New Year's Eve '14

It's December 31, 2014!!!!!!

We have met the very last day of this year! That means that 2015 is staring us in the face. This is the time we all in some way reflect on what this year has brought us; laughter, heartbreaks, memories, joy and pain, new discoveries and so much more. But whether your experience of 2014 was of trial or triumph, this moment  lifts the weight of all your doubts and fears of this year and propels you to the next. 

Of course I've also been playing the year over in my head wondering what next year will bring and I n the spirit of reflection and preparation, I've adapted this 2015 New Year's Resolution:

I'll only be successful in my endeavors with the help of God. That begins with understanding life at His perspective. 

If you have a New Year's Resolution, my prayer is that you prosper at every venture, achieve every goal, and maintain good habits. I pray that once you start to see the results of your hard work you don't forget who put you on.

Share your 2015 New Year's Resolutions with The A Team! Let's reach our goals  together! Post your New Year's Resolutions on

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Post a pic of your resolution with the hashtag #ATeamNewYear! GO!! 

Unwrap your gift: Discovering The Real You

By: Calicia Smith

@calimonae

GIFT: a thing given willingly to someone without payment; a present.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace 1 Peter 4:10


What is that one thing that you've hinted at your husband/wife, fiancé, or "boo" to get you for Christmas? Most likely it is the upgrade of something that you already own. I'm not "knocking" the holiday season and the gift of giving(I enjoy some of those sales myself lol). However, I believe that for many people the principle of gift giving is missed in today's culture- example: "If I get you something, you have to get me something." If that's your mentality you have to check yourself. I believe The giving of gifts is really a reflection of what's in you(soul, heart etc). What is behind Your gift this season? YOU...yes you are behind your gift and the sincerity of your heart is revealed in your attitude toward giving. Giving is really an act of service and an extension of yourself to aid those in need.


I believe many people struggle with materialism and consumerism because they aren't being true to themselves. In the words of William Shakespeare:" to thine own self be true". The world needs far more love, joy, and peace than the latest shoe or handbag. I pray you dig deep and ask God to show you how to love yourself by loving others through service. A nice blouse or shoe is great but ask yourself if that person that desires those items really need a hug or for you to help buy groceries?


We are the eyes, ears, and hands of God. Don't be afraid to share YOURSELF(gifts, service, talents)with the world.


This season I encourage you to do a heart check and ask yourself:
What you do and why DO you do it?


Prayer starter: God thank you for this season that is set aside to reflect and demonstrate your great love for me. I desire to operate out of a pure place and un contaminated with things. I pray above else this season that you teach me how to love. I want to love unconditionally and un selfishly. Today I give myself permission with the help of the Holy Spirit to give of myself to those in need. In Jesus' name. AMEN.

Give 'Me' A Break

^“But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.” Romans 7:17-20.

Have you ever had a day where you sat and thought to yourself, “What in the world is wrong with me?!” Out of frustration with our own repetitive madness we start to think, “Well, maybe I do need some help…” Paul hits the nail on the head when he describes how our sinful nature can frustrate our spiritual desires – things as simple as deciding to eat healthier and then finding yourself pigging out at Christmas parties or deciding to become financially disciplined then finding yourself “needing” the new Jordans. We are constantly bouncing between what our spirit needs and what our natural bodies cling to and it can feel like the system is set up for us to fail.

Self-discipline is a huge part of living a Christ-like life. Christ reminds us in Luke 9:23-24 that in order to be His follower we cant bring our selfish ways with us—trying to hang on to our old lives will only cause us to loose them.  Turning away from something you’re used to means a battle between what you want and what you know you need. Paul gets it. He wrote about the predictability of our “failures” and how helpless it can feel to try wholeheartedly and still mess up. It’s the one part of us we wish we could just lock away.

In all honesty there are parts of us that don’t find interest in pleasing God, parts that just want to satisfy themselves. That sinful nature can abruptly rear its ugly head in the least expected moments of our lives…and then it’s back to square one. Again.

As frustrating as that cycle can be, its important to remember that with all you’ve gone through and as far you think you have left to go in your walk with God, there are some who didn’t make it as far as you have. The spirit of frustration makes you beat up on yourself and criticize where you are in comparison to where we think we should be. It also clouds our view of how far we’ve come with God’s help. Paul’s letter goes on to explain how Christ set things up to help us when we want to serve God with all our hearts and minds, but get pulled by the influence of sin to do something completely different.

The exasperating and contradicting struggle of trying to control your sinful nature can even make you think being spiritual isn’t for you.  But leaning on God in weak moments and in situations we seemingly can’t handle allow Him to exercise His perfect strength in us. 

- Ayana

Check Yourself

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes

 

One thing that bothers me is when someone asks for my opinion, then gets upset with what I’ve said. I instantly get irritated and frustrated with the person for creating a problem with something they involved me in. I’ve been an opinionated and outspoken person all my life and I learned the hard way that my opinion is a private possession and most effective when solicited or asked for.  I made sure I wasn’t pushy with my opinions and criticisms but I didn’t considered whether or not my criticism was constructive. I felt like what I had to say made more sense to me and was therefore correct and better for everyone.

Thinking back on certain situations where my frustration with someone not receiving my criticism led to an argument or huge fallout, I have a much better understanding of the saying, “It’s not what you say but how you say it.” I rarely considered the natural difficulty that comes with receiving criticism in the first place. Consequently, that put the other person on immediate defense.  

As we all know, criticism can be useful. Accepting suggestions from others is how we all learn to appreciate one another’s gifts and talents. However, we also need to know how to give constructive criticism. Whether we realize it or not, giving constructive criticism is a skill. Part of sharpening that skill is sincerity. This isn’t the normal “BS sandwich” that people learn about in corporate leadership courses and seminars.

                        BS Sandwich – sandwiching criticism between two positive statements. Lacks sincerity and can be detected a mile away.

Genuine constructive criticism isn’t about being right. It may seem weird but criticism is selfless. Constructive criticism doesn’t ask to be proven right or gain anything. It just wants to see someone be better at what they do.  Genuine criticism is not an attack on another person. Even if we offer critique to a friend directly about them, we should never judge or throw blame on them. No one stays interested in having a conversation where they are being attacked. That is why it helps to compliment the person on what you notice was good. Criticism that feels like an attack only focuses on “wrong”. Before we offer criticism, we should use it as a chance to encourage each other.

In Jeremiah 31:3 Christ reminds us that we were drawn to Him with loving kindness. It’s important that we keep that same attribute when dealing with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Truth be told, being corrected can be a humbling experience and it can hurt. Knowing that, we have to remember when offering corrective criticism, you’re dealing with a person who can feel the same hurt when being corrected by you. It’s almost like a self-check system:

1.     Do I just want to be right?

2.     Am I attacking this person?

3.     What did they do well in the situation?

When you make sure you present a loving posture, anything you say, in love, can be easily received.













-Ayana

SHOTS FIRED

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes
 
Shots Fired.

Black lives are being attacked on all sides, and while our young men are being shot and killed in the streets with no consequence, our young women are being openly condemned. Elizabeth Lauten, the communications director for Republican Rep. Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, fired shots via Facebook to express her disapproval of Sasha and Malia Obama’s behavior and clothing during last week’s Presidential Turkey Pardon. Sasha and Malia are two of the youngest presidential children in the White House (as noted by the Washington Post) and I could be alone in this opinion but I don’t see how Ms. Lauten figured that the pardon of a Thanksgiving turkey is in any way interesting or imperative enough to a 16 and 13 year old that it could peak their adolescent interests. Ms. Lauten also made it a point to use their attire as reason to disrespect them. 

The attack on the First Children by Ms. Lauten is lacking the very class she instructed them to have. She allegedly "prayed for hours" and then apologized for her classless rant but the thought that crosses my mind lately is that our children no longer enjoy childhood for being murdered and bullied at such young ages and not allowed to just be kids. Sasha and Malia are real teenagers; they yawn during Inaugurations, take Selfies, and wave off invitations to pet turkeys named "Cheese" but what teen wouldn’t? 

We need to protect black childhood. At all costs. Protect them from every teacher who dismisses black intelligence, anyone who ever unnecessarily sexualized a black child, and cops who see unarmed black children as attackers.

Keep Making Noise

What's up everybody, my name is Arthur Cartwright. I'm a writer/director and by the grace of God, I've worked as an actor with people such as Clint Eastwood, Christopher Walken, Val Kilmer, Laurence Fishburne and more. I also produce a traveling stage-play called "We Beat the Streets”, which is loosely based on the New York Times Bestseller of the same name. The play has been running for four years and has been seen by tens of thousands of people.

I fell in love with acting in the 5th grade and I'm now 25 years old, but I didn’t fall in love with simply acting, but telling a story and being a part of it. I really got into acting in high school, I started watching movies differently and really studied the craft. More importantly, I started studying the business. My father is a hardcore businessman, so not only did I have the artsy, poetic side of me that just wants to create, but I also wanted to do good business. I hear a lot of artists who just want to create and not worry about if a project does well financially or not, as long as it's out there. I commend them for that, but the business side of movie making always held my interest. I wanted to know how much movies made and what were the highest grossing projects of all time, whether it was film, television or stage.

 My mother used to play this game with me, asking me at any given moment throughout the day about who directed or produced or wrote a certain film, and I would answer it. She couldn't believe how much I knew about films and the people behind them. With this, I knew my senior year of high school I had to jump straight into the industry somehow. I got accepted into some universities but I decided to jump straight into acting. I sent out headshots and resumes to find an agent. It was perfect timing. At that time, the state of Michigan (where I was born and raised) gave out a tax incentive for films—the largest incentive offered by any state.

Michigan, for a good 2 years, was the filmmaking capital of the country. Hundreds of films were shooting in here from big ones to small ones and I was getting called to auditions for what seemed like every single one of them. The ones I was blessed to book ended up being big ones. My first gig was playing "Prez" in Gran Torino and I got to work with Eastwood and company and even attended the premiere at Warner Bros and went to California for the first time. After Gran Torino, I got other roles that put me on screen with people I looked up to in the film industry like Angelina Jolie, whom I met at Gran Torino’s premiere–I was on cloud nine.

Gran Torino became the highest grossing movie of Clint Eastwood's career so I decided to move out to California while the movie was hot. When I moved out there I got to see the business for what it was—extremely difficult and competitive. I saw that I was just one in millions that were trying to make it. This is when I started a production company and the business side of me came out. I produced “We Beat The Streets” and as a company, I was able to get into doors I may not have gotten into as an actor since I had been talking daily to the people who provided actors with jobs like network executives, producers, directors etc.

I became more interested in this side of the business because these are the people who create the stories that we see on screen. That's my focus and has been for a few years, I don't just want to be a part of the story anymore, I want to create the story I'm apart of. It's a tricky business because it's about who you know and everything seems like it's closed off to new comers. It takes an undeniable, relentless tenacity to make your mark. I pray ALOT, and I have Faith that God has my steps ordered. I do what I do and I let God do what He does. Now, I'm in a great place, I'm married to a beautiful, amazing woman that is a true friend and helper, business is good and most importantly growing, but still marching towards my goal which is to own a thriving movie studio. I have a ways to go, but I'm going to keep pushing, keep making noise.

Have you noticed you can't ignore a sound you don't recognize? If it's an unfamiliar sound, you have to find out where it's coming from right? You want to get noticed? Just keep making noise.

Arthur Cartwright

STH Productions

www.sthproductions.com

IG: @BlockbusterArt

Fast Cash

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes

The other day I was indulging in my latest social media impulse, Snapchat, and I received a message from the Snapchat family. A video of two teenagers showing the ease of money wiring using “Snapcash” backed by a Broadway musical routine of singing, tap-dancers wearing dollar signs and holding giant debit cards glittered across my screen. Apparently, “with the swipe of three fingers you can make it rain,” on friends in your recent snaps.  Snapcash is virtually seamless, enabling users to quickly upload their debit cards and make payments to their peers by simply typing a dollar sign and payment amount in the chat box.

Long story short, this is yet another way for money to effortlessly fly out of my bank account. People at these mobile cash companies, Google Wallet, Square, and Apple Pay—just to name a few—have made the transfer of money that much more convenient. I learned about the concept of a mobile wallet in a marketing class I took in college. My professor foreshadowed the elimination of a physical wallet and at the time I shrugged it off thinking no one is going to actually use these mobile cash options as a replacement to physical money—that’s ridiculous. However, an article on MarketWatch.com explained that Snapchat’s 100 million tech-savvy 20-something active users who for the most part grew up with smartphones and the spirit of instant gratification, trust that the Internet will keep their personal and financial data “safe”.  Millennials (that’s us) are the most apt to incorporating these mobile processes into our daily lives since we’re already always glued to our phones.

            Don’t get me wrong, I understand (and appreciate) the ease of payments and money transfers with online bill pay, mobile bank transfers and the like but I’ve recognized that with the benefits of convenience follows a multitude of responsibility. Again, it’s becoming way too easy for money to get away from us, and consequently much more tempting to frivolously spend. $20 here, $15 there and we don’t even realize it until we’re left with $1.23 in our bank accounts because the money spent so easily (don’t front like it hasn’t happened to you).

            “Snapcash” is really cool, uniquely innovative and very relevant to the times we live in but the challenge now is that self-discipline and self-control become even more important to our money management practices. I mean, who isn’t tempted just a little bit to try it? I just want to see if actual Snapdollars will drizzle down my screen if someone sends me money.

- Ayana

Message In a Bottle

 By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes

Most people today claim to be introverts, people who are more comfortable being by themselves, relying on themselves and entertaining others only for a short while. The thing about introverts is that most of the time (if not all the time for a true introvert) when an outlet is needed, the introvert only finds comfort within themselves. For these people and others who aren't necessarily true introverts but share the same conundrum of needing someone to share with but not feeling comfortable sharing with anyone, a lot of things are left unsaid. I call this the Message In A Bottle Syndrome.

This is when beautiful things, poetry, novels, ideas, revelations, inspirations, art, comedy etc. are bottled up inside of people waiting for someone to find it and unleash it. The beauty in stumbling upon a bottle washed up onto shore with something inside of it is the element of seemingly finding a treasure. The beauty is also found in the fragility of the vessel and how it survived the graceful monstrosity that is the ocean.

Most of us keep things inside of us out of fear that if we unleash a piece of our soul, it won't be appreciated or respected as much as if someone finds it, so we keep everything bottled up. Whoever places a piece of their soul into a bottle and sets it out to sea knows that some may find a bottle washed up onto shore and ignore it, and some will find a gift, a treasure to be enjoyed and savored. the difference is in who took the time to open it.

-Ayana

Forget Not His Benefits

Imagine the physical effects of smoking a pack of cigarettes everyday for 40 years—pretty horrifying, right? Well, imagine that the absence of prayer, meditation, church fellowship, and the space for God to move on your behalf have that very same physical effect. The old saying goes “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” but can a prayer a day do the same? An article in Relevant Magazine (maybe you can tell by now that Relevant is my favorite faith based magazine) written by Rob Moll, award winning journalist and author of What Your Body Knows About God, breaks down these “5 Ways Your Faith Improves Your Health”.

1. Faith Encourages Healthy Behavior

2. Faith Reduces Stress

3. Community Improves Emotional Health

4. Helping Others Improves Life Satisfaction

5. Space for the Miraculous

The measurable health benefits of Faith, blood pressure, strength of the immune system, and the offset of the effects of mental illness are also mentioned but what I loved most about the article was the 5^th health benefit— Space for the Miraculous. Some will say that the health benefits of Faith are all in a person’s head, and I have to agree. The article references The Placebo Affect, which is a person’s response to a treatment that seems to be real but isn’t.  Now, my belief in this theory isn’t the same as a skeptic’s but it is based on the mantra of my Pastor, Bishop J. Drew Sheard, “If you can’t see it before you see it you never will see it.” That motto has always activated my imagination to believe for something that wasn’t necessarily true yet, and that’s all faith is, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).  So maybe it is the Placebo Effect but the bottom line is, Faith can help improve a person’s health.

 “…If we believe that God's authority stretches to the physical as well as the spiritual, then we can accept that He can manifest that authority in our physical health as well as our spiritual health.”

Take a look at The Surprising Links Between Faith and Health here.

-Ayana

Falling Out

   

By: Ayana Bryant-Weekes 

        This year, Fall brought with it rule breaking weather patterns, from 70-degree temperature highs to record shattering rain showers. As frustrating as unexpected weather can be, it can also inspire a similar unpredictability in your Fall wardobe. Here are some easy, yet daring Fall Fashion trends to try this season. 

        One aspect of fall that everyone loves is COLOR! The Fall14 collections of Chloe, Gucci, Carven Wes Gordon, Oscar de la Renta, and J.Crew gave us exciting blues, greens and oranges as well as surprising pastels to work with.

         Orange is a hot color for this season. I know some say orange isn’t for everyone but I beg to differ; there are different shades for every skin tone. Find the shade that’s right for you and rock it out!

For a modern take on the Blue color trend, you can wear your favorite shade of blue from top to bottom, or go the color-blocking route with shades of light periwinkle to deep sapphire.

         The Fall Pastel color trend is my personal favorite. The lighthearted shades of spring (mint greens, pastel pinks, baby blues) take the dreariness out of traditional fall colors. The deeper shades of this pastel pallet add brilliance to your fall wardrobe. Work in coats, slim pants, or midi-skirts in with these lovely hues.

The Oversized Wrap Coat trend for Fall14 combines comfort and glamor. This trend is modest but brings back an air of sophistication in one garment. You can throw this piece on over layers, or modernize it with slim-cut trousers and a turtleneck (also an awesome fall trend). The runways of Delpozo, Altuzarra, Mark Fast, Marc Jacobs, and Giorgio Armani show us exactly how to pull off this fabulous fall look.

 

If the wrap coat trend isn’t quite your cup of tea, try on a more refined version – The Cape.  I love this trend because it’s all about that personal touch. Make it an evening look by wearing the cape over a dress, or with jeans and riding boots for a stylish weekend fit. This winter staple was spotted in the collections of Public School, Kate Spade New York, Tracy Reese, Etro, Roberto Cavalli, Burberry Prorsum, Tommy Hilfiger, Barbara Bui, and Alexis Mabille.

There are bags that show your style, and then there are bags that send a literal message. Seen at Karen Walker, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Kate Spade, and other shows, Statement Totes and Clutches  let you to make a statement without saying a word. For fall, several designers embraced upbeat bags with a twist. From the Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger at Anya Hindmarch, to the Chinese takeout containers at Kate Spade, and—of course—the McDonald’s theme Jeremy Scott showed at Moschino. Apart from the variety of imaginative and trendy bags for fall, the bag trend also features outstanding designs, forms and motifs. Among them are the treasure chests of Dolce & Gabbana, the piano-inspired bag of Betsey Johnson, and the unique Frankie Morello book clutches.

                                                         

         I know I’m not the only one with a collection of comfy t-shirts, sweatshirts and sweatpants in my closet from an old boyfriend. That’s why I love this Menswear trend! Though menswear fabrics are used, the cut is tapered and more full on top for a woman’s hips, which are a major focal point this fall. You can even try dress shorts, which are a surprisingly acceptable alternative when worn with opaque tights. Make it work for warmer months with a paler color palette and lighter fabrics. Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Hermes, Elizabeth and James, and Giorgio Armani all gave femininity a masculine touch for this season. 

                                    

Speaking of Men’s Wear…

Here are a few unexpected Fall trends for men!

Turtlenecks. Lately it seems anything goes when it comes to reviving 90’s fashion. This retro-classic trend has been gaining ground for a couple of years in men’s fashion circles, and this year was no exception thanks to brands like AMI, Bally, DKNY, Ralph Lauren, Tom Ford, Gucci and Topman Design. This trend makes most guys nervous about looking too feminine, however, it’s all about the way you wear it. Turtlenecks have to be comfortable and underline your masculinity and strong silhouette (that's why if you don't think that your body fits turtlenecks, then it's better to avoid wearing them). Pair a tailored, lightweight turtleneck with a blazer or bomber jacket (or on its own), or layer a thick-knit turtleneck under a long double-breasted overcoat, to switch it up a bit. For those who like a bolder look, white roll necks are white-hot this season as well. 

The Sports Chic/ Urban Sport trend is one of my favorite menswear trends. In the Fall14 collections of Hermes and Botegga Vanetta, luxury meets sportswear in a subtle way; elemnets of loungewear are incorporated into tailoring and fabric choice. The Wearability and functionality, mixed with true design elements is what sets this trend apart from “regular” sweats. The runways of J.Crew, Sibling, Todd Snyder, Givenchy, James long, Vivienne Westwood and Band of Outsiders showed a sporty but polished look with nice sneakers or boots, a fitted-shirt, topping the look with a casual blazer or jacket. Presented in double-faced wool cashmere, suede or leather, loungewear is elevated to something much more luxurious.
                                        

Heading to a Black Tie event? Shake things up and wear BROWN. Worn as a standout jacket or as a full tux with coordinating trimmings, Marks & Spencer, Best of British, Gieves & Hawkes, and Richard James translated the classic Black Tie ensemble into a handsome fall palette.