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(The ^Jorthinò CtfHwruer
o® i
Choosing the Journey Of
Fatherhood
I
am 63-years old, a m inister
and head o f a national orgam
zation. I have years o f commu-
lity , political and professional ex
perience too lengthy to describe.
Vet I am still grow ing into the
most rew arding and challenging
role 1 have ever chosen to und er
take— that o f fatherhood. This role
is especially challenging because
my son has had a drug problem for
18 years.
Every day I think about my son.
I no longer have a sense o f guilt,
but I have asked if I could have
done anything differently. My own
response to the question is no. I
did my best, 1 did all 1 could do.
I grew up in a patriarchal, south
ern family.M y father was a good
provider and 1 was that. My chil
dren had everything they wanted,
but they didn’t have me. At one
point I had three jobs and the weight
o f a mistake many men today make
- giving things and not giving of
themselves. Many times I have said
if I had it to do over, I’d make sure
they had what they needed and what
p ro v id in g our ch ild ren w ith a
healthy image o f a man that is
bey o n d co m p anionship. "R eal
M en” d on’t wait for an organiza
tion to convince them that they
need to be connected to the lives
o f their babies. “ Real M en” do
much more than sire children to
b o lste r th e ir self-esteem . Ih e
project o f the Black Church Initia
tive are sensitive to the needs ot
young men and male participation
in sexuality education. At the N a
tional Black Religious Summit III
on Sexuality in W ashington, D.C.
July 7-9, we invited and encour
aged men and boys to be fully
aw are o f the great responsibility
they have in all their relationships.
We will continue to bring young
men in the classroom s at religious
institutions who are opened and
desirous o f conversations about
these issues, conversations that are
in the presence o f peers, clergy,
and young women. We are helping
to create opportunities for w hole
som e re la tio n sh ip s w hen both
young men and women, youth and
elder, have the opportunity to dia
logue openly about sexuality in a
lence, substance abuse and sexu
ality education. I m ust w ork so
that there are settings to talk about
being strong, being m ale, being
partners, being bro th ers, being
uncles, husbands, friends. These
are tim es to talk about men who
m ake re sp o n sib le re p ro d u c tiv e
choices.
Places o f w orship are appropri
ate for faith based dialogue about
sexuality. Faith com m unities m ust
continue to open its doors to the
youth on their way to m anhood,
and the substance abuser trying to
turn the com er to accept his rig h t
ful place as contributing, respon
sible com m unity mem bers. It m ust
Fabnc
Depot
the connection betw een spiritual
ity and sexuality, a valuable gift
from God. The Sum m it is another
place w here those w ho have been
lost and crying in the w ilderness,
can be found. It is a place to come
“to love th y s e lf’. It w asn’t there
for my son, it is, in its third year,
how ever, there for yours.
As for me, this w ork is an ex
tension ot the constantly m aturing
love I have for my children, and
now my grandchildren and the chil
dren o f the village. Every day I
feel blessed that 1 am a father to all
my children, that I’m still on this
journey, and that I am faithfully,
prayerfully, pro-choice.
fa m ilie s w h ic h m a k e s b e tte r
homes, com m unities and churches.
S p e c ia l g u e s t s p e a k e r s o f
B ishop A.R. H opkins are: T ues
day evening, E vangelist Ron Hill
pastor o f Love and United COGIC,
Los A ngeles, C alif.; W ednesday
evening. Civic Program speaker.
C aptain D errick Forxw orth o f the
Portland Police D epartm ent and
F rid a y e v e n in g , B ish o p T .L .
W estbrook, prelate o f W ashing
In Loving Memory
Of
Lewis J. Ball
• Sunrise •
October 7, 1908
• Sunset •
&
F R IE N D S
A Celebration for Yasmin was
held Saturday, July 3"1 at 2:00 p . m .
at the Peggy Brooks Building on N .
Williams Ave., Portland, Oregon.
Words are what we used most
to express ourselves and \ asmin s
command o f the spoken and writ
ten word was a pleasure to wit
ness. Her style and flair was uni
versal in its appeal. The personi
fication o f Diva in it’s purest form.
Yasmin Shamsud-Din, a w ild
flower o f the most precious and
beautiful kind in the garden o f our
lives. We love y o u ‘Min Bean and
we will miss you for infinity.
Yasmin lives on in her mother
Lurlene Nafizah Shamsud-Din; her
father Isaac Shamsud-Din; her
brothers: W illiam . A.B. Eric,
Dawud, Ishaq, Jalil and Jam a' her
sisters: C hristina, A yasha and
Jenisa;hernieces: Britney, Ashley,
D om inique, Shantina, A m ber,
C haquetta, A kila, Lailani and
Jsymyne; her nephews: Dontay,
Saleem and David; The Clark Fam
ily; The Allen Family; The Beasley
Family; The Johnson Family and
The Edmondson Family. To all o f
Y asm ins extended family and
friends, she lives on in you.
____
2
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Controlling diabetes makes a
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1 have diabetes so I need to keep my
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And the grandkids keep me
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February 2, 1979 - June 27, 1999
F A M I t y
May 25 through June 8,1999
Memorial Day, May 31st, 10-6pm
able abortion.
Fathers need to m ake sure they
a
Yasmin Shamsud-Din
Convention To
Honor Bishop A.
R. Hopkins
T he First Jurisdiction o f the
they needed was me.
Church
o f God In C hrist Holy C on
W hile I bear the burden o f my
faith
context.
vocation
w ill convene at 7 p.m .,
ch ild ’s addiction, that burden has
As a father, m inister and politi
from
now
thru July 11, at H igh
made me a better servant. He has
cally active citizen listening to
land
U
nited
form erly M cK inney
helped me to realize those things
young people, I stand at the van
T
e
m
p
le
C
O
G IC , 1737 N .E .
that are out o f our control as par
guard. I m ust continue to make
A
lberta
St.,
Bishop
A.R. H opkins,
ents I can preach and counsel to
sure the assum ptions o f our youth,
Jurisdictional
B
ishop
presiding.
people who have sim ilar problem s
esp ecially our young m en, are
The
purposes
o
f
the
C onven
with a greater understanding. I now
based
in
reality.
I
must
continue
to
tion
is
to
h
o
n
o
r
B
ishop
A .R .
say we have to allow our children
ensure they have events like the
H
opkins,
prelate
o
f
the
First
Ju
ris
to find their own w ay; but, not
S um m it at H ow ard U niversity
diction o f the C hurch o f God In
alone, and not w ithout our love
School o f D ivinity, where they can
C hrist in O regon. He has lead the
and support. M y son was blessed
gather to discuss the im pact on
churches to 54 years o f service in
to have tw o parents and a wise
their lives o f unplanned teen preg
the state o f O regon. Prayers w ith
mother. She taught me that we were
nancy, H IV /A ID S, dom estic vio-
m ission w ork are offered to help
both responsible for a loving and
supportive home for all our chil
dren. C onsequently, my years o f
experience as a father, husband,
and Pastor, confirm ed this.
My journ ey w ith my children
has touched every aspect o f my
life, including my w ork as p resi
dent and CEO o f the R eligious
C o a litio n fo r R e p r o d u c tiv e
Choice. For m ost o f us fatherhood
really is a choice. W hen one makes
that choice, he m ust choose to be
responsible for the choices h e ’s
made. Fatherhood is being more
than one w ho participates in pro
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hood. And fatherhood is also about
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O utd oor W areh ouse
Sale Starts Sat., May 29
$200 . $200 . $^<
June 30, 1999
Lewis J. Ball was bom in Grand
Island, Neb. In 1908. Lewis’s
occupation was that o f a
Manufactures Representative.
per yd.
OUTDOOR SALE OPEN DAILY 10-6pm
New Fabrics Added W eekly
Minimum Cut 1 yard. All
merchandise as is. All sales final.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUR STORE FOR “MANAGER’S SPECIALS"
Lewis leaves to cherish is
memory:
.
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