{"id":14189,"date":"2012-04-26T15:22:08","date_gmt":"2012-04-26T19:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/?p=14189"},"modified":"2012-04-26T14:40:30","modified_gmt":"2012-04-26T18:40:30","slug":"talented-brothers-prevailed-in-spite-of-early-trials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/?p=14189","title":{"rendered":"Talented Brothers prevailed In Spite Of Early Trials"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY TAMECA JOHNSON<\/strong>
\n Freelance Writer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Norman<\/strong> and Alexander (Alex) Harris<\/strong> are two phenomenal young men.\u00a0\u00a0 They are brothers who grew up in a small Georgia town just southeast of Atlanta. They are both barely in their thirties, one might call them gifted; but in light of the challenges they\u2019ve overcome, many call them blessed.<\/p>\n

Their story goes far beyond the degrees they\u2019ve earned, or the professions they hold.\u00a0 Their history serves as inspiration on the power of prayer and the importance of faith.<\/p>\n

The Harris<\/strong> brothers are natives of Manchester, Georgia.\u00a0 They are the sons of a preacher and a teacher and were born with the gifts of music and song.\u00a0 Both were members of the award winning singing group A7<\/strong>, which included their three brothers and a god brother.<\/p>\n

In 2006, the group released the single \u201cDon\u2019t Walk Away;\u201d<\/em> a hit that spent weeks on Billboard\u2019s Gospel top 20 charts. Alex<\/strong>, 31, served as lead vocalist and through the years, his music has evolved into more than a passion.\u00a0 It\u2019s now his profession.<\/p>\n

After completing undergraduate studies in Sociology and Psychology at LaGrange College in Georgia, Alex<\/strong> attended graduate school at Harvard University, earned Master\u2019s Degrees in Social Work and Theology at Boston University and studied classical voice extensively.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s shared his talents with the world and has performed with artists that include Al Green,<\/strong> Patti Labelle,<\/strong> Eric Benet<\/strong> and John Legend<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 He even founded his own consulting firm, LX Entertainment, based in St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always tell my kids \u2018don\u2019t forget your story,\u2019\u201d says Pastor James Harris<\/strong>, father of Alex<\/strong> and Norman<\/strong>.\u00a0 He and his wife, Carolyn<\/strong> have a total of eight children.\u00a0 \u201cWe didn\u2019t plan it,\u201d Mrs. Harris<\/strong> admits. \u201cI just said \u2018however many the Lord will, that\u2019s how many I would have.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Their trust in God was consistently put to the test.\u00a0 Pastor Harris<\/strong> reflects on a time just before Alex<\/strong> was born. \u201cThe Lord spoke and said \u2018His name should be Alexander, for he shall conquer\u2019.\u201d But it seemed that prophesy would not come to pass.<\/p>\n

Shortly after Alex\u2019s<\/strong> birth, doctors discovered he had a hernia.\u00a0 Months later the condition worsened, leaving the toddler at the brink of death.\u00a0 Pastor Harris<\/strong> carried Alexander\u2019<\/strong>s limp body to \u201cA House of the Living God Church of Jesus Christ,\u201d the church where he still serves as Senior Pastor today. He laid his son at the altar and cried out to God.\u00a0 \u201cI prayed and the Holy Spirit said \u2018at 11:30 I will heal him\u2019.\u201d\u00a0 Pastor Harris<\/strong> stood on that promise and returned home with his son.<\/p>\n

He remembers, everyone watching the clock.\u00a0 Then a miracle happened.\u00a0 At 11:30 that chilly fall night in 1981 the family says Alexander<\/strong> was miraculously healed and has not had a health issue since.<\/p>\n

His older brother Norman<\/strong> has a similar story.\u00a0 The 34-year-old Tampa attorney and founder of the Ybor City based law firm, Harris Law Group, is an ordained minister who considers himself a \u201cmiracle child whose life demonstrates the \u2018yes\u2019 of God in a \u2018no\u2019 situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shortly after Norman\u2019s<\/strong> mother learned she was pregnant with him, doctors discovered she had a rare blood type that put her life and her unborn baby\u2019s life in jeopardy.<\/p>\n

Norman\u2019s<\/strong> dad remembers how doctors called him and strongly suggested that his wife abort the baby.\u00a0 \u201cI was working as a high school teacher and drove home crazy to get to her.\u201d But, when Pastor Harris<\/strong> arrived to follow through on doctors\u2019 orders, his wife had a proclamation of her own.\u00a0 \u201cShe said, \u2018you\u2019re going to do what you need to be doing, which is to pray\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy family, her family our friends were enraged because we didn\u2019t listen to the doctors.\u201d\u00a0 Pastor Harris<\/strong> says living through that time marked one of his lowest points in his life.\u00a0 He wanted to believe in the power of God, but the ridicule from others made him weak.\u00a0 That weight became almost unbearable for Mrs. Harris<\/strong> as well.\u00a0 \u201cI was feeling very strong at first and I felt an unwavering in my faith, but towards the end [of the pregnancy] I started to get a little shaky because of the doctors\u2019 reports and the persecution from everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctors felt the situation was so dire, they refused to deliver the baby, so the couple called on a mid-wife to help them deliver at home.\u00a0Norman<\/strong> was born May 14, 1978.\u00a0 His father remembers being too afraid to even look at the newborn.\u00a0 \u201cI was just that weak,\u201d he admits. But all of the fear was put to rest when Norman<\/strong> was given a clean bill of health.<\/p>\n

Doctors advised Mrs. Harris<\/strong> not to get pregnant again; but despite their concerns, she went on to give birth to nearly half a dozen more healthy babies.\u00a0 All of the couple\u2019s children are gifted in music and song and all have at least a Master\u2019s degree, with the exception of their youngest child who is finishing her undergraduate studies at a college in Virginia.<\/p>\n

Norman<\/strong> and Alex<\/strong> are the only two of the eight children to make the Tampa area their home and they are committed to making a difference in the community.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alex<\/strong> spends countless hours working with children at the Boys and Girls Club. He co-founded the Royal Theater Senior Conservatory in St. Petersburg, the only arts academy of its kind affiliated with the Boys and Girls Club that focuses on visual, performing, voice and recording.<\/p>\n

He is currently single and attends Grace Family Church in Lutz where he performs, on occasion, as a guest vocalist.\u00a0 He is set to take his singing talent abroad later this year, touring in Brazil and parts of Africa.<\/p>\n

Norman<\/strong> earned his Master\u2019s in Divinity at Emory University, before completing law school and earning a Doctorate degree in Law Prudence at Mercer University in Georgia.<\/p>\n

He serves as a mentor with the Big Brothers program, as well as with elementary and college students in Tampa and St. Petersburg. He also volunteers for the Legal Redress Committee with the local NAACP and was appointed General Counsel for the Southeastern Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ.<\/p>\n

He attends Brown Memorial C.O.G.I.C. and is an ordained Elder at his dad\u2019s church in Georgia. He proudly acknowledges longtime Tampa attorney Delano Stewart<\/strong> as \u201ca mentor and faithful friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norman<\/strong> is single, but desires to have a wife and children of his own one day. In addition to all of the professional and volunteer work he\u2019s doing, he manages to find time to assist his mother as she works to complete her Doctorate degree in Education and Administration.<\/p>\n

For more information on Norman Harris<\/strong>, log onto his website at www.MyHarrisLawGroup.com.\u00a0 Additional information on Alexander Harris<\/strong> can be found at www.LXEntertainment.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY TAMECA JOHNSON Freelance Writer Norman and Alexander (Alex) Harris are two phenomenal young men.\u00a0\u00a0 They are brothers who grew up in a small Georgia town just southeast of Atlanta. They are both barely in their thirties, one might call them gifted; but in light of the challenges they\u2019ve overcome, many call them blessed. Their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14189"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14189\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flsentinel.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}