This post is part of the Happy Wives Club Blog Tour which I am delighted to be a part of along with hundreds of inspiring bloggers. To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE! 

Hello World,

So five months into a new marriage, I am hardly qualified to be a marriage expert…But I can happily tell you why I got married and why I love my husband. First of all, you must know I have always wanted to be married and although my parents have been happily married for over 40 years, I did not know how to create that reality in my own life. God had to bring me through various situations in order for me to be ready to accept the gift of my wonderful husband Robert into my life.

What are these various situations? Well, I had to date and kiss a few frogs before my prince was revealed. Okay, maybe that is unfair because all of them weren’t bad guys…but I will say this…I started off with a looong list of qualities and attributes that through trial and error were honed down to the absolute essentials. And in God’s infinite wisdom, God revealed some qualities and attributes I didn’t even know that I needed. One of my husband’s best qualities is his kindness coupled with his “man strength.” My husband is a tall and big guy and one would expect him to be tough because of his exterior. He also jokes that sometimes when he walks into a room, he feels like the “big black guy.” He is tough, but what people don’t expect is how kind he is. We’ve had a cold spell in the A for the last few days and my husband has been worried about a homeless man he befriended. He checked on him yesterday to make sure that he was okay, and he brings him food periodically.

I also love my husband’s demonstration of his faith. When I was dating, I had the hardest time meeting a Christian man that I didn’t think was a simp or just plain weird. Many Christian guys that I met over the years quoted so much scripture and had such a long list of things they didn’t do that I was like, you are too heavenly for any earthly good. I ended up dating some guys that weren’t Christians, and I hoped they would see the light so to speak. That didn’t work either. My husband is totally committed to God. He beats me out of the house to go to Sunday School and church on Sundays and considers God’s will in all of his decisions. But when we are not in church and around “good church folk,” we know how to kick it and have a good time.

Lastly, my husband is all in when it comes to supporting my dreams and has brought out the best in me. My favorite memory of my husband during our dating is when I called him crying. I was working on my first book, and the most important celebrity interview in the book looked like it wasn’t going to happen after all. My then boyfriend told me to call that person back and tell the person I absolutely had to have that interview. Although I was crying and trying to hide it, I called that person back and said what Robert told me to say. I think it was my tears (that I couldn’t really hide) that convinced that person to have pity on me and schedule the interview after all.

So these are a few of the reasons why I got married and love my husband. I married my husband because he is God’s choice for me, and we enrich each other’s lives. He makes me better, and I make him better. Now, as this is our first year of being married, we are experiencing some growing pains (I’m learning how to cook for a man and be somewhat neat – both works in progress ), but it’s all good…

Any thoughts?

Fawn Weaver, the founder of the Happy Wives Club wrote a book about the best marriage secrets the world has to offer. They say the book is like “Eat, Pray, Love meets The 5 Love Languages.” I say the book is inspiring. You can grab a copy HERE.

Check out this video to see more about the book…

The post Why I Did I Get Married? I am a member of the Happy Wives Club… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

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 post Loving My Neighbor as I Love Myself… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Wow, in just THREE DAYS, a New Year will be here! To me it is no coincidence that the New Year follows our celebration of the birth of Jesus. Once we discover and rediscover our Savior, life can begin anew…and so that is where we are three days before 2012 commences…

As has become my custom, I like to take the time to reflect on my year here on After the Altar Call and remind me and you of my favorite posts for every month of the year…So if you have a few minutes, take this journey with me…

January 2011 – Remember our snowstorm earlier this year?! We in the A were hemmed up for nearly a week!!! I wonder what God has in store for us as far as weather is concerned this winter – Divine Hem Ups aka Atlanta Snowstorm 2011

February 2011 – Although I have lived in the A since I was six years old, I went to the Bronner Bros.  International Hair show for the first time in February, and I took you with me! If you haven’t been yet, you definitely need to check it out!  See for yourself why – Saturday in the A – Featuring the Bronner Bros. International Hair Show

March 2011 – I pondered what happens when your girls start getting married and you’re not. This is an issue that continues to evolve as other issues continue to emerge – What To Do When You Friends Get Married

April 2011 – I got it poppin’ on After the Altar Call after I posted my thoughts on Anthony David’s song “God Said.” Tribute to God or Jesus it was not in spite of the title…And David stopped by here to speak his piece making for a very interesting discussion of 31 comments – Controversy – Anthony David’s “God Said” video…

 May 2011 – I wrote a tribute to my mama that I’m proud of. I rewrote Proverbs 31 to describe my mama-girl Alice May – Alice May, It’s Your Day (Happy Mother’s Day to All Mothers)

June 2011 – I “spoke” publicly about my book for the first time…I still cannot believe that in less than two months I will have the published copy in my hands…Goose.bumps. – 2011 Faith & Fiction Retreat aka Debuting My New Book!!!

July 2011 – In July, after a few revisions, my book cover was released…I love it so…what do you think? – The Vision I Had in My Head Debuting My New Book Cover Woo Hoo!!!

August 2011 – I was blessed to interview Dr. Alveda King, niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and daughter of his King’s younger brother Rev. A.D. King, about her uncle and his dream the week that the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, which is located on the national Mall, was to be officially dedicated…But God had other plans…A hurricane made it necessary to postpone the dedication to later in the year – Let Freedom Ring: Dr. Alveda King Remembers Her Uncle Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

 September 2011 – In spite of the attack of the enemy, we are still here 10 years after September 11, 2001 – Remembering 9/11 10 Years Later…aka We Won’t Stop…

October 2011 – I never imagined when I began blogging in September 2008 that I would love blogging soooo much!!! And this year, I went to my first blogging convention where I was able to meet other bloggers who love it as much as I do – Be Blogalicious! 

November 2011 – My line sister Lola Brown, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor, was featured on 11 Alive and TheGrio.com. Her full testimony is also featured in my book – My Line Sister is a Two-Time Breast Cancer Survivor Under 40 Years Old

December 2011 – And I was so elated to interview Kim Fields (Tootie from “Facts of Life” and Regine from “Living Single” last week!!! And wasn’t “Holiday Love” great?! I hope it becomes a Christmas classic! – Check out Kim Fields in her TV Christmas special “Holiday Love” airing on Christmas Day!!!

Any thoughts?

The post Retrospect: 2011 in Posts…. appeared first on After the Altar Call.