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TABLE OF
30 Contents
ON THE COVER
DEVOTIONAL
28 REAL TALK KIM
72 IS GOD CALLING YOU? ALBANER C. EUGENE JR.
shares how the enemy’s plans to cast shadows over the greatness God placed within her only made her stronger.
gives us direction to help answer that question.
FOOD & TRAVEL
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
68 SHOP, PREP, DINE
24 MIND
STYLE & GRACE
22 BODY
SHANIKA GRAHAMWHITE gives us a fun twist on vegan pizza bites.
Our Manna for the Mind columnist TARI COX, M.A. provides Biblical insights to A Sound Mind.
70 BEAUTY
LEANNE DLAMINI delivers The Power of Red Lipstick. Be bold, brave, and rock that red!
+ KYONA MCGHEE
Our newest columnist, Attorney Kyona McGhee, sets us straight on how to Cash in on our Content.
62 DESIGN
Our fitness contributor, QUIANNA LASHEA encourages you to stop limiting yourself.
56 SPIRIT
HOW I GREW TODAY with MARQUITA MOORE. Learn how her misconception of her brokenness revealed that she’s whole already.
TAMARA BRADSHAW, gives us the perfect hacks to create amazing wall decor for any room.
GOD’S FAVOR
12 ABOUT MY FATHER’S BUSINESS TREY PHILLS is young and ambitious. See how he and his co-founders are serving the fitness community through technology. REESY DANIEL’S pursuit to boost her family’s immunity during the pandemic turned into a successful business venture.
SPECIAL + ADEVOTIONAL WITH
ALBANER C. EUGENE, JR.
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A NIGHT FOR WOMEN TO CONNECT AT ELEVATION CHURCH, TO COME TOGETHER AS WE ARE, FULLY SEEN, KNOWN AND LOVED BY GOD. & More Details REFLECT22.COM
SEPTEMBER 16 6 | Mindblowing Magazine
7:00 PM ET
IN EVERY ISSUE 11 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 10 THE LORD’S PRAYER 09 CONTRIBUTORS 08 MASTHEAD 69 THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
FEATURES 12 GOD’S FAVOR We have expanded God’s Favor to highlight those who are exemplifying all of God’s gifts. From Arts & Entertainment to Business. 20 THE GIRLFRIEND’S CORNER April Daniels encourage us to cultivate the beauty of your friendships. 64 MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN Learn how Jason McGee became “The Bridge” positioned to lead the unseen to Christ. 58 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE “The Comeback Kid” Prophetess Sophia Ruffin teaches us there’s nothing God cannot bring you back from. 74 COMMUNITY CALLING WITH MB A beautiful recap : MB Mag + The Stellar Awards
24 REALTALKwith
kimberlyjones Mindblowing Magazine | 7
EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stacy Sorrell-Moore
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR April Daniels
MANAGING EDITOR Denise Griffin
CREATIVE COVER DIRECTOR / COVER FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHER Robin V. / www.robinvphotography.com
EDITORIAL STYLIST
Joyce Sheffield of On and Off the Runway / www.onandofftherunwayboutique.com
ART & DESIGN & DIRECTOR Jazmine Rochelle / Art & Design Cheryl Davis / Administration www.jazminerochelle.com
COLUMNISTS
April Daniels / www.officialaprildaniels.com Tari Cox, M.A. / www.taricox.com Quianna Lashea / www.qui2health.com Marquita Moore / www.howigrewtoday.com
CONTRIBUTOR
Tamara Bradshaw LeAnne Dlamini Shanika Graham-White Albaner C. Eugene Jr. Keyona McGhee
WRITER
Toni Emehel
MEDIA / VIDEO
Elisha Sumo www.thesumobrand.com
Media Corespondent
HopeForever McKinnon www.thehopeforever.com
MARKETING / ADVERTISING
advertise@mindblowingmagazine.com
EVENT PRODUCTION Wright Productions www.wrightprods.com
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BEHIND THE STORY
MEET OUR contributors In every issue, each woman and man here desires to cheer you on. They understand your struggles. Get your pain. Helps you know you’re not alone. Shares their authentic faith. And uplifts you to the heavens! They help you soar and become who God created you to be.
Tari Cox, M.A. @xarcito Manna for the Mind
Albaner C. Eugene Jr.
Toni Emehel
@thisisalbaner Devotional
@toni.emehel Let Your Light Shine
Tamara Bradshaw
@tamarabradshaw_home Design
April Daniels
Marquita Moore
@iamaprildaniels The Girlfriend’s Corner
@howigrewtoday How I Grew Today
Kyona McGhee @kyonathelawyer Business
Shanika Graham-White
Quianna Lashea
@orchdsnsweettea_ Shop, Prep, Dine
@qui2health Body
LeAnne Dlamini @iamleanned Beauty
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THE LORD’S
PRAYER Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. MATTHEW 6:9-13
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dear readers,
Words cannot express my incredible joy in presenting to you “The Fearless Issue.” Fearless is defined as bold; brave; intrepid; valiant; and unafraid. Full of inspiring courage. And that’s exactly what our cover feature, “Real Talk Kim,” is all about. She’s a beautiful, bright light and powerful force for the Kingdom of God. Her article will leave you encouraged, motivated, and determined; her loving words will leave a lifelong impression. Her cover feature spread proves “Breathtaking” as Pastor Kim has brought all the heat!! Oh, and if that’s not enough, we have Sophia Ruffin as our “Let Your Light Shine” feature, an undeniable powerhouse, a true inspiration. These remarkable women have blessed me; their words have touched me. I’m beyond grateful!
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Do you believe miracles still happen? Well, if you have any doubts, please be sure to read the testimony about our “Miracles Still Happen” feature, Jason McGee. Jason’s story is the purest example of God’s love and His promises. As you can see, each word of this issue will pour into you and confirms the ever-wondrous truth: life is a faith walk. We must trust God in all things and not move in fear. We must be faith-full and fearless. The Word of God continually tells us how God blesses us through our faith. Thank you to every feature focus and contributor. And thank you to every reader — I pray you will hear the hearts of each contributor and experience many breakthrough moments. That’s what The MB Mag is all about, and I so
Stacy Sorell-Moore EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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FINANCE with KYONA MCGHEE
CASHINGIN YOUR Content 12 | Mindblowing Magazine
ABOUT MY FATHER’S BUSINESS
“Wasting time” scrolling on your cell phone is no longer a thing … unless you intentionally choose that life. Every business owner and 9–5er alike is busy creating more streams of income in a range of ways, from flipping real estate to becoming a notary! But one of the easiest ways to earn more money while being a good steward over the money you’ve already been blessed with is to Cash in on Your Content! Here’s 3 quick ways to secure more coins, using just the camera on your cell phone:
1.) Share Your Expertise Using Instagram Reels! You’ve become an expert in your space (and regardless of whether you’ve added that to your IG bio, it’s a fact). Maybe you’ve finally locked down this co-parenting life or you’ve mastered traveling to exotic locations on a budget … Teach us! Everybody loves to learn a helpful business or HR trick (or even how to actually fold a fitted sheet). Creating a quick (shareable) reel gives your audience entertainment and education at once, while allowing you to monetize your moments online! Once you approve your videos for monetization, Instagram will automatically begin to pay you per-play on your reels.
as a result the impact celebrity endorsements once had has decreased drastically over the past several years. The same is not true for you, however. As it relates to marketing online, authenticity and trust reign supreme! Because you have an audience full of family and friends who actually trust your opinion on products/services, you have the eyes and influence that big brands want! Learn how to pitch to brands from some of Instagram’s best, like brand partnership magnet Mattie James (@themattiejames)! There is no shortage of ways to use your time online to create another stream of income. The most important thing to remember is to always show up as the truest version of yourself. Otherwise, your online presence will begin to feel just like the very job Beyonce told you to quit. Capitalize on your expertise, allow those who LOVE what you already create to buy in for a closer peek, and give people your most honest thoughts … all for a pretty penny, of course.
2.) Create Subscription Access to Your Content Celebrities, influencers, and niche business owners have jumped on a trend of creating exclusive content for people who are willing to pay for access to their lives close-up and personal or to access more resources and tips only available on private Facebook pages or on their Instagram “close friends” list. Your followers can pay a monthly subscription to gain more insight to the life or knowledge you’ve already secured, too! Websites like WIX and Shopify will allow you to create a recurring payment processor for your audience to sign up; then the only thing remaining for you to do is add them to your list or send them access to your private Facebook or Instagram page that’s for your exclusive content only! Poll your audience today to see if they’re interested in exclusive content right now, sis!
3.) Product Promotion Will Live Forever! Long gone are the days when only influencers with 1M+ in followers get paid to review products/services. People are more skeptical of famous endorsements than ever, and Mindblowing Magazine | 13
TREY PHILLS
CO-FOUNDERS
DEVON OAKLEY & AKIM MITCHELL
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GOD’S FAVOR Trey Phills is a 26-year-old Yale University graduate, a creative content storyteller, and a professional athlete. He joined TikTok during the NBA’s COVID-19 hiatus and gained a significant following over the course of the year (800k+). Passionate about excellence in his sport, he holds his academic and entrepreneurial success to the same standard. While training to play professional basketball, Trey founded Gymble: an app that connects communities to trainers and athletic facilities for training, fitness experiences, and venue rentals. He believes that athletes should not be stereotypically defined, and this belief serves as the mission for the vast majority of the content he creates. “@tphills” creates entertaining, inspirational, and family friendly content aimed towards a younger audience who participate in all sports. His channel has a specific focus on basketball but the messages are broad and extend to reach across multiple age groups and demographics. Themes include perseverance, confidence, and overall lightheartedness through creative challenges and visually compelling videos. CONNECT : Instagram: @tphillss // Tiktok: @tphills
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juIiced Up
reesy
Juiiced Up Reesy is a family owned and operated juice bar located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s not uncommon to find the owners — Reesy, her husband King, and their daughters Niya, Miah, and Bam Daniel — spending an entire day in the Juiice lab, sampling, testing, and creating healthy Juiice concoctions that taste amazing! Reesy found her passion for juicing during the pandemic while looking for a natural way to boost her family’s immune system and was inspired to help others embrace healthy living as a sustainable lifestyle at an affordable price. She naturally lost over 60 pounds and at the same time healed her rheumatoid arthritis and IBS!
Our philosophy is “Health is the new wealth!” There are no mystery ingredients added to our products; glutenfree, pesticide-free, dairy-free, and GMO-free aren’t just words at Juiiced Up Reesy! Our raw, cold pressed fruit and vegetable Juiices are 100% vegan, unpasteurized, and contain no added fillers, pesticides, or preservatives. Juiiced Up Reesy Juiices bring balance back to your body, mind, and even soul. We strive to provide our customers with only the best, so naturally our ingredient list reflects that mindset! We take pride in our weekly/daily fresh produce selection of fresh ingredients from our local farmers market and only use all-natural ingredients that taste delicious!
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Our commitment to the highest quality products at an affordable price — while providing exceptional customer service, knowledge about the benefits of our products, incomparable customer care, health and wellness tips, and each sip of our Juiices filled with love — keeps our customers coming back again and again. We’ve helped others transition to a healthier lifestyle and take back control of their health, the holistic natural way. Incorporating Juiiced Up Reesy Juiices into your life is like taking the most potent vitamins and minerals. Once people recognize that our Juiices aren’t just the typical Juiice company and we actually obsess over our customers’ health, they easily become our tribe. Even kids can’t get enough of the taste of our healthy Juiices. Juiiced Up Reesy offers shipping, local delivery, and ready-made cold pressed Juiices available to purchase at Veltree-Ballantyne, an award-winning vegan restaurant and everyone’s home away from home — a safe haven located at 14825 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite 150. We love our community and strive to continue building wealth and health there as we live by our motto: “Pull up, come get yo Juiice.” FIND US: Instagram and Facebook at @juiicedupreesy SHOP WITH US: www.Juiicedupreesyllc.com
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God has something stored up for you in heaven, where it will never decay or be ruined or disappear.
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by APRIL DANIELS
PHOTOGRAPHY by ROBIN V.
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As a woman, I understand the beauty in cultivating friendships. Like gardening, you have ones that blossom from the seeds you plant as well as ones that organically develop by splitting the stem from another’s soil. Although I rarely allow the focus to rest on the formation of the root as much as its purpose, as I have experienced questionable conditions that would indicate the risk was greater than anything I could ever gain. However, to be unintentional about the makings of any friendship has brought some of the sweetest harvests, but that same unintentionality can also be a setup for great disappointment. I like to believe there’s beauty found in every connection, whether permanent or temporary, for you or another, but that beauty also depends deeply on the eye of the beholder. I wasn’t always this way; it took several bumps and bruises until I could really walk in a way that exceeded my hurt. That hurt was the deciding factor that influenced me to remove any experience that compromised my peace, making it nonexistent, even before God could show me what He was going to do with it. The idea of letting someone have access to you with intentions that don’t mirror yours sounds foolish, right? But is it really when you’re allowing yourself to be available to God? We tend to leave out the God part when we speak on friendships, connection, and loyalty and place more value on the common understanding of what the sisterhood “should mean.” But let’s talk about the purpose instead of the expectation because that’s where God is found. Many women, including myself, have been influenced by what is acceptable versus what is not when it comes to sisterhood. As many times as I see the resemblance of a red flag, I continue to walk forward by faith. Because my heart won’t allow me to change my nature, it has instead heightened my ability to recognize the tools needed to sow seeds that support a harvest for the Kingdom. Although every situation is different, the technique shouldn’t be if I’m truly saying, “God, I’m available to be used by you .” I’ve found that my biggest flex is when I make myself available to God for Him to get the glory. There’s no driven motive behind my availability; it’s the learned wisdom of knowing that to be used by Him is by far greater than any agenda I could ever design. The way He uses any of us leaves no echo of chaos but purpose. The role we walk in during any situation should reflect God and still use it for His good; it just means I may take a longer route.
“
I’ve found that my biggest flex is when I make myself available to God for Him to get the glory. Listen, I have had the best of them take me to places where God got no glory, because I allowed them to, or so I thought. But it was actually purposed to show me the parts that still needed to be broken up, like farmers plow their land before they plant so what God was planting in me could grow. We all should want to grow, regardless of how uncomfortable the process can feel. Keeping your hands in the dirt allows you to nurture the crop well. The process keeps you humble and appreciative of the harvest soon to come. But if you stay focused on the things that distract or interfere with what God is doing, you will never be happy with what’s trying to grow in your garden. Take every occasion to recognize where you need to grow or perhaps how you can water the seeds that belong to someone else — instead of allowing your flesh to get in the way of your spirit being led by God. Be who God called you to be, intentional with the purpose He’s assigned to you. After all, the work you do from a pure heart will create a garden that feeds many.
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The Only Limit Is the One You’re Putting on Yourself! by QuIANNA LASHEA
As a trainer and motivator, I am amongst women and men all the time. What stands out to me the most are the limits people put on themselves. Yet, if God allows our paths to cross, it’s my job to uplift and assist you in taking those limits off! We can accomplish or achieve many things if we get out of our own head. No more limits! I often say my favorite line over and over again: “If mentally you want it, physically it’ll show!” … because you have to make it up in your mind first, and then your body will follow and show your work! That’s in all you do. With my training, we start there first. Let’s tackle the mental challenges we face before beginning a new healthyliving lifestyle.You might say to yourself, “It’s hard to stop eating certain foods,” or, “I don’t feel like going to the gym,” or, “I don’t know where to start,” or, “I don’t know how to work out!” The list goes on. However, no more excuses!
Here are 5 ways to jumpstart your healthy-living lifestyle: 1.
Create a workout notebook or tab in your phone. This will allow you to create a routine, exercises to try, along with instructions and tips.
2.
Plan your workouts throughout the week. You may have to work out before your day starts, or if you have enough energy, wait until your day is over.
3.
Create a music playlist to motivate and push yourself through your routine.
4.
Shop for new workout attire. Studies show, working out in cute outfits inspires you to get it done and make you feel better about yourself!
5.
Try new, healthy recipes. This is just so you won’t get tired of eating the same foods over and over again.
Now that we have a few tips to get started, let’s try this HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) Cardio Workout! Workout Equipment Needed: Mat and single dumbbell (pick a challenging weight). Workout Instructions: AMRAP (as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.). Set your timer to 20 min. You are to complete 12 to 15 reps of each exercise. Break ONLY after you’ve completed a round, 30 to 45 seconds. • • • •
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Squat with alternate shoulder press (also known as seesaw press) Single dumbbell salt & pepper shoulder twist Single arm plank reach Incline seated hold w/overhead press
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
Now remember, nowhere in this article did I mention this was easy, but I will say it’s so worth it. You owe it to yourself to become the best version of you. I encourage you to take it one day at a time, be gentle with yourself, and don’t rush your process. Your journey should always be personal while understanding that — as a vessel and servant in the kingdom — you are an example of how we should live. “I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.” —John 13:15 ,NLT As a trainer, I believe in you. I know you have potential; you have what it takes. I need you to believe in yourself. No more limits. Press forward!! Qui2health - Healthy living is my lifestyle! Mindblowing Magazine | 23
And a SoundMind:
FEAR’S INTELLECT MEETS STRATEGY WITH THE FATHER by Tari Cox, M.A. Photography by Kevin Wilson Citizenship in this world comes with quite the cocktail of reasons to fear living in it. The pandemic’s combination of unsanitized hands after pumping gas and seconds later stopping for a bite to eat. Racial profiling’s combination of being an African-American male, former athlete, and jogging in a suburban neighborhood past the trucks of two white males with guns and hardened hearts. Heartbreak’s combination of loving again after believing the last time was the final time. Anxiety’s combination of the job interview you’ve been petitioning God for and being informed that dozens of others are also competing for the position.
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10 ESV
Worry’s combination of who will come once you’ve decided to radically obey God. The combination of any neutral or “good” thing that’s garnished with possibilities that were or are someone’s reality, plus the intellect of fear, make these reasons to fear reasonable. And while the spectrum of fear has its extremes, neither are outside of the promises of God. We have a Father in heaven who, 365 times, commands us not to fear. A Father whose stance remains the same as it did back then when He instructed us. A Father who has given us authority and wisdom to navigate the promised trials we’d face, including those that come by way of fear, anxiety, and worry. And we have a Father that has given us a sound mind. The way in which fear manifests is intelligent, to say the least. Psychology Today defines fear as “a vital response to physical
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and emotional danger that has been pivotal throughout human evolution.” Rooted in fear, anxiety is defined as “both a mental and physical state of negative expectation that is also accompanied by unwanted thoughts or physical arousal to multiple body systems from either real or imagined danger.” Fear has endless avenues to run rampant in the mind, causing torment, dysfunction, and the robbing of God’s people of the abundant life Christ came to give. However, God sent His Son to save us from these fears, with compassion and sensitivity towards the matters that produce them. And in that, He also equipped some with the ability to counsel and help process the cognitions of others — to combat a spirit of fear with both truth and practicality. Here are several tips to address and combat fear, anxiety, and worry in the midst of today’s troubles:
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT
2. Remember you are not in danger. Often, panic and anxiety are accompanied by physiological responses. This may take place not in the face of danger, but as a direct result of one’s thoughts. These responses may include shortness of breath, accelerated heart rate, tunnel vision, stomach pains, trembling of the hands, weakness in other areas of the body, etc. The body’s sympathetic nervous system signals the body of danger or stress, and due to the fact that anxiety is often a direct result of irrational thoughts and fears, it’s necessary to address these thoughts when the body responds. When there’s no tangible threat and you notice some of these reactions take place, here’s a great practice: gently remind yourself you are not in danger. Taking a moment to remind yourself of where you are presently can bring you back to a homeostatic state and reality that you are safe and your body does not need to prepare to fight or flee.
3. Use grounding techniques. Grounding is a coping skill used to help separate one’s emotions from their present situation. This is a helpful technique to use when faced with anxiety, worry, and fear. Specifically, the 5-4-3-2-1 Technique for Anxiety is conducted by identifying the following:
1. Know you do not have to believe everything you think. The brain is malleable and able to be molded based on the input it receives. Also known as neuroplasticity, brain structure and brain function can be modified based on experience. Therefore, it is imperative that the mind be filtered of its thoughts regularly and not passively accept every thought entering it. What the mind rehearses becomes the mind’s compass and foundation. For example, if you watch a news report of a mass shooting and are suddenly plagued with intrusive, fearful thoughts, picturing yourself as the next victim, analyze what input your mind just received, provide reason for why the fear is there, and apply the Word of God.
• • • • •
Five things you can see. Four things you can touch. Three things things you can smell. Two things you can smell One thing you can taste.
4. Remember what God did give you. God is clear about not only what He didn’t give us, but also what He did give us. For example, before Joshua embarked on his journey of leading the Israelites across the Jordan River, the Promised Land after the death of Moses, God reminded Joshua of what He had given him. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the
“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.” —2 Corinthians 10:5-6 ESV
river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea
“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it [the disaster] will not come near you.” —Psalm 91:7 NIV
We are also given authority, a sound mind (self-control), and a
toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.” —Joshua 1:3-4
place to lay our anxieties before the throne of God.
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“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” —2 Timothy 1:7 KJV “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” —Luke 10:19 ESV “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” —1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV And we have a God who not only goes with us, but also goes before us. We can trust that His protection is appointed where we have not yet arrived. “The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.” — Deuteronomy 1:30 ESV While fear isn’t avoidable, being ruled and governed by its intellect is. Fear has no grounds for dominion where there is truth and strategy with the Father.
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May we operate from a place of both sonship and authority. Remembering both dependency and dominion. Taking responsibility, but also remembering the finished work of the cross. And resting confidently in both awareness and His protection. “Fear” on https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/fear (accessed June 11, 2022).
“What Is Anxiety?” on https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/ anxiety (accessed June 11, 2022). *The preceding article does not offer clinical nor therapeutic advice. Please seek clinical assistance for further anxiety management.
I‘ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.
JOSHUA 1:9
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Kim
REAL TALK
SHAPING SHADOWS As told by Toni E. Emehel
Photography by ROBIN V. // Styled by JOYCE SHEFFIELD
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I
spent my forties unbinding myself from mistakes - REAL TALK
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Kim
COVER FEATURE
REAL TALK.
REAL life.
real change. with PASTOR KIMBERLY JONES aka REAL TALK KIM
“I spent my forties unbinding myself from mistakes,” explains Kimberly Jones, whom the world hails as Real Talk Kim, pastor, motivational speaker, former celebrity personality of Preachers of Atlanta, and five-time best-selling author. Thoughtfully reflecting on her past, Pastor Kim shares, “I was mad at myself. I became bitter about everything because, after 18 years, my marriage ended and I was moving back home with my mom and dad. It took me hitting rock bottom to find out Who the Rock is at the bottom.” This is where MB Magazine begins its query into the life and making of one of the most influential Christian women of the 21st century.
Every word of Pastor Kim’s story is important. Listen with your eyes and allow her story to reveal a deeper understanding of the shadows that the enemy uses to bind the mind of a believer. Allow her narrative to press you toward greater levels of discernment as God speaks to your heart about the existence of deeply embedded shadows in your own life that may be limiting you in a life that God intends to be limitless.
In this Fearless Issue of MB Magazine, we invite you to meet the Kimberly Jones that God knows by name and calls His very own. Lean into this narrative and observe how the enemy used everyone and everything it could to surround Pastor Kim from the cradle to the altar, trying to control her innermost thoughts and block her sense of identity. This is where we all say, “But God!” To Him we give all the glory for the shadow-shaping, hell- bending, God-fearing preacher, teacher, mentor, mother, daughter, and woman of God we see today, who embraces the fact that earth has no limit to place on the authority God has bestowed upon her life. The enemy began orchestrating what it hoped would be an ironclad plan to cancel God’s assignment for the life of Kimberly Jones when she was very young. The enemy’s plan included the use of outside hosts to cast internal shadows deeply within young Kimberly during her most formative years of development.
PASTOR KIM: “Buckle your seatbelt because you are about to be on the ride of your life. Give yourself 30 days after reading this issue of MB Magazine and allow God to transform your life. You can do anything for 30 days: drop 30 pounds, break a soul tie, break a habit … and you can even reinvent yourself in 30 days as long as you have people in your VIP section of life that are not blowing your candle out.”
MB MAGAZINE: “What can the readers of this Fearless Issue of MB Magazine look forward to through the sharing of your story?”
“It doesn’t matter how broken you are, how far you’ve gone, or if you have done everything ‘they’ said you did. As long as you have a pulse, God has a plan. Feel the spark from this read, then take 30 days to pull back and allow God’s plan to unfold in your life.” MB MAGAZINE: “Take us back to your childhood.” PASTOR KIM: “I was raised in a very strict religion. In fact,
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my parents were pastors and I now pastor their church, which is really awesome because in the religion that I was raised in women couldn’t preach. Women were really supposed to just stay at home, birth babies, and cook supper. So as a girl, I was very sheltered during my childhood. “Around the age of 15, I felt like, something ain’t right here. I couldn’t understand why women could not be everything that men are. I wish that I would have embraced me, but everybody was trying to put me in a box.” Pause. Taking a deeper look into Pastor Kim’s religious upbringing, you can see that she, like many other men and women across the globe, grew up being pushed into a straightjacket of manufactured gender roles established by man rather than God. Because this kicked against the very nature of who Pastor Kim was created to be, she developed a competitive heart toward everybody and everything that seemingly reinforced teachings that expanded the world of possibilities for men and, at the same time, relegated women to lesser roles. Subconsciously, this produced a shadow of fear inside young Kimberly — an overbearing shadow that manifested feelings of distrust and insecurity. These emotions began ruling the world around her and cultivated a prevailing fear that people, no matter who and no matter where, would attempt to place her in a box based on her gender, without regard for her ability.
PASTOR KIM: “As a little girl, I was straightforward. I remember one time having all my little Barbies laid out and playing with them while my dad was nearby. I would say, Well, my dad doesn’t believe in women preachers. So, I guess I’ll just have to be a praise and worship pastor. I was always trying to kick that box down.” Here we see shadows of distrust taking root in young Kimberly’s heart. The catalyst? Her father. We see both light and darkness taking form in the memory shared above. Young Kimberly knows within herself that she is destined to do something great for God. Her light is shining brightly … but the enemy has a dimmer. In Kimberly’s mind, the dimmer is her father. The enemy uses young Kimberly’s thoughts of her father to dim the light of God within her. Instead of light, what is produced is a seemingly rebellious child … i.e., “trying to kick that box down.” The importance of this lies in how young Kimberly grew to surmise the character of men based on conclusions drawn from her perceptions of her father. This was the enemy’s insurance policy to ensure feelings
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of distrust would overshadow romantic relationships throughout Pastor Kim’s life. From the enemy’s perspective, if she kicked against the goads of her father, whom she had been led to believe saw her as “lesser” or unqualified because she is a girl, surely, she would grow to kick against the goads of her future husband for fear that he, too, embraced the belief that women have limited potential solely because God created them female. MB MAGAZINE: “Thinking about all the different versions of the little girl that exists within us at different points in our life, if you were to encounter one of the younger versions of you, what would she think about who you are today?” PASTOR KIM: “She would be shocked! I have always just wanted to love life, but the enemy is sly. When I was in kindergarten, I remember walking into school one day and they sat me
down and tested me. After the tests, I was placed in special-ed classes. I would have to leave my regular class every day and go into this special-ed class, from the time that I was in kindergarten up to the eighth or ninth grade. They even had a parapro eat lunch with me every day. I would often think to myself, What’s wrong with me? Am I drooling or something and don’t know it?” Another shadow was cast. This time an attack on her ability, causing young Kimberly to fear inadequacies within herself. John 10:10 warns us that the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. In the case of young Kimberly [God anointed her as a pastor before she was formed in her mother’s womb], the enemy came early to steal her identity, make her feel inadequate, and kill her voice in a ploy to destroy her future. Shadow casting was the enemy’s vice. It used the church to make her feel less than. It used her homelife to reinforce restrictive beliefs. It used the schoolhouse to cause her to doubt herself. It even used Pastor Kim’s marriage to break her. Instead, the very thing the enemy was utilizing with intentions to destroy her, God was using to compose her and set her up on solid ground! This is where we again say, “But God!” Because of His goodness and mercy, all the shadows sent by the enemy to reinforce its plan of snuffing out Pastor Kim’s light were penetrated by the light of God. By now, you may have caught on to my reference of the enemy as an it. The reference is not in error. The enemy of our lives often appears in the form of flesh and blood, but it is a power that originates from spiritual forces of evil. Read further to see how Pastor Kim was able to break up the dark forces stationed in her
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K I am an example of
REDEMPTION for the world.
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life to allow the light of God to shine through her fear, sadness, bitterness, and distrust. It may have taken her a while to figure it out, but she trekked through her preparation season fearlessly and now moves in sync with God’s plan for her life. PASTOR KIM: “Around the age of 17 is when I began to see things shifting. My family came out of that religious organization and put me in public school. That’s when I realized that the sky was the limit. Eventually, I ended up attending World Harvest Bible School where I met and fell in love with the piano boy. I left school early. We got married and had two incredible kids. I was with my husband for 18 years. At the age of 36, I ended up being the first one in my family to walk through a divorce. During our marriage, [jokingly] I probably told my husband every other day, ‘I don’t need no man.’ One day I woke up and I didn’t have one. I was like, what hap-
pened? The Holy Spirit reminded me, ‘You don’t need no man.’ Like Queen Vashti in the book of Esther, Pastor Kim allowed shadows of fear to hover over the beliefs she held regarding the posture of her husband’s heart. Her desire? Affirmation. Approval. Adoration. Her fear? Rejection. Abandonment. Inadequacy. And simply not measuring up. PASTOR KIM: “I was afraid that he would leave me, so I told him that I didn’t need no man. I guess I manifested it. Then one day while I was crying out to God, I remember so clearly, probably the first time in my life, I heard the voice of God speak to me. He clearly said, “I’m not going to take this pain away from you. You got to get up and walk away from it.’ And that’s what I did.” MB MAGAZINE: “Can you imagine what wouldn’t be if you had skipped any step, any moment, or any year of your journey?” PASTOR KIM: “I am an example of redemption for the world. If I could go back, I believe that I would still do it the same way. I would still nay-nay and not pray-pray, and I would finally sell myself out to God and fall in love with Kim. God can still use you after divorce; all you have to do is surrender. “I hit rock bottom. I lost everything. My house, my car, my husband, my dignity … I lost it all. I thought I was all that until I lost everything. I realized that my purses didn’t matter; they couldn’t buy me rent. I had to find Kim. In that season while God was healing me, I remember doing a video while sitting on the side of the
road. My hoopty would overheat every day, and I would have to literally pull over on the side of the road, get out, and put antifreeze in it. Then, I would have to wait 30 minutes for it to cool down.” “One day while I was sitting on the side of the road, God started setting me free. I had been to a counselor … it didn’t work. I was too stubborn and would not listen to her. It took me in that car, one hour going to work and one hour coming home, for me get it. I had to talk to myself. I was stubborn like that. So, on this day I was sitting on the side of the road. I was so full of God that if a mosquito would have bitten me, it would have got the Holy Ghost! I was just that in love with Him. Depression was broken off me! I looked different. I literally went from this hard, old- looking, wrinkly sin to what you see before you today. The thing about sin … it will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you everything! Even your looks.” MB MAGAZINE: “Was this a scary time for you?” PASTOR KIM: “Most definitely. Before God healed me, I had walls built up around me. I was mad at everything and everybody, but I found myself. I looked in the mirror and decided that I was not going to waste my hell. I had to get myself straight.” “I believe that everybody has an old hell, a moment in our lives where we say to ourselves that, ‘I’m sick of being here. I’m tired of drinking a bottle of wine to go to sleep. I’m tired of being mad at everybody … meanwhile, they have moved on and are living their lives. Why am I mad? They’re not. They don’t care.’ “I knew that I got the victory when smoke started coming out of my car and all I could think of was, God, you think I’m everything! You have even given me my own smoke machine! And I pull my phone out and made a video:
“
Hello, awesome people! Are you
sitting on the side of the road in your
hoopty? You done lost everything and are
having to start all over again? You want to give up right now, but you ain’t giving up. Oh, no! Giving up is an option, but it ain’t yours. Get your butt up! Praise your way out!”
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“I uploaded the video to social media, and by the time I got home that video had gone viral! I still don’t know why because it wasn’t anything that great. But when God sees you are ready, it doesn’t matter if you have done everything they said you did; the victory is yours! I had finally gotten to a place where God could trust me. “Did I get it all right after that? No. But I made a point to work on me every day. In my healing process I had to stop being mad at what I couldn’t change and get myself to a place where all of me loves God. I now know that I am who God created me to be, and I am very happy about that. I don’t preach the best, yet God has trusted me to preach on the best people’s platforms. It’s like, God really trusts me. I don’t take that lightly.” MB MAGAZINE: “When did you fall in love with Kim?” PASTOR KIM: “I found my voice when I was 40 years old. I was working at Bloomingdales making $9.00 an hour. I heard a sermon on my way to work that said, ‘Every time you talk about yourself, you are talking about God because you are His image.’ That did something to me. I felt like I had taken myself off the couture Holy Ghost rack and placed myself on the clearance rack. I was going to stay on that clearance rack unless I decided to get off. So, that’s what I did. “On my drive to work every day I would tell myself, ‘You’re awesome. God created you. You are made in His image.’ Now it took me a journey to fall in love with me. Even after I started preaching. I felt like I was so far behind. But look at what God has done with me in such a short period of time: eight years. Can you imagine if I had found my voice before age 40? Now, I love all the Kimberlys that I can back to life.” Shaping shadows is an inside job. Pastor Kim describes it through her story as an eight-step process of healing from within. To effectively embark upon this process, you must first understand that shadows appear in our life to separate us from the light of God, distort our perceptions of self, and thwart His purpose for our lives. When shadows found their way into Pastor Kim’s life during her stage of innocence, her mind was pliable. She carried a spirit of openness and was eager to love, to not only be loved. In her childhood state, her innermost desire was to be accepted, approved, and found capable of limitless feats. The gap between Pastor Kim’s age of innocence and her experience growing up in a world that was slowly dimming her light, cast numerous shadows — some big, some small — which made
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it difficult for the light of God within her to shine through. Lying in bed at the age of 36 with shadows of anger, brokenness, disappointment, fear, depression, anguish, and now a sorrowful shadow of divorce hovering over her, Pastor Kim found herself in a state of bitterness. Her shadows became a comfort as her heart filled with unforgiveness. Unforgiveness of self and unforgiveness for others. Who’s to blame for this? The church? Her parents? Her educators? The Pentecostal faith? Her husband? Who is to blame? These questions and more must have entered Pastor Kim’s mind while lying in the shade of her shadows, crying out to God to bring her husband back. If not for her sake, then for the sake of their children. God’s answer to the question of “Why?” will always be the same: John 10:10. The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. So, the church is not to blame. Her parents are not to blame. The school is not to blame. Neither is the Pentecostal faith nor her husband to blame. As followers and believers of Christ, we must place blame where blame is due. Because of the powerful light within her, Pastor Kim has always been a threat to the enemy. That’s why its attack on her life began as a child before she could wisely defend herself. Even as a child, Pastor Kim did what she instinctively knew to do. She resisted the wiles of the enemy with all her might. She kicked against the goads. She kicked against the goads then, and she joyfully kicks against the goads now while living in the overflow of a life sold out to God.
I
found my voice when I was 40 years old.
SHAPING
SHADOWS 1.
Realize that the attack is not personal, it’s spiritual.
2.
It didn’t kill you.
3.
You are not dead, so get up and walk away.
4.
Find God inside of you.
5.
Love the God inside of you.
6.
Love others.
7.
Live free.
8.
Enjoy life in the overflow.
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K When the pandemic hit, I had 41 events shut down in the first year. IT WAS ALL GOD.
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MB MAGAZINE: “How has your mother’s influence shaped you?” PASTOR KIM: “My mother is an angel. She taught me how to forgive. She walked what she talked. She is incredible. My father, who was my everything, died two years ago. Watching my dad, this huge spirit, this champion, go down through the stages of dementia to this little boy state was the hardest three-year journey ever for my family. Prior to this, me and my mom were not close. I got married. I moved away. I was fighting for my marriage for 18 years. My husband didn’t like my parents. But, in the process of taking care of my dad, my mom and I got so tight. She took such good care of my dad in that season, but it really required her kids to help. So, me and my brother stepped up to carry the load. “When the pandemic hit, I had 41 events shut down in the first year. It was all God. Every single ounce of that pandemic was probably for me, because God was like, ‘We need to get you together.’ And so I did. Me and mom got really close and now she became my balance. My mom is my truth. She is my mirror.” “When my daddy was taking his last breath, she was laying over him and looked at him in his eyes and said, ‘Baby, serving you for the last 52 years has been my greatest honor.’ That’s all she’s known … serving my dad. Within six months of him passing away, she had written a book. At the age of 73. God is restoring her youth, all because she did the right thing.” MB MAGAZINE: “What’s the best advice your mom has ever given you?” PASTOR KIM: [Recalling the moment with laughter] “‘But did it kill you?’ Listen, because I’m Miss Drama Queen. I remember, I’m just like, ugh [gasping and over exaggerating like a bougie diva] and my mom would look at me and say, ‘But did it kill you?’ I’m like, Well, no. She’d respond, ‘Then let’s go.’ She’s like, ‘Morning move.’”
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You are going to go through things in your life. Things are going to hit you, but you are not going to let what ‘they’ do get into you. Don’t take it personal…
IT’S SPIRITUAL. At an early age, Pastor Kim fearlessly fought against people telling her “who” she was. From the moment she drew her first breath, the enemy made great strides to distort her identity and perception of self. From St. John and Ann Taylor suits to tutus and combat boots, the Pastor Kimberly Jones you see today is free from people and the shadows that worked so tirelessly to block her inner light from shining through. Visit our YouTube channel @TheMBMAG to catch the full interview with Pastor Kimberly Jones. You will be amazed at the many life lessons revealed during this real talk discussion on life, self-discovery, and change. Follow Pastor Kim on social media @REALTALKKIM and visit @mylimitlesschurch Live to see what God is doing through the Body of Christ under the leadership of this fearless leader.
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God will bless you, if you don’t give up when your faith is being tested. He will reward you with a glorious life, just as he rewards everyone who loves him.
JAMES 1:2
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i am whole,
already by MARQUITA MOORE
I have this soap dish, which was my mom’s. It has a painting in the center of it, showing a woman stepping out of a bath. This soap dish must be over 70 years old, and it moved everywhere we moved. When I was younger, I remember it was always there, unpacked and ready to make whatever bathroom it occupied its new home. For me, this cracked soap dish has been a symbol of normalcy and familiarity. When my mom transitioned 20 years ago, it was one of the things I made sure I kept that was hers. And it has been with me in every place I have lived ever since. It has always been the “seal” in my new home, grounding me in that same feeling of normalcy and familiarity. Over the years, this dish has been broken and glued back together so many times. I mean, as long as I have known the dish, it has been broken and chipped. As a a little girl I remember looking at the cracks while I soaked in my mother’s bathtub, wondering what happened to it — when was the first time it broke, who broke it, and who glued it back together? After all the wear and tear, first from my mom and then from me, it looks like a really bad but oddly beautiful jigsaw puzzle. And you can still see the image of the painted woman getting out of the bathtub, right in the heart of the dish. Cracked and pieced together, the dish is still whole can hold
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whatever is placed in it. For a long time I felt like the human version of this dish: cracked, fragmented, and glued back together … but unable to hold what God has placed inside of me. A few months ago, I was reflecting on my life, and I had this thought: If my life were a parable that Jesus used to teach others, how would it read? There was a woman who appeared to have everything and seemed okay on the outside, but she was hurting. All her bruises were on the inside. She loved God, but she didn’t understand God’s love for her. She thought His love held all these conditions, but it was her who held the conditions against herself. Her heart had yet to be transformed so that it could hold the vision God held for her. He was waiting for her to receive, trust, and believe the greatness that lay dormant in the center of her heart. She tiptoed through her life, feeling “less than” and invisible, a fraction of who she was created to be. She felt punished for even having the basic needs of being nurtured, heard, acknowledged, cared for, and understood. She thought she would have to go without, because this was the way God wanted her life to be. One day she cried out, “This is enough. I don’t want to live feeling like I am broken. This can’t be all there is to my life.” In her moment of surrender, God sent her the help she needed by showing her how to forgive, love, and free herself from the way she defined
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT the pieces — the way she saw herself from the remains left by her past experiences. The pieces were preventing her from living from the reality of her wholeness. The pieces were informing her of who she was instead of her wholeness showing her the beauty that came together to make her, her. Wholeness isn’t for some and not for others; we are all whole, and we just have to have the courage to realize and reawaken this truth in our souls. By me living by my pieces, the shards of hurt and pain, I was living a distorted representation of who God created me to be. Sure, I had to see these fragments — and through them, I learned the first step: to observe the pieces within causing the distortion so I could become aware of how they were affecting my life. I had to see the patterns, the negative thoughts, the way I camouflaged myself in my life because I thought the only way for me to be happy, to receive love, was to become like others or become what others needed me to be. I had to see all of this, all the pieces, so I could clean them up. Only seeing the broken pieces without seeing what they had been chipped away from gave me an unbalanced view of myself. I had to let the Creator see me, love me, care for me, as I trusted Him to walk with me and guide me. I wanted to see who I have always been. Like the soap dish, I wanted to be put back together, and part of that was embracing the parts I defined as broken.
10:06 a.m. How I Grew Today: Everything I looked for outside of myself has always been inside of me. I lacked nothing but the understanding of this. I am and have always been whole.
Regardless of the wear and tear, we are still whole. I thank You, God, for the road You have chosen for me to walk so I could realize I am already whole. Thank You for showing me that being who I am is enough, broken pieces and all. At my core is how You created me to live. And my core has always been to be in alignment with You. I am living in this fullness, comfortable in the authority You have placed inside of me. The greatness You have shown, which I am connected to, leaves me in awe. It takes my breath away to know that it is in me and mine to claim. I have had to pick up and look at the fragments I thought were shameful, that were hindering me, and in doing so, You brought me back to the reality and remembrance of my completeness. You have transformed and renewed me, and it is a beautiful thing. This is how I grew today. May it inspire you — and your growth — in some way.
May it strengthen you today.
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LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE Biblical history shows us that God’s elect have often been “the overlooked,” “the rejected,” and even the ones who omitted themselves from God’s plan, far before they knew what it meant to be His choice.
While living her then identity in a collegiate environment at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, Ruffin traded church for her concept of freedom, gradually becoming more aggressive with drinking and clubbing.
We can take Moses, for example, who immediately felt unqualified to relay God’s command to Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelites, due to his speech difficulties (Exodus 4:10).
“I could do me finally and I could be me unapologetically … I kept having people invite me to church, you know. At that time I was clubbing, partying, drinking, you know, smoking. And I was just doing me, you know?”
Or we can take Saul, later known as Paul, who went from persecuting Christians to later one of the most well-known pioneers of the Gospel and church planters in history. God has a long-standing history of chasing down the “least likely” in man’s eyes, but the “always known” in His. Chicago native Sophia Ruffin, The Comeback Kid, a firestarter
for Christ and a trailblazer for the Kingdom, is a testament of the Father’s pursuit of this. And moreover, she gives us clear evidence of redemption and truth that God transforms those whom man would deem least likely to use mightily for His glory. Raised by a faithful mother of the Missionary Baptist church, Sophia Ruffin was a member of the choir and a Sunday school regular. However, many of her introductory experiences to the church were packaged with being mislabeled and misunderstood — which would later be revealed as her unique framework and prophetic nature. “ I grew up in church, but I was really considered ‘the rebel kid.’ I got kicked out of Sunday school …” “I was a curious kid. I was often misunderstood for being in grown folks’ business and talking too much. But now that I’m older, I do believe that had a lot to do with the prophetic nature with my call. I was really inquisitive.” The labeling and being the outcast continued as she was a basketball player and began openly living a homosexual lifestyle. Yet during these years, her mother ceaselessly planted seeds of God’s promises into her life. “She was like, ‘You a prophet. God got something special on your life and God’s gonna use you.’ I thought that was really funny because I was so far from the idea of ministry.”
However, while occasionally entering the church setting again, Sophia continued to encounter more reasons to remain absent from the church. Namely, as sexual identity often became the topic of the sermon whenever she attended. “I would be humiliated because you look around the church, and I’m really the only one in there that they called different. So I remember saying, ‘I ain’t going to church. God knows my heart.’” Yet, the Father’s pursuit of Sophia’s heart was daring, remaining relentless, persistent, and unwavering. As Scripture declares the effectiveness of prayer (James 5:16), her mother’s prayers were soon to be answered. As a humorous gesture, Sophia attended church with a friend one Sunday, and unbeknownst to her, was in for a life-changing encounter with Jesus. During the service, she was captured by the song “God Is Here” by Martha Munizzi, realizing that her burdens were designed to be laid at the feet of Jesus. For the first time, she began to experience discomfort in who she was. In this moment, she was provoked by a compelling message on being born again, and then introduced to the miracle of salvation. As she courageously approached the altar, she experienced the overwhelming presence of God.
the
comeback KID SOPHIA RUFFIN
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I had never felt an overwhelming presence so strong that I didn’t have control over myself … I’m telling my friend I can’t breathe. Tears were coming down my face without me even thinking I’m crying.” “I had never heard the voice of the Lord for myself. And He says to me, ‘Give your life to Me.’ He was securing me … ‘I’ll never leave you up nor forsake you.’ I didn’t know those scriptures at the time.” As if God hadn’t already met her in an unforgettable way, she also received the prophetic word of a lifetime, leading her to become all the more curious about the God who she had finally come to not just hear of, but know. “He prophesied. That was my first time being exposed to the prophetic. And this man prophesied my childhood, my life, who I would be, who I would become … I was so curious though, not in the man. I was like, ‘Who is this God that revealed my secrets to this man? Whoever this God is that loves me like this, I gotta find Him.’” After this altar experience where she personally encountered God for the first time, tangibly experiencing the freedom of Christ wasn’t a rapid process for Sophia. From her initial encounter, Sophia journeyed through several years of discipleship as she addressed the reality of her desires that remained, overcoming them. As she did so, she entered the fullness of being a new creation, walking hand in hand with Christ. During those years, she was keenly developed and eventually prepared to share her story with the world and embrace the calling on her life that her mother often referenced. “I had to literally walk through a process, and that process was my pursuit to hold onto God and to trust Him with the evolution of my entire transformation.”
Releasing her first book in 2016, From Point Guard to Prophet, Sophia shared her transformation from her passion for basketball to fulfilling God’s call on her life. She also authored Feminine Progression, sharing the inward transformation from homosexuality to the beauty of evolving into femininity, and Set Free and Delivered, composed of strategies to maintain deliverance. Today she operates as a strong prophetic voice, mentor, minister, and business owner, and is internationally known for her growing ministry. Carrying a breakthrough anointing, she is called to the muzzled, the overlooked, and those pending the push to leap out of their comfort zone to execute their assignments and remain who God designed them to be. Sophia Ruffin is abundantly more than her testimony of transformation from homosexuality. In her obedience and devotion to the Lord, she has broken the curse of poverty off her bloodline, populating six-figures from her ebooks alone, maintaining successful mentorship and leadership programs, as well as Sophia Nicole Collections, her Fedora Hat line. She attributes much of her development and success to her coach, Apostle John Eckhardt, as well as to Apostle Ryan Lestrange, Tawanda Usher, and Veronica Crim. “I’m the comeback kid in every area. That’s why I’m known as The Comeback Kid ... everything, no matter what situation I face, I’m gonna come back.” Sophia continues to witness the promises and faithfulness of God in herself and circumstances around her. Specifically, the strength and peace of God. After the loss of her mother and grandmother several months apart, she was met with great suffering that challenged her emotionally. However, she all the more embraces her name The Comeback Kid, as her resilience has been God-birthed and God-sustained.
“I had to understand I’m still human with all these desires. My flesh now had to learn how to walk in the Spirit and how to really die to my flesh, give God these desires, and trust that He had something better for me.”
This unforeseen suffering birthed her recent album, As It Is in Heaven, a composition of prophetic worship and prayer as she endured a season of loss and grief. Rich in authority, reverence, and compassion, her album is evidence that God’s plan will always be accomplished.
“The more I built that relationship, the more you become like God … you start to care about what He commands and what He says. You trust Him to help you through the journey. It’s been a beautiful process, and everything in my transformation has literally been
“It’s our responsibility that when life happens, you still have to continue in your assignment. God is not emotional because I am. He will be with you as you go through. But it does not negate the fact that you got an assignment to fulfill.”
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“
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
I’m the comeback kid in every area. That’s why I’m known as The Comeback Kid ... everything, no matter what situation I face, I’m gonna come back. From Texas and the Carolinas to Dubai and Trinidad and Tobago, Sophia Ruffin Ministries trail blazes across states and seas. In addition to her heart mentorship and ministry, she enjoys shopping, finding good eats, and caring for her pup, Daisy, all while fulfilling God’s purpose for her life. Sophia is committed to the call and shamelessly shares her story of the power of prayer and receiving relationship with Jesus as her eternal journey continues. “This season is personal and this season is intentional. The people can expect to see a lot of amazing things, surprise after surprise.”
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IF WALLS
COULD TALK A GUIDE TO WALL DECOR DESIGN
Within the walls of our homes, families find comfort. It’s our place of refuge, where we make memories daily. That’s why I believe in turning a house into a home. But how? I have a saying: First step is love. Second step, let’s decorate … LOL! With this said, I’m going to talk about wall decor today. Wall decor is a part of home decor that finishes off a room in your home. It creates an ambience. It adds depth and texture to your walls, which bring your home to life. As far as wall decor goes, there are so many options: paintings, photographs, wall decals, mirrors, metal and wood wall art, etc. I created a beautiful framed photo collage in my bedroom, using my wedding photos. I purchased inexpensive mirrored frames from HomeGoods. It’s a nice touch to have family pictures on a wall in your home. Photos are memories. You can hold onto moments and memories while creating beauty on your walls. I also love going to Dollar Tree to purchase frames. You would be surprised to see all the beautiful frames they have there. My favorite wall decor is glam canvas art. You can find a variety in stores like Marshalls, HomeGoods, At Home, Target, and Burlington. So many different shapes and sizes. Decide on the feel you want to create in the room and go from there. Measure your wall so you know what size of art you’re looking for before shopping. I like 62 | Mindblowing Magazine
by TAMARA BRADSHAW
to carry a measuring tape with me, which really helps when picking out a canvas. Another option is to make your own.Head to your local arts and craft store and let your imagination begin. Side note: If you follow me on IG, I have tutorials on how to make beautiful glitter bling wall art. Another fave of mine is using mirrors as wall decor. Mirrors open up a room. The reflection helps a space feel larger, whether you go for large, hanging ones or floor styles. A huge leaner mirror on a wall is everything. It adds an element of glamour to any room. Smaller mirrors can be used as decor above a bedroom headboard, behind a nightstand as an accent, on staircase walls, inside closets, etc. Remember, you look at your walls every day. So why not decorate them with wall decor you enjoy? Perfect way to update a space and make it home.
DESIGN
“
Within the walls of our homes, families find comfort. It’s our place of refuge, where we make memories daily.
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Declarations I AM THE BRIDGE by TONI EMEHEL
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“
MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN
“Depression and suicide are no longer my portion,” declares singer, songwriter, choir director, and Stellar Award nominee Jason McGee. “I am a bridge. I am a bridge between the church and the world. Being that bridge is what keeps me alive. I had to rise and be Jason McGee at a time when God was looking for Jason McGee. That required me to lower my deck to deal with suppressed feelings of neglect and pain that I had buried as a child. My feelings of being unseen have now dissipated. My vision has changed. My mind has been set free. I now understand that there is something on the other side that needs to cross over through me. Feeling unseen was once my portion. A portion that God used to open my eyes to the unseen. Now I lead the unseen to produce a sound that precedes a move of God. Who I am and what I do are the same person. I am consistent. I am focused. I am the bridge. My triggers no longer bind me because God has fortified me. I exist to provide safe passage for people to cross over to the Kingdom of God.” What a declaration! When MB Magazine sat down with Jason McGee, choir director for Maverick City Gospel Choir, we had no idea of what God was walking us into. At a time when many churches are moving away from the use of Gospel choirs in their worship services, God has fashioned Jason McGee to lead choirs on platforms in the world in such a way that stadiums and auditoriums are filled with the glory of God. 2 Chronicles 5:12–14 provides the most illustrious picture of the role of choirs in the church, recording that All the Levites who were musicians were there — Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their families, dressed in their worship robes; the choir and orchestra assembled on the east side of the Altar and were joined by 120 priests blowing trumpets. The choir and trumpets made one voice of praise and thanks to God — orchestra and choir in perfect harmony singing and playing praise to God: Yes! God is good! His loyal love goes on forever! Then a billowing cloud filled The Temple of God. The priests couldn’t even carry out their duties because of the cloud — the glory of God! — that filled The Temple of God [MSG]. The National Congregations Study reports that only 40% of congregations across the nation use choirs in their regular worship services, a decreasing trend as churches replace choirs with praise teams. Perhaps the pushout of choirs is what God needed to spur on a movement to spread His glory throughout the world — and on platforms greater than the brick-and-mortar church will ever know. While many of today’s churches prefer the use of praise teams to lead Sunday morning worship, a praise team cannot produce the same energy and sound of a mass choir led by a director who understands the assignment. Now is the time: Jason McGee is the appointed vessel to bridge the void being
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE ARE NO LONGER MY PORTION. created in the church. Choirs are single-handedly the most visible representation of unity the church has to offer. Not marriage. Not the praise team. Not auxiliary teams, but the choir. The cost of its unity is shouldered by neither the pastor of the church nor its choir members, but rather by the choir director. The director is entrusted with the task of cultivating unity. The director must see as God sees and hear as God hears. The director’s job is to produce an atmosphere — through the choir, musicians, and those calling out to God — that will reach the ear of God. As one entrusted to graph unity among varying hearts, the choir director is charged with opening a pathway for God’s glory to freely pass through. Carrying a mantel of such great proportion does not come without a fight. Jason has found himself struggling in the fight, sharing, “I’m grateful on one hand to know that I am a bridge, but on the other hand, I’m like, ‘Good God, it’s tough being the bridge!’ From my own personal struggles with depression and suicide to people not understanding my calling to constantly having my moves misunderstood, my foundation at times has been shaken. My personal battles could be equated to the age of wood on a bridge, tiring out under the weight of the rain, sleet, and snow. Being a bridge means that regardless of the things attacking you, you must hold up under the pressure for those who are crossing. At times your foundation is being shaken, but you must stay strong. If I’m being honest, the biggest Mindblowing Magazine | 65
attempts of the enemy to blowout my bridge have come from #1, my own perceived failures and insecurities and #2, people.” Going deeper, Jason reflects on how God has shaped his thoughts: “As recent as January of this year, I contemplated for the first time in a very long time taking my own life. The first time I thought ending my life was the next thing I would do was in 2006. Honestly, in the past taking my own life was always an option lingering in the back of my mind. But God showed me in 2006 that people were counting on me to be who God created me to be and do what He had called me to do. Understanding that I am needed and that there was more work for me to do really opened my eyes. God deposited something in me that day. Words to live by: ‘The accountability for so many people can literally save your life.’ With those words, I now understand that if I had died, there were people who would suffer as a result. God revealing that to me is what kept me alive in 2006, and it is what is keeping me alive today.” Jason has traversed a steep, dark chasm, moving from depression and suicidal thoughts to now being used by God to ensure that opportunities exist outside the four walls of the church for people to be a part of His energy, which sets the atmosphere for miracles as depicted in 2 Chronicles 5:12-14. Jason shares that, “It is a humbling experience. Truthfully, the Lord showed me years ago what I was supposed to do. Now, as a choir director that gets hired out for tours, I put choirs together for everything from television and film to live shows. That in and of itself is a blessing.” Jason McGee is an instrument God uses for people to cross over into the Kingdom of God. Though he has battled with feelings of inadequacy and being unseen, unheard, and unnoted, God has sanctioned Jason McGee’s presence to be felt throughout the world. The gift of Jason McGee is a true representation of 2 Chronicles 5:12–14. It is important to know that God’s glory is not an automatic feature built into the fabric of church. In fact, throughout the Bible, God’s glory is very discrete in where it rests. As churches continue to push choirs out, God has built a space, center stage, on the platforms of the world where His presence can freely enter the temple. It’s a new day for the choir! No longer bound by stained glass windows, rooftop steeples, Sunday morning bulletins … or revered as optional background support. “It’s been a tug of war between understanding that; what I have gone through and what God has taken me to is a beautiful and necessary tension of where I never got a moment to sit back, relax, and take it all in. I had
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to figure out the next thing. I would not be a touring choir director with Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music if not for the struggles of my past. If not for what I have been through, I wouldn’t be the person you see on the frontline for the Kingdom of God. I needed to feel unseen so that I could see the unseen.”
“
THE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PEOPLE CAN LITERALLY SAVEYOUR LIFE. As one final note to drive the point home, go to YouTube and pull up the site Revelation 19:1 by Maverick City Gospel Choir featuring Naomi Raine. If you are like me, you may have seen this video before but never saw Jason McGee with the choir before, musicians to the left and right of him, with the congregation and lead singer to the back of him. As the choir director, Jason commands the room, drawing out the sound from all sources to produce the unity spoken of in the scriptures. This video is a clear depiction of 2 Chronicles 12–14 under the anointed leadership of Jason McGee. Through the sharing of his story, now MB Magazine and its readers understand the fight and how we collectively need to pray for and cover Jason McGee as he continues bringing heaven to earth through praise.
FROMTHE
BRIDGE
“Feelings of neglect, inadequacy, and thoughts of being forgotten are opportunities to press into God to feel seen by Him, remembered by Him, and to receive His love. It’s an opportunity for you to be restored by Him and to, in turn, love Him back.”
Follow Jason McGee on IG @iamjasonmcgee to stay up to date on his latest projects. Follow @jasonmcgeechoir and @maverickcitychoir to hear more of the glorious sound that God is producing through the works of this amazingly anointed young man.
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shop PREP dine with SHANIKA GRAHAM-WHITE
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SHOP, PREP, DINE
+buffalo cauliflower bites pizza This Buffalo Cauliflower Bites Pizza is the perfect vegetarian and meatless option for the entire family. The melted, fresh mozzarella and crunchy + tender buffalo cauliflower bites add just the right amount of spice and velvetiness to your taste buds to create the best lunch or dinner experience possible. Comforting and hearty in just one bite.
SHOP
PREP
1 head cauliflower, chopped into medium chunks 3 cups breadcrumbs ½ cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried parsley ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 cup milk 1 ½ cups buffalo sauce + 3 Tablespoons ¼ cup honey
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Buffalo Cauliflower Bites:
Pizza Toppings:
1 pizza crust, homemade or storebought 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 cup kale, de-stemmed + chopped ¼ cup buffalo sauce
To Make Buffalo Cauliflower Bites:
2. In a bowl, add the milk, flour, 3 Tablespoons buffalo sauce, sea salt, black pepper, paprika, dried parsley, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder, and whisk together until combined and smooth. Set aside. 3. In a separate bowl, add bread crumbs and set aside also. 4. Now, dip each cauliflower into wet batter (shaking off any excess) and then toss into bread crumbs. Then lay each cauliflower side by side on the baking sheet (about an inch apart). Repeat until all cauliflowers are coated. Spray tops lightly with cooking spray. 5.Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and “crunchy” looking.
To Make Sauce for Bites:
In a bowl, whisk together the remaining buffalo sauce and honey until combined. Once cauliflower bites are done, toss them in the buffalo sauce and set aside. Assemble Pizza: 1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and place top rack in the middle of oven.
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes Servings: 8
NOTE: Be sure to use a quality pizza pan to ensure your crust is crispy, not soggy. 2. Lightly grease your pizza pan with extra virgin olive oil and place pizza dough on one end of pan, evenly pressing it and flattening it out to fit the entire pan. Gently use your finger to stretch dough until pan is fully covered and gently pinch the edges of the dough together to form the crust. 2. Add ¼ cup of buffalo sauce onto the top center of crust until evenly spread out. 3. Generously sprinkle chopped kale atop buffalo sauce, followed by pieces of fresh mozzarella, leaving a bit of crust bare for the edges. Add the buffalo cauliflower bites atop (and in between) mozzarella until the pizza is fully topped. 4. Lightly brush the tops of the edge of crust with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to ensure it becomes a nice golden brown. 5. Transfer the pizza pie to the hot oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or so, until the mozzarella has melted (and becomes bubbly) and the crust is crispy and golden brown.
DINE
Once done, allow pizza to rest/cool for a few minutes (about 2-3 minutes) so the mozzarella sets before cutting into generous slices, using a pizza cutter. Serve and enjoy!
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the
Red
POWER OF LIPSTICK by LEANNE DLAMINI
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favs BEAUTY
It could be glossy, matte, creamy, shiny, metallic, deep, or bright. Red lipstick has the power to transform, giving you an instant confidence boost and that bit of an edge. Red lipstick embodies elegance, boldness, bravery, and strength. A red lip is strong, expressive, and unapologetic … as you should be! It’s true when they say a woman who wears red lipstick means business. This is why we’re dedicating this scarlet shade to our “Fearless” issue. Many women feel they can’t wear red lipstick because they fear they can’t pull off a shade that’s so bold and bright, but that’s simply not true. They’re a tad intimidated and hide from it. The trick to rocking red lipstick is to find a shade that’s right for you and to simply “own” it. In the words of Audrey Hepburn, “There is a shade of red for every woman.” Red lipstick is seen as the little black dress of cosmetics. Every girl’s gotta have this essential in her purse. A bold lip draws attention to your mouth and to the words that come out of it. The right red lipstick can elevate and change your mood. Deep skin tones can handle more intense colors like deep reds and reds with blue undertones. Go for wines, berries, and brick reds. Olive skin tones look best in yellow- or orange-based reds. Go for corals and poppy-like reds. Medium skin tones have more versatility when it comes to choosing red lipstick. Both cool and warm reds will complement medium tones. Usually, a red lip is the star of the show, so you can go easy on the eyeshadow and make sure your highlighter and cat-eye are on point.
Here’s to being bold, brave, and rocking that red, sis. -XO
“Give a woman the right lipstick and she can conquer the world.”
our
• MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo • Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Beso • Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Color in Uncensored • Dior Beauty Rouge Dior Lipstick in 999 • Chanel Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Pirate • Gucci Rouge à Lèvres Mat Matte Lipstick in Goldie Red • Pat McGrath Labs MatteTrance Lipstick in Obsessed! • Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice • Huda Beauty Power Bullet Matte Lipstick in El Cinco de Mayo • Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Luminous Modern-Matte Red Lipstick — Red Carpet Red • L’Oréal Paris Infallible Very Matte Lip Crayon — 110 Caramel Rebel • Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Colour — Red Velvet
—UNKNOWN
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IS GOD
CALLING YOU? by ALBANER C. EUGENE, JR.
I have learned that whomever you spend the most time with will inspire you and determine the course of your life. Inspiration is said to be the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. It suddenly feels like a brilliant, creative, or timely idea. The word “inspiration” comes from the Latin word inspiratus / inspirare, which means “to breathe into, to inspire.” The Bible tells us that God divinely inspired the people to write the Word of God to give us the collection of books we live by today. These people were called to write their letters, poems, messages, and more because God breathed on them, meaning God inspired them. The Bible also tells us that Jesus was moved with compassion. Compassion is defined as the feeling that arises when you are confronted with another’s suffering and feel motivated to relieve that suffering. Empathy and compassion are very different, though. They are even represented in different areas of our brains. It is said that, with empathy, we join in the suffering of others who suffer, but stop short of contributing to real relief. Concerning compassion, that is when we take a step away from the emotion of empathy and ask ourselves “how can we help?” When Jesus did what he was called to do, it happened when compassion arose in him when confronted with others’ pain, suffering, and needs. “Well, what is my calling?” In my walk with God, I have found you find your individual “calling” when you are motivated by love. When you are moved to meet needs. When you are moved to solve
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problems. When you seek to heal the hurting and are moved to bless the broken. The calling on your life will always lead you to a more realistic view of yourself, to grow in humility, to learn that life isn’t all about you, and to help you focus on the main call in all our lives collectively: to love God and love people. When you get a phone call from someone you (really) love and they have a need, you will drop everything to do what they called you to do. Even if it’s inconvenient for you. Thinking about the calling on your life as being inspired and moved with compassion, let me ask you again, has God been calling you? Prayer: God, my desire is that You grant me grace and raise my awareness to Your voice when You call me. Help me to not be so focused on my life that I miss Your call on my life. From this day forward, empower me to say “yes!” to the call and let my motivation be out of my love for You. In Jesus’ name, amen. REFLECTION QUESTIONS: 1. What do you notice you do to make others feel loved? 2. Are you building an environment that stewards your inspirations? 3. Do you answer the call when God calls you? SCRIPTURE REFERENCED: Matthew 9:36; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
DEVOTIONAL
prayer of
SaLVaTION +JR.
Father, I admit that I am a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and You raised Him to life. I turn from my former life and believe that inviting Jesus Christ into my heart and my life now that I am now born again. I want to trust Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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Community Calling In October 2021, we introduced a special feature called
“Community Calling with MB Magazine.” As a publication dedicated to serving the Kingdom of God, we are called not only to deliver the Word on paper and through our social media platforms, but to also be involved in the community. After all, we are the hands and feet of Jesus, yes? We were invited to be a part of one of the Gospel industry's most well-known events, The Stellar Awards! It was a tremendous honor to bring “The Girlfriend's Corner Tour” to the events of the weekend! We got to not only share the heart of MB Mag, but also be a source of encouragement and inspiration to a group of women and men, with transparency and honesty. The Holy Spirit's presence was tangible in the room!
+ HopeForever interviews Gospel Recording Artist “MAJOR.” at the Stellar Awards. If that weren't enough, our “Girlfriends” had the privilege of walking the red carpet, and MB Mag joined the media festivities as well. While our girls did their thing, our media correspondent for The Stellars, HopeForever McKinnon, seized the opportunity to engage with nominees and guests being honored. We had an amazing time meeting new faces and saying hello to some who have become MB Mag family. Last but not least, thank you HopeForever for being a magnificent MB Mag light that indeed shone brightly! Thank you so much to the entire team at The Stellar Awards. An extra special thanks to Rhonda Sams and Michele Murphy with The Stellars. We appreciated the honor to serve alongside you for this special weekend! For more information about The Stellar Awards, please visit their website: https://thestellarawards.com
+ CHARLES JENKINS Gospel Recording Artist
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+ CHARLES BUTLER Gospel Recording Artist
+ JASON MCGEE Maverick CIty Choir Director + JOKIA Gospel Recording Artist
+ LASHA’ KNOX Gospel Recording Artist
+ LENA BYRD MILES Gospel Recording Artist
+ ANTHONY PONDER Maverick CIty Choir Director
+ ANGELA TAYLOR Gospel Recording Artist
Mindblowing Magazine | 75
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