The Inspiration-The WHOLE Story

On a Sunday morning in 2001, I was watching Grove Avenue Church on NBC12. The pastor at the time asked a question at the end of his sermon, “What do you want to do? Tell God what you want to do.” I stood in my apartment between the living room and dining area, looking at my 13” TV, and said to God, “I want to make a film🎬. A film that will touch thousands of people!” Being a playwright, I had scripts already registered in the Library of Congress with copyrights. I faced obstacles writing and directing plays for church. Also, I was tired of having to write to explain how someone was feeling, when a camera could capture that half page of words in a look. I saw the elaborate sets, many people, music, and everything! But it wasn’t feasible, because in 2001, FILM SCHOOL was almost a REQUIREMENT. I stuck with that prayer, though, hoping that one day it would happen. I had friends praying over my request. I even had one who saw a vision. I need to call her.

I continued to write plays and kept my dream in my back pocket.

In 2014 at a Women with Mission and Purpose Conference (WWMP) for New Deliverance Evangelical Church (NDEC), the late Bishop Gerald O. Glenn was preaching for our final session. I have no idea what he said about the disciples, but I clearly heard from the Holy Spirit, “The Disciple Monologues”. Seconds later, “That is the name of your next project,” (or play, I’m unsure). Sitting in the back with the Anointed Movements of Deliverance praise dancers, I turned behind me to Christine Bates and a little too excitedly told her what I had just heard. I knew she would indulge my enthusiasm. I hurriedly wrote the name on my Women’s Conference pad so that I wouldn’t forget. As I was telling her the revelation, the ideas about what it was going to be started pouring out of my mouth as they were being “downloaded” to my head. I had to stop because I didn’t want to be disruptive to the service, but boy, I don’t think I heard another word that session from Bishop. 😬

I started writing down who the Disciples were going to be. I knew Peter was number one on my list!

Today, August 11, 2025, I was cleaning up my old pc and found the original outline written in 2015, which has my original twelve disciples. 😃

Looking at the character outlines, I didn’t stray far from the original ideas, a couple of characters were changed; no Joseph of Arimathea (although he makes an an appearance in “The Wood”), but the stories were more informational than inspirational.

Peter was Jesus’ “Ride or Die” disciple. Talitha’s story is the same. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were to tell the story of the conflict of the Council of the Sanhedrin; Nicodemus’ story concept remained similar. Mary & Martha were a duo. There were to be four blind men. Mary Magdalene’s story is the same. Brother James was to chronicle his Brother Jesus’ life, and Mother Mary was to discuss the Virgin Birth. Judas, noosed, was to commit suicide on set. Adam’s basic story remains the same.

So, I began researching in the Bible, the Apocrypha, the Torah, Messianic articles, and the Qur’an about Jesus and these wonderfully unassuming people. 📚

Although I tried to write about Peter, the first story out was Mary Magdalene. I assigned her to Bria Samone Henderson, who had been one of my Praise Dancers and a budding spoken word artist. Bria recorded Mary Magdalene on film for me, and the intention was to use this short in a combo of films.

The next one out of the box was “The Wood”, the perspective of Mother Mary about wood. I thought of Monica Vannoy. I asked her, and she said yes. The next story that I knew I had to have was about the healed blind men. I originally wanted four people, but Corey Marshall had already performed a one-man show at the Henrico Theater, and I took a chance and asked him. He also said, “Yes”. Neither knew that it would be ten years later before we finally brought these stories from paper to screen. 📙📽

Nine years and two degrees later, I finally finished “Peter”🎣 and created, “The Angel of the Chasm”😇. I had no idea where to go next, because after turning sixty, I allowed the enemy to kill my confidence😔. I saw no way to get this assignment any further than on my computer and printed on paper. I was truly discouraged about ever making a film for the Kingdom, even though the obstacles that were in my way in 2001 were no longer, thanks to cameras on phones, editing software, and Terabytes. I thought I was too old and had lost the opportunity to fulfill my assignment. And then I truly heard loudly in my spirit, the words, “It’s Time”⏰️. The enemy can kill your confidence, but he can’t kill your God-given dream!😌

This is the second time that I heard God say, “It’s Time”. The first was June 25th, 2018, He had warned me six months before, so I was obedient to see where He was taking me. So this, “It’s Time,” was scary and exciting, and I moved without hesitation; but to where⁉️

I still didn’t have instructions. I had “starred” in a short film written and directed by my playwright friend, Alethea McCollin🎭, so I called her. “What do I do?” (paraphrasing). She said, “You need to have a table read.” So I gathered some willing vict…troops, and we met for the first time in the now beloved “Willow Room” at the Midlothian Library, and I heard my words come to life. On Saturday, October 19th, 2024, ten years after conception, I met with a few old and new friends to hear the words I wrote character by character. To have the words move from a conceptual format to an audible one was strange. Some of these characters came to life. I also realized that I am a long-winded storyteller🫡. I know this is from reading novels that immersed me in the writer’s world, and also that I have been a playwright for a while where every emotion has to be told with words to get the reader to come along on the journey. At this point, I didn’t know if the concept was good, so I queried my friends. They thought it would be cool to see these biblical characters on the screen telling these eclectic stories.

I had a lot of work to do, and some edits, but I saw the possibilities. Some people from that table read are in the film today. Some volunteered, and some were “voluntold.” God placed every single one of them, and I am grateful-I love my cast🧡.

At the time of this writing, the filming is complete. The editing is in progress. So, Tempest and I will be poring over 5 TB of footage💻🎞💻

I cannot tell you how many God moments, God people, God ideas were infused at every step, especially my production team led by Chris Saint John. Even THAT is a God story!! Well, I hope I don’t disappoint. My mission is to keep my nose to the grindstone, my ears peeled, and my hands to the plow as I receive more instructions that I pray give you a point of view of Jesus Christ of Nazareth that makes you a little hungry to know about Him, teaches about the ordinary becoming extraordinary, and gives hope to the hopeless, doubtful, and resistant. After working with the cast, I want you to see how beautiful they are. I thank you for reading this far, and hope that you enjoy the film for all of the right reasons. I’m not telling you to be saved. I’m not telling you to go to church. I’m telling you to “Try Jesus”. Give Him a shot, and expect a response. I mean, hey, this is the Gospel, the Good News in twelve bite-sized pieces. I hope to leave you with your own fresh “point of view”🎬