Hello World!

In case you haven’t noticed, 2009 will be over in roughly a couple of weeks…And how do you feel about it? To get a feel for how my year has gone, I dusted off (actually opened a file on my computer) my written goals for the year…

One of my goals on the list was to make my blog the best it can be. Hmm…I say I did a not-so- bad job I must say…I’ve written about interesting topics I think….My most popular post this year was “Of Drugs and Light-Skinned Boys…” It got 489 views although only two people commented on that particular post! I was able to spread the word about the House of Grace Free Health Care Clinic, a true example of what Jesus Christ would do…I was able to have a few guest bloggers…My favorite guess post was “Your Turn: A Closeted Virgin Speaks Out…” My blog has even been shouted out on other blogs….Check me out on momstyleicons.blogspot.com…It’s a wonderfully inventive blog with haute photos of our moms at their most fashionable…I’m also listed on the blog roll for enjoyceinglife.blogspot.com! Thanks JD! So what y’all think about my blog? Have you enjoyed reading my posts as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them? Feel free to offer suggestions for posts or ways to make this blog the best it can be…

Another one of my goals, which I’ve actually written about, was to learn more about financial health…I’m proud to say that I have the biggest savings account I’ve ever had in my life, and I am on a mission to pay off a major debt my May 2010! Having money is not a guarantee that one will be happy but being broke ain’t too cool either… Whatever I have, I’m thankful for, which is the key, my financial counselor said, to receiving more blessings…

I could write more about goals, but life is about more than goals…life is about learning and growing…And I’ve definitely learned and grown a lot this year – some of had been hard lessons to learn and some have given me tremendous joy…Here a few a few of the lessons I learned in 2009:

1. Any relationship that causes you to worry all of the time – whether it be a platonic friendship or a romantic relationship just ain’t worth it…

2. No matter what I do, I just cannot control my circumstances…The best I can do is to do my best and leave the results to God period end of story…

3. If a relationship starts affecting my looks, I gotsta go…pleaz…I’ma be cute…

4. Coveting is a sin…

5. Tomorrow is not promised…reach out to friends and loved ones that you haven’t communicated with in a while today…

6. Prayer, laughter and sloppy kisses are good medicine…

7. Ain’t nothin’ like your girls…

And since it is the Christmas season, I must say a few words about the “most wonderful time of the year!” I have found that many people end up feeling sad because they expect that Christmas is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year.” I’ve found that if I expect to feel a little blah this time year of the year because of the frenzy that goes with “just 12 shopping days until Christmas” and what not and focus on more Christ  (The word mas means more in Spanish.) instead of Christmas and my family and friends, I feel better…

And now, I gonna go against what I just said…I love Christmas songs about romantic relationships even the sad ones..so I’m going to name a few in no particular order…and just for the record, “This Christmas” by Donny Hathaway is my absoute fave relationship Christmas song, but I mentioned him last year…

1. “Merry Christmas Baby” by Charles Brown

2. ”Let It Snow” by Boyz II Men

3. “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt

4. “Last Christmas” by Wham!

5. “Every Year, Every Christmas” by Luther Vandross…one of the best saaangers ever…

kinda funny depiction of Adam & Eve...

Hello World!!!

As I said in a previous post, my Bible study class is reading the book of Genesis and apparently, we will go through the entire Bible over the course of several months…

Since I grew up in church, I have read passages in probably most of the books of the Bible over the course of my lifetime, but I’ve never gone through the Bible from start to finish. I’m sure that I will learn volumes although my parents made sure that I had a solid Biblical education along with my academic education.  But I must admit, there are some lingering questions that I’ve had over the years that never seemed to be answered to my satisfaction.

And now that my class is going through the entire Bible, I’m sure those questions will resurface. One of those questions resurfaced during a telephone conversation I had over the weekend. And I had to admit, I didn’t have the answer. It is clearly stated in Genesis that Adam and Eve were created by God. The couple had two sons, Cain and Abel. It is also mentioned that Cain had a wife….well, who created that wife if only Adam and Eve were created by God? Hmmm…something to think about, huh?

Also during the telephone conversation, I was asked why Jesus Christ was called Jesus Christ when the letter J was not existent at the time Jesus Christ lived on earth….I asked my Bible study leader the answer to that question last night, and he said, I think,  that Jesus’ name was originally Yeshua and was translated to Jesus by the Greeks…I plan to ask him to explain that answer in more detail when I go to Bible Study tonight, God willing…

The ages of people in the Old Testament has also puzzled me. In Genesis 5, it is stated that Methuselah, a descendent of Adam, lived to be 969 years old. Shoot, Adam lived to be 930 years old. I didn’t attend Bible College so I pose this question to Bible scholars – Were years determined differently than they are today? If not, it is very hard to believe people lived for hundreds of years when in modern time, humans are blessed to live for even 80 years….

I’m sure more questions will be raised as I continue to study the text and discuss it with the people in my life. But the truth of the matter is that belief in the Bible itself, no matter what the passage, is an exercise in faith…I mean if some random man came up to me on the street today and said, he is the saviour of the world, I would gingerly back away from him and hope he did not chase me down the street. And if one of my girls told me she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit although she was a virgin, I would talk about her behind her back to my other girls. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen… I know what that sick boy’s father meant when he said to Jesus, “Lord I do believe. Help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) And Jesus healed his son right then. And this Bible verse below also applies to the situation.

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

Because God is God and we are finite creatures, I imagine there will be questions that will not be answered while we are here on Earth, but I do believe that God will answer those who earnestly seek answers. Aside from all of that, I believe in Jesus Christ, Yeshua, Jehovah, the Prince of Peace, the only Begotten Son, Messiah, the Great Shepherd, the Amen, the Ancient of Days, the Alpha and the Omega and on and on because I’m seen Him at work in my life and in the lives of those around me…

How can I explain the answers to countless prayers…I cannot except I have in faith in God…And how is it anyway that I can get down on my knees and say words out loud in the air or inside of my head and God hears and answers…And how is that sometimes as I sit in church I can feel this joy that wells up inside of me so much that it spills out of my eyes in the form of tears…I cannot except I have in faith in God…and how is it that I’ve known people healed of all sorts of addictions and disorders that threatened to kill them…I cannot except I have faith in God…

I cannot explain the Holy Wars or why people in the name of Jesus have managed to commit crimes against humanity. I cannot explain why some church folk are more judgmental and nasty than the average person walking down the street on any given day. I cannot explain why people have used the Bible to enslave others. I cannot explain why a pastor would flashy a phony badge intending to impersonate an officer when he was stopped for speeding. Ridiculous! Human beings are fallible , Jesus Christ isn’t…

Any thoughts?

Hello World!!!

As I stated in Sunday’s post, I will be “shouting out” churches that have remarkable ministries inside or outside of the church in the “Shout out to…” series on a periodic basis.

I “shouted out” Bethesda Baptist Church in Decatur, Georgia in a previous post. The church, through the leadership of its Pastor Terrance J. Gattis, opened the House of Grace Health Care Clinic in February. Through this clinic, low-income, uninsured adults are able to receive FREE health care including exams, evaluation by a doctor, lab work and prescription services! The clinic, located at 3567 Covington Highway in Decatur,  is housed in a space donated by the Atlanta Belvedere Seventh Day Adventist Church.

I wrote the post after reading an article about the clinic. I did not hear about the clinic through the pastor, any church members or anyone that has visited the clinic. However, after a Google search about two weeks ago produced my blog , the pastor of the church contacted me via my Facebook page and thanked me for my coverage of the clinic opening. He also gave me a update on their efforts.

“House of Grace began the year with the goal of providing free primary and prevention health care services to the uninsured in the Decatur community.  Specifically, our goal is to provide support to 1,000 uninsured patients in 2009.  To date, House of Grace has treated more than 100 uninsured patients, while logging more than 250 hours of volunteer service from our doctor, nurse and support staff,” said Gattis.

However, the clinic, which is open on the first and third Monday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. , may have to scale back its services. Its sole doctor, Dr. C. J. Goodman, who recently opened a new practice, will only be available on one Monday per month starting in July. In addition to expressing his gratitude for my first post, Pastor Gattis also appealed me to write another post about his search for another physician to help staff the clinic.

“To help meet our goals for the year, we are desperately seeking a doctor, pa or clinical practical nurse who is willing to donate 3 to 6 hours of volunteer service per month.  Sovereign immunity protection is provided by the state, so issues of liability have been mitigated.  In short, we need someone who is willing to help us demonstrate the ethic and love of Jesus Christ and care for “the least of these” (Matt. 25:40), by blessing others with their time, talent and gifts.”

In an effort to demonstrate the clinic’s impact in a just a few months, I interviewed Pastor Gattis, Dr. Goodman and Deborah Hightower, a patient of the clinic.

The clinic is staffed by one doctor, a nurse, two medical assistants and four intake specialists – all volunteers. Potential patients travel to the clinic from as far as Loganville and Duluth to receive services and starting getting in line outside the clinic hours before the clinic opens. Only a few of those in line on each Monday are able to be evaluated at the clinic.  ”The lines begin at 4 p.m.,” explained Gattis. “We hand out 12 numbers [to patients.] After that we are done.”

While the clinic is available for homeless people, none of have showed up on the clinic’s doorsteps. “We haven’t seen any indigent people,” said Gattis. “We see working people who have no insurance or people who are in between jobs. These people look like you and me.”

Such is the case for Deborah Hightower, who has been out of work for about a year. However, at her last job, she was employed on a part-time basis and did not have any health care benefits. She was excited after she heard about the clinic when she visited Bethesda Baptist with a friend. “I thought this is going to be great,” Hightower said. “I will be able to get the services I need without health insurance or any income.”

She visited the clinic months later after she began experiencing symptoms related to her high blood pressure. The first time she went to the clinic she was turned away as there many others in line ahead of her. The second time she arrived at the clinic hours earlier and was pleased with how she was treated at the clinic.

“They treated me with compassion, grace, respect and kindness,” said Hightower. “Tht’s what I got when I walked in the door. They pay attention to you, and that is what you need.”

 While patients wait to be seen by the medical staff, they have the option of receiving counseling and or prayer by Gattis or a church minister.

“When a person signs in, there is an area on the sign-in form that asks if a person would like prayer and or pastoral counseling.  On average, about one out of three of the people select yes to one or both,” explained Gattis. “ So, while they’re waiting to be seen by the doctor,  either I or one of the ministers from our church will take them to a private area to pray or provide pastoral counseling.  During this time, if we discover that a person needs additional resources (from rental assistance to MARTA cards to food and clothing), we provide what they need or direct them to the necessary resources.”

Hightower appreciated both the medical attention and the counseling she received while at the clinic. “It helps you to relieve stress and get encouragement. I haven’t had any income in the past two months.”

Dr. Goodman agreed that many of the clinic’s patients need more than just medical attention. She recalled one patient who Goodman suspected was an alcoholic.

“She didn’t come in because she was an alcoholic,” Goodman explained. “I think she came in for an annual exam. Her speech was slurred. Alcoholics have a particular syntax even when they are sober. “

As the woman talked, Goodman listened before finally interupting her. ”I said, ‘Why don’t we take care of your body, soul and spirit? Will you let me help you instead of giving you a prescription?’ ” The woman began crying as Dr. Goodman spoke. “A lot of people are sick physically, but many are sick emotionally. It is necessary to have a discerning ear.”

Dr. Goodman belives that many ailments are simply caused by poor nutrition, and patients are also able to receive nutritional counseling at the clinic. Hightower learned that many of her symptoms were caused by her nutritional habits.

“I was told to drink more water and that I was eating too much sugar and sodium,” she said with a laugh.

Although Hightower laughed as she described her eating habits, she became serious at the thought of the clinic cutting back its services or even closing. She appealed to doctors who may be thinking of volunteering their time at the clinic.

“We would not be able to receive the help that we so desperately need without you,” she said.

Doctors may contact Pastor Gattis at (404)  610-1256. Please spread the word!

Any thoughts?

P.S. I have attached one of my favorite old-timey sounding gospel songs, “Come On In the Room,” by the Georgia Mass Choir. Jesus is the ultimate doctor for sure, but he also heals through medical doctors…

Hello World!!!

What the bizness? (Okay, that is my attempt at using the current slang…did I use that term right? I am 35 now for goodness sake.) So as of yesterday, I have a financial coach…Before I get into that, let me give you the back story…about a year ago, I started praying for financial prosperity…not the “Oh Lord, Won’t you buy me a Mercedes- Benz” type of prayer, but I realized I needed more ends. Maybe days later, the Lord blessed me with some ends, and I was like “Whoa God, You really workin’ it out fast!” And I started working longer hours at my job, but I still felt like something was missing…

It is a widely accepted stereotype that many journalists are not good with numbers…I cannot vouch for all journalists, but this one right here is not so good with numbers…(Shout out to DKW! You know of which I speak…) And I haven’t learned very much about finances over the years either. My father admitted that he wishes he knew more about finances…I personally know that he did the very best with what he knew, and it was all good…I never knew something could be turned off until I moved out on my own…I won’t tell you how I know, ha,ha…

So over the years, I would buy a finances book here or there, and I have listened to financial guru Clark Howard on the radio and even attended a financial seminar or two, but nothing clicked…I eventually realized that I would have to either work on a one-on-one basis with somebody or take a prolonged class…Both options scared me…I used to have a roommate in college that was diagnosed with “math anxiety.” For whatever reason, the subject of math scared her, and she had to take remedial math classes. My then boyfriend, who majored in statistics, didn’t have any sympathy for her. He said, “That’s just a nice way of saying she’s stupid.” Ain’t that mean? Anyway, back to me, I wasn’t raised to really go after money I guess…But last year, I admitted to myself that I wanted more of it…or at the very least I want to do better with what I have… 

So fast forward to yesterday, I think my new financial coach is the answer to my prayer…I think she will help me to learn to effectively manage my money…and I like her philosophy…She is like it’s not what you make; it’s what you keep…Amen…So I, being the Jamaican that I am or the Jamerican depending on whom you are talking too, do have side hustles…I freelance write, I teach fitness classes, I do market research….But my new coach says I still need to beef up my income so I can build up my savings and fund some much needed, expensive home improvement work.  She said the whole multiple streams of income strategy works for her, and she said she uses all of her God-given talents to bring in those multiple checks…I asked her what can I do to bring in more checks. She told me that I need to ask God, and I will get an answer…But it’s all so scary…And I really don’t want to get a part-time job. I just don’t think I could fit it in my already jam-packed schedule. A friend told me that to supplement her income as a teacher years ago, she delivered papers in the wee hours of the morning before she had to go to work. On another part-time job, she pretty much babysat mentally ill adults on the weekends…

So all of this talk about using your God-given talents reminds me of “The Parable of the Talents” in Matthew 25:14-30.

¹⁴The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. ¹⁵The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed five thousand coins to the first servant, two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he left the country.

    ¹⁶As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the five thousand coins used them to earn five thousand more. ¹⁷The servant who had two thousand coins did the same with his money and earned two thousand more. ¹⁸But the servant with one thousand coins dug a hole and hid his master’s money in the ground.

    ¹⁹Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. ²⁰The servant who had been given five thousand coins brought them in with the five thousand that he had earned. He said, “Sir, you gave me five thousand coins, and I have earned five thousand more.”

    ²¹“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”

    ²²Next, the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, “Sir, you gave me two thousand coins, and I have earned two thousand more.”

    ²³“Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”

    ²⁴The servant who had been given one thousand coins then came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don’t plant and gather crops where you haven’t scattered seed. ²⁵I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!”

    ²⁶The master of the servant told him, “You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know that I harvest what I don’t plant and gather crops where I haven’t scattered seed. ²⁷You could have at least put my money in the bank, so that I could have earned interest on it.”

    ²⁸Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with ten thousand coins! ²⁹Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don’t have anything. ³⁰You are a worthless servant, and you will be thrown out into the dark where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”

I don’t want to be like the third servant…I may only have one talent, but if I work hard, it will multiply…that’s what’s in the Word. And goodness, I think we all could use a little multiplication in these times…So do y’all have any ideas about appropriate side hustles for me? Or should I just walk myself up to my local mall and work at one of the stores…What do you do when you want to supplement your income? Goodness, I hope I’m not tellin’ tooo much of my bizness…

Any thoughts?

P.S. I really want to post Rick Ross’ video for “Hustlin,’” but some of y’all may be offended…wouldn’t want to do that…

Instead, I took it back to the old school…

Hello World!!!

Two words. He. Arose…I could stop there, but I won’t…At the Maundy Thursday service I attended a few days ago, each person was given a scripture to read as a part of the service…

Below is the scripture that I read:

³² They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, Sit here while I pray. ³³ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ³⁴ My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he said to them. Stay here and keep watch. ³⁵ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ³⁶ Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will. ³⁷ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?  ³⁸ Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. ³⁹ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. ⁴⁰ When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. ⁴¹ Returning the third time, he said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Mark 14:32-41

I have been meditating on these scriptures since then, and I think I know what the Lord is saying to me through these verses, and what I think is confirmed by another translation of the same scriptures. The first version is the New International Version of scripture, and the second version is the Contemporary English Version.

³²Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he told them, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³Jesus took along Peter, James, and John. He was sad and troubled and ³⁴told them, “I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me.”  ^35-36Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt down on the ground and prayed, “Father, ^[a] if it is possible, don’t let this happen to me! Father, you can do anything. Don’t make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. ^[b] But do what you want, and not what I want.”  ³⁷When Jesus came back and found the disciples sleeping, he said to Simon Peter, “Are you asleep? Can’t you stay awake for just one hour? ³⁸Stay awake and pray that you won’t be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.” ³⁹Jesus went back and prayed the same prayer. ⁴⁰But when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open, and they did not know what to say. ⁴¹When Jesus returned to the disciples the third time, he said, “Are you still sleeping and resting? ^[c] Enough of that! The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners.

Although Jesus Christ knew that He came to Earth to die for our sins, He clearly did not look forward to this ultimate sacrifice. And so He prayed that He would not have to die in the Garden of Gethsemane before the crucifixion. He accurately told the Father that God could remove our sin without Jesus having to lay down his life as God is all powerful. I think Jesus wanted His disciples to petition the Father on His behalf…He asked them three times to pray…Yet they failed Him each time.  Instead they chose to sleep. After His third request, I believe Jesus knew what the Lord absolutely required…something supernatural would have to supersede the natural because the natural wasn’t going to cut it.

I know I can apply this scripture to my life. I think sacrifice is a requirement in the life of a Christian. We may not be required to die on the cross, but we do have a cross to bear – that cross may be different for each person. And who wants to bear a cross…We may pray and ask several people to pray that we don’t have to bear that cross, but in the end, we realize that there is no way to it- unless you go through it…That’s a hard pill to swallow…As I type this post, I know there is something I must sacrifice, but I would rather not…What in your life is God asking you to sacrifice that you rather not… As I ponder on my current cross, I just have to sigh….Thank God, when I’m ready to do my part, I can ask God to supersede the natural and help me….Yes, I fall down…a lot…but thanks be to God, He Got Up and eventually I will too…

Anyway, it’s something to ponder on this blessed Easter Sunday!!!

Any thoughts?

Hello World,

Picture it…The year was circa 1983 (Shout out to Sophia Petrillo of “The Golden Girls!” You know you watched it!) I was in the fourth grade and a proud member of The MJ Club. Of course, I am referring to Michael Jackson. I had the poster with MJ wearing the yellow sweater with the oh-so-sexy single Jheri curl cascading down his forehead…It was taped to the back of my bedroom door. MJ, wearing a white suit and black shirt, was lying down on his side looking all innocent and fresh faced  on another poster on one of my walls…you know the “Thriller” album cover. I wanted to hang the infamous Prince poster on another wall…you know the one with him in some black underwear…I think he was in the shower. Sexy, sexy! I would have settled with the poster with Prince on his motorcycle…you know the “Purple Rain” poster. But my parents were still plugged into popular music back then and weren’t having Prince on my wall. I sported a plastic bag with Michael Jackson’s name inscribed on it. My shirts were covered with Michael Jackson buttons. That Christmas I unsuccessfully begged my parents for an MJ leather jacket with the zippers all over it.  I was definitely one of his top fans under 13 years old.

But somehow during that year, a light-skinned guy with a ridiculously high- pitched voice managed to test my allegiance to MJ. That guy was none other than El “I Like It” DeBarge. In my mind, I was like Michael is cute and all with his Jheri curl and butter voice, but El had that naturally good hair plus he was light-skindeded too…Ha,ha…And his whole family was soo pretty…Around that time, the movie, “The Last Dragon,” came out and quickly became of one my favorite movies at the time. DeBarge’s song, “Rhythm of the Night” was on the soundtrack for that movie and so I became a huge fan of DeBarge.

DeBarge had so many hits…”All This Love,” “Time Will Reveal,” “Love Me in a Special Way,” “Who’s Holding Donna Now,” “You Wear It Well”  They were almost a modern day “The Jackson 5″ only there were four brothes and their sister, Bunny…And dudes loved them some Bunny too…And almost as quickly as they appeared on the scene, they exited stage left into near obscurity. I heard rumors that many of the brothers were on drugs, somebody had gone to jail, etc. But I never knew what conclusively happened to them until I watched TV One show “UnSung.”  DeBarge was featured on its first episode. First of all, I had no idea that their father was white and their mother was dark skinned. The children suffered relentless abuse from their father and their mother was unable to protect them from the abuse.  The two elder DeBarge brothers were a part of the group Switch and were responsible for the hit, “There’ll Never Be.” (Love that song!) Drug abuse and infighting ultimately led to the demise of Switch and DeBarge. But one quote from Bunny haunted me even after the show ended. She said she hoped the next generation of the DeBarge family would escape the generational curse of drug abuse in their family.

And so this is a looong intro to the topic of generational curses. My favorite author Catherine Marshall has a chapter on the topic in her book, “Something More.” In the chapter, she quotes Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” Marshall also said, “It soon became apparent that just as we can inherit either a fortune or debts, so in the spiritual realm we can inherit either spiritual blessings or those liabilities (unabashedly called ’sins’ in Scripture) that hinder our development into mature persons. These blessings or liabilities do not come to us solely by heredity. Obviously, they are passed on by example and by teaching – conscious and unconscious.”

For instance, my grandfather was a pastor. My father is a pastor. I have uncles that are pastors. I aspire to be a Christian author. Faith is definitely something that was passed down in my family. According to my dad, so is obsessive thinking…Goodness gracious, sometimes I am terrorized by how fast my mind spins with obsessive, anxious sometimes crazy thoughts. I revealed this unsettling behavior to my dad once and he told me it happens to him too…I wonder who passed it down to him…

If you think of behaviors – good and bad – that were passed down in your family from generation to generation, it seems almost impossible to escape them. However, Marshall describes her method for breaking these generational behaviors. Of course, it starts with praying and meditating on God’s Word. Marshall said, “‘The generations’ can start to assume their creative function at any point. Even if most of one’s life is in the past and certain children and grandchildren are acute problem cases, yes, even then God can turn this curse that goes down through the generations into a blessing…For each of us-no matter what our situation or how we feel we have failed -there is hope.”

So what do you think about generational blessings and curses? Do they exist? What has been your experience with them?

Any thoughts?

P.S. Here are a few of my fave light-skinned singers…I struggled whether to include Chris Brown’s photo…but when I thought about it, what is happening with him and Rihanna may be a perfect example of generational dysfunction. From what I’ve read, Brown watched his stepfather abuse his mother and now it seems Brown has become the abuser…let’s pray that Chris Brown deal with his problem and be the person that God created him to be…

Also, here is a video from DeBarge…

Hello World!!!

It has been said that confession is good for the soul. And so in deference to that adage, I confess that I frequently covet…

My earliest remembrance of this destructive behavior in my life goes back to when I was about six years old. A single mother who worked nights lived next door to my family and me.  In neighborly kindness, I guess, the single mother’s daughter, who shall go nameless, was allowed to stay over at our apartment each night. In the morning, her mother would come and get her. The girl was about a year younger than me and so we became fast friends.

But I quickly  noticed that this girl had things that I didn’t have. She wore name name brand clothing for instance and had jewelry even. In my six-year-old mind, I deduced that the reason my parents didn’t lavish name brand clothing and jewelry on me was that there was three of us and they couldn’t afford to spend their money on such frivolties. And I also deduced that my friend’s mama only had to cover two people, and that’ s why her mama could spend that way. But I was still jealous…I would try to comfort myself by saying to myself, I bet she wishes she had a daddy and brothers like I do…And that sentiment would work for a while, but then I would find myself thinking of what she had and what I didn’t have again. It got so bad that sometimes I would be up at night worrying about it all…Can you believe it? I was just six years old! That is sooo terrible…My friend slept in my room with me and that made it worse. Sometimes I would get up in the middle of the night and quietly open the door so the hallway light shone in the room and I would peer at a ring on her finger. I don’t even remember what it looked like exactly, but I do remember it was sparkly and reminded me of one of my favorite fairytales – Cinderella.

Fast forward nearly 30 years and I still find myself dealing with this insidious habit. I remember when I was in 20s and I was making $10 a paycheck at my first journalism job. All of my friends were going on trips, getting fabulous apartments and starting investment clubs…With my meager earnings, I had to live at home, and the only trip I could afford was the trip to work and back. As far as investments were concerned, I tried to comfort myself with the knowledge that I was investing in my future by taking a job in my field and getting experience. But I was still seething on the inside…and sometimes the vitriol spilled out…My father gave me countless pep talks during this time…He assured me that “my time” was coming…And he reminded that I chose a field that often doesn’t yield large earnings- at least at the beginning of your career, and I had to accept that or go into a different field. And he also told me that God had a purpose for my life and as long as I was in His will, I was where I needed to be.

Lately I have found myself hating on other people’s blogs or their careers. Here is what I think sometimes – Why her blog got all those comments? I’m a good writer too. Or why did she get a book deal when her topic is hackneyed at best?  I could write that story with one hand tied behind my back…Yes, it’s gets really ugly in my mind sometimes…A friend wisely told me maybe one of the reasons why my blog doesn’t get as many comments as others is because I am talking about religious topics and religion will never be as popular. That may be true, but one of my favorite blogs, a religious blog, gets scads of comments…how come my blog doesn’t? I swear I’m still six years old….

So by this time, I should be wrapping up now and telling you how I’ve overcome my haterism…I haven’t…but sometimes, I have moments of clarity after I have bitched and moaned about it to anyone that will listen…One particularly spiritual friend frequently states that I shouldn’t compare my insides to someone else’s outsides. What that means is that what someone has doesn’t necessarily equate to happiness. Over the years I have learned that is true. Sometimes I’ve been told to pray for the person that I resent. I’ve found that if I pray for the person to get everything I want in my life, I often find that I don’t feel as bad…And I recently discovered that some people want what I have. That makes me feel really good…I swear, I’m terrible, huh? And sometimes hate can be a good thing actually. Sometimes, it has propelled me to do things I wouldn’t ordinarily do…For instance, I can be smart about my money too…And sometimes the answer is to stop thinking about myself and think of how I can help others…Self obsession is a trap for sure…prayer is a good tool too…

Anyway, I don’t have all of the answers for sure, but I am REALLY interested in what you have to say. PLEASE post comments…or else…or else…I will talk about you to my friends, ha, ha (Y’all pray for me.)

Any thoughts?

P.S. Check out Canton Jones’ “Hater Day.”

Hello World!!!

Goodbye 2008! Hello 2009! By tomorrow, another year in the life of you and me will be over…I wonder what’s coming next! For roughly the past 10 years or so, you can find me in church on New Year’s Eve listening for God’s words to me for the upcoming year. I’ve been amazed time and time again how whatever verse or verses the pastor chooses to preach on that night sums of my experiences for the upcoming year. It’s uncanny… I’m excited to find out what I will hear tonight…

But aside from God’s words for me, I have some words for God…I want to know when some of my deepest dreams will come true…I want to believe that some of my dreams will come true this year, but if you have lived for a while now, you know that sometimes dreams are deferred. (Shout out to Langston Hughes!) If you’ve lived long enough, some of your dreams have been shattered. Maybe your husband died of leukemia shortly after you were married. Maybe your mother died of breast cancer. Maybe your father rejected you. Maybe you wrote a book that will never be published. Maybe your wife cheated on you. Maybe someone has broken up with you. Maybe the love of your life left. Maybe no one has asked to marry you. Maybe you never passed the bar. Maybe you have a crazy behind family. Maybe you never intended to be a single baby mama. Maybe you ain’t got that record deal yet. Maybe you’re a raging alcoholic and you’re impossible to deal with. I could go on and on unfortunately…

Goodness, I hate to write such pessimistic prose, but we all know that sometimes life is a b@#%*. So what are we do? For today, I have decided to hope, wish & pray that my dreams will come true…According to the Word, you are “delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 When I first read this verse years ago, I thought it meant that God will give you whatever you want if you serve Him. I know that’s not true now. Now I believe that if you come to know the Lord in an intimate way, He will guide you to your true desires – that is He will give you the desires He has for you. He will guide you to your God-given destiny. So over the years, God has shown me what are my false desires and what are my true desires.(I no longer desire to date a man from every continent, ha,ha, for instance.)  Anyway, two dreams or two desires remain…at least for today. Well, that’s not true. I have more than two dreams, but I am thinking of two in particular…(What dreams do you think I am referring to? Guess.)

I don’t know about your relationship with God, but I let Him know how I feel. And sometimes I say, “Okay God, the answer to this problem is taking too long. I need for You to act right now. I cannot take it anymore.” When I get like this, my face is glistening with tears and I am prostrate on my bedroom floor. And sometimes I throw a tantrum. Yes, I get down and dirty. I take the Lord at His word. According to the Word, you can “cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22. So I’m steady castin’ !

But that’s the beauty of God. If you know Him, love Him and try to serve Him, you can claim His promises. I do. And so with the sliver of belief that I have left that my dreams will come true, I will hope, wish & pray that in 2009, at least one, maybe two will come true…Please God!

Any thoughts?

P.S. The title of this post was inspired by the Hidden Beach artist Lina, who sings the song “Hope, Wish & Pray.” Why she hadn’t blown up yet! Check out the song here. Isn’t it beautiful?

Hello World!!!

Y’all know it’s true, right?…I will say it again. Prayer…Changes…Things! Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus!

Troy Davis knows this is true this morning. Less than two hours before he was scheduled to be executed last night by lethal injection, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay of execution. (I wanted to write a fancy link to this story, but for some reason I can’t. The devil is busy. So read the complete story here. http://www.ajc.com/cherokee/content/metro/stories/2008/09/23/davis_stay_execution.html )

After hearing the news, Davis’ sister and most dilligent supporter, Martina Correia, was quoted as saying,

“I’ve been praying for this moment forever.”

 

How many of y’all know that when you’re going through, “sometimes you have to encourage yourself!” I had planned a more eloquent post this morning, but the Holy Spirit has led me to just post a few Bible verses about prayer to remind me and you of how He works it out.

“Do not be anxious about about ANYTHING, but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4: 6-7

“Is anyone of you in TROUBLE? He should pray…The prayer of a RIGHTEOUS man is  POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE.” James 5: 13-16

“Be joyful always. PRAY CONTINUALLY; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is GOD’S WILL for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Three verses (one for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit) that I hope help you and me today and in the days to come in this time of financial crisis, gas shortages, hurricanes, health concerns, etc.  Real talk for real issues…

And finally, when I’m really going through, I have to pull out my gospel tracks. Below is one of my favorites, “This Too Will Pass” by Rev. James Cleveland and Charles Fold.  I know you will be blessed!

Any thoughts?