Sisterhood is a Blessing

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, thanks be to God! Yesterday, I had dinner with one of my high school friends; we ate at one of my favorite restaurants, Nando's Peri-Peri. Funnily while we had dinner, we reminisced on when we met, the first day of 9th grade during lunchtime and shared a table together. She was actually the first friend I made in high school; the only friend I had prior to our first day of high school didn't have the same lunch as me, so meeting her was a blessing. It is so wonderful to still have close-knit relationships with friends that I've known for over 10 years, and I've been blessed to have 3 girlfriends whom we have remained close since 9th grade. In these years: we have lived and worked in different states; attended different colleges; watched each other mature into young women; we've laughed together; cried together; prayed and worshiped together; sang together; danced together; gotten into trouble together; cooked, eaten, and drank wine together; celebrated each other's successes; cheered for each other; encouraged each other; been there for each other in singleness, dating, and motherhood; and even had those moments of disagreements. One thing remains true: we will always love and support each other, because we are in this sisterhood forever. 

I look forward to decades of years with us sharing experiences in marriage, motherhood, ministry, and career. But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely,if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17.

The sign above is one I like to read whenever I dine at Nando's, it is posted opposite the men and women's bathrooms. I think it's cute! LOVE! But as it says in 1 John 4:7-8, Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Memorial Day Weekend 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I'm doing wonderful, thanks to my Father in Heaven! This Memorial Day Weekend has been nothing short of wonderful, and most likely the most action-packed one I've had in a long time. On Friday and Saturday, I volunteered for the two-day Outspoken 2016 event hosted at my church. On Sunday, I visited a friend of mine's church for their International Day Celebration and Fundraiser; she became one of my mentors when I was in high school and I'm thankful for how our relationship has blossomed into a sisterhood as I've gotten older. A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. Proverbs 17:17.

I rarely wear black, but volunteers were instructed to wear black for the event, hence the dark-colored outfits; this weekend was ridiculously hot (85+ degrees), so it was only God that kept me going while wearing all this black. At Friday's Outspoken event, there were several musical performances by talented women and men of God who are using their gifts for God's glory. Performers included: Jonathan McReynolds, Brianna Barbineaux, Tanya Dallas-Lewis, and a word from Joseph Solomon. The enemy did his best to hinder the success of this event by the AC unit having difficulties in the sanctuary where the concert was to be hosted, but God intervened with new ideas and He was glorified on both nights, putting the devil to shame. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10.

Jonathan McReynolds

Brianna Barbineaux

On night two, there were several spoken-word/hip hop performances by an equally talented group of folks on fire for Christ! Performers included: Canden Webb, Echelon Knoxx, Timeless Bradd, Leah James, Lo Alaman, and Joseph Solomon. Both nights concluded with Bethel World Outreach Church's own Pastor Varney Taylor, who's also our youth ministry's director, whom I am blessed to be serving with in that ministry. Being surrounded by so many people who love the Lord, especially young adults like myself was truly a blessing. I praise God that there are so many young folks fervently seeking Christ and living for His glory. For this reason, I pray that the Lord continues to cover them, because they are definitely targets for the enemy and his wicked ways. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Joseph Solomon

Timeless Bradd

Echelon Knoxx

Canden Webb

On Sunday, I visited my friend's church for their International Day Celebration. I wore one of the traditional outfits of Sierra Leone, commonly worn by members of the Krio ethnic group. This outfit is very special to me because it was sewn 4 years ago by my paternal grandmother in Sierra Leone, for the purpose of my traditional outfit at the Miss Sierra Leone USA 2012 pageant, in which I represented my city of birth (Freetown); it was made with love and I believe it brought me blessings on that night and I won my first pageant! It was wonderful to get to fellowship with mighty women and men of God at my friend's church, whereby I got to see familiar faces as well as meet new folks. One of the best part of the day was reuniting with a lady whom I used to know when I was in Sierra Leone, we were part of the children's ministry at my grandmother's church. The folks I got to know after service and at the cookout later in the evening really poured into me and encouraged my spirit; it was a blessed day! As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17.

AFRICAN UNION: Kenya-Sierra Leone

Sweet baby girl

Little Miss Sierra Leone in green, white, blue

African women who love and live for the Lord

Pastor Christin L-Gobio

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Memorial Day 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I have been blessed, to God be the glory. Today commemorates Memorial Day. On this Memorial Day, I was blessed to spend time with my church family; one of my fellow leaders in the LIPS mentoring program I am part of had a cookout at her home. It was wonderful to fellowship with familiar faces, as well as meet new people. The food was delicious and I had a great time. I praise God for this sister's life and for her hospitable heart. Being the patriotic American woman that I am, I wore my U.S. flag shoes! On this Day, I am very grateful for all those brave women and men who have laid their lives for our country. I am proud to be an American. I pray that the Lord continues to cover those who are active duty, reserve, wounded warriors, and veterans, as well as their families at home and abroad. As a current USO volunteer, I pray that the little service I can give will be a blessing to them and their families, to show how much they are appreciated for their sacrifices. Few days ago, I was talking with someone about my love for service and volunteering, and he stated that he's not a fan of it because one doesn't get paid. My response to him was that the reason I do this is because as Christians, we are created to be Christ-like; Jesus came to this earth to serve. As the Lord strengthens me and the Spirit leads me in which ever way I can serve, I am ready. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13.

I LOVE AMERICA

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans founded in Decatur, Illinois, established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers. By the 20th century, competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions, celebrated on different days, had merged, and Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16.

AMERICAN GIRLS

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Serve Hope and Share Kindness

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, to God be the glory. Last Friday (May 20), I served breakfast at So Others Might Eat (SOME), located in the District of Columbia. I have been volunteering at SOME since 2013. SOME is an interfaith, community-based organization that helps the poor and homeless of our nation's capital. SOME tries to meet the immediate daily needs of the people by providing food, clothing, and health care; they break the cycle of homelessness by offering services, such as affordable housing, job training, addiction treatment, and counseling, to the poor, the elderly and individuals with mental illness. Generous hands are blessed hands because they give bread to the poor. Proverbs 22:9 (MSG).

Since I've been volunteering at SOME for almost 4 years, it is always a pleasure to serve breakfast and lunch. SOME does such amazing work for so many in DC, and I am blessed to be a small fraction that could be a blessing either by serving meals, wrapping up Christmas gifts, or cleaning up the SOME shelter in these years as a volunteer. Usually I serve the meal and greet with a big smile as folks enter the dining room, but this time I decided to do something different by serving coffee. This was a blessing because I got to be able to interact a little more and hear a few stories. I thank God that He put me in a position whereby I could offer hope to someone on an early morning, which possibly set the pace for the rest of their day. Each person has a story and it is a blessing to listen to them or to encourage them as the Lord leads. As much as the folks express their gratitude to me for serving them, I am grateful for them that God could use me in some way to share love and kindness. One of the guys even prophesied into my life as I shared a little about my current employment status and said that God is already blessing me by serving them at SOME and that I should just trust God. What a blessing! As it is said in The Word, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27.

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done. Proverbs 19:17.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you gotten right with the Lord? Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste anymore time and receive salvation now.

Special Olympics Maryland - 2016 State High School Track and Field Invitational

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ,

I pray you and yours are doing well. I have been blessed, all praises to the Almighty. Today, I volunteered for Special Olympics Maryland's 2016 State High School Track and Field Invitational, part of the Interscholastic United Sports program; this was a 2-day event. Approximately 900 student-athletes from across the state of Maryland competed in this historic event, featuring student-athletes with and without disabilities competing together, representing their high school from various counties. The program commenced with the Opening Ceremonies, then the competition, and concluded with the awards ceremony. It was an honor to serve at this event and I had a blast cheering on the athletes, getting to interact with parents and coaches, law enforcement officers, and my fellow volunteers. What a marvelous job the Special Olympics organization is doing, sharing hope and love. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Proud Marylander and American

Prince George's County Color Guard

Special Olympics Torch

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for persons eight years of age and older with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes, and the community.

Relay

Special Olympics Maryland Volunteers

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Cheering for the athletes

Awards Ceremony

Awards Ceremony

GO TEAM!

In conclusion, I'll like to express my gratitude and love for all the women and men in blue who through God's guidance put their lives in danger to protect us on this National Police Week. NPW this year is from Sunday, May 15th through Saturday, May 21st. Thank you for your service.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you gotten right with the Lord? Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste anymore time and receive salvation now.

Earth Day 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, praise be to God! The annual Earth Day on April 22nd was celebrated some weeks ago; April is known as Earth Month. On each Earth Day, events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 and celebrated in more than 193 countries each year. As a nature lover and former Miss Earth Maryland, I am passionate about our planet. While I run, walk, or hike, I am always in awe of God's beautiful creation known as earth; from our blue skies, tall and strong trees, radiant flowers, height of the mountains, to the length of our seas. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1.

On this Earth Day, I planted boxwood plants as well as carex plants in the newly constructed parking lot at Brookside Gardens. I have been a volunteer at Brookside Gardens for almost a year now. I love flowers and nature as a whole, so it was a pleasure to be part of something like this as I know the beauty Brookside Gardens comprises of. As Christians, we are not of this world but in this world, therefore we must do our part in keeping God's creation beautiful. Take care of your community and let us clean up our nations. I am one of the daughters of Dr. Wangari Mutha Maathai, an African woman who advocated for the planting of trees worldwide. What will your legacy be?

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:11-12

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,
Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you gotten right with the Lord? Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste anymore time and receive salvation now.