On this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Voices wanted to give a special thanks to him and his legacy. As we continue to minister to others, we urge everyone to not let his dream die:

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“That old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing.”

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

Following quotes like these would only benefit us as a nation and individuals. Dr. King was wise enough to know that – are we?

Deidre and Sue

It’s the first week of the new year and for some of us, life has changed. Deidre (Voice I) has lost her mother and the family is gathering for services. I heard via Facebook that one of my friends lost his job unexpectedly, and yet another had surgery which will require months of recovery. Life has definitely changed for these people, and each of us could be facing similar circumstances tomorrow. Life has a way of throwing us a curve ball when we least expect it. How do we survive?

Those of us who are called by His name – Christians – know that we never go through difficult times alone. The God who created us, is right there with us through it all. In Psalm 46, the Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore I will not fear . . . ” And in one of my favorite chapters of the entire Bible, John 14, Jesus gives us this promise: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid.”

Are you in a hard place right now? Call out to God – He loves you and is only a prayer away. God bless.

Sue

2016 has been a whirlwind of a busy year as we have published and marketed our book, ONE GOD, Two Voices. Now is the time to step back and enjoy the blessed holiday of Christmas .  Voice II – Sue – just participated in her church’s cantata: “Almost There” (created by Michel W. Smith, Wes King, Bradley Knight, and Luke Gambill). We would like to share some of the narrative that accompanied the musical selections:

“The child in Mary’s womb was the Word that made the worlds. He was the God who spoke . . . and the universe was.”

“In the beginning in our perfect paradise, man fell. It could have all ended that day, but God gave a promise – a Christmas promise. Emmanuel with you in your loss, your doubt, and your disappointment.”

“The Word made flesh, who stepped out of everywhere, into an insignificant somewhere, into a virgin’s womb, into a stable in Bethlehem, to save a fallen world that He so loved. He stepped out of His everywhere into your somewhere. He is the quiet voice calling you. You are not alone – God is with you.”

“Emmanuel, God with us, the Creator of all things becomes a child. He is closer than your heartbeat. He is the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Emmanuel.”

Likewise, Voice l was highly blessed and delighted as she watched The Potter’s House Christian Academy, including her grand daughter, Saniyah, perform at their school’s second annual cantata. Students from ages three right up to twelfth grade displayed an array of talents and Christmas favorites including, “Happy Birthday Jesus” (Brooklyn Tabernacle Choirs’ version); “Now Behold The Lamb” (Kirk Franklin’s version); and the Grand Finale of , “Merry Christmas, Jesus (There is no Christmas Without You)”. That version by John P. Kee definitely put the icing on the birthday cake, and it was truly all for JESUS.” GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!”

This is why Christmas is so much more than presents, food, bowl games, and parties. God sought us to save us, unworthy as we are . . . and we are so grateful. God bless you and yours.

Deidre and Sue

(clipartpanda.com)

Cue the orchestra: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

Really!!!

We feel your pain as you attempt to continue to teach, reach benchmarks, give quizzes; maybe even a final test during this festive time of year. Your students’ attention is probably elsewhere (they are sometimes literally “off the chain!”), and you are feeling the frustration of moving forward in this type of situation. In the midst of all the teacher expectations, we know you are planning holiday gatherings, shopping, buying and wrapping gifts, baking, and maybe – just for fun – picking up antibiotics for the third time because somebody else in the family is down with another illness. Too many things to do and not enough time to get them all done. How do we choose which of them gets our time and attention?

During our years in the classroom, we tried to make time to reflect on the important elements of this season. Daily devotions, meaningful music, an advent candle, and family time seemed to settle the hectic pace and give us the stability we needed. This holiday – Christmas – was the moment in history that brought our Savior to the earth. God as a baby; an incredible thought! He deserved each of our prayers, thanks, and time. When we managed to fit Him into our day, everyone benefited. Love absorbed into our hearts was able to overflow to colleagues, students, their families, and our loved ones.

So our message to you in this blog post is just this: make sure you give yourself time to reflect on the meaning of this season and soak up the blessings. Emmanuel – God with us – is about to be born in a stable!

God bless,

Deidre and Sue

 On this Thanksgiving week, the Voices are thankful for many things, and one of them is You! By You we mean all those people who have contributed to our book ministry by stopping to talk to us when we exhibit, buying a book, taking a business card/book mark to check out our work later online, or simply giving us an encouraging word. We are in the business of doing God’s work through our words and appearances, but human support is very important to us. During this season of giving thanks, we are so thankful for the opportunity to meet you and reach out to encourage others to be the Salt & Light for Him. Please don’t forget that You are and continue to be an important part of this ministry and for that we are so grateful, first to God and then, of course, to You.

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” Philippians 1:3