Do you remember playing the game “Hide and Seek” as a child? Believe it or not there was a time when children could and would go outside and play with other children. The game “Hide and Seek” was beneficial on a number of fronts: mathematically - you counted by one or by multiples of five; physically- you moved your body to run; mentally - where you had to think and use strategy to hide and and socially- you interacted with others!
Read MoreWhen my sons were younger, my wife, Gloria and I created chores in order to champion personal responsibility and stamp out the seductive spirit of slothfulness. On one occasion one of my sons was instructed to clean his room and complete his homework before playing with his toys or watching a video or television. The expectation of his parents was well established and he was fully aware of the consequences for not carrying out his responsibility...
Read MoreBack in 2001, I injured my left knee in what I considered to be an anomaly. As I was attempting to warm up and loosen my left leg, I awkwardly kicked my leg straight out, which in turn, produced a popping sound from my knee. Needless to say, my meniscus was mad and made news that day. If any of you have ever experienced any injury that required evaluation from a specialist, you know that the specialist routinely performs a pain assessment...
Read MoreQuestion: have you purchased your ticket to take a ride on the Pain Train? The majority of us would most likely say, “Not today nor tomorrow! I don't want to sign up for sorrow! And by the way it's insane to select pain. Put me on the Love Train!” My intro may look cheesy but the topic this week is far from easy! Okay, I will spare you the rhyme and respect your time.
Read MoreIn last week’s blog, we began discussing this passage of scripture in which King David gave his son, Solomon, a charge to keep. David, a man after God’s own heart, King of Israel, shepherd, giant-slayer, and a man undefeated in military combat recognized that he was just a man and was destined to die like all other men. So he delivers a final charge to his son, Solomon. A review of this scripture reveals timeless truths that can also be applied to our lives. I invite you to ponder the following points in order to capture David's charge and apply it to our walk with God.
Read MoreAs I considered the topic for this week’s blog, I found myself returning to my early roots of worship as a child in the church. Our tradition of worship was rooted in rich, traditional black gospel music. Songs like Charles A. Tindley's We Will Understand it Better By and By, Leave It There, and Thomas Dorsey's Peace in the Valley, which is the first gospel recording to sell a million copies. I remember well singing James Cleveland's Peace Be Still, God Has Smiled on Me and I Stood on the Banks of Jordan.
Read MoreThe United Negro College Fund, or UNCF, is an American philanthropic organization that funds scholarships for black students and general scholarship funds for 39 private historically black colleges and universities. The United-Negro-College-Fund's slogan, "A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste," has remained unchanged for more than three decades and has become embedded in the American vernacular.
Read MoreI really appreciate a good sound. My definition of a good sound is music which moves you with a message to snap your fingers and move your feet. If you were around during the decades of the 1960's and 1970's, you might remember the soulful sounds of Motown music. The song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours" is a soulful single by Stevie Wonder that was released in June 1970. Wonder's song was indeed a wonderful hit as it spent six weeks at number one on the U.S. R & B chart and peaked at number three on the U.S. Pop chart. In the same year, the song was also released on the album titled “Signed, Sealed & Delivered.” As you might expect from the song title, the dominant lyrics in the chorus are “Signed, sealed, delivered, I’m yours!” But further listening reveals that there was another part of the lyrics that spoke volumes with respect to the message of surrendership, commitment and our eternal future. Four different times throughout the song, Wonder sings “You got my future in your hands.” I wonder if Wonder understood the gravity of such a statement. ”
Read MoreBack in 1985 I found myself in a country and providence with which I was very unfamiliar. As an aspiring professional athlete, God by His sovereign grace had secured me a roster spot with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. The name Saskatchewan was not a household name for a guy from Griffin, Georgia. Adjusting to an unfamiliar atmosphere, culture and a climate that polar bears would praise in late fall was definitely a daunting task! Welcoming the extreme weather and playing football on what seemed to be a frozen planet was not what I had anticipated. I should have read the fine print: “CFL players will be practicing and playing in Popsicle conditions!”...
Read MoreIn last week’s blog, I discussed how God’s unconditional and eternal love for us was clearly demonstrated by the Lord Jesus Christ when “He laid down his life for us.” The Master’s monumental movement of love for us should not cause us to park in our ponderings but should move us to lay down our lives for each other as well. God demonstrated what true “agape” love looks like. We as imitators and servants of the Most High God should be real and revelatory demonstrations of His love in this world.
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