... a plan for a prosperous and good future
What Cause Has A Crisis Created In You?
Some may say that many of the problems we encounter are due to the choices we make. But what about the difficulties we endure that are outside of what we decide? A lot of challenges in life are rooted in our childhood. For example, we don’t get to decide what family we will be born into.
The abuse, abandonment, and neglect we experience (or witness) can have a lasting impact.
The Bible says God knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 29:11), that He had a plan for us, and the results were for good and prosperity. That being true, it must mean that the things we encounter (especially those that are out of our control) are for our gain.
This year’s conference focuses on the associations with may have (or had) with black women in crisis and how those associations impact our lives. By highlighting these stories, we first stress the importance of being our sisters’ keepers because the crises that create chaos in her life impact us all.
And secondly, realizing that her pain is a catalyst for purpose can make all the difference in how we respond.
What cause has a black woman’s crisis created in you?
Black Women In Crisis - 2023 Featured Authors!
"They defeated him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony." Revelation 12:10
Marlene Sterling
"After my failed marriages, God showed me what my priorities were. In my last marriage, my husband was my priority before God and therefore everything was a struggle:
I was married, but yet I was single.
I was married, but I was lonely.
I was walking, but I was not moving.
I was running, but realized I was standing still.
I was laughing, but I was crying.
I was confused about what joy and happiness were.
The only time I displayed happiness was when I went to church,
but even then I was putting on a charade.
I did not want others to see how unhappy I really was so I pretended to be happy.
But I could only pretend for so long.
My failed marriages taught me what being disciplined in God means.
I learned that it is ok to be a single woman of God.
You use them as a reminder of God’s grace and mercy. Your scars are a sign of healing.
Like Jesus, you use them as a symbol and validation of who you are and where you’ve been.
Your scars make you a legitimate authority."
-Excerpt from SCARS
SCARS is the testimony of Jamaican-born, Apostle Marlene Sterling. Betrayed, abused and abandoned by those whom she allowed closest to her, Marlene Sterling battled loss, loneliness, pain and despair. Although at times she felt there was a demonic assignment of warfare against her, she fought to claim the life God purposed for her. The emotional and physical scars left behind serve as a reminder of her witness to God. The devoted daughter, caring sister, great pastor and friend resides in New York. Her ultimate desire is to bring everyone she encounters closer to God. Her ministry, Upon This Rock Anointed Outreach Ministries, is based on prayer, community outreach and feeding the homeless.
Jamilla Counts
One cold, winter night in November of 2008, an overwhelming sense of loss enveloped me and threatened to take up permanent residence. Depression had become a constant companion. Although it was very real for me, it was invisible to others because I was good at hiding it, or so I thought. Every day, I struggled to get up and face the day. It had been this way for as long as I could remember, but finally, the pain would no longer be ignored.I missed my mother. I longed for her. I wondered what she’d be like today if she’d lived. Sitting in a two-bedroom apartment in Arkansas, I felt so far from home. As one dreamless night crept into the next, my mind raced with so many unanswered questions. The one that kept recurring was this:“Who WAS my mother and father?”
“A Counts Duty” is my way of releasing the pain of abuse, abandonment, and denial that bound me for so many years. Many may ask, “Why now?” My response is this, “I didn’t realize there was a statute of limitations on my life’s calling.”As I knock boldly on the door of freedom of speech, I assert that the story is true and that the people mentioned, and conversations recounted are very much real. The pages in this book are a culmination of ten years of my life. Initially, I had no intention of publishing my findings. Well, since then, I’ve been struck by lightning, and I can no longer sit still.This is the year depression, anxiety, and invisibility are replaced with courage, closure, and acknowledgment. Duty calls!
Latrea Wyche Russ
Have you ever experienced something so earth-shattering it changed the whole trajectory of your life? I have. I was sitting in my ninth-grade English class chilling with my classmates as we always do when a young girl turned to me and said, “I don’t mean no harm,” she began slowly. And in my mind, I knew nothing good would come from a conversation that started with those words. Something harmful was bound to take place, and I could feel it coming. “If I had a child that looks like you, I would throw it in the trash,” she belted harshly and with no remorse. At first, I looked around to see who she was talking to because, in my mind, I didn’t think anyone could stoop so low as to speak to me in that manner. I knew there was something exceptional about me, but I never considered myself ugly enough to be thrown in the trash can. Her words began to govern my entire life. My behavior towards others and how I allowed people to treat me resulted from sixteen traumatizing words. For years I was the doormat. Latrea was supposed to lie there and take whatever dirt was put upon me. Now, I’m done. I’m not doing that anymore. I did it for the first half of my life, and I’m not doing it for the second half. This is my story!
Black Women In Crisis - 2022 Featured Authors!
"They defeated him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony." Revelation 12:10
Shawnise Chantell
Life is a series of moments. Some take these moments for granted. This is not true for Shawnise Chantell. A lifetime lover of adventure and experience, Shawnise relished every moment of life. After giving birth to her third child, her life was turned upside down. The Shawnise Chantell Story is the author’s recollection of events that would change her life forever. Her near-death experience was the catalyst for rebirth. Still loving life, Shawnise is now inspired to share her story with others in hopes that they will not waste any precious moments.
Tiffinia Williams
I weighed in at 5 lbs 13 oz and my parents were happy. But their world was immediately shaken up when the doctors told them that I wouldn't survive because I was so small. My parents didn't know what to do. They called my grandmother, Annie Ruth Willis, a sweet, southern, hardworking, and a loving woman and explained to her what the doctors had just told them. I weighed in at 5 lbs 13 oz and my parents were happy. But their world was immediately shaken up when the doctors told them that I wouldn't survive because I was so small. My parents didn't know what to do. They called my grandmother, Annie Ruth Willis, a sweet, southern, hardworking, and a loving woman and explained to her what the doctors had just told them.
Shemaiah Henderson
Author Shemaiah Henderson began seeking the Lord concerning her purpose in 2012. The Lord revealed to her that His purpose was for her to pursue a career in education. Shemaiah eagerly set her hopes on becoming an educator. "The greatest joy I have," the author asserts, "is to see individuals break free from bondage!" The educator and author desires for individuals to recognize the hope, love, and joy God offers. "God has done so much for me," Shemaiah exclaims, "and I cannot wait to share my story with you!"