Stand Back & Watch The Master At Work!!!

It’s interesting how God works.  It’s best to simply adjust your plans and let Him plan for you.  Sometimes you can see His purpose, which is usually afterwards, and sometimes you never do.  Then again, we guestimate what His purpose his anyway.  Case in point, myself.  I was supposed to be off on a Saturday in two weeks.  My schedule was changed to take this Sunday off because I was needed that Saturday.  Of course, I had a mild attitude but I adjusted because I decided to use this in my favor as time-off in the future.  Still I was a little depressed because this is also the same time period three years ago when my mom made her transition from this world.  It’s still a very tough time for me because I really do miss her.  It’s even harder just to discuss this but I think it is necessary to show how good God is and how His wisdom and plans for us supersedes anything we have for ourselves.  Besides, I don’t care if you don’t believe in God, I do.  It’s your thing.  I digress.  My mom suffered her stroke on March 6, 2008 between 5:00 p.m. and until she was found approximately 10:00 p.m.  I know about 5 because it was the last time I talked to her and she said she wasn’t feeling well.  We told each other we love you.  There's nothing like a mother's love.  Little did I know how much my life will change in those next few seconds.  I will never be the same.  My spirit told me to go see her and take her to the doctor’s office but mom told me don’t worry, she’ll be alright, and that she made an appointment to see the doctor in the morning.  Her morning never came.  She passed the day after Easter, March 24^th.  Interesting enough I’m off this Sunday which is March 6, 2011.  It’s supposed to be a very rainy, gloomy day, a stay-at-home day.  I wouldn’t be much help around people.  I will need to be alone with myself that day to reminisce.  My point is we have to let go and let God.  I think that it is important to realize how blessed we are and not to take anything for granted.  I know that it is hard to release that control to someone we don’t see but our faith and developing that relationship will make things easier.  Losing someone you love is never easy even if they are still alive.  You gave them your heart and they decided that it wasn’t good enough so you parted ways.  But losing your loved one from a sickness or death, I can’t begin to explain the emptiness.  There is no comparison.  Again, I can only speak for myself.  We can get over lost loves and broken hearts finding another to replace what we lost.  There are just some people in our lives that can never be replaced.  My mother was such a person.

Beyond Color

I’ve been on some major projects lately and haven’t forgotten my other duties.  Some have priority over others.  Every now and then I do see some wonderful things that should be presented and this is one that drew my attention.  It is a great article on race issues.  Short but very much to the point.  The title is “Defining Color Beyond Hues”.  The link is attached to the title.  Briefly, it’s about the author’s daughter’s conversation on race.  It’s amazing what little children see through their eyes and what happens to us after we become adults regarding racial attitudes.  Yes, they have an interracial family through the author’s sister who married out of their race.  Does it make a difference to any of us?  Some of us it does.  I can’t lie, it used to make a difference to me.  I couldn’t see any reason to love, let alone, marry, someone out of my race.  But as I’ve gotten older, whose business is it anyway, who people marry?  More importantly, when two people can give love unconditionally to each other regardless of race they are showing me just how strong that relationship is.  It’s complex loving someone in your own without dealing with race as a major obstacle.  Nevertheless, we do tend to change our attitudes later in life, well some of us do.  Some people who still feel the need to hate won’t change but they are the ones who are missing out on the beauty of life.  Maybe if we see a jerk, it doesn't matter what color he is.

Jennifer Hudson - Where You At!

Real Love

I was at Mass this morning when an elderly couple sat behind me.  I noticed how caring the husband was for his wife.  He asked her for his glasses from her pocketbook.  She evidently looked into the wrong place because he gently told her, “No babe, that’s not where you put it”.  I don’t know what she was going through.  It could be some type of absent-mindedness, dementia, Alzheimer’s or whatever.  It doesn’t matter.  It was the loving way that he talked to her and treated her that made me think about real love.  Like the Bible said, “Love is patient, love is kind, etc”.  It talks of love persevering and everlasting.  I saw a wonderful display of this kind of love.  I don’t know what they were like when they were younger but it’s what I see now.  And from what I’ve seen and heard they have the real thing.  The problem with this generation is that we don’t have the patience, understanding, and perseverance in our relationships.  It’s easier to give up than work things out.  Relationships are like trees, they require a lot of care after the seedlings are planted, but the ground has to be fertile and fit enough for them to gestate.  Then, a lot of tender loving care is necessary.  Once the trees take root, they get stronger, the roots get deeper and the limbs stretch out.  But storms and bad weather come and test their perseverance and fortitude. It is disappointing that only a few relationships are able to survive the onslaught of gossip, hearsay, distrust, betrayal, and accusations.  Even through all of this, many couples remain together because the public perception would be that another relationship failed.  They are miserable but stay together because some people are more concerned about what others say than their mates.

I Believe - James Fortune & Others

Whatever Valley You’re In, God Is Up To Something!

I overslept this morning and missed Mass this past Sunday.  I usually feel remorse when this happens but I was just tired discombobulated that morning.  But I wanted to give God some time so instead of going to church, I brought church to me by listening to T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and for the very first time, Dr. Charles Stanley.  I truly believed that sermon was meant for me to listen to.  Yes, it was my first time giving Dr. Stanley any attention, I did try before some time back but his approach didn’t grab me.  I don’t know, maybe it just wasn’t what I wanted to hear.  I like Joyce Myers, too.  I think this time with Dr. Stanley, I felt a very personal approach, especially, his explanation about how he felt when he lost his mother.  There are so many people that have shared some time in the valley for so many reasons.  But what impressed me most about Dr. Stanley was his explanation on why we were in the valleys.  Here are Dr. Stanley’s four points dealing with valleys.  1) Surrender your life to God. 2) Believe that the valley experience will work for our good.  3) Rest in God.  4) Thank God for bringing you through the valley.  God takes us to another mountain.  To give a testimony don’t we have to go through a test?  Another important tenet is what did we learn?  We have to go through the valleys to get to another mountain.  God is leading us to better things.  We can’t understand the preparation but our Shepherd won’t lead us astray.  All we need to do is follow Him and strengthen our relationship with God.  The Good Shepherd takes care of His sheep because He loves us and only wants the best for us.  The same thing a loving and caring father would do.  The valleys are opportunities for us to establish a relationship with God.  At the time we don’t see it.  All we see are the problems and our focus is more on why is this happening to us and our loved ones.  How can we think we are heading to another mountain when all we see are major concerns?  The Lord is our Shepherd (23^rd Psalm).  David knew what was going on.  In his valleys he still cried out to God for help and forgiveness.  But despite what David was going through, he did not take his focus on how merciful and loving God is.  The 23^rd Psalm is a very powerful prayer, a prayer said more times in sorrow than joy.  Yet, it is a joyous prayer stating that our needs are met and that we have nothing to fear because God is always with us.  “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever”.  How faithful was David?  How faithful can we be?

Lord, I Am Not Worthy … (Matthew 5:13)

Yes, Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.  Restore in me the faith that I lost believing in myself.  You believed in me when nobody else did.  It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, it’s what I do that is pleasing in your sight.  They don’t know what I’ve been through or going through.  They judge me and don’t know me.  But You knew me before I was born and You knew the purpose that I was created for.  Strengthen me with wisdom and understanding, Lord, so that I can share the blessings with others.  Make me an instrument of Your Will to direct my voice to say the right words guiding my brothers and sisters in the direction You want us to go.  We all have lost direction from so many trials and tribulations that seem to surround us.  We lost our stability when we lost sight of you and the waves of despair and hopelessness toss us about.  My friends and family mock me because I chose to follow you.  And as a result, I have lost them.  I never renounced them or criticized their ways because who am I to judge?  We are all weak and stumble through this maze called life.  The people we loved are no longer with us, you have taken them home to be with You.  There is emptiness left in our hearts along with the memories they left behind.  Your servant David was a man after Your heart.  David was an imperfect man, a man that stumbled and fell, but he kept You first.  David and so many others who did Your Will are examples for all us to follow as men who are imperfect but want to do the right thing in Your sight, Lord.  But, didn’t Your Son, Jesus, select imperfect men to be His Apostles?  They were examples for all us to follow.  They changed their ways and so can we.  It’s not easy doing to right thing.  The ways of the world can choke us like thorns. Maybe, it’s not really life or its difficulties we have the problems with.  Maybe, the problem is dealing with ourselves and the choices we make.  Lord, I will not renounce my love for You and I am thankful for Your many blessings.