Photo by: Photographs by Jackie
F O U N D A T I O N
Publisher’s Corner
Editor in Chief
Renee’ Smith Managing Editor
Martin Dawkins Assistant to the Editor Christina Mial Copy Editor
Drucilla Dunn Writers Happy New Year! 2011 has gone out and 2012 has rolled right on in.
Chanel Hunter Schelle Holloway Stevii Mills Theresa Walker
As I sit and begin to think of all the things that have taken place in 2011 I begin to be filled with a number of emotions. So much has taken place last year. Many tears
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have been shed, smile’s have been shared and history
My Eye For Design Renee’ Smith
has been made. I have no dought in my mind that 2012 will bring so many
Diamond Diva Magazine is published bi-monthly. Any commitments this year will not be just a article that has reproduction of any part of this publication is prohibited without been written but a personal goal that will be written permission from the accomplished on so many levels as we go through this publisher prior to doing so. Diamond Diva Magazine does not year in search of what it is that 2012 has in store for us. accept responsibility for statements made by individuals featured or advertisers. Comments concerning this publication should Renee' be submitted to the editor by email Renee@diamonddivamag.com at info@diamonddivamag.com more happy memories to us all. Finding new
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A NEW YEAR........
A NEW COMMITMENT By: Renee Smith
Another year has ticked over, and there's another one waiting just around the corner. As many of you begin thinking about how you will make this year better than the last, you also begin making New Year's resolutions by the page load. Many of you will be trying to change old habits, create new ones, try to figure out how to work smarter not harder, find that special someone to share life with, spend more time with family, earn more money, quite smoking, lose weight and so on, you know the routine. This year is a great time to review your past and plan for a new you. It is all good to write down a little wish list and even get excited over it for -5-
a few weeks, but that's the easy part. Although it may take you maybe 20 minutes to list your goals and convince yourself to commit to them, but it takes a lot longer to achieve them, particularly if it's a lifelong habit you plan to change or improve on. Although twenty minutes is probably longer than most of us spend reviewing our life and thinking about the future, it is not enough if you really want to become all that you can be. Unless you are a highly motivated and ambitious person that naturally jumps from success to success, you will have to continually review your position and push your self. One big exciting change usually isn't enough to change our behaviors that we have taught ourselves over the years. Just as we developed our current way of thinking over a long period of time, we have to develop our new way of thinking (to achieve the goals) over a long period of time also. If you are truly committed to achieving a new you, this New Year forget about calling it a new year's resolution! It needs to be a constant living resolution that you are committed to achieving. This living resolution does not fade after January finishes, because it is alive and takes much more than a
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yearly review to survive. Your living resolution must be reviewed, tested, and measured at least monthly and in most cases weekly. Without continual adjustment and maintenance we just slip into the habits that we know and are comfortable with. Creating something new in our life will take effort and positive action on our part. Most people will fall off the horse along the way as it seems to be human nature to fall off the horse! But let's strive to get back on the horse and continue on our way towards achieving what it was we set out to achieve. Cancel that New Year's resolution this year and make a New Year's commitment to the new you for this New Year that will remain apart of your life for longer than January.
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Dear Coffee Dear Coffee,
Join Dear Coffee as she spills the tea on relationships, love, lust and the things you want to say but just can’t! Have a question, comment or concern you want her to speak on, email:info@diamonddivamag.com
IIt's 2012 and I want to start this year off right. I have only one problem, I lost my job right before Christmas, I am pregnant and my boyfriend is married but promises that 2012 is the year of his divorce. When I told him I was pregnant he was very happy but when he left that day, he left $400.00 on my dresser. I hadn't told him about me losing my job and he already gave me my Christmas gift so I took it as if he were trying to pay for me to terminate my pregnancy. He's given me money before but it was always for shopping or hanging out when he's out of town on business. His wife doesn't know about our affair and I guess he's trying to keep it that way until the divorce is final. I've called and texted him in regards to the money he left but he won't answer my call or text me back. I have been to his job where people think I am a realtor trying to find him a house. They keep telling me that he's busy or out of the office. I have not resorted to sitting outside his house or his job but what am I supposed to do. He hasn't changed his number which I guess is a good thing but I don't understand the whole 380 flip. He says he loves me and he has only one child with his wife (a little girl) and we even talked about how if this baby is a little boy what we were going to name him. I haven't told my parents or anyone about the pregnancy because the way he is acting. Should I just assume that it's over and the money was to terminate the pregnancy and just do so and go on with my life? Try one more time to get in contact with him? Maybe go talk to his wife and let her know what we are up against with him? Or even just wait a few months until the divorce is final and see if he comes back? I don't want 2012 to be a yucky year for me. I don't have any kids and this could be really special to me and my family but I don't want to raise a child by myself like so many women are doing. I need your help. Signed, Lost in Love, Alone
Dear Lost In Love, Alone Happy New Year to you! First of all let me say this, messing with a married man is never a good thing. If he's getting a divorce, let him get a divorce. You should be worth waiting for, don't you think. That is where so many women go wrong; they hold on to the line of “I'm getting a divorce.� Well get it and once it's final, call me. There has got to be some respect for the vows taken before God. If not by him, then you. Surely one day you will get married and if for some reason it doesn't work out you would want the other woman to respect the fact that you are still married to that man until the effective date of your divorce. And to add fuel to the fire, you were careless in protecting yourself from this pregnancy situation with this married man. You had a responsibility to yourself to keep this from happening so your child would have a chance to have a father in their life. You'll find another job I'm sure because you seem to be a very intelligent just made a poor choice with this man. Your family will support you 100% if they are good people. Single mothers do well by their children most of the time but you are not financially equipped to raise a child right now. I am not condoning terminating a pregnancy at all but you have a decision to make when it comes to bringing a child in this world with a man that is STILL married. Going to his wife is not necessary, you didn't go to her before you started this relationship with her husband so why now. For some reason their marriage allegedly their marriage didn't work. You saved him but who is going to save you? He won't even take your call. You are the only one can make the final decision on what is best for you at this time. If he loves you like you obviously love him, he would have answered your first call after he walked out the door. Before that day, I'm sure he answered EVERY call. Say a prayer because you have some decisions to make for YOU. Holla at your girl, COFFEE
THERE’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN
Closeness & Clingy in love. Men are very hard to decipher when it comes to this topic, because they too want that woman around when they won't her but they also appreciate the alone time when they can get it. Don't get me wrong, he wants you close just not on him like a fresh linen suit. Here are some signs that your relationship Velcro is about to endure a loud ripping noise. Clingy Sign 1: You feel the need to call him every hour on the hour Fine, you need to check in once during the day to let him know you were thinking about him, and
Discovering Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right now is turning out to be the luck of the draw along with some serious praying. Don't push him away once you have found him. To find a man in a good relationship is for the most part a very happy man. In fact 75 percent of men would give their current relationship an A or B, according to a poll of more than 2,000 men from the book, “Men, Love and Sex” by David Zinczenko. But there are three main situations that can turn a man from happy to “see ya bye” in no time flat. Lying is the first one, and unless you're lying to yourself, as well, you know oh to good how not to do it. Second, nagging, can't no man stand to be around a nagging woman. But even worse than that, being clingy, which is sometime confused with being
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then once again later in the day just to fill him in on how your day was at work, or just to say hello. You make more calls than that? The unspoken message is that maybe you don't trust him, or don't have enough to do yourself, or are relying too much on him for everyday satisfaction. All are turn-offs-and, in all likelihood, grounds for tuning out. Clingy Sign 2: You Insist on a Joint Email Account While there's no problem with joint bank accounts, joint car loans, and joint mortgages; if you're married, joint email, get real. What type of message are you sending to him when his Internet activity is being monitored like it's under the eyes of a 24-hour surveillance camera: That you don't trust him a lick. Besides, what is it that
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you think that you might find in his email when he knows that you have the password and the secret question even if he did change it? There's certainly some dangerous ground online (and I can't deny that plenty of men abuse their electronic privacy), but tightening the cyber-noose too much in the beginning of a relationship can send the signal to a man that he's not going to have an iota of privacy anytime or anywhere. Clingy Sign 3: You Don't Have Your Own Me Time Get this: 64 percent of men say they're happy to have time to themselves when their girlfriends have plans. A lot of men want their ladies to go out and do stuff on their own, whether it's through hobbies or socializing or working. One, that away-from-each-other time ensures that women have their own independent outlets. And two, it gives men a chance to have their own testosterone release. If this doesn't happen - at least occasionally - resentment and frustration can build, because the unspoken message is that you may not have enough of your own independence to respect his. Let's face it ladies, giving him time to miss you not only makes him love you more, but it will make him want to come home to you too.
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This is "Just Stevii" and I look forward to helping you turn your dreams into reality by giving you practical steps to help you along your journey! Stevii A. Mills Community Relationship Coordinator 949.208.4352 seriousstatement@hotmail.com Turning Dreams Into Reality
“Just Stevii”
Now that 2012 has started, we have a new slate to work with! How will you use yours? Here are some strategies to live an on purpose year!
1. Learn something new every day. This can be done in and out of the classroom. I believe that school is never out for the pro, so in order to grow and produce great results; we must always be on a journey of education. 2. Make sure that you are laughing and enjoying life. Go to a comedy show or watch a funny movie. However you decide to do it, you need to know that life is not to be taken seriously. Laughter has been proven to be a great medicine. 3. Decide what you want to do. This is best done by exploring options. Find an internship to take part in. Go shadow someone doing your dream job or do an information interview with them. 4, Network. You never know who you will meet and who can help you grow to your next level of greatness. When you do network, do not do it for selfish reasons but to see how you can work with others to help everyone become successful. 5. Travel to other places in the world. The world is so much bigger than your backyard and there are inexpensive ways to travel. Therefore, there are no excuses for you to make in order for you to see the other parts of the world. When you go to other places, you learn about different cultures and grow from that knowledge. 6. Push yourself past what you think you can do. Learn how to expand your mind and do not get caught up in what you think you can do. You are a phenomenal being and you were not created for mediocrity but for greatness. 7. Find a mentor who is successfully doing what you wish to do. Discover the person that you know who is able to help you catch the vision. Contact them and ask them they become your mentor. It is important to find someone who is consistent. 8. Volunteer and help others. It helps you feel better and makes life more fulfilling. You will find that there are various causes and interests that you can learn more about just by volunteering. 9. Know that at the end of the day, you only have to do your best and answer to God. As long as you live your life to your best ability, then you can rest assure that God will bless you. You do not have to be perfect, but instead strive to live life helping others grow and therefore helping yourself to become a blessing to others.
This year I encourage you to just be, and if others cannot accept you for that, then allow them to flee. Be yourself, be magnificent, be powerful and be kind to others. The people who are supposed to be in your life will remain there, but the others need to flee your life because they are not an addition to it. Let's make 2012 a phenomenal year! “Just Stevii”
cont. on page 13
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“Thoughts of a Black Woman” By: Theresa Walker
NEW START 2012 Can You Believe It? It's finally a New Year; New Year meaning NEW START! Hopefully, at least for most. If you are a business owner, then read on because “Customer Service” is the topic for this month. Business Owners “customer service” should be your main focus. For many businesses it seems as though customer service has been lost. Think about it think about the Theresa Walker is a licensed Cosmetologist, Cosmetology Instructor, Makeup Artist and Model.
most recent time you entered into a business establishment and the employee didn't even greet you or ask you “what can I help you with?” It's almost seems as if you're doing their job for them. At least that's how I feel and a few others. I'm probably more sensitive to customer service deficiencies because it is part of my background of expertise.
She is the owner of
I want to tell about a personal experience that I recently had on
“beautiful images”
New Year's day- January 1, 2012, at 7:25pm. I walked into a local
“Eyelash & Makeup
renowned pharmacy retailer to purchase some candy. An obvious
Studio” and
employee was standing behind the register checking someone out.
“beautiful images” Cosmetics. She
He was a white male. I found the candy I was looking for (Swedish fish for those who are
specializes in beauty
nosey). I then decided I wanted a smaller bag. I proceeded to look
enhancement and
for a smaller bag. I didn't see a smaller size available, so I asked the
education. To know
male employee, who was using his cell phone (either texting or
more about
reading), for assistance. He didn't even look, but stated “whatever
“beautiful images”
you see there is what we have”. I said “I'm asking you to help me
“Eyelash & Makeup
because I've purchased a smaller size from here before and I want
Studio” visit
to make sure I'm not overlooking it”. He said “over there”. I told him
www.beautifulimag esboutique.com.
“I understand that. Can you help me look for a smaller size because I may be looking over it?” He continues to stand behind the counter, saying a couple of times “look over there”. I said “where over there-
Booking and Contact info:
over there can be anywhere in here; is over there on this display
Theresa Walker
rack or over there in these boxes that are sitting next to the display
(919) 229-9837
rack?” He finally unwillingly came from behind the register to “help
twalker@beautifulim
me look”.
agesboutique.com
It was obvious he didn't know where any of the products were. (It
Beautifulimages1@
would have been better for him to just say “Ma'am I'm sorry I don't
gmail.com
know for sure, but I'll definitely see if I can find it”.) He pointed out
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what I already had in my hand. The only difference was he singled out the store brand, but the size was still the same. Right before giving up, I found a smaller size. We proceeded to checkout. After scanning the candy, he tells me the total which sounded a little too expensive for the item I wanted to purchase. I stated my feeling about the price, as well as the price I thought the price tag said it should be. He went back to check the price tag and I followed him. Low and behold what did we find…Not only was the item scanning at a higher price, but the candy was “buy one, get one free”! After noticing all this, I said “oh so I can get another for FREE.” He then begins to explain what “buy one get one free” means. I told him “I know what it means. Not only did I have to find everything by myself, but I was about to get a size that I didn't want and end up paying too much!” He was speechless as he should have been. I told him “I'm not trying to be mean, but this was not a good customer service experience at all. I had to find everything myself even when I asked you for help and I was about to pay too much money for an item. You really need to learn how to give customer service”. He seemed like he knew I was right, but I'm not sure because he could have been discreetly in a hurry to get back to the cell phone (?)….. BUSINESS OWNERS: LET US ALL MAKE NEW STARTS BY GETTING OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES AND OLD WAYS; BY MAKING NEW DECISIONS AND NEW CHANGES. SO THAT WE MAY SEE NEW GROWTH AND PROSPEROUS NEW STARTS! CHANGE IS GOOD, IT MEANS YOU GET TO START SOMETHING NEW AND STARTING SOMETHING CAN BE A PRIVELEDGE. THE PRIVLEDGE IS GET IT RIGHT! MY PERSONAL PROMISE: “I VOW TO MAKE MY BUSINESS A PRIORITY BY TAKING CARE OF IT EVERYDAY”. Robert Kiyosaki stated, several times in his book “Rich Dad Poor Dad”, “Mind your own business”.
My questions to you are: What's your business?
What's your vow? *Even though Customer Service is the topic for the month, it SHOULD BE BUSINESS OWNER'S MAIN TOPIC EVERYDAY!
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From a Males Perspective Ok Ladies, we all have tried to figure out, "What was HE Thinking".Well, now here's your chance to find out. Have a burning question, that needs a male’s touch, or you just want to know why men do what they do, then get it from A Males Perspective. Send all questions, comments and even your concerns to info@diamonddivamag.com, subject “Male’s Perspective” and let's find out what indeed he was really thinking.
HOLDING ON TO NOTHING... Love of them says HOLD ON IT'LL GET BETTER... But love of you will say LET IT GO YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE. Who do you think has your BEST INTEREST AT HEART? You can LOVE A PERSON BEYOND REASON, but still STAND CLOSE TO UNDERSTADING. When you LOVE THEM ENOUGH TO HURT YOU... THIS IS JUST THE START. You CRY, but THERE'S NO NAPKIN. There's PAIN, but THERE'S NO TEARS. YOUR MIND can't SAY IT'S RIGHT when YOUR HEART knows SOMETHING'S WRONG. You're living in what USE TO BE, but looking at what NEVER WAS. Why do you want what doesn't need you? DEEP DOWN, but ON THE SURFACE... You know that SOMETHING'S GONE. It's something how THEY LEAVE YOU, but YOU MOVE ON and THEY COME BACK. THEY GIVE CHASE and YOU GIVE IN when your heart kept saying "NO!!! CHANGE DIRECTIONS". You STOP LOVING THEM, but CAN'T STOP LOVING THEM. But a relationship is supposed to be ON THE SAME COURSE. You're not supposed to BUMP HEADS when you're going in the SAME DIRECTION. Love is supposed to come willingly. It's not HELD BY A PROMISE... It GIVES A PROMISE. Love GRABS HOLD OF WHAT'S CLOSE. It DOESN'T HAVE TO REACH. So why should you have to PUT UP WITH what TEARS YOU DOWN? Why should you KEEP GLUED what TEARS YOU APART? LOVE HAS INSTRUCTIONS, but it DOESN'T HAVE THE TEACH. Are you STUPID FOR BEING STUCK THERE? Or are you STUCK THERE BECAUSE YOU'RE STUPID? How can you EMBRACE loving someone else when you're not HUGGING YOURSELF? If you're CLOSE TO a person who LOVES YOU FROM A DISTANCE: You need to PLACE DISTANCE FROM THAT PERSON because, at that moment,... You're not even LOVING YOURSELF. How do you say "I'M DONE" when you don't know WHAT TO DO? How do you
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MOVE FORWARD when they're your STEP BACKWARDS? Ask yourself: IS IT LOVE? Are you supposed to GUESS AT WHERE YOU"RE STANDING when KNOWING THAT YOU'RE SITTING? Be TRUE TO YOURSELF even when you're LYING TO YOUR HEART: IS THIS LOVE? If YOU'RE THE ONE HOLDING ON while reading this: Let me be honest... You'll never FIND WHAT YOU WANT In ALL THAT YOU'VE LOST. Stupidity GETS NO LOVE. You have to LOVE YOU ENOUGH to just say THIS IS ENOUGH. Think about this for a moment: When you're HOLDING ON TO NOTHING... It should be very easy to LET GO OF.
*A SEVEN SECOND THOUGHT... If you're honest with yourself... You'll now say: THERE IS NOTHING SEVEN CAN SAY THAT I DON'T KNOW ALREADY. You know when you're in a NO WIN, ALWAYS LOSE situation. Instead of BEATING THE ODDS we try to BETTER THE ODDS. Instead of LEAVING WELL ENOUGH ALONE... We feel as if we're not WELL ENOUGH TO LEAVE. When they're ABSENT IN THEIR LIFE... They shouldn't have any PRESENCE IN YOUR HEART. Don't TRY FOR THE KIDS when you're not even TRYING TO SEE THE TRUTH. You can't DO ANYTHING FOR THEM when you're not doing A DAMN THING FOR YOU. When you're in a relationship with a person who doesn't want to be with you, you'll never do anything good enough to be with them. When you want the attention of that person... LEAVE THEM. WALKING AWAY FROM THEM is what makes them RUN BEHIND YOU. Not because they love you, but because they can NO LONGER control you. When you do it... Don't do it for attention. Do it to attend to you. Do it because it's time. Do it because you refuse to allow them to continue to not do anythng for you. REALITY is a EMPTY FLASHLIGHT IN THE POCKET of a person who WALKS IN THE DARK, STUMBLES and FALLS but REFUSES TO GET BATTERIES. STRENGTH is those BATTERIES. GET SOME. Stop CLOSING YOUR EYES TO LIES and OPEN THEM UP TO THE TRUTH. Only then will you SEE just where you were BLINDED
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Open Your Eyes Love is a funny thing. We close our eyes and visualize our perfect life with all the elements that will make us happy. When you “Open Your Eyes� the reality of it all is that we have to laugh sometimes to keep from crying and everything we need is not right in front of us. Wendy Brooks fell into love and has all the bumps and bruises to show for it. When the backstabbing and betrayal would arise, closing her eyes always elevated her to a different place. It was full of love, lust, sex and people only her imagination would allow her to have; those were her elements of happiness. Behind the expensive suits, cars, clubs and money that comes with a new love interest; does love really not cost a thing?
To purchase your copy visit our website www.openyoureyesbook.com -17-
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RECOVERING YOUR FINANCES By: Kenya Brodie
After the Holidays
The holiday season is finally over and it's time to kick your feet up, relax, and get some rest. After the meals you've cooked, family you've hosted, and running around to get the latest toys for your kids, you certainly deserve some down time, right? Well, not so quick! Although it seems like the perfect opportunity to catch up on sleep, back away from the bed. Instead, carve out some time to review your holiday spending. According to recent statistics, a large percentage of consumers carry over debt well into the next year. That means we are still paying for gifts after they have broken, stopped working, or found a place in the garage. While I'm sure many of you will agree the holiday season is not about the cost of the gift but spending time with family, unfortunately we still fall victim to showing our love in the most expensive ways. Diamond Diva Magazine spoke with DeWayne Johnson Sr., President of Universal Business Consultants, to get some tips to help you get your finances in order after the holidays. Diamond Diva: I was a bit surprised at the large percentage of people that go into debt just from buying gifts for one day. Nonetheless, what can be done after the holidays to avoid going into further debt. DeWayne Johnson: Well Moni, what the credit card companies don't let us in on is there is nothing you can do to 'unincur' the debt once we have made the purchase. The only thing we can do is pay as much as we can, as soon as we
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can to avoid mounting interest. The only way to avoid debt is to proactively map out a plan and never swipe that card. As the old adage goes, we never plan to fail, we fail to plan. We must never underestimate the power of a solid plan, or any plan that takes into consideration that there will be an expense and we need to set aside income for that expense. It is much easier to set a little bit aside over time then to swallow the entire pill at once, which will definitely negatively affect other obligations. Good planning holds all of our keys to victory and success. The holidays are inevitable and they are going put a crunch on our wallets‌the severity of this crunch lies within our planning. If we were to put $50.00/month for the year preceding Christmas, in an interest bearing account we will have a little over $600.00 to spend on Black Friday without touching our pay checks or savings. This will allow for the normal flow of expenses, i.e. bills, mortgage, etc to go uninterrupted. The ripple effect of debt becomes a tidal wave that will eventually devour us. We finance Christmas, which leaves our mandatory bills short in January, which results in the lights getting cut off in February. That's why there are so many Sagittarius and Scorpios, their parents financed Christmas, had no lights in February, and had nothing else to do but procreate. DD: LOL, I'm a December baby so I'll have to ask my Mom about that one. So, what would you say are the biggest mistakes consumers make when spending during the holidays?
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DJ: The biggest mistake I have viewed is waiting until the last minute to make the larger purchases, i.e. electronics, clothing, jewelry, etc. The retail outlets are also aware of this trend and tend to up-price certain items the closer you get to Christmas. The reason they are able to support the savings they extend on Black Friday is derived from increased big-ticket items purchased between December 10-24. They are also relying on impulse purchases, and up-selling. We must be disciplined when shopping, and really perform our due diligence to insure we are receiving the best prices. If the retail outlet does not have a lay-a-way program that allows you to place a set amount towards your purchase on a timely basis, then create your own using your savings account. This will take a little selfdiscipline, but it is more than worth it. We must also comparison shop (the internet is great for that, use it!), how many times have you walked into a store, saw the item of your desire, purchased it, only to walk a few stores down and see the same item at a cheaper price. We really have to do our homework, you can be sure that the retail outlets have done theirs. DD: Dewayne although the holidays are over, what are some steps our readers can take to prepare for the 2010 holiday season? DJ: Since I like you so much Moni, I have a bonus for you. Here are 10 steps that will not only assist you with preparing for the next holiday season, but will strengthen your financial outlook all around: 1. Create a realistic budget. There are plenty pre-formatted personal budget templates online, UBC also has a library of them. 2. Get an 'alias' savings account and deposit money ($50-$100) in this account on each payday. Under no circumstances do you withdraw funds! Simply forget about the account and just monitor the monthly statements; do this for one-year and at the end of the year, empty the account, purchase your holiday gifts or take a holiday vacation. Then begin to save again the following year. 3. Allot a certain amount of funds to pay off current and past debts. 4. If I can't pay cash, it's not for me. Adopt this attitude! 5. Get rid of all department store cards. 6. Track all expenses, you would be surprised how many frivolous expenses have invaded your daily spending habits. For example, 1 Diet Pepsi per day = $700.00/year‌get some drink mix and use that $700.00 to for holiday shopping. 7. Evaluate all bills (especially cell phone), bundle, and negotiate everything. Do research! 8. Pay on all accounts that report to credit bureaus, this will assist you in securing lines of credit in the future‌lines that may be used for business start-ups, purchasing a home, etc. cont. on page 22
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ADVERTISING IS ESSENTIAL TO ANY
OPERATING BUDGET Advertising in YOUR Future...... WE have a package for that!
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info@diamonddivamag.com
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July 2011
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RECOVERING YOUR FINANCES cont. from pg. 20
After the Holidays
9. Consolidate shopping, shop in bulk, and check out bargain outlets such as Sam's Club and Costco. 10. Include fun in your budget, but stick to the script. Wee spend too much on impulse fun trying to escape the negative aftertaste of poor financial management‌it's a vicious cycle. I am more than happy to assist you and any of your readers in improving their finances. Please send any inquiries/comments to: djohnson@ubcnc.com
DeWayne Johnson Sr. is Founder & President of Universal Business Consultants (UBC) based in Raleigh, NC. UBC offers sound financial planning and extensive financial services for small businesses. To find out more, visit UBC at www.ubcnc.com.
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Fellowship of the Spirit By: Della C. Royal
Fellowship as defined by Webster is: Companionship; friendly association; mutual sharing, as of experience, activity or interest, etc.; a group of people with the same interests; company, brotherhood; a rank or position of a fellow in a university or college. In order to have fellowship with someone, there must e a harmonious consensus established that the parties will mutually share some experience or activity or be involved in a group with others who share the same interests. I concur that to be in fellowship with someone, that person must be an associate or partner with someone who shares or co-participates with that person in some endeavor. This mutual sharing can be in business, industry or it can be of the Spirit. I am inclined to believe that in order for me to prove what is acceptable to the Lord God that I should not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11 KJV). “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (II Corinthians 6:14 KJV) Do you find yourself continually going to places where you know sin resides? Do you have a desire to hang out with people who are known to be involved in criminal activity? Do you knowingly commit sin just because? Don't allow these temptations to take you to a place in which you would subject yourself to unwarranted retribution. Remember for every action there is a reaction. In other words there are consequences to your actions. Whether your actions are positive or negative, there is a positive or negative consequence that will follow. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Romans 8:13 KJV)
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Diamond Diva
I admonish you to begin to desire to be the victor and not the victim in life. Run to a safe haven, run to a place where you can find solitude for your soul. Run to a place where you can get in touch with the inner man. Run in the spirit to the spirit of the one who can save your soul from eternal damnation. Be in fellowship with your maker and your creator and with all those who love his appearing. This body is only temporal but our souls are eternal. Have you decided whether your soul will be ill-fated or victorious? Do you want to make a change? You can start by seeking out others who are like-minded with you. Seek out others who are seeking righteousness. Have fellowship with those who love Jesus the Christ and have given their lives to service for him. “The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of god, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8:16 & 17 KJV) Go to church and hear more words of wisdom from the Holy Scriptures. Repent and be converted from a life of sin to the victorious life over sin. Become a child of God and an heir of his promises. “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” (Philippians 2:1 & 2 KJV)
Diamond Diva
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