If It Ain't Broke

by Brenda Barrett

  He introduced the church to Mark his son with Sister Kelly Palmer, our former pastor's wife. The picture below shows Mark sleeping on Sister Petrina's lap. Mark will be dividing his time this summer amongst his various relatives. He will also be attending our award-winning Vacation Bible School, which begins in three weeks time.

  On a side note: Sister Kelly Palmer gave birth, a few months ago, to a bouncing baby boy that they named Luke. All the best to the family as they go through the gospels.

  Congratulations

  Very hearty congratulations to Sister Tanya who has finally tied the knot with Great Pond musician, Brother Charles Black. May their union be blessed.

  And also a very big congratulation to Brother Charles for his promotion as Entertainment Manager at the Flamingo Hotel.

  Prayer Section

  Please pray for Sister Phoebe Hoppings who recently found out that she is carrying twins, and her mother who is now attending church. Keep the family in your prayers.

  Extra Classes

  For six weeks this summer, our very own internationally acclaimed pastry chef Caleb Wright will be giving pastry lessons in the church canteen. Only twenty fortunate persons can be accommodated in the class, so hurry and sign up. Certificates will be given.

  Reminders

  Sister Lola is reminding all choir members that practice will be held at 4 p.m. every Sunday.

  Prayer for the week

  God, give me grace to accept with serenity

  the things that cannot be changed,

  Courage to change the things which should be changed

  and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

  Living one day at a time,

  Enjoying one moment at a time,

  Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

  Trusting that You will make all things right,

  If I surrender to Your will,

  So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

  And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen

  THE END

  Author's Notes

  Dear Reader,

  THANK YOU for reading If It Ain't Broke! If you enjoyed reading this book, PLEASE leave a review.

  I hated that this series had to end. I loved the Three Rivers World. I have other titles on my BOOK LIST, though that are quite interesting as well, you can check them out.

  There are short series like the Magnolia Sisters and longer series like the Bancrofts and New Song Series or you can check out the Scarletts, another series that is set in a seaside town like Three Rivers.

  Continue scrolling for an excerpt from Homely Girl, Book 0 in the Bancroft Series.

  Thanks again. All the best,

  Brenda

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Homely Girl.

  April entered the gym wearily. She had been putting off going for months now but Rock Abs, the gym that was closest to her workplace, was having a special and she could not in all conscience ignore it. Her doctor had pointedly given her a flyer about the gym last time she visited his office and there was a gorgeous guy on the front. He had an eyebrow saucily raised as if to say 'come to me.'

  His hair was in cornrows; he had deep-set bedroom eyes and looked oh so manly and gorgeous. She wondered, idly, if he would be at the gym when she got there. He would be perfect eye-candy.

  She took a deep breath and pushed through the tinted front doors. She entered a large reception area that had a slim perky girl manning the front desk.

  "Hi, I'm Denise," the girl said, giving April a friendly once over. "What can we do for you?"

  April peeked through the frosted glass at the front and saw a ton of people inside working out on various machines.

  "I have no idea," April said helplessly. She had never been to the gym before and had lost forty pounds in the last two years since college by sheer unfettered determination. She had walked everywhere and really tried to watch what she ate. What she wanted to do was tone up her body and maybe lose twenty pounds more.

  "Well," Denise smiled at her, "you could start by filling out one of these forms. It will give you an idea of what we can help you accomplish and then I can get one of our guys to show you around."

  April nodded absently and took the paper and a pen that Denise handed to her in a flourish. It had the gym's logo in the middle. She moved further down the desk to make way for any new comers to the desk and proceeded to look over the brightly colored card.

  "It's a great day to join the gym," Denise said to her helpfully. "We are having a special that is running for the whole month."

  April nodded as she scribbled in the information that she knew: age-23, known illnesses-none. She had no idea what her current height or weight was, or her body mass index.

  She resisted the urge to chew the top of the pen. It was a bad habit she had taken up since high school and she found herself picking up again since she removed her braces a year ago.

  The front door made a slight whooshing sound as somebody walked in and April glanced up absently. Her eyes widened in appreciation of the guy that walked through. He had gorgeous brown skin, a lean, muscular physique, and deep-set eyes. It was him, the guy from the flyer!

  She was looking at him so intently that he actually slowed down and came toward her.

  April's insides started trembling. She hadn't felt so young and gauche since her high school days.

  "Hi Shemar," Denise said to the guy. "I have a ton of messages for you regarding the marathon race that the gym is sponsoring."

  April exhaled tremulously. He wasn't coming toward her. He was going toward Denise.

  She hung her head back down and looked over her form. He hadn't even seen her! she exhaled shakily—she was alive though, thank God! She hadn't been attracted to anyone since Taj, the guy who was firmly cemented in her head as her one true love.

  Lately she had been wondering if something was seriously wrong with her.

  When she looked up, the handsome guy was gone.

  "Dishy, isn't he?" Denise asked, giving her a wicked grin. "I swear, we have a lot of female gym memberships just because of Shemar and that flyer."

  "He works here?" April asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

  Denise laughed, glancing over her card. "You could say that, he owns the place."

  She leaned closer to April. "He is here every day though and he works out in the mornings."

  She laughed even louder as April shrugged, pretending as if she didn't care.

  "So when's the best time for you to work out?" Denise asked her, her brown eyes were dancing with mirth. "You didn't put anything down on the form."

  April swallowed. "In the mornings."

  Denise chuckled and jotted that down. "Okay let's see. I am going to assign you to Derrick since you are a newbie. He'll show you around…help you to get acquainted with the machines. We have special classes like Pilates and yoga…"

  Denise gave her a bright smile. "You'll have fun here, don't worry." She grabbed the phone and spoke to somebody and a few minutes later a pleasant-face guy with hulking muscles appeared at the door and introduced himself to her as Derrick.

  The first place he carried her to was the weights room where there was a large digital scale and a tape measure.

  Derrick scribbled down her measurements as he took them and then grinned at her. "Your body fat percentage is not that bad, with a little work and some sweat you'll be okay in no time."

  April nodded. "Cool. That is good news. I am willing to work."

  "Alright," Derrick said, putting away the tape. "I am going to carry you on a grand tour of the gym. We have some very interesting features that you can take advantage of…like the massage room. That room you will have to book ahead of time because it is in high demand."

  He showed her around and whistled as he sauntered through the large gym area. His whistling reminded her of a familiar tune from high school days. She grimaced slightly and tried to put her memories of high school at bay but they hurtled up to
meet her. She fought to keep her concentration on the here and now.

  Derrick stopped and showed her the yoga room; two persons were in there, in the corpse position. Soothing music wafted through hidden speakers and she made a mental note to do at least one class a week—it looked much more peaceful than the racket that was outside where the machines were.

  April stared absently into the next room indicated to by Derrick—thoughts of high school were persistent in her mind. She inhaled deeply and allowed them to flood in. High school, she hated every moment there, except for Taj...

  OTHER BOOKS BY BRENDA BARRETT

  Resetter Series

  Never Too Late (Book 1)- Addi finds out she is a resetter and goes back to the summer of 92 to change her family's lives.

  Never Say Never (Book 2)- Skyler's handsome college lecturer, who happens to be her neighbor, has a T in his palms. Should she tell him the significance of it. If she does, would he believe her?

  Now or Never (Book 3)- Ten years later Addi and Randy meet again at Randy's engagement party. Why is it that the chemistry between them was still so potent? Can they ever have a future together? Would Randy choose her this time around?

  Almost Never (Book 4)- Tech genius Joshua Porter had all but given up on love. He then meets Portia, an escapee from the female penitentiary and his life takes a turn for the adventurous.

  The Scarlett Family Series

  Scarlett Baby (Book 1)- When the head of the Scarlett family died, Yuri had to return home to Treasure Beach for the funeral. What he didn't count on was seeing Marla, his childhood sweetheart and his best friend's wife. And when emotions overwhelm them and a few months later Marla is pregnant, Yuri wants the impossible: his best friend's wife and the baby they made together...

  Scarlett Sinner (Book 2)- Pastor Troy Scarlett realizes the hard way that some sins are bound to be revealed, like the child that he had out of wedlock with his wife's mortal enemy from college. His wife Chelsea was not happy with the status quo. She was not taking care of the son of the woman she had so despised from college. And she could not get over the deep betrayal that she felt from her husband's indiscretion.

  Scarlett Secret (Book 3)- Terri Scarlett had a soft spot for her friend, Lola. She was funny and sweet and they looked remarkably alike. But when Lola's Arab prince demands his bride, Terri foolishly exchange places with her friend and they meet up on a world of trouble.

  Scarlett Love (Book 4)- Slater always looked forward to delivering packages to the law firm where he could get a glimpse of the stunning female lawyer, Amoy Gardener. Unfortunately, for Slater a woman like Amoy would not take him seriously, especially when she found out that he could not read!

  Scarlett Promise (Book 5)- Driven by desperation Lisa Barclay decides to make some extra money by prostituting herself after being kicked out in the streets. Her first customer turns out to be a popular government senator and then to her horror he dies...

  Scarlett Bride (Book 6)- When Oliver Scarlett's missionary work in the Congo region was coming to an end, he had a decision to make, marry Ashaki Azanga and save her from being the fourth wife to the chief of the village or leave her to her fate and get on with his life...

  Scarlett Heart (Book 7)- After receiving a heart transplant shy librarian Noah Scarlett started to take on character traits that were unlike him and he kept dreaming of a girl named Cassandra Green...

  Rebound Series

  On The Rebound--For Better or Worse, Brandon vowed to stay with Ashley, but when worse got too much he moved out and met Nadine. For the first time in years he felt happy, but then Ashley remembered her wedding vows...

  On The Rebound 2- Ashley reinvented herself and was now a first lady in a country church in Primrose Hill, but her obsessed ex friend Regina showed up and started digging into the lives of the saints at church. Somebody didn't like Regina's digging. Someone had secrets that were shocking enough to kill for...

  Magnolia Sisters

  Dear Mystery Guy (Book 1)- Della Gold details her life in a journal dedicated to a mystery guy. But when fascination turns into obsession she finds herself wanting to learn even more about him but in her pursuit of the mystery guy she begins to learn more about herself...

  Bad Girl Blues (Book 2)- Brigid Manderson wanted to go to med school but for the time being she was an escort working for her mother, an ex-prostitute. When her latest customer offers her the opportunity of a lifetime would she take it? Or would she choose the harder path and uncertain love with a Christian guy?

  Her Mistaken Dreams (Book 3)- Caitlin Denvers dream guy had serious issues. He has a dead wife in his past and he was the main suspect in her murder. Did he really do it? Or did Caitlin for the first time have a mistaken dream?

  Just Like Yesterday (Book 4)- Hazel Brown lost six months of memory including the summer that she conceived her son, and had no idea who his father could be. Now that she had the means to fight to get him back from the Deckers, she finds out that the handsome Curtis Decker is willing to share her son with her after all.

  New Song Series

  Going Solo (Book 1)- Carson Bell, had a lovely voice, a heart of gold, and was no slouch in the looks department. So why did Alice abandon him and their daughter? What did she want after ten years of silence?

  Duet on Fire (Book 2)- Ian and Ruby had problems trying to conceive a child. If that wasn't enough, her ex-lover the current pastor of their church wants her back...

  Tangled Chords (Book 3)- Xavier Bell, the poor, ugly duckling has made it rich and his looks have been incredibly improved too. Farrah Knight, hotel heiress had cruelly rejected him in the past but now she needed help. Could Xavier forgive and forget?

  Broken Harmony(Book 4)- Aaron Lee, wanted the top job in his family company but he had a moral clause to consider just when Alka, his married ex-girlfriend walks back into his life.

  A Past Refrain (Book 5)- Jayce had issues with forgetting Haley Greenwald even though he had a new woman in his life. Will he ever be able to shake his love for Haley?

  Perfect Melody (Book 6)- Logan Moore had the perfect wife, Melody but his secretary Sabrina was hell bent on breaking up the family. Sabrina wanted Logan whatever the cost and she had a secret about Melody, that could shatter Melody's image to everyone.

  The Bancroft Family Series

  Homely Girl (Book 0) - April and Taj were opposites in so many ways. He was the cute, athletic boy that everybody wanted to be friends with. She was the overweight, shy, and withdrawn girl. Do April and Taj have a love that can last a lifetime? Or will time and separate paths rip them apart?

  Saving Face (Book 1) - Mount Faith University drama begins with a dead president and several suspects including the president in waiting Ryan Bancroft.

  Tattered Tiara (Book 2) - Micah Bancroft is targeted by femme fatale Deidra Durkheim. There are also several rape cases to be solved.

  Private Dancer (Book 3) Adrian Bancroft was gutted when he returned to Jamaica and found out that his first and only love Cathy Taylor was a stripper and was literally owned by the menacing drug lord, Nanjo Jones.

  Goodbye Lonely (Book 4) - Kylie Bancroft was shy and had to resort to going to confidence classes. How could she win the love of Gareth Beecher, her faculty adviser, a man with a jealous ex-wife in his past and a current mystery surrounding a hand found in his garden?

  Practice Run (Book 5) - Marcus Bancroft had many reasons to avoid Mount Faith but Deidra Durkheim was not one of them. Unfortunately, on one of his visits he was the victim of a deliberate hit and run.

  Sense of Rumor (Book 6) - Arnella Bancroft was the wild, passionate Bancroft, the creative loner who didn't mind living dangerously; but when a terrible thing happened to her at her friend Tracy's party, it changed her. She found that courting rumors can be devastating and that only the truth could set her free.

  A Younger Man (Book 7)- Pastor Vanley Bancroft loved Anita Parkinson despite their fifteen-year age gap, but Anita had a secret, one that she could not reveal to Vanley. To tell him wou
ld change his feelings toward her, or force him to give up the ministry that he loved so much.

  Just To See Her (Book 8)- Jessica Bancroft had the opportunity to meet her fantasy guy Khaled, he was finally coming to Mount Faith but she had feelings for Clay Reid, a guy who had all the qualities she was looking for. Who would she choose and what about the weird fascination Khaled had for Clay?

  The Three Rivers Series