message of ministry
DESCRIPTION
From a mess to ministryTRANSCRIPT
October - December 2011
Inside This Issue
Family Secrets
Jehovah Jirah
Evelyn Haye
Dr. Gwendolyn Miller‟s Retirement
Stories That Inspire
Inspirational Moments
Magazine
The Message of
Ministry Andrew Jefferson Tells His
Message That Helped to Shape
His Ministry
Healing Hands
One Woman’s Act of
Kindness Creates a
Lasting Friendship
Page 2
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Dear Reader,
I read a very interesting story in First Baptist Church of Smyrna, Geor-
gia’s September/October 2011 newsletter. It was about a mother who
took her four- month-old daughter to the library only to be rudely told
to tell her child to shut up after the child had been babbling in the li-
brary. The woman responded to the man’s request with an angry, ―I
will not tell my daughter to shut up‖ preceded by, ―I am very sorry for
whatever in your life caused you to be so disturbed by a happy baby.‖
Instead of getting a response that matched her anger, the man’s re-
sponse was one of an apology coupled by tears. You see, the man had
been suppressing his anger about his own infant son’s death from over
50 years ago. What started out as a confrontation ended with openness
and sharing. The man went on to tell her his story and how he came to
be so bitter.
I don’t know anymore about the story, but I do know something about
seed planting, deliverance and breakthroughs. There is no doubt that
this encounter broke something in that man. The article went on to say
that the man eventually asked to hold the woman’s child, and he smiled
and began to show signs of relaxing, so much so until he laid his cheek
on the baby’s head. The man thanked the lady and quickly left.
You know God had to intervene in that situation because all natural
evidence indicated that situation should have escalated. The woman
even admits to bracing herself for the confrontation, but God—! Hurt-
ing people hurt other people, but loving people also love other people.
Pastor Molly had a philosophy to ―love the hell‖ out of people who are
filled with rage. It wasn’t this lady’s love for the man, but it was her
love for her child that sucked the bitterness out of that situation.
I really don’t have an explanation for how God moved in that situation,
but it is apparent that God did intervened in that situation. When you
stay open in love, it is a platform for God’s super-natural power to be
displayed. Let God do it in your life today.
Read on, and be inspired!
Jennifer M. Hudson Publisher
STAFF
Editor Sabrina Smith
Publisher Jennifer M. Hudson
Writers Chelle Davis
Evelyn Haye
JT Hud
Kevin Jackson
Tatiana Allen
Graphic Designer JT Hud
I’M Magazine
Page 3
CONTENTS
4 Sabrina's Editorial
9 HaiROX
10
Cover
4 R-E-S-P-E-C-T
6 God Can
8 Family Secrets
9 Healing Hands
10 Ministry Is My
Message
14 Poetry
16 Worship Your
Way
18 Jehovah Jireh
19 I Am Done
In the famous words of the queen of soul,
Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it
means…Authority is defined as the power to deter-
mine or otherwise settle issues or disputes, the right
to control or command. A power or right delegated
or given. A person or a body of people in whom au-
thority is vested. Usually, people in authority have
the legal power to make and enforce law.
As a child, it was embedded in me to not
only respect my parents, but to respect all of my eld-
ers, and this was my mindset long before I ever
knew that there were biblical scriptures such as Co-
lossians 3:20, which says, ―Children, obey your par-
ents in everything, for this pleases the Lord,‖ or
Exodus 20:12, ―Honor your father and your mother,
that your days may be
long in the land that
the Lord your God is
giving you.‖ It was a
given that I would do
what my mother in-
structed me to do –
without rolling the
eyes that I wanted to
continue to see out of, without debating from the
mouth that I wanted to continue to have all teeth,
and without slamming a door to the bedroom for
which she paid the rent. Although I did not always
agree with my mom or many of my elders, I recog-
nized early on that these people were in control; they
made valuable decisions that impacted my well-
being, and they all had knowledge about so many
facets of life that I was ignorant of. These people
were my authorities, and I learned that if I disre-
spected them, there was a consequence. So how is it
today that so many people disrespect authority?
As a young student of the 80s, I would have
been too afraid to backtalk my teacher, to carry on
conversations while the teacher was giving instruc-
tion, to show up late to class and then play the role
of the class-clown, and God forbid, to be lazy or
worse-case scenario, to cheat. Teachers are in au-
thority; they too are in control of the power of fa-
cilitating knowledge that our children will need,
guiding our children to be self-sufficient critical
thinkers and problem solvers, thus creating pro-
ductive citizens who make positive life decisions.
But if educators play such a valuable role, why is
there such blatant insolence in the school-house?
America, what are we teaching our young people
about respect, or better yet, the lack of?
Lastly, Representative Joe Wilson yelled
out, ―You lie‖ during Present Obama’s health care
speech. Parents and even some school officials
made sure that students did not hear the Presi-
dent’s educational ad-
dress to students. Often
referred to as Obama
instead of his title,
President Obama, he’s
been called a racist and
even referred to as a
president with anti-
American views. And
when did America get to a point where we allowed
the House Speaker to decide when the President of
the United States, the commander and chief, would
address society about the nation’s number one eco-
nomic concern, JOBS! So what happens when so-
ciety refuses to respect authority? The local embar-
rassment grows from episodes with parents and
teachers to the international embarrassment of dis-
respecting the President of the United States.
Hebrews 13:17 says ―Obey your leaders
and submit to them, for they are keeping watch
over your souls, as those who will have to give an
account. Let them do this with joy and not with
groaning, for that would be of no advantage to
you.‖ What are we really teaching our children
when they see adults overtly disrespect each other?
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R-E-S-P-E-C-T AUTHORITY, AMERICA! (Editorial by Sabrina Smith)
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for
they are keeping watch over your souls, as those
who will have to give an account. Let them do
this with joy and not with groaning, for that
would be of no advantage to you.”
That they can go to school and be disobedient to
teachers and administrators? That they can get a
job and not follow the directives of their boss, and
equally important, that they can at any age be dis-
courteous to their elders, their parents? America,
like it or not, you cannot change who your parents
are, who your teachers are, nor can you change
who the President is. Learn to respect authority
now so that you do not pay a penalty later.
Sabrina Smith
(Editor)
Page 5
I’M Magazine
As I look back over
my life, I have a lot to
be thankful for. I was
born at Philadelphia
General Hospital in
Philadelphia, Pennsyl-
vania, to the parents of
Lester Haye and Henri-
etta (Milhouse) Haye. I
have four brothers and
two sisters and spent
my childhood in North
Philly, in a neighborhood
I later found out was
considered by most, “the ghetto”. Hey, I
didn‟t even know that I
lived in what was con-
sidered the “ghetto”
until many years later
when I attended college.
My mother often re-
minds me that our
neighborhood wasn‟t
like that when they first
moved there.
Now, I must say
that for the most part
my childhood experi-
ence was pleasant. I at-
tended George Clymer
Elementary School in
North Philly. I was very
shy throughout my ele-
mentary years. I loved
art; and I had an art
teacher who would take
extra time with me.
During the summer, she
would give me extra
crayons and paper, so I
could continue to draw
over the summer vaca-
tion.
Now, there
were some vivid experi-
ences that I will never
forget, like the time I
got into a fight because
one of the students kept
taking my crayons. One
day I got tired of her
and tried to take my
crayons back; we got
into a little fight, and I
ended up in the princi-pal‟s office. I was half
scared, and my feet
were swinging back and
forth from the bench
because I was so short
that my feet couldn‟t
touch the floor. Any-
way, the principal asked
us to apologize, and
then we were sent back
to class. Once, some
bullies chased me home;
they began to hit me
just as I reached my
steps. Boy, I was so
glad that someone was
home, and they ran
away before my brother
opened the door. I
even remember when
this boy name Eddie
would make me give
him money to keep him
from beating me up.
There were other times
when I had to be extra
careful in my neighbor-
hood because of the
gangs. Neighbors who
either did drugs, drank,
or were into the party-
life surrounded me. I
always remember one
of my neighbors, Mr.
Rainey, who always told
me to “Be Somebody”.
My parents
worked; but somehow,
there were times when
there was not enough
money to take care of all of our needs. Often,
I had to wear clothes
that were given to us.
Now, for special occa-
sions, my mother some-
how found the funds to
make sure that I was
always the prettiest girl
around. My hair was
always combed, and my
clothes were never dirty
or raggedy. There were
many times when I had
to eat government
cheese, puffed rice ce-
real with no sugar
added, peanut butter,
dry powdered milk,
powder eggs, yes, pow-
dered eggs and dry navy
beans! Through it all, I
never went hungry; my
house was always clean,
and we always had love
in our home.
Even still, God
allowed me to be con-
nected with positive
people. There was Mrs.
Nettie; that‟s what I
called her, who lived
across the street. She
was a beautiful woman
who always had some-
thing great cooking in
her kitchen. She could
bake the best sweet po-
tato pie, and her made-
from-scratch-banana
pudding was out of this
world! She would al-ways play gospel music,
and she loved going to
gospel concerts. I was
blessed because she
would take me along
with her to many of the
gospel concerts. I had
the opportunity to see
many well-known gospel
artists at a young age.
Mrs. Nettie would take
me to church with her,
too. I would walk a
couple blocks down the
street to church; I en-
joyed singing and prais-
ing God. I enjoyed go-
ing to church, and
sometimes, I would visit
three different churches
during any given Sunday.
I just had a hunger for
the Word of God.
One thing that I knew
without a doubt, and
that was that God loved
God Can Do Great Things For You! By Evelyn Haye
(Owner of Creative Expressions & Gifts)
Page 6
To Order Call: 404.667.6812
me.
I went through
junior high, and then I
attended Mastbaum Vo-
cational Technical High.
I majored in Commer-
cial/Distributed Educa-
tion since I always liked
selling things. I helped
my mother sell various
items, crystal, Tupper-
ware, etc. I even sold
candy and was the top-
seller in my class when
we sold candles as a
fundraiser. Throughout
high school, I crocheted
and made hats, scarves,
handbags, tissue covers,
ponchos and even long
and short pants. I made
my spending money by
making and selling
things.
After graduating
from high school, with-
out any prep courses, I
decided to go to col-
lege. I had planned to
be a secretary; how-
ever, a man named Mr.
John Holton, who was
the director of a day
care center encouraged
me, to go to college. I
enrolled at Northeast-
ern Christian Jr. Col-
lege, located in Villa-
nova, Pennsylvania. I
was able to attend
school with a $200
scholarship I got from
my church, work-study,
and funds from my par-
ents. I majored in Hu-man Services since I al-
ways liked helping peo-
ple; I had planned to be
a psychologist. Upon
graduating, I enrolled at
South Carolina State
College, Orangeburg,
now South Carolina
State University
(SCSU ). I majored in
Early Childhood Educa-
tion/Home Economics. I
took and passed my
teacher certification
exam during my senior
year. At the time, I did-
n‟t even know I had to
have this certificate in
order to teach. I fin-
ished school December,
1981, and received my
Bachelor Degree in May,
1982. I finished without
owing anything; I was
blessed to receive
grants; and again, I had
work-study. I received
a job in August of „82 as
an elementary school
teacher at Elloree Ele-
mentary School, in El-
loree, South Carolina. I
later went back to
school and received my
Masters of Elementary
Education, May 2003 at
SCSU; and again, I was
blessed to receive my
degree without a loan.
Over $14,000 was paid
in full!
I taught school
for 27 years at Elloree
Elementary School; I
taught preschool
through third grade.
During the beginning of
what would have been
my last year before I could officially retire
from teaching, my life
changed. It was August
during the 2009
Women‟s Conference
at Right Direction
Christian Center, Co-
lumbia, South Carolina,
that I received the mes-
sage to start my own
business, full time. I
had already applied for
and received my busi-
ness license for
“Creative Expressions &
Gifts” during the sum-
mer. Now, I have been
using my hands and gifts
even while I was teach-
ing, but on a part-time
basis. I had been doing
floral arrangements, gift
baskets, wedding favors,
and many personalized
gifts over the years.
Here it is just two
weeks into the school
year, and God had spo-
ken to me to step out in
faith to do my business
full time. The next day
I went to work and dur-
ing my break, I had a
meeting with my princi-
pal and informed her of
my plans. To make a
long story short, every-
thing worked out well.
As a matter of fact, be-
cause of my decision to
leave, it was a blessing
for two of my co-
workers as they were
shifted to different posi-
tions, which worked to
their favor. You never
know whom you will
end up blessing when
you are obedient to God!
The very day I
left my former job, as I
was on my way home, I
stopped by a friend‟s
house, and I began to
tell her about what God
told me to do. She was
so excited and encour-
aging; she began to give
me supplies and equip-
ment to use in my busi-
ness. I needed a color
laser printer for some
print work I had
planned to do; to my
amazement, she gave
me a color laser printer
without even knowing
that I needed one!
Now, that‟s how God
works! I left her house
with my car full from
the front to the back.
As I continued to do as
God led me, I was able
to remodel my garage
and begin my business.
I couldn‟t believe that
in less than six months, I
was completely debt
free! I‟d paid off my
mortgage, and my van
was paid off! This was
the first time in my life
that I experienced what
it felt like to be debt
free! I have always been
a tither and give my of-
ferings with joy. Yes,
sometimes, things were
tight, but I have learned
that if you put God first
in whatever you do, He
will always take care of
you. It had been over
two years now, and
God is still blessing me
greatly. I encourage eve-ryone to let God guide
you in all that you do,
and you will always
come out on top!
Page 7
I’M Magazine
Page 8
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Family Secrets by Reverend Kevin Jackson
We are living storybooks. The events that transpire within our lives are simply an amalgamation of stories in which our daily encoun-ters with life have been re-corded. We learn from birth the power of stories.
There are several studies that suggest that a mother is capable of strengthening the bond with her unborn child by communicating through the simple act of reading. We embody the stories that have shaped our culture and molded our families. We ven-ture to the movies to see the dramatization of stories. Talk shows, dramas, the news –even commercials are stories. Stories stir our emo-tions. Stories hold our attention. Stories help us to remember history because it is essentially a story. Dr. Edward Wimberly, scholar and au-thor in the field of Pastoral Counseling, states in his book, Recalling Our Stories: Spiritual Re-newal for Religious Caregivers, that “Our sto-ried experiences are real in the sense that they shape our lives and relationships.” As Christians, we encounter and are nourished by the biblical stories of common folks and the testimony of their relationship with God. We attend family reunions and are reminded of our family narratives because of the stories that are seemingly told over and over again. Do you know your story? This summer, I attended my father’s family reunion. This year marked the first time that we (children and grandchildren born out-of- wedlock) were allowed to attend this biennial event. Strangely enough, I would be treading in unchartered waters amongst a group of family members who were foreign. My father (while alive) never had the opportunity to attend any of his family reunions, being a child who was born out-of-wedlock. My father represents a segment within society that was treated as a “family secret;” my father represents a segment within society that did not know his story! Family secrets exist in all families. Fam-ily secrets can be both positive and negative.
Mental illnesses within a family were often guarded secrets. Our modern day understand-ing of brain pathologies has enabled families to openly seek the support they need. However, I believe that some family secrets are extremely destructive. They are rooted in a type of shame that is intended to grant a sense of privacy to the offender. My father was a family secret in that his existence was hidden. Those who did know that he was my late grandfather’s child, kept it to themselves. My father had only two chance meetings with his biological father; they never established a father-son relationship. The in-herent “secrecy” of my father’s existence robbed both his father and he of the ability to experi-ence the bond that God intended to be felt be-tween a father and a son. The bond that estab-lishes love as unselfish and teaches expectancy without perfectionism was missing from their story. Not only do our stories provide accounts of our personal experiences, but they give meaning to our self-identities and define how we live out what it means to be a family. Family secrets have the ability to remain generationally hidden for several years. How-ever, an abundance of healing is available to the keepers of the secret, as well as the person who was targeted to be the secret. But it doesn’t stop there; healing and wholeness become available to the entire family. New relationships are formed, and old relationships find healing. When family secrets are exposed, God’s provi-dential nature nourishes our stories. Even though I initially went to the family reunion with a bit of ambivalence, God changed the agenda once I arrived. We were welcomed and felt a sense of love that could have only been orchestrated by God; a new nurturing bond was created that has further united our family. Sometimes, the pain of our family secrets overshadows the desire to know the truth. Be encouraged to know your story, and trust that God will see you through this process.
Page 9
I’M Magazine
Dana Roxette’s Healing Hands By Chelle Davis
Life is beautiful. As long as we are alive, challenges will arise. GOD is always working. In Romans 8:28, it says, "And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to HIS purpose." This scripture brings to mind a young woman I met years ago named Dana Roxette. I was recov-ering from an illness when a mu-tual friend introduced Dana and me. My hair was just starting to grow back from my bouts with chemotherapy, and I was at a loss about what to do with my hair. Dana is a professional hair stylist; she told our mutual friend to tell me to come see her and she "volunteered" to take care of my "new hair." I was in awe because I didn't even know this young woman, yet she "offered" her exper-tise to me without a second thought. When I met Dana, we be-came fast friends right away. She was younger than I imagined, yet she had a maturity beyond her years. Being an only child, I expected her to be a little self-centered, but she was quite the opposite. Dana made me feel pam-pered from the moment I sat in her chair. What GOD knew and Dana didn't was that my self-esteem was low. When you go through health issues, certain things.....important things....just suffer or even disap-pear. GOD has a way of loving you in a way that NO ONE can. HE, through Dana's gift and capable hands touched my head, my heart,
and revived my ailing self-esteem all at the same time! I have seen this young woman open up herself to be GOD'S tool on countless occasions. She has helped build houses with Habitat For Humanity for the less fortunate. Dana has given her ser-vices as a stylist to a raffle to raise money for little boys playing rec-reational football. She volunteers at her church and offers her services to the homeless. She even volun-teers at my daughter's school! Dana is always working to affect the people and things around her. I have watched her evolve right be-fore my eyes. I admire the way Dana is always looking for ways to improve herself and to get involved, the way she loves to laugh and to make new friends, and just her
fearless approach to life. Her love for GOD allows her to be as fearless as she is. Dana has struggles, but I've seen her come through those struggles with a faith stronger than before. Almost 10 years later, she is STILL my hairstylist. I know without a doubt that the day I sat in Dana's chair that it was GOD's finger tips mas-saging this injured, but recovering woman's scalp, that it was GOD washing away my doubts and fears, and it was GOD as I sat un-der the dryer, drying away my tears of hurt and pain. Dana was HIS vessel. She allowed herself to be "called according to HIS purpose" that day and every time since…and for that, I AM GRATEFUL! Like Dana is a blessing to me, I pray to be a blessing to others. I am thank-ful for such a loving GOD who an-swers my call and comes when I need HIM, A GOD that loves me like only HE can. How will YOU be a blessing today?
You can find Dana at:
Dana Roxette
hairROX@manemoodz
2459 Roosevelt Highway Suite A1
College Park, GA 30349
770-823-5433
www.hairROX.com
Dana Roxette and Chelle Davis
When you first look at a picture or a person you may see one thing, only to find out that the artist had something
else in mind when he captured the image. In God’s case, when He makes an image, we often see one thing while
God sees something else. This is some of the story of Minister Andrew Jefferson of Daytona Beach, Florida.
Minister Andrew tells how he was viewed by others and how it contrasted with how God saw him.
his friends were very hesitant about getting into
the car. When his friends refused to get into the
car, his mom pulled off and left them standing
there. The next day at school, he was slapped
across the head by one of the boys for what hap-
pened the day before. From that point on, An-
drew would not play football anymore.
He went on to be picked on and pushed
around by others until one day he’d had enough.
He went to the book mobile at school and found a
$1.20 book on self-defense. Although he was a
little short of the amount the book cost by $0.60,
the lady in the book mobile showed him favor and
allowed him to purchase the book anyway. After
shutting himself up in his room reading and study-
ing the book, he taught himself how to fight. In
return, it helped him develop more confidence.
When he reached high school, a group of
boys, including one of the boys he had offered a
ride from football practice, got together and
formed a gang. Since the boys all lived in Pine
Haven Projects, they were called the Pine Haven
Warr Doggs. Their reputation of being tough and
undefeated quickly spread, and others from outside
of Pine Haven wanted to join them, so the gang’s
name was changed to the Warr Doggs. Andrew
began to be very popular with the young ladies.
He also met Grant Toliver through the gang, and
an unbreakable bond began.
Grant and Andrew became very close
friends; they were now adults and shared a bond
that neither of them would be able to comprehend
the dept of until now. In the 80‖s, crack cocaine
hit the streets of Daytona Beach. The Warr
Doggs’ affiliation went form gang banging to sell-
ing drugs; things were going at hyper speed. Life
was good, and everything was just fine until late
one March night in 1988. Andrew and Grant had
Children are shaped by their environment.
When they are constantly told that they are des-
tined for greatness, they believe it and most likely
do great things. To the contrary, when they are
told they are destined for failure, they most likely
will believe that and start living a life of failure
and defeat. But what happens when they are told
both? This is when confusion can set in and pave
the way for an internal struggle.
Andrew Jefferson had that battle as a
young boy growing up in Daytona Beach, Florida.
His family and he were often teased by others and
called ―space rats‖. He was often bullied and con-
sidered ugly. As a teenager, Andrew recalls,
―When a girl wanted to date me, her friends would
talk her out of it.‖ These were all damaging blows
to his self-esteem.
Fortunately for Andrew, he had an aunt
Vertie Mae Crosland, who told him he was hand-
some and always encouraged him. Andrew admits
that his parents often drank; nevertheless, he still
saw them as ―good parents‖. He says, ―They did
the best they could.‖ Having someone around like
his Aunt Vertie Mae allowed him to have some-
thing to fight with when negative thoughts would
enter his mind. For example, when others called
him ugly, he would look in the mirror and see
himself as being handsome because of the positive
words that his aunt instilled to help shape his
thoughts.
Andrew played football in junior high
school (now known as middle school). He was an
awesome receiver, and the quarterback could attest
to that. One day after football practice he offered
two of his teammates a ride home. When his
mother pulled up, the boys had a change of heart
and were afraid to get in the car. Andrew remem-
bers his mom telling him to shut the car door when
I’M Magazine
Page 11
If you have a story to tell that will inspire others, please send your story to us here at I’M Magazine. You may
send it to P.O. Box 366092, Atlanta, GA 30336, or email it to [email protected].
spoken earlier, and Andrew was supposed
to go by Grant’s house that evening, but he
didn’t. A young man who had come to
Grant’s house returned to buy some crack;
instead of buying the crack, he decided to
rob him at gun-point. There was a struggle
and the gun went off; one bullet was fired,
and the would-be-robber took off running.
Unbeknownst to the robber, Grant’s girl-
friend was in the house; she called for
Grant’s father who lived in the house in
front of his. When the ambulance arrived,
Grant had passed away; having drowned in
his own blood.
As you can imagine, Andrew began
to take on the blame for what happened
that night. He told himself things like, ―If
I had been there, this would not have hap-
pened.‖ The lost of a friend was weighing
heavily on Andrew’s heart, so much that
he ended up leaving Daytona Beach.
That was just where God wanted
Andrew, broken and wounded. After years
passed, Andrew had an encounter with the
Holy Spirit that would change his life
completely. The thing about receiving the
Holy Spirit through accepting Jesus Christ
as your Lord and Savior is you begin to
find out who you really are and why rela-
tionships form in your life. Shortly after
his experience with the Holy Spirit, he was
visited by Grant in a dream. God uses
something familiar to get our attention like
He did through Andrew dreaming about
Grant. Grant came to him in a dream and
told him that his death was not Andrew’s
fault; as a result, Andrew was able to re-
lease his feelings of guilt and hurt. From
that time until now, Grant comes to An-
drew in his dreams. Now, he has his
friend back in his life through his dreams.
When Grant appears in Andrew’s
dreams, he offers him guidance and direction.
Just like when Jesus spoke to the women at
the well, he started out with what she was fa-
miliar with to get her attention. She knew
that she was with a man who was not her hus-
band and had been with six other men. Jesus
used that as a starting point to get her atten-
tion. Then, He could tell her more, and so He
did with Andrew. God used Grant to get the
attention of Andrew, so now Andrew is able
to hear more from God.
Everyone who knows Andrew knows
that he does not hesitate to share his love for
Christ. As a matter of fact, he is now Minis-
ter Andrew Jefferson with a lovely wife
Monique and beautiful children. You can
find him on Facebook under the name of
Minister Andrew Jefferson. Andrew is not
afraid or ashamed to tell what God has deliv-
ered him from; his testimony about his life
shapes his ministry for Jesus Christ. He is
very transparent and free to tell anyone who
will listen about what he has gone through to
get to where he is today.
God has changed Minister Andrew
―From Gangster to Minister‖ which will be
the title of his book. God always knew that
there was greatness for the Kingdom of God
in Andrew; now, he (Andrew) knows it, too.
We all have a ministry in our message. All
you have to do is start telling it. What is your
message?
Page 12
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Woman of God by Salaam Shaheed
As I looked at her and her action I went to askin’
Why would he or anyone want to hurt her
Why would he or anyone desert her When by nature she was made for him
And that’s grim in the eyes of the most beneficent creature on this earth So since he doesn’t know her worth
God gives her His wisdom of mothering nature
So His greatest creation starts to hate her Starts to debate with her pertaining to what “he” should and should not do
When God is who put the instructions in you You lookin like a fool tryin that New York or Flava of Love
It ain’t easy when you’re tryin to decree law that comes from up above
So he strikes her across the face, places her sense of value in the dirt Not knowing when a seed grows from being placed in darkness
It manifests all you have attempted to squirt She gets demanding though, pulling up that ingrained intelligence
Going to school and work with dry weave and a belly ache, it’s evident That her peers find her disgusting index fingers pointed at worn shoes and jeans
Panties got holes, bras dingy and moth balled and friends are spleened
Fellas want to use her as a late night bootie call But the good thing about that is she turns her phone off
And studies, for you taught her the ways of a little boy Straining to be a man, but done become this world toy
But she’s keen and keeps on pushin’
and sooner or later the “chic” folk start gushin’ Compliments to lil’ momma for they had been there and done that
Aids her in her elevation while you’re still with the click-clack
Sparkless you have become while she starts on her shine McDonald’s is where you eat while at Heaven’s Table is where she dines
Fine she done got, Myla, Radley, Savile Row she now rocks
Ferragamo, Manolo Blahnik is how she now stops traffic While you are still attracted to MCM and Fubu addicts
It’s a travesty that she has more than one Masters Degree And you are in your prime and still ain’t got your G.E.D.
She paid your child support fees, provided for the apartment yall once shared
And you had the audacity to think and act like she didn’t care
You should be the poster child for stupid, for believing in that lil naked cupid And not doing what God ordained for you to do, for your given love
Is now above and beyond any of your wildest expectations
Travelling to native places you cannot even pronounce, Speaking in forums where you couldn’t even be the grout in the john
You denounced her beauty and won now you’re stunned that Princes are suitors From Morocco to Djibouti , they want your X “cutie”
And when she comes home, no one thinks she’s snooty Looking so-so good her outlook on things is that of the Wisdom God gave to her
And the people find a favor in her that surpasses all the venom you’ve spewed
So until you get yourself together dude and release yourself of that heavenly facade She will be steadily moving giving thanks to you for your negative dissertation which pushed her to be that Woman
of God
Page 15
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During these tough economic times, most people are
complaining about how tough it is to make ends
meet. They are wondering exactly how they will
make it over the hump. Gas prices are at an all-time
high; the bottom has fallen out of the housing mar-
ket. People everywhere are losing their jobs. All that
I hear is recession, recession, recession! I am in
agreement that things do look badly; the operative
word is "look." What you physically see does look
horrific. The same thing happened in the days of
Elijah; there was an extreme famine in the land as
well. The sky was shut up for three -and- half- years.
In the midst of that famine, the Lord provided for a
widow woman in Zarephath, in the region of Sidon.
All throughout the Word of God, it speaks of fam-
ines in the land. The Word of God tells us that there
is nothing new under the sun. With that being said,
"famines" were thousands of years ago, and we are
in a modern day famine. God knew that this would
be; the Lord knows the beginning from the ending
and the ending from the beginning. NOTHING sur-
prises the Lord. He is sovereign; nothing catches
Him off guard. The Lord promised that the steps of a
good man are ordered by the Lord. That means ALL
steps. He uses our horrible situations as well as our
wonderful ones. They are all ordered, and He will
make all things beautiful in His time. What point
am I trying to make? I am so glad that you
asked! Everywhere I turn I am hearing people mur-
muring and complaining. I am not talking about non-
believers either; I am talking about blood bought
believers who know the Lord! I expect people that
don't believe like we do to behave like that. They
don't have the hope like we do; therefore, what else
is left to do but complain? We are not to act as those
who have no hope. The old folks used to sing a song,
"Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood
and righteousness." That has not changed. He is the
same yesterday, today and forever. Christians are
"recession proofed." That is only when they put their
faith in action and believe.
The children of Israel walked around in the wilder-
ness for 40 years when it should have only taken
them 11 days. Then on top of that, the Lord waited
for the older population of mu rmurers to die before
allowing the younger generation to enter into their
promised land. What was the cause for the delay?
Their mouths. Murmuring and complaining talked
them right out of their blessings, out of their inheri-
tance! They lost the victory because of not control-
ling their mouths. God hates complaining because it
shows Him that you have no faith. Without faith, it
is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. When you murmur,
you are verbalizing to the Lord that He does not
want or chooses not to help you and that you are in
whatever mess you are in by yourself. Even though
the word says, "He will never leave you nor forsake
you." Matthew 7:11 states, "If you are being evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your heavenly father give good gifts
to those that ask." He chooses and desires to help us,
desiring us to prosper. He wishes above all things
that we prosper, be in health even as our soul pros-
pers. I am giving you a lot of word because I want
you to truly see that He cares, and He wants you to
not only have the things that you need, but the things
that you want as well. Let me add in keeping with
Worship Your Way Through The Wilderness
By Overseer Sheila R. Smith
His word, that is. Philippians 4:19 says, "The Lord
shall supply all my needs according to His riches
in glory." It is the Father's desire to give us the
Kingdom and a l l tha t i s i n i t .
What's needed now is the key. What is the way we
would bring this down from heaven to earth and to
lay hold of the things that the Lord has promised
us in His word? What is the method to unlock the
treasures in the secret places? How can we tangi-
bly have the manifestation of miracles in our lives?
WORSHIP. Worship ceases the plans of the aven-
ger and literally stops him in his tracks. He cannot
dwell where there is true worship. You want the
presence of the Lord to rest and abide (inhabit/
dwell) in your life. Practicing His presence is vital
in your walk with the Father. We were created for
w o r s h i p !
Exodus 8:1 says, "Then the Lord said to Moses
"Let my people go so that they may worship Me."
The Lord wanted them to be free to be able to wor-
ship Him. We as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ
are free, no more chains holding us. Just like the
children of Israel, we were also set free so that we
can worship Him as well. Worship brings healing
in every area of our lives. When you stay in a con-
stant state of worship, the healing will begin. The
dark, secret wounded places in our soul will be
healed once and for all in worship. The glory of
the Lord is another by-product of worshiping the
King of kings and Lord of lords. There are so
many natural and spiritual benefits in worship, so I
will briefly mention one. In the worst times in my
life, whether it was a job loss, not having enough
money for food, mortgage, even gas in my car, I
would stop to remind God of His word. The Lord
told us to put him in remembrance of His word so
that is what I would do. What I would then do is
lift my hands and worship the Lord in advance!
The Lord's credit is good with me. He said He
would do it! That thing that I prayed for was a
promise that the Lord Himself said I could have in
His word; therefore, I believe the Lord! I know
that He will do what he said He will do. How can I
be so confident that he will do it? Intimacy. Wor-
ship is intimacy. When you maintain your worship
experience with the Father and His Son, you will
know them. The Greek word for know is
"Gnosko," a deeper level of knowing/intimacy.
When I worship, I am doing it just because of who
they are to me, not because I need anything. It is
my gift to Him because He first loved me.
Being a parent, when your children ask for things
we want to give them the world. The Heavenly
Father wants to do that, too. Just like natural par-
ents, most have rules that need to be followed,
chores for instance. When the chores are done, the
child then gets rewarded. We cannot expect to
think that we cannot give God what He desires and
still get the things we want; that is simply not fair.
As a mother, I blessed the obedient children for
doing what they were supposed to do. I gave an
extra special treat for the one that was not only
obedient, but gave me what I wanted. The Lord
desires our worship and for it to be done in Spirit
and in truth. Once you start, it will be very addic-
tive; but whatever you do,...start today. It doesn't
matter where you are, what you’re doing. Simply
reflect on something that the Lord has previously
done for you, how He got you out or how He got
you over. How He came through for you when no
one else could. He was right on time! Then pro-
ceed to Worship! For the person who says, "The
Lord hasn't done anything for me in a long time; I
don't feel the need or desire to worship." I would
then have to ask, "What have YOU done for Him
lately?" I can tell you what He did for you. You
were awakened by Him this morning. He has even
made it so that you have the comprehension to be
able to understand what you are reading right now.
Page 17
Those two things are enough to shout about; that
alone is reason to worship the Lord. Lastly,
"Worship is the currency of Heaven" just as money
is the currency in the earth. The bible says to render
unto Caesar, that which is Caesar, give to God what
belongs to God. Mark 12:17, ―Give the Lord what
is due Him, and THEN you will worship your way
out of any and all negative situations in your life.‖
Apostle Sheila R. Smith is the Overseer of
Word of Hope International Fellowship.
www.wordofhopefellowship.info
The Day I Met
ehovah ireh
By Tatiana Allen
I was blessed to meet Jehovah Jireh; The Lord who provides (Genesis 22:11-14) when I was a young mother of three small babies. I will never forget I needed some diapers for my smallest baby at the time. Ten years ago, the least expen-sive box of diapers was about $10.00 . This particular day I only had $7.00 and set out walking to the store with tears in my eyes, knowing I didn’t have enough money to buy the diapers. Every step I took toward the store, my natural mind was telling me to go back home, while my spirit was telling me to keep going. I just believed somehow the Lord was going to provide. Every step I took toward the store, I quoted every scripture that I could think of con-cerning His provision for me. As I walked down the baby aisle, I searched and sure enough everything was $10.00 and over. As I kept looking toward the bottom of the shelf, I just happened to see a box that had been taped up. I picked up the box, and it was marked $6.00!!! I just broke down crying!! That day I knew that the Lord cared for my per-sonal needs and heard my cry.
Page 18
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Page 19
I’M Magazine
It is not very often that you have a boss who ap-
proaches things from a humanistic perspective. Dr. Gwendo-
lyn Miller, known as ―Doc‖ to some of her staff members, was
just that kind of boss. She retired as principal of Bethune Ele-
mentary School in College park, Georgia this past June. She
ruled with such authority, yet she maintained a nurturing envi-
ronment. Dr. Miller was very impressive as a principal; you
see she knew almost every one of the several hundreds of stu-
dents by name. Throughout her tenure at Bethune Elementary,
she remained level headed and consistent.
Some staff members often misunderstood her compas-
sion and sometimes accused her of playing favorites until they
found themselves in an unfavorable situation. Then, they were
able to truly experience her compassion for themselves. Dr.
Miller always took the time to listen to every situation, and she
always allowed each party involved to be heard. No matter
what the battle or how intense the fight, she would walk away
with a resolution. Often, she would end a dispute by saying,
―And I am done with that!‖ And done she was. She was able
to put that situation behind her without any malice in her heart
and press forward. She set a great example for the staff, stu-
dents and community.
Dr. Miller had a vested interest in her school. There
was not a fundraiser, Field Day or school function that she was
not present for unless there were two events going on at the
same time. Even at that time, she would do all she could do to
be in two places at the same time.
She never had to worry about what was taking place
in the classrooms because she walked the halls and sat in every
classroom day after day. She was able to give first hand ac-
counts of the day to day operation of the school. If there was a
child who could not afford something from field trips to an icy,
she would go into her own pocket and cover the cost. When
the school adopted a uniform policy and some parents were
having trouble getting the uniforms, she went out and pur-
chased uniforms from a store going out of business and made
them available to the students.
That is why when she announced near the end of the
2010-2011 school year that she was retiring when the school
year ended, everyone scurried to put together a celebration.
Everyone wanted to put on a celebration fit for a queen, but Dr.
Miller would not have it. She’s a modest women from small
town Montezuma, Georgia and would only agree to a modest
celebration. So the students showed their love and adoration
with a personalized celebration at the school, and the staff sent
her off with a retirement dinner where she was the center of
attention. It was not over the top, yet it was a memorable
event.
I believe Dr. Miller felt the love from the Bethune
family, and she will treasure the time she has spent at Bethune
Elementary. She has entered into retirement, but her legacy
lives on in every heart that she has touched. She is responsible
for birthing and nurturing some of the most talented and gifted
educators there are. The impact that she has made on others
will live on for generations.
Dr. Miller, enjoy your retirement. May the rest of
your life be some of the greatest years of your life. As for be-
ing the principal at Bethune Elementary School,…
SHE IS DONE WITH THAT!
And I Am Done With That! By JT Hud