Refresh
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Rock the Vote
Don’t mind me. I’m just the girl that almost missed Wednesday night REfresh. I said ALMOST. Relax ya’ll. Wednesday’s panel was not about scripture and memorizing verses. St. Luke went beyond merely talking about racial injustice and inequality and hosted a panel to educate the church and community about absentee voting in the upcoming general election. Fun fact: I used an absentee ballot in 2008 to vote in the Presidential election. I was doing a travel assignment in Houston and was unable to travel back to Arkansas to vote. I wanted to make sure that my vote was counted. I forgot about that until I listened to the panel. Anywho…on…
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Saints With Attitude
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 Wednesday nights at REfresh Bible study have been very thought-provoking. For the past three weeks, we’ve been taken to task about our attitudes. No more pointing the finger at everyone else. We have to get the Windex and clean off our mirrors. It’s time to remove the smudges that cloud our ability to see ourselves. Matthew 5:5 deals with meekness. Being meek is not a natural attitude. And I’m not just saying that. I speak from experience. Just in the past week, I have had two experiences that made me pause and check my attitude. And to be…
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A Date With Dignity
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 My Wednesdays have been different since COVID-19 hit our area. In the olden days, I would be rushing and running from work to home, and then off to church. Now, I’m sashaying to my couch to get the best seat. I wait for the notification that St. Luke has gone live on Facebook and then I join the broadcast on Facebook Watch on my TV. I pull my Bible app up on my phone and get ready to take notes. Ummm…it’s called Bible STUDY, so I feel weird if I don’t take notes. My regular Wednesday night date…
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The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Matthew 5:3 Another Wednesday has come and gone. So, you know what that means, right? I get the opportunity to share with you my big take-aways from the REfresh Bible study. Of course, I never cover it all. I just take time to recount the fragments that spoke to me. I tell you the pieces that I’m going to take with me and mull over as the week goes on. You could always tune in on Wednesday nights yourself to find the pieces that fit into the holes of your life. Enough chitter chat. Let’s discuss the…
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Protests and Policies
Goooooood morning ya’ll! I’m not going to hold you long. Wednesday nights have become a very integral part of my week. Even when I’m bogged down with activity, I look forward to the REfresh Bible study. It helps me adjust my focus and often provides comic relief as well. Last night was no exception. The panel discussion format continued to reign supreme and steered our focus towards educating ourselves about the legal system and our rights. Protesting is a good way to show your frustration with inequality. After protesting, we need practical steps to activate change. After protesting, we have to get in tune with the policies that are perpetuating…
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What’s My Response?
Wednesday night’s REfresh Bible Study was much needed. I know. I know. I say that about every one of them. Just because I say it all the time does not mean that it’s not true. If anything, my takeaways from these sessions should pique your curiosity. They should draw you in and make you want to dive a little deeper into the topics at hand. Now that we’ve settled that, let’s talk about the panel that presented last night. Last week, a different panel convened to discuss racism and religion. We got to hear from Black men in the church. We heard their stories and listened to how they were…
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Racism and Religion
When I brush my teeth in the morning, I see my image reflected in the mirror. Brown skin and a squashed afro. A sermon or gospel music plays in the background as I prepare for the day. After my shower, I add my special concoction to the edges of my hair and use a brush to smooth my hair. I take my head wrap or pantyhose (whichever suits my mood) and pull my hair into it’s signature puff. I stare at my reflection as I smooth moisturizer onto my skin….my very brown skin. While I’m prepping, I’m praying. Praying for guidance…direction…grace. Because while life is difficult for everyone, it holds…
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Answer the Call
Do you hear that? That…right there. The still, small voice that’s whispering your name? It’s the voice of God. Are you going to answer the call? Pastor and a panel discussed I Kings 17:8-16 during Wednesday night REfresh, and it BLESSED me. I’m praying it does the same for you. Let’s get into it. Elijah, the prophet, has been camping out at the Brook Cherith. There is a famine in the land. Every morning and evening, God sends ravens to give Elijah bread and meat. Elijah drinks freely from the brook. After some time, the brook dries up. God tells Elijah to go to Zarapeth, because He has commanded a…
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Carry the Weight
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in him himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Galatians 6:2-5 Life gets heavy sometimes. We get burdened with the cares of this world. Sometimes it IS too much for us to handle alone. Sometimes, we do need a helping hand. During Wednesday night’s REfresh session, Pastor gave us some insight on how to effectively carry the weight. Galatians 6:2 admonishes us to…
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Masks On!
Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls. Proverbs 25:28 NKJV Wednesday was Ladies Night for REfresh Bible Study. The fellas got to have a week off while we gathered to reconnect and be refreshed. While we often discuss taking our masks off as believers, last night focused on the benefits of keeping our masks on. COVID-19 has descended upon the world, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that we use face masks and practice social distancing when outside of our homes. The masks protect us from this unseen enemy and protect others from possible infection from us. The three-woman…
