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Greetings Everyone, Hark! The Herald, Angels Sing, Glory to the New Born King! As we approach the end of this year, there are so many things to reflect upon. Since March, we have dealt with the COVID 19 Pandemic, many deaths and sicknesses, racial prejudice and civil unrest, police brutality, the murder of George Floyd, Ahmad Aubrey, Brianna Taylor and others. Protestors in the streets across the nation, anger, frustration and indifference, a lying spirit that seems to have inundated the land, and a Presidential election that has been contested. All of this is added to having to shelter in place, wear a mask, maybe lose a job or work from home, or even monitor children or grandchildren who are learning from home because they can’t go to the school building. During this season of love, peace and joy, I salute each of you who weathered the storm on top of other things that you may have had to deal with that you could not or did not share. Christmas traditions this year may be stifled a little. Most of us in the Western World love to gather with family and friends, have parties, give cards and gifts, prepare or purchase and eat certain foods and desserts. Sing and listen to Christmas Songs, tell the children that Santa Claus is coming to town and bringing toys on a sleigh with Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer pulling the sleigh along with Dasher and Dancer and other Reindeer who are headed to their chimney on Christmas Eve if they are good. Frosty the Snow man is sung about and you often find him in the yards of many people who love to build a good Snow Man if snow falls. Christmas Trees are decorated, wreaths, and garland are everywhere, and oh we can’t forget the stockings hung by the chimney with care. Yes, these are traditions that have been adopted and preserved for years, however, they really do not have anything to do with the real meaning of Christmas. Maybe, just maybe , COVID-19 is here to help keep things in perspective and help us to remember that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”. Matthew 1:21 ” And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people form their sins.” Matthew 2: 1 “ Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying , Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 5 . And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is written by the prophet……,……………………….. 9 …………….They departed, and lo , the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 11. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down and worshipped him: and when they opened their treasures; they presented unto him gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. “ This is the Christmas story. All gifts should be given to Him, All adoration should be bestowed upon Him, All Honor is deserved by Him. So, as you celebrate this year during these very troubling and critical times, maybe this will be one of the best Holiday Seasons you have had, simply because we all are in a position to count our Blessings and give Thanks for the gifts from God that we are recipients of, i.e., Life, Health, and Hope. I wish you a Blessed and Healthy Holiday Season, Keep the Faith. Christ the Savior is Born !!!!!!!!!!

It has been an interesting but chaotic year. It started out with controversy and we find ourselves still in the throes of upheaval and uncertainty. My consolation is based on the Word of God in Isaiah 26: 3 "you will keep him in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust you." NIV So no matter what is going on in government, with the economy, with laws that are being passed, remember, God is still on the throne and He wants us to trust Him and not be shaken in our faith. I wish all of you a blessed and joyous holiday season. As believers, let us hold on to the fact that" Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly." "Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King. " Peace and Blessings Dr. Odessa

Happy and Blessed New Year to everyone. My, 2016 just slipped right on away and many of us still have not completed everything we set out to do. So many people make New Year resolutions but they are broken before the end of January, so I find that goal setting (short term and long term) can be more profitable. Prioritizing and learning to say no to some things can be helpful as well. The Bible gives us some good advice about priorities. Matthew 6:33 Jesus says, "but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." 2 Corinthians 5:9, Apostle Paul says, "so whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him." Moses wrote what God spoke in Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me". Great leaders spoke about priorities: Ghandi- "Action expresses priorities." George W. Bush- "I would like to be remembered as a guy who had a set of priorities, and was willing to live by those priorities." Andy Stanley- "We don't drift in good directions, we discipline and prioritize ourselves there." So I encourage you to set some goals early on and prioritize your plan for accomplishments and experience success. May goals are: To always put God first To avoid close ties with negative people To write my first book To impart knowledge and to share the experiences gained from serving God with more people this year To travel to several places on my bucket list To eat healthy and exercise more To enlarge my territory and stretch my borders the service of the Lord They are my priorities so I have work to do. Blessings and Peace, Dr. O.

Christmas is my most favorite time of the year. I love all of the rituals and customs that come with its observance; the tree and decorations, stockings, bells, lights, carols, cakes, pies and candy treats and the spirit of merriment. The fairy tales and traditional stories are a delight for children and adults alike. Many Christians criticize the pagan rituals and commercialization that seem to have overshadowed the real meaning of Christmas, but I believe people who know that "Christ, the Savior is born," celebrate Him all year, every year and can separate the rituals and customs of this season from the first advent and keep Christmas in proper perspective. For some, this season is depressing because of their situation in life. Maybe it is the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, a problem with a relationship, lack of finances or just seeing people happy, when they themselves are miserable and suffering. I have suffered loss of loved ones, had problems with relationships, had financial difficulty, and would have been justified in allowing depression to reside at my house. I chose, however, and still choose to lay all up in Psalms 91, " He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of he Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him will I trust"............... Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want".............................. Psalm 34, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."................. (KJV) eth on the end of the word denotes that he keeps on delivering. With all of the things going on in the world and in our nation to cause us to be sad, I am so glad that I know Jesus came, He lived, He died, He rose again, and He is coming back again soon. He gives me joy all year round so I can share it during this season. May the peace and blessings of our Lord be with you during the holidays and continually. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sincerely, Dr. Odessa

who defied all odds of ever getting in the White House. Certainly it shocked many of us, but I have come to this resolve, that as it is written in the book of Daniel concerning Antiochus who set his heart to break his Jewish covenant and plunder Palestine, and who was resisted by the Maccabees; chapter 11 verse 32 states" .........but the people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." We, the people of America, the Christians, need to seriously petition God for his care and protection and we need to bind our forces in prayer. Daniel prayed for his people who found themselves in captivity under a king who tried to turn their hearts from the true and living God and he was used in a mighty way to represent God in a polluted atmosphere. We are more than conquerors so our focus has to be on the Word of God and Prayer. We have to stay strong and we do have a voice, so we can use it to speak out against injustice and immorality, but ultimately, our battle will be won by being strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Do not fret, my brothers and sisters, God is still on the throne and He is our source. Peace and Blessings