Motherhood: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Mother's Day 2012

Since giving birth for the first time on December 3, 1989, I've known how much of a blessing the assignnment of "motherhood" is, but as the sweethearts who were once my little girls have grown into womanhood, I realize more and more that being a mother is, to me, the greatest calling to which God could have ever charged me. To do it properly is not easy. The physical process of birthing children is challenging enough; especially for those of us who did it naturally without pain medication of any kind. But motherhood doesn't stop there; that's only the beginning. Mothering isn't just a job. It's a lifetime career...and it's quite possibly the toughest commitment a woman could ever make. However, what I have learned is that when it's done God's way, it is also the most rewarding.

When they were toddlers, preteens, and even teenagers bordering on adulthood, I had many people to tell me that I was too strict of a mother. I didn't allow them to go just anywhere, do just anything, or talk or behave any old kind of way. My daughters are my heart. Always have been, always will be. They are two people for which I would kill or be killed, and I have no qualms about saying that. I have given them my last. I have sacrificed my own needs so that theirs could be met. But none of that makes me anybody special. That just makes me a mother. Sacrificing and protecting our young should be what every mother does. It should be our natural instinct. We give, give, and give some more. This should be expected from us. Because we're mothers.

But what do we expect from our children...or do we expect anything at all? We are all born into this world as ignorant creatures. We know nothing until we are taught by way of example and education. Structure and discipline are a part of good mothering. When done the right way, they help our children learn right from wrong and help to keep them on the right path. I was a tough mama. I admit it, and I'm not regretful of it. I've loved my daughters every single day of their lives, but when they were children growing up in my home and under my roof, there were rules by which to live. Respect from them was earned and demanded; not only respect for me and for others, but also for themselves. A girl who respects herself will grow into a woman who  knows her worth. They got lots of hugs and kisses, but when needed, punishments were also given (and yes, that included spankings). Mama didn't play. Truth be told, she still doesn't, so don't let the short stature fool ya! On the dates that they were born (both are December babies just like me), I gave them back to God. I promised Him that I would raise them according to His will, and in return, I asked Him to make them instruments for His glory. I didn't know what their futures held, but I knew that I was placing them in the best of hands when I gave them back to Christ.

Two days before Mother's Day 2012, my firstborn graduated from The University of Georgia, having earned dual degrees (yes, two majors) in her four-year stint. She earned a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) and was named a "Grady Ambassador" by UGA's Grady School of Journalism and Mass Communications. Months before graduating, she had already been selected by the Teach for America Corps and had a job awaiting her, to educate and mold young minds in the elementary school system of Jacksonville, Florida.

Meanwhile, my baby girl has just successfully completed her freshman year and is now eagerly looking forward to return to Georgia Gwinnett College in the fall for her sophomore experience toward her degree in Business. She's bright, she's bold, she's beautiful (and she knows it...LOL!). No less than greatness is expected from her as she continues her journey through college, and I look forward to the day when I will see her take the same walk of excellence and achievement that her older sister just experienced.

The slogan, "the gift that keeps on giving" is a popular one. It's been used and reused for decades as a marketing tool to promote various products. However, I think it's perfectly fitting to use it to describe motherhood. The returns on good mothering never stop coming back to the giver. Even after our children reach adulthood, they will continue to give us returns on the greatest investment we've ever made. I'm a witness to that fact.

All Mother's Days are special to me, but this Mother's Day weekend felt more like extraordinary. My firstborn graduated college. My baby girl presented me with a touching card, a beautiful potted flower, and balloons. My firstborn cooked and served me breakfast in bed, and after the three of us attended Sunday worship together, she turned around and cooked and served me dinner in bed (both meals were delish). Even my baby girl's beau surprised me with roses as I still sat in bed after eating the dinner my firstborn had prepared for me. Today, I felt like a queen, and it's all because the gifts that God gave to me, that I turned around and gave back to Him, are continuing to give to me. That's a mouthful, I know. But if you didn't catch it the first time, read it again...it makes all the sense in the world.

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to be a mother. Please continue to hold my daughters in your protective, loving hands. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Write. Dream. Remember.

I'm convinced that there's just nothing like the simple things in life. For me, today has been one of the best Memorial Days in recent memory, and it has nothing to do with the typical celebrations that consist of grilled food, cold drinks, or dwelling among a host of friends. As a matter of fact, I never got out of my pajamas today, and there wasn't a pork rib or a piece of barbecue chicken anywhere near my house. Today, for me, was a day of reflection and memories...and all of it was unplanned.

My day started with a very late arising. I was up until almost 4:00 this morning because the writing bug bit me very late last night, and the creative juices were running so freely that I didn't want to stop until the river slowed. That was the reason for my late bedtime, and ultimately, it was the reason for my eyes not opening until 12:02 this afternoon. Once I got up and moving, I fired up my computer and began returning personal and business emails. Yes, it's a holiday, and technically, KNB Publications was closed for business, but I found myself working in spite of today's date.

After an hour or so, I took a break from my computer and began doing a little house cleaning. My husband was on his laptop taking care of a little business in his space, and I gave my daughter permission to attend a cookout at a friend's house, so my house was very quiet for most of today. As I was cleaning, I ran across a few greeting cards that I'd recently received for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, and I as I pulled out the drawer in which I normally file away keepsake cards, I noted that it was too full to accomodate my latest collection. I hadn't gone through this drawer in years, so I thought I'd take a moment to do so and perhaps, throw away some things in the process.

As I embarked on what should have been a small and short-order task, the drawer became a treasure chest of memories for me, and for that reason, Memorial Day seemed like the perfect time to have decided to do this impromptu cleaning. I smiled jus tabout the entire time as I pulled out stuff that I didn't even know I had, such as the original graduation invitation and graduation program that dated back to June 11, 1995, the date that my firstborn daughter (now a 21-year-old rising college senior) graduated from the daycare center where she got her earliest learning experiences as a toddler. Although that paperwork is now sixteen years old, it wasn't the oldest keepsake item that I found in the drawer. Soon after I discovered her daycare graduation papers, I found the cement handprint of a child. My first thought was that it was either something that one of my daughters had done in grade school, or it was a mold of my 14-year-old godson's hand, since he often came to stay with us when he was much younger. Well to my shock, I flipped the mold over and saw my name and the date of 5/72 (May 1972) carved into the molding. That little hand was mine at the age of five. I almost got emotional at the sight of it. That was my little hand! How cool!

Other things I found actually did make me a little emotional. There was a 220-page wirebound notebook in the drawer that had 219 blank pages. Only one page had words on it, and they were in my hand writing. It was a documentation of the last three days of my first husband's life. He was bedridden at the time, and I was his primary caregiver. I was administering his medicines and was keeping written documentation of each med I administered, the doseage of each that I gave him, and the time that I gave them to him. It was a bittersweet find, but it is still a memory that I would dare not discard. As a matter of fact, very few of the items that I pulled from the drawer were disposable. The memories they brought back were too fond. There were report cards from my daughters' school days, old printed programs from my childhood church home, newspaper articles that I wrote (as the reporter of my high school's FHA club) for the city newspaper, and an August 1981 edition of Ebony magazine with Jermaine Jackson on the cover(because when every other little girl in the world was in love with Michael, I was crushing on his older brother). I even found the printed program from my own high school graduation...an event that took place almost 27 years ago.

The find that held my attention the longest was a Dream Journal that I'd totally forgotten I had. My first entry in it is dated for January 5, 2003. Over the course of 30 days, I wrote in that journal almost daily. I don't know why I stopped, but as I read through all of the entries that I made, I was amazed to find that God has turned many of those dreams I had into reality. From my "dream" of being able to leave my 9 to 5 to become a full time writer, to my dream to becoming a national bestselling author, to my dream of seeing my daughters grow in grace and became beautiful women of God. All of those dreams that I put in writing back in 2003 have come true, and I'm grateful. Inside the journal, I also have documentation of some actual nighttime dreams that I had back then, and I'm thrilled that I wrote them down because I'd forgotten about them over the years, and being reminded of them through the words in the journal has been a refreshing experience.

Memorial Day 2011 has truly been about memories. Life is fleeting, and time passes so quickly that more and more, I am learning to cherish memories for the priceless jewels that they are. Happy Memorial Day to me...

Celebrating... "Song of Solomon"

I remember that feeling I experienced eight years ago when my first novel was released. There was this overwhelming sense of gratefulness; this 'wow factor' at the realization that God had not only shown me my purpose, but was also allowing me to walk in it. This month, my sixteenth novel was unveiled, and that same level of gratefulness still overtakes me. "My passion, my purpose, my pen." The joy and fulfillment that the combinaton of them continues to bring never stales.

Song of Solomon hit bookstores nationally on July 1st, but the official release celebration didn't take place until Saturday, July 10th. On that afternoon, a conference room full of Mississippians joined me at the Willie Morris Library located in the capital city of Jackson to help commemorate the occasion. The hosts for the afternoon were the members of Savvy Book Club (president, Rose Wright) and Books And Beignets (BAB) Book Club (president, Sonya Ward) . . . and what a celebration it was!
One thing I never do is score the book release celebrations that are thrown in honor of any of my novels. I wouldn't dare try and list them numerically, saying which was best, which was second best, and so forth. God has been very gracious to me over the years, and trying to categorize the special events would be too difficult a task to undertake. Every book release event that I've been blessed to have for any of my novels has been applause worthy, and the Song of Solomon affair was no different. The food, the fellowship, the fun . . . in a word, all of it was fabulous!
While I refuse to even attempt to rank my book releases, I will readily admit that there was something very unique about the event that marked Song of Solomon. I experienced a few "firsts" at this event and they made it all the more special. For the first time in my literary career, a radio remote was pitched from the location of my book release. Nikki Dulaney, of 95.5 Hallelujah FM, came and broadcasted live from Willie Morris Library while we were there celebrating. I had the opportunity to be interviewed and to address her listening audience, inviting them to come and join the celebration. Add to that another first . . . An award winning, legendary gospel artist performed at my function. To be clear, I've had a nationally recognized, award winning artist to entertain at a book release event before. My friend and spiritual brother, Lowell Pye (of Men of Standard), captivated the guests who attended the Fifteen Years book release back in February of this year. But the Song of Solomon commemoration marked the first time I'd ever had one to perform who is a seven-time Grammy nominated artist. Not only a seven-time Grammy nominated artist, but he's also a three-time Stellar Award winner. Not only a seven-time Grammy nominated, three-time Stellar Award winning gospel artist, but a gospel music legend. And not just any gospel music legend.
For five decades, The Williams Brothers have been trailblazers, blessing the world with great gospel music. And for three of those five decades, they have been my all-time favorite group. And anyone who knows me well, knows that lead vocalist, Melvin Williams, is unrivaled as my best loved gospel artist. So it was more than a delight; it was incredibly humbling to have Melvin accept my request to be at the book release for Song of Solomon. And not only be there, but to perform live for me and my guests. Undeniably, his presence and participation was a personal gift for me, but there was more to my request for his presence than he was aware. I had a few surprises up my sleeves for him, and thanks to the help of his faithful assistant who worked with me behind the scenes for months, we pulled it all off without a hitch.
Melvin had no clue that I'd dedicated Song of Solomon in his honor. If you read the book, you'll see the titles of all of his solo albums (typed in italics) as a part of my expressions on the dedication page. In addition, he had no knowledge that the lead male character in the book was inspired by him. I revealed all of that at the celebration, and to top it all off, just before he took the mic to sing, the host book clubs helped me present him with a cake to honor his approaching July 21st birthday. Melvin's music, his character, and his presence has been such a blessing to me over the years (there's a testimony behind that, which I shared with the attendees of the book release), and I wanted to use the platform of Song of Solomon to show a little of my gratitude. His generosity at the event was overwhelming. Not only did he render a wonderful mini-concert for the attending supporters, but he also gave free (yes, I said free) autographed CDs to every person who purchased a copy of Song of Solomon!
The celebration didn't end with Saturday's event. Each time that I travel on tour, I make an effort to find a local church to worship with before returning back to my home in metropolitan Atlanta. While in Mississippi, I chose Rose Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Smithdale. The shepherd of the house, Pastor Oliver Smith, is set to be the worship service speaker on Cruisin' For Christ IV when it launches next summer, so I thought I'd take advantage of the opportunity to get an advance taste of his ministry. My publicist and I rose early Sunday morning and drove from Jackson to Smithdale to be a part of the service there. It was well worth the 90-minute commute, and Pastor Smith's message was a perfect topper for our weekend. Following the benediction, he invited me to have a book signing in the fellowship hall of the church. The members of Rose Hill were extremely generous in their support, and just like he had done at the Saturday event, Melvin Williams was there at Rose Hill giving complimentary autographed CDs to all those who purchased Song of Solomon.
Quite honestly, I couldn't have asked for much more. A successful weekend book launch tour wherein I was blessed to sell an impressive number of books, spend time with friends and supporters, partake in my first live radio remote feature, worship at the church where the man I now call my "Mississippi pastor" is the presiding shepherd, and not only have my best loved singer perform at my book release, but be favored to share a signing table with him during both appearances. Is there any wonder that the Song of Solomon release celebration will forever be etched favorably in my memory banks?
Aside from the millions of thanks that I want to shower on Savvy, BAB, 95.5 Hallelujah FM, Pastor Oliver Smith, and all of the supporters in the Jackson and Smithdale areas, I would also like to send a warm heart full of overflowing gratitude to my publicist (Terrance Wooten), Melvin's assistant (Bridget Flury), and of course, to the incomparable Melvin Williams for the special parts they played in making the weekend more than special. And even though the celebratory weekend has ended, the reasons to be thankful continue.
Since our departure from Mississippi, I have received word that the Nikki's Hallelujah Book Club (on-air book club founded by Nikki Delaney at 95.5 Hallelujah FM) has chosen Song of Solomon as their featured book of the month. Additionally, Saavy Book Club has selected it for their August book of the month.
To God be the glory!

Happy Birthday To Me

Life is so beautiful. It's not always easy. It's not always what we expect. There are times when we struggle, times when we are sick, times that we are mistreated, times when life throws us curve balls, times when we grieve devastating losses, and even times when we think it can't get any worse. But regardless of its challenges and pitfalls, life is still beautiful, and I'd prefer it over the alternative anyday.
On December 17th, I celebrated my 43rd birthday....to God be the glory! Yes, I know that each year that passes is a reminder of the aging process, and maybe I'm crazy....but with each passing year, I feel younger and more zestful than ever. It's not because I'm rolling in dough or living in the lap of luxury. I'm far from it. In fact, financially, the year 2009 has been the most difficult that I've ever endured as an adult. But on Thursday, my 43rd birthday, I still felt like celebrating all day long.
In fact, the festivities began the night before. One of my best girlfriends treated me to an Atlanta Hawks game. It had been several years since I'd gone to one, and I'm not really a sports fan, but I had a blast just hanging out with my sisterfriend and cheering for the home team. Final score...Atlanta Hawks 110, Memphis Grizzlies 97. On Thursday morning, I got up thanking God for another inhale and exhale; another chance to celebrate life and for the mudslide of blessings that He has given me over the past 43 years. After my morning devotion and getting dressed, I stood by the staircase of my home and called for my older daughter, who is home from college for Christmas break, and asked her to take photos of me so that I could capture year 43 the same why I had done 40, 41, and 42. I don't know...but ever since turning 40, life has had new meaning; a new spice has added that has given it new flavor. I placed the first photo I took as the first one in this post and the last one as the last photo on this post. After my amateur photo shoot, my daughter and I jumped in the car and drove to Radio Shack where I blessed myself with an upgrade from the Sony Ericsson that I'd had for the past two or three years. While so many have now moved up to the iPhone, I'm just reaching BlackBerry status. I chose the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and have spent hours both hating and enjoying the process of learning how to use it (I think I've finally gotten the hang of it though).
When my younger daughter arrived home from high school, we were making plans for my birthday dinner. It's an annual event for me. Every birthday, my one wish is that my family and I all go out and eat together. But like I said...sometimes life throws curve balls. En route from work, my husband got stuck in a major traffic jam behind a five-car accident that had all lanes of the highway closed. Time ticked away as he sat frustrated on the interstate. Finally he called and said for the girls and me to go out, promising that we'd do something as a family later. Our plans were forced to change, but the dinner was still a treat. I thoroughly enjoyed what had become a girls' night out as my daughters and I dined at Chilli's, one of my favorite eaterys. After feasting on a basket of chips and salsa, I chose shrimp and fries as my celebratory meal. Simple but delicious. The waiter gave me a free dessert (chocolate cake and ice cream) to mark the occasion (thank goodness I didn't have to endure the embarrassment of a stream of servers standing over me clapping and singing off-key). I broke every one of my eating rules when I ate that dessert, but oh well... :-)

December 17th was a day filled with cards, gifts, food, photos.....and writing. Oh come on...you knew I had to get some writing done, right? What's a birthday without writing (LOL). I received tons of thoughtful well-wishes on my Facebook, MySpace, and Tagged networks......some from people I know and others I don't, but I was grateful for each and every one. I am extremely appreciative for all the gifts, both virtual and actual that I received, but as with most people, I have a personal favorite among them. What was my favorite gift to mark my 43rd birthday? A serenade. I received a special rendition of "Happy Birthday" by way of a phone call from my all-time favorite gospel singer....a six-time Grammy nominated, 3-time Stellar Award winning legend. If you really know me, you know who that is. If you don't know who it is, I'll just leave you guessing (smile).

Happy Birthday to me.....

My First Nonfiction - Stay Tuned...

Today is Monday, October 5, 2009, and I'm going to try as much as possible to abbreviate this blog entry. There is so much to be said. This date marks the fourteen-year anniversary of the death of my beloved first husband. I've rarely put anything in writing about the life and legacy of Jimmy Lee Holmes. He was an outgoing, fun-loving, God-fearing man who was loved and respected by most. In addition to being a devoted husband, father, and friend, he was a highly gifted singer and preacher and served in the capacity of choir director, youth pastor, and ultimately as senior pastor. Until now, nearly all of my written referencing of him has been in the brief accolades that I've dedicated to him on the acknowledgements pages of each of my fictional novels. For most, this is the first time a visual image of him has been seen (see photo). So why, after so many years, have I now decided to write about him? The truth of the matter is that it wasn't necessarily my decision to make. God has said that now is the time, and I am finally adhering to His will.
On this day, I am actively embarking upon the challenge of writing my first nonfiction. Doing this wasn't an overnight decision. It's been a very long time coming. Even before Jimmy's death back in 1995, I had begun writing somewhat of a documentary that was based upon his life. I never had any intention to publish those notations, I was just recording them (with his input) as a way to have a written legacy for our daughters to read and keep close at heart. Something that would insure that no matter how many years passed, they would never forget their doting daddy. Unfortunately, Jimmy passed away before we could finish the project, and my zeal to write it died right along with him. In 1999 (I'd remarried by this time), my current husband bought me a new computer, and I sat down and began writing again. I remember opening a new document and the first words I typed were "I Shall Not Die" which was the title of the last sermon that Jimmy preached. Those words began a painful purging process that ended 125 pages later. I'm sure that I cried more during the weeks that it took me to write out those thoughts than in all the years of my life combined. Once again, those where private writings that I never intended to publish, and when I placed the period on the last sentence of those pages, I thought that all had been said and done.
Little did I know that God wasn't through. A private journal couldn't bless anyone but me, and God wanted to use Jimmy's life to touch the masses. It was a year later, the year that would mark the fifth anniversary of Jimmy's death, that the Lord began nudging me to pick up a pen and begin the process again. By that time, I'd begun writing Christian fiction manuscripts which were beginning to form a small pile behind my bed. There were still no publishing endeavors. I was writing for the therapeutic value only; I found that writing fiction stories was relaxing and liberating. Writing them brought me joy, unlike the experience of writing the "I Shall Not Die" memoirs. When I continued to feel the divine nudging to write a fiction piece based on Jimmy's life, I procrastinated. In this case, that's a nice way of saying that I refused. To a degree, I tuned out God's voice. I told Him that I would begin to write it before the end of that year, but I can't honestly say that I ever had any intention of following through with it. Thank God for His longsuffering and forgiveness.
From that point on, the call to write an "I Shall Not Die" project for publishing purposes never ceased. After reneging to obey within the fifth year, I began saying that I'd wait until the tenth year. By then, I reasoned, I'd be in a better position both mentally and spiritually to write Jimmy's and my full story; to go back and reopen the painful wounds of losing someone so dear so that I could expand upon the 125 pages that had been written in 1999. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that the ten year anniversary (2005) rolled in and out without me even so much as writing one word of the book that had been ordered by God years earlier. I have been abundantly blessed that even in my procrastination/disobedience, God has shown much favor to the Christian fiction novels that I have written and began publishing in 2002. But now I can't help but wonder where my career might be today had I been obedient from the start. Hmmmm....
At any rate, let's fast forward to the year 2009. This year, God made it clear that my five-year increments of procrastination were over. The well of His grace was running dry. October 5, 2010 will mark fifteen years since Jimmy's death, and the Lord said that October 2009 was the time to start writing, and October 2010 was the month of release. His unmistakable order began manifesting itself early in the year. I didn't realize at the time that it was His doing, but God allowed me to be hurt by people that I'd done nothing but helped. It was His way of revealing to me who my true friends and supporters were because only those who were true to the core needed to be in my circle once this journey began taking wings. Seeds of what was inevitably to come began being planted in me this year by people who had no prior knowledge of my past life with Jimmy or the charge to write this book that was initially given in the year 2000. The insight they had could have only come from God. The most prominent eye-opener for me was made during my April 2009 visit to Hamden, Connecticut where I had gone to meet with Genesis Book Club to celebrate the release of The Lyons Den. The day after the book release event, I visited Love Center Deliverance Ministries, and the co-pastor, Dr. Kim Carmichael was speaking. As she began praying for and prophesying to the people, she suddenly turned to me and told me that eyes had not yet seen nor had ears heard what the Lord was going to do in my writing ministry. At the closing of her prophesy, she said, "There's a book inside of you that you haven't written yet. God says that you know what that book is, and He says when you write it, you're going to see Him bless you on an international level. You will become a household name." My tears overflowed because I immediately knew that the book she was referencing was I Shall Not Die. In emotional contrast, I had to laugh recently when I went back home to speak at my father's church, and as he held a copy of one of my other novels in his hand, he turned to me and asked, "When am I going to see a picture of you on the front of one of your books? I keep seeing a picture of you on the front cover." I knew immediately that the book he was "seeing" was I Shall Not Die.
So the time is indeed now. As soon as I gave up the losing battle and told God yes, doors began to open (for speaking engagements) that will serve as preludes to the platform of my newly expanded empowerment ministry. Additionally, when I moved out of the way and allowed God to have His way, I found out that this process wasn't going to be the painful punishment that I'd been needlessly running away from. If I had just allowed God to finish speaking to me all those years ago instead of basically tuning Him out, I would have known that the manner in which He was directing me to write this ministerial tool would not bring on the intense pain that my fallible mind had concluded that it would. Writing it will not bring grief to me, neither will reading it bring grief to others. Instead, it will offer hope and equip God's people for such a time as this. I Shall Not Die is going to allow me to encourage people to live, and now, for the first time in fourteen years, the zeal to write it has returned.
My first nonfiction entitled, I Shall Not Die: Living A Psalm 118:17 Existence will make its debut in October of 2010. I have never been so excited about the writing of or the pending release of a book as I am this one. Stay tuned!

Cruisin' For Christ III: From Glory to Glory

September 5-12, 2009 marked the dates of the third launching of Cruisin' For Christ, and my, what a magnificent experience it was! Not only did this year's mission bring our largest attendance ever, but it was also the most extraordinary mission to date. Registered guests from all over the United States, and even some from as far as Canada, boarded the Carnival Glory in Orlando, Florida, and were blessed by the full week of events that our agenda entailed. Each year, the planning and organizing of Cruisin' For Christ is a difficult task, but this year, the challenge was greater than ever before. Over the years, scripture lessons have taught me that "the greater the battle, the greater the blessing," and it held true to this year's cruise. I knew that there was a great reward awaiting all of us once we crossed the threshold and boarded the ship. And indeed there was! From the initial gathering on the evening of our first day at sea, God's presence was there in the midst, and it all just got better with each passing day.

This year, we visited ports in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, as well as Belize City, Belize and Nassau, Bahamas. There was fellowship on the ship and fun in the sun that registrants won't soon forget. As always, Cruisin' For Christ highlighted some respected names in the gospel industry. Featured guests this year included Stellar Award winner, Jonathan Nelson (of Jonathan Nelson & Purpose) and Stellar and Dove Award winner, Melvin Williams (of the legendary group, The Williams Brothers). Other featured artists were the beautiful LaShell Griffin (Oprah's Pop Star Challenge winner), Stellar Award nominated artist, Marcus Cole (formerly of Commissioned),the incomparable K&K Mime (founders of gospel mime), and multi-talented funny man, Roderick Allison aka ("Rod of God"). Cruisin' For Christ III also spotlighted the varied ministries of acclaimed saxophonist, Antonio Allen, actor, Brian Hurst (of Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes To Jail"), and comedians, DL Henry and Hen Sapp (brother of Marvin Sapp). Co-Hosts for this year's mission were comedian, James Ford (aka "The Storyteller") and Atlanta's popular Praise 102.5 radio host, Rhodell Lewis (aka "Rhodell in the ATL). Aside from myself, other featured authors were Kim Brooks, Maurice Gray, Jackie Moore, Adrian Bellamy, and Coylette James.

Not only were cruise goers blessed to enjoy some show-stopping, boat-rocking, high-praising concerts, but Cruisin' For Christ offered a wealth of valuable information by way of educational workshops that highlighted an array of important topics from worship mentorship to HIV/AIDS awareness to how to manage stress in kingdom careers. The spiritual and women's empowerment seminars were highly applauded, and attendees raved about the sessions set aside specifically for single Christians and married couples. In addition, there were enlightening panel discussions where topics of ministering through Christian writing (fiction and nonfiction), Christian music (gospel and inspirational), and Christian entertainment (acting, comedy, and mime) were expounded upon through lively moderated Q&A sessions between our featured guests and our onboard registrants.
Our time of worship during Sunday morning service was spiritually rejuvenating, and the night that was set aside to honor the founder - that would be me :-) - was beyond special as several of the artists performed and the attendees packed out the space, dressed in their best formal wear. Though organized and structured, the agenda for Cruisin' For Christ III was also a boatload (pun intended) of fun. Edward Watson (aka DJ E. Double U) of the renowned Go Ye DJs was a mix master extraordinaire as he played the hot music mixes that kept us clapping, singing, and dancing during CFC's onboard signature Praise Party and the Old School Jam. And the sightseeing was a beautiful experience during our times on each island that we visited throughout the week. Oh, what a time!

When God gave me the vision for Cruisin' For Christ back in 2006, I never saw it becoming the celebrated ministry that it has grown to be. But as phenomenal as these past three missions have been, I know that the best is yet to come. Each time we embark on another CFC venture, the Lord lifts us to a higher wave (pun intended again) of ministry and a deeper level of fellowship. Even through the challenges and trials that come with handling a mammoth undertaking such as this one, God is faithful. He and He alone gets the glory for giving us yet another highly successful conference. But I know that it would not have been what it was without all of the gifted artists and the registrants who traveled along. So a big CFC "Thank you" goes to each of them.

Wish you had been there? Don't waddle in regret, just join us the next time. We're doing it again, and once more, we will be joined by some of gospel music's finest; along with bestselling authors, celebrated comedians, gifted musicians, and other Christian industry professionals. Our fourth launching will take place in 2011 which gives all who are interested plenty of time to make preparations. Check our website often as the dates for Cruisin' For Christ IV and an affordable payment installment schedule will soon be posted. You may also refer to the website to see more photos of the 2009 mission (special thanks to APV Images, our official onboard photographer) and to read the feedback that has been posted from many of this year's attendees.

Mark my words...we're taking it to heaven in 2011....Don't miss the boat!

New Group for Aspiring & New Writers

I know I'm not the only one who the game of life has thrown curve balls to at one time or another. I'm inclined to believe that the majority of us have made plans or had long-term goals for something that didn't quite turn out the way that we thought it would when we first laid the initial foundation. Can I get an amen? Well, if you're like me, you ultimately take these curve balls as a reminder that you're not the one who is in control to begin with. Sometimes, as unexpected as they may be, they serve as a divine shifting in the path that we are traveling. These curves are simply a result of God's desire for us to change directions and/or regroup. Don't you just love the way He does things?

In January of this year, I was pitched one of those undesired balls, and the curve was so steep that I not only was unable to hit it, but it hit me. Hard. It was one of those balls whose impact brought so much discomfort and discombobulation that I had to call a time-out so that I could give the pain time to dissolve, my lungs time to regain the wind that had been knocked out of them, and my body time to muster up the strength to get up off the ground. Amazingly, it only took a few seconds for all of that to take place. And once I'd brushed off the dirt that lingered from the fall, God planted a new seed that He promised to grow bigger and better I imagined. Thus, the Writer's Cocoon Focus Group was born.

Through this newly established national organization, designed specifically for aspiring and new writers, I am able to continue living out my Spirit-induced passion for helping up and coming writers through the process of creating their literary projects and even assisting them beyond the writing process into the publishing and marketing aspects of the business. Often times, I receive generous emails from the wonderful members of this group who pour out their heartfelt thanks for the insight I share with them in our online forum and even in our periodic in-person group meetings. While I appreciate all of their accolades, knowing that I've helped them in some way is plenty thanks enough for me.

I am grateful to God for this new platform that He has inspired and enabled me to build. If you are a new or aspiring artist who is serious about attaining your goals as a fiction or nonfiction writer, and you are interested in being a part of the Writer's Cocoon Focus Group, please visit the website and click on the link to join.

Official website: Writer's Cocoon Focus Group