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Why ‘Empire’ is Causing Me to Have a Midlife Crisis…

Hello World,  empire

I don’t know if this is a delayed reaction to turning 40 years old almost two years ago as this September, but I am just now starting to feel like I’ve hit middle age…And I’m not sure what to do about that…

It started when I binge watched the first four episodes of “Empire” at a friend’s house…I had heard about the show which is a modern and hip hop version of the Shakespeare tragedy “King Lear.” But instead of King Lear struggling to divide his estate between his three daughters, Lucious Lyon, a music mogul, is struggling to hand over his empire to one of his three sons: Andre, Jamal and Hakeem. Complicating the struggle is the return of Lucious’ ex-wife Cookie, who went to jail for 17 years for dealing drugs. However, the drug money was used to start Lucious’ career in the rap industry and fund the construction of his music label Empire Entertainment and Cookie holds that detail over her ex-husband’s head once she is released from prison…

So although I had heard about the show, I wasn’t anxious to add the hip-hop soap opera to my already full TV watching schedule (RHOA, The Walking Dead, Y&R, Being Mary Jane, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, etc. ). But at a friend’s house where I was along with other friends, I decided to watch at least one episode with them…I promise you I did not move from my spot on my friend’s chair for several hours, long after the rest of my friends fell asleep. I almost had to be told to leave…I.was.hooked…But I was also troubled…Cookie, who is portrayed Taraji P. Henson, has three sons…The oldest one, Andre, is a college graduate and her youngest son, Hakeem, is 17 years old! How can Yvette (also portrayed by from Taraji P. Henson) from  “Baby Boy” be old enough to have three sons?! I mentioned that my friends while we were watching “Empire,” and one of my friends replied, “We old, girl.” And remember when Terrance Howard, who portrays Lucious Lyon, was the tenderoni Brendan King that Max on “Living Single” was ashamed she was dating? When he did get old enough to sire three boys?

That was my first inkling that maaaybe I’m not as young as I feel on the inside or look (don’t act! fingers snapped)…

Then three new radio stations, referred to as classic hip hop stations, debuted in metro Atlanta…While I’m loving the music, I don’t know about you but any music genre that is preceded by the word “classic” is really just another way of saying old folk’s music…And when you think about it, hip hop, which was once this new pulsating street phenomenon, has been around for at least 20 years at this point…20 years ago, “Empire” couldn’t have plausible because there were no hip hop moguls 20 years ago…But now, we have Diddy, Jay Z, Dr. Dre and Suge Knight (God bless him…smh…) and others who have amassed a fortune in hip hop and built their own empires…

The fact that I’m old enough to have amassed a fortune (but haven’t) was my second indication time is moving for real for for real….

A few weeks ago, I saw Will Smith on Jimmy Kimmel promoting his latest movie “Focus.” During the interview, Will Smith said his youngest son, 16-year-old Jaden, is now driving…I remember when it was announced that Jada was pregnant with him…And then Will was asked to rap…He was still good, but it was like watching your uncle try to “bust a move.” That lean and hungry look that most young rappers have at their prime had been replaced by the ease and comfort that wealth and a few good meals will bring. Don’t get me wrong…Will Smith looks fit, but he also looks older…And if the Fresh Prince has gotten older, where does that leave me? (Yes, ’80 babies, Will Smith was a rapper before he was a actor…)

And this is the moment when the drip drop of a leaky faucet finally gave way to the flood of realization that I’ve hit middle age…

And now that I’m thinking out it, there have been other clues, but I’ve ignored them until now…

In no particular order…

  • Lauryn Hill daughter’s Selah is 16 years old…We’re not event talking about Zion, her oldest child…
  • Lil Kim had a baby…Yes, Lil Kim had a baby…I still can’t believe she is someone’s mother
  • Erick Sermon had a heart attack…Rappers are old enough to have heart attacks now…
  • Eminem’s daughter Hailie is 19 years old!!!
  • Yo Yo married a mayor!!!
  • Diddy’s son Justin is in college…
  • Snoop Dog’s son, who is a football star, is heading to college

Maybe if I have had children by now, all of this wouldn’t have taken me by surprise…but now I know why nephew shakes his head and averts his eyes when I try to dance in the front seat of my car when I hear my jam, I’m old…old lady

Any thoughts?

 

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Atlanta Hostage Crisis Captured in New Movie Starring Selma’s David Oyelowo!

captive

Hello World,

This just in:

Paramount Pictures announced today that it has secured the worldwide distribution rights to “CAPTIVE,” starring David Oyelowo (“SELMA”) and Kate Mara (“FANTASTIC FOUR,” “House of Cards”). The studio will release the film on September 18, 2015.

Directed by veteran filmmaker Jerry Jameson, the film is based on the book Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero by Ashley Smith with Stacy Mattingly. The film’s screenplay is by Brian Bird.

“I was drawn to this story because it beautifully illustrates how a broken spirit can be healed by an unexpected source of hope. I feel blessed to be continuing my very fruitful relationship with Paramount,” said David Oyelowo.

Also starring Michael K Williams, Mimi Rogers, Jessica Oyelowo and Leonor Varela, the film was produced by Terry Botwick, Jerry Jameson, David Oyelowo and Ken Wales in addition to BN Films’ Alex Garcia, Lucas Akoskin and Katrina Wolfe.  The executive producers are Santiago Garcia Galvan, BN’s Jonathan Gray, Elliott Lester, Ralph Winter and Bird.  BN fully financed the picture.

Terry Botwick said, “In March of 2005 Ashley’s story captivated the nation on news outlets everywhere. Her story is thrilling and redemptive as God intersected the lives of two very broken people in the most dramatic way. It has been amazing getting to know Ashley and to be working with such fine actors. I’m so pleased to also be partnering with Paramount to bring this authentic encounter to a worldwide audience.”

“Jerry Jameson has done a fantastic job bringing to life Ashley Smith’s harrowing ordeal and miraculous redemption, and Kate Mara portrays her with phenomenal sensitivity and poignancy. Along with “Nightingale,” “Captive” also represents our second collaboration with the brilliantly talented David Oyelowo. We look forward to continuing this special relationship with David and believe that the film has found the perfect home at Paramount,” said Alex Garcia, President of AG Studios, the holding company of BN Films.

 The film tells the dramatic, thrilling and spiritual true story of Ashley Smith (Mara), a single mother and recovering drug addict who was taken hostage in her own apartment by fugitive, murderer and accused rapist Brian Nichols (Oyelowo). With her back against the wall, Smith turned to the personal spiritual journey of Rick Warren’s best-selling book The Purpose Driven Life in an attempt to survive and help Brian find a better way out.

Any thoughts?

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Seven Scriptures to Discern God’s Attitude About Money & Giving…

pastor dollar

Hello World,

In this GoFundMe generation in which people request money for anything from assistance with medical bills to assistance to going on vacation in Vegas, it can sometimes be difficult to discern what to support and what to shame…

This issue came to a head on Thursday when The Christian Post reported that Pastor Creflo Dollar, pastor of the megachurch World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga., and his church posted a plea for “200,000 people to give contributions of 300 US dollars” in order to replace the church’s current airplane, which was built in 1984 and had 4 million miles on it, according to the church’s fundraising page. Apparently, “recently on an overseas trip to a global conference, one of the engines failed. By the grace of God, the expert pilot, who’s flown with Creflo for almost 20 years, landed the plane safely  without injury or harm to any passengers.” Specifically, the money will be used to buy a Gulfstream G650 airplane “so that Pastors Creflo and Taffi and World Changers Church International can continue to blanket the globe with the Gospel of grace.”

And then the Internet blew up with criticism of the plea stating that Pastor Dollar should opt to fly commercially or charter a bus and that airplane, which reportedly costs $65 million, itself was too much of a luxury. Kirsten West Savali of The Root said that Pastor Dollar should buy the airplane himself and outright called him a charlatan…

logoHowever, not everyone criticized Pastor Dollar and the church’s efforts…A Mark Moore, who may or may not be a member of World Changers, on Facebook said, “I am totally disgusted by the response of ministers & church leaders to Pastor Creflo Dollar’s recent pursuit of new aircraft…I’ve seen several posts from ignorant people outraged that ‘Creflo expects me to buy his jet?!’ No precious heart. ‘Creflo’ didn’t ask you to do anything. This outrage stems from a letter his ministry shared with his PARTNERS. Partners that he’s connected with over the 20+ years he’s been on international television. Partners who have decided that something he has shared has helped them enough to cause them to decide to support him.”  He concluded his lengthy post mentioning Dr. Myles Munroe, who along with his wife Ruth and others, died in a jet crash in the Bahamas in November. “I’ll close by saying that it’s disheartening to see some of the same people, who wept over the TRAGIC loss of Dr. Myles Munroe and members of his team as a result of their old aircraft not being able to handle the storm, berate Pastor Dollar for being upfront and embracing “you have not because you ask not” (which is in the Bible).”

Lakeshia Poole, also via Facebook, noted that Pastor Dollar is not the only pastor in the metro Atlanta area who uses an aircraft in ministry…Poole,  who was a member of Elizabeth Baptist Church in Atlanta before moving back to her hometown, noted that her former pastor, Dr. Craig L. Oliver, Sr., uses a helicopter to be transported to the churches various locations to preach on Sunday…”Once upon a time while walking to church, I spied my pastor in a helicopter. A helicopter, bro? Really? Is this what my tithes and offering paid for? I felt some type of way and yet I walked quickly into the newly-planted-5-minutes-from-my-house location vs. driving in the even-on-a-Sunday-hellacious-traffic of 285 to the main location. Did he really need a helicopter to spread the gospel? No…yes…maybe? Selfishly, I became cool with it because honestly if it wasn’t for that helicopter, I wouldn’t have that convenient connection…”

By Friday, the fundraising web page for the aircraft had been taken down although donations are still possible, according to the AJC…

As I said originally, with so many causes, campaigns and churches asking for support, it can be difficult to discern how or if one should give so I’ve decided to post seven scriptures that we can use to discern how God wants us to use the resources that we have been given from Him…

1. “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7…While it is always good to support the church through tithing and or offerings, we should not feel forced or compelled to give because if we feel forced and or compelled to give, how can we give cheerfully?

2. “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you.” Deuteronomy 16:17…Don’t give what you don’t have! If you have been  blessed financially, you may be able to give more…However, don’t give your mortgage money to the church or to anything else if that is all that you have at the moment…

3. “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:3-4…The implication is that yes, we must give to the poor…However, when we do, we don’t have to tell everyone…It is in poor taste to tell others how you are helping this organization or that person unless you are trying to get others to do the same and even then we don’t have to brag…

4.” But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6: 6-10…We all should strive to be financially stable but desiring to be rich can lead us down a road to hell…

5. “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” 14 The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.” Luke 16:13-15…You have to value God over your resources, and He knows who or what we really serve…And furthermore, while someone may be praised by a lot of people does not mean that God sees that person the same way…

6. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19 Being rich in good deeds is way more important and valuable than being rich in money…

7. “But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Acts 3:6 Peter, a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, had no money to offer, but what he did have to offer was healing in the powerful name of Jesus Christ…

There are many more verses in the Bible about money and giving, but these verses provide a good foundation to go fund or not…

Any thoughts?