I am Grateful for My Mother

Greetings in the most precious name of the Father and of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Holy Spirit:

I Thank Father God in The Name of Jesus Christ for the things that He has done and continues to do.  All Praise Glory and Honor belongs to Him.  Thank you Father for allowing me the privilege of seeing my mother’s 80^th birthday and helping her to celebrate it in a way that she deserves and will always remember.

 I would like to thank The Honorable Mayor Joseph T. McElveen, Jr. and the City of Sumter for their most kind and generous support of my mother’s 80th birthday celebration, acknowledging her with a Resolution that proclaimed July 26, 2012 as “Lucile Winn. Prince Day,” -- also awarding her with the Key to the City and a city pin. I would also like to thank City Councilman Robert Galiano for stopping by to wish Mother Prince Happy Birthday and thanking her for the many years of service in our schools.  I would also like to thank Ms. Linda Hammett, City Clerk, who so graciously and thoroughly assisted me.

Special thanks also go to Minister Cynthia Johnson and Minister Yvonne Nelson for the beautiful decorations, balloons and table ornaments that helped to set and create the atmosphere of celebration.  Special thanks go to Mrs. Gloria Carolina who took it upon herself to supply the lovely party favors and mementos.

Enormous thanks go to Mrs. Teigue and the staff of the Sumter/Lee Adult Education Center who attended in large numbers and recognized mom with a Proclamation of their own along with heartfelt sentiments and a very special gift.

Loving thanks and heartfelt gratitude go to our church family – Bishop Jeffery Johnson and Faith Deliverance Temple -- who didn’t think it robbery to come in large numbers and share in the celebration at Red Lobster and present Mother Prince with a surprisingly delicious arrangement and generous tokens of cards and letters of love.

Thanks go to my sister, Deirdre and nephew Tony for their melodious presentation.

A former 2^nd  and 3^rd grade student of mom’s, Mrs. Calandra Brunson Witherspoon, visited from Columbia and spoke of her admiration and love of Mother Prince.

A mutual graduate of Morris College and a friend of over 50 plus years, Mrs. Lou Emma Crayton (Homebound), sent a very moving letter of admiration and love to Mother Prince highlighting her Christian character and loving personality that perseveres through the hardships of life and lights the path of everyone around her. 

I am eternally grateful for The Item Newspaper sending Mr. Rob Cotttingham to photograph the celebration and interview mom.  I am equally grateful for WLTX TV-News 19 for sending Mr. Erick Ferris to video the event and interview mom for their station’s broadcast.

I am eternally grateful for all the contributions of all those who volunteered and helped to make this occasion so very successful and eternally memorable.  I am especially grateful for Rev. Dr. Lewis Walker Jr. of Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Mr. Ernest Session of Allstate Insurance Company and Mr. L. Harvin Bullock, Sumter County Coroner for assisting me in sponsoring this occasion. 

Last but certainly not least, I thank my daughter Melody for helping me with her grandmother and for keeping the secretes that made this occasion a surprise and a success.

To God be the Glory for the things that he has done.  Thank you all!  Amen!



 

www.owprince.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/othealor

 

Click below to watch on YouTube

http://youtu.be/_6km2jslpNU

 

Dead at 24

I usually don’t say much with regards to politics and law enforcement. I highly regard those who are sworn to serve and protect—placing their lives on the line everyday for citizens like you and me.   However, recent events involving Devin Taylor’s death (a person that I didn’t know) have caused me to ask questions about the rights of unarmed citizens and the judgment and statute of the law with regards to protecting those rights.

These questions in no way reflect upon the character of the deceased nor do they presume upon the character of the officer involved in the shooting.  Both the officer and the family of the deceased need our prayers.

The following questions are intended to raise awareness and invoke thought about ways to avoid the taking of a human life.

• Does being legally intoxicated and belligerent justify the use of deadly force when the person that is intoxicated is unarmed?
• Does fear for one’s safety justify the use of deadly force against an unarmed man?
• Wouldn’t it be reasonable for a law enforcement officer to disable the stopped vehicle of a suspected drunk driver (taking the keys and locking the car doors or blowing out the wheels) as opposed to using deadly force against an unarmed person whose address and identity are known?
• Could better physical and self-defense training in debilitating a resistant suspect help to avoid the use of deadly force?  

These are just a few initial questions that were generated by the seemingly avoidable death of such a young man.

Regardless of any past behavior issues (although nonviolent), it is hard to accept the notion that a person’s life means so little that restraint, patience and wisdom could not have found a better way to resolve the situation.

I wasn’t there and neither were you. But Devin’s not here to tell his side of the story. All we can do is try to comfort his family, pray for the officer involved and learn that there are choices we make in life that shouldn’t cost us our life, as well as there are some choices in life that you can never take back.

Link to video below

http://www.live5news.com/story/19027097/police-investigating-shooting-involving-trooper?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7505208

How Committed Are You?

Would you give up pursuing your own happiness (sexual, financial, material and career ambitions) for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Don’t lie! Many of you would like to think that you could give up your own ambitions for the sake of God but the truth of the matter is that your spirit may be willing but the flesh is weak.

You may think that this question is unfair but it is intended to make us examine our commitment to God and His Word.

Many, upon self-examination, are disqualified to respond to the question. We are disqualified whenever we insist upon practicing our religion rather than keeping God’s commandments. We are disqualified whenever we practice the pursuit of sexual fulfillment outside of the boundaries of holy matrimony. We are disqualified whenever we practice the pursuit of our own financial wellbeing at the expense of others. We are disqualified whenever we practice ignoring the needs of others when it is in our power to give assistance. We are disqualified whenever we have too much wealth while someone else has too little and we refuse to share.

The Bible Challenges and Instruct us to imitate Christ’s unselfish humility.

In the book of Philippians 2:1-8 we find Paul giving apostolic instructions to the church a Philippi to “have the mind of Christ. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. But rather, in humility, value others above yourselves. Imitate Christ by looking to the interests of others.” This is the challenge of every Christian.

Regardless of the countless millions who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, not many are committed to imitating Jesus Christ’s selfless humility.

How committed are you?

REPENT!

Those Who Believe...

"Keep Looking Up!"

What does the Bible say about men with long hair? / Does God have a standard for His men?

1 Corinthians 11:14-15

¹⁴ Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, ¹⁵ but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory?

In this passage of scripture, Paul does not mean “nature” in the sense of “the natural world” or “Mother Nature.”  Obviously, Paul cannot mean that since in the world of animals all males do not have short hair and all females do not have long hair.  All we need to do is to look at the male lion, a common biblical animal, with a bushy mane and female lion with no mane at all.  Moreover, there is evidence that for first-century men to have long hair was considered a sign of effeminacy [characteristics of being a woman] and perhaps even homosexuality—something that Paul in Romans 1 considers contrary to nature.  When Paul says by “nature” he means how naturally it was for folks of his culture to associate long hair with femininity and short hair with masculinity.  Cross-gender behavior was not uncommon in the first century.

Paul claims that the long hair of a woman “is her glory.”  The way Paul is using the word “glory” in this text refers to the beauty of women’s long hair.  Paul understood, as most of us do, that Long hair can make a woman look attractive and beautiful and is identified as one of her important feminine qualities.  This fact is even true today.  All we need do is look at the attention and the money that women invest in their hair.

However, men who want to take on the feminine qualities of a woman, whether by wearing long hair, long braids or ornamented hair decorations are to be naturally considered effeminate, thus discredited as a man [shameful].

When it is so important for a male to have long dreadlocks or stylishly long hair hanging on his shoulder or down his back as if he where a female, he is taking on the characteristic of a female and thus has dishonored himself as a male.

Regardless of the cultural, social or personal reasons for a man wearing long hair, it is not a trait that the apostles approve of for born-again men.

As for whether this practice will condemn you to hell, I cannot say.  But is it that important to you that you would risk your eternal soul on a hair style?

The question that we should all ask ourselves is, “Do I want to meet the standards of God’s holiness or the stylish trends of the world?”

Do you have a heart for God or a heart for the things of the World?

REPENT!

"No One Should Be Shocked"

No one should be shocked by what is posted on social network sites. Verbal vulgarities, pictorial nudity, allusions to sexual acts of perversion and immorality are common on today’s social networks. That is one reason so many religious groups have campaigned against them.

Nevertheless, it raises concern when so-called-Children of God are the ones who are posting these obscene materials. It makes one wonder about the integrity and sincerity of their salvation (Ephesians 5:3).

Many say that they are children of God and follow His Commands but their behavior nullifies their profession of faith.

Christians who are preoccupied with sexuality and sensuality have chosen their god and have denied the One True God—Jesus Christ. (Ezekiel 5:11, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Romans 8:5-8)

Being a Christian is not a 9 to 5 job. You don’t get to take time off from being holy no more than God gets to take time off from being God. It is a lifetime experience. It is who we are as God’s Children; if indeed we are His children. (Romans 8:9)

Stop fronting and be who you are.

If you belong to God, Act like it. If you belong to Satan, never mind. This message really was not for you anyway.
Bishop