Changing Your Ways

Man... the more I look at myself, the more I dont like myself. Now, I dont suffer from self-esteem issues. However, I know that changing my ways for the better is always best. Mistakes become conscious decisions when you keep doing the same thing over and over and over. Therefore, I know a change must take place. To reflect that change I will focus on this last month of the year on change. Join me, while I do my best to embody that change. The blog will change as well, regarding appearance. So while we go into cocoon mode. Rest assured the blog will be better for it. God does not change, that is why you and I must change to be more like Him. So let it be.

The Black in Black Friday

Well. I pray the holiday was awesome. I pray that you got enough to eat. I pray that you found it in your heart to help someone. Maybe it was nothing more than helping your drunk uncle realize that he was too hammered to drive home. Either way, I hope the holiday went well. Now its "bait and switch" oops... I mean Black Friday. This day, hundreds of people will roll out of bed, stand in a ridiculous line in the cold. Why to get a good deal. Many Black people will tell themselves, man its too cold but you can find more than a few of us. A brother called me and told me that Joseph A Banks is selling Cashmere sweaters at a ridiculous price. Now this brother is very frugal and it is something he himself cannot pass up. Yeah we all have seen a sale where none of us can pass up and that really is a major problem in our community.

So are Black people who are enterpreneurs participating in the drive to make the economy gauge hiccip for about a half a second? I am willing to bet there may be a couple. However, Black businesses truthfully wont see a whole lot of action. This day is for the big boys, you know Wally World and Tar 'jay. My daddy taught me something a long time ago "you get what you pay for". So that "42 inch flat screen going for about 300 bucks is worth really just about that. Yesterday, my brother schooled me about flat screens and the quality pictures. Today people will pick up a bunch inferior product for basement products.

So, why are we so ready to spend our money? While mama's old adage rings loudly in my head "you cannot take it with you", I do know that tommorow will be another day and sometimes we are broke because we think stuff like "life is short" "laugh now and cry later". I know im sick of life being long and crying later for my stupid mistakes. Have you ever bought something that sat in the bag or on the hanger for weeks on end. Its because it really wasn't something that you needed to had to have.
That feeling really sucks.

In 2010, one of things I will working on and sharing will be our spending and investment potential. Okay, let me scratch that. I will be trying to cut my spending and invest more for the future. One of the first signs of the road to recovery is realizing you have the problem and not someone else.

Even now im tempted to get up and go see what's on sale. Yet I have pressing matters. My daughter, Ashley has already given me her wish list. I cannot say I am mad at it. Translation: There isnt nothing expensive on the list. Aint God good? Im sure I will wind up in a store today, for how long will be determined. I don't lines well. Especially ones that swing around the building. Yep. Somebody right now, is catching a cold because they just have to have that item they saw the newspaper or online.

If there is a Black business near you. Go and support it. The legal ones. Okay. Im not trying to be funny... Okay, yes I am. Anyway, spend some dough with your people. They need it. I need it. If the Black is expected to spend his or her money on Black friday, we should at least benefit somehow. Anybody got Jesse Jackson's number? I wonder what his take is on Black Friday and the Black folks that buy into this economic shell game. I dont know. The economy is down and retailers are expecting us to still spend because in less than 30 days its Christmas? Really. Maybe its about time this nation remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. Bless the Lord, we can always hope, yeah. Like President Barrack Obama said, Yes we can.

Thankful

I thank God for every trial He brought me through.
I thank God for every tear I cried.
I thank God for everytime I wanted to give up.
I thank God for bringing into a new season.
I thank God for bringing Darlene into my life.
I thank God for providing food, clothing and shelter.
I thank God for my pastor and my church.
I thank God for my parents still together going on 43 years.
I thank God for my one and only brother, Michael.
I thank God for my friend, Jack Coachman.
I thank God for allowing me to serve in His church.
I thank God for allowing me to write.
I thank God for blessing me to get a MBA.
I thank God for allowing me to be a blessing.

As you can tell Im thankful for a lot of things. I could write a thousand more lines for what Im thankful for. Yet, these standout. I struggled so much this year. I had victories and calamities. I felt so much pain and yet so much pleasure. I am just thankful that God has blessed me. I did nothing to deserve it. It feels so good knowing that I have a God that loves me and is always there to show me that He loves me.

*tears*

Why I do this thing?

Why do I blog? Well truthfully it allows me to practice writing. I didnt graduate with a degree in journalism but I can put my thoughts out here and let numerous readers and other bloggers chime in, criticize, or be inspired. I have had several blogs over the years and this one by far is my most consistant. Basically, I get bored easily. Sometimes, Im not motivated. I ask myself why don't have the number of subscribers as certain blogs. I guess my blog is boring to a certain degree. I could write about hundreds of different things but I chose to focus on love, God and inspiration. I might vent every now and then but I try to keep my focus. I am believing 2010 to be a breathrough year. I have two books on deck and I am currently mulling over third one to be release by the end of 2010; LORD willing. The campaign on these books will no doubt shift my focus but I am hoping to keep this blog flowing consistantly. I am not somebody who is going look at what everyone else is doing and just follow suit. I do this thing to exercise my craft and bless people. Nothing more and nothing less.

Dust

Psalm 103:13-16
“As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.
“As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more”.

Dust. We see it everyday. We walk by it. We walk on it. Yet, we don’t think about ourselves as such. A natural inclination to do so may accuse us of suffering from low self-esteem. Yet, according to the bible, dust is what we are. In Genesis 2:7 we are reminded that God formed man from the dust of the ground. One should not just view themselves as dust. However, one should be mindful of the humble beginnings by which we originate. Surely God made us to be more than just dust. Yet, when our life is over on this planet, our physical bodies return to the dust of the ground. In Psalm 103, the bible says that man’s days are like grass or the flower of the field. When the wind passes over it and it is gone, the very place where the grass or flower grew no longer remembers it. For all the accomplishments, goals, purpose driven pursuits, we must realize that our contribution is important but not without pity from God, at least for those that fear Him. Rappers and celebrities talk about what they have and what they want and yet for all of things they gather to themselves, it will belong to someone else after they die according to Solomon in Ecclesiates. No man (gender notwithstanding) should think more of himself or herself than what is proper. We all must be sober minded when it comes to our lives. We should look upon people with deeper appreciation and understanding; knowing we are all frail beings.

Speak Life!

People in your life and mine are hurting. When we know this, it is important for us to speak a word of life to them. Sometimes a word of encouragement goes a long way. Now, it is important for each of us to have a word available and that only comes when you yourself are full of words of encouragement. The Word of God is that special body and knowledge that all of us can stand to benefit from if we draw upon it. People need to know if they come to you that you can meet them right where they are. If nothing else, you can point them to the One that knows where they are. So instead of giving them your opinion or philosophy, give them something that is light and spirit. The Word of God.

This time of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving the holiday will be here on this upcoming Thursday. Many of us will sit down with the family and eat Turkeys, Hams, rice dressing, cornbread dressing, and a few pies and cakes. Im getting hungry just thinking about it. Others will hit the movie theater and some of us will watch the Detriot Lions more than likely lose on another Thanksgiving day. Some of the radicals among us will protest silently and make comments and jokes about why we shouldn't celebrate Thanksgiving. Either way, we all know that Thanksgiving isnt a holiday really. In fact, its a life style. We should be thankful everyday of our lives and tell the Creator thank you because God is good all the time and all the time God is good. This is a time where we are all to really count our blessings and forget the complaining we find ourselves doing so much. Somebody would love to have your life. Ask the homeless guy or the kid down the street who will have to go to a shelter on this Thanksgiving to get a meal. Just for once in your life, shut up and be thankful.