Sunday, April 7, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Renews your faith
By Cindy U. This review is for: Born To Return The Gift (Paperback)
Born to Return the Gift by Catherine E. Johnson is a well written story about one womans struggle with depression, addiction and abuse. While the story deals with some difficult issues, it is truly a faith based story that has you routing for Nyima throughout. It gives you faith that good things can come to all, despite your circumstances.
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the Book!
By cinnor67 - This review is for: Born To Return The Gift (Paperback)
Catherine E. Johnson has written a poignant story about overcoming life's speedbumps and persevering over all. I couldn't put the book down! You feel as if you are living the heroines life with her. Ms. Johnson manages to put you right in the middle of the story. I'm sure many people can relate to her struggles with depression and low self-esteem. Can't wait for her next book!!
5.0 out of 5 stars LONGING FOR SELF
By M. L. St. Sure "Evensong" (Baileys Harbor, WI)
This review is for: Born To Return The Gift (Paperback)
BORN TO RETURN, written by Catherine E. Johnson teaches us what most of us should have learned a long time ago. Just why does it take us so awfully long to learn the trials and tribulations? Broken hearts. Broken souls. Fragmented lives. Each generation repeating life without purpose. This first time author has given us the truth and answers; a crutch to help the stumblers in life. I am reminded of Kahlil Gibran in THE PROPHET as he tells us of pain: "Much of your pain is self-chosen. It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self. Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity: For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen." This is a must read book. You are certain to discover the veil that clouds your eyes and the words that will lift it off.
Monday, April 1, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Unique, Enjoyable, Christian Novel - Review By Laquita Thomas
I enjoyed reading Born to Return the Gift. I have read several Christian novels and this one is UNIQUE. It does not gloss over or sugarcoat situations or language we come across in life. And just like real life, the novel indeed dealt with adult issues/profanity etc... but throughout the book, the author continues to remind readers of its underlying meaning...
This debut novel depicts the emotional roller coaster of life. To say that the main character, Nyima, has had her share of life's ups and downs is definitely an understatement. From a child to now a middle aged women, she has had to face abuse, alcoholism, depression and homelessness - not to mention she is haunted by a recurring nightmare. As a reader, you can't help but to root for her to finally catch a break.
The author introduces the reader to Nyima at what appears to be her final straw - she is jobless, homeless, depressed, self-medicating with alcohol, living in a hotel, and running out of money and what appears to be time.
Throughout Nyima's hotel stay, the author gives the reader an inside look at how she arrived in her current situation - physically and emotionally - through flashbacks. The flashbacks not only give the reader more insight on the character, but transcends the message that although Nyima has been through some very hard times, she's always made it through them with help from God.
Hence the primary message of the book, "Each life is a gift from God. What is done with it... Is a gift to Him in Return". Once Nyima (through the revelation of her `nightmare') began to align her life with God's Word - giving Him control and acknowledging past mistakes, putting them behind her - she experienced a renewed strength and was set on a path of healing, hope and joy.
I am looking forward to the author's second novel "End All To Be All".
Saturday, March 30, 2013
In Remembrance of the Greatest Love of All
On this day CHRIST WAS RISEN!
For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Each Life is a gift from God and what is done with it is a gift to Him in Return.
Author Statement - Ultimately, this is an inspiring story of empowerment for anyone looking to change the direction of their life.
Born To Return The Gift is an urban novel that takes a raw gritty, sometimes profane look at the physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects that often create mental anguish resulting in depression, as thoughts of suicide tinker with the mind that's suffering. It deals with this negative affliction that is commonly aggravated by issues of job insecurity, homelessness, sexual addiction, loneliness, racism, homosexuality, family dysfunction, domestic violence, alcohol/drug abuse, childhood molestation, repressed anger, and undefined FEAR.
Through the experiences of one character and the characters with whom experiences are shared frustration, apathy, and despair alternate its clouds of darkness so failure seems inevitable at every turn. Faith in a Divine Higher Power sustains the main character to guide her understanding to her own purposeful importance. The story is evidence that it is not always the destination that's important, but the journey, as each fall bares lessons to be learned while strength in character and virtue is built as a result of endurance. The power of faith and forgiveness becomes paramount in the process.
Born To Return The Gift is not a how to or self help book. Although faith driven, it is not preachy or judgmental and does not push one to believe, but attempts to bring the concept of spiritual forces into consideration. Biblical scriptures in the content of this book attest to the main character's upbringing in the church and the fact that God's Word is still hidden in her heart even though she wrestles with its correlation to the present world she lives in. As her faith wavers, her personal demons appear more real and larger than life in a recurring nightmare where her history is laid out before her. In facing the condition of her life the darkness that encompasses her is eradicated with light, giving her the strength to stand confidently as she pushes forward leaving the past behind with the conviction that she has the power to make things happen rather than just allowing things to happen.
"A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life." - James Allen
This dramatically entertaining story is meant to incite the spirit within. In looking at an ordinary person whose experience(s) might be recognized as your own or someone you know, it is sure to provoke personal thoughts that will have the power to inspire and empower. If the issues raised are foreign to you as the reader, you'll have the opportunity to learn what it's like for someone who seeks to overcome such impending obstacles regardless of fault. No matter what stage you are in life there's always a higher plane to aspire to and this novel encourages you to elevate your own altitude. We are all capable of rising from mediocrity and reaching a higher excellence in how we live and how we treat each other. Acknowledging the intensity behind other people's perspectives creates a foundation for understanding and helps us all rise in lifting up humanity as a whole.
"To perceive the world differently we must be willing to change our belief systems, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds." - William James
Thursday, March 21, 2013
ISBN 9780615296975 and ISBN 9780615535937
For a limited time receive 35% off retail ($19.99) on purchases of Born To Return The Gift and End All To Be All made through this site. (PayPal)A free canvas tote will be included with each two book purchase. This offer will end June 1st.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
International Woman's Day
Obama signs expanded Violence Against Women Act
"All women deserve to live free from fear," Obama said at a signing ceremony
held Thursday afternoon at the Interior Department.
The existing VAWA law, first enacted in 1994 to aid victims of domestic violence, offers programs and services to survivors, the criminal justice system and the community. The law established a national hotline for domestic violence, permitted the federal prosecution of interstate crimes, identifies dating violence and stalking as crimes of domestic violence, offers federal funding for rape crisis centers and other provisions.
"It didn’t just change the rules, it changed our culture," Obama said of the original legislation. "It made clear to victims that they were not alone, that they always had a place to go and they always had people on their side."
Obama said the law began a national dialogue about domestic violence and empowered people to speak out about the issue, which was once "too often seen as a private matter."
The president highlighted that the reauthorization signed Thursday closed a loophole for Native American women, whose non-native partners were essentially immune from prosecution because tribal police would not arrest non-Native men and local police would not make arrests on Indian reservations.
For gay, lesbian and transgender survivors, the new bill allows federal funding to be directed to LGBT-related efforts to help survivors.
Obama dedicated Thursday's events to all domestic violence survivors. "This is your victory," the president said.
The bill passed in Congress on Feb. 28 authorizes funding for more rape kits and a national registry of forensic evidence, strengthens trafficking statutes and makes other new provisions in addition to expanding coverage for more survivors. Men are covered under the law, but it's called the Violence Against Women Act because women are disproportionally victims in domestic violence.
A House version of the bill, favored by some Republicans, did not contain expansions for additional survivors and other measures contained in the version crafted by the Democratic-controlled Senate, which both chambers ultimately approved.
The president was joined at Thursday's ceremony by Vice President Joe Biden, who as a Delaware senator authored the original VAWA legislation in 1994, members of Congress including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, women’s organizations and advocates, law enforcement officials, tribal leaders and domestic violence survivors.
Biden, who introduced the president Thursday, championed the VAWA reauthorization, but noted that work remains to be done on the issue.
"There are still too many women in this country who live in fear of violence," Biden said.
The existing VAWA law, first enacted in 1994 to aid victims of domestic violence, offers programs and services to survivors, the criminal justice system and the community. The law established a national hotline for domestic violence, permitted the federal prosecution of interstate crimes, identifies dating violence and stalking as crimes of domestic violence, offers federal funding for rape crisis centers and other provisions.
"It didn’t just change the rules, it changed our culture," Obama said of the original legislation. "It made clear to victims that they were not alone, that they always had a place to go and they always had people on their side."
Obama said the law began a national dialogue about domestic violence and empowered people to speak out about the issue, which was once "too often seen as a private matter."
The president highlighted that the reauthorization signed Thursday closed a loophole for Native American women, whose non-native partners were essentially immune from prosecution because tribal police would not arrest non-Native men and local police would not make arrests on Indian reservations.
For gay, lesbian and transgender survivors, the new bill allows federal funding to be directed to LGBT-related efforts to help survivors.
Obama dedicated Thursday's events to all domestic violence survivors. "This is your victory," the president said.
The bill passed in Congress on Feb. 28 authorizes funding for more rape kits and a national registry of forensic evidence, strengthens trafficking statutes and makes other new provisions in addition to expanding coverage for more survivors. Men are covered under the law, but it's called the Violence Against Women Act because women are disproportionally victims in domestic violence.
A House version of the bill, favored by some Republicans, did not contain expansions for additional survivors and other measures contained in the version crafted by the Democratic-controlled Senate, which both chambers ultimately approved.
The president was joined at Thursday's ceremony by Vice President Joe Biden, who as a Delaware senator authored the original VAWA legislation in 1994, members of Congress including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, women’s organizations and advocates, law enforcement officials, tribal leaders and domestic violence survivors.
Biden, who introduced the president Thursday, championed the VAWA reauthorization, but noted that work remains to be done on the issue.
"There are still too many women in this country who live in fear of violence," Biden said.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Al Pacino's Spiritual Inspiration
www.youtube.Al Pacino's Inspirational Speech
Why would I put the actor most famous for "Scar Face" on my blog? Listen to his message of LIFE and receive the message that although he's inspiring a team (football), his message is universal for more life ...and then maybe you'll comprehend something so many people aspire to in the raw...without the benefit of ever having had the riches of his money= power in this world!
Why would I put the actor most famous for "Scar Face" on my blog? Listen to his message of LIFE and receive the message that although he's inspiring a team (football), his message is universal for more life ...and then maybe you'll comprehend something so many people aspire to in the raw...without the benefit of ever having had the riches of his money= power in this world!
Friday, March 1, 2013
AUTHOR Q & A on BTRTG and EATBA
Q - Introduce us to your books and the main characters.
A - In 'Born To Return The Gift', Nyima is fifty years old and understands she has been objectified for her beauty and sexuality, but is in denial about how this baggage is affecting her present life. During her two week stay in a hotel, she is compelled to take inventory of her survival; unaware that her experiences will be a personal testimony of how God blesses the child who knows Him.
In 'End All To Be All', tragedy turns Michael's life inside out and he hardens his heart against God's existence. His life spirals until he can't fall any further, It's not until he's in his sixties that he recovers. He becomes involved in an entrepreneurial venture swamped in drama and deception, but after he meets Nyima he believes a stamp of legitimacy will make a difference. When tragedy hits him again, he experiences a personal revelation and cannot deny God's blessing.
Q - Take us inside your books. What are two major events taking place in each?
A - In BTRTG, a male friend offers Nyima a helping hand and then reneges on his promise. Another is when her haunting nightmare finally unfolds and she faces disruptive incidents hidden in her fragmented psyche.
In EATBA, Michael makes a move from sleeping on park benches and store fronts to a detox facility. Another is when he gets drunk after years of sobriety and ultimately finds redemption.
Q - What role do you give the mean spirited characters in your books?
A - The mean spirited characters possess attitudes common to those who haven't dealt with their own insecurities and prejudices, but capitalize and exploit what they perceive as weaknesses in other people. Each becomes a nemesis that triggers the self awareness necessary for Nyima and Michael to grow beyond their own limitations.
Q - What are some of the specific issues, needs, or problems addressed in these books?
A - Both books address how negativity can be conditioned and internalized, and how a negative can be turned into a positive. Specific issues addressed are racism; domestic violence; family dysfunction; job insecurity; recreational alcohol/drug use and addiction; sexual addiction as a substitute for love; homosexuality/alternative life styles; molestation; depression; post traumatic stress disorder; and processing the grief caused by death.
Q - Who do you want to reach with your books and the message within?
A - I'd like to reach young adults at risk of making their first bad decision; people with teenage children; individuals who have been knocked down and are giving up on the life they once envisioned for themselves; and most importantly, those who think they stand alone against the world and need to know they have a friend and savior in Jesus. The ultimate message is that each life is a gift from God and what we do with it is our gift to Him in return. In other words, I believe it was J.D. Jakes who I heard say, 'What God inhales in us is to be exhaled for everyone's benefit'.
Q - What do you want readers to gain from your books?
Hopefully, readers will raise their own consciousness through awareness of other peoples' struggles; share a new sense of reality; and be incited to make a difference. Readers will understand that God's plan for our lives is incorporated in the dreams and natural talents He gave us as gift when we were born. We can all live our best lives if we strive to use them for our livelihood in a way that benefits others. For those who have deferred their dreams, it's never too late to bring them to fruition in some way, shape, or form. At the very least, I hope these books will provoke readers to examine their own thoughts about faith and the societal issues that can lead to color blind maladies such as depression, drug dependency, and post traumatic stress disorders.
Q - A legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another. Finish this sentence. My writing offers a legacy for generational change because .....
A. - the more things change, the more they stay the same, but writing and sharing insights helps us master change. Life may move smarter and faster than before, but people still make bad choices that crucially affect their lives. There are still young girls finding themselves in grown up situations before understanding life is not the fairy take they thought. That goes for young men who are most likely to be fathers before they are emotionally mature and economically capable of taking on such responsibilities. More people are successful these days, but many others still live a handicapped existence through illicit drug dependence in a world that closes their eyes to the real problems they face. Millions of others feel powerless to live up to expectations and live prescription drug dependent lives. Stories with characters making major changes in their lives despite their overwhelming obstacles help break mindsets that bind us to destructive attitudes and behaviors.
Q - What do you think makes your books different than others?
A - They delve into the soul searching aspect of ordinary people dealing with issues that many of us are confronted with at one point or another, and scriptural references show God's influence and presence even when it is not acknowledged.
A - In 'Born To Return The Gift', Nyima is fifty years old and understands she has been objectified for her beauty and sexuality, but is in denial about how this baggage is affecting her present life. During her two week stay in a hotel, she is compelled to take inventory of her survival; unaware that her experiences will be a personal testimony of how God blesses the child who knows Him.
In 'End All To Be All', tragedy turns Michael's life inside out and he hardens his heart against God's existence. His life spirals until he can't fall any further, It's not until he's in his sixties that he recovers. He becomes involved in an entrepreneurial venture swamped in drama and deception, but after he meets Nyima he believes a stamp of legitimacy will make a difference. When tragedy hits him again, he experiences a personal revelation and cannot deny God's blessing.
Q - Take us inside your books. What are two major events taking place in each?
A - In BTRTG, a male friend offers Nyima a helping hand and then reneges on his promise. Another is when her haunting nightmare finally unfolds and she faces disruptive incidents hidden in her fragmented psyche.
In EATBA, Michael makes a move from sleeping on park benches and store fronts to a detox facility. Another is when he gets drunk after years of sobriety and ultimately finds redemption.
Q - What role do you give the mean spirited characters in your books?
A - The mean spirited characters possess attitudes common to those who haven't dealt with their own insecurities and prejudices, but capitalize and exploit what they perceive as weaknesses in other people. Each becomes a nemesis that triggers the self awareness necessary for Nyima and Michael to grow beyond their own limitations.
Q - What are some of the specific issues, needs, or problems addressed in these books?
A - Both books address how negativity can be conditioned and internalized, and how a negative can be turned into a positive. Specific issues addressed are racism; domestic violence; family dysfunction; job insecurity; recreational alcohol/drug use and addiction; sexual addiction as a substitute for love; homosexuality/alternative life styles; molestation; depression; post traumatic stress disorder; and processing the grief caused by death.
Q - Who do you want to reach with your books and the message within?
A - I'd like to reach young adults at risk of making their first bad decision; people with teenage children; individuals who have been knocked down and are giving up on the life they once envisioned for themselves; and most importantly, those who think they stand alone against the world and need to know they have a friend and savior in Jesus. The ultimate message is that each life is a gift from God and what we do with it is our gift to Him in return. In other words, I believe it was J.D. Jakes who I heard say, 'What God inhales in us is to be exhaled for everyone's benefit'.
Q - What do you want readers to gain from your books?
Hopefully, readers will raise their own consciousness through awareness of other peoples' struggles; share a new sense of reality; and be incited to make a difference. Readers will understand that God's plan for our lives is incorporated in the dreams and natural talents He gave us as gift when we were born. We can all live our best lives if we strive to use them for our livelihood in a way that benefits others. For those who have deferred their dreams, it's never too late to bring them to fruition in some way, shape, or form. At the very least, I hope these books will provoke readers to examine their own thoughts about faith and the societal issues that can lead to color blind maladies such as depression, drug dependency, and post traumatic stress disorders.
Q - A legacy is something that is handed down from one period of time to another. Finish this sentence. My writing offers a legacy for generational change because .....
A. - the more things change, the more they stay the same, but writing and sharing insights helps us master change. Life may move smarter and faster than before, but people still make bad choices that crucially affect their lives. There are still young girls finding themselves in grown up situations before understanding life is not the fairy take they thought. That goes for young men who are most likely to be fathers before they are emotionally mature and economically capable of taking on such responsibilities. More people are successful these days, but many others still live a handicapped existence through illicit drug dependence in a world that closes their eyes to the real problems they face. Millions of others feel powerless to live up to expectations and live prescription drug dependent lives. Stories with characters making major changes in their lives despite their overwhelming obstacles help break mindsets that bind us to destructive attitudes and behaviors.
Q - What do you think makes your books different than others?
A - They delve into the soul searching aspect of ordinary people dealing with issues that many of us are confronted with at one point or another, and scriptural references show God's influence and presence even when it is not acknowledged.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Why All Americans Celebrate Black History Month
Even a century after the
Emancipation Proclamation was signed, Black people were negatively stigmatized
in school history textbooks. Today, Black History Month endeavors to promote
pride to empower the young with a positive self image, despite the fact that while
settlers sought their freedom from Great Britain during colonial times, our
ancestors were captured and taken in bondage from their homelands in Africa to
be treated as mere property in order to build an economic foundation for
America.
During Black History Month we honor
everyone from Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion, to Martin Luther King, Jr.,
who led the civil rights movement as a champion for peaceful resolution of the
struggles we faced. Along the way many Black people organized in the fight and
dedicated their lives to the cause for freedom and equality. White Abolitionists
also aided these efforts.Collective actions paved the way for a Black man to be elected the 47th President of the United States of America. A historic milestone was reached when people of every ethnic background and gender casted their votes to put Barack Obama in office. This proved to be a testament to the allegiance of one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.
Ingenuity is most times born out of
necessity. Below are inventions by Black Americans, some dating back to before
all were free, that enriched life for ALL Americans.
Air conditioning unit; almanac; auto cut-off switch; auto
fishing device; automatic gear shift; baby buggy; bicycle frame; biscuit
cutter; blood bank plasma bag; cellular phone; chamber commode (toilet);
clothes dryer; crop rotation methods; curtain rod; curtain rod support; door
knob; door stop; dry cleaning process; dust pan; egg beater; electric lamp
bulb; elevator; eye protector; exhaust purifier; fire escape ladder; folding
bed; folding chair; fountain pen; furniture caster; gas mask; golf tee; guitar;
hair brush; hand stamp; horse shoe; ice cream scooper; imaging x-ray
spectrometer; insect destroyer gun; ironing board; key chain; lantern; lawn
mower; lawn sprinkler; lemon squeezer; lock; lubricating cup; lunch pail; mail
box; mop; motor; peanut butter; pencil sharpener; phone transmitter; record
player arm; refrigerator; riding saddles; rolling pin; sewing machine; shampoo
headrest; shoe sole machine; spark plug; stethoscope; stove; straightening
comb; street sweeper; sugar refinery machinery; telephony; thermostat control;
traffic light; tricycle; typewriter; and a wood clock to strike on the hour.
This may not be a comprehensive
list, but you get the picture. Is it news to you that they were invented by a
race of people legally banned from learning to read? How many of these items would
be considered obsolete today? Certainly not our cell phones, which are now a
necessity most people take for granted.
We also honor many firsts who broke
through barriers of color. Today, many Black Americans excel in entertainment,
sports, the arts, education, law enforcement, military, politics, medicine,
science, technology, etc.; and we ALL benefit from their contributions.
Just think of all the lives saved
after Daniel Williams performed the first open-heart surgery in the United
States; Otis Boykin invented the pace maker; and
Ben Carson performed the first successful operation to separate craniopathic
twins. Or those lives made more comfortable after Bessie Blount Griffin
invented the first amputee self-feeding device, and Dr. Patricia Bath
transformed eye surgery with her invention of the Cataract Laserphaco Probe.
And for fun, Jerry Lawson designed
the first programmable ROM cartridge-based video game console; and Lonnie G.
Johnson invented the Super Soaker, a pressurized toy water gun which was popular
with children and adults alike in the nineties.
Are you amongst those Americans who
celebrate Black History Month?
http://www.blackinventions.101.comhttp://www.wikipedia.org
http://www.listverse.com
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