may reflections

Greetings in the name of our
​Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To God be all the Glory as May, the fifth month of the year of our Lord, is upon us as depending on where you live, the sporadic cold days of winter are almost behind us and spring as sprung for us to enjoy the sunshine and prayerfully put that winter gear away.  Despite an abundance of rain as trees are blooming, we still thank God who r-e-i-g-n-s that April showers ​bring May flowers.  

While God is watering His beautiful creations in the still in the midst of this coronavirus pandemic and variants, I still wonder if He is shedding an over abundance of tears that if our country would realize that if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land  2 Chronicles 7:14.  

This month we also celebrate Mother's Day, as her children rise up and called her blessed.  While for most of us it is a time of celebration, there are those like myself, whose beloved mother has gone home to be with the Lord, and this can be a difficult time as cherished memories roll down our cheeks as tears.  I sincerely pray that the footprints in the sand, which have carried me for the past 27 years without my mom, do the same  for you.  

Wishing all mothers a Happy Mother's Day and may God continue to bless you and keep you in His everlasting care as we also honor and thank those soldiers for their service on Memorial Day.    


With a shepherds heart, 
Pastor Carla
 Our May 2022 God's Cover Girl will be announced shortly
For more information regarding our Crowned Jewels Ministries, please click here.

​Celebrating May birthdays

May 1
Sister Shirley Mae Gardner
Sister Kay Broadnax

May 2
Sister Paula Loehr
Sister Akeela Mahogani
Pastor Doretha Oliver

May 3
Pastor Toya Alexander

May 4
Sister Justine Kennedy

May 5
Sister Rosalie Knox
Minister Rene Selby
Superintendent James Childs 
Sister Debbie Hudler 
Sister Michelle Schmiderer

May 6
Sister Geraldine Millner
Sister Kerri DeAngelis

May 7 
Sister Marvette Deadwyler
Sister Vanessa Bolden-Beaver
Deaconess Lee Haywood
Sister Lea Avery

May 8
Sister Barbara Seacord
Brother Keon Broadnax

​May 9
Sister Natasha Nicole
Sister Lenise Hill​
​Brother Devin Rumeau

​​May 10
Pastor Ethel Knox
Sister Tabitha Livingston
Sister Tonya Jones
(Beloved niece of Pastor Carla)
Brother Roy Cuthbert
Sister Lisa Brown
May 11
Dr. Terri Gailliard-McCaden 
​
May 12
Sister Patricia Vann
Rev. Diane Holt

​May 13
Brother Anthony Eaddy
Sister Moochie Merchant

May 14
Sister Linda Fisher

May 15
Brother Rob Terpening
Sister Tanyika Davis
Sister Alicia Picott
Sister Jacque Cotton

May 17
Sister Audrey MacArthur

May 19
Elder Violet Machado 
Minister Elaine Pannasch 
Pastor Charles McComb
Sister Kendra Emokpae

​May 20
Sister Henrietta Gaston
Sister Dana Marie Knox
 
May 21
Sister Ilse Fenwick
​
May 22
Sister ​Arlene Winrow
Sister Luvenia Graham Meekins
Sister Mary Smith​
​Mama Singleton


​ 
May 23
Elder Jade Bradley

May 24
Sister Margaret Baird
Sister Kyra Paupaw
(Beloved niece of Pastor Carla)
Sister Patti Umhey
 
May 25
Brother Kurt Coleman
Sister Christina Stampley
Mother Ida Childress
Sister Carla Davis

May 26
Sister Dashaya Smythe 
 
May 27
Mother Clara Lumpkin
​
 May 28
Sister Colette Coston
​Sister Jamilla Reid
Sister Addy Laza

May 29
Elder Loraine Lawrence 
Sister Michelle Wilson 

​May 30
Sister Tiffani West

May 31
Sister Michele Jonee
Sister Aline Waters
​Sister Debra Watson
​

CELEBRATING may WEDDING ANNIVERSARIES

May 1
Sister Karina and Brother Fred Benninger celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary
 Sister Diane and Brother Mitch Ortleib celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary
~~~
 May 3
Sister Yvonne and Brother Bruce Brown celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary 
~~~~
​ May 6
Sister Bertha Mae (aka Ganna) and Brother Willard (aka Poppop) Williams celebrating
their 51st wedding anniversary 
~~~
May 11
Sister Marilyn and Brother Phillip Dammer celebrating their 37th wedding anniversary 
~~~
 May 14
Sister Jamila and Brother Herbert Reid celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary 
~~~
May 15
Sister Brittany & Brother Dylan Little celebrating their 1st wedding anniversary
​Minister Shatera and Elder David Edwards celebrating their 11th wedding anniversary  
Lady Cassandra and Bishop John Borden, Sr. celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary
~~~
 May 17 
Sister Judy and Brother Ken Nebel celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary
 Sister Carol and Brother Bert Henderson celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary
~~~
May 20
 Pastor Jordan and Brother Kevin Dean celebrating their 7th wedding anniversary
 Sister Norma and Deacon Tom May celebrating their 27+6 wedding anniversary 
 ~~~
 May 21
Sister Dee and Pastor Charles Rogers celebrating their 34th wedding anniversary 
~~~
May 22
Sister Deb and Jeb Saracino celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary 
~~~
May 25
​Lady Wanda and Pastor Darrell Mills celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary 
~~~
May 26
Sister Helena and Brother Grady Burkett celebrating their 43rd wedding anniversary
~~~
May 28
 Sister Karen and Brother Aaron Haslem celebrating their 28th wedding anniversary 
~~~
May 29
​ Deaconess Carolyn and Deacon Ricky Broadnax celebrating their wedding anniversary
~~~
May 30
Minister Sharifa and Brother Mel Carbon celebrating their 13th wedding anniversary​

May - in lovING MEMORY

​Our thoughts and prayers are the victims and their familys who tragically went home to be with the lord on may 14, 2022 due to the mass shooting at the tops supermarket in buffalo, NY.
~~~
Our thoughts and prayers are with brother randy edmonds, whose beloved sister, Sister Linda edmonds also the beloved cousin of pastor carla, who went home to be with the lord
on may 14, 2022.
​~~~
In loving memory of the LATE SISTER ANTONIA BROWN WHO WENT HOME
​ TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 6, 2021.
~~~
​​ IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE BELOVED MOTHER OF SISTER BETTYANN CLARK WHOSE BELOVED MOTHER WHO
​WENT HOME TO THE LORD ON MAY 28, 2020.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER ALBERT MCCLINTON, THE BELOVED BROTHER OF LADY ANNA PARKER AND SISTER JEANETTE HOWELL WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 27, 2020.
~~~
​IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER SAM JONES, THE BELOVED FATHER OF SISTER ANDREA STURDIVANT WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 18, 2020.
~~~
​IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER ADA COSTON, THE BELOVED AUNT OF OUR VERY OWN SISTER COLETTE COSTON, WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 7, 2020.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER NADINE LEWIS WHO WENT HOME ​TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 5, 2020.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY THE LATE MINISTER LINDA DUKES WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 3, 2020.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE REV. PAUL WORTHINGTON, THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF MINISTER RITA WORTHINGTON,  WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 2, 2020 AS WELL AS HER BROTHER-IN-LAW THE LATE BROTHER KIRK WORTHINGTON WHO ALSO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD A FEW DAYS LATER.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER GERALD LEWIS, THE BELOVED BROTHER OF BROTHER CHRIS LEWIS,
WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MOTHER'S DAY MAY 12, 2019.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER DANA EDWARDS, THE BELOVED SISTER OF ELDER DAVID EDWARDS,
WHO RECEIVED HER WINGS ON MAY 7, 2019.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE GARY SELBY, THE LATE HUSBAND OF EVANGELIST RENEE SELBY, WHO TRANSITIONED FROM  FROM LABOR TO REWARD ON MAY 1, 2019.
~~~~
​IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER ELLA MAE FORNEY-WAKEFIELD WHO WENT HOME TO BE
WITH THE LORD ​ON MAY 28, 2018.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER OF ELDER TOMONA CARTER VANZANT,
WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 27, 2018.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER DENISE SPEARMAN, THE BELOVED AUNT OF ELDER CAMISHA OATES-NEWMAN WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 22, 2018.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER ALEX CATONA, THE BELOVED RELATIVE OF SISTER LIDIA CATONA
​WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 10, 2018.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER CHARLES LADAY, SR., THE BELOVED FATHER OF MINISTER CHARLENE LADAY-HILL WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 9, 2018.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER (FRANCIS) EDWARD SEELEY, THE BELOVED FATHER OF OUR VERY OWN
SISTER LORA MILCZWESKI WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 24, 2017.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER TONY DENBY, THE BELOVED HUSBAND OF SISTER ROSE DENBY,
WHO​ WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 24, 2017.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE PAST MASTER RUDOLPH BETRAN WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 21, 2017.
~~~
​IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LAST SISTER JENNELL SCOTT, THE BELOVED MOTHER/MOTHER-IN-LAW OF THE REV. CHRISTOPHER SCOTT AND REV. FIRST LADY VIRGINIA SCOTT WHO WAS CALLED HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 25, 2016.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER SHIQUAN (SHI SHI) MALIK KROUSER, THE BELOVED SON OF SISTER SHONDA (SHU SHU) WILLIAMS, WHO WAS CALLED HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 23, 2014. 
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE MOTHER SMYTHE, THE BELOVED MOTHER OF MINISTER GRACE SMYTHE-YOUNG, SISTER CARRIE SMYTHE AND SISTER VIVIAN SMYTHE, WHO WAS CALLED HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD
​ON MAY 28, 2009.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER ALVIN KERSHAW, THE BELOVED FATHER OF SISTER PATRICIA VANN, WHO WAS CALLED HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 18, 2009.
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER HATTIE MAE GASTON, THE BELOVED MOTHER OF DEACONESS MARIE EDMONDS AND ADOPTED GRANDMOTHER OF PASTOR CARLA, WHO WENT HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD ON MAY 13, 2001 AND HER BIRTHDAY ON MAY 20.  
​~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BROTHER NEAL ZUILL ON HIS BIRTHDAY ON MAY 2
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE MOTHER THELMA VANDEMARK ON HER BIRTHDAY ON MAY 5
~~~
​IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE SISTER PAM BRIGHTMAN ON HER BIRTHDAY ON MAY 11
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LASTE SISTER SARAH P. MATTHEWS, THE BELOVED MOTHER OF OUR VERY OWN SISTER COLETTE COSTON, ON HER BIRTHDAY ON MAY 14
~~~
​IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE DEACONESS ROBBIE SANDERS ON HER BIRTHDAY ON MAY 17
​~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE BISHOP WALTER HOLMES AND THE LATE EDDIE JACKSON ON THEIR BIRTHDAY ON MAY 18
~~~
IN LOVING MEMORY OF THE LATE PASTOR MARY WALLACE ON HER BIRTHDAY ON MAY 24

If we can be of assistance as you reflect on the loving memories of your loved ones that have gone home to be with the Lord,
please click here for more information about our ​Footprints in the Sand Ministries: For those who are left behind 
As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.  Proverbs 27:17