If you like to keep your ear to the ground for up-and-coming talent, make sure you give a listen to former Israel & New Breed member Leah Smith’s independent EP Beautifully Made released October 20, 2009. The bi-racial beauty’s agile and mature soprano belies her 20 years on the planet. The subject matter she chooses to tackle on her solo recording debut is no bedtime story either.

Over the course of 6 appetite whetting tracks, this Philly native touches on topics such as self-esteem, inner city life, marital discord, unity, and a sin-sick humanity’s desperate need for a savior. There are several points during a full listen where one wonders where she acquired the beyond-her-years wisdom that takes center stage on Beautifully Made. The next element that becomes apparent is Leah’s respect for musicality as the entire EP is completely carried by live instruments and devoid of any vocal gimmickry.

The theme of dreams and nightmares is woven throughout. It makes its first appearance appropriately on the 70’s informed opener “Dream World.” If you’re familiar with the plot of The Matrix, you’ll understand what Smith means when she croons, “wake us up out of our dream world.” With a horn section punctuating her phrases like a chorus of co-signers, she describes the harsh realities of crime, violence, and political disappointment in the inner cities. The heart of the song is summed up in the vamp where she admonishes that we keep “praying for change… also working toward seeing the world restored.” Anyone who took to the sound of Sheri Jones-Moffett’s “Restored” will appreciate the percolating electric guitar licks in “Dream World” all the more.

The organic quality of Beautifully Made’s instrumentation might lend itself to being called folk music if it wasn’t for the soulful presence in Smith’s voice. A great use of her gift, she keeps each song interesting without falling prey to the temptation to oversing.

To that effect, “Shields and Swords” glides in on a cloud of gently brushed drums and twinkling bells. Smith keeps the mood ethereal as she laments the pitfalls of offending one another with words spoken in anger. The refrain asks “did we abandon our shields and swords? [We] don’t protect each other like we did before.” [If you appreciate Leah's lithe voice here, you would also enjoy singer/songwriter Lauren Evans.]

The EP places its somber moments judiciously. The title track steadies itself on a warm bed of strings while Smith calls to every disenfranchised group she can think of and asserts like a mantra “I am beautifully and wonderfully made.” The closer “Untitled Song” is a plea for redemption and a narrative of finding faith in the face of adversity. The former is cushioned with background vocals like soft foliage around a picture of paradise where the latter stands solely on unobtrusive piano accompaniment. On both, her dulcet tone is reminiscent of songstress Tamia.

The stand out on the set is the galloping centerpiece “Monster” with its exuberantly modern Motown bounce. Shuffling snares echo her sentiment as she frantically sings “I’m runnin’ from a monster, feel like I’m runnin’ and runnin’ and runnin’… and I guess I’ve run the wrong way.” From the moment I heard it featured on Gerard Bonner’s Bonnerfide Radio internet show, it set itself apart from typical gospel. The charming single doesn’t try so hard to be contemporary or easily accessible to a convenient market. It simply is and lets its message stand on its own two feet. “Monster” gets a boost of pleasantness when, at its emotional climax, Smith calls to mind a less-abrasive but no less effective Alicia Keys.

“I asked my mother, she said, ‘sorry to say, but in 40 years plus, I’ve realized there’s no getting away. Sure you can try, but no, you can’t hide when the thing you’re often runnin’ from is living on the inside.’” – Leah Smith, “Monster”

If it’s still sketchy to the saints of God which monster Leah is running from, it becomes clearer as she breathlessly pants out her ad-libs toward the end of the song. “I need your help. Save me from myself. I’ve been runnin’ from me all along. I don’t know what I will make of my life if you don’t right all my wrongs.” If that doesn’t suffice, watch a clip of Leah Smith explaining “Monster” in her own words below:

It’s hard to ignore her impressive vocal chops that can resonate sweetly one moment and morph to a catty growl in the next without a flutter in pitch. Leah Smith has one of those voices that depending on what mode she’s in can evoke comparisons to Beyoncé or Mariah Carey. Make no mistake though. She’s no copycat artist, although, in the future you’re likely to be hearing about her over… and over… and over.

For more information on Leah Smith, follow @LeahSmithMusic on Twitter or visit www.MySpace.com/LeahSmithMusic1. The full EP is available for download at CD Baby, iTunes, and other digital music retailers.

Written by Mark Chappelle Coston for Elev8.com. Follow @MarkChappelle on Twitter.

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Gary Oliver has a song called the “Secret Place.” It’s a quick reminder that God is a safe haven for you. The words and video are below. Take a moment to allow yourself to find shelter in the arms of a loving Savior- Jesus Christ, the rock that is higher than I.

May the words minister to you, comfort you, encourage you and most of all bless you.

Much love,

Judi

Song:

Secret Place by Gary Oliver

Take me to that secret place.

Cradled in your warm embrace.

Take me to that shelter from the storm

Hold me safe in your holy arms.

Lead me to that rock that is higher than I for thou has been a shelter for me.

Lead me to that rock that is higher than I, for thou has been a shelter for me.

Lead me to that rock that is higher than I, for thou has been a shelter for me.

Take me to that secret place.

Cradled in your warm embrace.

Take me to that shelter from the storm.

Hold me safe in your holy arms.

Written by: Judi Mason for www.elev8.com

Contact Judi: judi@divaink.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/judimason

Judi’s Tidbits

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“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.”

I have always been a person who speaks her mind. In my teens and twenties, my mouth often led me into trouble that I should have avoided. As I have grown in the Lord’s wisdom, I have learned how to speak the truth in love, when it is necessary. I have not perfected doing so (nor will I ever on this side of heaven), but I have come a long way from my tactless, crass earlier years. One of the tidbits of wisdom that has helped me is a principle that a pastor, who used to disciple my husband, taught us sometime around our fifth anniversary. It’s called the “One Fool At A Time” Rule. It is so simple, it’s almost scary. It is this: In any given exchange between two or more people, if one person is “actin’ a fool,” you can’t act one, too. Isn’t that simple? Now I will be the first to tell you that many of the principles I learn from God’s word are easy to understand, but difficult to apply. For some reason, the “One Fool” rule makes it easier for me to apply the above scripture to whatever situation in which I find myself.

A few years back I had been circling a crowded parking lot, at a neighborhood grocery store, searching for a spot near the entrance. When I spotted a woman getting into her car, I pulled up and waited. The woman took a good while (in parking lot time) to settle in and start her engine. Then she took even longer to back out. While I sat staring at her brake lights, waiting for them to turn from red to white, another car pulled up from the opposite direction  for the same spot. I’ve been driving long enough to know what was happening. The other driver, ignoring my signal, intended to take the spot I had been waiting for. Immediately I tensed up, sat forward and positioned myself to scoop the spot as soon as it was free. Thankfully, the driver of the car leaving the spot backed out toward me, preventing the other driver from swooping in. She left me plenty of room to pull in while she blocked the other driver. It seemed she had observed that I had been waiting and positioned herself to help me out. At least that’s how I chose to read her actions. For all I know, she could have dropped her cell phone or paused while having a timely “senior moment.” Honestly, I still don’t know. And at the time, I did not care. I got what I wanted. I got my spot. The other driver was wrong to try to “steal my spot” anyway. I expected that she would not be happy, but such is life. She tried a power move in the parking lot and failed. C’est la vie!

Satisfied with myself, I popped out of the car, wallet and list in hand, ready to do my marketing.  At no time could I have foreseen what was about to happen. Just as my heel touched down on the electronic sensors that trigger the automatic door, a barrage of the foulest curse words reached my ears. I turned around to see who was having a fight in the parking lot only to spot the other driver (the one who had “missed” my spot), stomping across the parking lot, squeezing the hand of a hapless, disheveled little girl. The child, struggling to keep pace with the gait of this “lady” (and I am using the term quite loosely here), alternately stumbled and righted herself in the few moments it took her handler to cross the lot into the store.  I was so focused on the little girl, who quite frankly looked as embarrassed as I felt, that I nearly missed the creatively-strung-together verbal abuse that tumbled out of the mouth of the woman who drug the child into the store.

It was clear that this woman had much to say and she that intended to say it to me. So I let her. This experience was the first live example I had ever seen of a person arguing alone. She would ask a question, then answer it almost at the same moment.  When she finished her tirade, which was so littered with f-bombs that the manager of the store started over presumably to “manage” the situation, to my surprise as much as hers – and I suspect everyone else within earshot, I calmly and pleasantly asked her, “Is there anything else you’d like to share?” Of course there was. She responded that she would kick my (insert 5-syllable expletive here). Again, my own aplomb surprised me. I carefully regarded her for the first time. Her appearance, expression, and demeanor spoke louder than her words. I wondered if she knew all they were saying about her. I responded simply, “Yep. You look like the kind that would.” And with that I left her and began shopping for groceries.  Our exchange clearly had plenty of fool in it. And I had determined that that day, it would not be me.

Later that same evening, however, I stumbled into a foul mood and in a private exchange with Mykel, I found myself “venting” to him about something that he had done. My husband is an extremely dignified and patient man. Even when I have been at my worst, throwing a top rate tantrum that would rival any 5-year-old’s, he has always extended me mercy and grace. That evening, in the midst of my record-breaking fit, he shamed me into checking myself without uttering a word. All he did was inhale. That’s it. It wasn’t calculated. It wasn’t rude. While meeting my gaze, giving me his focused attention,  smiling lovingly (not patronizingly) at me, he inhaled and exhaled very quietly. Neither his expression nor his demeanor changed. At that moment, I realized that he had been quiet for almost the duration of this very long-winded and one-sided “conversation.” Guess what? I was the fool. He was obeying the “One Fool At A Time” rule. I was immediately convicted. So I did what any self-respecting idiot would do. I shut up.

My point had been a valid one. And I had made it over and over. I had been heard and well understood. But my manner was egregious. If there has to be a fool, I can tell you this, I don’t want it to be me. The only thing worse than being the fool, is realizing that you are the fool. The woman in the parking lot had violated my airspace with the filth that poured  out of her mouth. But without uttering one curse word, I had dishonored my  spouse. I was a stranger to her. There was no reason for her to regard me. Clearly she lacked the self-respect required to treat others with dignity. But what was my excuse? For all I know, she was not even saved. But I have the Holy Spirit living in me. The only right thing for me to do was to apologize. I did – but not right away (as I should have); I was way to full of pride at the time. When I did finally humble myself to approach Mykel, he had not only already forgiven me, but had to be reminded of the incident. I tell you – true love really does forgive a multitude of wrongs. And apparently, it forgets, too.

Here’s to receiving and giving true love!

Be blessed Family!

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! Visit her on Black Planet.

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I grew up in Louisiana and came from a long line of good cooks.  By the time I was twelve years old I could just about prepare a full course meal.  At nineteen I was fully convinced that my culinary skills were unparalleled, but something happened.

One Friday evening I decided to bake some spaghetti for my boyfriend and a few guests.  When he got home he was pretty excited but asked what else was on the menu.  Slightly perplexed by his question, I asked why he thought something other than spaghetti was on the menu and he pointed to the large pot of rice on the stove… “Baby, you have a pot of rice on the stove, I’m just wondering what’s gonna go with it.”  Although a bit shocked and irritated that he would question my rice, I managed to give an explanation… “Well, obviously the spaghetti goes on top of the rice.”  Considering my ex was a chef, that conversation didn’t go very well.

After being enlightened I decided to give my grandmother a call to ask why she always cooked rice with our spaghetti.  In her own words…”Chile cuz it was so many of yawl.  I cook rice with every thang.”  And it was true.  She cooked rice with everything and so did I along with all the rest of my relatives.

Lesson:  Tradition, while in this particular instance wasn’t very harmful, can indeed be.  It showed me how I was blindly practicing something without having any idea why.   I witnessed my grandmother cooking spaghetti for years and finally someone questioned my technique.

What traditions have you been practicing without explanation that could be holding you back?  Still eating pork rinds and washing them down with soda every day?  Screaming and yelling obscenities at your kids because that’s all you know to do?  Attending the same church you always have because big mama and aunt Lulu still cook Sunday dinner for Pastor Polyester, yet you still live a substandard life and have yet to experience the goodness of the Lord?

In the end, I still don’t mind a little rice with my spaghetti, but while it’s okay, it’s certainly not the best.  This scenario reminds me of 1 Corinthians 10:23 (Amp) which says all things are permissible and we are free to do anything we please, but not all things are helpful or profitable and all things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive. I hope I’m not alone in coming to this realization.

While there are some wonderful traditions to uphold and many have taught us invaluable lessons like cooking and entertaining; family dinners at the table; and praying together to name a few; let’s not forget to hold on to what brings us joy and peace; and let go of anything that weights us down.

God Bless,

Follow Lisa on Twitter

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Where Did Our Manners Go?

This is an open letter to all the men — especially the saved men — in America that are emotionally constipated.

Sir,

The fact that you have difficulty expressing your emotions is, sadly, normal; it’s the standard because we live in a nation of emotionally constipated men. I know the term “constipated” doesn’t give you a great mental picture, it is quite appropriate for this topic. Men are stopped up; we don’t know how to properly process the events that occur in our lives and express the corresponding emotions. If you’ve ever been constipated you know that it’s painful — not a pleasant experience at all. In the case of emotional constipation, it doesn’t hurt the one who’s clogged as much as those around them.

Now, don’t misunderstand — the fact that it’s normal does not make it that it’s healthy, productive, or effective. Your lack of emotions is crippling the nation because your children, and those youngsters who watch you, don’t see your example. Or perhaps they see your wrong example when they see you hit women or compress your feelings by avoiding properly processing and expressing them. This leads the youth to lash out in violence, drugs, sex, and all types of abuse. And we wonder why there’s so much violence in school. It’s simple — the kids have no emotional outlets for their anger and frustration. They’re not taught how to properly handle disagreements and argument so they resort what they see deemed effective by fighting.

Why is it that we can show so much excitement and passion over a football or basketball game but when it comes to things like fear, failure, sorrow, regret, disappoint, and sadness, we deem them to make us less of a man? Why do we hold the assumption that men must always maintain a stoic outlook on life, seemingly unwavered by anything that happens to us?

There’s an incredible book by a pastor from New York, Peter Scazzero, that I recommend everyone, but especially you, as a man, read. It’s entitled, “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality,” and the premise is this — you are only as spiritually mature as you are emotionally healthy. In other words: the more emotionally constipated we are, the less we properly understand, process, and express our emotions, the less spiritually mature we are. I won’t go into the entire book, but I do want to give you the top ten symptoms that you might experience if you have emotionally unhealthy spirituality:

1. Using God to Run from God
2. Ignoring the Ungodly Emotions of Anger, Sadness, and Fear
3. Dying to the Wrong Things
4. Denying the Past’s Impact on the Present
5. Dividing Our Lives into “Secular” and “Sacred” Compartments
6. Doing for God Instead of Being with God
7. Spiritualizing Away Conflict
8. Covering over Brokenness, Weakness, and Failure
9. Living without Limits
10. Judging Other People’s Spiritual Journey

After reading that list I know you have a few areas you need to work on. And that’s good; it means your human. No one has it all worked out. But what it does mean is that we have to get working on ourselves. If we first want to change the world, we have to look at ourselves and make the change first.

Don’t you dare make the “I didn’t see my father (or any other man) do it, how am I supposed to do it” excuse. You didn’t need to see your father sleep around to know how to do that did you? You want to know how you can be a pioneer and an example in this area? By the grace of God, that’s how! Men, you want to lead and guide and pioneer everything else, we’re too afraid to cry for the first time? Get over yourself, man. Stop acting like a punk and show that you care about something for once in your life.

And fathers, let me tell you something: your children need to see you cry. They need to see you get excited, to laugh, to be angry. They need to see your emotions. It helps to humanize you and makes you more relatable. Your children, especially your boys, need to know that you go through the same emotions you do, but they need to see you handle them effectively. When you lash out at your kids or your wife, the children view that as acceptable. Why? Because they don’t know any better so they believe that the wrong way is actually right — or at least the acceptable — way to handle things. The good news is, you can also show them the right, and healthy way to handle emotions.

Now, I know you didn’t start the cycle, but the fact that you’ve chosen, albeit perhaps subconsciously, is nearly as bad. You have to understand that the choices you make now have a much further reaching impact than just you. Until we open our eyes and realize that our inability to properly navigate the emotional waters has an effect on everyone around us, we will not find the proper motivation to change. Please, sir, find that motivation today. The future begs it of you.

Let’s make a concerted effort, as men, to encourage one another to learn to understand, process, and express our emotions in a healthy way. Whether it’s love, anger, excitement, sadness, or whatever, God created emotions for a reason — but we were made to rule our emotions, not the other way around. So men, step up and be the emotionally healthy man that God has called you to be!

[For more from Stuart McDonald, check out his personal blog and follow him on Twitter]

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Most anyone who listens to Hip hop music, at one time or another,  has heard the stories rumors and innuendos of what started the East Coat and West Coat rap wars. This is the perfect place to begin if you haven’t heard these stories. Faith Evans writes this book from the first person view that she was a church girl gone off the road in pursuit of fame. This is definitely a tale of what happens when you take your eyes off the road and veer to uncharted paths. It’s an amazing take of a young woman, who unlike most of our urban heroes, actually had a strong support system but chose a different road completely.

Faith is brutally honest on her influences and actions as she walked away from an early gospel career and joined Bad Boy Entertainment. The professional and personal climate change in the studios and on the streets as Notorious Big became a superstar is revisited in detail. She takes you on her travels for her first promotional tours with 112, and Junior Mafia as “The First Lady of Bad Boy”. Details of her wedding day to  Notorious BIG are also provided. She walks you through the the infamous hotel incident with Tupac.  She pulls no punches when discussing Lil’ Kim and  her interactions with the entire Bad Boy Family. In the midst of all of the craziness, she was struggling to hold on to her faith as a woman of God. She constantly questioned her actions at those moments when she clearly heard the voice of God advising her against something.

The end result is a vivid, often haunting autobiography that unites a fascinating life with a voice gifted enough to provide all the details.

This is a definite must read if you are looking for a tale of redemption and forgiveness.

“KEEP THE FAITH A MEMOIR” BY FAITH EVANS

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

ISBN-10: 0446199516

ISBN-13: 978-0446199513

{For more from Oretha Winston follow her on Twitter}

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Sometimes what you don’t say can be more powerful than what you do say. I particularly want to address it from the perspective of those of us dealing with parenting and adolescents. Sometimes parents need not comment on everything. Sometimes it’s okay as a parent to know the unspoken truth of the adolescent and not say anything, but watch, observe and teach from a distant. Even though they are not aware they are being taught this lesson it is usually these lessons that are the greatest and longest lasting. Growing during my early teen years I often wondered why my father would show me how to do life more than he would say. My mother spoke to me a lot about different things adding her opinion and stands on certain subject matters. However dad would only speak when needed leaving many lessons to be learned through trial and god knows error.

Saying nothing and walking hand and hand with your teens can be the most painful for the both of you but it allows for growth and eliminates the chances of having to deal with the issues in the future all over again. When you don’t add your sometimes more than “two cents” about the matter it also can minimize the bruising and bleeding of what is already a tough time for the youth.  In life we want to say a lot when we should do more than we say. It is our actions that people watch anyway including our own children. I have had so many people tell me one thing and totally lived something different. And I sit back I wonder do they know that I know that they are really not what they say they are? I am not saying to not speak to your children I am just saying curve what and when you do speak. For example you may want to help them by saying “you seem to be in a little deep, do you need some help or hey let me tell you what I see from where I am sitting.” And as a parent you may know the whole scoop and eventual outcome because as a parent we have been there a million times before, so the question is do we save them or teach them?

Because if we experienced something more than once chances are that we didn’t learn anything from it the first time. Which is why your words could do more harm in some situations than it does help. The power of the unspoken word allows kids a moment when they can come and speak their truth; they can present their honesty, courage and maturity.

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While many celebrate labor day as the last summer weekend before autumn, I’m reminded of what labor day is really about; the celebration of the labor movement and its achievements.

Long before we had an opportunity to invite friends over for barbecue and take the day off, or sit back and relax in our pajamas all day, our forefathers worked twelve hour days seven days per week, until the late 1800’s. And for the black man it was far worse, so rather than thinking of this as just another day off, I see it as an opportunity to count my blessings; another notch on my blessing belt if you will; another opportunity to thank God.

While in these hard times I’m sure it’s easy to sit back and whine about our current circumstances i.e., not enough money to pay all the bills; not getting enough hours on the job; not being able to go out and eat as often as we did a year ago, and missing out on that much needed vacation this year, let’s focus on what is rather than what was.

Many of us still have jobs, homes that haven’t been foreclosed, cars that haven’t been repossessed and still a little left over for a pizza; but more importantly; many still have a roof over their head, still have four wheels to get them from point A to point B; the lights, water, and gas are still on and still didn’t go hungry the day before. sounds to me like the proverbial glass is half full, rather than half empty.

Perception often has a lot to do with the situation and circumstances we find ourselves in. As a sales representative I deal with this on a regular basis. At one point when the economy was at it’s lowest my peers and I were all on one accord about the poor condition of the economy; “nobody’s buying, companies are falling apart, their canceling their contracts with us.” Even our own company sucked and we had a dozen things to complain about; with that reasoning, for well over six months my numbers dropped to an all-time low. Suddenly, I realized my champagne taste could no longer be afforded with the beer money I was taking home. And sadly, because I’ve had a tendency to live like there is no tomorrow, my finances plummeted.

It dawned on me that throughout all of the aforementioned, I was contradicting one of the single most important proverbs I live by…”death and life is in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) and while I still prayed during those extremely trying times, I was contradicting all that I professed to be true in my life. I’m sure this goes without being said, but I turned to what I know to be true and I encourage you to do the same. No matter what it looks like, what the media says or what happened yesterday, know that there is more working for you than against you. Pull yourself up, begin to confess and believe the best about yourself and others (1Cor 13:7 Amp); believe the goodness of God over your life but more importantly, all faith and no work is dead (James 2:26); whatever your hands find to do, do it.

Count your blessings. Appreciate God for what you do have today and things will look better tomorrow.

God bless!

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Genesis 1:2-3 (New International Version)

“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

I woke up this morning in a panic. That happens to me from time to time.There were so many things to do already, many of which were left undone from yesterday because a 24-hour stomach bug took me out early on. Between hubby, children, home, work, and ministry many many people, projects, and promises beg for my attention. I remembered a phone call that I had gone out of my way to schedule for Monday night. Today is Friday morning. I owe someone an apology. I thought of all the messages that I’ve left this week. I recall all of the pressing matters that I leave on my desktop as I close up shop nightly. Items that I desired to have completed by the end of this week now spill over into next.

My prayer time was uncharacteristically scatter-brained. As I quieted down to talk to the Lord, random thoughts popped up across the landscape of my mind, like persistent, ugly weeds. I could not resist the urge to pounce on them. Doing so, however, caused me to turn my back on the only One who could tame my restless, already-overwrought-even-though-it’s-only-5:30AM-mind.

“Shhh. It’s okay, Sheeri,” the Holy Spirit whispered to my soul. “I know. I’ve got you.”

“Okay, Lord,” came my childlike whisper in the disappearing darkness of the morning.

As I allowed Jehovah Shalom to take over my heart and mind, my spirit calmed. The dread of all that could go wrong melted away into peace. The verse above emerged as a picture in my mind.

I envision the dark, formless, empty deep. I see the Spirit of God hovering over the chaos. The Amplified version offers “moving” and “brooding.”

Brooding. That appeals to me. That’s the feeling I encountered this morning. The Holy Spirit brooded over me. He was preoccupied with Sheeri for my good. My favorite part of this verse is what comes next. “And God said…” What comforting words those are to me. I know that when God speaks to any situation it is settled. So my very short prayer this morning was, “Speak Lord.”

Whether you face a morning, a work day, a situation, or a season that threatens chaos, your means of gaining control is by giving it to your Father. His Spirit hovers over the chaos in the darkness. Allow him, ask him to speak to your situation. Experience the true peace that can only be found in his presence. Take some time to commune with your God this morning so that you can gain his perspective. You may find that even if no particular part of what you face changes, how you view it will. And that’s a pretty great start!

Be blessed Family!

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From The Christian Post

WASHINGTON – Evangelical pastor Rick Warren told a crowd of some 8,000 Muslim Americans that he wasn’t satisfied with just talking to them.

“I will tell you that I am not interested in interfaith dialogue. I am interested in interfaith project. There is a big difference,” said Warren to attendees of the 46th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention Saturday evening.

“Talk is very cheap. You can talk and talk and talk and never get anything done. Love is something you do,” Warren maintained. “It is something we do together.”

Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., was the only Christian invited to speak at Saturday’s evening main session, which organizers described as the “cornerstone” of the convention.

Warren was warmly received by the Muslim audience, many of which could be seen snapping photos of the popular evangelical pastor, taking notes of what he said, or breaking into applause whenever he said something to their liking.

Before Warren stepped on stage, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, gave a flattering introduction for the megachurch preacher, highlighting how he reverse tithes, giving away 90 percent of his income and living off 10 percent.

The audience, who had been pressed to donate the whole night by the group’s fundraising committee, broke out into applause.

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