Purpose Driven Women Magazine

WWW.PDWMAG.COM

Sarita Pittman The Lady

SAFIYAH GIVENS “Gifted to Fight”

WEALTH BUILDER FOUNDER OF ATIRAS INTERNATIONAL

JUST SIMPLY SAYING

BREAKING RELATIONSHIP PATTERNS

+++

SOAR

AVOID THE TRAP OF COMPARISON

PERSIST AND PREVAIL

IF YOU CAN’T SAVE A DOLLAR JULY 2019

PURPOSE DRIVEN WOMEN MAGAZINE Often, we fail at connecting to our purpose because we feel inadequate. What we do not realize is when we were created God placed our purpose inside of us. We already have it. It is what we were created to do. The obstacle is taking the time to seek God for revelation and instructions of our individual purpose. Once we understand what we were created to be or why we exist we can submit to our divine plan with total surrenderance. We do not have to worry about being good enough or if we have what it takes. When we know without a shadow of a doubt who and what we were created to be the rest is history.

Purpose Driven Women Magazine is the woman's guide to connecting to their purpose.

ABOUT US PDWM is a multi-cultural bi-monthly digital magazine designed with everyday women in mind. We give women a voice and platform to share their story of how they overcame hardship through faith, in the end giving God the glory. We provide support to women on their purpose journey by providing inspiration through testimonies, tools, resources, and informative articles that help them to discover and fulfilled their purpose.

Subscribe Today!

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@purposedrivenwomenmagazine @pdw_mag

“SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST, ENCOURAGING WOMEN TO CONNECT TO THEIR PURPOSE”

Publisher Kimi Johnson

Editor in Chief Ann Marie Bryan

Graphic Designer Kimi Johnson

Executive Assistant Courtney Walker

Branding and Marketing Director Damien Jones

Contributors

Trasetta Alexander Rhoda Whitfield Christina Malloy Kendell Lenice Michelle Cook-Hall Danielle Lyles Dr. Teresa Slade Ishah Whipple

Cover Feature

Sarita Pittman The Lady Wealth Builder

Author Spotlight Safiyah Givens Angela Y. Hodge

Cover Photo Photographer Share My Story Lucy Irving Vania Andre Alexis Wood

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.�

Jeremiah 29:11 NIV OUR MISSION Our mission is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ while encouraging women to connect to their purpose. We give everyday women a voice and platform to share their story of how they overcame hardship through faith, in the end giving God the glory. We provide support to women on their purpose journey by providing inspiration through testimonies, tools, resources, and informative articles that help them to discover and become all that God created them to be.

OUR VISION Imagine a world where every woman knew exactly why they were created and despite their economical background, past failures and mistakes, trials, and tribulations they all knew they had everything needed to be who God created them to be. Our vision is to create an international publication that creates unification and connection amongst women from different walks of life, giving them an opportunity to uplift each other by sharing their story.

EBSITE: pdwmag.com

CONTACT INFORMATION 4 PDWMAG.COM July/August

PDWMAG.COM EMAIL: pdwmailus@gmail.com 2019

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A Word From Our Publisher Before I decided to launch Purpose Driven Woman magazine, I was a hairstylist working in the beauty industry for over 10 years.

I watched women from all walks of life flip through numerous magazines searching for that one style that screamed, “This is you!”

While in my salon, I have heard countless jaw-dropping remarks from women, searching for the person they were created to be.

These women were physically beautiful yet crying on the inside because they did not understand who they are in Jesus Christ. I saw that no amount of money, friends, or men, could have saved any of them, and me, from reaching this point. The more I listened to these stories, the more I realized how much we all have in common and the strong desire I have to encourage women to be all they were created to be.

absolutely no experience in the magazine industry. I questioned the Lord, “Me? Do a magazine? But how, Lord?

I’m not good enough? Who is going to buy or read a magazine?” Eventually, I started believing my negative thoughts and insecurities.

Driven Those thoughts carried on for years until one day my pastor walked into my office and said, ‘I’m not sure why I’m showing you these but…’ and he placed a stack of magazines that he had published on my desk.

That’s right, you heard me!

The Holy Spirit knows how to get your attention! I burst in tears, and that was the day I connected with my PURPOSE! Not long after, I found out, I was more than enough. All I needed to do was step out in faith and God would do the rest. Now, I have embarked on a movement to let women all around the world know they too, are more than enough.

Purpose One day while reclining on my sofa at home, I reflected on my purpose. I thought about the things I liked, the things I disliked, and the ways that I could make a difference. As I contemplated, I began to seek the Lord concerning my purpose. However, it wasn’t until I was at the lowest point in my life, when things began to change. I was a single mother; my son was only 6 weeks old and my life was falling apart. While I was thinking how I was going to fix my situation, the Lord was dealing with me about publishing a magazine. A magazine? That was the last thing I thought I was good enough to do. Publish a magazine?

This can’t be right. I had

Women Within the stories of Purpose Driven Women Magazine, I pray that you are graced with empowering words of encouragement and motivation to aid you as you travel on life's journey. We believe that testimonies change lives, and when God puts His “super” on our “natural,” we can’t be stopped because we are all Purpose Driven Women.

Kimi Johnson Photo credit: Jeremy Howard

A Word from Our Editor

Summer is in progress, and we are feeling the heat. Still, we made it to July. Let’s continue to march forward.

In this issue of Purpose Driven Women magazine, we turn the spotlight on The Lady Wealth Builder, Sarita Pittman, the Founder of Atiras International Coaching Academy (Get Coached up). A champion of people, Sarita is “a known trailblazer, success advocate, executive business coach and professional enthusiast for many well-known thought leaders across various professional realms.” Dive in and be encouraged as you read about how Sarita advocates for people to tap into their purpose and create a winning environment.

As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to share with you.

Please continue to connect with us via social media or email. We value your prayers, suggestions, encouragement and support.

Thank you for reading this issue. We know you will find valuable information to move you forward.

Happy reading. Enjoy!

Ann Marie Bryan EDITOR IN CHIEF

CONNECT WITH ANN MARIE

Ann Marie Bryan is a dedicated, graceful, multi-talented leader with a passion for excellence. She is the CEO & Founder of Victorious By Design, an organization committed to providing top quality professional writing services, comprehensive personal and professional development programs and exceptional performing arts services to meet the unique needs of individuals and organizations.

Website: www.annmariebryan.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorannmariebryan Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorabryan

On The Cover

14

SARITA PITTMAN “THE LADY WEALTH BUILDER” FOUNDER OF ATIRAS INTERNATIONAL

Success Tools 24

THE TOP 5 REASONS YOU’RE NOT HITTING YOUR GOALS

28 IF YOU CAN’T SAVE A DOLLAR

Spiritual 36 3 TIPS TO AVOID THE TRAP OF COMPARISION

38

SOAR

40 IF YOU PERSIST YOU WILL PREVAIL

Poetic Purpose

Media Take

42 WOMEN ON THE

54 SHE TEA

MOVE

Love & Relationship 44 BREAKING

RELATIONSHIP PATTERNS

CONFERENCE

Share My Story 56 VANIA ANDRE: SET

UP FOR A BLESSING

46 5 STRATEGIES

FOR SURVIVING THE DARK DAYS OF MARRIAGE

Author Spotlight 50 SAFIYAH GIVENS 53 ANGELA Y. HODGE

58 LUCY IRVING:

SURVIVING DISAPPOINTMNET

60 ALEXIS WOOD:

BEATING THE ODDS

Connect with your

PURPOSE from anywhere.

Follow us on social media today. @pdwmag @purposedrivenwomenmagazine @pdw_mag

10 PDWMAG.COM July/August 2019

Our Contributors

Michelle Cook-Hall

is the author of "This Journey Is A

Process" which equips and empowers readers to persevere.

In 2014, she begin a children book series entitled: "Mimi's Book Series". Michelle's purpose is to equip, empower and inspire others to pursue their purpose..

Kendell Lenice is affectionately called, Lady Motivator. Her daily goal is to empower people, motivating them to reach and discover their fullest potential. Her innate love for people compelled her to start Living True Living You- Life Coaching & Speaking.

Christina Malloy is from Fayetteville, North Carolina. She enjoys watching basketball and football games. Writing letters and poetry helps her release the stress in her life. A lot of her poems are love letters to God and prayers to help her make it through.

Dr. Teresa Slade is an ordained Pastor at Potter’s House Ministry alongside her husband Apostle Alzo Slade, Sr. She has been in active ministry for over twenty five years which includes conducting women’s conferences, leadership training and marriage seminars. She is the founder of Women to Women Ministries and a mentor to many women.

ARE YOU A WRITER LOOKING FOR A CHRISTIAN BASED PLATFORM TO SHARE YOUR CONTENT? JOIN OUR TEAM OF CONTRIBUTING WRITERS TODAY! EMAIL US AT PDWMAILUS@GMAIL.COM

Our Contributors Trasetta Alexander Trasetta Alexander is a faith based business coach and motivational speaker. She helps women of faith step into their kingdom purpose and launch their purpose driven business.

Rhoda Whitfield Rhoda Whitfield is the co-author of A Well Rounded Love Affair “More than Between the Sheets” with her husband Danny Whitfield.

She is also the columnist for Just Simply Saying in PDWM.

Danielle Lyles

Ishah Whipple Ishah Whipple is a native of New York City, Ishah Whipple is not only married to the love of her life, but the mother of four amazing children. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona and has been blogging for over two years Ishah is also the author of four self-published books on Amazon: Heart’s Flow, LadyWhipp Chronicles, Unlocking the Warrior from Within, and The Rare Kind.

Danielle Lyles, God’s Babygirl, Navy wife and Momma to 4 amazing kids, discovered her love for writing in 2008. A screenwriter and freelance writer, she enjoys the faith-based genre but has also worked on musicals, sci-fi and television. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s in Creative Writing, she plans to use her works to bring hope and healing and to give voice to the African American military community via feature films.

July/August 2019 PDWMAG.COM 13

Cover Feature

Sarita Pittman “The Lady Wealth Builder”

Founder of Atiras International

Just because you’re strugglin now doesn't mean you’re no going to succeed.

-Sarita Pittman

ng ot

July/August 2019 PDWMAG.COM 15

What would you say are the key ingredients to be an inspirational leader?

You must make sure that you maintain your inspiration. Make sure you are looking internally and not externally for your inspiration, because things change at the drop of a hat. That way, it doesn’t matter what is happening on the outside, if you can maintain your inspiration, you can impact people’s lives in positive ways.

I would definitely tell anyone to define their why. When you understand and have a clear picture of your why, then you know why you should keep going.

You know why you can’t stop, and you know why you are doing what you’re doing. If you don’t have a clear picture

and understanding of your why, and can actually feel your why in your heart, soul, and spirit—you will tap out. You won’t be inspired. Your why could be—I want to leave a legacy or establish generational wealth, or it could be because the sacrifices my parents and grandparents made, or I want to please God above everyone else.

Whatever your why is, hold on to it. That is what will keep you motivated and inspired.

Without a why, all of us would be lost.

In a recent interview you said, “Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you are not going to succeed.” Describe a moment when you wanted to give up.

How did you press forward?

There were so many moments. One moment that I felt like giving up was a day when I lost a lot of money, because of a

bad situation I got myself into. I began to question myself, in terms of my judgement—Am I really suited for success? Do I really need to pursue this?

Soon, I began to question my identity and wondered if I could be anything more than what I was at that very moment.

this is what makes me “relatable” when it comes to other people. When I see people struggling, I encourage them and let them know this is not the end.

Struggles will not last forever. The current struggles will give them the strength to withstand other storms that may come their way.

I had to understand that that day was not the rest of my life. So if that day was not the rest of my life then I had to understand that each day got me further away from that day. I had to remind myself to take life day by day. Some days, I had to take it hour by hour. I had to encourage myself not to linger in this situation and have a pity party. I tried to remember the lesson and forget the pain.

This did not come easy for me, but once I understood the lesson it helped me to be more mature when it came on to managing my business and being on top of things.

How do you remain focused on your assignment?

Looking back, I realized that on that day, I wasn’t thinking about any of that. I just wanted to tap out. I was aggravated. I didn’t want anyone giving me a bible verse or praying for me. I felt like I knew what was going on and I did not care. But I had to remember this is not the last day of my life. Once I had the get-it-together conversation with myself, I was able to make it through the day.

I had asked God, “If I’m not supposed to be feeling this way, why did you give me the ability to feel this way. You’re in control. You can just make me not feel this way, but I’m human.” I was just talking to God the way I am talking to you. I had a little more bass in my voice because I was frustrated. I learned that

I pull back when I feel overwhelmed and anxious. I pause and say maybe I am out of focus. So after I take a break I get a sense of calm, a sense of peace. At times, we want to focus on our assignment, but things happen along the way, that cause us to be distracted. So when I start feeling that way, it’s my sense of discernment telling me to take a break. Usually, I assess the situation and take relevant action. I listen to my body, spirit, and soul.

How do you maintain balance while building?

I had to learn to ask for help. I remember a time when I was extremely private. I didn’t want people in my “business”.

But sometimes you need to have people in your “business” to provide the help you need. It could be something as simple as getting a housekeeper to help you clean once a month or getting someone to do your bookkeeping. The important thing is to find out what is causing you to be out of alignment with your purpose. When I start seeing the red flags I pause from my activities.

There is a blessing in that pause because I get realigned to continue with my assignment.

When you understand and have a clear picture of your why then you know why you should keep going.

What does it mean to profit from your purpose and why do you think so many people struggle with this concept?

Well, let’s take the latter part of that question first. A lot of times, we struggle with profiting from our purpose because we believe that we are called to serve God. We believe that once we have a clear understanding of why God put us on this earth, the idea of charging someone to do ministry is not right. We believe we should give away everything. But God tells us to occupy until He comes. My interpretation—do business until He comes.

God knows each and every one of us by name.

He has given us a purpose. It is up to us to profit from it. But many of us feel guilty because we believe ministry should be free. We must understand that everything that we do is ministry. If I go to work and I’m a secretary, I am serving. That’s my ministry. Everything that

we do as a believer is ministry. We need to let go of that false humility that every time we give something away, it means we’re humble and if we charge people for it, we’re arrogant.

That is not the case at all. So, the first thing is to let go of that guilt because everything we do is ministry. Of course, you should sow into the lives of others. What it means to be profitable from your purpose is simply walking in the authentic vision that God has given you. It means being genuinely who you are and making a living from doing it.

Known as the Lady Wealth Builder, you are currently in the to 1% of earners in the U.S. How has your journey impacted your perspective regarding the definition of success?

My definition of success has changed since I became an entrepreneur at the age of 18. The

definition of success became clearer to me when I discovered my purpose, which is to positively impact people’s lives and to teach them how to win with what they have. I grew up in the beauty industry, cutting and styling hair.

Initially, success to me was synonymous with work. My work ethic was on point, but I had to learn how to work smarter not harder, because I became extremely burned out. I didn’t know how to lead people effectively or how to empower them. I just wanted to teach them. But I wasn’t coaching them. And this was not success. I was burned out and unhappy. I was making money, but something was wrong. So that’s what turned me on to monetizing, learning how to cut my skill set up into several different pieces to address several different audiences without having to give so much of myself away. Now I am in complete alignment and I know how to create systems and use those systems to increase my earnings.

How did you know it was time to make the shift from being a salon owner to the founder of Get Coached Up? At a period in my life, there were so many things happening. My business had seen exponential growth. The team that I had couldn’t run it without me. So, it came down to my doctor telling me that I needed to physically retire from the beauty industry. I had felt the shift. but I wanted to go against it because I had poured everything into building a high earning beauty brand.

The pivot came when God had to “pump my brakes” all the way and I had to medically retire. When I medically retired, I went full time in doing what I was doing at 75% of the time. God 100% pivoted me without me asking to be pivoted. I was a bit angry because the transition didn’t happen like I thought it would, which happens in almost everyone’s life but that is what caused me to go fully into

personal and professional development.

How do you not lose who you are while becoming who you are called to be?

I was already coaching and doing professional development, but I was playing it safe. I was already in the process of becoming who God created me to be. Now it is just on a larger scale. He took me to another level, giving me more territory and I’m even more connected to God’s divine assignment on my life.

How would one know if coaching is the right path for them?

Here’s what I would say about that—if you have a passion for seeing other people win, if you have a passion for impacting people’s lives and it’s not all about you, if you have great communication skills, if you are a person that really wants to be a great leader—coaching is definitely for you. If you wake up every day with a passion to see people win or if you want to influence people to meet their goals, if you want to teach people to avoid the mistakes that you have made—coaching is for you.

Why should aspiring coaches and coaches looking to level up their business choose Atiras International Coaching Academy (AICA)?

I am who I say I am, and my level of success will not be obtained just by you getting certified. I have obtained success and I really want people to win with what they have. So, an individual’s methodology is promoted when you join our program. You become a board-certified coach through Atiras but you’re not adopting our methodology. We teach you how to monetize your way to millions. We teach you how to launch your genius. We teach you how to create products, and business models that work for you. We show you the foundation of branding and coaching, how to communicate, and establish the sound of your coaching voice. So that means you don’t have to adopt coach Sarita’s way, you don’t have to

adopt anyone else’s way. You have a higher understanding of yourself when you come through our program. We eliminate the smoking mirrors and we stick to the facts.

What do you hope people gain attending AICA? A deeper understanding of themselves, the ability to walk away with their desired results, the ability to speak and make an impact. When you learn how to leverage your skillset and position yourself in the industry of your choice, you will be seen as a “solution” and that gives you a higher sense of self.

After attending AICA, you will walk away understanding who you are, what you do, and why you do it. You gain a greater level of clarity about your purpose.

In 12 months, AICA certified 1,000 life coaches in 73 cities. Why is your business so successful?

God is the CEO. I can’t take the credit for this achievement. I can put the plan together, the strategy together, but whether or not people enroll, is out of my control. I give all glory to God because I simply said, “God I am giving this plan to You.”

Our second anniversary will be August 19th and we have already blown that number out of the water on the second go round. We didn’t spend a whole lot of money on marketing either. So I said, “God, if this is something that Your hand is on let me do it the right way and not be a person that is all caught up in marketing and the gimmick side of coaching

and making people buy into an image. Let them buy into their purpose and the purpose of Atiras.”

In addition to being the founder of AICA, you also founded AICA Society. What was your motivation for starting this elite group and what benefits does members receive?

I know people need continuing education beyond the sessions and God has afford me the opportunity to connect with people all around the world. I continuously get asked to coach and sometimes my price tag is not affordable for everyone that wants to connect with me and coach, so we offer an affordable way for people to get coached. One of the benefits is that we provide platforms for other coaches and experts to come in and teach, motivate, equip, and empower. We have some amazing partnerships with top corporations, suppliers, and vendors so we are able to offer discounted prices. We offer national publication and speaking opportunities. We offer a wide variety of services to our customers that support them as they grow their businesses and the acceleration of their mission, purpose, and vision. Building a business is not always cheap and it is not always easy, so we offer support while entrepreneurs are building.

What’s next for you in 2019?

We are streamlining our business processes so we can maintain this level of success while we move forward.

Your next level is not a next level if you are losing what you had on the previous level. So our focus right now is on maintaining our momentum and making sure we are proficient in what we do and perfecting it.

Success Tools

The Top 5 Reasons You’re not Hitting Your Goals We’re just over midway through the year. This is a great time to do a check in on your progress on the goals you set at New Years. While some of us are on target to hit them, for many, little progress has been made. In fact, statistics show that less than 10% of people who set goals actually achieve them no matter how motivated they are to do so. Somewhere along the way, usually very early on, we got off track.

As an avid planner, I look forward to my annual goal setting sessions. I typically spend time during the weekend of the Thanksgiving holiday we have here in the U.S. Not only do I set my goals for the year but I identify the key milestones I need to hit and map out the actions I need to take to achieve exactly what I set out to accomplish.

I must admit, I have missed the mark many, many times. As a result, I’ve discovered some patterns from the times I didn’t make it to the finish line. Today I want to share with you the top 5 reasons found that may be keeping you from moving from goal setter to goal getter.

24 PDWMAG.COM July/August2019

Trasetta Alexander www.trasettaalexander.com

Speaker & Faith Based Business Coach

#1 Failure to adjust your vision You have a vision in your mind of whatever it is you plan to do or of what we want it to look like when complete. However, when things don't go the way we anticipate, we won't make the adjustment with it. We don't shift along with the situation. I work with aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners, as a faith-based business coach. One of the first things my clients discover is the process of building a business is not linear. You don't just come up with your business idea, put it out there and everything goes the way you plan. When you launch, you're going to get feedback from the marketplace. If you don't take it, make some adjustments and implement it back into your product or service, you’ll end up not getting the results you wanted.

This can leave you discouraged. Especially if you have to keep moving the deadline or you keep shifting a goal because you're not quite there.

Life goals are the same way. Not just business goals. Maybe it's not the deadline, but it's the actual goal itself. Perhaps you need to make some adjustments there or change your metrics all together in order to attain your goal. Don't look at things not going the way you expect them to as a failure. Look at it as feedback. Take “failure” as feedback and then apply what you've learned from it. #2 Quit too early A few weeks ago, I shared on my podcast the four types of entrepreneurs, and one of them is the potted plant entrepreneur. This is the type of entrepreneur who won't stick with their ideas.

They won't stick with it long enough to actually see it take root and grow. They shift from one idea to another simply because things aren’t progressing as fast as they anticipated. The rapid success that they think should come, doesn’t.

So, they think it's not working and they move onto the next idea. But the underlying issue or concern is a lack of discipline. You lack the discipline or the consistency to actually see your idea come to fruition. You will not feel motivated every day. You're not going to be inspired every day. But you still have to show up and put

26 PDWMAG.COM July/August 2019

in the work, in order for you to achieve what it is that you're going after.

It is the force of consistency that will help you to achieve your goals. You’ve got to stick with it long enough to see the fruit of your labor. #3 You desire the outcome more than the process What do I mean by that? You love the idea of having whatever the end result is. For example, you might like the idea of fame and fortune, working for yourself or living the laptop lifestyle where you can travel the world and do business from wherever we are. No longer chained to a nine to five waiting for someone else to tell us when we can take time off.

However, what happens is we are more wrapped up in daydreaming about the end result and aren’t interested in the process of becoming the type of person who can actually hit the goal. I believe Jim Rohn is attributed to the quote “the major reason for setting a goal is for what it makes of you to accomplish it. What it makes of you will always be far greater value than what you get. Essentially the highest purpose of the goal is to become the type of person who can actually achieve the goal. So it is a focus on becoming rather than achieving. #4 Don’t recognize the lessons in failure A lot of us, when we have failures or things don't go the way that we anticipate them, we look at it as a failure. The trouble is we don't look at the actual situation as a failure. We label ourselves as a failure because our plan didn't work out. The truth is you are not a failure. That particular plan failed. Rather than putting on the label of I'm a failure, we need to look at that particular plan as the failure or not even as a failure, but an opportunity. An opportunity to be innovative and come up with a new plan, a new strategy for how we attain the desired outcome. #5 Fear of judgment What happens is, because we're afraid people are going to judge us, we end up sabotaging ourselves. The reason we self-sabotage is we

want to avoid the rejection. We can see afar off that failure is eminent or we can see the handwriting on the wall. Subsequently we can prepare ourselves for the failure. We can concoct a story to tell people, “Well, it wasn't my fault. It was because of X, Y, and Z.� We're able to better prepare and deflect the judgment. So instead of being judged and rejected, we just self-sabotage. It is more comfortable to be in control of the outcome so we can have an excuse or have a reason, where we can place blame, as opposed to something from without.

So those are our top 5 reasons that you're not hitting your goals. However, if you take some of the strategies I shared with you and implement them into your goal setting and your lifestyle, then you will find yourself hitting your goals much more often.

Success Tools

If You Can’t Save a Dollar...

By: Kendell Lenice Transformational Expert, Life and Financial Coach, Author

28 PDWMAG.COM July/August 2019

If you can't save a dollar, you will never be able to save two. If you can't save $10, you'll never be able to save $100.

As a financial coach, I hear time and time again that people are unable to save money. I get it. It's real in these streets. As soon as you save, something comes up.

Although I get that, I'm also sure that you waste a lot of money. Right? Right! If you have it, you spend it. That's what most do. People also tend to say, "I'm not saving a dollar, what's that going to do? I respond, "Grow!" It all adds up.

If you find a penny on the street, pick it up. Don't walk over it as if it isn't money. Pennies make dollars. I was taught this growing up. Thanks Mom! I took that concept into adulthood and into my profession, unknowingly. It's a concept I teach and live by. Don't turn your nose up at a penny or a dollar because with simple math, that money will grow. Pick up that penny. If you don't, you may not be blessed with more.

If you can't save $10 you'll never be able to save $100.

Everyone must start somewhere, start with a dollar and each day add a dollar. Challenge yourself to do better for yourself. That's where you'll find growth and financial freedom.

People who are financially secure, save money.

They aren't worrying about where their next dollar is coming from. They are living financially free.

That term is not just for "rich" people. That's a theory that works for everyone, even if you make little money. You must change your way of thinking and move about in your lane. If you make less than a friend or family member, then you save what you can. While they may be able to save $50, you may have to save $5. Nevertheless, you're still saving and that's the focus.

There is comfort in knowing your bills are paid and you still have money left. If you work for your money, it should never go to all your bills. What kind of life is that? You cannot live your best life stressed out over money.

You must start somewhere. Meet your finances where they are.

Example: If your car breaks down, you don't have to worry. When you have it, you take your car in with ease and sip a latte, while you wait. Another example: If a friend says, "Hey, I’m looking at this vacation destination for us, all you have to do is pay $500." You don't want to say, "I don't have the money because I have to pay these bills. I want to go, but I don't have it." You want to be able to be financially ready and not strapped to a hamster wheel of FINANCIAL STRAPITY. (Yup, made

Financially discipline yourself or book an appointment with me. :) I will help you see money as a tool and not a necessity. I want to see you win. I'm tired of seeing people stretched to the seams each month. Most of us have been there and it's not fun. When you have more money, you can relax more... feeling the breeze against your skin.

Having a surplus gives you financial relief, so you can do what you want. Don't just save for one thing, save for everything. Meaning, if you have savings you can do what you want, when you need or want to do it. FREEDOM.

Don't turn your nose up at a penny or a dollar because with simple math, that money will grow.

that up.) You don't want to be strapped for cash, missing opportunities to live your life on purpose.

Everyone must start somewhere, start with a dollar and each day add a dollar. Challenge yourself to do better for yourself. That's where you'll find growth and financial freedom. Don't allow anyone to tell you, you can't do. If you decide to listen to the negative talk, allow it to motivate your life.

If you don't cherish what you have, God will not grant you more. Work with what you have, and God will multiply the rest. Do your part and take ownership of your financial life. Leave a legacy behind... a legacy of upward thinking and a healthy relationship with money.

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AUTHORS AND READMEET AUTHOR: Ann Marie Bryan From #1 Amazon Bestselling author Ann Marie Bryan comes the highly anticipated final installment in the Encounters of the Heart series—a riveting story about rising from the ashes, unlocking love, and learning to create and maintain an atmosphere of faith.

“Hearts over the Line” will be released on Thursday, 5/30/2019, and it is now available for pre-orders. Don't miss out on this captivating love story that will stir your emotions on many levels, before coming to a satisfying conclusion. Pre-order now: Amazon

Back Cover Description Chandler Peynard has it all—family, fame, fortune, and salvation. This A-list celebrity has come a long way from his philandering days. That’s no longer his style. He’s head-over-heels in love with Sabrina, his wife, and in full pursuit of God’s calling on his life. But when shadows of the past beckon, he panics. Eventually, he has no choice but to face his previous indiscretions, but will Chandler’s past activities be more than his wife can handle?

Larry and Rozene Kanate have moved beyond the consequences of their mirrored sin. The birth of twin daughters helped to seal their happily-ever-after. Life is wonderful, until it’s not. After the beaded curtain falls, Rozene scrambles to put the pieces together and avoid public humiliation. As the past crosses paths with the present, will their marriage survive?

Madison Bradshaw has moved past her inability to trust and love. But when Tyler, her husband, makes a special request, she hides the truth from him. What could go wrong?

In this captivating conclusion to the bestselling Encounters of the Heart series, unresolved issues make unwelcome visits to test the resiliency of love. Will the characters learn to reset the atmosphere in which they live? Will they live in a place where God finds it easy to bless them? In a season that brings many challenges, they

must summon the courage to forgive, heal and fall in love again.

Release Events Join the Book Release Celebration for Hearts over the Line. This is a Facebook event. Connect here: Book Release Celebration - Hearts over the Line Pre-Release activities are taking place in Ann Marie’s Facebook readers’ group. Click to join the pre-release celebration: Ann Marie Bryan's Facebook Readers' Cafe.

To enter the pre-release giveaway, click Pre-release Giveaway.

Standalone books in the Encounters of the Heart series: Book 1 - Shades of the Heart (The story of Blake & Gabrielle Montgomery) Book 2 - Mirrored Heart: Sealed by Fire (The story of Larry & Rozene Kanate) Book 3 - A Place for my Heart (The story of Chandler Peynard & Sabrina Benjamin) Book 4 - Where My Heart Belongs (The story of Tyler Bradshaw & Madison Kanate) Book 5 (Coming 5/30/2019) - Hearts over the Line (The conclusion)

Spiritual

3 Tips to Avoid the Trap of Comparison By: Danielle Lyles

36 PDWMAG.COM July/August 2019

The other day I walked into a local coffee shop, dressed in yoga pants, a sweatshirt and tennis shoes.

As soon as the doors closed behind me, the woman at the end of the line, immediately turned her head in my direction. She looked me over from the top of my head to the soles of my feet all in a matter of 10 seconds. She then turned around and finished her conversation.

The truth is, if we really understood Who’s we are and how He created us to be, we’d never compare ourselves to anyone because we would understand that our uniqueness was intended to bring Him glory, not ourselves.

I shook my head at the idea that she’d probably summed my life up in the 10 seconds she’d taken to look at me. Nevertheless, I got in line behind her and waited for the first woman in line to finish her order.

As soon as she paid, she walked past me and smiled. I smiled back but immediately began to wonder who did her hair because it wasn’t the best looking. I looked down at her feet and then down at mine. It was cold that day and I wondered why hadn’t she taken the time to check the weather, like I did. I looked at her handbag and wondered was it authentic. I rubbed my hand over my handbag, thinking about how much better it was to not have a knock-off. Lastly, I noticed her skirt was a bit tight. I looked down at my yoga pants that weren’t the loosest and immediately I got this “twinge” in my spirit so to speak.

Apply Scripture

I’m not trying to get super spiritual on you but you know how it is when you do something the Holy Spirit doesn’t like and He lets you know? That’s where I was in that moment.

I paused realizing that I’d just done the exact same thing I reprimanded the woman in front of me for doing in my private thoughts. Every question I had regarding her was based off of the fact that I was the total opposite. In my mind, I was better than her and I didn’t even know her name. I repented and have been reading up on comparison and how to avoid the constant feeling of needing to be better than others.

What I found might be as helpful to you as it was to me.

Comparison is something most women are familiar with at one point or another in their lives. We’re inundated with photos of perfection and work tirelessly to meet unrealistic standards. We see other women’s successes, talents and skills and try to fit in a mold that we were never meant to fit into. We yield to trendy behaviors and self-help propaganda to be the best we can be but don’t take into consideration if these behaviors and steps are really God’s best for us.

So how do we combat the desire to compare ourselves to other women? I’m glad you asked.

The Word of God is our first defense in changing our hearts, thoughts and actions. Galatians 6:4 (NKJV) says, “But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone and not in another.” You’ll never find joy comparing yourself to others. Take the time to look at how God has fashioned and blessed your life. Look at the many successes He’s allowed to come your way and be grateful. Look at the many lessons He’s taught you that have made you who you are and thank Him. This is where your joy and contentment will come from.

Compliment, Compliment, Compliment!

Proverbs 16:24 (NKJV), says, “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” Anytime you feel the urge to compare yourself to another pay her a compliment. Genuinely look for something to compliment her on and go for it. Not only will it be encouraging to her it will help take the focus off of you.

Get Over Yourself Comparison exposes the condition of our hearts. We compare because we feel the need to be better than others. Paul says in Romans 12:3 (NKJV), “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” To think soberly means to think with correct thinking. For Christians, this means to think humbly. Learn to accept yourself as who you are in Christ, not as you wish you were.

July/August 2019 PDWMAG.COM 37

SOAR By: Michelle Cook-Hall

Have you ever heard the saying “You made your bed, so now lay in it”. This phrase is implying that your actions, has made your life uncomfortable or troublesome, so now you have to deal with it. But you are designed and predestined to live a life of liberty. He gave freedom to man but cannot hold anyone “free,” so long as his own conscience locks him up into the fear of death and punishment. The mind which has places which it is afraid to touch can never expatiate (atone) everywhere; and the mind which cannot go anywhere, never is “free.”

It is the sense of pardon which is that man’s emancipation. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). This is not a sensational sense of freedom, but it is as deep rooted as your issues. It is your God given birthright to be truly free. Let us stop blaming our environment. Let us alter it, or use it, or leave it, without complaining, but with sympathy, basing our actions on love. That’s right, stop wasting time complaining and wallowing in your issues and change them.

Change them by acknowledging, accepting, forgiving, loving and letting go. Acknowledge what has happened in your family and how it has impacted your life and vow to end it for the sake of yourself and your children. Accept and declare that this is not the plan for your life or your seed. Forgive those who have hurt you indirectly and directly. Love your family and

Spiritual

pray for their healing in the areas that has impacted the family cycle. Let go of the pain and anger.

Resist the desire for retaliation and mockery of those who have negatively impacted your life.

Freedom is not an unattainable gift, but it is right within your reach. Don’t allow the false illusion of depth keep you from reaching out and accepting your right to a brand new beginning. You deserve a fresh start and a new beginning. Despite the past mistakes and failure of the family tree, you a right to good health, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness better known as freedom. Not only free in the natural, but spiritually free as well. Be free to dream, believe and achieve. Don’t live a life expecting the worse or accepting mediocrity when you know that you are able to achieve more. Don’t limit yourself by backing yourself into a corner.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Isa 40:31).

Eagles have long, broad wings and tails which easily support their weight when flying, and can glide long distances by holding their wings out stiffly, catching the air currents and updrafts, enabling them to soar high into the sky, far higher than other birds. There are four basic mechanics to the eagle flight.

The first is lift. Lift force is created by the action of

airflow on the wing, which is known as an airfoil.

The lift force occurs because the air pressure is higher below the wing and lower above the wing.

Just as an eagle, you must position yourself for takeoff. You are pressure on every side, and it is time for a change, time to shift.

The second mechanic is gliding. Eagles obtain a mixture of forward and vertical force from their wings. This is due to the lift force being generated at a right angle. Once you have embraced the need to shift, you will take off finding that you are equipped to handle this. The shift will be an unfamiliar territory but a necessary change.

One of the fundamental mechanics of bird flight is flapping. When a bird flaps, its wings continue to create lift. This constant lift is rotated forward to create thrust that counteracts drag and increases speed. The two stages of flapping are the down stroke, which provides most of the thrust, and the up stroke. You have dedicated yourself to the change, even though it is a frightening experience for you with ups and downs, it will begin to get better over time. Perseverance is the key.

Once you have kept course and applied all that you have learned, you will begin to see and feel the impact and flight of freedom. You and others around you will see the beauty of your flight. It has been a challenging course to get here, but now you are free.

Expand your wings and soar.

Spiritual

IF YOU PERSIST YOU WILL PREVAIL By: Dr. Teresa Slade

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of persist is, “to go on resolutely or stubbornly in spite of opposition, importunity, or warning.”

My Grandson taught me a lesson in being persistent.

This past Thanksgiving my husband, grandson and I went to Orlando to visit my mother. On our first day, my grandson experienced the wonder of the ice cream truck. He was so excited, this was after all, a novelty for him. On Thanksgiving Day my grandson came running into the house saying he heard the ice cream truck. I doubted him because again it’s Thanksgiving Day. He took me outside and said, “Listen, Mama, do you hear it?” I did not. Still, he remained persistent until finally I heard a very faint sound of bells ringing in the distance.

There are things in life that we desire, visions and dreams that we have for our lives and promises from God that we are waiting on to manifest. But the question becomes—can we remain persistent while we wait? Can we still be encouraged when the delays or detours of life occur? And, what about the setbacks and disappointments that we may encounter? Oh, and let’s not forget the naysayers, you know the ones that try to talk us out of our dreams. They come to discourage and to take away our confidence, to make us doubt ourselves, to make us doubt God, and doubt what we heard God say.

Perseverance in the Christian life is a test of whether one’s Christian commitment is genuine.

He then went into the room, retrieved his money, and positioned himself outside to wait. One hour went by, then two hours, until finally he saw the ice cream truck and was able to get his treat. He was confident in what he heard and waited until it manifested, and he received what he had been waiting for.

Perseverance in the Christian life is a test of whether one’s Christian commitment is genuine. Go through the process and remain persistent and diligent.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV), “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Be confident in God’s word. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22 (The Message Bible), “Whatever God has promised gets stamped with the Yes of Jesus. In Him, this is what we preach and pray, the great Amen, God’s Yes and our Yes together, gloriously evident.

God affirms us, making us a sure thing in Christ, putting his Yes within us. By His Spirit he has stamped us with His eternal pledge a sure beginning of what He destined to complete.”

Remember, whatever you want to accomplish, be persistent. Do not give up, stay strong, move forward and in due season you will see your desire and purpose fulfilled.

GIVE YOUR LIFE TO CHRIST Prayer by Pastor William Alexander

Have you thought about receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?

He loves you very much. You can receive Jesus Christ as your Lord today.

The scripture says: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raise him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

The scriptures also says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

(St. John 3:16-17) If you really believe that pray this pray:

Dear God I come to you now. I believe that you sent Jesus Christ to die for me and my sins. I believe that Jesus is the only hope for salvation. I want to receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. I give you my life today come and live in my heart today. I trust you. In Jesus Name.

If you prayed that and really meant it in your heart, welcome to the family of God. Ask the Lord to lead you to a good bible believing church.

Poetic Purpose New Section

DEPRESSION Christina “Truchrissy” Malloy

Matter Does my prayers Matter? Going Every where but Up and I'm ready To give up. Because My prayers are lost In the wind going Every where but up.

I've done all I Known to do Pray, fast, and believe.

Father I'm not asking Can You hear me, I'm asking when.

By Truchrissy AKA Christina Malloy

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV

Love & Relationship JUST SIMPLY SAYING:

BREAKING RELATIONSHIP PATTERNS By: Rhoda Whitfield

A

re you looking for the same old thing or are you trying to graduate to something new and improved? I’ll tell anyone that asks; marriage takes work and is not to be taken lightly. I have a question for you as my reader today. How many unsuccessful relationships have you been in? Many times, we go in and out of relationships conducting our lives the same, have low expectations of our partner, and accept the same thing from one relationship to another.

Listen, it’s time for you to take a self-checkup. Until you realize that you need to make changes within you, you will continue to attract the same type of people. In order to graduate to something new and improved you’ve got to change something within you. Getting the right catch is like going fishing. When you throw your line out and you feel a bite, you bring your line in slowly so that it doesn’t jump off the hook. Now you might say “well it wasn’t for me”. On the other hand, I say your conduct, approach and how you talk can draw red flags for a new prospective relationship.

If these are the things that were a part of your previous relationships and you got nothing from them, then those are the thing that needs to be dealt with immediately.

Don’t be so quick to want to rush things. Get to know each other first before allowing things to go deeper.

Don’t allow your physical attraction to take over your relationship because it can’t hold your relationship

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together when you hit bumps in the road.

Start your relationship in learning to communicate with each other. The more you get to know each other, the easier it becomes to talk with one another and become more comfortable. Talking to one another allows you to really get to know each other’s likes and dislikes. If you fail to learn each other in this manner, you will find yourself saying something possibly offensive and not even knowing what you’ve said because you deal off the cuff saying whatever comes up.

Many times, people never pay attention to the unhealthy relationship patterns that they have developed. They go from one relationship to the next pushing replay. All this does is have us with someone new but repeating the previous patterns. When you add 2+2 you should always get 4, but if you don’t check your math, you may get 3 or 5. Therefore, you should never have a problem in checking yourself and see if you are carrying any previous relationship unhealthy baggage into your present relationship. We have to stop talking about what we aren’t going to do again, and turn right around and allow it to happen.

Until you make changes within you, you will continue to connect with the same type of people, with the same familiar behaviors. Have you ever asked yourself why you keep being attracted to people that make you feel uncomfortable, take advantage of your kindness, demean you, make you feel unvalued, and for the most part bring out the worst in you, instead of the best?

You and your partner should compliment each other.

You should always be made to feel like a queen and he should always feel like a king. We have to stop accepting garbage in our life, just to say we got a man. As the old saying states, “I can do bad all by myself”. Have you paid any attention to the fact that the person you are dating now is no different from the person you dated last year?

The only difference is that they have different names. If I could use an emoji at this point, I promise you it would be the one with the smirk.

It is not our destiny to be abused or misused. God did not create us for that. We all have or had bad habits that needed to be broken. So at this point, just acknowledge that you have bad relationship patterns. These patterns allow you to change the players but have the same outcome.

In order to break these patterns, you will need to look back at all of your previous relationships and how they ended or what caused them to end. Look for commonalities of things that repeated. Once you identify them, write them down because these are the thing you need to work on. Pay attention to what all these relationships had in common.

A lot of times, we enter into relationships because they feel familiar and comfortable to us. That should cause us to draw a red flag and make us put the brakes on.

However, most of the time it causes us to fall right in without giving it any thought.

Many times people go from one relationship to another without even recognizing the similarities with their previous relationship. So, what is a relationship pattern?

These are qualification or attractions, things that cause us to develop a template for what we are looking for.

However we chose to look at it, these qualifications,

attractions or templates will cause us to be drawn to the same type of people due to what our specifications are.

In most cases, things are going to look the same in each relationship without you even noticing it. Let’s look at a possible template. You have expectations of what you are looking for in a partner. Your preference is tall, dark, handsome and a great job. You are simply stating how you want them to look and what they could possibly provide you.

Instead of focusing on one’s physical appearance and their financial position, what about their character?

Based on your upbringing or what you saw as a child, you could find yourself with someone that is a dictator.

Telling you when to go, when to come, what you can’t do, where you can’t go. You could find yourself going from one abusive relationship to another. What about the relationship where you are treated like a child. They act as though they are your parent. You have no say so, no input on anything. And by no means are we going to forget the cheater.

These are relationship patterns that you can break, but you have to be willing to look beyond the physical attraction and what they bring financially to the table.

I’m not saying accept a dead beat that has no job because they treat you special. However, remember your expectations or qualifications have to change to one’s character Does this person have a relationship with God? Does this person treat you with the utmost respect? Does this person value your opinion? Does this person avoid hurting you physically, verbally, or mentally? Does this person allow you to be you? These are the attributes that you should be looking for in a relationship. These are the attributes that should trump physical attractions.

I’m Just Simply Saying.

Love & Relationship

Five Strategies for Surviving the Dark Days of Marriage

By Ishah Whipple

Whether you’ve been married a few months, years or decades, there will be times where you will encounter dark days. I mean, let’s be honest. We won’t always agree with our spouses and some days we’ll find ourselves at a crossroads having to decide what to respond to and what simply let go.

In the years that my husband and I have been married, I believe God has taught me a lot about those dark days. I’m positive I still have much to learn, but I wanted to share a few words of advice or strategies to help us all survive those dark days of marriage.

Communication is Key I remember when we first got married, my husband and I were open about a lot of things in our lives. As open as we thought we were, we realized as time went by that there were things about our past that we were selectively secretive about. Those very issues were what caused great havoc in our marriage and lives.

We hit rock bottom and it brought us to a crossroads. We either had to be brutally honest with each other about every aspect of our lives, or

“Your marriage should always be between you, your spouse, and God.”

wealth of wisdom. James 1:5 says if we lack wisdom, we should ask God who generously gives wisdom when asked. Your marriage (and all its issues) should always be between you, your spouse, and God. Why? Because a three stranded cord is not so easily broken!

Stop Bad Mouthing Your Spouse!

we were going to fall apart very quickly. We chose to be honest and man, did that hurt!

That moment of brute honesty saved our marriage.

When you know that truth about each other, you can really be free to love and grow together.

Keep Everyone Out of Your Business!

I was so guilty of this! Things would go wrong and I had to call my mom, sisters, best friend or that trusted sister from the church! The question God has taught me to ask is, “What can that person do to help my situation?” Apart from feeling relieved to have someone to talk to, can they really do more than God to help your situation? They will all have their feelings and opinions about what you shared with them and those feelings will most likely last long after you’ve worked through them with your spouse.

My husband and I started what we call “truth moments” which means, “Hey, I need to be honest.

I may hurt your feelings, but I am choosing not to hold this in.” Once the other person agrees, we flat out talk about anything. Even if it hurts to get it all out, it’s the decision to intentionally talk to each other about an issue as opposed to talking to everyone else outside of our relationship.

Family or not, regardless of how long we’ve known people, the bible says in Romans 14:12 that we will give an account of ourselves to God. My husband and I think of it this way: At the end of the day, people go home to their own families, issues, relationships, and ways of living. We answer to God and God alone.

If there are issues going on in your marriage, your best bet is to go to your Creator, God who is a

Along with talking to the world about your relationship issues, the biggest hindrance to any marriage is bad mouthing our spouses. The bible says that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Why would we speak death over a person we’re connected to? Especially when that person is someone we’ve chosen to be one with??

Ephesians 4:29-30 says we shouldn’t speak bad about each other, but should speak words of life that will help build each other up.

When we speak negatively against our spouses, it sows cords of distrust between the people we’re venting to and our spouses. Not only that, but how do you think your spouse would feel to know that their being torn down by their own spouse? Or vice versa? Not only do we compromise our relationships when we speak against our spouses, but we hinder our ability to witness to others when all we do is talk about our spouses or anyone in general.

Focus on the Real Enemy The book of Ephesians makes clear who the real enemy is when things start to go haywire in our marriages. When we take our focus off of God and start to dwell on our problems, we will start to view our spouses as the enemy.

I remember thinking my husband was the worse man in the world. I thought, it’s not the enemy, it’s him!

God had to open my eyes to the works of the enemy. Why would the enemy want my marriage to prosper when we were doing so much good for God’s kingdom? Of course the enemy would start messing with us both individually and together to keep us from having solidarity in our marriage.

I allowed myself to make my husband an idol. I July/August 2019 PDWMAG.COM 47

began to depend on him for comfort, strength, and healing. None of which he really had to offer, but needed for himself as well. I built up so many unrealistic expectations that when he failed, it tore me down and put a wedge in our relationship.

I still work on seeing things for what they are now. When things begin to go south in my relationship, I turn to God like, Ok! What’s happening and how do I combat this! Only You can help us through this, so let get it! I try to look past my husband and look straight to God for the help needed to get us through the dark days always ready to learn whatever lesson God has in store for us in that season.

Always Keep God First Even though this should have been the first point, I felt it best to end on this note. When we make God the center of our focus in life, everything else falls into place. Matthew 6:33 says if we seek God and all His righteousness, all these things will be added to us. What things, you ask? Things like joy, peace, good health, wisdom, and yes, a prosperous marriage.

When we choose to put God first, we will naturally run to Him first in all things. Giving God reign in our lives and especially in our marriages allows God to strengthen us in ways our friends, leaders and family members cannot. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the strength of a three stranded cord any day over anything else!

Let’s Pray God, we ask You to come into our marriages and bless them. Give us wisdom in how we treat our spouses and who we allow in our personal situations. Guide us on the darkest of days and remind us of Your goodness on the brightest of days. Help us to focus on You even when we don’t know how things will get better, trusting You know what’s best and have great plans for us. Teach us how to love our spouses in ways that are unique to them and our relationship. We pray the flame of our love and friendship will always stay strong. We are forever grateful for the spouse You have blessed us with.

In Jesus name, amen.

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Author Spotlight

Safiyah Givens:

Gifted to Fight P

icture this moment—two people fighting in the middle of the street.

Crowds of people are gathered around routing for the party they will like to win. Some of these people may perceive a winner as one that’s the biggest or toughest. Others may perceive a winner as someone who can throw a punch the fastest. Those perceptions can summarize the winner as someone being gifted to fight. Of course, these perceptions may be true to a certain extent, but from God’s perspective, gifted to fight means so much more. The weight of the words seems to hold much strength, resilience and determination. From God’s view, it’s being able to stand in the midst of pain, to keep going when you want to give up and to laugh when you want to cry.

I suppose the reason why God didn’t allow me to dismiss the title—Gifted to Fight—is because I needed those words to carry me through in the season, I was headed in. As a matter of fact, as I am typing this, I am in the midst of the season, but God has encouraged me through it all that I am gifted to fight whatever may come my way because it is only the spirit of God within me that can push me through. I had used the title for a message I gave at a youth conference in 2015, and it’s been in my spirit since then. I had a couple of ideas on how I was going to use the title, but one idea stood out the most, and that was to do another poetry book.

I felt God wanted me to give a message of perseverance through my poetry pieces. To me, gifted to fight means you have the gift of grace and mercy; you have the gift of God himself to help you fight the giants in your life. No matter what may come our way, we can persevere and fight the good fight of faith. As you read through, you will see me fighting my inner struggles, the enemy, and giving encouragement to those who are struggling themselves. I pray you find yourself through these pieces and come to the conclusion that you are not alone; that you, too, can overcome. I pray that the encouragement, triumphs and weaknesses you will see throughout this book will lead you to say I can do this; I am Gifted to Fight.

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SYNOPSIS If we look around our society, we see that fighting is rewarded or even deemed as a form of entertainment, but, we never see it as the results of what’s going on within. Fighting, on a physical level, only, comes from what has not been dealt with on a spiritual level. It takes confronting the deep parts of ourselves in order for healing to even begin. Gifted to fight is not aimed to teach how well a physical fight should be presented, but how you can fight through doubts, fears, weaknesses, temptations and so much more. These poetic words presented in this book, open the door to how preservation through trials and tribulations grants us the title of “Gifted to Fight”.

BIO In May of 2010 Safiyah Givens decided to follow Christ wholeheartedly. A couple years into her walk with Christ she became aware of her writing gift. Soon after she accepted her calling to write she started writing her first book of poetry which was release in 2014 call “She Speaks.” Since writing her first book she has released a spoken word CD “The Key” and a novella call “Unborn.” Safiyah has hosted open mic events, volunteered for Interfaith hospitality Network, received a certification for volunteering at Hospice Compassionate Care, has been featured on the Jump Start Your Day blog and received certificates for recognition of authorship. She has a bachelor’s degree in behavioral Analysis of Psychology, serves in the youth and media ministry, and has had an interview on the Sharvette Mitchell radio show. “She Speaks” has been featured in iMatter magazine twice.

The “Unborn” has been featured in Amorespeaks magazine. Safiyah Has been featured in the Cape May County Herald. She released her second poetry book “Gifted To Fight” in 2017 and has transition into writing Easter and Christmas skits for her church.

Currently Safiyah is working on future projects and blogging about faith & poetry.

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Contact Info www.safiyahgivens.com https://m.facebook.com/authorsafiyahgivens/ https://www.instagram.com/

Author Spotlight

Author Angela Y. Hodge We are delighted to spotlight author Angela Y. Hodge who wears many hats – Author, Visionary Director, and Motivational Speaker. Worthy of mention is Angela’s Daybreak Book Collection. According to Angela, “A Daybreak Moment is that moment when you are reminded of your self-worth. That moment you gain strength to keep the faith, keep doing what is right, and keep believing in yourself. You will shine bright and rise above it all.

Daybreak: Gaining Strength Through Our Pain - A collection of day-to-day encouraging poems, letters and Scriptures, derived from the trials and tests that Angela had experienced.

Daybreak: Rising Above It All With Praise - A collection of day-to-day inspiring prayers and words of encouragement which resulted from Angela’s life experiences.

Daybreak: 100 Powerful Breakthrough Moments for Women - A collection of quotes, Scriptures, poems and prayers to help uplift and encourage women to embrace hemselves.

Daybreak: A Prayer Book For Children - A prayer book which encourages children to build a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Angela Y. Hodge is the Founder and Visionary Director of Daybreak Art of Learning which is a program designed to allow individuals to be creative while using their gifts and talents.

She has published four books in the Daybreak Book Collection—Daybreak: Gaining Strength Through Our Pain, Daybreak: Rising Above It All With Praise, Daybreak: 100 Powerful Breakthrough Moments for Women, and Daybreak: A Prayer Book For Children.

Two short stories, titled "One Kept Secret" and "A Wicked Twist of Fate", earned Angela a second place prize in the Tallahassee Authors Network 2014 short story contest. She has also written a standalone poetry book titled “Purple Love".

Angela was proud to be highlighted under the notable "Women to Watch" column in the 2012 February/March issue of the Tallahassee Woman Magazine. She also volunteers as a reader and reviewer for Global Media Multi Enterprises Publishing Company.

CONNECT WITH ANGELA Email: angelayhodge@gmail.com Website: www.angelayhodge.com Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/DaybreakMoments Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelayhodge

Purpose Driven Women Magazine had the wonderful opportunity to be the media correspondent for this year’s 5th annual SHE Tea conference. This conference allowed women to escape the burnout, taking their life from overwhelmed to overflow. Packed with mentoring sessions, take-action workshops, inspiring messages, vendors, door prizes, and the refill women need to gain control of their flow, this year’s SHE Tea was nothing short of AMAZING! Hosted by Tallahassee’s Oprah, Nicole Everett of the popular Conversations with Nicole show, attendees were able to intimately connect with respected women in the community including keynote speaker, Dr. Asha Brewer, founder of Temple Fit Co.; Therapist Stephanie Jones, founder of Women at Werk; Executive Coach Kristie Kennedy, founder of Queenfidence Image Consulting; author Toni Mutcherson, Owner of BFF Publishing; and Dr. Jenelle Robinson.

The conference also included respected mentors in the community including Tamara Smith, 2019 Ms. Black Florida; Shishandra Devlin, Fashion Expert with Fashioned for Hem; Gina Kinchlow with Kinchlow & Co.-Strategic Business Consultants; Tena Pate, Criminal Justice Advocate with Tena Pate & Associates, LLC; one of Tallahassee’s 25 Women You Need to Know; Kris Spell, coach and business owner; and Prof. Latanya White, Entrepreneurship Educator with Becoming Fearless.

We are already excited about next years annual SHE Tea. It is going to be EPIC! Did you miss out on all the awesomeness this year? Don’t worry, we got your back. Follow us on Facebook @pdwmag and @templefitco for behind the scenes footage, live interviews, photos, and much more.

Dr

r. Asha Brewer, founder of Temple Fit Co.

Vania Andre

is a first-generation Haitian-American media publishing executive and former Communications director with the New York City Council for Council Member Jumaane D. Williams. As the recently appointed publisher of the Haitian Times, one of the oldest publications in the Haitian community, she is the leader of the primary media outlet that covers the Haitian Diaspora in the U.S. As she has been instrumental in sharing empowering stories and highlighting issues that are important to Haitians across the country, it would be great if you would consider profiling her or including her in a feature.

Vania uses her platform to give Haitian immigrants and their children the opportunity to stay connected with their community. She is dedicated to providing a holistic view of a nation that is often marginalized. Rather than solely focusing on critical issues, she also highlights notable achievements within the Haitian community.

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VANIA ANDRE

SET UP FOR A BLESSING

By: Vania Andre

T

Two years ago, I found myself in the midst of a depression that weighed so heavily on me that I could not see any way out. I felt stuck and as though my life wasn’t progressing as it should. My five-year relationship with my then fiancé was quickly deteriorating, I was in a job that prevented me from following my true passion fully, and I was approaching 30 and still living with my parents. I felt like a failure. For months, I had uncontrollable bouts of sobbing—at work, on the train, in my room, as I prayed asking God why was He doing this to me.

After my wedding had been called off (3 months before the date), my depression took hold of me and dictated every aspect of my life. However, while I was grieving over all that had gone wrong in my life, God was quietly setting me up for blessings that I had never even envisioned for myself.

Daily, I struggled for a long time. During the day, I was determined to move past the pain I was harboring inside. But at night, I would still have moments where I sobbed for all that I thought I loss. It took a while for me to see that what I thought was the biggest tragedy of my life, was the biggest blessing. I didn’t realize how much I had let my relationship consume me and distract me from my purpose. In less than a year, my life changed drastically. I purchased my first home, moved to a new state, and started a new job that allowed me the flexibility and time to focus on my personal ambitions. I used that time alone to focus on me and create the life that I knew was destined for me. I decided I wasn’t going to let my depression be my story.

“ It took a while for me to see that what I thought was the biggest tragedy of my life, was the biggest blessing.”

July/August 2019 PDWMAG.COM 57

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LUCY IRVING

SURVIVING DISAPOINTMENT By: Lucy Irving

I

spend a lot of time reaching out to women, showing them with my story that God will give you the strength to

overcome anything. Once I wrote it all down, I realized that my determination was uplifting and encouraging other's and in doing so, it has helped me. The first time that I can remember my head being thrown into a window, is when I was five years old. When I was fourteen, my adult brother beat me with a wire clothes hanger. I knew then that love must hurt. I couldn't understand why I was treated so badly by those that I loved most.

I found myself believing that pain was love. So, I was happy when I fell in love. He was charming, and I believed it was from God but I was wrong. On our wedding night, he hit me for the first time. I was in shock, but by morning I believed him when he said he would never do it again. When I took my marriage vows, I had made a promise to God and I took that promise seriously. Truthfully, I felt I was not strong enough to break free from the abuse.

I conquered cervical cancer right before I became pregnant with our little girl, and I was excited about the future, I imagined for her. By then, I was used to the way my husband treated me but I was still in shock that he beat me into labor. Our daughter died, and as I looked at her beautiful face I screamed for mercy from God. However, I felt that God wasn't hearing me.

I became numb inside as I held my daughter until he passed away. From that moment on, I couldn’t hold my head up. I struggled with my faith and I felt empty, but I refused to give up. I began to fight and conquer addiction, mental illness. Soon, I couldn't take anymore and found myself at the graveyard on my knees begging and pleading with God. I asked him to take the pain, emptiness, and abuse, and to show me what he wanted for my life.

Suddenly, everything became clear, and I opened myself up to God in a way that I had never done.

Soon my husband attacked with a golf club and I finally found the strength to leave my abusive marriage, and never look back. Before I knew it, God answered all of my prayers, and I began to see miracles around me. I still felt the sting from all of the trauma, but God freed me from the darkness inside my heart and sent me real love.

Even though I suffered five miscarriages, he gave me the strength to keep going, and soon, I had a baby in my arms and a Godly husband. Again, I fought cervical cancer and conquered it.

I found myself in labor again and my youngest son was still born. The pain engulfed me, but God led me through

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it. He gave me the strength to look at the faces of my loving husband, and son, and see Heaven on Earth. And through all of the pain, I began to realize that God had picked me because He has a bigger plan for me. I figured that I would never live through so much unless God has a plan for my life. God took my emptiness and filled me up with love, and happiness.

God continues to hold me and lead me into the world to do as He wants me to do. He takes the worst and makes good out of it. Satan has attacked me more times than I can count, but God has given me the strength to do more in the world. God wants me to reach out to other's and uplift them with my determination that only God has given me. I am determined to help others see that no matter what happens God will carry them when they don't have the strength to crawl.

I am a purpose-driven woman. I will never give up and I will never back down. I will keep moving forward and growing with God by my side. I will tell the world my story of survival in hopes that each and every one that comes across it will realize the power that God places inside of us!

60 PDWMAG.COM July/August 2019

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ALEXIS WOOD

BEATING THE ODDS By: Alexis Wood

H

ello My name is Alexis Wood, I currently live in the suburbs of Philadelphia Pa and I am a mother of two children. I have son that is 14 years old and a daughter that is 3 years old, who was recently diagnosed with autism. At the age of 14 years old I became pregnant with my first child. Throughout my entire pregnancy and during my teenage years as a mother, I was constantly bashed for having my child at a young age and was constantly told by those who were closest to me, including my own family, that I would not be able to accomplish my goals or even finish high school. After giving birth to my son, I attended a pregnancy school for my sophomore year and after that returned back to my regular high school to finish my junior and senior year.

My son attended daycare while I went to school. It was June of 2007 when I completed high school and went on to walk across the stage and obtain my diploma. I had become one of the first members of my immediate family to graduate high school. That was one of the greatest days of my life. I felt as though that was just the first step of proving everyone including my family, that they were totally wrong about how they viewed me as a teen parent.

Being a single parent was very scary for me, I didn’t know if I was capable of being totally on my own and not having my child’s father around at all. I soon found the courage and confidence to continue on with my life and to resume being the best mother I could be, while being single. After graduating highschool I worked fulltime at an Adult Day program. I maintained my position there, for 3 years until I decided to enroll in college for my Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. After passing the entry exam and being accepted, I felt as though I had gained another triumph and had yet again, proved everyone who had ever doubted me wrong. I was so proud of myself and felt as though I could achieve anything I had put my mind too. I had recently moved into my own very first apartment and had just brought my first car. At the time I felt as if I was living my very best life. About 1 year after beginning college, I had decided for career reasons, that I wanted to relocated back to hometown in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. In 2014 I successfully completed my degree and graduated with my bachelors.

College had been so stressful during those 4 years but as young and determined woman, I stayed grounded in order to be successful and graduate on time. A close friend motivated me and encouraged me to go back to college , in which I did in 2017 to obtained my Graduate degree in Psychology. After graduating for the 3th time in my life, that was my “Aha moment”, in which I began to realize that maybe all of the negative things that I was told when I was a teenager and how I was doubted my entire life, just because I had a child young, were all just to push and motivate me to actually materialize my dreams. I had one of those moments of truth and was fully convinced that I was the individual in my family that would break our generational curse of having multiple relatives who had failed to graduate and let obstacles get in the way. After I had graduated from grad school, I was able to land several master level jobs in the human services field. I worked in the human services field for about 2 years, up until this year when I had recently quit my most recent job and began to pursue a career in painting and contracting. Now I co-own a successful six figure painting and contracting business. I also have a paint brush line that was started in 2018 after my daughter was diagnosed with autism that helps raise autism awareness.

All around the world women from different walks of life are letting their light shine by sharing their story and encouraging women.

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