THE OLIVE BRANCH. A PUBLICATION OF OLIVE BRANCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Volume 1 Issue 5 May 2008

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1 THE OLIVE BRANCH A PUBLICATION OF OLIVE BRANCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH Volume 1 Issue 5 May 2008 write the vision, and make it plain on tablets, that he may run that reads it. Habakkuk 2:2 NKJV M is for the million things she gave me, O means only that she s growing old, T is for the tears she shed to save me, H is for her heart of purest gold; E is for her eyes, with love-light shining, R means right, and right she ll always be, Put them all together, they spell MOTHER, a word that means the world to me. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY In the United States of America Mother s Day was first suggested in the year 1872 by Julia Ward Howe who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic as a day dedicated to peace. It wasn t until 1907 when Anna Jarvis, from Philadelphia began to campaign to establish a national Mother s Day. Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother s church in Grafton West Virginia to celebrate Mother s Day on the second anniversary of her mother s death, the 2 nd Sunday of May. President Woodrow Wilson in 1914, made the official announcement proclaiming Mother s Day as a national holiday that was to be held each year on the 2 nd Sunday in May. The Bible has a lot to say about Mothers. The Scriptures are as follows: Gen 3:20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. Exo 20:12 Honor your father and mother, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God. Z Lev 19:3 Each of you must respect his mother and father, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. 2 Kin 4:30 But the child s mother said, As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you. Isa. 66:13 As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem. Ezek 16:44 Everyone who quotes proverbs will quote this proverb about you: Like mother, like daughter. mothersday.htm Howard Johnson What is a Mother What is a Mother?- She s someone who shares in all your problems, your joys and cares- Someone who gives you right from the start the warmth and the loves of her motherly heart*** Someone who s loyal and helpful and dear and seems to grow more so as year follows year*** Life is much brighter and happier, too because there are Mothers- Mothers like you. -J.Kyler McManus To all Mothers, We the men & children of OB wish you a delightful and blessed Mother s Day - Pastor MacDonald THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 1

2 Happy Birthday or Happy Anniversary to all those at Olive Branch celebrating a birthday or anniversary in May GOD BLESS & MANY MORE!! THE OLIVE BRANCH A publication of the Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church s Media Ministry Kelvin E. McDonald, Sr. Senior Pastor Editor Ann Cassell Editor-in-Chief Production Assistants Julia Pullie Joi Whedbee All articles for the newsletter must be copy ready submitted to the Editor by the 1 st Sunday of the month. Editor reserves the right to edit for content and space. address: Cassie1155@cox.net Pastor and First Lady Anniversary May 21st Be blessed in the Lord for the things He has done. He has given to us another year of life and another year of unity. Give unto Him and He will continue to pour out blessings beyond our many dreams and imagination. The best is yet to come!!!! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church 510 Brooks venue Elizabeth City, North Carolina Church: (252) Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the King James Version A New Beginning A New Commitment THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 2

3 THE MISSIONARY MINISTRY OF OLIVE BRANCH PRESENTED THE CROWNS AND FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2008 SISTER MYRTLE RIVERS, WORSHIP LEADER SISTER MARY WALKER, READING SCRIPTURE SISTER VIVIAN LEE, WELCOMES GUESTS THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 3

4 SISTER JERELINE LYNN, THE CROWNS I COR. 9:25 SISTER ODESSA ETHERIDGE, THE CROWNS I PETER 5:4 SISTER LUCILLE GRIFFIN, The CROWNS II TIMOTHY 4:8 THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 4

5 SISTER LOUISE THOMPSON, THE CROWNS REVELATION 2:10 SISTER SARAH FELTON, THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT GALATINAN 5:22-23 THE YOUTH CHOIR OF MT. CARMEL BAPTIST CHURCH THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 5

6 By His Stripes We are Healed!!! Continue to pray for and visit our sick and shut-in members. Special prayer is needed for Deacon Nelson Burgess, Sis. Kay Griffin and Bro. Wayne Thompson. Christian sympathy is extended to all of those who lost loves ones recently. Special thanks to Bro. Cornell McBride who provided The Youth Department tickets to attend a basketball game at ECSC on April 19 th. The OB Family welcomes our newest member Sis. Helen Austin. Sis. Austin received the right hand of fellowship after communion the first Sunday in April. Congratulations extended to Elonza (Corey) and Brandi Joyner who are expecting the birth of their first child in May. Bro. Elonzo and Sis. Wilhelmina Joyner are the proud grandparents. On Saturday, April 26 th the Fellowship Hall was transformed into a beautiful T-Room. The 2 nd Annual Tea-:Licious was hosted by the Women of OB. Pictures will be featured in the June edition of the newsletter. The KEM Community Voices is looking for new members. If you are interested, please contact Sis. Deidre Mann, or any choir member. Choir rehearsal is the Tuesday before the 1 st & 3 rd Sunday at 6:30. Serve the Lord with gladness. Greet OB friends and members with a smile!!! The Gatekeepers Ministry seeks new members. Please contact any member if you are interested. The Gatekeepers serve every second Sunday at the 8:00 and 11:00 am services. There are several members who have not been in service in weeks. As our brother s keepers, let s reach out to those we haven t seen in service. Give them a call of encouragement, show that you care and let them know you hope to see them in the near future. Praise is what I do!!!! The 8am Praise Team desires members who don t mind early morning praise and worship. O sing unto the Lord a new song. Come out and help magnify Him. Rehearsals are Wednesday nights before the 1 st and 3 rd Sunday at 7:30pm. Attention all members with addresses: Please submit your addresses to the editor so you will be able to see copies of the newsletter in color. THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 6

7 Youth In Sunday School Nicholas and Byron THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 7

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9 Northeastern High School News by Lonisha Whidbee School News reporter Lonisha Whidbee was inducted into the National Honor Society on April 27, The requirements for the National Honor Society is that a student must have at least a 350 GPA. Lonisha made the A/B honor roll for the 3 rd nine weeks. Lonisha Whidbee took the SAT's on January 26, She scored 1060 out of 2400 possible points. Keele Mercer passed Driver's Education Class. THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 9

10 Inspirational Living The dictionary defines a psalm as a sacred song or poem of praise. But don t let that scare you. You don t need to be musically inclined or a rhyming whiz to write a psalm. All you need is a heart that longs to communicate with God. Chances are that everyone will be a psalmist in heaven. The choruses of praise will never end. But there s no reason you can t start that thanksgiving celebration a little early. Some suggestions are given how in Become A Psalmist, by David Bordon and Tom Winters authors of 101 Things You Should Do Before Going to Heaven. Begin by taking a look at the book of Psalms in the Bible. Read a few random chapters. Savor them. Say them aloud. You ll find that what characterizes the prayers in this book is the raw emotion with which the ancient psalmist talk to God. The psalmist s words are so unedited, so authentic, so very human. They share the details of what s going on in their lives good, the bad, and the ugly. They ask for God s help and complain when they feel He isn t listening. They re honest and open about experiencing the mountaintop highs of victory and the deep canyon lows of despair. They reiterate the many ways God has come through for them in the past. They whine about how things are in the present. They voice their dreams for the future. And they tie everything together with ribbons of praise. Through a roller coaster of circumstance and emotion, the psalmists remains close enough to God to be awestruck with wonder. When was the last time that happened to you? Risk letting it happen again. Draw close to God in prayer. Speak to Him in a whisper, a shout, or a groan. Share your emotions, your questions, and your praise. Then write down how your heart responds to His presence. Make what you write a gift you give directly back to Him. If you re really daring, you might even sing out the words. God doesn t care about the words or the tune as much as He does about the heart of the psalmist who s created them. Submitted by Julia Pullie THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 10

11 Still cooking? Check out these sites for more ideas. This site offers a bonus of seafood recipes for people looking for meatless dishes. The old door-to-door sales company has gone online with flavorings, home remedies, recipes and a dose of nostalgia. Tips or decorating, cooking and using eggs, plus recipes, nutritional info and more, from the American Egg Board. Foods and cancer: The American Institute for Cancer Research Web site is loaded with info. Look here for meatless recipes to lighten up some heavy dishes. Start thinking about healthy habits, good and bad fats, and more. Recipes, cooking and lifestyle tips. Chef s tip To avoid the temptation of overeating, clean up and put food away right after the meal. Article taken from Virginian Pilot Food Section March 26, 2008 THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 11

12 HEALTH AND FITNESS SQUATS FOR THE BUNS, HIPS AND THIGHS BASIC CHAIR SQUAT Article taken from About.com: Exercise Squats are one of the best lower body exercises you can do. Why? One reason is that squats are multi-joint exercises which target all the muscles of the hips, glutes and thighs. This version, which requires no weights, or equipment (other than a chair) is great for beginners, for anyone with knee problems r for those who are overweight and need a bit more support. It also great for anyone wanting to add ore functionality into their lives because it mimics the movements we do each time we sit down or stand up. 1. Place a chair just behind you and stand in front of it with feet about hip- or shoulder-width apart. 2. Contract the abs and keep them tight as you bend the knees and slowly squat towards the chair. 3. Keep the knees behind the toes as you sit down on the chair for a few seconds. 4. Contract the glutes and hamstrings to lift you up out of the chair and begin extending the legs. 5. Fully extend the legs until you re back to the standing position. 6. Repeat this for 1-3 sets of repetitions. 7. To progress, squat down until you re just hovering over the chair, but not sitting all the way down. 8. Always keep the knees in line with the toes! THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 12

13 Several Sunday s ago I sat wondering what could I possibly do special in the newsletter as a tribute to a special mother. While sitting in the choir stand, I surveyed the congregation and as I was looking, I noticed in the back of the church on my right was Sis. Mary Whidbee sitting with her children and grandchildren. At that moment I realized that almost every Sunday Sis. Whidbee have her children and grandchildren by her side. Based on my observation, the newsletter staff is pleased to honor Sister Mary Whidbee. The Editor Roses are red Violets are blue. Happy Mother's Day and I love you too! Happy Mother's Day mommy thank you for all that you do. Love Alaesza THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 13

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17 Mothers Day Poems and Tributes Mother, mother, You are a gift from above you always drown me with your love. You make me feel safe through trials and tribulations And for that mother, you are my inspiration. Josh McLeod Without you where would I be? You fed me when I was hungry, kept shelter over my head, comforted me when I was hurting, and even made me laugh when I was mad. You mean so much to me. I am very blessed to have a mother like you. You mean the world and so much more to me. So on this Mother's Day, I just want to take the time to say "thank you. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. Thank you for having faith in me when I gave up hope. Thank you for dealing with the consequences when I made stupid mistakes. Thank you for give me two annoying brothers who I love so very much. Thank you for marrying that over protective man that I call dad. But most of all I thank you for instilling a love and want for worshipping Christ because without God I don't know her I would be. So mom, just know that I love you and thank you for being my mom. Have a wonderful Mother's Day and remember that even though I might not say it all the time, thank you and be blessed. Love always your loving daughter. Ciara Mann Daddy, I know its Mothers Day, but that's even more reason why I'm writing this letter to you. You have been my mother, my father and my friend. You have been my everything for 19 years. Not every child can say I have a father that loves and cares for me. I am really blessed to have a father like you. Even though we have not always seen eye to eye, we always come around and for the most part you see my side of things. For that I thank you. When I'm sick you are right there, when I'm hungry you will spend you last to make sure I eat. When I need money for what ever and I don't have it you make sure I have it before the day is over and for that I thank you. I'm older now and when I need to talk to someone about boys, you always listen, even if you really don't want to hear it. There has been times when I wanted to just give up and you sat me down and prayed with me and stayed up all night praying for me. Daddy I thank you for that. I'm about to graduate in June, thanks to you and my Lord and Savior. It may seem that I don't care sometime, but I am very thankful for a man like you in my life. When people talk about you, just know that I'm here when you need a shoulder to lean on. Whenever you don't have something I will be there for you. I love you just that much, more than you will ever know. Happy Mothers Day, daddy. Your baby girl. Danielle Holley THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 17

18 SISTER OLIVIA T. HOFFLER MEMBER OF THE MONTH Sister Olivia T. Hoffler was born in Pasquotank County, North Carolina. She was married to the late Lee Ernest Hoffler for 30 years. She is the mother of eight children, one son and seven daughters. She has twenty grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. Sis. Hoffler joined Olive Branch in She was active in ministries of the church until her health began to fail, she attends Sunday School. Sister Hoffler s favorite Bible verse is Psalm 121 in its entirety. THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 18

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20 TAKE THE TIME TO FELLOWSHIP! WORSHIP! STUDY! S UNDAY S CHOOL L ESSONS MAY 2008 May 4, 2008 Title: Setting Priorities Devotional Reading: Psalm 84:1-4 Background Scripture: Haggai 1; Ezra 5 Printed Text: Haggai 1:1-10, May 11, 2008 Title: Following A Visionary Leader Devotional Reading: Psalm 137:1-7, 138:1-5 Background Scripture: Nehemiah 1, 2 Printed Text: Nehemiah 2:1-8, 11, 17, 18 May 18, 2008 Title: Finishing The Task Devotional Reading: Psalm 71:1-6 Background Scripture: Nehemiah 4-6 Printed Text: Nehemiah 4:1-3, 6-9, 13-15; 6:15 May 25, 2008 Title: Praying Renewing The Covenant Devotional Reading: Psalm 27:11-14; 19:7-14 Background Scripture: Nehemiah 8 Printed Text: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5, 6, 13, 14, 17, 18 Bible Study is a wonderful time to listen, learn and discuss our Lords teachings and direction for our lives. Please join us in our discussion and learn about our Christian faith! If you have questions or need clarity on God s Word, we invite you to attend our School of the Word Bible Study every Thursday evening at 7:00 PM! Come prepared. Bring your Bible, Bring your pen, bring your paper, and bring YOUR FRIEND! WEEK AT A GLANCE SUNDAY 8:00 AM Early Morning Worship 9: 30 AM Sunday School 10:45 AM Praise & Worship 11:00 AM Morning Service 11:00 AM Children s Church 1:00 PM Guardian Care Visitation (3 rd Sunday) MONDAY 6:00 PM Praise Exercise 6:00 PM Sunday School Ministry (3 rd Monday) TUESDAY 6:30 PM KEM Community Voices (Before 1st & 3rd Sunday) WEDNESDAY 6:00 PM Cub Scouts 6:00 PM Trustee (3 rd Wednesday) 6:00 PM Youth Ministry (4 th Wednesday) 6:30 PM Praise Team (before 1 st & 3 rd Sumday) 7:30 PM Mass Choir (before 2 nd Sunday) 7:00 PM Mass Choir (before 4 th Sunday) THURSDAY 2:00 6:00 PM Pastor s Office Hours NOON Noon Day Prayer 5:30 PM Missionary Ministry (3rd Thursday) 6:00 PM Senior Usher Ministry (4 th Thursday) 7:00 PM School of the Word Bible Study SATURDAY 10:00 AM Usher/Hostess Ministry (before 2 nd Sunday) 11:00 AM Praise Dancers 11:30 AM Youth Ministry (before 3 rd Sunday) 1:00 PM Deaconess (before 1 st Sunday) 1:00 PM Women s Fellowship (3 rd Saturday) THE OLIVE BRANCH MAY 20