Posted on Wednesday, November 4, 2015

The Top 10 Blog Posts and or Articles for Black Christian Women in October 2015

Pastor Virzola Law, Pastor Shonda Reynolds Christian and Robert Edwards, missionary

Pastor Virzola Law, Pastor Shonda Reynolds Christian and Roberta Edwards, missionary

Hello World,

I’m back with another list of interesting blog posts and or articles for black Christian women that intrigued me as a black Christian woman ( but you don’t have be a black Christian woman to to check them out:) ! ) Let me know if you like my list! Enjoy…

1. “1st Sermon for Lindenwood Christian Church’s First Black, Female Pastor” by WMCActionNews5.com Staff

Excerpt: Pastor Virzola Law had been a guest speaker at Lindenwood on several occasions before she was voted in as pastor in June of 2015. In her first sermon, Pastor Law focused on unity. “I’m just amazed you called somebody as tanned and beautiful as I am to be your pastor,” Law said. See more at: wmcactionnews5.com.

2. “Tenn. Assoc. Disfellowships Church With Female Pastor” by David Roach

Excerpt: After Greater Tabernacle called Shonda Reynolds Christian as pastor in June, “we asked them to reconsider,” Lawrence Association director of missions Mike Kemper told BP. “They took two weeks, and they called us back and said, ‘We have decided to keep our woman pastor.’ So really, they made their own decision about that, knowing the consequences and knowing what would come.” See more at: bpnews.net.

3.“For Brown Girls Who Considered Leaving the Church When the Sexism Was Too Much” by The Churched Feminist

Excerpt: Let’s break that down even further: single Black women are a large percentage of black church membership. But I have not encountered many single Black female Christians who were happy and content with the so-called “singles’ ministries” of the churches they attend. The lack of attention to this large segment of the church renders them invisible. Add to that the erasing effect stereotypes have upon Black female humanity and I think becomes clear why some brown girls have considered leaving the church when the sexism got to be too much. See more at: thechurchedfeminist.com.

4. ”Roberta’s Mission: Decatur Men Carrying on Work of American Missionary Killed in Haiti” by Catherine Godbey

Excerpt: JoJo is one of the tens of thousands of women and children Edwards reached through her 19 years of mission work in Haiti. While her children’s home housed 20 orphans, the 55-year-old Tennessee woman ran a nutrition center that fed 160 children twice a day, oversaw a sewing program for women, managed the chicken coop and distributed food to three orphanages.In a country with an illiteracy rate of 52 percent, Edwards demanded the children at SonLight learn how to read. Encouraged by Edwards’ efforts, a girl, who at one time lived on the streets, received admission into Freed-Hardeman University. Held accountable by the woman he called “mom,” a boy attended and graduated from medical school. See more at: decaturdaily.com.

5. “Pentecostal Minister Rev. Leah Daughtry Is 2016 Democratic National Convention CEO” by Faithfully Magazine Staff

Excerpt: Daughtry, 52, grew up in Brooklyn steeped in political and civil-rights activism. She’s the eldest child of the Rev. Herbert Daughtry, pastor of the House of the Lord Church, whose ministry mixes the all-in fervor of Pentecostal Christianity with doses of black liberation theology. Leah Daughtry followed in the family tradition. She is an ordained Pentecostal minister with a small congregation in Southwest Washington, a member of the fifth generation of pastors in her family. See more at: faithfullymagazine.com.

6. “Susanna Wesley, Joan of Arc, Rosa Parks and Other Ordinary-Extraordinary Women God Used to Change the World” by Nicola Menzie

Excerpt: In Seven Women, author Eric Metaxas offers up little-known details about the inspiring lives of seven women, including Susanna Wesley, mother of vastly influential Christian ministers John and Charles Wesley; Joan of Arc, the teen martyr who changed the course of a war with claims of being guided by “voices;” and Rosa Parks, whose decision to say “no” led to her becoming the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement.” See more at: christianpost.com.

7. What Leaders Can Learn From Black Churches About Keeping Team Members Engaged” by Tara-Nicholle Nelson

Excerpt: Black churches have their own issues, to be sure. But one thing many of them do well is foster a culture of conversation. Here’s an anthropological experiment for you: If you’ve never attended a black church, take two hours this Sunday and do so. You’ll learn, quickly, that a black church service is not a spectator sport. Black pastors are notorious for engaging their audiences in a two-way conversation. They look for, expect and sometimes flat out demand audience participation from the first note of the first song to the closing benediction. It’s not for nothing that the saying “Can I get an amen?” has penetrated the larger lexicon. See more at: entrepreneur.com.

8. “‘Salt’: New Talk Show For Black Christian Millennials Hits YouTube” by Hello Beautiful Staff

Excerpt: Hosted by Michelle Jenkins, Yeira De Leon, J. Jones, and L.A. Bonds, Salt will engage in no-holds-barred conversations ranging from news of the day to beauty, fashion and colorism in the Black community. The four outspoken women will also keep it real about their own personal relationships. Whether married, single or somewhere in between (think Netflix and Chill), Salt wants to add its flavor to your Sundays. With a focus on faith and Christianity, Salt’s goal is not just to entertain. According to a statement released exclusively to Newsone, the women also want to “win back the lost.” See more at: hellobeautiful.com.

9.”Joy105.com CEO Crystal Smith on the Black church and Min. Farrakhan” by Mo Barnes

Excerpt: Is there room for his message in the Black church? This is a decision that lies on every pastor individually. I have known of Minister Farrakhan speaking in churches and I have heard leaders state they would never have him in their church. I often shake at the phrase “black church.” I am a firm believer in the Holy Bible and it speaks in Eph. 5:27 of a “glorious church” that God is coming back for. I didn’t see a color associated with it; therefore, I choose to be a part of the one He is coming back for. Minister Farrakhan is a voice to the Black community, like him or not. See more at: rollingout.com.

10. ”Empire’ Takes Spiritual Warfare Of Good Versus Evil To New Level by Oretha Winston

Excerpt: Andre chose to be baptized and invited his father. Luscious showed up, but was repulsed by the scene as it forced him to recall ugly memories. This is a classic case of evil co-opting a good experience and tainting it. Luscious could not see the beauty of his son’s redemption because it was ruined by the memory of abuse. He is one of the-nonbelievers in our spaces who can drag spiritual baggage into your presence. Many who are dragging spiritual baggage are left in bondage. Luscious is left chained. The writers chose to dive deeply into the theological realm of walking demons. You saw the spirit of sensuality, seduction, selfishness and arrogance all make an appearance. Romans 12:21 Paul tells us to defeat evil with good. It is the fulfilling of ‘You reap that which you sow.’ See more at: elev8.hellobeautiful.com.

These pieces didn’t make my “Top 10” list, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.

Honorable Mentions:

“Black-ish Recap: Say Yes to the Blessed” by Nichole Perkins

Excerpt: Although Bow and Dre decide that neither church is the one for them, they both agree they like attending some kind of service, and decide to look for something that suits them and their family. Bow reveals she likes being connected to something bigger than herself. There are jokes about the length of service and about how many people end up on the “sick and shut-in” list, but there is also recognition of the significance of black churches in America. Dre points out how instrumental black churches have been as places of community and solidarity, from slavery through the civil-rights movement and beyond. See more at: vulture.com.

“York churches celebrate merger 50 years later” by Caitlin Kerfin

Excerpt: Fifty years ago this December, Faith Presbyterian and First Presbyterian churches in York merged. It was one of a few such religious mergings of its kind in the country, with a white and black church coming together, congregation member Virginia Hunter said. She was born and raised in the Faith Presbyterian Church. John Noble, Hunter’s great-grandfather, was one of the founders of Faith Presbyterian in the 1890s. In the 1960s, the congregation was predominately African-American with less than 100 members. Their building was small and in need of some repairs, but the church wasn’t in a very good financial situation. They weren’t able to support a full-time minister. See more at: ydr.com.

So how did you like my best articles and blog posts for black Christian women October roundup? Did I miss anything?

Any thoughts?

Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2015

Why Do You Think Khloé Kardashian Called Off Her Divorce From Lamar Odom?

Hello World,

Since I’m a pastor’s daughter, I’ve been to like a million weddings. I’ve heard those vows said every time, but I never really contemplated them until I said them myself on Aug. 10, 2013, the day I got married…As I repeated the words, “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s holy ordinance,” I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. The natural me was in the moment saying those words, and the spiritual me, it seemed, was watching, hardly believing that I was making such an impossible commitment.

All that being said, I wonder if those vows where what Khloé Kardashian was thinking about when she rushed to Las Vegas last week to be with her estranged husband Lamar Odom following his drug overdose at the Love Ranch where he cavorted with ranch employees after apparently and or allegedly ingesting a near fatal cocktail of drugs. Thankfully, Lamar, who was unconscious for several days, survived his drug overdose. Yesterday, Khloé announced she put her relationship with Houston Rockets player James Harden on hold to focus on Lamar as he recovers. However as today, that hold is now a halt, as Khloé and Lamar, who got married in 2009, have called their divorce off, according to People magazine.

The romantic in me what wants to admire Khloé as she seems to be both honoring her marriage vows and demonstrating the love in 1 Corinthians 13 also known as the Love Chapter…Below are a few verses from the chapter…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres…

And Khloé and Lamar, who did not expressly say their were Christians in this video which I saw on elev8.hellobeautiful.com, do claim there is a “spiritual side” to their marriage.

After what Lamar has reportedly put her through from alleged infidelity to rampant drug abuse to most recently “bogeying at a brothel,” she would be justified in not being at his bedside even if she prayed for him from afar. But not only did she keep vigil at his bedside, she is also keeping him! Why do you think she called off her divorce?

The cynic in me wanders if this reconciliation is just more fodder for the reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” The New York Post has reported Lamar’s recovery from his overdose will likely be featured on the show…

Within hours of Odom’s hospitalization, Khloé, Kris and seven-months-pregnant Kim had hopped on a private plane. According to Radar Online, they had a camera crew in tow. (The 11th season of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” filming now, premieres next month.) Caitlyn Jenner was en route.

By early Wednesday, media outlets such as TMZ, Radar, People, Us Weekly, E! (home of their reality show) and “Entertainment Tonight” suddenly had real-time updates and unobstructed views of matriarch Kris and her daughters outside the hospital, dressed in designer black dresses as if they were all widowed first ladies, straining to show distress on perfectly made-up, Botoxed faces.

The Kardashians let it be known that they “dropped everything” when they heard of Odom’s collapse, as if this were a heroic response rather than a merely decent one.

And she does have a book “Strong Looks Better Naked,” coming out on Nov. 3. In the book, she “doesn’t go easy on husband Lamar Odom,” according to Page Six. Her book, however, is supposed to be about “shar[ing] her secrets for finding strength of body, mind, and heart with revelatory stories of her own struggles with weight, relationships, and her self-image.”

Or could the motive be something else? Anyone see Tyler Perry’s movie “Diary of a Mad Black Woman” in which Helen McCarter agrees to take care of her estranged husband Charles although he left her to be with his mistress? After Charles was shot and paralyzed, his mistress leaves him, but Helen returns to his side to care for him AND exact her revenge which he definitely deserves. However, the two end up forgiving one another and becoming friends although they ultimately divorce.

What do you think?

The romantic in me hopes it was “ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.” (Shout out to SATC) Either way, I hope this incident is a wake-up call for Lamar and is his first step in recovering from his alleged drug addiction.

Any thoughts?

Posted on Friday, October 16, 2015

Online Book Promotion Expert LaShaunda Hoffman Pens Promotion Guide for Authors!

Hello World,

If you’re an author, want to be an author or know someone who is an author or wants to be an author, today’s online book promotion post is for YOU! Today, I have the pleasure of spotlighting LaShaunda Hoffman, founder of the popular SORMAG (Shades of Romance magazine), an online literary magazine for multicultural readers and writers. LaShaunda, who has helped to launch and sustain the career of many authors, recently penned her FIRST BOOK – Building Online Relationships: One Reader At A Time! Below is a synopsis of “Building Online Relationships – One Reader At A Time” followed by my interview with her…

Readers buy from writers they know and trust. This means, dear author, you have to find ways for new readers to get to know you and to want to create a relationship with you. Building Online Relationships – One Reader At A Time is your one-stop online promotion guide. Award-winning publisher of Shades of Romance Magazine, LaShaunda C. Hoffman, has consolidated over 14 years of expertise in online promotion into this how-to guide. By reading, and applying what you learn in this book, you will promote like a pro and build trust with your readers so they become loyal buyers. Every chapter includes an action plan you can implement immediately to learn:

What promotion is all about in this digital age.

A proven goal setting strategy for getting your book in the hands of the reader who is looking for it.

Step-by step actions you can take to get in front of new readers every day.

How you can begin creating relationships with new readers TODAY.

1. What inspired you to write your book “Building Online Relationships – One Reader At A Time?”

I was at a conference talking to Sylvia Hubbard, Pat Simmons and Renee Daniel Flager, and they told me I should write a book about online promotion. I let it simmer inside for a while, and then I realized I’d had part of my book when I did two online series, one on creating your web presence and creating your online promotion plan. I took that information and added more to it and finished the book.

2. What is the most common problem for writers who are promoting their books, and how can your book help?

The biggest problem for writers is knowing how to promote. Most don’t have a clue about what to do or where to start. This book shares how to get started and what to do. It helps you create a plan so you not running around with your head cut off.

3. What is the most powerful chapter in the book and why?

For me, the most powerful chapter is the database/email list because if you are doing all this promotion and have no way to capture the readers you are meeting you working for nothing. Many writers start their mailing list after they have 3 or 4 books under the belt. I say start creating your mailing list as soon as the idea for the book comes to mind. You want readers to be interested in your upcoming book and when it releases you want readers to which you can promote. It’s hard to sell books to people who don’t have a clue who you are. When you have a mailing list, they know who you are, and they are waiting for your book to release so they can support you.

4. What has been the response to your book thus far?

The book has been well received. I received my first fan letter which blew me away. I’ve been asked to speak to a writers group, and I’ve met a few of the readers who purchased copies because I offer a 30-minute Virtual Tea session (personalized online training program for authors) if you purchase a copy. It has been amazing to see the book help writers with their promotion.

5. As a former member of the Navy and as someone who still works for the U.S. government, how did you learn about promotion?

I actually started learning about promotion when I created my online magazine – Shades Of Romance – SORMAG. I didn’t have a clue and there weren’t many books about online promotion back then because the Internet was so new. Everything I learned about promoting the magazine are the steps I share in the book. I had to get out there in front of readers daily.

6. You are probably best known for creating Shades of Romance Magazine, an online magazine promoting authors and books that attracted 18,000 visitors and was named in Writer’s Digest’s “101 Best Writing Sites” just after it launched in 2000. How did you come up with this name, and did you expect your magazine to generate as much buzz as it did and still does today? Do you anticipate writing a romance one day?

To be honest, I never dreamed I would still be publishing the magazine. It started as a hobby. I’m an avid reader, and I loved romance books. When they started publishing African-American romances, I was in heaven. I wanted to help readers find out about these amazing books and help the authors promote the books. The name came from me thinking romance comes in many shades. I wish I’d named it Shades Of Reading because over the years we’ve evolved and no longer just focus on romance books. I tried to change the name, but the readers weren’t having it.

I think the reason it generated buzz was because we didn’t have a magazine like this that catered to the multicultural community. We were looking for our books and couldn’t find them. One of the reasons I continue to publish the magazine is because the need is still there.

When I started SORMAG I was an aspiring romance writer. I still write romance but with an inspirational slant to them. I’m currently working on a historical.

7. You have interviewed many, many authors over the years. What has been your favorite interview, and what is your dream interview that you have yet to do and why?

That’s a hard question to answer. I enjoy all the interviews and don’t have a favorite. If I had to choose it wouldn’t be one, it would be the debut author interviews. I love introducing a new author to the community. I know how hard it is to get your book in front of readers, so I enjoy introducing new writers.

Right now my dream interview would be with Shonda Rhimes, only I would want it to be in person instead of an email interview. I want to sit at her feet and ask a million questions.

I’ve always loved the game “20 Questions” so below are LaShaunda’s answers to 20 of my random questions in no particular order.

For reading today, LaShaunda is offering a freebie for writers – 31 Promotion Tips. You can receive a different tip for 31 days or download the ebook that features all 31 tips – lashaundahoffman.com/digital-goodies/ You’re welcome 🙂

LaShaunda C. Hoffman took her love for books and turned it into an award-winning online magazine, Shades of Romance Magazine. Her mission in life is to introduce as many books as she can to readers. She’s happily married mother of three who believes in dreams and working hard to achieve them. She started a coaching program – Virtual Tea With LaShaunda to train writers on promoting their books online. Contact her at lchwriter@gmail.com or check her out at sormag.blogspot.com, lashaundahoffman.com , Facebook or on Twitter @lashaundaH.

Any thoughts?