Posted on Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Why I’m Glad Future Supposedly Broke Off His Engagement to Ciara…Breaking Down Future’s Huffington Post Interview

Just Say No to Missionary Dating Yo!

Hello World,

So I rolled over in my bed and decided to pick up my phone and look at FB for a second or two before going back to bed…Awww, yes the perils of sleeping with your phone next to you on the night stand…Mane, I happened upon rapper Future’s Huffington Post interview that was done by Marcus Lamont Hill and posted yesterday or hours ago since I’m posting in the middle of the night…Hill asked Future, Ciara’s ex-fiancé, about Russell’s Wilson announcement that he and Ciara are choosing to be celibate in their relationship until when or if they get married and if he waited with Ciara too…Below is the exchange from the article “Future: Ciara And I Didn’t Wait To Have Sex, But We Prayed After.”

When host Marc Lamont Hill told Future about Ciara and Russell Wilson’s decision to abstain, Future said that while God never told him to wait for sex, Ciara did say she wanted to pray when the deed was done.

“God told me something else. He ain’t tell me to wait. I guarantee you that,” Future said. “We prayed afterwards though. After we did it, we prayed. That’s a true story.”

And here is the video clip of the entire exchange about this question:

Folk, I’m sleepy, but I had to do it…I had to blog about this because it brought back so many hurtful memories of dating men who weren’t bad dudes but just didn’t share the same amount of devotion I have to my faith…I tried “missionary dating” which is when you date someone and try to get them to commit to Jesus Christ through your relationship…It never worked for me although I tried several times…From what Russell Wilson has said of Ciara and what Future has said of Ciara, her faith in God is important to her…Based on what Russell Wilson said of his current relationship with Ciara, he gets that, but Future still seems puzzled about Ciara’s faith…Obviously, Ciara didn’t chose to be celibate in her relationship with Future, and it’s not up to me to judge her for her choice. But, if what Future said is true, her heart is pointed toward God…

I love a lot of things about my husband, but one of the things I love the most about him is his commitment to his faith…On Sunday morning, he beats me going to church…And he is more involved in church activities than I am…It is such a relief…I’m exhaling to borrow a phrase from Terry McMillan….

And I’m not the only one who has had this experience…Tamera Mowry, who is married to Adam Housley, shared about “missionary dating” in an interview with EBONY magazine…

I tried the ‘missionary dating’ [in the past] where you have a person with a great heart who you think is perfect and wonderful except for this one important area that you try to change. That’s unfair to that person. That person needs to be who they are 100%. And it’s unfair to you. You don’t want to drag somebody to church with you. My husband wakes up on Sundays and says ‘Hey, are we going to church today?’ It just makes [waiting] all worthwhile. I dated guys who did not share those same beliefs and it was hard. There were many nights of heartbreak and crying, and that’s not what God wants for us.

To read the rest of the article, go to [INTERVIEW] Tia and Tamera on Marriage and Motherhood.

Here is what the Bible has to say:

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismatched alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14

In another part of Future’s Huffington Post interview, Future says that he was the one who broke off their engagement…I got thoughts on that too, but I will keep them to myself for now…Suffice it to say, you have to be equally yoked so it was good that their engagement ended although I know it must have been very hurtful…

Alright, I can go back to sleep now…

Nite…

Any thoughts?

Posted on Monday, July 13, 2015

Russell Wilson & Ciara Are One of at Least 7 Celebrity Couples Who Chose Celibacy Before Marriage…

Read About Other Celebrity Couples Who Were Celibate Before Marriage in Today's Post...

Hello World,

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson created headlines recently when he revealed in an interview with Pastor Miles McPherson from The Rock Church in San Diego, California that Wilson and his girlfriend, singer and dancer Ciara have opted to be celibate in their dating relationship of five to six months…

Below is an excerpt from the interview:

Wilson: I met this girl named Ciara, who is the most beautiful woman in the world. She’s the most kind person, the most engaging person. I could probably learn more from her … everything that I could ever want.

And so I’ll never forget: She was on tour, she was traveling, and I was looking at her in the mirror. I was sitting in the dressing room, and she was getting ready to go, about 15 minutes before she went onstage. And she was sitting there, and God spoke to me and said, ‘I need you to lead her.’ And I was like, ‘Really? Right now?’

He goes, ‘I want you and need you to lead her.’

So I told her right then and there, ‘What would you do if we took all that extra stuff off the table and just did it Jesus’ way?’

McPherson: Elaborate on what that means, because there’s a lot of people out here, their minds are going a whole lot of different places right now, and we wanna know.

Wilson: Yeah, we’re talking about sex.

For me, I knew that God had brought me into her life to bless her and for her to bless me and to bless so many people with the impact that she has, that I have. We’re not gonna be perfect, by any means. Life’s not perfect. Nobody’s perfect, but he’s anointed both of us, and I know that He’s calling for us to do something miraculous, something special.

I said to her, and she completely agreed: ‘Could we love each other without that?’ If you can really love somebody without that, then you can really love somebody.

Below is the video if you want to see for yourself.

But Russell Wilson & Ciara aren’t the only celebrity couple who opted for celibacy before marriage…

2. DeVon Franklin & Meagan Good

DeVon Franklin, vice president of production for Columbia Pictures and author “Produced By Faith: Enjoy Real Success Without Losing Your True Self and actress Meagan Good, who got married on June 16, 2012, were celibate for 10 months, according to a The Christian Post interview. The couple have written a book about their celibate courtship, “The Wait,” which comes out in February 2016, according to Franklin’s Facebook page. In fact, Franklin, who is also a minister, revealed in a GlobalGrind.com interview that he was celibate for 10 YEARS before he married Good.

Franklin said in a GlobalGrind.com interview: The thing I couldn’t do which was eating me apart, going back to this idea of being whoever God created you to be. Sometimes we want to be this person at home, this person in the office, this person at church and then we get our lines mixed up. And trying to be different people to different situations, it tears you apart. So what was happening with me is that I would go and preach one thing but then I was living another, and I could not do it. I could not look at myself in the mirror. I’m like, no, I can’t live like this, so I had to stop and say, ‘You know what, until I get married, [sex is] off the table.’

3. Adam Housley & Tamera Mowry

Adam Housley, who is a senior correspondent for Fox News, and Tamera Mowry, co-host on “The Real” talk show, dated for approximately six years who before they got married on May 15, 2011. Mowry has revealed that they waited three years before becoming intimate, but she opted to become “re-virginized” and be celibate again for three additional years before they got married. She recently gave birth to their second child Ariah Talea on July 1!

Mowry said in a YBF interview: We actually didn’t wait before we got married to be intimate…but we did wait 3 years. (The two have been together for 6 years). I wanted to do what felt right for me. I became re-virginized. It’s something that just felt right for me. It was just a personal choice. And even after being intimate, we decided as a couple to be celibate until the wedding.

4. Courtney B. Vance & Angela Bassett

Actors Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett got married on October 17, 1997 after they began dating in 1996. They wrote about their love for one another in their book Friends: A Love Story.

Vance in their book: Don’t be ashamed to save yourself sexually for the person you’re going to marry. When you’re dating, it can be helpful to communicate a standard message up front: ‘I just want to be clear that I’m saving myself for my husband (or wife), so there’s not going to be any sex. I’m not even going to think about it. So let’s just get to know each other.’ You’ll know that if the person sticks around, they like you for who you are, rather than thinking they’re going to get sex from you.”

5. Rev. Wilbert Floyd & Cee Cee Michaela Floyd

Cee Cee Michaela Floyd, who was once a star on the UPN hit comedy “Girlfriends” and is now a minister, was celibate for 10 years and 9 months before marrying Rev. Wilbert Floyd on Feb. 20, 2011. I interviewed her in my book After the Altar Call: The Sisters’ Guide to Developing a Personal Relationship With God

Michaela Floyd: I remember I was on an airplane, and I was reading a book. I can’t remember what the name was, but in this book was one of the scriptures out of Psalms―that verse that says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. Oh my God, that really blessed me. As simple as that was, I had never heard anything like it. This is so much bigger than your parents just having a baby. Before you were in your mother’s womb, God had a purpose for you. I realized I didn’t want to take my body parts and use them for anything because I was literally made by God. I can’t just walk around and let folks dabble with my makeup. You know what I’m saying? And that is when I made my vow to be abstinent until I got married.

Two other celebrity couples were also celibate before they got married. Unfortunately, they have since divorced:

There are some single celebrities who have opted to practice celibacy as well:

Obviously, celibacy before marriage is God’s standard according to the Bible, but do you think celibacy is practical in today’s times? What do you think about the decision of Russell Wilsonn & Ciara to be celibate? Is it harder for celebrities to be celibate?

Any thoughts?

Posted on Friday, June 26, 2015

Tamela Mann Shares About ‘The Gospel Tradition: In Performance At The White House’ & More: MY INTERVIEW…

Tamela Mann performs during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Hello World,

As you can see (if you’ve been to my blog before), I have moved into a new blog space!!! Check out the new After the Altar Call!!! Don’t you love it? More information to come in a later post, but I’m honored today to share my interview with all around entertainer Tamela Mann!!!

Tonight at 9PM/ET, TV One, along with PBS, will jointly premiere the Black Music Month special The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House. Showcasing an evening of celebration with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House, the spectacular event honors gospel music and its profound influence on American music. The broadcast event also includes exclusive behind-the-scenes content including exclusive interviews with the artist and footage from the First Lady Michelle Obama-hosted “History of Gospel Music” workshop.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The evening features performances:

Aretha Franklin – I Love the Lord He Heard My Cry & Higher Ground

Bishop Rance Allen – I Stood On The Banks of Jordan

Pastor Shirley Caesar – Sweeping Through the City

Rhiannon Giddens – Up Above My Head

Darlene Love – People Get Ready

Lyle Lovett – I’m Gonna Wait

Tamela Mann – Take Me to the King

Michelle Williams – Say Yes

T Bone Burnett as Executive Music Director, Bill Maxwell as Music Director and Robin Roberts as program host.

Below is my interview with Tamela Mann –

1. What was it like to perform for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama?

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama listen to Michelle Williams perform during “The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House” in the East Room of the White House, April 14, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

It was such an honor to sing for them. But you know what, let me back up a little bit. I was really, when I got the call, when I was told I had the opportunity to sing there, I was like, ‘WHAT?!’ But I was quite loud! I was a lot louder than I am right now. I told David (her husband), but my eyes just really watered because I could not believe that this was happening. And my mom is deceased, and she used to always tell me that if I love the Lord with my whole heart, God would take me far. But I never dreamed or imagined something like this happening to me, me being there. I never even thought. That was not even in my plan, like one day singing for him or any president period. So when it happened, I was like, ‘Oh My God!’ Like I can’t believe that this. I actually said it while I was singing. Oh God, Oh Lord, I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me. Them standing or sitting right there in front of me. It was an amazing night! Everybody did a great job. And just to be a part of it. When I finished, of course, I’m a church girl so I just kept praising God while I was coming off of the stage because I was just thanking God for the opportunity to just do what I do and just show hopefully people the Christ that I live through me on that night. And that was wonderful for me.

2. Congratulations on being the first artist on the Billboard Gospel Radio charts to have three consecutive songs from one album to earn the No. 1 spot! Of those songs, “Take Me to the King,” “I Can Only Imagine” and “This Place,” which one is your favorite song and why?

My favorite out of all those three songs is “This Place.” And the reason why I say “This Place” is because I couldn’t even imagine being at this place. For all of these things to have happened the way that they have happened. You know you kind of plan stuff. And you say that this may happen like this, this may happen like that, but I didn’t know any of that. And I’m just in amazement of God and the doors that He has opened so “This Place.” So I’m talking right now, but my eyes are just watering up because I’m just so grateful because I feel like there are so many other people that are better than me. Not that I don’t have great confidence in myself. But I don’t feel like I’m the best. I feel like I do pretty good, but I’m just really honored for the opportunity to be able to stand before God’s people, and I want to make Him proud bottom line. So “This Place” would be my song.

3. You’ve done theater, television, film and music. What is your favorite of what you have done and why? Is a book in the works?

Singing is my favorite. Singing is my passion. And acting is like icing on the cake. But singing would be my first love because that’s the one thing that I feel like I do the best. It’s like when people ask you what is your favorite meal to cook? I feel like meat loaf is my best meal. (Laughs), but singing is the best for me.

Me and David do have a marriage book in the works. But we’ve just got to sit down. I’m talking to myself right now, and get this done! It should have been out yesterday! Hopefully, next year. I’m going to put it in the air, next year. I’m going to say by the second quarter.

4. You work with your husband David in various ventures. Along with your husband, you are the co-star of the Bounce TV comedy, ‘Mann & Wife,’ and you have a family reality show on BET, ‘It’s A Mann’s World. And the two of you have been married for 27 years. What is it like to spend so much time together?

It’s the bomb! And I’m not kidding! He’s my best friend, and you know you tell your best friend everything. And I like him. I’m not just in love with him. I like my husband. Like I was just sitting with him outside earlier because he was doing some stuff outside. And just doing stuff together. It’s just simple. We’re simple people. We’re not really flashy. We have a few nice things, but it’s not about the things. It’s about our family, loving each other, loving the Lord. And by us pleasing the Lord, the Lord has given us the desires of our hearts. We always say we’re taking the world over together. It’s just about being together and doing it all together. It’s just amazing that after 27 years, he still gives me goose bumps, and I still enjoy his company. And he still makes me cackle like a teenager, blush, all that! And we’re just still enjoying each other. And we prayed for that, that the Lord would keep that in us and with us for each other until we die.

I’m going to say this, and I know I have to move on because David always says I should keep my answers short. But we were riding, and we were just saying that it is inevitable that one of us one day is going to have to, we may die or go. And I was sitting in the car and my eyes just, Jacqueline, they just filled up with water. And he was like, ‘What?’ And I was like, I say, ‘It’s true, but I just wouldn’t want to live without you.’ We both feel the same way. And I know that one day, it’s gon happen, but our prayer is that we go together. I know that’s hard because we have kids and grandkids, but it would be rough, Jacqueline. That would be a hard pill to swallow.

5. What is your secret for being married for 27 years?

That’s not a secret. I’m in love. It’s love. Love is not a secret. But that is what has kept our marriage together. We’re in love, and we like each other and spending time together. Divorce is not an option. It’s not even on the table. We’re just in it to win it. That’s what I encourage and try to pass on to other couples. That you stay in love and yes, there are going to be some times that are going to be rough. Marriage is just like your job. You have to work at it. It’s not something that is just going to fall in your lap. You have to please each other. And we try to outdo each other doing for each other. And then nothing goes lacking because you’re making sure that I get the things that I want and need and me vice versa doing the same for him.

So what have you done recently to outdo David?

Well, for Father’s Day, I went and got him this Egg (a grill). He’s a griller. And he has this Egg, but he wanted the bigger one, but he was like it costs too much. For my birthday, they really went out, the family went out. I just wanted a birthday party, a pool party. And they really went out for me. The day before I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be just cool for us to just watch movies outside?’ So they went and got me this big screen and had it outside for my birthday. It was around the playoffs. So we watched the playoffs from the pool. And we had a whole bunch of people over there. And we had the game on and a lot of people were just watching it. So I used my birthday money to get him his gift. And he was like, ‘That was too much!’ And I was like, ‘No, I used my money.’ So I’m on the ups right now! (Laughter)

6. I’ve read that David revamped his diet since being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and that you’ve lost over 100 pounds? How long did it take to lose the weight, and how do you keep it off?

Over a year or so. And I’ve put some on because I’ve dealt with weight my whole life. To me, that’s my thorn in my side. It’s something that I have to constantly work on even right now getting back in the gym and eating right. I’ve been blessed because I haven’t had any problems or been diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes. I’m just a thick girl. David has overcome his with working out and changing his diet. He has regulated his where he is no longer diabetic. He still has to watch and really pay attention to what he is eating and all that kind of stuff. So he is really mindful of what he does. We both kind of try to monitor each other so that is how we go about it.

7. I read that you and David come from humble beginnings and couldn’t afford to have a wedding which one reason why the two of you had a wedding vow renewal ceremony in 2013. What is your favorite perk of being a celebrity and making more money?

I don’t know. You know, honestly, I don’t look at myself as being a celeb. I tell people I’m a regular Joe. I know that sounds probably lame, but it’s true. I just tell people that we’re all stars in God’s eyes. There may be a few more people that know me than know you, but there’s no difference between me and you. I notice now that people give me stuff and when I didn’t have anything people wasn’t giving me nothing. (Laughing). People should be more giving. But I just try to give back and just be helpful to my family and others. I don’t know Jacqueline. I don’t have an answer for that. I never prayed to be rich. My prayer to God was to be well off so that when I helped somebody, I wouldn’t have to worry about the money if I loaned it. I wouldn’t have to worry about getting it back. That’s my prayer.

Please be sure to watch The Gospel Tradition: In Performance at the White House at 9PM/ET Tonight on TV One!!!

Any thoughts?