DO YOU NEED A FAITH LIFT

Do You Need a Faith Lift?
How to renew your spiritual life to find meaning and joy
By Katti Gray courtesy of www.essence.com

Deborah Kakoma was in her early twenties, running with a bad crowd and working what she describes as a dead-end job, when she realized her faith was in tatters. The aspiring artist from Champaign, Illinois, who had returned home after flunking out of Illinois State University, felt adrift. Her parents, both devout Lutherans, seldom saw their daughter, who spent most nights partying. On that rare Sunday when Kakoma gave in to their pleas and accompanied them to church, she sat zombielike, feeling sorry for herself and confused about what God wanted for her life.

Kakoma says her path had seemed clearer when she was younger. As a child, she had loved hearing the Scriptures her mother shared before Sunday supper, and she would say her nightly prayers dutifully. Later she had been confirmed as a Lutheran and had attended church regularly with her family. But the expectations of her high-achieving parents weighed heavily. Kakoma feared they wouldn’t accept her desire to pursue art, and she didn’t want to disappoint them. She felt spiritually lost.

“During this period I began reading Iyanla Vanzant and T.D. Jakes and writing letters to God every morning, trying to find a faith I felt connected to,” remembers Kakoma, now 33. “I was forcing myself to be disciplined as a spiritual being, trying not to feel fractured, trying to understand that God did have a plan for me. It was hard, but I wanted to get right with myself, so I had to keep pushing.”

The search for a more meaningful spiritual life is at the heart of this sacred season. This time of year our very culture calls believers to examine their relationship with a Supreme Being. But faith can falter in any season, as a result of major tragedy, sudden trauma, or just a vague dissatisfaction with how we currently worship. A faith crisis can lead us to lose the spiritual connection that, for many of us, is essential to living a centered life.

The good news is that our spiritual faith can be restored if we’re willing to seek its renewal. It is shored up as we find the lesson in our circumstances and fully turn back to God, says Bishop T.D. Jakes, 48, of The Potter’s House, an international ministry based in Dallas. “It takes a while for a bruised heart to heal,” he says. “But what we are preaching is not faith for the moment but for a lifetime.”

A Spiritual Jump Start
Sometimes faith slips away very quietly, with few outward signs of tumult. For many of us, this inner questioning is less about difficult external events than about the need to create for ourselves a spiritual ritual that satisfies. Catherine Freeman, 51, an information-technology manager for Ford Motor Co. in Detroit, was a Bible-reading Baptist by the age of 8, the only churchgoer in a chaotic household. But as she grew older, Freeman came to view the church of her childhood as gossipy, backbiting and often hypocritical.

She began exploring other forms of worship, a search that ultimately led her to join the Unity Church six years ago. She says it was the church’s inclusiveness of different beliefs that attracted her. “I’ve come to a place in my life where it’s not about religion but about spirituality,” she says. “The church’s openness helped me understand that God is everywhere. Now when I say ‘I have faith,’ I am saying I have faith in the part of me where God resides.”

To read the entire article, "Do You Need a Faith Lift," pick up the December issue of ESSENCE
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Bringing Home the Gravy Sylvia Woods
Enterprises has traditional down-home food at supermarkets near you
By Cliff Hocker
courtesy of www.blackenterprise.com

Sylvia Woods Enterprises has put African American cuisine on grocery shelves since 1992, with canned vegetables cooking up the New York-based company's heartiest volume sales. Sylvia's Soul Food yams and specially seasoned collard greens are naturals for Thanksgiving menus. Stuffing, recently introduced into Sylvia's product line, is in the meat cooler. Mixes for gravies and cornbread round out the feast, accented by a tasty selection of seasonings that add spice to a variety of meats. Peach cobbler mix is one of Sylvia's best sellers. The “Queen of Soul Food” also sells sauces, syrup, and pancake mixes.

Packaged foods bearing the Sylvia's label were created by company president Van Woods, one of the four children of Herbert and Sylvia Woods, the founders of the famed Sylvia's Restaurant in Harlem. Van Woods drew inspiration from dishes that had proved to be popular in the restaurant.

Sylvia's goods are available in grocery stores throughout the U.S. Major chains like Safeway on the East and West Coasts, Ahold Stores in the South, including Giant in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland area, as well as Pathmark and ShopRite in the Northeast carry the brand.

Landing supermarket deals, says Van Woods, was akin to “jumping through hoops and doing back-over flips.” But the Woods family felt it was their time so they persevered. “We knew that the time was right for there to be products that didn't come under the umbrella of Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, but of a truly black-owned line,” says Woods.

Sylvia's foods first appeared in Zabar's, a Big Apple gourmet grocer, and in the specialty food sections of Northeast regional department stores like Bloomingdale's and Macy's. The Woods family quickly decided to go to the general marketplace of Pathmark, ShopRite and other stores.

The Woods family was the sole investor in the New York restaurant. But the packaged foods venture struggled in its attempts grow nationally between 1992 and 1994. In 1995 Sylvia's found and angel investor in Irving Schatz and took on J.P. Morgan as an investor and established a relationship with World Finer Foods Inc., a Bloomfield, New Jersey-based specialty foods marketing and distribution company. “We decided to start a business relationship with a distributor company, and that's when our products took off,” says Woods.

Reaping revenues now exceeding those of the New York and Atlanta restaurants that sowed them, Sylvia's Soul Food supermarket products have grown into a multimillion-dollar business.
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11/25/2005
Q&A: I Ate Too Much Thanksgiving Food! What Now?
Message from Norris Chumley
courtesy of www.belifnet.com

Despite my good intentions, I did eat a little too much yesterday. Well, I'll admit it, I ate WAY too much turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce, cookies and pie. I bet I gained 10 pounds! What can I do now?

First of all, continue the Thanks. Be appreciative that you had food on your table in abundance, family and friends to share it with. Be thankful that you woke up again this morning, alive and facing the day. We don't need just one day of the year to be thankful; I think every day should be full of Thanksgiving. We are so blessed to be here, let's continue the praise.

Now, about the food. Ask God or your Higher Power to help you get back on your structured food plan. Just because of the fact Don't think because you overate yesterday it does not mean that you are a bad, or fallen person. On the contrary, you have admitted eating too much by writing this question to me and our readers. You are indicating that you want to do something about it. That's wonderful, congratulations.

Just eat less today. It sounds like you had some of everything yesterday, but you don't need to do that today. Get right back into your healthy eating habit by choosing to eat only one thing per meal, or one serving of something. For example, at breakfast you could have a leftover roll with a slice of turkey. Or if you're still full, you might even skip breakfast entirely, or just have a glass of juice or piece of fruit.

At lunch, perhaps you could have salad. Mix some of the leftover vegetables together and add some nutritious red-leaf or mesclun lettuces and just a touch of dressing. Skip the breads and meats.

For dinner you might choose a modest repeat of the big meal. Have a small portion of turkey with only two vegetables and one leftover roll. Skip the gravy and stuffing, and spare yourself the dessert.

One last thing - be sure to get up and move your body. Get the crowd together for a brisk walk or hike. Play a game of catch or kickball. Or put on some lively music and dance together.

Yesterday's over-consumption is in the past, leave it there, and just be thankful again today and get right back with your happy life and healthy habits.

If you have questions for Norris, send them to: asknorris@staff.beliefnet.com

Submitted by: Shelle'

REMEMBERING OUR BLESSINGS

In The Name Of Love

The holiday season can breed mixed emotions. For many, it is a time of joy and giving. For others it is a time of holiday parties and hearing from friends and acquaintances who aren’t part of life’s normal routine. During the holiday season, family gatherings usually become traditions, creating cherished memories.But for some, the season between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s is often one of the darkest, loneliest and most despairing times of the year.

Whether you’re single or married, you may find that instead of shouting “Ho!Ho!Ho” you may end up sighing, “Bah Humbug!”Whether you’re young or old, rich or poor, married or single, the 2006 holiday season will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable on record. Although your economic status and age will certainly affect your emotional state; whether you are married—happily or unhappily, or single—by choice or by default; this season will likely challenge you to consider the state of your affairs...

After Katrina…Now What?

“Restoration is more than observation. It’s more than looking from the safety of our television into the lives of other people, and assessing their situation from the comfort of our own luxuries and lives.” —Bishop T.D. Jakes

“My first reaction was to get on the phone and start calling several mega-churches pastors [to see] if we could do something collectively,” said Bishop T.D. Jakes, CEO of The Potter’s House of Dallas, Inc., a 30,000-member church. “I thought that it was an opportunity for us to collectively try to impact the nation and people who were displaced. The response was just amazing. I mean, in about 45 minutes, almost a million dollars was pledged over my cell phone before the battery went dead.”

The money, according to Bishop Jakes, was donated to a number of different organizations. Among the recipients was World Vision, “a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities,” to purchase mattresses, box springs and food; and $100,000, which other organizations were challenged to match, was donated to the Tom Joyner Foundation through Blackamericaweb.com. Those funds went directly to the victims.

Funds were donated to the Black National Bar Association scholarship fund “to provide help for students,” $100,000 was used to support BET’s Saving OurSevles Relief Telethon; and the remainder was used to locate houses and apartments for the victims. “We were able to place [more than] 1,000 people in homes on our own,” said Bishop Jakes.Historically, the African-American church has played a critical role in advocating for black and poor people when it appeared their civil rights were either violated or ignored. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s role as a pastor in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights marches was critical to the social changes gained by African Americans…

Read more on both articles in GT’s Nov/Dec issue …
Send your questions to Letters@GospelToday.com
courtesy of www.gospeltoday.com
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The Color Purple in Retrospect
Twenty years after the debut, the film’s beauty never fades.
By Bernadette Adams Davis
www.bibookreview.com

Twenty years ago, on December 18, 1985, Warner Bros. released a movie directed by Steven Spielberg based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Alice Walker novel The Color Purple (Harvest Books [reprint], May 2003). Unlike the director’s blockbuster adventure and science fiction films, this one featured a mostly black cast and focused on the story of a woman in the rural American South. It was the kind of story that rarely made it to the big or small screen.
When Walker’s story of Celie, Nettie and Shug—already a best-selling novel—made it to theaters, it captured viewers and, sometimes, critics. The film sent more people to Walker’s novels and poems and was a memorable cultural experience, prompting people to quote lines from Celie or Shug and reference the film’s joy and heartbreak.

The play, which is scheduled to open on Broadway this winter, is not without its critics, who had similar problems with the film as with the novel. According to the most vocal naysayers, the language was insulting to blacks, it was immoral and detrimental to show black women loving each other, and there wasn’t one redeeming black male character through the whole story. Still, the film was commercially successful, as were many who were involved with it, though not one of its eleven Academy Award nominations yielded an Oscar.

One element of the novel—though only briefly revealed in the film—that sparked heated dialogue and accusations was that Walker, Spielberg and anyone associated with the film did not have the community’s interests at heart when representing the romantic relationship between Celie and Shug. Their brief movie kiss and relationship seems almost quaint in our current era of discussions of bisexuality and gay marriage. While same-sex relationships are still a very controversial subject in the larger and black community, the presence of lesbian or bisexual characters isn’t as unexpected as it was in 1985.

Then there are the faces that were not so familiar then, that are artistic and entertainment royalty to us now. Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey have become some of our most famous and recognized performers. Seeing so many black faces featured in one film was still a rare jewel and often received as such.

What Spielberg gave us, from the gift Walker originally crafted, was a sweeping story of a black, southern woman. It was the epic, one of only a few, that we’ve long deserved as founding—though unrecognized, abused and brought by force—members of this nation. It presaged the increased attention society began to pay in the 1980s and ’90s to issues of domestic violence, child sexual abuse and same-sex love. Walker writes that she was so hurt when Spielberg named Gone With the Wind as his favorite film.

According to Evelyn C. White’s biography Alice Walker: A Life (W.W. Norton & Company, September 2004), Spielberg considered that “the greatest movie every made.” That epic paean to a slave-era South had caused blacks so much pain that it was amazing that he could say such a thing. Still, he brought her novel to screen, giving blacks an epic about the descendants of the slaves who supported the opulent South that Scarlett mourns.

Among those descendants were Walker’s family members, including her mother. Walker says she risked a lot by allowing Spielberg to make the film, “But I would have risked even more to wipe away the assault on my mother’s dignity moviegoing had represented in the past.”
The rest of this article is only available through the printed periodical.
go to http://www.bibookreview.com/feature1.asp to subscribe.
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for details go to www.blackamericaweb.com

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Being Grown for the Holidays...

http://www.davidetalbert.com/

While off running holiday errands for the wifey I couldn’t help but to reflect on childhood holidays gone past. Sunrise service that you didn’t want to go to 'cause three days later you were gonna have to go again. Rushing to get back home so you could sneak some food before your Uncle got there and ate it all up. Struggling through that hour long prayer/sermonette where your Grandmother prayed for everything from world peace to world hunger. Hoping to get to the bathroom before your Auntie blows it up. Mom fixed the turkey, Grannie made the world famous candied yams with the marshmallows on top, and Great-Grandma fixed the collard greens with the big chunks of pork in every bite.

Boy have times changed. Now I'm the grown up. And to be honest, being grown around the holidays is way overated. Everybody staring at you while you hack up the turkey. Little nieces and nephews laughing cause now it's you babbling through the prayer, messing up the scriptures. Yes, times have changed. But... at least we have memories. When sharing love, cutting up, and spending time was all that really mattered. And at the end of the day… it's what still does. So... to my friends and family all around the world… from my family to yours... I wish you a blessed day filled with good food, fun, cutting up, and lots of love shared and time well spent.

Happy holidays, David info@davidetalbert.com

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Submitted by: Shelle' - HAPPY THANKSGIVING

****NOTE***

I'm taking a break on this Thursday in observance of "TURKEY DAY" see y'all on Friday!!!

GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS :)

HAVE A SAFE HOLIDAY - DON' T DRINK (or USE ANY OTHER KIND OF DRUGS) AND DRIVE..... (NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER - EVEN OUT OF THAT ORDER ) JUST ACT RESPONSIBLY - NO YOUR LIMIT BECAUSE THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN!!!!

P.S. DON'T DO NOTHING BUT EAT.......AND THEN GO TO SLEEP!!!! wake up EAT SOME MORE, JUST ENJOY YOURSELF WITHOUT HURTING YOURSELF OR ANYONE ELSE. (LOL)

with much,

PEACE AND LOVE - from Shelle' & Family

TAPPING THE POWER WITHIN/ACTS OF FAITH

Phenomenal Woman"
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size But when I start to tell them,They think I'm telling lies. I say,It's in the reach of my armsThe span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I'm a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,That's me.

I walk into a roomJust as cool as you please,
And to a man, The fellows stand or Fall down on their knees. Then they swarm around me, A hive of honey bees. I say, It's the fire in my eyes, And the flash of my teeth, The swing in my waist, And the joy in my feet. I'm a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That's me.

Men themselves have wondered What they see in me. They try so muchBut they can't touch My inner mystery. When I try to show themThey say they still can't see. I say, It's in the arch of my back,The sun of my smile, The ride of my breasts, The grace of my style. I'm a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman, That's me.

Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. When you see me passing It ought to make you proud. I say, It's in the click of my heels, The bend of my hair, the palm of my hand, The need of my care, 'Cause I'm a woman Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,That's me.
Courtesy of www.empirezine.com
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TAPPING THE POWER WITHIN/ACTS OF FAITH/EVERDAY I PRAY
By Author, Yoruba Priestess, Life Coach, and TV Personality


Some people will tell you that Iyanla Vanzant is a speaker in a class all her own. For the past 24 years Iyanla has studied ...earning a Masters of Arts degree in Spiritual Psychology in 1999. She then integrated that information with her own experiences and developed a common sense approach for addressing lifes challenges. Her frank, down-to-earth and inspiring manner of addressing lifes issues resulted in the publication of ten books, over a span of seven years five of which the New York Times has deemed best-sellers.

Some say Iyanla is not a speaker; she is a teacher. Delivering more than 250 keynote addresses annually, she teaches a common sense process for discovering your spiritual identity and its inherent power. Her work, she says, "Teaches people how to move beyond, whatever has happened in their lives in order to do and be what we came to life to do and be. We are divine!" Iyanla teaches that you cannot expect to evolve politically, socially or economically until you evolve spiritually. It is this message, conveyed with love, humor and humility, that has earned her an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York.

It has been said that Iyanla is an enterprise, and an astute business woman. There is already a line of Hallmark cards based on the timeless messages from her book, Acts of Faith. The line has been expanded into an array of products that bear her messages and likeness. Her debut effort in the recording industry, In The Meantime: The Music That Tells The Story, climbed the Billboard chart from position#17 and to #1 within two weeks. The CD featuring a combination of music and spoken word spawned a 31-city tour, in which seventeen markets sold out. As the Chief Executive Officer of Inner Visions Worldwide, Inc. Spiritual Life Maintenance Center in Silver Spring, MD, she conducts workshops, classes and coordinates a nationwide, correspondence prison ministry with more than 3,500 incarcerated members in over 150 penal institutions. In October 2000, Iyanla headed the faculty of the Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development, offering a two-year certification program in Spiritual Counseling and Life Coaching, based on the principles of her best selling books.

Still others will say that Iyanla Vanzant is a spiritual visionary. Her commitment to the spiritual evolution of humanity particularly women and children is evidenced by her tireless efforts on their behalf. "The best I can do for others, is to provide them with an example of how life works." The efficacy of her message is evidenced by the way she lives her life, offering hope and inspiration to people of all ages, races, and nations. Her greatest accomplishment, she says is being a grandmother and seeing, "How good I look on other people!" So, just who is Iyanla Vanzant?

The world knows Iyanla as an author, an orator, a sister-friend, a benefactor of the many causes she holds dear. We know she is a Yoruba Priestess and an ordained minister. But is she a teacher? Writer? Womens Rights Activist? Childrens Advocate? Visionary? We know she is an attorney. An internationally sought after speaker. A mother, grandmother and wife. Someone once called her, "A guru from the hood." Iyanla laughs as she responds to the question. "I used to be just another Black woman, but today, I am a child of God! This means I am unique, but I am not special. I am an ordinary person who is dedicated to doing extra ordinary things in the service of God and God's people."

According to all accounts, she does very special things to and for anyone who is in her presence.
courtesy of www.essence.com

***** moderator's note
My first encounter with Priestess Vanzant was by way of my spiritual sister DEE H. who had her book and tapes Tapping the Power Within. I'll never forget once while getting into one of the mediations called Annointing My Head, I ruined an expensive hairdo searching for the blue light...it seemed very hard to focus. It was'nt until I learned how to quiet my mind, breathe, that I found my blue light. After a while it got easier the more I practiced I also discovered not to drench my head with the water. (LOL)

During the mid-nineties I had an opportunity to attend a few of InnerVisions seminar's at the Howard University Crampton Auditorium, in Washington, D.C. It was awesome to witness just to be a part of that audience, to actually see Iyanla and get to know her spirit. She has been a major influence in my life but so have many others whose literature and teachings have guided me along my spiritual journey.

Prayer is very intricate for my own personal development as well.

However, those experiences were phenomenal in shaping my approach to tapping into my inner spirit and finding my inner peace. When you have a busy life which sometimes can become chaotic in a split second. We as women need to have a mechanism an outlet we can invoke immediately as way and means to find that calmness to keep our spirit peaceful, rational and less emotional during a 24 hour cycle , (which presents a challenge right there), because you know now folks try to steal our joy in the workplace, at home, or anyplace. I am constantly striving to perfect this, and trust I do fall short at least once a day. Two things I know; One thing I have learned is that I can effect change, because change starts with me first, and Second I can start my day over at anytime by simply redirecting my thoughts, practicing some humility and by changing my mind.
I highly recommend her daily devotional as a resource "Acts of Faith" I keep my copy handy and all of my guests who drop in to visit will find conveniently resides on top of my living room end table. Just in case :)




for more info on Iyanla Vanzant visit her website: www.innervisions.com
Inner Visions Institute 10720 Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20907
Email: ivisd@innervisionsworldwide.com
Phone: 1-301-419-8085 Fax: 1-301-808-4646

Submitted by: Shelle
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Part II ( The Deadly Doughnut)
November 18, 2005
Op-Ed Columnist
A Private Obsession By PAUL KRUGMAN
courtesy of NY Times

"Lots of things in life are complicated." So declared Michael Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, in response to the mass confusion as registration for the new Medicare drug benefit began. But the complexity of the program - which has reduced some retirees to tears as they try to make what may be life-or-death decisions - is far greater than necessary.
One reason the drug benefit is so confusing is that older Americans can't simply sign up with Medicare as they can for other benefits. They must, instead, choose from a baffling array of plans offered by private middlemen. Why?

Here's a parallel. Earlier this year Senator Rick Santorum introduced a bill that would have forced the National Weather Service to limit the weather information directly available to the public. Although he didn't say so explicitly, he wanted the service to funnel that information through private forecasters instead. Mr. Santorum's bill didn't go anywhere. But it was a classic attempt to force gratuitous privatization: involving private corporations in the delivery of public services even when those corporations have no useful role to play.

The Medicare drug benefit is an example of gratuitous privatization on a grand scale.
Here's some background: the elderly have long been offered a choice between standard Medicare, in which the government pays medical bills directly, and plans in which the government pays a middleman, like an H.M.O., to deliver health care. The theory was that the private sector would find innovative ways to lower costs while providing better care.
The theory was wrong. A number of studies have found that managed-care plans, which have much higher administrative costs than government-managed Medicare, end up costing the system money, not saving it.

But privatization, once promoted as a way to save money, has become a goal in itself. The 2003 bill that established the prescription drug benefit also locked in large subsidies for managed care. And on drug coverage, the 2003 bill went even further: rather than merely subsidizing private plans, it made them mandatory. To receive the drug benefit, one must sign up with a plan offered by a private company. As people are discovering, the result is a deeply confusing system because the competing private plans differ in ways that are very hard to assess.
The peculiar structure of the drug benefit, with its huge gap in coverage - the famous "doughnut hole" I wrote about last week - adds to the confusion. Many better-off retirees have relied on Medigap policies to cover gaps in traditional Medicare, including prescription drugs. But that straightforward approach, which would make it relatively easy to compare drug plans, can't be used to fill the doughnut hole because Medigap policies are no longer allowed to cover drugs.
The only way to get some coverage in the gap is as part of a package in which you pay extra - a lot extra - to one of the private drug plans delivering the basic benefit. And because this coverage is bundled with other aspects of the plans, it's very difficult to figure out which plans offer the best deal.

But confusion isn't the only, or even the main, reason why the privatization of drug benefits is bad for America. The real problem is that we'll end up spending too much and getting too little.
Everything we know about health economics indicates that private drug plans will have much higher administrative costs than would have been incurred if Medicare had administered the benefit directly.

It's also clear that the private plans will spend large sums on marketing rather than on medicine. I have nothing against Don Shula, the former head coach of the Miami Dolphins, who is promoting a drug plan offered by Humana. But do we really want people choosing drug plans based on which one hires the most persuasive celebrity?

Last but not least, competing private drug plans will have less clout in negotiating lower drug prices than Medicare as a whole would have. And the law explicitly forbids Medicare from intervening to help the private plans negotiate better deals.

Last week I explained that the Medicare drug bill was devised by people who don't believe in a positive role for government. An insistence on gratuitous privatization is a byproduct of the same ideology. And the result of that ideology is a piece of legislation so bad it's almost surreal.

Submitted by Robyn in Calli

JUST FREEING MY MIND

Mother, mother, there's too many of you cryin - brother, brother, brotha there's far too many of you dyin, You know we got to find a way to bring some lovin here today.... Father, father we don't need to escalate you see war is not the answer - for only love can conquer hate...... We gotta find a way to bring some understanding here today... Talk to me so you can see What's Goin On....
Marvin Gaye 1971 (Song whats Going On - from the Album What's Going On)

JUST FREEING MY MIND - When this idea came to me it sounded off loudly yeah right a blog site - then my head told me do it with the help of a friend because you both get so much information and you been through enough - I surely can be a vessel share with your sisters and brothers; I didn't have any knowledge of how to start a blog, but I then took it to another level and spoke it out loud a friend and co-worker who had one for family members and kicked the idea around with an email buddy. I Couldn't stop thinking about it. All God inspired ideas or plans never make sense to the world outside of the people whom he chooses for instance, if you ponder on how he used the great leaders like when he told Abraham he would be a father at 99 years old and his wife Sara was having a baby past child bearing years, she laughed inside of herself because it didn't make any sense. But God had a plan and Sarah had a baby. Moses a fugitive from Egypt went back into that nation to save a nation, Noah building an Ark all those years during a period of time when it had never rained upon the earth. Folks thought they actually lost their mind and laughed. But GOD had a plan then and he still moving now, sincerely I don't have a clue where all this is going but my prayer is that this blog site be a open vehicle a vessel to inspire and enlighten all my Brothers and Sisters, young and old in the community even outside of the community. Wisdom has no boundaries and I certainly don't have all the answers. I learned a long, long time ago that you never know from where your help will come.

The Millions More Movement made me reflect on my contribution to the Black community as I sat and watched on CSPAN less than 20 miles away from the event... They were kicking the statistics and some of them I already knew. But this is a tiny contribution on my part I know I can do more and pray for GOD to stretch my portion and make me able to give more back to a community that raised me up. I don't have much wealth (yet), very meager means so I have to be creative and pray for direction of my purpose. Right or Wrong with all my assets and defects I am a reflection of my family.

KICKIN THE STATISTICS
I am blown away by factors festering inside our culture seeking to destroy it. Our brothers and sisters incarceration number is higher than any other culture in the U.S.A. They are doing time inside these Corporate Prisions some have Life sentences on 3 strikes violations for petty drug crimes, who can't afford good legal counsel and many of them committed these crimes out of hopelessnes, addictive behavior or some form of mental illness. Now these Corporate prisons trading on the NYSE have a new form of slavery - corporate slavery. Some of us more fortunate take our freedom for granted while others take the bait likes rats to cheese....Can't get a decent job sling some dope/sell some sex committ some other crime and land in jail end up right back as a repeat offender. Then some of our parents groom their children and cling to the dream of getting out of the ghetto by throwing a ball, bouncing a ball or a snappin a big booty on a music video, singing, or rappin as a means for seeking fortune and fame. Let's go a little deeper if none of that works out let's take the easy way out getting high to escape what we really feeling go to the club or the go go, trying hook up with a so called playa or baller etc... It doesn't matter who you are this affects all of us...Unwed mothers rate the highest among OUR young sisters in the Black community. Ignoring this new down low brothers issue, Lord knows how many men exist who ain't gonna tell it out of ridicule and shame. HIV/Aids/STD's are at a all time high among Black women between the ages of 15-35 in our community. We spend an average of 600+ Billion dollars in the market place, yet we have the highest unemployment rates and drop out rates in the nation inside our urban communities. We have the lowest SAT and test scores in our educational schools systems nation wide. We have the highest numbers for single parent households suburbs and urban communities. We also have the highest divorce rate too, the Christian community ranks highest amongst divorcees. So I'm not doing this blog just for me, but for my family who doesn't always love you back. But are sometimes the one's who hurt us the most for lack of moral support. It's easier to watch folks crash and burn then say things like "Awe I knew that __ wasn't gonna make out", but in spite of all that danced in my head...I challenged myself not to care about what none of y'all thought or how loudly you may laugh, about participation or lack of thereof.... I forged ahead.

I didn't make this information up (although I don't have exact numbers up that's the simplistic dummy downed version of the statistics). This is what made me wanna holler but nobody's listening... Why do black enterprises fail end up selling out for profit? How come we don't buy or support black owned businesses? Why don't we have black leaders in the top echelons of the polictical structure? Why is there McDonald's Restaurants and other fast food carryouts saturating our neighborhoods? Why don't we ever come together as one voice and stop blaming others for our shortcomings?

During the black renaissance period Madam CJ Walker was one of the first black female entrepreneurs, and a millionaire. They were many affluent blacks prior to the depression, in spite of what was going on down south. We always had that problem with complexioned vs. The other complexion, good hair vs. nappy hair. Still in spite of all of that once upon a time we were unified as a black nation prior to the late 50's up until around 1964. Then we got mad as hell and decided we were not gonna take it anymore. Ok now we got some civil rights, and some voting rights but we lost some values in the process. We once helped a brother or sister when they were down until they were able to get up on their feet we clothed each other, we feed each other, we sacrificed for one another - and just plain loved each other. That's how those people accomplished so much during that period. Folks migrated from the south didn't always have a roof over their head, left families behind to start fresh in the north. The erosion came after the civil rights act and the voting rights act was passed. Our community was deliberately targeted to be destroyed. Their were organizations in the late 1960's that tried to pull us together. Why did they fail? In my lonely opinion because No one stood together with them and most decent and respectable blacks believed the hype and the propaganda driven by those that sought to divide us and the news media.


WHY DID I DO THIS
These are some of the issues/questions that have puzzled me for quite some time, we will go out and spend major bucks on cosmetics and material items to impress folks and equate that with our intelligence or financial stature turn right around frown on the brother struggling with the drug addiction, eating out of trash cans begging for nickels and dimes for a pint of WildIris Rose. How many of us stop and ponder the thought "But for the grace of GOD there go I." How many of us stretch ourselves by giving to without expecting something in return even the pat on the old back? Not bashing because I am not guilt free but We use the noun Nigga without thinking sometimes - around folks who ain't skin to us and watch them take offense of our using the term. I realize we have our way of expression akin to speaking a foreign language - it's called profanity we speak it fluently. We know when to use it and when not to, not all of us but many of us. Our children use that as a second language, not many of our children are taught or encouraged to speak other languages like French, Spanish, Latin... Now we not talking about our familes who moved away from the ghetto way out into the upper middle class suburbs to the good life (even the Jefferson's stayed in town on the east side). LOL Some of our affluent/elite have managed to provide a different environment for their fourth and fifth generations. But what about the one's who just can't get it quite right - the son's and daughter's rely on military, government grants, student loans, and have average SAT scores... Who can't escape generational curses....When are we gonna stop and realize that we are one! Black family in America I don't care who you are including Bob Johnson to Oprah Winfrey no matter how you got here 10% of black DNA makes you 100% BLACK. I heard my Bishop say everybody who skin to me ain't kin to me.... Well, ok., but we still have to keep the faith and extend our love to some who might be incapable or unwilling to give it back. Prayer goes a long way, but we including myself can do much more. GOD made us that way, remember we are the culture who invented making a way out of no way.

So I don't know about you but I really reject the idea that we are jealous, sneaky, selfish, self-seeking, lazy, greedy, can't trust them to do a honest day's labor, etc.... You know what "they say" a worthless bunch of people. Taking from the screenwriter/author Mario Puzio who wrote the line in the script of Godfather Part I the scene: the meeting called by Don Corleone - the Don from Kansas City made a comment I have no objection about opening up the drug trade, but keep it away from the schools keep it respectable put it in the dark neighborhoods the line was "They're animals anyway, who cares if they lose their souls." Well I CARE!!!!!

I announced this blog site and truly am depending on regular input from a few folks whom I still believe have a vision much to offer in terms of broadening the scope getting our focus back towards unity. Nothing is impossible for GOD with his guidance and your help we can take an assessment of ourselves, our progress, or lack thereof. By sharing with each other. I have some received positive comments and I am encouraged.

YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS
Let me define what I mean by contributions it not for MONEY, this is a free site.... OK Contributions = YOUR INPUT, KNOWLEDGE, INSIGHT, POETRY, CRITIQUE'S, INFO ABOUT INVESTMENTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE FINANCES, HOW DO I QUALIFY TO BUY A HOME WITH POOR CREDIT, TELL ME HOW TO CLEAN UP CREDIT, DO YOU SPONSOR A PROGRAM GIVING A SEMINAR OR CLASS ABOUT THIS, etc... Some of us have more degrees than a thermometer have attended the best Historical Black Colleges money can buy and have amassed great wealth, may have never suffered a day; then their are some who have hard knocks degrees PHD survivor's have gone through a storm or two or three, infidelity, addictions of all kinds, bankruptcy.. My input is just one view, if we all are sharing, commenting on topics some of you may have a broader insight and better perspectives about how we can get there. Well, tell us how you made it through to have a successful lives/lifestyle... What can you do to help your brother or sister who might feel hopeless find hope? You can shine a light offer some guidance in many areas. Can you help somebody improve their relationship with GOD, finances, start a business, maybe buy real estate? Or come closer to trusting/belief in GOD just by your testimony. This is what OUR BLOG is about.... Last night, I entered the empowering spirits blogger and linked to the WORD Urban Network Live, backed out and clicked on the link to Capitol News website and watched a replay of the Rosa Parks Homegoing Service in Detroit on NOV 2 that I missed. The links promote black owned businesses and urban websites. News and Politics that affect us.

Well, I guess I'll be like old Noah and all my folks, ( whom I love very much), who may tune in for today's blogger and probably say "awe Shelle too serious about this blog site," but check this out.... If don't none of y'all comment, My faith is so strong I have an assignment to fulfill. I'm going to keep posting each and everyday and if I don't help but one living soul it will be for the good and the Glory of GOD. I am seeking no gratification, it's not too much to ask and to some maybe seems like a waste of time. "What good can this do, what do she expect to accomplish." This is my response to my skeptics "I've been Blessed beyond measure, exceedingly and abudantly whatever I could ask or think, imagine - VERY Much - To much is given, much is required". end quote! Like the old hymn goes "If I can help somebody then my living shall not be in vain."

I'm praying for my entire family not just the seeds produced from my body, but that we all prosper beyond measure to become whole. Black seeds keep on growning......So don't ever say nobody cares because that just wouldn't be true. JESUS loves you and so do I.

Peace & Blessings
submitted by Shelle
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Criticism of Voting Law Was Overruled By Dan Eggen

excerpt from Washington Post 11/17/05

A team of Justice Department lawyers and analysts who reviewed a Georgia voter-identification law recommended rejecting it because it was likely to discriminate against black voters, but they were overruled the next day by higher-ranking officials at Justice, according to department documents. The Justice Department has characterized the "pre-clearance" of the controversial Georgia voter-identification program as a joint decision by career and political appointees in the Civil Rights Division. Republican proponents in Georgia have cited federal approval of the program as evidence that it would not discriminate against African Americans and other minorities. But an Aug. 25 staff memo obtained by The Washington Post recommended blocking the program because Georgia failed to show that the measure would not dilute the votes of minority residents, as required under the Voting Rights Act. The memo, endorsed by four of the team's five members, also said the state had provided flawed and incomplete data. The team found significant evidence that the plan would be "retrogressive," meaning that it would reduce blacks' access to the polls. A day later, on Aug. 26, the chief of the department's voting rights section, John Tanner, told Georgia officials that the program could go forward. "The Attorney General does not interpose any objection to the specified changes," he said in a letter to them. Eric Holland, a Justice Department spokesman, said in a statement this week that "disagreements are healthy in a debate" and that voting rights decisions are made "after reviewing both the pros and cons very carefully."

"All individual data indicates that the state\'s African-American citizens are, if anything, slightly more likely than white citizens to possess one of the necessary forms of identification," Moschella wrote to Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.) in defense of the department\'s decision. State Sen. Bill Stephens, a Republican who helped win passage of the legislation, said the Justice Department\'s approval was vital because of the restrictions faced by Georgia under the Voting Rights Act. "That is the most crucial part of any elections legislation we pass," said Stephens, who is a candidate for secretary of state. "We know we have to await the Justice Department\'s pre-clearance of virtually anything we do." State Rep. Tyrone L. Brooks Sr., a Democrat and president of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials, said he was not surprised by the Justice Department\'s position in the case. "Some of my colleagues told me early on that, because of politics in the Bush administration, no matter what the staff recommendation was, this would be approved by the attorney general," Brooks said. "It\'s disappointing that the staff recommendation was not accepted, because that has been the norm since 1965."

for entire article see www.washingtonpost.com

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PLEASE JOIN BISHOP AND MRS. T. D. JAKES FOR HARVEST WEEK 2005 LIVE AT THE POTTER'S HOUSE
...with special guests Bishop Paul Morton, Bishop Joseph Garlington and Bishop Luther Blackwell and special music by Fred Hammond.
Or, join us online at http://www.thepottershouse.org/?event=harvestweek for this event.
Let us reflect on...
Sunday, November 20 8:00 a.m. & 11:30 a.m. with Luther Blackwell
Tuesday, November 22 7:00 p.m. with Joseph Garlington
Wednesday, November 23 7:00 p.m. with Paul Morton
Thursday, November 24 10:00 a.m. with Bishop T. D. Jakes

Let us give thanks for our family, friends, and loved ones and reflect on all of God's many blessings!

BishopT.D. JakesPastorFounder
"We are the Voice and the Hand that encourage people to change their lives with hope, comfort and peace."
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I GOT FLOWERS TODAY

"YOU TAKE MY HAND AND I'LL TAKE YOUR HAND BABY, TOGETHER WE'LL GET AWAY... THIS MUCH SADNESS IS TO MUCH SORROW, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO STAY. SHA LA LA THE WEATHER SHE COULD DRAG ME OVER THE RAINBOW AND SEND ME AWAY"

"DOWN BY THE RIVER I SHOT MY BABY.... SHOT HER AWAY DOWN BY THE RIVER....."

THE LATE DRUMMER BUDDY MILES - 1970 (Song - Down by the River FROM THE ALBUM BUDDY MILES CHANGES

We had our first argument last night, and he said a lot of cruel things that really hurt me. I know he is sorry and didn't mean the things he said, because he sent me flowers today. I got flowers today. It wasn't our anniversary or any other special day. Last night he threw me into a wall and started to choke me. It seemed like a nightmare, I couldn't believe it was real. I woke up this morning sore and bruised all over. I know he must be sorry cause he sent me flowers today. I got flowers today, and it wasn't mother's day or any other special day. Last night, he beat me up again, it was much worse than all the other times. If I leave him, what will I do? How will I take care of my kids? What about money? I'm afraid of him and scared to leave. But I know he must be sorry because he sent me flowers today. I got flowers today. Today was a very special day. It was the day of my funeral! Last night, he finally killed me. He beat me to death. If only I had gathered enough courage to leave him, I would not have gotten flowers today.......If you are against domestic abuse, please pass this along to everyone, NOT just women.

submitted by: Shelle via - Lannie Hardy 2005

Domestic Violence is ugly, and it in no way does it demonstrate love or a kind of morbid affection for it's victim(s). Most of us either know of or have been touched by this vicious cycle. Growing up in a home where I witnessed first hand how ugly it can get on all levels. Now to add to the agony we have brothers on the DL (down low). It's time to open up the lines of communication - Can you stand the pain? 

Your comments and contributions are welcome or send us email.

@Lovleeannwise all rights reserved 2005 

EYES WIDE SHUT

Eyes Wide Shut
Date: Sunday, July 17, 2005By: Bishop T. D. Jakes, Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com

Have you ever done something that you knew didn’t make sense but you did it anyway? You know, dumb stuff like going three days without taking your insulin…spending all your money before paying your bills or getting into a relationship with a person who you knew was bad news, but he or she was so fine, you just couldn’t pass up the opportunity?

There are always warning signs, but many times we ignore them. People tell you that entering the relationship will only lead to disappointment. The doctor tells you that taking your medicine consistently is crucial. You know that it will take you three months of robbing Peter to pay Paul to get your bills back on track if you overspend. And yet, we fall into the same traps time and time again, rather learning from previous mistakes and making wiser choices. In other words, we go into situations with our eyes wide open.

God gives us options to choose from every day. He allows us to decide whether we will follow Him or go the opposite direction. He’s given us the free will to create the life we want. Often we think we know better than He does the things we should or should not do and we ignore the warning signs.

We’re like moths attracted to light. When a moth sees a fire, he is automatically drawn to it. He dances around the fire trying to figure out how he can get into the light without getting burned by the fire. Likewise, we try to outsmart the situation to get the things we want but it is impossible to do.

When you’re on the path to destiny, the devil will always send something or someone to distract and ultimately destroy you. That’s what happened to Samson. The enemy sent an attractive, seductive woman, Delilah, to distract Samson and uncover his secret of strength. What amazes me is that Samson knew he was being set up by his enemy!

He kept playing with fire until he was eventually burned by it. He became vulnerable, fell in love with Delilah and against his better judgement told her his secret. He went into the situation with his eyes wide open. Without knowing it he lost his strength and eventually his sight. Then his eyes became wide shut. When he tried to muster up the strength he once had he couldn’t do it.

Sometimes God disappoints us by refusing to immediately respond when we get in trouble. He doesn’t enjoy being the spare tire we just take out for emergency purposes. He wants us to adhere to the warning signs He places in front of us when our eyes are open. When we fall into situations that we know we should walk away from, we choose to walk in with our eyes wide shut.

Spending time with God daily in prayer positions us to overcome the temptations we encounter. He reveals things to us and as a result we become more sensitive to His direction. Decide today that you will choose God’s way. The Bible says we show that we love Him when we are obedient. Make good choices today. Pay attention to the warning signs and choose the path God has set for you!

“Eyes Wide Shut” is an excerpt from the series entitled Secret Place.
Author Bishop T.D. Jakes

Submitted by: Shelle

I'M BETTER THAN THIS

I'm Better Than This

Date: Monday, September 19, 2005
By: Bishop T. D. Jakes, Special to BlackAmericaWeb.com

There are some people who go through a complete metamorphosis in life. They change from the old sinful, nasty talking, whoremongering, pornography internet surfing, crack smoking, lying, thieving person they used to be into an entirely new person.
In fact some of the people you work with, go to church with or live in your neighborhood have come out of a past that you would not believe! Fortunately for us, there is nothing too extreme for God to erase from our past. He can take the gutter-most to the uttermost at anytime and anywhere.
The Apostle Paul came out of a troubled past. I mean he had major issues. He was a controversial misfit, a terrorist murderer and a God hater. Yet he is the most prolific writer of the New Testament. Without his input, we would not know how to truly relate to God and enjoy the benefits of having a relationship with Him.

After the Damascus Road experience, Paul turned his entire life over to Christ. God saved him, but no one wanted anything to do with him. Isn’t it amazing how you can make a complete turnaround in your life and people will still treat you like you’re nothing?

Some of the most inspiring messages you will ever hear from people who have been through anything, came as a result of their greatest messes. Paul was once the “chief” of sinners, but he excelled in ministry because he was confident in who he was in Christ.

Once you accept Jesus, your identification changes and so does your position in life. All the old stuff is erased through forgiveness and you become a new creature in Christ. He paid the price for every sin you will ever commit when He gave up His life on the cross. In other words, He’s already paid the debt you would otherwise owe.

Look at it this way, if I paid off your mortgage, the mortgage company would have no right to call you about a bill ever again. It’s paid for! That’s what the enemy tries to do when he uses other people to bring up your past. He tries to convince you that you’re the same person you used to be. However, once you realize who you are in Christ, you can look your accusers straight in the eye and tell them, “I’m better than this!”

You may be working through some things right now – we all are – but you can change your condition by aligning yourself with your position. As God’s child, you have a right to the best life has to offer.

It’s time to live. People may be used to seeing you live with a defeated mentality, fear or insecurity, but you’re better than that now. Start acting like it and begin pursuing the things God is showing you in your dreams. Believe me; the things you see in your dreams are more real than the things you see with your eyes. It’s time to step out into new territory and like Paul, forget those things that are behind and press toward the great things that lie ahead. Now pursue!

This excerpt was taken from the series entitled I’m Better Than This.
Author Bishop T.D. Jakes


@Lovleeannwise   all rights reserved 2014 original post 11/13/05, 2:09 PM

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