Category Archives: Bible

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Greenleaf Recap Season 3 Episode 6: She Changes Everything…

Hello World,

Although OWN’s “Greenleaf” had a bye week last week, they got right back in the game with this week’s episode so keep reading for my Greenleaf Recap Season 3 Episode 6: She Changes Everything…

Since I used an NFL term (bye week), one might expect that I would continue on the theme of male empowerment as depicted by sports, but I’m a switch hitter (baseball reference) because this episode was all about female empowerment and how women are changing the game! As least that is what Lady Mae would like to do, but more on that later…

Alright, let’s go…

She’s a Bad Mama Jama…

Lady Mae comes down the stairs with a revised proposal of what she and Bishop will say to the congregation about their divorce. “Oh the long awaited rewrite,” Bishop says. “I’ve printed it in large print so that you can read it on Sunday.” That was low-key shade although you’re supposed to print a speech in big letters so that you can see the words without straining. Y’all know Lady Mae has no problem with shade. She is the ultimate bad mama jama. Bishop notices that there is “nothing about saying good-bye” in the speech. Lady Mae says she has come to the conclusion that she is staying. Bishop and Lady Mae exchange more words before Lady Mae screams, “I will be praying for you.” If you have to scream that you will be praying for someone, maybe you shouldn’t…

Instead of a bad mama jama, Charity is a bad mama right now. She is face down on her coach passed out while her son Nathan is screaming his head off. It’s so loud that Lady Mae and Marisol, holding Nathan, confront her. Lady Mae says that Marisol heard the child over the dryer in another part of the house. After asking Charity if she is under the influence, she says, “I’m going to take this pharmacy of yours and throw it in the toilet.” And then she gets gully with it. “Don’t put me in the position where I have to agree with Kevin,” Lady Mae says. “On what?” Charity asks. “Your fitness as a mother.” Wow.

It seems that not even Sophia’s mother can comfort her daughter right now. And even Zora in all of her self-centered stupidity realizes it. She goes to Sophia’s room and apologizes for how she treated her cousin just before she was taken to the emergency room. “I didn’t know you were really sick.” Sophia says, “I forgive you. Now go to hell!” Yeah, she’s mad…”You made a joke about me getting pregnant,” Sophia says. “I don’t want an apology from anyone like you.” Was that Sophia’s way of calling her cousin a heathen?!

Grace is able to distract herself a bit from her daughter’s woes when her man Darius calls. He asks her is the legal defense fund she has created up and running as woman who was apparently abused has now killed her husband.

Speaking of husbands, Rochelle is still trying to steal Lady Mae’s soon-to-be ex-husband. Rochelle meets with Bishop at his office and says she can help him with his tax bill. After telling him about crytocurrency, she says, “People are getting rich quick.” “Can we?” Bishop asks.

Also now in her office as well, Lady Mae calls home to check on Charity. After Marisol informs Lady Mae that Charity is still on her sofa, she tells Marisol to have the power turned off in her suite. That should wake her up! But Lady Mae, like Bishop, also has a guest to entertain in her office. Maxine Patterson shows up at Calvary to much fanfare. After Maxine promises everyone that she will sign autographs and take pictures later, the two, called “sister warriors” by Lady Mae’s starstruck assistant Karine, retire to Lady Mae’s office.

Bishop and Rochelle come out of his office due to all of the hubbub. Rochelle says, “I wonder what Mae’s up to?” (Why does she feel comfortable calling her Mae rather than Lady Mae?) Bishop replies, “The devil only knows.”

Minutes later, Rochelle meets with Grace and Darius. Darius tells Rochelle about the abused woman who finally killed her husband, but all Rochelle can do is gawk at Darius right in front of his girlfriend! “Is that a custom shirt? It fits you so well.” Rather than be straight up offended, Grace is kind of amused by it probably it confirms something she already knows: Rochelle cannot be trusted. She has to keep an eye on her.

Meanwhile, back in Lady Mae’s office, their two assistants agree on a date that Maxine will speak at Calvary. But then, Lady Mae tells the two assistants to leave as a private matter needs to be discussed. Lady Mae tells her about Charity. Maxine says, “I know a soul doctor.” “But is she discreet?” Lady Mae asks. “No, but that’s not her gift.” LOL

She Wolf…

I am so through with Zora!!! The girl took Marisol’s cell phone from her purse to call Christian Breezy aka Isaiah. She played nice with her grandmother Lady Mae when she first came to stay with her at the estate, but now, she is acting like she was raised by a pack of wolves. After Lady Mae reminds her of the rules (no computer and no phone and no talking to that boy) Lady Mae rightly calls her out for her disrespect and Zora responds with, “I hate it here.” Lady Mae says, “What you hate is yourself.” Exactly. Any girl that would continue to be with a boy who beats and disrespects her on some level hates herself! Zora calls her mother Kerissa to tell her that she wants to come home, but Jacob vetoes that request.

Meanwhile in another part of the house, the Iyanla Vanzant (who is playing herself), Maxine Patterson’s soul doctor,  is also attempting to have a breakthough with Charity who looks like she was raised by wolves at this point – hair and eyes all wild… She asks her, “Why take painkillers? All I see is pain” with her trademark term of endearment “Beloved.” (Why is it that every time I hear her use this term, I want to laugh? It’s not right, but I know it’s okay! LOL. Y’all pray for me.).

Charity tells her that “no one cares about me.” Iyanla asks her “Did you embarrass yourself by marrying a man who is gay?” “He hid it from me,” she replies. “I find it hard to believe that he was able to hide a secret that big!” Iyanla says. Say that, Iyanla! I knew from the the first episode of “Greenleaf” that Kevin was gay! Charity goes on to tell her that she married Kevin because he made her feel safe in her home. Iyanla asks, “What would it take for you to feel safe and wanted?” I bet Iyanla helped to write her lines, don’t you?

And yet in another part of estate, Sophia is still in pain (and she will be for quite some time). It must feel like she’s been thrown to the wolves after learning that she is sterile in the last episode. I still find it harsh that the writers feel it necessary to put her through so much. But her boyfriend Roberto is trying to help her through it. He brings a pink teddy bear to her in her bedroom. Still in her pajamas, she says, “Sorry I’m such a buzzkill.” He says, “Want to pray about it?” Sophia responds with, “Not really.” She is feeling sorry for herself and says, “I will never have kids, and I have to take hormones for the rest of my life. He did this.” I’m a bit surprised that she shared all of the details with her boyfriend. I thought she would have kept some of the details to herself, but it’s good that she shared all of it with him. He’s pretty mature for a teenage boy as he is trying to be there for her when it seems that many teenage boys would have have just stopped seeing her. He tells her that the Bible is full of women who were barren but later had kids. She yells, “I’m not barren. I’m sterile.” Aren’t they pretty much the same thing?

Minutes later, Sophia asks her mother to take her place on Sunday and teach her Little Saints class. “How can I stand there and tell them that God is good when He isn’t?” She says that her mother shouldn’t be concerned that she won’t be in church on Sunday. “You quit going for 20 years!”

Everything She Wants…

Bishop and Lady Mae seem to have finally made peace with the fact that their marriage is over as they calmly discuss the statement they will be making come Sunday morning. Still, Bishop tells her to make sure that she adds a farewell because “there won’t be another chance to say it.” Has he met his soon-to-be ex-wife before? She always gets everything she wants…But in this moment, she doesn’t cause a ruckus as the two plan to meet with Iyanla and Charity before they go to church.

Iyanla encourages Charity to share her truth with her parents. “When I was growing up, I felt scared.” Y’all, I thought she was going to follow up that with she was also molested by Uncle Mac! But she said she felt like Faith and Grace were scared too. Then she says she didn’t tell her mother because “I knew you didn’t want to hear it. That scared me even more.” Lady Mae starts to get upset now because it’s evident that Charity has disclosed all of the Greenleaf’s business! And instead of hearing and trying to understand Charity’s pain, she tells her that she needs to get a “backbone.” She tells her that her childhood wasn’t perfect (i.e. she was molested by her father), but “I’ve never blamed my mother for any of it.” Wow, Lady Mae, it always comes back to you. Lady Mae should have blamed her mother to some degree. Lady Mae says, “The world is scary, but don’t look at me. You fix it. That’s how Jesus works not me.”  Lady Mae is a woman in denial and expects everyone else to play along…That’s how Satan works, Lady Mae. So it looks like if Charity wants to get some healing, Lady Mae is not truly going to help…

After this meeting and before church, Bishop says to Lady Mae, “You can have the house. I will take care of the IRS bill, but you have to leave the church.” Surprisingly, she agrees with one stipulation. “I want ‘A Day With Lady Mae.'” (I guess this is a Women’s Service of some sort) Bishop agrees but tells her that after that she has to move on.

At church, Zora is still intent on getting everything she wants and calls that boy while she is in someone’s office. That child is off the rails.

After Charity sings about the “Balm in Gilead,” Bishop, who is in royal blue, and Lady Mae, who is in continuous black,” announce that they have some “news to share. We’re only human and we’ve never claimed to be anything but. We’re divorcing.” Gasps can be heard from all points of the sanctuary, but Bishop continues. “Some of you may ask, ‘Have they prayed about it? Have they tried to work it out? We did. We have.”

Lady Mae goes on to tell the church that she will be still hosting ‘A Day With Lady Mae” and her special guest will be Maxine Patterson, who is in the audience. The theme of the all-day seminar will be “She Changes Everything.”

After the service, Grace walks out in the hallway and hears the chatter about the announcement. Among the statements that she overhears is “I can’t have a pastor who is divorced.” Outside in the parking lot, Maxine shares her plan with Lady Mae. It is one of Sankofa. “We’re reaching back and picking up what you dropped.” In other words, Maxine hopes to help Lady Mae take over Calvary, but she also has a Plan B if Plan A doesn’t work. “We will march up the road and plant a new one.”

Will Lady Mae get everything she wants?

There She Goes…

Instead of thanking Iyanla for getting through to Charity, Lady Mae tells her that she didn’t appreciate being “bushwhacked.” Iyanla points that it was her daughter’s truth. Lady Mae says Iyanla made it seem like her problems were all of her fault. There Lady Mae goes again…deflecting like the devil wants her to… She points that she is already blamed by her eldest daughter but she won’t be blamed by her youngest daughter. And there you have it. Why Lady Mae cannot stand Grace. Grace calls her mother out on her issues. Iyanla sees through the smoke screen and says she can come to her when she is ready to deal with her own pain.

Grace tells Sofia what happened in church and Sofia says she knew something was up because everyone was blowing up her phone all day. Then Grace tells her that although she didn’t go to church, she is going to have to come back. But Sophia sets her straight. “I’m not going to church ever again. “

She goes outside to the pier and throws her chain (I think she received it when she was baptized.) in the lake. And there she goes. Walking away from God. Not Good. But I understand.

Any thoughts?

Thank you sooo much for reading my Greenleaf Recap Season 3 Episode 6: She Changes Everything and my other recaps so far. If you would like to keep up with OWN’s “Greenleaf,” and my recaps, please click on this link to subscribe to my blog 🙂!

 

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Elder Mark A. Moore, Jr. & Other Black Church Leaders Should Be Careful About Elevating Scripture Above Therapy Following Suicides of Kate Spade & Anthony Bourdain…

Hello World,

I really hadn’t planned to post this morning because I’ve been out of town for a week and need to focus on returning to the more rudimentary rhythms of life. In other words, I’m readying myself to return to work tomorrow after a week off! But when I saw a Facebook friend’s post about a black church leader Elder Mark Moore Jr.’s Facebook commentary regarding Bible study and therapy, I knew I needed to weigh in about this very timely topic. Below is what he said…

I understand what Elder Moore is trying to say I guess, but in my experience and from everything I’ve read, the Black Church, historically, has turned to Bible study and prayer OVER therapy during a mental health crisis to its detriment. Here a few excerpts of articles I’ve found to support that premise…

From my very own blog:

‘Pain in the Pews’ Conference Highlights Mental Health & Ministry This Saturday!

Excerpt:  Do you feel like the church, specifically the Black Church, has appropriately addressed mental health and ministry? Please explain your answer.

No, I don’t think so. I think that historically, we have been taught just to “pray about it” – which, I agree wholeheartedly that we should pray about everything. However, it cannot stop there. If Sister Mary comes and says that she is suffering from depression and having suicidal thoughts, prayer along with ensuring that Sister Mary gets professional help is what is going to help to heal her. If someone says I have a tightness in my chest and my left arm is going numb, we are certainly going to pray, but someone is going to/should say “you need to go see a doctor.” The same advice given to someone with a physical ailment should be given when someone has a mental or emotional issue. That is not always the case in the Black Church.

Former Child Caretaker Dr. Sheila D. Williams Uses Background to Help Others With Mental Illness…

Excerpt:  How prevalent is mental illness in the black community, and what can the Black Church do to support mental health awareness and treatment? 

Within the black community, the subject of mental illness is still very taboo, unfortunately. There are many people within the black community who have undiagnosed mental illness or have been diagnosed with a mental illness, but chose not to take medication or get therapy. These individuals, unfortunately, are suffering in silence. By failing to see a mental health professional, to follow up with treatment or refusing to take prescribed psychotropic medications, their mental illness not only affects them, but it affects their families, loved ones and the entire community.

As a Christian woman, I have a strong faith, and believe in God and the power of prayer. However, at times in the Black Church we fail to acknowledge and expound upon the importance of physical and mental health. Although prayer and motivation are important, and I personally know the benefits of each, it is also important for the Black Church to encourage and promote mental health awareness. We often seek the help and advice of medical physicians, but we fail to seek that same help and assistance from mental health professionals when our emotional and psychological well-being is in jeopardy. I feel it a responsibility of all of us to promote and encourage 360 degrees of wellness, and this includes our mental health.

From The Huffington Post:

Gospel Singer Tasha Cobbs Says Black Church Can Help With Depression

Excerpt:  Cobbs was diagnosed with depression after attending her first therapy consultation, where she discussed her various symptoms. Now, the singer says she still attends therapy sessions once every month to make sure she stays “connected” with her therapist.

While there is a stigma attached to mental health issues in the black community and it is often viewed as a taboo topic to even discuss, Cobbs believes the issue should be considered a health priority — similar to other serious medical conditions.

“I think when you say ‘mental health,’ automatically people think ‘I’m not crazy,’ because we haven’t put a definition to exactly what we’re saying,” she said. “I believe when you say ‘it’s a mental health issue,’ it’s like having diabetes or something’s wrong with my toes or whatever the case is — it’s a medical condition and it can be dealt with. Just like you can manage a broken finger, you can manage mental health issues. I am a living witness that you can be freed and you can be cured and healed from it, but you have to first acknowledge that it exists.”

The suicides of Kate Spade earlier this month followed by Anthony Bourdain days later demonstrated in a dramatic way that no one, no matter the person’s social standing, celebrity status and wealth, is immune from mental health crises. I’m not discounting all of the people who don’t have a platform and suffer in the same way but because of the platforms of Spade and Bourdain, more people, I imagine, are paying attention to mental health issues.

As Elder Moore said, I do believe that Jesus still heals today but we cannot predict how He will heal and we have to use every resource available to facilitate that healing. I believe God has equipped some therapists and uses them to heal their patients. And some Christian therapists use Scripture in addressing mental health diagnoses. As my father was trained as a therapist and as a minister, I’ve never took part in the stigma about seeking counseling when needed. Bible study and prayer are indispensable tools that all should employ in health and wellness but they are not the only tools that God approves of and uses. I hope that more Black Church leaders come to this realization.

Alright, I think I’ve said all that I care to say except to point out I think that mental health issues are so hard for some people to grasp because the issues take place in the brain which none of us can physically see. But as Tasha Cobbs said, having a mental issue issue is just as debilitating as a physical issue. If someone has broken their leg in a car accident for example, you’re not going to advise that person to crack open a Bible and recite Scripture. I mean you can do it and it could be helpful, but you also need to get to a hospital. A mental health issue should be treated similarly. If someone you know is exhibiting suicidal tendencies, seek the help of a mental health professional and all the while you can be recalling Scripture and praying as you do it.

And below is a Scripture that applies to this post:

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”  Proverbs 11:14

Do you feel that the Black Church elevates Bible study and prayer over therapy and medication when it comes to mental health crises?

Any thoughts?

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Author Stacy Hawkins Adams Contributes to ‘Our Daily Bread’s Black Church Devotional ‘This Far By Faith!’

In Time for Black History Month...

Hello World,

When I rededicated my life to Jesus Christ about 20 years ago after being baptized as a teenager, I was on the hunt for Christian materials that would help me to learn about God. The daily devotionals by Our Daily Bread Ministries were probably the first devotional materials that I read. I appreciated the entries because they were short but encompassed the breadth of the Bible in everyday situations. I eventually included different devotionals in my reading to expand my repertoire, but I still consider Our Daily Bread devotionals to be the bedrock in daily devotionals. In fact, I’m not the only who thinks so. Millions of people throughout the world read Our Daily Bread devotionals, and they are provided for FREE!

That’s why I was excited to learn that Our Daily Bread published a Black Church devotional edition, “This Far By Faith: Legacies of the Black Church, for first time ever and in time for Black History Month! “This special edition of Our Daily Bread is a celebration of the rich legacy of God’s faithfulness seen in the heritage of the Black Church. It is by the goodness and power of the Lord that believers everywhere have been able to overcome challenges in life and share God’s love with others. This collection of devotional readings will inspire you to engage in ongoing praise and thanksgiving for what God has done, what He is doing, and what He will do for those who rely on Him and trust in His Word.”

Isn’t the cover of  heartwarming? That is how I felt as a little girl at church – filled with joy and free…

One of my writer colleagues Stacy Hawkins Adams was blessed to contribute to “This Far By Faith” and I interviewed her about her contributions and career below.

1. How did you get to be involved in the ‘This Far By Faith: Legacies of the Black Church?’ 

When I speak and teach at various writer’s conferences around the country, I meet and network with other writers. A writer friend that I met at a conference in California several years ago is a regular writer for ‘Our Daily Bread.’ When this special edition was announced, she and the publication’s other freelancers were asked to share the opportunity with their professional peers. My friend reached out to me and I submitted sample entries, which I’m grateful were accepted. I wrote three entries for the publication and two were accepted – one for Day 7 and one for Day 17. 

2. I love how you drew from your experience being in the ‘watch care’ program at a church in Mississippi while you were in college to relate to how God uses people to provide support and encouragement in various situations in the Day 7 entry ‘God’s Care is Rock Solid.’ I had a similar experience at a black church in Athens, Georgia hours away from where I grew up in College Park, Georgia. Tell me about writing that devotional entry and how it relates to Hebrews 13:1-8, the main verses referenced in the devotional. 

I’m glad my entry on my watch care experience resonated with you. This devotional relates to Hebrews 13:1-8 because through the watch care experience, that’s what the pastor and the congregation were exemplifying – extending love to “strangers” (or in this case, college students) who were not going to become permanent members, but who needed encouragement, support and wisdom to continue growing as individuals and in faith. This Scripture reflects how Christians should be doing this at every turn, in whatever circumstances we encounter people experiencing. It also shows that God’s love is enduring, wherever we may find ourselves. 

3. I also enjoyed your Day 17 entry ‘Answering His Call’ in which you related Queen Esther and Rahab the prostitute from the Bible to former slave Sojourner Truth. As you highlighted, God encourages us to be courageous as noted in Esther. What inspired this entry?

Writers for the ‘This Far By Faith’ special edition were given various topics to explore, and one of mine was courage. I immediately thought of Queen Esther and Rahab as biblical ‘sheroes’ to reference. Yet for Black History Month, I also wanted to reference a figure who was both relevant to the freedom movement and a person of faith. As a traveling minister who devoted her life to seeking freedom and justice for her people, Sojourner Truth fit this bill. I hope that briefly sharing her story is a reminder that wherever we are and whoever we are, we have something to contribute; sometimes we just have to muster the courage to do so.

4. What do you hope readers will understand and or learn by reading your entries?

I hope readers will be reminded that God is faithful in all seasons of our lives and is ready to guide us to our purpose in all kinds of ways and through all kinds of people. We should never question another person’s ability to be used by God and certainly not our own. I hope that both of my devotions show that God is willing to support us in our spiritual growth and call us into service in both simple and significant ways.

 5. ‘Our Daily Bread’ devotionals are read by people throughout the world. What does it mean to be involved with this ministry, particularly as it relates to ‘This Far By Faith?’

Like many people, I grew up reading ‘Our Daily Bread,’ and I was always inspired by the entries to live my faith in a relevant way. Being offered the opportunity to write for the publication was an honor in and of itself. Writing for this special Black History edition, focused on the black church, was especially meaningful, as I grew up in church and can attest to the numerous ways that the ministry leaders, youth leaders and congregation members nurtured me and helped me grow. 

6. You have written 10 books including nine novels as well as a non-fiction book, not to mention the fact that you worked as a newspaper reporter for 14 years before becoming a book author. What exciting writing project or projects are you working on currently? 

As you can tell, I love all kinds of writing! Whether I’m writing for a secular publication or a faith-based one, I view the stories and the information I share as an opportunity to help readers feel encouraged, inspired or better equipped to make informed decisions, with less judgment, about others.

I am currently writing for an inspirational blog that I started almost a year ago, www.LifeUntapped.com, through which I encourage and empower women readers to aim for and pursue their best lives, and I allow other women to share their stories of growth and transformation.

I also am doing more essay writing and freelance writing on occasion for various national publications, including the Huffington Post.

I plan to write another novel in a couple of years, but in the meantime, I’m fine-tuning a couple of short stories and reading a lot of fiction and nonfiction, to stretch grow as a writer.

I also am mentoring aspiring writers through an online membership group I launched several years ago called Focused Writers (www.authorinyou.com/FocusedWriters).  I love connecting with new writers in this way and cheering them on to publication, whether it through a blog they’re launching or a book they’re trying to birth. The group also includes some newly published authors who are seeking guidance on marketing.

 7. You have assisted many authors in your ‘Author in You’ mentorship program. What is your biggest tip to become a successful author?

It has been wonderful to watch writers I’ve mentored go on to publication – either traditional or self-published. At least five​writers I’ve mentored over the past few years have had their books published, and a few others are nearing that goal. Several bloggers who have sought my assistance are thriving as well. 

Regarding how to become a successful author, I guess I’d have to say this depends on how you define success. For some, it’s simply being published once; for others it’s having a certain number of books published; for many it’s winning certain awards; and for others it’s making a certain amount of money from book sales. So success will vary author to author.

I believe that anyone who has published a book and presented it in the best form possible to the world – well written, well edited and well packaged – is a success, especially if achieving this milestone is a long-term goal.

I’m just thankful to be published and widely read (though I’d love the readership to grow), and it’s a joy to write words that resonate with others. I often feel a sense of reward when I hear from readers that something I’ve written has helped them heal a relationship, love themselves more, see another person’s perspective or consider God’s grace as available to them. It’s humbling and exciting to know that the words flowing through me can have that kind of impact. I’m grateful to be one of God’s vessels. 

To order “This Far By Faith: Legacies of the Black Church” which is an awesome resource for a church during Black History Month, go to ourdailybread.org. To learn more about Stacy Hawkins Adams, go to stacyhawkinsadams.com.

 Any thoughts?