What I Learned On My Way to Church

10/6/13

Milton called the "sideline hustlers" out when he said if you don't have a business licenses and aren't paying taxes, you don't have a business. Michael learned a hard lesson about trusts and pre-nups last year. And Lanisha just said I need a mission statement for my newest child, RuggeD Posterity. So, as I was writing my oldest nephew a letter, I had to reflect on my life, my hustles and my future. That meant meditating on what I will leave behind for my family and community. And then I pulled up the scriptures for church so I could read before I got there...

Habakkuk is three simple chapters with huge implications. Habakkuk looked around him and only saw disaster after disaster, war, famine (depression), corruption... He called to God. "Where are the miracles you are famous for?" God's answer - write down your prophesy in stone so you never forget where you are going. Never forget what you are doing. See, the bad times can distract you from your purpose. We must focus.

It's very timely that I was introduced to a man (Ja War) who insisted on reminding us to write letters to our children. Those letters become manifestos. Those manifestos become trusts. Those trusts are legacy so we can leave something more than debts and habits behind. That is real wealth. That's a true inheritance.

There was a boarding house in my family. Was!. There was no trust. And so, there is no legacy.

We don't have to be the most verbose people to deliver instructions to our proceeding generations. We can give a real testimony. Second Timothy minds us that we have God's spirit and that spirit ain't no punk. So why are we always afraid to be our best selves? Why are we afraid to declare what our futures will be? We don't have any reason to be.

Some of you are familiar with a practice in churches called giving a testimony. That's where members of the congregation stand up and talk about what has happened to them. They usually point out God's presence. The rest of the congregation claps and cheers for God. Some people reflect on their recent past and see God was there too.

How many times, if this is your type of church, has anyone stood up and proclaimed what WILL be? Let's change that. Let's only proclaim what will be. And let's write it in stone for all posterity. Let's leave a mission of prosperity just in case the bad times come again and/or our progeny get lost on their journeys.

I usually don't extend the gospel reading beyond the verses read in church but the beginning of Luke 17 is major. Two things. You all know we stumble. Sin is everywhere. But Jesus says, the one that makes you stumble has his/her issue coming... Woe unto them! But here is where we must be bigger and better.

We must forgive them if and when they repent. Each and every time. This ain't an easy road I'm walking but it’s going somewhere worth far more than the journey.

“9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'"

This one is important, how many of yall do this - looking for the glory. "I go to church every day. Let me get a miracle God." “I pay my tithes. Let me have..." "I go to work, on time even, everyday. I need a raise." "I go to school..." "I take care of my children (AKA keep them alive)."

Someone is doing all those things and not asking for anything but more work. Who do you think is going to get their blessing first?

As the father said yesterday, "We don't do good deeds for the reward, we do it because of who God is" As we become more Christ like, we learn that God is in each of us and the connection with God is a connection with others. Jesus could drive out demons because he could see the light in the darkest of places. That power is in us. So we learn to Love without expectation, to give without return. That is the greatest commandment - to Love. And when we learn, we teach the people around us. We create a legacy and tradition to be handed down from generation to generation.

Our manifestos don’t have to be anywhere near as grand as Dr. King dream, but they should be in the same vein. Instead, or in addition to, the daily play by plays that are our journal entries, we can leave blueprints/treasure maps/unfinished puzzles to our descendants. We may not make it all the way to final goal but each generation should be closer to it than we were when we passed. THAT is the true wealth. That is what any and everyone has to give to their children. That is our mission. That is hope. That is faith. That is Love.

…for eternity…

Start writing…

Procrastination: It's Never Too Late to Start Now

When I was younger, I developed a bad habit of procrastination. I've always been gifted so, at first, working from behind went well for. However as time went by, it worked less and less. Now, I know if I want anything to happen, I must plan ahead.

Black America has been working from behind for far too long. AND we are not using all the gifts at our disposal. A rally and a petition is too little too late. I could go off on a long tangent about how we support (often financially) these organizations and all we get are rallies and petitions when we have the capability to write laws.

Others are making policy in America and we are just waiting to react to what's already done. This is not elementary school. This is life. Thirteenth-hour tactics will not accomplish anything. If we can't work ahead, if we can't work out and implement plans far ahead of time, we may as well not even bother.

I promised justice for Trayvon Martin and his family because God's justice is not dependent on American law. It's most likely too late for Trayvon's family to get justice in a worldly form. It's probably too late for Jordan Davis' family too. It's not too late for all the parents of young children who expressed such worry about their children's safety to get justice.

STOP being passive and reactionary. START planning and preparing to control your child's future. That means participating fully in the democratic process. No more rallies and petitions as a reaction. Instead, rally or sign a petition in support of a bill to protect our future. No more support for organizations that only offer reaction. Support (and build them it necessary) organizations that are proactive in the securing of our future.

This is not the time to let fear control our actions. This is the time to conquer fear, say 'never again' and mean it!

And the time is not now. It's RIGHT NOW! It may already be too late for some in Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans... We don't have to wait and see what's next, we can decide that our vision is what's next.

Staycation in Marietta

In the summer of 2008, I got the chance to revisit my second home, New Orleans, for the Essence Festival. THAT was a vacation that I needed a vacation from. In fact, between the increasing responsibilities at work and other travels, I may not have fully recovered by the time the next year’s Essence Festival arrived. By spring of 2009, I was answering my personal phone “Phipps Auto Sales.” My friends and family couldn’t talk to me on the phone without constant work interruptions no matter what time of day it was. A few of my friends thought I was paid far better than I actually was because I was so busy selling cars all the time. I definitely needed another vacation. The only problem was, business had slowed so much that my trip to New Orleans was in jeopardy. I was very low on cash.

I was already granted the time off, and I was determined to take it. I used my high power phone/internet networking skills to work any angle I could to get to New Orleans. Eventually, I just wanted to get away. By the time the Fourth of July weekend rolled around, I had gotten as far as Marietta Georgia. I would find out that was more than far enough away.

I lived and worked in the neighboring cities of Stone Mountain and Lithonia. Marietta might have been where I should have lived when I moved to the Atlanta Metro Area. It was 25 minutes northwest of Stone Mountain, which in the south was far enough to be another state. It would be perfect for my Staycation. It was quiet, clean, and home to one of the two Fatburger restaurants in the Atlanta area. I packed my bags, one small carryon. I told no one at work. Not even my cousin who both lived and worked with me knew I was staying in Georgia. Everyone believed I would be in New Orleans for the Fourth of July. I drove to the Extended Stay America and parked my car for the rest of the weekend. I set up my room and prepared to relax alone for the next three days.

Extended Stay was perfect. I was on a budget. The room was clean and had everything I would need for the weekend, a bed and a kitchenette to store my food and drink. Since the majority of the customers were staying a lot longer than I was, the staff had a more familiar vibe. The Extended Stay was within walking distance of Houstons, Fatburger, Panda Express, Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen, Fuddruckers, Sal Grosso and two local bars. For the purposes of this trip, all I needed was the Fatburgers. My mission was to not be spotted anywhere in Georgia. My Georgia friends were unfamiliar with Fatburger. Hell, even the Fatburger employees seemed unfamiliar with Fatburger.

Marrieta is small by big city standards but is a large part of one of the largest metropolitan areas in America and part of the third largest metro area in the southeast. At around 50,000 citizens Marietta is one of Georgia’s most populous cities. It was named one of the top 25 places in the United States to retire in 2011. It’s older than Atlanta and holds onto that distinction well. The city holds on to many of the battlefields from the Civil War.

It was just my luck that a couple of college friends, my true travel/drinking partners, were in town for a wedding. So my weekend began with a bachelor party in the city of Atlanta. The beauty of Marrieta is that it maintains its charm and heritage while remaining a large part of the Atlanta Metro Area. It was only a ten minute drive to Buckhead penthouse where the bachelor party was. I dared to go to the city. The risk would be minimal since nearly everyone was from out of town. Party on!

The bachelor party was as remarkable as any other; rooms were devoid of anything but chairs, mattresses and the kitchen bar. Aside from some men breaking their banks before the better looking dancers arrived, the night went off without a hitch. I took advantage of having a designated driver while I appreciated nighttime views of downtown Atlanta from the balcony of the apartment we were in. That was my lone foray into the city that weekend. I would stay local the rest of the time. As it turned out, I would be very local after losing my car keys.

Fortunately, I had made friends with the young lady at the front desk. Unfortunately, she liked to hang out on my side of town in Stone Mountain. So I was on my own. It didn’t take more than a day to unwind. I had to relearn sleeping in and staying the bed. I’m a fast learner.

The laying low aspect of my Staycation meant no internet, particularly no Facebook. I couldn’t have anyone in Lithonia catching on that I wasn’t in New Orleans. I have had my boss and co workers try to call me on other vacations. The legend of New Orleans was strong enough to hold them at bay for a weekend. Or, I could just not answer the phone and they would understand. So it was true relaxation. I read. I drank. I practiced a long forgotten travel pastime, hotel wandering. That’s when you walk the halls randomly, taking the elevator to each floor ending up at the front desk if you don’t encounter and new friends before that.

As I would learn from my wanderings, Marietta is an extremely quiet town. That belies its proximity to the lively Atlanta. A wild night out in Marietta resembles the scene from the movie Hallpass where the only place the men could come up with to meet women was Applebee’s/Chiles. In my area of Marietta, the option was Fridays. There is an Applebee’s. The rest of Marietta is a smattering of neighborhood bars. I had my own bottle.

My stay came to an end as I had to deal with my lost car key. That meant finally calling someone from the lot. My cover story was that I parked the car there and discovered that I lost my key upon returning from New Orleans. They may have bought it, until now.

My stay in Marietta was primarily about rest. I accomplished that. I channeled my inner “Office Space” and did absolutely nothing for once. And it turned out to be everything I thought it would be. A small misfortune turned into an opportunity to get what I really needed. I owe it all to the wonderful city of Marietta and Extended Stay America

Joan and Sisters

Gina, Brandi and I had just left church. Gina always wants to go on an adventure after church. I’m a little apprehensive, mostly because I don’t have much money. I cheer up a little when they say papusas. I cheer up a little more when Brandi mentions Belizean food.
I've had Caribbean. I haven’t had Belizean. I’m looking forward to it being similar and getting a lot for my money. Why not?
We had to double back on Western, as apparently we had passed it. I hadn't noticed a sign or storefront advertising a Belizean restaurant. I still didn't see it when we parked. I wasn't worried. That was typical of Central American demographic of the neighborhood.
I ignored the ‘A’ posted in the window. After 20 years in the restaurant industry, I know what really matters. What really matters was the restaurant was immaculate. It was so clean, I was little put off. I almost expected bad food.
I wanted Black Dinah. That is a distinctly Belizean meal separate from all the other interchangeable “Island Food.”  Unfortunately, the only item had never had was boil up. That’s a of combination Boiled Eggs, Fish and/or Pig tail, with a number of ground foods such as Cassava, Green Plantains, Yams, Sweet Potatoes, cocoa, and Tomato Sauce. I passed over the Oxtails. A friend of mine ordered those. I opted for the Red Snapper. It had been a while since I had any snapper. I figured I might as well get the whole fish.
The whole fish was what I got. I didn't have to ask to get escovich style. The only thing she asked me was gravy on my rice. Absolutely! It was a standard Caribbean dish. Joan & Sisters did an above average job. The potato salad was good. The fish was delicious. I even ate the head, eyes and all! And, in true Caribbean fashion, I got far more than enough rice and peas (beans). All in all, I got two meals for the price of one.
The décor was typical Caribbean, a few (understatement) announcements/flyers dedicated to Belizean events in Los Angeles, a Belizean flag and map, and a TV set to local broadcast television. I noticed as I was eating that the men (me included) got more attention. That may have been due to the Belizean dedication to patriarchy. It was much appreciated. It got me silverware instead of plastic and much more attention than the rest of my party (all females). Totally not complaining.
I told Gina, I hadn't been this deep in Caribbean culture since 4am at ‘The Bakery’ during Carnival some years ago. Joan & Sisters took me back. That is another story…

What I Learned in Church: The Early Edition

Feeling a little inspired today. Thank God for my good friends and their good energy. The company you keep is very important. God has been answering my prayers and revealing some great friends and making room for them in my life.

So I finally decided what I’m doing for Lent this year. This year, I’m staying in-doors. That’s school, work, home (or someone’s house) til Easter. My apologies in advance to the three people who are going to miss hanging out with me.

So let’s get in this book. Deuteronomy 26 breaks down First Fruits and tithes, going into the reasons why we give God the primary glory for all that we are blessed with. Then we repeat, “Be with me, Lord, when I am in trouble.” That’s an easy way to remind ourselves that God is ALWAYS there, not just when the sun is shining! In Romans 10, (a VERY important chapter) we break down the basis of salvation. If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved. And then, in Luke 4, Jesus fasts for 40 days and 40 nights. The devil tries him up and he holds on to his faith, conquering the devil.

And you've heard all this before. But have you really thought about it?

On Friday, I listened to a radio show titled “Black Churches: Accountability to the Community”. My first thought was, “What’s the community’s accountability to the church?” Can you imagine Peter, Paul, Simon, or any of the founders of Christianity saying the things that Christians today say. They all got asked to follow Jesus and they ended up leading within a few years. Today, we grow up in the church; we stay in the church for years and are not becoming leaders. We give tithes wondering when we are going to get it back. We keep asking what the church can give us, without ever learning how to give.

Look at the book again. We've already been given the blessing. We already have the power. It’s because of God that we have. So we’re not giving our tithes and waiting for a return. We've already been blessed and are giving God what’s his. Giving without concern; giving full of joy is the blessing in itself. There’s no more to it. Remember, God always being there means he was there BEFORE you got the gifts to give. God has already given us to power to be a blessing to ourselves and others. What are we doing with it?

And what do we really believe in? What’s in our hearts? Sure, many, many of us confess with our mouths and call on the name of the Lord. But what we believe in our hearts will be manifested in our lives. That Jesus gave died and rose again means eternal life for us as well. AS WELL! It means that we have the possibility of being just like Jesus. THAT’s what the founders of Christianity attempted and taught. That we could also fast and resist the Devil. Not the way we do now. What do we do in adversity? Do we stand girded with the armor of God? Or do we run?

Saying you believe in Jesus is just a step. Putting true belief in our hearts is a process. Do it! Fast. Pray. Believe, not just when people ask you but especially when you get tried up! Stand!

Tomorrow, you may not get challenged this way so think on it now. Maybe you should stand tomorrow and help your church. God has already done his job. Have you done yours?

What I Learned in Church 2-10-13

Father Joe is always on time. Spiritually, that is! That man will have you forgetting you’re Catholic…five hour long church trying to play the saxophone and preaching two extra sermons… At least there’s only one collection.

Seriously, we’re still in and out in an hour and a half.  At least he makes people want to go. That’s huge in this day and age. People are ready to give up at the slightest bit of controversy or difficulty. Lord knows the Catholic Church has had some difficulties. (Understatement) We have greed running rampant in other churches, Sex, All kinds of Sex and Even More Sex. How do we respond? The same thing we always do. We run. "I don't want to go to church"

Don't let a few bad apples run all the good people out of church!

Don’t let a few bad apples run us out of anywhere. We abandon everything. We come, we consume, we ask, we take, we get full and when we get asked to do some real spiritual work, we pack up all we’ve taken over the years and run away, leaving only the trash behind. We do it in our schools, we do it in our neighborhoods, and we go all the way with church. We might change churches for a short while but eventually we just leave.

I read this book one time (or three/four). It may or may not be 100% true but it does illustrate the possibility of man. The one thing I believe is that we must never give up and (SPOILER ALERT) we (the good people) win! So why you running? Think you’re not good enough?

God will perfect whatever is defective

(Isaiah 6) “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

I’m not going to front; right after that God told Isaiah not to tell anyone they were saved so they would suffer a little more and repent before he let them off the hook. That happens. You can’t avoid it. Sometimes we try to avoid the temporary discomfort so we stay in the mess we’re in instead of moving forward through to the end. Go one through it! Again, a lot of ups and downs in that book but it ends well.

Isaiah 43:1,2 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

You know there’s a lot of fire and brimstone in the bible. Don’t be afraid. If you choose the right side, you won’t get burned. Just make sure you choose right. No fence straddling.

(1 Corinthians 15)And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.

It’s simple. We believe in Jesus, not some magic superhero who flies in and stops us from being assholes. We believe in a man being able to transcend the flesh and distractions of the world to attain true peace. We believe that we can practice and practice and attain a similar peace. (And that may be where we falter…) Too much unattainable magic and not enough practical advice.

So here it is:

•         Repeat after me “My miracle is on the way.”
•          Get ready. That means look at your faith.
•          Stop dwelling in the past.
•          If you don’t know how to pray, learn.
•          After you pray, meditate. (Meditation first step is clearing your mind)

Jesus removed his self from the world often to focus. And when he did, he was listening. He wasn’t doing a whole bunch of jaw-jacking and not waiting for an answer. Shut up sometimes! To be clear, shut up for at least five minutes every day (to start).

·       
             Keep casting your nets! Some of my friends are wonderful salesmen/women not because they know anything about what they are selling. They are great at it not even because they don’t take no for an answer. It’s because they keep going, believing that someone will say yes. Just like Colonel Sanders, it might take 1010 attempts and the majority of your life to get your miracle. Why are you giving up on yourself?

      A lot of yall give up at 23 after two ‘No’s. And still try to claim you believe in something.

Luke 6 - Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” … When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,…

How many of yall would listen to someone who wasn’t an expert in “your field”.  I can hear the majority of you now running back to your egos at the mention of similar advice. “I been doing … for … years! What you trying to tell me?” “If you know so much, why don’t you do it?” The least we can do with any advice is to meditate on it. Find a way to make the best of everything given us.

So, one more thing before I go. Fight!

Believe in what you say you believe in. I’m getting tired of all the woe is me, look at how strong the devil is, illuminati, conspiracy this, conspiracy that talk. Too many of us say we believe in eternity and still deathly afraid of every little fool hollering boo at our God. SMH.

Isaiah 41:10 I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them.

Don't worry I will ALWAYS be with you (not only when the bullies aren't around). AND ALL (A-L-L, every single one) enemies will be ashamed and disgraced; they will be as nothing and perish. Shoot, you won’t even be able to find them if you look for them! And Lord knows yall like to look for enemies!

Gina noticed that the message is always the same and said that’s OK because that’s what the Bible is. Something happens, you maintain your faith, God shows up. That’s it. And it only works that way. Not – something happens, you run like hell or something happens, you have faith for two days, then you give up and do it your way on the third day… That’s the way you do it. It’s called faith because it works especially when it doesn’t look like it will. That’s it.

1300 words later, the simple truth is, if you say you believe in something, prove it. If it’s worthwhile it WILL work! Watch!