BLACKBerry ASSAULT

There is a lot of violence going on in today's society against every culture of people. But the climate here in the United States of violence against black people is just short of genocide.
First there is a mass assault committed through black on black crime in our communities. Everything from gang violence to domestic violence and anything in between happening at an alarming rate. The effects of these horrendous acts are devastating to many families. As a culture we need to stop the self hatred and the inability to have constructive conflict resolution instead of destructive.
It is a terrible thing when a race of people continue to commit murder against themselves.

On the other side is the assault committed by police brutality against African-Americans. The countless cases in the news of brutality caught on camera but only later to be dismissed in the court of law. I totally understand the principle of respecting authority and we must definitely have to teach our children to do that as well. What I do have an issue with is when someone unarmed life is taken innocently or excessive force is used against a person of color but in that same scenario someone who is Caucasian that may less likely happen. No race card being played because it has always been the ace of spade since this country was conceived. Too many examples of this is constantly happening but there is always a justification for it. Wrong is wrong no matter if it is a civilian or a person behind a law enforcement badge, because at the end of the day we all are imperfect despite our race, gender, or occupation. People are entitled to their own opinion, but if you just look at things from one perspective be it the law or the victim, I feel the full answer to the problem will elude you.
I know people in law enforcement  that are genuine people, parents, and are not corrupt. But there are many who are.

I'm in the education field and the same principle applies for teachers, administrators as well for people of a particular race or culture. The problem comes in, when those perpetrators are not dealt with to keep the stain off the law abiding black citizens, the non racist or overly aggressive police officers. It seems a lot of people rather point the finger and feel their perspective is right instead of trying to get to the root of the problem.

The recent incident that just took place in a South Carolina high school a few days ago that went viral on the internet is yet another example. Honestly when I first saw the video of the white male officer yank the  black female student out of the chair and man handle her it angered me. I was looking at the fact he was a man and that was a girl who was not armed and posing a threat even though an order was given to get up from her seat.
Then I realize later that the teacher and an administrator had asked her to leave for a disciplinary infraction and she refused being insubordinate. Right there is a problem. So many of our children are not being taught to respect authority despite how they may or may not like it. That responsibility falls on the parents. By no means am I excusing the excessive force the officer used against the girl but it could have been avoided if she would have just gotten up when the teacher had asked her to.
In retrospect both sides have to do better to keep these incidents from happening frequently and becoming fatal whether caught on video or not. Parents must teach their children to respect all authority do what is ask of them and law enforcement  must demonstrate more compassion and de-escalate situations against people of color to minimize the outcome of deadly or excessive force.

The bible says in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms".

Poetic Thought:

The 60's civil rights movement was started but is not finish,
The progress made has been distorted and diminish,
The waves of destruction have hit high tide,
Black lives are being exterminated through many forms of genocide,
We have to take responsibility and change through action not rhetoric default,
It's past time to wake up, to stop this Blackberry assault! ~ JD

The more these issues remain the more this social injustice volcano is going to continue to erupt!
No the world is not perfect but everyone can play their respective part to do what is right for the common good of all. Until next time, class dismiss!!!

The TRANSITION

At some point in your life there will be a transition. The transition could be personally, professionally, spiritually or all three and then some. How you view and embrace the transition will determine if your outcome is positive or negative.
Human nature says a lot of people are afraid of change or resist it subconsciously because of their comfort zone. How many times in your life have you resisted a transition that was inevitable for your life to grow? It could be the transition from a relationship, a job, a habit, or anything that keeps you from your full potential as a man or woman.
"Purpose requires the transition from complacency to courageous effective change." So whatever the transition you are going through now or have completed allow it to make you a better person and thank God in the process.

The bible says in Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Poetic Thought:

My thoughts are deep not surface,
Eliminate anything not beneficial to your Purpose,
Strive to manifest your potential,
Blessings will begin to flow exponential,
Life is made up of actions and decisions,
In order to reach your destiny, you must go through the transition! ~ JD

Thirty days from now on November 6th will be my birthday. I will make the transition from my current age to the next age. All my life I have been in a transition from one level to the next. A series of lessons: growth and maturity, triumphs and losses, love and heartache, among many more. I have learned it is God allowing me to become the Man I am suppose to be. It is still a process but I'm striving everyday to fulfill his purpose for my life. Recently I have made a transition  to becoming a published author with my debut book 5 Dimensions of A Man by Jerry Davis. It is available for purchase @ www.Xlibris.com  www.Barnes&Noble.com  www.Amazon.com  I'm excited for the future and what God has in store for me, so anyone reading this blog embrace your transition because it just might change your life! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

LETTING GO (2 yr Anniversary edition)

There comes a time in our lives as men and women there is something we have to let go. Letting go could be a relationship, a business, a friendship, or even self habits that are not beneficial. Whether by choice or not, letting go can be difficult especially if its something you like, someone you love, or just your comfort zone pertaining to your career or way of living.
It's human nature to resist change sometimes and come to grips with letting go of something that you want but may not be in the will of God for your life. It can become a strain on a person's emotions, decisions, and overall behavior.
I've come to learn in this life that everything I want or desire may not always be what God has for my life. As a man sometimes this can be hard to accept. I realize being driven to be successful, love someone from your heart the best you can, being strong for your family can be overwhelming and allow you to be reluctant to relinquish that thing you familiar and comfortable with.
It's all a part of the process in this journey of life we all at some point have to go through.

In the bible the words says in Philippians 4:7, "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Poetic Thought:

Time is of essence,
Absence of peace, allows chaos to be present,
Faith is the antedote for fear,
It may be raining but the sun will eventually appear,
To reap a harvest, love you must sow,
God has greater for you in exchange for letting go! ~ JD

I'm a big fan of the tv drama Chicago Fire that comes on NBC. It shows the daily lives of fire fighters and paramedics as they save lives from burning buildings and other catastrophic incidents.
One particular episode a fireman on the rescue squad was trying to save a man trapped in his car hanging over the ledge of a parking garage 3 stories high. The victim had to let go of the steering wheel and grab hold of the fireman hand in order to be pulled to safety before the vehicle went over the ledge. In this case letting go saved someone's life.
This month marks two years since I started this blog and I thank everyone who takes time out of their day to read it. My hope is that it encourages you and inspires you. Thank you sincerely! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Well it is  the month of February and officially eight days from Valentines Day February 14th. This holiday is a celebration of love between couples married, engaged, or dating.
Many gifts are purchased at this time, especially chocolate, flowers, jewelry, and lingerie just to name a few. Of course not everyone is in a relationship, some people are single be it by choice or break up.
If you are reading this and in a relationship than your expression of love should reflect everyday besides Valentine's day.
For anyone who has ever been in a grown and mature relationship knows that it takes work.
You have two individuals a man and a woman unique in their own way coming together to form a bond. Many differences and similarities to mesh together. Her needs, his needs, her desires, his desires and so forth.
Love is at the core of any relationship but there also has to be respect, trust, communication, and committment in order to sustain a healthy relationship. Sometimes selfishness, insecurity, dishonesty, among many other things can be like a virus that infects a relationship causing strain and even heartache.
I have been in good and bad relationships in my life. There have been times I contributed to the turmoil in the relationship and other times it was the lady in my life. What experience has taught me is you can't change no one but yourself. Should you attempt otherwise it will be like beating your head against a brick wall and you have no right to complain about the headache!
Be prepared to love someone that is not flawless because neither are you. Before every kiss begins with KAY you must put in the work today! :-)

The bible says in Matthew 19:5, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

Poetic Thought:

A bird in the hand beats two in the bush,
The labor of love will birth a blessing, you got to push,
In the purest form make love not lust,
The relationship garden cannot grow, must fertilize it with trust,
Be courageous, open your heart, to overcome committment fear,
How can two walk together, unless they agree, Where do we go from here? ~ JD

There is an ole school song by Stacy Lattisaw and Johnny Gill called "Where do we go from here".
 I listen to this song in my truck frequently because I like ole school R&B but also the significance of the song.  The synopsis of the song is about a man and a woman in a relationship that came to a crossroad and not sure if they should walk away or keep trying to make it work. Powerful song! At some point in life we all have had to ask this of ourselves and our significant other  Where do we go from here?  Until next time, class dismiss!!!

DOMESTIC WAR

There is a war going on here in the United States of America. I'm not talking in reference to the war on terror in the sense of foreigners dropping bombs or beheading people. That is happening and a travesty but I'm speaking about all the domestic violence here at home. In the news headlines another young brother NFL player is exposed in a video for punching his wife and knocking her unconscious. Another high profile NFL player is being indicted on child abuse charges against his four year old son. Locally here in Memphis, Tennessee where I reside, a husband killed his wife then himself, and a week later a firefighter killed his girlfriend. There also was a group of teenagers forming a hit mob going to the local grocery store and beating up and assaulting innocent people. As if that wasn't enough last month in August in Ferguson, Missouri an unarmed black male teenager was  killed in cold blood by a police officer. This has seem to become a trend since the volatile case in 2012 of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman in the state of Florida.
All of this senseless violence is at epidemic proportions right now. There is so much hate consuming the hearts of men and women today.
Insecurities, betrayal, lack of trust, prejudice, along with other suppressed issues contribute to the behavior that is being exemplified  in our society. Our culture is becoming desensitized to the horrific acts of violence happening to women, children, and people in general.
It doesn't matter if the offender is a professional athlete, officer of the law, husband, father, mother, or teenager it is wrong all the way around to carry out such acts of violence. It has got to stop!!!


The bible says in Matthew 11:12, "From the days of John the Baptist until the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force."


Poetic Thought:


Sticks and stones do break bones,
The heart of a man is no longer right but left to go wrong,
Anger brings destruction like a consuming fire,
Integrity is low while immorality has risen higher,
Evil is a cancerous tumor manifested in the mind's core,
We wrestle against spiritual wickedness in this daily domestic war! ~JD


There is a movie I saw a year ago called The Purge. Since then the sequel The Purge Anarchy came out in July of this year. I saw both movies. The basis of the movies is a new age America where for one day in March for a period of 12 hours acts of violence is legal to commit including murder and people wouldn't be held accountable for their actions. The movie is intriguing but subliminally it sends a message of where our society could be heading. We must turn back to God and educate ourselves on conflict resolution instead of resorting to violence as a means to solve disputes or problems we all face. Pick up your cross and get on the battlefield to defeat the enemy in this domestic war! Until next time, class dismiss!!!

LIFE'S LABOR

Well we are coming off another Labor Day holiday. It is a time of reflection for the American worker be it blue collar or white collar. In order to produce anything or achieve something labor is required.
In life as a man or woman you will have to labor in order to have a better quality of life. If you are a parent you labor to provide for your children. If you are an entrepreneur you labor to ensure a successful business. If you are a mother you spent numerous of hours in labor to birth your child. With respect to reference of a mother in labor during the process of child birth, is similar to what you go through in life. The pains of life's labor come hard, sharp, and like a contraction it seems every few minutes literally and figuratively.
Now I am a man and I could never know what it actually feels like to be in labor to give birth like a woman, but I do know about life's labor.
Here are a few examples of labor pains in life: family disconnect (contraction), heartache (contraction), sickness (contraction), sin (contraction) along with many more. No man or woman is exempt from experiencing life's labor. If you endure the discomfort and pain by putting Jesus Christ first in your life then you will eventually birth a blessing like a mother does her child.

The bible says in Psalms 128:2, "You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours."

Poetic Thought:

The battlefield of the mind is fought everyday,
Stay parallel, your actions must line up with what you say,
Going through the basic training of life,
No matter the odds, be courageous, earn your stripes,
Be encouraged, embrace the Lord's favor,
Impact someone positively, reap the fruit of Life's Labor! ~ JD

There is a gospel song I love to listen to by William Murphy called "Its Working". This song invigorates my spirit and motivates my determination and drive to know that no matter what Grace and Favor is given to me by God. Here is the hook:

"This is my season for grace and for favor,
  This is my season to reap what I've sown,
  Everything is working together for my good"

 Remember this when life's labor seems unbearable, know that God has something for you on the other side of it. Until next time, class dismiss!!!

HEART ATTACK

Today many people are suffering from heart attacks. I'm not speaking the heart attack in the physical sense where your internal organ goes into cardiac arrest. I'm speaking about the heart that has the artery of your emotions flowing through it.
Many factors can attribute to you having a heart attack.  Some examples would be a disappointment or failure in something you are pursuing, a bad break up in a relationship with someone you love, or a disconnect with your family.
In the past and present I have experienced all three. The only way to persevere through it is giving it to GOD. Let's be real you might know this and can speak it all day to someone else but when it is you going through it is easier said than done. Emotions of hurt, anger, frustration can be like hot coals scorching you. As a man or woman in this journey of life you will surely experience adversity, setbacks, and heartache. Like the popular saying "What don't kill you makes you stronger."
Another important thing is to take a self assessment  of yourself and the things you may have done to contribute to your heart attack. Things you could have done better, mistakes that could have been avoided or not repeated, procrastinating instead of progressing forward.
Like with your physical heart you must get exercise, eat right, and take vitamins so it may function properly and not be high in cholesterol. You must do the same for your emotional heart in order for it to function properly. Exercise love,  feed it the word of GOD, take Vitamin A (Acceptance), Vitamin C (Compassion), Vitamin D (Discipline). At some point alot of us have been deficient in our heart regiment, I know I have and can tell when the emotional cholesterol in my heart is high.

The bible says in Psalm 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

Poetic Thought:

Life is a rollercoaster going up and down,
Sometimes you have to smile through an obvious frown,
Love is suppose to be nourished not starved,
Any conflict unresolved can leave scars,
Seek what is good in abundance not lack,
GOD is the specialist and will heal your heart attack! ~ JD

There is a gospel song that I love to listen to by Dewayne Woods called "Let Go".
This song is personal to me because I can feel it in my spirit and how it applies to my life. Here are some lyrics from the song that stands out:

"There is so much going on,
  Sometimes I can't find my way,
  And often times I struggle,
  Struggle from day to day"

  "As soon as I stop worrying,
   Worrying how the story ends,
    I let go and I let God
    Let God have his way"

Those are some powerful words! For anyone reading this blog and going through anything that troubles your heart, just know to give it over to GOD and he will allow it all to work out for your good. It may not seem like it at first, believe me I know, but just understand his timing is not our timing but he is always right on time! GOD bless you! Until next time, class dismiss!