letters, opus 1, no. 3.

to my dearest friend aisha,

i think you, apart from my blood sister, are the most loyal person i have ever met. you have shown me time and time again that when you find someone worth investing in, you stay the course, even if that investment doesn’t look like it’s paying off. 

i, in comparison, have not always been the best friend to you. there are times when i admit i took [both] you [and amani] for granted, and ignored the investment you placed in me while i was pursuing it in someone else. (see me for exact details lol.)

para (por?) eso (ese? esa?), lo siento mucho. 

i can’t say i remember the first time i met you. i feel like it was at one of those CHEAT conferences, because i remember when our moms would walk and talk together through the aisles and we would be walking behind them trying to have fun at something we didn’t want to go to. regardless of when it was, i feel like i’ve known you my entire life. you have always been there, and i now know you always will be. 

there are 6,000 things i could say about you. i love your willingness and desire to understand, i love your drive towards bettering yourself and continuing to grow into world-conquering woman you were meant to be. the way you carry yourself compels the onlooker to believe that you are exactly where you are supposed to be. your walk is the definition of purpose, and your posture the definition of power. 

you challenge me to be softer with people, not to give in to my own preconceived opinions and judgments, and to find the sunshine in every situation. you know my passions and my goals, and you encourage me to bypass my fears because you are confident that what is on the other side is beautiful. you keep me honest, and you force me to remember who i am. God works through you to help others realize their greatness and remember their identity. 

you were living your best life before the expression was coined. you were out here, working as the youngest professional photographer in the city, surpassing mentors and showing the world what you could do. i’ve never seen someone so poised in who they are at age 18. i don’t think even i know the power you possess within yourself. i think you have a good idea of what you’re capable of, and i think you’re waiting for the right time to show us. even the tip of the iceberg of that power is going to shock every single person in their life. i cannot wait to be eternally blinded by the light you give. 

as you start college your first day tomorrow, know that you have stepped into this season more prepared than you think. know that your purpose extends beyond the classroom, beyond the campus, beyond the city limits. know that this is the continuation of your quest to conquer the world. i know you will be kind, i know that you will act with integrity, i know you will extend grace to those around you regardless of whether or not they deserve it, and i know the Lord will speak wisdom to you with every passing breath. you were made for this. this was made for you. the thing is, it isn’t ready for you. the world will just have to brace itself. 

there aren’t words out there to describe how much you mean to me. literally tearing up trying to find them. it’s so nice already knowing who one of my bridesmaids will be. i thought so many of my friendships would last longer than they did and so many of my friends have stepped in and out of that position. you [and amani] and the only one[s] that remained. i am confident, as you are in yourself, and as you are in me, that we will be friends in this life, and our life with The Father. you are my best best best best friend. and i love you.

you are not going to be fine, you are going to thrive! don’t be thrown off-course by the fast pace of everyone around you, continue to walk in peace. don’t spend too much money on food, carry a taser, and text me when you get home everyday. 

college is finna be lit. 

love,

your over-reactor 

letters, opus 1, no. 2.

to sexy beast amani,

you have always been a source of joy in my life. whenever you come around, you bring something new and exciting to the table and never fail to include me in that experience. you challenge me daily to step out of my comfort zone for the sake of discovering fun and discovering myself, and you hold me accountable for the things i have said, because you want me to be the best that i can be.

laughter has and always will be a pillar of our friendship. it surrounds the time we spend together. but even more so, our friendship is built on pillars of transparency and trust. i can always count on you to be real with me, to correct me when i say something uninformed and bring me to a place of knowledge, to be honest with me about your own shortcomings and points of growth, and to speak life to my own. through the test of time, i have come to trust that there's nothing i can do to undo the investment you've placed in me. you approach me with patience, with a heart to listen, and a capacity to love more and more with every text and phone call. i approach you knowing you will give me something new to meditate on, and i never leave disappointed. you are a wealth of Godly wisdom and understanding. you inspire me to love myself more than i already do and promote what i was made with at every moment.

i say this with confidence: i learn what it means to be ambitious from you. i take my goals and i crank them up more notches than i am comfortable with because you confront me with the truth that i am greater than i know, and compel me to act with excellence in everything i do. if it were not for you, i wouldn't have read "think like a man" or "get the guy" or listened to "the read," or had a modern and informed understanding of what relationships look like (or be confident in the idea of having one). you have encouraged (and occasionally demanded) my growth in so many arenas of my life, because you see my greatness not just as it is, but as it will be through the work of the Holy Spirit. i was always shook when you came to book club every week with verse upon verse and citation after citation to back up or dispute what we had read. you took 'taking it seriously' to another level, and challenged me to think deeper about the material we were consuming and relate it to what God says about us. you are the sister in Christ God knew i needed and graciously gave. you make me wanna level up and get it done. you know who you are and you don't stop until those around you treat you like that royalty. you are compassionate, you are loyal, you are driven. you radiate a desire to know the unknown, to conquer it, and to make it fun.

i love you. and you're doing great. to stand by your side is to stand at the top.

love,
ya best b

letters, opus 1, no 1.

to my maker and friend,

thank you. you have brought me to this point and you will bring me to completion of your plan. this letter is intended to praise you for all you have done, but it may end up being a prayer. Lord, i can do nothing without you. my body cannot give itself oxygen on its own. it's by the breath of your spirit that i live. it's by the order you set things in motion that my body can sustain itself. Lord, i can do nothing without you. no idea i have is my own. every good and perfect thought and creative agenda given to me is inspired from you. you have given me the task and privilege of bringing light to your world through the music you have given me. i acknowledge your hand, your presence, your glory, your peace, the passion you have given me, and most importantly - your promise. the bonds you make with me are unbreakable. i need not be afraid you won't do what you said you would. you, in the midst of all things, are ever-faithful. you yourself said if you contradicted your Word, you would have to die. i thank you for the confidence that you are who you say you are, you do what you say you will do, and you are ever-creating me to be an instrument of your love that everyone i come in contact with hears your song and falls in love with you as i have.

God, keep me in line with your plan and purpose. redirect my eyes to you, you Word, your standards, and your heart. show me who to interact with and who to stay away from. keep me focused. when i am caught up in the riches of the world and the nice things others around me possess, remind me that you are the Nicest Thing. when i am discouraged, remind me of your faithfulness. remind me of your commitment to all things Jocelyn as it lines up with your plan for my life. lift my head and shift my eyes so they can only see you. remove all temptation from me as i navigate this season of my life in california. give me conviction to love what you love, hate what you hate, and spread your goodness to those around me. may i so strongly represent you in everything i do that i no longer recognize myself as who i once was. may i be made new, complete, and perfected in only you.

bless those who have stood in the gap and interceded for me at any point in my life. thank you for bringing them to me, for enabling them to support me as i do what you have called me to do. you move and act through people and give them a portion of the love you have for me so i may be well-equipped on this journey.

God My God, i am learning to love you more than i love myself, my possessions, and the ones and things around me. i commit to being honest with you in all things, because there is value in communicating even though you are all-knowing. thank you for your grace and your patience. thank you for allowing me to think highly of myself because you think highly of me. thank you for igniting me with the fire needed to succeed. thank you, through you i already have the victory.

superman gets his power from the son. i get mine from The Son. in you, i cannot fail. i will make you proud.

love, jocelyn.

we made a magazine.

this is the product of a summer photography project and an autumn internship. find what you love to do, propose it to the people who can support you, and breathe it into existence. introducing majesty, a magazine created by, for, and about women of color,
created under the standard that Royalty is not elected. i don't know what else to say, so this is your cue to take a look. 

remember to always be busy for a reason. then, for the big reveal, stun them. i love y'all. 

-kiss kiss kiss, flood me where i sit-