Here at Elev8 we were privileged to get our hands on a few photos that give a sneak peek at the Red Carpet and behind the scenes at the 2010 Stellar Music Awards.  Enjoy and Be Blessed Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com. Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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Sometimes the best gift we can offer the ones we love most is to allow them the freedom to fall flat on their faces.

Luke 15:11-32 (New International Version)

“Jesus continued: ‘”There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

“Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.’”

In my continued study of Luke this year, I have finally come to what is arguably one of the most beautiful passages of the bible. The tale of the prodigal (or lost) son is has all of the best elements of a good story well told. There is discontent, betrayal, failure, crisis, climax, redemption, resentment, revelation, and resolution. As I have studied it, I have always focused upon my favorite character, the father, whose disposition mirrors that of our heavenly Father. More specifically, I have focused on the father’s reception of his son upon the latter’s homecoming.  When I take time to meditate on what it means that a middle eastern patriarch would gather up his robes, reveal his ankles, and run to scoop up and celebrate a wayward child, who had essentially wished him dead by demanding his inheritance, then abandoned the family to squander the very resources he had so insolently requested, I well up with tears. It makes no sense to me that God did this for me, and watches out for every wayward soul to return home, ready to greet and scoop them up with the same eagerness. It is my desire that every human being would luxuriate in this type of soul-stirring, life altering, mind-blowing love.

My focus today, however, is not the father’s reception of his son, but his granting of the initial request. While discussing this passage with the wonderful women who comprise my bible study group, someone brought up the fact that the father gave the son his inheritance, fully aware of what the young man would eventually do with it. We wondered aloud why would the father give in to such a destructive request. Some shared that the father probably wouldn’t have been able to stop the son in the first place. Some believed that the son would have just found another way to get his share and leave, probably causing much more damage in the process. Another woman surmised that had the son remained, his bitterness and resentment would only have grown exponentially. Whatever the reason, we surmised, the author of the parable, Jesus himself, chose to create a story where the father, who represents God, indulged a rebellious and ungrateful son’s self-centered request.

This begs the question: Would God really do that? The answer is most assuredly “yes.” This parable told by the one person who knows God perfectly because he himself is God, confirms that God will sometimes allow us to fully realize the desires of our hearts – even when those desires break his heart. In his perfect wisdom, God knows exactly what combination of good and “bad” events to allow into our lives in order to shape us into the men and women he created us to become.

As a parent of four, a mentor, and a friend, the father’s permissiveness in the parable speaks very loudly to me. I hate to see the people I love make decisions, which I know can have no good conclusion. In other words, I don’t enjoy a good train wreck. There is nothing harder than to watch a friend, whom you have warned about flirting with a co-worker, consummate the affair that ends his marriage. I have watched as young people I love like kin persist at taking spouses I have begged them not to marry only to divorce months later, jump feet first into illegal activities only to land in jail, or engage in illicit sexual activity that renders them HIV positive. I have wept bitter tears over relatives who have turned their backs on God and literally walked away. I have watched my own young, children persist in behavior, which ends in painful consequences.

In the past, in my zeal to protect those I love from making hurtful and even dangerous choices, I have overstepped my bounds and rendered unwarranted judgments, imposed unsolicited advice, pronounced unholy condemnation, and given unwanted help. At the time I told myself that I behaved so out of love for the person. But the truth is fear was also part of my motivation. I feared that the worst would result from any given decision, so I did whatever was in my power to make sure that decision did not get made or to rescue the one who made it so that (s)he would not have to experience the consequences. I have cajoled, threatened, manipulated, guilted, shamed, and harassed – all in the name of doing “what is best” for a loved one. But the truth is I didn’t trust God to take care of my people.

I can never know exactly what is absolutely best for another human being. Only God can. He knows what we think before we think it. He knows every choice, the results of that choice, and all of the unforeseen ramifications of those results, and is already working through them for our good long before we ever see them coming.  God is truly amazing.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating encouraging sin. As believers we are called to hold each other accountable to godly behavior. I won’t remain silent about sin. But once I have informed a person of what I am convinced is true, I must allow the person to make his/her own choice. Think about it. No being faces more rejection on a regular basis than God. He is perfect, holy, loving, gentle, righteous, and all powerful, yet much of humanity rejects him with every breath. If he in all his power respects an individual’s power to choose, then shouldn’t I? In his case the rejection is personal – yet he “stands at the door and knocks,” because he does not want any to perish.

I am seeing that it does not matter if in many instances my worst fears for a person are realized.  God’s got ‘em; and I need to trust that. He allows us the freedom to choose even if that means rebelling against him.  I am learning, and it is proving to be a very difficult lesson, that sometimes the best thing I can offer the people I love is to allow them to fail and refuse to rescue them from their mess. The old folks say it best, “Ain’t no sense like bought sense.” Wisdom worth having is often hard-earned. There is a huge difference between knowing information and internalizing it to the point where it transforms your thinking and alters your behavior. It is the human condition that we learn best sometimes by failing big. Whatever costs us nothing is seldom appreciated and easily discarded. Surely our all-wise Creator knows this and operates accordingly. My determination is to imitate him in this area – to stay close enough to hear when he says, “Back off. I got this,” but to stand on my porch, watching for the prodigal’s return and to be ready with my track shoes on so that I can be among those who sprint to, scoop up, cover with kisses, and celebrate any number of “lost” souls who are courageous enough to start toward home.

God help me.

Be blessed Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com. Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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He had my immediate attention. I asked him to repeat what he had just said. He stated more confidently and louder (as if my hearing was the problem) that White people hated Black people.  I suffered a familiar sinking feeling (which I now know to be dread), to which I succumb when my (then) child (now children) says (say) things that will cause potentially embarrassing or awkward situations.

My stomach seemed to seize and plummet simultaneously. I knew I had less than an instant to intervene, because upon his second pronouncement, my highly excitable, easily offended, very opinionated mother had screeched out an unintellible response from the next room. I heard her rapid footfalls, advancing toward the kitchen. I knew that if I didn’t do something, my son would be terrorized into thinking he had personally done something wrong, which warranted Granny’s warlike response to his statement. In an instant I relived visions of myself in the same position, on the receiving end of my mother’s ill-timed rants in response to an innocent question or statement. Our one-sided conversations went something along the lines of:

“Mommy what is sex?”

“Sex? Who told you about sex? What filthy-mouthed heifer is polluting your mind with that garbage? I bet it’s that fast girl down the street. I told you to stay away from her and her ol’ nasty friends. They’ll probably be pregnant and on welfare before they make it to high school. She’s nasty! You hear me? I see the way she let’s boys slop all over her. But you don’t listen to me! I’m gonna go tell her momma all about her nasty daughter! You are not allowed to go to her house any more! Do you understand me, Sheeri?!”

“Mommy?”

“What, Sheeri?”

“I saw it in the paper.”

I was surprised by my son’s statement. I knew that he had not heard that sentiment expressed at home. His father and I deliberately did not speak of sensitive racial matters in front of him at that age. We took pains to educate him about his heritage, on the level that a kindergartener would understand. On the whole, however, he was largely unaware of the subtle forms racism took. He had never experienced any overt forms until quite possibly the instant that he received this information he was now sharing.

My mother was already fuming. Before I could silence her, she spewed out something along the lines of: “I told you not to send him to that White school. I knew something like this was going to happen. You know we are surrounded by the Klan out here.” My son was already getting scared. I silenced my mother with an urgent stomp and a hard stare. She got my message and held her tongue. I drew my son’s attention back to me. Calmer and a little more in control of my own emotions, I knelt down so he and I could be eye to eye, and I spoke in the calmest, friendliest tone. Our conversation went something like the following:

“Hey Buddy, where’d you hear that?”

“Jennie (not her real name) told me.”

I remember thinking, who the heck is Jennie? Of all the little girls in Chase’s class, I could not ever remember meeting a Jennie.

“Does Jennie hate Black people, Chase?”

“No.”

“Does anyone in Jennie’s family hate Black people, Chase?”

“No.”

“Then why would she say that, Buddy?”

“I don’t know, Mommy. She just did.”

I went on to explain to him that there are some White people who do hate Black people, that there are some Black people who hate White people, and that we Mitchells hate no one, but do our best to love and to pray for our enemies as well as our friends. We talked about how God did not create us to hate anyone, and that it makes the Holy Spirit very sad when we do. I reminded him God made us to love each other.

At this point in his life, my son was already saved. He understood what sin was, who Jesus was, and what he had done for him on the cross. Of his own volition a little less than a year prior, he had asked Jesus to come into his heart. I had had the privilege of being there, and to lead him in the salvation prayer. He knew that people did bad things because they wanted to, and that God let them, even though he did not approve. I let him know that hating people for any reason was a sin. I assured him that I would speak to his teacher and ask why Jennie had said what she said. That was good enough for him.

My challenge was going to keep my mother from polluting the air with cries of injustice and retribution until the matter had been settled. I love my mother. But she is a firecracker!

I made good on my promise and mentioned the conversation to Chase’s and Jennie’s teacher, Miss April. Surprised, she agreed to speak to Jennie’s parents. She assured me something was amiss. “That doesn’t sound like them,” I distinctly recall her saying. She spoke to Jennie’s mom and dad, then got back to me. The whole matter took perhaps a few days. I was ill prepared for her explanation. Perhaps you won’t be as much so.

Jennie had older siblings. Her parents had taken it upon themselves to educate their older children on the Civil Rights Movement in honor of Black History Month, by watching the PBS presentation of “Eyes On The Prize.” The older children had watched and discussed the series with mom and dad, while Jennie had wandered in and out from time to time, not showing much interest. She did, however, glean one thing from the program. This was the information she shared with my son.

As Miss April was sharing the details with me, I stood speechless. I had expected something quite different. I don’t know what I had expected exactly, but it wasn’t what Miss April shared. I was incredulous that this White family had taken the time to educate their children about the Black struggle in America. There are few documentaries that rival EOP for quality, flow, vivid imagery, and brutal honesty. I was pleasantly surprised. Miss April, who is also White, told me that her immediate and birth families both celebrate Black History Month every year, and go to great lengths to make sure that in their corner of the world there is no room or excuses made for racism or discrimination. I believe her declaration included something like, “No Rednecks Allowed.” One of their yearly rituals was to watch, you guessed it, “Eyes On The Prize,” so that in her words, “we never forget.” Wow.

I had no words, so she continued. She went on to tell me that Jennie’s parents were absolutely mortified by what their daughter had said and expressed repeated, deep remorse and concern that I and my family had been wounded. I assured Miss April that we were fine and even encouraged. I asked her to convey to Jennie’s parents that we bore them no ill will and stood ready to laugh with them over the “darnedest” things children say. Miss April encouraged me to pick up Chase early the next day, as Jennie was a half-day student. That way I could “run into” Jennie’s mom and assure her personally. She seemed to think it would go a long way. I was certainly willing. Heaven only knows how often I have been the victim of enough of my child’s poorly timed, ill-worded proclamations as to readily offer forgiveness and reassurance to any parent in a similar bind. I felt this mom’s pain.

The next day Jennie did not come to school.

The week after that, Jennie stayed much later than Chase’s usual pick up time – so I missed her mom again. After a couple of weeks of  “missing” Jennie’s mom, I asked Miss April where they were. She sighed and explained that Jennie’s mom was still so embarrassed over her daughter’s remarks that she had been deliberately avoiding me. Not wanting to press, I figured I would bump into her eventually and set her mind at ease. But I was wrong.

Not long after Black History Month ended, Jennie stopped coming to school. It seems her father landed a job in another state and the family relocated. I never saw Jennie again and I never met her parents.

Upon hearing the news, I experienced deep disappointment. What a missed opportunity for two Christian households to come together and celebrate the One who unites us all.  If I could have met them, I would have extended my forgiveness and thanked them for making the effort to educate their children.  I would have shared some of Chase’s “doosies,” which had had me backpeddling with strangers and family members alike, trying to explain what my child “really meant to say.” I am sorry to say that I never got that chance.

What I did get was a good lesson in not assuming the worst about people – especially where race is concerned. Whenever I am tempted to make broad, sweeping generalizations about White people, I remember my friends from Chase’s former school, which include but certainly are not limited to the principal, Chase’s kindergarten teacher – Miss April, Chase’s fly first grade teacher – Miss Aimee, and most of all the family I never met, who made an effort to teach their children about Black History.

I wish Jennie’s family every success and hope that they are still making the effort to provide their children with a multi-racial/multi-ethnic education.

Happy Black History Month! Spread the Love. Share the vision.

Be blessed Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com. Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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Proverbs 14:1 (New International Version)

“The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.”

Years ago, after studying a book by Shaunti Feldhan called, “For Women Only: What You Need To Know About The Inner Lives Of Men,” I had cause to reevaluate the manner in which I not only speak about my husband publicly, but also how I talk about him in my head. The author did an excellent job of explaining that even seemingly “harmless complaints” (if such an animal exists) can find their mark in a husband’s heart if delivered poorly. The end result is that a woman tears down with her words, the very human being she has pledged to love and honor.

Any human being, who has consistently been on the receiving end of stinging criticism, is bound to get worn down over time. When a wife consistently points out her spouse’s flaws to him or to others, he can begin to feel as though nothing he does is good enough for her. From there it is not a big leap to conclude that since there is no pleasing his wife, he shouldn’t bother to try. After all, the husband reasons, it isn’t as though she will notice his efforts anyway.

When she points out his flaws to others, particularly in the form of proclamations or jokes at dinner parties, ministry meetings, or very loud cell phone conversations in church parking lots, a wife runs the risk of destroying her man’s credibility with others as well. There are more than a few men who have been met with knowing, sideways glances and fake smiles from new acquaintances because their reputations precede them, thanks to wifey.

This is not to say that if a wife is experiencing problems in her marriage that she should not seek help, or confide in someone. In fact the opposite is true. It is, however, crucial for a wife to wisely seek out someone who can actually “help” and in whom she can “confide.” If a woman has one or two girlfriends who have her best interest at heart, whom she considers wise, who will commit to praying privately for her, and who do not gossip, she has an invaluable resource for comfort as well as accountability.

Sometimes, however, marital problems are too complex or too close for friends to be able to give objective, useful insight. In such situations, it is wise for a woman to seek out a neutral third party, who can assist the her in getting to the root of the conflict. Therapists, counselors (both lay and professional), pastors and their wives, and intercessors can be excellent people with whom to discuss marital problems. Many churches have all of the above on staff for their members and for the community at large.

The point is that discussing marital woes should take place in a private setting, where conversations can be kept confidential. For the believer, it is also necessary that any person in a position to give advice, be familiar enough with God’s word so as to be able to offer biblical accountability and godly guidance.

It is natural to experience conflict in all relationships. This is doubly true in marriage. There is, however, a proper way to confront  a husband in love. Sometimes the nearness of a spouse makes his faults that much more obvious. Still, many women come into married life so broken from past relationships with other people in their lives, such as parents, siblings, classmates, bosses, boyfriends, or ex-husbands, that they can mistakenly label an unmet need in themselves as a fault attributed to their husbands. Sometimes what wives perceive as a man’s character flaw is really just a husband’s inability to meet a need that he was never designed to address. It is crucial to know the difference. If the believer can look to God to be God and to meet her spoken and unspoken needs, then she can free her husband to be what God designed him to be – a gift.

Consistently turning to God first to meet all needs is a process and requires a significant amount of introspection. Before verbally attacking, berating, or criticizing her husband, every wife should consider first what she really hopes to gain by hubby’s improved behavior, and go to God to meet that need first. Once she has determined that a legitimate problem exists, a wise wife needs to prayerfully address it, seeking God’s timing, all the while determining to honor her husband with her words when the opportunity to speak presents itself. Let’s be clear: This is not easy. The reward for both husband and wife, however, is well worth the effort. It is amazing how well a man will listen and endeavor to cooperate when he feels respected instead of demoralized. By emulating Christ in her marriage, the wife actually becomes a better human being, paving the way for more marital harmony. It’s the quintessential win-win scenario!

Let she who has ears hear.

Be blessed Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com. Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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When my four-year-old asked me about defeating the devil, I was at a loss for words – almost.

Luke 12: 11-12  (New International Version)

“‘When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.’”

One of my favorite times of the morning is the drive to school with my daughters. After we pray together, we listen to upbeat gospel music and sing our hearts out to God. My favorite artist to play for my children (and myself) is Fred Hammond, because his lyrics are almost always directly lifted right out of scripture. No matter what kind of start the morning has had, singing praise and worship together makes it even better. By the time the girls get to school, whatever problems they have had with each other or with Mommy have been washed away in a torrent of praise.

One morning as we were singing “Let The Praise Begin,” my youngest, who is four years old, stopped us all cold with a question. Over the din of music and voices raised in enthusiastic song, Kit shouted, “How do you utterly destroy the enemy’s chains when the praises ring?” If you are familiar with the song, you may understand the built in reference. For those of you who may be less familiar, in this particular song Fred Hammond proclaims the power of praise. The line to which my daughter was referring, the line of the song we had just sung, reads, “For the chains that come from the enemy are utterly destroyed when the praises ring. Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus. He’s exalted forever. Let the praise begin.”

In an instant I found myself with minutes to go before pulling into the school parking lot, charged with explaining to a four-year-old the potentially complex concept of spiritual warfare. All of my biblical teaching on the identity of the devil, the effectiveness of praise, the battlefield of the mind, went right out the window. I drew a total blank.

I do not believe in postponing answers to honest questions, especially those posed by children. When people ask questions of a spiritual nature, I have come to recognize that the Holy Spirit is at work. I never want to miss an opportunity to share God’s truth. Spiritual warfare, however, can be a frightening concept – especially if improperly explained. As I struggled to come up with something truthful, but not so scary as to frighten my daughter, it came to me. Rather, the Holy Spirit gave the words to me.

Kit is a huge fan of “Dora The Explorer” and is familiar with all of the show’s characters. For those of you who don’t watch the show as regularly as I do, Dora is the protagonist of every episode. Her sidekick and best friend is a talking monkey, named Boots. Every episode begins with Dora and Boots undertaking a quest, which requires the aid of a map and items Dora may have in her backpack, or that she and Boots must find on the way. Swiper, the fox, is the antagonist, who perpetually tails Dora and Boots, attempting to retard their progress by stealing the very items they need in order to complete their quest successfully.

Fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, I said to my daughter, “You know how Swiper is always trying to steal stuff from Dora and Boots?” She nodded that she did. “Well,” I continued, “the devil is just like Swiper. He’s always trying to steal from us the good stuff God wants us to have. When Dora and Boots want to stop Swiper they stand up and shout at him ‘Swiper! No swiping! Swiper! No swiping! Swiper! No swiping!’ right?” Again she nodded, this time even more enthusiastically.

I went on to explain to her that when we sing praises to God, it’s like telling the devil “Swiper! No swiping!,” and that the devil responds the same way Swiper does, by saying “Aw! Man!” and running away.

She responded with a big “Ooooh!” and a smile, then promptly asked me to turn the music back on so she could resume singing. It seemed to me that she had understood. Whew! Theological crisis averted. I love God. I know that my children’s spiritual instruction is even more important to him than it is to me. That morning’s question caught me off guard, but not him. His promise in the scripture above not only applies to our standing before a body of ruling authorities, having to give an account of our faith, but it applies to any situation where people desire an explanation of what we believe.

That morning, the Holy Spirit gave me the exact right words I needed to reach Kit Mitchell with his message on the significance of praise. His explanation was simple, truthful, and age-appropriate. I’m sure that this won’t be the last time my daughter asks about deep, spiritual matters. I am confident that God will continue to give me the right words in whichever situation I find myself with her or with anyone else. I am grateful to know that I don’t need to know all the answers. I just need to know him.

I also know that he will do the same for you as you have need!

Be blessed Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com. Follow Sheeri On Twitter! or Visit her on Black Planet.

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Much of the world is familiar with portions of the famous speech that Dr. King delivered on the steps of the Washington Monument. As faces of all colors stared at him in person and on televisions across the land, he painted a beautiful picture for us all of the kind of nation we could become if we would abandon our racist ways. He exposed us to the world. The nation founded upon democratic principles where all men were allegedly “created equal” and “endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…” was revealed to the world as a fraud through the Civil Rights Movement. America had to change. And change she did!

Fast forward to 2010. So much has Dr. King been recognized as a national treasure, that his birthday is a nationally anticipated holiday. The United States of America has elected an African American to the highest office in the nation. Black entertainers and athletes are among the most popular celebrities around the world. African Americans have held the highest positions both in the public and private sectors – positions they would have been ineligible for six decades ago. God has indeed brought us a mighty long way.

And yet…

For all our progress and achievements, we lead in areas nobody heralds. Whatever the national average is for unwed or teen pregnancies, divorce, unemployment, dropping out of high school, incarceration,  chronic diseases (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, or death by homicide, for us in some instances, that “average” is nearly double. Much of what we face as African Americans can legitimately be laid at the feet of a racially oppressive system, which itself is fallout from slavery.

Much of what oppresses us as individuals can also be traced to our personal choices – choices that we pass on to the generations that come after us. How are you living your life? How do you spend your time? Your money? Are you investing in the lives of others, or stockpiling everything within your reach? Do you possess morals? Do you live by a code of ethics? From where did you get the framework for your life? When disaster strikes – and it most certainly will  – will your framework stand or crumble? What strides are you taking to improve your legacy? Like it or not, we all leave one. The type of legacy we leave, however, depends upon the choices we make daily.

Dr. King longed for a future where his children (and by default all people) would be judged by the content of their character rather than their skin color. This assumes first that they have character. His focus was on the internal, which leads to the eternal, rather than the external, which is always temporal.

Are we living Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream? The answer depends on where your focus lies. In honor of the man,  and all he contributed to the world for the short time he was here, take time today, to ask yourself the hard questions about the existence you have chosen to lead.

If you discover that it is less than noble, please consider turning to the one true King, who knows and desires what is best for you. A better life is waiting for you, all you have to do is ask.

Have a wonderful MLK celebration today, Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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The United States Supreme Court has decided to block cameras from a high-profile federal trial on gay marriage.From CBNNews.com

The San Francisco trial will decide whether California’s Proposition 8, a voter-approved ban on gay marriage, is constitutional.

Presiding judge Vaughn Walker had tried to stream live video of the trial to other federal courthouses and also on the video website YouTube. But the Supreme Court said his plan ignored a federal statute.

Lynne Marie Kohm, professor of family law at Regent University’s School of Law appeared on CBN Newschannel’s Morning program for more insight on the trial. Click play to watch the interview.

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You’ve decided 2010 will be the year you spend more time in God’s word, but so far you’re off to a shaky start. Before you re-convert your Bible into your home’s largest paperweight, consider the following.There comes a time in most believers’ lives when we want to commit to studying the Bible more consistently. Whether you are brand new to reading the Bible, or simply want to make your time in the word more meaningful, there are a few small changes you can make to realize your goal of meaningful, ongoing bible-study.

1. God expects progress not perfection from you, so behave accordingly. Sometimes people start out reading a chapter or a book of the bible in one sitting everyday. While this can be great, consider starting smaller. Your goal? Until you develop a pace that works well for you, read just a little bit more today than you did yesterday. If you didn’t open your Bible at all yesterday, today open it and read one verse. That’s right, only one. Tomorrow if you like, read two or possibly three.

God’s word is rich and very dense. Pastors often construct entire sermons around one passage. So you aren’t missing out by committing to read one or two verses.  Starting smaller can be a manageable way to integrate bible-study into your daily routine.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit into your study. Although the bible was penned by several different people, it has only one author. Since all scripture is God-breathed, who better than the Holy Spirit to guide you into God’s truth. You needn’t pray elaborately. A simple “Holy Spirit help me to understand and apply what I’m about to study,” does just fine.

3. King James may not be the best translation for you. Unless you are very familiar with it, the English of the King James Bible can be very challenging to understand. For a more contemporary translation try the New International Version, The Amplified Version, The New International Reader’s Translation, or The New King James Versions of the Bible. There are many other versions of the bible to choose from, but if you only want to invest in one Bible, I would recommend using one of those mentioned above because they are line for line translations instead of paraphrased bibles. That means that the translators went line by line through the Hebrew or Greek to complete their version instead of summing up the passages.

If you decide to choose a paraphrased bible, consider purchasing a parallel edition, such as “The People’s Parallel Edition” which lists two or more translations side-by-side with paraphrased editions. This way you don’t have to carry around several copies of the bible.

4. Consider using a devotional. If you type in the word “devotional” on any search engine, sites pop up like daisies. As much as people have abused the internet to spread hate and smut, many use it as a tool of inspiration and education. Of course as with anything, please be careful, research the source of your devotional as much as possible. There are many false teachers out there. For the last eight or nine years, I have found the devotionals on Doctor Charles Stanley’s site, www.intouch.org, to be not only biblically sound, but inspiring and challenging as well. If you have a favorite Christian author, see if that person writes a devotional as well.

5. Purchase an inexpensive workbook. As far as a daily study curriculum, I find any of the workbooks the folks at LifeWay make to be very suitable. “Experiencing God” by Blackaby and King is my personal favorite. I call it “stupid-proof” because you just can’t mess it up. The 13-week study is divided into smaller daily sections that take maybe twenty minutes to read through and answer. The scriptures that you need to study are already in the workbook, so if you study away from home, you only need to bring one book!

6. You don’t have to study the bible in the morning. There are folks who will tell you that morning bible study is the next best thing to sliced bread. And for them, I’m sure it’s true. For me personally, morning bible-study has only been a reality for a season or two. I primarily study the bible in the evening or at night. With four children ages 11 down to four, mornings do not work in my house. Between eating breakfast, combing hair, and carpooling to three different schools, in order to get twenty minutes alone in the word, I would have to wake-up at 4:00 AM.

Let me just say, if that works well for you, God bless your efforts. I mean that sincerely. But if waking at 4:00 AM is unrealistic for you, don’t worry. Find whatever time during the day you can steal away for about twenty to thirty minutes. At one season in my life, I could only study on my lunch hour for fifteen minutes, while I gulped down my food. These days I prefer to study after the little people are in bed and before (or sometimes instead of) watching TV.

Still, studying the Bible right before going to sleep has worked well for me, too. Freshly showered, in my jammies with a full belly, and a quiet house puts me in my best state of mind.  I am most alert and mentally rested. Moreover, I love having God’s word as the last object of my focus upon which to meditate as I slumber, as opposed the latest episode of “Law And Order.”

7. You don’t have to start at the beginning either. While it is a great strategy to start at Genesis and read through to revelation, the Bible is a great book to start in the middle! Any one of the Gospels presents an eyewitness account to the life and deeds of Jesus Christ. Since they are written as narratives, they are fairly easy to follow. If this is your first time reading the Bible or if you haven’t read it in a long time, start with the Gospel of John.

8. Consistency is king! So what if you blow it! Life interrupts your plans. Crises happen. The unexpected pops up. Don’t get discouraged. Refuse to beat yourself up. Keep experimenting with times, places, materials until you find the right combination that proves effective.

9. Solicit prayer support. You don’t have to make an announcement from the pulpit. But do ask a few people who care to pray for you. Reading the bible is no casual gesture. The minute you determine to go deeper in Christ you pop up on the enemy’s radar. Children who once slept through the night, suddenly, inexplicably start having nightmares. The phone rings with yet another emergency just as you sit down to open your workbook. The break-room at work, which is perpetually empty, suddenly becomes the new headquarters of the very vocal Man-haters club. Don’t sleep. This is war. Your enemy has been very successful at creating diversions. So cover yourself. If your church has a prayer team or a Mother’s board, call them and put your name on the list. If you don’t have anyone who can pray for you, call Faithful Central Bible Church at 310.330.8000 and ask for the prayer line. Those folks will pray for you!

You have made a very important decision. Reading God’s word will only bless you and cause you to grow in your faith and in love for Christ. My prayer is that God will honor your heart’s desire to know him and that he will multiply your efforts.

Be blessed, Family!

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! or visit her on Black Planet.

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I am certain that many will criticize Hume for his bold statement. His concern for the man behind the legend, however, appears genuine. In my opinion, his comments were made within the appropriate context – the discussion had clearly turned to Tiger Woods, who like Hume is a public figure. Moreover, Hume’s comments were humbly offered. Again – they were offered – which means that they can be rejected. Let’s not pretend that everyone and their mother has not offered unsolicited advice to Tiger. Hume has just as much right to do the same. In fact, I would go as far to say that he is duty-bound.

When you recognize that a fellow human being is in trouble, it is right to offer them your best solution. If your best solution is your faith, then that is what you offer. If, however, you refuse to offer it out of fear of what others may think, that doesn’t make you politically correct, that just makes you a hypocrite.

Would that more of us would be more concerned with the souls of the people in our lives, and loving them through their tragedies, as opposed to protecting our own image. In today’s culture, Hume made a risky move. I applaud his courage.

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Why pray? There are many good reasons to do so. The most important reason, however, is that talking to God changes your perspective. Spending time in his presence makes you a better human being. You certainly have important personal issues you want to talk to him about, but please extend your concern beyond yourself and your loved ones in 2010.

The list above is not comprehensive, but it is a good start. Make a commitment to pray more often and more consistently this year. Include some or all of the worthy topics above.

God bless your efforts, Family.

Written by Sheeri Mitchell for Elev8.com

Follow Sheeri on Twitter! Or Visit her on Black Planet.

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