This Family Got A New Home For Christmas! Hard Work Pays Off.

By Courtland Milloy

It was the day before Christmas, and all through the Johnson family’s new house, everybody was stirring.

 

Except a mouse — which did not come with the house, thankfully.

 

“We are so excited,” said Keianna Johnson, 33, a hairstylist.

 

She and husband Bryan, 34, a cable technician for Comcast, had been saving up for two years to buy a house. Last month, the couple and their five children moved out of a cramped three-bedroom, one-bath rental in Hyattsville and into a spacious four-bedroom, two-bath split level in Waldorf.

 

What a holiday gift to themselves. A commitment to hard work and financial discipline rewarded; a conviction that together they could accomplish what neither parent could do alone affirmed.

 

In this era of economic stagnation, when upward mobility cannot be assured no matter how hard you try, the Johnsons had clung to a belief in the American dream — and made a big piece of it come true. Buying a house was laying down roots.

 

“We’re making great memories for our children — the first Christmas in our new home,” Keianna said.

 

“I feel so proud,” Bryan said. “After work, it feels like I’m really coming home. To our home.”

 

The house has a large family room where the Johnsons will gather to watch their favorite holiday features, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “The Polar Express.”

 

The room even has a gas log fireplace. So, of course, stockings were hung by the chimney with care: for Raequan, 12; the twins, Aaron and Adrian, 9; Brooke, 5; and Brielle, 1.

 

Not huge stockings, though.

 

“We’ve already told the kids not to expect a lot of stuff,” Bryan said. “We’ve changed the way we manage our finances.”

 

That doesn’t mean the youngsters shouldn’t have visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

 

“They’ll get some gifts,” Keianna said. “They like coloring books. They can use some new hats and gloves, too. I guess we could fit an MP3 player inside a stocking.”

 

The house — that’s the real gift.

 

Brooke had already turned the family room into something of a concert hall, a place to showcase her talents on a toy xylophone. For Brielle, the room was perfect for hide-and-seek, with new nooks and crannies to explore on hands and knees.

 

Aaron and Adrian prefer running up and down the stairs.

 

Dad, on the other hand, says enough already with the commotion. But he’s not in the mood to play Grinch just yet. Maybe it’s because his wife so enjoys the sounds of all the kids’ laughter.

 

“When we were in the apartment, the children couldn’t make any noise — no loud laughter or running,” Keianna said. “We lived on top of another unit, and the people below could hear everything. The children couldn’t even be children.”

 

In the apartment, Raequan had to share a room with his younger brothers. He had longed for a room of his own. Now he has it.

 

“He really likes being able to say, ‘Get out of my room,’ ” Keianna said.

 

The new home has a yard where the kids can play. There is also a driveway and parking space on the street. (At their apartment complex, parking was so restrictive that it was a hassle for friends to visit them.)

 

The Johnsons got a good deal on the house — in no small part due to the bad deal that so many homeowners got when the housing market crashed. Home values plummeted. Suddenly, homeownership was in reach of many who had never even dreamed of buying a place of their own.

 

The Johnsons ended up paying half of what the house had sold for in 2007.

 

“We did not get the most expensive house that we could afford,” Bryan said. “We wanted a house that would give us more room but allow us to live comfortably whether the housing market went up or down.”

 

Then out on the lawn there arose such a clatter. It was the moving van. But it might as well have been Santa.

Originally printed on Washingtonpost.com 

 

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Ravens Wide Reciver Torrey Smith & Fiancee’ Make Rap Video To Encourage Kids To Study


By Team BLAM

Ravens wide receiver Torry Smith and his fiancee Chanel Williams want to make sure everyone is ready. Ready for what?

Students in the state of Maryland are preparing for some important exams this week. They made a video. Williams teaches fourth-grade at Dogwood Elementary in Baltimore County. We love her creativity and willingness to include her fiancee’ in the video to get her students motivated.

The MSAs or Maryland School Assessment tests are given to children in grades 3 through 8 to test reading and math levels.

 The video has already gotten more than 20,000 hits on YouTube.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

WORTH THE WAIT: ARMOND & NNEKA MOSLEY

By Audrey Dawson

The perk of featuring couples who have yielded their relationships to Christ is that it, in turn, encourages me. It’s not always easy “walking and waiting” but it’s definitely worth it. Oftentimes, even as Christians, we think that being intimate (having sex) before marriage is ok and have disregarded the command that sex is reserved for marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:1-4). Today’s couple gives us a great illustration of what it looks like to be obedient to God in remaining celibate until marriage, that it’s very “doable” –not in our own strength but through Christ–, and it’s worth the wait.

Meet Armond & Nneka Mosley.

Both: How important was it that you were friends before you were married?

[Armond] I believe it was very important because our friendship is what has been the foundation of our relationship. We’re pretty simple people and so, we just really enjoy hanging out with one another. Whether it be watching our favorite TV shows together, going to a movie or just sitting and discussing our dreams, we find so much satisfaction in the fact that we can do these things so effortlessly. Often times when friendship is lacking, these simple activities can become a cumbersome task. [Nneka] Being good friends for years before ever getting romantically involved and ultimately married was a great thing for us! It allowed us to truly get to know one another and develop a close bond as friends before either of us even looked at each other as more than friends.

Nneka: As women, some of us aren’t used to being in a relationship where there isn’t an expectation from the man to want sex. How did Armond being celibate make a difference in your relationship?
Initially, I had a hard time with readjusting my mind set and what I was used to in relationships. Small things like not sleeping in the same bed together took some getting used to for me. But overall, I’m really thankful that Armond was so strong on his stand of being celibate because it gave me an excellent example to follow. And both people really have to be on board for it to work.

Armond: How did you adjust to showing your wife affection in a non sexual way before you were married?
Great question. Well, for one, I had to be more intentional about doing “acts of service” and giving “gifts.” Nneka is big on both of them and I’ve never been good at giving either historically (still working on it too!). But, I had to make sure that I showed her by my actions that I loved her. Sometimes it would be something simple like washing her dishes, folding her clothes or cleaning her apartment. Other times it would be through a thoughtful sign of affection; flowers, gift card to favorite store and cooking for her. Aside from these things, I made sure that I used words to communicate how I felt about her. With sex/physical contact not being in play, I didn’t have the luxury of pulling the old “girl, you know how I feel about you” line that us men are accustomed to using…lol.

Both: Some women think it’s necessary or part of the relationship to give their body away before marriage. Armond, can you share, in your opinion, what that really signals to a man? Nneka, what would you say to a young lady who is giving her body away before marriage yet is still praying for the one?
[Armond]Well…let’s just be honest. That old saying “why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free” is true. While men will make it appear that they aren’t judging you because you gave it up, in the back of every man’s mind they would prefer you put up a fight. So, even in the secular sense, its never cool to “give it up” early in relationship. We, men, we’re built to WORK. So, ladies, at least make him work for it…if it comes easy, he’ll never have the same level of respect for you. It’s that simple. Now, that said, I’m a full proponent of waiting until marriage because to me, that is the right way to do it. Plus, it gives women the ultimate leverage. As the saying goes, “anything worth having is worth working for.” And men want to feel like they are rewarded for their hard work and thus, if you give in too soon, you’ll never get to see the level of hard work or effort that could have been. This usually plays out in his dragging out the time period before popping the question or getting lazy and no longer trying to woo you.

[Nneka]For most women, I think we often think sex is something we have to do to get & keep a man. While I know there are some women out there who may feel they are getting just as much out of it as the man, at the end of the day, I don’t believe women are generally built that way. Most women are doing any and everything they can to show a man why we ultimately would make a great wife. Instead of placing our complete trust in God to send us a mate, we take matters into our own hands. Compound that with the old saying we here so often… “Well if you aren’t doing it, there will always be someone who will.” Its constant things like that which encourages premarital sex. But if you aren’t doing it, and a man doesn’t want to deal with you because of that fact alone…its a good chance he isn’t the “one” anyway. I can only speak from personal experience and since I did engage in premarital sex myself, I can understand wanting to do the right thing but falling. So I would say to the young lady to place complete trust in God and His plan for her life. No matter how unrealistic it may seem that the Lord will actually bring you a man who is celibate…nothing is too BIG for God!!!

Both: What kind of support system did you have to help you in your walk?
[Armond] I had Nneka and two male friends who were really on board with the walk early on. They helped to hold me accountable each step of the way. They were key and because God was the basis of our friendship, they were not only able to hold me accountable, but they were also able to pour into me in those moments where I found myself discouraged. Additionally, they too had committed to the walk and I think that also served to be a key piece of our relationship and foundation for a support system. I had other friends too, but these three were really in the “trenches” with me and that was invaluable. Aside from “peers,” I also had a few ministers who served as mentors as well. Like my friends, they poured into me too, but they also stretched my faith and challenged me to grow deeper in Christ. [Nneka] I had Armond and a few of my other friends. I am fortunate to have God fearing, Christian friends who were very supportive during that time.

Both: What kind of support system did you have to help you in your walk?
[Armond] I had Nneka and two male friends who were really on board with the walk early on. They helped to hold me accountable each step of the way. They were key and because God was the basis of our friendship, they were not only able to hold me accountable, but they were also able to pour into me in those moments where I found myself discouraged. Additionally, they too had committed to the walk and I think that also served to be a key piece of our relationship and foundation for a support system. I had other friends too, but these three were really in the “trenches” with me and that was invaluable. Aside from “peers,” I also had a few ministers who served as mentors as well. Like my friends, they poured into me too, but they also stretched my faith and challenged me to grow deeper in Christ. [Nneka] I had Armond and a few of my other friends. I am fortunate to have God fearing, Christian friends who were very supportive during that time.

Nneka: What does the term “worth the wait” mean to you?
To me, the term worth the wait means a woman knows her value and recognizes that she doesn’t have to feel the need to have sex with a man before marriage to keep him. She she is worth waiting for.

Both: Can you share some helpful scriptures that helped you to remain celibate?
These are a few of key verses that helped us in our journey:
• Romans 12:1-2
• 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
• Romans 8:5-8
• 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
• Galatians 5:13-26
• Colossians 3:1-5
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Check out Armond’s site, Kingdom Workshops here and Nneka’s blog, Nneka Saran here


Audrey Dawson is an integral part of the Blackloveandmarriage.com writing team and the owner of Chronicles of a Future Wife, a Christian-based blog that often does features spotlighting single, Christian women and weddings. She is currently taking a break from her blog and will be contributing fabulous features of beautiful engaged and married couples who are defying the odds and rebuilding our community one commitment at a time.


Meet This Week’s Fabulous Couple Feature: Byron & Christina!!!

By Audrey Dawson

Meet Byron & Christina Jones. After talking with Christina in a prior interview, I wanted to know more about her story. I saw how God beautifully orchestrated she and her husband, Byron’s lives to bring them together. It was very apparent that He had a specific purpose for them in mind. I believe that is an important component to know when considering marriage. Read Byron and Christina’s story, see how God worked in their lives to prepare them for each other, and see what they believe God’s purpose is for them.

Byron & Christina Jones
Married: June 21, 2008
A helpful scripture they use: Ephesians 5:33

How did you know Christina was the one for you?

Byron: I knew that Christina was the one on our first “official” date. She just had a presence about her that was….different than the other women I had dated. She was quiet, and humble, and beautiful. And her spirit was infectious.

What made you say yes?

Christina: I said yes because a “yes” had been on my heart for a while. I had been praying about our relationship from the beginning, praying that God would show me if this was the man for me. I think I received my confirmation before Byron was even thinking about asking, lol!

You mentioned in your previous interview that you were going through a series of events that had you at a low point. Can you share what you were going through that had you at that point? How did wanting to know the love of God before wanting to know the love of a man, help you to know what real love was?

Christina: About 2 years before I met Byron, I was in a long term relationship that just kind of …dissolved, into nothing. By no means was it a good relationship, but when he got engaged and announced his fiance’s pregnancy VERY shortly after he broke up with me, I was a wreck. I placed zero value on myself, and on my body. I was giving myself to anyone who showed even the slightest interest, with no regard for my health or safety. It was a bit of a turning point for me when my best friend of 7 years came to me and said “Christina, I don’t like you very much right now. And I don’t think you like yourself either.” That statement hit me like a ton of bricks. It forced me to do some self reflection, and realize that I needed a breakthrough, in the worst way. That’s when I turned to God.

The happy family: Byron and Christina with their beautiful daugther, Isabella.

Seeking the love of God made me see the good in me, and I began to love myself again. It also helped me to see and feel that agape, unconditional love that is VERY neccesary for a relationship to work. It’s easy to (eros)love someone who is always “acting right”, in agreement with you, and faultless. But if you’re marrying someone who isn’t Jesus (perfect) there’s going to be a need for a stronger love, that can overcome those flaws, the unconditional love that I believe can only be gained through a relationship with God.

Were you thinking/praying about marriage before you met Christina?

Byron: I had actually been engaged before, we ended it about a year before I met Christina. Another engagement/marriage anytime soon was pretty much the last thing on my mind. But God laughs at our plans, right?

Your story stood out to me because I could see how God orchestrated the events in your life that brought you together. What purpose do you think God has for you as a couple?

Both: We hope that we can be an example of a healthy, happy, Godly marriage. Especially to our daughter, and future children. We want to show her what a healthy relationship looks like, and show her the value of keeping God in your marriage. Our desire is that because of what she sees in us, she won’t make some of the same mistakes we did, and in turn, pass that down to her children, and her children’s children. It only takes a ripple to start a wave, and we believe that God intends our marriage to be the ripple that can start a wave of unbroken families, and Christ-centered homes, for our generation.

Audrey Dawson is the owner of Chronicles of a Future Wife, a Christian-based blog that often does features spotlighting single, Christian women and weddings. She is currently taking a break from her blog and will be contributing fabulous features of beautiful engaged and married couples who are defying the odds and rebuilding our community one commitment at a time.