GO INSIDE BEFORE IT GETS DARK

As a child I was definitely not permitted to be outside when darkness approached. Some children used the flicker of street lights as their non-verbal cue to go home. While others relied on the trumpeting sound of a maternal voice or echoes of an older sibling. Essentially, home represented a safe place that kept you grounded and shielded you from the possible pitfalls that lurked in the darkness. Unbeknown to most of us the darkness was not outside the confines of our homes. The bogeyman was not hiding in a closet or under our bed. Instead we housed and were keepers of the darkness. The darkness safely resided inside of us and we vehemently guarded and protected it. You might be thinking I don't have any darkness I am a "good person." If your thoughts were captured in the previous statement you are about to miss it. Simply put our darkness is our secrets; the ones we keep from ourselves. Each day we wear an array of different disguises or masks to make it through the day. We usually become reminded of our darkness when we are alone and have moments of clarity. A popular song from my childhood said it best "hello darkness my old friend, I've come to meet with you again." Our darkness never goes away. If it seems gone like a boomerang it soon returns.The only way out of darkness is to take a journey inside. Look around to see what thoughts, beliefs, or secrets you have tightly hidden inside of you. The admonishment many of us received as children to go inside before it gets dark still holds true today.

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? THE PREREQUISITE FOR DESTINY

So often this question "are you out of your mind?" gets asked when someone is speaking or behaving irrationally. Our response to someone who is behaving out of the norm is "you need to calm down". There is also a inference that some type of detachment from reality is occurring. Essentially, the individual asking the question is concerned about the observable changes in their loved one's decorum.  Usually the person behaving "differently" is totally oblivious to this real or perceived transformation. When a person is in the process of discovering their destiny or purpose they must shed their old skin. There is no way a person can shift or transition into purpose on purpose without appearing odd to familiar folks. Jesus' behavior in the Garden of Gethsemane was confusing to his Disciples. Why? The purpose for His coming was coming closer to fulfillment.

We have often heard it said that if you want something you've never had you have to do something you've never done. How willing are you to get out of your mind? No, I am not talking about a hallucinogenic trip. I am referencing taking on the mind of Christ. To take on the mind of Christ and begin living as Father God created us to live we have to get out of our mind. Our minds in many instances have created invisible bars that have us essentially imprisoned. We are held hostage. Our belief and acceptance of Christ Jesus as our Savior is our only means of escape. However, we will not know Jesus is the escape route if we continue to "think things out." The link below is entitled  

Capturing Your Thoughts.

http://www.precepts.com/StudyMaterials/Outlines/DailyWalk/Capturing-Your-Thoughts.pdf

GOD WANTS US TO KEEP IT SIMPLE

So often people shun the teachings of Jesus Christ because well meaning Christians have complicated the simple message of redemption.The message of hope and freedom somehow is often burdened down with rules, regulations, dress codes, and layers of personal interpretations. I often say Christ created cool. He just would not waiver from His purpose and His message remained consistent. "I must be about my Father's business." There was no way to get Jesus off track. His example of steadfastness even during His crucifixion remains one of the most remarkable feats in history. I am blessed to be surrounded by people who have made a decision of quality to keep it simple. Twenty-three months ago a few of us after leaving a large ministry decided to meet in a non-religious setting [office] each Sunday to not only study the bible, but we decided to make an effort daily to walk in divine love and appropriate the promises of God. Our study group is called TOOLS FOR ESSENTIAL LIVING and we recently connected with Meetup to create a more seamless communication format.

 Each study group member willfully makes a decision to disengage from counterproductive thoughts, mindsets, patterns, and attitudes that negate our true Christ nature. We truly have fun and make the environment congenial to everyone in attendance. The link below is a snapshot of one of our sessions. Minister Byron Clark did a masterful job of sharing God's word and we enjoyed a wonderful fellowship meal afterwards. God really wants us to keep His word simple and share the message of Jesus the Christ in our daily walk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7A7F1Tv1ug&feature=channel&list=UL

LEAVING SPACE TO BREATHE

Several people congratulated me on my recent "retirement" and I consistently corrected them by saying I am not retiring. I admittedly was not expecting folks to describe my resignation from a company as retirement. I understand most people were looking at the amount of years spent with a company and equated it to retirement. I heard a minister say if you look at the word retire it gives a full description of the word. He stated RE-TIRE is to become tired all over again. Oh no who wants that? I know re-tiring is not for me as I have no intentions of being tired and exhausted again. I've spent almost twenty-nine years existing within the confines of State and Federal regulatory guidelines. Some days I felt as if I couldn't breathe there was so much cramped and stuffed in a given day. Now is the time for me to live my passion and do what I enjoy. Now is the time for me to breathe. I love sharing the message of hope with others and providing assistance. However, I will not allow feelings of being cramped and stuffed to be part of my life experience. I will leave space in my life to breathe and it feels wonderful!

TEAR DOWN THE WALL

So often our feelings and emotions serve as barriers to enjoying an authentic life experience. Essentially our feelings and emotions take on the role of bricklayers and masons constructing a wall around us for protection from other people. The video below simply yet poignantly conveys a powerful message.

 If you want to learn how to dismantle your brick wall visit http://www.meetup.com/THE-ME-GOD-SEES-BOOK-CLUB/, Hopefully, you will begin to tear down your wall after viewing this video.

OTHER PEOPLE GOTTA LOVE 'EM

A former pastor often said "my life would be perfect if it weren't for other people." The entire congregation would burst out laughing as he lamented on the challenges presented by "other people." I laughed so hard because I agreed with his erroneous summation. Just who are these other people? Well more often than not they are called relatives and you know them well. In New Orleans we have a catch all category called: Ya Momma and Dem. Other people have the worst timing in the world. They routinely have a list of needs and frequently solicit your assistance. Caller ID is a wonderful monitor of "other people". I am convinced the inventor of Caller ID had an abundance of "other people" in their life. Another thing about "other people" is their proclivity towards being opinionated. They have a commentary on every issue especially those concerning you, your life and your decisions. "Other people" also tend to get angry if you do not respond to their manipulative tactics on cue. God forbid should you proceed with life as if they do not exist and laugh out loud. "Other people" detest laughing when their needs are not being met. They slam doors, use profanity, gossip, and have entire conversations using innuendo. "Other people love drama. Their mantra is I have drama; therefore, I am. Remember, beware of your comments about these bothersome "other people" because you are the "other people" in someone's life.

JUST ANOTHER TUESDAY

Mardi Gras is officially over in New Orleans. The weather was beautiful, and the atmosphere seemed festive. I viewed the parades from the comfort of my living room. The local news stations do an incredible job of live streaming the parades and sights that are not rated X. Our Mardi Gras menu included hot dogs with chili, red beans with sausage, king cake, chips and sodas. We had an enjoyable time. Growing up in New Orleans all we knew were parades and lots of them. We lived one block off of historic St. Charles Avenue, so parades were like breathing. What I didn't know as a young child was that not everyone had Fat Tuesday celebrations in their hometowns. For most people it was just another Tuesday. My brother Kermit met a tourist today who took a picture with him. No doubt the words on her sign resonated with him as they did with me. Well, it was anything but another Tuesday for those of us blessed to live in New Orleans. Yeah, ya right!