"Making It Through Christmas Part 1

HI ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I can't believe we're in the week of Christmas. I know, right? The title I have for this blog for you ladies this week is called ''The Adoration Of The Magi''. We know this is based from the gospel of Matthew 2;1-12. I know this is a well familiar passage of Scripture we also read during this time of the year but there's something else I want to share about the Magi that doesn't get talked about a whole lot. Number one, the arrival of the Magi took place after the Shepherds came and after Baby Jesus' encounter with Anna the prophetess and Simeon in the temple. The second fact to know about the Magi is that we were known as astrologer princes. What were astrologers? Astrologers studied the stars and planets! Did y'all also not know that studying planets was quite revolutionary for the time, especially back then? (Side note the planets of Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn united together that formed the Christmas star in the heavens!) The third fact to know is the Magi arrived during the time of Herod the Great which the Bible does mention this Herod. Now y'all may be wondering what's wrong with Herod? Here's the thing about Herod the Great. (Side note there were other Herods such as Herod Antipas who was friends with Pontious Pilate and beheaded John the Baptist. His son was Herod Agrippa 1 the murdered James the brother of John the beloved/Revelator and put Peter in prison. But as know an angel helped Peter escape from prison and shared God's Word until he was killed as an old man upsidedown for the sake of Christ. This same Herod got struck and killed by an angel and was eaten by worms see Acts 12;23. The APostle Paul stood before Herod Agrippa 2 mentioned in Acts 26 where he shared his testimony and this Herod was the last of the Herods. I know so many Herods right?) Historians say that he was a brutal man so brutal that he killed his wife and some of his children just to keep his position as king! I know, right? The other thing to know about the Magi was the gifts they gave were not cheap but very expensive and they were rich men too. The other fact to know about the Magi is that they were Gentiles not Jews! As y'all know the story they followed the star and Herod the Great asked where they were going and they were searching to find the Lord. Don't forget they traveled a mighty long way to find our Lord until they arrived where Jesus was. What I find so amazing about this is that Mary and Joseph were kind enough to welcome these visitors/Gentiles in their dwelling place and let me tell y'all why that's important. Back then, before Jesus died and rose again, Jews and Gentiles did not fellowship with each other under the same roof. Why is that? Because of racism and religious differences. (Side note racism is not a new thing which reminds of the racism that took place amongst blacks and whites for a number of centuries prior to Dr Martin Luther King Jr sought to bring blacks and whites together. That's for another blog for another time) But despite that being the case, the Magi as we know bowed down before the Lord worshipped Him, and gave Him precious gifts. The gift of gold represents Christ's kingship based from Revelations 19;16 Christ is ''King of kings and Lord of lords''. The gift of Frankincense represents Christ's priesthood mentioned in the book of Hebrews 7;24 talks about ''Christ being high priest forever''. The gift of Myrrh represents Christ's sacrifice and the book of John 1;29 ''Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world''. Wow the Magi poured their love on the Lord and worshipped Him in spirit and in truth and were generous with their gifts before Him! Of course we know they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod but to return to their country another way. (LAter Angel Gabriel had to tell Mary and Joseph to get Jesus out of town because of Herod seeking to destroy Him and they remained in Egypt for a time until Herod the Great died. Before Herod the Great died, he murdered boys two years old and under because he was bitter at the Magi.) I also love how the Lord left this story on record to show that He cares about everyone, even Gentiles! That should be encouraging to us women to show how much our Lord loves and cares about us no matter what race we are. Whether we're white, black, hispanic, Asian, Arab all of us are precious in His sight! I believe the Magi arriving also was prophecy fulfilled that in the book of Hosea 1;10 and 2;23 ''He will call those who are not His people His people'' which includes us Gentiles. The Jews prior to Jesus' death and resurrection looked at us Gentiles as ''dogs'' or outsiders which we were! But thanks to the cross of cross, the racial barrier between Jews and Gentiles and wall between God and man occurred! Plus Jesus made it clear in Matthew 28;19 ''Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost''. The gospel was meant to be told to all nations which means racial diversity is important to God! The Christmas story touched an ordinary virgin farm girl, ordinary carpenter, lowly shepherds, and outsider Magi! Christ's birth touched people from the outside to let them know they are included in the eyes of God! I pray that you encourage you ladies this week of Christmas. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of y'all, happy Lord's day, and Merry Christmas!

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! i hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog called ''The Shepherds And Angels''. Now I know many of us know that this passage of Scripture takes place in the gospel of Luke 2;8-20 that we often hear about this time of the year. Here's something else to understand about the shepherds. Shepherds back in the Bible times were not highly esteemed in their culture. First of all the youngest able bodied male in the family was assigned a role as a shepherd. (Remember the story of David? He was the youngest male in his family not was he esteemed well and got assigned a shepherd. He'd later become a Psalmist, warrior, and king of Israel.) Plus shepherds were considered the lowest of the low, poor, and the least of these. They were also considered "average Joes" of their day! So when Angel Gabriel appeared to them he appeared to the last, lowest, and least of these. Plus Angel Gabriel appeared with the shekinah glory of God that troubled the shepherds. (Side note there were other moments that Angel Gabriel appeared to people such as Mary, Joseph, Zechariah the priest, the prophet Daniel in the Old Testament just to name a few and I know they trembled when they saw Angel Gabriel.) But he told them the good news about Jesus' birth and other angels came alongside him declaring the famous "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill towards men". Then the shepherds as we know ran to find Baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and likely told them what the angels said. The Virgin Mary took those things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds also told those around them that Jesus was born! That's where the Negro-spiritual Christmas carol called "Go Tellin On The Mountain" and "Angels We Have Heard On High" were inspired by the account of the shepherds and the angels! I remember sharing in Bible study recently stating how the story of the shepherds is amazing because it shows that God cares about ordinary people! I pray that's an encouragement to you ladies that cares about you just as much as He cared about the shepherds. God cares about the least, last, lowest, the lost, the sick, prisoners, jobless, homeless, ostracized,singles, divorced , disabled, abused, and scapegoats. That's the God that we serve! God allowed the gospel to first get to ordinary people not to the priests or even the elite! (Side note I'll share about the Magi on another blog to show God cares about people like them.) Shouldn't that make you ladies thankful that God allowed ordinary people like you and me to have gotten to hear and receive the gospel of Christ? I know I'm thankful for that. Jesus when He grew to be an adult mentioned in Luke 19:10 "That the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost". Maybe this Christmas season you feel overlooked, feel like the least, last, and lowest. Maybe you're not highly esteemed in society, in your family, the workplace, and sadly not esteemed in the church. If you feel that way remember the account of the shepherds. Remember these guys weren't highly esteemed in culture or religious circles but God allowed them to be the first witnesses to have witnessed His Son's birth followed by Anna the prophetess and Simeon and eventually the Magi! Salvation was meant for all no matter who they are, what they've done, or their background situation? Remember to be thankful how the gospel of Christ got to you and don't forget to share about that and the Christmas story to others too. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies, have a blessed week, and Merry Christmas!

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog called "Baby Jesus Meets Anna And Simeon". I know right many Christians don't talk about this part of the story very often. It's mentioned in the gospel of Luke 2:21-38 where Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus went to the temple. (Side note there's another account where Jesus went to the temple when He was twelve years old mentioned in Luke 2:40-51 and He was about His Father's business!) This account took place after the account with the shepherds and the angels witnessing Jesus' birth before the account of the Magi mentioned in Matthew 2. (Side note I'll be sharing about the blog about the shepherds and Magi for another blog.) Anyhow Mary and Joseph brought pigeon sacrifices unto the Lord because they couldn't afford a lamb which shows how poor they were. They also brought Jesus and circumcised Him according to the law something that His cousin Baby John (later to be John the Baptist) went through several months earlier. As Mary and Joseph did their duties, an older godly man named Simeon just so happened to have been at the temple in Jerusalem as well too. God promised him that he wouldn't die until he saw Baby Jesus! Wow! This godly old man who also was led by the Spirit through discernment learned where Baby Jesus was. Simeon with the help of the Spirit was at the right place at the right time and he held Baby Jesus in his arms saying. "Now Lord You can dismiss Your servant in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation." He also went on to say Jesus' life would impact both Jew and Gentile and a sword would pierce the Virgin Mary's heart! I believe that Simeon was prophesying about Jesus' crucifixion and did that moment pierce the Virgin Mary's heart! Then Anna the prophetess arrived and despite being a widow and her old age, she never departed the temple praying and fasting day and night. She's from the "Tribe Of Asher" and I find that very significant that she didn't stop seeking the Lord despite the hardships she went through. She kept on praying and pressing into God and like Simeon, she was awaiting the coming of the Messiah! When she saw Baby Jesus, she gave thanks to God and told others that Baby Jesus was the One the Jews had been waiting for! Do you ladies remember when I shared in a blog that the Jews had a "400 Years Of Silence?" The Jews had been waiting for the Messiah to come for such a long time and Simeon and Anna the prophetess had been waiting their entire lives to see Jesus! What's also touching is they didn't allow old age or delay stop them from praying and believing God's promises! What a lesson for us today! What promises are you ladies praying for and standing on today? Are you praying for a unsaved loved one to get saved or for a prodigal to come back to Christ? Are you praying for someone to be healed physically or mentally? Are you praying for God to be your Provider? Are you praying for a spouse or for a impossible situation to turn around? Are you like me praying for revival for our nation? We all know that waiting is never easy and Simeon and Anna the prophetess waited for a long time. But they didn't allow the waiting to cause their faith to wane or waver! They kept expecting to see the Messiah to come and in time it manifested! What I should say is Father God revealed His Son Baby Jesus at the right moment and the right time! As Mary and Joseph offered their sacrifice and circumcised Baby Jesus, they had no idea they'd be greeted by older people who had been waiting to see the Messiah! Some would say it was a "coincidence" but that was a divine moment! Baby Jesus birth brought hope to hearts that were longing for Him. Ladies I don't know what challenged y'all are facing in your day to day life much less the Christmas season I pray that the Lord brings you ladies hope during this time of year. Don't stop praying or standing on God's promises just because the answer didn't come right away. Don't throw in the towel or listen to mockers saying "It won't happen". That's what Simeon and Anna the prophetess could have thought because they waited so long but thank goodness they didn't think like that! I pray that their story will be an encouragement to you ladies as well as I for us to keep pressing in prayer and standing on Gods Word this Christmas and throughout the year. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. I plan to share some more Christmas projects I'm working on and plan to share that soon. Blessings, happy Lord's day, and Merry Christmas!

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog called "Honoring The Blessed Virgin Mary". Let me also be clear about one thing. I've been a Protestant Christian for the past twenty years and I know it gets "controversial" honor the Virgin Mary. I think part of the problem has been because of the Catholic Church having the philosophy of worshipping and praying to Mary (or other saints and angels) something I've never done nor ever will do plain and simple! Some think that the Virgin Mary was sinless, mediator between God and man, she's an "icon", or perpetual virgin. (Side note perpetual virgin means a "false teaching" that the Virgin Mary never had any other children after Jesus our Lord and Savior was born!) Scripture doesn't support any of these claims about the Virgin Mary and felt led by the Spirit "to clear up" these myths about the Virgin Mary. What does Scripture actually say about her? Well we can read her story in the gospel of Luke 1 after the Angel Gabriel appeared to the priest Zechariah and while Elizabeth was six months pregnant with Baby John, (who later became John the Baptist) Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and shared the good news with her. Remember that the Virgin Mary was likely a farm girl, newly engaged to Joseph the Carpenter, and likely was a teenager (Many scholars and theologians believe that the Virgin Mary was between 13-16 years old by then) when the angel appeared. Of course the angel told her she'll conceive, bare a Son, and to name Him Jesus. He told her that Christ will gain a kingdom that will last forever and I can only imagine the thoughts going through Mary's head. First of all I'm sure she was surprised she was chosen by the Lord to bare His Son. Secondly I'm sure there were other women and other virgins God could have chosen. Thirdly I'm sure Mary wondered what her family and Joseph was going to think about that. Plus she wondered how she could get pregnant since she's had no sexual relations! But the angel told her the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her and overshadow her and the Baby would be called the Son of God! Then Mary said yes and it was in that moment that Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost! That also is where the doctrine of Christ being both God and man when Mary said yes! Ladies Mary said yes to God despite the obstacles she had to face and despite the future being unknown. Mary had no idea when she said yes that Joseph the Carpenter and her fiance nearly broke off the engagement, (see Matthew 1:18-19) later she and Joseph had stay in a stable because there was no room in the inn. (See Luke 2:7) She and Joseph later had to leave Bethlehem to escape Herod the Great (see Matthew 2:14) she and Joseph lost Jesus for three days when He was twelve years old (see Luke 2:48) when in reality Jesus abided in His Father God's house! Mary later ultimately when Jesus was 33 years old got to witness Him be crucified on the cross of Calvary for our sins and I can only imagine how much she mourned over Him. (Side note I'm sure when Jesus rose from the dead I'm sure He gave Mary His mom a big hug reassuring her that all is well because He paid the price for man's sins.) Mary had a lot of challenges she had to endure when she said yes but I'm glad she did it anyway. (I think about the Christmas carol "Mary Did You know" wondering if Mary knew what blessings awaited her about concerning her Son and the Messiah.) Ladies what's something that the Lord laid on your heart this Christmas that you haven't done yet but you're hesitant to do so? Is it to tell someone about Jesus, help the needy, reconcile a relationship, cut off a relationship, comfort the hurting etc? Are you worried about saying yes because of the cost? I don't mean financial cost but a cost of your reputation, love, or time doing so? I want you ladies to know that Mary said yes period despite not knowing the future. We don't know what the future holds but we know the One who holds the future. I want you ladies to think about Mary's example this Christmas time and let that motivate you to say yes to God regardless of the outcome and regardless of others opinions! The Virgin Mary has always been one of my favorite women in the Bible for that reason alone among other reasons! (I have other women in the Bible I admire to like Queen Esther, Deborah, Ruth, Mary Magdalene, Leah, and Abigail too.) She's one person from the Bible I can't wait to meet in heaven someday! That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings to each of you ladies, have a blessed week, and Merry Christmas.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day and happy December! I know right? I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog called "Elizabeth And Zechariah's Baby Miracle". You might be thinking. "Why are you talking about Zechariah and Elizabeth because it seems to have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus?!" Well actually that's not true. Even though they're not in "The Nativity Scene" they are important characters in the Bible. You can read about it in the gospel of Luke 1 when Herod the Great ruled Israel, Zechariah and Elizabeth were alive by then. The Bible says they were descendants of Aaron (You know Aaron was the older brother of Moses right?) which meant that Zechariah was a priest! (Side note there was a Zechariah in the Old Testament and the Zechariah in the Old Testament was a prophet. Don't want y'all to get the Zechariah's confused.) Zechariah the priest and his wife Elizabeth were a God-fearing couple but they were barren and old! Did you ladies know there were seven couples in the Bible who were barren or had infertility struggles? Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob (or Israel) and Rachel, Hannah and Elkannah, Samson's parents, the Shunamite woman and her husband along with Zechariah and Elizabeth! Being barren was a shame back then but one day Zechariah arrived at the temple to burn incense (A common practice for priests) while everyone else prayed outside. The angel Gabriel appeared and told him that his wife would bare him a son and name him John! (He would later become John the Baptist the forerunner for Christ!) Gabriel shared that John will be a Nazarite from his birth not to be confused with Nazarene. (Side note Samuel the prophet and judge/son of Hannah and Elkannah and Samson were also Nazarite when they were born until they died. Jesus was a Nazarene not a "Nazarite".) A Nazarite couldn't touch dead things, drink alcohol, or cut their hair because they were to be "consecrated unto the Lord". Zechariah was told John would prepare Israel for the Lord and for the Messiah! Well Zechariah sadly didn't believe Angel Gabriel and he got rebuked sternly and was mute for nine months! Whew! At least the angel didn't kill him for unbelief! God enabled Elizabeth to conceive a son and nine months later, she gave birth to him! (John was filled with the Holy Ghost from the womb on like the angel said!) The priests wanted to name him after his father but Zechariah wrote on a tablet "His name is John". Then Zechariah was no longer mute but now could talk! God enabled Elizabeth to conceive when she was past the age of "childbearing!" Ladies what are you believing for God to do for you this Christmas and beyond that looks impossible? Have you prayed for God to come through in various areas in your finances, a loved one coming to Christ, believing for marriage, or you or a loved one baring a child etc and it hasn't happened yet? Ladies don't allow unbelief or delay stop you from praying! That was Zechariah's problem! I know it's easier said than done but ladies no matter what never stop praying! The answer may not come in the timing that we want but God always shows up on time! God gave Elizabeth and Zechariah baby John in time and He'll answer your prayers in time too. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings, happy Lord's day, and Merry Christmas to y'all!

Hi ladies it's me again, happy Tuesday, and happy December! Oh my goodness I can't believe we're in December the last month of the year! Wow! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. The title I have for this blog is called "Dealing With Difficult Times During The Holidays". Ladies this topic is near and dear to my heart for a number of reasons. I remember dealing with that myself when we went through COVID five years earlier (I hope y'all haven't forgotten that) and I've dealt with loss of loved ones too. Folks we know that though the holidays can be the "most wonderful time of the year" it can be the most difficult. Remember the previous blog I wrote about "The 400 Years Of Silence"? I mentioned how that impacted the Jews with their struggles and how it relates today? Some of you maybe looking forward to Christmas while others are dreading it and that can be for many reasons. Number one you may have lost a loved one. How many of y'all know grief is very complex. Maybe you lost a parent, spouse, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, a child, or even a pet. Loss is never easy by any means and you have to carry on without them. Folks I know that all too well because I went through it and we know that grief has its stages. There's shock/denial, sadness, anger, bargaining, and acceptance. That's tough to deal with during the regular part of the year but the holidays makes it all the more harder to deal with. The holidays maybe hard because you lost a job or dealing with financial challenges. I believe this is something people address throughout the year but rarely mention that during the holidays. In fact I have a book coming out soon that addresses that very issue. (I'll let y'all know when it's available on Amazon.) Some people may worry how they'll afford rent, food to eat much less Christmas gifts to buy for others. Jobs can be difficult to find and my heart goes out to people who deal with that. Others the holidays maybe difficult because of unresolved family drama. Oh my goodness that can be a pain in the behind. Maybe you have to deal with a relative (you know who they are) that aren't the easiest to get along with. Maybe you're not looking forward to being with them and have to pray for extra measure of grace to deal with them. For others they maybe single, divorced, or widowed making the holidays feel lonely even if they're around people. Maybe watching love movies is too much for them. For others they may have a loved one incarcerated and folks I've been there too. I've had family members and even someone dear right now dealing with this! Friends I want y'all to know if you're struggling emotionally for these reasons and more you're not alone. In fact "the first Christmas" wasn't glamorous by any means. Remember how I mentioned in the previous blog before Jesus arrived on Christmas night how dark the world was? Rome oppressed Israel, Herod the Great sadly was no better. (Remember he tried to destroy Jesus along with the boys of Bethlehem after the Magi returned home. That's for another blog.) There was corruption in spiritual leadership too during that time. But that's when Jesus needed to come the most. He revealed Himself on flesh in form of a baby to a peasant Virgin girl and carpenter in Bethlehem to bring light in a dark world. His birth not only brought hope and comfort to Mary and Joseph but to the shepherds later the Magi and to the world at large that neither Jesus or the Father forgot about humanity. Ultimately Christ's coming was to bring the world salvation that's available then and now. Ladies if you're feeling heavy during this time of year know that God knows. In fact the Bible promises that if you lost a loved one our Lord is our Comforter. If there's family drama pray about it and ask God to fend for you. When there's lack of employment or finances remember God as Jehovah Jireh out Provider. If you're loved one is incarcerated well best thing you can do is pray for them and find ways to communicate with them while not forgetting to keep living your life and trust God to deal with them. For those who are divorced, widowed, or single (as I am), one of Jesus names is Emmanuel is "God is with us". He's with us in the good and bad times throughout the year and the same is true if you're dealing with difficulties during the holidays too. That doesn't mean that things will get any easier but it does remind us if He's with us during the regular part of the year He's with us now as we remember His birth. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies and if anyone is in a season like this, you're in my prayers. This is one of my raw blogs to share with y'all and pray it encourages y'all. Blessings to each of you ladies, have a blessed week, and Merry Christmas!

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families had a great Thanksgiving holiday three days ago as did I. My folks watched football (not my thing sorry people), we ate great food, had family time, and played a ton of games though some loved ones tried to cheat lol. Guests also brought side dishes which helped cut down the cooking for mom and I which helped a lot. (Side note I did help cook a couple of dishes as did Mom.) The crazy part was I got to go to three Thanksgiving services in one week! I went to my church "New Life Assembly Of God Church" Sunday morning November 23rd and did Bible study Sunday night, and went back to "Discover Church's" Thanksgiving Eve service Wednesday night November 26th after cooking and recording a music video! I taught my student on Monday and Tuesday so she and I could have off the rest of the week. That's how my Thanksgiving week went in a nutshell. Anyhow the title of this blog is called "The 400 Years Of Silence". Y'all maybe thinking "What's the big deal about that?" I know that may seem strange to write about that especially after coming out of Thanksgiving holiday. How our calendar works is we celebrate Thanksgiving holiday during the month of November and in December celebrate Christmas and New Year's. Well before the first Christmas, it wasn't quite like that. Do you ladies remember the Old Testament prophets? You know they were major prophets and minor prophets right? (Side note major prophets meant they had more writings and minor prophets had lesser writings in them.) You maybe thinking. "What does that have to do with the 400 years silence?" First why did God send the Old Testament prophets? Well to share about the coming Messiah our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Another reason was to rebuke the Jews for their sin and to repent for it and another reason was to talk about the future. Well after the book of Malachi (a minor prophet) and before the book of Matthew in the New Testament there were 400 years of silence! No word from a prophet, an angel, no word from the Lord, no visions no dreams no nothing! What took place during that time? Well do y'all remember learning about the "Dark Ages" in history? If you don't remember that was a time of both natural and spiritual darkness until the "Reformation Age". (That was during the time of Martin Luther who came out of that period too.) Well the 400 years of silence was like that as well too. There was much corruption in both the political and spiritual leadership. Sound familiar? Many of you ladies know that Rome oppressed the Jews and the Jews were living in exile in their own homeland. Y'all know how brutal the Roman soldiers could be if y'all have seen movies and stage plays about it. They overburdened the people with taxes, they'd even kidnap daughters from families who couldn't pay their debt among other things! Don't forget that Herod the Great was in power during that time and if you know anything about Herod the Great he was a brutal man. Historians say he killed his wives and some of his kids just to secure his throne! I know right? (Side note Herod the Great had sons that survived him such Archelaus and Antipas that eventually ruled Israel after he died.) By the time Jesus came on the scene, (as well as the Magi visiting Israel) Herod the Great was a old man by then. (I'll share more about that when I write the blog about Baby Jesus and the Magi about Herod the Great.) There were spiritual leaders who were misrepresenting God during that point as well too. Again that's nothing new isn't it? The Jews were getting so desperate from all of that and called out to God the Father for help. But the Jews didn't know that God was working behind the scenes getting the world ready to prepare for the first coming of Christ that we're going to celebrate during Christmas time. Are you ladies dealing with some difficult stuff right now. You pray but sense God is silent? Is there a situation you're in that is unresolved and wonder when will change happen? That's how the Jews felt during that time. Ladies I don't always understand why sometimes it takes awhile for God to answer prayers or answer period. Someone told me a long time ago. "Trust God's heart when you don't understand what His hand is doing". That's great advice when stuff doesn't make sense. God is working in the midst of the silence. God is working even though everything seems to be a mess. God is working even though our natural eyes can't see. That was true during the Jews 400 years of silence and it's true today. I believe before we celebrate Christmas which is the time of Christ's birth, we need not forget what led up to it. That's the purpose of the blog to remember the tension, uneasiness, and unanswered questions the Jews felt during an extended period of time. In another blog I'll share about dealing with the challenges of the holidays more in depth and how to lean on God during that time. Thankfully the 40/ year silence didn't last forever because the New Testament would occur and I'll share more about that as we approach the month of December what took place after that. Ladies you and I'd hard seasons won't last forever and God in His time will bring us out and answer our prayers. It may not be the timing we want but His timing is always best. That's what I wanted to share with y'all. Blessings to each of you ladies, happy Lord's day, and have a blessed week everyone.

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Tuesday! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. I'm happy to present another blog called "Thanksgiving Holiday History". I know many of us will be celebrating Thanksgiving holiday in two days but how many people know the history behind it? Well as I prayed and did much research I was surprised what information I found about the history of Thanksgiving holiday. The first Thanksgiving holiday took place in 1621 the same year that the Pilgrims arrived in America. Many of us know that the Pilgrims were Christians who lived in England but left England because they wanted the freedom to worship God however they wanted. They sailed on the Mayflower on the Atlantic Ocean and after a long voyage and tumultuous travel they made it to America! Because of that, their hearts were full of gratitude and along with the Indians they had a three day feast with shellfish, turkey, and various foods being thankful the Pilgrims made it to America safely. Yes ladies that's right it started off as a three day holiday not just a one day holiday! It wouldn't be until President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared it as a national holiday and it's been celebrated nationally since then. But it wouldn't be until 1941 that President Franklin D Roosevelt (President during the Great Depression and World War 2) that he signed an order for Thanksgiving holiday to be on the fourth Thursday of November each and every year. Wow! Ladies it started with the Pilgrims in 1621 and then two Presidents felt it was important to make it a national holiday. Here's the thing ladies. We all should be thankful all throughout the year right? Of course I know I can get better at that. However, Thanksgiving holiday is a wonderful time to pause and remember what happened this past year or possibly past week to remember God's faithfulness. In fact the Bible says in Psalm 103 to forget not God's benefits. What benefits is the Psalmist talking about? Well things like our sins being forgiven, our bodies being healed, God crowning us with love and compassion, God renewing our youth like the eagles, and God satisfying our mouth with good things. When I think of God satisfying our mouth with good things I think about the delicious food that I'll help make and get to eat on Thanksgiving holiday! I'm sure you ladies maybe thinking about that as well too. When I used to help out in Sunday school for the kindergartens at my former church "Discover Church" (I currently am a member at "New Life Assembly Of God Church") me and my assistant teacher used to ask kids what they were thankful for after the Bible lesson! Kids would have to say they were thankful for family, vacation, a toy, their clothes etc. I didn't think much about it at the time but it was teaching kids early to find small or big things to be thankful for. Well ladies if a child can and should do that how much more should we adults find things big and small to be thankful for? I know that's easier said than done since I sense some of y'all had a great year, others had a challenging year, or others had a somewhat in between year. The Bible reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says "In all things give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you". So ladies as y'all and I prepare to host guests or y'all plan to celebrate at someone else's house, enjoy time with loved ones, a day off, and enjoy great food. But never forget to remember the history of Thanksgiving holiday and remember to be thankful throughout the year. This is something I have to get better at too and sometimes I have to think a bit what I'm thankful for. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings, happy Tuesday, and have a good Thanksgiving holiday this upcoming week!

Hi ladies it's me again and happy Lord's day! I hope and pray that each of you ladies and your families are doing well. The title I have for the blog is called "The One Leper Who Thanked Jesus". This story here comes from the gospel of Luke 17:11-19 where Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem and as He went, He saw ten lepers standing alone. There were nine Jewish men and one Samaritan that were in isolation. I know right? Why? It's because leprosy was extremely contagious and sores broke out all over their bodies and they had to shout to people "Unclean unclean!" They couldn't see loved ones and to make matters worse they sometimes lost body parts! Whew! Those men were terribly sick and likely felt lonely. But when they saw Jesus they from a distance cried out. "Master please help us!" I'm sure when they said that they cried from the depths of their hearts sort of what I call "desperate prayers". We've all been there right? Well Jesus was moved with compassion and though He didn't touch them He told them to show themselves to the priests! That was a ancient practice if a leper wanted to go back to community they had to go to the priests to make sure it was safe enough for them to do so. That's what Christ was telling them to do. Get this ladies the men still had leprosy when Christ told them to go but thankfully they walked on anyway. Talk about walking in faith when it looked foolish! As the men walked along gradually their sores disappeared! Wow! Yet the Bible says only one came back to thank Jesus while the rest of the men walked on. Who was the one man? A Samaritan someone that the Jews considered to be a "half breed" half Jew and half Gentile. (Remember the Samaritan woman mentioned in John 4? In our day it be biracial people half black and half white.) Don't forget Jews were very racist against Samaritan's back then which shows racism isn't new. But anyhow the Samaritan man fell down before Jesus and thanked Him. Jesus was puzzled and said. "Where are the other nine? Yet none of them came back to thank Me except this Samaritan. Go your faith has made you whole". Wow! Only one came back to thank Jesus! Man what a lesson for us today. How many times have I prayed and you ladies have prayed and how many times has God answered prayers but sometimes we forget to thank the Lord? That's why I wrote the previous blog for you ladies sake but also to show God my thankfulness. This is something all of us need to get better at. In Psalm 103 reminds us to forget not God's benefits such as God forgiving our sins , (That happened on Calvary) healed our sickness, renews our youth as eagles, crowns us with love and compassion, and satisfies our mouth with good things. (I'm sure all of us will be saying that when we eat good food on Thanksgiving holiday four days from now!) The Bible reminds us to never forget what God has done for us. I believe that's why God left this story in the Bible on record not for His sake but for our sake. We must never forget His love, salvation, provision, and His goodness in our lives. That's why I love the song "The Goodness Of God" by "Bethel" and Cece Winans a song many of you know. I pray as you ladies go about this week you as well as I remember how good God's been to us as well as us thanking God. I'll be sharing more about that during Bible study tonight for it to be a "kick off" for Thanksgiving holiday for this week so be there. That's what I wanted to share with you ladies. Blessings, happy Lord's day, and have a blessed week everyone.