- Kimberley Guillemet
- Jan 1
― Adapted from quote by Rev. Phil Ware
We must stop viewing our fellow humans as enemies.
Much has transpired in the world since I last posted, including a national election. Understandably, people have strong feelings about the election and other issues at the center of American and international politics. However, those feelings should not cause us to assume that people who live and/or think differently than we do are our enemies. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity. That a person is registered with a different political party, lives in a different part of the country or is from a different ethnic group than ours, does not make them our enemy.
It may feel easier or safer to mentally place entire groups of people into generalized categories rather than to take the time to reach across the aisle and foster authentic relationships on an individualized basis, but it does not make it right.
You may feel as if animus toward a specific group is justified because a member of that group mistreated you, or someone you love, in the past. I disagree. We will never overcome evil by responding in kind. As the scriptures and countless wise men and women have said in various ways over the course of human history, “you cannot overcome evil with evil; you must overcome evil with good.”
I am myself no stranger to injustice and the impact of generational disenfranchisement and oppression. Difficult and hurtful events that transpire in our world at the hands of other humans can break our hearts and threaten to break our spirits. However, when we fight evil and unkindness with more evil and unkindness, no one wins. And don't be deceived, for even if it seems as though evil is prevailing for a season, know this: love always wins.
As we prepare our hearts and minds to turn the page to another year, let's resolve to be intentional about making our world better by using our talents, abilities and resources to lead with love.
- Kimberley Guillemet
- Jan 1
“A voice that can reach the stars.” -The Washington Post
Born in Piet Retief, Mpumalanga, South Africa, Pretty Yende, grew up in a close-knit family where singing was interwoven into the fabric of the familial culture. A timid child, Yende would reluctantly sing in church at the insistence of her grandmother.
One day at age 16, after seeing a British Airways television advertisement that featured the Flower Duet from Lakmé, Yende became intrigued by the sound of the singers’ voices. She went to her high school teacher the next day to ask what the sound could have been. “Opera,” he responded. Yende’s next question was, “‘Can human beings do it?’ because it didn’t sound like anything I’d known.” Her teacher answered by telling her she’d never sing like that. Yende insisted on being taught. At that moment, she knew what she would do with her life.
We are so glad that she did.
Today her career as an operatic coloratura soprano has taken her around the globe many times over and has earned her too many accolades and awards to name. Some of the most notable include the Mbokodo Award in the category of opera, the Best Recording Solo Recital Award in the International Opera Awards, the International Achiever Award in the 23rd South African Music Awards, the Readers' Award in the International Opera Awards, and the Cologne Opera Award. In 2023, she sang at King Charles III’s coronation in Westminster Abbey, further solidifying her elite standing in the opera world and making her the first black woman and first African citizen to sing at a British monarch’s coronation. An avid human rights activist, Yende has a passion for serving youth from the marginalized sections of society and to that end, has founded a youth foundation in South Africa.
This text is excerpted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Yende, https://prettyyende.com/biography/ and https://www.dorchestercollection.com/the-edit/pretty-yende-trailblazing-soprano.
To hear Yende’s amazing voice, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtdLk-78MUA, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar7HGBg5o3k, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvkMvmaYyfc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG5MujmmSnk.
- Kimberley Guillemet
- Jan 1
Dr. Anita Phillips, LCSW-C is a trauma therapist, life coach, spiritual teacher, and the author of the New York Times bestseller, The Garden Within. Widely recognized as a thought leader at the intersection of mental health, faith, and culture, Dr. Anita’s mental health advocacy work has reached hundreds of thousands and her podcast, In the Light with Dr. Anita, is transforming lives around the globe.
A New Jersey native, Dr. Anita is the daughter of Pastor David Graham and Evangelist Shirley Graham. She had early exposure to the importance of the intersection of mental health and faith as her older sister suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and addiction throughout her entire life. Dr. Anita writes, “I asked for divine revelation about mental illness that would change and save lives. I’m so grateful He granted my request. My sister’s illness broke me in too many ways to explain, but like the child who gave Jesus his tiny lunch to feed the masses, I put myself in the savior’s hands. I asked Him to make me an answer; to multiply my broken pieces for those starving for understanding and deliverance. Now, God is doing exactly that in ways I never imagined possible and I am deeply grateful.”
Dr. Anita holds degrees from the University of Maryland and the Regent University School of Psychology & Counseling, and she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She also serves as a fellow at Concordia University. Her dynamic voice has been heard from some of the largest faith platforms in the world. As a media personality she has been relied upon as an expert consultant by Tamron Hall, The Talk, Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, Red Table Talk, and the Today Show.
