tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6350821619878878652024-03-18T09:26:03.213-04:00In the Beginning"In the Beginning", the daily REMINDER from The Carroll Outreach Mission (formerly The Sparrows' Nest or TSN), is intended to jump start your day with the Lord. The Bible opens up with , "In the beginning, God..." It is our prayer that you will use this tool to begin or "restart" your day with the Lord!
Only what we do for Him will last in the end! In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.comBlogger3307125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-86332401098332777472024-03-18T05:26:00.003-04:002024-03-18T05:26:52.303-04:00What really matters anyway?<div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">What do they think about me? Ever wonder that? What do people really say about me when I am not around them? The better question might be: <i>Should it really <b>matter</b> that much</i>?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95PVE0Z8-ngImMtS5Tk_SeePMFFKTGO8ygcN76x3_fuSuGpz3u4i_kq1lh3pjhMhpN9hmbLhznFVD3ZPIrBuksn6MnW63u0-_b0aG-mhhchiE88xKKnAqWs1dE_d2_YycWi0SImstgO5L9Gd7bND_OSKP9xQg0rMLXlI0M2pS_Su_L9bevzRzRu5n7xw/s294/seektopleasegod.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="294" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95PVE0Z8-ngImMtS5Tk_SeePMFFKTGO8ygcN76x3_fuSuGpz3u4i_kq1lh3pjhMhpN9hmbLhznFVD3ZPIrBuksn6MnW63u0-_b0aG-mhhchiE88xKKnAqWs1dE_d2_YycWi0SImstgO5L9Gd7bND_OSKP9xQg0rMLXlI0M2pS_Su_L9bevzRzRu5n7xw/s1600/seektopleasegod.jpeg" width="294" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: courier; font-size: large;">“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, <b>there your heart will be</b> also. </span><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: large;">(MATTHEW 6:19-21)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Let's face it, as a Christ follower . . . a genuine, dedicated, hard-core follower of Jesus Christ, we can do <i>absolutely nothing</i> when it comes to others' opinions of us! We can try to impress this one and that one with our efforts only to be misunderstood and misrepresented by someone else, ruining our efforts to please others. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b>What really matters anyway?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><i>People's opinions </i>of us will vary like the weather. Who knows us better than God? We can do all we can to make sure we do all the right things here on earth only to find out none of it matters. <i>Only what we do for Christ will last!</i> We must set our hearts and minds on the things of Christ and seek to <i>please Him</i> alone.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Where is our heart today . . . with others or with Christ? <b>What really matters?</b></span></div><div><br /></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-55969702748231080652024-03-15T05:38:00.000-04:002024-03-15T05:38:23.243-04:00Gut check . . . .and a little about St. Patrick!<span style="font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> “Not </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">everyone</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> who </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">says</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> to </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">me</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">, ‘Lord, </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Lord</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">,’ will </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">enter</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">kingdom</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> of </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">heaven</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">, but </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">only</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">one</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> who </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">does</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> the </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">will</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> of </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">my</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> Father </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">who</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> is </span><span style="color: #2b00fe;">in</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;"> heaven.</span></b> (Mathew 7:21)</span><div><span style="font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwJQRgd-Btsf_r-9ghG9ObS0mcJ8eLgciRvv6Pn_8L_OAXIJhCLT5-sS4HTncv1ZObgbhJLUH-sACMdBtKOxEvUyJGGf8556DoOM-J41LvOosOQd0357twPHSBz1iDlI5jiCfTty1eMx3Hb0_QurMdddQ632-6i_HyRMl-X6bI6f9sqr7ScTnw3tIKmDk" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwJQRgd-Btsf_r-9ghG9ObS0mcJ8eLgciRvv6Pn_8L_OAXIJhCLT5-sS4HTncv1ZObgbhJLUH-sACMdBtKOxEvUyJGGf8556DoOM-J41LvOosOQd0357twPHSBz1iDlI5jiCfTty1eMx3Hb0_QurMdddQ632-6i_HyRMl-X6bI6f9sqr7ScTnw3tIKmDk" width="240" /></a></div>I am having a little fun today as we are approaching St. Patrick's day, as we who may just be a <b><i>'lil bit Irish</i></b> and some who are in <i><b>no way Irish</b></i> celebrate the culture anyway! By the way, the original color of Ireland was </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;">blue</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"> . . . changed to <b>green</b> during the Irish rebellion and the <b>shamrock</b> ☘ became a fighting symbol of unity. </span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><u>Patrick</u>, or <i style="font-weight: bold;">Succat </i>as he was known in Gaelic, was a true man of God. Taken into slavery from England as a teen by Druid priests, he managed to escape back to England. He gave his life to Christ and then returned to Ireland determined to win his captors for Christ! <b>He did the will of God</b> despite the sacrifice and struggles.</span></div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>This is a portion of the prayer he kept within his breastplate: <br /><br />"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me."</span><div><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: Irish Grover; font-size: medium;">So here is the <b>GUT CHECK</b>? Are we willing to do the Father's will?</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-589128476593195722024-03-14T05:49:00.004-04:002024-03-14T05:49:30.907-04:00Constant change<span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red;">And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are <b>being transformed </b>into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.</span> ( 2 Corinthians 3:18)</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkj1sgLRQ10RRO4YzYU3V1OKJO8S9fx8nrWk6wzLHeEQ-_aQZ1v5Y-Ex1AP7eVwTeFU72wzrGko-h8hQOA4OmsUpnrLNPnTqpEeL_e5JGF8ReqXVJr9uZDDthHKOhbJbt5Wpn61RDUpZYfTtuMh2IdQZzBJV60gbmar6SQ15Jmf38jnD-2RvuB7-uDII/s800/constantchange.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkj1sgLRQ10RRO4YzYU3V1OKJO8S9fx8nrWk6wzLHeEQ-_aQZ1v5Y-Ex1AP7eVwTeFU72wzrGko-h8hQOA4OmsUpnrLNPnTqpEeL_e5JGF8ReqXVJr9uZDDthHKOhbJbt5Wpn61RDUpZYfTtuMh2IdQZzBJV60gbmar6SQ15Jmf38jnD-2RvuB7-uDII/s320/constantchange.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>As believers . . . true followers of Christ . . . we are <b>constantly being transformed</b> into His likeness and character. As we grow in our knowledge of God and His character, we begin to conform to that character through His Holy Spirit living inside of every believer. However, we must <b>pursue Him </b>in order to experience thing transformation. It does not happen without <i>effort</i>! </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">After all, </span><span style="color: red;">he rewards those who earnestly seek him</span><span style="background-color: white;">.(Hebrews 11:6) </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;">God is waiting for us to commit to Him so He can do His work in us. He is not a bully! He will not force it. We must submit to His ways. The CHRISTian walk is a walk of <b>constant change</b>.</span></span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-44914910080835021152024-03-13T05:22:00.006-04:002024-03-13T05:22:46.703-04:00Rise above the storms!<p><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2AXXZ00RO1QEZpQ7EFjr4hcJWTvmypCuzw6csE9cYQvSTy4WqunYflqZRnigqFzzbO04NpOwUCurUm-Hzvn3bt-vDnNZR1_1OFJvzcpkcyZ40PrJJETIllQY2-BqK_GDCBBXU39jA3PbPEX4viAInTePGrsDCf0bvFjiND-hK5Ry4DTansTUUqgn6dw/s258/flylikeaneagle.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="195" data-original-width="258" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2AXXZ00RO1QEZpQ7EFjr4hcJWTvmypCuzw6csE9cYQvSTy4WqunYflqZRnigqFzzbO04NpOwUCurUm-Hzvn3bt-vDnNZR1_1OFJvzcpkcyZ40PrJJETIllQY2-BqK_GDCBBXU39jA3PbPEX4viAInTePGrsDCf0bvFjiND-hK5Ry4DTansTUUqgn6dw/s1600/flylikeaneagle.jpeg" width="258" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Did you know that the Eagle is the only bird that flies directly <i>into</i> a storm? While other birds <i>run</i> from the weather, the Eagle actively <i>engages</i> these stronger winds and, instead of seeking shelter, uses the turbulence to push itself <i>highe<span style="color: var(--ricos-custom-p-color,unset); font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;">r</span></i><span style="color: var(--ricos-custom-p-color,unset); font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; text-align: justify; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red;">“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” </span>(John 16:33)</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Jesus left His disciples with these encouraging words. In the midst of troubles, we can have peace! Because of what He has done for us . . . and the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us . . . like the eagle we can <i>attack our circumstances </i>head on and <i>fly above them</i>! There is no need to stay around and be torn apart by the strong winds and heavy rains. Through Christ, we can go into <i>attack mode</i> rather than <i>shrinking back.</i> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">We can in fact, overcome the world's drama and <b>rise above the storms</b>!<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-54098482424962150542024-03-12T05:25:00.001-04:002024-03-12T05:25:13.849-04:00Now is not the time . . .<span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><span style="color: red;"> We want each of you to show this same <b>diligence</b> to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become <b>lazy</b>, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.</span> (Hebrews 6:11-12)</span><div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxg9XA54v3jbyYvi3E2AR1Aq61PkB5ZAWLZAdbmRD0xLSP2oUzzIAXWJom4pZxitBS_WcKjV7vhmmkJlu49w25ztfuzco3xxrJ4-NlqcqXZurMC_qLczQoMM-O05YROA2Ra_OEcEZPqZNSOyV3vMhKMyIp9AGuEACXxwr4wNYZLXUUPomEL-uAKh-d6k/s318/confidence%20in%20God.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxg9XA54v3jbyYvi3E2AR1Aq61PkB5ZAWLZAdbmRD0xLSP2oUzzIAXWJom4pZxitBS_WcKjV7vhmmkJlu49w25ztfuzco3xxrJ4-NlqcqXZurMC_qLczQoMM-O05YROA2Ra_OEcEZPqZNSOyV3vMhKMyIp9AGuEACXxwr4wNYZLXUUPomEL-uAKh-d6k/s1600/confidence%20in%20God.jpeg" width="318" /></a></div>Now is not the time</b> to become <i>doubtful</i>, <i>lazy</i> or <i>dejected</i>. Take up the challenge God has before us and press on toward the finish line. Follow those who have gone before us. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;">Complete the tasks ahead with <i>confidence</i> knowing God has gone before us and marked out the way. Yes it will take <i>faith</i>. Yes it will take a lot of <i>trust</i>. Yes it will take <i>endurance</i>. Yet <i>we can trust the promises of God.</i> <b>Now is not the time</b> to shrink back, but <i>step up</i>! We have this <b><i>hope</i></b> . . .</span></div><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Architects Daughter;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter;"><span style="color: red;"> . . . being <b>confident</b> of this, that he who began a good work in you <b>will carry it o</b>n to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. </span>(Philippians 1:6)</span> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-59613832920849603892024-03-11T05:32:00.003-04:002024-03-11T05:32:48.720-04:00Spirit living in a carnal world<span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Walking in love</i> is so difficult these days. <b>Living in the Spirit</b> when the world is so <b>carnal</b> . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyZoVs9J5t-umU51PNHqdNEzpZIVuUTd5kaXG9dvJxMg_iZ9fpYYwrRSrpgXh-T9rYF0tn0MAn-E6Xndj9a9XWXPH6o8DCPH24dt24l78J9_VUi79YcuGE6vI71TRVWdDB_MeaBRtsgAQ5nrwC9uah-3_joQmCZZ4uVdRcGXkyuviEAjMXp6ArjPnj3U/s380/carnalchristianity.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="380" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyZoVs9J5t-umU51PNHqdNEzpZIVuUTd5kaXG9dvJxMg_iZ9fpYYwrRSrpgXh-T9rYF0tn0MAn-E6Xndj9a9XWXPH6o8DCPH24dt24l78J9_VUi79YcuGE6vI71TRVWdDB_MeaBRtsgAQ5nrwC9uah-3_joQmCZZ4uVdRcGXkyuviEAjMXp6ArjPnj3U/s320/carnalchristianity.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are so many people and so many things that can cause anger, bitterness, and resentment to rise up within us. So many will misrepresent us and take what we say and how we do things the wrong way. Satan is so busy trying to negate our testimony.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Hang in everyone. God is able . Keep trusting and keep striving. He is soon to come!<br /><br /><span style="color: red;">Those who belong to Christ Jesus have <b>crucified the flesh</b> with its passions and desires. Since we <b>live by the Spirit</b>, let us <b>keep in step with the Spirit</b>. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.</span> (Galatians 5:24-26)</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-45331165042925533092024-03-09T10:04:00.001-05:002024-03-09T10:04:16.726-05:00Go tell<p> <span style="background-color: #1f1f1f; color: #e8e8e8; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px;">So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 </span><span style="background-color: #3a3f50; color: #e2eeff; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; max-height: 999999px;">He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #3a3f50; color: #e2eeff; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; max-height: 999999px;">Never be ashamed of your faith. Let everyone know by your actions, your reactions, even your words!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #3a3f50; color: #e2eeff; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; max-height: 999999px;">People need to know. Our nation is lost. . . People are lost!</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #3a3f50; color: #e2eeff; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; max-height: 999999px;"><br /></span></p> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-30887035073385886812024-03-08T05:52:00.000-05:002024-03-08T05:52:01.914-05:00You get what you go after!<span style="font-family: georgia;">What are your goals? What is it you <i>really</i> want in life . . . education, career, money, marriage, children, popularity? Make a quick list of your top five goals right now . . . before you read the following scriptures. Be honest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH2hB05ehV6JprCBjio3cTLufcjMAMgBYiYRMm8euX3pOBQ6blNubRZclL0BtkX_xqh2GFiZft5TRX68v4wDpTY5KvexZbejzjC3o9mA1ta4xp-doxp0QR25orVMQ_wRjSEk64QHEp8v0q89FK6mBn9jaCoSRQoziDQntKheFcg1S8LmzqXwRq4bGRX8/s240/seekGod1st.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="240" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZH2hB05ehV6JprCBjio3cTLufcjMAMgBYiYRMm8euX3pOBQ6blNubRZclL0BtkX_xqh2GFiZft5TRX68v4wDpTY5KvexZbejzjC3o9mA1ta4xp-doxp0QR25orVMQ_wRjSEk64QHEp8v0q89FK6mBn9jaCoSRQoziDQntKheFcg1S8LmzqXwRq4bGRX8/s1600/seekGod1st.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /></span><div><span style="color: red; font-family: georgia;"><b>“No one</b> can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You <b>cannot</b> serve both God and money. . . .seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> (Mathew 6:24,33-34)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now look at the list. Where is there room for God and <i>HIS</i> plans for you? Have you even sought after Him? Take time today to rethink goals and desires. Seek God's advice and align your plans with His. <b>You get what you go after</b> in life!<br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-7089395495607949632024-03-07T05:42:00.002-05:002024-03-07T05:42:38.127-05:00You got this thing! Really??? <span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">So you think <b>you got this thing </b>called life huh? You think you would ever call upon God if everything was going well all the time? The only things in life that actually show us we need God are the challenges . . . so <b>thank God for the troubles</b>! Listen to Jesus' brother James . . .<br /><span style="color: red;"><br />My brethren, <b>count it all joy when you fall into various trials</b>, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.</span> (James 1:2-4)</span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9Iq6Ol8xsnb3JqLM7adHn_mE2UcFSw_TVvc8QOtO8ltVLcuJXH15_tFxANEo7lMgi7b-tnS67AT35Qa1kM2vJC1ST8lcs9p8jhkFvIkjdaeHvfyheHknTvSxDmHmccF4sa2k4uXAhtpAXu03vUJ62BYW2jrgbfFN9nvavzhCSAY-4RKwkEJhJ3Cnazw/s259/justgod.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="194" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR9Iq6Ol8xsnb3JqLM7adHn_mE2UcFSw_TVvc8QOtO8ltVLcuJXH15_tFxANEo7lMgi7b-tnS67AT35Qa1kM2vJC1ST8lcs9p8jhkFvIkjdaeHvfyheHknTvSxDmHmccF4sa2k4uXAhtpAXu03vUJ62BYW2jrgbfFN9nvavzhCSAY-4RKwkEJhJ3Cnazw/s1600/justgod.jpeg" width="194" /></a></div><br />When we begin to experience <i>troubles</i> . . . things we just <i>cannot handle alone</i> and <i>mom and dad cannot fix</i>, we begin to call out to God and we learn to <i>trust Him</i>! As we go through life, we then look back and see how faithful God has been and we learn to simply trust Him daily.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">However, it takes <i>experience</i>. Advice to my young people . . . take it from the old man . . . learn to <i>call upon God <b>now</b></i> so your <i>future you</i> can be at ease!</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-30054990237425443942024-03-06T05:28:00.003-05:002024-03-06T05:30:43.886-05:00Never alone . . . always on His mind!<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: red;">Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since <i>He always lives</i> to make intercession for them.</span> (Hebrews 7:25)</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPbz0EvcLxYpLZ3UrnbwS7U_ZFTEtBD8wkQw-jU0NworiEH69qJHvlPABMb4OljHQFDXFnOBoMYaru0CzXMS9X5czXCiPcfGMjhXKZOQBYBTk-eEBmFu_PWJEHVUFSmWbk9BtOs4wDR-8s3J09RMKqPtoWxrz4k__tY67bVwD8tRiL7lBo3WrtBZ5FaU/s270/jeusprays4me.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="270" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPbz0EvcLxYpLZ3UrnbwS7U_ZFTEtBD8wkQw-jU0NworiEH69qJHvlPABMb4OljHQFDXFnOBoMYaru0CzXMS9X5czXCiPcfGMjhXKZOQBYBTk-eEBmFu_PWJEHVUFSmWbk9BtOs4wDR-8s3J09RMKqPtoWxrz4k__tY67bVwD8tRiL7lBo3WrtBZ5FaU/s1600/jeusprays4me.jpeg" width="270" /></a></div>It is pretty cool to know that Jesus is <i>always </i>thinking of each of us. <b>None of us is ever alone</b>! When all we can see around us is trouble . . . when we seem to be worrying about everything and anything . . . when we can't seem to sleep well because there is always something on our mind . . . we are <b>always on His mind</b>! </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Rest on that thought for a minute!<br /><br /><span style="color: red;">“I do not pray for these alone, but also for <i>those who will believe in Me through their word</i>; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.</span> (John 17:20-21)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">From the day we were each conceived (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139%3A13-14&version=NIV">Psalm 139:13-14</a>), to His time just before His crucifixion, up until this very day, we, His children, are on <b>always His mind</b>!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now, take a breath to relax and breathe . . . .</span></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-27259531736740841652024-03-05T05:46:00.002-05:002024-03-05T05:46:43.341-05:00Struggles lead to successes!<span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: red;"> 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.</span> (Romans 8:28)</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Athletes know this all too well. <b>Struggles lead to successes</b>. God tells us in His Word through the apostle Paul as well. If we are <i>trusting God</i> and doing our best to <i>remain in His will</i>, then things will work out well for us <i>eventually</i>. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This does not mean that every day will be great. We only have to read of Job, Joseph, Daniel, Peter, Paul . . . and yes, even Jesus! They each went through severe <b>struggles</b>, yet in the end it all worked out just fine.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRq0-Shhn3obxy3IpRP8YkOYiuNJ_kqRXNJUbY15B9U9yVbFdImr5pc4V0ZnxAAXi0Cl22JkIARIrKdc813VbwY5ci3h4FmhXV8R09NvW5esT4ALG_cWT_GIzlTlQgL3nfPhHrsdK8Uezm8kT-TmesWe-cW3NL3jvhBSN3B1g-9WwOJou0WBNvsSlHMs/s256/strugglinginlife.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="256" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRq0-Shhn3obxy3IpRP8YkOYiuNJ_kqRXNJUbY15B9U9yVbFdImr5pc4V0ZnxAAXi0Cl22JkIARIrKdc813VbwY5ci3h4FmhXV8R09NvW5esT4ALG_cWT_GIzlTlQgL3nfPhHrsdK8Uezm8kT-TmesWe-cW3NL3jvhBSN3B1g-9WwOJou0WBNvsSlHMs/s1600/strugglinginlife.jpeg" width="256" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Job lost it all but was blessed with ten times more later in life. Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused, and jailed, yet one day he was second in command of all of Egypt! Daniel and his friends were tortured, thrown in the fire and the lion's den, yet came out unharmed. Peter went through mental and physical anguish, even to the point of denying Christ, yet he would lead thousands to Christ later during Pentecost. Paul was a chief enemy of God, yet when he accepted Christ, he suffered beatings, he was stoned, jailed, ostracized by his friends, and yet he writes these verses in Romans and much of the advice to the early Church. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh yes, then there is Jesus. Chased down even as a baby, ridiculed by His own people, rejected in His hometown, falsely accused, beaten to near death, publicly humiliated by His church and crucified. Bu then there was SONday morning . . . RESURRECTION DAY!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you are <i><b>struggling</b></i> today, turn to God, not man. Believe me, people you once trusted <i>will</i> let you down. <b>Struggle</b> with God, not against Him. In this way, <b>struggles will lead to successes</b>!</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-31947625747813892132024-03-04T05:44:00.001-05:002024-03-04T05:44:05.323-05:00Seeing . . . not hearing . . . is believing!<span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="color: red;">But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? </span>(James 2:18-20)</span><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoUY6m4T0xXTw2mIG-ZgI1ttqHGb49g5K4f0IEgKnAqvLRXx0niUKKBE7BUHdocFwzZzjeTKhinJnSEo40JWUA5Uoq4I3zvV2_CtY7E8XEXyOb2NZUVYb7C3FUNsbK2vhzXvKsBCwtkE3kC6QUzjU-0WCtIqJmg2ETfciP9BcO3iepZ8bvup4ERXAQeU/s800/showfaith.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoUY6m4T0xXTw2mIG-ZgI1ttqHGb49g5K4f0IEgKnAqvLRXx0niUKKBE7BUHdocFwzZzjeTKhinJnSEo40JWUA5Uoq4I3zvV2_CtY7E8XEXyOb2NZUVYb7C3FUNsbK2vhzXvKsBCwtkE3kC6QUzjU-0WCtIqJmg2ETfciP9BcO3iepZ8bvup4ERXAQeU/s320/showfaith.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>We have all heard it said,"<b><i>Seeing is believing</i></b>." This is true as far as faith is concerned as well. There must be <i>evidence</i> of our faith in Jesus Christ. If we truly believe He has died for us and rose from the dead so we have an eternal relationship with Him, then surely it must <i>show</i>!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">When people join a club, a team, a fraternity or sorority . . . people tend to identify themselves with a shirt, hat or some physical sign . . . even perhaps a bumper sticker or window decal. Fans of sports teams wear the jerseys of their favorite teams and fly banners and display other items publicly. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">So we as born again CHRISTians are also <i>expected</i> to show signs of our faith! In fact, we are <i>commissioned</i> to "<i>go and make disciples of all nations</i>"! (Matthew 28:18-20) This is our <i>pledge</i> if you would! Our <i>identifying marker</i> is our lifestyle . . . <i>how we live</i>!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">What/Who do others <b>see</b> in us?</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-31346037908460785312024-03-01T04:45:00.003-05:002024-03-01T04:45:38.227-05:00March on CHRISTian!<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><b>Marching on </b>as a CHRIST follower . . . </span></span><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">How do we keep in step with the Lord when the world and its ways are so inviting? </span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;">How is it possible to walk by faith when the world has so many things that trip us up?</span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WHg0IafSZDYAteXyUBA_bfhKPOde2jCLXQVpCWco5eh36OMYEunBkVWkZvdpaHjWTlhsE96XO5z1yBakXCj1CwdhONJGzCWHaKrwq3n7zSIKkU-_T13DuZChh1M26nutHl4Y65UIF_y9-okLdy_NnyUYhSBhA8uUjyVjJxHZuGFdgx2xlTwgBwZhv-E/s780/seegod.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="780" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1WHg0IafSZDYAteXyUBA_bfhKPOde2jCLXQVpCWco5eh36OMYEunBkVWkZvdpaHjWTlhsE96XO5z1yBakXCj1CwdhONJGzCWHaKrwq3n7zSIKkU-_T13DuZChh1M26nutHl4Y65UIF_y9-okLdy_NnyUYhSBhA8uUjyVjJxHZuGFdgx2xlTwgBwZhv-E/s320/seegod.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>It is not easy! Just as we believe that there <b>is</b> a God and there <b>is</b> an eternity with Him, we also believe we can <b>walk</b> according to His Word in a world that is anti-biblical. We cannot <i>see</i> God, but we know He is present in His Spirit. While we <i>see</i> so much evil around us daily, we also must learn to <i>see</i> God at work as well. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">Like anything, it takes practice. We must dwell in His Word and in His <i>presence</i> daily. As we seek Him, He comes to us and surrounds us with His <i>presence</i>. We learn how to <i>experience</i> God in the middle of unrest, chaos, and destruction. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">So we <b>march on </b>. . .</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><br /><span style="color: red;">Though you have not <i>seen</i> him, you love him; and even though you do not <i>see</i> him now, you <i>believe</i> in him and are <i>filled</i> with an inexpressible and glorious joy . . . </span>(1 Peter 1:8)</span></span><div class="row" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; margin-left: -15px; margin-right: -15px;"><div class="col-md-10 col-xs-12 passage-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 643.883px;"><div class="clear text-center passage-nav" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; margin: 15px 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div class="clear" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; font-family: -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 16px;"><div class="surrounding-chapters row" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 20px 0px;"><div class="col-md-4 col-sm-4 col-xs-6 noPaddingLeft" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; min-height: 1px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 247.555px;"></div></div></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-63060094348006560742024-02-29T05:47:00.004-05:002024-02-29T05:47:42.995-05:00Celebrating Black HIStory '24 . . . Why choose to serve?<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7j6ug8RJ9Anjcf985wCSfYgNYP7l4s9HCQoTCcx0NHs9tVI1C7ilFzDx65i_LtdtKoFaSLjUs8Rg6wVAMRK1HN1B1f2as11hD7hVMQje8RbQmqVYgph8mpiq4z7JOjS6hiQLwF-4yF89lRljH7i7Z8Bq5AGmNOqxrhQDOJU0SY6_rygX6ILTHoGar_U/s600/drKingchosetoserve.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="503" data-original-width="600" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7j6ug8RJ9Anjcf985wCSfYgNYP7l4s9HCQoTCcx0NHs9tVI1C7ilFzDx65i_LtdtKoFaSLjUs8Rg6wVAMRK1HN1B1f2as11hD7hVMQje8RbQmqVYgph8mpiq4z7JOjS6hiQLwF-4yF89lRljH7i7Z8Bq5AGmNOqxrhQDOJU0SY6_rygX6ILTHoGar_U/s320/drKingchosetoserve.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></span></span><span class="text Matt-23-11" id="en-NIV-23930" style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj">Who wants to be <i>great</i>?</span></span><div><span class="text Matt-23-11" style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="text Matt-23-11" style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"><span class="woj"><span style="color: red;">T</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;">he greatest among you will be your <b>servant</b>. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.</span> (Matthew 23:11-12)<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Why</b> do we make the <b>choices</b> we make daily? </span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />As the Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘<i>What are you doing for others</i>?’” Dr. King was first a Baptist preacher. His desire to <b>serve</b> God and others led to leading the Civil Rights Movement in the 50's and 60's. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He could have easily stayed behind his pulpit and simply led his church. However, he answered the call to greatness . . . greatness through <b>service</b>. He unselfishly <b>chose</b> to allow God to work in and through his life.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What is God calling you to do <i>this day</i> . . . <i><b>tomorrow</b></i>? Start by <b>serving</b> others and allow God to work!<br /><br /><br /></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div></div></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-14150669767264738542024-02-28T05:50:00.005-05:002024-02-28T05:50:36.745-05:00Celebrating Black HIStory '24 . . .Revive us again!<span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8hi41jfVzuY7iYd8ecnLOa8VtvqnXsdYV1W7s6qUZzBNNwWJAGmY6I41wfF7q8jJURxSUjM4GqRDITjcbpC-qAPmHZAbAFpKK-_p2kPKsDmECr9vZRvJPjTaDymugStYkr3ZYNcdA45Ex4FpTSm_KUvHUFHKQLlCYEV4hSiVqryhGiXE7b01t0OilzA/s1080/seymour.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8hi41jfVzuY7iYd8ecnLOa8VtvqnXsdYV1W7s6qUZzBNNwWJAGmY6I41wfF7q8jJURxSUjM4GqRDITjcbpC-qAPmHZAbAFpKK-_p2kPKsDmECr9vZRvJPjTaDymugStYkr3ZYNcdA45Ex4FpTSm_KUvHUFHKQLlCYEV4hSiVqryhGiXE7b01t0OilzA/s320/seymour.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></b> (2 Chronicles 7:14) <span style="color: red;">"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."</span><b><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div>William Seymour</b>, the free son of two slaves, led the three-year <i>Azusa Street Revival</i>, which became the driving force of the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements starting in 1906. His integrated services, replete with fiery preaching and passionate emotional responses, drew thousands of all ethnicities and religious traditions. His integrated services were full of fiery sermons, singing, and speaking in tongues. Today, the <i><b>revival</b></i> is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.</span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Boy, could we use a <b>revival</b> today among all believers, not just in a concentrated area! Yet it must start <i>somewhere</i>, with <i>someone</i> . . . what about <i>me and you</i>? </span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-11425305509450499712024-02-27T05:41:00.003-05:002024-02-27T05:41:30.481-05:00Make a choice and stick with it . . .Celebrating Black HIStory '24<span style="font-family: courier;"><span style="color: red;">Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. </span>(James 1:12)</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcXxUK1Hn6XqWZvE5Dn2nUQ_4CNys5bCst2yIOD7dQwNussvYwNlthyZKf9h0I7q10LdMGBfN26JDj3nZ-8ooEwohdBjjWNNRzSW3h1QBr_fHmN6Fgqg4mekZL4qApHtWbXUzK14FTnWuLgvOA1cR_7itPFGLHn6uxH2VJHC-PL6tuE3kZOIGHluY-Hg/s225/elizabethfreeman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcXxUK1Hn6XqWZvE5Dn2nUQ_4CNys5bCst2yIOD7dQwNussvYwNlthyZKf9h0I7q10LdMGBfN26JDj3nZ-8ooEwohdBjjWNNRzSW3h1QBr_fHmN6Fgqg4mekZL4qApHtWbXUzK14FTnWuLgvOA1cR_7itPFGLHn6uxH2VJHC-PL6tuE3kZOIGHluY-Hg/s1600/elizabethfreeman.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>Elizabeth Freeman</b>, nicknamed "Mum Bett," was born into slavery in 1742, and was given to the Ashley family of Sheffield, Massachusetts, in her early teens. While enslaved, she married and eventually had a daughter named Betsy.<br /><br />One day in 1780, Mrs. Ashley accused Betsy of being a thief and chased her with a hot shovel. Freeman jumped in between the two just as Ashley was swinging and blocked the shovel with her arm. Freeman received a deep wound on her arm and displayed the scar her entire life as proof of her poor treatment.<br /><br />After the Revolutionary War, Freeman was walking through town and heard the Massachusetts State Constitution being read aloud. After hearing "all men are born free and equal," she thought about the legal and spiritual meaning of these words. She met with Theodore Sedgwick, an attorney and abolitionist she knew and asked to sue for her freedom.<br /><br />He took her case, but because women at the time had very few legal rights, Sedgwick added a male slave known simply as "Brom" to the lawsuit and sued Col. John Ashley.<br /><br />In the case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, Sedgwick argued that <b>based on the Constitution, she and Brom shouldn't be considered property and therefore should be free. The jury in the Court of Common Pleas decided in their favor.</b><br /><br />Col. Ashley appealed to the Supreme Court but later dropped the appeal, making Mum Bett <b>the first female slave to sue and win her freedom</b>.</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-75830699335887508112024-02-26T05:48:00.001-05:002024-02-26T05:48:23.083-05:00If they would have only followed the bible . . .Celebrating Black HIStory '24Think about this and how our HIStory would have been different! With one simple bible verse, slavery should have been halted . . . not even thought about actually!<br /><br /><span style="color: red;">Anyone who <b>kidnaps someone</b> is to be put to death, whether the victim has been <b>sold</b> or is still in the kidnapper’s <b>possession</b>.</span> (Exodus 21:16)<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdruC6sFvma0oaUEz48MlejEjdy4_F4tuNJI1rIu82MPKCC1dWbav6apVGWLkdP1pn_omyo8n6icahOq5D1Z7YiGp9eZ-y7_UH0RUdqz_JBlS0XEn0XxcR5bCfkPJaJg_xR86j-PJ6hFnmdBkKwstTguVi-kHTYGFLbmmEoML-VAHC2-UArZJjpfw4jY/s311/tonyevans.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="311" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdruC6sFvma0oaUEz48MlejEjdy4_F4tuNJI1rIu82MPKCC1dWbav6apVGWLkdP1pn_omyo8n6icahOq5D1Z7YiGp9eZ-y7_UH0RUdqz_JBlS0XEn0XxcR5bCfkPJaJg_xR86j-PJ6hFnmdBkKwstTguVi-kHTYGFLbmmEoML-VAHC2-UArZJjpfw4jY/s1600/tonyevans.jpeg" width="311" /></a></div>Here are some questions to ponder . . . .<br /><div><br /></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What if we today would simply follow scripture? </li><li>What if we who call ourselves CHRISTians would live like it and vote like it!?</li><li>What if we were Kingdom citizens as opposed to Republicans, Democrats and other labels?</li><li>What if the Church was really the Church . . . an active Body within society?</li></ul></div><div><div>Take a listen to Dr. Tony Evans . . . a voice crying out in the dessert (actually Dallas, TX)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1139127710445324">https://www.facebook.com/reel/1139127710445324</a></div><div><br /></div></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-26403308556915811992024-02-23T05:29:00.002-05:002024-02-23T05:29:23.265-05:00Albert Murray . . . One Day . . . Celebrating Black HIStory '24<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg7oRMTl19O_5IdUVwFPRpdh5v6KFuk6Yal5pycuQsgViBOb7wRZ9FSzyf3dYi9F0Vl0mfERQ39R9xdPvTUzsaQV2gCy-8nmURl4NcLPCf5CMbsfIbNZt6gBFEG0nHgiB9iebraB1pvaCWDdoSuxM69miL4lsTaf_ZddTe8HnfNSufS22v1-ONkFyAO4/s228/albertmurray.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="228" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg7oRMTl19O_5IdUVwFPRpdh5v6KFuk6Yal5pycuQsgViBOb7wRZ9FSzyf3dYi9F0Vl0mfERQ39R9xdPvTUzsaQV2gCy-8nmURl4NcLPCf5CMbsfIbNZt6gBFEG0nHgiB9iebraB1pvaCWDdoSuxM69miL4lsTaf_ZddTe8HnfNSufS22v1-ONkFyAO4/s1600/albertmurray.jpeg" width="228" /></a></div><b><i>One day .</i> . . .</b></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">He was never a household name, but <b>Albert Murray</b> was one of the most important Black <i>thinkers</i> of the 20th century.<br /><br />The essayist and social critic changed the way people talked about race by challenging Black separatism and insisting that <i><b>the Black experience was central to American culture</b></i>. He once remarked that American society is “incontestably mulatto” because <b>Black and White people are inextricably bound to one another</b>.<br /><br />“The United States is not a nation of black and white people,” Mr. Murray wrote. “Any fool can see that white people are not really white, and that black people are not black.” Murray was what one friend called a “militant integrationist.” He didn’t use the terms “Black” or “African-American.” He called himself an American.</span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="color: red; font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from <b>every nation, tribe, people and language</b>, standing before the throne and before the Lamb . . . </span><span style="font-family: Architects Daughter; font-size: medium;">(Revelation 7:9)</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /><br />Born in Alabama, Murray attended Tuskegee Institute, where he befriended Ralph Ellison, author of the classic novel “Invisible Man.” Murray also eventually became close friends with Romare Bearden, the influential painter, and a mentor to jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.<br /><br />One of his best books, 1970’s “The Omni-Americans,” was a collection of essays and a punishing critique of Black separatism. Filled with Murray’s trademark blunt wit, it insisted that <b>America was a nation of multicolored people who share a common destiny.<br /></b><br /><b>One day . . .</b></span></div></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-7362536504143392802024-02-22T05:43:00.000-05:002024-02-22T05:43:25.071-05:00Choose love over hate . . .Celebrating Black HIStory '24<span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeOVfkOYbJTSvZjbO0jLxWg6IM8cIdk16b_oMWm5Llmu3TN6Lk5LSYQwC3UjzVSqETNJWUm5GKBZXAnrO82EtzCCHudSIF5NQwjbmaI6-vReVtXLUbr-zj2WG7bSgjJi-C0FLDTqy2kz6kx78OQG2qc1VpEB6jNri1jNYbGcyycLQTZzRG1kjfPZA_u4/s225/lovenotevil.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeOVfkOYbJTSvZjbO0jLxWg6IM8cIdk16b_oMWm5Llmu3TN6Lk5LSYQwC3UjzVSqETNJWUm5GKBZXAnrO82EtzCCHudSIF5NQwjbmaI6-vReVtXLUbr-zj2WG7bSgjJi-C0FLDTqy2kz6kx78OQG2qc1VpEB6jNri1jNYbGcyycLQTZzRG1kjfPZA_u4/s1600/lovenotevil.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>Have you been <i>mistreated</i> lately? Has someone <i>misrepresented</i> you? Are you <i>angry</i>? Do you want to <i>get even </i>. . . get some <i>payback</i>? Hold on a minute . . . Let's take a look at HIStory and God's Word! <b>Choose love over hate!</b></span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;">As a theologian, <b>Martin Luther King</b> reflected often on his understanding of nonviolence. He described his own “pilgrimage to nonviolence” in his first book, <u>Stride Toward Freedom</u>, and in subsequent books and articles. “True pacifism,” or “nonviolent resistance,” King wrote, is “a courageous confrontation of evil by <i>the power of <b>love</b></i>” (King, Stride, 80). Both “morally and practically” committed to nonviolence, King believed that “the <i>Christian doctrine of <b>love</b></i> operating through the <i>Gandhian method of nonviolence</i> was one of the most potent weapons available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom” (King, <u>Stride</u>, 79; <u>Papers</u> 5:422). King was first introduced to the concept of nonviolence when he read Henry David Thoreau’s <u>Essay on Civil Disobedience</u> as a freshman at Morehouse College. Having grown up in Atlanta and witnessed segregation and racism every day, King was “fascinated by the idea of refusing to cooperate with an evil system”</span><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red;">Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” <b><u>Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.</u></b></span> (Romans 12:17-21)</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: trebuchet; font-size: medium;"><b>Choose love over hate!</b><br /> </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #2e2d29; font-family: "Source Sans 3", "Source Sans Pro", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 2.1rem;"><br /></span></div></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-15555875898591191352024-02-21T05:40:00.003-05:002024-02-21T05:40:38.530-05:00Choices we make...Choose God! (Celebrating Black HIStory '24) <span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: red;">For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.</span> (Jeremiah 29:11)<br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqwVSKb0y3384tiHb_HNzdj03pQT3C_Kyvnn14EGxCI3pzlbpLvoqnyOaWuFz85nV1SY08__8B9nueH7Vt-wTqBxJajh7qYzBEKFTaqD8jmmWUSQ1Xw2AHQo8-li72ERiReDAHK_1VnIO6y1F6ok1KYNkF-yYV0fIrCDizoQiBBH00MuwqetmK7Z7D90/s203/harrietrosstubman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="141" data-original-width="203" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqwVSKb0y3384tiHb_HNzdj03pQT3C_Kyvnn14EGxCI3pzlbpLvoqnyOaWuFz85nV1SY08__8B9nueH7Vt-wTqBxJajh7qYzBEKFTaqD8jmmWUSQ1Xw2AHQo8-li72ERiReDAHK_1VnIO6y1F6ok1KYNkF-yYV0fIrCDizoQiBBH00MuwqetmK7Z7D90/s1600/harrietrosstubman.jpeg" width="203" /></a></div>Harriet Tubman</b> . . . </span><span style="background-color: #f6f5ee;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Araminta “Minty” Ross</i> was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Dorchester County in 1822. W</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">e all know the many facts about her life; the greatest conductor of the Underground Railroad, during the Civil War, she became the first woman to lead an armed military raid in June 1863, a Union scout, spy, and nurse, a suffragist who fought for women's rights, and she established a nursing home for African Americans on her property in Auburn, NY. </span><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">She <b>chose</b> to follow God and <i>not</i> the plans that <i>others</i> had for her! Like Ms. Tubman, God has a specific plan for each of us. Many times, it is just for you or me. People will not <i>believe</i> you. They will not <i>understand</i>. The will <i>misdirect</i> you. Some will <i>ridicule</i> you, <i>lie</i> on you and <i>talk about you</i> behind your back. There will be <i>jealousies</i> and <i>plots</i>. Some may even seek to mentally and physically <i>hurt</i> you . . . But God! <b>Choose God</b>! <br /><span style="color: red;"><br /> But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. </span>(Genesis 50:20)<br /><br />Where would we be without the examples of people like Joseph, David, and Daniel in the Bible? here would we be without people like Harriet Tubman in our HIStory? Echoing Jesus' words from John from John 14:3, Harriet's final words were, "I go to prepare a place for you." She indeed <i>prepared a place</i> . . . a future . . . and a hope for all of a better place, as does Jesus!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Choose God!</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4648786/">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4648786/</a></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b><br /></b></span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-27356281231797349042024-02-20T05:40:00.004-05:002024-02-20T05:40:30.673-05:00The CHOICES one makes . . . John Brown . . .Celebrating Black HIStory '24<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewZeCunWmerrYl0I2SjRLKJLP2k6lLVS_kNcty5gutHsAE4irIS8CPUIOV9ZDYi-HxxqB1hoceDOFhELOkEk2G40xrndz9tt5zOyac40XyaT35NCDGBBGJ5Sg8qMQuIattPEmKQLVgdFOxpW3U0hL0zeuat5qM6ufPFsfQTd1eApkTSu8sZhr0U0svHE/s719/johnbrown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewZeCunWmerrYl0I2SjRLKJLP2k6lLVS_kNcty5gutHsAE4irIS8CPUIOV9ZDYi-HxxqB1hoceDOFhELOkEk2G40xrndz9tt5zOyac40XyaT35NCDGBBGJ5Sg8qMQuIattPEmKQLVgdFOxpW3U0hL0zeuat5qM6ufPFsfQTd1eApkTSu8sZhr0U0svHE/s320/johnbrown.jpeg" width="193" /></a></div><b>The choices one makes</b> may just change HIStory!<p></p><p><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;">I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;">that</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"> </span></span></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, Arial; font-size: 16px;"><b><span style="color: red;">I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live . . . </span></b>(Deuteronomy 30:19)</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">When <b>John Brown</b> was hanged in 1859 for his raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia, many saw him as the harbinger of the future. For Southerners, he was the embodiment of all their fears—<i>a white man willing to die to end slavery</i>—and the most potent symbol yet of aggressive Northern antislavery sentiment. For many Northerners, he was a prophet of righteousness, bringing down a terrible swift sword against <i>the immorality of slavery</i> and the haughtiness of the Southern master class.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">On the night of May 24, 1856, Brown led a raiding party of <i>four of his sons</i>, <i>his son-in-law</i>, and two other men to Pottawatomie Creek. For the most part, this raid was unplanned and almost spontaneous. Brown acted in retaliation for a raid on the free state settlement at Lawrence, the killings of free state settlers in Kansas, and persistent threats by the proslavery settlers along Pottawatomie Creek. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Three and a half years later, on the evening of October 16, 1859, <b>John Brown</b> and 18 "soldiers" seized the U.S. arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. Brown's plans were fantastic—some would say insane. He would use the arms in the arsenal—as well as old-fashioned pikes he had had specially manufactured—to begin a <i>guerrilla war against slavery</i>. The core of his army would be the mostly white band of raiders who seized the arsenal. But soon, he hoped—he believed—he just knew—that hundreds or even thousands of slaves would join him in the fight against the "peculiar institution." He predicted that once word of his raid got out, slaves from throughout the region would appear at his side, as bees "swarm to the hive."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">At one point Brown stopped a passenger train, held it for a while, and then released it. The train continued on to Washington, DC, where the crew dutifully reported to officials that Brown had seized Harpers Ferry. The next day, October 18, U.S. marines, under the command of Army Brevet Col. Robert E. Lee, captured Brown in the engine house on the armory grounds. By this time, most of the raiders were either dead or wounded.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Indeed, <b>Frederick Douglass</b> would later say that he <i>lived</i> for the slave, but John Brown was willing to "<i>die for the slave</i>." <b>Brown</b> welcomed his end, declaring: "<i>I am worth inconceivably more to <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">hang</span> than for any other purpose</i>."</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">For abolitionists and antislavery activists, black and white, <b>John</b> <b>Brown</b> emerged as a <i>hero</i>, a <i>martyr</i>, and ultimately, a <i>harbinger of the end of slavery</i>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #555555; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">(<a href="https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html">https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2011/spring/brown.html</a>)</p> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-83640386129675997242024-02-15T06:58:00.002-05:002024-02-15T06:58:49.410-05:00Serving through trials...... Celebrating Black HIStory '24<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="color: red;">“Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”</span>(Isaiah 41:10)</span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDe6ouXfMPhoMI-HKz9OOdTJ8LdIp_7BvsIiAcmPxlUxvHLuQA4BApHYbi0ImEGTYt12w_xcPUtN-zi3yCp5wvCt4ks8rUSMfmyshffifEWli7_O3A_s6nQ9LKUVas1PdvB9M-9WwHSKu1cLKbmnZ84UDRxnSEbGY228Rthd65viNId-JiknQwxOSY_PU/s252/betseystockton.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="200" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDe6ouXfMPhoMI-HKz9OOdTJ8LdIp_7BvsIiAcmPxlUxvHLuQA4BApHYbi0ImEGTYt12w_xcPUtN-zi3yCp5wvCt4ks8rUSMfmyshffifEWli7_O3A_s6nQ9LKUVas1PdvB9M-9WwHSKu1cLKbmnZ84UDRxnSEbGY228Rthd65viNId-JiknQwxOSY_PU/s1600/betseystockton.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>Betsey Stockton’s journey</b> to the mission field was an unlikely one. Born as a domestic slave in the household of the President of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), Stockton gained her freedom as a teenager and attended night classes at the college. It was there on that college campus that she heard the Gospel and gave her life to Christ.<br /><br />Stockton soon felt called to share her newfound faith as a missionary to the islands of Hawaii. She scrimped and saved to raise the finances needed, and in 1822 joined a team of 11 missionaries, herself <i>the only African American</i>, on the perilous journey by sea.<br /><br />In Hawaii, Stockton helped establish schools and taught history, English, Latin, and algebra, all while learning the local language. She knew that education was the key to not only a better life for the people she encountered but also the key to understanding and receiving the truths of the Bible. Stockton would later go on to <i>establish schools for underprivileged children</i> in Philadelphia and Canada.<br /><br />Betsey Stockton, the <i>first unmarried female American missionary</i>, is now considered among the most noted educators in U.S. history. In their book, Profiles of African American Missionaries , Robert Stevens and Brian Johnson said of Stockton, “Betsey may have been born into slavery but she emerged as a religious and academic pioneer.</span></div></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-56137776253053423562024-02-14T05:42:00.003-05:002024-02-14T05:42:25.246-05:00Lent? Never heard of it!<span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: red;">And you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread 'til you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” </span>(Genesis 3:19)</span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1bCDzRGHk5Wr4cxb6svFDNwY4iQSmtWYow8v2glElnPL_oLGmNt9l2rAKYNkWpwTEenxO0WewBUN-trplt096V-BjjgwGwjGAvRnuAoFK-wGAzJEJRKr0KWeszUhk_hwHZYbtRjoU7iP02KIhS4DyP6SPfKKi5bxhij61qrvCsfk1e8rUUKDe7-pxZYo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="232" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1bCDzRGHk5Wr4cxb6svFDNwY4iQSmtWYow8v2glElnPL_oLGmNt9l2rAKYNkWpwTEenxO0WewBUN-trplt096V-BjjgwGwjGAvRnuAoFK-wGAzJEJRKr0KWeszUhk_hwHZYbtRjoU7iP02KIhS4DyP6SPfKKi5bxhij61qrvCsfk1e8rUUKDe7-pxZYo" width="255" /></a></div>Each year, Ash Wednesday (today)starts the beginning of <b>Lent</b> and is always <i>46 days</i> before Easter Sunday. Lent is a <i>40-day season</i> (<i>not counting Sundays</i>) marked by <i>repentance</i>, <i>fasting</i>, <i>reflection</i>, and ultimately <i>celebration</i>. The 40-day period represents Christ’s time of temptation in the wilderness, where he fasted and where Satan tempted him. <b>Lent</b> asks believers to set aside a time each year for similar fasting, marking an <i>intentional</i> season of <i>refocus</i> on Christ’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.</span><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">While we as believers should always be focused on these things, <b>Lent</b> is a time to <i>refocus</i> on them! At times we drift away. We get caught up in the world, our troubles, relationships, school, jobs, finances, etc. We can definitely drift at times. So now is a time to get back where we need to be . . . intimate with Jesus! </span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: medium;">Like Adam, we are reminded of our sinful state and our need for Jesus . . . 24/7. Let's refocus!</span></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-21810909662488455792024-02-13T05:57:00.004-05:002024-02-13T05:57:33.493-05:00Time out to explain/celebrate . . . still Celebrating Black HIStory '24<p><span style="font-family: arial;">Mardi Gras for CHRISTians?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">There are many cultures represented in the Body of Christ, which makes us rich and colorful. We have <i>much</i> to celebrate! We simply must be reminded to glorify God in our celebrations and not to include the temptations celebrations may offer which can lead to sin . . . be under the Spirit's control as always!</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: red;">So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.</span> (1 Corinthians 10:31)</span><div class="wp-block-group has-popcorn-quaternary-color-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #020e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18.08px; margin-block: 24px 0px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important; max-width: 800px; padding-bottom: var(--wp--preset--spacing--20); padding-left: var(--wp--preset--spacing--20); padding-right: var(--wp--preset--spacing--20); padding-top: var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);"></div><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD5S534_NeMAfzn31NZ1Qa32i9FfiCngAQFIeKphnMhZexfFvqP_HBvf7Txwhwm9pw_PRO6jF_sax6p2-tfcYS28TDoCL2mVVzIQETJ6sBCzuaJ4YoVK4JQJOlMYLUkNKhV4HV21vPFHXidpPvBD_n-kzUe9Zv2trMdfV5b17HV4fhoN8WBKXHn5zoM8/s269/mardigrasindians.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="269" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD5S534_NeMAfzn31NZ1Qa32i9FfiCngAQFIeKphnMhZexfFvqP_HBvf7Txwhwm9pw_PRO6jF_sax6p2-tfcYS28TDoCL2mVVzIQETJ6sBCzuaJ4YoVK4JQJOlMYLUkNKhV4HV21vPFHXidpPvBD_n-kzUe9Zv2trMdfV5b17HV4fhoN8WBKXHn5zoM8/s1600/mardigrasindians.jpeg" width="269" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Mardi Gras</b> translates from the French as “Fat Tuesday”. It’s also referred to as “Carnival” which is derived from the Latin as “farewell to meat” (carne). It is the end of the celebration of the Epiphany. Basically you celebrate - party hard - until the solemn season of <b>Lent</b>. Mardi Gras is the last day to celebrate, the “<i>farewell to flesh</i>”. During Lent there is a lot of fasting, so the concept is to eat all you want before the fasting and a time of penance and fasting for 40 days before Easter. New Orleans is famous for its celebration of Mardi Gras—it starts with parades about two weeks in advance of the actual Mardi Gras. <i>Matrdi Gras balls</i> (the equivalent of debutante balls in other city) begin on January 6, Kings’ Day, the date memorializing the visit of the Three Kings to the Baby Jesus.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Here are just a few historical facts about Mardi Gras and its HIStory . . .<br /><br /></span><a href="https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history/king-cakes">https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history/king-cakes</a></p><p><a href="https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history/mardi-gras-indians/">https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history/mardi-gras-indians/</a></p><p><a href="https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/krewe-of-zulu">https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/krewe-of-zulu</a></p> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635082161987887865.post-88446093810611335482024-02-12T05:28:00.001-05:002024-02-12T05:28:33.606-05:00Who are the Black Indians of Mardis Gras? . . . Celebrating Black HIStory '24<span style="color: red; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands . . . </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">(Revelation 7:9)</span><br /><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaPxiVW6B7FYhA0BJBo3A8EzZ0lcKpMGfYNbCpAml_KLx-aVNISXMeHIl9gj9hdNTW7qRgpJkYf1NUNeBjqyq8R28FaczEGFZN2GcWkUjSoZ55XzYApfhyphenhyphene9cNw5vralc83i2Tbyg4K4sbYrGiUVD7A7QQtUSdMYMOAStE30a-YU86ZFsS9jJpRhPybM/s1072/africanindiansmardisgras.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1072" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaPxiVW6B7FYhA0BJBo3A8EzZ0lcKpMGfYNbCpAml_KLx-aVNISXMeHIl9gj9hdNTW7qRgpJkYf1NUNeBjqyq8R28FaczEGFZN2GcWkUjSoZ55XzYApfhyphenhyphene9cNw5vralc83i2Tbyg4K4sbYrGiUVD7A7QQtUSdMYMOAStE30a-YU86ZFsS9jJpRhPybM/s320/africanindiansmardisgras.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>Scholars generally agree that the <b>Mardi Gras Indian</b> tradition is linked to early encounters between the region’s <b>Native and Black </b>communities. <a href="https://www.hnoc.org/publications/first-draft/new-orleans-history-starter-pack-beginners-guide-understanding-crescent">Founded by the French</a> in 1718, the city of New Orleans stands on land originally inhabited by the <a href="http://www.chitimacha.gov/history-culture/tribal-history">Chitimacha Tribe</a>. As early as 1719, European colonizers brought enslaved people from the western coast of Africa to the nascent port city, which eventually <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/civil-war-new-orleans-was-center-us-slave-trade-180977532/">became a hub</a> of the United States slave trade.<br /><br />While Africans made up the majority of enslaved people in Louisiana, <a href="https://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3690&context=td">research conducted</a> by <a href="https://humanrights.uchicago.edu/people/leila-k-blackbird-0f716b0f-1b90-4803-9b6a-ca7058d6af05">Leila K. Blackbird</a>, a historian at the University of Chicago, found that Native and mixed-race people of <b>Black and Native heritage</b> constituted 20 percent of the state’s enslaved population during the antebellum period.<br /><br />the two marginalized groups found ways of supporting each other, with <a href="https://www.nolafamily.com/celebrating-the-new-orleans-tricentennial-with-mardi-gras-indians/">local tribes</a> such as the <b>Choctaw</b>, the <b>Seminole</b> and the <b>Chickasaw</b> <a href="https://www.atlantamagazine.com/southbound-articles/the-beat-goes-on/">helping</a> enslaved <b>Africans</b> escape from plantations and live off the land. Some of these fugitives from slavery <a href="https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1483&context=masters">took refuge</a> in <a href="https://neworleanshistorical.org/items/show/1371">maroon camps</a> (<a href="https://placesjournal.org/article/the-maroon-communities-and-landscapes-of-louisiana/?cn-reloaded=1">makeshift settlements</a> in Louisiana’s <a href="https://www.wwno.org/podcast/tripod-new-orleans-at-300/2015-12-10/more-than-a-runaway-maroons-in-louisiana">swamps and bayous</a>), while others <a href="https://nola.curbed.com/2017/3/16/14937428/super-sunday-mardi-gras-indian-tradition-history-culture">sought shelter</a> with <a href="https://64parishes.org/entry/mardi-gras-indians">Native communities</a>, which then <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/07/25/when-tribal-nations-expel-their-black-members-caleb-gayle-we-refuse-to-forget-alaina-e-roberts-ive-been-here-all-the-while">assimilated</a> the <b>Africans</b> into their tribes.</span><br /><p><a href="https://youtu.be/VsOxxz4h1rU?si=1Ac4Lhe6FzJcABzu"><span style="font-size: medium;"> https://youtu.be/VsOxxz4h1rU?si=1Ac4Lhe6FzJcABzu</span></a></p></div> In The Beginnininghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04969116826197718842noreply@blogger.com0