I love to learn, so I naturally gravitate toward teachers—not the conventional self-proclaimed ones, but those who operate at a high level through lived experience. The kind of people who share wisdom effortlessly, simply by being authentic. They move with purpose, not to prove anything, but because they just “are”.

I was out of town when the video for “Double Up” came on YouTube. It’s one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists.

Unfortunately, I didn’t discover Nipsey until just a few months before his passing. He had just released his latest album, selling copies for $100 each. He was gaining well-deserved recognition—Grammy-nominated and in a beautiful relationship with one of my favorite women, Lauren London. (They used to call me NuNu in college—hilarious.)

As I learned more about him, I became intrigued by both him and his relationship. Lauren spoke so highly of him. At first, I assumed she was the grounding force, but in reality, he was the steady, spiritual presence—guiding her, even deepening her spirituality. She once shared that he played affirmations in his headset every night. He was intentional, peaceful, and wise. Hearing that made me start playing affirmations nightly which eventually turned into scripture at night. Even in such a short time, his words and interviews left an impact on me.

When I saw the “Double Up” video and heard her say, “No… but you can teach me,” it felt prophetic. I felt it because I love to learn & therefore I do. I use every opportunity as an opportunity to learn.

Lately, I’ve been reminded that the Holy Spirit is my ever-present teacher, guiding me every step of the way. I love how much I’ve been learning through the journey—even though the transformation has been painful.

Here’s a True Story I’ve been led to share:

Back in 2016, I was pulled over by the police in Charlotte, NC. They claimed they smelled and found marijuana in my car—but they never showed me what they supposedly found.

Now, I knew that couldn’t have been true. It was freezing cold and had been raining all day. I was never the type to keep marijuana in my car, especially since I had just come from work.

My coworker and I had gone across the street to grab food, smoked their little joint quickly, and tossed it out the window before driving off. My guess? The officer saw that.

I hadn’t even wanted this particular coworker in my car, but I didn’t want to seem mean or stuck-up. They wanted to hang out with me, and I’ve always been the “cool-fun” co-worker. In reality, I’m quite prudent in certain aspects.

The officers searched my car against my consent and wrote me a citation, claiming they found the minimum amount of marijuana. I had to go to court.

This was SERIOUS! I couldn’t have that on my record. I didn’t have the money for an attorney, so I decided to represent myself.

When it was my turn to speak, I cross-examined the officer, staying calm and letting him fully answer each question so I could carefully point out the gaps in his claims. Yes, I had smoked earlier—but there was no marijuana in my car & that’s the only accusation he could write me a citation for.

By the end of the trial, the judge dismissed the charges and even told me I should consider law school. As I left the courtroom, the officer came up to shake my hand.

I cried like a baby. I was guilty of smoking that night, but I did not have marijuana in my car. It reminds me of the “accuser of the brethren.” Even though I was partially guilty of something, I wasn’t guilty of that! Yet the officer tried to charge me with something with far greater consequences. His wicked malice coupled with my bad decisions could’ve severely damaged my record , future employment…ect. However, I was granted a pardon.

God recently brought this memory back as I’ve been learning more about spiritual warfare. I found myself questioning him as to why I’ve had been in so many painful predicaments. And then it hit me—the Holy Spirit has led me out of them every single time. I know how to defend others because I’ve had to defend myself.

I have been in law school.

As a child, whenever someone asked what I wanted to be, I always said a lawyer. I just didn’t realize I meant spiritually.

Here’s to law school , to life long learning & to the teachers who teach their greatest lessons by simply living!