Podcasts about my black

It's Munsday and you know what that means! Whelp, neither do we.We rewind to Luna Stella, poetry at The Write Space, and winter hibernation.We're looking forward to Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey tasting, InterACT Theatre The Wolves performance, Ramadan Moon Lighting, Windows for Women, Mardi Gras in Maplewood, My Black is Beautiful at SOPAC, March Fourth run and dog walk, the closing reception of Ancestral Call, Women's History Month proclamation, self-care crafting, Hey! I Heard You're Black, Business Plan Writing Workshop, Homeboy Came to Orange lecture, and Lee Rocker in his leopard print tux.Many more than Three Things with Felina Steak House, chicken coop registration, a call for art, crowdfundraising for Maplewoodstock, how to report ICE sightings, safe streets meeting, N&K Prime doughnuts, economic blackouts, and a listener's tip on how to be part of the resistance.We hope you'll join us in the economic blackout on Friday 2/28!LINKS:The Write SpaceRegister Your Chicken Coop5 CallsJust Like a GirlMaplewoodstock crowdfundraising (or text "maplewoodstock" to 53-555)DIRE HotlineEssex Safe Streets for AllN&K Prime doughnutsEconomic Blackout Feb. 28

ARE WE BORN RACIST? ARE WE INHERENTLY RACIST? Is bigotry in our DNA, a remnant of our fear of “the other” way back when that was necessary? If so, why do some battle with their instincts while others embrace them? Humans are the most cooperative species on the planet – all part of a huge interconnected ecosystem. We have built vast cities, connected by a global nervous system of roads, shipping lanes and optical fibers. We have sent thousands of satellites spinning around the planet. Even seemingly simple objects like a graphite pencil are the work of thousands of hands from around the world, as the wonderful essay I-Pencil, quoted above, by Leonard Read describes. Yet we can also be surprisingly intolerant of each other. If we are completely honest, there is perhaps a little bit of xenophobia, racism, sexism and bigotry deep within all of us, if we would only allow it. Luckily, we can choose to control and suppress such tendencies for our own wellbeing and the good of society. When the media, and especially people we trust, talk in such a way, it has a profound effect on our receiving minds. It can even shape our beliefs in what we might think are purely rational issues. For example, the belief in whether humans are causing climate change is strongly associated with US political party membership. This is because we tend to adopt a common position on a topic to signal we are part of a group, just like football fans wear certain colors or have tattoos to show their tribal loyalty. Even strong individuals who stand up to oppressive regimes typically have shared ideals and norms with other members of a resistance movement. This tribalism can all feel very visceral and natural because, well, in a way, it is. It fires up the primal parts of our brain designed for such responses. Yet, there are other natural attitudes, such as compassion and consideration for others, that can be suppressed in such circumstances. Imbalanced cultures produce imbalanced brains. This combination of nature and nurture shaping our attitudes and behavior is apparent in many human characteristics, and unpicking some of these examples can help us see opportunities to steer the process. Consider the tendency to become overweight in modern society. In premodern times, sugary and fatty foods were rare and valuable for humans. Now, they are everywhere. A biological trait – the craving for sugary or fatty foods – which was adaptive in premodern times, has become detrimental and maladaptive. Surely our modern cultures can protect us from these innate drives when they are unhealthy for ourselves and society? After all, we effectively suppress violent behavior in society through the way we bring up children, policing and the prison system. Instead of acknowledging and protecting us from the innate drive to binge on unhealthy food, however, our modern cultures (in many countries at least) actually exacerbate that particular problem. The result is 2 billion people – over a quarter of the world's population – overweight or obese, while another 2 billion suffer some kind of micronutrient deficiency. When we understand how our hardwired urges interact with an unhelpful cultural context, we can begin to design positive interventions. In the case of obesity, this might mean less junk food marketing and altering the composition of manufactured food. We can also change our own behavior, for example laying down new routines and healthier eating habits. Climate change could boost bigotry But what about bigotry and xenophobia? Can't we simply design the right fixes for them? That may depend on how big the problems we face in future are. For example, growing ecological crises – climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss – may actually lead to more bigoted and xenophobic attitudes. Rewiring the brain Thankfully, we can use rational thinking to develop strategies to overcome these attitudes. We can reinforce positive values, building trust and compassion, reducing the distinction between our in-group and the “other”. An important first step is appreciating our connectedness to other people. We all evolved from the same bacteria-like ancestor, and right now we share over 99% of our DNA with everyone else on the planet. Our minds are closely linked through social networks, and the things we create are often the inevitable next step in a series of interdependent innovations. Innovation is part of a great, linked creative human endeavor with no respect for race or national boundaries. In the face of overwhelming evidence from multiple scientific disciplines (biology, psychology, neuroscience) you can even question whether we exist as discrete individuals, or whether this sense individuality is an illusion (as I argue in my book The Self Delusion). We evolved to believe we are discrete individuals because it brought survival benefits (such as memory formation and an ability to track complex social interactions). But taken too far, self-centered individualism can prevent us from solving collective problems. Beyond theory, practice is also necessary to literally rewire our brains – reinforcing the neural networks through which compassionate behavior arises. Outdoor community activities have been shown to increase our psychological connectedness to others. Similarly, meditation approaches alter neural networks in the brain and reduce our sense of isolated self-identity, instead promoting compassion towards others. Even computer games and books can be designed to increase empathy. Finally, at the societal level, we need frank and open debate about environmental change and its current and future human impacts – crucially, how our attitudes and values can affect other lives and livelihoods. We need public dialogue around climate-driven human migration and how we respond to that as a society, allowing us to mitigate the knee-jerk reaction of devaluing others. Let's defuse this ticking ethical timebomb and shame those who stoke flames of bigotry beneath it. Instead, we can open ourselves up to a more expansive attitude of connectedness, empowering us to work together in cooperation with our fellow human kin. It is possible to steer our cultures and rewire our brains so that xenophobia and bigotry all but disappear. Indeed, working collaboratively across borders to overcome the global challenges of the 21st century relies upon us doing just that. ------------------------------------------------------------ It is not there are so many people that are racist it is the perception or what Racism has been Conditioned into our society actually IS. Asking someone “Where do you work?” When I was young was not an unnatural question it was a matter of Conversation….Now someone that is hyper PC sensitive could “SOMEHOW” interpret that as “Racist”. Or demonstrating Patriotism and not being very tolerant of those that disrespect those that serve and preserve “”AS RACIST”. I think these hyper sensitive PC guys with the orange feet and horn honk noses perhaps should be asking the people that are suppose to be offended “IS this Racist?” To YOU? Would Probably find out those people have zero tolerance for Disrespecting their flag and their brother, father, sister, cousin that IS Protecting and Preserving…The Left had better get their message straightened out or their not going to have any voice. The only reason their voice is heard now is because the MSM is owned by a handful of Corporations that want a ONE World Deal. They don't want The USA to be Sovereign …they don't want us to have borders… What the Left has done to the Minorities (they're suppose to care so much about ha ha)…The MSM has done to the left liberal agenda…they're being used just like the minorities have been used. Well the Minorities are waking up…My Black friends My Hispanic friends have BEEN Woke up…they're successful in their business and want the Economy they're now enjoying. They're perception is exactly my perception I'm white, they're black or brown but, we all have the same thoughts…Give us a Chance and we will succeed…They hated Obama with a Passion not because he was black or half white but, BECAUSE he killed their business…graveyard dead. Those ARE the FACTS accept them or get used…Go get a job, start a business or just find your happy place BUT if you cannot do any of those things NOW?? Find the nearest Volcano and sacrifice yourself to the Village idiots god. Because …you will never have this opportunity again. Reagan was the last and that was when I was in College…Quit whining and use this CHANCE. The End.  

Our very own Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts was the featured guest on The More Sibyl Podcast, where he shared his personal story about his life's journey so far. Learn a bit more about the host and mind behind "My Black is Trasnational Podcast" and learn about how he found himself as a pioneering the idea of transnationalism in Health among immigrants. An amazing human interest piece. Check out the More Sibyl Podcast at www.mosibyl.com Read the blog here: https://mosibyl.medium.com/cultural-alchemy-on-being-black-transnational-6d3b3cbbc30c

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents:정체성의 다리|The One with Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts - Cultural Alchemy: On Being Black Transnational: Episode 18 (2024) Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts has such an extraordinary personality and rich experience. I had the most incredible chat with him. He's not just a clinical associate professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health—he's the powerhouse behind the My Black is Transnational podcast. Talk about impressive credentials!Born in Lagos and sent on a plane to the U.S. at just 8 years old, Dr. Ibe-Lamberts was raised in Chicago, embodying the essence of juggling multiple identities. Imagine a home filled with Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian influences! As a 1.5-generation Nigerian-American, he gracefully balances these vibrant cultures with humor and poise. His journey is nothing short of inspirational, and we shared laughs and deep insights, leaving me with a fresh perspective on navigating cultural identities. What's even more fascinating is his personal life—he's married to an African American woman, and together they have three children. Their family is a beautiful testament to cultural blending, and Dr. Ibe-Lamberts' reflections on raising a bicultural family are both heartwarming and insightful.From mastering grocery shopping as a young immigrant to his current work fighting health disparities for refugees and immigrant communities, his story radiates resilience and passion. One of the most touching moments was hearing him describe being "Kelly" in Chicago while reclaiming his true name, Kelechi. It's raw, personal, and deeply moving.Let's not forget his incredible family journey—how his second mother and distant father shaped his life. His shift from aspiring MD to embracing public health with a focus on transnational issues? Absolutely fascinating! This episode isn't just about cultural integration; it's about how love, respect, and persistence create something extraordinary. Don't miss out—hit play and join us on this remarkable journey!

I began my career in brand management at Procter & Gamble, after graduating from Miami University (Oxford, OH). My brand-building work spans across many brands in beauty, pet, family categories, as well as capability building in corporate marketing roles. A highlight of my time was when I led My Black is Beautiful at P&G, and I launched the“The Talk” campaign that won over 150 industry awards including 5 Cannes Lions and an Emmy in 2018.   I have also deepened my marketing experience within the Tech industry, leading brand marketing campaigns at Google, and consulting with advertisers to define and execute digital and multicultural-led marketing & media strategies.  Additionally, I spent time at Lilly in a consumer marketing role focused on multicultural patient innovation in communications, in which I partnered with key brands in the US Affiliate, and of note with the Cymbalta team to launch the first spanish-language TV copy for Cymbalta in the U.S.   Most recently, I led Brand Partnerships and B2B marketing at Canela Media.  When I'm not working and spending time with my children, I love to cook (soul ood is a favorite), read, and watch sports - especially women's gymnastics and football.  My service commitments include several activities/responsibilities as a life-long member of Quinn Chapel AME Church in Forest Park, OH and as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  I am a Cincinnati, OH native and now also reside in New York City.

Dive into a thought-provoking conversation on the latest episode of "My Black is Transnational" as Dr. Ibe-Lamberts explores the intricate dynamics of culture and masculinity with psychotherapist and mental health advocate, Claude King. Claude shares insights into his upbringing and background, shedding light on the interplay between intra-racial cultural differences and the construction of masculine identity. In this enlightening dialogue, they navigate the complexities of faith, fatherhood, and the often overlooked realm of expressing emotions as Black men. Don't miss this compelling exploration of mental health, identity, and the cultural forces shaping our lives.

In this episode, we talk to Dr. Abiodun Durojaye about the significance of one's name and cultural identity. She shares how she finally became Abiodun years after the pivotal moment in her childhood when she decided to be “Abby.” We also discuss how both educators and students can honor names and be advocates for their correct pronunciations.For more information about Dr. Durojaye's research, listen to My Black is Transnational S3E18- "What's in a Name?!": Why Black Immigrants change their names in America w/Abiodun Durojaye

In this episode of Where Brains Meet Beauty, I talked with Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, Senior Director at Procter and Gamble! She has worked with many notable brands, such as Olay, Secret, Pantene, Head and Shoulders, and My Black is Beautiful. Dr. Wilkerson is responsible for working behind the scenes with dermatologists, clinicians, and P&G beauty scientists to develop and report on the latest and emerging skin and hair technologies in the industry. As a young child, Dr. Wilkerson experienced the trials of not feeling positive about her own hair or skin. That is why today, she has such a passion for helping others with their hair and skin journey. While creating these products is her job, she reminds us that the people behind the scenes are consumers as well, therefore humanizing the industry. Please tune in to hear about her career journey, the importance of educating and being transparent regarding products, what she wants to see more of in the industry, and of course, her definition of success! 

Black people are two and a half times more likely to be hospitalized, and 1.7 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than whites.That stat from the CDC is shocking. But it's not exactly surprising. Not to people like L.A. Times reporter Marisa Evans.Her father, Gary Evans, is now one of nearly 97,000 Black people in America who've died from COVID-19 complications.And while Marisa is willing to accept her father's death, on today's episode, she says she refuses to accept that losing all these Black men is normal ... or OK.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times healthcare reporter Marissa EvansMore reading:The way we lose Black men never makes sense. Losing my father to COVID is another exampleBlack L.A. residents have highest COVID hospitalization rate: ‘A deplorable reality'Op-Ed: A COVID diary: My Black family's struggle with vaccine hesitancy 

How do we get to a space where when we talk about race, there is little or no anxiety? Tune in as we chat with Dr. Hotchkins, author of My Black is Exhausted. Part 1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewakeupstories/message

How do we get to a space where when we talk about race, there is little or no anxiety? Tune in as we chat with Dr. Hotchkins, author of My Black is Exhausted. Part 1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thewakeupstories/message

Dear Life Warriors, When it comes to Shantay Carter, helping others is more than just a job- it's her passion and her purpose. From her daily work as a dedicated nurse to her ambitions as the founder of a thriving nonprofit organization. The New York area native has an extensive history of letting her caring nature guide her path. Shantay attended Binghamton University where she received a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing. In 2000, she began working at Binghamton General Hospital as a Registered Nurse. In 2002, Shantay continued her career at Northwell Health Systems, where she worked as an orthopedic /trauma/ neurosurgery nurse.After noticing the lack of guidance for young girls in the Long Island area, Shantay decided to create Women of Integrity Inc. The eleven-year-old organization has already made huge strides in its mission to “empower and educate women of all ages and ethnicities”. Its signature event is its prom dress drive, prom dress giveaway, and prom makeover project that is executed each year.Shantay modestly holds a number of accomplishments and honors for her work including being a Wholeness of Life Award winner at North Shore University Hospital in 2012, and a NSLIJ Health System 2013 President's Award nominee. In 2014, Shantay was honored as a Making A Difference Award honoree for the Town Of Hempstead, and a semi-finalist in P&G's My Black is Beautiful Ambassador Search. In 2015, she received the Darby Foundation's Community Service Award and a Community Service Award from the Hempstead Chamber Of Commerce. In 2017, she was a Woman Of Power Honoree from the Caribbean Business Connections Organization, and was a  NAACP Community Service Award honoree. Shantay also became a published Author in 2017, when she penned her book Destined For Greatness, which has  gone on to become an Amazon Best Seller. She recently received the 2018 Caribbean American Healthcare Award, from Caribbean Life Magazine. She was  the Keynote Speaker for the Excellence in Success Nursing Awards. She received the 2018 Woman of Power Award from The Ladies of 3rd Thursday organization, and the Social Change Award from Farley Productions, Inc.  In 2019, she was a Long Island Diversity In Business Award Honoree. In 2020,  she received the  Town of Hempstead's Pathfinder Award, she was a  Nassau County Office of Minority Affairs Black History Month Award Honoree, and received the P.O.W.E.R. 2020 Women's Empowerment Award. In 2021, she received the Inner Vision Magazine, Women Who Rocked their Roles Honor, she was the Keynote Speaker for the NY Chapter of The American Nurses Association 9th Annual Conference, and recognized as Nurse Entrepreneur of The Year, by the Greater NYC Black Nurses Association. Shantay is also the Founder of Men Of Integrity Inc., and Co-Founder of Nurses Of Integrity. “I believe that what you put out in life, you get back,” explains Shantay. “So, if you put out positivity, then you will get back positivity— it's our job to give back in any way we can.”#dearlifewarriors #womenhistorymonth #ygbawards #lifechangingmoments #womenofintegrity

#037 In this episode NG and Chichi feature their first collaboration! The ladies have a juicy conversation with Kelechi, from My Black is Transnational Podcast, about dating and relationships as a six figure woman. They also get the male perspective from Kelechi as man who married to a woman who makes six figures and is also the breadwinner. If you have a question or comment that you want featured on a future episodes OR if you just want to say hello DM us on instagram @lessonsofthesixfigurewoman or email us at LOTSFW@gmail.com.

Dr. Rob joins us in this series of Belonging as I just decided to name it. We discuss aspects of identity from a bit of a clinical perspective, in addition to my sharing of my experiences as I make out what Queerness means to me in relation to my Blackness. The title of Performative Blackness comes into place as a representation of MY Black experience, and is NOT to be assumed as every person of Blackness' experience, so as you listen, please keep that in mind. I mention that I do believe people sometimes forget I'm a Black man and that while I wish I could reject society's expectations and stereotypes for what that means, I still present in this way which means no matter what you hope for me, there are certain survival mechanisms I have to implement in order to be considered nonthreatening. As someone who dates outside my race, I have to be mindful that my partners are aware of MY Blackness not being the same kind of experience they may have had with other partners who have Black skin. It's different but the same in many ways. We speak more to this in the podcast episode.

In this special episode Kirby and Amira sit down with the original Black Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson. Ernie talks about the trials and tribulations of surviving Hollywood at a time when Blackness was not openly welcomed. His experience has spanned Blaxploitation to the modern day and he's been through it all. From stereotypes in Black roles to getting left out of the Ghostbusters franchise Ernie goes in! Don't miss the slime he spills. See the timestamps below to catch it all. (13:20) Military and Marriage at 16!(19:49) A change ‘gon come in the industry?(24:41) Rejection in the industry and Ernie's first chance (29:11) Standards and fighting stereotypes in Hollywood(32:32) Respect and disrespect from the Ghostbuster franchise(33:32) Being left out of Ghostbusters multiple times and how Ernie keeps his cool (38:15) Being black balled and still finding a way (41:13) My Black is powerful… See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Read with Carylee Show brings the love of literature to children and gives a peek behind the scenes by evoking the joy of reading, helping children interact with authors, and displaying the hidden talent of these authors who may be living in your community.  This episode will read The Three Bears Go To School with Shondra Quarles. ✅ ABOUT THE STORY: Like everyone else, the Three Bears and Goldilocks are all grown up! What happens if they all meet again? Join us in this new episode as we listen to how author Shondra Quarles reimagines the encounter and puts a modern twist on a well-loved classic! ✅ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shondra M. Quarles is an early childhood educator and children's book author who resides in Dallas. In 2014, Ms. Quarles' students inspired her to write and self-publish her first e-book titled Kindergartner Wisdom: The Best Advice I Ever Got Came From Kindergartners. Shondra later published her first paperback book titled The Teacher Who Didn't Want to go to School in 2016. This book earned her a prestigious award from the National Celebrity Educators for authoring a book about teachers. The Teacher Who Didn't Want to go to School was also a children's book finalist for the 2017 and 2018 Indie Author Legacy Awards. In 2017, Shondra co-authored a book about diversity titled Trees. In 2018, she published Black Lives Matter: A Picture Book for Kids and My Black is Beautiful. Both books were written to promote self-love. Shondra went on to be a featured author at the 2018 NAACP Convention, and her books were featured at the 2018 Essence Music Festival. Her book Curly Hair, Don't Care was written in 2019 to encourage children to be proud of their natural hair. Other 2019 publications include Young King and Fati's Garden. Young King is a book of affirmations for young boys, and Fati's Garden follows a young girl who discovers the power of planting seeds. In 2020, Shondra published The Three Bears go to School and The Teacher Who Was Quarantined and Couldn't Go to School. Her most recent publications are Jamal's Nursery Rhyme Remix, featuring diverse characters and No Calvin, a book about a boy learning safe choices as he goes back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic.  You can follow Shondra's writing journey on all social media platforms @eyeheartteaching

Dr. Yaba Blay shared the story behind her title with us on Sunday, August 22nd, 2021. Dr. Blay is a scholar-activist, public speaker, and cultural consultant whose scholarship, work and practice centers on the lived experiences of Black women and girls, with a particular focus on identity/body politics and beauty practices.Lauded by O Magazine for her social media activism, she has launched several viral campaigns including Locs of Love, #PrettyPeriod, and #ProfessionalBlackGirl, her multi-platform digital community.Widely respected as one of the foremost thought leaders on Black racial identity, colorism, and beauty politics, Dr. Blay is a globally sought-after speaker and consultant with an extensive client list of over two dozen academic institutions including Harvard University, Duke University, Spelman College, New York University, to name a few; and such corporate entities as Netflix, UniLever International, SheaMoisture, Estee Lauder Companies, Procter & Gamble's ‘My Black is Beautiful,' and the #meToo. Movement.SUE SAYS"Yaba translates her research into engaging creative projects that seek to impact, if not change, our lived experiences for the better.  She has launched several viral campaigns including Locs of Love, #PrettyPeriod, and #ProfessionalBlackGirl. She is also the author of the award-winning One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race, the inspiration behind CNN's television documentary “Who is Black in America?,” for which she served as consulting producer. "Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/women-to-watch-r/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! The ladies are back with another episode! Gia opens the show giving congratulatory love to her baby sister on becoming a doctor! Sapphira then shares her updates on her getaway to Puerto Rico, the full circle moments around planning a Juneteenth event in her city and more. And finally, the girls chat about Insecure wrapping, Issa Rae's legacy and the importance of being a kind, but fearless leader. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! Consistency...is a motha**! One of the most rewarding, yet difficult, experiences of growth is our relationship with consistency. Gia, Alysha and Bexx discuss each of their experiences and takeaways, how you choose to show up in the world and relationships. We talk balancing our “inner child” with our BIG age selves. Gia is BACK! online, after a long hiatus from social - & shares how she’s been “watering herself.” Bexx begins a 14-day staycation, and shares who recently stood in front of her lens. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole shares a small talk on gratitude. He speaks from the heart to pray and inspire the sacred ritual of giving thanks.Giving thanks. Expressing Gratitude. These are the most ancient, pure forms of spirituality. When I was a kid, whenever we would play a pickup game, my best friend Brandon would call me the “black hole,” because I would forget to pass the rock in favor of brick after brick. So let me offer my most sincere appreciation for my Teachers, who are many, and yet there are all-stars. Let’s do it chronologically…First and foremost, I want to thank my parents, who taught me that Love was something unconditional and immeasurable. Infinite in fact. They taught me the math equation: Love equals Infinity. They taught me spiritual laws, which transcended particularities of denomination. One time I asked my father, do you love God or your Family more? He said something like, “Family is a Gift from God.”Second, I want to thank my friends. I grew up in public schools, where lunch tables were all the rage. Who you sat with, and why you sat with them, was a whole universe of complexity. My Black peers let me sit at their table, when I felt like such an outcast. They taught me about how to do the tootsie roll and what the best R&B stations were. I was introduced to Boys II Men, and I began learning what it meant to grow up. When I transitioned to private school, I experienced a lot of bullying. It made me sad, but it made me strong. I have complicated feelings about this time. I learned theology and philosophy. I learned languages. I’ll always appreciate learning. And I vow to always be learning.Third, I want to thank my confirmation process. I became Catholic and took on the Patron Saint Christopher, which happens to also be my namesake. Bearer of Christ. There’s the story of Christopher, who carried the young Jesus across the river. He was a giant. He felt that he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He became the saint of travel and safe passage. When I feel lost, I still call on Christopher. I will always call on him.Fourth, I want to thank mental health recovery communities. I was a profound addict. Sometimes, I still am quite addicted to my own juice. Addiction is a mighty thing that conquers many people. I had to learn what it meant to let go of resentment as a practice in addition to a prayer. I had to learn forgiveness as a discipline more than an aspiration. I was humbled to continuously return to the earth. I remain humbled by the earth.Fifth, I need to thank Dharma Teachers. Dharma essentially means “Truth.” What I learned in Dharma circles is that God and Dharma are not in conflict. I learned that very little is truly in conflict. I learned to deepen my appreciation for non-violence. I learned to deepen my appreciation for individual and collective liberation. Many of my misunderstandings of Christ were resolved in the scientific inquiry of mind. I could see how Judaism and Christianity were not in conflict. I could see how every faith tradition had Love woven throughout. Specifically, though there are many teachers with whom I’ve crossed paths, I want to thank the following Buddhist teachers by name: Kyodoshi, Lama Rod Owens, Acharya Dale Asrael, Reggie Ray and Caroline Pfohl, Frank Berliner, and Bill Scheffel. I have loved every lineage I have come into contact with, but these teacher specifically have saved my life and led me out of confusion.Sixth, and this is where time bends a little. I need to thank my children, who are my greatest teachers. My first son was born on Leap Day 2012. I was caught up in the Mayan Calendar, and I honestly thought that while the world wasn’t ending, my world was. Becoming a father utterly and completely changed my life. I began to envision a world where they could thrive, not in competition, but in unity. I began to recall my own childhood and how things could be different for them. I imagined one big lunch room, where everyone had a seat at the table. I imagined clean water. I imagined gentle breezes. I imagined a joyous earth. I imagined campfires. I imagined intergalactic alliances. I continue to imagine.Seventh, I need to thank the profession of chiropractic. I nearly became a chiropractor. I was chopping up cadavers and labeling nerves. I was learning biochemistry and how to operate a microscope. Life University taught me about Innate Intelligence — that the power that made the body heals the body. That interference—be it emotional, physical, or chemical—is the root of all pathology. I could see how my own physical trauma, emotional pain, and chemical injections led me down a path of illness. I continue to live with this illness today.Eighth, I have to take the time to appreciate my previous marriage and the struggle through divorce. Due to my upbringing, I had a really hard time accepting divorce. I took my vows so seriously, that I would have died over them. That’s how seriously I take vows. To the death. But it wasn’t working, and so we had to find a way to take new vows. I had to create my own vows to save my life. That’s how vows work sometimes. New vows for new life.Ninth, I have to thank Democracy. I was born into an ever-growing approach toward a more-perfect union. But my appreciation for this movement has been wavy over time. I would think, maybe there’s a better way. Then I would think, there’s definitely not a better way. Then I would come to acceptance of things that I could and could not change: That Democracy is a principle, and She is only as effective as her Practice.Tenth and lastly for now, I have to thank my consort Grace, my Melody of Golden Light. She pushes me to be a stronger man. She pushes me to be a more complete human. She makes me bend when I want to straighten. She makes me yield when I want to go. She presses start when I’m holding pause. She is the wind beneath my wings. She holds anti-oppression like a soft blanket, and she forces my hardened mind to flow like a mighty river stream. When I am with her, I know God. When we are together, nothing is impossible.Well my Loves, that’s the end of my little tribute. Honorable mentions go out to my undying Love for all Artists throughout Space and Time. Art is the language of the soul. The muses speak to me, and I obey. I pray for artists to be free. I pray for them to be wild. I pray for them to be steady. I pray for them to teach our children and to know unqualified liberation.All of my teachers are my family. That’s how Love works.JOIN THE DISCUSSION at https://www.facebook.com/groups/wakingupbipolarChris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. Or for Colorado, visit mindthecenter.org.The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms:Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.comGoogle Play | google.wakingupbipolar.comStitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.comTuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.comwakingupbipolar.com

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! Let’s talk. It’s been a while since we reflected over the impact the past 18 months in quarantine have left on us. One of which being the decision to “socially fast” - a mental health choice that’s rapidly growing into a necessity. Gia shares why she started her “social fast,” and how it’s affected her well being since. Also, the ladies discuss the recent news of DJ Olivia Dope’s experience of sexual harassment during her tenure as host on “See, the Thing Is” podcast. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! Dr, Afiya joins BGP to talk curls, coils, and consciousness. The Howard graduate and licensed (psychologist) introduces and explained her distinct field of study and service - “Psychohairapy.” We discuss the history of women and their hair throughout culture, the significance of the big chop across the globe and as an intimate decision, box braids and their spiritual history and ending the conversation with healing affirmations. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

My Black is beautiful and so is yours. ALL Black stories deserve to be told, not just the tragic ones. You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling. What job would you take on for just one day?

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! The ladies join the holiday festivities, with individual life updates. Gia, Sapph, Bexx, Lysh and Scottie take turns passing the mic, sharing what they’ve been up to, what’s been bringing them joy, how they’re recovering from Q1, how they’re bossing up in their careers and taking leaps to explore the “new.” The collective share their feelings of the "highs" and lows of the justified guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin as well as exploring the politics of the Covid Vaccine - the individual’s choice, valid hesitations and real fears associated with Western medicine. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! What’s YOUR favorite position? Where’s the craziest location you’ve got it in? How and are you nurturing the sexual relationship you have with yourself? How much of your ego is attached to the way you give pleasure? The ladies answer these questions and MORE in our most generous and transparent conversation about sex. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

Our special guest today is a Jane of many trades whose career spans across Entertainment and Technology. A Chicago native, she is an American Entertainment Artist who is rapidly changing female M.C.s' game in the Hip-Hop Soul arena. She offers a variety of talents and rapping, ranging from lyrical storytelling and writing to performance art. Rather than adhering to the pressures many women in the music industry face, she speaks from her experience and wisdom, not superficial glitz and glam. Affectionately known as "Young Flame" in the spoken word community, because of her constant efforts to spark/ignite emotion from her audiences, she is now using this same spark as a gifted, lyrical wordsmith & hip-hop x soul entertainer. She has helped blaze the STEM trail as a leader in User Experience Engineering practice for over 18 years, all while continuing to make her mark as a professional, internationally known recording artist, author, host, model, actress, and Poet. Her work in STEM has afforded her opportunities to work, live and mentor in/out of the U.S. and has been highlighted on Network T.V. shows such as PBS's "Economic Outlook" and NBC's "The Steve Harvey Show." Within the Entertainment Arena, she is an accomplished Hip-Hop Soul Artist with Spoken Word roots. She lends her art and story to youth and women organizations as a motivational speaker/facilitator. Her music spans hip-hop, house, jazz, and Neo-soul, and she has even been nicknamed "the Jay-Z of poetry" from the TVOne Network after landing her commercial on behalf of the "My Black is Beautiful" Procter & Gamble campaign and filming it in 1 take! She has been featured on TVOne's Verses & Flow, shared the screen with seasoned television and film actors, such as Lawrence Fishburne, Jennifer Beals, and Terrence Howard. Also, you can hear her music on Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It" season 2 soundtrack (available now on Netflix). Her new album titled "I Be." highlights a taste of her lyrical wordplay and encourages the message of being confident and unapologetic in who you are and what you stand for! Her music has been in rotation globally on several radio platforms in and out of the U.S., and she co-headlined her first U.K. tour in 2019. She is not only a charismatic artist, but her path towards success within technology and art makes her unique in her own right. Welcome to our featured guest, Antoinette “Toiné” Houston. This is an episode that is surely worth exploring every minute of their discussion. Tune in and listen. #kut2thachase #podcast #unscripted #unbridled #episode4everyone #E93 #openingthedoor #satx #sanantonio #sanantoniopodcast #sanantoniopodcaster #sanantonioinfluencer --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kut2thachase/support

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! In the newest episode, the ladies dissect the Derrick Jaxn situation, their frustrations with problematic rise of self-proclaimed experts, how faith plays a role in all of this and why it’s important to interrogate the intentions of everything and everyone on your TL. They begin a candid discussion about private vs public faith. Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

Oral Manifestations by, Sophia Lenore To my melanated family My Black and Brown people – My minorities Why are we so misguided and ignorant to what’s really important? Where are our priorities? We must take responsibility for our own health and well being – while simultaneously dismantling the institutional racism within the healthcare system – we must make a fuss! Because ‘the powers that be’ are on a covert mission to kill you, me & us! Dental health disparities continue to have detrimental effects on the Black and Brown communities – causing sever health problems and even death. Your mouth is apart of your body - So oral hygiene is a vial part of your overall health. Bacteria, infections and disease can build up and invade your bloodstream through your mouth with every breath. So we must remain vigilant while taking accountability and responsibility for our health & oral hygiene – which is tremendously more important than our hair Our skin Our nails Our eyebrows And our fashion obsessions We must reprioritize our lives to focus on what’s most important – this includes placing your health before vanity and material possessions. This includes remaining educated and well versed This includes putting your life & health first …  Ep. 72: A Mouthful of Wisdom with Sheriese Ferguson  In this week’s episode, we amplify the voice of Sheriese Ferguson, RDH!  Sheriese Ferguson knows oral health is overall health.  From a young age, her parents taking her to the dentist regularly made a lasting impression.  She knew then she wanted to work in dental health.  When she found herself working in finance for twelve years, she began getting burnt out and decided it was time to do what she always wanted to do: work in the dental field.  In this episode, we conversate about:  The percentage of dentists that are minorities  The correlation of oral and heart health How your medical history presents itself in your mouth Where can you find Sheriese Ferguson?  https://www.amouthful.net/ https://www.instagram.com/_mouth.ful_/ https://www.facebook.com/mouthfulrdh/ https://www.facebook.com/sheriese.ferguson/ Honorable Mentions Brown Girl, RDH: https://browngirlrdh.org/ The Global Foundation For Dental Healthcare & Awareness https://gfdha.org/   OUR NARRATIVE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE!  Connect with us Click Here To Join The Melanated Conversations Collective Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanatedconvos/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/melanatedconvos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanatedconvos/ https://www.instagram.com/literallyyana/ https://www.instagram.com/terrian4reel/   DON’T MISS AN EPISODE OF MELANATED CONVERSATIONS!  Click here to subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Click here to subscribe to us on Stitcher. Click here to subscribe to us on Spotify. Click here to subscribe to us on Google Podcasts.    [music: "Fly" Produced by Makaih Beats]    ......................................................................................................................   Are you ready to start your very own podcast? Check out our 70+ page comprehensive guide that walks you through every step to get your show launched and ready for the world.  We’ve taken our professional knowledge and experience in strategy, recording, editing and presenting into this comprehensive guide so you don’t have to spend months making mistakes you can avoid before you get started. Receive full-on support ranging from mindset shifting, content development, technical setup, recording & editing, and ongoing (strategies) after launch. Let's take you from dreaming to streaming so that you can powerfully share your message while achieving your next level of success.   Get your copy at: https://gum.co/launchpad-ebook  

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! In this new episode of Black Girl Podcast, the ladies discuss all things entertainment. They share their thoughts Meghan Markle’s groundbreaking interview with Oprah Winfrey, Andra Day’s award-winning portrayal of Billie Holiday and the layers of depth shown in “Judas and the Black Messiah." Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

If you've ever wondered what it's like to work in marketing communications, aka comms for beauty and other CPG brands, then this conversation with Liv Lewis, Senior Vice President of Client Experience at Egami, an award-winning multicultural agency, will answer many of your questions. Liv had her heart set on working in fashion when she first arrived in NYC. However, she couldn't envision a future being in a room full of racks of clothing. She quickly pivoted to beauty p.r. via a temp job that quickly turned permanent. There she helped launched Eternity Moments, one of Calvin Klein's blockbuster brands. But she followed the advice from one of her colleagues, who told her that working at an agency would help her learn and grow more quickly. Liv landed a job at a boutique agency and, from there, moved to a mid-sized agency. At the latter, she got a 360-degree view of creating a successful strategy for a brand versus a focus on pitching and placement. After having her children and taking a brief sabbatical, Liv looked for a role she could sink her teeth into, and she found that at The Egami Group, where she has worked with some brands that also have a purpose-driven mission. One of them is P&G, which has the "My Black is Beautiful" initiative. They also charged Egami and some of their other partners to make them uncomfortable, so the spot "The Talk" was created, followed by "The Look." We discuss how that meaningful work continues in this age of reckoning.   Liv believes that anyone who wants to lead a team in this new "comms" world needs to know how to "do" first. Only then will they fully understand the time and commitment that is needed for the work. And those who want to enter the industry now need to be hungry, quick on their feet, and flexible.  Check out these tips and more in this week's episode!  

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful! In this episode, the ladies of Black Girl Pod talk all things skincare and explore new practices of self-love by complimenting themselves. Plus, celebrity hairstylist, Felicia Leatherwood, joins them to talk about her own self-care journey, her love for My Black is Beautiful products and what it’s like to work with stars like Issa Rae, Jill Scott, Teyonah Parris and more! Be sure to follow @MBIB on Facebook & Instagram to learn more about their new collections! And don't forget to use the hashtags #MBIBSelfCare, #MyBlackIsBeautiful & #MBIB when posting your self-care hair days!

This episode of Black Girl Podcast is sponsored by My Black is Beautiful. Sapphira shares with the ladies, takeaways from her recent sessions in therapy. We share our common experiences from first starting therapy and how soon into the process we started to feel shifts in our journey. Gia shares an incredible career breakthrough, and how it feels to accomplish another benchmark. Bexx shares what’s transpired in her life over the past two month, while Scottie shares a reminder and words of encouragement for women going through the same experience.

I couldn’t help but wonder! My Black woman’s kvetch. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sanfranciscodamn/support

This week on My Black is Brave, I'm speaking with Tiffany Smith about her pathway to self-discovery, mental health journey, and living with purpose. Tiffany Smith is a Senior Business Designer at a consulting firm in DC and co-founded Theramatch, a platform created to match people of color with therapists of color. She speaks about the burden black women bear as we carry everyone's struggles - our partners' struggles and our families' struggles - and the release she felt letting it all go.

This is week 6 of my My Black is Beautiful (Queen Series) this week guest is the host of Audaciously Me it was a joy to sit down and talk with her this episode! Come on this journey with me and get inspired!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shermonicia-slaughter/message

My tribe I have a very special guest named Dr. Ibe-Lamberts who is also a ACA & UIUC Alumni and the host of the ‘My Black is Transnational’ Podcast. He gives us great gist on what his podcast is about and the many things he is doing from mentorship and more. His podcast is about Blackness and how (re)connecting back to our native homeland(s) and connecting with our fellow Black people all across the globe, while also benefiting from the land we currently live in, could be good for your lives. As Black people, we have the opportunity to have the best of both worlds, this podcast shows you how and why. You don’t want to miss this great gist. To contact him please DM at @blacktransnational_ or follow the podcast at @blacktransnationalpodcast. Bless up! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/wellesswahala/message

In this introduction to My Black is Brave, you'll learn about your host, Anna Bethune, and what the word "Brave" means to her. Anna talks about her childhood in Jamaica, facing racism in America and her vision for My Black is Brave.

Come on this 7 week journey with me as we go into episode 3 of My Black is Beautiful (Queen Series) this week we have the beautiful Rose Cee of Mamalyfe Podcast!! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/shermonicia-slaughter/message

MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL…...........…MY BLACK IS BEAUTIFULThank you for your time and your ear…This is the last artist for “My Black is Beautiful” Trilogy Series…I couldn't have chosen a more perfect person to close this chapter with. Here in the Nederlands I only have to say his name once. The word itself holds strength and power. He carries this word/title with passion, compassion, dedication and resilience. Glenn Randamie is a man of humility and fortitude. Once again I'm in the presence of excellence.  Alles is Gezaygent. Here is Typhoon.Support the show (http://PayPal.me/IG2020Podcast)

Teneshia Jackson Warner is an award-winning multicultural marketing expert, purpose-driven entrepreneur and author. She is the founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of EGAMI Group, a leading multicultural marketing and communications firm in Manhattan with clients such as Procter & Gamble, Target, Verizon Wireless, My Black is Beautiful, U.S. Army, Hennessy, Major League Baseball and Toyota. In 2013, Teneshia founded The Dream Project, an annual empowerment conference that helps thousands of entrepreneurs, creatives and career Dreamers plan and achieve their goals. Based on concepts from The Dream Project, Teneshia’s new book, The Big Stretch: 90 Days to Expand Your Dreams, Crush Your Goals, and Create Your Own Success (McGraw-Hill Education, November 22, 2019), is a fully customizable self-evaluation and empowerment program for jumpstarting a new business, career or big idea. Connect with Teneshia on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram   This episode is brought to you by my book "So You Want to Start a Business; the 7 steps to create, start and grow your own business" This is the only advertising on this podcast! My guess is that you are here for one of 2 reasons: Are you curious about what it’s like to start a business? Do you wonder if you have what it takes? Would your idea work? How much does it actually coss to build a successful business? OR   Have you been in business for a few months or a year or 2 and things aren't going quite the way you thought they might? I’ve written this book to answer pretty much all of your questions “So You Want to Start a Business” and you can download the first 20 pages at www.thestartupsteps.com My 15 years of experience working with start up and small businesses are condensed into this book. This is your step by step guide to launch your business smarter and faster. It’s so exciting to be sharing it with you. Please share your progress Are you ready to buy the book? Head over to Amazon Happy reading!

Audio Transcript: Hello, welcome to another online service and Mosaic Boston - Brookline. So, glad that you are tuning in with us in this truly chaotic time. We are confronted with another confluence of crises with the COVID crisis and now the racism crisis, the chaos on the streets. There's no more important time than now to turn to the Lord. Would you please pray with me over the preaching of God's word?Heavenly Father, I pray that you bless our time and the Holy Scriptures. Lord, I pray with the psalmist in Psalm 44. I pray awake, O Lord. Why are you asleep, O Lord? Rouse yourself. Why have you forgotten us? How much longer will you turn your face from us? How much longer will you forget our affliction and calamity? Lord, bless our time, the holy word. I pray, Lord, take this word and comfort us. Comfort those of us who are grieving. Comfort those of us who are fearing.Lord, send us peace in our hearts to make us agents of peace in the world, agents of reconciliation to help reconcile our neighbors with you and with one another. Bless our time in Philippians and teach us that there is a difference between grieving and grumbling, between grumbling and lament, between lament and love. I pray Holy Spirit now, fill each one of us. Give us a timely word for this crazy time. We pray all this in the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.Here in the beginning, just a word to our brothers and sisters of color, people of color, you know that we love you. I just want to extend another loud, clear articulation that we love you. You are loved. You are precious in the sight of God, and you are precious to us. We can't even begin to understand what you're going through with fear and doubt and cries for justice and we're crying with you. We love you. You have a place at Mosaic. You have a place in the body. Scripture says that when one part of the body rejoices, the whole body rejoices. One part of the body grieves, we all grieve. We are grieving with you, but we do not grieve like those without hope, because we do have a hope in Christ.This is a time for lament. Scripture has a clear distinction, a clear theological category for lament. Lament is different from grumbling. Today, the passage is about grumbling, do all things without grumbling or dispute. Lament is different. You see psalms of believers crying out to God, saying things like "Awake!" This is Psalm 44 verse 23. "Rouse yourself, O Lord!" Lament. You see a whole book in the Bible called Lamentations. We lament what's going on. The difference between lament and grumbling is this, it's about a posture of heart. Do you have a humble heart, lament, or proud heart, grumbling?Lament is when we go to God and say, "God, God, please make this right." Grumbling is going to God and saying, "You did it wrong. You're not doing it right." We place ourselves in the position of questioning God's wisdom. Do you even know what you're doing? Question God's care. Do you really love me? Do you really care? We forget God's goodness, focusing on what I don't have rather than what I do. We do lament. We are horrified by what happened to George Floyd and we're praying for his family. We're praying for his daughter. We're praying for his brother, his friends.We're also horrified by what happened to David Dorn, police officer, who leaves a widow, married 40 years, 70 years old. We grieve for him as well. We grieve over the horror of the chaos. We grieve over the media that is exacerbating this situation for their own cause and the sinister powers above that, and the ultimate sinister power above all of that is Satan and the demonic, whose job is to divide us and conquer. Satan comes to kill, steal, and destroy where Christ comes to give us life and life to the fullest. Why isn't the media showing us the peaceful protests, the Christians gathering at the protests and singing worship songs to God? That's what we're called to do, to be agents of change.Today, we're going to talk about... The text is so relevant. We're going to talk about not grumbling, and we're going to talk about how that is a cause for disunity. That's really Satan's tactic. Christ comes in the text prior to our text today. Christ says, "Humble yourselves. Make yourselves nothing. Make yourself served. Count others more significant than yourselves, in particular those who are grieving. Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Weep with those who are weeping." That's what we're called to do. The original temptation was when Satan comes to Eve and questions God's goodness. Complaint was the sin that kept the Israelites out of the Promised Land seven times.Scripture said that they murmured, or they grumbled against God. What they're doing is they're saying, "God, fix things quickly. God, give us an immediate solution." A band aid solution is superficial solution. God brings them out of captivity, spent 400 years in captivity, brings them out of captivity miraculously, and then they start grumbling. "God, why didn't you send us water? God, why haven't you sent us food?" God sends a manna. "God, we don't have any meat. Send us meat." All the while they're focused on their circumstances and forgetting the power of God that brought them to salvation, forgetting God's redemptive power to liberate them.Sometimes when we go through seasons like this, it's so tempting to forget about the Gospel that God obviously loves us. God obviously cares, because he has provided the solution for a greatest problem that's the sin in our heart. He does that by sending his son, Jesus Christ, to absorb the justice of God that we deserve. Does God care about justice? Yes, look to the cross. Does God love us? Yes, look to the cross.A lot of people today are crying out for an immediate solution. It's tempting to turn to other weapons, be it politics or protesting, all important things to be part of it to devote part of your life to. Those are part of the arsenal, but the most important weapon we have against the evil one is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The most important weapon we have against sin is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel isn't just about behavior modification, and that's really what the law wants to do. Change your behavior or else.The Gospel says "No." It's about heart transformation. Only a heart transplant can save us from ourselves, save us from our sins, save us from our wicked racism that's in every single one of our hearts. That's what we're going to talk about today. How does change happen? How does true transformation happen in our lives, in the lives of our families, in the lives our communities, our neighborhoods, our state, our nation, and the world?So, with that said, would you look at Philippians 2, 12 through 18 with me, Philippians 2, 12 through 18. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ, I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I'm glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me."This is the reading of God's holy and they're infallible, authoritative word. He write these eternal truths upon our hearts. Three points to frame up our time, we'll talk about how God works in us, how we work out, work out our salvation, and then we'll talk about the gains or the fruit of that mutual work.First of all, God works in. That's verse 12. "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." For, the word 'for' here emphasizes, makes it emphatically clear that our obedience flows out of the work of God in us. We're working out our salvation that began with God beginning that salvation in us. He who began this good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ.Our working is only possible by God's grace. It's verse six. "I'm sure of this, that he began a good work in you will bring it to completion to the day of Jesus Christ." So, before we work out our salvation, we must possess it. He doesn't say, "Work for your salvation." He doesn't say, "Earn your salvation." He doesn't say, "Through good works, through your own personal righteousness can you justify yourself." No, he says, "Work out what God has already worked in you." The whole process of salvation is meant to humble us and that's what our culture lacks so deeply.Cries out for humility on every side, a humility that says, "Help me understand. Help me listen. Help me know what you're going through," humility to understand. I love that he uses the word 'salvation'. It's such a radical word. It's a word that points to a situation where we can't help ourselves. We are in dire straits, we need saving. It's a predicament that we ourselves can't get out of. Scripture says that God saves. Jesus saves. It's not our works, not our merits, not even our faith. Our faith does not save us. God saves us. God saves those who cry out. Faith is just a hand that clings to the ring of life, the life ring, the floating device when we're drowning, God save me. So, we are to work out what God is working in us and develop what you already have.I'm glad that our nation is crying out for justice. I love that. I love that. Why? Because it shows us that every single one of us, we have a desire for justice within our hearts. It's written on our hearts. We're in the world that we get this idea of justice, of true justice, of ultimate justice. It's not a manmade idea, it's a God invented idea. God is a God of justice. God is a God of morality. God is a God of purity and holiness and virtue. As we cry out to justice, we cry out for justice on every single level, not just social justice, but holistic justice, justice for all. That's God's heart. The problem is every single one of us in our hearts, we're unjust. We have all transgressed God's good law, every single one of us.We all need salvation. We need to be saved from our sin. We need to be saved from the wrath of God, the justice that he cries out for on account of our sin. Here he says, "Work out what God has worked in you," and this is a classic instance of the interplay between God's sovereign grace and our accountability of our responsibility. This is really important. How does change happen in my life? How does change happen in my community, my family? How does change happen globally? How does it happen?Do we sit back and say, "God, please fix things," and do nothing in ourselves? Or do we put all the emphasis on ourselves forgetting that apart from the strength of Christ, apart from Christ, we can do nothing? This God's sovereign, are we responsible? The answer's yes. It's both and not either or. We're not called to harmonize sovereignty and our responsibility. We have to believe both, receive both, and we are to obey both. Some emphasize God's sovereignty at the exclusion of human responsibility.The classic example of this in terms of salvation was William Carey. One of the first missionaries to go to India and a minister before William Carey went, before he got on the boat, the minister said to him, "Young man, sit down when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid or mine." Others stress our responsibility to the exclusion of God's sovereignty and guilt trip you into believing that if you don't evangelize every single person everywhere that you meet them immediately that their blood is on your hands. We are to not harmonize these. We are to live in this tension, receive both. No, no, God is in control. God is sovereign. Jesus Christ is on his throne.Yeah, I do have a responsibility to work out my own salvation. A lot of people would like to skip that part. Let's not focus on me. Let's not focus on cultivating my virtues. Let's focusing on cultivating someone else's virtue. Now, it begins with God is sovereign. He's in control. He gives me the power of the Holy Spirit to work out my own salvation, and only then can I be actually effective long term, not to provide a superficial solution but a true lasting solution. We work to obey all the while depending on God's grace. Philippians 4:13, "for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." Both to will, he's talking about the desire. God gives us the desire to change. God gives us desire to be more Christ-like.The word here for work is energy. He gives us not just desire, he gives us supernatural energy. He gives us the power to do what he calls us to do. He energizes us to will and to act. He gives us the desire and the capability to change. How does he do this? Let me just pause. I don't know about you, but this has been a very weary time, wearying time, not just worrying, wearying. I don't just feel tired. I feel something deeper in my bones, a weariness. I'll tell you this. It's a Gospel weariness. It's when you understand what God calls you to do. When you understand the person that you're supposed to be and you're not and you fall short daily.When you see all the sin and the calamity and the chaos in the world, you'll begin to grow weary by it. You begin to see that you in and of yourself, you're helpless to change things. If you stay in that spot, I will tell you this, you will get burnt out and you will want to quit. You'll get burnt out and want to check out. The only way we can keep going, keep pushing is if we're daily energized by God's Spirit. God uses four things to energize us to change us. He uses see the Bible, the Holy Spirit, the church, and circumstances.Scripture, first of all the Bible, Philippians 2:14, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing that you may be blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world holding fast to the word of life." The thing that's going to keep you from grumbling, the thing that's going to keep you from disputing in the midst of all the sin around us, all the corruption around us, it's holding fast to the word. I will tell you this. Some churches, some organizations, they come, and they say, "No, the Gospel isn't enough. We need to focus on something else." Gospel isn't the only thing we do, it's the most important thing we do.True change comes when Christians devote their lives to Gospel ministry, to understanding the Gospel, and to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of themselves, and then to share the Gospel with neighbors. Are you holding fast to the word of life, to Holy Scripture, and to the word at the center of that word, which is Jesus Christ and his Gospel? 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man and woman of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." Are you equipped? Sometimes I feel so ill-equipped in this time. How can I articulate what's in my heart? How can I articulate and speak in such a way where people are ministered to as they're grieving, as they're fearful?The Word of God, that's the answer. It's the Word of God. The more nutritious food you eat and then use that energy to work out, the more healthy you become. The more nutritious spiritual food we eat, that's God's word. The more we work that out, actually obey it, the stronger we become. Often people say, "I wish I had your faith. I don't have any faith." My response is "What's your relationship with Scripture? Do you read scripture? Do you love scripture?" Scripture says, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing comes from the word of God." Jesus said, "These things I've spoken to you that your joy may be full."We're also changed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. God puts his Spirit in us the very moment that we believe. Romans 8:11, "If the spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spear who dwells in you." We need life, so much death around us. We need spiritual life, which then permeates through us and transforms everything around us. When you commit your life to God, he comes into your life. 2 Corinthians 3:18, "And we all with unveiled faced, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the spirit." This is where true transformation comes from, from the Holy Spirit.As you meditate in the Gospel, the Holy Spirit massage the Gospel into you gives you strength to change. Yes, we hate racism out there, but do we equally hate racism in here? Every single one of us has it in them. Jesus said, "Everything that people do, adultery, sexual morality, unrighteousness, corruption, theft, all everything, all everything that's broken in the world comes from where? From the hearts of men and women who have not been transformed, and the hearts of men and women who are not being daily transformed by the power of the Spirit."So, are you filled with the Spirit? Do you position yourself on a daily basis to be filled with the Holy Spirit? When you're running on empty, if you don't turn in to rest or if you don't go to the gas station, you have no more energy to go. That's what the Holy Spirit says, "Do you take time to refuel, to get filled with the Spirit, hoist your sails, the Holy Spirit carries you along."Transformation also comes through the church. Work out your salvation is plural. Yes, it's personal. It's deeply personal, our salvation, but we cannot work out our salvation by ourselves. We need brothers and sisters. We need a community of believers. I love that he talks about work out your salvation.This text comes immediately on the heels of the text right before from last week, Philippians 2, 1 through 11, where he talks about humility. We need humility to be united on the mission of God, and then he begins to explain how that's done practically. You will not have humility unless you are working out your salvation on a daily basis. As you do, your heart is filled with humility and you don't grumble. Even when things are tough, you lament instead of grumbling. Humility at the heart of lament, pride at the heart of grumbling.That's Philippians 2, 1 through 4, "If there's any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also the interests of others." Count others more significant than yourselves.So, my White friends, do you count your Black friends more significant than yourself? My Black friends, do you count your White brothers and sisters more significant than yourself? My Asian friends, my Indian friends, my Slavic friends, everybody. This is the only way that we can be a true church family. Everybody honors the other. Everybody serves the other. Everyone cares for the other. This is the only way to true Gospel, unity which leads to the growth of God's kingdom.God uses circumstances in our transformation as we work out our salvation. Problems, pressures, headaches, difficulties, stress, all of that, they get our attention. Hebrews 5:8, "Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered." Hebrews 2:10, "For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering." Jesus was already perfect, but he was continually transformed. He was continually filled by the Spirit through suffering. This is how he entered into our suffering. He suffered, Jesus suffered.So, God works salvation in us through scripture, through the Holy Spirit, through community and through circumstances. How many hours a day do we have circumstances? 24/7, right? We rarely change until we get desperate. We don't change too often when we see the light. But when we feel the heat or God lights a fire up under us, we begin to get moving. That's how God works salvation in us. It all starts with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that Jesus procured salvation for us on the cross as he absorbed the justice that we should have received for our sins, the punishment.Christ absorbs all of that, although he had never sinned. He received the punish for it, he had never sinned. He does that for us to extend us mercy, not justice. When we receive that salvation by grace through faith, that's when transformation begins. We get that heart transplant, and then we continue to be transformed through the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit, the church, and circumstances.So practically, how do we work out our salvation? So, we understand the distinction. God is the one who works salvation in us, then we have to work salvation out. Well, you can't work for your forgiveness. This is verse 12, "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." Verse 13, "it's God who works in you, both to willing to work for his good pleasure." We can't work for forgiveness. Peace with God is given to us as a gift. It's important that God doesn't justify the obedient. God doesn't justify those who earned it. God justifies those who are sinners. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for our sins. This is important, because the world operates on a merit system. You're a good person, because you do good works.Every religion operates on the same system. You are justified before whatever the deity it is, because of your good works. Christianity says no, there's no good works we can do enough in order to save ourselves. You're not good enough, nobody's good enough. We are all sinners. We are all sick with sin. If you think you're good enough to go to heaven, you're probably not going to heaven. We need to repent of our sin, repent of our pride, repent of everything in us that's making the world a miserable place. Once you have been saved by grace, we work it out. The classic illustration of this is sometimes Jesus Christ heals people in Scripture, it doesn't make any sense of what he tells them to do as he's healing.For example, in Matthew chapter 12, there's a gentleman who has, a scripture says a withered hand, maybe some nerve damage. Jesus Christ tells him, he says, "Raise your hand, raise your arm." It's impossible for him to do it. Jesus says, "Stretch your arm forth." In obedience to doing something that is absolutely impossible, God gives him the power to do it. That's kind of how our salvation work. That's kind of how our sanctification works. We can't sanctify ourselves, but God says, "Work out your salvation as we do." By grace through faith, he gives us the power to do it.Another example was a man who was unable to walk for 38 years and Jesus comes up to him and says, "Take up your bed and walk." The man responds with faith. He does it and he's healed. Jesus imparts power that's required to fulfill the commandment. That's what happens with our own salvation. 2 Peter 1:10, "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." Confirm your calling. Confirm your election, which shows us the spiritual complacency has no part in the life of a thriving Christian. We have to strive to enter by the narrow gate.In the Old Testament, there's several passages about these cities of refuge. There are six cities of refuge, where if a person kills another person accidentally, they can run to these cities to find refuge from vengeance or retaliation. That's kind of how the Gospel works. Jesus is our city of refuge. Every day I wake up, I find myself outside that city. In my heart, unless I run to Christ on a daily basis... Maybe you're there right now. You can tell, is there grumbling spirit in you? Is there a spirit of disputation in you, disputing? Is there a spirit of division in you? Well, are you in the city of Jesus? Are you seeking refuge in him?Scripture often says, "I must do this. I must strive against sin. I must fight the good fight of faith. I must run the race so as to win. I must be active in cleansing myself defilement of sin. Put to death therefore what is earthy in use, sexual morality, impurity, passion, evil desire covetousness. Put off the old man, put on the new man. I must work out my salvation to keep in step with the spirit. Put sin to death, put on the new man." Forgiveness of sin is always followed by desire to be cleansed from sin. Justification always leads to sanctification. I have been saved, I'm being saved. This is a hard work of putting on holiness and the fear of God. He does talk about fear. Work out your salvation with what? With fear and trembling. In here, you got to pause, and you got to ask.”Doesn't scripture say in 1 John that perfect love casts out fear?" Yes, of course. Yes, God is a loving father. Why would children fear a loving father? Our sins have been cast behind God's back. They've been buried in the deepest sea. So, why fear? We have the Holy Spirit as a seal of our eternal salvation. Why fear? Scripture says that there are good fears and bad fears. They're good fears that God has ingrained in us, like a fear of fire keeps us from getting burned, the fear of an edge of a cliff, or fear of heights that keeps us from falling. There's good fears that protect us from harm, and there's bad fears that actually lead to harm.The most succinct way I can put it is good fear keeps us close to God. Bad fear keeps us far from God. Good fear keeps us far from sin. Bad fear keeps us far from God. There is a good fear that we as Christians need to develop and cultivate, a reverent fear. Here's the thing about reverent fear or honoring God, glorifying God, standing in trepidation before him and his word. It's that it does not push out inexpressible joy, it actually cultivates it. Reverent fear, inexpressible joy, they can exist in the same heart at the same time. The world doesn't know this, but it's true. The true good fear actually leads to joy. It's not a fear that enslaves, but it's a fear that emboldens. It doesn't imprison, it liberates. It doesn't paralyze, it animates.Look at Proverbs 28:14, "Blessed is the one who fears the Lord always, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity." The word for blessed here, another translation says, "Happy". Happy is the one who fears the Lord always. When you fear the Lord, you have nothing else to fear. Last night, it was like 11:00 PM, I was trying to fall asleep. I wake up at 5:00 AM whenever I preach, like 11:00 AM and I hear loud bangs. No idea what was happening. At that moment I said, "You know what? I have a choice to make. I can fear whatever's out there, or right now, I can run to the city of refuge that is Christ. I fear him and because I fear Him, I got nothing to fear." Every single one of my days is already predestined, pre-allotted.I had a conversation with a nice lady, Susan. We have great relationship. She's in a nursing home now. She's gone through a lot of difficult things. She called me to say, "She's on the brink of death," yesterday for me to pray for her. She says, "Jan, do you think I'm going to be alive tomorrow?" I said, "I hope so, but we're not promised tomorrow." I said, "I don't know if I'm going to be alive tomorrow." We're alive today. We're alive today for a reason. We don't need to fear that which is beyond our control, because we fear God. It's a good fear.Think about it like this. I love my dad. He's a great guy. I also fear my dad, and that fears a good fear. I honor him, I respect him, I revere him. I don't want to do anything that would take joy out of his heart in regards to me. This is part of what he's talking about. When you realize that God is great, that God is so incredible, that the angels when they see God on the throne, when they see Christ on the throne, they cover their eyes, the seraphims cover their eyes with their wings. Isaiah sees God and he falls on his face and says, "I'm a wicked man. God is a great God."Ecclesiastes 12, 13 through 14, "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this as the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." Fear God, he will judge. Our sins will be judged either on the cross or on the day of judgment, all our sins. Sometimes I think we forget the greatness of God, because we forget the greatness of the universe because we're so focused on our phones. We spend way too much time on this one little tiny device. Because we're looking down and we haven't looked up in a while, we forget about the vastness of God, the vastness of the universe, and how small we are.I just want you to meditate for just a few minutes on the Pistol Star. There are millions and millions of stars in our own galaxy. The nearest of one would take 100,000 years to get to the current speed of space probes. The Pistol Star is 10 million times brighter than our own Sun. That star is in a galaxy with millions of stars, and our galaxy is one amongst millions of galaxies. It's so immense. The distance is so spread out, we can compute it, but we can scarcely comprehend it. We barely understand it. Here's the thing. God spoke everything into existence. Everything was created by the power of his word, God speaks and things are.If we're worried about the chaos around us, if we're worried by the clickbait news media that everything's wrong and they just focus on the chaos, if that's where we are, we lose sight of the fact that God's in control. Jesus Christ is on his throne, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. Fear God. God spoke mere utterance, effortlessly created everything, and controls every particle. Amazing. God works out our salvation and uses scripture, uses the Holy Spirit, uses the church, uses circumstances. And then we are to respond to that power by loving God's word, depending on his spirit, and commitment to the church, responding to circumstances.Do you love God's Word? This is A, because growth isn't automatic. We can't passively grow in the faith. Change is a matter of choice. Do you choose to follow God? Do you choose to spend time in Scripture? Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart, guard your heart with all vigilance, for flow from it flows the springs of life." Change of life, change of feelings, it all starts with a change of thought. Ephesians 4: 23 and 24, "and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God and true righteousness and holiness." How do we put on the new self? How do we transform? He says, "Are you renewed in the spirit of your mind?"By the way, this is what the word repentance means. Repentance doesn't mean to fall in sackcloth, and ashes, and all of this. It means to change your mind. That's what repentance means. In terms of God, in terms of his law, it's a change of mind, a change of predisposition, a change of perspective. When I repent on a daily basis, hourly... I need to do it hourly, great, great sinner, all of us are. What that is, is "Oh my. I'm too focused on self, too focused on circumstance, too focused on sin. I need to change my mind to get focused on the savior not on sin. When my thoughts are changed..."By the way, I've been more sensitive to this lately because it's been emotional roller coaster. And then you just go, pray. Spend some time in Scripture. Change of mind, which leads change of feelings change of heart, which leads to a change of action. That's how were transformed. The way I think determines the way I feel. The way I feel determines the way I act. The way I act determines the way I live. It all starts with thoughts. There's no action without thought behind it. If you're acting depressed, it's because you're feeling depressed. If you feel depressed, it's because you're thinking depressing thoughts. At that moment, what we got to say is we got to preach to ourselves and say, "No, mind. No, me. No, my soul. Why are you so downcast?"John 17:17, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." Psalm 1, 1 through 3, "Blessed or happy is the man or the person who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. In all that he does, he prospers." Focus on God's word, spend time in God's word, love God's word, meditate upon.Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." B is dependence on the Holy Spirit. This is the way that God calls us to work at our salvation. Ephesians 5:18, "Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit." Be filled. God filled me with the Holy Spirit. I'm humbly asking, begging for you to do so.John 15, 4 through 5, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." A branch is totally dependent on the vine. Cut off, no resources, no nutrients, dead. Same way we were totally depend on Christ. Are you connected to him? Are you interlocked with him? We have to be plugged in. God has the power, it's not automatic.How do you know you're in the spirit? This is something I was just meditating on. I'm know I'm walking in the Spirit where I spend more time praying about things than just focusing on how I can fix those things. Whatever you're not praying about, you're not depending on God about. The most powerful thing we as Christians can do is pray. Nothing more powerful, pray and fast and cry for God to move. As you pray and fast, he will reveal to you what you are to do.God also transforms us through the church. Of course, salvation is intensely individual, but we're not saved individually, alone. Yes, we are saved individually. If you're not saved in individually, you're not saved, but we're also saved together. This is why the verbs in verse 12 and 13 are plural. Work out your salary, your own salvation, but work out you, together, in community. You work out salvation with one another. I said, "We can't live the Christian life in isolation."This is where it's important to have deep relationships, grounded in love, where if you see a brother or sister in sin, you don't grumble about their sin behind their back. You don't just dispute them about their sin in public. You go to them one-on-one, and you speak to them the Gospel. You call them to repent. We all need to do that we all need to learn how to humbly receive that.And then responses to circumstances, this is how we work out our salvation. There's a parallel in Scripture between God's resources and our choice. Will you receive those resources? God has the resource of his word. Are you in his word? God has the Holy Spirit. Do you choose to depend on the Holy Spirit? God uses the church. You choose to join the church, to join the community, to walk with other believers. God uses circumstances, you choose how to respond to those circumstances. Most important in life isn't it what happens to us, but how we happen to react to what happens to us.James 1, 2 through 4, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." You can always choose how to respond to circumstances. Will these circumstances make me bitter or better? Will these circumstances break me or make me? Will these circumstances be a stumbling stone or a stepping stone? Whatever it is, we're going through. What's most important isn't what happens to you, but what happens in you.And then finally, the gains, this is the fruit of work out your salvation which God has worked in you. It's growth in obedience, contentment in the Gospel, and concern for others' faith. This is growth in obedience. Verse 12, we do, we grow in obedience. This is what it means to obey. He says, "My beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only is my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Love and obedience are not mutually exclusive. If you love your children, you want them to obey you, because the things you tell them to do are what's best for them. When we walk in the spirit proximity to the Lord, we want to obey, because we're beloved.Growth in contentment. This is verses 14 through 15, "Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Grumbling, this is when we got beef behind people's backs. We can grumble against God. We say, "God, you're not doing it right." When we grumble about people behind their backs, they're not doing it right. Disputation, disputing is when we challenged someone in a selfish way, not in a submissive way where "I do want to learn, and I do want to help you."That's the difference between that and Matthew 18 where you go, and you confront a fellow believer who's in sin. You say, "I'm a sinner. I receive grace. I repent, but I see the sin in your life." This right here is done, grumbling and disputation as I've mentioned, it's motivated by pride. Here, 'the phrase crooked and twisted generation', Saint Paul gets that from Deuteronomy 32:5, where Moses says about Israel, "They have dealt corruptly with him," with God, "they are no longer his children because they're blemished; they are a crooked and twisted generation." This is where they grumbled. There was no water, there's no food, there was no meat, and forgetting all the miracles of God before them.There is a crooked and twisted generation around us. Part of the Gospel weariness that we feel is when we see the chaos around us. We see the sin around us. We see the racism. We see the sexual perversion, the corruption, the violence, the child abuse, the crime, the hatred, the drug abuse, cheating, deceit, abortions. We see all of this. We're pained by it. It's easy to cry out to God in a proud spirit and say, "God you're not doing your job." God says, "Humble yourself before my sovereignty. I'm on the throne. I'm in control. Focus on the Gospel, focus on your responsibility and let me be sovereign."And then also complaining just doesn't work. Grumbling doesn't work. It's just a waste of time. It's a waste of energy. If we used the energy that we use to grumble and complain, if we use that productively to actually help fix problems, we get a lot more done. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." He says, "When you live without grumbling, without disputation, this crooked and twisted generation, you will shine like stars in the world," like stars in the world. I love that. We live in the cite. Every time I go out of the city at night, I'm just shocked by how bright the stars are. When are stars, the brightest? When the night is the darkest. That applies to us living our Christian lives, where we are, in the dark places where we find ourselves.Also, that applies to when we are walking through the valley of the shadow of death. When we are going through darkness, when we are going through trials, when we are being afflicted on every side and opposed. Can you be content? Can you rejoice in the Lord? If so, you're going to stick out like a sore thumb. Where everyone's grumbling, everyone's disputing and you are content in the Lord, you're walking like a lion, knowing that you have nothing to fear because you belong to God.Philippians 4:11, "Not that I'm speaking of being a need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content?" Are we content, dear Mosaic? As God works salvation in us and we work that salvation out by grace through faith in the power of the Holy Spirit, the gains, our growth in obedience, growth in contentment, and growth in the Gospel. Oh my, the Gospel is something we're not just to know. It's not just the beginning of Christianity. It's not just the A, B, Cs of Christianity. It's the A through Z. It's everything in Christianity.Philippians 2:16, "Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain." He says, "Are you holding fast on a daily..." The word 'holdfast' implies that something's pulling you away from it, pulling you away from the Gospel. I'll tell you a story from Galatians. In the book of Galatians, Saint Paul writes about an encounter he has with a dear brother in Christ, the Apostle Peter. He says he found out the Apostle Peter stopped eating with the Gentile Christians. Saint Paul goes to him and he says, "I rebuked him to his face because he was not walking in step with the Gospel."Saint Peter, something happened in his heart. He knew the Gospel, he witnessed the resurrected Christ. He got a vision from God to go to Cornelius, the Gentile, and to share the Gospel to this Gentile, to have a meal with the Gentile. Something happened where he was pressured by other people, by Jewish Christians who said, "If you're not circumcised, if you're not of our ethnicity, you can't be a full Christian. We're not going to eat with you."Saint Paul says, "Peter, I see racism in your heart. I see racist tendencies in your heart. The way that you battle racism, Peter, isn't I'm going to force you to start virtue signaling to show people that you're a better person.” He says, "No. You're not transformed by the law, you're transformed by the Gospel. You're not walking in step with the Gospel, Peter." That's how transformation happens in our own lives. Am I walking in step with the Gospel? Is the Gospel continuing to transform me? How does the Gospel do this? You look at Christ. His blood ran, his blood bled for every single race in the universe. Every tribe, tongue, nation will be redeemed by God, worshiping Him in heaven by grace through faith.Philippians 2:22, "But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel." Growth in the Gospel starts with understanding the Gospel, and then serving in a Gospel. Finally, when God works salvation in us, and we work out our salvation, the gains, a growth in obedience, contentment, Gospel, and finally, concern for others' faith. Philippians 2:17-18, "Even if I am poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise, you also should be glad and rejoice with me." Saint Paul had every right to grumble and dispute as he's in a Roman prison in his 60s. He could have grumbled against God and said, "God, I deserve a better retirement. I've given you the best portion of my life. I've sacrificed myself for you."He could have disputed with all of his critics, everyone who was criticizing him, everyone who was undermining, impugning his ministry, impugning his motivations. Instead, he doesn't. He focuses the last part of his life on what? On the very thing that led to the transformation of the Roman Empire. He could have focused his time in fighting the unjust Roman Empire, he doesn't. He spends the end of his life writing epistles to churches, furthering the Gospel ministry. These same words are what transformed the Roman Empire. Four hundred years, it was absolutely transformed. There were more Christians than non-Christians. Only the Gospel could change our hearts. Only the Gospel can change our neighbors' hearts. Only the Gospel can transform the world.The points are God works in. He works salvation in us through Scripture, the Holy Spirit, church, circumstances. We work out that salvation by loving God's word, depending on the Holy Spirit, committing to the church, and responding to circumstances in a godly way. Finally, the gains are growth in obedience, contentment, the Gospel, and growth in concern for others' faith. A close to the story about John Wesley and George Whitefield. In the beginning, I was talking about "Is God sovereign?" or "Are we responsible in terms of salvation, sanctification, everything God calls us to do?" The answer is yes, we're not called to harmonize. We're called to believe and receive the God is both sovereign and we're responsible.I'm going to share the story because in times like this, Satan divides the church by sowing seeds of suspicion. Are you truly a Christian? Are you truly walking with God? Are you truly fighting racism as much as I am? John Wesley and George Whitefield, they were used by God to bring thousands of people to faith in the 18th century. They were good friends, although they differed in their understanding of "Is God responsible, or are we? Is God sovereign? Are we responsible in salvation?" John Wesley put so much emphasis on the human responsibility in salvation that he doubted his salvation even on his deathbed, although being used by God to reach thousands of people. Whitefield on the other hand, a firm believer in God's sovereignty and salvation.Reporter comes to Whitefield one time seeking a juicy bit of gossip, clickbait back in the day. He said to George, "Mr. Whitefield, do you think you'll see Wesley in heaven?" Whitefield's tongue in cheek says, "No." The reporter says, "What?" Do you mean you don't believe that John Wesley is converted and thus won't be in heaven?" Whitefield says, "You asked me if I would see him in heaven?" He said, "I don't believe I will, because John Wesley would be so close to the throne of God and I will be so far away that I will not get a glimpse of him."I love that story, because it shows his own humility and understanding that God saved him, that God used him, but God saves others and he uses others. This humility is the thing we desperately need if we're going to be united on God's mission, proclaiming the Gospel, extending the Gospel, expanding God's kingdom in this chaotic time.At this point, would you turn with me to prayer? Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time that you've given us in the Holy Scriptures with a timely word, always is. We thank you, God, that you are in control. Yes, we are responsible. We're responsible now for the salvation of someone else in terms of working it out, but in terms of our own salvation, which then gives us strength as we are sanctified, filled with your spirit, as we are empowered to go and help others as well as pour out our lives for their salvation.Lord, thank you for the reminder that it's not the only thing we do, it's the most important thing we do. No matter what comes out, no matter what challenges arise, the answer is always the same, Jesus. Jesus, we thank you are our strength, and we strengthen ourselves in you. We pray all this in Christ's holy name, amen.

What do you do, when your 15 year old son, turns even a simple request into an argument? Before we get to the question we’re answering today, I want to acknowledge the unbelievably difficult time we’re in. Between COVID-19 and the limitations it’s placing on our lives and the havoc it’s wreaking on the economy and the latest evidence of gross police brutality against Blacks, and the divisive behavior and lack of leadership from the President, it’s a horrible time. There’s lots of opportunity here to engage your teenagers and young adults in discussions of racism, institutional racism and with the whole subject of coping with crisis. Since we all know that it’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness, talk with your teenagers about lighting a candle. Is there a way they can reach out and help someone? Do they want to join the protest and how? What experiences have they had with racism? All white people need to know that being Black in America, means being seen suspiciously by Whites virtually all the time. My Black clients, including doctors and professors, all report being traffic stopped on a regular basis for no apparent reason whatsoever. There are lots of podcasts on current events, racism, the coronavirus and the economy. And with all this going on, there are still plenty of parenting challenges so that is what I’ll keep the focus on with the Healthy Family Connections podcast. And with that said, in today's podcast episode, we discuss: Why a simple request can turn into a Control Battle Two basic principles of your ongoing Control Battle How to move your teen from from a position of defiance to one of collaboration and engagement During this time of profound disruption, don’t hesitate to reach out for help, your local mental health resources are very much there, mostly using video platforms and that works just fine, phones work too, and sometimes you can be seen in person as well. I’m offering folks an opportunity to sign up for a free 15 minute Zoom consultation with me and I’m having a blast. When you join my website, I get a name, but don’t know much about you. Now I’m getting a chance to meet the people who are following me and it’s a fabulous experience, you’re all such wonderful people. If you’d like to meet me and get a brief consultation, click here to sign up. If you're looking for a resource to help keep you productive at home while also helping you become a better parent, I've prepared a free gift just for you. It’s called Parenting Through Your Child's Second 12 Years. I know you’re thinking, "What the heck, 12 more years of parenting?" Adolescence neurologically, socially and emotionally, and often financially goes to around age 24. Yes, parenting your 20-year-olds is different than the teens. Download my gift and read and learn about the different stages of adolescence and critical strategies parents can use to avoid control battles and best support their adolescents’ quest for happy successful independence. https://neildbrown.com/second-12-years/ Please, take care of yourselves; you need it, you deserve it, you’re worth it. Neil

Sometimes we feel stuck! We know we are not where we want to be but we aren't quite sure where we want to go.  Sometimes we have a dream but we get trapped in the what if's in the fear and anxiety.  I talk with Teneshia about all this and so much more! Teneshia Jackson Warner is an award-winning multicultural marketing expert, purpose-driven entrepreneur and author. She is the founder, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of EGAMI Group, a leading multicultural marketing and communications firm in Manhattan with clients such as Procter & Gamble, Target, Verizon Wireless, My Black is Beautiful, U.S. Army, Hennessy, Major League Baseball and Toyota.  Since 2007, Teneshia has grown EGAMI Group from a dream concept into a thriving multi-million-dollar business. Under her leadership, the firm made history with the eye-opening P&G campaign, “The Talk,” becoming the first black-woman-led company to win the Cannes Lion Grand Prix Award and earning a 2018 Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial. EGAMI Group was recently named one of Adweek’s top 100 Fastest-Growing Agencies. To discover more about Teneshia visit her website https://www.thebigstretchbook.com/

I interview Feyi Odukoya a social entrepreneur determined to motivate people to walk in their purpose and monetize their gifts. After starting her first business at the age of 13, Feyi became passionate about discovering how to best use her gifts & talents to touch the lives of others. Motivated by an encounter with an 8-year-old battling self-esteem issues, Feyi quit her job as an auditor in order to fully focus on Project Beautify You, Inc. (PBY Inc.), a leadership development program for middle and high school girls from underserved communities. Over the next few years, PBY Inc. would reach hundreds of girls and help them matriculate from secondary school to college. Feyi's passion for entrepreneurship and encouraging people to live a life of purpose led her to create The SideHustlepreneur, a platform designed to help everyday people monetize their skills and hobbies. She was selected as a National Ambassador for Procter & Gamble’s My Black is Beautiful initiative, honored as DMV Top 30 under 30 by 93.9 WKYS, and Prince George's County 40 under 40. Feyi’s work has also been featured in O Magazine, Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise magazine and more. A Maryland native and first-generation Nigerian, Feyi looks forward to helping more individuals actualize their full potential. IG: @TheSideHustlepreneur Website: www.thesidehustlepreneur.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/beehollywood/message

We're doing something a little different in this episode. Danielle speaks to Breann Davis and Nadirah Mutala of the new specialty haircare line My Black is Beautiful about how the line was started, why buying black matters, and how "My Black is Beautiful" isn't just the name of the product line, but an affirmation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Misfits discuss different perspectives on creative execution, content approach, and what we want more from showcasing people of color from the perspective of “The Talk” and “The Look” ads. Two distinct executions of multicultural marketing efforts from Procter & Gamble’s as part of their ongoing efforts to connect to the African-American community. 3:24: Guest Introductions Verna Coleman: Brand Marketer & Multicultural Sales at Google God-is Rivera: Global Director of Culture & Community at Twitter 5:13: "The Talk" Ad reflects different perspectives of black women preparing and protecting their children from racial bias. A pillar within “My Black is Beautiful” campaign. 9:00: My Black is Beautiful 101 & The power of "The Talk" 20:50: Music Break 23:45: "The Look" - A continuation to build conversation around “The Talk” showcasing different experiences a black father goes through in the world he lives in. 45:30: Final Thoughts - Our Black is Beautiful! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My Black eyed girl! Good Bones in Mexico !  Follow us on social media @truecrimebros on Twitter & @onefootinthegravepodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube to get some behind the scenes rubbish.  Listen On iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube, and Spotify! You can find all the links on our website - www.onefootinthegravepodcast.weebly.com

Latest episode of My Black is Transnational features an interview with Transnational CPA and financial expert Jeff Badu of Badu Enterprises. Jeff shares his expertise on money management and his experience working with people who are African immigrants and African Americans. Financial wealth and health matters to the growth of any community. That and more! Learn more of Mr. Badu's work at www.jeffbadu.com. Email us at blacktransnationa17@gmail.com

Introducing the My Black is Transnational Podcast. Show creator and host Dr. Kelechi Ibe-Lamberts discusses how he came about with the idea for the show, what the show is about and what is to come. Feel free to connect @blacktransnational_ or leave a voice message on anchor.

In this interview I sit with the ladies of the My Black is Beautiful movement as they discuss adversities that face black women and more.

Artist - Tune - Album Eddie Palmieri & Harlem River Drive - Harlem River Drive - Harlem River Drive Marquis Hill - Black Harvest - Modern Flows EP, Vol. 1 Erykah Badu - Turn Me Away - New Amerykah, Pt. 2 Cinematic Orchestra - Reel Life (Evolution II) - Man With A Movie Tony Williams - Tony - The Joy Of Flying Dinah Washington - It Isn’t Fair - This Is My Story, Vol. Two Steely Dan - Aja - Aja The Headhunters - Descending Azzizziuh - Straight From The Gate Eddie Jefferson - Sister Sadie - Golden Essentials Sy Smith - Perspective - Sometimes A Rose Will Grow In Concrete Joe Jackson - Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid - Jumpin’ Jive Gladys Knight - Daddy Could Swear - Gladys Knight and the Pips Anthology Grant Green - Brazil - Right Now Jay Hoggard - Startin The Blues En Clave - The Right Place Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco - Karma Party - Polska Freddie Hubbard - Space Track - The Black Angel The ode to musical styles past and present that introduces Jazz Gumbo is “Music Evolution” by Branford Marsalis and Buckshot LeFonque. Playlists for all past Sets of Jazz Gumbo will be found at jazzgumbo.blogspot.ca During my early teens, I lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which was a very diverse community. My junior high school’s population was about a third Black, a third White and a third Puerto Rican. Aside from having lots of Puerto Ricans as school mates, I can’t say that I absorbed a great deal of that culture. Except, that is, for the Music! In the streets, the playgrounds, the shops and apartment buildings, the strains of Puerto Rican music were as prevalent as any other. Unfortunately, I was a product of that bias-blinded time. Back then, the mainstream cultural media covered all things White, and little else. My Black friends and I listened to the Black radio stations. And I guess my Puerto Rican friends had their own stations to listen to. Though our environment brought us all together, and we shared in many ways, there were barriers of behavior and preference and taste that we observed without being consciously aware of them. I remember that there was one Puerto Rican boy who was dating a White girl. I don’t think there was any substantial, negative social reaction to that, but just the fact that I remember it tells me how rare that sort of mixing was. Similarly, though I remember watching the live premiere of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” one evening, along with just about everyone else, I don’t think I’d ever have spent my money to buy the record. It would’ve seemed disloyal, to all the Black artists – like James Brown – whose talent was hardly acknowledged by the status quo. And on the flip side, though I knew the names of Tito Puente, Willie Colon and Eddie Palmieri, and was drawn to the Puerto Rican music I heard, and even recognized that Puerto Ricans shared a lot with Black Americans as dis-advantaged and disparaged people, it never occurred to me, until decades later, to delve a bit more into this music, these people, their culture. Eddie Palmieri did something about this cultural divide when he formed Harlem River Drive in 1971. The actual expressway for which the band is named, and which the song speaks to, was a way for suburbanites travelling to and from lower Manhattan to by-pass the Black ghetto or Harlem and the Puerto Rican ghetto that was East Harlem. Palmieri’s band brought together the musical styles of these two communities in this music. Their theme song opens up this Set of Jazz Gumbo, and their album cover is this week’s feature. Thrive! Kirby

This is the last week of the Max Fun Drive and we would love it if you could show us your support! In order to make a contribution go to maximumfun.org/donate and use the #MaxFunDrive on social medial to show us some love! Who cares if the kids are bored? We want to be bored, too! We explore the idea that being bored may be a missing step to achieving self-care, as well as other mind-blowing concepts like, “Boring acts aren't the same as being bored,” and, “Being bored while doing something for someone doesn’t count!” (We promise it’s not boring!!) Plus, we talk to Kendal Esquerre about LGBTQ representation in the media and teens! It’s the last week of the #MaxFunDrive so tune in for One Bad Mother specific pledge drive gifts, follow us on Facebook and Twitter for hilarious gifs of Biz and Theresa, and shout us out on social media using the #MaxFunDrive, and on Twitter @OneBadMothers for your chance to win a special pledge drive gift! Thank you for supporting One Bad Mother! You can find Kendal on the internet many places. Her website, Youtube channels KESSE Vision and InHer Power, and check out her hilarious and powerful article on representation, WHY WE NEED A LESBIAN CLAIRE HUXTABLE: Or How I Started a Youtube Channel for My Black, Queer Family on Mutha Magazine. Chicago! We added another LIVE show at GMan Tavern on FRIDAY, May 11th at 8:00 p.m.! Tickets on sale now! Check out our book! You're Doing A Great Job!: 100 Ways You're Winning at Parenting! Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as monthly members of MaximumFun.org. Share your genius and fail moments! Call 206-350-9485 Be sure to tell us at the top of your message whether you're leaving a genius moment, a fail, or a rant! Thanks!! Share a personal or commercial message on the show! Details at MaximumFun.org/Jumbotron. Subscribe to One Bad Mother in iTunes Join our mailing list Join the amazing community that is our private One Bad Mother Facebook group Follow One Bad Mother on Twitter Follow Biz on Twitter Follow Theresa on Twitter Like us on Facebook! Get a OBM tee, tank, baby shirt, or mug from the MaxFunStore You can suggest a topic or a guest for an upcoming show by sending an email to onebadmother@maximumfun.org. Show Music Opening theme: Summon the Rawk, Kevin MacLeod (http://incompetech.com) Ones and Zeros, Awesome, Beehive Sessions (http://awesomeinquotes.com, also avail on iTunes) Mom Song, Adira Amram, Hot Jams For Teens (http://adiraamram.com, avail on iTunes) Telephone, Awesome, Beehive Sessions (http://awesomeinquotes.com, also avail on iTunes) Closing music: Mama Blues, Cornbread Ted and the Butterbeans

Our featured love professional during #SingleGirlsTalk is international coach, Nina Dafe. She is the founder and editor of the Faraboverubiescollection.com, and author of "The Ultimate Guide to Eve". Her mission is to help women understand God's blueprint to womanhood and become the woman He ordained them to be. This week we are honoring #GirlMastermind, Stacey Lee. Stacey is co-founder of Haute Behavior LLC, a full-service marketing and communications firm. Throughout her career, Stacey has planned and executed events for an array of clients including General Motors, Coca Cola, Strength of Nature, The City of Atlanta, P&G's “My Black is Beautiful,” the 2017 Women's March on Washington, and theUNCF Empower Me Tour to name a few. Stacey shares business nuggets, but more so for this interview we connect with Stacey from her personal point of views regarding being a single female who is truly WINNING in business.U like what you heard? Please subscribe, share, review :-)Share your ideas for topics, guests and more via Instagram.com/staciijae or on Facebook.com/StaciiJaeJohnson and keep up with all things Stacii Jae on justdategirl.com.U Have a #AskStaciiJae question?Please call 424-239-9256 or leave the anonymous question at https://ask.fm/Staciijae

This week, we're joined by D.E. of the Danny and Cleo show. Together, we discuss Proctor and Gamble's “My Black is Beautiful” ad, whether or not we should boycott the […]

All Grammys, all the time! Snot talk (1:22) Overall rating of the Grammys (3:21) The tributes & "other" performances (8:36) Beyoncé's performance & the backlash (22:42) Record, Song, & Album of the Year (39:06) My Black friends are runway singers (51:51) Black Grammy winners (1:02:03) Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter @ swnpodcast! Be sure to check out our website, ThisIsSWN.com!!! This episode is sponsored by Power In One! Visit PIOclothing.com and enter discount code SAYWHATNOW at checkout to receive 15% off!

On a joyful summer afternoon in July, Malynda Hale joined us for an afternoon of her brilliant songs We had so much fun and here we share her wonderful performance.Click here to play the videos from Malynda's PodcastLos Angeles-based singer songwriter, actress, entrepreneur and activist Malynda Hale embodies what it means to take hold of one's dreams. Fearless and unrelenting, her professional pursuits continue to cement her place in the entertainment industry as a creative powerhouse and multi-talented performer. Classically trained in both vocal performance and musical theatre, Hale has proven her creative versatility over time, securing her place in the Recording Academy as well as The Actors Equity Association. Her music has garnered praise from, Rant Hollywood, Cliche Magazine, Santa Barbara Independent, The Dutch Guy, Blog Critics, Lady Indie, Urban Flux Magazine, The Birmingham Times, and Music Connection Magazine, along with streaming spots on prominent platforms including Pandora, Spotify, iLocal Radio, Women of Substance Radio, Musolist, Bloom Radio and more. Hale has also received the ASCAP PLUS Award for Independent Artists, City of Chicago's Independent Artist Grant, the Top Singer/Songwriter Award in the First Annual Independent Artist Network Music Arts Awards and was featured in Forbes Magazine along with Andy Grammer and Soleil Moon Frye for being a social media influencer on Flipagram. She has also been featured on KCAL 9 news and NBC as an emerging artist and was recently nominated for two Independent Artist awards and two Hollywood Music and Media Awards where she won "Best Female Vocalist". In addition to her impressive music resume, Hale has worked on several major and independent film projects, including The 4th Meeting, for which she won Best Actress in Film at the City of Chicago's African American Arts Alliance Black Excellence Awards. She also appeared alongside Brant Daugherty (Pretty Little Liars, Army Wives, DWTS) in CradeMade Entertainment's Oranges, co-starred on TLC's Sex Sent Me to the ER as Nurse Lisa and appeared alongside Willa Ford in Nasser Entertainments' film Hunt For Truth that aired on Lifetime. Hale's television credits extend to national commercials as well with notable appearances in ads for Petsmart, Heineken and Noted by American Express, and she recently joined the ranks of CoverGirl in Procter and Gamble's "My Black is Beautiful" campaign. A proud vegan and social justice advocate, Hale is a spokesperson for vegan makeup company Valana Minerals and is the founder of The meTOO! Campaign, which promotes equality for marginalized couples. For 2 seasons Hale co-hosted The Vampire Diaries After Show on The Stream.tv and served as the main host for The Walking Dead After Show. She currently is the voice of MogaMind, an innovative meditation company that promotes love, gratitude, and visualization. As Hale continues to navigate the challenges and turns of the entertainment industry, she remains equally committed to her passion and her supporters, realizing that one cannot succeed without the other. Her message of love, acceptance, and faithful dedication continues to inspire those around her, which makes Hale someone that simply cannot be ignored.

You've seen her on The View, Today show, E! and more, she was the first woman of color to be beauty director of Seventeen magazine, has graced the pages of many others and has been a host on the red carpet at the Grammy's, the Oscars and more. Her clients include P&G, Cover Girl and Walmart, and she is a style ambassador for brands like InStyle. But what's grand about Tai Beauchamp is how grounded she is and how committed she remains to empowering young women with love and style. And you will experience all of that in this conversation with her.   Raised in Newark, New Jersey, and greatly influenced by her beloved grandmother, Tai has created a business, Tai Life Media, that marries social impact, marketing and style for several initiatives, such as My Black is Beautiful. In 2015, Tai launched her fashion, beauty and lifestyle web site, TheTaiLife.com, that is another avenue for her to reach young women. With all that she has accomplished, and with more in the works such as a new TV show (stay tuned!), Tai reveals in this episode the not-so-glamorous parts of her journey, the moments that are sometimes lonely and the empowering epiphany she had around support.   On this episode you'll learn: The importance of being open to signals from the Universe.Recognize your calling, when start to open up and happen -- listen.The benefits of having a partner in business and in life.The importance of keeping some things off social media.The importance of showing up every time.Utilizing your platform to have social impact.Realize when it's time to cut the fat.Why you don't have to be superwoman.Know when to make room for a partnership.  Thank you for listening! And hey, if you love it, click here to leave us a Rating & Review on iTunes!   Show notes, links, contacts and resources for this episode may be found at http://elaynefluker.com/podcast/   [Music: “Someone Else’s Memories” by Revolution Void]

The Africanist welcomes their esteemed special guest Feyi of Project Beautify You Inc. Dmv top 30 under 30, international speaker, entrepreneur and My Black is Beautiful ambassador. Feyi discussed with us about women in business, single & lonely educated women, why she is not a feminist and why 68% of the girls in her program stated they are depressed. A must listen and can't miss episode ENJOY! P.S. PBY inc. has an upcoming event entitled "Worth it" a conference for girls 12-18 teaching them they are worth more than their external features. More info is at thegirlconference.com Feyi Contact IG- @makeuplver Twitter- feyiodukoya IG, Twitter & Facebook- pbyinc Websites- www.feyiodukoya.com & www.pbyinc.org IG- @theafricanistpodcast twitter: @africanistpod email: africanistpodcast@gmail.com

This mix is for Black women who love Björk Guðmundsdóttir. For some of us Björk is one of the guiding forces in the most secret parts of our emotional lives. And there is something to be said about the fact that my deepest, most intimate romantic relationships have been with Black women who speak Björk. She is one of the most brilliant artists of our time, with relevance far beyond the boringly sensational Academy Award swan dress debacle, which on the low, I believe was a challenge to American popular cultural values. Like on some fashion resistance shit. “I thought I could organize freedom, how Scandinavian of me?” During my New York years, I had the opportunity to witness Björk live at the Apollo with three other Black women. Björk at The Apollo? What a combination and what an honorable way to honor the Black folks that get down with her like that. Aside from the sheer weight of the decision to perform in Harlem, we, like thousands of her students, made sure to have loot in hand ready to buy tickets the moment they went on sale. We managed to get tickets, but please understand, in less than five minutes the show was sold out. And to be honest, it wasn’t Harlem or Brooklyn who showed up to see her, which I understand; Björk is ‘strange fiction.’ It was the usual crew at the Apollo concert; former club kids, angsty white women and entitled hipsters. And of course some of us were in the house. My crew and I represented for all the Black women inspired by her audaciousness, by her work ethic, and by her willingness to make whatever screw face necessary to offer ‘love scholarship’ through song. We cheered from the balcony squinting to experience what looked like an Icelandic ball of glitter performing unapologetically to self-composed electro folk music. I will never forget her relationship with the microphone, dancing around it, stepping away from it, looking into it and making it sing her songs. She’s a beast of a live performer. After the concert I kept thinking about how to build on the energy felt from the experience. So I reached out to Greg Tate, one of the only Black men in my life who loves Bjork as much as I do, to discuss the possibility of the Black Rock Coalition’s involvement in a tribute to Björk, at the Apollo Theater no less. The vision was to have my favorite artists, including Tamar Kali, Joi and Taylor McFerrin, to not so much perform, but interpret her music. I believe that only an original interpretation is possible. A night of Björk covers would never do. Later I decided to hold off on the tribute in fear of not having the resources to do the event justice. One cannot half step when the name Björk is attached to a project and slowly but surely my budget fronted on my vision. While a major tribute event was not possible, I kept thinking of ways to express the impact this creature of an artist has had on my artistic and personal development. I’ve turned to Björk’s music so many times for heart education and the inevitable ‘feeling of feelings’ that happen when you find yourself brave enough to face the dark beauty of a song like ‘Unravel’ from the Homogenic album. For years I’ve waited for whatever it is I am supposed to do with this special place that I hold for her work in my heart. It turned out to be this mix, which was partially inspired by the release of her latest and ninth studio album, Vulnicura. My Black girl Bjork tribe was surprised, maybe even betrayed to learn that I don’t love it. It’s brilliant by default, but part of why I love her so much is because she speaks to lovers wherever they are on their journey, excavating lessons buried deep in the nuanced exchanges between intimate partners in any given space and time. A breakup album felt too obvious for me. Before listening to Vulnicura I had to ask myself if I even had the emotional capacity to hold Björk’s heartbreak this winter? Björk’s triple Scorpio heartbreak? Triple Scorpio? What the hell does it mean to be in partnership with a Björk? She’s always been so perfectly naked or ‘Violently Happy?’ But I listened, hoping that I hadn’t become one of those fans who run away when artists are inspired to drive their work in a different direction? I mean I get it. Sometimes you need something epic, a release, to get the hurt out. Marvin did it brilliantly with “Here My Dear,” Nas even did it with his Post Kelis “Life Is Good” album, and I’m sure there are hundreds of other artists who produced entire projects around mourning, or celebrating the ending of a relationship. And there are jewels all up in and through Vulnicura, don’t get it twisted, I know who she is. But did I miss her impersonal cryptic lyrical finesse?” Yes. And do I understand how honest, brave, vulnerable and musically sound it is? Absolutely. So far there is only one song that I can return to, “Atom Dance” and it too is represented on this mix. I’ll be revisiting ‘Vulnicura’ at a later time, certainly a different season. Maybe my European winter was not the right time? But I trust her and my resistance could have everything to do with where I was when it was released, so leave space for me to retract my underwhelm please? I do, however, credit Vulnicura for sending me back to her catalog with the intention to create a Björk syllabus of sorts. I listened to all of her albums and carefully selected songs that have gotten me through and past IT, that have taken me over and under IT. And because she is such an incredible writer, thinker, feeler, this mix will function like a literature review of her discography, yes, music as text. Get into it. Sending special love to Porter Ferbee, a bonafied scholar who can school you on the time and place of almost every song created under the hand of Björk and to Zetoille, for introducing my 1998 self to Bjork on one late night in San Francisco. And to Dream Hampton who while listening to ‘Vespertine’ is quick to point out the genius of her lyricism, calling attention to the lines that turn your ass in circles. I hope this special compilation honors us all. Track list: Song (Album) Who Is It (Medúlla) One Day (Debut) Cvalda (Selmasongs) Human Behaviour (Debut) Immature (Homogenic) I Go Humble (Family Tree) The Modern Things (Post) 5 Years (Homogenic) Wanderlust (Volta) Undo (Vespertine) Hidden Place (Vespertine) Hunter (Homogenic) Atom Dance (Vulnicura) Crying (Debut) Triumph Of A Heart (Medúlla)

What is beauty? In this episode, we're joined by two guests, My Black is Beautiful ambassador Feyi and socially conscious hip hop artist Nimo, who explore the meaning and impact of beauty on our lives.

Tonight our guest Mrs. Marsha Sanders and educator, blogger, teacher and researcher started questioning Biblical contradictions as a teenager. If the Bible setting/location was Africa how could all of the biblical characters be White? Ethiopia and Egypt are the two countries mentioned more than any other countries in the Bible.  In the Bible, Ethiopia is known as Cush.  Egypt is known as Mizraim.  Mizraim and Cush are two Ham's sons.  Mizraim is translated--Egypt and Cush Ethiopia. The Romans didn't get to Egypt until 300 BC.  We are talking 5,000 years before that if we are using biblical time.  There weren't any white people present before the Rome invasion. The original Christianity of Egypt was established by the apostle Mark in AD 42 in Ethiopia (Coptic Church--Coptic Orthodox Christianity). We are told that Christianity came from Rome.  My Black minister said, “Live by faith not doubting,” of which I translated to mean: "Do not ask questions of church authority". At times the inconsistencies are so great, you get lost. If you have questions this show is for you! Friday May 16, 2014 @ 5pm pacific,7pm central and 8pm eastern time...LIVE!