Joy Project

Black Joy is everywhere. From the bustling streets of Lagos to hip-hop blasting through apartment windows in the Bronx. From the wide-open coastal desert of Namibia to the lush slopes of Jamaica’s Blue Mountains. From the thriving tradition of Candomblé in Bahia to the innovative and trendsetting styles of Soweto, and beyond, Black Joy is present in every place that Black people exist. Now—at last—is a one-of-a-kind celebration of this truth and a life-giving testament to one of the most essential forces that fuels Black life: The Black Joy Project.

When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in mind: to “get skinny.” In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of “not enough-ness”; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of all: She was not the problem. The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU.

How was Locksie supposed to tell her boyfriend that she had gone off to church and fallen in love with another man? Locksie grew up in the church - against her will - thanks to her holier than thou mother. But now that she's all grown-up, she's her own woman and church is the last thing on her mind; her live-in boyfriend, Dawson, is the first. When Locksie finally decides to go back to church, she ends up finding more than she could have ever expected.

My son was in the hospital ICU for a month, on a ventilator, with a 40 percent chance of survival. Only 30 days after his hospital release, he was arrested for drug possession.

Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay. She’s about to move in with her longtime boyfriend, Paul, before starting a nursing program at community college - all of which she mostly wants. But her stable world is turned upside down when she catches Paul cheating. To her giant, overprotective family, Paul’s loss is their golden ticket to showing Jasmine that she deserves much more. The only problem is, Jasmine refuses to meet anyone new. But...what if the family set up a situation where she wouldn’t have to know? A secret Jasmine Project.

Lorain is back from her sabbatical, and although God didn't reveal to her all that she wanted him to regarding her past, she refuses to just let things be. When all the pieces of the puzzle begin to come together, just how many lives will be damaged, and how many will be restored? The survivor of one of the most horrific experiences a person could ever endure, it appeared as though Sister Nita, as leader of New Day's Janitorial Ministry, was hiding behind a mop and a broom.

Without Mother Doreen, there never would have been a New Day Temple of Faith Singles' Ministry. So it's bitter-sweet for the single saints she's leaving behind to see her go. Having thought she'd never love again after the death of the only man she'd ever been with in her entire life, when Mother Doreen is proposed to by a pastor from her home town, she can't imagine turning down a gift from God.

How to Be Happier is Vol. 1 of a series about personal transformation. It is part of a set of audiobooks that will help you to achieve long lasting change and success in your life in a wide variety of areas. It is meant to be a blueprint to help you recognize ways that you can find more joy and happiness in your day-to-day living...and then use that new sense of joy to go on to create an actionable plan for achieving various goals in your life.

Some would say that God will not put on a person more than they can bear, but Paige begs to differ because she is truly on the edge. One more unexpected and unpleasant occurrence and she'll be free falling. As if physical, mental, sexual, and spiritual abuse from her husband doesn't weigh heavily enough on her, Paige learns that her best friend and sister in Christ slept with her husband. Thank God for Norman, one of Paige's co-workers. He is there to catch her fall before she hits the ground.

Lorain has been a prisoner of her secrets for almost her entire life. At the age of 13 she managed to keep her pregnancy a secret, discarding the infant and leaving it for dead. Years later, Lorain's mother finally met the love of her life, and Lorain couldn't find the courage to tell her mother that her new beau was the man who had molested Lorain and impregnated her. To complicate matters even more, Lorain discovered that the baby she'd abandoned all those years ago survived.

What was the pastor of New Day Temple of Faith thinking, approving the creation of the New Day Singles Ministry? Better yet, what were its members thinking when they joined? Doreen, lovingly known as the Church Mother of New Day, thought that when she presented the idea of the ministry to the pastor, it could serve as a foundation to empower, encourage, and enlighten the church's single members.

Mother Doreen has left New Day Temple of Faith in Malvonia, Ohio, and moved to Kentucky to help her diabetic sister. Her sister's husband, a truck driver, pretty much lives on the road. Mother Doreen feels in her spirit that she's needed to intervene on her sister's behalf, especially when the assistant pastor of her sister's church seems to be there just a little bit too much. Her suspicions really grow when her sister's belly does too.

It ain't easy being saved, sanctified, and single. Try being a once divorced, now widowed single mother of two on top of that. Thank God, the Lord built Paige Vanderdale to be able to bear all of those titles without becoming weary to the point of giving up. From the outside looking in, that life looks good on her. On the inside, though, Paige is coveting what so many others around her seem to have, which is true love.

What kind of woman wants a man so badly that she'd be willing to lie to get him? What if that lie includes denying the fact that she has a child? Deborah Lewis is that woman. The suave, debonair Lynox Chase is the man Deborah wants. He's the man Deborah has wanted for years, almost had, but decided to give her ex a try, leaving Lynox hanging. With her ex no longer in the picture, Deborah is willing to eat crow and go claim Lynox. She can't help but worry if he will be forgiving and take her back, but figures after two years, he's had time to get over it.

How fun to create a journal project in one weekend. This book is so easy to use, and it will get you started in collage and junk journaling in such a fun way.

Now that Deborah has finally let go of the past that haunted her for so many years, is she ready to grab hold of love? The handsome Lynox Chase certainly hopes so, as he tries everything to win Deborah's heart. Even though she believes in her heart that Lynox is the husband God has for her, there still seems to be a barrier separating the two. The ringing of the wedding bells between Paige and Blake can still be heard echoing, but will the roar of temptation rear its ugly head when Paige begins to find comfort in the least-expected old friend?

The singles ministry at New Day Temple of Faith is beginning to unravel, and the pastor is considering dissolving it. Some members believe the only way to hold it together is by getting their pastor to join. And why shouldn't their leader show support by joining, considering the pastor's own single status? Some church members support the idea, while others frown upon the fact that they are being led by a shepherd who is single in the first place.

Out of all the divas at New Day Temple of Faith, Unique has to be the most colorful one - she and her mother, Lorain, that is. Never one to hold her tongue in the name of keepin' it real, it's no surprise that Unique has not been saved all her life. It's safe to say that Lorain wasn't born on the church pew either. Let the church folk tell it, the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree when it comes to Unique.

Some of the members of the congregation have been nagging at Pastor Margie for so long about finding a help mate that she just might be crazy enough to give it a try. Once her congregation learns the method in which she goes about seeking a man for the house, they might worry for her sanity. After all, a woman of the cloth would have to be certifiably nuts to agree to go on a reality dating show in order to find a husband.

If you're looking for a couples therapy workbook for healing, The 5 Step Action Plan to a Happy & Healthy Marriage is an easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide with user-friendly couples therapy workbook exercises at the end of each chapter.