The Love & Relationships Issue - Alexis Skyy

LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS ISSUE

ALEXIS SKYY C L E A N I NG HOUSE W I T H H E R & G OD R E STORI NG HONOR

W I T H B R E LY N B O W M A N

M ORNI NG M INDS ET

WITH TAI BEAUCHAMP

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2

TABLE OF

contents

60 ON THE COVER 26 ALEXIS SKYY Alexis Skyy's colorful past doesn't compare to the masterpiece God is creating with her testimony — one that outlines the spiritual progression of change in how we think, speak and live to the glory of God.

STYLE & GR ACE 60 BEAUTY Amanda Brown, makeup artist and esthetician, shows us how to enhance our natural beauty with some of her classic tips.

50 DESIGN Christina Johnson & Phylea Carter, a dynamic duo that deliver a great approach to interior design perfect for your spring and summer decor.

+ KRISTINA BOWMAN SMITH shares fashion must-haves.

MIND, BODY, & SPIRIT 46 MIND MANNA FOR THE MIND: SETTLE HERE Tari teaches us that the only work required for us is to receive what was required of Him..

54 BODY WHICH WORKOUT WORKS BEST? Brittany Moore gives us great tips and advice on being physically active and how to achieve long lasting results.

58 SPIRIT HOW I GREW TODAY Marquita Moore’s transparency in her open letter to her own heart will undoubtedly touch yours.

63 FASHION Kristina Bowman Smith brings her incredible sense of style to MB Magazine with "Kristina Styled It." Just in time to jump into spring as the main attraction with a pop of color!

COMMUNITY CALLING WITH MB MAG 24 MB had the pleasure of supporting our very own Media Correspondent, Lorri Lofton, at The 4th Annual Charlotte Brunch Festival at Pleasant Grove Farm.

DEVOTIONAL 52 RESTORING HONOR Brelyn Bowman encourages us to grow in our relationships with our spouses and to be mindful not to lose sight of their value

+ A SPECIAL

DEVOTIONAL WITH

BRELYN BOWMAN MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 3

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IN EVERY ISSUE 07 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 06 THE LORD'S PRAYER 05 CONTRIBUTORS 04 MASTHEAD 64 THE PRAYER OF SALVATION

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ALEXIS

FEATURES

SKYY

08 GOD'S FAVOR

Meet Lisa-Marie, creator of “Seasoned Dialogue,” a podcast about mental health, spiritual growth, healing, and life.

Ericka Pittman, author of “What Mommy Never Told You,” takes you on a woman’s journey beyond the general rules and guidelines of adolescence.

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THE GIRLFRIEND'S CORNER IS MAKING ROOM

Turning Fibroids into Hope! Dr. Reneisha M. Randall encourages women to know they’re not alone, and though we struggle with ailments like fibroids, the more we know, the better decisions we can make.

16 MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN

Glen White shares his heart transplant journey and recovery; God reveals His forever kind of love through his miraculous healing.

20 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE

Tai Beauchamp is a known host, founder, speaker, who elevates and empowers women.

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 4

E DI T OR I AL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stacy Sorrell-Moore

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

BUSINESS DIRECTOR

April N. Daniels

Brandon N. Caddell

COVER FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHER Laurence Andrews | www.lc-portraiture.com

ART DESIGN & DIRECTION Blake Newton | www.blakenewton.com

COVER FEATURE EDITORIAL STYLIST Lawrence Townsend | www.stylesbyhollylarry.com

SENIOR EDITOR Karen Steinmann

COLUMNIST Tari Cox, MA | www.taricox.com Marquita Moore | www.howigrewtoday.com

CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Brown Phylea Carter Christina Johnson Brittany Moore Kristina Bowman Smith

WRITERS Toni Emehel Deidre Dashay

MEDIA CORRESPONDENT Lorri Lofton

MEDIA Uri Israel | www.runengund.com

BEHIND THE

story

MEET OUR

CONTRIBUTORS

In every issue our contributors desire to share their knowledge and or experiences through their authentic faith to remind you that you are not alone. or to help you get back to your amazing self. Either way, expect to get poured into so you may soar and be all that God created you to be.

TONI EMEHEL @toni.emehel Cover Feature

BRELYN BOWMAN

GLEN WHITE @hearttosubmit Miracles Still Happen

@breefree Devotional

KRISTINA BOWMAN SMITH @kristinabowmansmith Fashion

AMANDA BROWN

MARQUITA MOORE

www.itsamandabrown.com Beauty

@howigrewtoday How I Grew Today

CHRISTINA JOHNSON & PHLYEA CARTER @designmyinvestment Design

BRITTANY MOORE

TARI COX

@bmoore_fit B.Fit

@xarcito Manna for the Mind

DEIDRE DASHAY @deidredashay Let Your Light Shine

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 5

The Lord's Prayer Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, For ever and ever.

Amen.

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EDITOR'S LETTER

God is truly a miracle worker.

Here I stand in awe, so blessed to share with you our very first issue of 2023! So much has happened since my last letter — a waiting period where I’ve seen God working so incredibly. All praise to Him, He has renewed my eyes and given me more clarity. When God gives you a vision, we often have to step out in faith, but that doesn’t mean we won’t face challenges and setbacks.

He often needs us to refine or hone the path to our purpose — in order to align with His plan. When He directed me to set this magazine in motion, I was so excited and made a host of decisions along the way, some that took us a bit off course. There’s no greater way than God’s way, and even when we get off track, God has a beautiful and intentional way of using all things for His good. No matter the test or trials, I encourage you to wait on Him, trust Him as I have, and He will Blow Your Mind as well! I’ve gained a fresh, new love for Mind Blowing Magazine. Now, it’s by no coincidence that I’m presenting to you “The Love & Relationships Issue.”

I’m so honored to introduce our cover star, the gorgeous Alexis Skyy. When she walks into a room, everyone stops and stares …. Yes! She's absolutely breathtaking, but her internal light shines

so bright. In her article she shares her new relationship with God and how He is transforming her from the inside out. Her story is so powerful and everyone can relate. I know you’ll be left feeling inspired and encouraged as I was. OMG!! Her cover feature spread is EVERYTHING. Alexis knows how to work that camera … lol … her photos are STUNNING! Oh, and if that’s not enough, we have as our “Let Your Light Shine'' feature the notorious Tai Beauchamp, a true powerhouse. And if that’s not enough, I am so excited to introduce to you our new contributors … Amanda Brown, Kristina Bowman Smith, Brittany Moore, Phylea Carter and Christina Johnson! All of these women are remarkable and have blessed me beyond measure; I’m so grateful!

Please be sure to also check out “Restoring Honor” by Brelyn Bowman. This devotional offers a beautiful teaching on marriage and how you can have a relationship with value and honor — it's the promise of God! What a peace to know that everything belongs to Him. When you have a relationship with God, you’ll continue to grow in His love, which will reflect in every relationship you have.

Thank you to every feature focus and contributor. And thank you to every reader — I pray you will hear the hearts of each contributor and experience many breakthrough moments. That’s what The MB Mag is all about, and I so appreciate all your love and support!

Stacy Sorrell-Moore EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 7

SEASONED

dialogue WITH LISA-MARIE

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GOD'S FAVOR

A native of the state of Georgia, Lisa-Marie has been married for 19 years and has three boys, ages 19, 18, and 14. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and currently is earning her master’s in Clinical Mental Health. For 13 years she has owned Photography by Lisa-Marie, and more recently, “Seasoned Dialogue,” a podcast about mental health, spiritual growth, healing, and life. On her social media accounts, she spreads awareness about life’s experiences through the lens of living with various ups and downs, using spoken word dialect. You can access “Seasoned Dialogue” with Lisa-Marie on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, and iHeart Radio.

Connect with SEASONED DIALOGUE IG: Seasoned_Dialogue YouTube: Seasoned Dialogue TikTok: Seasoned_Dialogue

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 9

WHAT MOMMY

Never Told You

BY ERICKA PITTMAN

Are you ready for something completely different? Here’s the message that may jump-start your life as you finally gain the focus and pathway forward you’ve been waiting for.

What Mommy Never Told You offers thought-provoking options to creating success in your life once you’ve done most of what society has told you to do as a girl. The book takes you on a woman’s journey beyond the general rules and guidelines of adolescence — opening up a point of view or broader lens for the possibilities for the next stage in life.

As society continues to accept women as equal power brokers, the rules are ever-changing.

While you can find numerous examples of phenomenal women who have achieved unprecedented success in business and even greater success in work-life balance, limited platforms exist for women embarking on their “next phase” of life. They learn etiquette, they get good grades in formative school, they achieve higher education, and they land a good job or a “good man”...

AND THEN WHAT?? NOW WHAT??? All the rulebooks go away? There is no more advice for us; it's like we’re on our own. But what if we want to move beyond our coordinator position, or stockbroker status, or full-time wife or parenting role. What do we do now? How do we do it?

What Mommy Never Told You is designed to inspire all women to courageously take on and accomplish the next great thing in their lives — acting with integrity and tenacity, insight and strength.

It’s a tough balance being a woman and a lady. It’s even tougher being powerful domestically and professionally.

Young women should have a point of view that allows them to laugh at themselves — the world around them and everything that society says is wrong about it all. Life is ONLY what each individual perceives it to be yet great nonetheless. Every human being should have the right to concur with their own powerful force. Even LADIES! 10 | MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE

The inspiration behind the concept derives from a consistent need in my personal life for direction. I have always been the “blind leading the blind” in my own life, with an unquenched thirst for success and crystallized understanding of what appears on the outside to be second nature for the boys. How do they just know how to play the game? It’s almost intuitive for the male counterpart to master his path to his next phase, while young women are increasingly creating paths that have rarely been traveled by women before them.

Ericka Pittman does not pretend to have the answers. What I do have is a series of experiences and a network of wonderful successful women who have experiences that we as a collective are willing to share with whoever is open to listening. What Mommy Never Told You is almost a virtual “Favorite Auntie” to women looking for empowerment and growth. The book will serve as a precursor to a series of extensions focusing on key areas of women’s lives. The extension publications will be simple, easy-to-read guidebooks on areas of life such as: • Personality and Relationships • Money and Finance • Vitality and Wellness • Networks and Charity For the past 18 years I have been in a fog about what to do next, who to be next, how to behave in the next situation, relying on my own personal intuition and interpretation of what I see the boys doing — “plussing” up with a feminine twist and hoping for the best. Oftentimes I have stubbed my toes, acquired a few bumps and bruises, and made a complete fool of myself, but through these experiences I learned what works and what doesn’t. If this memoir equips one young woman with the courage and know-how for what’s next in her life, then my bruises and scars were well worth it. We as women need guidance and, quite frankly, license to think beyond what conventional teaching has told us. We need the green light to GO in the boys’ world but still come home to our roles and coexist in both spaces authentically.

GOD'S FAVOR

You can find Erica’s book at the following link on Amazon: What Mommy Never Told You: A Woman's Guide to the Next Phase of Life | https://a.co/d/87NfeC3

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 11

April Daniels is

Making Room at The Girlfriend's Corner

THE GIRLFRIEND'S CORNER SUBMISSION Ladies, we want to hear from you! For a chance to be featured in The Girlfriend's Corner column for the MB Magazine! You don't have to be an author, just able to write a thorough story with an impactful takeaway relative to women. Your submission must range from 500-700 words saved as a PDF and accompanied by a high resolution image of yourself saved in Jpeg. We also need all of your social media handles and website if it applies. Email your assets to girlfriends@thebmag.com to be considered. We must receive all that's required to consider you for this feature. We thank you in advance for your submissions. Happy Writing!

XO,

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April

THE GIRLFRIEND'S CORNER

HOPE

TURNING FIBROIDS into

by Dr. Reneisha M. Randall

for The Girlfriend's Corner

I’m normally pretty private when it comes to my personal life, but about a year-and-a-half ago God revealed that nothing is off limits.

At least nothing that God can use for His glory and what I can use to give women knowledge, courage, perseverance, and most of all acceptance. I must admit, I continue to be amazed at what God does in my life. Even in the seasons that aren’t as comfortable, He keeps making a way.

I started my own business in January 2020 and named it BEthat!

THAT is an acronym for Thrive, Hope, Affirm, and Transcend.

BEthat! was founded in Orlando, Florida, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, to empower and equip youth, women, and professionals, giving them the tools, support, and resources they need to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally as they navigate through life.

My BEthat! mission has always been to empower and equip youth, women, and professionals to be Thriving, Hopeful, Affirming, and Transcending! Through individual and group mentorship, support training, and resources, we aim to change the narrative of how individuals view themselves by encouraging them to be their authentic self while helping them push through their adversities.

As passionate as I am about BEthat! the real test is when I encounter challenges and struggles that force me to discover a layer of myself I’ve never experienced and still empower others, even when I’m not sure what tomorrow holds. I, like so many other Black women, suffer from uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths that typically develop and grow in your uterus. They can affect so much from a woman’s reproductive system, producing long and extensive bleeding from menstrual periods, pelvic pain and pressure, frequent urination, and pain during sexual intercourse, to name a few. The fibroids range in size, which typically determines the pain level to an extent. Like many other ailments, Black women develop fibroids three times more often than other women.

I remember being told for the first time that I had fibroids. For some reason it didn’t seem like a huge deal at the time. Maybe it was

because I was young and they were smaller. I monitored them, but I guess because they weren’t bothering me or causing any discomfort, I disregarded it … until one day I was in excruciating pain. When I went to my primary care doctor, he immediately ordered a CT scan of the pelvic area. I remember being super nervous but wanted some relief. When I went in for my results, I remember him saying, “You gotta get these things removed ... the fibroids are literally pushing against your other organs, causing you tremendous pain; make an appointment with your gynecologist.” That’s exactly what I did. She then sent me to a specialist, where I had various tests performed to see the size and area of the uterus where the fibroids were located.

There I was having to think about the fact that I don’t have kids, and I still want that option although I’m 40 years old. What do kids look like for me, and is that something I still desire? Taking all that into consideration, I chose to have an abdominal myomectomy, which is different from a hysterectomy. I figured this would at least buy me some time in case the opportunity to have children happens within the next couple of years. So my doctor and I started setting everything up for me to have the operation.

I went into the hospital to have it, and guess what? The doctor canceled it because while I was under anesthesia, my heart rhythm changed, and the doctors wanted to be cautious. Listen, to say I was frustrated is an understatement. I was nervous, overwhelmed, and trying to figure out why this had happened in the midst of my tears.

This was my second attempt to have my fibroids removed. The first time Hurricane Ian hit Orlando, which is the city where I live, and now this.

During the second attempt, I was in the hospital two days. They ran every test you can name to see what may have caused the reaction from my heart. But guess what, ALL the tests came back normal, and I was cleared by the cardiologist to have the surgery (that’s shouting news).

Now, I’ve rescheduled my surgery for January 2023.* My prayer is that everything goes as planned, with no complications, in Jesus’ MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 13

name! I wanted to share my story to let women know that even when you find yourself in an unpredictable situation, God is still good and we must use our experiences and knowledge with others to perhaps help their journey be better than our own.

I hope this lets women know they are not alone, and that although we struggle with ailments like fibroids, the more we know, the better decisions we can make. I always say, don’t let what it looks like make you forget what God says.

We as women are left to figure out the best medical option for where we are in life. Here I am at 40 having to decide what I should do about uterine fibroids. I’m divorced with no kids and have never remarried.

I’m not sure if kids are in the deck for me or not, only God knows that, but what I do know is that regardless of whatever situation you find yourself, you can still Thrive, Hope, Affirm, and Transcend. You can still BEthat!

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In Hope, Dr. Roneisha M. Randall

*At the time of my submission of this letter, I hadn't yet had the surgery to remove the fibroids, but now I can tell you the results. Everything went well in January, and a total of 57 fibroids were removed. I’m so grateful and am feeling much healthier. I’m also gearing up for a health and wellness symposium I’m holding for women's health, which is slated for August 2023. God is good!

You can keep up with Dr. Randall's journey through one of her social media handles below: Instagram: @undeniablydrro Facebook: Roneisha Monyette Randall

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love.

EPHESIANS 3:14-17 Month 2020 | magazine.com | 15

new HEARTBEAT

NEWlife

by GLENN WHITE

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MIRACLES STILL HAPPEN

It's time to believe...

If you could close your eyes, wake up six days later, and find that God was giving you a happiness like you’d never known, would you let him? That’s exactly what happened to me three years ago. In spring 2020, death came for me, asking me to pay the check. At age 39, I went into cardiac arrest, flatlined, and died. When I closed my eyes that day, my life as I’d known it was essentially over.

Little did I know, but the symptoms I’d been experiencing for a few days turned into complete heart failure. My wife, Mikhail, with great concern raced me to the hospital. I was admitted through the emergency room, but it was too late. The day arrived that God was preparing for Mikhail and me as He brought me to my final hours as the man I once was.

That’s when I came face-to-face with a literal heart-change.

Ezekiel 36:26 says, “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put in you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

On April 29 that year, the day I died, that verse never became more real. My heart completely stopped for eight minutes ... a lifetime. Then in a string of profound miracles, the doctors recovered a faint heartbeat. A short while later, I died again for six minutes. Although everything for me went black, Mikhail remained strong in her faith, strong in her love for me and for God. Five years earlier she had vowed in sickness and in health” but was now staring down the barrel of “until death do us part.” Yet, through it all, she accepted whatever God had in store.

Even a future without me.

Mikhail trusted God as she made the decision alongside my doctors. They decided to give me a new heart — a transplant that ultimately saved my life. God guided my doctors and the hospital staff to move mountains as they raced against the loss of brain function and kidney failure. While I was

on life support, He propelled them to break every record previously held to save my life.

All this happened so I could be here to share the mysterious power and love of God. On May 4, 2020, He woke me up and said, “I give you this day and nothing more.” For the past three years now, I have been on a journey where I have truly learned what it means to say time is precious. At the time of that literal heart-change, I already had faith in Jesus as my Savior, but along with getting a new heart beating in my chest, another miracle happened, too.

I now realize that relationships — how we treat our kids, spouse, friends, co-workers — are the most important thing on the planet. It gave me new eyes to see and new ears to hear God. It’s all about where you spend your time and really what you love.

I went on to write a book called Heart to Submit that goes far more in-depth on God’s miracles, but what I would love to share is the gift of God’s love. The kind of love Mikhail consistently gave me throughout my recovery, which allowed me to spiritually heal. That’s the kind of love we’re called to give each other.

Like many marriages, when Mikhail and I embarked on that joyous occasion it was more about doing than sacrificing. Do they make me happy? Check. Do they make me laugh?

Check. Do they provide? Check. The list goes on, but what happens when we can no longer do those things? When the value you once had has been replaced by the hard times of life?

Through my heart transplant and recovery, God revealed for us that forever kind of love.

We can do nothing for Him, and we don’t need to work to earn His love. When I could no longer check all the boxes, I was essentially stripped bare: I could no longer be the hero in my own story. Self-sufficiency had killed me ... so now I had to rediscover who I was.

Some of us have defined ourselves by our careers, the brand names in our closets, our MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 17

"

THE FIRST STEP TOWARD LIFE IS

heart failure.

credit scores, cars and resumes, but that’s not His design. He wants you to know His love is freely given. Believe me, the heartbeat of His love will never fail, stop, or leave you. He wants to give you a new heart too, a full heart that knows His love ... and let me tell you, that’s great news!

My experience has been heart-stopping yet Life-giving. Now I want you to know that, like He did for me, He’ll transplant in you a joy, a sense of purpose, and all the time you need to live for Him. I’m thankful that I ultimately discovered an amazing truth: The First Step Toward Life Is Heart Failure.

To read all the details of Glen and Mikhail’s story, you’ll find Glen’s book, Heart to Submit: The First Step Toward Life Is Heart Failure, now available on Amazon.

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Month 2020 | magazine.com | 19

Morning

Mindset

with TAI BEAUCHAMP

by DEIDRE DASHAY

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G

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE od Morning, MB Mag Fam!!

This greeting is stated with the intention to help you focus your mind on a divine higher power. Proclaiming this greeting helps you elevate your heart, mind, and spirit. Yes, that’s right: we’re going deep to encounter the inner and outer beauty of the notorious Tai Beauchamp. The illustrious Tai is known as a host, founder, speaker, gatherer who elevates and empowers women. She’s most notably accomplishing that purpose by hosting Morning Mindset with Tai where she starts each morning going Live on Instagram with her greeting of God Morning and then closes the Live by illuminating an intention on which our minds can focus.

Tai Beauchamp would tell you she’s a vessel. “Many people, especially Black women, might think about a vessel being something that is used to pour into [something else]. And while I am that, I am also a receptacle of a vessel. I want and desire to receive, first and foremost. I desire to receive and be in the bosom of God where I feel held.” Tai is a powerfully purposed vessel, one that not only receives but also pours out. That purpose in her was recognized by her early on in life as a child. Oftentimes we as a people recognize our purpose as a child but we allow outside noise to distract us from the heart of that purpose. We become overwhelmed by the opinions of others, and we hold ourselves back from authentically sharing that purpose with others.

Tai was raised by powerful women, which in turn helped her to believe in herself and hold firm to her purpose. It was these women in her life that gave Tai a point of reference of understanding and being connected to God. Her grandmothers and her mother specifically are who helped her to understand that we have agency and fortitude even when we don’t necessarily believe we do. That fortitude also came as a product from attending an all girls high school, St. Vincent Academy in Newark, New Jersey. And then an all women’s college, Spelman College. It helped Tai to see not only our divine power, but then also our earthly brilliance and capacity. These experiences shaped her to be a person who is focused on making manifest that purpose on this earth. Tai’s purpose? To elevate and inspire people. To love people, and be a catalyst of love. She seeks to live purposefully daily and does not shy away from acknowledging that it’s not always easy, especially when you experience fatigue.

Tai’s catalyst for her journey into mental and physical wellness began because she experienced various points of burnout, depression, and uncertainty. She realized that if she did not own the agency that she has over her mind, body, and spirit, she would be unable to manifest her purpose. Tai began her career as a magazine editor. She was a beauty editor at Oprah Magazine and Seventeen Magazine. Tai also worked for an offshoot of Essence, was the editor-in-chief of Vibe Vixen Magazine, and then became a style ambassador for In Style.

Tai shares that, “I’ve always been connected to beauty and to women.

And at the time, because I was so young, I didn’t really have words for it. But I see that beauty is really a form of identity. And that’s how I see wellness. Even now. It is about identity.”

Tai had a very accelerated, fast tracked career with a lot of responsibility, a picture of many of our lives and especially the lives

of Black women; we’re capable and we do the most. And Tai did the most. She did the most with a great sense of pride in those seasons of her life. Tai would go on to a pressurized lifestyle, becoming a caregiver for her grandmother, starting a business, and experiencing anxiety and uncertainty as a result of her moving from New York to LA, which all led to her burnout. Now she’s trying to do the least with that same great sense of pride in a way that’s impactful. Tai also recognized that her spirituality was also a part of wellness. Her faith journey in the form of hiking was just as much of a catalyst to her overall wellness.

Tai began hiking every day because she was committed to her physical wellness. The stress of drinking and adding extra pounds had to go. She considered hiking not just a physical training but also a spiritual grounding for herself because through it she felt connected to God. Working out became her worship. It became her time to pray and a time to listen. Tai pointed out that hiking was also metaphorical for life. “It’s one foot after the other. You’re gonna have valleys.

You’re gonna have plateaus. You’re gonna reach a peak. It’s gonna be arduous. You’re not gonna be able to breathe. You’re gonna want to fall out. You might fall down. You might feel dusty. You might stub a toe. All these things … but if you have the ability to walk on this journey called life, you take a step. You hold, you breathe, you pace, and you take another step. You trust God in those steps. You ask God, which way do I go? How do I step? You pause, and you pray.”

Movement and understanding healing were important to Tai and MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 21

STAND IN YOUR

Power.

22 | MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE

her passion for women, especially our Black and brown women. Thus hiking became the catalyst for Morning Mindset with Tai to be launched and an avenue for her divine purpose to manifest. It also allowed her the platform for her to help women recognize their own divine purpose and calling. The monthly hikes she hosts are centered around women, but men are welcomed, too. The hikes provide a safe place to help the participants focus on the four pillars of Morning Mindset. Those four key pillars include 1) to affirm yourself 2) to move 3) to connect and 4) to reset. Tai goes on to explain, “It’s not just a hike. It’s an experience where you’re connecting with yourself, you’re connecting with your sister. You’re connecting with God. You’re affirming yourself. You’re affirming your tribe. You’re affirming your community.

You’re moving, you’re being active. God wants us active. And then we reset and ground ourselves because we also have to rest.”

Audaciously, Tai also joined with two of her Spelman sisters to found a fine, functional fragrance line during the pandemic called Brown Girl Jane. They use scent technology as the leading force to help women see themselves and create a sanctuary through scent. Tai shares, “It’s all neuro scientifically proven. We have 25 years of study that show the impact of the olfactory system and how it impacts our wellbeing.” She continues, “It's interesting because I went from beauty to wellness, and wellness is nothing but beauty on the inside.”

That inside beauty erupts from the vessel that is Tai Beauchamp. Her joy and passion for walking out her purpose prove evident in her tone and on her face. All the pivots she’s encountered became opportunities for her to challenge her thinking and perspectives.

Those pivots — along with her obedience to share authentically with her audience, every morning, the downloads that God shared with her — became the birth of her ministry.

Indeed, hers was a ministry that Tai was encouraged to recognize as such by three specific women who are powerhouse bosses in their own right. Tai, being the light that she is, had to give those three their flowers.

“It was very early before Morning Mindset started to take off. I was at the intersection of talking about wellness and fitness in mind, psychology, emotional wellbeing, and infusing spirituality. Faith is the biggest part of me. I honestly wasn’t trying to be

a pastor. I had a whole conversation with my pastor. I was like, ‘Well, I’m kind of interested in theology school and divinity school just because I wanna learn. I have all these things in my head, in my mind, about it.’ And these three women in particular helped me see how the Morning Mindset with Tai was my ministry: Shout out to Piera Gelardi, co-founder of Refinery29; Katia Beauchamp, founder of Birchbox and the CEO of Victoria Beckham Beauty; and Alex Williamson, who’s the former chief brand officer at Bumble.”

We shine brighter when we all shine together.

Connect with TAI BEAUCHAMP Join Morning Mindset with Tai LIVE every Monday through Thursday at 6:30 a.m. PST/9:30 a.m. EST for a spiritual supercharge for your day. You’ll be motivated and forever changed, thus cultivating the breeding ground to let YOUR light shine.

This is a prime example of why it’s imperative that, as women, we find our tribe.

Especially a tribe that allows for a healthy, loving relationship with people who really have the spirit of God. Surround yourself with people who are going to remind you of your greatness so you can step boldly into your next season. Everyone has a divine light within them.

Let go of doubt.

Let go of your worries.

Stand in your power.

Find your tribe at the crossroads.

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Community

Calling WITH MB MAGAZINE MB had the pleasure of supporting our very own Media Correspondent, Lorri Lofton at The 4th Annual Charlotte Brunch Festival at Pleasant Grove Farm.

Hundreds celebrated at the 4th Annual Charlotte Brunch Festival Powered

by Chandon Garden Spritz, where patrons celebrated everyone’s favorite pastime — a delicious, delightful brunch — while giving back to the community. Guests enjoyed live entertainment from Harvey Cummings, beverage sampling, and brunch bites crafted by local chefs and restaurants.

We are thrilled to support The Charlotte Brunch Festival, an event that has grown in numbers each year; a portion of the proceeds will benefit The Dean's List Black Woman in Media Award in honor of Cheslie Kryst as well as Faith in the City. + For more information, please visit www.cltbrunchfestival.com.

You can also follow them across all social media platforms: @cltbrunchfestival

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Alexis Skyy

by TONI E. EMEHEL

27

ALEXIS

SKYY

She has 5.5 million followers. The world can’t keep their eyes off her. Who is she? Known by most as Alexis Skyy, she is an acclaimed IG girl whose notoriety led her to an antagonistic role on VH1’s reality series: Love and Hip Hop Hollywood, Love and Hip Hop New York, and Love and Hip Hop Atlanta. But does all that really define who Alexis Skyy is?

For some the answer is a hard yes. For others the answer is a soft no. Then, there are a small few who after doing some research and soul searching might say, “It depends.” Regardless of which group you identify with, realize that to know who a person really is you have to know their heart. God knows the one — the one whom the world calls Alexis Skyy — as His own.

He calls her His beloved daughter. Before she became Alexis Skyy, she was known as Anastasia Nicole McFarland. Stepping outside of her identity, Anastasia created the pseudo name and persona of Alexis Skyy to allure, attract, and manufacture streams of revenue to produce a desired lifestyle. Guess what … it worked! Alexis experienced tremendous success in gaining access to the treasures of the world, but her soul felt hollowed.

On all accounts, Alexis Skyy is a “boss.” A woman who commands the 12x12 square of earth that she stands on … and yours, too, if you’d let her! She is a fighter. Armored. Combative yet alluring in her own right. Underneath the layers of Alexis Skyy’s colorful past is a blueprint for new believers, one that outlines the spiritual progression of change in how we think, how we speak, and how we live to the glory of God. Does her rededication to God mean that Alexis will never sin again? Absolutely not. The Bible tells us in 1 John 1:8 that, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” That’s why 28 | MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE

MB Magazine is so grateful for the opportunity to share Alexis Skyy with you. She is open. She is honest. And she is accepting of her relationship with God, regardless of the daily struggles that her commitment to the relationship presents. As Alexis shares her story, glean from her level of self-awareness and spiritual growth that she has achieved since she originally dedicated her life to Christ in November 2021. Since rededicating her life to Christ earlier this year, Alexis has come back strong, with increased understanding of the character of God, His grace, and His way.

When MB Magazine caught up with Alexis recently in the suburbs of Atlanta, we were reminded of three things: 1.

2.

3.

God’s gift of salvation doesn’t stop you from doing something; it frees you to do what God created you to do.

God qualifies a person to do His will based on what He has placed inside of them [to manifest what He desires to produce through their life].

God allows life experiences to cultivate character, build strength, and instill in you the courage to say “Yes.”

Now that Alexis Skyy has garnered the attention of more than 5.5 million followers, doing something common (accentuating sexuality to influence others), the question that remains for Alexis Skyy to answer is whether she will allow God’s power working in and through her to not only bring her out of darkness, but also to penetrate darkness and lead others to Him. May your faith be fueled through the sharing of her story.

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HER

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MB MAGAZINE: “Who was the primary spiritual leader in your life growing up?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “My grandma. I came from a good family. I grew up in a very strict household in Jamaica and attended school at a church until I was around the age of six or seven years old. My grandma always kept us in the church. It was very different than church in the United States. In Jamaica church has more rhythm to it. It’s hard to explain it, but the services are livelier in song and dance. Growing up, whenever things went wrong, my grandma would always pray. I was young then, and I did not really understand too much about God. I built my relationship with God as I got older.”

months]. Doctors told me that she wasn't going to ever be able to walk and that she wasn't ever going to talk. They told me that she would not be able to do a lot of things. I was like, ‘Okay.’ From that moment I started living in fear. All I could think was, ‘Wow. She's really not going to be able to do this or do that ...’ And then one day I was like, ‘You're going to walk!’ I started praying for her and kept praying. I told myself that I was going to keep praying, praying, and praying for God to do something.”

“Then one day I was sitting on my couch, and I was like, ‘God, please just give her the strength to use her legs to walk.’ Then, I put my hands on her and she walked.”

MB MAGAZINE: “When did you first start forming a relationship with God?”

MB MAGAZINE: “That’s quite amazing! How old was your daughter when she took her first steps?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Well, I returned to the United States when I was around seven years old. I built my relationship with God in my own time as I got older. As a child I didn't really understand much about God. I knew His presence was around me … but not really. I would ask questions like, ‘Where is God? Where is He at? I don't see Him.’ I knew of Him because I grew up in the church and because my grandma and my mom would always talk about, ‘God this and God that...’ But I was like, ‘Well, where is He? Why can't I talk to him like I'm talking to you?’”

ALEXIS SKYY: “She was two years old. She was well within the normal age range for children without complications to walk. She was crawling very well, but we could not get her to balance on her feet. I just kept praying, and then one day that I prayed we tried balancing her on her feet. I gave her a little push and she just went. She never stopped walking since that day. In that moment I was like, ‘God is real.’”

MB MAGAZINE: “What did that experience teach you about faith?”

MB MAGAZINE: “Let’s talk about that encounter.”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Prior to that moment, I always would be like, ‘Oh, I love God,’ but I didn't have faith in Him to know that He is able to do things, like heal people. So it was that moment that grew my faith and caused me to believe in Him. That moment showed me how powerful the tongue is. So now I just leave my worries to Him.”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Okay. I had my daughter prematurely [at five

MB MAGAZINE: “So, your daughter, Lay Lay is five years old now?

“I always believed in God, it wasn’t until I got much older that I had an encounter with God. That’s when I knew that He is real.”

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Have you consistently seen God move in her life as a result of your prayers?”

MB MAGAZINE: “Since being reconciled, has there been any change in your approach to parenting?”

ALEXIS SKYY: Yes. My daughter Alaiya Grace is five years old now. She has had four brain surgeries, but she’s still talking. That’s something that the doctors said that she would never do. She’s talking too much (jokingly)! She is a diva. I'm blessed that she's talking now.

When I hear her, I’m like, ‘I got to be thankful that my baby is even speaking given all the trauma that her brain has been through.’ I am thankful to see how much strength she has to be so young. She’s been through so much. She is a walking testimony.”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Things have drastically changed for me. The old Alexis was on mommy mode Monday through Thursday, cooking breakfast every morning and getting Alaiya ready for school by 7 a.m., and at noon I would have me-time. Around 1 p.m. I would switch back to mommy mode. During a typical week, I would be either catching a flight for work [filming or hosting events] on Thursday or Friday; then I would return home on Monday.”

“When she grows up she will be able to literally tell people that, ‘When I was a baby, doctors told my mom that I wasn’t ever going to be able to walk or talk. But look at what God has done for me!’ When I take her to church on Sunday, she be right in concert with everybody else, singing and talking about ‘Yes, Jesus! Yes!’ My baby has that anointing on her.”

MB MAGAZINE: “I saw that during one of your recent Bible studies, she kept declaring with excitement, ‘God is everything!’ You are setting a fine example for her through your life. The Bible encourages us to ‘Train up a child in the way they should go and when they get old, they will not depart from it.’ So, it’s refreshing to see how you are training Alaiya. What are you teaching her about developing a prayer life?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Praying has always been a thing for me. However, I had to learn how to be consistent with praying and not just praying when things were going wrong. I had to start praying every day, versus saying, ‘Hey, God. It's me today. I'm upset because of …’ Now, I just wake up and thank God for even waking me up. Prayer has become a constant in my life. It’s a habit, and Alaiya gets to see this in me every day.”

“Now that I have given up a lot of things, I’m able to be a full-time mom to my daughter.”

MB MAGAZINE: “How do you feel about that?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “I’m excited. I have my daughter with me seven days a week now, and I’m working on getting her passport. So, if I do want to take a little trip somewhere, I’m taking my baby with me.

I want to do things differently. I think it’s important that she gets the time she needs with me because her father is not present. I don’t want her to grow up feeling like, ‘My mom wasn't there and my dad was not there, so my grandma is raising me.’ I also don’t want her to be confused by a mom who comes in and out of her life, whom she does not get a chance to know. Even now she tells me, ‘Mommy, I want to come.’ She is at an age now where she can travel with me. So, I'm like, ‘You know what? It's me and you, baby. Why not?’”

MB MAGAZINE: “Now that you have made this transition in your life, is there anything you are afraid of?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Everything.”

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"

SELF-LOVE. SELF-CARE. BUILDING MY CONNECTION & MY RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO WHERE

GOD is first..

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HER GOD

&

MB MAGAZINE: “Let’s unpack that.”

ALEXIS SKYY: “I can't lie. On this journey I wake up in a different emotion every day. I started this journey over a year ago, but I turned back. Like, I wake up crying one day and I wake up happy the next. A lot of what I was feeling early on was depression. I felt like I couldn’t find peace. Having peace is what is most important to me. I’ve been patient and obedient for the past four months because I know in the end the reward is going to be overwhelming. There are going to be blessings that overflow in my life.”

“I knew that the transition would not be easy, but I’m at peace with myself now. I have to stop living in fear and start having faith because for so many years I was living in fear of how I am going to make money if I don't go do this [host events, take sexy pics, and post on social media] … or if I don't have this [designer shoes, handbags, diamonds, cars, etc.]. So now I’m just trusting God. New Year’s 2023 was my last booking. I don’t host events anymore, and I gave up liquor [jokingly].

Seriously, I was an alcoholic. I used liquor to drink my problems away.

That was the thing I knew would help me cope with issues. It would be either drugs or liquor.”

MB MAGAZINE: “What was the main issue that caused you to drink or do drugs?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Men. Men were my downfall. I was always having issues with relationships. Just not being treated right. I had everything in this world, like the bags, the shoes, the cars, but I was just like an empty soul. I would wake up miserable. Angry at the world for no reason. I was always angry. Nothing around me was blossoming. Everything around me was dead.”

“My relationship with my family was always in confusion. The money I was making was not blessed. Hosting was like sitting in the devil’s den, partying with people, getting drunk, and doing what the devil wanted me to do. The devil used me to influence other girls to do the same thing I was doing. I got paid to do that, too. Twelve thousand dollars here and another twelve thousand there … the money was easy, and it just kept coming. It felt good, so I kept going after it, not knowing it was just a trap.”

“So that’s what surrounded me. I was running from it.”

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 37

"

I'm at peace with myself now.

I have to stop living in fear

& START LIVING

in faith...

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HER in

healing MB MAGAZINE: “Do you miss any of it?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Absolutely not. I haven’t made money from OnlyFans or hosting in like four months. Not a dollar.

MB MAGAZINE: “How has God sustained you?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “I saved money from when I was working. Now I’m reinvesting that money and turning it into clean money. I have a Christian clothing brand that I’m about to launch, and I have a 90-day prayer journal, Daily Soft Life with Her and God, that is available in digital and print format. So, I’m turning my pain into purpose.”

MB MAGAZINE: “Let’s talk about next steps. What does that look like for you?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “Self-love. Self-care. Building my connection and my relationship with God to where God is first. That way I can continue this path. I need to block out all distractions right now. I don’t want anybody to come into my life and knock me back down or distract me and pull me backwards. I need to just focus on Alexis and my daughter.”

“I’m 28 years old. For the last 10 years of my life men have been my downfall. So, I have no plans on dating. I need to detox from guys and sex. I shouldn’t be having sex before marriage anyway. Especially now that I have changed my life. I don’t really listen to rap music anymore.

I don’t have anything against it. It’s just that my ears won’t accept me

listening to it anymore.”

“Even my patience has changed. I used to have a bad temper. I would snap. Now, I feel that I’ve always been a sweet person, but I had my ways. I could be a little snobby when I wanted to be, but now I have just left that energy alone. It’s not in my spirit at all no more to be like that toward anybody. I also stopped cursing. I used to curse a lot. Even though people around me are trying to stop cursing. We have this thing like, (laughing) ‘You curse, you got to give me $20!’ So yeah. My life has really changed.”

MB MAGAZINE: “What legacy would you like to leave for your daughter?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “I want the best for her when she grows up. I created a company for her called KoKo Mi. We provide “mommy and me” products like shampoo, conditioner, and hair drops, and we’re working on developing hair bonnets for kids who have been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which is a condition that my daughter was diagnosed with, and for kids who have cancer. It’s not easy raising a child with special needs or a kid that has cancer. So, we’re trying to tap into that awareness. My plan is to leave that business for my daughter and her kids to carry forward.”

MB MAGAZINE: “What's next for you in your faith walk?”

ALEXIS SKYY: “I don’t know. I’m just waking up and I’m just asking God, ‘What do I do now? What’s next?’ Every day is something new.

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see GOD in HER

Here’s the reality: there’s nothing special or out-of-the-ordinary about Alexis Skyy dedicating her life to Christ. People from all walks of life do it every day. In fact, this work of God’s grace is what should be expected as a result of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As much as some seem to think that Christianity is trending among well-known socialites and public figures who are professing their faith in God recently — sharing similar stories, taking comparable steps, publicly declaring their faith through baptism (which Alexis intends to do on her 29th birthday this year) — remain assured that God’s Word lays any concerns to rest, telling us in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

The life of a believer becomes even more special when others can see God’s handiwork in their lives — a molding of their heart, a change in their actions — which the Lord so beautifully commends. Alexis Skyy is well on her way, putting in the work so others can see: she’s a new creation in God. All the changes that she has professed represent the basic first steps and signs of entering a new relationship with God. But when the habits and routines that she has set in place really start to root and blossom into a life of being led by the Spirit of God, in all facets of her life … LOOK OUT, DEVIL! Before the internet, the work of salvation in the life of a new follower of Christ took place in the limited sight of family, friends, and the “church folk” in the church that the new believer attended.

Now, with twenty-first century broadband internet and social media capabilities, MB Magazine and its readers are allowed to rally around Alexis and her daughter in prayer and in faith that God will continue to perfect the work which He has begun. May His blessings and kindness be their portion. We rejoice in celebration of the miraculous change that is unfolding in their lives.

For daily inspiration and the latest information on how you can grow in your faith alongside Alexis Skyy in guided Bible study sessions, follow @herinhealing on Instagram or visit www.herandgod.com.

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settle

HERE: The Only Work Required of Us to Receive What Was Required of Him

by Tari Cox There’s something special about finding a place to settle.

Not just stay, but settle.

When the moment of carrying finally ceases.

When the anchor of your soul lands once and for all.

The comprehension that the only work to be done is no work to be done.

The moment where breath, revelation, and the Lord’s unfathomable assurance that you are safe all collide.

The moment you realize the only deed to be fulfilled is to receive that which already has been afforded to you.

This is the love of Jesus Christ — a class of love that only He could offer.

So here goes the shape-shifting, unspoken tussle for many of us, in diverse moments, in multiple ways.

Whether it’s during the invitation to salvation — amid the bombarding, intimidating concern of how your imperfections will be perfected through Him. Or the moment where grace awaits to be poured out after the sting of temptation won.

Or the rehearsal in the number of days it’s been since you’ve communed in the secret place with the Father.

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MANNA FOR THE MIND Or the moment of desperation that your moral compass will be informed or illumined by His, not by what you feel it should be.

The constant here in these moments and others similarly experienced is often this subtle thought: we must stay. Meaning, to our detriment, we think we must work under our own power.

We think we must keep to ourselves. Meaning, we isolate from the help others can seek to lend us.

We think we must dig through our arsenal to find something, anything, to put ourselves back in position to be worthy again.

Somehow in knowing the vastness of the finished work of the cross, we cannot fathom that there’s any way, any sheer possibility, that we could ever offer anything at all to fulfill what was necessary on our behalf.

“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become righteousness of God. —2 CORINTHIANS 5:21 ESV May we lean deeper into the moments that try to intimidate us out of receiving His love.

May we find comfort in knowing that, beyond knowing the priceless love of Christ, He desires for us to find confidence in it.

In the daily understanding of the fragility of our human nature, may we seek to apply His truth and the demand to apply His love, as much as the demand for righteousness.

May we know that there remains no work to be done but to receive what has already been done.

The one requirement.

Fulfilled in total.

His name is Jesus.

—ISAIAH 64:6 ESV The Scripture above does not negate that we are capable of producing righteous deeds in sight to please the Lord, but rather it points out that they are simply ineffective for our sustainment in Him. And based on this, we can conclude that God, too, knew that righteousness can be outlived by those who choose to live a life that honors Him, but not enough to save us in this life.

For one to receive such a gift, such an immeasurable amount of love, a person must humble themselves to the place of inefficiency, but not to one of no value or worth.

One must become aware that there can be both frustration and gratitude in knowing that we will never achieve right standing with Him, apart from receiving what was required of Him. One must choose to take the Father at His word, in that there was a requirement that He saw not only fit but also necessary in design, accounting for everything that had yet to be or become.

And yet these moments of realization and revelation, too, can only be experienced by receiving every part of a loving Father, who longs to explain.

Who longs to share who He is, just as much as He longs for us to understand.

For those of us that belong to them, there is a constant need for reassurance that can only be provided by Him of this: the only work required for us is to receive what was required of Him. MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 47

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Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

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DESIGN my INVESTMENT

by Christina Johnson & Phylea Carter

ABOUT DMI Christina Johnson and Phylea Carter established their Atlanta-based interior design firm, Design My Investment (DMI), during the pandemic. Can you believe it? That timing set the foundation for these two dynamic women to come together, blend the best of their determined personalities, and offer superior design options that beautifully “wow” and enamor their clients.

As Christina grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, she’s mostly a country girl. Phylea grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, part of a bustling metropolis. Put the two together and they bring clients the best of both worlds. Southern comfort meets big city vitality, an amazing partnership of style, class, warmth, and hospitality.

Certainly, Christina is a ball of energy while Phe (pronounced “Fee” as she is passionately called) expertly steadies the ship with balance and serenity. They’re a dynamic duo who work together to curate the most stunning of spaces. Together they have accrued over 30 years of experience in the interior design business.

This dream team definitely utilizes fashion as a template to design and believes fashion and design go hand-in-hand.

Although all their design elements are current, stylish, and fly, the spaces they curate are classic and timeless. Their design work stretches past the walls of Georgia and can be seen in many other cities as well. They bring clients an amazing global team!

OUR CONTRIBUTION What’s awesome is that we’re sometimes hired just based on how others see us as stylish and innovative. Not only do we turn heads with fashion, but we also blow minds with our dope designs. Every outfit has a foundation, a starting point if you will. Design is no different.

Your pants, skirt, shirt, or dress are equivalent to picking a sofa and drapes. Our accessories always take our outfits up a notch or two! Throw pillows and coffee table books set the tone for accessorizing a completed room.

Spring and summer are perfect seasons to bring about newness and environmental changes in your home or place of business.

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DESIGN

They bring a new energy that invites colorful aesthetics, making you want to entertain and enjoy your space. Spring is also a great time to clean, refresh, and declutter. We know this theory is true because it’s our busiest time of year. Our work load ranges from full renovations to simpler aesthetic enhancements. No matter how detailed or minimal the job, we never lose sight of what we consider gospel here at DMI. First, lighting is the jewelry to any room, just as important as a functional piece of furniture. We will never forget to dress your walls, even the fifth one; don’t forget to look up! Your ceiling is a wall, too. Lastly, no space is complete without greenery. Plant life in every room!

that hanging accessory because it’s the center of the space! We love mixing metals but suggest that, if you’re new to decorating, you try to stay within the same color palette. No matter your space or situation, DMI can help you obtain that fresh WOW factor as you live, work, or play in comfort.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE SOME WAYS TO SPRUCE UP YOUR SPACE for spring and summer. One of the biggest ways we change the face of a space is to update the lighting. Whether you’re entertaining, working, or just relaxing, the lighting proves key to the room’s tone and mood. We make sure adequate LED cans bring out the brightness, and we always put our lights on dimmers so you’re in control in setting the mood. Some people might opt for ceiling fans, but we prefer a stunning piece of what we call “room jewelry.” Chandeliers are eye candy and a beautiful way to change the room’s entire trajectory. The chandelier you choose often depends on the space’s other furniture pieces and how the lighting accents them. When your family or guests walk in, their eyes go straight to MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 51

Restoring

YOUR HONOR

by Brelyn Bowman

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I

DEVOTIONAL

t seems inevitable: When you have something for a while or are around someone for a while, you lose sight of the value. We tend to lose our adoration for the thing once new to us, allowing a sense of familiarity to set in. We get used to the object or person, and the sense of care once offered declines. We essentially become lax in honoring that person or object.

created a relationship absent of honor. The first step in restoring honor is to acknowledge its absence, repenting to God and to your spouse. This will help your spouse become more vulnerable to you, giving you grace in your new walk. You can have a relationship with value and honor — it’s a God promise!

One of the major contributors to growth in our relationships with our spouses is being mindful not to lose sight of their value. The reason our spouses are in our lives is because God strategically placed them there.

Father, I repent for not honoring my spouse the way in which you have instructed me. Lord, I ask that you reveal to me the value of my spouse and help me to keep the purpose of our relationship at the forefront of my mind. When I’m not hitting the mark, I ask that You lead and guide me. I thank You that our relationship is one that honors You and each other. May our relationship be one You can use to show others your glory on the earth. Amen.

Valuing our spouse is the only way we’ll remain mindful of the honor due in the relationship. When value decreases, so do our efforts, causing other areas of the relationship to decline. Think about it: When you first connected with your spouse, you did so many things to impress one another. Maybe it was small but still impactful; you went above and beyond because you wanted to show them just how much you honored them. You wanted them to feel special because it was important to you.

You acknowledged the value they brought to your life, and you didn’t want to live without them.

In Mark 6, the Bible talks about how a prophet is without honor in his own hometown and amongst his relatives. The Bible continues on to say that because of this reason, Jesus wasn’t able to do any miracles there. This refers to that familiar spirit that often causes us to view those closest to us (friends, family, colleagues) as common: “Oh, that’s just (so and so).”

PRAYER

REFLECTION QUESTIONS 1. What are some ways I can show my spouse that I honor them?

2. What safeguards can I put in place to ensure that my value for my spouse does not decline?

3. What is the purpose of our relationship?

I’d like to propose that the miracle you’re missing in your relationship is not therapy, not flowers, not love making, not a date night (although those things help tremendously). The miracle you need is honor.

Restoring honor requires determination and dedication. I’ll be married for eight years in October, and one of the ways I remember whom I married and to remind myself of my husband’s value is to look at our wedding memories. Looking at photos prompts me to instantly remember the commitment I made to honor him. Regardless of whether or not he’s doing everything right, or regardless if your marriage feels top tier, he is always top tier because he belongs to God. The late, great Dr. Miles Munroe once said, “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” I often ask God to help me keep the purpose of my relationship at the forefront of my mind because I don’t ever want to abuse what He has given me. Yes, we all fall short of the mark, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay there. Maybe that’s where you are — you’ve missed the mark, and it’s MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 53

WHICH WORKOUT

Works Best?

by BRITTANY MOORE

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B.FIT Just because you’re sweaty or sore after a group fitness class or workout doesn’t mean you’ll see great results. Research shows the motto “one size fits all” doesn’t apply to fitness. Since the pandemic, the access to fitness programs and follow-along, at-home workouts has increased.

Which is great, considering instructors can reach and connect with more people virtually in hopes to keep them physically active. But if we have more access to workouts, why is a steady increase evident in the obesity of not just adults but also children and teens in the U.S.?

According to a survey by the American Psychological Association’s 2022 “Stress in America,” 47% of adults said they’ve been less active since the pandemic, and 58% have experienced undesired weight changes. So does this mean fitness is just for a small group of people?

NO. Being physically active has shown to reduce your risk of disease and unhealthy weight gain, strengthen your bones and muscles, and improve your ability to perform everyday activities.

Different factors such as your lifestyle, body structure, health history, fitness level, and goals are all things to consider before starting any fitness program. Also, ensure that the coach or trainer giving you information has the proper credentials to program a safe, effective

workout for you. In addition, any program you start should always incorporate the following movement patterns on a weekly basis: • Push (chest, triceps, shoulders) • Pull (back & biceps) • Squat (knee dominant) • Hip Hinge (hip dominant) • Carry • Lunge Each of these exercises play a role in your everyday life. For example, a carry can resemble you carrying groceries from the car into your home. Or a squat when you’re getting in and out of a chair.

All these movements have different variations, and that’s why it’s important to understand your fitness goals and to share any past health issues or limitations with your trainer.

Keeping in mind the importance of physical activity and selecting a great trainer, let’s identify your six main movement patterns and alternatives to more advanced movements.

1. BARBELL BENCH PRESS (ADVANCED) & DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS (BEGINNER)

2. BARBELL ROW (ADVANCED) & SINGLE ARM DUMBBELL ROW (BEGINNER)

CUES: Barbell bench press is a great push exercise for your chest.

However, starting with dumbbell chest press will help you build your unilateral strength, all while providing a better option for shoulder health.

CUES: Performing a three-stance dumbbell row before a barbell row gives you the benefit of safely learning how to sit into your hips, allows you to work through a full range of motion within the shoulder joint, and protects your lower back while rowing the dumbbell up and controlling it on the way down.

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3. BARBELL SQUAT (ADVANCED) & GOBLET SQUAT (BEGINNER) CUES: Barbell squat is a very advanced exercise, and you want to ensure you not only have quad strength, but both ankle and hip mobility to safely move the bar as well. So, starting with a goblet squat is great because the weight is in front you, which gives you better stability.

4. BARBELL DEADLIFT (ADVANCED) & KB DEADLIFT (BEGINNER) CUES: The largest difference between these exercises is the placement of the weight. Starting with the weight by your side versus in the front of your body will help you learn how to properly brace your core and protect your lower back while lifting heavy weight.

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5. KB CARRY CUES: Carries are the perfect way to challenge your core, grip strength, and full body stability as you begin to walk with the weight. But before picking up the weight, ensure that your ribs and hips are stacked over each other, brace your core, and take small steps. To make this movement more advanced, increase the weight and distance you walk.

6. BULGARIAN LUNGE (ADVANCED) & LUNGE (BEGINNER) CUES: The Bulgarian lunge is amazing for single leg strength, hypertrophy, and stability. But performing a lunge with both legs on the ground first will give a base and help you improve your stability before moving to a more single leg advanced exercise such as the Bulgarian lunge and/or increase your weight. + Remember many different variations of each movement pattern are options. Just ensure you perform the variation of that pattern that doesn’t cause any pain while performing the exercise.

Every day is a great day to have a blessed day.

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 57

THE LOVE

I KNOW

by Marquita Moore

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SPIRIT

10:06 a.m.

How I grew today.

My son River knows beyond a shadow of doubt that he can depend on me. He knows I love him. He trusts me. That trust and his knowing of my love for him never waivers. When I tell him something, he has no doubt. He follows me. Do I feel this way about my heavenly Father? Do I trust Him in this way? Do I depend on Him for everything? The Bible tells me of God’s love for me, but do I believe it?

I believe God moves us from “general studies” to "intensive courses" that allow us to delve deeper into His character and develop our relationship with Him, and in turn, this new growth transforms the way we live this earthly life. I believe He takes us through each Fruit of the Spirit and gives us the opportunity to become specialists in each on how to love.

And as we move deeper into our relationship with Him and these “intensives” begin anew (sometimes without warning), sometimes it can feel like we are back to zero and know nothing, not even what we learned in our general studies. This zeroed-out feeling is a signal that our soil (our consciousness) is ready for new seeds of truth to be planted so that we can produce an expanded version / vision / understanding of the Fruit.

One day recently, I woke up feeling the divide between what I say and what I believe about God’s love for me. I was zeroed out, and it was time for me to take that intensive course on love.

I felt the spaces of disbelief in my heart. I didn't want to believe they were there. But as I prayed for my spiritual sight to open more so I could access a higher dimension of walking with God, those spaces rose to the top, and continuing to ignore them was not an option.

Here I was encouraging others about the love God has for us, and while I believe this, I could feel where there was darkness (ignorance) covering my awareness of the depth of His love for me.

It was time for the gap to close.

So on this day, distrust and a lack of understanding of His love for me consumed my heart. And it was all I could think of, all I wanted to understand. I no longer wanted to relate to Him through this charade.

I had to see why I was so insecure in my relationship with Him. Why I couldn’t grasp how wide and deep His love is and will always be for me.

I had to see why I didn’t believe He could love me beyond my mistakes.

I had to see where I thought of His love as transactional — where I was more focused on what I needed to do to prove to Him I was worthy of receiving His love. I thought I had to earn it, in a type of love exchange. If I was good, and I followed the rules perfectly, only then would He, could He, reward me with His love.

I had to see why I didn’t think He loved me personally, not just in general, but me. Why couldn’t I embrace the truth that He has a vested interest in me? I had to see why I didn’t believe that.

I had to see why I placed His ability to love me on the same scale that I placed any human’s love — because even the most loving, righteous, and healed human's capacity to love does not even come close. His love is even so far beyond that. Why didn’t I believe that truth?

My image of God and knowledge of His love were due for an overhaul, and it all began to shift for me when I realized that understanding His love for me was what I needed to focus on during this time, at this pivotal stage of elevation. I needed deeper revelation. And when I could meditate on how much He loves me, and allow it to penetrate my heart, my doubts about His love for me disappeared. A bold, fresh, supernatural confidence arose in me — I started to walk differently, ha! — and I was able to view our relationship and claim it, all in a new way.

I then realized that if I could receive this amount of love, it would change how I loved myself and my capacity to love others. I began to witness how powerful, cleansing, and restorative His love is.

It took me some time to get comfortable with who God has created me to be, to love myself, and to accept that He loves His creation. I was so hungry for love from the world that I was okay with chasing after this empty kind of love. I was ok with living parched, thirsty, exhausted, starving and stingy from the lack of God’s pure love.

So finally, the understanding of His love for me gave me rest, filled me up, and made me generous.

Jesus loves me, this I NOW know.

This is

May it help you grow in some way.

I had to see why I didn’t trust Him because love and trust go hand in hand. And if I’m questioning His love for me, how can I say I trust Him? How can He trust me?

I had to see why I didn’t believe His love could see past my limitations and love me anyway.

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 59

THE

1

CLASSICS

by Amanda Brown

HOW old were you when you picked up your first makeup tool/product? Can you remember what it smelled and felt like applying your first lipstick or eyeshadow? That classic smell of mica mixed with aromatic fragrance brings back nostalgic memories. And although some may see makeup as a trendy hobby for the younger generations, today, we see women all over the world using makeup as a very powerful self-care tool because it allows us to spend quality time with ourselves. And that quality time has the ability to not only enhance our outer beauty, but our confidence, self image and self worth as well.

MAKEUP, as an art form, has been around for ages, dating back to ancient Egyptian and Asian times. Classic looks that have stood the test of time still grace the faces of celebs young and old even today. Let’s take a look at 3 classic makeup looks and delve into the products needed to achieve these looks.

2

THE FIRST and most classic look is the bold lip and winged eyeliner.

This look is for the girl who isn’t afraid to be seen. It’s definitely created to turn some heads. To create this look, apply your favorite red lipstick, like the Fenty Beauty lip paint in the color "Stunna." (1) Then, apply your favorite liquid eyeliner (2) with a fine tip to create that sharp cat eye effect. You can also soften this look a bit by smudging your eyeliner with a matte black eyeshadow, like carbon black by MAC cosmetics (3). Switch out the red for a bright pink lipstick (10) for a more youthful effect. Either way, you can rest assured that this staple look has been with us for ages and she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Rock this look on a night out or even a daytime wedding/event.

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3

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4

BEAUTY

5

THE SECOND classic style is going to be the monochromatic look. This look usually pairs a nude lip with a neutral yet enhanced eye. The shades differ depending on skin tone so you'll want to go for an eyeshadow palette with several brown/neutral shades like the Tarte Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette (4). The browns, tans and taupe colors are designed to create a look that enhances the natural features of the eyes and face. Pair that with a nude lip like Hazelnut Beige by Gucci (5). This look enhances any dullness in the face and can be worn day or night.

6

7

8 9

THE THIRD The third look is that dewy skin less is more type of look. We’ve seen this look on the likes of stars and celebs in the more recent years when the makeup trends transitioned from bold/ dark colors to more natural, clean and fresh. Achieving this look would entail a more radiant foundation, like the Armani Luminous Silk (6), accompanied by a bushy natural brow, bold lashes, and a bronze toned matte blush, like Burnt Pepper by MAC (8), that enhances the natural skin tone. You'll want to apply a natural lip for this look. Some even opt for a lip balm or clear gloss (9). Top it off with a glowing highlight, like Laura Mercier's face illuminator (7) in the color Indiscretion. This will give the appearance of sun kissed skin whether indoors or out. The great thing about this look is it is outdoor friendly so you can rock this look all spring/summer, and even poolside! Any one of these looks are great to add or have in your makeup repertoire. And you're really a pro if you can master all three! Now that you're equipped with everything you need, and in light of our love and relationships issue, go ahead and grab your makeup kit and refresh your makeup with one of these classic and timeless looks!

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God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

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SPRINGMix THE

FASHION

Kristina Styled It!

Spring 2023 ith is bursting w e ob dr ar trendy w s ve ha tmus

Regal Dangle Earring $42 shopharperray.com

Accesories available at shopharperray.com

SPRING BLING Classic jewelry trends will never go out of style. Stackable tennis bracelets and necklaces are stealing all of the shine in 2023. Pair them with your favorite statement earrings and tennis rings for a winning combo.

Shopharperray.com has all the bling you need to shine all Spring.

THE MAIN FOCUS Be the main attraction with this tweed Joel Blazer Dress $695, Cinqasept.nyc. Adorned with faux pearl embellishments, this double-breasted dress is perfect for brunch with the ladies or a date night with your beau. Paired with these chic metallic stiletto boots (Zuria Heeled Boot, $47. Justfab.com) for the perfect amount of glow to steal the show. ​​Photography: Quatiece Salter @lxvemedia | Hair: Malika Goins @ beautywithmalika | MUA: Moriah Mierre @beatbymo Wardrobe: Kristina Smith @kristinabowmansmith | Style Assistant: Nadia Streeter @nadiaandcompany

MINI TRENDS Here to stay? These 90's trend mini top handle bags made their come back in 2019 and they look like they're here to stay! This Neon Green Mini Grand ($100 hausofsy.myshopify.com) is an affordable luxury item must-have for Spring/Summer 2023.

SHADY BUSINESS We mean business! Shady business that is! Achieve this highend look on a budget with these rectangular, mirrored fashion shades. A statement piece that is guaranteed to turn heads all Spring and Summer. Vanlinker Store, $16. Amazon.com

MIXING HIGH & LOW Mixing High-end Designer pieces with affordable trendy finds is winning recipe for every fashion savvy individual on a budget. Spring 2023 is bursting with trendy wardrobe must-haves that marry perfectly with staple items as well those high ticket garments dominating your closet. When paired correctly, these high-low mixed goodies are sure to elevate you to show stopper status!

MINDBLOWING MAGAZINE | 63

Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I need and want Your forgiveness. I accept Your death as the penalty for my sin, and recognize that Your mercy and grace is a gift You offer to me because of Your great love, not based on anything I have done. Cleanse me and make me Your child. By faith I receive You into my heart as the Son of God and as Savior and Lord of my life. From now on, help me live for You, with You in control.

In Your precious name, Amen "That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9) .

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