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Above: Two girls from the village of Bahaya, one of the poorest areas that we were in, and where my mother and sister were born.

In July I journeyed to Haiti for the first time, and able to visit and meet family there, as well as visit various cities (Port Au Prince, Forte Liberte, Cap Haitien and some others), churches and hospitals. The trip was bittersweet with joyful moments laughing and talking with aunts, uncles and loads of cousins (many loads), but also being reminded of the shaking of the earth a few months before in the faces of those who survived, and how so many were lost on the ground we walked on.

Seeing the country for the first time in my life was an eye-opener for me. In cracking walls I thought of the standing structure I call home in the U.S. In the children asking for loose change I thought of change that is often disregarded in many purses and pockets. In the kindness of the people and resilience in their eyes I realized how grateful I am to be alive.

It is so humbling to know that we are each a few circumstances away from living eachother’s reality. Let’s remember the faces of Haiti in helping with the recovery and rebuilding of lives and homes; we would yearn the same compassion if we were in their place.

Visit A Home in Haiti for information on how you can help build schools and orphanages in Haiti. Click here to view more photos from my trip.

There’s Hope…

Note: I recently began a creative events inspiration blog and will be featuring inspiration for event decor, stationery, diy crafts and more. Click here to check out the blog.

I love doing event design, and have been doing various invitations for others and for my Dream Creations store lately. Here are a few designs that you can find in the store, which are some of my favorites:

Here are two bright animal print invitations, one of them which recently won a Zazzle Artist Award and is currently featured on Zazzle’s Sweet 16 Invitations page. I was inspired by bright nail art patterns I saw in a photo to create these designs. You can click on a design to purchase and customize.

Sweet 16 Invitation Bright Butterfly & Zebra Print by envibrance
Shop for more invitations on Zazzle.com

Neon Animal Print Sweet 16 Invitation by envibrance
make an announcement online at zazzle

On Dreamer ENT I had the honor of interviewing an inspiring young lady who is spreading the love of reading to the young and old alike. Check out my interview with Adele Ann Taylor founder of Adele’s Literacy Library below:

There’s nothing like a good book; you can immerse yourself in different worlds, share someone else’s experiences and ignite your own imagination to what’s possible in the world.

Adele Ann Taylor has such a passion for books and at the age of 13 decided she wanted to share her love for reading with other kids, to show them how much power it holds and how much fun it could be. This is why she founded her non-profit organization Adele’s Literacy Library™ (A.L.L.) in December 2008. The goal of A.L.L. is to “instill and empower that reading is not only fundamental, it is the key ingredient to success and through reading ALL things are possible.”

Throughout the past few years since founding A.L.L., Adele has already donated thousands of books and spoken to hundreds of kids about the power of reading. Her main goals are to donate millions of brand new books and bookmarks to schools, libraries and charitable organizations, and to “make a difference” in the lives of others through a book. She also wants to eventually offer scholarships to graduating seniors who want to pursue their educational dreams.

Adele was crowned Miss Heartland’s Outstanding Teen 2009, making her an official representative for the sister group to the Miss America Organization, and she was most recently crowned Miss Bonnie Blue Outstanding Teen 2010. She is also a featured Hero on the website Kids Are Heroes that shows that young people can make a difference in the world. Watch Adele in the video below from a Kids Are Heroes event, where she speaks about her organization and how other young people can become change-makers in their communities:

KidsAreHeroes.com Presents Adele Taylor

Adele aims to motivate people of all ages to develop a passion for reading and show them that “regardless of where you come from, you can go anywhere in the world by reading a book.” This inspiring teen spoke to Dreamer ENT about how she got started and what she’s up to now - ALL for the love of reading.

Dreamer ENT: Tell us about you - how old are you and what grade are you in, and a little bit of your background?

Adele Taylor: I am a 14-year-old freshman [will be entering 10th grade in the upcoming year]. I am the oldest of three; I have a younger brother and sister. I enjoy rock climbing, roller skating, ice skating, hanging out with my friends, dancing and of course reading.

DE: When and why did you start Adele’s Literacy Library? What sparked the idea and what did you do to get started?

Adele: Well, I love to read and I always have wanted to make a difference in the world. I started Adele’s Literacy library or A.L.L for short, because I wanted to empower people of ALL ages to read. I feel that there are so many people of all ages that don’t realize how important literacy is and how without it, you can’t achieve in life.

Basically, I approached my parents about what I wanted to do and they liked the idea. They hosted a fundraiser at our annual holiday party where every guest was to bring a brand new book. I collected over 200 books that night!

DE: When did you first have the passion for reading? Why do you believe it’s so important for young people, or anyone?

On Dream in Soul I interviewed Gospel artist Kirk Franklin about his new book The Blueprint. He dropped much knowledge about how to regard our gifts and talents and living above the storms in life. Read and listen to the interview below:

Pursuing A Life Mapped By the Maker

His music and ministry spans generations. From producer, to musician, speaker and host, Kirk Franklin’s ability to be both light-hearted with humor and raw with realness and honesty draws in people of all ages and backgrounds. Adding a new level of transparency and spiritual insight, Kirk Franklin launches his first book The Blueprint: A Plan for Living Above Life’s Storms on May 18. In the book he charts a guide of personable wisdom speaking on everything from faith and marriage to race and life in the black community. “The Blueprint” aims to inspire anyone to view and plan his or her life from an unearthly perspective.

Kirk Franklin spoke to Dream in Soul about the vision of the book, his ministry expanding into the Twitterverse, his definition of success, and creating a bridge between contemporary Christian and gospel music. Tune into the conversation below:

Dream in Soul: Hi, thank you so much for talking to me today, it’s such an honor. I wanted to start out by asking you what inspired you to write this book at this point in your life and what was your vision in writing it?

KF: The book came about because I’ve been doing a lot of public speaking, and speaking at colleges, churches, and conferences, and so people thought that it would be good that I did a book. So a couple of publishers became interested in the idea, and now here we are with “The Blueprint.”

DS: What was your vision, did you have a specific age group in mind when writing the book or is it for everyone?

On Dream in Soul I interviewed Marvin Sapp, pastor and Gospel artist whose latest album “Here I Am” has made a historical mark at No.2 on the Billboard 200 charts. Read and click below for the interview.

Here I Am: Interview With Marvin Sapp

Marvin Sapp’s latest album “Here I Am” has reached No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it the highest debuting Gospel release ever.*

“Here I Am”

Within the resounding success of his latest album “Here I Am,” and the breakthrough his previous project “Thirsty,” Marvin Sapp is still down-to-earth, thankful and even surprised at how his music has been embraced. Among the accomplishments he stays continually grounded in the purpose of his mission to reach the masses. As the senior pastor of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church in Michigan he stands firm in his creed “I am a preacher who happens to sing,” and presents both his messages and music with powerful, life-changing Word and truth.

“Here I Am” his eighth album, recorded live last October, is filled with heartfelt encouragement and a mix of musical arrangements from more traditional gospel to the more contemporary. The project and messages within are sure to be enjoyed by a range of people, clearly shown by the album’s surge to the No.1 position on Billboard’s Gospel and Christian charts and No.2 on the Billboard 200.

Marvin Sapp chatted with Dream in Soul about the vision behind the album, and also shared some Soul Dreamer Inspiration about ministry, industry, talent and calling. Read and listen in to the conversation below:

Dream in Soul: Hi Pastor Sapp, thank you for taking the time to speak to me today. Can you talk about where you are now since your last project “Thirsty” and what inspired you to create this new project “Here I Am”?

Marvin Sapp: Well this record “Here I Am” is just a tad bit different than “Thirsty.” “Thirsty” is a little more worshipful than this record. There’s worship on it, but this one is not only worship but is also a record that really strives to encourage and enrich, and to talk about personal identity, as pertaining to personal identity in Christ.

So many times we feel as if we are inadequate and that we don’t possess any abilities and skills to be able to accomplish the goals that God has set for us to accomplish and go after. “Here I Am” just speaks to that whole concept of people really understanding that man looks at the outward appearance but it’s God who looks at the heart, and how we don’t need people to define us.

DS: Definitely, the song “Never Would Have Made It,” touched a lot of lives and had great success. Did you come into this new project with any type of expectations, fears or hopes?

DS: Definitely, I know the song “The Best in Me” was very also popular when it came out. Were you surprised at how successful it is right now?

I’ve added some new items to my Envibrance Dream Creations Store. Click on a name below to see the item:

I recently sold a copy of this Sweet Dreams Cupcake Cloud Poster (pictured below in the center) featuring tasty cupcakes suspending from a polka-dotted sky. The poster reads: “Dare to live the dreams in your heart; they’ll make the world a sweeter place.”

I’m also starting a line for girls called “Little Dreamer,” to inspire them to dream big (see a sample shirt pictured above and below). You can click here and here to see the first two shirts.

Also featured in the store is this Dreamer t-shirt and tote bag for women and the “Profit a Man” t-shirt for men.