Category Archives: Writing

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What You Thought Was Dead Can Now Come Back to LIFE on EASTER!!!

Hello World,

Happy Easter or Happy Resurrection Day! However you choose to refer to this day, this is the day that Christians the world over celebrate the most important day in our faith! Today we celebrate that while death is a powerful foe indeed, the power of death could not and cannot compare to the indestructible power of the Lord Jesus Christ! HE IS RISEN! We no longer have to live in sin, be ruled by destructive habits and or addictions or walk through this earth alone! We have a savior and a friend in Jesus Christ! Like the Baptists, I’ve got a reason to shout! Like the Pentecostals, I’ve got a reason to get my dance on! Like the Methodists, I’ve got a reason to be in silent awe! And then do it all over again! JESUS! JESUS! JESUS! Please find yourself in somebody’s church today because the Lord has a blessing for you, and you don’t want to miss it!

And speaking of blessings, I was reading the resurrection story in Matthew 27, and I read some verses that I don’t recall reading before…Do you know that Jesus was not the only one that God rose from the dead? According to Matthew 27:51-53, “51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.” Many theologians have differing opinions of what this miraculous occurrence meant, and it is not mentioned if these people remained on Earth or ascended with Jesus back to heaven.

As a lay person or a regular ole Christian or maybe even as a writer, these verses are further evidence that the death and resurrection of Jesus is not just about spiritual good that is just good for Heaven, it is also a good that makes sense right here on Earth! What do I mean? Using my sanctified storyteller imagination, I imagine that one of the dead was a mother who had passed away while giving birth to a son who had never known his mother except through the stories of family and friends. On the day that Jesus rose, this child was able to meet his mother for the first time! I can also imagine that one of those dead was a beloved husband of an elderly widow that had not seen him in decades unless she dreamed about him at night. Can you imagine how elated she was when he came to her during the day? Or what about the young woman that died suddenly after a brief and mysterious illness leaving her family and friends to question why God allowed this tragedy to happen? I imagined that they wept after she confirmed that even death could not keep her from the ones she loved! I’m sure this day of resurrection was a day of overflowing joy!

So what does this mean for us today? First of all and most importantly, we have a risen savior that promises to give us eternal life with Him in heaven. And while we are here on Earth, Jesus can break the chains of sin, sickness, addiction and destructive habits and give us joy and peace that sustains us through everything! AND he can bring back to life what we thought was dead…Maybe you dreamed of launching a business but you no longer have the financial backing to get it going. Don’t worry. Just pray! He can bring this dream back to life. Maybe you’ve been set back by setback after setback. God can restore your life! Maybe you are still grieving the death of a loved one years later and have been unable to really move on, God can show you how to live and not die!

What you thought was dead can now come back to life…

Any thoughts?

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Thomas Nelson Debuts ‘The Garden Children’s Bible’ in Time for Easter!

Hello World,

As a new mother of one-year-old twins, I read children’s books to my girls every day! Although they cannot read yet, I want them to develop a love for words and introduce them to all of the adventures that unfold in books! But let’s face it, before my girls will understand the words and appreciate the adventures in their books, they are looking at the illustrations in the books! Obviously, I would love for the Bible to be a part of their reading repertoire as it is filled with beautiful words and amazing adventures. But without illustrations that appeal to children, I doubt that I could get them to pay attention. So when I received the opportunity to review The Garden Children’s Bible, I knew I had to do it!

Thomas Nelson, an imprint of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, in partnership with award-winning illustrator, Butch Hartman, is pleased to announce the release of The Garden Children’s Bible. The Garden Children’s Bible is designed to help kids delight in God’s Word and start a firm—and fun—foundation for their faith! Based on the new animated “The Garden” series by Hartman (“Danny Phantom” & “The Fairly OddParents”), The Garden Children’s Bible invites kids to understand the gospel in an entertaining and truth-centered way as they read the Bible alongside stunning stories and Hartman’s signature illustrations.

“I took on the assignment of drawing The Garden Children’s Bible because of one word: legacy,” says Hartman. “Children will learn the word of God through reading and enjoying this Bible for years to come and, to me, there is no greater honor than that.”  

In this Bible, as in “The Garden” series, Hartman’s characters Lenny the Lion and Lucy the Lamb provide hundreds of application notes and helpful facts in clear, easy-to-understand language. More than 100 Bible story original illustrations, and five full-color comic strips from the animated series are included as well.

“We have deeply enjoyed our partnership with Butch Hartman. He’s a faithful Christian and his deep passion for helping children place their faith in Christ is infectious,” said Philip Nation, vice president and publisher of Bibles for Thomas Nelson. “I believe that The Garden Children’s Bible will be used to draw many children into a lifelong practice of reading the Bible.”

As a black mother, I appreciate that a black mother is illustrated within the Bible’s pages. To highlight Colossians 3:12-17, a black mother is featured. I also love the illustration for when Jesus is baptized, he looks so joyful as a glorious dove flies above his head! I appreciate the fierce illustration of Deborah, the woman judge. I want my girls to see strong women in the Bible and the illustration of Deborah will help them do just that. God is referred to as The Boss, which He most certainly is! I also love how at the beginning of every book in the Bible, there is a simple listing of who wrote it, when was it written, and why it was written. As a journalist who has been taught to always answer who, what, when, where, why and how, that simplicity appeals to me. I look forward to reading this Bible to my girls over the next few years as well as watching them eventually read it for themselves! I most certainly recommend that you get a copy or copies for the children in your lives, particularly at this time of the year: Easter.

Below are all of the specific details about what is offered in The Garden Children’s Bible, which is written in The International Children’s Bible® (ICB) translation.  This translation was created especially for children in the third grade and up and provides the ideal blend of readability and fidelity to the original meaning of the Scripture text.

  • Presentation Page – Personalize the Bible by recording a memory or note
  • Bible Book Introductions – Concise overviews highlight important events in each book
  • 300 Character Callouts – Sidebar notes presented by Lenny, Lucy, and “The Boss” bring emphasis to key Biblical concepts
  • Activity Endsheets – Activity pages at the front and back of the Bible
  • Full-color multi-page comic section based on the animated series
  • Bible Learning Lists – Names of God, Bible Verses to Memorize, Miracles of Jesus, Scripture Promises
  • End-of-page Cross-references – Find related passages quickly and easily
  • Topical Index and Dictionary – Kid-friendly tools teaching how to use the Bible
  • Miracles and Parables of Jesus – Charts create a quick reference to important events
  • 50 Scripture-based Prayers
  • Satin Ribbon Marker
  • 4 Pages of Full-color Maps
  • 10-Point Type Size
To buy a copy of The Garden Children’s Bible, click on THIS LINK for the FaithGateway Store!  I received my copy for free as a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, and this blog post serves as my honest review.
Any thoughts?
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From Executive Producers Bishop T.D. Jakes, Derrick Williams & Shaun Robinson, Lifetime Presents ‘Pride,’ the Next Title in Its ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ Movie Anthology THIS SATURDAY, April 8!

Hello World,

Following the immensely popular Seven Deadly Sins movies —Lust, Envy, Wrath and Greed—Lifetime continues the anthology with a new sin and new movie, Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story. Executive produced by Bishop T.D. Jakes, Derrick Williams and Shaun Robinson, and inspired by actual events, the movie centers on the story of a famous bakery owner and reality TV star Birdie Moore (Grammy-Award winner, Stephanie Mills) whose past secrets threaten the enormous success she has achieved. Joining Mills are costars Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles as Birdie’s son, Gabe Moore; Keeya King as her granddaughter, Ella Boudreaux; and Grammy-Award winner Erica Campbell as Pastor Trey. Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story premieres on Saturday, April 8 at 8/7c. The prior Seven Deadly Sins Lifetime original movies – Lust, Envy, Wrath and Greed – attracted close to 7 million total viewers in 2022!

Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story tells the story of reality TV star Birdie Moore (Stephanie Mills), whose carefully constructed world starts to crumble — like the baked goods that catapulted her to fame — when her family secrets are brought to light. To salvage her legacy, Birdie must let go of the pride that estranged her from her daughter. Birdie’s pride also prevents her from seeing that her son Gabe Moore (Thomas Miles) is actually a thieving opportunist and that her granddaughter Ella Boudreaux (Keeya King) is just a lost twenty-something trying to build up her life after some missteps. While pride helped drive Birdie’s success, it also made her blind to what was happening around her. Will Birdie finally be able to see and admit the truth, or face the consequences of her pride?

See the official trailer below!

Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story is produced by Neshama Entertainment, T.D. Jakes Enterprises, DNA Media Group and RobinHood Productions in association with MarVista Entertainment. Bishop T.D. Jakes, Derrick Williams, and Shaun Robinson serve as executive producers along with Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew for MarVista Entertainment, and Arnie Zipursky and Suzanne Berger for Neshama. Pride is directed by Troy Scott from a script written by Felicia Brooker. Award-winning composer and music director, Ray Chew, is the movie’s composer.

Below are a few photos from Shaun’s Facebook page:

Shaun and Stephanie

Shaun, Keeya & Victoria

Shaun and Nephew Tommy

In addition to Stephanie Mills, Thomas Miles and Keeya King, the movie also stars Lucia Walters (Virgin River) as Shanice; and Jaime M. Callica (Ruthless) as Khalil.

The Seven Deadly Sins movie anthology is inspired by novels from author Victoria Christopher Murray, who is a consulting producer on Pride. Additionally, Pride, the novel, was released yesterday!

Any thoughts?