Sunday, August 1, 2010

Odds N Ends


Sista Chrystal Marshall may be the only individual with a Ginko tree in her front yard. If you want to know how she got the city to plant it then email me and I will pass your email on to her.


More of Chrystal's enormous hibiscus blooms. Notice the leaves are slightly different from the most common hibiscus plants one usually sees.


Did I say that the hibiscus is one of my favorite flowers?



We discovered this hibiscus plant in a yard at S. Woodlawn and 64th st.


President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal while on tour in the United States recently attended a reception in his honor at the DuSable Museum. The evening featured a brief presentation from the President and a popular Senagalese musician along with the local Muntu Dance Theatre. Muntu was so great that the President invited them to be his personal guests at a black arts festival to be held later in the year.

9 Marks of a Champion

I recently found this list in a congregational newsletter that I want to share with you:

1. Believes and visualizes themselves winning
2. Believes and is willing to go through change
3. Believes they are loved by the Most High/God/the Holy
4. Willing to forgive and be forgiven
5. Believes they can rule their thought life (that is, they know that their thoughts are energy that they can and should be in charge of and can manipulate to produce certain outcomes )
6. Believes that they can make a difference and be agents of change
7. Believes that they can accomplish great things and greater works; on the way to the next level
8. Demonstrates that they are a finisher (and can take care of business)
9. Stands in the midst of adversity

I wish to add a 10th characteristic: Knows how to ask for and invite support from others because they understand no one is an island. and that in order to achieve great things we must come together.

Q. How many of these Marks of a Champion/Winner/Self Actualized individual apply to you?

Sacred Text of the Day - James 1:22
Do not be just hearers of the word but doers of the word.

Q. Where in your life are you sitting on the sidelines expecting someone else to do something? How can you more fully take charge of your life and lead the kind of life that you dream about? Begin today! Don't put it off another day!


Radical Disciple

August 4 and August 8 the documentary, Radical Disciple debuted and featured Father Pfleger. It captured his activism, passion and charisma while "exploring issues of racism, theology, and the role of the media." There is still time to view the August 8 airing on PBS, WTTW, Channel 11.

I am so impressed with the ministry of St. Sabina where Father Michael Pfleger resides as pastor that I included the Church in our community tour for 15 students that will begin their part time integrated internships through Meadville Lombard Theological School this fall.

Blessings! Rev. Qiyamah