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Tag: Perseverance

Is Every Struggle the Devil?

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: In All Things Persevere)

IS EVERY STRUGGLE THE DEVIL?

As believers in Christ, the Bible encourages us to persevere.

To persevere is “to never give up, continue, carry on, keep going, be persistent, be determined, press on, stand firm, go the distance, stay the course—even in the face of suffering.” In fact, a believer may suffer as a result of persecution. II Timothy 3:12 (New International Version) says,

“….Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”

As the verse states, Christians will be persecuted just as Jesus was persecuted, by Satan, his demons, and those who choose to walk in darkness, rather than in the light of God. However, I want to make something very clear. Not every hardship is from the devil. He doesn’t have that much power!

IS YOUR STRUGGLE PERSECUTION OR A CONSEQUENCE OF BAD BEHAVIOR?

Perhaps a struggle you are facing is the result of bad behavior on your part.

Colossians 3:25 (New Living Translation) says,

“But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.”

Let’s consider King David of Israel who, at a young age, was chosen by God and anointed by Samuel to be the next king (I Samuel 16). In II Samuel 11, late one afternoon while walking on the rooftop, King David noticed a woman nearby taking a bath. He was immediately drawn to her. When he inquired about her identity, his servants informed him that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, one of David’s soldiers. Although he now knew she was married, with lust in his heart, David still summoned her. As a result of their adulterous act, Bathsheba became pregnant.

When David learned of the pregnancy, he did everything in his power to cover up his wrongdoing. First, he had Uriah removed from the battlefield and sent home in hopes that he would sleep with his wife and, in turn, think he was the father of the unborn child. However, Uriah was a man of integrity and devoted soldier who remained abstinent during battle. Feeling he had no other choice, King David then ordered Uriah to be placed on the frontlines in battle, where he knew Uriah would more than likely be killed. Once Uriah was out of the picture, King David married Bathsheba thinking he was now in the clear. However, God wasn’t going to let David get away with what he did simply because he was king!

After Bathsheba gave birth to their son, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin. He prophesied that because of his sin, his household would suffer death. In that moment, David didn’t run away or hide. Instead, he owned up to what he had done and repented. In Psalms 51:1-12 (NLT), David prayed:

“1 Have mercy on me, O God,
because of Your unfailing love.
Because of Your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against You, and You alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in Your sight.
You will be proved right in what You say,
and Your judgment against me is just.
5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But You desire honesty from the womb,
teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
You have broken me—
now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from Your presence,
and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
and make me willing to obey You…..”

Although David sincerely repented of his sins and God forgave him, he still had to suffer the consequences. David didn’t die, but their infant son did.

Like King David, if you have done something you know was wrong, confess to God, repent, and persevere through the consequences.

You persevere by learning from your mistakes, moving forward, and making better choices. As Gospel singer Martha Munizzi sings, “Your latter will be greater than your past.” David and Bathsheba may have lost their first son, but God blessed them with Solomon, who later became king of Israel and the one to fulfill his father’s dream of building the temple in Jerusalem.

IS YOUR STRUGGLE PERSECUTION OR A TEST FROM GOD?

Your current struggle may be a test from God. O yes! God takes us through tests every now and then. However, I don’t think the test is as much for God as it is for us. A test is designed to measure your growth, to see how far you’ve come and how far you still need to go. For example, in Genesis 22, God tested Abraham when He instructed him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. This particular commandment had to be very trying for Abraham considering how many years he had waited to receive his promised heir. Nevertheless, Abraham obeyed the voice of God and, in turn, passed the test! In verse 12, an angel of the Lord stopped Abraham just when he was about to sacrifice Isaac and said,

“…now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from Me even your son, your only son.”

Abraham proved his faith, faithfulness and obedience to God! Consequently, God also informed him that He would bless him with innumerable descendants and that they would all be greatly blessed. Like Abraham, God wants to give us more, but we have to be ready to receive. So, whenever God takes you through a test, recognize that it’s designed to make you better, stronger and wiser. Therefore, persevere through it! Greater is coming!

IS YOUR STRUGGLE PERSECUTION OR JUST A PART OF LIFE?

Are you familiar with the phrase “Stuff happens?” The phrase is an acknowledgement that life here on earth is not perfect and unpredictable events will occur. For instance, consider that everything seems to be going well for you financially. Your bills are paid on time every month. You’re able to keep groceries in the refrigerator, gas in the tank, clothes on your back and shoes on your feet. You even have some money left over in the bank. Life is wonderful! Unfortunately, one day your car breaks down, your furnace goes out, and the dentist informs you that your child needs braces. The costs of what you need is more than what your salary will cover. Now, you’re frustrated, confused and scared.

However, in the midst of this overwhelming situation, you must persevere! I Peter 5:7 (NLT) says,

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”

You may have family and friends who truly care about you and are willing to help you any way they can. Nonetheless, no one cares about you more than God, the Creator, the one who owns everything! Therefore, He should always be the first one you consult when you find yourself in a tough situation. He will provide you with what you need. You just have to trust Him totally.

DON’T LET IT DESTROY YOU!

Whatever challenges you may be facing for whatever reasons, as Philippians 4:13 states, know that through Christ, you can do all things! What you’re going through right now doesn’t have to kill you, unless you let it. YES! Unless YOU let it! So, don’t let it destroy you! Rather stand tall in God! For instance, even though Job had lost everything, in Job 23:10 (King James Version) he declared,

“But [God] knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION

If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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A True Soldier

WHAT IS A TRUE SOLDIER?

On April 5, 2003, at the age of 34, Army Staff Sergeant Stevon A. Booker was killed by enemy fire in Iraq during a raid into Baghdad. Although I had heard and read about other casualties of war, this particular incident hit close to home because he was family! To the world he was Staff Sergeant Booker, but to those close to him, he was Stevie.

I was in shock the night I received the news that he was dead. My heart especially ached for his mother, sister and nephew. Stevie was gone??? No! It couldn’t be right! Again, he was ONLY 34 years old!!! He had been in the service since he was 18 or 19 years old.

He still had so many more years to live. In fact, following his death, I was told that Stevie had made plans to bring home a special lady, also a member of the service, to meet his family, and in just a few more years, he would have been eligible to retire. However, none of that was going to happen now, and it just didn’t seem fair!

As I pondered over the tragic event, I found solace in knowing that Stevie was a true soldier! A soldier can be defined as an enlisted man or woman. However, just because one survives boot camp doesn’t necessarily mean he or she is a TRUE soldier! A true soldier is willing to fight in order to defend his or her own. In battle or war, a true soldier risks being injured, maimed and even killed. Although we didn’t want to believe that Stevie was never coming back, we had to remember one thing! He was a true soldier who had made an allegiance to the army and to this country, even if it meant losing his life!

ARE YOU A TRUE SOLDIER?
The book of Romans was an epistle or formal letter written by the apostle Paul to the Christians at Rome. In Romans 8:35-36 he asked,

“35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Paul was informing them that as Christians they would face trouble. In other words, at times they would be persecuted, hungry and destitute, and in grave danger because they chose to follow Jesus Christ.

This truth still resonates today. As believers in Christ, we will face challenges, just as Jesus faced challenges while living on earth as a man. Because He was ridiculed, we will be ridiculed. Because He was mistreated, we can expect to be mistreated. Because He was attacked, we shouldn’t be surprised if we’re attacked. Therefore, we must learn to persevere.

To persevere is to endure through difficult circumstances. II Timothy 2:3 says,

“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

Paul wrote a letter to his young Christian brother Timothy encouraging him to continue doing the work of the Lord and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, despite any suffering and hardship he would experience.

Like a true soldier, as believers in Christ, we’ve made a commitment to serve God. Consider the apostle Paul. He was totally committed to telling others about Jesus, even if it meant sacrificing his life. In II Corinthians 11, he acknowledged being a prisoner and facing death countless times, including being whipped and even stoned by Jews and Gentiles alike. Three times he was shipwrecked. There were nights he didn’t get any sleep and days he went without food, water or warm clothing. Nevertheless, because of his faith in Jesus and undying devotion, he continued to persevere. He kept praying, preaching and encouraging other believers.

ARE YOU FULFILLING YOUR COMMITMENT?
Just as the apostle Paul persevered, I encourage you to do the same! Don’t allow anything or anyone to stop you from fulfilling your commitment to God. Trust that even when you go through, that God is with you. Know that every struggle is worth it, because not only do you gain rewards on earth, but you will gain the reward of eternal life because you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and remained faithful to the end!

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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They Are BL3SSED!

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: BL3SSED Through Perseverance)

THEY ARE BL3SSED
The year…..2012. The place…..Cincinnati, Ohio. Three twenty-something year old African-American men, with a passion for music, had a vision of one day singing on stages and in front of cameras all over the world.

Inspired by Gospel greats like The Clark Sisters, 21:03, Mary Mary, The Walls Group, and Kirk Franklin, these three young men Davosk Lavizzo, Ke’Vaughn McDowell and Jamaal McMullen agreed they wanted to form a Gospel trio. After much discussion, they convinced their mentor Aunt Syl to sign on as their manager and their godfather Mel Rob to be their assistant manager and vocal coach. Soon after, the group was born, and they are now BL3SSED!

WHAT DOES PERSEVERANCE LOOK LIKE?
I have known Davosk, Ke’Vaughn and Jamaal for a number of years from the time they each stepped foot inside our beloved church Power and Faith Ministries, and have had the pleasure of watching them grow into men. The past six years for BL3SSED as a singing group have not always been a bed of roses. With three different personalities, they occasionally butted heads. There were even moments when they wanted to throw up their hands and walk away. Why did they want to quit? Like you and me, they are human, and, as human beings, we become weary—physically, mentally and emotionally—especially when achieving our dreams seems to be a never-ending battle.

Discouragement is like a bad cut. You think that giving up is the best option because you just want the bleeding to stop! Nevertheless, despite the disagreements and struggles, BL3SSED persevered! They sang through their frustrations. They wrote even in their pain. They prayed in the midst of hopelessness. They believed God’s promises when there was no light at the end of the tunnel. They fought tirelessly for their dreams!

DO YOU HAVE A SOLID SUPPORT SYSTEM?
BL3SSED was inspired to persevere thanks to having a solid support system in place. A support system is a network of people who provide an individual or group with practical, emotional and spiritual support. Like BL3SSED, as you pursue your dreams, such as producing music, writing a book, starting a business, or earning a college degree, it’s imperative you have a solid support system to help you on your journey.

Allow God, who should be the first on your list, to select the right people. For instance, in addition to your pastors, you want those in your network to be trustworthy, supportive, knowledgeable, helpful, encouraging and prayerful.

BL3SSED THROUGH PERSEVERANCE
As a result of their perseverance, in December 2016, Davosk, Ke’Vaughn and Jamaal were each licensed as ministers of the Gospel. This past June, they were one of the finalists in the Path to Fame competition in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Most recently, they released two singles “Hold Me Back” and “Amazing Love” for purchase on all music outlets, including iTunes, Google Play, Amazon and Spotify.

After much discipline and vocal training, this trio can sing anything from quartet style to hip hop style music, which allows them to appeal to a large audience. BL3SSED is where they are now and reaping the rewards because they PERSEVERED. Galatians 6:9 says:

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

KEEP PERSEVERING
God says, “You are doing a good work. I see your sacrifices and labor. You’ve asked, ‘How much longer God?’ Don’t worry about the time frame. Your time is not the same as My time. I know what I’m doing. I’m preparing you and putting more of Myself in you, so that when you begin to reap the rewards, you won’t walk away from Me. Rather, you will be steadfast in your commitment to Me and the special work I’ve called you to do!”

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

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To subscribe to The Kimberly Joy Blog and receive new articles by email, please leave your email address in the box marked SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL provided at the end of the article.

If you would like to make a donation to help with my mission of spreading spiritual inspiration, you may donate to The Kimberly Joy Show via Cash App, Venmo or paypal.me/thekimberlyjoyshow.

Please follow The Kimberly Joy Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

A Man of Many Talents: The Steve Harvey Story

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: Black History Month Tribute to Steve Harvey)

A MAN OF MANY TALENTS
Steve Harvey, a man of many talents, is a comedian, actor, author, talk show host, game show host, radio personality…..just to name a few! Born Broderick Steven Harvey on January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, he is the youngest of five children to Jesse and Eloise Harvey. When Harvey was young, his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1974, he graduated from Glenville High School and enrolled in college where he became a lifetime member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, a historically black fraternity founded in 1911 at Howard University.

HIS TRUE PASSION
After leaving college, Harvey worked a number of jobs, mainly as a salesman. As a matter of fact, he was selling insurance when he finally decided to pursue his true passion of being a stand up comedian after winning an amateur night contest at a local comedy club in 1985. For the next several years, Harvey performed in small clubs to hone his craft as a comedian. This time in his life was going to either make him or break him. Harvey told People Magazine, that after splitting from his wife and sending the majority of his paychecks home to his children, “one or two gigs fell through, and suddenly I was homeless.”

While working a gig, he had the luxury of staying in a hotel, but once that particular gig was over, he was back to sleeping in his 1976 Ford Tempo. He kept an Igloo cooler in the backseat to use as his refrigerator and washed up in hotel bathrooms, gas stations or swimming pool showers. This went on for three years! Some probably wondered, “Why would he go through all that for a dream?!” He was finally doing something he loved and believed he was created by God to do.

Because Harvey persevered, even when he sometimes felt like giving up, he received the break he had been waiting for. He was invited to perform at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. Fortunately, that wasn’t the last time he was going to hit the Apollo stage. In 1993, he took over as host of Showtime at the Apollo.

That was the first time I remember laying eyes on Steve Harvey. My first thought was, “That man looks like Richard Pryor!” As a stand-up comic, Harvey also made television appearances on the Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search and on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam.

OTHER VENTURES
Harvey soon ventured into acting. He starred in his first sitcom entitled Me and the Boys, in which he played a widower and father of three sons. Though the show won high ratings, it only lasted one season. However, being the fighter and hustler he is, Harvey didn’t let that discourage him. In 1996, he was given another opportunity to star in a TV series The Steve Harvey Show which attracted a large audience.

When I discovered the show, I immediately fell in love with the characters. Even now I enjoy watching the reruns. On the show, Harvey portrayed a former professional musician who becomes a music teacher at a Chicago high school. The series also starred Cedric the Entertainer who is one of Harvey’s real life close friends.

Harvey has also performed on the big screen in movies like The Fighting Temptations, You Got Served, and Johnson Family Vacation. His most popular movie is Spike Lee’s documentary, The Original Kings of Comedy, which captured the highlights of a two-night comedy show in North Carolina. The documentary, which included Harvey as the emcee, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac, earned more than $38 million at the box office. In fact, The Kings of Comedy Tour, which inspired Lee’s documentary, became the highest-grossing comedy tour ever to date in the United States.

Today, Harvey is host of such shows as Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, Steve, which is his own TV talk-show based in Los Angeles, and The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which is his nationally syndicated daily talk radio show. Harvey is also a best-selling author of the books Act like a Lady, Think like a Man; Straight Talk, No Chaser; Act like a Success, Think like a Success and his most recent book entitled Jump.

THE FOUNDATION
In 2010, Harvey and his wife Marjorie founded the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation. Through the foundation, they have developed mentoring camps for boys and girls. The Steve Harvey Mentoring Camp for Young Men is “an interactive program that includes a host of workshops which focus on manhood, personal responsibility, dream building and the importance of nutrition and physical fitness.

In addition, the participants are introduced to positive male role models who are leaders in various areas, including business, their communities, entertainment and the military.”

The Girls Who Rule the World Mentoring Camp is “an interactive program that includes leadership comprised of trusted business women and community leaders who provide wisdom & resources that will help guide girls through the importance of financial literacy, balanced nutrition, proper etiquette, positive self-esteem and professional and educational development.”

A family man, as well, Harvery is married to Marjorie Bridges Harvey. Together they have a blended family of seven children: daughters, Brandi, Karli, Morgan and Lori and sons Broderick Jr., Jason and Wynton.

WHAT IS PERSEVERANCE?
I share the story of Steve Harvey because it speaks to the importance of perseverance. What is perseverance? Perseverance is “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.” When God gives you a dream, you don’t stop and give up just because things look bleak. Understand that in the process, God is preparing you for success. Habakkuk 2:3 (The Living Bible) says:

“But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient…..”

To learn more about Steve Harvey, you may go to:
biography.com
britannica.com
harveyfoundation.com.
people.com

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Please pray the following prayer:

Dear Jesus, I come to You confessing I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I believe You shed Your blood on the cross and died for my sins, were buried and rose again so I could be free! Please forgive me for my sins and the life I have lived. I confess You Jesus as Lord and accept You as my own personal Savior. According to the Word of God, I am now saved! Hallelujah! I AM FREE!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!!!

If you find value in this article, please share.

To subscribe to The Kimberly Joy Blog and receive new articles by email, please leave your email address in the box marked SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL provided at the end of the article.

Please follow The Kimberly Joy Show on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Hill Harper: A Man of Perseverance

A MAN OF PERSEVERANCE
In honor of Black History Month, I want to recognize acclaimed actor Hill Harper, a man of perseverance. As an actress who uses her gift to inspire others, I truly admire his acting ability. I especially admire his dedication, determination and diligence. Because of his solid work ethic, he is not only an actor, but an author and motivational speaker, who has impacted many lives, particularly those of young African-American men.

Hill Harper was born Frank Harper on May 17, 1966, in Iowa City, Iowa. His father Harry Harper was a psychiatrist. His mother Marilyn Hill was one of the first black anesthesiologists in the country.

Harper began acting when he was only seven years old. Although he didn’t pursue a college degree in drama or theater, he still continued acting while he was in college. As a college student, he became a member of the Boston’s Black Folks Theater Company.

Harper has always been very intelligent, driven and hard working. He graduated magna cum laude from Brown University. Later, he graduated cum laude from Harvard University. He also received a master’s degree in public administration from Kennedy School of Government, which is a part of Harvard University. In fact, while he was at Harvard, he met Barack Obama, who was also a college student at the time.

After Harper graduated from college, he decided to pursue acting as a career. He was fortunate to have his television debut on the hit TV sitcom Married…With Children.

When Harper was featured on Unsung Hollywood on TVOne, he admitted that he walked away from Married With Children to audition for a movie role he really wanted. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the role. So, at that point, he was out of a job.

Harper shared how horrible he felt when he found himself out of work. However, as I mentioned in the blog post “Young and Fearless: The Mae Faggs-Starr Story,” sometimes you have to take risks while pursuing your dreams. Harper really believed in that particular movie and wanted to be a part of it. So, he took a risk. Even though he found himself without an acting job, he dried his eyes and continued PERSEVERING. Harper understood that getting turned down for that particular role didn’t mean he wasn’t a good actor or that acting wasn’t his calling. It just wasn’t the role for him.

THE PROMISES OF GOD

As children of God, we have to have that same mindset. We must realize that sometimes people are going to say no. Nevertheless, being rejected by some people is no excuse to give up on the promises of God. II Corinthians 1:20 lets us know that all the promises of God are yes and amen. Moreover, because Harper continued PERSEVERING, he eventually landed a movie role that left a lasting impression. He was privileged to be in Spike Lee’s movie Get on the Bus.

In the movie, he portrays Xavier, a film student who does a documentary on the Million Man March.

One of THEE best films I have ever seen Hill Harper in is called The Visit. It stars Marla Gibbs, Phylicia Rashad and Billy Dee Williams.
When I saw this particular movie, I knew then that Harper was an actor to be admired. I had never seen him in a role like this before. He truly transformed into that character. In the movie, Harper portrays a prisoner who may have been convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. During the movie, we find out that he has AIDS and that he wants to reconnect with his family, especially his father, before he dies.

Harper did such an excellent job that he won the Audience Award at the Urbanworld Film Festival. He says that he chose that particular role because it was a RISK.

Being a risk-taker is one of the things I admire about Hill Harper. He likes to challenge himself. He doesn’t restrict himself to the same type of characters. And as far as I’m concerned, he is an underrated actor. After seeing several of his projects, I personally believe he can play any role he’s given.

In 2004, Harper joined the cast of CSI:NY. This television drama focuses on a group of forensic detectives and staff who work in a crime laboratory in New York. Harper portrays Dr. Sheldon Hawkes, a chief medical examiner.

Some of Hill Harper’s other projects include: Steel, The Nephew, Park Day, He Got Game, For Colored Girls and 1982. In addition to the Audience Award, Harper has also received the Emerging Artist Award from the Chicago International Film Festival and three Image Awards from the NAACP.

MANIFEST YOUR DESTINY
Besides being a successful actor, Hill Harper is a writer and motivational speaker. In 2006, he published a book entitled Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny. He wrote the book to inspire young African-American men. The book is a collection of inspirational messages on various topics. In addition to writing the book, Harper founded the MANifest Your Destiny Foundation. It is a nonprofit organization which helps fund programs for under-served youth. The foundation’s mission is “to provide under-served youth a path to empowerment and educational excellence through mentoring, academic enrichment programming, college access skills obtainment and the facilitation of psycho-social and physical development strategies.”

I share the story of Hill Harper because, for one, I admire his acting skills. Although I haven’t acted professionally, whenever I perform in a skit or community play, I want whatever character I portray to be real to the audience. So, I’m always gleaning from other actors, like Harper. I also admire his hard work, determination and willingness to take chances and try something new. As I mentioned previously, when Harper found himself without an acting gig, he didn’t give up on his dreams. He didn’t resort to doing something he didn’t really want to do when things got hard. I’m sure he felt discouraged—-he’s human! BUT, he didn’t yield to those negative emotions. He kept his eyes on the prize and kept pushing.

MOVE FORWARD
I want to encourage you to do the same! Just because you’ve been rejected and told no, doesn’t mean you should give up on the promises of God. It just means you have to work a little harder. You just have to be a little more patient. Philippians 3:13-14 are two scriptures that have encouraged me so many times.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

As a child of God, as a believer in Christ Jesus, there is nothing you can’t do! You just have to forget the past, forget your past mistakes, forget past rejection, have faith in God and MOVE FORWARD!!!

Sources:
encyclopedia.com
imdb.com
mydf.org

(“The Kimberly Joy Show: Honoring Hill Harper for Black History Month”)

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