blyempowered

I Must Trust!

2011-12-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Yet if we were to be totally honest this verse is easier said than done. Why? If we are directed to trust in the Lord, the one who is always consistent, the one who wakes us up every morning, the one who provides our basic needs, then why does it seem so hard to trust in God? I believe that there are many people today who are struggling with the idea of trusting God. I believe there are reasons for this. Before continuing, let me make sure that you understand that I'm not writing this as an expert in trusting God. This is a struggle that I have as I look at some things I'm dealing with. I'm writing this as encouragement for me and all those who I know (and don't know) who have issues with trusting God.

According to Strong's Concise Concordance, one of the Greek words for trust is "peitho" which means "to have confidence." Therefore when we trust God it is about us having confidence in Him. Yet I would make the case that there are many reasons why we have a hard time trusting God including:

1. We see God through human eyes. One of the realities of humanity is that we are inconsistent. We are all guilty of failing one another whether it be through a lie, failed commitments or broken promises. Therefore, because of so much human failure we see God through what we have experienced in our lives. A lot of people say "I am who I am because of my past" and a part of this is how we see people and therefore our perspective of people may influence how we see God.

2. We can't see God. Isn't it easier to trust something you can see? We have this cliche' "I'll believe it when I see it." Many of us live our lives like this in that we won't believe something until we see evidence. Trusting God by faith requires believing in Him even

though we cannot see Him. Hebrews 11 indicates the power of faith and believing without

seeing.

3. We lack personal confidence. Many of us have a hard time trusting God to work situations out for us because we lack the personal confidence that God can do great things in us. It's almost as if we see God through our personal beings. We know that we want a particular job yet we don't have the confidence to trust that God will provide the job for us and maybe the root of that is our own confidence issues. We also may lack confidence that if we really trust God and He opens the door, we'll fail in whatever He has blessed us to do. This issue of self-confidence goes back to #1. Why? Because many of us for years have been told what we can't do. We've been told my humans that we'll never amount to anything and that God can't use us. It's as if the devil plays with our minds to believe that nothing great can happen through us. That's not the right mindset to have when it comes to trusting God.

So what can we do to build our confidence (trust) in God?

1. Remember the sovereignty of God. When Jeremiah struggled with the call of God because of fear, God reminded him that He would be with Jeremiah as he was obedient to His call. Sometimes in the midst of everything going on in our lives we forget that God is

present no matter what is going on. You may at times not understand everything that is going on in your life but God is still there and knows all. So as you go through this journey

of life, trust God because He sees and knows everything that is going on. Therefore, even in

the midst of your pain God still has His hands on you.

2. Remember God's love. John 3:16a says "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son." God loves you tremendously. Even though this world will many times

make you feel like you are only loved based on clothing, gender, age and personal style, God

loves you just for who you are. It is God's love that gives us the strength to go on when we

feel like giving up. It's God's love that affirms us when people reject us. As you go through

your various situations, trust God in that He loves you and wants to see the best for you. It

doesn't matter what people expect. God's love cancels the expectations of people, especially when those expectations don't line up with what God wants to do in your life (Jeremiah 29:11).

3. Remember to keep it real with God. In this society we like to do "fake it till you make it" yet God does not want that. God wants for us to be totally honest and transparent

about how we feel. Now some would say "well He already knows how I feel" and that's true.

However, God wants us to come to Him boldly. Part of our deliverance comes in refusing

to deny what's going on. Trust God in the fact of telling God EXACTLY how you're feeling.

If you're hurting, tell God. If you're feeling depressed, tell God. If you're struggling with an

insecurity, tell God. Right now, I want you to take a couple of minutes to fully express to

God how you're feeling about some of the things in life that are stressing you. I guarantee you'll feel 10 times better.

4. Remember to press forth in Jesus name. As you trust God through remembering

His sovereignty, His love and desire for your transparency, keep pressing forth. Don't let your situations or circumstances frustrate you. You've decided to have confidence in God

and in the process you've decided to suspend stuff that does not encourage trust in God.

Therefore you must keep going knowing that God is working the situation out. Remember

that you may not understand everything that is going on but trust God that He knows what

is best. It may look one way according to human eyes, but God sees it a different way and

His view is what matters at the end of the day.

Let us pray: God I thank you for every person that will read this blog entry. I pray that you would intervene in whatever they are going through. God I pray that each person who reads this blog will trust you no matter what they are going through. We trust you God for the answer to our prayers. We trust you God for the results that we need. And God, we want you to have your way in whatever situations we face. It is in your hands God and we praise you in advance for working the problem/situation out for us, in Jesus name, amen!

State of the US economy......

2011-09-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

SN: This is the first time I've wrote in this blog in a while. I'm a "tumblr" boy now. Anyway, here we go.

As you know President Obama presented a proposal to deal with the issue of unemployment and overall economic health. Let me begin with this: 2/3 of the economy is consumer spending. Therefore is consumer spending is down, than 66% of the economy is potentially in trouble. So here's a question: is the health of the economy based on overconsumption? Someone made an argument that maybe jobs is not the solution to the economy. To me, though I go back to the stat that 2/3 of the economy is supported through consumer spending.

I am one that believes that the economic mess we are in is finally teaching us to stop spending money that we do not have and be content with what we have. Many believe (and I believe I buy the theory too) that the root of the economic problem is debt and over-using credit. I wonder if the economic crash will cause us to seriously evaluate the economic foundation of our country. We are a country that is capitalist. Is it time to evaluate whether capitalism can survive the next 10-20 years?

In this country everyone is trying to make a decent living. The problem is that in order to get a nice house, nice car and nice stuff one must over-consume just to have some of those things. A big house and nice car represent a psychological edge. Let me make sure I'm clear: I'm not against having a big house and nice car. However I'm anti-consumerism because I believe that many people get in unnecessary credit and debt issues because they want to impress others. What's wrong with living in a paid home that provides basic shelter? What's wrong with driving a car that gets you from point A to point B? This country is all about trying to impress others.

Overall I support democratic principles in regards to the economy, which is one of the main reasons why I support Obama. However I still believe that it may be time for us to look overall at the economic structure of our country. Why should the health of our economy be based mostly on consumer spending? To me, people should be able to have a decent job, pay for their basic needs (shelter, food, clothing, etc) and not have to be in humongous debt. In a time where people are losing their jobs they (via unemployment) should be able to provide needs for their home.

I'm not an expert in economic policy so I cannot provide specific solutions to this economic mess but one thing I can offer is the suggestion that we evaluate the usefulness of credit and consumption. Why? Because it seems like the health of the economy is based on spending as much as possible. Obama is right that through small businesses a lot of the economy is brought back to health. Competition is seen as the best way, yet at the same time people will go through hazards just to be competitive. Every business owner wants your money and (depending on what business it is) consumption will be something you have to fight against.

In conclusion, I'd like to see a society where everyone has a fair chance to have the basics of life (food, shelter, clothing, etc), but in this highly competitive, dog eat dog world, that is very unlikely. If politics is not solving the problem, what will? Our country is so big about the money and individualism that we will do whatever possible to make money even if it involves stepping on others to get it.

As a believer in Jesus, I plead for us to get back to the principle of contentment and wealth as truly understood by scripture. I plead for us not to be so concerned about keeping up with the Joneses but just making sure we have the basic necessities of life. Is it going to take a total collapse of the economy for us to understand what we need to do? I hope not, but the way the mindset of this country operates......i just don't know.

Social Networking....Pros and Cons

2011-05-17T16:11:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks I've been pondering some of the pros and cons of social networking as a whole. As many know, social networking has became the norm in this society. It seems like everything is centered around social networks like facebook, twitter, etc. I must admit though that I've became a little fatigued with this concept of social networking because 1) I spend too much time on it and 2) too many things have became petty thanks to social networking.

So today I decided to seek some friends on social networks regarding what they saw as some pros and cons to social networking. Some of what they said as pros included networking, connecting with people (especially those who we may have never connected with if it wasn't for social networking), rekindling of old friendships, ways to interact with persons of influence, the spread of the gospel, and convenience. Some of the cons shared included privacy (the lack thereof), the fact that once it's in cyber space it's there forever, identity theft, and potential problems with relationships.

But at the end of the day, one of the best points made to me (and I'm paraphrasing) is that "social networking is what you make it." Therefore, if we use it for positive purposes then it can be a positive force. That thought really stuck with me!

So what do I see as the pros and cons of social networking? For pros, I think social networking is a good way to connect with people. It allows people who are maybe not as social in society to be social via a computer. I think social networking is a good way to pass along information. Some of the major news stories from deaths to political stories are sometimes first brought out on social networks. Also I agree with all the points made by my friends as far as the pros.

For cons, I think that social networking has made us kind of anti-social as a society. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but I do not think that we value face to face interaction like we did back in the day. It's almost like we really don't have to have face to face conversations to interact well with people. There are many people I've met via social networking that I've never met in my life but connect with them well because we may share personal interest like belief in God. Also, I hate the fact that many people put out their business on these sites. People need to write down their very private thoughts in a journal. If they don't want people in their business, they should not put it out there because once it's out there, it's out there.

Overall, social networking is a phenomenon that most likely is not going anywhere, can be a positive tool for this generation, but at the same time must be used with caution! I've learned as I'm maturing more that everything in our head does not need to be put out there for the world to see. As it has been said, some things are better left unsaid!

Thank you!!!

2011-04-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so my parents have been under the care of RNs, CNAs, LPNs, Medical Assistants, etc. Over time amount of time I have also grown to appreciate the work that they do. Personally, I've never been disrespectful to them but I've learned that what they do is very difficult. I am of the opinion that any job serving people, especially those who are broken, homeless, sick, etc., is difficult. Most days I see what the staff people are doing and many have to feed the residents/patients, give medicine, hear demands, give baths, etc. What they do is not easy yet they preserve.

So on behalf of all of us who have been under medical care or have family who's been under medical care....THANK YOU! Thank you for what you do! It is not easy to take care of people who are sick and in need. I guarantee that you all have to deal with some who are ungrateful and have nasty attitudes, yet you continue to serve. I know that many of you all do it because it is your career but there has to be some heart for you to do what you do! Continue to serve, even when you don't feel like it and it gets hard.

Again, I want to say THANK YOU!!!!

Why I HATE the "first impressions" concept....

2011-04-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

There is a concept that is a very big aspect of life for many of us. The concept is called "first impressions." The basic idea is that your first impression that you give to someone or that you see of someone can be a determining factor of who they are as a whole or who they will be moving forward. While I understand first impressions, I want to talk about why I hate first impressions.

I'm a true believer that just because someone acts one way the first time you meet them does not mean they will be that way moving forward (positive & negatively speaking). There are people who will give you the impression from the beginning that they are a very nice person to get along with and then as time rolls on you discover that they are very mean spirited. Is that a fair first impression? Or maybe it's someone who in your first impression of them came off as mean, closed, arrogant but after spending time with them you discovered that they were nice, very open, and willing to talk. Is that a fair first impression?

I'm concerned that many of us miss opportunities for good relationships with others because of the idea of first impressions. I believe in the power of change. I also believe in the concept of phony. There are many phony people in the world who will put on a front to you and not show you the real "you." I think a case could be made that our world supports the idea of being phony via "fake it till you make it." I am also concerned that instead of looking for the growth of the individual we stay focused on the first impression. This is worst on social networking sites in which some may have never met each other face to face. It's easy to put on a front on social networking sites.

At the end of the day, my wish is that we would not judge people based solely on first impressions. I am not eliminating the idea that someone people based on "first impressions" will remain that way. Not eliminating that idea at all. I'm saying that we should give each other a chance to really show who we are. On a personal note, this is a very big fear I have. I honestly know some of the critical aspects of myself that some say but I'm afraid that they get that impression based on not talking to me often, never meeting me face to face, OR never spending time to talk to me. This is a very big concern for me.

Before judging on first impressions, let's try to get to know people for who they essentially are.

STOP IT!!!!

2011-03-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

I hope that you are having a great day. Warning: this blog entry may be controversial. Please forgive me. I need to express this.

I've been on facebook and twitter for a good period of time and one thing I've seen way too much of is generalizations about particular groups. I would even say that I've seen this interacting in society. I want to propose that we STOP generalizing men and women based on personal experiences!

I am absolutely sick and tired of seeing so many tweets and statuses that put men and women in negative generalizations. In no way am I trying to target any particular person or lower the negative experience that might have taken place, but here's my problem: just because one person of a particular gender hurts or mistreats you DOES NOT mean that everyone within that gender group will do the same or has the same mindset.

This hurts those of us who are not in relationships and desire to eventually get in one. Why? Because I'm scared that I'm going to be viewed based on this overall perception that some give us black men (which could be true to a degree). Are there some men who cheat on women, lie to them and treat them as less than a queen? Absolutely! Does this mean that all men will do the same? NO!!! Why are we so quick to put each other in categories based on our personal experience?

I propose that we begin to look at each other individually! Stop putting people in categories based on your own personal experiences. Are some perceptions true? Maybe. Does everyone fit the perception? NO!!! I understand the academics arguments that say that we as humans have to categorize things. But still, that's a disservice to those who have never been in relationships and those who do not fit the perception.

I'm convinced that a lot of these generalizations are brought out of bitterness. Again I am NOT minimizing the potential hurt that is there and if I can be a source of healing and encouragement let me know. HOWEVER, let's stop being a disservice to each other by generalizing one another based on personal experiences.

Everyone is unique and created in the eyes of God! Let's value that!

The Older I Get.....the Less I Care!

2011-02-15T09:04:00.001-08:00

So this morning I put up the following status on FB:

"is beginning to feel at peace about some things in life. When you realize that no one has a heaven or hell to put you in and the biggest thing you can suffer from some people is ridicule it makes you not care as much when people try to put you down because of your dreams and visions. I am who God says I am!"

This week so far as well as last week have been weeks of peace for me. I am realizing that as I get older I am not as concerned about the negativity of some people and their negative opinions toward me and the visions God has given me. Now I'm beginning to feel like a lot of people that as they get older they care less what people think of them. I will not say that I am fully delivered from people, but I will say that I am not as concerned.

Why? Because first of all I believe that life is too short to not achieve what God has placed in you to achieve because of someone's negativity. The reality of life is that we only have one chance to leave a legacy, accept Christ as Savior and achieve. It is so sad that there are many people who die who get to the end of their lives having so many regrets of having so much potential that they never tapped into. Recently I went to the funeral of a person who died and left this world having a regret of not achieving something that was very possible. It is sad when people leave this world with potential that will never be fully discovered. There are so many people who let negative opinions stop them from achieving. I refuse to fall in that category.

The second reason is because (kind of related to first) I realize that everyday I am moving closer and closer to the grave or the return of Jesus. This is why it is so sad when a person has spent so many years in jail for something that they did not do. That is years that they cannot get back. Every year that we allow someone's negative opinions (I'm not talking about constructive advice, I'm talking about destructive advice) to hinder us from achieving and moving forward is a year that we cannot get back. Let me take it a step further. Every day, minute, second, week, and month is one we cannot get back.

At the end of the day, God is the one that will determine our eternal destinations. The biggest thing you can suffer from people (especially in this society) is ridicule. Suffering for the sake of the calling happens. It's ok. God will reward us for stepping out on faith to do what He has called us to do.

So I encourage you to stick with what God tells you, even if it's not popular and even if folk try to doubt your ability. Life is short, but the reward is eternal. Don't leave this world with potential inside of you that will never be tapped into because of someone's negative opinion. Allow your calling and purpose to be way more important than the negative opinion of someone who will NOT determine your eternal destination!

What do they see???

2011-02-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Wow! When I think about some things in my life, I just get overwhelmed with joy. However sometimes I ask questions (not necessarily questioning the event in a negative sense).

Yesterday I received a very positive call from someone who works for the local housing authority. They were recommending me to go to a meeting in a couple of weeks that will elect officers for an advisory board. They elect officers such as president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, etc. and it seems like that person may recommend me for a position. I was just surprised that the person thought about me. Wow!

I look at the opportunity to go to college and the opportunity to be a part of a historically dynamic music ministry in Alamance County and I'm just like wow! In spite of my insecurities, imperfections and flaws people see something in me that is special. What do they see? Even this new opportunity to serve in a bigger role in the tutorial program I am a part of, wow!

For this I give God the glory and thank God for everything! It is through God that I even have these opportunities. I am humbled by it! I just thank God for people (through the power of God) seeing something in me that allows them to offer me these opportunities and blessings. I am forever grateful and thankful for everything!

Today I encourage you to see yourself through the image of God. God sees so much in you and even though you may not see it yourself, believe it! Thank you Lord!

I'm Still Here!!!

2011-01-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Genesis 50:20 basically states (paraphrasing) "you intended for evil but God used it for good, in the saving of many." This verse is very powerful as you look at the story of Joseph (Genesis 37). To give a quick synopsis, Joseph is a dreamer and has wonderful dreams and visions. His brothers get jealous as he is also rewarded a coat of many colors. Because of this his brothers sell him into slavery. Later on, Joseph's father asks him to forgive his brothers. Joseph does as he has made it through what his brothers put him through that could have killed him.

Think about something that has happened in your life that could have killed you. Maybe you've contemplated suicide thoughts but you didn't go through with those plans. Maybe you survived almost getting murdered because of an environment you was in. Or maybe you're like my friend Erica who survived a serious car accident. If I'm not mistaken, the car flipped 2 or more times. Yet she survived it by the grace of God.

My friends, no matter what you survived you are still here for a purpose! God created you to fulfill a specific purpose while you are alive. That purpose cannot be filled if you're not here. Some of us have went through situations that should have killed us, but we are still here!

I encourage you today to first give God praise everyday for allowing you to be alive in spite of what has happened. Second, I encourage you to not see yourself as less than a child of God. Why would God see you as less than who you are if He spared your life? Last I encourage you to use your survival as a means of ministry. My friend who survived the car crash has the desire (based on our last time talking) to be a defense attorney. Because God spared her life she will be defending people who are innocent and treated unfair by our criminal system. Her ministry will impact many lives!!

You are still here by God's grace! God is worthy to be praised! Now walk in your calling and purpose!!!

Are we willing?......

2011-01-18T18:42:00.000-08:00

2011 not only represents a new year but also a new decade. Wow! I know right? I've been in church all my life (doesn't make me any better of a Christian) and I have seen a lot. From being in the youth choir (my mysterious voice wouldn't say....lol) to now being lead musician/minister of music, I've seen a lot. Our churches are known for singing, dancing, great preaching, ministries, etc., but are we also willing to be known for going against the program sometimes?

I truly believe that the church of the 21st century and this decade needs to focus on making this statement "you won't leave like you came in Jesus name" come true. I mean this in at least 2 ways. The first way is spiritual. I won't focus a lot on this for this blog. The second (my main focus) is holistic or in the personal needs of individuals.

I've said many times that our churches need to focus more on deliverance and being willing to throw the program aside at times to really minister to the people. Honestly, I believe there are too many people who come to our churches and leave the same way. Not just spiritually, but in the issues of life. Many come to our churches hurt and heartbroken because of something going on outside of church, yet after doing the same ritual/routine from 11:00am to 1:00pm they are still heartbroken and hurt and don't have joy in the midst of things.

We have people who come in our churches with years of frustration and discouragement and leave out the same. We have hurt people hurting people because they have not been healed. I'm not saying that 10 years of hurt can be done in one day but why should people come to church Sunday after Sunday and leave the same? Why can we not, every now and then, spend our worship services praying and ministering individually with people who are going through? Not only minister and pray for them BUT commit to keep contact with them to keep them encouraged, motivated and inspired to go on no matter what.

Even though the Word is the most important element of service, why can't the preacher, at times, say "I'm not going to preach today I just want to pray individually for people?" What's wrong with taking a Sunday and just letting God lead? Yes we need order but a lot of people are not being ministered to like they should. Why? Because some of our churches are too much about "routine" and not about ministering to the total person.

I pray that our churches in this decade and century will be more willing to throw away the program at times to minister to people. I went to Gospel Choir concert a few weeks ago and at the end they had people standing up front to pray and minister to those who needed salvation or just needed prayer for whatever issues they were going through. Why can't we have those Sundays when the total focus is deliverance?

Are we willing? Think about it.

Thank you Lord for 2010!

2010-12-31T13:45:00.000-08:00

Today represents the last day of 2010. We are approximately 7 hours away from the end of this year and decade to the beginning of a new year and new decade. I want to share with the world my reflections on 2010.

2010 has been the greatest year of my adult life! Life has been a little rocky since 2005 and in between 2005 and 2010 many things have taken place. One of the biggest things is our family moving away from our home in Elon to Burlington. In spite of that God has still blessed me and my family to be alive in spite of everything that has taken place. For that I give God praise!

Yet 2010 represented the following things for me: accomplishment, maturity, healing, deliverance and empowerment. There are probably more words but those are the ones that came to my head.

One of the biggest accomplishments happened on May 22, 2010 as I graduated from Elon University with a B.A. degree in Human Services. I became the first person in my immediate family (mother, father, children) to graduate from college. It is through God and the help of Dr. Matthew Clark that I was able to go. My grades and overall standing as a person, according to society, did not make me eligible to go to Elon. But I thank God for His favor allowing me to be in that place for 4 years. It is through an Elon education that I met many people who have blessed my life! It is also through Elon that I learned a lot and had my perspective challenged in many ways.

The last half of 2010 has been about healing, becoming more aware of who I am and who God has called me to be, and seeking God's direction as far as career/vocation. I will not reveal yet specifically what God has called me to but will share with you that some great things are about to take place. No longer will I be used by people. No longer will I tolerate people treating me any kind of way. I am valuable to God and understand that God loves me and He loves me so much that he wants to discipline me when I'm wrong.

Overall 2010 has been a great year of preparation, healing and self-awareness. I hope to grow stronger in the Lord in 2011 and hope to be a bigger blessing to our society. I pray your 2011 year will be the greatest year ever! May God continue to keep you! Be who God wants you to be!

These McDonald's lawsuits......

2010-12-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

So there's another lawsuit out against McDonald's. The link is on CNN under the storyline "Woman sues McDonald's over Happy Meals." Basically a woman sued McDonald's over using toys to market directly to children. Her problem is that she says no to her children getting happy meals but the advertisements make it hard on her as that (the advertisements) is making the kids want McDonald's. She is suing this with the assistance of the CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest).

Here's my take on it. While I do believe that fast food can have a damaging affect on our health (even though I eat it and need to slow down a little bit), these lawsuits are hard to win because of the "personal responsibility" argument. This argument basically says that no one forces us to eat fast food. To be honest, this argument has a lot of validity because in all reality, no one is putting a gun to our head forcing us to eat the fast food.

This country is not about providing you the healthiest options to eat (even though restaurants are beginning to show improvement in this category). This country is about finding whatever ways possible to make a living. Advertisement has always happened and most likely will always happen.

The way to stop fast food from being such a heavy industry is by the consumer refusing to buy fast food. I agree with those who say that fast food is unhealthy and a potential cause to the rise of obesity in our country but at the same time it's hard to defeat the "personal responsibility" argument. If this society was a fair society or everyone believed in the love of Jesus, that would be a different story. Unfortunately, everyone doesn't believe in being fair and just.

I believe we should still advocate for fast food to offer healthier options but the "personal responsibility" argument is hard to defeat. The best solution, in my opinion, is for the consumer to stop buying fast food and continue to advocate for healthier options to be served in fast food.

Just my take. What do you all think? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Customer Service.......the other side.....

2010-11-07T20:06:00.000-08:00

Most of the time when we talk about customer service we usually focus on the customer. We argue that the customer is always right and is deserving of what ever they want. That might be true to a degree, but there's always another aspect: the ones serving the customer.

Because of my lifestyle I eat out a lot (need to slow down.........lol). Therefore I am served a lot by people. Here's my basic concern: We expect employers to treat the customers with dignity, respect and courtesy YET we customers do not treat employers with the same dignity, respect and courtesy.

As a whole, customer service (and anything involved in serving people) is very challenging. Imagine you being a worker at McDonalds and someone gave you a very complicated order and you messed it up just a little bit and the customer was calling you all types of names. How would you feel? You would probably feel bad. So why would you yell at an employer because they didn't get your order right? Everyone messes up. Give people a break!

I believe things would be much better in the world if we took more time to live by the golden rule: do unto others as you have them do unto you. In other words, if you don't want people yelling at you don't yell at others.

I pray that people would be more patient with those in customer service. Everyone has an off day and you never know what people are going through who work in customer service. Be nice, be respectable and be dignified ON BOTH ENDS!!!!

Thoughts on 2010 Midterm Elections

2010-11-01T06:42:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is November 2, 2010, which is deemed as Midterm Elections Day. This is the day we will vote on those in congress and in our local offices. This vote is as critical (if not more critical) as the election of the president. In my view, especially this year, this vote is absolutely critical.

Let me start by talking about my own political philosophy. I consider myself a moderate democrat. I do not consider myself on either extreme of the political map (very liberal or very conservative). Traditionally I'm liberal on fiscal issues (welfare, economy, taxes, etc) and conservative on social issues (abortion, marriage, etc). I was raised in a home where everyone was democrats. Part of why I am a democrat is part of my upbringing, but because I support more policies in democrat party than republican party. Yet I am still open-minded about ideas in both parties.

Right now (as of November 1, 2010) projections show that Republicans will win the House and Democrats will remain in control of Senate. In my opinion, this does not serve well for Obama and his chances for a 2nd term IF AND ONLY IF the Dems and Repubs can't come together and compromise on anything. Some have already said that if they gain control on house there will be no compromise. You still have to wonder if this has anything to do with people not being able to stand a black man running the White House.

I believe that it will take a mixture of liberal AND conservative ideas to get economy back rolling. The problem I see in congress is that everyone thinks that their political philosophy is absolutely right and the other side is absolutely wrong. There are pros and cons for both political philosophies. As I was discussing with a friend on twitter, this is why I really wish a 3rd party movement would sprout up in some way in this country.

My biggest problem is why is it that people expect the economy to be better within just 2 years. I mean it took about 9 years or so for the economy to get better when FDR was president (this was the time that blacks started supporting democrats more). In my opinion, I think Obama deserves 2 terms (and if that amendment hadn't been placed after FDR, 3 terms). However, I do not see Obama as a 2 term president UNLESS unemployment drops, there are some signs of economic progress (related to jobs) AND/OR Dems and Repubs work together on some major economic issues. If Republicans take over at least one chamber of congress, he's a 1 term president. If Republicans take over entire congress, he's a 1 term president.

Regardless of your political persuasion, please vote on November 2, 2010! Too many people suffered and died for us to have the right to vote. Let your voice be heard and once elections are over, let us WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE THE ECONOMIC & OTHER MAJOR ISSUES OF OUR TIME!!!

2011 as the year of the unveiling plus other thoughts

2010-10-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

I am convinced that everything that I have been through in my life and what I'm going through now is preparing me for the unveiling of 2011. God has revealed to me several things that will not be shared in public until 2011. 2011 represents a year of moving forward in the vision.

I truly believe that God has His hands on me and understands everything that I am going through. I also believe God will allow me to walk in my calling in spite of everything that is going on in my life. Sometimes I'm concerned that God will not allow me to do what He's called me to do because of my situation. Nevertheless I praise God for what shall happen.

The hurt that I have went through will be a source of ministry to others who are hurting (Genesis 50:20). So many people are hurting, emotional (and in other ways) stressed, and needing encouragement. While I believe there must be a balance in our approach, I'm convinced that this world is full of hurt, pain and suffering. What people need are positive words, words of motivation, words of empowerment and words of encouragement.

You would be surprised at the amount of people who have contemplated suicide or giving up on life. Yet folk who are not going through will say "it don't take all that" or "just pick yourself up." That might be true (the last one to some degree) but until you talk to people you never know what people are going through. And I'm convinced that many people walk around carrying mask. How would we view leadership if more leaders were transparent and willing to admit when they feel stressed? How would life be if more people were willing to be honest?

In other thoughts, I'm thinking about joining tumblr.com because I am feeling the need to do some type of blog entry everyday that's more short, sweet and to the point. This blog is for my in depth stuff. I may consider leaving blogspot all the way. For now I am thinking about having 2 blogs. We'll see!

Continue to be blessed!!!

Thoughts on "Black in America" Documentary

2010-10-21T19:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight while watching Giants/Phillies on one TV, the other TV in the living room was on CNN watching the "Black in America" documentary, specifically focused on debt in the black community and connecting topic with black church.

I must say that I have been generally avoiding the "black in America" series on CNN because of my view that it stereotypes black people, but in light of "debt" being the big topic of discussion and one that I can relate to, I figured that I would watch. I am so glad that I watch as it gave me a chance to think on the various issues that affect black America, with one being debt.

The focus question was if debt is a bigger issue in the black community than racism. I'm not 100% convinced that debt is a bigger issue than racism but I will not totally dismiss the idea of debt being a bigger issue in the black community. I personally think that racism is more "under the surface" today than it was in previous years.

I believe that one of the main problems in our community, and probably in this society as a whole is that we live too much trying to impress others. Part of this, I believe, happens because we are so worried about what people think of us. What will people think of me if I live in apartment? Who cares as long as you have some type of shelter. In this society we give people value based on their material possessions. I am on a mission to get rid of this thinking and promote a thinking that says that our value is solely based on the work of Christ on the cross. In other words, who I am is not defined by what I have, but by the reality that God created me in His image!

2nd, I believe that in the black community we have went away from the "success for the sake of our community"mindset to more of the "I gotta do what's best for me" mindset. Why? Because I believe that many of us have accepted the "European-American" model as the way to success, as defined by America. I'm not advocating socialism, communism, or any other form of government but just saying that our original African way of thinking was success for the sake of the community. I feel like many of us have a "it is what it is" attitude as it relates to success. Basically, if that's the model we have to abide by to be successful then we have to do what we have to do.

The last thing I want to address is public policy. While I believe that personal responsibility is critical to our economic development I believe that our country must do more to ensure that everyone has equal access to the many ways of black people having economic success. If it has to be a loan, tax credit, access to resources, whatever it is, we need to make sure that black people have equal access to that opportunity.

When it's all said and done, we need to start preaching in the church financial literacy instead of financial increase. Not saying that people do not need more money but sometimes part of the problem is that we do not manage right what we already have. I pray that we will use personal responsibility, investment in our own resources (I say this admitting that I do not do this often as I should), advocating equal access and financial literacy as our tools of achieving what we can achieve. We must also return to community model of success and STOP DETERMINING OUR WORTH BASED ON MATERIAL THINGS!!!!

Are you wearing a mask to church or any public place?

2010-10-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm in my room meditating and all of a sudden the Lord begins to deal with me on something I have been thinking about for a long time. How many of us are wearing a mask to church or any public place?

I am concerned that many of us are not being ourselves in public. Let me talk about church for a minute. I truly believe that many people come to church and wear a 'blessed and highly favor" mask covering up an "I'm hurting and need some help" reality on our face. Is the church a place where people can be transparent, open and honest? I'm not sure. Yet I'm concerned that many do not want to be honest about what they are going through because of fear of what others will say and if their business will be spread to their detriment.

As far as other public places, again my concern is that in society we would rather masquerade who we really are instead of being real about what is going on with us. To me, this speaks to the deficit of trust that is so prevalent in our world today. I think it is sad that we have a hard time admitting when we are hurting, when we are depressed, when we are thinking about committing suicide and when we are angry.

I read a status on facebook yesterday asking why so many teens and children (speaking in African-American context) are angry. I believe it is because there is a lack of love and nurture in our world. I will focus on that later. However I also believe that many are angry because they do not have proper channels to express what is going on. They would rather hide how they feel about their lives instead of expressing themselves to people who care (or are suppose to care). Maybe this is the reason why so many teens, and possibly adults share whatever they want on social networking because they don't have close people they trust....hmmmm.

My prayer is that we can get to a point where we can be honest, real and transparent about how we are feeling about life without fear of being ridiculed, talked about, picked on and laughed at. The church should be one of the greatest places of transparency, being real and honesty. Unfortunately I'm not sure many would say that the church is the place of being yourself. Life is too short to hold in anger, frustration, etc., and mask it up. Let's be able to be real with one another about how we feel.

Twitter sermon from Ecclesiastes: "One life to live."

2010-10-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Wow! This is my first time blogging in a long time. For various reasons I decided to stop blogging and putting up a lot of facebook statuses. Now I"m ready to get back to blogging.

So tonight I'm watching baseball and the Lord leads me to Ecclesiastes, the latter part of chapter 8 and the beginning part of chapter 9 and while I am reading I am astonished by what this portion of scripture is discussing. I'm astonished!!! The focus scriptures are Ecclesiastes 8:10 through 9:12. The scripture basically talks about the reality that we only have one life to live. As I began to read this I began to tweet some things that the Lord was pouring in me to share! For the sake of not wanting to pile up people's timelines I decided that I would calm down after sharing so many. I feel compelled to share what I wrote on twitter to the entire world as it relates to the scripture I read.

"Just the idea that we all only have 1 life to live should force us to not hate or mistreat each other."

"While our eternal destination will not be the same, all of us have our date with death. No one will escape."

"Even though I believe in heaven and hell, I still wonder sometimes if after death we will ever see our family, friends, etc."

"Sorry to sound so solemn but this is something I think about sometimes. Makes me value my relationships and life way more."

"Life is too short for petty drama, senseless arguments and killing each other."

"Life is too valuable and precious for murdering one another. Why take a life? Once a life is taken there's no way for it to come back."

"I don't care how many apologies are given, NOTHING except God's comforting love can heal the heart of a family that has witnessed someone murdered."

"That family will never be able to talk to, love on or hear the voice of their family member gunned down. Value life."

"I don't do it as much as I should but tell people in your life that you love them while they can hear it."

"Ok one more thing: what hurts me tremendously is seeing someone not live out a full potential and get old not fulfilling their call."

"I believe everyone has a calling to fulfill that brings God glory. Your career can be your calling and still give glory to God."

"Too many people have let others dictate their calling and what they are capable of doing. You can do ALL things through Christ."

"Don't let anyone determine what you're able to do to make a difference in this world! The world needs your mark on it!!!"

Let me end by letting you know one thing: I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Empowerment in Action: Never give up!!

2010-08-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

Today has served as one of the most empowering days of my life. Here in NC we got a chance to hear a song of our hometown people on a local radio station. This is a person I grew up with and went to church with as well. To see God's favor upon his life has been such an empowering thing today and almost had me in tears. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to turn to it but Lord knows I was as happy as can be!!

This was empowering to me because to see this young man doing what he is doing encouraged me to never give up on the vision God has given me. God has given me a great vision (many pieces to it) that will bless many people in my community, county, state and possibly nation. Yet there are days that I want to give up on the vision because of circumstance, the risk and past situations.

I'm one of those people that has been doubted over the years (my potential) because I never fit in, was never willing to change the foundation of who I was, didn't look or act like the "norm", or because of my family background. Yet that fuels me more and more to go for this vision. At the end of the day God only gave each of us one chance to fulfill the vision He gives us and I REFUSE TO GO TO THE GRAVEYARD WITH THE POTENTIAL ON THE INSIDE!!

Today I feel more empowered than ever to bring this vision to pass! The fuel on the fire will be allowing God to prove to my enemies and those who have doubted and continue to doubt me that I can do ALL THINGS THROUGH THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST! I'm pretty sure my buddy has had to face obstacles as well and look at what is going on now!

I encourage each of you to NEVER give up on the vision God has given you for your life, ministry, career, vocation or whatever it may be! DO NOT go to the graveyard with that potential! We only have one chance to fulfill it! At the end of the day people will talk and say what they want but when you are focused on God, at the end of the day, none of that criticism (mainly the negative type) matters as you stay focused!

NEVER GIVE UP!!!

Are you a church dropout?

2010-08-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

So today after getting some work done I decide to go to Lifeway Christian Bookstore and there was a book on sale that was dealing with the church. I am very interested in reading material related to the church. So many people close to me know that I am a book addict. Therefore I wanted to read this book and just in the first part I am captured and convicted to share with you this.

The book I am reading is "Essential Church? Reclaiming a generation of dropouts." The book basically makes the argument that we are losing a generation of people within the church (mainly losing those between the ages of 18 and 22) because it is not essential to them anyone. The book (with the research) listed ten reasons cited for many dropping out which includes:

1. Simply wanted a break from church.
2. Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical.
3. Moved to college and stopped attending church.
4. Work responsibilities prevented me from attending.
5. Moved too far away from the church to continue attending.
6. Became too busy though still wanted to attend.
7. Didn't feel connected to the people in my church.
8. Disagreed with the church's stance on political or social issues.
9. Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church.
10. Was only going to church to please others.

What I find mind-boggling about all of this the finding in this study that more than 2/3 of churchgoing young adults drop out between the ages of 18 and 22. This is crazy to me! Why are we losing so many people at this age?

I would encourage you all to read this book and to offer solutions within your own churches of how we can reach out to our young adult population (18-30).

I will say that I think it has to start with assessing the spiritual needs of our young adult population. To me, it is from there that we can begin to evaluate our churches to see if we have something to minister to the needs of our young adults. I believe we are in a spiritual crisis within our churches and the banner has to be raised and TRUE REVIVAL must begin!!!

I plan to share more as I read further but I believe God is raising up people who will take a stand and advocate change within our churches! We do not need more churches, we need revitalized churches!!!

Is the fire gone?

2010-07-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on. You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don't hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and will praise your Father in heaven."-Matthew 5:13-16, NCV.

So I'm sitting in the living room watching Joyce Meyer and one thing she was bringing up was how our lives as Christians should be so hungry and thirsty for God that others see that passion and want to know what they can do to experience it themselves. Yet as I listened I began to wonder if that fire even exists anymore.

In other words, I wonder if the passion of the Christian life still exist. From my observation it seems like the Christian life is not an attractive life to live anymore (as far as from the outside). Christianity, for one, is losing it's place as the standard in this country (even though some might argue that Christianity was never the standard of this country).

To me it just doesn't seem like people (from the outside) are attracted to the idea of the Christian life. To many it seems like the Christian life is just another "type" of life. Why is it? Are people turned off by the idea of the Christian life? Is the issue of hypocrites as bad as we say it is? Are people expecting too much from those who call themselves Christian? Are people turned off by people quoting scriptures and putting Christian stuff on social networks like facebook, myspace, etc.? What is the problem?

My basic argument is that in this day and age we've got to put the passion back in living the Christian life. The Christian life should be so fulfilling and passionate that others will want to see what is so "passionate" about our lives and be intrigued to find out what we are so passionate about.

What do you think? Is the fire gone? Has Christianity lost it's "saltiness" and impact in society? I will not extremely say that it is but it really seems to me that the "fire" of the Christian life and Christianity is heading downhill and is not as attractive as it use to be.

Lord, please send a revival and let it begin with me!!!

Ageism: yes it does exist!

2010-07-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith in purity." KJV.

This is such an important verse because unfortunately too many of our young people are despised due to their age. Let me reiterate this reality: age is nothing but a number.

I believe that the usefulness of a person should not be determined by their age but by their willingness to learn, admit to making mistakes and their passion. It is a shame that younger and older people have to work harder to convince people of certain ideas, practices and their effectiveness towards whatever it is. We live in an economy in which those who are in their 50s, 60s and maybe even 70s are not able to seek employment because of the company having doubts that a person of that age can bring productivity and effectiveness to that service. Is that fair? Absolutely not, but it is the reality we deal with.

As a young man, to this day, I still believe I have to work extra hard to convince people of certain things. Not saying that I am right about everything (because I am not) but sometimes I feel like what I say can be said by somebody older and it gets more attention than what I said. Why? Because of my age. I have even heard of young preachers having to work harder to convince their congregation of certain truths simply because they were younger.

I am not saying that young people should not have to have discipline, correction, mentoring and instruction. I am saying that young people (as well as older people) should have the same right to express themselves and be heard. A young person's words should not be put automatically in the category of "inexperienced" or "ignorant" just because of our age. Yes, we do have a lot to learn and I am open to learning more, but my words should not be considered less effective because of my age.

Ageism is just another one of the "isms" that hurts our society and continues to question the idea that America is a place of equal opportunity. Let us learn to value each others opinions and effectiveness, even if it is someone young or someone old. I want to reemphasize that we as young people have A LOT to learn from the older generations, yet we deserve to be heard as well.

Again, let us value each other's opinions and effectiveness REGARDLESS of age.

Your Worth

2010-07-19T13:51:00.000-07:00

Psalm 139: 14-15 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

How do you feel about yourself? Just be honest and really think about that. If you feel absolutely great about yourself, good for you. If not, why? Think about something that made you feel less about yourself. Maybe someone made jokes about you because of your weight or because you looked weird or something. Maybe even someone said that you was a "nobody" because of the money you didn't have or you didn't dress the way the "norm" defined it.

Let me tell you something: your worth is NOT defined by ANY of those things that I mentioned above. Your worth is not defined by money, the labels society puts on you or even by your past. YOUR WORTH IS DEFINED BY JESUS DYING ON THE CROSS FOR YOU ONE DAY!!!!

For too long too many of us have let others define our worth and how valuable we are. This capitalistic/materialistic will say that you are valuable as long as you have the nicest house, nicest car and the biggest amount of money. Many people feel worthless because they either lost money somehow or because they live in an apartment, drive a peanut car or living pay check to pay check. Now please understand that I am not advocating a mindset that you should stay down and not move forward. What I am advocating is that you SHOULD NOT view yourself valuable based on your material possessions.

Jesus Christ dying for all of us is what our worth is defined by. John 15:13 says "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." In other words, Jesus showed the greatest demonstration of love by dying on the cross for a sinner like you and me. For Jesus to die on the cross for us symbolizes our worth to Him. If we were worthless then Jesus could have simply came down from the cross and saved Himself. But no, he chose to stay on that cross and be atonement for our sins. That should be enough to remind you that you are valuable to God NO MATTER WHAT YOU HAVE IN LIFE!

Today I encourage you to walk around in holy confidence as being chosen by God based on His son, Jesus Christ dying on the cross for you. As we do this let us also encourage one another DAILY and AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE in this truth! No more shall you let society dictate your worth. Today you shall let your worth be determined by Christ dying on the cross. Will this change of mindset happen overnight? No it will not. This is why we need continual encouragement, admonishment and feeding of God's word into our lives. Some think that we don't need continual encouragement and I beg to differ because of the complexities of life.

I want to end with this verse from 1 Peter 2:9-10, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ as Multidimensional

2010-07-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

I would like to start off with a quote from a pastor whom I have a lot of respect for out of New York that goes like this:

"Jesus preached a Gospel that was revolutionary, radical, communal and world transforming. Here is our problem as pastors, we have been preaching Jesus, but not his teachings. Because that teaching means the dismantling of the status quo. It means the radical reorientation of society. It is not characterized by what divides but by what unifies. The Good News liberates, empowers and strengthens."

I like this quote because it challenges us to approach the gospel as multidimensional. The purpose of this blog is to make the case that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not totally focused on just 1 thing but on at least 3 things. The three things that I think the Gospel of Jesus Christ focuses on is:

1. Calling the lost to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (soul winning/winning souls for Christ).
2. Developing the believer to become more like Christ (discipleship).
3. Liberation of the mind, body and soul (deliverance).

I believe that all 3 of these aspects of the gospel should be dealt with within a congregation of believers. The problem I've seen is that sometimes the focus is on one of these aspects ENTIRELY without sharing in the other two aspects. This is why I refuse to believe in the idea of only one aspect of the Gospel being important.

However, I still believe that the biggest aspect of the Gospel still should be saving souls for the Kingdom. Why is that? Because at the end of the day one of our big tenets of the faith is believing in life after death. For the most part we believe in Heaven and Hell. We give our lives to Christ so that we may be assured eternal life after living on Earth. When it's all said and done what matters is hearing the Lord say "well done thy good and faithful servant."

So today I would challenge us to view the Gospel of Jesus Christ containing many aspects yet foundational saying that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. I will end this entry with leaving Luke 4:18-19 for you to marinate on. Let us preach the whole gospel of Jesus Christ!!

Luke 4:18-19, "God's Spirit is on me; he's chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor, Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, To set the burdened and battered free, to announce, 'this is God's year to act!'"-The Message Bible.

Implication of Lebron James Situation-Stereotypes

2010-07-10T07:41:00.001-07:00

Ok so we have all been informed of what Lebron James has done. He has decided to leave his hometown where he could get more money and be "the man" and go somewhere for less money and way less attention on him. There are a lot of mixed opinions, but that's not the point of this blog.

One of my favorite ESPN people talked about how Lebron James defiled the stereotype that athletes are all about money and ego in going somewhere with less money and less attention on him. Even though I have my own opinions about him going to Miami, that ESPN guy makes a very valid and interesting point. Therefore I want to take this time to express my frustration regarding stereotypes.

Stereotypes are basically generalizations made about a particular group. In other words, a stereotype is taking an attribute, feature, etc., of one person and generalizing it to the entire group. For example, one of the most common stereotypes for black people is that they are lazy. That's a stereotype. Are all black people lazy? No, but what happens is that one attribute is put on the entire group.

I am convinced that a lot of things cannot go on successfully in this society because of stereotypes. Bottom line: JUST BECAUSE ONE PERSON WITHIN A PARTICULAR GROUP DOES SOMETHING DOES NOT MEAN EVERYONE IN THAT GROUP DOES IT OR FITS IN WITH THAT ATTRIBUTE. Ok I buy the argument that there is a bit of truth in every stereotype, but my problem is when we think EVERYONE in that group fits the stereotypes.

One more example I want to look at is in the religious community. There is a stereotype in the black church that preachers and pastors are all about money, power, ego, etc. Is some of that true? Yes. Does EVERY preacher and pastor fit that stereotype? Absolutely not! What I am afraid of is the reality that God has called some people to preach and/or pastor BUT because of the stereotype they do not want to be labeled. In fact I am convinced that there are many people who want to do certain things in this society but the fear of being stereotyped keeps them on the sideline.

So what do we do? First, I believe that we should look at every individual for their uniqueness and what they can contribute to the larger framework of society. I understand the argument that as humans we have to categorize things in groups, but I still do not believe that justifies stereotyping people. Second, we have to understand that God created all of us as different individuals. God never intended for us to be exactly the same person. We have different experiences, different home training, different areas of growing up, etc. Last, we should not let past experiences cloud our perspectives. Just because you saw one preacher steal money from a church doesn't mean every preacher wants to do that. Just because you saw one politician take advantage of the political system doesn't mean every politician wants to do that.

My challenge is that we begin to look at each individual for what they can bring and stop stereotyping people. Everyone is unique in one way or another. There's a big difference between collectivism and stereotyping. Maybe more can get done if we try to look at every situation individually and for its uniqueness.

The "N" Word: A Call To Action

2010-07-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

Let me start by understanding the reality that this argument/debate has took place for a long period of time with people having their own perspectives about it. I also understand that by the end of this blog entry some will still be convinced of their own opinion. Last, let me also state that I understand this as a very controversial topic, so here I go.

I am absolutely convinced that in our community, the African-American community, it is time for us to stop using the "n" word and ANY variation of the word. Let me give you my reasons for it.

First, as a community we already struggle with the issue of identity and knowing who we are. This struggle started when we were taken from our native land in Africa to an unknown land to us. Therefore we had to try to discover who we are. Yet most did not have any idea so whatever the majority/slave holder told us we were is what we accepted.

Some of them called us "niggers" or "house negros", etc. Remember that "nigger" means ignorant. Here's my question: If the root word "nigger" means ignorant, why would we use any variation of the word to one another? Are we ignorant? Do we really believe that we are ignorant? Now the argument used in favor of using the "N" word is "it's a term of endearment" or "we took what was bad and made it good." I don't fully understand that argument because at the end of the day, the original root word was used for us to denote us as ignorant.

Second, I believe using the "N" word keeps us stuck in the mentality that we are ignorant, don't know anything, and keeps us stuck in "yesterday." As a race we are trying to overcome the challenges that we have had to deal with over a course of centuries. We have a long way to go and I believe that us stopping our use of the "N" word and every variation of it is a start. Why do we want to be identified at all as ignorant?

Our people and original culture was one of gold. We are a beautiful race of people with a wonderful history, but that history becomes tainted when we continue to use things that were originally intended to label us and put us down. I don't care if you're not using it in it's original form, it still has meaning and regardless if you joke about it or not, it's time for us to move past that and let's begin to use words that give us a positive view about ourselves.

Using the "N" word and any variation of it keeps the label that we are ignorant and not a racial group that thinks high about ourselves. We are in an identity crisis as it is and part of the solution is calling ourselves great things like "blessed", "intelligent", "rich" and "beautiful."

Final word: Let's move forward as a racial community, rediscovering who we really are, i.e. the essence of our race and STOP USING THE "N" WORD AND EVERY VARIATION OF IT!!!!

A Call For Healing

2010-06-21T18:01:00.001-07:00

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV): "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

This land is in need of healing! I decided to write about this as a blog instead of putting a status up or starting a thread on this on LGM (learngospelmusic.com) because since January I've been trying to have a more positive/discussion based platform on both of these websites. Yet tonight my heart is heavy and frustrated because I believe we need healing in this land!

Our society is growing more cynical, pessimistic and flat-out mean. We do not have love anymore and we are so concerned about our own selfish desires that we've forgotten about the needs of others. Our young people, especially our teenagers (12-17) are hurting and being raised in a society that doesn't care about them and is teaching values that will hurt us in the long run. We are even skeptical when people show care for us. We try to show love and concern for a person we are close to and all of a sudden that becomes a problem? Why?

Then as a society we are getting away from right and wrong and saying that situational ethics and cultural relativism is the way to go. Because of this, we don't have any more standards or rules. It's basically a "to each it's own" world and a world where everybody does what they want besides following God. I understand people who argue that everyone has their own standards but I am convinced that society will be better once we have absolutes and have order. We are losing order in this society and it is prevalent in how our young people are and what the media is doing to influence their values. While that's happening our adults, the one who raised us are sitting around criticizing us instead of being mentors to us and taking time to talk with us.

There is so much hurt in this society and among individuals but yet there are not healthy ways of expressing the hurt. We are in need of healing!

What are my solutions?

1. Prayer. We need to have more personal prayer time (and I'm talking to myself as well) and we need to have more corporate prayer. Churches should have quarterly prayer sessions or even make our prayer meeting service more prayer-oriented.

2. Get away from situational ethics and cultural relativism. We need to have standards and we need to get back to right and wrong.

3. Attack every societal institution contributing to the decline of this society. That includes the media, schools, churches, and the government. These institutions (along with the other institutions) have set certain values as norms that are hurting us.

4. RETURN BACK TO LOVE! We can sit all day and argue this and that but at the end of the day, we need to go back to the basics of loving one another! What happened to being considerate of one another? What happened to extending a helping hand and not being skeptical of that hand being extended? We can't even tell the difference between someone being concerned and someone being nosey. That's sad.

5. Return back to God. This is connected to the call to Return to Love.

My prayer tonight is that God would heal the land or please come quickly Lord Jesus! If this blog has been offensive or not liking to your tasting I apologize but I am just expressing what is on my heart!

Is it really "my life?"

2010-06-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

One of the prime principles and ideologies that we promote in this country is individualism. Individualism, in it's conceptual bag, celebrates the individual and what they are able to do for themselves. Individualism argues that it is solely about the work and effort of the individual. Therefore the individual determines what they want, how they want it and what the standard is. Christianity is not based on individualism. Christianity is based on dying daily to the will of self.

Luke 9:23-24 (KJV) states "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." Right here is Jesus talking. What Jesus is saying is that if you are going to follow Him you must be willing to give up what you think is the best way to follow His way, which is The way.

Too many of us view life as a "I can do what I want to do because it is my life" philosophy. We want to live our lives based upon "my view." Consumerism is a byproduct of this mindset. In this society we view the customer as always right and that they deserve whatever they want how they want it. Burger King's slogan of "have it your way" fits this very well. A lot of people have this view of life that "I can do what I want to do with my life. If I want to pursue something that is up to me and what I feel."

Let me tell you that if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, your life is not your own. God never intended for the life of a believer to reflect solely the will of the individual. God intended that our lives be used for His glory. There is nothing wrong with pursuing personal dreams and passions but they must still be sought with God's hand of approval. Why do so many of us view life based on our own individual will? When you are a believer in God, you say "it is not my life, but it is Your life Lord and therefore You can use it the way You see fit." The church of Jesus Christ will not be effective until we get to a point where we understand that we do not live for our own glory and satisfaction, but we live for the glory of Jesus Christ!

Today I encourage us to get rid of the "Burger King" mentality when it comes to our lives and remember that in following Jesus, we are giving ourselves away that we may be used of His glory!

The Test of a True Church

2010-06-06T13:47:00.001-07:00

How many of you all can honestly say that you've made a mistake in your life, big or small? How would you want people to treat you if you admitted your mistake and wanted to be restored by love? This is a critical issue and one that needs to be addressed.

I honestly believe that one of the true test of a church and whether God is at work and whether it is one that God leads is not necessarily in how much the people are shouting and dancing. Shouting and dancing is a very big part of our worship experience at my home church but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a true church. A true church is not necessarily one that has the most money or even the church that has the largest members.

I believe that the test of a true church is in how they restore people who have fallen and needed to be loved back to reconciliation. There are absolutely too many stories that have been told of people who messed up, made a mistake and yet when they came back and wanted to be restored they were talked about, mistreated and looked at as less of a human being. At the end of the day everyone makes mistakes and we do not have the right to mistreat someone because of their past. Everyone has a past and some of us better be thankful that our past is covered up because if it was uncovered many of us would be embarrassed.

My overall point is that a true church is one that loves people in spite of their past, their mistakes and sees them for who God wants them to be. I wonder what type of reputation the church would have in our communities if more people were loved and accepted for who they are when they come back after making a mistake. We should treat God's people as God treats us. What if God, every time we made a mistake, looked at us and judged differently or vowed to treat us because of our mistake? We would be in a mess. That's how we should treat God's people!

Today I encourage us as a body of believers to restore those in love who have fallen and keep in your mind and carry in your heart that we all have sinned and messed up. God loved us and didn't treat us any different, so the same should happen to those of us who have messed up and need to be restored!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guoYLH-z2u0&feature=related (This video is a reminder that God gives us chance after chance after chance every time we mess up! This is the same that we should do for our brother and sister!!!)

A Difference-Making Education

2010-06-02T18:01:00.000-07:00

On May 22, 2010 I was awarded and conferred the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Services with a minor in Religious Studies. That day symbolized the end of a journey, but it also symbolized the beginning of a new task: TO MAKE THE USE OF MY EDUCATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

I was thinking this as I have been in deep dialogue tonight with fellow facebook members regarding issues such as women preachers and implications of gender roles in society and the Bible. What I loved about the conversation was that no one was mad and everybody expressed their points and seemed open minded in the conversation. Grant it we still left the conversation with our beliefs but we were all challenged in some way.

The goals of my education are the following: (in addition to getting a good job and having a good career which is obvious)
1. To challenge people's thinking in a positive/new way.
2. To make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting, disempowered, discouraged and disenfranchised.
3. To be a testimony that through God you can do all things as Christ gives you strength.

Tonight I make a vow to never use my degree (or any other degrees I get) as a way to make myself look better than anyone or as if I have all the knowledge. I vow to use my degree as a way to inform people, challenge people's thinking on a variety of subjects, be teachable/being a lifelong learner, and to make a difference in my community, church, work place and society as a whole. Education should NEVER be used as a weapon to hurt someone. It should always be there to help people look deep at various issues.

Tonight I vow to be someone that has a "difference-making education." Let's be lifelong learners and impact our communities in a positive light!!!

Odd Ball Syndrome

2010-06-01T19:43:00.001-07:00

So during the day today I began to think about something that sometimes bothers me and sometimes it doesn't: the odd ball syndrome.

I've always considered myself the odd ball in many situations. I've never seen myself as a conformist or person that fit in into the crowd. Sometimes I wonder if that is a good or bad thing. For example, I have a father that is old enough to my grandfather. Many do not have a parent of a large age gap. Another example is that to this day I still have not have my first romantic relationship at age 23 and I know many in my age range that's already been in relationships and some are even married.

Even though it's discouraging sometimes, I still believe there is good in it. Maybe I'm an odd ball because God is setting me up for a wide range of influence in the future. Is that possible? Possibly but you never know. I've never truly had the desire to fit in but sometimes I feel like I'm in my own little world. I wonder sometimes if people treat me like an odd ball. Should I care? Not really. Do I care? Sometimes I do.

We live in a society that's big on conformity, fitting in and being in the "norm." If you're not doing what everyone else is doing then you're considered deviant and crazy. I just believe as a Christian I should stand out and not do what the world is doing but sometimes I just feel like an odd ball. Many would say it's ok but sometimes I'm like idk. Even in college I was kind of the odd ball. I didn't do much partying, didn't hang out in certain areas.

I will say that I still feel loved by many, even as someone kind of "odd" but still wonder sometimes if things would be different if I was more in the "norm" of things versus being "odd." But at the end of the day, it is what it is.

Healthy Skepticism???

2010-05-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

Is there a such thing as healthy skepticism? I'm not sure. I might need some people to help me here.

One of the things that I've learned about myself after 4 years of college is that I'm beginning to become a skeptical person. Even though I believe in right and wrong I'm almost not accepting anything these days as "the it." It seems like I'm questioning almost any and everything these days. Maybe I'm confused about a lot of things. Maybe I believe we've been taught a lot of things wrong. I think it's both sometimes.

College has almost taught me that most things (well I think the better phrase might be "a lot" )are relative, based on the opinion of someone else and dependent on the situation. I am very careful with this thought process as it pertains to my life as a Christian but I'm almost becoming skeptic when it comes to certain aspects in church. One of my goals over the last 2 years has been to understand why we do certain things. I'm not interested in just doing things because "that's just the way it is." I want to understand how certain things became the way they are. Maybe I'm skeptical because of that.

I think college has been good as far as getting me to think outside the box on certain issues but I just wonder if my "skepticism" is too much or if it's healthy. I do think that things in today's society might be different if more people back in the day had questioned certain things. I just don't want to question every little thing and make everything analytical but now that I see how things are, it makes me wonder how many things are based on truth and how many things are relative (based on opinion).

Someone help me understand if my skepticism is healthy or not. At this point I do not question whether God exist or Jesus Christ lived and resurrected. I absolutely believe that but things such as church practice and stuff after that is where my skepticism grows a little. I don't know. I think it's fine to question things but I don't want my increasingly skeptic thought process to become a problem in the future.

So I just leave with a bunch of confusing thoughts....lol! Help me out!

The Emotions of Graduation!!!

2010-05-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today I graduated from the prestigious Elon University, located in the humble city of Elon, NC with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services with a minor/concentration in Religious Studies! This has been one of the biggest days of my life!

Everyone has been asking me how I feel. Overall I must say that it is a very bittersweet moment for me! But I want to break this down starting with the sweet portion and moving to the bitter part last.

Sweet
Happy: I'm happy because there is joy in achieving something as gratifying and honorable as an undergraduate college education. Many do not have the opportunity to achieve a Bachelor's degree and especially those raised in my community/county. Overall I am happy to do something that some thought would never happen! To overall be a first-generation college student is also a blessing!

Victorious: I view my college career as a battle. I won't share the whole details right now but in 4 years I've had my share of ups and downs. Many things came in the way to try to make me give up on pursuing this education! In 2007 our family moved from our home since 1954 to an area we had never heard much of. It was very challenging because of the circumstances that forced us to move out of our home. Yet I feel victorious because if it was up to the devil, I would have never went to college in the first place. It is also victorious to graduate from the city you grew up in. To receive a degree represents crossing the finish line of a battle that was fought for years.

Bitter
Sadness: I feel sad because I will miss many of the friends that I formed relationships with in my 4 years of going to Elon. These relationships helped me grow as a human being in an environment made of a lot of bratty, arrogant and rich people. To be accepted by people who love you regardless of your socioeconomic background is a blessing! I had some friends that i made in their freshman year that I will miss and wish I was able to have much longer to develop the friendship. It's still possible that I will be able to develop friendship. There are some friends (all different classes) that I just met this year and now already we are saying goodbye. It's very sad.

Grief: I must admit that I believe that graduation from an undergraduate program in college officially ends childhood. Some argue that it ended after graduating high school. I don't think so unless they went straight to the job market and not to college. In college we had an opportunity to learn adult responsibility but still be able to be childish in some ways. In the real world being childish is a no no in order to make it! Therefore ending childhood means adult responsibilities. This is why I tell my young friends/mentees to value their childhood and not rush to being an adult because while being an adult is fun it also comes with a heavy price to pay. Last my grief is in part to going out in the real world and expected to have a job, making a living, etc. With this it seems like the overall theme in the real world is do whatever it takes to make a dollar, even if that includes stepping on other people to get there, which is something we must stop doing! Every man/woman is for themselves in the real world. We do not live in a society where people pay your bills. You have to pay your own bills and the means to getting there is not simple or easy but whether challenging and very stressful. In the real world it's all about productivity, especially dependent on the type of job you work.

So overall I am bittersweet but more joyous than anything else to accomplish this major task! Long live Elon, both the University and the town I grew up in!!

October 21, 2009-The Day My Life Changed Forever!!!

2010-05-16T14:17:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had a special day that will always stick to your mind? Maybe it's your wedding anniversary on a positive note or maybe on a sad note the day of some one's death in your life. I can relate to the positive special day. There is a day that began my personal transformation into who I've become today. October 21, 2009 is the day that changed me forever!

October 21, 2009 is the day that I started my internship at Alamance Community Services Agency, Inc. This agency never had an intern from Elon University and this was their first time having an intern. At first I was very nervous because I must admit that confidence has been a big issue (and sometimes still is) over the years. I was the first intern and wanted to leave a good impression because obviously it's about impressing and in our society first impressions count.

As I began to see the work of the agency, especially providing emergency food to clients, it made me more thankful for the blessings I have in life! To see people going through worse than me and I sit up and complain about petty stuff and I don't have this and don't have that and yada yada yada, it made me more thankful for my life. At that point (and even now) everything is/was not the way I want it to be but overall I was doing pretty good. This was coupled more when the agency gave me a chance to start my professional career at the same place I was an intern at. I have had the opportunity to serve people of different races, personal experiences and backgrounds. It has made me grateful for the blessings I have.

Lastly, I will always be appreciate of Alamance Community Services Agency, Inc for giving a person like myself an opportunity to start my professional career. This job has taught me a lot of lessons for life and career development. For that I will always be appreciative of this place and I believe that we should never forget where we come from. I will definitely remember this agency as the place that got me started in the real world. I will also remember this place that led to the personal transformation that I have been going through since starting October 21, 2009!

A World Without Perceptions

2010-05-11T18:20:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been a victim of perceptions? Have you ever been an initiator of perceptions? I absolutely believe that 50% of the world is based on perception and 50% of the world is based on reality. Why do I believe this? In all honesty, I believe that a lot of people are not as bad or do not have bad motives behind what they do as much as society or individuals give them.

One of the best examples I know of this is with pastors/preachers. The stigma of many pastors, especially in the African-American context is that many of them are about money, power, control and manipulating the people of God. Now granted there are many pastors about those things I mentioned, however I do not believe every pastor fits that criteria. I believe there are pastors who actually have a heart for God and for people. Therefore I kind of believe that it is possible that MANY PASTORS HAVE RIGHT MOTIVES BUT BECAUSE PEOPLE VIEW PASTORS BASED ON THE OVERALL PERCEPTION OF THEM GENERALLY THEY ARE LABELED AND PUT IN THE SAME GROUP. This might explain why so many pastors fail. Maybe it's not totally the pastor's fault? I don't know.

Last, I believe that many people have special talents they can offer to society, but are scared of perceptions. I believe many people would like to be more vocal in society and in their respective areas, but because of perceptions, they do not want to be labeled. Unfortunately I think that too many people based their perspective of things on personal experience and the history of the thing. In other words, this is why you have some blacks who still have negative perceptions of whites. Not all whites are racist or don't want to see black people move up, but because of past experiences it's hard for them to see it any other way.

What would the world be like with no perceptions? That would be heaven on Earth!!!

Why I Am Who I Am Today!!!

2010-05-08T05:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend I celebrate my dad's 77th birthday and Mother's Day. I must first say that I am thankful for just the opportunity to be alive. Second I am thankful for my dad seeing another birthday and mom seeing another Mother's Day.

I am who I am today because of my upbringing. Times have not always been sweet for our household but I believe, inspite of everything that has taken place, that I was raised in a great home. No one is raised in a perfect home because no one is perfect, yet you can be raised in a home that teaches wonderful life lessons, instills values and gives you confidence. I was raised in a household that truly valued helping one another. This value runs deep in my personal philosophy of life and one that I can never forsake. I was raised in a home that has always put the needs of humanity above the needs of self. For that I am thankful.

There are some things that I wish was a part of my upbringing but were not. No matter what, the philosophy of treating people the way you want to be treated and helping your fellow brother and sister is the greatest value taught to me and one that will always stick with me no matter what path of life I take. In every home there are advantages and disadvantages of certain values taught and unfortunately we have seen what happens when you become too nice to people and let them take advantage of you.

We are not a perfect family (as I believe every family has some form of dysfunction) but we are one that has stood through adversity. Through the leadership of my father as head of the house, we are a family that is standing no matter what comes our way. We have trials and tribulations but as a family we have stood the test! I pray that you can have the same testimony about your family but if not, know that as brothers and sisters in Christ we are family!

Happy Mother's Day weekend!

The Interconnectedness of God's Blessings

2010-05-01T17:57:00.001-07:00

In modern Christianity we have sayings such as "what God has for me it is for me" and "My blessing is on the way" and also "God's got a blessing with my name on it." These says have meanings yet there is something that we must understand about blessings from God.

One of the criticisms that Christianity in America has is that it has compromised itself to reflect American culture. Our culture is a very individualistic one. In other words, most of what we do focuses on the individual. Therefore we view problems, situations and mostly anything in the context of the individual. This is why hard work, self-reliance and individual responsiblity are values that the American culture values. Now I want to emphasize that I am not suprised by this because I am a true believer that mostly anything in America reflects the culture, including individuals.

Yet I believe that we should not view God's blessings without understanding it's connection with how we treat each other and live. Watch this: The blessings of God is not solely about me but about how I treat my neighbor! Many of us are not blessed like we should because we don't know how to treat people. Many of us think that we can get the blessings of God in our lives and treat people any kind of way. Some of us think that we can shout, sing and praise our way to our breakthrough and treat people any kind of way. I beg to differ. I believe there is a strong connection between Christian character and God's blessings. This is why we need a balance in our churches between empowering believers to receive their blessings and spiritual maturity/growing in Godly character.

At the end of the day my point is that if we expect God's blessings in our life we must also learn how to walk in Christian character and the fruit of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). There is always a interconnectedness between God's blessings and our character/spiritual maturity!

The Reality of Imperfection

2010-04-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

One of the things that bothers me this day and age is the ever-increasing perfectionist attitudes of many in our society. This perfectionist attitude is beginning to hurt relationships and marriages. I am concerned that as a whole we are so hung up on finding Mr. and Mrs. perfect that we fail to realize that as humans we are not perfect and always have room for improvement. Therefore I propose that in order to enhance relationships and marriages we understand the reality of imperfection.

My theory basically argues that we should view each other (talking about mates) as imperfect humans wanting to be better. I believe that when we view each other as imperfect it allows us to be more open to moving into relationships in which there are signs of wanting to grow from both the man and woman. I believe that too many people want to be in the "perfect" relationship/marriage with the "perfect" man/woman. Many statuses on facebook demonstrate this issue. What happened to accepting each other even with flaws committing to help each other grow to being a better person?

Why are we so "perfectionist" about our relationships? Why do we want the "perfect" man/woman? Why can't we just be willing to help each other grow to being a better person? I am not saying that we should just go with anyone despite how they act but I believe we should give those who are open to growing and changing a chance. We should not want to be in a relationship with someone because of a few "imperfections." Why not help them become a better person.

Let's give each other a chance as we understand the reality of imperfection!

The Power of a Touch

2010-04-14T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Lord just dropped this nugget in my basket and I just had to share it.

Over the last 2-3 years I have discovered that I am a very "touchy-feel" person. I love to hug people and just give a simple touch. I am absolutely convinced that many people go the whole week without a hug, smile or a simple touch. To me there is so much power in a simple touch. Sometimes I will talk to people about random things and just put my hand on their shoulder. It doesn't mean I'm trying to do anything crazy but just a simple touch.

I believe that when we give people random touches it does something for them. We all want to be love and accepted (human quality) and part of that is through touching. That's why I've always loved fellowshipping with the saints because it gives us time to hug, touch and love on one another, even though true love moves beyond words to actions. For me, Sunday morning is the first time they receive a hug or have somebody touch them. This is always why I now highly value holding hands while praying. There is something special about touching another human being.

There is power in a touch from another human. Today let us begin a journey of touching people as a sign of human love and most of all the love of Christ. Hug somebody, tell them that we're in this thing together and keep moving forward in Christ!

What our young people need in this day and age!!!

2010-04-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Today I was in criminology class and we started talking about labeling theory. In that discussion it led to us talking about juveniles and how it seems like society is very hard on young offenders. My professor brought up something that stuck with me that I wanted to share: Young people need attention and if you are respectful they want to talk to you. That was so phenominal to me. Let me go further.

Over the last few months God has given me a burning desire for our youth. I am absolutely convinced that many of our youth, if not all of our youth need positive role models and people who they can talk to. Our young people go through a lot and what we as adults should do is not sit around and criticize every bad thing they do but correct them IN LOVE and be a vehicle of encouragement. I believe that while children know what they are doing when they do wrong a lot of the time, there is still a reflection on the parents and society as a whole.

Many of our young people are incredible and are great people yet because of their environment, circumstances, life experiences and upbringing are in a troubling situation. Our young people need mentoring relationships, unique bonds and social friendships that are encouraging and blessful. God has blessed me to have wonderful mentoring relationships with some of our young people and my prayer is that God will use me as someone to be a positive example. If we be positive examples and BUILD TRUST then I believe many will be willing to share some of the things that go on in their lives. But the sad reality (here we go church people) is that the church has a reputation for having a bunch of gossiping folk who want to spread other people's business. As long as this reputation stands, the church will not be a place of trust for our young people.Young people need an outlet to express themselves and what's going on! Many walk years and years with that hurt and pain from the past! Let's help them release!!!

In conclusion I believe that we need to heavily emphasize mentoring in the 21st century, correction done in a spirit of Love and encouragement, and remember that we were young so we should put ourselves in their shoes of when we were young. I praise God for our young people and pray that we would invest more time with them!

2 Things That Kill A Church

2010-04-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

I want to share two things that I believe kill a church and its effectiveness in the community:
1. Bad Communication
2. Too many people wanting to be in charge (too many chiefs and not enough indians).

In my opinion, communication is so essential towards effective church ministry. If we are on a ministry team committee we should all know together what is going on and how it will affect the ministry as a whole. Major decisions (that require the input of the entire group) should not be done unless it is properly communicated. If certain people should be doing certain roles, everyone should know their role. It is not right to expect people to do certain things or know certain things if those pointers have not been communicated to the person. Communication is very important and can save unnecessary drama.

Last, one of the problems in our churches is too many people wanting to run the show. This is why we need firm leadership in our churches. I do not support a system where one person thinks they know it all and nobody else's opinions matter, HOWEVER I also do not support a system in which people do what they want without accountability. I support a system where firm leadership is in place yet the opinions of the people are counted with the people understanding that the end-result is what counts. I will emphasize again what I have emphasized in the past: organizations run better when there are less people in charge and when roles of the leaders are clearly defined!!!

That's all I wanted to share.

Facebook might be polarizing.....lol!

2010-04-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

Ok this is random but I was just thinking about this the other day. In the history books, will facebook go down as one of the greatest social networking tools of all time or as one of the most distracting elements created? My answer.........BOTH!!!

For those of us in school, a lot of us cannot get our homework started without going on facebook for just a little bit. That 5 minutes we said we were going to be on turns into 55 minutes....lol! I wonder sometimes how many of us would be in school as far as performance if facebook never existed.....lol! Then we probably could find other things to distract us.

On the other hand, facebook has been very beneficial for my social. I can think of at least 2-3 friendships/mentoring relationships that have been strengthened through facebook. Before talking a lot on facebook we would simply say hey or not even speak at all. But ever since we started talking a lot on facebook when we see each other we talk more as friends. I find that interesting.

So while facebook has been a big distraction for many of us I also see it as a huge contributor to many of my friendships/mentoring relationships forming!

Facebook might end up being as polarizing as George Bush or Barack Obama or any president ever......lol!

Why I think materialism is dumb

2010-03-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

So I've had this on my mind for about a week or two and now I'm ready to talk about it. As I revealed I've been in deep thought lately about life and death issues. The reality of life being a one time through event has realy been on my mind lately. If it's true that we only live one time and then (depending on your faith) go to heaven or hell, then a concept that reigns in America and probably around a world really confuses me: materialism.

I believe that when you die you do not take anything with you to the grave except the clothes they dress you with for the funeral and burial. All the money, cars, houses, and other personal property you had will be eventually used and distributed to whomever. If that's the case then why is materialism even existent? The idea of materialism is getting all of the material goods (money, clothes, etc) that is possible through whatever means necessary. Along with materialism is greed. This is one of my beefs with the prosperity gospel doctrine because it states that if you do what God wants you can have all the riches you want. The basic premise is that God wants you to be rich. I honestly do not believe that it's God's intent for everyone to be materially rich. However I do believe God wants us to be comfortable.

I just question the aspect of going after all the material goods possible if we are going to eventually leave it here. I believe that we should teach contentment more within our society. What happen to being happy with having our basic needs met? I'm not against us trying to do better financially and materially but that should not be our main focus living on earth, especially if all of that will be left here when we die.

Maybe I'm crazy or something but I just do not understand the whole idea of being materialistic if everything we acquire will be left on Earth anyway. I hope somebody feels what I'm saying.

The missing ingredient in our society today

2010-03-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

Have you ever cooked something and there was specific ingredients required to make the dish and the dish be done completely? If you left out that specific ingredient then the dish wouldn't end up being what you had hoped it to be. You could eat your finish product but there would be something missing. Our society is the same way. We can benefit from the system of life and the opportunity of freedom we have but yet there is an ingredient that is missing from making our society what it should be. You wanna know what it is?

LOVE!!!

One of the realities of life in this society is that Christianity is not the dominant force anymore. Christianity, at least from my view, has love as the center piece of the faith. Christianity is not just about getting up on Sunday morning get your dance on doing jumping jacks and while that is fine the foundation is not solely that. Everything Jesus done was based on love for me and you. God loved Paul enough to use him as one of the greatest Apostles ever. Through the Bible, we see God's redemptive (forgiving, renewing, etc) work in action. Why can't we love like that?

To me society would be much better if we truly loved one another. I'm not just talking about saying it because we can say we love somebody all day but it will not matter until we show that love in action. Society is now about every man and woman for themselves. We've gotten away from a communal attitude (as present in the early church). Gone (or slowly drifting away) are the days when a child would act up or get in trouble and the entire neighborhood/community would deal with the child in a loving way. Now if a child gets in trouble, it's their own fault and the parent within that house has to individually handle it. We have lost and are losing community values. We are less likely to see someone on the street and actually help them. All we like to focus on is our needs and what benefits us.

I live under the belief/assumption that everyone goes through hard times in their lives. I believe that some people have rough days at work, school, home and even in the church. Therefore we should do the best we can to comfort them and have compassion. I know people get tired of me saying this but I am absolutely convinced that you never know what a person goes through away from other people. One smile, hug or word of comfort can be the difference between a person giving up or going on inspite of pain and difficulty.

Let me offer some practical solutions in returing love back to our society:
-Watching the words we say to people and not just what we say but HOW we say it.
-Take a day or so and check up on our friends, co-workers and/or church members just to see how they are doing and give them an encouraging word.
-Give as many hugs as we can to people. Some people go all week and never receive a hug.
-In a community when we know a person is going through and we have the resources to help, we should get our community together to pull resources unified in helping person.
-Show way more compassion and empathy by putting ourselves in other people's shoes before we judge someone and/or their situation.
-Less gossipping about people and pray for their situation and/or extend our hands to help.
-Take more time to sit and listen to people's story and what they go through and really offer encouragement and if necessary correction/advice.

If you have some more ways leave a comment here or on facebook. I hope that we can begin to bring love back in every aspect of our lives and in our society.

A Worship Experience Like Never Before

2010-03-21T13:59:00.000-07:00

As many know, our church (the Elon First Baptist Church) is in a period of transition. We are currently without a Pastor. But even through that God is still blessing our church and worship experience. Today marks to me one of the greatest worship experiences we've had in 2010 and during this transition period.

We have 2 services each Sunday. The guest speaker was Eric Baldwin from Greensboro, NC. He tore the house down with the word and while the Word is and should be the center of our focus for church it really started with our praise & worship to God through singing. At our 8:45am service our choir sung "More Abundantly" and the Lord was moving through that song. God moved miracously in the early service through the preaching encouraging us to give thanks in everything inspite of the situation! Then....here we go.....!!!

At 10:45 our service starts with praise & worship and our praise team, for the last selection, sung "Praise Is What I Do" and after we sung that song the church EXPLODED in a praise! People all over the congregation were praising God left and right! Members of our praise team were taken over in the Spirit! In that praise break I stopped playing and our drummer got off and started dancing! People are going through so much and praise tells God "come in and have your way." I was even getting caught up myself!

Then during our personal prayer and meditation time I started playing "How Excellent" and one of our ministers started saying the words and all of a sudden people start singing! It got so filled that our young adult choir, whom had sung at the early service, stood up in the congregation and sung the song! I was directing from the organ to the audience.....lol! Then Rev. Baldwin encouraged us by saying that it's not how we start but how we finish! We should keep running the race!

By far, this was a refreshing service for many of us! Right now God is just doing sooo much and I can't even explain it.....thank you Jesus!!

What is this thing called life about?

2010-03-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

Tonight I put a status on facebook expressing a struggle that I have been dealing with for the past 2 weeks: the idea of life being a one time thing. A few days ago I expressed to one of my good friends some things that had been going on in my mind. One of the things was trying to understand what this thing called life is all about. Now as a believer in God my faith in accepting Jesus Christ is in the belief that one day we, who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior will live with Jesus for eternity in heaven forever and ever world without end. This is one of the cornerstones of our belief. We believe this through our faith that Christ rose from the dead. If Christ was not risen from the dead then our faith is in vain.

As a whole lately I have struggled with some of the basic things of life: what is life really about; is there anything after this or is this it. Atheist would argue that we should live life to the fullest because once we die it is the end. That thought it very scary to me because it's like we live just once and then that's it. Again, my faith in God says that there is life after death but sometimes, even as a Christian it is a struggle viewing life as a one time thing.

I guess this is what bothers me about people who never achieve what they can achieve or walk in the full potential they have. If life is a one time thing they do not have another chance to achieve whatever potential God gave. My thinking would make reincarnation a pretty interesting belief to go to. Reincarnation (by the way, I don't beleive in reincarnation, I'm just saying) basically says that you can die as a human and either come back as another human or as something like a butterfly, cow, etc. But if we are just passing through this world and as mean as the world is, then it really wouldn't be the goal of us as Christians to want to come back, if Jesus is eventually going to rule and reign in supreme authority.

I'm not questioning the fundamental beliefs of our faith, I'm just struggling with this notion of life being a one time thing. Lately this thought has given me a drive like never before to begin to walk in the potential God has given me. Life is short and I should not live it not pursuing everything God has for me. This thought also started bothering me while on my trip to Ghana (a blog will be coming about that soon). Someone said (and I'm paraphrasing) that when you think about life being a one-time thing it makes you want to do more. When I first heard it I was like "yeah yeah yeah" and then when I started thinking about deeply I was like....hmmmm, maybe this explains why people do whatever they want.

Has anyone else felt this way? Is anyone currently struggling with this issue (Christian or nonchristian)? This is why I cannot live my life as if it's all about me because I want to see Jesus one day when things will be sweet and I won't have to worry about the things of this world. Our world is mean and I feel like so many people are taking this "realistic/it doesn't bother me so I don't care" approach. I want to hear what others have to say on this.

Titles in the Church

2010-03-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

I'll share the link on the bottom but this article from a website was talking about our obsession in the black church with titles. Why is it this way? I absolutely agreed with every point this man made in the article. I pray that our church leaders will focus significantly less on titles and positions and start to put more focus on the work that needs to be done. We have so much work that needs to be done in our communities and churches that we don't have time to get caught up in titles. As the article noted Jesus was never about titles. If you look in the old testament books, the prophets were never about calling them "prophet" so and so.

As leaders we must relinquish titles and be focused on the kingdom agenda, as defined in the Word of God! God's agenda is the ONLY agenda that we should be focused on. Everything else really does not matter. The title will speak for itself through your work!

http://www.praisenet.org/id10/feature/

The Spirit of Praise is on me like never before!!!

2010-03-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight represented another high tipping point for me! We had praise & worship rehearsal (praise team). We kind of went through our regular procedure and rehearsed songs. Because we had a new member to join we went back over Alpha & Omega and that song set it off! After we went through the song, God led me to start playing this random piece that went from one chord to another! That led us to a high spirit of Praise & Worship! God just took over from that point! Members of our praise team started lifting hands, crying, singing and just stayed in a spirit of praise & worship. We started singing a melody of songs! God just took over that rehearsal and that rehearsal probably represented the best rehearsal we have had. Currently our church is in transition but our spirit of Praise & Worship still is strong. They tell me that our old church at the railroad track had a high spirit of praise & worship and it seems like that spirit has been brought over to our current edifice.

This week was one of the best weeks I have had in a long time, probably ever since coming back from Ghana (post coming soon on Ghana). For the most part rehearsals went well this week. School went well also. Lastly everything at work was smooth this week! God has been so good. He also blessed me with a 2004 Cheverolet Malibu that had only 60,200+ miles on it after dealing with cars with over 100,000 miles that had a serious amount of problems! God is so good! I have traditonally been the cool, calm and collected person. Lately when I get on the organ I feel like going crazy. When I'm at home or even in church I just almost feel like dancing, lifting my hands and just giving praise to God. God has been so awesome to me and I feel so blessed! God has seen the best in me even when people didn't think I would be anything! God is so awesome and I don't have ANYTHING to complain about!

Sometimes people might wonder why folk praise God like they do! If only you knew the story behind their praise, you might start praising Him too! There's a story behind the praise and the tears!! And I so excited I done probably made some grammatical and spelling mistakes too....lol! Forgive me it's just that the Spirit of God is just moving like crazy right now!

My Life, Career and Ministry Mission

2010-03-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I am having to think about as I get ready to graduate is what will the rest my life be about. Will it be church ministry? Music Ministry? Social work? This is what I am thinking about right now. But one thing that I am thankful for is that in the latter part of 2009 God gave me my overall life mission.

My overall mission in life, career and ministry goals is to help those who are disempowered, disadvantaged, hurting and oppressed. Every career I work in throughout my lifetime I pray will center upon my life mission. Traditionally I've wanted to just be in one or two careers over my lifetime. But with me developing so many passions (urban community justice, youth, homelessness, pastoral care, etc) I believe that it is possible I could work in many arenas before the end of life. My preference is still one to two career areas in this lifetime but the life is you never know.

My mission in life has been something developed over the course of my young life. So much has happened in my life in just 22 1/2 years and a lot of what happened shifted me career wise. Originally I went to school wanting to do middle school education but through life experience I felt God leading me to human services. During sophomore year I could not understand why I was going into this field but as I began to look at my life experience and what human services was I was like "this makes sense." So I am thankful for God leading me and developing my overall life mission. I know now why I am on this Earth. I pray that God will continue to open doors for me to fulfill my life mission!

Life Mission: To help those who are disempowered, disadvantaged, hurting and oppressed!

I'm Here

2010-03-04T08:05:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

My name is Bennett Yancey and I am here to start sharing with you my thoughts! I will try to keep this as uplifting, advocationist, positive, empowering and encouraging as possible. I do have my moments where I will speak on something that bothers me but I will try to keep this as positive and uplifting as possible. Looking forward to sharing many of my ideas and perspectives on this blog and having you share your perspectives as well on various issues.

Are there any general topics that you would like for me to share my perspective on? If so let me know here. I am also on facebook under "Bennett Yancey" and on learngospelmusic.com, THE hottest gospel forum place on the web as "churchyreal."

Thank you in advance for your support and garnishing of information through this blog!