Focused Man! It is For Me......

I scroll down my timeline everyday and see people worrying about what other people are worrying about. Talking about they haters, he say she say, drama, etc. Judging other folks when they live in a glass house on the corner of a busy street. i remember when my mom use to call me to do something for her as a kid and i would get frustrated because i'm clearly not an only child or the only person that lives in the house. Why the hell you always calling me? "Feed the dog." I'm thinking in my head, I didn't even want this mutt, a third labrador, a third german shepherd and a third whatever else. One day i decided to ask my mom, "why you always make me do stuff and not my brother?" after she says excuse me, what did you say and me dumb enough to repeat myself, she explained "what does that have to do with you? You just do what i asked you to do because i'm your mother." That sticks with me when i think of the calling God has on our lives. We focus on everything that goes on around us. What everybody else is or isn't doing and we find ourselves lost in other folks mess. The bible says, "Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." So focus on what God has told you to do and not the next person. As God's command may not be easy but the blessing's that come with it are just for you.....

I May Not Be Where I Wanna Be.......

Man.... I use to be a mess. Not a care in the world. My moms tried to do everything in her to make sure i had the opportunities that most that grow up the way we did never had. She had me in youth choir, drum lessons, travel basketball, rec basketball, school basketball and church basketball......She even put me in private school for high school. I mean a single parent of two boys and working full time, i look back on it and all i can say is WOW! Anyway here i am this ungrateful little boy with no understanding of her sacrifices, I get put out the private school for selling drugs, put off the basketball team for my attitude, coming to choir smelling like weed. just a complete mess. It didn't get much better as i got older. Same book different chapter. SMH. One day I said enough is enough but i was afraid that all i had done in my life, there is no way i can go to Jesus like this. I went to church and the sermon spoke directly to me. Then pastor said, "if you were perfect, what would you need GOD for?" When Jesus was being crucified, there were two criminals that were next to him. One of the criminals mocked Jesus saying, "If you are the Christ, save us." The other criminal screamed at him saying " Do you not fear God, we are about to die. Jesus, remember me when you are in paradise" And Jesus said, "Today no matter your sins, you will be with me." At the end of day, you can change no matter where and what you have been. True faith can over power a multitude of sins. So as I sit here searching for perfection but continuing to make mistakes, I know God has redirected my path. So I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be.

Friends....How Many of Us have Them!

Mark Twain says, “It takes your enemy and your friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart: the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.” How many of us have had friends that really wasn't our friends but didn't realize they wasn't our friends until it was too late??? There are people that we surround ourselves with that mess with you because your fun, you know how to have a good time, you buy the drinks...But when the party days are over...Reality sets in. three kids, a full time job, in school, struggling and those "friends" are no where to be found. These are the friends that still doing the same Sh*t y'all was doing back in the day. No genuine concern about your life. Stay away! Then we have those leaches. Those people that grab a hold of you and won't let go until they have taking every thing they can from you. I was listening to TD Jakes and he said, "When you are forever feeding people that can't feed you. You become drained because there is no one feeding back into you." What i took from that, is that we all need someone who will invest in you like you invest in them. When i'm down you down, my sorrow is your sorrow, my pain is your pain, if i'm rich you rich and we gonna eat. 1 Samuel 18: 1-5 tells a story of David and Jonathan's friendship. The bible says they loved each other, they were homies, boys, BFF's. In the time of war, Jonathan stripped his clothes, his armor, his sword and gave it to David, so his friend would be successful. So take a look at who you surround yourself with. Friends are important to your growth.....How many of us have them?

Devil Get Up Off Me....

Have you ever noticed that anything that gives you peace...gives you joy...makes you feel good...there is a bump in the road, a road block, a little regret, doubt? Every time you do something out of the kindness of your heart something happens to make your mind wonder....Why! The Devil is a tricky little S**T. He attempts to steal everything that GOD has given you by straight doubt, which takes away from your joy and your peace.The Art of War by Sun Tzu says, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will lose every battle.” We have to know who the devil is and how he works because we are in a constant battle with the enemy. One thing i have learned about the Devil, he knows when you weak,he pressures us so we doubt what we believe. But as true believers, God works on our behalf to bring answers that meet our needs. That's the word of GOD. When Moses led the Israelites from Egypt, the people had doubt. They felt they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. But Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today." So when the Devil tries you, when he tries to trick you, let him know GOD got me. So Devil Get up off me.....

Storm Chasing....

Have you ever been in a place in your life were you just wait for the next disaster to happen? The next earthquake, the next tornado, the next katrina, the next typhoon. I know i have. When life starts to get the best of you. When every thing seems to hit you all at once. Bills, Bills, Bills. What's next? That's the mind set that the devil wants you to be. A state of weakness. Always chasing the next storm! Oh Lawd, not again! Jesus take the wheel! Jesus be a fence! All the above..."Give your worries to the Lord, and he will care for you!" That is the promise GOD made. So if you find yourself in storm after storm, that's because you have allowed the devil to control your thoughts and make you a Storm chaser. he will prey on your worries, your fears, your insecurities, "yes you look fat in them jeans." "No you will never, No you can't, No you won't." The devil is a lie! if you expect good things to happen in your life, if you lean on God's promise and trust in God's purpose for you..... you become a dream chaser, a goal reacher, a family provider, a storm escaper..... Give all your worries to Him and the storms will clear.

Think Happy Thoughts....

Does anyone remember Peter Pan, The boy who could fly? If not, let me give you a quick summary of who he was. Peter Pan was a boy who ran away from home to Neverland so he would not have to grow up. His squad was the Lost Boys. He kicked it with this lil fairy Tinker Bell. One day he went to a house with a nursery full of kids to retrieve his shadow. There he met some kids and took them back to Neverland. But the kids could not fly. Peter says, "Just think happy thoughts." When the kids did that they could fly.... That's my focus, Thinking happy thoughts. It's crazy how our thoughts can change our mood. Negative thoughts give us; attitudes, the stank face, the neck roll, the finger wage, the weave flip, etc. And honestly if that's you all the damn time, people will eventually back away because who wants to hear negative S**T all the time? Negative people are the most unhappy, depressed, insecure individuals around. Think about this, our thoughts control our mouth, controls our emotions, controls our health, and body language. So they control YOU! The bible says, Ephesians 4: 31 "Never be bitter, angry, or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never think evil. 32 Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ." When you think happy thoughts your mind stays focused. It helps get off the ground. Just think happy thoughts.

Stuck In The Mud.....

One night i had a dream. I walked out my apartment door into the wilderness. Nothing but trees, high grass, and weeds for miles. As i made my way through, i suddenly couldn't move. I looked down and i was stuck in the mud. I began to sink. sinking deeper and deeper into the mud. i stuck my hand out and grabbed a branch that wasn't there before. I woke up before i could pull myself out. For days i tried to figure out what this meant. what was the message? At the time, i was going through so many things in my life. I had been ducking and dodging, bobbing and weaving through for so long and i finally realized that i was stuck! Depressed about my situations. That's when i began to sink deeper into pain, stress, burden. I talked about the dream and the problems with one of my OG's and he said, "who ever said that going through was a bad thing? God never said it would be easy, so yes we will go through problems, situations, hard times but it is when we stop trusting God to give us the strength to overcome is when we sink." Man.... All i could say is "JESUS." We get this idea, this vision in our mind that just because we roll with GOD it's suppose to be easy. Nah, bro.... God so loved the world, He gave his only son...His only son! So what makes us think it's gonna be all peaches and cream for us? Isiah 43:2 says, "When you have troubles, I am with you. When you cross rivers, you will not be hurt. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not hurt you." God's word is telling us, there will be rough times, hard days, times of need...BUT! There's always a but...If you keep moving forward. Fighting the stress, the depression, the difficulties, the reality of this world, just know.... He will never leave you or forsake you. So when you find yourself stuck in the mud, trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will never leave your side.