Welcome To ToniRay Writes

How many of us have found ourselves saying, “If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” or “It’s always something”? I know I have — more times than I can count. I’m not proud of it; that was simply how I was conditioned to think. Many of us were never taught how important our thoughts are, or how they can shape our lives for better or worse. Lately, I’ve made a conscious decision to pay attention to my thinking. And with that small shift, I’ve noticed how the tone of my thoughts sets the tone for my day. It made me wonder: imagine what this could do for my whole life. Scripture speaks directly to this kind of transformation: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…” — Romans 12:2 When you start becoming aware of the seeds you plant in your mind, you might hear yourself saying things like, “No, I’m not thinking about that today.” You begin learning the difference between truth and the lies you’ve believed. It’s hard — I won’t pretend it isn’t — but...

Life has its way of catapulting you into what your calling is. Situations arise, and the choices we make play a major role in determining where we’re headed. My life lately has been a rollercoaster. I’m in the middle of ending something that, honestly, I thought wouldn’t end—at least not like this. My children are growing up before my eyes, and what it’s felt like is that I’ve been left with just me. At first, I didn’t know what to do with that; I didn’t know what to do with me. But then I realized it was my time— my “me time”—to find myself for the first time. I had never given myself a chance. I didn’t even know I needed that. For almost 30 years, my life has been about others. When I realized I had to get to know myself on all levels, it was eye-opening. I had to take the time to understand myself and like whoever that was, before I cared about who didn’t. I started by taking accountability for where my life was in that moment—which was hard—and I asked myself, “Could my life be d...