Joyful Expectations

I saw a mother at mass with her newborn this morning. She had a large scarf that somehow wrapped the baby in such a way that the baby was in front of her facing forward. Sort of like a halter that’s made for babies. I thought it was pretty cool that such a long piece of cloth could be used that way. I’m not good at guessing any baby’s age but I think he could have been 5-6 months old. He had his pacifier and some type of cloth toy he played with. He was such a bright eyed cute little boy! He pointed downwards towards his baby bag and mom handed him his light-blue cloth rabbit. It wasn’t the rabbit that he seemed interested in. He was into holding his mom’s finger and bringing it to his face. She let him guide her towards his face and playfully rubbed his little nose. His little hand was holding onto his mother’s finger tightly. I thought that was so cool. It was an example of a mother’s love and a child’s dependence on the love that only a mother can give. Innocence, trust, curiosity and dependence are just few of the traits that we all had when we were babies but lost as adults. Well, the Christmas holidays are coming up and we all have joyful expectations bubbling inside of us. Whether its gifts, someone visiting or coming home or whatever, we are looking forward to joyful hopes. Now if we don’t get what we want let’s not get disappointed. Our Father in heaven knows what is best for us. We should accept our dependency on Him, just as a baby’s for their guardians. Holidays are different each year regardless of the circumstances. We get older and our priorities change. Let’s never lose the real meaning of Christmas. Christ was born to die and save mankind. When he comes again, let’s not be fearful but stand with our arms and our heads up with joyful expectations. Keep in mind we don’t have to wait for the holidays to have joyful expectations. We can do this all year round!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To all of my spiritual brothers and sisters, I wish you a blessed and wonderful day of thanks. It's not what we don't have, it's what we already have that should make us more appreciative. At least we're here to see and share another day with the people that are important in our lives. And if we're alone, we still can be kind and courteous to others. It can be hard because these are some very stressful times for us all. It's also tough not being able to share this time with our loved ones who may be away from home working in hospitals, on the roadways, and on the battlefields or preparing to go to the battlefield. These people are making sacrifices that some of us take for granted. Then there are some that must work today to make ends meet. Regardless of the situation, let's appreciate what we do have and pass it on. Let's really try to keep the drama and conflict out of our lives during this season. Try to be understanding and tolerant with each other. Also, share a moment of silence for those that passed on because they will surely be missed. Again, I pray for you all to have a safe and great holiday!

Love

This is an excerpt from Romans 12:9-21.

Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves. Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord.
When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. Share with God's people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes.
Bless those who hurt you. Bless them, and do not call down curses on them. Be joyful with those who are joyful. Be sad with those who are sad. Agree with each other. Don't be proud. Be willing to be a friend of people who aren't considered important. Don't think that you are better than others.
Don't pay back evil with evil. Be careful to do what everyone thinks is right. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can.
My friends, don't try to get even. Leave room for God to show his anger. It is written, "I am the One who judges people. I will pay them back," says the Lord. Do just the opposite. Scripture says, "If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads."
Don't let evil overcome you. Overcome evil by doing good.

Rest In Peace, Mr. C. E. Cumming, Sr.

What If?

No matter how strong you think you are and want to be, you still have to fight sadness when past hurts come up. There is always something or someone to remind you. We try to focus on the positives and fight the negatives. It can be a constant battle for some. We might even wonder “What would it be like if……….? Accept the fact that there is a reason for everything. Those lies and deceits happened for a reason. Don’t blame yourself unless you know that you were responsible for the failure. We have to move on. We live and we learn. Yes, our experiences will have an impact on our future. But what do we want our future to be like? If we were betrayed or rejected, do we expect the same in future relationships? Do we put up thick walls as defense mechanisms? Can we continue the drama and stress that we just don’t have control over? My brothers and sisters in Christ, we all fall down. We all get hurt at one time or another. What we do with these disappointments is up to us. Grace and mercy stand us up! To me happiness is being at peace with myself. It isn’t what you have or don’t have. Ttry to find inner peace. People tend to push their unhappiness on you and you don’t have to take it. If you think it is for the sake of being in a relationship just to say you have somebody, well, you’re lying to yourself. Are you telling me that you would rather be unhappy in a failing relationship than being happy but alone? That is a problem. Face up. You can be in a great relationship if you both are at peace within. But, please be honest about it. Respect for each other and being secure about yourself and partner can truly go a long way. This philosophy doesn’t just work with relationships, it works with living! We are faced with various situations in life, it depends on our attitude how we deal with it. We are each dealt a different hand in life, it depends on how we play the cards. Wewill lose some and win some but we can only bluff for so long. Regardless, we must make the best out of whatever we have!

Enjoy Your Blessings!

Thanksgiving Day is coming up, but the focus from the media is on the day after, Black Friday! This is one of the most important days in retail to settle the year in the black. So, let’s be prepared to get up early Friday morning for the some of the best sales that stores can offer! It’s the best time to get some inexpensive Christmas presents, if you are willing to sacrifice your sleep time and deal with hundreds of other people over the same item. If you have a family and some love ones, it wouldn’t hurt to take an extra minute to be thankful for sharing a moment with them. Material things are wonderful to show our accomplishments and successes. But I can guarantee you that they mean nothing when the people you want around you to share them with you are not there. Thanksgiving can put your priorities in order. Those things that you thought were more important to you physical are nothing compared to the things that mean so much emotionally. Even if it’s just the two of you, enjoy life’s best! The more, the merrier, just as long as it is not a drama-filled day! If it’s just you, get out of the house, go walking, go to church, but celebrate life for yourself and joy for your past loved ones. I am asking that you do not give up and lose the meaning. We already have a problem for losing the true meaning of Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Veterans Day! I wish you all a happy and blessed day of thankfulness. Offer it to God first and appreciate the loved ones that He gave you! Do something special for someone, share your joy, and most importantly enjoy God’s blessings! If you can even read this, you are so much blessed than some. If you have access to the web, another blessing you might take for granted. All that we have are blessings, large and small, they are all gifts from God! Remember, when praises go up, blessings come down!

Hometown Celebration

Jesus is always on call and the doctor is always in. You don’t need any tickets to wait, He already knows you there, don’t worry, He’s never late. Heaven is rejoicing that another soul has come back home. One by one we are all returning home. It’s not any different than visiting a foreign land. This time you already know the people there, rest in His divine plan.

God Bless You, Mrs. Small

Another mother has moved on to her heavenly reward. Mrs. Louise Small, 85 years of age, left yesterday morning, November 16, 2009. One year later after Mrs Anna Sabb left, eighteen months after my mother and aunts, twenty months after Mrs Corine Burke. I'm not going to dwell on this. To my friends and me, these were wonderful, caring mothers who gave up so much for us. I don't need to tell you how much they are loved. The holidays are tough without them but we'll get through with the grace and mercy of God. I just want to take this time to recognize them and all the mothers that I have not mentioned and never knew. I'm not talking about the fathers this time, no disrespect. Some of them have played a very important part in our lives. But the mothers , they are on a different level. What more can I say?

1 Corinthians 13 (It's About Love) click here

True love doesn’t steal your joy, it enhances it! Real love fertilizes, it gives life. God gives us joy because of the unconditional love He has for us. It is amazing how much we don’t seem to appreciate it. Being taken for granted doesn’t make anybody feel good. So you can imagine what betrayal can do to a relationship. Christ had his last supper with Judas. How can person tell you how much they love you when they are able to betray you? Has the relationship gone that bad or have they grown so tired of you that they didn’t bother to even try to tell you. Even strong men and women get tired. Love can be unappreciated and we tend to neglect its real meaning. Agape love doesn’t take you to bed. It doesn’t have to sleep with you. It is the genuine acceptance of the person that you want in your life. Agape love goes deeper than face value. It looks deep inside and finds the good and appreciates that good which goes beyond the physical needs. It is God’s love. The physical sharing is only a part of the expression of giving that genuine joy. It is an unselfish way of giving that joy. We should be ourselves and not worry about changing to impress someone or fit their requirements. I don’t mean act a fool or be stupid. Try to make something positive of yourself. If you feel like singing or dancing around them, do it. If you feel like laughing, go ahead. They should enjoy the way you are. Looks and the perfect body will not last forever. We lose our joy because the love we think we have for someone is not returned or rejected. Don’t deny yourself because they deny you. The problem is not with you but with them! While they are trying to keep you down they can't see that no one is rising to the top. We think that our lives are over because that special someone doesn’t show us the love we expected. Yes, we have a pity party and bring old baggage so that when we meet someone else, we have new baggage with us in a space already crowded. It’s like bringing two people to meet one person. Shameful, but true, it’s not unusual. It happens to all of us. It is hard to grow up, but we have to.

The Wizard Revisited

Recently, I blogged about the Wizard of Oz & its symbolisms. I also said that whatever God has to tell me, I’ll be listening. Well, it was advertised on TV that the Wizard of Oz is playing on TBS this weekend! I don’t know what this is supposed to mean but it is coincidental. Maybe it’s a confirmation, or maybe it was meant for me to look at the show in a different perspective. Whatever, it is, I will be paying attention!

Dishonorable Mention

I couldn’t mention these veterans on Veterans’ Day with those that hold a place of honor. They have taken the lives of fellow vets and civilians and have paid the consequences with their own lives. John Allen Muhammad/John Williams, The DC Killer, was recently executed the day before Veterans’ Day by lethal injection. Major Nidal Malik Hasan is still in the hospital after murdering fellow soldiers and civilians. He committed this horrific crime at Ft. Hood, Texas. He was a psychiatrist! Both of these men are Muslims. I’m not stereotyping or giving an opinion, just facts. I’m sure that Muslims in the military are concerned how their fellow soldiers will wonder if they have their back in battle. Howard Unruh, a WWII veteran, died at 88 in a prison hospital. He committed his crime in Camden, NJ, in 1949. Let’s not forget Timothy McVeigh, a decorated Army veteran of the Persian Gulf War, who bombed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City, in 1995. He, too, was executed in 2001. I had the opportunity to visit that hallowed site this year in 2009. It is so surreal. Just walking on that battlefield and scanning the area, created in my mind scenes that are too intense to describe. No different than the ones that the innocents went through. There are many other veterans that have gone a dishonorable way. Whatever happened to these men and others that caused them to take the low road, we will never know. Many of these people have gone through some type of pressure, whether in childhood, battle or whatever, that they couldn’t handle it. Whatever it was, I could not mention them on the same day as being honorable with those that sincerely deserves it. I’m not a prophet so I don’t know what will happen the next minute. I do know that I can’t spend my time worrying about it.

Veterans' Day

I’ll keep this simple. Today is Veterans’ Day, a day set aside to remember the heroic efforts of our men and women in the military whom have given their own lives and freedoms in defense of our country. We honor all veterans; some of them have lost parts of their bodies, mental capabilities, and loved ones. These soldiers and sailors have risked their all for freedom. Whether they were in combat or not, they took the oath to defend this country from its enemies. Let’s never forget the sacrifices they have made. Say a prayer for our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, and sons and daughters that wherever they are and wherever they go the prayers and support of the people of the United States are forever with them. We want them all to return safely home. We shall never forget you! Happy Veterans’ Day!

Stay On That Yellow Brick Road

How much do you know about the Wizard of Oz movie? Other than it was enjoyable and fun to watch. You could tell me the cast of characters and the Hollywood stars that played them. You could probably tell me something about the cowardly lion, the “no heart” tin man, the “no brain” scarecrow, the Munchkins, the good witch, the wicked witch, Auntie Em, her uncle, the farmhands, the flying monkeys, Toto, and the principal star Dorothy. I might have missed someone but let’s not forget the Theme Song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow!” Of course, Stephanie Mills really took it to another level in later years. The aluminum dust had some serious bad effects on the tin man actors. It hospitalized Buddy Ebsen and the aluminum paste, later used, caused his replacement Jack Haley to have an eye infection. Even young Michael Jackson and Diana Ross did their thing with The Wiz in 1978! All in all, do you remember now? Let’s go for a walk on the yellow brick road. A minister was telling me how his youth group dissected the Wizard of Oz. They concluded that The Wizard gave them the right directions but they had to stay on the road. The traveling companions might be going in the same direction but they might have a different reason to get to their destination. Simple, huh? Let’s dig a little. Dorothy first ran away from home, because the mean townswoman wanted to take Toto away after he bit her. She meets a traveling fortune teller who tricks her into thinking Aunt Em is sick and needs Dorothy at home. Dorothy gets back just in time for a tornado and takes refuge in the house which is supposedly taken away to another land. Dot got knocked out! When she wakes up after Dorothy’s house falls on an evil witch. An angel, the good witch, appears and rewards Dorothy with “magical” slippers. Red showed up better on color TV but it didn’t matter what color the shoes were. It could have been a scarf. She got a gift and didn’t know what to do with it. (Don’t we all?) She was not to remove those slippers. Noticed how they all met. The scarecrow was pointing in two directions not sure where to go, the tin man rusted embracing his axe locked in a job that he didn’t love, and a lion that ran away from them once he found out that the companions were not afraid. All bark but no bite. They finally get to a place called Emerald City but it is not home. This is where they will get a chance for the Wizard to give them directions on how to return home. Return to our heavenly home, now don’t we all want to do that? In the process of going home, they meet people to help them on their way and reminding them to stay on the yellow brick road. Note that whenever they got off the road, they encountered major problems. The evil, wicked witch even sent her flying monkeys to stop them. Satan will send his forces to stop us from getting to God. How symbolic was it that water destroyed the evil witch? Water, baptism, cleansing of the soul to prepare for the good are major elements in staying on the yellow brick road. In the end, the traveling companions found in Dorothy all the qualities they needed, wisdom, compassion, and courage to get back home. Dorothy realized that she had the power within her all along and that the ruby slippers were just a tool to give her confidence. But if she had found her faith in the beginning, she might have been able to avoid many of those pitfalls. It is never too late to get back on that road. It’s also never too late to find God. Looking back, the road was just wide enough for all four of them to travel. We all have the Bible as our guide and our pastors, friends, and loved ones to help guide us, but we decide if we want to stay on the right road. We get trapped sometime with the company we keep and trying to find shortcuts. Still, there are angels along the way to help us. Sometimes, you get picked on staying on that road even by the people that you think that love you. Well, do they really love you? If they did, they would love what is best for you!

Dreams

Do you think that our dreams are really trying to tell us something? I’m not talking about the occult or anything of that nature. I’m just wondering what they symbolize, sometimes. Here’s a glimpse of mine. I dreamed that I was driving on a very wet interstate in a bad storm. The road was very wet and slippery. Down the road, I saw a blue light, a patrolman directing traffic away from a collision. There was a detour that went left and I took it. I did not follow the other cars; instead, I took a shortcut through someone’s yard. Going through this yard, was a lot of mud and big rocks, both of them I tried to avoid. I thought that I was getting out of that when the road I turned right onto was being upgraded and bumpy. The rain had stopped then and the sun was starting to come out, but the road was still a mess. I regretted not following the rest of the cars from the detour. But, just then, I came out into an open field where it was clean and level. It wasn’t many houses and I saw one vehicle on a hill coming down. I mean this field was clean and it had only a dirt road but was very smooth. By then, the sun was completely out and I woke up. I don’t expect any dream translators to answer but deep inside I already know the answer. It’s just remarkable to me that after I had this dream, a minister several days later discusses the teens’ take on the Yellow Brick Road. God is trying to tell me something and I’m listening!

Man Of God!

After I left the promotion ceremony, I seemed “guided” to drop by a local K-Mart store that was closing. I needed to check on the close-out prices of vitamins, if there were any left. Vitamins are expensive! I saw an elderly gentleman looking at what was left. I wasn’t in any mood to talk to anymore so I gave him enough space and hoped that he would be leaving soon. He already had a basket full of vitamins. I figured it was time for him to go. Man, did I figure wrong! He started telling me about some of the vitamins that would benefit me. Which one would be good for the prostate, blood, skin, etc. I knew a little about the vitamins he discussed but I let him talk. For some reason, I just stood there and listened. Then he started telling me about the problems he was having in his neighborhood but that he was not leaving. He told me about the legal actions he was taking. How lawyers, counselors, and others were helping with the least amount of trouble and money. I heard about the clothes that he purchased, computer equipment, and automobiles that he didn’t have to pay full price. He retired as a transit driver from Chicago and moved to SC. He mentioned how God put people and things in your life to help you. That God allows tests to be done to us to see how much faith and trust we have in Him. That He wants us to lay our burdens at His feet. He mentioned about tithing. That he gives his 10% and more every week. That no matter what, give to God. After all, He supplies all of our every need. It’s us that don’t appreciate the small things in life. The gentleman told me that his life wasn’t always peaceful that he had pains and hardships just like everyone else. Even now, but he doesn’t worry about it anymore. He praises the Lord and is proud to a Man of God. He told me that anyone that had falsely accused him of any wrongdoing suffered. His goal is to show how God works in his life. He told me that his life began changing over 30 years ago. He was playing two lotto numbers but three printed out. The last sets of numbers were 888. He said for those people in numerology knew that they meant a change in life. I always believed that 777 were the perfect number for Christ and 666 the imperfect number of the beast. But at the Numerology Website it means: “If you are seeing 88 or 888 the angels are telling you that something in your life is nearing an end. It could be a relationship or a career.
It also means that something positive is about to show up for you. But don't let the opportunity to pass. When the time is ripe, you need to act on what is being presented”.
Yes, I looked it up, I wanted to verify. I found myself enjoying the conversation, more importantly, I felt that this conversation was meant for me. My inner spirit did not tell me that this was an evil person or someone looking for a conversation. I believed that it was spirit sent by God to encourage me. What is really peculiar about this is that today, Sunday, at Mass, the sermon was on the widow’s mite. She had nothing but gave all that she had which was more than the rich men gave. We can call it coincidentally but I call it advance notice. I haven’t been tithing as I should. It’s remarkable to be given a second chance. We talked for nearly an hour and a half, and not one time did we mention our names. However, we shook hands when we left and asked for God’s blessings for each other. I know we will never see each other again. This person was an instrument used by God and he completed his mission. It's my choice to listen.

Congratulations! Vaya Con Dios!

I attended a promotion ceremony at the Columbia Police Department, Friday, November the 6th. A corporal from one of my subgrantees was promoted to sergeant. He will also leave the grant because of his new position. I’ll miss his work. He and his sergeant have submitted some great performance numbers. I asked his sergeant what are his plans to replace the corporal. Without a beat, he told me that he had submitted a nomination and was waiting word from his superiors. Good people are hard to find, harder to replace and even harder to retain. But, you want the best for them and you don’t want to hold them back for selfish reasons. A good leader will recognize the potential in his/her subordinates and will encourage them to reach their goals. They will challenge them to do so. A good leader is recognized by his/her personnel. So be fair and right to your people. Even the strugglers, if coaxed correctly, can find their potential, too. If not, they can’t hold the department back and must go. You can’t jeopardize the many for the few.

At the ceremony, I got a chance to see some old friends. Many of them were promoted to the executive staff. The funny thing is that I remembered when they were beat cops 10 to 30 years ago! It was a beautiful day and the ceremony was held outside. The rookies were introduced, young men & women accepting their duty over future risks to come. They are our future, God bless them!

Your True Worth

Have you ever wondered what your true value is? What you are really worth? I’m not talking about your financial assets or liabilities, political or socioeconomic standings. I’m not looking at the tangible, material side of your net worth. I’m talking about what you mean to others. Look deeply within yourself; ignore the flaws and the imperfections. Don’t think of the speech impediments or body defects. What kind of person are you really? Be honest with yourself. Are you presenting the type of person to people that you want them to think you are? Or, are you being yourself? Are you truly honest and fair with everyone or only towards the people you care about? Will your character, integrity, morals and personality show your true value? Our personality we can see from the surface but our character can include or exclude or spiritual development. Yes, personality can open doors but character will keep them open. What is your value to your family, your job, and your co-workers? What type of value have you placed on yourself? Do you think you helped someone enough to change their life when you didn’t have time to listen to your children talk to you? Did you take the time to encourage them when they seemed ready to give up? Is your life worth it to do again without any changes? There are so many questions that we have to ask and there are so many answers that have to be given honestly. Are you worth something to somebody in this fast-paced, self-centered world? Are you worth something to yourself? If you are, let the world see it!

Hide & Seek

Remember the game Hide & Go Seek? It’s a child’s game that has two parts. One child turns his back and count on the home base, usually a tree, while the rest hide. A minister I talked to the other day gave me a different variation. He told me that the game had three parts; a hider, a seeker and an opportunist. He broke it down for me. Remember as a hider you always tried to find the places where no one expected you to be. Sometimes those places are very uncomfortable and dirty. They are not always close to home base, so you better be fast to outrun the seeker. It can be very hard if you’re stiff from being in an uncomfortable position so quite possibly even if you are fast, you might not win. By the time you run out the stiffness, it could be too late. The seeker (hunter) beats you back to home base. Game over, you lose. The opportunist, however, will try to stay as close to the home base as possible, because he believes that he can outrun the seeker and will be in a position to move quickly. He’ll hide but hopes that the seeker will overlook his hiding place. His comfort zone is always changing. He wants to do better each given moment. He is thinking constantly what he can do to get to home base safely. Compare our hiding to the way of living. Many times, we live, work, or stay in uncomfortable positions. Sometimes, we don’t have any other choice. But, when we stay so long, we become complacent and comfortable. We don’t want to leave that comfort zone because of various reasons. It’s not easy to deal with change. We enter unfamiliar territory and we are fearful of what might happen to us. We must walk in faith and remember that we are never alone. Even though we might not see Him, true faith will prevail. It might be hard for some unbelievers, but if they believe in themselves, they will see the power that our Almighty God has given us. And with His help we can use it to glorify Him.