In this episode, Whitney sits down with Kendall Isadore, one of the first friends she made during her college years at Howard University. Together, they talk about Kendall’s powerful trio, The String Queens — a soulful and authentic strings trio that creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel, and imagine!

Kendall shares the story of how The String Queens came to be; a story that is clearly orchestrated by God and full of right place, right time moments. But a moment that almost didn’t happen. Kendall talks about a brief moment after college where, mad at God for not delivering on his promise to use her sound to inspire people, she stopped playing her violin altogether. But God spoke a word that would change everything. 

“Before that year was up, God had a word for me. He said, ‘It’s actually not about you.’” - Kendall Isadore  

And with that, she picked her instrument back up. Kendall agreeing to trust God at that moment and saying yes to doing it His way opened up the entire world to her. Leading her to some of the world's greatest stages such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. 

The duo discusses Kendall’s mission as a Black woman orchestra teacher; an experience neither of them had growing up in music education programs. Kendall then shares that her goal is to give her students a world-class education because that’s what they deserve no matter their background and even if they don’t aspire to become professional musicians. 

And in true Howard woman fashion, they end their conversation talking about social justice.  In 2018 Kendall launched a social impact movement called Black Kings/Queens Matter, and with the events of 2020, she knew it was the perfect time to relaunch and inspire Black Kings and Queens. 

Kendall is truly making an impact.

To listen to more episodes, visit: www.honortogod.com/episodes/ 

About the Guest:

Kendall Isadore is a Washington, DC-based educator, creator of the Black Kings/Queens Matter movement, and one-third of the world-renowned trio The String Queens. Based in Washington, D.C., TSQ members have been featured in famed performance venues across four continents including Carnegie Hall, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Howard Theatre, Royal Festival Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Shanghai Grand Theatre, The Moscow Conservatory, and Blues Alley, to name a few. Recognized by D.C.’s leading news network WUSA9 as “school teachers by day and concert performers by night”, they have been honored as the 2020 Aspire Awardees by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They also collaborated with Washington Performing Arts to launch a series of concerts and educational outreach programs with the orga

In this episode, Whitney shares how she went from starting her dream business to taking a job that took her off the path of God. After constant questions about her getting a “real job”, Whitney eventually gave into other people’s wishes and it has taken her almost a decade to realize she is on a really long detour. 

Tune in to hear how 2020, a year of incredible stillness and quietness and her ‘bout with sickness caused her to open her eyes to the reality of her life: she was living a life she didn’t choose. 

“I thought, if this is it for me, I would be dying with so many talents unshared and so many dreams unfulfilled. So I just said, ‘God if you get me through this I won’t let this continue to be my story.’” 

Whitney is still accepting that she’s lived a life she doesn’t love, but God is calling her to move different, to do some things in a new way. 

Listen to find out how four words from Tracee Ellis Ross have become a mantra for her this year and are helping her move in new ways. Also, hear how she’s sleeping more than she ever has in her life and how that's a part of God's plan, too. 

If God has given you a word to move and you trust that it’s his word, that word is enough to do it. And you have to do it now. But even if you’ve gotten off the path, like Whitney did for so many years, God can still restore the years just like he’s doing for her. 

To listen to more episodes, visit: www.honortogod.com/episodes/ 

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Learn more about our Pod Manager, Crys & Tiana by visiting their website www.crysandtiana.com or Follow them on social @crysandtiana

There are many external things that may make you feel like you can’t do the thing God wants you to do, from money to location to lack of support. But how do we deal with internal obstacles that hold us back, like mental illness? 

In this episode, Whitney briefly shares her experience with anxiety and the hit it took on her confidence, especially in the realm of creativity. Then, she welcomes her low-key cousin Tashara, who has taught her so much about how to live with mental illness and to take leaps of faith to do what she was created to do. Tashara speaks on her journey of bravery to becoming a therapist and how she launched her latest venture, Brave by TJ, a subscription box service that helps people manage their mental health. 

Tashara shares what led her to leave a well-paying job to move back to Alabama and get an internship, which eventually led her to start becoming a person she didn’t want to be. She describes how she knew God was going to catch her after quitting her job and carry her through a risky period of unemployment. She speaks on her experience reconciling and dealing with anxiety and depression while knowing He still had a calling for her.

“It can’t own me, it can’t be my mark or my stamp, it’s just a piece of me and that’s fine. There’s other pieces.”  - Tashara Janae

The duo discusses the church’s role in mental health and Tashara divulges her candid thoughts on having mental healthcare practitioners in churches. She then expresses how she gives herself grace during anxious and depressive moments.

 If 2020 has taught them anything, it’s that it’s important to take your time, slow down, listen to your body, and take days off to nurture yourself (because you want to, not because you have to!). You’re not doing the work alone, you’re doing it in tandem with God.

To listen to more episodes, visit: www.honortogod.com/episodes/ 

About the Guest:
Tashara Janae, affectionately known as TJ, is the owner, creator and CEO of Brave by TJ. She is also a pastor, a therapist, a worshipper, a creative, an introvert, and most importantly, a Southern Belle. Tashara lives her life as a servant of God who is incredibly grateful that He trusts her with His message. Tashara is committed to sharing the gospel by being creative, innovative, and theologically sound.

Brave by TJ is a monthly curated subscription box with tips on coping with anxiety and depression.

To learn more, visit Tashara’s website: www.bravebytj.com

 Follow Tashara on Instagram: www.instagram.com/TasharaJanae
Connect with her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/TasharaJanae

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Do you ever hear God whisper something to you and you think, “Nah… That’s not for me…”? 

In this episode of First Giving Honor To God Podcast, Whitney shares a powerful story that began at last year’s Transformation Church Conference, only a few months after she had regained her faith. God told her she needed to come back to her creativity, revealing a vision of some sort of media company. She didn’t take this lightly, in fact, she wasn’t exactly thrilled that God had spoken this to her! With non-stop reminders, nudges, and confirmations from The Spirit over the months following that moment, she was honored, yet still resistant to this calling. 

Tune in to hear how an Instagram post gave her the courage to start the media company God had been asking her to start for 7 months and how you can pursue your thing —from being an actress to an accountant — and worship God through it.

Whitney is still learning to trust God’s voice that she’s on the right path. She invites you to join her on this journey of exploration and storytelling from people who are also on their unique path following God’s word. 

“This is going to be a place where we’re going to learn and grow together, it’s not going to be me leading you as much as it’s going to be us learning what God would have for us to do together.”                                                                                  - Whitney Hall

Listen in to hear the words that drastically changed her mindset regarding work and being creative, changing her perspective of His word from being assignment-oriented to opportunity-oriented. Stay tuned as Whitney shares the heartwarming results of these changes and the emotions that are arising from the evolution of her faith.                                                            

If God has put something on your heart, no matter what it is and how you feel about it, offer it up to God as worship, because direction will be given and it will create change within you! Ask yourself: Is this going to make God feel loved and worshipped if I do this? Is this what He wants from me?

To listen to more episodes, visit: www.honortogod.com/episodes/ 

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In the trailer episode, Whitney shared how in 2016 she went from turning her back to the big vision God placed on her heart to surrendering to God in 2019 at a conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A three (3) year journey that took her from being lost and confused to understanding that her creative pursuits - playing guitar, singing,  photography, etc — are important and they matter to God. 

Whitney introduces us to how she hopes to share through her bi-weekly podcast episodes the story of how she quit creativity, the lessons she has learned, and how God went on a campaign to bring her back to who she is and the HUGE vision he’s placed on her heart. 

She will not only be sharing her journey with you but tagging in some friends, and colleagues, all to show you that your thing matters to God, too. Whether it’s medical school, acting, or music, it’s all part of God’s plan.

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