WSSN Stories

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Harboring unforgiveness in your heart. Don’t you know the Bible says, “If you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you?” You don’t want to put yourself in the position of God not forgiving you just because you are too prideful to forgive someone else. That’s a dangerous place to be in, and it’s not worth it. Let it go! I tell you, you cannot afford to hold on to an unforgiving spirit. Harboring unforgiveness is like getting bit by a rattlesnake. It releases a poison to the soul. It will eat you up from the inside out.  It will destroy you like a growing cancer and worst of all it will make it impossible for you to live a victorious Christian life. Let it go, forgive, and move on! If you don’t, you are in Sin. It is that simple!

If I can get one point across to you today let it be this, “Forgive… and Set YOURSELF Free!” Release the hatred, bitterness and resentment. You may not feel like forgiving, but do it anyway for it is in your own best interest to forgive. You are the one who God is trying to protect. You are the one who receive the most benefit from forgiveness, not the other person. When you forgive others there is a freedom where you are no longer shackled by your own anger. Decide today that you are not going to go through another year plagued by the curse of a bitter spirit that robs you of your peace, robs you of your joy, and robs you of your power. It need not be anymore! Even though it goes against every fiber of your being! Even though every pore of your body screams, “No, I can’t, you don’t understand!” Even though you want the other person to know the pain they inflicted on you, I will say to you as [Booker T. Washington] said, “… Let no man make you lower yourself by hating him.” Extend to them what God has extended to you, forgiveness. Besides, there is no caveat that says to forgive only when the other person deserves it or to forgive if they ask for forgiveness. God has been very clear about forgiveness. He has given us specific direction in numerous Scriptures, all of which can be summed up in just one word — Forgive! [Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37] Now if you think you have been wronged so badly that you can’t forgive, I want you to consider Jesus’ own story.

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, after being abused, spat upon, beaten, and mocked, He cried out: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [Luke 23:34] This passage is an example of the beauty and wonder of forgiveness. It may have been a parent, an ex-spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, a sibling, a friend, a relative, or perhaps a stranger. It may have been a hurt that came from some violent or reckless act. It may have been something that somebody should have done, but didn’t. It may have been something that took place over many years. Either way, forgiveness is not an option. All of us have been hurt by people. Sometimes they hurt us on purpose. Other times, people can hurt us when it’s not intentional. The point is that we have been given a command, and the command is to forgive. You have to be very purposeful in forgiving. Ask God to show you how to forgive anyone you may be holding unforgiveness against. It’s not going to be easy, but the rewards are so worth it!  “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

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RIVERSIDE, CA- The Fair Housing Council of Riverside was the site of holiday joy and the spirit of giving on Tuesday, November 22, 2016.  The Riverside Alumni Chapter (RAC) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and members of its Kappa League Youth Program collaborated with the Council, community volunteers and local charitable organizations to provide turkeys, canned goods, clothing, socks, shoes and toys to families in need.
Over 400 families were served with the help of community partners, which included the Silhouettes of RAC Kappa Alpha Psi, Theta Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., the Pi Rho Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Martin Luther King High School Black Student Union.
On the heels of its successful turkey giveaway, the Fraternity is in the midst of finalizing the details of its upcoming Shop with a Kappa event, which is its annual toy distribution to Riverside children.
“Every year we look forward to shopping with the children and their families, because it allows Kappa to impact the children in a meaningful and memorable way”, says Polemarch Demarius Carmichael.   Walmart Stores has partnered with the Fraternity to host the annual shopping spree, which will take place on Sunday, December 18, 2016. Participants are referred by the Fair Housing Council and other charitable organizations based on need.

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Pretending to love the Lord! This is a clear reminder that you never know the true condition of the hearts of those around you. Just like the other disciples they never did figure out that Judas was a traitor until after he had betrayed Jesus. They always assumed that he was one of them… Keeping a low profile and camouflaging his hypocrisy. Well, “Undercover Brother” I want you to know that, “You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time,” and you can NEVER fool God! Jesus has warned us to examine our motivation for our good deeds and in [Matthews 7:13-28] along the same lines, He warns us that when we “hear” His words we had better respond, and respond GENUINELY. Superficiality doesn’t do us any good, and it doesn’t fool God. Genuine discipleship, however, is a gift from God to help us. But naw, we think we are so smart, we think we are able to pull a fast one on God. Well you better think again! Adam and Eve tried it to their sorrow [Genesis 2: 15-17; 3: 6, 24]. Believing the devil’s lie, they sneered at and scorned God’s law, but not with impunity. They deluded themselves, thinking they could set aside God’s law and all would be well, but the consequences surely followed and they were driven out of the garden and death came upon man. In [Joshua chapter 7] the man named Achan thought he could fool God. He concealed his sin from others but God was not fooled [READ Joshua 6: 18-19; 7: 1, 11, 20-21]. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, tried to gain personal profit by lying but God was not fooled [See 2 Kings.5: 15-16, 20-27]. The prophet Jonah tried to run and hide from God but God was not fooled [Jonah 1: 1-3, 17]. Ananias and Sapphira tried to fool God by their lies in [Acts 5] but, the seed of lies produced the awful harvest and cost them their lives. Are you sure you want to go down this road?

You know in the Book of [Mark chapter 14 verses 10-11] it deals with a man named Judas Iscariot; a man who is without a doubt, the most notorious and most vilified of all the disciples. Every time he is mentioned in the Bible, the Word of God reminds us that he is a traitor who betrayed Jesus to His death. Judas was a failure as a disciple. Even though he was exposed to the same teaching the others heard. Even though he saw the same miracles and was involved in the same ministries. Yet, Judas never came to saving faith in Jesus Christ. He spent three years with Jesus and he died lost. While Judas was a failure as a disciple, he was the most successful hypocrite of all time. He played his part so well that no one but Jesus Himself knew that Judas was a fraud and a pretender. He was as common and as ordinary as the rest of the disciples. He was so ordinary that he never stood out from the rest. He hid behind the camouflage of hypocrisy and no one but Jesus ever realized it. I wonder just who I am talking too…. Don’t be like Judas… the man who kissed the door of Heaven but went to Hell. Jesus picked him as an apostle but he went to Hell. He lived with Jesus for three years and still went to Hell. He watched Jesus walk on the water and still went to Hell. He listened to the Sermon on the Mount and still went to Hell. He ate with Jesus, talked with Jesus, walked with Jesus, and listened to Jesus day after day, month after month, year after year. He knew Jesus as well as one has ever known Jesus and still he went to Hell. And yet, none of the disciples suspected him. Even at the Last Supper, when Jesus identified Judas publicly, they still couldn’t figure it out.

I want you to know that I truly believe in the assurance of salvation through the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. I’m not in favor of constant introspection about whether or not you are a Christian. But there is a place for healthy self-examination in the Christian life. No one should take for granted his hope of Heaven. What happened with Judas could happen to any of us. The story of Judas is in the Bible for many reasons, not the least of which is that before we take anything for granted, we at least ask the question the other apostles asked that fateful night: “Lord, is it I?” It is my prayer that the Lord will use the lessons from this man’s life to cause us to look deep within our own souls; lest we also be found to be great pretenders.

Claire Smith

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) congratulates member Claire Smith for being named the recipient of the 2017 J.G. Taylor Spink Award. The award is given out annually by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a journalist for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing.” Smith will be the first woman in the award’s 55-year history to receive this top honor.

“On behalf of the entire NABJ family, I congratulate my dear friend Claire for this tremendous honor. She is such an inspiration as she continues to knock down doors for women in sports journalism. She is to be commended not only for being a talented reporter, but also for being steadfast in fighting for equality and paving a way for those who will follow in her footsteps,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover.

Smith, 62, has written about sports for more than 30 years, for publications including the Philadelphia Bulletin, Hartford Courant, New York Times, and Philadelphia Inquirer. For more than 20 years, her beat was Major League Baseball. In July 2007, she went in a new direction and new industry when she joined ESPN as a news editor, working with the production teams on MLB game broadcasts. She is the author of the autobiography “Don Baylor – Nothing But The Truth: A Baseball Life.”

A trailblazer for women in sports media, Smith has fought for equal access during her entire career. She often refers to a defining moment that came in the 1984 National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres. She was physically removed by players from the Padres clubhouse after Game One. While the situation was eventually resolved, thanks to then-Baseball Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, it left scars for a number of years.

For sensational singer and actress Vanessa Williams and her gorgeous daughter, Lion Babe’s Jillian Hervey, fierceness runs in the family—but so does staying true to who you are at any age. In the cover story, Vanessa + Jillian, the stunning duo chat with Essence about being in the business, the sacredness of family and loving the skin you’re in. Plus, visit Essence.com to see a bonus solo cover for each star! Essence’s January 2017 issue hits newsstands this Friday.

“You have to go through the fire. Avoiding the pain is why most people never resolve it. You have to dig deep, sit in it and ugly-cry. Pretending it’s not there and keeping busy are a way of avoiding it,” Williams states.

“I never saw myself as always having that hair. Ever. That wasn’t the plan,” Hervey stated. “That was the label. They were like, ‘You need the hair, you need the hair, you need the hair!…” When the duo signed to Interscope Records, the label loved her video look so much that it insisted she wear it everywhere, even to radio interviews. Hervey, a self-described people pleaser didn’t have the heart to say no. “My hair was supposed to represent this freedom, and then it almost became a trap. You can’t even see my face sometimes because the wig is so big.” These days Hervey was found the strength to put her foot down and has the freedom to ‘transform,’ she says. That might mean donning braids or wearing her hair free and natural…”

By Lue Dowdy

Artist’s WORK ethic is what it do!! Trying to get something without puttin’ in work will leave you so far behind in the entertainment game. Understanding the value of pouring into yourself financially, along with networking, shows, recording, and self promoting on a consistent basis can only get you one step closer to your DREAM.

This week I would like to highlight RnB singer Yung Muusik for his non-stop hustle. This sexy and talented Cali artist understands in order to be relevant and make it in the music industry you GOTTA WERK. YUNG MUUSIK will be performing live on Saturday, December 9 in the City of Colton. Come check him out on stage. The night will be lit with dope performances by other talented artist as well, and red carpet interviews will be in full effect. The event will be hosted by the funnyman Kyru of EverythangNycce PRODUCTIONS. Until next week. L’zzz!

Publishers Commentary by Wallace J. Allen

Greetings and Merry Christmas! As we enter this season of holidays and goodwill, I encourage you to remember the importance and impact of where you spend and invest your money. Please, all of you, regardless of your race ethnicity or political persuasion, help balance America’s economic opportunity by supporting Black Owned Businesses (BOB) whenever possible. There are jobs that follow your spending and being that the Black unemployment rates are the highest, spending with BOB creates potential employment opportunities that otherwise do not exist for some Black males. There are several Directories of Black Owned businesses on the web. Google, “Black Owned Business Directory” and you will find a variety of directories.

As we ask your participation in supporting the economic wellness of America via supporting BOB, we will make it easier for you by highlighting businesses in the Inland Empire.

This week we are highlighting a familiar face and place. Most of us can find the time and appetite to patronize McDonalds. Yes you can support BOB by eating at certain McDonalds restaurants! The following list of McDonalds restaurants is owned and managed by Webb Family Enterprises.

Reginald Webb, the founder and patriarch of Webb family Enterprises will be my guest on this Sunday’s “Empire Talks Back” (ETB) radio show. Listen to the program at 10: 00 AM via 1050 AM in San Bernardino/Loma Linda, 102.3 FM in Riverside/Moreno Valley and 106.5 FM in Redlands/Yucaipa.

The program streams live video via www.kcaaradio.com

Lou Coleman

By Lou Coleman

Settling for “good enough” instead of for God’s best. What’s wrong with you? You got to know that sometimes ‘good enough’ just ain’t good enough.  There are sometimes and some situations when you should demand excellence and perfection. Considering all that God has done for you, in giving you life, creation, salvation, and forgiveness, “good enough” just doesn’t seem appropriate.  God gave you His best: His only begotten Son to die on the cross for you, so why would you settle for “good enough?”  

I tell you the Lord really impressed on me that the main reason we aren’t receiving His best is because we are willing to settle for less. Very few are committed to God’s best. Why? We have been influenced more by the world than by God and because of it Malcolm X said, “We’ve been bamboozled, hoodwinked, led astray.” Accepting far less than what God has provided. Slap yourself! The problem is you ain’t sick and tired of being sick and tired. Because when you sick and tired of being sick and tired you will aggressively pursue God’s best. You will have a holy dissatisfaction with mediocrity so you can experience all that God has for you. But I tell you, if you don’t pursue it, you won’t get it because it doesn’t happen accidentally or automatically. You have to reach a point where you won’t live with anything less than God’s best; an attitude that is missing in the lives of far too many Christians. The bar of expectations, even within the church, has been lowered. There is such a fear that someone might be disappointed and, therefore, condemned that many ministers have been teaching people to settle for less and avoid the disappointment. But I tell you, as Christians we ought to be walking in supernatural healing. We ought to be walking in financial prosperity. But most of us, however, are just as sick and broke as our unsaved neighbors. You will never receive God’s best until you become completely dissatisfied with second best—mediocrity. You may not initially consider it second best; but as time goes by you will begin to realize the blessings you threw away, and you will live with regret and inner turmoil. It has been said the minute you settle for less, you get even less than you settled for. Do not settle for a submission that has exceptions and a consecration that has holes in it.

Know that one of these days, you are going to stand before God. And when you do, you will know all things even as you are known [1 Cor. 13:12]. In an instant, you are going to know what you could have had while on this earth. You will understand that the same power that raised Christ from the dead was resident within you all along [Eph. 1:18-2]). You will discover that you didn’t have to be sick, that you didn’t have to live broke, and that you didn’t have to be depressed and discouraged. You will realize that love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance were living inside you the whole time [Gal. 5:22-23]. What you settling for less for? Good enough ain’t good enough!

Raquel Herring

Former Disney Mouseketeer, actress, and Christian Soul Artist, Raquel Herring, has decided to put a twist on to your traditional Christmas carols. As her manager Steven Wimberly stated, “It’s definitely not your Grandma’s Christmas carols,” but songs that you can rock out it to in every atmosphere.

Christmas All Over The World is a compilation of 4 of your favorite holiday songs and 1 original with an EDM, alternative twist. Raquel, who is normally not a fan of Christmas songs, decided to opt into the idea of doing this album after hearing a few samples of what Wimberly came up with. Plus, it’s not common for a Christian Artist to break out into the EDM world.

To complement and get people hyped and excited about Christmas, the first single “Christmas All Over the World,” released with the EP this past “Black Friday”, November 25. The single has that Popish, New Age feel that the new generation will fall in love with, but one that the Christian World and older generation will still want to “roq” out it too.

The concept and idea behind creating this unique EP was not only to increase Herring’s fanbase, but to give DJs something to spin during the festive season. Amping up to the debut of the Christmas All Over The World, Raquel released a few album samples, along with her favorite holiday activities to give everyone a little taste of what to look forward to.

To get your album, please visit www.raquelherring.com and be sure to follow her on all social networks. 

By Lue Dowdy

What It Do I.E. LUE PRODUCTIONS is LOOKING FOR THE NEXT B.B.W. QUEEN. IS IT YOU?

Register now for LUE Productions 2nd Annual BIG Beautiful WOMEN MODEL COMPETITION and FUNDRAISER! A night of Girl Power at its finest!

There will be special performances and more. This a great opportunity to gain exposure in the modeling industry. No experience needed. Must be 18 or older to participate.

The winner will receive a crown, sash, $500.00 cash prize, a radio interview, a feature in the Westside Story Newspaper, a photoshoot, hosting gigs, and speaking engagements.

For more information please text (909) 567-1000 or contact Deeveatva Foy at (909) 556-7637 or Freddie Washington at (714) 833-3196. Email us at Lue.info@yahoo.com.