Hi!

I ran across this in an article today, and it sincerely blessed me, placing comfort toward my somewhat fainted heart.  Reading this truly helped me to return to the course God has me traveling.  Please be encouraged, knowing that God has something great in store for you, when you obey Him! :)

DO IT ANYWAY!

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-This version is credited to Mother Teresa 

Black History Month

Black Actors - HISTORY:

Born January 16, 1906, in New York City, Ralph J. Cooper, started as a dancer, and became widely know as a prosperous actor/choreographer/band leader/writer/singer. Was named "The Dark Gable," after Clark Gable, due to his handsome, strong good looks, charm and wit. 

Cooper, with Lena Horne, from movie "The Duke Is Tops"

Amazingly too talented for Hollywood, would not accept stereotypical roles given to Blacks, so decided to make and star in films for Blacks. Choreographer of movie "Poor Little Rich Girl" starring Shirley Temple. Desired to make movies that portrayed gangsters and bad men just like James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart role-playing, and his movies became extremely popular in the Black community. One of his popular films was "The Duke Is Tops," starring with Lena Horne.

In 1933, he created the HARLEM AMATEUR HOUR radio show at Frank Schiffman's Lafayette Theater. The famous Apollo Theater, that was called Hurtig and Seamon's Burlesque during that time, was initially set up for burlesque entertainment, allowing Blacks to perform but could not sit in the audience. Renamed 125th Street Apollo Theater, and on Friday, January 26, 1934, was officially opened, welcoming Blacks in the audience for the first time, spotlighting a "colored revue" called "JAZZ a la CARTE." The review featured Cooper, Benny Carter and his orchestra, and "The 16 Gorgeous  Hot Steppers."

Cooper persuaded owner Sidney Cohen and manager Morris Sussman to let him bring his amateur radio hour to Apollo, which was renamed "Amateur Night," and dancer-turned-singer Ella Fitzgerald won her amateur night debut.

Ralph Cooper became host for Apollo Amateur Night, watching many performers win and become world-famous megastars, including:  Billie Holliday, Sarah Vaughn, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Gladys Knight, even Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5.

He was Master of Ceremonies for 50 years, and passed away on April 4, 1992. He was 84.

February - CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH!

HISTORY: FOOTBALL

 Willie Thrower became NFL's first African-American quarterback when he appeared in a game for the Chicago Bears on Oct. 18, 1953; never appeared in another game and it would be 15 years before another African-American quarterback would take a snap in a pro game; cut by the Bears the next year and played in the Canadian Football League until a separated shoulder forced him to retire at age 27; led Michigan State to national championship in 1952. He died of a heart attack in 2002, at the age of 71.