DEEP WATERS

On Thursday, December 5 we lost a legendary man that will never be forgotten. Nelson Mandela, a courageous, unwavering political and social leader of South Africa and the world, has left us with a beautiful legacy. In the Mandela family's first public statement since his death, his family members shared these words about their patriarch: "The pillar of the royal Mandela family is no more with us physically, but his spirit is still with us." Mandela's spirit of love and forgiveness and compassion for others does live on. And so do his words of love and forgiveness and compassion. When I thought of what I wanted to share about Nelson Mandela, I decided to focus on the eloquent words of our friend and leader.  1. "I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances." As I've heard many people speak of Mandela since his death, this quote resonates with me. I've heard extreme response...

When my husband Anthony and I left the movie theater after seeing 12 Years a Slave  this past Saturday evening, I KNEW I had to blog about this movie. Even though I don't feel like I have much to say - that hasn't already been said - I feel like I MUST speak. I MUST write. Because  12 Years a Slave  shook me to my core in way that hasn't happened in a very long time. I left the theater thinking, I've got to tell THE WORLD to go see this movie. Four days later, I do have a few more thoughts. So here you go... I. US slavery was a brutal, evil part of our country's history: The US slave trade is said to have begun in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia (my parents' home-state). For over 250 years, human beings were sold as cattle for the purpose of financial gain for their slave masters. 12 Years a Slave  handles this period of time with fervor and brutal honesty. It is very painful to watch, but it is an authentic portrayal of one man's story . It a...

Yesterday my husband Anthony and I returned from Long Beach, California. No, we weren't there to surf or walk hand-in-hand along the shore, the cool sand rubbing between our toes. We were there to attend the 2013 Mosaix Multi-ethnic Church Conference . We were there to hear from amazing speakers like John Perkins, Eugene Cho, Choco De Jesus, Efrem Smith , and many, many more. We were there to meet and reunite with friends and co-laborers - other pastors and leaders of multi-ethnic churches around the country, and world even. (There was an amazing group of church leaders from Congo, Africa.) But one special treat for me was connecting with other pastor's wives like me. Other women who get me and this life I'm living. Other women who know that it's hard being a pastor's wife, but it's even harder being the pastor's wife of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-social economic church. Other women who understand that we're waging war ev...

If I know one thing for sure, it's that racial issues in the United States are still alive and well. And although African Americans now have the right to vote, own property, attend desegregated public schools, etc. etc... I still find myself saying every so often - "Wow, and it's 2013." Take this story, for example: One of my friends, who happens to be African American too, took her two daughters to see "The Butler" last week. Her daughters were deeply moved and amazed at the narrative of history being played out before them. They had learned very little of this history in school, and they wondered why. I too have questioned this lack of the "whole-story" in our country's history lessons. I think the answer is found in the rest of this story. So... one of my friend's daughter's plans to try out for a part in her private school's production of "The Great Gatsby." In order to prepare the students for tryouts,...

Well, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Today marks my last post on the Global Leadership Summit. Sad, I know... In case you're just getting on board, I'll list my previous posts: Global Leadership Summit: My Takeaways (with a focus on Pastor Bill Hybels), General Colin Powell: Impeccable Leader with Humble Beginnings , Patrick Lencioni's 3 Signs of a Miserable Job and Dr. Brene Brown: Walking Her Talk . Today, I want to share one more talk from the Summit. I'd never heard of this speaker before, but I'm sure I won't forget his message. Pastor Oscar Muriu Pastor Oscar Muriu, Senior Pastor of Nairobi Chapel in Kenya, East Africa, spoke on a topic that I'm excited to close this series on. He spoke on leaving a spiritual legacy . I'll jump right into his five major points. 1. The size of your harvest depends on the number of leaders you raise up. Pastor Muriu encouraged leaders to pour into the lives of potential leade...

The week in "Deep Waters" we've heard from  Pastor Bill Hybels , General Colin Powell and Patrick Lencioni . Each spoke at the Willow Creek Association's Global Leadership Summit, but each shared a different take on leadership. A common thread among each of them was this: Leadership is not about me. Leadership is about inspiring others towards a passionate vision, and doing that in a way that honors, encourages and blesses them. It's not about me. Wow. So with that in mind, I move on to my next Summit speaker -- Dr. Brene Brown. Dr. Brene Brown Before I share Brene's talk, let me just say - this lady's has some serious chutzpa. She is one of the most courageous women I know. And yet, her courage is a treasure that she earned through some dark days and long nights.  As a university research professor, Brene has spent many years studying people. And what has she studied primarily? Vulnerability. Shame. Worthiness. Authe...

Yesterday I shared some invaluable thoughts from General Colin Powell . Sunday I shared some wisdom from one of the most passionate church leaders of our time, Pastor Bill Hybels . Well after the calm, refined delivery of Colin Powell, the Global Leadership Summit planning team must have decided it would be a great time to shake things up a bit. And onto stage walked the most energetic and hyperactive speaker I think I know. And yet he is one of my favorite speakers ever. He's none other than Patrick Lencioni , who is committed to helping organizations become as healthy as they can be. Love the man. Patrick Lencioni So with no further ado... I present: Patrick Lencioni's Three Signs of a Miserable Job: 1. Anonymity In Genesis 16, Hagar suffers greatly after she discovers she is pregnant with Abraham's child. Sarah's bitterness and jealously drives Hagar away from home and into the desert. When the Lord speaks to Hagar and promises her hope and a...

Yesterday I shared the first in a series on this year's Global Leadership Summit. Well, today I share one of the Summit's special treats for me: former - and the first African American - US Secretary of State Colin Powell. When I hear a person speak in this kind of forum, I always learn things about them I didn't know. General Powell mentioned that people often ask him to share all the great military schools he attended. Some even ask him, "So what year did you graduate from West Point?" Actually, General Powell admitted he wasn't a great student. Segregation forbade him from attending the best military schools. And he'd graduated as a rather average student from City College in New York. I was floored to hear this. But I was also inspired and encouraged as a Mama.  General Powell's admission to a mediocre school career gave me hope for my children - some who make wonderful grades, and one who struggles through school for average r...

On August 8 and 9, I had the wonderful opportunity to once again attend the Global Leadership Summit, a vision of Pastor Bill Hybels and the Willow Creek Association. These two days of instruction, encouragement - and even rebuke - were game-changers. Over the next few days, I'll share a few quotes from several speakers, so you don't have to just take my word for it. Today I'll begin with... Pastor Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church Pastor Bill Hybels opened the first morning, challenging leaders to be courageous , as God encouraged Joshua to be in Joshua 1:9. Courage, Bill said, must be paired with vision.  And what is vision? "Vision is a picture of the future that creates passion in people." Have you ever experienced passion that had its genesis in someone else's vision? Better yet... has God ever given YOU a vision that created passion in others? It's an amazing thing. Yet Bill had a warning about vision. Vision can b...

Many writers write every single day. Some write three or four or five days a week according to schedule. I write when I have to write. Today I find myself in that particular mode. I am writing because I must. After Saturday's verdict in the George Zimmerman murder trial , a verdict of not-guilty, I remained quiet and reflective. My emotions: sadness, disappointment, confusion. And yet, my words were few , except for re-posting an old blog post about the case. But that wasn't the case in the social media world around me. On Twitter and Facebook, I read comment after comment from my friends, family members and acquaintances concerning the trial. Some expressed fear for their own sons. Some shared their disillusionment over the US legal system. Many expressed their infuriation. And yet a noticed a strange paradox. For the most part, my friends that expressed their emotions, encouraged prayer for the Martin family and/or reminded others to trust in God ...

I've had to make myself stop watching footage of the Oklahoma tornado , which tore through the town of Moore, Oklahoma like few have before. My heart is aching for the people that have lost loved ones to this horrendous storm. I am shocked by the devastation and images of Moore, Oklahoma, which looks like war-torn territory. And I have inevitably asked myself, what can I do? I. Give Salvation Army and The American Red Cross are just two ways to give financially to the relief efforts in Oklahoma.  Maybe we could go without our Starbucks lattes for a month in order to donate to this effort.  One news report  even stated that The American Red Cross is accepting any volunteers that show up on site and will train them to immediately begin working with relief efforts. II. Pray The list of prayer requests is almost endless, but here's one we can begin praying through today: Pray for emotional healing for those who have lost their parents, their children, their ...

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to share with my church family during our morning service. I was a bit nervous and didn't know how it would go over, but God gave me exactly what He wanted me to share with the mothers of our church. I'd love to share a little sampling here for my momma-sisters that happen to attend other churches around the globe... I. God Models a Maternal Love God is a Spirit, not a human being -- therefore, neither male or female. And as a Spirit, He has both maternal and maternal qualities. Remember that popular book,  The Shack ? In The Shack , author William P. Young presents God, the Father as an African American woman. Now when I first met "Papa" in The Shack , I was a bit put off. I mean, God as a woman? Well, as I searched the scriptures more, I think Young was on to something there. Let's see what the most important book -- the Bible -- says about God's feminine side... Isaiah 66:13 -  "As a mother...

I loved the movie 42 . This weekend my husband and I went to see the movie we'd been waiting to see -- the biographical sketch of famed MLB Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson , played by my fellow Howard University Alum Chadwick Boseman . On opening weekend, 42  made box office history , bringing in $27.3 million, more than any other baseball-themed movie in history. It warmed my heart to watch the start of Jackie's MLB career play out on the widescreen. I laughed. I cried. I got spitting mad. In the end, I celebrated the life of a man who lived with courage and determination . He could have given up a million times. I'm so glad he didn't. But what can we, living in the year 2013, learn from 42 ? I can think of a few things. 1. Never Underestimate the Influence of One Man or Woman History books are full of men and women who led powerful movements. In the Sixteenth Century, Martin Luther led the Protestant Reformation, seeking to make Christianity and th...

Some people eat good chocolate when they're stressed. Some run on the treadmill. Some take a long, warm bath. Me? I blog. As I sit here watching CNN coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing , wiping tears, and wondering how someone could do something some cruel, so hateful, I wonder what crisis we will watch next. And I wonder what kind of world our children will inherit . A world where fearful third-grade teachers come to school packing. A world where little children suffer post traumatic stress disorder after witnessing their classmates and teachers shot in school. A world where we worry more about mass shootings and bombings than we do possible car accidents or home invasions. Our world is broken . Our world is darkening . Our world needs hope . Today, as the world changes before my very eyes, I'm finding hope in a Savior that never changes. The Bible has this to say about Him: Jesus Christ is the same today and yesterday and forever. * I've d...

Kermit Gosnell. Have you heard this name? Maybe not. But you should have by now. According to witnesses in his grand jury murder trial, Gosnell ran an abortion clinic that went way beyond the call of duty. According to his grand jury report, "This case is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women. What we mean is that he regularly and illegally delivered live, viable babies in the third trimester of pregnancy -- and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors... This business was a filthy fraud in which he overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs, spread venereal disease among them with infected instruments, perforated their wombs and bowels -- and, on at least two occasions, caused their deaths." Horrifying testimony, but I'm not hearing much about it. Are you? Kirsten Powers, a  USA Today reporter, begins her story  of this trial with these words: "We've forgotten what belongs on Page One. Infant b...

Okay, so let me just say this: I have a love/hate relationship with reality television. I have wept over performances on The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance . The beauty I've seen in the fresh talent on shows like that has left me amazed and, at times, in tears. But as the Mama of four kiddos with so much to do and so little time, I just can't commit to reality tv. I just don't have the time to tune every week to see if the girl with the fiery voice or the guy who floats through the air like an Alvin Ailey dancer makes it through to the next level. I just don't have that kind of time... And then there's the reality television that eventually reveals the depths of every character's worst flaws -- a la Jersey Shore . You know, the kind that makes you say, "Wow, at least I'm not that much of a loser..." I personally despise that kind of reality tv. So, it was with much fear and trepidation that I watched the first episode of TLC...

I recently heard some great news from Alicen Bennett, an Arkansas Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) caseworker and DCFS liaison to The CALL *. This past January, 28 foster homes opened in Arkansas, meaning in that month alone 28 new families became available to take foster children into their care. A blessing, considering all the hoops that these families must go through -- background checks, medical exams, home studies and training classes. On the same day I heard that great news, however, I also heard some bad news. While 28 foster homes opened in January, 48 homes closed. Do you understand what that means? While 28 foster families have just opened their homes to foster children that desperately need those stable home environments, 48  foster families have closed their homes to those same children that desperately need them. Here's one more statistic: In 2012, 500 homes opened across the state of Arkansas. Sadly, in 2012, 480 homes close...

I've never claimed to predict the future, but I've got a good feeling about tomorrow. I think my Baltimore Ravens  are going to pull it off tomorrow. And I think Linebacker Ray Lewis  will get MVP of Superbowl XLVII. And even if he doesn't, he's MVP in my book. You know why? Because he's a man of God who loves donning t-shirts  with bible references like Psalm 91. And because of quotes like these: "Listen to what people say you can't do, and then GO DO IT." How many of us have heard people tell us what we can't do? Maybe they think we're too young or too old, or too short or too tall, or we belong to the wrong gender or race. Or maybe we're aspiring to do something we've never done before. Maybe the voices that tell us what we can't do are in our own heads. Sometimes we're actually our own worst critic. Whoever the critic may be, we've got to press on with whatever God's called us to do. We've got t...

Next Sunday, many of us will be glued to our television screens for one spectacular event. Some will watch for the football. Others will remain captive for the hilarious commercials. Others still will hang out for the game just to witness Beyonce's half-time show.  (Bet she won't lip sync  this one...) Anyway, whatever we consider the main event next Sunday, most of us will be watching. As an adoptive mother  and adoption advocate , I'm always looking out for adoption stories  around me. Today, I thought I'd share stories I've discovered in next week's Super Bowl. Of course I must begin with my beloved Ravens... Michael Oher Michael Oher has a story that's been told before. If you've had the opportunity to watch Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side , you've heard Michael's story  already. One of twelve children, Michael grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. Due to his father's frequent incarcerations and his mother's...

As I watched the inauguration of the second term of President Barack H. Obama, I could almost hear the voice of Martin Luther King Jr. reverberating in the background. And I think of the phrase that has been repeated more than once today -- "The Beloved Community." "The Beloved Community"  was a term first coined in early 20th Century by philosopher-theologian Josiah Royce, who founded the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Dr. King, also a member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, popularized this term and sparked its evolution. For Dr. King "The Beloved Community" described a country -- a world even -- of justice and equality and hope. A community of faith and love, where people of different races, cultures and socio-economic groups can live together, work together and worship together. In 1956, Dr. King spoke these words following the U.S. Supreme Court Decision to desegregate the buses of Montgomery, Alabama: "The end [of segregation] i...