I know, I know it’s been a while.! A long while since I’ve written. Maybe you could post in the comments if you see this. A lot has happened since I last posted including my founding of a 501(c) (3) faith best nonprofit, Strengthening the Black Village (SBV).
Our WEBSITE is also on the way. Who knows, about time you see this post, it may already be up and running! Show us and me some love!
September is here! Wow! Our next parenting cohort starts the day after my birthday, so on September 19!! 🙌🏽
I love building these communities, relationships, and villages to care for our children and their parents. In our courses, we receive inspiration from African, biblical, and other cultural Proverbs, learn about different discipline methods, explore child development theories, provide support and love to one another, and so much more. We have and will continue to serve fathers, mothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, as well as mentors and other child caretakers.
We seek to preserve, strengthen, nurture and empower families and villages of care in all stages of healthy life, from dysfunctional to loving and warm and supportive. The population closest to my heart in which we seek to prioritize are those families system impacted, and court-mandated to take parenting classes. There’s no need to wait to get to that point, though.
On the flyer below, there is a QR code to register and a QR code to donate if you wish to support our nonprofit. The classes are free with, as I said, donations and contributions welcome. Thank you!
Lord, be with us! Send those to us who need us and who need you.
Scan the QR code or share it, please, to register or have those you care for register for our culturally sensitive, emotionally enriching, spiritually fulfilling and all-around magnificent course in #EffectiveBlackParenting You can also click HEREf to register.
, taking the classes, referring the courses to others, or participating in our father mentorship program as either Mentor or mentee once we get that off the ground. We love you and look forward to building a more robust village alongside you. God bless you! Stay tuned for more to come.
Oh! In closing, to put a face or two to what we are doing, I’ve included a picture of myself and my son at a recent community vendor event hosted in South LA to promote community and small business.
I am thankful. While I have my struggles with these shelter at home orders, I realize I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with, good to know, and get to teach and encourage my 12-year-old son. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend so much time with my husband. I am thankful for the spirit of resilience and for my health. Remember that the best way to deal with these stressful situations is to control what you can and contribute where you were able to the welfare of yourself and others. Here, I am taking my own advice because Isee myself as a resource queen!
My son on his laptop
And, I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you some of my favorite resources for Aeducating and motivating children be at my own son or children and youth served by the churches I have ministered with. I hope these are of service to you or those you know and love.
K-12+ Resources
Youth and children resources are abundant, and if you have some, I welcome you to share. This is what we use a lot. They are apps and websites. #KeepYourHeadUp #Resources
This one is why I put K-12+. My I love using this app probably more than my son does even. You can learn French, Spanish, Portuguese in almost any other language I can think of. my son mostly works on French, and I’ve worked on Spanish, French and Italian. Mostly, I’ve been building my skills for years in Spanish with this app.
This is a great math games with levels to attain and characters they can purchase. I think my son has gotten about as high as the game currently allows, so we’re still waiting for some new developments. It’s a great site for learning math and having fun.
Here you can create an account and create classrooms if you have one child or tons of children. You can assign the articles and the questions that go along with them. The articles are on all sorts of subjects and are geared toward age groups that you select. Have fun! Let’s teach our children about science, developments in the medical field, space travel and so much more. I love this.
Current events including the current coronavirus latest news are here. The stories are customized based on age level. My son uses this in school and we’ve continued using it at home. Just this week, we’ve learned about penguins in the aquarium in Chicago which was forced to close, and Jean therapy, which could help those who have genetic blindness receive their vision.
Pretty self-explanatory, but if you and your children wish to increase typing accuracy and speed, where else would you go beside a place called typing.com?
This app has games designed to help sharpen focus and increase brain function. If you have a preteen or a team, I know you are invested in helping them increase their focus! LOL! If I hear I didn’t know where I didn’t remember one more time…
Another one the teachers use and encourage us to use at home to supplement our children’s education. Science, math, language arts, social studies, it’s all here!
We all have Library-‘s in our counties, of course! My son still loves physical books although we have Audible and Kindle and all the other digital formats. It’s interesting and will continue to be interesting to see how the library’s answer this current challenge. I pray for our library’s in librarians as keeping brick and mortar library is open was probably already a challenge.
It’s Me!
My prayer is that each parent and guardian take this opportunity to learn with and learn from their student. Children are blessings from God and even when they are at their most challenging, they encourage us to be at our best. I hope these resources help you enjoy your time just a little bit more. I’d love to hear any of your stories in the comments. enjoy the journey. You are not ever alone.
I confess you as my Lord and Savior, and yet I continue to worry as if you were not. That anxiety continues to be a thorn in my side. I cannot deal with life, this ministry, this parenting thing without you. I know that you are with me; I am not alone. I am struggling to feel worthy, equipped and valued. This shows a lack of faith, because you said I have been created in your image and beloved and I feel like in a real way I reject this assurance. For all my sin, I repent.
Thanksgiving
Thank you for your patience, wisdom and grace.
Thank you for my family and friends.
Thank you for women’s Bible Study and wise women to learn from and grow wit.
Thank you for everyone reading this blog.
Thank you for the gift of languages.
Supplication
Please forgive me and continue to mold me into who I am called to be. Please give us the victory as we, in small and large ways, fight for justice, love mercy and to serve with you and all of your children with compassion And grace. For this walk to the cross and beyond, I need an extra dose of your Spirit. And now, please grant a peaceful, restful and Rejuvenating night. May all of the workers of your field wake up in the morning ready and excited for the day ahead. Please grant us your energy and your light so that we can shine for you. In Jesus name I pray, amen!
I wonder if I didn’t say anything, would you notice I didn’t post yesterday! Mostly, because my son was out of school, it just slipped my mind that it was even Monday. Still, I got plenty of work done including my worship plan for Sunday, and had dinner with my brother-in-law, who is in from San Franciscot, and the rest of the in-laws. Tacos is always a family favorite though noone makes them quite like Marlon, ask my son! I hope you are all having a great week thus far.
I have to get back to writing these budgets and getting ready for Sunday, but I need it to get to my outlet, which is writing for fun. So, let me talk about a couple of books I am or have read, and influence me.
Festive In Death, by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)
Amazon
Lieutenant eve Dallas is a homicide Lieutenant! She is a victim/survivor of the foster care system around 30 years from now give or take. I don’t want to give away too much of a story in case I’ve wet your intereste, and you’re going to go read this 50 books series! Of course, this is fiction, which allows her to be a super superhero. Nevertheless, she overcomes horrific trauma to become an amazingly dedicated public servant. I can empathize, which is why I identify so much with her and love the series. I, too, grew up in foster care, and it was definitely ugly. I find this example to be both intimidating and inspiring. I can’t figure out if it helps me get to work or if it makes me feel like I’m completely not doing anything. Perhaps both. Still, I’ve read this series over and over again.
I like this book in the series particularly, because it forces Eve to have more balance then she tends to and it forces her to celebrate the holidays, which she would pretty much just let fall by the wayside if it were up to her, or so she’d have us believe. She’s a hard ass, but not brittle. Remember my post of Saturday? If we don’t take a rest, it increases The chances of our being brittle and broken… Well, good thing she has people to give her that same message, because she definitely needs it. My guess is most do; especially if, like me, you’re a Perfectionist/Type A personality.
As Eve gives thanks for Rourke, her husband, I give thanks for Marlon, mine. True LOVE definitely makes a difference and when we find it, we have to hold on tightly especially through treacherous and torturous storms. She is irreverent, belittles even the idea of faith in God and cusses entirely too much… She is imperfect. She lives every day of her life fighting for justice and she definitely knows her WHY. I want that confidence and won’t stop until I have it. Lord, I won’t let you go until and unless you bless me (Genesis 32:26j.
Pinterest images for Genesis 32:26
Eat That Frog, by Brian Tracy
Eat That Frog Cover
Perhaps it was the image of eating a disgusting frog that first got my attention! I love this book and have quoted from it quite a few times on Facebook and Instagram. When I suffer from anxiety, I list everything I need to do and that leads to inactivity, because then I get overwhelmed and anxious and I start to feel so small! It is a vicious and sometimes seemingly endless cycle. Can I get an Amen!
I was just talking to my husband about the fact that I don’t want to take the bus to the gym, work out, then either walk back from or take the bus back from the gym because it takes too long. I realized though that of course I spend so much time worrying about it and worrying about what I have to do that the time I think I’m saving, I’m wasting anyway! During that time, I’m beating myself up for what I’m not doing, and doing things that don’t necessarily need to be prioritized or… So, I have to remind myself daily and multiple times daily to eat that frog.
Which one? Bryan tells us the biggest one, but when everything is vital and urgent, that can’t be that easy to figure out all the time either. So, I am working on it.
This quote from Mark Twain inspired the title
What do you think? How do you get unstuck?
Finally, I have been titled Sunday’s sermon Indulge Yourself.
Bible greeting card for Joel 2:12-13
My sermon will actually be on Isaiah 55:1-9, so this is the background text for a series. Lent is a time to unclutter our lives, clean out the junk and mess and return full heartedly to following Christ. Repentance is not a happy emotion in the way we are used to thinking of it, but in repenting, we enter the abundant life. We are invited to indulge in water and bread from heaven, and unlike physical water and bread, when we partake of these, we never hunger or thirst again. I love this promise and I’m comfortable walking and sitting in the reality of the almost and not yet partial for filament of this promise. As long as I am here on earth, I will hunger and thirst again physically and spiritually. I don’t walk perfectly with Christ all the time and sometimes I feel abandoned. Even knowing that I may be doing things to block my blessings does not lessen the anguish of these moments. So , I cry come Holy Spirit, come!
Let Us Pray
God, thank you so much for sending your son to be born and live amongst us, to die and fight for us and to rise up again that we might have eternal life. Thank you Holy Spirit that you continue to walk with us and sit with us and live with us so that we may have the wisdom, courage and compassion of Christ in the world. Thank you that you continue to help us walk in the way of Christ. Jesus, we love you and we praise you. We give you all the honor and glory. Thank you for your sacrifice and for your perfect example. We are not worthy in our own power, and yet, we continue to try and to be our best, because that is what you ask of us. Amen!
Fight for it Friday! This one, I love, because it is important for me to keep up a fighting spirit. Sometimes, we all get tired of fighting! We get tired of having to point out which should be obvious: that everyone deserves to live without fear; to have access to food and water; be able to earn a living wage, especially if they’ve earned a Master’s Degree in their field; have access to education; to not fear being shot by the police as they’re walking down the street, because of the color of their skin and/or their gender…and the list goes on. Justice is something so many of us have to fight for: for ourselves and for others. So fight for it Friday always reminds me to keep going!
St. Vincent de Paul
But what can we do? One thing everyone can always do is pray. So many times those prayers open the door to action. Because I love acronyms and the use of this device is helpful for children as well, , I enjoy teaching my students the ACTS prayer.
Let us pray.
Living God, Mighty Savior, Spirit who indwells, I love you!
You are my all and all, and yet, I have failed to live as I ought!I am weak. I gossip about people and used foul language. I lose my temper however I attempt to control my tongue. Fear gets in my way, which proves my faith is not as strong as I wish it were.I need your strength, wisdom and grace. I confess all this and more.
I thank you, Lord, that you know my prayers even before I do. I thank you that you are working on my heart and disposition. I thank you for my family and for my new candidacy Mentor. I thank you for the young people in ministry workshop that is going on tomorrow. Since I know what it is to be hungry, thirsty and without clothing or a home, I thank you that I have all of these (even as the lack of rent control and the reality of rent increase threatens ) and so many other blessings. Thank you! You have blessed me abundantly.
Oh Lord, open our hearts to see the people around us as we journey with you to the cross. Help us persist and prevail. Help us see the value in the work we do for you and others every day. Please continue to provide the food and water, the shelter and spiritual care we need to survive. I pray tonight for those who live without rent control and in fear of losing their residences. I pray for those tonight fighting drug addiction and violence/impulse control and those who love them. Protect women, children and even men at the mercy ofthose without compassion. I ask that you give us the courage, knowledge, skills and heart to fight tonight to fight our demons and to stand along side of those who are fighting others. We need you and we need each other tonight tomorrow and forever. In Jesus precious name by the power of the Holy Spirit and giving all glory to God, I pray, AhMen.
Greetings of peace and joy! Yesterday (Monday, March 11), I wrote about all of the blessings in my life. Well, a lot of them! I reflected largely on Philippians 4:8 and took that opportunity to list things in my life that are beautiful and lovely and just and right. I tried to beat midnight, but didn’t quite succeed since I was trying to reach my step goal amongst other things. I know! I know! I like to save these blogs for night time, because I am a night owl and because it allows me to reflect on the day, but that means the occasional missing of deadlines. Still, this isn’t a class and I’m sure you’ll indulge me.
I’m continuing to count my blessings and today I am reflecting upon Phillipians 4:9, which is, of course, the image I left yesterday’s post wit. I want to sit in for a while.
Whatever You Have Learned
I am a teacher, a mother and a disciple of Christ. In all of these roles, I hope to leave a lasting and positive legacy. As the mother of an 11-year-old, I know, for example, it is so easy for our children to imitate our speech and behavior; especially those we’d rather they didn’t. There is no greater joy and pleasure than when I ask my son to pray and he recited a Bible verse or when praying spontaneously prays l for someone who is suffering, because he has seen his mother and his father do so. But those are the kind of examples we want to leave for our students and children. So, whatever others learn from us that is good, worthy, just in Christ centered, let them do those things. As we journey to the cross, people are learning from us. We are the face in the hands and feet of Christ to billions who don’t know him. That is humbling and honoring at the same time.
Whatever You Have Recieved
See, we don’t really know how people see us and what they receive from us. Sometimes, they tell us or we know, but often we don’t. I have to focus on not letting this raise my level of being Zaidi trusting that this song is I do my best and rely on God, God controls what I put out and what is actually received. My prayer is that people receive encouragement, hope, inspiration and a spirit of determination from me. I hope that my love for Jesus is contagious and I leave that behind it as part of my legacy. Of course, most people close to me received plenty of hugs, kisses and jokes along the way, at least when I’m in a good mood! Whatever you receive from me that is good and godly, receive it with joy and pass it on!
Whatever You Have Heard
This one is why I need to control the words that come out of my mouth and the anger that flies off my tongue. Until then, I can hardl pray that those I influence will hear the grace and peace of Christ through me. Help me, Jesus! Still, I trust The Holy Spirit speaks to people through me, because what is needed is a willing and open heart, which I possess. So as I journey along, May my words become wiser, fewer and more life-giving.
How about you, what do those around you hear from you…for better or worse?
Whatever You See In Me
Now, this one can make one self-conscious. If you hear me, you’re already there and that probably at your anxiety. That simply means that I need to reframe and think about this differently. But I’m afraid people seeing me is most often not actually what they see in me. I often wish I could see myself as I see others: with grace, optimism, giving them the benefit of the doubt and through the land of forgiveness and love. We need to remember the times and people have told us The positive the CNS. m
What’s more though, we must all remember that God looks at us and sees someone worth dying for. If I were to leave these words with a congregation as Paul did, I would mean if you saw in me someone who fights for social justice, someone who reaches out to the stranger and widow and someone who can provide comfort to those who mourn, imitate that. I would want my people to see that I am human and in perfect and also see that that’s OK so that they will except for themselves that it is OK to be less than perfect. I would not want them to see how anxious and I’m sure I sometimes am, but then again, seeing that I am locked in those things yet refuse to be ruled by those uncertainties might give courage and endurance and it in so far as that is the case, have at it!
Lord, you see me and you know me and you left me. May I see, no and that as freely and unconditionally. May this journey to the cross we find me and make me more like you. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Progress not perfection! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. It’s easy for me to point out why I was NOT successful in controlling myself today, but the point is I was not! I mean, I tried! I was more positive than I have been lately, and I still have a ways to go! As I say when giving the pastoral prayer on Sunday, Holy Spirit, breathe in and speak through me. May your thoughts be my thoughts!
Acts of the Apostles is so inspirational and formational, so of course I’m thinking of acts 1:8!
Today, as I caved to anxieties over work evaluations, confirmation training coming up, planning for Lent and Easter, getting ready for summer reading program and VBS, I needed the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding more than ever, but it doesn’t feel particularly accessible to me at this moment. Good thing my faith in God is not reliant upon my feelings.
So, I will wait and pray and trust. I can’t allow doing the work of the church get in the way of doing the work/will of God and being a woman of God. Holy Spirit, fill what I do and am with you.
Right now I feel like crying out with Jacob, though:
The peace, wisdom, assurance, ability and giftedness I need tonight can come by the power of the Holy Spirit. I have the training, the degrees, some of the experience and network, but I need a sign, and tonight, I am praying for and asking for and expecting one.
Obstacles to Thought Management
Headaches (orado in your ailment).
Stubborn negativity
Lack of discipline.
Practice Thought Management: Armor
Pray or thank God every time I th ink something like ouch! my head hurts! If nothing else, that will definitely saturate the pain-filled days with blessedness.
Catch the stubbornness and refused to allow it tonight. Thank a positive affirmation such ass “I am enough” and make a conscious effort not to the future and argue with those who affirm or complement me. That’s a struggle! Worth it when successful.
Believe that /we do, when we do it and why we do it matters. Sometimes, it’s easier or more comfortable, I guess, to convince ourselves that what we do doesn’t matter or can be done by others. It doesn’t matter though, if that is what we are supposed to do, we owe it to ourselves and others to always do our best. So, what are some ways you can pump yourself up when completely unmotivated and feeling completely undisciplined?
The road is not easy. How ever we strive, some days, emotionally and physically, life takes it’s toll on us. The key is to acknowledge, except, resolve that tomorrow will be different, and move on. The journey is too important to give up now! I am going on to perfection. Holy Spirit, in your mercy, hear my prayer!
Thank You, God
For an open and confessing spirit.
Water to drink, falling from the skies and all its life-giving powers.
Zoom and voiceover, which made using this phone more possible.
That I got my 10,000 steps in as well as my Spanish practice and completed my Bible Study for the day. Now, I can sleep and rest and be ready for a brilliant day tomorrow.
Keep your head up, heart open and eyes on the call as we journey with Christ to the Cross and beyond to victory. God bless you.
I am, as you are, part of God’s great story. Writing is my way of putting voice to the chapters of my story. I wrote my first little story in Braille in elementary and have loved writing poetry, articles, short stories and even newsletters ever since. I have always had the feeling I should write a book, but no idea has quite solidified yet. Should I write an autobiography, creative nonfiction, the first Systematic Theology Text by a Black female Methodist? What?? Time to try my hand at blogging!
So, as you know by now, my name is Christy! I am a mother to Shaun, who is 11. I am married to my high school sweetheart and we have a Terrior Puppy! All of us are life-long Californians!
Vocationallly, I am Minister Of Children, Youth & Young Families with Saint Mar, Los Angeles. Concurrently, I am working toward ordination in the United Methodist Church as an Ordained Deacon, called to word, service, justice and compassion ministries. As our children, youth and families grow in faith and receive the vital nurture they need to thrive, they will take their stories out into the street and be the bridge to Christ for a broken world who so strongly needs hope, love and healing. My Master’s In Divinity (M.Div.) from Fuller Theological Seminary (2015) and B.A. in Collaborative Health, Human Services and Public Policy/Social Work reflect my conviction that the Child Welfare System and policies of our nation must be overhauled and our children must be protected and defended and the church has a key role in making sure this work is done.
Much of my childhood was spent in foster care, and so I am dedicated to being the light especially for at-risk youth and young adult populations, but also for all of those whom God sends my way. In 1985 at the age of three, I lost my vision and I’m to this day partially sighted, so I also have a special need to serve as a light for those with physical disabilities who the world often pities and/or shuns. We give lip service to justice for all, including children, the disabled, people o( all sexual orientations and races, but this is not the reality in many cases. So, the fight is going strong for social, political economic and all other forms of justice in the world.
For this, my first blogging attempt, I will journey through Lent with you. Starting Wednesday, which is Ash Wednesday, and leading up to Easter, which falls on April 21 this year, I will post daily on my journey to the cross with Christ and you all. I post pretty regularly on Facebook and Instagram anyway and figure it is time to try my hand at blogging. This is also a spiritual discipline and a way to hold myself accountable to daily reflection on journeying with Christ. My goal is to provide you with solidarity, resources, which will help you along your journey and have a lot of fun in the process. I hope to hear from you as to what you think, what would be more helpful for you, and any prayer requests you may have. May God bless you today and always. Shalom!
Ministry With Christy Clark 