Merry Christmas! Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill to men! Love to you & yours from Darryl & Catrina Blount

My Grandmother's Legacy Remains

My grandmother, Rosie Mctyere, passed away three years ago today, December 21. I remember that the news of her passing shocked me. She was only 90 years old, and ever since I was a little girl, I just knew she would outlive my entire family. Grandma had been strong and independent, seemingly in need of nothing but the Lord that she loved. The last few years of her life had been plagued by illness, but still she was Grandma, the one who told us what was on her mind and made us laugh. I really miss her, but sometimes I see her in my granddaughter. My Twinkie’s mannerisms are a lot like the great-great grandmother who was gone before she got here.

I was on my way to a Christmas Banquet the day Grandma passed. I had been asked to write and read a poem at the event, but for some reason I had not written anything. After I found out my gran was gone, I wrote the poem which follows. I don’t know what one thing has to do with the other, but somehow I have always felt like Grandma gave me these words. She loved the Lord with all her heart and she loved her family. She outlived all of her siblings, and took care of every family member that needed her.  She was Grandma to her entire community in Niagara Falls, New York. My family rejoices in the knowledge that Grandma is enjoying the fellowship of the Savior she loved, and I, for one, look forward to seeing her again one day.

BORN TO DIE

I still celebrate Christmas

Not a generic holiday

Because I have to remember the reason

That we give such reverence to the season

Because the messiah was brought nigh

It was Jesus, the Savior, born to die

Imagine his virgin mother

Herself not more than a child

Chosen to incubate the one

Who men to God would reconcile

I wonder if she asked God why

Her firstborn child was born to die

Imagine his earthly father

Entrusted to raise the son of God

A child born like no other

In a place that seemed so odd

I wonder if it made him cry

To watch a child grow who was born to die

The shepherds heard heaven’s announcement

The glory of the heavenly choir

They worshiped him when they found him

Amidst a stable’s muck and mire

I wonder if the angels prophesied

This was the savior, from heaven, born to die

The magi followed the shining star

To find out the birthplace of the king afar

Bearing gifts they came with joy

To worship the heaven-sent baby boy

I wonder if they even realized

They worshiped a king, anointed and born to die

Now they don’t want to remember his name

To delete Christ the savior is the world’s chief aim

To replace him with “x” as if that is the same

And to turn those who worship him to shame

But the reason this season exists – I won’t lie

Is to remember the heaven-sent king, born to die

©2008, Catrina Johnson-Blount

Poem to be published in the upcoming collection, “Observations of a Black Girl”

Worship, wisdom, & wealth continues. Meet us at EWFC at 11:30 am, at 8240 Antoine, Suite 209, Houston, TX 77088.

Worship, wisdom, and wealth continues with a powerful message on wisdom. Meet us at EWFC at 11:30 am. Visit http://ping.fm/auk2f for the address.

No Longer Bound

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Galatians 5:1, NIV.

This verse is saying that whether or not to be entangled again is our option. I just want to encourage you not only to get free, but to STAY free! And if you are not free, then GET free! Once you get free, then STAY free! Christ came that we might be free, and once free, then free indeed. No need to be bound by sin anymore. We can walk in newness of life, released from the oppression of sin and Satan.

Today is America's day to celebrate independence from England, but it can also be your day to celebrate independence from sin!

One group sings about the day they got rid of their heavy load. Today can be your day. And once you are rid of it, why pick it up again?

Mary Kay Personal Beauty Profiler

You can get your own personal beauty profile at www.marykay.com/cblount (my website)! It would be my pleasure to minister to your beauty needs. God made us body, soul, and spirit. It is our job to maintain all of those areas for His glory.

happy!

Glory to God!

Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me: Lord, be thou my helper.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. Psalms 30:10-12 (KJV)

I just felt a release in my spirit to give glory to God for a moment. He is faithful and kind. I am thanking him for the recent opportunities that have come my way, for each of them has been a blessing and a learning experience. He is changing things for me and in me.

It is amazing to me how much information is out there for people if they just look for it. If you want to grow and expand your ministry or business, advance in your career, or just present yourself in an improved way, there is someone out there willing to show you how to do it.

Many times there is a cost involved, and that is what throws us off. But I have come to understand that we have to make wise investments in the greatest commodity we have: ourselves. On the other hand, we have to beware of wolves in sheep's clothing, whose foremost intent is to fleece people and leave them high and dry. There are a lot of them out there as well, and I thank God that I have not been taken in.

I am also giving God glory because the more I learn about what others are doing, the more I learn about myself and what I am capable of. This may come as a surprise to some, but sometimes it is hard to articulate who you are and what you can do. I hope that most of you reading this don't have that problem, but if you do, just admit it. Denial doesn't help in deliverance.

Thank God he is delivering me from the worst of all enemies: myself! The doubts and fears that I have given into over the years are slowly being replaced by the God-confidence he has always wanted us to have:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

I pray today that you, too, will give glory to God for the progress you are making. It may not be at the pace you expected; you may not be at the level to which you are aspiring; but you are making progress. Let the Lord lead you, as the old song says, "All the way from earth to Heaven." He's a mighty good leader!

What Easter Means to Me

Many years ago, I had to give a speech in Sunday School by this title. At that time, I did not know a lot about Easter, but I knew that it was a celebration of life. We used to sing about life - He rose from the dead! We were excited about Christ and all of the events surrounding the resurrection. It meant everything that the Blood had signed our names.

Of course, as kids we were also excited about candy and about dressing up in new clothes. The smaller we were, it seemed the bigger the Easter basket. My mom made Easter baskets for us until we were well into our teens.

When I was really small, I remember sitting in the kitchen, getting my hair pressed on the day before Easter. The importance of putting our best foot forward for the Lord was impressed upon us from our earliest days.

Now people have a very casual approach to God and to His presence. We come before him any way we please - and get mad if we feel He does not accept it. But back to Easter.

I am so glad that I understand the power of the Resurrection. Christ conquered death, hell, and the grave! He told His disciples that they would live because He lived (John 14:19). That promise extends all the way to us! Not only that, He promised to come back and receive his followers to Himself (John 14:2-3). The Blood did indeed sign our names - they are written in the Lamb's book of Life and will not be blotted out.

Every Easter is a reminder of the victory and the promises. I can sing with jubilation, "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow!" Whatever tomorrow brings, I know Jesus has it under control. He has conquered everything, even death - the great equalizer. What can conquer us when we are more than conquerors? Not a thing.

Gladly I will present my best for him on Resurrection Sunday - not to be the finest lady in the Easter Parade, but to represent the One who gave his very best for me. His life, laid down, and then taken up again. He rose, He rose, He rose from the dead!

God Is In Control

Listen to internet radio with EternalWordBroadcast on Blog Talk Radio

Celebrate Love

I just want to encourage you to celebrate love - regardless of your marital status. So many times when one is single, they feel annoyed at holidays, such as Valentine's Day, that seem to emphasize their singleness or exalt marriage. What many singles may not realize is that sometimes married people are not excited about Valentine's Day either. It could be that the celebration has become a farce, as two people are more like cohabitants than loving spouses. For some, it may be another day of dashed dreams and unrealized expectations.

But we should all celebrate love because God loves us universally, without regard to whether or not we are attached to another person. His love motivated Him to give us all the very best He had. John 3:16 lets us know that the gift of eternal life was motivated by the love of God. Too many times we seek fulfillment through a person, not realizing that they cannot give us what we need - they do not have the capacity to satisfy our soul.

We have got to learn to extend grace to those around us - we are all imperfect - none of us is able to completely fulfill another person. While you are making a list of how those around you have fallen short of your expectations, keep in mind someone may be making the same list concerning you! And there's nothing wrong with that. In our humanity, we cannot meet all of another person's needs.

I'm not saying that if you are married you should not attempt to meet some of your spouse's needs; that is part of our obligation. But we cannot hold ourselves in an exalted position by virtue of the fact that we are married; it does not make us superior to those who are not. And those who are single should not begrudge or envy those who are married; each circumstance has its own unique privileges and perils. There are positives and negatives on both sides of that coin.

If we are going to celebrate love, really celebrate it, we must go beyond attaching love to a marital or familial status. We have to look at the source of love - God. The Bible tells us that God is love (1 John 4:7-8), and that because we are in Him we are obligated to also love one another.

Not only that, we are called to love ourselves. If you cannot celebrate another person, if you will not be celebrating with another person, please take some time and celebrate yourself. Your value is not tied up in a ring or a ceremony that may or may not have taken place. Your value is determined by the one who created you - and unless you're a twin, you were born single, and even twins don't come out at the same time. Every individual is of great price to God (Psalm 8).

I want to encourage you to see yourself through the eyes of love-motivated sacrifice - the eyes of God, and of Jesus Christ, who displayed the greatest love of all by laying down His life on our behalf. They love you, and I do too.

Happy Valentine's Day.