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Ashley Baylor

@verne_la

221

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1.6K

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1896

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Christian woman
Gramfam Alum | Biola Alum | Owner of The Baylor Strong Project LLC
Where Care Meets Clarity

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Black men have feelings, too! This journal was created just for you. A private and safe space for you to lay down all that you carry and hear from God in new ways. Either purchase one for yourself or bless someone with this special gift.⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️Click the link in my bio Comment "🤎" and show our Black men some love by @verne_la

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3 years ago

Needless to say, we enjoyed ourselves 💃🏾💃🏾🙂‍↔️Always a beautiful time meeting new people and dancing with my sis @bellydance_mar #bellydancer #bellydancelove #houston by @verne_la

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4 hours ago

Like honestly, just come shimmy with me. We're going to have a grand time in @bellydance_mar pop-up class. Grab a friend or 3 and come dance with me 😝How to book:1. Follow her page2. Click the link in her bio3. Click book classMake sure you have a towel and some water - hydration is keyDC: @bellydance_mar#bellydance #houston #popupclass #houstonevents #bellydancers by @verne_la

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3 days ago

My girl @bellydance_mar is coming to Houston, July 25th!! 🎉🎉 I can assure you don't want to miss her pop-up class. How to book?You ask great questions:1. Follow her page2. Click the link in her bio and book through her siteIf you've ever wanted to learn Egyptian dance, wanted fun community amongst women, and a chance to free yourself while burning calories to dope music, her class is for you! I need all my ladies there ready to shimmy! S/O to @rodolphemanoukian_official for always giving us music that makes us dance 💃🏾 #houstontx #houstonarts #popupclass #bellydancelove #egyptianbellydance by @verne_la

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15 days ago

It was a joy to see you shine on stage @ms_jess_n_ A beautiful performance from you and the entire cast. We can't wait to see you soar to new heights in theater. This is only the beginning 🫶🏾🎉Angry Roucous And Shamelessly Gorgeous by @verne_la

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a month ago

Mommy, you light up every room you walk in. Joy and happiness pour from you like streams of flowing water. Your smile and laughter brighten any day, and your love is endless. I call myself blessed because God gifted us you. Your name means princess and you embody what it means to be royal. I aspire to be at least, half the mother you've been to me and my siblings. I love you deeper than the depths of any ocean. Happy mother's day to you, beautiful.My bestie girl 🥰 #bestmomever❤️ #bestie #bestiegirl #mommy #mothersday❤️ by @verne_la

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2 months ago

Today holds two sacred meanings for me.It’s Resurrection Sunday… and it’s also the day my dad went home to be with the Lord.Six years ago, what felt like the deepest loss met the greatest promise.And somehow, I woke up today with joy.Not because I don’t miss him — I do, deeply.Not because grief has disappeared — it hasn’t.But because today reminds me that death doesn’t get the final word.Resurrection does.The same power that raised Jesus from the grave is the same hope I hold onto when I think about my dad. This day, once marked only by loss, now carries comfort, assurance, and peace. I know where he is. I know he is whole. I know this isn’t the end of his story — or ours.If today feels heavy for you, I pray you feel both the nearness of God and the promise of new life. Grief and joy can coexist. Mourning and hope can live in the same space.And today… I choose to hold both.He is risen — and because of that, we will rise too. 🤍#BaylorStrong #ResurrectionSunday #GriefAndHope #FaithOverFear #HeIsRisen by @verne_la

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4 months ago

People have asked me over the years, “How did your family get through it?”And my answer has never changed… it was our faith in Jesus Christ. Every single day.This moment right here was one of many where we came together and prayed over my dad. And while we were believing, standing, and hoping… we were also watching him.Watching a man who knew he was hurting.Who knew the journey was hard.Who knew, ultimately, what he was facing.And yet—he chose faith. Every day.My dad led us through one of the hardest seasons of our lives by example. Even in his most vulnerable moments, he trusted God. Not just with his life… but with us.His family.God’s people.The body of Christ he had served and covered for over 20+ years.I truly believe one of the hardest parts for him was having to release what he spent his life protecting… and trust God to hold it all together.And He did.So when I say it was our faith that carried us—I mean that with everything in me.And it still carries us today. 🤍#faiththroughitall #griefandfaith #trustinggod #godcarriedus #stillcarried by @verne_la

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4 months ago

We had ourselves a grand time on Sunday at Jazz in the Park 🎶#jazzinthepark #brassband #houstontx #discoverygreen #jazzysunday by @verne_la

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4 months ago

Black History Month felt like the perfect time to honor the woman who first showed me what Black excellence in Raqs Sharqi looks like.Tay is a Black American dancer from Brownsville, Texas, now based in the Twin Cities — and she has devoted over two decades to studying Egyptian dance with intention, humility, and deep cultural respect.She studies from source artists.She studies the history.She studies the music.She is even learning Arabic — because in Egyptian music, emotion lives inside the language.This is not appropriation.This is apprenticeship.This is lineage.This is love for an art form.I was introduced to Tay by my teacher, Mar, an Egyptian artist who created a space where dancers learn culture before choreography.Through Mar, I learned something many people still don’t understand:Black dancers have always existed in belly dance.African presence has always existed in Egyptian culture.And the African diaspora does not begin or end at modern borders.Mar uplifts Black women.She uplifts MENA women who are often discouraged or shamed from dancing publicly.She builds community rooted in respect, scholarship, and joy.I am not Egyptian.My ancestry traces to West Africa.But honoring a culture, studying its history, and learning from its people is not theft — it is reverence.So watching a Black woman be accused of “stealing” an art she has spent 20+ years honoring is not only incorrect……it’s deeply revealing.Especially during Black History Month.Today I celebrate Tay — an artist, a mother, a student of culture, and a beautiful example of what Raqs Sharqi looks like when approached with integrity.Culture grows when it is respected.Art survives when it is shared.And excellence deserves to be defended.🤎Drum Solo: @tayzavalaraqs Galabeya & Scarf: @bellydance_mar by @verne_la

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5 months ago

“Awareness isn’t enough.”World Pancreatic Cancer Day always makes me think about what families are actually given when a diagnosis happens.They’re told the name of the disease.They’re shown statistics.They’re handed language that sounds clinical, distant, and overwhelming.What they’re rarely given is clarity.Caregivers don’t need slogans.They need to understand what’s happening, what options exist, and what questions to ask next.Because when people know what they’re walking into, they can make grounded decisions.They can advocate without being blindsided.They can hold hope without being fed false reassurance.Today is for every family living in the space beyond awareness.Where love meets responsibility.And information can change how you show up for the person you’re fighting for.💜#WorldPancreaticCancerDay#CancerCaregivers#CaregiverVoices#BeyondAwareness#pancreaticcancer by @verne_la

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6 months ago

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU 🫵🏾🫶🏾 I'm grateful for every single comment, DM, post, text message, and phone call. Yall helped me celebrate my birthday in grand fashion. I never take your kindness for granted. This year is already different for me, as I am confident and determined to be all God has called me to be. He gave me both vision and a voice. Both of which I intend to steward well. Here’s my gift to each of you and may you receive it with love and joy 🎁👇🏾:Dear heavenly Father,Thank you for your love, kindness, compassion, comfort, joy, and peace. These days seem to be filled with more darkness than light. But your word is true, o LORD. You are the light of the world, and in you we are lights called to dispel darkness. So, may we shine bright. Father, I pray for every person who took the time to celebrate me on my birthday. Heal them where they need healing, answer those who have been seeking, deliver those who have cried out, reveal your presence to those who are isolated and are lonely, draw those who desire to be near you, empower those who need uplifting, strengthen those who feel weak and tired, lead those who need wisdom and guidance, wrap your arms around those who need a safe hug. May each of them experience your person and power this year. May each of them open their hearts to your closeness this year. May those of us who've experienced your might, be better stewards of the gospel. You are the Mighty One; the holy One. You are the great I Am. No one in the entire universe, can compare to you. Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD'S, and all its fullness, The world and all those who dwell therein." Habakkuk 2:20 "But the LORD is in His holy temple, Let all the earth keep silence before Him." Let all things be done according to your will. In Jesus's name, I pray, amen! 🙏🏾 by @verne_la

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