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How Many Missed Opportunities?

Posted by Pastor Aminata on August 19, 2008 at 9:55pm

How many missed opportunities did you have today? Umm? How many times did you missed a chance to be about your Father's business today? Umm? In our fast-paced, busy, busy, daily please move out of my way, cause I've got-to-get-things-done-ness, we often times forget that we are to be about our Father's business, in the midst of the no see-ums.What about when you were standing on the check out line in the department store, and you saw that mother struggling with her young child who was having a serious temper tantrum? Did you say a pray for that mother, or did you watch in judgement?What about when you were stuck in that traffic jam on the highway, and when the traffic finally started to move again, you passed by that accident, and saw the ambulance and fire trucks? Did you say a prayer for who ever was in the cars, or did you just drive by relived that the traffic was moving again?How about when you were at the ATM waiting for your turn and someone was yelling at the elderly lady who was a bit confused on how to use the ATM? Did you say a prayer for both the yeller and the one being yelled at, or did you suck your teeth in insensitivity?What about the time you saw that woman walking down the street, crying? Did you say a prayer on her behalf, or did you shrug it off as mere curiosity? These are just a few examples of the many no see-ums we experience in our daily lives. We see them, but we don't see them because there is no emotional connection, so we just move on.But these are precious opportunities to be about our Father's business. Opportunities to be ambassador for Christ. True, nobody will know that you said a prayer, nobody will say thank you, nobody will praise you, that is except God. God knows all and sees all and God is the one who will reward you for being about His business today.John 14:14 - "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."Pastor Aminata

On Any Typical Day.. or Is There Such A Thing?

Posted by Pastor Aminata on August 13, 2008 at 5:41pm

On any typical day... or is there such a thing.... ?You woke up late this morning, rushing to get out of the house, to catch the 7:15 express bus, only to find that you left your metro card in your other bag, and you don't have enough change for the bus. Finally at work, with frowns abouding from them to you and you back to them, your told that you have 3 minutes until the staff meeting begins, and your expected to make a presentation, agrh. So why today does a cup of coffee decide to spill over into your lap?Wrinkled and stained, you do what you gotta do, anyways.... the rest of the day is typical, or is there such a thing... ? Feeling like an octupus out on the skating rink, you handle it all, phone calls, requests, emails, yadder, yadder, just a typical day.... or is there such a thing?Another day's journey and I'm so glad... well at least it's almost over. On your way home you remember that you promised the kids... ah... mind goes blank, seems like there always a promised due lately, anyways, so why isn't the express bus showing up? It just darned on you that you've been standing there for over 40 minutes and out of the blue a thunderstorm comes, and so where is your umbrella? It's home, watching the weather channel.With key in hand, you approached your home, wet, no soaked, tired, no beat, no exhausted, you prepared yourself for round two with the spouse and kids, on this typical day... or is there such a thing? No matter because whatever you go through, on any typical day, which really isn't so typical at all, you know that you have God's Word, His precious promises to encourage you and strengthen you.Neh 8:10 - And Nehemiah continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of choice foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!Pastor Aminata

Promotions, Promises and Perceptions (3 Ps)

Posted by Joan E. Gosier on July 18, 2008 at 2:36pm

Just curious.I know how drugs are promoted in many communities.I know how sex is promised in many videos and ads inmany communities.I know how many people perceive black culture.How do we promote, promise or perceive education in ourhouseholds with children age 0-6 years old?Joan Gosier, CEO of HBCU kidz, Inc.HBCUkidz.com

Visit Atlanta Centennial Olympic Park

Posted by Sonjia C. Gales, CAM, CAPS on June 3, 2008 at 4:47am

Centennial Olympic Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m 6/19/2008 Peachtree TV presents E.T.*Free and open to the public.Music @ Noon6/24/2008Experience Latin jazz with Rio Negro.*Free and open to the public.Wednesday WindDown6/25/2008Enjoy Jimmy Sommers and April Hill.*Free and open to the public.Music @ Noon6/26/2008Get funky with the Groov Project.*Free and open to the public.Screen on the Green6/26/2008Peachtree TV presents Footloose.*Free and open to the public.Fourth Saturday Family Fun Day6/28/2008Peachtree TV presents E.T.*Free and open to the public.Music @ Noon7/01/2008Enjoy jazz quintet DMR - the Davis Peterson Band.*Free and open to the public.Wednesday WindDown7/02/2008Don't miss Joey Sommerville and Marcus Johnson.*Free and open to the public.Music @ Noon7/03/2008Experience the blues with Shirley Diamond.*Free and open to the public.4th of July Celebration7/04/2008Come see Atlantas best fireworks display!*Free and open to the public

My Trip to my hometown Columbus, Ohio

Posted by Teresa on June 9, 2008 at 4:58pm

Hello Everyone,MY VISIT TO COLUMBUS, OHIOMY FAMILY

I visited my hometown, Columbus, Ohio last week. It's been two years since I lasted visited. My immediate family still lives in Columbus. My mom, brother and his family, one of my sisters and her family and all of my aunts. A lot of my friends have left Columbus, but I still have a couple that are still there. I enjoyed seeing them all during my visit. My mom talked about our move to Las Vegas or somewhere in Arizona next summer. My mom and I have decided to move out West together. My mom can hardly wait to get out of Columbus so that she can experience new and different things. She is in her sixties and definitely ready for a change. My sister talked about finding a new job. She hates where she works currently. Especially the management. I mentioned to her that it is up to her to make a change for herself, especially if she is unhappy. I mentioned to her that life is to short to be unhappy at a job you spend 8 to 10 hours a day. She agreed and made a commitment to herself to find a new job. My niece just had a baby boy that is not quite a month old. He is so cute. I attached his picture to this blog below. My niece is trying to get use to his sleeping pattern. He thinks night time is daytime(lol). This is my nieces first child, so it is definitely an adjustment for her. I visited with my brother, his wife and my niece. They are doing well. My niece is 4 years old but seems like she is much wiser in years. To be 4 years old, my niece is very smart. She let me hear her count to 20 in spanish. She also loves the piano. She will play her own songs and give you titles of each song she plays. My brother mentioned that they will provide her with piano lessons soon.

THE CITY OF COLUMBUSThe City of Columbus did go through some changes since my last visit. For one, they closed down a major shopping mall. There was a mall built downtown Columbus, but it has since closed. It was only open for a few years. I guess they were not getting the shoppers they expected. I grew up on the northeast side of town and everything still looks the same since I left. Same housing and stores. No new development.THE PEOPLE OF COLUMBUSThe one thing that I like and have always liked about Columbus is the people. They are very friendly and will speak to you even though they may not know you personally. When I left Columbus and moved to Philadelphia, it was an adjustment that people did not make eye contact and speak. When I would speak to people in Philadelphia, they looked at me like I was from another planet(lol). So I had to adjust. My family are down south people. My mom is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. To this day, my mom has a down south air about her. Very friendly and hospitable. I'm not putting down the people of Philadelphia, just wanted to point out the one main differece I noticed when I moved here. If I had to choose between living in Philadelphia or Columbus, my pick would be Philadelphia. I'll just say Philadelphia is a GREAT city filled with lots of culture.DRIVING IN COLUMBUSYes, the people in Columbus still drive SLOW(lol). I drove a few times while I was there and had to be reminded that I was not in Philadelphia. It's like the drivers in Columbus have all day to get to their destination. I did adjust though and drove the speed limit of 55mph on the expressway.Things I did in ColumbusI will admit, I did spend a lot of time on-line. Had to keep things going from a business perspective. Me, my sister and niece went swimming. We had lots of fun just playing in the pool and talking. Me and my mom went shopping a couple times. I picked up a couple pair of Diva shoes(lol). We then went to eat at the spaghetti warehouse. The food was VERY tasty. I was so stuffed, I relaxed for the rest of the day. My aunt Shirley had a dinner at her house where she invited all the family. I had a good time visiting with the rest of my family. We talked about our kids, jobs and businesses. My cousin started a carpet cleaning business in Columbus about 3 years ago and is doing really well. Other family members assist him in the business, which is a GREAT thing.Well, I must be going now. Just wanted to share my Travel experiences with you. Enjoy!

The New Family Business

Posted by Donna Maria Coles Johnson on May 16, 2008 at 2:30pm

Nine Reasons Why Home-Based Business Ownership Works For ParentsSo you’re a parent, or thinking about becoming one. No matter what your background or walk of life, you are probably dealing with the question of combining parenting with holding down a job outside the home. If you ponder these things, you are not alone. I wondered the same things as a new bride in 2000.My husband and I wanted a family, yet his job as a camera man on ABC's Nightline required him to work from late in the afternoon to long past midnight. I worked like crazy from morning until after the dinner hour at a Washington, DC law firm. We had a fantastic combined income, yet we knew that it would be impossible to have a child with our schedules and the stress caused by our jobs.I took action by starting a business from home. For the first year, I worked part-time for $500 a month at a small law firm while my husband covered all of our bills, so I could transition out of financial heaven. I delivered our first child in October 2001, and by January 2002, I was sitting in my home office nursing my baby while drafting up my next online newsletter. (Here's one of the more humorous editions, published a few months after she was born.)It's not always easy to simultaneously work from home and manage the home too, but then, parenting is never easy. And neither is making a living. But when you work and parent from the same location, the two tasks are combined in a way that makes it sensible to do both.Here are 7 reasons home-based business ownership can work for you and your family.1. Your Heart In Your HomeIf you're like me, you know that parenthood is not just something we do to populate the world or create little clones of ourselves. Parenthood is a calling. An irresistible leaning that leads to a commitment of your time, talent and resources to accomplish a specific goal.If you are called to parenting, then you want to do everything you can do pursue that calling as successfully as possible. Home-based business ownership allows you to earn a living in a way that acknowledges and facilitates your ability to put your home first.2. AvailabilityWhen you have children, especially when they are young, being at home allows you to put their needs first, not only emotionally but also physically. That's impossible when you are someplace else all day. It's hard to put your home first when you're sitting in rush hour traffic thinking about how someone else is curling up with your infant or watching your toddler take her first steps.3. FlexibilityLets face it, parenting requires flexibility. One minute, everyone is healthy and the next, sniffles abound -- and at midnight no less! Parenting requires you to turn around on a dime, go with the flow and change plans quickly. If you have to check in with a boss and a few co-workers every time your child has a fever or your spouse goes away on a business trip, it's hard to be flexible.Having a business at home allows you to create your schedule based on the needs of everyone in the family, not worrying about the schedule of those outside your home.4. Environmental BenefitsWorking at home facilitates an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Reducing your automobile emissions is a great way to start living a more earth-friendly lifestyle, yet people who work outside the home usually have no control over the distance between home and work. It can take up to an hour during rush hour to travel a distance that would otherwise take 15 or 20 minutes. Being at home for work eliminates your contribution to the toxins caused by so many cars on the road. It also shows your children how your choices are actually helping to care for the environment.5. Economic BenefitsIf you don't drive as much, you save money on gas -- and who doesn't need to do that these days? You also save money in other ways: dry cleaning, suits, fast food and more. Plus, the tax benefits to a family with a business that takes the deductions it is entitled to are too many to name.6. Unlimited Personal PotentialWhen you control the pace of your career advancement, the sky is the limit. Take Indie Beauty Network member Lela Barker, owner of Bella Lucce in South Carolina, for example. Six years ago, she was a single mom with no job and no place to live. She moved into her mother's basement with her daughters and started whipping up sugar scrub.Recently, corporate revenues passed the million dollar mark. The growth has caused her to move production to a facility, but she's still close to both home and her daughter's schools. Lela travels the globe working with some of the world's most luxurious spas and hotel chains to develop upscale products. She schedules everything around her children and husband. Her potential as a business woman is unlimited, yet her heart remains in her home first. This sets an excellent example for her girls and for other young people watching her success.7. Entrepreneurial and Life EducationThis morning, before my husband took our 4-year old son went to school, my son and I took a look at the family business bank statement. I showed him the "plus" and "minus" signs so he could see for himself the connection between money coming in and money going out, and how that translates into food on the dinner table and additional Spiderman paraphernalia.He doesn't understand the details, but he gets the gist of it: mom and dad work together to generate the cash needed to provide for him and his sister. This is just a small sampling of how we use our business to teach our kids crucial life skills they will need in the future.8. RelationalLet's face it, keeping a marriage together is a challenge. When you work with your spouse, the challenges are compounded. Not only do you have to make things work personally, you also have to make them work professionally. When your marriage and your profession are interdependent upon one another in this way, special mountains need to be climbed.But as Indie Beauty Network member Maggie Hanus of a Wild Soap Bar in Texas says, "The family that grinds together also binds together."I have found this to be true, as the business gives me and my husband one more significant reason to work out any personal differences we may have (and we do have them), and this benefits everyone.9. FunIt's fun to work from home and make a living at the same time! We make up our own days. Sometimes, we just get up and go swimming or for a walk. We can pack up the Blackberry or laptop (or not ...) and take the day off at the zoo or to another fun location. We can work all night and play all day if we want to.I sometimes have neighbors, some of whom also work from home, over during the day for a meal. It's a fun way to socialize that doesn't happen in too many neighborhoods any more.What about you?Are you a parent who works from home? How is it working for you? Tips to offer? Or maybe you're a parent trying to figure out how you can make the transition I did, so you can enjoy the benefits of working from home and owning your own brand too. Let me know if you're out there! If there's enough of you, I'll put together a free seminar just for you!

PRESS RELEASE - THE LONG AWAITED DOCUMENTARY- THE FAMILY IN THE CAR, A Revelation - IS NOW AVAILABLE!

Posted by Brenda Farrar-Ejemai on May 8, 2008 at 10:30pm

For Immediate ReleaseContact Information:Brenda Farrar-EjemaiE-Mail: favorblooms@thefamilyinthecar.comA SHELTER IN THE TIME OF STORMAuthor Releases Documentary after 4 YearsColumbia, MD-April 5, 2008--Well-known author, Brenda Farrar-Ejemai reveals, what was at first anonymously written, a documentary that records her experience in New York City over 17 years ago. Faced with the unexpected trauma of homelessness, her struggle began.THE FAMILY IN THE CAR, A Revelation, which the author describes as “on-time”, time-lines the journey of this struggle. It shows how members of a family who were all their lives sheltered, as well as privileged, now were without. “The trauma was so unbelievable, I felt that period in my life was a dream and not actually lived,” Ejemai said. Although it was written in 2004, the author felt led to release it in 2008 and reveal the true characters in the documentary. It is impacted with trials, but ends with triumph. This documentary will not only encourage, but will inspire those who are experiencing or have experienced this trauma.There are a number of middle class Americans living secretly homeless today.Brenda Farrar-Ejemai has taken a leap-of-faith in the writing of this documentary. With the rise in foreclosures in the United States today, this documentary is not only timely, but relevant. The face of the homeless is changing rapidly. No longer can the homeless be viewed only as the poor, criminals or mentally ill. Homelessness is involving the middle class as well.“This is a story that all Americans should read and see.…informational, educational and compelling.”Donald L. Vasicek, Producer,Olympus Films +www.donvasicek.comA DOCUMENTARY FOR OUR TIME# # #If you would like more information about the documentary, The Family In The Car, A Revelation or to schedule an interview with Brenda Farrar-Ejemai, please contactFavor Blooms, LLC, P.O. Box 765, Columbia, Maryland 21045.www.TheFamilyInTheCar.comwww.ebookstand.com/books.grp/BR2191.htmlISBN: 978-1-58909-485-7Available on Amazon.com

PRESS RELEASE - THE LONG AWAITED DOCUMENTARY- THE FAMILY IN THE CAR, A Revelation - IS NOW AVAILABLE

Posted by Brenda Farrar-Ejemai on May 4, 2008 at 7:36pm

Focus on Achievement-#6 in a Series of Discussions

Posted by Joan E. Gosier on March 31, 2008 at 11:27pm

Focus on Achievement-#6 in a Series of DiscussionsBy Joan E. Gosier, CEO of HBCU kidz, Inc.Definition of GAP [a problem caused by some disparity] Pronunciation: \?gap\ Function: nounScience +Math +Artifacts of Culture +Reading +Test Taking Tips=Gap ClosureDid you know that there is a 18% gap in parents reading to children at home between black and white parents?Source: US Department of Education NCES Status and Trends in the Education of Blacks pg.24My parents brought me a set of World Book Encyclopedia shortly after I was born. My older sister used to send me annual subscriptions to Ebony Jr. A few months ago, I purchased a used set in good condition on sale at the public library for only $6.00. It came complete with a matching Childcraft series. Something that has positively impacted and lasted me for a lifetime was purchased for less than a movie ticket.My mom used to take me to the library regularly. I recall picking out books and tapes and returning them back on time. It gave me great pleasure to fill out the application for library cards when my youngest reached the required two years old age limit.I used to sit and try to decipher my older siblings college textbooks lying around the house. I recall trying so very hard to figure out my brother's calculus book problems. It was a mystery that I was determined to grow up and explore. It was a private joy to receive an 'A' on my college course when I finally reached that level of understanding.My daughters and I have our favorite books we read. Daddy has identified his favorite ones of his own with the girls. Books were introduced to me at birth. I loved each and every one of them and now almost 4 decades later some of my favorite ones are still around in the hands of my munchkins.My husband reminds me that some parents do not get introduced to the importance and joy of reading until adulthood. He falls in that camp. He instills the importance to the girls because he now sees how important the skills are in life.Reading fine print on contracts, scouring over newspaper classifieds or even following an engaging blog discussion online can be a challenge for some parents.Some habits are hard to manage. Experts all cite the importance of a child being read to at the earliest of ages. It doesn't even matter what you read. Just let them know that words on paper have meaning.What are our favorite ways to instill the love of reading? Did you know that Afrokids.com has created a wonderful collection of books and DVDs that combine an appreciation for diversity with classical stories?Our family designs unique and educational unity gear for babies with reading in mind. Every time we put on a shirt with writing on the front, we use it as a teaching moment. We read it, point out the letters as we sound out the words and explain what it means. If it is not positive and inspiring for our kids to know, then they do not wear it. It really works for us and we hope that others choose to give it a try at home. Babies love to learn. Feed them knowledge. You will grow a great reader and a happy literate adult.Visit sites such as http://www.blackparentconnect.com and www.AchieversinTraining.com and find a gift that will inspire a love of reading. Every child deserves a special gift that reflects your hope for their future.This series is intended to be a work in progress. What I am doing as an individual, and what others are doing as well. Together we can learn some new things and reinforce some things we already knew. What do you think? Can we work together?The Achiever in Training(TM) and S.M.A.R.T curriculum are exclusive copywritten and proprietary programs developed by HBCU kidz, Inc.For more statistics about this problem, please visit www.achieversintraining.com and click on "Resources." To comment on this article, visit the HBCU kidz blog. To communicate with other concerned Black parents, please go to www.blackparentconnect.comFor more information about the program or the limited edition gift collection visit www.AchieversinTraining.com. The site contains information and ideas to proactively promote positive images for African American children and their families.Contact Joan Gosier at 1-888-HBCU-kid.CONTACT:HBCU kidz, Inc.954-302-4540JoanGosier@HBCUkidz.com

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