"I'm thankful for my Pastor for seeing something in me and helping to direct me on the right path.  I'm thankful for my family and my extended family, and just for what He's doing in my life."

"I don't know what I would do without the Lord.  How could I sing, how could I pray?  I praise the Lord today, because truly, He has taken me through dangers seen and unseen.  Even though I retired at the beginning of this year, the Lord has truly been blessing me.  I have money more abundantly than I ever could think or wish I had!  Y'all pray for me that the Will of the Lord will be done in my life."  

" I have had my life turned upside down, but I could always count on the Lord to come and save me.  Through all the trials and tribulations that I've been through, I never gave up on Him to help me.  I just want everybody to pray for me and my family and I'm glad to be here."   

"I'm a living witness of what God can do.  Years ago, doctors gave up on me, my family crying and everything.  But every New Year brings joy because I realize who has brought me this far.  He's brought me from a sick bed which they (doctors) claimed was gonna be my death bed.  As you can see, I'm still standing!  My mom didn't think I was gonna make it but I told her 'Until God says so!'  God gives me everything I need.  I just thank God that he's keeping me right here.  I'm thankful that He's surrounded me with loving church members."

"I want you guys to forgive me for not coming to church like I should have, but it was no one in the church that stopped me from coming to church, it was me and my laziness and stubborness.  I prayed for the Lord to strengthen my heart because certain mornings I would get ready to go to church and something said 'Oh you don't need to go'  and I sat right there.  I want to thank the Lord for sending my daughter and my grandaughters back to me.  I want to thank him for all of my grandchildren who I love so much.  I want you guys to pray for me that I grow stronger in my faith." 

"I just want to thank God for bringing me here.  For my family and friends and for helping me do well in school."

"I just want to say to the Lord 'Thank You.' Thank you, thank you, thank you.  He can and He will!  One of my favorite songs is 'Everytime I Turn Around, He's Making a Way.'  I learned that when you put your faith in 'man,' they can let you down.  I had someone come over and take our my toilet and facebowl and they haven't been back.  So I prayed and said 'Lord you've gotta help me do this myself.'  I went in there every other day and worked on it.  It had to have been the Lord because I didn't know what I was doing and I did a pretty good job.   It took me a long time, but I did it.  I also think about where I am today and where I was.  I can remember being down in New Orleans for the Mardia Gras and giving no thought whatsoever about the Lord.  So I know where I was and where I am now and it's with the Lord and He brought me this far.  And I thank Him and I love Him and I praise Him.  And I love my church family with all my heart and soul!"

"I cannot sit here because I know I got a Father that loves me and I gotta give him praise and honor.  A year ago, I gave the Lord an ultimatum,  which I have no right to do.  I said 'Lord if you bring my son home, I will come back to you.  My son has been home a year now.  I first came with my beautician Sis. Coats to 'Men's Day' service and ever since then, I just kept coming and coming.  And when the doors opened I said 'I gotta join.'  The Word went forth and I enjoyed it so much.  It's like He was just talking to me.  The Lord said 'Get Up.'  Lord I thank you right now and I'm here to stay.  I love the Lord and I love each and everyone of you.  And it is so good to be in here." 

"I'm just blessed right now and can honestly thank the Lord for 10 years.  I never thought I never thought that I would be a co-founding member of Center of Hope.  We've seen people come and go, but I'm blessed that He's kept me here.  I thank God that he's placed me here.  The Lord can use me as He sees fit.  Whatever he needs me to do at Center of Hope I will do it.  I love you all.  Pray for me and I'll pray for you."

"2007 has been a year of blessings for me.  I was promoted on my job, I won some national awards, and I was doing really well with my career.  And just when I was getting really excited, something whispered in my ear and said 'Only what you do for Christ will last.'  And something said 'Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all good things will be added unto you.'  I love coming home to Center of Hope and my immediate family because they keep me grounded.  When I'm away 'man' will pump you up and say all these things to you and not support you.  But my family, they're the ones that keep me grounded.  I'm thankful for my husband who keeps me very grounded and most importantly for God who keeps me grounded because what I'm doing is so hard that I cannot lean to my own understanding.  But in all my ways I have to acknowledge Him.  I'm thankful that in 2007, I finally figured that out that what I do for God will last.  And that is why I will keep coming home.  As long as I live close, I will keep coming every Sunday because it doesn't matter what I do my job, only what I do for Christ will last."

"God has been good to me in all things.  I thank Him for my family.  I thank him for my husband, my parents, my sisters, my brothers, extended family and everyone that has supported me in all the things that I have done.  He has given me a lot of things.  He has created so many opportunities for me and it's never been easy.  Everytime there's one blessing, there's something else, so I don't get to enjoy them long.   But what I have learned to do is embrace all struggles and to know that through all things, God has something for me to learn.  He has taught to me see in each problem, what it is that I need to learn about myself, what I need to learn about Him, and how to do things differently.  There are really, in most cases, no such thing as a 'victim.'  I have learned that we have participation responsibility in the things that happen to us, no matter how minute and small.  He has taught me to see how I can avoid things and how I can learn in the future, so that when I see the same things coming, I can deal with them differently.  He has taught me to be stronger, opened up revelations to me in so many ways, and has allowed me to be a blessing to other people.  I ask that you keep me in your prayers as I keep you in mine."