How Christmas Would Look If It Was About Christ

I got asked to play music for church Christmas party coming up this week.  I got a solid order to play only Christmas music for the party...to keep the spirit of the holiday flowing.  Now in my mind, I'm thinking every Christian song I have in my phone is a Christmas song...being that they talk about Jesus and all...so I'm good.  But that's not the case; and with singing holy holy holy I need to spin a little ho ho ho too.  Unfortunately for them, I'm pooping on that party.  Not on purpose, but my track record on pagan holiday celebrations speaks for itself; and if jingle bells are heard it'll probably be when I'm in the bathroom.

Instead of Revolution....Revival

By now, many of you know that my works lead with the principles and logic found in the Word of God, commonly referred to as the Bible.  With knowing this, the title of this work would indicate that I'm making a statement advocating for peace in this tumultuous situation between what appears to be the United States Police Department and a portion of  United States citizens.  Annnndddd......you would be right!  But here's why.  There have been some comparisons to this season of protest and the 1960s Civil Rights movement; but there is one glaring difference....death.  And while many march up and down various downtown city streets with their $8 coffees and their $200 North Face jackets; this country and the entire world knows that you're really not about that real revolution life.

The People that Really Abused Janay Rice

I don't think Guinness World Records caught this one.  But back in August at least one million people became marriage and family therapists, criminologists, legal experts, NFL union consultants, and detectives...all that...in less than an hour.  Not to mention this was all done without the required education and experience needed to be a licensed-doctor-esquire.  It's truly fascinating that so many people got so much achieved in so little time; and if I were a college president I'd be a bit nervous.  I mean, what value can be put on a certification that could take 12 years to earn...when you can get that by simply reading a Twitter feed?  The scholarly world was doomed....until a former federal judge (a person with real credentials) told everyone to relax.

Lack of Respect Isn't Just Rude, It's Deadly

While Ferguson braces for apocalyptic bedlam and the rest of the country grabs their popcorn to watch, a couple other cop-killing incidents were missed.  One of which involved yet another Midwestern city, another black teenager, and another quick trigger white cop; allegedly.  The scene is Cleveland, Ohio...where a 12 year-old boy was killed by a yet to be named Cleveland police officer who was responding to a phone report of a person pointing weapon at someone.  When the Cleveland PD arrived, the preliminary reports state that the boy didn't pull out and point the weapon at the two officers; but when he was told to raise his hands...he [allegedly] reached for the weapon tucked in his pants.  Black boy down.  For the sake of this work, let's assume the police reports are accurate.

What Real Deliverance Looks Like

I once saw a guy get hands laid on him and he fell forward, not backward.  If the people who were standing behind him weren't quick...actually, they weren't.  And dude fell flat on the carpeted floor.  A good sounding thud too...and though I know that people getting knocked out by the power of God is real, there's always a possibility of a production.  But ain't nobody gonna fake falling face first...that you can bet is real.  Everybody in the building must have been thinking the same thing as me, too; because there wasn't any shouting or dancing or any of that.  It was mostly silence...even as Believers who had seen "falling out" before...this one was distinctively different.

Who Ministers to The Carters?

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Emotions Over Proper Intelligence: The Danger of Passion Within Service

Last week, I had one of the best conversations I've had in quite a while...and it all started off as a complete train wreck.  A good friend of mine who's consistently active in the Central Virginia community with youth basketball, mentoring, and a variety of other community service ventures posted some of his usual informative and inspiring quotes on Instagram.  In seeing one that referred to an unjust incarceration, I was so appalled by the incident that I did my research to see if it was true....and it was, with some additional information.  In my haste, I included that information on his post, which was not well-received.  However, because we are men, we had a phone call and smoothed it all out.  And as soon as I hung up the phone the Holy Spirit started dealing with me on some things...some of which I'd like to share with y'all.

Urban America's Latest Contradiction

When "Self-Destruction" came out, I think the general consensus was that finally [east coast] hip-hop had assumed it's share of responsibility and decided to take a musical stance on the wave of gun violence across the U.S.  And I think part of the reason it was well-received was because many of the MCs who participated in that Stop the Violence Movement didn't glorify violence in their records.  However, when the West Coast All-Stars put out "We're All in the Same Game", with the attempt to drive home the same anti-violence message, many were a little skeptical of the project.  Probably because most of those artists were recently-former or current gang-bangers, preached ultra-violence in their respective works, and had fresh murder tracks ready to be pressed, shipped, and sold as soon as they left the studio to talk peace.  One could argue that these movements point to the larger concern of black Baby Boomers not fully grasping hip-hop; because for them, the inconsistency of the messages were so blaring it was hard to take the art or the artist serious.

Your Conspiracy Theorist Is Useless

The moment you realize you just brought a human being into this.  I look at my daughters gleeful face; and instead of completely engulfing myself into my little girls' joy a part of me has to fight off the subconscious thoughts that can creep in after reviewing news information and data for several hours a day.  These battles help me understand feelings that some willful childless adults could have.  People may tag them as being selfish, but they can argue that we parents are just as selfish by creating life in a dying world.  We love our kids so much but we detest their environment, especially with us predicting it's going to get much worse.  Just this weekend when cleaning our home office, I was preparing to give away some old study materials.  I figured my children would be able to get the info on the Internet, but then I paused after I considered that if that form of communication becomes greatly disrupted; their learning could be tremendously hindered.  I mean, my wife and I are believing our kids will receive Christ at an early age so they can avoid Tribulation but....you just never know.

Religious Tolerance Masked As Religious Removal

To understand American Christianity, there are a few facts that must be recognized.  Today, I'll highlight the "God Bless America" concept.  With just a couple days of Bible study and review of some founding U.S. documents, it can be easily discovered that the same god isn't being discussed.  And while The Lord God revealed in the Bible is the Creator, the god promoted by American culture since 1776 is deliberately created with leftover ideologies from the Enlightenment Period; meaning that god is man-made, is influenced by demonic components, and truly doesn't exist.  So if any of you ever feel strange signing God Bless America, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, or singing the Star-Spangled Banner, that just means that you're not comfortable with idol worship...and that's alright.  After all, you are free to worship what you want in this country.

Likes

Can an argument be made that this is the most insecure generation in history?  I mean really.  Most of the business world has crowned Mark Zuckerburg one of the most brilliant business minds ever.  But if we all just calm down for a little bit, can't we say that Zukerburg brought out the worst in all of us?  Think about it...unless you have a business or are compelled to push your religious agenda (or support others who align with your religious agenda), why do you really participate in social media?  Why do you tell relative strangers that you got an "A" in math class as a 32 year-old community college student?  Why do you turn that fortune cookie into a self-quotable?  Why do you show the barely-done chicken, with the can vegetables, and the box macaroni and cheese with pride?  If we're honest with ourselves, isn't it all for attention?  Isn't it just to collect "likes"?

Kingdom Sucka Award

I remember some of my middle school classmates being like...what's a dress code?  If it was hot, who cares what the Code of Conduct says?  It's getting worn...today.   They'd make it to like second period before getting sent home to change...but they also knew you remembered them Used Jeans shorts (in my middle school, shorts were prohibited) that you've never seen before and will not be seeing again.  One time a friend of mine was on his way home and said something like "I ain't gonna change on the way to school, girls do that.  I'll just get kicked out."  I thought he was too real.

Violence Begets Violence

No matter how desensitized our society is, it's one thing for a person to tell you about something as violent as a shooting, but it's another thing for you to see the shooting on video.  And even further, it's a totally different feeling to see the shooting first hand.  Yesterday I believe, was a situation where we in America saw some violence that we previously just heard about...and it appeared to be too much to stomach.  So much so, that the Baltimore Ravens allowed their wallets to lead them to make the acceptable decision for public taste.  Unfortunately, I'm not sure if it was completely the correct one.

Learning to Smile...and Meaning It

Coming home after a hard, third-consecutive 12-hour work day only to open the mail and see the notice that the foreclosure of your home is already in motion.  The ability to absorb impatient, rude, and assaultive customers was stretched to the limit today.  And only a drop of tolerance was left after dealing with an insensitive supervisor, only concerned with lofty financial goals....and now this.  It hurts...deep.  And so then begins the fight to not allow the negative and destructive thoughts to seep into the mind; even though they may already be festering in the subconscious.  At a time like this, for a person who serves and prays and tithes and gives offerings, the last thing to do is appear faithless.  But to boldly declare Isaiah 54:17 would be more like a formality....as it feels like every weapon that's attacking is working at its full capacity.

Starting From the Top

Suffering sells.  It's the hottest commodity that will ever be.  I'm reminded of a notion I've heard when discussing the [alleged] war on drugs where one said "you have to get rid of pain first to get rid of drugs...and getting rid of pain permanently is impossible."  That statement is what keeps organizations like Narcotics Anonymous and most (if not all) churches in business....selling this formula...the reality of pain must be maximized, addressed, and profitable for the pained and, most importantly, the practicing healer.  This is not to say that groups create pain to draw people into noticing their product, but it is to say that there are falsehoods about alleviating and dealing with pain that are sometimes promoted.  And one thing that is promoted a great deal is the perception of a start.

No More Marches...At Least 'Round Here

For decades those in and around the Richmond, Virginia entertainment scene have debated why it appears that no one really seems to get nationally or globally recognized for their art.  Particularly in the hip-hop arena (with the exception of Mad Skillz, better known as Skillz), no hip-hop artist from here has quite made that splash that is so coveted by an entertainer.  Regional successes like Chris Brown and Trey Songz aren't actually Richmond citizens, so they aren't included.  And so with each passing year, the city experiences another round of coulda-woulda-shouldas who fade into a variety of professions because, as many of them would say, they don't get the home town support.  Now...they could get the home town support, but they want it to come from home first....and in this town (as displayed by Skillz and D'Angelo), to be a respected musical artist you have to leave home and be shown on television before black RVA loves you.  Yes...even in 2014, we can't say it's official or good unless it's on T.V.; not cable access either...real T.V.

Wars and Rumors of Wars

I just finished watching an interview of the store owner of Sam's Meat Market on W. Florissant in Ferguson, Missouri.  Actually, it was one of his employees "Roz", a 25-year resident of the St. Louis suburb, who did most of the talking.  He was asked to come help defend the store by the owner earlier.  Standing in the middle of the stores' products being everywhere and no where at the same time, you could see the disappointment in his eyes.  "The people that went inside the store, these people were not anyone associated with the protests.  These people were opportunists", he solemnly stated.  The owner  complained about having to clean his store again for a second consecutive day in his thick middle-eastern accent.  The reporter was having a hard time following his frustration.  Everybody, everything in that image look so...so confused.

Losing Baggage

In the human service/mental health profession there are two types of workers.  There are those who work to quench the ever burning desire to help others; and then, oddly, there are those who work in this field to get paid.  Usually, it's the ultra-educated ones that are in it for the paper.  And who are the types who are most likely to do it for the help?  It's the ex-cons.

Husband Servant King

Just like the winter doesn't only consist of snowy weather, I'm going through a season that has a similar climate with a variety of weather conditions.  I've gone back a little on the wisdom that I've learned about how to act during seasons like this; which is to talk a little less...but I'm still removing layers and learning....which is a good thing.  Yesterday I was teaching a class on the relationship between hurt and grace.  And while discussing the humility needed to help us show grace to others, I began to process the type of love that's required for that as well.  And obviously, during that conversation the Holy Spirit began to deal with me about my own levels of humility, love, and grace.  And during that in-pouring I began to realize how important it is to love like Joseph.

How Do You Church?

"At his funeral, listening to this church song.  His family yellin' and screamin', I hurt for 'em."
                                                                                          - Common, Kingdom 2014

You wanna know what disrespectful is?  A preacher presiding over the funeral of a just-met young, African-American male who was affiliated with a street lifestyle (possibly dying violently) and saying something to the effect of "I pray that he knew Jesus."  Uhhh....you think it's a little too late for that now?  I mean, you've got his family clearly distraught, his friends and/or associates thinking whatever, and then a statement about a prayer you know is ineffective gets thrown out there.  It's like, "let's shove the possibility of our loved one going to Hell down their throat one more time.  And maybe, just maybe, some of those hoodlums out there will come up here for prayer."  How about saying something more close to "this was a young man in my community that I had an opportunity to touch with the message of Jesus Christ; and I didn't...and I'm sorry."  But that would be too much like honesty and humility.

Brutal Law

Yep...I am in that statistic.  The one that talks about how many black men will be harassed by police officers in their lifetime.  Oh, and I'm also in the one that's for the number of black men that will be beaten by police officers.  I'm in that one twice.  So you can understand that for a period of time, I believed that this was the reality concerning the relationship between police officers and young African-American men....that police are evil and are sent to beat up black boys.  Interestingly enough, it's said that to help deal with rising crime from blacks and Hispanics in Los Angeles during the 1950s and 60s that L.A. police officials recruited in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, and other southeastern states; hoping to bring on people who knew how to beat up black boys - so my mind frame wasn't that far-fetched.  'Cause you know, as I used to say "pigs be hatin'".  Never did I consider that there was anything I did or didn't do to make the hate grow more intense.

The Shepherd is Struck, the Sheep Are Fleeing

This following a post I made July 13, 2014 on Facebook.  It comes from a conversation had and, when granted permission, my desire to find more about the issue.

So, I was hearing this opinion about a certain large church in Richmond that allegedly is losing attendance rapidly because the senior pastor is battling an illness, and cannot meet his duties as usual.  The thought shared was that its members are living up to the perception of being fickle due to the pastor not being "available", and the situation is similar to Lebron James leaving the Miami Heat (i.e. fake fans).  Additionally, I've seen posts on FB and IG supporting this opinion with pictures that have captions such as "the look I have when there's a guest preacher" and others.  If you have an idea of what I'm talking about, what thoughts do you have about this issue?

Spirit Architecture

My wife and I were hanging out in the Wynn Resort-Las Vegas last week, just taking in the scene.  We came up on this sculpture of what happens to be my wifes' favorite flower, the tulip.  It was nothing short of magnificent, while still having a sense of simplicity that was pure class.  The bright colors, the smooth lines, and the size made it a clear attraction (like everything is in Vegas).  So while we and a few others surveyed the piece, I slid over to the suit who was watching us watch the work.

"Excuse me, sir.  How much is this piece?"
"Uh, about $35 million dollars if you round it off."
"$35 million?!  For this?!"
"Well, that's what Mr. Wynn paid for it."
"So what did the artist get?"
"I don't know.  I guess when you consider the shipping and all, probably most of it.  He's got another sculpture of Popeye down that way.  That one's $28.5."

Endurance Test

Never would I have thought I would or could listen to a soccer game on the radio.  But yesterday I did and was actually able to follow the match, surprisingly being interested.  It was probably because I'm always intrigued with sports history; and I couldn't pass up hearing that the United States could win its way into the second round for the first time in decades.  So here I am, riding on 85 North listening to the U.S. make a thrilling comeback against Portugal...only to give it away in the last 30 seconds.

Cheese With Whine

Obviously, there's grace all in this....the writing...the show....it's all the grace of God.  And as a person who has been critical of the media, one thing that can't be ignored is the born again believers who work for major and minor media markets.  Imagine all of the carnage and evil they see and hear every day.  And not just to hear it, but to review it....analyze it....and pass it to the world.  Half of us don't even watch the news because we say it's too depressing.  Well, think about all of the people that put it together.  You gotta know that some of them either got in or stayed in that industry because they wanted to make a change.  From the on-location anchor reporting from a hotel used in sex trafficking to the meteorologist reporting from a tornado-torn town; this stuff can get to you...and the good hearted eventually want to help.  But unfortunately, the news cycle doesn't stop for healing interventions; and the drama and the pain continues.  And since I've been throwing myself into this global awareness thing, I can't help but wonder what would happen if intervention was allowed....even just speaking new life into the tragedy.

Just Let Me Be Great

Did you guys see the French Montana - Tichina Arnold situation?  That was priceless.  Usually, I'm not the one to even acknowledge that type of trash, but this was a little more than that.  It started out as trash, but it quickly became treasure...at least for me.  And maybe Montana was just playing around, but everybody knows that you don't crack on the girl in school who will definitely be richer and more powerful than you one day...and certainly not in front of everyone.  But he did it, and when Pam...uh...Tichina caught wind of that Instagram picture (it was kinda funny), she lit into French like a rich nerd should; calling him, his joke, and his life immature and craftily explaining why she's at the top of evolution and he'll always be a monkey.  Yeah, maybe she did take it too far, but because it was a good response (and the fact that I think Montana's music is retarded), it really was an good example of what greatness really is.

Black Confederate

The other day I was reading an article that was investigating the often ignored fact of free blacks owning slaves as far back as the mid-1600s.  The piece highlighted many of the comfortable "excuses" that may have gave way to this practice; such as a free husband purchasing his slave-eligible wife or children to prevent them from being sold elsewhere....hence, preserving the family.  But it also looked at the more darker, sinister side that's usually associated with the white Southern slave owner.  That side indicates that many free blacks were heavily concerned with product production, growing revenues, and even human control at a position that rivaled their white contemporaries.  The article even brought attention to a couple hundred free blacks in Louisiana who took up the Confederate cause during the Civil War....proudly protecting legal slavery.  You have to know that those free blacks the atrocities of slavery; and of course they considered the possibility that a distant family members could be enslaved.  But the bottom line was just that.  And at the end of the day, they made a decision to obey what they believed was right, and determine what really was right wasn't right for them.

Skin Comfort

You know, y'all should really take some time and check out the cable access shows in your area every now and then.  If you can get past the the grainy picture and the poor production, you'll be able to get a great idea of the thoughts of the underground media in your region...some of which you might even represent.  I had an opportunity to do that this Saturday, viewing a show that was a comedy-slash-black-power program that focused on a flaming hot topic here in the 804...the proposed baseball stadium in the Shockoe Bottom area of the city...an area that served as a thriving slave port during America's ugly slave trade years.  The long-dreaded host and his black-fist friend used the hour of air time to promote their stance on the issue, a stance that's popular among the recent black political in the area...no stadium over "our" ancestors.  They were real solid in their position until I proposed to them this question: "being that slaves worked for free, wouldn't it honor our ancestors more if we presented opportunities where their descendants can work for pay, such as this stadium?  If you don't see this stadium as an opportunity such as this, then what alternatives do you present?"  At that moment the crickets filled the room.

Just A Rec League Coach

I don't remember the week leading up to Mother's Day getting such good promotion for a good, sports reason.  Even though ESPN shoved a homosexual romance down our throats on the actual day, the all-sports channel did have a great sports story going for a while.  Those opposing the homosexual romance story are crying that ESPN, because it broadcasts sports, is a family network.  But along with all of the alcohol and sex drug advertisements, it's hard to assume that just because they have games on in the evenings that they're a family channel; especially when they never publicize to be one.  But Kevin Durant, the Most Valuable Player of the 2013-2014 NBA season, quickly turned a sports story into a family moment, and hopefully a couple of celebrated trends.

The Best Birthday Ever

This past Saturday I woke up to the beauty of my safely sleeping family.  The brightness of the early May morning seemed to give me a little more pep, and the feeling that comes with only a few hours of sleep quickly disappeared.  I was calm and reflective, even though I was running late for my first engagement of the day.  The car-less streets made up for my tardiness and I made it on time; from the car seat to the church door straight to work.  Slight issues with the equipment were easily handled; I took my position in the sound booth directing the media and visuals, and 250 or so people squeezed together to worship and pray to The Lord God.  To date, it was my best birthday ever.

How Real is Real

Some years ago, the run of the mill hip-hop album would be structured like this:

• Start off representing your neighborhood, your [commercialized or authentic] gang, and or yourself
• Continue the theme of how real you are by ensuring that you or your gang will kill anyone
• Do a few songs for the women who don't mind being disrespected or who disrespect themselves
• Add another that really shows your soft side
• Thank God/ask God for forgiveness for...uh...being able to do all of the above

The Cost to Provide

In a time where the camera adores dysfunction, even the most desensitized has got to feel for little Eva, the daughter of reality television personalities Mimi Faust and Stevie J.  She's been ushered through VH1's mud pool for a couple years now.  And even thought this is an experience she'll probably only remember through the digital recordings, it's really unfortunate that the bad seeds of her family are been sown while on cable television.  An Instagram pic I saw captured a child (not really Eva) with a very disappointing look on her face.  It was meant to give the reaction Eva may have had after discovering her mother starred in a porn film.  It read Mimi's daughter was at school like.  Again, she's only three so it's unlikely she sees the film or the IG picture...well, while she's three.  'Cause with this being the start to her family life as she knows it...in a few more years, who knows what she'll see or even be a part of.

Good Friday*

Yesterday in Richmond, an upcoming Good Friday celebration got an asterisk...with the asterisk meaning *certain crimes non-applicable.  And in an opportunity to really demonstrate what makes Good Friday good,  many heads of church fumbled; opposed to embracing the broken...as Christ did...they pushed the broken away.  However, the reaction that [allegedly] encouraged Geronimo Aguilar, the embattled former pastor charged with several counts of child molestation, to step down from a pre-Easter service that featured an all-804 line up, will go mostly unnoticed.  Because for most of us Aguilar's reported transgression is too much for us...so we'll pray for him from a distance.

Now...Be Nice

As if the pull of sin isn't strong enough, you wouldn't think that Christians are the ones escorting people to Hell would you?  Yet daily I read something that reeks of condemnation and no fragrant trace of love.  From demanding that true Christians only can go to church on Saturday to claiming only 144,000 people can get to Heaven; their literal translations have Believers confused and non-Believers uninterested.  In contradiction of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20), they abolish spreading the true Gospel...as they leave out the key element of its' existence...Grace.  And what's seldom understood is that their approach is as sinful in nature as the very people they claim to be ministering to.

Selling Donations

The year: 32 A.D.

You and your two brothers, who are farmers in an area just southwest of Jerusalem, overhear some rumblings that the latest religious craze is coming.  He's supposed to be at the temple, but He may stop by a couple of people's houses as His custom.  You three, who are also avid students of the Hebrew scriptures, decide you can afford to leave the farm under the care of your servants and see what this Jesus is all about.  People are saying He's claiming to be the Son of God; so you gotta see for yourself.  You guys arrive in town just in time.  A herdsman you know from your same area has a cousin in Jerusalem where Jesus is staying; and he said Jesus is going to start teaching in a couple hours.  However, before you can get your donkey ready to move out, the herdsman tells you, "you gotta buy a ticket, though."

Good Money

Here's something you won't hear a lot of Generation Xers admit: hip-hop and rap music encouraged many people to admonish (and in some instances covet) poverty.  While the world has probably enjoyed a good rags to riches story since the beginning of economics, hip-hop culture has always given more credence to the artist who's struggled financially just before or while making his or her first major product.  Music critics perceive the artist is hungrier for success.  Suburban kids emulate the speech and the dress associated with the rappers [alleged] struggle.  But when the artist "makes it", when he's [allegedly] achieved the financial goals that could equip him or her to care for responsibilities that were neglected in the past, that artist soon is deemed less valid in his art than the new poor kid....probably because it is assumed, sometimes through the artists' deliberate portrayal, that the once starving rapper is now a money-greedy pig.

The Ratchet Years

Raise your hand if you know a 40+ year-old aspiring pornogra...uh...urban model.  You and I probably know about 20-30 each, with maybe one or two of those who are honest enough to declare that tag for themselves, and another few more that are...well...you.  Via their pics and the captions, the love they have for themselves is so strong, so real, that they force their children to prepare for real life 'yo mamma' jokes.  They're so secure in their call center jobs that they don't bat an ill-advised fake eyelash when taking a quick bathroom pic...on company time...while wearing their badge.  They spend hundreds of dollars on perverts with expensive cameras and Photoshop.  They're all about the dollar, all about respect, and please...hold the judgement.  They are the shining glory of the ratchet years.

Narrow Road Ahead

Even though I wasn't Spirit-filled in '99, I still claimed to love me some Jesus.  So when Ma$e left Bad Boy Records to work in the field of saving souls for Christ, I was pretty excited and pleasantly shocked.  It's not everyday a platinum selling average MC with steroid-strong production and marketing teams drops it all for the Gospel.  But Mr. Betha did...until the bills pilled up and the creditors came calling.  Then it was a verse here, a verse there.  A sexually explicit lyric here, an N-word there.  And before the collection plate came around, Ma$e was back in the studio.

Be the Man...Just 'Cause

This guy I know actually showed me a picture of a purse he got his wife...like, right out the blue.  Without prompt, not even having a conversation about our wives or women's handbags, and no request from me, he tapped me on the shoulder and said "I had to jump out the window on Valentines Day".  Our relationship is casual at best, and most of our conversations revolve around sports.  But that day, that pic must've been burning a hole in his smart phone.  Thankfully for me, I've grown to be mature enough to honor his willingness to show pride for his wife; but probably, it was an attempt to let me know he was the man.

Days, Hours, Minutes...

It's not the silence that's deafening, it's the loud voices inside the head that gives silence that power.  And to say those voices are just loud is an understatement...they're relentless.  They scream, they yell, they even feel like they kick on the side of the skull...protesting to be heard...tired of being restrained.  They know that the body agrees with their position; but you, the one that controls the body refuses to give in.  You believe you're determined.  They tell you you're stubborn.  You remain focused on the goal.  They tell you to just settle for a consolidation prize.  But you know better; even if what you claimed to have in your possession is a million miles away.

Era of Innocence

I don't think it was even a year ago when I was in a barber shop, - participating in a football conversation - when the comment "before you know it, they'll have nothing but pansies in the League".  Now this statement was made in response to rule changes to protect offensive players in the NFL, but what was roughly being said was because of the rules against the violence of the game it's only a matter of time before gay [soft, feminine, and homosexual] people are the only ones playing professional football.  Well folks, without assuming that Micheal Sam is soft, that time is here.

Libertad

What tends to get lost in the crime-drama-turned-hood-classic Scarface is the political unrest in Cuba that fueled the entire plot.  In 1979, a desperate Fidel Castro made lemonade out of lemons by packaging some of his nations' criminal and mentally ill citizens with the other thousands of Cuban defectors headed for Miami.  I imagine that whether free or imprisoned, these Cubans desired to be relieved of Castro's dictatorship-style policies and were just as eager to leave as Fidel was to get them out.  The film portrays this well - as when Tony Montana, Manny Ray, Angel, and Chi-Chi are creating the atmosphere to assassinate a political confidant of Castro - they and the rest of the refugee camp chant "libertad".  In their eyes, any remnant that represented the oppression of Fidel Castro had to be eliminated.                                              

It's Not About the Weather

My sister-in-law, a St. Croix native wrapping up her last semester at Life University in Atlanta, earned her winter stripes last Tuesday night.  Jammed in with thousands of other motorists in the Metro Atlanta area - and all over Dixie - she was forced to into survival.  She explained to my wife and I that a trip to the closest gas station, that would've taken 10 minutes, ended up taking 3 hours.  And although she was able to get more than enough gas to make it home, it was a hill covered with freezing snow - that did her in.  With no possibility of a car making it up the untreated surface, she had to foot the remaining 2 miles.  Usually home at around 1 p.m., the exhausted college senior trudged in her apartment a little after 10 p.m. feeling blessed.  Many, many others in that same storm didn't make it home that evening...and were still in their cars or in a school when when we heard her account of the issue.

Popularity vs. Passion

Looking in the mirror:

What if there was no modern way to promote Christ?  What if every single interaction to spread God's Word could only be done with action or face-to-face conversation?  What if I didn't have anyone to approve of what I say, how I live, what I believe.  What if my employers' policy was that employees couldn't discuss Jesus while on the clock?  What if my government made it socially illegal to publicly acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God?  What if being a Christian was almost unbearably difficult?  Would I do what I do now?  Would I even have a purpose to do it?  Would I take this stand even if there appeared there was no one to connect to?  No one to support me?  Am I genuine in not only my belief, but also in my expression of being a born-again Believer?  If no one cared, would it be this real?

The Pursuit of You

It would probably do many of us well to hear some of the stories from new Believers.  Stories that detail the first few days of making a public decision to follow Jesus Christ.  They can truly be some of the most inspiring words ever spoken.  Thinking of some of the ones I've heard over time, I find there to be a common theme.  Regardless of whether good or bad times are being expressed, the person can always clearly identify that God is all around them, everywhere they go, everywhere they are.  I remember one described it as "even though I'm trying to get closer to God, it's really like He's trying to get closer to me."

The Wind and the Waves Obey You, Too

On the low, I believe many directors and managers would liken some of their employees to typical high school students....full of potential and talent, but often times sluggish and loaded with senses of entitlement.  Particularly in a world where a degree and even years of experience aren't enough to secure a job, one would think that critical thinking, communication, and other intangibles must be sharpened consistently to even compete in the capitalistic rat race.  But this is not always the case.  And frankly, this type of attitude is one of the reasons why America's workforce is stagnant, under-productive, and shaky.  Millions of people, pregnant with the capability to do virtually anything, are rushing to fail...and then boldly point the finger at their superior...expecting immediate assitance.

Census Death

I've had to check myself during Easter and New Year Eve services over the years.  My human side gets extremely frustrated over people who prostitute God on these days; but my spiritual side quickly reminds me that not long ago I was one of them.  I was the guy cramming in churches for the show; taking up a seat for someone who was really dedicated....making a mockery of the entire event.  So, although the crowds can be nerve racking, the best thing for me to do during these times is to serve others.  Then, instead of being bothered by my snotty assumptions, I get to see how people lives get changed in in only 1.5 hours before the business side kicks in (i.e. name, number, address, email address, and so on) of trying make sure that church roster (and hence the revenue) goes up.   The never-ending quest to become a mega-church and/or to be a part of one.