Better Together by Second's Gazette

SECOND’S GAZETTE STAFF Nadine O. Harris, MBA, Founder/Publisher Ferrari Y. Green, Production and Design

Editors: Sharon Durall, Jaylyn Harris, Kathy Jackson Sherry Joiner, Operations and Distribution

Contributors Peggy LaBon, Lois Gaston, Jessie Anderson, Vanessa Jenkins, Vera Reeves, Betty Thomas, Felicia Dickson, Keith D. Holmes, Judy McCulloch, Donna Burke, LaTricia Brown, Lula Boyer

Photographers: Adele Davis, Jerel McLendon

Children’s Church Consultant: Avian Westby

acial reconciliation is a hot topic among Christians these days. In Sikeston, Missouri, which has a history of segregation, two church bodies recently decided to live out the gospel’s message of unity by merging. Kenny King, pastor of the mostly black Smith Chapel, and William Marshall, pastor of the mostly white Trinity Baptist, had become friends. They realized both churches, while healthy, were undergoing transitions, so they joined forces. The new congregation’s name, Grace Bible Fellowship, represents God’s grace and the grace we extend to others — no matter their skin color. “We want to … give people the benefit of the doubt instead of letting these issues divide us,” King says. “The gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to keep us together and not keep us separated.”

astor Chris is still on the scene at Second Baptist. Although for the safety of the congregation we are at home watching him on youtube.com/2bcmonrovia each Sunday. He is still delivering electrifying messages with limited people in the pews. I am sure he appreciates having a few people to look at rather than none as he did during the first round of the pandemic. Pastor Chris is making sure the congregation gets to utilize the sanctuary this time by preaching from the true and faithful place of the pulpit. But one thing is clear, Pastor Chris is going to deliver the message regardless of location and he is determined to keep us safe and healthy in the process.

NEED PRAYER, call the church office and obtain the telephone number of the Deacon according to the first letter of your last name (See below). If your name starts with ...

A Call Robert & Jessie Anderson B Dennis & JoAnne Craig, or Betty Brown or Rodney Bough C A.G. Harrison, or Shirley Robinson, or Larry & Deborah Hayes D James Harvey or Venda Hawkins E/F Ron & Lavonne Husband or Adrienne Hurst G Minnie Mannings or Valeria Burwell or Ellen Clark H George & Tamara Lewis or Thelma Jones I/J Ellis & Thelma Johnson or Eva McLaurin or Walter McDonald K/L/N/O/T Terrence Williams or Lonnie & Josephine Stokes M Chuck Williams or Melva Hill P/Q Carrie Walker or Nadine Harris R/S Larry Willis or Oscar Woodard U/V/W/X/Y/Z

Robert Hamilton or Ron Demps or Michael Dickson

Second Baptist Church Bookstore 925 So. Shamrock Monrovia, CA 91016

Lift Every Voice and Sing James Weldon Johnson - 1871-1938 Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the list'ning skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won. Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chast'ning rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered. We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; Thou who hast by Thy might, Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee; Shadowed beneath Thy hand, May we forever stand, True to our God, True to our native land.

Congratulations on

50 years of Marriage

Diakona Ron & LaVonne Husband

Anniversary Prayer

May

God

who bought the two of us together and joined our hearts as one, continue to affirm our love for each other. By His grace may we always know

True Love

February, 2022

hope that your February is much better than January for this new year of 2022. As Christians, we’ve learned that in all things, we give God thanks; good or bad, ups or downs, sick or well, we seek God’s Glory in everything. Romans 8:28, “And we know all things work together for good to those who love

God. To those who are called according to His purpose.” This month is Step 2 “We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves can restore us to sanity.” Most people (Christians) believe they are sane and have no need to ponder such a statement about being restored to sanity. But if you know anyone who is not a Christian and have battled drugs, gambling, or any other addiction, then you may want to consider that “sanity” is subject to interpretation. We can love the Lord with all our heart and soul, yet still battle spiritually with addictions. There are so many people who do not understand God as the Bible teaches. As a matter of fact, they want nothing to do with God. By having many conversations with people from all walks of life, they are damaged by different “religious dogma” from childhood, so they have spent years living without having God as part of their lives. The purpose of the 2nd is to re-introduce an addict in recovery to this concept of a loving God, Who will be with them as they progress in recovery and life. This step will help you focus on being honest, open-minded, and willing to have God sustain you through the rest of life, as we know that He can and will if He is sought. I’ve learned not to get offended when addicts in the meetings would say “HP” or “Higher Power”, because I realized that this is a steppingstone for them, and God will meet them where they are. If someone is willing to open the door to the possibility of God coming into their lives, who am I to judge how it happens. My duty is to be an example of God’s Grace and Mercy; as He did for me, He is doing for countless others, as a result of working this step. So don’t count out who we think may be insane, God is still working on them, and us too!

In Christ, Peggy LaBon

JUDGE ME WHEN YOU ARE PERFECT

73% of churched Millennials believe they are gifted at sharing their faith, but half of them (47%) think it is wrong to share the faith with someone of a different faith.

WELCOMES DONATIONS OF ANY SIZE Please make checks payable to

Second Baptist Church Second Baptist Church Diakona Nadine Harris John P. Harris, Sr. Lady Betty G. Dillard Mother Deloris Bridges Sherry Joiner Marcus & Ferrari Green Elder Robert Craig Dr. John & Apryl Harris Diakona Larry & Debra Hayes Ophelia M. Harris Diakona Carrie Walker Mother Mary Bourne Pastor James & Brenda Walker Diakona Mother Melva Hill Diakona Lonnie & Josephine Stokes

Donations can be dropped off at the SBC Bookstore.

lthough the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for Blacks to register to vote. In 1965, an Alabama city became the battleground in the fight for suffrage. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who rallied his followers on the historic march from Selma to Montgomery in the face of violent opposition an event that became a milestone victory for the civil rights movement.

hen President Eisenhower invited James Michener to a White House dinner, the bestselling author replied: “Dear Mr. President, I received your invitation three days after I had agreed to speak a few words at a dinner honoring the wonderful high school teacher who taught me how to write. I know you will not miss me at your dinner, but she might at hers.” Instead of taking offense, Eisenhower answered: “In his lifetime, a man lives under 15 or 16 presidents. But a really fine teacher comes into his life but rarely.” Fine teachers are indeed worth cherishing, whether they hold classes in churches or public schools, on Sundays or on weekdays. Let us honor and appreciate all teachers, all year long. Thank you for preparing lessons with care, for going above and beyond to meet each student’s needs, and for sparking c

he following compliments from the Song of Solomon may not go over well on Valentine’s Day: “I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots” (1:9). “Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead” (4:1). “Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing” (4:2). “Your neck is like the tower of David, built in courses” (4:4). “[Your] eyes are like doves beside springs of water, bathed in milk, fitly set” (5:12). “Your navel is a rounded bowl that never lacks mixed wine. Your belly is a heap of wheat” (7:2). On the other hand, how about this one: “You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you” (4:7).

Special dates    

African American History Month Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2022 Presidents Day, February 21, 2022 Transfiguration of Our Lord, February 27, 2022

n It’s Okay Not to Be Okay, Christian author Sheila Walsh looks at the all-encompassing love that Jesus expects of his followers. He commands us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27, ESV). But we can’t love that way without faith, Walsh writes. “I’m not living by faith if I have an answer to everything. If I understand everything God does or doesn’t do, then all I need to love him with is my mind. We’re called to love him with more.” That “more,” she explains, involves these paradoxes: “We love with all our heart, even when it’s broken. We love with our soul, even when our humanity wrestles against our situation. We love with our strength, even when it’s almost gone. We love with our mind, even when we don’t understand.” Even if God’s purposes and plans don’t make sense here on earth, we can heed this advice from the great preacher Charles Spurgeon: “When we cannot trace [God’s] hand, we must trust his heart.”

Great Escapes The goal of authentic Christianity is a love [that] escapes from a closed circle of spiritual selfindulgence, or even self-improvement, to become absorbed in the love of God and other people. —Richard Lovelace

Ingredients 

1 package (1 pound 2.25 ozs.) devil’s food cake mix with pudding



1 1/3 cups water



1/2 cup vegetable oil



3 eggs



1 tub (12 ozs. ) chocolate whipped frosting/1 tub (16 ozs.) chocolate ready-to-spread frosting

Holiday Flavor Twist

For a truly special presentation to make cake hearts flutter, garnish with fresh small strawberries or raspberries and curls of white chocolate. Or for real chocolate lovers, press miniature chocolate chips onto the side of the frosted cake.

The Laughing Pew TM

Resting Your Mind, Body and Soul “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest” Exodus 23:12

News Flash, we just live a busy hurried life day-to-day. We’re constantly rushing from one thing to another in our daily lives, work, church and giving the least amount of time to our families and our own self -care. We are always on the go, just busy. Are you really getting things accomplished or just adding more to your plate? Studies show that African Americans suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and have a higher cancer rate. Why? Because we’re too busy running around and not making self-care our number one priority. Simple changes can make a difference. God instituted a reminder about stress and self-care in the very beginning of creation. On the seventh day, God rested and so should we. Buttafly Burke

James Weldon Johnson, born in Florida in 1871, was a national organizer for the NAACP and an author of poetry and nonfiction. Perhaps best known for the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," he also wrote several poetry collections and novels, often exploring racial identity and the African American folk tradition.

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s people, we are all consumers of health care at one time or another. And we know there are medical conditions that are prevalent in the African American population. However, as African Americans (both male and female) we are also inventors. Many modern conveniences and necessities are directly related to, or derivative of, the inventions of black inventors: but did you know that we have also contributed to the scientific progress in health care? From colonial times through today, Americans of African and Caribbean descent have contributed to the advancement of medicine, physics, and industrialization. Let’s name a few: Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett born January 26, 1986 in Hurdle Mills, NC is a research fellow and the scientific lead for the Coronavirus Vaccines at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A viral immunologist by training, she used her expertise to propel novel vaccine development for pandemic preparedness. In response to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccine concept was designed by Corbett’s team and rapidly deployed to industry partner, Moderna, Inc., for FDA approval clinical trial. Dr. Keith L. Black born September 13, 1957 in Tuskegee, AL is a world-renowned neurosurgeon. Black is a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of brain rumors and a prolific campaigner for funding of cancer treatment. He is chairman of the neurosurgery department and director of the Neurosurgical Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Benjamin Solomon "Ben" Carson Sr. born September 18, 1951 in Detroit MI is an African American author and retired neurosurgeon. He is the first surgeon to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the head. Dr. Patricia Era Bath (November 4, 1942 – May 30, 2019 Harlem Manhattan, NY) was an American ophthalmologist, inventor, humanitarian, and academic. She was the inventor of laser cataract surgery which a probe to treat the cataracts and she was the first African American woman doctor to receive a patent for a medical purpose. George Edward Alcorn, Jr. born March 22, 1940 in Indianapolis IN. Alcorn an African American physicist and inventor who invented a method of fabricating an imaging x-Ray spectrometer.

Otis Frank Boykin (August 29, 1920 – March 26, 1982, Dallas TX) was an American inventor and engineer. His inventions include electrical resistors used in computing, missile guidance, and pacemakers. His father, Walter B. Boykin, was a carpenter, and later became a preacher. His mother, Sarah, was a maid, who died of heart failure when Otis was a year old. This inspired him to help improve the pacemaker. Bessie Virginia Blount (November 24, 1914–December 30, 2009 Chesapeake VA) was an American physical therapist, forensic scientist, and inventor. She studied nursing in Newark, while there developing a passion in the field of physical therapy, a profession not formalized and established until shortly after Blount’s birth. While working with injured soldiers after World War II, she developed a device that allowed amputees to feed themselves; it delivered one mouthful of food at a time to patients whenever they bit down on a tube. Griffin later invented a receptacle that was a simpler and smaller version of the same, designed to be worn around a patient's neck. Percy Lavon Julian (April 11, 1899 – April 19, 1975, Montgomery, AL) was an American research chemist and a pioneer in the chemical synthesis of medicinal drugs from plants. His work would lay the foundation for the steroid drug industry's production of cortisone, other corticosteroids and birth control pills. Alice Augusta Ball (July 24, 1892 – December 31, 1916 Seattle WA) was an African American chemist who developed an injectable oil extract that was the most effective treatment of leprosy until the 1940. She was the first woman and first African American to receive a master's degree from the University of Hawaii, and was also the university's first female and African American chemistry professor. So this month as we focus on Black History, remember African Americans are a people who not only seek health care as a consumers, but we are also scientific pioneers and major contributors to the health industry.

Live Life Healthy Jessie M. Anderson, RN BSN http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/ black.html http://www.black-inventor.com

MEET QUEEN NEVEAH JONES. Neveah is 10 years old and is a 5th grader who loves to learn about the Word of God. She is currently playing softball and recently received a Reading Award for her reading success. Neveah is excited and ready to serve as the queen. Be on the lookout for her on the campus of SBC.

MEET KING MAKEO GREEN. MaKeo is 10 years old and is a 5th grader who loves the game of basketball. He currently plays for Prodigy Travel Ball (#23) and was recently awarded the Citizenship and Kindness Award. Be on the look out for this young prayer warrior on the campus of SBC.

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