The Gospel Truth Magazine February 2023

Publisher's Prayer & Message

Heavenly Father,

You are the light of the world Because of You, I no longer walk in darkness but in Your light. May my life reflect Your truth, pointing others to You and bringing glory to Your name. Give me the strength and courage to share the hope that I have in You This world is broken, but You make what’s broken whole again This year, draw near to the lost, the lonely, and the hurting. And, please draw near to me. May Your love bring us together, mending division and unifying Your global Church. No matter what this year holds, You are faithful and Your promises are true.

Thank You for the eternal hope that I have in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen Health is Wealth!!!

In this new year we are launching a new focus for The Gospel Truth on health and wealth Healthy bodies, healthy minds and healthy finances As men and women who recognize the blessings of the Lord we are compelled to honor the lives we have been given. The recent pandemic taught the world what we as Black people already knew: Systemic health challenges would result in a greater loss of life for our people!- When you know better you do better. We are committed to using our platform in the faith community to provide information to truly transform lives. A significant part of that transformation is to address financial challenges that we must overcome. We want to celebrate success and share roadmaps to that success!

We are all in this together.

To our loyal readers and supporters we welcome you on this journey! We thank God for our pastors and churches who have always supported our work! The Gospel Truth is a team effort built on unwavering faith and churches who embraced the vision to inform and to inspire. With God’s help, the journey continues!

Publisher Sandy Walker

GENERATING KINGDOM ROI

Forty-five minutes is forty-five minutes. For exercise, I like to walk on the treadmill. It helps me keep a steady pace. I set my timer and away I go. I have two goals: number of steps and length of time, forty-five minutes. One morning while on the treadmill, I decided to up my speed, knowing that would increase my number of steps. But to be honest, I was hoping that it would make that forty-five minutes go by faster...it doesn’t! I giggled as I thought forty-five minutes is forty-five minutes no matter if I am doing a leisurely walk or a fast trot, that timer does not go off until forty-five minutes have elapsed.

resources. No specifics, just do business, make use of, generate a return with what I have entrusted with you.

Dear God,

Welcome to Vernita’s Place. Come on in and experience the presence of God. It is in God’s presence where we find Peace, Love, Affirmations, Comfort, and Encouragement from the word of the Lord.

for the broken-hearted. Are you using the gifts and abilities entrusted in you by God, to bring about a Kingdom ROI in your home, church, workplace, school, or wherever you go?

Sandy Walker, Father I pray for all of Your children who are feelknow. When I find myself pondering the circumstances of the day I take comfort in the fact that You are in

The nobleman, upon his return, called His servants to give an account of their stewardship. One servant reported ten additional pounds and received rule over ten cities, another reported five additional pounds of silver and received rule over five cities, and one reported no additional earnings, so the one pound he had was taken away from him.

I encourage you to join me as I take inventory of what I have been entrusted with by God and how well am I occupying until the Master, Jesus returns. What will your Kingdom ROI look like during 2023?

You have blessed me and so many others to see the dawning of another year. Thank You Father for 2022!! I am not sure what the challenges or blessings will be for this year but I know that You know. I am comforted that nothing will happen that will be a surprise to You.

Father I pray for Your continued love, support and guidance. I pray that You will open doors that need to be opened. I pray for compassion and healing for those who are in need. I pray for the blessing of being grateful and appreciative of all things and all people. Fill my heart with gladness and thanksgiving. Thank You Father for working on my behalf even when I don’t realize it. Thank You for answering prayers that I have not yet prayed!!! You are an awesome and amazing God.

This thought made me think of the Bible account of the nobleman who divided ten pounds of silver among his ten servants, before heading off to receive his Kingdom. Stating to them “Occupy till I come.” (Luke 19:13) He was commanding them to do business with HIS resources. The nobleman gave them stewardship over HIS

I love You Father. --AMEN

As I reflected on this Biblical account I considered the many gifts and abilities God has given us stewardship over, they do not belong to us. They are to be used to generate a Kingdom ROI (Return On Investment) What does a Kingdom ROI look like? Kingdom ROI is salvation for the lost, deliverance for the bound, healing for the sick and infirm, peace for a worried mind, or joy

About Vernita: Vernita Chandler is an ordained Elder in the Lord’s Church, currently serving in Eagle’s Nest Cathedral International in Huntsville, AL under the leadership of Bishop Daniel J. Richardson. She is the author of Vernita’s PLACE Blog and is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Biblical Leadership at Huntsville Bible College, where she also serves as the Admissions Officer. Her work motto is “This is more than a job, it is ministry.”

Mental Health Issues May Qualify for Medical Marijuana Treatment

Editor’s note: This commentary is provided by the Medical Marijuana Education and Research Initiative (MMERI) of Florida A&M University.

Are mental health issues treatable with medical marijuana? That all depends on the issue.

Under Florida’s medical marijuana law, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a qualifying condition for treatment as recommended by a qualified medical marijuana physician. But the law gives doctors some flexibility on treating ailments “of the same kind or class as or comparable to the others listed.” So, people struggling with, say, chronic bouts of anxiety, depression, or insomnia — symptoms of PTSD — may be eligible to receive a Medical Marijuana Use Registry identification card.

“There’s no one pharmacological agent or medication that has been deemed the gold standard treatment of PTSD because PTSD is just a combination of so many different symptoms,” explains Dr. Delvena Thomas, a board-certified psychi-

atrist and neurologist. Her private practice in Fort Lauderdale focuses on psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, and alternative health, which includes CBD products and medicinal cannabis certifications.

But, she adds, “medicinal cannabis has proven effective in treating PTSD, a very specific type of anxiety. We classify it as an anxiety disorder, it’s very specific. Patients do well with medicinal cannabis in treating their PTSD.”

A lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, Dr. Thomas has served on three combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, giving her a unique perspective of the invisible wounds war inflicts on the mental health of returning veterans. PTSD, however, can affect all kinds of people who have been exposed to traumatic situations, even “vicariously just from seeing things on television and hearing about traumatic things; 9/11 is a good example,” she says.

She and Dr. Alexys Hillman, who practices osteopathic medicine and is a qualified medical marijuana

physician in Pensacola, agree that mental health problems may arise during holiday seasons, like the one many Americans just observed. What should be an occasion for joyous celebrations among family and friends may instead trigger feelings of loneliness and suicidal thoughts, they say.

Regardless of the cause of a mental health issue, the doctors strongly advise against self-medicating, including using illegal marijuana or alcohol. For someone who is being treated with medical cannabis to help alleviate PTSD-like symptoms, they also warn against drinking alcohol or taking prescription opioids at the same time.

Visit https://bit.ly/Cannabis_MentalHealth to watch MMERI’s Conversations on Cannabis Virtual Forum featuring Dr.Delvena Thomas, a board-certified psychiatrist and neurologist & Dr. Alexys Hillman, qualified medical marijuana physician discussing the pros and cons of using cannabis as a mental health treatment.

The news surrounding the tragic death of Tyre Nichols on the heels of mass murders in California cast a veil of solemnity on the advent of Black History Month. These events touch everyone in our nation and illustrate that our work to advance human dignity and realize the equality for which we all strive is still a glimmer on the horizon. But it is and always has been achievable.

I’ve always professed that I am a work in progress. So are you. And so is our country. In recognition of Black History Month, let’s commit to doing our part to help our nation come together as the great nation we aspire to be. That includes actions we can take in our workplaces, as well as in our everyday lives. I will never tire of saying that when we help others, when we offer them an opportunity to have their voices heard, then we very much help ourselves. We build community. And that makes us stronger and better, whether it is at work, in our neighborhoods, or as citizens of our aspiring nation. Helping others is a tangible way for us to come together and to build a more perfect nation, community, and workplace.

Black History Month remains a power-

Written by: Robert L. Santos, Director

ful symbolic celebration and a time for acknowledgement, reflection, and inspiration. The national 2023 Black History Month theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how African Americans have addressed historic and ongoing disadvantage and oppression, as evidenced by recent events. But disadvantage and oppression transcend overt instances of violence. They interpenetrate our everyday practices, our beliefs, social relations, and incidents that reveal hierarchies and social structures that preserve inequities. Please understand that we can help mitigate that through our own intentional, positive actions.

Despite an inequitable social system, African Americans have found viable ways to survive, advance, and thrive. Black Americans have nurtured and protected their physical and intellectual autonomy through innovation, lobbying, litigation, and legislation—and, yes, by helping each other as a community. These efforts have fueled perseverance and hope. Black resistance strategies have served as a model for every other social movement in our country. We all have learned from their leadership in this area. And our nation has benefitted from those efforts by progressing

towards a more equitable society, even though we still have a way to go.

Collectively celebrating Black History Month is one way the Census Bureau achieves our mission and vision. Consider the mission of our Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEODI): “To engage and support the Census Bureau workforce through proactive education, upholding statutory requirements to prevent unlawful discrimination, and fostering a sense of belonging. Through our vision, we strive to be an inclusive and equitable work environment, empowering employees to be their best selves and make innovative contributions to the agency. We will serve as catalysts for change and build a model EEO program where all employees count.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

I encourage all of you to become involved and do all that you can to foster an environment where we all are recognized for our abilities and valued for our contributions.

How to Fight Inflation: 6 Money-Saving Tips for 2023

It’s no secret that inflation has battered a lot of bank accounts in the last year. Some prices have been going down lately, like gas, but other prices, like that for food, are still climbing If you're looking to save money, here are some money-saving tips in six areas of your spending life.

Travel

Inflation-fighting tip: Remember that you always pay for convenience. Convenience costs more when it comes to virtually any purchase you make, but it’s especially costly when you’re traveling. John Shrewsbury, a financial advisor and co-owner of GenWealth Financial Advisors in Bryant, Arkansas, often goes on business trips and says that he has observed what many of us likely have: “Convenience comes at a significant price ” He cites staying at a hotel near your destination as often being far higher a price than staying at a lower price a bit further away. “Most airlines charge for luggage, so packing efficiently could save $30 to $50 bucks,” Shrewsbury says. “And, on that rental car, pumping your own gas to fill up right before you return will save several dollars over letting the rental company fill it and charge you ”

He has other examples. “Eating at the hotel is likely to be more expensive than at a nearby restaurant Also, food at the airport is usually more expensive because they have a captive audience, so if possible, eat before you leave for the plane.” Granted, plenty of travelers are willing to pay more for the convenience, and if you are, that's fine But it is something to remember, if you're looking to save money on travel. If you’re willing to be a little inconvenienced, you can probably go farther for less

Groceries Inflation-fighting tip:

Shop strategically for your food

That may not sound like much of a tip We all know that we need to shop strategically, don't we? Still, we can always use a pep talk It isn’t easy shopping strategically for food We may not be hunting and gathering in the way our ancestors did, but you still have to bargain hunt and scour the landscape for deals It can be mind-numbing and stressful

But Andrea Woroch, a U S News contributor and shopping consultant based out of Bakersfield, California, has a lot of good ideas For starters, go to the store with a list, having planned out as many meals as you can between now and your next grocery trip And you should also be strategic in your meal planning “When choosing recipes, look for those that use overlapping ingredients and review local circulars to figure out which stores have the lowest prices for the goods on your shopping list,” Woroch says She says that if you look for fresh foods that are near the expiration date, it’s possible to save around 70%. Just make sure to consume those items as soon as you can, so those savings don't end up in your trash bin. “Finally, shop at a grocery store that offers a fuel reward program since you can redeem points for savings at the pump,” Woroch says. “For example, Kroger Fuel Reward Programs offers 1 point for every $1 spent on food and you can redeem those points at participating Shell stations." Woroch says that even online grocery shopping, with its delivery fees, can be cheaper than going to the store because it can help you avoid impulse food buying – and, she adds, there are coupons available at deal aggregators like www.CouponCabin.com offering savings such as $20 off at Vons com, $5 off $25 at Safeway and $30 off $100 at Stop & Shop. It’s a lot of work to shop for food and consistently find deals and steals, and if you feel your time is too valuable to go the trouble, that’s a reasonable feeling. But you will save more on your supermarket trips doing it Woroch’s way

Gas Inflation-fighting tip: Plan your drives ahead of time.

This is admittedly not groundbreaking advice, admits says Fabio Fernandes, head of communications at the Consumer Choice Center, a consumer advocacy group and nonprofit organization. “Unfortunately, gas prices are still high in many parts of the United States, and there are very few things cardependent consumers can do to minimize its impact on the household budget,” he says. Still, he suggests planning your drives before you run errands, so you can figure out the shortest path from Point A to Point B. Of course, you may not have to plan out your drive too much. If you have an app on your phone that can tell you the fastest route, use it. And if you’re planning ahead, you may want to talk to a family member, friend or neighbor about carpooling errands. For instance, maybe you alternate grocery store trips, with one week your friend driving and you driving the next week. That may only shave off a little bit of money, but it could be a more enjoyable way to shop.

“Another obvious suggestion is driving less,” Fernandes says. “The work-fromhome trend is stronger than ever, and if your job allows, ask your employer to stay at home a couple of days a week.”

Utilities Inflation-fighting tip: Don’t get complacent with your utilities. We tend to not comparison shop for utilities because often, there’s only one utility you’re going to work with.

But that’s not always the case, Fernandes points out, and even if there is a choice, it’s easy to fall into a routine where you completely forget that you might have other options “Consumers who have been using the same providers for electricity, gas, and especially broadband tend to get too comfortable,” Fernandes says. “If you live in an area with multiple providers for any of those services, don’t hesitate to call them and listen to their offers New customers enjoy special prices and perks that old clients don’t, so looking at the competition might be a money saver.” Another area of complacency that can cost consumers is forgetting to change how you use your appliances, Fernandes says “When it comes to inflation on household items, the greatest villains are utilities,” he says. “Consumers can save energy by reducing the number of times they do laundry or run the dishwasher, or even by changing a couple of degrees the thermostat ”

I

nsurance Inflation-fighting tip:

Review those insurance bills. Spend a day analyzing your insurance premiums “You can lower your insurance premiums by 5% to 20% by bundling services, increasing deductibles and paying upfront,” Woroch says. You can also, of course, comparison shop for cheaper insurance plans, too Woroch says that we should all analyze all of our bills during these inflationary times “Look for opportunities to save by canceling unnecessary services, add-ons or unused subscriptions. You can even put memberships on pause that you don't really need right now,” she says

Entertainment Inflation-fighting tip: Get rid of some stuff, but not all. This is always a tricky one. You’re human. Whether it’s TV or music or movies or books or videogames, entertainment brings joy. And what some people view as frivolous, others may see it as very important, says Brian Walsh, a certified financial planner with SoFi.com, an online bank “Early in my career I was working on a financial plan for a client getting ready to retire He has a golf membership that I classified as discretionary in his retirement projection,” Walsh says. “He quickly corrected me that this was his primary source of enjoyment and relaxation He explained that he would rather retire years later than go without this expense. After that, I realized that what I may view as discretionary is essential to another person because we all have different priorities ”

In other words, if you go to the movies a couple times a month and love doing it, keep going. If you play golf or tennis, even better, since that’s good exercise that will probably help you a lot in the long run. Find somewhere else in the budget to cut But if you’re living paycheck to paycheck, it can’t hurt to scrutinize your entertainment expenses. Are there streaming services that you added but now rarely watch? Do you have a habit of buying books when you’d fare just as well checking out books for free at the library? Actually, there are a lot of free things you can often check out at libraries, from movies to music to videogames. It you're looking to be entertained on the cheap, the library should be a regular place for you to visit

THE GOSPEL TRUTH

C h u r c h D i r e c t o r y

SOUTH DADE

F U L L D E L I V E R A N C E

B A P T I S T C H U R C H

1 0 1 S W R e d l a n d R d , F l o r i d a C i t y 3 3 0 3 4

3 0 5 - 2 4 7 - 4 5 4 1 F a x 3 0 5 - 2 4 8 - 3 7 8 7 c h a n g i n g y o u r d i r e c t i o n o r g E m a i l : f u l l d e l i v e r a n c e @ c o m a s t n e t R e v V i c t o r H i c k s o n S r , P a s t o r

M T . O L I V E M B C H U R C H

6 3 1 6 S o u t h W e s t P l . S . , M i a m i 3 3 1 4 3

3 0 5 - 6 6 7 - 7 7 9 1 m t o l i v e 6 3 6 @ b e l l s o u t h . n e t m t o l i v e n b c h u r c h s o u t h m i a m i @ w e b s c o m J a m e s R P o l k S r , P a s t o r / T e a c h e r

S T . J A M E S B A P T I S T C H U R C H

3 5 0 0 C h a r l e s A v e C o c o n u t G r o v e 3 3 1 3 3

3 0 5 - 4 4 3 - 4 4 4 0 s t j a m e s b a p t i s t 8 3 @ b e l l s o u t h n e t a l l a b o u t m i n i s t r i e s @ a t t n e t R e v K e n t o n W i l l i a m s , P a s t o r

M T . P L E A S A N T M B C H U R C H

1 1 5 9 1 S W . t o 2 2 0 S t . G o u l d s 3 3 1 7 0

3 0 5 - 2 5 3 - 2 9 0 5 m o u n t p l e a s a n t m b 1 0 2 @ g m a i l . c o m P a s t o r R e v R o d n e y R U p s h a w n J r ;

B E U L A H M . B . C H U R C H

3 7 9 5 F r o w A v e M i a m i 3 3 1 3 3

3 0 5 - 4 4 5 - 4 9 7 0 R e v . D r . H o w a r d S i p l i n , P a s t o r F i r s t l a d y Z e l m a F . S i p l i n

S T . J O H N A M E C H U R C H

6 4 6 1 S W . 5 9 P L . S o u t h M i a m i 3 3 1 4 3

3 0 5 - 6 6 5 - 1 1 9 1 S t . j o h n a m e s o u t h m i a m i . c o m

R e v M i l l e r ' s C a m p e l l , P a s t o r

N E W B E T H E L A . M . E . C H U R C H

1 1 6 9 5 S o u t h w e s t

0 S t r e e t , M i a m i

M A C E D O N I A M B C H U R C H

3 5 1 1 5 D o u g l a s R d . , M i a m i 3 3 1 3 3

7 8 6 - 3 7 4 - 5 0 2 7 R e v e r e n d L a n c e B . B a i l e y S r ; P a s t o r

K I N G D O M C O V E N A N T

M I N I S T R I E S

1 0 3 0 0 S W 1 6 2 n d S t M i a m i 3 3 1 5 7 P a s t o r

G R E A T E R F A I T H T E M P L E F B C

M T . C A V A L R Y N A T I O N C H U R C H

O F G O D , I N C

1 7 5 0 0 S W 1 0 3 A v e P e r r i n e 3 3 1 5 7

3 0 5 - 2 3 4 - 9 7 0 2

m t c a l v a r y n c o g o r g

F a c e b o o k c o m / M T C a v a l r y N C O G

R e v M e l i s s a R o l l e - S c o t t , P a s t o r

B E L I E V E R S O F A U T H O R I T Y

M I N I S T E R I N C .

3 6 5 5 G r a n d A v e , M i a m i 3 3 1 3 0 3 0 5 - 4 4 2 - 7 3 3 7 ,b o a m i n i s t e r s @ h o t m a i l . c o m A p o s t l e D r . J o h n H . C h a m b e r s , 1 1 1 , P a s t o r

M T . M O R I A H M B C H U R C H

C O M M U N I T Y B I B L E B A P T I S T

C H U R C H

1 6 9 0 0 S W 1 0 0 A v e M i a m i 3 3 1 5 7

3 0 5 - 2 5 3 - 1 6 9 3 R e v D r R e m i e l L o c k w o o d , P a s t o r

S W E E T H O M E M B C H U R C H

C O V E N A N T M B C H U R C H 1

5 5 N W 6 A v e F l o r i d a C i t y 3 3 0 3 4

3 0 5 - 2 4 8 - 5 5 6 1 c o v e n a n t b c c o m R e v D r C u r t i s T T h o m a s S r ; P a s t o r

F A I T H D E L I V E R A N C E

M I N I S T R I E S

1 8 1 9 0 S W 1 0 2 A v e M i a m i 3 3 1 5 7

3 0 5 - 9 0 9 - 6 8 6 1 d o c f e r g i e @ b e l l s o u t h n e t P a s t o r D r B e t t i e M F e r g u s o n

T H E B E T H E L C H U R C H

1 4 4 4 0 L i n c o l n B l v d , M i a m i 3 3 1 7 6

3 0 5 - 2 3 5 - 7 4 2 3

T B C M i a m i o r g

A p o s t l e C a r l o s L M a l o n e S r ; P a s t o r

1 0 7 0 1 S W 1 8 4 t h S t r e e t , M i a m i 3 3 1 5 7 s w e e t h o m e m i a m i o r g R e v T h e o J o h n s o n P a s t o r

S E C O N D B A P T I S T C H U R C H

1 1 1 1 1 P i n k s t o n B l v d , M i a m i 3 3 1 7 6

3 0 5 - 2 3 2 - 0 4 9 9 F a x 3 0 5 - 2 5 4 - 7 8 0 4 s b c m i a m i . o r g R e v . D r . A l p h o n s o J a c k s o n, S r ; P a s t o r

F I R S T S T . J O H N M B C H U R C H

1 3 7 4 0 S W 2 6 4 S t , N a r a n j a 3 3 0 3 2

3 0 5 - 2 5 8 - 4 3 0 3 f s j m b c c o n R e v R o d n e y S R u m p h S r ; P a s t o r

S T . P E T E R S M B C H U R C H

1 7 9 0 1 S W . 1 0 7 t h A v e . M i a m i

3 0 5 - 2 3 2 - 5 5 1 2 F a x

0

0 R e v R o b e r t B r o o k s J r ; P a s t o r