Being A Proud Black Mother

I’m a proud black mother

Who reflects upon history

And understands the timeline,

The never-ending chronology

Of mothers’ fears, worries and concern,

About every child delivered and born

Into this world of inequality and scorn

Simply because of their skin tone.

 

I’m a proud black mother,

Who can and does empathize

With those who stood quietly,

Tears rolling down their face

Pain ripping apart every fiber of their being,

As they watched their babies,

Torn from their arms,

Sold, abused and misused, slaughtered and maimed

All at the white man’s whim

With no humanitarian laws against him.

 

I’m a proud black mother,

Who lived through Jim Crow laws,

Never fully understanding then,

Heartache endured of my kin

Who had to stay in “their place,”

Never muttering a word against

Discriminatory acts, fear etched in their face,

Because the laws were never just,

Never considered the black man worthy of equality

Or having just laws to protect their families,

All we got was silence, no response to our pleas

To be treated like human beings.

 

I’m a proud black mother

Who gave birth to two children

My daughter and son, in that order.

Teaching her how to avoid situations

That could traumatize her life,

Teaching him how to avoid strife

While living black.

Over 40 years later, since my children were born

Not much has changed, children are still torn

From their mothers in one way or another,

From police brutality or someone else’s brother,

Who just didn’t understand

How precious life is for every black man.

 

I’m a proud black mother

And though some may never admit,

Days of being concerned, fretfully

About the plight of every black child

Will never end, until every man, woman and child

Stops treating human beings differently,

Until laws include a humanitarian stance

With equality and justice for all,

No matter what our skin tone is called,

Because the simple truth is this,

If we believe mankind began on the African Continent,

We are all of African descent

And can no longer hide in ignorant bliss

Behind the lies of inferiority of one man

To appease a fragile ego of those needing

To feel and act superior.

 

I’m a proud black mother,

In my advanced age, still willing to take a stand,

Actively involved with my vote and my hands,

Working with the community to silence the hate

That if not quelled, will eventually obliterate

Any forward movement, any strides made

To cross that finish line where all men, women and children

Are seen as humans and not just the color of their skin.

But until that happens, please understand the need for all to see

Black Lives Matter—especially to mothers who look like me!

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I’m Tired!

I’m tired of all the lies and all the liars!

I’m tired of Republicans acting like there’s nothing wrong with trump.

I’m tired of the white Evangelicals making excuses for the WH menace.

I’m tired of trump supporters’ inability to think for themselves.

I’m tired of the media outlets allowing ignorance to manipulate the news cycles.

I’m tired of seeing children separated from their parents being treated like animals.

I’m tired of people who know truth but won’t speak up to help end this nightmare.

I’m tired of politicians who are afraid to speak truth to power because they might lose an election.

I’m tired of all the people who complain, but won’t vote to change things.

I’m tired of listening to the cult expound the lies they’ve been told and believe.

I’m tired of those who won’t uphold their oaths of office and are allowing this country to sink.

I’m tired of apologizing to our allies for the nut job in the WH.

I’m tired of watching rising prices for gas, good and healthcare.

I’m tired of people thinking that Democrats can’t be Christians even though we’re more Christian than the Republicans who apparently don’t know Jesus.

I’m tired of the evil ones who use the bible to perpetuate their evil.

I’m tired of not knowing where all this will end–in the next year or two.

Okay, so I’m tired and I’m sure there are millions of others just as tired as I am of all the stupid we’ve had to endure. There is a way out from under the stupid–people simply have to get out and vote and vote for the party who has a heart, not just ideological beliefs.

Regardless of party affiliation or none–it’s time for Americans to step up and take control of the situation and vote for Democrats up and down the ballot in every city, township, and state. We must start where we live with local elections and then spread it out to all the general elections so the United States of America will have a chance to preserve our democracy for future generations.

Are you ready? Let’s get it done!

Love Combats Hate, Every Time!

I Corinthians 13 NIV

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. v 1-3

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. v 4-8

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.  v. 11

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. v 13

When Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in his first letter, he wanted them to understand that when love is the key element that guides–things will work themselves out to the benefit of all. Now if love is key to positive things occurring in our midst, the opposite would be true as well. If love is the greatest of all the virtues, then hate is the worst.

Without love, all the talk becomes a lot of noise–as we see in the White House–noise about everything, but caring about all Americans. Without love–we are nothing and gain nothing worthwhile in life.

Let’s look at what happens when hate (the polar opposite of love) abides in the hearts of men and women.

Hate is impatient with self and others. Hate is not kind, but brutal, lacking compassion for others. Hate is envious of everyone and leads to mindless, incoherent obsessions about others. Hate is always boastful about perceived accomplishments, even when none exists. Hate is proud–always wants to be the center of attention, taking credit for what others do that is good, always blaming others when things don’t go their way. Hate shows contempt and disdain for others, never respecting others as they want to be respected. Hate shows no concern for others, but always pushes forth what they want regardless of circumstances. Hate gets angry easily–everything is a trigger for their anger when people don’t agree with them or praise them. Hate keeps an enemy list–always ready to seek revenge upon those who dare to oppose them. Hate promotes treating others with contempt and with violence and never accepts facts as truth, but instead promotes alternative facts as truth and then gets angry when they are disputed. Hate trusts no one, but self and those who worship them; hate never hopes for anything but what they want, and is constantly changing directions (flip-flopping) just to align what happens with their “lips” in an attempt to take credit for whatever good occurs. Hate doesn’t protect anyone other than self and will throw others under the bus in an instant.

Because hate destroys, nothing can be built on a firm foundation unless love exists to build.

When most of us navigated childhood into adulthood, we stopped thinking like spoiled brats and accepted responsibility for all we do or did. We understand that we are accountable for everything we do or don’t do and we cannot blame others for our shortcomings or ineptness.  When we became adults–we left behind the ways of the child that we no longer were.

If we look closely at what Paul is saying, we can easily see that love is a far better virtue than hate. What I don’t understand is how–people who claim to be Christians can allow so much hatred to abide in their hearts that they do all sorts of hateful things to others and think they have a right to do so. There is a difference between people being religious and being truly Christian and those who hate others–are not Christians, they are merely religious.  Christians–by the virtue of who Christ is–are never to hate people, but sin–the act of opposing God, not the person opposing God. For if we are always condemning others because of what they do, we will never win them with love.

Are we so “perfect” that we forget we, too were once sinners (and some still are)? We are not perfect people and we will never be perfect people as long as we can “choose what we do.” That is an inherent fact that many so-called Christians overlook in their condemnation of others–not one of us is perfect.

I am dismayed over the revelation of right-wing Christians and white nationalists groups in their attempts to overthrow the government by voting for the current resident in the White House. I have found evidence that points to what I have long suspected that trump is simply a tool and now that things appear to be unraveling, those behind the plot to destroy democracy expect to escalate their plans–including getting away with murder of anyone who doesn’t look like them (the purpose of Sessions as the AG). And the saddest revelation is that Russia is behind it all.

Nevertheless, I will continue to love and speak truth to those who hate and those in positions of authority until I can speak no more. Love is all we really have to combat hatred and I will not submit to the enemy and hate other human beings. 

It is because of love that I plan to run for president in 2020. It is because of my love for children, the working class, senior citizens, veterans of the military, and all those who work to protect and educate others. It is my love for my colleagues, family and friends–known and unknown that I know I can be a president to and for all Americans. When love leads the way, all benefit and none fail.

 

 

About Praying!

“So do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you.  Jeremiah 7:16 NIV

“Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress. Jeremiah 11:14 NIV

Then the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the well-being of this people. Jeremiah 14:11 NIV

But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ Matthew  18:16 NIV

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26 NIV

The time has come (if not already past) for us to recognize that “praying for the #WHidiot” is not changing anything. He’s still the same self-centered, narcissist he’s always been; only thinking about what will work best for him, not the masses, and he’s still lying–to Congress and all America–in his attempt to get the media focus off the trumprussia investigation.

No matter how many times church leaders tell people to pray for this idiot–and see no results; they should be able to draw their own conclusions and people should stop listening to the church leaders and listen to God through understanding His Word. For if people continue to pray for him–to change or whatever they’re praying for–and nothing happens, we should know that we’re not praying the will of God, but by direction of mere mortals who are just as fallible as the rest of us.

I’m not wasting my time praying for the #WHidiot for he has already determined to do whatever he wants to do. I will continue to pray that all Americans will wake up and demand that Congress do their job in upholding the oaths of their office and the Constitution and #impeachtrump.

Until Americans–We The People–stand up to the “wannabe dictator” nothing will ever change. Tax payers are picking up the tab for his weekend excursions and already he’s adding to the national debt by launching an “unwarranted” missile strike against Syria, to the tune of almost $90 million dollars, without congressional authorization. Then, he lied about the strike being a matter of “vital national security” and in some interviews and his letter to Congress, “retaliation” both of which are lies.  We don’t need a reactionary in the White House, we need a leader–one who is capable of thinking and rational, logical conclusions. We don’t have that person in the White House.

The pictures did not move him to “horror and grief” for there have been more pictures from years ago depicting the horror suffered by those of chemical weapon attacks. Perhaps, as it has been stated about the idiot–a picture with fewer words will help all to understand the travesty of having this person in the Oval Office.

No matter what–most of us–who are not blinded by the drama–will push Congress to do their job and we who know The Lord, will keep praying for revelation knowledge of truth for all who have been blinded by the shiny object–so-called Syrian initiative.

We Are His Children!

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ Hosea 1:10 NIV

No matter what happens, The Word of God is for all of His Children and all who have turned to Him and away from sin are His children.

Like the children of men–we are not perfect, but He is a perfect God and He knows how to deal with His children–even the rebellious ones and He will never turn His back on His own.

So, to reiterate a theme of the week–don’t allow fear to lead you to despair and eventual destruction. With Jesus on our side–we can rest with the assurance that He is more than the world against us and no matter what battle we face–in the end, we win.

Let the naysayers and doubters believe what they will--don’t argue–for argument with the foolish and unlearned is futile; just stay focused on Him who loves all and will eventually be recognized and praised for who He is–even those who claimed they did not believe. Oh yes, the time is coming and will be upon us quickly when we will all stand before The Lord and be judged–not for what others have done, but for what we have done or not done that would promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

With the wisdom of God deeply embedded into our hearts, we have all we need to make decisions about every area of our lives. With the love of God overflowing onto all, we have all we need to make life sweeter for all we meet.

There are some things we’ll never be able to change and there are some people who may never respond to the call of God to live as He lives in us and that will be their undoing. We have no control over what others do, but we do have control over what we do. When we stand before God, He will not ask us about other people and what they did, but He will call us to give account for all we have done since we came into the knowledge of who He really is. Those things we did for which we have repented will never be brought up to us by God for He forgives and tosses our sin into the sea of forgetfulness.

Our wonderful Father, who gives good gifts to all of His children--have no need to fear what the enemy is doing, but we need to be aware of the enemy’s influence in those who attempt to turn us away from believing in God and His ways. We are His children and we have access to all His many benefits–let’s receive and bring others into the fold so they, too, can enjoy His love and belonging to Him.

Not Guilty!

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? Even small children are known by their actions, so is their conduct really pure and upright? Proverbs 20:9,11

No matter what we do or have done in the time we’ve been on the earth, none of us can say, we’ve never done anything wrong–unless we were physically incapable of acting on our own.

And that’s the key. If we are able to make decisions about anything, chances are–we’ve made a few wrong ones. Even small children–learning to walk and discover–find out the hard way that not everything should be put in one’s mouth or they shouldn’t touch everything they see. How much children are harmed by their discovery activities depends upon the parents’ detail to attention in keeping them safe and harmful events–limited.

So, if small children are known by their actions, how can we reasonably conclude that adults are not known by theirs?

When we promote hatred of other people simply because of their religious beliefs, skin color, or how they look–what does that say about us?

When we constantly promote the engagement of negative attacks upon others–what does that say about us?

When we think we are superior to others and totally discredit the thought processes of others–what does that say about us?

When we think we can chastise others and are never receptive to chastisement for what we do–what does that say about us?

We are known by what we do and say–and warrant greater judgment by God because we are adults–not children. The children–who do wrong–usually don’t know what they’re doing, but adults–especially those who claim to know Christ–have no excuse.

When we know The Lord and are cognizant of The Word and live it on a daily basis, we cannot say, “we’re not guilty” when we do wrong. And if we claim we’re not guilty of ever doing anything wrong–we lie and proclaim the devil is our father.

The one thing I will not be guilty of doing in this lifetime is saying, I’ve never done anything wrong. I hear Holy Spirit when He speaks and though I’m sometimes slow to obey, I do obey. I obey even if I don’t understand why He wants me to do certain things, but I know–if He says it–it can’t be wrong.

Therefore, I will continue to live like the King’s Kid that I am and hope to be known for being His–always willing to admit when I’m wrong and correct my behavior.

Unlike some–I cannot say, “Not Guilty” of ever being wrong, but I know that love–will make it right!

About The Children’s Children!

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous. Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. Proverbs 13:22,24 NIV

God–in His infinite Wisdom–addressed every situation we would encounter in life–being a parent and a grandparent. This is why we should–not just read The Word, but study it so living life won’t frustrate us.

I’m veering a little today to discuss parenting, children and grandchildren–seeking to reflect upon what I’ve done and what I should do. I’m in one of those unique situations in which I’m a grandparent, raising my grandson–doing the “grand parenting” thing so many of us do.

First of all, the one thing that most parents discover–if they have more than one child–is that parenting is a special task–that eludes instructions–from all, but God. And when a parent doesn’t have a relationship with God, they miss the mark and parent by trial and error. What most realize is that no two children (not even twins, triplets, or more) are exactly alike. They develop their own personalities and defy any logic to make them “fit” any mold. So, parenting with its many obstacles becomes a great training ground for many of us–learning things we never thought we’d have to do.

And if we thought parenting was fun–grand parenting–is a riot! Not only do we discover what we missed while parenting, we get to complete the cycle all over again–without the benefit of spoiling the kid and then sending them home. Now–if the grandchild is living with us–we have to discipline as well as spoil. It’s truly a balancing act–especially going through the teenage cycle, again.

The bottom line–in this short reflection–is that raising a grandchild can be a blessing or a nightmare. It is a blessing when the child in question understands the magnitude of the role the grand parent is in and a nightmare when they don’t. At this point in time–I’m trying to find a middle ground so I can continue to enjoy being a grandmother and yet raise a responsible, respectful young man–who can stay focused on goals to make sure his life is worthwhile.

Here’s what I’ve discovered–we must–at all costs–raise children as God has said–no matter how much we love them, we must stand firm in our resolve when we mete out discipline and love ’em at the same time. The benefit for us–a chance to mold a child’s future–again. The benefit for them–an opportunity to receive the inheritance many of us have planned for our children’s children.

Of course–if the grandchild chooses not to be the responsible, respectful young person God desires for us to have in our presence, then the child gets the reward they deserve–the consequences of their behavior.

Loving living this life to the fullest–and still learning what I almost learned fifty years ago–praying my way through to its end.

 

Fathers Who Know God!

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:4 NIV

The best fathers in the world are those who know God and live according to His Word.

If we want a better world, we need fathers to be more like God and train their children accordingly; especially the male children.

For those who do already–good for you and may God continue to bless your efforts!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Listen!

Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth: Proverbs 7:24 NKJV

How many ways must it be said? Watch over our children before they are dead! Is no one listening, do we not hear, how the predators are seeking all we hold dear?

Children are a precious commodity in our society and everyone should treat them as such, for if they cease to exist, so does our society as we know it.

Parents! Teach your children the dangers that exist in the minds of the depraved. Don’t sugarcoat the truth and leave them open to the enticing ways of those who seek to destroy them. Pay attention to what they do and to those with whom they spend time. Get to know the parents of the children they play with and what kind of homes they visit. Pay attention to what your child is doing!

A 13 year-old male is missing, abducted from a neighborhood store parking lot at 11:00 p.m. Why was he out of the house at that time of night?

An 11 year-old female is missing, seemingly having been enticed by some man through a chatroom with her access on her tablet.

People will devise any method they can to entice children out of their homes or forcefully take them away. No child should be out at night without an adult accompanying them. Parents should be aware of who their children are communicating with over the Internet.

The warnings are out there and yet, we still hear about missing children! The depraved do not care about the feelings of a parent–they only care about what they want. Whether it is for personal gratification, revenge or greed, they take, use and abuse those who are precious to those who love them.

When are we going to get it? When all of our children are gone or have been so traumatized by horrendous experiences they will never be productive citizens? We must do better in protecting our children from those who are sick–the predators–must be stopped and the best way to stop them is to teach our children the truth about the predators, guard them and love them.

T N T was written as a warning to all parents about the dangers of Internet predators and how they manipulate the innocent into doing what they want. They entice them to leave home–without cell phones–so they cannot be tracked. It would appear that this is the method used by whoever is responsible for the missing 11 year-old girl.

Please, please, please parents and guardians–watch over the children and teach them truth–God’s truth and the truth about those who will trick them into doing things they really don’t want to do.

Lord, speak to the hearts of those who know where these children are and lead them to safety.

We Can Say, “No” To Ungodliness!

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. Titus 2:11-15 NIV

When people make excuses for living in opposition to God’s Word, it is because they have either not been taught how to live The Word of God or they simply choose not to do so.

If  parents live an ungodly life before their children and all the children ever see is ungodliness around them, there is a great likelihood that the child will think that ungodliness is normal. We tend to think what we’ve have seen is all there is and unfortunately, for some children, ungodliness is all they will ever see. And for these we pray–that some day soon–they will see others live Godly lives and want to change their ways.

What do children see that is not of God? They see parents engrossed in all types of negative behaviors–watching porn on television, leaving bedroom doors open so the kids see all they should not see. They see parents getting high on drugs and selling drugs, and dealing in illegal activities–openly. They see parents start fights and brawls over trivial matters and they see parents set fires to home simply because they were evicted. They see parents cuss at anyone who dares to cross them or disagree with them. They hear parents when they lie and know when they are lying. And all of the ungodliness they see–becomes a part of their lives when they become adults and the cycle begins again.

If we understand the behavioral cycles that have led to the demise of respect and peace in our communications, we will see the need to teach better behaviors. There is but one simple rule to govern what we do–LOVE–and if we love–self and others–we can say, “No” to all ungodliness. If we teach children to respect others by showing them how we respect others, we can eliminate a lot of the violence in our society. Much of it is caused by a lack of respect–for self and others–especially when people think they have a right to infringe upon the rights of others–without consequences.

We are told in The Word that whatever we sow (plant), that is all we can expect to see. If we plant the seeds of ungodly behavior in our children, then all we can expect is ungodly behavior. If we plant Godliness (nurturing it our own behavior as a living testimony), then we’ll see Godliness in our children.

We have to remember that children are not stupid nor blind. They see much more than we think they see and they imitate what they see. So before we get upset with our children and others around, we need to reflect upon our own behavior. Are we saying, “No” to ungodliness or have we deceived ourselves into thinking there is nothing wrong with us?

Getting into The Word on a daily basis and seeking God’s Wisdom, puts us on the right path to living Godly lives before Him and others–alleviating any need to be ashamed of what we do–in the eye of the public or in our private lives. Please God–not man–and say no, to all ungodliness!