Living Waters Ministries Monthly Quote
"Every year you make a resolution to change yourself. This year make a resolution to be yourself."
Unknown
Inspiration
Identity
By: Jennifer L Smalls
The month of December Pastor March sermons focused on "Identity". Who are you? Do you know you? Not the labels placed on you by yourself and others and not who "they" say you are. Who are you? Beyond social media and the likes, outside of your status and or job title, without the acquired things and the facades, who are you?
When God called Moses to deliver the Children of Israel from Egypt Moses questioned God about his identity; "But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?'" Exodus 3:11 It appears that from the beginning of his life, Moses had an identity crisis. Born a Hebrew boy at a time when Hebrew boys (first born males) were being slaughtered at the orders of Pharaoh. Moses' mother was determined to save her baby boy so she made a basket and placed him in the Nile River. Moses was found by Pharaoh's sister and raised in the palace with the Egyptians. Moses was being raised by an establishment that enslaved his very own people. However he ran away from the palace when he was seen helping the Israelites. Moses had spent the first 40 years of his life in the palace with access to all the finer things in life and the next 40 years of his life were spent in the desert. But in the desert is where he met God and his life changed from that point. It is in the desert that he discovers his identity.
Who are you? The very things and experiences that we run from or try to avoid is where our identity lies.
News from Living Waters Ministries
Happenings Around St. Augustine
MLK Holiday Observance
Martin Luther King Jr Federal Holiday will be observed January 16, 2023
Several events will be held to celebrate the King Holiday here in the Nation's Oldest City.
Annual MLK Breakfast - January 16, 2023 7:30am- 9:30am, Flagler College Virginia Room, 50 Seville Street.
Speaker: Dr. Diana L. Greene, Superintendent of Duval County Public School
Silent March to commemorate the marches Dr. King led during the Civil Rights in St. Augustine will begin at 11:00am - 1:00pm Speaker: Rev. Dr. Gary Williams, Hopewell Church
(Silent march to leave from 86 MLK Ave at 10:30 to process to the Plaza de La Constitucion)
Community Panel Discussion - "It Starts With Me: Cultivating A Beloved Community Mindset To Transform Unjust Systems" January 16, 2023 1:30pm - 3:00pm
January 6th First Friday Art Walk, downtown St. Augustine 5-9 p.m. First Friday Art Walk takes place on the first Friday of every month, exhibiting creative artworks throughout St. Augustine's fine art galleries.
January 6th. First Friday Art Walk Concert Series, First Friday of each month, 6-8 p.m. This organ recital at the Cathedral Basilica in downtown St. Augustine is free and open to the public on the first Friday of every month.
St. Augustine Nights of Lights continues through January 31, 2023. Click the following link for tours that transport guests around Historic St. Augustine to view the spectacular holiday lights by land and sea.
Local historian and author David Nolan along with the Accord Freedom Trail Organization will lead tours on St. Augustine's Freedom Trail on select Saturdays beginning January 14th through February 18th. All tours are free except on January 14th and February 18th. The tours begin at 8:45 a.m. starting from the Willie Galimore Center. https://www.visitstaugustine.com/event/freedom-trail-trolley-tours
The Accord Civil Rights Museum is open on select Fridays and Saturdays In 2023, beginning on Saturday, January 14 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 16, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Also in February on Friday the 3rd from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., and on Saturday, February 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Accord Civil Rights Museum is located on 79 Bridge Street, St. Augustine FL 32084.
News For Us By Us
It was indeed a pleasure to watch our newly elected Mayor and City Commissioners take the oath of office last month. Congratulations to Commissioner Cynthia Garris, who is the first African American Woman to gain a seat at the table since the inception of the City, 457 years. It's been a long journey but we're here! Looking forward to Commissioner Garris impacting change in the right direction and making #herstory. #representationmatters
Georgia is sending Senator Raphael Warnock back to Washington DC for a second term for a full 6 years. Senator Warnock defeated his republican challenger Herschel Walker in a hotly contested run-off. Senator Warnock's victory sealed the democrats absolute senate majority with a 51-49 margin. Warnock's victory gives his party something it hasn't had the past two years — control of committees, which gives Democrats the ability advance legislation and nominations more easily to the Senate floor. #represenationmatters #yourvotecounts
On December 16th, Dr. Claudine Gay became the 30th president of Harvard University. Dr. Gay becomes the first person of African American Heritage to lead the university in it's 386 year history. Dr. Gay has been a professor of government at the university for the past 16 years where she specializes in African American studies. Prior to this she was an associate professor of political science at Stanford University. She received her Doctorates Degree in Government from Harvard University in 1998. She will take the lead at Harvard beginning in July 2023. Black women continue to make their mark and #herstory #representationmatters
After being detained in a Russian prison for 10 months, Brittney Griner is back on American soil. The WNBA All Star was detained in mid-February at a Russian airport for the alleged possession of vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis. Aside from being a powerhouse here in the US, Brittney is considered a basketball titan overseas where she plays for the Russian League UMMC Ekaterinburg which is why she was in Russia. Many WNBA stars play overseas to supplement their income which is not even a fraction of what their counterparts make in the NBA. This is proof that more work need to be done around equity in pay issues.
President Biden made a controversial move and faced back lash for the prisoner exchange that ultimately freed Brittney. In order to get Brittney home the US did a prisoner exchange, swapping Brittney for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. Many were expecting a two for one deal hoping to get Former Marine Paul Whelan home as well. Currently the US is still working on the release of Paul Whelan who has been held in Russia since December of 2018 and Marc Fogel who has been held since August of 2021. Let's keep these men and their families in prayer.
Former NBA All Star Charles Barkley, who has an annual salary around $6 million and a net worth of $50 million says "I'm just so lucky and blessed beyond anything I can imagine, all the money I have is crazy." He has vowed to use the rest of his life to bless as many people as he possibly can. Bethune -Cookman University is a recipient of those blessings. The university will receive $1 million dollars from Sir Charles Barkley. Barkley announced on December 8th that he will be donating $1 million each to Bethune-Cookman University and Jackson State University in Mississippi. Since 2016, Barkley has given $1 million to six other HBCUs in addition to Bethune-Cookman and Jackson State. Those schools include: Alabama A&M University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Miles College, Tuskegee University and Spelman College.
A Look Back
We started the Holiday Season with our Christmas Social and fun we had with family and friends, games, food, and comedy provided by our very own Auntie/Niece Duo Sis Taushia and Nurse Cheree. Keeping up with our commitment to serving the needs of our community we collected winter coats for kids.
And lastly, closing out the year with our annual end of the year meeting and leadership training "Iron Sharpening Iron" very powerful way to close out the year. Dr. Lucy Wells Johnson came to train us on proper greeting and counseling. Everyone took away tools to sharpen their leadership and teams in 2023.
Living Waters Christmas Social 2022
Richie's Baptism 12/11
”Iron Sharpens IronLeadership Training
Recommended Reading:
"One Word that will change your life" is a
great read to start off the year. Discover One Word that will guide you and keep you on track for the year. Look in, Look up, and Look out.
One Word That Will Change Your Life, Expanded Edition https://a.co/d/fYSyw9R
Save Money In 2023
Do the 52 Week Money Challenge and watch your money grow:
Living Water Ministries Upcoming Events
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