Pastor Odie Kennedy's Pearls

  Can you believe the way things are changing here in Colorado? Of course, if you have been here a week, you already know how quickly the weather can change. Yesterday, it was a gut-wrenching 100 degrees. It seemed like the heat was cooking me from the inside out and then tore a hole right through my clothes.   When I think about the state of this world, I know that the heat is on. The enemy is trying every trick in the book to stop the believer from making Jesus his choice. He starts with what we think are random and harmless drops of anxiety, depression, and offense.  He is strategically placing people and things in our paths to cause us to stumble. That's not enough for him. He wants us to be utterly destroyed.  If you don't believe me, look at the legislature that contradicts the very word of God.  Look at the spirit of violence which has been released among us.  Look the worldwide anguish and wars.  In my lifetime, I have not witnessed so gre...

If you were to ask my family what I was like as a child, no doubt the answer would be shocking. Can you believe that I was very shy? I didn't talk much around people. I'm not sure if it was because I was afraid to talk or just had so little to say.  I can tell you that is not the case now.  As the only black nursing student in my college in Texas, I had to come out of my shell. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to share with prestigious leaders both corporately and in the religious arenas. Although there have been many conversations, I have not entered into them just for the sake of talking. Sometimes we talk just to hear our own voice, but other times we speak because we are expected to do so.  When we enter into fellowship with God, we must strive to avoid empty fellowship.  What do I mean by that? Simply, going through the motions.  With the pressures of life pulling at us from every direction, it doesn't take much for us to operate on autopilot....

This is the time when so many are evaluating their lives and declaring change.  You know the season.  When the new year rolls in, we start looking for a new person to emerge in the mirror.  This can be an effective motivation for some.  They begin the weight loss journey and soon begin to see results. That accomplishment becomes a drug that keeps them running back to the gym.   I could possibly make some declarations of my own, but this year I am asking God to do a new thing in me. It would be nice to be slimmer, richer, and all of that, but it's more important for this child of God to be spiritually made new.  I'm not talking about a new shout or dance, but I want God to transform me from the inside out.  This time of year is also a time of consecration.  We turn down our plates and lift up our hearts in prayer. We take our devotion to the next level by denying this flesh. I know you're saying that we should be doing that all of the time....

I love this time of the year at my church.  I am so deeply honored to serve the members of Unity Pentecostal Temple. While we love on each other all year long, this special time brings us together to celebrate the years of ministry we share.  This is a time when I stand on the shoulders of my late husband, Superintendent Lamar Kennedy.  We shared 40 years of anniversary celebrations.  Six years later, though we miss him dearly, the celebrations continue.   I especially enjoy breaking bread with the members. There's so much anticipation and excitement in the air. As I sat on the platform this past weekend, I was humbled by the scene.  Platforms are elevated for a reason. God's children must never view their station in life as an indicator of their self-worth, but rather use it help someone along the way. Let me explain.  Though you may have a great title or position, your value comes from what you bring to the position.  This isn't a post toda...

By profession, I'm a nurse. I have seen everything from labored childbirth to labored final breaths. There are three initial questions we ask a patient: "Where does it hurt?" "How long has this been going on?" and "What is your pain level?"  This can agitate a patient, but triage is necessary.  Triage is a process used to identify the urgency of treatment.  A person with a cut that does not need stitches will have to wait to be seen if there is a person who has a severed a member. I can remember a patient who had broken his knee cap many years ago.  After his injury, he went to see the surgeon.  He was told about the kind of surgery that he would need and the details of the recovery. If you have ever had surgery, you know that that conversation can be a bit overwhelming.  This man decided that he did not want to go through that difficult process. He said, "I'll just deal with it." As a result of his decision to forego the surgery, his kne...