DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
UP, UP & AWAY

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Up, up & away!

Who comes to mind when we hear that phrase?

Superman, circa 1950
The 5th Dimension, circa 1967
Or Kid Cudi, circa 2009

What about Christ, circa 33? :=)

Today is Ascension Day, Fam.
It’s the 40th day of Easter and the day believers all over the world celebrate Jesus going up, up and away!

What a sight that must’ve been!
Can you imagine?

One minute, He’s giving final instructions. The next, He’s floating into the sky – no wings, no plane – just Him, defying all matter of gravity.

In Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles, he records that Jesus is taken up before the disciples’ very eyes until a cloud hides him from their sight:

ACTS 1: 1-10
Excerpt:
3 After his suffering, he (Jesus) presented himself to them (apostles) and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God… 6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

WHERE’S THE KING?

What amazes me about the conversation that takes place before Jesus ascends is that His disciples are still asking if He will be the Messiah, the King, that many of them had hoped for – the One who would restore the kingdom of Israel!

Since He had conquered death, rose from the dead, and walked around on earth another 40 days after He arose, surely He could topple Rome, right? Who would be able to stand against Him? He couldn’t die… or stay dead, rather!

Think about it. He’s the perfect warrior. Even Superman could catch a case of kryptonite and expire.
But Jesus?! They all witnessed Him die on a cross and come back alive. He showed them the scars on His hands from the nails and His side from the piercing, and proved to them that it was indeed Him. Certainly, He could restore Israel to its rightful place, right?!

But what is Jesus’ response to His disciples?

He basically says it’s not for them to know the times or dates of their restoration. They’ve got to focus on what’s at hand. They will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to be His witnesses. I love it.

Jesus says, “You’re focused on the wrong thing! Re-focus! Your next task is to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth!”

RE-FOCUS

Before we judge the disciples, don’t we do the same thing?
Anybody ever asked the Lord, “When are you going to take over this wreck of a world?”
“When are You going to restore your people to their rightful place?”
“When are You going to get the bad guys and reward the good guys?”
“Why do those who are corrupt in government get away with so much?”
“Why did the powers that be get away with tumbling our entire economy into a down spin?”
“When are You going to take control and bring order?”

And how many times has the Lord said to us, “You’re focused on the wrong thing! Re-focus!”
“You’re gig is to be my witness to the ends of the earth!”

LAST WORDS

People’s last words are considered most important.

Steve Job’s sister Mona revealed his last words last year were, “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow…”, and the news outlets carried the story for a week.

Famous entrepreneur and circus founder P.T. Barnum reportedly asked at his end, 1891, “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?”

Jesus’ last words before flying up were a reiteration of their commission, our commission, which is go be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.

That’s probably pretty significant.

UP, UP & AWAY

Then, he ascended.
And 2 angels appeared and said that the same way He ascended, He will return.

What difference does Jesus’ ascension make in 2012?

It gives us hope and assurance that He is who He says He is and that He will return as He says He will. We have hope that as we believe in Him, we too, will be raised from death and spend eternity in that perfect place with Him, free of all things bad.

One day, we all get to go up, up and away.
This ain’t it… meaning this current world… this is temporary.
The one thing that we are all promised is that we will leave this place.
I’m so glad Jesus showed us the way and sacrificed His all so that we can go up, up and away with Him.

No cape necessary.
But if I had one, it’d be fuchsia and black and dance in the wind,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
COLOR BLIND CHURCH?

Looking forward to serving alongside Vicki Yohe this weekend in MD.

Color blind casting (the practice of casting a role without considering ethnicity) is supposed to be all the rage these days.

Angelina Jolie will follow in Elizabeth Taylor’s footsteps as the next Egyptian queen Cleopatra.
No comment. :=) And Samuel L. Jackson has benefited from the reinterpretation of General Nick Fury in Marvel’s The Avengers franchise. This last movie just hit $1 billion in 19 days, by the way.

But does color blindness work in the church?
Or better yet, should it even be our goal?

Color blindness is defined as the inability to distinguish the differences between certain colors. Most people with the actual retina condition have trouble distinguishing between red and green and really have to know their way around a traffic light.

Others refer to color blindness as an ideal state of society in which people don’t see color, race or ethnicity when they deal with other people.

For the record, I don’t believe this secondary color blindness is possible in our wonderful America. We have too much racial history and baggage.

In our country, no matter what people say, they will not be able to look at me and not see that I am a woman of color. They may not know what I am, and I’ve had more than one industry professional ask me that exact question, but no one looks at me and goes color blind. They see that I have color, and I love it.

I believe we all should embrace who we are. We have no control whatsoever of who are parents are or our bloodlines. We are born as we are, and if we believe in an all-knowing God, we believe that our formation is not a random accident. We have purpose.

So, back to my original question, does color blindness work in the church?
I don’t think so.
Neither do I think it should.
The church is not a building. It’s a huge family!
A multi-cultural family of all nations, tribes, people and languages held together by a common belief in Jesus as our Messiah.

When John recorded his heavenly vision in the Book of Revelation, he noted the diversity of God’s people:

REVELATION 7:9-17
Excerpt:
9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice:“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

Does that sound like God is trying to make us color blind?
Not at all.
Around the heavenly throne is a great multitude of every color we can imagine.
The heavenly choirs are more diverse than “We are the World” Part I and Part II.

Now, that being said, can the church do a better job of loving one another and others who happen to be different colors and ethnicity. Of course! The church, the family of God, need to lead the way in reconciliation, positive race relations, and treating people with equality regardless of ethnicity.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King is credited as saying, “the most segregated hour of Christian America is eleven o’clock on Sunday morning.”

If we worship in the communities where we live, and those communities are homogeneous, that could explain the segregation. But the truth is, many worshipers get in their cars and drive up to 45 minutes across town to serve in segregated congregations. People worship and serve where they feel most comfortable. I believe God is more concerned about His children walking with Him, meeting the needs of others and fulfilling His commission.

I have to admit that I am biased, though.

We’ve started a bible fellowship in Beverly Hills that champions the vision from Revelation. We dream of a fellowship that looks like heaven (diverse), sounds like heaven (worship-filled), loves like God loves and lives like Christ lives.

One of our visitors recently commented, “This really has to be God. Where else can you find a place where a hip hop dancer and a descendant of a concentration camp survivor can worship together?”

She was not being color blind.
She marveled at the diversity of color the Lord brought together. Why else would these two of cross-generation and cross-culture ever even meet?

She caught a glimpse of the family.
She caught a glimpse of heaven.
And we yearn for heaven.

Deep down, we can’t wait for John’s Revelation 7:16-17 to come to pass:
16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Bring it on!

This Saturday I get to experience a little bit of heaven as I serve alongside Dove Award and Stellar Award nominee, Vicki Yohe, (pictured below). I have been invited to give the keynote for the “Reveal Your Glory” Event and Concert at New Antioch Baptist Church in Randallstown, MD. Program starts at 3 PM.

When interviewed by CBN, Vicki, who ministers in song in black and white churches alike, recently said, “ Faith is not a color, and the Lord loves all of His children the same.”

Thank God our faith isn’t a color.
And thank God He made His family of faith all kinds of colors.
We are one big beautiful sea of hues.
And I celebrate us.

Loving my 3-D, one red lens, one blue lens glasses,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
I’ll TRUST YOU

Naima dances @ Allen Cathedral’s Worship Conference in New York
©Donnie McClurken, I’ll Trust You, Lord, Zomba Recording LLC, Live in London, Buy MP3

Trust is a choice.
What happens when God asks, “Will you trust Me?”

TRUE STORY

Four years ago, my beautiful friend Rev. Eyesha Marable, founder of the National Liturgical Dance Network, invited me back to serve and share at Greater Allen Cathedral’s bi-annual Worship Conference in New York. Allen has a rich AME history dating back to 1834 and has grown to 18,000 members under the leadership of Pastors Floyd & Elaine Flake. We’re looking forward to this year’s conference, July 25-29th. It’s a huge, international family reunion with hundreds of arts ministries. If you’re an artist of faith, particularly in dance, register. It’s amazing.

So, in 2008, I was asked to minister in dance for the Sunday morning 8:30 service following the week-long conference. Allen actually has 3 services each Sunday: 6:30, 8:30 and 11:15. Leading up to that week, I had been fervently praying about what to share. Each house of worship is different, and I pray to be sensitive to what’s needed.

I had a strong impression about Pastor Donnie McClurken’s song, “I’ll Trust You, Lord”, which had been out for some time, but had recently been re-released on his ‘Essential’ album. Honestly, I didn’t really want to minister the song.

I kept thinking, “What am I going to do, Lord? Ask the whole congregation if they will trust you? Really?”

But that’s exactly what was intended. I kept seeing, in my mind’s eye, a scenario in which I invited the whole congregation to trust the Lord, and then, declare our trust to Him through a simple movement – everybody, corporately. Only problem was, I didn’t actually believe that the WHOLE congregation would roll with me. Are you kidding?

It sounded crazier the closer I got to Sunday. I tried to change songs, but I didn’t have all of my repertoire with me. I had no peace about changing, but wasn’t sure what would happen if I went forward with this notion “from God”. What if I was wrong and people refused to move?

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?
A visiting minister asks us to do something during worship that we’re not comfortable with!
A-W-K-W-A-R-D!
I didn’t want to be that girl.

Then, it happened.
In a rehearsal room. By myself.
As I finally began reluctantly choreographing the song, I heard in my spirit, “Will you trust me?”
I stopped moving.
The song went on, “What if I tell you to let go of the very thing you think you have to hold? Will you trust me?”
I crumbled to the floor.

“What’s coming, Lord?” I asked.
“Will you trust me?” I heard.
“What will I have to let go?”
“Will you trust me?”

Now, tears are racing each other for my chin.

In the choreography, I’m supposed to throw up both hands in surrender and say, “Yes, I’ll trust you, Lord”; but I couldn’t do it. I lay in a heap on the floor remembering the last few years of trusting God through my husband’s cancer battle, healing our broken marriage, trying to get through seminary, starting our production company. Just when the sun was beginning to shine, and we were feeling “normal” again, what life tsunami was on the way?

I had a decision to make.
Tsunami with God?
Tsunami without?
Tsunami was a’coming. Would I trust Him?

I mean, God had a stellar track record.
He had healed my husband and obliterated the cancer through the chemotherapy.
After a year of intense marriage counseling, our relationship was solid and healthy.
Made it through seminary and Lett’s Rise! Productions was on its feet and moving forward.
Life, at times, had been unbearable, but God had proven Himself trustworthy.

The truth is I simply have a strong aversion to hard times. I don’t really like them. I don’t do cartwheels for trials and tribulations. I prefer easy-breezy.

I live in LaLa Land for a reason. It’s 80 degrees with a breeze most days. No rain. No 106 degrees in the summer. No snow. No ice. No tornado. No hurricanes. Just mild, gorgeous, easy-going weather. Now the earth shakes every now and then, but if you can get used to that, it’s great.

So, another earthquake was on the way.

I ministered the song at Allen in August 2008. And amazingly the entire congregation flowed together! See video above. It was truly something to experience. Thank God.

But by November 2008, the tsunami/quake hit: unemployment, severe car accidents, physical therapy, temporary homelessness, church upheavals, complete life redirection – all at no fault of our own. If we had mismanaged our finances and ended up on the street, I could understand. But we hadn’t. If we drove recklessly and had accidents, it would make sense. That’s not what happened. For 2 years, stuff kept shaking.

And guess what?
I had to “Let Go!” of everything.
Nothing was solid… except that Kevin and I were alive and still together, walking with the Lord. That’s it.

Each time something else or someone else fell away, I’d hear the question, “Will you trust me?”
Some days, I threw up both hands and said, “Yes, I’ll trust you, Lord.”
Other days, all I could do was whisper, “I don’t right now, but help me trust you. I’m sure all this will make sense down the line…”

Why do I share this story with you today?
Because there may be things that have occurred in your life that make absolutely no sense whatsoever, but sometimes, it’s not about the thing. It’s about our faith and trust in our God.

Is He still God when things fall apart?
Is He still God when we’re sick? Or is He just God when we’re healthy?
Is He still God when we don’t have a home? Or is He just God when our home is tight?
Is He still God when our children act a fool? Or is He just God when they’re straight?

Which earthquake/tsunami will occur that breaks our faith where we declare, “He’s not God”?
Even if we declare it, that doesn’t make it true.
He’s still God – whether things in our lives are grand or not.
On this broken side of heaven, stuff happens. Things break. People break.

Question is, “Will you trust Him?”

I pray that you will be encouraged today by Pastor Donnie’s song.
And I pray that we’ll be able, at some point, to throw up both hands and say, “I’ll trust you, Lord.”

PSALM 25
Of David
1 In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.
2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.
4 Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long

Let’s hope in God all day long,
Naima

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TRUSTED?

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Are we trusted?
On a scale of 1 – 10, how much can others trust us?

Trust is earned, usually over time… after being consistent and dependable.

For example, in television, an actor is awarded roles directly proportionate to how much he/she is trusted and known by the powers that be (producers, directors, casting directors).

TV LAND

“Usually”, an actor has to prove himself and build a solid resume through independent, smaller roles, which lead to solidifying representation that can open doors to audition for co-star roles i.e. the one-liners. After landing several co-star roles and proving that he can handle himself on the set, an actor is bumped up to auditioning for guest star roles, i.e. a couple of pages of dialogue. If he lands several guest star roles, then it’s on to being submitted for recurring and series regular roles. To garner the series star/lead role, where showrunners are willing to write a series for you to carry, it takes many, many years of building trust.

Why? Because people’s livelihoods – their house notes, car payments, health insurance, child’s tuition – are all dependent on whether or not you succeed or fail. They’ve got to trust that you, the actor, have what it takes to keep people watching and keep advertisers paying week after week, which in turn, keeps them employed and their paychecks coming. Make sense?

I talk to artists all the time who think they are not booking because they don’t have the right opportunities. While that may be partially true, (I believe artists can MAKE their own opportunities), it’s not the whole truth. Many actors, dancers, singers, etc. are not booking because they have not earned the trust of those who can hire them. Many of them have not even begun to build the relationships, much less build trust.

FROM TV TO GOD

Many of us approach God with the same air of entitlement that my artists friends approach the industry. We expect the series star/lead role, but we haven’t yet proven ourselves as co-stars or guest stars. We expect God to give us the sun, moon and stars, and we haven’t learned how to take care of His earth.

We ask God for a husband or wife, yet all our other relationships are broken.
We ask God for a promotion, yet we neglect our current position.
We ask God for an Academy Award, yet we refuse to take an on-camera acting class.

If one more person tells me that God is supposed to make them a millionaire! My question usually is “What have we done with what He has already blessed us with?” Why would anybody, especially an all-knowing, all-wise God, give us millions, if we have not effectively managed thousands, hundreds, tens, fives, ones?

Would we trust someone to manage our income who had not proven themselves as a good steward of their own? Would we turn over our entire bank account to someone who had not proven they wouldn’t gamble it away? Could someone turn over their entire account to us and trust that we would honor their wishes, not our own?

Are we trusted?
Are we trustworthy?
Prove it. Let’s show our prior record.

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN

The quote, “To whom much is given, much is required” is thrown around a lot.
Some attribute it to Oprah.
Some quote Stan Lee’s Spiderman i.e. “With great power comes great responsibility”.
Others quote Socrates, “Rule worthy of might.”

Many are trying to quote Jesus:

Luke 12:48
Passage: Luke 12:35-48

… From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

Matthew 25:23,29
Passage: Matthew 25:14-30

‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master’…“ For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.”

IN CONTEXT

If we read both full passages in context, we find that Jesus’ quote (about entrusting more to those who are trustworthy) follows His teachings and parables about being ready for His second coming. In both Matthew 25 and Luke 12, the point Jesus makes is for His disciples to be ready, be alert, because we don’t know the day or hour He’s coming back for us. The point of the parables is that when Christ returns, He will reward those who have been great stewards over what has been entrusted to them and punish those who have not.

This isn’t about Spiderman saving the day, though I’m always excited to see biblical truths woven into our modern-day stories. This is an ultimate question of what we’ve done with the truth God has given us? Are we being good stewards over His affairs? Or are we the servants who know the master’s will and do not get ready or act in accord with His will?

TRUSTED?

It’s Monday.
It’s a new week.
And the question is, are we trusted?

Can God trust us with His ten talents, five talents, one talent?

Do we even acknowledge that our lives are not our own and that we’re here to accomplish His greater purpose?

Scripture says God gives “each according to his own ability”. What has He already given us that’s according to what we can handle? Have we been excellent stewards over what He’s already blessed us with? Have we managed our resources well?

Are we trusted?
Are we trustworthy?
Let’s prove it!

Wondering if the new The Amazing Spiderman in 3D dropping July 3rd will be as amazing as the three films that preceded it…???
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE | BLOG – NAIMA LETT
TAKING CARE OF MOMS

©photo source

Mother’s Day is Sunday.
Sales are a’raging! Flowers, dinners, mani-pedi gift cards!
Retailers know this one thing: We take care of our moms.

Know how the holiday started? Wikipedia recounts the story of Mother’s Day founder Anna Jarvis. Here’s the quickie version:

Anna’s mother Ann Jarvis “founded Mothers’ Day Work Clubs in five cities to improve sanitary and health conditions. The Mothers’ Day Work Clubs also treated wounds, fed, and clothed both Union and Confederate soldiers with neutrality. On May 12, 1907, two years after her mother’s death, Anna held a memorial to her mother and thereafter embarked upon a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday. She succeeded in making this nationally recognized in 1914, but was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s”.

So, Ann started Mothers’ Day clubs to help people; and her daughter, Anna, started ‘Mother’s Day’ to honor Ann, her mother, and to encourage “each family to honor their mother”.

From its inception, Mother’s Day has been about taking care of people. Despite its ‘commercialization’, it is still a day that we can pause, honor, and take care of moms.

God’s Son took care of His mom.

While He was hanging on the cross, Jesus took a moment and made sure that His mother, Mary, would be taken care of after His crucifixion.

JOHN 19: 25-27

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

A MOTHER’S NIGHTMARE

Every time I picture this scene, my heart breaks.

The fact that the innocent Jesus is hanging on a cross is horrific. But add on top of that, His mother is standing near His cross, watching the whole catastrophe go down. It’s a mother’s nightmare. The child whom you raised is dying and there’s nothing you can do about it.

I’ve talked to parents who’ve lost children and they say it’s the most unnatural thing in the world. Everything in us says that we are to precede our children in death, so nothing prepares us for the pain of losing a child. Nothing. Many families don’t survive the tragedy.

But there was Mary. Standing near the cross of her son, who by this time, had been beaten ’bout beyond recognition.

And there is Jesus. Suffering immense pain and anguish, but still, providing for others, particularly his mother.

A MOTHER’S PROVISION

Jesus is well aware of the Jewish laws which allow for widows, orphans and foreigners to gather leftovers from the edges of the harvest fields in order to eat. Technically, Mary should never go hungry.

But Jesus goes a step further. He makes specific provision for Mary. Sandwiched between “Father, forgive them” and “It is finished”, Jesus commissions His disciple John to care for His mother, Mary, as if she were His own mother, and John, now her son.

And that’s exactly what happens. John writes that he takes Mary into his home as his mother from that time on.

Jesus also says to Mary that John is to be her son. I’m sure He knew what a gigantic hole He was leaving in her soul with His departure. Nothing can fill that hole. But maybe caring for John, as her own son, would ease her pain.

Jesus gave them both to each other. He met their needs. He took care of His family.

TAKING CARE

On this Mother’s Day, let’s take care of families.
If our mothers are still here, let’s take care of them. Let’s meet their needs.
If our wives are mothers, let’s take care of them. Let’s meet their needs.
If we know other mothers, let’s take care of them. Let’s meet their needs.

And then, like Ann and Anna Jarvis, who founded Mother’s Day, let’s see if there are ways that we can feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and treat the wounded who have been in physical and spiritual wars.

Even if this is a time of crucifixion for us, if things are crazy painful, somewhere between our “Father, forgive them” and “It is finished”, we too can gift our pain to God and choose to take care of others who may also be hurting. In His unbearable situation, Jesus chose to take care of His mother. That’s selflessness. That’s love.

I’m not suggesting that we stuff our pain. No, we actively process it. But our own circumstances don’t have to stop us from loving and taking care of those in need. We too can practice selflessness. We too can love.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Wishing all the mommies a beautiful Sunday.

If you’re in the LaLa, you’re welcome to join us Sunday at our bible fellowship in Beverly Hills from 11:30-12:30. Please just let us know you’re coming, as we provide lunch.

Hugs, kisses and lots of love to all our fam nationally and internationally!

I’ll likely take tomorrow off, so please enjoy this blog for today and tomorrow.

Mother’s Days have gotten better each year since my own mother past when I was in college. The grief is no longer heavy, but I still give myself time and space to celebrate and process.

I remember Mama’s contagious laugh and know it’s filling every room of her heavenly mansion. I imagine she’s got friends and family over, singing and dancing and having a good time. And though she’s the life of the party, she doesn’t know it, because she’s so focused on what everyone else needs. She’s even more beautiful in her eternal, pain-free body. And she’s flanked with my sister, grandmother, grandfathers, great-grands, cousins, and all our fam that’s gone on before. And at any moment, they all might break out in spontaneous praise cause life with God is just that grand.

Happy Mother’s Day!
So very grateful the Lord is taking care of our moms today,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
NOW THAT’S HOW YOU WIN!

Now that’s how you win a singing competition!

Tears. Hugging your father. Hugging your wife. Singing to the wife.
Thanking God. Thanking Jesus. Trying to sing while trying not to cry.
Wife boo-hooing. Holding each other up. Falling apart.

Did you see it?

Jermaine Paul’s response to winning NBC’s “The Voice” last night finally put the “real” in reality show. He did that thing that guys do where you can tell they’re trying to be hard and not cry, but they’re just too overcome with emotion to hold it together and completely become undone.

He was off the cuff as he tried to reprise his version of “I Believe I Can Fly”. Sometimes, he skipped the melody. Sometimes, he just stopped singing altogether while giving more hugs. No pretense. No trying to prove why he won. Just raw. Loved it!

In his first interview coming off the stage, Jermaine, former backup singer of Alicia Keys, said:
“All glory to God, man, all glory to God… If you just give your life to God, if you just believe in yourself, and let all the bull crap go, and push on, God will make a way for you.”

Earlier, onstage, Jermaine thanked “My wife, my children, my father, my mother, my mother-in-law… everyone that supported me from day one, God bless yal! Nobody but Jesus! Nobody!” (Video – skip to 6:00)

You know what it reminded me of? When Fantasia won American Idol. Remember that?

There’s just no way to fake that kind of genuine gratitude…. where you know people have struggled for years and years to just get a foot in the door, and then, it finally swings wide open and they are truly, truly thankful.

I have to be honest. Though I caught bits and pieces of “The Voice” throughout the season, including parts of the finale, I didn’t watch the show religiously. It’s not the easiest show to follow. Best I can tell, there are multi-rounds of eliminations and sing-offs within teams before you get to sing-offs against teams. It was just way too much for me to invest four hours weekly to figure this juggernaut out.

Then there was the bizarre performance by Cee Lo and Goodie Mob that threw me. Much confusion. And what one exasperated fan called the “bedazzled pampers” of Christina Aguilera. More confusion. Online entertainment mags reported in-fighting amongst judges and name-calling between judges and contestants. Maybe I’m just jaded from being in the industry so long, but I usually believe all reality show conflicts are manufactured by producers to garner ratings. Sorry.

So that’s why Jermaine’s response was so refreshing.
It wasn’t manufactured.
He was 200% grateful to God.

It reminds me of the story of blind Bartimaeus and his gratitude:
Luke 18:35-43

35 As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man (Bartimaeus) was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” 38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

Bartimaeus did not wait for anybody to prompt him to praise God. He cut loose. As soon as he realized he could see, it was on. He lit that road to Jericho up with praise. So much so, that all the people who saw what happened, also praised God!

I imagine that the scene could have been similar to Jermaine’s win on “The Voice”, minus the ticker tape and electronic rain falling from the ceiling. I imagine that Bartimaeus hugged everybody that would allow an ex-beggar to hug them, first starting with Jesus. I believe if he could have, Bartimaeus bear-hugged Jesus and boo-hooed!

I imagine Bart high-fived all the other beggars he used to hang with and they cheered him on as he followed Jesus down the road to Jericho. I believe people were cheering and crying and snouting and amazed. I believe Bartimaeus could not shut up telling people what God did for him.

Sound about right, Jermaine?

What about us?
What are we grateful for today?
What is our win?
What has God provided for us?

Let’s allow Jermaine and Bartimaeus to inspire us today.
Let’s gush over how good God is.
Even if everything’s not as we wish it to be, there’s still something we can say “Thank You” for!

Dreaming of ticker tape falling from heaven,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
WHY WE LOVE AVENGERS

We saw Marvel’s “The Avengers” yesterday. In case you haven’t heard, over the weekend, this blockbuster smashed the biggest movie opening weekend record with a $200.3 million domestic debut and $441.5 million worldwide (Article: Avengers Smashes Record).

Distributed by Disney, The Avengers sped past last year’s $169.2 million opening weekend record set by the Harry Potter finale, and took in over $1/2 billion worldwide ($641.8 million) in just 12 days.

So, either the world loves comic book heroes.
Or the world loves avenging.
Or both.
1/2 billion anything is a lot of love.

Our fam in Hollywood are scrambling to assess the data!
* 50% of the audience were over 25. So this wasn’t just for teen boys.
* 40% of the audience were women. Amazing for a superhero movie.
* Anticipation was built over 6 years, beginning with marketing for the first Iron Man movie released in 2008, followed by The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America.
* Producing the film for 3D and IMAX allowed Disney to make up to $20 per ticket in comparison to regular movie rates of $7-$13.

On and on. But after all the assessments are done, the truth will still stand that people love this movie. In fact, it’s been proven time and time again that people love films where good trumps evil, especially when they take place with other-worldly type characters. The Box Office Mojo list of the Top 25 biggest opening weekends are all “good conquers bad” blockbusters: Avengers, Batman, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, Star Wars.

We love ‘good gets bad’ on TV too. Nielsen reports that a month ago, the top watched network television shows (after reality singing contests American Idol and The Voice) were NCIS, CSI, Criminal Minds and NCIS: Los Angeles. Not only did that make CBS extremely happy, but it proves that folks love shows where there is justice. At the end, the villain who is doing bad things is stopped by the team of unlikely, likable heroes who risk their lives for others.

We love it when wrong is avenged.
We love avengers.
Did you know God’s people had avengers back in the day?

NUMBERS 35: 16-34 talks about them.

16 “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death…19 The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death… 20 If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally so that they die 21 …that person is to be put to death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when they meet. 22 “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally 23 … and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, 24 the assembly must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood… 25 The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled…

OLD SCHOOL AVENGERS

Basically, according to the Law, the lives of murdered victims were avenged by the avenger of blood, who put the murderers to death. Classic eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for life. (Leviticus 24: 19-21)

The only way to get away from the avenger of blood was if you had accidentally killed someone and subsequently ran to the city of refuge for those who made such mistakes.

The law was set up to deter people from killing each other. If we knew the consequence to taking a life was losing our own life, that was supposed to make us think twice about taking another life.

NEW SCHOOL AVENGERS

Our own US justice system is set up in the same way. The law and penalties for breaking the law are supposed to deter us from harming each other. How’s that working out?

The problem is that the law cannot stop us from sinning. It can only make us aware of our sin. We have an innate inclination toward doing the wrong thing. We like to believe that we are naturally good people; but if we were completely honest with ourselves, we’d have to admit that we aren’t naturally good, at least compared to a holy, perfect, sinless God. Left to our own devises, we screw up. We sin. We hurt each other, a lot.

And deep down, when we mess up royally, we sense that we deserve consequences from an avenger. We, who love ‘good conquers evil’ films and television, understand that when we have done evil, we deserve to be set right by good. We understand eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, life for a life.

AVENGERS FLIPPED

What we don’t quite understand is forgiveness; yet we all crave it when we have done wrong. We want our sin to be excused. As Black Widow said in The Avengers, “I have red on my ledger”. We want that red from our past discretion to be wiped clean.

What a relief for us that we have access to that clean slate because we can seek forgiveness in the Ultimate Hero of all Heroes, the real God of the Universe. Thank God that His perfect, sinless Son, Jesus, agreed to stand in our sinful stead and offer His life as an atonement for us. He took on all the red on our ledgers because we could not clear it ourselves.

Where things get flipped upside down is when Jesus starts saying things like Matthew 5:38-48:

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also… 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Let me just say the obvious: this is hard.

It goes against everything in us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies. But how can we ask for forgiveness and not be willing to forgive? Even if we are willing, it’s still hard to actually do it.

I’m convinced that the only way we cannot seek vengeance when we have been wronged is to have faith in the true avenger.

THE TRUE AVENGER

We love the avengers because they avenge, set things right and get the bad guys. They all represent the One True Avenger who, when it’s all said and done, will set things right and get The Bad Guy.

The only way we can release our own need for vengeance is to take God at His word that He is the True Avenger: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12: 18-21) When it’s all said and done, the Lord sees all and knows all and no bad guy will ever get away.

When we believe that God will right our wrongs, then we can do our best, in His power, to forgive those who wrong us.

ENJOY

But let’s be honest. The Avengers would never have made $200 million if the Hulk turns the other cheek! We go to see the Hulk S-M-A-S-H! Nobody wants to see Iron Man love aliens invading our planet. Fry them with lasers, Robert Downey Jr.! We want Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Thor to take Thor’s brother Loki out! Take the murderer down!

It’s a movie. Go. Enjoy!
Revel in the special effects and 3D stuff flying at the screen.
Sympathize with Sam Jackson’s Nick Fury trying to get this rag tag band of misfits to work together. Get lost in the other world where aliens invade New York City and we have to fight for our freedom. It’s America. We have to save New York.

And after the credits have rolled, and you want to stay to the end, whisper a ‘thank you’ that the True Avenger loved us so much that He gave us a way to escape His vengeance.

Eternally grateful,
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Traveling is wonderful and greatly appreciated, yet, as Dorothy repeated in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home”.

We had a ball in Dallas last week though. A couple of the comments on ProvenWay’s Facebook page included:

“Naima led me to bring rejection to the cross… no more weeping! He IS Risen… what a blessed event! Huge IMPACT!” Laura

“Naima tells us to retire our Super Woman capes. Lay them down before the King.” Donna

“Amazing night…” Daphney

So grateful for the feedback. Thursday was an amazing night. Praise God! It was the National Day of Prayer, and we gathered to Laugh. Cry. Pray. And that’s what we did. We laughed. We cried. We prayed. Not necessarily in that order. :=) We had a good time.

The whole week of filming and ministry was phenomenal. Then, I boarded my flight back to LAX. When my husband picked me up from the airport, it had been a long day for both of us; but, in his hug, I knew I was home.

Kevin is 6’2″. I love that.
Without heels (which I usually wear), my head fits right under his chin when he hugs me. I must’ve had on sneakers because that’s where I found myself outside the airport – head to his chest under his chin. That’s probably the place I most consider “home” these days.

Why?
Because that’s the place that has been most constant in the last decade.

Our actual “home” i.e. residence has been fluid since we got married, depending on vocational and educational needs. We’ve been homeowners, renters and even homeless (at no fault of our own). We’ve experienced stability and adaptability. We’ve experienced plenty. We’ve experienced lack. So, I’ve learned to hold the concept of “home” very loosely.

We’ve lived on the East Coast, in the South and now the West Coast. We finally believe this is our last stop before heaven and look forward to home-owning again. I’ve learned to never say never, but short of an emphatic message from our God to move, we’ve resolved that we’re cool with the LaLa’s 80 degrees and a breeze, always sunshine, hardly-ever-rains forecast.

But is this really our “home”?

Jesus gives us a different perspective on home. During the last supper with His disciples, after Jesus washes their feet and explains that He will be betrayed, Jesus encourages his disciples not to be troubled about the coming events because He’s going ahead of them to prepare a place for them, to prepare a home.

Today’s Meditation
JOHN 14:1-6

1 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way where I am going.” 5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

The King James version translates that ‘dwelling places’ as ‘mansions’. Jesus says He is going ahead of His disciples to prepare mansions for them so that wherever He is, they are with Him. Further in the chapter, Jesus explains His oneness with God the Father and promises to send the Holy Spirit. If we want to understand more about the Trinity and Tri-une nature of God, this is a great chapter to meditate on.

So, home.

If we take this chapter literally, which we can, since Jesus is not speaking allegories and parables here, then we understand that if we believe in Him, we have a heavenly home that is being prepared for us, a place where Jesus will receive us to Himself.

We don’t have to let our hearts be troubled by our present circumstances. This is all temporary. We have an eternal home that awaits us. And I guarantee you, as beautiful as Nate Berkus and Martha Stewart can prepare a home, they have nothing on Jesus! When He says He is preparing mansions for us, we can rest assured that our minds will be blown.

Perspective is everything. I don’t know what’s going on in your life today, but sometimes, it’s just good to remind ourselves that things will get better. A. Whole. Lot. Better.

Be encouraged, Fam.
New week.
New Monday.
And there’s no place like HOME!

Click HERE or the picture below to hear Whitney Houston’s version of “Home”, which was first sung by Tony & Grammy Award winner Stephanie Mills for the “The Wiz”, an adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz”. I tried to find a video recording of Stephanie’s version, but that was 1975 on Broadway. I’d have to send you to the Library of Congress. :=) So, here is Whitney’s first television performance:

…When I think of home
I think of a place
where there’s love overflowing…

Pulling out my candy apple glitter sandals, clicking my heels three times, and looking to go tuck my head under my hubby’s chin!

There’s no place like home.
There’s no place like home.
There’s no place like heaven.
Naima

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DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
TIME TO RETIRE

It’s time to retire!
That was the message I gave last night at the Laugh. Cry. Pray. event. The ladies were great. We had a wonderful time.

We had a retirement party!
We retired our superwoman capes and trying to meet everyone’s expectations.
We retired all our stress, anxiety, burdens.
We gave everything over to God, Who can handle them.

Psalm 46:10 says
“Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

That cease striving means let go, relax, retire.
As we go into another weekend, let go, relax, retire.
Be still and know that God is God.

OK, my flight is loading.
On the way home to LaLa Land.
I’m retired.

Gifts can be sent to the Hills! :=)
Naima

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LAUGH. CRY. PRAY

Laugh. Cry. Pray.
Sounds like a movie, right?

It’s the Girls Night Out event tonight at the Hope Center in Dallas/Plano that I’ve been invited to share as a speaker/performer in celebration of the National Day of Prayer, which is today.

A very special thank you to ProvenWay Ministries for their partnership over the years. They”re quite wonderful!

So, today is the National Day of Prayer.
You praying?

In his final instructions in his letter to the church of the Thessalonians, Paul instructs the believers to always pray.

Today’s Meditation:
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18

16 Always be joyful.17 Pray continually,18 and give thanks whatever happens.
That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.

If you’re a King James buff, you remember the verse as “Pray without ceasing,” which means pray all the time.

Is that even possible?

It is when we see prayer as a dialogue with God. When we are simply talking with Him and listening to Him, there is this constant communication that occurs without even thinking about it, really.

I might be driving, walking to the post office, washing dishes, talking to another person, and I’ll pause and pray in my mind, “Lord, guide me.” That’s a prayer, my friends!

When the truck slammed into my car last year and decided to keep going taking part of my bumper down the street with him, I said out loud, “Lord, Help!” That’s a prayer.

When a friend calls about their loved ones, I may say, “Lord, please take care of him/her. Please show up in this situation.” That’s prayer.

I messed up. Please forgive me.
I praise You. I worship You.
Keep my mind.
Help me hold my tongue.
All prayers.

Prayer doesn’t have to be deep, but Paul says it should be constant.

Let’s take time and pray continually for our nation today, for our leadership, for our economy, for our children, for our future.

Before “pray continually”, Paul also says be joyful.
Let’s laugh.
Let’s laugh til we cry.
And let’s pray.

Laugh. Cry. Pray. During this National Day of Prayer.
And if you’re in Dallas, come hang.
I’m sharing a message of encouragement.

Besides, I think they have an ice cream bar and desserts.
Oh, what’s your favorite flavor?
Mine is strawberry cheesecake, peach, and butter pecan.
OK, that’s 3 favorites…
Who only has one favorite kind of ice cream? :=)
Naima

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