Friday, September 11, 2009

Who Really Cares!?


I almost had to be excused for the title on this one. A Marine once said in front of me as a youngster "Who shives a get," to another Marine. You know the military has a code for everything. I didn't think that would be appropriate for a family show, so I cleaned it up for the kiddies.

It's 9-11 a day that most of the world will not soon forget, and a day that some will not think twice about until something of a greater magnitude happens to remind them. 9-11 reminds me of 12-7, it reminds me of people falling hundreds of feet to escape something that they felt they could not bear. It reminds me of pain and grief. It reminds me of some that went through crisis conversion, only to fall away from God once the smoke cleared. However, as crucial as it may be, it also reminds me of a nation that is stronger than any fear. A nation resilient enough to bounce back, and a nation that has overcome more than one tragedy, and does not lie down, but gets up dust off and just keeps getting better. We grow, in size, strength, love, and spirit! We have a president that is bi-racial y'all. Honestly how many would have believed it possible in our life time? I saw American Indians laughing with Asian Indians, White, Black, Latino, humans all gathered together in one place. Muslim, Hindu, Atheist, and Christian, even this imperfect one all gathered in one place to help assure that the world would not view us as a self righteous nation with a self righteous leader. Which brings me to this: if we can overcome the racial hate, religious barriers, and status quos then can't we overcome the arrogance? Not confidence, but arrogance. Racial tensions, and hatred have not gone away, they have just succumb to the greater power of love. Which leads me to believe that the cause of the attacks on our nation was due to arrogance, and ignorance.
I will follow up on the ignorance and arrogance in the next blog, as for tonight, I must meditate, and leave everyone w/ this thought when is it cool to call someone out in public, and when should we pull someone aside as not to offend or unnerve? When should we make a bold stand and when should we just be still? Think on it, pray on it, and make a difference. Love, peace and hair grease, or is it love, grease, and hair piece? At any rate grab your thinking caps and meet me at the forum. Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Daddy's Girl Part 2



This is the imperfect Christians little HAM! Will perhaps be the imperfect Christians perfect lil' Mia Hamm, but they will cheer my little ones name this go round. She has an opportunity to play soccer this fall, and daddy is way stoked! But you know what blesses me even more? The look that is not for anyone else but daddy. The bashful look when she drops her head on my shoulder when I hug her and give her sugar in the morning before her mother drives off with her and takes her to school. Oh tug at a brothers heart strings! My best friend has two girls I can only imagine how ruined I would be with two! I pray that one day I can get that candid shot of my little girl and our morning embrace before I blink and she's grown. I love you baby girl, with all I my heart... Daddy loves you!

Daddy's Girl


This is an imperfect Christian picture of his perfect playtime with his perfect little girl. This is why I live a better life from day to day! Thank you God!!! Nuff said.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Danger Keep Away!


Have you ever watched City of Joy with Patrick Swayze? It was a movie about a doctor (Swayze) visiting Calcutta, India. He went on vacation for a spiritual enlightenment, and wound up in the poorest sector of Calcutta, and becoming a hero of sorts. He was an advisor, defender of the people, and a doctor to a lepers colony. It was a very sad, but an aw inspiring movie that everyone should see!

Those that were not leper's condemned those with leprosy. They would not allow those stricken with leprosy to go outside of their own sector more or less. Treated them like they were not human, and were just down right disgusting in some of their actions toward the poor, and disadvantaged people. Until you've been treated like a leper you usually do not think much about it. I have never had any diseases, or disfiguring that made people not want to be near me. However, some people see skin color as a deformity, and some see deformation as a horrible thing.

As a child I was afraid of people with handicaps. I was afraid until I learned that they needed to be loved just like me, and wanted to give their love just as much as they wanted to be loved. I grew out of my fear with knowledge. But with increasing knowledge also comes increasing sorrow. (Ecclesiastes 1:18) I learned that not everyone cared for other people only themselves and what they believe in. Now I am not going to get on my political soap box, because I am not a politician, but an imperfect Christian that is an American Citizen. My ethnicity like all branches back to some ancient Hebrews, my detour takes place on every continent, until it stops right here in the good ol' US of A. Nothing presents my feeling like the lepers feel more than when I have someone tell me above all other things that they are not prejudice. Not a "Hey man that's a nice jacket," or "Hey that's an awesome haircut," just "Now I don't have a prejudice bone in my body! You know that, how you been doin'?" I have bit my tongue nearly in two attempting to prevent asking how many times they have said that to a person that was not connected to African descendants.

Every time someone speaks about our President not being a US Citizen like they were the doctor that delivered him, it gives me that same feeling. When they say that he's not a Christian, like they are God Almighty themselves it gives me that feeling. I didn't get worked up over John McCain saying, "That one." But I got that same nasty feeling, when others tried to make a huge race war out of his comment. We could talk abortion, genocide, right vs. wrong all day long, and it still does not remedy the problem that we have. Bridging the communications gap peacefully and rationally would be nice, rather than barking out you're not like me, you're going to hell! I do not hate Muslims, Buddhists, or Jehovah's Witnesses, in fact I am going to invite a non-Christian to have lunch with me in the very near future. Wow, wonder how it will pan out when we eat lunch together and realize that we both need nourishment, that we are both human, and we can sit together peacefully, and not worry about our differences, but find the common ground that allows us to be civil!? I'm praying that our nation comes to that conclusion also. When we can celebrate the day that we allow our President to speak to our children and not have the school officials treat him like the strong arms of India treat the lepers!

I have seen the schools allow DSS officials to interrogate grade school children with no questions asked. Take a frightened child into a room alone with one (DSS Worker) adult, no aide (legal or otherwise), neither parent present, no family member present, not even a guardian ad litem, and not make one phone call. They will however, send a personal message home for the parents to sign, or call every home concerning our President speaking with our children. I have not yet to this day that I am aware of witnessed that before. It is also a first that a President has taken time out of an overloaded agenda to address every child in the country with a positive non partisan, no political gain involved, "National" message to my knowledge as well. So what did the schools message say to me? It said in my interpretation: "Parents we don't want to be held responsible for what your child hears from the President, we prefer to make it appear that we are giving you a choice to speak up before the event takes place in hopes that you will keep us from law suits by sending petitions of disapproval against our President. However, with no warning and not caring about a law suit we will allow an individual to request that a DSS worker intervene, and tell you how to discipline, feed, and raise your child. Tell you what they can, and will not learn because we are not above the law, we are the law! We have thrown out all moral and rational dealings because what we say stands, this is not the NBA, NFL or any other league, group or democracy there will be no review, you will just have to get over it. Thank you." What they do not tell you is that they will do this until enough people stand together and override their ignorance. So why are you still sitting here reading this? Go make plans to be at the next Town Hall meeting, and boycott whomever, has no sense. As Mix-A-Lot used to say, "If you help get the fool hired, help get him fired." If you sat and did nothing, now it is time to take a PEACEFUL stand! Be heard, and be seen, don't be in the herd and make a scene!

"It's not because he's Black, African American, what term should I use here? It's because he supports Pro-Choice!"

Again the imperfect Christian does not support abortion, especially partial birth abortion. I also do not support the belief that legalized abortion is the only or leading cause of death, I believe ignorance is.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Pour Some Sugar On Me


I had awakened and early on Saturday morning, and the days of my being able to crawl into bed with my mom, and pull her eyelids were gone. My attempting such a feat as a teen would land me, as Fred G. Sanford used to say, “Five across the lips,” while shaking his fist at Lamont. Well my mom began dating a fellow that was sort of a bully, and not very kind to put it lightly. And he had been at our house a lot, and the more time you get to spend with people the more you learn about them. He had recently lost his job, started drinking, and was sponging off of my mother. Mom finally saw that he was not the same fellow that she had first met, and asked him to leave. It was not a pleasant ordeal needless to say. But there was one bright spot in his being there. It was another life lesson for me, and has made me a better father, and helped me in the prank business as well!

Our bully had decided to go out for a run bright and early on the Saturday morning that set me off. What set me off was the fact that when he returned he ate the last of my Rice Chex cereal! He just snarled at me, like what will you do about it! Did I mention that he had lost his job? Yeah I thought so. Well I am a man that believes restitution should be paid in full. I am also a very patient soul when it comes to payment, receiving and giving if need be. Well it is better to give than to receive, and it was my turn to give. You can’t eat a brotha’s Chex and then punk him out like that! Most of all you don’t treat a Mama’s boy’s mama with such disrespect! He never gave her money, and he never cooked one meal for her!

Well our friend the bully again was there every day that following week, including the weekend. He went to the cupboard to find the cereal that was purchased without any contributions from his hand, and poured a Jethro Bodine sized bowl of Chex. Used my imperfect Christian Jethro Bowl in the deal again, and my favorite spoon! Did I tell you that he didn’t have a job, and that he hadn’t paid for any of the food that he was consuming!? I did, my bad, OK on with the facts.

He got the milk out of the fridge, again the milk that he had spent nary a dime on, and filled the bowl. Then he grabbed the sugar bowl, and put about five table spoons full on his larger than life bowl of cereal. He sat down and took a bite. Of course I had to stick around because I had grown to be a rather testy teenager. My Granddaddy told me that it took a man to dish out a beat down, and more of a man to stay in the fight and take one. Well I wasn’t going to miss this one, and was willing to take the beat down! He yelled through the house like the house was on fire and told my mom that the cereal was bad. A grown man whining to the woman of the house, the one that he was sponging off of, and had the nerve to wake her and tell her his cereal was bad. I would like to punch him in his grill to this day, for the way he treated my mama! Lord forgive me for imperfect, and unrighteous thoughts.

My mother came out to check on him. He was worse than a two year old, and said, “This cereal is no good.” My mother coming to his rescue began to investigate the crime scene. She checked the milk first. “It’s not out of date, it smells ok,” she took a sip, “it tastes ok.” So then she took some cereal out of the box, “The cereal doesn’t taste bad,” she remarked. So on to the sugar. “It tastes like salt,” she exclaimed.” Wow, probably because it is…” she said holding back tears from laughing hysterically inside! He got up and was ready to kill me, and I smiled as I walked by him with my baseball bat in hand. I praise God for allowing me to be surrounded by friends that prevented me from using another smaller Angels bat on the bully while he was talking trash to my mother. I walked past him straight to my room, and my friend had told his dad that he thought I was going to do something bad. He went into our house, and passed out drunk on my mother’s sofa. I didn’t go to a juvenile detention center, and our bully tried to come back drunk, and promptly got served a butt whoopin’ by the same man that kept me from hitting Juvy. God is too good. All stories should end well, and have a hero. Live the righteous life imperfect Christian, and God will be your hero, and the final chapter will be a victorious one!

Well brothers and sisters, be blessed with a sunny and peaceful Saturday, and give love, as you are loved, and even when you don’t feel loved. For what greater love do we know than the love that was given to us when He laid His life down for us, now that is a man who knows about the beat down!

Peace Blessings and Joy… That real PB&J

Angel In My Morning


I was awakened again this morning by a feisty little girl that loves to crawl into a warm bed. The set back is that she likes to snuggle as close as she can get, and then she draws out every bit of body heat that you once had, and kicks the blankets off of you. So, you have a tremendous drop in body temp, and she is closer to you than your drawers, so you can’t move for fear of crushing her. Oh did I mention the fact that if you move to the edge of the bed she follows you? That’s right good dads you know what I’m talking about. If you roll to the right you face plant in the floor, and if you roll to the left you hear, “Daddy you’re squeeching me!” You put her back in her bed about twenty times per night, and tell her, “no,” but she comes back anyway. She is the only one that I have a hard time pulling pranks on. Girls are so emotional sometimes! Well good people, a good Saturday morning breakfast blog to ya! The life of an imperfect Christian with the cutest little girl in his life at 7am on Saturday morning, and she like he, is looking for cartoons. Yeah I still dig the toons just not as early! Well she is a joy, a jewel in the crown, and nowhere near the nuisance that her old man was when he was little. In fact here’s the perfect time for my childhood prank story:

Thursday, September 3, 2009

I Can't Feel My Face...

I almost feel bad for the little fella on the left. I actually feel worse for my grand kids, if I am blessed to have some. They will have to endure second generation torment from their father, and grandfather!

My kids are very compassionate, and all of them have big hearts. If someone is feeling down, or under the weather, my kids will do what they can to help lift their spirits and perk them up. Well on Monday night Smiley was sitting in front of the TV messing with some Legos or something, just hanging out. He and his brother had played Need For Speed Go Fast, Crash, and Somethin' or Nother Edition, and at this point it was just time to unwind before bed. We had a big road trip that Tuesday, and he was just chillaxin.' I went into the bedroom put on my long Black silky shorts to get comfy, then went to the bathroom, and said with no hesitation, "Hey the right one came out pretty easy." I had struggled with my contacts for a couple of days at that point, and was getting more frustrated with each day.

Smiley amazed said, "You got it out already dad?"

It had taken me about 3 days to get them out with the last attempt.

I paused for a second and then belted out a grunt from the center of my belly, and then literally screamed! My son just looked up with a deep look of concern. I stumbled out of the bathroom with eyes wide open, and feeling threw the air like I had lost my way...

Smiley sat with his mouth gaping open, and his eyes fixed on my left eye, that had no pupil, just a red spot running from where it used to be. He was frozen in fear. He was truly paralyzed and just sat there! I fell through the kitchen laughing and he finally got up caught his breath and said, while gently placing his hand on my shoulder, "Dad please don't ever do that to me again, I almost wet myself." He was smiling at the time, but his heart was really racing, it was priceless!

OK anyone else with great stories on what pranks they've pulled on their kids are welcomed to comment. Or even better, if you had one of your parents pull one over on you, please share...

Peace and I'm out... Tomorrow at 1pm starts my 3 day extravaganza!

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

How Does That Look?

What does a 320 pound woman look like? Now, before you scroll down to look at her pictures, get a mental image of what you think a woman who weighs 320 looks like...GOT IT?





























































Not exactly what you were expecting is it?? The tallest and one of the best proportioned women for her height in the world lives in Holland. She is 7'4" and weighs 320lbs. OK Mr. Verkade is this what all the women in Holland look like!?
Well here's a tale that's not quite as tall as our friend here, but a good one nonetheless!

A man had just had one of the worst days of his life, and was determined to immediately turn it around. He was willing to do whatever it took to make things work! He had lost his job, his wife was threatening to take the kids and leave, and they were behind on every bill! He had been all over town looking for work, and couldn't afford to move, besides that no other auto companies were hiring assembly personnel. He was without a degree but had technical skills, and learned quickly. He was a big man, around 6'9" and 370 lbs and he was as strong as a bear, but as gentle as a lamb. So, he went to the zoo for one last chance, praying to find some work. He asked the Lead Keeper if they could use anyone. He offered to clean the lobby, feed the animals, and clean the habitations, he was willing to do whatever it took. The Lead Keeper said we have student volunteers from the college that are filling in right now, sorry. Then the Assistant Keeper excited and out of breath came in wild eyed and shouting, "Willie is gone!"

The Lead Keeper said, "What do you mean, has he escaped!?"

The assistant specified with tears in his eyes that Willie their main attraction, the big gorilla had died! The Lead Keeper paused for a moment stricken with grief, then with one thought allowed anxiety to overtake him cried out, "We have a school group coming to see him this afternoon, what will we do!"

The assistant quick witted on always on his toes told the Lead Keeper in private that they still had the Willie suit in the back. With that said the Lead Keeper offered the big man a job! He asked the big man if he would put on a show for the kids. The big man was ecstatic! He agreed immediately to take the job, then ran to the back and began to garb up in the Willie suit! It was a much better suit than the one in the movie "Trading Places," also. LOL

They placed him in the gorilla exhibit, and he began to swing and practice, acting like Willie. Just at that point he noticed that the children had arrived early! He didn't want to disappoint them so he really began to put on a show! He would swing back and forth on a vine that was high in the exhibit. He swung over the edge of his habitation, and looked down and saw the lion watching. He swung back to his tree and thumped his chest at the lion, and snorted. The Lion roared and just looked on. The big man swung over the lions den again and growled fiercely!

The big man was putting on quite a show, and feeling good until he slipped from the vine and fell almost two stories down into the lions den!

The lion walked over slowly, and the big man trying not to blow his cover tried to catch his breath and crawl to a safe place slowly. The lion stalked him. He caught the big man at the wall. The children had mixed emotions, some wanted the gorilla to escape, and others wanted to see the lion eat him, and a few thought the gorilla could take the lion, so they urged them to fight.

The big man kept his cool, while the lion crouched playfully in front of him, just behind some tall grass. Then in an instant the lion leapt over the grass and stretched outright to his limit, placing both front paws over the big man's shoulders! The big man squealed like a little girl with no nerve, and said, "Please don't eat me!"

The lion leaned in close with his nose just under the gorilla's chin and growled mightily one last time.The lion then put his mouth next to the gorilla's cheek and softly whispered in the big mans ear, "Calm down big fella, what're you trying to do, get us both fired!?"

The moral of this story is not everything is as it appears to be.

Someone may tell you that they love you, and have your best of interest in mind, when they are really trying to bring you down, or do what's best for them. However, I know of One that will never let you down and never forsake you. God knows what's best for you, and always has in store for you what is best for you... Jeremiah 29:11
Listen for Him, trust in Him, and go with Him, and you will never be misled.

Peace, Blessings, and Joy... the real PB&J!