The Retraining Order

I’ve been watching video after video about this brand new kind of child that has emerged. They’re climbing cabinets getting snacks, telling their parents off and they have more sense then I had when I was twenty.

Well….. I’m from the old school were children were seen and not heard. Where punishment only took a good five minutes if that long. But the recovery took a week.

Where a certain look from across the room was something you didn’t want to face when you got home.  Where finally and most importantly talking back was a death sentence in which the word NO from your lips never existed if you knew what was best for you.

Can I get a witness…..

Now seeing children these days defiantly grabbing their parents and yelling in their faces gets my goat. It causes me to have to calm the secret Hulk inside of me that wants to grab them and kill them myself. This former teacher strickly raised child cannot wrap her head around this.

Yet the Bible that ever so accurate ageless book says these things MUST BE. The Word Of God that reads better than the morning newspaper unashamedly and unapologetically points us to the end of time. It give us illustration after illustration preparing and warning of us of what’s to come before  the return of our Savior  JESUS CHRIST.

So at this time more than ever before WE HAVE TO “make our calling and election sure.” There’s no more time we cannot be wishy washy.

My admonition to us is this: “And that knowing the time it is now high time to awake out of sleep for now is your salvation nearer than when we believed.”

With that said my friend enjoy your day.

Bare Lessons

In my city which is a large metropolis, there is a tourist trap that utterly amazes me and the millions of people of every color creed and nation. Making this particular place a must see.

Each of us (I said us) literally walking shoulder to shoulders weaving our way through this power packed three block radius. All here just to see the mesmerizing display of lights, cameras and sometimes too much action. Then finally does it measures up to all the hype … and YES IT DOES.

Well, one day as I happened to be strolling through, I  was stopped by a casually dressed young man who asked me a simple question. Now it wasn’t the question that stopped me but his ability to stop me period. Which honestly “ain’t no easy thing.” (Forgive my ebonics.) Because I live here and I am who I am. #nuffsaid

He asked me “what are your plans for your life?” Now as I was about to give my guarded response I spied three ladies out of the corner of my eye passing through donned only in feathered hats and a G-string. But they were painted very patriotically 

My response was Holy disdain for the indecent exposure scorn for them mixed with judgement. I was ready (justifiably so) to send them to a burning hell.  But his response did not change my stance but did change my outlook.

He said they are only here doing what they do because they  see you and everyone passing through as money. He himself was selling tickets to a comedy show. All the vast array of colorful costumed characters, vendors and even the man with the cat on his head have one goal in mind your pocketbook.

Here’s where I want to go.

Love… Many will go to extremes to make themselves more marketable to the world. But our response to them should always be Love. Yes we can judge the sin but don’t condemn the sinner … Always remember this each of us no matter what our sin was and is are still worth God’s Love.

“For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only son that whosoever believeth on HIM should not perish but have everlasting life”

Love you all…

From my Blog To You…

Hey…
Been working on ME. Well you’d probably say doesn’t your blog site say IN POWERING YOU. To answer that yes.

But how can one inpower others when they are lacking the power to inpower. It’ll make sense later.

Wanted to expand this to a broader audience and I will. Wanted to develop better methodology and I will. Want to be more effective and I will be…

Thought my time with this was finished but we’ve only begun…

So as we get better and grow
Pray for us… Because it WILL only get better after this.

Lets pray … Father for my brother and my sister make us better. Fill us with more of your wisdom understanding and might. Let us rest in your peace knowing that you work all things together for our good in us and through us. In Jesus’ name I pray Amen.

Watch us grow and become more effective keep us in your prayers.

See you next week…

The Zipper

Ever wonder why there are classes teaching technique in one area or another Computers for Dummies, how to fix this how to make that. Find a difficulty and someone is going to capitalize on it.

Well growing up I had many challenges but the one I never mastered was the zipper. Well Charlotte, I could think of more challenging things than that I hear you saying.

You see my mother sewed so like her I tried it and was somewhat successful. Made many beautiful not so beautiful ones easy and not so easy garments. Many came out looking fabulous others well…

Enjoyed it too, but THAT ZIPPER came into the scheme of things right near the end of completion to frustrate me. A zipper come on Charlotte, but if you sewed you knew laying patterns, pinning them, cutting them out, sewing them together, even setting in sleeves were no match to that two sided closure piece the zipper.

…There are literally classes out there called THE ZIPPER MADE EASY, MASTERING THE ZIPPER so that tells me that there was some difficulty to it.

Well, challenges come in all shapes and sizes and each one of us if we be honest could teach some classes. There are daily lessons in the school of life those things we’ve faced and overcome and those we’ve completely blown. But God who is and has been faithful to us through it all.

Then there’s a World crying out for truth ~ really …crying for true examples in a false world. Our lives our triumphs can speak volumes to those who need hope let’s be just that hope for the hopeless. Amen.

“Now unto HIM that us able to keep US from falling and to present us faultless before the throne to the only wise God be glory, majesty dominion and power.

The Road less Taken

I am nosey at times. Or would inquisitive be a better word for me. If I am in your presence and the “Sherlock” in me arises I WILL tell you “straight up” before I begin … I AM BEING NOSEY.

Well, my cute sun bronzed nose started twitching like it had a bad itch the other day. You see there’s this pale green high in the sky bowing overpass. It’s regal, simplistic and beautiful. It stately sits perfect and on point connecting my walkway to an island of all things.

Now YOU KNOW I wanted to go over there. The visual appeal alone piques my curiosity and the excitement if it all demanded I go right? Nevertheless I wanted to stay true to my mission of fitness and NOT be distracted.

But everyday there was a voice trying to arrest me … “C’mon Charlotte, cross over and come to the other side.”

Now my normal walk is a buzz of activity. Every ethnic group. Every kind of exercise known to man. Even the dogs have aerobic classes. Besides that, those three gray concrete ramps to the bridge itself were too high too long and too much for me.

But one day I did it. I crossed it. The mystery of it all was overtaken by the thrill and exhilaration of getting to the top. The view was magnificent. The air blowing in my face was so invigorating. I kinda Felt like “Rocky” ((cue in the music please!!))

Did I tell you what I actually saw when I crossed over? Uh, Maybe next time.

Will I do it again? Yes I have and you know I will. Has it become a part of my daily exercise? No, BUT I want to run now and something about the island sparks more running out of me.

So here’s the deal… Leaving the norm’s not bad it might spark or propel you forward into other things…

Lets pray … Father in the name of Jesus I pray that WE will NOT be satisfied until WE cross that river that challenges US to go further. That mountain that has to be climbed. That life on the other side that will only take extra effort to get to. YOU are our strength and through YOU We CAN do it. Amen.

Love you guys!! Ephesians 3:20

Peace …

… And HE said

Today’s blog is an admonish directly from the word of God …

Heb 3:7-14, 4:10
Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

LET US labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Isa 53:5
But HE was wounded for our transgressions, HE was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon HIM; and with HIS stripes we are healed.

AMEN … Enjoy your day …

Pharisee, Saducee, Samaritan … The Blog I Didn’t want to Write

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. The dawn was pushing past the grayish blue sky as the sun arose to applaud the new day. Getting up early to support our Pastor.

Saturday, normally is carved out for errands relaxation and enjoyment. But the normal does NOT exist at my church. So I sheepishly got ready to meet the others.

In my slow reluctantly steady pace I made my way to subway number one.

Almost there and in my right ear I hear this persistently invasive voice desperately crying “Mame can you help me I need food for breakfast for my children please help me.” I quickly said the automatic response NO. Because I had NO CASH to help her.

Feeling relieved to get out of that one and I rush to my destination. I’m on my way to support my Pastor. Don’t want to be late!!!

Got on my train conviction hit me.

Well as life would have it no more than two or three days later as I entered the subway I hear this intrusive and painfully loud cry… CAN ANYBODY PLEASE BUY ME SOME FOOD.

Again I was going to church to do the work of the ministry. Was I convicted? Of course I was. Did I have the means to help him? YES Did I help? NO.

Why? I was caught up in doing and not being… The Church.

This is Not a message of condemnation just love … Two things that are identifiable on my part. My attitude of service and support and my attitude of love for others was Off…

Cain asked The Lord in his sinful state “Am I my brother’s keeper.” My answer to that is Yes. Jesus later adds to this “if you do it unto the least of them you do it unto me”

I am a Pharisee and a Sadducee. I’d love to think of myself as a Good Samaritan but the dulling of my senses sometimes makes me callous to the cries of those in need. Hearing it all the time and saying NO.

I did promise The Lord that I would open my heart to others and not be silent to their needs.

Now LORD teach us all how to love.

Peace

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the throne”

The Pain Of It All

Today as usual I began my morning with a walk. My backdrop was promised to be a beautifully blue painted sky. Keys in hand, headset ready to play some great motivating music. I was ready to go. But this body of mine decided to start a mutiny

My legs immediately lead he coup. They acted like rusty Tin Soldiers dried out by the fiery red heat of the sun. Left stiff after a downpour of torrential rain. They squeaked and they howled and they complained about everything.

Then my feet without hesitation joined the chaos. They refused to sync with the rhythm and cadence of my body. Tuning in with this perfectly harmonized chorus “NO NO We WILL NOT Go!!

Getting pass this riot took some strong effort on my part. But as I pushed myself with determination against the resistance I noticed something, … SILENCE. My body began to conform and embrace the exercise. It began to agree with the operation of it all and was actually enjoying it.

My dear friends… I want to leave you with this quote from Jerry Bridges:
“God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son.”

To end it all let Romans 8:28 speak to you… And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

See you next time … Love you all

Yes sireee Bob

A day or two ago I decided to stretch myself. It was a breezy morning around 7:00 AM. The wind blowing in my face was intoxicating. Have you ever heard of runners’ high? Well Charlotte was having a walkers’ high.

The traffic was flowing smoothly to the right of my tree-lined footpath. The sun was glistening to the left on the river making it shimmer like golden diamonds. This gorgeous passageway was pushing me pressing me past my normal set point to another point further down the way.

Now I’ve never been to the end of this beautiful corridor. Because I imagined that it stretched far beyond my ability to complete. I made it to my destination, and to my surprise … it ended rather abruptly.

But what sparked today’s writing was what I discovered as I returned.

A yellow cord… This thickly woven cord was connected to a intrusively large metal barge. It was dangling lazily back and forth in the water near the rivers’ edge. Curious as I am I wanted to see what this rope was connection to.

Well it was tied to this:
A mooring, an anchor that kept this flat mass of steel burdened with a cranes, concrete slabs, wiring and frames in check. Although the yellow rope was in constant motion it remained anchored.

Ever felt like that cord… The winds of life tossing you to and fro. The pressures of it all and the fierceness of the currents appearing I said appearing stronger than the anchor itself. BUT the anchor is built to endure it made to take it to withstand any storm.

So… as my path the other day ended so abruptly … I want to Ask you my friend this question … What anchors you?

Yes sirree Bob … Really … WHAT ANCHORS YOU???

Love you all …

“Now unto HIM that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” Ephesians 3:20

Greatness The Big I and The Big You of It

I love to walk. My mother told me the day before I was born she and some ladies from our church went walking with her to get my birthing processing going. Here’s my issue with that I was born in January … Did she the pregnant first lady plan a women’s outing to walk these poor ladies in the dead of winter? That was cold Ma… That was cold… (pun of course intended) Burrrrr.

But seriously, one recent day as I was walking I began to observe my fellow brown concrete path finders. I was fascinated by the runners’ gate, their unique strides. Now what really brought it to my attention was an oriental man who ran with his legs moving straight up and down like he was chopping yellow onions with his feet. Of course you know that made me chuckle.

I continued to watch as the runners ran by the river some with wide strides legs lifted high. Others with a low methodic stride feet close to ground. There were the pigeon toed, straight footed and slew footed ones each out for exercise or for the pure enjoyment of it.

Now each of us has a different stride in life like the runners. That innate quality that make us unique. That special thread that has run through the course of our lives. Our greatness our difference to some might seem strange depending on their own life’s glasses but that doesn’t make us any less special.

Here where I want to exhort you to do is this… EMBRACE YOU, LOVE YOU and APPRECIATE THAT GREAT and WONDERFUL YOU. Because there will be the more handsome and those much smarter BUT THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER YOU.

Love each of sincerely … until next time.