Friday 9 April 2010

Voices of Live in the Light

Here are the brave stories of the women from the event in their own words. They have been through a battle and have come out Living in the light!



Marcella
I worried about what others thought and that I would never amount to anything…always fought. My second youngest child’s father was murdered, shot in the back. I am single mother having babies, achievement with success of raising my children, they have never given me any trouble with breaking the law, not disrespectful, excel in school. No children in jail, no problem with the police and they came from.
The teasing and taunting in my life was due to my mother’s illness. I believed I was a failure but when I saw my son, Paul walk across the stage to receive his high school diploma it dawned on me it dawned on me that I was success I was not a failure. Most proud of defying the odds: raising my children with out a father or support, they are intelligent, respectful, successful, and well mannered and pursue excellence. One of the most important lessons I have learned is to trust others and that not everyone is against me and blaming others for everything bad happens to me. I see myself as a beautiful, strong yet meek black woman. I am a strong woman, a woman to be celebrated; courageous, fearless, beautiful I am Marcella, living in the light!



Gracie

Grace 79 years young and has overcome many years of turmoil in relationships. She was married with children in Fulton and found out that her best girlfriend in the world was having an affair with her husband. She relocated to Columbia alone with her children eventually found love again she thought and her manfriend shot her in the back....she survived...She is a strong, coutageous, powerful woman, and she is living in the light.



Jaquita
(I am) a mother of two, and 25 years old and dream of becoming an actress. Before I came into the light, walked in darkness since I was 12. I had my mom and dad until they divorced when I was 22. I always wanted attention, wanted people to look at me, drank, did drugs, and made money in wrong ways…always trying to please people…thought I was worthless stupid dumb…no one liked me…wanted men to like me…set me up for bad choices in relationships…gave up, stopped caring… at five months pregnant got high for the last time, did not want to risk losing my children, started crying and asked God to help me to move out of the state of mind I was in…filthy, messy, could no longer live that way and decided to leave the situation to give me a chance.
Overcame drugs, marijuana, and cocaine.
I am a better person, better mother, care about my future, I care about my children’s future; I am beautiful, words cannot explain, I am blessed! I am a strong woman, beautiful, courageous a woman to be celebrated I am Jaquita, I am living in the light!






Sheree

I am a woman with big dreams, a 36-year-old single mother of four, a strong Christian woman and owner/operator of “God’s Gift Child Development Center” on Preier lane here in Columbia, a 24-hour childcare center. I grew up in a single parent household. My father worked night shifts and a little bit of everything went on in the house with my older brothers and sisters: Partying, drinking, smoking, sex, drugs… at the tender age of 13 years old… I set out to look for love I came close to loosing my virginity, had some close calls, but held on … at the age of 16, I became pregnant, and the cycle of pregnancies and abortions began was just looking for someone too love me, to marry me and take care of me the rest of my life. I did not want to be like my other family members. They would tease and tell me that I was an old person in a young person’s body. I would love one (man) and he would leave and then I would love another to ease the pain from the previous love…from one to the next. By the age of 22 I was single mom with three children I loved one for a few years a few years… only to have him leave me for another woman…I was hurt, broken and I cried out in pain to God alone. I cried all night and was lead to get up and go to church…I tried to find family members to go with me, but had to do it alone…ended up at a church across the as station (where I stopped to get gas from) I had a lot of hesitation but my heart gave me the courage to park the car and walk into the building just in time for Sunday School. A lady, Inez Duckworth, who escorted me to class, welcomed me but in away, she was used to escort me into the Light.
My children’s father died in car accident and I had to plan a funeral with his family…I figured out, that I was looking for a love that was inside of me all the time…I moved to Columbia to assist and take care of my mother whose cancer came out of remission…I would rather be at home in Chicago with the rest of my family and friends and not be here all alone to do it all…but through it all and in spite of what my children and I have gone through, I AM ON A STREET CALLED SUCESSS…I am a strong Christian woman…I have learned that my voice counts, I can now use my voice to express my self and take a stand for my children and what I believe in. My greatest accomplishments at this point of my life are many: never giving up on my family, taking a stand and step up and sacrifice (taking care of my mother who had cancer) and then to open my own business. I am a strong woman, beautiful, courageous, a women to be celebrated I am Sheree, living in the light.




Faith

I was born in 1985, 25 years ago; my childhood seemed pretty normal in the earliest few years of memory. My mother was 36, my father 53 when I was born. My father worked, we owned a house, and my mother styled hair and ails out of our basement.
One day, the consequences of my parents drug use caught up with our family. As a five year old, I knew things would never be the same. Our house was foreclosed on, and we lost all of our belongings as well. My father then had a bad stroke and retired early. My mother diagnosis of manic depression and schizophrenia only got worse, as well as my parents alcohol and drug abuse.
The next ten years was a slur of darkness. Everything child should not witness, I did. Everything from death of extended family members, to sexual and physical abuse, I was placed in foster care for the following 8 years, life was still a slur of darkness. I lived in 73 different group homes and foster families. School was never permanent. Eight years in foster care alone was a roller coaster of light and darkness. Then I was released from custody when I became pregnant at 17. All of a sudden, I had nowhere to go. No family or knowledge of my parents where abouts. I worked hard and depended on the help of friends and strength of God. I was on my own two feet by the time my son was born in January 2004. My father passed away in 2008 of an overdose.
Today I m a single mother of four soon to be five children. I am about a quarter of the way through my nursing degree and have a good job. I have wonderful friends that love and care about me, can get a prayer throne to if needed. I live my life like it’s a garden and every day I live in the light.
You see, I have lived in darkness, in light, back into darkness, and back into light. There really is no transition. It is as simple as allowing the enemy to convince you that you don’t deserve to live in light and that darkness is all you are cable of. I don’t know at what point I stepped into the light, but I can say that I make an everyday goal to make sure that I don’t let the enemy get into my mind. I remind myself daily that: No weapon formed against me shall prosper, and every evil tongue towards me will be silenced. I am a warrior, and I will continue to the woman God has called me to be. And that prayer keeps in the light. I am Faith a strong, courageous woman. A woman to be celebrated, I am living in the light.




Latasha
I am Latasha and I am still standing. As a little girl my mom’s boyfriend molested me I told my mom, but she didn’t believe me, as the abuse escalated, my mother did want me to come between her and her relationship with her man. So I was sent off to a group home rejected, forgotten, left. I met an older man who I thought would be my answer. He controlled me, beat me, lied to me, kidnapped, raped and cheated on me. Those who were supposed to love me the most abused me.
My greatest challenge was leaving him. For the first time I my life I took a stand for myself. I stood up. I could not take another episode of mistreatment. The relationship lasted from when I was 14 to 19 years of age.
Being mistreated and unloved was hard I have learned I am beautiful on the inside and out. My greatest accomplishment was standing up for myself. It shocked my abuser.
I love myself. I am beautiful strong courageous woman and I am Latasha I am living in the light.



Adrian
You wanna know my story? Well where do I begin? Why not begin at the end or where I am now. I have allowed the Lord to have reigned and rule over my life. I am a wife, a mother of two, and a teacher with a Masters degree; but most importantly I am a child of God. I fell in love with the Lord. Once I made a connection with God He pulled me right out of my mess. The amazing thing is he brought my husband forward too. Making the true definition of the “Man” of the house. My momma always told me my people picker was broken. From the friends I chose to the men I gave myself to. Each relationship was corrupt and shameful to God. I was attracted to mess and drama. So mess and drama and drama was continually produced in my life. Through the storm, God gave me a chance after chance. The breaking point was I was 16 facing a felony after being involved with a boy who committed a murder. I was so messed up in the head and helped hide from the police. I had fell right into the rap of the enemy. My entire life was in Jeopardy. No college, job, career, dignity. The Devil tried to rip me of everything making me out to be someone I was not. But thank God-he had a plan .e had a greater purpose-And it was going to come to past regardless of the enemy’s tactics. I have God to thank for my life today –Bringing me out of the darkness and showing me the Light! Creating me to be a successful-God fearing woman I am today. I am a teacher, mother, wife, songwriter, and poet, beautiful, bright and full of faith I am a leader. I am the light.


Tonisha
Hey my name is Tonisha, a 16-year-old beautiful young lady. I have gone most of my life feeling unloved, ugly stupid, and every other bad, insult. Always feeling like my family didn’t ever wanted me, I began suicide attempts. I did everything from trying to hang myself, taking pills, to trying to jump out windows. So one day I got into trouble with my mom, but it was not at all my fault. So I began feeling she didn’t love me either I took AAA bottle of pain pills and went to sleep. The morning when I woke up I knew I was on this earth for a reason. God loves me, and you all too. I have living in the light in the light for four years now.


Miz Verna

I was born guilty, never innocent. Lifted out of the crib and molested, throughout my childhood, different faces, different places, always the victim to someone else's sickness. Why didn't someone see my pain, my confusion and rescue me? Why couldn't I use my voice to tell somebody? I was always guilty and assumed that noone would believe me...so I was the little girl who kept secrets. Dark places and people were my comfort zone.
Little did I know, I was not alone...Many strategically placed women, were touching me, shaping me, molding me, loving me into the strong, couageous, intelligent, charasmatic woman I am today...an overcomer, vistorious! I was born to make a positive difference in the lives of others...especially women. I was touched by evil, the enemy had me targeted for destruction, but through the loving and patient guidance of the mature and loving women placed in my life, It all worked together for my good and the good of others. I stand living in the light, holding the torch, striking the match that leads others to the light, to freedom and redemtion. I am strong, powerful, loving, full of grace...I am living in the light!

Wednesday 24 March 2010

Live in the Light Event

After months of preparation an out pour of the community the Live in the Light become reality on Sunday March 14th at Stephens College in Columbia MO. The women who came were from Ladies Night Out a bible study group led by Miz Verna Laboy-Harris. The Bible study is part of Living Large which is a program that is run through Love In the Name of Christ (Love Inc). The chapter was strated by Pat McMurry and Jane Williams and today offers the Living Large program which has a number of classes to help people in need from the First Impressions clothing closet to help people "dress for success" to partening classes and bible studies.
The event strated in fiery getting everything prepared the decor came at about and the volunteers scurried about trying to get everything reading. There were several stations from the clothing closet where the women could get help picking out an outfit, to the hair-nail salon and makeup station and the goal setting workshop.

Kimberly Nelson setting up the clothing closet.

Clothing Closet with pusres from the Purse Project


The room set up decor by Stephanie LaHue from My Secret Garden

The Purse Project

So here goes the story the purse project is an idea that I have had since i was 15 the idea behind it is to collect gently used purses and to gather supplies a women would need for an interview. And so with the idea I ran with it and used Stephens College as the vessel for the project. Stephens is a all women's college of about 750. The project started in late March and fifty or so purses later in Mid march before the Live in the Light event we were able to put the pieces together. The purses ready to be set up.

Everything to go in the purses from makeup to posted notes.

Putting it all together

Once all the purses were all done it was time us as womn to empower other women.


Writing notes of encourgement to finish off the purses.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

To Live is to be in Light


Live in the Light, is to be an outlet for women to share their story, a chance to get out of the darkness and to step into the light. The women who will share their story have a chance to share a piece of their soul. LOVE INC is an organization that helps peole learn life skills as well as spiritual development. Back in November I had a chance to attend my first Love INC Ladies Night Out led by "Miz Verna" aka Verna Harris-Laboy. This blog a chance to track this movement and draw attention. On February 6th a photo shoot took place to bring awareness to domestic violence. Live in the Light going from the darkness and shame associated with abuse to coming out to the light and getting away from the violence.