My resolution? Treat people with more respect, be more prayerful

Here we are in the fifth day of a new year and a new decade. I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that I have lived to see this day. Just saying “2020” sounds strange to me.

I remember when I was in the ninth grade in 1953, and there was a popular book, “1984.” Although it was only 31 years away, the year 1984 seemed so far into the future.

Now, here we are in 2020. At just two months shy of my 82nd birthday, I have witnessed many life-changing events, from the end of World War II, to the end of school segregation, from the launching of the first satellite (dubbed Sputnik) by Russia, to an American walking on the moon. And from the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which gradually said goodbye to Jim Crow, to the election of Barack Obama, America’s first black president.

I could go on and on about the changes I have witnessed in my lifetime. But there isn’t space or time enough for me to do so. And while it is good to remember where we came from, it is even better to be optimistic about our future.

Right now, however, the future doesn’t seem too optimistic. We are a nation divided; a nation that keeps record of the lies that its president is alleged to have told.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t find it a laughing matter that we have to record the number of lies our president tells. To me this is a sad situation and one that merits much prayer.

As I see it, God has given us another chance to make things right in our homes, our communities and especially in our country. Let’s not waste the precious time we have been given by using it on petty things. This is an election year. If you are not pleased with the president, you know what to do. Let us do what needs to be done with dignity and bring back integrity to America.

Personally, I want to use whatever time I have left to focus on me, and the person I believe God wants me to be. That isn’t selfish. Because if I am a better person, I will treat each person I meet with an enlightened respect and love. I will care more; do more for those who need more.

In this new year, I want to have a closer walk with the Lord. This means I will be more thankful, more prayerful, more loving and more thoughtful. I will think about the consequences my words will have on others before I speak.

We live in an age when there is so much anger. People are still shooting up synagogues and churches and mosques and schools. And each other. We can stop this carnage. We must stop it if we are to survive.

Honoring the ‘first ladies’ of the churches

In many black churches, the pastor’s wife is often referred to as the “first lady” of the church. She is given the title because she is a staunch supporter of her husband and the congregation. She is a willing listener to those who need a listening ear, and is often a counselor and Sunday school teacher. In many cases she is the church musician and choir director. But for all the duties the pastor’s wife performs, the gifts she brings to the house of God often go unnoticed.

On Dec. 21, the Dade County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and DeltaCare, Inc. wanted to make sure the word got out about how important these women of God are. The organizations hosted an elegant affair they call “The Little Red Dress Event,” where 10 of South Florida’s “first ladies” were honored for the work they do.

The honorees were: Brenda Copeland (Pastor Warren M. Copeland), Holy Ghost Revival Center; Kay Dawson (Overseer Melvin Dawson), Cathedral of Praise; Julia Duke (Elder Dr. Kenneth A. Duke), New Jerusalem Primitive Baptist; Sheryl D. McCloud (Rev. Dr. Tracy L. McCloud, Sr.), Peace Missionary Baptist, and Lawana Y. Parrott (Pastor Benjamin H. Parrott), Christian Fellowship M.B. Church.

Also Deana Butler-Rahming (Bishop Gus L. Rahming), God’s Resurrection Ministry; Karen Reed (Rev. Dr. Anthony Reed), Martin Memorial AME; Enith Betty Richardson (Bishop Walter H. Richardson), The Church of God Tabernacle (True Holiness); Anicia Roundtree (Pastor Robert Roundtree), First Baptist Church of Brownsville, and Rhonda Thomas (Rev. Ranzer Thomas, Sr.), New Generation M. B. Church.

The event was also to raise money to help combat human trafficking. “It [human trafficking] is a serious threat to the health and safety of our community,” said Flora M. Jackson, president of the sorority.

Classes beginning at Universal Truth Center

Universal Truth Center for Better Living invites the community to enroll in the winter semester Better Living Classes, to begin Monday, Jan. 6, at the church, 21310 NW 37th Ave. in Miami Gardens. The registration fee for all classes is $15.

For a complete list of classes, call the church from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday at 305-624-4911.

Also, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 8, the community is invited to have coffee and fellowship with the Rev. Charles Taylor, senior pastor of the church.

Jewish History Month activities

January is Florida Jewish History Month and keeping with that, the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU has a full month of activities.

The celebration will kick off with the exhibit, “Auschwitz — A Place on Earth: The Auschwitz Album,” the only known visual documentation of the arrival and transport of Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau. The compelling photographs in the exhibit, created by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, document the processing of Jews from the Carpatho-Ruthenia region up to, but not including their mass murder. The exhibition opens at 7 p.m. Jan. 9, and will be displayed through February at the museum, 301 Washington Ave., Miami Beach

On Jan. 11-12, the program, “Auschwitz as Place: Past, Present, and Future,” will include a film screening of “Made in Auschwitz: The Untold Story of Block 10” at 8 p. m. Jan. 11. A symposium will be from noon to 6 p.m. Jan 12. Both events are free and open to the public.

At 7 p.m. Jan. 13, Uwe Westphal, a Berlin journalist, will present his book, “Fashion Metropolis Berlin 1936-1939.” The book tells the story of the rise and destruction of the Jewish fashion industry in Berlin. The event is free for members and $5 per person for non-members.

The 23rd Annual Miami Jewish Film Festival will be Jan 9-23. The world premiere of the South Florida film, “Names, Not Numbers,” will be shown at 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at the museum.

The 70-minute film is directed by Michael Puro, and tells of the experience of a group of Greater Miami students who participated in a an interactive oral history film project, documenting the stories of Holocaust survivors. The schools included RASG Hebrew Academy on Miami Beach, Miami Beach Senior High, Fisher-Feinberg K-8 Center on Miami Beach, South Miami Senior High and Miami Coral Park High School.

Call the museum at 786-972-3176 for tickets and more information.

Poker night at Temple Emanu-El

Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach will have a “Learn to Play Poker” night at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 at the synagogue.

Attendees will learn the difference between royal flush, straight flush, four of a kInd, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, pair and high card.

The event is open to players of all levels, including beginners. Refreshments and light snacks will be provided. If you go, BYOB, but it must be kosher alcohol.

RSVP at tesobe.org.

This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 1:50 PM.