October - December 2011

Inside This Issue

Family Secrets

Jehovah Jirah

Evelyn Haye

Dr. Gwendolyn Miller‟s Retirement

Stories That Inspire

Inspirational Moments

Magazine

The Message of

Ministry Andrew Jefferson Tells His

Message That Helped to Shape

His Ministry

Healing Hands

One Woman’s Act of

Kindness Creates a

Lasting Friendship

Page 2

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Dear Reader,

I read a very interesting story in First Baptist Church of Smyrna, Geor-

gia’s September/October 2011 newsletter. It was about a mother who

took her four- month-old daughter to the library only to be rudely told

to tell her child to shut up after the child had been babbling in the li-

brary. The woman responded to the man’s request with an angry, ―I

will not tell my daughter to shut up‖ preceded by, ―I am very sorry for

whatever in your life caused you to be so disturbed by a happy baby.‖

Instead of getting a response that matched her anger, the man’s re-

sponse was one of an apology coupled by tears. You see, the man had

been suppressing his anger about his own infant son’s death from over

50 years ago. What started out as a confrontation ended with openness

and sharing. The man went on to tell her his story and how he came to

be so bitter.

I don’t know anymore about the story, but I do know something about

seed planting, deliverance and breakthroughs. There is no doubt that

this encounter broke something in that man. The article went on to say

that the man eventually asked to hold the woman’s child, and he smiled

and began to show signs of relaxing, so much so until he laid his cheek

on the baby’s head. The man thanked the lady and quickly left.

You know God had to intervene in that situation because all natural

evidence indicated that situation should have escalated. The woman

even admits to bracing herself for the confrontation, but God—! Hurt-

ing people hurt other people, but loving people also love other people.

Pastor Molly had a philosophy to ―love the hell‖ out of people who are

filled with rage. It wasn’t this lady’s love for the man, but it was her

love for her child that sucked the bitterness out of that situation.

I really don’t have an explanation for how God moved in that situation,

but it is apparent that God did intervened in that situation. When you

stay open in love, it is a platform for God’s super-natural power to be

displayed. Let God do it in your life today.

Read on, and be inspired!

Jennifer M. Hudson Publisher

STAFF

Editor Sabrina Smith

Publisher Jennifer M. Hudson

Writers Chelle Davis

Evelyn Haye

JT Hud

Kevin Jackson

Tatiana Allen

Graphic Designer JT Hud

I’M Magazine

Page 3

CONTENTS

4 Sabrina's Editorial

9 HaiROX

10

Cover

4 R-E-S-P-E-C-T

6 God Can

8 Family Secrets

9 Healing Hands

10 Ministry Is My

Message

14 Poetry

16 Worship Your

Way

18 Jehovah Jireh

19 I Am Done

In the famous words of the queen of soul,

Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it

means…Authority is defined as the power to deter-

mine or otherwise settle issues or disputes, the right

to control or command. A power or right delegated

or given. A person or a body of people in whom au-

thority is vested. Usually, people in authority have

the legal power to make and enforce law.

As a child, it was embedded in me to not

only respect my parents, but to respect all of my eld-

ers, and this was my mindset long before I ever

knew that there were biblical scriptures such as Co-

lossians 3:20, which says, ―Children, obey your par-

ents in everything, for this pleases the Lord,‖ or

Exodus 20:12, ―Honor your father and your mother,

that your days may be

long in the land that

the Lord your God is

giving you.‖ It was a

given that I would do

what my mother in-

structed me to do –

without rolling the

eyes that I wanted to

continue to see out of, without debating from the

mouth that I wanted to continue to have all teeth,

and without slamming a door to the bedroom for

which she paid the rent. Although I did not always

agree with my mom or many of my elders, I recog-

nized early on that these people were in control; they

made valuable decisions that impacted my well-

being, and they all had knowledge about so many

facets of life that I was ignorant of. These people

were my authorities, and I learned that if I disre-

spected them, there was a consequence. So how is it

today that so many people disrespect authority?

As a young student of the 80s, I would have

been too afraid to backtalk my teacher, to carry on

conversations while the teacher was giving instruc-

tion, to show up late to class and then play the role

of the class-clown, and God forbid, to be lazy or

worse-case scenario, to cheat. Teachers are in au-

thority; they too are in control of the power of fa-

cilitating knowledge that our children will need,

guiding our children to be self-sufficient critical

thinkers and problem solvers, thus creating pro-

ductive citizens who make positive life decisions.

But if educators play such a valuable role, why is

there such blatant insolence in the school-house?

America, what are we teaching our young people

about respect, or better yet, the lack of?

Lastly, Representative Joe Wilson yelled

out, ―You lie‖ during Present Obama’s health care

speech. Parents and even some school officials

made sure that students did not hear the Presi-

dent’s educational ad-

dress to students. Often

referred to as Obama

instead of his title,

President Obama, he’s

been called a racist and

even referred to as a

president with anti-

American views. And

when did America get to a point where we allowed

the House Speaker to decide when the President of

the United States, the commander and chief, would

address society about the nation’s number one eco-

nomic concern, JOBS! So what happens when so-

ciety refuses to respect authority? The local embar-

rassment grows from episodes with parents and

teachers to the international embarrassment of dis-

respecting the President of the United States.

Hebrews 13:17 says ―Obey your leaders

and submit to them, for they are keeping watch

over your souls, as those who will have to give an

account. Let them do this with joy and not with

groaning, for that would be of no advantage to

you.‖ What are we really teaching our children

when they see adults overtly disrespect each other?

Page 4

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T AUTHORITY, AMERICA! (Editorial by Sabrina Smith)

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for

they are keeping watch over your souls, as those

who will have to give an account. Let them do

this with joy and not with groaning, for that

would be of no advantage to you.”

That they can go to school and be disobedient to

teachers and administrators? That they can get a

job and not follow the directives of their boss, and

equally important, that they can at any age be dis-

courteous to their elders, their parents? America,

like it or not, you cannot change who your parents

are, who your teachers are, nor can you change

who the President is. Learn to respect authority

now so that you do not pay a penalty later.

Sabrina Smith

(Editor)

Page 5

I’M Magazine

As I look back over

my life, I have a lot to

be thankful for. I was

born at Philadelphia

General Hospital in

Philadelphia, Pennsyl-

vania, to the parents of

Lester Haye and Henri-

etta (Milhouse) Haye. I

have four brothers and

two sisters and spent

my childhood in North

Philly, in a neighborhood

I later found out was

considered by most, “the ghetto”. Hey, I

didn‟t even know that I

lived in what was con-

sidered the “ghetto”

until many years later

when I attended college.

My mother often re-

minds me that our

neighborhood wasn‟t

like that when they first

moved there.

Now, I must say

that for the most part

my childhood experi-

ence was pleasant. I at-

tended George Clymer

Elementary School in

North Philly. I was very

shy throughout my ele-

mentary years. I loved

art; and I had an art

teacher who would take

extra time with me.

During the summer, she

would give me extra

crayons and paper, so I

could continue to draw

over the summer vaca-

tion.

Now, there

were some vivid experi-

ences that I will never

forget, like the time I

got into a fight because

one of the students kept

taking my crayons. One

day I got tired of her

and tried to take my

crayons back; we got

into a little fight, and I

ended up in the princi-pal‟s office. I was half

scared, and my feet

were swinging back and

forth from the bench

because I was so short

that my feet couldn‟t

touch the floor. Any-

way, the principal asked

us to apologize, and

then we were sent back

to class. Once, some

bullies chased me home;

they began to hit me

just as I reached my

steps. Boy, I was so

glad that someone was

home, and they ran

away before my brother

opened the door. I

even remember when

this boy name Eddie

would make me give

him money to keep him

from beating me up.

There were other times

when I had to be extra

careful in my neighbor-

hood because of the

gangs. Neighbors who

either did drugs, drank,

or were into the party-

life surrounded me. I

always remember one

of my neighbors, Mr.

Rainey, who always told

me to “Be Somebody”.

My parents

worked; but somehow,

there were times when

there was not enough

money to take care of all of our needs. Often,

I had to wear clothes

that were given to us.

Now, for special occa-

sions, my mother some-

how found the funds to

make sure that I was

always the prettiest girl

around. My hair was

always combed, and my

clothes were never dirty

or raggedy. There were

many times when I had

to eat government

cheese, puffed rice ce-

real with no sugar

added, peanut butter,

dry powdered milk,

powder eggs, yes, pow-

dered eggs and dry navy

beans! Through it all, I

never went hungry; my

house was always clean,

and we always had love

in our home.

Even still, God

allowed me to be con-

nected with positive

people. There was Mrs.

Nettie; that‟s what I

called her, who lived

across the street. She

was a beautiful woman

who always had some-

thing great cooking in

her kitchen. She could

bake the best sweet po-

tato pie, and her made-

from-scratch-banana

pudding was out of this

world! She would al-ways play gospel music,

and she loved going to

gospel concerts. I was

blessed because she

would take me along

with her to many of the

gospel concerts. I had

the opportunity to see

many well-known gospel

artists at a young age.

Mrs. Nettie would take

me to church with her,

too. I would walk a

couple blocks down the

street to church; I en-

joyed singing and prais-

ing God. I enjoyed go-

ing to church, and

sometimes, I would visit

three different churches

during any given Sunday.

I just had a hunger for

the Word of God.

One thing that I knew

without a doubt, and

that was that God loved

God Can Do Great Things For You! By Evelyn Haye

(Owner of Creative Expressions & Gifts)

Page 6

To Order Call: 404.667.6812

me.

I went through

junior high, and then I

attended Mastbaum Vo-

cational Technical High.

I majored in Commer-

cial/Distributed Educa-

tion since I always liked

selling things. I helped

my mother sell various

items, crystal, Tupper-

ware, etc. I even sold

candy and was the top-

seller in my class when

we sold candles as a

fundraiser. Throughout

high school, I crocheted

and made hats, scarves,

handbags, tissue covers,

ponchos and even long

and short pants. I made

my spending money by

making and selling

things.

After graduating

from high school, with-

out any prep courses, I

decided to go to col-

lege. I had planned to

be a secretary; how-

ever, a man named Mr.

John Holton, who was

the director of a day

care center encouraged

me, to go to college. I

enrolled at Northeast-

ern Christian Jr. Col-

lege, located in Villa-

nova, Pennsylvania. I

was able to attend

school with a $200

scholarship I got from

my church, work-study,

and funds from my par-

ents. I majored in Hu-man Services since I al-

ways liked helping peo-

ple; I had planned to be

a psychologist. Upon

graduating, I enrolled at

South Carolina State

College, Orangeburg,

now South Carolina

State University

(SCSU ). I majored in

Early Childhood Educa-

tion/Home Economics. I

took and passed my

teacher certification

exam during my senior

year. At the time, I did-

n‟t even know I had to

have this certificate in

order to teach. I fin-

ished school December,

1981, and received my

Bachelor Degree in May,

1982. I finished without

owing anything; I was

blessed to receive

grants; and again, I had

work-study. I received

a job in August of „82 as

an elementary school

teacher at Elloree Ele-

mentary School, in El-

loree, South Carolina. I

later went back to

school and received my

Masters of Elementary

Education, May 2003 at

SCSU; and again, I was

blessed to receive my

degree without a loan.

Over $14,000 was paid

in full!

I taught school

for 27 years at Elloree

Elementary School; I

taught preschool

through third grade.

During the beginning of

what would have been

my last year before I could officially retire

from teaching, my life

changed. It was August

during the 2009

Women‟s Conference

at Right Direction

Christian Center, Co-

lumbia, South Carolina,

that I received the mes-

sage to start my own

business, full time. I

had already applied for

and received my busi-

ness license for

“Creative Expressions &

Gifts” during the sum-

mer. Now, I have been

using my hands and gifts

even while I was teach-

ing, but on a part-time

basis. I had been doing

floral arrangements, gift

baskets, wedding favors,

and many personalized

gifts over the years.

Here it is just two

weeks into the school

year, and God had spo-

ken to me to step out in

faith to do my business

full time. The next day

I went to work and dur-

ing my break, I had a

meeting with my princi-

pal and informed her of

my plans. To make a

long story short, every-

thing worked out well.

As a matter of fact, be-

cause of my decision to

leave, it was a blessing

for two of my co-

workers as they were

shifted to different posi-

tions, which worked to

their favor. You never

know whom you will

end up blessing when

you are obedient to God!

The very day I

left my former job, as I

was on my way home, I

stopped by a friend‟s

house, and I began to

tell her about what God

told me to do. She was

so excited and encour-

aging; she began to give

me supplies and equip-

ment to use in my busi-

ness. I needed a color

laser printer for some

print work I had

planned to do; to my

amazement, she gave

me a color laser printer

without even knowing

that I needed one!

Now, that‟s how God

works! I left her house

with my car full from

the front to the back.

As I continued to do as

God led me, I was able

to remodel my garage

and begin my business.

I couldn‟t believe that

in less than six months, I

was completely debt

free! I‟d paid off my

mortgage, and my van

was paid off! This was

the first time in my life

that I experienced what

it felt like to be debt

free! I have always been

a tither and give my of-

ferings with joy. Yes,

sometimes, things were

tight, but I have learned

that if you put God first

in whatever you do, He

will always take care of

you. It had been over

two years now, and

God is still blessing me

greatly. I encourage eve-ryone to let God guide

you in all that you do,

and you will always

come out on top!

Page 7

I’M Magazine

Page 8

To Order Call: 404.667.6812

Family Secrets by Reverend Kevin Jackson

We are living storybooks. The events that transpire within our lives are simply an amalgamation of stories in which our daily encoun-ters with life have been re-corded. We learn from birth the power of stories.

There are several studies that suggest that a mother is capable of strengthening the bond with her unborn child by communicating through the simple act of reading. We embody the stories that have shaped our culture and molded our families. We ven-ture to the movies to see the dramatization of stories. Talk shows, dramas, the news –even commercials are stories. Stories stir our emo-tions. Stories hold our attention. Stories help us to remember history because it is essentially a story. Dr. Edward Wimberly, scholar and au-thor in the field of Pastoral Counseling, states in his book, Recalling Our Stories: Spiritual Re-newal for Religious Caregivers, that “Our sto-ried experiences are real in the sense that they shape our lives and relationships.” As Christians, we encounter and are nourished by the biblical stories of common folks and the testimony of their relationship with God. We attend family reunions and are reminded of our family narratives because of the stories that are seemingly told over and over again. Do you know your story? This summer, I attended my father’s family reunion. This year marked the first time that we (children and grandchildren born out-of- wedlock) were allowed to attend this biennial event. Strangely enough, I would be treading in unchartered waters amongst a group of family members who were foreign. My father (while alive) never had the opportunity to attend any of his family reunions, being a child who was born out-of-wedlock. My father represents a segment within society that was treated as a “family secret;” my father represents a segment within society that did not know his story! Family secrets exist in all families. Fam-ily secrets can be both positive and negative.

Mental illnesses within a family were often guarded secrets. Our modern day understand-ing of brain pathologies has enabled families to openly seek the support they need. However, I believe that some family secrets are extremely destructive. They are rooted in a type of shame that is intended to grant a sense of privacy to the offender. My father was a family secret in that his existence was hidden. Those who did know that he was my late grandfather’s child, kept it to themselves. My father had only two chance meetings with his biological father; they never established a father-son relationship. The in-herent “secrecy” of my father’s existence robbed both his father and he of the ability to experi-ence the bond that God intended to be felt be-tween a father and a son. The bond that estab-lishes love as unselfish and teaches expectancy without perfectionism was missing from their story. Not only do our stories provide accounts of our personal experiences, but they give meaning to our self-identities and define how we live out what it means to be a family. Family secrets have the ability to remain generationally hidden for several years. How-ever, an abundance of healing is available to the keepers of the secret, as well as the person who was targeted to be the secret. But it doesn’t stop there; healing and wholeness become available to the entire family. New relationships are formed, and old relationships find healing. When family secrets are exposed, God’s provi-dential nature nourishes our stories. Even though I initially went to the family reunion with a bit of ambivalence, God changed the agenda once I arrived. We were welcomed and felt a sense of love that could have only been orchestrated by God; a new nurturing bond was created that has further united our family. Sometimes, the pain of our family secrets overshadows the desire to know the truth. Be encouraged to know your story, and trust that God will see you through this process.

Page 9

I’M Magazine

Dana Roxette’s Healing Hands By Chelle Davis

Life is beautiful. As long as we are alive, challenges will arise. GOD is always working. In Romans 8:28, it says, "And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to HIS purpose." This scripture brings to mind a young woman I met years ago named Dana Roxette. I was recov-ering from an illness when a mu-tual friend introduced Dana and me. My hair was just starting to grow back from my bouts with chemotherapy, and I was at a loss about what to do with my hair. Dana is a professional hair stylist; she told our mutual friend to tell me to come see her and she "volunteered" to take care of my "new hair." I was in awe because I didn't even know this young woman, yet she "offered" her exper-tise to me without a second thought. When I met Dana, we be-came fast friends right away. She was younger than I imagined, yet she had a maturity beyond her years. Being an only child, I expected her to be a little self-centered, but she was quite the opposite. Dana made me feel pam-pered from the moment I sat in her chair. What GOD knew and Dana didn't was that my self-esteem was low. When you go through health issues, certain things.....important things....just suffer or even disap-pear. GOD has a way of loving you in a way that NO ONE can. HE, through Dana's gift and capable hands touched my head, my heart,

and revived my ailing self-esteem all at the same time! I have seen this young woman open up herself to be GOD'S tool on countless occasions. She has helped build houses with Habitat For Humanity for the less fortunate. Dana has given her ser-vices as a stylist to a raffle to raise money for little boys playing rec-reational football. She volunteers at her church and offers her services to the homeless. She even volun-teers at my daughter's school! Dana is always working to affect the people and things around her. I have watched her evolve right be-fore my eyes. I admire the way Dana is always looking for ways to improve herself and to get involved, the way she loves to laugh and to make new friends, and just her

fearless approach to life. Her love for GOD allows her to be as fearless as she is. Dana has struggles, but I've seen her come through those struggles with a faith stronger than before. Almost 10 years later, she is STILL my hairstylist. I know without a doubt that the day I sat in Dana's chair that it was GOD's finger tips mas-saging this injured, but recovering woman's scalp, that it was GOD washing away my doubts and fears, and it was GOD as I sat un-der the dryer, drying away my tears of hurt and pain. Dana was HIS vessel. She allowed herself to be "called according to HIS purpose" that day and every time since…and for that, I AM GRATEFUL! Like Dana is a blessing to me, I pray to be a blessing to others. I am thank-ful for such a loving GOD who an-swers my call and comes when I need HIM, A GOD that loves me like only HE can. How will YOU be a blessing today?

You can find Dana at:

Dana Roxette

hairROX@manemoodz

2459 Roosevelt Highway Suite A1

College Park, GA 30349

770-823-5433

www.hairROX.com

Dana Roxette and Chelle Davis

Page 10

To Order Call: 404.667.6812

By JT Hud

When you first look at a picture or a person you may see one thing, only to find out that the artist had something

else in mind when he captured the image. In God’s case, when He makes an image, we often see one thing while

God sees something else. This is some of the story of Minister Andrew Jefferson of Daytona Beach, Florida.

Minister Andrew tells how he was viewed by others and how it contrasted with how God saw him.

his friends were very hesitant about getting into

the car. When his friends refused to get into the

car, his mom pulled off and left them standing

there. The next day at school, he was slapped

across the head by one of the boys for what hap-

pened the day before. From that point on, An-

drew would not play football anymore.

He went on to be picked on and pushed

around by others until one day he’d had enough.

He went to the book mobile at school and found a

$1.20 book on self-defense. Although he was a

little short of the amount the book cost by $0.60,

the lady in the book mobile showed him favor and

allowed him to purchase the book anyway. After

shutting himself up in his room reading and study-

ing the book, he taught himself how to fight. In

return, it helped him develop more confidence.

When he reached high school, a group of

boys, including one of the boys he had offered a

ride from football practice, got together and

formed a gang. Since the boys all lived in Pine

Haven Projects, they were called the Pine Haven

Warr Doggs. Their reputation of being tough and

undefeated quickly spread, and others from outside

of Pine Haven wanted to join them, so the gang’s

name was changed to the Warr Doggs. Andrew

began to be very popular with the young ladies.

He also met Grant Toliver through the gang, and

an unbreakable bond began.

Grant and Andrew became very close

friends; they were now adults and shared a bond

that neither of them would be able to comprehend

the dept of until now. In the 80‖s, crack cocaine

hit the streets of Daytona Beach. The Warr

Doggs’ affiliation went form gang banging to sell-

ing drugs; things were going at hyper speed. Life

was good, and everything was just fine until late

one March night in 1988. Andrew and Grant had

Children are shaped by their environment.

When they are constantly told that they are des-

tined for greatness, they believe it and most likely

do great things. To the contrary, when they are

told they are destined for failure, they most likely

will believe that and start living a life of failure

and defeat. But what happens when they are told

both? This is when confusion can set in and pave

the way for an internal struggle.

Andrew Jefferson had that battle as a

young boy growing up in Daytona Beach, Florida.

His family and he were often teased by others and

called ―space rats‖. He was often bullied and con-

sidered ugly. As a teenager, Andrew recalls,

―When a girl wanted to date me, her friends would

talk her out of it.‖ These were all damaging blows

to his self-esteem.

Fortunately for Andrew, he had an aunt

Vertie Mae Crosland, who told him he was hand-

some and always encouraged him. Andrew admits

that his parents often drank; nevertheless, he still

saw them as ―good parents‖. He says, ―They did

the best they could.‖ Having someone around like

his Aunt Vertie Mae allowed him to have some-

thing to fight with when negative thoughts would

enter his mind. For example, when others called

him ugly, he would look in the mirror and see

himself as being handsome because of the positive

words that his aunt instilled to help shape his

thoughts.

Andrew played football in junior high

school (now known as middle school). He was an

awesome receiver, and the quarterback could attest

to that. One day after football practice he offered

two of his teammates a ride home. When his

mother pulled up, the boys had a change of heart

and were afraid to get in the car. Andrew remem-

bers his mom telling him to shut the car door when

I’M Magazine

Page 11

If you have a story to tell that will inspire others, please send your story to us here at I’M Magazine. You may

send it to P.O. Box 366092, Atlanta, GA 30336, or email it to inspirational_moments_magizine@yahoo.com.

spoken earlier, and Andrew was supposed

to go by Grant’s house that evening, but he

didn’t. A young man who had come to

Grant’s house returned to buy some crack;

instead of buying the crack, he decided to

rob him at gun-point. There was a struggle

and the gun went off; one bullet was fired,

and the would-be-robber took off running.

Unbeknownst to the robber, Grant’s girl-

friend was in the house; she called for

Grant’s father who lived in the house in

front of his. When the ambulance arrived,

Grant had passed away; having drowned in

his own blood.

As you can imagine, Andrew began

to take on the blame for what happened

that night. He told himself things like, ―If

I had been there, this would not have hap-

pened.‖ The lost of a friend was weighing

heavily on Andrew’s heart, so much that

he ended up leaving Daytona Beach.

That was just where God wanted

Andrew, broken and wounded. After years

passed, Andrew had an encounter with the

Holy Spirit that would change his life

completely. The thing about receiving the

Holy Spirit through accepting Jesus Christ

as your Lord and Savior is you begin to

find out who you really are and why rela-

tionships form in your life. Shortly after

his experience with the Holy Spirit, he was

visited by Grant in a dream. God uses

something familiar to get our attention like

He did through Andrew dreaming about

Grant. Grant came to him in a dream and

told him that his death was not Andrew’s

fault; as a result, Andrew was able to re-

lease his feelings of guilt and hurt. From

that time until now, Grant comes to An-

drew in his dreams. Now, he has his

friend back in his life through his dreams.

When Grant appears in Andrew’s

dreams, he offers him guidance and direction.

Just like when Jesus spoke to the women at

the well, he started out with what she was fa-

miliar with to get her attention. She knew

that she was with a man who was not her hus-

band and had been with six other men. Jesus

used that as a starting point to get her atten-

tion. Then, He could tell her more, and so He

did with Andrew. God used Grant to get the

attention of Andrew, so now Andrew is able

to hear more from God.

Everyone who knows Andrew knows

that he does not hesitate to share his love for

Christ. As a matter of fact, he is now Minis-

ter Andrew Jefferson with a lovely wife

Monique and beautiful children. You can

find him on Facebook under the name of

Minister Andrew Jefferson. Andrew is not

afraid or ashamed to tell what God has deliv-

ered him from; his testimony about his life

shapes his ministry for Jesus Christ. He is

very transparent and free to tell anyone who

will listen about what he has gone through to

get to where he is today.

God has changed Minister Andrew

―From Gangster to Minister‖ which will be

the title of his book. God always knew that

there was greatness for the Kingdom of God

in Andrew; now, he (Andrew) knows it, too.

We all have a ministry in our message. All

you have to do is start telling it. What is your

message?

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Woman of God by Salaam Shaheed

As I looked at her and her action I went to askin’

Why would he or anyone want to hurt her

Why would he or anyone desert her When by nature she was made for him

And that’s grim in the eyes of the most beneficent creature on this earth So since he doesn’t know her worth

God gives her His wisdom of mothering nature

So His greatest creation starts to hate her Starts to debate with her pertaining to what “he” should and should not do

When God is who put the instructions in you You lookin like a fool tryin that New York or Flava of Love

It ain’t easy when you’re tryin to decree law that comes from up above

So he strikes her across the face, places her sense of value in the dirt Not knowing when a seed grows from being placed in darkness

It manifests all you have attempted to squirt She gets demanding though, pulling up that ingrained intelligence

Going to school and work with dry weave and a belly ache, it’s evident That her peers find her disgusting index fingers pointed at worn shoes and jeans

Panties got holes, bras dingy and moth balled and friends are spleened

Fellas want to use her as a late night bootie call But the good thing about that is she turns her phone off

And studies, for you taught her the ways of a little boy Straining to be a man, but done become this world toy

But she’s keen and keeps on pushin’

and sooner or later the “chic” folk start gushin’ Compliments to lil’ momma for they had been there and done that

Aids her in her elevation while you’re still with the click-clack

Sparkless you have become while she starts on her shine McDonald’s is where you eat while at Heaven’s Table is where she dines

Fine she done got, Myla, Radley, Savile Row she now rocks

Ferragamo, Manolo Blahnik is how she now stops traffic While you are still attracted to MCM and Fubu addicts

It’s a travesty that she has more than one Masters Degree And you are in your prime and still ain’t got your G.E.D.

She paid your child support fees, provided for the apartment yall once shared

And you had the audacity to think and act like she didn’t care

You should be the poster child for stupid, for believing in that lil naked cupid And not doing what God ordained for you to do, for your given love

Is now above and beyond any of your wildest expectations

Travelling to native places you cannot even pronounce, Speaking in forums where you couldn’t even be the grout in the john

You denounced her beauty and won now you’re stunned that Princes are suitors From Morocco to Djibouti , they want your X “cutie”

And when she comes home, no one thinks she’s snooty Looking so-so good her outlook on things is that of the Wisdom God gave to her

And the people find a favor in her that surpasses all the venom you’ve spewed

So until you get yourself together dude and release yourself of that heavenly facade She will be steadily moving giving thanks to you for your negative dissertation which pushed her to be that Woman

of God

Page 15

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During these tough economic times, most people are

complaining about how tough it is to make ends

meet. They are wondering exactly how they will

make it over the hump. Gas prices are at an all-time

high; the bottom has fallen out of the housing mar-

ket. People everywhere are losing their jobs. All that

I hear is recession, recession, recession! I am in

agreement that things do look badly; the operative

word is "look." What you physically see does look

horrific. The same thing happened in the days of

Elijah; there was an extreme famine in the land as

well. The sky was shut up for three -and- half- years.

In the midst of that famine, the Lord provided for a

widow woman in Zarephath, in the region of Sidon.

All throughout the Word of God, it speaks of fam-

ines in the land. The Word of God tells us that there

is nothing new under the sun. With that being said,

"famines" were thousands of years ago, and we are

in a modern day famine. God knew that this would

be; the Lord knows the beginning from the ending

and the ending from the beginning. NOTHING sur-

prises the Lord. He is sovereign; nothing catches

Him off guard. The Lord promised that the steps of a

good man are ordered by the Lord. That means ALL

steps. He uses our horrible situations as well as our

wonderful ones. They are all ordered, and He will

make all things beautiful in His time. What point

am I trying to make? I am so glad that you

asked! Everywhere I turn I am hearing people mur-

muring and complaining. I am not talking about non-

believers either; I am talking about blood bought

believers who know the Lord! I expect people that

don't believe like we do to behave like that. They

don't have the hope like we do; therefore, what else

is left to do but complain? We are not to act as those

who have no hope. The old folks used to sing a song,

"Our hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood

and righteousness." That has not changed. He is the

same yesterday, today and forever. Christians are

"recession proofed." That is only when they put their

faith in action and believe.

The children of Israel walked around in the wilder-

ness for 40 years when it should have only taken

them 11 days. Then on top of that, the Lord waited

for the older population of mu rmurers to die before

allowing the younger generation to enter into their

promised land. What was the cause for the delay?

Their mouths. Murmuring and complaining talked

them right out of their blessings, out of their inheri-

tance! They lost the victory because of not control-

ling their mouths. God hates complaining because it

shows Him that you have no faith. Without faith, it

is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. When you murmur,

you are verbalizing to the Lord that He does not

want or chooses not to help you and that you are in

whatever mess you are in by yourself. Even though

the word says, "He will never leave you nor forsake

you." Matthew 7:11 states, "If you are being evil,

know how to give good gifts to your children, how

much more will your heavenly father give good gifts

to those that ask." He chooses and desires to help us,

desiring us to prosper. He wishes above all things

that we prosper, be in health even as our soul pros-

pers. I am giving you a lot of word because I want

you to truly see that He cares, and He wants you to

not only have the things that you need, but the things

that you want as well. Let me add in keeping with

Worship Your Way Through The Wilderness

By Overseer Sheila R. Smith

His word, that is. Philippians 4:19 says, "The Lord

shall supply all my needs according to His riches

in glory." It is the Father's desire to give us the

Kingdom and a l l tha t i s i n i t .

What's needed now is the key. What is the way we

would bring this down from heaven to earth and to

lay hold of the things that the Lord has promised

us in His word? What is the method to unlock the

treasures in the secret places? How can we tangi-

bly have the manifestation of miracles in our lives?

WORSHIP. Worship ceases the plans of the aven-

ger and literally stops him in his tracks. He cannot

dwell where there is true worship. You want the

presence of the Lord to rest and abide (inhabit/

dwell) in your life. Practicing His presence is vital

in your walk with the Father. We were created for

w o r s h i p !

Exodus 8:1 says, "Then the Lord said to Moses

"Let my people go so that they may worship Me."

The Lord wanted them to be free to be able to wor-

ship Him. We as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ

are free, no more chains holding us. Just like the

children of Israel, we were also set free so that we

can worship Him as well. Worship brings healing

in every area of our lives. When you stay in a con-

stant state of worship, the healing will begin. The

dark, secret wounded places in our soul will be

healed once and for all in worship. The glory of

the Lord is another by-product of worshiping the

King of kings and Lord of lords. There are so

many natural and spiritual benefits in worship, so I

will briefly mention one. In the worst times in my

life, whether it was a job loss, not having enough

money for food, mortgage, even gas in my car, I

would stop to remind God of His word. The Lord

told us to put him in remembrance of His word so

that is what I would do. What I would then do is

lift my hands and worship the Lord in advance!

The Lord's credit is good with me. He said He

would do it! That thing that I prayed for was a

promise that the Lord Himself said I could have in

His word; therefore, I believe the Lord! I know

that He will do what he said He will do. How can I

be so confident that he will do it? Intimacy. Wor-

ship is intimacy. When you maintain your worship

experience with the Father and His Son, you will

know them. The Greek word for know is

"Gnosko," a deeper level of knowing/intimacy.

When I worship, I am doing it just because of who

they are to me, not because I need anything. It is

my gift to Him because He first loved me.

Being a parent, when your children ask for things

we want to give them the world. The Heavenly

Father wants to do that, too. Just like natural par-

ents, most have rules that need to be followed,

chores for instance. When the chores are done, the

child then gets rewarded. We cannot expect to

think that we cannot give God what He desires and

still get the things we want; that is simply not fair.

As a mother, I blessed the obedient children for

doing what they were supposed to do. I gave an

extra special treat for the one that was not only

obedient, but gave me what I wanted. The Lord

desires our worship and for it to be done in Spirit

and in truth. Once you start, it will be very addic-

tive; but whatever you do,...start today. It doesn't

matter where you are, what you’re doing. Simply

reflect on something that the Lord has previously

done for you, how He got you out or how He got

you over. How He came through for you when no

one else could. He was right on time! Then pro-

ceed to Worship! For the person who says, "The

Lord hasn't done anything for me in a long time; I

don't feel the need or desire to worship." I would

then have to ask, "What have YOU done for Him

lately?" I can tell you what He did for you. You

were awakened by Him this morning. He has even

made it so that you have the comprehension to be

able to understand what you are reading right now.

Page 17

Those two things are enough to shout about; that

alone is reason to worship the Lord. Lastly,

"Worship is the currency of Heaven" just as money

is the currency in the earth. The bible says to render

unto Caesar, that which is Caesar, give to God what

belongs to God. Mark 12:17, ―Give the Lord what

is due Him, and THEN you will worship your way

out of any and all negative situations in your life.‖

Apostle Sheila R. Smith is the Overseer of

Word of Hope International Fellowship.

www.wordofhopefellowship.info

The Day I Met

ehovah ireh

By Tatiana Allen

I was blessed to meet Jehovah Jireh; The Lord who provides (Genesis 22:11-14) when I was a young mother of three small babies. I will never forget I needed some diapers for my smallest baby at the time. Ten years ago, the least expen-sive box of diapers was about $10.00 . This particular day I only had $7.00 and set out walking to the store with tears in my eyes, knowing I didn’t have enough money to buy the diapers. Every step I took toward the store, my natural mind was telling me to go back home, while my spirit was telling me to keep going. I just believed somehow the Lord was going to provide. Every step I took toward the store, I quoted every scripture that I could think of con-cerning His provision for me. As I walked down the baby aisle, I searched and sure enough everything was $10.00 and over. As I kept looking toward the bottom of the shelf, I just happened to see a box that had been taped up. I picked up the box, and it was marked $6.00!!! I just broke down crying!! That day I knew that the Lord cared for my per-sonal needs and heard my cry.

Page 18

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Page 19

I’M Magazine

It is not very often that you have a boss who ap-

proaches things from a humanistic perspective. Dr. Gwendo-

lyn Miller, known as ―Doc‖ to some of her staff members, was

just that kind of boss. She retired as principal of Bethune Ele-

mentary School in College park, Georgia this past June. She

ruled with such authority, yet she maintained a nurturing envi-

ronment. Dr. Miller was very impressive as a principal; you

see she knew almost every one of the several hundreds of stu-

dents by name. Throughout her tenure at Bethune Elementary,

she remained level headed and consistent.

Some staff members often misunderstood her compas-

sion and sometimes accused her of playing favorites until they

found themselves in an unfavorable situation. Then, they were

able to truly experience her compassion for themselves. Dr.

Miller always took the time to listen to every situation, and she

always allowed each party involved to be heard. No matter

what the battle or how intense the fight, she would walk away

with a resolution. Often, she would end a dispute by saying,

―And I am done with that!‖ And done she was. She was able

to put that situation behind her without any malice in her heart

and press forward. She set a great example for the staff, stu-

dents and community.

Dr. Miller had a vested interest in her school. There

was not a fundraiser, Field Day or school function that she was

not present for unless there were two events going on at the

same time. Even at that time, she would do all she could do to

be in two places at the same time.

She never had to worry about what was taking place

in the classrooms because she walked the halls and sat in every

classroom day after day. She was able to give first hand ac-

counts of the day to day operation of the school. If there was a

child who could not afford something from field trips to an icy,

she would go into her own pocket and cover the cost. When

the school adopted a uniform policy and some parents were

having trouble getting the uniforms, she went out and pur-

chased uniforms from a store going out of business and made

them available to the students.

That is why when she announced near the end of the

2010-2011 school year that she was retiring when the school

year ended, everyone scurried to put together a celebration.

Everyone wanted to put on a celebration fit for a queen, but Dr.

Miller would not have it. She’s a modest women from small

town Montezuma, Georgia and would only agree to a modest

celebration. So the students showed their love and adoration

with a personalized celebration at the school, and the staff sent

her off with a retirement dinner where she was the center of

attention. It was not over the top, yet it was a memorable

event.

I believe Dr. Miller felt the love from the Bethune

family, and she will treasure the time she has spent at Bethune

Elementary. She has entered into retirement, but her legacy

lives on in every heart that she has touched. She is responsible

for birthing and nurturing some of the most talented and gifted

educators there are. The impact that she has made on others

will live on for generations.

Dr. Miller, enjoy your retirement. May the rest of

your life be some of the greatest years of your life. As for be-

ing the principal at Bethune Elementary School,…

SHE IS DONE WITH THAT!

And I Am Done With That! By JT Hud

404.667.6812

E-mail:

inspirational_moments_magizine@yahoo.com

P.O. Box 366092

Atlanta, GA 30336

I’M MAGAZINE