Holiday Issue

NOV/DEC 2012 PROMOTINGPURPOSE-MAGAZINE.COM 1



FOUNDER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sherrell Straker-Valdezloqui

ADVISOR

Rachel Moore

SENIOR EDITOR

Damon Moore

EDITING COMPANY

Tiff’s Editing Café

CONTRIBUTORS

Spiritual Lifestyle Daniel Duval, Relationship Ask Dr. Inecir Matthis, Health & Wellness Cledra McCullers

Relationship Lee Coleman, Fashion Oneika Bristol, Contributing Editor Damon Moore, Poetry Devin Coleman

Empowerment Rachel Moore

GUEST WRITERS Robert Ingram, Denise Ingram, Gloria Jeffers, Joyce Gilchrist, Dr. Shannon Tucker Harrington

Promoting What God Has Already Placed In Us…Purpose!

.com/promotingpurposemagazine

@ppurposemag

Promoting Purpose Magazine, PO Box 5085

Fort Lee, VA 2380 Telephone: 804-481-77113

CEO Sherrell Straker- Valdezloqui



FEATURES

10 COVER STORY: CHENETA JONES By: Sherrell Valdezloqui

Known as the Gospel Power House Cheneta

Jones takes a few minutes out to share with us

her goals and purpose.

13 DEBORAH HIGHTOWER

Representing a unique, multi-faceted

combination of success. Deborah believes the

components to fulfillment and happiness can

be found by expanding our horizons.

CHEF EDWARD GIBSON

Chef Buzz

Chef Edward shares some delicious recipes

along with the importance of eating healthy.

HOW TO STOP NIGHTMARES

By: Daniel Duval

Say Goodbye to Nightmares and Hello to

Happy Sleeping….

AUTHORITY ON THE JOB

By: Daniel Duval

The Ideal Work Environment

ASK DR. INECIR MATTHIS

Relationship

My Husband is Incarcerated and Save…..

IN EVERY ISSUE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

PRAYER

CONTRIBUTORS

CREDITS

Photo provided by: Wanda Adams

(Marketing Ministry). Cover designed by:

Sherrell Valdezloqui

Now Available on

Your iPad!

November/December 2012

Tender Bake Turkey Recipe

Salvation is the perfect gift!

Overcoming Holiday Stress



A Purposeful Holiday Season

12 What will You Give this

Thanksgiving…….

Some people give much but get back

even more. Others don't give what they

should and end up poor.

Overcoming Holiday Stress

Living a stress free holiday season!

Delicious Holiday Recipes

Enjoy delicious holiday recipes this

year.

Living on Purpose

Going for the Goal

Lee Coleman discusses how we can do

our part as individuals to create better

relationships

Train A Child Up In the Way That

They Should Go…..

Dr. Shannon Tucker Harrington, PhD

shares her life story as a child and how

important it is to train a child in the

way that they should go…

Begin Again Life Skills, Ministry

BALS ---Mission is to impart, place

emphasis, or enhance the ability of

individual’s lives by tackling the tough

life skills. Life can be challenging

sometimes but it does not mean—that

things have to end.

Allow Fall

This year like every year offers the

best of times and the worst of times for

each and every one of us. That’s the

thing about life. Unlike the calendar

sometimes you just never know when

your season is going to change.

Purpose in the Pain

Angel M. Barrino, the author of His

Purpose My Praise says that God’s

purpose in pain is not to kill us but to

rebuild us……

2013 Promoting Purpose Award

PPM will be recognizing Men and Women

of God working in the Kingdom this

upcoming year.

The Purpose Salute

Promoting Purpose Salutes Bishop Charles

E. & Pastor Amelia Wiley for walking in

their purpose training and empowering

others to do great works for the Lord.

They have overcome many obstacles, still

moving forward impacting lives all around

the world.

Job 13:15- Though He slay me, yet will I

trust in Him: but I maintain mine own

ways before him..


PROMOTING PURPOSE WRITERS SHARE

THEIR PURPOSE & IDEAL HOLIDAY

SETTING!

Cledra McCuller PlanBe Coach, Author

My life's purpose is to help women

drop ALL un-necessary weight

(physical, emotional, and spiritual)

in order to BE able to run the race

they were created to run. It is my

passion to set women free who

struggle to release both visible and

invisible weight.

My ideal holiday now is one where I

get to create great memories. To me

the greatest gift is to BE fully

present with the people I love the

most.

Dr. Inecir Matthis Pastor, Author, Motivational Speaker

I feel that my purpose in life is to

minister to those that other people

overlook or count as a loss! To blaze

trails in ministry that others feel are

impossible!

My ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas is to

have all of my family gathered together in

one place for prayer, eating dinner,

watching movies, sharing laughter and

fond memories.

Sherrell Straker-Valdezloqui CEO of Promoting Purpose, Author, Motivational

Speaker & TV Host

My Purpose in life is to minister to those who are

currently enslaved spiritually. (Spiritual Harriet

Tubman)

My ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas is to celebrate

another year with family and friends while eating

lots of delicious food.

Daniel Duval

Author, Bride Movement

Ministry

It is my vision to promote

unity in the body of Christ

worldwide and assist in the

creation and development of

sheep nations.

My ideal Thanksgiving is a

laid back day that culminates

in a large meal shared by

close family and friends. I

will have time to spend

thanking God for all of my

many blessings and end the

day engaged in board games

like Monopoly and Risk.

Rachel Moore (Not Photographed) Advisor, Teacher, Author

My purpose is to love God, love my family and

to be an example to others. My assignment is to

speak the truth in love although at times, I

know this isn't easy I still am commissioned by

God to speak his Words.

My Ideal Thanksgiving is spending time with

family and friends, eating and having a wonderful

time catching up.

Lee Coleman (Not Photographed)

My purpose is to inspire others to seek more

authentic relationships with God and healthier

relationships with themselves and others. I try

to encourage everyone that I influence to live

by my motto, “Be the blessing in your

relationships!” My ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas is an

atmosphere of thanksgiving and service. Since

I’m so blessed, it doesn’t seem right to just focus

on me.


on what is needed in order to

receive what is rightfully

yours, it tells you who are the

ones that are blessed and how

they are blessed. For some of

you it may be a few months

before you receive your

breakthrough and if so there

is always a lesson God has

behind it if you are on the

right course. For others there

are times when we put our

own selves in a situation and

think that tomorrow God is

just going to deliver us. He

can if he wants to but if He

helps you have you learned

anything from your situation?

Have you learned to trust

God and lean not on your

own understanding? Have

you realized that perhaps you

went through not for yourself

but for a testimony to

someone else. Everything in

life can be perceived in many

ways. I like to look at it as

training no matter what the

situation may be.

If you’re constantly being

attacked by demonic forces

then there may be a door

somewhere in your life that is

open that shouldn’t be, or it

could just simply be an attack

because the enemy knows

you’re just around the corner

from receiving a mind

blowing revelation or

stepping into your purpose?

But whatever the reason may

be, trust God and know that

He is a God of love, patience,

and on time. Yes your

blessing and the things that

you have prayed for, if it is

the will of God, is on the

Dear Readers,

It’s the holiday season where families all over will

be sitting at the dinner table enjoying their

Thanksgiving meals or soon be a blessing to one

another by giving gifts and acts of kindness due to

Christmas. In the spiritual realm there are those who

have been praying to God for Breakthroughs and

Miracles praying that they will soon receive it. They

are waiting for the Pastor, Prophets or other vessels

from God to say that magic word……Your

Breakthroughs and Blessings are on the way! It is

true Breakthroughs; Promises/Blessings are on the

way. But what one does not realize is that

everything God has said or promise is already here.

In order for us to receive it we must stay the course,

stay the course meaning be obedient to God, pray

and get closer to Him and allow Him to direct our

path so that we can walk towards the blessing or

walk towards receiving our breakthroughs. One of

the scriptures I love reading for this is the whole

Chapter of Psalms 119 it tells you and instruct you

on the way, but you must stay

the course to receive it. I

encourage you to always seek

God and be patient in all that

you do. Read the following

scriptures and if God gives you

more to read then do so. Psalms

119: 1-176, Philippians 1:16 and

Joshua 11:16-20

I pray that you have a safe and

joyous Holiday and remember if

you stay the course you will

receive what it is God has for

you at the right time!

Peace & Blessings

Sherrell Valdezloqui

Sherrell Valdezloqui Editor-In-Chief





Cover Feature Cheneta Jones

ut of "The Gateway to the West" and

"Home of the Blues" hails a powerful

voice housed in a small frame. Cheneta

Jones, the St. Louis native who began

singing at the age of two, has proven that

faith can trump and hurdle and prayer

can open every door.

As a breakout solo artist, and the lead background singer for

Tye Tribbett she stays quite busy. Her current single, Be

Like You, from her upcoming 2012 studio project,

Transformed, is an urban, mid-tempo, laid-back song that

explains how Jones wants to exemplify Christ and be like

Him in every way.

Ushered into the gospel music industry with, My

Everything, an infectious ballad produced and written by

gospel hit-maker mainstay, Percy Bady, on Real Talent

Media Group, displays Jones’ astounding work ethic and

determination earning an abundance of positive feedback

and progressive radio airplay.

Jones began honing her skills early on in church and

eventually started singing at school and other events and

occasions on a regular basis. At 16, she became acquainted

with a production team that would jumpstart her recording

career as a solo artist, and a member in various R&B groups,

where she would mature and developed her own sound.

In January 2008 she obeyed the call of ministry; God

placed upon her life, and removed herself from the R&B

group. She then turned back to her roots and proclaimed that

she would sing to the Glory of God and minister through

Inspirational/Christian music. Since then, doors have

continued to open.

Inspired by personal life experiences and encounters with

God, Jones exudes confidence. Her name is synonymous

with real music and prolific lyrics, and as the winner of

KATZ Hallelujah 1600's Praise Alive Talent Search she has

opened for gospel giants as Fred Hammond, John P. Kee,

Donnie McClurkin, Deitrick Haddon, Lisa McClendon,

Marvin Sapp and many more.

As a singer she lures you in with her unique, crisp,

powerful voice, and keeps you interested with incredible

stage presence, voice control and the element of surprise.

As a writer she reaches the hearts of her listeners with

her relatable experiences expressed through her poetic

stories. I want listeners to be able to hear a song and

reflect on how it applies to their life, she says. In

addition, for those who are not believers, it is my

intention to draw them to Christ through practical

means and not religiosity. This and more will be

displayed on her upcoming project where her desire is

to leave people feeling encouraged and motivated to

grow in Christ.

My upcoming project will entail numerous personal

experiences, and my growth as a maturing Christian,

she says. I’ve been through a lot in the last two years

and have overcome many obstacles so this new album

is very relatable and expresses my love for Jesus as

literally being my everything.

A singer/songwriter who thrives off of opportunities to

give her testimony and minister to the world, she’s on

a mission to spread the truth.

Cheneta Jones—Psalmist, worshiper and vessel of

God bringing a fresh, exceptional style to the world.


Interview with Cheneta Jones By: Sherrell Valdezloqui

Hello Cheneta!

Thank you for allowing Promoting Purpose to interview you tell us…..

Who is Cheneta Jones I am just a vessel for God’s exclusive use. He has put a gift inside of me and I’m

just returning it back unto Him, and in the process drawing souls to His

Kingdom. I’m an ordinary person God chose to do extraordinary things with.

What makes you stand out from other Gospel Singers?

I believe that I have a unique sound. Other than that I just believe that God has

given me grace according to the measure of the gift He’s given me. God is the

creator of all things. He is more than capable of not creating duplicates

Please Subscribe to read entire interview!


Deborah Hightower represents a unique, multi-faceted

combination of success. She believes the components to

fulfillment and happiness can be found by expanding our

horizons. She has done just that with successful careers in the

financial arena, music, speaking, and writing.

She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Boston

Globe, Forbes, Chicago Tribune, International Business

Report, The Business Times, Investor Place, CNBC, NBC,

Thought leader in the area of Expansion, Deborah

Hightower, has recently been acknowledged by America’s

Premier Experts® as one of the leading experts in her field.

CBS, FOX, ABC, CNBC, Yahoo Finance!.

Deborah is frequently invited to host, speak and sing at a

variety of venues, including conferences, retreats, and

seminars. She has hosted international festivals and

conferences, scholarship and beauty pageants, and seminars.

Her speaking topics include a variety of personal and

professional subjects, such as The F’s of Life (faith, family,

friends and finances), Expansion (expand your personal and

professional life to find greater fulfillment and happiness),

and Diversity (find greater success by diversifying, enriching

and broadening your personal and professional perspective).

Deborah celebrated four Top 10 hits on inspirational radio and

three award nominations from her previous album, Her Name

is Deborah. The LOVE. album released in October [side

note– with emphasis on LOVE (period). The be all, end all is

LOVE period…no less. The greatest is love.] Christmas

album released in November – the working title is Beautiful

Christmas . Music has allowed her the opportunity to perform

in a variety of venues – from chapels to mega-churches to

conferences and corporate events to overflowing concert halls

to radio and television to Carnegie Hall to the White House.

A proponent of living life to its fullest, Deborah encourages

others to be motivated, uplifted and renewed by broadening

their horizons, engaging their passions and seeking genuine

expansion in all areas of their lives.

How are you walking in your purpose? While I do have a lot going on…I think it is my purpose to

encourage others to live their own plan of expansion. For me

– it’s educating others about financial issues, encouraging

others to pursue their dream/passion…for me through music,

writing, educating, speaking… I want to grab everything that

God has for me. I want the same for others. Realizing,

however, that while God has it for me, I have to do my part in

maximizing opportunities and walking through the doors He

has opened for me. Too often, we wait on things to ‘happen’

when we must make it ‘happen’.

I believe that we all have a purpose for being here. To quote

Thomas Merton, “the biggest human temptation is to settle

for too little”.

Please Subscribe to Read

Entire Article

Deborah Hightower- A fun loving person

who enjoys seeing others expand…..

LIFESTYLE-BUSINESS

http://www.americaspremierexperts.com/

http://www.americaspremierexperts.com/


You are waking up in a cold sweat.

Your heart is frantically beating, trying

to escape from its place in your chest.

You have stress, anxiety and fear all at

the same time. Surrounded by darkness,

you are trying to collect your thoughts.

Your palms are sweating, and you're

breathing is heavy. What is going on?

As the moments pass, you begin to

settle down. There is no threat. You are

safely in your bed. Then you realize

that it was all a dream. Or should I say

a nightmare?

Nightmares are the dreams that no one

wants to have. They are scary,

disturbing, and unpleasant. The evil that

accompanies them can be felt,

sometimes even after we have

awakened from them. True nightmares

are often inspired from the kingdom of

darkness. Admittedly some are not.

How can we tell the difference? When

the nightmares include a component of

evil that can be "felt," it is a good

indicator that the dream has been

inspired by the kingdom of darkness. If

the source is normal stress or anxiety,

the dreams are typically not much more

than unpleasant.

Many people don't consider that

because we are members of the

kingdom of light, we actually have the

ability to go to sleep in a spiritual

fortress. Instead of taking advantage of

these potential sleeping conditions,

many Christians opt to simply sleep

with no defenses.

Subscribe to this issue to

read more…

LIFESTYLE


Daniel Duval shares the importance of having Authority on the Job by understanding who we are in

Christ…..

here it is. It's the same sarcastic smile you are greeted with every morning.

Yuck! The receptionist, who puts on an air of friendliness for everyone

else, makes no effort to hide her distaste about you. It's no mystery as to

why she does this. She gave you the same air of friendliness until she

found about you and the C-word. That's right, the day she found out you

That's right, the day she found out you were a Christian everything changed.

Unfortunately it wasn't just her. Others began to act funny around you. Then you

started getting accused of being ignorant and judgmental. You weren't consciously

judging anyone, but you were labeled because you are Christian. Suddenly, you

became a magnet for negativity. Why would people intentionally ostracize you? Why

would people go out of their way to tell dirty jokes right in front of you as often as

possible? Could it be because you are Christian? Of course. It can be challenging to

balance our spiritual persuasions while working in a secular field. There is no doubt

that the easiest thing to do with our religious convictions is to keep them to

ourselves. The reason is because when we begin to become vocal with our coworkers

about what we believe, people can begin to respond negatively. So what can we do

about this? I have found myself in several awkward situations at the various jobs I

have held in the past. I don't expect this to change for jobs that I will hold in the

future. Since I tend to be rather straight forward about my relationship with Jesus,

this is something I have simply come to accept. However, I have learned that there is

an edge that I will always have over those that seek to create problems for me. I have

an awesome prayer life! "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against

principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against

spiritual wickedness in high places." (Ephesians 6:12)

While I do not discount practical

tips and tricks for making peace

and keeping friends, there is a

very real spiritual element to

every situation. On this note we

must always remember that our

battle is not against people, but

against evil spirits in the kingdom

of darkness. As a matter of fact,

what I have learned is that there

are key evil spirits that oversee the

activity occurring in just about

every business. These spirits are

usually things like alcoholism,

drug abuse, gossip, revenge,

hatred, slander, antichrist, jezebel

and so forth. It's usually very easy

to tell what kind of spirits are in

operation by simply having a keen

eye and picking up on the

obvious. If you know what

everyone did last weekend

(without any specific individual

telling you their own story) it is

pretty easy to conclude that a

spirit of gossip is at work. If there

is a strong rebuttal every time the

name of Jesus is brought up, there

is probably a spirit of antichrist.

"And every spirit that confessed

not that Jesus Christ is come in the

flesh is not of God: and this is that

spirit of antichrist, whereof ye

have heard that it should come;

and even now already is it in the

world." (1 John 4:3)

In order to circumvent the

strategies of the enemy, we must

remind ourselves about who we

are in Christ. We must then exert

the authority that Jesus has given

us. In Him we have been given

power over the power of the

enemy. This is relevant for every

setting and situation.

LIFESTYLE


It doesn't matter if we are

not in the church building.

God intends for us to partner

with Him to the end that the

works of the devil are

destroyed. As it is written:

" Behold, I give unto you

power to tread on serpents

and scorpions, and over all

the power of the enemy:

and nothing shall by any

means hurt you." (Luke

10:19)

Whenever I am working a

secular job I make sure to

bind all of the evil spirits

and activities I have

identified (or that the Lord

has pointed out to me). This

is not something I do only

once on my first day of

work. This is something that

I do daily during my

morning prayers. I have

found that when I bind the

works of darkness and loose

the things of God (according

to Matthew 18:18), my work

environment is radically

changed in my favor. It

actually positions me for

favor with my superiors.

Moreover, it breaks the

spiritual resistance to the

testimony of Jesus Christ.

This means that it is much

easier to engage coworkers,

pray with coworkers, and

even lead coworkers to

Christ. Now that is what I

call the ideal work

environment!

Recipe for two 9 inch pie:

3 Sweet Potatoes

2 1/2 Cups of White Sugar

¾ Cup Evaporated Milk

½ Cup Butter Melted

4 eggs lightly beaten

3 tablespoon of all purpose flour

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

2- 9 inch unbaked pie crust

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and cook until

tender but still firm, about 30 minutes. Drain, cool, peel and mash. Preheat

oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, butter, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and blend into the sweet

potato mixture.

3. Pour into pie shells and bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until

done


Actress in Sparkle Vocalist, Comedienne and Voice Over Talent…….

Her undeniable delightful, spirited smile and charm captivates those in her

presence. She describes herself as a Fun, Fearless and Faithful woman of

God. Actress Brely Evans is a young Hollywood talent rising rapidly in

notoriety with her feet firmly planted in a faith ever increasing. Brely is

emerging as a multi-talented actress, singer/songwriter and passionate

motivational speaker whose career is being fueled by her ability to connect

with audiences on-stage, on-screen and on a personal level. With increasing

opportunities in film and TV, Brely boldly continues to stand firm in Godly

character against the opportunities that might challenge and taint her integrity

and faith. “I’ve been blessed with a team that covers me, therefore, a lot of the

challenges I would potentially face are checked at the door,” Brely shares.

“When I am asked to play a role that does not ‘kingdom build’, I step back

and talk to GOD about it. There have been times when the role was way on

the other side, but either the character got delivered or the entire story line had

a message to get people to see themselves and change.

That’s when the greater good is being served and my faith and integrity are

left intact!”

Bre’ly can be seen in TriStar feature film remake

of the 1976 hit movie Sparkle. Brely is cast in the

role of “Tune Ann” alongside of an all-star cast:

Grammy® nominated recording artist Jordin

Sparks (“American Idol” winner, Season 6), the

late Multi-Grammy® Award winner Whitney

Houston (The Bodyguard, Waiting to Exhale),

Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher, Captain America:

The First Avenger), Mike Epps (Jumping the

Broom, Friday After Next), Carmen Ejogo (I,

Alex Cross, Pride and Glory), Tika Sumpter (“The

Game”, “Gossip Girl”), Omari Hardwick (The A-

Team, For Colored Girls), Grammy® Award

winner Cee-Lo Green (“The Voice”), and Tamela

Mann (“Meet the Browns”, Diary of Mad Black

Woman, Kingdom Come).

Her role in Sparkle came after a daunting year of

personal obstacles. “I slowly stopped reading my

word and slipped back into my old routines and

the offers came to a halt,” tells Brely. “I knew it

was because my focus had shifted to the natural in

front of me instead of on the supernatural and

God’s Word. On Sept 25th of last year, I

rededicated myself, connected with prayer

partners, began fasting and got serious! About a

month later….Sparkle!”

LIFESTYLE


Since he came on the national scene in

1990, there have been many titles

associated with Ben Tankard, from the

Quincy Jones of Gospel to the father of

Gospel Jazz.

Ben explains, "Technically, the music

is the same. A Christian "C" note sounds

the same as a non-Christian note, but as a

minister, God releases His Spirit and

power through me and the music

becomes a vehicle-of-salvation to carry

God's love, healing and deliverance."

As a modern day "David" and often

referred to as "The Minstrel," Ben

Tankard has a strong anointing to play

under the unction of the Holy Spirit and

has witnessed tumors melting, people

being raised out of wheel chairs, deaf

ears opened, and relationships mended in

his concert-crusades.

Tankard states, "signs and wonders

must follow when a minstrel plays. We

should expect debt cancellations and all

other yokes to be destroyed and burdens

lifted when our music is played."

He has won 9 Stellar Awards, 34

Stellar, 8 Dove, 3 Grammy nominations

and is the best selling Gospel Jazz

instrumentalist in the world.

Also a "hit-maker" producer, Ben

discovered Yolanda Adams and has

produced several top records for her, as

well as collaborated with Take-6, Fred

Hammond, John P. Kee, and others.

Tankard's 1997 hit song "Git Yo Praize

On," with his ensemble, Tribe Of

Benjamin, has become the most used

phrase among praise teams.

All this from a man who has never had

one lesson!

The key is to concentrate on taking

care of God's business and He will

in return put people and materials

in your hand to accomplish his

plans, purpose and destiny for your

life.

Promoting Purpose:

Congratulation on all of your

success so far and those to

come, what is it that keep you

so humble still glorifying God

even at the level you are in

society today career wise and

etc?

Ben: Thank you! My mother

raised me in the Lord and we

had a very poor living

environment coming up. I

learned to walk in great

gratitude and appreciate every

little thing. She taught me that

the more blessed you are the

sweeter you should be to

people. Also, my wife Jewel

and I keep each other

accountable. No one knows

you like your spouse. So we observe each other

getting a little " off " in any area, we give each

other the latitude to comment and check each

other, without getting offended.

Promoting Purpose: When others look at you

they think you have it so easy with the amount

of success you have. Were there ever a time in

your life when you felt like giving up?

Ben: No! There were times that I was

challenged but I never considered giving up

though. People say, "Ben you were an overnight

success ". And I say “yes you are right, but that

night lasted 20 years " lol.

Promoting Purpose: What scripture have you

hold on to dearly that keeps you going through

the good and bad times in life?

Ben: I actually have 3!!! Proverbs 23:7. As a

man thinketh , in his heart , so is he. -------- I

realize that if it “is to be" then it is " up to me "...

Therefore, I have to get the answers from my

kingdom spirit. If I think the right thoughts, and

then move accordingly, then I should be able to

“make my way prosperous" according to Joshua

1:8 and have "good success” according to

Ps.1:1-3.

Promoting Purpose: What is your purpose?

Ben: In a nutshell my purpose is to worship

God. My assignment is to use my talents: To

take people from the middle to the top.

Promoting Purpose: What is it in your heart

that you truly want the people of God and others

to grasp on to in order to have a successful life

both spiritually and physically?

Ben: On the spiritual side I want people to know

that God has already done ALL he is going to

do. He gave us his Will in his Word so all we

have I do is act on it.

LIFESTYLE


Stop waiting on God to perform a miracle when

he has already given you instructions how to

achieve you request through his word by faith.

We can't be sooooo busy (or lazy) we can't pray,

mediate, confess his word and act on it. Faith

developing takes time.

On the physical side it is the same thing. Stop

waiting on the president or government make

your life better. YOU are the prophet of your

life and the captain of your ship. Stop waiting

on someone else to give you permission to

success. Always remember this... There is

someone out there less smarter than you that is

richer then you. There goes your excuse. Lol.

Promoting Purpose: How important is it for

you to take time out to spend time with God as

well as your family?

Ben: It is the center of my existence. I plant my

time with God from 1am to 4am in the morning.

This I don't have to compete with family

demands for God time or meditation time. You

are living beneath your privilege given to you

by God to create your own world through your

imagination if you don't spend at least 30

minutes a day alone in a quiet place just

dreaming ( without your cell phone in your

hand ! ).

Promoting Purpose: What is your ideal

Thanksgiving or Christmas?

Ben: The whole family at home in our mansion

with me with an apron on cooking my famous

24hr Turkey, with " It's A Wonderful Life " on

repeat !

Promoting Purpose: Are you currently

working on any projects?

Ben: working on a couple surprise artist for my

record label " Ben-Jamin' Universal Music".

Also we signed major TV deal for our own

Reality Tv Show. I also have a clothing line,

and several endorsement deals that will launch

within the next year as well as a new book.

Promoting Purpose: Would you like to leave a

word of encouragement with our audience?

Ben: My motto: If it's not on your mind, it's

not in your future.

The Church Gathering Place By: Denise Ingram

It’s midnight on a wintry night, the

snow is falling, and you can hear the

sound of the snow coming down.

Everything is covered in white, like a

blanket; it’s beautiful. I see across the

ground crystals sprinkling in the night

air. The trees are covered in white.

It’s a quiet sound almost, like

someone out there wants to say

something to you. The night air is so

cold; it goes down deep to the bone.

It’s hard to stay warm.

All the ladies in the church are busy

cooking.

All the ladies in the church are busy

cooking. There are Thanksgiving

Day pies, cakes, and cookies. Oh my,

those homemade pumpkin pies with a

little extra cinnamon in them, well

you should try one! There is nothing

better in this world than adding a

little more cinnamon in those pies.

Gail was always busy baking pies,

cakes, and you name it, to take to

Rebecca Hebner’s Old Country Store

for them to sell.

This was the first time Rev. Tom

Williams and his wife, Gail, decided

to have Thanksgiving dinner at the

church for everyone to come and

have a good time. Gail’s best friend,

Rebecca, lives nearby. Her husband,

David, works very hard.

He is a shoe smith and owns an old

country store where the two of

them work together. They know

just about everyone in that small

town of Winchester. Up in those

mountains, it wasn’t a thing for

them to have a foot of snow

overnight.

That night it snowed hard, and it

came down fast, freezing the

ground. Rev. Tom Williams

decided to go to the church that

evening after midnight. He knew

Gail would be up because she was

busy cooking. He walked in the

church, went down the front, and

said a prayer for everyone to be

able to attend Thanksgiving Day

for dinner. He noticed there were

wet foot prints on the floor. He

walked around the whole church

but didn’t see anyone. He said to

himself, “Who on earth could this

be?”

Rev. Tom went back to the house.

Gail looked up at him and said,

“Tom, you look like you have seen

a ghost. Are you okay, honey?” He

said, “Yes,” with a smile. You see

Rev. Tom didn’t want Gail to be

afraid of anything, she would

worry too much. Rev. Tom prayed

and pleaded the blood of Jesus over

them and the people in Winchester

that night. He thought, “How on

earth could anyone stay out there in

the cold snowy night?” Gail put

the turkey on a cast iron rack to

cook for the rest of the night. Rev.

Tom told Gail to go to bed and get

some rest; he would watch

everything for a while.

Gail went to bed, read her Bible

and fell asleep in bed. She prayed

for the Lord to cover them with His

blood. She knew by the look in

Tom’s eyes that something was

wrong. The next morning, Gail

went to the kitchen and Rev. Tom

had fallen to sleep in the rocking

chair with a blanket over him.


Gail got breakfast started, and woke up Rev. Tom to give him a

cup of hot coffee. The turkey still had about four more hours

before it would be done.

Rev. Tom Williams told Gail he was going to the church to build

a fire in the fire place so the church would be nice and warm. As

he walked to the church, Rev. Tom thanked the Lord that the

snow was not too deep so everyone could come and gather at the

church for dinner. He said a prayer again thanking God for

keeping them safe. As Rev. Tom was entering the church, he

saw that there were wet foot prints again, but this time there

were more. As he walked closer to the dining area, he noticed

someone had started a fire already. He wondered if it could have

been David; he was so good about helping everyone if he could.

You see, the church was in great need of a Holy Ghost revival.

People needed the Lord. Some needed to renew their faith

again. It seemed to Rev. Tom Williams that people where dried

up in their spirit. He had been praying for a good revival for

almost a year. The church was in need of change. People really

needed to get hold of God. They were not committed to the Lord

or on fire for the Lord. You see, Rev. Tom didn’t even tell his

wife about praying for revival to break out in Winchester. He

was a man of great faith and old fashioned in what he believed

in. One thing he knew, God was getting ready for something

great!

Rebecca is a prayer warrior and strong in her faith. She prayed

with many a person in Winchester. At times she would give

coffee or flour to people who couldn’t pay for them, but David

never knew. Sometimes, you know, men have a problem giving.

It never stopped Rebecca.

Winchester Church had a lot of good people. There were those

who couldn’t pay by cash, but gave in other ways. They gave in

eggs, or chickens, or apples… you name it! Everyone was

always trying their best to help each other.

Rebecca had long, thick, black, beautiful hair. She had the

sweetest spirit about her and the sweetest smile about her; she

was a true giver. Her husband David, at times, could get very

stubborn and upset at people who wouldn’t pay their bills on

time. On the other hand, Rebecca didn’t worry about it; she

knew that by giving the Lord would take care of them.

All the ladies had been cooking a Thanksgiving Day meal to

take to church on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone was excited

about going to church, eating with friends and having good old

fellowship with one another. The snow didn’t seem to stop

anyone; the kids could hardly wait to get to church. It was very

cold and the wind was blowing some; the snow was still on the

tree limbs, it was almost frozen a little.

Everyone was on the way to the church. David and Rebecca

decided they would try to get to the church first to light all the

oil lamps on the tables and to see what needed to be done.

Rebecca was walking up the steps and saw foot prints. She said,

“Boy there is a lot of little foot prints!” As she and David

entered the church they could smell smoke coming from the

fireplace. They had their hands full of food. When they walked

in, there was a family setting all around the fireplace, a sleep.

David said under his breath, “free loaders.” Rebecca said,

“David you should be ashamed of yourself.” John Stewart stood

up and spoke up, “Are we in the way?

My family and I didn’t mean to impose. We were trying to

get warm. You see, our wagon is stuck in the snow not far

from here.”

Then, Rev. Tom Williams and Gail came in with their arms

full. The preacher looked over to David and thanked him for

making a nice fire for everyone. David said, “I can’t take the

credit for this.” Then, Rev Tom Williams turned around after

putting the food on the table. He went to say something to

this nice family. John Stewart said, “We are leaving now.

We didn’t mean to cause any problems. I made the fire so

our family could get warm. I am so sorry.”

Gail spoke up with Rebecca at the same time, “You all are

not going anywhere! You will have Thanksgiving dinner

with us.” “No,” John said in a lowered voice. His oldest son

Mark spoke up “Father, we are all hungry and need

something hot to drink. Please father!” All ten of the

children spoke up, “Please!” His wife Dorothy was holding

their youngest daughter, Abigail Grace, who was three

months old. She cried all the time. Dorothy spoke up, “John

Stewart, listen to me. The children and I are hungry and cold.

If you want to go back to the wagon you go right ahead, but

we are staying!” Rev. Tom came over and said, “John it’s

okay, son.”

Gail, told everyone to please find a seat at the tables and let’s

get ready to eat. Gail said, “We want to welcome our new

visitors, the Stewart family.” Gail asked her husband, Rev.

Tom, to come and pray over the food. “Lord, I ask you right

now in the name of Jesus, to bless the hands that cooked this

good meal. Lord, bless each family that is here today on this

special Thanksgiving Day, a day of thanking you for all we

have, and how you supply all our needs Lord. You, Lord

have been good to the people here in Winchester.”

The whole time Rev. Tom was praying, little Abigail Grace

was crying. Dorothy was trying her best to stop her, but she

had Colic. “Dear Lord, we thank you for each family today.

We have so much to be thankful for, in Christ’s name.

Amen.”

The kids and all the families were eating and having a good

old time. The Stewart family kids were eating like there is no

tomorrow, but it didn’t matter to anyone. They were

thankful that the family didn’t freeze last night. Dorothy and

John’s two twins, Lydia and Ruth, were going to town on

Rebecca’s homemade sugar cookies. Dorothy said, “I think

you two have had enough.” They replied, “But mom, please

just one more, only one.” Abigail Grace continued to cry.

Rev. Tom Williams walked up to Dorothy and picked up

little Abby.

He laid hands on her, and anointed the top of her head. She

immediately stopped crying, and from that day she never had

Colic again.

To this day, we should always give thanks to the Lord, not

just on Thanksgiving but every day of the year. Most of all,

God, we thank you for your son Jesus Christ, so we can have

eternal life one day with Him. Be thankful for what you have,

and help those who have less. Ask someone to your home for

dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Watch and see how God will

bless you. Trust me!


Dr. Inecir Matthis helps a young woman find peace in a

decision between staying at her current church or finding

one that her now save incarcerated husband is wanting to

go to for the family once released.

Dr. Matthis, I have been married to my husband for over

7 years and we have two children together. After several years of

being locked up, he became a Christian and attends the Sunday

services there. 3 years ago I began attending the church where my

family attends and became a member shortly thereafter. My

husband will be released from prison early 2013 and has

informed me that he has no plans of attending my church services

and stated that we will need to find a church home more suitable

for us as a family.

I am concerned and disagree with him simply because he has

never attended our services so he has no idea what it is like or

what to expect when he attends. Also, our children who are

ages 5 and 8 have adjusted to the church environment and are

thriving in Sunday school, children's church and group

activities. I feel as if I would lose a solid foundation and my

children would soon become disinterested in church because of

the sudden and drastic change. I also fear that my husband may

not be strong in his Christian walk and may end up not

attending church services at all. I'm not sure what to do and

hope that you can give me some much needed insight.

Dr. Matthis:

It is unfortunate that you are faced with this dilemma long

before your husband is due to be released. It sounds as if your

religious backgrounds and beliefs were not discussed at the

round table before saying "I Do". It is one of the most

important subjects less likely to be discussed when talking

marriage and often causes couples to be unequally yoked from

the very beginning. Religious beliefs help to structure marriage

and the upbringing of children. This also brings about a

spiritual power struggle between husband and wife with the

expectation that the wife will leave her church and follow her

husband. If she refuses to do so she is considered to be less

than obedient and respectful. Your answer is simple and direct:

Prayer.....pray for wisdom and strategy to deal with this matter.

Ask God to grant you the direction or course that you should

take when approaching this delicate situation. It requires that

both of you be spiritually mature enough to discuss the matter

before making hasty and regretful decisions. You should both

be able to come to a place of compromising while seeking

guidance from God. Perhaps he could attend your church

services at least a few Sundays in the month while you both

prayerfully consider God's will for you. Don't forget to

consider your children in this matter and seek churches or

ministries that have services and activities for children, teen

and young adults.

Remember that God will give you direction, guidance and

clarity in this matter if seek and trust Him because the king's

heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides

it wherever he pleases. (Proverbs 21:1 New Living Translation)

Do you have a question for Dr. Matthis? Or would like to

respond to a question in this publication?

Send all emails to [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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