Pray fervently throughout the day.  Pray for others and their trials and tribulations.

To Encourage, Equip and Empower You, Your Family, Church and Community for Daily Sacred Self-Improvement and Collective Courage, we will join our bishop, Bishop Frank M. Reid, III and his wife, Supervisor Marlaa Hall Reid with the 11th District Vision for 2024.  The goal is to re-activate the “Power of Us” that will release the transforming power of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control —in every church and member in our Episcopal District. 

The Biblical Foundation is Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3:1-17. 

Assignment: 

1.) Choose one of the two Biblical foundation scriptures, slowly and prayerfully read and meditate on it for 40 consecutive days. If you miss a day start over again. 

2.) Keep a daily journal and write down what areas of sacred self-improvement and collective courage you have experienced that day. Take time to look back at your day and see what God wants you to learn to improve yourself, your family and increase your faith. 

3.) Purchase a Through The Bible In A Year, a translation of your choice, and read-pray through the Bible daily. 

4.) Pick one of the books from the booklist below, read it, pray over it, and practice the principles that will help you live a victorious life. Biblical Focus: (Ephesians 4:22-24 NKJV)…”PUT OFF concerning your former conduct, THE OLD MAN/WOMAN which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be RENEWED in the spirit of your mind, and that you PUT ON THE NEW MAN/WOMAN which was CREATED according to God in true RIGHTEOUSNESS and HOLINESS.” (Colossians 3: 8-10).

Booklist For Sacred Self-Improvement and Collective Courage: 

1.) John Wesley’s A Plain Account of Christian Perfection: The Annotated Edition; Volume 1 in The John Wesley       Christian Perfection Library by Mark K. Olson. 

2.) The Remarkable Power of Us: A Memoir Celebrating the Collective Strength of the African American         

      Community by Mark Wilson. 

3.) The Hero Code; by Admiral William H. McRaven. 

4.) Discipline Is Destiny: The Power of Self-Control by Ryan Holiday

5.) Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things by Adam Grant. 

6.) Arete’: Activate Your Heroic Potential Volume 1 by Brian Johnson. 

7.) SBA: The Reawakening of the African Mind by bass Hillard, III. 

8.) Imagine Freedom: Transforming Pain into Political and Spiritual Power by Rahiel Tesfamarian (will be

      released in April of 2024). 

9.) Brainwashed: Challenging The Myth of Black Inferiority by Tom Burrell.

Eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner or at least 2 meals daily.  Eat healthy snacks.  Protein for breakfast will jump start the day, keep you fuller longer, and help prevent excess calories during the day.  Majority of the time eat healthy vegetables which are low in carbohydrates.  Vegetables high in carbohydrates may be eaten a couple of times during the week. NO fried foods.  If you want the taste of fried food, cook it in the air fryer.  Cook more instead of eating out.  If you eat out, make healthy choices.  Finish eating for the day between 6:00pm - 7:00pm.

Vegetables to Eat:  Cauliflower, Garlic, Ginger, Jerusalem Artichokes, Jicama, Kohirabi, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Shallots, Turnips, Yellow Beets, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Yellow Peppers, Pumpkin, Rutabagas, Yellow Summer Squash, Yellow Tomatoes, Yellow Winter Squash, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Broccoflower, Broccoli, Broccoli Rabe, Brussel Sprouts, Chinese Cabbage, Green Beans, Celery, Chayote Squash, Cucumbers, Endive, Leafy Greens, Lettuce, Green Peppers, Spinach, Watercress, Zucchini, Black Olives, Purple Asparagus, Purple Cabbage, Purple Carrots, Eggplant, Purple Belgian Endive, Purple Peppers, Beets, Red Peppers, Radishes, Radicchio, Red Onions, Rhubarb, Tomatoes, Greens, Romaine Lettuce, 

All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.

Fruits to Eat:  Bananas, Dates, White Nectarines, White Peaches, Brown Pears, Yellow Apples, Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Golden Kiwi, Lemons, Mangoes, Nectarines, Oranges, Papayas, Peaches, Yellow Pears, Persimmons, Pineapples, Tangerines, Yellow Watermelon, Avocados, Green Apples, Green Grapes, Honey Dew, Kiwi, Limes, Green Peas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Black Currants, Concord Grapes, Dried Plums, Elderberries, Purple Grapes, Plums, Red Apples, Blood Oranges, Cherries, Cranberries, Red Grapes, Pink / Red Grapefruit, Red Pears, Pomegranates, Raspberries, Strawberries, Watermelon.

Meats: Turkey, Chicken, Fish (No Shellfish), Grassfed Ground Beef (once a week)

Hot Meals: Lightly Steamed Veggies, Roasted Veggies, Lightly Sauteed Veggies

Cold Meals: Garden Salad, Fresh and Frozen Fruit, Fresh and Frozen Veggies

All nuts and seeds, including almonds, sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also Smuckers' Crunchy Peanut Butter.

Drinks: Water, Water! Water!!! Spring water, distilled water, all pure waters. Fruit and Veggie Smoothie 2 to 3 times a week with no sugar, herbal tea with no sugar or honey.  NO coffee, sweet tea, sodas, juices, no alcohol, carbonated drinks, energy drinks.

Only Salad Dressing Allowed: Newman's Own Classic Oil & Vinegar

Seasonings: vinegar, no salt seasonings, Himalayan salt, pepper, herbs and spices.

DON'TS: No Processed Foods, No Fried Foods, including potato chips, french fries, and popcorn, No Refined Food or foods with coloring, Dried Fruit, Corn, Sugar, Bread, Dairy, Cheese, Potatoes, rice, syrup, molasses.  If you eat a piece of bread, Ezekiel bread only (sprouted) no more than once a day.

Instructions for Diabetics/Pre-Diabetics: No Grapes, No Watermelon, No Mango, No Pineapple, No

                 Bananas.  Eat fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, in other words, stay in the

                 berry family.  Eat protein with each meal to stabilize blood sugar (1 boiled egg, 

                or 1oz raw nuts, or 1 small piece of chicken if needed.)

COOKING OIL:  Avocado oil, Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Coconut Oil ONLY. NO Canola Oil, Vegetable Oil,   

                 Peanut Oil, Cooking Oil, Margarine.

EAT PLENTY OF FOOD!  EAT NO LATER THAN 7:00PM. If possible, 10:00am - 6:00pm

PREPPING YOUR FOOD MAKES IT EASIER TO STAY ON TASK.

Sugars and refined carbohydrates are high on the glycemic index and digest quickly.  They lead to short-term fullness and are not sustaining throughout the day.  Don't use artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose.  Their sweet taste can cause unnecessary insulin release in the body, which can lead to increased fat storage and weight gain.   

Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day with a maximum of half your body weight.  Water helps boost metabolism and increase the amount of calories burned each day, resulting in fat loss. Avoid beverages such as sodas, diet sodas, sugary alcoholic drinks, and coffee for they are high in added sugar or artificial sweeteners, high in calories, and do not contain nutrients to keep the body full.  It is a way to unknowingly consume extreme amounts of sugar very rapidly.

Drink a cup of water when you first get up.

Exercise at least 30-60 minutes 4 to 5 times a week.  Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, manage blood sugar and insulin levels, improves mental health and mood, causes the metabolism rate to go up which enhances fat burning and muscle building.  

Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.  Sleep refuels the brain.  The lack of sleep causes fatigue, affects metabolic processes, increase appetite, and encourages poor eating choices.  Limit your screen time on your phone, computer, and TV at bedtime.  The blue light from digital devices can cause eye strain, headaches, blurred vision as well as negatively affect your sleep patterns.  The rays also cause "bags" under your eyes.  If having trouble sleeping, Google has a great amount of bedtime meditation music for you to listen to.

Take a multivitamin.  Other vitamins you can take are vitamin D, K, C, or B12, etc.  Check with your doctor.  There may be other ones you should be taking depending on your health status.

Give your time, talent, treasure, at least 4 times each week. 

Give to the poor, do a kind deed to help somebody.

"Whoever is kind to the needy honors God."  Proverbs 14:31

"Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."  Galatians 2:10

"Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas.  She was full of good works and acts of charity."  Acts 9:36