain that comes with processing and digging through our past.  We must be fully awake, fully aware, and fully attentive to understanding our past, how it's shaped our current patterns, and how it could impact our future tendencies. Often times, the hard work we must do to understand ourselves involves us doing heart work. It means pushing towards comprehension, pushing to do the difficult things, and pressing towards healing. In this episode with Reed Moore, we sit and unravel his story and how that shaped his current ministry and calling. Reed's story reminds us that in the midst of the difficulty of pursuing healing, the Lord's steady hand redeems, resurrects, and repurposes our story for others. To keep up with Reed, follow him on Instagram @reedmoore07!

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!