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How We Got Over…(The Funeral of Troy Davis)

Hello World,

Troy Davis was funeralized yesterday in Jonesville Baptist Church in Savannah, Ga. According to MSNBC, more than a 1,000 people showed up to honor the life of a man who was executed although there was considerable reasonable doubt that he committed the crime that he was accused of… 

I watched a video of a portion of the funeral in which Dick Gregory, a civil rights activist and comedian, paid his respects to the family while giving a wise and wickedly funny social commentary of the state of black affairs today. As I watched him, I was reminded of the rich religious heritage black people have in this country. We have only gotten over and are getting over because of the Lord! Black people have suffered grave injustices, and we still do. But none can deny that we have made great progress in spite of all that has been done to hold us back! Take a look at this video and tell me what you think.

 

 

And if you really want to feel the move of the Spirit, watch Mahalia Jackson sing “How I Got Over.” This video is an absolute treasure and gives us a glimpse of black life in that time period.

This month is evangelism month at my church Central Christian Church so I will be intentional about sharing my faith although I can be a scaredy cat about it sometimes…If you are looking for joy and peace that is not dependent on your circumstances, a purpose for living that goes beyond you and yours and the ability to see miracles taking place all round you, you’ve got to try Jesus!

And finally, in honor of Troy Davis and those who have been affected by his story, I leave this verse…

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”  Matthew 10:28

Any thoughts? 

 

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I’m Bout It Bout It aka Marketing & Promotion Month 3…

Hello World,

Well, y’all, if you have spent even a minute perusing my blog, you know that I have a book that will be released on February 14, 2012 – that’s right…the holiday of love…Valentine’s Day…which I think is cool as my book is about developing a personal relationship with God…Now, I’m not one of those Christian women that believes that God is my husband, but I do believe that having a personal relationship with God is more important than any other relationship you will ever have period…

And although I’m more of an introvert by nature, I have realized that I must market and promote the book so the people that need to read this book will actually know it’s out there…So once a month leading up to V-Day, I will be posting about my marketing and promotion efforts…Your feedback is very much appreciated…

Miranda Parker at the AJC Decatur Book Festival

So to recap my marketing & promotion efforts for September…As I have said in previous posts, one of the main thrusts of my efforts involves supporting other authors and just getting out and about in the A to meet people and tell them about my book. So on Sept. 3 (Labor Day Weekend), I attended the AJC Decatur Book Festival where I went to see Miranda Parker, author of “A Good Excuse To Be Bad” and Dr. Pamela Thompson, author of “Surviving Mama: Overcoming Strained Mother-Daughter Relationships.” Both of these books were released this year, and I actually featured Dr. Thompson on my blog.

I also attended “For Sisters Only”  on Sept. 17 where I was able to go to the Urban League Empowerment Summit. Hands down, it was one of the best events I attended this year. I attended two seminars. My favorite seminar was “Transforming Your Life, Reclaiming Your Power.” One of the panelists Tirrell D. Whittley, who is the executive leader of Liquid Soul Media, a lifestyle marketing agency, offered some really good advice for combatting fear on the way to success…

Tirrell D. Whitley of Liquid Soul Media

  1. Become excellent.
  2. Accept criticism.
  3. Be self-motivated.
  4. Understand who you are (your unique selling point).
  5. Trust God.

I could dedicate a whole post to what I learned, but I have to move on for the sake of this post. Last Saturday, I attended the “Talk Back Series: The Sex Kitten v. The Super Brain” in which a panel of etablished women in the field of media and entertainment discussed the politics of women and sexuality in the media. The event was held at Spelman College. It was another invigorating and educational discussion.

From left to right - Saptosa Foster, Angela Gomes, Renee Knorr, Nicci Gilbert, October Rose, Nina Brown & Jazzy McBee

Of course, I still have some other things in the works, but I cannot reveal them all just yet…stay tuned…

My favorite verse as I get out of my comfort zone and really go hard at this marketing and promotion thing is…

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.  Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:8-9

It has taken some real courage to get out there, but thankfully the Lord is with me wherever I go…

Any thoughts?

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Speaking of hearts…

Hello World,

Less than a week ago, Troy Davis was put to death, and I know that many hearts are broken…As a Christian who believes in the omnipotence of God, I wonder why God allowed this man, who proclaimed his innocence until his last breath, such a fate…Maybe someday, we will all know why…And maybe, we will never know…Still,

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18

And yet, I do know this…we cannot allow our hearts to become bitter and not believe we can be forces be of good, defeating the powers of evil, ignorance and apathy… As it says in the word of God…we must guard our hearts!

Above all else, guard your heart,
   for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23

In spite of Davis’ death, I have seen life spring forth from this tragedy. It is very clear to me now that we must pay attention to the world around us, we are our brother’s and sister’s keepers,we must love others as we love ourselves…

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5

We don’t have to devise grand acts to help those around us. I was amazed that even tweets about Troy Davis drew the attention of the world to this injustice.  And in fact, even a casual trip to the mall can demonstrate that our hearts are in the right place. To that end, Macy’s has created the “Heart of Haiti” initiative to assist Haitians who were left without a way to earn an income following the devastation of the earthquake in January 2010. Funded by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and in partnership with FairWinds Trading, “Heart of Haiti” is a home decor and jewelry line available at Macy’s that promotes “Trade Not Aid.” 

The collection includes 40 different home decor items and accessories. Products include vases, candle holders, serving trays, picture frames, mirrors, coasters, necklaces, clutch purses and more. Each item is designed by a master Haitian artist and made by hand in Haiti. Below is a beautiful frame that I was given from “Heart of Haiti.” Since I collect frames, I was delighted to receive it! The price is $25.00.

Heart of Haiti Picture Frame, Songbird 4" x 6." Painstakingly cut, hammered and varnished by hand, this meaningful picture frame displays your favorite people and places in the tree of life. Steel from recycled barrels gives each one-of-a-kind piece a rustic beauty perfected by Haiti's master artisans.

To see all of the products and for more information, please go to Macys.com. The “Heart of Haiti” collection has already led to employment of 350 artists in Haiti and has provided some financial benefits for an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people in the country.

 Also a video about “Heart of Haiti” is below.

 

Any thoughts?