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THE FRUITFUL PLACE
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Tender Grief & "Goodbye’s"
We have an audio option for this message. So, you can listen in and read along, or choose to read the message without the audio. It's up...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jun 274 min read


Gifts. Make Room for Your gifts.
Hello Family, We have an audio option for this message. So, you can listen in and read along, or choose to read the message without the...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jun 135 min read


Seeing life on Film on ‘ the yellow brick road’
I found out ‘The Wiz’ was rereleased the week of May 18 and would be in theaters for a few days. Seeing this classic on the big screen was a must, so in a days notice I got swift and secured my ticket for the final day of the rerelease. Here's how I saw life on film on 'the yellow brick road'.
A'Leeyah Ponder
May 306 min read


Love, Leadership, and Legacy
Hello Fam, It’s been a minute! I’m in school nie, so it’s always a lot going on😅. Over the past several months I’ve found myself in...
A'Leeyah Ponder
May 164 min read


Get Grounded Again
Inhale. I can do hard things well. Exhale. Although I am tired, I have all I need to keep moving forward. 10/2024 9:29am Grand Rising to...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Feb 145 min read


Time to stop sacrificing yourself
I have found myself paying close attention to my own needs lately. This sounds very ordinary, but it's a quite extraordinary practice...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Feb 13 min read


In love, grief, and SOLIDARITY
Tigger Warning: A sensitive topic related to gun violence and suicide will be discussed in this blog post. The content may be both...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jan 244 min read


Be Still
"Be Still" – These words often come in the form of a command by a grandmother watching you run around the house, or a mother trying to do...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jan 184 min read


Get S.M.A.R.T. about life now, not just your future
"Dad do you have any new years resolutions?," I asked with a ton of wonder in my eyes. "Nope, just keep living." he said with an...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jan 104 min read


Lessons from 2024
Zora Neale Hurston once wrote, "There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” - Many of my questions were answered in 2024,...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jan 33 min read


I am Changing
Hello Family, The season has changed, nature is changing, and somehow, I am too. I keep hearing the song ‘I am Changing’ by Jennifer...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Oct 11, 20244 min read


IPT: “Are you ready to come home?”
Hello Family, Happy Fall! I pray you are enjoying the start of this new season filled with change, transitions, and evolution. Before I...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Oct 4, 20244 min read


IPT: Mosque visit recap
Hello Family, “ Would you want to go to the mosque with us on Friday ?” said a young Turkish Muslim woman. I had never thought about...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Sep 13, 20244 min read


IPT: When in Argentina...
Hello Family, Have you ever heard of the saying, "When in Rome do as the Romans do"? In the 4th century, Saint Ambrose gave this advice...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Sep 6, 20243 min read


Intro to Public Theology
Hello Family, "How does a womanist theologian engage with religious discourse on the ground?" This is the question that drove my public...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Aug 30, 20241 min read


First Week Jitters
Hello Family, This week marks my first week of my second year of divinity school. LORD HAMMMERCY! I’m still shocked I’m here. I woke up...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Aug 23, 20244 min read


Living & Leading Sick
Hello Family, “You’re okay A’Leeyah. You are safe. Breathe,” I say to myself as a crushing pain fills my chest, heartbeat increases, and...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Aug 16, 20244 min read


Studied Abroad... Now What?
Hello Family, Every time I find myself behind a keyboard to make a blog post I get nervous. I realize that writing is both therapeutic...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Aug 9, 20243 min read


Critical Memory: How #BLM amplified the voices of a “lost” generation
Hello Family 💜, There is death in OUR camps. Hemorrhaging in OUR communities. Division in our nation. Pain in our pursuit of happiness,...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Aug 2, 20244 min read


SAY HER NAME… SONYA MASSEY
“I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” said the late Sonya Massey. “I’m sorry.” These were the last words of the late 36-year-old Black...
A'Leeyah Ponder
Jul 26, 20243 min read
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