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#Sunday’s Thought: My Time vs. HIS Time

Published on March 11, 2018March 8, 2018 by Roshonda B3 Comments

Okay, so first let me start off by saying – this is definitely not a post to make anyone feel bad about their current “God” status because we all have fallen, made mistakes, still trying to get it together and so forth, however; there might be a couple of tips within the post that could help you pencil God in on your daily schedule….so, let’s go….

Now I know it sounds funny to say “We have to pencil God In” – because in reality I guess we really shouldn’t have to do that or feel as though that’s an awkward comment to say about the “creator of the universe” but unless you’re totally unplugged from the world and the things that are going on in it, then finding a time to pencil God into your busy day, doesn’t sound so bad at all. Let’s face it, we’re all busy and have a ton of things going on as well as a whole bunch of appointments to keep in mind that we all have to make it too.

Sometimes life for me can get so busy with the everyday mundane until all I can do most days is give God a quick “Thank you Lord” in the morning while rushing out the door or going down the highway to work or gym class. I always propose to spend time with him at night, but by the time I get home from a long day – cook, clean, sign a bunch of papers from school, entertain my kids conversations and check homework it’s already 9pm! I get in the bed with every intention on at least reading a scripture but always get stung by that sleep bug…..every….single….time…

Soon, something had to give – It’s not like I don’t realize how important God is in my life and yes, I do love him but….I just couldn’t find the right time in the day to spend the most valuable time with him, outside of going to sleep or having any and every other busy thing to get in the way. I never had a problem with making time with friends whom wanted to do lunch or even going to the gym; I even make time every week to have a fun night with my two kids, so what was missing and how come I couldn’t seem to find the time to do this with God? That’s when I suddenly had an epiphany….I need to put God on a schedule just as I do everything else….I have to be honest though, I really never liked doing that because I always felt like God wouldn’t value my time because it almost felt like I was “giving” him a specific time with every other busy thing in my life but I knew that if I wanted to get that time in with him, I had to come up with a solution to get it done.

So, listed below are a couple of tips that I use to get that valuable time In:

1. Set A Good Time:

Set a time aside for God when you’re energetic and energized. This totally depends on the time of day, some people are morning people and some are night owls – choose which time of day works best for you and stick with it. My time of day is the early morning hours (4:30am – 6:30am) because that’s when I know I can give God my best.

2. Have An Agenda

Plan your work and work your plan! You want to have a set system when you go into God’s presence, I’ll elaborate…You wouldn’t enter a boardroom to give a presentation off the top of your head and you sure wouldn’t go into it unprepared, it’s the same way with God, knowing what you’re going to do is great, in other words – will the first 15min be prayer? 15min of worship and the last 30 minutes will be for reading/studying? The last thing you want to do is sit there and pray, only to fall asleep.

3. Don’t Be Selfish – Pick A Topic

Trust me, God already knows your need, desires and wants and yes, it’s good to share those things with him but you don’t want your whole time to be about YOU! Think of the many things that are going on in the world today, pick a topic to pray for and focus on it, you don’t want to get overwhelmed with all the concerns of the world. God may lead you to pray for the sick children and their parents whom are in the hospital at this time, so allow that to be your prayer focus. You might have a different topic the following day.

4. Turn Off all Devices

In this tech savvy world, I know that’s a difficult thing to do in most cases but hey, look at it this way – if you were eating dinner with one of your favorite celebrities and it was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity that you were only going to get once; would you be on the phone talking, tweeting or so forth? Just as we give our time and attention to people we feel like have value, that’s the same attitude we must have for God. I once told my Sunday School class that Jesus was actually the first celebrity to grace the earth = )

5. Start Small and Work Up!

I think the number one thing that trips people up is the fact that they feel like they have to spend an hour to 15 hours with God; let me tell you – it doesn’t take all that and it’s not necessary. Think of the widow woman in the bible (Mark 12:41-44) that only had two cents to give to God, while every rich person came around and was giving out of their wealth, she gave what she had – which was from the heart. Her two cents became more valuable than those that put in much. It’s okay, you may not can do an hour or two and don’t be intimidated by people whom tell you that, that’s what they do – Do you and do it from the heart because that’s what God judges anyway…the more time you spend with God, the more you’ll enjoy it and increase your own time.

To Sum it Up! Whatever you do, you want to make sure you give God your best YOU which is your offering to him…did you know that the book of Malachi was about this very thing?, For years I always thought Malachi was about tithes and offering because the only scripture I ever heard and read from Malachi was (bring your tithes and offering into the store house) in which is a preachers delight message…wink, wink..lol…

While in church one day my pastor made it known that Malachi was more than about tithes and offering it was about people and their dealings with God and their “not so good” sacrifices they presented to God – Malachi 1:6-14. These people were presenting anything on the altar to God – from blind animals, to ones that were crippled and diseased – I mean, would you fix a bad dinner for a royal and expect them to eat it? I think not, we would go out of our way to make sure they get the best of the best, even if it cost us our last…why? because as a people we are more eager to please people we don’t know and don’t have our best interest at heart as opposed to someone who does and that is God.

Do you set time aside for God, When you go before his presence, are you putting your best you on the altar before him? If not, then say this simple prayer…

God, forgive me for not giving you a part of my day. You deserve more than the scraps of my life. You deserve more than the crumbs that I throw at you. You deserve ALL of me. My mind, body, spirit but mostly MY TIME belong to you! Help me to give place to you before I give that time and space to anyone else. Amen

Because, You Make Time For The Things You Love

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Parents, Let’s Not Be Weary – Shall We?

Published on March 8, 2018March 8, 2018 by Roshonda B17 Comments

photo above courtesy of bing

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not”

This is the all so famous bible quote located in Galatians 6:9, this is also the scripture God brought to my mind one day when I deliberately told myself “I GIVE UP!!!” literally wanting to throw in the towel on parenting one day as I became frustrated with repeating the “same” thing over and over and over and over and over again, to my two children. I heard God speak so calmly in my spirit “Don’t be weary in well doing”

In a Hurry? You can listen to this post here

Like, Really God – You’re Punking Me Right?? How many times do I have to ask them to clean their rooms and wash the dishes and take out the trash and wash their clothes and to keep their mouths closed at school when they want to abruptly speak out of turn – because if I get one more note from the teacher, I’m going to SCREAM!

But on the later end of “Don’t be weary, is ——– you will reap, if you faint not! Well, something tells me I better reap something because this sista is on her last fuse…

As a parent you’ll have a rainbow face by the time your child reaches 18.

You’ll Have WHITE moments, RED moments, BLUE moments, YELLOW moments and GREEN moments. You’ll also have ORANGE moments in which you’re confused and trying to figure out if you’re doing the right thing or not, you’ll question yourself many, many, many times. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll say things you don’t mean. You’ll become too overprotective and you’ll learn to let go when you need too. Letting Go, doesn’t mean you’re giving up on them, it just means you’re giving them room to grow, room to plant their own seeds based on the decisions “they chose” to make.

About a month or so ago, my teenage daughter made a decision that totally blew me away. After all the talking and grinding and trying to push her in the right direction from silly mishaps, I get a call from the principal stating “Ms. Blackmon, I need to talk to you – your daughter is suspended off the bus for three days because she was caught kissing a boy.” I was totally confused….are you talking about my daughter?, surely he dialed the wrong number..

But NOPE! he really did mean to call me and YES, he was talking about my daughter – I have to say, I heard him talking but soon his voice became a murmur; sort of like those Charlie Brown episodes, because all I could see was black. When I got off the phone with him; I was sooooo hurt, I had to take a time-out and get myself together – being called on your job for something like that doesn’t make for a good rest of the day. As I left my desk, with tears flowing down my face – the only thing I could see was me wringing her neck, slapping her and locking her up to never come out of her room again….I MEAN NEVER! As my mind went back and forward about the fussing and cussing and beating I wanted to do to her (mind you, I do not curse – but I can’t say words weren’t’ coming to my mind during that time) I realized that I needed to talk to someone and not just anyone – I had to talk to her creator – God.

Luckily, I didn’t have to stay at work all day that day as I had a doctors appt. previously scheduled; so I was leaving early anyway…Thank God for small favors…

When I left my appointment, It was still early….the only thing I could think of was calling everyone and let them know what she had done, but before I could pick up the phone and make one call, I heard God’s voice say “Before you talk to anyone, Talk to me first.” So, wanting to be obedient, I went to Taco Bell – ordered something small to eat and sat down “Okay, God; I said…what do I do, how do I handle this. While I proceeded to eat my food and once I finished, God began to download things within me of how I should punish her and what she needed to do during the punishment; even the things that I needed to talk to her about.

After all, what I had to realize was that my daughter – while I birthed her; was not really “my” daughter, she’s God’s child whom is on loan to me. God entrusted me with her and therefore when it comes to the challenges of dealing with such circumstances, he’s the first person we should go to and seek in regards to their life – because, father knows best.

Tip 1: As parents, its our job to make sure we tell our children the truth with transparency; hey, if you got caught kissing a boy or making out with a girl in school, tell them that as well as what you learned from it and how the affects of such can lead to other unwanted things and/or actions. At the end of the day, when it comes to our children, it’s what we DID say as opposed to what we DIDN’T.

Tip 2: No matter how “good” our intentions are for our kids – giving them God’s word regarding certain issues such as sex, lying, bad behavior and so forth in their life is all we can do. While we don’t want them to suffer, experience or go down the same road we did – we have to realize that they’re going to do life the way they want, sometimes it’s not going to work until they experience it for themselves.

It’s just like if you keep telling a baby to not touch the stove because it’s hot, you can make all types of noises to distract that baby from going near that stove, but it’s something about curiosity that gets people in trouble. Soon, one day while you’re not around; that baby crawls over to the stove and touches it anyway….they cry in pain because you were right, the stove really was hot. Now, they know for themselves not to touch that object anymore because they have experienced the effects behind it, that’s why the word says “Warning before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov 16:18)

So, to sum up the tips – We have to make sure we’re warning our children about everything – punish when needed, squeeze those hands tight in prayer and hope for the best.

The main thing is letting our children know that every bad decision, leads to a consequence. The bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he’s old, they won’t depart from it.” Prov 22:6. Not to say they won’t stray, but the seeds you planted in them will begin to sprout at the right time when they need it the most. Parenting is no easy feat. but if we know whom to give them over too, we shouldn’t be weary because not only will we get valuable instructions, but if we stay the course – no matter how hard or trivial – the water of your words will water those seeds and produce a great harvest that’ll pay off greatly one day – my fingers and toes are crossed, but my hands are definitely closed tightly in prayer for that PAYOFF!

Cheers and Best Wishes to all parents whom are desperately waiting for that day as well! DON’T BE WEARY – YOU GOT THIS!!

graduation1 — **You Get My Drift!!! #PayDay!**

Do you have teens or any parenting tips that has helped you? Leave them in the comment section below, you never know whom you may be helping.

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

I Will Wait, Till God Says “It’s Time!” The Play – Act 2

Published on February 22, 2018February 20, 2018 by Roshonda B15 Comments

Photo above courtesy of bing

His car turned out to be a Black Lincoln Navigator with chrome wheels, sunroof and everything I mean it was loaded. Bye, Bye Baby I said as I waved to him. Oh Lord I said to myself “could this be my baby daddy”? I jumped in my car and sped all the way home.

When I got home I hurried up and threw the keys down and called him right away, just as he requested, forgetting all about getting comfortable and everything, the phone rang 5 times before I heard his voice say….

“Hello,” in a whisper.

“Hello, why are you whispering?” I asked.

“Oh my grandmother is sleeping and I don’t want to wake her.”

“Grandmother?” I said.

“Yes, she’s living here with me; it’s just the two of us.”

(“A man with a home of his own and a great caregiver!)

What more could you ask for. “I thought.”

“That is very sweet Steven, so tell me a little about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?” he asked.

“Well anything, like what are your interest to start.”

“There aren’t many.” he replied.

“Well not even one?” I said.

“Um, can you hold on for a minute.” he said.

I said okay, but I was kind of hesitant, his conversation was great at the gas station and now I can barely get 2 words out of him, almost like he was trying to hurry me off of the phone. Next thing I know I was talking to a woman.

“Who dis is?” She said.

“Who is this?” I stated.

“Katrina, Stevens’s woman, Now your name and why are you calling my man.” she said smartly.

(“Oh no this sista didn’t.” I said to myself).

“My name’s Bernice and Steven gave me this number to call him.” I said.

Steven! I heard her say aloud, “Why you have these females calling my place all times of night!!”

(“Females? What?…All times of Night!?!)

(Okay what was going on, and where was Steven I wondered!!)

“Hello.” She said.

“Uh….Yess.” I said confused.

“Honey I don’t know when or what Steven told you, but he’s off limits, Stevens my man; Shoot, I been waiting on him for 8 years.”

“8 years?” I said.

“Oh, he didn’t tell you? Child Steven was just released from prison two weeks ago.

“What?!!? I said to her.

“Um Hum.” She said profoundly. Honey Steven doesn’t have a pot or a window to throw it out of; he’s living here with me and my grandmother.”

“Your Grandmother!” I said to her.”

“Oh let me guess, he told you she was his grandmother and this was his place?”

“Yes, he really did” I said.

“Child please, Steven is a compulsive liar and a cheat, He has 8 children and 4 of them are by me.” She so proudly made known.

By this time I could not take another line of this drama. I can’t believe it!! I said aloud. Excuse Me? She said. I wanted to ask her “Well why are you with him?” and it slipped out before I knew it. “Honey?, do you know how hard it is to find a man?”

(“Girl please!, yes I do.” I said to myself.)

Girl, I’m so lucky to have Steven, after all he does come home to me every night, so I don’t mind his ways. I suddenly began to think, “Are men really that scarce?” Well I will let you go and I do apologize about the misunderstanding.” I told her.

“Um…Hum, Now you need to lose this number.” she said, and hung up on me!”

Don’t worry its already forgotten sista-girl. I should have known better, I really thought I had hit the jackpot with that one, but apparently not. Thank ya Lord for allowing me not to get entwined in that drama showcase.

You know as I sit here in amazement and confusion I cannot help but think back on all the guys that have come and gone in my life, which brings me to Anthony whom apparently loved using my perfume for some reason. I noticed one morning the smell in the bathroom resembled so closely to my Patti Labelle and I know that I didn’t use her that day myself.

Low and behold, he came out of the bathroom and as soon as I leaned in to hug him, there Patti was all around his neck…Oh my God, Is that my Patti LaBelle perfume you’re wearing? I asked. Yes, But Baby I didn’t have anything else to put on he suggested, but looked very puzzled as if I should not be asking him about it; like I was not suppose to notice or something. He went to work that day and I had to let him go. Could you imagine me sharing my perfume with him in the mornings? What would it have been next, Hairstyles and nail color?! I don’t even think so.

Then there was Ahmad whom claimed he was a pro-athlete. Yeah right, I never saw him on TV or magazines. Come to find out he meant he was an athlete in high school, which happened to be 12 years ago. Ahmad would say and do anything to lay his greasy, played out, 1984 gone out of style juicy curl head on somebody’s pillow. Ahmad was okay; he just had some life issues and problems, 34yrs old and no job to his name. I supported him for about 3 months, which was 3 months too long.

Ahmad was more like a child in my opinion, every time we went to the store “can you get me this; can you buy me that.” G.I. Joe toys in which I didn’t know still existed, Ken dolls, water guns, bubbles, toy trucks and cars and the list goes on. And food, oh my God, it was always junk; I began to think he never ate a home cooked meal. Chips, Ice cream, cakes, cookies and pies filled the cart and people use to always compliment us on how we made such a nice couple, do you have any children?

Yes, I wanted to reply, he’s standing next to me. Instead I politely smiled and said no, if they only knew. Besides Christmas was approaching and I just wanted someone to spend time with, you know how it gets around that time “LONELY” especially if you are by yourself.

But as quick as Ahmad came into my life that is just how he left, I woke up one morning to find him gone. He left me a little note God bless his heart for the spelling:

He meant “Left gone to live with my mama.” Honey your mama can have ya and good ridings; I can endure spending the holidays alone which is exactly what I did. I have to say though, I was surprised Ahmad didn’t stay for Christmas to get more toys, but maybe his mama was buying him a lot more. After all maybe that is why he loaded up that day at the store, we had already spent Christmas together I just didn’t realize it. And last but not least there was Kevin, we started off sweet, but ended sour. He left his girlfriend just to be with me, I thought that was so sweet. But I began to notice every time he left the house I would awake to find something missing. First it started with the milk then the cereal, my pots and pans, the box of grits, bacon and then my car? That was a big HALT!!!! . “Sharon needed a ride and my mama needed some food.” He said.

(“Oh no this brotha didn’t.” I thought)

Sharon was his supposedly ex-girlfriend. Come to find out Sharon was 5 months pregnant with his baby and the food he was taking from my house was for her and the baby. But he wanted to continue to live and shop at my house? I don’t think so homeboy, you did the crime now do the time. After he left I got my locks changed just in case he took an extra key out with him, next thing you know I’ll awake one morning to 3 new housemates Kevin, Sharon, and the Baby.

You know? After last weeks date with Robert and the crazy dispute I had with Steven and his girlfriend, you would think I would have learned something and my dating days HISTORY!! But Nooo….here I go again about to go out on another date, probably with someone else’s man, a looser, scrub, or money pincher.

But you know sitting here thinking about all this just made me realize that right now God is the only one I need and want in my life at this present time. So with that in mind there is only one thing to do (picks up phone, dialing her date) Hello, James, Yeah I’m canceling our date tonight, you know what I decided?….

“I’m going to wait until God says, “It’s MY Time”

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Still waiting…Patiently, this time.

Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are fictitious and have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals once involved.

I Will Wait, Till God Says “It’s Time!” The Play – Act 1

Published on February 15, 2018 by Roshonda B16 Comments

Photo above courtesy of bing

So one might would deem me as being an around the way girl, if I told them how many times I have gone around and around and around….with relationships, these relationships with men have been a roller-coaster to say the least. In the process of me trying to FIND the right man I went through some doozies, I could say other names but I’m a Christian and it wouldn’t be allowed to come from my lips. During that period of time I noticed that I was in an ON again, OFF again relationship with God in which I prayed a lot…..got in a relationship…..prayed less and still……..got in another relationship, things were not looking good, If I had only WAITED on God, half of my life experiences would be obsolete; if only life was a big eraser, oh the things I would erase. But I’m so glad that I had those experiences as it has allowed those trials to become my Triumphs in getting to know me better, what I was really desiring in a man and most of all to gain a closer walk and/or relationship with Christ.

Those experiences have given me the unique opportunity to talk to you. I wrote this as a play and even performed it in church some years ago. Yes, the story you are about to read is a true story of my dating experiences (characters changed) through the years, so whether you’re in an active relationship at the moment, Married, Divorced, Single – Single and a Virgin waiting for marriage or have been around the dating way like I have, hopefully there will be something within these pages that will minister to you to either give you hope to move on from a broken relationship or how to WAIT on God for the perfect relationship that he has for you (notice I said PERFECT) there’s no such thing as the perfect man, but the man that God has for you will be perfect for your situation, your lifestyle and your relationship with God – which won’t hinder it but help it.

Be Blessed & Keep WAITING! I know it’s been a long time, but trust me it’s worth the wait.

HELP! HELP! HELP!

I am so good when it comes to making sure I step up in the corporate world called “my career” I want nothing but the best job, the best pay, and flexible hours and I won’t take down to nothing less. I am such the goal-oriented woman whom accomplishes both short and long-term goals set for my life in record time. I am a good giver to my young brothers and sisters in need and I am a great counselor at giving others good sound advice for their dating relationships and their lives. I strive to encourage them to make good healthy productive decisions that will keep them moving forward and not backward. So tell me? Why am I clueless when it comes to dating and the relationships I choose? I just keep getting into problem after problem, It all started when I went on a date last week with a guy named Robert, whom I met through my best friend Stephanie I mean she knows me pretty good, so I trusted she knew what I wanted in a man. She said he looked good, so she gave him my number. He called me, “he sounded good, I mean really good on the phone” I got all happy, but silly at the same time, because he asked me could I meet him at his house, we would leave from there. Hesitantly I said okay…but my instincts were shouting “Wrong Move.”

It’s been 6 months since I’ve been out on a date, I called myself taking a breather to get to know me and what I really wanted out of a relationship, so thinking I had gotten myself truly together I finally decided to give the dating scene another go round.

So today I got my hair, nails and toes done “yes my toes”. I wanted to be perfect for this date; I went the whole nine yards. When I got to his house he came out wearing this dirty white wife-beater shirt, some old, looked to big for him baggy pants and some timber’s not timberland’s because these shoes looked like they had gone out of style with the polyester pants era. He also looked like he had not had a hair cut in 2 years I imagined, and then had the nerve to have a comb sticking out of it. I stood there in amazement because I looked like beauty and he was definitely the beast. And if his attire didn’t take the cake; come to find out he doesn’t have a car; my car was going to be our source of transportation for the night. Now that was strike number two; and I should’ve left then, But no, I was lonely, desperate, and hoping that maybe something good would come out of this nice evening, despite his current situation.

So we took my ride, and here I was thinking we’re going to go somewhere nice and elegant like Justin’s, Olive Garden, Red Lobster or someplace like that, especially since I spent all day beautifying myself. “So where are we going.” I asked. “Oh I thought we’d go to McDonalds.” say he’s kind of short of change, by this time I was getting short of patience, then had the nerve to tell me to “order something cheap, “hard times ya know.” I was thinking to myself well just how hard have times gotten, I mean isn’t minimum wage $7.25 an hour? I was devastated and upset at myself for continuing this date and my friend for setting me up with him.

Come to find out as our minimal conversation progressed, that prospective job at the Law Firm ended up being a job beside the law firm collecting cans and raffling tickets, and that 2008 Yukon he didn’t have ended up being a banged up 1964 Nova that was just impounded last week. Telling me what he used to be and what he used to have and how he bought this home and car (might I add) for the last girl he was with. I mean what; I guess good times just stopped when you got to me huh.

Can you picture me sitting up in McDonald’s sporting a $200.00 dress with some Baby Phat Carmen 03 pumps and an $85.00 hairdo? People looking at me like I had a problem, and I did, a whole lot of problems.

So when I finished my Apple pie and “small” orange pop, I hurried up and took him home! I couldn’t bear another moment of his depressing scenario. All at the same time I was thinking to myself “Lord if you get me out of this one, I promise I will WAIT! On you.”

But I didn’t wait……………Big Mistake.

The following week I met a guy named Steven, No I did not meet him through my friend Stephanie after that ordeal with Robert I decided to leave her alone. So I thought I would try and hook myself up with someone after all who could know exactly what I want in a man than me right?….Wrong.

Well I just happened to be at the Gas Station pumping gas when I heard this deep voice behind me say…

“You sure look good doll.” He said.

I turned around and low and behold standing before me was the most handsome man I had ever seen; I mean Billy Dee Williams had nothing on him, now Denzel Washington well that’s another story. But anyway, he was tall and light skinned with a nice frame to him, very broad shoulders, with the most gorgeous brown eyes.

And unlike Robert, he did know how to dress. He had on this Sean John jacket with a white shirt underneath and he wore some nice Sean John jeans with some Karl Kani boots (these were the real things). He must have a little something, something.” I thought to myself, it’s about time.

“Hello, my name is Steven,” He said, smiling.

“My name’s Bernice.” I said,” blushing and smiling all while turning my face to the right where my dimple shows, right as we began to talk another car pulled up behind us blowing his horn because he now needed to use the gas pump. Oh I had totally forgotten about the gas. So as I walked inside to pay, he said…

“I’ll pay for the gas, do you mind?” taking out his wallet.

(“Now you know this is too good to be true.” I thought.)

Before I could say “Oh no I got it” I said, “Yes you may.” before I knew it. “Don’t sound desperate.” I kept telling myself. My mind was saying this but my actions were saying go right ahead.

We exchanged numbers and he asked if I could call him right away when I got home, certainly I said. As I watched him walk away I noticed that he did not look too bad from behind either… “Okay quit lusting.” I said to myself. But as much as I wanted to hurry home and call him, I just stood there because I really wanted to see what type of car he was driving or if he even had one.

To Be Continued….2/22/18

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager

Hey, please stay tuned for part 2 of: “Did He Just Stand Me Up?” Part 2 – COMING SUNDAY @ 12noon.

You wouldn’t believe what happened next….

*Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are fictitious and have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals once involved.

10 Black Movie Classics You Must See or Re-watch for Black History Month

Published on February 13, 2018February 5, 2018 by Roshonda B6 Comments

Black History Month is here and while the month is short and will be over before you know it, it’s a month where African-Americans of times past and present are honored for their sacrifices, achievements and accomplishments marked throughout history. It’s a time for us to reflect on that rich history and celebrate the lives of the ones lost and present whom paved the way for generations of other African Americans to walk in freedom and while this movement is still a “work in progress” for the most part, we’re proud that they stood fearlessly in the face of adversity to make sure we have some of the luxuries we have today such as the right to vote.

One way to honor and look back on African-American culture, history, activists and the actors that played them or played parts representing such troubling times is by way of a movie. I personally love watching movies, especially the ones that portray the African-American men and women whom did so much for us. So, if you just happen to have a down day this month and want to celebrate the occasion, listed below are 10 Classic movies portrayed by African-Americans that you should watch in honor of Black History Month. In no particular order they are:

‘Purple Rain’

What better way to celebrate black history and the life of late-great music legend Prince. The musical drama features some of Prince’s most iconic songs and killer outfits.

‘Malcolm X’

‘Malcolm X’ is was Spike Lee classic, portrayed by Denzel Washington. The movie chronicled the life of the civil rights hero.

‘Selma’

Ava DuVernay made history with ‘Selma’ in 2014, becoming the first black woman to have her film nominated for “Best Picture” at the Oscars. ‘Selma’ is a portrait piece of Dr. Martin Luther King as he led the march from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights.

‘Glory’

Free black men were conscripted to fight in the Union Army during the Civil War, but as this 1989 period drama shows, not even their willingness to sacrifice their lives for their country was enough to shield them from racism and segregation. Denzel Washington stars in the role that would nab him his first Oscar.

‘Barry’

‘Barry’ is one of two drama films (of what will surely be many) that take a glimpse at the life of a younger former President Barack Obama, the man who would one day become the first black president of the United States.

‘The Princess & the Frog’

In 2009, Disney made history by featuring its first ever African-American princess. Anika Noni-Rose portrayed princess Tiana in this film. It’s a beautiful film in which is sure to inspire little girls of all diverse backgrounds that she too can be “A Princess”

‘The Color Purple’

Okay, so there’s really nothing to say about this one but – CLASSIC!!! – No matter how many times I’ve seen this movie – I always need my tissues….

‘The Wiz’

‘The Wiz’ in which stars Diana Ross and a very young Michael Jackson is the black version of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ story.

‘Carmen Jones’

Dorothy Dandridge became the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress award at the 1954 Oscars for her role in this epic musical, based on Bizet’s tragic opera ‘Carmen.’

‘A Raisin in the Sun’

Starring Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, this 1961 adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry‘s play is a film about an African-American family search for the American Dream and what happens when that dream is derailed. While the older version is a true classic, the newer 2008 version in which stars Sean Combs (a.k.a P. Diddy), Sanaa Lathan, Audra McDonald & Phylicia Rashad are performances in which you wouldn’t want to miss.

These movies are sure to give you a dose of the richness of the African-American culture and a sense of why we should celebrate this month each year. We’re not just celebrating the culture but we’re acknowledging the people whom broke barriers in every arena which makes us glad to be a part of such an amazing history. You can find other classics listed here. Did your favorite make the list? If not, then what African American movie(s) are your favorite classics? Let me know in the comments.

Roshonda N. Blackmon – Creator of A Blog, A Magazine. It’s JustsumInspiration, Author, Speaker & Encourager