Look at this image, and really look at it and you never really see or understand what happens when the tears form because there is always a story behind the tears. There is always a story, there is always a hardness, and there is always a pain that can be attached to it because no matter how much you look at it or even view it we all have to understand and realize that sometimes there is a language behind and because of the tear. There is something that comes through this, there is something that comes around this, and there is something we all have to deal with because as much as you love life, as much as you desire to do good, and as much as you give it your all that doesn’t mean that there won’t be days to where you don’t stumble, you don’t falter, and you don’t have your problems!

It is even more interesting isn’t it, how is it and why is it that it seems like that it seems like and that’s it feels like that you can be so kind, you can be so good, and you can even be so harmless but at the end of the day it just seems that whatever I try to do and even how I try to feel it feels like I’ve been punched in the gut! Have you ever been in that situation, and have you ever felt that life was just beating you down, have you ever felt that life was giving you the blues, and have you ever felt that life was really just hurting you? Because you don’t ask for certain things, you don’t expect certain things, and there are just some things that you have never really asked for but it can feel and seem like that as much as you love life, as much as you love yourself, and as much as you even love God that doesn’t mean you won’t have those days and moments to where you feel the emotion of the tears!

It’s possible, and it really is a reality that as much as you love God, as much as you try to do the right things, and as much as you really try to do things that doesn’t mean we don’t feel the hurts that come with it! All of us feel some hurts, all of us deal with some hurts, and all of us experience those hurts because how is it that I get hurt when I’m not hurting anybody!?!? How is it that I’m the one facing these darts, and how is it that I’m facing those rough things and rough bruises but what is it that gives me this hurt, that gives me this pain, and even gives me this rough and tough feeling! We have those feelings, and we have those emotions because if you have never been there you will…. If you have never been there, and if you have never felt it trust me you will!

We all will feel those feelings, because it’s one thing to have feelings of joy but what about those feelings of sadness and pain. If you haven’t been there, I wouldn’t want you to experience it but that doesn’t mean you won’t! It’s amazing how things get tough, how things get hard, and how things get trying, and how things get messy because it most certainly will get that way but at the end of the day there is still something that happens to us all….. we all will face some form of challenges, hurts, and opposition! You can cry, you can be down, and you can even be wounded but even with the wounds and even though you face those wounds that doesn’t mean those wounds will remain. However, you still will sometimes face a upheaval, you will face some trouble, and you will face some turbulence along the way but let it happen because even though you face the tears you will overcome them.

You can overcome this, you can make it through it, and you will make it but whatever you do don’t run away! Have you seen that when you are faced with something that is trying, that is upsetting, and that is hurtful there are times that you can either stand up or run away? What are you going to do…. Are you going to stand up or are you going to run away? It is easy to run away, but what do you price when you run away, what do you gain when you run away, and what do you solve when you run away? Do you really want to run away, or do you want to stay there and see what you can make it through, what you can get through, and what you can overcome you’ll never solve or prove anything by running away! Even though you might cry before, the tears you cry afterwards are totally different because of what you survived and what you were able to overcome!

I believe that even in tears God is still good, I believe that even in tears God shows up, and I believe in tears the Lord will most certainly make a way for us all! I believe that when we really stay with God, that when we hang in there with God, and that when we really live for God it is just something that we know that God will come through, God will get us through, and God will give us the faith that we need to stay alive. It is real, it is true, and it is powerful that when you stay with it and when you don’t want to run away then don’t! God has given us too much grace, too much mercy, and too much power in order to overcome these challenges and when we deal with these challenges it’s up to us if we will quit or give up? Are you going to give up, do you believe in giving up, and are you a quitter?

Don’t do that, and don’t quit in life or God even when times get hard and when times get upsetting don’t quit on life! There is too much life left to live, there is too much life to still experience, and there is too much life to still endure but it is up to us to not quit too soon because even though tears flow tears still generate faith! Tears are real, tears are true, and tears are difficult but yet tears are necessary! Tears wouldn’t mean anything to us, if there wasn’t a story and reasoning behind them but sometimes our tears are really our springboard to where the Lord is going to take care of us, and how the Lord is going to be with us by day and by night it doesn’t matter what it is the Lord is always going to be with us every step of the way!

It reminds of a NASCAR race, there are plenty of times you will see in a NASCAR race that there will be sometimes crashes in the midst of a long race. What will happen is that it can damage the car, and sometimes even though the car can be damaged or even totaled as bad as it seems but then the racing team comes back the next week! One minute there is this damaging, drastic, and just a terrible crash but at the end of the day the crash happens. The crash happens, and because the crash happened the car has one or two options they can either get back on the track or they will stay off the track and not comeback on the track. There are those moments, and there are those instances but it’s about what will you do when you face that adversity race again or will you retire and stop?

I believe that to be true, and I believe that when the Lord is on your side that even though you have hit some walls in life it has been the Lord that has let you come back to life. The Lord has let you come back to life, the Lord has given you another chance, and the Lord has given you another opportunity that’s what the Lord has and that’s what the Lord is doing! We all have hit some walls, and we all have been dealt some blows in our life’s but that’s when the Lord comes in, and that’s when the Lord will make things alright and will make things better! You might have had some tough hits, you might have had some rough blows, and you might have had some hurtful trials but that’s what you went through but it didn’t last, and you should be glad that it didn’t last because it proves and demonstrates the goodness of God in your life!

We can make it, and we will make it but thank God that even though we have gone through plenty of things it didn’t stop or keep us down. That’s why we can always talk about it, we can always express it, and we can always say it was God and God alone that carried and got us through it! It was nobody but God, and because it was nobody but God that gives us this strength, that gives us the belief, and that gives us the faith that everything is going to be alright and everything is going to workout because the Lord won’t ever let us down, and we can always thank the Lord because it was the Lord that rescued us and the Lord was the one that made things change, that made things turn around, and that made things get better that was all because of the goodness of the Lord at work!

God has not forgotten about you, and even though there has been some form of tears and just various emotions don’t worry because the Lord has not forgotten about you. The Lord has not stopped being good to you, the Lord has not quit on you, and the Lord has not went away but God is right there! That’s what has made us who we are, and that’s what will always make us always grow with the Lord and trust in the Lord even on the new and even drowning days! But they don’t last always, and the Lord won’t let them last forever but God will make a mess turn into a miracle when you still believe in Him, when you still have hope in the possible, and when you still have joy in the unexpected but that’s what the Lord is going to do and will do! So, keep the faith and keep on having Hope in Jesus Christ because great things and better days will be ahead and will come for you!

Thank God For What Tears Produce!

Psalm 4:3,5,7 NLT
[3] You can be sure of this: The LORD set apart the godly for himself. The LORD will answer when I call to him. [5] Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the LORD. [7] You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.

I like this picture, and I like what it means… because have you noticed that as we go through this life, and as we live with the Lord there are times that things can’t and don’t remain the same. There are moments that all of us have to change, and you know there is nothing wrong with change but it is something wrong with knowing you need to change and don’t! That’s the issue, that’s the problem, and that is what can be a hinderance when you see that things aren’t working anymore, or when things have to be adjusted because as you and I continue to live and to go through life it is on us to have the commitment to change if we are going to really grow and live a complete life!

What’s the purpose of your life right now!?!? Is there something that you are doing, or even holding on to that really needs to be changed but because of really just desiring to have business as usual it can be damaging, it can hard, and it can even be dry! Things can become dry, things can become stale, and things can be lost when we don’t make some changes in our lives as we follow the Lord, and as we really trust in the Lord there are those days, those times, and those seasons that we have to change! We can’t expect to enjoy a season, especially a new season when we arrive in it but don’t want to change and don’t want to stop… that can make anything that once was high now become low!

Change is tough, change is hard, and change certainly has its ups and downs… but that’s not something that should stop us from changing! You can go down the line, and you can go down the list there are many things that change over time because life is filled and full of changes! You can look at Televisions how they went from letterbox to now plasma, hd, blu-ray, and smart televisions because things change…. You can look at shoes especially sneakers, and you can tell how soles, Chuck Taylor’s, and how designs went from standard to now softly cushioned, more colors, and more sales because things always change around us. In order for these things to change, there has to be that willingness and that open door for these things to change and somebody should want them to change!

I believe that is our key action “CHANGE”. Life should have that passion, life should have that peace, and life should have that perseverance that as much as I love what I have done or where I am that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t change, that doesn’t mean I should miss out, and that doesn’t mean I should allow myself to be pulled away from making progress. I shouldn’t allow myself to be so common, that I forget that I have to change and that when I begin to cha he I start to see things differently, I start to understand things differently, and I really start to focus on what I need to change and what else should I change…. If I want to feel a new wave, then I can’t keep on staying in the same boat and if I stay in the same boat then I’ll keep going at the same speed, the same flow, and the same energy thinking I’m okay when I’m not!

There’s a reason why the Lord chastises us, and there is also a reason that sometimes we miss out and lose things all because we don’t want to change! If we don’t change how do we expect to keep up, if we don’t change how do we expect to transform, and if we don’t change how do we expect to really get to a new height! What height are you trying to go to, if you have higher expectations you’ve got to be willing to change… if you have higher dreams, higher goals, and higher faith then you’ve got to be willing to grow and you have to be willing to change. You have to be willing to do things differently, and not only that but you have to be willing to look at yourself and say: “What Do I Need To Do Differently???”

What do I need to do differently, what do I need to do that I haven’t done before, and what do I need to stop doing or stop entertaining that is really bringing me down! There are things that can and do bring us down, there are things that can make us stuck, and there are things that can make us have a breakdown and not a update and not a upgrade! So once again….. have we decided to change, have we decided that maybe it’s time for something new, and have we decided that maybe it is time to make a move because moves are good, new moves are great, but any move that is made or that is going to be different it has to be brought by God! You’ve got to follow the signs and pay attention to the warnings, because that’s when we have to believe it and know that once I decide to change it is for the better!

It is amazing… anytime I look at cookies baking I love it, and the reason I love it is because they smell good, they taste good, and they are just delicious especially when they first come out of the oven they are soft, gooey, and they just melt in your mouth. Those things are so good, and I love eating cookies and what I love even more is that they aren’t always the same size, they aren’t always the same type of flavors, and not only that but I’ve noticed that when you bake cookies you see that they start just as cookie dough, and then afterwards when they are in the oven that’s when they will begin to change and sometimes they might be darker than others at the bottom, some might be chewy and some might be hard, but it doesn’t matter because at the end of the day one thing is for sure…. A change will come, and a change does come to those cookies that makes them sprout and spurt up!

That’s what happens in our lives also…. We all can be like the dough, but at some time and at some point we have to grow and when we grow we will become what we need to become. What is in your life that needs to grow, and what is in your life that you see it right now as okay but it can be better? Well you see it, but what are you willing to do to change it…. I know that it looks like it doesn’t need change, that’s not always true…. But we need to always be on the cutting edge to grow, and we should always be focused to grow! It’s time to grow and change, and it’s time to not always stick to just the norm…. That’s how we can miss out on blessings, miss out on open doors, and miss out on better days all because we didn’t decide to grow and change!

There’s a new exit coming, there’s something new on the horizon, and there’s something better on the way but it is time to change! Things have to change, words have to change, thoughts have to change, mindsets have to change, actions have to change, and lives have to change all because we trust in God! When you trust in God the Lord will pull you through, the Lord will make you stop conducting business as usual, the Lord will make you and me get to that point that we just say it’s time to change! Don’t waste time, and don’t allow time to keep on passing without making those necessary adjustments and those necessary changes because some patterns have to be broken, some patterns have to be relieved, and some patterns have to be cut down!

It is a release that it is important to be cut down, and it is very important that as we grow with the Lord you see and you understand that there are things that need to be cut down, there are things that need to be taken away, and there are things that need to not be entertained anymore because we have decided to grow up and we have decided to change! Some stuff doesn’t stay the same, and there are some things that shouldn’t remain the same but as we grow and as we get better we know and we understand that it is time for a break away from what has kept me down, from what has kept me tired, and what has kept me frustrated! There are just some things that need to be cut down, and there are some things that I don’t need in my life and in my spirit anymore all because I’ve decided to make some changes!

Don’t fight it but embrace it, and when you embrace it you’ll feel and be the better for it all because you’ve decided that I’m going to trust the Lord, and I’m going to believe the Lord that I’m about to break out of this mold, and break out of this sticky situation so I’ve decided to start a new day, a new season, and a new attitude all because I won’t rest until I get better and that I feel better! Let’s keep on making changes for our good and for our lives!

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
[13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Have you ever enjoyed singing!?!? I think it’s safe to say, that we all have songs that we like to sing and when we sing these songs there is an expression of emotions, there is an expression of joy, and there is an expression of happiness all because there are plenty of times that we love to sing. I love to sing, sometimes I sing more to myself LOL… but I still love to sing, and you know music has a feeling to where it makes you feel complete, it makes you feel better, and it makes you feel alright because there is something about singing that does great things for you!

I thought about that in our lives, and as I think about this picture life sometimes is like being on a boat because you and know that a boat can be comforting, but also a boat has to make sure that it is operating and working correctly but the thing about the boat that you can keep on riding, you can keep on progressing, and you can keep on moving because that’s what the boat does it makes you keep on going on no matter how the water is, and no matter how tough it might seem but the boat let’s us know that we can keep on going! I believe that’s the song and the song is: “Keep Riding, Keep Going, & Keep Living” that’s the key to this life because there are various things, various trials, and various ups and downs but at the end of the day it’s important to keep singing.

Keep on singing and riding on this boat, because I’ve discovered that the Lord has given all of us our own unique boats. Have you noticed that… because we all have our specific lives, no matter what is around us or who is around us we still have our own unique lives and so because of that then you have to keep on staying on the boat. I mean you and I have destinations to get to, we have destinations to reach, and we have destinations to stand on but it is about are you going to keep on going, are you going to keep on sailing, and are you going to keep on living. I mean life certainly has its ups and downs, life has plenty of challenges, life has plenty of things that make us wonder, make us irritated, make us frustrated, and make us not always enjoy it I mean that’s just what life does but you have to keep on sailing because the boat is going to be alright and you’ll be alright.

It’s something else I think about with these boats, is that they sail on the water but you know the water that you sail in it can be loud sometimes, it can be trying sometimes, and it can be weary sometimes I mean that’s just reality but that’s also when you have to keep on sailing, and you have to have that belief and determination of whether or not you’re going to jump ship just because it gets a little tight and edgy. You know that’s also the case as you sail, as you ride, and as you go forward there are times you also have to know you’re not the only boat out there but that doesn’t mean that other boat has to stop you. There are some boats that will want you to stop, there some boats that will try to interfere, and there are some boats that are always trying to get in the way but they can’t because they aren’t on the same level and destination that you are on!

That’s it right there we all have different paths, we all have different levels, and we all have different feelings that’s just the truth! See when you are sailing you have to be reminded, that as you continue to sail and continue to live that is what is going to make you hang in there because you remember and I remember some boats can’t get to where you are because they all aren’t built the same! That’s they key and that’s the reminder, that we all aren’t built the same and since we all aren’t built the same that’s what makes me stay in the water because I know that I’m not like someone else, that’s why I stay in the water because I know that God has built me differently, and that’s why I stay in the water because I know that my current location isn’t my final destination!

I’ve noticed that because some boats don’t move forward because they are okay with where they are, and if you aren’t careful you’ll allow their lack of motivation to stop you in your tracks! That’s what can happen, that’s what can be in the path, and that’s what can be a nuisance if you aren’t careful but that’s why you have to keep on going because when you keep on going you see that you can’t stop what you don’t operate or own! Have you seen that also, and this life is like that because there are always sailors that want to tell you how to sail the problem is they don’t sail themselves but want to navigate somebody else’s route! If you aren’t doing your part, then stop trying to cut into somebody else’s plan or life that’s not your job and that’s why the boat keeps telling you to keep going, to keep reaching, and to keep on obtaining because I know what I want and I also know what I don’t want!

But it’s also about what are you willing to do, what are you willing to achieve, and what are you willing to not succumb to in order to make the trip worth it!?!? That’s a challenge isn’t it, and you know we all have to challenge ourselves and even be challenged, I mean how else do you expect to really know you if you aren’t challenged. I’ve discovered when I have seen waves like if I’m watching a movie, I noticed that can rise up and go very high and can be very rough but that boat will keep sailing and if it has enough power and wherewithal it is I’ll make it. That’s the thing about it is… can you keep going when you are challenged, can you keep going when you are tried, and can you keep going when you are up against it because it’s easy to quit but don’t, it’s easy to stop but don’t, and it’s easy to throw in the towel or the keys away but don’t that’s why you have to keep on sailing.

I think about the Kansas City Chiefs, and I never will forget how they were beating the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs, and then blew a 20+ point lead to the Colts and lost 45-44. As a fan I still remember how I felt after that game, and I remember the fact that they had the lead and then blew it but they didn’t stop and they came back the next season, and the next season, and seasons after that then finally became Super Bowl champions just last year. Even though they took a tough loss they came back, even though they sustained a tough loss they came back, and even though they took and had different changes they still came back and kept on playing. It’s not always how you start, but it is certainly how you finish and even more than that it’s important how you bounce back after you’ve had to deal with a tough scenario that real shows up.

That’s why you have to keep on sailing, and that’s why you have to keep on going because you might face some tough waves but the Lord knows how to get you through and over those waves. Life will send plenty of waves but keep on sailing, life can have waves that can hurt you but keep sailing, life can waves that can depress you or stress you but keep sailing, life can have waves that can really test you but that’s okay you just keep on sailing because the Lord is going to get you through, and the Lord is going to give you the strength to keep on sailing it doesn’t stop you, and you won’t stop all because you know that it didn’t stop me!

Don’t let it stop you, and don’t let it keep you down because you have an assignment and a charge but you have to know it and believe it that you will keep on sailing and soaring. That’s what the boat will keep on doing for you, the boat will let you sing, and the boat will sing to you that you have to not lower yourself and that you have to make sure that you can on sailing! What is the boat telling you, what are the waves telling you, and what is the water telling you there is importance to this life, and there is perseverance that you have to keep on sailing and you have to keep on living. Keep on living, keep on living, and keep excelling even in the boat there is still so much for you to do but you have to keep on going and moving!

There is something else that you’ll have to deal with, that when you sail there is always going to be some noise. Now that doesn’t mean it is always good noise, but there will always be some noise that is made and that’s another part make sure you zone out noise that isn’t healthy! How many times have we all mess up our trips, all because we listened and went down the wrong path because we followed the wrong noise! Don’t do that… some noises are purposely trying to mess up your boat, some noises are purposely trying to mess up your voyage, and some noises are purposely trying to mess up your happiness that’s why even when you sail you can’t listen to every voice that calls itself wanting to be helpful! All help isn’t good help, and all advice isn’t great advice because when you are making moves another boat and some noise can try and will try to not let keep on going forward, and isn’t as happy as you think to see you being successful!

No matter where you are sailing make sure you listen to God, trust the voice of God, believe the voice of God, and have faith in the moves of God! The Lord is going to take care of you, and the Lord always removes the hindrances from you but make you sure you don’t give it attention but give attention to the boat and keep on sailing down the water because the Lord has a safe travel destination and arrival time with your name on it! God has a destination with your name on it, and whatever you do make sure that you keep on sailing and don’t worry about anything because God has it all under control!

Psalm 23:3 CSB
[3] He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

On yesterday we saw a disgusting, evil, and unfathomable take place, because we saw how that there were so many Pro-Trump Supporters (Criminals and Terrorists) storm the Capitol building of the United States Government. The government and anything that is of the government, should never have that type of easy access and be able to be penetrated to the degree that it was yesterday! I mean we saw the hatred, we saw the evil, and we saw so many people being able to just roam free in the Capitol building.

The issue that occurs, the issue that is present, and the issue that continues to live is the issue that when time after time there have been black people that have been attacked, that have killed, and that have been brutalized because of practicing our first amendment rights. Then we see what has happened yesterday, and we see that cops were helping them, taking selfie’s with them, and letting them touch them but if that had been any African-Americans based on the plight that has been thrown into our direction that’s where the frustration comes from!

We are frustrated because we’ve begged, we’ve pleaded, we’ve marched, we’ve sat down in meetings, we’ve sat on panels, we’ve sat with various police officers, and we’ve sat with many governmental officials to discuss and express how we feel! We feel unprotected, we feel unsafe, we feel on the edge, and we feel just completely stressed out because how is it…. that African-Americans don’t get these same liberties, don’t get these same opportunities, and don’t even get this same access because we would have been shot, and what took place at the Capitol could have been one of the most horrific events ever, if it had been black people at the Capitol!

All we have ever asked for was fair treatment, all we have ever asked for was respect, and all we have ever asked for was to be given the same levels of being able to express our freedom! The problem occurs that when we want to express our freedom we are met with violence, we are spoken to like we are still in the 1920s-1960s being cussed out and being told how useless and that we don’t deserve to live, and we are still mocked based on our skin color! We don’t get to have these same privileges like our counterparts, and that’s not fair to us because all we have ever wanted is to be treated fair but that’s not happening!

We have been fighting the same fight since the 1600s, and it has transitioned from fighting Slave Masters to now we are fighting Bosses, Companies, School Districts, Banks, and now the highest office in the world “The President Of The United States”. We have been doing all we can, we have been given hope, and we have been give false love but then at the very moment something occurs that affects our community what once was love has turned into pick a side, and if you stand on the wrong side you’re looked at wrong and mistreated!

This mistreatment still occurs, this unfairness still occurs, and this evilness still occurs! It’s not like we asked to be here but we are, and it’s not fair to us that we can be given basically a death sentence especially by aggressive and belligerent police officers, while we see White people who are assaulting police still get to go home, but a Black person with raided hands gets to go home to Jesus and be placed in a coffin! That’s what is going on, that’s what we are watching, and that’s what we are living with every day that we don’t see the same labels, we don’t speak the same language, and we don’t get the same walk because it has always been about trying to put us in our place!

Our place is in the United States because we are children of God, God has given us every right and liberty to be in this country just like He has given every other race! It’s a shame how we have White evangelicals, and how we have White Christians that can have signs, car tags, car license plates, cross necklaces, teach in Church, preach in Church, go on various mission trips, and do everything else but yet they are quiet now! They are quiet, all of a sudden afraid to speak, and all of a sudden they have become mute until they get around their friends and they’ll call young black people (Hooligans, Thugs, Niggers, and any other vulgar word).

That’s what they do,, and that’s what they call us no matter how gifted we are, no matter how talented we are, no matter if we go to the same preparatory or Christian school, and no matter even if you join Churches or change your voice there is still two sides! It’s a shame how we have to beg Christians to speak up for other Christians, it’s a shame how we have to always blast you and tell you that it’s wrong but you can’t see it! It’s a shame that you are professing Christ, and supporting a President that is racist, sexist, chauvinistic, evil, divisive, and that is completely immoral when the Bible even tells us to flee from it! Where is the fleeing, where is the love, and where is Jesus because you can’t possible love the Lord and still support racism, fascism, and discrimination against Black people!

If you can’t support us stop trying to be like us, if you can’t support us stop wearing Jordan shoes like us, if you can’t support us stop coming to our Churches for votes, if you can’t support us stop listening to our rap music, and if you can’t support us stop trying to join our fraternities, sororities, and our HBCU’S. We see what you do and don’t say, we see how you act around us and your friends, and we see that as much as we shake hands, give dap, give hugs, and show love that there are still areas that have big pieces of divides in them and you don’t think we see and don’t feel the pain. We have felt pain for decades and centuries, we have felt pain from whips, felt pain from laws, felt pain from lynchings, felt pain from knives, felt pain from fists, felt pain from kicks, felt pain from firehouses, felt pain from clubs, felt pain from dogs, felt pain from silence, and felt pain from guns and bullets we have felt so much pain it’s annoying and irritating.

Yet, we have a President and have to watch a imbecile that has caused the worst divide ever in the history of the Country! We have seen a President and supporters elevate him to a point that they would put him ahead of Jesus, we have seen a President be immorally unclean and unfit, and we have seen a President that pushed it way too far but not just him…. anybody that supported him helped to aid this. The GOP helped, the Southern Baptist Convention helped, the Evangelical Church helped, the ones who voted for him helped, and everybody that has lined themselves up with this despicable have helped in this! How you supported, how you cheered, how you celebrated, and how you joined hands with this has caused this!

There is innocent blood on your hands, there are Black families that have lost so many relatives, children, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents they can’t get them back because of racism. Cops that have policed like they were above the law have taken advantage, and not just that but everyone that has sat idly by not saying anything at all has contributed to this level of bigotry, hatred, and murder! Yes they have, and yes they continue to happen and then we see how all we want is to be heard but we have to be heard screaming, have to be heard afraid, and have to be heard with billets entering in our bodies but we see White people being heard and assaulting without any action!

We have seen the tear gas, we have seen the National guard, and we have seen the way you’ve allowed us to be destroyed! But where is the love, where is the compassion, and where is the fight for us! We have heard how we are “Thugs” but not the ones storming the Capitol building that was thuggish behavior! It has to be both ways, and the problem is there is no issue talking down about us but what about them…. I mean you can’t seriously think that those who flip over cars, burn cars, and then destroy various office buildings in the Capitol are not thugs!?!? Are you kidding me…. that was Thug behavior, and that continues to be something that we deal with because stop labeling us but not labeling them!

However, all of this could have been avoided if the GOP would have had the guts to remove the current President! It’s a shame, how many people have allowed one man to bring out so much fear that now we have a full fledge catastrophe on our hands! Why………. because liberties were given, free range was given, no culpability, and that people still stood by while injustice kept being the center of our world! “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere” (Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), that’s what we are still seeing and then you wonder why we are shaky, why we don’t trust, and why we have hard time believing what is being told to us!

Anything can be said to us that sounds good, but it’s time to start having some actions! We need some actions, and we have to have some actions we can’t playing around or straddling the fence but we want to be treated fairly! As Dr. King said it so well, in his sermon/speech at Mason Temple on April 3, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee he said: “All we say to America is be true to what you said on paper”. Be true to what you said on paper, and show it to us but even though the paper of the constitution has never been true, the paper of the Holy Bible has always been true to us!

God has always been good to us, God has always been great to us, and God has always been fair and just to us! It was the Prophet Amos who spoke it in Amos 5:24 – “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream”. No matter what has happened, we have seen that the Lord has still kept us! That doesn’t mean we don’t stop marching or protesting, but we also keep on preaching, singing, praying, teaching, and leading! It’s because of the Black Church that we have faith, we have hope, and we have this belief that even in our frustration the Gospel still works and Jesus Christ is still the same yesterday, today, and forever yes He is even with all of this Jesus is still our Savior and our trust to make it!

Even though people have tried to strip our self-esteem, to slash our confidence, and to cut our joy it hasn’t happened because we believe in the Lord! We believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we believe that everything is going to be alright no matter what we have had to deal with from the times of Harriet Tubman, Jim Crow, Civil Rights, Olympics, Marches, Protests, and anything else that has affected us we have made it because we have trusted in God! That’s what had brought us back, that is what has kept us, that is what has made us, and that is what will always allow us to stand is because we are trusting in God!

It hurts but God heals, it wounds but God restores, it is unfair but God treats us well, it is troubling but God gives us peace, it is rough but God smooths the road, and it is hard to see but we always look up to the hills from where the Lord always sends help! We know that God always gets the last word, and God will always have the final say so! This is God’s word not mine and certainly not yours, you can’t make us afraid because we have a great security system because the Lord is our shield, the Lord is our rock, the Lord is our fortress, and the Lord is our guide! We will always make it, and we can’t or won’t break because the Lord is with us, and we follow His voice not the ones that try to make us afraid or fearful!

God is still on the throne, and as the Bible tells us in Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning created the Heavens and the Earth. That’s where our hope is, that’s where our confidence is, and that’s where our faith is because we still believe in the power of God! We will be fine, and we won’t stop but we will keep on walking by faith, living by faith, speaking by faith, marching by faith, protesting by faith, and living our lives by faith because the Lord is our everything and our power! We walk and we live by faith! God always will take care of us, and God will always get the last word! We are children of God, that will always have the victory! We walk by faith!

Pastor G. Chris Brown

Romans 8:31,35-39 NASB
[31] What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? [35] Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [36] Just as it is written, “For YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” [37] But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I know that this just looks like a regular computer screen, I know that there really isn’t anything that is fascinating about it, and I know that it doesn’t really have much to offer or even show! But have you began to really think about this screen, and how you and I can tie ourselves into this because you know what looks like it’s nothing, what look likes it is not valuable, what looks like it is a waste, and what looks like it might not even be anything to somebody else might be very important, might have real value, and might have real significance to you if you choose to look at it with a different perspective.

I think of our lives as Christians like this, because you and I are very blessed to have been blessed by the Lord in the ways that He has chosen to bless us. God has been good to us, God has been great to us, and God has been marvelous to us in so many ways so what comes out of that is a reason to always rejoice and celebrate. We should and have so many reasons to be glad, to be happy, to be thankful, and to rejoice because we know what the Lord has done, we know how good God has been, and we know that the Lord has been so kind to us. All of that God has done, and not just that but the Lord has chosen to give us things that nobody else could get but He gives us things for us specifically and just for us.

I mean you think about it in terms of scrolling the internet, what might interest you won’t always interest me and vice versa…. we all have different interests. Some people like myself always want to look at sports, some want to look at politics, some want to look at animals, some want to look at different types of crimes and mysteries, some want to look at what is the Dow Jones doing, and other types of interests that take precedents in somebody’s life and their imaginations. But the thing is…. you like what you like, you enjoy what you enjoy, and you have your screen set for the way you want it to be set all because it’s what you have chosen to engage, and what you have chosen embrace that makes all of the difference.

That’s how it relates to our lives as believers once again, it’s all about what you have in front of you that makes you believe, that makes you have joy, that makes you have peace, and that makes you have happiness. What do you choose to look at, what do you choose to enjoy, what do you choose to think about, and what do you choose to have fun with because what’s on your screen is on your spiritual screen. God has given all of us plenty, God has blessed us all in plenty of ways, God has blessed us in many ways, and God has allowed to see things in many ways but it also comes back to the original statement, to that original attitude, and to the original action about what are you going to keep looking at.

There are plenty of times when you want to look at somebody else’s screen, I mean as we live in this Christian life we have plenty of times that we view things from many different people. We see our friends, we see our colleagues, we see our family members, and we see others who we know what they are having or even enjoying and then we look at ourselves, and it’s not that we don’t enjoy what we have but that doesn’t mean we don’t from time look at what others have, that we don’t start to see what others possess, that we don’t see what others acquire and begin to think – (Why not me, where is mine, when is my big break coming, what do I have to do to get that, and what is it going to take for me to get this just like I have seen).

I mean you’ve been there, and I know I have been there but that’s the thing just because we have been there doesn’t mean we have to stay there. It’s about what are you focusing on and what are you ignore, don’t ignore what the Lord has given you by placing too much focus, time, and energy on what you don’t have because that’s not what God has chosen for you! You are still chosen by God, you are still blessed by God, and you are still given plenty of opportunities. That’s where we have to trust God comes into fold, that’s where we have to believe in God, and that’s where we have to be comfortable with ourselves to really begin to allow the Lord to lead us, to allow the Lord to guide us, and to allow the Lord to solve anything that we aren’t confident about that’s when we trust God to do it for us.

When you are comfortable with you, that’s when you’ll begin to keep your eyes on your own screen, when you are comfortable with yourself that’s when you’ll begin to make sure that you love yourself, and when you are comfortable with yourself you’re not in a rush to be like others or even jump the gun but you are fine with who you are! Are you comfortable with yourself, that’s the thing are you really comfortable with you… don’t think you e got to have these major alterations just to succeed, because plenty of people have made various changes and are still unhappy, still not satisfied, and still not at peace because they never got to the place of being comfortable with them.

Have you ever challenged yourself this way, and have you ever confronted yourself this way and began to say “Am I Comfortable With Me”. It’s a striking statement, but sometimes it’s a necessary statement all because we all need to know and even make sure within our lives that we are comfortable with ourselves. Sometimes people miss out on them, because they are too consumed with being someone that’s not them and that can cause all kinds of issues and problems. That’s the thing, that it can cause various types of issues and problems that none of us want to have but it’s also up to us as individuals to determine if we are comfortable with us. Make sure that you are comfortable with you, and when you live and walk with the Lord that will make you keep your faith and keep your focus on the right things and not the wrong things.

That’s the thing about life, is that life can make you feel unaccomplished if you let it and the important thing is don’t let!!! Don’t give anything that much power, don’t give anything that much force, and don’t give anything that much attention if it is making you feel that down!!! Ignore it, and press on from it because you are special and have qualities that have been given to you by the Lord, and you e got to press on and continue to trust in the Lord and when you trust in the Lord that’s what happens for you to keep on looking at your screen in the spiritual sense knowing that that I’m glad with who I am, I’m happy with who I am, and I’m thankful and grateful for who I am all because I know that the Lord has made me this person that I choose to be comfortable and satisfied with.

It reminds me of shoes, and you know people will decide what shoes that they like. A kid one day was at the park and he was wearing “Fila’s” all because he liked them, and what many people probably don’t know that this company was very popular until Nike, Adidas, Under Armour became popular. Yet, Fila was very popular and because he like Fila other kids were laughing at him due to his choice of shoes. Even though they laughed, that didn’t stop that kid from wearing those shoes because that was his choice, that was his decision, and that was his favorite interest all because he liked those shoes then he kept wearing them and that was the end. Why……. because he was comfortable with himself!

That’s the same way it is today, you can have confidence that is everlasting when you are comfortable with you, you can have peace that can’t be slashed because you are comfortable with you, you can have joy that is always present and alive because you are comfortable with you, and you can have faith that never departs all because you are comfortable with you! Don’t stop being comfortable with you, don’t stop loving you, and don’t stop doing what you like and feel the Lord is leading you to do!! Don’t stop those things, it doesn’t matter about the reaction of others you just keep doing what you are supposed to do and let that be the end of it and don’t allow anything to stop that or cha he that but just be you!

Make that declaration and determination today… I’ll focus on my screen, and I’m going to focus on my life and being who the Lord has chosen and equipped me to be! I’m going to do that and live without regrets, and because I’m going to do that why should I stop being me but I’ll keep being me, and looking at my screen enjoying the picture that God has painted for me! There is that thing, I’ll be enjoying that and myself, and there’s nothing that will stop me anymore because I’ve chosen to be comfortable with me, I’ve chose to trust God, and I’ve chose to be me without any regrets because the Lord is my God and I’m glad that He has made me the person I am! Be me, and don’t backtrack but keep being you with any regrets, any pause, and any hesitation!

That’s where it is, and that’s how it will be and will make you feel! Be you, and keep on looking up to the Lord and being happy with you! It doesn’t stop, and that feeling will always make you stay the same and keep on staying on the road, because you’ve made it up in your mind that I will be who I am and I’m fine, comfortable, and happy with that! Be you!

Proverbs 23:15-16 NASB
[15] My son, if your heart is wise, My own heart also will be glad; [16] And my inmost being will rejoice When your lips speak what is right.

Pastor G. Chris Brown

Have you ever gotten wet!?!? You know there are times that you’ll get wet, one thing about me is that I’ve never like to swim in deep water primarily because I can’t that well LOL!! Yet I’ve always loved to get wet, and I’ve always loved to play in the water… and I love when it rains, I love the smell of rain, and I love the fact that rain can be soothing and comforting. Yet, you and I both know the effects of getting wet, because you can get your clothes wet, your car will get wet, your hair can get wet, your groceries can get wet, your phone can get wet, and anytime you’re in the rain there is that great possibility that you will indeed get wet when it rains.

There was a song we used to sing in elementary school “Rain rain go away, come back another day”. Have you ever sung that song in your life, I’m sure that you have most certainly asked for the rain to go away but it doesn’t! There are times that we want the rain to go away, there are times that we want the rain to stop, and there are times that we won’t to rain to cease but it doesn’t. Life will send us the rain, life will certainly rain on you, and life will most definitely bring things to you that you didn’t expect because in this life you can’t get go through it without getting wet! The rain will certainly come, the rain will certainly flow, and the rain will certainly show up because life is a guarantee of wetness!

You don’t know when the rain will come but it will come, there are times that you will feel the rainstorm of criticism, the rainstorm of mental struggles, the rainstorm of heartbreak, the rainstorm of rejection, the rainstorm of wondering did you make the right choice, the rainstorm of fear, and the rainstorm of worry we all have to deal with a rainstorm. Sometimes it seems like the rain never stops, sometimes it seems like the rain always shows up, and sometimes it seems like the rain is always in the forecast because you and I are not exempt from going through the rain!

No matter how strong you are, no matter how faithful you are, and no matter how much you love the Lord you’ll be dealing with a rainstorm! But see it is the rainstorm you learn how to push through the rain, you learn how to have faith in the rain, you learn how to trust God more in the rain, you learn and see that when I get wet I can’t run away but sometimes I need to get wet in order to really grow! It is amazing how we grow in tight places, it is amazing how we grow in places and spaces we didn’t think, it is amazing how we grow in the times that we have to really be tried, really be tested, and really have to deal with the rain!

You should never fight the rain, but you should always appreciate the rain! That seems like it’s a contradiction doesn’t it…… well I’ve come to this conclusion, the more we grow with God the more things we have to deal with, but good preparation always makes you able to stand and to be able to continue to go forward! When you go forward that’s because the rain didn’t stop you, that’s because the rain didn’t restrict you, that’s because the rain didn’t keep you down, that’s because the rain didn’t make you falter, the rain has come but yet God has been there and because God has and is there it has made you able to survive and keep the faith even with the challenges going on!

Challenges are a required course in the University of life, that’s something that you’ll have to deal with and encounter is challenges! Yet I’ve discovered this about challenges…. “They are what you need”. If you look at a car manufacturer, they didn’t start out successful but it took some challenges in order for them to get to that new place in life and building a successful industry! You look at a grocery store chain, it doesn’t mean they started out that way but there were challenges in order to get them to where they are now. You look at a school that is highly recognized now, but that doesn’t mean it started out that way but over time it became a better school but they had challenges in order for them to grow into a better school, and into a better program!

It reminds me of the Toronto Raptors, they finally won an NBA Championship last year against the Golden State Warriors! Yet, they for a long period of time kept getting to the playoffs, having that number 1 seed but they still kept getting booted out of the playoffs! Finally they were able to stand on top, finally they were able to celebrate, and finally they were able to calm themselves champions even after all that they experienced, after all they dealt with, and after all they lived with they finally became the champions of the NBA! It was the struggle that they had, it was the rain that they had, and it was the challenges that they encountered that made winning that championship even the more meaningful and the more special because they overcame.

That’s the thing even with the rain coming stay with the course, even when the rain comes keep on holding up that umbrella, and even when the rain comes keep on holding on to your faith and what you believe about God! The rain can come, but the goodness of God will always be there for you because the Lord is still in control of the weather! God is still the one that has all power, God is still the one the one that has all control, and God is the one that still has the the final say so! Don’t run away from the storm, but keep on running to God because that’s where the strength comes from, that’s where the hope comes from, and that’s where the belief that it is going to be better and turn around for me comes from!

So the question is… “Do you trust God, and His plan for your life when it rains?” Rain sometimes is part of the plans God has for you, and you have to ask yourself do you still trust God even when the sun isn’t out! You don’t get to have it sunny all the time, it won’t be favorable conditions all the time, it won’t be pleasant conditions all the time, it won’t be lovely conditions all of the time but do you still trust God in all things!?!? We know that God is a good God all of the time, so do you trust Him at all times when you don’t always know what’s going to happen but at least you know whose in control and who can turn things around! You can survive the rain, because you know it won’t be like this always because God will turn things around for your good!

I can remember when I was in middle school, there were times we would play basketball after school and it would be cloudy outside! So we would still play outside, but then I can remember there were those times that it started rain and of course we were playing on an outside court which made it more slippery,band made the ball wet, and of course we were wet! But you know what we kept doing… we kept dribbling, we kept shooting, and we kept on playing because we loved to play the sport and we said that we won’t let some rain stop us from doing what we love to do! That’s all we needed, was that motivation to keep playing and not allowing anything stop us from doing what we wanted to do!

See whatever you love don’t stop doing it just because some rain has shown up! You love to preach, love to teach, love to sing, love to draw, love to read, love to write, and whatever it is you might get some rain but don’t stop doing it because God is going to make sure that you come out on top! That’s why I know that God is in control, that’s why I know when I do it for God that the Lord will always look out for me and will always take care of me! I’ll keep doing what I love to do, because doing it brings me so much joy and satisfaction that the rain won’t stop but the rain doesn’t know how strong and how much backbone I have! Keep doing it, and you’ll have a story to tell later on about how you survived the rain!

Psalm 40:1-4 NASB
[1] I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. [2] He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. [3] He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear And will trust in the LORD. [4] How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust, And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

This sign has become the new normal, and everywhere that you turn we are being told to put face masks on! We are told to wear these face masks, and there are rules now that if you don’t have a mask either you’ll get one upon entry, or you can’t enter at all! That’s just become our new normal, that has become our new mode, and that has become our new standard that we have to wear masks in public! I mean that doesn’t mean it isn’t annoying, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t get on your nerves, and that doesn’t mean it doesn’t bother us but it’s the new normal! Because at the end of the day it is either… LIVE OR DIE!!!!

So you see plenty of people now, that will be our and about wearing masks! Now of course there are some who are hard-headed, defiant, and just really being difficult by not wearing masks thinking that they are invincible! Yet, we have seen throughout this pandemic, nobody is invincible and there is no need to risk yourself or others all because you don’t want to wear a mask!! It’s important to wear a mask, and there are times that we are forced to live with some stuff that has become new, that has become our of the ordinary, and that has become the new custom. But it can be a good thing, when we allow it to shape us and serve its purpose it can become a good thing!

I believe the same in our lives as Christian believers, that the Lord is good at shaking things up so that we start to walk down a new level and a new path! There are times that we hang around the ordinary too long, we hang around the complacent too long, and we hang around the just making it by too long so the Lord will give us a new normal and a new standard! There are times that God is giving us a new standard for our good, giving us a new standard so that we stop trying to act like we are okay when we aren’t, and that we are being pushed to another place and spot so that we can really grow and be challenged! God is good like that, that He will institute a new normal in our lives that will really be for our benefit and for our development!

Some stuff that you do now, those things probably wouldn’t have happened if the Lord hadn’t done some switching and some changing in our lives! God is good at that, God is great at that, and I believe that the Lord is strategic at what He does and why He does it. Sometimes the Lord has to give us something new, the Lord has to make us expand, the Lord has to make us change, and the Lord has to make us see that some ways are good but that doesn’t mean that improvements can’t come. It is not a bad thing to improve, it is not a bad thing to want to improve, it is not a a bad thing to live in an improved state, and it is not a bad thing to let the Lord improve you! When you let the Lord improve you then you’ll walk differently, you’ll love differently, you’ll serve differently, you’ll respond differently, and you’ll continue to go forward all because there has been improvements in you!

That’s why some stuff shouldn’t be fought but embraced!!! Embrace the new normal, embrace what the Lord is doing, embrace what the Lord is speaking to you, embrace what the Lord is leading you to, and embrace what the Lord is guiding you to all of that comes into the fold when the Lord is at work! God always is doing something that you need, and see when we really trust and submit to God that we have to allow the Lord to make those changes in our lives for our benefits! There is no need to talk about wanting a better life, if you’re going to fight the changes that the Lord is making in you! How can you grow in your life, how can you grow in your walk, and how can you grow in your development if you’re fighting what you’ve prayed and asked God to do in your life!

There is a blessing in embracing the new, you never know what God is wanting to do because God doesn’t have to try to do anything! You don’t know what God wants to do, and what God wants you to see if you remain stuck on what has been and not trying to see what can become! Maybe that’s why some people are staggering, maybe that’s why some people are lacking, and maybe that’s why some people are sluggish because they don’t see what they can become because of being consumed with what they are! Now… who you are is who the Lord made you, but even in that why not even grow even more into that person that continues to flourish and skyrocket!?!? That’s why you have to embrace the new, embrace the changes, and don’t fight the changes but let them become apart of you, let them lead you, let them shift you, and let them become your new standard of what you consider yourself to be advancement within your life and faith!

Faith is that action that pushes us to a new place, faith is that action that pushes us to a new mentality, and faith is that action that pushes us to a closer relationship with the Lord! In this new normal and season, it will always take some real strong faith to believe in God and to allow God to work! The faith you have in God will uphold you when you have doubts, when you have worries, when you have fears, when you have trepidation’s, when you have second thoughts, when you have questions, and even when you have backlash but the faith that you have in God will be your leader to let you know that the Lord knows what He is doing! God knows why we need a shift, God knows why we need adjustments, and God knows why we need updates but do you have the faith in Him to believe in Him enough to where you go with Him and you go forward with Him!?!? You have to believe in order to go forward, you have to believe in order to see the promise, and you have to believe in order to experience the new level and the new apex.

Anytime you watch golf which is a great sport to watch, you’ll always notice something about a great golfer that they’ll talk with their caddy so that they make the right decision as to what club to use at the right time. Whether it is a par 3, a par 5, or a par 4, there is that relationship that is built between a golfer and a caddy that can not be replaced. Golfers always pick the right caddy, so that the caddy will give them the right words and pieces of advice so that they make sure they have the right club for the match! You’ll see how golfers will embrace the caddy, you’ll see how golfers will celebrate the caddy, and you’ll see how golfers will be grateful for the caddy all because it was the help of that caddy that got them to believe and helped them achieve the victory because they listened and followed!

That’s why the Lord gives us a new normal, because we have to listen and we have to follow what the Lord is saying! That’s why the Lord is making things uneasy right now, making things uncomfortable right now, and making things take a different direction right now because He wants to see if you will listen and follow so that you are pushed to a new space, a new place, a new area in life so that you can see God in a whole different light! There are times, that we can get too lackadaisical with God because we are just looking at God through one scope, through one viewpoint, and through one set of eyes that we need God to shake up so that are vision can expand and so that are spiritual walk can expand! I want to expand, I want to grow, and I want to live even deeper in the full abundance of God that I believe He has but we have to do things differently, yet trust God in everything and watch Him work!

I remember as a kid going to my home Church Greater Mt Olive Baptist Church OKC one Sunday, and I was shocked by what I saw! I was born into that Church, and then my family moved to Arlington, Texas but we would make frequent trips to OKC every year. So this particular Sunday I was shocked because, I remember how Greater Mt Olive looked and then I was expecting to see the renovations that took place. So as a kid I was like “What’s going on, what’s happening, or why is this happening”, but then as I got older I saw that in order to continue to grow, to continue to progress, and to continue to excel you have to be willing to make some changes. So then after the renovations were over, the sanctuary was expanded and then a beautiful family life center was built with a gym and then classrooms on the second and third floors! I always applaud the leadership of my late Pastor – Rev. Dr. A. Glenn Woodberry in how he let the Lord tell him what to do, lead him in what to do, and show him what was going to be best for the Church not just in the present but also in the future!

God is the same way, and God is speaking that to us every day of our lives in so many ways that we have to trust Him enough to let Him grow us, we have to trust Him enough to let Him expand us, and we have to trust Him enough to let Him renovate us!!! Are you really ready for the renovations to take place, are you really ready for the new doors to take place, are you really ready for the new ways to take place, are you really ready for the new miracles and moments to take place!?!? I want the new, I’ve enjoyed what has been but I don’t want to write myself off or even ignore why the Lord still wants to do in my life with the new! There are some new things coming, and there are some new things that are the on the way but it is up to you and I to let the Lord grow us and let the Lord expand us! Trust Him, believe Him, follow Him, and let Him guide and watch how He will provide!

Psalm 23:2 NASB
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

Now….. look at this picture, and oh my goodness it just hurts my eyes to see that Cam Newton is with the Patriots! We have seen Cam Newton star for the Carolina Panthers, and has been an MVP, and one of the most exciting players in the NFL! But now look at him, the Panthers basically moved on from him and so he is with the Patriots! It’s good to know that another team picked him up, even though it wasn’t the team we would have wanted or expected but he’s on a team! So now you see that he has been given another chance, another opportunity, and another team.

Listening to Cam Newton on Instagram, there is no doubt about it that he was hurt because the Panthers released him. Throughout his workouts, you could see how motivated he was to get back on the field and that he was throwing shots at the Panthers. However there was something that he said that got to me, and that honestly really disturbed me when he said this: “I’m tired of being humble”. In his frustration, in his pain, and in his way of expressing his emotions you could tell that he meant that all because of what went wrong, and that somebody else was taking his job, his spot, and really his leadership role.

I think we all can be honest, that there have been plenty of times we have been like Cam Newton that we have been hurt, we have been upset, we have been disappointed, we have been despondent, and that we have been really mistreated. I mean people get tired of being kind, get tired of always getting shots thrown at them, get tired of being treated differently, get tired of being treated wrong and that they should just take it and not feel some kind of way about it. People sometimes get tired of being the punch line, having their kindness taken for weakness, and really just fed up with always taking the high road.

You can be honest with that, sometimes you don’t always take the high road and want to do to others what they’ve done to you. There are times that you want to get even, that you want to get revenge, that you want to really just become the same person like those who have mistreated and done you wrong. Because you get frustrated being the nice guy and nice person, begins nice can be frustration because people will feel like they can say what they want, do what they want, and get any kind of way with you and that you won’t have any reaction! Being the nice person isn’t always a comforting feeling, only from the standpoint that you see that just because I’m nice shouldn’t mean that I get taken advantage of.

So in the human realm of things those thoughts are real, those feelings are real, and those things make one really say “What is the point, why do I bother, and should I continue to accept this”? Those are just feelings that fester, feelings that show up, and feelings that sometimes will take residence in a person’s mind and feelings but just because they may not be nice to you, that doesn’t mean to fight back trying to repay them that same way because you’ll never be happy, you’ll be somebody you don’t like, you’ll be somebody you won’t recognize, and you’ll be somebody that isn’t at peace with you all because you’re trying to carry on the wrong persona.

LeBron James in his first season with the Heat, after all of the vitriol and hatred he received from making his move to the Miami Heat from the Cleveland Cavaliers tried to play that villain role. Yet, in trying to play that villain role he admitted that he wasn’t happy, he didn’t like that role, he didn’t like that character, he didn’t have peace, he didn’t have any joy, and he didn’t have any fun all because who he was trying to be wasn’t who he should have been. I mean you can be upset and feel that way, but then you’ll discover that this isn’t me and when you know what is you and what’s not you, that’s when you will say even though they don’t do me right… I’ll still do them right!

That’s what you get to because God is still watching me, God is still blessing me, and God has still been good to me. See, when you begin to think about who you are and who God is; there will be a ephinany within you that begins to think that it’s not worth it trying to be somebody that I’m not. It’s not worth trying to be like those who do me wrong, especially when even though they don’t me right the Lord is still blessing, the Lord is still opening up doors, the Lord is still guiding, the Lord is still making a way, and the Lord is still seeing me through plenty of things so what’s the point of trying to get even when I’m still blessed.

Sometimes we as people should look at what we have…. oh yes you’ve been hurt, oh yes you’ve been upset, and oh yes you’ve been angry but look at yourself and look at what you have. What you have been blessed with, should always be more important than trying to get back and trying to get even with people. Many people are always trying to get even, you don’t need to get even because it won’t give you satisfaction like you think it will no it won’t! Nothing wrong with taking the high road, because the high road is when the Lord will continue to elevate and continue to bless in spite of how people have made me feel.

I know we all have emotions… but that’s when during those heated moments, it is important to give it over to God! That’s one thing that the devil wants is revenge, is for you to lose yourself, is for you to forget yourself, and is for you to all of a sudden back away from your convictions to play the revenge game. Some games and hands you don’t need to play, some tables you don’t need to sit at, and some partners you don’t need to have all because that can produce the wrong actions, motives, and characteristics. Everyone isn’t worth a response, some people will never appreciate you, and some people will always think you can’t be replaced but let them think that… while the Lord continues to bless you!

God always sends people who will care about you, God will always send you to a location or new spot that will value and appreciate you!!! But whatever you do, remember to always stay and be you!!! That can’t be emphasized enough… continue to be you, don’t change you but be you it’s better to be you and let somethings get revealed to you so you can move on, instead of trying to fight with them and let them take away your joy, your happiness, and your positive spirit! Some stuff just isn’t worth engaging in, especially when what doesn’t treat you right God replaces with what will treat you right!!!

Simone Biles wasn’t always treated right, but then she become an Olympic and national sensation. When it was her turn, we all watched and viewed how she stole the show with gymnastics and has become an Olympic legendary, a hero, a role model, and a person who so many have become a fan of all because she made that determination to not let the negativity lower her morals, standards, and her integrity! To this day you mention her name, and you will immediately reflect on her legendary performances and because she took the high toad and didn’t let them make her quit or lose herself!

Don’t lose yourself, don’t let them make you lose yourself, and always stay true to yourself because you’re a child of God! Being a child of God will make you remain who you are, will make you ignore who and what doesn’t appreciate you, and it will make you embrace what does appreciate you! Don’t try to be the villain, don’t let the hurts make you forget who you are, and don’t let what really became a closed door make you all of a sudden blow a new door, trying to get back at the old door! God will always give you a new landing spot, no need to try to let the past get in the way of the new because it’s past, it’s dry, and it’s dead!

Stay who you are! Stay who you are! It’s not worth trying to be an enemy, but stay who you are and you’ll continue to live in victory, walk in victory, think in victory, speak in victory, and have a victorious attitude because God always gets you and me through anything that tries to stop us! You won’t be stopped, and don’t let the messed up actions stop you, but rise above it and let the Lord take care of the rest!

Psalm 25:21 NASB
[21] Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.

This picture is something that might not look like anything, it might look like a mess, and it might look just like colors that are meshed together!! But that’s not it, there is more to it than that because this picture has a message, this picture has a meaning, and this picture speaks to me in a specific way! I look at these colors and I wonder why did the picture come like this, what was the purpose for the picture to come this way, and is it possible that there are times in our lives that we all are like this picture because we have our own uniqueness, we have our own qualities, and we have our own unique path that is just for us!?!?

When it comes to sports drinks there has been a competition between two companies: “Gatorade and Powerade”. Some people prefer Gatorade and others prefer Powerade, when you taste either some have there own personal preference to these specific sports drinks. The thing about it is… Gatorade has their own science, their own labels, their own studies and test on how their drink is made and that’s the same way it is for Powerade! Athletes have endorsed both, but you’ll never see Gatorade try to be Powerade, and you’ll never see Powerade trying to be Gatorade. That’s not what they are designed to do, they are crafted to be their thing, their own flavor, and their unique drink which will bring those who like it to it because it is it’s own entity.

I think about that with this photo, and I think about that with how the Lord has made us! Haven’t you been able to look at what you have, who you are, and the things God has done for you which should show you that you have a specific and unique design, pattern, and path that the Lord has given to you specifically! Everybody doesn’t have the same design, everybody doesn’t have the same frame, everybody doesn’t have the same picture, and most certainly everybody doesn’t have the same colors!!! That’s the thing about the painter and the picture it is always different!!

There are times in our lives… that we have to stop trying to fit into everybody’s expectations! There is something that you have to offer, that you have to give, and that you have to live within your own self!! Many times people mess up their portrait because they are trying to use somebody’s else’s vision, that’s not what it is about it is about using the vision that the Lord has for you and letting the Lord give you the proper vision for your life! It’s your life, only because the Lord is the one that is giving it and God always gives each of us… our own paint, our own sheet, and our brushes!!

What I like about this picture is that it has a select few colors! You see that in most drawings, and in most paintings there is always only a select number of colors that are being used. God does that for us, the Lord always gives us our own unique colors and brushes because we all can’t paint the same, we all can’t live the same, we all can’t speak the same, we all can’t think the same, we all can’t really be the same, and even our relationships with God aren’t the same that’s why the Lord allows and lets us paint and look at things differently!

You know we all have various ideas, we can brainstorm, we can think, and we can write our ideas out within a group but at the end of the day it’s about what is going to fit you! Look at the picture again, I guarantee somebody will say that I would have done a different shape, used one color more than another color, or has deeper or even lighter strokes but see that’s your vision for you, but that’s not what fits here! What fits you, what doesn’t fit you, and what are you trying to make fit that you know isn’t going to fit!?!? That’s what happens as I see this, as I see myself, and hopefully as you see yourself that you’ll get to a place where you will begin to acknowledge what fits and what doesn’t fit and when you do… than you are really ready to live and paint!

Are you ready to paint!?!? Then start…. but don’t let those who don’t know you make you change your vision! You know even those that are closest to us, there will be times that even though don’t see what we see and what God sees! We have to stop trying to make people see what they don’t need to see or understand, because what they have made has been what they have done not me! There will always be somebody trying to add the wrong color to your formation, there will always be something that tries to paint over and takeover, and there will always be something that tries to push your vision out of the way!! But don’t entertain it, don’t let it bully you, don’t let it affect you, and don’t let it stop you!!

Do you see it!?!? Do you see what you can make when you paint with your colors!?!? Do you see what you can overcome!?!? Do you see what you can be!?!? Do you see what is possible!?!? I would hope that you have seen it by now, I pray that you see it, I want you to see it because it is talking to you!!! There are colors and a picture that is talking to you, that brush is talking to you and trying to tell you it’s time to paint! It’s time to paint, it’s time to stop trying to be something you’re not, it’s time to stop not trying to face some stuff but it’s time to let it go, it’s time to break free and break away from those unnecessary strongholds yes it is!! You have a picture that needs to be painted and that needs to be displayed!!!

Another thing about this picture that speaks out to me is…. the whole sheet isn’t painted or covered in colors!!! There are still some white spots, and there are still some places that can be added it’s some colors! That’s how the Lord works, because God can and will always add to us and add something that’s even greater to our lives! God will always give us a good start, God will always give us a great start, God will always give us a great chapter/chapters that’s how good the Lord is! Yet, don’t stop there and don’t let that be the end of the story because the Lord can always add more to the story, the Lord can always add more to you, the Lord can always do more, the Lord can always grant more, the Lord can always bless more, and the Lord can alway elevate and favor more yes it can because the Lord has that type of power.

God can and always will do more but do you want more! Are you okay with just a good picture, but you can see that there is more potential and you can have a magnificent picture!?!? That’s what I want is that magnificent picture, I want all that God wants for me, I want God to add more to me, I want God to do more for me, I want God to continue to bless me, and to continue to wake many ways for me!!! That’s what I want is for the Lord to continue to make ways for me, make things happen for me, make me want things to happen for me, and make me follow His plan always so that I never miss out on what is going to be beneficial to me!

I’m a major sports fans, and I love to watch game clinching games and seeing teams clinch the championships for their respective teams and leagues. One thing about it is… every sport has its own unique Championship trophy whether it is the – Larry O’Brien trophy, Stanley Cup, Vince Lombardi trophy, World Series trophy, or College Sports trophies they all look differently. The goal is to win, and when that team wins then they will hoist up that trophy because it celebrates the championship that they have won, the hard work they put in, and because they won they raised the trophy! Yet I like to see the various trophies, because they can’t have the same trophies but they have something that distances themselves from another league!

As you and I go through this life, that’s the important thing that as we grow and even when grow with other people don’t ever lose you! There is still something special and cool about you, that is specifically you and that’s how the Lord has made you so embrace that and never change that but keep that the main thing letting the Lord continue to bless you, letting the Lord continue to make you happy, letting the Lord continue to make you have peace, and letting the Lord ccontinue to give you that thing that makes you glad to be who you are! Be your own picture, be your own person, and go in your path that is led by the Lord that will make you glad and thankful for who you are!

Jeremiah 33:3 NASB
[3] ‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

You see this pic, there is something about water that always makes me intrigued and makes me enthused because of its unity, because of its flow, and because of its sound that it brings out. You know it is amazing how water can flow, it is amazing how water can sound, it is amazing how water can come through, and it is amazing to me how water doesn’t let anything stop it.

I’ve come to discover that when the Lord is blessing you, when the Lord is giving you goodness, and when the Lord has been kind to you there will be your own flow of water that will continue to flow because it’s your water. The Lord gives us our own water, and you know there are times that we all mess up because we don’t focus and drink from our own water. The Lord has given you some water that is yours, some water that has your name on it, some water that’s specifically designed for you, and some water that you’ll have to enjoy because why should you not enjoy the water that God gives you!?!?

Also when the Lord is giving you that water for you, there is a time that you have to realize and understand that not everyone can come to your pool, everybody can’t come to your lake, and everybody can’t try to play around in your waves. Some people have ulterior motives, some people won’t to do even the smallest and dumbest things to mess up what you have, and some people are not happy to see that the water that the Lord has given you is pure water! Have you ever as a rough time from people you thought would support you….. there is a reason for that: They can’t handle and don’t like the water that God has given you!

There are people who have an attitude with what God has done for you, there are people who disapprove of what God has given you, and there are some people who are angry that God has elevated you! When the Lord is elevating you the water starts talking, when the Lord is blessing you the water starts talking, when the Lord has answered your prayers the water starts talking, when the Lord has given you that special assignment, that special person, and that special gift that’s when the water will begin to start talking! Don’t shut the water off, but shut off the outside influences that try to take over the water!

As you and I continue to grow in our walk with God, the word of God will most certainly have to take ownership and precedence in your every day life! You know when the Lord speaks there isn’t anything that can stop you, that doesn’t mean things and people won’t try because they most certainly will it’s apart of the nature, it’s apart of the journey, and it’s apart of the assignment that when you have been blessed some stuff always tries to get in the way, some stuff always tries to usurp the authority, and some stuff always tries to intervene because they can’t handle the water that you are drinking from, they can’t handle the water that is taking care of you, and they can’t handle the water that has been your guide and your leader.

But hey….. what would this walk be like without opposition lol!?!? That should be really a compliment and a badge of honor, of course you would think when you don’t bother others why are they bothering me, why are they taunting me, why are they questioning me, and why are they throwing multiple darts at me!?!? Why….. why…… why….. that’s a question you’ll never get a clear cut answer, that’s a question that you’ll never get a peace about, and that’s a question you’ll never get a real calmness about only because you can’t ch he the mid of people, but that doesn’t mean you have to bring that into your atmosphere or into your house!

That’s why you have to focus on your water, that’s why you have to enjoy your water, and that’s why you have to protect your water!!! You have to protect your water, you have to protect yourself, and you have to protect what is close to you so that the negative doesn’t try to drown the positivity!!! That’s why we have to have some signs in our lives, we have to have some signs in our lives that won’t tolerate anything foolish, that won’t entertain anything that is not happy, that won’t accept what God has anointed, and that won’t really value or appreciate who you are, what you have, and why you are going in a new direction!

When the water speaks it lets you know some stuff… it lets you know who is with you, it lets you know who is for you, it lets you know what is great for you, it lets you know why God does what He does, it lets you know why you can’t settle, it lets you know why you shouldn’t pass up anything, it lets you know that there is nothing that can stop you because God is for you! So when the water is speaking, when the water has you and when you have the water, you can’t be drained, stopped, or plunged all because the water has made you see what you have, the water has made you see what is great for you, and the water has made you understand that you don’t let your water by contaminated by unclean specimen!

It reminds me that in the Olympics, one of my favorite sports to watch is “Water Polo”. Water Polo to me is like soccer only it’s in water and you can use your hands, so you will begin to see these two play against each other and the thing is about the sport is… you have to travel down the water, you have to be able to have some will power, and you have to be able to not allow the defenders from the other team stop. So because of that you’ll see both teams score, you’ll see both teams be intense, and you’ll see both teams do their best to win all because they have that desire to win.

What is your desire!?!? What is your determination!?!? What is your focus!?!? That’s what you have to get to, that’s what you have to focus on, and that’s what you have to believe in that you have to have the right focus because you’ll have to stay with the water! Stay with the water, stay with the waves, stay with the place God has set and placed you at! Don’t leave it, just make others who don’t want to see your bright color leave because you don’t need darkness interfering with light!

As you and I continue to trust the Lord, as we continue to believe in the name of God, and as we continue to walk with the Lord that’s the thing that will come to us! Keep trusting God, keep trusting His plan, keep trusting His ways, and keep on enjoying the water He has given to you because the Lord is certainly good and He is good all of the time!

Jeremiah 17:10 ESV
[10] “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

You see this Black picture!?!? That’s just a reminder, that there is nothing wrong with this color!! God created Black, God made Black, and God has blessed Black! This is something to where once again, we have seen another unarmed Black man (George Lloyd) who was unjustly, disgustingly, and venomously murdered by a police officer!

We have seen this week protests all across the country, we have seen so many finally get to that place that enough is enough, and we have seen that the promises that were supposed to be made to African-Americans have repeatedly been ignored and now you see the effects. Black people have feelings, black people have concerns, black people have anger, black people have love, black people have pride, and now you see that folks who are tired and tired are now lashing out.

Some may say – “Does it take all of this”, there are those who will never understand because they don’t want to, because they haven’t felt it, and because they haven’t had to walk down that road of shame! As I have observed so much this week, I’ve seen what I still believe is the hope of humanity that the Lord is still at work, the Lord is still in control, the Lord is still in charge, the Lord is still good, the Lord is still going to make a way, and the Lord is still going to work things out for our good!

That’s one thing I pray we all have is: “HOPE”. Even though it feels and seems like it is a waste of time, I don’t believe it will be because there will always be hope when we stand together! There have been many examples of people from various races coming together, standing together, and protesting together which is a blessing! I will say don’t just do it because this is what is trending, don’t just do it because it looks cool, don’t just do it because you like our culture, you like our shoes, you like our T-shirts, you like our haircuts, you like our music, and because you like what it seems like is cool to be black!

Being black is a blessing but don’t kid yourself, being black can also be frustrating and really debilitating! So to those who have tried to ride the wave – “Are you sure this is what you want?”. But if you are really about us, if you are really about our cause, and if you really are about our lives mattering than keep this same energy when the protests stop, keep this same energy when you are at work and hear racist jokes, keep this same energy when you hear your friends criticize single Black mothers and children, keep this same energy when you have politicians and police officers who are supposed to be for all but are still mistreating us and you know it! Keep this same energy going, and this isn’t about being on television, this isn’t about being a popular person, and this isn’t about being a meme but this is about humanity, this is about life, and this is about being treated right!

We want to be treated right, especially because we built this country! You see so much in our nation and world was crafted by Black people, you see so much that you enjoy was designed by Black people, and you see that what we’ve been labeled as for too long has been completely ridiculous and false. This is our land too, this is our nation too, these are our cities too, these are our buildings too, and this is our God given right too! We have every right to be treated right, we have every right to be treated fairly, and we have every right to demand justice to this systematic problem that continues to rear its ugly head time after time!

The images, the videos, and the articles have hurt us to our core! It’s sad when a Black man doesn’t feel safe, whether they are driving their cars, walking in their neighborhoods, jogging in their neighborhoods, and just trying to enjoy the American motto “Land of the free and home of the brave”. The problem is – “We aren’t free”, in the eyes of the country we are still seen as the bottom of the barrel, we are still seen as insignificant, we are still seen as ignorant, we are still seen as uneducated, we are still seen as just a color!!! There is that problem, don’t look at my color but look at what I do in my color, look at how I love in my color, look at what I contribute in my color, and look at who I am in my color because there is so much about me that is there but you’ll never see it, if you only see me as a color or object but not as a person.

We are people, we are people, and most definitely we are children of God! You can’t say that you love the Lord but you don’t love me, you can’t say that you have a Christian life and heart but you don’t love me, and then you question us about stepping up for our human rights! Jesus is our Savior, and Jesus showed us that you have to stand up for the poor, stand up for the indigenous, stand up for the broken-hearted, stand up for those that are being kicked to the curb, being kicked in the face, being kicked in the back, and being murdered in your face!

See it is okay to use Black people for connections, for talent, for hook-ups, for ideas, and for strategies but then you are silent when we are killed in the streets!?!? That’s a issue because to be honest, there are plenty of White people who see us as primarily “Tokens”. That’s not the way it should be, that’s not the way we deserved to be treated, and that’s not the way it should be lived! We see the silence, we feel the silence, we sense the silence, and we are watching you because it doesn’t matter what you tell us privately if you don’t back it up and speak on it publicly!! If you can’t speak up for us and with us, than stop trying to get us and trying to jump on the train!!!

Stop trying to offer us advice, when you aren’t taking that same advice to your own communities, to your own Churches, to your own school boards, to your own country clubs, to your own brunch dates, and to your own houses! We appreciate the friendship, the being cordial, the being kind, but we don’t appreciate how when we need you in times like these that you aren’t there, you all of sudden forget who we are, and it seems like you have turned a lethal blind eye on us and now all of a sudden we don’t matter!?!?

We matter!!!! We matter!!!! We matter!!!! We have so much to give, so much to offer, and so much that we can and will do by the grace of God!!! As I view I will say to my people, don’t burn our communities, don’t destroy our communities, and don’t let the narrative change that we are about kills for kills! We have to be better and smarter than that, yes we are hurting, yes we are ticked off, and yes we are on high level of anger but don’t let that make us become something that we are not!!!

We are better than that, our forefathers and ancestors went through too much for us to tear it down!! We need to rise together Black people, and we need to stop tearing each other down because there is plenty of that already!! We need to read, we need to study, we need to develop, we need to stop fighting, we need to stop arguing, we need to stop going against each other but we have to stand with each other. We have to keep this same energy going all times, we have to still be a family when the protests are over, we have to still be a family when the signs go down, we have to still be a family when the smoke clears!

The fighting has to stop, the killing has to stop, the crime has to stop, the robberies have to stop!!! Our forefathers didn’t die on the battlefields for us to waste what they did, our forefathers didn’t get best for us to not care about life, and our forefathers didn’t go through the drenching of blood for us to throw it away! If anything we have to care about life, care about each other, and be there for each other! We have so much power when we band together, we have so much influence when we band together, and you can’t defeat a strong fist when it doesn’t let the things holding it together all of a sudden break and become tarnished! We have to be better, and we shall be better because we love the Lord!

This is a time when people have to vote!!!!!! Yes we need to vote!!!!!!! We run to the shoe store but we aren’t at the voting polls, we run to get all of the luxury items but we aren’t at the city council, we aren’t at the pta meetings, and we aren’t at the meetings that have policy and legislation being voted on that can affect us! We know about things that entertain us, but now it’s time for us to be around things that will educate us and where we can educate!!! We have so much that we can do, and we also have to be treated fairly when it comes to our communities, our schools, our healthcare, our medicine, and our people because now we can educate and show you why we are tired and why we are in this state of anger and despair!

America you’re on trial now!!!! America you’ve had your shot and you’ve missed but now you’ve got another chance to make it right!!!! America we are tired of being blamed, we are tired of being thrown into shambles, we are tired of being labeled and profiled, we are tired of not given a fair chance but you want to work it out!?!? You have another chance, you have another option, and it’s time to come to the table but come into the communities and really be about changing the plight!!!

At the end of the day I still trust God! I’m happy to see so many from all races coming together to march, to clean, and to stop people who have negative intentions trying to make these protests become violent! We have seen those Caucasian people coming in and starting problems, and then these protests have turned nasty but I applaud our Black people for stoping them, telling them to leave, and kicking them out becaus everybody that joins in isn’t with you!!! Some that are marching are taking advantage of the situation, and that’s not what it is about!!!

I see the hand of God at work, because you see that there have been many come together!! There have still been police officers who know what’s right, there have been people engaging peacefully and fruitful with police officers, there have been police officers who I believe are really beginning to see why these protests have taken place and they are beginning to join in! There have been White college and professional coaches who have spoken up out, and it’s sad to see so many who use Black kids for athletic talent but won’t speak up!!! Those college President’s, those athletic directors, those coaches, and those teammates who aren’t saying anything shame on you!!! It’s sad because you’ll make money of them but won’t speak, you’ll follow them to the house to get a home cooked meal but won’t say anything, and you’ll try to mock style and rhetoric but won’t stand up for them that’s a problem!!!

Yet I applaud those who have stood up for us, standing up for the injustice, and standing up for the blood that is continuously shed!! The blood has been crying your, yet by the grace of God some people all across the world are starting to see as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr once eloquently said “They are seeing that their destiny is tied to our destiny”. When we follow God even in anger, there is still hope because the blood of Jesus Christ has saved us all and now has brought about a change to us!! Jesus will unite us, Jesus will restore us, Jesus will save us, Jesus will bring us back, Jesus will make everything alright, and because Jesus died on the cross for our sins give me hope that better days are coming, better days are ahead, better days will show up, and better days are going to get us through!!!

I know that the Lord is going to handle this, the Lord is going to fix this, and the Lord is going to see us through the darkness because there is light that is here and coming!!! Even though we deal with this mistreatment, this pain, and this brutality the Lord is still our refuge, the Lord is still our rock, and the Lord is still our Shepherd!! God is still our strong tower, and I believe that at the end of the down the Lord will still work things out for our good and revive our spirits to have that faith, that belief, and that strength to know that there is nothing that can keep us down because we serve a risen Savior!

God is able! God is able! God is able! I know that the Lord is able, and I know that the Lord will never let us down! God has our backs so we can keep standing, keep protesting, keep speaking out, and keep on marching for our freedom, for correct treatment, for our rights, and for our lives to matter and to continue to be progressive!! The Lord will see us through!!

Rev. G. Chris Brown

Psalm 27:1-2,4-5,7-9,13-14 ESV
[1] The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? [2] When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. [4] One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple. [5] For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. [7] Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! [8] You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.” [9] Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation! [13] I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! [14] Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

This is where the Michigan Wolverines play College Football, also affectionately known as: “The Big House”. My father is from Detroit, Michigan and he is a Wolverines fan and so it got on to me, and now anything Michigan Wolverines I love and root for all because I got it from my Father. You can watch many games, and you’ll see that over 100,000 people pack this stadium to watch football games! However this year it won’t be any fans, it won’t be all the cheers and roars, and if the Wolverines do play it will just be them and the opposing team that will battle on the field.

I can imagine the adjustment that would be, not celebrating with the fans, not hearing the cheers, not hearing the band, and not even hearing the fight songs anymore. Even though they won’t have any fans, the players will still have to play and coaches will still have to coach even with the new normal. There is something that happens to us in life like that, we all have at times have had to adjust to a new normal and we have had to go in a different route, we have had to go in a different direction, and we have had to go in a different occurrence there will be moments in our lives that God will strip the normal, God will take away the normal, and God will remove the comfortable for something else.

Even when that happens do you trust God with the new, do you trust God with the new adjustment, do you believe in God when it is a new adjustment, and do you follow the Lord when there are those periods that things will become new to us. There can be and will be periods in our lives, that you and I will have to start doing something’s differently and have to have our own adjustments. There are plenty of times that we have had the same regiment, the same rituals, the same occurrences, the same things that we are used to….. but here comes the Lord letting us know – “IT’S A NEW DAY & ERA“.

Can you handle it when God says that!?!? Let’s be real and honest about it, that indeed can scare and frighten us knowing that my normal has now been shifted and taken away, and now I have a whole new completely different normal that is coming my way. That can cause anyone to have moments of hesitation, anxiety, and to be scared because we all are used to things the way they are, we all are used to having things done a certain way, we all are used to things being in a familiar area and pattern but now here comes God!! God has come to let you and I know – “What you have enjoyed is over, something else is here that you’ll enjoy differently”.

I believe that will happen and has happened during this season of pandemic, there have been many people on record who have said and states that they enjoy everything better, differently, and that they don’t take things for granted anymore like they had. I believe that to be true, I believe that to be a wake up call, and I believe that to be a ministry for us all that we have to enjoy what we do have, but also get ready to enjoy the things God is about to give us. We can’t afford to just stay at one spot forever, the Lord is always doing new things and using new methods to grow us and there is no reason to continue to be lackadaisical when the Lord is calling you and calling me into a new season of life.

The new season might not be what you thought it would, yet that new season especially when God is involved is exactly what you need. The Lord always knows what you and I need, the Lord knows what we stand in need of, the Lord knows what is best for us, the Lord knows what we should do and what we shouldn’t do, and all of the time the Lord knows what we need to have and what we need to take in this new era. In the new era you have to be new also, there are plenty things that are old that can’t accompany to this new section because you can’t put new wine in old wineskins. That makes so much sense as I’ve gotten older, if you really want to experience transformation stop trying to hang on to what has dried up and what has been fried because it is not going to work anymore.

It’s okay to go in a new direction, and don’t be afraid to go into a new direction the Lord has blessings for you, the Lord has greatness coming, and the Lord has open doors for you but are you going to go in the new direction. Is it intimidating, nerve-wracking, and can make you apprehensive I mean of course those are regular human emotions!!! But is your trust in God, when you have that firm and strong trust in the Lord you can go higher, you can go where He wants, you can go where He tells you to go, and you can go higher because there has been a complete trust in God that has taken you higher, that has taken you to another level, and that has taken you into a new direction and it’s about having a complete reliance and trust in the Lord!

It reminds of the great legendary center Ben Wallace, he started his career with the Washington Wizards and was really an unknown player. Then he went to the Detroit Pistons, and when he went to the Detroit Pistons it was there that he really became the legendary player and remembered player he is now. It took an adjustment to that new normal but it worked, there could have been a whole lot that was missed out on had Ben Wallace remained in Washington, but it didn’t happen because he went to Detroit and he became a respected, a celebrated, and a hall of game basketball player because of a new normal.

We all can and should be ready for that, there should always be that feeling that: “Why should I worry when God is with me”. The Lord is there, the Lord is with me, and the Lord is going to take care of me so that should take care of it. Remember God is coming, God didn’t bring it to you if He didn’t think you could do it, and God wouldn’t have blessed you with you with it if He doubted you but because the Lord believes in you than you need m and should believe in you! You always have to have strong faith, strong belief, and strong faith the Lord knows you and the Lord knows what is best for you always and it always will work itself out the way that it should!

Go forward and keep progressing!! The Lord knows what it is best for us, the Lord knows what is good for us, and the Lord knows what we can stand so there ought to be some aggressiveness within our lives that pushes us to be great, pushes us to be different, and pushes us to be a whole new us! Don’t put it off but go for it! God will bless!

Genesis 12:1-3 NASB
[1] Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; [2] And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; [3] And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”