wowfall2016

WOW! 

WOMEN of the WORD 

M A G A Z I N E 

 

WHEN BLACK & 

BLUE SCARS 

Matter 

SUNNY SLAUGHTER on 

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 

The Power of 

Legacy 

Joann 

EVANGELIZING 

IN THE WORLD 

TODAY! 

DAMACIA 

HOWARD: 

Miss Pre- 

Teen GA 

www.thewowmagazine.com 

WHITE after 

Labor Day?? 

FALL 2016 

WOW! MAGAZINE | FALL 2016 | 1 

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WOW!MAGAZINE 

FALL 2016 

07 

FROM THE EDITOR 

INSPIRE 

08 HERSTORY 

24 E. MARIE LAMBERT 

44 GINGER SMITH 

ENCOURAGE 

34 TAMARA D. DAVIS 

EMPOWER 

22 BJ RELEFOURD 

JOYCE MEYER 

42 

08 

08 

08 COVER STORY 

JOANN ROSARIO CONDREY 

27 

Contributor Regina D. Wells interviews Gospel 

Music artist Joann Rosario Condrey on her 

global ministry 

SOCIAL JUSTICE & MISSIONS 

13 THE ADVOCATE SPEAKS - 

Sunny Slaughter 

MISSIONS AND THE CHURCH 

BEAUTY, FASHION & STYLE 

WOW! Women of the Word Magazine, Inspire, Encourage, and 

Empower WOWderful Woman and What's Your WOW? are 

trademarks of PRICERIGHT, LLC All rights reserved. Reproduction in 

whole or in part without express written permission is prohibited. 


WOW! MAGAZINE | FALL 2015 | 3

WOW!MAGAZINE 

contents 

15 



RUNNING TIPS 

FROM DYLAN HALL 

RUNNING TIPS 


THE MAKE-UP DIARIES 

20 FASHION FORWARD with Tracie 


BOOKS & PROSE 

19 

TRACEY'S CORNER 

MONEY, BUSINESS & CAREER 

35 

RUNNING TIPS 

RUNNING 

FROM DYLAN 

TIPS 

HALL 


TAMIKA HOLMES 

40 FINANCIAL LITERACY with Meiyoko 

46 MONEY MATTERS 

33 

CLASSIC HOME & LIFESTYLE 

17 SPIRIT FIT - Yvonne Taylor 

FEATURES 

10 ON THE BILLBOARD: 

DAMACIA HOWARD 

38 THE POWER OF LEGACY 

WOWDERFULLY FUNNY 

28 THE BACK PEW 

Go to our website - www.thewowmagazine.com 

and find out how you can be featured in WOW! 

Magazine. 

BIRMINGHAM, AL 35235 

+1-205-549-3214 

INF0@THEWOWMAGAZINE.COM 

WWW.THEWOWMAGAZINE.COM 

DAMACIA HOWARD 

4 | WOW! MAGAZINE | FALL 2015 


WOW!MAGAZINE 

contributors' 

MEIYOKO TAYLOR 

WELCOME to Meiyoko Taylor who has just joined 

the WOW! family as a Contributor. Meiyoko will be 

providing great articles and information on 

financial literacy! Make sure you check out his 

articles and his knowledge on all things financial. 

40 

HARRY L. PITTS, JR. 

Harry is no stranger to WOW! We 

are so grateful for his insight and 

his wisdom in his writing! Enjoy his 

latest article, The Power of Legacy! 

14 38 

GIL MICHEL 

GINGER SMITH 

46 

Contributor Gil Michel 

helps us figure out our 

finances for the end of 

the year - tips that are 

sure to give us a great 

finish and smooth start 

to the new year. 

44 

In Ginger Smith's latest 

article she provides 

fascinating background 

information on the 

famous hymn, Amazing 

Grace! We are sure 

you'll discover 

something you've never 

heard before. 

spotlight 



WOW! 

WOMEN OF THE WORD MAGAZINE 

Publisher & Editor-in-chief Candie A. Price 

E D I T O R I A L O F F I C E 

Assistant Editor 

Copy Editor 

Music Editor 

Field Correspondent 

Fashion Editor 

Books & Prose Editor 

Graphic Design 

Contributing Writers: 

Birmingham, AL 35235 

+1-205-549-3214 | info@thewowmagazine.com 

Douglas Criss 

Tracie Threadford 

George Ward 

Denna D'Mitri 

Tracie Threadford 

Tameka Delaney Edwards 

Candie A. Price 

Tamara D. Davis 

Christina Dixon 

Dora Sanders Hill 

Priscilla Hill 

Tamika Holmes 

Kymber Renee Irvin 

E. Marie Lambert 

Savaslas Lofton 

Joyce Meyer 

Gil Michel 

Stacey Branch Owens 

Ronald W. Parks 

Tracey Pitts 

Harry L. Pitts, Jr. 

B. J. Relefourd 

Sunny Slaughter 

Ginger Smith 

Meiyoko Taylor 

Yvonne Taylor 

Regina Wells 

Tex West 

WOW! Women of the Word Magazine is published by PriceRight, LLC. 

All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced without expressed written permission. 




From the Editor 

Happy Fall 

Blessings to you and yours! 

It is such a privilege for us to 

bring you WOW! Magazine. 

We believe in our mission 

and our mantra to Inspire, 

Encourage and Empower 

women and men toward a 

closer and more intimate 

relationship with our Lord 

and Savior Jesus Christ. Fall is 

always a wonderful time of 

the year. The leaves are 

changing, the weather gets a 

little more crisp (depending 

upon where you live) and the 

pending holidays tend to get 

people in a festive and happy 

mood. With all that is going 

on in our world today, good 

moods and joy are welcome 

and much needed! By the 

next time we communicate 

with you, we will have a new president of the United States of America. It's 

been hard to watch the process and even more hard to hear and see the 

animosity and nastiness that has been prominent in our 24 hour news cycle. 

I hope that you have stayed true to your beliefs and have put Christ at the 

head of your decisions and have kept your integrity in place. We pray that as 

the season changes and you see the beauty that surrounds you in God's 

wonderful creation of nature, that you remember that He is ultimately the 

One in control, regardless of political climates or outward evidence of man's 

sinful nature. Choose to stay true to what the Word says and always lift up 

truth, justice and LOVE! Until next time, 

WOW'd by YOU, 

C A N D I E A . P R I C E 

Editor-in-Chief 


Get Featured in WOW! or submit your article for 

possible publication: Go to our online portal at 

www.wowmagazine.submittable.com 

Meet our Editors! 

Douglas Criss, Assistant Editor 

George Ward, Music Editor 

Tracie Threadford, Fashion Editor 

Tameka Delaney Edwards, Books 

& Prose Editor 


HERSTORY 

Evangelizing in America 

and the World today! 

In our country today there is so 

“ 

much turmoil, so much so that 

many times we may feel helpless. 

Many have begun protesting 

and marching against the ills 

of society. I often wonder what 

can I do to help? I’m just one person. 

Though I am one, I know THE ONE. I 

feel it is time for God’s people to really 

step out there and share His Word with 

the world. For it is only through God’s 

grace that man can be saved. No, being 

saved does not make us exempt 

from the pressures or ills of life 

but the peace in knowing Jesus 

is immeasurable. I do my part, 

I feel, by sharing the gospel 

through the gift of writing. I 

share God’s Word on my blog, 

and with you the readers of 

WOW!, as well as in a few other 

magazines and news outlets. It 

is my way of evangelizing. In 

September 2016, I was so blessed to have 

the opportunity to interview someone that 

is evangelizing on a massive and much 

needed scale. Here is my interview with the beautiful, sweet and talented Joann Rosario 

Condrey! 

Regina: Mrs. Condrey: I have been a big fan of yours for years. Share with our 

readers a little about the background of your upbringing, family and career. 

Joann Rosario Condrey: I am a US born Puerto Rican, both of my parents were born and 

raised in Puerto Rico. I was born and raised in Chicago. I went to school at Oral Roberts 

University, majoring in music and I minored in Telecommunications. After receiving my 

degree, I went back home and became Minister of Music at my father’s church. My dad is 

an apostle of the Maranatha World Revival Ministries. The fellowship is made up of about 

500 churches around the world. I was the music director over those churches and did 

several projects in Spanish, in the form of praise and worship albums, before I was able to 

meet Fred Hammond. Once I connected with Fred my English gospel career took off, and 

then some years later he 

gave me the opportunity 

to be released as a solo 

artist. From there I did 

three English projects as a 

solo artist, Joann Rosario. 

Now we have a few CD’s 

that we have done through 

our evangelistic ministry 

which is The Stand 

Campaign. I have been 

married to Corey Condrey for eight years, I have two amazing beautiful daughters. I 

have been pastoring now for almost three years, and evangelism is a very big part of what 

we do as a family. 

Regina: Share with our readers the dynamics surrounding your evangelistic 

ministry, how long have you been working in evangelism? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: God spoke to me about the evangelistic call on my life before 

I started pastoring, so we are talking about well before I got married. For a period of 

two years, I lost my voice and was not able to sing. During that time God began to 

deal with me about my identity. He began to explain to me that my image had to be 

based on what He said about me not just what I did as a career. So even though I am a 

singer and a worshiper He spoke to me about being an evangelist. I had received many 

prophetic words from the time I was in my mother’s womb, that I would minister the 

gospel around the world. It is very humbling to realize that you have been called not 

just to your community, but to minister to the world. It is not because I am better than 

anybody but just because God gives different jobs to different people. Based on the jobs 

He gives us He equips us. He gives us the tools to do that job. So a person that has a local 

calling is just as anointed as a person that has an international calling, one is no better 

than the other, we just have different roles within The Body. The Stand Campaign is the 

evangelistic ministry that God gave my husband before I met him. It is a campaign that 

promotes Jesus Christ. We go all around the world doing crusades, evangelistic concerts, 

prayer rallies and anything we can do to go outside the four walls of the church to share 

the gospel of Jesus Christ with people that may not necessarily go to church as well as 

to inspire people that do go to church to use the resources that they have to go into the 

community. We have been able to go into the Georgia Dome several times to do Stand 

We are so comfortable that it 

isn’t until we get into a desperate 

situation that we begin to 

desperately seek for God.” 



Joann Rosario 

Condrey 

inspire. 



Ministry events there. We recently had 

a prayer and worship crusade at Harold 

Squaren in New York City on 9/11 which 

was pretty amazing. So that’s kind of the 

vision of Stand to go outside the four walls 

and give people the opportunity to hear 

about the love and gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Regina: Evangelism, I’m sure, comes 

with a lot of traveling and you encounter 

many different types of people, what 

experiences have been the most 

challenging as well as rewarding for you 

and your team? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: I think that part 

of what has been the most challenging is 

that when we first started doing Stand, we 

pretty much funded everything ourselves 

stuff and there we were with a flat tire. 

When you are doing evangelistic work 

you are going to hit road bumps and 

have difficult moments, but when you 

overcome those moments and have a 

successful event, where people get saved 

or just cry because they feel the presence 

of God, it so worth it. I think that is the 

best thing about doing what Jesus told 

us to do. He said go into all the world 

and preach the Gospel, make disciples, 

baptize in the name of the 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So that’s 

what we endeavor to do though The 

Stand 

Campaign. 

Regina: When it comes to 

felt like, “what am I doing?” “I’m not used 

to this.” You can kind of feel useless sitting 

at home changing diapers. Then God 

began to show me that I could sit down 

at my computer and pour out what I was 

learning. He told me what was common 

sense to me could be life changing for 

someone else. So He encouraged me to get 

on social media before there was really the 

strength of Twitter. I think Facebook may 

have been out. But He had me start a blog, 

and from there the blog gave birth to my 

book that is available on Amazon.com it’s 

called “Father, Here I am.” It is a forty day 

devotional for women. From there God 

continued to grow in me, the heart for 

not just evangelism but discipleship. I love 

Even when you don’t feel Him, He 

is with you and all you have to do 

is ask Him for strength and He will 

provide it, because He’s a good 

Father. He loves us and He’s always 

there for us.” 

because of the passion that Corey had for 

evangelism and my heart to be supportive 

of what he was feeling like God was 

telling him to do. About eight years ago 

we started doing what we called “Jesus 

Rallies.” We would go into different cities 

and get permission to set up in a parking 

lot, of a DTLR clothing store or Walmart. 

We would set up stage and sound, invite 

different preachers and people would 

come from all over the city as we were 

there worshiping and preaching. One time 

in particular as we were headed to the 

event, we got a flat tire, I think we were 

in Riley. Imagine it’s super-hot outside, we 

had our new born baby in the car, and we 

had driven up there from Atlanta. We were 

getting ready to get off the exit, knowing 

we had to set up the stage and all this other 


evangelizing in today’s society, how 

does social media play a part for your 

ministry? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: Wow, this 

is a great question. For me specifically, 

I really use the power of social media 

to reach beyond where I am physically 

located. That is something that God 

laid on my heart when my daughter 

was born. Our oldest daughter is now 

six, and because I was home with a 

newborn I was not traveling at that 

time, I wanted to focus on being a 

mom and wife. Being at home was a 

difficult transition because I was used 

to being on the go. I was used to being 

at the Stellar Awards, the Dove Awards 

or being in Africa and Korean, traveling, 

singing and doing things. I very quickly 

going to the streets to preach Jesus but 

then I also love coming home and walking 

people through their Christian journey on 

a consistent basis so they can grow in the 

faith. That’s kind of how social media plays 

a part for me. I began to strengthen my 

Twitter, Facebook and Instagram presence 

but once Periscope hit it changed the 

whole game. So I’m really able to have 

more of a face to face connection with 

people. It’s amazing because we truly are 

an online family, they encourage me, and I 

pour into them. It’s amazing to walk with 

people from around the world online and 

to really use that tool to disciple people 

and reach people. 

Regina: Since you have been 

evangelizing for so long, share with our 

readers some of the differences you have 


noticed over the years when it comes to 

reaching people. 

Joann Rosario Condrey: I have been 

really noticing that people are really more 

open than we expect them to be, if we 

approach them with the love of God and 

not in a judgmental way or attitude. If we 

just simply share with them the love of 

God and look for opportunities to share 

our testimony, as well as the salvation 

message, people are much more open 

than we think they are. I think that is the 

biggest difference that I have noticed. 

Regina: If someone is feeling the call 

of evangelism on their life, what would 

you recommend as the first three steps 

needed to walking in this calling? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: 1. I would say 

go to your pastor, because everyone needs 

accountability and a covering. So share 

with your pastor how you feel and what 

you feel God is saying. 2. See if there is 

any ministerial or evangelistic training 

available in your church. If there is not 

go online and seek a reputable ministry 

that will train you in ministry. 3. Begin 

evangelizing. Don’t think that evangelism 

is just the big stuff. Begin evangelizing 

to your friends, family members and 

co-workers. My greatest tool from 

evangelizing is to establish a friendship. 

When you are there for people it’s very 

affective. When you love them and check 

on them when you don’t want anything 

from them. Sending text messages just to 

say, “How are you doing?” that kindness, 

and care for people opens the door for you 

to be able to share your testimony and the 

gospel of Jesus Christ. You will be able to 

see how much God will speak through 

you and use you to win people to Jesus. 

Many times people think evangelism is 

just standing on the street corner say, “Hey 

come to my church,” but that is not all. It 

starts with friendship, with you learning to 

be friendly and loving people. Evangelism 

is about loving people where they are, 

listening to them and caring about how 

they feel as well as caring about what they 

have to say. When you do this you will 

have the opportunity to allow the Holy 

Spirit to speak through you to share your 

testimony, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Regina: As an international evangelist 

what do you see as some differences and 

similarities in ministering to Americans 

and those abroad? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: I think that 

here in America, we tend to be very 


comfortable. I think that, that is one of the things that has damaged our faith and 

convictions the most. We are very comfortable so we can either take church or leave it. 

We can feel like going to church or not going to church. We can chose to believe God 

for healing or we can just get up and go to the hospital. We are so comfortable that it isn’t 

until we get into a desperate situation that we begin to desperately seek for God. It is in 

the desperate seeking for God that we actually come to find Him in a new way. In other 

countries people don’t have all the commodities and the ease of living that we have, so 

they are a little closer to desperation every day. This causes them to rely on God in a way 

that I think that we don’t. When you go to those places there is such a hunger. When I 

go to other countries to sing and worship, I don’t have to convince them to worship, to 

raise their hands or that God deserves everything they have. They just give it because 

there is a different mentality and attitude. And so that’s my prayer for America, I pray 

that God will make us hungry and give us a heart for His kingdom. I pray that if He has 

to, God will make us uncomfortable so that we can learn to be desperate for Him. And 

because of our desperation to know him, that we would be desperate for him even when 

things are well in our lives, just because we know that He is great and that there is more 

to Him! There is more power, more glory, anointing, signs, miracles and things that we 

have not seen and it isn’t until we chase after Him that we will be able to connect to the 

things that He has for us. 

Regina: As a woman, being wife and mother is a job in itself, how do you balance all 

of that with your work in the ministry, what would you say to other women evangelists 

and pastors in this regard? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: I fight to be balanced. I drop off and pick up my kids from 

school. I take them with me to ministry events, even if they are not always going to be 

still during the services. I take them to church with me every time I go to church. I try my 

best to do special things with them, like Chuckie Cheese, or going swimming every once 

in a while. Things as silly as my daughter wanting to paint my nails, as I am speaking I 

have four blue nails, two green nails and some orange nails, because she wanted to paint 

my nails, I have three different colors on my hands. I try to listen, to pray with them every 

night and make them involved in what we do. I want them to love us. I want them to 

love God. I know that it’s a fight every day to try to remain balanced, but that would be 

my advice to women evangelists and pastors. Make time for them, and listen to them. In 

the midst of every thing else we have to do, we don’t want to lose our children while we 

are saving the world. 

Regina: At that moment a sweet little voice can be heard in the background with 

Evangelist Condrey asking to stay up just a little longer with “mommy,” and showing 

her some hair barrettes. So sweet! 

Regina: If there is someone reading that needs a word, can you just share some 

encouragement with our readers? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: Absolutely, I want to encourage anyone that is reading this, 

to know that no matter where you are, you may feel like you are on a mountaintop, or 

like you are in the middle of a valley. You may be in the worst situation that you have 

every encountered in your life. But even in the midst of it the word of God tells us, Jesus 

Himself tells us, that He will never leave us, never forsake us, and know that this is the 

truth. He said even if you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, don’t fear evil 

because I am with you. So my prayer for you is that you become aware, that even if this 

is the worst moment of your life, that if you call on Him, He can hear you. If you pray to 

Him, He will answer. Even when you don’t feel Him, He is with you and all you have to 

do is ask Him for strength and He will provide it, because He’s a good Father. He loves 

us and He’s always there for us. 

Regina:. What important events do you have coming up that you would like to 

share with our readers? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: More so than an event, right now we have a special music cd 

compilation that is in online stores now, presented by The Stand Campaign. It is called 

“#America.” It contains a lot of great new music from me and others affiliated with The 

Stand Campaign. Proceeds from the CD will help to support The Stand Campaign 

going to different cities to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also yearly I do a women’s 

conference in Douglasville, GA. It is called “Complete Woman’s Conference.” 

Regina: How can our readers follow you and keep up with your work and events you 


have going on? 

Joann Rosario Condrey: You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram at 

@joannroscondrey, and on Facebook Joann Rosario Condrey. I’m also on 

Youtube, all of the messages that I preach here and abroad are there. The church 

website is www.rainfirechurch.org the evangelistic ministry website is www. 

thestandcampaign.com In closing I’m honored that you guys wanted to have 

me as a part of your vision in the way you reach the world for Jesus. I pray that 

you guys continue to prosper, grow, and expand. I would love to be a part any 

time. God bless. 

Again it was a complete honor for me to hear from such a powerful woman 

of God. What are you doing to evangelize in your family, work place and 

community? We all must STAND and do our part to share the gospel of Jesus 

Christ with a world that needs Him more than ever. 

© 2016 Regina D. Wells 

aka Gena-Mae is the 

owner and founder of 

Gena-Mae Productions 

She is a wife, mother, 

writer, director, photographer 

and producer. Her 

movie “Between Love & 

A Hard Place” will be released 

soon. Like her pages on FACEBOOK (Gena-Mae 

Productions and Between Love & A Hard Place) 



THE ADVOCATESPEAKS 

P.S. I Love You 

When Black and 

Blue (Scars) Matter 

BY SUNNY SLAUGHTER 

Breaking News… the 

newsreel almost always 

reads the same. Police are 

investigating what appears 

to be a homicide/suicide. 

Neighbors report that the 

family appeared to be happy although 

police have been to the residence in the 

past, and most recently. Police aren’t 

confirming as of yet, but it is believed 

that everyone in the home is deceased. 

As you can see by the growing crowd, 

distraught family members and friends are 

in complete shock! Unfortunately, every 

single day somewhere in America the pain 

of this scene plays out. It is the crime scene 

tape of black and yellow across the doors, 

police cars everywhere, family, friends and 

neighbors, that bring home the reality of 

what happens “when black and blue scars” 

are ignored. 


It is hard to reconcile the ending of a 

relationship that seemed to begin with so 

much hope, promise and love. What started 

out good, evolved over time, and could fill 

the pages within the chapters of their story, 

for others to read. But then there was that 

sub-chapter, that didn’t quite fit the usual 

narrative that people read, some quickly, 

some intentionally or others skipped all 

together. These were the happenings that 

played out behind closed doors, when the 

lights went low and “when the black and 

blue scars” that mattered, become part of 

the story. 

Most often she, (but not always), turned 

to her faith for answers in scripture to make 

sense of it all. She listened more intently 

during the service for some clue to get past 

the point of pain, or spoke with the Pastor 

for some measure of understanding. But 

what resonated the loudest was 

“wife submit to your husband,” “forgive 

those who wrong you,” “turn the other 

cheek” and “prayer changes things.” So in 

the mind of the victim who is already broken, 

what she heard was, when YOU change, 

things will get better. The consequences of 

choice vs change sometimes becomes the 

reason a victim can’t and doesn’t choose the 

life they deserve, instead of the death that 

befalls them. 

When the black bleeds into the blue 

and leaves the scars that matter, the silence 

of violence crosses the spectrum of racial 

hues, and its direct and indirect victims are 

forever changed. They are caught up in the 

pain, but also caught in the web of reducing 

reasonable suspicion that something is 

not right. The fall down the stairs, slip on 

children toys in a room, cabinet door not 

closed or mere clumsiness that happens 

just often enough for it to be “interesting.” 


What makeup doesn’t cover, lies can’t 

conceal, and truths go unspoken, are 

revealed in the eyes that say I’m sorry. 

So what happened? Why didn’t she (or 

sometimes he), just leave? If this was “really” 

going on and this bad, why stay? These are 

the most inflamed questions of domestic 

violence and the homicide/suicides often 

leave even more lingering questions. But 

here’s a better question. Whywould so many 

people who knew, suspected, witnessed, 

heard about, confirmed or believed that 

“something” was going on and not right, 

do nothing? Why would all of the people 

in their lives family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, 

and acquaintances not intervene. 

Why is it easier and more acceptable to 

prepare for another funeral, instead of 

planning for a livable intervention? At what 

cost do we continue to ignore the black and 

blue scars that matter during the storm, 

when we recognized the change in wind 

pattern. How do we absolve ourselves 

of our own complicit behavior? 

The truth is you can’t force 

people to leave, however you 

also can’t act like you didn’t 

know what could 

happen. Perpetrators are 

solely responsible for 

their behavior that leads 

to the harm of victims, 

destruction of families 

and death of those they say 

the love. But bystanders are 

guilty of ignoring what they 

see, hear and know. Of becoming 

complicit in matters where they 

don’t intervene and acknowledge that 

what happens in silence, does matter to 

all of us. Unfortunately, when the news 

story becomes someone you know and it’s 

personal, everyone then 

wants to become an advocate, they want 

to make a difference, see change, stop the 

violence. But I just said that the newsreel 

almost always read the same, and what is 

different, are the names, ages and dates of 

death of the next victims. 

October is National Domestic Violence 

Awareness Month, however, domestic 

violence incidents and unfortunately 

homicides/suicides occur 365 days a year. 

No individual, family or community is 

immune. Most people are well aware of 

breast cancer awareness during the month 

of October, and that the color is pink. 

However, there are countless women who 

never make it for a mammogram screening, 

because of the black and blue that bleeds 

in their lives. They arrive at the morgue 

long before they make it to a doctor’s office 

or the hospital. Domestic Violence is not 

new, it is deep-seated in the very fabric of 

our society, woven like a cancer for which 

the cure continues to evade us. We are not 

running fast enough, speaking enough 

about the plague that has its grip up 

men, women and children who are dying 

senselessly. We cannot continue to ignore 

those who need treatment. Those who need 

support and services, and more importantly 

the countless number of children who are 

left wondering what happened to mommy 

and daddy. 

You may not be capable of providing 

intervention to the victim, but you may 

see an opportunity with perpetrator, but 

we must intervene 

nonetheless. 

Matthew 

“The truth is 

you can’t force people 

to leave, however, you 

also can’t act like you 

didn’t know what could 

happen.” 

25:40 

says: 

“The 

King 

will 

reply, 

‘Truly I tell 

you, whatever 

you did for one of 

the least of these brothers and sisters of 

mine, you did for me.’ So I ask you, what 

will you do, the next time you see the black 

and blue scars that matter? Faith without 

work is dead. This is a call to action! 

If you or someone you know is the victim 

of domestic violence, please contact the 

National Domestic Violence Hotline at 

1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or 1(800) 787- 

3224 (TTY) or visit their website at http:// 

www.thehotline.org/ 

© 2016 Sunny 

Slaughter is an Activist, 

Advocate, Survivor 

and Tedx Speaker. 

Poised as a national 

and international 

subject matter expert in 

criminal behavior and 

victimization, Sunny has 

been a Crime Analyst for local, statewide 

and national radio and media outlets. She 

can be reached at sunny@thewowmagazine. 

com. 



THE MAKEUPDIARIES 

Back to Basics 

SkynTherapy 

BY KYMBER REE’NE 

Seasons are changing and so is 

your skin. It’s time to peel off 

the summer glow with care 

and nurturing to bring in the 

crisp feeling that Fall brings. 

This season also brings a new 

look to your skin and the texture of it. 

Your skin will definitely do a 360 change 

and you may experience some peeling and 

dryness to specific areas both in normal 

and new areas where problems have never 

occurred. This is absolutely the time of 

year that moisturizer will become the 

most important part of your skincare 

regimen. Cleansing and 

moisturizing twice 

daily is one of 

the single best 

things that can 

be done as a 

barrier of 

protection 

from the 

elements 

we will be 

facing over 

the coming 

months. 

Protecting 

your 


skin during the change of the season is 

exactly what SkynTherapy is: therapy for 

your skin. Back to basics is simply taking 

your skin back to the simple form of care 

and nurturing. For some the simplest 

form of skincare is plain soap and water. 

However, this may not be nurturing. Your 

skin is a living organism and not caring for 

it properly can cause many problems and 

create irritation. 

Simple and Nurturing should consist of 

a gentle cleanser and a moisturizer daily 

followed by toner and weekly exfoliation. 

This daily recipe will become routine 

and over time the care and 

“Be sure to 

pay attention to your 

skin and its specific needs. 

Whether you have oily, sensitive, 

dry or combination skin, 

choose products that are 

best for you.” 

consistency will become 

second nature. This 

same daily care 

should definitely 

be followed 

through by 

treating your 

entire body in 

this way. 

Be sure to pay 

attention to your 

skin and its specific 

needs. Whether you 

have oily, sensitive, dry 

or combination skin, choose products that 

are best for you. You may find that as the 

season changes your SkynTherapy may also 

change as well. This is not something to be 

alarmed about because everything changes 

with the season. Winter usually has most 

people experiencing moderate to severely 

dry skin. Spring also presents problems 

of dry or combination skin in some due 

to the sudden change and the pollen in 

the air. This is also allergy season so some 

might experience nasal and skin irritation. 

Summer can present breakouts due to the 

heat and any excess oil that our skins can 

produce. Ultimately SkynTherapy should 

be a part of everyday living. As the old 

saying was told to many of us, “Cleanliness 

is Next to Godliness.” 

© 2016 Kymber 

Ree’ne MUA, Skincare 

Specialist and Owner of 

KissyKosmetics, has been 

creating fantastic faces 

for 10yrs. She acquired 

certification at Makeup 

Artistry and Design 

in New York and has studied and taken many 

advanced classes in the area of skincare. 


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BY YVONNE TAYLOR 

I 

Timothy 4:8 says “For bodily 

exercise profits a little, but 

godliness is profitable for all 

things having promise of the life 

that is now and of that which is to 

come.” (NKJV). When applying 

this scripture to physical exercise it may 

appear to dismiss the need for physical 

well-being. However, in taking a second 

look at the scripture what I see is that 

physical exercise by itself may profit a little 

but when physical exercise is combined 

with the spirit of God you have what I have 

coined a physiospritual explosion. This is 

what I experienced as I took my first Spin 

Therapy class lead by minister and group 

exercise instructor Ashley Roberts. 

Phase I- Preparing for the Journey 

Spin Therapy is unlike any spin class that 

I’ve ever experienced, the class combines 

Christian music, scripture, praise and 

prayer to propel the participant into a 

praise filled deep exercise experience. The 

journey begins in phase I which 

starts with a warm up and 

a call to worship 

designed 

to open heart, mind, body and soul to the 

living God, our Lord Jesus Christ and the 

Holy Spirit. 

Phase II- Let the Journey Begin 

As you receive the infilling of Godly 

presence, Phase II of the workout begins. 

In this portion of the workout, you 

are led through exercises 

that provide varying 

physical challenges 

such as fast paced 

spinning, high gear 

ride, uphill climbs and more. 

These physical challenges can be likened 

to the different phases or challenges in life. 

As we travel through this physical journey 

our bodies are challenged while conversely 

our spiritual centers are opened to receive a 

deeper connection to God providing a fully 

charged physiospritual connection from 

head to toe. It was during this phase of the 

workout that I experienced full 

spiritual immersion to God’s 

presence and spirit along with 

physical and emotional release 

and healing of conditions 

that had been pushing me 

down. Physically, I’ve been 

diagnosed with anemia 

that is so bad that my 

doctor’s warned me that 

cardiovascular exercise 

could be detrimental 

to my health. 

Anemia as you may 

or may not know 

is decreased 

production 

of red blood 

cells that are 

necessary to 

SPIRITFIT 

Minister Ashley Roberts 

carry oxygen throughout the body. During 

cardiovascular exercise oxygen production 

is at peak usage which requires lots of red 

blood cells to carry oxygen throughout 

the body. During cardiovascular exercise 

without enough red blood cell production, 

an anemic person would definitely be 

putting themselves at risk performing peak 

level exercises like spin. 

It was my faith in God and full immersion 

of His presence that gave me the strength I 

needed to push forward and power through 

the class to receive release and healing at 

a level beyond my comprehension and to 

push forward to Phase III of this Journey. 

Phase III- In the Presence of the Most 

High God 

Phase III involved the most intense 

but the most important aspect of the 

workout. In this phase we performed three 

intense speed intervals which according to 

Ashley is designed to create Brain derived 

neurotrophic factor (BDNF) effect. BDNF 

is a protein in the brain that is active in the 

hippocampus, cortex and basal forebrain 

which are the areas of the brain that helps 

with learning, memory and higher thinking. 

The BDNF effect is activated during this 

phase of the workout which allows for 

a deeper physiospritual connection and 

experience. To help facilitate this effect, 

encourage. 



Ashley provided guided visualization 

and meditation on scripture along with 

presenting the presence of God and Jesus 

Christ. With each interval, the presentation 

of presence of God and the guided 

visualization/meditation provided a clearer 

picture and more heightened awareness of 

God’s presence at that very space in time 

allowing me to fully receive all that God 

had for me on a spiritual plane. As stated 

before, I received clarity, release and healing 

of some of the areas of my life that I didn’t 

understand and that were challenging to 

me. I also received “the peace that passes all 

human understanding” along with stronger 

sense of faith and hope. 

While it is true that “bodily exercise 

profits a little…” bodily exercise coupled 

with and undergirded by the presence of 

the living God will take you to a higher 

level of physical and spiritual enhancement. 

My experience with Ashley is one that 

I will treasure all the days of my life as 

it was designed and crafted by God. So 

couple your physical efforts with spiritual 

and godly thoughts and actions and you 

too will receive an experience beyond your 

understanding. 

© 2016 Yvonne Taylor 

is a Fitness Professional 

with 20 years of personal 

training, Pilates and 

Group Exercise and 

client experience. She 

is also the former 

director for the Spirit 

Fit Ministry at Trinity 

Baptist Community Church in Crystal Lake, Il. 


Reach our national audience with 

your ad!! Contact us today 

for rate sheet: 

info@thewowmagazine.com. 

18 | WOW! MAGAZINE | FALL 2016 www.thewowmagazine.com

TRACEY’SCORNER 

Walking Worthy of the Vocation 

BY TRACEY E. PITTS 

Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to become a teacher. 

I used to round up my neighbors in the 

summertime to teach them to read and write. I even 

prepared report cards for them to take home to 

their parents. My grandmother, Mrs. Carrie M. Terry 

used to drive from county to county teaching 

children to read and write in the early 1900’s. I 

believe that God placed the desire to teach in my 

heart before I was formed in my mom’s belly. God 

has placed me in the classroom to touch the lives of 

youth of all nationalities, creed, and tongue. Every year prior 

to me coming back to school, I pray over my classroom, 

the hallways, and my desks believing God that by the end 

of that school term that I will have touched as many lives 

for Him as possible. I always pray that my students will 

feel the love of God in my classroom, and that they would 

become followers of Jesus Christ. It is my vision to 

reach as many students as possible before I retire. My mother 

often asks if I will ever retire. I always tell her 

that I would love to teach until Jesus returns for me, and when 

He comes, I want to be at my board teaching 

Literature and Language Arts. And then when the trump sounds, 

I will be gone, leaving my Expo markers and 

erasers behind! If one is to become a teacher in today’s society, he or 

she must have a passion to teach the youth in 

today’s time. They are constantly distracted by videos, games, and lusts, 

but God is a constant God; therefore, I will 

continually pray for the lives and souls of our children. My favorite poem 

pertaining to children is: 

© 2016 Tracey earned a BA in Middle Grades Education, a 

BA in Theatre, and a BS in Psychology from The University 

A Hundred Years From Now… 

of West Georgia College. She has now taught for twenty-six 

It will not matter 

years. Her awards and honors include a seven-time recipient 

How much money you had 

of Who’s Who Among American Teachers, 2003-2005 Best 

The sort of house you lived in 

Christian Play Writers, and a 2007 recipient of the Who’s 

Or the kind of car you drove 

But the world may be different 

Because you were important 

Who Among American Women in Education. Tracey loves 

reading, liturgical dancing, and watching movies. She has 

been happily married to H. Leon Pitts, Jr. for 24 years. 

In the life of a CHILD 

-Author Anonymous 

John F. Saddler • Agency Owner 

832 Greensprings Highway 

Homewood, Alabama 35209 

205.706.5386 phone 205.941.1143 fax 


WOW! MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2016 | 19

FASHIONFORWARD with Tracie 

Is it okay 

to wear 

WHITE 

AFTER 

Labor Day? 



Happy Fall all you WoWderful women. I absolutely love this time of year, the change of temperature, 

the beautiful colors of the leaves and so much more. What I love most is the change in apparel. 

The only drawback of Fall is that you can’t wear white after Labor Day. I don’t know who said that 

because I wear white year round and it’s perfectly okay. This leads me to a question received by one 

of our WOW readers. 

Q. Shay from New York writes: All my life I have heard that you can’t wear white after Labor 

Day. Is that true? 

A. Shay, let me start by saying, you can 

wear whatever you want whenever 

you want to. It’s YOUR personal style. 

With that being said, let me give you and the 

rest of our WoWderful women a few tips on 

wearing white after Labor day. 1) When 

wearing white after Labor Day, especially 

in the winter, make sure that you are mixing 

it with other neutral colors and different 

fabric textures and weights, that adds 

dimension to an all white outfit. Just don’t 

go overboard on the mixing and matching. 

2) Keep it simple. Having an elegant white 

outfit with soft white trousers, a silky tank 

top and a soft white coat is simple and 

a statement all own its’ own. When in 

doubt just keep it simple yet elegant. 3) 

Have fun with it. I like to use my white 

just like an artist uses his or her canvas. 

I like to throw on a nice colorful poncho or 

cape. Just remember, don’t go overboard with 

the accessories. 4) Finally, wear shoes or carry a 

handbag that contrasts with white. I love pairing 

my brown leather booties with a pair of white 

skinny jeans and a bulky brown off the shoulder 

sweater. Shay. I truly hope this helps, and I am 

sure you will WOW! your friends and family 

in your white after Labor Day. If you have any 

fashion questions you would like for me to answer 

just send them to me at Tracie@thewowmagazine. 

com and I will answer via article or email. Have a 

WoW!derful Fall!! 

© 2016 Tracie Threadford is a 

wife, mother and grandmother 

extraordinaire. She has a passion for fashion 

and her years in the financial industry have 

taught her the meaning of frugality. When 

she is not WOWing for WOW! Magazine 

as Fashion Editor, she can be found on her 

personal finance blog http://traciebthreadford. 

com. 



THE LADYLEADER 

The Lady Is A Leader… 

And She’s Intrigued 



BY B. J. RELEFOURD 

As a Lady Leader, I am always amazed at the dynamics which are unveiled during a crisis. It is 

most intriguing to view how diverse we are, culturally, socially, economically and spiritually. 

The Lord has been so gracious in His abundance of gifts being bestowed upon His sons and daughters. Our Father which loves each of 

us as His own with no respect to our zip code, hair texture, weight or height. Yet when we encounter crisis, storms, tsunamis, earthquakes 

and calamities in our lives, sometimes we are made to feel that if we don’t handle it the way someone else does, this denotes weakness, or 

lack of faith. I am intrigued, and curiously fascinated at the thought of us, mere humans becoming the judge, the jury, and the executor. 

We must be very mindful that when we provide a “safe place”...that “safe place” does not have booby traps. Booby traps are those snares 

which appear to be a place of security. A booby trap builds a facade of someone being of sound mind, when in reality this person has a 

personal agenda or is seeking personal gratification from your wound or trial. 

It is very intriguing to me the vast amount of personal information which is displayed on social media. The term social refers to a 

characteristic of living organisms as applied to populations of humans and other animals. The term 

“...pray and 

meditate on what we 

are exposing 

and composing. 

Think before you type! 

Pray before you speak.” 

media refers to mass communication distributed through various forms or techniques. I 

found a deep interest in two words noted in the previous definitions “populations” and 

“mass.” These two words pronounce and declare that your statements can be accessed 

by those who are for you and those who are against you. These words unfortunately 

give life to your inner thoughts which at the moment may have been made in 

anger, hurt or even just a moment of passion. We each must be very cautious 

with the expressions we post; which may be familiar to our culture and/or 

our personal environment. However, these words may be foreign or even 

offensive to others. (Wikipedia) 

While being intrigued; I also have a vast concern and burden to impart to 

others to pray and meditate on what we are exposing and composing. 

Think before you type! Pray before you speak. 

Words speak volumes! And wounds take time to heal! As a Lady Leader 

yes, I am intrigued, however I am also prayerful, that as we grow, we each will 

be mindful of the words, phrases and comments we sow into the lives of others. 

© 2016 BJ Relefourd- 

The Lady Leader resides 

in Metro Atlanta. The 

Executive Director of 

the Women of Power 

Network, distributing 

diverse facets of 

inspiration media 

ministry. She is the Co-Pastor of Vision of Life 

Ministries with her husband of over 35 years. 



THE JOURNEY OF AWOMAN 

The 

BY E. MARIE LAMBERT 

Bam!!! Ahhhh! My perfect cup 

of caramel-extra caramelextra 

cream-no sugar coffee 

just covered me from the neck 

down, along with the entire 

inside of my car! The coffee was hot, but 

thank God it was not scalding. I heard the 

bang and felt the coffee and felt my entire 

body slam into my steering wheel and 

slammed on the break all at the same time! 

It took me a few seconds to realize that I 

had just been rear-ended! I hadn’t been in 

26 years!!!! I was sitting at the red light 

in front of an elementary school. Because 

of the school zone, I had barely been 

going 10 mph before I stopped behind 

another car at the red light. I was listening 

intently to the commentary on one of my 

favorite morning talk shows and was just 

about to take a sip of my large coffee. It 

all happened in an instant. Today, my whole 

perspective changed. I was headed to a 

meeting/interview at a daycare. The owner 

and I had just commiserated about being 


stuck in school traffic and confirmed that 

our window for meeting was between 8 and 

8:30; we still had time to get there, it wasn’t 

quite 8. I stopped and got my coffee and 

had settled it to cool in the cup holder. I was 

wearing a comfortable suit, a cotton denim 

blend with a white stand-up collar shirt, 

and a red and gray paisley tie; yes, I wear 

ties. I was sitting at the light when the bang 

came from nowhere. Again, I didn’t know 

what had just happened. Long story short, 

the police were called and I and the other 

parties moved our cars to the side of the 

road. The driver of the car that struck me 

was a younger woman, dressed in scrubs. I 

got out of my car, totally drenched in coffee 

and went to see if she was okay. She was 

already on the telephone and seemed very 

annoyed that I had approached her, but it 

could have just been shock. When I asked 

if she was okay, she replied, “The airbags 

didn’t come out.” I wasn’t sure how I was 

supposed to respond to that so I went to 

check on the other driver. She was out of 

her car as well. We were both surprised by 

the entire situation. The driver that caused 

the accident seemed uncooperative with 

the police and was very hesitant releasing 

her information. 

Although I have a tremendous headache 

in the front and back of my head and an 

aching shoulder, a suit covered in coffee, I 

am thankful for survival; it could have been 

severely worse. I actually continued on to 

the meeting, just to meet the director and 

let her know that I was okay and that we 

should re-schedule. She gave me a brief 

tour of the facility and thanked me for 

coming by. But when I got back in my car, 

the full magnitude of what happened and 

what could have happened hit me like a 

ton of bricks. That 40-second occurrence 

altered my day and not only could have 

changed my life forever but it could have 

ended my life! Now I needed a moment to 

pause and to reflect. Honestly, I wanted to 

burst into tears or call someone that would 

fuss over me and rush to my side but as my 


life would have it, I don’t have that kind of 

circle. Don’t get me wrong, the people that I 

did reach out to were appropriately alarmed 

and concerned and were able to carry on 

with the rest of their day, as they should. 

Me, here I am hours after the incident, 

reflecting, multi-tasking, and all the while 

managing Larry (my husband) and his new 

aid for the day, washing the coffee from all 

of my crevices, and thinking about how 

different the day would have been for all of 

those that love or even like me a little bit if 

I had died. That’s what brought me to write 

The Obituary. Many of us may not consider 

what will be said about us when we are 

gone. Some are even convinced that God 

has made them the exception to the rule 

of death; newsflash, HE HASN’T”! ( Just 

so you know). I thought about if it had 

been my last day on earth and what I have 

planted and what I would have wanted to 

leave the world and my family. So I would 

want my obituary to read this way: 

Homegoing Service for Esther Marie Lambert (a.k.a.) E. Marie Lambert 

Sunrise October 1, 1966, Sunset (?) 


Marie’s life could hardly be summed in 

a document like this. The blessing is that 

most of her life is a matter of public record 

because of her works in various areas. You 

can always Google E. Marie Lambert to 

get the full scope of the indelible mark 

she left on the world. E. Marie was born 

to Joseph and Esther Mixson on October 

1, 1966. She was the third girl of 4, and 2 

boys. She was later blessed with another 

brother, Jeremiah, given by her father. E. 

Marie was mostly called Marie. She often 

told the story of her father losing the 

“name-game” to her mother. He wanted all 

of his children, girls included, named after 

him. Naming her Esther after her mother 

was the compromise. 

Marie was educated in the Philadelphia 

public school system. She graduated 

from the High School for The Creative 

and Performing Arts as a dance major, 

Community College of Philadelphia with 

a degree in Early Childhood Education, 

and received numerous emeritus degrees 

from schools and universities over the 

years, awards for writing, inspirational 

speaking, and being an extraordinary 

educator and radio personality. Marie had 

several books on the Best Sellers list and 

created numerous innovative curriculums 

that have been adopted by several school 

districts throughout the country. Marie was 

genuinely warm and kind, and reserved in 

public. At a young age, she was deemed an 

“old soul. “She loved the Lord and took her 

relationship with God very seriously. She 

tried to live the life that she spoke about 

and sometimes perceived by others. She 

could laugh at herself and was not easily 

embarrassed by things that might cripple 

someone else. Marie was usually pretty 

practical and was kind of a –goody-twoshoes 

during the younger part of her life. 

As she matured she adopted a “Think 

outside the box attitude” and was open to 

taking calculated risks, was more socially 

confident, and embraced the ability to try 

and fail, and to seek unconventional ways 

to pursue life. Her personal mantra was 

“Excellence without apologies or excuses.” 

Marie was very friendly and she loved 

people. She was genuinely interested in 

who people were and how they became 

who they were. She was empathetic and 

happy to celebrate the success of others. 

Marie spent the first half of her work life 

as a pre-school teacher at The House At 

Pooh Corner Child Development Center. 

She worked there for a combined 29 years, 

25 were consecutive. Marie loved her 

job as a pre-school teacher and educator. 

Her educational philosophy was that she 

taught kids to love learning. She was very 

intuitive and respectful about children 

and their needs to develop and thrive at a 

level that was developmentally appropriate 

for them. Marie gained a tremendous 

amount of respect from her director, coworkers, 

and the parents she served. She 

was gifted at sharing challenging news 

and offering support and strategies to 

parents in reference to their children. She 

affectionately named ALL of the children 

in her care “Marie!” 

The last half of her work life, she would 

not categorize as work at all. She left 

Pooh Corner to pursue the things that 

fed her spirit. Before she left, she birthed 

the True Way Youth Empowerment 

Foundation in 2012. Her goal was to create 

a youth organization with a name and 

reputation that was synonymous with the 

YMCA&YWCA and the Boys and Girls 

Clubs of America; we all know that she 

not only achieved, but also surpassed this 

goal. True Way changes the lives of youth 

throughout the United States and is set 

to become international. Her mission to 

bestow random acts of kindness towards 

youth has become a national phenomenon, 

True Way Tuesday. The videos of Marie 

surprising youth with acts of kindness have 

inspired millions to join the movement! 

Her education and inspirational idols 

were Maya Angelou, Dr. Geoffrey Canada, 

Rev. T. D. Jakes, and Robin Roberts of 

Goodmorning America. 

As an educator, Marie enjoyed creating 

and leading teacher trainings and workshops 

and traveling around the country observing 

and consulting for other educational 

institutions. Her passion was motivating 

and inspiring others, especially youth to 

see, own, and tap into their greatness. 

She enjoyed traveling as an inspirational 

speaker and was gracious enough to support 

organizations even when their budget did 

not support her fee. As an author, her most 

noted works were her books written about 

her personal relationships with those closest 

to her, When Larry Left and Growing A 

Mom. She has also enjoyed acclaim as a 

local playwright. 

Besides her passion for education and 

inspiring, Marie loved the arts. She was a 

formidable player as a singer, director, and 

dancer (in her youth). Although she would 

never describe herself as the best in any of 

these areas, she was good and she really 

appreciated and applauded the gifts and 

talents of others. 

Despite all of these things, Marie would 

say her greatest life accomplishment was 

being a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, 

grandmother, and friend. She loved 

her family and was always interested in 


engaging her family members to keep 

meaningful relationships. As a mom, she 

nurtured and watered her children with 

love, culture, discipline, a call to serve, a 

love and respect for God, and the notion 

of following dreams to manifestation and 

greatness. She often referred to herself as 

“the favorite” sister, aunt, niece, cousin, 

etc.… she was beloved. Marie developed 

and nurtured many relationships, each 

having a special place in her heart. 

Marie’s mother Esther Mixson, and 

oldest sister, Rhonda Mixson, preceded 

her in death. She leaves to cherish her 

memory, her husband, Larry Lambert, her 

children Larry Darnell II and Asia Marie 

Lambert, Her father, Joseph Mixson, 

three brothers, Joseph Keith, Job Vernard 

(Zenia), and Dr. Jeremiah Joseph Mixson, 

two sisters, Stephanie Ezell (Kenneth), 

India Holman (Barry), two grandchildren, 

and many others whom she loved. 

In closing, Marie would enjoy your 

coming together and thoroughly 

appreciate all of the kind words. Her 

efforts and servitude were often very 

subtle and unnoted. But most importantly, 

she would want you to celebrate her life 

by continuing the work that she started; 

take True Way Tuesday to the next level, 

donate to True Way Y. E. F. in her honor 

to support the dreams and passions of 

youth throughout the world, and love and 

inspire yourselves to greatness. “Go Ahead, 

Be Great, I Dare You!” 

Consider what those that know and love 

you might say about you when you’re gone. 

I have written what I would want them to 

say because, let’s be real, I can’t leave it to 

those jokers, my narcissism wouldn’t allow 

it!!!! LOL! 

Go Ahead, Be Great, I Dare You! 

© 2016 E. Marie 

Lambert is an educator 

with a passion for youth, 

the underserved, and the 

lives of women. Marie is 

Founder and Executive 

Director of the True Way 

Youth Empowerment 

Foundation. This fall Marie can be heard on 

WTMR 800 AM Radio on Saturdays between 

5-5:30 PM for her Ten Minutes With True Way 

segment. Visit her website at 

www.thebackpew.com 

Used with permission. 



MISSIONS AND THECHURCH 

Christ Adds Gospel Mission 

To Profession 

BY PASTOR RONALD W. PARKS 

I’m certain God the Holy Spirit has 

a word for Christian professionals 

and employees of the twenty-first 

century: ‘Have you found your 

Gospel mission as an extension of 

your profession or job?’ 

I feature Dr. Tony Evans as a speaker 

on an Internet radio network (Global 

Network Radio - http://gnrgmf.org/ 

index.php/messages) a mission’s 

agency I serve host, Global 

Missions Frontier. In his series, 

Called For A Purpose, Dr. Evans 

alludes to a job not being the 

sole defining point of a divine 

calling because God calls no one 

to complete a task where their 

personal interest or need is the 

ultimate end. God calls His own to 

fulfill purposes first for His supreme 

glory and then to advance His revealed 

causes. 

Specifically for twenty-first century 

Christians, this should be a welcomed 

perspective in both church and world 

cultures where seemingly the God of me 

and my goals reigns singularly in the view 

of many versus the Christ of me and my 

Gospel mission. And whether we agree or 

disagree with Dr. Evans perspective, perhaps 

at the least it should provoke Christian 

professionals and employees to ponder 

anew: “Do I have a Gospel mission practice 

to bring non-Christian counterparts to a 

“No matter 

who are or what 

profession we perform 

on behalf of community 

and society, a Christian 

should never forget that 

God is in the soul saving 

business, saving sinners 

just as He saved 

us.” 

saving faith in Jesus Christ as I am saved?” 

Of course, what matters above all else in 

our perspectives and pondering is what our 

Lord reveals of His desires and workings. 

And from Christ’s perspective on record, 

He seems to clearly add Gospel mission to 

those with an existing profession. 

No matter who are or what profession 

we perform on behalf of community and 

society, a Christian should never forget that 

God is in the soul saving business, saving 

sinners just as He saved us. And He’s 

saving sinners right within our individual 

people sphere of influence. Therefore, 

we must be both ready and willing to 

participate with Him when Gospel 

mission work demands, including 

the execution of roles and 

responsibilities of our respective 

professions. 

Let me provide two guiding 

points I believe every Christian 

professional and employee should 

know and prayerfully contemplate 

towards profession also possessing 

Gospel mission. 

1. Disciples Of Existing Employment 

- Interestingly, every disciple Christ called 

firsthand was working a job. [Matthew 

4:18-22; 9:9-12] In fact, in both testaments 

of Scripture, the called possessed existing 

employment or an established role in 

life. And to the working Christ declared: 

“Come, follow me, and I will send you out 

to fish for people.” 

[Matthew 4:19] It’s the working that 



needed both Christ and His mission to 

redefine their existence in life. We should 

be careful of a profession or job as an end 

to divine desire. Be sure of this, even with 

existing employment, Christ aims to add a 

Gospel mission to reach the lost with the 

Gospel message towards others knowing 

God’s saving grace. 

2. Professionals On Mission - When the 

Gospel of Jesus finally found and saved 

brother Luke, he was a physician, a medical 

doctor. And later, we see this physician as 

a traveling missionary reaching sinners of 

the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

[Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 

1:24] Today, the world is privileged to read 

Luke’s contributions to mission’s work, the 

Gospel of Luke declaring Christ as Savior 

and Son of humanity (Luke 1:1-4) and the 

Book of Acts, the lone historical record of 

the New Testament Church movement. No 

doubt Luke is a model to all professionals 

that a profession possibly isn’t God’s end 

of grace and blessing. Profession is the 

gateway for the Gospel of Jesus Christ 

reaching countless numbers of sinners that 

cross our pathway, most, I believe, we’re 

called to reach one person at a time. 

My life is seemingly surrounded by 

doctor friends, all of whom are missionary 

pastors, evangelists or social servant agents 

advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to 

reach sinners for salvation; Dr. Michael 

Johnson, Dr. Mbongeni Ndlovu, Dr. 

Zwange Mutsemi, Dr. Douglas Mudimba, 

to name a few. 

I believe we’re living in a day and time 

that demands each of us taking a fresh 

look at Christ, His person, His principles, 

His purposes and His plans. And when we 

find Him as He’s revealed, I’ believe the 

Spirit’s words will ring true: ‘Jesus Christ is 

the same yesterday and today and forever.’ 

[Hebrews 13:4] 

I’m convinced He’s still adding Gospel 

mission to the lives of those of us employed 

to reach the next sinner He’s saving and 

that perhaps right within our people sphere 

of influence. 

© 2016 Officially licensed 

and ordained into the 

Gospel ministry in 1986 

by the Consolation Baptist 

Church, Ronald Winston 

Parks currently serves 

as lead pastor of Love 

Fellowship Community 

and World Mission Church of Darby, Delaware 

County-Pennsylvania. 

Get Connected -www.thewowmagazine.com

ON THEBILLBOARD 

Crowned but 

Reigning with 

HIM! 

Damacia 

Howard 

Miss Pre-Teen 

Georgia 

empower. 



BY REGINA D. WELLS 

Many who know me know that I am a big advocate of youth! I gave my life to Christ when I was twelve years old 

and though I have never claimed to be perfect I have been serving Jesus Christ as my personal Savior ever since. 

I know what it is like to be that kid everyone considers odd because they don’t curse, or know the latest music 

trends. I also know what it’s like to stand firmly on my convictions despite those who may find it “lame!” So many 

want us to be tolerant of freedoms to self-express but often I find that society is not willing to tolerate open 

Christians who are not afraid to speak “Jesus!” That is why it is especially amazing to me to find a young person 

in our day and time who serves the Lord unapologetically. 

I met Damacia Howard years ago at a Performing Arts Summer camp I was assisting with and later became director of. The moment 

she read for me I knew she had a very special gift! She is a sweet, smart, very respectful and talented young woman. Her mother and I 

became fast friends when we learned we shared the same first name! There are no words I can find to express how much I have always 

admired the Howard family and loved working with them. So imagine how proud I was to see Damacia, “one of my PAM children,” 

receiving the crown as Miss Pre-Teen Georgia! I had to talk with her about it and what better way to do that than with my WOW 

readers! Prepare to be Wow’d by this young woman’s accomplishments! Let’s dive in! 

Regina: Damacia, please tell our 

readers about yourself, your family and 

upbringing. Where you live and go to 

school? What are your hobbies and 

current interest? 

Damacia: I am an 8th grade honor 

student at Georgia Cyber Academy 

(powered by K12). I take two High School 

classes and I live in metropolitan Atlanta. 

I am the youngest of three girls, my older 

sisters are twins. My mom and dad have 

raised me in a Christian home and have 

taught me to be kind, walk in integrity 

and to give back. My hobbies are singing, 

dancing, acting, shopping, going to the 

movies, traveling and pageantry. I also love 

to hang out with my friends. 

Regina: What led you to your first 

pageant? 

Damacia: I actually wasn’t going to do 

the pageant. I had the opportunity to do 

something else first, but when that did not 

go as planned, I decided to go the pageant 

information meeting and the rest is history. 

Regina: Share some of your experiences 

when it comes to pageantry as well as 

briefly describe what requirements a 

young woman can expect that may be 

interested in the pageant world. 

Damacia: Pageantry for me has been an 

amazing experience. My confidence has 

been increased and I have gained some 

amazing skills that I can apply throughout 

my life. By that I mean public speaking, 

interviewing, relationship building and 

sportsmanship. If a young lady is interested 

in pageantry, she should come prepared 

to present her best self. She should be 

confident, willing to learn and able to 

accept constructive criticism. There will be 

lots of fun and a lot to learn. 

Regina: Tell our readers about the road 

to becoming Pre-Teen Miss Georgia 

2016. 

Damacia: Wow, the road to becoming 

Miss Georgia Pre-Teen 2016 was a lot of 

work. My parents told me to trust God all 

the way and that I just couldn’t rely on my 

skills, but I had to sharpen them. When my 

Coach, Mrs. Amber, gave me my practice 

plan, I practiced four or more times a week 

on my speaking, walking, interviewing, 

modeling and acting. I have to admit that 

sometimes, I wanted to do something else, 

but if I wanted to capture that crown I had 

to make sacrifices. God blessed me in the 

end, and I really learned that faith without 

works is dead. 

Regina: I have seen many articles and 

posts concerning your charity work. 

What drives you to do this type work 

being at such a young age? 

Damacia: Well, I was driven to do “Books 

for Africa” because I learned about their 

literacy rate in Social Studies class. When 

I was looking for a service project to do 

for both National Junior BETA Club and 

National American Miss, I found “Books 

for Africa” on the Hands on Atlanta 

website and knew that’s what I had to do 

after studying about their need to improve 

their literacy rate. 

Regina: Share some of your work and 

accomplishments with our readers. 

Damacia: I have to this date collected 

over 5,000 books for the students in Africa, 

I have read to patients at the Ronald 

McDonald House Charities, Atlanta. 

Because of my volunteer service I was the 

Prudential Spirit of Community Award 

Georgia State Middle Level winner. I won 

a trip to Washington, DC along with 101 

other students from the US and abroad 

(China, Brazil, Ireland and Taiwan). We 

were honored with a luncheon and dinner 

at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural 

History. Award winning actress Hilary 

Swank was our guest speaker. We toured 

the sites; presented our service projects 

to one another and we had a blast on the 

Spirit of America dinner cruise. I enjoyed 

four days of fun and made some great new 

friends. I received President Obama’s 

Volunteer Service Award and Award of 

Academic Excellence (Gold Seal). I was 

one of 29 winners of the 2015 International 

World Peace Rose Garden, “Peace Poem 

Contest.” My poem was selected out of 

2,200 entries from around the world. I 

have been nominated for the National 

Youth Activist Awards in the categories of 

Community Ambassador and Outstanding 

Achiever. I was presented with a Resolution 

from the Georgia State Senate and the 

Georgia House of Representatives, I 

received a Proclamation from the Mayor of 

Union City, GA Vince Williams, declaring 

April 19th “Damacia Howard Day”! I also 

received the Outstanding Georgia Citizen 

Award from the Georgia Secretary of State. 

Regina: What are some of your life 

goals, what do you want to be when you 

“grow up?” 

Damacia: Before graduating from High 

School, I would love to have a few acting 

opportunities. After graduating from High 

School and College, I would love to move 

forward in my acting career. I desire to 

be the actress that impacts, inspires and 

imparts. 

Regina: What things are you doing now 

to set yourself up for your career choice? 

Damacia: I get some training for acting 

as I compete in my state and national 

pageant. I also have taken and plan on 

taking more acting classes online and face 



“I have to admit 

that sometimes, I wanted to 

do something else, but if I wanted 

to capture that crown I had to make 

sacrifices. God blessed me in the end, 

and I really learned that faith without 

works is dead.” 

-Damacia Howard 



to face. I would like to participate in a 

few on stage productions to improve my 

skills. 

Regina: I can see that you do a lot and 

I know that you are a full time student, 

how do you make time for it all? 

Damacia: My Mom and Dad help me 

to learn how to time manage. Since I 

am an online student at Georgia Cyber 

Academy (Powered by K12), it can be a 

little easier. I go to classes online and as 

soon as I finish class I immediately do my 

online assignments. Once I have finished 

school, I start my pageant training. I 

sometimes have training sessions with 

my Coach. Those are scheduled at least 

a month ahead of time so that helps me 

plan. The other activities I participate in 

are also pre-scheduled. 

Regina: Tell us about your support 

system. 

Damacia: My support system 

is AWESOME! My number one 

supporters are my Mom and Dad; I 

appreciate all they do to help me fulfill 

my dreams. They are the best! We have 

very close family friends that are just like 

family that support me, encourage me 

and remind me that I can do all things 

through Christ who gives me strength. 

My Uncle Larry (Alethia) support me all 

the way from Florida along with other 

Florida family members and friends. 

My school Georgia Cyber Academy 

(Powered by K12) is a major part of my 

support system. They post things that I 

accomplish on their social media pages, 

they send me emails and they give my 

family phone calls to check in on what 

I am doing. The Head of Schools Mr. 

Matt Arkin, my Middle School Principal 

Mrs. Rosemary Lowndes and the 

Leadership Team are behind me 100%. 

The K12 Leadership Team along with 

the Brownstein Group is there for me, 

encouraging me and posting on Social 

Media as well. The National American 

Miss Leadership Team is great! My 

State Director Matt Leverton is a man 

that motivates, encourages and believes 

in his team of Queens. 

Regina: Are there any more pageants 

or competitions in your near future? 

Tell us about them. 

Damacia: Yes, I am preparing to 

travel to California to compete for the 

National Pre-Teen title. That will be an 

amazing week, filled with fun. We will 

go to Disney Land, take a Hollywood 


tour, have themed (crazy hair, pajama, 

state apparel and NAM) rehearsals. I will 

see old friends and make new ones. We 

will have an amazing time. I am hoping 

to come back home to Georgia as the 

National American Miss Pre-Teen Queen, 

that would be an honor. 

Regina: What are some of your duties 

as Miss Georgia? 

Damacia: As Miss Georgia Pre-Teen 

2016, I serve in my community through 

various volunteer opportunities. I also, 

hold the title of Miss Georgia Pre-Teen 

Spokesmodel 2015 and 2016. I have the 

opportunity to speak at Junior BETA Club 

Inductions, Graduations and other youth 

events. I am now a role model to young 

people in the state of Georgia and I love 

having the opportunity to make impact in 

the lives of Georgia youth. 

Regina: What are some of the most 

memorable moments you have had so far 

since gaining your title? 

Damacia: Wow, some of my most 

memorable moments would be: Hearing 

my name called as Miss Georgia Pre-Teen 

2016, having all of the support I have 

gotten, seeing the smiling faces of little 

girls that want to take pictures and get my 

autograph, meeting new friends and being 

invited to do interviews like this. 

Regina: Are you participating in any 

charity drives you would like to share 

with our readers who may want to become 

involved? 

Damacia: Yes, thank you! I am currently 

doing a book drive, collecting “Books for 

Africa.” My goal is to collect another 5,000 

plus books. I am looking for a local moving 

company that does philanthropic work that 

will be willing to donate a moving truck 

for me to deliver the books collected to 

the “Books for Africa” warehouse. Those 

that live in the Atlanta area (individuals, 

schools, churches, organizations and 

book stores), can reach out to me on my 

Facebook page and let me know if they 

have books to donate. Also, if you would 

like to donate some time volunteering, 

reach out to “Books for Africa” through 

https://www.booksforafrica.org/volunteer. 

html Organizations and corporations are 

welcomed to come in and help sort and 

pack books for shipping. 

Regina: There are a lot of things going 

on in our society today, some may make 

being a young person quite a challenge. 

What are some words you would like 

to share with our young readers when it 

comes to becoming successful as opposed 

to becoming a product of the pressures of 

society and social media? 

Damacia: What I would say to other 

young people is, listen to your parents or 

other adults that have a positive influence 

in your life. They really do know more than 

we do. Focus on school and the plans you 

have for your future. Always make sure you 

are a leader and not a follower, when you’re 

the leader in your circle you set the tone 

for what goes on. Your success depends on 

your decisions. My Pastor Bishop Dale C. 

Bronner always says, “You don’t always get 

what you want, but you will get what you 

prepare for.” Find a responsible adult to be 

your mentor and their insight will help you 

reach your goals. 

Regina: How can our readers learn 

more about you or contact you to come 

and speak with other youth? 

Damacia: If anyone would like to have 

me appear or speak at an event please send 

your request to 

© 2016 Regina D. 

Wells aka Gena-Mae 

is the owner and 

founder of Gena- 

Mae Productions 

She is a wife, 

mother, writer, 

director, photographer 

and producer. 

Her movie “Between Love & A Hard Place” will 

be released soon. Like her pages on FACEBOOK 

(Gena-Mae Productions and Between Love & A 

Hard Place) 

Mrs. Regina Howard at dnhpageantpr@ 

gmail.com. Like me on Facebook: www. 

facebook.com/MissGAPT2016 and follow 

me on Instagram: @DamaciaHoward 


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TAMARA DAVIS 

Confessions 

of a Single 

Woman 

Part 3: 

I Didn’t Know How to Act Around Men! 

Yes, you read that right! I 

didn’t know how to act 

around a man! When 

encountering a man I 

liked or one who liked me, 

my emotions and feelings 

instantly went into overdrive. I also had 

the tendency to be controlling and fearful. 

One day I asked God why was I like this 

and you know He answered! I didn’t 

like what He said but I had to accept it 

because it was the truth. He simply said 

this, “You have no relationship skills.” He 

went on to expose how I ended up like 

this and that revelation was an eye opener. 

God walked me through my entire 

life, even as far back as a little girl. He 

enlightened me with the discovery that a 

tremendous majority of the men I dealt 

with fell into one of three categories: I 

slept with them without really knowing 

them, cut them off without giving them 

a chance to know me or I waited for 

them to eventually leave me. The sexual 

abuse and rejection I endured set up the 

blueprint for how I behaved and acted 

around men. I had no idea it would carry 

over into my adulthood. The unhealthy 

encounters compounded themselves and 

left me inept to “relate.” 

Ladies and gentlemen, when you have 

overwhelmingly experienced negative 

things in your relationships, you will 

HAVE to allow the Lord to transform 

you by the renewing of your mind and 

rebuild you. You will also have to allow 

Him to move you past the old and let 

Him do a new thing. Friends, it may not 

be an easy process but it will be a necessary 

one. There is no shortcut through this. 

My process started with being delivered 

from fornication, which was the symptom 

of an even deeper root. I was introduced 

to the spirit of perversion at an early age 

and that seed had to be plucked up! No 

matter how painful or challenging the 

process became, I didn’t resist it. Be open 

to God’s teaching, pruning, weeding and 

replanting! Remain encouraged because 

during your process, the old ways and 

behaviors you formerly learned will push 

their way to the forefront because they 

are dominant. They will continue to be 

dominant until you learn to yield more 

and more to the ways and behaviors of 

God. Don’t be dismayed! I have good 

news for you! The Lord is a builder! He 

WILL rebuild you! How do I know 

this? Because Jeremiah 31:4 says so! In 

the natural, before anything is built, the 

plans (blueprints) are drawn up. Jeremiah 

29:11 speaks about the plans God has for 

us. Let the Lord rebuild you according to 

His plans, which are laid out all through 

His Word. He IS your more than enough! 

Tamara is passionate 

about encouraging women 

to live beautiful, whole, 

complete lives through 

Jesus Christ. She’s not 

afraid to share her trails, 

failures and testimonies 

because she knows how 

powerful testimonies are. 

Tamara resides in St. 

Petersburg, FL with her 

three children. She can 

be reached at tamara@ 

tamaraddavis.com. 


BUSINESS &CAREER 

Belinda 

Hopson: 

On Top of 

the Same 

Mountain! 



BY TAMIKA HOLMES 

So, you want to start a business, but you are still working a full-time job. God has put a special gift or 

talent in you, a plan and passion to bring the vision into reality. What do you do? Starting a business 

while working a full-time job brings a new definition to work/life balance. Taking the talent you 

are graced with and using the power of God to turn it into a business opportunity is an amazing 

opportunity. We only have one life to live, and with it is up to us to live a purposed filled life. I had 

a great opportunity to interview Belinda Hopson of Hopson Enterprise, LLC. She is balancing life 

and has both career and business on the same mountain. We asked some in depth questions to not only get to 

know Ms. Hopson, but to help readers who may be experiencing the same thing. 

Tamika: Tell us a little about yourself, 

current career, and business; also, include 

a fun fact about yourself. 

Belinda: I am Belinda Hopson the CEO 

of Hopson Enterprise, LLC dba Hopson 

Consulting Firm and Impressions Event 

Management Services. I have over 16 years 

of Administrative, Event Management, 

Project Management, and Human 

Resource Management experience. My 

educational background consists of a BS 

in Business Management, MBA Human 

Resource Management, 

and MPA. I am a U.S. Navy 

Veteran. Hopson Consulting 

Firm, LLC offer business 

consulting services that cover 

“All Things Business” related 

from the initial business 

establishment to anything 

pertinent to operating a 

business. Impressions Event 

Management Services, 

LLC is a premiere event 

management company 

specializing in corporate 

event management. I do not 

view myself as a consultant 

but as an educational and 

strategic planner. The goal of 

Hopson Consulting Firm and 

Impressions Event Management Services is 

to provide our clients with deliverables that 

are educational for the client along with 

a strategic plan that will help take their 

business to the next level. My volunteer 

endeavors include serving as Board Member 

for S.I.R. Male Mentor & Development 

Initiative holding the position of Secretary 

and Community Development Action 

Network where I serve as a Treasurer for 

the Board of Trustee, Committee Chair of 

the Administration Committee along with 

member of the Fundraising Committee, 

facilitator and mentor for Precious Pearls of 

Wisdom. I am an active member of Spark 

Freelance Union. 

I have three daughters and one son. I 

enjoy spending my leisure time traveling, 

volunteering, and with family and friends. 

One fun fact about me is that I am a girl 

at heart! I enjoy being silly with my family 

and friends because it keeps me vibrant and 

enjoying life! I have a quirky sense of humor. 

“ 

The more knowledgeable you are 

within your industry, the better 

prepared you are to help your 

clients reach the next level with 

their business endeavors.” 

My favorite quote is from Mark Twain, “I 

have been through many things in my life 

and some of them actually happen.” 

Tamika: How has your career prepared 

you to start your business? 

Belinda: My career has prepared me to 

start my business through work experience, 

the positions I have held from manager 

to director of various organizations and 

departments, my service in the military that 

included me meeting people from various 

backgrounds, positions, and cultures, which 

prepared me to understand people from 

around the world. Plus my experience 

traveling throughout the world has 

provided insight into culture differences 

and how business is conducted in various 

countries even within the United States. 

I have been blessed to work for various 

organizations that have a global presence in 

the business world and that insight alone 

provided me experience communicating 

and understanding the importance of 

culture awareness when 

conducting business globally 

or just across state lines. 

One instance is how state 

laws varies regarding labor 

and pay from one locality to 

another. California labor laws 

are drastically different from 

Alabama labor laws. As a 

business owner it is important 

to be aware and knowledgeable 

of how labor laws within the 

United States differ from 

one locality to another. Also, 

how cultural lydifferent 

conducting business in Japan 

is to conducting business in 

the U.S. This is especially 

important for entrepreneurs 

who plan to have a global business or 

expand into other states. 

Tamika: As a career woman and startup 

business owner seeking to transition 

full-time into business, what are some 

valuable lessons you have learned? 

Belinda: I have learned that prior to 

actually starting to operate your business 

you must dedicate time upfront to building 

a solid foundation for your business by 

developing your policies, procedures, 



protocols, business/marketing plan, and 

research, research, and more research 

about your industry. Seek any certification 

and additional training required in your 

industry. The more knowledgeable you are 

within your industry, the better prepared 

you are to help your clients reach the 

next level with their business endeavors. 

Another avenue to transition is to network 

with other business owners to learn best 

practices on how to transition from full-time 

employment to being a full-time business 

owner. This is especially advantageous for 

the single woman business owner because 

you are the sole provider for your household 

and having the financial means to support 

your household until you realize a profit is 

important. This can determine your success 

or failure as a business owner along with 

when is the right time to transition fulltime 

into your business. Also I have learned 

that networking with other business 

owners is important. It provides you with 

an opportunity to meet like-minded 

individuals with the same common goal 

of being an entrepreneur. These individuals 

have experienced or are experiencing some 

of the same growing pains or transitional 

woos as you. Being a part of a network 

group helps with your growth as a business 

owner and within your industry. 

Tamika: What steps are you currently 

taking to secure your overall goal 

of transitioning full-time into your 

business? 

Belinda: I am ensuring that my business 

foundation is solid by developing policies 

and procedures for the daily operation of 

the business, evaluating services that are 

being provided to determining whether 

my business is offering services relative 

to the industry, developing a marketing 

strategy to attract clients that require my 

service along with building a pipeline 

business. Also, developing a fluid five-year 

business/marketing plan, this will be used 

as a roadmap for the business. This fluid 

five-year plan will be adjusted based on 

current market and business trends I have 

developed. 

Tamika: What help or strategies do you 

think you need to get there? 

Belinda: Hopson Enterprise will need to 

strategically follow our business/marketing 

plan anticipating game changing 

information while searching beyond the 

current boundaries of the business. We 

will need to build wide external networks 

to help Hopson Enterprise be able to scan 

the business environment, staying ahead 

of the ever changing industry looking for 

new markets and opportunities. We must 

seek patterns from multiple sources of data 

and question prevailing assumptions and 

test multiple hypotheses simultaneously 

and encourage our staffs to do the same. 

Hopson Enterprise’s goal is to be a true 

strategic organization by developing a staff 

of strategic thinkers and doers. 

Tamika: Where do you see yourself, 

your business, and career headed in the 

next 3 years? 

Belinda: In the next three years I see 

myself as a full-time CEO of Hopson 

Enterprise providing “AllThings Business” 

related services on a global level. We will be 

a strategic organization providing strategic 

business services to our clients, which will 

help them take their businesses to the next 

level. 

As for me on a personal level, I see myself 

still volunteering, enjoying my family 

and friends, traveling a little more, and 

continuing to be a girl at heart. 

Belinda’s view on balancing work and 

life to build her business empire is a 

true example of what most beginning 

entrepreneurs face. She is motivated, 

confident, and empowered to bring the 

vision God has put in her through years 

of career service into a thriving business. 

When speaking to Belinda about her 

transition process she has a plan and drive 

to work diligently to secure her position 

full-time in her business. She is definitely 

an inspiration to us all. The two scriptures 

below come to mind as reminders of the 

strength and endurance all entrepreneurs 

face on a daily basis. 

© 2016 Tamika 

D. Holmes, MBA, 

MHRM specializing 

in Career Education, 

Career Development, 

Business Development, 

& Marketing Solutions. 

With over 15 years 

experience she is a 

trailblazer in helping her clients prepare for a 

next level career or strategically develop their 

passion into a business. Tamika will discuss 

career and business topics. You may contact her at 

tamika@thewowmagazine.com 

Power Scriptures: 

Power Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11Amplified Bible (AMP) 

11 For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for peace and 

well-being and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope. 

Genesis 1:28Amplified Bible (AMP) 

28 And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, 

multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) 

the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 



The Power 

of 

Legacy 



BY HARRY L. PITTS, JR. 

Legacy is so powerful that 

it removes skepticism, 

cynicism, and the divisive 

measures of those who 

seek to remove the 

historicity of family. 

In this decade, families must shield 

themselves from the nature of wayward 

immoral people who will attempt to inject 

into a family’s DNA their own narrow 

minded parochial views, and philosophy 

of what family is and where family has 

its beginnings. We cannot afford 

to lose this fight for the 

family. There is a war 

on the horizon that 

is brewing, and 

families must be 

well- prepared to 

handle the brunt 

of its assault 

against the vision, 

destiny, and 

morals of parents 

and children alike. 

Each family must 

stand firm on the legacy 

that has been taught to 

them by their forefathers. 

The legacy of many families has 

been built upon the biblical truths that 

have been found in God’s Word. And for 

decades, families have been able to fight 

off the silent nuances that attempt to 

derail the destiny of our youth. The liberal 

agenda of the secular and mainstream 

media has perpetuated a message that is 

antithetical to what family is and what 

family stands for. Families must talk to 

their sons and daughters and tell them 

who they are and not who they are not. 

There are many who have used unsavory 

practices and damaging words through 

certain mediums such as: secular music, 

political propaganda, television programs, 

and corrupt religious pulpits to attempt to 

control the minds and hearts of the masses. 

This blatant attack cannot be taken for 

granted. This is a clarion call to each family 

member to take these words seriously, and 

arise from their stupor to speak truth to 

power and say enough is enough. 

“There are two great days in a person’s 

life—the day we are born and the day we 

discover why.” With the words of this 

resplendent rhetorician, William Barclay, 

we must walk in the discovery of who 

we are and what God has called us to 

do. Understanding your legacy will not 

allow those who would seek to imprint 

their imagery upon the conscious minds 

of our families in order to fulfill their 

personal agenda and selfish desires. The 

power of knowing who you are is such 

a threat to fraudulent practices that it 

utterly assassinates the hidden agenda 

of these people that they can no longer 

control your purpose in life. When God 

has vision and purpose for someone’s 

life, the enemy will come just as he did in 

Matthew 4 and attempt to cause confusion 

and derail God’s purpose in 

Christ. Understand 

your family’s legacy, 

“Families must 

talk to their sons and 

daughters and tell them who 

they are and not who they 

are not.” 

and seek the 

rich identity 

that God has 

established 

through your 

predecessors. 

Radical, 

revolutionary, 

innovative, 

anointed, and 

cutting- edge are 

some of the words 

used to describe 

Minister Harry L. 

Pitts, Jr. Minister 

Pitts has broken 

the stereotype of 

yesterday’s clergyman. He is a leader amongst 

a new breed of ministers who embrace the 

idea of maximizing the church’s position in 

the community and the world nationally. He 

has received his Bachelor of Science degree in 

Criminal Justice and a Master of Divinity 

in Theology and Apologetics. He is a husband 

to Mrs. Tracey E. Pitts (25 years), writer, 

minister, Christian Apologist, and a voice of 

reasoning to further the message of the gospel 

of Jesus Christ in his generation. 



FINANCIALLITERACY with Meiyoko 

Planning For The Unexpected 

4 

Critical Financial Planning Tips 

Every Spouse Should Know 

Decades ago, financial 

planning among 

married couples have 

always followed a 

particular blueprint. 

The husband would 

be responsible for being the provider and 

for having in depth knowledge of the 

bills in the home. The wife on the other 

hand, was completely unknowledgeable 

about many things relating to overall 

financial planning. Although seemingly 

harmless, this particular design has often 

set a financial trap that can lead to stress, 

frustration, and a devastating loss of 

income. Many women are susceptible to 

being left behind due to the death of their 

husband, or an unexpected sickness that 

involuntarily places the sole responsibility 

of money management on them. 

In this article we will go over four 

important things you must know as “the 

Mrs.” to avoid this trap and safeguard your 

family’s financial future. 

1. 

Know The Cost Of Your 

Monthly Expenses 

In the event of death or disability of your 

spouse, you will be completely responsible 

for keeping everything financially afloat. 

For this reason, you must know the exact 

cost of your monthly and yearly expenses 

on average. Things may seem easy if you 

aren’t being held accountable for managing 

the monthly budget or are totally unaware 

of what that actually consists of. That is why 

having access to this information allows 

you to be fully prepared to take control of 

every task needed to have those expenses 

accounted for. Encourage your spouse to 

review these details with you. Explain to 

him why it is important. Develop a system 


that will work for you just in case he is 

no longer able to hold down the fort in 

this department anymore. Otherwise, you 

will not have a clear picture of the money 

coming into your household as well as the 

money going out. 

2. 

Being aware of the overall expenses of 

your household is only half of the battle. 

Now you need to know who or what needs 

to be paid and how to go about providing 

that payment. Every company is different 

and there are several options available to 

make sure they are compensated. First, 

find out how your husband organizes 

payment of every bill in your household. 

If he is extremely organized, he will have 

a systematic process for paying every 

company. He will also have this broken 

down in specific categories such as the 

utilities, entertainment, auto maintenance, 

food/groceries, tithing, and so forth. This 

creates a simple process to keep your 

financial lives running smoothly. If you 

don’t know how to do this, you need to 

learn! 

3. 

Know Who Needs To 

Be Paid and How To 

Pay Them 

Know Beneficiary 

Information On Every 

Account 

This is an extremely important step and it 

is often overlooked even by men who were 

accustomed to the financial responsibilities. 

Many people do not update the beneficiary 

information on older life insurance policies, 

401ks, and other retirement accounts. Take 

inventory of these things. Make sure your 

current life insurance policies, investment 

accounts and qualified retirement plans are 

still in alignment with your current overall 

family plan. There have been numerous 

cases where someone passes away and they 

still have the same beneficiary they had 

20 years ago on the account. (If this is you 

that’s fine). Can you imagine your husband’s 

hard earned money and investments legally 

going to someone he never intended them 

to go to? It happens very often which is 

why I cannot stress this step enough. Make 

sure EVERY account is current and up to 

date. 

4. 

Know Your Advisor 

If you don’t have a financial advisor 

in your family, it is in your best interest 

to look into building a relationship with 

one. A competent qualified financial 

professional will be one that really educates 

you on many strategies when it comes to 

investing your income and increasing your 

net worth. You have to prepare yourself to 

be the successor of the finances because 

tomorrow is not promised to any of us. To 

be prepared in the event of the unexpected 

will not be accomplished without sound 

financial advice. So, do not leave the task 

of learning about your financial advisor on 

your husband alone. Do your due diligence 

to make your husband aware that it is to the 

family’s benefit that you both are involved 

in the educational process of financial 

planning. 

Re-evaluate your personal financial 

situation in your family. If you are lacking 

in one of these areas, now is the time 

to implement them into the financial 

structure. It is way too important to ignore. 

Knowledge is power. This reigns true in 

financial planning as well. By you being 


knowledgeable, you will ensure that your 

family won’t suffer any financial hardships. 

Your bank accounts will stay intact now 

and for generations to come. 


Meiyoko Taylor is young 

entrepreneur, speaker, 

coach and financial literacy 

activist. For over 15 years 

he has educated people on 

financial planning, personal 

development, and life skills. 

His passion for financial 

literacy and personal development are heartfelt 

in his writings, books, programs, workshops and 

speaking engagements. He is currently developing 

a financial literacy program geared towards 

teaching young entrepreneurs, future professionals, 

and teenagers “5 Key Principles” for financial 

freedom. 


JOYCEMEYER 

The Gift That Brings 

the Greatest Joy 

Of all the gifts we could ever receive, God’s gift of salvation is by far the 

most amazing and important one! Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by 

free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved…through [your] 

faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it 

came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; not 

because of works…lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of 

what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take 

glory to himself.]” (AMPC). 



We are saved by the grace of God 

through our faith in Him; our faith does 

not buy our salvation—it merely receives it. 

As Ephesians 2:8 says, salvation “is the gift 

of God.” It is impossible to buy a free gift 

and this can be hard for us to understand. 

Our flesh wants to earn and deserve this 

free gift and take credit for being worthy 

of it. 

But salvation is given to us freely, by 

God’s grace, and the same way we receive 

Christ’s salvation, is the same way we 

have to live—by grace. God gives us His 

forgiveness and grace daily; we just have to 

believe and receive it. 

In Christ, You Are Sin-free in 

God’s Eyes 

When God forgives your sins, it means 

all of your sins: past, present and future. You 

do not have to be afraid of sin because God 

has taken care of the problem. This is why 

the Gospel is such good news! 

Some may worry that if we don’t fear sin, 

we will keep sinning on purpose, but that’s 

not true. If you are truly born again and 

really have a relationship with God, there 

is a new nature inside of you. 

Second Corinthians 5:17 (AMPC) says, 

“If any person is [ingrafted] in Christ 

(the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new 

creature altogether); the old [previous 

moral and spiritual condition] has passed 

away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” 

Now, no one is perfect, and we all make 

mistakes sometimes. But if the Holy Spirit 

is living in your spirit through salvation, you 

won’t be comfortable with those mistakes 

because God’s nature is at work in you. The 

devil would love for us to feel like God is 

mad at us for our mistakes, but the truth is, 

God is love and we need to humbly accept 

His love and grace. 

Changed by Grace 

In John 15:5 (AMPC), Jesus says, “I am 

the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever 

lives in Me and I in him bears much 

(abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me 

[cut off from vital union with Me] you can 

do nothing.” I love this scripture because it 

reminds me that God doesn’t expect me to 

change on my own. He is the power source 

and gives us the grace and strength we need 

to do what’s right and make changes in our 

lives. 

Here’s how we cooperate with Him, 


doing what we can do to bring about 

change: 

1. We hear the truth in God’s Word 

and we’re convicted by it. It’s the Word that 

shows us who we are and reveals the sin 

in our lives. We have to realize what we’re 

doing wrong before we can know what 

needs to change and how. 

2. Then we repent of our sin. Being 

repentant means we’re sincerely sorry and 

willing to turn away from it. (See 1 John 

1:9.) 

3. The next step is to study the Word 

in the area we need change. For example, if 

I have a problem with anger, I need to study 

scriptures about anger and forgiveness. Use 

the Word like medicine and take it into your 

heart and mind. James 1:21 (AMPC) says 

to “welcome the Word which implanted 

and rooted [in your hearts] contains the 

power to save your souls.” There is power in 

God’s Word to bring change to our souls! 

Receive All God Has for You and 

Enjoy Your Life 

To receive God’s blessings and enjoy 

everyday life, we simply need to make the 

decision to believe Him and His Word 

more than our thoughts and feelings. The 

Bible is our instruction manual on how to 

grow into the new nature He’s given us and 

become who He wants us to be. So take 

some time each day to read and meditate 

on scriptures that tell you about God’s love 

for you, who you are and what you have in 

Christ. 

Ephesians 3:17 (AMPC) says, “May 

Christ through your faith [actually] dwell 

(settle down, abide, make His permanent 

home) in your hearts! May you be rooted 

deep in love and founded securely on love.” 

This scripture is saying that God loves 

you; His will is for you to be His child and 

receive every blessing He has for you— 

righteousness, peace, joy, provision of your 

needs, healing and restoration. In Christ, 

you have a personal relationship with your 

Father God, and you can hear from God 

and be led by the Holy Spirit, who lives in 

your spirit. In Christ, you have access to 

God’s grace and strength to do whatever 

you need to do. Because of God’s grace, you 

are blessed and you can enjoy your life! 

Joyce Meyer is a New York 

Times bestselling author 

and founder of Joyce 

Meyer Ministries, Inc. She 

has authored 100 books, 

including Battlefield of 

the Mind and Get Your 

Hopes Up! (Hachette). 

She hosts the Enjoying 

Everyday Life radio and 

TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations 

worldwide. For more on this topic, order Joyce’s 

The Mind Connection book and action plan. You 

can also contact us to receive our free magazine, 

Enjoying Everyday Life, by calling (800) 727- 

9673 or visiting www.joycemeyer.org. Please 

note: The views and opinions expressed throughout 

this publication and/or website are those of the 

respective authors and do not necessarily reflect 

those of Joyce Meyer Ministries. 


GINGERSMITH 

AMAZING 

GRACE- 

The Song 

(The Most 

Recognized 5 

Black Notes in 

History) 


Eugene O’Neill once said, 

“Man is born broken. 

He lives by mending. 

The grace of God is the 

glue.” 

Webster defines 

grace as…a: unmerited 

divine assistance given humans for their 

regeneration or sanctification… b: a virtue 

coming from God c: a state of sanctification 

enjoyed through divine grace. 

John Newton was a slave trader. And 

he was not just a trader, but actually a 

Captain of slave trader ships. By the late 

18th century, over 11,000,000 African 

men, women, and children had been taken 

from Africa to be used as slaves in the West 

Indies and the American colonies. Great 

Britain was the mightiest superpower on 

earth and its empire was built on the backs 

of black slaves. 

The slave trade was considered to be 

an acceptable act by all, except for a very 

few men. Of these, even fewer were brave 

enough to speak out against it. John 

Newton himself, trafficked thousands of 

men, women, and children to the auction 

blocks. However, on a homeward voyage, 

while he was attempting to steer the ship 

through a violent storm, he experienced 

what he would refer to later as his “great 

deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that 

when all seemed lost and the ship would 

surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy 

upon us!” Later in his cabin he reflected 

on what he had said and began to believe 

that God had addressed him through the 

storm and that grace had begun to work for 

him. For the rest of his life he observed the 

anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his 

conversion, a day of humiliation in which he 

subjected his will to a higher power. 

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, 

I have already come; ’tis grace has brought 

me safe thus far, and grace will lead me 

home.” 


Through the years, other writers have 

composed additional verses to the hymn 

which came to be known as “Amazing 

Grace” (it was not entitled that in the 

beginning), and possibly verses from other 

Newton hymns have been added. However, 

these are the six stanzas that appeared 

nearest the date of Newton’s death. It 

appeared originally under the heading of 

“Faith’s Review and Expectation,” (now, 

“Amazing Grace”) along with a reference 

to 1st Chronicles, Chapter 17, Verses 16 

and 17. (16: And David the king came 

and sat before the LORD, and said, Who 

[am] I, O LORD God, and what [is] mine 

house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 

17:And [yet] this was a small thing in 

thine eyes, O God; for thou 

hast [also] spoken of thy 

servant’s house for 

a great while to 

come, and hast 

regarded me 

according to 

the estate 

of a man 

of high 

degree, O 

L O R D 

God.) 

Amazing 

grace! How 

sweet the 

sound That saved 

a wretch like me! 

I once was lost, but 

now am found, Was blind, 

but now I see. ’Twas grace that 

taught my heart to fear, And grace my 

fears relieved; How precious did that grace 

appear, The hour I first believed! Thro’ many 

dangers, toils and snares, I have already 

come; ’Tis grace has brought me safe thus 

far, And grace will lead me home. The Lord 

has promised good to me, His word my 

hope secures; He will my shield and portion 

be, As long as life endures. Yes, when this 

flesh and heart shall fail, And mortal life 

shall cease; I shall possess, within the veil, 

A life of joy and peace. The earth shall soon 

dissolve like snow, The sun forbear to shine; 

But God, who called me here below, Will 

be forever mine. 

Many believe he heard this melody, 

which sounds much like a West African 

sorrow chant, or moan, coming up from the 

belly of those slave trader ships of which 


he was the Captain of, and penned the 

words “Amazing Grace,” and set his words 

to a slave melody! If you look up the song 

in the Library of Congress, wherever you 

find it authentically printed it says, “Words 

by John Newton, melody…unknown.” It 

has perhaps become the most popular and 

recognizable song in history. It is a song that 

with a few notes (5 black ones to be exact) 

lifts the spirit and heads of the hopeless, 

and softens even the most hardened of 

hearts. It was sung by BOTH SIDES of 

the Civil War and used as a lament by the 

Cherokee Indians on the Trail of Tears. 

Civil rights protestors sang it defiantly 

during freedom marches, and also on that 

historic, unforgettable day 

when Dr. Martin 

Luther King 

gave his 

most 

“ 

Amazing grace! How sweet the 

sound That saved a wretch like 

me! I once was lost, but now am 

found, Was blind 

but now I see.” 

moving, 

impassioned, 

and amazing speech, 

“I Have a Dream!” The song 

“Amazing Grace” also rang out when Nelson 

Mandela was freed from prison, and when 

the Berlin Wall came crumbling down. On 

September 11th, 2001, “Amazing Grace” 

was sung to comfort a mourning world. It 

was sung when the Saints marched back 

into the Superdome after the devastation 

of hurricane Katrina, lifting the spirits of 

the people and a city. Grace has the power 

to transform, to right the wrongs, and turn 

a man who once TRADED SLAVES… 

into one who FOUGHT FOR THEIR 

FREEDOM! 

All of the “Old Negro Spirituals” were 

written on the ONLY 5 black keys we 

have on the piano today. That is all they 

had in their musical scale. And they built 

the power and the sorrow of the Negro 

Spiritual on those 5 notes! When you study 

music, you also come across what are known 

as “White Spirituals.” There were white 

composers who worked with that scale in 

early America and used to call it the “Slave 

Scale.” Some musicologists believe that 

“Amazing Grace” is the most famous white 

spiritual ever written, built on the Slave 

Scale of just 5 black notes! Amazing! 

As for me personally… 

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, 

that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, 

but now am found, was blind, but now I 

see!” 

Ginger Smith is 

the author of the book 

“Breath of Heaven,” 

which is her testimony 

of her miraculous healing 

and deliverance. 

She has also released 

a companion worship 

CD also entitled 

“Breath of Heaven.” 

She is a licensed minister, 

author, recording artist, and conference speaker.. 

She can be reached at ginger@thewowmagazine.com 

or via her website, http://www. 

gingersmith.org. 


MONEYMATTERS 

Ending The 

Year Well 

BY GIL MICHEL 

As we approach the end 

of the year it would 

serve us all very well to 

start planning for a very 

successful close. I would 

like to speak with you 

about how to end the year financially on a 

great note. Many people don’t keep this in 

mind until December 31st when they are 

making New Year’s resolutions thinking 

about how they are going to budget, how 

they’re going to save, or how they want to 

launch a brand-new business to put them 

in a new financial stratosphere. However, 

there are some very practical steps that 

we can take so that by the time January 1 

comes around we are in a very good place. 

I would like to mention a few ways to 

make that happen. First, if you are covered 

by a health care plan, start scheduling 

preventative care appointments with your 

primary care physician. The saying that “an 

ounce of prevention is worth a pound of 

cure” is still true today. Making sure that 

you schedule tooth cleanings and physical 

exams, and mammograms, and prostate 

checks could save you a ton in healthcare 

costs and lost earning potential. It is been 

illustrated in the lives of many middleclass 

families, that healthcare costs are now 

becoming the largest factor that cripples 

many familes. Make the appointment 

today because early detection can save you 

hundreds if not thousands of dollars over 

the next several years. 

Secondly, make sure that you take this 

time to review your insurance needs. 

When it comes to insurance sit down with 

your spouse, if applicable, and look over 

the beneficiaries you’ve listed in your life 

insurance policy. If your children are grown 

and married, perhaps you can change your 

insurance needs to reflect where you are in 

life at the moment. If you have children that 

are going to college then perhaps you need 

to increase certain beneficiary amounts 

so that the needs of the children and 

educational costs are covered there as well. 

I actually spoke with the person who had 

an ex-wife still listed as the beneficiary on 

his life insurance policy. Now your example 

may not be that extreme but failing to keep 

your insurance needs current could have 

you paying premiums unnecessarily or even 

worse, finding yourself to be underinsured 

when the time really counts. While we are 

on the topic of insurance it would also serve 

you well to make sure that your automobile 

insurance and homeowners insurance or 

renters insurance adequately cover the 

amount needed to help you if you have a 

claim. Many of us have adopted the notion 

of “see no evil, hear no evil” by sticking our 

heads financially in the sand only to delay 

the inevitable. 

Thirdly, even though we just ended 

summer just recently, now is the perfect time 

to start planning for your summer vacation 

for next year. Many people find themselves 

in a financial crunch to try to garner enough 

money to take a decent vacation. Starting as 

early as now, can make the burden of saving 

for summer vacation an easier one knowing 

that you have time and knowledge of the 

amount that you have to put away for from 

each paycheck which decreases the further 

out you start, obviously. You also have the 


enefit of taking advantage of airline deals 

and resort discounts as early as possible and 

thus decreasing your costs in the long run. 

Your grandparents were right when he told 

you that those who fail to plan, plan to fail. 

And it is no less true when trying to plan 

a vacation. 

Next this is also a good chance to start 

looking back at what your pattern of 

spending has been throughout the year. You 

should look back over the past nine months 

and see when you started budgeting at the 

beginning of the year how far off you are 

from what you projected. You might be 

surprised to see just how much you spend 

at the local coffee shop. Or how much you 

spend on entertainment and dining out. 

Going into the last quarter of the year 

allows you to make some improvements, 

some adjustments, and some tweaks. It is 

also a very eye-opening time to know how 

exactly you need to budget for next year. For 

example with the decrease in the price of 

gas you can start making some adjustments 

on automobile expenses and maybe move 

the difference into savings. The truth is 

you can’t make informed decisions without 

looking at good data and taking a good 

hard look at your bank statements and 

credit card statements will reveal just where 

you money has gone over the past several 

months. And when we know better, we can 

do better. 

Lastly, as a tax professional I can’t tell you 

how many times I received phone calls in 

the last week of the year saying or asking, 

“..Should I give away X amount of dollars 

this week so I don’t have to pay too much 

in taxes?”. I always advise against trying 

to do emergency giving in donations just 

based on how much tax you’re going to pay. 

However, I do believe that people should 

strategically plan how their donations will 

be given. Give from the heart, but also give 

knowing that there are mechanisms in 

place to make sure that when you do give, 

you can benefit from those gifts greatly, if 

done correctly. 

Let’s endeavor to end the year well, 

financially. Since He knows the end from 

the beginning, we should do the same. 

© 2016 Gil Michel 

is the President and 

founder of Caleb Group, 

Inc., and small business 

accounting and tax firm 

in South Bend, IN. He 

is also the owner of 

BlackMoneyMatters. 

com, a financial website that is designed to the 

financially empower the Black community. 



Check us out 

online! 

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