Da' TRUTH - Where I Was [Love, Hope & War] @truthonduty

A mouth to cuss or a mouth to bless

" "BUT YOU YOURSELVES ARE TO PUT OFF ALL THESE: ANGER, WRATH, MALICE,BLASPHEMY, FILTHY LANGUAGE OUT OF YOUR MOUTH" Col 3:8 Have you ever had someone to offer you a drink of fresh ice water or tea from a visibly dirty glass? If so, how did you feel? Have you ever been to a restaurant and have been given dirty silverware to use? These things happen all the time. Something that was actually given to be a blessing winds up being tainted. So it is with our mouths. As much as folk want to be blessing or be blessed, they cannot let go of the cursing or crude words. Whether one wants to admit it or not, its a problem that is prevalent among so-called believers. The scriptures tell us we must put foul language away. You cannot speak words of blessing and cursing like a skitzo. When some tells me to be blessed, I take it to heart. However, if that same someone uses foul language in the midst of that, it negates the declaration. Words are not words, they have purpose, relationship, and are the power of life and death. So next time someone offers a cup of blessing but gives a well of curses, cast those words aside for they do not please God. We all should pray for our tongues to be kept by God. Yet we must purpose it. According to Phil 4:8 "FINALLY BRETHREN, WHATEVER THINGS ARE NOBLE, WHATEVER THINGS ARE JUST, WHATEVER THINGS ARE PURE, WHATEVER THINGS ARE OF A GOOD REPORT, IF THERE IS ANY VIRTUE AND IF THERE IS ANYTHING PRAISEWORTHY MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS

Friends and what they mean to us

I once wrote in a piece, that "friendships are like batteries. Some last longer than others". Its about 20 minutes to 6 am and I'm up watching Fat Albert. They always talk about friendships on the show and today's earlier show wasn't any different. I will not go into specifics but suffice to say that sometimes your friends can put you in jacked up positions and then blame you for it. Friends are an interesting dynamic altogether. You are not necessarily bonded by blood but in some cases proximity. Social media is filled with people connecting with one another under the guise of "friendships". Real friendships are personal and because of that, they can be beneficial or hurtful. Toxic relationships often are the poster child between men and women. Yet, its friendships where most toxicity begins and originates. Think about your earliest friends. Are you still friends? I know that in my own personal life that I had many friends growing up but that circle dwindled over the course of time. You have to weigh and consider many things when making friends. Is this relationship beneficial? Can a friendship grow beyond its immediate connections. Friends that have access to you can do things to hurt you. Many people place barriers in their lives, just so they do not have invest time and energy into people. I personally believe in investing in people. However, everybody that I invest in does not necessarily graduate to friend status. A friend is made for adversity and too often its the friends that are being adverse. This generation calls them frienemies. Which is a ridiculous term. However, I do get the point. However, all the clichés in the world will not make up for the hurt that you feel when someone hurts. Don't get me wrong, sometimes friends mean well but only injure you in the process. Folks make a point to be your "leader" while they expect you to follow and go along with just anything. One thing about life, experiences separate us all. It is our commonality that should bring friends into our circles who are genuinely concerned about thoughtful. The highway of life goes both ways. You put in what you get out. The trouble starts when you expect people do for you tit for tat. Life and its circle just does not work like that. God blesses us when we give but He does not do it on our time table. You sew to expect a harvest. Yet, the harvest is for appointed time. Our friends can be a harvest but like any good farmer will tell you, you need good soil (heart), sunshine (good things), and rain (challenges) and good old fashion hard work (care for the heart) to produce good results. Your friends are the result of good vibrations and good thoughts and common struggles. Cherish them.

Where ya been?

Well, it has been a minute. Life has been happening all over the place. I have been unplugged from the blogosphere for about a year. Now I am back to share again. I am back to writing and working online. So what has happened? Well, the computer I had died in its sleep. Literally, it would not wake up. The department of education has been a huge lycan at my door looking for student loan payments. What a nightmare that has been. I have fallen in love. Ministry has also kept me busy. As for as the love of my life. She is a good woman and has been good for me I must say. Anyway, with the NBA playoffs going, NFL season around the corner and MLB in full swing for the summer. Life for a sports fan is pretty cool. Summer movies are starting to roll. IRON MAN 3 namely. I have a video review of that I will post later on. For now, lets do this again... Its good to be back.

re-launch

re-launch is coming soon!

Old Books and Old Relationships

Anybody that knows me, knows that I am a book rat. I hang out in bookstores and half price books is my favorite hangout. I would do commercials if they would let me. Needless to say, in my rumbling of books today, I found a copy of Bishop Thomas Weeks' book Teach Me How to Love You. A few years ago, Bishop Weeks and Prophetess Juanita Bynum were the talk of the Black Church community. They married and had an elaborate wedding ceremony. They wrote books and held conferences. Only for it all to end one night at a hotel out somewhere near Atlanta. I held the book in my hand which was going for a mere 2 bucks and thought to myself. Nah, how good could it had been. I put it down and chose a few other books to add to my library. Funny how time goes on. Bishop Weeks has married another woman and Prophetess Bynum has dropped her married name and added a II. My pastor once remarked to me that happiness is predicated on situations and circumstances. Too bad situations and circumstances caused the end of a what some thought would be a powerful union. There is a new movie out based loosely on the Steve Harvey book, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. I have read the book. It is a pretty good read. Entertaining and honest. Notice, I didn't say truthful. There is a lot wrong with the title, let alone the book. For a Christian sister, it can be decieving. After all, Steve Harvey has been on TBN, he is friends with Bishop T.D. Jakes. The idea of a woman having to think like a man is disturbing for no other reason than it contridicts what God would have a woman to think. I get what Steve is saying. However, its not what God wants. The women of the world are eating it up. However, divorce rates remain the same among Christians and non-Christians, so lets not act as if this book is really the solution for women. By the way, while I am here let me ask one last question. "Steve and all of your fans, while the women are actiing like ladies and thinking like men, how are the men supposed act like and think like?"

Good Jazz and Bad Movies

Last night I went to the Wortham to see the Tia Fuller Quartet. The music was great. The whole band was extremely talented. The range Tia Fuller has is ridiculous.See is a sister who plays alto sax. Something is just sexy about that all by itself. Hey, I am guy, a single guy so allow me the day dream will ya. lol

I was louging with one of my besties and we had a good time. We wasn't ready for the night to end, so we decided to go and check out the new Woman Thou Art Loosed The 7th Day flick. Horrible. Bishop Jakes is the man but he could have let this go straight to video. Generally, I dont like dissing flicks but you should save your money and wait for it to hit red box. It was a good story but overall, the film was all over the place in its content.

Needless to say, I had a ball. Great music, good laughs, made up for a terrible film. God rawks!