Variety-Phila AWARE Walk

Join Variety-Phila on Sunday, March 10, 2013, 8:00-11:00am @ Plymouth Meeting Mall for its Annual “AWARE Walk” to help raise awareness, education, and resources for children and families living with autism. Activities will include: 5K Walk (10 laps around the mall), meet and greet your favorite Sesame Place characters, a Resource Fair w/ autism-related organizations throughout the area, a variety of entertainment, and so much more. Click on the image for more information and online registration.

Missing Autistic Child Alert: Philadelphia, PA

UPDATE: Philly.com reported on January 31st @ 9:30am that Chelsea Ramsey-Jones was located. She was found safe and returned home. No other details were given regarding her whereabouts during the approximately 17 days she was missing, but thank God, she was found alive and unharmed!

My Grandson Is 7 Years Old Today!

Love Always, Grammy!

UPDATE: Nailla Robinson Found! Thank God!

1/14/2013 AMBER ALERT ($ 10,000 Reward) issued for child kidnapped from West Philadelphia school by UNKNOWN WOMAN wearing all black (Muslin garb--black gloves, head dress, etc.). Police are searching for a missing girl who was last seen being taken out of school reportedly by someone pretending to be the child's mother.

 ▬►10:24pm ET: Mayor Nutter just put up a $10,000 reward for info leading to Nailla Robinson and her safe return.

NOTE: Amber Alerts are issued when authorities believe the child is in imminent and immediate danger of death or great bodily harm!

Philadelphia police have issued an Amber Alert for 5-year-old Nailla Robinson.

Nailla is described as a black 5-year-old girl, 4 feet tall, weighing 35 pounds, with curly hair. She was last seen wearing glasses, a light blue shirt, navy blue pants, and black and hot pink sneakers.

The incident took place at Bryant Elementary School located at 60th Street and Cedar Avenue Monday morning.

"We're looking for my child. Somebody came to her school early this morning," Nailla's mother Latifah Abdul-Rashid told Action News outside the school Monday evening.

Latifah says she dropped her daughter off at the school at around 8:45 a.m. along with her son.

"She went into school. It shows on the school camera that she came in, she went to her classroom," Latifah said.

Police and her family say someone wearing Muslim garb entered the school shortly after classes got under way.

"A woman dressed in all black, all black gloves, niqab, and everything came in the school and went into my child's classroom and told her teacher that she was me, her mother, and that she was taking her out to breakfast and Nailla was already signed out at the office and she took my child and left," Latifah said. 

▬►The woman appeared to be pregnant.

The person was captured on surveillance video around 8:50 a.m. with Nailla leaving the school.

"I don't know where she is and if anybody has seen her, please call," Latifah said.

The family says they were notified of the incident at around 2:00 p.m.

Latifah had a message for the person who took her child. "Please bring my child home. I don't know if it was an accident or whatever it is.

Please bring my baby home," Latifah said.

Police say the woman knew Nailla Robinson by name.

Nailla remains missing at this hour and family members are at the school with police trying to determine who may have taken the child and where they may be.

▬►To assist with Amber Alerts and missing person cases through flyer sharing please "like" Seeking TheLost: http://facebook.com/seeking.thelost.news

▬►This Amber Alert is now listed on NCMEC: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/AmberExternalFCServlet?act=retAmberCase&amberId=11223 

▬►DOWNLOAD FLYER: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?sfm8jy9wen28f6v

SOURCE: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=8954549

MLK Birthday Extravaganza!

Bringing In A Brand New Year!

Watch Night

Emancipation: "Waiting For The Hour"
(click on image for larger view)

The following information was actually written as an essay by Charyn D. Sutton, The Onyx Group, in December 2000 and revised in August 2004. The essay appears here in its entirety...

If you grew up in a black community in the United States, you have probably heard of "Watch Night" Services, the gathering of the faithful in church on New Year's Eve. The service usually begins anywhere from 7:00pm-10:00pm and ends at 12:00 midnight with the entrance of the New Year. Some folks come to church first, before going out to celebrate. For others, church is the only New Year's Eve destination.

Like many others, I always assumed that Watch Night was a fairly standard Christian religious service, made a bit more Afrocentric because that's what happens when elements of Christianity become linked with the black church. And yes, there is a history of Watch Night Services in the Methodist tradition.

Still, it seemed that most white Christians did not include Watch Night Services on their calendars, but focused instead on Christmas Eve programs. In fact, there were instances where clergy in mainline denominations wondered aloud about the propriety of linking religious services with a secular holiday like New Year's Eve.

However, in doing some research, I discovered there are two essential reasons for the importance of New Year's Eve services in African American congregations. Many of the Watch Night Services in black communities that we celebrate today can be traced back to gatherings held on December 31, 1862, also known as "Freedom's Eve."

On that night, Americans of African descent came together in churches, gathering places, and private homes throughout the nation, anxiously awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had become law. Then, at the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863 and according to President Abraham Lincoln's promise, all slaves in the Confederate States were legally free. People remained in churches and other gathering places, eagerly awaiting word that Emancipation had been declared. When the actual news of freedom was received later that day, there were prayers, shouts of joy, and songs of praise as people fell to their knees and thanked God.

But even before 1862 and the possibility of a Presidential Emancipation, African people had gathered on New Year's Eve on plantations across the South. That is because many owners of enslaved Africans tallied up their business accounts on the first day of each new year. Human property was sold along with land, furnishings, and livestock to satisfy debts. Families and friends were separated. Often they never saw each other again in this earthly world. Thus, coming together on December 31 might be the last time for enslaved and free Africans to be together with loved ones.

Black folks in North America have gathered annually on New Year's Eve since the earliest days, praising God for bringing us safely through another year and praying for the future. Certainly, those traditional gatherings were made even more poignant by the events of 1863 which brought freedom to the slaves and the Year of Jubilee.

Many generations have passed since that time and most of us were never taught the significance of gathering on New Year's Eve. Yet, our traditions and faith still bring us together at the end of every year to celebrate once again, "how we got over."

Please pass this information on to your family and friends so that they will know the true history behind the tradition we call "Watch Night".

My Granddaughter's First Christmas!

Count Your Blessings

This year, one of the blessings I'm counting is that my mom

is still here, in relatively good health, and able to enjoy

Christmas with her third great-grandchild. 

Jesus Is The Reason For The Season!

A Special Visit w/ Santa

Getting Ready For Christmas...

Putting Up The Christmas Tree

Christmas @ The Kinney Center

Santa Meets Little Sister Alexis

And, Big Sister Sophia was there to do the introductions!

The Day After Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a very nice Black Friday with my daughter, son-in-law, and the grandkids today... no pushing, no shoving, and no Walmart! We spent the day in King of Prussia, beginning with some shopping @ the mall and getting Little Sister Alexis' ears pierced for her first photo with Santa, which she took along with her big sister Sophia. After that, we went to the UA theater across from the mall to see a couple of movies. My daughter and I took the kids to see "Wreck It Ralph", while my hubby and son-in-law saw "Skyfall". Here are some pics I took while we were in the mall. It was a great day. God is good!

A Day To Give Thanks...

10 Thanksgiving Ideas from About.com

1. A Thanksgiving Story: Set aside a few moments on Thanksgiving Day to sit down and read a Thanksgiving story. You can read it alone or together with your family.

2. A Thanksgiving Poem or Prayer: Take on the family project of writing a Thanksgiving poem or prayer together.

3. A Thanksgiving Bible Verse: Ask each family member to read a favorite Bible verse before the Thanksgiving meal.

4. A Thanksgiving Memory: During Thanksgiving dinner, ask each family member to share a favorite Thanksgiving memory.

5. A Thanksgiving Communion: Plan a time of family Communion on Thanksgiving to give thanks by remembering Christ's life, death and resurrection.

6. A Thanksgiving Blessing: Invite a widow, single person, or someone who is alone to share in your family Thanksgiving meal.

7. A Thanksgiving Day Parade or Play: Put on your own Thanksgiving Day parade or "pilgrim play" with family, friends, and neighbors.

8. A Thanksgiving Offering: Prepare a Thanksgiving offering to give to a needy family or one of your favorite charities.

9. A Thanksgiving Football Game: Plan a neighborhood football game for Thanksgiving weekend.

10. A Thanksgiving Meal for the Homeless: Hosted by your neighborhood church or community center.