Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2014

Making Your Divine Appointment…

Hello World,

Delta Authors on Tour…

Yesterday was a whirlwind of a day…I had gotten up around 5:30 a.m. to pray and write and then I mapped out the rest of day…I had planned to go the Delta Authors on Tour event for a couple of hours and then get on with my Saturday washing clothes, grocery shopping, etc. – basically the mundane stuff…

In my mind, I was grumbling about the various things I needed to get done – the fun stuff and not-so-fun stuff…I LOVE to write, but writing this first novel has been a challenging feat for me for several reasons…For the sake of brevity, I will only name two…Reason #1…Up until the last year or so, I haven’t read a novel in some years…I’m a non-fiction afficionado…In fact, even though I’ve been a part of a book club that has read novels for roughly 16 years, I have read very few of them (I’m grateful they allow me to come back to meetings 🙂 ) Reason #2…Since I’m trained as a journalist, I can whip up a competent article or two or three if threatened in a few hours…But writing chapters and for hundreds of pages is a marathon I’ve never run before…

The not-so-fun stuff was obviously my household chores…Sometimes my week is so hectic, I have to relegate mundane chores to the weekend…and the last thing I want to do on a weekend is wash clothes, plan meals, clean, etc. When I was single, I could ignore all of the not-so-fun stuff and let things pile up including dishes, clothes, dust bunnies, etc. But now that someone is living with me, I no longer have that luxury…(although my husband would probably argue that I still allow myself that luxury…)

Sorors Dr. Fran Breakfield & L.D. Wells...

Sorors Dr. Francene Breakfield & L.D. Wells…

So yesterday, I had all of that planned as I charged into Greenbriar Mall where the Delta Authors on Tour event was held. My plan was to stay there for two hours tops…I was there to support two of my collegiate chapter sorors L.D. Wells and Dr. Francene Breakfield and then meet newly minted Soror Suzan Johnson Cook, who is not only a former pastor and current author, she also served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom…But when I was told Soror Johnson Cook wouldn’t be there until 3 p.m., I realized that my day would unfold as planned…

Me & Soror, Dr., Ambassador & More Suzan Johnson Cook…

How many of you know that “in their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps?” (Proverbs 16:9)

What I understand now is that I had a divine appointment to be there and not just for two hours but for the WHOLE day…I got there early about 11 ish in the morning and didn’t make it home until roughly the same time last night…

Me & Soror Victoria Christopher Murray…

While I was there I met Soror Suzan Johnson Cook whose book “A New Dating Attitude” made me know that I know that I know that I truly know my husband was and is God’s best for me…But that wasn’t the only reason I was there…I reconnected with authors I’ve met before such as Victoria Christopher Murray and met authors I’ve never met before such as Angela Ray, Dr.

From left to right, Dr. Martha Ward Plowden, L.D. Wells, Brenda Jackson, Dr. Fran Breakfield

Majorie L. Kimbrough, Dr. Martha Ward Plowden, Ruth P. Watson, Stephanie Perry Moore and Brenda Jackson…In fact, I hobnobbed with the Delta Authors on Tour so much I was invited to go to dinner with them that evening at The Pecan restaurant in downtown College Park…New York Times Best-Selling Author Brenda Jackson, who I’m ashamed I’ve never heard of before yesterday, has written over 100 books!!! (Y’all know she has been blessed by God, all gifts do come from Him…)

Stephanie Perry Moore and one of her adorable young fans…

The conversation at dinner encouraged me to continue in my divine appointment of being a wife (maybe mother someday…I know I’m 41 and the countdown has started…Mind yo business 🙂 ) and an author with dreams so big only God can accomplish them through me…

As I and some of the author Delta Authors on Tour made our way back to our cars, little did we know that we had another divine appointment…We met a dynamic downtown College Park business owner that regaled us with story after story after story of her “mustard seed” faith and how she encourages people to not only dream but to WAKE UP!

Don’t we look hungry? LOL…Me & Angela Ray…

And I’m only giving you the “public personal” version of the divine appointments that I experienced yesterday because I’m still pondering everything and this is the Internet…lol…

So this morning, I’m awake and ready to continue to writing this novel that I hope to have “spit shined” and ready for perusal next month…Y’all keep me in prayer…

Won’t He Do It! Guess What? He Already Did!

Any thoughts?

Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2012

Why Did You Allow This to Happen, God? A church tragedy unfolds…

Hello World,

By now, many of you know about the tragedy that occurred at World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia last Wednesday? If you have not heard of it, let me fill you in. As Greg McDowell, 39, was leading a prayer service Wednesday morning, Floyd Palmer, 59, a former World Changers employee allegedly walked into the church and shot McDowell six times, according to the AJC. McDowell, a husband and father of two toddlers, died shortly thereafter.

Later on Wednesday, Palmer, who apparently has shot a man before and spent time in a mental institution, was arrested and will likely be punished for his alleged actions. Still, whatever satisfaction McDowell’s family may feel as the alleged shooter is now in police custody, it does not answer the question, “Why Did You Allow This to Happen, God?”

The day following the shooting, I overheard some people at work discussing the shooting and they pondered why God would allow a man to be shot and killed as he was praying inside of a church no less. And it does seem ironic that a man who was obviously demonstrating his dependence on the Omniscient Power of the universe was not made aware of pending tragedy and spared from harm…

I’m not even going to lie. I don’t understand. I won’t even pretend that I do. But I do think that God will comfort McDowell’s wife and children and extended family in the days to come and give them insight as they seek His guidance and care. As one pastor said at a memorial service I recently attended, we won’t always understand everything that happens which is the essence of faith, but God will see us through everything that happens. My all-time favorite writer Catherine Marshall’s husband Pastor Peter Marshall, 46, died after suffering a heart attack when she was 34 years old, and she too pondered why God would allow this happen to them? She wrote about seeking God for answers to this tragedy in one of my favorite books “To Live Again.” She writes about feeling duped by God, being angry with God and questioning her faith altogether…She got all sorts of answers that can be read about in the book, but ultimately, she claimed this verse, my absolute favorite verse in the entire Bible, for herself and her nine-year-old son as they faced life without her husband…

And we know that in all things (good and bad) God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Why do think God allows tragedies to occur in the lives of Christians? This song seems appropriate this morning…

Any thoughts?

Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Return to Banneker High School…20 years later…

Hello World,

I’m not ashamed to admit that 20 years ago, 1992, I graduated from Benjamin Banneker High School in College Park…I am ashamed to admit that since then I had not been back to my high school alma mater until Monday…

As a part of Banneker’s Homecoming Week Celebration with the theme “The Rise of the Trojans,” BHS Alumni Association representative Michael Shepherd, class of 1993, invited Banneker alum to return to be a part of the homecoming festivities starting with Career Day!

First of all, I was impressed with the brand new buildings that are now Banneker High School! Gone are the dusty trailers that were a daily part of my schedule at BHS! The new school is beautiful and looks like a mini-college campus. I’ve always loved to go to school (at least most days), but going to such a beautiful school would have definitely enhanced my high school days all those years ago now. But I will stop telling you about what I saw. Instead of I will show you what I saw…

Isn’t this a beautiful and impressive new building?

Alum were invited to assemble in the media center before we got started with Career Day…

Class of 1993 member Alfred Bacon, who has a high-tech computer job, came back…

Class of 1992 member Shaun Ware came back to show her support…We still look good 🙂

William Arnold III, who I think is in the class of 1990, and another BHS alum showed up…

Mike Crooms aka Mr. Collipark aka DJ Smurf, class of 1991, represented…

Another BHS alum…

BHS Principal Mr. William Bradley took a picture with me…Mr. Bradley was a BHS teacher when I was there…

A new generation of BHS teachers…Looking younger than some of the the alum 🙂

Just another view of the fabulous new media center…

I spoke to a 10th grade language arts class taught by Ms. Marscida Kinlaw, my friend and BHS Class of 1990 alum…I love that she teaches at BHS!

Ms. Kinlaw let me pretend to be a teacher…Unfortunately I was not able to take pics with her class, but the funniest part of my discussion with the students was trying to explain the concept of pagers to them…Communication technology has certainly evolved since 20 years ago 🙂

Following our presentations, BHS ROTC members escorted alum to the auditorium for a Career Day assembly…

The auditorium…Only select members of the school were allowed to attend the assembly…

Members of the 2012 BHS Homecoming Court…

2012 BHS Homecoming King and Queen listen to Mike Shepherd encourage BHS students…

His words of wisdom really inspired the students…

Mike handed out candy as a part of his presentation…

The students were really excited about Mike throwing candy into the crowd…

BHS alum and BHS ROTC…It was so good to come back…

Final pics before leaving…

On the way to my car…

Driving off of the BHS property…It was my first time back, but it won’t be my last…I hope to see more BHS alum at the new and improved Banneker High School in the near future…

Any thoughts?