Vision Through Verses

A precious jewel raised on old school music, Jillina (J-Bax) Baxter embodies one half of the elements of Hip-Hop (Rapping and Dancing). She started writing poetry and short stories at age 7. As rap music emerged, she arranged her ideas to music and began rapping at age 13. She was a member of a break-dance crew, The Take Out Crew ("T.O.C"), who was known throughout the Capital Region for their dance skills. T.O.C. performed at SUNY of Albany, The Albany Boys/Girls Club, The Veterans Hospital, Washington Park, and Wheels Plus Roller Rink. They also danced in a benefit show at The Palace Theater to raise money for the Drakeland Daycare Center. When the group disbanded, Jillina along with another female crew member decided get up off the floor and on the mic and formed the Take Out 2 M.C.s. At that time she performed under the moniker M.C. Chilly Jill . They took part in various functions around the Capital District such as The Black Arts and Cultural Festival in Albany, NY, The Albany Boys and Girls Club, Washington Park Summer Jam, YWCA Black History Month Program and Wheels Plus Roller Rink rap contest taking 2nd place title. After the duo broke up, Jillina continued to perform. She has recited rap verses for The Burger King Black History Month Show which was aired on public access television. Other performances include: Amateur Night at the College of St. Rose, and a talent show at the Amsterdam Mall in Amsterdam, NY in which she came in 3rd place and Blessings Nightclub in Schenectady, NY. She also won the preliminary round for Ear Jam at Kicks at the Marriott Hotel in Colonie, NY in which she came in 1st place in the Rap Category. She also performed at the Blue Nile in Albany, NY showcasing local artists. Jillina also has had the opportunity rap for artists such as L.L. Cool J. (Strawberry s Record Shop in Albany, NY), Special Ed (The Palace Theater, Albany, NY), Rapper Jalil of Whoodini, (Queens, NY) Run of RunDMC (Run s Studio, Queens, NY), Wyclef Jean of the Fugees (SUNY Albany, NY), and Cam ron (The Pepsi Arena, Albany, NY). In addition to her rapping skills, J-Bax is also a dancer. She was a regular dancer on F.M. Dance Club which was aired on WXXA T.V. 23 for one season. She also choreographed shows at the Albany Boys/Girls Club. For a number of years, Jillina (J-Bax) was in and out of various studios recording demos trying to take her music from the block party to a bigger arena, but her focused shifted when she became a mother. Holding down a 9 to 5 and being a single parent gave little time for Jillina to concentrate full-time on a music career so she parlayed her skills as a writer into other opportunities. Jillina has freelanced for a number of on-line and print publications such as HipHopSite On-Line Magazine based in Las Vegas, NV and The Hive/Blaze 1 Radio in Atlanta, GA. Prior experience includes Entertainment Editor for Urban Voice Newspaper, as an On-line journalist/photographer for www. Jamz963.com and contributing writer for The Black World Today www.tbwt.net. She was also the Executive Editor of the NY Sojourner-Herald for 5 years. She has written for various publications such as Strictly Vinyl Magazine, Urban Version, and ReHab 101, in Albany, NY, and The Fever On- Line Magazine based in Boston, MA. Some of the entertainers she interviewed include rappers The Black Eyed Peas, The Fugees, Chuck D and Professor Griff (Public Enemy), Bow Wow, Talib Kweli, Method Man, Consequence, The Ying Yang Twins, Bone Crusher, Young Bloodz, Mobb Deep, Beanie Sigel, Nas, Saigon, Lil' Kim, Lil Zane, The Lost Boyz, The L.O.X., Keith Murray, Black Rob, ?uest luv and Rahzel of The Roots, Cam ron, A.G., Brand Nubian, Biz Markie, The Jungle Brothers, M.O.P., Ma$e, Smif N Wessun (Coco Brovas), Ooriginal Gunn Clappaz ( O.G.C. ), Heltah Skeltah, O.C., Royce Da 5 9, Remy Ma, Singers include Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, Usher, The O Jays, Musiq Soulchild, Anthony Hamilton, Mario, Amerie, Avant, Heather Headley, Chico DeBarge

An army is on the horizon sending forth a warrior's cry. Its mission is indestructible. Are you one of those warriors? An indestructible daughter stepping forth in full revelation of all God created you to be? In Indestructible Daughters, author Karen Schagunn guides women into overcoming the most vulnerable and prevalent challenges they are facing today. With a powerful life story interwoven with biblical wisdom and a down-to-earth bootcamp approach, Karen breaks through the barriers of culture, religion, fear and unbelief to shine a light of truth into the hearts of women about their rightful place in the world. Indestructible Daughters reveals the global vision of a woman's role in the kingdom of God and the power of the gospel that will set you free from bondage and brokenness and equip you to live life as a warrior-chosen, loved, and indestructible. This book embodies the ripple effect of one woman; set free in God's power and healing, mobilizing an army of unshakable women. Her story, woven into practical biblical teaching, empowers those reading it to go forth boldly in faith and confidence; it is a message all generations need to hear! -Whitney Bunker, Executive Director/Co-founder at City Without Orphans Karen's personal story is so powerful . . . the most compelling part of the book/study. This is a good guidebook for Christian women. -Liz Harrison, Co-anchor, ABC30 News, and Emmy-winning reporter With Biblical authority and straightforward reasoning, Karen Schagunn lays out the roadmap for women of God to overcome the past, empower the present, and propel into the future. You will be challenged and emancipated for personal growth and entitlement of all God's desires for your life. Ladies, there will be no excuses left as we work to finish God's work. -Bonna Rogers-Neufeld, MD

This book will help me craft my future by teaching me to make declarations from God’s Word that will set in motion His plan for my life and motivate me to believe good things from a good God so I can fulfill my destiny.

Fifteen years after its original publication comes a thoroughly revised edition of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Every article from the original edition has been revisited. With some articles being removed, others revised, and many new articles added, the result is a completely new dictionary covering systematic, historical, and philosophical theology as well as theological ethics.

Born out of the experiences of hundreds of thousands of women who Raechel and Amanda have walked alongside as they walk with the Lord, She Reads Truth is the message that will help you understand the place of God's Word in your life.

Although it is a somewhat underrepresented form of literature in popular sensibility, poetry finds relevance in the modern world through its appearance in cinema. Film adaptations of poems and depictions of poets on the screen date back to the silent era and continue to the present day. However, there have been few serious studies of how cinema has represented the world of poetic expression. In Verse, Voice, and Vision: Poetry and the Cinema, Marlisa Santos has compiled essays that explore the relationship between one of the world’s oldest art forms—poetry—and one of the world’s newest art forms—film. The book is divided into three sections: poets on film, poetry as film, and film as poetry. Topics include analyses of poet biopics (such as Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle), filmic representations of poets or poetic studies (including Pyaasa), films inspired by particular poems (such as Splendor in the Grass), and the avant-garde phenomenon of the “poem-film” (such as The Tree of Life). Poetic influences considered in this volume range from William Shakespeare to e.e. cummings, and the films discussed hail from several different countries, including the U.S., the U.K., India, China, Italy, and Argentina. Featuring a great diversity in the age, genres, and countries of origin of the films, these essays provide an in-depth look at how poetry has been interpreted on film over the years. By addressing a heretofore unexamined aspect of film studies, Verse, Voice, and Vision will appeal to fans and scholars of both literature and cinema.

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.