Your Life May Not Be Sound, But Your Doctrine Better Be!!

Appeasement has tarnished the legitmacy of the Gospel among those who may be sincerely curious about God.

The Holy Bible is more than a book. It is a organic guide to all the promises and perils of life. Though many think that being a Christian is being perfect, those who study God's Word know that this is far from truth and contrary to sound doctrine. We understand that without God we can do nothing (John 15:5). We realize that despite the modern culture of  promoting "gospel for prosperity" and "road to success" seminars, human beings are simply slaves to righteousness or sin. As a "slave" it is never been a requirement to think.

The truth of the matter is when it comes to spiritual living, it's best not to think, but to follow. I, personally, have gotten myself in tons of trouble "thinking" I knew what was right or believing that "maybe" this or that will work. Sometimes I got "lucky". Most times I made an error. God questions our so-called "thinking" skills and presents a poignant question to the outcomes of our "free will" endeavors in Romans 6:20-21

"When you were a slave to sin, your were free the control of righteousness. What benefits did you reap at the time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death!"

He shows us his wisdom concerning our intentions and how they misled us in Proverbs 21:2:

"A person my think their way is right, but the Lord weights the heart".

I am sure many of us can attest to this scripture, I don't feel it is necessary to go into detail. We all have our stories.

God says we are all slaves to either sin or righteousness (Romans 1:1). The Devil tricks us to believe that we have the power to make the right decisions and to think our way into prosperity and out of trouble. This is contrary to Scripture and it leads to many of us tainting the Gospel and delivering false doctrine.

Though none of us are perfect, it is incumbent upon all followers of Christ to adhere to and minister sound doctrine. There is not room for our interpretations and justifications. The evidence of human justification and interpretation is seen in the plethora of governments, religious denominations and global unrest. Every sect thinks their way is the Way. Little credit is given to God and no solid explanation can be given to justify this in Scripture. As a result, the blood of wayward saints and sinners who resistance salvation is on our hands. The Bible warns of this in Ezekiel 3:16-21:

And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give warning from Me. If I say to the wicked, "You shall surely die", and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die from his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hands.......but if you warn the wicked....you will have delivered your soul."

It doesn't stop there:

Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and you lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hands."

This is serious business, folks. God is not playing with us. Unfortunately too many churches are looking to appease people as opposed to correcting them. They are fooled by those who really don't want the Gospel and complain that they don't want to be judged or condemned at church. Correction is not judgement, but rather an act of love to prevent a person from perishing. I equate the false logic of these excuses with someone wanting a job, but not wanting an interview; they must not really want a job then, right? American Christianity has made so many concession for the world to get them to come to church.

Examples like Easter, Christmas and Sunday service are all compromises with pagan religion and sun worshipers to get them to be a part of the church. We now support homosexuality in the pulpit and allow people to come to the Church dressed as harlots and thugs without exhortation. The phrase: COME AS YOU ARE is NOT in the BIBLE!! A sound minded person may ask: "Why would the Church do this"? Its simple: politics and profiteering. Both are in direct conflict with the sound doctrine of the Bible (Mark 12:17). This appeasement has tarnished the legitimacy of the Gospel among those who may be sincerely curious about God. The common word they use to describe us as is HYPOCRITE! Are they wrong?

The human way of defining success in any endeavor is by accumulation of wealth, popularity and the rise of social status. Too many churches think they are "blessed" by the number and type of members or the size of the temple. This is in direct conflict with the Word of God. For the scriptures say: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8). The Lord tells us that anytime we are doing it our way or the way we think, it is not God's way. It is the way of Satan.

I was talking to a great friend who has a particular talent in music entertainment. They have been prayerful concerning God's direction in the matter. I have been encouraging as have others. My friend has spent years toiling in that endeavor. One day, I asked my friend if they thought that God's will was for them to pursue that dream. The friend told me they believed so because they were always put in situations to meet certain titans in that industry and had several meetings. My friend also went on to detail how they believed God sent them as a vessel for the industry, despite it being an obvious pit for immorality. My friend felt that God speaks to everyone differently and that they would be used to make a change in the industry.

Jay-Z and Kanye West are examples of why God does not want his children immersed in demonic industries

I, like many, doctrine following Christians, held my tongue on this for the longest time. The American Christian church waters down the sound doctrine of the Bible to appease non-believers to come to their meetings to "feel" good about themselves. Worse, they discourage other saints from being forthright about the Truth and dismiss them as being too judgmental and stern. God is not mocked. When a person comes to God, it is not to feel good about themselves, but to be good within themselves. The church thinks it is winning them over with catering to their fleshly desires of prosperity and career, but they are really losing them to salvation. People come into this kind of false doctrine readily, but when they get acquainted with the sound doctrine of the Gospel and come to some understanding of the Way they leave the church for far more legitimate reasons than those who resisted sound doctrine from the onset. Those people leave the church because they see the hypocrisy of what they allow from the saints in contrast to what God instructs.

And when they fall away, their blood is on the hands of the Church.

Now, I gently told my friend that I did not agree with their belief that God would set them in a satanic industry like secular music because it did not line up with scripture. My friend tried to use the example of Moses going into Pharaoh to demand the release of the slaves from Israel to justify their believe that God wants them in the secular music industry. To counter this "personal" belief, one must have sound doctrine and that comes only through prayer and reading the Word for oneself. I simply corrected my friend by explaining that God is the same God, yesterday, today and forever (Hebrew 13:8) and he shows no partiality (Acts 10: 34). So, God does not speak to anyone differently though he may use different mediums. His Word and Laws are the same for everyone. He would never justify one saint over another against his own Word.

Secondly, Jehovah did send Moses to Pharaoh, but not to collaborate with him as you would with Puffy, but to admonish him and declare God's will to him. It wasn't a cocktail party. It was a declaration of war! It wasn't a goodwill exhibition or Moses would have spent time with Pharaoh feasting and compromising on some kind of treaty like a G8 summit. The Word says that God cannot do evil so He is unable to compromise with evil. So, to think that God will allow you to compromise His Word for your desire is an act of trying to tempt God (Psalms 78:18), and God cannot be tempt (James 1:13).

Lastly, if Jesus Christ, who had all authority on Earth, obeyed the prophecy of the Word and laid on the cross (Luke 22:42), why would Jehovah allow us to live according to our own beliefs and allow us to seek refuge in a house (like the secular entertainment industry) that he plans to destroy (2 Peter 3:10)?

My friend did not agree, but no blood was on my hands.

I am not judging my friend, but as a follower of Christ, I declare Bible principles as fact. This is not a referendum on their dreams or desires, but a report of the Truth according to the Word. I am the most unrighteous of all Christians (Roman 3:10), but I think it imperative to tell the absolute unadulterated Truth concerning the scriptures. If anyone was to call me out on my sin, I could not in good spiritual conscience justify my sins as anything less than a total disobedience to God's will. Period! 

Too many Christians are sensitive to their own feelings and the secular value system they are raised in. They mistake exhortation with criticism and view flattery as encouragement. The Bible speaks against flattery (Proverbs 26:29). We live in a social media world that breeds narcissism in people. Instagram and Facebook are filled with "selfie" photos that are posted to achieve social validation through likes and comments.

If we follow Christ we know that he is not a fan of this behavior. It runs contrary to His Way. Jesus is the Son of God who Jehovah gave the Earth to as His footstool. Though he has dominion over the Earth, His quiet walk of humility and anti-materialism is what he wants us to strive for. Satan, according to the Bible, was very handsome and talented (Ezekiel 28:13-17), while Jesus appeared to us as lowly and unattractive (Philippians 2:5-8). Those of us who have some life experience can testify to times when we are beguiled by attractive people and things only to find that they are destructive or not what they appear to be. We also have found the beauty in people and things that may appear to be unattractive or difficult only to be blessed or made better by them. This is why it is so important for us to follow and minister sound Bible doctrine. It is the foundation onto which our life and faith can be built. God will shake our "buildings". Our relationships, adventures and philosophies will be tested and shaken at one time or another. It is best, not to build on the wavering ideas or the status quo of mankind, but to build on a rock.

The best rock is the Word of God!

How Andrew Luck Sacked Tim Tebow...Twice

In his second year as the heir apparent to possibly the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL, Andrew Luck of the Indianapolis Colts is serving notice to the league and the general public. After the well- documented neck surgeries and eventual release from the Colts of Peyton Manning, Luck is starting to prove his doubters wrong, win over a jaded Colts fan base and add himself to the already impressive list of Colts quarterback legends of Johnny Unitas, Bert Jones, Jim Harbaugh and Manning.

Colts Quarterback Legacy Continues: Unitas, Manning and Luck

In just 21 professional games, Luck has amassed nine 4th quarter comebacks. He holds the rookie record for most passing yards in a season (4,374) and led the previous years 2-14 team to an impressive 11-5 playoff contender, all while head coach Chuck Pagano's battled leukemia in a supposed "rebuilding" year. Peyton Manning, the former rookie passing yards leader and 4-time MVP, had a dismal 3-13 rookie campaign. Is Andrew Luck better than Manning? Not even close! Manning has 20 TD's and 1 INT with 1,884 yards through 5 games this year. Oh yeah!... He's 37!  Moreover, it took Manning several years to be mentioned in the same breath as Colts legend, Johnny Unitas.

However, Andrew Luck has been impressive! Before he started carving up NFL defenses with his pinpoint deep ball and besting his new-era counterparts like Colin Kaepernick  and Russell Wilson (future QB greats in there own rights), Luck did the unthinkable: Andrew Luck sacked Tim Tebow.....twice!!!

Andrew Luck is the real Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow, the Heisman winning former Denver Broncos quarterback, was the most endearing football player in the NFL. Though his skill set is controversial, his character and ability to win games is not. Tebow is the prototypical quarterback standing 6'3", 245 lbs while running a 4.71 second 40 yard dash.The knock on Tebow has always been his throwing mechanics and slow release. But, that wasn't enough to knock him out of the hearts of the media and fans of reeling franchises in need of image makeovers. And, frankly, how could a 26 year old Christian, virgin superstar, not improve your image?
Ask Ray Lewis: God loves football!


And God has no respect of persons. So, God created Andrew Luck, too! 

Unfortunately, for Tim Tebow, God made Luck a better pro-version. Not only is Luck one inch taller and the same weight, but his is faster in the 40 yard dash (4.64) and equally as tenacious in delivering and taking contact. Luck rushed of  255 yards and 5 TD's as a rookie while Tebow rushed for 227 and 6 TD's. The main thing that Luck has over Tebow is the most important thing. In the words of his predecessor, Manning, Luck has a "laser rocket arm". In five games during this his sophomore campaign, Luck has improved his QBR over 17% to 94.1. That is nearly ten points higher than Tebow's best year. His rookie campaign saw him throw for 23 TD's while Tebow has thrown for only 17 career touchdowns (3 seasons). That's not gonna make the cut it in the NFL... or the CFL... or the AFL.

Not only did the arrival of Luck send Manning packing to Denver, it caused Tebow to fall from hero to afterthought with the club, despite an impressive playoff win versus Pittsburgh. More importantly Luck's performances have caused many analyst, scouts and fans to see Andrew Luck as the real Tebow. Luck performed like the Tebow everyone wanted and waited to see flourish for three years minus the Tebowing in the end zone. It hasn't happened. And it probably won't. I love the fact that Tebow is a God-fearing man and an marketable person. I wish him the best. But God works in mysterious ways. And if God reveals more that He explains, then the revelation is Andrew Luck is four-times better than Tim Tebow. This, my friends, is self-explanatory!

Nothing Is The Same: Can Drake Save Hip-Hop?

In the beginning rap was synonymous with a boom-boxes, light-post and a backpack. It’s existence beautifully begotten out of the imagination of disenfranchised youth and repressed, urban poets. For over 25 years, hip-hop has boastfully represented itself as the defining flash point of our time. It has expanded to levels incomprehensible, all the while turning in the back-packs for AK-47's and Colombian connections.

With the help of Steven Tyler and Run D.M.C, hip-hop gracefully replaced rock-n-roll as America’s music. It has united Italian couture and urban style as American culture and continues to define the present generation of selfies. Hip-Hop is larger than ever! But just like iconic American symbols such as the automobile, baseball and war, Hip-hop - on the verge of authentic bankruptcy - found its unlikely saviors abroad.

Nothing Was The Same, the third studio album by Jewish/ Canadian rapper, Aubrey “Drake” Graham, is another testament to the influences of American institution on the world stage and how those who are influenced pay homage with furtherance through innovation. It is his first official project of his OVO sound team. The album is primarily produced by fellow child actor-turned recording artist Noah “40” Shebib. Collaborators on the album include Jhene’Aiko, Sampha and the legendary Jay-Z.

Nothing is Drake’s attempt to “LeBron James” the rap game. Like LeBron, Drake plays the game his own way refusing to succumb to the stereotypes of what a rap artist should appear to be. His quest is for the “perfect game”- the beautiful game” of inclusivity and ingenious authenticity. Drake dispels these stereotypes of a “real” rapper being a thug or legendary street hustler on Wu-Tang Forever:  "I find peace knowing that it’s harder in the streets/I know, luckily I didn’t have to grow there/ I would only go there cause there’s niggas that I know there".

Drake, 26, has abandoned the self-loathing and uncertainty about his legacy in Take Care and puts all his true feelings about his current supremacy on the table with lines like: “Shit, niggas still playing my old shit/ But your shit is like the police asking us questions/ Nigga, we don’t know shit/ Flex, nigga I’m just flexing/ Nigga never loved us” on Worst Behavior. He even has a poignant moment of humble honesty when he comparing himself to Lil Wayne when he declares he is “just as famous as my mentor/ But, that’s still the boss/ Don’t get sent for” on Tuscan Leather.

But Drake’s influence goes deeper than rap. His music is risky, humanistic and honest. Unlike the bravado of murder and larceny expounded on by every wanna-be in the game, Drake dives head first into the most taboo and controversial subject matter of the male psyche: Love. Unlike most hip-hop artist, Drake is not professing to be a pimp or a super-player, but like most young men, he embodies a vulnerability and complexity between matters of the heart and manners of the streets. He speaks to the paradigm of youthful masculinity on Furthest Thing: "Somewhere between I'm sober and I'm lifted /Somewhere between a mistress and commitment".

Tracks like Come Thru and 305 To My City peel back the layers on the male-female relationship. Come serves as a anthem to off and on relationships that sometimes span years, while 305 is the most serious song to date on the revelation of compassion for the motives of the opposite sex even if those motives and tendencies leave much to be desired. Drake eloquently allows his homies a glimpse into understanding the modus operandi of the young female by continuously declaring: "I get it! I get it!"

Hip-Hop has been over saturated with misogyny and felony. It's ripple effects are felt throughout every neighborhood and city. The influence of this miseducation is too obvious. It reeks on the breathe of Drake's haters who say: "He is not hard enough" or "He is not real". The encapsulation of those of the pseudo-urban male example are the ones who have been denied there realness. No rapper is more real than Drake because he never hides who is was like Rick Ross. Instead, if those haters would be honest, they could trace their deviant behavior back to broken-hearts and their hostility to a longing to be loved and accepted.

Drake's offering is a profile in expansion of the hip-hop world with melodic dark beats that would impress MF Doom and New York inspired battle raps like his response to Kendrick Lamar on Language. However,  more homage is required if you ever use the words "Wu-Tang" in any rhyme or title. The interpersonal narratives of the club sub-culture is an obvious examples of his strong Southern rap-style influence and the braggadocio of wealth and status add the necessary "street cred" to rival his peers. But, Drake stands out, even from his gangster-founded label Cash Money, so much so that he could be considered the most influential artist in that camp. Yet, Drake stays true and if he doesn't go all Tupac and venture to far from his core ideology, he may be able to rival Jay-Z for greatness and longevity.

Mr. President, It's Time to Help Your People

Dear President Obama,


Now, that you have settled into your second and final term, we the (Black) People of the United States are putting forth some demands. Since you are a child of the Civil Rights movement, it is imperative that you strongly consider the very people and events that have placed you in the highest office of the free world. Those brave and gallant men and women chose not appeasement and tolerance of the ungodly, but determined and unwavering faith in human justice and God's law. We understand the trials associated with your position as America's first African-American president. We have held our peace since your first term when the once dormant virus of racism and sexism reinfected this country with blatant attacks on you, your family and our people. We understand completely the bully that is America's racist culture. We recognize it's propensity to lash out venomously. We stand by apathetic as it effortlessly transforming itself into the role of victim at the slightest hint of righteous resistance. We remain respectful as they declare you the "racist" and the "socialist". We hold our tongues. We proudly stand in long lines baking in the sun to cast our ballots. We have done it twice! We've been patience. We have done our part. We have REPRESENTED!!

But, Mr. President, it's time for you to do your part. You were crowned our Prince and a we confessed and demonstrated our undying loyalty. We have demonstrated our love countless times even denouncing the criticisms of our more consistent and stalwart leaders. We have made too many excuses for you! The truth is we elected you because you were smart and strong and compassionate. But, as importantly, we elected you because you were Black!! You are one of us. We elected who we perceived to be our peer, our brother or shining example. And frankly, your safety doesn't rest with the Secret Service. No sir! Your safety rest with the bully knowing that if he were to harm you that he would bring total destruction on his head. That we would collapse his social system, his justice system and his financial system. So, Mr President, it's time for you to do your part!

We applauded the Lilly Ledbetter Bill for women's financial justice, we held our religious views in private when you advocated same-sex marriage. We accepted the need to allow amnesty for our immigrant brothers and sisters, despite consciously knowing it could add more strain socially and competition financially to our own fragile progress. We supported your hawkish foreign policy even though you haven't done enough for our people in Darfur.We reasoned that you had to portray a solid image of a bipartisan and that you had to clean up the mess of Bush's wars and financial policies for deregulation. But, Mr President, this is your last term and we are cautious about the possibility of electing a second Black president. It is time for you to do your part! We hunger not for retaliation, but exoneration from the crime of being Black in America. We hold you accountable and we demand all that is righteous and acceptable. The needs are innumerable, but the demands are reasonable. It's time to help your people!!

From this day forth and until you act on our behalf we the (Black) People of the United States shall hold your legacy hostage and your feet to the fire.

Here is a list detailing a few examples of our demands:

1) Put the KKK on the watch list of domestic terrorist: Guantanamo Bay is better suited for these the original terrorist of America. How can you kill, steal, rape and pillage a race of people for over 100 years in this country and not be on the terrorist list. These people are our Al-Qaeda!

2) Try George Zimmerman for Civil Rights violations: Why is it when a non-Black goes to court they get all this due process? You don't have to win legally, but we do want to win morally! I am the father of two "Trayvons" and how can I look them in the eye and tell them not to STAND THEIR GROUND when some creepy guy follows them on a rainy dark night. They should be applauded for their courage not exploited by a cheap law! By the way "STATE'S RIGHT" to Black folks is code word for "SLAVERY"!!

3) Address the plight of African-American: Since you have been in office Chicago, alone, is on fire with black violence. 500 murders in a year is unacceptable!!! We need you to make a speech. Prime time! Call us to arms, lead a rally and challenge us! We need you to create legislation to better serve the disadvantages, needs and talents of Black men, women and children in America.What makes us better will ultimately make America better. And if anyone says you are being racial or preferential to Blacks, just tell em: "Hell yeah! And?"

4) Bump Jay-Z! Work with Professor Cornell West, Professor Micheal Eric Dyson and Al Sharpton: Republican media may hate them, but that just means we love them more. They are the leaders of our community and the champions of our cause. The are even real enough to stand up and call you to the mat on your foolishness! Now that's a real allies do! That Oval Office is a cesspool of yes-men in a no-holds-barred time. Come out into the light, but ask them for assistance to help guide you back to what's really going on in the "hood"!!

American Heroes: Professor Cornell West and Dr. Michael Eric Dyson

5) Stop appeasing the oppressor: You can bend over backwards for these "people", but they aren't gonna like you! They are the masters of spinning the truth and they have a few Uncle Toms like Reverend Jesse Lee Petersen (who is going to Hell) and Herman Cain. They even got the biggest sell-out (Clarence Thomas) on the Supreme Court dismantling every legislative victory we have had in the last 50 years. They don't need any help from "our" President. Not fair. Not balanced. Get it together and stick it to em'!!

6) Be harder on Black on Black crime: We need some of those drones in some of these projects. We demand you come into the urban neighborhoods and dismantle the drug trade and gun trafficking. We have to eliminate the bad seeds before we can enjoy our good fruits. We have to protect our people and our image from some of our own people! Hand down federal mandatory minimums for Black on Black murder. If we don't honor Black life, no one ever will and the Trayvon Martins of this country will never get justice because they will never be valued.

7) Put God in front: We are so tired of the same people who used the Word of God to beat us into chains, using the Word to beat us into submission. You are a Christian and an intellect. People like George Zimmerman should not be able to say it was "God's will" to stalk and kill a child. And Pat Robertson should not be allowed to get away with saying the Haitian earthquake derived from "a pact with Satan". What would you call 911 then? God doesn't like ugly! But he doesn't accept fear either. Stand up for Christians who know that God is a God of love and tolerance and compassion. They don't represent the truth about us. Stop letting them destroy this country and the true Founder of America and the world!


P.S. We love you. Kiss Michelle and the girls for us. Say your prayers. And get your mind right!!



Sincerely Yours,

The People

A Tribute to Momma

Cassaundra "Sissy" Barnes

 "There are times to think in legality and politics,

          but there are very few times to live privately by them."

When I was two years old my "momma" rescued me. I was living in Alabama with my teenage uncle and grandmother. My biological mother was not around. I had been placed in the hospital due to my uncle's juvenile activity. He was very happy to have me around as he was the youngest and only male child. Pictures of me in a crib clutching a vodka bottle revealed just how happy he was with my company. So happy, in fact, that he and his cohorts, got a thrill out of blowing marijuana in my face as an infant and watching me crawl backwards on the floor. When she found out, my "momma", who hadn't met me yet, was irate and demanded my father head down South and bring me to her care. Again, my biological mother was not around.

My father had just been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army when he met a beautiful, single mother in Indianapolis, He took a job as a postman and she was a customer on his route. She was tall and fun and had a great smile and a very cute 5 year old daughter. They started dating and got married. My father and birth mother divorced before I was born. Though my father never talked much about my birth mother, he did tell me that their divorce stemmed from her having a daughter that she didn't want to raise and the fear that she would get pregnant and do the same to his child. He was right on all accounts.

But this is a tribute to a "MOMMA" not a mother. There are times to think in legality and politics, but there are very few times to live privately by them. Anyone can be a "mother" or a "father". Those titles grace the birth certificates of most all Americans. However, when applied to life, these titles must evolve from semantic terms to romantic organisms. To survive, they must reside in the realms of love and care and mercy and honor and forgiveness and history. To the political or the corporate these romantic titles appear watered down and colloquial. But, to the soul who is blessed to call upon these titleholders, the words "Momma" and "Daddy" are as sweet and endearing as the Lord Jesus Christ himself. 

I was blessed the day I arrived in Indianapolis to be cared for by an organic mother. I was blessed to have a momma! My momma taught me innumerable things about life and I retained a significant amount of what she taught. Her teachings and examples have help form my philosophy. We both share a socially eclectic personality, though I am not as carefree and friendly. We both are prideful, hard-working, fiercely independent and self-reliant. Moreover, we don't "ask" for things, we politely "demand" them. She more polite than me. We feel that if we have to ask you then you already owe it to us seven-fold and this is a great opportunity for you to equally contribute to the relationship. We also share a knack for heroism and being assertive to the task at hand. She rescued me from drowning when I was ten, despite the fact she could not swim. I saved my son from being hit by a car.

My momma taught me a lot about women and dating. What she taught me will remain disclosed, but I will say this: What your father doesn't know, your mother should tell you!

More importantly, my momma and I had a deep connection of friendship. She spoke to me about issues in ways that my siblings may not have understood. She spoke candidly about her impending death and insisted that I take up the role of head of the family. I seek to honor all that she entrusted in me. On her death bed, she remained strong, despite knowing that the end was near. This was no surprise to me since she had pushed the envelope the entire decade she was ill. She danced and partied and hit the road every chance she had. Many of those trips ending in the hospital, yet failed to altered her lifestyle or deter her from living life to the fullest.

Time is truly limited for all of us. Time is not to be taken for granted. It moves fast for the distracted, but time has a soft spot for loving memories. It blesses us with long walks and talks. It hangs it hat to sits down to relax for family dinners and outings. If God is Love and time is His, then it's best to use both wisely. It is best to put both together. And if God forbid, you loss a loved one, you have the blessed memory of those special moments. You have time to reminisce.

I have not cried about my momma's passing. It's hard to cry with a heart full of joy and all you see is a smile on the person's face when you reminisce. She lost a son and a mother while she was sick, but she never lost her spirit. She didn't break down and she never bowed out. Sometimes, I viewed her as another one of my sisters. When one of the us kids admonished her from an ill-advised trip or for sneaking sweets at night, she would just give this child-like grin of innocent mischief. Now, I know that it was just determined defiance. Now, I know why I do many of the things I do. And, now, I know why I have stuck it out in Los Angeles so long, despite it not being in my life's plan. Pure determined defiance. The refusal to be beaten by anyone or anything.

I am so grateful for my momma. I am grateful for her love and her energy. I will always cherish the memories of her. Some memories are wonderful like laying with me when I was a sick boy, some memories take me way back like Sunday morning breakfast before church and a few are heart wrenching like our last conversation. I and those who knew and loved her have a lifetime of good memories. Good memories make time stand still.

Please, don't "hurry up and waste time"!! We avoid the hard route and attempt to evade the tough decisions. Besides, when we run from problems and difficulties, time just runs faster. It chases you down like a linebacker and run circles around you like an Olympic sprinter. Time entertains no excuses nor does it hike along the easy highway. Time stands along the bumpy roads and cheer the souls of determined defiance. It immortalizes those who accepted the challenge and who embrace responsibility. Time crowns the strong and upright with Legacy.

I am also grateful that my "mother" sent her condolence via social media. My mother and I have no memories, no inside jokes or photographs to look back on when our lifetime nears its end. This is not because she didn't do well in life. She had no excuse not to be a "momma". No criminal past or drug addiction. Just a law degree for her troubles. She chose to run. Unbeknownst to her and many of us, trying times and unexpected situations are the very things life uses to thrust us further and take us farther.

Perhaps, I will save the smiles of nostalgic joy for my "momma" and cry the tears of  impeding sorrow for my "mother". In her golden years, I pray she lived as well and touched as many people as my beloved momma. But, if avoided obstacles cause peaceful memories to elude her, time will still be there to give account. It will whisper reason and calmly explain: "You were not around".



I love you, momma! May God reward you for your sacrifice, remove all sorrow and pain and allow your soul to rest in peace!