Thanks

DEDICATION

I dedicate this book to a plethora of significant people who made deposits in my life either directly or indirectly.  this book have been coming to fruition for the past five or so years.  these poems, words of wisdom and inspiration goes out to each of you who God used me to encourage and heal thyself.

The title of this book was birth through conviction, change, restoration, healing, acceptance and love.

I would also like to dedicate this book to all abusers and those who have overcame abuse! It is heart wrenching to confess that you have been abused emotionally, physically, sexually, and verbally. I really send the warmest regards to the perpetrators because the Word of God informs us in Romans 8:28 that We know that ALL things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (NRSV)  I allowed you to have victory over my life NOW it is MY time to share my story so that all can be healed by my testimony.   I had a plethora of tests that I HAD to pass so that I can reach out to hurting children.  Title of this book, “To Produce Ripe Fruit Deal With the Root!” I began to enjoy nature and how things were made and inspiration came from writing through anything, anywords, any event….I was ALWAYS encouraged to encourage someone else.  I had a friend of mine that made me aware that GOD didn’t want me to share EVWERYTHING with EVERYONE because he was dealing with me but I didn’t want to look within me.  I have been a follower of the Oprah Winfrey Show since I was a lad and I bless God that I have had the honor of seeing her evolve into what she has become because NOW she gets it, its not about what others say about her but what she says about herself and for this I love me some Oprah Winfrey.

I have grown to love nature, and I found it thrilling that the Symbol for NO MORE storms would be the Rainbow.  I love the Palm Tree because no matter how turbulent the storms may be, it never loses its leaves or breaks; it may bend and sway but IT remains rooted and grounded.  my Palm and Rainbow are my personal promises God made unto me, he will never allow it to flood in my life which I interpret from I Corinthians 10: 13 that God will NOT put more on me than I can bear.

There have been a surmountable amount of people who have greatly and minusculey contributed to this whole woman I have evolved into.   Either directly or indirectly you have added and subtracted into my life and I pay homage to you on this page because it was our encounter that made the difference either if I liked it or disliked it, it was IT!  I would be NOT fair to mention my child who was the compass of this journey of dealing, mending, healing and passing on.  It was through a parenting class that was mandatory that I was forced to deal with those hidden demons.  I found it difficult to face but had to in order to deal and heal and produce ripe fruit ALL around me.

TO:  ELJ!  You’ve helped me beyond worlds could be penned:  You’ve read, listened, lovingly suggested, demonstrated, improved my life, and unconditionally loved when I was clueless on the word….I THOUGHT I KNEW BUT I DIDN’T KNOW IN TOTALITY UNTIL I MET YOU!  I was a NASTY person to you when we first met because  I didn’t know you, is it justifiable? HECK NO!  That NASTY person that approached you and treated you the way God would NOT have approved, to be perfectly honest was the birthing of the title of this book because the Love you Possess within realized it was something deeper and you chose to stick and stay and pray and continually love to enjoy THIS RIPE FRUIT! AND FOR THIS I THANK YOU!

TO:  New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church (Pastor Myron Taylor), Community Mission Church (Bishop Lemuel N. Moore), St. Paul Baptist Church (Rev. Dr. Obie Rush), First Bible Fellowship Apostolic Church (Dr. Levi King Sr.), Morning Star Missionary Baptist (Pastor Danny Hubbard), Mt. Sanai (Rev. Herman Watson), and Pilgrim Baptist ( Rev. Williams)!  I had to name these churches because it was these doors that I stood at and was never turned away for ANY reason.  Either if it was for food, keeping utilities on for my family, locating employment or THAT sermon dealing with THAT issue, or THAT speaker invited to your place of worship ministering to THAT dying place in my life…..I WAS NEVER REJECTED AND FOR THAT I PAY HOMAGE TO EACH OF YOU!  I

Bless God for each of your ministries.  I bless God that if and when I had a need, you never said either “you’re not on roll as a parishioner” or “you’ve not been faithful to this ministry” but instead your doors were and are continually open.

TO:  ALL of my educators, especially KJM, EDCS, DDCW, AMC, EAC, AND ALL THE OTHERS, AWM, BDP, MD, CE, CJN, DCK, LEL, PRM, EBM, EC, CW, MM, Dr. S.,  CR, GP, AL, EL!  You’ve taught me that education REALLY happens beyond the classroom walls.  It’s choosing to see perseverance; dedication, optimism, victory, and making it come to surface.  You all and others that I did NOT name have taught me things that I could have never learned in a book.  You taught me the importance of survival, and how to thrive.

TO: MR TTR, MASTER BDP, MISS TCR my IMMEDIATE FAM!  You see me when the world doesn’t and it’s that image that I at times don’t want to be with me but you stay, and teach me what continuity and unconditional REALLY is all about.  There have been a number of transitions and inconsistencies in my life and I bless God you stayed until I carved OUT my authentic destiny.  This has indeed been a roller coaster but I must say looking back on it, we’ve had more ups on this ride than downs…..YOU SEE HUN WHY I HAD SOOOOO MANY PENS IN THE BED????(SMILE!)  NEVER KNEW WHEN WORDS IN INSPIRATION WOULD COME!

TO: MOM & POPS!  Mom, thanks for being a survival and sticking around to teach me the art of mothering, loving unconditionally, cooking, cleaning, etc.  Pops, thanks for hanging in there when you could have fled the coop but you stuck around did your thing and raised to powerful African American men who have made their mark on this world.  They are compassionate but fierce, they are intelligent but appear to be ignorant, they are sharp men who exemplify manhood, fatherhood!  But out of the two, I chose the BEST MAN for my husband and father for my children. 

TO: MY SIBLINGS!  I bless God for the unity, growth, healing, acceptance, tolerance, rejection, and love we choose to show no matter what!

IN MEMORY OF:  MLBC, AMCW, MSWMW, GJW, DCW, RW, JNM, WAB, and all others who have gone on before but have shaped me into the woman I am becoming!