Many of you know that I’m a huge supporter of DeVon Franklin. I stumbled upon him a few years ago and have followed his journey from a far. Last year, I had the honor of meeting him at The Merge Summit held in LA and to say that that moment made an imprint would be an understatement. There’s something to say about someone who you just know is unapologetically themselves. He is genuinely a kind soul with a courageous spirit and a heart for people so it’s no surprise that on this past Sunday I would tune into all 3 services at One Church International where he was the guest speaker. Yes, I watched the 9am, 11am, and 1pm!! That’s how on point he was and how hungry I am to get this thing called life right! The message was the same in all 3 services but the delivery was different. I got something different from each one and I wish I could regurgitate everything in this one article but it would be a book in itself. Instead, I’d like to do one better and share the link to the 1pm service for all of you to witness. (Click here and scroll to about 01:11:30 for the message.) Since I know that some of you won’t watch for lack of time or even lack of interest, I’ll just share a few nuggets that I believe were said directly to me! No seriously, he was all up in my life and yes I was yelling at the screen! Ha! Continue reading “Hunger Pains”→
Yeah the pain came and the rain fell down
But I maintained through the skirmish
Its cause I love you and you’re worth it
Yeah you could be anything to them
But to me you’re perfect
I fight for you, I’m right for you
I’m here on purpose.
Music is a powerful drug. It can change your mood with the change of a beat and in this case it can change every word that you wanted to write. At least that’s what happened to me today. I scrapped my entire blog entry after listening to just one song on Mali Music’s debut album “Mali Is.” Let me just say that I could write an entire blog about almost every song. It’s just that dope. But for now, I’m going to dive into the sheer genius and power behind a song titled “Fight for You.” My goal is to know every verse by the end of the week and with as much as it’s been repeated today, I think I’ll pull it off. I haven’t been moved this hard by a song since India Arie’s “Break the Shell.”
I’m taking the time to dissect this song for a few reasons:
1. The lyrics are POWERFUL.
2. Super religious folks won’t give it a chance because it’s not “gospel” they can jump and shout about.
3. It speaks to my own struggle with pursuing God’s will and gives me so much life!
Tomorrow marks the release of a movie I’ve been waiting on in high anticipation titled “Heaven Is For Real.” Not because of the storyline (although it is amazing) and not because of who is behind the making of it (although I am a huge supporter of DeVon Franklin’s work). It’s because it’s yet another one of the dots that connects to what I heard God call into existence 4 years ago.
DOT 1: In 2010, I created my producing firm “B.A.S.H Films” as a part of a class assignment. I loved the vision so much that I decided to make it official based on God’s promise that I would be a part of a faith based entertainment industry that will produce quality movies for mass audience appeal. Of course, it seemed completely unbelievable with the types of movies that were box office hits at the time. Let’s also be clear that I had absolutely no connections in the movie industry. All I knew was TV.
DOT 2: So naturally I questioned His promise. I developed a few things here and there but to say I was skeptical of my ability to accomplish such a thing is an understatement. Last year, I stumbled upon a promotion for an event called “The Merge Summit” which at is core is a networking platform for people who desire to merge faith and entertainment. I had no idea anything like that even existed and it was on it’s 6th year! It was a rewarding experience to say the least and who did I meet as a result? … Devon Franklin. A man who I admired from afar. A man who’s book I studied almost as intently as the Bible. A man who is at the forefront of the faith and entertainment movement and a true powerhouse in the faith community. I shook hands with him, he signed my book, and I assured him that we would cross paths again!
DOT 3: The Merge Summit was like no other networking event I’ve ever encountered. Each day we started off with a worship service. One particular pastor stood out. His name was Toure’ Roberts. His words were powerful, endearing, and far from preachy. His church is based in Le Brea, LA and he is considered to be the pastor to the stars. A lot of celebrities and industry figures attend his church but that’s not what drew me to him. It was his down to earth persona. It was his ability to fly below the radar and not tout his importance in a community that is all about appearances. It was his ability to be “in” the entertainment world but not “of” it. It was his ability to lead a group of people who have the world at their fingertips but are void and hungry for the Word. It takes strong faith, not a strong man to accomplish such a feat.
DOT 4: A year later, Pastor Toure’ would release his first book “Purpose Awakening” and I would complete it in about a week. I rarely finish a book in one setting as it usually takes me a few tries to get through even a good book but this one was special. I admire that about him so I did what anyone walking in faith would do… something completely “ridiculous!” (to the natural eye at least). I applied to serve in his ministry. Yep, that’s right. I have no LA address. No LA job. No LA connections but I reached out in faith that one day I would be able to serve.
What does this all mean? There are moments in our journey that will reveal to you God’s promises in your life. It may not all make sense on how you’ll get there but believe that His plans are clear. Take some time out today to look back over the past few months and connect your own dots. You may be sitting there waiting on confirmation that He’s already given you. As long as you know He’s on board, trust the process and keep track of those “little” things that happen throughout the weeks and months that prove to you that you’re not crazy to believe that big, supersized dream! Once all the dots are connected, the big picture of His purpose for your life will be revealed!
Judges 6:15 “Gideon said to him, “Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan’s the weakest in Manasseh and I’m the runt of the litter.” … God said to him, “I’ll be with you. Believe me, you’ll defeat Midian as one man.”
When God gave me the vision for BASH Films, I had no idea where it would lead or how I would get started. It all began with a grad school assignment and quickly flourished into something much bigger than me. I remember asking God to show me examples of people who are doing what I believed He was calling me to do. You see, I work in entertainment and faith based content back then was pretty much non-existent. The shows that were centered around faith were “churchy” music video shows that only “church” people would watch. But God was calling me to the masses. He wanted me to infiltrate a massive machine that glamorizes promiscuity, drugs, material wealth, and beyond. His vision for me was to represent women in the light that He had created them to be instead of what the limelight had molded them to be. I couldn’t see a pathway to do what He wanted me to do so I second guessed if it was even Him who gave me the vision. Was I crazy? I needed to stick to the script, work my way up the ladder, and be grateful to be in the business period. Continue reading “Follow the Leader”→
“Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21
In December 2012, the plan was to dissolve “The BOLD & The FABULOUS” blog, which for me meant my blogging run was over. I wasn’t upset about it at all. Although I loved it, I knew that everything had its season and that we had a great run while it lasted. Now it was on to other things. Little did I know that my involvement with “The BOLD & The FABULOUS” was preparation for me to come from behind the scenes to find my voice and build enough confidence to share it with the world. If you look back to my very first blog in July 2010, you will read all about my hesitations. I won’t drill down on that any more than necessary, but just know that it was not my desire to share my stories with the world. However, as my relationship with God grew, my desires began to take a backseat and it became more important for me to fulfill His purpose for my life. Continue reading “Refueled”→
Tuesdays with Bianca 
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