WSSN Stories

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Going around bragging that you’ve arrived! Well thus saith the Lord; “to the arrogant, ‘Boast no more,’ and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.” [Psalms 75:4]. “You think you’ve arrived; but you haven’t arrived yet, says the Lord. Matter of fact your ship is about to sink. Your train is about to leave the station and you are about to experience the ride of your life. [Isaiah 2:12]. After I’m done with you, you will understand how blasphemous it is for you to take ANY of MY GLORY for yourself. Don’t you ever be lifted up in pride where you think it’s you, your talents, your abilities, and how great you are! It’s ALL ME and NOT you! It was Me who delivered you and set you free. It was Me who brought you out of bondage and poverty. It was Me who caused you to get wealth. But how quick you are to forget where I have brought you from. How quick you are to forget those times when you didn’t have a dime to your name. Just because you are in a good place and you seem to be able to provide well for yourself, don’t forget that it is I who has given you, not only the things you have, but also the very ability to provide for yourself.” You got me twisted! You better check yourself before you wreck yourself! It would do you good to remember where I’ve brought you from and where you could have been. If you want to maintain the blessings which I have granted you, then you would be wise to always remember that apart from me you can do nothing. The preposition is “apart” . . . from Me. The result is: nothing, zilch, naught, diddly squat, zippo, without Me! [John 15:5] You Got That!  “I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols…  because no man will get my glory!” [Isaiah 42:8]. “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.” [Isaiah 48:11].

I want you to know that the Bible plainly states that one of the things God hates above all others is pride. God tells us over and over that He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Stealing God’s glory is not something that can be taken lightly!  We must understand that if we become arrogant, everything is taken away from us, our position, authority, power, and so on. Case in point, King Nebuchadnezzar [Daniel 4:29-31 34-37] As soon as Nebuchadnezzar said, “I did it,” God said, “The throne has left you.” When he became arrogant, God took away all his prosperity and power in a moment. [Proverbs 16:18] Nebuchadnezzar lost his sanity, wisdom and glory; for seven years, he lived like a wild animal, being drenched with the night dew in the grass of the field. Afterwards, he realized that everything came from God and that he had been foolish to think that he had done everything by himself. He truly repented, and as he praised and thanked God with a humble heart, God restored his sanity and wisdom.

Do not forget the Lord – Remember the fact that all grace and blessings come from God. And as [Deuteronomy chapter 8] says, “Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these [] years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these [] years. Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the Lord your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him. For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills. When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.  Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”  But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God.”

As a media personality and cultural critic, she fought hard to get ABC Network to acknowledge the need for an African American woman to star on The Bachelorette. Her public outcry for more positive portrayals of women of color in media garnered press coverage on HLN’s Showbiz Tonight, The Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show, TheGrio, TheRoot, SheKnows, Refinery29, Vibe Magazine, New York Post, The Miami Herald, MSNBC and countless other media outlets. 

Misee has been a regular contributor to The Guardian, HuffPost and other influential blogs, and she boasts a social media following of 600K+ between her Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook channels where many of her provocative posts about goings on in the news have gone viral; some posts gaining traction in the six figures.

Most importantly and timely, as a dentist and dental philanthropist, this native Tennessean beauty became the first African American woman to be accepted into the University of Kentucky Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program. In 2013, Dr. Misee Harris founded Project Smile, an organization which focuses on uplifting the self-esteem of young children in all aspects of their life.

Through her thriving dental practice in Los Angeles and Arkansas, she remains committed to performing $25,000.00 in pro bono dental work for children every month. Misee cites lack of access to quality dentistry in many rural areas of the United States, as well as financial inaccessibility. 

In addition to the large pro bono case work she performs on children in need each month, Misee also accepts pro bono cases for adults who are looking to get back on their feet and enter the workforce, and for women who have been victims of dental injury from domestic violence. 

This very special lady is now on a mission to explain the importance of athletic mouthguards for both pediatric dental health and for adult and professional athletes with her company, ProFit Mouthguards. Misee’s ProFit Mouthguards have been used by everyone from former NBA player Penny Hardaway (right inset) to boxing champ, Floyd Mayweather’s boxing club, to MMA fighters, as well as student athletes all over the country who recognize the need to keep their teeth and mouth safe during athletic contact sports. 

Misee’s ProFit Mouthguards:

• Custom fit with dental impression.
• Custom designed: color, multi-colored, team logos, trendy designs – any design imaginable can be placed on the mouthguard.
• Retail prices start at $49.99 and go up depending upon customization.

Why Misee’s ProFit Mouthguards:

• ProFit Mouthguards are manufactured in the U.S. by Misee Harris, DDM.
• Misee and her staff take custom dental impressions and manufacture mouthguards in her lab.
• Any color or design can be achieved through her customizing methods.
• Misee will travel for select clients or teams to get dental impressions.
• ProFit Mouthguards donates mouthguards to select recipients.

“Lots of athletes suffer from dental injuries and head trauma because of ill-fitting, uncomfortable mouthguards which they don’t like to wear. That’s why ProFit invented a unique technology for custom-made mouthguards.” – Misee Harris

Other Talking Points Misee Can Discuss:

• Children’s dental health: how to prevent tooth decay and the need for root canal’s in children.
• How intermittent breastfeeding can lead to tooth decay in babies and toddlers, and ways to prevent it.
• Oral hygiene tips
• Mouthguards and contact sports: hockey, football, basketball, baseball, etc.
• How mouthguards can prevent concussions in football players.

By Shalom Ysrayl

“For the encouragement and uplifting of my people”

Our little ones should be the primary focus of our lives, for they are the ones that will follow our traditions. Therefore, we must give our best attention toward them in the best of ways. The Word informs us of how we are to conduct ourselves while we are in the land of our exile. When we follow the plan for our lives given to us and our children, then we cannot go wrong, it’s when we follow our own ways and the ways of others being disobedient to the rules laid down for our success. We know that the way things have been going hasn’t been the best for us. We do not occupy any real estate; we have no seats in high places; we have nothing that we can say is ours. We lack our own defense system. How will we defend ourselves? How will we clothe ourselves? How will we educated our children? Unless we do these things for ourselves. We will never attain freedom; we will continue to be as Lazarus sitting at the rich man table begging for bread. Note: Whose table it is… So, if things haven’t been exactly as we would like them for ourselves, then we will change them. Now we no longer will look at life through other people’s eyeglasses, but our own! The life and character of those of our ancestors of ancient times. We today must emulate, we must learn the life, and “We have guides.” Once we adopt the faith, we will achieve the best for our little ones. The Word teaches the Best of Life, we follow the Word, it’s our Word—HEBREWS!!!

LOS ANGELES, CA- BET Weekend always reunites old and new talent; it’s like the family reunion of the entertainment industry. Old School R&B Group, TROOP, came together again for the 4^th Annual City of Angels Celebrity Red Carpet Experience 2017. The event took place at the UNION club in Los Angeles on Thursday, June 22 to kick off BET Weekend.

(Photo credit: Kristina Dixon/11:One Visuals).

LONG BEACH, CA- I Am… hosted its first interactive workshop at The Reef in Long Beach, this past Saturday. The I Am… Woman Changing Seasons Workshop illustrated the importance of embracing change in business and personal growth and how resistance hinders the growth process.

The event kicked-off with meditation led by Holistic Spiritual Practitioner, Vionela Vaughn-Austin, which set the tone for the occasion. The Metaphysical Minister introduced the meditation with I Am’s theme song, “Higher than This” by Ledisi and concluded it with soothing sounds from her guided meditation CD “Cultivating a Loving Mind.”

Following meditation, Founders, Ricsyhelle Davis and Rhonda Brent graced the stage to tell their story of why they started the organization. “We care so much about ourselves that we care more about others. Everything that is in front of me reflects who I am,” Davis expressed. “We want to be an example to others [that] life is good, no matter what your situation is, conditions we go through, we all have life and we have to find the good and be grateful and thankful for everything we have,” Brent proclaimed.

Succeeding the founders’ thoughts, Davis introduced the speaker of the hour, Deborah Deras. The Latina Motivational Speaker and Author broke down why letting go of the ego (when “changing seasons”) is imperative to advancement. She explained that everyone has a “soul’s contract”; all people have a responsibility to live in God’s purpose. “I am here to allow you to reclaim the truth of who you are as human beings,” she exclaimed.

Deras had the attendees complete worksheets that allowed them to partner with other attendees and affirm strengths that will encourage them to see their stories in a positive light. Co-founder, Ricsyhelle Davis took the stage alongside Deras to retell her story as a mother, wife and entrepreneur. Deras affirmed that each attendee has the power of choice; the power to rewrite his/her story.

“At each and every moment we are deciding ‘Am I going to live from a place of victim’s consciousness, or am I going to surrender and let go of what I think things should look like…feel like and accept and allow what is’? Just like the seasons come and…go this situation will come and go,” Deras encouraged. Before closing, Deras blessed the attendees with prayer. She prayed that all attendees’ “soul’s contracts” will be fulfilled through fully accepting who they are and living in their true authentic selves.

Several vendors were in attendance and provided items to be raffled off to guests. These vendors included Go Be Alive, Rodan & Fields, Laura M. Gems, JaciFit, LLC.,Viva Energy Healing Massage and The Byrds Nest. In addition, Deras also provided each attendee with a copy of her book “Confessions of an Adrenaline Addict: How to Achieve More with Less Effort.”

About I Am… – I Am… is an organization for individuals to have the ability to help each other in business, as well as market themselves through empowerment workshops, allowing their services to be recognized in their communities. The name I Am… derives from empowering light within ourselves. Follow I Am… on Facebook at @iamthatiam1112 and visit its website at www.iamthatweb.com for upcoming events. Next event (Meditation, Mimosas & Margaritas) is scheduled for Aug. 5 in Venice Beach, Calif.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Yet you think you know everything [1 Corinthians 8:2]. YOU KNOW NOTHING! You better talk to some grown folks and be schooled [Proverbs 28:16]. You better talk to somebody who’s been there, done that! For life is not to be trampled on. Life is not to be wasted. [Ephesians, 5:15-17] says… “Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Don’t act thoughtlessly! God has given you a life to live for His glory and your good. Think it through, know what you’re here for, know your purpose, make the most of every opportunity, be wise and try to understand what God wants you to do.  I tell you humility is always the most desirable option, but I know you can’t tell that to a fool because a fool despises wisdom.  A fool despises instruction. A wise man will hear and will increase learning [Proverbs 12:15] but a fool takes no pleasure in understanding… [Proverbs 18:2]. Like I said, YOU KNOW NOTHING! Yeah talking to you is just like talking to a child. You can tell a child repeatedly that fire is hot, but they never really get it until they have been burned. [Proverbs 23:9]. When this happens, they can then relate to what hot means. It is a lesson they will never forget as long as they live, but it was a bitter lesson to have to learn. Unfortunately, we all seem to possess this same characteristic. We have to be burned before we can learn!

I want you to know that in reading the book of Ecclesiastes, I realized this was Solomon also: been there, done that, now what? Solomon wrote three books in the Bible: Song of Solomon — a romantic book, it’s filled with chemistry and love and great words that sizzle of his first love. Then he wrote Proverbs — a middle-aged man, successful. “Been there, done that.” Then he reveals his inner heart and soul —the book of Ecclesiastes. The end result is that he looks back and says, “I have lived a life under the sun. It was a life of emptiness, a life void of meaning.” Solomon — who was the wealthiest person who ever lived and evidently one of the most brilliant individuals who has ever lived — gets to the end of his life, after he’s accomplished all that he’d accomplished, and he says it’s all empty, it’s all futility, it’s all vanity. And he says, “Now what, now what? What is it all about, what did it mean?” He missed the meaning of life. [Ecclesiastes 2-3]. Don’t let that be said about you. Don’t be a fool, taking pride in what you perceive as your intelligence and wisdom. Such wisdom “is foolishness in God’s sight.”[Proverbs 15:9]. By contrast, trust the Lord, learn His wisdom from the Scriptures of the Bible, acknowledge Him and His ways, and you will be truly wise. If not, Jesus says, “He will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. [Leviticus 26:19]. Make no mistake about it!

I want you to know that the School of Hard Knocks is now taking enrollment. What is the School of Hard Knocks? It is a school for those who think they know everything. It is a school for those who say, “It’s my prerogative, I’ll do what I want to do!”  It is a school for those who leave God’s path and hate His rules. [Proverbs 15:10-20] The School of Hard Knocks…Location: Anywhere….Cost: Free – Initially. The faster you learn, the cheaper the course. WARNING: The costs could become high if the lessons need to be repeated several times. This course is ideal for those who meet the following criteria: [1.] Hearing impaired: i.e. you ignore advice and warnings. [2.] Egocentric: You believe that the world revolves around you. [3.] Perfect: The more perfect that you believe you are, the more you will benefit. [4.] Well educated: The smarter you think you are, the more you will learn what you don’t know. [5.] Stubborn: The more stubborn you are the more intense the training will be. Length of Courses: Anywhere from a moment to a lifetime -depending on how many repetitions of lessons you require. Curriculum: Curriculum is individually designed to suit each person’s areas of resistance. Instructors: None: The ‘hearing’ impaired don’t listen anyway. Graduation Date: Undetermined: When you discover that you aren’t nearly as perfect and smart as you thought. When the world no longer revolves around you. When you don’t need hard knocks to teach you. When you’re hearing ability is restored and you can listen to other people. On graduation: At the end you will be counted among the wise if you listen to advice and accept discipline” [Proverbs 19:20].

So what does this mean to you today? It means that if you desire to maximize your purpose and potential in life, before you die, you must maintain a teachable spirit.  If you ever get to the point where you refuse to learn you will not be fit for the Kingdom.  God’s rejects the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (1^st Peter 5).  So be thankful for what you know, but know that you don’t know it all!

“He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.” [Proverbs 13:18]

“If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.” (Proverbs 15:32]

By Naomi K. Bonman

Love. We all want it. We all crave for it. We all long for it. Some of the best songs revolve around ‘love’. Award winning songwriter Lanita Smith recently blew the audience away at the Beale Street Music Festival in Tennessee while performing her latest single, “Love Can Do.” She encourages us to love and to take leaps within love. 

Her latest single is encouraged by the various hardships that we face today and her video also reflects that. Shot at DreamMagic Studios in Canoga Park, the video centers around the importance of unmasking our insecurities and being the change that brings people together in love. Images of various cultures, races, and even our fellow military are displayed in the warm and energetic piece of work, that shows you why we should love our differences not judge them.

“Love Can Do” is a prelude to her upcoming album entitled Remember Me, set to release late summer 2017. I recently caught up with Ms. Smith in our “Purposely Awakened” radio show where she chatted on her latest single, working alongside Los Angeles choreographer Liezel Marie, and her upcoming projects.

Check out the interview below: 

https://cloudup.com/cuu2gGFpHxK

By Lue Dowdy 

“Show It Off I.E. Youth Talent Competition” will be held by LUE Productions on Saturday, October 14. If you can sing, rap, dance, act, recite poetry or spoken word, play an instrument, or any sort of unique talent, here’s your opportunity. Please don’t wait! Text now to reserve your spot at (909) 567-1000. Sign-ups are on a first come, first serve basis.

The winner will receive $500 with a trophy, feature in paper interview, and a photoshoot. To participate you must reside in the Inland Empire, be 19 years and under, and MUST audition. If selected a $25 registration fee will be required.

Auditions will be held on Saturday, July 22 at 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Feldheym Central Library located at 555 W. Sixth Street in San Bernardino. Callbacks will be on July 31 for those that made it into the show.

By Sophia Rome

The money bail system has long been a norm in the United States and is widely accepted as the routine that follows someone’s arrest. While most people know what money, bail is, most are not aware of the need for immense reform in the system. Evidently, this system is broken and creates more financial hardship for accused people of lower socioeconomic status, as well as for the state. Currently there are discussions taking place in the California State Assembly regarding the passage of bills for reforming the bail system in California. The first one, AB 42, has been stalled, while another, SB 10, appears to have a more hopeful future. As such, it is more important than ever for community members to mobilize in support of this type of legislation. This is especially important in those districts where the representative assembly member abstained from voting on AB 42, including Eloise Gómez Reyes, whose district includes a large part of the city of San Bernardino.

When someone is arrested for anything – such as stealing a chocolate bar, getting pulled over while already in debt for other traffic tickets, or being involved in someone else’s criminal situation – the process of temporary liberation before trial, known as the bail system needs to be followed, with conditions set by the judge to ensure that the defendant will appear in court. These conditions are usually quite a high fee; the median bail in California is around $50,000. The majority of people are not able to pay this amount of money, hence the fact that about 60% of those incarcerated in the U.S. today are still awaiting their trials simply because they cannot pay their bail. In other words, hundreds of thousands of people in jail have not yet been convicted, and their presence in jail costs the state and taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Furthermore, those who want to avoid being incarcerated before their trials often seek services from bail bondsmen. This type of bondsman has financial support from the nation’s large insurance companies, and works to give loans to people to pay their bail. However, those who receive help from bail bondsmen need to pay them a downpayment of around 10% of their bail amount, on top of an interest rate; in the end, a person can need to continue paying a bail bondsman for over a year. As if this weren’t enough, if someone who was able to pay bail is then found innocent in his or her trial, the bail money will be returned; meanwhile if someone who asked a bail bondsman for help is then found innocent in his or her trial, the bail money will NOT be returned.

So, our organization, Bend the Arc, has a moral and political mission. In the California Assembly the bill AB 42 Bail, has currently been stalled; however, the bill SB 10 is still on the horizon.

“This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to safely reduce the number of people detained pretrial, while addressing racial and economic disparities in the pretrial system, to ensure that people are not held in pretrial detention simply because of the inability to afford money bail.” – excerpt from text of Assembly Bill 42, also present in SB 10

The proposed system would initiate a slower and more meticulous process of deciding an accused person’s bail terms. It intends to abandon the system of asking for high fees from accused people, and replace it with a legal contract in which the accused signs to assure his or her appearance in court. Discussions about the passage of this bill continue in the assembly, and we are working to mobilize Southern California residents to encourage their assembly members to vote in favor of SB 10, and bring up discussions about AB 42 once again.

In coalition with many other social justice organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the Ella Baker Center, the Essie Justice Group and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Bend the Arc has committees focused on a wide range of social justice issues for which we organize action. Evidently, the movement for bail reform cannot happen without the support of everyday citizens, constituents of the California State Assembly members. Whether it be calling assemblymember Reyes’s office, helping us organize a lobby visit with Reyes, watching and/or hosting a screening of a short documentary made by the organization Brave New Films to address this issue or realizing any other form of community action, the support of the residents of this district is more important than ever.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

Sincerely,

Sophia Rome

www.bendthearc.us/region/southern-california

By Shalom Ysrayl

For the uplifting and encouragement of my people…

Until the Lions Story is Told, The Hunter will always appear as the Hero! “The calling back of the Children of Israel…The Prophet is calling us back to the Covenant…” We are the Hebrew People! This idea will allow us to experience an upgrade in our lives and neighbor hoods… A Solid People…!