Month: July 2017

A Divine Perspective 07: Be YOU

You have had certain life experiences that allows you to reach others that no one else can. You were made this way on purpose.

You were made to be an original.  There is no one else like you.  God, our Father, is an original.  As the song says, ” There is none like [him]”.  Why would he want his children to not reflect him in that way?  He stood out from the crowd.  He was not the norm.  He was not bound to the man made religious rules of his time.   Jesus stood out so much from what was “expected”, that the religious teachers wanted him killed.  Jesus did things that no one else would be able to duplicate.   He called Lazarus back from the grave, turned water into wine, walked on water, multiplied 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread to feed 5,000 men (not including women and children), and continues to love & forgive you and me.  He was himself and not like anyone the world had ever known.  He stood out while sharing his fathers love and message for all.  He reached people in a way that no one else could.

Many earthly fathers desire for their children to walk in their footsteps.  They love for their children to follow in the family business and God is the same way.  One way that we can be like our heavenly father is to be who he made us to be, while sharing his message of love and the Good News.  He has placed in you something only you possess that can reach others to Him.  He made you to be an original! You don’t have to be the norm or be bound to traditional religious rules.  You have had certain life experiences that allows you to reach others that no one else can.   You are the light of the world, and you have a light no one else has.

Continue to make your father proud by being led by him, but do so in realizing that like him, YOU were made different for a reason.  You might make some people uncomfortable, but remember that Jesus did too.  He was himself and not like anyone the world had ever known.  His light shined bright for all to see.  Be like him and show your light to the world!  Be comfortable with yourself, be proud of who you are, understand that there is no one like you, and continue to be You!

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God, Gold, & Glory: Should I Celebrate the 4th of July?

Today in America, the sounds of laughter entangled with music and good times will be heard all around. The air will be…

The 4th of July is finally here! Today in America, the sounds of laughter entangled with music and good times will be heard all around. The air will be engulfed with the comforting smells of bar-be-que and mosquito repellant. Backyards and parks will be overflowing with family and friends gathered together for a fun filled day.  Many will be adorned wearing their best Red, White, & Blue ensembles!  The Stars and Stripes will be waving proudly throughout the day, and bright colors from fireworks will illuminate the night sky. Patriotic songs will be sung during parades and battles of the Revolutionary War will be reenacted.

Many know that July 4th is a day Americans celebrate this countries Independence from England in 1776.  I can remember teaching my students about what led to the American Revolution.  Leading up to this point, we read about the Early European Explorers.  We learned that these explorers set out for God, Gold, & Glory.  (They added God to make themselves feel better in their quest for land and global domination by any means necessary, but I digress.)

When the chapters discussing the Revolutionary War came up, I was Mrs. Proud to be an American.  The pride I felt in explaining how these colonists and our fore-fathers bravely came together to fight and die for this nation was sincere and honest.  As a proud African American, I included how Crispus Attucks, also an African American, was the first to die in a shoot-out that started the Revolutionary War.  Wait, why is his death celebrated again?  A shoot-out? Was this foreshadowing the plight of the African American man in years to come???

Anyway, I remember reading along with my students about how the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. These intelligent, successful, and respected men each represented one of the 13 Colonies.  They came together to draft ideas of what they believed America needed to be founded on in order to be Great.  This document would let England and the World know why they believed America should be independent.  The members gave ideas to be discussed for inclusion in the draft.  The ideas would be included if they were agreed upon.  Thomas Jefferson requested that slaves be given their freedom, since they had written that “all men were created equal”, but the southern states would not agree to this.  They argued that removing slavery would bring a downfall to the south’s economy, so slavery remained even though “all men were created equal” remained in the draft.

Oh yeah, that’s right. Slaves weren’t seen as “men”.  Slaves were property to their master…like an animal or farming equipment.  Slave owners and southern representatives couldn’t have their “billion-dollar industries” go under, so slavery had to continue.  These southern powers were also motivated by “Gold” and “Glory”.

As  we continued to read, I tried to think back to when I learned about this in school.  Either I didn’t pay attention to this part, or this part of the lesson was not focused on by my teachers or district; similar to how the district I work for chooses not to place a strong focus on slavery in America.  It suddenly dawned on me, that America was never supposed to be Great for ME.  These men were gathered to discuss what they believed would make America Great, but I was to be excluded from that.  I was never supposed to be a college graduate or a teacher or free.  My ancestors were stolen from Africa and brought to America with the intent of only being slaves who would eventually produce more slaves.  The life I now live, was not supposed to be.  I was meant to be property and learn that God had created me for slavery.  Remember, God was used to justify the wrong doings of the powerful…the wealthy…the masters.  God, Gold, & Glory right???

So now that July 4th is here, a series of questions haunts my mind starting with, “Why am I celebrating July 4?”  America was made free.  I wasn’t seen as an equal, American, or someone that could benefit from her greatness.  I also wasn’t free.  So does it make sense for me to celebrate the 4th? The English that live in America don’t celebrate the 4th of July because it’s not their holiday.  It’s a reminder of a war that their country lost and wouldn’t they be making a mockery of themselves if they did celebrate?  If the descendants of slaves celebrate this day, is it then a reminder that “Yes you helped build this Great country, but you were not meant to be Great in this country”.  Should this knowledge be overlooked, since African American’s are “free” now?  Maybe, like so many other holidays, I can use the art of ignoring its true origin and and make the 4th be about having a good time with family and friends.

Why do you celebrate the 4th of July?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

Featured Image: The Bronx Chronicle

A Divine Perspective 06: Trust in Him

There you go stressing!  You can’t even sleep at night because of all that you have going on in your head.  I’ve been there before.  I know what that is all about.  However,  I do believe that I have a solution that can help you to Let it Go!  Take it easy, breathe, and relax.  Allow the weight of the world to fall OFF your shoulders.

Even when you feel like you are at your lowest point in life, because it seems that all of the cares of the world are upon you, find your strength in the Lord.  Give your cares to HIM.

Of course you may not understand why life goes the way it does sometimes, but that my friend, is life.  We aren’t always going to understand everything that happens.  We have to believe in Him enough to trust and know that everything will work out in our lives for our good.  We will be victorious through Him.

Come to God with your concerns.  He would love to hear from you.   Let Him know what is worrying you. It doesn’t have to be formal and you don’t have to sound like a preacher. Just be yourself.  Come to Christ as you are.  He knows you and where you are in life, but he would still love to hear from His baby boy or baby girl.  Why?  Because He Loves You.  Don’t rely on other people to pray for you, because no one can pray for you like YOU CAN. 

Relax in the Lord…Talk to Him,  and do your best to Trust in Him.

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.                      Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Today is YOUR Day

Today is the beginning of not a new chapter, but a new book in your life.   A new year of new adventures awaits you.  Many tragedies, defeats, triumphs, and victories may be played out this year in this drama called life…

Today is the day my caramel chunk, my peanut butter, my boyfriend, my man, my huz-band, and my future baby’s daddy (lol) is celebrated.

“Lloydy, Lloydy, look whose 40”!

I can remember when I first met you.  I had heard about you before I knew who you were.  We finally met and I became familiar with you, and learned that you were a really great guy.  You left that same semester and I didn’t think anymore about you…when you came back that following fall semester of 2001, I was able to get to know you, and I learned that you were still a really great guy.  After you graduated, I never thought there would be anything more to our relationship.  Over time, through emails and phone calls, I got to know you better.  You showed that you would always be a good friend, but I never imagined that it would grow to be more. Our friendship did go on to be more and I am so grateful that it did.  Everyday, I am still able to see that you genuinely are a really great guy.

What a great friend you are.  Even to people that no longer deserve your friendship or you being friendly to them.  I admire you for striving to look beyond people’s faults and to see why they are the way they are without judging them at the place they are in life.  The patience and tolerance you for all people is a true gift.  You are genuine and admired from all that come across your path.  People that don’t know you have a desire to strike up a conversation with you, and people that do know you go out of their way to hear encouragement, jokes, and words of wisdom…because you are a really great guy.  You love people and they love you.

I am glad that you are looking forward to this day of celebration because you surely deserve to be celebrated. Today is the beginning of not a new chapter, but a new book in your life.   A new year of new adventures awaits you.  Many tragedies, defeats, triumphs, and victories may be played out this year in this drama called life.  While we walk this production together with God as the writer and director, I hope that you will begin to reap even more blessings this year than ever before.  I pray that more of what you have prayed for will manifest itself this year, along with things that you haven’t imagined or expected.

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”                                                  1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUGAR-BEAR!

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