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Faith and Fiction Retreat 2010
By: ellis j. still
On June 18 thru 19, 2010, Christian fiction authors, publishers, book enthusiasts, and myself will descend upon the city of Atlanta, GA for the annual Faith and Fiction retreat. I first heard about the retreat last year, which was held in Orlando Florida. Ironically enough, my wife and I missed it by a few weeks, having stayed 17 miles away in Kissimmee, Florida for a week for our wedding anniversary at Disney. Since then, I have looked forward to attending this year’s event (ask my wife) not just for the potential networking and advantages for the store, but to be in a warm atmosphere and meet some of the people in person that I have only had the opportunity to correspond with online.
Christian fiction is an important part of literature. It is a creative way of witnessing the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the bible, Jesus often spoke and taught through parables to make a point, which is also the essence of Christian fiction. There is much dialog about what could or should be considered “Christian” due to some of the hard topics that the genre’s writers take on. However, Jesus never shied away from real life issues that people deal with every day. Sometimes you have to meet people where they are at in order to win them over. Paul writes to the church:
“Even though I am free of the demands and expectations of everyone, I have voluntarily become a servant to any and all in order to reach a wide range of people: religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it! (1 Corinthians 9:20-21 Msg.)”
We as Christians cannot sink our heads in the sand when things are uncomfortable for us. We are called to be a light for the world, and therefore, I support Christian fiction wholeheartedly.
Question: Will I see you in Atlanta? For more information and pricing, visit http://faithandfictionretreat.com/
© 2010, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Images taken from: http://faithandfictionretreat.com/
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
_______________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe. Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification emails. Thanks!!!
ellis
Las Vegas: A Nice Weekend Getaway
By: ellis j. still
My wife and I just came back from a mini vacation in Las Vegas this past weekend. It was part of a family thing, where a bunch of family members met at Vegas to honor Tina’s uncle by blessing him with money to do what ever he wanted with it (he decided to put the majority of it in the bank instead of gambling it away). This was my first time to the city, my wife’s fifth. She goes quite often for her company for conferences and the like. I, myself, did not see what the big deal was… think that it was just an assemblage of hotels with casinos in them. Neither of us gambles, so I really did not expect much.
I was pleasantly surprised. The entire strip is an assemblage of novelty resort hotels… a multitude of focal points. Every hotel had a specific theme to it, with matching architecture. Everything from resorts shaped like an Egyptian pyramid, Paris – complete with a miniature Eiffel tower, New York – which was encompassed by a roller coaster that you can ride, a family oriented hotel which had circus acts 24 hours a day, and many many other resort attractions.
If you do not feel like walking, there’s a monorail that can take you close to your destination along the strip. However, the monorail system is broken up into two systems that does not include stops near many of the major destination areas. If you are pressed for time or have a disability related to walking, it is good to do your research ahead of time before riding. Also, the airport is directly adjacent from the strip, yet Tina and I had challenges getting to our hotel once we landed. It would be good if they extended the monorail system to include the airport, which would make it a lot easier on travelers. Lastly, there is a bus system in the area, but the bus stops lack signage or any other indicator as to which bus would take you where.
At nighttime, Las Vegas takes in an entirely new personality. The lighting designs are spectacular with every resort hotel, with some that have beams of light that shoots up into the stars. There are public light and water shows, and sidewalks are designed for couples taking a romantic stroll on a star lit evening. Tina and I also went on a timeshare presentation, so we were able to hook all of our family members up with half priced tickets to dinner, and on our final day we ate for free at a reeeely expensive restaurant in Paris.
On the flip side, there are seedy activities that exist as well. Prostitution is legal in Las Vegas and like any city, they have their share of nightclubs and the like. However, you have to search these things out in order to partake in them… meaning that your mindset dictates what you choose to partake in. before going to Vegas, I thought that it was an evil place to go, but it really isn’t… it’s what you make of it, like anyplace or anything else.
Public transportation notwithstanding, overall we had a great experience. Tina and I did not come close to seeing everything we wanted to see, and we will definitely be back one day. This trip has inspired me, where my new goal in life as a designer and entrepreneur is to one day build a roller coaster in an inner city downtown center :- )
© 2010, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
____________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe. Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification emails. Thanks!!!
ellis
Tied To Greatness: Creating A Movement of Inspired Young Men
by ellis j. still
On February 20, 2010, I participated in what is part of a movement for young inner city men around the world called Tied To Greatness. Tied To greatness is the brainchild of custom clothier Alex Ellis, and is an outreach program that travels across the country and abroad, reaching inner city young men through the power of exciting entertainment, powerful dialogue, and support from celebrity guests and community leaders. Mr. Ellis has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine, has been a guest on the Steve Harvey Morning show as well as participated in Mr. Harvey’s summer youth programs, and Mr. Ellis has participated in the Disney Dreamers Academy in Disney, Florida among other things.
The program centered on inviting 300 young men and 300 adult men to a one-day mentoring experience where the adults show the young men how to tie a tie. Even through many of the young men have never owned, let alone tied a tie, the tie was not the purpose. The goal was to give young people an understanding that who they are on the inside should reflect in how they dress on the outside, and vice versa. There is nothing more frustrating than being profiled in a department store as a potential thief and you know that you are not a thief. But if you are dressed like and carry yourself as if you are a thief, you are more likely to be profiled. The reality is that people perceive and treat you based on your exterior self. Another reality is that the way you dress on the outside is also how you perceive yourself on the inside.
There also were periods of male bonding and camaraderie. Well known celebrities spoke and performed such as poet Othell Miller, EXTRA NY Correspondent AJ Calloway, branch manager of PNC Bank Wes Ifan, The Honorable Judge Dennis Nieves from the superior Court of New Jersey, a performance by tap dance performer, choreographer, and director Jason Samuels Smith from the Broadway play Bringing The Noise, Bringing the Funk, and a special presentation of Black Angels Over Tuskegee by Lamman Rucker & the Black Gents of Hollywood.
The mixture of speakers and performances captivated the audience, not because they were celebrities, but because they all had stories to tell. They all as black men had seen and lived through life’s adversities and was able to not only persevere, but to do exceedingly well by utilizing the gifts that God has given them. This program was important because it wasn’t just an assemblage of speakers talking at people, but a mentoring opportunity that engaged the young people’s minds.
The climax of the day was when the adult men were paired with young men, and were given a tie. Extra time was allowed for the two to get to know one another… a male bonding moment of sorts. The adult showed the youth how to tie the tie, had the youth practice a few times, and the tie was a gift to the young people. These were not cheap ties – these ties were quality material ties… ties that when one would look in the mirror, makes one think more about themselves, that they know that they are Tied To Greatness.
The same young men that were scowling and trying to be “hard” before the day started were now smiling with the assurance in knowing that as black men, there is much more to us than what people see on the outside, that what is on the inside must reflect what is on the outside, and vice versa. Many young men never see what success looks like… never even think about reaching for their dreams, if they had dreams to begin with. This program has opened many young people’s minds to what can be possible in their lives. They just have to believe. For more information on Tied To Greatness, visit their website at http://www.tiedtogreatness.org .
© 2010, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
______________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like what you read and you are not yet a Subscriber to my blog, why not subscribe now? All posts are original, there is no fixed schedule, so you would not have to check my blog regularly, and you will be receiving an authentic review of books, organizations and life experiences as a husband and entrepreneur. If you change your mind, it is easy to unsubscribe.
Once you sign up, visit your email inbox to verify your email address. Check your spam folder if you don’t receive any verification emails.
Thanks!!!
ellis
Top ten things to do when you are snowed in
by ellis j. still
This post is intended to take advantage of a snow day and to have a little fun. Between last night and today we got over two feet of snow. Needless to say, we didn’t go anywhere meaningful, except to take the family dog outside to play in the snow (I think I had more fun than the dog.
:- ) Here is my our family’s top ten things to do when you are snowed in:
10.) Catch up on work
9.) Watch movies & TV shows: we spent the day watching back to back reruns of One On One on BET
8.) Eat food: Leftovers from the night before
7.) Clean the house / Laundry: Not much to talk about there.
6.) Rearrange furniture: We have wood floors, which makes it easy.
5.) Look out the window & wonder why people are outside: You can barely see your hand in front of your face. Anywhere you are going at this point is closed, with the exception of Chinese restaurants.
4.) Sleep: Aahhhh… bliss…
3.) Play Wii: we don’t own a Wii, but I would imagine that it would be fun
2.) Procrastinate snow shoveling: everyone else’s sidewalk has been shoveled at least once. I’m no fool… I’m waiting until all of the snow has fallen
1.) Ask me again in nine months (*for married folk only :- )
What is on your list???
:- )
© 2010, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Universoul Circus
By: ellis j. still
About six years ago, I had my first visit to the Universoul Circus (http://www.universoulcircus.com/). I was a mentoring a young man at the time who was dealt a bad hand in life (for the purposes of this blog, I will call him Eric). I heard about the African American owned circus on the radio… that they were coming to the Newark, NJ area. I have heard good things about the show, but never experienced it myself and I wanted to support. Us as African Americans have a reputation for doing things haphazardly, so I didn’t expect a lot out of the show… it was just something to do. Boy was I wrong.
The show was awe-inspiring. The talent was great, and was accompanied with good music and amazing lighting. I would find out later that Eric had a great time, but he didn’t show it during the show. He had grown accustomed to not showing any signs of weakness to others, and appearing to have a good time, in his mind, was a sign of weakness. However, there was a point where his emotions lit up. There was a short skit the included the movie series “Roots” by Alex Haley, and Eric knew the script word for word. As it turns out, he watched the entire movie series of Roots many times over, and read the book as well. After the circus, he still had his bad days, and his good days, but he began to open up to me on a regular basis. This experience opened a door for higher levels of communication between us, and a higher lever of reflection and healing.
Since then, I have been a fan of Universoul Circus ever since. Tickets are inexpensive, and nowhere else can you find high quality entertainment in inner city communities that touches people’s lives. I have been known to borrow other people’s kids whenever the circus is in town, and when I met my wife, Tina, I would talk her into going. The last time Tina and I went, we bought tickets online through Ticketmaster, so we got seats up front. The ringmaster called us up into the ring to participate in this old school R&B lip-sinking competition. My Tina did her thing, but I bombed… I didn’t know the words to the song, so I had to fake it. It’s a popular song, but I am really bad with remembering lyrics. To this day, people walk up to me on the street or at church, joking and asking me if I had finally memorized the words to the song, and reminded me that I should have know them in the first place. :- )
I would imagine that it takes vision, perseverance, and faith to create an institution such as this, and I applaud Founder and CEO Cedric Walker for being persistent in creating something that is important to urban communities across the country. A personal delight of mine is that towards the end of every show, acknowledgement is given to the one who created us through song or in another creative art form. As a Christian, this is a part of the show that always touches my heart, and moves my spirit. Universoul Circus is fun for the entire family. My wife and I do not have any kids yet, but when we do, we look forward to taking them (and our grandkids in were lucky) to Universoul Circus!!!!
© 2010, Ellis J. Still. All rights reserved
Photographs and images © Universoul Circus. All rights reserved
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