Sunday, November 29, 2009

Fighting Words



Think on this...Words are powerful. We need only look at some 
parents/child interactions and see name calling, completely wreck a 
child's self esteem and confidence. Your ugly, stupid, etc are some 
favorites. Sticks and stones may break your bones, and words can kill you...fighting words! Is it possible that you may have received or
 delivered words that destroy?



If I am honest, I have been damaged by many words (and have dished them
 out too). I was told that I was dumb, and would not amount to anything.
 It took many years to get over that. I didn't believe I was smart until 
I was in the 10th grade. How crazy is that? When you look at my life to
 that point, it made sense. I had bad grades almost all my life (until 
college). I had no real aspirations. It was sad. I became the sum total
 of what had been spoken over me. I was told that I would probably end up 
like others in my family. Drugs and jail were on my horizon, and I was 
on my way there.



It wasn't until I had become a Christian that I could even begin to
 believe that I was made for greatness. I still have to remind myself of 
that now. WORDS ARE POWERFUL! I want to encourage you to continually 
speak words of affirmation and life to those around you. Tell people who 
you believe they can be, and not just what they have become. Who knows,
 your words may be the ones that cause them to believe in themselves.
 Make your words count! "The tongue has the power of life and death..."
Prov. 18:21 Just a thought.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Windows

Think on this… We often have many choices to make in a given day. Some are simple like, what should I wear, eat, which smell good to splash on. But, often we miss the more challenging opportunities around us. It's in the simplicity of our day that we miss chances to show steady, honest, character. These are the chances to share a kind word to someone having a rough day, allowing someone to go ahead of you in traffic, or by simply doing a great job. These are all windows of opportunity.

People forget that God is always watching. The good, bad, and ugly are ever before His eyes. He is always opening windows of opportunities for us to exemplify His character before people who need to see Him in us. How many windows do we miss in a day, truly how many? We do this by refusing to forgive someone even though God always forgives us, or by holding on to a horrible attitude. The bible says we are to, “Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everybody." 2 Peter 1:5-7 How amazing would your life be if you lived like that…Just a thought.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

A Different Kind of Gratitude (inspired by m. celita lewis)

Think on this…we are often grateful for the good things in our lives, but what about the bad. Have you ever thanked God for the things that you wished hadn’t happened in your life because of what they produced in you? That is a hard thing.

For me it looks like; thank you God that my father abandoned me shortly after my birth. Thank you for the abuse my family suffered from a crazy man. Thank you for the woman that sexually abused me. Thank you for growing up poor. Thank you for the gang of which I used to be apart. Thank you for those friends and loved ones who have died prematurely. Thank you for all the people who have called me names, put me down, and said I would amount to nothing. Thank you for a child with special needs. For all this, I say thank you, in Jesus name Amen. Does that sound spiritual?

You see my hard childhood produced a resiliency in me that I may not have had otherwise. Every death reminded me that my life would not last forever, and it showed me that I needed to live for what matters most. The people who have spoken against me allowed me to develop tenacity that I didn’t have previously. Having a son with disabilities gave me more compassion for those for whom others overlook. The bible says… “But we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4 I thank God for my journey, good, bad, and ugly...Just a thought.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Thank you

Think on this…it’s Thanksgiving week in the United States. This is a holiday that has its roots in early America where the native born people taught the European settlers how to utilize the local resources. The settlers in response gave thanks for what they were given and what they had learned. I have conflicted feelings about the roots of the holiday due to the abuse of the settlers toward the Native American’s which was right on the heels of this benevolent act. It seems to me if you are truly thankful you don’t steal land and almost wipe out the indigenousness population. That’s just me.

I do like the holiday for another reason. It simply reminds us to be thankful for what we have. Thankfulness is something I can sink my teeth into. We can be so focused on what we don’t have that we can miss the blessings around us. If you don’t have a job, be thankful for unemployment checks. If you aren’t married, be thankful you’re your friendships. If you have one leg, be thankful for the other one. If you are jobless, unmarried, and legless you still have breath in your body. Remember that things could always be worse. “Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them.” Psalm 107:21. As an exercise of thankfulness; respond by writing a list of the things for which you are thankful. Start with; you are still breathing…Just a thought.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Editing

Think on this…I had an interaction with my sister that caused me to think about these blogs. Her exact words were, “Do you or does someone proof read your blogs?” Basically, she was saying I have too many typos or grammatical errors. If you are in agreement with her I apologize J, I will try to do better. She tried to spare my feelings by telling me how she just picks up on these things and it wasn’t so much my writing as it was her inability to withhold her critiques. So yes, I kick rocks. I love it; family keeps you honest and humble.

I think that is how we live our lives. We are so focused on trying to project perfection to those reading our lives, that we leave little room for mistakes. The challenge is we rarely see what we don’t see. We grow accustomed to the regular mistakes we make. I think these areas, like my sister, keep us honest. Not that you shouldn't present your best, but try embrace the fact that you are prone to get things wrong in some areas.

So, if you see a grammatical error going forward, I’m working on it. If you should happen to see a flaw in my character I am doing the same, it may take some time, so please be patient with me. The bible says, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all 2 Corinthians 3:2. I desire to be a compelling read...Just a thought.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Boogers taste good!

Think on this...I have school age son. It’s cold and flu season and the kids in his school are ripe with runny noses, and congestion. On any given day you can see some kindergartener with a dried, crusty, force field of snot caked to his/her face. The crazy thing is for some reason they are oblivious to how gross they look with this disgusting patch on their face. Inevitably, a small worm like finger will go digging for gold! Once the sought after treasure is obtained it goes right in the mouth. Umm! I have come to one conclusion; boogers taste good. They are a little salty, and little creamy. Okay, who has not eaten a booger? You used to be one of those gross little booger-eating machines too. Don't judge me.

As adults the pattern persists. We consume unhealthy things just because they are there. No matter what our vice, we are prone to hold tight to unseemly habits. I love that God patiently works with us to help us be who he wants us to be. The bible says, “he wants to keep us from falling and present us faultless before His presence with great joy.” Jude 24 It’s our one responsibility to decide that we want to be freed from our nasty habits…Just a thought.

Monday, November 16, 2009

I'm a mess (the truth about DaWiseOne)

Think on this...Believe it or not I am a mess. A pure mess! I love to say that I love God, but do I really? (Before you think, I am just another preacher losing his nerve and quitting, read on.) Jesus said, "If you love me obey my commands." John14:21 I don't always obey. I like to think that I do, but to be honest I don't all the time. At times I find other things more pleasing, more alluring, and in my mind just better. Or (this is the kicker) I come up with excuses for why I can’t obey him and try to act like I am mature enough to “test the waters”. Basically, that means I love things more than God (in that moment at least). Like I said, I am a mess.

Is this too much reality for a communicator of God's word to reveal? Maybe it is, or maybe we are human and have to find God's forgiveness and grace like everyone else. We have struggles and things we have to overcome. Not that we should not be held to a high standard (we should), but why do we set such high standards for ministers, we all have the bible as our standard. Yes, positioned leaders should meet certain qualifications, and I do.

My point is, I have to fight for a pure heart. God gave me a clean heart at salvation but I can allow habits, history, and hazardous living to get it dirty again. I have to make sure that I regularly keep Jesus as my source to ensure that I am not following my base nature. That is my challenge, and I present that to you…Just a thought

Friday, November 13, 2009

Exposed

Think on this…Ever been naked? Not as in, I was in the shower this morning and I didn't have clothes on. Really exposed, like before someone with whom you don’t want to see you naked? It's a humbling experience. No matter how nice you think you look underneath your clothes it's humbling! The bottom line is we are taught to keep our privates' private. We generally don't want people to see what we have been spending most of our lives hiding. Then we start to ask them, "So what did you see", the answer, "everything". Then the insecurity and healthy shame steps in. It's just a rough situation.

The truth of the matter is many of us are exposed and we don't even know it. Not by some peeping tom, but by almighty God. He sees all perfectly. Everything is exposed before him. The crazy thing is we will often be afraid to do before others what we do before God. I think its because we either forget that He is watching, or He seems so far away that we rarely feel exposed. God is always looking beneath the surface to our very core. He knows what you and I did last summer. The Bible says, "Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me" Psalm 139:1. The crazy thing is, he sees us and still loves us in spite of the ugly. I am so grateful for that…Just a thought.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Self-Destruction

Think on this…do you remember that song? The biggest names in hip-hop coming together (circa 1989) to, "stop the violence and kick the science." This was back before women were throwing themselves at Flava Flav on reality shows. The whole goal was to stop people from killing themselves. It's so relevant to our lives because, often we are the masters of our own demise. We keep very unhealthy habits that add to our own destruction. We keep going around the same mountains and expecting that things will change because we occasionally see new scenery.

The bible says, "As a dog eats its own vomit, so fools recycle silliness." (Proverbs 26:11) Can you imagine eating you own…? I will go on. But it's nasty and gets you nowhere. We have to admit our negative cycles, and realize that we can get out if we ask for help. If you could have gotten yourself out you would have by now. That's the hardest part for many of us, admitting that we need help. The good news is, God wants us to live free. All you have to do is ask for it. "Or else it's, self destruction, you're headed for self destruction…Just a thought.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Gravity- Inspired by John Mayer

Think on this…to be honest I am not a John Mayer fan. I am not an anti-Mayer, I am just not an avid listener, but this song grabs me. "Gravity is working against me…I'll never know what makes this man, with all the love that his heart can stand, dream of ways to throw it all away”. This rings true for me and I imagine for you as well. It's all about our struggle with depravity. It doesn’t help anyone to pretend that we don’t have self-destructive tendencies. We all have those feelings, deal with it.

The bible says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out…Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." Romans 7:18-20. I am ever mindful of my weakness and desire to abandon everything that I hold dear. Is it because I am just a bad Christian? I don't think so. I have learn to be ever mindful of my challenges so that I know what enemies I am facing. If I am blind to my own temptations how do I overcome them?

So what do we do? John Mayer had the right solution. “Keep me where the light is.” That is what we need, to be where God’s light is. I am not perfect, but I know who is, and I want to stay in His light as to not embrace my own darkness…Just a thought.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Sick and Shut-in

Think on this…when I was a child in church I heard a common phrase, Sick and Shut-in. The church used these terms to speak of those who were infirmed and needed either prayer or comfort. I lived with my sister’s grandmother for years and she was on the Sick and Shut-in list. We regularly watched as deacons from the large local church visited. It was amazing really, the loved they showed for this elderly woman. I think about the fact that she had us there and didn’t go without a constant touch from someone. There were so many others who never saw another face, or felt the warmth from another person’s affection.

I understand the concept more fully as I have been wrestling with the flu this week. I have been in quarantine in my bed for days now and I am getting a little stir crazy. I get the need for my exile, but I miss human contact. I feel Sick and Shut-in. It’s the flu so I will get over it, but there are others who never get that connection. This year I started delivering food to the elderly and those with HIV and AIDS, and now I really see why they need that service. That simple act shows love in ways that I am only now discovering.

Jesus taught, “When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Show love this weekend…Just a thought.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Imagery

Think on this… I like television. I know, once again the ultra spiritual will think that I am being sacrilegious. I grew up on the television, and it was an important part of my upbringing. It was a way we learned about the world. There are some terrible things on TV, make no mistake about it. But, the awe and wonder, of Transformers, GI Joe, and thunder, Thunder, THUNDER CATS HOOO! Yes! As a child it was the greatest thing ever. Conversely, It was also the instrument through which I discovered naked women, way too early. Wow, that was an eye opener. But, once again, wonder! (But let’s move on J)

I think the TV is just a tool, for good or bad it’s a tool. I am an ex television network employee. I get it. Television can give you a glimpse of what is possible, and even show you the impossible. It’s amazing imagery, things that were once only in our minds eye is before us. For this reason, I realize more and more that I have to be careful with what I allow to hit my eyes because it affects my heart. Those early years were good, but when the naked women came in it messed me up. It determined how I saw women in general, which was not healthy. The bible says, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Psalms 4:23 Your heart is where your affections and your desires are, it the place from where you live and emote. We can't allow HBO, Cinemax, and MTV to determine our desires. You can guard your heart, by guarding what you watch on television…Just a thought.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Goodness Gracious

Think on this…I am a part of a unique people. The African American people are special in one major way. Hardship? No, people all over the world experience that. Oppression? No, the Native Americans were robbed of their land and almost wiped out, and blacks in South Africa experienced apartheid. We are special in that we have been bred, yes bred like horses or dogs. We have been bred to work. When master wasn’t chasing the slave women around to create little mixed race babies he was matching up slaves for their best genes. My ancestors had it rough. Please don’t tune out because I mentioned slavery, it happened, deal with it. The point is we were bred for work. I believe that is why we see so many black Americans thriving at athletics where being bigger, stronger, and faster is at a premium. Good breeding.

This is a particular problem when it comes to embracing God’s grace. Grace is a church term that means, God decided to rescue us from the penalty that our sins (faults) demanded. You can’t earn grace. Many people look at God as a mean personality, but I see love perfected. Why? Because he could have let us try to repay a debt that could never have been paid, but instead he paid it, himself. That is what the cross is about. God is trying to give us what we need, ultimately. He loves us. As an African American who was bred to work, I have a hard time with grace because I have an internal tendency to try and work my way to heaven. “Let me do more, and I just need to”, are common phrases for me. I’m a worker bee. But, grace says, just take the gift.

This truth is wrecking my “worker” mentality. I can’t, but God did. I am learning to rest and embrace the grace of God. It’s weird, but so liberating. “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men and women.” Titus 2:11 We don’t have to work to earn anything from God, all we have to do is receive it. That’s so awesome!...Just a thought.