-
Undefeated
Resurrection Sunday is here. The day that we celebrate Jesus rising with all power in His hands. He has conquered death, Hell, and the grave. Death has no sting. The grave has no victory. Christ remains undefeated. And yet, I still struggle with grief and loss. Resurrection Sunday has always been a big deal in my family. We go to church and then we fellowship. We say our Easter speeches, celebrate Jesus in a mighty way, and then break bread together. Well, not just bread. Cakes, pies, macaroni and cheese, ham….. you get the picture. The kids hunt for eggs and cry when they don’t get the one with the…
-
The Most Wonderful Life
Happy birthday Tomica! I love and miss you more than I can explain.
-
Family Reunion
Uncle Blue. Tomica. Aunt Linda. Uncle Chauncey. 2021 came in like a wrecking ball. Four members of my family gone before I had a chance to catch my breath. Before I could begin to process one death, another one would be gone. And to top it all off, three of them were FAITHFUL members of my Sunday school class. Do you know how difficult it is to have faithful members of a Sunday school class??? While Uncle Blue didn’t join us on Zoom every Sunday, we weren’t worried about him or his soul’s salvation. He was the oldest living member of our family. And another example of a life well…
-
Whooping
I have had three whoopings in my life. My Aunt Linda gave me one of them. When you are as sweet as I was, they really are not necessary. Ask my Aunt Gail. She will tell you that I was the most well-behaved cousin in my generation. I followed the rules. And I also got EVERYTHING that I wanted. No tantrums needed. I asked. They complied. My soul was crushed the day that Aunt Linda whooped me. Did she not understand that I was a sweet angel? Maybe the family hadn’t gone over the rule book with her. But you do not whoop sweet angels. I know she was frustrated…
-
It Goes Both Ways
Buckle up. Now when you fall out of your seat, do not say that I did not warn you. Actually, I can take that back. You may not feel the same pull or tug when we review the sermon from Sunday. But it was exactly the push that I needed. Pastor continues to challenge us to make our mark on this world and provides practical ways for us to accomplish this task. Sunday’s sermon was pulled from Mark 1:29-31. We pick up from where we left off in the previous sermon. Jesus, Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John leave the synagogue and go to the house of Simon Peter and…
-
A Good Time
What is your idea of a good time? Your answer will reveal much about where you are spiritually in life. For most of us, a good time consists of laughter and joy. Smiles and sunshine. The lighter side of life. Our study of the book of Mark challenges our concept of a good time. Let’s go ahead and dive into the sermon recap. Sunday’s sermon came from Mark 1:21-28. Jesus is in the synagogue in Capernaum teaching. I would say that this would qualify as a good time in church. A good old preacher astonishing the crowd. Making mouths drop open as He spoke with authority. And then…there is an…
-
I Have A Dream
I’m back! Kind of. My sleepless nights have left me with plenty of time to think about Tomica and the many fun times that we had together. EVERY day Facebook pops up memories and sends me down a trail. But Facebook didn’t have to prompt my memories today. I think of these memories every time the news is on. They send me back to eight years ago when we attended President Obama’s second inauguration. When I said I wanted to go to the inauguration, my ride or die travel buddies were all in. We researched and found a hotel that fit our budget. We always ball on a budget. And…
-
Making Her Mark
It is no coincidence that the sermon series for 2021 is about “Making Your Mark.” It is a call to action that is catchy and concise. You can guess that Pastor will discuss how we can make an impact on this world as Christians. Tomica loves the Lord, and ESPECIALLY loves a challenge, so I guess she decided to go all in. When Ari called me Thursday morning, I KNEW. First of all, Ari rarely has her phone around. I usually text her AND Devin if I want something. It’s just more efficient. And secondly, it was 8 in the morning and Ari rarely calls me. When I heard her…
-
Simmer Down
Typically sleeping is my superpower. No matter what is going on in my world, my body has the ability to power down at night and sleep. And that is still true. Only now, I wake up way before the sun and just stare into the darkness. During my quiet time, I found myself getting hungry. Although I had purchased the ingredients to make my crockpot chili, I had not mustered up the energy to get into the kitchen. Well, since I was up before the sun, I decided to roll into kitchen and get my hands dirty. Keeping my hands busy was comforting. I diced, sautéed, and stirred. I tasted.…
-
Clear Skin
The grandfather of all zits is currently residing between my lower lip and my chin. He staked a claim exactly at the midway point. Thankfully, I wear a mask all day at work so no one can see this guy. He is an unwanted and unexpected visitor. Well, at this point, he seems to have taken out a lease on the landscape of my face. He is kind of determined to stand his ground. Now when I was a teenager, breakouts were common. A mixture of stress, hormones, poor eating habits, and greasy bangs contributed to my dalliances in pimple town. I had to learn to lay off of the…
