A Very Pregnant Ciara Releases Cute Video Dancing to ‘I’m Every Woman!’

Hello World,

Not to be outdone by Beyoncé’s and Amal Clooney’s pregnant-with-twins announcement, our girl Ciara shows that she can be pregnant AND get her dance on, leaping over sofas and what not in this cute video she released on Twitter yesterday….(We will see what Queen Bey will do at the GRAMMY Awards tonight though!) I’m assuming Ciara is a Whitney Houston fan as released this video on the anniversary of Whitney Houston’s death in 2012…I still cannot’ believe she is gone…Also, Ciara’s handsome hubby Russell Wilson and her adorable son Future make cameo appearances too…Aside: her house is decorated how I want to decorate my new house…a monochromatic color scheme with pops of color, but I digress…Check it out below…

Any thoughts?

The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Articles for Black Christian Women in April 2016

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Hello World,

Well, I missed March’s list, but I’m still doing my monthly post in which I corral interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women from last month that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) As usual, let me know if you like my list! Enjoy and share!

1.The Church Needs Lemonade by Brandi Miller

Excerpt: Intuition. Denial. Anger. Apathy. Emptiness. Accountability. Reformation. Forgiveness. Resurrection. Hope. Redemption.If one were to put these words together on a Sunday morning, slip them into synthesizer led worship, announce them from the mouth of a plaid clad pastor integrated with anecdotes about his child and wife, or present them in an altar call or prayer, we wouldn’t blink. These words are integral to the Christian narrative. Try to find a bible tract or gospel presentation that doesn’t have at least 50% of them.  Christians love these words…that is until Beyoncé says them. See more at: thesaltcollective.org.

2. Gospel Singer Tasha Cobbs Says Black Church Can Help With Depression by Brennan Williams

Excerpt: Tasha Cobbs’ journey to award-winning and chart-topping success as a gospel singer has come with both praise and self-discovery.The 34-year-old has publicly shared her personal testimonial battling depression through the years, and is dedicated to inspiring others dealing with the same issue. After years of masking her sadness and self-neglect, Cobbs says she decided to seek professional help in 2010 prior to the release of her debut independent project, “Smile.” See more at: huffingtonpost.com.

3. Hollywood’s Black Christians Are on The Rise by Ronda Racha Penrice

Excerpt: Black Christians shocked Hollywood last September. War Room, the mainstream, prayer-themed film starring unknown black actors, dethroned the hit N.W.A. biopic, Straight Outta Compton, at the box office over Labor Day weekend. But this was no fluke. Black Christian entertainment has been broadening its appeal for years. See more at: urbannewsservice.com.

4. Episcopal Saint is Namesake of New Yale Residential College by Lauren Markoe

Excerpt: A new residential college at Yale University has been named for an Episcopal saint who was the first African-American woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest. Anna Pauline Murray, known as “Pauli,” was also a civil rights activist who helped shape the legal argument for the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling and a women’s rights activist who co-founded the National Organization for Women. She received an advanced law degree from Yale in 1965 and an honorary doctorate in divinity from the university in 1979. See more at: religionnews.com.

Excerpt: With a glowing face and smiling eyes, the Rev. Rhella P. Murdaugh stood in the doorway of Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church last week and talked excitedly about the church’s 150th anniversary celebration, which will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday. To Murdaugh, Mount Zion AME Church is more than just a building, more than just a meeting place: “It’s a beacon of light,” she said. See more at: ocala.com.

6. ‘One Day the War Came’ — Liberian Nobel Prize Winner to Talk Peace in Ottawa by Kirsten Fenn

Excerpt: It’s a tactic Gbowee used to her advantage during Liberia’s civil war in 2002, after waking from a dream one night that inspired her to create a women’s peace initiative.  The idea morphed into the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a movement of more than 10,000 Muslim and Christian women staging peaceful protests in 20 communities across the country. See more at: ottawacitizen.com.

7. Lest We Forget Museum Keeps Slavery’s Lesson in People’s Memory by Arlene Edmonds

Excerpt: Gwen Ragsdale feels that the African-American church and slavery history is so important that she stepped into the pulpit recently, although she is not an ordained minister. Ragsdale, along with her husband, J. Justin Ragsdale, are founders of the Lest We Forget Museum in Northeast Philadelphia. One can often find her at a local Black church sharing historical accounts. See more at: phillytrib.com.

8. All Female Christian Hip-Hop Cypher Is Fierce by Alex Osborne

Excerpt: Except for maybe Tupac’s Only God Can Judge Me, my exposure to Christian hip-hop is nil (I am assuming Tupac doesn’t really count anyway). That was until today, when Christian Hip-Hop’s YouTube channel posted this incredible cypher featuring an all female cast: Porsha Love, Speez Louise, Ily Rap, Ty Cage and Lady Adamas.The women all hail from Detroit and are serious about spreading the word of God through their raps. See more at: howlandechoes.com.

9. Too Blessed To Be Stressed? How Christianity is Harmful to Those With Mental Illness by Tracey Lloyd

Excerpt: I consider myself a Christian. I believe in God, I read the Bible, I go to church. My faith plays a role in certain aspects of my disease, but this wasn’t always the case. Earlier in my Christian journey, and before I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I had experiences that would lead me to believe that Christianity and mental illness could not be reconciled. That information came not from the Bible, but from how some Christians exhibit their faith. See more at: madamenoire.com.

10. The Emotional Verbal Abusive Narcissistic Church Mother

Excerpt: My mother is the oldest girl out of nine children who was raised in a single parent home by my grandmother. When my mother was six years old, her father died in a car accident. One could only imagine the devastation and impact that a child at the age of my mother could’ve experienced due to the sudden death of her father. My grandfather’s death trigger the narcissistic behavior that my mother suffers with today. See more at: preyingnarcissist.blogspot.com.

So I’ve covered pop culture, mental health and faith, an Episcopal saint, a new slavery museum and more…how did you like the list?

Any thoughts?

Was It Wrong for ‘Sunday Best’ Winner Le’Andria Johnson to be Drunk Allegedly on Periscope?

Hello World, periscope

I was scheduled to write a recap of Season 1 Episode 7 of “Born Again Virgin” but after checking my Google Analytics this morning and seeing that my blog post on Le’Andria Johnson got some major hits yesterday, I decided to do a quick Google search on Season 3 “Sunday Best” winner and GRAMMY Award winner Le’Andria Johnson and why she was blowing up yesterday. And this is the result I got – “leandria johnson drunk on periscope.” Well, so I went to a link and this is what has caused the hubbub, according to to the September 8 blog post “Gospel Singer LeAndria Johnson Appears Drunk And A Lil Off On Periscope” on yallknowwhat.com.

No one loves Periscope as much as we do. The newest social media craze has gotten everyone broadcasting 24 hours a day. This is a dream come true for fans of celebrities. On the other hand, it allows the public to see different artists in their element and their comfort zone.

Unfortunately, this isn’t a good thing for some celebs. It proved to be a disaster for gospel singer Le’Andria Johnson last night. Thousands of viewers witnessed the Season 3 Sunday Best winner ranting for 10 minutes about different things. She admitted to drinking Patron during her Periscope video, she cursed a few times, and she was blasting secular music (Drunk In Love) in the background.

The video of Le’Andria Johnson on Periscope has seen been removed but the damage has been done. Whoa!!! I have lots of thoughts about this. First thought, Le’Andria Johnson has never claimed to be a saint. She is a Christian saint but not a saint by the most widely accepted definition. In my interview with her, the preacher’s daughter admitted she has been divorced twice and was pregnant as a single mother while recording her third album under “Le’Andria Johnson, The Experience.” And she even started Imperfect People Changing Ministries during that time period. As a preacher’s daughter myself and an imperfect one at that, I have real empathy for her and her story. While I’m not a two-time divorcée or have given birth to children out of wedlock, I’ve indulged in my fair share of sin. And there is a lot of pressure to be perfect as a pastor’s daughter that other Christians don’t understand. And Le’Andria Johnson spoke about that in my interview of her.

leandriaAs a pastor’s daughter, did you ever resent the requirements of ministry on you parents?

Heck yeah! Yes, I did, because I was taught God, God, God, God, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. There ain’t anything wrong with that but I never understood life because we were always in some Bible meeting. We were always in some revival. We were always in some shut in…Being in church all of my life crippled me. That’s how the whole issue with men that I was dealing with came to be…I couldn’t wait to put on a pair of booty shorts. I couldn’t wait to put on a pair of hoop earrings, red lipstick, eyelashes…I couldn’t wait to get tattoos… I couldn’t wait to smoke, couldn’t wait to drink, couldn’t wait to have sex…But by me doing those things, I had to go through my own personal issues and in that I found God to be who they didn’t teach me He was. I was taught that God is a ‘reprimander’ and that He was jealous. I was taught that God was going to punish you for this. It was negative…But I found out He was the sweetest. He is the sweetest man I’ve ever known…I had to find all of that stuff out after I did the sin…

All that being said, if Le’Andria Johnson was allegedly drunk on Periscope, blasting “Drunk in Love” in the background while cursing, is that wrong? Well, first of all, it’s funny to death…C’mon man, you know it is…Secondly, it was bad judgment. I don’t think anyone wants to see their favorite gospel singer turnt in real time with Beyoncé in the background…But here’s the thing…What if she likes to drink Patron, listen to Beyoncé and curse in the privacy of her own home  but did not broadcast it for the masses to see? Would that make her any less of a sinner – according to some people’s assessment? Would it disqualify her to be a gospel singer and minister? Before I answer these questions, there are two verses that should be referenced here…

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. James 3:1

So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live–for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.
 1 Corinthians 8:13

I have never wanted to be a pastor because of that first verse. Pastors do get held to a higher standard. It’s a part of the job description. Le’Andria Johnson does not profess to be a pastor but she does have a platform as a gospel singer and minister so that verse could be applied to her situation too. But let me not be a hypocrite, I remember after my book came out, my father had a discussion with me about how I conducted myself in public. Basically, he told me that people would be watching me. And that is true. I remember I went to restaurant/club to a birthday party for a friend, and I was dancing with my husband and I felt someone looking at me. I came of age during the Booty Shake music era so when I dance, I’m not doing a two-step…And I remember on another occasion, I went to a restaurant with some friends who all ordered drinks, and I declined – not because I didn’t want one or think it’s wrong to have a drink but because of how it would look. I hate that. I truly do because I’m just a regular ole girl tryin’ to get this thang right with God at the end of the day…

But according to the second verse, it’s not about me – particularly in public. As a Christian, your main job is tell others about Christ. period. the end. And even if you like to get turnt in your house, if doing that in public will cause even one person to think you (the Christian) is crazy and that Christ may not be all that because of you, then you have to check yourself. I hate that too. I do. But it’s true.

So back to to the questions that I asked. We are all sinners saved by the grace of God, but the fact of the matter is that none of us, not even preachers and teachers, will be without sin until we get to Heaven. However, that being said, that is not an excuse to act like we don’t know what the Bible says because will will never get it right. In fact, that means that we have to depend on the Holy Spirit even more to do what is right…And the Holy Spirit will convict you of what is wrong and what is right and help you do the right thing according to YOUR personal relationship with God…For example, according to my own personal relationship with God,  I don’t have to listen to gospel music all day long…I love gospel music, but I’d die and have to go to Heaven right now if I had to listen to gospel music all day every day…And if you see me out and about acting “non Christianly,” try not judge me. God is not through with me yet, and I’m still working out my salvation fa sho…And trust that my personal relationship with God is the best thang that eva happened to me!!!

Finally, that’s why y’all need to stay off Periscope….

Any thoughts?

P.S. I hope to have my “Born Again” recap up by tomorrow…