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Chosen Journey: Toyalove's Non-Linear Path in Christian Hip-Hop

Chosen Journey: Toyalove's Non-Linear Path in Christian Hip-Hop

Source: R1 Digital / R1
Toyalove is carving a unique space within Christian hip-hop with her authentic voice and meaningful music. But her path to this platform has been anything but linear. A former athlete with dreams of playing professional basketball, she faced adversity when her height became a barrier, leading to moments of personal struggle. 'That's the first time I truly felt depression,' she shared, reflecting on the period when her identity seemed inextricably tied to basketball. Yet, amidst the heartbreak, she found a profound connection to faith and purpose.
'Before, I didn't know myself,' Toya explained. 'Christ is where my identity lies… it makes you better, it makes you bolder.' Her devotion led her to channel her love for poetry into music. The transformation from penning verses in her dorm to recording in a studio an hour from home marked the beginning of her artistic career. 'I did a freestyle, and my homeboy said, 'You need to take it serious.' That started it all.'
Toya's music goes beyond mere melodies; it uplifts and inspires. 'I think people want healing music because everybody's going through something,' she said. For her, the goal is to provide substance and encouragement through soulful hooks and reflective lyrics.
Despite facing criticism and doubts, including from loved ones, Toya remains steadfast. 'What a privilege… God chose me to do it,' she affirmed. Now, as she gears up for new projects in 2025, she's more determined than ever to use her platform to spread positivity and purpose. 'The rise of Christian hip-hop is here, and we're just getting started.'
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Chosen Journey: Toyalove's Non-Linear Path in Christian Hip-Hop was originally published on hotspotatl.com
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What It Means to Be a Mystic Girl
What It Means to Be a Mystic Girl

Atlantic

time2 days ago

  • Atlantic

What It Means to Be a Mystic Girl

When I was little, I asked God for straight hair. I begged him to persuade my ballet instructor to let me dance en pointe instead of holding me back to give my ankles another year to strengthen. And I prayed that my parents would send me to Camp Mystic. These are the kinds of things girls think about and talk about with one another, and with God. I grew up in Austin, Texas, and every third girl I knew went to Mystic, the Christian girls' camp that was devastated by flooding last week. Every year a camper goes, she gets a letter made of felt to bring home, representing one of the camp's two 'tribes'— T for Tonkawa or K for Kiowa. I had one of my first tastes of jealousy in seeing the string of red letters grow, summer after summer, on my childhood best friend's bulletin board. When I got to the University of Texas, my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, was full of women who had gone to Mystic. The Mystic Girls always said they have an unbreakable bond, one that lasts through life. 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'If God is real, why did this boy say something mean to me?' 'If God is real, why didn't I get Head Belle on the Highland Park Belles team?' If God is real, why were at least 27 campers and counselors at Mystic swept into the Guadalupe and killed? Many people don't understand what summer camp means to Texans. It is not just a way to keep kids occupied when school is out of session and the heat makes you feel like you can't breathe. It's a way of life. And Mystic is one of the oldest and most prestigious camps in the Texas Hill Country. Former First Lady Laura Bush was a counselor. President Lyndon B. Johnson's daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters attended. Campers have included the daughters of three Texas governors. My parents, transplants from the Northeast, didn't understand why a summer camp was so expensive. Mystic might sound stuffy, but my friends often say it was the place in the world where they felt the most free, the most uninhibited—a place where faces were freckled and untouched by makeup. There were no electronics. No boys. No parents. The camp offered archery, riflery, horseback riding, basketball, and competitive canoeing. The refrain I've heard repeated in texts, Instagram posts, and prayers since the July 4 flood is 'Mystic is love.' Olivia told me that campers sang all the time, everywhere. They sang even in the back of a school bus last week— 'That's how it is with God's love (praise God!) / Once you've experienced it / You spread his love to everyone / You want to pass it on'—as they were evacuated out of the destruction. Mystic knew that campers would come back summer after summer, so the same group of girls always shared a cabin, with names such as Bubble Inn and Giggle Box. The oldest campers were called aides; a year later, many of those girls returned as counselors. 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Assisted Living Locators Opens San Fernando Valley Office
Assisted Living Locators Opens San Fernando Valley Office

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Los Angeles-headquartered Assisted Living Locators, a nationwide senior placement and referral service, has announced the opening of its San Fernando Valley office, providing expert, no-cost guidance to families exploring senior living and in-home care solutions. The new location is owned and operated by Regie Hernandez, senior living advisor/owner, who will serve communities across Northridge, Pacoima, San Fernando, Sylmar, Van Nuys, Panorama City and surrounding neighborhoods. 'Helping families navigate life's later-life transitions with dignity, honesty and compassion is my calling,' said Hernandez. 'My background in supply-chain and financial planning, coupled with years of pastoral and community service, has taught me that trust is everything. By partnering with Assisted Living Locators, I can combine professional experience with a heart for service, guiding seniors toward informed choices that safeguard their well-being and future.' A long-time Los Angeles resident, Hernandez has led community initiatives as a volunteer Christian pastor and neighborhood council director, operated a successful photography business, and most recently cultivated strong, trust-based relationships as an insurance agent with New York Life. Supported by family members active in the healthcare industry, he is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized guidance to seniors and their loved ones. Assisted Living Locators of San Fernando Valley offers personalized senior-care assessments for safety, cleanliness and quality of care. Assisted Living Locators is part of the Evive Brands family. Founded in 2003, the organization is dedicated to providing compassionate care and expert guidance to families navigating senior living options. Information sourced from Evive Brands. Learn more by contacting rgrundemann@

Tired of put-downs, Tennessee town corrects the record with play about the Scopes trial it hosted
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Hamilton Spectator

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In directing the play on the trial's 100th anniversary, Buck says he is working toward the same mission Dayton leaders had a century ago. 'I am building up the buzz about this town, getting people here to get them excited, putting Dayton on the map,' Buck said. 'Maybe we are trying to use this story and this trial to get a little attention to this specific place.' The descendant Jacob Smith, 23, didn't realize his connection to the most famous trial until he started studying history. His great-great-great-grandmother's brother was Walter White, the county superintendent of schools and one of the key figures who brought the trial to Dayton. Smith plays Dudley Field Malone, a defense attorney for Scopes who gave speeches as equally impassioned and memorable during the trial as Bryan and Darrow. One of Smith's favorite lines to deliver is a reference to the so-called battle between the two sides in court. 'He basically says, 'There is never a duel with the truth,'' Smith said. 'He said, 'It always wins. It is no coward. It does not need the law, the forces of government, or,' and he pauses, 'Mr. Bryan.'' Smith is currently the county archivist, and he delights in seeing people visit Dayton's original courthouse with its squeaky and shiny wood floors, tall windows and impressive stairs that lead up to the wide courtroom on the second floor. 'You can hold the handrails going up to that circuit courtroom, just like those lawyers would have done and all those spectators would have done back in 1925,' Smith said. The 'Great Commoner' Larry Jones has acted in community and local theater since childhood, so he thought he knew the story of the Scopes trial after performing in a production of 'Inherit the Wind.' He later realized the famous play was taking creative liberties to make the trial a metaphor for something else captivating the nation's attention at the time: McCarthyism . Jones plays the role of Bryan, a famous Christian orator and populist politician whose speeches earned him the nickname of 'the Great Commoner.' He says the hardest part was not learning the lengthy speeches Bryan gives during the trial, but rather the sparring he must do when Darrow unexpectedly puts Bryan on the stand to defend the literal truth of the Bible. 'I'm just having to respond spontaneously, and it feels spontaneous every time,' Jones said. 'So part of my mind is going, 'Oh my gosh, is that the right cue? Am I going to say the right thing?'' Jones said audiences still connect to the retelling of the trial a century later because these are issues they continue to deal with . 'People are still arguing the same case,' Jones said. 'What is the role of the federal government or the state government in public school systems? What should be allowed? What shouldn't be allowed? What can parents exert influence over for their children's sake? Whether it's evolution or whether it's literature or any of the political issues that are abundant today, it still is the same argument.' No conclusion The outcome of the trial was no great surprise. The jury found Scopes guilty after a few minutes of deliberation. The defense attorneys' goal all along, however, was to take the legal argument to a higher court. Today, Dayton embraces its place in history with the annual celebration of the trial. Businesses advertise and promote the 'Monkey trial.' And locals have adopted the phrase: 'Dayton has evolved.' 'We're dusting off a very old story, but it's very new,' said Buck. 'It's very, very right now.' ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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