MEN MONDAY

Brother Your Vision is in front of you

Gen 1:29 "SEE I HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERY HERB THAT YIELDS SEED WHICH IS ON THE FACE OF OF ALL THE EARTH, AND EVERY TREE WHOSE FRUIT YIELDS SEED; TO YOU IT SHALL BE FOR FOOD." 

Genesis 13:14 "AND THE LORD SAID TO ABRAM, AFTER LOT HAD SEPARATED FROM HIM; LIFT YOUR EYES NOW AND LOOK FROM THE PLACE WHERE YOU ARE..."

You were born to accomplish and achieve. You were born to soar and dream. You were born to live your dreams. You were born to rise above schemes. You were born to see the impossible.

One of the the greatest gift that God gave to a man is the ability to see the invisible. Not just see things around you but the inner ability to see things that are not yet but can be. That's what a vision is. It is the ability to see tomorrow today. A vision is the fruit of your imagination. It is the blueprint of your future.

When I was a little boy, although I didn't know it at the time, I had a vision. I had a picture of my future that was formed in my imagination. I saw myself writing books, telling stories that would be read all over this country. And you know what? My vision came to pass in December 2009 when my first novel was released. And the vision continues through my writing blogs that are being read in countries all over the world. It continues through the short story I wrote last year that was published in an anthology that has been nominated for an award. And the vision that I had as a little boy continues  through the two books I'm currently writing. 

My vision is no longer in front of me. I'm living in it and the vision is enlarging my possibilities to do more.

Today I want to help you focus on your vision by giving you some keys that will help you to discover the vision that you were born to achieve. The keys that I will show you are composed as the word V.I.S.I.O.N. Each letter represents a key. They are:

V is for Value.

I is for Insight.

S is for Search.

I is for Inventory.

O is for Observation.

N is for Need.     

I know that these keys will help you to look ahead and see what is before. That's what Abraham did. In Genesis 13 God told Abraham to look from the place where he was. And when Abraham did what God said he saw his future and the future of generations of his descendants. That's what I want you to do today look from the place where you are and see the exciting future that God wants you to live. Your future starts with a vision. So here are the six keys to open the door to your vision.

1. Value: Your vision is determined by your values. Your values are a set of beliefs that you live by. Because I am a Christian my values are determined by the Word of God, and God's Word governs what I do and what I will not do. These values that I have adopted in my life has a great impact on what kind of stories and subjects that I write about. There are certain scenes and certain words that I will not use in my writing because of the values that determine my behavior. When you are looking for your vision you must first determine what is important to you and what will not change no matter what. Your vision will be discovered by what you value.

2. Insight: Having a vision is having a solution to your problem. Insight is being able to look within the problem and finding the answer. Your vision is the solution to your problem. 

The Wright brothers wanted better transportation and so they produced a flying machine.

Henry Ford hated life on his father's farm. He envisioned a machine that would get men off the farm into living more productive lives and so he produced the automobile.   

Mary Bethune was an educator but had no where to teach so she started a school in Central Florida for young women. She was a revolutionary educator who combined education with vocational training. Her school opened the doors for many young African-American women. Mary Bethune became a woman of great importance because of her vision. She was the only African American woman to attend the founding conference  of the United Nations as a delegate from the United States. 

These persons found their vision because they had insight. They each had a problem and they each found the solution to their problems.

3. Search: Your vision is a search for what is missing in your life. Look around you, what is missing? What are doing without? Look for what doesn't exist but could exist in your life. That's what your vision is, it is the thing that you are searching for that will complete something in your life. It could be a business, a book, an investment plan, a relationship. Look around and look within yourself to find your vision. Examine your heart and your imagination and discover what is that missing thing in your life. Your vision is inside of you. Search for it and you will find it.

4. Inventory: You have to do an inventory of what you need to do to accomplish your vision. Do you have all that you need to succeed? Is there something that you have to acquire to fulfill the vision?

Later after I had completed writing my novel my inventory lead me to find a team of editors to help me  sharpen my book.

Pay attention to what and who you need to assist you in making your vision take place. Don't be haphazard or disorganized. Take inventory of what this vision is going to cost you and then proceed to make it happen.

5. Observe: This key may sound like the key Search but it serves a different function. Observe what you are doing as you bring the vision forward. What happen to a lot of visionaries is they lose the big picture because they are so focused on the process. And then a lot of visionaries start to focus on ancillary issues that causes them to lose focus on the main thing. Observation means that you are carefully watching what you are doing and making sure that you are following the necessary steps to bring the vision to pass.

You have to also observe yourself. Are you losing interest? Are you losing passion? Are you ignoring important people or other obligations?

It's important that you don't lose everything as you pursue a new thing.

6. Need: Your vision addresses a need in some one's life. It is the missing component in the lives of other people. Your vision is the answer to your success and achievement that will help someone to have a different kind of life. Your vision is the answer for someone else. What the needs in your community? When you find a need and meet it you have found your vision. 

Bill Gates had a vision to put a computer in every home in America. That was the singular vision of his company for 25 years. His vision answered a need and made him one of the most significant person in world history in the 20th century. And one of the wealthiest.    

Your vision is really right in front of you. Not outside but in your heart. And when you find it and start walking in it it will lead you further than you are right now. And your life will change because you saw it and you were inspired to make it happen. Let this blog empower you to go forward and make things happen. You can contact me anytime if you need my help. My address is BERNARDBOULTON@YAHOO.COM.   

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION TOUR

PRESENTS

TRACY KRAUSS

I hope that everyone is having a great week. No matter what you faced yesterday God has given you another day and for that reason you should rejoice in the wonderful gift called Life in the span of time called today.

Today I am featuring author Tracy Krauss another wonderful writer from the John 3:16 Marketing Network. One of the best moves that I made late last year was joining this group of dedicated talented writers who strive intentionally to glorify Jesus Christ in their writing.

Lorilyn Roberts, the founder and moderator of this group is a true visionary in the Body of Christ that God has raised up for this time to bring together writers from across the world. And God has used her to do just that.

For all of you authors who are looking for a manual to instruct you in how to launch a Best Seller please visit Lorilyn Roberts at Smashword and get a copy of HOW TO LAUNCH A CHRISTIAN BESTSELLER, THE JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK for $1.99.  

Okay today's interview.

Tracy is an author, artist, playwright, director, worship leader, and teacher. She received her Bachelor's Degree at the University of Saskatchewan. She and her husband, a pastor and their children currently live in Tumbler Ridge, BC.

1. When did you first know that you would be an author? I started writing seriously about 25 years ago after my first child was born, I'd put her down for a nap in the afternoon and then bang away on my old typewriter. I looked forward to that time of day.

2. Who are your favorite authors? My favorite authors are Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. I like spec and sci-fi fiction and both of these guys deliver, but from a Christian perspective. I also enjoy some classics like George Orwell, and Jane Austen. When I was a kid, Edgar Rice Burrows was my fave. I guess my taste are a bit 'out there'.

3. Share with us your journey to publication? After many years of writing, I finally took a plunge about 6 years ago and started submitting. Many heart wrenching rejections later (all totally legitimate-I learned a TON through it all) I contracted my first book AND THE BEAT GOES ON in 2009. MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER came out in 2010, and I have another book in the publication process called PLAY IT AGAIN. It is the prequel to my first book.

     

4. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Keep honing your craft. It's a process and is not for the weak hearted. Keep submitting, listening to criticism and advice, and then go back and make it better. One mistake people make is thinking that their work is above reproach. Everyone can get better, so don't do yourself the disservice of ignoring negative criticism, Use it to your advantage and turn it into a positive.

5. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing? I am currently working on a novel with a Cree protag. He is a born again Christian, but he is also from a long line of medicine men. He ends up dealing with a lot of racial bigotry from all sides, while at the same time struggling with dark spiritual forces from the past, It's called Wind Over Marshdale and I'm kind of excited about it. I hope to start pitching it this summer.

Short Synopsis-MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER

A forty something 'cougar's' search for fulfillment keeps getting foiled when her prospects fall for one of her daughters instead. Her ex-husband is out of prison and looking for revenge. He'll stop at nothing-even-to ruin Joleen's reputation as well as her relationship with their daughters.

You can contact Tracy at:

http://www.tracykrauss.com

http://www/tracykraussexpressionpress.com

http://tinyurl.com/Tracy-Krauss-Author-Fanpage

www.twitter.com/TracyKrausswrtr

www.kraussamazon.com  

  

WEDNESDAY WORD

ST MATT 11;12 "TAKE IT BY FORCE"

The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violence take it by force. For many years I avoided this verse because I didn't understand what Jesus was saying. My understanding of the kingdom of God couldn't associate this kingdom of love, peace, and goodwill with violence. Violence is negative and everything about the kingdom of God is positive.

Violence creates death and the kingdom creates life. I couldn't understand the correlation of violence and God's domain because I'd seen the effects of violence growing up in Cleveland, in the Hough community. And so I struggled with this concept. I struggled to comprehend these words, "The violent take it by force."

But one day illumination shined in my misunderstanding as I was reading a teaching article written by Pastor Jack Hayford. Pastor Hayford helped me to understand that the violence that Jesus was talking about was spiritual violence which is totally different from natural violence. Spiritual violence refers to energetically pursuing what God says is yours.

Spiritual violence is pressing through difficulties to gain what belongs to you. It is rising above obstacles to conquer what is trying to conquer you. It is overcoming pressures to declare victory.

Those who want to possess the kingdom of God, which is the benefits and possessions that God says is yours, have to violently pursue it because they are forces trying to keep you from possessing what is yours. The violence that you must engage in is not against the kingdom but it is against those spiritual forces who are trying to keep you out of the kingdom. 

Ephesians 6: 12 says, "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD BUT

 AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." Natural violence is against people, spiritual violence is spiritual beings who desire to keep us from experiencing the kingdom of God and the abundant life that Jesus has promised us.          

Spiritual violence is an attitude that says no matter what I will never give up until I possess what belongs to me. 

This type of violence is expressed in prayer.

It is expressed in using the spiritual resources at our disposals; truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Word of God to establish ourselves.

It is knowing how to bind what is holding you back and how to loose opportunities that will bless you.

It is knowing how to decree what God says will be established in your life.

It is recognizing the boundaries that God has set in your life and operating in those boundaries.

Fight the devil, the flesh and the world and take what God says is yours!

TAKE IT BY FORCE!     

MEN MONDAY

"I'M A GOOD MAN": THE ANTWONE FISHER STORY

I was watching one of my favorite all time movies last week, The Antwone Fisher Story. I love this movie for several reasons. First because it is based on the real life of Antwone Fisher, a fellow Clevelander, second because it portrays the pain of a man who was emotionally handicapped as a child but rose beyond his history to produce for himself a great future. And third because Denzel Washington had a starring role and this movie was his directorial debut.

However its not  just the movie's plot that captured my attention but the sheer magnitude of Antwone Fisher's life and the horrors that he was exposed to as a young child. It wasn't what Antwone went through that impacts me but how he came out of it. Many men have gone through horrifying events in their past and remain trapped in the prisons of their yesterdays. Antwone Fisher is not one of those men.   

In the movie we see Antwone's past eclipsing his present and almost ruining his career in the United States Navy. Before he was unceremoniously discharged from the Navy for his violent tendencies and uncontrolled anger Antwone is sent to Doctor Jerome Davenport, Played by Denzel, a Navy phychiatrist. With Dr. Davenport counseling him Antwone faces the roots of his anger and discovers the cause of his inadequacies. Antwone confronts his past and realizes what he must do to secure a new future with a new behavior system in place . With his girlfriend Cheryl Antwone returns to Cleveland to find his family. He locates his aunt which leads him to meeting his mother for the first time.   

The two scenes that always moves me are at the end of the movie. In one scene Antwone is sitting on a couch with his mother pouring his heart to her when he says, "I am a good man." Whenever I hear Derek Luke, who played Antwone, say that it moves me. Here is a man who was forsaken by his mother. Was left to be raised by people who scarred him emotionally, sexually, and physically. Here is a man who reaches within himself and declares that in spite of everything that he went through he knows this about himself, he is a good man. He is valuable man, He is man that is useful to society. He is the best that he can be. And even though no one ever affirmed he affirmed himself. "I am a good man." That's an affirmation that every man needs to make about himself. No matter what has happened in your life you are a good man because God created you in his image and when God looked at you He saw that you were good. See yourself as God sees you.     

The second scene that moves me is the final scene where Antwone thanks Dr. Davenport for helping him by motivating him to find his family. And Dr. Davenport looks at Antwone and says, "You are the champ, you have beaten everyone who has beaten you." The Antwone Fisher story is a story about a man who should have been defeated and diminished by everything that he went through but instead he is a champion. He is a winner. He fought the hard fight of looking back at his yesterday, discovering what was pulling him down and then moving on to discover the missing link to his past. Having done that he could march with confidence into his future. What makes a man a champ is not getting in the fight. It's not being beaten in the fight but it's fighting until you have beaten everyone and everything that has beaten you. Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. I challenge you to do the same thing. Fight whatever beat you down and caused you to give up hope. Fight your past. Fight rejection and depression. Fight loss and pain. Fight!

Thank you Antwone for sharing your life with us. You are a champion and you inspire all of us to beat everyone and everything that has beaten us.    

   

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION BLOG TOUR

FEATURING EDDIE SNIPES

Today we are introducing Eddie Snipes one of the authors on this Blog Tour. Eddie is the author of the novel titled I Called Him Dancer. I hope that this interview will inspire you and uplift you today.

1. Who are your favorite authors? Ted Dekker, Stieg Larsson, James Scott Bell, and me.

2. What are your favorite books? My all time favorite book is the Phantom of the Opera. It was one of those books I hated to see the end. There aren't many of those around.

3. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Writing maybe a solo activity, but publishing is a social journey. Get connected. Join writer's groups, critique groups, and find fellowship with like minded writers. We need each other during every step of the journey. Critiquing allows other's to point out what we cannot see. Believe it or not there is much that you can't see. The mind fills in the missing information, so what's clear to the writer may not be clear to the reader. Then we need others help in the publishing process. Finally we need others to help market the book. A great book sits on the bottom of the sea of literature unless others are helping to keep it afloat.

4. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing?

Probably not in the sense that you are speaking of, but I did put several characters in my book to show the diversity in Manhattan (where my story takes place). The character most readers have commented about is a man from Nigeria named Kenyon. He's unpretentious, struggles with God, but has a genuine faith that impacts the lives of those around him. He wrestles with God when he knows a sacrifice is necessary, but he obeys. Most people can see their own struggles in Kenyon's life so they identify with him. Plus they are encouraged when he perseveres.

5. What are the keys to success for a writer? Perseverance. Everyone aspires, but as the saying goes, the race is not to the swift, but to those who endure. It's a long race and filled with challenges. Most good books will never be published because someone gave up and stuck it in a drawer.

Keep writing, Have a thick skin, Seek out people who will challenge you to reach higher and not just those who will pat you on the back. Let kudos come from those who read the finished product.   

6. Tell us about your future projects? I'm just finishing a manuscript called Simple Faith. It's designed to teach the basics of walking in faith and it written for both the new believer, and for those who want to know how to experience God more fully. It will be available on mot retailers shortly. I also provide free peeks into all my books with the Amazon look inside feature. My current book, I called Him Dancer, is for sale for .99 cents.

You can contact Eddie at http://www.eddiesnipes.com

  Twitter @eddiesnipes.

Facebook: eddiesnipes

Linkedin: eddiesnipes.

          

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION BLOG TOUR

FEATURING LISA LICKEL

I hope that everyone has had a great week. This is the second week of the Blog Tour that I am a participant of. In this group is an awesome gathering  of writers from all over the United Sates and Canada. Although we all have different stories and write in different genres the one thing that we share is a love for Jesus Christ and a burning desire to represent Him in our writing.

Today I introduce to you Lisa Lickel. After you have read about Lisa please leave a comment and visit Lisa's website, http://www.lisalickel.com  and purchase one of her books. I appreciate your support and thank you for stopping by.

1. What are your favorite books? I confess that I'm a fiction junkie, and extremely eclectic. I love fantasy and sci fi, I think Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine is the best novel of the twentieth century, I enjoy thrillers and mysteries from all eras and cultures.

2. Share with us your journey to publication? I am a local historian and I worked to put together a book of our township history a few years ago. I went on to write some articles for the newspaper, press releases and the like. I then went on to take the Christian Writer's Guild apprentice course and began selling my work before I graduated. A few years later I simultaneously signed with an agent and sold my first story, the cozy mystery, to Barbour Publishing. That book released in 2009, along with another, Healing Grace, a few months later. Meander Scar released in Feb 2010 and won a Grace Award this May for excellence in faith-based fiction. I continue to learn about marketing and enjoy helping other writers.

3. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Learn all you can from people who have some professional credibility, take some reputable courses, find a mentor, keep trying, develop a thick skin and don't take things personally. Remember, publishing is a business, and the person who is considering buying your manuscript needs to make money too.

4. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing? Yes, in the Map Quilt, a former free black woman and her son are on the run from bounty hunters in the prologue. In Wisconsin a fairly large-sized, in fact, two, communities of free black farmers had settlements from early settlement period. I was fascinated with their story when we bought a farm in the same county as one settlement, and their story inspired me. In the contemporary story, the families play a key role.

5. What are the keys to success for a writer? Patience, Persistence, and a continued striving for excellence.

6. Tell us about your future projects? I have recently contracted two more books, and am writing a proposal for another novella collection with a couple of writing friends. My next novel is scheduled for release in October, and is a collection of stories about a family facing the loss of their farm. One unforgettable summer, a brother and sister and their two children come home to find their past, reveal long-held secrets, rediscover faith and find love. The book is not yet titled. The other book is scheduled for release in April and is the sequel to my cozy mystery. It's called the Map Quilt, and is about the mystery of a skeleton in the yard, a woman's claim to the property, murder and lost gold. The hopeful proposal I'm working on is another novella collection that lets me do some research into nineteenth century Louisiana and the Cajuns.

Thank you Lisa for shairng your time with us. You can visit Lisa's website at http://www.lisalickel.com       

CONTEST FOR FREE BOOK

This week you have the opportunity to win a free copy of my novel Do You Wanna Be Made Whole? if you answer this question correctly. The question is:

What publishing company will release Lisa's novel The Map Quilt? HINT: You will find the answer on Lisa's website.

The winner will be announced on next Friday.

THE WINNER OF LAST WEEK'S CONTEST is Tom Blubaugh. Congratulation Tom.                 

VANTORIA: THE WOMAN THAT I LOVE

More than twenty one years I walked into a church in Elyria Ohio and was introduced by my cousin to a beautiful woman named Vantoria Larkins. I entered into a new season that would dramatically change the rest of my life.

Our first date was a month later. We met at MacDonald's in downtown Cleveland on Good Friday. Vantoria was in the city for an appointment and I was in between attending Good Friday services that were being held all over the city that day. I only remember snippets of the conversation we had but what I have always treasured is the joy I felt being with Vantoria for a few hours that day.

From that day on we started pursuing each other. Our time together was precious. Because she lived in Elyria and I lived in Cleveland we didn't see each other every day. But the hours on the telephone connected my heart to hers and on Fridays when I would get off of work I sped down Interstate 90 to see the woman that I had fallen in love with. I knew in twenty one days that I had discovered the woman that I would spend the rest of life with. I'd found my companion, my help and my love.
Vantoria fulfilled my vision of a wife. She was beautiful, educated and gifted. She was outspoken, brutally honest and very transparent. She introduced me to a new way of life that I had not known growing up in Cleveland.

I proposed to Vantoria one friday night as we were riding in my Camaro on interstate 90. The soulful sounds of Luther Vandross filled our space as I professed my desire to spend the rest of my life with her. And she yes she would be my wife.

On Saturday July 13, 1991 we were married in the presence of our families and our friends. I stood at the altar and watched as Vantoria walked toward me on the arm of her father. I was grateful and frightened that Vantoria was becoming my wife. Would I be able to be the kind of husband that she needed? Could I make her happy? Would she have a great life with me? I didn't know what the future held for us but on that day everything looked golden. It was a day that new beginnings were being established.

I could write a book on our twenty years together. July 13, 1991 began a life in motion for both of us. Within a year Quincy would be born, our only child. A year and a half after Quincy was born we were moving to the state of West Virginia where I was called to pastor my first church. A year after that we were moving to Danville Virginia to our second church. We would live there for over five years.

When I look back its really astonishing that we made it to year twenty. We both brought a lot of baggage into our marriage. Although Vantoria grew up in a two  parent home I had not. And my view of marriage wasn't that great either. The way that I dealt with conflict was not to deal with it. It was easy for me to shut down verbally and emotionally. Vantoria had a different way of dealing with conflict and so we much conflict in those early years. Becoming a pastor and pastor's wife so early in our marriage also created a lot of tension for the both if us. We overcame many challenges in the early years with God's help.

There are two gifts that Vantoria gives me: Her love and her pride. She loves me and she is proud of me. And each day I try to live up to her expectations of me. Of course I fail. But I try to give her what she expects from me. So today I reflect on our beginning and on our continued journey. I thank God for making this unique creature to share life and love with me. My heavenly Father knew who I needed and He brought her to me. And by His grace we have walked together for the majority of our lives.

This woman that I love is Vantoria. She is the expression of God's love for me. God's grace to me and God's favor toward me. She is my helper, my motivator and encourager. She is my partner, my ally and my friend. God knew me and He knew her and He brought us together to know each other. She is the catalyst of my growth and the voice in my heart. She is the woman that I love.

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 BLOG TOUR

FEATURING SIDNEY FROST

This is week one of John 3:16 Adult Fiction Book Tour. Over the next seven weeks I'm going to introduce you to seven excellent authors. By learning who these women and men are I hope that you will be more than interested in the stories that they have to offer you.

Today I am introducing Sidney Frost, author of Where Love Once Lived.  

1. When did you first know that you would be an author?  My earliest memory of writing is when my sister decided we would publish a neighborhood magazine. We were living on Pete's Path in Austin at the time, so I had to be about twelve years old. By publish, keep in mind the magazine was handwritten and each copy was handwritten as well. So there wasn't a wide distribution and the magazine only lasted for a summer. When school started we were too busy to continue it. But I remember getting to write and I remember the encouragement from my sister.

2. Who are your favorite authors? For many years, my favorite all time author was James Michener. I love the way he researched and covered a geographical area in a way that made it come alive for me. As I studied writing, I read only books that were similar to what I wanted to write. My favorites at that time were Jan Karon, Dee Henderson, Philip Gutley, and Elizabeth Berg. Now I'm reviewing books for several publishers and belong to a neighborhood book club and I read books by a variety of authors.

3. Share with us your journey to publication? I've wanted to write for so long. I don't know where to start. I had some non fiction articles published n the 1980s plus a computer book in 1983. But, I've had an idea of an novel that I've carried around in my head since the 1960s. I even tried to to write it a couple of times. I finally decided to wait until I retired so that I would have time for what seemed like a monumental task. Then, I realized I didn't know how to write a novel. So the next step was to take online classes.

Four years later I had a good start for what eventually became Where Love Once Lived. It won several manuscripts contest, but I couldn't find an agent or publisher, Finally, in 2010, I decided to publish through a print-on-demand publisher, CreateSpace. I'm glad I did. The book is doing good and is currently #6 top rated in Amazon's Kindle Edition in the Religious Romance.

4. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? I am often asked how one goes about writing a novel and getting it published. All I can tell them is my own experience. However, I can add where I made mistakes so they can skip some of the trial and error I went through. For example, one thing I learned too late is that you should know the market before you start writing.  I didn't know what genres were or what publishers were buying. It may have made it easier to get published if I had studied the markets first.
Another thing I tell people is to take classes. Not just for what you learn from instructors, but for what you can learn from reading your classmates' works and what they say about yours.

5. Have you explored interracial themes in your writing? I am the father of three children and I was a single parent with full custody for many years. I taught my children to be color blind. I believe in total equality of the races and believe that it is only possible if differences were noted at all. When my daughter started dating a black friend in high school, some of my friends were shocked. Not me. Because I knew she wasn't doing it for any other reason than the fact she cared for the person.
In Where Love Once Lived, there is a black family and an interracial marriage. I hope it comes across as realistic. I've had more comments about that part of the book than other parts and people have even asked abut a follow up book to find out what happens next.

6. Tell us about our future projects? I have completed another novel. It is Christian fiction, but it fits more in the mystery/suspense genre. It is called The Vengeance Squad, and it is about a young college professor who uses computer knowledge to track down the people who killed his fiancee. The book is complete and is in the final stage of getting ready for publication.

Thank you Sidney for sharing your experiences with us. If you are interested in learning more about Sidney or would like to purchase a copy of Where Love Once Lived you can find him at:
http://sidneywfrost.com
http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sidney-W-Frost/131589900213725
http://twitter.com/#!/sidneywfrost  

CONTEST FOR FREE BOOK

Each week you will have the opportunity to win a free book. To participate in this drawing you must answer the following questions about the author that I have just interviewed. The winner will be announced on next Friday when I feature another author of the John 3:16 Adult Fiction Blog Tour. The prize is a Free Copy of HOME AGAIN: STORIES OF RESTORED RELATIONSHIPS.  The question is:
What is the name of Sidney's wife? Hint: The answer is at his website. http://sidneywfrost.com
   

FINANCE FRIDAY

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

This Monday we will celebrate the independence of the United States and the forming of this great nation. In America we value the ideas of liberty and freedom. We are proud of being citizens of the greatest country in the world. But in this midst of all of this freedom many citizens are slaves. We are held captive by poor financial management. We are chained to poverty and we are the victims of consequences that were brought on by a lack of knowledge and discipline in the area of finances.

I hope that I don't sound as if I am judging because I can't. I too am bound by certain practices and decisions that I have accepted as normal. But this year I am declaring my freedom and I'm coming out of financial slavery. My exodus started in February of this year. I was writing a sermon to deliver at the church on the last Sunday of the month . The text of my sermon was Saint Luke chapter 19: 11-27. As I was writing the sermon God spoke to me from this passage about making an investment and calling the church to do the same. 

The next step to my freedom came when I started watching a a pastor on television named Gary Keesee (http://faithlifenow.com ) Pastor Keesee teaches about the Christian's role in the marketplace and God's call to Christians to walk in dominion in the earth. One element of his teaching has been revolutionary to me, he teaches about the "earth curse system." (If you want to know more about this biblical concept read the book FIXING THE MONEY THING).  After following Pastor Keesee's teaching I purchased his book that I mentioned previously. Although I own many books on finances and stewardship this book has planted many seeds in my heart for the season I'm in. Old truths are being renewed and new truths are being brought to light. When I started to implement some of Pastor Keesee's instructions I started to save money immediately.

The next step toward my financial freedom was to bring the group in the church to an understanding of the kind of investment that we needed to make. The Sunday that I preached the message from St Luke 19 I shared with the congregation how God was speaking to me about us making investments and watching those investments grow. I told everyone that I was led to ask each of them to make a commitment to set aside a certain amount of money each month and together we would see how God would lead us. Twelve members agreed to join me. I wasn't sure where we was going but I knew that God would make it plain. By the end of April He did.

A financial teacher that I had the privilege of meeting at a financial empowerment conference fifteen years ago came to my mind. I had been receiving mail from his firm for a few months. His name is William Thompson and he is the Co-owner of Dynamic Financial Training.  (http://www.dynamicfinancialtraining.com ). I contacted William and told him about the group that I had formed and I asked him would he be interested in coming to our church and mentoring us in finances to which he readily agreed. We had our first meeting on Monday June 6, 2011.

We met for two hours and William challenged us to make the first step in becoming financially free by changing our mindset. His teaching was electrifying. He taught us the NINE LAWS OF FINANCIAL TRANSFORMATION. He taught us about the four houses that God wants us to bless. Two of the most impacting things that he said was "When you learn how to help others you create wealth." That's a great principle. The other was , "Money is an idea, those who lack money lack ideas."

Our group will be meeting with William for six months. Our next meeting is Monday July 18, 2011. And I can't wait. Our homework assignment was to activate the LAW OF RECOGNITION (One of the laws that William taught from the NINE LAWS).  

I want to share with you what I'm being different this year to become financially free:

1. I've been reviewing our household bills to see what cuts can we make in our monthly expenses. 

2. I've devoted a great amount of our finances to paying off debt.

3. I've increased my offerings to ministries that are doing the work of the Kingdom.  

4. I've been talking to my son more about the financial picture in our family.

I feel the breeze of liberation blowing over me. I'll be sharing more with you as I take this journey toward financial freedom.

WOMEN'S WEDNESDAY

A SUCCESSFUL WOMAN: Michelle Obama

In spite of how you might feel about Michelle Obama personally or politically I believe that we can agree that Michelle Obama is a picture of a successful woman. I remember watching her speak at the 2008 Democratic National Convention where her husband Senator Barack Obama was nominated to be the Democrat's choice to run for president. That night Michelle shared her story. The story of a girl growing up in a loving home in Chicago where her parents taught her the principles that would guide her to make many successful decisions in her life.

As First Lady Michelle has reached out to many encouraging and inspiring people all over the world. Just last week she visited South Africa and met with the legendary world figure Nelson Mandela. As I viewed the pictures of that iconic meeting I thought about the journey that brought Michelle Obama to that moment. And I wondered what principles could women take from Michelle to find success for themselves. These are the principles that I see operating In Michelle Obama's life. I hope that they help you find success as well. I believe with all my heart that is God's will for every woman to succeed. 

1. Sacrifice: During the early years of her marriage to Barack Obama Michelle made many sacrifices. Barack aspired to public office and ran for a seat in the Illinois State Assembly. His statewide campaigning meant that he would be away from home for many days in a row. After he won the election he and Michelle decided that their family should stay in Chicago while he lived in Springfield coming home on the weekends. Michelle sacrificed the comforts of having her husband home to be with her and their children. She was willing to give up her personal comfort and desire so that her husband could pursue something that they both thought was greater.  Successful people are willing to make sacrifices today for something greater tomorrow. Sacrifices never comes without a price but they always create great rewards . Michelle paid the price to allow Barack to pursue his ambition and today she is experiencing the rewards from those sacrifices.

2. Support: When the man Adam was living in the garden God made this pronouncement that is recorded in Genesis 2:18, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper that is comparable to him." God created the woman to help Adam the man. Now that may sound demeaning to some women but the word helper is very important in terms of understanding the principle of support. A helper is someone who aids someone else to get where they need to be. Jesus called the Holy Spirit a Helper. If you are a believer the Holy Spirit is in your life to help you be who you need to be and to help you get to the destiny that God has for you. 

Michelle Obama supports her husband because she understand the power of two which is recognizing that the two can do more than. I'm not sure how far Barack Obama would have gotten without Michelle's support but I do see how far he has gotten with Michelle's support. Her intelligence complements his. Her strengths complements his and together they make a successful team. A person doesn't reach success alone, he reaches it because he has support in his life. Michelle supports her husband and together they are succeeding in life.      

3. Service: Michelle's work with addressing childhood obesity and helping the families of our military has demonstrated her heart to serve America. Michelle is a successful woman not just because of who she is married to or not because of her position but because of what she has done with her position. She uses her voice to help others. Her actions are benefiting many people. When a woman serves others she is making herself successful because she's giving to others the gifts that God has given to her. I read this quote on another blog, "The world estimates your importance by how many people are serving you. God estimates your importance by how many people you are serving." (http://hereIblog.com )     

This is my word to you. I hope that you are pursuing success and being a successful woman. Maybe you have some principles that you would like to share on this blog on what makes a successful woman. I would be glad to read what you have to say.

While visiting this blog please stop by my website, http://www.bernardboulton.com  and take a look at my books. Thanks for visiting Women's Wednesday.  

MEN'S MONDAY

EMOTIONS THAT CAN DESTROY A MAN

It was a Saturday afternoon and I was leaving the store. In the parking lot was a man in his mid twenties holding a baby. The baby was crying. But that wasn't what got my attention. What got my attention was the man's response to the baby crying. The man was cursing at the baby. Although  I can't be sure it seemed that the man was angry because the baby was crying. It was as if the man was offended by this very natural reaction of the child to cry. As I watched the man continue to verbally assault the baby that he carried in his arms I wondered what caused the man to react in such a manner. Was he impatient or was he irritated? I wondered was he the child's father or the boyfriend of the child's mother? One thing was very clear to me, this man was responded emotionally to this baby and the display of his emotions revealed destruction.   

I watched the man with the baby walk across the parking lot to his car and angrily put the child in the car seat cursing one more time as he slammed the car door. As I drove home I thought about that young man's emotions and then I begin to think about the negative emotions of men. Emotions that if not dealt with can destroy a man and those around him. The greatness in every man can be ruined by a man's inability to rule negative emotions. What a man doesn't control will control him.

Today I wanted to write about emotions that can destroy a man if he doesn't recognize them and deal with them. I will conclude this blog on next Monday. Today I am listing three emotions that can destroy a man and on next week I will list the remaining four.   

1. Anger: A man is angry when he is displeased with himself or displeased with others. Many times a man will direct his angry at someone else when the object of his anger is himself. Anger is the hidden voice within a man. It wants to speak. It wants to say that I'm scared or I'm tired. It wants to say that I'm struggling but he doesn't speak because he's afraid to reveal his vulnerabilities. He shuts up the voice within himself and when the voice can no longer stand to be silent it screams instead of speaking. It yells because the voice is a prisoner wanting to be set free. The scream is anger.  

2. Hate:Hate is pain turned outward. A man hates because of his history. Many men are taught to hate people. A few years ago a prominent clergymen was accused of preaching hate against America but what many of his critics didn't understand was his cry was the cry of pain. A pain born from a history of prejudice and racial intolerance. It was the cry of a wounded man who hadn't dealt with his pain and so his pain was turned outward. His hate represented his aversion to a history that he couldn't be free from. When a man is in pain a man will hate.  The first murder in the world is in recorded in Genesis chapter 4. Cain murdered his brother Abel because of hate. Cain hated his brother because God approved his act of worship and God rejected Abel's act of worship. God didn't reject Cain but he rejected his worship. And when God confronted Cain about his offering and the sin that was about to overcome him Cain responded by turning his anger at God into hate toward his brother. One day they two were in the field, a place of partnership and fellowship and Cain killed his only brother.     

3. Bitterness: A man becomes bitter when he is not able to accept his life. Bitterness is a man's response to his refusal to accept or forget something that happened in the past. Many men become consumed by bitterness because he can't get over the unfairness of yesterday. A lost job. A lost opportunity. A lost relationship. When a man does not release disappointments from his past he will impose those disappointments on others. Hebrew 12: 15b says, "Lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled." Bitterness is a seed that has been allowed to grow in a man's heart  until it comes forth as a harvest. When it comes forth it brings trouble in a man and it defiles him and everyone that he is connected to.

  

Your feelings on Reading Fiction

FICTION FRIDAY

 I was listening to an interview this week. The gentlemen being interviewed had written a best selling book that landed him on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The book was based on his life. During the interview the gentleman said that he would never write fiction because he wanted to be taken serious and that he believed novels wouldn't get you the same kind of opportunity to be featured in the media.

His comments caused me to think about people's feelings about fiction, of course every person is entitled to his opinion. And there are many persons who think as that man thought. I was in the Post Office one day last year and a business owner was there asking me about my novel. She wanted a copy. The postman who was waiting on us also said that he wanted to purchase a copy of my novel. I went to my car to get the two copies and when I returned I sold one to the business owner but when the postman looked at it and then asked me what kind of book it was and I told him it was a work of fiction he decided not to buy it. He said, "I only read real books."

So today I wanted to engage you in a conversation on what are feelings about Fiction? Do you read it? Do you love it and why?

My personal feeling's on Fiction is I love it. I love reading it and I love writing it! I love stories. I am fascinated by entering into the world of people who are living life and dealing with whatever they face. And I love this genre called Christian Fiction. I love stories that show redeemed people who have a relationship with God living life by the principles of God's Word or people who don't have a relationship with God finding God in the progression of the story. 

There was no Christian Fiction when I was a boy growing up in Cleveland Ohio. The only fiction in my community was novels by Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim. Those stories depicted life in the ghetto. They were sordid details of sex, drugs and violence. Years later when I penned my first novel I grappled with what kind of story would I write. Would I write about Christians who lived by different values from the community that they lived in or would I write about people in my community who lived by their own rules? At the end I wrote about a teenage Christian who got involved with a young woman who wasn't a Christian and that one relationship caused him to make a series of bad decisions in his life that would take him years to recover from.

I am a writer of both fiction and nonfiction. My second book is a nonfiction inspirational book that shows many experiences from God's Word and my life. I loved writing that book as well as writing my first published novel Do You Wanna Be Made Whole? but the difference between the two books was when I wrote my novel I created a world of people. It was my world, created in my imagination. Writing fiction is my expression of the creativity that God has placed in me. It is the release of my imagination. And God uses it to entertain and encourage people. After Do You Wanna Be Made Whole? was released the first email I received from a reader thanked me for writing it and the reader shared how it caused them to recognize a problem in their life and admit to them self that they needed to get help. God used my story to open this person's eyes and set them on the path to be made whole! I give God praise every time I think about how He used my story in that person's life.

So again my question to you is do you read fiction? Do you love fiction? Why do you read fiction? Thanks for stopping by!

PEACE, PURPOSE, PROSPERITY

Pastor Bernard Boulton

http://bernardboulton.com/books/index.html

MANPURPOSE

Have you ever wondered why you were born? Why do you exist? Why are you alive today, in this period of human history? What is your purpose in life? Do you know the answer to any or all of these questions?
Every man needs to know his purpose. You need to know why God brought you into this world for this particular time. Hopefully I've got you thinking about where do I find my purpose? The answer to your question is found in the beginning, in Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...So God created man in His Own image..." It's pretty simple isn't it? The reason why you exist is because God wanted you to be His image and like Him on the planet earth. Okay, so what is this image and likeness business all about? What it's about is God created you to be like Him. What does that mean? Do you have any children? Do you have any children that look like you? If your answer is yes, then you know the answer. Just as your child or children bears a resemblance to you so you were created to bear a resemblance to God. Okay now you may not have any children and that's okay. You do have a parent. Which one of your parents do you resemble?
Although the resemblance to your parents is physical you probably resemble your parents in other ways as well. There is a brother who lives in my neighborhood and he walks just like his father. It makes me smile every time I see him walking because his walk in the exact representation of his father. Well your resemblance to God is not natural or physical. It can't be because God is not a man or a human being. God is Spirit, any resemblance you have to God is spiritual. However when you represent God in His image your spiritual characteristics are demonstrated in the  physical world. For example God is love. Within each of us is the capacity to love like God and when we love it touches everyone around us. Although women are known for their love when a man loves it affects generations!
So your purpose is to look like God, to bear a resemblance of God. You are important to God because within you is His image. But how do we act out this resemblance to the Almighty? First we have to understand that to live in His image means living out the gifts and abilities that he has put inside of us. These are the questions that you have to answer to discover what specific thing you were born to do and the specific person you were born to be. What are you excited about? What are you passionate about? What gets you excited about being alive? What is it that you can't live without? If you know the answer to these questions then you know your purpose, you know what you are supposed to be doing and who you are supposed to be that represents God. If you don't have the answers then it it time for you to have some alone time with your Creator God. Get in His presence and ask Him to give you answers. And expect Him to answer you.
       For you brothers that know your purpose I want to give you three principles to fulfill that purpose for your life. Here they are:
1. Fruitfulness and Multiplication: We succeed in fulfilling our purpose when we are engaged in life and what are doing and who we are being is going to produce fruit and bring increase in our lives and other lives.  Being fruitful and having a increase is the result of what I am doing. A man works and on a certain day he expects to receive his paycheck. The paycheck is the fruit and increase of his work. A man develops a business strategy and it brings him increased revenue for his business. The revenue is his fruit. A man loves and meets the need of his wife and children and he is respected and loved by his family. The respect and love is the fruit of love. If you are doing something that doesn't produce fruit and increase in your life you are not fulfilling your purpose.
2. Fill: The word fill is interesting It means to satisfy a need. Living your purpose is always going to meet someone else need. You were born as an answer to a problem. There is an innate ability in a man to always solve problems, that's because that is part of your purpose. You are a problem solver.  Your presence is the answer. Everything that is in you is has been given to you by God to meet a need. Now understand although you were born to meet a need you were not born to meet all needs. Some men reach a point of burnout because they are trying to be everything to everybody. Only God can do that. You are like God, you are not God!
3. Subdue: This word reveals a concept that really started with the first man Adam. God wanted man to control the planet earth. Every man is given something to have authority over and to govern. But this word first speaks about a  man's ability to control himself. What area of weakness do you struggle with? That's the area that you must first subdue. If you don't control your weaknesses then your weakness will frustrate your purpose. God gives authority to the men who rule themselves. What habits do you have that is detrimental to your future, rule it, subdue it.
Thanks for stopping by and remember that you are MANPURPOSE!  

Bernard's Word

I hope that you have enjoyed reading my blogs as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Today I am launching a new blog with different focus. I will still write about the issues that matter to me and to you but I will be also be more focused on writing commentary that I believe will encourage and empower you.
The mission of this blog is for me to share with you stories and principles that will engage you in seeking a more fulfilling life. I believe that words have a powerful influence in all of our lives. They can make us and they can break us. Words have had the ability to change people's lives and correct devastating consequences.
Recently I was talking with a church leader at a leadership conference that I was teaching in and he asked me what turned my interest toward writing. I shared with him that an English professor in a college course that I was enrolled in told me that I had a gift and I should pursue writing. From my childhood I dreamed about writing but that dream did not become active until that professor spoke to me. It was his words that set me on the path that I am currently on almost twenty five years later. That's the role I want to have in your life. I want to be that person who speaks to you through my blogs and release the dreams that are within you. I believe that God created every person with a purpose and when we find that purpose and start to daily do what our purpose is than our life becomes a exciting adventure.
It is my intention to blog at least three days each week.
Mondays will be MEN MONDAY. I will write on what interest men and what men need to succeed. Wednesdays will be WOMEN WEDNESDAYS. I will write on the issues that are important to Women, I'm glad that I have a wife that can help me because I'm going to need her help! Fridays will be FICTION FRIDAYS, FINANCE FRIDAY, FAITH FRIDAY and FUN FRIDAY. I hope that you will be blessed and that you will visit many times. And please share this blog with your family and friends.

A FATHER'S DAY GIFT FROM DAD

My wife Vantoria came up with a great idea that we incorporated in our church this past Sunday for Children's Day. After worship was concluded we gathered in our fellowship wing to celebrate our children. Each parent present read a letter to their child or children affirming the importance and value of their child inthe life. It was incredible and emotional gathering as many parents were moved to tears as they read their letters.
Both me and my wife wrote letters to our son Quincy. Writing the letter last weekend allowed me to take a stroll down memory lane as I penned my feelings for my son who will be entering his senior year in high school in a few months. I remembered the day Vantoria told me that she was expecting. The days when I would lay my hands on Vantoria abdomen to pray for our unborn child. I remembered the trips to the doctor, the first sonogram. The beginning of Vantoria's labor and the birth of our son. His first steps, the first immunizations shots, his first lead in the church choir, his first day in school. A plethora of memories traveled through my mind as I wrote that letter. And to hear those words read my wife to my son almost released a flood of tears as I heard my feelings about my son being read to him.
And so I am inviting every Father who reads this blog to take some time this weekend and write a letter to your child or to your children. I know that Sunday is your day. It will be a day where you are celebrated and appreciated. A day of fun and gifts. A day where you will you be loved by those whom you have loved. But I want to encourage you to make it a day where you give your words on paper. A day where you share with the people in your life that was given to you by God to love and raise as Fathers. How about joining me in starting a new tradition for Father's Day. A tradition of giving as well as receiving. And may God grant you many Father Day's filled with love and blessings.
Please write back and let me know how this gift blessed you and our children.

Jason's Faith

There were a lot of lessons learned from the 2011 championship series of the NBA. I watched with great interest as Jason Terry was interviewed after the Dallas Maverick secured their first championship. From the words and actions of Jason I saw a modern example of faith I wanted to share with today.
What is faith? Faith is believing in what you can't see and having an expectation that what you believe is going to happen. As I listened to Jason Terry Sunday night I heard faith in words. This is what he said:
1. "My faith was in God and that gave me confidence." Faith is directed toward a person or an object. To Christians our faith in always directed to and centered in God. And because we believe in God and we believe God that gives us confidence that we can do all things with Him.
2. "God was my strength." When you are facing impossible moments and it seems like you should give up you find the resolve to rise beyond your weakness and do what you need to do to win. Jason and the Mavericks were counted out in every series that they played in. The experts all said that they wouldn't even make it to the finals. When they made it to the finals against the Miami Heat the commentators said that Miami would take the championship in six games. But Jason found the strength to explode in the sixth game and his performance made the difference and Dallas won. Like David facing Goliath Jason found strength in God and the world celebrates him.
3. "I give glory to God." After you've had a faith victory. After you've done the impossible in the moment of your celebration you take your victory and give it back to God. That what giving God the glory means. When we give glory to God you are saying that God is the cause of my winning and I celebrate His presence in my life.
Without a doubt those were great words that Jason spoke Sunday night but even greater than what Jason said is what Jason did. Faith is not just talking about God or acknowledging God but faith is acting on what you believe. In October 2010 Jason had the Larry O' Brien trophy, the championship trophy for the NBA, tattooed on his arm. And although I don't endorse tattoos I saw a great display of Jason's faith in his unusual action. Before the Basketball season even started Jason believed that the Dallas Mavericks would not only go the NBA Finals but they would win. And he acted on what he believed. What have you done lately to demonstrate your faith? Faith is not for the future,faith looks to the future. Faith is for today. Hebrews 11:1 says, "NOW FAITH.." You need faith right now, without it you will not have a victory tomorrow. It is demonstrated by your words and your actions. I encourage you to have the Jason kind of faith. Which is really the God kind of faith. It was Bishop Victor Curry of Miami Florida who said, "Faith honors God and God honors faith."

How do I discover the Plans that God has for me?

In an earlier post I talked about the plans that God has for each of us. But you may be wondering how do I discover the plans that God has for me? I want to give you the process that I use to find God's plans for me. It is a five step process that I call PLANS. Each letter shows a specific step that I use to discover God's wonderful plans. I pray that this same process will help you find God's exciting Plans for your life.
P.L.A.N.S.
1.Pray: Set aside some time and talk to God. Get yourself a journal and write down the areas of your life that you are seeking God to show you His plans. Come to God with an attitude of faith, which is the attitude of believing that God wants to show you His plans for your life. Approach this prayer time as a PLANNING SESSION with the CHIEF PLANNER. Be willing to surrender all of your plans to His plans. You may even discover that your plans are His plans for your life. But know that if God changes your plans and gives you new plans you can trust His plans because you can trust Him.

2. Listen: As you seek Him for His plans come to Him with an open heart. Be willing to listen to Him. Because God is Spirit He primarily speaks in spirit or He speaks in your spirit. During this time pay attention to any impressions or any verses of the Bible that comes to your mind. For me this is an exciting time. God often speaks to me and gives me ideas and words of His plans for me. Every story and book that I have written the idea came as I was listening to God. When I receive a plan from God it stays in my mind or in my spirit. To be very sure that it is God speaking I will meditate on it. When I know it's God I will continue to pray over what I'm hearing for three days and If the impression or thought is still with me than I know it's God revealing His plan for me. Let me give you an example of how this work:
A couple of years ago I ended a business relationship with a person and I needed to connect with another person to complete the business that I was involved in. I wanted to know if the person I was considering was God's plan for my business to be completed and so I prayed about this person for three days. Each day it became clearer to me that the person I was praying about was the person that God had sent to me. After three days I decided to partner with that person and it was the best decision I made that year. The person that I ended the relationship with I didn't pray about him I just took a leap on my understanding and it cost me a whole year.


3.AGREE: Whatever you hear God say agree with it. Whatever plan God reveals to you agree with it. Say yes to God's plan and ask Him what does He want you to do. Sometime agreeing with God means doing something entirely new but trust Him and say yes. Without your yes God will not execute the plans that He has for you and you will miss a life changing encounter. Your future depends on you coming into agreement with God's Plan. Being in agreement with God is not just you saying yes but it is also joining God in partnership for your life and everyone who will be affected by your decision to cooperate with God.

4. NOURISH: The plans that God reveals to you is a seed. He plants it in your mind and He makes it grow until it is seen. Your assignment is to nourish it. You feed the plan until God brings it forth. You nourish it by remembering it and meditating on it. You pray over it and you protect it from doubt which is a weed. You keep it by focusing on it. As you nourish it it will grow. What you don't nourish will die.

5. SEARCH: Praise God for the plans that you bring forth in your life. Life is so exciting when you know that you are participating in God's plan for your life. But as you carry out the present plans for your life always keep your eyes open for the new plans of God. Plans are for a season and when the season is over God will give you a new plan for a new season. It was God's plan for Israel to cross the Jordan River and after they crossed the river it was God plan's for them to go to Jericho. That's true for all of us. God's plans for each of us is progressive and unfolding. As you remain faithful to God for the current plan also be a seeker for the new plan that God may bring. Don't ever accept an attitude that this is it for me. I'm at the end of the line. God may have another plan for you.

PEACE, PURPOSE, PROSPERITY.

God has Plans for you - Chocolate Pages Network

God has Plans for you - Chocolate Pages Network

WHAT EVERY DREAM MEANS by Scott Shafer

A prophetic author has released a message to the Body of Christ and the world. That author is Scott Shafer and the message comes to us today in the form of a book titled, "What Every Dreams Means."
What words can I use to describe my journey over the last month as I have read and meditated over the words that Scott has produced from his wealth of knowledge on the subject of dreams. The words that come to mind are enlightened, empowered, edified and excited. Since I was a teenager I believed that God spoke to me in my dreams. This belief was strengthened by the characters in the Bible who dreamed. Men like Joseph, Solomon, Isaiah and Joseph the human father of our Lord Jesus. Yes I believed that God spoke and continues to speak though dreams. Even though my denominational background and my theological training did not support my belief I believed anyway.
I am totally convinced that because I never gave up believing that God does speak through dreams God brought Scott and his book into my life. And what an impact this book has had on me. The last five weeks have been some of the most incredible times in my life.
Like the gifted teacher that he is Scott has woven together an impassioned teaching tool that will enlarge the church ability to teach the meaning and message of dreams. Scott has restored to the Body of Christ a lost jewel that will enable us to hear clearly the voice of God spoken to His children in the night seasons. Never again will the Church be deceived about this divine method of communication.
Since I've been studying What Every Dreams Means the prophetic dreams that I have had all of my life and was largely ignorant to what they meant, had increased exponentially and some of them I have been able to even interpret. I am a more knowledgeable Teacher of God's Word because of What Every Dreams Means.
The night seasons has become a new season for me. I want to encourage you to get your copy today at http://www.whateverydreammeans.com/Launch.
Today I am offering a free copy of my novel "DO YOU WANNA BE MADE WHOLE." Everyone who leaves a comment at this blog your name will be entered in the drawing for my free novel. The winner will be announced on tomorrow.
Keep Dreaming
Pastor Bernard Boulton.
Your spiritual understanding will be enlarged by this life changing book.

Journey to Nigeria; a leap of faith

In twelve hours I will be boarding a plane on my way to Ifo Town, Ogun State Nigeria. My connection flight is in Atlanta and from there I will fly to Lagos Nigeria for six days of preaching and teaching. I've experienced a mixture of emotions as each day moved me closer to today. I've gone from fear to peace. From doubt to faith. From aggravation to certainty.
The preparation for this trip has been a journey of faith. During the last eight months I have seen God move in my life in tremendous way.
It all started one July day when I received an email from a Pastor in Nigeria name Gabriel Ogunjobi. Pastor Ogunjobi had discovered my website and felt compelled from the Holy Spirit to invite me to come to Nigeria and minister in that region. I can still see myself as I read that communication for the first time. My initial response was skepticism and suspicion. Seven months prior I was targeted by a fraudulent group who invited me to come to their conference in England. Thankfully that attempt was exposed. So when the invitation came form Pastor Ogunjobi suspiciously I thought that I was being targeted again.
However as I continued reading the communications from Pastor Ogunjobi I sensed a pull in my spirit, a nudge from the Holy Spirit to pay more attention to what Pastor Ogunjobi was saying to me. After a few days of peace I start to seek counsel from others friends. Most of the counsel that I received was negative and fearful. There appears to be a great deal of fear in America concerning overseas travel. But as me and my wife Vantoria continued to pray I was assured that God was extending me a Macedonian call to Nigeria.
After two months of deliberation and praying I accepted Pastor Ogunjobi's invitation. I told him that I would come to Nigeria in March of 2011.
Accepting Pastor Ogunjobi's invitation was a great leap of faith. Believing God for the funds to go was an even greater leap of faith. For the 26 years that I had preached throughout the United States I had never paid my own way to go to a church and minister. I would have to do that this time. And the Holy Spirit led me not to ask anyone for money but just tell others of my plans to travel to Nigeria. The first person, besides the church that I pastor; New Mine Creek Church in Blairs Virginia, that I shared with was a deacon from my home church, New Sardis Primitive Baptist Church in Cleveland Ohio. The deacon was Edward Watson. He had called me to order some copies of the anthology HOME AGAIN that my short story JAKE AND ERIC appeared in. When I shared with Deacon Watson that I was going to Nigeria he became so excited that he went to our pastor, Elder Larry Tatum and asked if the church could raise support for me which they did in a big way. I am so grateful to be a member of this church that has blessed and supported me without fail for the twenty years that I have been a member of that church. Again and again I shared my intentions to travel to Nigeria in March and again and again the Holy Spirit impressed people to give toward this venture. Through this effort God has revealed Himself to me in a new way as Jehovah Jireh. I first came to know Him as God my Provider when I was struggling in my first pastorate in West Virginia but these last months I have seen Him manifest as the giver of VISION and the PROVIDER.
Not only has God provided funds for me but He also moved on the hearts of two leaders of New Mine Creek to journey with me. They are Deacon Henry Law and his wife Deaconess Vickie Law. Henry is the first deacon ordained in my pastorate and it was with great joy that I recommended Vickie to serve as a deaconess in the church.
So the three of us are on our way this evening. I plan to write some more blogs from Nigeria this week. Pray for us as you read these words.
PEACE, PURPOSE, PROSPERITY
Pastor Bernard Boulton.

Steve Harvey: Should a Person's Past Disqualify them from their present work?

This past Monday morning I was driving my son to school when I turned on the radio to listen to the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Tom was interviewing Mary Harvey, the ex wife of comedian and relationship expert Steve Harvey. Mary shared with Tom the circumstances of her life since she and Steve divorced and the current trauma that she was now facing as a result of her keeping silent about her life with Steve and what had occurred since their divorce.
Mary Harvey's conversation with Tom Joyner caused me to think should a person's past failures and mistakes disqualify them from their present occupation? Should Steve's past marriage failures hinder him from being a voice of counsel to the millions of women who purchase his books and listen to him on his radio show?
Steve Harvey has risen to great levels of fame since I first saw him on the Steve Harvey Show in the mid 1990's on the WB network. Today he is a best selling author of "Act like a Lady, Think like a Man." His radio show is heard on radio stations all over the country and on the internet. And his radio show is seen on the Centric Cable Show. Steve's exposure on radio and television has created an audience that listens and follows his advice on relationships that is derived from his point of view.
Mary Harvey alleges that Steve's past infidelities while they were married disqualifies him as a man of integrity whose opinions cannot be taken seriously.
Hearing Mary on Tom Joyner was not the first time I had heard her disturbing allegations against Steve. Last week I saw Mary on You Tube where on one of the videos she accused Steve of having an affair during their marriage with his present wife Marjorie.
Although Mary's allegations and accusations may be new to us Steve has not shied away from talking about his past struggles and mistakes. On one occasion Steve said. "It took me two marriages to really get it in my head, 'Steve you're messing up because you're getting ticked at these woman who want all this stuff from you, and you're saying, Hey this is enough. I'm doing this. What do you want?"

So what really qualifies Steve to be a relationship expert? Should his past disqualify him? Or does his past experiences give him the qualification needed to be an expert in matters of the heart?
Please share your comments on this blog and everyone who leaves their comments will be placed in a drawing for the prize of a FREE COPY of HOME AGAIN: Stories of Restored Relationship. In this anthology of short stories I have written a story titled JAKE AND ERIC. One of the scenes in my story was inspired by Steve Harvey's interview on TBN's program PRAISE THE LORD, with Pastor Donnie McClurkin. I will select the winner of the FREE COPY of HOME AGAIN on February 14.
PEACE, PURPOSE, PROSPERITY

My trip to Haiti

It has been more than six months since I journeyed to Haiti with Pastor Kenneth Duke of the New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist church (http://www.njpbc.org) of Miami Florida, His son Minister Kelon Duke and a a member of the church Saraita Anderson, who served as our interpreter. This was a life changing experience for me and I have struggled over the last six months with how to adequately express what I experienced on this short trip.
Haiti is a country of contradictions. It was devastated by an earthquake on Tuesday January 12, 2010. Many buildings were destroyed and many lives were lost but what I witnessed was a resilience among the people of that land. They were broken but not crushed. They were defeated but not conquered. They had lost much but they possessed so much more.
Haiti has remained in my heart and spirit from the first time that I saw it. We arrived at the airport on Wednesday June 2, 2010 and we were greeted by a band. I asked Saraita what type of music were they playing and she told me that they were playing Compas, a mixture of Spanish and french music. The music was so alive and the men who played it had so much hope and joy as they welcomed us to their homeland.
After we passed through customs and secured our luggage we walked out into the sunlight. And we were surrounded by a mass of people who looked like us but spoke in a language that I could not understand. We were met and greeted by several members of the Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church of Petit Gauve where we would be traveling to that day to worship with and minister to. Guylaine Jermaine, the wife of Pastor Edner Jermaine was there to greet us along with several brothers from the church. Each one embraced us with hugs and kisses and then led us to the van that would carry us throughout Haiti for the rest of our trip.
A frightening moment occurred for me when we got to the van. We were surrounded by Haitians with their hands out, all saying very loudly, "Dolla, Dolla!" I was unnerved at that moment and tried desperately to get in the van away from what I perceived was a mob. And then I looked at Pastor Duke who was calm and not bothered the least. I wish that his demeanor had a calming effect on me but it didn't. I felt safe only after we were in the van. There would be a lot more moments like that for me as we rode through the streets of Port Au Prince.
Our driver Brother Vanel was very aggressive but that was necessary because every driver on the roads of Port Au Prince was very aggressive. There was chaos everywhere as both automobiles and people filled the streets and the sidewalks. What amazed me was I didn't witness any automobile accidents or people being killed as they walked with no fear between these vehicles. The driving situation was dangerous but there seemed to be some kind of order in the chaos. The driving was reckless but the people were bold as they walk with their wares on their heads. I seemed to be the only one panicking.
I saw large numbers of children coming from schools wearing beautiful uniforms and buses that are called tap tap. They were beautiful buses covered in painted scenes and filled with people. And in the midst of destroyed buildings I saw people selling their wares. They were living not dying. They were doing the best they could with what they had been dealt with.
It took us an hour to get out of Port Au Prince. It took us another hour to drive to Petit Guave and after that it took us maybe two and a half hours to get to the site where the Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church meets. We rode for an hour and then we walked for another hour and a half. Several people from Mount Olive met us as we walked up the mountain where their village was. I really needed their support and encouragement as I tried to conquer the mountain that was conquering me. The music in worship was electric and the praise of the saints was energetic. Myself and Kelon gave words of encouragement and Pastor Duke delivered a strong message to the congregation who were gathered there. I made an presentation to the pastor, a cash donation that was raised by the members of New Mine Creek Primitive Baptist church where I have been the pastor for nine years. The monies would be used to educate the children in that community.The church, which was destroyed in the earthquake was also a school during the week.
There is so much more to tell and I will. But I ask you to continue to pray for the relief effort in Haiti and pray for the people of Haiti. If you are interested in contributing to the Mount Olive Primitive Baptist Church of Petit Guave Haiti please contact the New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist Church (http://WWW.NJPBC.ORG).

Goodbye Lebron

Lebron you were an incredible asset to the Cleveland Cavaliers and now you have left. Man it seemed like yesterday we the fans of the Cavaliers waited and anticipated your coming into our lives. I can still feel the excitement in the air in June of 2003 as we faithfully believed that there was a possibility that the Cavaliers might snag you in the lottery. And then it happened, the probable became possible and you joined the Cavs bringing with you hope and excitement that haven't been seen in my generation. Your joining the Cavaliers helped me to deal with the loss of my Mother, we buried her three days before the lottery.
All of Cleveland believed that you would bring us a championship. For seven years we hoped and we waited. We dreamed and we imagined that it would happen but it didn't and now you're gone. Things won't be the same without you but all of us are not hatin on you. We just hoped that things would have been different. And as much as I loved your game and your drive I can't leave the Cavs and go with you. The Cavs are a part of my legacy and my history; they have earned the right to keep my loyalty. I remember Campy Russell and Austin Carr from my childhood. I remember the first game I saw at the Richfield Coliseum. World B. Free was on that team. I remembered the first time I saw Michael Jordan play at Richfield; he soared through the air and delivered a dunk that every Cavs fan honored as we stood on our feet, that night we witnessed the greatest who ever played the game. I remember the dream team of the 90's; Price, Daughtery, Ehlo and the others. I even remember the one time I was angry with management, when they traded away Ron Harper, but I stayed a Cavs fan. I haven't lived in Cleveland for almost twenty eyars but I have remained a loyal Cavs fan.
But I have a confession to make, after the Boston series I was ready to walk away. I was so depressed after we lost the series that I decided that loving the Cavs was to high a price to pay. I decided that I was giving up on the Cavs. I didn't beleive that you were coming back but my DECISION was not based on your DECISION, it was based solely on my emotional response to the Boston series. But then something happened after you told us and the world of your intention of joining the Heat. I read a letter from Dan Gilbert and that letter changed my mind. Although I'm sure you didn't like what Dan said about you, that communication gave me a new resolve. And so my allegiance to he Cavs was renewed and my loyalty was rediscovered. I will stand with and support my hometown team, even though you are no longer apart of us.
Goodbye Lebron.