THE ENCOUNTER

 "It's a nice breeze today isn't it?" she said as she smiled and headed towards her destination. I looked up, smiled and agreed. I Sat  there and thought ,"wow! that felt good." To have a complete stranger walk by and in her own way say hello by commenting on the weather. She was headed up the stairs to enter the medical building surely to a doctors appointment or maybe the pharmacy. Who knows what her story is, but her smile was healthy. I thought how proud God was smiling down to see his creation taking a split second to acknowledge one another. So much animosity in this day and age, but I was reminded today that it doesn't hurt to offer a smile or a kind word in route to your destination, perhaps that's how some have met their best friends, their soul mates or reminded a person on their last wing of hope that there is something worth living for. And just as I was thinking of how to end this story, she walks back with her medicine in hand and says, "have a good day!" She will never know the hope she gave me that maybe, just maybe there are still a few good people in the world!

HUMANITY

 I have seen it for myself. Finally, I have met depravity face to face, aside from myself that is. Our days are filled with disappointments and betrayals, lies and deception, jealousy and opinions that are given only to tear down instead of build up. Truth no Longer has value to a world who wakes up only to dress up in their favorite character, the one they have created. She comes with different personalities wrapped in a bow called Ego. I have seen it for myself, real sleep walkers who walk the streets. In broad daylight not knowing their walking in circles. They don't see that they are in bondage to themselves. There is another road with few travelers. There is another alternative to the pain we cause one another. There is more than enough space for us all to occupy. More than enough air to fill our lungs. More than enough room for us to display our individuality and make our mark into society, but I have seen it for myself, humanity is as wild as a beast, we think our way is the best way...we are not that smart, not if we still don't know how to love.

The Power of Music

I'm reminded that music has a tremendous affect and influence on us all. It can bring forth so many emotions and actions. I'm reminded that people want to hear about "the struggle" and what's "really" going on around us as it is comforting to know that someone else understands and feels the same emotions, but what about those who now look through a different lens, those who see the glass as half full and not half empty. Yes, we should speak the real, but let's start bringing solutions starting with ourselves. It's time for a change! ‪‎I‬ will support ANY music that is positive, ‪‎Any‬ artist that is positive, but ‪‎No‬ more shenanigans. Not just talking about 1 positive song on the album. A double minded man is unstable in ALL his ways!

Amazing jam session - Three random guys sing together

We Have Forgotten Them

"....REMEMBER THE PRISONERS AS THOUGH YOU WERE IN PRISON WITH THEM....." Hebrews 3:3
                                                       
I was watching a movie called "Dreams". It began with a scene of a young black man being released from prison. As the guard unlocked his cell and he began walking towards his freedom, you could here his buddies yelling and screaming their final goodbyes. An older white prisoner yelled out and asked if he could pray with him (God sees no color). Their hands became one as the prisoner strategically slid his fingers out as far as the small hole would allow, and he began to pray over this young man. He prayed for God to cover and protect him and to keep him from evil. It was a very short, but powerful scene. There was no other information given about the older prisoner since after that scene we didn't see him anymore, so I assumed he was in jail for life, which made that scene even more powerful. I said to myself, "We have forgotten them!" Our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in jail. It doesn't matter if they were Christians when they arrived or if they were set free(you have to let that marinate) during their stay. We have forgotten them! I was so touched to see a man pray for another man who had the privilege that he probably wanted, which was to walk out of those prison gates. But there was also a unique privilege they shared. They were actually both free!

You ask, "how can they both be free when one is on the outside and the other is in chains?". My friend, the scriptures remind us through the Apostle Paul that "..the word of God is not chained"(2Timothy 2:9). the Apostle Paul had been thrown into jail numerous times for the sake of his faith in Jesus Christ though he did nothing wrong. He remembered the word of God could still go forth even in prison walls, whether to encourage those of the household of faith or those who were sheep without a shepherd in spiritual bondage. Even the guards were no exception. So although we all fall short of the Glory of God and his standards at times, and it is not His will for us to suffer as thieves and murderers (1Peter 4:15), there is always an opportunity for the Gospel to go forth and bring freedom to those who are in chains; Especially those who will be released back into a wicked society who waits at the prison gates with all kinds of proposals to entangle them back into bondage.

There is a freedom in the Gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ). Don't forget to tell them the bad news first!(Let me know if you want to hear the bad news!)But this freedom is in the mind and heart that will allow a man or woman who is in prison whether 5 years or for life, to start over. The word of God is not chained! We all know someone who is in prison. Whether it is a loved one who has made bad decisions in the past, a loved one who has been wrongfully convicted, or a loved one who is being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ(visit VoiceoftheMartyrs.com or Vom.com)and they need us. Send a letter, card or visit them. Most of all pray for them.

The word of God is not chained so lets flood those prison walls!!

So..What Do You(REALLY)Do? Part 2

How many funerals have you attended, where during the reading of the Eulogy, you learned something about a person you didn't know? Probably all of them, right? We learn about their original place of birth or the number of siblings they had. We're shocked to learn that they grew up in church or finally understand why they never wanted to be called by their birth name! I recall attending a childhood friends funeral. I was shocked to learn that he played the guitar. I thought to myself, "He doesn't look like he plays the guitar!" (whatever that looks like). At another funeral I learned that my loved one loved to draw, though I had never been given a clue. Think about the parents or siblings who had no idea until they finally had permission to enter their loved ones secret place(their room) only to find secret treasures that would leave them with ambivalent feelings. Some of them had dedicated careers where they played a major role for many years, while others deemed themselves unemployed while sitting on their gifts that could have possibly helped them earn wages. it makes me wonder what caused them to suppress those talents? Was it fear? Not believing in themselves? or did they simply think "I'm just a bus driver or just a student?"

While looking for a new doctor online(I encourage you to take time to choose your own doctor)I skimmed across several profiles. I wanted to know more about this person I would soon put my trust in. It was interesting to see the other side of these doctors. Not only did they have families and pets but some of them loved the outdoors and photography. Another loved to play the saxophone. There was also a chef who loved to cook healthy food. There was so much more to these doctors. It made me think about the girl in the McDonald's driver through, could she possibly be a writer? Could the guy in the back flipping the burgers be an aspiring Chef?(you have to start somewhere). What about the guy at T mobile who helped you fix your phone for the third time? Could he also be a mechanic who is great with his hands? I believe God gives us many gifts!

I remember hearing a pastor say that we should go to the grave empty. Meaning we have done all that we were called to do and shared all that we had to offer to one another. I believe this pertains to every part of our being. In Part one of this topic, I mentioned how many of us shrink back when someone asks us what we do for a living. We are either ashamed of our current status because the world tells us that we should be doing more, or we are not comfortable with ourselves therefore we never give ourselves enough credit and never share who we really are. We are all unique in some way. We are all artists in some way. I love the word artist because it is so broad. It is universal and personal to the one who has the vision. It is defined by the person who possess it and explores it. So what, that you have been writing that story for years and have not been published, does that make you less of a writer? So what, that you have tons of artwork all over the house, just because its not in a well known exhibit, makes you no less of painter. If you sing your heart out in  the shower and the acoustics in the bathroom have nothing to do with it, my friend you are a singer!

When they ask you what do you do, tell them about your crocheting and the clothes you make, tell them that you work  in sales at Target and that you're also a ballerina(you know they are real right?)Lets not go to the grave empty. You love what you do that's why you do it whenever you get the chance. Whether your sharing with millions of people or a couple hundred in your community, the world is waiting to get to know you.

So..What Do You Really Do?

So...What Do You Do? (Part 1)

We live in a culture filled with endless ambitions. Sometimes juggling two or three things at once, hoping at least one of those things will be "IT". Everyone is constantly moving to and fro, with schedules overbooked like salons (ladies you know what I'm talking about). We move so fast, almost walking right through one another as if we were ghosts. Our hands permanently cupped into the shapes of Starbucks coffee and IPHONES. We forget to look up cause "we gotta get to the money". Our hearts almost skipping beats because of our fast paced routines. Everyone is reaching for the stars and whatever they think is beyond that point. Anxiety sets in deeper each day. School, work, kids, work, kids, work, school, work, overtime and oh yeah, work! The pressure of status and positions and achievements. The competitions that secretly lives beneath the left side of our shirt or blouse. This is what we see in this generation. So I was not surprised when someone asked me the famous question.....

So, what do YOU do? Since this generation is also about keeping it 100, I have to be honest and tell you that I swallowed real hard as my mind tried to configure a smart and intelligent way to say, "I'm just a scheduler at Kaiser". Now to paint a picture for you, it didn't help that this person had on a nice crisp suit, briefcase and the whole business "shebang". Sometimes we all feel like this person just might have a lot more going on than us or is somehow better. For all I know he could have been coming from a funeral or court (lol).  But, this is naturally what happens inside our mind. But after I walked away from this conversation disappointed, I thought to myself, "Why did you say that? Why did you say I'm just a scheduler?"

Whatever it is you do, whether you work at McDonald's, Comcast, Winco Foods, or a stay at home mom(I almost said Just a stay at home mom), you play a significant role in society. You may feel its just a small piece of the puzzle, but each job is needed to function properly. You maybe doing something for a season or two, but you should own it. These positions actually have categories like Customer service, Sales, retail, etc. The stay at home mom is a teacher and so much more, which we'll talk more about in part 2! Now I can't lie I've tried to figure out different ways to describe my position like, "I'm a Radiology scheduler or I work in Radiology" (Can we keep it real). But I will no longer say "I'm just a..."because again, there is much more to me than scheduling appointments in Radiology!

So, I encourage you all to delete that word from you vocabulary at least when describing yourself. If you are currently unemployed think about what you usually do or what you like to do and own it. We can all learn a lesson from Mike Epp's character, DEDE, in Friday after Next. He wasn't just a security guard. Let him tell it he was a"Top Flight" security guard, even though he didn't even carry a gun, just a flashlight! So as you prepare to start your day wherever you are in your life, whatever you do or wherever you're trying to go, put on your "Top Flight" mentality and play your part!

God bless..
Part 2 will be up tomorrow morning!