Black Man(Humor?)

http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/archive/2012/03/11 

Universe; let's look back(wards)

and then ahead to the future for a second;

"How many rivers do we have to cross,

Before we can talk to the boss?

Eh!

All that we got, it seems we have lost;

We must have really paid the cost."

Just saying, though the old wars are renewed again, and yet, isn't it obvious that's change done come for the people? I mean, I get the whole "we used to!", but that isn't what's happening anymore..

I liked this;

"When I say 'I am a Christian' 
I'm not aiming to be perfect;
My flaws are far too visible,
but God believes I am worth it."

Which isn't to say that what you believe(d) doesn't impact me,
but at the end of it all, you might not be where, I'm already going....

Defined;

hos·pi·tal·i·ty[hos-pi-tal-i-tee] noun, plural -ties.

1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.

2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.

Weird, and yet, knowing the culture, not unexpected!

This weekend, make your enemies your friends, for making your friends into your enemies, well, we know where that gets you..

Phillipians 4:6

How do we really know what to say?

Why do we even think words, from our lips, can help? Empathy; like Love are subjective(s),
and though we know it when we experience it,
often, we can translate in a way that wounds, and/or offends.

Today, like so many(in my valley), my heart isn't right, and yet words fail me, so, in my failure to understand, there He is, my faithful Friend, and Counselor, reminding me through the struggle(s) that all is well nonetheless..

Saturday dawns and Manna concludes.

With almost 24,000 sack lunches and 50,000 wieners served, and countless smiles enjoyed, it has been a very enjoyable six years in this ministry, and the co-laborers and I, we have been blessed by it all!

Meditating over all that has been, I am comforted by Psalm 127 which reminds us all: "1 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. 2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat, for He grants sleep to those His beloved."

And in this new season of service, let's let those that labor for the approval of men have their reward, me, I'll keep the Lord in focus, and the world will fall away..

People say

Sometimes, people ask me why I do what I do, or better still, why am I so exacting in how I prefer others to be around me, and though this isn't the answer, often, how we phrase questions, determines the appropriate response.

Thursday, and the weekend is going to be here soon enough...

Mardi Gras;

"Fat Tuesday is the traditional name for the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of behavior as a form of penitence. Fat Tuesday gets its name from a custom in many Catholic deceived countries, of marking the day with feasting, before the fasting season of Lent begins."

Me, this year, I'm giving up fear. Fear and maybe even reluctance. And yet, even w/out a reason, I will be embracing change!

Change and more Joy actually!

Aside from the usual fear mongering;

"There is no division, don’t you understand

The future looks as though it has come around

And maybe we have finally found our common ground

We’re the children of one Father

If you’re looking back don’t bother

We’re black and white America!"

NAACP Awards for sure, but that's not what started me thinking...

Wonders;

Wednesday, and though I can feel the tension in the air is huger still, oddly enough, I'm on the Worship Schedule, but then again, I am the servant that I always was, and in that, I can find comfort, even while others are still uncomfortable with the reality of it all.

And maybe it'll make no more sense now, than it did all the months I poured myself in so freely, while others made off with the cream, but, even in that, my spirit is free, and my God isn't wondering about my motive(s), so, I'm liking this new season more than I thought I would.

Which doesn't surprise anyone,
except for those, it does!

Happy February 14th.

The day of Valentine(s) Celebration.

And whereas today can also be celebrated as Singles Awareness Day(!), my hope is that no matter where you are in life, there is for you, someone to love(another to be loved by), whether it's a great friend, or someone truly special(?), just remember to include the Ultimate Love in your celebration too;

Jesus Christ, our Lord & Savior!

In the between though, here's trusting that you'll have a fantastic day.

One filled with Real Love, Absolute Joy and of course, Commercial Success.

Never did figure out how to monetize love, but for all you who write, paint, sculpt, draw, and/or perform, let this be the gateway to a much brighter 2012...

In this new Season;

Sunday afternoon, and the service(s) @ River Valley this weekend reminded me that in the doing, in the actual serving for(of) the Lord,
and in all things Worthy & not just Noble appearing, lives Grace.

And me, I love Grace.
Love Mercy too!

But Grace reminds me that I can keep trying, even as I'm failing. For failure lives in the excuse(s), and not in the action of doing.

Plus, I love Verbs, and words that begin with the letter V.

Words like:

Valiant

Valuable

Venerated

Victorious

Visualized

Vivacious

Vocal

But I trust you see where this is leading...

Change(s);

"Reading through the Bible, one often gets the impression that those who people it weren't afraid to move about. Actually, then as now, a certain amount of travel is essential, and not just because merchants had to carry their goods across deserts and mountains to exchange with far-off neighbors, or that the pious wanted to make pilgrimages to holy places.

Often enough, Ambassadors needed to carry messages. Soldiers were required to march to war. And people, had to move their livestock to greener pastures.

And so, roads had to be built."

Odd then, as we've come forward as a people,
that so many stay in one place!

What is love?

Is it a connection unbroken, or, does it ever really need connecting?

Many people love through their work, others, through their friends and families.

And then, there is you.

A one in, upon, through, and because of,
Love is often defined and enveloped.

So on this day, maybe we've grown as close as we're designed,
or, maybe like rain, this day is just another reminder that same,
and change are real!

cou·ra·geous/kəˈrājəs/

Adjective: Not deterred by danger or pain; brave - willing - eager.

Synonyms: brave - bold - valiant - plucky - gallant - hardy

Of course in context, Super Bowl Sunday is an opportunity to shine as a Husband, Son, Father, Brother, or Friend by being the one man, who reminds the other men to maintain, and stay focused. That though, will require presence, and in the absence of courage, many a family will be in tears on Monday.

Have a good time today,
but keep it in perspective please...

Friday, and my new life begins.

"Luke 10:5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’

6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages."

Thanking Jesus, and my Lovely Mother for their work and continuous prodding and interceding on my behalf! Life gets more exciting when you believe..

Obviously,

I am impressed(inspired, encouraged, controlling the urge, as it were) but hey, that's how Saturday(Sunday) should be..

It isn't always obvious;

"Wednesday is often referred to as "hump day" because of its position as the middle day of the work week. If the work week were a hill, then Wednesday would be the crest. For it's all down hill from there. (Whether the down hill ride is a coast or a descent into a swamp is left to the individual.)"

On this Wednesday, me, I've yet to decide...

Sunday Morning;

And though I'm still reading words written the day before, my day break is nonetheless moored in the truth that not everyone can believe in reality the way I do. Which, is the true blessing, except, when it's not!

So, Newt is the Next Great Hope?

In this, I am relieved, and terrified.

But you know, last night I saw the movie Courageous, over @ RVCC and the thing that struck me deepest, was that I was raised by my father, and in that, being different isn't always the liability others believe it to be. It takes a whole person, to raise another whole person. 


Two broken people are not a family, nor are mothers disqualified either, but having a man to offer up examples, helped me for sure...

Healthy relationship ingredients include:

Loving without fear.

Trust without always wondering.

Being there(for them), without restrictions.

And then, accepting another, without wanting to change them completely.

Many of the things we desire in this life are just a pure expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free. Like; Love, Laughter, and Friendship(and family).

As it unfolds, seek to live more as yourself, and less of their vision of you!

Martin Luther King, Jr.

‎"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns, to the broader concerns of all humanity."

There needs to be more rules:

Everday reminds me that I am indeed not employed by the FBI;

for, I am a card carrying member of the CRI!

Conditioned(to) Resist Idiots.

And I like that too...

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus 

www.youtube.com

"A poem I wrote to highlight the difference between Jesus and false religion."



 Words are the Reality that heals, not steals!

Rumors and Mummering(s);

Afternoon Universe,

Though it comes as no surprise to me that instead of voicing their own complaints and observations, people are chatting in homes as to why my mother isn't in attendance here presently. She has been sick for over a month, and it seems to me, that if people were interested in her welfare, they would have stopped by her home and inquired(?)!

Nonetheless, some are dissatisfied by their experience(s) here @ CCGP and instead of collectively addresses these things, people vote with their feet! Big Deal. Whether Board Members, Volunteers, Friends or Family, people come and go within a body for reasons that they themselves have to resolve, and under no circumstances are we, the Christians of record here in this valley to use that to stir up the pot, or, to posit our own grievances in their wake.

Me, well yes, I too am not pleased with the decisions made by board here, but, I have chosen to serve through the darkness nonetheless. Will that eventually end(?), for sure it will, but, it won't be some shocking(murmur-able) development, hence my resignation @ the 1st. Family Meeting in August. For as I walk about this town and see the "church" wounded, I have no desire to become yet another causality of inter church politics, or for that matter, some avoidable split, and as strange as this may seem to you(all), I am actually a friend of Denny Stahl. Not Pastor Denny the myth, the legend, but the human being. A husband to Vickie, the father of grown children, and the grand father to four little ones!

So check the, this is about him quotes.

Please though, as this all shakes out, whosoever is leaving, and whoever is staying, that is between our God and that individual. If possible, should we discover(or uncover) anyone making a decision in this arena, let's respect them enough to not use that information as a catalyst to undermine whatever remnant rebuilds where they(the departed) have previously Worshiped.

Just a thought...

For me, Sunday(the whole weekend actually)

reminded me that in His Love, the reality of service is contained in His compassion, and the willingness to extend that compassion to others, which is why we were created!

To always just have excuses, or to just say, it's not in His will, when the truth is that you're too afraid to do any other than just what's asked of you, well, how can you step out in faith, if you can't even step past yourself?

Just saying;

A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification.

Leadership though, that requires action!

‎"When I turn to You:

You are always waiting

With a heart that understands before I speak

And I learn from You

All that really matters

Though a million years go by You'll still love me

I no longer look for a place to hide

Cause I know where I belong

When I turn to You;

Dear Lord…"

Great Examples of Faith;

Hebrews 11:5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.”a For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

6And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. 7It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith."

Having faith though is hard to do when all you see, is contained within what you have no more need of! And yet, even in that season, having faith we must, if we're ever to turn away from what we know is incorrect, and towards that which we perceive as truly real.

Just saying.

On the eve, of the new:

Begin the day with purpose, and please, don't end it in ruin. In the between of this, and the New Year, make no false promises to yourselves, but allow for a fresh start nonetheless, in this, maybe the New Year will matter...

"And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way."

Minnie L. Haskins

Proximity;

Nearness in place, time, order, occurrence, or relation. Concurrence: cooperation, as of people or causes; combined action or effort(s).

One, obviously is similar to the other, but, each require a greater sense of desire, and an obvious lack of fear in order to enjoy more completely. As for me, well, fear has not really been a close friend of mine over the years, and desire, well, in that, you'd need to read my other post(s)....

Know You more;

The storms will come and go

There's laughter and there's pain

Your kindness leads me on

To the light again

So I live and breathe

And find myself in You…

1 Corinthians 1

"1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."


And as humans, friendship is never a guarantee of Love, and yet, He is Love, and that's more than enough for us both...

Psalm 90:12

"Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

And just because Prayer is often the only true answer: Please Lord, teach us to number our friends as we grow in Your Love, so that we give our hearts with greater wisdom as well Dear Jesus..

Prince; singing about Jesus in Las Vegas!!

"I knew this dude/He was very cool

He used 2 rule/Until he went 2 school

Not a normal school/That breeds a fool

But the ones that teaches/Men aren't fit to rule

That's when he took his pearly crown/He raised it up and spun it 'round

And tossed in 2 the deep blue underground

No longer lead by the ways of men/He looked 4 the kingdom deep within That's when the drums in his head began 2 pound

Don't let nobody bring u down

Accurate knowledge of Christ and the Father

Will bring the Everlasting Now/Join the party, make a sound Share the truth, preach the good news Don't let nobody bring u down/The Everlasting Now"

Thanks Pamelynne, 
I knew this would come in handy...

And no, that was not my intention(s) at all:

1 COR: 4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Some people surprise you(not);

‎"Once you go black, you're a single Mom"

Well, not unlike Thanksgiving, and Independence Day, there are so many ways that some people(s) use words and phraseology to twist and distort the reality for their own aims, and lack of a personal reality and/or integrity!

Me, no mistaking the fact(s) that I live in a place where the other is anyone that doesn't fit the profile, and yet, we're still feeding the homeless down @ church, just as when I go to collect the rent in a few days, the # of able bodies "men" with HUD stipends will make any urban dwelling single mom envious.

What's the answer? Well, of that I'm still not sure. But along the road to this new world order, you can be sure that I'll be working on turning over as many tables as it takes to rid the conversation of wasteful words and sick vanities...

After the dishes are washed;

Thanksgiving and those unrealized moments of relationships colliding all around us, and still, we wander, as if this to is a reality that matters. Weird!

Letting it be thus, that's not always the way I seek surrender(ing). More than a falling back upon or into it, I like surrender that moves forward, arches its back, and comes right into itself. Like a wave, crashing upon a reef, or, an eagle in a rain storm, flying, flying, flying ever higher, not focused on the rain, or the wind, just knowing that where it's headed and why, are what propels the flight. That steady flapping of its wings..

Holidays(to me) were meant for love and honesty, caring and the expressing of something other than those tin hearted smiles that you use so often to get through another day. So, this Holiday, care some, or at least say that you don't. It will go down better for those asking you to pass the potatoes, if for a change, you were at least more real than the gravy..

Yes, I do edit!

Words, words are like leaves actually;

Leaves, though similar in shape, color and composition are as unlike as the stars still glowing above us right now my friend. Words too, though they look similar, sound somewhat familiar, like leaves, they are nonetheless as different as those that have fallen behind us, and the ones due to bud around us next spring.

Words, words are like leaves actually;

Leaves, though similar in shape, color and composition are as unlike as the stars above us now. Words too, though they look similar, sound somewhat familiar, even those that come from within lips you've listened to before, well, they're just not the same Charlotte.

And the sooner you get past having your ears tickled and your heart exploded, the richer and more meaningful life you're seeking, will be yours to enjoy.

Me, I just wanted to share that before the snow(s) started falling...

Later that same day!

So, there's my mother(figuratively speaking) demanding some space just to say what if(!), and some boot licking civil service drone pepper sprays her! I mean, it's not as if she looked menacing, she's a 4' 10" ball of fury now, but then, she was just my mother(!), up off the couch, asking for some dam space!

What's the Universe coming to, when my mother can't even protest?

Edited for continuity and Grace:

"If you examine how God delivered Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abenego, it might give you some insight into how your own deliverance will come about.

For God did not deliver them out of the furnace;
HE delivered them within the confines of the furnace! And, they came out without a hint of sear or smoke; just like you're going to be delivered from those trials that bind you still, when you finally decide that you need
Him to perfect your own coming out!"

Come out, come out, where ever you are...

Everyone asks about you;

Me, I just tell them that that when
the mix tape drops, it'll answer itself:

“But when you left, I stopped to reflect,
stopped to repent
Stopped to drop every extent of my descent
So maybe you'd see the better person I present
Maybe someday my love will make you content
And maybe someday I'll make a fucking dent


In this wall between us that seems to go on forever
But I'll never stop trying, ever,
cuz I never was lying
When I spared every breathe in my lung
Just telling myself to hold my tongue”.....


Jonathan Gitsy Durham

The Mask of Anarchy

"And these words shall then become
Like Oppression's thundered doom
Ringing through each heart and brain,
Heard again - again - again -

Rise like Lions after slumber
In unvanquishable number;
Shake your chains to earth like dew
Which in sleep had fallen on you,
Ye are many;
they are few!"

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Reaching;

Sunday then has broken well into the afternoon, and in all the things I needed, and all the people whose needs were met, I feel better for sure. Thanks to the Brothers who chose the Widow over more blind guidance, and of course, big love to those who know the difference between power and might!

Me, I'm moving across the valley, coming closer, or stepping further away. You'll have to let me know what it feels like when it's over...

A dear one offers this to consider:

Anything that annoys you is teaching you patience. Anyone who abandons you is teaching you how to stand up on your own two feet.
Anything that angers you is "for"
teaching you forgiveness and compassion.
Anything that has power over you is "for"
teaching you how to take your power back.
Anything you hate is "for"
teaching you unconditional love.
Anything you fear is "for"
teaching you courage to overcome your fear.
Anything you can't control is "for"
teaching you how to let go and trust the Universe.


- Jackson Kiddard, author, scamp; polymath.

What if,

In Church(yours/mine),
you could have a good time?

And now it’s time to make a change;
Revolution day!

Put it into action live compassionately

You take the black and the white

Red yellow brown

Life gets better

It just gets better when we look around,
and see all of humanity.

Waiting on someone,

(that)Someone, is you and me.

Okay, I admit it,

I was wrong too!

Next time though, I promise that I'll choose the reality of it all, over the depth of the relationship. The message, over the messenger, the truth, over any one mans lack of integrity.

And please, sometimes even I need to be reminded that a healthy sheep isn't just good for the sacrifice, for like the body @ large, we all need love and honest shepherding as well..

Augh!!

Tuesday reminds me that there is so much more deception than we're able to consume and deflect, and yet, even in knowing that, we still hide(from) the truth.

Why is that? Are we more afraid of loosing our place in line, than our piece of mind?

Or are we just so beyond caring about reality, that we're willingly leaving a world of inequality and injustice to our children, as if it's a gift they'll cherish?

Not that I'm perfect, far from it.

Nor am I even seeking perfection.

Today, I'll settle for a hug and a little honesty.

For now I know how it feels to be a woman. 
And I don't mean that as anything other than the obvious clue(!).

My Sisters, I apologize!

My brothers, be glad I'm not young enough to come over there..

A new Reality exist:

"Until now, fury at the plutocracy and the political class had found no channel to run in but the antigovernment fantasies of the Tea Party. Now though, it has dug a new channel. Anger does not move countries, but it moves movements — and movements, in turn, can move countries.

To do that, movements need leverage.

Even Archimedes needed a lever and a place to stand to move the world. When Zuccotti Park meets an aroused liberalism, the odd couple may not live happily ever after.

But they can make a serious run at American dreams of “liberty and justice for all.”

Say it loud!

‎

In all that I do, and in most that I think, I'm always attempting to demonstrate that in the absence of unity, there really isn't any true salvation!

Whether its in unity with our Lord, or unity with other believers, and yes, unity with all the Brown Skinned among us!

Imagine the power of the Lord, channeled through the pulpits, and undergirded with the same faith and power we expend on the Super Bowl.

What a wonder that would be! Enough separation, enough selfishness, enough!

Saying it LOUD; I am Black(Brown, Red, Yellow, or Human), and I am Proud...

Awake;

Living then is more than breathing, or acquiring, or protecting even. For living is contained in being present in your own life, and the lives of others, even those that you do not love fully!

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries.

Without them, humanity cannot survive.”

Right here, right now, is our life.

Let's embrace it while we live...

Ooh...

Friday dawned like a promise unspoken, and even in the shroud of fog and the day ahead, it feels better somehow today! The troubles are just beginning of course, and with a healthy dose of honesty and introspection, this season will pass, just as the last, and yet, will we be better this time?

Have we learned the lesson(s) from the last fall?

Or are we still too afraid to just seek good and wise counsel?

Questions for sure still too be answered.

But I'm missing my son again, and that can only mean that this hardening for the battle no longer is upon me, for He has now revealed His purposes in all this. All we need do now is act with the courage His Word has revealed! Me, I'm happier today, and I like that more than enough...

‎"Your time is limited,

So don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

Most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. Stay hungry. Stay foolish. I have always wished that for myself.

And now, I wish that for you." - Steven P. Jobs

What work are you doing?

In the absence of a clear reality, we not only hurt ourselves, but we can devastate those who are counting on us, to lead them through! In this, I think I hear that verse:

2 Tim 2:20 "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."

"In a sky full of people, only some want to fly, isn't that crazy?"

www.youtube.com

With an honorable nod to TD Jakes:

Try not to confuse people who love What you do, with the people who love Who you are!

Being a one whom others respect and enjoy being around is a different position, than to just be the one whom your sycophant(s) and others, have grown to fear and venerate.

Performance based love always evaporates eerily when the facts are no longer being ignored, and the truth is once again enjoyed!

Saturday finds me smiling.

Must be the Lords doing..

Here along the Rogue,

I am often reminded of the steep trails, and deep water gorges. Horses in the canyon, and white water whirl pools! Funny how even with all that, the calm of a cool valley morning is still very refreshing.

Which, when I thought about you this morning, thought about how life's full of surprises and oh so predictable, as we move across this plain, isn't it easier to be alone, than to be subject to the whims of another. And have we chosen that path of least resistance, as a road our own growth, or our own complacency?

Me, I like thinking, it's just another way to keep it fresh...

Anthony Nannetti 9-11

"How easy to capture the sound of the wind when the city was sleeping; to share these borrowed row houses with phantoms, pious and imperceptible, on streets where nothing can thrive in spite of us now.

Now our dreams, lacking sequence, are reassembled and layered to mirror the logic of our waking lives. We look to them for permanence, a way to sleep with doubt and to doubt the single certainty."

Difference(s);

In my experience(s) some are really gifted with directness when they can self edit, and others, well, they are so direct that the force of their words are overwhelming! In the soft middle, there are those that are forward to shield a reserve that they’ve chosen out of(fill in the blank) to keep between themselves, & those that want to come closer.

Not knowing you, & keeping my mistakes to tripping, or over cooking the rice, I just thought it was best to ask what the difference was within you!

Endure, not procure!

I know, it's the last weekend of the summer, & your mind says to let it all out! But please, I(and others) love and will continue to need you as this life winds down, so when I read this, I was moved to share:

"1 Corinthians 10:13(ESV) No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, & he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

A one posted:

"Why don't pennies really fall from heaven?"

Being myself, I submitted that the reasonable answer is: It's too long a descent? Yet, the somewhat overlooked, & thus, awkward response is; If we were really looking Up enough, then we wouldn't need no pennies!

But hey, it's Saturday, so don't let me distract you from yourself. Love though, like what Irene is doing back home, sometimes requires a freshening. Sure, some want less, other need more, me, well, I just want my portion..

Happiness is a feeling(not);

Being in Redding CA. with the Senior Pastors yesterday, I learned a few things, & somethings were confirmed as well. Men, especially men with the power to change lives, often dislike change the most, & yet in some Men, the Love of & for the Lord is so pronounced, growth, change & stability are in abundance!

How strange is that?

As for me, and my house, we will seek to not just hold the line in the sand, or the salary in hand, but be witnesses in all the world, engaged in the promise(s)..

Quote of the day;

“It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens, but we, the whole people, who formed the Union … Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.” – Susan B. Anthony.

This day(August 18th.) marks the 91st anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Can't God use you

Cussing & Killing aside: "If Jacob was a cheater, Peter had a temper, David had an affair, Noah got drunk, Jonah ran from God, Paul was a murderer,

Gideon was insecure, Miriam was a gossip, Mary was a worrier, Thomas was a doubter, Sara was impatient, Elijah was moody, Moses stuttered, Zaccheus was short, Abraham was old and Lazarus was dead?

What's your excuse?

Yes Universe, this is upsetting,

but not for the obvious reason(s).

Crime(s) like this are common enough in the country because of the hate filled rhetoric people use so loosely about how they feel about the President, to Immigration, to Education, to this unwillingness to tax the rich, and give health care to those who need it most. Yes, the images are brutal, but so was the intent!

Video: Hate crime? Killing caught on video

cnn.com

Demons do exist;

To choose the Bohemian lifestyle, or for that matter, to adopt the nonconformist banner, as a way to express your(own) individualistic, loner, lone wolf status, isn’t the same as attacking, or attempting to belittle the spiritual beliefs and/or institutions that others immerse themselves within.

Actually, to be a true enfant terrible (a usually young and successful(?) person who is strikingly unorthodox, innovative, or avant-garde), would require taking off the mask of whatever sub set, or counter cultural persona we wear, and strike out as ourselves, walking amongst those that we seek to dispossess, with our character as the counter balance, not the outrageousness of our dress, or our obvious lack of respect, being the only thing that’s readily apparent in our protest.

But it’s (1st.) Friday, and those are my personal thoughts on the idea of how best to make a loud noise, without scaring the small children amongst us(and she will sleep(again) through the night eventually)..

Obama is just a man.

Thursdays come, & let me say that yes, please have a Happy B/Day Mr. President, you're a nice man, a swell dad, and an able husband.

The country though, is run by (white)men, who, when they see you, are reminded that all that came before, is now in the past, & in all honesty, they're not happy! The recession though, it started before I voted for you, & I'm not holding just you responsible for fixing it.

No, not me'

I wasn’t born by the river in a little tent, & so, not like that river I’ve not been running' ever since. Though, with eyes wide open, I know it's been a long time coming & right now, I'm more than sure, a change's going to come!

So much isn't real anymore, & so many things are for real nonetheless, so to me, change is coming, and no amount of ideology twisting is going to stop this change from becoming reality.

I was like wow! I should have wrote this;

"Believing the dream till it stole mine

What about a dream where the people cry

For the healing of a land both soul and mind

What about a dream where the dream was changed

Not for change sake, but for the highest gain?"

Dominic Balli - American Dream (Official Music Video) (HD) [feat. Sonny Sandoval of P.O.D.)

www.youtube.com

Thanks Wendy...

‎‎"We all need food, shelter, and love.
We all crave attention, recognition, and affection, and above all, HAPPINESS. Reflect on these commonalities you have with others, and ignore the differences...this is compassion.

Compassion is the key to true happiness in yourself and others. ♥"

I actually feel lighter;

"Did the Lord not say whatever is right I'll pay?

Did the Lord not say work while it is day?

Did the Lord not say He would take us away?

If I labor (oh yes) God is gonna give me a crown!

So I believe I'll work (work) in the vineyard

(for)The Sun is goin down…"

(Pop & Marvin Winans ad lib out)

Yes, I did resign, but I still Love you all!

Just to clear the air, I still work for Jesus, and He still directs my energy and efforts within the Ministry. But just as His word states, we(the body of believers) are His Church, and no building, or particular grouping of chairs, does a House of the Lord make!

Me, everything I built, and all the processes I’m directing, I will continue to work diligently within, and, if the day comes when another seeks to take up the many responsibilities, I will be more than happy to relinquish them.

In the between though, me, I was fashioned for service. Not the conversation about service, nor the endless discussions surrounding how best to serve, but, actual service! And in that regard, that’s where I will always be.

My numbers won’t change, and with all due respect, neither will my friendships. But the time has come for the Men who Serve the Living God to do something other than attempt to not upset each other, and me, I refuse to watch the snails race any longer….

Worship Team this Morning

Some mornings, even knowing the blessing(s), it seems I get a little apprehensive nonetheless.

Which is the 2nd. reason why I always seek to live within Love. For without it, this, and many other morning would be a greater challenge indeed...

I don't fear it;

Ever had a friend that keeps a smile welling up inside of you? Well, I do, and sometimes, I need that smile more often than not.

"Thursday reminds me that it isn't the day,

as much as it is the purpose(s) placed within it!"

Tuesday

The reality of knowing yourself is understanding what truly makes you unique. 

For being different than everyone else is not always easy, especially if those within and around you do not recognize, or appreciate the things that make you, completely you!

"People often say that this or that one has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds, it's something that one creates.
- Thomas Szasz"

VBS on my mind;

Sunday, though it roared in like a lion, unleashing the rains, and stirring the leaves again, there was more than just a little bit of peace surrounding the services this morning. With the prayer ladies undergirding each service with their supplications, even the most difficult, was handled accordingly.

And then God, being Himself, showed me Jonathan @ last. And in that, I was refreshed...

Such an emotional Month;

Saturday finds me on my way to church for the 6:00pm Service, and as weird as the rain(s) last night, I was thinking about Wisconsin. The quad on the Isthmus, the Big Lake in winter, & then, I remembered this song:

“The years brought the railroad, It ran by my door. Now there's boards on the windows, And dust on the floor. And she passes the time at another man's side, And I pass the time with my pride”

2 Corinthians 10:13  “We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you.”

What is(unconditional) Love?

"Unconditional love is a term that means to love someone regardless of the loved one's qualities or actions. The paragon of unconditional love is a mother's love for her newborn. Unconditional love is often used to describe the love in an idealized romantic relationship. It may sometimes also be used to describe love between family members, comrades in arms and between others in highly committed relationships.

Unconditional love in committed relationships (of any kind; business, personal, etc.) should never be interpreted to mean that an individual is required to (or should) remain in an abusive and dysfunctional relationship. One can still love someone unconditionally, but that should never be interpreted to mean that the 'victim' is required or should stay in the dysfunctional relationship."

And yes, our God can Love us with an unconditional Love, but, He is God after all. The rest of us, well, we have to admit that with friends, lovers, husbands, family members, our love is conditional.

Even you asked, hey, can't two people enjoy one another, like the other, and not try to change the other? And my answer is; yes, but, you'd have had worked that out as it began.

Me, I won't die daily underneath the absence of Love. Jesus did that, and that's not me...   

Comforting words

1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

And so it begins

Wednesday finds me wondering, how much do we over love our children? And yes, for those overly permissive parents, I get that I'm too concerned, too fearful of what I know the world is, and yet, having a child turn to the world, and away from the life that calls him repeatedly, well, it makes me worry.

Someone saw him though, so, at least I know he's near enough still...