Category Archives: dating

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Why Pastor Jamal Bryant Should Get Married Following Tweet’s Announcement That She is Done With Church…

Hello World,

Back in November, shortly after Dr. Jamal Bryant was named the new pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Lithonia, Georgia, I penned this post ‘Should Divorced Men Such as Dr. Jamal Bryant, Newly Named New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor, Be Allowed in the Pulpit?’ Many people had varied opinions and I understand why. But after all that New Birth Missionary Baptist Church has been through, at the end of the day, I wished and do wish Dr. Bryant well as he puts his stamp on this well-known but beleaguered church. And I’m taking notice of what he has done thus far. I wrote one complete post about one of his initiatives, ‘New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant & Members Give Approximately $300 Each to Members Affected By Government Shutdown…’ and I mentioned the FREE City Wide Wedding the church held in another post.

I enjoyed listening to his recent interview with Dr. Rashad Richey, a local radio show host, at Beulah Heights University!

I found him to be very transparent about himself and his ministry. (And he is too charismatic!) He mentioned that while he was a student at Morehouse College, education, in the traditional sense, wasn’t his primary goal. He said, “On paper, my major was political science, but in actuality, my major was Spelman.” Ha! He also revealed that being called to ministry does not mean you are not flawed. He said, “I’m anointed, but I hate sleeping alone.” He offered this as one example of being a flawed person in ministry. He didn’t say he was referring to himself when he made that statement, but given his past, you have to wonder. I mean this was the man who had to address a random paternity allegation just three years ago!

And now his most recent girlfriend R&B Singer Charlene Keyes known as Tweet (that we know of anyway) is saying she is done with church! Remember when he called her his last lady! And that was just in 2016…

Well, chile, in a Instagram Live video from a few days ago, Tweet and her daughter Shenice discuss their dislike for the church. Without apology, Tweet said she will speak her “truth.”

“It’s coming out in the music, it’s coming out in interviews, It’s coming out. I’m saying what I want to say. I’m not shading nobody. I’m telling my truth. And church has been the worst, I will not do church anymore. I love God like you said, and I have a relationship with God, but you won’t see me in nobody’s church house, not giving nobody my tithe, not giving 10 percent to nobody, period.”

Tweet explained that people presented themselves one way in a public setting but acted in another way in private. She said it really shocked her because her pastor that she knew while she was growing up had integrity. She also mentioned another pastor in Atlanta that she feels has integrity.

“Bishop Weeks, who was an incredible man of God, integral, Bishop Weeks, if he still had his church in Atlanta, I would drive there and go to his church. He taught me integrity.”

That statement to me was very telling. Does Tweet live in the metro Atlanta area? Her former man’s church is in the metro Atlanta and she didn’t say anything about driving out there!

You have to wonder what went down in their relationship. It’s not a good look when your former boyfriend has been named the new pastor of a church in another city and now you’re done with church and talking about it! They reportedly broke up last year! And Tweet mentioned going out to have a cocktail twice in that video! She was once a heavy drinker by her own admission and now she’s joking about going to have a cocktail after going off about church…What’s really going on?

Smh…chile….I fear that a scandal is waiting to happen at New Birth…And if it’s one thing that New Birth does not need it’s a new scandal. That church is not over the old scandal yet…

I’m not saying that Pastor Bryant should just pick the first woman that he sees, but the Word says that it’s not good for any man to be alone (“The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18) and this man in particular it seems…

So if Pastor Bryant meets a nice woman who has what it takes to be a First Lady (And it kind of messed up that Pastor Bryant and Tweet didn’t make it because she would have been a saaangin First Lady too) and after thorough premarital counseling (because pastors need counseling too), he should go ahead and get that done sooner rather than later. As the Word says, “Now to the unmarried  and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.” 1 Corinthians 7:8-9

He’s a man of a particular age so he should know what he wants by now. And it shouldn’t be that difficult to find her with all of the suitable woman we have in Atlanta 🙂

So what y’all think?

Any thoughts?

 

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Why ‘Insecure’ Actress Yvonne Orji is Right To Be Happy Following Her Breakup With Emmanuel Acho…

Hello World,

Insecure actress Yvonne Orji is not my friend in real life, but she is my friend in my head for many reasons. I interviewed the Christian actress for THE LOOKOUT in 2017, and I really admired her stance on virginity. This is what she told me:

“From the time I was 17 until now that I’m 33 going on 34, I’ve seen too much. I’ve seen the hand of God over the years in my life, and this one thing that he asks of me. I mean he asks many things of us. But this one thing [virginity] that is a roadblock for so many people, he’s been so faithful to me in the darkest of my days, it’s no biggie.”

Although I am married now, I was single for several years before then and I know her struggle. Also, since Yvonne is the first generation of her Nigerian parentage to grow up in America, I identify with her on that topic as well. My parents are Jamaican, but I was born and raised in America. She has even created a show based on her experience as a first generation American. Below is more about her show:

Aside from this series, Yvonne is also developing her own half-hour sitcom, FirstGen, which is executive produced by media mogul Oprah Winfrey and actor David Oyelowo. Semibiographical, the show features a Nigerian girl who drops out of medical school for a stand-up comedy career and the shenanigans that ensue after her strict African mother discovers her plans. “This is my vision so it’s a very family-friendly show.”

If you would like to read the entire story, go to lookoutmag.com.

So in July 2018 when I learned that Yvonne had a new boyfriend after openly expressing her desire to meet her mate, I was hoping he was the one and wrote a happy blog post about it – Christian Actress Yvonne Orji Shares Prayer She Used to Attract Her New Boyfriend Emmanuel Acho! Emmanuel seemed like he could be the one she was waiting for…I mean his name means Messiah first of all and he is a Christian! And then they had the Nigerian connection. His father is from Nigeria. Also, although he works as an ESPN analyst, he has an artistic side as he can sing and play the piano! And on top of all of that, both are committed to charitable causes. Yvonne worked in Liberia with Population Services International, and Emmanuel worked in Nigeria with Living Hope Christian Ministries! And to put it all together in a pretty package, as a former Philadelphia Eagles’ linebacker, her man was all swole and stuff! When Yvonne announced their relationship on Instagram, she even said, “Jesus out here answering prayers on a Sunday.” He did seem like the answer to prayer…

But Yvonne Orji recently told her friend and author Luvvie Ajayi, who also has Nigerian heritage, on their Jesus and Jollof podcast that Emmanuel is no longer her man. Yvonne and Emmanuel have broken up. This is what she said about it, according to madamenoire.com:

“I just have to say, the reason I am so good and so happy is because I know how God works,” she said. “I have seen God’s MO so many times, that like in the way that you can be like, ‘Aw man, I thought this was it! I thought this was the one!’ God be like, ‘Oh that’s what you thought? I got the goods for you.’ It happened in my career when someone offered me a show and I was like, ‘This is it!’ and then the show went to nowhere. I got borderline depressed. Cut to Insecure. Cut to my life has changed.”

I believe Yvonne is right. Emmanuel may have been the prototype, but the finished product is on the way…and soon too…I’ve seen God do this many times in many areas of my life as well…But as it relates to romantic relationships…I remember in November 2009. I was despondent after yet another relationship blew up in my face…I had suffered through many breakups before but this one really took me out. This particular boyfriend/manfriend (I mean he was in his 30s at the time…) was one who I had dated before. When we first dated, he told me that he did not want to have a relationship. I wasn’t happy with his stance, but I respected his honesty. We remained friends for years. And then he changed his mind. My feelings hadn’t changed and I was available. It was so on until it wasn’t…It seemed cosmically cruel for life to play out that way…

But February 2010, the week of Valentine’s Day, I went out on a first date with the man who would become my husband…It was literally months after the breakup…Nothing but God…And if He did it for me, He can do it for you…

So Yvonne, you better be happy because I am claiming on your behalf that the one worth waiting for is on the way!

Any thoughts?

 

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Viral Older Couple Murphy & Lucinda Wilson Appear on ‘STEVE’ & More Valentine’s Day News…

Hello World,

Happy Valentine’s Day Y’all! As has been said, “You Can’t Hurry Love, No You’ll Just Have to Wait.” After deciding that I most definitely wanted to get married in 2003 (and telling God to show up right then), I had to wait until Valentine’s Day weekend 2010 to go out on a first date with the man who would become my husband in 2013! (Happy First Date Anniversary to US) That’s seven years of waiting if you’re paying attention!

And some have to wait even longer than that…Two years ago, the joyful engagement photos of an older Alabama couple Murphy Wilson and Lucinda Wilson, who are both in their 70s, went viral likely because their story proves that love can happen at any age! Lucinda, who had been divorced for 30 years, was able to find love again when she met Murphy, whose wife had died in 2013, at their church…

Below is an excerpt of their story from their engagement photographer Gianna Snell’s website…

Lucinda Myers, a florist and baker, moved to Huntsville, AL in July 2013, the same month that Murphy returned to church. Myers is originally from Boston, which coincidentally is also Murphy’s hometown. Having been divorced and single for 30 years, she had been praying and waiting for God to send her a husband. And although the wait was difficult, and she had moments of saying out loud, “God, where is he?”…she kept on praying and doing the things that made her happy, such as cake decorating, babysitting and helping others. She moved to Huntsville for a fresh start.

Each Saturday, Lucinda sat in the balcony on the front row at church while Murphy was one row behind. For over 3 years, they both occupied the same space in church but didn’t have any interaction with each other. Murphy had made it up in his mind that he was not going to talk to anyone because he really wanted God to do the choosing.

But one day, something caught his eye… “It was her hair,” he said. “And then she turned around, and Man…she’s got this smile. She was very attractive…I just couldn’t stop looking at her.”

Still not saying a word to her from week to week, Murphy became more and more intrigued by this woman… so much so that a nearby church member caught Murphy staring at Lucinda one day. After church, the woman approached Lucinda and told her that she had a secret admirer in the balcony. Lucinda was shocked because she’d had no interaction with him, so she emphatically said, “Well if he is admiring me, he has to come to me. I’m certainly not chasing any man.”

To read the whole story, go to giannasnellphotography.com.

The couple told their love story to Steve Harvey on his show STEVE earlier this month. Check out the video below!

And if you find yourself engaged today and live in the metro Atlanta area, but don’t have the money to get married or other circumstances have prevented you and your love from tying the knot, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is FREE City Wide Wedding during their 9:30 AM Worship Service on Sunday, Feb. 24!  Now, pre-marital counseling is required for 2 sessions in their Multi-Purpose Room in order to obtain a Marriage Certificate from New Birth. And two sessions will be held THIS Saturday February 16 from 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM and THIS Sunday, February 17 12:30 PM – 3:00 PM! For more information, go to newbirth.org.

Also, if you are single today, you can get free wings at Hooters! From Thrillist: It’s true. Head to the famously skimpy restaurant on February 14, and you can partake in its annual “Shred Your Ex” event. Buy 10 wings, rip up a photo of your ex, and you’re going to land 10 boneless wings for free. As Jimmy Durante would say, “Hot cha cha.” If having to step over the waggling tongues of drooling pubescent teens isn’t your idea of a good time on a lonely Valentine’s Day, you can shred exes online. After you tear your former partner to pieces, you’ll get a digital coupon and can order some wings to take back to your empty apartment. Though if you do it at a restaurant, the pictures go into a shredder, which will truly impress the teens at the table next to yours. Teens love shredders!

Finally, whether you’re hitched or single and just love a good love story any time of the year, one of my favorite authors Kim Cash Tate is a launching a new web series “CLING” on You Tube. Premiering March 9, A New Love Story. It’s time to cling to your First Love. Shiloh ‘Rikki’ Stevens has a thriving ministry inspiring countless women to cling to God. But as her personal life crumbles, she finds herself holding on to God for dear life . . . and sometimes losing a grip. Created and written by Kim Cash Tate. Directed by Will Thomas. See the trailer above!

Any thoughts?