Trini's "Young & Beautiful" Listening Party

Minister, Musician and Gospel Recording Artist, Trini, is on the move. I was so excited to attend her "Young & Beautiful" listening party in the Media Room at Codman Academy. Women are bombarded with a plethora of negative messages about what beauty is. Society focuses on external, but God looks at the heart. There was a vivid audio/visual presentation of the project, including videos of women of varying backgrounds describing what beauty is. 

The Tracklist

1. Better

2. This How I'm Feeling

3. Young and Beautiful

4. Over

5. LightsOut (Feat. Applejaxx)

6. The Source

7. Gone

8. We’ll be together (Feat. Mr. Coldstone)

9. Here I am (Feat. Odetta & Int’l SHOW)

10. Emergency

11. Clean Heart

I am loving the CD. It is on repeat!

With my Sister-in-Christ, Trini!

Chocolate Drop...

Although I like all sorts of colors, I tend to wear neutrals such as black, white, tan, gray, etc. I usually reserve the bright colors for my shoes or lipstick. My mom likes colorful clothing and bought me a pretty bright lemon yellow short-sleeve dress. It sat in my closet for at least a year. Today while getting ready for church I decided to rip the tag off and wear the dress with some exotic print stiletto pumps. I felt weird at first because it was SO bright but had nothing else that I could just throw on at the second.

My husband gave me the biggest compliment! He compliments me anyway but he did do a double-take when I walked into the room with the yellow on. At church some of the women there also gave me compliments about the color. I also want to mention that wearing vivid colors actually does brighten up your mood.

Every month my church serves ice cream and cake for the members who celebrate their birthday or wedding anniversary in that month. After service I indulged in the cake with chocolate ice cream. (My favorite!)

When I neared my last spoonful of ice cream, a tiny speck dropped right on the front of my dress! I tried to scrape it off as quickly as I could but it had already seeped into the yellow fabric. I went and dabbed the spot with water.

Upon getting home and changing out of my church clothes I read on the label that it was dry clean only but I did not want to let the spot set and leave a permanent stain. I went online to find remedies for chocolate ice cream stains. Many sites listed various products but I was hoping to find something that would utilize what I already had at home.

Any way I decided to try this one for non-washable fabric:

1. Blot spot with rubbing alcohol and let set for ten minutes

2. Rinse the area with cold water.

3. Mix one tablespoon of mild detergent with two cups of water and apply to stain by blotting the area to absorb the stain. (I noticed that blotting did not get it all out so I used a washcloth to scrub it)

4. Rinse with cold water. (Note: It ALL came out and did not discolor the fabric so I did not need the next step 5.)

5. Use hydrogen peroxide and ammonia if the stain remains. Apply peroxide to the stain with an eyedropper and then blot the stain. Then apply ammonia to the stain with an eyedropper and continue to blot the stain. Flush the stain with water and blot the area to remove excess liquid.

Anyway I was so happy to be able to get the chocolate stain out of the dress and I can put it in the cleaners and wear it again!

Woman in the Word: The Samaritan Woman

The Samaritan Woman in John 4 is a Woman Redeemed by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. She is my favorite because she was an outcast, but God saw fit to meet her right where she was and set her FREE.

She was a strong woman who went through five marriages and was shacking with another man that she was not married to. Because of the circumstances in her life she was shunned by other women and had to gather water alone, later in the day. I know how it feels to be rejected because of others’ perception and lack of effort in getting to know me. I’ve also dealt with relationships that left me feeling empty.

Jesus saw through all of the exterior stuff and addressed it without condemnation. Some of us may not have been married five times but have five different things going on that is not aligned with our purpose in God.

I am about ready to SHOUT because as I type this in Word, I am reminded that the number FIVE also means God’s GRACE, goodness and FAVOR!!!

The Woman at the Well did not allow her five failed marriages to keep her from running back to the townspeople to tell them ALL about the Man who told her all about herself! Jesus Christ!

Testimony....Our Father.....

‪#‎Testimony. I grew up being constantly told that I was unwanted, more specifically that my "Daddy didn't want me". I was not raised "in the church" so I totally felt insignificant and abandoned. I did eventually have a relationship with my father but the words (lies) were always in the back of my mind. Fast forward to adulthood. I became a Christian. I KNEW that I was GOD'S daughter but still felt the sting about my physical dad because of what was always told to me. My father died suddenly last year on May 19th. As I was going through my pictures and a box of letters I found one written by my dad and addressed to my mother in 1977. (I was going on ten years old) The whole ENTIRE letter was about me. How I was doing? About my schooling. He wanted to SEE ME, but we had moved and had not given him our new address etc. He had to get our new info from someone else, etc. The tone of the letter was NOT of someone who did not CARE. In fact it seemed like he was pleading to be able to see me. (We were in Boston, he was in Virginia) Tears streamed down my face as I was reminded of how God never forsaked me. Even though my parents had their issues with each other, I was STILL the apple of God's eye!

Depending on YOU

Focus - Interview with Natasha White

Natasha White is a budding author, growing Christian, and community supporter. Though she works a 9-5, in her "spare" time, she is also a student, dedicated family member, and seeks to bring hope to those around her.

FF: Describe your Christian Journey in three words.

Natasha: Ongoing, beautiful struggle

FF: Tell us a little about the Score4More organization.

Natasha: Score4More was established by African-American men, with Massachusetts athletes in mind. The goal is to equip young men and women with the tools needed to help ensure success. Our flagship program, “Faster, Smarter, Stronger” provides the skills building piece, while our tutoring program is set to be piloted in March, 2013. Throughout the year we hold numerous events such as our renown summer basketball tournament, “Save our Streets”, and this year we held our first holiday party, “We LOVE the kids” where we gave out 500 gifts.

FF: What is your role within Score4More?

Natasha: HA! (laughing out loud), my title is that of Secretary of the Board, but my role is ever evolving. For the most part I am responsible for the administrative arm of the organization which I do enjoy. During our events, I am mostly handling the registration piece, and being available to handle whatever comes up.

FF: What are some of the programs that you offer the youth?

Natasha: The cornerstone of our organization is “Faster, Smarter, Stronger”. This is held year round, on an eight week on/two week off schedule. Here we offer skills building and nutritional tips to the youth we serve. As stated previously, the tutoring arm is being piloted in March, 2013, where the focus is on academics. We realize that being able reading a book is of equal importance as being able to read a play, and we want to make sure our kids are equipped and ready.

FF: The “We love the kids” Christmas Celebration at the Melnea Cass Sports Complex was absolutely beautiful. It had a winter wonderland feel to it and so many people in the community were blessed by it. It was wonderful to see that it was truly a collaborative effort. What are your goals for this year’s celebration?

Natasha: Thank you! Our goals are to have a better impact on the communities we serve. We want to be a resource and be available for many years to come. Our goals are to continue to establish ourselves and to collaborate with those who share our mission. We want the kids and their parents to know we are here for them in any way we can be.

FF: In what way can one get involved?

Natasha: One can get involved through volunteering. We have a GREAT need for volunteers. Whether it be at an event we host, or behind the scenes, we can always use an extra pair of hands, and some fresh ideas. Giving is also another way. Donations are accepted and are greatly appreciated. For more information, people can visit www.score4more.org

FF: What’s next for Score4More?

Natasha: We are constantly growing and evolving. We have an event for young ladies that will be held in April. Faster, Smarter, Stronger is in full effect, and “Save our Streets” will be held in July. In the meantime, we as a team are growing and we are excited about serving our great community.

Score4More Team: Natasha White, Derrone Greaves, Roger Roberts, Marlon Benjamin, Ray Noiles, (top row) Tiffany Benjamin, Clayton Weston, Liz Miranda (bottom row)

Fashion Film Festival

This film festival was launched in San Francisco last year. Check out the video.