Kirk Franklin Debuts New Video For “Strong GOD”

Gospel Artist, Songwriter and Producer Kirk Franklin recently unveiled the powerful video for his song “Strong God”. The song is the latest single from Franklin’s GRAMMY^®-winning, critically acclaimed album LONG LIVE LOVE, which was released in 2019.

The video directed by Joey Papa shines a light on some of the most serious issues that the world is facing including, poverty, racism, drug addiction, domestic violence and the covid-19 pandemic. 

Portions of the thought-provoking video were inspired by a recent trip to the Dominican Republic that Franklin took with the non-profit organization, *Compassion International*. He serves as a music artist ambassador for the charity, which provides holistic child development to children and families in impoverished communities all over the world through local churches. 

Franklin is using this song as an opportunity to raise funds for the charity’s Covid-19 Disaster Relief. The “Strong God” video premiered on Franklin’s YouTube / Vevo channel and BET Soul.

Check out the official video below:

Additionally, “Just For Me,” another track from LONG LIVE LOVE, reached #1 at Gospel radio this week. This past Sunday, May 31^st Franklin joined fellow Gospel artist Fred Hammond and Bishop T.D. Jakes for Verzuz – The Healing, a special edition of the extremely popular Instagram live series produced by Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. With so much pain and devastation being experienced in the United States and across the globe right now, Franklin and Hammond came together to provide inspiration and encouragement through Gospel music. 

The two welcomed fellow gospel artists Tamela Mann and Marvin Sapp who blessed the live audience, which reached as many as 275,000 people, with surprise performances. They also took time during the event to acknowledge victims of police violence and racially motivated murder including Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Trayvon Martin and to offer their support to Arbery’s mother Wanda Cooper-Jones via phone.

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#DontRush Challenge Yourself To Be Excellent

A lot of these #DontRushChallenge videos are coming through on social media. The concept of the video is to make an instant change from busted to beautiful, or from simple to suave quickly, based on the videos I've seen.

The irony is that the transition time is actually "rushed", but the lyrics say otherwise. Sometimes, I find myself in an anxious mindset that resembles this concept. I don't think I'm alone. It's so easy to see awesome things people are doing or even have our own ideas, and want a quick fix to get to them done, or to think we should be in a certain place, at a certain time according to our own plans.  

I had to remind myself today as a writer, that although I want to get books out, I just can't rush the process for the sake of getting them out quick, while the digital rat race is at an all time high! I was reminded by spirit to be excellent in anything that I do. 

If that takes time then that's fine as long as I'm happy with the work I've done, it's quality, and it's impactful to somebody else. At the end of the day if I've manifested that thing/idea which I set my mind to with the excellence I received when it was given to me, then I would be providing the best service to myself and others who partake of whatever that thing is.

I posted a tweet the other day similar to the concept of not rushing, but reaching for excellence. 

Be BRAVE enough to do the hard things! They show you just you how
strong,
creative,
and brilliant you are!

— April D. Byrd (@aprilinspired) March 30, 2020

Most often the hard thing is to avoid the quick fix, it's to avoid settling for mediocre results for what you dream of. It's bypassing the beaten path. Don't rush your process. Trust and wait on GOD's timing while you work in excellence, that's what I plan to do.

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"GOD Friended Me": An Ongoing Conversation

Would you accept a Facebook Friend Request sent by GOD? CBS officially debuted it's new TV show "GOD Friended Me" to audiences worldwide. 

In the new show viewers are introduced to "GOD" aka "The GOD Account". GOD is a cloud of glory, in his profile picture and as seen by the show's main character Miles Finer (played by Brandon Michael Hall). Finer who is a practicing and very promoting unbeliever is hell bent on distancing his self from the relationship he held with GOD as a child. 

Everything is going fine until "The GOD account" reaches out to Finer via Facebook. Although "GOD" makes several familiar introductions like appearing as a burning bush... as finer reluctantly engages with the account he finds himself in the midst of extraordinary, unexplainable situations linked back to GOD.

The truth reflected is that GOD is known to make introductions in unorthodox ways. GOD usually disrupts "the norm". We know this from accounts featured in the Bible like (Balaam and his donkey) and hopefully how we've experienced GOD in the timeline of our own lives.

GOD Friended Me is interesting because it poses critical questions: "Are you willing to engage with GOD and help do the work He calls you to do? Are you willing to cultivate a real relationship with Him, Have an ongoing conversation and seek to honor the good advice with execution?" 

In addition to the questions it helps to uncover, the show feels like a continued conversation, a revisiting of the remarks we've seen played out in our culture concerning religion, spirituality, and how much free will we actually have.  Rakesh, the character (played by Suraj Sharma) is from a family that believes in arranged marriages. The first arranged date we see Rakesh on surprisingly goes well. He even gives his new love interest a single rose by the end of the episode just like "The Bachelor" does with his potentials. Rakesh and his arranged lover engaging in pre-marital sex, (or about to) automatically visits how our beliefs may cross with our nature.

A pleasing addition to GFM is the "Brother From Another Planet" Joe Morton bringing his powerful screen presence to the show playing Miles Finer's father, Reverend Arthur Finer. As Miles tries to make sense of the pieces GOD gives him to work with, the show is even more tinged with mystery drama and "Scandal" like suspense. Hopefully we get that "Hell hath no fury like Papa Pope" energy also vested in "Papa Finer" as the show goes on.

"GOD Friended Me" examines relationships, with GOD, ourselves, and the people around us. It speaks of owning the power to overcome our troubles, or the bitterness we may harbor from past experiences. It mirrors how GOD connects the events of our lives for His glory. 

The truth reflected is that redemption and reconciliation is possible at the "request" of GOD's spirit within us. 

Since it's from the same network that brought us "Touched By An Angel" believers may be in good hands to check it out.

GOD Friended Me currently airs on CBS. Time information can be found on it's official site: https://www.cbs.com/shows/god-friended-me/ 

ART HEART ATL Valentine’s Day Art Giveaway

by: Art Heart ATL

It's February!! You all know what that means...we're approaching the national day of Love and what better expression of true passion is there than art?! 

This month Breath Of Life Daily presents ArtHeartATL.com Valentine’s Day Giveaway!! sponsored by James & James, LLC. ArtHeartATL.com is a fresh, innovative platform, where art, music, and fashion thrive. Art Heart features some of the best graffiti art and most unique prints around.

You can enter into the drawing for your chance to win fine art from ArtHeartATL.com! 

To win, sign up for an ArtHeartATL.com account and leave reviews under all the images you "love". BreathOfLifeDaily.com will announce the winner on Valentine’s Day.

• To win Sign up at ArtHeartATL.com. Tour the gallery and leave a review. That's it!!

There are plenty of prints to choose from. Check out Art Heart's full  Gallery at ArtHeartATL.com and the team's latest trips in ATL and abroad on the media page at Art Heart ATL TV.

The winner will win 1 - 8x10 photo print in a mat and framed.

You can like Art Heart ATL on Facebook and visit the Sponsor’s website at JamesAndJamesLLC.com

Why We Love... Solange's Wedding Fro!

by: April D. Byrd

I don't know Solange personally so I'm not on a big kick of how stylish the wedding was or who was there. However, I think it's phenomenal that she chose to rock her natural hair in an afro. Congratulations to her and Alan Ferguson on their recent wedding that "broke the internet". It's good to have some pure, decent, good news floating around. It was refreshing to see Solange rocking her natural hair and vows made under God are always a good look for pop culture.

Solange was classy at her wedding indeed! We're rejoicing with her and wishing her all the best this time around.  Can we talk about that fabulous fro now?! That baby was a game changer! Solange's wedding is blowing up social media for being stylish and unique, but the fro itself is worth the buzz! when was the last time you saw a sista' or anyone rock a beautiful fro to their wedding?

Congrats to that beautiful fro!  It's not often that we see women rocking their natural fro to their big day. The natural movement has had a lot of glory thanks in part to Solange being an advocate. Her wedding fro was definitely a positive statement. Be yourself, be comfortable in your own skin...and hair.

We've been lauding Solange's transition ever since she started her natural journey and she has always made a statement with it. She's continually given others the confidence to love our natural texture. I consider that going bare for the right reasons. It's rare not to see a lot of make-up, gloss and glam at weddings.  Consider this blog a toast to Solange's vows before God, to her fabulous hair, and embracing natural beauty in a society that exploits photo shop, cosmetic surgery, and fictionalized beauty ideals!! Salud!!

Kudos to Solange for rocking her natural fro... oh yeah... congrats on the wedding too!

Beautiful wedding fro, you're the real MVP!!

Ladies, Gentleman would you rock your natural fro to your big day? How simple would you go? Leave your thoughts/comments below on Solange's wedding day fro? and Join in on the conversation with BOLDJournal on Twitter!!

SHE Created iT SPOTLIGHT: Grace Kisa

Happy October! B.O.L.D is happy to share She Created iT's monthly artists spotlight and celebrate female artists and entrepreneurs. She Created iT is a platform to Promote, Produce and Educate Female Artists.

Every month She Created iT Highlights a phenomenal female artist. For the month of October the She Created iT Artist Spotlight is on Grace Kisa.

GRACE KISA is a native of Nairobi, Kenya. She  moved with her family to the United States in  1978. Grace was educated at The Art Institute in Atlanta, where she received an Associates in Art Degree. She currently lives and works in Atlanta.

        

" Making art for me is a journey of exploration, both inward and outwardly. This voyage of discovery often leads me to places I could not initially have predicted I would end up." I work on two dimensional, and three dimensional pieces, and the materials that I use vary just as greatly. Often the work is referenced  from my own experiences. From the movies that I see to the music that I listen to. From the books that I read, to the places that I travel to. These elements and many others become the basis for my reinterpretation of the world around us. By taking what is familiar and making it new, I am attempting to create a narrative that engages history, myth, social awareness, and a touch of whimsy."

                                   

         

More art work from Grace's collection can be found HERE On Flickr.

 Grace's Exhibitions include:

       1994-M-Print Fine Art- Atlanta Georgia

         1995-Tina’s Gallery-Potomac, Maryland

         1996-Diaspora Arts Gallery- Atlanta, Georgia

         1997-Art Station Art Center- Stone Mountain, Georgia

         1998- Emerald City Art- Marietta., Georgia

         1999- Fine Art Images- Richmond, Virginia

         1999-2009- National Black Fine Art Show

         2000- Galerie 500- Washington D.C.

         2001- Carolyn Waller Gallery- Nashville ,Tennessee

         2002- Artist’s Showcase Gallery- Atlanta, Georgia

         2003- The Raiford Gallery- Alpharetta, Georgia

         2006- Just Lookin’ Gallery- Hagerstown, Maryland

         2007- Gallery Serengeti- Capitol Heights, Maryland

         2008- Studio Clout- Atlanta, Georgia

         2009- Stuart McLean Gallery- Atlanta, Georgia         

         2010- Avisca Gallery- Marietta, Georgia

         2012-Contemporaries, Morgan State University-Baltimore Md.

        

Collections include:

           Steed Media Group

           Hartsfield/ Jackson International Airport

            Upscale Magazine Corporate Offices

            Kaiser Permanente

            Southwest Hospital

            Art Station Art Center

You can find out more about Grace, Her work, and the She Created iT organization at shecreatedit.info For exhibition and general inquiries e-mail: info@shecreatedit.info