Pastor Odie Kennedy's Pearls

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....

In this holiday season, there is so much going on. Driving through the neighborhoods, we see beautiful lights that have been strung with care. Some once bare lawns are not filled with the nativity scene which reminds us of the reason for the season.  Although we have endured the seclusion brought on by the pandemic, we are now slowly gathering. It has been three years since my church had a Christmas Celebration, and it's coming up soon.  Our party is a special opportunity to love on the members of Unity Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ.  As with most holiday celebrations, there will be a gift exchange.  This part of the party is always so much fun.  I love to see the excitement when a gift is chosen from under the tree.  There is something about choosing that makes the atmosphere charged with anticipation.   Now that you are in the mind of exchanging gifts, let me focus on the reason for this post. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let...

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...

There are so many hinderances these days. It seems that behind every corner lurks temptation or discouragement.  We know that God has given us the authority to take down every hinderance. We don't have to accept what the enemy brings our way.   That being said, one of the obstacles that most often trips up the believer is forgiveness.  I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, "I just can't do it." The pain that comes from offense can be so deeply rooted that it stops us in our tracks.  Literally.  When we do not forgive, we are frozen in place.  The place of the offense becomes our vantage point.  Though we attempt to move forward, we operate from our pain.  Yes, we try to compartmentalize what we have gone through, but that is a temporary and sometimes, false fix.  Just because we are no longer speaking of the offense, does not mean that we have forgiven and overcome it.  So why is forgiveness so difficult?  You cannot f...

We have seen some hot days here in Colorado. If you live here, or have ever visited for more than 2 days, you already know how quickly the weather can change here. Many of residents tend to carry multi-season attire in the trunk of the care.  Even in the heat of this summer, there's a jacket or wrap somewhere nearby.  My days are filled with quite a bit of travel within the state.  It's easy to forget to grab a bottle of water on my way out. Our bible study lessons have been focused on how God uses the elements to save his people. Every lesson I jot down my take-aways for further study and reflection.  As we studied about the plague of bloody water, I begin to think about the people. If the water in Colorado turned to blood, what would we do?  Salt water has to be boiled and purified to be suitable for human consumption.  If you drink it as it is, your kidneys would eventually fail.  They are not made to filter that amount of salt. As you become increa...