Monday, April 29, 2013

IT ALL WORKS OUT

Living in today's society men and women deal with alot of issues. Whether it be related to work, family, personal relationships, or even self, there will be challenges. You find out who you really are, in how you respond to these life issues.
Now men and women deal with things differently from a logical and emotional perspective. But the common thread that binds us, is the fact adversity happens to us all regardless of gender, income level, marital status, etc. Many times when we experience disappointment, heartache, or betrayal, it affects our outlook on people and life in general.
Sometimes we may not see it, but when others gossip about you, change their minds by going back on their word, pass judgement , among many other things, it allows you to see they are not meant to go with you where GOD is preparing to take you.
Resiliency and perseverance must be embedded in your psyche in order to embrace this revelation. The question to be answered is like the old mantra for Gatorade "Is it in you?"
The bible says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things GOD works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Poetic Thought:

See the forest beyond the trees,
Stand for something, but pray on your knees,
Before tasting yes, you will digest alot of no,
To reap a blessing, faith you must sow,
The closer you get eliminate all doubt,
Have no fear it all works out! ~ JD

This past weekend I went to see the movie "42" about the life of Jackie Robinson. It was a great movie, with the heartfelt message of courage, belief, loyalty, and perseverance. Not only did he trail blaze baseball for African-Americans, but the human spirit in the face of bigotry, racism, and hypocrisy because he was called according to his purpose. Also he had a good woman by his side, his helpmate, his wife there to support and encourage him. That my friend is FAVOR! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

Monday, April 22, 2013

SUBSTANCE vs SWAG

As men and women we live in a society that is self absorbed with the idealogy or image of swag.  Don't get me wrong having swag is a good thing in the sense of individual style, uniqueness, but it shouldn't be the main factor that defines a person. A man or woman need to have substance as well.
People are so consumed with status, how much money someone is making, the appearance of being affluent.
Nothing is wrong for someone to have money, be physically attractive, or have accomplishments but that is not what should define a man or woman totally.
When men and women have morals, integrity, intelligence within the confinement of education and beyond that, are just a few examples of substance.
We as men are visual by nature, so the physical beauty of a woman naturally captures our attention. But what keeps our attention, is if she has substance. Will she support your dreams, encourage you, pray for you, display intelligence and independence.
Women listen to what men say. It must go beyond him sweet talking you, showering you with gifts, but will he protect you, be faithful, pray for you, display wisdom and take iniative. That is substance.

For men the bible says in Proverbs 3:13 "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding."
For women the bible says in Proverbs 31:10 " A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."

Poetic Thought:

Sweet like ice cream and chocolate chip cookies,
You have life experience, be a professional not a rookie,
It takes proper hands to prepare a meal,
Arrange your cards before you split the deck and deal,
Don't play the cat and mouse game, you it, tag,
Substance is mandatory, bonus is swag! ~ JD

Everyone has their preference of what they like. Look beyond the lenses of what you consider to be swag and see if the other person has substance also. That is what counts in the bigger picture. A bonus is when someone has both substance and swag and you will be able to recognize it, if you have it as well. Real recognizes real 24/7/365! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

HATER NATION

We're living in a society that is full of hate. Men and women are comitting senseless acts of violence in so many ways. Everything from domestic violence, sexual abuse, murder, and terrorism to name a few.
There is a disconnect of morality and the value of life nowadays. Many people have lost their hope, have no faith in GOD and have given in to their insecurities, dysfunction, and evil thoughts.
Everytime you look on the television, there are countless examples of people hurting others physically, emotionally, or both. The abnormality of hate has become normal and the normality of love has become abnormal.
The bible says in Proverbs 10:12, "Hatred stirs up dissension but love covers over all wrongs."

Poetic Thought:

Knives thrown at your back,
Malice build up causing a heart attack,
Instead of choosing to help the choice is to hurt,
Walk over others like their dirt,
Brutality has become a sick infatuation,
GOD help us all living in this hater nation! ~ JD

So much has happen over the past few months in the world, let alone in the USA. December of last year the Newton Connecticut shootings at school, the NFL player murdering his girl friend and killing himself, and yesterday the Boston marathon bombings. Hate is at an all time high, it will take fervent prayer, faith in GOD, and love to conquer this hate. We got to do better as human beings! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

FAITH Factor

Living in our society today, many men and women have little faith. I'm speaking in regards of faith in GOD, in themselves, or just hope for a better tomorrow. It can be easy to feel discourage when adversity strikes or disappointment and heartache occur. Some men and women allow these factors to increase their determination and strengthen their faith, while others give up and throw in the towel.
One must understand this life is going to bring many trials and tribulations. The heart of a man or woman must encompass an unwavering belief in something greater than self. Faith in the creator of heaven and earth.

Faith has played a major part in my life. Many times when I experienced adversity, heartache, or frustration it was my faith that kept me resilient and hopeful for a brighter day.
Faith is being able to see yourself healed when you're sick, employed when you're unemployed, happy when you're sad,  being loved by someone honestly when you were deceived, and succeeding when others said you will fail.
The bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."

Poetic Thought:

Everyday going against the odds,
Pursuing something great is never easy, sometimes hard,
Write your own story with your heart's pen,
Victory is certain, but you win from within,
Everything has sequence, like the sixth, seventh, and eighth,
To fulfill your purpose and enjoy life, you must activate your faith! ~ JD

The movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" which starred Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith was a candid movie that speaks to faith and determination. It was about the life of Chris Gardner and his son who became homeless, but he eventually became a successful stock broker. No matter what life throws at you always remember to keep the faith! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

Monday, April 8, 2013

SEX Season

The weather is warm, sunny days are here as spring is official before summer come. This means more revealing clothing and everyone displaying their physiques from putting time in the gym. In turn this intensifies the lust for sex between men and women. I stated in an earlier post, sex was created by GOD, so it is a beautiful thing but in its proper context. We know that it is suppose to be experienced in marriage but most have experienced it before marriage, myself included.
The desire for it is a natural part of our human fabric. Mankind has twisted it and done as we please. So now there are many consequences to pay, when wisdom is not used when engaging in it. STD's are at an all time high from Herpes to HIV, marriages being shattered by affairs, abortions because of unwanted pregnancies, homosexuality, just to name a few.

Men and women view sex quite differently. Most times a woman will have sex when she likes a man or have feelings for him. It opens up her emotional bank. There is an exception, some women have casual sex without the emotional attachment. Men, we have sex for a release, (not just the obvious) but more so to relieve stress, as well as the euphoric feeling it brings. But like the exception for women, not all men have sex without emotions, some men engage in it when they do care for the woman it is with.

We live in a society where sex has influence over everything from social media, music, television & film, government, and church.
Sex is a free will choice that can become addictive and even destructive if not handled properly.
The bible says in I Corinthians 6:12, "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be mastered by anything."

Poetic Thought:

Men and women an undeniable attraction,
Add emotions, subtract sound reasoning, perform sensual actions,
Ride the camaro instead of the horse and carriage,
No license required to engage, oblivious to marriage,
It was created for simplicity but we make it complex,
No diet plan for restraint, overweight lover devouring the cuisine of sex! ~ JD

There is a song by R&B artist Trey Songz called "Sex ain't better than love." I like this song a lot. My own personal journey experiencing sex from being a teen to becoming a man, I can relate to the underlying message he is conveying. This particular verse in the song Trey sings stands out;

"I been out here in these streets and I done learned,
 Every girl I gave my lovin to was only a substitute,
 I been out here in these streets and I done learned,
 Even though she's in my arms,
 This ain't where my heart belongs,
 Sex in the air no lovin here,
 Soon as I get through, I'm outta there."

Be wise, either abstain until you have your GOD sent mate or practice safe sex if you can't wait! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

Saturday, April 6, 2013

U-N-I-T-Y

One key factor that is missing sometimes among men and women today is unity. It seems when there are differences, most people decide to bail out and do their own thing. I have been guilty of this in my life at times. But then I learned how to agree to disagree and move forward not backwards. For the most part people have no deliberate intentions of abandoning the relationship, be it personal or business.
It takes wisdom to realize you can't make people do things they don't want to. Though this is true, it is still no reason for us not to practice unity as believers in GOD, parents, co-workers, family, etc.

Men and women are wired differently, so the scope of our perspectives will not be the same. This is when true maturity come into play to see if personal differences can be put aside to come together for a bigger purpose. Unity is a key element for men and women, and all people in general to thrive in life peaceful and productive instead of chaotic and non productive.
The Bible says in Psalm 133:1, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!"

Poetic Thought:

You go left, I go right,
It is better to converse, than be immerse in a fight,
Division of the heart breeds six degrees of separation,
Cost of love is free, but hate is in constant inflation,
Choose to sustain family and build a stronger community,
A King and Queen always stand together in unity! ~ JD

There is a song by a rap artist named Future featuring Kelly Rowland call  "Neva End". There is a verse that sticks out to me where Kelly says;
 "You walkin out, you comin back again,
  Cause we became the best of friends,
  I got all the questions,
 You got all the answers,
  I done took your heart boy,
 Held it up for ransom."

When two people are going back and forth and having to question if they stand together or apart there is no unity present.  (U) (N) (I) (T)ogether (Y)es  Until next time, class dismiss!!!
 

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

HEART of the matter

One thing that affects most men and women are matters of the heart. If you are a man or woman that have morals, your heart will influence your decisions and actions. Men and women differ in how their hearts guide them. Whether it is in relationships, family, or career. A person's perspective can usually be determined by where their heart is at.
If a man truly has a sincere heart for his family, he will provide, respect, and protect them. He will be faithful to his wife if married, and if he is single will be committed to GOD and his purpose until he finds the blessing of a wife.
If a woman truly has a sincere heart for her family, she will care, nuture, and pray for them. She will be faithful to her husband if married, and if she is single will be committed to GOD and her purpose until she receives the blessing of a husband.
When your heart is full of understanding and compassion, there is no judgement against someone who is different than you or thinks differently than you. You will have the capacity to discern compatibility, character, and integrity of the other individual.
Sometimes we allow our hearts to be hardened when we've experienced hurt, disappointment, or a feeling of being deceived by others we cared about or loved. I have experienced this personally over the course of my life on several occasions. I learned to be resilient and get back focused, so my heart wouldn't stay hardened. It is a process so it doesn't happen overnight but beneficial in the long run.
The bible says in Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else guard your heart, for it is the well spring of life."

Poetic Thought:

Waves tossed back and forth in the ocean,
Life is more than a routine, abundance of emotions,
Sometimes you're in the valley, sometimes the mountain peak,
Put GOD first and you will get what you seek,
Building a good thing is important to finish, just as much as it is to start,
A mirror reflects your face, but your identity reflects in your heart! ~ JD

There is an ole school  R&B song by the 80's group Atlantic Starr called "If your heart isn't in it".
I like this song a lot. It speaks volumes in so many ways. If your heart is not in something, be it a relationship, work, or whatever your ministry is, then it will show. Do it from the heart or simply don't do it all! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

GIFTED

Everyone is born with some special gift given by the creator of heaven and earth. Now some people discover this gift early in their life, while others discover it later and unfortunately some don't at all. This gift I'm speaking of is directly tied to your purpose.
As men and women, we sometimes go through this life trying to discover our significance or better yet gain acceptance by others. The "others" could be family, friends, co-workers, or someone you're in a relationship with or pursuing one with.
Sometimes in order not to feel overlooked or left out the loop, you might dumb down or conceal your talents just to feel accepted. This is something that no man or woman should ever have to do. If someone really love, respect, or like you they won't require you to dim your light, because they will embrace you to shine not condemn you. They will support you and provide constructive criticism not destructive criticism, because they know your gift is for the greater good of everyone.
The bible says in Proverbs 18:16, "A gift opens the way for the giver and ushers him into the presence of the great." This scripture speaks volumes and I am a living testimony. My journey is far from over and so is yours.

Poetic Thought:

GOD sees the heart, people humble and ordinary,
Elevate your talent to produce the extraordinary,
Adversity is what tones your spiritual muscle,
Faith without works is dead, therefore you must hustle,
Discipline actions, focused attention, your life will be shifted,
Walk into the promise because you are truly gifted! ~ JD

There is a hip hop song called "Started from the bottom" by a rap artist name Drake. I like this song a lot, way beyond the surface aspect he is speaking of. How will you know what if feels like to be on top if you hadn't been at the bottom at some point in your life. Be humble, be resilient, because you're gifted!
Until next time, class dismiss!!!