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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

2013 .. A Promise Kept ... 10/13/2013 'Sunday School Lesson'

Sarai/Sarah . Issac - promise . Haran . Hagar . Ishmael . Pray for all that we may lead a peaceable life . Pray for Christian Arabs . Canaan . Abraham . Kirjath-arba . Heth . Genesis/Bereshith . Isaiah 51 . Sunday School Lesson

The Sunday School Lesson is shared from Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7 (Devotional Reading: Isaiah 51:1-6; Background Scripture: Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7). In order to gain a good understanding of this lesson, you will need to read/study the Daily Home Bible Readings that go with this lesson at the end of this article. ... My study came from two different KJV Bibles (one of them from around 1915).

Sarah (princess)

Issac, promise child

Haran, town of Padan-aram (field of Aram), country of Mesopotamia. Aram, country northeast of Palestine(Then)/Holy Land(Now), usually called Syria.

Hagar (flight), mother of Ishmael

Ishmael (God hears), son of Abraham

Kirjath-arba (city of Baal)

Heth, father of Hittities (early dwellers in Asia Minor (Turkey), Syria & parts of Palestine(Then)/Holy Land(Now).


Genesis 17:15-17 ... Circumcision instituted. Issac with a numerous issue is promised. Sarai her name is changed, & she is blessed. Issac is promised.

Genesis 18:9-15 ... Sarah reproved. Sarah is reproved for laughing at the strange promise.

Genesis 21:1-7 ... Issac is born. He is circumcision. Sarah's joy.

Isaiah 51:1-6 ... The righteous exhorted, after the pattern of Abraham, to trust in Christ: certainity of his salvation.






Genesis 18:9-15

Verse 9 ... Industrial Employments & Products; Human Abodes; Tents, Used by Abraham & the Hebrews.

Verses 10,14 ... Miracles; Miracles Considered; Miracles Foretold.

Verses 11,12,13,15 ... The Family; Parents & Children; Barreness, Miraculously Removed

(Genesis 17:115-17; 18; John 1:18; Genesis 18:2; 12; 15; 17; Habakkuk 2:3 ... Reference in Sunday School Book)









Verses 21:1-7

Verses 1,2,5,6,7 ... Miracles; Supernatural Bodily Gifts & Deprivations; Gift or Denial of Children

Verse 3 ... The Family; Parents & Children; Naming at Birth

Verse 4 ... Sacred Rites & Forms; Sacraments, Worship, & Church-Fellowship; Circumcision, Applied by Abraham

(Genesis 21; 17:12; 17:17; 18:16-20; 18:19; 17:9-14; 17:12-13)



Monday - October 7, 2013 - A Childless Wife - Genesis 11:27-32

The generations of Shem & of Terah. Terah goeth from Ur to Haran.


Tuesday - October 8, 2013 - A Beautiful Wife - Genesis 12:10-20

Canaan promised.


Wednesday - October 9, 2013 - A Threatened Wife - Genesis 16:1-6

Sarai, being barren, giveth Hagar to Abram. Hagar fleeth from her mistress.


Thursday - October 10, 2013 - The Promise of a Covenant - Genesis 17:18-22

Issac is promised.


Friday - October 11, 2013 - Dispelling the Competition - Genesis 21:8-14

Sarah's joy. Hagar & Ishmael are cast forth.


Saturday - October 12, 2013 - Mourning a Beloved Wife - Genesis 23:1-6

The age & death of Sarah. The purchase of Machpelah.


Sunday - October 13, 2013 - Bearing a Child of Promise - Genesis 17:15-17; 18:9-15; 21:1-7


Scripture reference used/taken from: KJV Topical Edition Bible & The International Teacher's Handy Bible Encyclopedia/Concordance KJV Precious Promise Bible

2007 ... Abraham & Hagar Have a Son Ishmael ... Sunday School Lesson

One of my 2007 Writings, that is at a couple other another sites....

What season are we in?...And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.

GOD has a plan....GOD Is In Total Control.

God keeps HIS promises. God is All Powerful, HE Knows All Things, Sees ALL Things.

9-23-07 Sunday School Lesson: Genesis 21:9-21

Sharing my sunday school notes (Read Genesis 21:9-21)

9-30-07 Lesson (Next Week) "Issac & Rebekah" Genesis 24:34-40, 42-45, 48

Genesis 21:12-13 "God said unto Abraham....also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed."

I want you to keep your mind on this but this was not in my sunday school book for some reason my mind went to this --- Acts 2:8-11, 16, 20, 38, 41, 42 - The Pentecostal Beginning, Realized. What season are we in? Now I have never been to seminary nor theology school but this is my thought.

Genesis 21:9-21

Verses 9, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21 --- OTHER Nations, Offshoots of The Abrahamic Stock, Ishmaelites


(My understanding the Arabs are from Ishmael & Abraham)

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian (Genesis 16:1) which she had born unto Abraham(Genesis 16:15)

Abraham was a man of faith. Abraham was a father of two sons at this time by two different women and they were all living in the same dwelling place - home.

Was it and is it possible for two women that have had a child by the same man to dwell - live in peace all under the same roof with one man? Abraham was grievous when he had to send his son, Ishmael away.





Verse 14 -- THE FAMILY, Polygamy (more than one wife or husband at the same time) & Concubinage (to dwell or live together) Practised Trouble From It

And Abraham rose up ...... early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: (John 8:35) and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness in Beer-sheba.










Abraham was kind for he prepared water and bread for Hagar and his son before sending them away from his dwelling place. This is how men should care for their child(children) making preparations for them.

Beer-shea .......... Genesis 21:14 Hagar was relieved there, I Kings 19:3 Elijah flees there

Verses 15, 16 -- THE FAMILY, Family Affections, Parent & Children, Love to Children

And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast her child under the shrubs.

And she went, and sat her down over against him.....a good way off, as it were a bowshoot, for she said, Let me not see the death of the child.....And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.

Food for thought -- Was she praying for her child? What mother, what good mother would not have been praying for their child hoping that they would be heard? Was her cry heard?

Verse 17 -- Angels, The Angel of The LORD, OR, OF God, Instances of HIS Appearing

And God heard the voice of the lad; (Exodus 3:7) and the angel of God....called to Hagar....out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

God ask Hagar what aileth thee...God called her by name. God told her not to fear for he had heard the lad -- the lad was her son.

Food for thought -- What was Moses? Do you remember what Moses calling was?

Exodus 3:7 --- The Hebrews, ISRAEL in Egypt, God Remembers HIS Covenant

And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.

Verse 18 -- Angels, The ANGEL Of The LORD, OR, OF God, Utters Predictions

Arise,.....lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation (Genesis 21:13)

him - Ishmael

Verse 19 -- MIRACLES, Supernatural Bodily Gifts, Gifts of Bodily Vision

And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad a drink.

Food for thought --- Pray, Pray seriously, Believe, ACTION "ASK, SEEK, KNOCK"

Genesis 25:12-17

Verses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 --- Descendants of Ishmael

Verse 16 -- 12 princes according to their nations

Verse 17 -- Other Nations, Ishmaelites, Ishmael lived 137 years

Scripture reference taken from KJV, Topical Bible, Crusade Bible Publishers, Mt. Juliet, TN

Book Reviewer, Web Content Provider/Writer/Blogger, Researcher, Sunday School Teacher

Monday, October 7, 2013

Storytelling: Book Events & Shows ... 2004





Presentations . Events . Shows . Storytelling . Event Planner . Booking Events & Shows


This is one of my 2004 writings, when I was the Business Coach Editor/Host/Writer. The original title in 2004 was Book Events and Shows.

(Now, I will share this on September 10, 2013 I did a presentation of short summaries from five books as a Storyteller in a small local sitting. I presented the books and had them on display for others to see them as well. Some that attended even wrote down the names of some of these books to purchase them. Travel issues could be discussed for future events. Now, will I travel out of the USA? Only with the consent of the Holy Spirit.)

Booking events starts with a positive attitude. Work on having a pleasing attitude. Believe in yourself, your products and your services.

Learn to dress like a professional. Clothing - attire that you wear to presentations do not have to be the most expensive, but they should be neat.



Writing Workshops, Digtial Marketing, Basic Blog Setup & Design






Procedures for booking events:

Make a contact list. Call, write or email your contacts.

Booking events and shows when you walk into a room.

Learn to believe in yourself.






Will Travel: Writing Workshop, eMarketing, Blog Setup/Design






Be zealous.





Booking starts with you and your attitude. Watch your image and attitude.

Let others know about the events and shows.

Others will want to associate with you, as well as learn from you. You could possibly know something about a particular 'field - area' that others want to learn about.




Quiz: Abram/Abraham & Lot & Paths of Life '10/6/2013 Sunday School Lesson'

Genesis/Bereshith 13:7-18 . Genesis/Bereshith 3:23,24 . Genesis/Bereshith 13:8-18 . Abram/Abraham . Lot . Obedience . Directions - Path . Garden of Eden . Bible Quiz . My Discovery at Sunday School on October 6, 2013 . Faith


Now, first let me start off by saying that I was at a visiting Church that studied the same Scripture lessons that I study from and those I shared on last week, but they brought out some points that was not in my Sunday School Lesson, nor any study guides that I studied from.

And, as I have said before I am not a Seminary/Theology student, but I just want us to think about these things.



Genesis 13:3,6,7-18:

a. Study which direction - path Lot went in.

b. Study which direction - path Abram went in.

c. Does it pay to be obedience and faithful?


Genesis 3:23,24:

Go back and look at the Garden of Eden and study where the Lord God placed the Cherubims.


Now look at what the Lord told Abraham.




Wednesday - October 2, 2013 - Settling in the Land - Genesis 13:8-18 ... Home Daily Bible Reading

October 6, 2013 - Background Scripture: Genesis 12:1-7; 13; 15:7-21; 17:8


Angela Watkins







Wednesday, October 2, 2013

A Lasting Inheritance ... October 6, 2013 'Sunday School Lesson'

Genesis/Bereshith . Hebrews 11 . Psalm/Tehillim . Joshua 24 . Ur . Chaldeans . Abram . Abraham . Amorites . Terra Sancta - Holy Land . Palestine . Canaan . Euphrates . Kenites . Kenizzites . Kadmonites . Hittites . Perizzites . Rephaims . Canaanites . Girgashites . Jebusites . Sunday School Lesson

The Sunday School Lesson is shared from Genesis/Bereshith 15:7-21 (Background Scripture: Genesis 12:1-7; 13; 15:7-21; 17:8 & Devotional Reading: Hebrews 11:8-16).

Ur or Urfa (light), an ancient city of Mesopotamia (Greek name of country between Euphrates & Tigris).

Chaldea, southern province of Babylonia.

Abram (high father).

Abraham (father of a multitude), called by God & sent to Canaan.

Amorites (high landers), Early inhabitants of Palestine. Dispossessed for their iniquities.

Terra Sancta - the Holy Land ... In our time Palestine(Then)/Holy Land(Now).

Palestine (Psalm/Tehillim 105:11), known as 'Canaan' or 'land of Canaan,' country west of Jordan, as opposed to 'to the land of Gilead.'

Canaan (lowland), the country named from Canaan, son of Ham, promised to Abraham.

Euphrates, the largest & most important river of western Asia.

Kenties, connected with Cain. Were a branch of the Midianites & dwelt among the Amalekites. A portion of them followed the Israelites on their entrance into Canaan.

Kenizzites (hunters), who lived to the south of Palestine, were among the descendants of Esau.

Kadmonies (men of the east), a people supposed to have resided by Mount Hermon.









Hittites, in Abraham's time they were at Hebron. Early dwellers in Asia Minor (Turkey), Syria, & parts of Palestine.

Perizzites (villagers), tribe of the ancient Canaanites.

Rephaim, probably the oldest people in Palestine.

Girgashites (dwellers in clay), a tribe of the ancient Canaanites.

Jebusites, small tribe, one of importance, they occupied the mountains of Jerusalem & the neighborhood.


Genesis 15:7-21 ... Canaan is again promised, & confirmed by a sign & a vision.

Verses 7-11

Verse 7 ... The Hebrews; God's Chosen People; Canaan Promised.

Verses 8,9,10,11 ... Mediums & Methods Of Revelation; Signs & Symbolic Acts; Division of Animals.

(Exodus 3; Genesis 12-13 ... Reference Scriptures in Sunday School Book)


Verses 12-16

Verse 12 ... Mediums & Methods Of Revelation; Trances & Visions.

Verse 13 ... The Hebrews; Israel In Egypt; The Sojurn in Egypt Foretold.

Verses 14,16 ... The Hebrews; Israel In Egypt; Deliverance Promised.

Verse 15 ... The Outward Man; The Body In Old Age; Promised.

Verse 16 ... The Hebrews; In The Wilderness; Gradual Expulsion of the Canaanites Promised.

(Genesis 47-50; Genesis 39-47; Genesis 49-50; Exodus 1:9-10; Exodus 1:11; Exodus 7-14; Exodus 12:36; Job 33:15-18; Exodus 12:40-41; Exodus 3:7)


Verses 17-21

Verse 17 ... Miracles; Miracles In Fire; God's Presence Manifested by Fire.

Verse 18 ... The Hebrews; God's Chosen People; Canaan Promised.

Verses 19,20,21 ... Other Nations; The Canaanites; Names of Tribes Inhabiting Canaan.

(Exodus 13:21; Exodus 19:16-20; Psalm/Tehillim 97:2-6; Joel 2:2-3; I Kings 4:21; Genesis 12)




Monday - September 30, 2013 - The Faith of Abraham - Hebrews 11:8-16

Faith Defined & Illustrated (Hebrews 11:1-40) ... Final Exhortations To Perseverance & Warnings Against Indifferent (Hebrews 10:19-12:29)


Tuesday - October 1, 2013 - The Call of Abram - Genesis 12:1-7

Arrival in Canaan (Genesis 12:1-20) ... Abraham (Genesis 12:!-25:18) ... The Beginnings Of Israel (Genesis 12:1-50:26)


Wednesday - October 2, 2013 - Settling in the Land - Genesis 13:8-18

Separation from Lot (Genesis 13:1-18)


Thursday - October 3, 2013 - The Land & the Covenant - Genesis 17:1-8

The Everlasting Covenant (Genesis 17:1-27)


Friday - October 4, 2013 - The Covenant Recounted & Renewed - Joshua 24:1-13

The Covenant at Shechem (Joshua 24:1-28)


Saturday - October 5, 2013 - The Covenant Remembered - Psalm/Tehillim 105:1-11

Psalm of Gratitude: For mercies shown to the Church. ... Psalm of Adoration: Of God's power, majesty, & glory. ... Prophetical, Typical, & Historical Psalm.


Sunday - October 6, 2013 - The Covenant with Abraham - Genesis 15:7-21

The Promised Land (Genesis 15:1-21)


Scripture reference used/taken from: Zondervan Commentary, The International Teacher's Handy Bible Encyclopedia/Concordance KJV Precious Promise Bible & KJV Topical Edition Bible

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

This Biz of Supplier Diversity How To Do Biz With Corporate America ... Book Review

Book Review . Business . Diversity . Entrepreneur . Minority . Gill Law Firm . Corporate . Corporate America . Business Fable . Billion Dollar Round Table

I was sent a complimentary copy for review by Mr. A. Wayne Gill's marketing department, or Mr. Gill himself.



At the other spectrum of corporate involvement are corporations that see the minority mission and are acting in innovation ways to strengthen minority businesses and communities. These companies should be studied and emulated. One such company is Johnson's Controls, Incorporated,one of the eighteen Fortune 500@ members of the Billion-Dollar Roundtable.

CEO John Barth said in 2004 "Supplier diversity is about expanding opportunities for everyone.

Companies are swift to tell about their great commitment to supplier diversity and why it makes good business sense. However, in practice, their activities fail to match the rhetoric. This is not so for JCI, a corporation that is at the cutting edge of minority business development.

In March 2004, Bridgewater received the largest contract ever awarded to a minority company by Ford Motor Company.

American business is in need of more companies like JCI and Ford companies that understand the business case for diversity and have stepped forward boldly to capitalize and show leadership. These companies demonstrate the future of supplier diversity for any corporation willing to listen and learn.

Mr. Gills grandmother died the day "Tales My Grandma Told Me," was published. It was if she'd seen him over the goal line, and then went home to be with the Lord. His grandmother is still his entrepreneurial hero and her blood still courses through his veins.

Since writing Tales, his life hasn't been the same.

It's opened countless doors to speak and collaborate with many minority business owners, aspiring business owners, students and supplier diversity professionals.

His hat is off to all who is in the arena; who fight daily for equality of opportunity. We aren't there yet, but you make achievement of the goal possible.

The first principle that Grandma would teach minority entrepreneurs and business people is that business is business.

In order to succeed, minority-owned businesses must abide by and operate within the same principles that drive all successful businesses. This means that minority businesses must, among myriad responsibilities, create a product or service that satisfies a demand, reach its target audience through sales and marketing channels, grow its market share, create profit for its investors, and stakeholders, and innovate for future growth and opportunities. Setting aside issues of social injustice, for the discussion, there isn't one set of rules that apply to minority business and another set for others.

There are no shortcuts. All business must create value for their customers.

The myth of receiving business based primarily on ethnic background probably grew out of affirmative action programs that provided for minority set-asides in government spending. However, these programs have been under attack from the outset and have been seriously eroded through court challenges. Minority businesses must recognize that the words "set aside" and "quota" are almost dirty words in the world of twenty-first-century American business.

Within the realm of supplier diversity, the practice of quotas and set asides never took root; but the programs were designed, in part, to address vast disparities in dollars spent with minority versus non-minority suppliers. For example, despite great gains over the last four decades, less than four percent of annual corporate spend is spent with minority-owned companies. Most Americans would agree that minority suppliers should not be denied a fair share of annual corporate spend in the aggregate. The disparity between the dollars spent with minority-owned companies and their non-minority counterparts begs the question of fairness and demands an answer.

You must be ready with an excellent product or service that adds value to its intended corporate target.

Minority entrepreneurs must come to the conclusion that business is business. There are no gimmes. However, presented with an opportunity for inclusion, minority entrepreneurs must be prepared to compete on the same level with their non-minority counterparts. If the minority company is not prepared to perform at a high (or even higher) level than the competition, then that company will be in for a rude but needed awakening.

Corporations are in the business of creating wealth for their stakeholders. Business is business.


The failure to plan prohibits the MBE from asking and answering hard questions about true target audience and fit.

Mr. Gill would suggest that all MBE's without a written business plan stop and immediately write a plan for the company. There are excellent resources available in the general library or on the general market. The plan should be personally written by the entrepreneur, without any initial assistance by outside "experts."

In our technological age, changes are sweeping and rapid. The modern business person must be nimble-able to turn on a dime to exploit business opportunities or to respond to rapid change.

A study by the Kaufman Foundation found that almost 18 percent of all bankruptcy filings stem from biz (business) failure.

Mr. Gill's advice is to forget the shortcuts. Write out the plan. Be specific. Be strategic. Be ruthlessly honest. Then get in the game and win.

Many MBE's wrongly assume that simply being a minority entities them to participate in corporate supplier diversity programs.

Minority-owned businesses should not approach business with a desire or expectation of any special breaks based on minority status.

Due to the size and breadth of the corporate spend of Fortune 500@ companies and the growing participation of American corporations in supplier diversity initiative; the spectrum of opportunities for minority businesses is wide. MBE marketing is often directed to departments or areas that either do not buy or do not have opportunities within the MBE's area of expertise. Other times, the marketing campaign is directed at several corporations, across the board, without a clear assessment of the corporations' needs.

The MBE's register frustration because the corporations seem uninterested or unresponsive.

This process works best when MBE's take the time and initiative to properly research their intended targets to either discover or make those corporations aware of how they intend to add value. Some MBE's market to certain corporations for name only, regardless of whether they can truly add value to that potential customers.

This is a mistake and a waste of time. MBE's must get to the place where they know their target clients immediately and tailor their approaching to address the needs of their intended customers.

A closely related principle to knowing the customer is knowing the competition. This is an area of real opportunity for MBE's who are willing to study their their customers, their competition, and to innovate. MBE's are often in the best position to design custom solutions for their clients. This is what corporate purchasing are looking for.

By understanding the competition, MBE's can innovate their way to successful contracts.

Minority business owners have overcome racisim, legal hurdles, and a host of incredible obstacles to make the advances that have been made up to the current date. Perhaps for these reasons-pride in themselves and pride in their companies - minority entrepreneurs tend to primarily sell themselves (and their companies) to corporate America.

MBE's have all been taught to polish their "thirty-second commerical" or elevator speech and to practice well to sell themselveds. While there is some truth to this advice, Mr. Gill adds that corporations are less interested in minority business entrepreneurs and their companies per se, and more interested in how those entrepreneurs and companies can help solve problems, make more money,or create more shareholder value. Every entrepreneur - to some degree - believes deeply in himself and can memorize an elevator speech.

Clients need to know how an MBE intends to make them better. If the MBE cannot do it, then it needs to rethink why it is selling to that client. The MBE may have a very impressive resume, but most clients listen to that favorite old radio station WIFM, namely, what's in it for me?

Elevator speeches don't satisfy needs, solutions do. To be effective, MBE's must research their targets in order to discover and sell solutions to their problems.

Business is all about relationships. It's a well-known truth that people are most comfortable doing business with those who they know and trust. As trust goes, so goes all relationships. It's imperative for MBE's to spend the time necessary to cultivate relationships with gatekeepers and other individuals within their target market.

Modern corporate shuffling and downsizing means that relationships get reshuffled and downsized in the process.

Knowing in advance that even the most well-tended relationship can be suddenly broken, the successful MBE should take steps to protect itself.

Mr. Gill also adds a word about lower-level employees. Do not underestimate their power by focusing on their position.

MBE's must learn the all-important lesson to develop relationships with individuals at all levels of management within their clients and targets. In business, as in life, relationships are everything.

MBE's should be open to exploring opportunities within local, state, and federal government; civic, trade, and business leagues; chambers of commerce; and a host of other avenues for potential business development. This is not to deemphasize the importance of supplier diversity initiatives.

One of the best corporate clients for Mr. Gill came from a conversation with an acquaintance in the hallway of his Church. Others came from volunteerism, trade associations, and other avenues. The bottom line is that MBE's must expand their business development horizons beyond supplier diversity.

Business volatility dictates that heavy dependence on few clients is a recipe for failure.

There is an irreversible trend i corporate procurement that all minority-owned businesses must quickly acknowledge: corporate America's desire to cut costs and build efficiencies and shareholder value by considering its supplier base. This means that corporations are looking to do business with fewer vendors with greater capacity and geographic coverage. This is a trend that is accelerating and is creating great challenges for minority-owned businesses, which are typically small in size and geographic scope.

In short, MBE's must look to grow size and scope in order to be competitive in the modern economy.

One of the greatest obstacles to growth and a constant challenge to businesses of all backgrounds is the lack of access to capital. This problem is acute in the minority business community.

MBE's must consider the option of out-right merging together in order to create companies of size. This requires homework, trust, and great risktaking; but MBE's who remain stagnant in growth are taking greater risks by failing to seriously consider this option.

In 2003, Mr. Gill merged his MBE law firm into the largest MBE law firm in the country.

His advice for MBE firms, particularly mature MBE's (Mr. Gill's firm was over 20 years in business) is to immediately begin this process if it has not already begun. Fortunately we live in a time where there are a plethora of resources, in the forms of consultants, university classes, published books, and white papers, etc., which map out effective succession strategies.

Succession planning is what Stephen Covey would call a Quadrant 2 activity - Important, but not urgent. Ninety percent of the mature minority businesses surveyed had not engaged in any succession planning. That is a disturbing and telling statistic.

Build a solid business before pursing supplier diversity opportunities. Most minority business startups are simply not ready to meet these requirements.

IT is more advantageous to develop a business platform by doing business with smaller companies, until the experience and resources are earned to service a large corporate contract. The experience of building up the company to the requisite maturity level is invaluable, and it teaches the minority entrepreneur how to build a business, independent of supplier diversity channels.

For the MBE looking to grow its business, no option should be off the table.

Develop good, old-fashioned perseverance.

Business relationships take time to nurture, and great companies are never built overnight. Minority entrepreneurs live in the most exciting era of American history for business opportunities.

To succeed, you get to keep improving, keep growing, and keep going. Eventually, your hard work and tenacity will reap dividends.

In business, timing is everything.

Never quit. Never give up. Even when it seems that all doors are slammed in your face and no one responds to your calls and iniquiries, stay the course. That transformational opportunity is in front of you. Just keeping moving in the direction of your dreams one step at a time and never give up.

The minority myth says that minority business means lack of quality.

The truth is that corporations that desire to thrive in the twenty-first century must confront, expose the minority myth. Companies that continue in the myth are simply choosing to ignore reality.

Minority-owned companies are growing at four times the rate of the average Untied States firm and creating thousands of jobs annually. Corporations that see only social welfare opportunities in the foregoing statistics are sadly mistaken.

Since the publication of Tales My Grandma Told Me, in 2007, the nation's largest companies have not exceeded 3% of their combined corporate spend with minority-owned companies. Of the approximately 3,500 corporate members of the NMSCE, only 18 of those corporations belong to the Billion-Dollar Roundtable, a group of companies that spend in excess of $1 billion annually with minority-and women-owned companies.

Successful corporations must move from the minority myth to the minority mission, recognizing the latest potential of minority markets and therefore assigning mission critical status to minority business development programs. These programs build wealth in minority communities, which translates to bottomline profits for corporations that make the connection.

Far too many corporations use supplier diversity initiatives as window dressing. Beyond the platitudes and marketing fodder, there is very little commitment to the process of identifying and integrating diverse suppliers. These companies do more more harm than good by creating unrealistic expectations in MBE's who respond to their glossy invitations to do business.

World-class programs take time, so it may appear that these companies are insincere when, in fact, they are actually evolving. These companies are to be applauded for moving in the right direction.

According to the NNSDC, corporations that are committed to creating supplier diversity programs that are work should start with 6 key areas for development.

In 2012, The Billion Dollar Roundtable published the book "Billion Dollar Roundtrable Supplier Diversity Best Practices" which builds on the platform laid by the NMSDC.

The implementation of these policies spells the word: Commitment. Corporations must not only talk about supplier diversity, they must demonstrate commitment by their actions.

According to Diversity Inc. magazine, "successful supplier-diversity directors are passionate about their work. The best directors invest a lot of time in bringing together buyers and business-owners-a job that can't always be done between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

It is elementary that people make programs work.

Nothing speaks to commitment more than money. It is easy to discover what a company values by analyzing where it spends its hard-earned dollars.

In the first analysis, corporate insiders do not need to be experts on race relations. Ultimately, they should understand the color green - that supplier diversity translates to green for both their employers and themselves. Corporate executives may never understand brown, but when it comes to their own green, their learning curve will accelerate exponentially.

Corporate policy is set at the board level. It also follows tat corporate boards must be diversified to include members of minority groups and women.

Corporations must become proactive about recruiting diverse board members.

Good intentions without focus accomplish little.

Corporations must become strategic at the highest levels of management to uncover latent opportunities for minority business development.

One of the best resources for development in this area is the 36 NMSDC affiliate councils. These councils are home to the top minority businesses in the country.

Those at the table for the wrong reasons will falter. That is not minority business - just business.

Like all businesses, MBE's are seeking opportunities.

Take a look at any business magazine, and the messages are manifold. Corporations should establish a policy of straight forward communication with the minority business community, advising it of real opportunities and also of areas where opportunities do not exist. MBE's will appreciate the honesty if the information is honestly presented.

Mr. Gill's grandma taught him that everything happens for a reason-that there is an opportunity in every situation, good or bad. She would often say, "when one door is closed, another is opened."

Just across town, in downtown Chicago Luis Calderon was standing in side of Chicago Business Opportunity. He was looking inside a copy of Minority Business Digest, the glossy magazine that chronicled issues pertinent to minority-owned businesses in the United States.

Being Mexican he was sure that he met the "minority" part of the equation. Being the sole owner of his fledling public relations firm, he was equally sure that he had met the "business"side of the equation.

If he could attract even one percent of all the corporate attendees as clients.

Luis Cslderon hustled to conclude the telephone call: Today was the long-awaited informational meeting on AMCA minority certification.

Several Hispanics-Americans were featured, which made Luis especially proud.

There were ethnic minorities from several racial and cultural backgrounds.

Minority-owned businesses were welcomed, but not one cold force the corporate members to dance.

What was it Grandma once said? "Business is business, son. You got to give the people what they want. Quality and service at a fair price-end of story."

Back in Chicago, R. Clayton Hughes, CEO in the multibillion-dollar health and beauty giant Elegance Cosmetics, was fit to be tied.

The minority business would ask a lot of questions, get no real answers, and he and his colleagues would get made out to be insensitive bad guys.

First,the room was mostly filled with women. The second thing he noticed was the great diversity of ethnicity and shades in complexion, hair, and attire of the attendees. A strange thought entered his mind: This is what makes America great.

Mr. A. Wayne Gill is the Managing Partner and majority shareholder of Gill Law Firm, P.A., a law firm operating in multiple jurisdictions throughout the Southeast United States. His clientele includes leading multi-national companies, and he serves on the Board of Directors for the South Florida Minority Supplier Development Council. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including Macy's "Crystal Award" for Outstanding Minority Business Advocacy and Northwood University's Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award.

Moses Quilt (Book 1) ... Book Review

Book Review . Quilting . Fiction . Harriet Tubman . Faith . Storytelling . Weddings/Broomstick . Moses . Christian Life . Christian Dating . Christian Marriage . Christian Interracial Dating . Christian Interracial Marriage



I received a complimentary copy of this book from New Hope Publishers.

And so Harriet Tubman, bereft of family, friends, and finances, pressed on, accompanied only by her God and destined to become the Moses of her people.

The apostle Paul also reminds us to press on.

God never forgets His people (Deuteronomy 1:6-8; Luke 5:4-8) 9-1994 preached by one of my former Pastors.

And yet, though this woman who was quickly becoming known as “Moses” was heroic, she did not take foolish chances. She went when and where she believed God directed her, trusting Him to keep her safe until her work for Him was done.

The Holy Spirit directs Christians where to go and He even tells Christians where they are not to go (Acts 13:2; Acts 16:6,7).

A minister friend of Harriet’s named Thomas Wentworth Higginson first introduced her to the audience as “Moses,” alluding to her work of leading the slaves to freedom, much as the biblical Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Because of her complete dependence on God, she didn’t hesitate when asked to expand her public speaking to include the cause of women’s suffrage.

The woman had rescued hundreds of slaves before the war and given three years of her life to serve the Union Army, most likely without any monetary compensation, realized when that the fight to set her people free was far from over.

“If you want to understand this courageous woman,” Mimi said, “then you have to first understand her great faith. There was no compromise when it came to her belief in God. From the earliest age, she was forced into a life that demanded complete trust in God if she were to survive. She understood that, and she practiced it daily. Combine that faith with a deep-seated desire to be free and to see her people free, and you’ll get a glimpse of how one solitary—uneducated and without a dime to her name – accomplished so much for so many.”

Could knowing more about this woman give her the inspiration she needed to become more like her? Mazie certainly hoped so.

“Harriet’s parents set the example, Mimi said. “These were not people who prayed once in the morning and once at night, or just before they ate, though they certainly did that. But they talked to God all day long, and Harriet grew up doing the same. She believed God talked to her. And when she heard from Him, she took His words seriously. The cruelest master in the world couldn’t take that from them. She committed her spirit to God, and she believed He would keep it safe.”

Last night Edward sat in on the part about Harriet’s younger life and what a strong Christian she was. He knew that, but it hadn’t really registered with him what a huge part of her life that was, and how impossible it would have been for her to be the courageous woman she was and accomplish all that she did without that faith. He paused.

He told his Sis, it really started me thinking about my own faith and how easily he took it for granted. And if he could get in on another installment of the Moses quilt story tonight, then he’s going to be there.

And now Edward wanted to come over and spend an evening listening to an old woman’s story. A story that in many ways he probably knew better than Mimi knew. What a fine young man that Edward Clayton was!

Lilly’s brow drew together as she gazed up at Edward. “She stated to Edward, I understand that some of Harriet Tubman’s story is new to Mazie. But you, Edward? Surely you already know it.

Mazie watched Edward pause before nodding True. Most of it anyway. But somehow, hearing Mimi tell it in relation to the quilt from Gee’s Bend … He shook his head and shrugged. He wasn’t sure why it fascinated him to hear it, but it did.

And how would the story ultimately impact Mazie’s relationship with Edward? For as surely as Harriet Tubman had known the master’s death would somehow change her life. Mazie suspected change was in the offing for her as well.

When Miss Susan explained that Harriet wasn’t doing the job correctly, the sister scolded her for punishing the child for something she’d never been taught to do. The sister showed Harriet how to perform some simple household chores to Miss Susan’s specifications, and the situation improved slightly.

“By staying close to God; her relationship with Him was at the center of everything Harriet Tubman ever did or said or believed. It’s the reason she was able to accomplish all that she did in her amazing lifetime.”




Mimi’s smile was weak. The Scriptures promise that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. There is no other way, child. Sadly, we don’t seem to learn or understand that until we’re put in a position where our own strength isn’t enough. That’s when we have to make the choice to turn toward God – or away from Him. Thankfully, Harriet turned toward Him, time and time again, throughout her life, regardless of circumstances or suffering. And God used her mightily because of it.”

Mazie thought, “How many followed in Harriet’s footsteps even now, inspired by her courage and her faith, her selfless life and powerful legacy? Would anyone ever follow
In Mazie’s footsteps, challenged by some honorable deed or sacrificial gift?

Mazie had always thought she had a strong faith and, for the most part, modeled a fairly exemplary Christian lifestyle. But did she? Was it enough to believe in and adhere to the basic tenets of the Christian faith? Or was God calling her to something more? Was He in fact, calling all His people to something more? If so, how many truly responded?

Edward stated, he may have experienced instances of prejudice, in his lifetime, his dad had before him, and Pops told stories that let him know that he didn’t have it easy. But nothing close to Harriet.

Harriet’s life really helps put our own in perspective, doesn’t it? Just about the time I think, I might have something to complain about, all I have to do is think about Harriet and the cruelty she endured. It’s mind-boggling ---------- especially when you think thousands of other people lived in similar conditions – maybe even worse.

Mazie tells Edward that she loves him. What she don’t know is why she resist what her heart longs for – and that’s to say to him, to be his wife. And she has to keep asking him to wait too. She realizes that this isn’t fair, and she worries that she’ll make him wait too long and lose him. But she has to be sure

“Thanks to Old Rit’s tender care of her daughter, Harriet recovered once again.” But then she was sent out as a housekeeper for a different woman, who treated her every bit as badly as Miss Susan. The amazing thing is tat as Harriet got older, she claimed to have no ill feelings toward her former masters.

The old woman shook her head. That slave girl might not have been able to read, but she loved the Holy Scriptures. One of her favorites was Isaiah 16:3. And she was known for praying nearly every waking moment of her life.

It was all part of God’s preparation for the great work He had for her in the future.

Tracy didn’t make a habit of attending any Cburch other than the one in which she’d grown up in and her family still attended. But her parents were out of town enjoying a little “alone time,” as her daddy called it, and Tracy knew Edward was planning to go to Mazie’s Church. He’d make a point of inviting Tracy to join them and at first she had turn them down.

Deep down she had to admit that at least part of what she was feeling on this unusual morning was a desire to see Mazie and Edward together – at a Church where just decades earlier, Edward would have been barred from worshipping.

Tracy wanted to look her best at all times, whether at work or grabbing a burger downtown – but most of all when she went to the house of the Lord. Her parents had taught her and Edward that. It did not matter to her if Mazie and her family did attend a Church that didn’t seem to care if people came in suits or blue jeans. She certainly hoped that Edward would not show up in the later.

Mimi reminded Mazie “Remember, God numbers our days, and only He knows if we will have another time …. Or not.”

Mimi shares another part of the Moses quilt: the patch with the two white bells on it.

The image between the two white bells is a broomstick.

Broomstick ceremonies were practiced by most slaves in those days, though Mimi was a it fuzzy on the origination of the practice, and she imagined Mazie was too. Mimi asked Edward if he could add any details to the custom. It seems the bride and groom would jump over a broomstick to seal their vows one to another. Many people, including Harriet’s parents, thought the girl would never marry. “But then she met John Tubman … and everything changed.”

Harriet was a hard worker, a woman of great faith, and she had a powerful singing voice. John Tubman, a liberated slave who carried his “freedom papers” with him at all times, was also an observant man who didn’t allow Harriet’s qualities to escape his notice.

The two worked side-by-side for a man named John Stewart. Because both groups did nearly the same type of work, however, freed blacks made it a point to have their papers with them wherever they went so as not to be mistaken for slaves.

Soon, however, Harriet could no longer deny the truth of John’s interest in her.

Finally, one day in 1844, in the presence of family and friends, both slave and free, Harriet Ross became Harriet Tubman. It was a simple ceremony, with no mention of “till death do us part” or “what God has joined together let not man put asunder,” since Harriet was still a slave and could be sold or traded away by her master at any time.

John Tubman was a free man who could also read and write.

You see through John was a free man, thanks to a stipulation in his former master’s will, they still had to live in the slave quarters because of Harriet’s status. And sadly, so far as anyone knows for certain, they never had any children. Her entire being still burned with the longing for freedom, but each time she suggested to her husband that they make a run for the North, he discouraged her, even threatening to betray her if she tried it.

Harriet was obviously an all-or-nothing kind of woman with a courageous and selfless heart – the complete opposite of Mazie Hartford, who couldn’t make a simple commitment to marry the finest man she’d ever known.

Edward and Mazie had been out riding and on their way back to Mazie’s there was blinking red and white lights.
There was a stretcher (gurney) by Mimi’s bedroom door. A tall, hefty man wearing a Langsdale Fire Department T-shirt stood beside it.

The fireman turned his attention from what was going on inside the room toward Mazie, the new arrival.

He allowed her the spaced needed to catch a glimpse of what was no doubt another fireman and two paramedics, gathered around Mimi’s bed, poking and prodding and questioning.

Mazie looked up after they had taken Mimi to the hospital and Edward was standing beside her and Lily. He opened his arms and encircled them both and told her ‘Let’s pray right now.’ Then we’ll get in my car and I’ll drive you to the hospital.

Surely Edward was the sort of husband that every Christian woman dreams of finding one day, and here he was, sitting next to her, ready to slip a ring on her finger if she would only say yes.

A door opened – and it was not a doctor or nurse. Tracy stepped through it.

Edward no doubt called or texted her.

Lily smiled at Tracy and told her to “pray,” and know that they appreciated her support.

The doctor came in and spotted them and revealed that Mimi had ‘Congestive heart failure’ ‘COPD.’

Lily has tried to prepare Mazie for the day that Mimi will pass (not now but later in the book). The Bible teaches that when someone we love dies, we grieve but not as those who have no hope.

Dr. Marsh released Mimi to go home.

Mazie retrieved the patchwork covering and held it up for Mimi to see.

The patch with what looks like burst a bird on it.

That patch represents Harriet’s courageous decision to be free, regardless of the cost. Like a bird being let out of a cage, our heroine was about ready to fly.

Harriet had been beaten, whipped, starved, and humiliated more times than she could remember, and her desire for freedom grew with every abuse. Not only did Harriet long to be free herself, but she also wanted to help free as many of her people as possible. Why couldn’t John understand that?

John was a handsome man, and a charming one too. And oh, could he sing! He was quite a catch, that one.

But free or not, there wasn’t much opportunity for freed slaves to make a living except as farmers or field hands, working right alongside the slaves.

To make matters worse, Harriet had come to believe that she and her family had been set free as well, but she had no way to prove it. At one point Harriet managed to pay a lawyer five dollars to find proof of this arrangement. The lawyer did, and Harriet discovered her mother should have been set free years earlier, but a deceptive master refused to honor his agreement.

Harriet’s master, the young heir to the Brodas plantation, died suddenly, and rumors began to fly. The guardian of the estate planned to sell off several slaves. Harriet and two of her brothers were among them. It was a fate Harriet was not willing to accept without a fight.

If Mimi was able to continue her story to the end, Mazie might find the answer to her dilemma. At least, she certainly hoped so.

Lily, “We think we have problems sometimes don’t we? But we don’t even begin to know what a hard life is until we hear about someone like Harriet and all she went through. What a courageous woman.”

Finally, one warm summer evening in 1849, Harriet wrapped a tiny bit of food in a bandanna, knowing it might be all she’d have for some time. Excitement swirled with sadness inside her, as she wrestled with the need to run and the tragedy of leaving loved ones behind. Sadly, she couldn’t even risk telling her parents or other siblings what was about to happen the next morning.

As her final day on the plantation drew to the close, Harriet walked through the slave quarters, singing as she often did.

Harriet knew she was not alone. “Oh, dear Lord,” she prayed, “I ain’t got no friend but you. Come to my help, Lord, for I’m in trouble.

Mazie knew that Harriet was called the Moses of her people and that she was involved with the Underground Railroad, leading slaves to freedom, but that’s about it. Somehow listening to Mimi’s story and following it on her quilt makes it more personal, she suppose.

Was it possible Mimi was telling them this story about the Moses quilt so their family could finally unwrap a story of their own.

As a child Mimi was almost assaulted by a couple of young boys, and a man saw and stopped them. She had wanted to go and pick some fruit and the boys saw her by herself.
The fugitive slave statue, passed by Congress in 1793, allowed owners to recapture their slaves and bring them back to their plantations, punishing them in any way they saw fit.

Harriet had once met a white woman, a quaker named Miss Parsons, while working in the fields. Miss Parsons was touched by Harriet’s story and told her if there was ever anything she could do to help her that she shouldn’t hesitate to ask.

At the next stop she received more food and more information.

The man name was Thomas Garrett, and he was already deeply involved in the Underground Railroad when Harriet appeared in his life. A devout Quaker, he had dedicated his life to rescuing slaves and seeing slavery abolished.

Mazie was haunted by the idea that Harriet was so driven to find freedom that she left her husband behind. She wondered if she would ever experience a passion or longing so deep that she would be willing to risk absolutely everything else to achieve it. She also wondered how much deeper Harriet’s feelings for John had run than her feelings for Edward.

Mazie had been surprised when even Lily decided to join them, but when she heard Mimi was going to tell them about Harriet’s life beyond rescuing slaves on the Underground Railroad she’d quickly voiced her interest.

Mimi “You see that patch with the gold coin, off to the right?”

That coin represents the many expenses involved in supporting Harriet’s treks back and forth to the south, not to mention her own living expenses and caring for her aging parents and others once she’d brought them north.

Harriet had been attending antislavery events for years, but when approached in 1858 to become a speaker, she was stunned. Who would want to listen to an uneducated former slave?

As a result, when urged to join the speaking circuit, she sought God’s guidance and decided it was indeed what He wanted her to do.

Because of her complete dependence on God, she didn’t hesitate when asked to expand her public speaking to include the cause of women’s suffrage.

The next morning Edward and Mazie opted to attend Church with Lily, not wanting her to have to go alone. After checking in on Mimi, whose caregiver was about to turn the still sleeping elderly woman over to Lily’s care. Mazie grabbed her pineapple and cabbage salad from the refrigerator and followed Edward out to his car.

“Mom and Dad will be so glad to see you,” he said, as he opened the door for her and helped her get situated after placing the salad bowl on the floor behind her.
Edward parents have been busy as ever.

His dad is always working, and his Mom is totally involved at Church – except when she’s busy looking for a potential husband for Tracy. Tracy does her best to ignore her, but she knows only too well how happy Mom would be if she’d get married and have kids.

The next installment of the Moses quilt story could wait until Edward brought her home that evening.

Within moments, they were all gathered around the table examining the quilt patch that showed a Union flag, sipping tea, and awaiting the next portion of Mimi’s story.

She agreed to the governor’s request, though it was May of 1862 before the doors opened for her to become actively involved in the service of the Union Army.

Though personally disappointed with President Abraham Lincoln, in that she felt his top priority should be freeing the slaves rather than preventing secession, she committed to doing whatever she could to help the Northern cause.

“God won’t let Master Lincoln beat the South till he does the right thing.” Harriet declared. “Master Lincoln is a great man, and she was a poor Negro(then)/Black/African Americans (now), but this Negro(then)/Black/African Americans(now) can tell Master Lincoln how to save money and young men. He can do it by setting the Negroes(then)/Black/African Americans(now) free.”

Harriet realized after she had gave her life to three years to serve in the Union Army that the fight to set her people free was far from over.

Mimi funeral was on Friday, with a nearly packed house at the Church. Edward set on Mazie’s left, her mother on her right. Each held on of her hands as the service progressed, with Mimi’s favorite songs being sung and a slideshow of Mimi’s life playing across the screen in front. She had answered the call of the angels the moment she saw Jesus, leaving the rest of them behind to miss her and long for the day when they would see her again.

Edward sat on his couch staring in the darkness and praying for Mazie.

With a sigh he pulled himself from the couch and padded barefoot across the room to his desk, where he flipped on the light before sitting down and jostling the mouse to bring his screen to life. He immediately went to the Internet and typed in Harriet Tubman’s name. Clicking on what he imagined would be one of the most reliable sources, he soon found himself immersed in the story of the second Moses.

Not only did his reading confirm much of what Mimi had told them, but it brought back details he hadn’t heard since his schooldays.
Sarah Bradford donated her time to write Scenes in the Life of Harriet Tubman. The book, was financed by other friends of Harriet Tubman, including William Seward. The book was a success and produced an income that covered not only Harriet’s living expenses but helped to fund her work. Harriet, still struggled financially until the end of her life simply because she was always ready to give away anything she had to help someone else.

In 1897, Harriet received the Diamond Jubilee model from Queen Victoria, in honor of the queen’s sixteen anniversary on the throne.

After a severe bout with pneumonia, on March 10, 1913, at the age of ninety-three, Harriet closed her eyes for the last time and no doubt heard her Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Welcome home at last.”

Over a year later, the city of Auburn honored their beloved Harriet, with a proclamation, issued by the mayor, to fly the flag all over the city as a tribute to the monumental work accomplished by this humble but courageous and faith-filled woman. The next day, flags flew everywhere across a city populated mostly by Whites.

By the time Edward had finished reading tears trickled down his face. “You know that when God made a promise, He meant it,” he whispered. “Of all he could remember and all he learned about Harriet, that’s the greatest thing.”

Booker T. Washington was among the attendees that day, and he said that Harriet had “brought the two races nearer together.”

Edward asks Mazie to marry him again. He tells her that he loves her and don’t want to live without her. It isn’t about their ancestors, about Pops of Mimi, and things that happened to them, or about anyone else. It is about Edward and Mazie. She found out what she went to Gee’s Bend to discover, so now he wants an answer now. Today.

They were not bound by the past; Christ had set them free, even as He had with Harriet and so many others through the centuries.

Yes she told Edward, that she would marry him. And the sooner, the better.

Family and friends gathered together at the Church Mazie and her mother had attended for so many years, the same sanctuary where just months earlier they had held a memorial service for her beloved Mimi. With the pastor from Mazie’s Church as well as the one from Edward’s performing the ceremony together. Behind the two pastors was a large wooden Cross on the wall. Underneath it hung the Moses quilt, reminding them of all they had learned. One patch in particular caught her eye – the one with the dove holding a branch in the beak. A symbol of peace.

The Dove is also an emblem of the Holy Spirit, of peace, purity, and affection.

Kathi Macia, is a Multiple award-winning author, with nearly 35 books including the “Quilt” series, the “Freedom” Series and the “Extreme Devotion” novels for New Hope Publishers. Her devotionals reach hundreds of thousands – through the Christian Civic League, Black Christian News, Latino Christian News, Christians in Recovery, and Crosswalk.com. A popular speaker, Kathi loves outreach to prison and homeless ministries, and praying for and aiding the persecuted Church globally. A wife, mother, and grandmother. She lives is California.