I hear people debating what changing our health system would mean and a common theme that I hear people opposed to it argue about is the cost. Who’s going to pay for health coverage? Will taxes go up? Let’s look at this in an honest view and not from a political standpoint….to argue over cost and taxes when it comes to health coverage for people (mainly ones who can’t afford it) is to basically put a price tag on someone else’s life. What right does any of us have to deem another person not worthy enough to receive life saving treatment, all because we don’t want to have a bigger budget?

I’m not a politician, a socialist, or economist, but I have common sense. Common sense tells me that it would probably be more ethical and cost effective if all I had to pay was a tax so that everyone including myself could receive health care when needed.  Common sense tells me that my health insurance has been steadily increasing over the last couple of years (And I’m Healthy!  I can only imagine what someone who is sick and has health coverage is paying.)  I’m pretty sure if we had a single payer system we’d all be paying less to the gov’t then we would to our insurance companies.

The problem is really at the heart of this society. We do not care enough for fellow human beings. We are fine with money going to “defense” and to destroying lives, but we do not have the heart to see that same amount go to saving each other. It’s even crazier to me that the people last night who argued fiercely against the health care bill ARE recipients of government run insurance! If it’s good enough for them, why can’t it be good enough for us?

I’m happy with the results of last night’s vote. I’m glad that millions more will be receiving coverage…but there is more that needs to be done. This fight cannot end until every citizen is covered. And this fight won’t end, until we all learn to think with our hearts and view each other with equality. We all have the right to live.

My first reaction after hearing this was “wth.”  It caught me off guard at first…but then I actually laughed at it a little bit. I laughed because it vaguely reflects what me and a lot of other folks I know thought about Obama when we decided to support him. I said, “Oh My God! A black dude with an actual chance of Winning!” I honestly think that’s what Reid meant when I sit back and look at it…but I could be wrong.

The thing that’s been the most amusing to me is how certain Republicans are protesting that Reid should be pressured to resign like the Republican Senator Trent Lott was forced to resign. First of all, this isn’t even an apples to apples comparison. Trent Lott said, “When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over the years, either.” In case you’ve forgotten history, Strom Thurmond was a SC Senator who fought AGAINST the passing of the Civil Rights bill. To me it sounds like he’s saying people of color are the source of US problems…but hey I could be wrong on that too…

So…are democrats giving a double standard to Reid? If a Republican had made this statement wouldn’t dems be calling for a resignation?  My honest answer to both sides really is “Negro Please!”  Both of these folks use race as political points. I’m honestly not too pissed off at Reid for his comments. But I am pissed off at how both sides in politics (dems or repubs) will try to act like their racially sensitive to other people when it’s obvious that both sides hold some deeply rooted racial notions. Despite all of this, making a person resign their post because of racial insensitivity does not remove the cancer that is racial insensitivity…it only removes that person.

We spend too much time treating the symptoms and not getting to the source of the sickness. Removing people does not remove sentiments. We will never get to the source unless we actually have open and honest discussions about racism in this country. And we must have this discussion for the benefit of our humanity, not for political points.

Going into a new year is always a very interesting time. I remember a scene from Forrest Gump. Forrest and Lt. Dan were in a bar with two women and one of them said that she loved New Years, and that it was a chance to start over. Everyone seems to love that sentiment, that a New Year brings a new opportunity.  I especially pay attention to a lot of religious sentiments about New Years. People make statements that God is going to do something different this year, or that this year we’ll reclaim what the “devil” has taken from us.

One thing that makes me wonder…what happens if the expectations for the new year aren’t met? I remember in 09 we had slogans and sayings all over the place, but from my observations, a lot of folks had a bad year.  What happens when we make predictions that God’s going to move us to a new place but yet we seem to feel worse off then when we started? What happened? Did we hear God wrong? Or did we really hear God to begin with?

Why do we believe that God plans things for us yearly? Why is God planning to do something different in 2010 then God did in 2009?  From my own life experiences I’ve learned the hard way that God doesn’t necessarily run on our time.  God is not going to give you new things simply because a year has an “8″ in it (Christian number for new beginnings). If that’s the case then 2010 is really gonna suck (10 being the number for trials and temporary affliction).

4 years ago, my theology teacher made a statement that had a profound affect on me.  He said, “There is only one hour on God’s clock, and it’s now.” I think instead of US trying to set goals for God to fulfill in a year, we should simply ask ourselves, what is God doing right now? Jesus even said himself that we shouldn’t look to tomorrow, but to focus on what’s happening right now.

You can’t expect things to be different if you hold to the same patterns. Some folks try to “reclaim” what the “devil” has taken from them year after year. Why are you repeatedly being robbed? Maybe you’re not being robbed at all, maybe you keep making the same mistakes time after time and just giving things away.  Why is it that some folks who claim victory in Jesus are quick to talk about what the devil is taking from them? Nothing (spiritually) can be taken away from you that you have not given away.

To bring it all together, I understand the sense of glee that a New Year brings, and the opportunity for a fresh start, but maybe we shouldn’t wait to Jan 1 to start thinking about new beginnings. Maybe we should pay attention to what’s happening to us right now. Each day that we are blessed to see brings a new opportunity to get things right. It’s folly for us to not take advantage of the chances that a new day brings. Instead of focusing on what God is going to do in the future, be in tune with what God is trying to teach you at this very moment. If you’re taking advantage of new daily opportunities and staying in tuned with God, maybe you won’t have to keep on reclaiming things that you were giving away.

Don’t squander opportunities. Own up to and learn from your mistakes. Celebrate and embrace each day. Ask yourself, what is God doing right now…?

It’s funny that the media is digging into this situation and mistresses are still coming out of the woodwork.  There’s a whole lot that I could mention about this whole incident, but there’s one thing in particular that has really struck me…

Normally when a public figure gets into hot water about an incident and faces public humiliation (and possibly jail time) they usually hold a press conference about the incident, give a half-heart statement about being sorry for their indiscretions, and for the cherry on top, they say they “Have Found Jesus” or are in counseling with a pastor/spiritual advisor about their problems.  Need examples? A couple of years ago when Michael Vick got busted on dog fighting and gambling, he said,

Dog fighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it. I’m upset with myself, and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God. And I think that’s the right thing to do as of right now.

Last summer when South Carolina Gov Mark Sanford got busted for cheating on his wife, he said that he was going to his spiritual advisor for counseling.  Go further before that when Chris Brown got put on blast for beating the mess out of Rihanna, he said that he was meeting with his pastor. Oh, and how can I forget, when R. Kelly was first suspected of making sex tapes and urinating on little girls, one of the next songs he popped out was “You Saved Me.”

One thing that my father told me a long time ago is that a lot people find God when they’re in trouble. And he meant this in two ways. First, he meant that sometimes its when we’re at our lowest point that we realize that God is the only alternative to helping our situation. But he also meant that sometimes people go looking for God ONLY BECAUSE they’re in a jam.  It’s the second point that I want to focus on.

Now I know I have no right to judge another person’s intentions or to make a pronouncement about what’s really on his/her heart, but I think that it’s really phony when people ONLY turn to God because they’re in trouble.  I’m talkin about folks who don’t pay God or church not one bit of mind when things are going well, but when stuff hits the fan, they are quick to jump in someone’s pew and beg God to help.

Sure Mike Vick and Chris Brown found Jesus after they got caught, but I wonder if they are in anybody’s church now that the heat has cooled off? I hope I’m wrong and that they have totally devoted themselves to God, but something tells me otherwise. (Also the fact that Allen Iverson took Mike to a strip club during his first week home kinda tells me something too).

So what does this have to do with Tiger?  I’m glad you asked! Although Tiger has not made a full statement or given a press conference about his actions, in the little bit that I have read, I still haven’t seen him say “I Found Jesus” or “I’m meeting with my pastor.”  Could it be? Someone who’s in as much of a jam as Tiger isn’t pulling the phony, “I Found The Lord” card?  Call me crazy, but I actually respect him for that. Tiger has really screwed up (no pun intended) but at least he isn’t trying to hide behind the false veil of spiritual remorse.

I speak totally for myself when I say that it upsets me when I see people proclaiming that they’ve found Jesus or are meeting with their pastor, but then they return to their same old, spoiled and rotten selves once they’ve made it out of the drama.  I’m not saying that people can’t change or that sometimes we don’t mess up after we’ve converted.  God knows I’ve had my share of mess ups. But what I’m saying is, don’t say that you are going to God, when in reality you have no intention of really committing yourself to change. If you want to turn your life over to God, then by all means, do it! But only do it if it’s something you are going to commit to.

God wants to be in a relationship with people; an on going and continuous connection. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think that God isn’t into one night stands, where folks only come to him for a “fix” and then leave once they’ve been satisfied. So to Tiger, I pray for you and your family, that you can be reconciled by whatever means necessary, be it through faith, regular counseling, or whatever else. And I appreciate you for not playing the fake religious awakening card.

The last clear memory I have of being in a Halloween parade was back when I attended Central Elementary.  (Sidenote: Yes my parents were Christian preachers who let their kids celebrate halloween…get over it). It was always a tradition that the kindergarteners, first, and second graders put on costumes and parade for the “older” kids. I remember it was first grade when I wanted to be the werewolf from Michael Jackson’s Thriller video for Halloween.  Well, my dear sweet mother went and brought me a “wolf” mask. It was kinda odd lookin to me, on the grounds that it was grey and had pink nose, but whatever, she said it was a wolf mask and I believed her.  So my costume was a varsity jacket, jeans, loafers (just like Mike had in the video) a sequins glove that my cousin had made for me, and the “wolf” mask.

So the next day we go on to parade around to the older kids and everything was going fine til we went into the 5th grade art class.  One boy (who’s name I still remember but won’t say) took one look at me and said…what kind of cat are you supposed to be?  I was like “what the heck? cat?” And that led to a lot of laughter from other students…

I go home after school and look for the tags for the maks that mom brought me…and sure enough, it was a dag on cat mask and not a werewolf…I was a thrilling cat with a varsity jacket and a glove for halloween…easily the worst halloween ever!

- I don’t get women who are 6 feet tall, who wear 7 in heels and then complain that they can’t find a man tall enough for them, or that they don’t date shorter dudes.  Listen babygirl – the average dude is only 5’7″ (look it up if you don’t believe me).  So unless you’re only looking for ballplayers, you need to make some concession or you’re going to come up short (on both accounts i guess, lol).

- It ticks me off that the same people who are against abortion are the same folks who are in favor of capital punishment.  Is a life a life?

- Why do folks who I haven’t seen in 24 years come up to me and say “Hi, Don’t you remember me? I used to change your diapers! I haven’t seen you since you were a baby.” – Maybe that’s why I don’t remember you.  (And to make it worse, I hate when I lie and say “Yes” just to make them happy, and then they ask me to say their name! Quit making me looking bad for making you feel better! lol)

- I don’t get when dudes cheat on their women and then get mad when they’re women turn around and cheat on them.  What you crying for potna’? What goes around comes around. But at the same time, two wrongs don’t make a right folks.

- I hate that there are some folks out there who think universal health care is a bad thing! Everyone deserves the right to be treated for health problems, regardless of how much money the have. To live is a right, not a privilege.

- I can’t stand when you say good bye or try to leave a place and people keep on talking to you or try to start up a whole other conversation!

- don’t you hate when people see you somewhere (although you may not have seen them) and they complain to you about you not speaking to them? get over it

- Lil Wayne! – he is not a great rapper as some try to hype him to be, and he’s God-awful ugly!

- I think we can all agree that Souljah Boy’s 15 minutes of fame was up 20 minutes ago!

- BET Awards shows – enough said.

- Fox News ain’t news – and do people actually watch Glenn Beck because they agree with him? or are they just watching for the comedy?

- I don’t normally like to call other black folks sell outs, but Michael Steele has got to be the biggest sell out/uncle tom there is!  He makes Wayne Brady and Bryant Gumble look like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.

Aight, I think i’m good for now…thanks for listening

A while ago, I compiled a list of certain sins that would earn a person a trip to hell…Well the spirit (I won’t say which one, lol) has been speaking to me again and more unpardonable sins have been revealed to me.  So as I record these for your soul’s benefit, please remember, these are not my rules, I’m simply reporting what I’ve been told.

1. Wearing a bluetooth during the church service (if Jesus wants to talk to you, he won’t call on your cell phone…but he will leave messages in your alphabet soup).

2.  Falling asleep while sitting in the choir box.

3. Not being at church when you’re on the program (nothing’s more embarassing then hearing you called up to give the prayer and you ain’t there!)

4. Asking for refills of your communion wine.

5. Doing the Stanky Leg, Ricky Bobby, Swag Surf or the Jerk during the shouting period of the service.

6. Wearing red to weddings (need I say more, lol).

7. Stealing Mr. Taylor’s cane (FCC members)

8. Only shouting or praising the Lord when someone in your family does something on the program.

9. Laughing at little kids that mess up scripture readings.

10. Laughing at old people who forget the words to the solo they’re singing.

11. Not saying “Help Her Lord,” when that soprano doesn’t hit that final high note.

12. Not saying “All The Time” when someone yells “God Is Good!”

13. Disappearing to the bathroom right before offering time.

14. Not getting the “something stinks face” and shaking your head before doing a shout dance.

15. Listening to anything other than 88.9, 104.1, 96.3 or a gospel cd before arriving at church.

16. Watching a movie or tv show with cussing before you leave for church.

17. Flicking off the usher in the car that cut you off because they’re late to church.

18. Not tithing money you won from the lottery, bingo, tonk or bidwhist.

19. Looking around to see who’s coming for salvation when the preacher asked everyone to keep their eyes closed.

20. Sending the preacher text messages during service asking him/her to hurry up to you can get home to watch the football game.

(life’s too stressful not to laugh sometimes)

Last week, I attended a funeral for two ladies who were slain in Lothian.  Both them and the killer were members at my church, so this incident really hit home for us.  It was my sister who had first informed me of the incident.  After we talked I was kind of in a daze, it just wasn’t registering to me.  I tried to go online and see if any news outlets had reported it, but hadn’t seen anything.  It wasn’t until around 4 that afternoon when I saw a news report about the situation.  After reading it, reality really set it.  This was a ….”jacked-up”…situation (I’m using Christian words today).  I was upset about this incident.  We read and hear about this kind of stuff all of the time on the news, but when it happens to someone you know, it takes on a whole other dimension. It was just sickening to think of what kind of man would kill his wife and her sister?

As I read the article…I continued down to the comments section, and I saw that someone had written thank God that they both were saved and have gone on to glory… In a situation like this, there is nothing to be giving thanks about.  I am a devout Christian and I love the Lord with all my heart, but I do not believe that after hearing a situation about this, there is anything to glorify.  These things should never happen in the first place! Murder is wrong! Spousal abuse is wrong! What glory is there?

The problem is that I think some folks, Christian in particular, are too quick to try to offer pearls of spiritual wisdom and don’t really take the time to understand and dissect the situation. I can speak for myself when I say that when a tragedy claims peoples lives, I don’t automatically think about the well being of their soul, I think about the tragedy itself!  For example, when Katrina hit, I didn’t think “I hope they all made their piece with the Lord.” But I did think about how if the gov’t wasn’t so cheap, there could have been a levy system put into the place that could have kept them safe.  And when this homicide happened, I certainly didn’t think about salvation, I thought about how twisted a person has to be to take his own wife’s life!  In other words, think about the issue and the people involved.

It’s bad enough to lose a family member to sickness, and you hear folks give you words like, “Well at least they’re in a better place” or “Well they aren’t suffering anymore.” Listen…when a person dies, there is really nothing that you can say to a family member when it first happens.  The best you can do for someone grieving is to be present and be quiet.  Words do not take the sting of death away. And in the situation of a double murder, there is absolutely nothing that you can say when you first get the news.

I understand that as Christian we hold beliefs that all things work to the the good of those in Christ, or that God won’t put more on you than you can bear…but we have to be real sometimes.  Hurt and pain is real and they can not be swept away with a few bible verses or Christian sayings.  If you’re going to speak up, speak up to the situation, but to the grieving family, simply offer them a shoulder to cry on…and be silent

The question of whether Vick should have been allowed to play or not has already been addressed and it is a moot point.  He has been conditionally reinstated and signed to a team, so no matter how much we want to protest, the deal has already been made.  The question now is, “how do we move forward?”  And the answer (to me is)  You forgive and give him a chance.

What I think some people don’t understand is that forgiveness does not excuse a person’s sin.  Although I personally (for what ever that matters) forgive Vick of his sins, I Am In No Way Condoning His Actions!  Yes, fighting, torturing, and killing dogs is a disgusting and repulsive practice.  And I really don’t have an issue with the jail sentence that Vick received.

But now that he has completed his jail time, what now?  I know there are a good number of people who say that the sentence should have been longer, but guess what…it wasn’t.  I know there are some who say that he should not be allowed ever to play again…And I’ll give this concession – the NFL does not owe Michael Vick anything!  Vick was not owed the chance to play.  He screwed up and he paid the price, so there is nothing that he is due from the league.  BUT, I do believe that he deserves a chance to prove that he has reformed.  If he’s a changed man, then that will be made apparent.  If he’s really unchanged and is deep down a vile and despicable creature, then that will be seen too.  All in all, he deserves the chance to show his true colors. (and if he does it again, sure, throw him back in jail).

I could go through and quote the usual line of Biblical scriptures about why forgiveness is good and necessary.  But let’s use plain speak…We should forgive because we never know when we’re going to need it!  Case and point – for many of those gov’t officials who would not forgive Bill Clinton for his affair, it’s really funny that a couple of years down the line, those same guys that were calling for his head were wrapped up in their own extramarital issues (looking at you John Ensign). And the same goes for us…when a person asks for forgiveness, we should always be willing to grant it, because we would want the same if we screwed up.  Now, forgivness does not equal trust.  We can forgive Vick, but we don’t have to trust him.  He has to work to earn that.  And like I said earlier, forgiveness does not mean you condone the sin.  Forgiveness means that you will not hold it over their head.

And this just doesn’t go for Vick, but it goes for everyone.  How can we expect people to move on with their lives or try to improve their lot if we keep on making them pay for their past crimes?  If a person is released from jail, has shown remorse for their actions and then tries to make a new life for themselves, then let them be!  If we keep all doors locked to a person who was a criminal, then We increase the likelihood that they would return to their old ways.  And why wouldn’t they if no one was willing to help them find a new way? You cant expect a former drug dealer to make honest money if no one is willing to give him/her an honest job!  But then the funny part is, if they screw up again, we get mad and say “See, I knew they weren’t sorry.”  You can’t hand someone a fixed deck of cards and then criticize them for not winning.

And this is a point for all of us Christians to take notice of.  How can we preach and profess God’s love and forgiveness when we don’t practice it?  If we set up our own rules and standards on top of what God has already established then we become just like the people that Jesus preached against!

All in all, we don’t have to forget what happened, but we should forgive and give him a chance.  But not just him, let’s learn to forgive each other and give every person a chance.

For those of you who grew up like I did, church has always been a major part of our lives.  And if you’re really like me, you have fun talking about services.  Making fun of the way people shout, complaining about an extraordinarily long prayer, or sharing amazement about a fruitful altar call.  Needless to say, the biggest focal point of discussions is always about the sermon…and why not?  Let’s be real, a sermon can make or break a service.  If the choir is killing a selection, everyone’s shouting and then there’s a bad sermon, many people won’t remember the rest of the service, they’ll remember the bad.  Conversely, if it’s a Sunday when the choir isn’t hitting and the worship leader is a bore but the sermon is on point, most folks will say it was a good service.  And with that being said…it’s an enormous amount of pressure that comes on preachers.

A couple of weeks ago, I gave a sermon at my church.  In my opinion, being asked, preparing, and delivering a sermon is like riding a rollercoaster (like the Superman at 6 flags).  First, you’re happy for the opportunity (arriving at the park).  Second, you start to feel nervous while you’re preparing (waiting in line).  Third, the pressure builds, you get into the pulpit and you wonder what the Heck Am I Doing Here? I Want To Get Off!!! (going up the hill) and Finally you start speaking (going down the hill).

I can speak for myself when I say that I used to take for granted the real pressure that preachers go through.  I’ve spoken at my church twice before this previous time, but what I felt was nothing like what I felt this time around.  In short, I was straight trippin!  I was nervous, on edge, jittery, and I couldn’t sleep (and all this started two weeks before I even had to speak!)  I kept on stressing over it.  My was so paranoid about it that I totally shut down my social life while I was preparing so I could focus on it.  lol My prayer was “God, please don’t let me suck!”  And my fear just wasn’t on a bad delivery.  But you stress over the message itself.  Are you really saying what God wants you to say?  You stress over the people.  Will they receive what I have to say?  And on top of that, you’re a part of a bigger picture.  If you fail to give a solid message, you could possibly make it harder for the next person who preaches after you.  It’s just a whole lot going on.

I shared with my mom everything that I was feeling.  And mom, said, “That’s what I feel every week.”  That statement just stopped me…if speaking once every six or seven months trips me out, how in the world does she stand going through this every week???  How does any Pastor stand it?  (I could understand why she and Pastor Queen take a month long vacation!)  So how do you stand it? A very good question with only one answer (and one that God allowed me so see).  Once you say the last words to your sermon, and you see how God moves people to respond, and you see people coming to altar, you realize that all the stress and strain was worth it. The hours of preparation, prayer, and stress are totally worth seeing God move on the hearts of people.

Now is that to say that if no one comes to the altar that everything was in vain? Of course not…because you never know the end result of your message.  A person may not come to the altar but may go home and decide to get their life in order.

And what about the preacher who just has a bad sermon?  Well everyone has an off day (even the greatest preachers).  It’s one thing when a person just doesn’t prepare at all and doesn’t take it serious (and you can usually tell those folks).  But sometimes a person can really really prepare and just be off for one reason or another.  Despite the popular notion, preachers are human and can make mistakes.

All in all, I’ve come to have a new found appreciation for this craft.  I can definitely see why people would want to run from this calling, but I also see why we come to embrace it.  Sure its stressful, it’s hardwork, and it definitely can kill your social life, but it’s worth it!