Ride For My Team – Dinobrite Productions!

This is Gamecock Country!

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New International Version (NIV))

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!

God’s On Your Side – Andrae Couch!

"Already Done" - Margaret P. Douroux & The Heritage Mass Choir!

Faith can change things!  But it changes the believer most of all! Glory to God!  We all are going through struggles and when we look back, we wondered how did we get through!  Nobody but God brought us through!

The Verdict Is In – Not Guilty!

What did you expect?  Too many factors, too many biases, too many opinions shaped this trial of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman from the beginning.  The trial seemed to me that the victim was the oppressor and the oppressor was the victim.  Isn't that the current culture we seemed to be facing?  Minorities despite where you live and how they are dressed are still considered threats to society. It doesn't matter if you hold the title of President of the United States, as a minority you are a threat to the very life of this nation!  This is another polarizing trial meant to maintain the country’s segregation of the races.

It’s time we faced the racial separation in this country and have a candid, honest talk about it.  I don’t care if you married across racial lines; I don’t want to hear you say that you married one of the good ones. A segment of any population can cause stereotypes.  The penal system might house a majority of minority population, but for what reasons?  White collar crimes suffer less time and punishment than being arrested for carrying 2 joints and/or a nickel bag.

Why are we running away from a national racial discussion?  Zimmerman said that “they always get away.”  Well, Trayvon didn’t.  How many non-minorities walked that neighborhood and were never considered to me a threat to Zimmerman?  How many got away?  Zimmerman was not held accountable.

They are some complex variables that are working behind the scenes and the voters are not noticing until it’s too late.  Haven’t you noticed Congress’ actions that they are not listening to the voices of America.  They are only paying attention to the constituents in their district because they reapportioned (gerrymandered) the lines that support ultra-conservative viewpoints.  Don’t ask how they got away with it, they did it in full view while many apathetic voters sat at home.  You don’t vote, you don’t have a say.  There is a push to change laws back to the old days such as changing Voting Laws.  Reform the Immigration law but in the process let’s keep them from being a part of America until hidden agendas are obtained.  Look at how the Ultra-cons are treating women and their rights now.  What is going on?

Look at this way.  The devil knows that his time is short but his aim is to kill and destroy.  If you leave the door open to your heart.  He will enter, tear it to shreds, and have you believe that it was the right thing to do.  You didn’t do anything to stop him, slow him down, or looked to God for help.  Now that everything is turned upside down, you are still wondering what happened.  We went to sleep while the devil never sleeps.

We are directing our anger at the wrong people.  Has anyone paid attention to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)?  ALEC is an American organization composed of legislators, businesses, and foundations which produces model legislation for state legislatures and promotes free-markets, limited government, and federalism at the state level.  In other words, these groups support states sovereignty.  Give power back to the states, keep the government out an let the state make the laws.  We are already seeing the effects.  It’s amazing that the many of the members of ALEC are the same businesses that we consumers support everyday. Examples, AOL, AT&T, BP, Charter Communications, DirecTV, Dow Chemical, DuPont, EBay, Fedex, Koch Industries, Taser International, Time Warner, UPS, Verizon, Visa and a large list of people we do business with and laugh at us after they got the money.

For decades, ALEC has been a conduit for the oil, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries to push legislation that changes the rules to limit accountability when a corporation’s products or actions cause injury or death -such as when a Koch Industries pipeline explodes and kills teenagers, or when the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries withhold evidence that their products are dangerous.

Cooler heads most prevail.  We must look at the overall picture and not let tunnel vision act out our emotions.  Diversion and distraction are a few common methods used by the media to cause or maintain confusion.  They are designed to misinform and keep the people off balance even to the point of polarization.  Race is always a hot topic, it provokes deep-seated emotions and arguments but not enough for all us to sit down and discuss.  We can get too sensitive sometimes, but it’s better to talk about our differences and understand each other.  

If the media truly cared what is happening among races in America, it will also write about possible solutions, it would cover more on the homicides in Detroit and Chicago.  From January 1^st to the 4^th of July 2013, 200 homicides have taken place.  In 2012, there were an overall number of 500 shootings.  I question if the media is concerned at all about black on black crimes when there seems to more interest in the racial aspect of the crime.  

We Americans can use this upsetting moment to be respectful of Trayvon's parents by not destroying or offending anyone.  We can do something to show unity in our struggle for equity and equality.  We must vote not only in the primaries but get out there for the midterms.  If the states want IDs and voter registrations, let's get them.  Let's show these politicians that they can not continue to use us or ignore us.  Let's exercise our civil right to vote!

Chrisette Michele – A Couple Of Forevers!

Happy Birthday, 14th Amendment! (Ratified July 9, 1868)

The 14th Amendment, now 145 Years Old, was the second of three Reconstruction Amendments passed in the years following the Civil War. The 13th banned slavery, and the 15th prohibits denying the right to vote based on race.  The 14th Amendment resolved the legal status of former slaves–it granted them citizenship and “equal protection of the laws.” Today, the 14th Amendment is referenced frequently in court cases making claims for legal equality.

XIV AMENDMENT

SECTION 1.

All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside. No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

SECTION 2.

Representatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the executive and judicial officers of a state, or the members of the legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such state, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such state.

SECTION 3.

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.

SECTION 4.

The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any state shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.

SECTION 5.

The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Happy Fourth of July, America!

Have a blessed and safe holiday!

Who was Sarah Mae Flemming?

Too many of Columbia’s pivotal moments and landmark decisions have been forgotten. Even more stories have never been heard. A complete rendering of South Carolina's Civil Rights Movement and its dramatic impact on the quest for democracy and social justice does not exist.

In Columbia, South Carolina's capital city, courageous student activists, attorneys, and civil rights organizations waged a tenacious campaign to transform our community. Facing stiff opposition, these freedom fighters took action and forever changed a city, state, and nation.

Keep in mind that there are good and mislead people in all races.  We do not fault the whole because of a part.  Remember the rain falls on everyone, even if you have an umbrella, and the sun shines on us all.  Do your best not to carry ill-feelings towards one another.

An unknown heroine, lost in obscurity, like so many others, was returned to the forefront recently. Sarah Mae Flemming Brown (June 28, 1933-June 16, 1993), an African American woman was expelled from a bus in Columbia, South Carolina, seventeen months before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat on an Alabama bus in 1955. Flemming's lawsuit against the bus company played an important role later in the Parks case. But it never received the press that it deserved.

On June 22, 1954, Flemming boarded a bus to go to work. She took the only empty seat, which she believed began the rows in which black riders were allowed to sit. The bus driver, challenged and humiliated her. The kind and caring house worker signaled to get off at the next stop. The bus driver blocked her attempt to exit through the front of the bus and punched her in the stomach as he ordered her out the rear door. Considering how packed the back of the bus was, the easiest exit was through the front door. But, I suppose the bus driver felt that most domestics are to enter and leave through the back doors on buses like they did in the homes they took care of, including the children. It was unfortunate that medical records associated with this assault were not found.

Local civil rights activists heard of ordeal and enlisted attorney Phillip Wittenberg, a white attorney in Columbia, to represent her. Flemming v. South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE and G) was filed on July 21, 1954 in U.S. District Court. The allegation was that Flemming's Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection had been violated. On February 16, 1955, Federal District Judge George Bell Timmerman, Sr. dismissed the case. 

His son, George Bell Timmerman, Jr., became the 105th governor of South Carolina from 1955 to 1959. He governed the Statehouse in a time of profound and painful social change after the Supreme Court's ruling in 1954 declaring segregated public schools unconstitutional. Mr. Timmerman fought the changes brought by the decision as a defender of what he called "the integrity of the races" and "our customs and institutions."  He took office as the state's last segregationist Governor, urging Congress to limit the authority of the United States Supreme Court. He regarded Northern insistence on racial integration as hypocritical. He continued his father’s practices of maintaining segregation through any means necessary.  He wanted to keep African-Americans separated and no where close to being equal.

Ms. Flemming appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and her case was argued on June 21, 1955. The Fourth Circuit reversed Judge Timmerman on July 14, 1955 and "remanded the case for further proceedings."

SCE and G appealed the decision of the Appeals Court. On April 23, 1956, the United States Supreme Court dismissed SCE and G’s appeal, and on June 13, 1956, Judge Timmerman dismissed the case once again. Due to imtimidations, threats, and cross-burnings, Mr. Wittenberg decided not to handle a second appeal and turned the case over to Thurgood Marshall and Robert Carter of the NAACP.  He later moved out of Columbia.  For the third trial, Lincoln Jenkins, Jr. and Matthew J. Perry represented Ms. Flemming and the jury quickly found in the bus company's favor, SCE and G. By that time, the Montgomery bus boycott and the decision in Browder v. Gayle had been rendered, so a third appeal was not filed. Let’s note that this case was heard before a three-judge panel in Montgomery Alabama, not before one judge. That court ruled on June 13, 1956, that bus segregation was unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment protections for equal treatment

During her legal case, Sarah Mae Flemming married John Brown of Gaston County, North Carolina. The couple had three children. Sarah Mae Flemming Brown died of a heart attack brought on by diabetes on June 16, 1993, just before her 60th birthday. She was buried in the Goodwill Baptist Church cemetery in Eastover, South Carolina.

In 2005, a documentary titled Before Rosa: The Unsung Contribution Of Sarah Mae Flemming aired on PBS stations across the United States.

Mrs. Flemming vowed to never ride on SCE and G buses after the lawsuit and she never did. We should find ways to respect our unsung heroes and heroines but do so that they will never be forgotten.  Here's another link from civil rights activists in 2005 acknowledging Ms. Flemming to Congress James Clyburn.

Twisted - A Part Of Things

So many twists and turns we take in this journey called life.

We are bound together in this short time through

experiences, loves, and betrayals brought on by deceptions.

The words we say don’t always match

the actions that we mean.

These living cells that made us are temporary

and our abused pasts

don’t always release the anger and bitterness.

The opportunity crossing paths are God-given

and should be cherished.

When we part,

let’s accept that at one time in our lives,

we were bound together for that specific moment.

We only withstood the trials, tests, and storms

because our ties were three-cord strong.

But always in the end,

it is life that will separate us.

Even then don’t let go of the pleasant memories.

A Part of Things ©

The Learning Circle

Brother G. Peralta shared some wisdom and charts with me and I want to pass it on!  For each defining-moment event that happens in our lives, whether good or bad, we need to look it as our learning circles.  Over time, these moments should resemble an open slinky.  There are many coils in the slinky but they are all attached and still able to attain unique shapes.  Certainly, our character defines the type of person we are.

Observe the moment, reflect on it, discuss it with confidants, ask God what was His will and what should you do to bring out His glory.  Plan what you need to do to resolve, rectify, or recuperate, hold yourself accountable, seek affirmation from your confidants, and act.  Do not observe and act, over reaction could cause bigger issues.  Split the circle in half, repent if necessary after observing, reflecting, and discussing.  On the opposite side, believe from your question, plans, accountability acceptance, and act accordingly.

Thanks, Brother G!  The learning circle works for all defining moments if used correctly.  I know that I will use it.  Understand that Brother G, is using Jesus Christ as his spiritual guide.  Many of us are doing the same.

I Wouldn’t Know You – James Fortune/FIYA ft. Nakitta Clegg-Foxx

Save Yourself For Me – Hiroshima

The Lord Is My Shepherd!

Blessings to Rev. Ben for getting me to question my relationship with God. Most of us like to think we are developing some type of relationship with God by trying to get to know Him. In order to do that, we must read and study the Word of God. There are passages that we see so many times that we don’t go any deeper than we have to.

Take Psalms 23 for example. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

We hear this Psalm all of the time. It’s short, it’s peaceful, and it is simple. So simple, that we take it for granted. Was that what David intended when he wrote it? I don’t know where he wrote and he went through enough struggles that he did think it was necessary to write. But one has to admit that the psalm is short and sweet.  Think about God's goodness and mercy.  Where would we be without them?  Where would we be without His love?

Don’t forget that David was a shepherd in his youth and he did defend his flock against its enemies. See where I’m going? He killed a lion, a bear, and Goliath! All were in the “in the shadow of death” where he walked and feared “no evil.” Why, because in the presence of his enemies, God anointed his head with oil. So much that his cup ran over. David remembered that the Chief Shepherd is with at all times and will supply all of David’s needs. Being near peaceful waters and resting in soft green pastures are what we all look for. David was a man after God’s heart and he wanted goodness and mercy to be with him all of his life. He expected it! David knew God like you know your best friend. You know what they like and don’t like. You know them sometimes better than yourself. But do we start off to know God that well? Do we try?

When our storms come as did David’s, do we forget about the Shepherd and look to our own way of surviving. And when we don’t get a hand getting out of that storm, we start reaching somewhere else. If we really had faith enough to trust God, we would know that God will bring us out of the storm! It’s just so hard to let go of old habits.  God wants us to trust Him.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  He is consistent.

Happy Father's Day!

  This is what being a real father is about!  Just in time for Father’s Day!  We need to see more positive things about people on the tube than our sons and daughters being locked up.  In an interview with NBC’s “Today Show,” Rasan Portlock, 29, shared his adoration, excitement, and pride as he discussed being a father to his son, Ryheim.

Congratulations, Teria!

Graduation Day, 2013!

Giant kudos to my niece, who recently graduated from high school with honors.  She's on her way to the University and success!  God bless her!  The Colonel did a great job raising those children to young men and women!  May bright lights and God's blessings be with them forever!

Lee Greenwood- God Bless the USA!!!

Meditating on Memorial Day! God Bless America!

I did not get a chance to post on Memorial Day!  No, I was not busy.  It was a day to meditate on how many people in the military, law enforcement, and civil servants sacrificed their lives for a causes many of us might not support.  Whatever those differences might be, these heroes are not here to share their moments with their families.  Consider yourselves blessed that you still can.  If you can but will not share these times with your family or friends, it is your choice.

RIP, Ms. Louise Bailey! (1925 - May 27, 2013)

Anderson, SC - Mary Louise Moore Bailey, age 88, of Anderson, died peacefully with her loving family by her side on Monday, May 27, 2013,  at Rainey Hospice House.

RIP, Ms. Sadie Ellison! (February 27, 1938 - May 26, 2013)

COLUMBIA — Sadie Mae Kinder Ellison, widow of the late Rev. John Henry Ellison, heard her master’s call at Providence Hospital in Columbia. Born on Feb. 27, 1938, in Manning, she was a daughter of the late Willie and Maggie Pearson Kinder. 

Proud To Be the Party of No (Dissension)

This is an opinion written by DeWayne Wickham of USATODAY.

Sen. Mitch McConnell, (R-Kentucky),  revealed the legislative game plan of congressional Republicans when he told the National Journal on the eve of the 2010 midterm election: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." When asked about blocking the Democrats' legislative agenda during a New York Times interview that same year, McConnell replied: "I wish I had been able to obstruct more."

Mr. Wickham went on to write, “Somewhere in McConnell's office there must to a shrine to Eddie Vrdolyak, the onetime Chicago Democratic boss who used the art of political obstruction to keep Harold Washington, that city's first black mayor, from governing the Windy City.  Like Vydolyak, McConnell has used the legislative voting bloc he controls to block the passage of bills and the confirmation of appointees. His goal is not just to assert the authority of the legislature, but also to render useless the powers of the chief executive."

Seems pretty much the facts to me.  People with attitudes like this would rather divide and destroy this country than see progress for the good of all.  It seems that our elected officials have their own agenda instead of helping the people that voted for them.  I guess gerrymanding the districts can make you overconfident.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Wishing you ladies the very best. God bless you all!

Pat Toomey: Background Checks Died Because The GOP Didn't Want To Help Obama

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) revealed that some members of his party opposed expanding background checks for gun sales recently because they didn't want to "be seen helping the president."  Two weeks ago, only three Republican senators voted for the bipartisan background checks amendment sponsored by Toomey and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), despite overwhelming popular support for such a measure.  "In the end it didn’t pass because we're so politicized. There were some on my side who did not want to be seen helping the president do something he wanted to get done, just because the president wanted to do it,” Toomey admitted on Tuesday in an interview with Digital First Media editors in the offices of the Times Herald newspaper in Norristown, Pa.  The Times Herald noted that in "subsequent comments," Toomey "tried to walk that remark part-way back by noting he meant to say Republicans across the nation in general, not just those in the Senate." Amanda Terkel - Huffington Post

All of our politicians should man up and tell the truth!  Maybe they can't because they have already sold their souls.

Death Valley Dreamlapse 2

The footage, shot and edited by Gavin Heffernan, is sure to leave viewers spellbound. It includes sensational star trails, astonishing landscapes and wild photographic techniques like "moonpainting." Plus, you'll see the sliding stones of Racetrack Playa, which appear to move across the desert.

Locked Out Of Heaven ( Live in Paris) – Bruno Mars!

Pray For America!

Keep the families of our citizens that have been and still is in harm's way, in your prayers.  The enemy is doing everything possible to destroy our morale and believe in this nation.  We all know about the families and loved ones lost in Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, college campuses and know Boston.  We can not forget the other tragedies that do not get the media's attention such as war, domestic violence, traffic deaths, suicides, and health issues.  We have a lot to pray for!  Prayer does move things.  “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  (Matthew 18:19-20 NIV)

Keeping It Simple!!!

I can’t speak for anyone else except myself but for some reason in my early years, I thought reading the Bible was complicated.  When I followed some of the readings, I saw some complex issues that I wondered if I was able to do what The Word said.  How can I be born again?  Why should I turn my cheek is someone hits me?  How can I be slow to speak and quick to hear?  As I got older, I realized after asking the Holy Spirit to reveal the readings to me that, The Word is a lot simpler than I thought.  After talking to Rev. Ben Colley, who I credit a lot of enlightenment to, and many others, who follow The Word, that God wants to save all of us, even to the point of giving up His Son.  Jesus was willing to die for us by obeying His Father.  We forget that as a God, Jesus denied himself and took the mortal form.  But we can’t forget that He was born without sin and that He could only be conceived by a sinless woman.  But a sinless man defeated death.  Christ broke death’s hold on us!  Death held that fear over us since the Garden of Evil where God gave dominion over all that He created.  “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  And the Lord God commanded man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Genesis 2:15-17). “Thou shalt surely die.”  The introduction of man’s knowledge of death and we have been grieving since then.  We grieve for lost loves, family members, and anything else that we lost.  I know, I’ve been there.  On the cross, Christ said,”It is finished.” What was finished?  His mission? His death as a man?  Or overcoming death’s hold over man?  “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).  Christ had to go places where mortal men could not.  More importantly, He returned with victory!  What an amazing example of what happens when we obey God!  Can we ever comprehend the love and mercy of God the Father?  We must humbly bow down to a greater power with obedience, praise, and love.  We must strengthen ourselves with love and forgiveness towards each other adding patience, perseverance, and understanding.  It won’t be easy and it is never easy doing the right thing.  But if we try, who knows how much we can accomplish.  Let us continue to pray for each other.  Let’s keep it simple!

Rest in Peace, Mr. Jackson!

Anderson - William "Bill" Jackson was born August 2, 1928 in Easley, SC to the late "B" and Ethel Jackson. He passed away on March 18, 2013 at Rainey Hospice House. He was a member of Saint Mary of the Angels Catholic Church and an Army Veteran. Bill is survived by his wife, Yvonne Jackson and several grandchildren. The funeral mass will be held 11:00AM, Thursday at Saint Mary of the Angels Catholic Church. The interment will follow at M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Saint Mary of the Angels Catholic Church (1821 White Street Anderson, SC 29624)

I Feel Like Going On - Bishop Marvin Winans

Rest in Peace, Ms. Brown!

Nettie Catherian Kenley Brown, WEST COLUMBIA.  Funeral service for Mrs. Nettie Catherian Kenley Brown, 85, of 121 Worlin Drive, West Columbia, will be held Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at St. James Baptist Church, West Columbia, with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Born in Lexington County, she was a daughter of Annie Elizabeth West and Richard Kenley. Viewing will be held on Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Pearson's Funeral Home Chapel. Body will be placed in the church at noon Saturday. She was a member of St. James Baptist Church, leader of the Missionary Society, secretary of the church and secretary of the Sunday School union. Surviving are her daughters, Denise Brown and Iris Catherine Brown; sons, James Brown and Rev. Thomas Brown; stepson, Minister Ronald Gamble; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; sister, Thelma Kenley O'Neal. Pearson's Funeral Home has been entrusted with these services.

Tired Melody - Will Downing

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is a special day for many people involved in relationships.  It covers marriages, dating, and new relationships.  It can be stressful because there are certain expectations you might want to meet and can’t.  Or stressful that it’s the first date in years and you don’t know what to do or expect.  Either way, some folks are glad this day is over.  There are exceptions to every rule and this day is different for some.  In this case, Valentine’s Day will forever be imprinted as a day that a spouse was buried.  As the day for forever love, it will be a day to forever remember the love that was shared.  And this day, Valentine’s Day, will never be the same. For those that have lost a loved one, holidays will never be the same.  Nevertheless, we strive on because we know in their hearts that is what they want us to do.  Continue, move forward, do not give up or give in, and do not stop for them!  They are in a happier place and they know that they are loved.  To them, too, we wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day!

RIP Major Anthony Moye!!!

Major Anthony Charles Moye - Celebration of Life Services for Maj. Anthony Charles Moye, 41, will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, February 14, 2013, at Bible Way Church of Atlas Road with interment to be held at 2:00 p.m. in Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday from 3 to 9 p.m. and the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Services have been entrusted to J.P. Holley Funeral Home, Columbia. Major Moye is survived by his wife, Moniet Trapp Moye; his parents, Charles, Jr. and Lula Louise Moye; brothers, Brandon (Jessica) and Dwayne (Sophia) Moye; godchildren, Steve Anderson, Jr. and Jalen Wilson; mother in-law, Charlene Trapp; sisters-in-law, Glenda (David) Johnson and Shanna (Donavon) Barnes; brothers-in-law, Louis, Jr., Brandon, and Jervin Trapp and a host of nieces, nephews, and other loving relatives and friends.

Words can't express how we feel about your loss. Our prayers are with you and your family.  His mission was accomplished.  God bless you!

Seashore Farmers' Lodge

Earnest Parks

The Lodge Needing Repair

I met Earnest several years ago at a Civil War enactment. He and the rest of the soldiers representing the 54th Infantry were in various stages of uniforms. Some were obtained from the dead and others made do with what they found and had. I enjoyed sitting with them for hours listening to them discuss how things were at that time in language used by freed and former slaves.

This is what Sol Legare Community was all about. A place where freed slaves settled and where their generations maintained the pride and history that kept them together. The Seashore Farmers’ Lodge was the meeting place. Now a museum it celebrates the 150-year old Sol Legare Community in a preserved and historical position on the National Register of Historic Places.



In Your Heart, You Will Know When To Let Go!

Chances – Isaac Carree!

Believe – Brian Courtney Wilson!

Brotherhood - Budweiser' Super Bowl Ad - Another Favorite

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Dodge Ram Super Bowl Ad - Paul Harvey's Voice

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Whole Again - Jeep's Supper Bowl Ad - Oprah's Voice

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

What The World Needs Now (Abraham, Martin, and John) by Tom Clay

This is an old school song that remains true today!

Congratulations, Baltimore Ravens! Super Bowl Champs!

15 Ways To Keep A Relationship Working!

Keep God foremost in the relationship and you will have something great going for you!  Yes, I received this as an email but it has a lot of true statements that are very positive.  This represents Real Love, not faking it.

Isn't She Lovely!!!

Such a beautiful young lady!!!

Inauguration and Dr. M. L. King's Day Celebration!



It was a lovely day and time for the Inauguration and the Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday, Monday, January 21. Dr. King would have been 83 years old had he lived. Yesterday was a beautiful time when most of us dropped our political differences and animosity towards each other and came together for support of our country. I said most of us because there were still shootings and death and negativity taking place. What we saw on the TV, heard or even being there in Washington were about positive and forward progress. The President’s speech was in line with Dr. King’s about freedom, equal rights and treatment. It was apparent to me that the President was mindful and respectful of Dr. King’s day and stayed in line with Dr. King’s commitment to all people. The day was not about him but the country. A large cross-section of America was there to show their excitement and support to prove it!  The Brooklyn Choir, Kelly Clarkson, and Beyonce could sing.

I thought that Myrlie Evers-Williams, the widow of Medgar Evers, a slain civil rights leader from the 60’s, deliver a wonderful, soul-searching presidential invocation.  “I'm so honored to be asked to do this and it's so important that it comes at a time when the nation will look at Medgar and others who died doing that that 50-year period, it's just critically important,” said Ms. Evers-Williams. This comes 50 years after her husband Medgar Evers, an NAACP Mississippi field secretary, was shot and killed in the driveway of their home. It also happens to fall on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, marking two important anniversaries in the fight for civil rights.

I found this article researching and thought that despite the animosity, you still can’t keep a good man down. This article was written by Frederick Douglass, in 1865.

In 1865 upon the White House Grounds: I had for some time looked upon myself as a man, but now in this multitude of the elite of the land, I felt myself a man among men. This comfortable assurance was not of long duration, for on reaching the White House front door, two policemen stationed there took me rudely by the arm and ordered me to stand back, for their directions were to admit no persons of my color. Once in the battle, I did not think it well to submit to repulse. I told the officers I was quite sure there must be some mistake, for no such order could have emanated from President Lincoln; and that if he knew I was at the door he would desire my admission. To put an end to the parley, since we were obstructing the doorway and not easily pushed aside, they assumed an air of politeness and offered to conduct me in. We followed their lead and soon found ourselves walking some planks out of a window, which had been arranged as a temporary passage for the exit of visitors. We halted as soon as we saw the trick, and I said to the officers: “You have deceived me. I shall not go out of this building until I see President Lincoln.” At this moment a gentleman who was passing in recognized me, and I said to him: “Be so kind as to say to Mr. Lincoln that Frederick Douglass is detained by officers at the door.” It was not long before Mrs. Dorsey and I walked into the spacious East Room, amid a scene of elegance. Mr. Lincoln stood in his grand simplicity. Recognizing me, even before I reached him, “Here comes my friend Douglass.” Taking me by the hand, he said, “I am glad to see you. I saw you in the crowd today, listening to my inaugural address; how did you like it?” I said, “Mr. Lincoln, I must not detain you with my opinion, when there are thousands waiting to shake hands with you.” “No, no,” he said, “you must stop a little, Douglass; there is no man in the country whose opinion I value more than yours. I want to know what you think of it.” It came out that the officers at the White House had received no orders from Mr. Lincoln, or from anyone else. They were simply complying with an old custom, the outgrowth of Slavery, as dogs will sometimes rub their necks, long after their collars are removed.

Sir Frederick Douglass

When Will The Intolerance End?



A t-shirt depicting President Obama as a “witch doctor” stealing medicine via his Affordable Care Act, found its way to a South Carolina Tea Party convention.



Is another civil war what these people want?  They don’t want big government but they will take big government’s money and help.  We can be selfish and greedy when it comes to getting something for ourselves.  We forget how we got because someone and/or something helped us to get it.  Why haven’t we heard from the tea party people during the Bush era?  President Obama just doesn’t fit the script.  As Colin Powell admitted that there is “a dark vein of intolerance” in the Republican Party.  There are still some members of the GOP that still looks down on minorities.  They can not and will not accept change.  They have a narrow outlook like others in our nation that they can not accept anyone who does not look like them.  And some of these are people in powerful positions that will do anything to keep progress from moving forward.  They will even go to great lengths to destroy this great country we live in.  Fortunately, these groups of people are the minority and the ones that truly care for the future on this country are on the side of right.

God Is Preparing Something Better For You!!!

I borrowed the below email for its message.  I don't know who wrote it but I feel that it is something that we all can use when going through personal trials.  Give glory to God!  He knows what we need even when we are not sure of what we want!

God Is Doing A Work In You......................There are two things you can count on as you walk with God: tribulation that works for you, and grace that enables you to stand while you're going through it. Have you been praying for patience? Get ready for tribulation; there no other way to get it! Patience only grows in the soil of adversity. The truth is, some of the people you can't stand right now are the very ones who will mature you spiritually and get you to your destiny. God said: "Moab is my washbasin" (Ps 60:8,NIV). Moab was a troublesome next-door neighbor who drove Israel crazy. But such people can also drive us closer to God! So, who's your washbasin? Who brings out the worst in you? Who drives you to your knees? Who stretches your faith? Who develops your character? The problem is, we pray for certain things but God has a process; only as we get to know Him better do we begin to recognize it. Here's how it works: you ask God for strength and He allows you to go through struggles that develop you. You ask him for wisdom and you get to deal with messy situations that have no easy solutions. You ask Him for success and He give you ability to work and wisdom to produce. You ask Him for favor and you get responsibility. (Then you want to run from it.) There's a work going on in you right now! You may not be fully aware of it, but without it you'll never be qualified to handle what God has in mind.

Invisible Driver Prank!

This prank driver video makes you think even though it might be funny to see people's reaction.  What would you do?

Forever Jones Bio and Webpage



Forever Jones



Here is a short Bio.  Click on the Forever Jones to hear and read more! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!  I used a capital F but they are known by the small f in forever Jones.

With Musical Revival the 7-member, family band known simply as forever JONES continues their mission to declare the spirit of worship, the message of the Gospel, and the essence of family through their artistry. The 11-song album, written entirely by the Jones family and produced by Keith Thomas is filled with the diverse influences of Pop, Gospel, Rock, and Urban, unified by a seamless thread of Worship.

The sonically ambitious project marks the next phase in the evolution of the group, who stepped boldly onto the national stage in 2010 with their critically and commercially acclaimed debut Get Ready. Featuring the #1 hit “He Wants It All,” that album earned a GRAMMY® nomination, while winning a Stellar Award for Best Contemporary Group along with three Dove Award nominations, including the prestigious New Artist of the Year.

You Can Do Anything – Forever Jones!