18 BOCNEWS.com JUNE 2017 LOCAL CALENDAR Send in your Listing for free! Women's Day Luncheon June 10th — Saturday, The Women of King Baptist Church Presents “Sisters Sowing Seeds for Christ” = Special Guest Speakers Ms. Rosalind Bee Harris - Urban Spectrum Minister, Carolin Morgan - Women with a Purpose Ministry.11a - 2p $35 a ticket. DoubleTree Hotel 3203 Quebec St. Denver. for more info call 303- 810-5897 or 720-628-9965 Fashion Show June 10th — Saturday The Hope and Faith Committee Presents “The Glory of Spring Fashion Show” 2p - 5p at Cleaves Memorial C.M.E. Church 2222 N. Marion St. Denver CO. Tickets $20 Adult, $10 Children for more info call Sharon Reed -720-366-8012 or Kenneth Robinson 303-377-1502 Health and STD Testing June 17th — Sat, HIV/AIDS Urban Challenge,. Rev .Steven C. Dewberry, Pres. We will have a HELP TENT at the Juneteeth Music Festival on Five Points. They will be testing for high blood pressure, diabetes and HIV. 17th Saturday HIV/AIDS Urban Challenge,Inc. Rev .Steven C. Dewberry, President we will have a HELP TENT at the Juneteeth Music Festival on Five Points. They will be testing for high blood pressure, diabetes and HIV. Luncheon June 24th — Sat, HIV/AIDS Urban Challenge, Rev. Steven C. Dewberry, Pres. 11:30 am at the Holiday Inn on Quebec Street, will host their Annual Luncheon with guest Speaker the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver ll, Congressman from the Missouri Fifth District. Tickets are $50, $500 for a table of ten. If your church would purchase a table it will help very much. whatever your help, we will appreciate it Heal The Hood Fair June 24th — Sat, 1-6 pm. FAVA 11th Annual Heal the Hood Community Fair . At The Village Place Park, Anaheim and Albrook in Montebello. Free for the whole Community, Free Bike giveaway; donated by Second Chance bicycle shop and recycle bikes. for more information contact Ms. Dianne Cooks at 720- 276-4611. Usher's Day June 25th — Sat Annual Usher’s Day Peaceful Rest Baptist Church at 4:00pm. 1195 Lima Street Aurora CO. Rev. Charles Survive, Pastor. Flo Woolfolk, Usher and Usher Board Secretary. Black Arts Festival July 7th - 9th — The 31st. Annual Colorado Black Arts Festival at the Denver City Park. Men & Women 18 old & older are welcome to volunteer in a variety of capacities. Festival Hours 12p - 8p Friday 7th. 10a - 8p Saturday 8th. 10a -7p Sunday 9th. for more info call Portia Malone Volunteer Recruiter , Colorado Black Arts Festival 720- 435-3064 . Marriage Celebration July 15th — Saturday. 1-4pm. The Bishop Lemuel Thuston, Chairman General Assembly, Church of God in Christ , Inc., will be the Keynote Speaker for the ‘DIAMOND CELEBRATION” of Bishop and Mrs. Phillip H. Porter 1. 60 years of Marriage 2. their 80th Birthday 3. The Assignment of Bishop Porter as SPECIAL ASSISTANT to the Chairman, GENERAL ASSEMBLY, CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST. At The Summit Conference and Event Center 411 Sable Blvd., Aurora CO. Tickets for Adult general seating $100, Children 12 and under $50. Table and General Sponsors are Welcome. For further information contact Chaplin Porter, 720-984-6934 or Jay Heflin 206-377-9543. brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen. He simply reminded me of the resentment that was still very prevalent and present in my heart for my father. God does not expect nor require us to love what people have done or said wrong to us. He does require us to love the person in spite of. It is in our weakness (the battle we face of being able to set aside our justifications for feeling the way we do) and put all of our trust in Him, to help us stand firm on His word and forgive. Our parents, our children are human like we are, so yes they will make mistakes, but have we not? The bible says "He without sin cast the first stone." So in my transparent moment with God, I surrendered my will, and my right to be right. I told God, "Ok Lord, in order for me to do this, you will have to lead me and guide me. I don't know where this man is or how to contact him. So it's all on You." When I turned it over to God, there was nothing left for me to do but trust His plan. Needless to say, it didn't take Him long to lead me to the man who killed my mother. I drove out to Alabama and stopped at an old acquaintance's house. I asked him if he knew where Mr. Bo lived and to my surprise, he did. He told me to jump in the car with him, and a few moments later, dropped me off at Mr. Bo's doorstep and drove off. Boy was God moving a bit quick for me. I stood there for a moment contemplating what to do next and trying to cypher through my feelings. What do I do? What is this man gonna do, who I haven't seen since the day I sentenced him to life in prison, when he sees me? Don't second guess what God has already told you. If he brought you to it, trust and believe He will bring you through it. I was reminded to take no thought of what you should say. But if you just open your mouth, I'll speak for you. I walked up and knocked on the door. When the door swung open, there stood Mr. Bo, and before I knew what was happening, I looked him in his eyes and said “Daddy, please forgive me.” And I don’t know how else to describe what I felt, other than to say immediately I felt something lift off of me. I believe it was the bitterness, the anger, the resent- ment, the sadness and loneliness I had been har- boring against him all that time. And it wasn’t until that moment that I felt free enough to acknowledge him as my dad, not just Mr. Bo. I allowed the true redemptive love of God over- power hatred. His love wins every time. I hugged his neck tight and we both stood there and cried. My dad sincerely apologized to me and told me that he had been praying for me night and day. While he was in physical prison, God had loosed the shack- les of addiction and sin off his life. When he shot himself in the head and didn’t die, and was then released due to being in a vegetable state, God was in the middle of it all. Unforgiveness is a prison we put ourselves in. We are all guilty of having been wronged, harmed, and mistreated, and feeling justified in nurturing and watering the deeply rooted seed, and refusing to come out of our comfortable place of unforgiveness. They should have never done me that way, they shouldn't have said that, they knew better, they they they. And we continue to dwell in that place of unforgiveness and place blame on everyone but ourselves for how we feel. Unforgiveness is a place of bondage but God has placed the key to your free- dom in your hand. Set yourself free today. FORGIVE ... from page 13