GPGT SUMMER 2016 ISSUE

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Summer 2016 ISSUE

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editor H ello to our Faithful Readers!

Hopefully you have missed us as much as we have missed you! It is with great pleasure that we present to you our fourth issue of GPGT, Summer 2016! Yippee! We make efforts to stay true to our brand with being your millennial publication that is aware of what is going on, but GPGT still understands it is Almighty God who provides all that we have. We have enclosed within this issue our most spiritually-focused articles yet, so we pray that you take your time to read it from cover to cover and enjoy the beautiful photos in between, as you allow the Holy Spirit to speak clearly and freely to you. We also invite you to celebrate with our family as I will be a day from walking into delivering my new beautiful baby girl by the time this

issue releases. It is my prayer that you acknowledge the energy, time, and sacrifice it takes to produce this publication and that you will support us with your readership and through the purchasing of future advertisements. GPGT’s core belief is that, “God uses good (regular, ordinary) people to do great things” and it is our goal to feature them in this publication. Please send your letters to the editor at info@valencyathompson.com with GPGT in the subject line and your feedback or inquiries to info@goodpeoplegreatthings.co. Would you like to view our media kit or recommend a feature? Please visit goodpeoplegreatthings.co! God’s Blessings to You! May You Be on Path to Purpose! ~Valencya Thompson

VALENCYA THOMPSON Editor-in-Chief, Journalist, Graphics & Cover Design !

WILHELMENIA BROUGHTON Editor JEVERTUS BURNETT Journalist MICHAELA CARTER Graphics KENDRA KETTER CHAVIS Editor & Graphics SHANELLE EBANKS Journalist BRANDON GARRETT Journalist

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TAMIKA GRIMES Journalist JENNIFER SPEARS Journalist CHARLEMAGNE STALLINGS Journalist KIMBERLY SUMPTER Editor JERRELL THOMPSON Consultant FELICIA HEFNEY WALKER Editor

Purpose Pusher! Pushing You on Path to Purpose: Giving Birth & Spiritual Warfare Faith:

Consistency:

You heard God correctly, the first time. Now is not the time to second-guess. It is time however, to study spiritual warfare and put the tools that you learn to use. #1

Do the work and keep moving no matter what. If you’re tired, take a break. Refresh, renew, and then keep going. The Kingdom of God is what’s at stake here. #2

Block Out Naysayers: Seriously, why are you still listening to or even hanging around these people? Change your circle already. There is much work for you to do! #3

So many are perplexed about their purpose or God’s calling for their lives. Well, it is my belief that in identifying our spirit (God)- led passions, we might be propelled into purpose.

Valencya Thompson

G

iving birth to anything comes with an expected dynamic. There is an expected time period for pregnancy, an expected level of adjustment and fatigue, mental, spiritual, and physical preparation. There is also pain that is normal for such preparation, and there is also expected attack from the adversary against the very nature that you are striving to bring to life. If we could only keep this in mind, throughout the duration of any force that we are working to create, we might gain the necessary endurance needed to push through. This is true when the odds do not seem to go in our favor – even when (especially

when) we are in pursuit of completing a Godgiven assignment directly attached to our purpose. Just as when a woman and a man happily conceive a child together, protect their new seed; we all are typically excited to protect the new seed God places within us for each new assignment. Just as a mother who desires children experiences nausea and those extremely drowsy days will not abort the life inside her, neither should you when you experience morning sickness from your new assignment. Or let’s say, you possess the wherewithal to endure the normal pregnancy nuances, but during this particular pregnancy you find yourself facing

additional barriers, known to only a few. Should you consider aborting then? No. In the spiritual realm when bringing any God-led project to fruition you better believe demons in hell have been assigned to attempt to get you to quit. What every believer must know is the power of God that lies within you is far greater than any demonic force that is assigned to attack you (Luke 10:19; Rom 8:31; Psalm 44:5). Become spiritually-minded, utilize the tools God provides and keep going.

Passion for Purpose: Tips for Engaging in Spiritual Warfare: 1) Pray without ceasing. (1 Thess 5:17) 2) Set the atmosphere playing worship music while working can assist with this. (1Sam 16:23) 3) Utilize corporate prayer & have prayer warriors praying for you as you continue to work. (Matt 18: 18-19)

#PUSH

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See Dr. Kristia n H. in motion by clickin g here!

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Be happy, be healthy, be free. That’s what I tell myself everyday. It’s a radical idea.! ! ! ^_.4#*!$:'*!6.'.5:#!*/!+C+"!J*9#1$0#V!

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GOD $!! MONEY ??

! Do you have Godmoney? Not sure? Let me help you out. Godmoney is a term I created that refers to individuals (like many of us) who trust God completely with their money. Not only do they trust God with their money, they understand their purpose in God clearly and allow that to keep them in a place of peace and balance financially. So, now that we actually know what Godmoney is let’s ask again, do you have Godmoney? If so, GREAT, if not here are a few simple steps you can take to position yourself along the Godmoney road to peace and balance financially. Step 1: Recognize It All Belongs to God! Everything is His! All of our wealth, honor, strength, and power come from Him (1 Chronicles 29:11-14). Step 2: Understanding financial prosperity without soul prosperity is dangerous. The phrase “Prosper as your soul prospers,” (3 John 1:2) is very interesting. Our soul consists of our emotions, our will, and desires. So imagine with me, having unlimited financial resources or prosperity, with a dark and weak soul, longing for the sinful pleasures of this world. Imagine I’m addicted to alcohol, drugs, porn, cutting, etc., and my soul (will, emotions, desires) doesn’t prosper. I could very

well crush myself with this financial prosperity that my soul is not ready to properly maintain. Step 3: Give. I know, it sounds too simple, but if we desire Godmoney, we must give. Giving, in my opinion is the best way to keep us focused and to prevent us from being inward-focused and only concerned about self. The Bible is full of examples of the wealthy and those in power giving (1 Corinthians 9:5-8, Exodus 35 & 36) and also examples of the poor giving (Luke 21:14, 1 Kings 17:8-16, 17-24). So we all must give. Step 4: Be Faithful. Many of us are hoping for a raise, a better job, or even for our businesses to take off, but we half-do our current jobs now. We arrive late, leave early and waste all of our resources, yet believe God is going to bless us with more. In order to have Godmoney we must be faithful, disciplined and consistent so that we can be like the servant in Matthew 25:23, and hear Him say Well done… You have been faithful over a few things, but I’ll make you ruler over many. Step 5: Be Content and Patient. While building wealth, be content. How many of us can say what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:10-11, “ I have learned in

whatever state I am to be content�? It takes us 20 years to build up debt and we want it paid off in 20 days. Patience and contentment go hand in hand. Our usual discontentment is caused by a lack of patience. James 1 declares the testing of our faith produces patience, so we must embrace the test, if we desire to have Godmoney. Having Godmoney isn’t just about having a lot of money; it is about having the right posture with God in regards to our money. Some of my best times financially were during my lowest income producing times, but I had Godmoney. I knew my purpose and allowed that propose to bring me peace and balance financially and having Godmoney can do the same for you. Let your purpose bring you peace and balance! ~J.B. Jevertus Burnett is the co- founder of the BOLD Institute, Registered Financial Advisor, and Licensed Agent

Chasity Broughton !"#$%#&%'()*+(,**-$./01(

Broughton.chat@gmail.com Photo by Nai – Tsang Cheng. IG: @ncheng168 ( (

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Meet The Spears!

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enesis 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” If I could define Shawn and Jennifer Spears in three words I would define them as Christcentered, loving, and loyal. Now I know that people often use those words loosely, but I have seen them personally live out a Christ-centered life in front of the world and behind the scenes with those who know them best. I had the pleasure of meeting Jennifer Spears in 2003 at Francis Marion University where she and I attended college. Back then, I knew that there was something special about her. Jennifer is one of those people who is accepting of everyone. She literally has friends from all different walks of life. We met through Sister 2 Sister, a Christian women’s

By: Tamika Grimes

organization that she co-founded to connect young college women who shared a similar love and passion for Christ. In 2013 I briefly met Shawn at a birthday party. My husband and I both commented that he was very nice and seemed to be very comfortable with meeting Jennifer’s friends. Shortly after, Jennifer shared with me how she met Shawn while we were traveling alone together. She mentioned that not too long before meeting him she made a list and asked God to allow her husband to have specific qualities. She also described Shawn to me, and not just the surface level description (you know the things people usually say like he has a good job and a nice car… LOL), instead she told me that he loved the Lord, he was hard-working, and he desired to abstain from sex until marriage. I told Jennifer I think he is the one; we both smiled because I think she already knew. On July 20, 2014 Jennifer and Shawn united as one. In a very beautiful and intimate ceremony they stood before their closest family and friends and professed their love for Christ and for each other. In 2015 The Spears welcomed their first child together, Cree Victoria. Their baby, Cree, is a beautiful addition to their blended family. What I admire most about Shawn and Jennifer is that while they are both entrepreneurs with successful businesses, loving parents, and husband and wife; none of those things are more important than their passion and love for Christ. The Spears have shared their very transparent testimonies on their blog. To learn more about The Spears family please visit them at www.shawnandjenniferspears.com

Photos By: Jerrina Montgomery IG: jerrinamontgomery

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Pinksta & The Polka Dotted Pinstriped Pants Wearing Princess !

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!

God Please Clean My Room !"#$%&'()*+,--.+ God Please Clean My Room: Second Edition is a fun and innovative piece written by Valencya Thompson & illustrated by Chasity Broughton. This richly-conceived story is based upon a real childhood memory, and was crafted to teach a life-lesson for today’s children. However, after first glance, readers will soon realize that there is a moral for everyone to absorb in this book. As the readers journey along with the narrator through Christian’s day, they will grow to love Christian and join her on a voyage to clean her room. Make room for this splendidly-spun book on your shelf today!

God Please Clean My Room ISBN 13 : 978-1-4691-2542-8 2nd Edition Valencya Thompson 24 pages !

For bookings/readings, please contact Valencya.Thompson@gmail.com

Trade Paperback: $15.99

info@valencyathompson.com

Available Now!

!""#$%%&&&'()*+,-.)"!/0#1/,'234-)5"+*'-/0%6 GPCMR Song Also Available on These Music Players & More!

How old were you when you received salvation? Tell me about that time in your life.

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When I was 18, I was first introduced to Christ. I was excited because I thought, “oh I’m not going to hell anymore” LOL. However, I continued to make bad decisions because I didn’t know any better. I thought it was just some lip service that I would give the Lord. I didn’t realize that there was an action that should take place. My life should be changed, but it looked exactly the same. It was pretty bad for like another year until I was 19 going on 20. At that time I was in a verbally abusive relationship.

Promise Pursuit Purpose !"#$%&&'(%)#*+%,)!

He would cheat on me and I would lash out at him by denting his car with my heels or doing something destructive to him. I was crazy and he was crazy….we were both crazy together! So I finally broke up the relationship and basically hit rock bottom. That’s when I gave my life to Christ for real this time. I went to a conference and gave my life to Christ there. At that moment I knew it was going to be real.!

Heather Lindsey

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I knew that I needed to fight to hold on to my walk with the Lord because I knew the enemy and the world was going to try to make me stray. So I went and got a Bible that I could read and understand. It was a Student’s Life Application Bible and I also got a journal. I started having prayer time and spending time with the Lord. It was amazing! Pinky Promise has grown to over 44,000 members with groups all over the United States and other countries. How was Pinky Promise started and how did it grow so fast? I had a market of people who followed me because I started blogging. About 4 years ago I started posting these notes on Facebook and no one would like it or even comment on it but I didn’t care because God wanted me to do it. Then he told me to write a blog and I had no idea how to do that because this was at a time when blogging wasn’t as popular as it is today. So I figured it out and started posting my blog and sharing it on Facebook and no one would read it, but I kept blogging and posting it and all of sudden I looked up one day and I had a million hits and I’m like “where did all of these people come from?” Then I remember going before the Lord saying, “God I want to go into ministry full time and I don’t desire to work a 9-5, but I need to figure out a way to bring in income and I don’t know what to do so Lord you have to show me what to do.” So at first I thought, I’m going to sell bedazzled journals and then it came to me, I’m going to sell What Would Jesus Do? bracelets except I’m going to design them for women to encourage them to honor God with their lives and bodies. So my husband and I went to a bead shop and spent hours learning how to make bracelets. Then I went to Michaels and bought all my supplies and went home and started making bracelets. I took a couple of photos of them and posted them online thinking that about 5 of my friends would feel sorry for me and buy them. Well after I posted them online, I ended up going on back order for like 6 months. God literally blew my mind.

Then I realized it’s not enough to just give a girl a bracelet and say “girl submit to your husband” or “girl keep your legs closed until you’re married.” We needed to do accountability groups. So I started small groups and now 4 years later here we are. Every month I do monthly studies for women who join our groups, and they hang out, and encourage each other. I believe Pinky Promise has grown because in the book of Acts it says, “God added to their number.” I know a lot of people who started ministries and they don’t have almost 50,000 women but the Lord knows that my heart has always been to help people and not take from them. Our focus is to get people to know that they have worth and value in Jesus Christ. You are a wife, mother, preacher, a pastor’s wife, an entrepreneur, and an author; how do you balance it all? I literally just wake up and I put one foot in front of the other and say, “Lead me Holy Spirit,” because I don’t know what to do every single day. I have so much on my plate and it’s hard to balance it all. Even this morning I had prayer and quiet time, spent time with the kids and filmed two new YouTube videos. I have a nanny who is with me as I stay at home with the kids, so you would think, “oh Heather you’re free,” but no, the kids still want me…they are screaming for Mommy throughout the day. I’m thankful for our nanny who is able to assist me when I have to say, “Mommy has to go upstairs and study,” or “Mommy has to go write.” So saying no even to my babies sometimes is hard and even saying no to people in general is hard but I can’t say yes to everything. I can’t travel the whole world because I believe that home is my first ministry. Even after we get done with this interview, I’m going to go downstairs and meal prep for my husband. Now I could just order take out but, I believe that I have a responsibility as a wife to be a keeper of the home which means I’m responsible for the food that my babies eat. I’m so convicted by what the Word says I should be that it’s important to me that I have all these things in line. I also learned that it’s okay to need help.

So I’ll get the nanny or I’ll find an affordable housekeeper to help me clean up around the house so I can make sure that I’m taking care of the things that I’m responsible for. I don’t say yes to everything because that will stress me out. So instead, I understand what I can do and I do my best at doing it. In this day and age, with so many social media platforms, people find themselves comparing their lives to others and looking for likes and followers to measure their self-esteem. What do you say to people who feel this way and how do you handle some of your followers coveting your life? Well, self-esteem is pretty much your confidence in yourself and I don’t have that. I don’t have confidence in myself. I have confidence in the Lord and what He’s done for me. If I put pride and confidence in who I am, I’m going to think that they came for me. I’m going to think that they like me and love me and maybe they do love me and that’s great, but at the end of the day, my confidence is in the Lord. It’s not in whether you like me or don’t like me. Because one day you’ll love me, and the next! day you’ll hate me. So if I’m constantly bound to your opinion of me, then I’m going to be controlled by you and that would place me in people bondage. God cannot use anybody who’s stuck in people bondage. I want the Lord to use me. I want to be so free to do whatever He wants me to do. I never want to be bound and wondering whether people are going to be offended by what the Lord uses me to say. I believe that God uses social media to lead people to Him. If you’ll let Him, and not be so busy coveting everybody’s life, then He’ll use it to bring glory to Him. There’s also a flip side…I believe the enemy uses social media to get people to covet your life. If people covet my life, that’s between them and the Lord. They have to give that to Jesus. You could be trying to get pregnant and then see me post my kids but if you really follow my story, you’ll find out that I had a miscarriage. The grass isn’t always as green as it seems to be. I go through stuff and I share my struggles with people and they forget.

For many years we ate rice and eggs for dinner and I had my car taken away by the police because the dealership sold me a stolen license and I was paying for the car for 2 years. We have had so many things that have happened in our lives, but I’m not focusing on those things. I’m focusing and pressing toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14) and we all should be doing the same thing. Now if you’re coveting and you feel like you’re behind based on social media then you probably need to fast from social media and pull away from it. You’re not behind, you’re where you are supposed to be, but you’re not going to get where you’re supposed to be if you are focused on everybody else’s life. How do you remain so humble? I never think of myself more highly than I ought to because I ain’t nobody. It’s God who made me. I’m nothing…I’m nobody without God. When women come up to me crying and saying that I saved their life, as a mature believer, I recognize that the Lord uses me to help people in their walk and I know that it’s not me. It’s the power from the Holy Spirit inside of me that encouraged them and brought them out of a bad situation. The Lord uses me to help bring people out of bad situations. Hopefully, they grow and mature and start making good and godly decisions, and then reach back and help somebody else. It’s not even about me. So when I see other people thinking of themselves more highly than they ought to, I pray for them because it’s dangerous…you can get it all taken away. God can remind you very quickly that these are His gifts and talents. I fear the Lord. I don’t want Him to take away my gift because that would mean I wouldn’t be able to talk. I believe it’s a gift from the Lord and it’s my job to manage it and to be wise with it. You have a new book entitled, The Purpose Room. Tell me about it and how did you come up with the title and concept? The Purpose Room is much like the room we are in (Heather’s prayer room). I like to sit down with women in my books and say, “let’s talk about your life.”

I love my sisters in Christ so much to the point that I want to see them doing what God has called them to do. My idea for the book was almost like imagining a woman stepping into my prayer room with me. We would then, go over her life and I would ask, “Why aren’t you doing what God has called you to do.” “Is it fear or is it because ! you don’t have the money?” “Is God truly your provider and do you truly trust in Him?” I even included examples of people who stepped out on faith or people who are in the midst of stepping out on faith, but are ! I included these stories to show ! people that you don’t need to have it all together. Instead, you get to afraid to. surrender it all to the Lord and say, “God here’s my life.” I like to look at myself in the book as a purpose midwife where I help you birth what God has called you to do. I believe that by the end of the book, people will have a better understanding of what God is calling them to do, even if that means not knowing. I think sometimes as believers we feel like if we don’t know our purpose then, we are not successful. No, there’s something about that season of being still knowing that God is God and that if He hasn’t revealed it to you, it’s not the right time. God is going to show you in the right time, but are you being obedient to step one, two, three, and four? The Lord didn’t show me what He called me to do until I took the first step of obedience, which was break up with the ungodly boy who I was in a relationship with. So after I did that, he gave me another set of instructions. He told me to move to Washington, DC and take an internship. It was during that time in my wilderness season where He revealed to me my purpose. I wonder if God would have shown me my purpose during that time if I were out of position? No! I would have been cluttered in my spirit. So the focus of The Purpose Room is to let go of all the distractions and everything that’s going on outside the room and start examining your life.

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We have to ask ourselves, “Did the Lord lead us to start this business or did we lead ourselves?” I think many people are pursuing a lot of things and their ladders are up against the wrong buildings. God never told you to do that and you are doing it because you are “about that paper, you are about that money.” When you are in your purpose, money naturally flows. You don’t have to chase it down and you don’t have to persuade people to support it. You have your own specific lane of what God has called you to do and you don’t have to beg, borrow, or steal or try to get anybody to approve of you. Instead, be secure with who you are in Christ. I wrote The Purpose Room because I want to see every woman walking in what God has called her to do. I want women in their lanes not worrying about what everybody else is doing, not being jealous or coveting anybody else’s lives…just focused on what God has called them to do.

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Twitter & Instagram: @heatherllove www.heatherllindsey.com

Jennifer Spears is a wife, mother, entrepreneur and woman of God living in the metroAtlanta community. For more about Jennifer and her endeavors, please follow her on IG: @the_recessionista . Photos by: Anthony Thomas, IG: @imagebyanthony & Carlis Howze, IG: @carlishowze

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By: Charlemagne Stallings Photo provided by: Charlemagne Stallings Time!it’s a funny thing you know. I find myself trying to protect it, cherish it, make the most of it, wasting it, slow it down and speed it up and then wondering where it went. Ha! Please tell me I’m not alone! I struggle many times with whether I am really fruitful or just busy. In today’s culture being super busy is a badge of honor. Terms like goal digger and hustle are trendy. If I allow myself to get caught up in the hype, I start to rely on my own strength and forget that grace will get me to more places than hustle ever will. When you are busy you are aimlessly chasing the wind and there is nothing to show for all of the time you have spent. However, when you are fruitful you intentionally spend your time on things that matter in eternity and will be worthwhile to show how you invested your time. When the Lord asks for an account of how you spent your time you can proudly say here is my life. I was obedient to you when you told me to prioritize my prayer life, join a small group, and invest my time in someone else consistently. I was obedient when you told me to rest or when you told me to stop hosting my bible studies and invest more time in my marriage, or stop volunteering for everything at work. I was obedient when you told me to show up for someone else or show up for myself and carve out some time to work out, or take a dance class or go out with my girls for once. I feel a very real pressure to be there for everyone and show up to every invitation, but at the end of the day (my last day on earth), will it have mattered? All of this striving to make people happy, trying to uphold a certain lifestyle, or image of the ideal millennial woman will be pointless if the Lord told you to go left and you went right. When we say yes when we should say no because we don’t want to disappoint anyone; that yes to one person or event is inherently a no to someone or something else anyway. So we may as well choose wisely. There is beauty in that tension between yes and no because you have the opportunity to choose to be used by people or used by God. I had to reevaluate how I was spending my time after my dear mother unexpectedly went home

to be with the Lord this summer. Talking about time!I sure wasn’t ready. But based on the way she spent her life she sure was. She wasn’t perfect but after retracing the full account of her life she didn’t need more time to get it right. She didn’t waste any moments. I always felt she should have kept her house a little more organized, but when I consider the alternative to how she was spending her time - I guess she had it right all along. She was zealously making the most of her time here on earth and investing in people and communities. She served others with her time, money, material possessions, her resourcefulness, made time to do things she loved, and was an exemplary mother and MiMi (grandmother). Her example taught me that whether I have little or if I have plenty, all of it is a tool to extend God’s grace to others and shine the light of Jesus on someone’s dark moment or to leverage my abundance to create opportunities for others to rise above their situation. When people are telling your story after you are long gone, trust me, it WILL have mattered. You never know what hangs in the balance for your life and others around you based on how you spend your time. Consider Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” Prayer: Lord, I am humbled that you would choose to use me to carry out your greater plan on the earth. Help me discern whether I am busy or fruitful and give me the courage to let my yes be yes and my no be no so that the way I spend my time can be an act of obedience and worship to you. Charlemagne is a resident of the metro-Atlanta area, a school counselor, wife, and mother. To keep up with Charlemagne, follow her on IG @hellobeautifulgpgt

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