Rewind valentine's 2016 final

Restore, Empower, Win, Improve, Nourish and Develop Marriage WINTER 2016

CELEBRATING LOVE WITH MAYSA & CHELSEY GREEN LOVE...ELEGANCE...MUSIC

Tips to Rekindle Romance In Your Marriage CREDIT REPAIR COMPANIES...HOAX OR REALITY?

POWER MINISTRY 911 MARRIAGE COUPLE EMERGENCY PASTORS LINWOOD & Readers Questions Answered

KAREN BETHEA SUCCESSFUL IN MINISTRY & IN LOVE

CAN THEY REPAIR YOUR CREDIT?

TRIED

BY FIRE

How A Couple Rebuilds After Devastation

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that’s not me. As a woman, I learned from my mother—I watched my parent’s relationship and I knew the role I wanted to play in the relationship. I don’t want to be the woman who is trying to “wear the pants” or be in charge. There is nothing wrong with that for those who desire that, but that is not who I am or who I desire to be. I want the man to be “the man” in the relationship. I want him to be in control and to make decisions with me.

Q: What advice do you have for other single individuals who desire a relationship, but find it difficult to balance their careers with time for relationships?

by Tamara Hundley

Up Close & Personal with Maysa Q: As a single woman, what is your view on being single and marriage?

A: One of my lifelong dreams is being married. It just isn’t something that has happened yet. I have been in a few relationships that have been really serious, but they didn’t work out. One of the reasons I believe it is taking a while is because I refuse to be with someone who is not faithful. I haven’t been with a person who is willing to be faithful and I refuse to compromise on that essential quality.

Q: Do you think the fact that you travel so much for your career hinders your ability to maintain a solid relationship?

A. No. I am not gone all the time. For the most part, the times that I was gone in the past, made the heart grow fonder. I am not gone that much. It is my desire to be with someone who loves God, is compassionate with strong morals and a hard worker. I also would like the individual to have set goals in life with a desire to achieve things and help people. I know he is out there, but I have not made the connection as of yet.

Q: Are men intimidated by the success of your career?

A: It’s a double-edged sword… they like what I do and they are impressed by what I do. I am not the type of woman who will throw the amount of money I make up in your face. I am really old fashioned.

I am not the career—feminist woman…

A. Find the time. People often make the excuse that there is 24 hours in a day and they can’t find the time. However, the reality is there really is time. People make time for what they want. No one works 24/7. It all depends on your priorities. For me, after my last breakup, the last few years of my life I have focused on taking care of my son and trying to be happy. The most

important thing is to be happy. You can work all day long, try to build your career and try to make a lot of money, but if you’re not happy inside than you can’t even attract a good person. I believe if you’re happy with yourself, love will find you.

I haven’t been this happy in a long time.

I watch TV and Facebook and I see all these stories, but I am okay. If it happens, it happens. I am not in a place where I am dying to be with someone. I miss dating, but I have a peace right now that nobody can touch and I am not willing to let go of that peace. Whoever does come in my life will have to be someone who is peaceful.

I will not allow any more drama in my life. So many people attribute drama to women, but there are a lot of men who bring drama. I am not willing to deal with the drama.

My advice to anyone seeking a solid relationship is to relax, enjoy life and be happy…and if and when it happens…IT HAPPENS!

MAYSA LEAKE’S BIO T

here are very few singers on the contemporary scene who have a unique, instantly identifiable vocal sound; there are even fewer who have the stylistic range to encompass both Jazz and R&B in their performances.

Grammy-nominated Soul/Jazz diva Maysa, who celebrates her 20th year as a solo recording artist this year, marks that achievement with her new album BACK 2 LOVE, a tour-de-force that validates her status as the greatest Soul-Jazz singer of her generation-the latest in a distinguished line of singers that stretches back through Anita Baker, Chaka Khan, Will Downing, Angela Bofill, Marlena Shaw and more recently, Ledisi and Chrisette Michele. BACK 2 LOVE, which is set for a May 26th release, may be her widest-ranging album yet, incorporating contemporary R&B, jazzy Soul balladry, straight-up dance music, inspirational pop and more. With production from the likes of J.R. Hutson (Jill Scott, Earth, Wind & Fire), Lorenzo Johnson (Ledisi), Stokley Williams (Mint Condition, Kelly Price, Wale’), and Chris “Big Dog” Davis (Kim Burrell, George Clinton), the album coheres around Maysa’s peerless vocalizing highlighted by her amazingly rich, evocative vocal tone. That’s the sound that led her mentor Stevie Wonder to proclaim “Maysa is WONDERful!” In the wake of her first Grammy nomination and Soul Train Music Award, it seems that the world-at-large is finally recognizing just how special an artist Maysa is.

“BACK 2 LOVE represents the fact that I’m ready to get back to having a personal life with a very special man in my life. I have worked hard

on my career so I could take care of us (my son and I). My son is almost 16 and I think he is old enough to have a mom who is going to be dating and possibly married. I am ready to meet Prince Charming. The music is exactly who I am.

Being a Shanachie artist, I was always given the freedom to express who I am musically but this time I feel like spiritually we all went to a pure place to get this music. The music represents who I am as a woman and a human being who lives to love people. As a professional singer I should be able to sing anything and my records are just me trying to love everyone. And that’s why I am proud to be able to go from Jazz to R&B to Pop, etc.”

BACK 2 LOVE kicks off with a classic dancepulse on the title track. Though Maysa has recorded dance tracks before (mostly notably with Incognito), those often had a Brazilian or more overt Jazz spin but BACK 2 LOVE shows that Maysa has what it takes to be a dance diva if she wanted to.

The opener is followed by the distinctive R&B groove of “Keep It Movin’” produced by Mint Condition’s lead vocalist/producer/songwriter Stokley, who also contributes a guest vocal on the track. It is unlike anything Maysa has done previously and the chemistry between her and Stokley is magical. “Stokley is an amazing artist,” Maysa says. “ I love his writing, his voice and performing style. I think our styles are like smoke and fire together, like a sweet barbecue sauce!

I was so happy he joined me on this record.”

Stokley adds, “Working with Maysa was so

familiar even though we’ve never collaborated before. We have a lot of the same influences.

Maysa has such a unique gift. Think if velvet, butter & brown had a sound... weave a few high textures in there, that’s her! You feel her soul when she delivers a song. I’m very honored to have worked with Maysa.”

The song “Heavenly Voices” is a masterpiece of jazzy Soul, quintessential Maysa, a spirituallyoriented song. Likewise, such tracks as “Last Chance For Love,” “Go Away Little Boy,” and “Smilin’” all have the hallmarks of Maysa’s classic style-rich vocal sound, deeply felt, evocative phrasing, lyrics relating to affairs of the heart, and a song structure that embodies the essence of R&B but adds a Jazz sensibility. “Go Away Little Boy” is inspired by Marlena Shaw’s classic hit of the same name. “Big Dog, my producer, came to me with the title and the music and I thought it would be fun to create our own vibes,” Maysa relates. “Marlena Shaw’s version is perfection and one of the songs I listened to growing up. I would never try to cover it.” On “Last Chance For Love,” a Seventies-style R&B ballad, Maysa is joined by the incomparable Phil Perry, likewise a singer who is revered by other musicians.”Finally working with Phil was amazing,” Maysa says.

“He is the falsetto king and my buddy! He is

a master vocalist and I learn a lot from him whenever I hear him sing. Years ago before we were Shanachie artists, we had six-hour marathon phone conversations about the industry and here we are! He’s a fun and wonderful person.”

Maysa Leak was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and knew by the time she was six that she would be a musician. “I was six years old when my mom took me to see Purlie,” she recalls.

“When Melba Moore came on stage and sang her heart out, I knew at that moment I wanted to make people feel the way she made me feel.” Maysa graduated from Morgan State University with a degree in classical performance, meeting Stevie Wonder while a student. Upon graduating she moved to North Hollywood to join Wonder’s Wonderlove group, with whom she performed for a year, appearing on the Jungle Fever soundtrack and such television shows as Oprah and The Tonight Show. In the early Nineties, Maysa auditioned over the phone to become the new lead singer of the acclaimed British Jazz/Funk/R&B band Incognito, moving to London for four-and-a-half years. She has appeared on over nine Incognito recordings and continues to appear as featured vocalist with them from time to time. Maysa recorded her self-titled debut album for GRP in

W

1995, following it up with ALL MY LIFE in 1999, OUT OF THE BLUE in 2002 and SMOOTH SAILING in 2004. She then made an impact with her interpretations of classic soul music on two acclaimed albums for Shanachie Entertainment, SWEET CLASSIC SOUL (2005) and FEEL THE FIRE (2007), on which she showed her ability to put her own unique stamp on familiar songs from the 1970s era. METAMORPHOSIS (2008) showed off Maysa’s prowess as a composer and A WOMAN IN LOVE (2010) found Maysa returning to her roots as a jazz singer. MOTIONS OF LOVE (2011) was highlighted by the ballad “Have Sweet Dreams” co-written by Stevie Wonder (who plays harmonica on the track) and inspired by First Lady Michelle Obama, as well as “Flower Girl,” a duet with Dwele. BLUE VELVET SOUL (2013) yields Maysa’s first Grammy nomination, for her performance of the song “Quiet Fire.” A VERY MAYSA CHRISTMAS (2014) delighted fans as the songbird released her first ever holiday album. Now BACK 2 LOVE brings together all the facets of Maysa’s artistry in one album. “I hope people love this album,” Maysa says. “I want this to be the soundtrack to their summer of 2015 and I pray it helps somebody feel good and forget problems and worries and just feel love.”

Reprinted with permission

ith performances often described as passionate, vivacious, electrifying, and innovative, Billboard charting recording artist Chelsey Green brings the unmatched tone, richness and vibrancy of violin and viola playing to audiences in a whole new way. A native of Houston, Texas, Green was born into a family of jazz and funk musicians and started her performance career as a violinist at age 5. Though inundated with music of all genres, she focused on classical music studying both privately and publicly at performing arts schools in the Houston public school system. Green went on to receive a scholarship for classical viola studies at The University of Texas at Austin where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Green then went on to receive her Master’s Degree in Viola Performance from The Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland College Park. While studying classical masterpieces, Green had a vision to form an ensemble that could utilize live string performance to enhance current popular music, just as it did in the days of Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Michael Jackson and more. In 2010, her dream became reality upon the formation of her ensemble, The Green Project. Chelsey Green and The Green Project tear down all stereotypes of the violin and viola by fusing traditional classical technique with popular favorites and enticing original songs in various genres– including R&B, Pop, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Alternative, Hip Hop, Gospel and more! Classically soloing in New York’s prestigious Carnegie Hall at age 16, Chelsey Green and her ensemble, The Green Project have been honored to perform in many highly regarded venues around the world. Green’s varied performance resume includes performances at the Late Show with David Letterman, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, NAACP National Convention, Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, White House Correspondents’ Dinner Reception, BET Honors Dinner, Essence Music Festival, Macy’s Herald Square, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Lake Arbor Jazz Festival, The Howard Theatre, The Music Center at Strathmore, Blues Alley, Bobby Jones Gospel, The John F. Kennedy Center and more! Miss Green has also been honored to share the stage with international artists including Stevie Wonder, Maysa, Chrisette Michele, Jeff Bradshaw, Frank McComb, Ruben Studdard, J.Cole and Questlove and Black Thought of The Roots and more!

Chelsey Green has also had the privilege of being interviewed on several radio and television stations including WHFC 91.1 Baltimore, WAMU 88.5 (NPR – Washington, DC), WTTG FOX 5 (Washington, DC) Morning News, WEAA 88.9 Baltimore and many more.

The Green Project released their debut CD, “Still Green: The EP” in April 2012 to rave reviews! Their most recent album, The Green Room, their highly anticipated second release and first full length album debuted on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Album Chart at #22 and #7 on the iTunes Jazz Albums chart!

Aside from her own projects, Chelsey has a multi-faceted discography including recordings in varied genres with artists such as Crystal Waters (EDM/house), Maysa Leak (R&B/soul), Paul Carr (jazz), Ted Garber (americana), Anthony Walker (gospel jazz), Tyler Sherman (jazz/classical contemporary), Maimouna Youssef (R&B/soul), Lori Williams (jazz), Macheeste (contemporary gospel), Carolyn Malachi (urban contemporary), Femi The DriFish (hip hop/spoken word), The Sweater Set (folk traditional), Aaron Hardin (jazz) and more.

Dedicated to educating our youth, Chelsey Green and The Green Project spend time devoted to the community by providing a wide range of educational music workshops to city and county schools, after school programs, educational groups and more. Committed to spreading the love of live music to younger generations, Chelsey Green and The Green Project work with students from all backgrounds and expose them to the possibilities of what music can be.

Chelsey Green is a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, Incorporated, American Federation of Musicians and serves as Secretary on the Executive Committee of The Recording Academy – Washington, D.C. Chapter.

CHELSEY GREEN

NEW BOOK RELEASE BY TAMARA HUNDLEY Restore, Empower, Win, Improve, Nourish and Develop Marriage

NO CHAOS ALLOWED A Practical Guide To Effective Church Administration defines and looks at the Biblical origin of church administration. It explores the characteristics of good church administrators and leaders by pointing out key qualities mandated by scripture. Additionally, it examines the issue of “Is it a church or is it a business” — and dispels the myths showing how both the spiritual and business aspects work together. Further, NO CHAOS ALLOWED emphasizes the fact that administration starts at home with anyone working in administration or leadership. If chaos is constant in an individual’s life, it does not disappear because he/she takes on a leadership role in a church. Last, but not least, this book highlights “the basics” in relation to successful church administration — offering vital suggestions on the dos and don’ts for church administrators and leaders.

ORDER TODAY AT www.amazon.com OR www.createspace.com

WINTER 2016 PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tamara Hundley tamara@uniqdesigninc.com GENERAL MANAGER Terrance Hundley ASSISTANT EDITOR LaTonya Gibson MARKETING TEAM Rosalyn Hall, Derryck Fletcher CONTRIBUTING WRITERS LaTonya Gibson, Zelma Allen, Terrance Hundley, Tamara Hundley Derryck Fletcher, Pamela Bell and Sylvia Marion GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tamara Hundley ILLUSTRATOR Dominic Jordon, Jr. SALES info@rewindmarriage.com FOUNDERS Terrance and Tamara Hundley

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Editorial Inquiries: Send inquiries to info@rewindmarriage.com (no phone calls please). The magazine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. REWIND does not necessarily share the opinions of its authors. Editorials are solely the opinion of the contributor and not necessarily the shared opinions of REWIND. To subscribe visit www.rewindmarriage.com. Subscription Price: $18 per year. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission by REWIND is prohibited. Copyright 2013.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Derryck Fletcher is a radio host for Morgan State University’s (WEAA 88.9 FM) Sunday Gospel Music Show. He is a loving husband and father of three.

Restore, Empower, Win, Improve, Nourish and Develop Marriage

LaTonya Gibson is an author, editor and freelance writer.

Terrance & Tamara Hundley Publishers & Contributors

Editor’s Corner Rosalyn Hall is the Owner and CEO of RMH Marketing, a Maryland-based Marketing Company.

Zelma Allen Financial Advisor, Columnist, and Realtor. Happily Married with three children.

We are eletated to host our first major event for couples and singles on Friday, February 12, 2016 at Martin’s Hunt Valley Mansion. This event is a celebration of love and marriage, featuring beautiful love music, fine dining and an atmosphere of elegance and romance. This is the first of many major events we plan to sponsor to cause couples to REWIND (restore, empower, win, improve, nourish and devlope their marriages/relationships). We are a Christian-based publication and we believe that with God all things are possible...even the restoration of broken marriages or the improvement of great marriages. Please continue to follow us online through our Facebook and Twitter pages as well as our website page at www.rewindmarriage.com.

We solicit your continued support and prayers.

We currently offer the publication free to online readers. We also distribute several hundred copies each quarter to churches and small businesses in the Baltimore/Meteropolitan area. REWIND is more than a magazine — it is a ministry tool. As such, we want to continue to offer the publication free of charge. You can help us today by purchasing an advertisment. See details below.

May God continue to bless each of you, Terrance & Tamara Hundley We advise anyone considering marriage to seek biblical pre-marital counseling.

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REWIND / Winter 2016

NEWLY RELEASED BOOK BY

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Restore, Empower, Win, Improve, Nourish and Develop Marriage

in this issue...

Winter 2016

911 MARRIAGE EMERGENCY

12

05

in every issue

EDITOR’S CORNER email us at info@rewindmarriage.com to post your reaction to this issue.

POWER MINISTRY COUPLE Pastors Linwood & Karen Bethea.

Success In Ministry & In Love

BY DERRYCK FLETCHER & LATONYA GIBSON

10

ASK MINISTER BELL Licensed Therapist, Pamela Bell, answers questions submitted by readers in our

“Ask Min. Bell” column.

BY PAMELA BELL

19

EMBRACING THE UNITY OF ONENESS

In Marriage.

BY TERRANCE HUNDLEY

22

CREDIT REPAIR COMPANIES Hoax or Reality?

Can They Repair Your Credit?

BY ZELMA ALLEN

26

10 TIPS TO REKINDLE THE ROMANCE IN YOUR MARRIAGE Ignite The Fire

BY TAMARA HUNDLEY

27 TRIED BY FIRE

How A Couple Rebuilds After Devastation.

BY LATONYA GIBSON

33

“I Do” Toons

Relax, Relate, Release!

BY DOMINIC JORDON

03

UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH MAYSA About Maysa & Chelsey Green

Marriage Matters

Minister Pamela Bell is a Licensed Therapist and owner of Serenity Counseling in Reisterstown, MD. She has Counseled couples for more than 10 years Married 26 years

by Pamela Bell, LCPC

Ask Minister Bell

Q: My spouse is having difficulty dealing with the fact that we have a handicapped child. The time and attention that our child needs is causing tension in our relationship. I don’t know what to do. Please help! - Please Help?

A: Dear Please Help?, Studies show that prents who have a child with special needs are likely to go through several stages of adjustment before they can accept that their child is handicapped. The stages are shock, denial, overwhelmed, isolation (feelings of shame, guilt and hopelessness may intensify during this stage) and the final stage is called acceptance.

In the acceptance stage parents are able to put their lives in order and enjoy life. You and your spouse may not be at the same stage, but it is important that you are patient with each other. It is also important that you identify which stage you are in both individually and as a couple. Be careful that you don’t get stuck in isolation. Have open and honest communication with your spouse and your circle of family and friends. Seek support groups or through private counseling that offer additional support, especially if you get stuck in a particular stage. Remember, you are working towards acceptance.

No matter what stage you are in, be intentional about nurturing your marriage. Schedule a date night at least twice a month. Spend alone time as often as you can. Ask family and friends to volunteer time for respite care, so that you and your spouse can enjoy a getaway. Find organizations that offer free support groups and respite care. It takes a village to raise a child, especially when the child has special needs.

Q: My husband just earned a doctorate degree. I have a Bachelor’s degree. He constantly throws it in my face, making me feel like he has all the answers because of his level of education. Sometimes he makes me feel like I am inferior to him because of this. I am in no way jealous of him, but rather very proud of his accomplishments. However, I don’t like the somewhat arrogant attitude he has because of his accomplishments. He does this with other people as well. He does not believe anyone else really knows as much as he does and it is embarrassing. I know my worth and my value, but I hate the way he makes me feel when he over talks me or dismisses my opinions. I tried talking to him about this. He said He does not do any of the things I am accusing him of and

10

REWIND / Winter 2016

it is my own insecurities. Trust me... I am not an insecure person. I just don’t like how he makes me and others feel when he does this. Any suggestions?- Feeling Inferior A: Dear Feeling Inferior, Marriage is all about merging two individuals into one beautiful life. In a healthy marriage, your husband’s success becomes your success and your success is his. If one fails – both are failing. There is no room for arrogance and competition in a marriage. It is not loving to under-value and put down your spouse. Ephesians 5:28 says husbands should love their wives as they love themselves. Evidently, your husband is not living according to this command.

The next time your husband makes a degrading statement towards you, respond immediately with this boundary statement: “I heard you say (repeat exactly what he said) and it hurts me when you talk like that. I need you to stop talking to me like that.” This statement will allow your husband to hear himself and to understand how he is affecting you. If he tries to justify his behavior, simply repeat the boundary that you set – “I need you to stop talking to me like that.” Don’t expect an overnight change. Continue to use the boundary statement consistently. It can take several months to break an old habit.

If your husband refuses to listen and you don’t see evidence that he is trying to change, arrange an intervention with the elders of the church [Matthew 18:16]. Your husband may need a higher level of accountability.

Submit your questions to info@rewindmarriage.com

LT

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Marriage Matters

Pastors Linwood & Karen Bethea 12 REWIND / Winter 2016

Share Basic Principles They Follow That Have Lead To Their Success In Ministry & In Love

REWIND Feature

by Derryck Fletcher & LaTonya Gibson

P

astor Linwood and Apostle Karen Bethea are what many consider a power couple. Married for thirty-five years, the Betheas have achieved great success in ministry and in marriage. Apostle Karen Bethea sits as the Senior Pastor of their ministry, Set the Captives Free Outreach Center.

This may come as a surprise to some, but to those who know them and are familiar with their specific brand of ministry; theirs is a union marked by success. The result is balance in both their ministry and their marriage.

Linwood and Karen met her first day on a new job at Union Trust Bank February 15, 1979. She arrived in the wrong department and Linwood graciously escorted her “down the aisle” to the correct location. Aware of her presence he found reasons to frequent her department and they slowly developed a friendship. The opportunity to further that friendship continued on Coppin State University’s (then College) campus where they both attended. Pastor Linwood insists that he was laser focused on school while Apostle Karen says she noticed him on campus and was elated one semester they happened to be in the same class.

“I’d already prayed, ‘Lord if you are so willing.’ He was a family man and had so many good qualities. I knew that was the kind of man I wanted to marry. I even told the ladies in my department (when I got to know them) that he was my husband.

They asked me how I knew. I told them, ‘When you walk with the Lord, you just sense things.’” Though this may have been her outward reaction, Apostle Karen admits that she was inwardly afraid. She was young and ready to enjoy herself; however, she was looking in the face of a man who she knew would “shut it down.” She was absolutely right. February 14, 1981 (exactly two years and one day after they met) Pastor Linwood walked her down a different aisle and they were married.

When asked what it was about her that made perusal of her necessary, Pastor Linwood responded, “This is going to sound strange to some people. I always knew what my wife would look like. At the time I didn’t know why. Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my uncle and his wife presented

Apostle Karen Bethea doing what she loves...Teaching at Set The Captives Free

a certain image to me. Subconsciously, I gravitated to what I thought my wife would look like based upon my uncle’s wife. I never thought about the connection until after Karen and I were married. When I started drawing the parallels between the two I realized Karen was the one. One day Karen and I were talking and I said, ‘You know why . . .’ my aunt was phenomenal to my uncle and I saw that in Karen.” Pastor Linwood goes on to explain that his attraction points to the benefits of having positive images in life. These images help to shape our perception of what is healthy, wholesome, and acceptable. Without those positive images of a woman in his life, his perception of what was acceptable my have been skewed.

It is from this perspective that Pastor Linwood and Apostle Karen Bethea do ministry. They want to present a positive image of marriage and family in front of the parishioners they serve. The result is duplication. While observing them together it is clear to see they like each other. “A lot of couples love each other,” Apostle Karen explains. “But they don’t like each other. I like this dude. We built a friendship. We are very close friends. When all of the infatuation wears off, we are buddies. I want the best for him always and in everything and he wants the same for me. A lot of our decisions aren’t really that hard because both of us are willing to do whatever it is going to take to make the other one happy.”

Pastor Linwood agrees with this statement and offers additional clarification, “We are aware of the triangle in marriage and I think a lot of couples aren’t. Many couples are aware of themselves and their mates, but don’t understand that the triangle includes

God. Our commitment to each other isn’t just to each other. We have a higher calling in this. Does it make us perfect? No. Do we make mistakes? Yes. But when you have someone else to be accountable to and be responsible to, it helps you make your decisions. Having the third entity of God makes you weigh it all in the balance.” This awareness is what makes the example they set before their parishioners more than a performance. It is a real commitment to the plan of God. The sincerity and truth of their dedication is infectious and spreads to those who encounter it.

Clearly given to the work of ministry through their marriage one wonders if balance is possible and if so how. Pastor Linwood reveals that in their relationship he is the one who brings balance to the relationship. Apostle Karen agreed stating, “He sets balance for the entire household.

He has the entire house in check.” Pastor Linwood explains, “I’ve always tried to be balanced in life. My goal is for our relationship to be 100+. If you are going to be at 100+, you have to have things in place that lead to that. If you are going to have a healthy relationship there are some things you cannot do. You have to know when to say when. She is very driven. She is a visionary and sometimes visionaries cannot turn it off or do not want to turn it off. Someone in the relationship needs to be able to say, ‘We need to stop here.’ That is something we have LEARNED how to make work. Initially, there were some challenges, but when you work together and come to realize how each other flow it becomes easier.”

Pastor Linwood goes on to say how important it is to find time for you as an individual. “When we were younger we decided REWIND / Winter 2016

13

REWIND Feature that there had to be some time for her by herself and some time for me by myself. We set that early on in the marriage because we found that we were attacking each other instead of the problem. In order to focus on the problem sometimes you have to get away from all of the roles and responsibilities that you have and just be you. When you can get that away time, there is the opportunity to get back to center. I can stay me and she can stay her.” Pastor Linwood’s ability to keep his family balanced is clearly vital and a major contributor to the success they experience as a couple.

To exemplify this truth, Apostle Karen pulled out a book. It turned out to be a planner, and within it Apostle Karen points out worship time, ministry time, family time, spa time, personal time. “We love to travel and by December of 2015 all of our trips for 2016 were planned and paid for. We go away once per quarter. Life is not going to stop. Ministry is not going to stop. If you don’t plan your time, the ministry will swallow it up completely.”

This display of balance is a clear depiction of what it takes to keep a couple with great influence and responsibility successfully together.

Apostle Karen explains that Pastor Linwood is a third degree black belt. As such he is highly disciplined. His strength has not only rubbed off on her, but helped her in ministry. She points to an incident when Pastor Linwood installed a clock over the podium.

“When I walked to the podium the clock started. He had the remote,” She discloses.

She wasn’t too pleased at the time, but today she thinks the gesture was sweet. She has come to recognize this exercise in discipline as a method of preserving both her and the parishioners. Their strengths and weaknesses complement each other and assist them in being successful.

Apostle Karen may be the face of the ministry, but it is Pastor Linwood’s leadership that helps to strike the balance at home, church and in their marriage. “He is a man.

He is a man’s man. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but he does what a man is supposed to do. I’ve watch him sacrifice to make sure the kids and I have what we need. As long as we are happy and we have what we need, he is happy. That kind of motivates you to really want to do for that person. I respect him because he doesn’t just talk. He does what

he says he is going to do. He is a man of few words, but whatever he tells me I can take it to the bank. It is not hard to respect someone like that. We do not get our roles crossed.

After the benediction, I am Mrs. Linwood Bethea. When we get home I fall back and he leads. We had to work on that because early on it was like ‘I’m God’s anointed’ and he was like, ‘keep it up, you’re going to be God’s anointed by yourself.’ But even then he was really patient. Firm, but patient. We are really clear and I think we are both comfortable in the roles we play.”

Pastor Linwood’s role as support to Apostle Karen may not be a traditional role, but it works for them and the success of their partnership is evident. “Part of the reason I do what I do is because I ask myself what if the roles were reversed,” Pastor Linwood divulges. What if I was the pastor and she was the supportive one? What would I want from her? My parents taught me to be fair so that says to me the things that I would want from her, I must give her. Another reason is I want the respect from my kids. I want them to look at me and say he was able to be respectful and supportive. He was able to do the kinds of things that say he values her and family. From that perspective it is not very hard at all.”

“She is very caring and very supportive.

When she is on your side, she is on your side.

When I am able to explain to her what needs to be done and she gets it and can respond, it makes things easier. The fact that she is spiritual, gaining disciple, comes from a two parent household, loves family like I love family, is truly committed to her relationship with God . . . those kinds of things make a big difference to me. I think they make life much sweeter.” These basic truths are a driving force behind how they do ministry at Set the Captives Free Outreach Center. Their ministry is family centered and the teaching and programming of the ministry are based on those principles. Pastor Linwood explains why. “We need positive images. We need something to look at to help us along.

Marriage is one of those institutions that can help the societal challenges we face. There are so many positive lessons learned from people who have been married longer. If you are going to build a successful country, community, or society, you have to start with a smaller unit and that unit is the family. If you make the family as strong as possible you make

America as strong as possible.”

In order to intentionally facilitate strong marriages and strong families, the Betheas have kept family first and always keep family above the church. They insist that individuals take care of their mates and their children before they engage in any other obligation.

To demonstrate the degree of their adherence to family as priority, Set the Captives Free Outreach Ministry reduces their services and programming to one Sunday morning service each week for the entire month of August. During that month, families are encouraged to spend time together and to travel. “Get out of Baltimore, go see the world,” Says, Apostle Karen, “We saw some members who were spending a whole lot of time at the Church and we started telling them, ‘Go home to your wife. Go home to your husband. You are here too much and this is off.’ We push family, we model family. We have a strong pre-marital class, the Love and respect Bible Study on Wednesday nights for married couples, and a committee on marriage and family. We cover our singles too because we don’t want them to feel left out. The entire ministry has a family feel to it no matter how much we’ve grown, people still feel connected.” This is something Apostle Karen gives Pastor Linwood credit for stating that his flavor of family is all over the ministry as he instills his view and commitment to family in the men connected to the ministry.

Apostle Karen points out how the perspective held by many that marriage equates to losing and giving up great freedoms is one that they combat in the ministry. Together they help their parishioners to see that marriage is a good thing and a thing to be desired. They talk often about the benefits that come with marriage to help them see that it is something they want. However, they understand that divorce happens, “there is life after divorce, but they have to understand where they missed it the first time. We want them to understand that so they do not repeat the same mistakes twice. We are really clear with people and remind them, ‘You are taking you into your next relationship.

Have you changed? Have you faced you? Do you know what went wrong the first time?’”

Apostle Karen discloses, “We have people in our ministry who divorce, but there are some who have done so without any reason except for selfishness.” Apostle Karen affirms, REWIND / Winter 2016

15

“There are too many good examples of marriage in our ministry. ‘If you really wanted to make it work you could sit down and talk to somebody.’”

What the Bethea’s realize is that society is changing . . . rapidly. Many of those changes oppose marriage and family.

Apostle Bethea emphasizes the importance of communicating in an effort to take a heads on approach to the issues that face and challenge Christian families. Pastor Linwood identifies one of the greatest challenges to marriage as issues of identity. He suggests that freedoms must be expressed through “knowledge and understanding.” The knowledge of who one is and the source of their existence can greatly impact identity issues.

Pastor Linwood and Apostle Karen Bethea have found a formula for success that works. In them we see God’s Divine plan for marriage and family manifested and lived out loud. Their extreme commitment to building strong families has established the culture of heaven here on earth.

What’s next for Set The Captives Free Ministries?

Apostle Karen summarizes what’s next with one word – Expansion. Among the many projects that they have going on, the major initiative is a new facility. It is not an effort to have a larger building for the sake of having a bigger box in which to house souls. Instead it is an effort to put all ministries under one roof. With a focus on outreach, space is needed to meet the needs of the community. “God called us to build a nation not a church,” Pastor Linwood explains. To build a nation the church has to affect a community and that effort starts with outreach.

It’s how the needs of the family are met.

“We want to know that the work we are doing will be here for the next 200 years,” says Apostle Karen. To ensure their presence as a consistent work, the same modeling approach they’ve applied to family is the approach they are applying to ministry sustainability. “We

16

REWIND / Winter 2016

are building legacy using a 3D method.”

This method ensures the longevity of the ministry from generation to generation.

3D – Senior Pastors, Assistant Pastors, Executive Pastors (the pattern)

- All husband and wife teams

- All have successors for each role have been identified

- All successors have nine years to glean and take their roles

- This equates to 27 years of experience

“Because we have used ourselves as models and are teaching others to model, the longevity of the ministry is assured.”

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PRAYER WORKS!

F

Make it an integral part of your marriage

ather, it is written in Your Word that we are to esteem our marriage as precious, worthy of great price and especially dear. We agree with Your Word and act accordingly.

By a conscious act of our will, we put away strife by becoming swift to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. We confess and believe that we neither offend nor take offense with one another.

Your Word says You have knit us together in purpose and in power, therefore we commit ourselves and our marriage to be the mighty instrument upon earth that You designed us to be. Our desire is to be an example of Your love to our family and friends.

So Father, right now, we make a quality decision to live in harmony. We agree not to give ourselves over to selfish desires that will cause division and distrust. We declare that we honor and value our marriage by keeping our marriage bed undefiled. We declare that our marriage grows stronger every day and is an encouragement to those around us. We will conduct ourselves honorably and becomingly—being kind, tenderhearted, compassionate, understanding and loving toward one another. We are always ready to believe the best, and we freely forgive one another.

Father, we declare and therefore it is established that we live in a peaceable habitation and quiet resting place. Thank you, Father, for making us heirs together of the grace of life! We begin this commitment before Your throne in the Name of Jesus and by the authority of Your Word. Amen.

s

Reprinted with permission from Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Get your copy of this book by

LaTonya Gibson today! email: latonyad@me.com for details

18 REWIND / Winter 2016

Marriage Matters

Embracing the Unity of ONENESS

by Terrance Hundley

E

mbracing the unity of marriage is a lifetime decision not a one-time choice. It is a decision couples must continue to make throughout the course of their marriages. It is not enough to embrace the idea of unity on the wedding day and think that’s all to it. As couples grow, life will present new challenges that will place a demand on them to decide again and again to embrace the unity of marriage. The decision must be based on and maintained upon the covenant of marriage established by God. When we embrace the covenant of marriage we concurrently embrace the unity of marriage or what I refer to as the “oneness factor”.

The covenant is what gives the marriage validity. Without the

covenant we have no sense of what marriage is. We must understand that God instituted marriage. He is the one who initiated the standard by which a man and woman could not only come together sexually, but also have a life-long, perfectly designed companionship. This union is both complementary and compatible. It was never meant to be competitive.

God is an advocate for oneness. It is clearly seen throughout scripture. For example, in John 17:22 Jesus prayed for the oneness of those that the Father had given him. He said He had given the same glory to them that He had received from His father, so that they would be one. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-13, while in Ephesus, Paul writes to the church at Corinth because of

the numerous problems they were having – one of the most prevalent being disunity. Verse 10 says, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Additionally, Ephesians 4:3 admonishes us to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Although this appeal is directed toward the church, the principle can easily apply to the marital relationship. Throughout the Bible you will find several scriptures speaking of unity and its importance. The Lord desires that married couples apply that same commitment to unity in their REWIND / Winter 2016

19

Marriage Matters

“When we embrace the covenant of marriage we concurrently embrace the unity of marriage or what I refer to as the “oneness factor”. relationships. Genesis 2:24 says, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh.

Some believe the oneness factor will cause them to lose their individuality.

They feel this way because they have limited themselves to a “me, myself, and I” agenda. This closed mindset, based on selfishness, will cause one to become distracted from understanding the power of being one. The “oneness factor”, by no means is a loss of individuality. If anything, it enhances the qualities of each individual, causing them to be the best that they can be, in and for the marriage. This is what promotes the “we, us, and our” agenda in the marriage. No one is slighted, left out, or unfulfilled because each one is equally contributing what is necessary for the success of the union. A good example of this is a sports team. In order for the team to be successful and

20 REWIND / Winter 2016

accomplish its desired goal, it must learn to master the art of oneness.

Each team member must train and condition him or herself to meet the expectations of the team – making it a stronger unit.

Likewise, in a marriage, each individual must work at maintaining and embracing unity. This can be accomplished by taking the following steps: 1) Accept everything God has established regarding marriage.

2) Commit to one another.

3) Explore and learn each other.

4) Cultivate the marriage.

5) Celebrate each other.

6) Protect your covenant.

God Is An Advocate of Oneness.

Marriage Matters

19 REWIND / Spring 2014

Finance

C

E R

T I D

R I . . .

A P IES

E N A R MP CO

by Zelma Allen

W

e see the ads in the newspapers, online, on TV and we hear them on the radio. We get email messages, fliers in the mail and telephone calls offering to repair our credit for a fee.

Most credit repair comapnies will make the same claims:

1.“We will create a new credit identity for you legally.”

2.“We will erase your bad credit and we will guarantee it 100%.”

3. “You have credit problems, no problem we will fix it.”

4. “We can remove liens, bad loans,

bankruptcies, and judgments from your credit report forever.”

22 REWIND / Winter 2016

The above claims are very likely to be signs of a scam. However, low credit scores make these claims very appealing, especially if a major purchase such as a home or car loan is pending. Consequently, consumers fail to investigate companies. Lured by false claims and unclear about what credit repair companies can actually do, consumers are left vulnerable to scammers.

Some of these credit repair companies have no problem breaking the law, and they may use tactics such as:

For a fee, these companies will make promises to clean up your credit report so you can get a mortgage loan, insurance, and a car loan. To accomplish this, some credit repair companies use practices that are fraudulent, deceptive, and even illegal. Their goal is to “help” you by whatever means necessary, whether they are legal or not.

identification Number (“EIN”). Once obtained, the EIN is used in lieu of the Social Security number when applying for credit in order to create a new credit file on which the old debts do not appear. This scam essentially involves an attempt to hide a person’s identity from creditors and may even necessitate a name and address change. This is a federal crime. Following this fraudulent

1. Stealing the credit files or Social Se-

curity numbers of people who are under the age of 18 or who have died in order to replace the files of people with poor credit histories.

2. Applying to the IRS for an Employer

HOAX OR REALITY?

CAN THEY REPAIR YOUR CREDIT?

advice could result in federal prosecution, fines and or time in prison.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, the main warning signs of illegal credit repair companies are listed below:

seem illegal, like creating a new credit identity.

4. These companies will tell consum-

ers to give false information on a credit application.

5. These companies will tell consumers

1. These companies will insist on be-

not to contact the credit reporting agencies directly.

2. These companies will not explain the

When looking into repairing credit, consumers should keep one thing in the forefront: no company can legally remove accurate, timely, negative information from a credit file. Any accurate information present on a credit report and capable of lowering a credit score is going to remain. Trustworthy credit repair companies can help with the process of removing inaccurate information, but they cannot do anything consumers cannot do for themselves . . . for free.

ing paid before they do any work on the consumer’s behalf. The fee can be anywhere between $250.00 to $5,000.00.

Please note that companies cannot require payment until they have completed the services they have promised. consumer’s legal rights when they explain the benefits of using their services.

3. These companies will advise disputing accurate information on a consumer’s credit report, or take actions that

However, if consumers don’t have the time to repair their own credit, feel over whelmed by the process, or just want to turn the whole thing over to professionals, there are some basic rules for picking a reputable company to assist in the credit repairing process. These companies genuinely want to help consumers improve their credit, and they want to do it legally. How do they do this?

Listed below are eight steps:

1. They will ask for copies of credit

reports from all three credit reporting agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion).

2. They will recommend which items on the credit report should be disputed.

3. They will contact all three credit reporting agencies to challenge questionable items on the credit reports.

REWIND / Winter 2016

23

Finance Credit Repair cont...

4. They will explain the consumer’s

legal rights in a written contract which also will details the services they will perform.

5. They will provide a three day to cancellation period in which a consumer can decline services without incurring any charges.

6. They will explain to how long it will take to get results.

7.

They will disclose the total cost of their services.

8. They will not provide any guarantees. No credit repair company is so good that it can guarantee a specific outcome.

Listed below is an additional check list to assist in identifying and choosing a legal credit repair company. These key steps will help consumers avoid scams and illegal conduct which leads to serious trouble:

If you are still struggling with your credit, consider utilizing a non-profit credit counseling service. If you decide to go this route, check out the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, www.nfee.org. This agency is the largest nonprofit credit counseling service, with 90 member agencies nationwide. improvement, there are some creditors that are willing to focus and base their decisions on recent credit history.

Therefore, start consistently paying bills on-time now. That is one way to improve credit scores without utilizing a credit repair company.

Before you hire a credit repair company, remember this: The sad truth is that negative information stays on your credit report for seven (7) years. Bankruptcies are reported for ten (10) years and criminal information can stay on forever. No credit repair company can get rid of that.

You can improve your credit report legitimately, but it takes time, a conscious effort, and sticking to a personal debt 1. Make sure the company is a member repayment plan. in good standing with the better business bureau (BBB). Check the number If you have a problem with a credit of complaints compared to the number repair company, report it to the better of clients. business bureau and or to your state attorney general office. You also can 2. Make sure the company follows the file a complaint with the Federal Trade law completely to avoid the legal probCommission, they can take action lems. against the company if there’s a pattern of possible law violations. File your 3. Make sure the company has an complaint online at ftc.gov/complaint or established track record. Ask the BBB how long the company has been in busi- call 1-877-FTC-Help. ness and many clients they have.

4. Make sure the company offers more Know your rights: If the credit repair company does not live than just repair credit reports. The up to what they promised, you company should also work with creditors and provide counseling for overall can sue them in federal court credit improvement. for your actual losses. AddiWhatever the state of your credit history tionally, you can seek punitive damages and join other people is, do not give up. Past problems may not completely set a consumer back. As in a class action lawsuit against long as a credit report shows consistent the company.

24 REWIND / Winter 2016

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Ephesians 5:6; Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

1 Corinthians 15:33

Leon O. Allen

Photography website: leonoallenphotos.com

Restore, Empower, Win, Improve, Nourish and Develop Marriage

P.O. Box ADVERTISE 41 Terrance & Tamara Hundley WITH REWIND Owings MD 21117 OverMills, 7,000 online viewers; several hundred mail subscribers; andPublishers currently in serveral ministries throughout the Baltimore/Metropolitan area.

website: www.rewindmarriage.com EMAIL US TODAY @ email: info@rewindmarriage.com info@rewindmarriage.com

tips todle rekinove in the l marriage your

Love & Romance

by Tamara Hundley

1

6

SEND A LOVE MESSAGE Send a text, leave a note, or a phone message saying something sweet and sexy.

2 3 4

7

TAKE A STROLL TOGETHER Take a walk in the park or on the beach. Take a basket of food and a blanket and have lunch together on the grass or sand.

8

HELP YOUR SPOUSE RELAX Run a hot bath for your spouse and give him/her a massage. Something so little helps relieve stress - and warm the towel in the dryer.

Plan a romantic dinner and either cook the meal or have it catered. Keep it romantic - add candles, rose petals, fresh flowers, and soft music.

5 26 REWIND / Winter 2016

LAUGH TOGETHER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE Laughter is good for your health...

10

Find a nice, fun, romantic movie to watch together. Keep it light and fun.

GIVE AN UNEXPECTED GIFT. Surprise your spouse with a gift.

Make it something they’ve been wanting. Give it “just because”.

KEEP A CONSISTENT DATE NIGHT Life gets busy, but it should never get too busy that you don’t make time for each other. Choose a night of the week and make it your date night, even if you spend it together at home. Make it special and consistent.

9

COOK A MEAL OR ORDER IN

WATCH A MOVIE TOGETHER

WRITE A LOVE LETTER OR SING A SONG Take the time to write the sentiments of your heart. Letters are keepsakes and love songs reach the heart.

THE LAST AND MOST IMPORTANT TIP: PRAY...PRAY...PRAY Make God the center of your relationship. Do all the other things, but put God first and everything else will fall in place.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS WITHOUT HIM.

Rewind

by LaTonya Gibson e’ve all experienced the fires of life. As Christians we’ve come to both understand and appreciate life’s trials.

Our faith ignites hope in us with the knowledge that each fiery trial makes us better, stronger, and more durable. The same principle holds true in relationships. When a couple faces a fiery trial they quickly come to the realization that their love was either built to last or built to pass. Jonathan and Ebonique Hebb endured both figurative and literal fires to discover that theirs is a love built to last.

Ebonique and Jonathan were two divorcees living in two separate states. The chance of them meeting on their own was slim to none. However, they had a mutual friend who, knowing both of their statuses, thought it would be a good idea if they met. “Who’s your little nerd friend and why is he staring at me like that?” Ebonique remembers asking.

Naturally, “the little nerd friend” was Jonathan. As a now single man, Jonathan frequently hosted game night at his home and insisted Ebonique join in the fun. The more time they spent together the more attracted they became to one another and Jonathan eventually asked her out on a formal date.

It appeared that the matchmakers plan worked, or did it?

Once Jonathan and Ebonique started dating apart from the group, the mutual friend decided Ebonique and Jonathan were no longer a fit match. The matchmakers aim and goal suddenly became splitting them apart. “She actually came to me and said, ‘I don’t want you dating my best friend. Go find your own friends,’” Ebonique recounts. When that didn’t work, the mutual friend started trash talking Ebonique, but much of what she was sharing with Jonathan was based in truth, but not Ebonique’s truth.

Ebonique Hebb didn’t start out in life as who she now is. She started out as Ebony Moore. “I had a very negative upbringing,” Ebonique says. “As a result I was a very negative person. I wanted to keep up a façade. I was fake, manipulative, divisive, and gossipy. These things stuck with me because I associated with other hurt women in my family who influenced me. All of those things about me, as well as the generational curses attached to my upbringing, had to die. I didn’t like Ebony and I mourned her death, but I also celebrated my rebirth with a new name. [Our mutual friend] knew Ebony then, but she didn’t know Ebonique or who I was becoming. We were close, but our relationship was very surface.”

Thankfully, by the time the plot to dissolve Jonathan and

W

24 REWIND / Winter 2016

REWIND /Winter 2016

27

Ebonique’s relationship commenced, their relationship was already on solid footing. “Who is this person she is trying to make me see?” Jonathan remembers asking. “It wasn’t the person I’d come to know.” It wasn’t the person Ebonique was any longer. She’d consciously decided to be a better person. She’d made a vision board of who she wanted to be and how important it was for her to be better for God. The enemy fights this type of transformation because it is not only positive, it is permanent. As with Ebonique, the enemy will even use those closest to us to stop our progression.

However, God will use those same people to help us see how complete our transformation is.

Ebonique was transforming. She’d surrendered all of her bad attitudes, behaviors and ugliness to God. She’d allowed the change to come from within by the power of God and she was living out that truth with Jonathan. When she shared the details of her past with Jonathan, he quickly and lovingly assured her that “It’s not about where you’ve come from, but it’s about where you’re going.” This response verified that no one can stop God’s blessing even when what we used to be is so ugly that people would justifiably predict a different outcome. Together they moved past the fire of sabotage and learned what it meant to benefit from God’s grace.

Within a few months, they faced the fire of sickness.

In March of 2010 Jonathan had to undergo major back surgery. This was supposed to be a routine procedure, but something went wrong. Jonathan’s lung collapsed during his operation. The doctor’s tried everything, but Jonathan was gone. He died on the table. In one last ditch effort, the surgeon attempted to resuscitate him. The miracle is still one that brings both Jonathan and Ebonique to tears. He made it back and, though just dating, Ebonique was by his side for the entire journey from sickness to health.

Her presence so impacted him that Jonathan made the decision to ask Ebonique to marry him. This was going to be the proposal of the century. But before he could ask, he sought permission from her entire family including her two children. With their approval granted, Jonathan set his plan in motion. In June of 2010, he rented a mansion in Jamaica and invited their family and close friends. There, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Jonathan asked Ebonique to be his wife. She joyfully accepted and the planning began.

Neither of them had any desire to prolong the process and set a date for December 2010.

The blending of the families began at the end of July.

Jonathan acquired a 6 bedroom, 5000 square foot home for his new family. At the beginning of August, in preparation for the school year, Ebonique and her two girls moved into the home. After only thirty days in their new home, the unimaginable happened. On August 29, 2010 the home went up in flames. There was a literal fire burning down their dreams. To make matters worse, Ebonique ran out of the house without her engagement ring and with her just altered wedding dress (which she’d just picked up on August 27) still in the closet.

“Once everyone was out of the house and accounted for, I remember screaming, ‘My ring, my ring.” That ring represented my second chance at happiness. I couldn’t bear the thought of it being lost in a fire. A few minutes later, one of the firemen came out of the house with the ring in his hand. I simply couldn’t believe it. The next day, we were allowed to re-enter the home with the fire chief to see if

28 REWIND /Winter 2016

there was anything that could be spared. I immediately ran to the closet where the dress was. I just knew it was going to be destroyed. It was perfect. There was only one little hole in the train from where the plastic of the garment bag had started to melt. I knew this was a sign. We’d been purified by fire. God was with us and He was with this union. There was nothing that was going to stop us from being together.”

Further proof of God’s presence and sanctioning came as neighbors left thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards and cash in their mailbox.

The Hebb’s family and friends threw an event for them to show their support. During this event a ten year old boy masterfully sung “It Ain’t Over” by Maurette Brown-Clark. It became the theme of the moment as Ebonique and Jonathan announced, “Just like the words to that song, ‘It Ain’t Over.’

There will still be a wedding December 4, 2010. This will not stop us.” There was a wedding December 4, 2010. Now there is a marriage that has benefited from the lessons learned from each fiery trial they endured. When asked to identify the greatest benefit of having gone through all they endured to be together, Jonathan summarizes it in one word, “Faith.”

“Our faith is unwavering,” Ebonique elaborates.

It is that faith which has brought Jonathan and Ebonique to this new phase in their journey – Hebb Entertainment.

“It started with a radio show that ended up being more therapeutic than I’d anticipated. While doing it I realized that Ebony Moore was someone I did not like. But Ebonique Hebb is confident, sure and will change the world. The work associated with becoming her is what I want to share with other women. That is what ‘The Big, the Bold, and the Beautiful’ is all about.’”

“The Big, the Bold, and the Beautiful” is a new reality television show created by Hebb Entertainment tackling issues of self-image by challenging traditional ideas of beauty - thin, and white or fair. “This is a self-love movement,” Ebonique declares, “I want to help people do the work of ridding themselves of all the things holding them back. I want to help people live their lives to the fullest while walking in their personal truth. It starts with what people see on TV. As a child the arts – music and dance – were my escape. That is why I want to use it as a medium to Redefine beauty, Relate to shared realities, and Recreate positivity.

Just like the radio show led to the reality show, the reality show will lead to a book, and that will lead to an album – all in an effort to change the world through self-love.”

Jonathan and Ebonique demonstrate how, if we endure the flames of fire, we will be refined to our truest self.

Further, when two persons of such caliber unite the power to stay together, overcome the odds and generate world changing outcomes is on dynamic display for all to witness and absorb.

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one promoters

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You’ve placed your trust in us at the most difficult of times. That’s a privilege and responsibility we don’t take lightly. Our mission has always been to provide compassion and care at a quality level beyond all others. Trust the strength of our experience. Trust the sincerity of our ministry and the depth of our compassion to help you plan a service that’s exemplary of a life well lived. After all, this is your service, these are your memories, and our place is yours...

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W E S T 5151 B ALTIMORE N ATIONAL P IKE 410.233.2400 E A S T 4905 Y ORK R OAD 410.433.7500 R A N D A L L S T O W N 8728 L IBERTY R OAD 410.655.0015 W I L D W O O D 4101 E DMONDSON AVENUE 410.945.2700 A

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29 REWIND / Summer 2014

The Senator Theater is a historic landmark in Baltimore City. The Master’s Construction company was hired to perform major renovations on this historic building—recreating the glamorous decor’, while modernizing and improving the property. Featured images: Senator’s marquee, inside renovations, Baltimore Heritage Historic Preservation Award to Master’s Construction.

9803 Kraft Hill Rd., Perry Hall, MD 21128

Call today for an estimate

443.250.5048 www.themasters-construction.com email: themaster_company@yahoo.com Carlos Levine, Owner Licensed and Insured

Are You In The Master’s Plan? » Distinctive Homes » Commercial & Industrial Property » Honesty, Integrity, and Quality » Workmanship