Hi Fam!

It’s been a minute since you’ve heard from me here. LIFE has been in full swing, 100 miles per hour. All is well!

I woke up thinking about marathons and a sheer urgency to encourage you to finish well!

Kenya’s Caroline Rotich wins 119th Boston Marathon 4/20/2015 (c) Matt Stone

I looked up what a few master marathon athletes have said about their experiences, and this one stood out:

“It’s been said that there are two halves to every marathon: The first 20 miles, and the last 6. The hardest part of running a marathon is that final 10 kilometers, when you’re running on nothing but will power.”

We are 100 days to the end of the year!

We’re at Mile 21 of 26 in this Marathon 2018, people.
If ever there was a time to feel like giving up or going on auto-pilot, it would be now. I get it. I do. ‘Dialing it in’ until the end of the year sounds very tempting. But how will that help? This is where we need to dig in. This is when I need you to look at how far you’ve come, how much you’ve invested, and how capable you are of finishing what you’ve started.

You can do this!
You can finish well.
You can reach your goals for the year.

If you can, visualize me now, running alongside you with a bottle of fresh water, coaching: “You got this! Just take the next step! Come on! Just one more step!”

Identify every obstacle and look them squarely in the face now and decide they will not derail you This Time. Call out every distraction by name and choose to overcome.

A runner who has completed 31 marathons gave this advice:
“You MUST put in the training miles if you want to run a marathon. You cannot fake it or phone it in. It takes dedication to training, otherwise you will face disappointment – or despair – IF you cross the finish line… Training is tough, but the toughest part is inside your head. What is INSIDE your head will get you through the last few miles of the race.”

God says it this way:
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 NLT

What are your thoughts today?
What’s in your head?
Any negative self-talk? i.e. I’ll never get this done, I never do this right, I should just give up now.
Pull down every thought that is not in that Philippians list. Speak truth to yourself.

I CAN do this!
I CAN finish well!
I CAN reach my goal.
I am setting a new standard for myself and my family and my legacy.
2018 is my year of CHANGE!

And know that you are not alone.

BOB LEVEY/GETTY IMAGES

Go get your tribe! Connect with your tribe of brother/sister-warriors who are rooting for you and want you to succeed! Say good-bye to the naysayers and critical-at-heart! Find the folks that WANT you to win! We are all in this together. When you cross the finish line, we all cross the finish line!

So what’s it gonna take? I need you to have a real moment right now and figure out:

“What’s it going to take for me to finish well? Finish strong?”

What do you need?
Talk to me.

I leave you with this quote from Dr. ML King Jr.:

Flying, running, walking, crawling! Whatever you have to do!
Let’s cross this finish line.
Just take the next step.
Can you do that?
Do we have a deal?

Dr. Naima Lett
The Hollywood Christian®

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© 2018 Dr. Naima Lett. All Rights Reserved

©NaimaLett.com

Merry Merry, Fam!
We’ve missed you!

We’re still here. We rolled things way back this year. Thus, you haven’t gotten a lot of emails from us, and we haven’t heard a lot from you. We just needed a break – a little space from the rigorous online updates, reports, etc. Have you ever been there?

It doesn’t mean that we’ve been any less fruitful. I actually think we’ve been more fruitful because our actions are more strategic. Less energy towards efforts that “might” be good, and more time spent on purpose-driven pursuits that yield meaningful results. In other words, we’re planting, watering, and tending pomegranates to yield pomegranates instead of scattering a whole bunch of seeds and hoping pomegranates happen to grow. Shift!

This year, we’ve learned:
– the extraordinary beauty of balance, boundaries, Sabbath & self-care
– giving back is not only essential, but can be a blast
– Beverly Hills has loads of awesome, complimentary activities that bring
our city together (what about your city?!)
– films are great, but theatre is STILL a must!

FILM IS GREAT, BUT THEATRE IS STILL A MUST!

After seeing so much great theatre this year, I am inspired to get back to it!

LISTEN! Hamilton:An American Musical is A-MAZING!!! See it when it comes to your city! It broke records with 16 Tony nominations and won 11 last year for a reason! It’s worth it!

Emmy Award-winning thespian Joe Morton (Papa Pope) did Dick Gregory proud with his one-man play on the comedian-activist’s life, Turn Me Loose that lit up these Hills after John Legend co-produced it Off-Broadway. Our nations needs more Gregory’s, Morton’s and Legend’s right now! Rise UP, Artists!

And Tony Award-winning star Phylicia Rashad deserves every acting award she’s ever received and all the ones she didn’t! Her monologue in the last 15 minutes of Head of Passes was a Master Class in artistic excellence! Academy Award-winning playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney is obviously ticked at God in re-writing this Job-inspired narrative, and it turns out many of
his audience is angry too.

How do I know? Because I spoke up during the audience talk-back following the performance Kevin and I saw and pointed out how God comes through for Job in the Biblical narrative, unlike the play. Job is NOT left alone to die with no answers and no God. Job’s faith is rewarded, not punished. Well…that set folks off. Anyway! We still have to speak truth, Fam! Join the conversation. Reveal who God really is and love like He loves!

I’ve already started brainstorming and writing again. I’m ready to add my voice back in the mix. How about you? We’ve got something to say! Folks out here misrepresenting God! Or maybe they have yet to experience His goodness, His love. Rise Up!

GIVING BACK’s A BLAST!

This year, our wonderful Hope in the Hills family embarked upon our #LoveGiveServe campaign and had the beautiful privilege of serving our Seniors in Beverly Hills and BeverlyWood through Arts. In the month leading to Thanksgiving, we hosted 8 outreaches and served 20 – 40 seniors each week. We spent an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays leading our lively groups in creating arts to give away during Thanksgiving, culminating in a wonderful Dessert Celebration.

The Foundation exclaimed that our volunteers “are amazing!” and promptly asked us to expand from one center up to three centers. We believe there are more to come and are preparing for that expansion by seeking to bring on a part-time director to coordinate with the Foundation, plan our activities and help organize our volunteers.

If you’d like to support us in our continued efforts, please consider a tax-deductible YEAR-END GIFT of $100 or whatever you’d like to contribute:

YEAR-END GIFT

WHEN THINGS GO SIDEWAYS -GUEST BLOG BY KEVIN LETT

What do you do when life’s on track, then everything shifts and goes sideways? What happens when you’re like Joseph: operating in God’s will, yet struggling to comprehend God’s plan and infinite wisdom in your circumstances? Have you been there? I have.

CLICK HERE TO READ KEVIN’S GUEST BLOG

We leave you with this 2-minute masterpiece Kevin doodled on the computer: ETERNITREE! 2 Minutes, Fam! He’s so talented! And I’m not saying that because I’m biased and still madly in love with him after 16 years of marriage. He really is talented!

This was supposed to be a really short Christmas shot out! What happened?! Did I say that we’ve missed you?! So much more to talk about. Stay tuned
for 2018! We ready! And you?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
SEE IN IN THE 18!

Lots of love from the La La,
Kevin & Naima
Dr. Naima Lett
The Hollywood Christian®

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© 2017 Dr. Naima Lett. All Rights Reserved

Guest Blog:
When Things Go Sideways
By Kevin P. Lett
Reference: Matthew‬ ‭1:18-25‬ ‭NASB‬‬

What do you do when life’s on track, then everything shifts and goes sideways? What happens when you’re like Joseph: operating in God’s will, yet struggling to comprehend God’s plan and infinite wisdom in your circumstances? Have you been there? I have.

Some of us are experiencing this situation with God right now; believing God’s blessings are exceedingly great, though presently unrecognizable. The truth revealed to us seems beyond our comprehension.

Joseph had a tough decision to make. Mary, still a virgin, was pregnant before they consummated their marriage. This tested his faith to the core. Not only did he have to wrestle with the fact that she was pregnant, but he had to find the faith to accept the child was conceived through the Holy Spirit and was the Son of God as foretold through prophecy.

Joseph had to decide if he was going to focus on what he could see naturally and what others in the culture would think and say about Mary or dismiss all of that and trust God’s plan completely. This was a harsh reality and by appearances, overwhelmingly scandalous. What would you do in Joseph’s position?

I can relate to how Joseph must have felt when I married Naima. From the beginning, we both had great expectations of what our lives would be like together with God at the helm. Before marriage, God gave us the same vision separately of what we could accomplish together through Him, but before we could start down that path I had to fight for my life, my marriage, and my faith.

Cancer threatened my life. Suddenly, we realized that there were huge mountains in our path. This reality didn’t look at all like what we thought it would be, and our faith was being tested like never before. Like Joseph, I chose to put my trust in God and move forward despite the challenges before me. Now 15+ years later, I’m grateful to still have my health, my marriage and my faith intact; all of them stronger than before.

I did not have all the answers then and don’t have all the answers now, but I don’t have to because I have a relationship with the One who knows all, sees all, and is well acquainted with my sufferings. I know that I can trust God with my future. I still believe God for supernatural blessings to come, and I still believe in what God wants us to accomplish together in this city.

There are times we may find ourselves in unfamiliar places that challenge our faith and require God’s supernatural stimulation. However, with God all things are possible and He is right here with us in the midst of our struggles.

As we reflect on this historic event of Christ’s birth, how do you relate to Joseph? What are you trusting God to accomplish supernaturally that may not quite line up with your natural experience and expectations to date?

Be encouraged. When things are shifting, God is moving. And it’s all good!
Merry Christmas,
Kevin

©NaimaLett.com

Wishing you lots of REST and peace this Christmas!

Stress is high with such uncertainty in our country today; but this Christmas, our prayer is that you’ll choose to unplug, cast off anxiety, and embrace the joy and love of the season. May we all join the angels who proclaimed good tidings of great joy that a Savior, Christ the Lord, was born; and peace and goodwill to all the earth. Lk 2.14

I was recently invited to share a brief CHRISTMAS MESSAGE (below) with our friends at Bel Air Church, Beacon Hollywood. I hope that this video will encourage you as well that ‘there is hope and rest from the hustle’ this Christmas. Enjoy!

Trouble playing video? GO HERE: VIDEO Christmas Message, Dr. Naima Lett
Beacon’s format seems to block some cell phones; but not laptops. Try link above.

Lots of love from the La La,
Kevin & Naima
Dr. Naima Lett
The Hollywood Christian®
Author of coming release Confessions of a Hollywood Christian®

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Comment below, or
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It’s the Morning After, Fam. Now What?!

“After the election, America needs a President who can pastor and bring healing to our deeply divided nation,” said one Good Morning America pundit. Wishful thinking, Yes?!

Good news:
America already has pastors and leaders and people of faith who understand the arduous and delicate task of bridging gaps, repairing breaches, and creating safe spaces where people can heal. If ever there is a time of need, this is it! Rise up! We can’t afford to wait on a President. Let all of us (leaders and everyone else) roll up our collective sleeves to begin the ministry of healing and reconciliation since we’ve been called to restore relationships (2 COR 5:18). What does that look like on the morning after?

1) LISTEN
Listen and allow your circle to process their legitimate concerns about where our country is headed. Don’t attempt to school anyone on why you think they’re wrong. Listen. Connect on a human level, and acknowledge that we have all just lived through a stress-filled season that has caused many trauma, anxiety and emotional whiplash.

2) PROMOTE PEACE
Speak peace, comfort and assurance to all who are genuinely terrified and filled with dread from the election results. Fear and hate proved to be very strong motivators during our election season. Fear had a hay-day. But now, let perfect love drive out fear. Wherever we hear fear, let’s acknowledge the legitimate feeling and then make a concerted effort to demonstrate love and facilitate peace.

3) ENCOURAGE FORGIVENESS
Pray and intercede that we can all forgive the numerous offenses that we have experienced in this election cycle. Let’s pray that folks will repent of all harm they’ve caused so that reconciliation is truly possible. Let’s stand in the gap where we can and sow seeds toward the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control).

4) INSPIRE HOPE
We don’t know what the next few days, weeks, and months will hold, but we do know that we are not helpless or hopeless. We have faith that can move mountains. We have light that can burst through clouds.

Those of us who know God: let’s choose faith. Let’s choose to believe God is able to walk with us and sustain us through whatever we will face in the coming days. He kept our great-great-grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents and parents through America’s most tumultuous times. He can keep us and our children too. Let’s place our faith in Him, not man.

SPECIAL NOTE:
Artists, we need your prophetic voices and creativity now more than ever. Produce brilliant works that reflect the best of who we are. Bring forth artistic truth that is healing to our nation and the nations. Seek the sound of heaven and blast it into the earth. We need you.

Take a deep breath, Family.
It’s the morning after. This will yield to day, then evening, then night, and guess what? Another morning. We are not shaken or deterred. We will keep moving forward.

Lots of love from the LaLa,
Dr. Naima Lett
The Hollywood Christian®
Author of coming release Confessions of a Hollywood Christian®

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© NAIMA LETT – BLOG | HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN

Celebrate With Us!

If you need ANY excuse whatsoever to flip, dance and holla, here you go!

We knew this year would be BIG, and we’re jammin’ like we’re two-stepping round the heavenly throne as God orchestrates 3 HUGE milestones converging on us at one time: Graduation, Anniversary, and Promotion. I’m posting early because I’ll likely be “caught up” in the moments next week, but won’t you join in our par-tay wherever you are?!

May 26: 15th Wedding Anniversary

Kevin and I met as freshmen at Howard University (HU!), and Thursday, May 26th will mark our 15th Wedding Anniversary. Woohoo! Through all the mountains and valleys, “we’re still together!” LOL! And we believe, the BEST is yet to come!

May 27: My Graduation

Remember when I wound down my daily blogs and posts to turn all my writing attention to finishing my doctoral dissertation?! IT IS FINISHED! And I truly thank GOD for the honor of being the 1st woman to receive the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching Degree from Talbot School of Theology at BIOLA. My dissertation is about Hollywood and how we effectively minister in the Entertainment Community.

May 31: Kevin’s Promotion
A year ago, Kevin took time to “write the vision and make it plain” as he considered his career. He wrote in detail a position that he is now being promoted into on May 31st with the Federal Government. I am so proud of my husband as a public servant-leader for his relentless faith coupled with his tremendous work ethic. Congratulations, Kevin!

Gifts?!
Your celebration and well wishes are more than enough, but for those who have inquired about gift suggestions, here you go:
Tax-Deductible Giving:
Hope in the Hills (Our church plant in Beverly Hills)
+ Missionaries who are part of our Hope in the Hills family:
Project Foundation
Trade-Works Foundation
As One Charity

Your Turn!
Now, it’s your turn! What’cha celebrating?! Life, health, peace of mind?! Even if everything isn’t as you’d like it to be, can you do me a favor and dance with me? Blast your favorite song! Sing at the top of your lungs. Move around! Jump, Jump! I promise you’ll feel better. This past Sunday at Hope in the Hills, break-through came when we moved. AWESOME! God continues to get a STANDING O!

Today, I pray for you, according to Psalm 30:11-12, May our God:
Turn your mourning into joyful dancing,
Take away your sorrow and surround you with joy;
So we will not be silent; We will sing praises to Him.
Lord, you are our God. We will give You thanks forever!

Lots of love from the LaLa,
Naima

© Rev. Naima Lett, D.MIN, ABD
The Hollywood Christian®
Author of coming release Confessions of a Hollywood Christian®

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Comment below, or
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How Do We “Make It” in Hollywood?
© DR. NAIMA LETT | HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN

Keynote Address:
Christian Women in Media Dinner
CBS Studios, Los Angeles, CA