Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Retrospect: 2015 in Posts…

Hello World,

In just one measly day (although a lot can happen in a day), 2015 will be a part of our past, and 2016 will be our present and future! I don’t know about you, but it is only when I truly contemplate all the days of the year from January through December that I realize that so much has been packed into 365 days! This year has been a momentous one for my humble corner of the World Wide Web that I affectionately refer to as After the Altar Call. If you please, let’s take a retrospective look at what God has done here!

January 2015 – I always bring in the New Year in church because it is where I get guidance for the year! During this year’s Watch Night Service, the pastor focused on Hebrews 13: 5-6. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. I wasn’t sure what these verses meant for me which you can read about in “Two Signs Your New Year May Not Be Off to the Best Start…”But now that the year is nearly over, I do understand what God is saying to me through those verses. Here are some of my insights for me: 1. Don’t be jealous of other people and what they have going on because the Lord controls your destiny as He does for everyone else. He has placed you where you are supposed to be and rejoice for that! 2. So much emphasis is placed on networking and building the right relationships. While those skills are important, the most powerful relationship you can have is the one you have with Jesus because He can open doors that no one can shut!

February 2015 – I’ve always wanted to attend a celebrity awards show so this year I decided to do just that. Although I attended the 23rd Annual Trumpet Awards Ceremony in January, I didn’t write my post “My Red Carpet Coverage of the 2015 Trumpet Awards/Watch It on TV One THIS Saturday…”until February when the show aired on TV One. And not only did I attend, I decided to be red carpet ready as well! There I am on the red carpet!

March 2015 – I was blessed to interview Atlanta’s First Black Lady Ms. Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, president and CEO of firstClass, Inc., a full-service public relations and marketing firm, about her book Getting The Word Out: How To Market Your Ministry: Communication Tools & Tactics You Need For Evangelism in “Atlanta’s First Black First Lady Pens New Church for Churches…”

April 2015 – I started recapping Mary Mary’s reality show in March, but I did the majority of my recaps in April. Here is one of my favorite recaps of the show -“Is Tina Testifying Too Much? : Mary Mary Season 4, Episode 5 Recap…”

May 2015 – When I began recapping Mary Mary’s reality show in March, I had no idea that I would be able to interview Tina Campbell, and what an interview it was! Check out “Mitchell Solarek is NOT Tina Campbell’s Manager & More: My Interview With Mary Mary’s Tina Campbell!”

June 2015 – This month was HUGE for this blog as I relaunched it as I decided to mainly focus on “blogging the cross section of faith, relationships and pop culture!” (Yes, that is my new tagline 🙂 See above!) I took head shots for the blog, rewrote my bio and updated my theme ! I’ve always wanted to be a celebrity/lifestyle journalist (from a faith perspective which came later) so I hired myself 🙂 ) My first post once I relaunched my blog was “Tamela Mann Shares About ‘The Gospel Tradition: In Performance At The White House’ & More: MY INTERVIEW…”

July 2015 – So when I was in college, I used to bump (that means play) certain artists and groups on Boombox and my Walkman (Wow, that was back in the day) in my door room and out and about over and over again. One of those groups was SWV (Sisters With Voices)! That is why I was so excited to interview Coko of SWV in the blog post “SWV’s Coko Talks About Her New Radio Show, Girl Group & How She & Her Hubby Maintain Their Weight Loss.”

August 2015 – It is always encouraging to see other authors do well because being a writer in today’s times can be very discouraging! This month best-selling author ReShonda Tate Billingsley realized a dream come true as her book “Let The Church Say Amen” became a BET movie, which I live tweeted! Check out my interview with her about how her book became a movie in The Making of the BET Movie & ReShonda Tate Billingsley’s “Let The Church Say Amen!”

September 2015 – As I said, I love my celebrities, but I have special love for Christian celebrities! It was definitely one of the highlights of the year to be able to interview David Oyelowo about his movie “Captive.” Check out the interview in “Actor David Oyelowo Captures Brian Nichols in Hostage Crisis Movie ‘Captive’: My Interview (With Audio).” His repertoire is very impressive as he has been in “Selma” as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The Butler” and “The Help!”

October 2015 – My new interview series “Resilience & the Bible” was launched this month. In this interview series, I hope to demonstrate how Scriptures can be used to bounce back from the trials we all have to go through from time to time. My first interview as “Resilience & the Bible: How to Use Scriptures to Bounce Back From – Rebellious Teenagers.”

November 2015 – My favorite post of this month was “How Do You Deal With Beggars on the Street Asking for Money?” Honestly, I’m still dealing with this issue. Pray for me…

December 2015 – It was a blessing to write this post “Interdenominational Theological Center Triumphant After Accreditation Scare, Honors Civil Rights Icons at Global Transformers Gala (PHOTOS included).”

Other highlights of 2015: Being featured on The Atlanta Journal Constitution website – ajc.com and becoming a blogger for BibleGateway!

God has truly blessed this blog! May 2016 be a blessing to you! God bless you…

Any thoughts?

Posted on Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Finance Expert Terrell Dinkins Hopes to Bridge Gender Wealth Gap Through New Book “One Bucket at a Time”

Join Dinkins at Her Book Launch Party at The Commerce Club THIS Thursday!

Hello World,

‘Tis the season to spend! But if you’re careful, you can still have some money to spare after Christmas!

Ever since I worked with a financial coach back in 2009, I’m all about staying on top of my finances! That’s why I’m excited about introducing you to financial advisor and wealth empowerment speaker Terrell Dinkins, MBA, who has written a new book to help empower women when it comes to their finances. One Bucket at a Time: A Woman’s Guide to Creating Wealth , which costs $15.99, will be available starting Thursday, December 17, 2015, when the public has an opportunity to meet and have books signed by the author during a book launch party just in time for the holiday season. The event takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Commerce Club at 191 Peachtree Street NE, 49th floor, in Atlanta. The first 50 attendees to buy a book will receive a special gift! To register for this free event, go to eventbrite.com.

Below is my interview with Terrell Dinkins.

1.How did you come up with the name of your book “One Bucket at a Time?” What does it mean?

The buckets represent the multiple streams of income we should create or fill throughout our lifetime to carry us throughout retirement and beyond. There is order in when we should fill our buckets. I explain the importance of this order in my book. Each bucket of money we create will be used at different intervals throughout our lifetime. There is also meaning to my book cover. The rain represents saving and being prepared for the storms we might encounter in life.

2. What inspired you to write your book? Tell us about the process of writing your book. How long did it take? How did you conduct your research?

A business colleague encouraged me to write the book sooner rather than later. Writing this book was on my bucket list (no pun intended). I just had not planned on doing it so soon. When my business colleague heard the message that I gave to my clients (my bucket approach system to wealth building) she said, “You need to write a book. The message should not be reserved just for your clients.” It took me about six months to write the book and conduct my research. The statistical data I included came from various sources, to include other authors and articles I have found. I reference all of my sources in the book. I also include my personal story and other encounters and experiences I have had with clients to teach lessons to others.

3. What do you hope women will take away from the book?

I hope women will realize that they must act now to prepare for the future. So much of the financial household weight will have to be carried alone due to divorce, widowhood or being single. Be smart about your financial choices and learn how to create balance between lifestyle and saving for a rainy day.

4. How did you get interested in building wealth and financial empowerment? What personal experiences fueled your interest in these topics?

Ever since I can remember, I have always been intrigued about wealth building. As a child, I daydreamed like any other child about what it would feel like to not have to worry about money and, of course, live in a big house (typical childlike thoughts). I always did a pretty good job handling my money. I’ve always been a saver (yes, even in kindergarten). My mother always told me to make sure I put something to the side just in case there was an emergency. I listened. No particular personal experiences fueled my interest. The interest has always been a part of me.

5. What happens during your “Women and Wealth” workshops? How often and where do you host them? What is the cost?

I come up with different financial topics that I think might interest women and talk about them over wine and hors d’oeuvres. As an example, one of my presentation topics was called “Don’t Leave it All at The Mall.” I presented this topic during the holiday shopping season as a reminder to women of the importance of keeping a budget for holiday spending. When I started my practice, I thought having a free workshop would help me reach more women and it did. I was told by a few male colleagues that I was wasting my time. I never felt like I was wasting my time. I found a few women who wanted to change their financial situation and that was what mattered the most. The workshops were held once a quarter at my office. I did have to cut back on the workshops because my practice did grow and I no longer have the extra time that I used to have because of the growth of my practice. The workshops also led to my speaking and sitting on panels for other organizations. Speaking to other groups still allows me to get my message out without having to host the events on my own. Because they were free, you did have the occasional person who showed up at every event because they were free. Not many, but a few.

6. What is the No. 1 habit or behavior that women can do right now to get them on the path to building wealth and financial empowerment?

Create a budget. If you do have a budget, review it every month when you pay your bills. Make revisions to the budget and don’t set it in January and forget it for the rest of the year.

7. Since it is the Christmas season, what is one tip that can be used to save at Christmas time?

Set a dollar amount that you plan on spending for all of your holiday gifts. Once you come up with this amount, determine who will get what percentage of the pie.

Terrell Dinkins is a financial rep with Peachtree Planning Corporation in Atlanta. She graduated from Georgia Southern College with a BBA in finance (minor: banking), and earned an MBA from Mercer University Stetson School of Business and Economics in Atlanta. An Atlanta native, Terrell completed the Executive Financial Planning Program from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business in Atlanta.

Terrell is an active member in civic and community organizations to include the Lake Spivey Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (Tau Epsilon Omega Chapter), and The Twenty Pearls Foundation.

For more information about Terrell, go to terrelldinkins.com or onebucketnation.com.

Any thoughts?

Posted on Sunday, December 6, 2015

The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Articles for Black Christian Women in November 2015

Hello World,

It goes without saying that I am saddened by the tragic attack in San Bernardino. Maybe I’m just a simpleton, but as I’ve said before, I just don’t get man’s inhumanity to man. I’ve been praying that terrorism will be thwarted wherever it manifests and yet these tragedies continue to occur. Still, I will keep praying and I hope you do too. Also, tonight at 8 p.m., President Obama will speak to us from the Oval Office regarding what the government is doing to keep all of us safe. One of the first things I think the government should do is create stricter gun control laws. If you haven’t done so before, please read my interview with Lucy McBath, whose son was senselessly gunned down at a gas station because his music was allegedly too loud.

Now onto the focus of this post…I’m back with another list of interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women from November that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) Let me know if you like my list! Enjoy…

1. “Written by 14 Female Veterans, New Book Highlights Struggle, Successes of Black Women in Uniform” by JC Jones

Excerpt: A group of local women have joined with others from across the country to share their stories in an upcoming book, “Camouflaged Sisters,” which releases Saturday. Composed by 14 authors, the stories reflect a broad spectrum of experiences from current active-duty soldiers to retired veterans. Though their stories are unique, the women collaborated with a united goal — to share the perspective of the African American female service member. See more at: kdhnews.com.

2.”Bus Boycott took planning, smarts” by Josh Moon

Excerpt: School textbooks often describe Parks as simply a tired seamstress trying to make her way home from work one December afternoon. While it’s true enough that Parks earned a living as a seamstress, she was far from simple. At the time of her arrest in 1955, Parks was serving as the secretary of the NAACP’s state and Montgomery chapters and had been a civil rights activist for years. Her husband had been a protestor at the Scottsboro Boys’ trial in the 1930s. See more at: montgomeryadvertiser.com

3.”Pharrell Williams to Bullied Girl at Charleston, SC, AME Church Event: ‘You’re Beautiful and You’re Black’” by Yesha Callahan

Excerpt: A touching moment occurred when a 12-year-old girl named Sarah asked Williams for advice when it comes to dealing with racist bullies. Sarah attends a predominantly white school and complained that people make racist jokes about fried chicken and watermelon because she’s black. Initially, Williams joked about the food stereotype, telling the girl, “I love chicken!” before adding, “I’m not worried about what anyone in here thinks,” after the congregation started to laugh. At that point, the little girl was crying, and he explained to her that she is surrounded by love. See more at: theroot.com.

4.”When Did Black Folks Stop Loving Our Children?” by Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts

Excerpt: Ben Fields must be held accountable for his actions—even above and beyond his firing. But what haunts me is the image of the Black male teacher watching as his young student is tossed out of her chair by Fields, and thrown violently onto the floor like a rag. Was that level of brutality so commonplace in the school that he never considered intervening on her behalf? Or on behalf of the children—because yes, even Black 16-year-olds are still kids—who were obviously frightened and devastated by what they were seeing in his classroom? See more at: damemagazine.com.

5.”Church Leaders To Meet To Discuss Domestic Abuse Solutions”

Excerpt: Key figures from Britain’s black Christian community have been invited to a specially convened meeting which will look at how African and African Caribbean churches can respond more effectively when cases of domestic violence and abuse arise in their congregations. See more at: voice-online.co.uk.

6.”Layered Up for Fall” by Liz Roy

Excerpt: Guys, guess what! It’s FINALLY fall in Los Angeles! Sadly, fall in LA merely means dipping into the 60s, but I’m grateful for the climate change nonetheless. I love layering and fall is the perfect time to experiment. In fact, fall was my favorite season when I lived in New York because the scenery was beautiful (God is really good at colors, isn’t He?!) and the weather was perfect for creative fall layering. – See more at: downtowndemure.com.

7.”Quilters’ Club Features Diversity of Skills, Techniques and Colors” by Heather Norris

Excerpt: It was founded in 1989 by three Baltimore women looking to form a guild that would serve as a space for black women to freely express their creativity with quilting. It has since evolved into a diverse group in just about every way except for a shared interest in quilting and community, where members regularly reach out to young people to introduce them to sewing and quilting. See more at: baltimoresun.com.

8.”#TBT Remembering R&B/Hip-Hop Church Music” by Nina Ruff

Excerpt: Music is a huge factor in how we validate a culture. It is often the pulse for entire societies and ways of life. So when hip-hop began to dominate as a genre, there was an entire group of young Christians left looking for their place in the church. The artists that stepped out of the Black church box not only kept true to themselves, but they paved a way for a younger generation of churchgoers determined to evolve their beliefs & practices in order to keep the culture relevant. In blazing their own trails, they fought against a lot of what keeps young people from being involved in churches today. See more at: hivesociety.com.

9.”Shepherding Women: What Boundaries Must Be Maintained?” by Isaac Adams

Excerpt: A church’s most important decision is who they call to be their leaders because pastors have room for great exploitation, particularly of women, or great effectiveness. In this sense, the church’s greatest need is a holy pastor. What are appropriate boundaries to be maintained between pastors and women in the church? How should a church view a pastor who is having an illicit sexual relationship? What are signals of a pastor grooming a sister for abuse? C’mon up and join the conversation. See more at: thefrontporch.org.

10.”There Are No Black Angels in Heaven” by Lisa Sharon Harper

Excerpt: As she showed me all five black ornaments in a store dedicated to ornaments, tears filled my eyes and began to spill over. We are not wanted in this world. We are erased — from the public through police brutality and mass incarceration. And we are even erased from popular conceptions of Christmas and heaven. There are no black angels there. See more at: washingtonpost.com.