Edit ion Number 27

VOL. 2

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May14, 2010 www.thepopulacenow.com

“Communicating to Communities Nationwide.”“Communicating to Communities Nationwide.”“Communicating to Communities Nationwide.”“Communicating to Communities Nationwide.”

Mrs. Luvina Collins 1936 - 2010

Mother of TPN’s Editor-in-Chief

Miss. Bobbie Collins

“The Populace Now mourns the passing of Mrs. Luvina

Collins and sends it’s thoughts and prayers to the

Collins family .“

-Patrick A. Sellers, CEO Sellers Media Group

The Populace Now Page 1

By By By By The Children of Mother Luvina CollinsThe Children of Mother Luvina CollinsThe Children of Mother Luvina CollinsThe Children of Mother Luvina Collins

A Special Tribute to Our Mother

Dianna's messageDianna's messageDianna's messageDianna's message

I admire how you stood by Dad’s side in the Ministry God had given him from the beginning to even your last days. I know that he would agree that “You Were the Wind Beneath His Wings” You were and forever will be the epitome of a First Class, First Lady! You were the BEST BEST BEST BEST and I am so glad that God chose me to be your daughteraughteraughteraughter and you to be my Mother.Mother.Mother.Mother. T T T Through my tears, I can still rejoice today because I know that you were a “WOMAN OF GOD”“WOMAN OF GOD”“WOMAN OF GOD”“WOMAN OF GOD” and you will live on in my Heart. I am Grateful to God and to you for allowing me to have two very special moments with you before your passing as you knew you were saying goodbye in this life to me. I am so excited about meeting you again. So for now, I say goodbye. But we will praise God together for eternity! I LOVE YOU MOM! Dianna Collins Cole, youngest of three Dennis' messageDennis' messageDennis' messageDennis' message I am Dennis Collins, only blood son of Mother Luvina Collins, wife of Pastor John E. Collins, Freeport, IL. I grew up seeing and watching my mother give love to Jesus first. My mother loved my dad with all her heart for 56 years. When he had a vision of what God wanted him to do, my mother humbly submitted herself to God's will, helping carry the mission out. She made many sacrifices, wore many hats along the way. At the same, she loved and taught her children the ways of God. Rest in peace Mom Love, Dennis Bobbie's messageBobbie's messageBobbie's messageBobbie's message On April 22, 2010, around 8:30 p.m., our dear Mother passed from this life, we believe, to a better one. We'll remem-ber the beautiful clothes, hats, and home; that she inspected our clothing for spots, hanging threads, lint; that she modeled the creed: Cleanliness is next to Godliness; that her hard-working hands had such soft skin; that anybody in her path had better get out of her way when they saw her coming in what she called "my Cadillac"--her wheelchair! Her sage advice to me into my adult years: "Save at least $10 per week." "Do at least an hour of housework when you come home from work, so it won't get out of hand." "Fix your appearance and put some oil on that hair, it looks dry." More than I can tell here today, Mother, you affected my life. I already miss you terribly. Thank you for the prayers you prayed for your children, Mother. I can hear you saying it right now: "Since the birth of my three children, I have asked God to build a fence of protection around them." He's still answering that prayer, "Mummy." Readers, I will ask each of you to do what I've been asking friends, relatives, acquaintances to do. If your mother is still alive, hug her--for me! Mother Luvina Collins' eldest, Miss Bobbie J. Collins

Page 2 The Populace Now

The Populace Now

Page 3

Patrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. SellersPatrick A. Sellers

Publisher

Bobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie Collins

Editor-In-Chief

Contributors Contributors Contributors Contributors

Buffy Griffin, Kamal Walker,

J.J. Fletcher, Bill Quigley,

Bobbie Collins and Patrick Sellers

What’s Inside This Issue? • A Special Tribute to Our Mother pg . 1A Special Tribute to Our Mother pg . 1A Special Tribute to Our Mother pg . 1A Special Tribute to Our Mother pg . 1

• The Collins Family in Pictures pg. 2The Collins Family in Pictures pg. 2The Collins Family in Pictures pg. 2The Collins Family in Pictures pg. 2

• The Circle of Trust pg. 4The Circle of Trust pg. 4The Circle of Trust pg. 4The Circle of Trust pg. 4

• Recognizing and managing Stress pg. 4Recognizing and managing Stress pg. 4Recognizing and managing Stress pg. 4Recognizing and managing Stress pg. 4

• Self Examination pg.5Self Examination pg.5Self Examination pg.5Self Examination pg.5

• The Preacher’s Corner pg. 6The Preacher’s Corner pg. 6The Preacher’s Corner pg. 6The Preacher’s Corner pg. 6

• Acceptance pg.6Acceptance pg.6Acceptance pg.6Acceptance pg.6

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Page 4 The Populace Now

Man meets woman or woman meets man, a friendship is established, then comes the courtship and last but not least…..love. During this magical proc-ess, a circle of trust is made, a bond that connects them, providing a feeling of safety, well being and honesty. This circle is probably the most important part of any relationship and has to be main-tained continuously in order for the rela-tionship to prosper. Metaphorically speaking, think of this circle as a wedding band. It can endure scrapes, scratches, dents and dings all of which can be smoothed and polished away. But once that band has been bro-

ken, it will never be the same again. This metaphor describes the circle of trust and how once it has been broken things will never be the same, even if the relationship is allowed to continue.

The pain, the sense of betrayal, the disap-

pointment, all of these things make recon-

ciliation nearly next to impossible. Although

forgiveness is a must, forgetting is the

problem; no matter how hard a person tries

to erase the breach of trust, they will never

completely submit their heart to that per-

son again.

Some feel that coming clean about a

particular act that they have or are

currently involved in should be enough

to mend the broken circle. But it is

not. The flowers, apologies, and swear-

ing never to do it again are all fine and

dandy. But the fact of the matter is,

you can’t undo the damage that has

already been done.

Time heals all wounds, but wounds

leave behind scars and those scars

are the painful reminders of the devas-

tation caused by a broken circle of

trust.

By Patrick Sellers, By Patrick Sellers, By Patrick Sellers, By Patrick Sellers, An Illinois Correspondents An Illinois Correspondents An Illinois Correspondents An Illinois Correspondents

The Circle of Trust

Recently, a colleague shared with me that she had made an appointment to see her doctor because, she’s been irri-table with her family (which is not like her at all), constantly complains of stom-ach nausea and her hair was thinning (falling out). I asked if she was under any stress, her answer was yes, in fact, she has a few stressors to contend with. Af-ter listening, I shared some things she could do to reduce her stress in addition to what her doctor would prescribe (hopefully with out medication). Because stress is something that we all encounter, it’s best to address it with proactive preventative measures. First, we must understand that stress is our body’s release of chemicals in the blood as a reaction or response to positive and negative events and activities both physi-cally (danger) and emotionally (excitement or worry). Next, is the importance of our aware-ness of what causes us to experience negative (harmful) stress. It, could be any number of things, all of which can

cause major problems over time.

• Internal – Constant worry especially over things you can’t control, in addi-tion to the stress of the situation, you add more stress from worrying, also, worrying over things that are not worry worthy.

• Environmental – things around you such as clutter or noise.

• Fatigue and Overworked – Usually builds gradually over time due to too many physical and emotional hours spent at work or home, not enough sleep or breaks in between projects,

• Survival – Your fight or flight reaction to real or perceived danger, anything that could possibly cause physical harm to you or someone you know and love.

Now, lets look at how stress affects our health. Too much or long-term exposure to stress can lead to both minor and major health problems, causing one to experi-ence headaches, back pain, heart disease, high blood pressure, weakening immune

system, sleep disorders, depression, forgetfulness, over-eating, burnout, dizziness, nausea, emotional out-bursts, mood swings, shortness of breath, and a host of other potentially harmful things that can affect your health. Once we come to the realization of the potential damage stress can cause, a plan of action can be put in place. Identify (write down) where (location) you are stressed the most as-well-as who and what stresses you the most. Then, write down your stress symptoms (i.e. headache, blood pres-sure, etc). Next, write down your rea-sons to reduce stress in your life (i.e. better health, quality of life, set better examples for your family and friends, etc.). Lastly, write a plan of action (i.e walking, relaxation, necessary lifestyle changes, etc) to accomplish your goals and routinely (daily) work toward re-ducing your stress and those things

that cause you to stress.

Recognizing and Managing Stress

By By By By Buffy GriffinBuffy GriffinBuffy GriffinBuffy Griffin, , , , A North Carolina Correspondent A North Carolina Correspondent A North Carolina Correspondent A North Carolina Correspondent

The Populace Now Page 5

Self-examination is called many things all over the world. Self-examination is the process of looking at one's self from different perspectives. Through the eyes of other co-workers, members of the same race, members of other races and of course, family mem-bers. Because self-examination can be so complex, because so many don't take the time to look at themselves through others' eyes, only few people

benefit from self-examination.

In each town, city or country you will find rich and poor; important people and common folk. I would suggest that in each of these situations, people can be found who progressed or be-came successful because of self-examination. And those stuck in the past have not yet realized the impor-tance of self-reflection. Hence, you have marriages that lasted 50, 60 and even 70 years, and others that have

lasted only three months or a year.

Self-examination may involve critical thinking skills that may calculate why there are only a few people who are figuring out this m y s t e r y and having success in marriage or other endeavors, over a period of time. Why so? I am reminded of a song: "Mamma may have; Papa may have. But God bless the child that has its own.” Just because someone's parents have self-examination skills doesn't mean the person automatically

does.

Such skills are acquired through ex-perience, though some will argue na-ture versus nurture. Meaning some believe humans are born with self-actualization skills. Based on personal experience, I can't agree with this

premise.

As a child, teenager and then a young adult, I paid close attention to those who progressed in their public as well

as in their personal lives. Observing such people was significant for me. It taught me the difference between truth and a lie. Between those who were superficial and those who were not. In short, there

was a public face and a private one.

For example, the children I grew up with who were f rom s ing le-parent homes managed to have the best of the best in name brand clothes and the most expensive toys and would always brag about getting money from their real dad, step dad, and mom. But upon close in-spection, I found that the children had different fathers and some didn’t even know who their father was. In essence, the clothes were an attention-getter, dis-tracting from real issues that were sensi-tive to both that single-parent and their

child.

Another example: when I was a teenager I saw many people complain that their car was not running well and they were still paying the car note on it. On the other end of the polarization, I saw a few folks who had purchased a nice car and used

an old one for work and r u n n i n g er rands .

Point being, cars are used by some as a status symbol and by others for practical reasons. However, if you need to meet both those needs, you my friend need two

cars.

(Let’s hit a home run now!) I did see folk who paid $20,000 on a wedding, refi-nanced the house to pay for it only to get divorced less than a decade later, versus a couple who had a small wedding and were later able to spend $20,000 on a 50-year anniversary celebration. Self-examination regarding marriage would show that some live for the wedding day. And others, for the marriage. Self-actualization requires that people not make costly decisions for just one glori-ous day, leading to a lifetime of unhappi-

ness.

When it comes to sensitive issues that most people are too ashamed to talk about, we must remember that self- examination is for all ethnic groups, all social classes all over the world. No one group is exempt from the need to self-examine. Self-reflection bears fruit that will be seen by the people around you and the benefit is that you will be known by your fruit. Which one will you be? A tree with strong roots or a tree that can be easily blown away? In order to live prosperously, your roots must grow deep through self-examination (perhaps better known to some as forethought) and you'll be known by your fruit. Ask yourself, if you're a tree that bears fruit, what kind of fruit are you bearing? Good fruit, bad fruit, or are you bearing no fruit at all? Self-examination will allow you to be that strong tree, grounded and produc-

ing for a life-time.

ByByByBy William Vann, William Vann, William Vann, William Vann, A Michigan CorrespondentA Michigan CorrespondentA Michigan CorrespondentA Michigan Correspondent

Self Examination

-In order to live prosperously, your roots

must grow deep through self-examination

(perhaps better known to some as fore-

thought) and you'll be known by your fruit. -

Page 6

The Populace Now

As my family struggles to come to terms with our dying mother and wife, I’ve given considerable thought to the word acceptance. Being raised by two of the best, I found myself never wanting to disappoint with my behavior and words and actions. I wanted their acceptance in all ways. After writing the two articles for The Populace Now, issues #23 and #26, I thought a lot about the word acceptance. Talk of skin color and mistreatment and interracial relationships and emotions connected with being raised black in America, all boils down to one thing: not feeling accepted. When I consider my singleness, accom-panied by a desire to be married, I think about the word acceptance. Knowing my

own value and wanting that special someone to discover all my internal goodness is about acceptance. Working nine-to-five in a school system, with 7th and 8th graders who are still searching for their identities, I think of the word acceptance. Adolescents are all about wanting acceptance. Just this topic alone could be covered in a book. For the woman who thinks she’s not pretty enough; the man who’s weight has blown up to more than 350 pounds; the elderly person living alone and lonely; the orphan who never knew the love of a mom and dad, demonstrates that accep-tance is a thing that all humans need and want. Various acting out, bouts of depression,

verbal outbursts and more ways than these may all be expressions of per-sons in need of feeling accepted. Let’s agree to open our eyes to that in our-selves and others. No matter what our looks, levels of mental capability, native language, economic or class status, learning to accept others of obvious difference is in the growth process. Underneath our various exteriors, we are all people in need of being accepted. To go beyond tolerance and accept means embrac-ing the very core of who another per-son is. And that takes work on all our parts. Let’s get to work!

ByByByBy Bobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie CollinsBobbie Collins, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent, An Illinois Correspondent

Acceptance

Very active in leading worship while singing praise songs, there was a song I could not stand. And of course, one day that song was being sung. So in our little corner, the Pastor and I had words back and forth about my dislike. When we came up for air, we overheard a church member saying afterward to the person that had lead the song, "Today...that

song touched me in a very special way."

Since I never want to live with robbing a church member of their joy, I was grate-ful she didn't overhear mine and the Pastor's conversation. And I was hum-bled that day, realizing that the Spirit of God may have me do a song for obedi-ence reasons or actually for bringing forth the SACRIFICE of praise. The lesson learned was that I cannot be a member

of the ME church.

When we are part of the ME church, we

forget that there are others who are at the table to be spiritually fed. We tend to let our selfish personalities stunt the growth of the local church, forget-ting there may be a hundred people present and only 40 may be members of the ME

(or self-centered) church.

We have to cancel those ME member-ships and come into the fullness of the joy that is community, church commu-nity. You don't have to like certain songs or everything you hear. Just remember someone seated near you could be hav-ing the time of their life, in the Lord, at

the very moment you are miserable.

Because I am not a fan of a lot of things, my wife says I'm already a grumpy old man. But I do want to see revival come. My thanks, my worship and praise of God has nothing to do with what hap-pens on the surface. So my vow is to

praise God as much during a hymn as during an Israel Houghton song. Lord, I cancel my membership to the ME church

and I'm making this all about you!

Another thing: There is only one time that ME is an ok attitude during corpo-rate worship and church service. It goes back to an old song that says, "Lord, send a revival and let it start in ME. What we need most is the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost is free. Here's my cup, fill it up, as full as it can be. Lord send a re-

vival and let it start in ME."

A prayer of mine is to become so self-less that the only voice I ever hear is the voice of God. Won't you consider with me that it's time we step up and be what he has called us to be. And that really does involve canceling the ME, ME, ME men-

tality.

By Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr., A Florida CorrespondentBy Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr., A Florida CorrespondentBy Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr., A Florida CorrespondentBy Pastor J.J. Fletcher Jr., A Florida Correspondent

Cancel Your Membership To

The ME Church

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“Storm That Drowned a City”

TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010

5/18, 8:00-9:00 PM:

A minute-by-minute eyewitness account of

the Hurricane Katrina disaster.