Beautiful Plus Size Women

Fine Like Cristal Champagne

I want to address a subject suggested to me from Vivian, a member of the lunch crew. I said I will try. So some, if not most of this subject, will be addressed to her. Let’s be clear from the get-go, I don’t like the term “fat” women. You can use stout, thick, healthy, plus-size or even big-boned around me, but not fat. If you use PHAT, make sure that’s what you’re saying. PHAT = Pretty Hot And Tempting. I don’t know the origin, but I did hear Chris Tucker say it in one of his movies. Look at the women in the picture from the internet, they seem extremely collected, confident, competent, and complemented! They don’t look like they have low self-esteem issues. Don’t these women look beautiful!!??? Don’t they look good!!?? Your game better be on point! You can’t help what type of body you were born with but you can help how you want to look. Why would you demean someone or hurt their feelings to boost up yours? We did that when we were children because we didn’t know any better. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 (King James Version). We don’t have a clue how some women feel about their appearances. We do know that they are self-conscious about how they look on the outside. There could be medical, mental, or physical problems that these beautiful women are undergoing. Some are having low self-esteem problems but they are no different than any other women. I guarantee that they are concerned about their health and if you’re willing help them achieve their goals with positive encouragement, they’ll comply. We all know as we get older our metabolism slows down. With us men, some of us act like we don’t care when we gain weight. Then again, some guys really don’t care. But, most of us are really concerned. There are great deals of health problems that can be associated with anyone being overweight but instead of criticizing we should encourage and show support. Let’s break it on down. For everything you seem to see wrong, let’s look at what’s right. Look at how smooth their skin is. Look at the face, how smooth it is with those high cheek bones. They can get by without makeup. They don’t need it! Already a plus! Look at their attitude, positive and uplifting. Some of the so-called “cuties” think they are too good to laugh out loud and let go. They don’t want to tarnish their “image.” Go to the eyes, the neck, the hands, the legs, and the feet. Thick, strong legs are already in place. I don’t want to stereotype but so many thick women are loving, kind, generous, and thoughtful. They’ll do whatever they can to make a man happy. But the man has to remember to treat a woman with respect and dignity. Accept her for who she is. Any kind of abuse is simply abusive. A loving woman will stand by her man if he’s doing the right thing. So stand by your woman. If the woman is willing and encouraged with the right support and encouragement, help her fight her low self-esteem. Build up her confidence and pride. Help her to believe in herself. Get her out of those sloppy outfits, coach uniforms, sweat skirts and onesies (thin cotton-like material with tops & bottoms that match). The clothing doesn’t need to be tight but professional and sexy. Dress to impress and make you feel good. Find things that both of you can enjoy and get to know more about each other. In the process, enjoy the positive mental and physical changes that take place. Obesity is a problem and we all can pitch in. Why pay thousands of dollars for cosmetic surgery, liposuction, and stomach staples and bands? That’s a temporary fix and not all that healthy unless the doctor ordered it. It took time for all us to gain weight and it will take time to lose it. We have to be patient and stick to our commitment. In time, it will pay off. Yes, we all have our preferences but whatever we choose, let’s be respectful and courteous. By the way, I’m not disrespecting the slender women in this article. I was asked to discuss how some women feel when they don’t meet the image of what men want. One very big point I almost forgot. Ladies, respect yourselves first! You’ll get from us when you give it to yourselves. Respect is earned before it is give. People, I hope that the next time you see or meet a plus-size woman, try to be understanding about the difficulties she might be facing. The next time you meet any woman treat her like a lady. Because no matter what size any of us are, we are all facing some type of challenge.

Stay Focus On The Will

Living is a tough and too complex for our human nature can understand. The longer we live, the more we begin to pity the world and our selves. Our disappointments last longer, our hurts are deeper, our loves are temporary, and our attitudes get aggressive. On the other hand, our patience becomes longer, we learn from our experience, and we realize by our mortality that life is too short to worry about problems we can’t handle. Some of us begin to see the Hands of God intervening and intertwining within our lives. At times, all that we see are uncontrollable events that seem to knock us two steps backwards just when we though we recovered from another problem. We are so close to our breakthrough but we just can’t seem to get it right. We question ourselves a lot and forget just how good we got it. Yes, we want more but can we handle more? Some people seem to have all of the luck. They got the money, the homes, the cars, the jobs, the right connections, and their lives are great from our perspective. We wonder why wasn’t our lives like that? The Bible says the sun shines on the good and bad. Indeed, it rains on us all, too! We wear our emotions on our sleeves and we become slaves to those emotions. Our emotions control our minds and can cloud our judgments to make the right decisions. We then make ridiculous mistakes and sometimes end up regretting what we did. What’s worse we developed this emotional slavery since childhood. We get angry when we didn’t have our way as children and we still do it now as adults. We have problems accepting criticism even when it’s positive. We can’t deal with rejections so we might not even try to progress even though we know that the next step would be good for us. We have lost our faith in ourselves. We are slaves to our emotions. We don’t want people feeling sorry for us but we welcome the sympathy. Why does it take so long for some of us to learn what our purpose in this life is? Because to me, most of the time in our early years, we left God out of the decision making process. We knew we had all of the answers or one of our friends did, so we made the grave decision of not praying to God for divine guidance. We forget that God talks to our spirit which in turn connects to His divine Will. If you thought life was complicated then what do you think about the Holy Trinity? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit make up the Holy Trinity. I’m not even attempting to go there. My faith is strong enough to just know. The Holy Spirit came down in the form of tongues of fire on Pentecost above the heads of all that were present in the Upper Room. I believe that from that time on we all have developed an ability to communicate with the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us. If developed, your spirit can recognize a kindred spirit. It can also recognize a fake one. “He without sin let him be the first to cast the stone…” Instead, the so-called, Christian, sinless man is always quick to make the first judgment call. I digress. Remember when Jesus was praying in the garden to the Father that He be excused from death, He said it is not His will but the Father’s? The human side was very emotional to point of sweating blood-like drops. But He got back to obeying God’s Will. What I am trying to say is focus on the will not the emotion. It will take some time but I believe that it’s possible. The emotions are powerful but the will is much stronger. Add faith, patience, perseverance and love to the mix, I think we might have something going for us. May the God of peace and love always be with you.

A Salute To My Lunch Time Crew

Most of us have a favorite group of people we have lunch with. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had a couple. Sometimes, it’s your co-workers you eat with, sometimes friends, sometimes people from other departments, and sometimes a combination. These are people that depending on the length of time you’ve had lunch with, will either grow on you or become a part of you. If you don’t like their company, you usually find excuses not to eat with them. It could even be just one person in the group that can cause this kind of disassociation. Maybe something happened between you and someone else that was connected to the lunch crew that the person chose to stop eating lunch with you. It doesn’t matter, people will come and go in all of our lives. They are there for a moment, a time, and a season. It’s up to us to learn the lesson. Then we move on either as a friend or an associate. If you’ve been eating lunch with each other for so long, you share sometimes personal information. One would think that the information would be classified only to the people privileged to hear it. Otherwise, not all that info need to be shared even with family members. If they have never met and known the people in the group personally, then they shouldn’t make judgments because of what they heard of even seen. But, we’re human, and some people are like rusty water buckets, they can’t hold water. So they take bits of info home to their spouses, friends, and whom ever will listen just to have a conversation. Their life must be boring between them. I’m digressing because I want you to know about my lunch crew. They are all middle-aged between 45-55 years old. They are all beautiful, proud, and confident women. They are also all mothers of grown children and some are proud grandmothers. In other words, they are extremely compassionate and loving women who have a deep faith in God and a sincere trust in each other. I’m the outsider who works in a different department. I found out about this compassion a couple of years ago when my mother passed. I have to say that I am still deeply moved by it and the generosity that these ladies showed me. I wasn’t used to this. I never saw this from others except from my mom. If I did, I don’t remember. These women stood by and even took a collection for me! I was taken aback. It was me witnessing a wonderful thing. These ladies were not of my immediate family. Understand that all of us have our own personal battles to fight but we’re there for each other. Lila left the table abruptly the other day and I wondered if it was something that I might have said. Those of you that know me know that I cut up when I’m around people that I’m comfortable with. In other words, run my mouth. I asked Niecy (Velma) did I hurt Lila’s feeling. She said no that it was something else. I later found out that Lila’s mom’s birthday was also the day she passed which was very close to Mother’s Day. A double whammy.  She died on the date of her birth.  She had lost her mom some years ago. Understand this.  Lila will not let anyone gossip about anybody.  She believes in respecting each other.  She takes a lot from others because of her kindness but that's Lila.  Niecy is taking care of her mom and seems to be doing a great job. All that I know is you only get one mother so do whatever it takes to make her life comfortable and return to her the love that she gave you. Please keep Queen in your prayers, she’s about to undergo surgery. I don’t know for what and don’t need to know. Just keep her in your prayers. She brings salads all the time and shares which Niecy loves. Queen acts like the mother of the table by keeping everyone in line. On the flip side, Vivian is the youngest. Vivian is in her late 40s. Viv will curse you out in a minute but she will listen to Queen. I think Vivian has the biggest heart among all of us. There isn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for you. The woman even has another fulltime job! She works all of the time!  Vivian keeps me on my toes regarding my blog.  You might have read earlier about me thanking her.  Evelyn and Beverly have been very busy to eat lunch with us lately. I just want these ladies to know how much I appreciate them and how I feel about them. Thank you, ladies. May God bless you in everything that you do!

Count Your Blessings!

Do you have all the things that you want? Or do you have all the things that you need?  Do you think things could be better? Do you think things could be worse? I’m not playing games. I’m asking you legitimate questions. How unhappy are you? Do you feel blessed at all? Do you feel grateful at all? I’ve learned with experience that no matter how bad things might be going for me at the time that there is always someone else that has worse problems than mine. My small molehill is nothing compared to their mountain. I don’t always recognize the fact that I’ve been blessed. Here’s a big example. For the past 4 months, I didn’t realize that my car horn was not working. I never used the remote to lock my car doors. I’ve always locked them whenever I get out of the car. Two days ago, I used the remote, the doors locked but the horn did not go off. I didn’t think of anything being wrong. But this morning, I tried to use the horn just in case of any emergencies, and you guessed it, it didn’t work. My blessing has been never having a need to use my horn for an emergency! God is good! I sincerely hope that I won’t, but my horn is now working since I replaced the fuse! Now did I miss my blessing even though I was still blessed? Or did I take this blessing for granted? If I overlooked this small but very important detail, how many others have I overlooked? How about you? Do you sincerely appreciate your blessings?

I Love You, Mom!

I Miss You!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

To all of you moms who sacrificed so much for your children to give them the best life you could offer, I wish you blessings and happiness on this special day!  For all of you men who have such wonderful superwomen in your lives who are loving and nurturing your children, don't make just this one day out of a year special!  Remember, there are 364 other days unless during a leap year which has 365 days to treat the mothers of your children with respect and appreciation!  And to all of you children, no matter how old you live to be, you only have one biological mother, treat her with respect and courtesy.  Listen to your mother, she guide you and support you.  Obey her and cherish her.  She will not be around forever.  Let her know how much you love her now!  Don't wait to give her flowers after she's gone!  Give them to her now!!Thank you, mothers, I pray that you will enjoy your day!!

Let's give tribute to Lena Horne who also died today.  She was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.  She believed in herself and refused to play roles that stereotyped African American women.  This wonderful woman remained true to the end.  God bless her!

Children With Diabetes

I was in the grocery store today in line behind a young mother and her child. As children do whenever they are in stores with lots of interesting things, the child asked her mom if she could have a soda pop. Her mom asked what kind of soda, since I do know that some sugar drinks could drive children to super speed, I thought I understood the direction the mom was going. Wrong! Mom simply told her baby girl that she knew she could not drink it because she was a diabetic. I had to ask how old the child was and was told that she was eight years old. I’m nosy, so I asked when was she diagnosed with diabetes. Since three years old. The child gives herself insulin. What can you say? The little girl said the kids at school tease her and sometimes she feels bad about it. But she has a very strong support system at home. Her grandpop tells her to stay positive and don’t let anyone or anything get her down. She just need to listen to her teacher, study hard, and when she grows up and becomes what she wanted to be. It’s tough enough what your little ones are facing these days. Peer pressure is rougher for this generation than it was for mine. I have some links to check if you have any questions. But know this! God does not make any mistakes! Continue to pray for the children.

http://www.cwdfoundation.org/

http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/diabetic-students.htm

http://www.mychildhasdiabetes.com/

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diabetes/childrenteen_main.asp

Mind Your Own Business!!!

I have always tried to make my blog a historical record of things that have occurred in my little world. At times, mention some things that might have happened in the country. This past week, Arizona’s Governor passed a controversial immigration act. An oil spill happened in the gulf near Louisiana resulted from a BP oil platform that blew up and sank. Someone abandoned a car bomb in Times Square. Earthquakes in China, Nashville, TN, flooding, Alabama tornadoes, some smaller ones in SC, and a local county sheriff arrested for drug dealing. There are others of domestic (family) nature but what families do is not my business. I got enough problems of my own. That’s a major problem with the media on who’s getting divorced, separated, or breaking up. Leave these families alone. If you’re so worried about who’s screwing who, think about the politicians and the big money boys who are screwing America! Of course, there will always be someone screwing somebody but think of getting your mind screwed and you don’t appreciate it!  Unfortunately, there are many people who believes that they can retaliate when they feel frustrated with the government.  However, they do it destructively and very negatively.  The protests are making a statement but when people die, it opens up a can of worms.  Never forget our own domestic terrorist act done in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.  It was in retaliation for what the Federal Government did in Waco.  People lost lives in both locations and what was proven?  Families were broken and destroyed.  I won't discuss this further, you get the point.

I Feel Great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgDrJ5Z2rKw

I went to Mass Saturday evening and I am nowhere near the depression and despair I felt last week when I didn’t go. Remarkable! I was there for the little ones first communion. Next Saturday at Corpus Christi, I will attend a friend’s son’s first communion. God is good!

What A Merciful God We Serve!

I allowed Satan to rob me of my joy today. The joy from enjoying the mercy and forgiveness the Lord has given me from not attending Mass this weekend. God has forgiven me but I couldn’t forgive myself. Here’s my brief explanation. All I could think about all day were the many gifts of He has given me that I take for granted. I woke up, I still take care of myself, I have all my faculties and senses and I have a job to keep food on the table and a roof over my head. Have I forgotten who gave me this? No, but I acted like I did. Our God is a good God! He knew what I was going to do before I knew and He forgave me. I allowed Satan, who does not deserve any more discussion, to plant the seed of doubt about God’s infinite mercy and forgiveness. I had to express my feelings about this one more time so that if any of you ever experience this particular guilt that I am going through, I want to understand that we have a powerful supporter. God has our back when we think that no one else does. Thank you, Lord, for restoring my confidence!

Forgive Me, Lord, For I Have Sinned!

I didn’t go to Mass today, no excuse. I usually go on Saturday evenings instead of Sunday mornings to meet my obligation. But this morning, I wanted to stay in and look at the TV ministers. Subconsciously, I was hoping that it would rain and I love to stay in when it rains. Anyway, I listened to TD & Joel, for those of you who recognize those names. For those of you who don’t, they are TD Jakes & Joel Osteen. Two different styles of preaching but both have the same great messages. Still, I felt guilty for being lazy so I turned off the TV and listened to the radio. Yes, I wanted to give God time but how selfish and unappreciative I was by not going to His House. I listened to more preaching this morning than I normally do when I go but it was not enough. I realize that the guilt I was feeling was from the enemy than from our forgiving & merciful Father. It still didn’t make things better for me when one of the “air wave” preachers mentioned that if it wasn’t for God, we wouldn’t be where we are and should give Him time in God’s House. Talking about stepping on your toes no matter where you are, the Word is always straight and true. I’m bringing this up because too many times we are too busy judging others for things that they do wrong. I will say in my defense that the preacher did say that those of you that go to church on Sundays aren’t any better if they are not practicing love and forgiveness the rest of the week. It does feel like not being thankful for the many blessings He’s given me. I guess you can say I’m doing a public confession with this submission today. So learn to forgive others and stop beating yourself up when you make mistakes. Try not to do it again.

Leap of Faith!

Carolyn is going back to school for her masters and she is scared to death. I can’t understand why. Whether she uses it as leverage or not, she is showing growth and progression. Maybe it’s the extra work and responsibility she’s afraid of. Maybe, she’s afraid of studying and writing which will require discipline and commitment, I don’t know. What I do know is that she is going and will finish with high grades. Now, if I have that much faith in her, surely she should have even more in herself. My co-worker will just have to take that leap of faith. Haven’t we all? Haven’t we gotten into something and thought there was no way out, but by the grace of God, we found a way? It wasn’t easy but we prayed, believed, and hoped and somehow we got through. Isn’t that’s what living all about? Not just leaps but acts of faith pulling us through during our lives? Carolyn questioned what she’ll do with her degree. Please. If God takes us to something, there’s a reason that He’ll bring us through it. So many people don’t believe in God but I do.

Another Historical Moment

Yes, this is another call to the altar.  Columbia, SC, city residents elected their first black mayor, Steve Benjamin.  He was already number one where he lead in the first voting process but was still too close.  This time there was a record turnout in the runoff.  Unfortunately, his victory celebration was short.  The next morning, he collided with a 61year old woman who was critically injured and is now on life support.  Life can change within seconds and we still take it for granted.  We can't believe it can happen to us and it's harder to believe when it does.  Please pray for both of these families and the victims.  Then pray for yourselves that we gain wisdom, patience, and a sincere relationship with God.

We’re Praying For You, Nichael!

Our co-worker, Nichael, had a very serious seizure today. During lunch hour around 1:15, we heard a very loud and long inhale as if it was someone was taking a final breath come from her cubicle. She’s had mild seizures before and we all, in the close area, check on her. We were attuned to unusual sounds from her cubicle so we all knew that something was wrong. Well, this time, she was rigid and was foaming at the mouth. I personally thought that she was having a stroke. If it wasn’t for Greg, a trooper who trained for these types of matters, I truly believe this incident would have been worse. While Greg & others were busy attending to Nichael, a couple of us were calling 911. She had fallen and bumped her head but Greg & Carolyn did outstanding until the EMS folks got there. It was a very frightening moment. When I first saw Nichael in that rigid and shaking state, I immediately thought of my mother when she had her heart attack. My God, it took everything I had not to break down wondering about my mom’s final moments. Thank God Greg took charge on this. I don’t think I could have handled it. They took Nichael to the hospital but she was seating up in the stretcher looking normal. I thought the EMS was taking her to Lexington Hospital but when I called, no one by her name had been admitted today. I wish this young woman well. She is going through quite a lot.

Philadelphia: The City of Brotherly Love

I spent this weekend and a couple of days in Philly for a Lifesavers Conference. I flew, and my co-worker, Gregg, drove. I consider any trips over two hour’s flight time. Gregg is still a trooper so he’s ok with the driving. The people were very nice and friendly, not surprising, I understand. It is a very diverse population and I can see why. The city seems to ooze history. In some parts of the area, it’s like walking back in time. And believe me, I love to walk. Yes, wherever I go, I like to get up early and start trekking. If there are landmarks, that’s even better. I’ll walk at least 10 miles, five to get there and five to get back. I try to walk in the safe areas but if you’re foreign to any area, how would you know? You can ask but if you look at, any area can be dangerous. Cars can be just as dangerous as people, even construction work can be harmful. It’s a chance you have to take. Keep in mind, I said I walk early in the morning, ample time to recover, if lost, and plenty of daylight to mark your bearings. Well, I walked this weekend and saw where the founding fathers of this great nation signed and wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of the Federation, and the Constitution. I was in the same building (Freedom Hall) where they were, saw the places where they sat, and quite possibly walked along the same areas. I imagined that there was quite a bit of heated discussion regarding the colonies, their separation from England, their new found freedom, wars, and the issues. of slavery. After all, the Philadelphia was part of the Underground Railroad and the Liberty Bell became the battle cry for abolitionists, Liberty for All!

The conference was informative and creative! I enjoyed hearing about new ideas and implementations in traffic safety that’s happening throughout the country. You’ll see in cars, laws, and neighborhoods. On the way back home at the airport, I met Janette Fennell, founder of Kids and Cars. If you’re in the policy making hierarchy, she’s well known. I didn’t know her, so you know where I stand. She and her husband were instrumental in pushing the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) to collect Not-in-Traffic Statistics (NiTS) (Not head lice). It’s all about little kids dying in cars with the windows up and the adults forgetting about them, fatalities that occur in driveways when the adults accidentally run over them, and closing the door on their little body parts. She also worked with the doctor who lost his son in the trunk because there was nothing to open from the inside. Well now there’s a glow in the dark pulley that unlocks the trunk from the inside. This is something in the safety world. By the way, Janette is a wonderful person. Click on the red highlights, they’ll link you to the websites. Please see how many children are injured, it would surprise you.

Turning A Page In A Life

Today, 5 adults decided to volunteer their efforts towards the improvement of helping our fellow man. We all met at an orientation towards improving literacy in the state of South Carolina with the help of Turning Pages. Turning Pages is a local non-profit organization serving adults in the greater Columbia area. Their mission is to help adults reach their full potential by helping them improve their reading, math, computer, and English language skills, through customized learning plans. They want to open doors of opportunity for adults, children, and families to become enthusiastic lifelong learners. It was exciting to meet such educated and prolific individuals who continued to better themselves throughout their lives. In attendance were educators, past principles, French chefs, engineers, missionaries, and world travelers. Most of them were fluent in two languages and understood a few others. One lady was so fluent in German that she still read her books in German. Even the director and her assistant were former educators and are still teaching because of their compassion to help others. I felt that I was sitting on the board of directors in such esteem company. So, hats off to Edwina, Laura, April, Anas, Malcolm, Genevieve and Deborah, they deserve a hearty pat on the back. I do have to say that Malcolm a retired French chef, who has cooked around the world, is returning to school at Carolina for a Masters in Linguistics and a Ph.D., at 70 years of age. How’s that for not slowing down? Volunteers are people willing to help each other for free. I never thought that I would be a part of that group. I hope someday, if I have any readers, would be willing to take that chance, too.

Who's Minding The Home?

These are some interesting times we are living in. We all seem to have good days and bad days. We worry now more than ever about our future. Look around you, young people are committing suicide. So many of them don’t even believe in a future. They live for the moment and don’t even think of the consequences. There is a difference between appreciating life and living for the moment. But how can you make them aware of this when as an adult you are faced with complex problems of your own? More importantly, are you still there to help guide your children in these troubling times. So many parents ignore their children when these youngsters need guidance from the family than the streets. Have we as parents failed our children? Are we more irresponsible than they are? I was offsite today visiting an upstate agency. I was shown some statistics regarding teenagers from 12-16 years old that would rival adult criminal activity. I’m talking about rape, attempted murder, manslaughter, breaking & entering, drug dealing, theft, vandalism, and even illegal internet activity. These are but a few of these major offenses committed by this particular age group. There were some 10 year olds involved, too. What makes it worse is that these numbers are in the city, not the county. I was told major efforts towards mentoring, finding community support, did not bring the kids to any of these positive activities. Why? Will the excuse single parents can’t raise their kids fly? I don’t think so. If anything, many of them try harder to raise their children. I sincerely believe that when religion and discipline was taken out of the schools, our children’s future went down hill. Children are raising children, classmates are raising each other, and modern technology (games, computers, cellphones, etc.) are helping raise the children, too! Neighbors, during my time, were involved in the each others’ welfare. Now when you return to your roots, nothing looks the same. You might find that there are no flowers, no well-manicured lawns, no fruit trees, and no pride in the homes and community. I heard on the radio coming back that a radio announcer was frustrated with television entertainment ministers and television entertainment academicians. They are selling their show and books. They both preach and use well intended words eloquently, but don’t put forth any actions. In other words, they talk a good game, but can’t back it up. Money talks, BS walks. It’s easier to criticize what others do wrong when you don’t do anything yourself. Yes, neighborhood churches have a lot of ministries and need the money to fund them but how many are actually walking the neighborhood and bringing the church to the people?

Others To Lean On

I want to apologize to my readers about discussing my political views. I got frustrated on the state of our national divisiveness that I vented my own take about partisan politics. I know that there are some of us that will not like the other person for whatever reason but I do believe that we should at least respect each other.

As you all know, the month of March, all Thursdays, and the day after Easters are rough for me now. Easter is such a glorious time!  But I want to give some recognition to people who understood and proved that no man is an island. Lt. Russell Wilson gave me a beautiful card on March 24th marking my mom’s 2 years. His father passed 7 years ago on that date. Cheryl Anderson’s father just recently passed this year on that date and Kathy Solkofske’s father passed last year on that date. It’s amazing how much we all share in this life when we take the time to listen to each other. We never know what others are going through. I tend to think that my problems have priority over others until I learned that compared to other people’s problems, I really don’t have any major problems. I am blessed everyday and still manage to forget it. Miracles are happening all around me and I still don’t see them as I should. We need each other to lean on regardless of our differences. It can be our differences that can unite us, if we just take the time to listen and respect each other.  It starts with little acts of kindness towards each other.

Same Old Negative News

I don't know about anyone else but I have heard enough about Tiger and his sexual exploits.  If I want to read or hear porn, I can go to the internet.  Is this a new found way that the "purist" reporters get a chance to talk dirty and cover steamy news without feeling guilty?  Seems to me this a new reason for the media to go into our bedrooms.  Even though Jesse James and Sandra Bullock are making the latest news, we still hearing the old news with the same players but new information.  Tiger screwed up and let's move on.  Jesse screwed up and lets move on.  David, Eric, Charlie and a whole group of famous and not so famous guys screwed up and some are making the news.  Apparently, people that are doing good deeds aren't worth reporting about.  And if they are, they will get only 5-15 minutes of fame.  Bad news continually sells.  If we don't want to hear it, turn away from it or turn it off.  Adulters have been around for a long time and they aren't going away.  But not everyone is and not everyone will.  But is sex is addictive, I'm not the shrink to figure it out.  Was the same said for alcoholism?  Drugs?  Can you be addicted to porn?  Particular foods?  You see where I'm going with this?  If you have a problem, find a way to get help and work it out.  Do we need others to air our problems?  I know that people are nosey and love to gossip about other people's business instead of their own.  Is insecurity an addiction?

Happy Easter!!! He Has Risen!!!

I hope we all meditated on Christ's supreme sacrifice for us!  If we didn't it's still not too late!

Rest In Peace, Ms. McDaniels

Another co-worker lost his mother today.  He suffered through her illness this past year and lost other family members along the way.  Pray for Michael for strength and divine help to guide him through this new phase in his life.  Yes, my connection is the loss of any mother and the closeness to Easter is also a factor.  He will never forget it because Easter is the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus.  My mom loved all of the holidays but most of all Easter.  She loved singing on Easter Sunday.  I guess that's why she waited until Easter was gone before she left.  Michael's mom fought long and hard and left during Holy Week!  The heavens are singing and praising because all of God's children are coming home!  Celebrate the reunion of souls!

We’re Pissed Off, Again!

The Republicans are pissed off with the President this time over his ability to circumvent them blocking the appointment of key positions in the administration. 18 months have passed by and they intend to hold up everything. Some of us that are working are already doing the work of 2-3 people. It’s called burnout! Is this what the Republicans are looking for? Keep in mind that the Republicans have been blocking every move that he has made to appoint anyone. Now this time, the President found a way, which has been used in the past. Both Republican and Democratic presidents have made recess appointments, which circumvents the Senate's authority to confirm nominees, to overcome delays. President George W. Bush made more than 170 such appointments in his two-term presidency. President Bill Clinton made nearly 140. Obama had even warned everyone that he would do it. The bottom line is, let’s be honest, please. The Republicans have been pissed off ever since Obama was elected. During his campaign, they have done everything possible to derail him. Since he’s been elected, they have done everything possible to make him fail and look bad to the nation. Now, if I don’t like you, I don’t care what you do to make things right and fair for everyone, I will still not like you. I don’t hate anyone, but if that was my character, as it is for some people, I would pray that you would fail and slip up. The problem with wishing bad things on others will initiate Karma’s duty to return the same to you. There are sayings in all cultures that relate to digging a grave for your enemy will result in digging two, the other for yourself. I just can’t seem to understand why the ultras (Moderates are being phased out) are so bent on destroying this administration despite what is beneficial. I don’t agree with everything that’s being done in Washington, but our elected officials can’t even discuss problems civilly. They are too busy passing the blame. Personally, I think jobs should have been the first issue, but when I began to think about it, I can see why Healthcare was even more important. We can work through this domestically, in other words, a local issue. It’s not perfect but it is helping others. The legislators aren’t complaining about their socialistic benefits, are they? Jobs require a great deal more because we will have to deal with Multi-National Companies (MNCs) who found a way to satisfy their shareholders by outsourcing products for cheaper labor and larger returns on profit. The Republicans will never stand for that because that is who they represent and defend. We don’t need unions! As a stockholder, I understand and would want it that way, too. But when you die, you will die alone, and all that you own will be left behind. So no matter what you got, you won’t be able to keep it. Age has a way of reminding you about mortality. Now outsourcing is cheaper in so many ways, buildings, locations, materials, people, and most importantly, cost. If you constantly spend and not build revenue, and there is no supplements coming in, you will eventually go broke. But if you don’t spend, you will not be able to obtain the necessary items to live. Wars created jobs but they cost and the people are fed-up with wars and loss of lives. We don’t want higher taxes but we do want what we like. It would cost a fortune to bring jobs back and to have a Made in the USA label. Bringing jobs back in America would cost and invite unions and we know how the right side of aisle feels about that. While we are whining and complaining we should be thinking ahead. What can we do about unemployment and jobs? Let’s present a proposal and get back to doing our job! Instead, we’d rather gripe and hope that mid-term elections will make a difference. It won’t matter who’s elected what will they do to get this country back on track and moving in a positive direction? I am disgusted of the code words and actions to separate the races and classes. If we thought Healthcare was a tough battle, wait for the jobs argument.

Rest In Peace, Corporal D. Kevin Cusack

A SC Highway Patrol Trooper, Corporal Kevin Cusack passed this morning in a traffic collision.  It is still under investigation.  He was a veteran of 21 years.  God bless him and his family.  I was going to write about the 2010 Heartwalk this morning because even though today turned out beautiful for us.  It's not always the same for others.

Her Letter

The envelope lay with the address side face down so

that it would be protected from onlookers. Looking at its back

I felt an emptiness that showed no character, no feeling.

She was hunched so intently over the letter that her position

seemed discomforting to this observer.

One trembling hand was holding the letter

while the other held her head.

Not even her eyes released any emotion

that could be judged.

This observer walked several times

in front of the quaint outdoor café. The bare wrought iron tables

and stark display of the scene

gave a surrealistic, melancholy, feeling to the unsmiling,

unemotional, attractive young woman.

Her beautiful, smooth, young face showed

no signs of happiness or sorrow.

Almost as if she believed by succumbing to the reading it would

cause her to be duped into something

she was unwilling to participate.

Somewhere in the all of this,

life was still for her.

She was oblivious to her surroundings, which

seemed to meld with her mood absolutely.

What she was going through, this observer will never know.

She appeared to stare at every word as if expecting them

to their true meanings.

Around the block, this observer walked, and yet each time,

she was seen reading the letter over again.

I sensed a of kind of sadness deep within her

but it was only a guess.

Something was not right.

When I came around again, she and the few pages were gone.

The wrought iron table in front of the café was again empty.

A Part of Things

By Ejothian S. Litman

March 24th & Thursdays

March 24th marked the two anniversary of my mother's passing.  It also marked the 7 year anniversary of Lt. Wilson's father.  I have also learned that it is the day that a co-worker in another department, lost her father, too!  Now we all will have to encourage each other as LT supported me last Wednesday.  But I have a problem with Thursdays now, I can't sleep.

Opinions Are Like *******s, All Of Us Got One!

Efforts were made to pass this historical health care reform bill recently. It wasn’t perfect but it was a start. After nearly a hundred years, the nation has once again made a leap into the future. The problem is resistance to change. It wouldn’t have mattered if we had the same benefits our politicians have, the bill would have still been wrong. Someone will still complain about it. I will address that later. Everyone has an opinion but where these same people years ago? Reform does not come easy and change is even harder. Even in the Clinton years when the bill failed, why didn’t people speak out? Those of us that have insurance see it costing more every year and we’re not getting any cost of living raises at all. Yet, we’re not cursing and spitting on anyone. We’re not even calling our local representatives, and heaven forbid that we call our state representatives and senators. Why didn’t we raise all of this raucous during the Bush years? Where were the Tea Party folks then? I can make an educated guess. It appeared that once Obama became President, the Republicans made a concentrated, strategic decision to find ways to make the administration fail. Words of Waterloo and I hope he fails became a mantra among the ultra-conservatives. Who by the way, no longer consider moderate republicans as republicans. These mindless, Rush Limbaugh followers only complained about everything this president did. They offered many complaints but were unwilling or unable to offer solutions. They lied about willing to work with the president, it was a front. All along hidden forces and even conservative networks and radio stations begin agitating the ultra conservatives, who never like the president and will never like him, into a boisterous, mean, hate-filled, and combative mob. And while this baby was being born, our republican leaders stood on the sidelines and watch this undisciplined baby grow. Yet, they did not even bother to intervene when the newborn became threatening, disrespectful, and mean towards anyone that did not look like them. Stir them up! So are our politicians representing only certain groups? Then if so, they are not standing up for the people! If these politicians were thinking about the people even a year ago when the debate began, why didn’t they offer us the same federal benefits they have? How can they call this bill unconstitutional? Of course, they said that about the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Seems to me, these politicians are only representing a certain segment of the people. I guess they don’t realize that minorities voted for them, too! I am too disgusted. I can’t believe that these educated representatives of the people can’t stand up to the Limbaughs, O’Reillys, and Becks or anyone that preach divisiveness or teach hate. I’m guessing because these media personalities have a large listening audience that will mindlessly obey them who to vote for. We can all make rational decisions between right and wrong but we don’t. Who tells the best lie or who makes the best case even though it is still a lie will determine the votes. Education is so important but too many people just won’t read. And we can’t believe everything we read except the Bible. We believe that if so and so said it, it must be the truth. I say it’s time to vote them out and find representatives that can work together for the good of this nation. The world will leave us behind and we’ll wind up looking like a bunch of dummies. The lobbyists have paid these chaps too much money and it is time for them to go! Violence is not the answer but it’s being pumped up and the media seems to walk this kind of news.

Days Gone By - Leave Them Be!

Night riders, Sons of the Confederacy, Ku Klux Klan, and others are just few of the reminders of hatred and the use of fear at its best to keep minorities in place. Horrible deaths towards blacks were accepted or were not even considered illegal because blacks were considered animals or second class citizens. Catholics and Jews were a little better off because many of them around these thugs denounced their religions and/or changed their names to be accepted among the supremacists. They didn’t have to change their skin color to be recognized. These techniques worked and state rights were held sovereign. Those people were determined to maintain the status quo, keep things as they are and vowed never to change. Look around you and you can see that there are still those unwilling to change and accept peace. They miss those old days where they had power and everyone knew their place. Well, those days are gone and believe me they will never come back! Media personalities, politicians are hiding behind their podiums secretly supporting these hate filled mongrels. They are closet racists because they are afraid to admit who they really are. They are outnumbers by peaceful human beings and know that their fate is cancerous and only destroying themselves. So now they are vowing to destroy what is good for the country, making their last stand, while enticing the gullible to follow them into oblivion, but at the same time making an excuse that they are doing what is right for the people. These fake politicians are doing only what is good for them and using others. We see that they are not interested in civility, decorum, or respect. Rush Limbaugh wants to wipe out the peaceful folk because he has a radio platform to reach the undecided. If he didn’t have that who would Rush Limbaugh be? Peace does come at a price. While we are fighting against each other here in the United States for equal opportunities, our soldiers, men and women, are dying abroad. The freedom we once held so dear is also a barrier that is beginning to surround us.  When will we ever learn that being insensitive and oblivious to our fellowman’s plight will eventually affect us?  Horace Mann once said, ""Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soul that are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge."  Education is so important to progress without it, you won't be able to determine rationally who's right or wrong.  John Avion a writer for The Daily Beast said, "We are playing with dynamite by demonizing our president and dividing the United States in the process. What might be good for ratings is bad for the country."  Too many of us can't see that someone is making a ton of money off of others and calling it news rather than it's true name, entertainment.  Pray for our President, leaders, country, each other and ourselves!

It's Done! Health Care Reform Passed!

Like I said in earlier blogs, we are given the opportunity to live in historical times!  The Health Care Reform was passed by Congress!  This has marked almost 100 years since 1912 when first introduced.  It has taken this long for our nation to look at other people needs and deficiencies.  What is worse, some people truly believe as long as they got theirs, let others worry about themselves.  No man is an island, but we tend to believe that we can make it on our own.  Yep, we still like to fool ourselves, most of the time lying.  Somewhere in this hodgepodge of "we say, they say", we'll find the truth.  Some people will never come together.  This time it looks like our political parties and representatives won't either.

What Is Wrong With a Little Respect?

This is a day of historical proportions! Today is March 21, 2010, the day the Health Care Reform will be decided for the better or worse. And all of the stops have been pulled out. I’m not even looking at the news. The last I read was that some Tea Party activists had spit on a congressman, called a few minority congressmen the n-word, and called another the f-word for homosexuals. As I have always said, many of these so-called activists are really opportunists who’s using healthcare as a front for their racial and hateful agenda. What is worse is that the opposing party knew that this racial groundswell will be uncontrollable and never bothered to keep them in check from the very start. Yet, we here so much how they are representing the American people who want them to block the reform. Never mind, polarizing the races and classes, this is the time for another Waterloo and collateral damage will be necessary. This is not the party of Lincoln but of hypocrites and I am ashamed of them.

My opinion is this. It goes back quite far, too. It doesn’t matter if our people (Africans) sold us into slavery. The slave traders brought us here via the trade routes and finally to America under the worse conditions ever imagined and done to a people for the purpose of using Africans as slaves. When these slaves arrived they were still treated unacceptably worse than the indentured servants that left Europe. The differences were one group treated as humans, the other; as animals. The slave descendants remained under that same label even today. Not all people are prejudiced and bigots, which was soon exhibited with the Civil War. Even after being freed, the slaves were still treated as second class citizens are as animals in some places. An effort was made after Reconstruction for freed slaves to serve in the political arena but again a surge by the hate groups fought against it by using the same fear and lie tactics that are being used today. Any advances to progress were halted and stalled until the 60’s with the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Laws. Now if the playing field was equal and level from the very beginning, I think that either we would have a true representation of all in the tea parties or there wouldn’t be any tea parties in the first place. Voting Rights? Yes, we are still the only minority that can vote provided that laws are passed to allow us to vote. How equal is that? Government takeover! The government is too big and getting into everybody’s business, right? If it wasn’t for the federal government, I guess Wallace would have had his way; schools in the south would remain segregated and impoverished. Oops, many are still that way! Freedom fighters would still be dying and the KKK sheets would still be flying. They still are, too! Again a level playing field is still pretty hard to obtain even in this day and age. To me, if the federal government doesn’t step in, we would stay in slavery days. Now we’ve come to one of the biggest showdowns since OJ. So don’t ask me how I feel. Accept the fact that because we all have been brought up in different circumstances that we all will think differently. It’s call respect, something quite a few people seems to be lacking right now.

Problems, Problems, Problems!!!

I'm having problems with my website and it's been a chore to get back to it.  The old version is http://whatsyourexcusenow.blogspot.com/

I'll keep working at it to make things convenient for everyone.

It's Time To Stop The Madness!!!

A fellow member in the same organization I belong to sent me an email regarding a Baptist minister venting his distrust for the President and that Catholics should beware of him. Obama is now being blamed for the split among Catholics! Remarkable! Catholics have been split for various reasons for years and now this so-called minister who is on the internet is ranting that we need to be aware of this evil man who has an evil agenda to destroy the whole world! We were split on abortion, excommunication, accepting gays, women preaching, other religions and priests married. Overall, the majority of churches everywhere seem to have a problem with women being in the clergy. But here’s a minister that is able to find the time to preach hate and distrust instead of prayer for lost souls. The sad thing is, people believe this guy. The information highway is once again going too fast for conditions. I’ve always said people will believe if the story is shown on the internet. I can not agree with everything you say just to get along with you. Now if you can’t be honest with me that’s your problem, not mine! But I have seen so much hate displayed since Obama has been President. America voted for change but powers-that-be refuse to. And they will fight tooth and nail with everything at their disposal to keep it that way. Hate is another form of cancer, not only does it destroys, it spreads to destroy others.

Thank you, Vivian!

I was reminded today if I intended to stop entries to my blog. I knew some people read it because I get comments on them from time to time. I guess I didn’t expect my co-workers to read them. In fact, Vivian even remembered the date of my last entry. I’ve had some major projects going on at this time and have actually immersed myself so deep in them that I didn’t want to think about the negativity and memories that surround all of us everyday. I need to thank Vivian for jolting me back to reality. I have no excuses but I do have an explanation. Two years ago during this same time period, my mother was rushed to the hospital. Two years ago during this same time period, there was nothing else that was so important to me that she recovers. She didn’t. On March 24, 2008 around 10:00 p.m., the day after Easter, my mother went home. Even now, it still seems so fresh in my mind and I am openly weeping. One of the projects that I am working on ends the 25th of March. I enveloped myself totally so that I did not, would not have the time to think about anything except making this project a success. Yes, I was aware of the dates, the 6th, she was rushed to hospital, two weeks later transferred to the hospice. Mentioning the hospice to me cuts to the bone, but she had the best people, I feel in the world, to make her final days as comfortable as possible. My mother did volunteer work at that same hospice and they all knew her and we all cried together. Is it any wonder that I withdraw from everyone around this time? Time will not allow me to get over my hurt. I have these beautiful memories of her but I also have those memories of her lying so helplessly, defenseless, and so small in that bed. That was my mother who could tell me to get a switch for my whipping and afterwards, tell me how much she loved me and why she spanked me. This was the same woman that could cook a dinner that could be sold in restaurants. This was also the same woman that made sure the other kids in the neighborhood had food and clothes and that the shut-ins would have the same. My mother loved everybody, black, white, red, or yellow, protestant, Muslim, or Jew. Everyone had a mother and they were old children of God. That’s how she lived and that’s how she taught us. As a retired RN, she knew what families faced with a loved one in the hospital. She worked in pediatrics for years and would come home and still cry for those little babies. I could go on but there are so many of us that feel the same way about our parents. Everyone is always closer to one than the other and you share that special bond. A bond that is eternal. It is tough during this time of year, in fact, in 2008, I only made 2 entries. I just didn’t want to write. If there are any spelling and/or grammatical errors it’s because I have taken my glasses off and will not proofread any of this. Please forgive me. Well, this is my explanation. There are other things that I need to talk about. My brothers and sisters in Christ, God bless you always in good and troubled times.  He will never leave us!

Tell the Truth and Shame the Devil!

All poor people are not lazy and all lazy people are not poor. We seem to hear a lot of negativity about the unemployed that are receiving federal benefits. “They can find a job at fast food place.” “Lazy people shouldn’t get unemployment that I’m giving to the federal government.” How shameful!!! What goes around comes around. There are plenty of Americans that are looking for work, that want to work, that want to provide for their family but can’t find any jobs. Not many people are hiring. But these naysayers can’t seem to understand that. All they seem to do is complain and whine about how much they are paying into the federal system and that their great-grandchildren will be paying for this huge deficiency in the economy. Why couldn’t they protest about outsourcing and buying American? We are all at the leisure of our employers. They can go out of business, cut back, or move to another location. Hopefully, not overseas. But our protesters are so concerned about where there money is going now where were they when it was being spent on wars and fleecing America? What about not knowing where it was being spent, but still everything was fine? There were no mass protests then! Well now, with a new president, that does not look like the them, these protesters are now up in arms and supporting selfish politicians that are hell bent on watching this country fail without contributing a single action to dam this flood of hate and hostility. To borrow a phrase from one protester when asked, “Why did you join this movement?” The answer was, “We all hate the same thing!” Damn what is good for this country and damn this new president who wants to make this country better for all people! We have an image in this world to maintain, right? We are a super power, superior above all nations! We have our attitudes to show for it, too! That’s why there are those in the country willing to divide this country and repeat our past failings and problems and those willing to allow it to happen. The general consensus is they’re angry with Washington but should be ‘fess up to being angry with the President because he is who he is. Labels such as socialists and liberalists abound when it comes to helping your fellow man. How many of us actually know the inner workings of the political process unless someone tells us? How many of us can tell the difference between the truth and lie? It’s harder to tell the truth, you might not get the results you want. But, lies can have severe consequences. The “old folk” used to say “Tell the truth and shame the devil.” In other words, the devil hates truth and honest and he’s working hard to impress his evil on all of us. By telling the truth, you showed him how strong God’s Will is over his. It looks like too many people are giving up hope and not feeling God’s Will. Let me tell you something! God is in control! Don’t forget it! How many people believe that everything they read or see in the internet is true? Most importantly, how many people want to believe in something? There is a class war going on besides the racial war underneath. Yes, a class war. The Middle-class is shrinking. The rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer. The protesters can’t see it because they are so blinded by hate and lies. We are being led to the slaughterhouse and don’t know it because we are all pawns for the powers-that-be. Reapportionment is designed to keep the incumbents in so how can we vote them out? Is there actually a conspiracy theory? I have a lot of questions in this entry but I’ll doubt I’ll get answers. I suppose it is easier to criticize others than offer a real solution.

RIP Captain F. K. Lancaster, Sr. (Retired HP)

We Can Do This!!

From the words of a brave and prophetic man, Dr. M. L King, Jr., I have submitted excerpts from his great I Have Dream speech.

“It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. And if America is to be a great nation this must become true.”

This speech was made at the March on Washing in August 28, 1963. Dr. King was assassinated just short of 5 years later on April 4, 1968 by James Earl Ray. Dr. King’s autopsy revealed that even though he was only thirty-nine years old, he had the heart of a sixty-year-old man, maybe a possible result of the stress of thirteen years in the civil rights movement. I find that interesting.

These are certainly bone-chilling, poignant and inspirational words that were once criticized during those turbulent times in our nation’s history. We are moving slowly in accepting them and truly practicing them. But one thing that is sure, we are moving forward despite some of those that would like for us to repeat the past. Please take the time and let these words sink in. We are all Americans and all of us regardless of our skin color, cultures religions, and etc., have made the supreme sacrifice for this wonderful country.

Where Are We Going, America?

For those of you that looked at the televised Health Care Reform Summit in its entirety, get a life! You have a problem! If you were not getting paid to sit through 7.5 hours of theatrics and posturing from both sides of the aisle, then you can be a fixture in a doctor’s office. One thing is for sure, there should not be any movies or characters sought after the mess that was shown on February 25, 2010. Was it a ploy to make our politicians look like students in a debate in elementary school? It succeeded. Could it have been handled behind closed doors? It depends on transparency. The problem when there are cameras in front of a politician’s face is that they go into automatic acting mode. Nothing was resolved, agreed, or compromised. Each political party drew the line and it was shameful. I guess they want to impress upon us their stand for being on the side of right. They both played to the television audience but not to the people. Although they were seemingly all concerned about what the American public wanted, at least in front of the cameras. Aside from the cameras they are still making deals with the lobbyists of these large insurance, pharmaceuticals, manufacturers, etc. to bulge their bank accounts one side and feigning interest in America’s welfare on the other. If you were building a house and the client didn’t like the kitchen, would you tear down the whole house? Would any contractor or builder in their right mind consider it? They would find a way to save money than start all over again! It’s too costly! Manpower, materials, craftsmen can cost additional arm and leg. Now keep in mind that these politicians are business folks who know how to make money. Then while in the world would they want to spend more when the complaint for the federal government is already spending too much? Too bad we don’t have a legitimate, respected third party system. I know we have the Independents but I’m talking about a Moderate Party that actually includes centrist thinking people. Politicians that can compromise for the people that elected them. What is at issue here, ethics, morals, politics, partisanships, or just downright stubbornness? I don’t see anything wrong with a good, civil, robust debate. There are points from both sides that could be agreed on and at the same time disagreed as long as the discussion is respectful. But I question whether or not each of these sides had a “script” that they refused to deviate from. Each seemed to be told prior to this summit that “we will hold our ground, no matter what.” Shame, shame, shame! I guess some of these politicians think that we are a bunch of idiots. Either that, or just simply following the money line instead of the voters.

The Great Deception

Since this past year, I have never seen such venomous, hate-filled speech directed at our new president. Racist banners and signs are going up everywhere at rallies and on various university campuses. It has been a no-win situation in everything he’s done or wanted to do. The president has been fighting every inch of the way. You can say what you want but I can, too. And I’m saying that the president is truly hated. The disguise can be used against his policies but the bottom line, racism is alive and well. That’s a dirty word to some because it’s either doesn’t exist or “I’m not that way.” Some will go as far to say that’s an excuse to use the race card but will not go as far as to discuss and resolve the problem. All I hear is bashing and using code words. Do our politicians think we are dumb or still inferior as in the slavery days? I think all of them should be voted out of office. Are any of them concerned about the welfare of this nation? The republicans hide behind the tea party folks and will not speak against the hate speech that is being spewed. They are ignoring the majority of their constituents in their states hoping to get reelected. The loudest voice is always heard. These politicians are not that dumb not to recognize the racist undertones in those speeches made by those discontented with the government. I question where were these people in previous administrations? It appears that some groups of people are willing to divide and destroy this nation under this administration to make a point. What they would love to say is that it was a black man that destroyed this country but won’t because they are still hiding behind the electronic media instead of hoods. Yes, I said it. There is a minority of sincere haters bent on separating the races and destroying this country. And, they don’t care! If all you have to say about me is what I do wrong but can’t offer any help or resolutions, you won’t me to fail! CPAC has not offered one good thing to say about this administration or government or to improve the way of life for all Americans. It sounds like their only interest is destroying this country. If the tea party folks are disgruntled Americans, where are the bulk of the minorities? If any group of people can be disgruntled, minorities got a lot of reasons to be angry and disgusted. I don’t see an open invitation to these tea party rallies. Hell, I would feel uncomfortable attending a klan rally.

I’m not sensitive about people using that word or actions as an excuse to be sensitive. Because, if they were ever discriminated against, they, too, would be tired of being oppressed. I know what’s it like to be called directly “nigger.” I know what it’s like to use “colored only” facilities and they were not clean. Evidently, some people thought that animals didn’t care where they drank or ate as long as they were fed. Animals were what some people thought of us and some people still do. That’s why they want to repeat the past. We were lazy but somehow managed to work the fields. They fed us the line about being dumb and inferior so long that when we did show our intelligence, we became “uppity.” This is one of the reasons if not the main one that our president is being shown such lack of respect. How shameful! You would have thought being indentured servants who gained their freedom would have changed. As Christians, many of us seem to forget the reason we go to church. If we’re not going to change why bother going at all? We’re not listening or practicing love for our neighbor. Since we have problems doing that, we have problems accepting the Lord, our God! I got some news, people! God is control and will always be in control. Let’s not ever forget it!
One more thing. Is the media that obsessed with Tiger Woods apologies? The world is falling apart around us and this is major news, a rich, black man cutting out on his wife. Seems to me there are a lot of guys cutting out on their wives. Why is this major news? That’s why we can’t go forward, we’re into other peoples’ business rather than our own. Wars, domestic terrorism, foreign terrorism, health care reform are just a few of the major problems we as a nation are facing. But, the media would rather be concerned if Tiger and his wife are getting back together. We’re becoming a society of hypocrites. Our politicians vote in public against policies to look good and behind closed doors they want the benefits of those same policies that were voted against. Hypocrites!

Missing My Mother!

My mother truly loved being kind to people, it seemed to be her nature. Even when I was young she was either running errands for the shut-ins or cooking dinners on Sundays for them. I remember because we had to make those deliveries. Little acts of kindness go a long way. She seemed to know most people but spoke to everyone. During her quiet moments when we would all watch TV together, I can still her laughter at the funny scenes. I remembered when we went to see the Passion of Christ how much she cried at His scourging and the horrible abuse he received from the hands of men. Whenever she cried, I cried. Mom said how can anyone be treated so bad. As I have gotten older, I see what she meant. Now when I look at movies that make me laugh, I think of her and tear up because the joy reminds me of her. I miss my mother, she was my best friend. I am so thankful to God for giving me all of these years with her. There are many of us that are/were blessed with wonderful mothers. There are also these new mothers that are starting there legacies now. You can see and hear how much they are involving themselves in their children’s lives. I work with these mothers and they are wonderful, too! I pray that their children will realize it one day!

I Wish Everyone a Blessed Valentine's Day!!!

Where Is Our Faith!

It is our human nature to be impatient, easily discouraged and depressed. It is also the devil’s goal to get and keep us there. Our choices, if we choose, are either stay in these dark areas or seek help from God who has given us the keys to handle these situations. Instead, we try to handle these problems our way and they become mountains. They are now worse than they were. Luckily for us, it is never too late for God. Another problem of ours is turning things over to him. It’s hard to let go. But what is faith? In Hebrews 11:1; Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is a gift from God to the Christian and faith can be increased by the growth of the "believer" through God's Holy Word and through various actions detailed in God's Word. Belief has action but without "substance" until faith has been applied by the giver who is God. Does it sound complicated? I hope not. Which brings us to hope. Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best. Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in our lives. And we trust God enough that we don’t need to worry about our problems because he told us to trust in him already. Proverbs 3:5-6.

Leave the Judging To God

A newborn baby is excited, curious, and overwhelmed by the sights and sounds in this new world. But the infant can’t understand what they are and communicate about it. Even so he’ll only trust the people that have been taking care of him. We are adults and might still feel that same way. We lose that innocence as we get older. We don’t bounce back so fast after rejections and disappointments. In fact, it’s harder for us to get over it. As children when we hear the word no, it hurts for a little while but we don’t dwell on it. We accept it and keep moving forward. But our support system can’t be here for us forever and we tend to draw on others for encouragement and support. It’s just not the same. Life gets harder as we grow older. If we don’t force ourselves to get into the Word, we will be lost.

The sage, Sirach, paints a realistic picture of life’s ups & downs. That the lives of every man, rich or poor, from birth to death is burdened with fears, anxieties, and trouble. That they occur during the days and nights and at nights keep us awake. That death will overtake everyone as it has before us and will continue to do after us. It is God’s will and we should accept it. It is how we live our lives through His laws will allow us face the inevitable.

It is a battle everyday to do right. The more wisdom we gain, the more about living is revealed. Be careful how you judge others, you can’t objectively judge yourself. Let's keep our focus on God, He'll guide us!

Our God Is An Awesome God!

We serve an awesome God! Let’s give Him some praise! My brothers and sisters, each and every one of us will go through some type of trial as long as we live. Some of these trials blindside us when we least expect and knock us to the ground. We are always responsible for our own actions and can not blame or be angry with anyone else. We made the choice. But praise God He is merciful and loving. But as He forgives us, we should also forgive. It’s hard but we can’t move forward until we do. Let’s be real and practical for a minute. The people that God has placed around you are there because He intended them to be there. Some are part of a support group that you didn’t even know you had. They are always encouraging and hopeful! They send you those encouraging emails, make short phone calls, generally, they seem to be there whenever you need them. I don’t think that they realize that they are helping you. Let them know how appreciative you are of them! They should not be taken for granted! When these trials occur we take our focus off of God and concentrate on the problem that we can’t handle. The problem becomes major when we take our eyes and prayers off God and attempt to take control. We have to face the fact that we just don’t have enough experience, power, and authority to handle it. (Actually, we do if we harness the power within) Greater is He within us ………. It takes faith to realize that God is in us. Aren’t we supposed to turn our burdens over to Him? Well, why is it so hard? I guess we don’t trust our God enough to take care of us. Oh, you object? I do agree with you that I’m wrong but our actions seem to support my statement. That’s why we deal with a merciful, forgiving, loving, and awesome God! He knows that we will make mistakes, He knows that we will fall, He also knows that He has great things prepared for us! We got to get up and keep moving forward. He does want us to trust Him, because He is always there for us! We just have to ask.

Stay Positive & Aware!

No matter how smooth things can look on the surface, there can be turbulence underneath. One minute you're on top of your game, the next, you're crawling for your life. It this the way of life? Or is it God's way of keeping you humble? Through it all do your best to stay positive. No matter what you do, before you do it, think it through. I don't care what immediate benefits or gratification that you think you might gain, think of the effects afterwards and who you affect. You are representing somebody even if you don't think it's yourself. But someone is always watching. We are at the end of January, think back and recall your actions. I already did! Sadness and depression is easy to fall into. I don't like feeling miserable but there are times when I do. It's a fight that is not easy to win but with God's help we can. All of us through various degrees of separation are affected by someone's actions. There are people in this world and some of those that you work with that are deeply compassionate about how they feel and care about others. We are linked that way in the brotherhood of man.

History Is Now!

We are living in historical times. This blog isn’t all about my personal opinions. It’s also my historical register. There are so many things happening throughout the world. Port-au-Prince in Haiti had a 7.0 earthquake followed up almost a week later with a 6.1. The first was devastating enough causing thousands of deaths. The number of predicted deaths is staggering. Numbers might exceed 200,000 which might be a conservative number. There is no count of how many parents & children were lost. As for orphans, who will know the exact number. A republican has won a senate seat in Massachusetts for the first time in over 30 years. America is speaking out. We’re not happy with either party. Unfortunately, we don’t have much to choose from. Nevertheless, we need jobs, we need raises, we want health care without paying our life savings! Our politicians don’t seem to have us in mind, they are listening to the groups that have the deepest pockets! We need to get out and vote, people! Get these fat cats out! I am approaching the later years in my life and I have seen Presidents of this nation come and go but I have never seen anyone of them fight for every inch of their movement until now. Perhaps the history of having an African-American President is just that, history period. And because he is who he is, parts of this nation still carries hostilities and distrust towards him. One year has passed and it feels like three already. Whatever he is for, there are more against. Are we returning to the Jim Crow days? Is there really a secret conspiracy to destroy this country from within with another civil war? Moderate Republicans are no longer tolerated. If you’re not an ultra-conservative then you are not with the program. I digress. The weather can change so abruptly and extreme that we don’t have a clue from day to day what the weather will be like. And overseas, the terrorists are forcing us all to live in fear. Yes, these are historical times and we have forgotten to include God in them.

What's Your Vocation? Or Does It Matter?

Do you know your vocation? Do you think that what you’re doing is your calling? Do you think you missed an opportunity? Why? Some of us aren’t sure what we are destined to do. Some of us drift through life surviving the trials and tribulations of life and dealing with the consequences as best as we can. We don’t realize that we are where God wants us to be. We all want more than what we have. We work day and night, struggling, sacrificing, scrimping and saving and still it never seems to be enough. We see others hardly making an effort and question how can they be so successful. We shouldn’t be jealous of them but we are. As for our calling, we all can’t be preachers, teachers, CEOs, or have white collar jobs. There is nothing wrong with blue collar jobs, these folks have skills that are not always recognized. We can still do our part as true servants of God. We can treat each other like we want to be treated. We can smile at people. We never know who might just need it. Little acts of kindness can go a long way. We can be patient and tolerant of people that we don’t like for no reason at all. More important is treating our elders with respect and honor. They deserve it! We can look at each other equally and thank God that what we have is enough. We have so much more than what others don’t have and we still aren’t grateful.

Give Him Praise All Of The Time!

Too many times, I hear people pleading to God for help when they are facing distress. When everything was flowing smoothly, I didn’t even hear God’s name being mentioned. But I have learned that it’s not the way prayer works. God is a loving, merciful, and forgiving Lord. He cares very deeply about us but He also wants to see how much do we care about Him. We don’t take the time to appreciate the many blessings He gives us because we don’t take the time to serve Him, visit Him, or thank Him. When everything is fine we think that we’re doing all of this by ourselves. Oh, but when the dirt hits the fan, who do we call for help? Now we remember! Even when we do call on Him, we are still doing it half-heartedly. That’s right, why change now? Well, it doesn’t work that way. Do you deal with fakes, phonies, or wannabes? One thing about God is His consistency. He is always the same any day, any time. We’re the ones that need to change. Old habits are hard to break, so let us all try to form better habits. Let’s go to His House and praise Him. Let’s treat our brothers and sisters like we want to be treated. Let’s tell Him thanks for the many blessings we have. We might not be millionaires but we still have our breath, senses, and limbs. Everything else is gravy. Let’s pray more and complain less. It’s worth a try, you have to try. God bless you!

He Has The Power

In the midst of our troubles and hardships, some of us find solace that our faith in God will get us through. It’s a peace that I can’t describe. It can also be something that comes with old age and experience. Whatever it is, this feeling doesn’t come over night. It takes time to grow and believe. It’s tough to cast your worries to the Lord, because turmoil is all around us and keep us distracted. But there’s a time in our lives where we just can’t do it by ourselves. We need serious help from somebody in the helping business. All we have to do is call on Him! He can handle all of our problems if we just let Him!

The Hand of God

Just a couple of days ago, my home was broken into. The suspect broke the door frame near the deadbolt to get in. What was so odd about this was I saw the suspect walking in front of the place at 5:50 early morning in 25 degrees weather. I will be brief about the details but when I left I kept looking at this person in my review mirror that was still walking. My spirit was telling me something was wrong but I continued on to work. About 8:40AM I received a call to come home that my place had been broken into. When I arrived I saw several law enforcement cars and a crime unit all over the place. When I saw the door I pictured the worse. However, the guys were smiling. They caught him and the suspect was already in jail! Without the quick response of my neighbors who had a good idea of my work habits they called it in and the “boys in blue” were able to apprehend the guy. Great neighbors! Believe me there are a lot more details and events that took place that morning but they aren’t what I’m writing about! On the way home, I had plenty of time to think about what would be missing and the mess I’ll need to clean up. But I started thinking that whatever God has in store for me, it was His Will. The fact is, I started praising God for His goodness! Don’t ask why, I just did. I thanked Him for taking control of my life, since I had already given it over to Him. So when I did arrive, I found that the most damage was to the door frame and an upstairs blind that the suspect broke jumping out of to avoid the police! All I can say is that the Hand of God was in all of this! I realize a lot of people don’t believe or have the faith to want to, but there is a power beyond any of our control that exists. I feel so grateful that I barely can only express myself. I fall, too! God knows I have my faults. But, He is a merciful God, a kind-hearted God that forgives constantly.
I write about early responders a lot and how they risk their lives everyday to protect and serve. They have a thankless job and not many are appreciated even when they save lives or get another slug off the streets. But, I will always appreciate what they do because I know what it takes to serve the public. Many people get angry when it seems that no one is available to help them when needed. Others are ungrateful when they do. Such is the life of a public servant. When they give their lives, they leave families and loved ones behind, too! They cry, they hurt, and they love just like everyone else. Whether you will ever need our first responders or not, whenever you see them, smile or wave at them. By now you know that I am talking about law enforcement, EMS, and our military. There are many others that I did not name, but I'll remind you that you, too, are a first responder! Let’s pray that the Hand of God is always with you and them!

Have a Blessed & Wonderful New Year!

2010, not only is this the beginning of a New Year, it’s the beginning of a New Decade! Many of us are glad 2009 is over and look for high expectations in 2010. But as we get older reality sinks in and we notice that some things are not always what they seem! That no matter how positive we are and want to be, disappointments and frustrations still affect us! Our bodies feel pain, that don’t react the way we want them to and definitely don’t recover as fast as they used to. The fact of the matter is living has taught us to be wary of good things. We have seen more than our share of trials and tribulations and now know that nothing is guaranteed except death. Some people are already not paying taxes. I’m not taking anybody on a downward spiral of negativity this New Year! Don’t dwell on past regrets, disappointments, and failures. In fact, I want us to be more positive and tolerant in this New Year and New Decade. Remember Y2K? A year later 2001? Each of us has major and minor unforgettable moments that the past year and 10 years impressed on us. Take a moment and think about what happened in your life. Now take a moment to think about what you’d like to see happen in your life this New Year and decade. I bet you a donut that everything you thought for the future is positive! We are all positive people and enjoy being happy, we have just seen too many things that took our energy. As long as we live, we will be faced with challenges, but it depends on how we deal with them. What has been working for me is I bring God with me in everything I do. He’s there with me all of the time but when I’m working, He’s right next to me! This is a good day to start over again! Don’t stop at resolutions, continue with commitments. What would we like to see change within us, around us? Can we do something about it? Will we? Hope wasn’t just a platform that our President ran on, it was around long before him. Jesse Jackson would say “Keep hope alive!” But hope can be a heavyweight word, it’s pushing for change in all of our lives. Your looks will change in time even your spirit. But develop that relationship with God and the real you will change for the better! So, why not change for the better? Work it out! Lean on the Lord!! He has gotten us out of situations that we didn’t think was possible. But, remember, don’t bring it on yourself! I wish you a blessed & wonderful life!