TGNL.Spring 2010

TMATT
Today’s Ministry Achieving Tomorrow’s Triumphs
c/o Tracylee Coleman
P.O. Box 2089
Mount Vernon, NY 10551
The Good News Letter
A publication of Today’s Ministry Achieving Tomorrow’s Triumphs
Spring 2010 Volume 7 Issue 1
In this Issue...
4
Good Commentary
Learning to Live: A
Work in Progress
9
Good Health
Adenomyosis
10
Good People
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because He has anointed me to preach
Good News to the poor. He has
sent me to proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery of sight for the
blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Luke 4:18-19 (NIV)
Women of the Word:
Preaching Past Precepts
Today’s Ministry Achieving Tomorrow’s Triumphs (TMATT) is a
faith based non-profit organization geared toward the betterment of men,
women and children. Our commitment is to love, encourage and empower
through various charitable programs. There are several programs in place
including Fit & Fun Fridays, Stay in Shape Saturdays, The Sisterhood
Brunch, In His Image and The Good Newsletter.
The views expressed in TGNL are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect
the positions of TMATT. Also, please use discretion when purchasing any products
advertised or following any advice (medical or otherwise) given in TGNL.
CONTRIBUTORS
G. Morris Coleman
Contributing Writer
“Complacency is the
enemy of success.”
Anonymous
L. Ayanna Brown
Contributing Writer
“A woman’s heart
should be so hidden in
Christ that a man must
seek Him first to find
her.”
Tracylee Coleman
Editor-in-Chief
Anonymous
Michael Moody
Contributing Writer
“Where there is no
struggle, there is no
strength.”
Oprah Winfrey
Vonnetta Hughes
Contributing Writer
“Love talked about is
easily turned aside...
Love demonstrated is
irresistible.”
Dr. Stan Mooneyham
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“We do
what we
have to do
in order to
do what
we want to
do.”
James Farmer, Jr.
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SPRING QUARTER 2010
19
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations to James and Rana Henderson, Jr. on their recent wedding
nuptials. Best Wishes!
Congratulatios to Kendra Cowans on her new job position at Disney! Best
Wishes!
Congratulations to Janay Moody for being awarded the Patricia Lanza Foundation Scholarship for her creative writing abilities! Way to Go!
Happy Birthday to all those born in March, April and May!
UPCOMING EVENTS
3/6 Stay in Shape Saturdays Re-
3/20 Total Wellness Luncheon
sume
Call (917) 749-7133 for details
Call (917) 749-7133 for details
4/18 The Voices Anniversary
3/14 Family and Friends Day
Call (914) 668-7292 for details
Call (914) 668-7292 for details
5/9 Happy Mother’s Day
detach here
Prayer Requests. Announcements. Upcoming Events.
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A M E S S AG E F RO M T H E E D I TO R - I N - C H I E F
TRACYLEE COLEMAN
Simply Spring...
That’s the first thought that comes to
mind as I prepare for this new season...to simplify!
Spring usually signifies packing up our
heavy winter articles and replacing
them with our light, colorful Spring
items.
should be doing to be a more excellent
servant. For me, it meant removing
some of the excess from my schedule
and life.
I felt myself becoming bitter and
resentful with all I was doing, even in
my work for the Lord.
Simplify and maximize on that which
is TRULY
important.
And for
“Everything is permissible
different
for me”—but not everything is
people, that
means difbeneficial. “Everything is perferent
things.
missible for me”—but I will
As time (seasons) pass, we
find that we accumulate a heap
of “stuff.”
It especially
feels this way
not be mastered by anything.”
in the Winter.
For me, it
1 Cor. 6:12 (NIV)
We find that
meant taking
we receive gifts
inventory
for the holidays
of what I
that we either
was busying
don’t want or like; encouraging the
myself with and to really find out what
build up to begin.
I needed to do in order to be an effective human being in this world.
I found for myself that the build up of
stuff went beyond my closet space and
Join me! Take a good look at what’s
into my schedule.
really cluttering up your time and get
rid of it! Pour your energy into those
As a result, it started to take a toll on
things that are necessary and purposemy health, both physically and spiritu- ful.
ally.
As we work towards eliminating the
I kept hearing in my quiet time, “simunnecessary things in our lives, I
plify.” Find out what’s really needful
am confident that we will be more at
and do that.
peace, have abundance of joy and just
be down right pleasant people!
Now, I’m not trying to advocate laziness, but you need to know your own
Simply living...I like the sound of
limits. And if you don’t know, pray
that!
and ask God for direction on what you
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3
Learning to Live: A Work in Progress
G. Morris Coleman
What happens when you no longer want to do what’s expected? This is a question I
had to recently pose to myself, but something tells me that I am not the only one asking questions. The raging fire that once moved you forward slowly trickles to a feeble
spark subject to fierce winds of exhaustion, over-exertion, and fading enthusiasm.
Wobbling and stumbling through, you do not pause for respite, but keep going in an
uncertain direction without guidance or purpose; but you MUST keep going, you say.
Fatigue, frustration, disappointment, discouragement, and discontent form a quintuplet of words used to categorize even your “best days” ...Sound Familiar?
No, this won’t be just some anger-filled rant
that I came up with discussing how awful
everything is (there’d really be no point to
that). However, I do want to be real about
what I, and so many others, are feeling out
there. To deny the truth in your emotions
is equivalent to ignoring the check engine
light in your car: at some point, what is
wrong will become worse and at that point,
the damage is far greater than at first warning. I am not saying that we should cater to
our emotions, but we should certainly trace
the origins of our feelings to uproot whatever should not be. Hebrews 12:15a says, “See
to it that no one misses the grace of God and
that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble
and defile many.” (NIV) Unexplored emotions can fester and leave a residue that
may be unseen initially, but eventually, it will show!
“Unexplored emotions can fester
and leave a residue that may be
unseen initially,
but eventually, it
will show!”
So, where did we go wrong people of God?
Mundane... ordinary... common... trite... Do these words sound like terms used by
Jesus to describe His followers or His mission? I am certain a resounding “no” came
from each of you. Yet, somehow many of us live this type of life every day. We are
devoid of the passion, determination, and drive to DO something about our current
state of being and we except it as “just the way things are.” But I am reminded of the
words of Jesus (red letter words) when He says, “I am come that they might have life
and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Abundant Living! Hmmm... Is this it? I know... I know... Some of you immediately
started singing, “Oh, when we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be...”
So true; so promising! But is that all there is to our expectation? Did Jesus come just
so we could struggle our way through this life, in order for us to have a grand time
when we get to Heaven?
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Somebody Prayed For Me...
City of Mount Vernon
Bishop Leon Dixon
The Borrelli Family
The Obama Family
Elder Dorothy Dixon
Michael Moody
US Government
Lloyd Wallace
Letitia Hughes
The People of Haiti
G. Morris Coleman
Joseph Coleman
Charity Elder
Iris Archibald
Vonnetta Hughes
The House Family
Andrea Moody
Devon Matthews
Verna Matthews
Elder Marion Archer
The Novelli Family
Herbert Ford
Nicholas Abbate
The Rookard Family
The McDonald Family
Derrick Adams
Deborah Abbate
Kym Crawford
Tracy Coleman
Sharod Bailey
Ana Frias-Curly
Tracy Barnes and Family
The Dean Family
Our Father...
Dear Heavenly Father, our Sovereign and Matchless King, we thank You
for being all knowing and all encompassing. We honor Your Holy name.
Father God, as we humbly submit our prayers unto Thee, we ask that You
grant every prayer according to Your will for our lives. We take nothing for granted, since we know that we haven’t earned anything from
You, but You gave it freely and we say thank You! Father, there are some
people on our list and on the hearts of many of our readers who are in
need of a special touch of healing, comfort and even salvation from You.
So right now in the name of Jesus, we ask that You see to their needs.
Father, we say a special prayer for the people and land of Haiti. Father,
we know that You do not make mistakes and all that happens, has Divine
purpose that has yet to be revealed to us. We trust You. Knowing that
You, Almighty God, never errs, never sleeps nor slumbers and have been
ever faithful to Your people. Father, we thank You and praise You for all
that You continue to do. We seek You for the improbable, believe You for
the impossible and love You for the incredible. In Jesus’ name. Amen! TLC
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In His Presence...
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid. (John 14:27). One attains peace only by obeying the Word
of God...it is a gift from God. In the midst of trials and tribulations, we
sometimes get ourselves caught up and totally involved in them. Our
minds become so busy with our problems, we lose our focus. We forget
Whose we are and Who we are in Christ. We allow our minds to become
cluttered with everything but Christ; and our very lives become chaotic
as well.
But the scripture says, He will keep you in perfect PEACE if you keep
your mind stayed on Him. When we take our focus off of Christ, this is
when we stumble and fall. We look for other things and other people to
help us with our problems. In the midst of life’s troubles, all we have to
do is tune our minds into Christ and He will do just what He said: supply you with peace in the midst of the confusion...Peace that passeth all
understanding!
March
April
May
Seek Peace
God Grants Peace
Do Good...Live in
Peace
Psalm 34:14
Isaiah 26:3
Matthew 5:9
John 14:27
Romans 12:18
Romans 2:10
Romans 14:19
Galatians 5:22
Psalm 37:37
Proverbs 3:1-2
Proverbs 12:20
2 Corinthians 13:11
Ephesians 4:3
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Compiled by Vonnetta Hughes
SPRING QUARTER 2010
Surely, most of us would agree that the answer to this question is yet again, a booming “NO.”
So much more than just a “stairway to Heaven,” Jesus gave us the opportunity, the
resources, and the plan to live this earthly life joyfully, as we accomplish His will.
This is not to be confused, however, with our fleshly understanding of enjoyment or
pleasure; on the contrary, it is about the completeness of and congruence between
mind, body, and spirit.
So as I run the risk of overstating the problem, I pause to ask the question: What is
the solution? The Bible makes it clear, in no uncertain terms: Be transformed
by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2b). It’s through our study, understanding, and application of God’s Word that we begin to see that there is more to
this life than our coasting through it on cruise control or soaring high above it on
autopilot. Jesus not only came for us to enjoy the “after-life,” but His desire is that
we would come to the realization that even in this life, peace and joy BELONG to
those who believe in and on Him. Jesus says in John 14:26, “My peace I give to you”
and the Saints of old remind us that, “this joy I have, the world didn’t give it and the
world can’t take it away.”
So then, what does it mean to live abundantly, you might ask? The Amplified Bible defines abundance as, “to the full; till
it overflows.” Abundance by definition is
to have an extremely plentiful or over-sufficient supply. (www.Dictionary.com) Are
you living life to the fullest, to the max, till
it overflows? Do you have an “over-sufficient supply” of joy, peace, and love?
Have you allowed yourself to dream things
that seem impossible? Have you laughed
till you cried recently? Do you smile till
it hurts? Name the last time you enjoyed
a sunset. And how long has it been since
you took a drive without a destination
simply allowing yourself to roam free with no specific purpose except to take in the
sights and see where the road takes you?
I am learning each day to enjoy every God-given minute that’s supplied to me. I
cherish the times when I am able to sit alone and think on where God has BROUGHT
me. But what I enjoy all the more is thinking of the infinite places God is willing and
able to TAKE me. I adore the laughs I am able to share with family and friends and
I look forward to that circle being enlarged even greater. I am determined to live as
God wants me to live and to not allow the words, opinions, or disapproving glares
of others alter my course. I am accepting God’s Word for my life: If God be for me,
who can be against me! (Romans 8:31b)
I pray you’re willing to do the same! Let’s start living!
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SPRING QUARTER 2010
5
Good Word
According to the Book of Exodus, Moses was born in a time when the Jewish people were increased in number
and the Egyptian Pharaoh worried that
they might band with Egypt’s enemies
and over take them. Moses’ Hebrew
mother, Jochebed, hid him when Pharaoh orders all newborn Hebrew boys
be killed. His mother sent him down
the river in hopes of escape. Pharaoh’s daughter later finds him and
adopts him into the royal family. After killing an Egyptian slavemaster, Moses fled across the Red Sea to Midian where he tended the
flocks of Jethro, a priest of Midian on the slopes of Mt. Horeb. After
Ten Plagues were unleashed on Egypt, due to the captivity of the
Jews, Moses led the Hebrew people out of Egypt, across the Red Sea,
where they based themselves at Horeb and compassed the borders
of Edom. It was at this time that Moses received the Ten Commandments. Despite living to the age of 120, Moses died before reaching
the Promised Land of Israel.
Character(s): Major: Moses; Minor: Aaron
Scripture(s): Exodus
Significance of Name:
Moses means drawn from water.
Best Known For:
Moses is one of the best-known people of The Holy Bible. He played
a key role in the Exodus, and later he received The Ten Commandments from God (twice - he smashed the first set when he discovered
the Israelites running wild at the foot of Mount Sinai i.e. Exodus
32:19 and 34:1). He directed the construction of The Tabernacle and
The Ark Of The Covenant. He is also the author of The Pentateuch,
the first 5 Books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
and Deuteronomy. He is also the vessel used in the miracle of the
parting of the Red Sea.
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na
n
a
y
sk A
A
I love the Lord and I believe in God, but I just hate church and
organized religion. Is it really important to go to church at all?
I believe your feelings echo the sentiments that we’ve all felt at one time. I believe
these feelings aren’t isolated to church alone. How many of us love learning, but hate
school; some of us love the work we do, but dislike the actions of the people around us.
The reality is we can’t have a way of living without some type of structure; if we did, we
would have chaos.
Religion is simply a “personal set or institutionalized system of religious beliefs, attitudes, and practices held to with faith and ardor.” So is it really religion or church
that we hate? The Bible says in Hebrew 10:25, “not forsaking [turn away from entirely]
the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one
another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” The Bible says don’t
turn away from coming together with your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are
strongly urged to continue to come together to fellowship, praise God together, learn
deeper revelations of God’s word and to encourage each other in Christ. Dr. Trimm in
her book, The Rules of Engagement stated, “We use the church building as a place for
the fivefold ministry leaders to work and minister to people within the church as well
as to win unbelievers to Christ. We also use it as a central meeting place to fellowship
together, to learn our new assignments and commands, to be debriefed on the next
move of God, and to discuss administrative and legislative matters concerning the
body of Christ/ We need the meeting together of the body of Christ so that we can support each other to stand even in the heat of [the spiritual] battle” (Pg.19).
How many of us want to be healthy, but hate hospitals because doctors have to poke
and prod to ascertain what is wrong? It may not feel good; we may have to alter the
way we live in order to achieve healthiness and we may not like that or may fight
against that. We don’t want a new way of living imposed on us, even if it’s what we
need. Have hospitals become extinct? Don’t we still need them even if we’re not sick
and need our annual check ups? The same is true with the church.
So if Christ says this, it’s fair to say that hating church or not going to church is not an
option. We do need to be prayerful as to what church we attend; but let’s get down to
the root of the problem. I will argue that it’s “the people.” The human factor has a way
of perverting many things in religion, church, business, education, society, etc. Staying
with the hospital scenario, how many of us can attest to the fact that we’ve left the hospital because the wait was too long, or the nurses were not nice, or the doctors were
too abrupt? We may have gone to the hospital because we needed help, but something
about the people offended, disturbed or angered us. There are times we have to separate our spiritual need (the purpose of the church), from the people that surround us
so that we can grow in Christ. So reader, if you love and believe in the Lord God, I believe you will be open to attending church so you can grow deeper in Christ. My prayer
is that the Lord will lead you to the church where you should worship and that you will
not define or see God by the people that can get in the way of who God really is.
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good
. ..
talent
In this Journey
By: Tracy Lee Messias
I walk to find Him, I walk to please Him
I walk to know Him, I walk to see Him
In This Journey...
I’ve been stopped; I’ve been mocked.
Yet His never ending Presence has kept me up.
In This Journey...
I fell and I’ve been judged. I conquered and I’ve been despised.
I gave and I’ve been reproached. I prayed and according to them,
I wasn’t authentic
In This Journey...
I closed my eyes and went to a place called The Kingdom,
Where righteousness, peace and Joy dwells.
I asked that He cover me as I delved deeper,
In This Journey...
My Faith started to grow, His strength casted out inner demons;
My praise confused the enemy and my eyes never shut
In This Journey...
It was at that point where my character in Christ developed and the enemy
started his journey in my life;
But I chose to be persucuted, humiliated and tried for God because it is He Who
brought me this far...In This Journey.
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Aaron (Moses brother) was an intrical part of the deliverance of Israel out
of Egypt. Even though Moses was one of the most important Bible characters he was actually not a good public speaker and was very nervous, even
scared about speaking.
God used Moses on purpose to prove that God would give anybody the
words to speak, even somebody that wasn’t a good speaker. However, God
realized he wouldn’t go without somebody that was a good speaker so God
sent Aaron to help. He was an extremely good speaker and was to be the
mouth of Moses. (Exodus 4:14-16,27-31;7:1,2)
How His/Her Life Impacts Us Today:
The saddest part about Moses’ story is that he was not allowed to go into
the Promised Land with the rest of the younger generation.
The Bible says that the reason Moses was not allowed to go into the
Promised Land was due to the fact that he “trespassed against God
among the children of Israel. What happened in this incident is that God
told Moses to speak out to a rock in the presence of the Israelites and that
the rock would then bring forth water for the people and their animals.
However, for some strange reason, Moses strikes the rock twice with his
rod instead of just speaking out to the rock as God had told him to specifically do. He was thus in direct violation of a direct command by God
Himself.
However, this one act of disobedience should not taint this man’s incredible story and adventure with God. This is obviously something that we
can all learn from. When God tells you to do something specific - don’t
ever question His command. Just do it or else you could reap serious
consequences like Moses did. You could end up losing out on a very big
blessing that God may have had in store for you.
If you have not accepted Christ in your life as personal Lord and Savior,
we encourage you to do it now. Just simply say this prayer, “Lord, I am
a sinner and I want you to come into my life. I believe that Jesus is your
only begotten Son, and that He died to save me from sin. I repent of my
sins and ask you to forgive me. Thank you for loving and saving me.”
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7
goo
..stuff
.
d
But I do know that there is a mighty move. And we want to be in the mighty
move.
DONNA POWELL: We have to know that the experiences that we go
through are all a part of our ministry. So while we go through our situations, we must learn to be still and let God move.
Chrystal Rucker is gospel music’s latest phenomenon. Heavily influenced by
Aretha Franklin, Vanessa Bell- Armstrong and the Clark Sisters, her crystal
clear tone, vocal gymnastics and agility make her self-titled debut album a
serious must-have. With songs like “You Deserve,” (her lead single) and her
powerful renditions of the classic hymns such as “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
and “I m So Grateful,” will leave you stunned by her vocal grace. This CD is
completely anointed, amazing, and awesome. It is sure to bless you. MM
Tonya Baker’s album “Special Friend”
is an instant classic. Baker’s smooth
Jazz like phrasing, intonation, and interpretation of a song is reminiscent
of Jazz greats Sarah Vaughan, Ella
Fitzgerald, and Carmen Mcrae. “Vengeance is mine” not only convey’s the
message of God’s justice and wrath,
but will also have you captivated by
it’s smooth vibe and the background
vocals are out of this world. This CD
in it’s entirety is the epitome of gospel
jazz. MM
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Tunesha Crispell has to be one of my
favorite up and coming artist. Another
Gospel- jazz artist; her vocals are simply divine. With her musical brilliance,
she effortlessly transforms gospel
hymns to heart-pounding jazz tunes
that will captivate your ears and heart
with songs like “Saved,” (Crispell’s version of a classic gospel hymn), “COGIC/
Apostolic medley,” (her compliation of
down home church songs) and favorite
song “Holy,” where she draws the listener in with her sophisticated melodies. Her album “Just As I Am” is hands
down one of the best. MM
Let Him tell you how to go and where to go because the doors will open.
And thinking about the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus talks about
God’s provision and how God provides for the birds of the air and how the
lilies of the field don’t do any work, but they are clothed in splendor. But
think of how much more God will take care of us. And the way it ends is
beautiful: Sufficient for today are today’s troubles. And then it goes on
to say, Seek ye first the
Kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all
things will be added unto
you.
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: I believe that
we have to come out of
the tradition because the
generation has changed.
I mean, when we were
growing up, we didn’t see
momma in the bed with
her boyfriend... we didn’t
see momma on “dope”...
we didn’t see them on
crack and involved in
prostitution. But the children today see it all. So, the church has to come
out of the “churchology” and get out there and deal with the problems of
today. We are going to have to get our clothes dirty now. It’s no longer just
singing in the choir, sitting in the meeting discussing corsages and what
color we’re going to wear when people are dying at the door steps of the
church. We have to come out of the church now and hit the streets. The
kids are crying out for help while we are in the church celebrating with each
other. The church has to “come out of the closet” and hit the streets!
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SPRING QUARTER 2010
13
ADENOMYOSIS
Vonnetta Hughes
Adenomyosis is defined as a medical condition in the outer muscular layer of the
uterus. The endometrial cells are a part of the endometrial lining of the uterus and
sheds during a woman’s menstruation. When the presence of the endometrial cells
remains or does not shed in the outer layer of the uterus, this causes Adenomyosis.
Adenomyosis causes the uterus to thicken and increase two or three times its normal non-pregnant size. Adenomyosis usually occurs in women who are 30 years and
older and who already have children. It rarely occurs in women who have never had
a full-term pregnancy. The good news about this medical condition is it’s a benign
condition.
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
That’s the role of the prophet. And your sons and your daughters will do
that.
Each of these women is a teacher in her own right and have been
trained spiritually, as well as secularly to prepare them for their
roles. Elder Burnett attended Manhattan Bible Institute for many
years, while Rev. Sommerville attended Christian Life School of
Theology where she received her Associates Degree in Christian
Theology and there she is currently pursuing her Master’s degree. Donna Powell is just two months short of completing her
Master’s Degree at Drew Theological Seminary in New Jersey
and already has both a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in the
Arts from New York University and Howard University.
MORRIS: Are there any last words that you’d like to leave with our readers? Anything that’s been in your spirit? Anything that’s been on your heart
that you just want to share with them?
VERA BURNETT: I just know that God is working today. He’s got a mighty
move. And we all need to be obedient to the spirit. And I very much wish that
everybody who’s saved and sanctified has a close relationship with Him; not
just hearing what other people have to say and put it together. You need a
close relationship with Him that he can literally lead you and guide you. And
then you can be of use to him. You can hold on and be obedient to Him.
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The cause of Adenomyosis in unknown at this time, however, it is a highly debated
medical condition. Most women who have Adenomyosis are usually asymptomatic.
However, the few women who do experience symptoms experience dysmenorrheasevere cramps and heavy bleeding.
Treatment of Adenomyosis is pain medication on a conception known as Mirena
IUD: which reduces bleeding and pain. There is no cure for Adenomyosis. However,
women who still experience severe pain and bleeding in spite of treatments will have
a hysterectomy-removal of the uterus. It is the only procedure, to date, that will
eliminate the pain and severe bleeding.
Adenomyosis is diagnosis by a pelvic exam, an ultrasound or an MRI.
*For more information on Adenomyosis, please visit http://pms.about.com/od/pelvichealthdiseases/g/0855_adenomyosi.htm*
Testimonial: Kefeana (Kay) Brown
Kefeana was first diagnosed with Adenomyosis in 1999. She experience pelvic pain,
abdominal pain, leg pain and heavy menstrual bleeding. When Kay was first diagnosed, there was very little information on this medical condition. It is also known,
as noted above, to affect women who have already had children. At the time of diagnosis, Kay did not have any children. She was told by her doctor, the only treatment
was to have a hysterectomy. However, that was not option for Kay. Consequently,
she learned to live with the pain. She was told by another doctor; the pain may
lessen or disappear when she had children.
After Kay had children in 2002, she is not sure if the pain lessened or if her body
had just habituated to the pain; All she knew, is the pain was not as severe. However, in 2008, the pain began to intensify again.
She remembers vividly, the day she received her healing. “It was November of 2008,
a youth Sunday. The pain was extremely bad. I went on a prayer line; and I was supposed to start my pain medication that very Sunday. The minister began to speak in
the power of the Holy Spirit and proceeded to touch my lower back, my pelvic area
and my thighs. I believe that is the day I was healed. God is truly a healer!”
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A Baptist Minister, a Pentecostal Preacher, and a Scholarly
Seminarian with vastly differing backgrounds, but all have one
undeniable thing in common: a burning passion for preaching
the unadulterated word of God. Oh, one other thing... they’re also
powerful women proclaiming the word of God. TGNL celebrates
Women History Month by featuring three women who have dedicated their lives to studying, teaching and preaching the good
news.
And then I thought about other
women in the Bible: Lydia and
Phoebe and Anna. And I began to
say, I know He’s not going to send
me to hell for preaching.
Elder Vera Burnett is a minister at Emmanuel Pentecostal Faith
Temple in Mt. Vernon, NY, where she serves as a Missionary Minister primarily. Rev. Joyce Sommerville of Macedonia Baptist
Church has been a member of the church since 1963, but became
an associate minister in the last ‘90’s. Minister Donna Powell is a
senior at Drew Theological Seminary and speaks throughout the
tri-state area in both pulpits and conferences.
And so, I just got that old school out
of my head. I’m not trying to boss
anyone or trying to govern anyone;
I’m just trying to preach the gospel!
Although I sat with these women individually, their words,
themes, and spirits connected as if they were in the same room;
but I quickly realized that despite their physical locations, the
same Holy Spirit indwells in each of them connecting them in
ways greater than initially imagined.
VERA BURNETT: When I was called to the ministry, I had evidences like
everyone else that gets called to the ministry and my thought was Lord, I’m
being allowed to do what I want to do as a layman. I was able to visit the sick.
I was able to organize. And I felt blessed that I was able to do and I had no
desire... But it was the Lord whose prompting...at one point, finally, I just surrendered... I was in my home and I just so surrendered to Him. And I knew
the difference. And I said, Well God, I surrender.
JOYCE SOMMERVILLE: The odd thing about it is that I didn’t believe in
women preachers. I was reared in the south and I didn’t see much of it when
I was there and it was indoctrinated in me that it was something for men only.
But when I got off the “milk” of the word and got on the “meat” of the word,
then I understood the word of God. And I said, “I don’t believe that God is
going to send me to hell for preaching the gospel.”
You know, there was just such a burning in myself. And I thought that women
could teach, but I didn’t think that women should preach or even be in the
pulpit. I knew that the man was the head and I didn’t think that women
should pastor men or govern over men in any form. But then I remembered
when Jesus told Mary Magdalene to go and tell the people that He was the
Savior and I said, well He sent her.
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All I’m doing is preaching the gospel.
VERA BURNETT: I believe the role of women in ministry is the role of
anyone in ministry. If you are called and if you are led by the Holy Spirit,
then He will define what it is you are supposed to be doing. If we look to
mankind to define us, they may have us on the wrong road altogether because certainly I would not have ever picked me to do what God allows me
to do. I would never have believed that He would have taken me through
some of things that He’s allowed me to go through nor be able to bring
other people through some of the things that He’s allowed me to go through
with them. So, it has to be God. And He can pick and choose anyone He
wants.
I believe people use to limit women based on “women should not be over
men.” And I just believe that God needs to decide that and I leave it at that.
Everything regarding ministry, I leave up to Him to decide. I do have scriptures to back my position, but I leave it up to God.
So, if you want to tell God that He didn’t call me because I am not a man
(and I am definitely not a man), then that’s between you and God.
DONNA POWELL: I simply would not have answered a call that did not
exist. And that call was so heavy and so real that I could not deny it. And
in terms of my scriptural understanding of the role of women in ministry,
the prophet Joel tells us that “He poured out His spirit on all flesh and your
sons AND your DAUGHTERS shall prophecy.” The role of the prophet is
to proclaim the good news of the Lord. It’s the call that Isaiah makes that
Jesus follows up on, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the good
news... to proclaim... to release the captives...
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