Heaven's In Your Hair

Finding heaven in unlikely places

unlikely spaces

like the hair that fits faces

the way she rocks the kaleidoscope shoelaces

but me

I found my heaven in your hair

the twisting curls that always lead my fingers there

I just want to let them play

until my longings go away

the follicles sooth the pain of whatever past shame remains

I have found heaven in a sister's head

who would have ever figured that?

Gentleman Class

Being a gentleman is rather easy, I believe. Treat women like they deserve by virtue of them being daughters of the Lord, walk them to thier cars at night, talk to them like you would want some one to talk to your mother. When you approach them, ask them their name first then start a small conversation, make her laugh. You'd be surprised how well actual conversation works to loosen women up. Now, if you get a date with her, be sure you open her car door for her and pay for what ever you do, if it is monetarily possible. This is the main thing women look at fellas: how you treat your female friends. If you treat them like your sisters, chances are women are much more apt to want to date/be seen in public with you. Being gentle doesn't mean you are weak though fellas, please don't lose that part of it. If she wants you to do something that does not line up with what you believe, check her on it. Yet check her with a gentle spirit of correction. You see being a gentleman is not the hardest thing in the world to do fellas. What you must be willing to do is serve others before you serve yourself. Be sure that you honor women and others first. The key to gentlemanly behaviour is ensuring that you have a servant's mindset. Class Dismissed for today.

The Standard

What are healthy standards? People say that those who want a lot have "high standards" but is that really a bad thing? God has high standards. He desires that we be perfect and holy, but we desire that we be imperfect and compromise what He requires us to be in the interest of being "cool" and "acceptable". Funny how we don't want God to fade on His standards but we fade on ours and rather eaisly at that. As a man, my standards are simple. I only want to be like Christ. As a man, I have standards that anyone that I'd be thinking of pursuing must have. They must desire to be like Christ. See how this works? our standards are not to be superficial, but they must be no more than we are willing to be ourselves. Otherwise you have forayed into that hypocritical zone. No one wants a hypocrite. I say that to say this: Where are the standards? Where is the pressure to conform to an image of Christ? Where are the Fathers, the men who would teach the younger generation how to be like Christ? Where are the Mothers, the women who would teach the younger generation to say with conviction, If I perish for the sake of Christ, I perish? Looking at the standards which have been bent and honestly broken so much over the years, one comes to wonder, where are the standards at? Homosexuality is commonplace and even accepted in the church. There are men in the church who sleep with married women in the church, vice-versa. There is more evil in the church than there is outside of the walls. One reason and one reason only, there aren't any standards based on Christ. Fix your standard on Christ and it will not be shaken or moved. Make Christ's approval your standard.

Lost?

I hear a lot of people say that the sisters should be "lost" in Christ. Let us look up the word lost.
no longer possessed or retained: lost friends.
2.
no longer to be found: lost articles.
3.
having gone astray or missed the way; bewildered as to place, direction, etc.: lost children.
4.
not used to good purpose, as opportunities, time, or labor; wasted: a lost advantage.
5.
being something that someone has failed to win: a lost prize.
6.
ending in or attended with defeat: a lost battle.
7.
destroyed or ruined: lost ships.
8.
preoccupied; rapt: He seems lost in thought.
9.
distracted; distraught; desperate; hopeless:

In this light, I believe the more accurate statement should be grounded in Christ. When lost in Christ what do you have to hold to? I prefer that she is grounded in Christ as opposed to being lost. Again let us look up the term grounded.
the solid surface of the earth; firm or dry land: to fall to the ground.
2.
earth or soil: stony ground.
3.
land having an indicated character: rising ground.
4.
Often, grounds. a tract of land appropriated to a special use: picnic grounds; a hunting ground.
5.
Often, grounds. the foundation or basis on which a belief or action rests; reason or cause: grounds for dismissal.
6.
subject for discussion; topic: Sex education is forbidden ground in some school curricula.
7.
rational or factual support for one's position or attitude, as in a debate or argument: on firm ground; on shaky ground.
For our purposes let us focus on the fifth definition, there ought to be a foundation of Christ that has been laid down that you can firmly stand on as opposed to not really knowing where you are in Christ. I say this because if you are lost in Christ, do you know where to stand? Being grounded in Christ allows you to truly understand where to stand and why to stand. I don't care if you agree or disagree with what I say, I just ask you to think about what it means to truly be grounded and sustained by Christ and what it means to say you are lost in Christ. Just keeping it real.

Musings of Manhood

It's funny how when a man doesn't have a job he tends to question his own worth, his own manhood. I suppose that may be due to how we are taught from pretty much as soon as we can walk, talk and understand things that men work and when men don't work they are labeled things like lazy and sorry. It'd be nice to be defined by the quality of your life and the quallity of your heart but unfortunately, this is not so. We as people tend to refer to these shortcuts called lablels to define us. It should not be so. A man ought to be defined by his faith and his works of faith less by things that are so tangible, so replaceable. My issue with this present society is that a man who has a little piece of job is somehow regarded as more than a man with no job yet his walk with the Lord doesn't enter into the equation of manhood. How can you define manhood without an accurate depiction of what a man is? In my mind I see Jesus as the ultimate definition of manhood and masculinity and no one questioned Jesus. But this present generation will not take into account a person's heart until they can see something physical first. I wonder how they plan on pursuing ministry because the goal is to reach hearts without a promise of anything else. Perhaps what perplexes me most is the fact that people always say that the ones who give the most have the biggest hearts, when in reality they just have the deepest pockets. A true heart gives you deep service, but you can't take service to the bank can you? This is the issue with this generation. They always seek after something they can see and touch and taste. They extend that to manhood they extend that to womanhood but it doesn't measure your ability to follow Christ. That is the real definition. Be defined by how you follow Christ, not the ways of the world.

Ties

Honestly what ties you to Earth? Let me ask it like this, what would keep you from being satisfied when you die? I would have to echo John Wooden the famous collegiate basketball coach when he was asked in an interview "Are you afraid to die?" Mr Wooden replied "No. Why would I be afraid to die? It's the most wonderful thing that could happen to me." That is serious battle hardened faith. Coupled with the astute realization that there was no treasure to be had on Earth that would warrant competition with the treasure to be had in Heaven. Namely fellowship with God and Christ being able to see Him and the price He paid for our redemption's sake. Nothing should keep us from being able to lay this life down eagerly and expectantly when we leave. For this reason I have no understanding of sadness when people die for that is why they were born. We cannot live here forever, we weren't designed to do so. Although early exits do tend to catch us offguard there is comfort in knowing that the dearly departed had a walk with God. I worry more for those whom we do not know about recieving Christ as their Lord and Saviour than I do for the dead. To be honest about it, I would have to take the same route as Lecrae here, if they die without hearing the gospel, I hold myself fully responsible. Not that I give them scripture and a sermon, but that I make them aware of the reality that there is nothing they can do, nowhere that they can go, nothing that can be thought that can effectively excommunicate them from Christ. I have a responsibilty to make Him known and if I shirk that responsibility, thier blood is on my hands. Yet the question I must ask of all of us is what is going to keep us from bringing as many people to the table as we can? Why be satisfied with only bringing ourselves? Jesus has illustrated in many of His parables that we are to be outwardly minded, meaning that we be not selfish with salvation, but we share this true wealth. It is the only thing we recieve on Earth that we can take with us when we die. Salvation is true wealth, not money, not abundance of things. Salvation. With this in mind the only thing that we should truly be tied to on Earth is seeking salvation. Not for our benefits but for thiers so that as a byproduct when we do die, we can do so with a clear consciousness that we have done what the Lord wills. We can then die free.

3rd Person

There are 3 people in every relationship. You, the other person, and Jesus. If the two of you aren't pushing each other closer to Jesus, then I really feel like you have lost sight of the principle that all is done to glorify God. Even in our relationships be it with a significant other your parents or even your Pastor. I'm like this with it if you value Christ above all else your line of thinking goes how can I give God the glory that He deserves. Honestly if we are afraid of human failure we will definitely fail but if we place all of our confidence in Christ there will be no failure to be had. Problem is we've started trusting our own plans rather than the Master's hand. Another thing I've noticed is our disfigurement of love. We have become so used to the overglamourized societal notion that it has become that we ignore its reality. Love is not physical but spiritual in its nature. For if it was physical God would not Love because God is spirit and cannot deal in physical things. Which is why He requires us to worship in Spirit and truth. But back to misdefined love again. People have been conditioned to accept physicality as an acceptable communication of love when in reality it may be nothing more than dressed up lust. Love is always a consistent action backed up by consistent choices to express it in the most pure fashion possible. Love requires us esteeming the other person as Christ esteemed us. Not that we should ignore glaring inconsistencies with God's heart and Word but we should tell them where the Spirit leads us to correct them, present it in a biblical context and if they will not hear you, pray for them. Not that God would convict them but that God would grow them in their walk. The thing that has happened to us is we have forgotten that love is of God and to properly love we must be in God. However we are not to hold these things above God. That part gets hard sometimes but if you love God enough honestly you can place your will on the backburner and follow God's. As for me I desire a family you know the whole wife 2.5 kids(or more you never know) nice house nice neighborhood thing that is what I want out of life pretty much point blank period that is my greatest desire. I care much less for the things of life than I do the things of life that actually matter. However even if what I desire does not come to fruition, God is no less worthy of praise honor and glory. Once we put everything in it's proper perspective that is, subject to Christ and His desire and will for our lives it is then that things start to "fall together" for us. Just some random thoughts I had....hope you enjoyed going thru my head for a little bit.

Conversation Between Anthony Lewis and Myself

Daniel:I was thinking about how to start this conversation off but that's out the window......I think I'm just going to jump right in. It seems to me that manhood nowadays has been restricted to a few things that have nothing to do with maturity level.....sexual prowess, material possessions, and the image that you portray to the outside world.....the tougher the better usually...it irks me that what really makes a man gets placed on the backburner.....such as the heart, the concern for others and the ability to build....not to mention if you mention anything that has to do with Jesus you automatically get blacklisted as a "holy roller" by most.....Anthony:I agree. The value system in America has gone down the drain. However, it is due in large part to one thing: Television. Once meant for entertainment and news, it has now become the de facto parent for our children, as well as babysitter. The outlines for being a 'man' now can all be traced to the TV/movie industry. Sexual prowess - how many times have we seen the 'cool' character get all of the women? And isn't he lauded for being able to philander and no one care? Material possessions - this is a big hit in the Black community. Rappers started showing off...women began to give them attention...the gaudiness grew, and so did the attention. Then, somewhere along the way, a notion that having material would bring droves of women was disseminated. ...I'm sure 'bling bling' had something to do with that. And on a subconscious level, the fact that most major male stars have nice bodies is telling men that their appearance is paramount. Couple that with how shallow women can be, thanks to TV and music, and you create a fixation on having a 'manly' body.Daniel:Yep. Bro it's almost like that carrot they dangle in front of a racehorse to keep it chasing and running in the cultivated belief that they can one day run it down but no matter how fast they run, the carrot is always just out of reach. It is much the same with manhood as defined by society's means. they give you a false definition of manhood and tell you to chase these things the whole time knowing that it is in fact an unattainable goal. But you see the real problem there is the parents have stopped teaching the children how to be and have instead allowed the media influence to teach them how they should seem. Too busy chasing down their own rabbits that they will never attain to teach the child that to attain their own dreams they must conquer it one step at a time instead of this breakneck pace that leads them straight to the glue factory.Anthony:Indeed. The largest problem, in my opinion, is the death of innocence, and lack of vulnerability. Innocence is the insulation that keeps a young mind warm in this cold world. It fosters dreams, imagination, it is what gives a child that sparkle in their eye. But now, children are exposed to real life at such a young age...they are jaded before they can ever know what the word means. That is why you see so many Black children acting 'grown;' they're literally acting like what they're exposed to. And since they start out ghetto like that, that's the way they'll grow, and that's how they'll stay. The lack of vulnerability is what is hurting love. No one wants to take a chance and let someone in anymore...it's all about self-preservation. People don't realize that to love is to preserve self, as you become one with another, you forge a bond that will last beyond the limits of time, a legacy that cannot be tarnished. Love is an inoculation...it can protect you from the ills of the world, for it is immensely deep. But that has been lost...it is now about instant gratification (which has been subconsciously inculcated by the Lotto and fast food), and pleasure of self (which has been inculcated by media and video games). With these two things lacking, the man cannot be himself, and the woman doesn't want to be herself.Daniel:Exactly bro. that's where you get that whole overindependent woman/shallow man concept at....a man by nature is a well rounded being but you take him away from who he is by nature and replace what should nurture with that which beats him down and what you get is a man who is half of what he ought to be. And we all know that half a man is no man at all....but to feign like he is a man, he takes what is around tells him masculinity is and attempts to blow it up and make those blown up pieces appear to be a whole man. Whereas the overindependent woman is a product of Willie Lynchism that hasn't been filtered out of our culture yet....it's even been supported, commercialized and encouraged by the mothers the whole while it's killing our family. Because if a woman can be just like a man, is there a need for the man anymore? All she needs him for then is procreation and that makes a mockery out of the man further which then pushes him to become even more of the carbon copy of false manhood because he sees that this is what draws the woman. Sexual prowess. and it destroys us from the inside out.Anthony:Yessir. A man leaves when he is not needed. (sees Black men leaving Black women to go to other races) In some cases, he will even go FIND a place to be needed. (sees White men 'saving' underprivileged Black women) Women can do many of the things that men do, but that's a credit to how amazing they are, not a suggestion that they should. But with the emasculation of the man, they feel as though the must fill those shoes. And men don't even see what's going on...they just keep feeding into this. Men support the double standard, the "I have a lot of sex, I'm cool; she does it, she's a ho." Men swear by this...so they go have a lot of sex. Sex is a connecting interaction...every time you do it, you give a piece of yourself. Men are losing themselves in the pleasure of the flesh. Women hate the standard, and attempt to beat it; they are then either chastised by society, or end up losing themselves in the quest to beat men, a quest they take up out of a perceived necessity, though it isn't. There's nothing wrong with ambition, but when unchecked, it can be a problem...all that glitters isn't gold, but glitter can be blinding, and gold be desired. So as women strive to do their best, men are mired in doing less.Daniel:yeah men lie to themselves a lot about that specific double standard.....the big problem is that the man doesn't have an actual standard for conduct because he's lost touch with self and lost touch with God in the bigger picture so he does seek to find himself in fleshly measures but by the time he figures out the more women he falls into physically the deeper he falls into spiritual depravity and so the circle closes over on itself much like a Black hole the farther you go the deeper you sink and the harder it is to find light....Women on the other hand are expected to uphold some strict moral code which obviously doesn't extend to the man...thus you have a world full of ladies and few gentleman because being a gentleman usually isn't positively encouraged by the male population. But then that creates a world of insanity because somebody has to be sleeping with these men who seek to find their masculinity in a woman's birth canal. There is no real standard anymore, just what is more or less acceptable....back in the day there were expected standards set by parents and if the male didn't meet these standards, he was instantly dismissed. But with the whole I gotta get mines generation came the neglect of raising children in the interest of providing a living.Anthony:I agree. And sadly, it's a simple formula. Men feel best with their mothers as they grow up...and so they go back from whence they came, the vagina, to feel good. Women feel best with attention, so they stick to whatever means, whoring, golddigging, etc., to feel good. Men love that intimate care of a mother...and there's nothing that makes a woman intimate like sex (in their minds), so that's how they get that feeling back. It's ephemeral and fleeting though, so it ends up become a constant need. For women, they love the attention they receive...but rather than take it in stride, some begin to feed off of it...and begin to do anything to parlay that attention into gain, be it money, material, whatever. And that's how they get caught up. They all forget that with God as your vehicle and the Universe as your guide, the trip will always lead you in the right direction. Love is Him...so to love Him is to be with Him. And the Universe flows like a river...so you are constantly being swept at the proper paces for proper situations. Neither would ever place more than one can bear. Alas, our people have forsaken love, and walked out of the river. We try to beat our own path, with no direction but what we've been shown through the media. We are lost sheep...and the TV/movie/music industries continue to herd us.Daniel:That I defintely agree with....we have forgotten how to be lovers. Real lovers. Not this synonym with sexual partners but actual real lovers. Lovers of others before we love self, to me was one of the more hard to grasp teachings of Jesus. Especially in light of the fact that ever since the fall mankind has been inclined to self-gratify.....it got so bad at one point to where God sorrowed at the iniquity committed one against another....and Jesus has pointed out that if will be as in the days of Noah.....that phrase in the days does mean that mankind will be just as evil one to another as they were in the days that God sorrowed at iniquity upon the Earth....which is definitely saying something about our level of depravity. Anything as long as it makes me feel good has become humankind's unofficial motto....it can most easily be seen in the Catholic abuse scandal where these men molest children for no other apparent reason....apparently the judgement against them from God's mouth does not register with them as enough to refrain from participating in such acts of debauchery and depravity. Yet no one wants to escape from these lying spirits which have conditioned us to accept whatever looks like it benefits us when in reality it will all too happily kill us off and the spirits smile while it happens.Anthony:Religion has become a bastion...whenever one wants an exculpatory pass from sin, they go to church and 'find' God. God is not some lost toy or plaything that you can just pick up when you want. The lack of true faith and love in reference to Him, is at the crux of our issues. If a man is a man of God, and lives as such, he will live to be what he is meant and was born to be. If a woman is a woman of God, the same will hold true. There needs to be more rigidity with that...but everything is relative. Those that fail subsequently shine a light on those of us that succeed. (leaves for work)

Servitude

Romans 12:9-21 pretty much lays out the Christian life in a nutshell. It is to lived in servitude, we are serve each other, outdo each other in giving one another honor, love without hypocrisy, to not lack diligence, with a fervent spirit serve the Lord, these things all show a person the way to servitude. They paint a picture of how we are to conduct ourselves in the body. They paint a picture of Love at its finest, in its brightest colors , a masterful depiction of proper Christian love. If we would focus on doing these things, if we would only focus on esteeming each other as Christ esteemed us as worthy of our love, despite our differences, once we show love we only see each other commonality and the dividing lines are taken down. I love the verse where it talks about showing family affection because on this Earth there is nothing that honestly shows off unconditional love quite like a united family. No matter what happens, your family will encourage and support you because they love you. No one twists their arms and forces them to love, they do it out of their hearts. It is to be much the same way with us Christians in the body, we should be eager to show how much love we have and how deeply our love runs one for another. For love does not lift you, but it lifts the other person; you never really know what someone is going thru and by you showing them love, you might be keeping them from danger, keeping them from taking their own lives, or keeping them out of depression. By our willingness to engage in servitude we not only show off Christ, but we just might change somebody's life. Servitude is more than actions, it is a way of life it is what you do and it also is who you are. It reflects in every area of your life, every place that you go and you can't just turn it off when you want to because God has truly changed the way you look at others and how you look at yourself. But remember that Love leads us to servitude, you must love to serve and serve because you love.

It's Not About You

"If I never attain what I desire I will have attained my heart's desire.....meaning if I never sell one book, never get married, never buy a house, never get a degree, never make over 30,000 a year, or anything else I might desire, God is my desire that fulfills all others, even in their absence. God-centered contentment that forsakes all human desires for heavenly desires."-Daniel JohnsonThe bottom line in this life is this: doing what pleases God. How does one please God? Quite simply by believing that He is who He says He is, that He will do what He said He will do and that His will is superior to yours. The first part of that is faith, the second part of that is submission so by faith and by submission to His Divine will we will please God. There really isn't another way. When we have faith in God we are effectively saying that hey, I realize I can't do this on my own, that my power is limited and Yours is limitless. By submission we are saying that my knowledge is incomplete, but yours Sovereign Lord is full and lacking nothing. Apart from these two elements, there is no faith to be had that is worth much of anything to God as a matter of fact I'm not too sure there is life outside of these two elements. Once you have surrendered your will to God's will you begin to open yourself up to the wisdom of God and not your own human understanding of the way things work. Once you have realized that God is who He says He is and that He will do what He says He will do you begin to realize that nothing relies on you or what you desire but everything relies on God, God's desires, God's grace, God's mercy and God's timing.

What A Man Thinks

Alright I'ma help somebody out with this one. When a man makes an effort to know you whether it be thru texts, phone calls, or even Facebook what he's really trying to do is learn about you, understand why you do what you do, what makes you happy, sad, what drives you what you love, what you hate, to learn how he can relate. He just might be attempting to build something with you just because he cares about you, much less about what he desires from you but more about what he can give you. A lot of the times men won't just come right out and tell you that Hey, I'm kinda feeling you a lil bit. We prefer to just let you know thru our actions where our heart lies at and I promise you that if it's in the right place there will be no questions about it. You won't have to wonder "does he really love me?" or "does he even care?" But you might start questioning if you are worth all of the devotion. The truth is yes you are and you are worth more than we could possibly give. When a man buys you things, he isn't attempting to buy you, this is just all we know to do to express a sacrifice, to express our chivalry, to express our concern for your monetary well being we will give you what we don't have so that you can keep what you own. The primary driving force behind a man giving a gift is just an expression of care, the fact that you might like him a little more after it is only a bonus. We have our thank you from your appreciation. In the end that's all a man really desires from a relationship. Honestly we just want to believe that we are appreciated and respected for what we attempt to do or what we do. It's not about you being beautiful in anyone else's eyes as long as we can lay down and think "Thank You God" every night.

Independence is Dependence

the thing about reconditioning a man's mind is he's been wired for reward for things he ought be doing in the first place....and he expects it from a woman. I must be different. all I expect from a woman is a thank you and a smile for doing what I'm supposed to do in the first place. I should be treating you with respect, honor, and humility with a gracious attitude and merciful actions because that is how God treated me. it's not like I'm asking for dudes to get something ultra complicated.....you don't give a basketball player a bonus for doing what's in his job description. you give him a paycheck with his base salary. See men Black men especially have been conditioned to be rewarded for doing what men have been expected to do since the dawn of time. I don't have time to go down the list, but men have be emasculated over time by the way they were coddled by mothers who taught their sisters to be strong in every area that a man should be strong in. Thereby weakening the family structure and creating generations of physically strong, mentally inferior men. Men who cannot take setback, opposition, or even have thier own worth and value established independent of what the culture told them they should be. As this relates to God, the Willie Lynch Letter was a simple instrument of Satan used to weaken God's established family structure. This has lead to women walking away from men who have never been taught how to be men but have been taught how to seem like men. I cannot blame them one bit. A man just ought to be a man after God's own heart first, then you can really be a man. The whole independent woman mantra that has become a rallying cry of women all over the country is a flat out lie. Nobody is independent. We all depend upon God for our provision. Once you wrap your mind around that you begin to embrace this idea of interdependence. Men and Women depend equally on God for all things there is no true independence no such thing exists because whether or not you recognize God you do depend upon Him to draw your breaths and make your steps. Why do you think the functions necessary for life are not thought about with the active brain? It is the unconscious part of the mind that produces these reactions that produce life. If you were independent of God, you could rise when you thought it feasible and breathe when you desire to breathe. But since we are to lean on God for all things, this notion of independence is futile and imbecile at best. As far as male/female roles go, males are supposed to provide but it is not limited to simple physical financial needs. Men should lead the worship, men should lead the logical love......and men should lead when it comes to raising children as well. Another point. Men have stopped leading and started deferring to the women when it comes to raising children and they lack discipline as a result. Discipline should fall on both shoulders and when it falls largely on the woman's shoulders there is a imbalance there that cannot be corrected by her alone. Other men have to step in where the man has fallen short and help her pick up the pieces. I've seen it happen both ways.....but where Men do not lead, do not be surprised if Women pick up the mantle and lead. It's been happening and will continue to happen unless these "men" become Men of God.

Lucifer

Lucifer Son of the morningwill have us all in mourningif we choose to listen and act on his "advice"which is twisted truth which is only a dressed up liesure he comes in light and looks attractivebut that's just to hide his blacknesshe only has one mission and one mission aloneto steal away would be God-clonesand he hates your very soul only because he wishes God's throneand to reach it he would gladly stand atop your soul and boneanything to rob God of the glory He deserves I gotta admit though he's got some nerveto dare to be in the presence of God and say in his heart I'm more beautiful more worth glory and honorto dare stand before the universe's honorand say I am grander I am greater than my CreatorYet this same spirit inhabits Earth's inhabitantswhen we deny Christ's power and majesty confining Him to only a mere mansuch lies ought to be bannedstatements and attitudes that belittle Christ's statureought to result in you becoming bruised and batteredbut instead your soul pays the ultimate price: disconnection from Christbecause you allow Lucifer insideyou become as guilty as the man who let Christ be crucifiedJudas could have resistedbut him and Lucifer had become rather intimateto the point to where Christ the Lord spoke to Lucifer who had possessed Judasand told him that whatever he was doing to just go ahead and dobecause Jesus knew it would result in the death of him whodesired to take the throne it would in effect banish Lucifer to Hell and torment him eternallyyou see Hell was never intended for humanitybut Lucifer desires eternal companyeven of those he hates even from his inception even those he knows are shaped in God's imageand this is why he hates you like he does he sees God's reflection in our soulsand this causes him to treat us coldtell us lies and compel us to leave God aside like his side is going to winbut that's just himLucifer son of the morningwill lead you to eternal mourning

Ericka's Answer

Discrimination to racism is a sick degeneration/and the remnants poison nations/making insinuation that disgraces and spurs racial hatred/humanity is free-basing and steadily debasing/crusting over hearts and making it hard for love to penetrate/hearts break/and though my ears never heard what nobody deserves/my eyes heard/and because I love her I decided to speak out/and pierce this darkness with the light hidden in my mouth/racist actions racist phrases are out of place in the workplace/leaving everyone with such a bitter taste/testing the ability to forgive and as I live/as I breathe I offer a needed reprieve/you said it you demonstrated it to my sister/nothing makes me sicker/and I wonder why people get so stuck on race and color/do they not see that this is deeper than the colors of father and mother?/when what matters is deep within alive when this mortal body goes cold/and the heart pumps no more/there is a soul/and if it has hated in life and never asked for forgiveness/Hell awaits you be sure of this/indiscriminate hatred kills the soul of a nation/I am patiently waiting/the death of indoctrination/the death of racism

Portrayed Beauty

If I could picture your magnificence in portraits that spill through my poetry......it seems to me that the Mona Lisa would be replaced by the radiant beauty that radiates in she........ Her skin flawlessly painted..... nothing has been tainted....... pretty ain't it? her mouth speaks only life and love to me gives me sight when my eyes don't see.......... Everything a man needs Everything a man needs...... is searchable in the heart of her.........so I buy her everything but diamonds and furs......she understands my mind......and she knows she is finer than fine in my mind......but yet she seeks not my heart.......as long as we are in God never shall we grow apart.....her hands do the work of building up souls in disrepair......and it seems the work is hard but some how she never fails to be there......when it seems hard to keep waking up and going at the hard soil.....a bitter better toil.....but what is paid in full at the end of the work makes her no fool.....she is cool......no matter what comes her way....she similar to a rock is persuaded to stay.....grounded rock solidly in the faith......seeking God's face......it blows me away....to be honest......days she should just throw her hands up and walk away.....something keeps her on it.....she is something special indeed......and it seems I don't deserve her around me....much less showing me what it means to plant seeds in me.....you're shocked of my adoration for this Godly woman God placed on Earth to ease my hurt......is it because you expect only sweet words when men want thier own way.......no way.....there is something to be said for one who knows the gravity of a call......who knows that in the end everyone must feel the rain fall......and the essence of these words....have little to do with what you see of her......and everything to do with what she shows you is residing inside.......it seems that she knows what to say when the hearts of those she loves dies......she knows how to get you to rise when you fall.....grace and mercy temper her tongue.....she soaks up knowledge of God like a sponge.....when toughest times smack her faith with her mind....she knows what to let guide........this is the reason why.....her beauty dislodges what is called a classic.....and forms something even more timeless......

Who Cares?

Children miseducated A world embracing hatred Oil is spilled and they panic to save a crumblling reputation we shall worry about the awful education when our children have grown old and they have been indoctrinated sold on the political lies which we have forced them to down we have taught them of the European crown but the truth has drowned in the misty waters between America and Africa and I am pacing as a caged panther among the pantheon of history there are chunks that go unreplaced liars are made to be great and men are made worthless while great women get scratched out the pages this incurs my rages history given tasteless minus all its greatness minus a few splotches of color here and there who really cares?

Bookshelves

Looking around at the shelves that bear my ethnicity's name and it's a crying laughing hatred that envelops my frame everytime I pass by I want to burn the entire section down look at us being treated like clowns like this is the new Black Sambo this is the new Blackface and it passes thru my soul with passionate hate I cannot just walk by and not feel it all over my body all over my soul and it has me growing cold when I see breasts almost bared look at her face and I see my mama's there I see exploitation with zero taste but they acclaim these writers as great what have they broken down but inhibitions of people looking in the eyes of the great evil I feel no greatness within the pages the only things there invite my rages the fire takes the greatest stage Nothing that will awaken a mind and if it is there it's only a footnote amongst a lazy body of work and it screams loud and clear what they think we are worth I've grown tired of walking by and seeing 2 books I'd want my mama to see this lack of intellectual maturity is killing me and you wonder why our kids get passed by? look at the books they glorify how can a mind grow confined? how can a tree grow with no room for roots to expand? how does a boy become a man when grown boys are given reasons to flourish how then do you expect a culture to be nourished when men are declined opportunity to shine how can you see truth when you are kept blind? I wish to burn the book shelves down because every time I turn around it gets worse and what's heard is Blacks aren't capable of intellect just a bunch of sex

Look At It

Taking a worldview what appears to you? Let's get a clear view Oil in the gulf coast and the evils of humanity are doing the worst it appears what little bit of love there was left upon us is becoming dispersed when men caused other men's hearsts nevermind families much hurts pulling up old laws to address these new lies these new reasons to not be accountable for actions but look at the human condition relapsing Cain and Abel all over again what has happened to the hearts of men? concern and compassion seem to be illegal having a heart for others seems to be evil selfish minds selfish motives results in many men lighting votives and holding vigils as these lawyers attempt to exonerate killlers blood mixes with oil which is the worst contaminant no one truly knows especially when they both stain the ocean floor men hunger after power and pursue it with much passion nevermind their pursuits result in another human's passing I'm tired of watching these men appear to care when what logic is there is let me just look like I'm trying to right let me not attempt to divert this pressure in the pipes so I can look genius in other men's eyesight this is an eye opener for those who prize oil and gas over the souls of men it is not about these things it is about them and the lawsuits pile up because men can no longer make a living and they are greiving seething because everything they knew has somehow fallen apart and these men have missed their mark now everyone pays the price of man's negligence I wonder if anyone is paying attention to the Lord in times like these? these are His birds and fish dying in the gulf you see

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is required of us if we desire to move on with life, and with our relationship with God for Jesus spoke plainly of it in Matthew. Jesus says if you do not forgive men, do not expect your Heavenly Father to forgive you. Jesus said it. To forgive is to: to grant pardon for or remission of (an offense, debt, etc.); absolve. 2.to give up all claim on account of; remit (a debt, obligation, etc.). 3.to grant pardon to (a person). 4.to cease to feel resentment against: to forgive one's enemies. 5.to cancel an indebtedness or liability of: to forgive the interest owed on a loan. (dictonary.com) This being said to truly forgive someone means to no longer hold what they have done to you, your feelings, your ego, or even your faith against them. This means they are in the clear. Anyone who tells you that you can forgive and not forget is only telling you a lie. You must forgive and forget. God forgives and forgets our sins and is faithful and just to do so if we will confess them to Him. If you cannot forget what they have done to you, you haven't forgiven. You need to go back to them and ask them to forgive you of your debt that you hold against them. Again Jesus said this in Matthew. So this is not my teaching or admonition but His. To move forward with your life indeed you are bound to the law of forgiveness which says not only do I not hold you responsible for what you have done to me, I don't even think about it. True forgiveness is this and this only.

Cheaters

I wonder why when men cheat, the first thing they say is you know I love you right? Like that makes the fact that you have jeapordized the union OK because you make a profession of love that may very well be empty and void of any reality. I'm not referring to just a relationship although that definitely places major strain on it I'm speaking of the relationship that is made in the image of our relationship with God. Then they tend to offer this weak excuse that I'm just a man as if they expect the woman they are engaged in this partnership with to simply believe that the possession of a penis suddenly makes them susceptible to stray outside of the union for some level of satisfaction. Honestly these are cop-outs and excuses as to why men feel they are entitled to cheat: When I needed you you weren't there, She wasn't interested in becoming intimate, She never she never she never......But when it boils right down to it, it comes to a lack of commitment from the men. Although relationship means communication a lot of men don't try and communicate or reach out to the woman. They just see what she's not doing and find someone who does do what she isn't and they find themselves in compromising positions and before they know it, they've gotten themselves caught up in lust and adultery. When all of this could easily have been avoided with a simple "Baby I'm feeling neglected, here's why." Honestly it just makes sense to talk to the woman you profess to love about issues within the relationship and not just stepping outside of the relationship when things don't go your way. A relationship is built upon understanding, communication, and a willingness to work through problems. Next time, don't blame it on you being a man, just blame it on you being too lazy to care.

Deservedness

What do we rightfully deserve? Life? Not promised. Money? Not necessary. Happiness? Depends on what you make of what you recieve. I ask this question because when something bad happens to one whom we would call "good" we question if they deserve this to happen to them. Let me take the blinders off. God calls none of us good but rather justified. We are not inherently good, no matter what we do or don't do there is this monster raging to be released in us. This monster is revealed as our sin nature and it rears it's ugly head whenever it recieves the possibility to do so. Even when we do not seek to have it released. This is probably why Paul says Every time I desire to do good, evil is always present. At every turn at every moment our sin nature threatens our percieved deservedness. Which is why we all deserve death. We all deserve wrath. We all deserve repayment for every one of our iniquitious sins. This is our only deservedness in life. We do deserve the pain of the cross daily, we deserve suffering, we deserve to be reckoned with as our hidden evil desires bring upon us. The wickedness of man deserves to be punished. I will not be heard complaining because I realize what I do indeed deserve. I deserve punishment. But behold, there is a lamb of God's provision that took the destruction I was due and thru Him, I was made deserving of the presence of God so long as I will believe and so long as I am convicted to believe I will act out of that conviction. Deserving nothing, thru Christ we recieve that which we do not have a right to recieve. Our deservedness.

Flesh Hatred

As I look over the last couple of days, something has become glaringly obvious to me. I have allowed my fleshly desires to overcome the Spirit's desires for my walk. It makes me ashamed of myself. How dare I call myself Christ-like? Although I realize the flesh calls all of us at some point or another why must I allow it to call to me louder than Christ calls me to holiness? As I look at the Scriptures, it seems that God calls us to His standard of holiness rather than ours. In the beginning He created us to reflect His pure glory, in the book of the law, He calls us to be Holy as He is Holy, in the book of Matthew Jesus calls us to Be perfect as Your Father is perfect. God is holding us to a higher standard than we wish to be subjected to. However even knowing this it seems that I cannot turn this loose. Therefore I have come to hate my flesh and its desires because it separates me from a right relationship with God. After I have listened to my flesh and its evil desire be it a desire for lust, unclean speech, impure thoughts, whatever it may produce it is inevitable that I feel hatred not only for the flesh but hatred at myself for listening to the roaring of my flesh versus the voice of the Shepard. I realize everyone struggles with something but this is draining me of energy. It drains me of my authority when I speak in my own mind at least.....sometimes I wonder how can my words hold any weight when I am aware of my own hidden iniquity. It might be hidden from men, but my Father sees. This burdens me. I strive to consume my flesh with this hatred of all that makes me unclean before God. By this I mean the things I am conscious of and the things I can indeed control. That is my actions and my thoughts. my attitudes. anything that I can see is not lining up with God's heart must die. Flesh hatred.

Looking.....

As I look around at relationships I see one thing that we should definitely take into account. We are created to glorify, honor, and respect God in all our ways. But it seems like this is given a backseat to our own desires when we enter a relationship with another person. Maybe it's the Adam and Eve syndrome coming out to where we honor thier desires more than we honor God's desire. But here it is. We should seek to honor God's heart by searching out what He desires of us as individuals first by this I mean we should definitely be sure that we are serving others not to be seen serving by others but for our hearts to be seen humble by God. We should esteem others as better than ourselves, we should beat each other in showing honor, love, and respect to each other. Not to impress the other person, but to honor God's heart. The thing about us is that once we do "find" someone it seems we are willing to do anything to please them, and that should not be so. We are placed on Earth to please God, not ourselves. The only one we ought to bend over backwards to please is God because His standards do not waver in the wind as ours do. However I see in our relationships that we tend to base our actions on if it will please the other person versus will this please God? We do throw God out on the street once we achieve what we desire. Like alright God, I have what it is I desire, I no longer need or desire your input, begone. Which is ridiculous, because with one word what you have could just as eaisly be taken away by the God you have just thrown away. Thus you will have repeated the sin of Adam and Eve of coming to treasure the gift above He who gave it. It's like this, if we treasure God and the Cross above all things it stands to reason that God will reward you with the desires of your heart so long as your desires will not supplant the desire you were created to fulfill. So yes, in relationships you should enjoy the other person, it will not always go smoothly, however as long as you both keep God centered views things will go a lot smoother in the long run. Yes there will be a long run when God is the glue that holds your house together. But this is not the reason why God is the center, God is the center because without Him, nothing exists that was ever made and God is the center because you prize Him above anything that He made. That includes him and her. Therfore, treasure God in all that you do relationally and individually because from that desire to please God do all things flow. Be God lovers. Not lovers who just have a knowledge of God. Huge difference.

Encouragement

People seem to think that encouragement is only when you are weak in your walk, in your faith, or in your life but that is a flawed view of encouragement and what the word really means. To encourage is to:to inspire with courage, spirit, or confidence: His coach encouraged him throughout the marathon race to keep on running. 2.to stimulate by assistance, approval, etc.: One of the chief duties of a teacher is to encourage students. 3.to promote, advance, or foster: Poverty often encourages crime. (dictonary.com) Thereby encouragement is not soley limited to those who have fallen on hard times, hard circumstances but encouragement is for all times no matter if you are up or down. Every now and then everybody needs to hear a simple you are doing the right things, stay on that track. We as people have conditioned encouragement to be something synonomus with struggle and that is just not so. Encouragement is just as much needed at the top of the mountain as it is when you are struggling to breathe in the valley. It simply means to assist, to advance, or to inspire. Needless to say about mountain climbing one peak is just another valley when you look at the grand scheme of things in life. Sure it might look like a person is at the height of achievement, but in reality they are stuck in another valley as it relates to the entire mountain range. So it is with life that we not only need encouragement when we fall, but when we succeed as well. We still need that push to drive us to keep on climbing that next mountain and that next mountain until we have conqured them all and it is time to retire. So encourage somebody today, tommorrow, next week, next month. You never really know how much it will help them to endure the next set of challenges they might have to face.