Honor Me in Red

On Saturday, February 3rd I celebrate my 34th birthday. Those of you who know me know that this day is more than special to me, because seven years ago my doctors gave me two years to live. I was diagnosed with post partum heartfailure (peripartum cardiomyopathy.) Back then my heart function was 5% a normal heart. Today it is 40-45%. I thank God for blessing me with this chronic disease. It has helped me slow down, enjoy my daughter, Selah, and write more. No longer an architect, and not yet a published novelist I am a writer. And I'm thankful. In honor of God and all the women who live with heart disease, who have passed with the disease(I've had two younger cousins pass from the same disease, as well as my grandmother(daddy's mom,) please wear red today. Or purchase a wear red pin this month and wear it.

If you live in Atlanta, hit me up. I'm planning a wear red day event, chocolate tasting party.

Love y'all. Keep writing and loving.

Dee

Colorblinding Christianity

Time has an interesting article about the Obama brouhaha that has went on this week. Honestly, I don't see this event as newsworthy. I think it is a ploy to divide African-American voters. But I am interested in the question--"What does it mean to be Black?" Outside of having fifth generation West African ancestry, great grandparents who lived through Jim Crowism, grandparents march to Selma, and parents intergrate the last white school. What does it mean to be Black now? Is it definable for anyone to write about now? Is this ethnic enclave safe to read now?

This month Christian Fiction will look at books written by both white and black authors, who all have themes relating to bridging the racial gap in worship. If you want to be a part of this reading discussion. Here is the book list. You do not have to read them all or any. Discussion starts one week from today:

1. Athol Dickson's River Rising
2. Sharon Ewell Foster's Abraham's Well
3. Tracey Bateman's Freedom of the Soul
4. Marilynn Griffith's Tangerine
5. Claudia Burney's Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Mana
6. Louise M. Gouge's Then Came Faith
7. Annie Jones' The Sisterhood Of The Queen Mamas (Steeple Hill Cafe)
8. Mary Demuth's Wishing on Dandelions
9. Herman Melville's Billy Bud
10. Dee Stewart's Straddling the Fence