Do You Remember The Best Part?

Do you remember what the best part of the cake was? Did you savor it, and enjoy every morsel, or just remember that it was good?

The imperfect Christian stood by his great-great grandmother's bed side and held her hand as she died. After that day, he was fearful of death! The imperfect Christian thought about it as a youngster on a daily basis. As an adult that fearful memory was refreshed, but this time in fear for his children. The imperfect one as a young newly crowned father, had a dream that his infant son (oldest son and no longer an infant) walked out of a skyscraper window, and fell several stories. The imperfect one scrambled in the dream and forced himself to sleep, and to continue the dream, until he could catch his son before he fell to his death.One of the imperfect ones most frightening events for sure!

Then later in his adult life, and being blessed with a girl, the imperfect Christian was sent a message from an angel to give to his little angel. She woke up one night, screaming, and daddy flew to her rescue! She told her imperfect daddy something that tormented him. She spoke of a horrific death that she dreamed about... her own! The imperfect Christian fought back tears until after he talked with her. He thought about the times he dreamed of himself drowning as a child. By the grace of God he swims very well now, and survived childhood by that same grace. So we speak no such curses about death, when it is our time, it is our time. The Word that the angel gave to this imperfect father, and imperfect Christian was... "baby you don't dream of dying, you live, and dream of living!"

Life vs. Death, Heaven and hell, an eternal living God vs. a lying deceitful devil... Who wins, which do we seek most? You see we give in and let evil take way too much from us. We think about the doctor saying, "You are going to die in six months." We don't hear him say, "You have six months or longer to live!" We don't hear GOD saying, "I have prepared a place for you," or "I am the God of the living." We hear that we are going to die. It numbs you doesn't it? It made the imperfect Christian numb to think about hearing those words, he can't lie. How would we face those words? This is how the imperfect Christian chose to face them... See that pound cake above? The imperfect Christian can normally down a piece of cake like that in a breath! Not today, however! Today it took almost 35 - 40 minutes. He tasted the goodness of God through butter, sugar, flour, milk, eggs, and took his time with it. He felt that cake dissolve around his teeth, melt on his tongue, and hit every taste bud on the way down! It was a wonderful piece of cake, and the best part of that cake, was every part, not just the sweet, but the satisfying of sweet, and hunger, and the joy of having something to enjoy. To think someone cared enough to bake it, and share it with others. Thank You God for sharing first of all Yourself, but also the loved ones I get to appreciate on a daily basis, You are too good to an undeserving wretch like me!

Today the imperfect one wants to strive not just to see his children as good, but see the spirit (Spirit) within them, the full vibrant glow in those brown eyes, on each member. The perfect pink lips, and the wonderful white toothy smiles! The active little and not so little fingers with the dirty nails that show the indoor and outdoor activities. All the way down to those long finger toes with complimenting nails. Today the imperfect one challenges you, to savor each moment, and LIVE!!!


Peace, Blessings, and Joy in Christ... that real PB&J!!!

Teach Our Daughters Well...

We need to teach them well, so they may live well...

We need to teach our daughters to distinguish between a man who flatters her, and a man who compliments her... a man who spends money on her, and a man who invests in her... a man who views her as property, and a man who views her properly... a man who lusts after her, and a man who loves her... a man who believes he is God's gift to women, and a man who remembers a woman was God's gift to man!

Words to remember and live and die by, if you are blessed with having a daughter! Thank you for sharing the above bold print Dr. Stephers!

After watching the updates of an unarmed man being slain, and the prosecution having very inconclusive evidence, the imperfect Christian couldn't help but to be motivated to be a better father. After getting updates on a, "your word against mine, no wait a minute, I'd like to change my story trial and execution," you can't help but want to be a little better father. God forbid any of you reading this, including the writer will have to suffer with seeing, or hearing about any of our child(ren) being placed, or placing themselves in such a horrible situation. Father God, in the name of Jesus, may Your will for me be one that is blessed with longevity, love, and seeing my children blessed after me in the same manner, because I have helped lead them to You... Proverbs 20:7


Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J

Prodigal Pup!

Well last night as the imperfect Christian was carting the bikes inside, his prodigal pup decided to make a mad dash into the woods. The imperfect Christian called out for him, whistled for him, and he just kept on wandering any way. So as any good father would do, the imperfect one locked his kennel, and closed off the opening on the outside dog house, and left him in the cold. You know at a certain age, kids will do what they want, they just don't fully get the consequences part just yet. Some never do, and all you can do is pray and let them learn the hard way. Well the imperfect prodigal "old" pup came back, and after shivering his tush off, he apologized at the back door. The imperfect Christian again as all good fathers do forgave him, and granted him access to his house again! Welcome home buddy! ;)

Until next time... Peace, Blessings, and Joy... that real PB&J

Independence?

Well good people the imperfect one here to speak on Independence! I said that I would with my total being celebrate our independence as a nation truly when America had a person of African descendants as our Commander and Chief. Well on November 4th of 2008 I celebrated independence for all of my ancestry. The Scotsman, the German, the Portuguese, and the Blackfoot and Cherokee celebrated a true melting pot society when President Obama was sworn in! I continued the celebrating on into January and had folks celebrating with me on the 20th of January in 2009!

July 4th of 2009 has passed and I am still celebrating. My taxes have decreased personally, gas prices have lowered, and even most grocery prices seem better. We still have greater freedoms than most countries that I know of. We have a rental truck that everyone seems to enjoy, I got my Tacoma home, and now the Impala is in the shop of our choice! We are free to enjoy insurance that helps get you moving again. We are free to celebrate spending time with family and having prayer with friends and family. We are free to speak our minds and help others. I wish to exercise my freedom tonight! I do not want any father that tries and truly cares for his kids to go through what it is that I have gone through, or will have to go through for a few more years to follow.

I am a man trying to raise his children to be integritous. My endeavor is to raise good imperfect Christians that can think for themselves and celebrate their imperfections independently. I have attempted to raise all of my children to seek after God, and mature into adults that will be people after His own heart! This weekend has been a struggle, but praise God aluta continua... the struggle continues! Some cannot endure the struggle, and to this point I have and I shall!!! Thank you Sister Ne, for making me study my Latin with more fervency.

In this land of Independence, I have had to seek justice in the fine judicial system. I have a court order for partial joint custody of my youngest son. This order says that neither party cannot badmouth one or the other. It doesn't say that I am disallowed to tell the truth. It was amended in 2004, just before we bought our house, because I spanked him. I went from every other week to every second and fourth weekend with visitation. I was disallowed to spank him for lying and being lazy enough to soil his underwear, but his mother's new husband could spank him for critiquing his sister's artwork and saying that it wasn't good. Spanked by a man that teaches him that being smug is a cool thing! During that time period she moved to Illinois and took my youngest over 900 miles away from me. This is the same son that she wanted to keep me from since the very beginning. His mother wanted to keep me from him until that is she had no place to keep him herself. Because we both worked a night shift and her father was retiring and would not allow our son in his house during the day or the night his mother threatened me with a lawsuit. She said that if I didn't provide a sitter she would get an attorney and go to court. I think she was a little bit shocked when I didn't seek a sitter, but instead kept him myself during the daytime hours! I had family keep him during the night while we worked. No help from her, nothing just my watching him from 8am to 4:30pm so she could sleep. The she would then bring him back to me around 9:30pm and I would take him to my mothers house. He would cry at the door when I would leave because he wanted me to stay and play with him more. My mother watched him for the most part and my uncle's wife kept him for awhile as well. But on his mothers side the same pattern continued, and none of her family stepped up. That was then and this is now, but the drama continues.

We went to my Uncle Juan's house yesterday for the traditional BBQ. The kids ate, they swam, they rode dirtbikes and fourwheelers, and everyone was having a great time. The adults sat and held the usual comedic conversations, and laughed hardily. The kids ran like wildfire, and enjoyed one another. No arguments, no malicious acts from jealous siblings, just a great time. We all left from L.A. (Lower Altapass) and headed into metropolis of Scrubville for fireworks. We parked the trucks behind the hospital and watched the red, white, and boom from atop the hospital drive. We had a few brownies left and of course everyone wanted at the very least one more bite, so onto phase 2 of the brownie eating. The fireworks show overall not to shabby, but the grand finale a bit of a let down. Each vehicle gathered their own kids and dispersed.

The imperfect one got home and started to settle in when his phone buzzed. I was headed to the restroom and did not recognize the number so I waited for a voicemail. I walked back into the room, and listened to the voicemail. It was my youngest son's, mother's husband (mouthful huh)? He had left a message telling me that my son had texted them and notified them that he was unable to breathe. Rather than call his trac fone back to listen for signs of his not being able to breathe they texted. His mother's husband instructed me to go immediately to the emergency room! He said that AJ could get breathing treatments there, and they could administer meds to him for allergies as well. He finished his instructional message with a threatening I will be calling back to check on him. I did what I normally do, and I ignored his ignorance like a Rottweiler ignores a toothless Chihuahua. I awaited his call, and never heard from him. Instead I received a call from the Mitchell County Dispatch.

Dispatch called and at first did not identify themselves. The dispatcher said, who am I speaking with. I said you called me who do you want to speak with? He said is this the imperfect Christian? I said it is, who am I speaking with please. At that point he told me his name and said I am Deputy Dawg with the Mitchell County Dispatch, I am calling because your son's mother called and wanted to know how he was, and said that he had texted her and told her that he couldn't breathe. I told him that AJ was fine, and that I was responsible enough to get him medical attention if he needed it. I know how to dial 911, and that I was merely minutes away from Scrubville hospital, or I knew my way to Memorial Mercenary Hospital if he needed serious care. He said may I verify your address so I can formally file the complaint, I gave it to him and asked if he needed me to call the phone number back to him as well. He said no sir you have a goodnight. I said thank you, and you as well, but now that you have called please file in your complaint that my phone works that I know the number for 911, and that I am a grown man able to communicate, therefore capable of being responsible enough to get my son medical attention if he needs it, and that his mother can take care of things with him on her time.

The drama didn't stop there. A Deputy Sheriff named McClinton in all black attire came by and asked me which house was 43. I told him that my house was. Officer McClinton said that he was on a DSS call and needed to check on the minor. I called for AJ, and he got his shoes, and came to the door. I had locked myself out and couldn't get in so I called through the kitchen window. Officer McClinton was a blessing however, he did not lead AJ with a question, but simply just asked him if he was OK. AJ said, "I am good." Officer McClinton said you feeling OK then, and AJ said, "Yes sir." Officer McClinton said that's all I came for. Officer McClinton said, "Ok hoss you have a goodnight, and wished me a goodnight as well. He said if we can do anything for you just call. I said yeah you can have her handle things on her end and let me live my life and take care of things on mine. He looked a little upset with my saying that and stepped back toward me. I told him that I wasn't upset with him, but I was not pleased with the non-sense by any means, I knew that he was just doing his job. Officer McClinton then said, "I only ask one question of each parent, put yourself in their shoes, if it was you wouldn't you want to know?" Quite naturally my answer was, "Of course!" I would want to know for sure but would be more mature and rational with obtaining my information, but now you put my shoes on for a few good people. Would you want your other children freaked out every other day with an officer of the law showing up at your doorstep just because some crack pot accused you of being a bad parent when time and time again you prove that you are not!? Shoe on the other foot would you want your child with the other parent to be scared or brainwashed into believing that he was leaving his real family to go live with people that wanted nothing but bad for him, and were trying to kill him and couldn't take care of him? Would you appreciate a woman that would entice a DSS worker to believe that because your spouse was Caucasian that she didn't care for your Afro (Black) children!? Well that was part of the questioning years ago that might oldest son endured from a DSS worker. DSS workers that admitted to spanking their own children, and doing the exact same thing that I had done, but did not lose time with their children. The same DSS worker was caught in a lie in court and not punished in the least way. Those images have been burned, and have become permanent fixtures in my mind ever since the events took place. Eventually my son will see the truths in this matter but until then I am asking when Lord!?

We have been down this road before, and may have to endure it again, but my endeavor is to see that we not only survive it, but help other true, caring fathers so that this does not happen to them. Better yet so that no child is left in the dark or led into confusion.

Peace, Blessings, and Joy in Christ...the real PB&J