It’s never too late!
You can’t allow any mistakes from your past to hinder you
from moving forward in your purpose and God’s promise for your life. Minister
Almena L. Mayes is a firm believer in this. As a junior at North Carolina
A&T State University, Almena found herself pregnant and unwed. She left
school to provide for her child and after two failed marriages and two more
children found herself spinning her wheels and at a perpetual stand still. Taking this situation in hand, Almena
returned to school. Graduating with honors, she earned a degree in Professional
English/ Writing from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Almena is
a licensed minister who serves as an associate at Coley Springs Missionary
Baptist Church in Warrenton, North Carolina and as Executive Pastor for the
Soul Restoration Center in Dallas, Georgia. She also serves as a facilitator
for the Pink Pulpit, a ministry founded and directed by Dr. Marilyn Porter. The
Pink Pulpit provides opportunities for female ministers to gain spiritual
knowledge, support each other and share God’s word across the country.
In 1996, Almena was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She
has worked diligently to advocate for patients with chronic illnesses. She has
chaired many focus groups addressing the issues relating to long and short term
disabilities and the impact these illnesses have on family ties and
relationships.
Almena became a teacher in Warren County, a rural county in
North Carolina, where she was able to impact the lives of many and became a
popular and effective part of a growing school system. She became the
county-wide cheerleading coach, creating innovative programs for young women
from elementary school to high-school. She integrated self-esteem building into
her cheer programs. Teaching young women to not only respect themselves but to
command respect from others has become her life- long goal.
Minister Mayes believes that to truly affect a change one
must be transparent. In 2015 she authored the best-selling,
semi-autobiographical, inspirational work, Just
Eat the Beans. In Just Eat the Beans
she shares her experiences and the knowledge she gained through prayer,
reflection and self-esteem building. Believing that life may give us many
challenges but it is how we address those challenges and move on from them
determines how much joy and purpose we find, Minister Mayes penned a revealing
and thought provoking work that has gained international acclaim. When speaking of this work, Minister Mayes
says, “We all love steak dinners, but sometimes we only have beans. We can sit
around and be hungry, refusing to eat our beans; or we can eat the beans, build
our strength and have steak in the future.
We can wallow in misery or we can get up, dust ourselves off and move
forward.”
In addition to being an accomplished educator and writer,
Minister Mayes hosts and internationally broadcasted radio show of the same
title. Just Eat the Beans Radio addresses current events, financial issues and
other topics that affect society with an inspirational twist. Just Eat the
Beans airs weekly in 160 counties around the world.
In 2017, Almena founded Cre8 Your Reality LLC. This
corporate entity focuses on creating an outlet for women to explore publishing
opportunities. Believing that testimony
is the best form of self-help, Almena says that everyone has a story that needs
to be told. Her ultimate goal is to see people grow from their own experiences
thus becoming more self-aware and more self-loving.
Almena has several works that will be available Summer 2017.
Standing in My Zero, Almena’s sophomore work, will address the need for
individuals to understand that when you remove negativity from your life you
have to rest in the emptiness until you gain positive direction. Subsequent titles, Dear Future Husband; Letters from a Former Wife and Keeping It One
Hundred will also be available later in the year. Almena continues to
advocate for women, youth and those who contend with chronic illness.
For
information regarding publishing opportunities, public appearances or speaking
engagements you may contact Almena at
her email and/or on Facebook.
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