Something About That Name Jesus - Rance Allen Group

Old Minds In New Places!

Please go to this website and read the Pastor’s Update, click here. I enjoy talking to this pastor. His conversations are basic but still complex, woven with intricate, interconnected parts, which give us listeners something to think about long after the conversation has ended. I have quoted Reverend Colley before in this blog. In fact, you can reference the Wizard of Oz sometime ago. It was his discussion that caused me to dig deeper into what the featured characters were all about.

I know that I find myself using old thoughts in this new day and time of modern technology. We often talk of “back in the day” when everything seemed so good. But where were we “back in the day?” How old were we then? Did we have these burdens to carry and obstacles to deal with? Or were we younger with little or no responsibilities? I imagine that to some people “back in the day” wasn’t a very pleasant time and is glad that it’s over. Life’s experiences should have taught us something if we wanted to learn from it. But, I have to refer back to what Rev wrote in his update. Something that we all tend to forget when we overcome our problems and forget what we just been through. That is what do we have now compared to what we didn’t have? Just as the Israelites felt when they were led out of Egypt towards freedom and independence "they compared God’s grace and mercy with Pharaoh’s whips and chains and they preferred the whip." They forgot that they were traveling with God, Who makes all things possible! We can’t operate with the same mentality as we undergo internal and external changes. We must include God in our daily functions, even our most ordinary actions that we take for granted. They should always be done with faith and hope that we are serving a greater purpose than ourselves.

Can't Be Friends - Trey Songz

She Really Is Not Into You!

Fellows, I learned that no matter how much a man tries to appeal to a woman’s best interest, if she doesn’t want you, nothing is going to work.  She doesn’t want a relationship and she doesn’t want to be with you.  A “friend” is a term that she’ll use to keep you at arms distance.  In other words, “friends” don’t have to talk to you until they want to talk or need something.  Remember; she doesn’t want a relationship, she just got through a bad one.  She’s just not into you!  She really doesn’t want a friendship but she thinks that you might be a nutcase and do something stupid.  So, to avoid all of that getting to know each other and spending quality time doing so, she simply avoids talking to you during prescribed times.  Fellows, we’ll just need to fade out of their lives.  It’s not that they want us in it, anyway.  All the woman has to say is, “You don’t fit the profile of the type of man, I’m looking for.”  Or she can say, “You’re not my type and there is no chance in hell, I want you as a part of my life.  I don’t want to go to concerts or events with you.  I don’t want us to visit each other, and I definitely can’t see us as a couple.”  Understand that there is always one person in a potential relationship that loves the other more.  If you’re not compatible, drift away, my brother.  No use fooling yourself.  There’s no harm if you were buying her things, if you thought they she would look good in them.  You just might not ever see how your gifts would look on her but that’s life.  So regardless of how good you think she looks or how much she will make your life better, get out of the way and get a life.  Stop hoping, wishing, and praying that she’ll see the good in you.  She really is not into you!

My Heart Says Yes - Troy Sneed

"Breathe" by Tia D!

Breathing is a simple involuntary action that can be controlled by conscious thought but does not require it. At least for most of us. Apparently I’m the exception since at least 5 times in the last week people felt the need to remind me to do so.

I’m very much aware that when I get overly excited or overwhelmed the rate of the words coming out of my mouth tends to drastically increase (sometimes to the point of intelligibility). However, is it really necessary for you to remind me to breathe? I mean eventually I’ll have to take a breath…or risk passing out. Regardless, it brings to light a bigger question: Why am I so freakin’ neurotic?!

I am a hardcore worrier. I’m always worried about something. Like my appt this week. I worried about it for the last 2 weeks to the point that I was physically ill! Now, two days later I’m exhausted. And for what? It went better than I could’ve hoped! I was telling a co-worker of mine (whom I often confide in) how I felt like “the world had been lifted off my shoulders and I could breathe again.” Her response: “Knowing you, in the next 20 min you’ll find something new to worry about.” What the heck!? Why am I like this? And what is the world doing on my shoulders anyway?

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Phillipians 4:6-7 says “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Peace. That’s what I want! That’s what I need!! If Jesus is my savior why am I not at peace? That answer is actually quite simple. I’ve been searching for “the peace that surpasses all understanding” in all the wrong places. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with seeking help from a trusted friend/pastor/counselor, etc. BUT they are after all only humans. True peace comes from seeking the face of Jesus daily. Friends are meant to support you in your Christian walk…not define it. God created the path I’m on. He’s the One I need to seek for direction!

Proposal To Ban College Students From Voting!

This is another informative commentary from Lady Z!  She saw something very important that should bring notice to our representatives.  The ultra-cons has introduced a bill in the New Hampshire House of Representatives earlier this month to bar college students from voting in their college towns unless they live there before enrolling.  Another example of the class war.  If you don’t have the money/property you don’t have any rights.

“Just when I think I have heard it all regarding the Republican’s shock and fury over a black man being elected President of the United States, something else comes along to make me stop and say “unbelievable”. This morning I heard on the news that a legislator in New Hampshire is proposing legislation that would ban college students from voting in college towns. Now of course he claims that his proposal is based on the fact that college students often vote on emotions and don’t have enough life experiences to vote. But yet, it’s not a problem for an 18 year old to have enough life experience to decide to join the military and go off to war to serve, fight, and die for this country. I digress though so back to the original subject. The legislator was thoughtful enough to say that if the student’s parents own property in that college town, then the student can vote in that college town. Granted a lot of young people today don’t seem to be as mature and responsible as back in the day when I was a college student and probably even in the days before that, but that’s not the point. First of all, a LOT of young people are mature and responsible so that is not even an issue. The point is that somewhere along the line, there was a constitutional amendment that gave 18-year olds the right and privilege to vote and if that amendment was good enough for college students back then to be allowed to vote, then that right and privilege is still good enough for college students today.

Sure on the surface and at a glance, somebody might say the legislator has a point; but if you look deeper and recall, reports indicated that the 2008 election had the largest turnout of college students in history and that this turnout helped put Barak Obama in office. I think the legislator’s bill is in response to the 2008 election. There was also an incredibly high turnout of black voters in the 2008 election and what has happened in response to that? Georgia has passed a law requiring voter ID’s. South Carolina’s voter ID bill has passed in the Senate, and North Carolina is working on a voter ID bill. Are these new bills and laws coincidences and the legislators just happened to come up with these ideas AFTER the 2008 election? I don’t think so. These things are designed to make sure that another black person never ever occupies the White House again as President of the United States.”

This article begs the question are the ultra-cons are doing everything they can to keep out minorities from holding the highest office in the land?  If so, whatever they will try to do will backfire.  President Obama is a pioneer being the first “true” Black President.  But, he will not be the last.  More minorities will come along, maybe not in this lifetime but in another.  I appreciate different perspectives and this post is not leaning towards any political affiliation.  It states the real facts, whether we like them or not.  So, don’t play me with smoke screens of using the race cards, it’s also the class card.  Keep people poor and the world won’t care about the difference.

 Thanks again, Lady Z!  I appreciate this article.  Come back soon!