So....What's your story about anyway?

I'm an English teacher and in my freshman English class I always introduce them first to plot. Because that is what all stories (the good, the bad, Pooty Tang?) are made of - Plot. Plot is the pot you "cook" the story in. The pot can be a non-stick pot (non-fiction) or the pot can be cast-iron (fiction). But regardless of if you prefer non-stick or a little flavor with every meal you always have to have the pot - I mean plot.

Ready for your English lesson? What are the stages of plot? Does anyone know? Well, I'll tell you then. There is the EXPOSITION: every story has to have a beginning. Without a beginning, story real or made-up can not exist. Next, we have the rising action: Here comes the conflict: The more heightened the conflict, the better the story. Now the RISING ACTION builds and builds; the tension is mounting; its becoming uncontrollable to contain yourself and just when you think you can't take anymore, you CLIMAX and reach the best part of the story where the opposing sides of the conflict meet for a showdown. But with all showdowns, they eventually go down and you have not reached the FALLING ACTION. All the loose ends begin to tie themselves up and the action that had you hooked at the beginning fades and you go into the EXPOSITION. This is where you reach the ending of the ride. All of the conflicts have been resolved and you whether its a great book or a boring book, that pot of plot had specific ingredients that made it (for someone) a tasty meal or a great ride on a roller coaster.



So now that I've given you a proper lesson about plot, I figure it is time to tell you about the plot of my novel. It is about the diverse groups of people that come through the modern day African-American church. The men and women who on the surface claim they love Christ but underneath - or outside of church - their tree shows know evidence that he lives within them. It's about how we place our ministers, pastors, and shepherds on pedestals expecting them to live a faultless life while our lives for lack of a better word stank. Its about showing love for the

man or woman who has issue with their sexuality instead of making them outcasts. Its about standing up to the people in the church who don't believe in the vision of the church only in their position. Its about a leader falling from "grace" and instead of staying down getting back up. My novel is about the decision we make concerning our children; shunning them instead of teaching and guiding. Its about the Saints that continue to pray despite the chaos around them and its about the Aints who desire nothing regarding salvation and everything to do with keeping the mask of their Christianity intact. Its about being broken and choosing to be healed. Its about being content with Christ being your ultimate lover and seeking after his face until He sends the one He designed just for you.  It's about being called by Christ to minister his word and actually choosing to be called.  

So, that's the brunt of the story Still interested? Stay tuned!

What is a Saint? What is an "Aint"?

At a very young age, I believe I was about 7 or 8, I asked my father why did we always have to go to church. I grew up in the generation Steve Harvey mentioned in the movie "The Original Kings of Comedy." Church about 4-5 days out of the week. 


My aunt at EVERY afternoon service would ALWAYS get up and testify. No song, but she gave the SAME testimony each and everyone!

See,  I grew up AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church and the AME church I grew up in went by every letter of the Discipline (the AME rulebook) and did every item in the Order of Service. So while our service started at 11:00 sometimes (especially on 1st Sunday Holy Communion) we would not get out until 1:30 or 2:00. Then that afternoon we had to go to another church to support the "Pastor" (aka the Reverend) preach or sing at a choir anniversary.  Then there was Tuesday night choir rehearsal, Wednesday night bible study, Thursday night Usher Board meeting, Friday night YPD meeting (Young People's Department), and Saturday Community Youth choir rehearsal.

When I told my father that I was tired of constantly going to church all the time, he made me look and then memorize Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (KJV).

"So, what does this verse mean?" my father asked (after having me recite it 5 times).
"That wherever I'm going, when I get there I won't leave?" I said.  Hey! Don't laugh - I was only 7 or 8!

But now that I am not 8, I understood why my father had me go to church all the time: He knew I was going to write a novel about church folks and he wanted me to have LOTS of stories to go from!  (just kidding!) 

The lessons and beliefs that I learned when I was young have indeed stayed with me as an adult and that while I may have fell I knew to get up and I knew where to go to get redirection which just goes to affirm the statement that God's Word NEVER returns back void.

But oh! The stories will stay with me. As well as the people. My home church, Crooning* (*name has been changed) was a large church and we had a diverse dynamic of personalities. My aunt like to break them up into two categories: SAINTS and AINTS. 

You see the SAINTS were the people (according to my aunt) on fire for God. Came to church every Sunday. Fasted, prayed, and read their word. Gave their Tithes and Offerings. Participated in the choir, bible study, and other church auxiliaries, and tried each day to live as righteously as they could. 

Now the AINTS were the ones who did everything the SAINTS did EXCEPT live as righteously as they could. The AINTS did only what they thought would make them look good in front of the congregations and the Pastor's eyes and made sure they had their ear in everyone's business so they could make sure to rebuke when necessary so that their "SAVEDNESS" would be that evermore evident.

"Church Saints and Church Aints" is set primarily in a church that is on the rise (membership and popularity wise) when their leader is suddenly struck down. With the leader  gone, it becomes apparent that the congregation of New Summit UWC is at a crossroads. What group will emerge as the majority: The SAINTS
 or the AINTS?


I loved my church secretary; she was so professional. But the announcements they would have her read were EXACTLY like this!

You tell me......What is your definition of a SAINT and an AINT? Comment your reply!  

The Words We Send Out

Today in service, the praise and worship team begin singing a song that really speaks to my soul and my spirit. The name of the song is You've Been so Faithful, but Eddie James (just learned that today actually). The song was released in 2001 with Eddie James' album "Higher" (who knows when he actually wrote it), the song still ministers and speaks to God's people. And isn't that the ultimate purpose of the words that we write down to be read or the songs we write down to be sung? The purpose of those words are supposed to be encourage, uplift, and motivate God's children. These words if they are given by God and they are backed up by the word of God should stand the test of time. "A good testimony must come out of a good test!"


How can a writer, write anything of substance without first having gone through it. What did God bring Eddie go through that inspired him to write such beautiful lyrics and even more so thank you Eddie for writing those words 10 years ago knowing that someone's life could be made better upon listening to this song.


Therefore as the praise & worship team minsistered James' words, my praise changed in to prayer: "God, allow the words that I send out be words that will encourage, uplift, and minister to those in need."


What do the words that you send out do?

As I look back over my life
I can see how Your love has guided me
Even though I've done wrong
You never left me alone
But You forgave me
And You kept on blessing
This I recall to my mind
Therefore I have hope
It's because of Your mercy that we are not consumed
Because thy compassions fail not,
they are new every morning
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness


I can never repay You Lord for what You done for me
How You loosed my shackles and you set me free.
How You made a way out of no way
Turned my darkness into day
You've been my joy in the time of sorrow
Hope for my tomorrow
Peace in the time of storm
Strength when I'm weak and worn

Alpha: Every journey starts with a beginning

This blog - this journey starts with a pencil. Think back to the first time you had a pencil in your hand. For some of you, you started drawing a stick figure representation of yourself.

With the house as backdrop, with the sun and the 7 sun rays and the clouds. Others take the pencil and write their name (if they are a little older say the 3rd grade, they try to write it in cursive: Am I showing my age too much y'all?).

But for some, you took that pencil and you begin to put form words into sentences. And the sentences evolved into paragraphs; the paragraphs grew into pages, and the pages matured into this new world when one could escape if they so desired.

On this day, you became a writer.

I remember the very first day I knew I was a writer. I still have the copy of my first story: "Mommy visits the Doctor." I told the story of how my mommy was sick and after she visited the doctor she felt all better (didn't exactly follow real, actual events, but my Dad told me to write a happy ending).

Over the years, my love for creating new worlds has not faded. I put down the pencil and picked up the typewriter; from the typewriter to the desktop computer, and from the desktop to the laptop. Out of that love, came my first novel "Deadly Virtues" a "gripping mystery suspense novel about a female African-American detective name Alexis St. James." 

Great story, memorable characters but while in the process of editing my first baby, I discovered the lover of lovers. My Lord. And while the Lord was working on me, my desire to write diminished slightly. I knew though that the desire to write would come back and when it did, it would be a world visioned by Him and mean to minister to millions.

The desire came about a year ago. The story was going to be about a group of young ladies who were members of a monthly church book club. Eventually the idea grew to include the entire church: Tell the truth about church folks. Let people see the Saints from the Aints!

So let the story begin...

LORD BLESS,

A writer striving everyday to be a Saint!

PS: If you click your mouse in the fish bowl, it will FEED the fish! Cool huh?