Pain All Sorted Out

I dont know if I have told you or not, but for the last week or so I have suffered severely with my throat. It later turned into headaches and tonight it was my ears that were affecting me. I was in bed like all day Thursday and Friday....no good for anything! Got up Saturday (medicated myself heavily) in order to do a wedding, and by the time the wedding was over; the meds were no longer working. I did the same thing this morning before going to Church. And of course the Lord is good. Only God could have given me the strength to preach as I did today, get through the services, family care five luncheon, and make it home. Lord, I enjoyed Church today.....Oh its Sweeter everyday.... and the folks just love the WORD... By the time I got home all the meds were worn off and I was like..... This just isn't working. I went to bed early in hopes of sleeping it off and the pain woke me up... Throat burning like fire and now the ear is throbbing... about 10:30pm I went to the Urgent Care of the Walk-in Care for treatment... Not one soul was there to be treated.... I got treated quickly! Blood pressure 145 over 91 and temperature 98.6. Immediately the Dr detected that my problem was my ears... "Grossly Infected, Inflamed and Fire engine Red" is how she described it. Gave me some meds and a prescription and I'm back home. This is the second time we have needed the services of this place. Being new here, I dont know if this is a place where certain people go or not. Let me break it down... In Memphis we have like Classes of Hospitals... Upper Class etc...and then we have the Poor Folks Care. I dont know what this one is... Had no time to research it.. I do know that I have never been there to visit any of my members..... and that's what brings the whole matter into question. But, But, But.... we were satisfied with this place... I'm still in severe pain...It's gonna take the meds a minute to kick in I guess, but I feel better knowing that I went and what's wrong with me.....Now I have yet to find a good African American Male Doctor for my primary Doctor.... Physical time....

Rickey Jr Goes to School

This is a wonderful day in our house. Rickey Jr goes to Rochester Institute of Technology today for orientation and to move into the dormitory. How exciting it is to see your child grow up and mature into a Christian young man and go off to school to prepare himself to be self-supporting and educated. It's not easy to get a child to this point... Only by the Grace of God. Pray for him as he is introduced to a brand new freedom, lifestyle and discipline. I'll say more after church..gotta go!

Feeling Better Today

Blog Friends... You would not believe how sick I was Wednesday night and all day Thursday. I dont know what happened.. I went to bed Tuesday night with a slight sore throat; and about 1:00am I woke Yvonne and myself up shivering. Windows open, room had a nice temperature, but I was freezing, not just freezing but shivering like I have never done before. I turned the electric warmer on, wrapped up good and went back to sleep... Woke up feeling good enough to go to the office for the full day. Visited some Sick and Shut-in.. A great day.. Wednesday night, Throat, head, aching everywhere, and to top it off they kept running over CNN the number of cases of this New Flu; H1N1 Flu and talking about the number of people who will die from it within a year. I'm like OH Lord.... We got Revival Musical, Revival, Dorothy Norwood coming to the church, 99th Church Anniversary, State Convention in Memphis.... LOL You know a little sickness, especially for one who is seldom sick..... can make you think some weird things! But the Lord is faithful and just and kind and true to his WORD and his Child. I have to go into the office for awhile today... But I intend to be home and back in bed resting shortly thereafter. Folks, read Romans 1:24 - 32, That's the last sermon in the Chapter one series... If you got some titles for this or some points or help to make this one easier on ALL of US, let me know! OK now apart from praying, which we must all do; Sick or Well, the physical remedy for me was Ibuprophen. 1000mg. Here's the interesting part and maybe some preaching in this too.... When my head was out of whack, I could barely get up and down the stairs.. I was no good at all.... Once my headache was cured, the other pain and aches really didnt affect my body or my going up and down the stairs or in and out of the house. No fear until that pain hits the head.

Keep the head right,

Head of the Church,

Head of the Home,

Head of the Schools,

Head of the Government,

Head of the Security,

Head of whatever and everything else seems to flow.....

Lord, having been placed as the head of the Mount Olivet Baptist Church by the leading of Holy Spirit and by the people of the Church, please keep me day by day. Guide my thoughts and deeds, keep me upright, honest, true, loving, and walking circumspectly before the people and before you! Order my steps in your word, lead me guide me in your word, keep me anointed Father I pray, Order my steps in your word.

Antioch Baptist Church

We were real happy to celebrate the 64th Church Anniversary Service with Antioch Baptist Church and their newly installed pastor, the Reverend James Cherry, Jr.. While I reigned as New Kid in Town for at least five months; that title no longer is mine. Reverend James Cherry, Jr, a seasoned and experienced Preacher, Pastor, Pulpiteer and friend of Preachers, was installed in just a couple of weeks ago. His father, James Cherry Sr has served Aenon Baptist Church here in Rochester for over three decades as senior pastor. We had a wonderful time and a great fellowship and look forward to a continued fellowship as the Lord grows the Churches and Pastors in this town. Cherry Jr and I both agreed that this is a wonderful time to be pastoring our churches... We have churches that are ready to serve the Lord and both of us are excited and in love with our churches and on fire for the God.

That's Who I Was

Time brings about Changes... But often the changes are not that bad! This is a throwback from 1982 as a Senior High School Student at South Side High School. This was the Mr OEA... Office Education Association where we typed, learned short hand, and basic business. Interestingly, the classes we had in school to help prepare us for real life cease to exist now! Well... Anyway these pictures capture the physical changes that have taken place with me over the last twenty-five years plus.... Im thankful to God for his preservation. Lord Keep me day by day is my prayer!
Really the difference is about sixty pounds and twenty-seven years... Before you laugh; post two of yours with a three decade gap and see if you have treated yourself well over the years!

Abandoned to the Gospel

New Progressive COGIC - Rochester

What a great time we had at the New Progressive Church of God in Christ with Presiding Bishop James Wright and speaker, Bishop James Campbell. It's the 90th Convocation of the Churches of God in Christ for this area! Bishop James Wright's church was full from 7pm until long after 11pm, when the service was over. You actually didn't realize how long the service lasted. It was praise and worship and good preaching all night! Upon my arrival to Mount Olivet Baptist Church; Bishop James Wright befriended me immediately. We have enjoyed lunches together. He's got to be the most humble man ever to hold such a lofty position. I was born in Memphis; just a quarter of a mile from Pentecostal Temple Institutional Church of God In Christ pastored by the Bishop J.O. Patterson, Senior. Though I was too young to meet him personally, I knew and fully understood the magnitude of his position. I was fortunate enough to know Bishop Gilbert Earl Patterson of Bountiful Blessings Church of God in Christ...If you knew him, then Bishop James Wright would put you in the mind of Bishop G.E.Patterson. After finishing my Sunday activities with Mount Olivet at Antioch for Pastor James Cherry and the Church anniversary, I will rejoin the New Progressive COGIC in their 90th Holy Convocation as they celebrate and honor Bishop Wright!

The Biggest Catch of the Year

Bishops Jerry McCollough and Melvin Cross both agree that this big Bass is the largest that they have seen caught this year. We were yelling for dear life as I struggled to pull this big boy or girl out of the Honeyo Lake today! It was wonderful. As a matter of fact; upon getting set in the water today, I was the first one to get a catch. While Victor, another brother who was driving the boat caught the most fish, my catch was by far the supreme catch! This big boy along with four very nice bass and blue gill are in the freezer. I almost have enough for a great fish fry. We will be having a fresh fish fry coming up soon at the Bishop's place. Ok. I had a great day today!

Rickey Harvey Throwbacks

You have seen nothing like this is your life.... I thought you might enjoy these throwbacks. I sure did as I ran across them in packing! Yep; packing again... getting ready to move. Of course I will tell you more about that as the time draws nearer! In the mean time enjoy my first thru fourth grade pictures. This is the way everyone went to school in my day. You had to look like Sunday School at Prospect Elementary School because Mrs Brooks, the Principal was a devout Christian, and so were all of my elementary teachers, Mrs Fouse, Mrs Davis, Mrs Donoho and Mrs Feaster. Often, Mondays started out with telling about what happened over the weekend with us, and for sure that had to include Sunday Church or the teachers were like livid.... "You mean you didn't Go to Church" LOL what a day that was! I'm so glad I came through when I did... Looks like I got in just in time, because shortly afterwards, there was no more discipline in the school (of course they could have taken that out when I was in school) even though I learned the system as My mother told you during installation, and never got a paddling until the last day of the nineth grade! Well... Now as you look, do you see a hole in my shirt, and how uncombed my hair is.....? Wow! I remember that day as though it was yesterday.. I loved that shirt though and was determined to take a picture in it! Now combing my hair was a problem. I was tender headed and would get out of the house as often as possible without combing it. Then later, the pressing comb came in style for Boys, (aka Blowouts) LOL I hope you enjoyed these!

Meet Debra, My 5th of 6 Sisters

So many times people ask me if I am the only child. Why? I dont know. Surely I dont act like an only child; and it's obvious that they have not followed my preaching throughout the years. Neither have they followed my Blog or anything else that deals with me. I'm very often in my sermons talking about the nine of us, and how poor we were, and how we made it pretty much on the bare necessities. It's not that I brag out about being poor; but I'm so thankful for everything that God has done for me. And as you will hear in an upcoming sermon, its the Bad News that makes the Good News good! You know, whereas I was blind, BAD NEWS, Now I SEE; GOOD NEWS.... We were as Poor as Job's Turkey, BAD NEWS, Now We're ALL Doing Fine, GOOD NEWS. All of my clothes as a child were first worn by white children, washed and given to my older brothers and then passed on to me as third generation hand-me-downs, not really BAD NEWS, just the fact, but now everything is either bought or tailor made just for me, While it may not bee GOOD NEWS, it's a far cry from BAD NEWS. Thus, it's nine of us! All nine are saved, seven of the nine are diligent church workers, all of the nine are gainfully employed, or gainfully retired. Most of them are super supportive of my ministry! Most of them like to hear me but a couple of them wouldn't raise the window up to hear me! I guess that's pretty good, as far as I see it... The Bible talks about no honor among kindred; I'm no exception! In South Bend, where I have two sisters, two Brothers-in-Law, four uncles, four aunts, 2 nieces, 2 nephews, about a dozen cousins, ALL of them will come to hear me EVERY NIGHT that i'm in town! My Sister Debra has not heard me many times or ever outside of her city, but when I'm in South Bend, Debra is there every night along with her husband John and this time her daughter Ashley and Ashley's friend, Troy! Never has it been any different! Blogging friends I wanted to introduce you to Debra....She did make it to Tucson for my Installation and stayed like a week or so with me there..... I'm sure with Rochester being a hop and a skip away, they will get here soon. As a matter of fact; I hear that I'm hosting my family in Rochester for Labor Day! Ok.. Say Hi to Debra Elaine Joy-Alexander. She's like a few years older than me before you ask! LOL. Above, I am engaged in a serious conversation with Pastor Ray Owens, and Debra is sitting behind me as you can see! WI did not realize that she was sitting behind me just clowning as I engaged in conversation! Just look at her! :-)

Revival In South Bend

The Macedonia Baptist Church and their Pastor; the Reverend Ray Owens and the good folks in the city of South Bend, Indiana just 90 miles north of Chicago came out each night for what turned out to be a wonderful, spirit-filled revival service. I was more than honored to served a second time as the evangelist for the week. It's a WORD church where the people come to hear preaching, they love preaching and they love preachers! Ray Owens and I met many years ago in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and little did we know that the Lord would cross our paths as he has done! We have established a great frienship, love and respect for each other's ministry! I am looking forward to both Pastor Owens and Macedonia worshipping with us in 2010. When asked last night if they would like to come to Mount Olivet Rochester, with a roaring response of cheers they let it be known that their Pastor would not come here alone! We will plan for them and anxiously await the fellowship!

Proof is in the Boat

For those of you who dont believe that I really went fishing and that I really caught some fish myself; here is the proof. LOL... Bishop Jerry McCollough and Melvin Cross and me were doing our thing in Honeyo Lake. This was a wonderful and very new thing for me! We will hit the water frequently according to my fishing partners. I'm looking forward to the next outing; especially on this boat. It's big enough to lay a queen size mattress on the deck and still enjoy all the seating space! I have been looking at my own rods and reels and even my own tackle box and cooler for the fish that are caught. The mess of fish that you see in a previous Blog are still in the freezer and will be there until I catch that much more about twice; then it's going to be a Fresh Fish Fry all of my own catchings! Ok, so my fish doesn't look all that big on the picture. You can always believe the picture....This one is so big it like took two of us to reel him in.... Must have been like a whale... why he doesn't look like it on this picture, I dont know. I don't! But it's a whale.... catch a dozen more and it will be a good meal.....for one person!

More Blogging when I wake up!

Ok....Ok..... Ok..... I know you're wondering what in the world is going on.. Where is our Blogger... Listen....Mount Olivet Baptist Church Rochester is soooo busy until Blogging time is limited this week; of course paper writing.... You know I'm in school again.... I love it.. Its just "Is what It Is" and that's a lot of reading and writing! So while im always online; most times i'm doing some research on "Transformational Leadership" or getting ready for a meeting! Let me tell you something that you may have not known... My sleeping habits were terrible when I moved to Rochester to become the tenth Pastor of the soon to be 100 year old Mount Olivet Baptist Church. Well, needless to say... My Church has completely healed me of my sleeping disorder. LOL As a matter of fact; its like the issue is reversed.... whereas I could not sleep now I can sleep Morning, Noon, and all Night... We work here.... The funny thing is I came to the Church in the Fall of the year when the Bible Studies were in Full Bloom.... and during that season, there is seldom a time of day or night when the church is not busy, classes, meetings, programs, fellowships, services, the works..... When the summer got here, and the Bible Study was no longer in session, I was like... OK....... take it easy! LOL... Oh NO.... That simply means gear up for another course....... like Festivals, Summer Bash, and VBS, I'm really telling my Blogging Friends that we have a Wonderful Church, that's very much alive and in every sense of the word, ALIVE and WELL....and I'm yet thankful to God for every person who is a member of the church, for all of the work that the church is doing, for every stride that it takes, every addition to the church, every service and all the activities.... This Church and I are like a hand - glove fit! It works.... No question about it..... Mount Olivet loves the Harvey family and the Harvey family loves Mount Olivet. We come home after every event, and generally talk ourselves to sleep talking about our wonderful experiences with Mount Olivet! When I knew I was leaving Tucson, I only asked the Lord for a Church that would love my family and me to the extent that we would know it and feel it... and one we could love to the extent the Church would know it and feel it! We got it! Amen Holy Ghost! We're gearing up for our

Revival Musical, Mount Olivet Mega Choir and The Voices of Clouds, September 20th

"In Christ Jesus, New Creature" Revival in September, 21st thru 25th

Dorothy Norwood Concert.... October 24th

Church 99th Anniversary....October 25th

Thanksgiving Service,

Christmas Cantata,

More to come!

When I wake up!

shurrrrr.....