EMPOWERING YOU TO EMPOWER YOURSELF
COCOA THE CHOCOLATIER CHEF
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Editor's Notes Hurley Morgan
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Middle Age and Beyound the Quest for Good Health in Men Alvin C. Romer
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Meet Pastor Andre Jones Interview with Pastor Andre A.J. Jones
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Kingdom Leadership 3 Pillars Leroy McKenzie, Jr. writes about Kingdom Leadership
NOV/DEC ISSUE 2018
REAL LIFE REAL FAITH
Editor in Chief Cheryl Lacey Donovan Publisher Elissa Gabrielle Senior Editors Hurley Morgan Cee Cee H. Caldwell Columnists Leroy McKenzie Alvin C. Romer Hurley Morgan Bryant Lewis Contributors Donna H, Richard Brody, Anastasia Kanli Designer Cheryl Lacey Donovan
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You can't take counterfeit people to the real places God wants you to go
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Editor's Note Words from the Senior Managing Editor… Greetings Can you believe it…another year has come to an end! We have made it through yet another year at Men of Faith, which is our 3rd year…can you believe it! This is the final edition for the year… but that is ok because we will pick it back up in the New Year and we have plans to be bigger and bette! We would like to thank you all for supporting us and giving us a chance to both educate and entertain you with our enlightening articles. As you all know, the months of November and December mark the season of thanksgiving and spreading cheer. This is the time of the year where we have two of our most important holidays, which is very suiting to present to you our year’s finale. We continue to be thankful for you! We are thankful for the opportunity to share with you what’s on our minds as men! Speaking of our minds…the deep rooted issues of this country that continue to be barriers to our ability to get past issues surrounding racism, sexism, mental illnesses, and injustices that flood our social media timelines and the news outlets continue to be very much prevalent and should be addressed. We want to talk about it! We need to talk about! Better yet…we need to DO more about it! I will now come off my soapbox. But just know…the contributors of MOF, along with myself, are dedicated to bringing you more content on the issues that we as men need to address in order for us to be better leaders; better neighbors; better fathers, sons, brothers, uncles, friends, co-workers… better MEN!
Throughout the year our mission at MOF has been to address an array of topics that men not only want to hear about but also need to hear about. The well-versed contributors of Men of Faith Magazine all write with the goal to educate, uplift, motivate, and inspire. As men of faith we all must do our part in order to make this country a better place because the country needs more positive influences. We are in a state of emergency where it has now become imperative that we stand up and create a culture of positive change. We write with the understanding that men need to be able to do more in order to help rectify the issues that continue to plague our communities. We continue to strive to feed the mind and soul of men while encouraging all men to do their part in supporting the brotherhood of men. In closing…this month’s cover feature is Pastor Andre’ Jones, Senior Pastor, author, Sports Director for several gospel radio stations, and creator of a nationally syndicated Christian sports talk show called Faith In Sports. From the interview of our feature to the articles from the MOF scribes…we hope that you enjoy the content within the pages of Men of Faith Magazine. Happy Holiday Season everyone and as always…Enjoy! Much Love! Hurley Morgan Senior Managing Editor
MIDDLE AGE AND BEYOND – THE QUEST FOR GOOD HEALTH IN MEN Alvin C. Romer
There’s quite a bit I can write about concerning life beyond the aging process. Middle age and beyond status quo in this regard has much more to do with healthy options, living with no aches, and anything on the upside of no pain with a lot to gain. It doesn’t take much after you’ve lived a bit for your body to talk to you in ways that remind you that aches and pains are part of the process. More often than not, I’ve been asked the question, “how are you feeling?” Usually I find myself hesitating before answering simply because I may be trying to adjust to the latest ache or two. I’ve come to conclusions as I educate the young and old alike that time waits for no one, and that our timing is not the same as God’s. Health and temperance fuels moderated concerns when dealing with our bodies and keeping good healthy regimens. Let’s face it, change is inevitable; we all are gearing toward retirement and looking for good sunsets and meaningful sunrises. Those changes will be negligible at first — fluky things, like not remembering things that don't matter anyway as you joke about "senior moments." But something real is happening in your life regarding the way it was and the way it is now. You're starting to slow down — but again, it's gradual. Your brain will start to lose about 0.5 percent of its volume each year from now on. There's the psychological functions and the receptors that impacts various functions — serotonin (mood), acetylcholine (memory, learning, and concentration), and dopamine (movement, motivation, and learning), but don’t get discouraged by the aforementioned ‘big’ words. They become elementary when your motor begins to tell you another aspect of your existence need attending to. I’m sure there will be, and are detractors who will say that they are
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fine living the life they live, and that there’s no need to panic, right? Don’t let it be a false sense of security. Yes, you may be feeling good about yourselves. You exercise. You eat right. You’re in pretty good shape for someone your age. Still, getting older can bring on health problems as our bodies change and you ignore signs and symptoms. Not everyone will get them, but some medical conditions become more common or more serious after we get a few decades under our belts. So what should we do? First and foremost it would behoove us to know and respect how and why our health is important. When it comes to prevention and early detection, men’s health often takes a back seat to women’s health – all because we are expected to be hale and hearty being the dominion of familial welfare…and to be macho upholding the epitome of strength. We can be stubborn and hard-headed and ignore signs and symptoms. Yet, the most common conditions affecting us, including heart disease, prostate, testicular, and colon cancer have implications that may cause havoc psychologically as we deal with mental acuity. What you’ve read thus far in this article will only confirm what we already know…we are aware that those symptoms are indicative of men being on the same page of suggestive ideals for healthy solutions. What truly can align ourselves to the quest of good health is for meaningful application to embody enough will behind efforts living holistic lives. If living can be easy, then we MUST overcome that which would render us diminished of favor and devoid of flavor. Oftentimes it comes down to thinking of healthcare as something that happens in our doctor’s office, or only when something dire happens and
we at the last minute decide to do what should have been done much earlier; but really it starts with the multitude of smaller, if not essential decisions that we make with at least three things that will allow us new leases on life: Eat Healthy – Any doctor worth his/her salt will admonish us from not eating to minimize catastrophic proportions. They will readily tell us to each right with an abundance of fruit, vegetable, and whole grains in our bodies; to limit foods and drinks in higher calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol. The key to it all is being balanced in our eating habits for healthy weight management. Exercise Regularly – On a personal note, at this stage of my life, I confess that I simply do not have the will and ways of exercising constantly in a considerate mindset. I admit that I’m lazy, content on my routine and oblivious to change. I don’t advocate this to whom may be reading this article. Yes, I KNOW what needs are necessary for my health issues to revolve around regimens for bodily exercise, and I’m getting better at due diligence. We all should be active for at least two and a half hours a week, including activities that raise your breathing and heart rates, which in the process strengthen your muscles. I endeavor for obedience to cardiovascular adherence and so should you! Pay Attention to Your Body – How many times will you ignore that back pain (or can you?); you are gaining weight at an enormous rate, you tire easily and your breathing is irregular, and there’s not enough pep in your step. Our bodies don’t lie and are truly barometers measuring signs of better maintenance. When paying attention to your body, getting the proper rest to ward off stress and irregularity is the key that unlocks pep in your step!
There are many conclusive decisions we can do for healthy options. Good viable decisions should always be our quest to delay maladies, ones that are carefully considered, draws on all relevant information and is consistent with how we want to live our lives. Even if these decisions don’t result in the ideal result, know that we can be understandable that sound judgments are those we can live with and that will help us live better. Better yet, if no adherence to any of this information is par for your course, you are on an inevitable collision course for deterioration of your body. I want health and temperance working for me as I grow and change for healthy, wealthy and a wiser way of living…what about you?
PASTORANDRE'
Jones
Pastor Andre A.J. Jones Pastor André (AJ) Jones is passionate about ministry. He is committed to helping people believe that they can be forgiven, redeemed and restored from anything they may have done “BC” (Before Christ). Pastor Jones challenges them to move from religion to intimate relationship with Christ by teaching them the Word of God and how to use the promises they have in Him to deal with the challenges they face in their lives today. He is the Senior Pastor of the Cullen Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, TX which was founded by Bishop Robert C. Jefferson in 1977. He was also the Senior Pastor of the historic, 126 year old Spring Hill Baptist Church in Calvert, TX and the founder of the AMEN Fellowship Church on the campus of Texas Southern University. In his “spare” time, Pastor AJ Jones is fulfilling a dream as a Sports Director for several gospel radio stations around the state & created a nationally syndicated Christian sports talk show called Faith In Sports. AJ Jones can also be found Monday through Friday from 12-2 pm central hosting The Lunch Break sports talk show on KYOK AM 1140 & 92.3 FM in Houston. Pastor Jones is blessed to be a published author of a book entitled God’s Fallible Man, has worked as a bank vice president and was formerly with AT&T where he held several positions from Product Manager to Branch CFO over a 14-year career. Pastor AJ has humbly served in various positions in the church including:
· Assistant Pastor · Youth Pastor · Associate Minister · Youth Leader · Men’s Ministry Leader · Armor Bearer · Founder of Church Youth Football · Boys Rites of Passage Mentor · Greeter Pastor Jones absolutely loves being used by God for ministry in churches, conferences, and workshops with emphasis on men, women, singles and youth all over the world in places like, Kenya, Rwanda, Australia and New Zealand. However, he is extremely motivated by the opportunity to make an impact on the Kingdom of God one life at a time.
Pastor AJ Jones absolutely loves his family and is also honored to be called “Pop” by youth and young adults who view him as a father-figure in their lives all over the country.
men of faith year in review 2018 Men of Faith Magazine…
Another year is coming to an end for us at Real Life Real Men of Faith Magazine….and it has been yet another amazing year for us. This is year number 3 for us…can you believe it!? We look forward to bringing you all bigger and better content in 2019! Take a walk back through the year by checking out our back issues. January/February 2018 https://issuu.com/cheryllaceydonovan/docs/january_2ffeb_2018_magazine March/April 2018 https://issuu.com/cheryllaceydonovan/docs/march_2018_men_of_faith_magazine May/June 2018 https://issuu.com/cheryllaceydonovan/docs/men_of_faith_may July/August 2018 https://issuu.com/cheryllaceydonovan/docs/july_2f_aug_men_of_faith September/October 2018 https://issuu.com/cheryllaceydonovan/docs/september_october_men_of_faith_maga Not only have we had yet another successful year with the magazine, but there has been a lot going on within the country as well. Take a walk with me as take a look at events that transpired throughout the year…… Politics….
Another year coming to an end and yet another year where the country continues to be divided on how they feel about the state of the country’s government. Just as I mentioned last year, we are faced with another year dealing with pressing issues that deal with race relations in this country; rights to bear arms and the countless killings due to gun violence; immigration, which also dealt with families being separated with kids caged like animals and the building of a wall (remember the feelings that came with taking down the infamous Berlin Wall); healthcare and the fact that many still can’t afford it and the fear that Medicare will be eventually taken away; mental health issues in this country and the cutting of funds and services that deal with mental health; violent crimes and the disparities that come with the disproportionate amounts of people of color being sentenced longer than their Caucasian counterparts for the same crime; terrorism both nationally (yep we have a problem with home grown terrorists that are not appropriately labeled as so) and internationally, hate groups and racism (one side feels that it continues to be an issues while another side feels that it is not as big of a deal as the other side is making it), international relations (the world is looking at us with the side eye these days), and state and federal government scandals (an administration that has had as high of a turnover rate as the Cleveland Browns has had starting quarterbacks over the years), just to name a few, continue to be huge topics being discussed across the country. Since our past presidential election, the country is divided and there appears to be no desire for resolve.
All I can say is….VOTE, VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!! No matter what office is up for elections… continue to make your voice heard and be active in local, state, and federal elections. Voting for local, state, and federal government officials is just as critical as voting for a presidential candidate. People need to continue to educate themselves on the government (Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches), the roles of each, and the laws that these officials are trying to push with their agendas. Become educated on the election process as well. What’s key in all of this? BEING EDUCATED! Entertainment…. Top 5 grossing movies of 2017 (as of release of magazine)… 1. Beauty and the Beast 2. Wonder Woman 3. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 4. Spider-Man: Homecoming 5. It Movies that you should see… Black Panther BlacKkKlansman The Hate U Giv The Equalizer 2 Proud Mary Sorry to Bother You Uncle Drew Traffik Breaking In Nobody’s Fool Night School Big Albums of 2018… Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Heart. Passion. Pursuit Snoop Dogg & Various Artists – Snoop Dogg Presents: Bible Of Love David & Tamela Mann – Us Against the World Soundtrack – Black Panther: The Album The Carters (Beyonce and Jay-Z) – Everything is Love Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer Mariah Carey - Caution Ella Mai – Ella Mai H.E.R. – H.E.R. E
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minem – Kamikaze Cardi B – Invasion of Property J. Cole – KOD Drake – Scorpion
Lil Wayne – Tha Carter V
*People continue to want music from Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, and many other artists that are no longer with us.
It’s so hard to say goodbye…people we lost in 2018 Aretha Franklin (Queen of Soul- Singer), Stan Lee (Comic Book Writer/Publisher), Burt Reynolds (Actor), Dennis Edwards (The Temptations), Craig Mack (rapper), Harry Anderson (actor), Barbara Bush (Former First Lady), Joe Jackson (Father of Michael Jackson), John McCain (US Senator), Mac Miller (Singer)…..may they Rest in Peace
Sports….
2018 Championships NCAA Football Champions – Alabama Crimson Tide Score: Alabama Crimson Tide 26 – Georgia Bulldogs 23
NCAA Basketball Champions – Villanova Wildcats Score: Villanova Wildcats 79 – Michigan Wolverines 62
NFL Champions – Philadelphia Eagles Score: Philadelphia Eagles 41 – New England Patriots 33
NBA Champions – Golden State Warriors Series: Golden State Warriors 4 – Cleveland Cavaliers 0
MLB Champions – Boston Red Sox Series: Boston Red Sox 4 – Los Angeles Dodgers 1
NHL Champions – Washington Capitals Series: Washington Capitals 4 – Vegas Golden Knights 1
2018: In sports’ news Colin Kaepernick: Déjà vu is what we can call it. Another year same result, Colin Kaepernick doesn’t have a job in the NFL but continues to be a huge topic of discussion in the world of sports. He may not have a job in the NFL, but he does continue to be a Activists, letting his voice be heard about Police Brutality and the Injustices that continue to occur in this country for people of color. Not only that, he continued to make the people that tend to dislike him “BIG MAD” when he signed a deal with Nike. Talk about the irony of it all! The Colin Kaepernick topic of discussion continues to shed light on the fact that the country is not as United as its name says it is.
Other big news that occurred in 2018:
The King, Lebron James took his talents to the Los Angeles Lakers. I don’t know about anyone else, but I am very excited about that move…being that I am a huge Laker fan! Hoping that Showtime is about to return to L.A.! Tiger Woods won his first PGA tour victory since 2013, winning The Tour Championship for his 80th tour victory of his illustrious professional gold career. Also very worth mentioning…Serena Williams made a huge comeback from her pregnancy and gained tremendous momentum heading into what looks like is going to be a successful 2019 for her. Serena Williams didn’t win any titles this year but did manage to be runner-up in the U.S. Open Championship match and the Wimbledon Championship match. As an avid sports fan I am looking forward to yet another exciting year in sports.
Next Year….
We will continue to expand and grow! As always, we would love to hear any suggestions. What would you like to see more of? We look forward to 2019!
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The Current State Of Today's Politics: No LEADERS
By Richard Brody
If you're disgusted, disillusioned, or feel, the current state of today's political climate, and/ or politicians, is failing to serve your best interests, etc, you are certainly not alone, in your perceptions! It seems, every day, the bulk of the discussion, is broken into, a battle between the rhetoric of either side of the political spectrum, and very few of our elected officials, appear to be, serving and representing you, and your best interests, and the common good, rather than attempting to bring us together, and emphasize a meeting, of the minds! Unfortunately, we appear to be suffering from a dearth of genuine leadership, and our political representatives, have demonstrated, we have very few real LEADERS. With that in mind, this article will attempt to briefly consider, discuss, and review, using the mnemonic approach, what this means, and represents, and why it is concerning.
1. Listen; learn; leadership; liaison: Few of these, so - called, leaders, are willing to effectively listen, so they will learn, the needs, goals, priorities, and perceptions of their constituents! How can anyone exhibit quality leadership, unless he seeks, to unite and unify others, and serves, as a liaison, between those with different political perspectives, and beliefs?
2. Empathy; emphasis; energize; excellence; endurance: Effective listeners consistently demonstrate genuine empathy, and place their emphasis, in a way, which seeks to energize citizens, in a positive way. They must never accept the same - old, same - old, failed ways, but demand their utmost degree of genuine excellence. It's important to realize, doing so, requires a significant degree of endurance, in order to see things through, to a desirable point.
3. Attitude; aptitude; attention; articulate: There's no place for negativism, and we need leaders, with true, positive, can - do, attitudes, combined with well - developed aptitudes, and a willingness to pay keen attention! They must be ready, willing and able to articulate a positive, motivating, unifying message! 4. Delve deeply; discover; deliver: We don't want, or need, populist representatives, but, rather individuals, willing to delve deeply, in order to discover the alternatives, and focus on delivering the best representation! 5. Earn; every/ each: Too many elected officials seem to believe they deserve respect, simply because of their position, but, rather, we need people, who truly earn this respect, each and every day, because of their focus, emphasis, energy, intentions, strategies, and actions!
6. Realize/ recognize; rationale; realistic; relevant: Shouldn't our political leaders realize, both, the positives, and negatives, and recognize, what is needed, and necessary? Evaluate their rationale, and demand, it is, realistic and relevant!
7. Strengths; service; sustainable: Political representatives must understand strengths, and weaknesses, and provide quality service, focused on providing sustainable direction, etc! How can we expect better times, unless/ until, we choose more carefully, and opt for, genuine LEADERS? Wake up, America, and focus on needs, and serving the common good, including liberty, and justice, for all!
Richard has owned businesses, been a COO, CEO, Director of Development, consultant, professionally run events, consulted to thousands, conducted personal development seminars, and worked on political campaigns, for 4 decades. Rich has written three books and thousands of articles. Website: http://plan2lead.net and LIKE the Facebook page for common sense: http://facebook.com/commonsense4all
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10048667
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TWITTER USERS
30%
MORE LIKELY TO BE A DEMOCRAT QUOTED REFERENCES CAN ALSO BE HELPFUL.Â
FACEBOOK HAS GREATEST IMPACT ON PURCHASE BEHAVIOR AT
50%
TAKING OVER THE WORLD RLRF
Hurley's Mental Note Be An Anchor
I “Relationships: If you put up with it, you’re going to end up with it. Set the standard you want and don’t settle for less” ~ Steve Maraboli Men…having the ability to hold someone down doesn’t necessarily mean doing so financially or physically. The best ways to hold that special person down are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That’s the type of anchor you want to be first and foremost, especially if you are looking to build a strong, loving relationship. Then…..the other stuff will follow as applicable. What typically happens when the foundation of any relationship is a financial one? Unless it is strictly a business arrangement of sorts, relationships can’t survive on financial grounds alone. Well, maybe if that is the agreement coming in and that is all that the relationship is intended to be on…a financial basis, then possibly it might just work. As we know, as it pertains to relationships, people tend to get emotional ties when involved in relationships and this will even happen when the relationship starts off intending to be on a financial and/or physical basis. Do “friends with benefits” relationships really work? That’s another story for another day, but I will say this. Friends with benefits is a sort of relationship that is based upon the physical and in some cases the financial, so in order for this type of relationship to work out all parties involved must be upfront and honest about what it is that all parties seek from the relationship. If this doesn’t happen, someone will more than likely get hurt if the feelings and/or intentions change.
Now back to the matter at hand…being an anchor. To anchor can be defined as to provide with a firm basis or foundation. In order for relationships to last and grow stronger the basis or foundation must be strong and able to withstand adversity and issues that come within relationships. People often get caught up in trying to please a person physically while in a relationship and will often neglect the glue that hold relationships together, such as mental and emotional connections along with spiritual connections as well. What happens when you grow older? What happens when a person gains weight from stress, pregnancy, or health changes? What happens during disagreements? What happens where things may become a little dull? How do you spice up a relationship? How do you recover from bad arguments? Physical connections alone may not be enough to answer such questions. In my opinion a strong base or foundation in a relationship comes from connections
that involve mind, body, and soul with mind and soul helping solidify that relationship. So…how can you be an anchor in a relationship? Mentally…if you look at many surveys it will tell you that people believe mental ismore important than physical. Why? Because once you connect with someone mentally you can cause sparks to fly simply through conversation which will lead to the physical heating up. A mental connection helps you better understand a person’s real needs, which ties into the emotional connection. How do you make your significant other happy? How do you make her smile? How do you resolve differences without the whole relationship breaking down? That emotional connection helps you understand the Love Languages. Read that book by the way….The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman. It’s a great book that talks about what love languages are and how to understand other people’s love language in relationship to your own. And lastly…you have a spiritual connection. This helps you understand a person’s spiritual beliefs and it will bring you closer together. A true spiritual connection tends to go beyond sharing of superficial values such as interests, hobbies, religion, political views, education, etc. It tends to be deeper matters such as core values, principles, and ways that you view life. Spiritual connections bring you closer and lead you to be more comfortable with each other. A mental, emotional, and spiritual connection helps make the physical connection more powerful. With those connections it is easier to be one another’s anchors.
2018
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KINGDOM LEADERSHIP…3 PILLARS LEROY MCKENZIE, JR. jnfenterprises@yahoo.com We are in a day and time that requires those
PILLAR #2- The second pillar that you need is to BUILD.
who call themselves leaders to step up and
This phase of leadership involves strategy and
stand up in their position. For those who are in
planning. Successful building begins with planning.
leadership or aspiring to be in the position of
Leaders put in place a blueprint on how they will
leadership here are 3 pillars that you must have in order for you to begin to be successful from a Kingdom perspective.
achieve the goal that has been set before them. In sports, more specifically, basketball and football; head coaches put together a game plan for each game. This game plan shows the players what they need to execute in order for them to win the game. When the
PILLAR #1- The first pillar that you need is
coach puts together the game plan he takes into
CREATE. By create I mean that you must have a
consideration who the opponent is and what would
Mission/Purpose/Vision. If you do not know
be the best way to defeat them would be. Building a
where you are going you do not know your
game plan in any leadership position is vital to you
destination. As leaders, you need to be able to
achieving success. Kingdom leaders understand that
articulate to those who follow you where you
the planning process allows you to see the course that
are going. If you do not see your vision then your followers certainly will not see it. Great leaders understand that they are heading somewhere or need to attain a certain goal and they see the overall big picture. Any successful leader defines their mission and has the power and influence to get others to see it and move towards it as well.
you will take in order to achieve your mission. No mission can be accomplished if there is no structure put in place to show you how to get from point A to point B. As kingdom leaders it is our responsibility to step up as leaders and show those who are looking to us for leadership how and where we are going and how we intend to get there.
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MEN OF FAITH CONTRIBUTOR
PILLAR #3 The third pillar that you must have as a leader is to PRODUCE. This pillar is the key factor out of all three pillars. God has charged each and every one of us to produce or create. He has given everything that he has created the ability to reproduce. As Kingdom Leaders it is our responsibility to take the vision that God has implanted in us and to produce from it. The bible clearly states that we are to be fruitful and multiply. This not only applies to us in the physical sense but I believe it applies to us in the mental, psychological, professional and emotional sense. We are to grow and become better than we are and as leaders this not only applies to you but it applies to those that follow you. You, as a leader, should be producing more leaders and growing both individuals and visions. When you as a Kingdom leader understand your VISION, and you BUILD that vision, you will begin to see it PRODUCE and grow. Kingdom Leadership means that you are a leader who believes in the foundational structure that is needed in order for growth to take place. When you put these 3 pillars in place you ensure that the work that you do for the Kingdom will be productive.
2018
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THE LEWIS CHRONICLES
2018
My Wish for 2019 I have changed the theme of this article 3 times in the last couple of days. Then as I was sitting in the cafeteria at my job, watching CNN, I figured it out. Since we are now in the throes of the holidays, 2018 style, and heading into 2019 as divided as this country has been since my youth in the 60’s. So, I pray for wellness of us, US as in the United States, our elected officials, and most definitely, the person who currently occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Ave!!! I pray for wellness for all of US that resides here, here, in the beautiful mosaic that is THE UNITED STATES!!!! I pray, that we find wellness within our own souls, and gather strength within our collective voices to rise and stand as ONE!!! I pray that no longer, as described in Isaiah 19:2, shall we allow the devil to incite Neighbor against Neighbor, City against City, Kingdom against Kingdom.
I know that each and every one of us has our selfish wants and needs to make our own part of the world better, but until we realize that our wellness individually, depends on the wellness of us collectively, the battle will continue to rage on. 2018 has seen so many lives lost to the ridiculous mindset of a few soulless souls…when will we all say enough is enough?? So, I pray that 2019 is the year of healing, and the start of making positive changes that will lead to the healing. I pray that much like Lincoln and LBJ, we will have one person that will stand tall, stand brave, and stand as a leader. Not just for a selected few, but for all of us. Not everyone will stand with us, and that’s their right as a man/woman, but the vast number of us must stand TALLER, be BRAVER, and appear STRONGER than those against us. It’s not going to happen overnight, after all, nothing worth fighting for ever does, however, my New Year’s Resolution for 2019, is that I do my part to get us to the place we were after 9/11, a time when America was indeed TRULY GREAT!!!
A Word from Bryant Lewis...
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"The Lewis Chronicles will touch on topics that will cover the spectrum of what's on my mind. Religion/Spirituality, Politics, Black Lives Matter, Fatherhood, Sports. Nothing is off limits, but I will try to inspire, invigorate, incorporate us as men to be at the forefront of making a positive influence in the lives of our families, our communities and most importantly, ourselves. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life, and I hope I can make a small difference in yours."
My personal story of real faith Bryant Lewis What has God given me? I know the standard answers we all give: a good paying job, roof over my head, food on the table, great kids, etc. And YES, He has definitely given me all of that and more!!!! However, there’s one thing that He has blessed me with, and without this blessing, without this one thing, I wouldn’t have all that I just mentioned. Faith!!! He’s given me faith. He has shown me time and time again, that as long as I believe in Him, have faith in Him. That I allow Him to lead me to glory, that, most importantly, I believe in MYSELF I can RISE above all of the trials, the tribulations, the negativity. I usually don’t talk much about myself, unless it involves doing something with my sons. This will be different, because of all that has happened this year, I feel like I NEED to share my story. This time a year ago, I had been two years without a solid job. A couple of freelance gigs here and there, just enough to keep me afloat. Savings gone, unemployment ran out, looking like a not so Merry Christmas for my youngest son, I was at the lowest point in my life. Feeling defeated, depressed, derailed. Backed into a corner like I never had before, I was getting beat, I was losing, I was alone, I was tired and weak. I was ready to end my life, and end it right before the holidays…knew how I was going to do it too. Then IT happened…..I heard THAT VOICE!!! The one only you can hear with your ears, but no one else can. The voice, not the one in your head. The voice simply told me NO!!! I heard NO!!!! I knew what that meant, and whose voice it was. Then I went home and prayed. I questioned my strength, my fight, my faith. Then I asked Him to give me the strength, restore my faith; I told Him I’m not going to give up. Told Him that I refused to lose. Then challenged myself with the motto I gave my son years ago, and we still apply today: DARE TO BE GREAT. But first, Satan gave me one more obstacle, I was homeless for a few days. Then a friend put me up for a few days, and I started working, making enough money to move back into my home because of who I was. There’s more to this story, but I just want to leave you with this, without faith, we are without hope. One of my pastors told me one time, even in the longest and darkest of tunnels, there’s light at the end of it. Hold on to your faith, find someone who is willing to be your prayer partner, pray, pray, pray. I’m living proof that prayer works. I hope that this will be of help to even one person. God bless.
