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August 3rd, 2011
08:00 AM ET
My Take: How I turned 'misery to ministry'By Jacquie Hood Martin, Special to CNN Editor’s note: Jacquie Hood Martin is Chief Spiritual Officer for Jacquie Hood Ministries and author of “Fulfilled, The Art and Joy of Balanced Living.” She is married to CNN contributor Roland Martin. The CNN Red Chair Interview weekly franchise strives to look at people’s past to see what made them who they are today. We also want to know their biggest pivotal and “aha” moments in their lives. (CNN) – It’s true what they say, that hindsight is 20-20. Looking back provides me with the clarity and ability to address the many things that have happened in my life. Many people will say there are no bad experiences, that it’s our perspective on the things that happen in our lives that cause us to label them good or bad. I believe that is an improper analysis. I have been able to find the silver lining in all the things that have happened to me, but only because the love I know the Lord has for me lets me be in God’s grace and keeps me well adjusted. I grew up initially in a single parent home where my mother and I were raised by her grandmother. God’s favor allowed my mother to meet a man who married her and her 2-year-old daughter. Yes, it was a package deal. My first sibling, a sister, was born when I was 8. A second sister arrived when I was 10. We became a party of five who lived the American dream. My parents owned a car and a home and were both employed. We even had pets: a dog, cat and a turtle. I include this because I marvel at people who say this kind of life did not exist for African-Americans before the Huxtables. I was born in 1965, and by 1975 things were looking pretty good. In 1976, as a fifth grader, I had my first experience with personal tragedy. A teenage boy abducted me, held me against my will and tried to sexually assault me. Many things go through a tween girl’s mind after such an encounter. It has a way of shaping your outlook on men and relationships, as well as a yearning to give back to the community so you can save someone else’s child - even if you were unable to save yourself. I kept this to myself until the summer of 1992. I was preparing for the ministry, and the process of purging my past allowed me to reveal to my mother what happened that horrible day in fifth grade. I have since taken the opportunity, as some would say, to turn my “misery into a ministry.” Whether on radio or television, in columns or books, I find comfort in knowing that whatever I have experienced can help others live again. During my time in the Red Chair, I grew even more as a woman, a leader, a Christian, a wife and a writer. The Red Chair interview has provided me with greater clarity on my life’s purpose, and how I have been able to balance my life without losing faith in myself and in others. In my column for Hope for Women magazine, I share in detail “How to Heal After the Reveal.” There will be moments in every person’s life where they will wake up from their nightmare, stupor, stupidity, trauma, haze, or whatever self-induced coma-like state they find themselves in. And I hope my words, my ‘Red Chair’ moment, can help bring them back to sanity and safety among the rest of the human race. Next week in CNN's Red Chair: TLC’s “The Little Couple,” Jen Arnold and Bill Klein |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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A 9MM bullet to the head in '92 was the 'aha' moment of my life and eventually birthing Seeds of Love Ministry based outside of Atlanta Ga. See http://seedsoflove.net for details & seedsofloveministry.wordpress.com for blog.
Ya'll are from the pitchfork place! None of you know anything about "Fractal Cosmologic Relatives" or "Fractal Cosmology". If you did, you would ponder the possibilities of our Bodies as is proclaimed Biblically as being Holy Temples wherein the Gods and Goddesses do dwell! Fractal Cosmology theorists are rudimentally on the right track, BUT, alas are doomed bt irrationality's hardened nucleotides escaping their mainframed malfunctions of verboseness! Our Bodies consist of Cellular Structures wherein are Atomic sub-stellar nebulas much like those seen by astronomers in our earth's night-time. The Problem many scientific athletes of mathematics cannot or dare not undserstand is "What's on the Inside is being replicated on the outside." Ya'll are sedintareites of hypocromite's hardness of namelessness!
This was an amazing piece. I loved it. Her story is very touching.
@ Bonita, did write On August 4, 2011 at 3:19 am; "Horrible things can happen in childhood. I had my own blissful moments and nightmares. Knowing Jesus, studying the Bible, having a clear purpose always, reading on Holocaust and on North Korean Christians and desires to excel from early years made me extremely tough facing stress and tragedies and bullies, I can see. Pains deepen our lives, if we let them. In God tragedies turn into understanding of truth and into victories."
It is so very true Bonita that "Everyone's" childhood and teenaged upbringing is a mangling mess of forlorness; Unworthy of being a steadfast memory of inclusion upon one's adulthood years. Keep your head on strong and continue reading the Gospel with fond retributions for seeing the Light of Christ Jesus' Truth and Ways! May your ongoing days always be in clearness of mind. Facing the stress and tradgedies and bullies of one's Life can only be won with the Lighted Way of Christ's teachings. His Word is the Truth of how one should live a more righteous living. Pain may deepen one our lives but what purpose is their in digging such a ditch? "Climb out of your deepenings!" I say to you Bonita.May the King of all the Gods, Christ Jesus be always with you Bonita and also all of your family!
You are an inspiration!
All the best with your ministry and your care for the many that are hurting.
May God bless you and the ministry.
You who are the Atheisms' ancestory Trees of condemnation and likewise those whose Trees of Religiosophies are not yet fruitioned in the Fullnesses; Beware you who blatantly and with malice do make condemnation upon others' who attempt to write with a righteous mindest here in CNN's Blogs! I will be searching you out and I will Like a Lion, devour uour words and eat them, spitting out the bones of your thoughtlessness and wickedries and vilenesses! Behold, I stand as a watchtower overlooks the Lands and gives Light to those lost or those in the waters seeking to escape from their boat running into the rocks! For The King of all Gods is Christ Jesus and I shall be as His Voice within these Worded Chasms of webbed spaces that are Free to all to have a written voice of freedom to declare themselves with due diligences one's righteousness and froelornments. Know full well that your Gods; Whom are within your templed bodies can no longer be the One's who rule with impunities and subvesionalism! Thus sayith I the LORD of Hosts in the namesake of Curist Jesus, the King of all Gods who rules with impunity His Heaven of heavens!
AHAHAAH Hey Richard S. Kaiser!
Found a new handle have you? Neato, I look forward to having some debates with you, or rather me giving you logical, well reasoned arguements and you with horrific grammar and bible quotes. Should be fun!
It's Lambzilla - yikes!
I find goodhearted debating a sound reason for written/verbal Word to Heighten One's character above their infirmaties.
@ John Richardson wrote; "Christians "know" their faith is true because some authority figure or figures in their lives told them it was. The don't so much believe in the infallibility of god, but in the infallibility of certain authority figures in the locally predominant sect. It's quite pathetic." On August 3, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Such a response is a fund-a-medic proposal in apatheism's declaring the vainness/vanity of liberlisms' deceptiveness. Christendom is wrought full of many religious diversisms that may endure till the world fries from either the sun expanding or the galactic elements sending a great burst of gamma radiation to destroy half of this world's facing such a catastrophic thing!
My Christian Belief is based upon my Life's Past and does in no way, shape or form come from Chruched based Fundamentalists whom I find as being hypocritical manajeries bent on keeping their family made wealth thru religious declarations of the wealthy to come he-ll or high waters keep their wealth despite what Christ's teachings do so advise against!
American Christians, I strongly suggest you to read on the persecuted Christians around the world, both past and present. It's depressing, but it strengthens us beyond our imaginations and gives us right perspectives on everything. (Hebrews 11) One comes to understand the meaning of the Cross, the depth of human life and the size of the universe when he literally has to give up everything(his life) for Jesus.
AMerican athiests, I suggest you begin persecuting Christians here, as they have persecuted you for centuries.
We have this bogus God on the ropes, and it is time to deal the killing blow!
@ Bonita
1 Kings 20:1 and Isaiah 38:1, "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live."
Should not Any Nation, country or State in these Times also beware such thought? Should not even families do the same and get their family syructure set to be the rudiments of non-sedimentarianism being like but ashland's of dirt not worthy a second glimpse by those who see with disdainment?
@ William Demuth
Whta kind of sh-it-icism your declaratively prothelized nanny-like animosities and/or papas'-child ambiguosities are you in the wee hours fo the a.m. so doing? What has your a.m. stupor wrought you upon this Blog-O-sphere? Of GOD and By God we became godly men! Your godly manhood is pure wickedry and wreaks so of vileness!
Horrible things can happen in childhood. I had my own blissful moments and nightmares. Knowing Jesus, studying the Bible, having a clear purpose always, reading on Holocaust and on North Korean Christians and desires to excel from early years made me extremely tough facing stress and tragedies and bullies, I can see. Pains deepen our lives, if we let them. In God tragedies turn into understanding of truth and into victories.
Thank God for tragedies?
What a sick concept!
Christianity always overcome anything. Christianity is the only good thing on the Planet Earth.
Misery vs Ministry. I don't which is worse.
denmark?
there can be no spiffy
spiffy does not exist
r u sayin spiffy is in denmark now?
i am saying it is virtually impossible for there to be a spiffy.
Christians "know" their faith is true because some authority figure or figures in their lives told them it was. The don't so much believe in the infallibility of god, but in the infallibility of certain authority figures in the locally predominant sect. It's quite pathetic.
May I ask thee what alternative to Christ do you propose O enlightened one!
I tend to think that your religion is really only based on where you happen to live. If you live in Iran you will probably be a Muslim. If you live in India you will probably be a Hindu. If you live in Denmark you will probably be an Atheist. If you live in the U.S you will probably be a Christian etc...
what, try reality as an alternative, be careful though, you might learn something.
@what
You Said to @John Richardson: " May I ask thee what alternative to Christ do you propose O enlightened one! "
-John R. can come back and respond, however, I'm willing to bet that one of the things that he would suggest is which you seemed to have totally missed given your posting is... to friggin 'think' about your unquestioned beliefs and assumptions that you have regarding your religious beliefs that have been passed on to you from other people.
Regards,
Peace...
@JohnQ
what reality are we talkin about???? reality is as abstract as it can be in the mind of the beliver, thank you for the alternative proposed. Just makes my case stronger for my belief in the One true God.
Case dismissed...next...
@everyone else...looks like no one can provide any reason as to why one should not worship Christ...since there is no argument against.
Case closed.
Christ is Lord indeed!!!!!!
@what
That's adorable. So you asked for an alternative to the Jesus, which by the way there are literally 1000's of alternatives. The best being, you know living in the present and working with your environment and surroundings, or reality as JohnQuest puts it. Then again you think reality is "reality is as abstract as it can be in the mind of the beliver", might I reccomend jumping off a cliff. If reality is so abstract, or better yet if your lord is so powerful, something might happen to save you. Give a whirl, see how it works out for you, though you might find reality is a little more concrete than you expected.
Then again it sounds like you have all the answers to the universe, so enlighten us einstein, why is god such a di*ck?