Teenage Lela embracing her father beside books, music, and a Greyhound ticket representing the soundtrack that shaped her life.
Posted inChristian Living Faith Family

The Soundtrack Between the Miles | How Music, Faith & Travel Shaped My Story

Some people remember their lives through photographs. Others remember them through places. I’ve discovered that I remember mine through music. One familiar song recently carried me back to bus rides through Brooklyn, stacks of books, worship playlists, and a father who unknowingly taught me that curiosity could become a lifelong inheritance. That realization became Part 12 of Found in the Margins.
Featured Image Narrative: The Unity Sand Ceremony visually embodies the central theme of the chapter. While wedding guests witnessed two containers of sand becoming one, the memoir reflects on how two individual lives, families, and callings were intentionally joined through covenant. The photograph serves as both a historical record and a metaphor for the blueprint that would shape the Fagan family for years to come.
Posted inChristian Living Faith Family

The First Blueprint: Preparing for Marriage Before Planning a Wedding | Found in the Margins Part 11

The First Blueprint People often remember the flowers, the dress, or the reception. When I think about our wedding, I remember the conversations. The weekly phone calls with my brother-in-law and sister during premarital counseling. The intentional decision to choose vows that reflected our understanding of covenant. The Unity Sand Ceremony that symbolized two separate lives becoming one family. Looking back fourteen years later, I realize we spent far more time preparing for our marriage than we did planning our wedding. That wasn't accidental. It became the first blueprint for everything that followed.
Editorial-style featured image for Found in the Margins: Part Eight featuring a warm portrait of Lela Jefferson Fagan with elegant typography reading "You Are. Do You Have a Problem With That?" The design reflects the quiet beauty of Christian courtship, friendship, and clarity, with branding for memoirsofablackgirl.com and lelafagan.substack.com.
Posted inChristian Living Faith Latest News

You Are. Do You Have a Problem With That? | Found in the Margins Part 8

Some conversations don't begin a relationship—they simply give a name to what has already been quietly growing. On the day after Christmas in 2009, one simple text message changed the way I understood my relationship with the man who would become my husband. Looking back, I wasn't asking permission to fall in love. I was asking for clarity.
Featured graphic for Found in the Margins Part Five titled “The Date That Never Happened.” The design features a real wedding photo of Lela and Oji Fagan surrounded by their bridal party, alongside handwritten-style notes, wedding planning imagery, and the quote, “I thought I was asking Oji to be my wedding date. God was introducing me to my future husband.” Footer includes memoirsofablackgirl.com and lelajfagan.substack.com.
Posted inLatest News Life Lessons Marriage

The Date That Never Happened: How a Wedding Invitation Led Me to My Future Husband | Found in the Margins Part 5

Sometimes the stories that change our lives begin as simple conversations. When my lifelong friend Chi Chi encouraged me to ask Oji to be my date to her wedding, neither of us knew what God was already setting in motion. By the time her wedding arrived, Oji and I were already a couple. Years later, Chi Chi would stand beside me as my Matron of Honor, while other friends who carried me through difficult seasons helped me prepare for my own wedding day. Part Five of Found in the Margins explores friendship, faith, community, and the unexpected ways God writes our stories long before we recognize what He’s doing.
Left My Purse. Left It All With God.
Posted inLatest News Life Lessons Testimonies

Left My Purse. Left It All With God.

I thought leaving my purse at church had thrown my entire day off. Instead, God used one small inconvenience to position me for prayer, provision, encouragement, and service. From running on E to preparing our newly launched Comfort Room for inclusive families, every moment reminded me that what feels like disruption may actually be divine direction. Sometimes the setback really is the setup. 💛
A thoughtful Black woman sits at a desk looking at her phone, surrounded by warm tones and journaling elements. The graphic emphasizes intentional communication, emotional awareness, and the message “We Are Not AI.”
Posted inLatest News Life Lessons Relationships

We Are Not AI: The Cost of Transactional Communication in a Convenience Culture

In a world of instant messages and constant notifications, we’ve started communicating with people the way we interact with machines—quick, transactional, and without pause. But relationships were never meant to function on autopilot. This reflection explores the cost of convenience culture and the power of intentional communication.
Becoming the Elder: A Reflection on Legacy, Loss, and Self-Care
Posted inFamily Latest News Life Lessons

Becoming the Elder: A Reflection on Legacy, Loss, and Self-Care

This past week, I was reminded in a painful yet profound way: I am an elder now. I’ve carried this mantle since birth, but it feels different when loss reminds you of how precious and short time can be. My great-grand niece’s passing brought back memories of the elders I lost too soon, and it stirred in me a commitment to care for myself so I can be present for my children and their children. Legacy isn’t only about memory. It’s about presence.