Sometimes, we tend to find excuses for the things that don't work out for us. We tend to blame others instead of taking responsibility for our actions, which only elevates the excuses. This behavior also applies to standing up for what is right. We often remain silent and wait for someone else to take the initiative instead of holding ourselves accountable. "What's your excuse, now?" is about empowering ourselves to make choices that will help us feel comfortable and confident in our skin.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Foolishness of Pride!
I constantly pray to guard my
tongue, heart, thoughts and soul to be careful of what I say not to offend
others. I want to be treated the way I treat others. I do not always get the
same treatment but I still try. I think I am in some control of my emotions but
that is foolishness on my part. I am not always in control and my pride still
gets the better of me. Pride lets you be stupid at the moment and then
humiliates you later. Quoting Forrest Gump’s mother, “Stupid is as stupid does.”
I have to pray unceasingly not to let the foolishness of pride take control. The
sad part of pride allows others to take control of you. Be wary, my friend,
stay alert at all times.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Obama Africanus the First - by Geoffrey R. Stone
Things
to question
Edward H. Levi Distinguished Service Professor
of Law, University of Chicago
I've been thinking lately about the persistently vituperative
and insulting attacks on President Obama since 2008. It is, of course,
commonplace in American politics for presidents to be lambasted for their
policies, their programs, their values, and even their personal quirks.
Sometimes the tone crosses the line. John Adams was accused by a political
opponent of "swallowing up" every "consideration of the public
welfare ... in a continual grasp for power." James Madison was demeaned as
"Little Jemmy," because he was short. James Buchanan, who once
declared that workers should get by on a dime a day, came to be mocked as
"Ten Cents Jimmy."
John Tyler, who assumed the presidency after the death of
William Henry Harrison, was ridiculed as "His Accidency." Congressman
Abraham Lincoln castigated President James K. Polk as a "completely
bewildered man." Opponents of Woodrow Wilson's reinstitution of the draft
in World War I accused him of "committing a sin against humanity."
Critics of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal attacked him as an "un-American
radical." Richard Nixon was famously known as "Tricky Dick," and
of course he was not "A Crook." At the height of the Vietnam War,
Lyndon Johnson was excoriated by his opponents as a "Murderer" and a
"War Criminal."
But no president in our nation's history has ever been
castigated, condemned, mocked, insulted, derided, and degraded on a scale even
close to the constantly ugly attacks on President Obama. From the day he
assumed office -- indeed, even before he assumed office -- he was subjected to
unprecedented insults in often the most hateful terms.
He has been accused of being born in Kenya, of being a
"secret Muslim," of being complicit with the Muslim Brotherhood, of
wearing a ring bearing a secret verse from the Koran, of having once been a
Black Panther, of refusing to recite the pledge of allegiance, of seeking to
confiscate all guns, of lying about just about everything he has ever said,
ranging from Benghazi to the Affordable Care Act to immigration, of faking bin
Laden's death, and of funding his campaigns with drug money. It goes on and on
and on. Even the President's family is treated by his political enemies with
disrespect and disdain.
If one browses even respectable websites, one can readily find
bumper stickers, coffee cups, and tee-shirts for sale with such messages as:
"Dump This Turd" (with an image of President Obama); "Coward!
You Left Them To Die in Benghazi" (with an image of President Obama);
"Somewhere in Kenya A Village Is Missing Its Idiot" (with an image of
President Obama); "Islam's Trojan Horse" (with an image of President
Obama); "Pure Evil" (with an image of President Obama); "I'm Not
A Racist: I Hate His White Half Too" (with an image of President Obama);
"He Lies!" (with an image of President Obama); and on and on and on.
Now, don't get me wrong. Every one of these messages is
protected by the First Amendment, and people have a right to express their
views, even in harsh, offensive, cruel, and moronic ways. We the People do not
need to trust or admire our leaders, and we should not treat them with respect
if we don't feel they deserve our respect. But the sheer vituperation directed
at this President goes beyond any rational opposition and is, quite frankly,
mind-boggling.
In part, of course, this might just be a product of our times.
Perhaps the quality of our public discourse has sunk so low that any public
official must now expect such treatment. Perhaps any president elected in 2008
would have been greeted with similar scorn and disdain. But, to be honest, that
seems unlikely.
Of course, there are those who say that this phenomenon is due
in part, perhaps in large part, to the fact that President Obama is
African-American. But surely racism is dead in America today, right?
One fact that might lend some credence to the theory that racism
has something to do with the tenor of the attacks on President Obama is that
only one other president in our history has been the target of similar (though
more subdued) personal attacks.
In his day, this president was castigated by the press and his
political opponents as a "liar," a "despot," a
"usurper," a "thief," a "monster," a
"perjurer," an "ignoramus," a "swindler," a
"tyrant," a "fiend," a "coward," a
"buffoon," a "butcher," a "pirate," a
"devil," and a "king." He was charged with being
"cunning," "thickheaded," "heartless,"
"filthy," and "fanatical." He was accused of behaving
"like a thief in the night," of being "the miserable tool of
traitors and rebels," and of being "adrift on a current of racial
fanaticism." He was labeled by his enemies "Abraham Africanus the
First."
But, of course, race had nothing to do with it then, either.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thanks in All Things!
In our seasons of challenges and adversities, let us find some time in our world of busyness to give thanks to the Almighty Father. There are people in our communities with only the clothes on their backs still able to smile to others who sometimes frown on them. Show your gratefulness by being kind and patient with others not only during this holiday season but throughout the year. Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
November 4, 2014, Please Vote!
If you complain about the system,
do something about it, vote! Your vote does count. It
will make a difference!
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Women at Heart!
Valerie Burton, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, September 20, 2014 |
Valerie Burton was in Columbia this
weekend as the keynote speaker at the Women at Heart event. It was a free heart health forum and exhibition. Valorie is a life coach,
author, and motivational speaker. She is also the founder of the Coaching and
Positive Psychology Institute (CaPP). Even though we never met, our paths ran
parallel because of her family and mine. My mother spoke very highly of
Valerie. If Valerie is anything like her mom she is a beautiful person. I would
like for you when you have the time to read some of her books and follow her web
page. She is very encouraging and inspirational. Thanks 'DV' for the picture!
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Joe Sample - Old Places, Old Faces!!
Legendary pianist Joe Sample, who
was known for pushing the boundaries of jazz music, passed away Friday night in
his hometown ofHouston
at the age of 75, his family announced on Facebook. The keyboardist, who
collaborated with artists like Miles Davis, B.B. King, Marvin Gaye and Steely
Dan, was best known as the founder of the Crusaders, a quartet that popularized
a soulful, funky sound in the 1960s and ’70s. Rest in Peace!
was known for pushing the boundaries of jazz music, passed away Friday night in
his hometown of
at the age of 75, his family announced on Facebook. The keyboardist, who
collaborated with artists like Miles Davis, B.B. King, Marvin Gaye and Steely
Dan, was best known as the founder of the Crusaders, a quartet that popularized
a soulful, funky sound in the 1960s and ’70s. Rest in Peace!
Friday, September 12, 2014
Thank you!
We see miracles happen everyday but we do not notice them until they affect us or someone close to us. I want to take the time to say thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Bates for being a miracle. To God be the glory! God bless you and be with you, always!
Prayers in Time of Sickness!
Prayer in Time of Sickness
O Jesus, You suffered and died
for us; You understand suffering; Teach _(Name)_ to
understand _(His/Her)_ suffering as You do; To bear it in union with
You; To offer it with You to atone for _(His/Her)_ sins and to bring
Your grace to souls in need. alm _(His/Her)_ fears; increase _(His/Her)_ trust.
May _(His/Her)_ gladly accept Your holy will and become more
like You in trial. If it be Your will, restore _(His/Her)_ to health so that
_(His/Her) may Work for Your honor and glory and the salvation of all men.
Amen.
Mary, help of the sick, pray for
me.
*** You may use this pray for
others. If praying for yourself; (Name) and (His/Her) can be substituted with
(Me).
Prayer for the Sick
Dear Jesus, Divine Physician and
Healer of the Sick, we turn to You in this time of illness. O dearest Comforter
of the Troubled, alleviate our worry and sorrow with Your gentle love, and
grant us the grace and strength to accept this burden. Dear God, we place our worries
in Your hands. We place our sick under Your care and humbly ask that You
restore Your servant to health again. Above all, grant us the grace to
acknowledge your holy will and know that whatsoever You do, You do for the love
of us. Amen
Source: A Collection of
Favorite Prayers
Friday, September 5, 2014
What Am I Supposed To Do Now, Lord?
What are we supposed to do when
we go through adversity? We seek God’s
answer through prayers and supplications but we still do not hear from Him. It
seems the more time we give, the longer we wait. I know that it is God’s timing not my own but
I can not help it since I think worldly.
I also know for a fact that God has not brought me this far to leave me
now. When we get too comfortable we do
not want to change. In fact, in our
comfort zones, we take things for granted and when you take things for granted
you do not miss them until they are gone.
When we face a crisis, we tend to look at the crisis instead of looking
at God who is bigger than our crisis. Sometimes we do not see the good in
things because we are concentrating on the bad. We lose sleep, weight, cry and
get depressed when something in our lives change from what we were used to.
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat realized that he was about to
face three armies and the odds were three against one. Jehoshaphat realized his helplessness in the
midst of this crisis. Fear gripped him because he knew that he could not stand
against this united force. This great multitude was more than he could handle.
He openly declares this to the Lord, "For we have no power against this
great multitude that is coming against us" 2 Chronicles 20:12. He recognized that he was helpless in this
midst of this crisis. He acknowledged that he could not deal with this crisis
on his own. Jehoshaphat accepted the
fact that he was helpless and nothing in his own power could change it.
This sense of helplessness
compelled him to pray, "And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek
the LORD and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah ." 2 Chronicles 20:3. He prayed because of his helplessness. And he
did not mouth a superficial prayer. He prayed with intensity in this crisis.
The text says that he "set himself to seek the Lord." He then
proclaimed a fast. This fasting would only intensify his praying. He poured his
heart out to God because He knew that only God could help. The root of this
intense praying is his helplessness. That is why it is crucial to realize our
helplessness in the midst of the crisis. The acknowledgment of our helplessness
will drive us to pray. It will motivate us to seek the Lord and depend on Him
for His strength, His solutions, and His direction. Helplessness is not a
hindrance to prayer. It is actually a help to seeking God. Let our helplessness
drive us to seek God. We cannot handle the crises of our lives and that we must
pray as we face them and grow through them.
Our response to a crisis is often
to find a solution. We try and work it out on our own to relieve the pain. Sometimes
our pride makes us think that we can handle the crisis. Yet, our first response
to a crisis should be to commit to seeking the Lord. The commitment of our heart
must be, "Lord, I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are fixed on
You." Our commitment must be to pray and wait on the Lord. There are times
that God will answer us immediately in the midst of a crisis. Then, there are
other times when God’s answer comes later. We live in an age of fast food,
drive-through banking, and instant communication. We are used to instant
gratification. As a child of God, we will be required to seek Him and wait on
Him and His timing. Sometimes we will have to seek Him intensely and wait for
Him. Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew
7:7.
Jehoshaphat praised God in the
midst of his crisis. He put his confidence in the greatness of God not in the
power of man. We need to do the same,
concentrate on God’s character and love for us.
Remind him of the promises He made to us and accept His will. The real pain is leaving our comfort zone for
something better. In the end,
Jehoshaphat did not fight the battle, a loving and merciful God did. In fact, God told Jehoshaphat to stand back
and watch. God answered Jehoshaphat’s prayer for help. His command was clear,
"Listen, all you of Judah ,
and you inhabitants of Jerusalem ,
and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the Lord to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed
because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.
Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz,
and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and
see the salvation of the Lord." 2
Chronicles 20:15-17. God promised victory if they would trust in Him and
stand firm. They experienced victory because they sought God, listened to Him,
and obeyed Him. Keep in mind that our
battles can be sickness, drug independence, financial, marital and other issues
that can cause crises.
When we are in the midst of a
crisis, we must remember whose crisis it is. We must understand that it is God’s
crisis. It is God’s opportunity to work in powerful and unique ways in our lives.
This is His occasion to reveal Himself in new and fresh ways to us. It is His
circumstance to show us how much He loves us and cares for us. I am not saying
that everything that happens to us is good. There are a lot of crappy things
that can happen to us. The crises that we face in life can be agonizing and
devastating. Yet, at the same time, they can be opportunities for God to work
in us, speak to us, and change us. They can be times for God to show us Himself
as never before in our lives. We do not have to drown in fear and
discouragement in the midst of crisis. Understand that this is God’s opportunity
to work in our lives. The crises may be bad, but God is good. No matter how
hard life gets, God is always good and merciful. He can take the crises of life
and use them for His own glory and our good.
Praise God for being the Potter
who shapes and molds our lives even through adversity. Praise God for being the generous
God who pours out His blessings on us in the midst of adversity. Praise God
for being the giving God who supplies our needs even in the midst of crisis.
I love you and appreciate you.
God bless!
“For I know the plans I have
for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah
29:11.
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Rest In Peace, Joan Rivers!
Joan Rivers dead at 81! The native New Yorker, who became
almost as famous for her unapologetic love of plastic surgery as her barbed
humor, never recovered after going into cardiac and respiratory arrest Aug. 28.
Melissa Rivers decided to take her mother off life support at The Mount Sinai
Hospital eight days after she arrived at the facility.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Opportunities!
I don’t know where
this precept came from but think about how many opportunities we already missed. That's the joy of learning from experience, you are never too old to learn something new.
"Think about the people in
YOUR WORLD.
There will be opportunities
every day
for you to open your arms…
To the ones you love…
To the strangers you don’t know.
They just might see a light in you that
will give them a
reason to believe in something bigger
than themselves…
Someone bigger than us all.
That’s something…
Something
worth leaving behind."
Anon.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Look Unto Jesus!
We are challenged to look beyond
things and people. Things and people can
distract us from our God-given purpose in life.
The enemy wants us to concentrate on what we are going through not
beyond our situation. We have come
through some things that even caused us nightmares but we did. God sometimes
put us in a position to confront our fears. God wants us to turn our fears into
faith. We need to look to Him not to things
or people because they can not do what He can.
We innocently rely on the wrong sources. Sometimes we have to disconnect from these sources and connect with Jesus! We may consider our “arrival” in society as being successful with all the accouterments
that we acquired along the way. We
forget the people who prayed on their knees every night and stuck by us everyday for asking God to help us. We do not have a
clue what situations they were going through because of their selfless love and
faith. The first sign of struggle that
we had to face we cried out our woes and lose hope. The enemy wants to destroy us and wants us to
think we are alone. What happened to our faith?
Many people have gone through worse stuff than we have and
they still do not give up. They are not alone!
They know that God is with them. They know the author of their faith is Jesus.
What Jesus starts, He finishes!
If the Lord will not fix the problem, it can not be fixed. Our problem is when we want God to resolve
our problem when we want it done. We forget that we are not in control and want
our situation taken care of right now. If we
stay in faith, we will realize that it is not our timing but the Lord’s. The
miracle is coming and for all we know it may already be there! We get too caught in up in stuff that we do not even notice until afterwards. Keep
our eyes on Jesus and look beyond our situation! And when your breakthrough comes, get on your
knees and thank the Lord for His love and mercy. Do not forget this time and
all of the times He has brought you through your struggles. We all are living testimonies! Let us call on
the name of Jesus! He did not die in vain for us! His love and mercy endures forever!
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Focus!
Look beyond your situation. We
focus sometimes on the wrong things.
Philippians 4:8; Think on positive and good things. Focus. Will we waste
time focusing on the negative? We are more than conquerors. Deut 28:6; We are
blessed coming in and going out. Find the good in the negative. We are children
of the living God, and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens
us. God has blessed us with life. Change
your focus. Job 22:28; Believe and decree! What are you focusing on? Look
beyond your situation! 2 Kings 6:20; Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and
let him see!” We look at situations in the natural but not in the spiritual.
Elisha's servant saw a disaster but Elisha saw a miracle. What do you see? The
difference between Elisha and the servant was the anointing. Anointing allows
you to look at the situation but not focus on it because you can see the hand
of God working on your side. If the Lord is keeping you, why are you
worried? Praise God in the midst of your
situation! The anointing destroys the yoke in your life! God has an army all
around you! Do not be discouraged! Can you look beyond your situation? Can you
see the miracles? Can you say that you trust the Lord? Do you believe what you say? Focus on what God
will do, not what the devil is doing. Lord, thank you for working in my behalf!
Do Not Let Fear Control Our Lives!
The enemy operates even more at your spiritual high. Be prepared for the enemies at what you think are your greatest moments. Jesus fed the thousands and the apostles were elated. Yet, after the miracle Jesus told the apostles to get on the boat and set out for the other side, he will be with them later. That night, a great storm took over their euphoria and they became frightful. They forgot who they were with and the miracle they left. Fear overwhelmed them and seeing Christ walking on the water that night scared them, too. They were afraid that he was a ghost. We all will experience fear sometime during our lives but we can't let it overcome us. When Peter was on the water with Jesus, fear almost caused him to drown. Christ asked why he doubted him. Like Peter we become fearful because we don't think God will help us. We focus on the fear than focus on what God can do. Do we doubt the goodness of the Lord? Job 3:25. Job was afraid about his circumstances. Here are a few tips.
1) Look out for the unexpected
storms that pop up in our lives. Don't give up in the middle of the storm, go through
it! Don't let the storm stop you from your destination. Sometimes we go through
things to see what God can do. The unexpected things bless us in unusual ways.
2) God sees our struggles and He knows when to show up. Sometimes the blessing
is in the struggle. Do not despise your position. We are where God wants us to
be. 3) We must look beyond our fears and keep the faith. Remember that His
Hands are on us. Keep your eyes on Jesus because the enemy wants us to look
elsewhere. In the midst of what terrifies us the most our eyes should be on the
Lord, our God. We can not let fear control our lives! We must trust and keep our faith in God!
Rest in Peace, Don Pardo!
Don Pardo, the television and radio announcer whose
distinctive voice-over style was widely imitated and recognizable on Saturday
Night Live, died Monday in Arizona at
the age of 96.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Tuning In To God’s Voice!
I went for my two mile walk
around the lake today! Walking helps
calm my thoughts and take time to appreciate the beauty of nature. I use the time to meditate, reflect and enjoy
a peaceful walk. I noticed that the
shadows among the pathway were different than my early morning walks. If it was not for the recognized landmarks, I
thought I was going a different way.
It’s interesting how shadows can deceive you. They cast doubts and fears like the same kind
that cast fears and doubts in our lives.
Once they take over, they mislead us and often cause us to make wrong
choices. Fortunately, some of us manage
to get back on track but not with any help of our own. When we look back on the rough areas in our
lives we sometimes thought that we would never make it, but we did. Do not think that we were responsible for
getting back on the path. God loves us
so much that He will not let us fail if we stay faithful to him as He does for
us. It is my choice that I tune in and
listen for that quiet voice. He will
keep me on the right path and lead me in the right direction despite my
trials. Like Joyce Meyers said, “pray
that we can see the treasures in our trials.”
Chow-Chow, the Emperor’s Guard Dog!
On my walk I met a very kind gentleman
with a beautiful black Chow. Her name
was bear, even though she looked like a small lion. The Chinese name for Chow-chow is puffy-lion dog. Bear weighed 89 pounds and very docile. While Jonathan and I talked, she stretched
out and relaxed. In fact, Bear did not
get up until three young ladies approached her directly and wanted to take her
picture and pet her. That was the only
time that Bear barked, she did not care for people she did not know to get
close to her. Her fur was black and
shiny and very soft according to Jonathan.
We had a very interesting
conversation, Jonathan was cordial and entertaining. He has an ebook on Adjuster Stories. You can guess that Jonathan was an insurance
adjuster supervisor and wrote about the various experiences he had contact
with. Go to the website www.AdjusterStories.com Joshua, a
Navy veteran has the right voice and tone for the talking book.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
RIP, Lauren Bacall!
Lauren Bacall transitioned at 89 years young on August 12, 2014, after suffering a stroke at her home. Rest in Peace!
RIP, Robin Williams!
Robin Williams was found dead Monday, August 11, 2014. He was 63 years old. Rest in Peace!
Friday, August 8, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
My Prayer To You!
I pray for a speedy recovery, my friend. I pray for good health and prosperity. I pray that you take the time to appreciate yourself. I pray that whatever struggles you are going through you will overcome. I pray that you find the inner strength to always maintain your confidence. I pray that you will continue to fight against the destructive habits that try to destroy you and continue successfully to stay away from them. I pray that you find divine guidance obtain wisdom and understanding. I pray that the transition you are going through means you are mentally and spiritually growing on your journey. I pray that your grudges towards others will be removed and that peace be restored. I pray that someday you will find the courage to forgive those that offended and hurt you. I pray that you will be united with the people you love long enough to tell them that you love them. I pray that you learn to be grateful for the small things you are given as well as, the bountiful.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Analysis of Dissecting an Onion!
Fear and distrust drove me to be
the type of person I am. It also kept me
from being the type of person I should be.
I kept out people with interests different than mine and I thought they
had other reasons to get close to me. You are a great friend until you are no longer needed. Most of us learned it the hard way. Don’t try to analyze me, I had a great childhood and loved my family and
friends.
I grew up in a time when society
was segregated. As young children, we
could not understand why we could not drink out of the same water fountains as
the white children. We could not go in
some restaurants but through the side door or servants’ entries. I remembered my first trip to New York was waiting for
the bus in a dusty baggage area instead of the clean waxed floor and
air-conditioned waiting room as our counterparts. They even had a water fountain, soda and a
snack machine. Our people would pack
brown bag lunches for us filled with fried chicken that could last the duration.
We had other snacks that would keep us full to avoid going in stores in
unfamiliar towns. We had to sit in the
back of the bus. Trains were not that
different, it did get us to our destinations faster, but we were still told to
sit in special box cars. Blacks had to
sit in balcony section in the movies but it never bothered me.
There were two societies back then,
Negroes and Whites. I look back and
think of the labels we had from Colored, to Negro, Black and now
African-American. Black and
African-American seems to be interchangeable now. Senior black men were still called boy and
whatever name that seem to fit at the time.
It was common not to be seen on the
same social level.
The Supreme Court ruling in 1896
in Plessy vs. Ferguson
that separate facilities for whites and blacks were constitutional encouraged
the passage of discriminatory laws that wiped out the gains made by blacks
during Reconstruction.
On June 7, 1892, 30-year-old
Homer Plessy was jailed for sitting in the "White" section of the
East Louisiana Railroad. Plessy could easily pass for white but under Louisiana law, he was
considered black despite his light complexion and therefore required to sit in
the "Colored" boxcar. When Louisiana
passed the Separate Car Act, legally segregating common carriers in 1892, a
black civil rights organization decided to challenge the law in the courts.
Plessy deliberately sat in the white section and identified himself as black.
He was arrested and the case went all the way to the United States Supreme
Court. Plessy's lawyer argued that the Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth
and Fourteenth Amendments. The Plessy
decision set the precedent that "separate" facilities for blacks and
whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal." The
"separate but equal" doctrine was quickly extended to cover many
areas of public life, such as restaurants, theaters, restrooms, and public
schools.
Many blacks are passing for
white. Why not? They don’t want to be treated as their darker
complexion brethren. The master during
slavery discriminated but didn’t see anything wrong with sleeping with the
slave women. Mixing enough can change
the complexion of anyone. The people you
might think are white just might not be who you think. Comments about being Blacks being the racists
are nonsense. They are distractions from
the real racists. When you are
considered a second-class citizen, inferior and lazy that does not make you
racists. It makes you angry because you
never had equal treatment because of your skin color. No one can decide in what race or family you
will be born in, no one.
The fact is that not much has
changed in our society now. Racism is a
learned behavior and it passed down from generation to generation. Somewhere within that generation it will
stop. How can a nation built on
immigrants escaping from the abuse of their country find the time to be
intolerant towards others, especially, when greed abused the Native Americans
that already lived here and took their lands?
Jim Crow was the practice of
discriminating against black people, through a set of laws passed in the
Southern states, after they had earned their freedom from slavery. These laws were enforced with extreme
prejudice. Blacks could not vote until the late 60s. Congress responded to rampant
discrimination against racial minorities in public
accommodations and government services by passing the Civil
Rights Act of 1964. The Act also included some voting rights protections: it
required registrars to equally administer literacy tests in writing to each
voter and to accept applications that contained minor errors, and it stated that
persons with a sixth-grade education were sufficiently literate to
vote. However, despite lobbying from civil rights leaders, the Act did not
prohibit most forms of voting discrimination.
There were so much hatred towards
people of color and it hasn’t changed much now.
I find it extremely perplexing that there have been so many polls on the
Obama Administration and how they seem to cast fear in particular segments of
society. I question comments that he is
“half-black” when I never seem to hear that he is “half-white.” This is the mental block that not many people
will admit. The real fact is they do see
him for his color and their fears are about what this black man will do to America . A small section of society gets the most
news. The media loves these polls
because it makes them money and stirs up hostilities. The truth of the matter is if Congress had
actually set out to work with the President, the polls would give different
numbers. Is it that easy to forget what
the republicans stated that they will do everything in their power to make this
a one-term President? They decided that
they will not work towards bringing America together, but separating it
with partisan politics. Personally, ask
Mitt Romney and Eric Cantor about the polls.
Yet, I hear how much blacks hate
whites just as much as whites hate them.
Do two wrongs make it right?
Instead of speculating why not talk to the other person civilly you
might find that the frustration and disgust they feel about their unfair
treatment. A man might not have power
and authority but if you disrespect or take away his dignity, you don’t know
what to expect from him.
I have learned that hatred can
come from the people you least expect.
Always, keep an open mind and do not be judgmental. I experienced my own when I attended boarding
school in New York . My first night when I pulled my sheets back
for bed, I found a small sheet of paper on my pillow that someone had written,
“N*###h, go home.” I don’t want to dwell
in this area of racial hatred and discrimination too long. We must learn not to stereotype everyone
because of one or two people. There are
good and bad people in all areas in society.
You have to put the bad memories behind you and move forward. Otherwise, it will stunt your spiritual
growth.
“Be careful for what you pray
for, you might get it.” Depending on
what you prayed for, you might get your answer but not the way you expected.
God does have a sense of humor but not man’s sense of humor. He will give you an answer and even though it
was not what we expected, it was even better.
I started seeing my spiritual
growth when my mother passed. The day
before she died, I knew it. There was
something deep inside of me that I felt.
I hugged her for the final time and told her it was okay and how much I
loved her. I also told her that I could
not stay, I’m going home. I’m not
cold-hearted or insensitive but I could not bear seeing here leave. I believed that my mother knew it because
when I returned home, my brother called me and told me that she also went
home. He stayed in the room with
her. My mother meant a lot to me, she
was my anchor and rock.
I learned a lot about treating
people with respect and dignity from her.
It takes some time but it doesn’t hurt to be nice and kind. She told me to always be true to myself. It has gotten me into some serious situations
and took a toll on me. But I learned
from the mistakes I made. Yes, “this too
shall pass.” What was miraculous about
some of these situations I never noticed when my “morning” came. I was focused on the situation than God. But, by the grace of God I was able to move
on.
How often do we take our
blessings for granted? How often do we
feel in control when the pressures of life burden us? We can do one of two things; stay in faith
and confront the situation or we can give up. We concentrate our time on the
problem that we forget who is able to overcome them. During these times, we don’t make the time to
even notice our blessings just the adversities.
Even then, I have taken my blessings for granted. I often thought of myself as being special,
God’s favorite. Yet, we are all children
of God. Somewhere along this journey
being tossed back and forth with life’s stormy waves we forget that we are all
children of God. The fact is, we think
that because of our failings and faults, God could never forgive us.
Jesus had his group whom he
trusted and they were a lot worse than most of us. But, they developed a relationship of love
and trust with Him because they knew He would give them another opportunity to
redeem themselves. Their loyalty
overcame their distrust. They recognized
Jesus’ vision and did their best to carry it out. They knew that they would
face failures and obstacles but they trusted Christ enough that He would see
them through.
It’s hard to convince someone
that there is a light at the end of the tunnel when he can only see darkness. If your life is miserable don’t make mine
miserable, too. Some make it worse by
hurting themselves or others by taking the easy way out. It’s not worth it. The losses are greater than the loss they
face. We are all chosen for a purpose
and some of us accept the challenge. Of
course, we don’t always know what that purpose is. It’s a gut feeling that makes us passionate
about what we do. That’s why some people
do so well in areas that we don’t think we can.
But those that are passionate about what they do are fulfilling a
purpose that they were called to do, meant to do and get it done successfully.
Isn’t it interesting, that some
people know early in life what they want to do?
Some are called to service, helping others. Others might have seen something
traumatic happen in their lives and seek to do something positive about it. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as you
are doing it for the right reason, to bless others. To follow your dream requires a lot of
dedication and commitments that at the first adversity, we give up. We may not get national or local recognition
for the things we do for others. Does it
matter? We are doing something good for the kingdom of God .
My layers are being peeled back
for reasons greater than my understanding.
All that I’ve been through have been for a reason. I believe that you are never too old and that
it’s never too late to do what you were meant to do and be. Our bondage is limited to the way we think
and our attitudes towards adversities.
We were meant to encourage, inspire and motivate each other to improve
lives for all of us. Humility, love,
tolerance, patience and forgiveness, to name a few goals, are something to work
towards. They are not easy to achieve but
we can try. It takes sacrifices to work
hard for something worth having. It is
no doubt that the enemy of man will do everything to distract our focus from
achieving our goals. That’s why we can’t
do it by ourselves. We must submit to a
higher authority, our Creator within us, to help combat the works of the enemy.
I am convinced that we all have been
given unique gifts. It’s up to us to find a way to use them. We must be respectful and patient of others
who may not share the same thoughts as us.
We don’t need people around us who can’t believe in us. We don’t need the negativity. Yes, we are chosen for a divine reason, we
are not the only ones who believe in ourselves.
Our Lord believes in us and gives us the ability to comeback from our
setbacks.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
To The Surviving Family Members of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17!
Our prayers are with you and the innocent victims of those that express hatred for all things good! We pray also for civil unrest around the world and here in the United States! There are too many areas to name!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Childlike Faith!
“I tell you the truth, anyone who
doesn’t receive the Kingdom
of God like a child will
never enter it.” Mark 10:15 (NLT).
Close your eyes for a minute, I
hope that you are not driving while reading this. Think back to a time and place when you had
no concerns or cares. All that you
wanted to do was just eat, play and sleep. Our only world was the one around us where we did not even know about
paying bills, taxes or buying gas. Our
parents took care of all that and many other grownup things that did not stress
us out. We did not stress out too much
because our priorities were different and we expected the grownups to take care
of problems.
As a little boy, I played
stickball in the street, climb trees, rode roller-skate go-carts and took risks
never thinking of the consequence because a children we weren’t afraid of
anything except the boogeyman. For those
children who were blessed to have a father or grandfather in their lives while
growing up seemed to have that their father or grandfather could do
anything. They were bigger, stronger, and
smarter who gave us just about whatever we wanted. They also got the biggest dinner plate but
that was okay because they had to be strong. They also issued the discipline when mom felt that she could not get
through to us.
As I grew older with
responsibilities, those worries that my parents had came rushing in. I had a job
that I no longer enjoyed. I had bosses that I could not trust and my fears and
doubts began to seep in. I felt overwhelmed
and frustrated. A door was closing and I
could not keep it open. The peculiar
thing about it is that I had prayed for a change. I just wanted it done my way. I forgot my faith in the present while too
busy thinking about my future. I had bill collectors that didn’t care as long
as I paid the bills on time. I had
overcome a lot of obstacles and challenges but believed that God got me through
even though my faith was not as strong as it should have been. As the years passed by, I began to dwell upon
the days of my childhood, searching for the antidote to cure all those fears
that were making me lose my way. My antidote was approaching God with childlike
belief.
When I was
young, I did not need to worry, my parents would take care of my problems. I would bring my problems to them and expect
them to handle it which they did. I had not developed my faith in God at the time but I sure
had faith in my parents. I did believe
in angels because of the pictures I saw with angels standing behind little
children. Also, my mom told me that
everyone had a guardian angel especially children since they are innocent to the
world's demands. The world has a way of leaving scars inside of you if you are not prepared. My memory of angels
revived when they began to show themselves to me in adulthood. I knew they were angels because strangers
walked up to me to tell everything will be alright and God is with you. They were people I never met and never saw
again. It was at those moments that
begin to lead me back to dependence in God.
My faith is growing stronger day
by day but it is not easy. My faith knows
that God is always beside me and is always concerned about my well-being. As I begin to let go and lean on God, I am
becoming the man God wants me to be. I still have those days those worries try
to overtake me -yet I refuse to be defeated. The pressures of this world want
us to take our focus off of God. He is
my fortress and I will walk anywhere He leads, knowing God will never leave me.
So, the next time you feel
yourself caught up in the fear of this world, close your eyes tightly for a
moment and picture that child who walked without looking over their shoulders;
the person you were before the world took it’s toll on you.
Today I pray that as you approach
those trees in your life that remain unclimbed, you will grab onto a branch and
go to new heights. I pray that God will never let you fall. And most
of all, I pray, that as you are transformed through His will, you will have
“the light of the world” right beside you every step of the way.
RIP, Meshach Taylor!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Rest In Peace, Bobby Womack!
Bobby Womack passed on Friday, June 27, 2014 at 70 years of age. His music will continue to live on in our hearts!
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