Tag Archives: brainflurry

In Week 45 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my sweet…

Originally posted on Facebook on Sunday, November 7, 2021.

In Week 45 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for my sweet nieces.

I'm the proud father of two boys that I wouldn't trade for anything, but I've always wanted a daughter too.

I believe girls offer something so unique and invaluable to the world that I'd willingly brave the hell of the teenage years again to invest in it.

Though I do not have a daughter of my own, I have a host of nieces and great nieces that I get to see grow up into amazing young women and make their mark on the world. But best of all, I have been given the distinct privilege of being a part of their lives. I'm grateful. #52WoG

*I don't have pictures of all our nieces, but we adore and are proud of every single one.

I struggle with tunnel vision. I will set my sights on an outcome…

I struggle with tunnel vision. I will set my sights on an outcome at the expense of everything…

Originally posted on Facebook on Monday, October 18, 2021.

I struggle with tunnel vision. I will set my sights on an outcome at the expense of everything else.

I can be so focused on what I'm trying to do for the future that I lose what I have now: precious, irreplaceable time with loved ones and friends, enjoyment of the moment -life.

I must be careful not to make an idol out of my plans, putting all my hope and trust in them but instead "trust God who gives us richly all things to enjoy". (1 Timothy 6:17)

I repent.

So, here's some questions I've decided to ask myself daily to make sure that my stewardship of this wonderful gift called life includes enjoying it every day.

What questions would you add?

52 Weeks of Gratefulness #42 – Jannie Thompson

Jannie Thompson
Janine Thompson with Ebenezer youth at old Burger King
Janine Thompson jump rope Ebenezer youth
Ebenezer Youth Group

In Week 42 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for the youngest person I know, Jannie Thompson.

Miss Jannie (as she’s affectionately known around my house) was one of the first people to welcome me when I visited Greater Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church as a college student. If Ebenezer had a mascot, it would be Jannie Thompson. She is the personification of the down-home kindness and warmth that characterizes that fellowship.

I got to know Ms. Jannie mostly by serving with her in the youth ministry. Among the many things I’ve come to love about Ms. Jannie is her enthusiasm for life. Whatever the youth were doing, she was doing. It didn’t matter if it was kickball, jumping rope or racing, she was in it to win it.

She kept us grounded because she is unapologetically real. She is one of the kindest people I’ve met but she will slip off those shoes and earrings on you, if she has to. Because she was so real, our time together as a youth group was real. We didn’t pretend or play church. We wrestled with real problems, discussed what was happening today and talked about how to apply our faith to real life.

But perhaps what I appreciate most about Ms. Jannie was her openness and big heart. There were kids that came to our church hurt, confused and alone but always found a safe place with Jannie Thompson. I personally saw her be understanding, forgiving and take in scores of people into her life where she would love on them and where they would find healing. I was one them. I’m grateful. #52WoG

I don’t know about #BelieveWomen, but I do listen and it makes me…

I don't know about #BelieveWomen, but I do listen and it makes me both sad and angry that women…

Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, October 12, 2021.

I don't know about #BelieveWomen, but I do listen and it makes me both sad and angry that women walk around in fear of being attacked or sexually assaulted. When I consider that women I love are subjected to this; my wife, mom, my sweet nieces, friends and sisters in Christ, my anger is multiplied by orders of magnitude. It's become something I am constantly aware of.

Just this morning, I arrived at the gym when it was still dark. As I pulled into a parking space, there was a young woman sitting in her car with the door ajar and her foot on the ground. It appeared as though she was still getting things together to carry them inside. When I drove up and she noticed that I was a man, she put both feet back inside the car and closed her door.

I understood the gesture right away. It was so brief and fluid that you would have missed it if you weren't paying attention or if you didn't care. I purposefully avoided any sudden movement that could be interpreted as aggression. I left my truck running with the interior lights on and the brake lights depressed to indicate that I wasn't getting out immediately. Shortly thereafter, she got out of her car and I was careful to stay put until she hurriedly made it all the way into the gym.

It is heartbreaking that this is the world she and other women live in, one where THEY KNOW THEY ARE NOT SAFE. A world that I, as a man, have contributed to by participating in a system of value that reduces people, women especially, to things to be used for our personal satisfaction and pleasure. I participate in this system whenever I look upon a woman and by reducing her existence to whatever physical attribute has caught my attention at the moment, taking the liberty to give myself visual access to her body with complete disregard for her as a person and lewdly imagining how I want to consume, use and discard her for my momentary enjoyment as though she were some worthless, disposable toy. All of this happens in a mere moment and with just a look. And every time it happens, it adds to the great swell of violence, lewdness and insecurity that women live in.

I repent!

"Lord, I deeply regret my contribution to the danger and insecurity that women suffer, the harm I have done and the separation I have caused between women and the truth of what You created them to be. Please give me Your heart that I may believe about them what You say. Help me, Lord, to see women as You see them: as co-rulers of the earth, co-creators, co-heirs, the other half of the same whole, fellow vessels through whom precious gifts from God flows. I ask these things to further the work of my elder brother, your Son, Jesus Christ to reconcile all creation, including women, to You. Amen."

The real solution to the problem of violence against women will take much more than tactics, it requires a change of heart and a whole new system of belief and value.

Men, we must be born again.

Fine Without God

Only Light In The Darkness

 

I reject God believing “I am fine without God”. At the heart of that thinking is a belief that the light I’m walking in is my own.
 
Whatever your proximity to God, all light you enjoy -any semblance of love, justice or truth comes from Him. These are not concepts of human invention or products of our effort. They are characteristics of God that emanate from Him and shine through His vessels.
 
But there is coming a terrible day, after God’s offer of Himself and plea to choose life has gone out to every creature under heaven, that God will withdraw Himself completely from those who reject Him,
 
“For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine.” Isaiah 13:10, Mark 13:24
 
God will allow them their desire -utter darkness because “they loved darkness rather than light” John 3:19. In His withdrawal, He will also take His people. Not one who bares His Light will remain. Mankind will be completely left to languish in their own corruption and cruelty, being devoid of understanding, with no hope of any good. There will be no love, truth, justice nor anything of the sort -no light.
 
This is why Jesus proclaims, “I must work while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4
 
I remember my ignorance of the harm I was doing and how I was being harmed, until finally I was forced to acknowledge my sin because it was piled up to heaven and I was being crushed under the weight of it. I was not fine without God. And, neither are you.
 
Be not deceived, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
 
I am so thankful that while I was in darkness, hope remained for me and there shone a great light. Isaiah 9:2, Matthew 4:16
 
And, there remains hope for you! The love of God compels me, “Believe Jesus, be freed from darkness and receive the Light of the world!” John 8:12
 
How can you test what I’m saying? How can you know it is true? The closer you walk with God through faith in Christ, the greater your light will shine.

Belief is to place your trust in something.

Originally posted on Facebook on Tuesday, October 5, 2021.

Belief is to place your trust in something.

Faith is the certainty of an outcome based on a belief that results in action.

I believe:
– God is Love,
– that the Bible is divinely inspired and accurately represents God,
– that Jesus is God's manifestation, His Son, the Christ who has come to deliver us from the oppression of our corruption, from harming and being harmed and to give us true life through the knowledge of the Father
– and that there is nothing more pure, wonderful, powerful and true.

Therefore:

To the extent that I am able, I give up my life: my way of living, my pursuits, my value system, and put all my trust in Jesus, submitting myself as a servant to His Kingship, with the expectation that He will establish an eternal Kingdom of peace and righteousness for His people, and that He would provide a microcosm of that now through me by changing my nature, giving me His heart, instructing me in The Way of the Father, so that I live in such a way that glorifies and represents Him, that produces life and not death, that loves people and draws them into His peace, inexpressible joy and life everlasting which neither fail nor can be taken away.

Hell is intended for the demonic, not the lost.

Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, October 1, 2021.

Hell is intended for the demonic, not the lost.

I don't want to spread hurt or harm, do you? If not, hell is not intended for you.

Hell is reserved for enemies -those who promote darkness.

But, in the day of wrath, everything entangled with the demonic will be destroyed so to forever put away death and suffering and to establish righteousness and peace.

God reaches out to us for this very reason: so that we are not unconsciously allied with the enemy and fall victim to wrath that is not intended for us.

In His love, God provides instruction and the means to not only extricate us from darkness but to usher us into His marvelous light and life that truly satisfies through Jesus, His Son, the Christ.

What wonderful news!

This turns Satan's claim on it's head that God wants to keep you from something good. When in truth, God wants to give you the best (Himself) and keep you from harm! #gospel

52 Weeks of Gratefulness #40 – Mr. Richard West

Richard West. Former Chemistry teacher at Bailey Magnet High School
Bailey Magnet High School Chemistry Lab - Jackson, Mississippi
Bailey Magnet High School - Jackson, Mississippi
Picture of Richard West courtesy of Jackson Academy.

In Week 40 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Mr. Richard West.

Mr. West was my chemistry teacher at Bailey Magnet High School in Jackson, Mississippi. He was the first black man that I had as a teacher. He taught me how to use my first scientific calculator, a Texas Instruments TI-35X, which I still have to this day.

There’s not any particular thing he said or did, it was his presence that made the difference in my life. Though I didn’t know a thing about Chemistry going in, students know when a teacher is competent and his command of math and science were evident. He was intelligent, professional, kind but firm, in control, excellent -alpha.

Mr. West’s representation in a professional setting as a teacher during my formative years affirmed that these wonderful qualities were not only possible for me as a young black man, they are what define a black professional.

His positive influence on my self perception, education and professional outlook cannot be overstated. I’m grateful. #52WoG

In Week 39 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Clayton…

In Week 39 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Clayton Richardson. Mr. Richardson…

Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, September 23, 2021.

In Week 39 of 52 Weeks of Gratefulness, I give thanks for Clayton Richardson.

Mr. Richardson called me from an ad in the Yellow Pages for MR COMPUTER MAN and hired me to write a software program for one of his many businesses.

From the very start, Mr. Richardson was intentional about getting to know me personally. Our meetings around software requirements would sometimes spill into the lunch hour and Mr. Richardson would insist that I join him for a meal. More times than not, this led us to Lenny's Sub Shop as he was quite fond of their Philly Cheesesteak.

Over time, we started hanging out just because. He'd ask me about my family and was eager to tell me about his, especially his new set of twin grandbabies. As he was grinning at the thought on one particular day, he looked at me, his face became more serious, almost stern, and said, "Paul, if I could give you anything, it would be this: Find something to do with your boys -anything, and do it every week. I don't care if it's getting an ice cream cone from McDonald's, but do it without fail. If you do that, I believe it will pay big dividends in your boy's life."

He was right. The rituals Melissa and I put in place from heeding his advice are responsible for countless memories that our children cherish and talk about to this day. I was a new father when he shared this with me and it was one of the best pieces of advice I have ever received.

I called Mr. Richardson today to say, "Thank you". At 86 years old, he invited me out to eat again so we could talk more about our families. I'm grateful. #52WoG

Unhappy At Work: A Confession

Facebook---Image-Post-UnhappyAtWork

I was unhappy at work. I resented it. I felt unmotivated, tired and sad. I just didn’t want to do anything. I didn’t see the point.

I thought to myself, “If I were to do this everyday, it wouldn’t make any difference. I’d look up in ten years and be no better off and no further ahead. I’m going nowhere with this.”

I then asked myself what type of work would make me happy or would make doing it worthwhile? My answer: the kind of work that makes a lot of money, millions preferably. And, there was no way that I could see getting there doing what I’m doing now. The thought left me feeling stuck, without hope and dejected.

Then, I felt convicted and it occurred to me that my attitude about my work was out of line with God’s Word. Colossians 3:23 commands “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.” But, I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s impossible for me to obey this command. I can do the work, but I can’t do it from the heart (“heartily”) because I can’t want what I don’t want. That realization was a heart check and prompted the question from Genesis 3:9 where God asks Adam, “Where are you?” It made me consider whether I am in the flesh or the spirit. A preoccupation with materials things is a dead giveaway that I’m in the flesh but how did I get here? What moved me?

In the past, such states of discontent were triggered by feelings of inadequacy brought on by comparing myself to others or frustration with not being able to do something -namely, not being able to afford it. As I examined myself, I could not find any indication that covetousness was at play (this time). I couldn’t find where I was comparing myself to anyone. Then I contemplated whether I was frustrated. I determined that I was but what am I frustrated about? What brought this on?

Weeks back, we buried my Uncle John Jr. and death has a way of making you re-evaluate. One of my greatest desires is to be in a position to take care of my parents in what should be their golden years. My Uncle’s death was an urgent reminder that the clock was ticking, my parents are aging and I am nowhere near being ready financially. At the time, I did not recognize that these thoughts were even occurring. So, I did not bring these thoughts captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), that is, I did not evaluate whether their implications were lies that contradicted the truth of what God says. I was caught unaware and anxiety was sown in my heart.

Anxiety is a nasty demon –the hellish spawn of pride and fear. Pride makes you bigger than God and fear makes God smaller than your problem -a particularly potent and deadly combination. And that’s precisely where I’ve found myself, wrestling frantically with a problem bigger than I can handle, because what I think of God is so small.

How much has God brought me through? How many times have I been in need and He delivered? Time and time again God has sent who and what I need to get me where He wants me to be -every time. Every good thing I have is because of Him. So, why don’t I trust Him and would rather trust in uncertain riches (1 Timothy 6:17)?

I am glad, yes, glad that I don’t have millions of dollars because I’m obviously still at a level of maturity where I’d be foolish enough to trust it, become a slave to it, hurt others to keep it and probably jump out of a window if I lost it (1 Timothy 6:6-9). Instead, I want to be like Job who said, “The Lord gives, the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21) or “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15). I want to be like Paul who said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.” (Philippians 4:11) I don’t want satisfaction that’s dependent on my circumstances. Whether I’m CEO of a billion dollar corporation or peeling potatoes in a prison, I want to be just as full of His inexpressible joy, immovable, with the peace of God ruling in my heart.

Truthfully, it’s not that I’d rather trust uncertain riches than God. It’s that I was not vigilant and allowed something to distract me from my focus on God and I sank. I sank into my flesh and leaned to my own understanding rather than trusting Him. I moved from walking in the peace of the Spirit to allowing anxiety to make me discontent. What does God say about anxiety? “Be anxious for nothing” and then continues “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” -Philippians 4:6. I failed to do the second part that prevents the first. I failed to be prayerful in everything. All prayer requires is to start by being honest about where I am and begin it with “Lord”. These two statements: “I am afraid I won’t have enough to take care of my parents” and “Lord, I am afraid I won’t have enough to take care of my parents” are similar but lead to very different places.

I repent and am resolved to be more vigilant to pray at all times, about all things and trust God. I trust that God is not merely some ethereal concept, but a real person with real power who is good and can indeed work all things together for good (Romans 8:28). So, I can be joyful and faithful with what’s in front of me, confident that He will work all things out and order my steps in the appropriate course of action (Psalm 37:23) to bring Him glory because that is what I want, or should want, above all.

It is a true and faithful saying that I cannot want what I do not want. So, when I find myself not wanting what He wants (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) or unable to want what He commands, I need a new heart. My prayer today is, “Lord, please give me a heart to want what You want. Give me a heart that delights in You, that enjoys and is completely satisfied with every good and perfect thing that is in You. I ask these things following the pattern of your Son Jesus the Christ (in His name) and for His sake. Amen.”