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1 Angelica Anderson Member of Greater Little Zion Baptist Church involved in Youth, Dance, and Girls’s Ministry. Passionate about coaching varsity cheerleading, writing, reading and working with youth.

2 Mea Anderson Member of GLZBC and is Vice President of the Youth Ministry. Loves reading, running track and great food! This month Mea is reporting on weird foods that make delicious snacks. In her new column, “The Moody Foodie”, Mea will bring her picky eating taste to Vessels every month with passionate opinions and reviews about food that she loves and hates!

Vessels Contributors

CONTENTS: 3 Let’s Talk

From the Editor: Angelica Anderson

4 The Moody Foodie 5 Spotlight: The Ultimate Sacrifice 6 CoverStory: Police State of Emergency 8 Girls Only: The Culture Games 9 Brother: Silent Consent 10/ 11 Social Media Pages 12 Game Page 13 V- List 14 Moral of the Story

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Uh oh. Your parents caught you red handed, and you're in trouble. You've said something disrespectful or did something seriously wrong. The first thing that comes out of your mouth is: "I'm sorry", and you think it is over. That the magic words should erase your parents' memories and absolve you of any punishment.

You're not alone. It seems like the world takes that view also. There's this culture that says that you can say and do anything you want and take no responsibility for it as long as an apology is attached to it. From Justin Bieber's social media and Ellen Show apology for his arrogant behavior, Guilliana Rancic's plea for forgiveness following her nasty comments about Disney's star, Zendaya's ethic hair style and actor, Zach Braff's regret for comparing singer and producer, Pharell Williams to a monkey, seems to only serve as an automatic vehicle to get out of hot water. Here are some tip to making the "non-apology apology" the real thing:

#1 Recognize what you've done. You've hurt someone. Whether it was a mean word or a serious crime. Someone got hurt and you did it. So, confess it and don't just say you're sorry, truly be sorry. Psalm 38:18, "I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin."

#2 Ask for forgiveness. After going to the person that you've hurt and apologizing, go to God in prayer and ask for forgiveness. James 5:16, "Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you can be healed; the prayer of the righteous has great power as it is working."

#3 Repent and restore. You need to stop doing the hurtful action whether it is lying, talking back or stealing and make it up to the person. Luke 13:3, "No, I tell you, but unless you repent; you will all likewise perish." Remember, "I'm sorry" are just words, unless you don't do it again, and make it up to the person. Take responsibility!

...About Being Sorry

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The Moody Foodie: Finding Food Truck TreasuresThe best part of any festival, fair, or high school pep rally, in my opinion, is the food trucks! For this occasion my school, Robinson Secondary, had food trucks on the premises for our Art show, April, 24th. My mom and I visited these three food trucks and had some of the best food ever! It was on the expensive side but worth every penny.

ENJOY GREAT FOOD FROM FOOD TRUCKS THAT ARE TO DIE FOR!

Doug The Food Truck Dude Doug serves the northern Virginia Metro Area. The food truck serves fresh, all natural meals! My had had the Cajun Shrimp Wrap and was nice enough to share some with me! wwwq.dougthefooddude.com

Red Hook Lobster Pound It brings the freshest that Maine offers to the DC metro community in a tricked out lobster truck! This sandwich was so delicious! I had the Lobster roll meal and was totally stuffed afterwards. www.redhooklobster.com

That Cheesecake Truck That Cheesecake Truck is the first and only cheesecake truck in the nation! The cheesecake on a stick was the best desert to top off my wonderful food experience with food trucks this time around! www.sweetzcheesecake.com

Loved all of the food trucks and highly recommend them. All catering and specific locations for these trucks and be found on their websites listed above.

CAJUN SHRIMP WRAP

SPICED CAJUN SHRIMP, SPINACH LETTUCE, ONION & FETA CHEESE TOPPED WITH A SIGNATURE CHIPOTLE SAUCE. $10

LOBSTER ROLL

FRESH LOBSTER WITH LETTUSE, LEMON JUICE, AND SALT A PEPPER. THE MEAL INCLUDES CAPE CODE POTATO CHIPS AND A DRINK ON THE SIDE. $18

CHEESE C AKE ON A STICK

CHEESECAKE ON A STICK WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY! I HAD REGULAR CHEESE CAKE DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE. BUT THERE ARE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5-7 FLAVORS ON THE TRUCK EACH DAY! $4

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GLZBC Youth performs, "The Ultimate Sacrifice" for 10 am Easter Service

Under the direction of Christian Davis, the youth showcased their gifts and talents in an original play written and directed by Christian Davis. The youth truly glorified the Lord in song, dance and presentation, complete with a sermon in the finale!

Spotlight: GLZBC Youth Easter Play Highlights

THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE

GLZBC YOUTH PLAY WRITTEN BY CHRISTIAN DAVIS

(L TO R) VICTORIA PITTS, KEITH WILLIAMS, MEA ANDERSON

SYDNEY RHODES

(L TO R) DANCERS: MIRACLE, ASHLEY AND ZARIAH

MEA ANDERSON

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By Angelica Anderson Excerpts from rcym.org

It's like something out of a graphic novel or Orson Wells' science fiction. Doesn't seem real at all. Unarmed citizens are getting gunned down by police, the national guard is being deployed in neighborhoods, riots are raging on the streets and state curfews are being implemented on Baltimore youth. Many say it is like living in a police state. But the true state of emergency is in the heart of our nations people. As Christians sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the emotions of the world and only take sides, but we must remember to remain on God's side. When looking at injustice when must not seek hate but seek:

Love - "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Through Jesus Christ, our greatest goal is to do all things in love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Peace - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may

overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13).

Goodness - "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power" (2 Thessalonians 1:11). "For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth" (Ephesians 5:9).

Temperance (self-control) - "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (2 Peter 1:5-7). Faith (faithfulness) - "O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah 25:1). "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in

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2015 CoverStory:

Police State Of Emergency

"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth" (Isaiah 25:1).

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hearts through faith" (Ephesians 3:16-17).

Injustice So what does all of this mean in the face of injustices that we see all around us? It means that yes we should get involved and speak out against wrongdoing, but we should also remember that we do this in a just way and have faith in God's justice even when the situation seems overwhelming. Ecclesiastes 4:1 tells us: “Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors—and they have no comforter.” What does it mean? According to Matthew Henry, ” It grieved Solomon to see what might prevail against right. Wherever we turn, we see melancholy proofs of the wickedness and misery of mankind, who try to create trouble to themselves and to each other. Being thus abused and treat wrongly, men are tempted to hate and despise life.

Hope God will help us in this situation as the Psalmist David said at Psalms 72:12-14: “For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.He will take pity on the weak and the needy  and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” (NIV). God will rescue  us and will help those that call upon him and he will rescue us from oppression and violence, However, we must not try to go against the laws of the land. For they are in place by God himself. We must have hope in doing the right thing and hope in God:

Romans 15:13 (NIV)May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Psalm 10:17 (NLT)LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Job  14:7-­‐9  ESV  “For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Though its root grow old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put out branches like a young plant.

As Christians we are on God's side. And when we are fighting injustice or when we are discourage by it, we should rest on hope and believe that God is in control no matter the state of emergency!

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5 Psalms 72:12-14: “For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help.He will take pity on the weak and the needy  and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.”

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The Culture Games What God Has For You is For You A video made by actress Amandla Stenberg, best known for playing Rue in The Hunger Games, is gaining traction online. Stenberg created the clip for a history class project and posted it to her Tumblr three months ago. In the video, Stenberg lays out a recent timeline of white celebrities—calling out Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, Riff Raff, and Katy Perry, among others—whom she says have appropriated black culture in different ways, whether by wearing their hair in cornrows or using Ebonics in a music video. Stenberg also quotes at length from a radio interview in which rapper Azealia Banks explains why cultural appropriation, like white rapper Iggy Azalea’s hip-hop success, can send a problematic message to black youth. Stenberg provides a clear definition of the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange. “The line between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange is always going to be blurred,” she says. “But here’s the thing: Appropriation occurs when a style

leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated, but is deemed as high fashion, cool, or funny

when the privileged take it for themselves. Appropriation occurs when the appropriator is not aware of the deep significance of the culture that they are partaking in.” Stenberg ends her project with a resonant question: “What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?”

ew.com So often the media tries to convince black girls, and black youth not to love themselves, but the truth is that our beauty and our culture is a light that resonates throughout the world. No one can take our gifts away but we must learn to appreciate and believe in them. The Bible gives encouragement:

Ephesians 5:29 - For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

1 John 4:16 - So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Song of Solomon 4:7 - You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

Luke 12:7 - Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

What God has for you it is for you. No one can take it away! Our culture is ours and it is beautiful!

"What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we loved black culture?" Amandla Stenberg

Excerpts from ew.com

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“I’m nervous to share my story. But the last time I did people were really respectful....

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Silent Consent When you do nothing, nothing happens

Some excerpts taken form isaiah58.com

People have taken to the streets in peaceful protest to cry out against the recent murder of unarmed black man, Freddie Gray. But there has been others, particularly sports heroes, politicians, and black church leaders who have remained silent or worse spoken out against the protest. Jesse Williams, activist and actor from Grey's Anatomy is no such person. His tweets have become legendary on twitter for telling it like it is despite any adverse affect that it may have on his successful career in the public eye. However, too many of us are afraid. Too many of us are critical and silent. There is an axiom that, "silence gives consent". This is true in the case of the believer who refuses to openly and audibly denounce sin. In the Bible we read that at the stoning of Stephen, Paul, as a young man, "was consenting unto his death" (Acts 8:1). How did he consent to this cruel injustice? We are told that those who stoned Stephen "laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul [Paul's earlier name]" (Acts 7:58). Paul, as far as we know, never said one word at Stephen's execution. He merely kept quiet.

Can't you see the danger in making no utterance against wrong?

Oh, that sin of forbearance, when God would have us to speak up, speak out, and be heard! Can you imagine Andrew not telling his brother Peter that he had found the Messiah? Think what it would have meant, had the disciples kept quiet about the resurrection of Christ. If you have found the way of life, and/or witnessed something wrong, what are you doing about it? Are you telling others? When Peter and John were commanded by the rulers of the Jews not to speak any more of Christ, you remember, they said, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20).

What are we as Christians saying and/or doing about the injustices in our system regarding police brutality? Are we peacefully

protesting? Writing a letter to our congressman? Helping to clean up or organizing support for Baltimore, North Carolina and the other places touched by injustice or looting. Are you doing something or are you doing nothing? Silence is consent.

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##BaltimoreRiots

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17-Year-Old Speaks Out On Baltimore Riots

I live on the Southside of Chicago and am a black teenage boy. These stories of us getting arrested in the streets for no reason, scare me. I'm an honor society member. I do not skip class, take drugs, or drink alcohol. Most importantly, I'm a Christian. But on the streets, that does not seem to matter to some police in my neighborhood. I'm black, that's all they see. I hope that there is justice for Freddie Gray. Does that mean justice for all of us? I hope so. I want to live in a world where I'm not afraid of the "good guys."

List of Unarmed black men killed by police, 2014-2015:

2015: Freddie Gray (Baltimore, MD)2015: Walter Scott (North Charleston, SC)2015: Anthony Hill (Chamblee, GA)2014: Akai Gurley (New York, NY)2014: Tamir Rice (Cleveland, OH)2014: Victor White III (Iberia Parish, LA)2014: Dante Parker (San Bernardino County, CA)2014: Ezell Ford (Los Angeles, CA)2014: Michael Brown (Ferguson, MO)2014: Tyree Woodson (Baltimore, MD)2014: John Crawford III (Beavercreek, OH)2014: Eric Garner (New York, NY)2014: Yvette Smith (Bastrop, TX)2014: Donitre Hamilton (Milwaukee, WI)2014: Jordan Baker (Houston, TX)

Vessels Game Page

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“I was always going to be on the outside because I saw visions, visions that came true. And I’d been seeing them since I was little. When they first started, I was naïve enough to think that everyone around me also saw and heard things. I didn’t know that other people weren’t like me.”

More than anything else, Indigo Russell longs to fit in. And if she can’t accomplish that, then she’ll settle for fading into the background, which she’s managed to do rather well over the last couple of years. To most of Ridgemont High, she’s just another teenager walking the halls, doodling in her notebook during class, never raising her hand. An average student. That’s what she’d like you to think.       But Indie isn’t average; she’s different. She has visions, visions that allow her to see into the future and back again. Only her family and best friend, Lacey, know about them. But when she sees Lacey’s boyfriend with another girl, Indie has to decide whether to trust her instincts or her friends. As she grows closer with John, an enigmatic loner who recently transferred to her school, the visions intensify, threatening not only to alter the lives of others, but also to expose her well-kept secret.

~ Amazon

A list of new, great and relevant things that you need to stay in tune for and too!

All you need to know about Floyd Mayweather's and Manny Pacquiao fight is that it has been dubbed as the 'fight of the century'. The fight is Saturday, May 2 in Las Vegas at 8pm. Who will be the champion? We'll have to wait and see!

Rihanna's first Puma ad is as great as everyone expected! Pumas' are in, and Rihanna is making the sneaker even cooler with her first ad. The singer inked a reported $1 million deal to serve as the brand's global ambassador. Rihanna looks so cool in the Pulse XT sneakers that it makes you want to run to the nearest Puma store and buy the look!.

Just in case you haven't heard, the new Advengers movie, The Age of Ultron is in theaters now! It's big, sprawling, excellently choreographed and as human as it needs to be according to polygon.com. Join the legion of fans who will definitely flock to the theaters to see earth's mightiest super heroes come together and fight as a team to save the earth yet again! rated PG 13

Vessels Book Shelf Through Indigo's Eyes Reviewed by Jill Williamson

The V-List Top 3

Sports

Fashion

Entertainment

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Moral Of The Story Almighty Strength Man will dwell again in his shade. He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and fame will be like the wine from Lebanon. Hosea 14:7 4:6

If you are under a heavy burden or facing tough problems, you have someone in your corner -- the same God who freed his weary children from slavery, fed them in a barren desert and led them to promised peace. He’s the same God who rescued a drowning Jonah, nourished an exhausted Elijah, and sheltered Noah through the rain. God watches over each and every one of his children. Get close to the one who sees you, loves you and hears you. He will strengthen you. Your relationship with him will get you through any problem that worries you.VE

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Dear Lord, Let me draw near to you so I can unload all my anxiety. Guide me and strengthen me. I depend on you. Amen

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Angelica Anderson GLZBC Newsletter Please send all submissions to vesselsnewsletter@gmail.com Copyrighted 2012