He is about 12 years old, but his appearance suggests he is more like 24 years old

At the library, and the employees are having the most difficult time with the volunteers in the children's section. The young boy has been on break since I got here, playing a video game on the computer. I have been helping Elijah on the computer for a good 30 minutes, and he was already well into his game when I got here.

Rule #1: When our young black males reach the age of 12/grade level of 6th/7th they begin to take on the body and shape of young men. They become in appearance not 'boys' or 'children', but 'men'. Their attitudes cannot be that of disdain, entitlement, or nonchalance. Those attitudes, in combination with their new physical appearance, with which they are not yet accustomed, nor comfortable, add up to a phenomenon that has caused the African American society to lose a large number of young black males at this age.

Lose them how? They become mentally and physically disengaged from the socialization process. They become accustomed to the reaction and treatment society is indoctrinated to respond toward their actions with, and they retreat from every aspect of community and society.

Am I postulating? Nope. This is a studied phenomenon, reported and related to those of us who care to read and/or listen.

Have I witnessed it with my own eyes? Yes, I have. It is the age at which we have to be especially cognizant (as if that isn't every age, but even more so at this time) of what is going on in the life of a young black man-child, and surround him with positive influences, stay active in his life. It is the time when he wants most to be left alone, that we have NOT leave him alone. It is the time when we have to make sure that when he is volunteering at the library, he is not feeling entitled to spend his time on 'break' playing a computer game, and mumbling under his breath about why he should have to report his break time to the librarian in charge.

Why? Because if we lose them at this age in school, we lose them TO an even worse fate. If you are not in school, or volunteering in the summer time, or in a summer program, or at your first job, where are you? Somewhere with idle hands, and an idle mind, which are what? The devils workshop. And who has the most creative, intelligent minds of all humankind? Yes....you are following me.

Our penal system is full of young black males who we lost at this critical age, and they right now subject to what Michelle Alexander terms 'The New Jim Crow' laws.

I am at the library with my son, and someone else's. I had a little talk with him. Had to do it. It was my responsibility, and my hope, that he would not be lost.

On Purpose, Not by Chance

My goals are simple nowadays. I intend to live on purpose, by purpose, and in purpose.

Chance and opportunity do meet and make doors open, but if you don’t have any purpose, nothing happens when you walk into that door. You are just there.

On top of that, when others find out that you intend to live on purpose, they often intend to make it their purpose to intersect your suggestion of progression. They will say things like, I just want to make sure you are doing what is right. Or, have you really thought this through? Even the most well intentioned people will say ‘only what you do for Christ will last,’ without knowledge or care whether what you are doing is for Christ or lice…it just doesn’t agree with their preconceived notion of ‘what you do for Christ’.

And as if that were not enough, we often get in our own way. We find an any and a body to blame for us not living on purpose. EVERYbody is standing in the way of our purpose. That is when it is REALLY time to look at ourselves. Whenever you find yourself blaming a lot of people because you didn’t get here or there or get to do this or that, STOP: HAMMER TIME. Sit down and write down what you have been saying. Then find yourself in it.

When the Word says ‘write the vision and make it plain so that he who reads it can run with it and not grow weary’ – it means all the visions. Your vision of how your life is not what it should be because of every and body standing in the way of you and your destiny. If you just go on ahead and write that down and make it plain, you can spend the rest of your life getting on purpose.

Here is what I mean by living on purpose, by purpose, and in purpose:

• On purpose: Don’t let choices make you. Don’t just let your day happen, have a plan for your day. Get up with praise on your lips, order your day by going to the Author and Finisher of your faith before anything else can happen and do it on purpose. Then, speak your day into order – those things that are not as if they were. Today, I am going to do A, B & C.

• By purpose: Know what your purpose here is – you are not of this world, you are just in it. You didn’t grow out of the grass, you were born. With a purpose. So live by your purpose – If your purpose is to encourage other people – live by that purpose. Live by your own purpose. Encourage yourself. If your purpose is to clothe other people (and believe me, this does fall in line with the purposes of God – you have to seek Him to know how, that is not mine to tell you) clothe yourself. Live by your purpose. If your purpose is to teach others the Word of God, fill yourself with the living Word. Live by your purpose.

• In purpose: Walk in your purpose – others see that and are drawn to it. It becomes who you are – purpose and destiny. My sister always says ‘walk in your blessing’. So much so, that I say it without hesitation now. Walk in your blessing – walk in your purpose. Seek out the opportunity to walk in your purpose. Do you have poetry in your soul? Did you know that one of the signs of a prophet or a preacher is that gift of language? Poetry?

What I am learning over a period of time and loss, because God makes miracles out of mess, is that now is the time to refocus on purpose. Lots of people and things have happened to me, but if God be for me, who can be against me? Look for the purpose in whatever is going on in your life right now – it is there – and …..

Let your life be about purpose, not about chance.

It's Your Shine.....

Do you have a blessed intellectual talented charismatic holistic personality? You have a few bonafide friends, lots of associates, and only one true confidante. You are the go-to person. Mostly, you like to build relationships, but you find that others are often unreliable in relationships. They start out with good intentions but they find something that they need to change about you down the road and it becomes detrimental to the alliance, unless you are willing to take repeated malignment (by the way, this is an abusive relationship - get out).
 
While your efficient proactive consistent personality attracts the attention of others, it also compels them to challenge you. At times, it also seems to fill others with the desire to bend you to their will – or, in short – to change you. Then, when they cannot because of the dynamics of your transformer like personality, when all parts are working together, they begin to think of you – and I dare say – refer to you, as its acronym: Blessed Intellectual Talented Charismatic Holistic?

 

Let’s talk about it. It’s Elemental.

 

I can relate. Having confident characteristics is not something you have done; it is something you have been gifted with. It is not to be conceited, nor loud and pushy. It is but to walk in grace and knowledge, with discernment -- and to apply those with understanding. Having done those repeatedly, attention will be drawn to you. Not of your own doing, but because of what is being done through and in you. My made up conglomerate business owner friend Opulence would say through your higher power. I am going to tell you the truth – it is a gift of God.

 

When you are young or even older and don’t know what wonderful and reverent gifts you have, you may find that you have a hard time making and keeping friends, especially of the same sex. You may find that the opposite sex is attracted to you, pulled to you even – and almost reverent of everything you say or do – until they have consumed of your gift. Then, the desire to reverence will transform into the desire to cage or change those gifts. Mostly, this is because they were never drawn to you for the purpose of consuming your gifts, but for the purpose of your gifts put to use.

 
You may also find that these qualities frighten you, because you don’t understand them. Faith without works is dead, and works without faith is dead. The whole thing was doomed from the gate if you don't have some knowledge and understanding about who and whose you are. Ultimately, the end is destruction because you don’t know who you are, and what you are made of – and those that are drawn to you just want to possess your gifts.

 

That is why, and finally we get to these points, it is essential to:

a. Know who we are – every person needs the knowledgeable understanding of who they are – in whose image are you created?

b. Know as much about your history as you possibly can – knowing the history of you and of your family helps you gain an understanding of your characteristics.

c. Understand that your personality, your characteristics are a gift of God. Find out that if God gives you a gift, if has a purpose. People are drawn to you for the USE of your gift, not the CONSUMPTION of your gift. When you consume something that is not yours, it makes you sick.

d. Do not…wait, let me do that again. DO NOT let anyone else define who you are. No man or woman holds the definition of you. And don’t bend and buckle and apologize for the wonder of who you are because they don’t shine.

e. Teach these understandings from the womb to the cradle, to the classroom, to the curbside, and on…. 

That’s what’s on my mind, and It’s Elemental. What are you thinking about?

 

 

 

 

 

John Mayers Peter channels Duke plus He passes in the hood

You know, I have been on the verge of liking this dude for a long time, but just could not step over the precipice. My mind, body, and soul just could not climb aboard in agreement of the célèbre cause. Now I know why. John Mayer is a classic idiot. He just doesn’t have a sheet or an office.

In his recent interview with Playboy magazine, to add to his ridiculous ramblings that continue to amass to amazing A-Hole Academy Magna Cum Laude levels of achievement, he likened his penis to a 'white supremacist'. Mayer, when asked if he dated black women, said "I've got a....David Duke cock."

Now, it would be unfair of me not to give you the whole quote, wouldn’t it? It would be as if I was omitting words to make Mayer's statement sound worse than what it actually was, huh? Okay - here goes his full statement:

"I've got a Benetton heart and a fuckin' David Duke cock"

Alright. Maybe I am being a lil harsh on a broth....e...r....After all, Mayer said, in the same interview, he has a hood pass. Or, actually - someone asked him what it felt like to have a hood pass. Mayer's actual statement was that if one actually had a hood pass, 'you could call it a nigger pass.' Yeah. He took to twitter to apologize for that 'intellectual' slip up. 'Black people love me.' Okay, David, I mean, John.
Here is a word to the unwise for Mr. John Mayer. Black people do not love you. Black people, White people, Yellow people, and the rest of the Benetton nation, love music. You, son, are not the only white boy with a piano and voice.
Now - having said that, I am sure a bunch of folks will say, awe, John is not a racist. He was just drunk, or his humor is just dry, or he didn’t mean it like that. This, folks, is what we call 'acceptable racism' because it was unintentional. It is kind of like unintentional murder. Awe. He didn’t mean to kill her. He was just shooting and she got in the way. Awe..He didn’t mean to teach his kids to torture interracial kids at school. He was just saying at home that he didn’t condone interracial dating and the (insert hood pass word here) should stay with their own kind. They took it the wrong way.
Who gives a flying fish egg? If President Obama farts right in a left flying wind - he meant to start a smell Tsunami.

He sings real good. He collaborates with them 'en's from the hood. Let it go - I guess we should. We don't want to miss his Wonderwood. Your Body Idiocy is a Wonderland?

If you want to talk about it, let's do that. It's Elemental!

A New Spending Plan

I am sitting at my desk, drinking my smoldering cup of Starbucks tea, perusing my Franklin planner, working on my tasks list. It is snowing outside, and my neighbor and friend has briefly kidnapped my kids to build snow people in the backyard. Thank God that He has given us all diverse gifts. I would be making hot chocolate, but my daughter, Bobbi, detests chocolate, and Elijah, my 5 year old, will drink tea. I am just glad for this moment of solitude. Amazingly enough, my employer actually released us (yes as if from bondage) an hour early today.
You know how we go haywire when it snows in Columbus - emptying out grocery stores, filling up vehicles with gas, buying all the shovels and sidewalk salt - everybody is probably at home this evening, enjoying these same kinds of moments. It got me to thinking this might be God's way of improving the economy and creating instant family time.

I also think this weather may give some a chance to do something else that is very important. Rethink how you will spend your tax refund. It's definitely that time of year. I have some principals I have developed to help me deal effectively with any lump sum of money that falls into my hands (anybody who wants to throw some at me and watch me apply the principals, feel free to do so). I had to develop some principals early on, because I refuse to have a hand full of money one day, and the next day have nothing to show for that but a really, really nice jacket and some hotttt stilettos.
Ebeths Principal 1. Calculate - Calculate my tax return. Once I have done that, there are a couple of more calculations I need to perform. 10% is a really good round number, so I tend to use it for a lot of calculations. Follow me here - if my tax return is $5000 (we will round here for the sake of simplicity), 10% is a great number for an offering, a really grand number for both of my kids college savings plans, and a decent number for our emergency savings account. Those four 10% will decrease my return amount to $3000. That is not bad considering the investment that I have just made in the future of my family.
Ebeths Principal 2. Pay Up - I know that it is property tax time. Since my home is paid for, if I go ahead and pay the property tax for half the year, I won't need to worry about that. In addition to that, considering this economy, if there are any other bills that need to be caught up - catch them up. I don't care who tells you to do what with your income tax return - if you have outstanding debts and you can catch them up, do it. This is not a windfall, this is your money. Use it wisely to gain back steady footing.

So, at this point you may have $1000 left from that $5000 return. This is still more than you had when you didn’t have it.

Ebeths Principal 3. Forecast - Look at your immediate future. Does your car need a tune up, maintenance, an oil change? Get it now. Does your child have a trip to the dentist coming up - braces? Keep some of those funds in the bank for that time.

And finally, my final principal for income tax returns...

Ebeth's Principal 4. Budget an amount for yourself, and your family, to spend on something nice. An evening out? Tickets to see Dream Girls? Spa Day? One thing that is going to rejuvenate your spirit and soul, and encourage you, each of you.

I know that our government wants us to go out and spend, spend, spend to stimulate economic growth. But that is why we are in the mess we are in - I admonish you to make a plan. Think about it and use your return wisely, to benefit yourself and your family.
So ------>here is the plan - create your own Principals. Do what works for you. I tighten mine up yearly, depending on whether there is a return or the size of said return. The most important thing is that you make a plan that ends with most of your funds being used in a way that results in a measurable end. The same way you do with your monthly income. Right?

Ministry or Menace-2-Me?

Disclaimer: First, let me say up front - I am a firm believer in the personal faith of an individual. I believe that if you stand on your measure of faith, God is going to reward that measure of faith. He can work within the measure of faith with which you are meted. If you have the faith of a mustard seed, God can work with that. If you have the faith of the field from which sprouted that mustard seed, God can work with that. The faith of the individual is not my question. Disclaimer noted and ended.

I want to hear your thoughts on this – because in these days we need to be oh so careful. Did anybody see the movie Eli? What good does it profit a man to gain the world, if he loses his soul? Be on alert out there people. The world wants us to think all kinds of behaviors are acceptable, which are not.

Here, now, is my theory. Okay, I fudge just a little. It is in the Word. False prophets are among us. When a Minister, Pastor, Prophet or Apostle – all self proclaimed or proclaimed by men wearing the right garb, says something like:

Those of you who have $100, come up to the offering right now. God is calling for those who have $100 to come to the offering right now. He said there are at least 15 of you here tonight with $100 for the offering.

Is that ministry or menace to me? I cannot see any evidence of that happening in the word.

Or, say for instance, an appropriately deep and rumble-voiced speaker of the Word (who may or may not be a doer thereof as well) says to the congregation, friends and visitors:

God wants you to write that check tonight in faith. Where is your faith, oh ye of little faith? Do you not believe? Write your check on faith believing that He will provide. Bring your offering now.

Is that ministry or menace to me? I cannot see any evidence of that happening when I read the word. 

Okay, let’s move away from the money for a minute, because money brings power, and power corrupts absolutely and absolute power corrupts.

Let’s move toward relationship. I will tread lightly here, but I want to also say that any similarity to those living or passed on is a tragic coincidence and therefore not intended.

                Now, say the leader of the cu..church, is ministering to a couple whose relationship is in danger. Notice I didn’t specify marriage, but we can even suppose that this is a married couple. Just for the sake of it, let’s do Couple A: Married; Couple B: Unmarried.

Couple A: Married….A couple of issues, as most marriages will have. Minister counsels that all marriages have issues, however, God is the center of the marriage, so therefore if we turn to him for the council of these issues with realistic visions of the work involved on both parts, and are true to each other and the task at hand, this to shall pass and that which does not kill us, will make us stronger. There may have been some infidelity involved. Minister tells couple, both parties are involved. Can two walk together less they agree? We have work ahead of us, but if you were fully committed to what you said in front of God, and the people you loved, and some of the people that you actually luvvedd previously, then you can be successful. Grow up and grow UP.

Couple B. Unmarried…Well one party is unmarried. The other one is separated, but has made a new relationship with this woman. This couple seeks the council of the married person’s pastor, and the unmarried person’s pastor.

Married person’s pastor:  You all need to go to church together and get close to the Lord and study his word together. That is what is wrong; you need to go to Church regularly and to the same church. Y’all need to be here every Sunday and on Wednesday’s for Bible Study.

Unmarried person’s pastor:  First of all, this person belongs to a union, and this ain’t it. Therefore, this union you all are in is wrong. Period. Point blank. I am gonna keep it real for you – that’s not according to my word, it’s according to God’s word. Secondly – we need to do some work on you as individuals – one, because your self worth is an issue, which means you don’t know whose image you are created in, and to whom you belong – and it ain’t somebody else’s spouse. I don’t care how long they have been separated, special rated, pro rated, or fornicating. You got to get your own.

Now, which one of these is ministering and which one is a menace to us?

Let me hear your thoughts on this...It's Elemental that we discuss it..............

Scorned Mistress of Married Obama Adviser Posts Billboards Nationwide - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

Scorned Mistress of Married Obama Adviser Posts Billboards Nationwide - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

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