Making It Plain

The reality of what the church is as opposed to what it has become, has been disappointing. Watching the wrong things is the cause of trying to find other ways to keep abreast of God's Word; but then, as we all do, the recollection of the scriptures force some changes to be made as we continue walking out this journey the best way we know how. How many times have we spoke the wrong things not realizing it is opposing the Word of God? But because it is the trend and most people say it, there can't be anything wrong with that? Right? This has been written in this blog before for us all to watch the words we speak because its like seed sown into ground about to reap a harvest that you can rejoice over or grieve about it later. For instance, if you'd like friends, to count yourself as being friendly ( Proverbs 18:24 KJV ). This is simple to incorporate in your everyday lives. Yet it would seem there are those that believe without effort, things should just happen. Life should b...

 Back when cartoons were hilarious, the villainous character would be leaning against a building just inside a dark alley watching for unsuspecting people. Once he found that "patsy", (as they would call them), he'd take the tooth pick out of his mouth and with a throaty voice speak the title of this entry then a head wag for the said "patsy" to come toward his direction to get the something he doesn't want anyone else to hear and for the "patsy" not to miss out on. It is always an item that would benefit the skulking character for the "patsy" to purchase it. It is why it has to be a secret so no one would be the wiser and convince the "patsy" when it is almost always a scam. From insider trading to purchasing a prime piece of land a stone's throw away from swamp territory and everything in between. It is up to the buyer to do his/her due diligence with a proper investigation in order to make a quality decision to invest or ...

 There has always been a social status and the class divide where boundaries are made crystal clear whether blatant or not. You see, dividing parties based on how much money one makes in a year, the car he/she drives, and or where one resides was the basis of friendships, business partners, and including arranged marriages. The families would be pleased not based on cultural beliefs or spiritual commonalities but the outcome financially if anything happened to a family member, the surviving individual would be taken care of. It seems like good planning and very practical right until it spills over into one's personality and day to day living. To stir up the dust of a topic that rarely gets mentioned will also stir up emotions. Check yourself especially after reading  the Word in correlation with the assessment. There is this program entitled Love Is Blind (UK version). In it, there are couples who have exhausted all social possibilities of meeting lasting partners and they cho...

Once upon a time there were a generation of parents strung out on their version of peace and love laced with some psychedelic value system that stemmed from a doctor's theory on how to raise a family and another doctor trying to teach you to make your self feel good with self love. Through all of that, we are here today. How do you like it so far? Feel good? Look good? Anything to be pleased about? How does your value system look? Do good and bad have cleared lines of definition? Have you waffled with the bible in maintaining what has been deemed as right for all of these years? How are your long term relationships? How are you living? This entry came from listening to a divorced father talk about how he and his grown son don't get along and the son blames his father for the divorce. The father has distanced himself from his son's views. The divorced father might not feel it's all his fault, but he knows that his son's lack of self control has caused his son much ...

Resolutions are mentioned at the beginning of a New Year and followed through as much as apologies, consideration of others, and allowing someone to get in line before you throughout the year. It just doesn’t happen? How come?  You do realize this is a Christian blog and the reference of you means the church- right? There is no reason the secular community would have anything to do with the questions posed to you because their decision changes as the wind blows. But you…you were created with a sure foundation in mind ( 1 Timothy 2:19 AMP ). You were fed with the milk of the word so that when you were ready your teeth would be strong enough, your system would be able to endure, your muscles and legs are ample enough to bite into, digest, and walk in it by eating the meat of His Word. Are you ready or was it too hard to swallow? I mentioned before about being astonished with what women wear now a days. One of the entries is called, White Gloves and a Pocketbook. It was a style going...

The purpose for flipping the script is for self preservation or obtaining the benefit from the outcome. It is removing the usual response and saying something so off putting that it causes the hearer to digest the information differently. It isn't playing mind games; it is however, guarding your heart, keeping your confidence, and maintaining a decorum of respect...that would be depending on with whom you have yielded yourself to ( Matthew 22:37 AMP ). That brief introduction into this subject is about to break some archaic barriers that many generations of sermons would have believers accepting that the definition of humility is as being like door mats and allowing the enemy to have all sorts of fun at the expense of our dignity. In this entry you will see otherwise and what it has to do with dating for the purposes of marriage in our chosen Christian lifestyle. Warning, what you are about to read used to be a saying my mother used to tell me as a child in order to curtail my beha...

 First, there is a reason why God tells us that in all of our getting, get understanding ( Proverbs 4:7 AMP ). The most important thing to know that everything God tells us is for edification, exhortation, and comfort ( 1 Corinthians 14:3 AMP ). He told us He would never leave us comfortless . He is our provision, our refuge, our fortress, and shield . He has called us to peace. He tells us over and over again to fear not ( Isaiah 41:10 AMP ). He says to be anxious for nothing ( Philippians 4:6-7 AMP ). All of this is in everything as we continue our journey in whatever He has called us to do....this is included in business practices, social cues, and most assuredly in relationships. Keeping the aforementioned in mind, I heard a pastor of a well known church tell the congregation the definition of insanity. Having been a follower of this ministry for years, I was always eager to hear a fresh Word from God through him. He proceeded to give the definition as "continuing to do the sa...

Currently, my career has led me to a mental health facility where the job of Social Work is constant. The services provided are not only to the poor and homeless but also to those with higher levels of education and socio-economic status. It is an aspect of this field I had no interest to be a part of, but God. As I became more acclimated to the position, I have found a common thread in many of the mental health issues. For instance, if you’ve ever seen the television show, Hoarders, you realize that as the episode continues and delves into that particular hoarder, he/she has had some trauma in their life some sort of way and many of them have another common thread using thrift stores (estate, yard, or garage sales) as a means of escape. The facility where I am employed the common thread is the absolving trust within relationships. These relationships can be immediate family or long termed friendship or marriage. It takes therapy sessions before the patient can come to terms with trust...

The wonderful world of technology has opened up so many different devices and strategies to use for business, school, understanding economy, investments, social media, and personal relationships. But along with the wonderfulness of what can be discovered, there are those who don't have the best of intentions like the cyber-hacks, social media trolls, the Karen/Kevin types, and those that make a profit from the stress of all of it. I recall hearing a sermon about getting all of the information one can get about a person before going out on a date by using the internet. The sermon expounded on believing that the internet has all of the necessary tidbits one needs. Granted, finding that a person is an ex-felon convicted of a host of crimes maybe information he/she needed to know. He, the speaker, also mentioned the temperament of the other as well as deciding to make future plans with this person…or not. The summary was being able to protect yourself. It sounds like good information....

Having the proper tools to do a specific job, makes the task easier than not. If you had a car slipping into a lake and someone came running with a stick to offer assistance, you'd wonder what was he planning on doing (unless he's McGyver)? Yet, there are those that believe they can try and manage when there is a better way. We know of the parable of the house built on a sure foundation and when the storms come which home will sway and which will hold firm ( Matthew 7:24-27 AMP ). Could this describe you? If so, would this description also be true for every aspect of your life? The title of this entry is really a question: who have you hitched your wagon to? Given the same opportunity with the knowledge you have today, would you do it again? Have you done it before? What did you learn? The information in this post came from watching video shorts. There were these men, camping or fishing. They were trying to get a boat pulled out of the water and onto the hitch (carrier) to secu...

Who had the idea of dinner and a movie first? Why did men first choose to pay for everything? Who flipped the script and why has it become complicated now? Lastly, when did we leave God out of flipping this script ( Philippians 4:13 AMP )? In growing up, one of the jewels of wisdom my mother said was not to accept gifts from men who are interested in dating you. I call them jewels now because I’m no longer a teenager and can completely understand without the distraction of added questions without much feedback… I was a talker . My mother was not. Nevertheless, we were a “humble” family and if it wasn’t a necessity it wasn’t purchased other than for a birthday or Christmas gift. I recall, from the movies of back in the day, when love interests would go to the girl with flowers and candy in hand. It was the romance of it all, and knew that someday the experience would be mine (cue the swooning here).  The day came and my mother's pearls of wisdom faced me before the bauble. I graci...

Driving in the February chill of Michigan the roads looked as they always had, as with the trees, the smell of the frost, and the children walking bookbag bound to the destination one presumably believes to be school; but there is no telling these days. It would either seem I had been trapped indoors for so long, I never saw the change happen or could it have been distraction that kept me from seeing what everyone else saw and took for being normal. Am I so far out of the regime that the mere mention of what I know would never have been cause for an uproar? I am believing that I was somehow distracted and never noticed that a woman showing her pregnant stomach would somehow be fashionable. No one asked for the woman to cover herself out of respect of being a mother if nothing else. I sort of wished I did, but I was so surprised at her display,  I wouldn't of had the words.  Then again, they may have not said anything for fear of repercussion of what this woman would have done ...

I was on my way to work and as much as I like to drive, there is a pet peeve of mine when people think that they can drive up to the fender of a car ahead of them to intimidate the driver to move out of the way rather than the aggressive driver moving he/she does vehicle acrobatics by driving right up close to the fender ahead so they can swerve in the next lane barely missing the next car ahead and the other driver in the next lane. I patiently wait for them to see that what they were hoping for me to do, is not going to happen. I then call them something (ungodly) in my car with the windows rolled up. Knowing that just me and God heard what was said, does that make it more or less alright?                                     Ugh, it’s not a big deal! Stop making mountains out of nothing! The Word tells us to refrain from evil speaking ( Psalms 34:13-14 KJV ).  But it’s the Old Testament so w...

Social media continually evolves to where it is today. This comes from what people migrate to and based upon the current trends that influences the masses. There was a thread posted on a popular website where the question of marital vows are sanctioned by God. Truth be told, I asked the question. The focus was if the ambiguity of the vows were concentrated on fear. If not, then why won't a man include loving her as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25 KJV)? The group where the question was asked was full of outspoken members. It wasn't surprising, seeing that the group is made up of mostly men, there were some hours that passed before answered. I specifically asked for scripture references seeing that an opinion would not be of any interest to me. Why that request, at first was disregarded, was also not surprising. However, I was surprised for a pastor to state that the love of both people was obvious and unnecessary to mention in the vows. Sigh. A young, single man interest...