Category Archives: Church

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Holy, Holy, Holy…

Hello World, 

A week from today, we celebrate the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ…and so today is the first day of Holy Week…And we are commanded in His Word to be holy…

1 Peter 1:15-19 (New International Version)

15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]

 17Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

As I go throughout the week in the hustle and bustle of daily living, I pray that I will pause and take time to thank God for His sacrifice for me…Sometimes I am stunned that I even call myself a Christian…Not because I don’t feel love for the Lord in my heart, but because I am a person that is ever so prone to anxiety and fear…You would think with all of the verses in the Bible about not having fear and anxiety, I would not be this way…but it is what it is sometimes…And yet as I type these words, I know that the Lord loves me — an anxious and fearful sinner…

And I so as I revel in His love for me, I have to offer my praise….And we are commanded to praise the Lord in His Word…

Psalm 150 (New International Version)

Psalm 150

 1 Praise the LORD. [a]
       Praise God in his sanctuary;
       praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power;
       praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
       praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
       praise him with the strings and flute, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
       praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
       Praise the LORD.

In Jesus’ name, amen, amen and amen…

 

 

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Something the Lord Made…2010 is here!

Hello World!!!

Happy New Year! I had hoped to post on Dec. 31 or at least Jan. 1, but alas, deadlines and life got in the way…

At any rate, ready or not, a new year, a new decade even, is upon us…and what are we do? (Side note: Am I the only one that wonders why 2000-2010 is not considered a decade?…I mean dec, the prefix, means 10…I don’t know) I have decided to take my cue from a movie I watched on Christmas Day. HBO movie “Something the Lord Made” is the heartwarming story of Dr. Vivien Thomas, a black lab assistant who through an unlikely partnership with renown white surgeon Alfred Blalock, inaugurated modern cardiac surgery. As Thomas lived during the time of the Depression, his dream of attending college and medical school had to be shelved while he earned money to support his family. And although, Dr. Blalock would have been unable to perform the first “Blue Baby” surgery without Dr. Thomas’ assistance, Thomas’ contribution went nearly unnoticed as black people’s accomplishments were marginalized then. In fact, as Thomas performed procedures on lab dogs, Blalock commented that a surgical incision Thomas had done was “like something the Lord made.”

Years later, John Hopkins University School of Medicine honored by Thomas by awarding  him a honorary doctorate as he was never able to attend medical school although he trained some of the country’s top surgeons.

I guess what inspired me most about the movie was that it was obvious that God used Dr. Thomas to perform His handiwork and yet again prove that “God has choosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.”  ( I Corinthians 1:27) The movie led me to ponder what is my gift that will be “like something the Lord made?” I was encouraged to discover that a journalist, Katie McCabe, was the one that first brought Thomas’ poignant story to the attention of the world. While I have not written a story that has been as popular as McCabe’s story yet, I’m thankful to God for how He has used me thus far and look forward to future stories I will write….

Another detail of the movie that struck me was that Dr. Thomas’ inability to attend college and medical school may have been a blessing…although it did not seem so at the time I’m sure. Since Dr. Thomas was unable to pursue his educational dreams, he was forced to get a job – a job that fortuitously paired him with a top surgeon. And their partnership saved lives. It’s doubtful that, due to the constraints of segregation, that they would have paired together otherwise…Yes, God commands that “in everything, give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (I Thessalonians 5:18)  Yes, things that seem pretty crappy, according to God’s word, we are to thank God for them…easier said than done…but I’ve been thanking God lately for something in my life that I would rather not have to deal with, but since I’ve done that, I’ve been surprised about how peaceful I feel about it…God allowed this happen in my life, and I trust that He has purpose for it…

By the way, I did not get this insight on my own…My father recently preached a sermon in which he referred to Corrie ten Boom, a woman who as put in a concentration camp during the Holocaust…While there, she was infested with lice. Her sister, who was also there, reminded her of the verse I mentioned above. Of course, ten Boom bristled at first, then acquiesced…Later she discovered that due to her lice infestation, the guards at the camp left her alone…

So 2010 is here, and I did not receive what I hoped, wished and prayed for in 2009… What am I going to do? Accept it. Does that mean I’m giving up on my dreams? Not hardly. I’m just accepting God’s sovereignty and waiting for His direction…

2010 is something the Lord made, and I will rejoice and be glad!

Any thoughts?

P.S. Mos Def portrayed Thomas in the movie…He is sexy for real…although buddy got eight chillun with four women according to Wikipedia…that ain’t too sexy…

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Check In: 2009 will be a memory in nearly three months…

Hello World!!!

Can you believe it? September is nearly over, and after that, all we have left to 2010 is October, November and December.  So since the year is more than half over at this point, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our goals for this year. 

One of my goals was to continue to work on making this blog the best it can be by planning topics in advance, booking guest bloggers, writing book reviews, etc. I haven’t done all that I had planned to, but I am satisfied with my progress. And I will continue to work on this goal as this year comes to a close. Another one of goals was to help plan this event for this organization that I am involved in. I’m happy to say that event went very well, and I’m really proud of myself.

But in reflecting on my involvement in that organization, I realized that I am often more committed to the goals of organizations and other people than I am to my own goals. That means that when somebody has asked me to do something, I get it done. But when I ask myself to do something, I may or may not get it done. That’s not good.  I need to commit to myself that I will be as dedicated to my own goals as I am to other people’s goals.

I am most proud of myself for working on my financial status.  I have saved more than I ever have before, and God has blessed my efforts by rewarding me with a few windfalls. I give thanks to God and my financial counselor. Another one of my goals was to commit “random acts of kindness” anonymously and otherwise for friends, associates, etc. Hmmm…I’ve got more work to do in this area…I had planned to write for four new publications this year. I have written several articles for one publication – not quite what I aspired to, but I am thankful and will keep pushing.  And I have decided to investigate a new form of writing. This was not on my original list of goals, but in this economy, we all know it’s important to diversify your skills.

One of my goals for developing this blog was to create a market for my book After the Altar Call: A Young Black Woman’s Journey of Faith, but I still hadn’t developed any specific goals  this year toward getting my book published. I had become so discouraged last year that I hadn’t approached any agents in a while, but I have decided to begin approaching agents again. To date, I have only submitted a letter to a single agent, so I have got to get busy. And if you know me, feel free to ask if I have submitted a letter to an agent lately. I need the encouragement.

And finally, I had some goals for my romantic life…awww, what can I say, what can I say…I have done my best…I haven’t gotten quite the results I had hoped for, but nevertheless I’m pressing on. In spite of my magic magnifying mind, I guess I will just have to take things one day at a time and see what unfolds…

To encourage me and you, I have decided to share two nuggets of wisdom that I love. If you are a Jamaican or were raised by a Jamaican, I’m sure that you know this Jamaican proverb or famous quote…(maybe this is why Jamaicans always have so many jobs, haha)

The heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight.  But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.

And here is my favorite verse in the whole Bible. If you are anything like me, you know you are prone to making mistakes and causing your own misfortune, but thanks be to God, that He is in everything…

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Finally, I’m glad God is my on my side, but I’m also thankful for friends who God has often used to encourage me this year. Even if I don’t accomplish all of my goals, my friends are always there…thank goodness…Pastor Marvin Winans wrote a touching song about not having people to turn to in his time of need…I had forgotten how much I loved the song until he sang it in Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.” Check out the video below…how are you doing with your goals for 2009?

Any thoughts?

P.S. I don’t know what is on President Obama’s list of goals for the year, but what could possibly be wrong with providing affordable healthcare for everyone…

P.P.S.  I am still “hoping, wishing & praying…”