EMPOWERING YOU TO EMPOWER YOURSELF
COCOA THE CHOCOLATIER CHEF
TONY'S
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Editor's Notes 5 Top Qualities of an Effective Leader
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How to Live Well Embracing Spiritual Awareness Alvin C. Romer
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Meet Robert E. Person Interview with Robert E. Person about his first jazz release
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Brothers 2 Greatness Financial Wellness Mindset Leroy McKenzie, Jr. writes about financial wellness in his newest column
JULY/AUG ISSUE 2018
REAL LIFE REAL FAITH
Editor in Chief Cheryl Lacey Donovan Publisher Elissa Gabrielle Senior Editors Hurley Morgan Cee Cee H. Caldwell Columnists Leroy McKenzie Alvin Romer Hurley Morgan Bryant Lewis Contributors Donna H, Richard Brody, Anastasia Kanli Designer Cheryl Lacey Donovan
EDITORIAL OFFICES P.O. Box 450121 Houston, Texas 77245 832-827-4438
SUBSCRIPTIONS (832) 827-4438
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Don't become a fraud in your own life!
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Editor's Note Words from the Senior Managing Editor… Greetings Where is the time going!? We are already entering the second half of the year…can you believe it!? Despite how fast time is going by I hope you all are well as we take on this summer heat. We continue to be honored to bring to you content from the minds of some very dynamic writers. This issue of Men of Faith also features Brother Robert E. Person, one of Jazz and Gospel music's most quintessential singers. Brother Robert E. Person is yet another very influential individual from the community that reflects our values and goals in the community. Brother Robert E. Person will talk to us about his great accomplishments and what has influenced him to be the vocalist he is today. This addition of MOF will also have a theme centered on overall wellness…physical, mental, spiritual, and financial wellness. As always, at MOF we strive to bring to you content that is very relevant to what is going on in the country today, especially those things that are important to our communities. From inspiration, to entertainment, to sports, to politics, to business, to mental health, and everything in between…we strive to educate, uplift, motivate, inspire, and provide you with a magazine that is by men for men. We seek to cultivate minds with insightful and entertaining knowledge that is meant to help someone in need of food for thought. Remember…knowledge is KEY! Our mission…is to address an array of topics that men not only want to hear about but also need to hear about. We will always cater to you! Much Love! Hurley Morgan Senior Managing Editor
HOW TO LIVE WELL EMBRACING SPIRITUAL AWARENESS Alvin C. Romer
Inasmuch as we ponder the fate of our existence through time and circumstance there’s always the situation bordering health and wellness. How are we dealing with the parameters of spiritual growth? How then, are we fathoming righteous intent living in a world full of anarchy and angst? Men listen up! Obviously, and to some extent it ultimately comes down to how we live, and what do we attribute to spiritual awareness. As I researched this subject it gave profound insight to how important health is to the central beliefs for coexisting with mental and physical wellbeing. Before we become healthy, wealthy and wise it would behoove us to understand that the body is a remarkable creation of God. It says so in Psalms 139:15. I read this and immediately made reference to why God’s character traits goes into the creation of us all, and how we should emulate Him. It’s my opinion that at times we tend to feel worthless and begin to lament the trials and tribulation that causes us to be without an innate sense of worth. This is human nature. We may run the course of being spiritless. The more I contemplated the more I realized that the physical and the mental aspects of our anatomy are synonymous, tied together with our spiritual life. Our inner person, our spiritual being requires attention and exercise for balance and stability. A wise man once said, “Sow a thought, and you reap an act. Sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character. Sow a character and you reap destiny.” Let that marinate in your
soul a bit. Could this be the very formula to reach deep within for spiritual awareness to have a better lease on our lives? Of course, there’s nothing wrong with connecting with an inner resolve for healthy living as long as we endeavor to embrace growth on the spiritual level. To do that it is imperative that we get closer to the Lord for guidance as we purpose to persevere. When we practice in our growth process I believe that habits of life, as much a part of us as the water we drink, the food we eat, and the air we breathe won’t be taken for granted…and as they become habitual they ultimately will shape our character makeup; and as they shape character, they will indeed shape our destined value while living strong for the Lord over the course of a lifetime. A full life may not be par for everyone’s course though, especially if they abstain without a strong foundation. How well then, are we to actually live well while paying homage to the finer points of spiritual awareness? To answer questions of ‘how’ and ‘why’ relative to the genesis of this article requires a basic set of conventional wisdom. When we speak of health concerns for us men, the need to take care of our bodies should be paramount. There should be a prescription for spiritual health as we focus on it. Know that the body is not immune warding off diseases. It goes without saying that without a healthy immune
system, relatively small threats can be sinfully dangerous. Without the Lord in our lives we may not be strong enough to withstand maladies such as temptation, false teachings, and persecution. Don’t despair! With a strong immune system we will be able to take heed, lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12); we will be able to live circumspectly (Ep 5:15-17); we will be able to withstand the wiles of Satan (Ep 6:10, 11). The book of Ecclesiastes is right on in accessing the situation of wellness in the spirit by giving more insight on hope and purpose complete by living meaningfully with direction and timing. This may be a good point to close, and if you got the overall gist of this article, it’s all about embracing orderliness for sound mental health. We are here on earth for a reason and a fruitful season. The fruit of the spirit should be there for us to reap what is sown. There is depth and significance to our existence. Know that we are not a one-dimensional entity or a mere shallow remnant haphazardly formed by a one-time creator who walked away after a failed experiment! Instead, we were made in His image possessing the capabilities to follow a distinct set of rules guaranteeing entrance into the New Kingdom. As the Lord watches over us and before probation is over, I’m sure He wants us to know that we worship a God whose desire is for us to be healthy in ALL dimensions of our lives – physically, mentally and spiritually while living well in the awareness thereof.
ROBERT E.
Person
MOF: We are so thrilled to have you
am. For me, music comes from all of
picked directly from the great American
Brother Robert. How are things going
the senses. You can feel, breathe,
songbook.
for you these days?
see and of course hear music in every experience. As I (quickly) approach
MOF: What advice would you give
Brother Robert Person: Thanks so
50, I’m now inspired by life itself and
someone that wants to get into the music
much for this incredible opportunity.
lyrics.
industry…particularly in the gospel jazz
All is well. I just released new music
industry?
and I’m very excited about this next
MOF: Who have been your musical
chapter on this faith journey.
influences over the years?
MOF: Tell our readers a little bit
Brother Robert Person: WOW! There
embrace your gift. This is sometimes
about you. Where do you call home?
are so many… Stevie Wonder, Donny
difficult but it also takes time and
Hathaway, Luther Vandross, Richard
wisdom. You can definitely learn from
Brother Robert Person: Washington,
Smallwood, Daryl Coley, All of the
others and be inspired by other
DC is my home but my parents are
Hawkins family and the entire Winans
musicians… but always present the best
from North and South Carolina. As a
clan. The newest edition to this list is
you.
result, I’m a southern boy from the
Gregory Porter he’s phenomenal.
BIG city.
MOF: Thinking back on your music
MOF: Outside of music what else can we
career, what do you feel is your
find you doing? Any hobbies?
Brother Robert Person: The best piece of advice is a simple one: Be yourself and
MOF: What has life been like for you?
biggest accomplishment to date?
Did you grow up in the church?
Brother Robert Person: Well… I love to eat.
Brother Robert Person: I bless God for
Probably too much. I love a good
Brother Robert Person: Life’s been
every open door (and the closed ones
restaurant and good home cooking. I also
good for me. I grew up in a two-
too). I’ve been afforded some
like to travel.
parent household and in the church.
incredible opportunities. I’ve traveled
My church experience was cool.
to Italy, I’ve sung for the Pope. It’s
MOF: There is so much craziness going
While growing up I had the awesome
hard to say… but I think my biggest
on in our country at this time. We as men,
exposure to four branches of Zion:
accomplishment to date would be
especially men of color, are faced with
Baptist, Methodist, Fire Baptized
debuting at #12 on The Billboard Jazz
dealing with the discouraging events
Holiness and then, I went to Catholic
Albums Sales Chart with my first Jazz
going on in society on a daily basis. What
school. So at an early age, I was fully
release CLASSIC COVERS (June
words of advice can you give any man
exposed to Christianity.
2018).
that may be going through something in
MOF: You are a gospel jazz artist.
MOF: What has been your biggest
Has that always been your genre?
challenge as an artist?
Brother Robert Person: Yes. My sound
Brother Robert Person: FEAR (in all
back to my faith and my upbringing. When
is comprised of Jazz, Soul and
caps). I second guess myself way too
things get tough for me, I know that God
Gospel. I think most artists consider
much. Although my spirit knows
cares me and I know that He holds me in
themselves as “artist” but the industry
better, my flesh struggles with it. With
the palm of His hand. And I believe His
(in some cases) forces a label on us.
a little faith, time and wisdom, I’m
word is true. “And lo, I am with you
With that said, I welcome the term
learning to push thru and past this
always.” (Matthew 28:19). In addition, I
Gospel/Jazz. It really does
demon.
have an amazing support system of family
their life right now? How do you manage when the going gets tough for you?
Brother Robert Person: This one circles
encompass who I am as a recording artist.
MOF: What inspires your music?
and friends. To my brothers who may face
MOF: What can we expect from you
discouragement daily, I have two pieces
coming up? Is there an album in the
of advice: #1. “Seek ye first the kingdom
works?
of God” (Matthew 6:33). #2. Seek
Where does the music come from? Life experiences? Is it in your soul?
professional help. As you mentioned,
Brother Robert Person: Well I just
there’s so much craziness going on. More
released a new EP entitled Classic
so now than ever, we must be aware of
Brother Robert Person: Yes, music is
Covers. This is my first Jazz album. It’s
our experiences and know when to pray
definitely in my soul. It really is who I
a collection of cover tunes hand-
AND know when to seek professional help. Although it’s available, professional help is
too often overlooked in faith-based communities and among men of color. Of course, this is easier said than done, but when discouragement and distress become severe, it requires professional attention.
MOF: We would love to be able to keep up with you in order to show support. Tell the readers how they can keep up with what’s going on with you?
Brother Robert Person: First, let me say ‘thank you’ for this interview and feature. I am forever grateful. You can keep up with me thru my website: www.roberteperson.com and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @roberteperson. Also, my music is available wherever you download and/or stream music.
Grandma's Hot Flaky Butter Biscuits This is very popular for breakfast in many southern states but has spread to almost the entire country. The trick is to get a very flavorful gravy is to cook the flour and sausage together for a while before adding the milk, totally leaving open for how much browning your prefer. What could be better than to add homemade biscuits for your gravy? They are really easy to make adding a great touch to your meal.
By Debora J. Reckley
What you need:Â
2 1/2 Cup all Purpose Flour (plus a little more for dusting pans) 2 Tbsp Baking Powder 1 Tsp Sugar 1 Tsp Salt 8 Tbsp Unsalted Butter 1 Cup Buttermilk 2 Tbsp Butter melted
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir all ingredients together then transfer to a food processor. Cut the butter into cubes and add to flour, pulse 6 to 7 times until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, cut butter into flour in the mixing bowl, add buttermilk and stir with a fork until it forms a coarse ball, don't worry if it a bit sticky. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll it into a rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Fold it over and gently roll it down again.
Repeat 6 times. Gently roll out the dough some more, so it forms a rectangle. Cut dough into biscuits using a floured glass or biscuit cutter. Do not twist cutter when cutting, this will crimp the edges of the biscuit causing it to not rise. If you have scraps, form a new rectangle and cut more biscuits. Place biscuits on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake until golden brown, around 10 to 15 minutes. Brush melted butter on top and enjoy. Serves 6 to 8.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9886735 NOMADIC | 24
Robert E. Person Vocalist Robert E. Person has become one of Jazz and Gospel music's most quintessential singers. His extraordinary vocal control, his definitive and polished stage presence and his gorgeous tenor tone have given the Washington, DC native an undeniable reputable artistic presence in music and performing arts. Robert honed his musical gift at the prestigious Morehouse College—where he held membership in the world-renowned Morehouse College Glee Club—as well as at the University of the District of Columbia. The recent three-time 2016 Rhythm of Gospel Awards recipient has a shelf full of independent music awards for his vocal performances of classics like "Someday We'll All Be Free," "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" and his original works "God Has A Plan," "Clap Your Hands" and "Testify." Continuing to expand his musical brand, Robert has joined the league of on air personalities with his own radio show SOULFUL SESSIONS with ROBERT E. PERSON. This show highlights new and independent artists in Gospel (Traditional, Contemporary and Praise & Worship) and Inspirational and Contemporary Jazz. www.soulfulsessionsradio.com After releasing an impressive and award-winning catalog of indie Gospel albums, Robert just released his first Jazz album CLASSIC COVERS on June 1, 2018. This EP blends Robert’s stunning vocals with beautifully arranged Jazz, Sacred & Classical music. These 5 extraordinary cover tunes are selected from the great American songbook.
Real Life Real Faith | 15
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TAKING OVER THE WORLD RLRF
Hurley's Mental Note Are You a Swamp or a River
I have a question to pose to you… Are you a swamp or a river? I want you to really ponder this question for a minute. Let me help you put this question in perspective. First we must break down the two bodies of water that are referenced in the question and get an understanding of what the difference is between the two. A swamp is created when water collects in low lying areas remaining trapped there with no outlet. Being that there is no outlet available there is no constant flow of minerals and oxygen in that water, which ultimately leads to that collection of water becoming stagnant and absent of life. When you think of a swamp you think of gloominess, darkness, and unpleasantness. You think of sadness and death. A river on the other hand is full of life. It constantly flows. When you think of a river you think the exact opposite of a swamp. Words such as refreshing, invigorating, and energy can be words that describe a river. You think of happiness and life. Hopefully by now I have you thinking of swamps and rivers, the images of the two bodies of water, and the vast differences between the two. In all actuality a swamp is like the antonym of a river. Take that and apply it to the mind and our lives. A swamp can represent an unhealthy mind while a river can represent a vibrant, healthy mind. Now ask yourself….what is an unhealthy mind? A mind that is unhealthy is one that may be suffering from a mental illness of some sort. Let’s take it a step further…what is a mental illness? The Mayo Clinic defines mental illness as “a wide range of mental health conditions – disorders that may affect your mood, thinking and behavior”. Some examples of mental illnesses are depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and addictive behaviors. We all know someone, if not ourselves, that have suffered or is currently suffering from one or more of these examples. Let’s focus more on the definition of mental illness; particularly the part that says the illness “may affect your mood, thinking and behavior”. This part of the definition is very important. By affecting your mood, thinking, and behavior in such a way that a mental illness more than likely will, your daily living/functioning is impacted, which leads you to changing how you go about your day-to-day life. Your actions may become anti-social in a way. For example with depression one may become withdrawn from people or activities; with anxiety one may constantly worry which may cause that person to avoid people or activities. Think about the
mental illness of depression which in many men of color goes untreated. What effect does depression have on your mind and your ability to function normally in day-to-day activities? We must be very honest with our answers to this question. Depression leads people to be trapped in their own mind and life becomes very complicated…especially if the depression goes untreated. The communities of people of color often downplay mental illnesses such as depression and we tend to not seek the professional help needed to manage the symptoms of the illness. We prefer to silently suffer than to seek the help that will allow for normal functionality. Now remember what I said about swamps and rivers as we look further into the effects that mental illnesses tend to have on people lives. Mental illnesses lead you to becoming more like a swamp. Mental illnesses that go untreated can lead to consequences that negatively impact your life. Mental illnesses lead a person that was once vibrant and full of life, like that river, to become secluded and unpleasant, like that swamp. It is very important that the African American community understand that the topic of mental health has to be addressed and it needs to be discussed in great detail within our communities in order for everyone to be educated on what the mental illnesses are, what the signs and symptoms of them are, and how to treat them. The taboo behind mental illnesses in our communities needs to be overcome. You are not “crazy” if you have a mental illness. You are
not a monster if you have mental illness. It’s ok to seek help.
Just because you have a mental illness doesn’t mean that it is the end of the world. Men are prideful creatures that take pride in strength and courage. It takes a strong and courageous man to face the fact that he may be suffering from a mental illness. As we all know mental illnesses can be treated, but if you choose not to do something about it by not seeking help more problems will more than likely occur in your life. Remember mental illnesses have an effect on your mood, thinking, and behavior. Admitting that you have a mental illness is the first step to recovery. The second step, however, is the most important step but oftentimes go unmade in men of color and that is actually seeking help to rehabilitate your mind. To fix a mind that has now become a swamp, you have to open up an outlet in order to let the mind become a river again…a free flowing mind that doesn’t have the constraints that a mental illness will place upon that mind. Treatment is necessary. Just like one has to seek professional help to address illnesses that physically affect the body one has to seek professional help to address illnesses that affect your mentality as well. The demographic that is less likely to seek that professional help for mental illnesses is people of color. Men, we must move to fix this problem!
Now ask yourself….is your mind a swamp or a river? If you have a mental illness or you feel that you may have a mental illness I challenge you to seek help. I challenge all men to step up and encourage people in their lives to seek help if they have signs of any form of mental illness.
2018
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BROTHERS 2 GREATNESS…FINANCIAL WELLNESS MINDSET LEROY MCKENZIE, JR. jnfenterprises@yahoo.com Here we are in the middle of 2018 and it’s
PERSPECTIVE 1- VISION- before you can do anything
time to do some reflecting and some future
you must first see where it is that you are trying to
thinking. My assignment/mission for this year
go. What vision do you have for your finances? Have
was to make people better by the end of 2018
you achieved your financial assignments that you set
than they were by the end of 2018. I have talked about this each and every day this year. I am determined to make everyone that has an encounter with me this year to be better off after they met me then they were
for yourself this year? If you have great, if not, then what steps do you need to take in order to get on track. Understanding where you want to be financially is the foundation to getting you headed in the right direction. This will allow you to begin to develop your plan for how you are going to achieve
before they met me. I have done this in
your assignments for the next 6 months and make
different kinds of settings. Encountering you
you better financially by the end of 2018. Once you
in this setting is another way for me to
you’re your vision, you can then move into the
impact and influence those that will read this
second Perspective that you must have in order to
article in this powerful magazine. How do I
achieve financial wellness.
plan to make you better by the end of 2018? Well, what I will discuss in this article will hopefully equip you financially to be better and to give you the tools, knowledge and information that you can use to take your financial wellness to the next level. Let’s start
PERSPECTIVE 2- BLUE PRINT(PLAN)- The second perspective that you must have is one of developing a plan of action to get you from where you currently are now financially to where you want to be financially by the end of this year. No successful person, in their personal or professional life is
by talking about having a financial wellness
successful without a plan of action. In order to get to
mindset from 3 different perspectives.
where you want to be you need to develop a
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MEN OF FAITH CONTRIBUTOR
blueprint for where you want to go. Developers can’t build a house without having a blueprint for what they are building. The same goes for an engineer that is building a car, an Interior designer or a business owner. This means that you as well need to have a plan for financial wellness. Being a great man means that you are a man who understands the importance of financial wellness and the affect that it has on not just you, but your family. The sooner you have your wealth legacy plan in place the sooner you can begin to build for you and your family. PERSPECTIVE 3- IMPLEMENTATION- Now that you have developed your vision, and you know where you want to go it’s time to implement it. You have created your blueprint, and you now know how to get there, you need to put into action what it is that you wrote down that you wanted to achieve. I call this BRINGING VISIONS TO REALITY. There is no financial wellness if you do not implement the action steps that you create for becoming financially well. This key component will not be easy and you will find yourself having to sacrifice many times in order to get where it is that you want to be. Will it challenge you…..YES. Will it cost ….YESSSS. And will it take every ounce of energy that you have sometimes…. ABSOLUTELY!!!!! BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT!!!!! When you see that your family is taken care of, when you see that you are able to do some of the things that you would not have been able to do had you not gotten financially well. It all will work out in the end if you make the decision to be financially well now. Be great!!!! And one of the ways that you do that is by setting your financial path to wellness and not divert from it no matter what!!!! We are BROTHERS 2 GREATNESS and part of what we do to be great is creating FINANCIAL WELLNESS FOR US!!!!!
2018
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THE LEWIS CHRONICLES
2018
Optimum Strength Physical Wellness. Does this mean making sure you’re eating right, working out in the gym, walking or jogging a couple of miles? Of course it does, but for you to be successful in the physical, the mental wellness has to be paid attention to as well. I can only speak from my experiences, and based on those experiences, the physical wellbeing isn’t going to be at optimum strength if you’re not getting the same optimum strength from up top (pointing to the head). Everything works off the brain, from the top down, “mind over matter” as the saying goes. Prime example; if you are thinking about hitting the gym to work on those abs, and there’s a debate raging on whether you’re going to Planet Fitness, or Planet Hollywood, and the latter wins, well that’s the battle I’m sure most of us are dealing with all the time. Do you have that “all you can eat buffet,” or do you stick to your plan of eating light, working on losing the extra weight you’ve been wanting to lose. Being able to work on being physically fit, to walk out to the beach with no shirts on men, to wear a two piece ladies, is work that takes a lot of discipline, a lot of self-preservation, a lot of sacrifice. It takes mental toughness to overcome the lethargy that will try to consume us from time to time. How about getting up early Sunday morning for church, after working 40 hour weeks, and taking your kid to games, going grocery shopping on Saturday? Mentally, you say, “I’ll go next Sunday, I’m exhausted today.” And yes, there will be days that we do need that physical and mental break, because we are not machines, but do you let it take over you where it can be perceived as laziness. The brain must be fed properly, eating right, proper rest, even prayer. When the mind is strong, the determination is there to want to do what’s necessary to be at OPTIMUM STRENGTH. My son just graduated from high school and is going to college on a football/track scholarship. There are a couple of classmates who are just as good physically, and in the case of one kid, even better than my son who is a very good athlete. The other athletes weren’t recruited as heavily as my son was the reason, because he was willing, and very determined to do the work he needed to do to ensure him of reaching that next level. We worked on things in the backyard, he stayed after practice working on his start in the sprints or going to the weight room for extra work. Mentally, he wasn’t going to let anyone with negative commentary deter him, or be too tired to put himself in the position he wanted to be in when he graduated from high school. The other students; well, they didn’t reach his level physically, because they didn’t reach that level mentally. The body feeds off the brain, the brain feeds off the soul of a person. All must be in sync to achieve that OPTIMUM STRENGTH. .
A Word from Bryant Lewis... "The Lewis Chronicles will touch on topics that will cover the spectrum of what's on my mind. Religion/Spirituality, Politics, Black Lives Matter, Fatherhood, Sports. Nothing is off limits, but I will try to inspire, invigorate, incorporate us as men to be at the forefront of making a positive influence in the lives of our families, our communities and most importantly, ourselves. I'm looking forward to this new chapter in my life, and I hope I can make a small difference in yours." .
