Women's History Month - Honoring Mary Kay

Hi ladies it's me again, happy Lord's day, and happy first day of ''Women's History Month!'' The first lady I'll be writing a blog about this month is one and only legendary gospel artist Mahalia Jackson! She was born in 1911 and died in 1972 when she was in her early sixties. How did her life begin? Mahalia was born in New Orleans, Louisiana born to the late Clark and Jackson though they both were unmarried. Later her father left and her mom moved closer to Mahalia's late grandparents who were former slaves to help raise her. Mahalia and her siblings were raised in the Baptist church and were raised where certain things were not allowed in the house such as secular music, no card games, no juke joints, or no drinking. Dancing was only allowed in church; it was moved by the Spirit! After Mahalai's mom died when she was five years old, she and her siblings were reared by their late mom's sister Aunt Duke who continued raising them until they were grown. Mahalia attended elementary school when she was five years old only to have dropped out of school when she was only ten years old! Music was in her home life growing up and sang in the kids choir at her local church. Mahalia also learned to have a good hard work ethic and learned how to scrub floors and mattresses and sometimes had to help clean homes. Mahalia also gave her life to the Lord at a young age and vowed to serve Him for the first of her life from that moment on. When Mahalia was twelve years old joined the Junior choir and often attended church on Sundays and Wednesdays. Mahalia had a very difficult relationship with her Aunt Duke and got so bad that one of her other aunts named Aunt Hannah requested her to move in with her to Chicago, Illinois! Well Mahalia took her up for her offer and they left New Orleans, Louisiana and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1927 known as ''The Great Migration.'' What was ''The Great Migration?'' That meant that many blacks who lived in the South moved North for them to have better opportunities for them to be around whites mostly because there was unfortunately racism in the South. Mahalia was asked to join the 50 voice choir at ''Greater Salem Baptist Church'' she attended there which caused quite a bit of comotion there. As time went by Mahalia continued singing not only at her local church but got invited to sing in other churches in the area and people began to realize what a lovely contralto voice that she had. She continued working odd jobs during the early years of her recording career just to make ends meet before she started to do music full-time. By that time she met a guy named Isaac Hockenhull whom they dated for a year before they got married in 1936. He wanted for his wife Mahalia to sing Jazz because he didn't believe that gospel music was ''artful''. She auditioned for a secular gig which she absolutely hated and turned down working with Louis Armstrong Earl Hines much to her husband's disbelief all because Mahalia refused to sing or work with secular artists! That's how truly committed she was to the Lord and to gospel music! Mahalia later got discovered by producer whose name was Mayo Ink Williams who helped produce singles she'd be known for such as ''God's Gonna Separate Me From The Wheat And Tares'', ''You Sing On My SInger'', ''God Shall Wipe Away My Tears'', and ''Keep Me Everyday''. That would also be the time that Thomas A Dorsey often accompanied to play for Mahalia and even wrote the majority of the songs that she would be well known for. Mahalia later became music director at ''St Luke's Baptist Church'' and continued growing her salon businesses to the point it became successful she needed to hire more people to take care of it while she was gone traveling on weekends for her music gigs. As time continued to progress things didn't go well in Mahalia's first marriage to Isaac and sadly they divorced in 1946. But despite that, God continued opening up doors for Mahalia and by the year ''Moving Up A Little Higher'' was released a year after Mahalia's divorce and it sold $50,000 copies in Chicago and sold two million copies nationwide which was a big deal for a gospel artist especially back then. She continued producing more projects which caused her to give up her beauty salon and give up her role as music director at ''St Luke's Baptist Church'' and more and more doors continued to open for her by the grace of God to continue singing in concerts in both Christian and secular halls. On October 1st 1950, Mahalia Jackson made history by being the first gospel artist to have performed at Carnegie Hall because prior to that time, only secular artists had performed there. More and more doors continued to open for her as she in 1954 sang at ''Royal Albert Hall'' in London in 1954 and later became the first gospel artist to have signed with a secular label called Columbia records! In 1956, at a ''National Baptist Convention'' she met and befriended the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr and remained friends with him until his death in 1968. Mahalia continued to support and sing for Dr King Jr's ''Civil Rights Movement'' which helped make her more famous and God allowed her to continue to minister in song through various secular arenas as well. Some of the arenas were ''Newport Jazz Festival'' and ''Jazz On A Summer Day''. She continued singing, supporting Dr King Jr despite his multiple arrests, and continued traveling all over the world to proclaim the gospel of Christ through song. She even encouraged Dr King Jr to share the ''I HAve A Dream Speech'' in 1963 though he intended to share a different speech. Out of loneliness she started dating Sigmund Galloway and eventually married him in 1964 in her living room. While being married to him, she suffered many physical health ailments causing her not to tour or record albums for a year which was overwhelming for her. Things in her second marriage went from bad to worse causing him to abandon her and causing him to threaten to abuse her which she could take no more and in 1966 they divorced but she managed to keep that private. One popular gospel song that Mahalia Jackson was known for singing was ''Precious Lord Take My Hand'' written by Thomas A Dorsey, a well known gospel classic that urges a Christian to look to the Lord for help and to bring them home. That became one of Dr King Jr's favorite anthems and by the time Dr King Jr died in 1968, she sang that at his funeral. Mahalia's health troubles continued to escalate but despite that she kept ministering the gospel even though doctors urged her to cut down on performing which she did. She toured in countries like Japan, Caribbean, Liberia, and even in India where her shows were sold out! That was unusual for a gospel artist to tour in countries especially back then but that was the anointing and the favor of God in her life. Mahalia later toured in Germany where she became ill and was flown back to Chicago, Illinois where she was hospitalized and later went home to heaven in 1972 in her early sixties. Many politicians and celebrities gave her eulogy as well as many mourners who were touched by her music and her music was heard by loud speakers at her funeral. Even though she's gone home to be with the Lord, her music still touches people's lives today and her legacy still lives on. She was inducted to the ''Gospel Music Hall Of Fame'' in 1978 six years after she went home to heaven and in 1997 was inducted to the ''Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame''. She also was known for being the ''Queen Of Gospel'' that inspired by gospel artists male and female gospel artists after her. Wow what a legacy and what a way to kick off ''Women's History Month!"' That's what I wanted to share with you ladies and can't wait to share more this March on ''Women's History Month''. Blessings to each of you ladies, happy Lord's day, and have a blessed week everyone.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. It's been awhile since writing for ''Black History Month'' due to some complications and sadly this is my last blog to write for honoring ''Black History Month'' until next year in 2027 but I will be honoring some black women for next month in March for ''Women's History Month'' so stay tuned for that. The last blog I'm going to write about is honoring Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Now some of y'all may be thinking. ''Didn't we honor him last month?'' Yes we did because we honored his birthday this year on January 19th this year but I want to emphasize other things about him for ''Black History Month'' that maybe I didn't highlight last month. First let's start with his beginnings. He was born Michael King Jr in Atlanta Georgia on January 15th 1929 to associate pastor Michael King Sr (born 1899 died 1984) and to organ player Alberta King (born 1904 died 1974). Dr King Jr had two siblings, a sister named Christine King Farris (born 1927 died 2023) and Alfred Daniel King (born 1930 died 1969) meaning that Dr King Jr was the middle child of his three siblings. Dr King Jr also grew up during the ''Great Depression'' as a child but despite that, his dad Reverend King Sr thrived as a minister despite that. His father Reverend King Sr also took over ''Ebenezer Baptist Church'' after his father-in-law Reverend Adam Williams went to heaven. Also during the 1930s, Reverend King Sr flew to Germany on a trip where he learned about Protestant Reformation leader Martin Luther and saw the impact he made on Germany. Because of that, Reverend King Sr changed his name from Michael King Sr to Martin Luther King Sr while changing his son's name from Michael King Jr to Martin Luther King Jr! Whew! Also Dr King Jr watched his father stand up for blacks being treated unjustly such as not allowing the police to call him ''boy'' or returning items to stores when the clerks wouldn't treat them with respect. That would impact him for the rest of his life understanding the importance of standing up for what's right. Dr King Jr as a child along with his siblings were pastors' kids and grew up attending ''Ebenezer Baptist Church'' where he memorized hymns and Bible verses. One song that he grew up listening to and singing as a child was a song called ''I Want To Be More And More Like Jesus'' which would be an anthem throughout his lifetime. He grew up singing in the junior choir, took violin and piano lessons probably because his mother was musically inclined. The other thing about Dr King Jr was that he was a very smart student to the point that he skipped two grades such as his freshman year and senior year in high school causing him to graduate at the age of fifteen in the year 1944! Whew! He later after graduating from high school attended ''Morehouse Bible College'' (same college that his father Dr King Sr attended years earlier) and graduated from there at nineteen years old getting his bachelor's degree. It would be while attending ''Morehouse Bible College'' that Dr Benjamin Mays (born 1894 died 1984) helped Dr King Jr overcome his religious doubts, help Dr King Jr build a strong relationship with the Lord, as well as applying the gospel to help with social issues especially in regarding to the injustices that blacks endured at that time. Also Dr King Jr gave speeches both in his high school and college years which many believed he was ''well beyond his years''. He later attended Divinity school in Boston where he got his Masters degree before later transferring to ''Boston University''. While he was studying to get his doctorate degree, a friend introduced to a Christian black lady named Coretta Scott (born 1927 died 2006) and went on their first date together. Funny thing is Dr King Jr fell madly in love with Coretta before she fell in love with him and stated on their first date that he knew ''she was going to be his wife''. Of course that statement frightened her but nevertheless they kept on dating for the next several months and eventually got married in 1953. Dr King Jr was 24 years old while Coretta was 26 years old when they got married and they remained married from 1953 until the day of Dr King Jr's death in 1968. Eventually after they were married, he got into pastoral ministry and finished his doctorate degree which is why he is known as ''Dr King Jr.'' During their marriage they had four children whose names were Yolanda ''Yokie'' King, (born 1955 died 2007) Dr King 3, (born 1957) Dexter Scott King, (born 1961 died 2024) and Berniece King (born 1963) many of them followed in their father's walk with the Lord and roles in ministry when they all got older. Dr King Jr and other black ministers created the SCLC (''Southern Christian Leadership Conference) which was inspired by the late Dr Billy Graham's crusades (born 1918 died 2018) who also befriended Dr King Jr and even asked him to pray at some of his crusades. It's also reported that Dr Graham at times helped Dr King Jr with bail money when he got arrested. The bus boycott took place in 1955 when Rosa Parks (born 1913 died 2005) refused to give up her seat to a white and got arrested which angered many blacks. Because of that incident, they along with Dr King Jr arranged the ''Bus Boycott'' when blacks refused to ride the buses until the busing system became racially integrated. The bus boycott lasted for 385 days and it became so intense that Dr King Jr's house got bombed that potentially could have put his wife and baby girl Yokie in danger but thankfully were protected. Dr King Jr's role in the ''bus boycott'' helped establish him being a Civil rights leader and formed him to being a ''national figure'' as well too despite his young age! But it wasn't easy though. Dr King Jr would be arrested a number of times so much so to the point that sometimes his family didn't know where he was and at one time President John F Kennedy had to demand his freedom. It also was bad that the FBI often recorded his conversations and it got to a point that they wrote a letter to him ordering for him to end his life and had threats to kill him! Whew! There continued to be various marches of peaceful protest and the reason why Dr King Jr did peaceful protests is because he didn't believe in violence. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi about his ''nonviolent'' act in India as well as the teachings of Christ mentioned in Matthew 5;44. During some of the peaceful protests some police and firefighters used water hoses to stop blacks and sent dogs to bite them as well too but it was broadcasted on television and many couldn't believe the brutality of what was going on during those marches. On Washington DC in 1963 Dr King Jr gave the speech ''I Have A Dream'' and some of the things he said in the speech that he has a dream that ''black boys and black girls'' would hold hand with whites and that his kids will be known for the content of their character versus the color of their skin. His speech was broadcast in front of many who were watching in person as well as folks watching from their television at home. That speech was not only inspired to help blacks but as well as to bring unity to all cultures which is why the speech is so captivating, something that moves me to this very day.) The following year in 1964 at 35 years old he won the ''Nobel Peace Prize'' making him the youngest person to win it and President Lyndon Johnson created the ''Civil Acts Right'' outlawed discrimination for blacks in hotels, restaurants, employment, theatres, schools, voting, or religious institutions. Dr King Jr prayed hard, worked hard, and fought blood, sweat, and tears so blacks and whites could be together something I highly admire. After his brutal assassination in 1968, the ''King's Museum'' would be done in his honor, something I believe every American should visit at some time. Dr King Jr most of all had the heart of our King Jesus whose all about racial unity this day something I honored both of them about on Dr King Jr day. I always figured I'd save the best for last for ''Black History Month'' honoring Reverend Dr King Jr a man worth honoring and remembering. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies and have a blessed week everyone.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog for "Black History Month" and that is the one and only Tamela Mann! What was her background like? Well she was born in 1966 in Fort Worth, Texas, was raised by a single mom Eppe, and is the youngest of 14 kids! Whew! I know, right? Her mom raised her and her siblings in the "Church Of God In Christ" (COGIC also the black Pentecostal denomination. Her mom didn't allow Tamela nor her kids to listen to secular music like R&B, Jazz, or the Blues but only allowed her kids to listen to gospel music. Tamela likely listened to gospel artists such as the late James Cleveland, the late Edwin Hawkins, the late Andre Crouch, "The Clark Sisters", and Shirley Caesar just to name a few. The ''Assemblies of God'' was mostly handled by white Pentecostals) and started singing in choirs when she was eight years old. She also got saved at a young age and sang James Cleveland's "I Don't Feel No Ways Tired" and ever since she sang that solo she knew she was called to do music full-time. After graduating from high school, she worked odd jobs to support herself and met three Christian men that changed her life forever. She met David Mann, Darrel Blair, and Kirk Franklin! (She knew Kirk Franklin long before he became famous!) Her and David Mann were friends first and later fell in love and got married at a Courthouse in 1988 because they couldn't afford a "traditional wedding ceremony ". (They later renewed their marriage vows in 2013 on their 25th marriage anniversary where they had a "traditional wedding ceremony"!) They've been married for 38 years now and they raised five kids who are now adults. David had two daughters from previous relationships Porcia and Tiffany and raised Tamela's niece Sonya (her mom died when she was young) and have two kids together David Jr and Tia. They also have eight grandkids too and they probably spoil them like most grandparents do lol. But when their kids were under eighteen years old, Tamela, her husband David, their friend Darrel, and others joined the gospel group called "The Family" led by Kirk Franklin throughout the 1990s! In late 1992 and early 1993, Kirk Franklin who was a struggling music minister signed to a then new label called "GospoCentric records" (led by Vicki Mack Lataillade and Monica Bacon) and released a number of hit records in the 1990s along with "The Family". The albums names were 1993's "Kirk Franklin And The Family", "Kirk Franklin And The Family Christmas", (1994 The year I was born lol) "Whatcha Lookin 4", (released 1995) and "The Nu Nation Project" (released in 1998). (Side note Kirk Franklin released another album in 1997 but it was collaborated with "God's Property" not "The Family" and were known for the hit single "Stomp".) Tamela and her husband David along with other back up vocals for "The Family" were instrumental to gospel artist Kirk Franklin's early success which caused them to travel a lot, collaborate with other gospel artists, win awards, and produce some hit singles. Some hit singles from Kirk Franklin And "The Family" were "Why We Sing", "Silver And Gold", "Whatcha Lookin 4", "Melodies From Heaven", and "Revolution" just to name some. But God had more things for Kirk Franklin And "The Family" and after the 1999 "The Nu Nation Project" tour, "The Family" disbanded after that causing Kirk Franklin to be a solo artist! (In 2000 he collaborated with "One Nation Crew" and released an album with them before going completely solo.) But God would put Tamela and her husband David in the life of legendary Tyler Perry in 1999 after "The Family" disbanded and therefore started their acting career! In 2000, she debuted in the stage play called "I Can Do Bad All By Myself " and in 2001 was in the comedy film "Kingdom Come ". She has since starred in many films such as "Madea's Family Reunion'', "Diary Of A Mad Black Woman ", "Madea's Class Reunion ", 2012's remake "Sparkle" (along with the late Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Ceelo Green etc) just to name some. She and her husband David starred in "Meet The Browns" a known television sitcom with David as Deacon Leroy Brown and Tamela playing his daughter Cora Simmons. That show y'all was one of the funniest shows of all time as Tamela's husband David played Deacon Leroy Brown used to shout obnoxiously. ''Cora stop being nasty!'' I know, right? Yep, that was the show! But Tamela also became a solo gospel artist in 2005 through her label called Tillyman Music records (She and her husband own an independent record label) and has since released multiple albums. Other albums such as ''The Live Experience'',(2007) ''The Master Plan'', (2009) ''Best Days'', (2012) ''One Way'', (2016) ''Overcomer'', (2021) and recent album ''Live Breathe, Fight'' (2024) Tamela and her husband David also released R&B album ''Us Against The World/The Love Project'' in late 2018. Some of her well known singles are ''The Master Plan'', ''Take Me To The King'','' Change Me'', ''Through It All'', and ''Speak Lord'' just to name some. She's also won multiple Stellar, Dove, Grammy, and NAACp image awards (National Association For Colored People) just to name some. Tamela is a living proof that if one puts God first, family second, and works hard one can live the life of their dreams. She's a strong Christian, wife, mother, grandmother, gospel artist, business owner, and actress and plans to be faithful with God's mission in both her life and her family's life. As a bonus, she and her husband David have always worked together professionally, something I pray that me and my future husband do too. (I pray for him to be my writing and ministry partner in addition to him being my friend, lover, and future father and perhaps grandpa to our kids and grandkids.) That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies and have a blessed week everyone.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day and happy Superbowl. I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. To continue on honoring "Black History Month" of a wonderful black man named Paul Robeson. He was born in Princeton, New Jersey to William and his wife Maria. Paul Robeson was a pastor's kid and often sang in church. Despite his upbringing it was plagued with hardship resulting in Paul's mother dying of a house fire when he was just six years old! It also put Paul's father William on an even difficult spot to provide financially for Paul and his three brothers. But Paul continued to thrive as a teenager and performed in theatre such as "Julius Caesar" and "Otrello" and also was a great athlete and excelled in football, basketball, and track! Whew! I believe a proper nickname for him is called "A Jack Of All Trades!" That's rare for a musician to also be good as an athlete. Most people black or white or another culture, are good at one or the other, not both! Paul proved to be the exception to the rule and when he graduated from high school he got a scholarship to Rudgers! That was a big deal especially back then when he became the first black to have ever done so. That would be while he was still in college before graduating he met the woman who became his wife whose name was Eslande Goodie and they married the following year in 1921 until her death in 1965. (They met when he was attending ''Columbia University'' where he was studying law She worked at the hospital to make ends meet until Paul's career took off in the mid to late 1920s. He also played on the "Akron Pros" and later the "Milwaukee Badgers!" Can y'all believe that? It would also be during that time that he took some time off school to sarr in a musical play called ''Taboo''. Others believe that when he did this would open doors for him to become an actor! Wow! A man of many gifts! After quitting football in 1922, he focused on his acting and music career. He was in a stage play called ''The Emperor Jones'' as Brutus which caused his acting career to go to another level. In 1927, Paul and his wife gave birth to their only child whose name was Paul Robeson Jr who later followed in his father's footsteps. As the years continued to go by he continued acting in many stage plays and starred in many movies. He also became known as a great singer with his rich baritone voice and 66 albums and had a total of 195 singles making him a well known singer. He also has been known to have traveled all over the world doing concerts and acting causing him to gain fans not just in America but all over Europe. Wow! That was a big deal for a black especially back then to have had fans ''beyond his culture'' and have fans all over the world. That just lets us know how truly famous he was both in America and around the world! Despite his success Paul had his fair share of hardships. He endured many marital challenges due to some extramarital affairs causing him and his wife to have been close to getting divorced. But by the grace of God they remained together until her death. Paul also spoke up against racism and injustice which made many people uncomfortable and tried to silence him. Paul also got involved with political had Pro Soviet views, activation and challenged the government Because of that the Supreme court took awais passport in 1950 and didn't restore it until 1958 so he couldn't travel all over the world! Whew! But after his passport got restored in 1958 he spent a good amount of time touring and living in Europe for a good amount of time until he returned back in 1963. As he got older he had some health issues but did what he could to help with the ''Civil Rights Movement'' as best as he could. Another constant in his life was his faith in God that helped him overcome the odds. It was also his faith in God that kept him from being bitter at racial injustice that was so prevalent during his lifetime. The other beautiful thing about Paul RObeson was that he loved his family dearly and his son Paul Robeson Jr (born 1927 died in 2014) married his wife Marilyn and had two kids David (died in 1998) and Susan who was born in 1953 making Paul Robeson Sr and his wife Eslande proud grandparents. His son Paul Robeson Jr honored his father's legacy while he was alive and after he died in 1976 in his late seventies. Throughout life's ups and downs, Paul Robeson Sr stayed true to God, helped his fellowman especially against racism, excelled in arts as well as in education, being an athlete in many areas that blacks at that time could have never imagined doing. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings, I hope y'all enjoyed the blog, and I can't wait to share more blogs with y'all as we continue on honoring ''Black History Month''. Blessings to each of you ladies, happy Lord's day, and have a blessed week everyone.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog for "Black History Month" and it's about "Honoring Mandisa's Life". For those of you who may or may not know the precious, anointed, and vocally talented Mandisa went home to heaven two years ago which greatly impacted the Contemporary Christian music world. I was in such shock when it happened and didn't hardly say anything about it but now that two years have passed the Lord had released me to write a blog about it. What was her background life like? Mandisa was born Mandisa Lynne Hundley in 1976 in Citrus Hills, California to John D and his former wife Ruby. Mandisa was the youngest of four children having two older brothers and one older sister. Mandisa's parents later divorced while her father remarried and it was rough on Mandisa and her siblings for awhile. Mandisa got saved when she was sixteen years old and has walked with the Lord from that moment on until the day she died in 2024 and went to heaven. She graduated from "El Camino Fundamental High school" in 1994 and for a season attended "American River College" in Sacramento, California where she studied vocal Jazz. She later transferred to studied at a black college called "Fisk University" located in Nashville, Tennessee prior to her graduating from there in 2000. Prior to her becoming a solo artist, she was a member of the "Jubilee Singers" and sang back up vocals for Contemporary Christian artist Sandi Patty, country singers Shania Twain and Trisha Yearwood and even sang at Christian speaker and author Beth Moore's worship team. Then in the summer of 2005 Mandisa auditioned for season 5 of "American Idol" in Chicago, Illinois! (Season 4 of "American Idol" had just concluded and auditions for season 4 took place in the summer of 2004.) She sang "Fallin" by R&B artist Alicia Keys and got a golden ticket to Hollywood but her time on "American Idol" wasn't without its challenges. One of the judges Simon Cowell made a comment asking. "Do we need a bigger stage this year?" (Side note, Mandisa is also known for her powerful dynamic voice too!) What meant was he made was a snarky comment about her weight if y'all can believe that! I know right? But prior to Mandisa making it to the top 24 in the year 2006, she told Simon she forgave him for what he did and surprisingly he apologized to her after that! Whew! God works in mysterious ways! Mandisa progressed from the top 24 unto the top 12! How far did she go in the competition? Well she made it as far as to the top 9 contestants! Who else was on that season and who was the winner and runner up? Some of the other contestants on season 5 of "American Idol" were Paris Bennett (her mom Jemecia and Grandma Ann Nesby were part of gospel ensemble "Sounds Of Blackness") and country artist Kellie Pickler! Kellie Pickler came in sixth place while Paris came in fifth place! The winner was Taylor Hicks the second guy to have won the competition (Reuben Studdard won season 2 of "American Idol" in 2003.) while Katharine Mcphee was the runner up! (Side note all those contestants, winner, and runner up have gone on to be wonderful recording artists from that time on.) Though Mandisa got eliminated, she sang on "The Tonight Show" and did the "American Idol" summer tour with Taylor Hicks, Katharine Mcphee, and the rest of the top 12 contestants! It would be after the "American Idol" summer tour, she was discovered by major Christian record label Sparrow records and released several albums after that. Mandisa was featured on Contemporary Christian artist Toby Mac's "Lose My Soul" song from his 2007 album "Portable Sounds" along with gospel artist Kirk Franklin. In 2007, Mandisa released her debut album called "True Beauty" that featured eleven songs on there with singles from the album called "Only The World", "God Speaking", and "Voice Of A Savior". She also was featured on the Christmas song "Christmas Day" by Contemporary Christian artist Michael W Smith from his 2007 Christmas album "It's A Wonderful Christmas "! Also in the year 2007, she released her first book called "Idol Eyes:My New Perceptive On Faith, Fat, & Fame". Mandisa released several more albums such as "It's Christmas" her only Christmas album released in 2008, "Freedom" released in 2009, "What If We Were Real" released in 2011, "Overcomer" released in 2013, and her final album "Out Of The Dark". Some of her hit singles were "My Deliverer", "Good Morning ", "Stronger", and "Overcomer" just to name a few. She has toured and befriended a number of Contemporary Christian artists such as Toby Mac, Matthew West, the "Newsboys", and Danny Hokey just to name a few. She released her final book in 2022 called "Out Of The Dark:My Journey Through The Shadows To Find God's Joy" that addressed her struggled in a much deeper level. Mandisa had always been transparent about her depression, mental health, weight struggles, and even dealing with singleness. Because of that, it made her so relatable to her fans as well as outsiders as well too. Even though Mandisa never married nor had kids, she has made many friends over the years, had close connections with family members, as well as had many fans that were like family to her. I remember when I saw Mandisa in concert which took place in 2021 when she toured with the "Newsboys" and other Christian artists as well too. Mandisa had issues with her physical health mostly due to her weight which had been up and down over the years leading many to believe that possibly contributed to her death and arrival to heaven in 2024. Many Contemporary Christian artists as well as fans expressed their prayers and condolences to her family members and many paid tribute to her which was so precious. I hope and pray that this blog blessed you and it shows how God can use a vessel mightily for His kingdom and how talents used for Him can touch the lives of many people whether they know Him personally or not! That's what I wanted to share with you ladies today. Blessings to each of you ladies, have a blessed week, and happy "Black History Month!"

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog for "Black History Month" called "William J Seymour Azuza Street Revivalist". I'm sure some of y'all may know a thing or two about "Azusa Street Revival" and I'm gonna share in this blog about this precious revivalist. He was born in 1870 and died in 1922 when he was 52 years old. What was his life like? Well he was born in Centerville, Louisiana to former slaves who raised him in the Baptist denomination. (Side note many blacks Christians or not are usually raised in the Baptist denomination especially in the South. The crazy thing is as a black I was never raised in the Baptist denomination because I've been a non-denominational and Assemblies of God Christian since I was eleven years old!) Later he relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio where he heard teachings through Martin Well Knapps and Daniel S Warner where they taught about the baptism in the Holy Ghost, a teaching he never heard before. He later moved to Houston, Texas and attended a black holiness denomination led by Lucy F Farrow who arranged for Seymour to attend Parham's Bible School. Sadly Seymour couldn't sit in the classroom because he was black (Don't forget that racism existed back then even in Bible colleges and churches which is so sad) but he listened outside the classroom. He understood the importance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and Neeley Terry heard Seymour preach in Houston and told him the church was seeking a pastor. That also was the time that he met his wife Jennie who fell in love and got married in 1906. They were married for sixteen years until the time of his death in 1922. Later they relocated to Los Angeles, California William preached about the Holy Spirit and had resistance! The following Sunday he returned with the doors locked but he and his wife Jennie stayed at the house of Edward S Lee and had held Bible studies and a prayer meeting there! After that word began to spread among black and white Christians in California and many received the baptism in the Holy Ghost. The meetings started off meeting at a house not a "traditional church building" but overtime the meetings grew as the Spirit moved. Revival often starts small but it's the Lord that enables growth! After spending time at the house Seymour and others met with encounters with the Holy Ghost, sadly the front porch collapsed and they rented out a former Steven African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church at 312 Azusa Street in early April. It would be in that rented church that the famous ''Azusa Street Revival'' took place where there were testimonies prayer for the sick, shouting praises to God, altar calls for those needing salvation, sanctification and Spirit baptism, singing in tongues, preaching, times of silence, and persons ''falling under the power''! (Falling under the power means getting ''slain in the Spirit''.) That revival started in 1906 and concluded in 1915 for almost ten years where blacks, hispanics, whites, and others prayed and sang together creating a dimension of equality that allowed men, men, and children to have fellowship collectively and participate in the worship as led by the Spirit. That was huge for back then especially remember in the Southern states there was segregation between whites and blacks (remember the Jim Crow laws?) and there would have been no way for blacks and whites to have met at the same place in the South due to the horrors of racism. The other thing is that God is a God of unity not disunity and God's Spirit breaks out when there's unity and California as well as the Northern states were the few states that allowed for blacks and whites to be together which is why I believe why the Spirit was able to break out easier. The other point I want to make is that Christians regardless of race were hungry for a deeper walk with the Lord and were earnestly seeking Him which is another reason why I believe that revival broke out in California. The ''Azusa Street'' revival began to attract countless other Christians even outside of California such as missionaries Bernt Bernsten, George and Mary Berg, AG and Lillian Garr, Lizzie Frazier and attracted everyday Christians such as Ivey Campell, and Elizabeth V Bakker just to name a few.A Christian white man Charles Parham (Seymour sat outside of his Bible college sometime earlier) heard about the move of the Spirit and moved to Los Angeles, California and met WIlliam Seymour. For a time, Seymour and Partham worked together for a time as the ''Azusa Street Revival'' continued to grow more and more soon attracting thousands of people. But as the revival continued going on would bring its own sets of challenges in various ways. One of the most unfortunate things that happened was there was division that took place during the revival which created a number of problems. One of the main sad things was that Charles Partham sadly put his ''own culture'' above trying to be united with blacks and believed in the racial and cultural superiority of his race! (Yes that's right racism sadly existed between Pentecostals and anytime there's racism that creates significant problems.) There were many sharp disagreements that got to a point that instead of seeking to understand Seymour he breached his connection with him due to racism and pride and questioned Seymour's view of speaking in tongues. Plus Partham was charged with domy and there were other negative presses against Partham destroying his reputation. But despite that, Seymour, his wife, kids, and few thousand loyal followers continued at the church he had been at with many lives being impacted for the gospel and Christians being baptized in the Holy Ghost. Seymour who became known as the ''Projector Of The Apostolic Movement'' remained the last decades of his life in obscurity being faithful to the Lord, his family, and church until the Lord called him home to heaven at 52 years old in 1922. It would be after the ''Azusa Street Revival'' that two Pentecostal denominations were formed such as the ''Assemblies of God'' (AG) and ''Church Of God In Christ'' (COGIC) with the AG taken over by white Christian Pentecostals and COGIC taken over by black Pentecostal Christians. Mr Seymour's love for God and legacy will never be forgotten and is still being remembered to this very day. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. I felt it was good and wonderful to share the first blog for ''Black History Month'' honoring a black revivalist who propelled one of the great revivals in the early 1900s ''Azusa Street'' something to remember and cherish. I believe it's also important to know that God can use anyone no matter their age, race, or status and it's still God's will for revival to break out in our city, state of Wisconsin, and even nationwide. The question is are we hungry for it, willing to pray for it, prepare for it, and willing to harvest souls for the kingdom as well? I pray this blog encourages you ladies to believe with me for revival to break out in our city, state, and nation just as it did at ''Azusa Street'' if not on a greater level. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies, Blessings to each of you ladies, happy Lord's day, and happy Black History Month!''

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog called "Jacob Wrestles With God". This story in the Bible doesn't get talked about very much in the body of Christ but I believe it's a very important one. You can read this from the Bible mentioned in the book of Genesis 32:24-35 when Jacob was left alone and wrestled with the man from night until the crack of dawn! (Side note Jacob is the son Isaac and Rebekah, twin brother of Esau, husband of Rachel and Leah, and father of Joseph in the Old Testament, his eleven brothers, and of his daughter Dinah!) Here's another important point about Jacob. Jacob for those of you who may or may not remember was a "trickster". Jacob wanted the birthright of his twin brother Esau (Esau was the older twin and Jacob was the younger twin) so he along with his mom Rebekah tricked blind Isaac with hairy skins to get the blessing! Not only that Esau sold his birthright in order to gain a boll of soup from his twin brother Jacob! In other words Jacob manipulated and used deceit to get what he wanted! You ladies can read about that account in Genesis 25 and Genesis 27 that talk about those circumstances. When Esau found out about it he plotted to kill Jacob for robbing his blessing but Rebekah sent Jacob away to his Uncle Laban and lived with his for twenty years! As I mentioned Jacob married Rachel and Leah mentioned in Genesis 29 and y'all will learn there was severe tension in their relationship which is for another blog. Also Jacob had tins of kids with his wives and servants which I believe I'll share for another blog. Also Laban changed Jacob's wages a number of times while working for Uncle Laban proving that unfortunately Laban was a manipulator and trickster as well too. It's important to understand what Jacob's life was like before he wrestled with God and as y'all can see he didn't have much godly character. Even though Jacob had a dream mentioned in Genesis 28 about angels going up and down the ladder with God at the top, there were areas in his character that needed to change. So when Jacob was by himself he wrestled with an angel even though some theologians believe it was possibly with Jesus! Whew! The Bible says that Jacob's leg was hurt but he wouldn't stop wrestling! The man urged him to let him go but Jacob refused to stop until he got blessed! It was then that God asked him what his name was and it's Jacob but then his name got changed to Israel! Names in the Bible were important because names defined identity. For example the name Abraham means "Father of many nations". Sarah means "Princess of many nations". The name Emmanuel means "God is with us". The name Jesus means "Savior or salvation is of the Lord". Christ means "Messiah" and Messiah means "Anointed One". These are some examples of names being important in the Bible. Jacob's name means "Subplanter or deceivor" (Satan's name means deceivor too!) but the name Israel means "Prince". He fought with the Lord until his name was changed and his life was preserved! Why was the wrestle important and how does that apply to today? Well Jacobs wrestle had to do with dying to his flesh as well as him recognizing his need to change his identity. Isn't it important for us Christians with the help of the Holy Spirit to die to the flesh and let go of our old identity? Before we knew Christ as Lord and Savior and encountered the Holy Spirit evidence of speaking in tongues we were lost, hell bound, and lived life with no purpose. But because of Christ we have a new identity which is why we're called Christians. Jacob needed a new identity which is why he got the name Israel. Another point I want to make is what things are you ladies wrestling with? Is it your health, a wayward son or daughter, issues in your marriage, financial challenges, legal battles, trauma of your past, or singleness? What are prayers you poured out to God or what spiritual battles are you currently dealing with that are overwhelming? I pray that the story of Jacob is an encouragement to y'all to know that God sees your struggle and your wrestle. Have you wrestled to submit to the will of God above your flesh especially in challenging situations? I know I can relate to that and so can Jacob. Let the struggle and the wrestle make you stronger and know that you'll come out on the other side stronger in the Lord more. If you ladies you're going through spiritual battles and need a safe place to pour your heart out especially in prayer I'd encourage you ladies to join my virtual weekly prayer meetings and have a supportive community pray with you about your personal issues. Of course in the weekly prayer meeting we also will continue to pray for America to come back to God in addition to praying for your personal needs! That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies and have a blessed week in the Lord!

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. The title I have for this blog is called "My Birthday Week" blog. Well last week was my birthday week which was a bit of a rollercoaster week. It started with me getting a ride to church from a lovely deaçon and his wife to church while my mom picked me up from church. I recorded a music video on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok to a Christian song called "The Lion And The Lamb" by "Leeland" and "Big Daddy Weave" and hosted my regular virtual Bible study. On Dr. King Jr Day I posted on Facebook, watched part of the "King miniseries" on YouTube, and got to talk to my wonderful godfather on Zoom! That Tuesday and Thursday I taught my online class, and hosted my regular virtual prayer meeting. Now let's talk about the day of my birthday and my actual birthday dinner. My actual birthday was on a Wednesday and I received a ton of birthdays on Facebook and shared a music video cover song by gospel artist Kirk Franklin called "My Life My Love My All" from his 2002 album "The Rebirth Of Kirk Franklin''. I shared that on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok and Kirk Franklin is one of my favorite gospel artists of all time too. I also got to zoom call with a friend that's locked up and I got quite a few birthday phone call wishes. I also got to bring a cake to church to celebrate my birthday and got to celebrate with my teens and youth leaders. I also received a few birthday cards with money in them and my wonderful godfather and his colleagues wished me a happy birthday as well. (My godfather always has made me feel special and my birthday is no different. His care for me feels like nurture and like I'm the most important person in the room!) I also got some SNOW on my birthday lol! That Saturday on January 24th I shared another music video cover by a male gospel sextet band "Take 6" "If We Ever Needed The Lord" on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok before heading to "Red Robin" restaurant at 6 PM. I actually created that event on January 10th as a Facebook public event and invited various folks on Facebook to go as well as invited others through text. It was a very cold week but by the grace of God many family members, friends, and even Pastor Bowen showed up! I received lots of hugs, birthday cards with money, as well as lots of love. Some women from my online women's program showed up which was so precious as well. I appreciate all of them showing up despite it being brutally cold outside! It has also been a rough time over the past several months and it was so nice to have some time to have joy in my life after dealing with so much heaviness! (Side note some of the hard times consist of healing of trauma, dealing with a loved one with legal troubles, and incarceration, among dealing with the day to day challenges! I've also never sugarcoated in blog form, on Facebook, or at my virtual Bible studies how life can be extremely complex and challenging.) I'm thankful that the Lord has given me another year of life knowing that not everyone gets to have another birthday. I also remember hearing an old saying go. ''What a blessing it is to be among the land of the living.'' Psalm 90;12 says ''Teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom'' James 4;14 says ''Life is but a vapor''. Because of those things being true that's why I value celebrating my birthday as well as other people's birthdays. I also know how important it is to thank God for one's many blessings and gaining another birthday much less another day is a blessing in disguise something that some of us sadly take for granted. Plus I like a celebration in the midst of the brutal cold weather that we in Wisconsin sometimes get! (Yes that's right I was born during one of the coldest days of the year! My mom often reminds me of that often lol.) For those that have been able to come to my birthday dinner thank you so much and those that wished me happy birthday thank you so much. It means so much to more than you know. For those of you ladies who have supported my online women's ministry for the past five years as well as purchased my books thank you as well. It means so much to me. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies, happy Lord's day, and have a blessed week everyone.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. The title I have for this blog is a bit unusual and the title I have it is called "A Letter To Prisoners". Y'all might be thinking. "Why write a blog about it?" That's because I feel nine times out of ten prisoners often are ignored by society and I know that's for a number of reasons. Most of the time prisoners are usually people that commit crimes and often have to suffer the consequences of their actions as they rightfully should. That's especially true of the guy that shot the late Charlie Kirk who has to pay the consequences of what he had done. (Side note I pray that he truly repents and takes responsibility for his actions before God and man so he can be saved.) I also have had family members and a old friend who were in prison and I remember when I'd be at my grandma's house on Christmas Eve when my aunt (my dad's younger sister) would be on her cellphone talking to a prisoner! Who was that prisoner? One of my uncles! She'd be on her cellphone with him, he'd ask how is the family doing and ask if any of them wanted to talk to him! Want to guess who he wanted to talk to? Me!!!!!!! I would talk to him maybe five minutes and update him briefly about my life and relatives as well as wish him a Merry Christmas! This relative I think is out of prison now but I remember those Christmas Eve's at my grandma's house that I talked to him over my aunt's cellphone and how happy he was to hear from loved ones! The other point ladies I want to make is being a prisoner is considered being the "least of these" in society. But how many of y'all know that the gospel needs to get to them and God loves them though He hates what they have done! Remember the wise saying. "Christ hates the sin but loves the sinner" is true! Prisoners are no different. Let me also share this with you ladies that's hard to talk about. Many prisoners do get incarcerated for just reasons and there are others in prison for unjust reasons. I think about people in the Bible such as Joseph in the Old Testament lied on by Potiphar's wife, (Genesis 39) the Apostle Peter put in prison, (mentioned in Acts 12) and the Apostle Paul one of the greatest apostles and Christians of all time was in prison multiple times! Let's also not forget about the late Dr Martin Luther King Jr who got arrested a number of times and put in jail to the point his loved ones didn't know where he was! (Side note we just celebrated Dr Martin Luther King Day recently and wrote a blog in his honor!) I'm writing this right now because I have a very dear friend of mine a male (I won't disclose his name for various reasons) that's going through this right now and my heart has mixed emotions about that right now. I also am aware of some pastors (won't disclose names for various reasons) that went through legal troubles last year that could be facing jail time. Of course it could be for just or unjust reasons but regardless of that those guys and a dear friend of mine whom I love dearly are on my mind. I want to say to this dear friend of mine in prison that I love you so very very much and I miss you so much. There's not a day that goes by I don't think of you, pray for you on a regular basis or ask other Christians to pray for you too. For pastors who got arrested you know who you are and I want y'all to know I'm praying for y'all and your families. Jesus mentioned in Matthew 25:31-46 about the righteous going to eternal life how they fed the hungry, gave drinks to the thirsty, clothed the naked, invited strangers, visited the sick and in prison. Jesus said "Whatsoever you did for the least of these you did unto Me!" Isn't that powerful? Caring about prisoners is important to Jesus y'all! Whether they're there for the right or wrong reasons He still loves them and died on the cross for them. For those that are incarcerated for just reasons sometimes you have to pay the consequences for your actions but if you ask God to forgive you He'll forgive you! The Bible says in 1John 1;9 "If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Man may not forget what you have done but God can forgive y'all and make your lives new! Maybe He allowed you to be in prison to make you think about your actions and perhaps to give your life to Him! For those that are incarcerated for unjust reasons like a dear friend of mine I pray that God vindicates you and exposes the wicked court system. I pray that God will turn what the enemy meant for evil and God turn it around for your good. For pastors dealing with jail time you're in my prayers as well as your families whether it was for a just or unjust reasons. Now am I condoning prisoners lifestyle choices? No I'm not! But they need love, prayer, and care just like the rest of us do. I'm not able to send them a letter but I can write a blog about it though. Ladies I want to join me to pray for those in prison. Whether they're there for a just reason or unjust reason I plan to mention them on my prayer night meetings. Again to my dearest friend in prison I love you very much and most of all God loves you. I don't care what others think about you or think I shouldn't care about you but I still do. Where you are hasn't changed my concern for you, prayers for you, and my deepest care. I hope and pray to hear from you soon and I'm believing God to vindicate you, fight for you, and for your family too. My heart is for you each and everyday and I'm thankful the Lord has given me an outlet to let my deepest thoughts, my troubles, and prayers unto this blog. I don't know if you my friend will read this blog in the future but I express my deepest care, prayers, and thoughts towards you during this time and will ask other Christians to pray for you too especially for justice to prevail. I also pray that if those pastors who got in jail this past year sinned that God will forgive them and God will restore their ministries too. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies, have a blessed week, and join with me in prayer for these precious prisoners now and throughout the rest of the year. God bless!