Back2Basics Magazine - Summer 2020

Summer 2020

C E L E B R AT I N G 8 Y E A R S

RESTORATION Lecrae shares how he lost his religion, but found his faith along his restoration journey to true freedom.

+

* I Can’t Breathe * 8 Promises of God * Master of Time * Ear of Truth * 20 Questions

We have had enough.

CONTENTS Summer 2020

ON THE COVER 05 B2B Feed 06

I Can’t Breathe

13

8 Promises of God

16

Recipe

17

Work It Out

18

Ear of Truth

19

20 Questions

10 Restoration in Progress

contributors

07

Justice For George Floyd

10

Master of Time Mariam Kazadi, Blogger

13

Celebrating 8 Years

Summer 2020, Vol. 8, No. 2 Publisher Brittany N. Winkfield Contributors LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

B2B Tip: March for Justice.

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.... So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.

Galatians 6:7, 9 (NLT) Restoration takes commitment. It is the action of returning something to a former condition. When God restores, He takes a mess, what is broken or destroyed and makes it useful and beautiful. In the same way, Justice takes commitment. Lately it feels like we’re living in a civil war. Those who came before us worked too hard for us not to march for justice.

The basic response of Christian life is belief in hope.

We cannot lose our hope. It is the essence of our faith.

We need to pray, yes, but let’s end our prayers with action. That’s what Jesus did.

Don’t give up.

We’re in this together.

4 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

Mariam Kazadi, The Good Fight Edward Rue, Ear of Truth Web Development Marcus Winkfield 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 Editorial and Advertising Inquiries info@back2basicsmag.com Information is correct at press time.

Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the official company policy.

Copyright © 2020. 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.

A Christian lifestyle magazine designed to inform and inspire young people in their walk with Christ.

@back2basicsmag

b2b feed If You Don’t Know, Now You Know

meagangood.myshopify.com

back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 5

Back2Basics Magazine

6 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 7

I Can’t Breathe www.justiceforbigfloyd.com

George Floyd was a peace activist and respected community leader.

He was far from his home in Houston when he was murdered in broad daylight by Minneapolis police.

George Floyd, known as Floyd, or Big Floyd, by friends and family, was in Minneapolis on business, far from his family and community, when four Minneapolis police officers murdered him in broad daylight. It was, in effect, a modern day lynching as those police officers served as judge, jury, and executioner on an unarmed, non-violent, handcuffed Black man.

He was dragged from his car, pinned to the ground, and choked even as he begged for air by officers using unnecessary and deadly force.

Video of the incident clearly shows the officer, Derek Chauvin, employing a deadly chokehold as Floyd repeatedly states, “I can’t breathe.” He was non-violent, unarmed, and begging for mercy in broad daylight, yet both officers present at the scene continued to use illegal force until it was too late.

Though four Minneapolis officers involved in George’s murder have since been fired and Derek Chauvin has now been arrested and charged with Floyd’s murder, his family has yet to receive complete justice for the tragic loss they now face. The remaining officers responsible for this horrible killing must be tried and charged with the murder of George Floyd.

We need your help: join us in calling on County Attorney Michael Freeman—who has the power to arrest and charge these police officers—to hold them accountable for the murder of George Floyd.

#JusticeforFloyd 8 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

back2basicsmag.com AND COUNTLESS OTHERS SUMMER 2020 9

restoration in progress The Restoration Continues

A catalyst for restoration in faith, music and pop culture, Lecrae has evolved into an entrepreneur, speaker, thought leader, philanthropist and New York Time bestselling author. This year in addition to his 9th studio album entitled Restoration, he’ll also release his second book, I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion, But Found My Faith, a follow-up to his first book, Unashamed.

10 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

10

10

years ago Lecrae was working on his Rehab album with a one-year-old and two-year-old, “Just trying to make it happen.” Never in a million years did he think he’d find himself where he is today. Fast forward and we know Lecrae to be a Multi-Grammy Award-winning platinum selling artist and Co-Owner/President of Reach Records. This summer Lecrae will release his 9th studio album, Restoration. The album features artists across all genres including John Legend, Kirk Franklin, YK Osiris, Jossy, Dani Leigh, Marc E. Bassy, Chicago Kid and more. The first single is “Set Me Free” ft YK Osiris produced by Gawvi tells the story of Lecrae’s own restorative process. “I realized there were things that had held me down, keeping me from being all that God had created me to me. My hope is that we’re all released from shackles like having negative thoughts that keep us from experiencing true freedom!”

In Unashamed, Lecrae was transparent about adversities experienced in his life – childhood abuse, drugs, alcoholism, a stint in rehab, abortion, growing up fatherless, an unsuccessful suicide attempt. “I know where I came from and know that it’s nothing but a miracle of God that put me where I’m at. A lot of people like to credit knowing the right information and knowing how to work hard, but truthfully I have a lot of friends and family members who know a lot of information and know how to work hard and they ended up in some other situations so I know it was truly God who put me here.”

“A lot of people think when you’re in the limelight, that you’re immune to problems,” shares Lecrae. “I’ve navigated the highs and lows of success and celebrity. Strengthening my personal relationship with God has helped to restore, transform, and define who I am as a man, father, and businessperson.” In everybody’s life, if you live long enough, you will come to a point where you are truly broken. Either you will humble yourself or God will humble you. “With me moving a million miles an hour and caring more about what people had to say about me than what God has to say about me overwhelmed me and really just took me out. I needed to regroup and refocus and allow God to restore my mind, my soul, my passion.”

Lecrae partnered with Love Beyond Walls to plant portable hand washing stations around the Atlanta Metro Area for homeless and displaced people to clean their hands in response to Coronavirus (Covid-19). The initiative kicked off on March 19th at Love Beyond Wall’s Center located at 3270 East Main Street, College Park, GA 30337. Lecrae joined the Love Beyond Walls team at 10am to begin assembling the sinks after which were filled with water, loaded on trucks, and distributed to key locations frequented by the homeless in the Atlanta Metro Area.

David said restore unto me the joy of your salvation (Psalms 51:12) and He is faithful to do that. In Luke when Jesus is healing people and the men lower their paralyzed friend through the ceiling and Jesus says ‘your sins are forgiven.’ It’s better to have your sins forgiven than to walk again, but that physical restoration is part of the testimony too. “I don’t want to run around here telling people how good Jesus is and not give them a picture of that tangible form. If I can’t physically heal you, I can heal that hunger that’s in your stomach or heal that issue you’re struggling with by providing a physical need. “I want people to find freedom.” I want them to hear how God liberates and restores. Jesus makes all things new and that includes my life and yours. back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 11

“

Sometimes we make everything so complicated. Sometimes God just

wants us to slow down. The simple things get us back to the basics in our

“

walk with Christ.

The simple things get us back to the basics Wake up and pray. Simple, not difficult.

Spend some time reading the Psalms instead of trying to find the most

intense digital Bible study you can find. There’s nothing wrong with that, but just do some of the simple things.

Love your neighbor.

Send an encouraging message to somebody that you know.

At the end of the day, love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

(Matthew 22:37-38) Everything else falls in between those categories.

12 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

Mariam Kazadi, Contributor

As we celebrate Back2Basics Magazine’s 8 year anniversary, It is so important to look at how God brought us here, because it is the same way He will get us as a community through COVID-19.

Through His promises. Yes, His promises! You see God is not repeating himself or rewriting his word. His word is still true today and the promises in his word that kept Back2Basics magazine in its first year are keeping us now in our 8th year. As we navigate through COVID19 we wanted to share our 8 years of promises with our top 8 promises to carry us through COVID-19.

8 Promises of God to Remember During COVID-19 and Always I will help you, do not be afraid // Isaiah 41:13 I will never leave you // Deuteronomy 31:8 I have a future for you // Jeremiah 29:11 I will meet all your needs Phillipians 4:19 I hear you John 14:13-14 I will give you peace that cannot be taken // Philippians 4:6-7 I will make a way // Isaiah 43:19 I will make sure EVERYTHING works out for your good // Romans 8:28 back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 13

MASTER OF TIME Mariam Kazadi, Contributor

Am I the only one that spent the first week of quarantine, eating way too many snacks and disregarding all aspects of time? Judging by the amazing memes I have seen, I think not.

After getting week one of quarantine out of my system, I found myself wondering what the best use of my time would be. I incorporated runs outside and even disciplined myself to set time out specifically for being creative, whether I paint that day or write the next, I have become more intentional about my time. That has not, however, made me forget other aspects of this quarantine I cannot control. Like how long it will last? Who will it impact next? It may not be a person I know today but what about tomorrow?

After a few moments of those fear-induced thoughts like that I did, of course, find myself back to God, the master of time. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 we are reminded that there is a time for everything under the heavens.

Even as you read this you may not be aware that this publication is celebrating the 8 years of time spent encouraging and producing God-filled content.

We see on social media that although we are social distancing, time is passing us by, babies are still being born, businesses are still thriving and growing, the sun is still rising and setting. Time is still moving.

What is the master of time doing?

Well, He is doing what the master has always done, establishing our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

Imagine a father and a son walk to a door, the father urges the son to wait by the door. The son waits and the father enters the door. Closing it behind him. With fear slowly filling the boy, he starts to worry. Am I in trouble? he thought. Maybe I am not old enough or good enough or smart enough to know what was in that room. The thoughts continued... every negative thought he could think, he thought.

After what seemed like hours to the boy, (but was really just 5 minutes) the doorknob began to move. Before he could finish his train of fear-filled thoughts, his father poked his head out and with a big smile said to the boy, “almost done.” After seeing the father’s face the boy was relieved, in fact, he was beaming with joy. The kind of joy one can barely contain.

Now the ending of the story doesn’t matter, nor what the father was preparing for his child. The point was, after hearing the father and believing the father, he trusted the father. The fear that was crippling the child had passed.

I would even bet that the child could have been willing to wait longer, (not patiently of course) but even longer knowing what was coming was for his good.

As we quarantine, we cannot forget that the one thing God said He is looking for when Jesus Christ does return is FAITH (Luke 18:8). He asks WILL I FIND FAITH? And what is faith? Is it not the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not yet seen.

The master of time is in control. We have not seen how this will end or what life will be after Covid-19 but as it takes over more and more of our daily routines we have to have faith and be of good courage. God is still in control and time is still in His hands. Every minute wasted and every hour lost are all in His hands. We may use our time to grow as we wait, milestones will be reached and we may even be in quarantine for a longer period of time than expected, but we do not have to be afraid. We do not have to lose hope. We can regain assurance that EVERYTHING GOD STARTED, HE WILL FINISH (Philippians 1:6).

14 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 15

Lentil Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Citrus Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4 | Calories: 338kcal

Ingredients • 1/2 Lentil Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Citrus • 1/2 cup dry quinoa (rinsed, drained, and cooked according to package directions) (I used tricolor quinoa for color) • 1/4 cup diced red onion • 2-3 clementines (segmented) • 1 avocado (diced) • 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes • 1/4 cup fresh parsley • 1/4 cup raw pecans • 4 big handfuls fresh spinach • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice • 1 tbsp dijon mustard • salt/pepper to taste

Directions 1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together and set aside.

2. Mix all salad ingredients, except spinach, in a medium bowl.

3. When ready to serve, add one big handful of spinach to individual bowls and top with lentil quinoa mixture.

4. Drizzle with vinaigrette.

5. Store spinach, lentil quinoa mixture and vinaigrette all separately if you have leftovers.

Recipe source: https://www.veggieinspired.com/lentil-quinoa-salad-with-spinach-and-citrus

16 SUMMER 2020 back2basicsmag.com

Work it out Do The Workout

back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 17

Christian Music News & Reviews www.earoftruth.com

18 18 SUMMER SUMMER 2020 2020 back2basicsmag.com back2basicsmag.com

20Q UE STIO NS

01

08

18

14

01 Have you prayed for our nation?

------------------------------------------------------------------------02 What do you value?

------------------------------------------------------------------------03 Did you expect to be where you are today?

------------------------------------------------------------------------04 What inspires you?

------------------------------------------------------------------------05 How can we pray for you?

------------------------------------------------------------------------06 What are you watching?

------------------------------------------------------------------------07 What are you listening to?

------------------------------------------------------------------------08 Team Franklin or Team Hammond?

------------------------------------------------------------------------09 How do you treat yourself?

------------------------------------------------------------------------10 What’s the positive outcome of this pandemic?

------------------------------------------------------------------------11 What has God brought you through?

------------------------------------------------------------------------12 What is God still bringing you through?

------------------------------------------------------------------------13 How are you adjusting?

------------------------------------------------------------------------14 What is you workout plan?

------------------------------------------------------------------------15 Do you have a routine?

------------------------------------------------------------------------16 Would you rather wing it?

------------------------------------------------------------------------17 Have you been able to save money?

------------------------------------------------------------------------18 Are you being intentional?

------------------------------------------------------------------------19 Will coronavirus be here forever?

------------------------------------------------------------------------20 Have you thanked God for your life today?

Got answers? Hit us up on IG @back2basicsmag 20

back2basicsmag.com SUMMER 2020 19