 God always has a plan and for the last few months I have been preaching on connections...which leads me to the introduction of this sister. I was reading her book "Holy Ghost Corner" and I was cracking up! I was laughing so hard that my husband kept coming in the room to check on me. So drawn into this book, I went out the next day and bought "Second Sunday" and "Church Folk"! I promise that if you pick up one of her books, you'll be wrapped in her gift just like I was. I knew then that I had to connect with her. I wrote Michele and we've been writing ever since. She is not only a God fearing woman, but truly a help and inspiration to the body of Christ. I am honored to come back to you In The Living Room with the one and only Michele Andrea Bowen!
Michele tell the readers a little bit about you.
I am just a regular lil’ black girl from the north side in St. Louis, MO. I grew up in a blue collar, working-folk neighborhood. I was active in my church—love to sing. And I have a huge family and spent lots of time with my cousins.
Durham, NC is my second home. I moved here in 1982. I love North Carolina. I’m a mom—two daughters, 24 and 14. Also, have a grandson who is 2.
I am a member of St. Joseph’s AME Church in Durham. My pastor and first lady are Rev. Philip R. Cousin, Jr. and Angela M. Cousin. They are the best. We are very blessed to have them.
Do you truly believe that you are walking in your purpose and what did it take to get you to this point?
Yes, I believe that I’m on the right road with regard to walking in my purpose. I know the Lord called me to write funny stories about Him and the church.
It took faith and prayer and a willingness to train and learn the craft. I worked hard in college and graduate school. I work hard on every book I write. I can be very meticulous when working on a story. I do a lot of research and I always know my subject matter well.
What advice would you give to a young woman who knows that God has something special for them, but somehow can’t seem to get enough faith to walk in her purpose?
Pray. Read the Word. Have a prayer partner who supports you and believes in your dream. Tell folk who talk trash about your dream to “Talk the Hand,” and shake the dust off of your feet where they are concerned.
And she should trust the Lord—even through the twists and turns and highs and lows of walking in that purpose. Sometimes we want a huge and fast reward, and see that as our blessings. But it’s bigger and much more comprehensive than that. The Lord wants us to enjoy this journey and appreciate the smaller and quieter routes we take. Lot of blessings in just doing what is in your heart for the Lord. Lot of peace in that, too….not to mention joy.
All of us have gone through some rough times, Michele can you recall a time when you really believed that God had left you by yourself and how did you overcome?
There isn’t a time when I thought God had left me by myself. But there have been times when it appeared as if God wasn’t moving in those areas where I needed His help in a HUGE way, and I had trouble understanding why He hadn’t moved or was leaving me in that spot like that. Those times felt like I was standing in the middle of a scorcher day, and there was absolutely no wind blowing whatsoever.
I prayed, read the Word. I talked to a friend who knows the Lord and made sure I had some prayer partners with me in that.
And I talked to the Lord honestly and candidly, straight up and no chaser. I told Him exactly how I felt and was very honest about my requests. Then, I asked for His help and guidance, His peace and joy.
In Ten minutes, would you give our readers a testimony of God’s goodness and something specific that has happened in your life that will encourage, change, or usher them into a new perspective on life.
God has protected me and delivered me out of some tough times. He has provided for me in such a way that I’m encouraged and my heart is lifted. He has shown me in the most poignant ways that He is truly my source and He will come through when I need Him.
Can you tell us a little about what you are doing now and what can we look forward to seeing from you?
I just finished the first draft for a new novel with St. Martin's Press, and doing the edits on that book now...but I wanted to do my short stories which I just published in late May ...that book is titled, Riding Dirty and with Jesus? It was a lot fun. So, "In The Living Room" will actually post the announcement for the new book first!
http://www.amazon.com/Riding-Dirty-Jesus-ebook/dp/B0087EACDQ/ref=la_B001IOFJI0_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1339465648&sr=1-6
To find out more about Michele Andrea Bowen, visit www.micheleandreabowen.com! Also you can visit her at https://www.facebook.com/#!/micheleandreabowen! Look her up and go grab her books. You will definitely get a good laugh!
I'm also so excited that In The Living Room is the first to showcase her New Book "Riding Dirty and with Jesus?" Check it out on Amazon and get your copy today....I'm surely getting mine! Hope you enjoyed the interview...Be Blessed!
I am so honored to announce that my first In The Living Room with Pastor Danyelle will be published on Friday!
My featured guest is a special author who I have given the title of "Friend". I love her books and she's going to point you to the Rock that higher than us!
Come back Friday and please leave your comments! I can hardly wait!!!
 Author Sheila L. Jackson is a native of Shreveport, Louisiana and a very dear and wonderful friend. She is the prime example that it is not where you come from, but indeed who you truly are and where God is taking you. Sheila lives by the motto, "I want more out of life than just to exist", and she has proven just that by opening her heart and mind to the endless possibilities that God has her name on.
I am so happy to introduce this awesome woman of God to you and share a little about her life and obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
Tell our viewers who you are and a little bit about you.
I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, where I still reside with my husband and two daughters. I graduated from Booker T. Washington H.S in 1984. I work as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist and hold a Bachelor’s of Science degree from ULM of Monroe, LA. and an Associate of Science degree from Southern University, Shreveport, LA. I was not the product of a Christian home, but at an early age God revealed things and worked through me, even when I didn’t know what it all meant at the time. I have been speaking for over 15 years, teaching for 18 years (on many topics & genres), and a published author for 5 years. I am the author of “ The Enemy Within” and “Through the Eyes of God”. I penned many articles, such as: Only the Strong Survive, Count it all Joy, and Suffering in Silence, which appeared in Dream Magazine. I also wrote: Voting Booths, allow you to speak now or forever hold your peace (during the presidential election) and The Effects of Bullying in our school system, which both appeared in the Shreveport Times. Do you truly believe that you are walking in your purpose and Sheila what did it take to get you to this point?
Yes, I know that I am walking in my purpose. Just to see so many people that are helped by what God has put in me, let’s me know that I’m where He wants me to be. It took stepping out of my comfort zone and refusing to be just another bench member to say, “Yes God, whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it”, but do nothing at all. When I said that, I truly meant it, but it came with a price: the alienation from family, friends, and jealous church members that I surpassed when it came to being an obedient servant of God. What advice would you give to a young woman who knows that God has something special for her, but somehow can’t seem to get enough faith to walk in her purpose?
I will tell her first to pray and ask God to strengthen her where her faith is weak. Secondly, surround yourself with strong women of God that are stepping out and walking boldly in their purpose. Thirdly, not worry how things are going to work out, because if God has given you the vision, it will surely come to past. All of us have gone through some rough times, Can you recall a time when you really believed that God had left you by yourself and how did you overcome?
I remember when God first started speaking to me about my ministry. As long as I was doing nothing, everybody loved Sheila, but when I accepted the things that God was calling me out to do, the hellhounds broke loose. I felt alone and thought I had heard wrong, the mission that He had called me out to do. God later revealed to me that I had to go through those wilderness experiences to develop tough spiritual skin. I’ve learned that as God elevates you higher, the attacks from Satan are that much stronger. God sends us through the storm, because it will keep us on our knees depending on Him. Even when we feel that we are alone, He is there. In Ten minutes, would you give our viewers testimonies of God’s goodness and something specific that has happened in your life that will encourage, change, or usher them into a new perspective on life.
When God spoke to me about writing a book, I thought I was imagining things. Nevertheless, I was obedient and signed my first contract within 8 months of completing it. I was raised in an abusive home, where neither parent attended church, but God planted a seed in me at an early age to seek Him. I never would have thought a person like me was worthy of Him using me to proclaim His Word. God has blessed me to touch so many lives, because I was willing to step out by faith to do His will and in return He has blessed my family and me tremendously. I’ve learned to never let anyone tell me what I can and cannot do, when God has already anointed me for the job. Find out more about Sheila L. Jackson by going to www.sheilajackson2.com.
 Minister Cynthia Diggs is the founder of 4Real Ministries. She is a dynamic preacher, singer, and friend. She is one of God's up and coming women on the rise and the best thing about Cyndi is God is exalting her and not money, friends, or talents. This young woman is 4 real not only about her ministry, but about God's people. I am so excited to introduce you to this woman of God!
The Interview
Tell our viewers who you are and a little bit about you.
My name is Minister Cynthia Diggs. My friends call me Cyndi. I was the middle child born to Pastor James and Odessa Diggs in Las Vegas Nevada. We later moved to Texas. I lived a pretty decent life and was raised in a Christian home. I later strayed away and began to live a life that was not conducive to what I was taught. I saw lives destroyed through methods of drugs, sex, alcohol and partying. I was very much involved but God had a plan for my life! Do you truly believe that you are walking in your purpose and what did it take to get you to this point?
Yes, I know I am walking in my purpose for several reasons. 1. I would not have chosen a life of ministry. I did not choose this life but God chose me! 2. There is no way I could get around my call and the purpose God had for me. I was pulled, drawn, compelled to preach and teach God’s word. I do not know anything else. I eat, breathe and sleep God's word and executing the kingdom building process. 3. The life I live is the life that was prophesied to my parents prior to my birth. Jeremiah 29:11, before I was formed in my mom’s womb, God knew me. My purpose was planned before my parents planned me. 4. Last, each day God reveals to me through His word that I am walking in my purpose. It is through His word that I receive daily confirmation.It took me submitting to God’s voice and laying down my own will. I had to get rid of my way of thinking and take on the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5). It took me separating from people, places, and things that reminded me of my past. Anything that was not lining up according to God’s word, I had to separate myself from it. No, I’m not perfect and never will be on this side, but when you are trying to reach a new height and go a different route- in any aspect of life, you must do those things you’ve never done. I had to realize that God cared enough to take the time to create me, and then call me, and the least I could do was allow Him to complete His work. I had to delve into the word of God when I wanted to and even when I did not. I learned I could not carry out God’s orders if I did not know what those orders were. I had to be honest with God and myself. It was my real encounter with Him as in Isaiah 6 that changed my life! At that time, God birthed out of me, 4REAL Ministries, Realistic Expectations about Life.What advice would you give to a young woman who knows that God has something special for them, but somehow can’t seem to get enough faith to walk in her purpose?
I suggest practicing a lifestyle of prayer. Talk to God as much as you can on a daily basis. Even when you are not sure what to say, just talk to Him. It doesn’t take a long prayer but you must try. Ask God what His will for your life is. Be ready and willing to obey the voice of God when He speaks. When you talk to Him, He will answer. Be honest with God just as you are when you are building a new relationship. Seek a Godly mentor that exemplifies Christ in her walk and talk. A woman that has been there and done that is the best example. Whatever you do on a consistent basis will become a habit for you. The more you try to trust God the more it will become a part of your life.All of us have gone through some rough times, Can you recall a time when you really believed that God had left you by yourself and how did you overcome?
Yes, three years ago I lost my ability to walk for nearly 6 months. I had a very rare case of nerve damage that brought about 2 surgeries, 5 months of rehab, the loss of my job and all of the lack that goes along with this type of pressure. I was devastated as this was what I thought the height of my life. I had never experienced such pain in my life. Mentally, physically, financially and spiritually, I was broken. People I expected to be there were not and I had to totally learn to depend on God. It was at this time that I put my trust in God, for real! His word became a source of my daily life and He spoke so clearly to me, "My grace is sufficient and made perfect in your weakness". These were no longer just mere words, but the foundation of my life. I made it with the help of the Lord! I’m glad to announce that I can walk, run, drive, dance, and shout at 100%! Hallelujah!In Ten minutes, would you give our viewers or readers a testimony of God’s goodness and something specific that has happened in your life that will encourage, change, or usher them into a new perspective on life.
God has been so good to me and I have several testimonies I could share. For the sake of time I will share that there was a time that I thought everyone else was better than me at almost anything. I went through a period that I was looked down on by other pastor’s, ministry leaders, and even my close friend. God hid me from the world and even myself and did not allow my complete anointing to show until HE was ready. I was looked over for years in the area of ministry and struggled with my call to preach God’s word. I thought I was not good enough, not worthy of the call, not educated enough…but God! I learned truer humility by serving others and allowing God to keep me. It took years, so I thought, but God was good in shielding me. He hid me from the enemy and did not let him destroy me. As the years went by, some of those same people had to come to me for prayer and intercession. The gifts God had given me expanded into several areas of ministry and the result was a simple, “Nobody but God”. It was evident that the elevation came from God and not me. Let me encourage you that no matter what it may look like, what you may be going through, or even how long it’s been just live by the word of God found in KJV (Romans 8:18) I reckon, that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.. If you desire to find out more information about Minister Cynthia Diggs, go to www.cynthiadiggs.weebly.com. You can also email Minister Diggs at ministercynthiadiggs@gmail.com.
Tell our viewers who you are and a little bit about you.
My name is Narda Goodson and I am a New Yorican, that is, a native New Yorker, who was born in New York but raised in Puerto Rico until the age of four. I am a proud mother of three anointed daughters and a recent first-time grandmother to a lovely prince.
I am currently the first lady of the beautiful city of Whitewright located in the northeast region of Texas and the wife to the Honorable Mayor Bill Goodson. I am a pastor, author of Will the Real Me Please Stand Up, speaker, singer, teacher, and mentor, but really, above all the titles and fluff, I am a woman who loves and fears the Lord, and am extremely passionate about my answer to His call.
Although, I live in a double glasshouse – the world of politics and Christendom, I choose to live and enjoy my life by God’s great design and not by the limited standards and traditions of men, who are so readily apt to impart its venom, as well as, impose and impair the insignia of the Cross and my God.
Pastor Goodson, how do you spend your time and what are some of the things you like? Most of the time, you will find me with the teens. I love people, music, culture, fashion, and shah-ooes (shoes). For a long time, even as a Christian woman, I was the queen of mask, that is, until I got so tired of trying to find the shoes, the hat, and the bags to go with it. But after being healed by my God, (and it was a peeling process), from the betrayals of a wounding first marriage, abandonment, rejection, and sexual abuse (to name a few), I never knew that my obedience to overcome and outlast the most traumatizing hardship of my Christian journey would lead me straight into the arms of my 21st Century Boaz. Now, what concerns me most is reaching and pulling out those who are wounded and stuck in the loop of hopelessness.
Do you truly believe that you are walking in your purpose and what did it take to get you to this point?
Wow, I need to pause, because when I think about this question, I think about the dynamics of its relevancy and how walking in my purpose despite the raging storms sent to obliterate my destiny brought me to the place I am today.
Just as a vision without a plan is a nightmare, so is purpose without IDENTITY. You must know WHO you are in Christ. At some point in your Christian journey there comes a time when despite how bad your circumstances look or how big your Goliath is, the conviction, confidence, and calling of God arises within you without hesitation, reservation, and trepidation and you simply know WHO YOU ARE and to whom you belong to.
Purpose then kicks in like adding fuel to the fire. Purpose is your drive, your determination; it is your resolve, your willpower; it is the gas to your tank and the tick to your tock. Without a steadfast, tenacious, dig-your-heals into the ground doggedness, destiny will never be fulfilled. So yes, with all my heart I believe I am walking out my purpose. It is a daily walk with Christ. When I think about PURPOSE, I think about what I was made, created, designed, and custom fitted for.
What advice would you give to a young woman who knows that God has something special for them, but somehow can’t seem to get enough faith to walk in her purpose?
The Bible clearly tells us how faith is obtained. So in keeping it plain and simple, a lack of faith or “not enough faith” is a result of “not hearing” or a neglect of refueling your spiritual gas tank with the Living Word. “Not enough faith” is a direct result of disobedience to 2 Corinthians 10:5; casting down EVERY imagination and taking into captivity EVERY thought that exalts itself against the Word of God.
I know that many women have heard what I am about to say a thousand times over. God is not looking at our biological clock. Well, He really isn’t, though I can hear some of you saying, well if He’s not, I sure am.
If my Heavenly Father can give my husband a wife at his age, let this testimony be of consolation to you. My husband is 81 years of age. The man doesn’t look like it, walk like it, talk like it, or behave like it. In fact, he’s been the mayor of our city for close to thirty years. My husband neither takes medicine or vitamins, okay, ladies (smile). My Father gave me a strong Boaz; a mighty man of valor.
That’s great Pastor Goodson! I know a lot of women feel like they will never be found and they stay in the same place, tell us what lead to your being found by your 21st Century Boaz?
I am 41 years old, lost all I had, my marriage, home, money, business….everything. In 2005, I left New York with my three children and one luggage and a laptop, which by the way, was all I was allowed to take by the direction of the Holy Spirit. I was told to take the “Abraham Walk”. Where was I going? I didn’t know. All I heard was God said go!
To speed things up, my children and I came to live in a nursing home in the city we now reside in, where we came for a mission’s trip with some other pastors. It was there that God began to perform major spiritual surgery in my personal life. It was there that I met with God.
While there, I lost myself in ministry, gleaning the lives of humanity as people began to come for prayer, counsel, and encouragement. After about a year and a half, I was able to purchase a vehicle, and while driving around the city, I got a ticket. As I went to court to dispute the ticket, I remembered the prayer of Esther. Before entering, I prayed for favor and grace in the eyes of theking and prayed that he’d also stretch out the golden scepter to me. HE DID!
The next day, I was awakened by the loud sounds of a tractor. When my daughters and I looked outside the bedroom window to see what the noise was all about, the judge, who also happened to be the mayor of the city, was atop his mower cutting my grass. Talk about the favor of God. Like Ruth, your noble choices will always cause you to be at the right place at the right time. It is only when you lose your life for His sake that you will find it. We married one year later.
All of us have gone through some rough times, Can you recall a time when you really believed that God had left you by yourself and how did you overcome?
You know, Pastor Danyelle, I have to be honest about this question. I have faced extreme catastrophes throughout my life, and in those catastrophic situations, and I’d like to stress that although it felt like God had left me and I was by myself, I knew deep down that I never really was. Did I feel afraid at times? Yes, many a times. Did I hurt and cry? Oh gosh, double yes! I’ve cried crocodile tears enough to fill a riverbank. Did I ever feel like I was alone? My Lord, yes.
What made the difference in my life was in the dividing asunder of feeling versus the knowing. I know my Heavenly Father. I have a personal, intimate relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ, and it was His precious Holy Spirit that was my companion in my days of despair and despondency. It was His Words of Life that often wrapped itself around me like a warm blanket as He spoke faith into my heart each time I felt scared and alone. John 3: says that my sheep hear my voice and another voice they will not follow after. It was His love buried deep inside my heart that never once led me to believe that He had ever left me alone. I know my Father’s voice.
In Ten minutes, would you give our viewers a testimony of God’s goodness and something specific that has happened in your life that will encourage, change, or usher them into a new perspective on life.
I’d like to share a couple of paragraphs from my book. This was a very difficult time in my Christian life. It was a time when, yes, the clock struck twelve and my carriage turned into a pumpkin. May it minister wherever God is sending it...
I thought I had perfectly buried this place. I was certain I left no memorials or landmarks for recognition or identification. I kept no record of the gradual self-inflicting death that I had imposed upon myself. But God knew and He knew it all. The self-slaughter had continued for years. I never realized that in the process of hating, resenting and suppressing who I really was, I was also destroying the very person my husband loved and treasured. I had no idea that what I had done was to my own demise. I had no knowledge of the pain I inflicted upon him, nor how I made him undergo the suffering of watching the woman he cherished so much die a slow and ongoing death. But God began to visit the deep places of my soul. He paced through the corridors of my heart, each time hitting me like a tsunami and destroying everything that was unlike Him in its path. He was searching, finding, pulling, breaking, tearing and clearing out all the debris that had taken root over the years. He touched my broken areas; pieces that were only patched and appeared to be whole and issues I could not face up to on my own. This was unfair and unjust. How could a loving God that said that He loved me permit what had taken place? Why would He allow me to suffer this tragedy? What glory could He get from all of this?
But if I were to be used by Him, this broken vessel would need inner healing and a release from a spirit of rejection and self-hatred that dwelt in the inner chambers of my heart. I had carried this load for years and my deliverance had come; yet it was not coming without a fight. I remember my nights being the worst of all. For it was then, in the stillness of the night that loneliness would uninvitingly cuddle its poisonous arms around me. His undesirable comrades made themselves my bedroom guest every night. I dreaded the nightfall because it only reminded me of the rejection and abandonment I felt. Every night they arrived with their tormenting and venomous sonata, enslaving my mind to their ghastly-oeuvre in order to spellbind my already crestfallen soul. Their luring symphonies interlaced my thoughts and inveigled my judgment. Each time I was consistently led to a place of desolation where I would wallow into the hopeless lake of despondency; there unrelenting distress and sorrow subjugated every part of my soul. Many times I felt pressurize to concede defeat. I grew tired of the importunate opposition I faced day after day. But the more the enemy dished out, the more I flexed and wielded my Sword. I had come too far and I knew I could not back down. There was too much at stake and victory was contingent upon my fortitude. So through clouded tears, serrated trails and daunting courses, I prevailed against the melancholic fabrications my adversary hurled my way while each time fixing my eyes on the prize ahead.
Chapter 19~Buried But Not Dead, Will the Real Me Please Stand Up by Narda Goodson
Find out more about Pastor Narda Goodson by going to www.nardagoodson.org.
 Our Featured guest for In The Living Room with Pastor Danyelle is the one and only Chaplain Eunice Johnson. Chaplain Johnson, whom I refer to as Mother Johnson, is a graduate of Sabine Valley Business College and has furthered her education at Centenary College, C.H. Mason Bible College, and at Northwestern State University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Psychology and Christian Counseling from Louisiana Baptist University. Chaplain Johnson was certified as a Clinical Chaplain for the state of Louisiana in January 2003, and is the first African American female chaplain at Louisiana State Health Science Center in Shreveport, Louisiana.
This wonderful woman of God was the wife of the late Deacon James Johnson Sr., the mother of five children, and now has twelve grandchildren. Her legacy includes Director of the Save the Youth, Inc., chartered member of the 1965 pioneer group who pioneered, administrated, and received a grant in the amount of $40,000, for the first Head Start Program in Caddo Parish, fourteen years of employment at the Social Security Administration as a Service Representative, and so much more.
I am so honored to introduce to you this dynamic, Spirit filled, ambitious, and tenacious Woman of God and Woman of Purpose.
The Interview
Hello Mother Johnson, I am so happy to have you sharing with us today. You’ve done so many great things here in the city and I would just like to go back to the beginning with the one thing you’ll forever be remembered for here in Shreveport…The Save The Youth Choir. Why did you leave it and how did that decision affect you and your purpose?
I was asked to resign, not because of any wrong doing, but my leader wanted me to serve in another area and not be involved with music anymore. Of course, I was heart broken and I didn’t think I could live. Music was my world and it had seemed like my world had come to a complete stop. I know you wouldn’t remember but I’d served in the Music Ministry for over twenty five years, traveling across the United States with bus-loads of children, workshops, musicals, seminars, recordings, State choirs, National choirs, community choirs and now to change my course at the height of my career. You can just imagine how I felt.What was one of your most memorable moments as a Minister of Music?
The greatest thrill in my life was when I stood before a one thousand adult voice choir accompanied by an orchestra and directed them under the anointing and power of the Holy Ghost. This choir included only about five minorities and showed me that God can move and use me regardless of the ethnicity of those who would be blessed by my talents. The city buzzed for months about this electrifying celestial event, and it is still one of my most memorable moments.What were your thoughts? I know I would have been devastated to be in such a place of comfort where I felt I belonged, only to have someone to move me.
My first thought was, would God want me to not use my talent and gift? After all, He’d given them to me to use for His honor and glory! Nevertheless, this was a test of my obedience. God was moving me from my comfort zone and into my divine purpose. I had a distinct lesson to learn and if I didn’t get it, I am sure that I would have had to take the test again.Do you believe that God has a way of guiding us to our purpose by allowing us to experience change and unfamiliarity?
I believe that God closes doors and one by one, He closed some doors in my life. I need you to understand that the more doors He closed, the more focused I became. Not only that, I began to seek God for guidance as I moved into unchartered water. And all of this ushered me into accepting the call on my life, which is the beginning of me walking in my purpose.What questions should our readers ask God if they are trying to find purpose for their lives?
I believe they should ask a few questions starting with: Who am I? What’s my purpose? Where am I going? And how am I going to get there? Then they should ask themselves: What are my goals in life? What are my assets? And what is my self-worth? I believe that self evaluation gives you the opportunity to recognize your potential. I also believe that the 21st Century woman must know who she is in God and also what validates and/or substantiates her as a woman. In other words know what supports or qualifies you. You are not a woman just because of your female gender, you’ve got to know what it is that stretches you from just being a female and carries you into the position as God’s Daughters.Mother this is awesome. I believe that women are finding it so hard to find purpose because we don’t know who we are. We are constantly fighting what the world says we are.
Today’s woman has been hard press to find a balance between the Biblical views of what it means to be a woman and the secular challenges confronting her. When God created each one of us, He had purpose in mind. You are purposed and you have a purpose! Although, there is a season for your purpose, and if you allow your season to pass, you may not have another opportunity. That’s why I challenge each and every one of you to stir up the gifts in you; stir up the talents in you! Daughters, as long as Satan can keep you purposeless, unfocused, side-tracked, or in neutral, then he’s happy because you are defeated as a woman who walks in her purpose. Stop conversing with the gossipers, and get away from the Sap Suckers. These are people that attach themselves to you like a leach and extract all the spiritual energy right out of you with negativity; leaving you busted, disgusted, and in a state where you can’t be trusted.Mother that was great! If there was one last testimony that you would tell God’s Daughters who will read this feature, what would that be?
God can do anything but fail. When my husband died, I had no resources. For three years I had to shut down everything to care for him; at the age of forty-eight, with two children yet at home. Then I found myself with no job, no money, and no husband. There are so many circumstances and situations that render us or cause us to feel powerless and hopeless. However, we can take courage in the fact that God has all power and is well able to keep us and protect us. Not only that, He is able to keep your mind, heart, and spirits and all you have to do is focus on accomplishing His will and divine purpose for your life. God will also give you the strength to avoid behavior that is spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically destructive to you. All you have to do is trust and depend on God. Little did I know that when God was closing doors earlier in my life, He was positioning and setting me up for the most rewarding career that I could ever have. And what is most exciting is the fact that I know that I am walking in my purpose. You can email Chaplain Eunice Johnson at ejohns2@lsuhsc.edu or to find out more about her ministry visit Word of Deliverance Family Life Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.
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Friend, the first question that comes to mind is who the heck is Janese Dixon and how are you two associated?
She is the fiction writer inside me. (smile) I have always loved writing, but life sidetracked me. I looked up and I had a family and worked at a job that made me miserable. Years later, I started my company. Working with authors and publishing professionals ignited a spark in me to write again. I know personally that you've helped a lot of people with their book ventures, tell me, how did you finally muster up enough FAITH to write your very own book?
I closed my eyes and jumped. No, in all seriousness, it was a hard decision. I had full faith in the story that I created, however, I'm still getting accustomed to my role as an author. I had people around me that kept encouraging me to move forward. After praying over my decision, I decided to move ahead and I haven't looked back. (Well, I looked back but I didn't stop...) I'm going to get to Black Diamond but before I do, I just want you to tell the audience a brief testimony as to how you've arrived in this place...as author and as a book promoter.
I'm here because I don't accept things as they were. I truly believe in the call that God has placed over my life. I am meant to use my life to help others. I am meant to use and share the gifts that God has given me. At one point in my life I went to a job that physically made me ill. I would wake every morning and think "God why am I doing this to myself?" He told me to stop being comfortable and do something about it. Many years later, I am the CEO of my own company. I'm published. And if it's His will I have a lot more in me to do.
Now to Black Diamond, girl how did you come up with this storyline? I had a dream about Marc Fulton and Camille Blackwell. I could see them and feel a strong connection between them but I couldn't hear anything. I woke up confused. Thankfully, I started keeping my writing journal by my bed. I write, or sometimes sketch, out my dreams. I moved on but that scene continued to haunt me. One day, I went to a coffeehouse and start handwriting the scene and describing the characters and that was the beginning of Black Diamond. I myself, had never heard of black diamonds before this book and it made me quite interested. How long did it take you to research this particular diamond and what made it the focal point of your book?
I researched it for a couple of weeks, but I needed to expand my research because I wasn't finding something that truly captured me. I still loved the stone and the story behind it. However, it wasn't enough to carry a story. Once I broaden my research to the diamond industry, I decided to use conflict diamonds as the focal point. Of course I like many other readers look for every day situations in the books that I read so I would like to address the interracial affair in the book. As an African American woman I typically would expect to read a book concerning a black male in an interracial relationship, so what made you stray from the norm making a sister the object of a white male's affection?
Honestly, it just happened. Kind of. I spent a couple of months getting to know my characters. My life is extremely busy, as a result, I usually only write on my stories a few days a week in the outlining stage. While exploring my characters I discovered that he (Harold Donovan) was totally infatuated with her (Ashanta Kenani). And what's not to love. We are beautiful women and I've seen men of all races fall for Black women because of our strength. He was no exception. After Black Diamond, can we expect more from you? I'm writing my second novel Intoxicated. I am also working on a nonfiction project that is close to my heart. I plan to reveal it later in the year. I will tell people now. Get ready. It is life changing. Working on this project has changed me and I can't wait to see the lives that will be impacted by the work that we (you and I) are doing. Definitely stay tuned. About Black Diamond
Camille Blackwell, an undercover FBI agent, poses as a jewelry purchaser in an international diamond trading company in hopes of identifying the domestic players in a vicious rebel group suspected of trafficking conflict diamonds. The Bureau requests CIA renegade Marc Fulton's assistance with sweeping international intelligence to identify the major rebel organizations with the finances and stateside connections strong enough to evade criminal prosecution, despite Camille's objections.
Their attraction is instant and tense; both resolve to focus on the case. But when Camille receives an encrypted memory stick from a murdered co-worker Marc may be the only person she can trust.
Black Diamond is the eagerly anticipated debut novel by Ja'Nese Dixon. True love, like black diamonds, is rare and precious but when murder and a persistent criminal threaten a frail relationship, will love triumph? About Ja'Nese Dixon
Ja'Nese Dixon writes fiction novels for readers yearning to escape and disappear into a good book. Ja'Nese's debut novel, Black Diamond is scheduled for release in June 2010. She resides in Houston, Texas, with her husband and their two children. For more information visit http://www.janesedixon.com. * * * * Black Diamond by Ja'Nese Dixon Virtual Book Tour is organized by Nia Promotions, a marketing company that assists authors and publishers with using web-marketing strategy to market and promote books on the internet. Follow Ja'Nese's tour at http://bit.ly/blackdiamondvbt.
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