Archives: September2009

• Only He can Heal Your Heart

  “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
  This scripture is quoted at funerals a lot. It is probably considered a passage that brings comfort to the heart of families who are in bereavement. I thought about this scripture because at 6:30 A.M. this morning I received a call that one of my Pastor friend’s son was killed last night. What a sad situation. How does one find comfort in such a tragedy?
  “Let not your [...]

  • 
• "Love You!"

  “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27, 28
  The easiest thing for me to do while I was growing up was to be nice to someone who did not like me. I was the “happy-go-lucky” kid who would skip around and say hello to everyone I would run into. I loved everybody. I did not have any enemies [...]

  • 
• A Father is Available

  Today is my father’s birthday. The Late Pastor Arthur Lee Tankard is on my mind and memories are flooding my thought processes. My dad seemed to live ahead of his time. Many people did not understand his way of thinking and he seemed to constantly have ideas for his visionary conquests. But what I most admired about my dad was his constant and persistent search for the truth. He studied world issues, politics, the book of Revelation in the Bible [...]

  • 
• What Are You Looking At?

  Have you ever walked into a room and noticed that people were staring at you? I have. Sometimes I feel so self conscious when this happens. The first thing I do is check my clothes to make sure they look right. Then I try to zero in on exactly what they are looking at. Most times they are looking at my face. That is when I want to run to the nearest ladies room to find a mirror. Is there [...]

  • 
• Who or What is Your Idol?

  “Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 26: 1
  Our God is so amazing and deserves the very best from us at all times. He deserves our worship and our praise and definitely our attention. The scripture above deals with God’s people who seemed to have always struggled with their loyalty [...]

  • 
• Find Your Flow and Flow Your Find

  “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you… Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25, 27
  There are students in my high school classroom who are excellent in their work ethics. They can sit down and write an essay with precision and grace. But there are other students in my American Literature English class who are easily distracted. As soon as these students begin an assignment they are [...]

  • 
• I Need Him Now

  “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalms 18: 2, 3
  There are days that I just want to hide from the world. Sometimes I do not want to walk outside of the door. There are moments that I do not even feel life talking to anyone. It is not that [...]

  • 
• Simple Pleasures

  I have a very close friend who lives in Tennessee. He is a professional man who operates in the public arena and is a wonderful single father. He said to me the other day, “Patrice, it’s my life. I’m just so busy!”.  I thought about what he said and I thought about the type of schedule that he has to endure from day to day. He juggles family life, his professional career, his ministry, and many other genres of  obligations.  [...]

  • 
• "I Will Not Leave You Comfortless"

  Today is September 13th. I am saying Happy Birthday to my First-Born Son, Quintince Raynard Mitchell. Quin died when he was less than a year old from Meningitis; an epidemic outbreak that happened in Alashua County Florida in which 6 other children died the same week. But what is Heaven without children? Thank you Lord for watching over him and for blessing me with my 3 daughters after the loss of Quinn. Rest in Peace, Sweetheart.
  Today’s scripture is: John 14:18 [...]

  • 
• The Heart of a Musician Part I

  Musicians are awesome and gifted vessels. One thing that I have discovered is that musicians are an interesting and unique breed of mankind. As artistic as we are there are parts of our hearts that are hard to reach. Many people who are not musically inclined may never be able to comprehend our way of thinking. As a ministry musician in particular, I have noticed a few things. First, people expect a lot out of us. Providing music for ministry [...]

  •