NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Why Does Faith Family Barely Care About Emmy Awards?
© NaimaLett.com/blog

We’ll be back next week with STEP 2 of CREATE YOUR WEB ESTATE.

The Emmys are on Sunday, and I try to blog about all the major Award shows: Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, Grammys, etc. So, here we go!

THE 2013 EMMYS

This year, our faith fam has been very ho-hum about the Emmys. And I think I know why:
Mostly because many aren’t watching a lot of the shows that are nominated.

With the exception of the History Channel’s The Bible Series (which had its own level of controversy within the faith community) being nominated for OUTSTANDING TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE, there isn’t really any family friendly shows that made any of the BEST lists that massive amounts of people of faith watch.

SCANDAL

African Americans are elated that Kerry Washington would make history if she wins OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA, but the faith fam is slow to admit they even watch the show with Kerry’s Olivia Pope sleeping with the President, bending truth, stealing elections. There are assassination attempts, suffocating Supreme Court justices, affairs, murders, affairs, murders… you know, SCANDAL!!! Shonda Rhimes is writing that show to the hilt and it’s addictive, but at some point, a person with conscience has to pull back and ask, Is this healthy entertainment consumption or are we normalizing bad behavior?

OUTSTANDING?

Of the shows nominated for Outstanding Drama, ALL of them are on CABLE, not regular networks, for a reason: violence, language and sex. Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Homeland, House of Cards and Mad Men all have healthy doses of most of the above.

What I’m upset about is that, as an artist, I want to watch the shows; but as a person of faith, I’m deeply convicted. This is screenwriting at its best. But Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones are so violent. Mad Men and Homeland are super well written, but we’re fast-forwarding through so many sex scenes, we miss half the show! I don’t want to see Lena Dunham perpetually naked in Girls or hear Julia Louis-Dreyfus curse everybody out in VEEP.

Do we settle for the regular procedurals that are less provocative? Are we resigned to family friendly reality song competitions? Or do we DVR the Emmy winning shows and fast forward through?

BIGGER ISSUE

Kudos to my fellow actors, actresses, artists and friends who are working. This dilemma is so much bigger than you and your particular role. Honestly, I’ve been praying about how to change the heart of the system, you know? From the top down and from the bottom up.

The Emmys are just the award ceremony and another way for people to advertise their shows and make money. If we as a faith community understood the power we have based on what we consume and how we spend our resources… well…

What are your thoughts? Are you watching the Emmys? Do you care?

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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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRSITIAN
CREATE YOUR WEB ESTATE (IN 3 EASY STEPS) – STEP 1
© NaimaLett.com/blog

© NaimaLett.com, all rights reserved

Hi Fam!

Thanks for all your inquiries asking everything from: “Who designs your website?” to “Whose your internet host?” Instead of continuing to answer one at a time, I thought it best to write a few short blogs in this “Create Your Web Estate” series to answer your questions and provide you with resources to create a fabulous web estate in 3 easy steps including securing your web address for FREE.

WHAT DOES YOUR WEB ESTATE LOOK LIKE?

Each one of us has a web estate (online presence), whether we know it or not.
Is yours a finely, manicured lawn? Or neglected desert?
What do we find when we GOOGLE, BING or YAHOO you?
Have you intentionally created a unique lot? Or are you overrun with uninvited squatters?
Or maybe you have a great presence, but you’re looking for good deals on maintenance?

STEP 1: YOUR ADDRESS

The #1 Rule in real estate is “Location, Location, Location!” That’s not just here in LaLa Land, but all around the world. Location is “everything” when considering investing in property. Are you in a top school district? Did you snag a property with a view? Are neighborhood home values continuing to rise? Location, Location, Location!

Well, your web address is just as important, if not more so, on our digital landscape. Why? Because just like actual land, web addresses run out. There are only so many .COM web addresses. When savvy folks realized this, they started buying up URLs like they were going out of business… because, literally, they were.

CUT THROAT

I recently talked with the crude individual who used a high-powered domain snatching firm to snag an expiring .COM I was purchasing right from under me. I had done my research. The .COM I needed went on the market at 12:00 PM. I started the buying process at 12:00:01. It was snatched within seconds. The guy registered the domain for no more than $6 or $7, but wanted to sell it back to me for $1500! I WAS DONE! But that’s web real estate, baby! Cut throat.

Good news is there were still options: .NET, .ORG, .INFO. They’re not quite “location” as the .COM, but it’ll do. I wasn’t paying him $1500 for a $6 URL. It was the principle of the thing… and he was downright rude on the phone. Just nasty. Moving on!

YOUR NAME

In the very least, every professional (especially if you’ll have a platform) should own your own name URL.com, if possible, i.e. NaimaLett.com, KerryWashington.com, Oprah.com, JohnMaxwell.com, RyanLochte.com, JustinBieberMusic.com, Beyonce.com, CSLewis.com.

Even if you buy YourName.com and create a 1-page landing page like WillSmith.com or buy YourName.com and park it until you’re ready to use it, it’s a good idea to own it. Your name is your brand and the beginning of your web estate portfolio. If you’re a parent, go ahead and secure your children’s URLs and gift it to them when they’re going to college. They’ll thank you one day when they’re bestselling authors, playing in the NBA or walking the red carpet.

WHY DO YOU NEED YOURNAME.COM IF YOU HAVE FACEBOOK OR TWITTER?

One word: MYSPACE.COM.

Just kidding, but this is a great question that we get a lot. Your URL becomes the cornerstone of your web estate. It does not change. All of the social media sites that will come and go should feed back to your site because, just as we saw with MySpace.com, you can be hot for a few years, then disappear when the next BIG thing comes along. What would happen to your web presence if Facebook tanked tomorrow? People still need to know where to find you.

IS YOUR NAME.COM AVAILABLE?

CLICK ON WHOIS to see if your URL is available. OR type in http://YourName.com using Your First and Last Name i.e. NaimaLett.com

If you have a popular name, then YourName.com may already be in use. If that’s the case, secure the .NET or .INFO or .US or get creative. Luckily, there aren’t a lot of Naima Lett’s running around, so NAIMALETT.COM was available. While you’re looking, feel free to check availability on any of your business ideas as well. It’s never too early to secure the URL.

FREE REGISTRATION

If your URL is available, get it! This is called DOMAIN REGISTRATION. There’s usually an annual $10 – $12 fee for domain registration. You can decide on add-ons like domain privacy, etc., but the key is to go ahead and get your URL. You can register annually or several years in advance.

For domain registration and hosting, I use Bluehost, a web hosting company which gives your URL for FREE the first year. Can’t beat FREE.

Note: There is a difference between domain registration and web hosting.
DOMAIN REGISTRATION means you’ve acquired your land: your web address, YOURNAME.COM.
WEB HOSTING means you’re ready to build on your land: your website, blog, landing page.
Web hosting is when you “rent space” on a web hosting company’s shared server to ‘host’ or keep your web files. It’s like storing your files ‘in their cloud’.

If you’re not ready for WEB HOSTING and only want to purchase/register your domain name and “park” it until you’re ready to use it (or simply prevent others from misusing your name URL), then Netfirms is good “DOMAIN PARKING” company. I can’t recommend them for WEB HOSTING because their servers were not reliable when I used them, but they have reasonable prices for domain registration parking.

READY TO BUILD?

If you’re ready to BUILD i.e. WEB HOSTING, go ahead and sign up. There are tons of hosting companies, but based on my research and experience, I recommend Bluehost, mainly because they’re affordable, reliable, have no limits on diskspace or domains, won’t allow pornographic sites on their servers, and have wonderful customer service and support.

In terms of affordability, Bluehost‘s price is right with ‘new customer’ web hosting specials as low as $3.95 – $6.95 per month, depending on how long you register. The FREE domain registration for the first year is icing on the cake.

Phone support is crucial. I tested several companies out by calling first to see how quickly I could get a representative and if they’d answer tech savvy questions, even before I was a customer. Bluehost had a quick response time whether it was 4 PM or 4 AM and were most helpful. AND their customer service centers are in the U.S., which believe it or not, makes a huge difference when trouble shooting.

THE 411

Originally, I almost went with DreamHost because they offer free web hosting for non-profits, but then I couldn’t find a phone number for tech support. They only offer support via digital ticket submission with 48 to 72 hour response times. What happens if your site goes down, which has happened to me before? Submit a ticket and wait for 2-3 days?!!! I understand times are hard for everybody, and companies are trying to save $$, but cutting out phone support is not an option when dealing with web hosting.

Note: I’m recommending Bluehost, not because I decided to become an affiliate, meaning the company pays a commission when others sign up via one of my links. But because they are the first hosting company I can actually stand behind and feel good about referring to others. Getting this web hosting component right has caused me a lot of time and grief in the past. Learn from my mistakes and successes.

And you know me. I don’t make referrals lightly. A product has to be GREAT for me to recommend it to somebody else. I’ve tried a half dozen other hosting companies over the last decade that fell short. Before you use a company, feel free to shoot me a message and I’ll let you know the 411 if I used them before.

I’ll share just one here because I don’t want anyone to experience what I did last year with Network Solutions. I was with them a couple of years, and things were fine at first, but then their reliability tanked. Their servers were constantly under attack. My site was down more than it was up. My emails were bouncing all over the place. I would send out a blog, people would click and the site would be gone. WHEW!!!! It was really sad and frustrating. I can’t recommend them, you know? But, Bluehost, I can. :=)

If you have any questions about domain registration or web hosting or securing your web address, please let me know.

CONGRATULATIONS!
You’ve completed STEP 1: YOUR ADDRESS.
Stay tuned for STEP 2: YOUR SITE.

We’ll get into the nuts and bolts of building your web estate through your website. What do you put on it? How do you decide? What works? What definitely does not work? STEP 3 is then YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA.

Is this helpful to you?
Let me know.

Lots of love from LaLa,
Naima

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

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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Move Over, Hollywood. NFL’s in Town!
© NaimaLett.com/blog



(c) Denver Post: Peyton Manning throws record-tying 7 touchdowns for Broncos win.

Move over, Hollywood! The NFL’s in town!

Thursday nights used to belong to ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy surgeons and Scandal’s gladiators or CBS’s Big Bang Theory gang and Big Brother house. Well, it’s going to be tight this year. Because NBC has showed up to reclaim its Thursday night MUST-SEE TV crown back with the NFL’S THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL!

Did you see the ratings, Fam? 23.2 million viewers for the Kick-Off showdown between reigning champs Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos. The game started late because of lightning, but Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning did not disappoint. He threw a record-tying seven touchdowns for a Broncos 49-27 win.

Drama!

Apparently, there was also drama. Ryan Seacrest got booed making the opening announcements. Hey, Mile Highers, why yal hating on the American Idol host? He has a deal with the Peacock, produces the Kardashian show for E! Network, and has a new NBC game show. That was not a proper Hollywood greeting! LOL!

Must See TV

“Must-See TV” was coined by NBC when they dominated Thursday nights a couple of decades ago. #1 shows like The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Fraser and Friends secured Mr. Peacock’s at the top of network ratings with big advertising dollars pouring in per commercial. But all that declined in the 2000s. NBC had fallen to #4 over the years, only seeing a spike during events like the Olympics.

Big Deal About Thursday

Thursday nights have traditionally been the ‘biggest dollar’ ad night on TV because the studios would buy premium spots to advertise movies coming out on Friday (and you know we need big Friday/Saturday opening numbers). Have you ever taken the time to count how many movie ads play during your television shows on Thursday?

But all of that’s been changing since we’re watching more TV shows online and movies are being advertised on iTunes and YouTube. Who knows how all of this will end up!

Here We Go

Either way, NBC has shown up to the party to dance. And that 23 million ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. I don’t know what those doctors are going to have to do on Grey’s Anatomy, but they better think of something. If quarterbacks keep breaking records, we might look up and have not only Thursday Night Football, Sunday and Monday Night Football, but also Friday Night Football, and they might bring Saturday Night Football back.

I like football as much as the next fan, but my friends and I also need to work. And the last time I checked, we were actors and artists, not quarterbacks and running backs…. though I did score a couple of touchdowns in a Powder Puff championship in high school. Just saying…

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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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Miley, Martin, Movies & Labor Day
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Miley Cyrus, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., One Direction & Labor Day Lady

What a difference a week makes!

MILEY CYRUS

Last week this time, the mention of 20-year old Miley Cyrus’ name may have brought up the #1 Richest Teen in Hollywood 2011 title ($120 million) where she trumped Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, her most successful Disney show Hannah Montana or famous dad Billy Ray Cyrus (Achy Breaky Heart), her on-again, off-again engagement to Australian actor Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), brother of Chris Hemsworth (Thor), or the infamous plug from Jay Z’s new album (“Twerk Miley Twerk”) which seems to have kicked off a media circus.

But oh, what a difference a week makes! Miley put on a racy show at MTV’s VMA awards on Sunday that many said was shocking, confusing, desperate and borderline P0RN. Even though both Miley and Lady Gaga both stripped down to skimpy bikinis during their performances, Miley twerked her way past Gaga’s fame to become the MOST TALKED ABOUT EVENT of the night.

Honestly, I was embarassed for Miley, but not surprised. With Super Bowl half-time shows like what we got from Beyonce and Janet Jackson, the fame derived by Kim Kardashian after her sex tape, and the Academy Award given to Halle Berry for those scenes in Monster’s Ball, what do we expect?

What other message have we sent to our young women, both Christian and non-Christian, than the BEST way to garner the MOST ATTENTION is to expose one’s body or act like a stripper? That’s what Miley did, right? Miley didn’t invent twerking. She learned it, and according to her, has been practicing in her living room for 2 years to perfect it. Seems like it paid off. Her name is on everybody’s lips. She’s got a new album dropping. Kanye asked her to do a collaboration that night. She did one with Bieber that “leaked” this week. She’s on Cloud 9.

Some are asking about her faith. What happened to Miley’s Nashville Christian roots where she was baptized Southern Baptist in 2005? Can I just say that I know lots of Christian women who expose themselves weekly to get ahead in ‘the game’. I’ve seen more boobs and crotch-shots from women of faith than I care to recount. We’ve gone mad in LaLa Land, Fam!

And why isn’t anyone saying how disturbing it is that 36-year old father Robin Thicke, son of actor Alan Thicke (Growing Pains) and husband of actress Paula Patton (Mission: Impossible 4), thought it was appropriate to have Miley twerked over in front of him onstage while singing a song about blurred lines, ‘you’re an animal’, ‘I know you want it’? People seemed more upset commenting that his black and white suit looked like Beetlejuice. Madness!

I don’t know the parties involved, but I am praying… praying for a different model. Wouldn’t it have been great if nobody said anything and I didn’t just devote valuable space on my blog to talk about it. If there was no hype, nobody would do it publicly. There would just be a lot of twerking in living rooms across America and nobody would care.

MARCH ON WASHINGTON TURNS 50

In saner news, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I HAVE A DREAM” speech and the March on Washington celebrated 50 years this week on August 28th. Not for nothing, but this is still one of the most moving speeches ever delivered. It’s worth it to listen again.

MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

For this being a holiday weekend, movies are kind of sparse.

You’ve got ONE DIRECTION’S “This is Us”, if you’re into teen pop or the thriller “Closed Circuit” about bombings in England. If you haven’t seen The Butler, maybe you’ll see it. Here’s my blog on my thoughts. Sorry, it’s a movie-light weekend.

LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Not sure who came up with the photo above of the sister with muscles to symbolize a Happy Labor Day, but just so you know, I’ll be doing the opposite. I’m going to sit down somewhere and enjoy family and friends. LOL!

Have a great holiday.
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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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Rough Week in Hollywood, The Butler, Beyonce and Baby North
© NaimaLett.com/blog



Lee Thompson Young, Oprah, David, Forrest, Baby North & Beyonce

Rough week in Hollywood… and America, period.

I feel like LIFE is under attack.

29-year old actor Lee Thomspon Young, of Jett Jackson Disney and TNT Rizzoli & Isles fame, reportedly took his own life this week. Sources speculate depression, but we’re still waiting for some sort of explanation. The memorial was today at Paramount. Truly heart-breaking.

While sorting through that story, I turned on the news and saw children running at an Atlanta area school from a guy with an AK-47 who later said, “I don’t care if I live or die… I’m not on my medication. I should’ve gone to the hospital instead….” Instead of what? Terrorizing elementary kids? What are we doing, Fam?

Why don’t we care if we live or die? Enough is enough!I want folks to declare as the psalmist did, “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.” Psalm 118:17

I want us to get the help we need when wrestling with depression and mental illness. I’m talking to artists weekly who are ready to give up, and my heart is busted because I keep repeating myself, “LIFE IS SO MUCH MORE THAN BOOKING A GIG!”

Life is such a precious gift. Maybe because we almost lost Kevin’s to cancer; but we get it. We fight to live in LaLa Land. We fight for the lives of the dreamers around us. Our Savior gave His life so that we might have eternal life and that abundantly. Grab hold and don’t let go!

THE BUTLER

I digress. Many of you have asked if we saw Lee Daniel’s The Butler.
Yes. We saw it. Should you see it?
WATCH THE TRAILER

The Butler has a stacked cast of Academy Award winners and nominees:
Produced by Academy Award winners The Weinstein Company
Directed by Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels
Starring Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, Academy Award Honorary Winner Oprah Winfrey, Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr, Academy Award winner Jane Fonda, Academy Award winner Robin Williams, Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard and soon-to-be Academy Award nominee (it’s just a matter of time) my friend and fellow believer, David Oyelowo.

That’s a lot of Academy power for this not to be a GREAT movie… but it’s well, good, at best. I appreciate the historical aspect and the ‘based on a true story’ though much was added that wasn’t quite true. Forest, Oprah, David, Cuba, Jane, Robin, they’re all good.

Honestly, I just think the story and direction needs to be tighter. I had to remind myself that this is really only Lee Daniel’s 3rd of 4th feature; so the expectations can’t be that high. He’s a master marketer and knows what will sell in Hollywood, so he’s able to create a LOT of buzz. His directing skills have got to catch up with his producing skills. But sure, see the movie.

BEYONCE’S CUT

This was part of the story I was releasing last week. Honestly, I just marveled that it was a story in the first place. LOL! Cute chop though, right?

BABY NORTH WEST

And this morning, Kanye West revealed the first picture publicly of Baby North West on Kim Kardashian’s mom’s new talk show, Kris. That’s one way to try to help boost ratings. Again, folks who know their way around creating buzz. Take notes, Fam. How I wish we could create such buzz around The Gospel. Just saying!

Have a good weekend.
I speak Life! Life and 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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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Move Mountain
© NaimaLett.com/blog

I wrote a “This Week in Hollywood” blog yesterday called “Films, Protests and Haircuts” about Oprah’s new film The Butler, a Twitter mom’s protest over nudity on ABC, and Beyonce’s new pixie haircut. But you didn’t get that blog. Why? Because I ran out of time before I had to leave for our Hope in the Hills Leaders Retreat near the mountains in Canyon Country, California.

It’s beautiful up here, Fam.
[See picture above]

Before our sunrise devotion, I had a moment, just one-on-one with the Lord, where the songs of His Word soared off the pages: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands… In the heavens, He has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a groom coming from the bridal chamber…” Psalm 19:1, 5.

As the sun peeked over God’s mountain peaks this morning, I couldn’t help but catch my breath and declare His glory.

God is.
I AM THAT I AM.

And as I meditated and stared at those mountains, another passage came to mind: “…If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you…” Matthew 17:20

My mind flooded with thoughts of the current mountain we’re facing and I said 2 words:
“Move mountain.”

Now, it hasn’t disappeared immediately. But I sure do have faith at least the size of a mustard seed and I believe this mountain is moving.

What about you? Got a mountain that needs to be moved?
Say it with me, “Move mountain.”
Nothing’s impossible.

Lots of love from above 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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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Million Dollar Prize for Faith Based Film
© NaimaLett.com/blog

Million Dollar Prize for Faith-Based Film

For the 3rd year, I’ve had the awesome privilege of being invited as a clergy judge for the 168 Film Festival in Los Angeles – a competition where filmmakers from all over the world receive 1 theme, 1 scripture verse and have 168 hours (aka 1 week) to make a fantastic film.

And this year, the final films were highly competitive and the judging was tight!

FIRST TIME

Why so tight?
Because for the first time, the top short film wins $1,000,000 towards making a feature!

The filmmakers pulled out all the stops!

You heard me! A wonderfully creative, faith-based filmmaker will win $1,000,000 from EchoLight Studios to make his/her full-length feature film. Truly exciting.

FIRST YEAR

At the same time, this will be the first year that I’m unable to make the final ceremony to see the top filmmaker. I’m currently in Maryland sharing at “In the Heart of Worship” conference, but I look forward to seeing the footage on YouTube when I get back to LaLa Land.

THE THEME

The festival organizers did not make winning $1,000,000 easy. This year’s theme is Atonement, and many of the scriptures randomly assigned were from Books like Leviticus and Romans. Yeah! It’s hard enough to preach Leviticus, much less make a film out of a verse. LOL! Kudos to the filmmakers for their creativity.

TRUE VISIONARY

John Ware is the true visionary who dreamed up this international film festival in 2003. Over the years, John and his fearless team of faith-filled mavericks have added all kinds of perks: red carpet, celebrity guests, networking events, industry parties, etc.

HOW DID YOU GET $1,000,000?

When I asked John how he secured the million dollar prize for some lucky filmmaker, he simply said, “I asked!”

I was reminded of the words of James 4:2 “You desire and do not have… You have not because you do not ask…”

John “has” because he asked. And some up-and-coming faith-based filmmaker will have because John asked and EchoLight said “Yes”.

This is a cause for a real celebration, Fam!

If you’re in the LaLa, go to the festival. http://www.168film.com/

If you’re around the world, pray that EchoLight and other sponsors come out the woodworks to provide more opportunities for faith-based films to shine.

Lots of love from the LaLa, by way of B’More this week!
Naima

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

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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Gotta Love Vacations
© NaimaLett.com/blog

© NaimaLett.com

Gotta Love Vacations

For a hot second, Kevin and I had some down time with family this week… in the sun… by the water… on the East Coast… it was nice. A very special thanks to my dad for calling us all together again and making it all hap with our 20+ family tribe of adults and kids. Mega-fun!

Have you taken your final summer vacations yet?
How did it go?
What’s your favorite spot?

For me, it was the best to just sit down somewhere. Sometimes we have to do that.
Just. Sit. Down.

That “rest” thing is so necessary.
No wonder God instituted a Sabbath for His People.

So, yes, I’m blogging on a Friday night in Dallas now. I’m at ProvenWay’s Leadership Retreat. It’s their 10th anniversary, and I’m so honored that they invited me back to speak. I was at their 1st retreat as a dramatist/dancer. Lots can go down in a decade!

Relationships are so important.
Family, friends, ministry partners.
I’m so very blessed to do life with some amazing folks.
I really do wish for you the same.

Lots of love from the Big D!
Naima

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

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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
His Royal Baby Highness
© NaimaLett.com/blog

His Royal Baby Highness

“What about the baby?” our grocery store clerk in the Hills asked the British-accented diva in front of me.

“There’s a lot of fuss,” Diva confirmed.

Neither dame knows the royal baby personally, but His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge seems to be the top conversation.

Royal Baby, No Blues

Prince George Alexander Louis, son of Prince William and Duchess Kate, made his royal debut into the world this week and folks all over the world are celebrating. There’s no time for the blues. There are celebrations and gift-giving and sales. Indeed, there’s a whole lot of fuss!

Why?

Well, it’s not every day that a future king is born.

True, the monarchy isn’t as powerful as it used to be, and Prince George is 3rd in line, after his father, Prince William, and his grandfather, Prince Charles. But it’s still historic. And if he ever does become king, he’d fill big shoes as Britain’s 7th King George.

Why not?

Hey, why not celebrate?

Birth is a big deal! It’s arguably one of THE MOST important days of a person’s life. And it’s something that we cannot do, in and of ourselves. The creation of life is a GOD thing, and bringing life into the world is a bona fide miracle. Each and every one of our births is a reason to roll out a red carpet and do cartwheels and back flips up and down Sunset Boulevard.

I know we’re slightly cynical in the LaLa and nothing really rocks our world (besides earthquakes), but honestly, I don’t mind the hoopla.

His Royal Baby Messiah

Do we remember the all out spectacle that occurred when Jesus, our Messiah, was born? A multitude of heavenly hosts split open the sky and threw a praise party, Luke 2:8-15. When angels show up praising God at your birth, that’s a BIG deal.

When the King of Kings took on human form and was born in the earth, heaven showed out. It’s only natural for us to follow suit with our natural kings.

Our Children

Let’s be happy for the royal baby in the same way that we celebrate all our babies. Children are precious and can bring great joy.

“I’m a good father, and I’m an EXCELLENT grandfather,” laughed one of the pastors in our University of Southern California Faith Leaders Institute cohort this week as he answered the question, “What are you good at?” His eyes beamed and you could see images of his grandchildren dancing through his smile. What a tender moment!

It’s the same joy I see as my own father takes in a room full of his 4 children, our spouses and 11 grandchildren. I’m currently at LAX, headed for our bi-annual family soiree of 20 folks in a couple of townhomes, sun, water and fun… a gathering my father worked really hard to make happen.

Proverbs 17:6 says it best, “Grandchildren are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.”

This week, thousands of crowns were born around the world. One of them might be King of England some day. But all of them can be royal to their own grandparents and parents.

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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NAIMA LETT – BLOG – HOLLYWOOD CHRISTIAN
Why Trayvon Martin’s Story May Not Make It To Film
© NaimaLett.com/blog

For 3 weeks…
George Zimmerman’s trial ran non-stop on television, with news anchors promising a verdict “any minute” every few minutes all day Saturday.

For over a year…
A father, mother and nation grieved the senseless gunning down of a 17-year old, unarmed African American teenager on a Skittles run, by the neighborhood watch captain of Retreat at Twin Lakes gated community in Sanford, Florida during a confrontation because, according to 911 transcript, Zimmerman assumes Trayvon is a burglar because he’s teen who “looks real suspicious, looks like he’s up to no good or he’s on drugs. It’s raining and he’s just walking around.”

I mean, what black child in a hoodie in a gated community just walks around in the rain on a blue-tooth? Or runs when you start following him? Or fights you for his life when you have a gun and haven’t announced that you’re law enforcement, because you’re not?

For 16 months…
more than a million protesters signed petitions, donned “Justice for Trayvon” shirts and hoodies in solidarity, and marched in most major cities from Manhattan to LaLa Land, where about 200 protesters shut down the I-10 Freeway in Crenshaw Sunday after Zimmerman’s acquittal.

Side note: I wonder who was the first person to step out in front of the SUVs and trucks going over 80 mph on that Los Angeles freeway, for the sake of Trayvon, believing that LA drivers would actually stop. We don’t have the best driving records out here and lots of folks don’t stop for anybody, not even the police. You’ve seen our celebrity car chases. It took some extra kind of faith, or something, for those Angelenos to jump out there with their protest signs. Special shout out to my friend, who before her birthday, was out there marching and could’ve been dodging L.A. police in riot gear and rubber bullets. I hear you, Diva. I’m not making light of the situation, I’m just saying.

For almost a week…
Frustration and agreement with Zimmerman’s acquittal has caused great angst and anxiety on both sides of the verdict. Jurors have spoken out on CNN that they could not find Zimmerman guilty based on Florida’s self-defense law. Celebrities like Stevie Wonder have promised to boycott Florida and states with “Stand Your Ground” laws. Some are calling for a federal lawsuit. Others believe there will be a civil lawsuit. It’s far from over.

All of this…
sounds like it could be potential for the making of the next Do the Right Thing or Freedom Writers, right? Shooting, riots, marches, televised trials, and play-by-play analysis on news networks. And if not a Spike Lee Joint, at least a Lifetime “controversial verdict” movie of the week!

But I don’t know, Fam. I honestly think Trayvon’s story won’t make it to film. Here’s why.
If the L.A. riots, which resulted in 53 deaths, over 2,000 injuries, and more than $1 billion in damage, could not result in a film after 20+ years… And if the riots, which occurred over a 6-day period, in the top city where movies are made and affected most of the top filmmakers in some capacity or another, could not garner enough care for filmmakers to pull together enough resources to make it to the big screen… And if public outrage over 4 Caucasian officers being acquitted of the taped beating Rodney King, could not push an entertainment industry to action… you see where I’m going?

Fruitvale Station

The only way I think it could happen would be through independent film, similar to 2013 Sundance Grand Jury Award winner, Fruitvale Station, playing now in theatres across the nation.

Produced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and NAACP Award nominee Michael B. Jordan, Fruitvale Station is based on the true story of Oscar Grant, a 22-year old brother in the Bay area, who was shot in the back, while laying down, by a BART police officer on New Year’s Day, 2009, with several train observers filming on cell phones. The officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, not 2nd degree murder, with 2 years sentencing, minus time served. Almost 80 people were arrested in the subsequent riots.

The only reason this film got made is that director Ryan Coogler, alumnus of USC’s film school, thought the story important enough because he was the same age as Oscar and from the same Bay area. This marks Ryans’ first feature film and it’s already being marketed for Academy buzz.

All Lives Matter

I’m not saying that Trayvon’s story is not worth telling. “Thou shall not kill”, Exodus 20:13, is still relevant, and all of our lives are valuable. Trayvon’s life shouldn’t have been lost this young in this way. And as Reverend Everett R. Bell, Los Angeles community advocate and organizer, said this weekend, neither should we keep losing thousands of young men of color in the streets of Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, New York, etc.

Bell asked a haunting question: Are we upset that Trayvon was killed? Or are we upset that it seems Zimmerman got away with it? I think people are upset with both. But I see where Bell is going. We, especially those who are Christ followers, must be outraged when one life is lost. Let’s shut down the freeways when our youth shoot each other as well.

How are we going to get our young boys of color into adulthood alive? Not shot by the Zimmermans of the world who perceive them as burglars in the wrong neighborhood? And not shot by each other for money or a beef or hood politics?

Questions I’m wrestling with in the LaLa.
What are your thoughts?
Naima

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

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