Why Being "Normal" is a Myth!

The Myth of Normal
A guest post by Malinda Fugate

“I am not enough.” How often that phrase runs through our minds and pierces our hearts! 

It fits a variety of circumstances—not thin enough, not rich enough, not achieving enough, not happy enough, not stylish enough, not active enough, not smart enough—you know exactly how this goes. Disguised as a driving force propelling us to self-improvement, the tendency to compare ourselves to others in order to assess ourselves somehow only leaves us feeling discouraged.

“Normal” is a standard of measurement that strangely entices us. We look at what everyone else is wearing, watching, saying, eating, and doing. Then, we follow the pattern to fit in, not miss out, or make sure we’re doing what we should. Yet, when we start to really examine normal, we find that it doesn’t exist. It’s an imaginary set of ideals we’ve assembled in our minds as a tool to judge ourselves, often harshly and unfairly. It rarely encourages us and actually causes us to miss something extremely important: God’s goodness.

It happens easily. We see the people around us and look for trends. Our vision is distorted by what’s amplified in advertisements, on television or in movies, what we read, and the highlights we see on social media and around the internet. But a deep dive into each of these sources reveals that they aren’t reliable at all, because they aren’t accurately portraying reality.

They are telling a story, trying to sell something, or projecting a preferred ideal while covering up things that seem less desirable to share. If our standard of measurement is so inaccurate, how can we even confidently define normalcy at all? In fact, once we begin to thoroughly examine the real lives of the real people around us, truth begins to look very different.

The comparison game was not how we were designed. Psalm 139:14 famously tells us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” We were given a colorful variety of gifts and circumstances for a reason.

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul illustrates this point with a look at the human body. If the whole body were an eye, for example, how would it hear? Each individual part was created uniquely and with purpose. It isn’t sameness that causes each organ and limb to belong. It’s the special qualities that no other part can provide that make them crucial and included. So it is with us. Like a puzzle, we are all different pieces that fit together to make a whole, belonging together in community. We were never intended for sameness, so why do we keep striving for it?

Worse yet, this quest for normalcy invites discouragement when we inevitably don’t meet the mythical standards we perceive through comparison. Discouragement is also not part of God’s design for us. He wants us to live in the His joy! Scripture is full of encouragement, ensuring that God is always with us, is close to the broken hearted, provides gladness in place of mourning, and fills us with His hope. When we tolerate the discouragement that comes with falling short of “normalcy,” it’s unnecessary and disheartening. We can kick that to the curb as we cling to the light of God’s love!

Instead, we shift our gaze away from the myth of perceived normal and place our eyes on Jesus Christ’s reality. First, let’s embrace who we are, where we are, and how we are. May we celebrate our circumstances instead of constantly criticizing them.

Let’s trust that God is growing and maturing us, changing what is necessary while we follow Him step by step. We’re not talking about accepting sinfulness here, but contentment in God’s design. We can recognize that we were never meant to be the same as others, and, truthfully, others are also unique and different. Sameness was an illusion all along. When we embrace the way God made us and where He placed us, we can also embrace the people in our lives for who they truly are. This is heartfelt inclusivity and belonging.

Next, we must delight in our differences and seek their purposes. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God’s handiwork, created specifically to do the good works that God prepared for us. Often the messes we find ourselves in our what the Lord uses to help us grow and love other people. Everything, from our talents to our struggles, has value with Him. The very thing that is so difficult for us now is often what others find relatable and helpful as they struggle, too.

Finally, we talk to God. Communicating how we feel when we are discouraged and asking for a glimpse of the Lord’s perspective is how we grow closer to Him as we begin to understand and accept ourselves. If we can see ourselves through His eyes, we understand true beauty.

When we see God’s hand in our life’s journey, we realize how attentive He is to detail and how He’s working things out for our good. And when we start to see people with God’s vision instead of through our previous filters of insecurity, we begin to love more like Christ and demonstrate true belonging.

Our hearts will be so full of love that there will be no more room for discouragement. We will toss away the myth of normal and rejoice in the unique journey we are taking with Him.

~*~
Author Bio:

Malinda Fugate serves as the Children's Education Director at a Southern California church and writes for God’s children of all ages.

Her recent book, The Other Three Sixteens, explores the reality of God’s love in our lives today.

She also created a children’s devotional, Bible Time for Active Kids, full of biblically-based activities to bring kids closer to the Lord.

Her passion is connecting people with God in tangible ways.

~*~
Connect with Malinda:
Website: www.malindafugate.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/malthestar
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malthewriter/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malthewriter

~*~
Note from Alexis: Malinda’s message reminds me of the song “Pieces” by Meredith Andrews! Listen to it here.

Sharing Our Stories: Perspective

This Hour’s Perspective
A guest post written by Stephanie Bankhead

Violence, disunity and death pervade the hour we are in. When this hour is over, what do I want to be able to say my posture was? When I look back in 10 years from now, 20 years — or even when I’m gone from here and living in the next life looking back — what do I want to be able to say about how I handled myself?

If the past eighteen months was the final answer, I would have to say that I was anxious and distracted. I allowed the madness of the world be the loudest voice in my heart and mind. But I do not want that to be my story.

One of the most eye-opening situations has been my inability to keep my focus on the Lord. Prior to March 2020, I would have told you that my relationship with God was deep, full and meaningful. I would have told you that I trusted God and followed closely to Jesus and His teaching. Along came 2020.

Fear became the dominant emotion and anxiety followed closely as well. I was surprised at how I was reacting to the situation. The old me would have said I wanted a “do-over,” but NO WAY do I want to experience any of this all over again.

Over a year later, my faith still feels terribly shallow. My thoughts are scattered. I can’t seem to go more than 15 minutes without getting on Facebook or checking my news app. Why? In complete candor, I really don’t know. Speculation swirls in my mind. The unknown is scary. Remember the old saying, “Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know?” Maybe that is my underlying reason. Do I think that if I know all the facts that I won’t be as scared? If that’s the case, it’s not true. The facts scare me.

So where is God in all this? My relationship with Him feels like a miles long river that is only a few inches deep.

Deeper.

My heart’s desire is to be deeper with God. To know and love Him with all my heart. To be sold out for Jesus and His way. In a recent Bible study, it was mentioned that during first century Israel the disciple of a rabbi would be expected to follow the rabbi everywhere he went. The idea was to follow so closely the dust from the rabbi’s shoes would get all over the disciple.

That is exactly how I want my life to be defined, by the dust of Jesus’ shoes. How does that happen?

First of all, the noise has to be stopped. I have taken breaks from social media, and certainly from the news. That has helped. I’m also making exercise and sleep a priority. I found an app that reads bedtime stories to me while I drift off to sleep. And I’m keeping this one verse at the forefront of my mind.

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”— Matthew 6:33 (NLT)

There’s my answer. This Bible verse (Matthew 6:33) unequivocally answers my questions.

Seek God first and above everything else. Trust God to handle the rest.

~*~
Author Bio:

Stephanie Bankhead is a Bible teacher, mentor and author of several Bible studies. She 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: A call to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God

A Call to Action 
A guest post by Heidi Lewis-Ivey

“They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”

– Isaiah 61:4 (NIV)

July 4 is a special day for American citizens because The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. This act resulted in the official separation of the 13 original colonies from Great Britain amid the Revolutionary War.

This is also considered the birth of our nation. It’s interesting to me that at the same time, Black people were enslaved, and Native people had been pushed off land they’d inhabited long before 1492. For me and many others, this Independence Day feels different and I have to ask, “How do we reconcile the history of this nation in our hearts?”

I attended a virtual conference last weekend whose theme scripture was Isaiah 61:4. As I listened to the speakers talk about rebuilding the ancient ruins, restoring places long devastated, and renewing the ruined cities, I began to ask myself, “What does this all mean?”

Hoping to find answers to my question, I did a word search and rediscovered these definitions, according to Merriam-Webster:

Rebuild means “to restore to a previous state” and “to make extensive repairs to.”

Restore means “put back or bring back into a former or original state.”

Renew means “restore to existence” and “to make new spiritually: REGENERATE”

There it was, the word “regenerate” that is the supernatural work of God’s Holy Spirit.

To reconcile racism in the history of America, there needs to be regeneration. The Holy Spirit reminded me that this process begins with repentance. In this case, it is repentance not for our individual sin, but for the sins of the nation.

According to Rev. Melwyn Misquitta, “identification repentance” is first the work of intercession. During this act of intercession, one identifies with a particular corporate sin (national, regional, ethnic, religious, vocational, or family) and represent the perpetrators (or victims) by repenting of that particular sin.

There are several Biblical examples that I will share in a short list below. Note that in these examples, the Bible characters Ezra, Jeremiah and Daniel didn’t commit the sin they confessed. But as representatives, they identified with and confessed the corporate sin.

Read these three Bible verses for the details:

1. Ezra 9:6-16

2. Jeremiah 3:25; Jeremiah 14:7

3. Daniel 9:8-10

Finally, read Micah 6:8 (NIV) for details on what God requires of us. The verse says: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Closing Thoughts:

1. Speak out for justice in the nation. Read Amos 2:6b-7 (NRSV) for details.

2. Speak out for justice among nations. Read Amos chapter 1 (all of it).

Let’s Pray: Father God, we as a body of believers repent for the sin of our nation. Lord, forgive us for the injustices we have perpetrated against each other. Have mercy on us for the division that exists. Help us to live up to the creed that all men are created equal and that we are one nation under God. Forgive us, oh Lord, because we have not displayed your love for each other. Lord, we have allowed our fears and false beliefs that have been passed down through generations, to turn our hearts. Heal us from the inside out and cause your love to permeate within us. You said in John 13:35 (KJV), “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” This is my desire. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

Heidi Lewis-Ivey is an ordained elder, a prophetic minister, an internationally acclaimed speaker, and an award-winning and bestselling author.  

She is the author of Can I Rest Awhile? and a co-author in Soulful Prayers Volumes 1 and 2 and Soulful Affirmations.

She has her Master of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership from Norwich University and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Boston University.

Heidi is a member of the Pentimenti Women Writers Group, a mentor with YearUp, a board member for Friends of Young Achievers, and a Diversity Equity and Inclusion Strategist.

She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

~*~
Connect with Heidi:
LinkedIn: www.LinkedIn.com/in/heidi-lewis-ivey
Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamheidi01

Sharing Our Stories: When we cannot breathe

I Can’t Breathe
A guest post by Dr. Angelle M. Jones

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?” 

–Micah 6:8a (NIV)

America has been on trial and the verdict is in.

The murder of George Floyd before the world one year ago, and the trial the next, revealed the uncomfortable narrative of the pain and injustice inflicted upon Black America since slavery.

After the largest civil rights protest in years, former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

The victim, a Black man named George Floyd, became a household name while the world watched the White officer use his knee to render a neck compression restraint, with his hands in his pockets and a sneer on his face until Floyd took his final breath. Almost a year later, millions watched the broadcast of the trial, figuratively holding their breath until the verdict was reached. Although Floyd had heart disease and drugs were found in his body, the medical examiner ruled his death a homicide. Restrained, Floyd cried out for his mother twice while breathlessly moaning, “I can’t breathe” in his final moments that left an indelible mark on the world.

During the trial, the defense attorney argued that Floyd’s crying, “I can’t breathe,” was a type of resisting arrest. The attorney went on to say that during the arrest, the officer acted with “objective reasonableness”. In other words, the defending argument concluded that because he fought against being handcuffed and shoved into the back of the squad car, the way the police officer restrained Floyd was warranted. Listening to the audio of the video, amidst the tussling you could hear Floyd crying out for help as he told the officer he was claustrophobic. With no evidence of a weapon causing the officer to feel endangered, he offered Floyd no help.

The idea that it was suggested that his death was because he resisted arrest or had drugs in his body revealed to the world the way policing in America works between officers and Black people. Based on history, there was still fear that the officer would be vindicated.

Floyd may have been accused of resisting arrest, but in fact, it is the resistance by White America to deal with the reality of racism, in policing as well as in every facet of society every day. The painful cry of Floyd for his mother while gasping for his breath could’ve been viewed as a depiction of the pain Black people have had to endure since slavery.

The nine minutes that he couldn’t breathe, while having his life slowly drained from him was a slow and painful enactment of the years of pain and suffering inflicted upon Black people as a result of systemic racism. The video clip shown over and over from May 2020 until May 2021, served as a bird’s-eye view of nearly 400 years of legalized punishment for being Black in America. The intersectionality between America’s painful past and the reality of the present, exposed the systemic racist police practices that have been used to dehumanize Black people since slavery. Until White America accepts African-Americans as human, the dehumanization of Black and Brown bodies will continue.

Since the murder of Floyd, the discussion of defunding or the intentional deconstruction and reconstruction of the police has taken a front seat. With some resistance especially since the trial, the world has shifted to the much bigger discussion of some type of police reform. The resistance ranging from those who think reform is not necessary, to those who believe it is imperative, reveals a panoramic view of a problem deeply embedded in American culture. While the breath continues to be literally and figuratively drained from the bodies of Black Americans, this country is faced with a decision. Watching the breath of Floyd stolen from him was a depiction of the countless Black bodies stolen as a result of police shootings today. The decision to not only be better as individuals, but collectively as a nation must be made.

In reflecting on policing and the loss of Black lives, I’m reminded of the scriptures surrounding Micah 6:8. The prophet Micah spoke to a culture very similar to that of America. A culture characterized by the sins of idolatry, immorality, injustice, and rebellion against worshipping God. Micah was emphasizing the importance of one not only knowing what to do, but actually doing it and living it according to God’s Word.

Micah proclaimed the coming of the Christ child, in the second chapter of his book (Micah). He told us about the One who could redeem humanity from the sin of racism. The One who could breathe life into this country with all its racist structures and systems. The One who could reform not only the system of policing but the police themselves. In Micah chapter 6, the prophet boldly proclaimed what was required of the people and nations identified as belonging to God. In Micah 6:8, he declared three practical requirements to exemplify God’s breath of life in a breathless society. The Scripture (Micah 6:8 NIV) reads:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.”

The first requirement was to act justly, a divine justice that goes beyond a law, beyond thinking laws alone would bring lasting heart changes. This was a justice of ethics and morals implemented in one’s daily lives, a justice that called for societal reformation. Today, this type of justice calls for police to be servants by doing justly to those they serve.

The next requirement was God calling for His people to love mercy. Not to only show mercy but to love it to the degree that they extend to others what they don’t deserve. If mercy had been extended toward Floyd for trying to use a counterfeit $20 bill, he could’ve received a simple pardon instead of a death sentence.

The third requirement is to walk humbly with God. Walking humbly grounds our walk with the Lord. Humility is the grace needed to do justice and love mercy. Floyd needed mercy, not death.

Let’s Pray: Lord, I humble myself in prayer asking you to breathe on America and heal our land. Help us to see you in our brothers and sisters and to love one another like you love each of us. Help us to acknowledge racism in our country and to do our part to eradicate it from our hearts, our country, and our world. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

~*~
Author Bio:

“Inspiring and Motivating With the Power of Words” 

Dr. Angelle M. Jones believes that the power of words inspires, and motivate to bring about transformative change individually and collectively.

Angelle originally hails from Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American studies from the University of Cincinnati. Angelle has a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia and an earned Doctorate in Ministry on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his philosophy of The Beloved Community from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Her ministry career began as a staff member of the Northeastern Ohio Billy Graham Crusade in 1994. For twenty years, as founder and director of In The Spirit Ministries, Inc., she led teams on mission outreaches throughout the world. From 2007-2012, Angelle served as Missions Director of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio where she currently resides. Angelle is founder and director of GlobaLife Coaching and Consulting serving as a Life and Transformation Coach and Church Consultant.

In 2016, Angelle authored and self-published her first book, Happily Never After. Along with sharing words of hope by sharing her writings on her social media platforms, she has been published in Vantage Magazine which is a literary source for faculty, students and alumni of Columbia Theological Seminary, and Ready, which is a cutting-edge online magazine addressing current events and trending socially relevant topics for women.

Angelle is the mother of an adult daughter. She is a grandmother and great-grandmother.

~*~
Connect with Dr. Angelle:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelle.m.jones.5
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abundantgrace1/
Website: www.globalifetransforms.com
Email: globalifeconsultants@gmail.com

Sharing Our Stories: Why Racism is Wrong

Racism Against People of Color
A guest post by Sherrinda Ketchersid

Since George Floyd’s death, I’ve been educating myself about racism and White privilege. Most of the books, magazines, and online articles have focused on Black voices, but as I have friends and family members who are married to Latinxs, I’ve begun to investigate the issues that this and other underrepresented groups face. My findings have been eye-opening. As people of God, we cannot close our eyes to the mistreatment of God-created human beings.

Let’s talk about the Latinx group. I did not know this, but Latinx is the biggest minority group in the United States—not by much, with Blacks coming in close behind. I also learned that Latinx are the second most discriminated ethnic group after Blacks. Like Black people, the darkness or lightness of their skin contributes to the level of discrimination.

From a survey done by pewresearch.org, four in ten Latinx say they have recently experienced one of the following incidents—called offensive names, told to go back to their home country, disparaged for speaking Spanish, and given harsh treatment because of their ethnicity.

Let’s not forget the issues with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Detention Centers—families separated, poor living conditions, poor medical treatment, etc. There is a history of abuse and neglect dating back to the early 1900s. Allegations of rape and unauthorized sterilizations abound. Even for those Latinx born in the U.S., many of them live in fear for family members and friends.

Now let’s turn our attention on Indigenous Americans. We all have heard about how colonization of North America forced Indigenous Americans from their homes and their sacred lands, many slaughtered in the process. They were told untruths, endured broken treaties, and forced into segregation on reservations. Today, Indigenous Americans face discrimination across a variety of areas such as medical treatment, interaction with police, educational processes, microaggressions, and racial slurs.

Statistics show that Indigenous Americans who live in a heavily populated Native area are more likely to experience institutional discrimination than those in a less populated Native area. In regard to housing, a few years ago in North Dakota, a law was passed that made having a photo ID with a street address a requirement to vote. This targeted the Indigenous Americans, many of whom used P.O. Boxes. Voter repression is still happening, just as it is for the Black community, where the war on drugs and mass incarceration makes voting impossible.

Now let’s look at Asian Americans. Some of you may have seen on the news this year instances where some have been told to “go home”, all because COVID-19 was first reported in China. The virus has been called the “China Flu” by some, which in and of itself is racist. But this is not a new thing, according to history.

Discrimination against Asians goes back a long way. Back around the 1850s, Chinese workers began to come over to U.S., fleeing from wars and economic hardship. At first they were welcomed, but soon were seen as competition from lower-class whites. In 1870, The Naturalization Act gave naturalization rights to those of African descent, but not those of Asian descent.

In the 1960s, during the anti-black discrimination uprising, Asian-Americans became the poster child for the new term “model-minority”, stating they were better at abiding by the law and being hard workers. While this may have looked good on the outside, it constituted the idea that Asian Americans did not need government assistance.

Asian Americans face discrimination today. In one study at the University of Toronto, it was found that those of East Asian descent were thought of as extremely competent, but lacking leadership and dominance, making them overlooked for leadership positions. This is alluded to as the “bamboo ceiling”—and why Asian Americans don’t consider advanced degrees as profitable as for whites.

Black people have been discriminated against more openly and ruthlessly. The injustices they have been dealt with have been reprehensible and violent. From slavery, to segregation, to voter suppression, to lynching, to mass incarceration, to police brutality, Black people in America have been dealt a heavy blow.

I know I am excluding other underrepresented groups like Middle Eastern, South Asian, and others, which I know experience discrimination as well, but to be mindful of the length of this post, I am focusing on other people of color at this time.

The discrimination and racial injustices against people of color … all colors … is perpetrated by people of white skin. This was true even before American colonization. It is pervasive and though we try to make things better, other structures of suppression pop up.

As believers in Christ, we cannot stand by and be silent any longer. Scripture clearly tells us of God’s heart for all people. Each one of us are His creation, made in His image (Genesis 1:27). We are to treat every person with respect and love.

We should not favor whites over people of color because, as Christ’s followers, we follow His example and teachings. It was Jesus Christ’s disciple Peter who said, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.” (Acts 10:34-35 NIV)

In the book of Revelation 7:9-10 (NIV), we see that in heaven “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” Everyone, no matter their nationality, their ethnicity, or their skin color will be excluded from God’s kingdom. If God does not exclude, why would we?

As we move forward in 2021, I am challenging myself—and others—to examine our lives to see we show favoritism. Do we watch TV and movies that only feature white leads? Do we read books that are white centered? Does our friend circle all have the same color skin? Do we initiate conversations with others who look different from us? Do we seek to befriend and truly know and understand others of different backgrounds? Are we calling out racism when we see it…in ourselves and in others? These are questions I am asking myself this year.

I pray that my heart grows in bravery in the face of injustice, and that I will expand my circle of friends to include more diversity. What about you? How will you work on your heart in regard to racial 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/

Sharing Our Stories: The things we say

Please Stop Saying …
A guest post by Kristen Rimer Terrette

“Slavery ended over 150 years ago … I never owned slaves … I’m not privileged. I’ve had hardships too … Everyone has the same rights now!”

Do these sentences make you sigh? Part of me wants to rant when I hear them. Part of me wants to cry. White brothers and sisters, can I speak solely to you for a moment?

In my experience, these words are usually said in defense by my well-meaning white friends or acquaintances who feel they haven’t contributed to racism or displayed hatred toward people of color. They feel they’re not part of the problem. And in part, that’s true, because they don’t use racial slurs, shy away from friendships with different ethnicities, and may work cordially alongside people who don’t look like them.

But my frustration with these statements is that they degrade people of color’s experiences with racism, prejudice, and injustice, as well as their victories.

They also put us, the white majority, in a position of complacency and indifference.

Let me lay out some realities …

A few weeks ago, November 14, 2020, marked sixty years since six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked into a previously, like literally until that very moment, all white school in Louisiana. What a brave little girl! What a courageous mother to send her that morning!

To back up a bit more, in May of 1954, only six years earlier, the Supreme Court ruled in Brown vs. the Board of Education that “state-sanctioned segregation of public schools was a violation of the 14th amendment and was therefore unconstitutional.” It took six years for this decision to trickle down to Ruby Bridges’ town. Six. Years. For a ruling over something that should have never been in place at all.

And my mother’s city, Chattanooga, TN, took even longer. It was 1963-1964 when her school desegregated. Almost ten years after Brown vs. the Board of Education ruling! Ten years for her school, and the surrounding area, to implement desegregation.

So, let’s talk some facts. I’m in my thirties (though my very late thirties, but let’s not go there). I have school-aged children, with one still in elementary. And my mother (my kids’ grandmother), who is only in her mid-sixties literally witnessed (as in a firsthand account) the very first black children being admitted into her previously all white grade school. And she was ten years old at the time—not a baby, not a kindergartener, but a child about to go into middle school.

This should put things in perspective for those who feel like the civil rights movement happened a long time ago. There is only one generation—mine—between the children who witnessed desegregation and the children who are seeing the racial tensions we’re witnessing now.

Only ONE generation.

Truth is slavery as an institution ended on paper roughly 150 years ago, but that’s only about six generations back by my count. And its oppressive affects lasted much longer. In fact, they are still being felt today.

Please, hear my heart, and let my information dump serve as a plea for us to live as Paul asks us to in 1 Corinthians 12. He eloquently discusses the importance of being of one accord in a passage aptly titled, Unity and Diversity in the Body (the church). According to this passage, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:25-26 (NIV), “so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 

Our Christian brothers and sisters have stories to tell. Ones of grief and ones of triumph. So, we must rid our minds and tongues from the demeaning phrases above. And, instead, listen to people of color who still struggle with the painful effects of racism, but who are afraid to tell their stories because of the responses they get in return. We must also celebrate greatly all minorities who have accomplished so much in such a short amount of time instead of diminishing their victories with flippant responses or, and possibly even worse, by acting like we understand their pain in these areas.

Let’s take Paul’s advice and approach our diverse relationships by asking Jesus for spiritual eyes and ears to listen and celebrate each other. We are one body of Christ after all.

People of color, do you have a story to tell? We’re ready to listen, so let’s keep the conversation going! Comment below or on social media to tell us your story, whether one of heartache or victory. We want to listen, learn, and celebrate with you.

~*~
Author Bio:

Kristen's passionate about storytelling and helping people take their next steps in their relationship with Jesus. 

She lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. where she served as a Children's Ministry Director for many years. With the support of her husband and two children, she now stays home writing fiction and non-fiction.

She also serves on the women’s leadership team at her local church and writes for Crosswalk and Wholly Loved Ministries. You can check out her articles and novels at www.kristenterrette.com.

~*~
Connect with Kristen:
Website - www.kristenterrette.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authorkristenterrette/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/KTerrette
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kterrette/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16252020.Kristen_Terrette
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kristen-terrette
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/kterrette2/

Sharing Our Stories: Being "Woke"

The Hole in the Soul of America
A Guest post by Dr. Angelle M. Jones

“Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” 

–Psalm 82:3-4 (NIV)

I cannot remember exactly, but I believe I was a mere twenty-one years old when I voted for the first time. This year, I voted by absentee ballot; another first.

I was surprised because in my early years of ministry, I traveled and relocated from one city and state to another. I guess wherever I traveled, one way or another I always returned in time to cast my personal vote at the polls.

As always, I prayed, I did my research, and studied the candidates. It seemed to feel more daunting than ever before. It also seemed to take much longer than it should have. As strange as it may seem, it was not that it was difficult to know who I would vote for, instead I was challenged because for the first time in many years, I felt free to vote how I chose to vote. For the first time, I set myself free from the bondage of voting the way I was told I should vote.

During the most controversial election in my life time, along with my first absentee ballot, came the freedom to vote my own conscious. This election, not my Black family or friends, or my White church would tell me how to vote. This time, after forty years of voting, I showed up as an emotionally healthy, spiritually mature adult. No longer divided by race or religion. Free in the comfort of my own sacred space, called home. Free from the elements. Free from being harassed with sample ballots by last minute campaigners. Freed from the volunteers and onlooker’s stares holding me captive, if my ballot wasn’t found in the majority party’s book for my neighborhood. This time as I marked my ballot, it was as if I heard it shout loudly in return, “Free at last, free at last!” Thank God Almighty, she’s free at last!

In the midst of what political analysts are considering to be the most divisive election in my lifetime, I had the unmitigated gall to vote just how I wanted to. I realized as I toiled to fill in the empty white circles legibly, as they were colored black by the stroke of my pencil, I was finally returning to myself from a wilderness journey of personal deconstruction. The years of grief, loss, tears, and finally emotional and spiritual growth were all left on that road to my current state of being, which had now become my transformation of reconstruction.

I was woke for the first time in years, or possibly, the first time ever. I felt as though I could think clearly, more importantly, I could finally think for myself. No more did I have to follow whoever showed up as the leader of who I should vote for, which party, which candidate, or which issue. I would not allow my family, my race, nor my religion, continue to hold the reins on my way of doing life any longer, especially as it related to how I spent my time at the ballot box.

As it happens, I finally accepted the fact that from now on, I am free to be the leader of how I cast my ballot. I finally embraced the baton passed down from generations of my ancestors who showed up at the polls in years past, knowing it could cost them their life to even show up to vote. Those same dark melanin ancestors like Fannie Lou Hamer, marched to the polls anyway, prepared to vote her conscious, after being beaten days before, for trying to register to vote.

It takes a relationship with a liberator to liberate oneself from the bondages of sin and evil. The soul of America sadly, is an interconnection of both ills, the sin of racism and the evil of oppression. As my grandmother would probably say, this country is “Rotten to the core.”

To be fair, the most important lesson learned, is it takes a liberated mindset to free one from themselves. To be freed from oneself, is to be freed from allowing the oppressive attitudes and actions of individual or collective oppressors to control your life. What I finally learned from my own wilderness journey, was, no matter how oppressed you may feel, you can free yourself.

When your mind is free, no matter how tight the physical chains, as the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:1 (NIV), “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” I finally set myself free to vote as I chose, and although it may have been with good intentions, not how others instructed me to in the past.

Today we need leaders like the prophet Asaph, in Psalm 82. Bold prophets and leaders who are willing to call out the modern-day oppressors. These individuals need to be called out from hiding the darkness of voter suppression, and even the manipulation of bullying Christians who try to make their political opponents feel threatened because they don’t vote a certain way. Yes, to vote is to offer one aspect of your voice, however to defend the weak, and not only the aborted fetus, but also the fatherless children, should be the voice of today’s prophets. Where are those who God has called to speak in behalf of the weak and needy?

From now on, I will cherish the right of American citizens to vote as they please. Instead of stacking votes for their preferred party and political pundits, hopefully Christian leaders from all political parties will strive to uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

This is my prayer: O Lord I pray, raise up the people of your Kingdom, who are willing to work as one, from the Conservative Right and the Liberal Left, to rescue the oppressed from their wicked oppressors.

~*~
Author Bio:

“Inspiring and Motivating With the Power of Words” 

Angelle M. Jones believes that the power of words inspires, and motivate to bring about transformative change individually and collectively.

Angelle originally hails from Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in African-American studies from the University of Cincinnati. Angelle has a master’s degree in Theological Studies from Columbia Theological Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia and an earned Doctorate in Ministry on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and his philosophy of The Beloved Community from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Her ministry career began as a staff member of the Northeastern Ohio Billy Graham Crusade in 1994. For twenty years, as founder and director of In The Spirit Ministries, Inc. she led teams on mission outreaches throughout the world. From 2007-2012 Angelle served as Missions Director of New Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio where she currently resides. Angelle is founder and director of GlobaLife Coaching and Consulting serving as a Life and Transformation Coach and Church Consultant.

In 2016 Angelle authored and self-published her first book, Happily Never After. Along with sharing words of hope by sharing her writings on her social media platforms, she has been published in Vantage Magazine which is a literary source for faculty, students and alumni of Columbia Theological Seminary, and Ready which is a cutting-edge online magazine addressing current events and trending socially relevant topics for women.

Angelle is the mother of an adult daughter. She is a grandmother and great-grandmother.

Sharing Our Stories: Self-control

Striving for Self-Control
A guest post by Marie W. Watts

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

– 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

While it sounds simple to deal with others who are different from us in the manner God intended, I continually struggle with this concept.

In the 1990s, while working for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), I had my first contact with a Nigerian. Before this meeting, my slate was clear. I had no opinions—good or bad—about individuals from that country.

Working on his failure to hire complaints was a disaster. He became angry with me because I was not able to prove discrimination. To me, he was rude and sexist.

Sometime later, a friend and I were working on a management training class for a nonprofit. I began to complain about Nigerians, and he said, “Nigerians? Nigerians. I’ve been to their country. They are warm, wonderful people.”

Then it hit me—I was stereotyping! I took everything negative about one individual and piled it on to all who were similar to him. And my job at the EEOC was to stop others from doing the same thing.

Why is it so easy to stereotype even when we intellectually know better and are striving to follow God’s command to love others?

Our brain has a built-in function that allows us to generalize. For instance, this ability is helpful when dealing with a pot of boiling water. Once we learn that we can be burned by the boiling water, we do not have to relearn this fact every time we see a bubbling pot. Just imagine how stressful life would be without our capability to generalize.

We can trip up, however, when dealing with people. Stereotyping keeps us from seeing the individual and all his/her potential. We often handicap that person with stereotypes, never bothering to look further.

Fast forward to the 2000s. The day the AT&T store opened in La Grange, Texas, I was one of the first customers through the door. I was determined to learn all I could about the Galaxy before making the switch from my iPhone.

As I stepped inside, a man I took to be in his 70s approached me with the familiar question, “May I help you?”

My brain began yelling, “Go away, I don’t want to talk to you. You don’t know anything about smartphones! You’re too old.” I caught myself, thank goodness, and realized I was stereotyping.

Turns out, the man who approached me was an AT&T executive in town for the grand opening. He quickly turned me over to a younger individual who came from an out-of-town store to help for the day. I bought the Galaxy and spent some time exploring the features.

Several weeks later, I went back to the store to ask questions. The out-of-towners were gone, and the regular staff (Millennials and Gen-Xs) were there. I found out I knew more about the Galaxy than they did. (By the way, I am in my 60s.) Go figure.

The bottom line: In order to deal lovingly with others, we must continually monitor our tendency to lose self-control.

So, the next time you interact with someone different and began to experience negativity, stop and do a gut check. Has this individual actually done anything to elicit that emotion? Or, is stereotyping controlling your reaction? Only then can you make a conscious choice to act lovingly.

~*~
Author Bio:

Marie W. Watts is a former employment discrimination investigator and human resource consultant with over twenty-five years of experience. In pursuit of justice in the workplace, she’s been from jails to corporate boardrooms seeing the good, the bad, and the ugly of humans at work. 

Her on-the-job observations came in handy when she co-authored a textbook about how to behave at work, Human Relations 4th ed. Additionally, her work has been published in the Texas Bar Journal and the Houston Business Journal as well as featured on Issues Today syndicated to 119 radio stations, NBC San Antonio, Texas, and TAMU-TV in College Station, Texas.

A popular diversity and employment discrimination trainer, Marie has trained thousands of employees to recognize their own biases and prejudices and avoid discriminating against others in the workplace. She has brought her experiences to life in the trilogy Warriors For Equal Rights about the struggles of ordinary people who work at the little-known federal agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

She and her husband live on a ranch in central Texas. In her spare time, she supports a historic house and hangs out with her grandsons. For more information about Marie and her stories about life, visit www.mariewatts.com.

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Connect with Marie:
Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/profile/marie-w-watts
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mariewattsbooks
Twitter - https://twitter.com/MarieWattsBooks
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mariewattswriter/
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-w-watts-5b2a2b/

Sharing Our Stories: An Introduction

Sharing Our Stories: Being the Change We Seek
An Introduction post by Alexis A. Goring

We are living in troubled times.

These days, you don’t have to watch the news to see it.

But we have HOPE. His Name is Jesus Christ and He loves you with His very life! Read John 3:16 in The Holy Bible for background about that fact.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I know that this life here on Earth is not going to be perfect because of the side-effects of sin which include but are not limited to: hatred, prejudice, racism, oppression, injustice, pain, suffering, sorrow and ultimately, death.

But again, we have hope in Jesus Christ!

Human history will not continue like this forever. One day all of this suffering will end when God sends His Son (Jesus Christ) back to Earth to take His faithful followers home to Heaven. If you want to experience a happily-ever-after that’s REAL and lasts for all of eternity then that is a good reason to follow Jesus Christ. 

Only Jesus can equip us with the tools that we need to survive this sin-ridden world. Only Jesus can show us that there is hope on the horizon. Only Jesus can help us want to treat each other way we want to be treated (otherwise known as “The Golden Rule” OR Matthew 7:12, because it’s also in the Bible).

In light of everything we’re going through here on Earth, I’ve created this new series that will launch on Sunday, Sept. 6 and continue on a weekly basis. The series is called “Sharing Our Stories: Being the Change We Seek.” Every Sunday, starting in September 2020, one of my writers will share their heart on the topics that divide us with hope of uniting us.

It is my hope that through launching and coordinating this new series on this “On My Heart” blog that everyone who reads the words by my kind-hearted, faith-based writers, will be inspired to live like Jesus tells us to live (Micah 6:8). I hope that we will truly seek to treat others the way that we want to be treated (with kindness, respect and dignity). I hope that we will learn how to love each other the way that Jesus loves every one of us (regardless of our looks, ethnicity or culture). May we finally realize that there really is only ONE race (the HUMAN race) and we’re ALL in this story called life together.

I’m hoping that hearts will soften, empathy will increase and a Christ-like love will abound within the soul of every single reader.

This series is meant to move beyond having “hard” and “courageous” coffeehouse conversations; it will serve as a catalyst for change. We endeavor to be kind to each other and to understand where we’re coming from as we read each other’s stories and share our hearts. Our goal is racial reconciliation with the hope of preparing our hearts for a better country, a heavenly one (as Hebrews 11:16 describes).

This world will not last forever. But faith in God and His Kingdom will.

While we’re traveling through this human experience on Earth, it is my hope that though perfection and harmony will not be completely achieved until Heaven, we will learn to be kind to each other. Everyone is fighting some sort of battle. Words have the power to destroy but they also have the power to heal. Will you join me in creating a space where words can help heal the hurting hearts of humankind?

Sincerely with love,

Alexis A. Goring, MFA
Founder of “On My Heart” (blog)
https://coveringitall.blogspot.com

Merry Christmas 2019: An e-card for you! :)

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” ~Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)

Earlier this year, it made me so mad when someone told me in the midst of my emotional pain, “I know it hurts but let us fix our eyes on Jesus (Christ).”

I disregarded her advice until tonight when I looked at what I’ve been overlooking for months—a Bible verse that I keep taped onto the screen of my computer. The verse is found in Isaiah 26:3 and it reads, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.”

So, what does that mean?

It means that no matter how much hate and injustice this world hurls at the oppressed, we must focus on Jesus and keep a heavenly perspective because when you look at the bigger picture, you realize that everything we go through on this earth is temporary and will not last forever. Read 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (MSG): “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”

It’s so important to believe and remember that Earth is not our home. If you believe in what God’s Holy Bible says about our life and eternity, you know that the troubles of this world are temporary; Jesus WILL return to take His faithful followers home to heaven and He’ll console us for what we went through on Earth (Revelation 21:4) and we’ll spend eternity with Him. It’s going to be beautiful, ya’ll. So hang in there!

Meanwhile, what are we to do while still experiencing life on Earth? Are we just to sweep injustice under the proverbial rug and carry on as if it doesn't matter? No! The Bible doesn’t say to condone or agree with injustice. The Bible says: “This is God’s Message: Attend to matters of justice. Set things right between people. Rescue victims from their exploiters. Don’t take advantage of the homeless, the orphans, the widows. Stop the murdering!” ~Jeremiah 22:2-3 (MSG)

God requires ALL of us to “do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8, KJV). He even advises people who have servants who society would says are beneath them. In Ephesians 6:9, God says, “Masters, it’s the same with you. No abuse, please, and no threats. You and your servants are both under the same Master in heaven. He makes no distinction between you and them.”

So in the midst of depression, oppression and injustice and all the emotional trauma it causes, I’ve realized that the best way to survive it (in addition to speaking out against it and finding good way to promote peace and harmony) is to as that prayer warrior I know said, “Fix our eyes on Jesus.”

Is it easy? No! 

But, Is it worth it? Yes!

So does fixing our eyes on Jesus mean that we are supposed to accept injustice and tolerate abuse? No! God doesn’t call us to be silent as we fix our eyes on Jesus. He calls us to live peacefully with everyone and renounce injustice! We are to defend the defenseless, be a voice to the voiceless and be a light for Jesus Christ in this world.

Perhaps the best approach to eradicating injustice and healing hearts is found in the words of the great Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” We are to love one another like God loves us.

I want to be a light for Jesus Christ and drive out darkness. I want to drive out hate with love. I hope and pray that this blog post touches your heart and that you’ll be inspired to drive out darkness with light; drive out hate with love.

God bless you!

Sincerely,

Alexis

P.S._ Here are two songs by Christian musician Scott Krippayne that aligned with my message to you in this post: “Every Single Tear” and “The Best is Yet to Come.”

Seeking God in Times of Need

It's so incredibly important in times like these to remember WHO God is (He is the Great I AM) and HOW He can help us.

God looks upon His children (you, me, ALL of humankind) with compassion and He's very involved with human affairs in this world.

A pastor once said, "When you can't trace God's Hand, trust His Heart." So even when in troubled times, you cannot sense God's presence, it does NOT mean that He's not there or that He doesn't care!

Quite the contrary. The truth of the matter is that HE is HERE, with US and He cares ALL about everything that affects our lives here on Earth.

The Bible says that He will supply ALL our needs and that we are to come BOLDLY before the throne of God to ask for help in our time of need. Read Hebrews 4:16.

So won't you join with me in going to God in prayer, seeking His wisdom and solutions for these tough times concerning race relations in America and the ill treatment of people around the world?

Merry Christmas!