Integrity Bible Church to Present “A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER”

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Integrity Bible Church (IBC) Children’s Church Ministry will present “A Christmas to Remember” on Sunday, Dec. 21, in the sanctuary at 216 Roebuck Dr., in Birmingham. The event will be held during the 11 a.m. worship service. This Christmas pageant will feature a skit, music, praise dances and more. The event is free and open to the public. For more details, or for directions to IBC, visit the website at www.integritybiblechurch.org.

San Diego author and motivational speaker, Burdella “Carmen” Turner is pleased to announce her new book, “I Don’t Have to Look Like What I’ve Been Through.”

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (BlackNews.com) — Ms. Turner plans to inspire people experiencing trauma and pain to turn around their approach to living life: from fear to engagement; from denial to acceptance; from self-loathing to self-appreciation, hope, love, and peace to self, and others within their environments through the power of poetry and workshops.
Carmen Turner, a native of St. Louis, Mo., has lived a life of abuse, rape, homelessness and teenage pregnancy. Writing for the last 15 years, and doing motivational speaking for the last nine years at the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation centers has dramatically transformed her life. Ms. Turner receives standing ovations and thunderous applause after each speech.
When Carmen is not busy writing or volunteering, she enjoys walks on the beach, spending time with her two sons, friends and reading.
Always a loving and positive person dedicated to helping others, Carmen is determined to share her story with other people through streams of powerful poetry: “A Mother’s Love, “The Breaker of The Storms, and her new book “I Don’t Have to Look Like What I’ve Been Through.” A dynamic and engaging speaker, Carmen’s sincerity mixed with her down-to-earth approach comes together in this book.
BOOK INFORMATION:
I Don’t Have to Look Like What I’ve Been Through
by Burdella “Carmen” Turner
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 978-1462058921 | BooksAMillion.com | Amazon.com | BarnesandNobles.com
Pages: 80
Genre: Self-Help

Paradox of Wisdom
A little girl asked her mother, ‘How did the human race appear?’ The mother answered, ‘God made Adam and Eve and they had children and that’s how people were created.’ Two days later the girl asked her father. The father answered, ‘Many years ago there were monkeys, from which the human race evolved.’ The confused girl returned to her mother and said, ‘Mom, you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said we developed from monkeys?’ The mother answered, ‘Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you my side of the family and your father
told you his.”
Even in our own family, life can be presented in a contradictory way. But in life we should always seek peace and harmony and that brings the wisdom God requires when we do two things: One, move beyond our head to our heart and two, change when we hear the truth.
When we move from our head to our hearts it allows the sword of Christ, truth of God, to change us into who God wants us to be and we move beyond the paradoxes of life. This sword is the paradox and the truth is life everlasting.

REDLANDS, Calif. BlackNews.com) — Lost Page Publishing announces the release of their latest literary offering, Grace, by author Shashana Page.
Shashana captured the attention of both Contemporary and Christian Fiction readers with her award winning, inspiring debut novel, Intuition. Utilizing her gift of writing, she established a unique, nontraditional, and creative style of her own. Two years following her debut, Shashana introduces you to the highly anticipated, compelling sequel…Grace!
The captivating and inspiring novel, Intuition, left you yearning for more! The moment Momma Faye’’s descendants arrive at a point of resolution, breathtaking twists and turns continue. A family held together by hope, faith, and love, in the midst of adversity, deception, and affliction, are forced to face the consequences of ignoring their inner voice.
What extreme measures will Amir take to gain Aniiyah’’s unwarranted attention, and who will he use to help make his point clear? Has Roman done enough to end all ties, or will Neissah accept his unexpected collect call, ‘In the Name of Love?’ Does Mauricio have the tenacity to walk away from Uncle Javier’’s attempts to allure him back into the game? Or, will he succumb to the relentless demands of the ‘Establishment?’ How will Raeyah handle adversity when it hits home and, literally, stands at her doorstep? Can Momma Faye hold the family together in the midst of her own affliction? The worst is yet to come….
Momma Faye always said, “The answer lies within! God gave you the innate discernment of good, bad, right, and wrong. Whether, or not, you choose to listen, ultimately determines your destiny or fate.” However, when you fail to follow your Intuition, and fall short of the glory of God; His unmerited, unconditional, and unwavering favor will see you through… Grace!
Both Grace and Intuition are available at www.LostPagePublishing.com/books as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble online stores.

by Jerry Kingery

Gabriel Sent to Mary

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

from Luke 1

For a free Scripture packet, please write From the Bible, BIBLE FOUNDATION, PO Box 908, Newberg, Oregon  97132. email: bf@bf.org.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-8

Do you remember the song whose chorus was “I’m so excited, that I just can’t hide it. I’m about to lose control and I think I like it”?  What if we heard that song playing on the radio and it went “I’m so excited, that I just can’t hide it, I’m in love with Jesus and I”m so excited”?  I have had several conversations with people lately and find it strange that people aren’t so eager to make that statement. Many places prohibit the mention of religion and prayer. Therefore, we (Christians) don’t do it out of fear of the consequences.
What if your job said you could never mention your spouse because it might offend single people, you could not mention your children because it might offend the childless, you could not talk about your family because it might disturb those that don’t have family and you could not talk about your friends because not everyone has them? It would really be difficult for you not to do any of those things because they are your life and everything you do involves them. Before long you would be unemployed due to your inability to have a conversation without mentioning them or you would quit because you, yourself, felt offended not to be able to mention the most important people in your life. The nerve of them to think you could live without ever mentioning your loved ones.
Well, what about Jesus. Isn’t He special enough for you to feel offended that you can’t talk about Him, isn’t He important enough that He would come up in all of your conversations, isn’t He closer than a friend (because your friends won’t die for you), isn’t He a spouse to the spouseless, a father to the fatherless, family to the disconnected, comfort to the childless and isn’t He worth introducing to those you meet that don’t know Him. I believe He is and the Bible says “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. Exodus 20:5
I have found peace in letting everyone know that Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to me and falling in love with Jesus is the best thing I have ever done. I find peace in telling Him that there is none like Him, He is wonderful, awesome, magnificent, mighty and so much more. I find peace in proclaiming to all I know that Jesus loves me and He has love for them too. Won’t you choose to proudly proclaim His name, His love and the gift of His salvation? Spouses, children, family and friends are wonderful to have but when you leave earth, you leave them – you will never leave Him and He will never leave you! Share Jesus with someone today.

Have an evangelical day,
Minister Deidre Bibb

SANCTIFICATION
Salvation is the first step to enter into the family of God, and this happens when you ask the Lord to forgive your sin, and come and live in your heart. If you mean what you ask the Lord, He will forgive your sin, change your heart, and give you a desire to live for Him.  Now that you belong to the Lord, the balance of your life  should consist of living a life of sanctification for the Lord. Sanctification means a life set apart or aside to be used for the Lord. [II Corinthian 6:14-18]  This Scripture teaches every Christian how to live a sanctified life unto the Lord.
The Christian life is not to be lived haphazardly, but definitely and precisely. The Lord will increase your faith and determination to live for Him. You will be encouraged to tell others about the wonderful Jesus that you know. He will increase you more and more, as you study His Word and obey the Lord’s teachings. AMEN!

www.thealmightyeyes.com

By Angela Moore

A hooded sweatshirt and Skittles. Shoplifting and swinging on a cop. Selling single cigarettes on the street. Those are the things”they say” played a part in the literal stopping of three Black men’s hearts. I won’t delve much into he say, she say or they say, but will pose the question, “Regardless of what they say, what are you going to do?”
I went to sleep the night of December 3, 2014 bombarded by a plethora of personal emotions that were ushered in by a verdict of disrespect regarding the murder of Eric Garner. I woke up this morning with those same personal emotions demanding the question of “what are you going to do?”
This morning I woke up and remembered that this is still America, flaws and all, and if anything we all know a little something about doing what needs to be done when we feel we are wronged. Say what you want, but we are a country born of survivors, who in their own unique, often twisted, unconventional and sometimes unfortunate way have learned to rise above wrong to the best of our feeble human ability. We are a country built by people who felt they were done wrong and had the guts enough to leave their home to find another home. We’re the same country who sadly kicked the native people out of their true home, and while we stole their land we couldn’t steal their legacy which they are still proudly rebuilding today. We are the America that plucked a people out of Africa and other parts of the world to build these United States, sold them into slavery, denied them of rights, stripped them of dignity and still has a leader with real African blood flowing through his Presidential veins. Oh yes, we know how to rebound from wrong… uninvited, self-inflicted or otherwise.
So I ask today, as the sun has risen on another day of new protests around the country what are you going to do? After the venting, posting, praying, commenting on who’s not doing enough, blogging, voting, complaining, pleas for peace, protests, calls for action, displays of anger, crying, playing N.W.A. or Public Enemy, lamenting, cursing the very ground you walk on, wishing you lived in Sweden, or virtually shutting down – what are you going to do?
You see, I’m not an activist in the traditional sense of the word, but I believe in taking action. In fact, I believe part of my purpose is to help bring hope and healing while others do their part to fight the good fight. I’m sort of like the “clean up woman” and I will wear that title with humility and pride. So, what are you going to do? Is violence the answer? I’m from the school of Ghandi and Dr. King believing that the answer is a resounding no. Will change happen overnight? No.Will the victory come with ease? No. But I’m convinced enough that together there is more we all can contribute toward the cause. Like what you might ask? Glad you did.
•    Mentor others. That’s what I do, each Monday for an hour with high school students. It changes my life as much as it does theirs. I want them to see successful men and women, Black and white who love them, believe in them and are there for them. Find someone in your town where you are to help.
•    Host constructive, open forum conversations about race and involve lots of races. Don’t just talk about race to people who look like you. That’s a part of the problem. There’s too much preaching to the choir and not enough coming out of comfort. Follow the footsteps of the great Foot Soldiers and make this thing really be the united front it should be.
•    If you are politically savvy, use your voice to educate those who are unaware of the facts. Write op-ed pieces, attend neighborhood meetings, talk at your barber and beauty shops. Share your knowledge and influence.
•    Join organizations who have lasted longer than the latest headlines. There is still much value in some of the organizations of old which made a difference then, and with the help of people like us can return to their place of change-causing glory. The NAACP, SCLC, Urban League, and other organizations that I need to know more about might be waiting on us to be the change they, and this country need.
•    Teach financial literacy workshops. If you know money, talk money. Money is at the heart of so much of what is happening. Privilege or the lack thereof, not having enough and fear of losing what one has has always been a cause for conflict. Share your wisdom on ways we can all live to “live the American dream.”
•    If you are legal minded, share your knowledge of the law with those who don’t know it (and those who don’t want to know it). Go back to the hood, or go there for the first time if you haven’t had the pleasure, into schools, churches, mosques, synagogues or wherever and open up your mind and mouth to educate others.
•    Give money to causes that bring about positive change.
•    Run for office and don’t abuse the power when you win.
•    Help keep stories alive. If you know you know how to use words to captivate, do so. Someone has to make sure the names and faces of the victims don’t fade as the days on the calendar do. Teach people how to be interviewed and how to represent themselves in a way that will get their point across to the masses, not become the latest meme.
•    Be slow to anger and sin not. Again, get angry. I am. But don’t let one problem end up costing you 10 years or taking you six feet under.
•    And whatever you do, do the right thing, and don’t give up hope.

Angela is an avid inspirational blogger at http://www.angelamooreblog.wordpress.com and also a philanthropic community supporter who has served with more than 25 local and national organizations over her nearly 20 year professional career. Currently, as a hobby, she operates the blossoming, full-service public relations venture Amazing Kreations, offering media and event planning assistance at low, or no cost to small organizations, ministries and businesses. She also hosts a Facebook page devoted to divorce called I’m More Than What Happened.
Taking lessons learned from each phase of her ever-evolving life, Angela’s now donning the hat of a single woman on a single mission to use spoken and written words to remind others that Life Gets Better and it’s possible to look and be their best in the process.