PAJE Magazine - Volume 3, Issue 4 - The Anniversary, Glenesha Higgins by PAJE Magazine

NOVEMBER 2022

The Anniversary Edition

MEET

GLENESHA HIGGINS

"... I keep my eyes fixed on the One who never changes. I wholeheartedly desire to please God..."

CATCH UP WITH MINISTER BLESSED AS HE SPEAKS LIFE, MINISTRY & ‘GLORY’

as they sit to provide the PAJE Fam with insight on the heart behind their ministries! VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 4

Welcome

Except... how is it already ONE YEAR since we launched back out fully with PAJE Magazine?! Man, to say this has been a textured and fulfilling journey is honestly an understatement. Many decisions, transitions and bold steps later... here we are and I truly thank YOU for riding with us, PAJE Fam! With that stated, I'm particularly excited about this issue as it sees the finalized revamp of our section names. We started 10 years ago with PEOPLE, ADVENTURES, JOURNEYS & ELEGANCE. As we've continued to craft our output and decide on our focus as a Christian publication, I've decided to tweak the names to PERSONAL WALK, ADVENTURES, JOURNEYS & EXCELLENCE UNTO GOD to more effectively give you an understanding of the type of content you can expect in each section as we move forward, and also the type of content focuses you can expect on our website and social platforms. Thank you, once more, for journeying with us! Cheers to what's ahead! Enjoy PAJE!

Charmian-Marie Beedle (Founder, Designer & Editor-In-Chief)

SPECIAL THANKS Glenesha Higgins Minister Blessed Imperium Gospel Ltd. Oracle Bookings & Mgmt

Shanique Watts Johnmark Wiggan Anya-Jean Phillips Orville Coolshade

A Quick Anniversary Note from Charmian-Marie: You know, it's absolutely surreal to witness where PAJE is right now... dwelling in its 10th year of overall existence, and stepping into another chapter as we celebrate one year of PAJE's relaunch. But, why is it surreal? Because both times PAJE was brought to the fore, I was at my lowest. Legit, questioning my existence, questioning my faith and wanting MORE. Feeling like I wasn't accomplishing my purpose because I was so used to hiding my passions and the God-given talents. Yet, in both seasons, God sat with me, reminding me of the unique burden He gave me for effective communication, support with true healing and showcasing of the arts in the Kingdom. To not only share items of entertainment to encourage His ministers, but to also create a hub for Christian Lifestyle Content that people could read or watch and apply to their daily lives while walking boldly in Him. And... here we are. PAJE has a website that houses weekly articles, a Podcast, a YouTube Channel, a growing Social Media community, digital publications and now, we're going PRINT! Man, what a God good, eeh? He is the one that has given the grace and the unction to make this all into a reality and I'm grateful, and particularly grateful for YOU. Yes, you, the one reading this. All this is for you while it is an offering unto Him and so I thank you for your support and your readership. Here's to what's ahead! Here's to PAJE!

VOLUME 3 || ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2022

The Anniversary Edition THE PAJE MOVEMENT RELAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER 2021 AFTER A 7-YEAR HIATUS. HERE WE ARE, STEPPING OUT MORE BOLDLY! GOD HAS BEEN FAITHFUL!

WELCOME TO

PAJEMAGAZINE

GLENESHA HIGGINS

INSIDE PAJEMAGAZINE

MEET GLENESHA HIGGINS!

15 THE WORST RELATIONSHIP ADVICE EVER? LET'S SEE WHAT DARREN HAS TO SAY!

HEAR WHAT RENATE MCDONALD HAS TO SHARE ABOUT WAITING ON GOD

21 IS THERE A SPECIAL FORMULA FOR MANAGING FINANCES IN YOUR MARRIAGE? LET'S EXPLORE!

ARE YOU ACTIVELY TRYING TO BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR KIDS?

24 HOW'S YOUR SEX LIFE LOOKING? WE'VE GOT 3 VERY HELPFUL TIPS TO KEEP IT HEALTHY IN MARRIAGE SO YOU CAN KEEP THE SPARK ALIVE!

31 ARE YOU REALLY PREPARED TO BE SET APART AS YOU JOURNEY IN LIFE?

PAJEMAGAZINE

LET'S CATCH UP WITH MINISTER BLESSED

GET TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SHANIQUE WATTS!

HEAR MORE ABOUT THIS EVENT THAT PROMISES TO REALLY ALLOW FOR TRUE TRANSFORMATION

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70 GET TO KNOW SOME MORE ABOUT JOHNMARK AS HE SHARES HIS HEART FOR GOD'S PEOPLE!

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NOVEMBER 2022 | PAJE 4

INSIDE

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PERSONAL WALK

BECOMING A MOTHER WAITING ON GOD: Entitlement to Servitude Waiting is an uncomfortable but inevitable thing for all of us. Waiting is a part of life and more specifically, an integral part of our faith as Christians, followers of Christ. A god of instant gratification requires no faith at all – that is certainly not our God of the Bible. The God of the Bible, Yhwh, requires faith from us as His children. Verses 6 of Hebrews 11 asserts that “without faith it is impossible to please God”. It reminds us of the requirement of believing that God indeed exists and that He will reward those who diligently seek Him.

COLUMN

WITH RENATE MCDONALD

2 But what is faith really? Hebrews 11:1 defines

Then, in 2014, I committed my life to Christ

faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the

and my husband recommitted his. We have

evidence of things not seen”. Faith means that

been journeying along with Him ever since.

we believe though we do not see. We believe

The moment I got saved, I started to ask the

because God has said so and His Word affirms it.

Lord about this child.

We believe because we first believe that God is

Afterall, it was the greatest desire of my heart at

real, faithful, and true. The hope that springs in

that time. I expected that since I was on God’s

our hearts is anchored to Jesus Christ, and Him

side now, He would give me the desires of my

alone (Hebrews 6:19).

heart because that’s what we learn culturally, right?

That anchor is firm, secure, and enduring. Simply put, faith means that we believe what God has

So, I spent my time praying and agonizing over

said

this desire for a child. I cried frequently and

even

when

everything

around

contradicts the promise.

battled so much sadness while hoping that my husband would not realize just how much pain

By now you may be wondering what equips me

I was feeling.

to speak to you about waiting. I’ll tell you. For the past ten years, my husband and I have been

I spent my days pouring over my desires with

trying and believing for conception of a child.

God but also learning more about Him and His true character.

For the first two years of that journey, we were not walking with the Lord. It was simply

Eventually, I learned that God is not here to

something we wanted.

fulfil my every desire but instead, I am here to fulfil His.

4 I learned the true context of the Scripture often

I knew what I was supposed to say but I could

misused in our culture, Psalm 37:4: “Delight

not open my mouth to say it knowing that I did

yourself in the Lord, and He will grant you the

not believe it in my heart.

desires of your heart” This opened my eyes to how much I truly was Being granted the desires of my heart comes as

not submitted to God’s will but still holding on

a result of me delighting myself in the Lord. It is

to my own perception of what He should do for

not a stand-alone statement.

me. How entitled!

Additionally, when I delight in the Lord, my

The truth though, is that many Christians

desires become aligned with His good, pleasing,

experience this at some point in their walk. We

and perfect will for my life. He is the Alpha and

believe that because we are “doing the work of

Omega; He is the One who knows the beginning

the Lord” then He should or rather, He must, do

from the end. So, who am I to think that the

for us what we expect – give us the spouse, the

desires of my flesh can or should supersede

child, the job, the home, the…fill in the blank!

what my Creator has in store for me? And not only that, but we also often expect Him My role is to seek after Him wholeheartedly and

to do it within our timeframe.

align myself with what He has instructed. As I continued along this journey of discovery with

Think about this from the perspective of a

the Lord, the pain of the wait persisted. My heart

parent and a child. If you are a parent and your

continued to ache for a child. In one Bible study

child demands that you give them a sweet

group, I was confronted with this question:

because they have been “good” in their eyes

“What if God does not do what you are asking

and they want it now, but you know that a

Him to do? How will you respond?”. I froze.

sweet at this time is not good for them.

Or a child who insists that he or she is ready to

God the Father, through the sacrifice of His

move out on their own at eighteen years old

Son, Jesus Christ, granted us the free gift of

though they have no experience or true

salvation and eternal life though we did not

understanding of running a household.

deserve it. He chose to provide a way for us while we were still His enemies. How can we

How would you respond? Most parents would

come before Him with demands and selfish

immediately move to protect the child from their

expectations? He gave everything for us.

own ignorance. Our response to this truth must be incessant This is what God does for us over and over and

gratitude and humility before Him. He has

over again. We don’t know what we don’t know,

given us life and life more abundant that we

and we can never truly understand the fullness

may be true living sacrifices unto Him.

of the mind of God. By no means am I saying that this is an easy Do you truly trust and believe that He cares for

way to live. It is not but this is exactly why the

you and that His plan for your life is perfect? If

Holy Spirit was sent to dwell among us as our

your mouth is saying yes but your heart is still

Teacher, Comforter, and Helper. It is up to us to

hesitating, then you have some things to work

intentionally seek Him and be open to receive

through with God.

all that He has in store for us.

This is where your faith is tested and tried. We

As I continued my journey with the Lord, I

act on what we believe so if you truly believe

discovered more about myself as He made me,

that God’s plan for you is perfect, you will walk in

and I also continued to learn more about the

whatever direction He sends you without

things that God wanted to teach me in each

expecting or demanding anything in return.

season of my life.

6 As I leaned into the small group sessions hosted

One week later, my husband said he believed

by my church, my desire for God intensified. I

the Lord was saying we should give it away. I

started having new experiences with Him –

was completely shaken. I responded with,

dreams, visions, encounters, hearing His voice. I

“Let’s pray on that because I’m not so sure

was excited for all of it.

about that one”.

During this time, the Lord instructed me to go

Undoubtedly, his initial leading was confirmed.

ahead with the purchase of a onesie. I could not

At that point I was heartbroken.

contain myself! I shook my husband awake and told him about the instruction.

Why would God give me such hope then take it away? Do you remember that entitlement I

He turned over and said, “Okay”. A few days later

mentioned earlier? It was rearing its head again.

we went to the store and purchased the onesie. The whole way back to work I was smiling

I decided that obedience to God was more

nonstop as I thought about what this could

important to me than my hurt feelings so we

mean for us. Could our baby be on the way?

prayed and asked God to show us who should receive this onesie.

Was this the Lord’s way of preparing us for what was to come? Would it finally happen? Is this our

He showed us our friends, another couple

promised child? So many thoughts rushed

dealing with infertility. We met them, gave it to

through my mind on that short drive back to

them and around the same time the following

work. When I got home that day, we both sat

year, my godson was born!

with the onesie on my stomach imagining what it would be like to actually be pregnant.

How great is our God!

This was such a testimony of God’s faithfulness.

By this time in my journey, more and more

If I had chosen to dwell in my hurt feelings and

friends were having babies. Some were even

not move on what the Lord had instructed, then

uncomfortable sharing their joyous news with

what would that outcome have been? I can’t say

me because they thought it would make me

but what I do know is that I am thankful everyday

sad about not having my own.

that I did what He instructed me to do. It didn’t. I was able to celebrate with each of Why? Because there is a bigger picture than

them and join in the celebration of the lives

what I can see or even fully comprehend. I firmly

they carried. While I still desired to be a mother,

believe that God’s plan is perfect and as I follow

it was no longer an idol for me…or so I thought.

His plan, I will live my best life. I am made by Him and for Him. My best life can therefore only come

The Lord asked me a second time, “What if I

through Him. I came out of that experience with

don’t grant you this desire of conception?”.

joy and increased faith.

This time, I hesitated but I responded, “I will still serve you”. Six years into my walk with God, He

I saw God work in my friend’s life in a way that

asked me the question a third time.

she was not expecting. She had moved on from the idea of having children, but God had other

Just the night before, I had poured out my

plans, which He used me to help execute.

heart to Him about how incomplete I felt, how much brokenness was there and that I was at

That onesie was a constant reminder to my

the end of myself. I had tried to keep it together

friends that we were believing and praying for

for so many years but that night, I broke.

them.

When

their

faith

was

weak,

they

remembered that they had people they could

I cried to the Lord for two whole hours until I fell

lean on for support and encouragement.

asleep.

That is when I realized that I was trying to “protect my heart” from God. I was afraid to be hurt again so I did not fully surrender this desire for motherhood to Him. But that night, when I confessed that I was at the end of myself, He said, “Good, that’s where you need to be”. When I awoke to the question for the third time, there was no hesitation, just worship. In that moment I understood, I finally got it! This journey is not about waiting for God to do something for me. It is about me being fully surrendered to what He has called me to do for Him, however He wants me to do it.

It is about being at His service, a living sacrifice, staying on the altar before Him even when it hurts. This was my moment of true freedom. I was no longer bound to or by my desire for a child. That freed me to execute on His instructions with no demands attached. The very next year, based on God’s guidance, I became a mom of not one, but two baby boys through foster care. While one was reunited with his family, the other remains in our care, filling our home with laughter, cries, dancing and joy every day. That’s another story for another day but suffice to say, I would have never expected this direction, but God always knew. So, my encouragement to you is this: whatever you are waiting for, surrender it fully to God and trust His direction for your life. It may not look like everyone else’s and that is okay. Embrace your call and walk your path. Serve God above all else. Align your desires with His will and watch as they become your reality.

PARENT CHATS

3 TIPS FOR BEING A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR KIDS

How you behave as parents will have a great impact on your child's life and personally, I think most parents forget this. Young kids learn a lot about how to act by watching their parents. The younger they are, the more cues they take from you.

Before you lash out or blow your top in front of your child, think about this: Is that how you want your child to behave when angry? Be aware that you're constantly being watched by your kids.

For starters, the idea is for you to be able to model the traits you wish to see in your kids: respect, friendliness, honesty, kindness, tolerance. Exhibit unselfish behavior. Do things for other people without expecting a reward. Express thanks and offer compliments. Above all, treat your kids the way you expect other people to treat you. Build a strong relationship with your children: You will be a larger influence in your children’s lives if you have a warm and nurturing relationship with them, and your children are more likely to emulate you if they feel close to you and supported by you. Be forgiving of mistakes: Nobody is perfect – neither you nor your children. That means that mistakes will be made. What is most important when mistakes are made is the way you handle the situation cause maybe you wont like the behavior you carry when your angry and your child will look up to you in that aspect and do the same thing you do, ever heard the term ''like father like son". Practice what you preach. Children notice this even when you don’t. Always remember that you have the power to shape citizens of the future. Put your best foot forward.

THE TWO

As Christian parents, one of our primary responsibility is ensuring that we help our

children learn about God, develop a relationship MAJOR with God and nurture that relationship with God. REASONS TO INCLUDE YOUR So that as they get older they will have and maintain their own personal relationship with CHILDREN IN God. One such way that we can do this in YOUR PRAYER including our children in our devotions and TIME when we are praying.

To help them understand To better develop a habit of why we pray: praying The truth is that children are able to be observant and mimic actions. In fact, that's how we are as human being. However, as you can imagine, if a child chooses to do an action without the required understanding and conviction, easily, that action can become baseless and misdirected - which is what we don't want.

time, you're able to allow them to witness your own conviction and reverence while they are encouraged to foster their own with

in your own prayer time and helping them to understand why we do it and how they too can do it, remember that repetition is a great teacher. The reality is that the more you include them, especially if there's a routine they can

So, by including your children in your prayer

relationship

With you effectively including your children

God

through

these

align themselves with, this will help them to feel more natural in praying regularly. This will truly assist them in the long-run to have a healthy devotional life as they grow.

intimate moments. This can also facilitate them learning how to pray and express their innermost thoughts, feelings,

desires

understanding

that

God this

with

the

also

the

opportunity for them to hear from God and receive direction as they grow.

When your child learns, from a young age, to foster their own relationship and line of communication with God without depending on you, this helps to lay a very solid foundation for their Christian walk. Teach them and encourage them.

The Worst People are diverse Relationship Advice EVER Have you ever seen on social media those people who make very broad sweeping statements about men and women? Like all men this and all women that.

Hey, look at you, clicking on my article title to read the rubbish I have written. The title must have intrigued you. Nuh true? You must have been curious to see the foolishness I am putting out into the world. Probably you are thinking to yourself, “This guy is here to make this already frustrating life even more frustrating, by putting out advice that will only make relationships harder to sustain. How dare he? I can’t believe PAJE Magazine would even publish this crap!...” Is that what you are thinking? I hope not because the title is intended to be an oxymoron. I am an oxymoronic kind of guy myself and I’m here just to share my opinion. Based in my understanding of God and what I have personally experienced in my 31 years of life. So welcome to my column I hope this article will be enlightening to you in some weird way.

They speak with conviction and confidence as if what they are saying is true for all people who belong to the particular group to whom they are referring. Then we may grab that awe inspiring knowledge and bring it to our relationship. Because the impressive relationship guru person said it with much conviction and confidence. They sound so correct, so they must be correct. Right? For some of you this may work. But I know there is a lot of relationship advice out there that has just not worked for many people. So, one of my aims here dear reader is to not use generalizations. Because there is no one relationship advice article, book, video or podcast that can give you the perfect advice to fix your relationship to perfection.

Why? Because we humans are diverse. No pair of us are the same and there is no one way we should be. My aim here dear reader is to get your brain ticking. It’s to cause you to consider all perspectives not just what I say or what they say is the right way. We are all shaped and moulded by our experiences, our perceptions and personalities. So giving truly effective relationship advice for each relationship is a custom job. It surely can’t be one size fits all. So, the main reason for my column title is that I wish to not give the impression that what I’ll be writing here if applied will work in your relationship. It’s all going to be speculative. So, you should read and interpret it in that way. Because I am no relationship guru. I am speaking from my own frame of reference and attempting to explain other frames of reference that are not my own.

Who is Darren Salmon & Is he qualified? This may be a question that you may be asking yourself. The short answer is Darren is a failure where relationships are concerned and so by the world’s standards, he is definitely qualified to be dishing out the worst advice on relationships. He has no psychology degree and has been bouncing from relationship to relationship.

17 Since high school his longest stretch of singleness was 3 years, and he has never maintained a relationship more than 4 years. As far as formal training goes, he has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology, he has completed 2 counselling psychology courses on Udemy, he currently works as a financial advisor, and he has been a Christian serving the Lord as a spoken word poet for over 10 years. He previously wrote relationship articles for Christian Today from 2017 to 2020 where he won two major awards. After that he had his own blog for a year (letstalk-relationships.com) which is no longer active. Darren is an only child born to parents who have been at odds with each other his whole life and who are now divorced but they still communicate. He grew up mostly with his mother who is disabled due to a tragic car accident that happened in 2000. However, he visited his father from time to time in the United States throughout his teen years. With this track record His advice is possibly the worst ever, hence the title of the column. However, Darren is passionate about love and relationships and has done much selfreflection, pondering, talking to God and reading. He is on a mission to crack the code and gain a deep understanding of all that is necessary to make a relationship work long term.

Darren wants to have a family of his own some day and so is currently working on being the best possible version of himself that he can be. He is learning on the job just like you.

I mean if the main aim is to just stay together, then yea it’s successful. But if both people involved desire more than just commitment then to me the relationship is failing.

He is hoping that his ever-evolving perspectives will work for him and that if you foolishly take them to heart that they will work for you too. Be for warned, the advice given here is not a one size fits all.

In my opinion, a successful relationship is one within which the two people have achieved true intimacy. So much so, that staying together is more of a joy and a privilege than it is a challenge and a burden.

If it makes sense, you should apply it to your life. If not, then feel free to object and reject. As I said I am no relationship guru, I’m just a regular guy who has dedicated much of my brain space to figuring out human nature and why relationships are so difficult for most people.

When we have gotten to the end of the road we should be saying “Oh God I wish we had more time” instead of “Thank God it’s over”. A relationship simply lasting is not indicative of success in my opinion.

What is a successful relationship? From the perspective of the society we live in, a successful relationship is one that is still going, or it lasted until death ripped the 2 apart. The quality of the relationship is often assumed to be good so long as those involved are still together. Now speaking from my own frame of reference here, being in a lifelong relationship with someone who I can’t get along with yet both of us are too scared to leave is not a successful relationship.

But how do we achieve true intimacy? In this sex focused world where lust is often mistaken for love. We struggle to love because we are more focused on guarding our hearts from pain than we are on the possibility of being someone else’s medicine. In this world filled with people who are selfish and prideful. People who are hiding behind people-pleasing-masks to give the impression that they have everything under control. Is true intimacy attainable?

I say yes, it is. Many couples have attained it, I believe some couples stumbled upon it while others struggled at first but then learned about it and applied what they learned to turn the tide in their relationship. I wish the same for you. I pray what you read in my articles will be enlightening and helpful to your process of developing a successful relationship. I don’t just want your relationship to last a long time. I want it to be a daily source of joy and peace in your life. The place you come to recharge and the place your partner comes to be refreshed.

What can you expect from this column? You know one of my main instructions to people for the creation of a healthy relationship is to keep expectations low. We need to recognize our own fallibility as humans and become so accepting of it that we effortlessly extend grace to the fallibility of others. However, in this section of the article I’m just giving you a table of contents of sorts. So that you know before hand what you are coming here for.

In future articles you can anticipate the absolute worst advice about topics like love, trust, respect, gender roles, expectations, entitlement, resentment, abuse, neglect, forgiveness, empathy, unfaithfulness, boundaries, accountability, responsibility, intimacy, sex, friendship, Christianity, marriage and singleness. You can anticipate me being very vulnerable. I intend to share my personal triumphs and failures. As ashamed as I am, it all has led to who I am now. My experiences have all shaped my understanding. I intend not only to share my perspectives but also why I hold them. For just like you my dear reader, my understanding is shaped by my experiences, circumstances and beliefs. Human relationships are complex there is much to explore, much to discuss. Many things need to align within 2 people for their relationship to be healthy and remain healthy long term. My aim is to bring you into an understanding of what those things are, piecing the puzzle together bit by bit. Just as a sky scrapper needs a firm foundation upon which to stand, so does a healthy relationship. It is the quality of the foundation that will determine whether a relationship will stand the test of time and humanness.

20 Closing Remarks Thank you for reading this my first article in a series of articles that will bring both of us on a journey of self-exploration and reflection. In my next article I intend to explore the foundation for building a solid relationship. This is THE WORST RELATIONSHIP ADVICE EVER. I recommend you not take what I say to heart, unless it makes sense to you in some weird way. Blessings to you and your family. Darren O. Salmon

MARRIAGE

There is so much things that comes with getting married, one such thing is learning how to manage your finances as a couple. Mismanagement of finances is said to be one of the top 5 reasons for conflict in a marriage and if you think about it you can clearly see why.

MOVES

5 Ways to Manage Your Finances in a Marriage

Now, we share this with the understanding that every marriage dynamic is different however, we're truly desirous of helping to nurture marriages here at PAJE so give this some eyes. Here are 5 ways to help you finances in your marriage.

Create a joint budget (to track expenses and monitor savings) Creating a budget helps both spouses to monitor and keep track of their expenses; this can be done on a weekly, monthly or yearly basis - all three would be ideal, of course. This is can help in identifying areas that you could cut back on if times gets tough as well as to identify areas that you can save or prepare for investments.

Create a joint account

Decide who manages the finances of your household

Creating a joint account can be usefully for the purpose of saving, monitoring expenses and financial shortfalls, as well as handling payments.

The truth of the matter is one spouse may be better than the other when it comes to this due to a responsible spending habits or a certain level of discipline.

Not to say that both spouses shouldn't or can't have separate accounts outside of this.

By no means is this grounds for putting down the other spouse's character, but rather, this requires a practical realization of each partner's strengths and allowing the marriage to thrive from that. Identifying that from early will help you to decide who will be better to manage the finances of your household.

However, it does add an element of security and convenience with both partners having eyes on and access to your shared funds.

Identify priorities

monthly

financial

When we acknowledge that a marriage consists of two individuals and lifestyles coming together as one, we should also recognize that this includes loan payments, debts and other financial commitments and obligations on each individual's side, in addition to the already existing household expenses. So, it's important to lay everything out on the table to then establish the things that need attention in order of priority.

Identify ways to build assets and/or income, together Another reality is that with changing seasons, inflation, etc, it quickly becomes apparent that households need to have added income streams to support a 'full' lifestyle. That stated, financial management also eventually incorporates the deliberate walk towards financial freedom. It's important for you both to be on the same page so that you can choose the most fitting direction for your household.

5 Tips to Help you Maintain a Healthy Sex Life in your Marriage The reality is sex was created by God to be enjoyed in the institution of marriage, and who says marriage sex should be boring? Sex is a key ingredient in a Godly marriage not only for purposes of procreation but as a form of worship and ministry.

It is also one of the many ways in which we express our intimate feelings to and with our spouse, so it is absolutely important for us to spend the time in nurturing the sex life. So how can we ensure that we maintain a healthy sex life in marriage? Let's find out.

Initiate Sex More Deliberately and Often, Even if You May Need a Schedule The responsibility is on both spouses to initiate sex or intimacy often. The truth is when the responsibility is on one person only that can leave them feeling like they are the only one interested. When you alternate and each spouse try and make the first move on different occasions can help to alleviate that. Also having sex more often makes you want to have more sex and the same goes for not having sex.

Plan Date Nights, Staycations, and or Vacations Sometimes just having a change of location and getting rid of some household tasks such as having to prep a meal or having to clean can make a big difference. So plan a night out, a staycation, or go on a vacation that removes those factors and enjoy your spouse, rest, eat some great food, and try new things to keep the spark alive.

Communicate with Each Other, often, and speak openly about sex-related desires Communication is definitely key in all areas of life including sex. Sharing your likes or dislikes is a great way to really enjoy sex and helps both spouses to become better lovers. The truth also is there is a lot of factors that shape our sexual expectations and while it may not be possible to meet all those expectations you may very well be able to find a middle ground.

Being Respectful to Your Spouse This goes right in line with communicating with each other. While you make not share the same sentiments with your spouse regarding what they communicate to you, don't be disrespectful in your response. Being disrespectful is usually a turn-off.

Mix Things Up A Lil Bit Every Now & Then One of the biggest things that becomes a turn-off in marriage is monotony or ritualistic behaviour - especially when it comes to sex. Don't be afraid to change up environments, positions, and more to add a bit of spice to the bedroom to make activities more enjoyable and memorable!

There are so many other tips and tricks that can help you to maintain a healthy sex life in your marriage, of course. But with that, we want to simply encourage you to have fun with each other. The bond that is perpetuated through oneness in God can also be enjoyed through worship unto God through sex, so don't sleep on that!

The Need for the Wilderness Numbers: The Quest for Perfection The wilderness was the setting for the book of Numbers, this was significant as God was through Persecution preparing them to be His people as he led them

by Okeyno Morgan

into the Promise Land. But why was the wilderness experience significant?

"The LORD was not able to bring these people It was significant because God was using it as a into the land he promised them on oath, so he way of preparing them for the blessing that he slaughtered them in the wilderness.”- Numbers was leading them into. It was in these difficult 14:16 situations that he was going to build their character and make them into ‘His’ chosen From the onset the books of Numbers seem people. rather unattractive to the average reader or student of the Bible as it is filled with a lot of The takeaway for me from this setting is simply numbers! However, when one shifts attention as the Apostle James described it in verses 2-4 away from the initial figures and statistics there of his letter “My brethren, count it all joy when is a vast array of life lessons that are to be learnt ye fall into diverse temptations, by every single individual who seek to please the Lord. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her This is not to say that I am discrediting the perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, sections of the book that deals with figures as wanting nothing.” they too form a very important part of our Jewish/Christian identity. What a beautiful lesson we can learn from the experiences of the Israelites as they journeyed On reading the book some of the major themes through the wilderness- our trials are perfecting are hardship, consecration, intercession, and us! gratitude are some of the major highlights of this book.

Reflection: Do you express gratitude to God when you face difficult situations? How do you believe that approaching your challenges will change the outcome of your difficult situation? What Character trait do you believe that Jesus is trying to develop in you through the difficult situations that you are facing?

To Be Set Apart The theme of consecration was carried over from the book of Leviticus into the book of Numbers. While the wilderness experience was a way of bringing about the separation of God’s people from the rest of the world, separation was also demonstrated in multiple other ways in the book of Numbers. One of the most significant marks of consecration in the book of Numbers is the calling out of and assignments given to the Levites. They were not to be counted among the other tribes and they were to only to be concerned with the work of the Lord. Separation is also seen in the Nazarite Vow that was to be taken by men and women who wanted to be dedicated to the service of the Lord.

As New Testament believers in the Messiah, we are no longer required to observe the Nazarite vow or other ceremonial practices as the Jewish fathers did, however we are expected to maintain an even greater standard of holiness! Now that we have been engrafted into the body of Messiah, we are given His righteousness, and this is through the Holy Spirit working in us to produce holiness from the inside out. In some respect we may be regarded as spiritual Levites, attending to the business of Messiah. Reflection: How is God’s holiness demonstrated in your life? Can others tell you apart from the rest of the world by the life you live?

Intercession Intercession is also a very striking feature of the book of Numbers evident through Moses. Moses continuously brought the concerns of the people before God while they Journeyed through the wilderness. He was faithful in doing this even when they rebelled against him as did his sister Miriam.

30 The faithful intercession of Moses in my opinion saved the Israelites on many occasions from the full wrath of God’s anger. What is the significance of this? We are to be faithful intercessors, consistently bringing the needs of others before God as He is faithful and will intervene. We see from the story of Lot and Abraham in the book of Genesis that intercession has the power to change the outcome of what seems to be impossible situation. May we never cease to petition the throne of God until our situations are changed! Reflection: On a scale of 1-10 how would you rank your current time of prayer and Intercession? What do you believe can be done to improve the quality of your time spent in intercession? Make a list of 5 things you are committing to pray about for the next 30 days and ask someone to hold you to the task of committing those things to the Lord.

Gratitude The final lesson that we can glean from the book of Numbers is that of gratitude. Gratitude to God is very important as we go through our Christian journey.

It is an attitude that we must learn to develop even when faced with difficult situations. We see on several occasions the Children of Israel neglecting to acknowledge the goodness of God to them through their consistent murmuring. It was this that led to the wrath of God being poured out on them and one entire generation being denied access to the promise land. The life lesson from this is that we should give God thanks in all situations as it is His will concerning us (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Apply It! Each day on a sheet of paper, make a note of one thing that you are thankful for and place it in a Mason Jar. At the end of every quarter read through the notes in the Jar and give God thanks for his consistent faithfulness to you. Wrap it up! In sum, the book of numbers is filled with many nuggets to life. Centered around the theme of hardship, consecration, intercession, and gratitude the book on careful study will lead the twenty-first century believer to a deeper walk with Christ. Note: Try reading the entire book of Numbers in the next 30 days.

Set Apart by Toni-Ann Millen

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Deuteronomy 14:2 KJV I grew up in the church pews, it was the sum and total of my social scene. I went from home to school to church and back again. Anywhere outside of this I was accompanied by a parent or it was church camp. You see, I belonged to my parents and as such, I was only present or participated in things that represented them and their values. No, they did not care where my friends were or what their parents allowed them to do. No, they did not care about what other people thought of me or how I could possibly feel alienated from what was mainstream. They most certainly did not care that I despised it, but lovingly shared the scriptures that supported our life choices. Even some Christian parents felt my parents were too much; I am just a kid, let me enjoy my life, such sacrifices can be made later.

I used to read ‘peculiar’ as used in Deuteronomy to mean strange. That naturally if we follow God and His ways we will appear strange to the world. As I dug into the translations I found that was not at all the initial context. The word strange or the likes did not even appear. The word derives from the Latin word ‘peculium’ and means “personal possession”, “private property”, “pertaining to the individual”. Simply, when God called us as his people, He called us to be like Him which in so doing sets us apart because God is not like the world. In Deuteronomy, He went on to share His laws for His people. They simply needed to do things differently. I find we focus on the likeness of God in the exterior. Our dress, hairstyles and piercings and we totally overlook our mindset. People should be able to identify Christ in you by what they see and hear coming out of you. As possessions of Christ, our response to low wages, poor or unfair leaders, loss and grief should make it very obvious that there is something we know and believe differently that produces a different response.

We don't join disgruntled employees endlessly complaining though I have their experiences. We bring and entrust the matter to God and in this as other circumstances give thanks and rest in the joy of the Lord.

You have no heavenly perspective and very dull discernment. So when life swings some blows like the world you are utterly confused and can only wonder why God would ever allow such a thing.

What makes it difficult to be different in this world? Why is it so hard to be “set apart”?

Your mind is fertile for Satan's lies because there is not enough scripture to combat them.

The Spirit of God actively living in us is what makes it possible. I say actively because it seems sometimes that the Holy Spirit lives in dormancy in some of us.

The more time you spend with someone the more you become like them.

He is assigned specific times of day, maybe an hour in the morning or a prayer before bed to get any attention. Often that attention does not include listening but simply some matters we need Him to address before we nod off to sleep or get busy. The better part of our days are filled with tv shows, chatting with friends, work, recreation and social media. You become what you consume and with this diet, the same diet the world consumes you will not be peculiar, and you may not even realize it.

The more time you spend with God the more you become like Him and the more odd you become to the world. The more you see things through a different lens. Even in times of suffering, you find you have an anchor despite the pain and you find joy in disappointment. In setting us apart, God has enhanced us to live on Earth. Like my parents sought to teach me, being set apart would pull me from mainstream and they trained me to understand that for me that was normal as it was always God’s intention for His people.

PURPOSE CHASERS with Charmian-Marie Beedle

For this kick-off article, let's do a breakdown of purpose so that we have a better grasp of what it is and its importance.

What is Purpose? Throughout the Bible we can acknowledge many mentions of 'purpose' and from those mentions, we can say that our purpose can be defined as a specific mission or mandate that is predestined according to God's divine will.

Do We Really Understand the Importance of the Oxford Dictionary defines purpose Walking In Purpose? Furthermore, as "the intention, aim, or function of something; the It's no secret that the journey through life's hills and valleys can be equally beautiful and treacherous with the shifting seasons that come our way. Just like an intense Squid Game round where the odds can shift in and out of your favour in moments. Then, in those dark moments, we question things. What's the point of actually pursuing purpose when things are so difficult in my life? We hear the word being thrown around and we use it often, but does that mean we have a fundamental understanding of its importance? Welcome to the first official article for Purpose Chasers! I'm Charmian-Marie and throughout our time together, we'll be exploring these two in detail, and working on uncovering the ways that Passion & Purpose can and will coexist in your life so that you can stop having that internal tug-o-war.

thing that something is supposed to achieve." So, with both a Biblical summary and that dictionary definition, we can agree that purpose includes a subject, a mission and a goal that is to be achieved.

Does everyone have a purpose? With this in mind, we must recognize that everyone on this earth, as an individual has a purpose. We were all brought into the world with purpose overall. But, of course, we've found that varying persons have established their purpose in their own spaces, varying faiths, family, careers, etc. With that, persons have found their own type of fulfillment and are pursuing their own path based on their own beliefs... and it's absolutely important to acknowledge that from a Christian perspective.

The Importance of Christians Walking In Purpose As Christians, we first need to recognize The Great Commission as our unifying purpose, and then our specific, God-breathed purpose as the secondary one that acts as our contribution to The Great Commission. For reference, Matthew 28: 16-20 houses this and it reads: 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, as Christians, we have been commissioned to go into the world to share the Gospel with others so that others may know Christ, because, of course, God knows that not everyone will grow up believing in Him. Furthermore, accepting the truth about Salvation through Jesus Christ, and would therefore seek to walk their own paths outside of God. The Great Commission is further supported by another word, and PAJE's guiding scripture, that encourages us to share the words of our testimony as we go and share about God as we interact with persons within and outside the faith who thrive on relationship and relatability. This helps others to become receptive and open to the existence of God and the understanding of Salvation. (Mark 5:19: 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”) It is through these same words that others will be able to be led to healing through God and to eventually accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. So, when we acknowledge that everyone was born with a purpose, we should also take note of the fact that we have a unifying purpose, as Christians, to make the good news known to man.

36 we therefore now have a responsibility to avail ourselves in order to help others to discover their purpose in Christ, which flows from their understanding and acceptance of: Who God is (The one, true, Triune God) Salvation (The full understanding that Christ's death and resurrection made salvation accessible to those who believe, and also gave each of us the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God). Their identity in Christ (how God sees us; as His beloved, not 'earning' grace and mercy, but rather receiving it through God's unconditional love, and then who we are established in the earth to be; salt of the earth, a royal Priesthood, set apart, light in the world) Christian principles (as shared through God's Word and the guidance of Holy Spirit) Their specific giftings (the special abilities that have been bestowed upon us as individuals)

As Kingdom people we have a powerful purpose that we are privileged to carry, and as individuals, it is a beautiful thing learning that your contribution through the use of your gifts helps to further the Kingdom in a big way.

Now, with that, we find that we sometimes get sidetracked or pulled from this understanding because we find ourselves entangled with other things that allow us to nurture our gifts and talents, and other environments and associations that are not 'overtly Christian'. These things cause us to feel fulfilled and make us feel encouraged to pursue them with true intention. These can be deemed as our passion and/or at least passionate pursuits. Right off the surface you can see where the beginning of the conflict is, where we sometimes replace our conscious purpose pursuit with our desire to embrace our passions... and that, my friends, is a whole other discussion that you'll have to stay tuned for. In the next article, I'll be breaking down our passion, its importance and the correlation to purpose. Until next time, keep pushing, Purpose Chasers! - Cee

ADVENTURES

COLUMN

THE HEALTH CORNER

with Mischa Christie

THE SUGARY PLAGUE Why is Sugar bad for you? If you didn’t know, November is Diabetes Awareness Month! Hence, in this article we are exploring that sweet substance that everyone craves from time to time, Sugar, and how it may negatively affect your health.

Tackling Consumption Now I know most of you are guilty of the ever so popular “Now I need something sweet” after finishing a whole meal, and don’t feel bad because that’s me sometimes too, so we all know a little something about those sugar cravings. But when does it become bad? How can something so delicious, sweet, and common even be bad? The answer to your questions my friends, overconsumption. And don’t think this means just eating too many sweets or baked goods! Sugar is present in various places you may not immediately think of such as ground provisions, fruits, and fruit juices. So natural doesn't always mean full steam ahead. With grandpa visions example yam, Irish potato, pumpkin and especially sweet potato, what we know I sugar is present in the form of starch.

These foods, you will find, are very starchy and this is because they served as food stores for the plants they came from and to store the sugar that they made from photosynthesis they would turn it into starch. Starch is the easiest thing for our bodies to turn back into sugar so when eaten, it easily becomes sugar in our body.

With fruits, it's a little different It is also a food store, but not for the plant itself. Fruits are food stores for the seeds of the plants. Now because our plants were wonderfully made, they know that when it's time for the seed to sprout it will need food as well. However, they also know that the sprouting seed would not be able to handle the breakdown of so much starch just yet. So they just store it as simple sugar. Therefore, fruits taste sweet, unlike their grown provision friends. Now with fruit juices, imagine all that natural sugar plus the sugar that these companies love to add on top of that! Another surprise source are low fat products. Yes, you read right. These low-fat products, like low fat yogurt, tend to try to make up for the flavor loss, due to the low-fat content, by adding way more sugar. A lot of what we consume nowadays is packed with sugar. In fact, sugar consumption has almost doubled since the last century and it may be increasing! There are several negatives associated with increased sugar consumption.

One of the negatives include Acne. Most of us suffered through those teenage years of rapid change, and that included acne and breakouts. Some of us made it out of puberty without it but for some of us, it followed us into adulthood.

Moving on to another issue associated with overconsumption of sugar, weight gain. There is an increase in the rate of obesity worldwide, especially since the pandemic period. Lockdowns, working from home and limited movement regulations have caused the sedentary lifestyle to become popular.

Well, in any case, too much sugar can lead to worsening acne. Blood sugar spikes may go on to cause inflammation, oil production, and androgen secretion which contribute to acne flare ups. But along with this inflammation and clogging due to oil production, a perfect environment is made for certain bacteria which lead to mini-infections on your face. Which means less control of your acne issue if you have acne prone skin and can lead to breakouts even if you don't normally have acne.

So, imagine, not moving around as much, or getting in your daily steps at work, but consuming large amounts of sugar. Then comes the fact that sugary snacks or drinks can make you feel even more hungry, so then you go on to eat even more. Now, all that energy that you get from those foods and that sugar, ends up being turned into fat, because you’re not using that much energy any way. Weight gain can also go on to cause further issues such as hypertension, heart issues or even stroke.

Negative Effects

Putting yourself at risk for depression in these already mentally taxing times is extremely counterproductive to you trying to balance yourself on your spiritual journey. Oh, I didn’t mention that eating too much sugar can put you at risk for depression? Well yes, it can! Our digestive system is heavily connected to our mental space. Did you know that 90% of serotonin is made in the gut? That is the hormone that helps stabilize our mood and sometimes gives us a boost. If we don't eat right we can negatively affect our mental health. Eating too much sugar or sugary snacks or drinks may cause us to experience spikes in moods and different mood swings. This can cause really high ‘highs’ and really low ‘lows’ and those lows may go on to cause depression.

Zeroing in on Diabetes The last and most important reason why we should avoid overconsumption of sugar lies in the heightened risk for type 2 diabetes. this is quite possibly the most common issue associated with overconsumption of sugar and sugary products.

Exposing the body to too much sugar or having too much sugar in the bloodstream, causes these spikes in insulin and when you have enough of those insulin spikes your body becomes resistant, leading you to rely on certain medication to help you process this sugar and remove it from your bloodstream. Diabetes can cause various issues such as heart disease, stroke, it may even go on to cause amputations. We must do all we can to try and prevent this disease especially if you are predisposed to it. If you already have it, though, lifestyle modifications through a low sugar diet and exercise can help you manage it. Sugar is definitely something we can appreciate, it makes life just a little bit sweeter. But we must also strive to be mindful in how we consume sugar in our day-to-day lives so as to make sure that we are not overconsuming and putting ourselves at risk for some of these complications that arise when we eat too much sugar or sugary products. Try swapping out drinks or juices with water every now and again.

PAJE MUSIC: Give It a Listen

Let's Make: Coconut Milk French Toast Anything with coconut and you know the flavour is about to blow your mind! Let's make some French Toast with a twist, shall we?

Instructions: Combine coconut powder, vanilla and ground cinnamon with water,

Ingredients: (2-3 Servings)

Slice bread diagonally in equal portions,

4 slices of bread 2 tablespoon Coconut powder 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon butter Pancake/Maple Syrup

Heat butter in skillet or stove-top griddle,

Optional Toppings: Bananas Blueberries Strawberries Peaches Mangoes

Then saturate bread slices in coconut milk mixture and add to skillet/stove-top griddle, Cook on each side for 2 1/2 to minutes each until nice and golden, Plate French Toast and then add a dollop of butter and maple/pancake syrup. I also topped mine off with some sliced ripe bananas.

** Not our original recipe **

Instructions: Let's Make: Hershey's Brownies Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit We don't know about you but we've got a soft spot for chocolate! So, we're just going to slide this one right over here for you to enjoy just as much as we do!

Ingredients: 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup Hershey's Syrup

Mix the vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract And Hershey’s syrup in one bowl Mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix until well combined Line a Deep Pyrex Dish with butter or non-stick spray or deep square baking pan/dish with a baking sheet and butter Pour mixture into baking pan/dish Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or by itself

** Not our original recipe **

47 18

JOURNEYS

"... I keep my eyes fixed on the One who never changes. I wholeheartedly desire to please God..." - Glenesha

MAIN FEATURE

I was attending a church in 2016 and the Hey PAJE Fam! So, we were able to catch up with the multi-passionate woman of God who is dubbed 'Lady Glene'. Glenesha Higgins wears many hats as a servant of God and we are excited to sit with her so that you can learn more about her! So, let's get started! PAJE: “Lady Glene”…. Where did this name come from and why did you decide that this is how you

pastor and females closest to her were referred to as Lady, so for example Lady Jean, Lady Pam, and they called me Lady Glene. I liked it, especially because the term lady for me means a woman of class, a wife, of a certain caliber and I think I was that though I wasn't married yet, so it was spot on lol. Thereafter, I referred to myself as Lady Glene and persons started calling me that too.

PAJE: How would you describe your relationship with God? Lady Glene: It's a loving Father-daughter relationship where I'm being formed in the image of Christ as I try my best to live in submission to Him and do His will. Being pruned is never easy, but my relationship with Him is beautiful and I'm not willing to give it up for anything.

PAJE: So, you minister, you host, you speak, you share substantive YouTube videos, you’re an Author, you Coach, you plan, you dance…. Safe to say you’re multi-faceted! How would you say you balance it all and how would you encourage other multipassionate Christians to balance? Lady Glene: For me balance is prioritizing one of those gifts at a particular time. It may be based on demand or based on the season I believe the Lord has me in. It might be hard to believe, but I don't try to do it all, I just go based on Holy Spirit's leading, but I am committed to do ALL He has for me. One of the things that helps me to steward well is scheduling, knowing I can't do and be everything and RESTING. My community knows, if it's not in my calendar, it doesn't get done

50 PAJE: What would you say makes you different or a bit more unique as an individual? Lady Glene: Being my most authentic self is what makes me unique. I think so many people are trying to be everyone else except themselves that they lose their identity. In this world that forces us to be someone else, being true to myself is one of the things I treasure most about me. There is no one else who can be Lady Glene or Glenesha quite like me, and believe me they've tried. God created me uniquely and there is no one else I'd rather be but myself. PAJE: How have you felt in learning to reach your audience in new or more creative ways as you journey as a minister and career woman? Lady Glene: The thing is, I don't know if I've tried learning an audience or so on lol. I just do what God says in a moment. So you will find there are seasons I post alot and other seasons I don't.

You might find one season I'm leading worship more, another season I'm speaking more. I just really am intentional about discerning my times and seasons to function effectively. I was doing other things and God said, write the book, so I did and today, so many testimonies have come from it and I am grateful. PAJE: How do you stay motivated and committed to purpose in the midst of an ever-changing world? Lady Glene: Hmm. I'd say I keep my eyes fixed on the One who never changes. I wholeheartedly desire to please God, so when times of discouragement come, they don't usually last long. From an early age He has taught me perspective and how having the right perspective can save my life. My motivation is Christ and He helps me to stay committed.

PAJE: What message would you want to share with members of the Kingdom who are struggling to hold on to God especially based on the effects of the pandemic, price hikes, and other challenging things that have been faced by the world in the past year? Lady Glene: I would say trust in Him, like actually believe His heart towards you. We say we do, but many of us struggle to trust Him. And I can understand. We are so used to being disappointed by men. But God is reliable. He might be late for our deadline, but He is always on time. What is food for God to provide or money to pay your bills? He is a Father, and not like the examples of earthly fathers we've seen. He cares for His own. You are His responsibility. Challenges come to put our faith on trial. Faith comes by hearing God's Word, so whatever you do, stay in the Word, meditate on the Word and believe the Word. As you hear His instructions, step out in faith knowing that those who trust in Him will never be disappointed. Be encouraged, Abba has you.

PAJE: Tell us 5 things about yourself that people wouldn't readily know. Lady Glene: Hmm, like what? Lool. 1. I am a foodie! 2. Though I gave my life to the Lord in 2005, I didn't get baptized until 2009. 3. I went to two high schools - Denbigh High and Meadowbrook High. 4. I repeated grade 8 when I was transferred to Meadowbrook. 5. I love games - cards, board games etc.

PAJE: We're curious... which parish are you originally from? Lady Glene: I was born in Kingston, but was raised in Clarendon until age 14 when I moved back to Kingston.

PAJE: What are 3 things that you know NOW about the industries contribute to, that you wish you knew maybe 3 years ago? Lady Glene: 1. Not everyone is genuine, some people are opportunistic and parasitic, so be discerning. 2. You just need to start - that book, that YouTube channel, or whatever God is leading you to. 3. Don't throw your pearls to swine. Where you are not valued, get up!

PAJE: Who, would you say, are the persons that you hope to reach/impact most with y’all that you do? Lady Glene: The people who don't know or understand what Christ has done for them and what it means for their lives now on earth and after this life. Those who suffer from rejection, insecurities and all the symptoms of not knowing who they are in Christ, which would lead to not having clarity in their purpose.

53 PAJE: Do you have any projects, YouTube Channels or special business mentions you want to include?

Also follow me on social media @ladyglenelegacy to be updated with anything else I might be doing.

Lady Glene: I'm an Amazon bestseller! My book is 'Now That I Have Accepted Christ, WHO AM I?' I realize that so many believers come to Christ but discipleship is lacking, so they don't understand who they are in Christ. That is evidenced by the lives they live daily, so this 21 day devotional helps believers understand who they are in Christ.

PAJE: Your 21 Day Devotional is truly impactful. Tell us why you decided to write it.

Lady Glene is also an event host, speaker, worship leader and certified Christian Life Coach. As a coach, I partner with Christian men and women to gain clarity in their identity and God-given assignments. I also have a YouTube channel which has content that is educational, edifying, entertaining and encouraging. Though I'm a Christian, there is something there too for the non-believer, my hope is that if one of the fun videos interests an unbeliever, he/she would also go to view one of the other videos that has the Good News and Holy Spirit will lead him/her to Christ. Please subscribe to Lady Glene Legacy on YouTube.

Lady Glene: I have always been passionate about people knowing their identity, but I didn't think I would one day write about it, even though I've spoken on the topic, a few times. Well, one day I was minding my business and Holy Spirit told me to the write the devotional using my sermon notes. It was written with a deep desire for people to know who they are in Christ and heal from wounds that come as a result of people not knowing who they are.

Now Mrs. Higgins

Glenesha Higgins, who was previously Glenesha Ewers, wedded her husband, Romaine Higgins in 2022, which she is immensely proud of and holds the role of wife with utmost respect, commitment and grace.

My unique purpose is...

To help people understand their identity in Christ and how that is applied in their day to day lives and relationships. Also, to share the good news and give hope to those whose souls are wounded. Ultimately, my purpose is to make disciples, I don't think that is unique, but the specific assignments may differ as I journey.

57 PAJE: What are three things that you have been able to learn about yourself after journeying through the past 5 years of your life? Lady Glene: 1. There is nothing good in me except for Christ. Anything I do outside of Christ is not an acceptable offering, so I must remain connected to the True Vine. 2. I am fallible, and the only way to stand is to pray that I might not fall into temptation. 3. That I must forgive myself and forgive people. Forgive myself for giving access to people who haven't proved themselves, when I know better, and then forgive people who have used, abused, envied and deeply hurt me, especially if I called them friends.

PAJE: What can we look forward to from Lady Glene in the next 6 months? Lady Glene: I will be using my book as a guide for a coaching programme. I want to be more intimate with my community and help those who might need more than the book to discover their identity in Christ. Also, I will be gathering some friends for a worship project that will be later streamed on my YouTube channel, so you should definitely subscribe!

A word of encouragement

If you're a believer, stay at the feet of Christ. So many have watered down the Gospel or blurred the lines of righteousness and unrighteousness. Tomorrow your favourite preacher or worship leader may walk away from the faith, so you can't hide behind their relationship with God. You must build one for yourself and stay in the Word, because the false teachings are increasing. Be sure your anchor is in Christ. May none of you reading these words lose yourselves in this overwhelmingly sinful world in Jesus name.

EXCELLENCE UNTO GOD

Minister Blessed Poised for continued success

PAJE: Tell us…. Who is Minister Blessed? MB: Given name Matthew Blake, I hail from the city of Portmore in St. Catherine. Born to parents Michael and Margaret Blake, I am the youngest of two siblings. Baptized at the age of 10, I didn't take Christian life serious initially. However, an upper room experience while attending ISCF at my alma matter Wolmer's Boys High School inspired me to recommit my life to Christ in my mid teenage years.. I am a very humorous person and tend to see the hilarious side of things. Husband to one wife, I am also the father of two children. When I am not doing music ministry, I ply my trade in the field of marketing. Some of my hobbies include swimming, cooking and playing football.

PAJE: What or who inspired you to really get started in music ministry? MB: My mom has always been a choir director while my dad also sang on the choir. My uncle formed one half of the gospel dub poet duo Kevin and Robin so I have always had an interest in music ministry.

My talent was first recognized at age 9 when I was selected to perform a solo as part of Psalty the Song Book concert at the National Arena in Kingston, Jamaica. A key turning point in my interest for music was the conversion of Papa San, Junior Tucker and Carlene Davis to Christianity in the late 90's. This propelled me to begin performing gospel reggae cover songs at various church events as part of a quartet dubbed 'The Blessed Group'. In 2001, I entered the Jamaica Youth for Christ deejay competition where I won at the regional, parish and national level. This then paved the way for me to perform on the grand stages of ‘Gospel N Motion’ and ‘Genesis'. Thanks to Dale 'Dr Dizzle' VIrgo, I was able to release my first single entitled 'Dandy Shandy' in 2005.

PAJE: You’ve always had a very distinct style and have managed to remain consistent throughout the years! How would you describe your writing style and sound? MB: When I first began writing songs, it was predominantly with lyrics that simply gave praise to the Almighty and sought to bring honour to His name. In addition, there was an element of Spiritual Warfare. I also would only ever be inspired to write following a lengthy prater meeting or time spent in personal devotion. Following either of those scenarios, I would then ask musicians or producers to build an instrumental based on the song that I wrote. This was the case for my first album 'Purpose' released in 2007. In contrast, by album #2 (Keep Pressing On in 2012), I had transitioned into the era of rhythm jugglings where producers would send me their rhythms to write on in order to be a part of their compilation projects which included other artistes as well. This changed my previous method of writing songs from scratch but now writing based on the melody of the instrumental provided. The topics I sang about also began expanding to current affairs, personal experience and suggestions made by fans.

I believe my sound has evolved based on maturity but also working with different producers who all bring a different flavour to the ministry. My third album God Is Faithful released in 2015 was predominantly produced by RB Records with inputs from Remla Productions and Shabach Records. This was also the first time I dabbled in a bit of Afrobeat, EDM and doing something a bit different by singing a love song for my wife.

My 4th studio album Set Me Free released in 2019 saw me working with new producers for the first time such as Shado Vijon. J2dalyfe, Fresh Fire Productions, Cross Link Productions & Sherwayne Music. This certainly brought out new flavours from me as well with my first soca song. I also must give kudos to all the artistes that have collaborated with me over the years as this has in some shape or form helped to push me be to more creative and experiment with different sounds. Notable mentions include Jodi-Ann Pantry, Dessi-Ann Yetman, Garfield Reid, DJ Nicholas, Ryan Mark & Sean Lypher.

PAJE: We know you relocated from Jamaica to the UK some time ago; how was the transition in terms of getting used to the new environment, connecting with new persons to partner in music, events, etc, as well as just being creative in the midst of all the changes? MB: It's getting close to six years since I migrated from Jamaica which was something I thought I could never do but God had other plans. It definitely has taken some getting used to in terms of the difference in culture, food and nonexistence of a local gospel music scene or media entity in the vicinity where I reside.

Thankfully I have been able to form relationships and make musical connections across the broader scape of the UK including working with my current producer Newlyfe Records and being featured on various gospel programs hosted by Shekinah Sounds, Premier Gospel, DJ Righteous, DJ Proclaima, Apostle T and Belinda Simpson from Premier Gospel to name a few. I have also been featured on the UK Christian Chart a few times and received much help and advice from UK based artiste Chris D Ambassador. With my creative hat on, I was also able to introduce my music to my place of residence Guernsey via a cultural event dubbed AfroCaribbean Fusion. I headlined two of the events in the form of a normal concert where I did a 45 min set on both occasions. I also hosted an Afro-Caribbean Christmas family oriented event which included fun activities for the kids, Jamaican food and performances from the attendees as well as special guests. For this one, I acted as co-emcee as well as performed a few songs in between. These events helped pave the way for me to be featured twice in the Guernsey Press and on several interviews on BBC Radio Guernsey which has also played some of the newer songs from my catalogue.

64 PAJE: Who is it that you desire to communicate most with through your music? MB: I don't have one target audience overall per se. I believe I have a song for everyone but it's more a matter of what that person may be open to in a particular period in their life. What I find is that God lays on my heart various audiences in different seasons. There are seasons he inspires me to write songs of glory and praise which is all focused on bigging him up, lifting him up, songs such as 'You A God' or 'You Are Holy' which Christians can readily relate to and worship. Then there are seasons when I am inspired to write songs which are meant to edify the church and call us out on things that we need to do better such as dwelling in unity and consecrating ourselves to live according to the calling we have received.

Other times I have done songs that call sinners into repentance such as 'Get Saved' or 'Change Your Ways'. In this particular season with the release of the EP; I aim to: a) To give hope to persons who are going through hardships (grief, depression, financial/health challenges etc). b) To remind Christians of the great commission and give them an anthem to help them feel empowered and emboldened in taking the gospel to the four corners of the earth (physically or virtually). c) To entertain those who want a song they can dance to as they drive in their car, exercise in the gym, clean the house, take a shower etc but at the same time knowing that in all they do they are doing it unto God #Glory PAJE: You always emanate positivity through your words and music. How have you managed to stay positive and motivated especially in a time when so much is happening in our world, and how would you encourage others to do the same? I encourage everyone to hold fast to these two scriptures: a) Romans 8:28 - All things work together for good to those that love God and are called according to his purpose

This scripture has helped me through the absolute worst of times recognizing that even when I don't see it, God's hand is moving through the situation to give me a better end result than I could have ever imagined.

I cook every day or every other day as I love variety and find great satisfaction in putting various meals together be it Oxtail, Curried Goat, Steam Fish, Beef, Pork, Chicken, Stew Peas, Ackee & Saltfish - I just love it all.

b) Philippians 4:11-13 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

b) I was once suicidal after going through a tough break up in my mid teenage years. Several times I went on my roof to dive off head first and call life quits but Jesus provided a way of escape each time be it a friend calling the house phone or passing by to check on me just in time.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. This passage brought me through the lows of the pandemic when we were living on reduced wages, unable to enjoy luxuries taken for granted. I really learnt to lean on God and be content whether I have much or little. Therefore I continue to emanate positivity in the good times and bad, whether we have little or much. Jehovah will provide enough. PAJE: What are 3 things about you that people wouldn’t readily know? a) I absolutely love cooking!!!! For the better part of the last 4 years the kitchen has become my place of solitude, joy and creativity.

c) Although my music is predominantly gospel reggae and dancehall, I have often led praise and worship at my home church in Jamaica and on occasion since relocating as well. Most of my collaborations are with singers as opposed to deejays as I do like writing sweet singing melodies. PAJE: We note that you’re a Husband, Father and Career Man, as well. How do you balance your ministry with being present in the lives of those who mean a lot to you? MB: Music ministry can be very busy. There are days when you could have 3-4 events in one day OR 3-4 interviews across consecutive days. There are also seasons when your career can have late nights.

I try to ensure I am present fist and foremost as a father and husband within my household seeing time aside for date nights and daddy day care activities as regularly as we can. For those close friends and family members who are abroad, I do regular check ins during any given week via simply messaging. There are others still where we would try to have weekly calls or in some cases it may be once a month or quarter depending on schedules. In rare cases, l use the method of voice noting or email with the understanding that responses may not necessarily be in real time but we get to it as soon as we can.

PAJE: Who influences?

are

your

top

musical

MB: Papa San, Kirk Franklin, Travis Greene are who I would classify as musical influences. I would however like to pay homage to Ryan Mark, DJ Nicholas & Sean Lypher who have each given me solid advice and practical examples to follow regarding elements of HOW to do music ministry over the years. PAJE: Tell us about your most recent project and why it is very special to you. My latest project is entitled Glory. It's special to me as it's my debut EP and comes at an appropriate time as I celebrate 20 years since first taking the stage as a gospel artiste.

The timing is also impeccable being the first release since the pandemic so I feel like it encompasses my experiences and thoughts from the beginning, duration and up to present day events. It's also new territory for me releasing a project solely online without the element of a physical cd or concert launch. I am intrigued to see how far the songs can go to touch lives across the globe. PAJE: What can we expect next from Minister Blessed? MB: There is often a temptation to move on to the next release or the next project once you have completed one. However, I have come to realize that while some may consider this as 'old or already released', there are still millions across the world who are yet to hear the songs. I also hope to connect with fans via live performance in the near future as the Lord permits. PAJE: Do you have anything else you want to say/share with the PAJE Fam? Everything happens for a reason and a season. Don't allow one set back or frustration to cause you to relinquish the plans God has laid on your heart. Keep pressing on in the midst of the storm. Your breakthrough may be closer than you think. ARR SHOOPS!

We're happy to hear from Shanique with her having been a great contributor to the Kingdom through Intercession and creative expressions unto God and His people! Let's see what she's got to share! PAJE: Tell us…. Who is Shanique Watts? Shanique: I am a singer, songwriter, and producer that is passionate about the Lord and I find it a joy and responsibility to express that through life.

PAJE: What would you say makes you different or a bit more unique as an individual? Shanique: A relationship with God, my lightheartedness, my ability to work and relate with different individuals, my creativity and attentiveness to details alongside the grace to love well is what I believe makes me unique.

68 PAJE: How would you describe your sound and writing style? Shanique: My sound and writing style are eclectic in nature. My music always carries a stylistic groove and substance for the heart, soul, and mind. My writing specifically, mostly reflects my revelation of Jesus Christ.

PAJE: We’ve been following your music for a long time and are excited that you’ve started actively releasing songs as a solo artiste. How has the journey been for you thus far? Shanique: Some people may have known me from a band called AIU, and some just recently are aware of my music which to be honest I don't have a lot of that released. The journey? It has been one of obedience and creativity. Being obedient to work on the things I believe the Lord has placed on my heart to do and creatively, bravely maximizing my potential as an artiste.

PAJE: Who is it that you desire to communicate most with through your music?

Shanique: Anyone with an ear to listen. Also, God, communicating to Him with the free gift of music He has given me, of His goodness towards me, is important for me.

PAJE: What would you say to persons who are currently sitting in their quiet place, writing songs, poetry, etc but are second-guessing their calling and God’s hand on their life?

We can also seek out where there is an improvement to be had in our responsibility of people getting to experience what God has given us.

Shanique: A quiet place is not a bad place to be. Most times it's where God is gracing us to sit in our identity as His own, so that we may be more efficient in what He has given us to do on earth. Is it possibly a time for us to learn our crafts and be prepared for the platforms we may seek to be seen on?

Lastly, keep creating and being inspired by God. Be careful not to hinder the grace and ability to create by being frustrated with not being seen. God sees you.

We are called to be children of God, our talents are an expression of that, they are for and unto Him. Keep that truth at the forefront of your mind and in your heart. It may help with second-guessing your calling, and resting in who you are than the extent of what you do and when and how you get to do it.On the note of doing, What are you doing? Are you finding ways to share what God is inspiring you to do?

PAJE: Tell us three things people don't know about you: . Shanique: I can't laugh without crying most times lol...I love dancing...I'm very quiet to most but a straight clown once you get to know me.

"At all times, I try to put the Giver above the Gifts" - Get to know JohnMark Wiggan and His heart for the Lord! PAJE got the awesome opportunity to catch up with JohnMark Wiggan, and to say we appreciated his humility and authenticity is an understatement. Take a few moments to get to know him a bit more by getting a firsthand view into this exclusive interview!

PAJE: Tell us…. Who is JohnMark Wiggan? JohnMark: A Child of God, Country boy, son, brother, nephew and friend. Then I'm a musician, an Artiste/creative, and a worship leader.

PAJE: What would you say makes you different or a bit more unique as an individual? JohnMark: I'm a little more darker than the average black person, lol. I'm a born Jamaican but I grew up in Antigua. I have multiple talents outside of music - I act, I'm a barber and I'm a certified electrician.

PAJE: What is it that let you know that THIS ministry life is the path for you? JohnMark: I have just been saying one yes after the other. As God calls me to a thing, whether it was a song or platform opportunity to minister through music or Word, I keep seeing provision made, access granted and grace given for my matriculation, so I followed the path.

PAJE: Your music has a unique, refreshing sound that feels very purposed and authentic. What’s your writing process like? JohnMark: I have several processes, I may hear a hook and record for later. I may intentionally sit through a disciplined session to coin words that express ideas within me. Sometimes in worship and devotion I may try to express God's heart toward me and his people or I try to express my heart towards Him and songs are birth there. Next I share with my core people who I vet the songs with for validation and quality.

PAJE: You describe yourself, first, as a worshipper and we believe that speaks greatly to the posture of your heart towards the Lord. How would you describe your relationship with God and how that influenced you to pursue this purposeful path? JohnMark: He has been a good Father to me, I see His provision, His care and His love. My most impactful moments have been in the presence of His grace, the moments where I had experienced it for having fallen short or seeing someone else encounter it. Over time I maintain a posture of surrendering all, as I pursue His heart more and more.

PAJE: What would you say to the person who is desirous of sharing music that has been deposited in them by God but they’re not the most social or ‘popular’ individuals? JohnMark: Start, produce it, if you can't yourself, seek help. Don't feel pressured into being a personality. What we see in the Bible is obedience from all the popular figures within that we see their personalities shine through.

PAJE: What are 3 things about you that people wouldn’t readily know? JohnMark: I like to travel, I am an ambivert, and I prefer more silence than I do music.

PAJE: Who would you say are your top 5 musical inspirations? Jermaine Edwards, Vybz Kartel, Micheal Jackson, Mali Music and Jonathan McReynolds.

PAJE: What would you say is your mantra? JohnMark: Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." At all times I try to put the kingdom and the giver above the gift.

75 PAJE: What’s one thing you wish people would understand more when it comes to the heart of God for His people? JohnMark: He doesn't wish for any to perish but that all may come to know Him. No father wants to bury their child, He wishes that they all prosper and be in good health and He maybe glorified. He wants all his children to live fun, full and whole in ways that He is glorified.

PAJE: What can we look out for from you within the next 6 months? JohnMark: Many appearances on Major platforms and more solid music from my heart and God's heart.

PAJE: Is there anything else that you’d like to share with the PAJE Fam? JohnMark: That I love what the PAJE Fam is doing and I really appreciate the platform provided. Very special thanks to my family, friends, fans and destiny helpers without your support I wouldn't be where I am today..... extra special thanks to my team (Imperium Gospel Limited) for had it not been for you I wouldn't be able stay excellent.

CULTIVATE

Promises to be An Excellent Feast with the Lord - let's learn more! PAJE: We’ve seen Cultivate from its inception and we’re loving how things have grown. Take us back, though, how was this event fully birthed? OBM: This vision was birthed out the blue as all the others God gives me They are normally revealed in prayer or through dreams or simply Him giving me an instruction audibly. This vision started as our first pre-recorded studio production which differentiated itself from other visions we have done which were more face to face. PAJE: What has it been like planning and staging this event, noting that it’s more than just ‘an event’? OBM: Planning has been a year in the making, we are very big on teamwork and collaboration. So, there are teams working assiduously to fulfill the vision. We've delegated teams such as: Marketing, Sponsorship, Administration, Hospitality, Logistics & Security, Prayer, Music, Sound & Equipment and more.

PAJE: What would you say is the full vision in relation to this upcoming staging? OBM: This vision is a direct invitation for all attendees to meet face to face with God, through music and the creative arts. It is dubbed the Ultimate Worship Xperience to signify the theme Glory Return supported by Revelations 3:20, it should provide an opportunity for restoration, healing and joy in God's presence for Christians and NonChristians. Giving guest an opportunity to fellowship with Jesus which alludes to the ultimate goal of any human being, which is fear/reverence God and obey His commandments. Simplified this means an invitation to worship.

77 We also aim to minister through sound lighting, hospitality, marketing and overall production from a perspective that brings youthful exuberance enwrapped with God's love and character. PAJE: What Cultivate?

can

persons

expect

from

OBM: Persons can expect three things at the core of their experience: Healing, Restoration and Joy while being in God's presence in this unique and necessary gathering. PAJE: Who, particularly, are you trying to reach through this event? OBM: We want to reach Christians for restoration and healing and sinners for repentance and evangelism.

PAJE: What would you say to the person who has been given a specific Word or instruction to do something like staging an event, writing a book, or releasing an album but they are honestly afraid to step out and do it? OBM: Do it in fear. Don't do it when you are ready or perfect because most times your mind will talk you of it when you think "it's the right time". You can't celebrate a journey of triumph from the valley to the mountain if you started on the mountain.

Once you have God's yes, you have the most important yes. Also, if it's God's vision, He will make the provision. PAJE: What do you look forward to seeing happening for the persons who attend the event? OBM: [We] look forward to the young and the young at heart truly encountering God in a way that will resonate beyond the night of this vision. An experience that will transcend time, not just into next year but years to come One that will spark deliverance, healing, breakthrough, love, peace and miracles that will affect people's entire bloodlines. PAJE: Is there anything else that you wanna share with the PAJE Fam? OBM: Thanks to everyone who has supported the vision in prayer, seeds, sponsorship, donations and promotions. Thanks to the Oracle Bookings and Management Limited, The Worship Army, Jaedrumz Entertainment and all our supportive friends and family. Ensure to get your tickets now, on Spurropen.come or at the physical ticket outlets Dessi's Variety Fashion Store or Phoenix Eye Care.

DWEET FI MI SUPPORTING BUSINESSES WITH JAMAICAN FLAIR

PAJE Magazine caught up with the founder of DweetFiMi, Anya-Jean Phillips, after months of observing this unique promotional business. We're so moved by the consistent drive and creativity shown by this Christian business woman and creative and we decided that we HAD TO shine a light on her and big her up for her EXCELLENCE UNTO GOD! Anya, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Fam, let's jump in!

79 PAJE: We’re curious… what was the aha moment that led you to say that the actual call to action “Dweet Fi Mi” would be the name of your business? Anya: The aha moment for me was about June/July 2020. Covid had hit, I was laid off the job I was in, now at home trying to figure out what to do next. A friend and former supervisor of mine said to me, "you're always sharing people's work, promoting people's event on your Whatsapp status. And you always just say the right words to make people want to support whatever you're selling/promoting. It's a gift. You should monetize it." She was right. As I did research and pondered a name, I remember a lot of delivery services were emerging at the time too since we were all in lock down. I thought to myself, everyone is now wanting persons to "do something" for them, offer a service of convenience, to accommodate the new norm. I toyed with a few names, and some how Do It for me, stuck. That transitioned into being DweetFimi, same concept, just in patois.

PAJE: Love that! So, just for our PAJE Fam, tell us... What exactly does the business do? Anya: DweetFiMi is focused on promoting small and medium size businesses, using social media platforms, with the aim of bringing about brand awareness, increased traction/leads which ultimately will convert into sales. We do this by way of the creative art forms i.e. skits, songs etc. In more recent times, DweetFimi -a Christian brand by the way, has branched off into promoting youtube channels with a theme of 'Endorsing Godly Content.'

PAJE: We're curious, tell us about the 3 packages you have and how they work Anya: The packages mirror a "bronze, silver, gold" categorization. They are named using Jamaican terms, because primarily, DweetFiMi serves a local audience. A lot of talented and efficient suppliers and service providers exist; they just need the right kind of marketing, to propel them. Each package is valid for a month; after which a client can renew once satisfied.

Depending on the type of service offered/products sold, clients can peruse and determine what will work best for them. Still images and video presentations work fine for some, others may benefit more from a voice over recording or a dramatic presentation. Jus Rite (Bronze/Basic pkg) includes: STILL IMAGES, IG & FB stories & highlights, FLYER & 1 DRAMATIC PRESENTATION. Nuff Nuff (Silver Pkg) includes: STILL IMAGES, IG & FB stories & highlights, FLYER,1 DRAMATIC PRESENTATION & A JINGLE/POEM. Traila Load (Goldpkg) includes: STILL IMAGES, IG & FB stories & highlights, FLYER, 2 DRAMATIC PRESENTATIONS, ON SITE VISIT, INTERVIEW & VOICE OVER*

PAJE: Who are you most interested in assisting by delivering your services? My target group is definitely those who are just starting out in their entrepreneurial journey and those who may have been around for a while, but are feeling stuck and unseen and unknown due to lack of or limited investment in the area of marketing. I am particularly interested and invested in young entrepreneurs/youth talent.

PAJE: Anya-Jean, we noticed that you are a multi-talented individual. What would you say to other multi-passionate individuals who feel afraid of stepping out in business with their God-given talents? Anya: Be afraid and do it anyway. If it is one thing I've proven, it is that where God gives vision, He makes the provision. Nobody is saying it will be a bed of roses. Nobody is saying you should step out on 'so-so' faith, and no works- be prepared to put in the work. Step out , knowing that God wired you with many talents for a reason, he expects and wants for you to utilize them all, like a crazy unpredictable ball of goodness, woven together, creating life- changing, long lasting and atmosphere shifting, impact.

81 There will be dark days, unsure days, frustrating days and days when you want to give up because it seems unfruitful...but remember there is always someone, watching, silently most times, being inspired by what you do, how you do and it is often time after, you've become a "success" that you'll learn just how impactful your enduring this hard season, really is. God gave you a vision, you have a mandate to fulfill it. He has already graced you with the tools to complete the vision. PAJE: What has the journey for you been like thus far?

Also, manage your gifts. It's important to know what you are being called to focus on in what season. Multigifted persons can be easily exhausted and burnt out, if we are not careful. You are not for everybody and that's okay. Everybody is not for you, you may not be able to serve or help everyone. Don't wear yourself out feeling unaccomplished. Do a little each day, touch one life or two each day and you'd be surprised to see the ripple effect. I started out with two clients- to date they are still with me. They actioned the ripple effect for me. It wont always be rosey and blooming.

Anya: A beautifully rewarding roller coaster haha. Some days I feel purposeful and like I am making strides and I am satisfying my clients and other days I am not so sure. See it is never about Anya-Jean and what she can and cannot do. At the end of the day, I neeeeeed to know that my client's products and services are being talked about, they are getting the recognition and the sales. When I cant guarantee that, I get frustrated. But I keep pressing because Rome wasn't built in a day. A potential client will, through my services, learn about a local product or service that I may have advertised. That may never convert to a sale until a year later, but a seed was planted through DweetFiMi nontheless. Also, in everything I do, I call on God. No cap, "Lord how do I promote this youtube channel? Holy Spirit give me the lines to this jingle" He comes through, allll the time

PAJE: Your business offers a unique spin on the advertising concept, but what is that extra unique spark that persons should know so that they realize that Dweet Fi Mi is the way to go? Anya: That extra spark is my charisma, backed by my natural ability to sing/deejay and to engage people. I pride myself in knowing that DFM doesn't advertise the average way, where's the fun and spunk in that? Lol. I want when people think of a place to refill their purified water, they hear a tagline/jingle that I would have used in referencing that service provider in my ads. Truth be told, it is that extra creative spice that I bring to advertising that people often remember and even if they have no need for a product/service personally, they will remember they heard DweetFiMi sing this, or say this, or presented a video on this and it leads them to go and support that local entrepreneur. That for me, is THE most rewarding moment. Flair, flavour, spark, creativity and excitement, thats DweetFiMi. That's what makes the difference.

PAJE: Has promotions always come naturally to you or would you say your love for it started after some training? Anya: Promotions is new to me, but what comes naturally is a genuine love for people.

An innate desire to want to help. In my head and in my heart, all I'm doing is using ny giftings and natural abilities to HELP. I love supporting persons' on their endevours and that's what drives me most. The training came after and is still ongoing.

PAJE: What does the rest of 2022 look like for Dweet Fi Mi? Anything special we should look out for? Anya: More fun. More spunk, more spark, more lasting impact and perhaps the release of an official theme song for my longest consisten client. Real tv commercial business! Haha. Hopefully more partnerships too with others in the space.

"Persons will only criticize until you start succeeding at it." - Orville Sutherland shares powerful words of encouragement. PAJE Fam, we don't know about you but when we think of Orville, we think Energy and lyricism! This minister is passionate about reaching people and making an impact to expand God's Kingdom and we are excited that we got a chance to get to know him a bit more so that you could too! Let's jump in!

84 PAJE: First of all, the first time we saw you was on stage during a virtual concert and we feel that one of the words that is synonymous with you is ENERGY! Tell us some more, though… who is Orville Sutherland? Orville: I am a fun loving, family oriented individual who puts a passion in any task I undertake. I am always intentional about my endeavors. I grew up in a full house of talented singers of which I was not one, Lol! I have always had a love and passion for poetry and I always do well in that field. PAJE: Your sound represents a specific part of Jamaican Gospel music that many haven’t been able to effectively showcase. What led to your decision to hone that sound and boldly stand in that? Orville: The sound is Jamaican, it is really not unique to me and with that said I must acknowledge, acts like Papa San, Lieutenant Stichie, Goddy Goddy, Prodigal Son among others who kinda paved the way for people like me, giving us an easier path. The need for it, on the other hand, is great as the youths relate well with it and even though they deem it to be the current style the message remains of old - THE GOOD NEWS OF SALVATION. I'm sure you would agree base on the content you would have heard from me.

PAJE: What would you say are the things that make you different from other Jamaican ministers/artistes? Orville: I am totally fine with persons making their own distinction with me and other artiste but for me I'm not different. I am just another disciple of Christ sharing the good news of salvation through music. For me it is not ok to do an assessment of myself to see what is different, because for that to have integrity, there would have to be an evaluation of other artiste and such would give rise to the spirit of competition.

I don’t want to be competing with individuals I should be collaborating with. PAJE: Who would you say are your top 5 musical influences? Orville: Top five would be unfair to list. The influences comes from way back, and it spans across different genres. PAJE: What would you say to the person who has something different bubbling inside them based on what God has deposited in them, but they’re afraid to share it with the world out of fear of judgment?

Orville: For such a person I would say: The disappointment you would feel to be criticized for doing something different is only a fraction of the burden of the guilt you would feel to see somebody else succeeding at the very thing you were inspired by the Lord to do a period before. Persons will only criticize until you start succeeding at it. PAJE: We realize that you’re also quite versatile in terms of your lyrical expressions. Walk us through your writing process. Orville: Poetry! I have always had this love for poetry and as such, I try to do a poetic evaluation of my music before releasing them. PAJE: What’s your biggest desire for Jamaica’s Gospel Music Industry? Orville: My biggest desire is to see many more persons doing gospel music on a professional level in Jamaica. Its hard to have a gospel music festival in our island when we can count on one hand the number of prominent gospel music figures in the country. PAJE: Who would you say are the top 5 persons on your dream collaboration list if God wills it? Orville: I have said that it is indeed a privilege to have collaborated with Jermaine Edwards on the song Serious Times. Jermaine was actually my number one as his dues to the gospel music industry in Jamaica is undeniable. Chevelle Franklin, Kevin Downswell, Papa San, Prodigal Son, are among the other local gospel acts I would love to collaborate with.

87 PAJE: What are three things about you that we wouldn’t readily know? Orville: One thing that always surprise people about me is:………. I've been married for 9 years. I have three lovely sons. I have a passion for football PAJE: What are your top 3 favourite things about Jamaica? Orville: I love the fact that it doesn’t matter where in the world I go, if I say I'm Jamaican, I'm already associated with the great Bob Marley and I think that’s awesome. We are known for our unique style of music - REGGAE. And my #1 THERE ARE PLENTY OF RIVERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY WHICH ARE GREAT FISHING SPOTS… Hahahaaha. Yes, I LOVE fishing!

PAJE: What can we expect to see from you in the next 6 months? Orville: Definitely, there will be the release of my album. Also there will be a few new singles before the album release. PAJE: Do you have anything else that you want to share with the PAJE Fam? Orville: Keep using your medium to showcase the movement of the gospel industry in Jamaica. Keep highlighting and encouraging the artistes. One Love and God Bless you!

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Personal Walk | Adventures | Journeys | Excellence Unto God

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4 || NOVEMBER 2022