About Jeffrey

My name is Jeffrey Lee. I'm a blessed husband and father to two beautiful young ladies. My wife, Shanda, and I long to find unique ways to share our experiences as individuals, parents, and as a couple. We follow Christian principles to inspire others to find balance between work, family, health, education, and faith. Your Authentic You is a sub-ministry of New Kingdom Cities and is aimed towards men in general, not just those of the Christian faith. As men, it's vitally important that we develop our own journey towards being authentic so we present our true selves to those we interact with on a daily basis. My wife, Shanda, also writes a blog aimed at empowering women and people in general as well. Please visit her at MyAuthenticMe.net.

I grew up in a large family. I'm the 12 of 15 children. One mother, one father, no twins, halfs, or step siblings. Just one big ol' family. My father, Clarence Lee, is nearly 80 years old and is still in a Pentecostal pastor. My mother, the late Betty Jean Lee, passed away but left a legacy of grace and an amazing Christian ministry that touched thousands across the country.

From the time I was a child I always observed how my brothers and sisters interacted with each other and their friends. I watch how my own mother and father related to one another and my siblings. I grew up one of 12 boys and 3 girls. I observed how my brothers related to their girlfriends, wives, and their children. Being from an African American family, I also witnessed my siblings develop their relationships with people from other nationalities. My siblings dated or married people who were white, black, native american, and asian. I saw some of the racial struggles they dealt with and how they either overcame them or failed at their attempts. When you add the pressure of being a PK (preacher's kid) the failures we all had were often in the public eye and difficult to deal with. We were one of the few black families in a small white community. My older siblings took the brunt of the racial heat, while us younger ones didn't have it nearly as bad.

As with many families we all have unique struggles, but when you're from a family of 15 those struggles are intensified. Who's the favorite, who gets their own bedroom, who gets to... you name it. We were poor growing up, but ironically, I never knew we were poor until I was about 10 years old. One of my brothers (who will remain nameless lol) sat me down and laughed at how I didn't comprehend the gravity of our situation. We'd been on nearly every government assistance program available. Our home was often in need of some type of repair. And when times were really bad we'd often grab old food tossed out the backs of grocery stores. We were no strangers to hard times and I didn't recognize it as such. This was probably the defining moment when I knew I was a little different then most of my family. I could write a book that would likely be a best seller, full of laughs, and make you cry at the same time if you only knew the stories. Whenever we do get together or utilize mass family text messages it's inevitable that someone will end with "Long Live The Lee's". We do share a rich heritage that full of God's grace, mercy, love, lots of forgiveness. But that's a story for another day.

My purpose for this site and blog is to strive to live a life that's truly Authentic. We often share the same trials and tribulations in life but may feel no one else truly understands. We have issues dealing with our marriages, our children, our health, our faith, etc that some may not have anyone to talk to about it. I aim to be a sounding board for those who need it and can relate. This site will have an eclectic range of topics. I will also be sharing my own personal successes and failures regarding various aspects of life. This is not just my journey, but one we all share. It's one we walk purposefully towards our destiny. With wisdom, knowledge, and understanding we can make this life truly Authentic and meaningful. Let's leave a legacy that the next generation can build on and not have to repeat. That's why the theme of my life and what I endeavor to do through this blog site, I created the following Mission, Theme, and Purpose Statement. By His grace I aim to walk this walk and help others (especially men) learn to find their Authentic selves and live with purpose.

The Authentic Life - The very unique and personal Journey wherein your Faith ignites your Passion. And the relentless pursuit of your Purpose reveals your Authentic Destiny!

​Be Blessed!