While watching the movie, Son of God, I was reminded why I live the way I do, love the way I do, and forgive the way I do.  But for the Grace of God, I would not be here.

Just as Lazarus was raised from the dead, God has brought all of us back from some dead situations(spiritual death, illness, dead-end relationships).  God has already said that “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God…”.  He already knew you would be placed in these situations and He has already made provisions for you to live through what you thought would kill you.

Just as Jesus waited 2 days to go back to check on Lazarus, God will wait His predetermined time to come check on you.  This does not mean He wants you to suffer, you actually play a part in when you will come out of your dead situation.  You will remain there until you decide that you cannot fix the issue and begin to totally rely on God. When you begin to totally rely on God, your light shines and others will know God by what they see in you.  When you encounter darkness, your light will emanate so that you may find your way out and just like Lazarus, you shall live.

I am a huge proponent of forgiveness however, I recently found myself in foreign state. There was anger brewing inside of me that I did not understand and although I thought I was dealing with the anger, I came to the conclusion that I was not.

While watching the movie, “Dead man Walking”, I realized that I could see myself in the parents of the murdered children.  The had no compassion for the man who was accused of taking their children away from them.  They did not even see the man as human, he was a “mistake of God”, as one parent stated.  It was at that moment that I realized I had lost all compassion for a human being accused of killing someone who I cared about.  I replayed a conversation with a friend regarding the death penalty and clearly heard myself saying that “he” should be killed to stop him from killing anyone else.  I said that he took a life and would probably do it again if he were permitted to live.  I thought that even if he remained in prison for life, he would kill another prisoner and I had compassion for them.

Watching this movie was like looking in a mirror.  One that I had turned over because I did not like what I saw.  I have been going about my business for months thinking of all these reasons “he” should not be permitted to live. I never saw him, I saw a mug shot, then I saw the pain in my son’s eyes.  I saw my son’s tears and heard his unanswered question, “why did “he” have to kill my daddy”?  Ultimately only seeing black, darkness, and resentment.

Unforgiveness is a bitter pill to swallow and it ultimately can kill you.  You see, all this time I have been held hostage by anger and that is a danger to my soul.  My soul salvation is important to me and my goal is living a life that is pleasing to God.  Last night, God showed me, me!  I had to ask for forgiveness and forgive “him”.  I woke up this morning with swollen, red eyes BUT I can feel my load lightened.

I know it is hard to see past the pain that others have caused you but you have to see that you are more than your circumstances.  I never thought that I would be advocating for the death penalty but pain pushes you to points unseen. Thank You God for new mercy.

Today choose you and watch God work it out.

Flowers do not worry about how they are going to bloom.  They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful~Jim Carrey

Just like a flower, we are not to worry about how we are going to evolve.  Our job is to look up to God from which we receive light and the beauty of who we are will be shown for the world to see.

As I celebrate day one of my birthday, I am reminded that so many do not see the beauty within themselves.  Some people have put on masks to cope with situations in life.  One great thing about God is that He will always send an encouraging word when you are in need.

For those who feel that they cannot escape their past, God is forgiving.

For those who feel that they cannot make right their wrongs, God is a fixer.

For those who believe they are under a generational curse, God breaks chains.

For those who hide because of the perception of others, God is judge and jury.

For anyone who thinks God has forgotten about you, God is waiting on you.

If you do not fit into any of these categories, God is the alpha and omega.  He has you covered on both ends. Today celebrate you and all that God has, will, and is doing in your life.

“Falling in love with Jesus was the best thing I’ve every done”~<3

What is in a name???

One of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made was what to name my son.  When I was pregnant, it seemed so easy and I never gave it a second thought.  However, as the years go by, I have contemplated numerous times whether I made the right decision.

I gave him a name with Jr. on the end.  At first sight, this may look like a legacy, pride, or a deep appreciation for the man whose name would  now be attached with Sr.  The truth is, I never thought beyond the fact that the child I carried inside was his son and the pride he felt from knowing that a mini version of him would soon grace this world.

I’m happy that I made the decision, along with him, to name our son Jr.  Only God knew that we would be where we are today.  Only God knew that my son would carry a legacy, a sense of pride, and a deep appreciation for the man whose name was attached with Sr.  I thank God that the very same name is revered.  Sr. may be gone but his name touched the hearts of many people who now watch out for Jr.  God’s promises are eternal and I know that although I am away from Jr., Sr.’s name has provided him with a shield that watches and prays for him more than we’ll ever know.

Every phone call I get reminds me that my angel on earth is covered.  So, what’s in a name???   Everything you need!!!

I have a request to write about love.  Well, everyone knows that I love, love and I could write about it ALL day long!!! ❤ ❤ ❤

Love is the foundation of all human interaction.  It all began with “for God so loved the world that He gave…”.  Love is Jesus on the cross.  It is this same love that we are to show towards one another.  The things we say, do, and think all should stem from love. The first love we consciously experience is from our parents. It is at this point that things can go one of two directions, right or real wrong {I will save this for another post 🙂 }. However, these experiences are the building blocks from which we develop our basis for love.

As children, we are in an active learning state and we crave knowledge.  We soak up everything we see, hear and feel, then we mimic or reject those behaviors.  These behaviors are what we know to be love.  When we mature we begin to have a new craving, we seek to understand ourselves and develop our own sense of love and we then connect with individuals who we feel meet our needs.  Our subconscious mind creates these connections so that we may receive this love and allows us to show our love towards others.

The most common mistake that we make in relationships is that we seek some magical formula that is supposed to create a perfect love.  Perfection is for God alone and not man.  The foundation of the word relationship is “relation”. Relation is the manner in which people communicate, behave, and interact with each other.  This goes back to love.  The love you desire and the love you require is what guides your relationships. Love is not a noun, do not allow Merriam-Webster to have you searching for a “strong feeling”. There are many who have experienced a strong feeling and it turned out to be pain.  Love is not synonymous with pain. Love is found in actions.  Love is what causes you to care for someone other than yourself.  It makes you put others needs before yours.  Love will make you show compassion and empathy without being told that you should.

Now…we were created to form relationships with one another.  There is no such thing as an army of one. As I said, we were created, therefore designed to form bonds with each other.  It is natural for us to seek companionship. While seeking companionship, we must embrace our differences.  Our differences are what bind us.  We are all flawed but there is someone out there that will strengthen your weaknesses and in doing so they complement your imperfections.  Love is the catalyst that allows this to happen. Love is the acceptance of a less than perfect person and sharing your strengths with them to aid in their growth.  When you can encourage, support, and forgive without expecting reciprocal actions, you have begun to experience love.

What’s love got to do with it?  EVERYTHING!!! Love is what love does.  It is a free-fall experience.  It is vulnerability and selflessness.  In trying to define love, you should understand  that love is a sacrifice.  BUT, with this sacrifice, you add value to your life.  It is my sincere belief that we all desire to be loved and possibly desire even more that someone allows us to love them.  Reach beyond the limits you have placed on yourself and let love flow.

Chorus for today: “I’m a puzzle, yes indeed. Ever complex in every way and all the pieces aren’t even in the box. Yet you see the picture clear as day…You catch me when I fall, accept me, flaws and all and that’s why I love you”~Flaws and All

Somewhere along the way, we have failed to see that all people deserve to be treated as humans. Disagreeing with someone’s view does not make one person right and the other person wrong but it should teach us to see issues from another person’s perspective.

While reading comments posted on a blog site, I noticed the terms reverse racism and white privilege were loosely thrown around, along with comments about who should and should not be allowed to comment on issues within a certain community.  Although most commentators had a point that was valid in their eyes, the message got lost while sifting through cliché’s used to incite emotion.  How do we heal from pain that has not been acknowledged?  If we are not free to say what effects our individual lives or communities without backlash for having the discussion, then how do we find solutions?  On the same note, if we only allow a minimal amount of people to sit in on the discussion, how will things change?

The first step is acknowledgment, there has to be an admission so that acceptance can settle in and from there, the pain of the masses can be healed.  We all suffer from division and we will never heal from our pain by ignoring the cries of our brethren. 

Until we get to the point of acknowledging that we are all human and deserve to be treated as such, we are doing more harm than good to each other.  When you know better, you do better. I’m so thankful for the diverse environment I have called home for the last 2 years. #FAMU 

As the mother of a teenage son, it is becoming a little too hard for me to be comfortable with the thought of him being out of my sight.  You see, fortunately, my son grew up to be a tall, handsome young man, surpassing others on the growth charts.  But society says he does not fit the mold.  He is not permitted to “act his age” because people would rather see him act his size.  Not only is his size an issue, his appearance altogether is an issue.  In addition to general parental guidance, I have to tell him he’s not allowed to wear his hoodie on his head, he’s not allowed to walk to the corner store, and now I have to warn him about his music when starts driving next year…the irony is, we do not live in a war zone, we live in “the land of the free, thanks to the brave”.  Many members of my family are the those brave soldiers that fought and continue to fight for “our” freedom and yet I have to treat my child as a prisoner of war.

There is a real problem when the life of a child is no longer a priority.  I have witnessed more compassion for animals than for children who resemble my son.  These attacks on the youth are coming from all directions.  So, as a parent, am I to keep my child under lock and key to protect him?  Is it ok for him to feel like he is not welcomed in his community, city, or state?  How is he supposed to feel when society says his life is worthless?

Parents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and all others that make up our support systems…please continue to love on our sons.  Let them know that no matter who is against them, they have God and us in their corners.  Ensure that they are allowed to be kids.  A child should never have to worry about carrying out normal activities.  With us fighting for their lives, the harder it will be for others to take them.