"The music of Maurette touched my life"
Sometimes God speaks to us when we least expect it…but we most need it. I had that experience today and felt like I needed to share it…actually SHOUT IT! Why I don’t know…but if my epiphany blesses someone, I’m willing to step out there…

The past few days have truly been amazing in my life. I’ve had some good business meetings, had the privilege of hosting a fundraiser for my friend David Paterson, the Governor of NY, helped raise $200,000 for Art for Life and hosted a lunch for the family of my guy at my home…making him proud. Sound like I had it "going on" right? WRONG…

I went out to pick up some crab for dinner tonight and I found myself experiencing a low moment. Nothing in particular happened…I just had a moment where I felt overwhelmed, inadequate and sad. Instead of celebrating my blessings; I started reviewing all the stuff in my life that I WASN’T happy with and got down on myself so intensely…that I started to cry…sitting in the car all alone.

Then God spoke to me…

A song came on the satellite radio just as the tears started to flow and I truly felt the presence of the holy spirit take over. Maurette Brown-Clark was singing "It ain’t over…until God says it’s over"…and I had to literally pull the car over and just PRAISE HIM!

Thank you Lord for reminding me that YOU are in control of ALL THINGS! The stuff that makes me feel good about myself is your gift to me…and the stuff that I have to struggle through is also a gift; because it makes me stronger.

I didn’t have a crisis of faith…because my faith is stronger than that…but I did forget that I am HIS child… and he promised to give me the DESIRES OF MY HEART! He reminded me…so I stopped and praised HIM.

I know people in the public eye don’t like to share that they have moments of fear, vulnerability and doubt…but I want you to know that we do…and those of us who believe in the omnipotence of God…go to our knees.

I don’t know WHAT the future holds…but I state with complete certainty that I know WHO holds my future and FAITH in his word will see me through. I have been blessed with so much…and I want to thank HIM publicly and share it with others. My heart is full tonight with praise for my gifts.

We all go through tough times at one time or another…but remember this… God brought the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt…but before they reached the promised land they had to be washed in the blood (go through the red sea), and then languish in the wilderness for 40 years.

What that says to me is that we don’t get the blessing without the struggle.

That is my testimony today…and I make a promise to God that it will be my daily testimony from now on.

Chicago police say a 17-year-old male and a juvenile have been charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with the shooting of two teens last week outside a prominent Catholic church.

Rashad Richardson and a 16-year-old male were each charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery with a handgun for the shooting outside St. Sabina Church last Friday, according to a report Monday.

The teens were scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday for the shootings, which drew condemnation from the violence plagued community, including some gang members.

St. Sabina was holding sports and activities program for youth Friday night when shots broke out around 6:30 p.m.

One of the teens was shot four times and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition. The other was listed in "stable" condition with a gunshot wound to his leg and released the next day.

The church’s senior pastor, Father Michael Pfleger, who ran to the teens after hearing the gunshots, has been rallying his church and the community to stand up against violence, which has claimed some 45 children over the past school year.

"A couple weekends ago, 11 people killed. 60 some shot in a weekend. Those are numbers like you have in Iraq or you have in Afghanistan," he said.

Though Pfleger has long been active in the battle against violence, Friday’s shooting appeared to be a breaking point as it reached an area that most regard as haven.

Pfleger told local radio station WBBM that even admitted gangbangers have expressed anger, with one telling him "You don’t touch St. Sabina. Everybody knows this is sacred ground in this community."

Pleger’s call for an end to the violence is resonating as far as Washington, where the priest has been urging congregants to write to in hopes that a summit on violence and guns will be organized.

"The stopping of the violence needs a comprehensive response not a band aid solution," the preacher wrote to his congregation Sunday.

"It’s time to demand the White House call a National Summit on Violence, but it’s also time for reach and every one of us to take ownership and responsibility for our houses, blocks and neighborhoods," he added. "We can stop this violence, we can save our children. So let’s do it now!"

Over the past decade, at least 2,600 children and teens have been killed each year by gunfire in the United States. In 2006, the year the latest national data was released by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, there were 3,022 violence-related firearm deaths reported among children under the age of 19.That comes out to about one child every 3 hours, eight children every day, and nearly 60 children every week.

The surge in sales of Michael Jackson’s music catalog continued Wednesday with the announcement that his recordings dominated the pop charts for the third consecutive week, and a source told The LA Times that more than 9 million of Jackson’s albums have been sold worldwide since his death June 25.

Nielsen SoundScan said Jackson’s albums sold 1.1 million copies over the last seven days and had combined to sell an impressive 2.3 million in the U.S. in the nearly three weeks since he died.

Sony Music, which controls the catalog of his solo adult recordings, declines as a policy to comment on sales issues, but a spokeswoman for the label did not dispute the accuracy of the 9-million figure provided by the source, who has knowledge of Jackson’s global album sales but is not authorized to speak on the matter. Jackson’s music has also topped the pop charts in countries including France, Germany, Australia and the U.K. during the same period.

The dramatic influx of income for the singer’s estate illustrates what’s at stake in the legal battle to name an executor for Jackson’s will.

This month, lawyers for the singer’s mother, Katherine Jackson, 79, filed court papers asking that she oversee his estate. Days later, two of Jackson’s longtime associates — entertainment attorney John Branca and veteran music industry executive John McClain — filed a will the performer signed in 2002 naming them executors. A hearing on the matter of an executor is scheduled for Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.

Although Jackson was about $400 million in debt to various financial institutions, people with knowledge of the singer’s business holdings say his assets outweigh his debt by at least $200 million — and those assets are only increasing with the tremendous record sales.

The multi-talented Michelle Williams will be one of the celebrity judges this season for Gospel Dream, the popular American Idol®- style talent show on the Gospel Music Channel.

Williams may be best known as a former member of the Grammy-award winning Destiny’s Child with Beyonce’ Knowles and Kelly Rowland. Since then she has made a name for herself in the Gospel genre winning awards as a solo artist with the success of her first CD ‘Heart To Yours,’ the best selling Gospel album of 2002. She also is preparing for her debut in London in a run as Roxie Hart in a West End run of Chicago.

Williams joins Stellar Award winner J. Moss, and one of the music industry’s most respected executives, Mitchell Solarek. The show is co-hosted by Mike Kasem and Kimberly Locke, the first American Idol alumna to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard charts with a non-Idol single.

Thirty-seven contestants have been selected from thousands of people, 16-40 years old, from all genres of gospel/Christian musical styles, who auditioned. From that group 10 finalists will be chosen to vie for the grand prize, which includes record and music video exposure.

The fourth season of Gospel Dream can be seen Wednesday nights this summer at 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times.

An attorney for Michael Jackson’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe on Tuesday angrily denied a New York Post report that she had agreed to take millions of dollars to give up parental rights to her two children with the entertainer.

In a letter to the New York Post, attorney Eric George said that Rowe, who was married to Michael Jackson from 1996 to 1999 and is the mother of his two oldest children, "has not and will not" give up her parental rights, according to Reuters.

Nor will Rowe, whose attorneys have been in talks with lawyers for Michael Jackson’s parents, Katherine and Joe, take any money beyond the spousal support to which she and the singer agreed upon years ago, George’s letter states.

In a 2002 will signed by Michael Jackson, he said he had "intentionally omitted" to provide for Rowe.

The New York Post reported Tuesday that Rowe had agreed to take about $4 million to give up her parental rights to children Prince Michael Jr., 12, and Paris, 11.

George has asked the newspaper to publish a retraction. In a statement, New York Post editor in chief Col Allan said, "The Post stands by its story."

Katherine Jackson, 79, was granted temporary guardianship of her son’s three children on June 29, only days after the "Thriller" singer died. George’s letter states that no agreement has been reached between Rowe and the Jacksons on custody or visitation.

Rowe in 2001 sought to give up parental rights to her children, but she later went to court to contest her waiver of those rights and it never went into effect. A custody hearing on Jackson’s three children is set for this coming Monday.

Two weeks after the death of her brother Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson is reportedly back in Atlanta to begin work on Tyler Perry’s "Why Did I Get Married, Too?"

       Malik Yoba, Jackson’s love interest in the original 2007 film, took to his audio blog Saturday while on location for the sequel, saying that Jackson was back on set.      

       "For those of you who are curious about the state of Ms. Jackson, all seems well," Yoba said, according to Radar Online. "She’s here at work and we’ve got a couple of serious scenes to shoot today."      

       Yoba also indicated that the cast will shoot for another week in Georgia, then head to the Bahamas for more filming.

Spartanburg, SC – July 15, 2009 – Denny’s [NASDAQ:  DENN], America’s largest full-service family restaurant chain, announced it will present a $100,000 check in celebration of the company’s dedication to diversity on July 16, 2009 at the NAACP Convention in New York. Denny’s will serve as the lead sponsor of the NAACP’s youth achievement programs, which will impact nearly 50,000 young people throughout the country. The donation is a reflection of Denny’s continued support of the NAACP’s commitment to help government and business leaders understand how people working together can ensure social justice and build a great nation for everyone.

"It is our honor to support the valuable mission of the NAACP and their continuing efforts to raise broad awareness of the value of a truly inclusive society," said Nelson Marchioli, Denny’s CEO. "At Denny’s we are committed to education and helping individuals from diverse backgrounds achieve academic success during their educational pursuits. We believe that education represents the path to a better life for all people and for all communities."

To compliment Denny’s dedication to building strong families, promoting community service and advancing educational opportunities, and continue the company’s support of youth achievement and school partnerships, the sponsorship will support significant NAACP youth achievement programs. They include ACT-SO, the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics, which inspires and encourages young people of African descent to pursue excellence in the arts, sciences, mathematics, humanities and entrepreneurship, and Back-to-School/Stay-in School, which provides students K-12 with academic and social support required to complete high school.

"Since its early days of transformation, Denny’s has become a model corporate citizen in advancing diversity and inclusiveness," said Dwight C. James, Executive Director of the NAACP’s South Carolina State Conference.  "Their commitment has aided our efforts to promote leadership and academic achievement for youth….across South Carolina."

Denny’s investment will help increase the impact of youth achievement programs by helping to promote and market the ACT-SO and Back to School/Stay in School programs in local markets and to assist in creating general awareness and recruitment of participants and volunteers.

"This generous donation will open up an array of opportunities to hundreds of young people," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP.  "We appreciate Denny’s confidence in us, and in the youth who will make the most of this opportunity."

"Denny’s and the NAACP’s relationship historically and presently is an example of how out of crises even adversaries can build a partnership.  Denny’s is now a model company that is able to address problems proactively and react swiftly," added Reverend Nelson B. Rivers, III, Vice President of Stakeholder Relations, NAACP.

Denny’s also served as the sponsor and presenter at ACT-SO’s awards ceremony during the NAACP Convention at the New York Hilton Hotel on July 12, 2009. As part of the ACT-SO initiative, talented young people from a wide array of disciplines throughout the country compete in nearly 200 local competitions in a yearlong enrichment program. The program provides a forum through which African American youth demonstrate academic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise, often gaining recognition reserved for entertainers and athletes.

To learn more about Denny’s Diversity Initiatives or Denny’s Corporation, please visit www.dennysdiversity.com or www.dennys.com.

About Denny’s 
Denny’s is America’s largest full-service family restaurant chain, with more than 1,500 locations. For more than 50 years, Denny’s has been serving up real breakfast 24/7. Home of the famous Grand Slam® breakfasts, Denny’s provides a variety of flavorful food and beverage choices. For more information on Denny’s, please visit www.dennys.com.

The son of late gospel singer Timothy Wright was installed as pastor of his late father’s New York City church during a service Sunday, according to the Associated Press.

       David Wright, 30, became leader of the Grace Tabernacle Christian Center Church of God in Christ. He had previously served as the Brooklyn church’s music minister.      

       Family spokesman Will Bogle says several musical groups participated in the installation, a poignant celebration for a congregation that has grappled repeatedly with loss in the last year.      

       The Rev. Timothy Wright died in April, nine months after being injured in a car crash near Loganton, Pa. The crash killed his wife and grandson as they returned from a Detroit conference.      

       Wright was known as the Godfather of Gospel. He received a 1994 Grammy nomination for his album "Come Thou Almighty King."

Grammy award winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams will provide the prayer breakfast entertainment at the 2009 conference of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The platinum selling artist will be accompanied by the Pine Forge Academy Choir from Pennsylvania.

     The 39th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) breakfast is scheduled from 7-10 a.m., on Saturday, September 26th at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown Washington, D.C. U.S. Reps. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania and Yvette D. Clarke of New York will serve as honorary co-chairs of the week-long event.

     The platinum selling Adams most recently started her own radio show, Yolanda Adams In the Morning. It airs on urban gospel stations around the country. The Pine Forge Academy Choir, based near Philadelphia, is made up young men and women from ages 13 through 18. Currently on tour, the choir is known for its harmonious spirituals and anthems.

     Forums on education, health care and economic development will top the list of forums where more than 18,000 politicians, industry leaders and everyday Americans are expected to attend. This year’s theme is Reinvest…Rebuild…Renew.

     More information on ALC is available at http://www.cbcfinc.org.

Jamaal “Mali Music” Pollard is truth in music! The Savannah based singer, songwriter, producer is breaking out of the conventional gospel music.  Mali Music began playing piano at age 5 and wrote his first song at age 8 and has been actively pursuing his music ministry and career ever since adding acoustic guitar and electric bass to his instrumental proficiency.  Mali Music’s love for music is largely influenced by legendary artist Sam Cooke and Otis Redding.  Mali Music’s sound is heavily inspired by the work of music geniuses Bilal and D’Angelo…free, boundless and uninhibited.

Along with being a phenomenal singer and songwriter, Mali Music is an accomplished producer.  He has production and vocal credits on recent projects Gumbo Red (Dedicated Music Group) and Nayshon Shaka from label mate Laura Wilson.  Mali Music scored the soundtrack for the Savannah College of Art and Design film Linked and has scored two gospel stage plays, Urban Resurrection (2005) and Zion’s March (2006).  Consequently birthing his production company Mali Music Note Productions and 2008 marked the launch of his independent label SoundWalk Music Group, under the management of OvaFlo Entertainment.

The national release of his acclaimed debut album, The 2econd Coming, (Dedicated Music Group/Universal Music Christian Group) is not only anticipated, it’s being hailed as a landmark release in gospel music. The infinite boundaries The 2econd Coming presents throughout Contemporary Christian and Gospel music have the industry buzzing and consumers eager to get their hands on this eclectic masterpiece and experience the freedom in this young man’s music.

The 2econd Coming In Stores July 14

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