Loving My Neighbor as I Love Myself…

Hello World, 

As a single woman, it is sooo easy to get caught up in what happens to ME, MYSELF & I…But as a Christian, I know that I am charged to love my NEIGHBOR as much as I love MYSELF…(Luke 10:27)…And so from to time, I have to examine how I am actually helping those around me…

When I went to Blogalicious (a convention for bloggers) last year, I was introduced to the United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign in which Americans are encouraged to learn about, advocate for, and donate vaccines to children around the world…

Below are the facts:

 1. 1 in 5 children die of a vaccine-preventable disease. That’s one child every 20 seconds and approximately 1.5 million children each year.

2. In countries like the U.S., most children already receive life-saving vaccines. Because of this, American parents don’t typically worry about losing their children to deadly diseases like measles or pneumonia.

3. Seventy-five percent of unvaccinated children live in just 10 countries. For children in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, China, Uganda, Chad and Kenya, access to vaccines mean the difference between life and death, a healthy life or a lifetime of struggle.  

 What we can do to give every child a Shot@Life:

1. Donate $5 – For the cost of a gourmet coffee drink, you can protect a child from polio and measles for his or her lifetime…

2. Donate $15 – For the cost of an inexpensive concert ticket, you can pay for vaccines to protect a child from the two most deadly diseases – pneumonia and diarrhea…

3. Donate $20 – For the cost of a pedicure, you can give a child a lifetime of immunity from pneumonia, diarrhea, polio and measles…

Of course, you can always give more :)….The point I’m trying to make is that I can easily fritter away cash on all kind of things like gourmet coffee drinks, concert tickets, pedicures and on and on…While I love these things, I am also commanded to love my neighbor…

To donate, please go to this secure website.

Also please take less than 2 minutes to watch this video:

Finally, as part of World Immunization Week (this week), help spread the word about Shot@Life! Did you know that some mothers throughout the world walk 15 miles to get life-saving vaccines for their children?! I waste more than 15 minutes probably an hour on Facebook…Why not join me this week in not only investing my disposable income to saving the lives of the world’s children but also donating my time to spreading the WORD and the word…Next to loving God, we are also called to love others as we love ourselves…Shot@Life gives me the opportunity to love my neighbors….

Any thoughts?

 

The Black Church: Where Women Pray and Men Prey (New Book Alert)

Hello World,

I’m always on the hunt for the next new and interesting book! And y’all, by the title alone, this book is sure to get some buzz….Based on her inflammatory blog post  The Black Church: How Black Churches Keep African American Women Single and Lonely (which had the blogosphere blowing up) dating expert Deborrah Cooper has penned a new book “The Black Church: Where Women Pray and Men Prey.”

In her original blog post, Cooper asserted that good black men were not likely to be in church, and in fact, if you did happen upon a black man in church, he would fit into one of these categories:

  1. A loser working a 12-step program. These guys are in church looking for structure and something to believe in besides themselves, because they are weak and confused. They need help getting their lives back on track and are seeking solace and comfort in church. If they can hook up with a woman looking desperately for a church-going man of any ilk, they’ve got it made.
  2. Openly or in the closet gay men, neither of which is interested in marrying. Some gay men are wrestling with severe guilt and confusion about their desires, which they hope to pray away. Others are openly gay and attend church seeking acceptance from a community which turns its nose up at homosexuality; they are also seeking forgiveness for their sins. Whatever may be this guy’s issue, he is emotionally and psychologically unavailable.
  3. Opportunistic players on the prowl. Every player I know goes to a couple of different churches… some of them go quite regularly. They have easy pickings amongst the hundreds of horny, lonely single women that will cook and give them free meals and satisfy his sexual urges (though these players have no intention of marrying and committing to anyone). Since sex amongst unmarried singles is a sin, it is easy for him to gain the assurance of the women that they keep things secret and not speak of their “transgression” lest they feel the wrath of the Pastor. This secrecy makes it easy for him to hide the fact that he is bed hopping with four or five single ladies, right under their respective noses.
  4. Elderly reformed players. These guys have played themselves so hard and so long, they’re worn out. Their old butts finally realized that the end may be near and playtime is over. Worried about dying alone, they bring their behinds back to church to find a “good Christian woman” for marriage. Essentially they are looking for a free nursemaid and bed warmer… someone to provide comfort and take care of their old broken down a$$@s before they die.

I felt some kind of way about her blog post and wrote about it here so I’m not sure what to make of her new book. But I’ve got to admit, Ms. Cooper knows how to get a reaction! That’s for sure! Below are a few of the points Cooper says she will address in her new book:

    • Why the majority of black women in church will hear nothing but false promises made by false prophets
    • The real reason there are few single black males of marriageable quality in black churches
    • How to take charge of your financial future and spirituality without ever setting foot in a church again
    • How biblical scriptures are cleverly twisted to manipulate your thoughts and behaviors with guilt and shame

 The book will debut this month, according to her website Surviving Dating. Will you read it?

Any thoughts?

Irreverent Christian Memoir Comes to the Silver Screen!!!

Hello World,

Back in 2009, I wrote a book review about “Blue Like Jazz,” an irreverent Christian memoir and New York Times bestselling book written by Donald Miller. I must say it is one the best Christian memoirs I’ve read in a long time…What I like about Miller is that he is Christian enough to be a saint and worldly enough to be interesting…lol…And we have all met Christians who are too holy to be any earthly good…And we have also met some worldy Christians who may as well not be Christians for their lack of discpline when it comes to Christian disciplines….Well, now Miller has taken his memoir to the big screen! The movie debuted on Friday, and the trailer is below…

 This is what Lou Carlozo, contributing writer, watchgmctv.com, had to say about the film:

“…’Blue Like Jazz’ is almost sure to offend some Christians who’ve come to equate ‘faith” with ‘family friendly.’ It’s not exactly a spoiler alert to say that one scene shows a church steeple draped in an enormous condom. And it turns out that’s just one of many shocking moments in the film, which some evangelical film heavies have criticized because of its edgy content.

“Critics and fans alike should leave their expectations and stereotypes at the door. Taylor and Miller, with co-screenwriter Ben Pearson, have crafted the most honest, satisfying depiction of young man’s faith trials ever produced by filmmakers with evangelical ties. The fictional Miller (Marshall Allman) leaves his Texas Bible Belt upbringing for Portland’s Reed College, the center of ultra-liberal thought and outlandish student behavior. Straight-laced and proper, Miller dumps his teenage faith after his mother has an affair with the youth pastor at his home church – an event that has tragic consequences.”

“…’Blue Like Jazz’ shines, from its use of John Coltrane’s ‘A Love Supreme’ to its humble, anything-but-predictable closing.

To see where this movie is playing in your town, go to  www.bluelikejazztickets.com!

Any thoughts?