calvary church chat may
DESCRIPTION
Calvary Church Chat MayTRANSCRIPT
CONGRATULATIONSTO
PASTOR GITTENS, SIS. GITTENS, AND FAMILYAS THEY CELEBRATETHEIR 9TH PASTORAL
ANNIVERSARY
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE
Calendar of Events 2-3
Ministries Corner 4
Family News 5-6
Health News 7
Seniors Ministry 8
Marriage Corner 9
Member News 10-19
Black History 20-22
Youth Corner 23
May Birthday’s 24
Puzzle Corner 25
Words of Inspiration 26
This month’s scripture is from Proverb 31:10-15 “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.” MOTHERS. This month we celebrate MOTHER’S DAY. I wrote this message five years ago and it still holds true today. And for this special day, I would like to once again talk about one of my many blessings. It may not seem like much to some, but it is one that I will treasure for as long as I live. And that blessing is my mother, Trustee Mary Wellons. She is more than a mother. She is one of my best friends. I thank God for her each and every day. I thank God I was raised in a beautiful and loving home. I never had to want for anything, even up until today. It has always been said to give those you love and care about flowers while they can still smell them. So mom, here are your flowers. I know you have been through a lot over the years with the loss of your brother, mom, son, husband, and sister. You are much stronger than you may think. You are surrounded by so much love from all your family, church family, and friends. We all look up to you. God doesn’t put any more on you than you can handle. I am so proud of you mom and I just hope these words of encouragement and my many thanks to you for all you have done for me will let you know how much I truly, truly love you. So, mom, no matter what you are going through, always remember, God loves you and He will always take care of you and I will always be there for you too. With all my love, your daughter, Marsha Wellons-Lawton.
Special Happy Mother’s Day wishes go to my mother --- Mrs. Mary Wellons; my mother-in-law, Mrs. Edna Lawton; my sister-in-law, Mrs. Marilyn Jenkins; my step-daughter, Ms. Tamara Lewis; my play mother -- Mrs. Estelle Corbin; and my play aunts -- Mrs. Mattie B. Hull, Mrs. Fannie Jewell, Mrs. Martha B. Smith, Mrs. Barbara Wallace, and Mrs. Priscilla Young.
Calvary Baptist Church - 6122 Haverford AvenuePhiladelphia PA 19151
Dr. Garth G. Gittens, Pastor/TeacherEvangelist Gillian Gittens, First Lady
215-747-9979Website: www.calvaryphilly.org.
May 2012 Church Chat Newsletter© Issue #207
“Message from the Editor”
1 5:30 PM - 9:30 PM Harcum College Classes 6114 & 61166:30 PM - 8:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Dance MinistryClass & Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Mass Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Adult Divine Praise DanceMinistry Class & Rehearsal - TFH2 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM AGAPE Distribution of Food and Clothing12:00 PM AGAPE - Free Hot Lunch Served1:00 PM Afternoon Bible Study - Sanctuary5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Video and Special Events Ministry Meeting - Radio Room6:00 PM - 6:55 PM Meal Time7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Focus on the Family3 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fine Arts Ministry Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Praise & Worship Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary4 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday Night Prayer Service - Sanctuary5 7:00 AM Real Men Get Up Early - TFH9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Children Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary11:30 AM - 3:30 PM Hospitality Ministry Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show at Drexelbrook - 4700 Drexelbrook Drive, Drexel Hill1:00 PM - 3:00 PM Mission Ministry Meeting - 61144:00 PM - 7:00 PM Talmadge Fellowship Hall ReservedCinco de Mayo6 Pastor's 9th Anniversary9:30 AM May Church Chat Distributed11:00 AM Children's Church - 6116 Haverford Ave2:00 PM Dinner With The Pastor - TFH4:00 PM Pastor Benjamin Hailey - Union Baptist Church - Allentown, PAWorship Services - Bishop Ethan Thornton -7:30am Worship Services - Pastor Julius Spenser - MainBaptist Church - Aurora, Illinois 9:30am and 11:30am7 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Agape Outreach Services Distribute Food & Clothing - 61146:30 PM - 7:30 PM Martial Arts Ministry - TFH8 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Mass Choir Rehearsal – Sanctuary8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Adult Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH
9 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM AGAPE Distribution of Food and Clothing12:00 PM AGAPE - Free Hot Lunch Served1:00 PM Afternoon Bible Study - Sanctuary5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Video and Special Events Ministry Meeting - Radio Room6:00 PM - 6:55 PM Meal Time7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Focus on the Family10 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fine Arts Ministry Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Women's Day Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary11 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday Night Prayer Service - Sanctuary12 7:00 AM Real Men Get Up Early - TFH9:00 AM Male Chorus Rehearsal - TFH9:00 AM - 1:00 PM New Members Discipleship Classes - TFH9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Children Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Prison Ministry Meeting - 611811:30 AM - 1:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary13 11:00 AM Children's Church - 6116 Haverford Ave1:00 PM Hospitality Ministry Meeting - TFHHappy Mother's DayCommunion Services - Sanctuary - 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30amMorning Worship Services - Sanctuary - 7:30am,9:30am, and 11:30am14 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Agape Outreach Services Distribute Food & Clothing - 611410:30 AM Seniors Ministry Meeting - TFH6:00 PM Building Fund Ministry Meeting - 61146:30 PM - 7:30 PM Martial Arts Ministry - TFH15 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Women's Day Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Adult Divine Praise DanceMinistry Class & Rehearsal - TFHArmed Forces Day
PAGE TWO
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
16 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM AGAPE Distribution of Food and Clothing12:00 PM AGAPE - Free Hot Lunch Served1:00 PM Afternoon Bible Study - Sanctuary5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Video and Special Events Ministry Meeting - Radio Room6:00 PM - 6:55 PM Meal Time7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Focus on the Family17 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fine Arts Ministry Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Praise & Worship Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary18 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday Night Prayer Service - Sanctuary19 7:00 AM Real Men Get Up Early - TFH9:00 AM Male Chorus Rehearsal - 6114 2nd Floor9:00 AM - 11:30 AM Women's Ministry PrayerBreakfast - Reverend Renee Foster-Smith, Mt Tabor Baptist Church9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Children Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Dream Builders Quick-Books Training - 6116 Haverford Ave20 11:00 AM Children's Church - 6116 Haverford Ave11:30 AM Right Hand of Fellowship1:00 PM Deadline for Articles for the "JUNE" Church Chat4:00 PM Pastor preaching at Open Door Mission True Light Church, 401 N 52nd St for Bishop Maureen Davis - Male Chorus & UshersMorning Worship Services - Sanctuary - 7:30am, 9:30am, and 11:30am21 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Agape Outreach Services Distribute Food & Clothing - 61146:30 PM - 7:30 PM Martial Arts Ministry - TFH22 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Women's Day Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Adult Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH23 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM AGAPE Distribution of Food and Clothing12:00 PM AGAPE - Free Hot Lunch Served1:00 PM Afternoon Bible Study - Sanctuary5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Video and Special Events Ministry Meeting - Radio Room6:00 PM - 6:55 PM Meal Time7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Focus on the Family
24 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Ministry Leadership Council Meeting - TFH25 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM Friday Night Prayer Service - Sanctuary26 7:00 AM Real Men Get Up Early - TFH9:00 AM Male Chorus Rehearsal - TFH9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Children Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary27 7:30 AM Women's Day Service - Prophetess Cantell L. Ellis, CLE International Ministries9:30 AM Women's Day Service - Evangelist Barbara McNear, True Gospel Tabernacle Church11:00 AM Children's Church - 6116 Haverford Ave11:30 AM Women's Day Service - Pastor Garth GittensWomen's Day28 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM Martial Arts Ministry – Cancelled in observance of Memorial Day HolidayAGAPE Outreach Services Closed in Observance of Memorial Day HolidayChurch Administration Office Closed in Observance of Memorial Day HolidayMemorial Day (Observed)29 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM Teen Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Mass Choir Rehearsal - Sanctuary8:00 PM - 9:00 PM Adult Divine Praise Dance Ministry Class & Rehearsal - TFH30 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM AGAPE Distribution of Food and Clothing12:00 PM AGAPE - Free Hot Lunch Served1:00 PM Afternoon Bible Study - Sanctuary5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Video and Special Events Ministry Meeting - Radio Room6:00 PM - 6:55 PM Meal Time7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Focus on the Family31 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Fine Arts Ministry Rehearsal - TFH7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Praise & Worship Ministry Rehearsal - Sanctuary
PAGE THREE
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
COME JOIN THE BUILDING FUND MINISTRY
ONSATURDAY, JUNE 23, 2012
TO SEE THE EXCITING SHOW“JONAH”
At Sight and Sound’s“Millennium Theatre”
Donation: $115.00Bus leaves Calvary: 8:00am sharp!10:00am to 12:15pm – Rockvale Outlet Shopping1:00pm – Show 4:30pm – Shady Maple for Dinner
Bus returns to Calvary: Approximately 8:00pm
Deadline for Payment - Sunday, May 20, 2012 – Please continue to make your payments.
For more information, please contact:
Marsha Lawton – 215-837-2735Mary Wellons – 610-626-0202
WOMEN’S 2012 RETREATThe Women’s Retreat will be held at Willow Valley Resort & Conference Center from Friday, June 8, 2012 through Sunday, June 10, 2012. Women, reserve your room now. Payments are due now for the 2012 Women’s Retreat. See Sis. Theresa Evans, Sis. Crystal Miller, Sis. Leslie Yuille or Tr. Valerie Hayes in the Talmadge Fellowship Hall, Sunday morning after each service, to accept payments.
DISCIPLESHIP & CARING MINISTRY
NEW MEMBERS CLASS
There will be an additional New Members Class on Sunday, June 3, 2012 1:30pm to 4:00pm in Talmadge Fellowship Hall for new members who have been unable to attend a Saturday Class. Please look for the registration table at 1:00pm on that date in TFH. New Members Class scheduled for Saturday, June 2, 2012 will still be in session.
Contact Tr. Valerie Hayes at 215-264-2376 for more information.
Blessings,Trustee Valerie D. Hayes
Discipleship & Caring, Ministry Leader
2012 ANNUAL WOMEN’S DAY
Attention: All Women of Calvary. There will be a prayer breakfast on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 9:00am. Guest Speaker: Reverend Renee Forster-Smith, Mt. Tabor Baptist Church. We will be celebrating our Annual Women’s Day on Sunday, May 27, 2012. Our Worship services are as follows: 7:30am Speaker – Prophetess Cantell L. Ellis – CLE International Ministries, 9:30am – Speaker – Barbara McNear – True Gospel Tabernacle Church, 11:30am – Preacher – Pastor Garth Gittens.
For those women who would like to participate by wearing Women’s Day colors, we will be wearing all white. We are asking all the women and men of Calvary to make a donation of $20.00.
Giving the GIFT of Light
Missions Ministry is Traveling to Africa
You all are WELCOME!!!Where: Nairobi, KenyaWhen: July 17 – July 27, 2012The Need: 80% of households in Nairobi, Kenya are living without lighting. Together, we can light up a village with just $1,000. Will you help?
Cost: $3,200.00 per person----------------------------------------------
Clean Water for NamibiaMissions Ministry is working on
Calvary’s 3 rd Well
Please support us as we run lifting up the work of the Kingdom
Two wells have been completed and serving over 600,000 people
Will you help us to help them? You may help by making a donation to the Mission Ministry. Make all checks payable to Calvary Baptist Church. Please: 1) You must specify Africa on your tithes envelopes, 2) Ask the usher for Mission envelopes, or 3) Send it to Calvary Baptist Church, 6122 Haverford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19151, Att. Gloria Sharp/Africa.
For more information, contact Missionary Gloria Sharp at 215-747-6418, Marlene McIntosh at 1-718-501-4425, or call the church office 215-747-9979.
Submitted by Sis. Gloria Sharpe
Continued on Page Eighteen►
PAGE FOUR
A FATHER’S BOOKOF WISDOM
SUCCESS
He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much.
- Bessie Anderson Stanley
Any failure will tell you success is nothing but luck.
-Dad
Failure is success if we learn from it. - Malcomb S. Forbes
Success is best measured by how far you’ve come with the talents you’ve been given.
-Dad
SOURCE: H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS‘I HATE YOU!’By Julie Hanahan The first time your little darling blurts out, “I hate you!” can be devastating. It can occur as early as age 3. The minute some kids learn the word “no,” their first word of defiance, they begin to test boundaries.
Randolph, NJ, child development author Robyn J.A. Silverman, PhD says that by trial and error, a child tests how to use words to get what she wants and push buttons to get what she needs. Without much of a vocabulary, she may add physical outbursts to her verbal explosions.
Explains Becky A. Bailey, PhD, author of Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, “When a child says ‘I hate you,’ a parent may be tempted to retort, “Well, I love you.” Don’t argue back, she says, or the child may become even angrier. Instead:
1. Acknowledge his feelings: “I know that you are angry.” Remind him of
the appropriate behavior: “I don’t like the way you are talking,” or, “You know we don’t speak to others that way.”
2. Tell him how he can influence the outcome: “When you calm down, we’ll talk about what is upsetting you.”
3. Give him safe time alone to quiet down.
Books on Child AngerWhen I Feel Angry (The Way I Feel Books), by Cornelia Maude Spelman, Illustrated by Nancy Cote, (Albert Whitman & Company $6.99)
Words Are Not for Hurting (Best Behavior Series), by Elizabeth Verdick, Illustrated by Marieka Heinlen, (Free Spirit Publishing, $7.99)
When Sophie Gets Angry. . . Really, Really Angry, by Molly Bang, (Blue Sky Press, $6.99)
The Day Leo Said “I Hate You,” by Robie Harris, Illustrated by Molly Bang, (Little Brown Young Readers, $6.99)
Learning to cope with this developmental milestone can help both parents and kids.
Children can learn coping skills to help them vent their temper. Help your child recognize the physical signs of anger, suggests Dr. Silverman. Does she clench her fists? Do her shoulders rise? Does her face get hot? In a quiet time, ask her to show you her angry face and posture. “What would you look like if you were angry?”
If you’re discussing an “I hate you” moment, ask what she might do differently next time. If she doesn’t know, suggest alternative words she could have used. Let her participate in the solution.
Teach simple relaxation techniques. Count to 10, run in place or take a deep breath, using a statement like “Smell the roses (breathe in), and then blow the clouds away (breathe out).” Practice these tactics with your child in calm moments, so he will be equipped with tools he can use under pressure.
Continued on Page Seventeen►
ONE WORD FROM HIS LIPS
I have given you power ... that is greater than the enemy has.
LUKE 10:19
Many players appear on the stage of Gethsemane. Judas and his betrayal. Peter and his sword.... The soldiers and their weapons. And though these are crucial, they aren’t instrumental. The encounter is not between Jesus and the soldiers; it is between God and Satan. Satan dares to enter yet another garden, but God stands and Satan hasn’t a prayer....
Satan falls in the presence of Christ. One word from his lips, and the finest army in the world collapsed.
Satan is silent in the proclamation of Christ.
Not once did the enemy speak without Jesus’ invitation. Before Christ, Satan has nothing to say.
Satan is powerless against the protection of Christ....
When Jesus says he will keep you safe, he means it. Hell will have to get through him to get to you. Jesus is able to protect you. When he says he will get you home, he will get you home.
A Gentle Thunder
SOURCE: Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado
PAGE FIVE
GOD’S WORDFOR THE FAMILY
The Word of God establishes the family as the most important Christian social unit in our society and gives us guidance for proper relationships so that we might be everything God chooses for us, both individually and corporately. These scriptures will help you learn more about the promises for your family, God’s guidance for a better family relationship, and how God truly wants to bless and direct every Christian family for His glory.
GOD GUIDES IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
“WITH HIM”
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
II Corinthians 6:15-18
Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:1-7THE LITTLE BOOK OF PRAYER
MEDITATION
The margins of one Bible after another have literally been covered by the notes I have been accustomed to making along the way in my quiet time. E. STANLEY JONES The Divine Yes
Don’t take too much upon yourself lest the spirit should get tired.... It is sufficient to grasp one part from which you can strike a spark in your heart.
MARTIN LUTHER A Simple Way to Pray, for a Good Friend
PASTOR GARTH G. GITTENSFOCUS ON THE FAMILY NIGHT
I am of the firm opinion that the root cause of breakdown in our communities is a breakdown in our families and it’s time for the church to return it’s focus on family life and family values. To this end Wednesday nights at Calvary are about to change, instead of Bible Study as usual Wednesday nights are now titled “Focus On The Family Nights”.
6:00 – 6:55 pmThe night begins with a hot meal – at no charge – served between 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm this is to cater to people who come directly from work and children coming directly from school. The menu will vary, but along lines of Burgers &French Fries, Hot Dogs, Spaghetti and Meat Balls, Hot Wings etc.
At this time we will have a homework corner set up where kids can complete their homework under supervision and may even receive help.
The idea is to afford parents a measured mid-week break from the rigorous routine of school-age parenting.
7:00 – 7:30 pm During this time we gather in the upper sanctuary for praise and worship. The idea at this time is twofold: to allow our praise and worship team to introduce the congregation to new praise songs and simultaneously to allow members of our community who work on Sundays an opportunity to worship with us.
7:35 – 8:25 pmThis is our Education hour: we break up into specially designed classes for the purpose of practice oriented Bible Study.
THE JOY OF BEINGA WOMAN
Being Joan of Arc to the lady you meet in the bathroom who’s in need of a tampon
Becoming a crazy cat lady and spending all your social security money on Cat Chow (I am so well on my way to this!)
Shopping at Victoria’s Secret. You always feel so seductive and decadent when you walk out the door with something. (ALERT! ALERT! Overpowering advertising campaign and fancy catalogs have brainwashed author. ALERT! ALERT!)
SOURCE: Amy Hall
PAGE SIX
BUILDING A HEALTHY PLATE
Counting calories can be difficult for some but another more simple way to begin a healthy meal is to use healthy portion sizes.Before you eat, think about what goes on your plate. Foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein foods contain the nutrients you need without too many calories.Use daily items to measure servings:
- 1 cup = Baseball- ½ cup = Light bulb- 1 oz or 2 Tbsp = Golf
ball- 1 Tbsp = Poker chip- 3 oz chicken or meat =
Deck of cards- 3 oz fish = Checkbook
Break your plate into 3 sections: ½ vegetables, ¼ protein and ¼ grains. Read nutrition labels
- Check the serving size- Check calories- Limit saturated and trans
fat, cholesterol, and sodium- Look for higher %
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron
- 5% or less is too Low- 20% or more is High
SMART SHOPPING TIPS
Smart shopping is the first step to a healthy diet and lifestyle. Here are some tips to help you become a savvy and healthful grocery shopper!
Plan Ahead- It is important to create a grocery list before you do your weekly shopping, not only
does it keep the cost of your grocery bill down but is also keeps you disciplined to buying only what you need and helps you resist the urge of buying food from one of the many junk food aisles.
Shop the perimeter- all your fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and fish are found on the outside of the store; junk food is usually located in the middle isles.
Buy mainly fresh foods- When food isn’t fresh stick to the 100% whole grain options which are the least processed and have less additives.
Read the nutrition labels- When choosing prepared foods stick to foods that have a small ingredient list and have ingredients that you know and can pronounce.
Shop on a full stomach- Shopping while you are hungry can lead you to purchase less healthy and unnecessary options, this will also raise the cost of your grocery bill.
STRICT DIETS AREN’T NECESSARY
Many of us have been on a stringent “diet”, cutting out specific food groups (such as carbs, fat and red meat). This is a quick way to fall off your diet and revert back to your old eating habits. Here are some food myths you need to know before you diet:
1. Swearing off red meat isn’t completely necessary for a healthy diet. There are healthy ways to eat red meat, such as keeping the portion size to 5 oz, sticking to leaner cuts such as tenderloin, top
round and sirloin. When eating ground beef it should only have 5% or less of fat.
2. Not eating after 7 PM. There’s no need to go to bed hungry. The key is to choose a healthy snack, such as whole wheat pita chips and hummus or three cups of air-popped popcorn. If you like snacking at night, start each day by planning what you will eat so you will not go over your daily caloric intake.
3. Do not give in to cravings. It is ok to indulge in moderation, but forbidding yourself indulgent foods can lead you to binge on them in the long run. Limit yourself to one serving of your favorite treat on occasion.
4. Bread is the enemy. Not all bread is created equal. White over-processed bread contributes to fat gain, is lower in fiber and won’t fill you up leading you to eat more calories throughout the day. Choosing a lower calorie, whole grain, high fiber bread will fill you up and keep you full longer, resulting in you eating less calories throughout the day.
Submitted by Bro. Curtis Lawton
PAGE SEVEN
FAMOUS QUOTATION
Age is something that doesn’t matter, unless you are a cheese.
Billie Burke
I’M A SENIOR CITIZEN
I’m the life of the party-even when it lasts until 8:00 p.m.
I’m very good at opening child-proof caps - with a hammer.
I’m usually interested in going home before I get to where I’m going.
I’m good on a trip for at least an hour without my aspirin, bean-o, antacid...
I’m the first one to find the bathroom wherever I go.
I’m awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.
I’m smiling all the time because I can’t hear a word you are saying.
I’m very good at telling stories...over and over and over and over.
I’m aware that other people’s grandchildren are not as bright as mine.
I’m so cared for: Long-term care, eye care, hearing care, dental care...
I’m not grouchy - I just don’t like traffic, waiting, crowds, children, politicians...
I’m positive I did housework correctly before my mate retired.
I’m sure everything I can’t find is in a secure place.
I’m wrinkled, saggy, and lumpy - and that’s just my left leg.
I’m having trouble remembering simple words like....
I’m now spending more time with my pillows than with my mate.
I’m realizing that aging is not for sissies.
I’m anti-everything now: anti-fat, anti-smoke, anti-noise, anti-inflammatory...
I’m walking more (to the bathroom) and enjoying it less.
I’m going to reveal what goes on behind closed doors: Absolutely nothing...
I’m sure they are making adults much younger these days.
I’m in the initial state of my golden years: SS, CD’s, IRA’s, AARP...
I’m wondering if you’re only as old as you feel, how could I be alive at 150?
I’m supporting all movements now - by eating bran, prunes, and raisins.
I’m a walking storeroom of facts - I’ve just lost the storeroom.
I’m a Senior Citizen - and I think I’m having the time of my life!
Author Unknown
DO YOU HAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR MARRIAGE?Paul David Tripp
Jim got sick and had to forsake his climb up the corporate ladder. This brought stress into his marriage to Jen that he would never have anticipated.
Brad and Savannah got busier and busier and quit communicating as they should, and their relationship paid the price.
Brent struggled with a secret sin for years, and when Liz discovered it, it almost ended their marriage.
India and Frank always seemed to be in a battle for control. It was an exhausting marriage to be a part of.
Alfie and Sue never seemed to be in the same place spiritually.
Jared and Sally had an infectious affection for one another, but their financial woes brought much stress to their marriage.
Jung’s mother pulled her into loyalty battles again and again. It caused lots of conflict between her and Kim.
There are two observations to make about all these marriages. First, none was a bad marriage. No one was about to walk out. No one had been unfaithful as yet. There had been no abuse or violence. But none was experiencing what God had in mind when he created their union in the first place. And all of them were surprised at what they had to face as a couple. It was not what they had expected.
Second, everything that each couple faced is predicted by command, principle, proposition, or perspective in the Bible. If they had approached the Bible as a wonderful window onto their marriage, they would have known what to expect and not been surprised at what came their way.
So what are the essential wisdom perspectives that Scripture gives us that enable us to have realistic expectations for our marriage?
1. You are conducting your marriage in a fallen world.
Sam can’t believe he has been suddenly laid-off after all these years. Julie struggles with the thought of living with a man with a chronic disease. Mary feels like a prisoner in the house she loves, which is located in a neighborhood now gone bad. Sherrie struggles with the responses she has received to her biracial marriage. John often wonders why life has to be so hard.
We all face the same thing. Our marriages live in the middle of a world that does not function as God intended. Somehow, some way, your marriage is touched every day by the brokenness of our world. Maybe it simply has to do with the necessity of living with the low-grade hassles of a broken world, or maybe you are facing major issues that have altered the course of your life and your marriage.
But one thing is sure: You will not escape the environment in which God has chosen you to live. It is not an accident that you are conducting your marriage in this broken world. It is not an accident that you have to deal with the things you do. None of this is fate, chance, or luck. It is all part of God’s redemptive plan. Acts 17 says that he determines the exact place where you live and the exact length of your life. He knows where you live, and he is not surprised at what you are facing.
Even though you face things that make no sense to you, there is meaning and purpose to everything you face. I am persuaded that understanding your fallen world and God’s purpose for keeping you in it is foundational to building a marriage of unity, understanding, and love.
Continued on Page Nineteen►
GOD CAN HANDLE IT ….MARRIAGEBy Dr. S. M. Henriques
PRACTICING PATIENCEAND KINDNESS
There’s an old story of the man who came home from work, kissed his wife warmly, and offered to help with preparing supper. The wife burst into tears, exclaiming, “What a rotten day this has been! Little Tommy broke his arm, the washing machine broke down, and now you come home drunk!”
Hmmmm. If you treated your spouse with warmth and kindness, demonstrating patience when it’s needed most - would he or she have reason to be suspicious?
Two qualities - patience and kindness are back-to-back characteristics of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22. They should be a normal part of any marriage. The quotations and verses on the next few pages will remind us all of the need for patience and kindness. And lots of it!
The difference between a successful marriage and a mediocre one sometimes consists of leaving about four or five things a day unsaid.
Unknown
I have never known a happy henpecked husband, nor have I ever met a happy henpecker.
Tim LaHaye
You can have a dinner table with every delectable delicacy and the bounty of each season, but if the emotional tone around the table hangs heavy with unpleasantness, you might as well be eating leftover pizza from somebody else’s party.
Les and Leslie Parrott
Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack than to share a mansion with a nagging spouse.
PAGE EIGHTPAGE NINEPAGE EIGHT
Proverbs 21:9 (The Message)
WAR AND PIECES(Second of a Two Part Series)
When God finally spoke to Job, he spoke from out of a storm. Job 38: 1, 40:6
Joshua made the Gibeonites be woodcutters and water carriers for the Israelites as a curse. Joshua 9:23
Joseph, Mary, and Jesus moved to Egypt for a while because Herod wanted to kill Jesus. Matthew 2:13
Esau’s third wife, Mahalath, was also his cousin Ishmael’s daughter. Genesis 28:9
Jonah wasn’t the only one sent to Nineveh. What other prophet ministered there? Nahum. Nahum1:1
Moses had two sons, Gershom and Eliezer. Exodus 18:3
Samson set the tails of 300 foxes on fire and set the poor animals loose in some Philistine grain fields. Judges 15:4-5
In Old Testament times people wore sackcloth so other people would know they were in mourning. 2 Samuel 3:31
THE ARMY OF THE LORD
A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door as he always is to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.
The Pastor said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!”
My friend replied, “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.” Pastor questioned, “How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?”
He whispered back, “I’m in the secret service.”
Author is Unknown
CLOWN MINISTERS
Reasons churches don’t ask clown ministries to return:
1. They force people to smile during the 8 am service. 2. It’s hard to say with dignity, “The sermon today will be given by Brother Umpa-Doody.” 3. Whoopee cushions inevitably appear under pew cushions 4. Sermons take a lot longer when they are in pantomime. 5. Dribble glasses used during the communion service. 6. They have to pay janitors extra to get all of the silly string off the ceiling. 7. The kids pop their balloons during closing prayer.
Author is Unknown
DAILY PRAISE FROMTHE BIBLE
Inspiration from the PsalmsBy Dan Dick
For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
Psalm 135: 5
Brooke had tried everything. She had started in business, done quite well, then the bottom dropped out. Broke and disillusioned, she moved home with her parents. There she began attending church and studying the Word. Then she was offered a job with a large corporation, and she jumped at the chance. It didn’t work out the way she expected, nor did the relationship she got involved in with one of her co-workers. Disillusioned once more, she returned to her hometown. Once more she involved herself with the church, and she was amazed to realize how much she had missed it. The problems she’d been having didn’t seem so great anymore. Without even realizing it, Brooke had been developing a faith that helped her through. While everything else in her life changed, mostly for the worse, God stayed the same, and He was waiting to embrace His prodigal daughter the minute she returned.
Our Lord is great, and His love is far beyond our comprehension. No earthly temptation that we try to elevate to the status of a god can ever compare with the one true God. He alone can make our lives worthwhile.
PRAYER: You have changed my life for the better, Father, and I will never again turn from the blessings You alone can supply. Please let nothing ever come between me and Your love. Amen.
Submitted by Sis. Marsha Lawton
PAGE TEN
PROMISES YOU CANCOUNT ON!
Whatever your problems, whatever your needs, the answers are in the Bible. Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re suffering, whatever you’re hoping ... the Bible has something to say to you.
God’s Promises on “SICKNESS”
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
Matthew 9:6, 7
For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord;
Jeremiah 30: 17
And ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
Exodus 23:25
CHRISTIAN BOOK OF QUESTIONS
Questions to Explore Your Beliefsand Deepen Your Faith
Do we not get what we want because we lack faith or because what we want is not part of God’s plan? How can we know what to have faith in, and what to release as God’s plan?
Is depression a sin or a condition that cannot be helped?
In A Child Called It, author Dave Pelzer describes his hellish childhood of abuse and torture at the hands of his mother. For years he prayed for release, but with no apparent action from God. Why would God (seemingly) not answer the prayers of a desperate child?
Is speeding a sin? The Bible tells Christians to “love thy neighbor” but also to be “equally yoked” in our relationships. Should we only select Christian friends?
Is borrowing something without asking a sin? What if you plan to return it immediately?
Did God create different races, or are they a product of evolution? If we are all God’s children, why is there so much racial disharmony?
WHAT JESUS IS SAYING TO YOU
By Peter Wallace
When God says that something can be used for food, don’t say it isn’t fit to eat.
-Acts 10:15
The risen Jesus spoke directly to Peter in prayer, revealing three times that what Peter formerly considered out of bounds was no longer considered out of bounds by God.
The vision focused on what one could and couldn’t eat according to Jewish law. But Peter learned that God had a different point of view. An open one.
But get beyond the issue of food. It’s a metaphor for something else much more dramatic: people.
God opened up the world to Peter, and to all the followers of Christ. Jesus carne as the Savior of the whole world.”
It was a timely lesson, for a man who was not a Jew sought Peter’s aid. Peter was summoned to the home of a Roman, and he went.
We can learn from Peter’s willingness to minister to the Roman.
Submitted by Sis. Marsha Lawton
GOD’S PROMISES FOR MEN
The Word of God doesn’t tell us about the truth; it is truth.
Charles Swindoll
GOD’S PLAN FOR MEN IS“To Listen to the Holy Spirit”
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!
Luke 11:10-13
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 2:9-14
PAGE ELEVEN
DID YOU GET YOURBOOK YET?
Calvary’s Bookstore is now open. There are various items available. But, in case you did not know, our own Pastor, Dr. Garth G. Gittens, has written a book.
The book is entitled “MASSA SAY, DE BIBLE SAY” and will be personally autographed. Let us show our love and support by purchasing your very own copy. You can also visit his website for more information. Please go to www.drgarthggittens.com
O Lord, the house of my soul is narrow. Enlarge it that thou mayest enter in. It is ruinous. O repair it! It displeases thy sight-l confess it, I know. But who shall cleanse it,
or to whom shall I cry but unto thee? Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,
and spare thy servant from strange sins. St. Augustine
SOURCE: Life’s Little Prayer Book
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEGAL AND RIGHT?
Right is right, no matter who’sagainst it. Wrong is wrong, nomatter who’s for it. Legalsimply means that more peopleand politicians are for it thanagainst it.
Of all the lessons history teaches, this one is plainest: the personwho tries to achieve ends throughforce is always cruel. We shouldremember this is an age wheremorality seems to be disappearing and is being replaced by politics.
Eustace Percy
SOURCE: The Little Book of Big Questions - Answers to Life’s Perplexing Questions
HEAVEN AND HELL
While walking down the street one day a Corrupt Senator (which may be redundant) was tragically hit by a car and died.
His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.
“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”
“No problem, just let me in,” says the Senator.
“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”
“Really? I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the Senator.
“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”
And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.
The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course.
In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.
Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.
They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.
Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.
They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.
Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.
The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, “Now it’s time to visit heaven...”
So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.
“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”
Continued on Page Fourteen►
PAGE TWELVE
BIBLE SECRETS FORSUCCESSFUL LIVING
FAITHFULNESS
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 1:7
A living faith in Jesus is more important than any gold or silver. Nourish your faith.
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Daniel 3:17-18
We need faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego today. Let’s stand up for the Lord without compromise.
THE BIBLE PROMISE BOOK FOR WOMEN
CONVERSATION
The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things. PROVERBS 15:28
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. COLOSSIANS 4:6
The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. PROVERBS 16:23 24
GOD’S ANSWERS FOR
YOUR LIFE
GROWING IN CHRIST
HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE LIBERTY THAT IS IN CHRIST
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
John 8:32, 36
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. II Corinthians 3:17
STAND fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:1
TRUST MORE -- FEAR LESSBy Max Lucado
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened.
ACTS 16:25 NCV
Great acts of faith are seldom born out of calm calculation. It wasn’t logic that caused Moses to raise his staff on the bank of the Red Sea. It wasn’t medical research that convinced Naaman to dip seven times in the river. It wasn’t common sense that caused Paul to abandon the Law and embrace grace.
And it wasn’t a confident committee that prayed in a small room in Jerusalem for Peter’s release from prison. It was a fearful, desperate band of backedinto-a-corner believers. It was a church with no options. A congregation of have-nots pleading for help. And never were they stronger. At the beginning of every act of faith, there is often a seed of fear.
In the Eye of the Storm
Submitted by Bro. Curtis Lawton
PATIENCE
For many people life is terribly busy. Perhaps it is for you, too. There simply isn’t enough time to do everything you would like to do.
Then sickness comes.
And with it come frustration and irritation, because you are no longer the master of your own affairs. You are simply no longer in control. You need help.
Sickness, therefore, gives you an opportunity to learn patience. God Himself has lovingly slowed you down from the frenzied pace of your normal life. He gives you the opportunity to look up, to look up to Him, to start talking with Him again, to start reading the Bible.
Patience! Don’t be so restless! Make the most of this interruption. Learn to wait upon the Lord!
THE BIBLE SAYS…I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
Psalm 40:1-3
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12-13
SOURCE:SOMEONE CARES
Submitted by Tr. Mattie B. Hull
PAGE SIXTEEN
PAGE THIRTEEN
10,000 THINGS TOPRAISE GOD FOR
snow angels fellow Christian believers in Tokelau fame based on worthy
accomplishments those who are willing and able an all-clear report on a follow-up
exam college students who do beach
ministry during spring break lemon slices studded with cloves fellow Christian believers in French
Guiana fathers who assist with childbirth a lunch-hour nap instead of lunch
By Jan Dargatz
HEAVEN AND HELL◄Continued From Page Twelve
The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell...
Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.
He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls to the ground.
The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.
“I don’t understand,” stammers the Senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”
The devil smiles at him and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning, today, you voted.”
Vote wisely on November 2, 2012
Author Unknown
Submitted by Sis. Debora Richardson
ESPECIALLY FOR YOU
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who won’t survive the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.
If you attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed than almost three billion people in the world.
If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.
If your parents are still married and alive, you are very rare, especially in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all.
You are so blessed in ways you may never even know. If you are feeling blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and do something for others.
A blessing cannot be kept. If it stops with you, then the blessing will disappear. The blessing will only keep working if it is continuously passed around. If you are a recipient of a blessing, keep the blessing working by being the source of blessing to other people.
Submitted by Sis. Juanita Ford
THE BLESSING FROM TITHING
Tithing blesses the heart by making it receptive to God’s willTithing blesses the life by lifting it to a higher plane of grace.Tithing blesses the hands by making them willing to do God’s work.Tithing blesses the mind by giving it the satisfaction of doing the right thing.Tithing blesses the nine-tenths that remain because God has been honored.Tithing blesses the individual by giving him or her a part in God’s world-wide program of work.
PAGE FOURTEEN
MEN OF THE BIBLEBy Dan Hannon
JACOBGenesis 25:19-49:33
Jacob came into the world clutching his twin brother’s heel. This was symbolic of struggles to come. Jacob contended with his older brother Esau over the birthright and the blessing of their father Isaac. Jacob won, but only through deception. The story of the enmity and eventual reconciliation of these patriarchs is told earlier in this book in the account of Esau.
After stealing the blessing from Esau, Jacob fled to northern Syria to live with his uncle Laban. During the journey he stopped one night to sleep and used a rock for a pillow. There Jacob had a dream of a ladder that reached from earth to heaven. Angels were climbing up and down on this ladder. In the dream the Lord promised Jacob that his descendants would cover the earth and that He would he with Jacob in his travels.
When he awoke Jacob was frightened and said, “This is the house of God and the gate of heaven!” He named the place Bethel and promised that if God would take care of him, he would always worship God and return to the Lord a tenth of everything he ever received.
Welcomed into his uncle Laban’s household, Jacob fell in love with Laban’s daughter Rachel. He told Laban he would work for him seven years if Laban would give him Rachel’s hand in marriage. Laban agreed.
The seven years flew by, or so it seemed to Jacob. He was head over heels in love with Rachel. When Laban arranged the wedding he gave his older daughter Leah to be Jacob’s wife instead of Rachel. Jacob furiously protested. Laban explained the custom-the oldest daughter marries
first! He promised to let Jacob marry Rachel too, but only if Jacob would work another seven years! Jacob agreed and eventually had both daughters as wives. But he always preferred Rachel.
God saw that Leah was unloved and allowed her to have children while Rachel was unable to conceive. Jacob had six sons by Leah, two other sons by Leah’s maid, and two sons by Rachel’s maid. Finally God remembered Rachel and let her have a son of her own; his name was Joseph. Later Rachel died giving birth to her second son-Jacob’s twelfth-who was called Benjamin.
In time, relations between Jacob and Laban became very strained. Laban was not happy that Jacob’s livestock multiplied and grew healthier than the other herds. Jacob yearned to return with his household to his homeland, but Laban realized that the Lord’s blessings on Jacob over the years had had a positive effect on his own fortunes. Ultimately Jacob and his family fled in secret. Laban and his men chased and caught them, but conflict was averted and Jacob and Laban made a pact and parted peacefully.
During the journey back to his homeland, Jacob wrestled with God who appeared in the form of a man. All night they wrestled and Jacob’s hip was thrown out of joint in the struggle but he was not defeated. As daylight approached and the man began to leave, Jacob refused to let Him go until he received a blessing from the divine opponent.
“From now on,” the man said, “your name will be Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with men and have won.”
NEVER LET ME GO
Don’t ever let me go, dear Lord,When I’ve a mind to stray.
Hold me tight and do not everLet me get away.
Correct my faulty vision,Show me, however hard,
The grass is never greenerIn my next-door neighbor’s yard.
Help me to stop complainingWhen I don’t get my way.Fill my heart with gratitude
For every dawning day.
Show me how to disregardThe hurting words of others,
Remembering that You have saidThat all men are my brothers.
Keep me plain and simpleAs long as I shall live,
Caring not for what I get,But all that I can give.
Let me light the darknessWith love’s bright candle glow,
And knowing through it all that YouWill never let me go!
Grace E. Easley
Those whose steps are guided by the Lord; whose way God approves, may stumble, but they will never fall, for the Lord holds their hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
Submitted by Sis. Eleanor Richardson
SOLUTIONS TO APRILPUZZLE CORNER
ANSWERS: FEET: 1-Mary, 2-Ruth, 3-Abigail, 4-Mephibosheth, 5-Asa, 6-Jairus, 7-Jesus, 8-MAry, 9-Peter, 10-John the Baptist, 11-Agabus
Cryptogram Solution: 2 Timothy 4:6-9
PAGE FIFTEEN
HOW CHILDREN PERCEIVE THEIR GRANDPARENTSPart Two of a Three-Part Series
4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what her own childhood was like. “We used to skate outside on a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild raspberries in the woods.” The little girl was wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, “I sure wish I’d gotten to know you sooner!”
5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked, “Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?” I mentally polished my halo and I said, “No, how are we alike?’’ “You’re both old,” he replied.
6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her grandfather’s word processor. She told him she was writing a story. “What’s it about?” he asked. “I don’t know,” she replied. “I can’t read.”
7. I didn’t know if my granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At last, she headed for the door, saying, “Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these colors yourself!”
8. When my grandson Billy and I entered our vacation cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy whispered, “It’s no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.”
9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, “I’m not sure.” “Look in your underwear, Grandpa,” he advised “Mine says I’m 4 to 6.”
10.A second grader came home from school and said to her grandmother, “Grandma, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.” The grandmother, more than a little surprised, tried to keep her cool. “That’s interesting.” she said. “How do you make babies?” “It’s simple,” replied the girl. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.”
11. Children’s Logic: “Give me a sentence about a public servant,” said a teacher. The small boy wrote: “The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.” The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. “Don’t you know what pregnant means?” she asked. “Sure,” said the young boy confidently. ‘It means carrying a child.”
Submitted by Bro. Jerome Richardson
CHRISTIANITY,THE BETTER WAY
In life, you can choose to serve Satan as a sinner or serve Christ as a Christian. You can live either way, but Christianity is the better way.
Christianity is the better way because it means salvation. Jesus said, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (John 10:9). Christianity is the better way because it rids us of our old sinful life. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Christianity is the better way because God can work through the life of a Christian. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Christianity is the better way because Christians enjoy the peace of God. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). You will not be sorry for becoming a Christian or for living the Christian life. It is better for now and for eternity. A Christian is a believer in Christ who has repented and been baptized for the remission of sins. “Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). You must obey the gospel to be saved (Mark 16:15-16). The Lord adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47). The saved person must remain faithful till death (Revelation 2:10; 2 Timothy 4:6-8). Obey the gospel and live for Christ now, so that you may live eternally with Him.
—Charles Box Greenville, Alabama
Submitted by Sis. Priscilla Young
MAY BIRTHDAY’S◄Continued From Page Twenty-Four
30Dominique BrownRussell HadleyPauline JonesStacy LunsfordRoxanne Morris
31Bernard AdolphusAndrea AndersonJasmine BarnesMonique Betterson
PAGE SIXTEEN
Berlin BrunsonJasmine HillMargaret Laws
WHEN YOUR CHILD SAYS‘I HATE YOU!’◄Continued From Page Five
On the MetroKids Facebook page, reader Rosemary Gunning recalls all four of her kids used the “h” word. “My response was always, ‘I’m sorry to hear that. I love you very much, but I don’t like you to speak to me like that. When would you like to talk about feelings?’ Generally they stomped away, but returned soon for a hug.”
Additional AdviceAs children’s vocabulary increases, they can learn to express their feelings more accurately. They need to continue to learn new words to match their emotions.
When you have started to identify your child’s concerns, you can supply more appropriate words to help her pinpoint what she is feeling. Use quiet times as teaching times. When you are reading a story together, talk about how the characters handle their frustration. Explain that you get angry sometimes too. Talk about better solutions to make the anger go away.
Help your child to see that he has options. One problem can be solved in a variety of different ways. If he is having difficulty mastering a task, he can ask for help, try a different approach or move on to another activity. Be willing to help him see alternative ideas to solve his problem.
Advance planning can stop the rage before it begins. If, in specific situations, your child has issues, prepare her before you arrive. For example, if you are going to a children’s arcade, you may mention “The last time you got really frustrated because other children weren’t sharing or you had to wait your turn. What do you think you might want to do if you start to feel that way again?” Suggest alternate actions (go to a different game where there is no line) and
remind her of her verbal and physical tools.
Be aware of your own use of the word “hate.” Hearing a parent say I hate my job or I hate waiting in line may indicate that hate is an acceptable term with little impact. Establish and practice rules of respect within your household to set the standard you want your child to attain.
When your child says “I hate you”, realize that she is probably trying to say something very different to you. As you help your child identify, modify and rectify their feelings, you will find that you will be able to communicate more effectively.
Julie Hanahan is a freelance writer.
Submitted by Sis. Denise Clark
101 RESOLUTIONS FOR THE NEW YEARBy Nancy Walker Hale
63I will plant the seed of hope in someone whose garden of life is full of weeds.
Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.
JOB 4:3-4 KJV
64I will say no to a request when I am already overextended.
We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.
EPHESIANS 4:14-15 NASB
65I will choose to be joyful.
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them. The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
PSALM 126:2-3 NIV
NEW MEMBERS
Greetings in the name of Christ Jesus. Welcome to the Calvary Baptist Church family. Feel free to participate in any Church activity you choose. You are also invited to join our ministries as the Holy Spirit leads you. May God bless you and continue to strengthen your faith.
Monique Allen-BryantLatoya BrownWanda EvansDeja Evans
Aidan FluellenChris FluellenCarla Forrest
Althea JohnsonJudith JonesAlicia Knox
Erica MoultrieLashanda Reid
Taryn Robinson-JonesIndia Rose
Cheryl SampsonGabrielle TurnerFreddie WaltonMichael Wilson
PAGE SEVENTEEN
MINISTRIES CORNER ◄Continued From Page Four
CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH –9TH NEW MEMBERS BANQUET
Calvary Baptist Church’s 9th New Members Banquet was held on Saturday, April 21, 2012, a beautiful sunny day that the Lord had made! It was attended by over 100 new members and their guests. As well as Pastor Gittens, First Lady Gittens, Church and Ministry Leaders, Special Events Ministry, Church Office Staff and the beautiful and hospitable hostesses of Discipleship & Caring Ministry.
Delicious cuisine was prepared by Minister and Sister Glover. Talmadge Fellowship Hall was adorned in beautiful shades of pastel courtesy of Sister Vanessa Hayes and decorating team. Pastor Gittens delivered a very insightful Wisdom from the Word.
Bro Jovan Dunham ministered in song with a…Excellent!…Fresh Anointing Mime Ministry touched and blessed everyone. Martial Arts Ministry performed an exciting and skilled demonstration. Christ Centered, informative and heartfelt presentations were made by all ministries, especially our dynamic First Lady.
New Member Sister Kisha White led us all in a joy filled Christian line dance after dinner. What a blast that was!!! As Deacon Joseph DeReef said it was a time of Food, Fellowship and Fun.
Thanks to each and every one who helped to and prayed for it to be a success!!!! We will Bless the Lord at all times!!! All Glory Honor and Praise Goes to Him!!
Humbly submittedTr. Valerie Hayes
Discipleship & Caring Ministry
Leader
DREAM BUILDERS
Saturday, May 19, 2012 - Dream Builders QuickBooks Training 1:30pm to 4:00pm
If you want to learn how QuickBooks can work for your business, this is the class for you! A QuickBooks Pro-advisor will show you the tools, shortcuts and tricks you’ll need to successfully use the program.
You will also be able to purchase QuickBooks Premier for 20% off at the class. The cost is $50 for Calvary members and $75 for non-Calvary members. You must register by May 16, 2012. For more details, please call Keisha Parker at (215) 310-5916. Class will be held at 6116 Haverford Avenue.
PASTOR GARTH G. GITTENS ENGAGEMENTS
Sunday, May 20, 2012 Pastor Gittens will be preaching at Open Door Mission True Light Church 401 N. 52nd Street at 4:00pm for their Deacons and Men’s Day Service, Bishop Maureen Davis, Pastor. Male Chorus & Male Ushers will accompany Pastor. The Mini Bus will be available. Please call or visit the Church Office to sign up 6142 Haverford Ave/phone # 215-747-9979
WOMEN’S DAY CHOIR REHEARSAL
Attention Women of Calvary, raise your voice with the Women’s Day Choir. Rehearsals will be Thursday, May 10th and Tuesdays, May 15th & May 22nd at 7:00pm.
PASTORAL NINTH ANNIVERSARY
Pastor Garth G. Gittens and First Lady, Evangelist Gillian Gittens will be celebrating their Ninth Pastor Anniversary on Sunday, May 6, 2012 - 9th Pastoral Anniversary Services: 7:30am – Bishop Ethan Thornton 9:30am – Pastor Julius Spencer – Main Baptist Church, Aurora, Illinois 11:30am – Pastor Julius Spencer – Main Baptist Church, Aurora, Illinois 2:00pm – Dinner with the Pastor – Talmadge Fellowship Hall 4:00pm – Pastor Benjamin Hailey - Union Baptist Church, Allentown, Pennsylvania
Don’t miss this anointed celebration. Also, be prepared to show your love by blessing them with love offerings, cards and gifts.
MEN’S RETREATMen Reserve Your Room Today!!! Payments are NOW being accepted for the 2012 Men’s Retreat to be held on August 17-19, 2012 at Sandy Cove, Northeast, MD. Dea. William Sawyer will be in the TFH Sunday Morning after each service to accept deposits or see Dea. Harold Hall, Dea. Joe De Reef, Bro. Ed Brown or call Dea. Wilbur Napper in the church office 215-747-9979 Ext. 7102.
PAGE FIFTEENPAGE EIGHTEEN
DO YOU HAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FOR YOUR MARRIAGE?◄Continued From Page Nine
2. You are a sinner married to a sinner.
You and I just don’t get to be married to someone perfect. It seems true when you read it, but even though this seems obvious, many people get married with unrealistic expectations about who they are marrying.
Here is the point: You both bring something into your marriage that is destructive to what a marriage needs and must do. That thing is called sin. Most of the troubles we face in marriage are not intentional or personal. In most marriage situations, you do not face difficulty because your spouse intentionally did something to make your life difficult.
Yes, in moments of anger that may happen. But most often, what is really happening is that your life is being affected by the sin, weakness, and failure of the person you are living with. So, if your wife is having a bad day, that bad day will splash up on you in some way. If your husband is angry with his job, there is a good possibility that he will bring that anger home with him.
3. God is faithful, powerful, and willing.
There is one more reality that you have to include as you are trying to look at your marriage as realistically as possible. Not only must you consider the fallenness of the world you live in and the fact that both of you are less than perfect, but you must also remember that you are not alone in your struggle. The Bible says that God is near, so near that in your moment of need you can reach out and touch him because he is not far from each one of us (Acts 17:27). Yes, you live in a fallen world, and the two of you are less than perfect, but in all this
you are not left to your own resources. The God who determined your address lives there with you and is committed to giving you everything you need.
What did you expect?
Because God is faithful, powerful, and willing, you can be realistic and hopeful about your marriage at the very same time. Realistic expectations are not about hope without honesty, and they are not about honesty without hope. Realism is found at the intersection of unabashed honesty and uncompromising hope. God’s Word and God’s grace make both possible in your marriage.
WHEN GOD CREATED MOMS
When the good Lord was creating mothers, he was into his sixth day of overtime, when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”
And the Lord said, “Have you read the spec on this one? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic; have 180 moveable parts, all replaceable; run on black coffee and leftovers; have a lap that disappears when she stands up; a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair; and six pair of hands.”
The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands...no way.”
“It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”
“That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.The Lord nodded.
“One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, “What are you kids doing in there?” when she already
knows. Another here, in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t, but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, “I understand and I love you,” without so much as uttering a word.”
“Lord,” said the angel, touching his sleeve gently, “Rest for now. Tomorrow...”
“I can’t,” said the Lord. “I’m so close to creating something close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower.”
The angel circled the model of the mother very slowly. “She’s too soft,” she sighed.“But tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what the mother can do or endure.”“Can she think?”“Not only think, but she can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.Finally the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told you, you were trying to put too much into this model.”“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”“What’s it for?”“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride.”“You’re a genius,” said the angel.The Lord looked somber, “I didn’t put it there.”
Author Unknown
Submitted by Brother Earl Sawyer
PAGE EIGHTEENPAGE NINETEEN
William Henry Johnson (1901-1970): ArtistBy Dorothy G. Kapenstein
William Henry Johnson was a brilliant and talented painter who produced many fine works. In his own time, he never fully received the
recognition and honors he had truly earned. One of the greatest honors our (or any nation) nation can bestow on a citizen came Johnson’s way when the United States Post Office announced in a March 2012 news release that on April 12, 2012, it would issue a stamp honoring the American artist, William H. Johnson. The ceremony was scheduled to take place in Baltimore, Maryland. The Johnson issue is a 45 cent “Forever” stamp. It is also the eleventh stamp issued in the American Treasures series that began in 2001. William Johnson will join the ranks of such famous American artists as John James Audubon, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer. Other stamps in the series honor works of folk art such as Amish quilts and the amazing Gees Bend quilts made by African American women.
One of Johnson’s paintings has been chosen as the subject of the stamp. It is called “Flowers”. The artist used oils to paint the picture on plywood and he worked on it for a whole year, from 1940 to 1941. The flowers of the title are a lovely bouquet painted in pastel colors. The artist’s name appears on the bottom of the stamp in upper case letters. This is
the second of Johnson’s works to be chosen as the subject of a United States stamp. In 2005, his painting, “Training For War” was the subject of a 37 cent stamp.
William H. Johnson was an inspired artist. A staff writer for the Smithsonian Institution, our national museum, describes his life work: “William Henry Johnson (1901-1970) is a pivotal figure in modern American art. A virtuoso skilled in various media and he produced thousands of works over a career that spanned decades, continents and genres.”
Johnson lived his life at a time when it was more than difficult for black artists to achieve success and recognition for their works of art, or even to make a living from them. He was born in Florence, South Carolina during the time of the glaring and smothering evils of segregation. They were in full bloom in the south! Johnson’s family consisted of his mother, his stepfather and four younger siblings. Like most southern black families, they were very poor. When Johnson’s stepfather was crippled in a work accident, the boy’s mother did all kinds of domestic work to bring in whatever she could.
The children received little in the way of education. Schools were strictly segregated and the black children never got their fair share of anything. They often had to drop in and out of school to help at home. William Johnson often had to watch the younger children at home so his mother could go to work. Sometimes he was able to earn a few cents by running errands. Several accounts of his life say that he was attracted to drawing as a young child. He taught himself to draw by copying comic strips from newspapers his mother was allowed to bring home when she cleaned houses. He said later in life that a kind and generous teacher noticed him when he used a stick to draw on the ground. She helped him
and gave him pencils and paper from time to time when he needed them. In his early teen years, he dropped out of high school to earn money to help his mother support his younger brothers and sisters. At this time, he became totally focused on becoming an artist. He knew quite well that this would likely never happen in his hometown. He had already heard that New York was a great center of art education. When an uncle announced that he was moving to New York because he had heard that there were better jobs for black men in the north, he took Johnson with him. They both got work and Johnson often worked several jobs at once so that he could send money home to his mother and at the same time save money for art school.
It took him three years to save enough to apply to art school. He chose the National Academy of Design in New York. He did extremely well and won two major student awards, the Cameron Prize and the Hallgarten Award, and some others as well.
Two of his teachers, Charles W. Hawthorne and George Luks, were much admired and respected as artists. Both men believed that their young student had real talent and a great future ahead. He had been working as a laborer but the pay was low and the hours were long. Both artists gave him jobs in their own studios so that he could earn enough to live on and send money home while concentrating on his studies. They also helped him to get free tuition.
However, in his senior year in 1926, Johnson was bypassed for the most desired award of all- a cash prize to study in Europe. Hawthorne was furious because he felt that Johnson deserved the Prize and that racial bigotry had kept him from getting it. Hawthorne set up a fund raising drive, put his own money in and got others to contribute. George Luks handed
over $600.00 of his own money! Johnson headed for Paris. Continued on Page Twenty-One►
PAGE TWENTY
William Henry Johnson (1901-1970): ArtistBy Dorothy G. Kapenstein◄Continued From Page Twenty
In Paris, Johnson found much to admire. He was impressed with the paintings of Paul Gaugin, a French artist who went to live in Tahiti. There, Gaugin painted people of color portraying them with great charm and dignity. Johnson became greatly influenced by the painting style of Chaim Soutine, a Russian Jew then living in Paris who was an Expressionist painter. The artists of this persuasion were most interested in creating works that would arouse emotions rather than in depicting realistic subjects. Johnson began to paint in this style. He had two shows of his work while in France but neither one got him much attention. At this time, Henry Ossawa Tanner, a world famous black painter from Philadelphia, was living near Paris. Tanner chose to live in exile in France rather than face the evils of segregation in his native land. Tanner was having great success by this time. He welcomed Johnson and encouraged him to keep working.
Johnson began to travel around in France to visit art shows and museums. In the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer, he met a family of Danish artists who were visiting France. One of them was his future wife, Holcha Krake. Holcha was a fabric designer and a weaver and she also designed and made pottery. Johnson joined the Danes in their travels. Johnson came to believe that he was not having much success in Europe and that perhaps he should go home.
Once in New York, he entered six paintings in art competition sponsored by the Harmon Foundation, set up in 1922 by a white millionaire, William E. Harmon to “help gain recognition for African American artists who otherwise would have remained largely unknown.” The
Harmon sponsored art shows that lasted from 1926 to 1976, when the Harmon Fund went out of business. Johnson won a Gold Medal and $400.00,a good sum in those days. Much heartened, he went home to South Carolina to visit his mother and his family.
He took a selection of his work with him and the YMCA showed them in an exhibit. The police gave him a hard time. He was on a back street painting an old building when he was arrested and thrown into jail. He was so bitter about his attack that he decided to shake the dust of the south off his feet. He returned to Denmark where Holcha was waiting for him and they were married. They traveled around Europe. Johnson painted fisherman and other poor people in his expressionistic style. Then he and Holcha traveled around North Africa. They lived among the Arabs in little villages. Both Johnsons studied the local folk culture and were influenced by them. Johnson’s dark skin made them feel he was one of them.
Something evil was beginning to thrive in Europe-the Nazi philosophy. Adolph Hitler, the German dictator and the German people, not only hated and persecuted Jews; they hated and despised black people. They labeled both peoples as sub-human! They condemned all forms of expressionism as degenerate, and the artists were forbidden to work. Johnson began to feel very uneasy for his wife and himself. He was afraid to paint in Europe. He and Holcha decided to go home. He became desperately unhappy because his paintings did not sell. He could not get work as an art teacher although later he did get a job with the Works Progress Administration (WPA) founded by President Roosevelt to help artists earn a living during the Depression. He began to teach at the Harlem Art center.
At this point, he deliberately changed his painting style. For the rest of his life, he painted only about the lives and history of his own people. He also painted scenes from the Bible in his new vision. Most art historians consider this work to be his finest. Still, he never got the recognition or money to have the life style he and Holcha deserved. His behavior began to be very strange and was perhaps the first step in his mental illness.
Johnson’s mind seemed to crash when his beloved wife died of beast cancer in 1943. He mourned her endlessly. He decided to save enough money to get back to Denmark, some say to visit his in-laws, and others say to propose to Holcha’s sister. She never accepted the proposal. He went into a state of total depression and when the police found him wandering on the streets, he was sent back to New York. He was not able to come out of mists in which he now lived and in 1947, he was committed to the state hospital in Central Islip. He never painted again.
His friends collected the great number of works he had left behind and paid to have them stored in a warehouse. They could not afford to pay forever and the warehouse manager was threatening to put the works out with the garbage. Mary Brady, the Director of the Harmon Foundation, saved them for all of us. She paid all the bills and had the art works sent to her headquarters. When the Harmon Foundation bit the dust, she gave a huge collection to the National Museum of American Art and some small groups to some African American Black Colleges. If you go to Washington, look at Johnson’s works and the works of many other great black artists.
Continued on Page Twenty-Two►
PAGE TWENTY-ONEPAGE TWENTY-TWO
William Henry Johnson (1901-1970): ArtistBy Dorothy G. Kapenstein◄Continued From Page Twenty-One
Most art historians agree on William Johnson’s place in the history of American art. Here are some of their observations. They believe that although Johnson’s last years were unstable, his contribution to American art remains monumental. He was responsible for the introduction of various aspects of European modernism into American art. He played an integral role in creating opportunities and acceptance for other African American artists. Through his paintings, he documented his heritage while depicting urban and rural American life at mid-century. From the southern homestead to the Savoy Ballroom, his unique brand of neo-folk art drew from European modernism and traditional African forms to spark a new movement in modern American painting.
WHY I OWE MY MOTHER (THE BEST TEACHER I EVER HAD)....
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. “If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.”
2. My mother taught me RELIGION. “You better pray that will come out of the carpet.”
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. “If you don’t straighten up, I’m going to knock you into the middle of next week!”
4. My mother taught me LOGIC. “Because I said so, that’s why.”
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
“If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you’re not going to the store with me.”
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. “Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you’re in an accident.”
7. My mother taught me IRONY. “Keep crying, and I’ll give you something to cry about.”
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. “Shut your mouth and eat your supper.”
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTION-ISM. “Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck?”
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.“You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. “This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.”
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. “If I told you once, I’ve told you a million times. Don’t exaggerate!”
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.”
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. “Stop acting like your father!”
15. My mother taught me about ENVY. “There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don’t have wonderful parents like you do.”
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. “Just wait until we get home.”
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. “You are going to get it when you get home!”
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way.”
19. My mother taught me ESP. “Put your sweater on; don’t you think I know when you are cold?”
20. My mother taught me HUMOR. “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.”
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.”
22. My mother taught me GENETICS. “You’re just like your father.”
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. “Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?”
24. My mother taught me WISDOM. “When you get to be my age, you’ll understand.”
And my favorite: 25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE. “One day you’ll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!”
Only you folks my age understand these profound statements!!! But, there is one missing from this list~~My personal all-time favorite!!
26. My mother taught me about CHOICE. “Do you want me to stop this car?”
Submitted by Sis. Debora Richardson
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
THE LONG JUMP
Imagine that you’re out jogging one day with Mike, a world record holder in the long jump at twenty-nine feet, four inches. While you’re running along, you hear a low rumble, and your feet sense a steadily increasing tremor that alerts you to the start of an earthquake like no other you’ve experienced.
Suddenly, a mere stride ahead of you and Mike, the earth splits open. You both come to a full stop to discover that you are isolated on a small sliver of earth, separated from safety by a deep crevasse that is about thirty feet across. The little patch of earth you’re standing on is crumbling in the continuing upheaval, and you see that it’s a matter of moments before you both are cast into the crevasse where you’ll be crushed by the lurching earth. Things look hopeless.
Your only hope is to jump across the canyon. Mike judges that the jump is about eight inches longer than his record-setting long jump, but he decides to try it anyway. He gets back as far as he can so that he can gather as much speed as possible. He crouches into a three-point stance, and you yell, “On your mark! Get set! GO!”
Mike runs as fast as he can. Right on the edge of the crevasse, he kicks off and launches himself into the air. It’s a perfect jump. Sailing over the crevasse, he lands with the toes of both feet barely on the edge of the other side. His jump is an amazing twenty-nine feet, six inches-two inches farther than his world record! Unfortunately, the jump isn’t far enough. His feet slip off the edge, and for a moment he scrambles to grab the edge with his hands. It’s no good, though. As you watch he falls into the crevasse and dies. Poor Mike.
Now it’s your turn. You crouch into a three-point stance as far from the take-off edge as possible. Mentally giving yourself the signal, you spring forward. Huffing and puffing, you pound up to the edge, kick off, and jump straight down into the crevasse. You’re dead too.
It didn’t matter that Mike nearly got to the other side with a perfect, world-record long jump. It simply wasn’t far enough. Judged by its final outcome, Mike’s jump was no better than yours. Both of you died.
Getting to the heaven side of eternal life works much the same way. It doesn’t matter how good you live, how many church services you attend, or how much better you are than other people. You can’t save yourself. The best people in the world can’t save themselves, “for all have sinned and fall short (Rom. 3:23). No one is good enough on his or her own.
That’s why Jesus came. He’s the only one who ever lived a perfect life. When we put our faith and trust in Him and make Him Lord of our lives, His perfection becomes ours. He’s the only one who can get us safely to the other side.
Submitted by Sis. Marsha Wellons-Lawton
PAGE TWENTY-THREE
1Shanice BaconAnthony BesterPeaches Brown
Deaconess Ruth HarperDea. James A. Peterson
Damir RenaudPaulette Samba
Tr. Mary Wellons
2Flossie BealeLavern Davis
Tracey L. GriffinVillie Howard
Barbara JacksonAkima Lyons
3Hermeline ArcherSherina Johnson-
Thompson
4Alvilda Boyer
Nicole Hall
5Salema Davis
Aaron Jackson IIAnthony PadgettDonita Thomas
Yolanda Worthey
6Nasir BranhamLinda Morton
Tr. Raymond TalmadgeDede Yevu
7Patricia CanadaJulio CastanerJenaby Dennis
8Tracy L. CooperMarlon HoilettAnita B. King
Alonso KinnardBernadine Mack
9Janet ElderGloria Gary
Chrystal GutrieMonique HallKaleb Monroe
Yolanda ThompsonFrances Warden
Dasia Wilson
10Heather DavisOzie Flemming
Cynterria HendersonAriane MedlockTimothy Milburn
12Catherine Anderson
Cresta CampbellLeisha Carter
Kairi CreightonCeleste DunnAllan GilliamSadia PolandQiana Walker
13Tr. William Adams, Jr.
Samuel DrummondErnest DunhamIdris GreenidgePhylicia HodgesRhonda Williams
14Kailyn Beard
Kadeshia FarrellSáfian Lewis
Germain PicouLawrence G. Simpson
Lisa Wilkins
15Roosevelt Austin
Venice Fuller-ForbesGloria Richards
16Keisha Fisher-ParkerDea. Henry C. Smith
Nicole Thompson
17Harold Hall
Fannie JewellCamille Robinson
Danny Torres
18Karen Costner
Paulette LeonardMattie Swann
19Min. André Forney, Sr,
Clifton Holland, Jr.Qaseem Holloway
Regina PlazaShana Walker
20Mary E. Betterson
Grace DixonMona Lisa Lafosse
Roxann NelsonRonald Poindexter, Sr.
21A’Shiyah FullerTierra Murray
Sheni Saul
22Michael BennettChoyce Dixon
Latasha HendersonDouglas LloydI’Atta Wilson
23Dylan ArmstrongJessica HowardBra’vette FleetBarbara ShiversBrenda Walton
Lionel WestSharon West
I’Sharyará WilsonLorna Wilson
24Antwan Howard
Kisha Prince
25Charmagne Newman
Syreeta PopeHenry Richardson
26Mary Flynn
Krissel RamdassDoris Thomas
Marsha Wallace
27Lashae Dudley
Angela GillEvangelist Gillian Gittens
Dorethea MorrisChristasia Pressley
28Mack Bass
Doretha JohnsonLakiya N. Sawyer
Jean Williams-Davis
29Gwendolyn Adekanbi
Helen LomaxCrystal Pleasant-Elliott
Nai-Whedai SheriffKetlie St. Louis
Teresa Urqurhart
Continued onPage Sixteen►
The Church Chat Staff wishes to extend birthday wishes to everyone born in the month of May.
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
Please let Bro. Edward Brown know if we have omitted anyone.
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERSFew mothers and daughters are named in the Bible.
Answer the following questions with the proper mother or daughter.
1. ____________ . Who was the mother who instructed her daughter to ask for John the Baptist’s head (Matt. 14:6-8)?
2. ____________ . Who became mother to her daughter-in-law (Ruth 1:16- 19)?3. ____________ . Who were the mother and daughter Paul commended for proper rearing of a son
(2 Tim. 1 :5)? 4. ____________ . Who was the daughter who watched her baby brother in a basket boat made by
her mother (Ex. 2:3-4; 15:20)?5. ____________ . Who was the daughter of Leah and Jacob (Gen. 30:21)?6. ____________ . Who was the prophetess whose mother was unknown (Judg. 4:4)?7. ____________ . Who was the mother, later memorialized in salt, who fled with her two daughters
(Gen. 19:15)?8. ____________ . Who was the daughter-in-law picked by a servant (Gen. 24:1-4,15)?9. ____________ . Who was the mother who left her daughters many times for other lovers and was
forgiven by her husband each time (Hos. 1:3; 2:1-5)?10. ____________ . Who was the mother who chose her daughter-in-law (Gen. 21:17-21)?
CRYPTOGRAM
Can you identify this scripture? Hint: N=D
___ ___ ____ _ ________ _____? ___ ___ _____ __ ___ _____ ______. __ _NLG KID ERDQ I HRSBFGFC NGPID? EGS LYS USRKY RC EIS IMGHY SFMRYC. BL Y
_ ____ __ _ __ _______ ____ ______ _____ __ _ __, __ ____ _ _ _____ ____L YISB GE L YS LFCMIDQ QGBL CIEYOT BSFCB RD L YS, CG BLIB L Y CLIOO LIHY
__ ____ __ _____. ___ ____ __ ___ ____ ___ ___ ____ ___ __ _ ____ __ _DG DVYQ GE CUGRO. CLY NROO QG LRP JGGQ IDQ DGB YHRO I00 BL Y QITC GE L
__ ____. __ _ _______ ____, ___ ____, ___ _______ _________ ____ ___YS GREY. CL Y CYYXYBL NGGO, IDQ EOIZ, IDQ NGSXYBL NROORDJOT NRBL LYS
_____.LIDQC.
Submitted by Sis. Marsha Wellons-Lawton
PAGE TWENTY-FIVE
A THOUSAND THANKS
Mother’s Day brings to mindThe thousands of things you did for me
that helped make me happier,stronger and wiser,
because I had you as a role model.
I’m grateful for all the timesyou healed my hurtsand calmed my fears,
so that I could face the worldfeeling safe and secure.
I’m thankful for all you showed meabout how to love and give--
lessons that now bringso many blessings to me
each and every day.
Your sacrifices and unselfishnessdid not go unnoticed, Mom.
I admire y ou, I respect you,I love you.
And I’m so glad you’re my mother!
Happy Mother’s Day!
By Joanna Fuchswww.poemsource.com
POSITIVE THOUGHTS
Facts are stubborn things. Alain Rene Lesage
There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.
Louis L’Amour
You don’t just luck into things as much as you’d like to think you do. You build step by step, whether it’s friendships or opportunities.
Barbara Bush
Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late.
Felix Frankfurter
IN THE SMALL STUFF
• Don’t get hung up on how long ago God made the heavens and the earth.
• Don’t get hung up on how long it took God to make the heavens and the earth.
• If you want to know yourself better, get to know your Creator better.
• It is our responsibility to use and manage-not abuse and deplete-our natural resources.
• When you see a beautiful painting, praise the artist.
• When you hear a beautiful song, praise the composer.
CHURCH CHAT STAFF
Editor and Publisher:Marsha Wellons-Lawton
Contributors This Month:Trustee Mary Wellons, Edward Brown, Denise Clark, Juanita Ford, Pastor Garth G. Gittens, Bertha Glover, Trustee Valerie Hayes, Trustee Mattie B. Hull, Dorothy Kapenstein, Curtis Lawton, Deacon Wilbur J. Napper, Eleanor Richardson, Debora
Richardson, Jerome Richardson, Gloria Sharpe, and Priscilla Young.
Articles for the June 2012 Church Chat issue are due on Sunday, May 20, 2012. Any articles received after that date will be considered for the July 2012 issue. We reserve the right to edit and publish any articles submitted to us at our own discretion.
PAGE TWENTY-SIX