Category Archives: MUSINGS

Control Yourself

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Chaos is all around us: scandals in the pulpit and throughout the pews, political unrest around the world stews, educational systems failing and folks bailing from the faith. But we don’t have to look to systems to see this; chaos meets us on our own streets with gang-banging activity (even in the suburbs), rampant drug use, bucked rolling eyes and children who otherwise despise and disrespect their parents. Yes, these unruly children may even belong to us. We can help our children abandon the chaos and prevent others from creating it when we emphasize their need for self control.

I’m not advocating hollering “Boy, you better control yo’self” while jerking the child to you or slapping an older child who you find too big to physically rule. I’m talking about systematically instituting external measures that will help shift their internal system for change that lasts well beyond the days of correcting a single offense. Getting a real handle on the self can revolutionize lives. Read the rest at EEW Magazine.

My One Thousand Gifts List

#301-310
For toothpaste to clean my teeth
No having to pay to park
A Blue Nile gift certificate that we used for dinner
Indigestion relief
Joshua telling me I’m the best mom in the world
Flynn remembering that I needed and buying me beets
Flynn getting carryout
A nice article on Nichole’s t-shirts
Loving children who love to show affection
Janice showing me what it means to be a loving mom

Friday Feature: Cold Cocktails

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The common cold is inevitable for most, but I don’t remember the last time I had one and historically that is unusual for me. For years I had to deal with having a cold every couple of months or so and it would seem I had just gotten over the last one. I heard that the average adult catches a cold six times a year. With colds lasting anywhere from four to 12 days that’s just too many sick days for me. There is too much Kingdom work to do to be hindered with a cold and I have a lot of work to do. I don’t want anyone to spend up to 72 days a year nursing a cold when we can be ministering the Gospel and changing lives. So I thought I would share with you the changes in my diet over the last few years that I believe have helped me remain cold-free every time a virus hits my entire family.

• Stop stressing—Do what you can do. Worrying about what you have to do and the little time you have to do it WILL NOT help you accomplish any task but WILL DEPRESS your immune system and make you sick.

• Limit processed foods—Most of these are tasty but lack nutrients that keep your immune system strong.

• Eat foods high in antioxidants and antiviral properties—I love garlic, onions, berries and leafy green vegetables and these all work on my immune system’s behalf.

• Prepare fresh green juices—Green fruits and vegetables are high in antioxidants and all sorts of nutrients. Some people like to prepare green smoothies, which would be blending the produce, so they can get the fiber in addition to the nutrient properties.

• Drink teas with antiviral properties—Check out my post on Immune Builders to get some specific ones.

• Drink lots of water—Water flushes toxins from the body that would otherwise fester and work to depress your immune system.

You can use all these techniques to treat a cold but more importantly you can use them to prevent a cold. Try these and join me in having more healthy days to work to build the Kingdom of God. You will be glad you did.

Bound for Glory: Book and Contest

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What Do You Think? Wednesday

A few weeks ago I told you about the amazing writer Patricia Raybon, whose new book the One Year® daily devotional God’s Great Blessings is now available. In that post I mentioned that she is a contributor to the book Bound for Glory: Celebrating the Gift of African American Spirituals through Expressive Calligraphy, which is now available in stores everywhere. It’s a gorgeous book of penetrating imagery and words that give another layer of creative texture to these meaningful songs. Listen to Raybon’s interview with the book’s author, Timothy Botts, and let me know what you think.

Would you like to win a copy of Bound for Glory? Three winners will be selected on November 7, 2011. Simply fill out the entry form here.

Also, just for conversation here, what is your favorite spiritual and why?

Don’t Deny Me

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One of my EEW readers last week commented that it’s difficult for Christians to share our faith. Though she said my column was excellent it still seemed to me that she was not concerned if her college-aged sons witnessed to anyone about Jesus; she was just satisfied that they still walked with God. I acknowledged that witnessing can be difficult but said “but witness we must,” as a reminder to her that we don’t have a choice to simply be good Christians who love Jesus all for ourselves. No matter the difficulty, we are called to share Him with others, through building a rapport with them so they see our love for them and eventually our love for God that they too might want to have Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord.

Even as I gently reminded her, God loudly reminded me the same when I got a late-night invitation to a private dinner for the next evening for a woman that my heart aches for. I had to attend to share my love for her and God even though I didn’t know if I would have any brothers and sisters in Christ there with me. Though recovering strong black women have had very few problems facing difficulty, everyone appreciates a partner when you go in the trenches. A short battle ensued at the party, and I had to stand alone.

The guest of honor wanted me to bless the table by “keeping the prayer general” and then instructed me to include the names of various gods at the end of my prayer. After pausing, knowing I couldn’t follow that instruction but not wanting to defiantly offend her, I sat in silence waiting for the Holy Spirit to instruct me. He whispered, “If you deny me before men I will deny you before my Father” (Matthew 10:33). And though I knew denying Jesus was not an option, the Holy Spirit’s reminder emboldened me to stand firm on my conviction. “I’m a Christian and I pray in Jesus’ name,” I said. After demands to “just bless the food,” I repeated, “I’m a Christian and I pray in Jesus’ name. She wants me to pray in general. I don’t want to offend anyone.” The guest of honor decided to pray and I was glad we had food to give us something else to do besides talk. The moment was tense and I thought the night was ruined, but the night actually got better.

The guest of honor and one of her friends began to engage me in conversations of faith. Her friend even asked what church I attended and voluntarily said she was going to visit. Only God can shut the mouths of lions in the lions’ den and keep us from getting burnt in the furnace. Only He can turn darkness into light. He did that for me and I am grateful. We have to trust Jesus and His plans for us. “We ought to obey God rather than man” and leave the consequences up to Him (Acts 5:29).

My One Thousand Gifts List

#291-300
A good husband
Flynn proposal that I take the money set aside for the retreat and go on a personal writing retreat with Nichole
The joy of knowing that Flynn’s proposal was from God (I thought the same thing once I discovered the other retreat was sold out.)
An exceptionally good time with Flynn
Flynn loving me with all my flaws
Physically comfortable sleep
Andrina and Floyd for keeping the children
Getting toothpaste and toothbrushes from the hotel because we left ours at home
A husband who reminds me not to complain (in this case about the taste of the toothpaste)
For taste buds that work

Friday Feature: Roundup Eight

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GMO Film Project Sizzler from Compeller Pictures on Vimeo.