Showing posts with label Fellowship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fellowship. Show all posts

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.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Communication Gap...


Wow, how we often misunderstand one another! Gracie is looking at me in this picture saying,"Whatchu talkin' bout Willis!?"
I sent an email to a fine Christian woman (let's call her "Christi") in a company (let's call it "The Building") that uses the same distribution company as ours. I saw the UPC number on one of my orders and reconginized it as being one that belonged to The Building. Therefore, I made contact with Christi. I sent an email that said:

I recognized this as being your product and since I cannot key it I am sending it to you for confirmation. If this is indeed your product here is his information, DJ Darby's 123 South Main St., Good City, NC 27somethin,' somethin,' or another... He needs 3 copies of The Good Life CD. I used todays date as a purchase order number.

She wrote back and said, "Yes this is our product just have him send it back to the Distributor.."

Wow! Well I wrote back explaining again that this was not a return, but rather a purchase and that Mr. Darby desired to have their product consolidated in shipping with our product. When I send notes of that nature that is usually a given, especially when we did the same thing just a week ago. LOL So, it doesn't take much to confuse others at times. That's why we need to slow down, focus, and help others to relate. How do we do that. Who liberally gives us wisdom? Don't know, well here's what James said in chapter 1 vs 5, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives it generously (liberally, freely) to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (NIV)

Some frown on anything but the KJV where I live, and I say not to offend, but rather to bless, what was there before the KJV (1611) and did all the folks before that time period go to hell? Remember good reader it's your imperfect Christian brother speaking...
That verse applies to mankind, which includes women for my chauvinist brothers that are not as imperfect as me! LOL

Another miscommunication.

I told my boys to do a few things for me, and they did, but not exactly what I had asked for. My communications transferred in a different way, so how then should I communicate to them? In such a way that says I am your father, who at one time was also 13, 15, and 16, and I am now in a loving lenient way am saying that when I call you home, or say come home before dark that, that means for the rest of the night, not for a few minutes then away we go again. That means that even though school is out, that you still have to call me, and let me know before you leave my house, your Grandmothers house, or your Great-grandmothers house or any premises that you occupy that I have last heard about.
Friends here things the wrong way at times also. Husbands hear what they hear, wives hear what they hear. A fella compliments the smile of a pretty woman, and she says oh that devil is up to no good! When really that fella just thought she had a pretty smile.
Communication is key, and we all need to be understood whether we always agree or not...I've said my piece and counted to three! LOL Peace, Blessings, and Joy...in Christ The Real PB&J