Hello World,

Speaking of single black females, about a week ago, I watched the 50-something part viral TikTok series Who TF Did I Marry? over a two-day period. It was just that engaging. There were several things about the series that drew me into the drama. It mostly took place in metro Atlanta, Clayton County to be exact, where I lived for several years. Hilariously, Reesa Teesa referred to her lying ex-husband by the moniker Legion, which refers to being possessed by several demons in the Bible. She is a Christian and admitted that in hindsight, the Lord told her Legion was not her husband on her first date although she ignored the guidance she received on that first date. If you’re unfamiliar with this Reesa Teesa story, here’s an “An Extremely Thorough Guide to ‘Who TF Did I Marry’” by Danielle Cohen for The Cut.

Last week, a woman posting under the name Reesa Teesa started a 52-part TikTok yarn about her marriage to a man she called “a real pathological liar” and also “the United Nations of red flags.” Over the course of several days, she posted dozens of ten-minute videos unraveling how she ended up dating, marrying, and eventually divorcing a guy she claims lied about pretty much everything in his personal life. According to her account, the man — whom she’s calling Legion — relied on a convoluted network of fake phone calls, unverified paperwork, and pandemic-era logistical chaos to keep up his many charades.

But “Who TF Did I Marry?” is so much more than that — it is a prestige-television masterpiece, a chart-topping soap opera, a modern epic involving condiment HQ bureaucracy and two real-estate agents named Scott. (One of them may or may not be real.) To be clear, no one seems to have corroborated this woman’s story, so she is either a wildly good storyteller or a great candidate for the Nobel Prize in fiction. No matter; thousands of people have apparently taken ten hours of their precious lives to tune into her saga. Here is a drastically abbreviated version of what she claims happened. Strap in.

According to her videos, Reesa matched with this man on two different platforms, Facebook Dating and Hinge, though he apparently had used his full name on one and his nickname and different photos on another. (In retrospect, the first of many ominous signs.) Throughout the thread, she refers to him as Legion — as in the biblical man possessed by demons — which she says is the same name she uses to talk about him with people in her life these days. Because we are all now intimately acquainted with Teesa, we will be using that name here too.

To read the rest, click HERE. 

So after digesting this series, I thought back about two other TikTok viral sensations from a few months back:

Have y’all heard about the woman who refused to get out of the car on a first date because her date took her to The Cheesecake Factory? If not, check out this article about it HERE.  Or what about the woman who ate 48 oysters on first date and had to foot the bill after her date left without her realizing it? If not, check out that article about it HERE.

What do all three of these viral dating stories have in common with my first novel Destination Wedding? All four are about dating in Atlanta, which can be treacherous…And that, in part, is why I wrote Destination Wedding…See the synopsis below…

Three successful best friends in Atlanta believe they are thriving in the Black Mecca. Bossy bank executive Senalda breaks down men from business to bed no holds barred. Hip hop PR guru Jarena praises the Lord and pursues married men with equal persistence. Famous and infamous radio personality Mimi fights with her fans and for the love of her on-and-off-again boyfriend.

But when an ABC News Nightline report, “Single, Black, Female — and Plenty of Company,” asks why can’t a successful black woman find a man? The friends are suddenly hyper-aware of their inclusion in the sad statistic: 42% of black women who have never been married. Like the women in the report, they are career-driven, beautiful black women living in Atlanta who have everything — but a mate. They resolve to defy the statistic by marrying in a year and have it all by tackling their goal as a project with a vision board, monthly meetings, and more. Project Destination Wedding is born. A “happily married” best friend Whitney is a project consultant.

But as the deadline ticks closer, the women wonder if they can withstand another year of looking for love in the media-proclaimed no-man’s land of Atlanta. Senalda wrests a marriage proposal from the male version of herself, but the proposal comes simultaneously with a devastating secret. Jarena unleashes hell when her call to ministry coincides with dating her married college sweetheart. Mimi faces losing her career and jail time chasing her boyfriend and marries another man in the process. Whitney’s power couple profile plummets when her husband, a pornography addict, announces he would rather pursue photography than be an MD.

Inspired by an actual Nightline report, Destination Wedding charts four women’s journeys as they discover that love is not an experiment easily confined to a timetable.

I know that Destination Wedding is fiction, but trust and believe real-life stories are woven into the words…Here’s one reviewer’s opinion about Destination Wedding:

I can’t believe this is the author’s first book! The characters were well developed and she clearly did her research on mental health, sex addiction, marital statistics of black women, and Atlanta culture. Hoping to see it on Lifetime or BET as a movie!

If you’re interested in reading Destination Wedding, I will send a free copy to you if you name the city in Clayton County where Reesa Teesa lived with her ex-husband Legion. Reply to this post, and I will email you to get your mailing address.

Any thoughts?

The post What TikTok’s Reesa Teesa, 48 Oysters on a First Date and A First Date at The Cheesecake Factory Have in Common With My ‘Novel Destination Wedding’ appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

It’s just not smart to fuss at a family funeral. Emotions are all over the place and folk are on edge.  Pastor Jimmy McGauley, 46, learned that the hard way at a family funeral…See an excerpt of the recent WSB-TV story below…

A Georgia pastor spoke out about being shot by his cousin after a funeral his family arranged took place several weeks ago in Jacksonville.

According to an arrest report our sister station, Action News Jax, obtained from JSO, it states that a religious conversation was being held between McGauley and his cousin, Keshawn Nesmith, regarding “heaven and hell.” Read the rest HERE…

However, Pastor McGauley has chosen to forgive his cousin…A funeral is an opportune time to discuss heaven and hell, but as soon as I felt a little heat, I would have shut the conversation down…I aine tryin’ to be shot although spreading the gospel can be dangerous…

What would you do?

Any thoughts?

The post Georgia Pastor Shot By Atheist Cousin After Discussing Heaven & Hell at Family Funeral, Chooses to Forgive Him… appeared first on After the Altar Call.

Hello World,

I hope you enjoyed celebrating Thanksgiving with your family, friends and loved ones! I certainly did especially as I have so much to be thankful for this year…

Now that we have officially entered into the Christmas season, it is important to remember that Jesus is still and will forever be the reason for the season. And though Easter is still many months away, it’s also important to remember that the forgiveness offered by Jesus is available any time of the year but the Christmas season is a poignant time to remember this priceless truth. James Beeks, who portrayed “Judas” in the U.S. tour of the popular musical Jesus Christ Superstar, needs to call on Jesus because dude is in some trouble. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 49-year-old James Beeks was arrested last week “related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.”

“According to court documents, Beeks joined with others to forcibly enter the Capitol on Jan. 6 and obstruct the Congressional proceeding occurring that day. At about 2:30 p.m., a group of Oath Keeper members and affiliates marched in ‘stack’ formation into the Capitol grounds and then up the east steps of the Capitol to the area outside of the Rotunda doors. Beeks was part of a mob of people, including some who attacked law enforcement. At 2:38 pm., the doors were breached, and the group stormed into the Capitol. Once inside the Capitol, the group split up. Half of them, including Beeks, tried to push their way through a line of law enforcement officers guarding a hallway that led to the Senate chamber. Law enforcement forcibly repelled their advance. Beeks and others with him regrouped in the Rotunda and then left the building at approximately 3:04 p.m.

Prior to the confrontation, Beeks joined with a group of Oath Keepers while walking from the Ellipse to the Capitol. Unlike the camouflage-combat attire of many individuals in the group, he was wearing a Michael Jackson ‘BAD’ world tour jacket and a black helmet, and he was carrying what appeared to be a homemade black shield.” (Isn’t that wild about the “BAD” jacket?!)

According to The Daily Beast, Beeks who is also known as James T. Justis, is “a musical theater actor with multiple Broadway credits.”

Again, isn’t that wild? Do you think it was the spirit of Judas that caused James Beeks to allegedly betray the country in such a way?  And I aine gon’ lie. His light eyes make him look kinda scary or is that just me? But they may be contacts because in some pictures I have seen of him, he has dark eyes…Anywho…

Below is a post from his IG page…He looks so normal…SMH…

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by James Justis (@jtjustis)

Any thoughts?

The post ‘Judas’ in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Arrested on Charges Related to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach… appeared first on After the Altar Call.