of Unity - First Baptist Church of Glenarden

First Baptist Church of Glenarden 

Women’s Ministry 

Volume 7, Issue 3 

Fall 2011 

Grace 

Power 

of Unity 

Magazine 

By Women for Women 

HIV/AIDS 30th Anniversary 

Newlyweds – Learning to Become One 

Power of Sisterhood – How to Avoid Cliquish Behavior 

Unity Among Today’s Youth

2012 

United Sisters for Your 

Journey Retreat 

March 14-16, 2012 

at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake 

Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina 

in Cambridge, Md. 

Guest Speaker: Dr. Lois Evans

Grace 

Magazine 

By Women for Women 

Features 

Family Planning: Estate, Funeral and Will .............................. 6 

HIV/AIDS' 30th Anniversary ................................................ 12 

HIV/AIDS: Facts from the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention ................................................... 13 

Take Your Rightful Inheritance: Sever the 

Yokes of Generational Curses! ........................................ 15 

A Unified Marriage ................................................................ 18 

The Power of Sisterhood - How to Avoid 

Cliquish Behavior ............................................................ 19 

Newlyweds - Learning to Become One ................................. 30 

Departments 

First Lady’s Touch ........................................................................... 2 

Add Your Money Wisely .................................................................. 3 

It's Tea Time ..................................................................................... 4 

Entrepreneur ................................................................................... 7 

Beauty From the Inside Out ............................................................ 8 

Health .............................................................................................10 

Tasty Treats .....................................................................................14 

Youth/Young Adult .........................................................................16 

Women’s Group at a Glance ..........................................................20 

Queen Esther Testimony ................................................................20 

Sisters for your Journey .................................................................21 

Autumn, A Blessing in Due Season ...............................................22 

Women's Conference Recap 2011..................................................23 

Focus Studies .................................................................................24 

Parenting Tips .................................................................................26 

Inspirational ..................................................................................28 

Relationships ..................................................................................32 

Reflections ......................................................................................33 

Director Family Life Ministries 

Department & Women’s Ministry 

Group: 

First Lady Trina Jenkins 

Editorial Director: 

Barbara Holt Streeter 

Editor–In–Chief: 

Phenola Moore 

Department Writers: 

Norma L.Day-Vines, Jessica Davis, 

Sade Dennis, Denita Johnson, 

Phenola Moore, Connie Pulliam, 

Michelle Singletary, Cathy Smith, 

Barbara Holt Streeter, Mildred Stokes, 

Aprill O. Turner and 

Mia Waldron 

Contributing Writers: 

Tonya Bell, Leslie Dowtin, 

JeTonya Govan, Felicia Johnson, 

DeBora Miles, Judy Mitchell 

Jeffrey Moore, Jackie Tilghman and 

Marie E. White 

Copy Editors: 

Marguerite Brown, Verna Smith, 

LaLeeta Hackett-Taylor and 

Amelia White 

Editors: 

Latrice Davis, 

Cassandra Logan, Marilyn Mapp, 

Judy Mitchell, Gloria Nelson, 

Takea Norris and Marilyn Stackhouse 

Proofreaders: 

Mary Brown, Veronica Collins, 

Sandra Davis, Nicole Irby, Iris Perry, 

Mia Waldron and Kim Washington 

Creative Director: 

Darlene Jones Powell 

Financial/Production Coordinator 

Keisha White 

Photography 

Insana Collins, Andrew Edwards 

and Deenice Galloway 


Photography Ministry 

Contact Grace at: 

grace@fbcglenarden.org 

Ministry Statement: Grace Magazine 

is a lifestyle Christian women’s publication 

produced by First Baptist Church 

of Glenarden’s Women’s Ministry. The 

magazine features inspiring articles, 

ministry spotlights and information to 

empower women in every season of their 

Grace Magazine | www.fbcglenarden.org 1

Millions of consumers buy their 

credit scores so they can know 

where they stand credit-wise. 

But the scores that are sold to 

consumers may vary, in some cases 

wildly, from those sold to and used 

by lenders. That difference could 

give consumers a false sense of 

credit bravado, or it could make 

them think that they are a worse 

credit risk than they really are. We 

may soon find out the impact on 

the differences between consumerand 

creditor-purchases scores. 

The Dodd-Frank financial reform 

act required the Consumer 

Financial Protection Bureau to examine 

the scoring variations. The 

bureau has just released a preliminary 

report that provides a good 

explanation of why different scoring 

models may produce different 

scores for the same consumer and 

how the differences may put a consumer 

at a disadvantage. The big 

study of whether consumers are 

being hurt by different scores is 

about to begin. 

“This is exactly what the CFPB 

was set up to do,” said Travis Plunkett, 

legislative director for the 

Consumer Federation of America. 

Prompted by the new consumer 

watchdog agency, the three credit 

bureaus — Experian, TransUnion 

and Equifax — have each agreed 

to construct a random sample of 

200,000 consumer reports from 

their databases, in consultation 

with CFPB staff. For each report, 

the bureaus will include the scores 

that are sold to consumers and 

several of the scores that are most 

widely sold to lenders. All person- 

ally identifiable information will be 

removed. 

The detailed credit-history information 

in the reports will make it 

possible to explore whether differences 

in scores across various scoring 

models are more likely to affect 

consumers with different credithistory 

features. 

“This data will help us analyze 

the nature, range, and size of the 

differences between the credit 

scores consumers and lenders receive,” 

said Corey Stone, author of 

the report and CFPB’s assistant director 

for credit information markets. 

“This analysis will help shed 

light on the potential harms to 

consumers that these differences 

may create.” 

The credit-score-selling business 

is booming. The U.S. market has 

grown in recent years, to more than 

$1 billion in annual revenue from 

consumers purchasing reports and 

scores, according to the CFPB. 

The agency says sales to consumers 

make up roughly a quarter of 

the revenue of the credit-reporting 

agencies and their affiliates. 

“One way consumers have tried 

to empower themselves is by knowing 

their credit scores,” said Elizabeth 

Warren, special adviser to the 

secretary of the Treasury on the 

CFPB. “We are assessing whether 

purchasing a credit score provides 

a consumer with the information 

he or she needs.” 

Credit bureaus generate scores 

from the data in the credit files 

and then provide those scores to 

creditors, who include the information 

in decisions on whether 

ADD YOUR MONEY WISELY 

Think you know your credit score? 

Think again. 

By Michelle Singletary 

to grant credit and on what terms. 

Credit scores are intended to show 

whether a consumer is more or 

less likely to repay a debt relative 

to other consumers. 

The scoring model most often 

used by lenders is FICO, the proprietary 

brand created by the Fair 

Isaac Corp. But even FICO has 

different versions of its scoring 

model. Each credit bureau has its 

own proprietary scoring models. In 

a joint venture, the three credit bureaus 

developed yet another model. 

There are also companies that will 

generate a credit score for educational 

purposes, selling to people a 

score that attempts to approximate 

a FICO but is only intended to 

help consumers figure out how to 

improve their credit history. 

There are so many scoring models 

that there’s a joke that consumers 

are unwittingly purchasing 

“fake-co” scores, Plunkett said. 

“A consumer, unaware of the variety 

of credit scores available in 

the marketplace, may purchase a 

score believing it to be his or her 

‘true’ (or only) credit score, when in 

fact there is no such single score,” 

the CFPB report said. “The scarcity 

of public educational tools to inform 

consumers of the differences 

among credit scores, the large combined 

market share and brand recognition 

of FICO scores, and the 

marketing practices of some credit-score 

sellers, may all perpetuate 

such confusion.” 

You have to know the limitations 

of the scores you are buying, the 

continued on page 17 


4 

Pearls are one of the most elegant 

gems used in jewelry. Many 

women own at least one set, usually 

freshwater pearls. But did you 

know that there are several kinds 

of pearls – blue, freshwater, plaster, 

black, biwa, akoya and abalone, 

to name a few? Just as there are 

numerous types of pearls, God 

has diverse pearls, too – dispensers 

of wisdom. Grace Magazine 

gathered six pearls to share how 

embracing wisdom in their mentoring 

relationships has impacted, 

transformed, guided and sustained 

them during life challenges, in 

good times and through times of 

difficulty. 

Three sets of women, who serve 

as mentors and mentees to one another, 

discussed their relationship, 

the learning cycle and the benefits 

of their connection. 

The discussion included the following 

participants: 

Pat Padgent, Mentor, 52/Carolyn 

Tatem, Mentee, 42 

Minister Tilla Hall, Mentor, 44/ 

Adrienne Alexander, Mentee, 35 

Jackie Parker, Mentor, 59/Dianne 

Taylor, Mentee, 54 

Grace: How did your mentormentee 

relationship begin? 

Padgent: I can’t say I chose her, 

we were placed together. Our relationship 

started out of our passion 

for service. Carolyn is very down 

to earth. You don’t see that all the 

time. She was very open about everything 

and not afraid to share. 

Her realness and openness drew 

me in. 

Pearls of Wisdom: 

Mentor-Mentee Relationships 

Tatem: I never saw our relationship 

as mentor-mentee, but as God 

sending me someone strong with 

their walk in the Lord to keep me 

strong in my walk. A hunger for 

the Lord is what drew us together. 

We began to pray every morning. 

Taylor: We didn’t decide we 

were going to be mentor-mentee. 

Parker thought that I needed to 

be more relational. I was more 

about the business of the ministry. 

We were successful in the ministry, 

but I wasn’t focused on developing 

relationships. Parker is all 

about relationships. Now, I have a 

much more well-grounded, multifaceted 

ministry. 

Tatem: People don’t care how 

much you know until they know 

how much you care. You have to be 

willing to show that you care about 

people. 

Padgent: I met Tatem when I 

was married with children; I was 

attracted to her zeal. We both had 

a passion for living the Word and 

the Christian life. There weren’t 

many people with that passion, 

but I saw it in her. We have fasted 

together, prayed together, worked 

in ministry together and God has 

blessed our relationship. 

Grace: Sometimes mentor-mentee 

relationships appear to be 

one-sided relationships, but yours 

seem to be reciprocal. You are 

learning from her and she is learning 

from you. 

Padgent: Yes, for example, we 

took turns; whoever got up first 

would call the other. If one of us 

had a Word, we shared and the 

Grace Magazine | By Women for Women 

By Mary Davisson, Co-contributor Aprill O. Turner 

next day it would be the other’s 

turn. It was reciprocal. We shared. 

If I prayed, then the next time she 

prayed. We helped each other. 

Grace: Love covers a multitude 

of sins. We should remember we 

are all sisters in the body of Christ. 

How do you show love in your 

mentor-mentee relationships? 

Taylor: Everyone has deficiencies. 

A mentor can help you. If you 

believe that your mentor speaks 

from the voice of God, you should 

listen. 

Alexander: What helps with the 

receptiveness issue is understanding 

what your focus is. If you are 

focused on what God has for you, 

you can see it is not the person 

challenging you, but God sending 

what you need to get where He 

wants you to go. 

Grace: How has having a teachable 

spirit benefited the relationship? 

Tatem: Padgent was married 

with children and I was able to 

observe a married woman interact 

with her family and husband. 

At the time, her husband was not 

in the church. I watched how she 

loved on him, and how he eventually 

got into the church. As a single 

woman, I learned so much; she 

was the model. 

When I met my husband, I 

wasn’t paying him any mind, but 

Padgent noticed him and said, 

“That man is going to make someone 

a good husband.” Listening to 

what God has put on her heart has 

really been invaluable to me.

(left to right) Minister Tilla Hall, 

Adrienne Alexander, Patricia 

Padgent and Mary Davisson 

Minister Hall: Time management 

was something I mentored 

Adrienne on first because she was 

so busy. She developed a wonderful 

teaching that she presented to 

the Hagar Ministry and single parents. 

She was teaching the young 

parents about time management; it 

was so engaging. She told the story 

of how she got to that place from 

me teaching her about time management. 

Grace: One of my mentees said 

that because I was never judgmental 

about her weaknesses, it helped 

her gain victory. Is this true in 

your relationship? Can you explain 

how this has helped you overcome 

challenging areas? 

Alexander: For me, it helped to 

be encouraged that your circumstance 

is not who you are, but 

coming through a particular circumstance 

helps develop character. 

I went through a very difficult 

season. Minister Tilla always reminds 

me that I’ll get deliverance 

through my testimony. She is not 

judgmental. 

Grace: Sometimes we just need 

an ear, not advice. Has being a 

good listener played a critical role 

in the development of your relationship? 

Give an example. 

(left to right -- seated) Patricia 

Padgent, Carolyn Tatem, Jackie 

Parker and Dianne Taylor (left to right 

– standing) Adrianne Alexander and 

Minister Tilla Hall 

Tatem: Yes, just listening is definitely 

a key role. One time I was 

praying about who I thought my 

mate would be. The potential guy 

lived in California. Padgent prayed 

with me. Not one time did she 

say he is not for you. When God 

brought the man who would become 

my husband on the scene, 

she admitted that she thought the 

guy in California was not the one. 

That was a crucial time when she 

could have said something, but did 

not. 

Taylor: Jackie is a great listener. I 

know she is listening because she 

always asks follow-up questions. 

When I don’t answer, she asks 

again. She knows that I only want 

to share so much, but she needs 

to have more information to get 

to the heart of the matter. It was 

very uncomfortable at first, but she 

is so gentle with it. Now there is 

nothing off the table that she cannot 

ask me. 

Grace: How has transparency in 

the relationship helped? 

Padgent: For me transparency 

is critical. In the beginning you 

may not have it. When you have 

a safe place of intimacy, you share 

more, but when it’s one-sided and 

the other person is not sharing, it 

TEA TIME 

doesn’t make you feel safe. It’s not 

transparent. 

Minister Hall: We try to have 

a safe place in the Single Parent 

Ministry. Transparency is key to 

showing someone that you care. I 

live in a glass house. I don’t believe 

God gave me my story to keep it to 

myself. 

Parker: Over the last several 

years we have grown. The more 

transparent I am, the more Dianne 

opens up to me. My story 

doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to 

the world. Over the last couple of 

years, I have totally exposed myself 

to her and it helps her to open up 

to me. 

Taylor: If I can’t be honest about 

who I am, then I have a problem. 

That is just who I was, as I see it 

now. 

Parker: I don’t see myself as Dianne’s 

mentor. First Lady Trina 

Jenkins taught about spiritual relationships. 

Dianne walks beside 

me and I learn so much from her. 

Grace: Is there accountability? 

Give an example. 

Parker: What is the Lord saying 

to you? That is how I affirm accountability. 

As we become closer 

spiritual friends, it’s all about how 

we are growing with God. 

I ask God to not let me take for 

granted how Dianne walks beside 

me. I send her cards for no reason. 

I do not take her for granted, and I 

want her to know that. 



6 

Family Planning: 

Estate, Funeral and Will 

“To everything there is a season, A time for every 

purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to 

die .” (Eccl. 3:1-2a.) 

I remember clearly when my father 

called me on the telephone to 

say, “Baby, come over and look at 

these insurance papers.” My reply 

was “Daddy, I can’t do that!” 

Several weeks later, my dad went 

into the hospital and passed on to 

glory! The truth of the matter was 

I simply didn’t want to face the fact 

that he would eventually pass on 

(after all he was more than 70 years 

old). And then, needless to say, I 

was left scrambling and searching 

for all kinds of insurance papers. I 

had no idea where to look or what 

I was looking for. After about two 

days of searching, I was able to find 

many of the life insurance policies 

– some of which had expired. Prov. 

19:27 states, “Cease listening to instruction, 

my son, and you will stray from the 

words of knowledge.” There’s no sense 

getting good instruction if we’re not 

going to obey it. 

Daily we make plans for our lives. 

We buy homes, build and operate 

small businesses, invest and save for 

rainy days. But all too often, we neglect 

to plan for the time when we 

will no longer be here to provide for 

and protect our loved ones. What will 

happen when you’re gone? Will your 

loved ones be safe and secure? Will 

your assets be transferred in an orderly 

manner, therefore avoiding unnecessary 

conflict and expenses? Or 

will the people you care most about 

be forced to make important decisions 

while dealing with emotions 

like grief, fear and confusion? Now is 

the time to put into place plans that 

will protect your family. 

Estates 

Almost everyone, single or married, 

has an estate. These include real 

estate deeds, bank account balances, 

stocks and bonds, annuities, insurance 

policies and any other investments. 

You also need an inventory 

of expensive jewelry and collectibles 

including art, china and furniture. 

Be sure to allow for all of your assets 

as you prepare for their fair and selective 

distribution. 

Funerals 

Planning your funeral is one of the 

most thoughtful things you can do 

for your family. Death is confusing 

and a difficult time. Planning a funeral 

in the midst of these emotions 

can be overwhelming. Advanced 

planning provides your family peace 

of mind, which comes from having 

one’s affairs in order. Recording in 

advance your last wishes is a practical 

gesture because it allows you to 

make unhurried, informed decisions. 

Funerals are normally difficult to 

discuss. Advanced planning clarifies 

your wishes for many unresolved decisions 

otherwise left to your family 

members. Obituary information can 

be recorded and updated, as necessary, 

for accuracy. A funeral (also 

referred to as home going celebration) 

is an important experience for 

your loved ones. It is a gathering to 

remember and celebrate one’s life. 

Your choices can be as simple or as 

elaborate as you wish. 

Advance planning communicates 

to your family, your church, and/or 

the funeral director important information. 

The funeral home of your 


By Jackie Tilghman 

choice will assist your family in carrying 

out your wishes. Finally, your 

home going can be a traditional funeral 

ceremony or a simple private 

family service. The greatest gifts of 

the funeral are the comfort and support 

your loved ones receive from 

friends and family. 

Wills 

Wills are documents that specify 

how your estate should be distributed 

after your death. Think of a will 

as a “letter of intent,” which makes 

it easier to draft your plan. Since it 

is easy to make a mistake, for assistance, 

you should hire an attorney. 

The most common method of dealing 

with estate planning is to draft a 

will. Three well known wills according 

to “Types of Wills” (www.funeralplanning101.com) 

are: 

• A statutory will: A “fill-in-the 

blank, do-it-yourself” will is 

legally binding in many states. 

These are suitable for people 

with simple assets, and can 

be much cheaper than going 

through a lawyer. 

• A lawyer prepared will: A will 

prepared in accordance with 

the state law. As long as the 

lawyer is qualified, this type of 

will is legally binding. An experienced 

lawyer is able to handle 

issues surrounding the will, offer 

helpful advice and answer 

relevant questions. 

• A handwritten will (also called 

a holographic will): A legally 

binding will in less than half 

of the states. This is a will com- 

continued on page 19

Lynda Griffin, owner of Creative 

Interior Designs by Lynda, started 

working in interior design nearly 

two decades ago when she was a 

military wife. She took delight in 

decorating the different houses 

she lived in over the years, as well 

as designing the homes of friends. 

Griffin’s mother, a major influence 

in her interior design development, 

worked with an interior designer 

and always offered Griffin 

advice and design tips. 

Creative Interior Designs by 

Lynda, a full-service design business, 

officially opened in the fall 

of 2005. The business was birthed 

out of God’s gift of creativity and, 

as a result, the name Creative Interior 

Designs by Lynda was a 

natural moniker. The company offers 

a complete range of services 

including interior design, remixes, 

remodels and redesigns. 

Griffin took interior design and 

business courses at Prince George’s 

Community College in Largo, Md. 

and pursued a Master’s Degree in 

Urban Planning at Virginia Tech. 

The classes in urban planning generated 

her strong interest in commercial 

properties and design. She 

learned about commercial properties, 

measurements, easements, 

space planning and several other 

key concepts that have proven useful 

in her interior design business. 

She is always mindful of operating 

in her gift of creativity. She 

knows that one has to be ready and 

open to the challenges that come 

when operating in your gift. She 

especially loves having the ability 

Transformational Designs 

for Your Home or Business 

Lynda Griffin 

to make deposits into other people’s 

lives. 

“When you transform a person’s 

surroundings in a business or 

home, you have the ability to transform 

their lives,” she says. 

Her favorite project, to date, was 

designing a theatre room for an 

avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan. She 

consulted with the wife and, as 

a surprise to the husband, transformed 

an unfinished basement 

into a sleek, black and gold theatre 

room. Griffin and her design team 

seamlessly pulled together lighting, 

furniture, electrical work, design 

and electronics from start to 

finish. 

Griffin operates her business 

with inspiration from the Scripture, 

Matt. 25:21, “Well done, good 

and faithful servant; you were faithful 

over a few things, I will make you 

ruler over many things.” 

ENTREPRENEUR 

By Cathy Smith 

She conducts business using two 

basic guidelines: 

1) Integrity – She sees the business 

as not her business, but 

God’s business. So, she always 

takes the utmost care with her 

clients. “Yes” means “yes,” and 

she always tries to do what she 

promises. 

2) Transformation – When embarking 

on a project with couples, 

if the husband and wife do 

not agree, Griffin explains that 

she cannot operate in strife. If 

the husband, as the head of 

the household, does not agree, 

then it is not time for the project. 

Creative Interior Designs by 

Lynda is scheduled to launch an 

interior design show by the end of 

2011. In addition, once a month, 



8 

One of my favorite mantras 

is “Although true beauty is inner 

beauty, outer beauty should 

never be neglected.” In the spirit 

of unity, I think it’s necessary for 

women to bridge the gap between 

how we feel on the inside and 

how we present ourselves on the 

outside. Thank goodness, there’s 

help for both. I’ve talked with so 

many women who take extreme 

approaches. Some feel that outer 

beauty isn’t important at all, and 

that they should only be concerned 

about inner beauty. On the 

other end of the spectrum, there 

are women who pay so much attention 

to outer beauty that they 

neglect their inner beauty. 

I see and define beauty wholly; 

in other words, I think that inner 

and outer beauty go hand in hand. 

I see the reflection of inner beauty 

on our outer beauty. Just as the 

sun radiates outward and warms 

the earth, our inner beauty should 

radiate on the outside. Both inner 

and outer beauty should be cultivated, 

maintained and nourished 

in a balanced way. There is no virtue 

in ignoring either. However, I 

do believe our inner beauty should 

hold more importance. If we were 

to be honest with ourselves and 

ask how many hours we spend on 

our outer beauty versus cultivating 

our inner beauty, we would be 

surprised by the answer. If we can 

spend two hours getting our hair, 

outfit and makeup together for 

an event, why can’t we devote the 

same amount of time on reading 

and reflecting on God’s Word? 

Quiet Influence 

I remember my experience in 

middle school and high school. 

There were times I didn’t feel very 

beautiful. My only recourse was to 

develop my inner beauty. I thought 

to myself, “I ought to have something 

going for myself.” I decided I 

would treat myself and others with 

kindness and respect. I also volunteered 

and helped others. Even 

after I’ve blossomed into a beautiful 

woman, I’m still nourishing my 

inner beauty. 

Finding the right balance of inner 

and outer beauty can sometimes 

be a challenge for women. I 

sat down to talk with two awesome 


women, Gasby Brown and Kim 

Yearwood. Brown and Yearwood 

are both women with great style 

and a heart for women. 

Grace: How does your outside 

beauty reflect your inside beauty? 

Brown: It doesn't. The character 

and values my parents instilled 

in me were independent of how I 

looked on the outside. In fact, in 

retrospect, I believe they intentionally 

downplayed "looks" in 

favor of cultivating intelligence, 

curiosity, a sense of humor and a 

Christ-centered core. That is not 

to say that dressing appropriately 

and nice were not part of our family 

ethos; it was. My dad was a Baptist 

preacher and loved to dress 

well. However, what my sister and I 

were born with in terms of "looks" 

was never emphasized growing up 

and that stuck with me throughout 

my life. A couple of years ago 

I was quite surprised to be one of 


By Sade Dennis 

five women selected to be featured 

in a national documentary film on 

beauty ... go figure. 

Yearwood: Well first of all, I think 

that inner beauty is defined by inner 

strength and confidence; it reflects 

joy and it is being filled with 

the Holy Spirit. If your inside is 

not in a good place than you really 

can’t expect your outside beauty to 

reflect anything else. Now on the 

other hand, sometimes it’s important 

to make sure that your outside 

beauty, such as your hair, for 

instance, looks nice. If your hair 

looks a wreck, you sometimes feel 

like a wreck. Therefore, it is important 

to manage your hair, skin, 

clothes, etc., even when you don’t 

feel like it. Just because you may 

feel bad, you don’t have to look 

bad. 

Grace: What makes a woman 

beautiful? 

Brown: The way she feels about 

herself. Self-confidence can be 

very beautiful. Couple with dignity 

and the ability to be nice ... 

it’s a beautiful combination. Have 

you ever seen someone you would 

like to get to know just because of 

the way she carries herself? That's 

what I'm talking about. Now, you 

add to that someone with a sense 

of fashion and take care of her 

through exercise and diet; when 

you add it all up that's a beautiful 

woman. When a woman is naturally 

pretty, she doesn't become 

beautiful until the other attributes 

I mentioned are cultivated and apparent.

BEAUTY fROM THE INSIDE OUT — ENHANCE YOURS 

“Although true beauty 

is inner beauty, outer 

beauty should never 

be neglected.” 

Yearwood: Well to me, a woman 

that has positive self-esteem 

makes her beautiful. It’s the way 

she moves and thinks. 

Grace: How do you maintain 

your inner and outer beauty? 

Brown: I have to be honest. 

God's grace and mercy keep me 

humble and I try especially hard to 

not take His favor and blessings for 

granted. Phil. 4:8 is the verse hidden 

in my heart to maintain inner 

beauty. It was my mother's favorite 

Scripture as well and I observed 

firsthand how it affected her countenance 

and good spirited nature. 

I have also learned that forgiveness 

is the best spa treatment for 

inner beauty that I can find. 

Now on the outside, I am a believer 

in regular massages, hair 

appointments, getting my nails 

done along with a pedicure every 

two weeks. I cream off my makeup 

nightly and I think the alpha hydroxy 

in cold cream keeps my skin 

hydrated and soft. By now, I also 

have a sense of the kind of clothes 

that best suit me. 

Yearwood: The first thing I do 

before I get out of bed is to go and 

read my Word. The Word of God is 

Gasby Brown Kim Yearwood 

what keeps me beautiful on the inside. 

It’s what I beautifully “clothe” 

myself with, especially when I’ve 

gone through various trials. The 

Word of God is what I need to 

make it through. On the outside, I 

make sure to drink plenty of water, 

take a multivitamin, as well as exercise 

at least three times a week. 

For instance, I’ll take the steps instead 

of taking the elevator. I also 

purposely will park my car farther 

and walk to my particular destination. 

This is something I encourage 

my clients to do also. 

Grace: What advice would you 

give women who don't feel beautiful 

on the inside or outside? 

Brown: I would tell her to get a 

grip! You are beautiful and wonderfully 

made. Please meditate on 

the Word of God and His promises. 

Surround yourself with people 

who are positive and affirming. 

Enhance your natural beauty with 

exercise, a good diet and makeup 

... yes, makeup! Finally, believe in 

yourself. 

Yearwood: The first thing I 

would tell a woman to do is to seek 

God’s Word concerning herself. If 

God tells you that you are beautifully 

made, then you should believe 

Him. I would also encourage 

women to focus as much on the inside 

as they do the outside, because 

there’s nothing more unattractive 

than a person with a really bad attitude, 

no matter how they look on 

the outside. For outer beauty, try 

keeping your skin healthy, drink 

plenty of water, try to squeeze in 

a little exercise when possible and 

take time out for yourself. For me, 

keeping my hair styled, a great pair 

of shades and my favorite lipstick 

help, too! 

Grace: Thank you so much 

Brown and Yearwood for candidly 

sharing your thoughts on how inside 

beauty reflects outside beauty. 

I believe God wants us to be balanced 

in our approach to beauty. 

Often times, how we feel on the 

inside is what we tend to show 

on the outside. So remember to 

read, study and meditate on God’s 

Word. By doing so, we’ll learn how 

beautifully He created us on the 

inside and outside. | G | 


10 

Gloria “Peaches” Brown’s promiscuous 

lifestyle began at the 

age 16, when she dropped out of 

school. Many nights she would 

sneak out of the house to hang out 

with her homosexual friends. After 

she ran away from home at age 17 

with a friend, her mother packed 

her off to Job Corps in Charleston, 

W. Va. There she earned her high 

school diploma equivalency and 

learned the carpentry trade. 

When she returned home at 

19, she was very open regarding 

her homosexual lifestyle. She 

moved into a rooming house in 

Washington, D.C. That move 

began a downward spiral into 

drugs and its accompanying degradation. 

Brown started to pimp 

young men and women, sell drugs, 

drink alcohol and gamble. 

On one of the police raids of 

the house, Brown was arrested on 

drug dealing charges at age 20. In 

jail, she began snorting cocaine. 

Over the next several years, she 

would repeatedly be in trouble 

with the law, culminating with a 

murder charge at the age of 24. 

She said she had fatally stabbed 

an attempted robber. 

Meanwhile, Brown’s health began 

to deteriorate. She had several 

hospital stays and shared that she 

was treated for pneumonia or tuberculosis. 

Unfortunately, her sister, 

DeBora Miles, would realize 

much later that all along Brown 

had been suffering from HIV infection. 

At one point, when Brown 

was in the Correctional Treatment 

Facility at D.C. General Hospital, 

Miles had to appeal to hospital au- 

Sis, I Kept My Promise 

thorities to see her sister after being 

told she could not. Once in her 

hospital room, she discovered that 

Brown had a fever of 103 degrees 

and she pleaded for her sister to 

take her out of the hospital. 

Miles promised her sister from 

that day forward she would be her 

advocate and help care for her. 

That same day Miles called then- 

Mayor Marion Barry’s office, saying 

she wanted to take her sister home 

so she would not infect anyone 

else at the hospital with “TB.” 

When the hospital released 

Brown, Miles cared for her as best 

she could, treating her cough and 

fever with over-the-counter medications. 

Soon, her sister grew better 

and decided to move back to 

the rooming house with her friend 

Michelle. It was not long before 

Brown was calling Miles from a 

half-way house asking for a few 

dollars. She wound up there after 

violating her probation. 

At this meeting, Miles was struck 

by her sister’s changed appearance 

and, Brown was wearing clothes 

that appeared to be several times 

too large. In addition, both she and 

Michelle appeared to have burn 

marks on their faces, something 

Brown attributed to the medication 

they were taking. She queried 

them about why they were both on 

the same medication. They did not 

offer a reason and quickly took the 

cash she offered and left. As they 

walked away, Miles says she heard 

the Holy Spirit say, “Your sister 

has AIDS.” 


By Connie Pulliam 

With the Holy Spirit pushing 

her along, Miles secretly followed 

Brown and Michele to the halfway 

house. Once inside she saw 

her sister had removed the big 

clothes and just had on a T-shirt 

and shorts, revealing an emaciated 

body. “I almost did not recognize 

her. My heart just dropped. I never 

knew what AIDS actually looked 

like, but by the grace of God I kept 

my composure.” 

Three days later, while Miles was 

visiting her mother, Howard University 

Hospital called to get consent 

for treatment for her daughter 

who was driven by ambulance 

to the hospital. Oddly, they told 

her mother that the daughter who 

needed treatment was Miles. They 

soon learned that Brown had stolen 

her sister’s identity and was using 

her Social Security and health 

insurance cards, something that 

would take years for Miles to undo. 

For a long time, she could not get a 

job or life insurance because companies 

thought she had AIDS. 

Miles went to the hospital and 

spoke with her sister. Brown’s 

arm was exposed and Miles could 

clearly see it was infected. Miles 

asked Brown the source of the infection 

and she admitted to sharing 

dirty needles with Michelle. 

Then Brown admitted that she 

was HIV positive and begged her 

sister not to turn her back on her 

and not to tell anyone. Brown was 

treated and sent home. After that 

dramatic encounter, Brown withdrew 

from the family again. Five 

years later in 1990, Brown had a 

chance encounter with Michelle

on a city bus. Miles learned where 

the women were living and went 

to see her sister. They resumed a 

somewhat normal relationship. 

In 1996, Miles found out that 

Brown had full-blown AIDS but 

she refused to go to the hospital. 

She threatened, “If you take me 

to the hospital, I will refuse treatment 

and I will leave and you won’t 

know where I am.” Brown said to 

Miles, “I want you to take care of 

me like you promised.” However, 

she soon became too weak to fight 

anymore, so Miles and one of their 

aunts literally picked Brown up 

and drove her to the hospital. 

Miles would care for her sister 

during her entire two-month hospital 

stay. The doctors stabilized 

Brown that night and placed her 

on a ventilator. Brown moved to 

intensive care and she started to 

get better and resumed taking her 

medication. Finally when Brown’s 

breathing got better the doctors 

said they were taking her off the 

ventilator and moved her to another 

room. As Miles walked down 

the hall to her sister’s new room, 

she said the atmosphere seemed 

to have changed. It was quiet and 

foggy like walking down a tunnel 

and not knowing what was at the 

other end. There was a door at the 

right side of the tunnel (Brown’s 

room). At that moment Miles says 

she thought of Psalm 13:1. Then 

she heard God tell her, “I did what 

you asked, I healed her.” Later, 

Miles would realize He had not 

healed her, from AIDS, but rather 

from her lesbian lifestyle. 

Miles says when she went into 

Brown’s room the glory of God was 

in the room. There was fog all over 

the room and angels over Brown's 

bed. She knew she was in the presence 

of God. Miles says her sister 

was sitting up in the bed looking 

just like she looked in high school. 

Brown asked Miles, “who is the virtuous 

woman?” Brown asked Miles 

to read to her from the Bible about 

the virtuous woman. Miles got into 

bed with her sister and read from 

Prov. 31. They prayed together, 

which is when Miles led her sister 

to Christ and Brown accepted 

Him. That night Brown confided 

in Miles that she was always jealous 

of her because she always 

seemed to be perfect. They never 

got along because Brown shared “I 

wanted to be like you.” 

Brown then asked her sister to 

listen carefully. “Black,” she said. 

Miles asked “black? What about 

black?” Brown told her sister that 

is what she wanted to wear because 

nobody could see her in 

black. After that, Brown went to 

sleep. Miles left her sister’s room. 

HEALTH DEPARTMENT 

Introduction: To mark the 30th anniversary of the first diagnosed case of AIDS in the United States, 

Grace Magazine talked with DeBora Miles, an addictions counselor who lost her younger sister 

Gloria “Peaches” Brown to AIDS in 1996. Her sister contracted the disease through intravenous 

drug use. In this article, Miles details her sister’s harrowing journey. 

DeBora Miles 

For the first time in two months, 

Miles went home because she was 

no longer in denial and felt at 

peace with what had taken place 

with her sister. 

The next day the hospital called 

to say that Brown had taken a turn 

for the worse and was in a coma. 

Miles told the doctor to keep her 

sister alive. They placed her back 

on the ventilator, something the 

doctors warned against fearing she 

would never breathe on her own 

again. However, she was stabilized 

and able to breathe normally once 

it was removed. Miles went to the 

hospital to tell her sister she was 

going home. When she told her, 

Brown looked up and smiled. 

At home, she kept her eyes open 

long enough to see everyone who 

had come to see her. A few days 

later, on April 22, 1996, she passed 

away. It had been a long fight from 

1983, when she was misdiagnosed 

with tuberculosis to 1985 when 

she tested positive for HIV infection 

to her full-blown AIDS diagnosis 

in 1990. 

Miles said the following poem 

helped sustain her during the ordeal 

with her sister: 

When sorrow assails me or terror 

draws nigh, 

His love will not fail me. 

He’ll guide with his eyes. 

And when I am fainting and ready 

to fail, 

He will give me what is lacking 

and make me prevail. | G | 


12 

HIV/AIDS' 

Anniversary 

In the following interview, 

DeBora Miles, a certified addictions 

counselor and advocate for 

HIV/AIDS awareness, explains 

what the 30th anniversary of HIV/ 

AIDS means to her. In the related 

article, “Sis, I Kept My Promise,” 

she shares her personal story 

about her sister, Gloria “Peaches” 

Brown’s battle with HIV/AIDS. 

Grace: With this year marking 

the 30th anniversary of the first 

reported case of HIV/AIDS, what 

thoughts go through your mind? 

Miles: I think about how far the 

medications used to treat AIDS 

have come. Growing up in the 

church, I came from a very sheltered 

life. I did not know anything 

about this disease. Therefore, I am 

focused on awareness and continuing 

to get the word out about 

HIV/AIDS. I had no knowledge 

of HIV/AIDS, which makes me 

think of the Scripture Hosea 4:6: 

“My people are destroyed for lack of 

knowledge. Because you have rejected 

knowledge, I also will reject you from 

being priest for Me; Because you have 

forgotten the law of your God, I also 

will forget your children.” 

Grace: What has it been like to 

help others deal with addiction, especially 

one that has resulted in an 

HIV/AIDS infection? How do you 

counsel them? Do you think or 

speak differently than you would 

have your sister not suffered with 

this? 

Miles: When it comes to caring 

for others with addictions or 

those who are HIV positive or have 

AIDS — that is when my humanitarian 

spirit kicks in. In the process 

of becoming a certified addictions 

counselor, I learned a lot about 

what was really going on. I wanted 

to change the entire system that 

was in place. I wanted to take it 

higher. I wanted to deal with this 

issue from a spiritual perspective. 

If my sister Peaches hadn’t suffered 

from this I don’t think I 

would be the advocate that I am 

now. I don’t believe I would be 

participating in some things, such 

as making of an AIDS memorial 

quilt. 

Grace: What advice or counsel 

would you give to someone who 

has a loved one who is either currently 

battling or has lost the fight 

against AIDS? 

Miles: Do not to give up on the 

person; and if your loved one has 

passed on, not to give up on God. 

Also, if you are the caretaker, don’t 

pave the way for the person you 

are caring for to depend on you 

more than they depend on God. It 

is very easy to slip into that mode 

because you become the primary 

caregiver. Therefore, that is something 

to always be aware of. 

Grace: How did you handle 

the fact that someone as close as 

your sister lost her battle with this 

deadly disease? 

Miles: Once I discovered my 

sister had been diagnosed with 

AIDS, I realized that we all should 

continue to set goals. The only 

thing that had really changed was 

that my sister had been diagnosed 

with AIDS. We still had to live our 

lives to the best of our abilities. So 

set goals. Of course, they should 


By Connie Pulliam 

be realistic and practical goals, 

but goals nonetheless. Though we 

should always focus on what is important 

in life, unfortunately at crisis 

time, that’s when we remember 

what really is important – God and 

our love ones. Those are things we 

should make our top priority. 

Grace: How long had you been 

a certified addictions counselor 

before discovering your sister was 

suffering from AIDS? 

Miles: Though I have been training 

to become a certified addictions 

counselor for some time, I actually 

became certified a little over 

a month ago. I believe that seeing 

what my sister went through dealing 

with AIDS helps me to do my 

job better. 

Grace: Do you have any final 

words you want to share with the 

readers? 

Miles: One word of advice I 

would like to give is if you are 

a caretaker, relative or friend of 

someone suffering from this disease, 

one thing to remember is to 

give that individual their space. 

You may want to love on them, pray 

for them or hug them to try to ease 

the pain. The person you love may 

want or need time to think, pray 

or whatever the case may be. 

Dealing with this disease is a lifechanging 

experience for everyone 

involved. I just tried to have as 

much patience as I could because 

I know that it was only by the grace 

of God that it wasn’t me. | G |

What is HIV/AIDS? According 

to the Centers for Disease Control, 

HIV is a human immunodeficiency 

virus. It is a virus that can lead to acquired 

immune deficiency syndrome 

or AIDS. There are two types of HIV, 

HIV-1 and HIV-2. In the United 

States, unless otherwise noted, the 

term HIV primarily refers to HIV-1. 

1. Where did HIV come from? 

Scientists identified a type of 

chimpanzee in West Africa as 

the source of HIV infection in 

humans. They believe that the 

chimpanzee version of the immunodeficiency 

virus (called 

simian immunodeficiency virus 

or SIV) most likely was transmitted 

to humans and mutated 

into HIV when humans hunted 

these chimpanzees for meat and 

came into contact with their infected 

blood. Over decades, the 

virus slowly spread across Africa 

and later into other parts of the 

world. 

2. How is HIV spread? HIV is 

spread primarily by: 

• Not using a condom when having 

sex with a person who has 

HIV. All unprotected sex with 

someone who has HIV contains 

some risk. However: 

• Unprotected anal sex is riskier 

than unprotected vaginal sex. 

• Among men who have sex with 

other men, unprotected receptive 

anal sex is riskier than unprotected 

insertive anal sex. 

• Having multiple sex partners or 

the presence of other sexually 

transmitted diseases (STDs) 

can increase the risk of infection 

during sex. Unprotected 

oral sex can also be a risk for 

HIV transmission, but it is a 

HIV/AIDS 

Facts from Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention 

much lower risk than anal or 

vaginal sex. 

• Sharing needles, syringes, rinse 

water or other equipment used 

to prepare illicit drugs for injection. 

• Being born to an infected 

mother. HIV can be passed 

from mother to child during 

pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. 

Less common modes of transmission 

include: 

• Being “stuck” with an HIVcontaminated 

needle or other 

sharp object. This risk pertains 

mainly to healthcare workers. 

• Receiving blood transfusions, 

blood products or organ/tissue 

transplants that are contaminated 

with HIV. This risk is extremely 

remote due to the rigorous 

testing of the U.S. blood 

supply and donated organs/tissue. 

• HIV may also be transmitted 

through unsafe or unsanitary 

injections or other medical or 

dental practices. However, the 

risk is also remote with current 

safety standards in the U.S. 

• Eating food that has been prechewed 

by an HIV-infected 

person. The contamination occurs 

when infected blood from 

a caregiver’s mouth mixes with 

food while chewing. This appears 

to be a rare occurrence 

and has only been documented 

among infants whose caregiver 

gave them pre-chewed food. 

• Being bitten by a person with 

HIV. Each of the very small 

number of cases has included 

severe trauma with extensive 

tissue damage and the pres- 

ence of blood. There is no risk 

of transmission if the skin is not 

broken. 

• Contact between broken skin, 

wounds or mucous membranes 

and HIV-infected blood or 

blood-contaminated body fluids. 

These reports have also 

been extremely rare. 

• There is an extremely remote 

chance that HIV could be 

transmitted during “French” or 

deep, open-mouth kissing with 

an HIV-infected person if the 

HIV-infected person’s mouth 

or gums are bleeding. 

• Tattooing or body piercing 

present a potential risk of HIV 

transmission, but no cases of 

HIV transmission from these 

activities have been documented. 

Only sterile equipment 

should be used for tattooing or 

body piercing. 

• There have been a few documented 

cases in Europe and 

North Africa where infants 

have been infected by unsafe 

injections and then transmitted 

HIV to their mothers through 

breastfeeding. There have been 

no documented cases of this 

mode of transmission in the 

U.S. 

HIV cannot reproduce outside the 

human body. It is not spread by: 

• Air or water. 

• Insects, including mosquitoes. 

Studies conducted by CDC 

researchers and others have 

shown no evidence of HIV 

transmission from insects. 

• Saliva, tears or sweat. There is 

no documented case of HIV be- 



14 

Fall 2011 

TasTy 

As the sizzle of the summer sun fades into a distant memory, we opt for meals that generate warmth and 

comfort. The comfort of home and hearth is still achievable in today’s fast-paced world without spending 

hours over a hot stove. Seafood bisques and chowders are cold weather classics that can be made using a 

slow cooker while at work, school or out for the day. 

Slow Cooker Seafood Bisque 

Ingredients: 

1 can condensed cream of potato soup 

1 can condensed cream of celery soup 

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 

1 can condensed cream of shrimp soup 

4 cans water 

1 bottle clam juice 

2 cans mini shrimp with juice 

2 cans pink crabmeat with juice 

treats 

There is a cooking show on television, “The Food Network,” that connects to busy moms on the go called 

“Semi-Homemade.” It highlights home cooked items that are made using both store-bought and fresh ingredients. 

This concept has been a life-saver for me as a working mom because I want to make home-cooked 

meals from scratch for my family but I often don’t have the time needed. This hearty recipe uses a box of corn 

bread mix with a few extras to make it delicious and homemade, in a jiffy. 

Grace Grace Magazine | By Women for Women 

By Mia Waldron 

¼ cup Old Bay seasoning 

1 tbsp. celery seed 

½ tbsp. ground cumin 

½ tbsp. dried parsley 

3 potatoes cut into bite-sized chunks 

2 stalks celery hearts diced 

1 large onion finely diced 

½ - 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste) 

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, except reserve the cans of water as the final ingredient. Use 

more or less water for a desired consistency. Stir mixture and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Serve with 

oyster crackers or cornbread. 

Hopped-Up Hoppin’ John 

Ingredients: 

2 boxes corn bread mix 

2 eggs 

2 tbsp. sour cream 

1 can cut corn, drained 

2 slices of bacon, crumbled 

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven as directed on corn bread mix (usually 400˚ F). 

2. Spray baking dish with cooking oil and lightly dust the bottom of the pan with corn meal. 

3. Empty the corn bread mix into large bowl. Add eggs, sour cream and water (as directed on box 

of mix). Stir until dry ingredients are moistened; add corn and bacon. Mix until well combined but 

batter is still slightly lumpy. Pour batter into prepared baking dish immediately and bake as directed 

on the box (usually 25 to 35 minutes). 

4. Insert a toothpick into the center of the loaf to determine if it is done. If the toothpick comes out 

clean, it is done.

What we inherit from our parents, 

our grandparents and our 

great-grandparents is more than 

good genes and earthly treasures. 

We can become heirs to the sinful 

thoughts, words and deeds of 

our ancestors handed down from 

one generation to another. Spiritual 

bondage can impact our lives 

in many ways – depression, unforgiveness, 

struggles with poverty, 

fear, anger, drug addiction and 

the perpetuation of abuse. Simply 

put, if we allow it, our lives can be 

plagued by generational curses – 

leaving us paying the debt of the 

sins of our forefathers committed 

long ago. 

The Bible tells us that the Lord 

who is merciful, gracious, longsuffering 

and abundant in goodness 

and truth is not pleased 

with sin and that our children 

will be the beneficiaries of our 

wrong-doings. “Keeping mercy for 

thousands, forgiving iniquity and 

transgression and sin, by no means 

clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity 

of the fathers upon the children 

and the children’s children to the third 

and the fourth generation” (Ex. 34: 7). 

Being under the influence of 

these strongholds can prove challenging 

for a non-believer. However, 

Christians believe that Jesus 

Christ redeemed us some 2,000 

years ago on Calvary. We believe 

we can conquer the curse by the 

blood – the blood of Jesus. “Christ 

has redeemed us from the curse 

of the law, having become a curse 

for us. For it is written, “Cursed is 

everyone who hangs on a tree” (Gal. 

3:13). 

Now it is up to us to loose the 

shackles of sin and walk in the 

power of God’s might. “Therefore 

if the Son makes you free, you 

shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). 

In spite of what our ancestors 

bestowed upon us, we must believe 

without a shadow of a doubt that 

Take Your 

RIGHTfUL 

INHERITANCE: 

Sever the Yokes of 

Generational Curses! 

we can leave a different legacy for 

our children by breaking the pattern. 

For as he thinks in his heart, 

so is he. “ Eat and drink!” he says 

to you, but his heart is not with you 

(Prov.23:7). 

We must break the cycle of divorce 

by marrying the “evenly 

yoked” mate God chose for us and 

work to sustain a fulfilling marriage. 

We must mutilate the mindset 

that poverty begets poverty 

when we know that God can raise 

anyone out of any situation just as 

He did the children of Israel. We 

must demand respect by giving it 

love unconditionally and live the 

life to which God has called us. 

As Christians, we must be cognizant 

of our own words and actions 

and refuse to pass on sin. We must 

cancel out negatives, promote positives 

and inspire our children to 

By Judy L. Mitchell 

live God-fearing lives, filled with 

the fruit of the Spirit which transcends 

throughout generations. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, 

peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, 

faithfulness, gentleness, selfcontrol. 

Against such there is no law.” 

(Gal. 5:22-23). That is the rightful 

inheritance we should claim, live 

and pass on. 

As children of God, we must 

refuse to be bound by curses and 

flourish freely under God’s grace. 

We must utilize our source of power, 

strength (Holy Spirit) and truth 

(God’s Word) to move the mountains 

of a sin-plagued life, speak 

peace into every dry situation, and 

reach back into our generational 

blood lines, cast out the demons 

and break the curse! Indeed, that 

is our rightful inheritance! | G | 


16 

Psalm 133:1 states, “Behold, how 

good and how pleasant it is for brethren 

to dwell together in unity!” and it 

is the 2011 theme for First Baptist 

Church of Glenarden. Sometimes 

the youth think differently about 

life, morals, etc., than adults. 

Therefore, Grace Magazine decided 

to ask them about what 

they think about unity. Candance 

Smith is a member of the Young 

Adult Choir; Rhonda McLaughlin 

attends CrossRoads and Sharya 

Walker and Elijah Walker attend 

MERGE. 

Grace: How is unity being incorporated 

into the ministry that you 

attend? 

McLaughlin: I love the open forum 

of the group. We can ask questions 

and have comments without 

worrying about being judged. You 

feel the oneness from the group 

and we are encouraged to get to 

know each other and talk about issues 

we are facing. Talking about 

relationship and life issues is also a 

focus of the group. We have games 

and relaxed times with each other 

in the ministry. Having someone to 

talk to and sharing without regret 

shows a lot of unity. 

Smith: (very enthusiastically) I 

love the Young Adult Choir. When 

we have rehearsals, it feels like a 

family reunion. Anthony Brown, 

director of the Young Adult Choir, 

is the best. He is always concerned 

about how we are doing. We all 

keep up with each other and reach 

out to help one another. We make 

new members feel like family as 

they come in. We are committed 

Unity Among Today’s Youth 

to knowing Romans Road and 

[becoming] altar [counselors] and 

reaching out to other young adults. 

Being united in the Young Adult 

Choir family makes our mega 

church not feel [big and impersonal]. 

We pray for each other and 

we are even involved in outreaches 

with other ministries. 

Sharya Walker: I like how Reverrend 

Billy Staton, our youth pastor, 

helps us to understand the Word 

and how as youth we can get into 

it in our own way. We can connect 

with MERGE and come together 

knowing we are all there for the 

same purpose. We are taught that 

we are people of Christ and we 

should work together. We should 

be strong in the Word and strong 

in our walk. 

Elijah Walker: One thing I like 

about MERGE is the high-energy 

that we get there and how we all 

come together to enjoy the music 

and the Word. The beats are hot 

and we can really get into it. Sometimes 

we can’t get into church service 

the way we want to, so MERGE 

lets us let loose and have fun. Minister 

Devon Turner shares stories 

with us and lets us know that he 

understands what it’s like to be 

young and living for God. Society 

wants us to be like everyone else, 

but MERGE is showing us how to 

stay righteous. 

Grace: Were you already familiar 

with the concept of unity or 

are you learning about it from the 

sermons of Pastor John K. Jenkins 

Sr.? 


By Denita Johnson 

McLaughlin: No, it was not a top 

priority in my family’s lives. One 

Sunday, Pastor Jenkins preached 

about having corporate prayer, and 

now I have incorporated having 

prayer time with the family so we 

all can be on one accord. 

Smith: I feel that my family was 

together in a way, but not unified 

like I have learned from First Baptist. 

I didn’t feel the unity like I feel 

from First Baptist and the Young 

Adult Choir. I have been stronger 

because of unity and being mentored. 

Sharya Walker: It has definitely 

been a learning process for my 

family. When we heard Pastor Jenkins 

teaching about unity, we knew 

we needed to change. We have difficulty 

in communication with my 

family. We are working on opening 

our communication with each 

other now. 

Elijah Walker: It is a learning 

process with my family. It was not 

something that we were just doing, 

having unity with each other. We 

are trying to work better with each 

other and we are also working on 

communication with each other. 

Grace: Is it easier for young people 

than adults to come together in 

unity? 

Smith: Well, I think we have it 

harder being the middle-age group 

because we are labeled as the club 

crowd. It does make it easier being 

involved with each other and 

we are not as bad as people might 

say we are. We have much to offer. 

We encourage each other and all 

other young adults, and really let

Rhonda McLaughlin 

Candance Smith 

the Spirit use us. The Young Adult 

Choir is awesome and we are sold 

out for the Lord. 

McLaughlin: I feel in the young 

adult age group we are in the middle 

of still trying to find ourselves 

or worrying about appearances 

and being accepted. Being in a 

ministry that shows unity from the 

beginning is very helpful. 

Sharya Walker: I think unity is 

easy with any age group. We can all 

come together in unity if we put 

our hearts and minds together like 

we are being taught. Sometimes 

our age group may become frustrated 

more easily, but we can all 

still learn to work together. 

Elijah Walker: Yes, I think with 

our age group it is easier to come 

together in unity because older 

YOUTH/YOUNG ADULT 

Elijah Walker 

Sharya Walker 

people have more pressure. The 

younger age doesn’t have much 

experience, so we just come together 

more easily knowing we all 

are still growing. 

CrossRoads Ministry (ages 18-35) meets 

the second and fourth Friday of each 

month at the Ministry Center. For additional 

information, send an e-mail to 

info@fbcglenarden.org. 

MERGE is a combined youth ministry 

with First Baptist Church of Glenarden 

and Zion Church for middle school, 

high school and college-aged children. 

They meet first and third Fridays of the 

month. For additional information, visit 

www.mergedmv.com. 

Young Adult Choir (ages 18-35) meets 

the third and fourth Monday of each 

month at the Worship Center. For 

additional information, send an e-mail 

to musicartsministries@fbcglenarden. 

org, Attn: Young Adult Choir. 

CONTINUED fROM PAGE 3 

CFPB says. If you think too highly of 

your creditworthiness when in fact 

you have some problems, you might 

not make changes that would result 

in a better loan. If you mistakenly 

think your score is not good, you 

may settle for less favorable terms 

or may forgo applying for credit if 

the scores you purchase lead you to 

believe you will be viewed as a poor 

credit risk. 

It’s important the CFPB probe 

this issue. What people don’t know 

could be costing them money. 

(c) 2011, The Washington Post Writers 

Group, Published: July 23, 2011, Reprinted 

with Permission 


Griffin offers free interior design 

workshops at Kirkland’s, a home 

goods store in Waldorf, Md. Contact 

Griffin for dates and times at 

301-535-3040, or visit the company 

Web site at www.creativeinteriordesignsbylynda.com. 

Decorating Tips: 

Let Your Light Shine 

To preserve lighting, remember 

wood absorbs light. In winter 

months and on dark, cloudy days, 

use energy efficient light bulbs. 

They allow multiple lighting sources 

for a longer period, while using 

less energy. 

To maximize lighting, use multiple 

mirror sources to reflect light 

and give the illusion of a bigger and 

brighter space. Add a little "bling" 

to your life and to your space. | G | 


18 

A 

Unified 

Marriage 

I know many married couples 

can attest that there is a whole lot 

they know about marriage after the 

fact that they did not know before. 

For instance, that not everything 

was going to be rosy or fresh like 

the morning dew. On the other 

hand, even that there were going 

to be times they thought their 

spouse had somehow been kidnapped 

by aliens. It almost makes 

me wonder why the older married 

couples were smiling on our wedding 

day. Were they smiling because 

they were truly happy for us 

or because they knew about some 

kind of secret code, we did not yet 

know? I know now they were smiling 

because they were happy for 

us. They knew that Charles and I 

were embarking on the beautiful 

life-long journey of marriage. 

Now that Charles and I have 

been married for five years, I can 

honestly say that we have grown 

together tremendously. There are 

times when we finish each other’s 

sentences or know what each other 

is thinking. The process of becoming 

unified is just that, a process. 

There are a number of factors that 

help us in the process of becoming 

one. 

Finding mentor couples 

Mentor married couples provide 

practical guidance and great role 

modeling. They help couples be 

all that God has called them to be 

in marriage. Mentor couples also 

provide the accountability and the 

strong support needed to help a 

Charles and Sade Dennis 

marriage be successful. Engaged 

couples should also seek mentor 

couples. 

Utilizing helpful resources 

Taking advantage of marriage 

conferences, books and classes 

help a great deal. At First Baptist 

Church of Glenarden, the Couples 

Ministry, under the leadership of 

Ministers Skip and Beverly Little, 

meet the first Saturday of the 

month at 7 p.m. There are also a 

number of very helpful classes like 

the Homebuilder classes offered 

by the Bible Institute. 

Fellowshipping with other 

couples 

Fellowshipping with other 

Christian married couples provides 

accountability. It also gives 

couples the opportunity not only 

to fellowship, but to share experiences 

and give support, both of 

which can strengthen marriages. 

Many times other couples are experiencing 

similar joys and challenges 

as they grow in oneness. 


Making date night a priority 

Making date night a priority 

helps couples connect on an intimate 

level. For the same reasons 

couples went on dates during 

courting, should be the same reasons 

married couples continue to 

go on regular dates. These reasons 

are spending time, connecting, 

communicating and having some 

good old-fashioned fun. It also 

ensures we make our spouse feel 

important. 

Seeing your spouse 

By Sade Dennis 

What I mean by “seeing” your 

spouse, is to let them know that 

you truly appreciate, recognize 

and empathize with them in a 

way that no one else does. After 

a long, hard and frustrating day at 

work, there is nothing more relieving 

than spouses that say, “Honey, 

I understand; I’m sorry that happened 

to you.” Or “Honey, you did 

an amazing job on that, you are the 

best at that.” Affirming and accepting 

our spouse is essential. 

Most importantly, each spousemust 

maintain a vibrant relationship 

with Christ, individually. 

Unlike the popular movie Jerry 

Maguire where the lead character 

tells his love interest “you complete 

me,” no other human being 

can complete us. Only Christ can 

complete us. By becoming complete 

in Christ, we then can become 

unified with our spouse. | G |

There is nothing more unique 

or gratifying than the love and 

support derived from the fellowship 

of Christian sisters. The 

powerful bonding of sisters is cemented 

by the Word of God. The 

Bible teaches us about fellowship 

in 1 Cor. 1:10, which reads, “Now I 

plead with you, brethren, by the name 

of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all 

speak the same thing, and that there 

be no divisions among you, but that 

you be perfectly joined together in 

the same mind and in the same judgment.” 

Fellowship with sisters-in- 

Christ takes on various forms, 

such as gathering for prayer or 

inspiring conversation. Often, 

our fellowships become more indepth 

and personal, and could 

take on the appearance of being 

a clique (a group of people who 

share the same interests, purpose 

and patterns of behavior). People 

involved in cliques tend to fellowship 

among each other, with no regard 

to outsiders that want to be a 

part of their group. It is important 

to realize that cliques are viewed 

in a negative light as it pertains to 

Christian fellowship. We certainly 

do not want to portray “cliquish” 

behavior in our fellowships. 

by Felicia Johnson 

The Power of Sisterhood 

How to Avoid 

Cliquish Behavior 

What can sisters do to assure 

that our fellowships are not perceived 

as cliques? 

• Introduce yourself to guests 

and invite them to join your 

ministry. 

• Give each guest and member 

an opportunity to express 

themselves and be heard. 

• Create and explore other venues 

for developing inclusive 

fellowships during the week. 

Do not limit your fellowship 

to Sunday mornings only. 

• Engage in conversations that 

are inspirational, uplifting 

and based on the Word of 

God. 

• Encourage each other with 

prayer and words of wisdom. 

There are various women’s ministries 

within our church that cater 

to the needs of every woman; and 

all are governed by God's Word. 

When you associate with positive 

sisters-in-Christ, you can be assured 

that you are truly loved and 

cared for. The power of Christian 

sisterhood is a spiritual bond that 

can never be broken. | G | 

pleted in your own handwriting, 

dated and signed. Even 

within some states where these 

are considered legal, different 

jurisdictions may have opposing 

provisions. However, if you 

have the will signed by two witnesses, 

you may be better off 

legally. Again, it is best to have 

a lawyer check over the will to 

determine whether it conforms 

to state law. 

Please remember it is not easy to 

deal with the prospect of your own 

death, but planning your estate is the 

responsible thing to do. Many people 

feel they do not need a will. Perhaps 

you are under the assumption that 

your assets are so little that you don’t 

require an estate plan. Regardless 

of the size of the estate, take control 

and make it right now! 

If you are experiencing grief after 

the loss of a loved one, and are 

in need of support, First Baptist 

Church of Glenarden’s Healing, 

Transition and Bereavement Support 

Group meets Mondays, 7 p.m at 

the Ministry Center. | G CONTINUED fROM PAGE 6 

| 


ing transmitted by spitting. Casual 

contact like shaking hands 

or sharing dishes. 

• Closed-mouth or “social” kissing. 

Please go to the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention Web 

site, www.cdc.gov, for the most current 

facts and statistics concerning 

HIV and AIDS. Also check out 

http://www.avert.org/aids-history-86. 

htm to read about the history of 

AIDS from 1986. | G | 


20 

Phenola Moore 

My Queen Esther Testimony 

By JeTonya Govan 

Before I joined the Queen Esther 

Ministry, I was a mother of two 

boys and pregnant again and I never 

wanted children. I considered myself 

selfish with a bad attitude. I only 

had my children two days a week. 

I felt having children was a consequence 

from past abortions. I didn’t 

understand why God would give me 

children when I really didn’t want 

them. I didn’t know how to be gentle 

or patient with my children. I was always 

trying to find ways to get rid of 

them for the weekend so that I could 

do what I wanted. 

I had two different baby fathers 

with number three on the way. I 

was in an abusive relationship. I was 

speaking death over my life and my 

children's lives with my tongue. I re- 

In this issue, there are several articles in the Women's Ministry Group department in which members 

tell how the Women's Ministry helped them through their journey. JeTonya Govan shares her story 

in "My Queen Esther Testimony" about how she considered herself selfish with a bad attitude prior 

to joining. Leslie Dowtin and a group of First Baptist Church of Glenarden women took a journey 

and they share what happened in the "Sisters For Your Journey" article. Also, Jeffrey Moore’s article, 

"Autumn, A Blessing in Due Season" shares he and his wife’s struggle to have children and the 

joy they've experienced since adopting. 

Also Maria E. White's article, "Women's Retreat Recap — 2011" gives us a taste of what happened 

at the retreat. And again we list the "Women's Ministry Focus Studies Fall 2011" schedule. 

fused to be submissive to authority: 

my boss or my significant other. I was 

living a carefree life of sex, drinking 

and clubbing. I started depending 

on alcohol to cope with everything. I 

would put down anyone that tried to 

put me down. 

My Turning Point 

My children started telling me that 

I was always angry. I started attending 

church again, this time more often 

than before. It seemed as if every 

sermon Pastor John K. Jenkins 

Sr. preached was targeted at me. For 

example, having premarital sex, consuming 

alcohol, shacking up and living 

on the fence – one foot in and 

one foot out – told my life story. So, 

I decided to re-dedicate my life to 

Christ. 

Once I re-dedicated my life, I 

stopped having premarital sex and 

stopped drinking. I asked my boyfriend 

to move out. He did without 

understanding me. Giving up everything 

was very hard for me to do. I 

did it because I had done it my way 

all these years and ended up bitter, 

angry and hurt. So I told myself to 

give it to God and let Him work His 

will out for me and my children. The 

bump in the road for me was after I 

did what God told me to do. I found 

out that I was pregnant with baby 

number three and still unmarried. 


Now at this point my ex-boyfriend 

had no respect for me and the verbal 

abuse became more intense. He 

would say things like, “You already 

have two different fathers, now it will 

be three.” He said he was mad that I 

was keeping the baby and he did not 

want anything to do with me. 

I had enough of the abuse. Although 

I had re-dedicated my life to 

Christ, my past was still haunting me 

and I didn’t know what else to do. So 

a good friend, who had been trying 

to get me to join Queen Esther Ministry 

for the past two years, informed 

me when the next Moment of Preparation 

(orientation where members 

share their testimonies about what 

they learned and what to expect 

while attending) was to take place. 

So I went and have not looked back 

since. 

Finishing Queen Esther 

It wasn't until Leah’s story in Session 

Two that I realized children are 

a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3 

says, “Behold children are a heritage 

from the Lord, the fruit of the womb 

is a reward.” After reading and understanding 

this Scripture, it made 

me realize that my children are my 

responsibility, and they are a blessing 

and not a curse. Now, I trust and 

depend on God to help me with my 

gentleness, patience, love and kind- 

Queen Esther Ministry is a 18-month discipleship class. Their purpose is to develop godly women (ages 18-35) through discipleship 

and disciplined application of God's Word as it relates to "real life" issues that women face. They meet every Thursday at 7 p.m. 

Carolyn Tatem is the director. For additional information, please send an e-mail to queenesther@fbcglenarden.org. 

continued on page 25

Cost of gas: $25. Cost of food: 

$25. Extended weekend trip fellowshipping 

with covenant sisters 

and deepening the bonds between 

us – priceless! 

In June 2009, God providentially 

brought a group of 12 women 

together. Although we were informed 

of the purpose and mission 

of the Sisters For Your Journey 

Ministry, none of us anticipated 

the joy that was to be revealed. 

Suffice it to say, the months following 

our introduction passed like 

the blink of an eye, but the depth 

of spiritual growth, soul-care and 

personal development will last a 

lifetime. It culminated in a weekend 

excursion to the home of one 

of our sisters who had moved out 

of town before the group officially 

ended. Although schedule conflicts 

prevented everyone from 

going, six of us hit the road early 

Saturday morning, heading to 

Rembert, S.C. 

Eight hours (or so) later we arrived 

to find our hostess on the 

porch, eagerly waiting to greet us. 

Words cannot adequately express 

Women’s Ministry Group at a Glance 

left to right: Ruth Omonijo, Jackie Parker, Kia Chatman, Dianne 

Taylor, Carmella Jones, Leslie Dowtin and Wanda Davis. By Leslie Dowtin 

what our time together meant to 

us. You would really have to have 

been there to capture the essence 

of the precious experience we 

shared, but I will attempt to relay 

it to you here. 

Kia Chatmon described the trip 

as, “a deepening of the bonds with 

my sisters; the opportunity to let 

our hair down and really get to 

know each other; and a Sunday 

service where God showed out 

and let us know that He plans to 

do some mighty things in the lives 

of the women who were in that 

house.” Dianne Taylor and Carmella 

Jones, who are studying for 

the ministry, delivered a combined 

Word of God from Psalm 133. The 

family room became the sanctuary 

and God graced us with His glory 

in an indescribable way. 

Dianne Taylor illustrated her 

feelings this way: “God provided 

an opportunity for me to have an 

intimate experience with each of 

my sisters, that strengthened our 

[individual] relationship[s], as well 

as knitting all of us together, collectively. 

I came back more deeply 

committed to my sisters, and purpose 

to maintain the relationship.” 

During that weekend, we 

shopped – quite frugally – thanks 

to the talent of one sister; we 

laughed, we prayed, we encouraged 

and we grew. God allowed 

us to see that He is truly a God 

of relationships. I learned that 

when we each “esteem the other better 

than ourselves,” (Phil. 2:3) God 

will do marvelous things. “Behold, 

how good and how pleasant it is for 

[sisters] to dwell together in unity! ... 

Truly, “there the Lord command[s] 

the blessing – life (and sisterhood) 

forevermore!” (Psalm 133:1, 3—my 

translation). 

Sisters for Your Journey are a covenant 

group of women who come together in 

a safe place for spiritual and personal 

growth, to help women in the application 

of biblical principles in their everyday 

lives. They meet bi-weekly for 18 weeks 

and the meetings are limited to 1 hour. 

For additional information, send a 

message to the attention of Johnsie 

Webster, director, to womensministry@ 

fbcglenarden.org. 


22 

Autumn, A Blessing in Due Season 

My wife Sheila and I found true 

happiness when we were married 

in May 2007. We had a wonderful 

home, good jobs and an incredible 

loving relationship. It was at this 

point that we decided to add to 

our family and share our love and 

joy with a child. 

Unfortunately, we learned we 

were unable to conceive naturally. 

We were introduced to the world 

of fertility treatments, and were 

willing to try anything to make our 

dreams come true. What followed 

was two and a half years of six failed 

pregnancies, including miscarriages, 

an ectopic pregnancy and 

failed embryo attachments. This 

was devastating to us. While I was 

truly hurt and frustrated with the 

process, it affected my wife even 

more deeply. My wife is a wonderful, 

devoted and loving woman. Instead 

of having children when she 

was younger, she waited until she 

was ready in all aspects of life (with 

a husband) to create the best situation 

possible for her child. However, 

she was now pained with the 

possibility that she waited too long 

to have children and perhaps lost 

the opportunity to fulfill her ultimate 

dream. 

The day following the last miscarriage 

of our twins, my wife read 

an e-mail from one of the members 

Autumn Moore 

of First Baptist Church of Glenarden’s 

Sisters of Hannah Ministry. 

Sisters of Hannah is a church ministry 

group for women who have 

experienced infertility issues and/ 

or miscarriages. A member of the 

ministry shared with my wife her 

testimony on private adoption and 

she called the member to receive 

the information. We attended a 

Families for Private Adoption seminar 

to learn more about adoption. 

After much prayer and consideration, 

we decided that we would 

be honored to adopt a child. Thus, 

the process began. 

Instantly, we began visualizing 

our new child, and loving the child 

before we were even matched 

with a birthparent. After numerous 

contacts with possible birth 

mothers and adoption agencies, 


By Jeffrey Moore 

we were contacted by a wonderful 

Christian birthmother who was 

about to give birth in two months. 

We built a good relationship with 

her, and she decided that we would 

be great parents for her baby. The 

day of our daughter's birth finally 

came and we got the call from the 

birthmother saying that she was in 

labor. We anxiously rushed to the 

hospital and waited for our child. 

When our daughter was born, my 

wife had the privilege of cutting 

the umbilical cord. The hospital 

was very supportive of our situation, 

and invited us to stay in a 

room with the baby for the two 

days she needed to be in the hospital. 

The day had finally come, (after 

waiting for what seemed like 

years) for us to bring home our 

baby from the hospital. Nothing 

can describe the pure joy we feel 

from loving and taking care of our 

new baby girl. She is the most 

precious and perfect gift from 

God to us. She even looks like us! 

She has brought so much happiness 

and life to our home that after 

six months, we cannot imagine 

what life would be without her. We 

are so blessed to have this child 

and will forever treasure her in our 

life. | G | 

Sisters of Hannah Ministry: The purpose of the ministry is to encourage an open exchange of feelings and aid in the spiritual 

growth of married women living with and surviving the struggles of infertility or loss of a child due to miscarriage. The vision is 

to develop an effective network of Christian support for married women who are having difficulty conceiving or carrying a baby 

or who have suffered a loss of a baby through miscarriage, still birth or infant death. 

They meet on the fourth Friday at 7 p.m. in the months of January, March, May, July, September and November. For additional 

information, contact Keely Walston, director at 301-773-3600, please send an e-mail to sistersofhannah@fbcglenarden.org.


Women’s 

Retreat Recap 

The sound of musical lyrics 

echoed throughout the Hyatt Regency 

Chesapeake Resort in Cambridge, 

Md. Beautiful lyrics of more than 

550 women humming “The Power of 

Unity” and snippets of “Always Sisters, 

Always Friends, Let‘s Stay Real 

Close to the End” provided a marching 

tempo for the “United Sisters for 

Your Journey” retreat. In Num. 10:1- 

4, it speaks to “calling the congregation 

and … breaking the camp … to begin 

the journey.” One might define a 

journey as a passage through life or 

any significant experience; a charted 

course. 

March 16-18, 2011, this united body 

of over 15 churches and ministries 

took time to reflect on the wisdom, 

grace and love of God. Through this 

commissioned passage, minds were 

set on the charted course, with the 

charge to daily meditate on God’s 

Word. In addition, sisters positioned 

themselves to serve others 

and replenish their temples. 

Setting aside three days to retreat 

enabled us to exhort one another 

intercede for one another, and corporately 

proclaim Eph. 3:20 that 

God can do “exceedingly, abundantly, 

above all we can ask or think” for each 

other. In addition, we committed 

to daily refill or refuel our temples 

by living and meditating on God’s 

Word. This “refueling” with prayer, 

praise and passion launched us into 

a deeper relationship with the Lord. 

We spent our days in prayer with 

God, in our morning walks, in the 

24-hour prayer room and united 

2011 

By Maria E. White 

in corporate prayer throughout 

the day. We experienced powerful 

praise through the vibrant vocal 

ensembles of award-winning 

gospel artist Beverly Crawford and 

the United Sisters for Your Journey 

Praise Team. We had open discussions 

on life challenges in our “Sister 

Girl Chats” and experienced 

godly triumphs through application 

of Scriptures. 

The Sisterhood Empowerment 

sessions focused on restoring ourselves 

by taking back what the enemy 

has tried to steal. God offered 

us, through our dynamic facilitators, 

an opportunity to be empowered 

in every area of our lives. The 

Sisterhood Empowerment sessions 

covered such topics as “Breaking 

Strongholds,” “The Art of Forgiveness” 

and ”Financial Bootcamp.” 

Throughout the retreat, we spent 

time in constant fellowship with our 

sisters, our friends and our featured 

preachers. Reverend Jackie Thompson’s 

commitment brought a message 

of hope; First Lady Meredith 

Sheppard’s passion offered a gift 

of connection; and Deborah Smith 

Pegues’ message encouraged and 

challenged us. The “Pearls of Wisdom” 

offered sage counsel for the 

journey. What an opportunity to 

be among these rare and authentic, 

“golden nugget” sisters who graced 

us with God's empowered wisdom. 

Please plan to join us for next year’s 

United Sisters for Your Journey Women’s 

Retreat, scheduled for March 14-16, 2012, 

in Cambridge, Md. Hope to see you there! 


APPLE Of HIS EYE 

Women’s Ministry Focus Studies 

Fall 2011 

Facilitators: Aubray Robinson & 

Minister Gail Chapman 

Dates: Saturday 10/15 – 11/19 

Time: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. 

Book: Jewel in His Crown: Rediscovering 

Your Value as a Woman of 

Excellence (Book and Journal) by 

Priscilla Shirer 

Purpose/Overview: This six-week 

study empowers women of all ages 

to develop a firm sense of self, 

based on who they are in Christ 

Jesus, through discipleship. If you 

suffer from low self-esteem, this 

study is just what the Lord has ordered 

for you. 

SPIRITUAL AND PRACTICAL 

LIfE ISSUES fOR SENIORS 

Facilitators: Jackie Gordon 

& Deaconess Betty Green 


Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. 


focus study will help women view 

and understand aging as an opportunity 

for growth and fulfillment 

despite its challenges. It will 

encourage women to live out their 

lives fully for the kingdom of God 

by using God-given gifts and talents, 

wisdom and experiences, 

while receiving, giving and serving. 

STRENGTHENED THROUGH 

ADVERSITIES 

Facilitator: Reverend Annie B. 

Darden 


Time: 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. 


focus study provides practical and 

spiritual tools for women to handle 

difficult and stressful times. These 

sessions will help every woman to 

be prepared for those inevitable 

times called “trouble” and not lose 

her temper or hair. 

THE EXCELLENT WIfE 

Facilitators: Constance Nwosu, 

Maria White & Geneva Pearson 

Dates: Saturday 10/15 –11/19 

Time: 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 

Book: The Excellent Wife by Martha 

Peace 


study teaches women what it really 

means to be a godly wife, which is 

an excellent crown to her husband 

(Prov. 12:4). The study is designed 

to provide wives with practical 

tools and biblical insight to maintain 

and/or develop a healthy and 

vibrant relationship with their 

spouse regardless of the issues 

they face. Not only will the women 

learn what God requires of a Christian 

wife, but they will learn how 

to obey God’s commandments in 

order to become that wife. 

24 Grace Magazine | By Women for Women 

THE OTHER WOMAN 

Facilitators: Dalmita Marshall & 

Dianne Taylor 

Dates: Wednesday 10/5 –11/14 

Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. 

Purpose/Overview: Have you been 

the married man’s other woman or 

has your spouse been unfaithful to 

you? If so, this seven-week focus 

study is designed to bring healing 

from those ungodly relationships 

by helping you understand that 

you are loved by God. Allow God 

to transform your life and make 

you whole again. 

WISDOM fOR WORKING 

WOMEN 

Facilitator: Minister Beverly Little 

Dates: Wednesday 10/12 – 11/16 

Time: 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 


study is designed to assist women 

with balancing life’s demands 

God’s way by providing biblical 

principles for workplace success. 

Register prior to the focus study start 

date in person on Women’s Day 

(Oct. 9) at the Worship Center, e-mail 

focusstudies@fbcglenarden.org or call 

301-773-3600. 

First Lady Trina Jenkins, Women’s 

Ministry Director 

Jackie Parker, Focus Study Ministry 

Director

Photo taken in the sanctuary at First Baptist Church of Glenarden. 

Bottom row (left to right): Denita Johnson, Cecelia Tilghman, Felicia Johnson, 

Phenola Moore, Barbara Holt Streeter, Veronica Collins, Myrtle Washington, 

Darlene Powell, Laleeta Hackett-Taylor and Keisha White Middle row (left 

to right): Minister Dawn Sanders, Norma Day-Vines, Marguerite Brown, 

Mary Brown, Cathy Smith, Verna Smith, Gervonna Williams and Marilyn 

Stackhouse Top row (left to right): Connie Pulliam, Amelia White, Jackie 

Tilghman, Nicole Irby, Mary Davisson, Judy Mitchell Sade Dennis and Takea 

Norris Not pictured: Tonya Bell, Tonya Brewington, Latrice Brogsdale-Davis, 

Patrice Carthern, Chaundra Crawford, Velma Crawford, Delia Davis-Dyke, 

Jessica Davis, Sandra Davis, Mary Hayes, Cassandra Logan, Marilyn Mapp, 

Gloria Nelson, Iris Perry, Michelle Singletary, Aprill Turner, Mia Waldron and 

Kim Washington 

Grace 

Magazine Needs you!! 


Our magazine team is growing and you may not 

meet the women who serve as volunteers to bring 

their experience, thoughts and love through the pages 

of Grace. However, above you will see the graceful 

and beautiful women in their black and pink T-shirts 

representing writers, proofreaders, editors, graphic 

designers, researchers, production/outreach/birthday 

coordinators and prayer warriors. 

Do you have experience as an editor, proofreader 

or writer? What about in the software InDesign? 

Well, join the Grace Magazine Ministry. Please contact 

grace@fbcglenarden.org. | G | 

Grace Magazine | www.fbcglenarden.org 

ness toward my children and others. 

I have learned how to think before I 

speak. 

So I’m giving everything to God: 

my children, finances, even my future 

husband. In Queen Esther Ministry, 

I’ve met wonderful ladies from 

all paths of life to help with my walk 

and my journey with Christ. I have 

been celibate now for one year and 

four months, and content with knowing 

that the promises God has for me 

will surpass any I had for myself. 

My daughter’s father and I have 

learned how to be friends. We both 

stopped putting each other down. I 

have heard the saying, “if you change 

your ways, it will change the situation.” 

I have my children every day, 

I bring them to church with me, and 

they are participating in ministries as 

well. 

Being a part of Queen Esther Ministry 

has taught me to surrender 

things to God. He makes the difference. 

| G CONTINUED fROM PAGE 20 

| 

25

26 

Have you ever gotten involved in 

something and wanted to quit – an 

exercise regimen, a job, a relationship, 

a ministry? I remember vividly, 

during my 9th grade year in high 

school wanting to quit the marching 

band because the director was 

unfair, especially towards students 

of color. My parents refused to let 

me do so, on the grounds that frequently 

life is not fair and I had 

made a commitment to participate 

in the band and therefore needed 

to honor my word. Although I was 

upset at the time, today I fully appreciate 

the importance of seeing 

a task through, not giving up, and 

having the fortitude to persist despite 

discomfort, disillusionment 

and disinterest. 

I suspect that as school opens, 

my husband, Arthur, and I won’t 

be the only parents who need to 

help our child develop the personal 

resolve and discipline to see 

a task through to completion, behave 

appropriately and cultivate 

interpersonal relationships that 

contribute to academic success. 

Discipline refers to the training 

necessary to produce the character 

and patterns of behavior that promote 

moral and mental improvement, 

self-control, obedience and 

habits of mind necessary for interpersonal 

competence. For many 

children good conduct represents 

an important part of discipline. 

In some cases poor behavior 

interferes with children’s ability 

to profit from the learning experience. 

In the most severe cases, 

repeated referrals, suspensions 

and expulsions from school con- 

The Lack of Discipline Can 

Have Devastating Results 

tribute to later involvement in the 

criminal justice system, especially 

among poor, working class, ethnic 

minority and immigrant students. 

Researchers refer to the connection 

between school discipline and 

later involvement in the criminal 

justice system as the Cradle-to- 

Prison Pipeline. This theory has 

been linked to heavy levels of surveillance, 

zero tolerance policies 

or the crack down on even minor, 

nonviolent offenses, fear of ethnic 

minorities, low expectations, 

poverty, declining school funding, 

overrepresentation in special education, 

as well as poorly qualified 

teachers. 

Watch your thoughts, 

they become words. 

Watch your words, they 

become actions. 

Watch your actions, they 

become habits. 

Watch your habits, they 

become your character. 

Watch your character, it 

becomes your destiny. 

In her new book, The New Jim 

Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age 

of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander 

documented the devastating 

consequences of incarceration for 

convicted felons, especially since 

incarceration for any amount of 

time whether 30 days or 30 years 

results in loss of voting privileges, 


By Norma L. Day-Vines, Ph.D. 

the right to receive federal funding 

for education, residence in public 

housing or gainful employment. 

The foregoing discussion implies 

that as parents we need to help our 

children master the art of getting 

along with authority figures. 

It behooves us to have conversations 

with our children about our 

expectations for our children’s 

conduct in school. Research literature 

indicates that students and 

teachers are partners in contributing 

to disrespect. That is, it’s usually 

not just the student who exhibits 

rude, disrespectful behavior, but 

often adults and children co-construct 

a reciprocal dynamic which 

contributes to a cycle of negativity. 

Yet because adults wield the balance 

of power within schools, children 

bear the brunt of responsibility 

for getting along with adults. As 

parents, we can help our children 

unleash their potential for greatness 

by first helping them manage 

conflict effectively. 

One strategy we can use with 

our children is to help them recognize 

their anger cycle. As a former 

school counselor, I’ve often had 

children tell me that when they 

engage in inappropriate behavior 

they can’t control themselves. We 

have to recognize our patterns of 

anger and learn to control them. 

To illustrate, few people ever get 

the flu or pneumonia without having 

some warning signs, such as 

sneezing, coughing or fever. Similarly, 

when we get angry we have 

physical warning signs. If we recognize 

warning signs early on, we

HIGH 

BEHAVIOR INTENSITY 

LOW 

Calm 

Trigger 

Agitation 

are in a better position to ward off 

certain negative behavior. 

Using the diagram above, typically 

before we get angry we are in 

a calm state. Ordinarily, some type 

of trigger occurs that we find upsetting. 

For many children (and some 

adults), being told what to do may 

set off their anger cycle. Without 

some type of self-monitoring, the 

anger escalates and we become 

more and more agitated until the 

anger reaches a peak. At that point, 

usually people explode, and say 

something or do something that 

they regret. Following the incident, 

the de-escalation period occurs, 

and people return to recovery. One 

way we can support our children is 

to help them understand the anger 

cycle and understand their own 

triggers. 

On a sheet of paper, parents may 

want to draw an outline of a human 

body and have children identify 

situations that can set off the anger 

Acceleration 

TIME 

Peak 

De-escalation 

Recovery 

cycle. Have children draw physical 

signs (e.g., racing heart, perspiration, 

tears, sweaty palms, etc.) that 

alert them that the anger cycle is 

being set in motion. Next, discuss 

those situations with children and 

help them recognize that it is normal 

and natural to become annoyed 

because they have been asked to do 

something they may not want to do, 

but we choose how we respond to 

stimuli. Parents may also want to 

role-play these scenarios so that 

children can generate appropriate 

responses. 

Many parents may remember the 

Flip Wilson Show and his character 

Geraldine. Every time Geraldine 

made a poor decision, she 

insisted that the devil made her do 

it (the devil is a LIAR!). Unlike Geraldine, 

we have to insure that our 

children are accountable for their 

actions. One aspect of good discipline 

becomes our thought life. 

Sometimes we get angry or give 

PARENTING 

up, not because we are incapable of 

good conduct or achieving mastery, 

but because we have allowed unproductive 

and irrational thoughts 

to control our patterns of thinking 

and sabotage any goals and dreams 

we may have. At an early age, we 

need to help children understand 

the importance of personal responsibility 

and monitoring the quality 

of our thoughts. Children need to 

recognize that they are accountable 

for their conduct. There is an 

unknown quote that addresses the 

importance of a healthy thought 

life and how failure to consider 

thoughts can sabotage our children 

of their futures: 

• Watch your thoughts, they 

become words. 

• Watch your words, they 

become actions. 

• Watch your actions, they 

become habits. 

• Watch your habits, they 

become your character. 

• Watch your character, it 

becomes your destiny. 

Many of us in the “Over 40” club 

remember Gloria Gaynor’s hit, "I 

Will Survive" and her declaration 

of strength and determination in 

spite of overwhelming adversity. Of 

course in that song she was talking 

about rebounding after a failed 

relationship. The Bible, however, 

speaks of all manner of adversity. 

Isa. 40:31 reminds us, “But those 

who wait on the LORD. Shall renew 

their strength; they shall mount up 

with wings like eagles, they shall 

run and not be weary, they shall 

walk and not faint. | G | 


28 

Sometimes when we think about 

oneness, we drift away believing 

that it centers on having a partner 

or a spouse and all the stuff that 

comes with living “happily every 

after!” But for the believer, oneness 

is having a personal relationship 

with the Lord. Let us examine 

relationships and discern how 

partnering with God prepares us 

to receive a greater return on our 

commitment to live for Christ. 

In order to develop a deeper 

relationship with God you must 

learn to partner with Him, know 

that our perfection lies in Him 

and believe God’s command of the 

blessing. 

Learning to partner with God is 

the key. Whether you are in the 

home, in the workplace or operating 

in the body of Christ, God’s 

presence much more abounds 

in His greatness and love for 

you. Studying the Word of God, 

spending time with Him in prayer 

and praise and listening to the 

preached Word is the power of one 

formula that will aid you in growing 

closer to Him. 

Know that our perfection lies in 

the fullness of Christ, the place of 

unity of our faith. It is where we 

are equipped to minister and encourage 

one another to mature, 

to speak truth in love, and to continuously 

honor the Lord our God 

(Eph. 4:10-16). 

Believe God’s command of the 

blessing which He spoke: life forevermore. 

It is promised and requires 

God’s people to maintain 

a balance of oneness, dwelling in 

unity together (Psalm 133:1-3). A 

THE POWER Of ONE 

manifestation of this blessing was 

recorded by an apostle on the Day 

of Pentecost, when the spirit of 

God was poured out. Those who 

received were all on one accord, in 

one place, in fellowship one with 

another, and were all found praising 

God (Acts 2:1, 44-47). 

Once you’ve taken these steps, 

you can share the power of one by 

partnering in the home, workplace 

and your place of worship. 

Partnering in the Home 

For some it may seem odd to 

think of singleness as a state of 

completeness. However, the Word 

of God supports the completeness 

of singleness in itself. Likewise, 

marriage between one man and 

one woman is complete in the plan 

of God. What benefits in either 

state of choosing or blessing is the 

overarching relationship, the preeminent 

position and plan of God. 

That is we are all governed under 

His sovereign authority. We are 

all His workmanship, created in 

Christ Jesus for good works. Our 

body is the temple of the indwelling 

Holy Spirit and therefore we 

must glorify God in our body and 

in our spirit. And too, we were all 

bought at a price. Jesus shed His 

blood on Calvary’s cross for our 

redemption, ensuring our return 

to fellowship with our Heavenly 

Father (1 Cor. 6:19-20). 

Armed with this truth, we must 

know that parenting is also governed 

to please God. Steadfast 

obedience to the Word results in 

conformity with the Word. This 


by Mildred Stokes 

submission heaps blessings upon 

our children from generation to 

generation. We are assured that 

even when children move out on 

their own and into adulthood, the 

diligent training of dedicated parents 

will be a guiding light, a sure 

and rightful way of understanding 

the issues of life (Prov. 22:6). 

Partnering in the Workplace 

Our place of work and the pursuit 

of our livelihood encompasses 

relationship building. Most often, 

it will also require a measurable 

degree of submission to the authority 

of supervisors and managers 

placed over us. However 

burdening it may appear at times, 

it yields greater opportunity for 

uniformity and singleness of mind 

and purpose. Because submission 

is the will of God and thus for the 

Lord’s sake, we are wise to enter 

in agreement knowing that in the 

process of time, it can also establish 

praise and promotion for our 

good work (1 Peter 2:13-15). 

Partnering in the Body of 

Christ 

Godly hospitality is invitational, 

a welcoming spirit that invites 

others to experience oneness 

in Christ. For we know that our 

God is relational and maintains an 

“open door whomsoever” policy. 

God’s gift of His only begotten 

Son leads to salvation and brings 

everlasting life, without curse or 

condemnation to all who will believe 

(John 3:14-18).

INSPIRATIONAL 

Many onlookers come among us 

weekly in search of a church home 

and a loving family of believers 

who will embrace them — just as 

they are — in the spirit of unity. 

They are those who are searching 

for that which personifies the 

mind and heart of God, the image 

and likeness of His glory radiating 

in each one of us. Our challenge 

in the body, then, is to edify and 

inspire others to want to become 

authentically Christ-like. Without 

this, we can find ourselves feeling 

too tired to seek God, abandoned 

and alone, existing out of fellowship 

in the body and cut off from 

the oneness of salvation, which 

can be offered only through our 

Savior, Jesus the Christ. 

No matter how big we grow as 

a church, we must continually recall 

and understand the nature of 

our interdependence. This is confirmed 

in God’s Word: we are one 

body in Christ, and individually 

members of one another … being 

of the same mind towards one another 

… striving in every endeavor 

to live peaceably with all whom we 

meet day to day ... and always in 

the oneness and power of God’s 

love (Romans 12:5,15-18). Amen. 

In conclusion, oneness with 

God takes a committed life. And 

after we’ve dedicated ourselves to 

Him, we can effectively share our 

experience with others. | G | 


At First Baptist Church of Glenarden mentoring women consists 

of walking along side one another. If you ask someone how they 

have achieved status, wealth, fame, a good name, or prosperity, 

many will say they had great mentors, advisors or coaches. 

Minister Hall: I agree that Jackie 

is the kind of person that will really 

let you know that you matter. She 

was my roommate at the leadership 

retreat a few years ago. She gave 

me a card and gift and told me she 

cared about me. It was so special to 

me; I will never forget it. 

Grace: Have you all ever had a 

“falling out?” Why? 

Tatem: We never had a falling 

out, but we did have shift in our 

relationship. The season changed 

and we weren’t praying together or 

talking every day; it was very difficult 

to accept that the season had 

changed. 

Padgent: The shift was difficult, 

but it was good although it didn’t 

feel good. Things were changing in 

both of our lives. Women were on 

the sidelines watching us, waiting 

to get in. If we remained too close, 

it left no room for others. We were 

both growing, but we remained 

close. 

Taylor: We have multi-layers of 

relationship, ministry and friendships. 

We are mature and operate 

in authority so there is never a 

problem. 

Grace: Are there boundaries in 

the relationship? Have any of them 

knowingly or unknowingly ever 

been crossed? How did you resolve 

the matter? 

Parker: I don’t take calls after 

midnight. Taylor respects and honors 

my house so much that she 

won’t call. Those boundaries are 

important, especially if you are 

married. 

Minister Hall: God has given us 

a great relationship. That has not 

been an issue for us. 

Padgent: During the time Tatem 

was seeing the guy she thought was 

“Mr. Right,” the Lord placed her on 

my heart heavy when she was traveling. 

When she returned, the guy 

called to say he was engaged. She 

was so distraught; all I could do 

was embrace her. 

There was a time I considered 

leaving my husband before he rededicated. 

Tatem sat with me and 

just listened. I went home and had 

the strength to deal with my situation. 

We have been through some 

difficult times and have really supported 

each other. 

Alexander: A little over a year 

ago, my daughter was struggling 

with health challenges. Minister 

Tilla continued to pray with and 

for me. She does this thing where 

she gives you a really long hug 

and doesn’t speak while she hugs. 

It helps me remember how God 

holds me. I see God and experience 

Him through her. 

Grace: Congressman John Crosby 

(D.Mass., 1891-1893) said, “Mentoring 

is a brain to pick, an ear to 

listen and a push in the right direction.” 

Everybody, at some point 

in his or her life, has needed or 

will need a listening ear, a brain to 

pick and/or a push or a nudge in 

the right direction. At First Baptist 

Church of Glenarden, mentoring 

women consists of walking along 

side one another. If you ask someone 

how they have achieved status, 

wealth, fame, a good name or prosperity, 

many will say they had great 

mentors, advisors or coaches. | G | 


30 

Newlyweds – 

Learning to Become One 

“The cord that binds your hearts. 

Will not fray or break in two. When 

you build your lives on God. He will 

walk with you.” 

They said it, “For rich or for poor, 

in sickness and in health until 

death do we part.” In front of God, 

friends and family, they exchanged 

vows, made a commitment to love 

each other forever and sealed that 

covenant with a kiss. 

I recently sat down with two 


newlywed couples, Kevin and Gervonna 

Williams and Terrence and 

Tamika Shingler, to gain their perspective 

on what it has been like 

“learning to become one” over the 

past year. I told them to approach 

our conversation as a time to share 

candidly what makes their marriage 

work and how they have dealt 

with challenges thus far. 

Grace: What’s the best advice 

you have gotten as newlyweds? 

Kevin: It was from a family member. 

He said that I had to do whatever 

it takes to keep the marriage 

together. He was an older guy, telling 

me stuff about the current issues 

I was dealing with. He said it’s 

not about what you or she thinks. 

It’s about what God thinks. When 

something is going on, go to the 

Word of God, not to a friend’s 

house or to the bottle. 

Gervonna: You are always taught 

to submit to your husband, but 

they don’t always emphasize the 

Scripture before that. If you submit 

to God, everything else will 

fall into place. No matter if you are 

dealing with work, your parents, 

your friends, you always have to 

submit and do what God says, focus 

on God and His actions, not 

your reactions. 

Tamika: That marriage is hard 

work and to always communicate 

with one another. 

Terrence: And don’t go to bed 

angry. You get out what you put in. 

Grace: How do you handle disagreements 

or things that make 

you mad? 

Gervonna: We’re working on 

that. It has gotten better than it 

used to be. We are not mad as long. 

We are tag teaming and working on 

it. Double jeopardy doesn’t apply 

here; you can definitely get tried 

for the same thing twice. (Laughing) 

Terrence: We talk about it after 

it’s gotten heated. Being the husband, 

I try to look at not making 

little things big things. 

Tamika: Emotionally, [I tend to] 

make a big scene and then we may 

go to our [separate] spaces and cool 

off. It gives us a chance to regroup 

and apologize, if needed. 

Grace: Have you ever had moments 

in the marriage where you 

wondered if you married the right 

person? 

Gervonna: No, I knew from the 

beginning he was the one. 

Kevin: No. Her parents and others 

[were opposed to our living 

situation]. Also, she was starting to 

ask what we [were] going to do. I 

wasn’t hanging out anymore, it had 

been five years, and what else was 

I supposed to do? I was definitely 

led by God to marry her. 


By Tonya Bell 

Tamika: For me, it [has been] 

more [confirmation] … seeing how 

we have been able to work together 

as a team. I am not the “in love” 

giddy type, but I was starting to feel 

like “wow, so this is what being in 

love is about.” 

Terrence: While we were dating, 

God was showing me things and 

I knew what I needed to know. I 

knew that she loved me; I knew she 

loved God and most importantly, 

I knew she loved God more than 

she loved me. I asked her what her 

definition of love was and she said, 

“I think love is a choice, not a feeling.” 

The answer she gave me was 

how I felt about love. 

Grace: How difficult was it to 

merge your lives together when 

you got married? 

Gervonna: Living together wasn’t 

hard because we were already living 

together before we got married. 

The financial part was the most 

difficult. We both had our own financial 

agenda. Sharing bank accounts 

[meant] if I swipe the card, 

he wants to see what I spent. (And, 

I always say, “It was on sale.”) 

Tamika: Just the living together 

and sharing space. And, the way he 

puts the toilet paper on [the roll]. 

Terrence: It’s an adjustment every 

day. Her using my one brush 

when she has five of her own. 

Grace: Great segue into my next 

question. What is the thing that 

you find most irritating about one 

another? 

Kevin: Her memory. She NEVER 

remembers when we go anywhere. 

I ask her, “Do you remember when

Kevin and Gervonna Williams Terrence and Tamika Shingler 

we went …?” If she says “No,” she 

gets testy. 

Gervonna: It gets on my nerves 

when he always acts like he knows 

what he is talking about. Like when 

he says, “Babe, I know why you like 

me in the kitchen, because I show 

off.” 

Terrence: The whole hairbrush 

thing and [that] her shoes are everywhere! 

Her stuff is always on 

my side of the closet where [as] my 

stuff is never on hers. 

Tamika: As women, there are 

just some things that just bother us 

and if I get emotional he can [get] 

an attitude. 

Grace: Do you consider each 

other to be best friends? 

Kevin: Yes, because there is stuff 

that I tell her that none of my 

friends or family know about, not 

even my mother. I looked at [full 

disclosure] as though I was “all in” 

so she could decide if she wanted 

to deal with me or not. 

Gervonna: Yes, some people 

would be blown by the stuff he’s 

told me, but nothing really surprised 

me. 

Terrence: Of course. She is my 

“boo!” 

Tamika: He is my “dawg”! 

Terrence: She knows that I don’t 

like anyone hurting her feelings. 

We always remind each other that 

we are each other’s best friend and 

we say we love each other a lot. 

Grace: What are some of your favorite 

things to do together? 

Gervonna: We like to travel when 

we get a chance and we love to eat. 

Kevin: We have to do stuff together 

that’s new; we can’t do anything 

new without the other because 

we get jealous. 

Gervonna: We like to host. Kevin 

likes to cook (but not clean up). 

Both Terrence and Tamika: We 

like to sing and play games, fellowship 

with friends and hand dance, 

which we haven’t done [in] a while. 

Grace: My last and probably 

most important, question, How do 

you keep God in the center of your 

relationship? 

Kevin: Always thinking outside 

of yourself; trying to react differently 

than you would normally 

react. Even when we get [into] an 

argument, we go into a room and 

we pray. Also, being consistent in 

keeping Him in the middle of everything 

versus trying to make the 

decision on our own; making it a 

habit of asking Him. 

Gervonna: It’s not about the other 

person, but it’s about God. He is 

the author and finisher of our faith. 

The first year [of our marriage], we 

really went through some things. I 

had to cut some folks off and focus 

on God. And, when we took that 

time apart to focus, I took the "Excellent 

Wife" class at First Baptist 

and I recommend that for all wives. 

No matter what goes on in the marriage, 

it is always about God. When 

God calls you home on that judgment 

day, your spouse is not standing 

there before God with you, it’s 

about you and the Lord. 

Kevin: My mom has been telling 

me that I’m getting older now and 

when God [is] talking to me, I have 

to [listen]. Know and recognize the 

leadership that you should be under 

and don’t compromise that. 

Terrence: We make sure we pray 

together everyday. We worship and 

study together. 

Tamika: We sing His praises 

together. We serve in ministry together. 

When we get discouraged 

or have arguments, we always reflect 

on the fact that God brought 

us together and we always reflect 

on [the idea] that this marriage is 

not for us but to glorify God. 

Grace: This interview brought 

to mind the question: “Which of 

us knows how to build a marriage 

house?” Sometimes couples go 

into marriage so focused on building 

that perfect house that they 

forget that the blueprint for marriage 

is laid out in God’s Word. If 

we just follow the Master’s plan, we 

can rest assured that plan will always 

be perfect. For He says, “For I 

know the thoughts that I think toward 

you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace 

and not of evil, to give you a future 

and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). | G | 


32 

I got married for the first time two 

years ago, when I was 32 years old, 

so I know a lot more about being 

single than I do about being married. 

When I met my husband, I was 

at a certain place in my Christian 

walk. I had finally become content 

in my relationship with God and it 

was enough to satisfy me. It was that 

unity with God that positioned me 

to receive the blessing that He had 

for me, my wonderful husband. 

I did not necessarily “date” before 

I met my husband, but I was always 

in a relationship – the wrong relationship. 

I spent time, actually years, 

with men I knew were not right for 

me. I would fall in love with what I 

thought the relationship could become 

– not the image and character 

of the man I was involved with. 

I also was caught up in the world’s 

standards. The older I got, the more 

I believed that I was supposed to 

be married because my “biologicalclock” 

was ticking. I felt as if the 

world measured my success based 

on my marital status, and I bought 

into that lie. Instead of celebrating 

the successes of my life, I felt like 

a failure because I did not have a 

man to celebrate them with me. I 

wish I would have known then what 

I know now – that my relationship 

with God is all I need to be fully satisfied 

in every area of my life. 

Prior to meeting my husband, I 

had been in a relationship for three 

years with a man I knew did not believe 

in God. I knew in my heart 

this was not the man God created 

for me and the relationship was 

wrong. However, we discussed marriage 

and I seriously considered it. 

Living Successfully Single: 

In Unity with God 

While pondering the thought of 

marriage, I went to a women's fellowship 

meeting. The speaker was 

a woman who was the newly married 

wife of a pastor. As she told the 

story of how she met her husband, 

I could clearly see God's hand orchestrating 

everything. So I said 

to her, "I want that." I wanted to 

know without a shadow of a doubt 

when I met the man God created to 

be my husband. And, I asked her, 

"Can I expect that?" She looked 

at me and said plainly, "Of course, 

I'm not God's favorite." Her words 

were simple but they echoed in my 

mind. I couldn't help but to think 

she was not God's favorite, and He 

loves me just as much as He loves 

her! I immediately thought of John 

10:10, which says, "The thief does not 

come except to steal, and to kill, and to 

destroy. I have come that they may have 

life, and that they may have it more 

abundantly.” Instantly I realized 

that God wants all of us to have an 

abundant life, including me! 

Not completely convinced, but 

enlightened by my revelation at 

the women's fellowship, I went to 

church on Sunday, alone. During 

the sermon the pastor said, "The 

devil will trick you into thinking 

you want something you do not 

want at all!" Again, my mind went 

to John 10:10. I did not want to 

marry the wrong man. I had let the 

devil deceive me. At that moment, 

I knew I had to tell this man that 

we could no longer be together 

solely because he did not believe in 

God. I remember standing on my 

stairs waiting for him to arrive at 

my house. I was terrified because I 


RELATIONSHIPS 

By Jessica Davis 

had ended the relationship so many 

times before, but never because he 

did not believe in God. I prayed and 

asked God to be strong in my weakness 

and He answered my prayer. 

I said exactly what I needed to say 

and I immediately felt a sense of 

freedom. I was absolutely certain 

that I made the right decision and 

I knew the relationship was finally 

over. 

About two weeks after my newfound 

freedom, a friend told me she 

wanted to introduce me to someone 

who was in town on a business trip. 

I did not have any expectations. I 

assumed he wanted some company 

over dinner, and that would be the 

end of it. But to my surprise, when 

I drove up to the man I now call my 

husband, I looked at him, then up 

to Heaven and whispered, “Thank 

you, Jesus." He was well dressed, 

polite and the conversation was 

great. It was perfect. I saw Eph. 3:20 

come to life that night. God blessed 

me above and beyond anything I 

could have ever imagined. 

Now, two years later, I continue to 

thank God for that abundant blessing, 

my best friend and my husband. 

Until I became contently satisfied 

in my relationship with God, 

I never would have been open or 

ready to meet my husband. God was 

doing a work in me, and because of 

my obedience to Him, I was in the 

perfect posture to receive my blessing. 

I can confidently say that I am 

in unity with my husband today, 

because I first learned how to be in 

unity with God. | G |

Life Lessons 

What a summer! Many of us 

experienced Hurricane Irene, an 

earthquake and tremendous flooding, 

all in one week! Yet, God still 

allowed us to have the “Power of 

Unity,” as we empowered and supported 

one another through these 

various trials of life. 

This issue of Grace Magazine was 

distributed at our annual Women’s 

Conference and the theme is 

“Power of Unity.” We anticipate a 

high-spirited time with the power-pack 

speakers presented: Rev. 

Dr. Claudette Copeland, pastor 

and co-founder of New Creation 

Christian Fellowship of San Antonio, 

Texas; Tia Hodges, pastry chef; 

Kim Myles, host of Myles of Style; 

Deborah Smith Pegues, speaker 

and author; Pastor Paula White, 

life coach and author and Lisa Mc- 

Clendon, guest artist. If you were 

not able to attend the conference, 

purchase the CD/DVD, where you 

will hear how God is preparing 

women to dwell together in unity. 

We are supporting First Lady Trina 

Jenkins’ message of “Power of 

Unity” and this issue articles relating 

to women working, supporting 

and embracing each other. 

This issue is full of information, 

motivation and transformation for 

the youth to the adult. For the first 

time, to receive a testimony from 

a male’s perspective. Did you read 

the testimony from Jeffrey Moore 

as he shared his thoughts about 

the process he and his wife experienced 

receiving their baby? It is always 

humbling to hear a male perspective, 

particularly a husband 

regarding children. Now, that’s 

the power of unity. When children 

begin to grow and experience life, 

discipline is necessary to build 

character. You will learn strategies 

in Norma L. Day-Vines’ article. 

True sisterhood was shown in 

Connie Pulliam’s article, “Sis, I 

Kept My Promise,” as you read 

about the devasting impact that 

HIV/AIDS has on a family, but 

how God can turn hopeless into 

hopeful. Your sister may not be 

your biological sister, but you may 

form sister relationships through 

REfLECTIONS 

By Barbara Holt Streeter 

many of our discipleship programs, 

such as Queen Esther or 

Sisters For Your Journey. In our 

Women’s Group at a Glance, you 

will enjoy reading about the road 

trip with six women for eight hours 

and they returned home together! 

Amazing! 

In “It’s Tea Time,” Mary Davisson 

and Aprill O. Turner gives us a 

glimpse of a mentor-mentee relationship. 

I have mentors and mentees, 

and both relationships have 

blessed me immensely. Thank you, 

First Lady Trina Jenkins, Diane 

Prather and Michelle Singletary 

for filling my cup with wisdom 

and unconditional love. Thank 

you, Tabitha Gibbs, Tamra Sease, 

LaAndra Jones and Nykidra Robinson 

for allowing me to pour into 

you. I encourage you to pray for 

a mentor-mentee relationship so 

you can gain wisdom and understanding 

by walking along side 

each other. It’s the power of unity. 

Please share and discuss the 

articles with your mother, sister, 

daughter and friends by downloading 

Grace www.fbcglenarden. 

org/grace_magazine. Tell us what 

you think; share your comments 

with us at grace@fbcglenarden. 

org. May the life you live be a 

blessing to someone! | G | 

Let’s stay connected! 


First Baptist Church of Glenarden is a progressive ministry with a strong emphasis on 

relevant biblical teaching and preaching the Word of God. Under the leadership of 

Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr., First Baptist has grown to comprise more than 10,000 active members, 

100-plus ministries and programs, four Sunday worship services, and a well-attended Tuesday 

night Bible Study. Pastor Jenkins and his devoted wife, First Lady Trina Jenkins, have dedicated 

their lives to winning the lost and developing dynamic disciples to impact the lives of people in 

our community and throughout the world. 

Worship the Lord with us! 

sunday Worship 

8 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon services are held 

at the Worship Center. 

Praise and Worship begins 15 minutes 

prior to the start of the 8 a.m. and 

10 a.m. services only. 

6:30 p.m. service is held at the 

Ministry Center, except on 4th Sunday 

(Communion service) and special events 

as noted. 

bible study 

Tuesdays at 7 p.m. at the 

Worship Center and Wednesdays at 

noon at the Ministry Center. 

on radio 

Saturdays 

WPRS Praise 104.1 FM - 9:30 a.m. 

WAVA 105.1 FM - 10:30 a.m. 

on the Web 

Live Worship Services Broadcasts: 

Sundays at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon and 

6:30 p.m. 

Bible Study on Tuesdays, 7 p.m. 

24-Hour Television and Video on 

Demand 

Worship Center 

600 Watkins Park Drive 

Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 

(Mailing Address) 

ministry Center 

3600 Brightseat Road 

Landover, MD 20785 

Phone: 301-773-3600 

www.fbcglenarden.org 

E-mail: fbcginfo@fbcglenarden.org 

on your smart 

phones and ipad 

FBCG Worship Services live at www. 

fbcglive.com Sundays at 8 a.m., 

10 a.m. and Noon; 

6:30 p.m. service can be viewed live 

at www.fbcglive.com/MC 

Photo by Jim Kumorek, courtesy of Worship Facilities Magazine

of Unity - First Baptist Church of Glenarden

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