June/July 2017
I WILL TRUST BreeAnn Hammond
is finding the focus and moving forward beyond a dark past
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* Cruise With A Mission * 13 Reasons Why NOT * Gossip vs. God-Sip * What Is Life? * Suicide Prevention
BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD
Geoffrey Golden shares his journey through the valley
GODISDOPE.COM
Publisher Brittany N. Winkfield Contributors Mariam Kazadi, Hannibal Matthews, Allison Snyder Advisory Board Tracy Augustin, Philip Baptiste, John Boston, Ramona Davis, Dean Dennis, Juanita Farmer, Kymone Hinds, Marisa Jackson, Timothy Olaore, Donald Rolle, Terri Roston, Michele Solomon, Jennifer Stone, Samuel Thomas, Marcus Winkfield Editorial and Advertising Inquiries 303-351-8180, info@back2basicsmag.com Information is correct at press time. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official company policy. Copyright Š 2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or whole without permission is prohibited. Back2Basics Magazine is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit in the United States of America.
@back2basicsmag
A Christian lifestyle magazine designed to inform and inspire young people in their walk with Christ
JUNE/JULY 2017
CONTENTS
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volume 6 | number 2
features 5 6 7 8 10 13 14 16 19
13 Reasons Why Not Gossip vs. God-Sip What is Life? B2B Recipe I Will Trust with BreeAnn Hammond MegaFest 2017 Suicide Prevention But for the Grace of God with Geoffrey Golden Cruise with a Mission
#b2bmag
B2B Tip: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Thoughts can consume us for better or for worse. For some, suicide is a reality. Our cover features, BreeAnn Hammond and Geoffrey Golden, lived with that reality and share how they moved passed the pain. When life gets dark and you can’t find the light, remember that our thoughts are not His thoughts. Our ways are not His ways. With recent light shed on suicide in a popular television show, we’re giving you 13 reasons why NOT. To all the people struggling, please know that you are amazing and God loves you way to much for this. Know where to get help, whether it be a therapist or the National Suicide Prevention number: 1-800 273 8255, it’s not over. He will make your path straight.
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B2B Perspectives Gos-sip (Noun) Casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true. God-sip (Noun) Conversations and reports about you, involving details that are confirmed and tested as being true. What do you believe about you? Do you believe the messages of your past that are mostly based on what people have said about you, your shortcomings or an area where you have fallen short? Or, do you believe what God says? That greater is He that is in you, or that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. I know you’ve heard these things before, but do you believe them? Believing and knowing are very different. If you know that God says these things about you, yet you don’t believe them, then these truths cannot change your life. They’re as good as a lie. At 26 I find myself constantly working on some area of my life (a promotion at work, a new venture, my attitude, losing weight etc.). As I work, I find that doubt is on every corner just waiting. Waiting for what? Well, waiting for me to decide that what “I know” is more important than what “I believe.” If I do that; decide to be led by my knowing, as opposed to my believing, then my knowing is going to keep me from what I believe. FACT: At this time, I am not all I need to be in-order to fulfill God’s will for my life. I also “know” that areas that can no longer be a part of me as I grow are still with me now. The silver lining is I “believe” that God is doing the change that needs to be done NOW. I believe in the midst of my inadequacy, in the midst of my “working on myself” that God is pruning and raising me up. I may be the blindest in the bunch unable to see all that God says I am destined to be, but I believe that in time I will see it. Be encouraged. God is working on us daily. That we are justified through Christ and that he has approved you. I am starting to understand that it’s important to be led by the right ideas as we grow. If you were led by what you see, hear or even know about yourself; then you may feel down, unworthy, undeserving and like the vision you have for your life will not come to pass. On the other hand, if you choose to be led by what you believe, which is what God has said about you, you will find that you are places you may not of been good enough for, that you’ve achieved goals that you may not qualify for, and that you are someone you never thought you’d be.
Mariam Kazadi is a Blogger and founder of The Good Fight Blog. Encouraging you to fight the good fight of faith. All inquiries email goodfightfaith@gmail.com 6 | www.back2basicsmag.com
B2B Perspectives
WHAT IS
? Life is such a journey. It can be so hard, painful and lonley. Everyday we have to make new decisions. Some wonder what is life and why are we here. What is our purpose? Do you always feel like there’s something missing? Like a hole in your heart, but you can’t figure out what it is? I’ve been there. Then someone told me about the Lord and Jesus changed my life. I went from feeling blind and hopeless to having purpose. The impossible became possible. If you’ve been beaten, been on drugs, been an alcoholic, or are depressed, I invite you to meet a man named Jesus. He died on the cross for everyone on earth, all races and all denominations. He loves you. All He wants is for you to ask Him to forgive you of anything you’ve ever done wrong and let Him come in to your heart. When you do this your life will change. Maybe you’ve been to church, but got hurt by someone there. Don’t let people stop you from your blessings. I can tell you all about Him, but until you have your own personal relationship with Him, you won’t truly understand. Follow God, not people. Give Him a chance and just see what happens.
WILL YOU FOLLOW HIM? Allison Snyder is a youth worker and aspiring model. She loves singing, volunteering, outdoors and rollerskating. www.back2basicsmag.com | 7
B2B Recipe
Baked Oatmeal Casserole
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AUTHOR: LOVE OF FAMILY & HOME
Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: 8 INGREDIENTS 2 Cups All Natural Oats Cup Brown Sugar 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Cinnamon ½ tsp Salt ½ Cup Chocolate Chips 1 Cup Strawberries Cup Blueberries 1 Ripe Banana 2 Cups Milk 1 Large Egg 2 Tbsp Butter (cooled) 1 tsp Vanilla INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 10x10 casserole dish generously with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half the chocolate chips, & half the berries. Stir well and pour into casserole dish. Add the other half of the berries & chocolate chips to the top of the mixture. Then, slice the banana & add to top. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, butter, & vanilla. Whisk thoroughly. Pour on top of oatmeal mixture, making sure the all oats are soaked evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove casserole & add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the top of the casserole for added sweetness (optional.) Bake for an additional 5 or 10 minutes or until the top of the casserole is golden brown. www.back2basicsmag.com | 9
BreeAnn Hammond
I Will Trust 10 | www.back2basicsmag.com
@breeannhammond
B2B: Where were you in life 10 years ago? BreeAnn: 10 years ago I was coming out of a really dark place. I had just graduated from high school in 2006 and transitioned into my freshman year of college, which I was not excited about. My mom said, “No, you’re going.” And I’m like, “I really don’t want to go.” So I went to Western Michigan University in the fall. After about six weeks, I just showed up back home like, “Yeah, so I’m back.” My mom said, “No, you’re going to finish the semester.” I said, “No, no, no, yeah, I’m home.” So in that process of transitioning it was the first time I felt the weight of being an adult. I was 18, not in college and I didn’t know what the heck I was about to do. At the time my relationship with my father was struggling. The possibility of me doing what I’m doing now was so far out of reach; it was just not even on the radar. So there I was thinking, “What the heck am I about to do?” I was suicidal. I literally planned my suicide. And the crazy part about it was how technical I was thinking. I said, “Okay, I’m definitely not going to go through with it until I have some type of peace.” How crazy does that sound? Until I have some type of peace about where I will spend eternity because I was told growing up that if you kill yourself you’re going to hell. I began to research. I said, “If I can just find out that God has forgiveness for suicide then I’m going to just take my chances. I called around to a couple of people who are knowledgeable about the Word. I made up this elaborate story about how my friends said that they were going to do something and I was concerned. Of course the friend was me. I was trying to get some information and the Holy Spirit got involved in the conversation. My friend’s mom said, “Well, look, your friend is really being tormented and this is very sticky.” I just broke down and they realized it was me. They came to my aid like the process of suicide watch/ intervention. That helped me get on the right track.
Moving forward, I decided to enroll in cosmetology school because I’ve always been interested in hair and make-up and nails since I was a little girl. I still keep my license current and all of that. Now I’m able to do what I love for the enjoyment and it makes a nice side-hustle. Literally ten years ago today I was coming out of a dark place and going into a new place of structure and focus into pursuing a career. Now I’m kind of in a similar space. I’m coming out of a dark place because I went through a divorce fairly recently. It takes you through a range of emotions. For those who have experienced divorce, it’s like the realization that, wow, this is not going to be forever. It’s wrestling with your contributions to the demise of the memory within. All of that is very traumatic, the bad decisions that were made on my end, and just wrestling with that. I can say that I am finding stability and finding focus in the gospel music industry even now with all of this shifting that’s taking place. Just the nature of the industry has always been hectic, early mornings, late nights in the studio, touring, trying to find a schedule. It’s just very interesting that I’m trying to get focus in an industry that is changing. Fortunately I am hopeful about it. I love to sing, I love to write music, and I just am open to whatever God would have me to do. I try not to stay limited to my idea of what the picture should look like. I say let God paint it the way He wants it to be and help me to see it. B2B: What goals do you have for your work? BreeAnn: My ultimate goal is I just literally want to tell people about Jesus and have a great time doing that. There’s so many different ways to do that and just keeping in mind that most successful people have multiple streams of income. I am like, “Okay, real estate, I really love real estate.” I got involve in real estate from an investment standpoint originally and then having worked
for the IRS and learning different tax benefits, I saw that real estate is something I’m really interested in. Having the knowledge of how it works, selling, buying, that really kind of lead me to get my real estate license and just in assets as far additional knowledge I could have to funnel my income that’s coming from music ministry and coming from the hair clients that I have. Literally before we got on the phone I was moving around some appointments. I’m trying to find a way to balance it all gracefully without being overwhelmed. B2B: As the daughter of a living legend, do you have faith in the next generation? And if so, why?
BreeAnn: I’m constantly praying that the Lord is involved in everything that I do. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. So even in the midst of my foolery (I’m not perfect) I say, “God. I have this area that needs to be worked on. This area that I need to do better in.” I still try to remind myself no matter how embarrassed I am because I’m like, “I should be better, I should be doing better, I should be thinking better, I should be believing harder.” I still try to pull Him into those areas and say, “Lord, you’re literally the only one who can change this. I can’t change it because if I could it would have been done.”
BreeAnn: I definitely have faith in the next generation just for the simple fact that we have so much at our fingertips. We have access to so much knowledge. There’s a lot of content and accessibility to the word of God and the things of God to help draw people in. I find it to be extremely effective. That alone helps me believe in the next generation. If they even have the slightest hunger for God, there’s a lot to help encourage that in a positive way. I still feel like I’m a part of the youth even though I just turned 29.
All the words of encouragement from others and their prayers and that’s great, and it is helping. The prayers of the righteous avail as much, I believe that, absolutely. But at the end you’re going to perfect it. You’re the one who’s going to finish the work. So I need God to come into these areas and help remind me to continuously bring Him into these areas, to continuously seek His word and stop getting caught up in my own ideas and other’s ideas, because I love to communicate, a love to talk, I was communications major in college.
B2B: Are there any projects that you’re working on that we can be on the lookout for and what’s going on with your daily happenings?
Getting back to basics for me is asking, “Okay, God, what does Your words say about stewardship? What does Your words say about slothfulness? Am I being lazy in some areas? Is procrastinating causing this? Where’s the source of problem? What do I need to be focused on in Your word to help get it in my heart, write it on my heart so that it becomes my habit, so I can get rid of these bad habits?” So getting back to basics for me is definitely focusing on what He said in His word and through His spirit in me.
BreeAnn: Absolutely! right now, so my personal project is the TV show that my dad is creating. And I’m always nervous about how much information I’m giving out about that because it’s definitely still in the creation process. But that is what I am really excited about and diligently working on. B2B: How do you get back to basics in your walk with Christ?
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MEGAFEST EXPERIENCE | A TIME TO LAUGH COMEDY SHOW | ALIVE DANCE/MIME DESTINY WORLD | EMPOWERMENT SESSIONS | ENTREPRENEUR SESSIONS GIRL TALK | INTERNATIONAL FAITH & FAMILY | MANPOWER | MEGAFIT MEGAYOUTH/FIRECODE | WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED MegaFest returns to Dallas for a four-day faith, film and family festival June 28 through July 1 to attract more than 100,000 visitors hosted by best-selling author, entrepreneur and pastor, Bishop T.D. Jakes. “MegaFest is uniquely spectacular,” Bishop Jakes said. “There’s nothing like it for men, women, youth, children and entire families. It fills so many needs in people’s lives today – whether getting over your past or claiming your future ahead. It’s healing, it’s inspiring, it’s exciting, it’s entertaining – it’s an experience with something for everyone.”
REGISTER TODAY mega-fest.org
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Geoffrey Golden @geoffreydgolden
Gospel prodigy, Geoffrey Golden, the winner of Season 7 of BET’s “Sunday Best,” has a story to tell, and it’s as powerful as his voice. The truth is, if it hadn’t been for God’s divine grace “the Black Pavarotti”—a nickname given to him by his friend, mentor and label CEO Kirk Franklin—might not be here today to collect all of the blessings God had in store for him. That’s because the baby-faced millennial, now headed into his senior year at Morehouse College, contemplated suicide at about 10 or 11 years old while struggling with some inner demons related to self-worth. “I knew it wasn’t something that was physiological but truly something that was spiritual, he said of his four-year-long personal struggle. “ I did a lot of praying, reading my Word. Things I didn’t fully understand at that age but understood I needed to do.” Through the power of God, the Cleveland native’s faith in himself and his future was slowly restored. Now, a licensed minister, Geoffrey shouts – and sings – his praises from the mountaintop every chance he gets. “But for the grace of God go I,” affirms the 22-year-old economics major of his journey through the valley. “I always thought, from a young age, that one day I would become a preacher, but I did not necessarily anticipate I would sing,” he says of his walk with Christ. Geoffrey is on
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the ministerial staff of Glenville Church of Christ Holiness USA in Cleveland while also serving as the National Congress Worship Leader for Church of Christ (Holiness) USA (“COCHUSA”). Not only was Geoffrey blessed with golden vocals, he was born into a musical family—his great-grandfather was a jazz saxophonist, his great-grandmother was a concert pianist and his mother is the Minister of Music for his home church, where his father is senior pastor. That rich and constant immersion in jazz and gospel music led Geoffrey to choose gospel videos over “Sesame Street” during his toddler years and to directing the National Children’s Choir for the Church of Christ at age 8 instead of playing outside with his friends. In middle school, the budding singer stepped up his choir game, volunteering to help the school choir director teach and arrange music. In high school he took it a step further, serving as the student director for the Cleveland Heights Gospel Choir, where he wrote, arranged, sang, and taught music. In his late teens he even cut an EP of a few gospel songs he had written with some family members. Yes, you could say Golden was literally destined to sing. So when in 2013 the opportunity came for him to audition for Season 6 of “Sunday Best” he jumped at the chance. He ultimately didn’t make the cut, but it’s a good thing he didn’t give up. Convinced he had simply hit a speed bump, Geoffrey auditioned the following year, this time going all the way to the top. “When I look back on it I realized things were destined to happen the way they did,” says Geoffrey, a lifelong member of the National Convention of Gospel Choirs (NCGCC also known as the Thomas Dorsey Convention). He currently occupies the same position the famed Rev. James Cleveland held there prior to founding the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA). “I really have just seen God’s hand throughout this entire process, and I’m grateful.” It is clear through Geoffrey’s professional debut of Kingdom... LIVE that he is destined for musical greatness, but building his musical ministry is far from his only focus. This outstanding young man has plans to return to school for a Master’s Degree in public policy once he graduates Morehouse. His vision is to help enact bills on behalf of other young men of color that will have a positive impact on their relationship to police and other historic institutions of power. “Anything that revolves around Christian ministry and helping people is what I’m passionate about,” says Geoffrey. “It is my desire to serve in every possible way I can.”
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