This day my heart is full of thanks and praise for God, and for His grace and mercy!
As we navigate the days of our lives it is easy to get caught up in the little things that serve as distractions from our true mission. It is my prayer that God will continue to lead and guide me as I greet each day with hope and anticipation for what will unfold. He is a merciful and wonderful God. I trust, believe and know that He is always there.
Although we are living in strange and perilous times He has not forgotten about us.
In my heart I know that nothing will befall me that God has not prepared me for. Life is interesting in that way. Employment experiences in my early years provided me with skills that that somehow come in handy many years later. The moral of books that I read in my youth are instantly recalled when facing a relevant situation. God is constantly preparing us and reminding us that this too shall pass. Whatever your it is...it will pass. Take comfort in knowing that the sun will rise, and set again. Each day is a new beginning. Thank You Lord for new beginnings. - AMEN
PUBLISHER
Sandy Walker
Publisher’s Prayer
Sandy Walker
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Sommer W. Davis
EDITOR
Jamil Rivers
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Robert Walker
My Father, My God:
Father, in the Name of Jesus:
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Moderator Johnny L. Barber
Anika Madison
All is well with my soul as I focus my attention solely on You. I am thankful as I breathe the air You so graciously provide to me each day. How wonderful it is to be Your child. How wonderful it is to know that You are in charge. I am thankful Dear Lord for the blessings You continue to bestow. Father I know that I am in no way worthy of all that You give to me. You give me peace and love. You give me food to nourish my body. You give me all that I need to survive. Your blessings are so much appreciated as You place the right people in my life and in my path each day. I know Father that You are also placing me in the path of others so that I might do Your will in being a blessing as well. Keep my eyes open, Dear Lord, so that I might see those in need.
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I am eternally grateful for the love You continue to bestow upon me. You love me unconditionally with all of my issues and all of my faults. You love me, Father, in spite of myself. I thank You for being with me always. I am comforted by the knowledge that You are with me every moment of my life.
Cutler Bay, FL 33189
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Lord as I navigate this wonderful journey called life I am eternally thankful for the love you continue to surround me with. I am thankful for the love and support of my amazing family. There is nothing I have done or could ever do to earn the blessings You continue to bestow upon me. Father I pray to be a blessing to others as you so generously bless me. You, my Lord are so worthy to be praised.
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Father I pray for all of Your children who are feeling
Father I pray for peace during these uncertain times. As much as we try to figure it all out, Lord You already know. When I find myself pondering the circumstances of the day I take comfort in the fact that You are in charge!
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well. Be seen. Be safe.
This isn’t our first pandemic. In fact, Jackson was founded during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918. And even back then, our doctors and nurses took extraordinary measures to protect and care for the people of this community. Just like we’re taking extraordinary measures to protect and care for you now. So rest assured that there is no reason to delay care for you or your loved ones due to safety concerns. We’re here for you — as we’ve always been — committed to keeping you safe. Learn more about our COVID-19 safety practices at SafeAtJackson.org
City
of Opa-locka Commissioner Joseph L. Kelley, Mayor Matthew Pigatt and the City Commission recently hosted Souls Take Control: Our Fight Against COVID-19
City of Opa-locka Commissioner Joseph L. Kelley, Mayor Matthew Pigatt and the City Commission recently hosted Souls Take Control: Our Fight Against COVID-19 for free COVID-19 testing at Sherbondy Park in Opa-locka.
City officials, pastors, clergy, and residents from the City of Opa-locka and surrounding communities attended the event.
Commissioner Kelley created the Souls Take Control event based on the success of Souls to the Polls. Annually, Souls to the Polls is promoted by a coalition of local, predominantly African-American churches to organize a get-out-the-vote push and take church parishioners from Sunday services to the voting booth.
Commissioner Kelley’s goal was to have the same energy for voting and Souls to the Polls as getting tested for COVID-19 at Souls Take Control.
“Thank you to all of the leaders from churches and their parishioners for attending Souls Take Control. I am certain that our joint prayer will change things for this community at-large. We have to fight vigilantly against COVID-19. That begins with awareness and testing. If we don’t step in and encourage everyone to get tested for COVID-19, the impact of the virus will only further harm the City of Opa-locka and other communities around the nation while increasing racial disparities and structural bias across the board,” said City of Opalocka’s Commissioner Joseph L. Kelley.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has pulled the curtain back on many racial issues that the United States is currently facing. I strongly urge people of color – those with or without symptoms – to continue to take advantage of the free COVID-19 testing at Sherbondy Park.”
The event began with prayer in English and Spanish where worshipers called upon the Lord’s hand to be upon the City of Opa-locka. Miami-Dade NAACP President Ruban Roberts also spoke to attendees and stressed the importance of COVID-19 testing for everyone so that City of Opa-locka residents don’t inadvertently spread the virus to their family members, especially the elderly and those who are high-risk. He also made a call to action for all City of Opa-locka residents to encourage everyone to register to vote or update their voting information, as well as complete their 2020 Census.
“It is crucial that all people, church leaders, and their parishioners attend our event this Sunday in order to ramp up testing in the region so we can get a more accurate idea of the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” said City of Opalocka Mayor Matthew Pigatt. “It is also crucial for everyone in the community to have access to testing, to better protect themselves and their families. Our goal is to ensure that anyone living in Opa-locka has access to testing, particularly those with COVID-19 symptoms, as well as those who work in a setting
where they may have frequent exposure.”
The free COVID-19 testing during Souls Take Control was spearheaded in order to help save lives and prevent further spread of the novel virus, which has taken a staggeringly lopsided and deadly toll on people of color across the City of Opa-locka. Commissioner Kelley created the Souls Take Control event based on the success of Souls to the Polls. Annually, Souls to the Polls is promoted by a coalition of local, predominantly African-American churches to organize a get-out-the-vote push and take church parishioners from Sunday services to the voting booth. Commissioner Kelley’s goal was to have the same energy for voting and Souls to the Polls as getting tested for COVID-19 at Souls Take Control.
Speakers during the event included Commission Kelley (emcee), Commissioner Alvin Burke, Minister Io-Reneu, and Miami-Dade NAACP President Ruban Roberts. Churches that participated in the event included Ministro de Nuevo, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Lifeline Outreach Ministry, New Generation Missionary Baptist Church, Renewed Bethel Baptist Church, and Ministerio Internacional.
For more information on COVID-19 and the City of Opa-locka’s response, visit http://opalockafl.gov/coronavirus.
Every year since I’ve been mayor of Miami Gardens, I’ve visited each of our public schools in the city (and some outside the city) and spoken to great number of our students. I go to our schools and talk to our students because I want them to know that I’m a kid from Miami Gardens. I grew up in this area. I went to church in this area. I played on the parks in this area. I went to schools in this community, Parkview Elementary, Parkway Middle, Norland Senior High School. I went away to Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, (FAMU) for undergrad, but came back home and graduated from the University of Miami School of Law, with honors. I want them to see me, and understand, that I was just like them. And now I’m the mayor of my hometown, Miami Gardens. Sometimes their inclination is to see what someone has become and not fully understand how they became. The students will ask me about my suits and bowties and I will tell them about how I was homeless, living in a car in the winter in Tallahassee while I was in college. I tell themhow a friend of mine, Tia Wanton, took me in and let me sleep on the floor in her apartment. Sometimes they’ll see me get out of the suburban and they’ll ask about the truck and I’ll tell them about how when I went to law school I would get up every morning and catch the 27 bus all the way to the MLK Metrorail Station, I’d take the metrorail all the way to Coral Gables, to the University Miami campus. Often the students ask do I have a big house. I tell them that I purchased the house that I lived in until I was 10 years old from my parents, a two-bedroom one bath in the Bahas; right around the corner from Antioch, my church. I get a lot of questions about the jobs that I’ve had. And I mention how my friend Roosevelt Deleveaux, got me a job at Walmart in receiving in Tallahassee, Florida off of Thomasville Road, when I was in college. I would work at Walmart at night, and go to school during the day and that’s how I paid my bills. When they ask about my first job, it was parking cars at my grandparents’ house, for people that were going to the Dolphin’s games at the stadium when it was newly built. I talk to them about the hard work,
perseverance, and faith it took for the young boy who parked cars for the stadium to become the man who is the mayor of The City where the stadium is located.
The overriding message I’m trying to get across to our students is this - I was a kid in Miami Gardens just like them, and I know life isn’t easy. Success isn’t easy. Hard work and perseverance validate themselves. And if they work hard and stick to it, they can accomplish their dreams. This message isn’t just for them, it’s for all of us as well.
When I became mayor of Miami Gardens eight years ago, people told me that businesses wouldn’t open here, we couldn’t have economic development here. I said that was not acceptable because this was meant to be a thriving community, someplace where people could live, work, and play. Eight years later, we have a record number of new businesses and job creation in the city. That’s because I would not accept “it can’t happen here” as an answer. When I became mayor eight years ago, people said that we couldn’t have young people from our community become police officers in our community. I said that wasn’t acceptable, and now we have officers who are from Miami Gardens, that live in Miami Gardens, and are familiar with the community on the force because they grew up here.
Eight years ago when I became mayor, they said the city’s finances were shaky and that financially we would never
thrive. Eight years later we have record reserves in the bank, our bond rating has risen, and we are a finalist for an All-American City designation. We were not meant to be the tail; we were meant to be the head.
Our story to progress in Miami Gardens has not been perfect, unflawed, or undeterred but it has been progress, built on perseverance and community, bolstered by imagination and a fundamental understanding of the intrinsic worth of The City. We were meant to be the head not the tail. We were not created in spirit of fear. We are the guardians of the life we want and the architects of the future our children deserve.
As I ask for your vote for Miami-Dade County Commission District 1, I promise you that I will never accept no as an answer to our progress as a district or as a county.
I will never accept that we can’t have mass transit that works for all of us and takes us out of our cars. I will never accept that hard-working residents are being priced out of the housing market. I will never accept that in one of the country’s most beautiful counties, we will allow the gap between rich and poor to grow bigger and faster every day. I will never accept that we can’t be extraordinary - a true world-class community that works and thrives together. I’m still that kid from Miami Gardens, I don’t know how to quit, and I won’t stop working for you. I’d love to have your vote.
8 FOODS FOR YOUR BEST SLEEP YET!
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), one-third of U.S. adults report that they usually get less than the recommended amount of sleep. It might also surprise you to know, not getting enough sleep is linked with many chronic diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes. Specifically, sleep duration and quality are predictors of levels of hemoglobin A1C, an important marker of blood sugar control.
The amount of sleep you need for good health depends on your age. However, the exact amount of sleep people need at different ages is not known. Therefore, the National Sleep Foundation outlines the minimum, and maximum sleep ranges per day as follows: The amount of sleep you get each day is important, but other aspects of sleep contribute to your health and well-being. Good sleep quality is also essential. The good news is there are compounds found in food such as serotonin, tryptophan, melatonin, calcium, and magnesium that may help you both fall and
stay asleep. Eating the foods listed below is a great way to improve the quality and duration of your sleep naturally.
1. Nuts
Eating walnuts and almonds is a great way to boost serotonin levels. The powerful nutrient package of these nuts also includes melatonin that helps regulate the sleeping and waking cycle. Eating walnuts or almonds can increase blood levels of melatonin, helping you sleep more soundly.
2. Milk
Warm milk is a frequently used home remedy to promote sleep. Milk contains tryptophan—an amino acid that causes sleepiness. Milk also contains carbohydrates, which makes the tryptophan more available to the brain, making you tired.
3. Kiwi
According to the Sleep Foundation, if you have problems sleeping, eating two kiwis before bed can increase your
sleep duration by an hour over the course of a month.
4. Cherries
Cherries are rich in melatonin, tryptophan, potassium, and serotonin. Studies show drinking a cup of tart cherry juice twice daily can help you fall asleep faster and wake up less often during the night.
5. Salmon
Salmon is high in vitamin B6, which is needed to make melatonin. There’s evidence that eating 10½ ounces of Atlantic salmon three times a week can help you fall asleep more quickly and function better during the day.
6. Chamomile
Chamomile is a traditional medicinal plant used as a mild sedative. Some studies suggest that drinking chamomile tea can improve sleep quality and relieve anxiety.
Amazon Comes to South Dade
Commissioner Dennis C. Moss is sponsoring an agreement that will sell land to Amazon in order for them to build a million square feet of warehouse space and provide 325 jobs, in the Naranja area near Homestead Air Reserve Base. Amazon will make an investment of $80 million dollars in its facilities, and the 325 permanent jobs created will provide salaries of at least $32000. Moss has been working with the administration on creating a logistics hub in the area for many years. Amazon will join FedEx, the Steel Mill and other projects that are being considered. Commissioner Moss stated that the South Dade area needs to stay tuned for other major announcements in the near future. The commissioner stated that
he and the administration were close to finalizing a deal with Miami Wilds to build a water theme park at Zoo Miami and that the Larcenia Bullard Plaza in Richmond Heights is well under construction. Further, Moss said that there are other major projects that he is working on.
In addition to the 325 jobs, Amazon will pay the county $22 million dollars, with 25% or approximately $5.5 million dollars going to the Miami-Dade County Affordable Housing Trust Fund; and 75 percent of the proceeds going into the Homestead Air Reserve Base Trust Fund in order to further economic development in the immediate area.
As a Career Educator for over 30 years, I have worked with local, state, and national governmental and community organizations. This has helped me to impact the agenda for public education and change lives. I have served thousands of students of diverse races and classes, socioeconomic backgrounds, to diminish differences in the pursuit of a common goal – whole family education for better jobs and a better life.
The Miami Dade County School Board oversees the largest adult education, career, and college readiness programs in the State of Florida. By helping parents obtain resources and support needed to pursue an education, we will not only be helping them, their children, but their entire family and our communities for generations to come.
Many African American women, heads of households have not received a basic education or workforce training to lift their families out of poverty. Research shows that we will not reduce academic achievement gaps by educating youth living in poverty, without first addressing their parents’ educational and socioeconomic status. Children of these disadvantaged parents are more likely to get poor grades, display behavioral
problems, high absentee rates, repeat-school years, or simply just drop out of school.
As a nationally recognized educator, administrator and public education advocate, I have oftentimes observed that the cycle of poverty attributes to learning disabilities, negative behavior, and emotional problems, along with cultural and linguistic differences, lack of shelter/homelessness, food insecurity, lack of health care, safety, and secure homes and neighborhoods.
The COVID-19 crisis has caused a tidal wave of poverty causing both Black and White people to worry even more about their economic wellbeing and future of their families. This pause in our everyday life has given us time to contemplate humanity. I urge all to vote in our upcoming elections, to make a difference and support our community.
With the knowledge that religious institutions play a significant role in the alleviation of poverty, if elected, I look to partner and address the needs and services required, therefore improving the overall quality of life for families, women, and children.
I am morally compelled to bring humanity, and strong beliefs in equality, diversity, and inclusion to Miami Dade County Public Schools because …It’s the right thing to do.
Respectfully,
Shelly Fano
In a matter of minutes my life changed from assisting to caregiving. A couple of minutes before my dad’s oncologist uttered the words “Stage Four”, I was helping my dad get to his appointments and taking care of him on and off. But this day changed everything. I instantly became a Caregiver. No more assisting every now and then. I was now caring for him fulltime. The role changed. I wasn’t ready. Cancer didn’t care. The word Caregiver may cause some to retreat while others to leap into action. Then there are those who may experience paralyzing fear at first but end up leaping into action anyway. What causes the retreat? What causes the leap or the paralyzing fear? I can think of four reasons that would create the various reactions. Fear of the unknown, love for the care recipient, and the realization of what must be done. The most important reason of all is God’s love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7 Many of you reading this will become Caregivers for the first time due to the pandemic. It may seem like the worst time for this to happen because of the limitations. You have a lot of “what if” questions that you fear may not be answered. The “what if” questions are always in a Caregiver’s mind. We just have to allow our faith in the abilities and common sense God has given us to see us through. It is easy to fear the unknown. No one knows what the path of any journey will look like or how the journey will end but God. The only thing we can do is move forward and have faith that God will be with us and guide us on every path. God knows you will feel overwhelmed at times but I can tell you from experience, He will get you through it. When exhaustion overcomes you and sadness covers you like a heavy blanket, God will give you the strength to endure. Just when you think you cannot go another step, you will look up to find
your loved one resting and realize it is your time to rest as well. I felt my help when I just could not do anymore and the love I had in my heart for my dad kept me going. When I saw my dad, I saw myself. I saw and felt the unconditional love God had for me during my own illness. Beyond the unconditional love I already had for my father, this feeling of God’s love provided another layer of help. “…God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12 Caregivers reading this, I cannot tell you everything you can expect. In my book “Step By Step Caregivers Guide For Medical Appointments and Hospital Visits” I provided a hindsight view of what I experienced. You will experience much of the same when it comes to this part of your journey, but no one can give you the full picture. You will have your own experiences based mostly on five things that include the condition of the one you are caring for, their specific illness, your own knowledge, how organized you are and the care receiver’s location. This will help you understand what must be done. You need to know if the condition of the person you will care for. Are they able to care for themselves with limited assistance? Or are they completely bedridden? You need to ensure you have a complete understanding of their illness, treatments, medical history and medications. In my book, I go into detail about the importance of keeping all of this information organized. Finally, the location will determine what needs to be done. Does the person go to a facility, are they home and if they are home, do they have to stay in one area? You need to ensure you have answers to all of these questions. Caregivers must also include self-care. It is very difficult to fully care for someone when you are not taking care of yourself. This includes getting rest when they are resting, getting in your own exercise during their physical therapy appointments and making sure you keep
up with your own medical care. When you take care of yourself, you can offer better care physically and emotionally. Right now, learning about virtual medical appointments that occur through telehealth and inquiring about mail order prescriptions should be done as soon as possible. Outside of selfcare, arming yourself with as much information as you can and organizing that information will be among the best things you can do. Your knowledge and information you collect will be extremely helpful to doctors and other medical personnel and may even become life-saving information. As a former patient I can tell you receiving empathy and knowing my Caregiver would be there no matter what were two of the most important things to me. As Christians, we already understand the power of love and compassion. If you are a first time Caregiver, just add extra patience and you will have what you need to begin this journey. Next add the knowledge I shared and most importantly, allow God to be your guide. My journey as a Caregiver was the most exhausting, sometimes frustrating and rewarding experiences of my life. I thank God I was able to be there for my dad. This is one of the most important roles you will undertake. You can do this and always know that if you are doing your best, you are doing great. God bless you and the person(s) under your care.
Anika S. Madison
Freelance Contributor to Gospel Truth and Faith Heart Magazines, Published Author of “Step by Step Caregivers Guide For Medical Appointments and Hospital Visits” available on Amazon and Host of Journey Into Passion with Anika S. on Everyday Folks Radio located on Blog Talk Radio.
Henry Ford once said, “thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few people engage in it.” Today I would like to share some thoughts with you on the important subject of “thinking” and I’ve titled this column “Thinking On A Higher Plane.” In the Bible you will find these words recorded in Proverbs 23:7a, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” The Roman Emperor Marcus Arelius once said, “A man becomes what he thinks about all day long.” Back in 1957, the late Earl Nightingale wrote and recorded a motivational message titled “The Strangest Secret”, which became the only one of its kind to ever sell a million copies. The Strangest Secret is that “We Become What We Think About.”
Yes, from King Solomon on down through the ages, the most successful writers, teachers and philosophers have all come to the same conclusion: It is
the quality of our thinking that will ultimately determine the quality of our life. What do you think about most of the time? Is most of your thinking done on a higher plane? That is, do you reach for the stars in your thinking or is most of your thinking done in the gutter? The truth is, we have only to look about us to see where we are and to see what we have to see the fruits of our thinking.
Regardless of who we are or what we have done in the past, we can choose the quality or level of our own thinking. Isn’t it great to be able to say, “the past is gone” and I can’t do anything about it but from this point forward I’m going to improve my life by improving the quality of my thinking?
While its an individual thing, you may ask, “how do I go about it?” While it’s not easy, it’s very simple. Station a guard at the entrance of your mind.
You must be very careful when you select the television programs you watch, the books and magazines you read and the people with whom you associate. In short, if we are to improve the quality of our thinking, we must be very selective as to where we get our information.
It took several years for me to come to the realization that if I’m going to improve my life, I must take charge of the external influences I allow to enter my mind. Its a choice I make because I now realize what it will do to my thinking. How about you? Have you ever given any serious thought to this before? Remember please that “birds of a feather flock together” and you may have people tell you that it does not make any difference what you watch or read or who you spend your time with. But it does. We can trust the words of King Solomon here: “As a man thinketh in his heart so is he.”
