Casual Clay - A Testimonial

The voice of my first friend in life let me know it was a trill situation.  His quivering speech was unfamiliar and startling, but it led me to be prepared.  At his request I urgently shut down my computer and packed my bag while telling my colleague that I needed to head to the hospital.  My friends' report was bleak to say the least; and because of that I praised God during the entire drive to Hanover for revelation of life; for without it I would have been a wreck.  Yet and still, as I walked through the parking lot of the campus, as I entered the lobby and greeted other patrons, in the silence of the elevator and the stroll past the nurses and the beeping machines, and even when I arrived at the the Critical Care Unit room to see him...his eyes a quarter open due to the induced paralysis...his face layered with patches and tubes...his body dependent on medical technology...I remembered the Adrian we called Casual Clay.

1996, senior year, Henrico High; where all the guys were corny but the girls were mad fly...
(inspired by Butter-Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory, 1991)

WTTTA (Special Edition) - Vapor

Some things are highlighted in my mind when I remember watching my friend Earl transition from the human phase of life to the [complete] spiritual phase of it.  One of the most significant moments was when he got baptized in the hospital.  His chemo filled body gingerly made his way to the seat (he was too weak to actually get submerged) where he and his pastor conducted the ceremony that made us witnesses to his Kingdom commitment.  As an extremely sad young adult, I went and told my dad about my visit and the ceremony.  He responded with an exuberant, " oh, he straight then!"  At the time I couldn't understand my fathers joy. 

The Mother's Day after my grandmother transitioned, I had the thought of visiting her grave site when the Holy Spirit said to me, "why you going there to reminisce and honor her...she's not there."  I was comforted by that revelation of truth.  I was also reminded that we as humans have a distorted view about vapor.

WTTTA - What God Has For Me Is For Me

Yeah, yeah, yeah....live and direct from the Cap.  So here's the deal.  I would like to take some writings to investigate a few of the traditional [Baptist] Christian sayings that have seemed to be ingrained in our society; and I've identified three reasons for why I feel this should be addressed:

1. The sayings are derived from the depressive spirit that comes from American slavery, and throughout history have been used to supply false hope of achievement while disregarding the truths in the Bible (i.e. God never puts more on you than you can bear).

2.  They twist scriptural principles to allow for false self-assurance, or plainly, as an excuse to justify a sinful lifestyle (i.e. only God can judge me; God knows my heart).

3.  They make this self-serving American culture feel good, regardless if they're in the Bible or not (i.e. favor ain't fair).

I call this the Where They Teach That At Series...

Can't Have It Both Ways

If you ever get a chance, please take a few hours from your day to hang with an African-American senior citizen from any state that was once a member of the Confederacy.  Listen to their stories and try to feel their perspective on the world they come from and the world they are in now.  Question them about their participation in the events that gave us the right to attend any public school, apply for any job, eat at any restaurant, or use any bathroom we want to.  Glean from their experiences of the black family and neighborhood they were raised in.  And after that time, when you fill your head with all of that nostalgia, you may realize that our fore fathers and mothers got what they wanted, and much, much more.

Sure...

The term 'you' or any variation of the term is not meant for any person in particular.  However, all Facebook philosophers/ministers should pay attention.

Of course you're going to go into 2012 fresh and new.  Most definitely you are cutting off all old things (and people) and living the life that you always should have.  Certainly this is going to be a prosperous year with your new businesses and houses and cars and boyfriends/husbands and girlfriends/wives.  It's all so clear because you express it just like you did this time around last year...when everything was pretty much the same and for some odd reason stayed that way.  But forget all that; this year is different because you proclaimed it and you can feel it.  At least you can while we're still in January, I'll check back with you in April.