...please GET OFF your religious high horse!

....Dear Christians....you can't witness with hate, judgment or prejudice in your heart. You cannot witness while you sit on your horse and point at someone else's perceived sin as if you yourselves are perfect - people see right through that. You cannot witness if you come under the guise of friendship only in the hopes of one day changing that person - that would be manipulation God calls us to come in honesty, He doesn't use manipulation. How are you going to be a friend to that person if your #1 focus is their sexual orientation? Heterosexual christians who are fornicating are not subjected to the same treatment by the church - that shows partiality  which is against God's word as well. This entire article is about setting your church up to keep GAYS OUT..... What would Jesus say about that?

The church is supposed to be welcoming the very kinds of people you're closing your doors too ...those people you THINK are unworthy of His love because of their sins...because of course you are sinless or your sin is not as big a deal as gay sex. To those who continue to use Sodom as your backstory...please stop. If you actually read the story God is VERY CLEAR on why they were destroyed and homosexuality was not listed. Eunuchs in the bible were often thought of as effeminate men but Christ said EVEN THE EUNUCHS who live by my ways. Instead of condemning and teaching that gays and lesbians are unacceptable to serve God because of their sin why not give them the same grace God gives you daily in the midst of your gluttony, in the midst of you riding down the street and moving to the other side instead of stopping to give that homeless man or woman some money for food, or going to give them food and clothes yourself.

I see men and women of God being given so much grace by God and the church as they continue in fornication, have their 2nd and 3rd child out of wedlock and/or on their 2nd husband or wife while the 1st one is still alive....yet all those people are worthy of the grace and love of God...as long as they are not gay. The church should ask themselves if Jesus were here - how would he interact? Don't be so sure you know the answer....it was the religious majority of Jesus' day who persecuted and condemned Him...they told Him He was wrong and His friends were all unworthy sinners... they claimed Jesus was demon possessed because He didn't do things the way the religious right thought they should be done based on their LIMITED knowledge of God's will. Those Christ chose were the broken, the outcast the lowly sinners that were beneath those "holy" people of the day. Remember, it was the religious majority who called for Christ's execution because they were so sure of their knowledge and their truth. Had it been left to them half the people God used would not have been used...

God certainly would not have born Solomon, the wisest of them all to the union of an adulterous and murderous king ...and yet He did. God certainly would not have told a prophet to marry a whore and stay with her in spite of her whoring to prove a point...and yet He did. God certainly wouldn't allow a blameless man by God's standards to lose everything including his family, fortune and health all to prove a point of loyalty to Him over satan - because God's just too good for that and surely good behavior warrants God's love and rewards...but yet He did. Rehab, the prostitute definitely would not have been used by your standards because well she was a whore, but God used her! That's not to say that their behaviors were godly or to uphold the behaviors but it is to point out that it is not the perfect who know they are holier than thou who are the most able to be used (or most worthy).....it's always, ALWAYS the lowly sinner who recognizes their sin and the need for God's grace and love who He can use and mold the most. Why not try TRUSTING GOD and welcoming people in with love instead of condemnation and bitter preaching of hellfire to try to force people into a relationship with God.

How about a little patience like God had with you? How about actually praying for people and treating them in love and allowing them to see the love of God through your life so much so that God can work through whatever sin they're doing that YOU are so uncomfortable with in His time with His power according to His will? People are so hell bent on attacking and condemning gays that you're not even seeking God on His truth....you're not asking the hard questions about how you should love and minister to them...you're just regurgitating the hate we've heard for YEARS. At the end of it all God is not going to ask you what YOU thought about gays and lesbians, He's going to ask how did you love them? How did you witness to them? How did you help them? How did you show them I loved them...or did you make them feel less than and send them running away from Me? Yes you will be accountable for that so maybe, just maybe instead of being so judgemental and doing Christ's job...how bout we all get back to working on ourselves, having some compassion for our brothers and sisters regardless of their sins because we know we have our own that are just as ugly, just as nasty, just as offensive to God and we really have no room to judge our brother.

We're all here fighting the same fight and if that holy book you tote with pride and use to validate your judgment shows us anything at all it shows us that we all misguided in need of God's grace and love and not a single person casting their polished stone is better than the one you cast the stone towards. The only difference is some hide their sin and cover themselves with false holiness while others are who they are....honest, open, struggling in God but trusting Him with everything and sincere in their love. And you know what -- they don't look like "regular" christians and they don't think like "regular" christians but God is raising them up to shame the wise......and here you are.... waiting with open judgment to make them feel less than. How dare you tell an entire group of people they are unworthy instead of guiding toward truth and teaching how to live in Christ as the being you are. We don't even understand all aspects of the universe, creation, our own bodies and brains....yet we are ALL experts on what God thinks based on partial knowledge. Yes, he knowledge is partial......we only know partial truths. How arrogant to think we know so much that we can condemn on behalf of God....isn't that what Job's friends did? they also meant well.

Following Christ ain't always fun.....

ahhhhh....that moment when I want to do what I know I should not do because it would be unbecoming of the woman I am in Christ today....

.....sometimes following Jesus is hard. It's not all bible reading and posting scripture on Facebook..... sometimes even the most devout wants to throw caution to the wind and say ____________________ I'll do what I want, every one else does and they're fine. You think we don't sometimes think what's the big deal if I do such and such when everyone else is doing it? But alas....that's where faith, love and devotion kicks in and all that bible reading, scripture quoting and church going is tested for faithfulness.

It's very easy to give in and do what you want to do because you can...really, in this day in age it's not like God is smiting folks where they stand...serving Him is an ultimate act of free will that we make daily. It's not an easy choice. It's not always "feel good" choice. It's not even the fun choice most of the time lol.  (I'm just being honest, you gotta be honest about this stuff man, people lied to me and told me it was all rainbows and unicorns and Jesus was like wayminute *pump the breaks* it's not like that and I'm so sorry I was misrepresented)....

But......those moments when your faithfulness yields results they are always worth it, it reminds you how faithful God is and everything you thought you missed was worth it. Don't give up the walk simply because it doesn't always "feel good" to follow Him. If it always "felt good" then everybody would be doing it....successfully. Besides, God never lied to us about this walk with Him. His truth really is right there in His Words (HIS WORDS, NOTE "HIS"), it's man that came along and started sharing this distorted genie happy joy joy I want to bless everybody with 40 acres a mule and a bentley sexy eyes "jesus god".....not God. We really need to understand His promises for what they are...

... I'm just speaking from my own limited knowledge. Not claiming to be a prophet, preacher or any form of authority. Just sharing the testimony as I live it. Selah.

We need to protect our daughters. ..

http://m.essence.com/2015/06/16/baltimore-police-arrest-two-suspects-death-16-year-old-arnesha-bowers

This story is just so sad. This baby gave these guys respect for who they were as people. She didn't judge them based on how they look or their affiliations and they betrayed her with cruelty.  We have to really help our baby girls understand the bad boys/gangsters/thugs/trap house "kings"/drug "kingpins" aren't as "sexy" as the world makes them seen...mothers, big sisters, aunts....we as women have to stop glorifying the "bad boy" as if they're so worthy of fantasy and emulation because our daughters are watching this and they are making the same mistakes. This baby really had no business hanging with these thugs. Then again she probably didn't think they'd hurt her...or anybody for that matter. Her grandmother probably had no idea who the guys were behind the scenes.

Let your daughters know video thugs and real life thugs are two different things. The glamorized lifestyle they show of these women who hang out with the gang members and "hold them down" rarely shows the end result which is heartache due to death, prison or in some cases both. If she does manage to escape it won't be without loss. It's never without loss. Please teach our babies that danger is real. Our girls need to be vigilant and aware. Teach our babies they need to KNOW these guys before they are willing to go away with them, be alone with them, share details of their personal life, family life, schedule, finances, etc. Sometimes our babies can be too trusting not realizing the world doesn't owe them life and the streets won't care about their stories, hoe beautiful they are, how smart or sweet they are.....

I remember being young and thinking the gang bangers made me look tough but I recognize now just how dangerous it was to be running around these guys who were affiliated with gangs/drug trafficking...I remember this guy coming to my house at @ 12 yrs old...He was about 18-20. He thought I was 14...I thought I was at least 20 mentally. Of course my mom had no idea, I too hid or disguised things that I knew would not fly with my mom and this guy definitely not.

My sole purpose for even talking to the guy was that he seemed to be running the little group of dusty dudes he was running with. I invited him to visit one day when I got out of middle school early and he agreed to meet me and a homegirl shortly. This guy pulled up to my house was reppin his set hands out the window, blasting some extremely vulgar rap music that I had to convince him to turn down so we could talk (to which he replied "wha we tawkin foe?"), screaming my name like a whore on the track, guns & drugs right in the dash console, along with a full cup of syrup and he had the nerve to roll a blunt right there in my front yard.....chile i thought he was tough and "cool". I thought about how I couldn't wait to tell all my friends about how "gangsta" he was.

At the time my momma was dating a man name Mr. Griffin and THANK GOD FOR HIM. He snatched me up out that car so fast and told that dude he bet not EVA brang his @$!* down our STREET or he was gone kill him and he encouraged him to try him cause he'd show him a real gangsta. I was banished to my room for an indefinite amount of time where I was not allowed to hang out with unapproved friends and the only time I was alone was if I had to use the bathroom. Needless to say I never saw that dude again praise God. We need to be that kinda vigilant with our kids. I don't care about my daughter feeling like her privacy is violated if it saves her from being violated physically or worse.

I am NOT AFRICAN American! I AM AMERICAN!

Dear Americans,
Please do not refer to me as AFRICAN AMERICAN.
I am NOT.
It is not because I hate myself or the reality that I have ancestors who are from Africa and who were slaves.
I am NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN because I will NOT buy into the ideology that I belong in Africa
...or any other continent except the one I was born in
AMERICA!

What am I trans-African?
NO!
You will not refer to me as if I migrated here within the last  generation or three.
I AM AMERICAN
....not BLACK AMERICAN
... not AFRICAN AMERICAN
... just plain old red, white and blue blood AMERICAN.

Yes, my skin is black.
We don't need to slap African in front of American to remind everyone.
Doesn't my skin, nose, eyes, hips, hair, dialect and culture scream this daily?
I am not trying to hide it.
I do not try to cover it.
I am NOT ashamed.
But I am also not foolish.
You don't call me by all the heritages mixed in my bloodline.
Only the one you think makes me "less than".

If we're going to identify people based on the country we think they came from then we should all be referred to as Immigrant-American....
...and let the true Americans stand
You know the ones you refer to as "Indian-American"...
The people who were slaughtered, rounded up and cast off to "reservations" as if you were doing them a favor.
On THEIR land.

You will NOT reinforce to me or my children that we do not belong!

 "African American" is a subtle way of telling me this is NOT my country
 A subtle way of upholding the idea that this is NOT my home.
 It's basically a nice way of saying  "YOU DON'T BELONG, TAKE YOUR BLACK A** HOME".

But I am home.
Where home has always been.
My ancestry may be African.
I AM AMERICAN.
I should not have to go "back to Africa" when I've never been in the first place.

This is my country
This is my home
I AM AMERICA

Your HATE doesn't make it any less true.

Sincerely,
An Intelligent American Woman who happens to be BLACK.

(Original poem feel free to share but do not infringe on my copyright. Thank you!)

Christians are to put themselves last...are we?

Philippians 2:21 (top) & Philippians 2:3-4 (bottom). Imagine if pastors spent more time preaching on this instead of preaching how God wants to make everyone rich with a benz. If only we believer would seek God to strengthen us in this area (selflessness and service towards others) could you imagine the impact our faith would/could have on this world? Sadly even in self professed christian circles there's a HUGE epidemic of selfishness and conditional love. We care as long as we don't feel slighted, as long as we feel our actions are reciprocated...but the moment we feel like we're not getting for self (whatever it is we desire) we (I'm speaking on Christians here only) are very quick to turn from love to indifference or hate.

We are called to love without thought of how someone will reciprocate because even those who don't follow Christ are good to those who they feel are good to them. The true test of our character in Christ is continuing to act and react in love when people treat you less than you feel you deserve. Not because you are a punching bag or someone to run over but because you are a child of God saved by grace who is constantly relying on the mercy of God- therfore you give the grace you are given and you love as God does, without demand, without expectation.

We so often desire the good things of Christ and question why certain prayers are not being answered in our lives...look at your love walk. If you truly trust God with your heart and relationships. ..if you are truly out here loving people from the heart of Christ ...it won't be about how people love you or what they do for you to prove this love...but how you can be a vessel to show the same love and grace that God extends to you daily.

It never ceases to amaze me when christians act as though love and forgiveness are options even though God's Word tells us it is a requirement for our OWN forgiveness...you can't be sitting around with grudges, hate, bitterness and anger in your heart that you refuse to deal with and heal from and at the same time wonder why things are not moving according to His promises for your life. Your blessing is directly connected to your love walk.