GRIEF THROUGH HIS EYES VOLUME 2 NATIONAL MEDIA COVERAGE: Virginia athletic coach Raymond Colston on his latest authorship project: ‘A lot of people really never knew why I became angry with the staff at (Norfolk’s) Maury High School after I left’
Andre Johnson 
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard that went down to the skirts of his garments. As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. (Psalm 133:1-3 KJV)
COACHING WITH A PURPOSE
Raymond Colston fielded the heaven-mandated command as if he expected it.
“Immediately…without hesitation, God spoke to me and said you have more healing to do,” Colston, during an interview this week with Making Headline News, said, recalling the memorable developments surrounding his fourth authorship project. “So (God said) you have to write this story.”
Say nothing more, Colston sensed.
That is because this Norfolk, Virginia-based athletic-coach-turned-writer wasted little time making his presence felt as one of 15 co-authors to collaborate by collectively producing Grief Through His Eyes: Seeing Grief From His Point Of View Volume 2, Visionary Author Deborah Juniper-Frye’s highly-anticipated, Amazon Bestselling anthology that is accompanied by a variety of life-altering stories by her male counterparts.
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As part of Making Headline News’ 2023 Essence Music Festival advance coverage leading to the “the party with a purpose” event June 29-July 3 in New Orleans, Colston spoke about how he relishes his latest book project, which comes approximately one year after he joined the inaugural Grief Through His Eyes: Seeing Grief From His Point Of View, an anthology that debuted Father Day weekend 2022.
“The single most underlying motive (for collaborating with this anthology) was to help people who have been overlooked and placed on the back burner when it comes to opportunities they have sacrificed for,” Colston, a Norfolk native, told MHN. “The hard truth is that no matter what we feel that we are deserving, God has the final say so.”
The director of Coach Ray Inspires, his Norfolk, Virginia-based youth empowerment practice that is committed to helping youths become the best version of themselves, Colston said he’s appreciative of — and doesn’t take lightly — his godly connection with Juniper-Frye, whom he credits for helping him press and navigate through a vital portion of his life’s grieving process.
A TRUE INSPIRATION
“I began writing this chapter immediately when I got the okay from Mama Frye, as I call her,” Colston recalls. “I finished my chapter in January as soon as I could. It was extremely therapeutic. The more I wrote, the more release I felt. The divine message is to trust God and understand that His clock may not always match ours in regard to what we believe we are deserving of. Also, understand that He is preparing a better opportunity for you. The trick is to trust Him and remain obedient so you can see why He said no to the previous opportunity in the first place.”
Since word spread about his latest book publishing adventure, Colston has become the beneficiary of a rash of rave reviews.
“Good feedback,” he said. “A lot of people really never knew why I became angry with the staff at (Norfolk’s) Maury High School after I left. It was my own ignorance and childish behavior that made me angry. I never consulted God to find out His reasoning for me not taking over the (football) program.”
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Interestingly enough, Colston said sharing his truths and, most importantly, seeking a consulting God for divine sense of direction has, by all accounts, freed him of the strongholds that had previously kept his bound for weary for some unceremonious since exodus from Maury High.
“This book is a part of my purpose is because from the moment God said no to me getting that position, He has continued to place me in opportunities to act on my purpose to influence the next generation’s growth,” Colston, a well-respected community youth advocate, explained. “God has positioned me to be a leader in my community and also given me a vision that I am working to ensure happens.
“A lot of things that I was trying to do in Norfolk to help the youth and was told I could not do it,” Colston continued. “God has positioned me to have the ear of not only my immediate supervisors and administrators, but also people who work in the school board buildings. Through not allowing me the head coaching position I so truly thought I deserved, God has expanded my range and reach as a mentor and motivational speaker. I truly attribute all of what I have and what I am gaining today — and in the near future — to God’s trust in me.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
“No matter what you deal with or go through, you are good enough and are not a failure. Despite sometimes when things do not work out the way we want them to, God has His hand on you and your purpose flows from Him. Be patient and obedient. God has you.”
Armed with more than a decade-and-a-half of experience in the education sector, Colston made his authorship debut in 2018 with the release of Cheat Codes For Student Athletes.
Consequently, Colston produced his sophomore written work when he composed Own It: Student Athletes And Accountability.
Other books, he said, are forthcoming.
EXTRA POINTS
“I am working on a book with all of the strategies that I use to mentor students and student-athletes,” Colston told MHN. “I am one man and God gave me a vision that I would be teaching mentors my strategies. Think of it like this: I am one man and, if I reach 20 kids, that’s cool. But imagine if I train 20 mentors how to reach 20 kids each. Look at how the numbers grow and how much impact we could have with saving the next generation. Because overall, that is God’s plan and I have been charged to see it through.”
Appropriately and eloquently said by this beloved athletic-coach-turned-author whom, much to his delight, if fulfilling his God-manifested purpose in large part because he fielded the heaven-mandated command as if he expected it.
Talk about crucial, figurative game-winning drive for the ages.
For more information about Norfolk, Virginia Author Raymond Colston, to order his books, or to schedule him for a public appearance or book signing, call 757.940.6959 or connect with him via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachrayinspires; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lstokes44/?hl=en; Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachrayinspire; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachrayinspires/. Also, send email to: [email protected].
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Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist or Instagram at @makingheadlinenews.
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