Sharing Our Stories: A Bible-based Message for the Hearts of Strong Black Women

Breathe, Martha, Breathe!
A guest post by Amber Hoopengarner

The Lord answered her, “Martha, my beloved Martha. Why are you upset and troubled, pulled away by all these many distractions? Mary has discovered the one thing most important by choosing to sit at my feet. She is undistracted, and I won’t take this privilege from her.”

— Luke 10:41-42 (TPT)

Am I strong because I have been able to live through circumstances that should have caused me to lose my mind, or did I just not have a choice? Black women are known for being strong, right?

For years, we have been known for carrying all the burdens of our lives and those around us and still smile and be supportive of those who we love and serve. Rarely do you hear us admit we do not know if we can go on any further or that we just want to give up. We have been known for doing the work no matter what the circumstance.

I found myself crying to God the other day after a situation combined with other situations caused me to feel helpless and for a day or so, a bit hopeless if I am being honest. As a Black mother and wife, I have the added stress of looking at the news and seeing the headlines of a Georgia mom who claims the school she wanted her daughter to go to is being segregated, or how the right to vote could potentially be taken away from those whose skin color is anything but White, or the countless number of stories where police took extreme measures against people of color in situations that did not warrant it.

The real issue is that we have been too busy being labeled as Martha when we should consider ourselves and live our lives as Mary. The world’s issues of race and politics in addition to our everyday life stressors, is enough to make you go crazy and lose focus on the person at the center of our lives who is Jesus Christ.

Jesus knew that worries and cares of Martha. Yet he explained that they were not going anywhere. He said that the focus still needed to be on Him, and the time spent in His presence.

Jesus knows that we are in historical times in our country (especially as people of color), but He does not want us to ever get away from the fact that He is what truly matters. Doing things His way, that fighting His way and defending His way is what we are called to do.

The world will continue to have race debates and discrimination until the day Jesus returns. Therefore, we should continue putting our hands to the plow and forging our way forward as long as we remember who we are doing it for (it’s all for Jesus).

Let’s Pray: Dear God, we come to you humbly and boldly, repenting of our sins and asking for forgiveness. Help us to stay focused on you as we stand up against racial discrimination. Let us remember to keep You, Your words, and Your ways as our main focal point. We never want to get so wrapped up in all around us that we miss what You want to impart in us in our intimate time with You. Thank you, God, for loving us and reminding us of what matters. In Jesus’s Name we pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amber Hoopengarner is a writer and self-published author who is also a Certified Life Coach working with women who suffer from PMADs and children who suffer from mental health disorders. 

She is a Maternal Mental Health Advocate and works to help raise awareness within the church of mental health disorders especially among BIPOC women.

Amber graduated in 2016 from the University of Phoenix with an Associates in Human Services Management and is currently in the process of obtaining her bachelor’s in psychology. She also has certificates in Mental Health Coaching, Bibliotherapy and CBT as well as in Perinatal Mood Anxiety Disorders.

Amber loves God and people! She enjoys making a difference through bringing up issues and challenges that sometimes would not otherwise be addressed. Amber believes that God wants His people to be loved where right where they are while they are working on who He has called them to become.

Sharing Our Stories: How to be a good neighbor

Who is My Neighbor?
A guest post by Sherrinda Ketchersid

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” 

–Luke 10:27 (NIV)

The Bible verse above stands out as a cornerstone for building bridges on the journey of racial reconciliation. Everyone around us is our neighbor, no matter the color of their skin or their economic status. When a teacher of the law asked Jesus Christ what must one do to inherit eternal life, Jesus asked him what the law said. The teacher replied with the scripture listed above: Love God and love your neighbor. 

Then the teacher then asks the question: “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29 NIV)

Jesus proceeded to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). A man was beaten by robbers and left for dead. A priest walks by but doesn’t stop to help the man. A Levite walks by but doesn’t stop either. A Samaritan comes along and helps the man. He even takes him to an inn and pays for the man’s care. This Samaritan was a true neighbor.

Now, the remarkable thing about this story is that priests and Levites were held in high esteem among the Jews, but Samaritans were snubbed. Samaritans were considered half-breeds. When the tribes of Israel split and became Judah and Israel, Israel was captured by the Assyrians and the Israelites intermarried with the Assyrians. They became known as Samaritans and were outcasts among the Jews.

But Jesus says the Samaritan was the good neighbor—not the priest and not the Levite.

Loving our neighbor is loving those who are outcasts, those who are in need, those who are marginalized and taken advantage of. Loving our neighbor is loving those who are different from us. Now you might live in a neighborhood where everyone looks like you. That is hard to change, right? But Jesus and his disciples give us an example of seeking out those who are different, those in need, and those who need a good neighbor.

After Jesus was baptized and then tempted by Satan, he began his ministry by moving from Nazareth to Capernaum in the area of Galilee. He went to a place unfamiliar to him. He lived among people he did not know. He walked the beach and called the disciples, who became his new friends and would eventually lead his future church (Matthew 4:12-25).

Jesus later sent his disciples out into the surrounding towns and neighborhoods. He led them to neighborhoods they probably did not want to enter and encouraged them to talk to people they might not otherwise (Luke 10:1-23).

Now, I’m not saying we have to move to more diverse neighborhoods to further racial reconciliation, but there are ways to “walk the beaches” as Jesus did and make new friends. We can shop at stores owned and frequented by people of color. We can eat at ethnic restaurants. We can visit churches that have more diversity in their congregation members and leadership.

If you have young children, seek out diverse friendships at your kid’s sporting events. If you are an empty nester, look to make friends at your city’s recreational center that hosts games or exercise groups. There are many ways to seek out diversity in the circles in which you live. You just have to put forth the effort to do so.

My prayer is that we follow the example of Jesus and his disciples as we learn how to be a good neighbor to those who are different from us. I pray that we love people as Jesus loved them, and seek the best for those around us. I pray that we can go beyond our sphere of influence and be the neighbor who walks the path of racial reconciliation.

Loving God and loving our neighbor is key for all who are traveling this road that leads to Heaven, where we all will be reunited with our Savior and each other for eternity.

~*~
Author Bio:

Sherrinda Ketchersid is an author of historical romance and a minister’s wife who loves to paint in her Bible. 

She loves to read, spend time in her flower garden, and try her hand at new crafts. She likes to blog and is part of a group called The Writers Alley. 

Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her husband of 35 years. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

~*~
Connect with Sherrinda:
Website: www.sherrinda.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrindaKetchersidAuthor/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sherrinda
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrinda
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherrinda/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19022507.Sherrinda_Ketchersid
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherrinda-ketchersid
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sherrinda-Ketchersid/e/B07Q5Y8QHF/

Sharing Our Stories: No Solo Carriers

No Solo Carriers
A guest post by Amber Hoopengarner

“As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.” –Matthew 27:32 (NIV)

Watching the news one morning in March 2021 caused me to be in shock, disgust and unimaginable sadness as I saw a group of Asian men and women rallying to remind the world that they matter because recent events have left them the target of brutal attacks. The result is that they are feeling vulnerable and confused. They are questioning what they thought they knew about this free country.

Minutes later, I turned off the television and thought about my own life trials and tasks. What can I do? I am only one person, one woman in one small town, chasing around several headstrong children. Suddenly, God reminded me of the man named Simon who helped carry the cross of Jesus Christ.

Simon was just an average African man visiting while Jesus was on his way to be crucified at a spot outside Jerusalem called Golgotha.

Simon was not on any special assignment. He did not have a particular agenda and nothing else is mentioned or known of him. Up until now, he was not heard of, yet Scripture says that he was instructed to carry the cross of Jesus. Can you imagine the thoughts he could have had? Perhaps he said, “You want me to do what? I do not even know this man, that wood looks extremely heavy!”

Despite what the conversation may have sounded like or what Simon was thinking, the Bible says that he placed the cross on his back and helped Jesus carry it without complaint.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we would react to our brothers and sisters of different races and cultures the same way when they are facing hardship?

What if we help people of color carry their cross? What if we make the conscious choice to rally alongside the oppressed and marginalized as we climb together to be taken seriously, treated fairly, thought of in circles we never have dreamed about, and have our names spoken in rooms we only imagined being able to enter?

What if we accept the fact that it is not just one person’s cross to bear? If we all do our part to fight in love and carry each other’s crosses no matter how heavy they are, then we will be blessed with the opportunities to witness about the unconditional, never ending, constant love of the One (Jesus Christ) who died to set us free.

Let’s Pray: Dear God, please forgive me for the times when I am too overwhelmed by all the chaos of the world and my own struggles to think I can do anything to help. Allow me to remember that the most important thing I can do is lift up others—especially those fighting racial injustice—in prayer. You care about those who the world so quickly targets and then forgets. Thank You, God, for the strength and courage to help bear another’s cross. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Amber Hoopengarner is a writer and self-published author who is also a Certified Life Coach working with women who suffer from PMADs and children who suffer from mental health disorders.  

She is a Maternal Mental Health Advocate and works to help raise awareness within the church of mental health disorders especially among BIPOC women.

Amber graduated in 2016 from the University of Phoenix with an Associates in Human Services Management and is currently in the process of obtaining her bachelor’s in psychology. She also has certificates in Mental Health Coaching, Bibliotherapy and CBT as well as in Perinatal Mood Anxiety Disorders.

Amber loves God and people! She enjoys making a difference through bringing up issues and challenges that sometimes would not otherwise be addressed. Amber believes that God wants His people to be loved where right where they are while they are working on who He has called them to become.

~*~
Connect with Amber:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amberwha35/

Sharing Our Stories: The Looking Glass

Into the Looking Glass
A guest post by Stephanie Bankhead

For the most of my 56 years on this earth, I looked in the mirror and saw “not enough” staring back at me. If you had asked, I would have not said that I had a self-esteem issue. Confidence in myself wasn’t the problem. There were plenty of opportunities in life to have success and I have had my fair share. But 2020 was a year of vision for me. Clarity.

It started with the revelation that my faith in God wasn’t the strong foundation that I had believed. How had the assumption crept in that faith equaled a checklist of items that included time spent in the Bible and discipling others? Faith equated to service, to works…performance. I was an ordained pastor, after all. I had to have faith or why would I be doing what I was doing? Enter early 2020 that was filled with the pandemic, racial tensions and fear. Intense fear and anxiety over the unknown and the unfair. Why was I feeling so anxious? Where was my faith? I chided myself over and over daily. I’m sure you can guess how well that worked out.

Transformative changes do not happen through coercion or chastisement.

And so begins my transformation over the year of 2020. I discovered that seeing myself as “not enough” had consequences. If my remorseful failings disappointed me, there was no imagining how God felt about me. Imagine a lightbulb appearing over my head when the realization hit me. Because of always feeling like a failure, my view of God was as a harsh taskmaster or a disappointed boss. Either way, that is an unfair view and not at all accurate. I was gazing at myself and perceiving not enough, disappointment, failure…and merely glancing at God. With a fresh determination, I put on blinders to gaze with length and adoration at my God.

I treasure time in the Bible, seeking for God in every reading. Kristi McLelland, author of the Bible study titled, Jesus and Women, revealed an interesting fact that relates to my story. Are you familiar with the story that we in the western church call “The Prodigal Son?” In the Jewish Messianic Bible, that story title is “The Running Father.” When I am gazing at myself and merely glancing at God, my focus is on the son. When I am gazing at my amazing Father, my focus is on the running, merciful father in the story.

This new perspective also made me realize my inability to receive love or kindness from my husband. I was forever shrugging off his kind words as obligatory. I now know that they were also filtered through my self-perception. My deepest heart’s desire is to feel love and to know God in a way that is truer and deeper than anything I’ve experienced so far. What was holding me back? My own perception of myself.

Once this truth revealed itself and there was a knowing inside of me, I felt different somehow. The verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17 was more authentic than it had ever been. It reads, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NRSV)

In the past, this verse had been for those who receive Christ as their Savior for the first time. That makes me laugh. Because God is not like that. And for as long as I’ve been studying His Word (the Holy Bible), you would think I would already have known that. This is why we know the Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). God sneaks in with a verse we see as familiar and transforms us in a stunning manner.

Today I’m a new creation. Free. Free to be me! Free to be loved. This new perception of myself has ushered in a playfulness. It fosters a positive atmosphere in our home. The greatest fruit is how it lightens the heaviness that was prevalent in this past year. It’s been one difficult year and any little change helps. This change for me is momentous.

Let me ask you this question: Are you walking around saying you are a follower of Jesus Christ but you see God as a harsh taskmaster or a boss who is never satisfied? I now understand that until each of us can see God for who He really is — His characteristics that we read and learn about in Scripture — we won’t have the fundamental ability to truly love others. How will we overcome racial tensions in this country and world? How will we overcome the oppression of women in this world? How will overcome the division and hatred that seems to be pervasive?

The answer is simple: Change our gaze. Stop gazing at the monumental problems and start gazing at our amazing God. Gazing at His beauty. Gazing at His characteristics. Discovering who He assuredly is in character, personality, and action.

Let us remember this Bible verse: Psalm 27:4 (ESV) says, “One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.”

Next time you look in the mirror, see the beloved of God, fashioned in His image. And then let’s turn to our neighbors and love them. Let’s see our neighbors and ourselves as image bearers of the creative God who gives us life and breath.

In closing, will you pray with me?

Almighty God, we praise and worship You as our Creator. Thank you that we are fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image. It is our heart’s desire to know You more. Help us to see ourselves and our neighbors through Your eyes. And help us to keep our eyes set firmly on You, gazing on your majesty and glory! I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, our Savior. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Stephanie Bankhead is a Bible teacher, mentor and author of several Bible studies.

  

Stephanie has worked at a local church as the Women’s Ministry Leader since 2013. In 2018, she became an ordained teaching Pastor. Before that, she worked as the director of a very successful youth volleyball club. What both of these experiences taught her is that women are still little girls inside. Deep down we are all still asking the same questions, “Am I capable? Am I attractive? Am I enough?”

Stephanie delivers sermons and speaks at women’s events on a multitude of topics. Her favorite topic is teaching people what the Bible says about their own identity in God.

Stephanie lives in Amarillo, Texas with her husband of 32 years. They have a rescue pup who barks too much, and a bird abandoned when her two grown children flew the nest. Her four grandchildren are the apples of her eye.

Sharing Our Stories: Rearrange the Room

At the Table of Racial Reconciliation
A guest post by Sherrinda Ketchersid

It’s three days after Thanksgiving, and you may still be wearing your elastic waistband pants after indulging in the traditional feast of turkey and dressing—not to mention all the pies.

With COVID-19 still running rampant, your Thanksgiving may have looked a little different. Some may have been able to sit together around a table to feast, while others may have had to eat together through a Zoom call or eat outside, weather permitting. We have had to rearrange our traditions in order to accommodate safety for one other.

This got me thinking about a study I just finished by Kristi McLelland called Jesus and Women - Bible Study Book: In the First Century and Now, and how it relates to racial reconciliation and social justice. During one lesson, we focused on the story of Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50. A Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus to his house for a meal, and Jesus ended up rearranging the room.

To give a little background from biblical times, hospitality was important. People honored others by having them in their home for a meal. Being a generous person was important as well. Therefore, people would allow the poor, the outcasts, and marginalized to sit along the wall and partake of the food. The guests of honor would recline at the table, leaning on their left side so that their right hand (the hand of blessing) would be free to eat with. Their feet would point to the wall. This gave easy access to the woman who had heard Jesus was going to be at the Pharisee’s house, and she came to bless him with her jar of perfume.

This woman came with her hair unbound, which indicated she was an immoral woman. But she came to honor Jesus, and washed his feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointed his feet with her jar of perfume. Her actions must have caused quite a stir, and Simon was indignant. Though he did not outwardly speak against her actions, he thought them … and Jesus addressed his inward thoughts. Let’s read about it in Luke 7:44-47 (NIV):

Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

Jesus turned toward the woman. He saw her. He saw her plight. He saw her tears. He saw her heart of love for him. He saw Simon and his own condescending thoughts and feelings. By comparing the woman and Simon, Jesus rearranged the room. No longer was the woman assigned to the wall. Jesus lifted her up and brought her honor. She had a seat of honor at his table, figuratively speaking. And Simon…well, Simon was removed from his seat of honor and relegated to the wall, so to speak.

I think the beauty of Jesus Christ’s mission on earth is that He is room designer. He lifts up those who are neglected and hidden from view to a place of prominence in his kingdom. He finds a place of importance in the room for the marginalized. He believes all of his creation—all of humankind—should be given honor and respect, not relegated to the back wall.

We should all be looking for ways to bring Black, Indigenous, and People Of Color (BIPOC) to the forefront and promote them to a place of honor and prominence in a white-centered world.

So often, BIPOC are overlooked because we Americans as a nation are so white-focused. There are more movies, TV shows, and books with more White leads than with BIPOC. Most politicians are White. Most CEOs are White. BIPOC shop in stores catered to White people and often cannot find products like makeup or hair care that will work for them. It is harder for BIPOC to get business loans because of racism and discrimination. I could go on and on with these types of issues.

Not only are we White-centered in our consumerism and leadership roles, we are also White-centered in the way we deal with the hurt of BIPOC in their ongoing oppression—and yes, they are still oppressed because racism is systemic and ingrained in everyday life. We’ve seen this when discussions get heated and Whites try to “tone police” a BIPOC’s emotional response. We see it when Whites get defensive when called about their White-centered words or actions. Anything that puts a White person’s feelings over that of BIPOC is White-centering, and this practice should be dismantled.

As Jesus Christ came to turn an upside-down world to an upright position, we, too, should look for ways to make things right for BIPOC and others who are marginalized by the world. Whether we shop BIPOC stores, read BIPOC authors, give money to BIPOC causes, and truly listen to BIPOC voices, we need to be seeking opportunities to make a difference in the journey of racial reconciliation. We need to follow the footsteps of Jesus and rearrange the room for all those who need justice.

~*~
Author Bio:

Sherrinda Ketchersid is an author of historical romance and a minister’s wife who loves to paint in her Bible.

She loves to read, spend time in her flower garden, and try her hand at new crafts. She likes to blog and is part of a group called The Writers Alley.

Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her husband of 35 years. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

~*~
Connect with Sherrinda:
Website: www.sherrinda.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrindaKetchersidAuthor/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sherrinda
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrinda
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sherrinda/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19022507.Sherrinda_Ketchersid
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sherrinda-ketchersid
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sherrinda-Ketchersid/e/B07Q5Y8QHF/